&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/derrick-henry&quot;&gt;Derrick Henry&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;Tyler Huntley&lt;/strong&gt; both appeared to send pointed messages involving Shedeur Sanders and the Cleveland Browns after the Ravens’ win over the Packers, with ripple effects felt across the AFC North and inside the Baltimore Ravens’ playoff push. Henry’s message toward Cleveland was blunt and telling, saying, &lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;“Go win, you feel me?”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Huntley followed with an even more revealing comment, openly referencing Sanders by name. &lt;em&gt;“I’m trying to get out of here so I can call &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/shedeur-sanders&quot;&gt;Shedeur&lt;/a&gt;. &lt;strong&gt;Make sure he can get it done&lt;/strong&gt;,”&lt;/em&gt; Huntley said, leaving little doubt about who Baltimore is rooting for this weekend and why.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;The context behind those comments&lt;strong&gt; is the tightening AFC North race&lt;/strong&gt;. A &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/cleveland-browns&quot;&gt;Browns&lt;/a&gt; win over Pittsburgh would crack the door open for Baltimore, shifting playoff chances and setting up a potential winner-take-all scenario in Week 18. &lt;strong&gt;The Ravens handled their own business&lt;/strong&gt;, and now their postseason hopes rest on Cleveland delivering one more favor.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;AFC North standings entering Week 17&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Pittsburgh leads the division at 9–6, holding a slim edge after winning three straight, while Baltimore sits at 8–8 and clings to playoff life. Cincinnati and Cleveland have fallen out of contention, but the&lt;strong&gt; Browns still control a result that could flip the entire division&lt;/strong&gt; race in one afternoon.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;div class=&quot;ck-twitter&quot;&gt;&lt;blockquote class=&quot;twitter-tweet&quot; data-media-max-width=&quot;560&quot;&gt;&lt;p lang=&quot;en&quot; dir=&quot;ltr&quot;&gt;FOURTH TOUCHDOWN FOR THE KING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Tune in on Peacock/WBAL &lt;a href=&quot;https://t.co/2CS6V4QSJt&quot;&gt;pic.twitter.com/2CS6V4QSJt&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/Ravens/status/2005125320056119441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;December 28, 2025&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;/div&gt; 



&lt;p&gt;Huntley’s performance only added weight to his words. He finished the game &lt;strong&gt;16-of-20 for 107 yards, averaging 5.4 yards per attempt,&lt;/strong&gt; with one touchdown and no interceptions, steady enough to keep Baltimore alive another week. The Ravens’ win wasn’t flashy, but it was essential to preserving hope.&lt;/p&gt;


        &lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_relatedlinks&quot; id=&quot;BUS#/nfl/nfl-playoffs-how-many-teams-make-the-postseason&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;


&lt;p&gt;The path forward is narrow and unforgiving. Baltimore&lt;strong&gt; cannot reach the playoffs via a wild card &lt;/strong&gt;and must win the AFC North to qualify as the conference’s No. 4 seed. That means a Browns upset of the Steelers in Week 17, followed by a Ravens win over Pittsburgh in Week 18, is the only scenario that keeps their season alive.&lt;/p&gt;

Derrick Henry and Tyler Huntley drop subtle messages aimed at Shedeur Sanders, Browns

Derrick Henry and Tyler Huntley drop subtle messages aimed at Shedeur Sanders, Browns - Bolavip US

miniaturas

&lt;p&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/baltimore-ravens&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer noopener&quot;&gt;Baltimore Ravens&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; will face the &lt;strong&gt;Green Bay Packers&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;strong&gt;without&lt;/strong&gt; their starting quarterback. &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/lamar-jackson&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer noopener&quot;&gt;Lamar Jackson&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; has been ruled out for Week 17, and &lt;strong&gt;Tyler Huntley will take his place&lt;/strong&gt;—but why is Jackson not playing?&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Throughout the week, rumors surfaced that the &lt;strong&gt;Ravens could be without Lamar Jackson&lt;/strong&gt; for a crucial Week 17 game against the Packers. On Saturday, &lt;strong&gt;Baltimore confirmed those reports&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;A few hours before kickoff, the Ravens announced that Lamar Jackson will not play against the Packers due to a &lt;strong&gt;back injury&lt;/strong&gt;. Tyler Huntley is set to start against the NFC North team.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;A crucial matchup with backup quarterbacks&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Not only have the Ravens ruled out Lamar Jackson, but the &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/nfl/why-is-malik-willis-and-not-jordan-love-playing-today-for-packers-vs-ravens-in-nfl-week-17&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer noopener&quot;&gt;Packers have also confirmed that Jordan Love will not play&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;. Both teams will rely on their backup quarterbacks in this important Week 17 matchup.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;Ravens need a win to stay alive in the playoff race&lt;/strong&gt;. If they lose, there would be no path to the postseason, and the &lt;strong&gt;Pittsburgh Steelers would clinch the AFC North title&lt;/strong&gt; without even playing their Week 17 game.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;As for the Packers, they have already &lt;strong&gt;secured a Wild Card spot&lt;/strong&gt;. However, they &lt;strong&gt;can still win the NFC North&lt;/strong&gt;. To do so, Green Bay would need to win its final two games and have the Chicago Bears lose out.&lt;/p&gt;


        &lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_relatedlinks&quot; id=&quot;BUS#/nfl/what-happens-if-packers-lose-against-ravens-today-in-2025-nfl-week-17&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

        

        

Why is Tyler Huntley and not Lamar Jackson playing today for Ravens vs Packers in NFL Week 17?

Are Ravens eliminated from NFL playoffs if they lose today against Packers in Week 17?

What happens if Ravens lose today to Packers in Week 17 of 2025 NFL season?

Why is Tyler Huntley and not Lamar Jackson playing today for Ravens vs Packers in NFL Week 17? - Bolavip US

&lt;p&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/green-bay-packers&quot;&gt;Green Bay Packers&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; were favorites to win the NFC North and possibly the &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/super-bowl&quot;&gt;Super Bowl&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; before the start of the season due to the trade with the &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/dallas-cowboys&quot;&gt;Dallas Cowboys&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; for &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/micah-parsons&quot;&gt;Micah Parsons&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; and an offense led by &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/jordan-love&quot;&gt;Jordan Love&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;However, due to multiple injuries, the story is completely different. The Packers have a 9-5-1 record, and after two consecutive losses, they face a very difficult path to winning the NFC North.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;As if that weren’t enough, Parsons is out for the rest of the season and Love’s status is uncertain for the remainder of the schedule. With a wide-open NFC, a loss to the &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/baltimore-ravens&quot;&gt;Baltimore Ravens&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; in Week 17 could be crucial.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;Is Jordan Love playing today for Packers vs Ravens?&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;No. Jordan Love is not playing today for the Packers against the Ravens because the quarterback didn’t clear the concussion protocol after suffering a head injury in the game against the Bears. Malik Willis will take his place.&lt;/p&gt;


        

        


&lt;h2&gt;What happens if Green Bay Packers lose today against Ravens in NFL Week 17?&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;If the Packers lose today against the Baltimore Ravens, they will no longer have a chance to win the NFC North. Green Bay would fall to a 9-6-1 record, making the Chicago Bears (11-4) unreachable at the top of the division.&lt;/p&gt;


        &lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_relatedlinks&quot; id=&quot;BUS#/nfl/nfl-news-micah-parsons-reveals-contract-negotiation-details-with-jerry-jones-and-agent-david-mulugheta-after-trade-between-cowboys-and-packers&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;


&lt;h2&gt;Are the Packers eliminated from playoffs with a loss to Ravens?&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;The Packers are not eliminated from the NFL playoffs with a loss to the Ravens, as they have already clinched a spot in the postseason. It all happened thanks to the Vikings defeating the Detroit Lions last Thursday.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;Can the Packers still win the NFC North?&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;The Packers can still claim the NFC North if they win out and the Bears lose against the San Francisco 49ers and the Detroit Lions. In that scenario, Green Bay would finish with an 11-5-1 record and Chicago with an 11-6 record. The tie in the game with the Dallas Cowboys would be the difference.&lt;/p&gt;

Are Packers eliminated from playoffs if they lose today against Ravens?

Packers confirm if Jordan Love will play against Ravens in Week 17

Why is Malik Willis and not Jordan Love playing today for Packers vs Ravens in NFL Week 17?

Are Green Bay Packers eliminated from NFL playoffs with a loss against Ravens today in Week 17? - Bolavip US

Are Packers eliminated from playoffs with loss vs Ravens?

Are Packers eliminated from NFL playoffs with a loss against Ravens today in Week 17?

&lt;p&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/detroit-lions&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer noopener&quot;&gt;Detroit Lions&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; had one of the best offenses in the &lt;strong&gt;NFL&lt;/strong&gt; the last few years. However, as their offensive coordinator left, a new one was appointed by &lt;strong&gt;Dan Campbell&lt;/strong&gt; this season and it just didn’t click the same.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;According to Ian Rapoport of &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/nfl&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer noopener&quot;&gt;NFL&lt;/a&gt; Network, &lt;strong&gt;there is a possibility and it&lt;em&gt; “could make a lot of sense”&lt;/em&gt; for the team to bring a new offensive coordinator&lt;/strong&gt; to take the role of John Morton. Morton failed to deliver on Ben Johnson’s level and the Lions suffered because of it.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/dan-campbell&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer noopener&quot;&gt;Dan Campbell&lt;/a&gt; is a no non-sense coach and will do whatever it takes to win. After all, &lt;strong&gt;the Lions are too talented to not be able to have a top three offense in the NFL.&lt;/strong&gt; The Lions went from first in scoring offense (33.2 ppg) in 2024 to fourth (28.9 ppg) in 2025.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;The offense also suffered midseason changes&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;John Morton was given the playcalling duties at the start of the season but &lt;strong&gt;that role was taken away from him midseason due to offensive woes&lt;/strong&gt;. Dan Campbell took the reigns from there. &lt;/p&gt;



&lt;figure class=&quot;wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;wp-block-embed__wrapper&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;ck-twitter&quot;&gt;&lt;blockquote class=&quot;twitter-tweet&quot; data-width=&quot;500&quot; data-dnt=&quot;true&quot;&gt;&lt;p lang=&quot;en&quot; dir=&quot;ltr&quot;&gt;Lions OC John Morton on losing his play-calling responsibilities: &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;&quot;I fully support it. I wanna do whatever it takes to win.&quot; &lt;a href=&quot;https://t.co/QmM65V6UJE&quot;&gt;pic.twitter.com/QmM65V6UJE&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔇𝔢𝔱𝔯𝔬𝔦𝔱 𝔗𝔦𝔪𝔢𝔰 📰 (@the_det_times) &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/the_det_times/status/1989020822892093785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;November 13, 2025&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;script async=&quot;&quot; src=&quot;https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js&quot; charset=&quot;utf-8&quot;&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;John Morton might have his days numbered as OC of the Lions&lt;/strong&gt;. Among this season’s most baffling things is how running back David Montgomery slipped on his production and how little they’ve used rookie WR Isaac TeSlaa. The offense needs another creative playcaller for 2026.&lt;/p&gt;


        &lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_relatedlinks&quot; id=&quot;BUS#/nfl/dan-campbell-sends-clear-message-to-the-lions-after-loss-to-the-vikings-i-dont-like-being-home-for-the-playoffs&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;


&lt;h2&gt;Defense should be on the spot too&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Aaron Glenn also departed, so Kelvin Sheppard stepped into the defensive coordinator role. &lt;strong&gt;The Lions are the 23rd-ranked scoring defense in the NFL&lt;/strong&gt; allowing 24.8 points per game. &lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;With how vulnerable the defense has looked this year, &lt;strong&gt;it wouldn’t be shocking to see Dan Campbell looking for a new DC too&lt;/strong&gt;. In the end, he wants to delegate and focus completely on how the game is played, instead of babysitting his coordinators every single game.&lt;/p&gt;

Lions HC Dan Campbell could make drastic decision ahead of 2026 NFL season

Lions HC Dan Campbell could make drastic decision ahead of 2026 NFL season - Bolavip US

destacadas

&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/green-bay-packers&quot;&gt;Green Bay Packers&lt;/a&gt; have already secured at least one playoff spot. Following the Lions’ loss last week, they clinched a berth in the NFC. However, they must avoid a loss against the &lt;strong&gt;Baltimore Ravens&lt;/strong&gt; if they want to maintain&lt;strong&gt; a strong grip on the NFC North.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;If the Packers lose to the &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/baltimore-ravens&quot;&gt;Ravens&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;their path to the NFC North title becomes far more complicated. &lt;/strong&gt;That result would represent one of the two outcomes required for Green Bay to lose control of the division, as the Chicago Bears would then need only one win against the San Francisco 49ers to secure the division crown.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;It would be a major setback for the Packers, who enter their Week 17 matchup against the Ravens&lt;strong&gt; with a 9-5-1 record and &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/nfl/why-is-malik-willis-and-not-jordan-love-playing-today-for-packers-vs-ravens-in-nfl-week-17&quot;&gt;without starting quarterback Jordan Love&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;. His absence makes it even more difficult to avoid a loss in a game where securing the division title would significantly improve their playoff positioning.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;NFC North standings and current situation&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;At the moment, the Bears firmly control the NFC North with an 11-4 record. The Packers are safely in the playoffs but sit second in the division. &lt;strong&gt;To keep their division hopes alive, they must win their final two games of the regular season&lt;/strong&gt;. In addition to facing the Ravens, they will need a victory against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 18.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;div class=&quot;ck-twitter&quot;&gt;&lt;blockquote class=&quot;twitter-tweet&quot; data-media-max-width=&quot;560&quot;&gt;&lt;p lang=&quot;en&quot; dir=&quot;ltr&quot;&gt;MOST ACCURATE QUARTERBACKS IN &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/hashtag/NFL?src=hash&amp;amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;#NFL&lt;/a&gt; HISTORY…&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;I’ll start: JORDAN LOVE&lt;a href=&quot;https://t.co/0xm91rCkiu&quot;&gt;pic.twitter.com/0xm91rCkiu&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— MLFootball (@MLFootball) &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/MLFootball/status/2004990666271592473?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;December 27, 2025&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;/div&gt; 



&lt;p&gt;Green Bay not only needs to win its final two games, a challenging task without Love and while entering Week 17 on a losing streak, but also must hope the Chicago Bears&lt;strong&gt; lose their final two &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/nfl&quot;&gt;NFL&lt;/a&gt; regular season games.&lt;/strong&gt; Only under that scenario would the Packers emerge as NFC North champions.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;The NFC North race is essentially settled, as the other two teams, the &lt;strong&gt;Vikings and the Lions, have already been eliminated.&lt;/strong&gt; While Detroit appeared to be a potential threat at one point during the season, they were effectively knocked out by the middle of the year.&lt;/p&gt;

What happens if Packers lose against Ravens today in 2025 NFL Week 17?

What happens if Packers lose against Ravens today in 2025 NFL Week 17? - Bolavip US

&lt;p&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;Golden State Warriors&lt;/strong&gt; are off to an uneven start to the &lt;strong&gt;NBA &lt;/strong&gt;season, and the margin for error continues to shrink as they try to maximize their championship window around &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/stephen-curry&quot;&gt;Stephen Curry&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;. Sitting in the middle of the Western Conference standings, the Warriors are actively exploring roster adjustments that could stabilize the frontcourt and raise their defensive ceiling, and one of their options is a &lt;strong&gt;Dallas Mavericks&lt;/strong&gt; player.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;According to NBA insider Chris Haynes, &lt;strong&gt;Golden State have emerged as a potential suitor for Dallas Mavericks big man Anthony Davis&lt;/strong&gt;. Speaking on &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/nba&quot;&gt;NBA&lt;/a&gt; on Prime, Haynes reported that the Warriors, who hold a 16–15 record and sit eighth in the West, have identified interior defense as a priority but face significant obstacles in pursuing the All-Star.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;“I came on last week and told you what the Warriors were looking for,”&lt;/em&gt; Haynes said. &lt;em&gt;“They want a rim-running big man who can protect the paint and be a lob threat. &lt;strong&gt;I was told they’re contemplating making a case to acquire Anthony Davis as well&lt;/strong&gt;, but Dallas was not that fascinated with what Golden State has on its books.”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Haynes added that any serious push for Davis would require additional assets or a third team. &lt;strong&gt;Golden State are focused on finding a defensive anchor at center for the second half of the season&lt;/strong&gt;, a move that could ease the burden on Curry and Draymond Green as they attempt another championship run.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;figure class=&quot;wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped&quot;&gt;
&lt;figure class=&quot;wp-block-image size-large&quot;&gt;&lt;figure class=&quot;image&quot;&gt;&lt;img loading=&quot;lazy&quot; width=&quot;1920&quot; height=&quot;1080&quot; data-id=&quot;525539&quot; src=&quot;https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.bolavip.com/webp/en/full/BUS_20251228_BUS_552567_Anthony-Davis-looking-to-pass-1_bc7dc082.webp&amp;amp;width=1920&amp;amp;height=1080&quot; alt=&quot;Anthony Davis looking to pass (1)&quot; class=&quot;wp-image-525539&quot;&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;figcaption&gt;Anthony Davis #3 of the Dallas Mavericks handles the ball.&lt;/figcaption&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;
&lt;/figure&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;Other potential options&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Haynes has previously reported that the &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/golden-state-warriors&quot;&gt;Warriors&lt;/a&gt; are evaluating more attainable athletic centers across the league. Among the names mentioned were &lt;strong&gt;Daniel Gafford, Nic Claxton, and Robert Williams III&lt;/strong&gt;, all of whom could address Golden State’s needs without forcing the franchise to sacrifice premium assets.&lt;/p&gt;


        &lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_relatedlinks&quot; id=&quot;BUS#/nba/unstoppable-nikola-jokic-shines-on-nba-christmas-day-with-nuggets-sets-multiple-records&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

        

        


&lt;p&gt;Those options may represent a more practical path, especially given Davis’ recent durability concerns. The Mavericks have dealt &lt;strong&gt;with extended absences from the veteran big man, most notably due to a lingering calf injury&lt;/strong&gt; that has already cost him a significant number of games.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;Davis’ numbers in Dallas&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Despite the health questions, Davis remains one of the league’s most productive two-way bigs. The 32-year-old is averaging &lt;strong&gt;20.5 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.6 blocks&lt;/strong&gt; per game for the &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/dallas-mavericks&quot;&gt;Mavericks&lt;/a&gt; during the 2025–26 season.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;He recently &lt;strong&gt;posted back-to-back 30-point performances against the New Orleans Pelicans and the Denver Nuggets&lt;/strong&gt;, underscoring his ability to dominate offensively. However, Davis suffered a groin injury on Christmas Day against the Warriors, an issue that is expected to sideline him for several games and further complicates any trade considerations.&lt;/p&gt;

NBA Rumors: Warriors are exploring a blockbuster trade to pair Stephen Curry with a Mavericks star

Anthony Davis injury update: Reportedly, there is bad news for the Mavericks regarding the star’s status

Who recorded the most assists in one NBA season? The all-time leaders

NBA Rumors: Warriors are exploring a blockbuster trade to pair Stephen Curry with a Mavericks star - Bolavip US

&lt;p&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;Sacramento Kings&lt;/strong&gt; secured a hard-fought 113-107 victory against the Dallas Mavericks in a matchup that promised high-level competition from both franchises. However, all eyes were on &lt;strong&gt;Russell Westbrook&lt;/strong&gt;, who made &lt;strong&gt;NBA &lt;/strong&gt;history by surpassing a &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/los-angeles-lakers&quot;&gt;Los Angeles Lakers&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; legend on the all-time assists list.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Veteran Russell Westbrook &lt;strong&gt;has surpassed Hall of Fame guard Magic Johnson for seventh place on the NBA’s all-time assists&lt;/strong&gt; leaderboard. After Westbrook starred for the Kings in overtime during a 125-114 win against the Houston Rockets, he continued his impressive week for Sacramento.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Westbrook eclipsed Johnson’s 10,141 career assists &lt;/strong&gt;in the first quarter of Saturday’s game against the Mavericks. By doing so, he officially moved into seventh place on the NBA’s all-time assist leaders list, surpassing the record of Hall of Famer &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/magic-johnson&quot;&gt;Magic Johnson&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;An assist to Keon Ellis in the first quarter against the Mavericks &lt;strong&gt;helped Westbrook climb the league’s assist record books&lt;/strong&gt;, marking a major milestone in his storied career.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;figure class=&quot;wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped&quot;&gt;
&lt;figure class=&quot;wp-block-image size-large&quot;&gt;&lt;figure class=&quot;image&quot;&gt;&lt;img loading=&quot;lazy&quot; width=&quot;1980&quot; height=&quot;1080&quot; data-id=&quot;419972&quot; src=&quot;https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.bolavip.com/webp/en/full/BUS_20251228_BUS_552526_magic-johnson-1_dfb29650.webp&amp;amp;width=1980&amp;amp;height=1080&quot; alt=&quot;Magic Johnson during a Los Angeles Lakers game.&quot; class=&quot;wp-image-419972&quot; sizes=&quot;(max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px&quot;&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;figcaption&gt;Magic Johnson during a Los Angeles Lakers game.&lt;/figcaption&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;
&lt;/figure&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;Westbrook’s numbers with the Kings and the next target&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Westbrook is averaging &lt;strong&gt;14.4 points, 7.2 assists, and 6.9 rebounds&lt;/strong&gt; for the &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/sacramento-kings&quot;&gt;Kings&lt;/a&gt; this season. He joined Sacramento as his seventh NBA team via a one-year, $3.6 million veteran’s minimum contract this past offseason.&lt;/p&gt;


        &lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_relatedlinks&quot; id=&quot;BUS#/nba/is-trae-young-playing-today-december-27-for-hawks-vs-knicks&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

        

        


&lt;p&gt;The next target for Westbrook is &lt;strong&gt;Mark Jackson’s career total of 10,334 assists&lt;/strong&gt;. John Stockton remains the all-time leader with &lt;strong&gt;15,806 assists&lt;/strong&gt; across his 19-year NBA career.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/russell-westbrook&quot;&gt;Westbrook&lt;/a&gt; now trails only John Stockton &lt;strong&gt;(15,806)&lt;/strong&gt;, followed by Chris Paul &lt;strong&gt;(12,552)&lt;/strong&gt;, Jason Kidd &lt;strong&gt;(12,091)&lt;/strong&gt;, LeBron James &lt;strong&gt;(11,673)&lt;/strong&gt;, Steve Nash &lt;strong&gt;(10,335)&lt;/strong&gt;, and Mark Jackson &lt;strong&gt;(10,334)&lt;/strong&gt; on the NBA’s career assists leaderboard.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;Westbrook’s career achievements&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;This latest milestone adds to an already decorated career. Westbrook is a &lt;strong&gt;nine-time NBA All-Star&lt;/strong&gt;, former &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/nba&quot;&gt;NBA&lt;/a&gt; MVP&lt;/strong&gt; (2017), and &lt;strong&gt;two-time scoring champion&lt;/strong&gt;. He has also led the league in assists three times and remains the NBA’s all-time leader in triple-doubles.&lt;/p&gt;

Kings’ Russell Westbrook makes history as he surpasses a Lakers legend on the NBA’s all-time list

Is Darius Garland playing tonight, Dec. 27, for Cavaliers vs Rockets?

Is Josh Giddey playing today, December 27, for Bulls vs Bucks?

Kings’ Russell Westbrook makes history as he surpasses a Lakers legend on the NBA’s all-time list - Bolavip US

&lt;p&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/cleveland-cavaliers&quot;&gt;Cleveland Cavaliers&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; face the &lt;strong&gt;Houston Rockets&lt;/strong&gt; in an &lt;strong&gt;NBA &lt;/strong&gt;regular-season matchup as they look to secure a win and improve their 17–15 record, aiming to reestablish themselves among the top teams in the Eastern Conference as they did last season. With that goal in mind, one key question surrounds the game: Will &lt;strong&gt;Darius Garland&lt;/strong&gt; play?&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;The Cavaliers list three players on the injury report for Saturday, including Garland. However, according to NBA Underdog, Cleveland now designates &lt;strong&gt;Garland as available to play&lt;/strong&gt; against the Rockets.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Cleveland enters the contest after a road loss to the New York Knicks on Thursday in their &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/nba&quot;&gt;NBA&lt;/a&gt; Christmas Day game. In that defeat, Donovan Mitchell led the Cavaliers with &lt;strong&gt;34 points, seven rebounds and six assists&lt;/strong&gt;, while Darius Garland added &lt;strong&gt;20 points and 10 assists&lt;/strong&gt;, continuing to be a steady presence in the backcourt.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Houston also carries a notable concern. The &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/nba/is-alperen-sengun-playing-tonight-december-27-for-rockets-vs-cavaliers&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Rockets list center Alperen Sengun as questionable&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; with calf soreness, putting his availability in doubt and creating uncertainty for a team that relies heavily on his interior scoring and playmaking.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;figure class=&quot;wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped&quot;&gt;
&lt;figure class=&quot;wp-block-image size-large&quot;&gt;&lt;figure class=&quot;image&quot;&gt;&lt;img loading=&quot;lazy&quot; width=&quot;1920&quot; height=&quot;1080&quot; data-id=&quot;395066&quot; src=&quot;https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.bolavip.com/webp/en/full/BUS_20251227_BUS_552449_GettyImages-2214295298-1_2f4d8533.webp&amp;amp;width=1920&amp;amp;height=1080&quot; alt=&quot;garland-cavaliers-vs-pacers&quot; class=&quot;wp-image-395066&quot; sizes=&quot;(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px&quot;&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;figcaption&gt;Darius Garland #10 of the Cleveland Cavaliers.&lt;/figcaption&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;
&lt;/figure&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;Darius Garland’s recent numbers&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/darius-garland&quot;&gt;Garland&lt;/a&gt;’s impact on the Cavaliers remains significant, and his recent production reflects that influence. Over his last five games, he averages &lt;strong&gt;21.4 points, 8.4 assists and 2.8 rebounds&lt;/strong&gt;, while shooting an impressive 54.3 percent from three-point range in 31.6 minutes per game.&lt;/p&gt;


        &lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_relatedlinks&quot; id=&quot;BUS#/nba/is-josh-giddey-playing-today-december-27-for-bulls-vs-bucks&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

        

        


&lt;h2&gt;Potential adjustments if Sengun sits&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;If Sengun is sidelined against the Cavaliers, &lt;strong&gt;Steven Adams is expected to handle a larger role in the middle&lt;/strong&gt;, with Jock Landale also seeing increased minutes in &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/houston-rockets&quot;&gt;Houston&lt;/a&gt;’s frontcourt rotation.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Sengun’s absence would give Cleveland a clear advantage in the paint, allowing &lt;strong&gt;Jarrett Allen greater freedom around the rim and easing some defensive pressure&lt;/strong&gt;. Still, the Cavaliers must remain disciplined on the perimeter, where Houston’s guards can change the game quickly if given space.&lt;/p&gt;

Is Giannis Antetokounmpo playing today, December 27, for Bucks vs Bulls?

Is Trae Young playing today, December 27, for Hawks vs Knicks?

Is Darius Garland playing tonight, Dec. 27, for Cavaliers vs Rockets? - Bolavip US

&lt;p&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;Chicago Bulls&lt;/strong&gt; (15-15) host the &lt;strong&gt;Milwaukee Bucks&lt;/strong&gt; (12-19) tonight at the United Center for &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/nba&quot;&gt;NBA&lt;/a&gt; regular season action, but the status of breakout star &lt;strong&gt;Josh Giddey&lt;/strong&gt; hangs in the balance.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;According to the latest official &lt;a href=&quot;https://official.nba.com/nba-injury-report-2025-26-season/&quot;&gt;NBA injury report&lt;/a&gt; for Saturday, December 27, the Bulls have listed Josh Giddey as &lt;strong&gt;available to play&lt;/strong&gt; despite being listed earlier as questionable with a left ankle sprain.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/chicago-bulls&quot;&gt;Chicago&lt;/a&gt; enters the second night of a back-to-back in peak form, having notched their &lt;strong&gt;fifth consecutive victory&lt;/strong&gt; with a 109-102 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday. Giddey was instrumental in that win, flirting with a triple-double by recording &lt;strong&gt;12 points, 11 assists&lt;/strong&gt;, and &lt;strong&gt;six rebounds&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;In his first season in Chicago, the 23-year-old Australian has been a revelation, averaging &lt;strong&gt;19.8 points, 9.2 rebounds&lt;/strong&gt;, and &lt;strong&gt;9.2 assists&lt;/strong&gt; per game. It’s great news for Billy Donovan to have Giddey available tonight, as he remains a fundamental piece of his system.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;figure class=&quot;wp-block-image size-full&quot;&gt;&lt;figure class=&quot;image&quot;&gt;&lt;img loading=&quot;lazy&quot; width=&quot;1920&quot; height=&quot;1080&quot; src=&quot;https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.bolavip.com/webp/en/full/BUS_20251227_BUS_552452_josh-giddey_adbc3e74.webp&amp;amp;width=1920&amp;amp;height=1080&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; class=&quot;wp-image-443088&quot; sizes=&quot;(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px&quot;&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;figcaption&gt;Josh Giddey dribbles the ball during a game. (Getty Images)&lt;/figcaption&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;Milwaukee awaits the ‘Greek Freak’&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;While Chicago manages Giddey’s status, the Milwaukee Bucks are expecting a massive reinforcement. Multiple reports indicate that superstar &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/nba/is-giannis-antetokounmpo-playing-today-december-27-for-bucks-vs-bulls&quot;&gt;Giannis Antetokounmpo is expected to return tonight&lt;/a&gt; after missing eight games with a right calf strain. The Bucks also list &lt;strong&gt;Gary Trent Jr.&lt;/strong&gt; (calf) as questionable, while &lt;strong&gt;Taurean Prince&lt;/strong&gt; (neck) remains out.&lt;/p&gt;


        &lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_relatedlinks&quot; id=&quot;BUS#/nba/players-with-the-most-turnovers-in-a-single-season&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

        

        


&lt;p&gt;The Bulls’ injury report is relatively light. Rookie &lt;strong&gt;Noa Essengue&lt;/strong&gt; is the only other name listed; he remains out for the season following shoulder surgery.&lt;/p&gt;

Not LeBron James: Boston Celtics’ former icon names the greatest player of this era

Is Josh Giddey playing today, December 27, for Bulls vs Bucks? - Bolavip US

&lt;p&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/atlanta-hawks&quot;&gt;Atlanta Hawks&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; face the &lt;strong&gt;New York Knicks&lt;/strong&gt; in an &lt;strong&gt;NBA &lt;/strong&gt;regular-season matchup that promises high-level entertainment, fueled by a rivalry that has grown increasingly intense over the years. Much of that tension centers on one player, which immediately raises the key question ahead of tipoff: Will &lt;strong&gt;Trae Young&lt;/strong&gt; play?&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;According to Underdog NBA,&lt;strong&gt; Trae Young is available to play and no longer carries an injury designation on the report&lt;/strong&gt;. After dealing with a right quad contusion earlier in the week, Young is now expected to suit up without restrictions against the Knicks. The Hawks’ star has appeared in four consecutive games, including a 30-point performance in Friday’s 126–111 loss to the Miami Heat.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;The Hawks enter the matchup looking to snap a five-game losing streak. &lt;strong&gt;After winning just two of their last 11 games&lt;/strong&gt;, Young’s likely availability gives Atlanta a much-needed boost on the road against one of the stronger teams in the Eastern Conference.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;Trae Young’s numbers&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;After posting&lt;strong&gt; eight points, 10 assists, and one steal in 20 minutes&lt;/strong&gt; in his first game back since October 29, Young has steadily returned to form. He has scored at least 22 points in each of his last three games, including two performances with 30 or more points.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;figure class=&quot;wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped&quot;&gt;

&lt;/figure&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Since returning, &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/trae-young&quot;&gt;Young&lt;/a&gt; is averaging &lt;strong&gt;23.8 points, 10.0 assists, and 1.0 steals per game&lt;/strong&gt; while shooting 50.0 percent from the field, 44.8 percent from three-point range, and 89.7 percent from the free-throw line. His offensive rhythm has been a key stabilizer for an Atlanta lineup built around his playmaking.&lt;/p&gt;


        &lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_relatedlinks&quot; id=&quot;BUS#/nba/is-anthony-davis-playing-tonight-december-27-for-mavericks-vs-kings&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

        

        


&lt;p&gt;One of Young’s best performances of the season came in a 152–150 loss to the Chicago Bulls, the highest-scoring game in the NBA this year. He finished that night with &lt;strong&gt;35 points on 10-of-16 shooting&lt;/strong&gt;, including seven three-pointers, along with nine assists.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;Trae Young’s rivalry with the Knicks&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Young’s history against the &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/new-york-knicks&quot;&gt;Knicks&lt;/a&gt; is well-documented. During the 2019–20 season, he delivered some of his most explosive performances against New York, averaging&lt;strong&gt; 44.0 points and 10.6 assists across three games&lt;/strong&gt; while routinely silencing Madison Square Garden.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;That tension carried into the following season, as Young &lt;strong&gt;continued to deliver clutch shots and high-level performances whenever the Knicks stood in front&lt;/strong&gt; of him. His confidence and shot-making repeatedly turned hostile crowds into part of the spectacle.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;The rivalry reached its peak during the 2021 &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/nba&quot;&gt;NBA&lt;/a&gt; postseason, when the Hawks eliminated the Knicks in the first round. In Game 1, Young sealed a 107–105 win with a game-winning floater, finishing with &lt;strong&gt;32 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;More recently, &lt;strong&gt;he eliminated the Knicks from the 2024 NBA Cup at Madison Square Garden&lt;/strong&gt;, posting 22 points, 11 assists, and five rebounds, then celebrating at center court by mimicking a dice roll over the Knicks logo, a moment that further cemented the rivalry.&lt;/p&gt;

Is Alperen Sengun playing tonight, December 27, for Rockets vs Cavaliers?

Is Trae Young playing today, December 27, for Hawks vs Knicks? - Bolavip US

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Kazuma Okamoto&lt;/strong&gt;, who posted a &lt;strong&gt;.322 batting average last season&lt;/strong&gt;, is one of the Japanese stars drawing significant interest from multiple teams and has even been labeled a “perfect fit” for certain clubs. However, a new report indicates that he will not sign with an &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/mlb&quot;&gt;MLB&lt;/a&gt; team in December.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;The new expected timeline for Okamoto points to January, closer to his posting deadline. &lt;em&gt;“Sources indicate there is&lt;strong&gt; no imminent movement &lt;/strong&gt;at this time regarding a potential signing for 3B Kazuma Okamoto. He’s expected to sign closer to the end of &lt;strong&gt;his posting window on January 4,&lt;/strong&gt;”&lt;/em&gt; Francys Romero reported on X.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;So far, the strongest rumored connection for &lt;strong&gt;Okamoto has been with the Pittsburgh Pirates&lt;/strong&gt;, at least according to analysis from Sports Illustrated and comments from MLB insider Ken Rosenthal. Just three days ago, Rosenthal suggested that the Pirates could be willing to offer the Japanese infielder a strong contract.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;How much could Okamoto sign for&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;According to what Rosenthal said on Foul Territory, Okamoto is likely to receive a deal that surpasses the contract Munetaka Murakami signed with the White Sox. Murakami previously agreed to a two year, &lt;strong&gt;$34 million deal, &lt;/strong&gt;a move that surprised some observers but made sense given the club’s rebuilding process.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;div class=&quot;ck-twitter&quot;&gt;&lt;blockquote class=&quot;twitter-tweet&quot; data-media-max-width=&quot;560&quot;&gt;&lt;p lang=&quot;en&quot; dir=&quot;ltr&quot;&gt;Kazuma Okamoto 112 mph double vs Chicago Cubs &lt;a href=&quot;https://t.co/bMvfcvwhY1&quot;&gt;pic.twitter.com/bMvfcvwhY1&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— J (@jordanmay1414) &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/jordanmay1414/status/2005030212380360831?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;December 27, 2025&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;/div&gt; 



&lt;p&gt;In a more detailed breakdown of Okamoto’s potential market, The Athletic listed him as a possible target for the Red Sox. The report noted that he could earn&lt;strong&gt; $20 million in his first year &lt;/strong&gt;if he signs with Boston or another team.&lt;/p&gt;


        &lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_relatedlinks&quot; id=&quot;BUS#/mlb/ny-yankees-cubs-and-other-teams-warned-as-deadline-nears-in-mlb-pursuit-of-tatsuya-imai-okamoto-and-takahashi&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;


&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;“Japanese free agent Kazuma Okamoto, a corner infielder, turns 30 in June. There has been little traction in the Red Sox being tied to Okamoto, but he’s a right-handed hitter with strong power numbers. &lt;strong&gt;The Athletic projects him to sign a four-year, $78.5 million deal,&lt;/strong&gt;” &lt;/em&gt;Jen McCaffrey wrote for The Athletic.&lt;/p&gt;

Kazuma Okamoto’s MLB signing reportedly now points to a new expected date

Kazuma Okamoto’s MLB signing reportedly now points to a new expected date - Bolavip US

&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/detroit-tigers&quot;&gt;Detroit Tigers&lt;/a&gt; had a strong season and remain active in the market for potential additions, but &lt;strong&gt;Alex Bregman&lt;/strong&gt; does not appear to be one of their targets. According to a new report from the Detroit Free Press, there has been no recent contact between the Tigers and the former Red Sox. The report was authored by Evan Petzold.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;“The Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs and Arizona Diamondbacks have been active in the &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/alex-bregman&quot;&gt;Bregman&lt;/a&gt; sweepstakes, &lt;strong&gt;but the Tigers haven’t shown any new movement&lt;/strong&gt;,”&lt;/em&gt; a person with knowledge of the situation&lt;strong&gt; told the Free Press on condition of anonymity &lt;/strong&gt;because they are not permitted to speak publicly, Petzold wrote.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;The same report notes that while there is a remote chance of future contact between the Tigers and Bregman, it remains unlikely. &lt;em&gt;“The interest&lt;strong&gt; from the Tigers remains lukewarm&lt;/strong&gt;, just as it has all offseason, with eight weeks until the first game of spring training.”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;The Tigers have not signed a power bat&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;From December 12 through December 20, the Tigers did not sign any major offensive names. Instead, &lt;strong&gt;they focused on adding pitchers to strengthen the bullpen&lt;/strong&gt;. The organization appears satisfied with its current offensive group, which performed relatively well last &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/mlb&quot;&gt;MLB&lt;/a&gt; season.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;figure class=&quot;wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;wp-block-embed__wrapper&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;ck-youtube&quot;&gt;&lt;iframe loading=&quot;lazy&quot; title=&quot;200 career home runs for Alex Bregman!&quot; width=&quot;500&quot; height=&quot;281&quot; src=&quot;https://www.youtube.com/embed/8XyNSs9TnVE?feature=oembed&quot; frameborder=&quot;0&quot; allow=&quot;accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share&quot; referrerpolicy=&quot;strict-origin-when-cross-origin&quot; allowfullscreen=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;



&lt;p&gt;The Tigers’ most recent addition was Kyle Finnegan, who signed as a free agent and represents another arm the team hopes to rely on next season. &lt;strong&gt;Detroit’s .247 team batting average last year reflected a productive offense&lt;/strong&gt;, making it less necessary to pursue multiple new bats.&lt;/p&gt;


        &lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_relatedlinks&quot; id=&quot;BUS#/mlb/cubs-reportedly-having-extensive-talks-with-scott-boras-about-a-top-available-star&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;


&lt;h2&gt;Bregman already far from Detroit&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;It is also worth noting that this is not the first time reports have suggested the Tigers have either lost interest in Bregman or&lt;strong&gt; never pursued him as aggressively as other teams this year&lt;/strong&gt;. In a December 26 Sports Illustrated article by Michael Brauner, he detailed how Detroit’s limited pursuit of Bregman has stood out.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;“Detroit’s lack of reported interest in Bregman this time around does not make a whole lot of sense on the surface &lt;strong&gt;after pursuing him so strongly a year ago.&lt;/strong&gt; Perhaps it’s a case of not wanting to be scorned once again, but the slugger is still the perfect target,”&lt;/em&gt; Brauner wrote.&lt;/p&gt;

Alex Bregman looks less likely for the Tigers after new report clarifies Detroit’s intentions

Alex Bregman looks less likely for the Tigers after new report clarifies Detroit’s intentions - Bolavip US

&lt;p&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/new-york-mets&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer noopener&quot;&gt;New York Mets&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; are still pushing to get the nod over the &lt;strong&gt;Philadelphia Phillies&lt;/strong&gt; when it comes to landing &lt;strong&gt;Tatsuya Imai&lt;/strong&gt;. However, they still went ahead and met with another coveted pitcher as they need more than just the Japanese star.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;As reported by SNY, &lt;strong&gt;the Mets are among the teams that met with free agent lefty Framber Valdez&lt;/strong&gt;. It won’t be easy to land him as Jon Heyman of The Post reported that the Giants and the Orioles also met with Valdez. They are also battling with the &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/philadelphia-phillies&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer noopener&quot;&gt;Phillies&lt;/a&gt; for the services of the Japanese ace.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Formerly of the Astros, Valdez is now a free agent. The Mets would love to add Valdez and Imai to their starting pitchers roster. &lt;strong&gt;It was precisely their starting pitching woes that produces a historic collapse&lt;/strong&gt; in the second half of last season.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;Valdez has huge upside for the Mets if they land him&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Valdez went 13-11 with a 3.66 ERA last season&lt;/strong&gt;. He is a proven option and has postseason experience, winning the World Series with the Astros previously. Valdez also pitched a no-hitter in 2023 and was one out away of throwing another one in 2024.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;figure class=&quot;wp-block-image size-full&quot;&gt;&lt;figure class=&quot;image&quot;&gt;&lt;img loading=&quot;lazy&quot; width=&quot;1280&quot; height=&quot;715&quot; src=&quot;https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.bolavip.com/webp/en/full/BUS_20251227_BUS_552471_Framber_1a8e81ec.webp&amp;amp;width=1280&amp;amp;height=715&quot; alt=&quot;Valdez is seeked by the Mets&quot; class=&quot;wp-image-39715&quot; sizes=&quot;(max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px&quot;&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;figcaption&gt;Valdez is seeked by the Mets&lt;/figcaption&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The former Astro is considered a very good, durable and more importantly for the Mets, a reliable pitcher&lt;/strong&gt;. He is averaging over 190 innings per season recently. Valdez has an elite curveball, is a groundball machine and has finished highly in AL Cy Young voting multiple times in his career.&lt;/p&gt;


        &lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_relatedlinks&quot; id=&quot;BUS#/mlb/cubs-sign-new-pitcher-amid-tatsuya-imai-battle-with-phillies-ny-mets&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;


&lt;h2&gt;The Mets need to recover their form on the mound&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;After the injury, Kodai Senga wasn’t his best version. Also, &lt;strong&gt;Sean Manaea regressed badly in the second half of the season, and Frankie Montas delivered below-par performances&lt;/strong&gt;. To make it worse, David Peterson started to fade in the last stretch of the season and Clay Holmes wasn’t able to go deep into the games, forcing the bullpen to show off during his starts.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Hence, the Mets really need reliable, durable pitchers. &lt;strong&gt;Valdez and Imai could boost this unit into one of the &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/mlb&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer noopener&quot;&gt;MLB&lt;/a&gt;‘s best if they both land in the Big Apple&lt;/strong&gt;. It remains to be seen if the Mets splash the cash to land them, but they should prioritize them.&lt;/p&gt;

NY Mets met with coveted free agent as battle for Tatsuya Imai’s talents continue with the Phillies

NY Mets met with coveted free agent as battle for Tatsuya Imai's talents continue with the Phillies - Bolavip US

&lt;p&gt;The &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/new-york-mets&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer noopener&quot;&gt;New York Mets&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;Philadelphia Phillies&lt;/strong&gt;, and &lt;strong&gt;Chicago Cubs&lt;/strong&gt; are battling over the services of stellar Japanese pitcher &lt;strong&gt;Tatsuya Imai&lt;/strong&gt;. However, the windy city team is not resting on its laurels and still signed another pitcher in the meantime.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Per Will Sammon and Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic, the &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/chicago-cubs&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer noopener&quot;&gt;Cubs&lt;/a&gt; agreed a contract with Hunter Harvey&lt;/strong&gt;. It will all become official once the thrower passes a physical test. This is key as the 2025 season saw Harvey battle with injuries.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;The reliever just played 12 games out of the Royals bullpen. &lt;strong&gt;Harvey suffered from teres major strain, and also a Grade 2 adductor strain&lt;/strong&gt;. That paired with back issues that stemmed from 2024, the reliever only pitched 16 1/3 innings for the Royals since July 2024.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;Harvey is very talented when healthy&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;The injuries didn’t help Harvey, but &lt;strong&gt;the fact is he didn’t allow a run and only issued one walk last season. All while delivering 11 strikeouts&lt;/strong&gt;. If he passes the physical, he could become one of the best relievers on the Cubs bullpen.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;figure class=&quot;wp-block-image size-full&quot;&gt;&lt;figure class=&quot;image&quot;&gt;&lt;img loading=&quot;lazy&quot; width=&quot;1920&quot; height=&quot;1080&quot; src=&quot;https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.bolavip.com/webp/en/full/BUS_20251227_BUS_552450_hunter-harvey-1_6448f536.webp&amp;amp;width=1920&amp;amp;height=1080&quot; alt=&quot;Hunter Harvey #56 of the Kansas City Royals&quot; class=&quot;wp-image-552453&quot;&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;figcaption&gt;Hunter Harvey #56 of the Kansas City Royals&lt;/figcaption&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Harvey is known for his hard style of pitching also a good selection of offspeed pitches&lt;/strong&gt;. That paired with his fastball might make him an absolute nightmare to deal with and a very positive sign for the Cubs once the bullpen is required.&lt;/p&gt;


        &lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_relatedlinks&quot; id=&quot;BUS#/mlb/tatsuya-imais-ideal-mlb-fit-comes-into-focus-amid-cubs-phillies-and-ny-mets-interest&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;


&lt;h2&gt;Cubs bullpen was already good&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;After a rough start in 2025, &lt;strong&gt;the Cubs bullpen became one of the best units in the MLB from Spring through Summer&lt;/strong&gt;. In fact, they ranked third in the NL in ERA from August until the end of the season. As they still fight for Tatsuya Imai against the Mets and &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/philadelphia-phillies&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; rel=&quot;noreferrer noopener&quot;&gt;Phillies&lt;/a&gt;, the bullpen seems to be solved.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Daniel Palencia emerged as one of the best relievers in baseball&lt;/strong&gt;, and the cheap-yet-effective additions of Phil Maton and Hoby Milner added quality to the bullpen. Now you add Hunter Harvey into the equation and the Cubs have one of the best, deepest bullpens in the league.&lt;/p&gt;

Cubs sign new pitcher amid Tatsuya Imai battle with Phillies, NY Mets

Cubs sign new pitcher amid Tatsuya Imai battle with Phillies, NY Mets - Bolavip US

&lt;p&gt;The &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/chicago-cubs&quot;&gt;Chicago Cubs&lt;/a&gt; have signed a handful of players, but a new report highlights that the organization has held multiple conversations with &lt;strong&gt;Scott Boras&lt;/strong&gt; regarding &lt;strong&gt;Alex Bregman&lt;/strong&gt;. At this point, Bregman is strongly linked by several rumors to a potential move to Chicago, although no official agreement has been reached.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;The report comes from Bruce Levine and was shared on X by Michael Cerami. &lt;em&gt;“The Cubs have&lt;strong&gt; had many conversations with Scott Boras &lt;/strong&gt;about Alex Bregman,” &lt;/em&gt;Levine said. Cerami added that Levine noted that, according to people close to Bregman, the interested teams include &lt;strong&gt;the Cubs, Blue Jays, and Diamondbacks.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;This is not the first report tying &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/alex-bregman&quot;&gt;Bregman&lt;/a&gt; to the Cubs, nor is it likely to be the last. However, the fact that Chicago has spoken with Boras on multiple occasions suggests that the former Red Sox infielder, &lt;strong&gt;who was unable to play a full season due to a quad injury&lt;/strong&gt;, may be closer to landing with the Cubs.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;How much would the Cubs have to pay Bregman&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;According to a December 17 report by Mark Feinsand, Bregman is seeking at least a five-year contract. While the exact financial figure remains unclear, it is expected to be&lt;strong&gt; in a similar range to deals signed by players such as Pete Alonso&lt;/strong&gt;, who secured a contract of the same length with an average annual value of $31 million.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;div class=&quot;ck-twitter&quot;&gt;&lt;blockquote class=&quot;twitter-tweet&quot; data-media-max-width=&quot;560&quot;&gt;&lt;p lang=&quot;en&quot; dir=&quot;ltr&quot;&gt;🚨 MLB made a move and Boston is on fire&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Alex Bregman entered free agency and there’s already one name on everyone’s lips: Red Sox.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;It’s no coincidence… it’s chemistry, necessity, and nostalgia all mixed together. 😳&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Boston wants a big hit in the lineup. Bregman offers a… &lt;a href=&quot;https://t.co/y4mOnOyDx3&quot;&gt;pic.twitter.com/y4mOnOyDx3&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Saint George Insurance Brokerage Inc. (@SaintGeorgein) &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/SaintGeorgein/status/2004983116541145510?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;December 27, 2025&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;/div&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Bregman earned&lt;strong&gt; $40 million per year last season &lt;/strong&gt;with the Red Sox under a three-year contract. It was considered a favorable deal at the time, and he was expected to remain in Boston from 2025 through 2027. However, following the conclusion of the 2025 &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/mlb&quot;&gt;MLB&lt;/a&gt; season, Bregman opted out of the contract and entered free agency.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;It is also worth remembering that a recent report &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/mlb/mlb-rumors-blue-jays-and-red-sox-fade-as-alex-bregman-emerges-as-an-nl-west-target&quot;&gt;linked Bregman to a different city far from Chicago&lt;/a&gt;. That report was particularly strong,&lt;strong&gt; with an insider suggesting it could be a matter of hours&lt;/strong&gt; before he signs a contract in a city where he has long wanted to live.&lt;/p&gt;

Cubs reportedly having extensive talks with Scott Boras about a top available star

Cubs reportedly having extensive talks with Scott Boras about a top available star - Bolavip US

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/inter-miami&quot;&gt;Inter Miami&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; have not built a strong track record in the MLS SuperDraft, but late in 2023, the club identified an unexpected gem. The Herons signed Italian midfielder Yannick Bright, a player coming directly from Serie D, who would go on to play a meaningful role during the season in which Inter Miami captured the MLS Cup alongside &lt;strong&gt;Lionel Messi&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;The 24-year-old Milan native completed one of the most remarkable transitions in recent MLS memory, moving from Arconatese to lifting silverware in the United States. &lt;strong&gt;What began with a direct message on Instagram in 2020 ended five years later with Bright celebrating championships&lt;/strong&gt; while sharing a locker room with Messi, whom he calls “Leo.”&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;“Winning with him is something incredible. &lt;strong&gt;If someone had told me this a few years ago, I wouldn’t have believed it&lt;/strong&gt;,”&lt;/em&gt; Bright said with a laugh in comments published by La Gazzetta dello Sport.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;The adjustment was immediate and overwhelming. From semi-professional soccer in Italy to a locker room filled with global stars, Bright admitted the leap required a complete mental reset. &lt;em&gt;“I asked myself what I was doing there, &lt;strong&gt;but I understood that I had no choice other than to rise to the level&lt;/strong&gt;,”&lt;/em&gt; he said. His first encounter with Messi left a lasting impression. &lt;em&gt;“The first time I saw him, I almost passed out. &lt;strong&gt;He’s humble, with a special aura&lt;/strong&gt;. Calm off the field, an animal on it.”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;figure class=&quot;wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped&quot;&gt;
&lt;figure class=&quot;wp-block-image size-large&quot;&gt;&lt;figure class=&quot;image&quot;&gt;&lt;img loading=&quot;lazy&quot; width=&quot;1920&quot; height=&quot;1080&quot; data-id=&quot;552564&quot; src=&quot;https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.bolavip.com/webp/en/full/BUS_20251228_BUS_552563_yannick-bright_016282df.webp&amp;amp;width=1920&amp;amp;height=1080&quot; alt=&quot;Yannick Bright #42 of Inter Miami&quot; class=&quot;wp-image-552564&quot;&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;figcaption&gt;Yannick Bright #42 of Inter Miami&lt;/figcaption&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;
&lt;/figure&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;Lessons learned from Busquets and Alba&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Miami also became a classroom for Bright, who absorbed daily lessons from veterans such as Sergio Busquets, Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba. &lt;em&gt;“&lt;strong&gt;Playing like Busquets is almost impossible&lt;/strong&gt;. I remember Alba correcting a pass that was perfect, just because it didn’t arrive with the exact speed he wanted,”&lt;/em&gt; Bright recalled.&lt;/p&gt;


        &lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_relatedlinks&quot; id=&quot;BUS#/soccer/lionel-messi-and-cristiano-ronaldo-placed-behind-luis-diaz-in-prestigious-2025-ranking&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

        

        


&lt;h2&gt;Bright’s personal bond with Messi&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Despite not being part of &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/lionel-messi&quot;&gt;Messi&lt;/a&gt;’s closest inner circle in Miami, Bright described a genuine and frequent connection with the Argentine star. &lt;em&gt;“We talk a lot about soccer. &lt;strong&gt;He talks to me about his family and asks about mine&lt;/strong&gt;,”&lt;/em&gt; the midfielder said.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;“&lt;strong&gt;He’s been a huge help over these two years&lt;/strong&gt;, both on and off the field,”&lt;/em&gt; Bright added. &lt;em&gt;“He told me he likes Italy and the matches he played at San Siro. When he beat AC Milan with Barcelona in 2011, I was also in the stands, thanks to my brother, who was playing in the youth system.”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Bright’s journey did not end with a championship medal. After leaving European &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/soccer&quot;&gt;soccer&lt;/a&gt; as a fourth-division player, he demonstrated the tools to return at a much higher level if he chooses. &lt;strong&gt;That belief was reinforced not only by Messi but also by Jordi Alba, who recently retired after sharing the same locker room&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;

Inter Miami midfielder Yannick Bright describes playing alongside Lionel Messi during MLS Cup season

Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi teammate reveals what it feels like to play alongside him and the impact of his presence

Real Betis reportedly make a decision on Lo Celso joining Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami

Robert Lewandowski blames ‘mistranslation’ for past tension with Lionel Messi over 2021 Ballon d’Or

Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi teammate reveals what it feels like to play alongside him and the impact of his presence - Bolavip US

&lt;p&gt;In a new interview that has quickly caught the attention of the soccer world, &lt;strong&gt;Robert Lewandowski&lt;/strong&gt; took the opportunity to address the long-standing controversy surrounding his reaction to &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/lionel-messi&quot;&gt;Lionel Messi&lt;/a&gt;’&lt;strong&gt;s&lt;/strong&gt; seventh &lt;strong&gt;Ballon d’Or&lt;/strong&gt; victory in 2021.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Speaking with Polish outlet &lt;em&gt;Rymanowski Live&lt;/em&gt; on Saturday, the current Barcelona forward explained that the friction between the two icons was largely fueled by a misunderstanding of his words.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;“&lt;em&gt;I know what you are referring to—the situation with Messi after the Ballon d’Or, &lt;strong&gt;where I think I was misinterpreted&lt;/strong&gt; or perhaps I expressed myself poorly&lt;/em&gt;,” Lewandowski said. “&lt;em&gt;It started because I simply said that the words Messi used… I didn’t want them to just be left in the air. &lt;strong&gt;Maybe it sounded different&lt;/strong&gt;. Maybe someone translated it wrong. And that’s how the scandal started, especially in Argentina&lt;/em&gt;”.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;The “scandal” dates back to the 2021 ceremony. After the 2020 award was canceled due to the pandemic—a year &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/robert-lewandowski&quot;&gt;Lewandowski&lt;/a&gt; was the heavy favorite to win—Messi used his 2021 acceptance speech to lobby for the Pole to receive his 2020 trophy retrospectively. At the time, Lewandowski was quoted as saying he hoped Messi’s sentiment was “&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;sincere and not just empty words&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;,” a comment that Messi later admitted “&lt;strong&gt;bothered&lt;/strong&gt;” him.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;figure class=&quot;wp-block-image size-full&quot;&gt;&lt;figure class=&quot;image&quot;&gt;&lt;img loading=&quot;lazy&quot; width=&quot;1920&quot; height=&quot;1080&quot; src=&quot;https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.bolavip.com/webp/en/full/BUS_20251227_BUS_552472_lionel-messi-ballon-dor_05e70d5b.webp&amp;amp;width=1920&amp;amp;height=1080&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; class=&quot;wp-image-552486&quot;&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;figcaption&gt;Lionel Messi giving a speech after winning the 2021 Ballon d’Or. (Getty Images)&lt;/figcaption&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Now, Lewandowski is firm in his stance that his intent was to ensure Messi’s suggestion was actually acted upon by organizers, rather than questioning the Inter Miami star’s honesty.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;“&lt;em&gt;It could have been taken as me saying they were empty words&lt;/em&gt;,” Lewandowski admitted. “&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;But what I had in mind was precisely that those words should not remain in the air&lt;/strong&gt;. You never know how things will be translated… during the gala, with the emotions, I don’t even remember exactly what I said&lt;/em&gt;”.&lt;/p&gt;


        &lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_relatedlinks&quot; id=&quot;BUS#/soccer/real-betis-reportedly-make-a-decision-on-lo-celso-joining-lionel-messis-inter-miami&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

        

        


&lt;h2&gt;A possible reunion?&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;The interview also touched on the swirling rumors of a potential Messi return to FC Barcelona on a short-term loan during the MLS off-season. While Lewandowski seemed surprised by the specific report, he spoke warmly of his predecessor. “&lt;em&gt;It’s the first time I’ve heard that&lt;/em&gt;,” he noted. “&lt;em&gt;&lt;strong&gt;We know Messi is a Barcelona legend &lt;/strong&gt;and the relationship he has with the club—it’s a beautiful history&lt;/em&gt;”.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;The clarification comes at an interesting time, as recent reports have also linked Lewandowski with a potential move to join Messi at Inter Miami when his Barcelona contract nears its end in 2026.&lt;/p&gt;

Robert Lewandowski Dismisses Lionel Messi ‘Feud’ Rumors, Citing Improper Translation

Argentine defender turns down South American giants to join Lionel Messi at Inter Miami — Report

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo placed behind Luis Diaz in prestigious 2025 ranking

Robert Lewandowski blames ‘mistranslation’ for past tension with Lionel Messi over 2021 Ballon d'Or - Bolavip US

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/cristiano-ronaldo&quot;&gt;Cristiano Ronaldo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; scored twice in the &lt;strong&gt;Al Nassr&lt;/strong&gt;‘s win over &lt;strong&gt;Al-Akhdoud&lt;/strong&gt;, further cementing his status as one of the greatest soccer players in history. The Portuguese forward reached 956 goals in his professional career and continues to close in on the 1,000-goal milestone.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;As is customary, &lt;em&gt;CR7&lt;/em&gt; took to his official X account to send a clear message to all the fans who follow him on the platform: &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;“Hard work is the way to success!”&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; the striker stated with a 7-word message.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/cristiano-ronaldo-scores-goal-no-955-to-put-al-nassr-ahead-vs-al-akhdoud&quot;&gt;Ronaldo scored a brace to reach goals No. 955 and 956&lt;/a&gt;, leaving him just one goal shy of the Saudi Pro League’s top scorer this season. Interestingly, &lt;strong&gt;the player currently leading the scoring chart is his compatriot Joao Felix&lt;/strong&gt;, who has 11 goals.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;Another record for CR7&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;While it’s clear that Cristiano Ronaldo has his sights set on reaching 1,000 goals in his professional career, &lt;strong&gt;he continues to break barriers in other areas as well.&lt;/strong&gt; On another matchday in the Saudi Pro League, he did it once again.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;div class=&quot;ck-twitter&quot;&gt;&lt;blockquote class=&quot;twitter-tweet&quot; data-media-max-width=&quot;560&quot;&gt;&lt;p lang=&quot;es&quot; dir=&quot;ltr&quot;&gt;🤯🔥 Taco de Cristiano Ronaldo (957) para convertiste en el PRIMER futbolista en la historia en marcar 40 goles o más en 14 años distintos &lt;a href=&quot;https://t.co/ir3hDjbB8m&quot;&gt;pic.twitter.com/ir3hDjbB8m&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Pablo Giralt (@giraltpablo) &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/giraltpablo/status/2004950089010405477?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;December 27, 2025&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;/div&gt; 



&lt;p&gt;According to Argentine journalist Pablo Giralt on his X account, after scoring his second goal of the match for &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/al-nassr&quot;&gt;Al Nassr&lt;/a&gt;, &lt;strong&gt;Ronaldo became the first player in history to score 40 or more goals in 14 different years.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;


        &lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_relatedlinks&quot; id=&quot;BUS#/soccer/lionel-messi-and-cristiano-ronaldo-placed-behind-luis-diaz-in-prestigious-2025-ranking&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

Cristiano Ronaldo issues 7-word message after Al Nassr’s win over Al-Akhdoud

Cristiano Ronaldo issues 7-word message after Al Nassr’s win over Al-Akhdoud - Bolavip US

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/nigeria&quot;&gt;Nigeria&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;will square off with&lt;strong&gt; Tunisia &lt;/strong&gt;in the Matchday 2 of the&amp;nbsp;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/africa-cup-of-nations&quot;&gt;2025 Africa Cup of Nations&lt;/a&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;group stage. Here’s all the key information, including the match date, kickoff time, and streaming options for fans in the United States.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p class=&quot;has-text-align-center&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.fubo.tv/stream/live/preview/bein-sports/?title=Watch+the+Africa+Cup+of+Nations+Online+with+fuboTV&amp;amp;irad=638202&amp;amp;irmp=3119684&quot; rel=&quot;sponsored nofollow&quot;&gt;[Watch Nigeria vs Tunisia online in the US on Fubo]&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Nigeria &lt;/strong&gt;and &lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/tunisia&quot;&gt;Tunisia&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;backed up their status as group favorites with opening wins, setting up a decisive early showdown. The &lt;em&gt;Super Eagles&lt;/em&gt; edged &lt;strong&gt;Tanzania &lt;/strong&gt;2–1 thanks to goals from &lt;strong&gt;Ajayi&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;Lookman&lt;/strong&gt;, while Tunisia turned in a strong 3–1 performance against &lt;strong&gt;Uganda&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;With both sides level on points and widely seen as the top teams in the group, one them being a future &lt;strong&gt;World Cup&lt;/strong&gt; participant, this matchup could go a long way toward determining who finishes first.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;When will the Nigeria vs Tunisia match be played?&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Nigeria &lt;/strong&gt;play against&lt;strong&gt; Tunisia &lt;/strong&gt;for the Matchday 2 of the&amp;nbsp;&lt;strong&gt;2025/2026&lt;/strong&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;strong&gt;Africa Cup of Nations&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;group stage this&amp;nbsp;&lt;strong&gt;Saturday, December 27&lt;/strong&gt;. The action is set to kick off at&amp;nbsp;&lt;strong&gt;3:00 PM (ET)&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;figure class=&quot;wp-block-image size-full&quot;&gt;&lt;figure class=&quot;image&quot;&gt;&lt;img loading=&quot;lazy&quot; width=&quot;1920&quot; height=&quot;1084&quot; src=&quot;https://ds-images.bolavip.com/news/image?src=https://images.bolavip.com/webp/en/full/BUS_20251227_BUS_551800_Wilfred-Ndidi_6378435c.webp&amp;amp;width=1920&amp;amp;height=1084&quot; alt=&quot;&quot; class=&quot;wp-image-551816&quot;&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;&lt;figcaption&gt;Wilfred Ndidi of Nigeria – Charlé Lombard/Gallo Images/Getty Images&lt;/figcaption&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;&lt;a&gt;Nigeria vs Tunisia&lt;/a&gt;: Time by State in the USA&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;ET:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;3:00 PM&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;CT:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;2:00 PM&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;MT:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;1:00 PM&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;PT:&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;12:00 PM&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;How to watch Nigeria vs Tunisia in the USA&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;Catch this&amp;nbsp;&lt;strong&gt;2025 Africa Cup of Nations&lt;/strong&gt;&amp;nbsp;clash between&lt;strong&gt;&amp;nbsp;Nigeria &lt;/strong&gt;and &lt;strong&gt;Tunisia &lt;/strong&gt;live in the USA, streaming on&amp;nbsp;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://www.fubo.tv/stream/live/preview/bein-sports/?title=Watch+the+Africa+Cup+of+Nations+Online+with+fuboTV&amp;amp;irad=638202&amp;amp;irmp=3119684&quot; rel=&quot;sponsored nofollow&quot;&gt;Fubo&lt;/a&gt;.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;Other options: Fanatiz USA, &lt;a&gt;beIN SPORTS, beIN SPORTS en Español and beIN SPORTS Connect&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;

Where to watch Nigeria vs Tunisia live in the USA: 2025 Africa Cup of Nations

Where to watch Nigeria vs Tunisia live in the USA: 2025 Africa Cup of Nations - Bolavip US

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/cristiano-ronaldo&quot;&gt;Cristiano Ronaldo&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; continues to cement his status as soccer’s all‑time leading scorer. The Portuguese star scored twice against &lt;strong&gt;Al‑Akhdoud&lt;/strong&gt;, reaching &lt;strong&gt;955 and 956 career goals&lt;/strong&gt; and playing a decisive role in &lt;strong&gt;Al Nassr Club’s 3–0 victory&lt;/strong&gt; in the Saudi Pro League.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/al-nassr&quot;&gt;Al Nassr&lt;/a&gt; hosted the match at &lt;strong&gt;Al-Awwal Park Stadium&lt;/strong&gt; in Riyadh and, with the win, strengthened its position at the top of the Saudi Pro League standings with &lt;strong&gt;30 points&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;The team entered the game in strong form after a &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/soccer/lionel-messi-and-cristiano-ronaldo-placed-behind-luis-diaz-in-prestigious-2025-ranking&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;dominant 5–1 win over Al Zawraa&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt; in the &lt;strong&gt;AFC Champions League Two&lt;/strong&gt;, where Ronaldo made his debut in the tournament at King Saud University Stadium.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ronaldo’s two-goal performance highlights his continued impact on Al Nassr&lt;/strong&gt;, offering both scoring prowess and leadership as the team chases another league title. His consistency keeps the spotlight firmly on the superstar as he adds to his staggering career tally.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;figure class=&quot;wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;wp-block-embed__wrapper&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;ck-twitter&quot;&gt;&lt;blockquote class=&quot;twitter-tweet&quot; data-width=&quot;500&quot; data-dnt=&quot;true&quot;&gt;&lt;p lang=&quot;en&quot; dir=&quot;ltr&quot;&gt;GOATTTTTTTTTT🐐🐐🐐&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://t.co/2uxxlr8kv7&quot;&gt;pic.twitter.com/2uxxlr8kv7&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— The Nassr Tribune™️ (@AlNassrTribune) &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/AlNassrTribune/status/2004937153697230975?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;December 27, 2025&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;script async=&quot;&quot; src=&quot;https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js&quot; charset=&quot;utf-8&quot;&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;



&lt;h2&gt;How did Ronaldo score?&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ronaldo opened the scoring on a corner kick in the 31st minute&lt;/strong&gt;, calmly directing the ball into the net. He added a &lt;strong&gt;second goal in the 46th minute with a clever back‑heel finish&lt;/strong&gt;, demonstrating his precision and timing against Al‑Akhdoud’s defense.&lt;/p&gt;


        &lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_relatedlinks&quot; id=&quot;BUS#/soccer/lionel-messi-and-cristiano-ronaldo-placed-behind-luis-diaz-in-prestigious-2025-ranking&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;


&lt;h2&gt;Al Nassr close it out convincingly&lt;/h2&gt;



&lt;p&gt;With Al Akhdoud struggling to contain the pressure, Al Nassr continued to dictate play. The result was effectively sealed when&lt;strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://bolavip.com/en/topic/joao-felix&quot;&gt;Joao Felix&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;added a third goal, finishing with his right foot from the center of the box into the bottom-right corner to make it &lt;strong&gt;3–0&lt;/strong&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;



&lt;figure class=&quot;wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter&quot;&gt;&lt;div class=&quot;wp-block-embed__wrapper&quot;&gt;
&lt;div class=&quot;ck-twitter&quot;&gt;&lt;blockquote class=&quot;twitter-tweet&quot; data-width=&quot;500&quot; data-dnt=&quot;true&quot;&gt;&lt;p lang=&quot;en&quot; dir=&quot;ltr&quot;&gt;Cristiano’s 2nd goal from the stands!&lt;a href=&quot;https://t.co/AGP9b2RbG7&quot;&gt;pic.twitter.com/AGP9b2RbG7&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;— Al Nassr Zone (@TheNassrZone) &lt;a href=&quot;https://twitter.com/TheNassrZone/status/2004942600873410711?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&quot;&gt;December 27, 2025&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;script async=&quot;&quot; src=&quot;https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js&quot; charset=&quot;utf-8&quot;&gt;&lt;/script&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/figure&gt;



&lt;p&gt;The comfortable win reinforces &lt;strong&gt;Al Nassr’s position at the top of the table&lt;/strong&gt;, with Ronaldo’s goals once again serving as the foundation for a dominant league performance.&lt;/p&gt;


&lt;div class=&quot;wp_fsn_poll&quot; id=&quot;694ffdcae2d53b59fb2f0700&quot; data-title=&quot;Can Cristiano Ronaldo maintain his scoring streak in the Saudi Pro League?&quot; data-options=&quot;4&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt;

        

        

Cristiano Ronaldo Scores Twice to Reach Career Goals 955 and 956 in Al Nassr Win Over Al-Akhdoud

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Video: Cristiano Ronaldo scores brace to reach goals No. 955 and 956 in Al Nassr's win vs Al-Akhdoud - Bolavip US

Ronaldo scores brace to reach goals No. 955 and 956 in Al Nassr's win vs Al-Akhdoud

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