The Orlando Magic are headed to Las Vegas.

The Magic clamped the Miami Heat in the fourth quarter Tuesday, Dec. 9 in a 117-108 victory to earn a trip to the NBA Cup East Semifinals. Orlando will play the winner of the New York Knicks-Toronto Raptors game, set to take place later Tuesday. After missing their first seven shots of the game, the Magic launched an offensive avalanche behind Desmond Bane’s 37 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists.

Playing without Franz Wagner, who suffered a high-ankle sprain and will miss extended time, the Magic got a massive contribution from Wendell Carter Jr., who scored 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting and added 10 rebounds.

Miami’s inability to knock down 3s in the second half, and its inability to stop Bane, did the Heat in. Although Miami scored the game’s first 15 points, it shot just 8-of-33 (24.2%) from beyond the arc, with only two 3-pointers converted after halftime.

The Heat (14-11) have lost four consecutive games and have hit a rough patch with their offense. After sprinting out of the gate to start the NBA season, teams have intentionally slowed Miami down, limiting their fastbreak opportunities.

This marked Bane’s third different 37-point performance over his last six games for the Magic (15-11).

The NBA Cup East Semifinal is set for Saturday, Dec. 13 at 5:30 p.m. ET.

Heat vs. Magic highlights

End Q3: Magic 89, Heat 83

This battle for a berth in the NBA Cup East Semifinals is shaping up to be a fantastic finish.

The Magic may have taken moderate control headed into the fourth quarter, but both teams have battled in what has been an entertaining, back-and-forth game. Still, the Heat are struggling to get stops on Orlando, which is slowing down Miami’s transition attack.

The Heat lead the NBA in pace (105.42), but teams have been throwing more zone at Miami and clogging the paint. After a quiet second quarter, Tyler Herro found a rhythm late in the period, and finished with 8 points in the third.

For the Magic, it has been Desmond Bane to spark the offense. After he missed his first two 3-pointers in the game, Bane has flushed four consecutive and dropped 10 in the period. He has a game-high 22 points.

The Magic are shooting 50% from the floor, while Miami is at 43.5%

End Q2: Heat 57, Magic 56

The Heat imploded somewhat in the second quarter, going cold on their shooting, failing to pick up offensive rebounds and having the ball stagnate on offense.

That allowed Orlando to catch fire and outscore Miami by 12 in the period, though Miami clung to one-point lead headed into halftime. The Magic shot 61.5% from the floor in the second quarter, compared to Miami converting shots at just a 45% clip. Orlando also laced half of its 10 attempts from 3-point range to close the gap.

The Magic clogged the paint on defense, slowing Miami’s fastbreak attempts considerably in the second quarter. That slowed pace appeared to affect the Heat’s half-court offense and shot selection.

These teams entered the night tied for fifth in the NBA in defensive rating (111.8), and the team that clamps down better in the second half may come away with a trip to Las Vegas.

Tyler Herro and Norman Powell each lead the Heat with 12 points, while Desmond Bane paces the Magic with 12 of his own.

Magic riding run in second quarter

After committing 7 turnovers in the first quarter, Orlando has protected the ball and hasn’t given it away once in the second period. The Magic are hitting shots, too, and have opened the second on an 18-9 run, closing the deficit to just 4 points.

Miami is up 39-35 with 7:32 to play in the period.

End Q1: Heat 30, Magic 17

After hitting their first seven shots of the game, the Miami Heat cooled off some but still take a 13-point lead into the second quarter. Miami scored the first 15 points of the game and opened on a 20-4 run.

The Heat did it in the paint and on the perimeter, scoring 25 of their 30 points in the paint or from beyond the arc. Miami also protected the ball, committing just 2 turnovers.

It was a different story for Orlando. The Magic missed their first five shot attempts and clearly miss Franz Wagner, who is sidelined with a high-ankle sprain. Orlando’s star player, Paolo Banchero, struggled from the floor and didn’t hit a single field goal and scored only 2 points in the period. The Magic committed 7 turnovers in the first.

All five of Miami’s starters scored and Tyler Herro led the team with 9 points, while Norman Powell added 8.

The Heat come out on fire; Orlando: not so much

Miami opened the game on a blaze, hitting all five of its field goals. The Magic, meanwhile, have missed each of their four attempts and have turned the ball over once, leading to a quick, 13-0 run to start the game.

Early indications clearly show Orlando struggling without Franz Wagner.

What time is Heat vs. Magic NBA Cup game today?

The Orlando Magic will host the Miami Heat on Tuesday, Dec. 9 at 6 p.m. ET at the Kia Center in Orlando, Florida.

How to watch Heat vs. Magic NBA Cup game: TV, live streaming

The game between the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic will be live streamed nationally on Amazon Prime Video.

• Date: Dec. 9, 2025
• Time: 6 p.m. ET
• Location: Kia Center (Orlando, Florida)
• TV: None
• Streaming: Amazon Prime Video

Watch NBA Cup games with Amazon Prime

Heat, Magic injury updates

The Miami Heat will have their full complement of players for tonight’s game against the Orlando Magic, with Tyler Herro, Pelle Larsson, Davion Mitchell and Dru Smith all upgraded to available.

The Magic, meanwhile, will be missing Franz Wagner (high ankle sprain), Moritz Wagner (left knee) and Colin Castleton (fractured left thumb).

Orlando Magic starting lineup

Here are the starters for the Orlando Magic in the NBA Cup quarterfinal game against the Miami Heat:

• G Jalen Suggs
• G Anthony Black
• G Desmond Blane
• F Paolo Banchero
• C Wendell Carter Jr.

Miami Heat starting lineup

Here are the starters for the Miami Heat in the NBA Cup quarterfinal game against the Orlando Magic:

• G Davion Mitchell
• G Tyler Herro
• F Norman Powell
• F Andrew Wiggins
• C Bam Adebayo

Major League Baseball’s winter meetings continued Tuesday as the game’s most powerful people convened in Orlando.

The market for top free agent Kyle Tucker is still unclear and the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Ketel Marte is a player whose name has been hot in trade rumors. The Washington Nationals are drawing interest for All-Stars CJ Abrams and MacKenzie Gore, two of the players the team acquired in the 2022 Juan Soto trade.

The Chicago White Sox won Major League Baseball’s 2026 draft lottery on Dec. 9 at the winter meetings and will have the No. 1 overall pick for the first time since 1977, and just the club’s third in franchise history.

Here’s a look back at the signings and news from Tuesday:

MLB hot stove boils over with Diaz, Schwarber contracts

ORLANDO, FL — MLB’s free agent damn broke Tuesday when slugger Kyle Schwarber signed a five-year, $150 million contract to return to the Philadelphia Phillies while free-agent closer Edwin Diaz is heading to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Phillies felt all along they had to have Schwarber back, not only for his prodigious power, but for his veteran clubhouse leadership. The Phillies were offering Schwarber a four-year deal, but once the Pittsburgh Pirates and at least one other team offered a four-year deal for about $120 million, the Phillies knew they had to up the ante.

“He was just too important to us,’ one Phillies executive said. “We had to have him back.’

The Dodgers, who spent $85 million on closer Tanner Scott and setup man Kirby Yates last year, only for them to struggle, pivoted and grabbed the best closer on the market again in Diaz.

– Bob Nightengale

Chicago White Sox win MLB draft lottery

The Chicago White Sox won Major League Baseball’s 2026 draft lottery on Dec. 9 at the winter meetings and will have the No. 1 overall pick for the first time since 1977, and just the club’s third in franchise history.

The new Pope’s favorite team entered the lottery with the best odds (27.73%) to land the No. 1 pick, baseball’s fourth year with a draft lottery.

Tarik Skubal trade? Tigers are ‘listening’

ORLANDO, FL — Tarik Skubal is the talk of the MLB winter meetings.

The reigning back-to-back American League Cy Young winner is set to become a free agent after the 2026 season. The 29-year-old left-hander projects to become the first pitcher in MLB history to receive a $400 million contract once he reaches free agency.

‘I can’t do my job without listening,’ Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris said. ‘I can’t do my job without exploring anything that may or may not have legs. Some are going to be very likely moves, and some are going to be extremely unlikely, but you can’t actually fully vet those opportunities unless you’re willing to listen.’

– Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press

Scott Boras provides Cody Bellinger update

Answering a question about Cody Bellinger’s free agency, agent Scott Boras on Tuesday suggested that the Yankees have competition from the Dodgers, Reds, Angels, Blue Jays, Mets, Giants and Phillies.

Of course, the Phillies might be out after reports of Kyle Schwarber’s five-year, $150 million agreement to remain in Philadelphia, which surfaced as Boras spoke on Tuesday

Out of code, Boras added that he ‘can never predict’ the pace of negotiations for someone like Bellinger, but ‘when owners get involved, they can do things at a moment’s notice with these type of players.”

Boras would not say whether Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner had become personally involved in the Bellinger negotiations.

‘We keep those things private,” said Boras. ‘But the Yankees have reached out about Cody, and we continue to talk.”

– Pete Caldera, NorthJersey.com

Tigers pursuing Ha-Seong Kim

ORLANDO, FL — It’s not Alex Bregman. But it might be a better fit.

The Detroit Tigers have interest in shortstop Ha-Seong Kim in free agency, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. The 30-year-old Kim declined his $16 million player option with the Atlanta Braves to return to the open market in the 2025-26 offseason, suggesting he could seek at least two years and $30 million, if not three years, $45 million.

This marks the second straight offseason in which the Tigers have shown interest in Kim.

– Evan Petzold, Detroit Free Press

Edwin Diaz signs with Dodgers

In completing their back-to-back World Series championship run, the Los Angeles Dodgers lacked one critical element: A lockdown closer.

They took care of that Tuesday, agreeing to terms with All-Star reliever Edwin Diaz, as first reported by The Athletic.

Diaz, who will be 32 on opening day, spent the past seven seasons with the Mets after beginning his career with the Seattle Mariners.

Diaz’s exit from New York was at least partially sealed when the Mets agreed to a three-year, $51 million contract with two-time All-Star Devin Williams.

Kyle Schwarber back to Phillies

Kyle Schwarber, who hit a National League-best 56 home runs in 2025, is heading back to the Philadelphia Phillies, agreeing to a five-year, $150 million contract, according to a baseball official familiar with the agreement. The official spoke to USA TODAY Sports on condition of anonymity because the deal has not yet been finalized.

Schwarber, who turns 33 in March, closed out his four-year, $79 million contract with Philadelphia in epic fashion, setting a career-high in home runs and leading the major leagues with 132 RBIs to finish second in NL MVP voting. He averaged nearly 47 home runs and posted an .856 OPS in his four years with Philly.

That set him up as one of the most coveted sluggers on the free-agent market this winter, and the Phillies decided they could not live without his peerless slugging ability and clubhouse leadership.

Twins ‘able to move the ball forward’

After a trade deadline fire sale, Minnesota’s intentions this offseason seemed unclear with star outfielder Byron Buxton and right-handed starters Joe Kelly and Pablo Lopez considered trade bait. But the team has indicated all three will be back in 2026 and, per Bobby Nightengale Jr. of The Minnesota Star Tribune, Twins president Derek Falvey says ‘it’s a little more clear that we have been able to move the ball forward.’

Falvey has made presentations to ownership, including the minority investors, about potential payroll plans for this offseason, and it’s still uncertain just how much the Twins might spend. They could reveal their minority ownership investors as early as next week.

‘I anticipate some news on that here in the near term where things are shaking out around ownership,’ Falvey said. ‘But I’m not currently at liberty to speak to any specifics.’

Red Sox looking for infield help

With Alex Bregman’s return to Boston uncertain, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Red Sox have shown interest in Astros infielder Isaac Paredes.

‘Bregman still appears to be the Red Sox’s No. 1 target,’ writes Rosenthal, who adds that Paredes could be Boston’s Plan B or even an option at first base if the Sox were to bring back Bregman.

Paredes was traded to the Astros by the Cubs last December in the deal that sent this year’s prized free agent Kyle Tucker to Chicago. Paredes played 102 games for Houston in 2025, with 89 of those appearances coming at third base. He last played first base with the Rays in 2024.

Rays close to deal with lefty Steven Matz

The Tampa Bay Rays are in the process of finalizing a two-year contract with left-hander Steven Matz, according to multiple media reports.

A starter for most of his 11-year MLB career, Matz transitioned to the bullpen with the Cardinals and was extremely effective in the role last season, especially after the trade to Boston.

Matz, 34, finished with a 3.05 ERA in 53 total appearances, but he had a 2.08 ERA and 0.88 WHIP in 21 ⅔ innings with the Red Sox.

The Rays will need to create a spot on the 40-man roster to add Matz once his contract is finalized.

As MLB lockout looms, Dave Roberts would support salary cap

ORLANDO, FL — Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who drew the ire of the Major League Baseball Players Association last week when he voiced his support for a salary cap and floor, reiterated Monday that it’s merely his opinion and doesn’t consider his view a potential distraction among players.

“Here’s the thing,’ Roberts said, “I’m entitled to an opinion, as we all are. And so I think that’s one man’s opinion.’

– Bob Nightengale

Mets sure they’ll ‘be in touch’ with Pete Alonso

ORLANDO, FL. — Pete Alonso will be making the short trek from his home in Tampa to the winter meetings this week, but he won’t be entertaining the team where his roots had settled. David Stearns acknowledged that the longtime Mets first baseman would be attending but would let him explore his options unhindered.

‘I think Pete knows us really well. I think we know Pete really well,’ Stearns said. ‘I think he’ll take the time here to perhaps meet with organizations he doesn’t know quite as well, and I’m sure we’ll be in touch.’

– Andrew Treddenick, NorthJersey.com

Yankees-Blue Jays battle carries into hot stove

ORLANDO, FL — The Toronto Blue Jays are the reigning AL champions, and they arrived at the Winter Meetings having already made the biggest splash in free agency, signing Dylan Cease for $210 million.

“They’re really good and they’ve already gotten better,’’ Yankees GM Brian Cashman said, assessing the AL East as “the toughest division in baseball.’

“It typically is, the Beast of the East. We know our work is cut out for us.’

– Pete Caldera, NorthJersey.com

The East semifinals in the NBA Cup are set.

The New York Knicks thumped the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday, Dec. 9 in a 117-101 victory fueled by a massive night from Jalen Brunson, who scored 20 of his 35 points in the first quarter. And so now New York will play the Orlando Magic in the NBA Cup East semifinal.

New York controlled the game after it held the Raptors to 13 points on 5 field goals in the second quarter. The Knicks outscored Toronto 34-13 in the period and never relinquished control.

The Knicks had six players reach double figures in scoring, with Josh Hart chipping in 21 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists.

Brandon Ingram recorded 31 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists, but the Raptors were only able to get 13 points from Scottie Barnes. The Knicks blitzed Barnes with double teams to force the ball out of his hands, limiting his effectiveness on offense.

The Knicks have won eight of their last nine games, while the Raptors have lost four consecutive.

The Knicks and Magic will play Saturday, Dec. 13 at 5:30 p.m. ET from Las Vegas.

Knicks vs. Raptors highlights

End Q3: Knicks 94, Raptors 79

The good news for the Raptors: they did far better in the third quarter than they did in the second. The bad news: Toronto is still carrying a 15-point deficit into the fourth quarter, and its chances at securing a berth in the NBA Cup East Semis seems unlikely.

The Raptors did cut into New York’s biggest lead in the third (24), but Josh Hart had a massive quarter and heads into the fourth with 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range, with 5 rebounds and 2 assists.

Jalen Brunson leads all players with 33, while the Raptors have struggled for players beside Brandon Ingram to score; Ingram has a team-high 27 points, and the next closest Raptor, Jamal Shead, has 17. After him, two players are tied for just 10 points.

End Q2: Knicks 69, Raptors 52

There were seven ties and nine lead changes in the first half, but the Knicks opened a monster lead in the second quarter.

Toronto started the period shooting just 1-of-9 from the floor, but the operation could not stabilize even after Brandon Ingram returned to the floor after catching a breather. The Raptors scored just 13 points in the quarter and finished just 5-of-21 (23.8%) from the field in the second.

The Knicks outscored Toronto 34-13 in the period.

After his 17-point first quarter, Ingram added just 2 points in the second, though he started the period on the bench.

The Knicks now have three players — Jalen Brunson (26), Karl-Anthony Towns (10) and OG Anunoby (10) — who have reached double figures in scoring.

End Q1: Raptors 39, Knicks 35

It was a quarter of runs, but the Raptors ended the first quarter of their NBA Cup East Quarterfinal game against the Knicks with a four-point edge.

From 5-0 (New York) to start the game, to a 7-0 (Raptors) run to close the gap, to a 10-3 Knicks spurt to pull ahead, both teams repeatedly found ways to answer. And for New York, the solution, by and large, was Jalen Brunson, who drained 7-of-9 shots in the period to open the game with 20 points.

Not to be outdone, Brandon Ingram continued his hot start to this season with 17 first quarter points of his own, adding 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in the period.

Both teams shot the ball incredibly well, with New York flushing them at a 65% clip, while Toronto hit 57.7% of its shots.

With the Magic already clinched, Knicks vs. Raptors is underway

The Orlando Magic took down the Heat to clinch the first spot in the NBA Cup East Semifinal Saturday, Dec. 13 in Las Vegas, and they’ll play the winner between the Knicks and Raptors.

New York started hot, making its first four shots, though turnovers allowed Toronto to claw back into it. The Raptors went on a 7-0 run to take an early 15-11 lead.

Knicks vs. Raptors start time update

The Knicks-Raptors game is slated to tip at 8:47 p.m. ET, the Knicks said.

New York Knicks starting lineup

• Josh Hart
• OG Anunoby
• Jalen Brunson
• Mikal Bridges
• Karl-Anthony Towns

Toronto Raptors starting lineup

• Jamal Shead
• Scottie Barnes
• Ochai Agbaji
• Brandon Ingram
• Jakob Poeltl

What time is Knicks vs. Raptors NBA Cup game today?

The Toronto Raptors will host the New York Knicks on Tuesday, Dec. 9 at 8:30 p.m. ET at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

How to watch Knicks vs. Raptors NBA Cup game: TV, live streaming

The game between the Toronto Raptors and New York Knicks will be live streamed nationally on Amazon Prime Video.

• Date: Dec. 9, 2025
• Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
• Location: Scotiabank Arena (Toronto)
• TV: None
• Streaming: Amazon Prime Video

Watch NBA Cup games with Amazon Prime

Knicks, Raptors injury updates

New York Knicks star Karl-Anthony Towns is listed as questionable on the injury report with left calf tightness and will be a game-time decision, while Landry Shamet is out with a right shoulder sprain.

The Raptors, meanwhile, will be without RJ Barrett, who is dealing with a right knee sprain.

The Chicago White Sox won Major League Baseball’s 2026 draft lottery on Dec. 9 at the winter meetings and will have the No. 1 overall pick for the first time since 1977, and just the club’s third in franchise history.

The new Pope’s favorite team entered the lottery with the best odds (27.73%) to land the No. 1 pick, baseball’s fourth year with a draft lottery.

The Colorado Rockies had MLB’s worst record (43-119) and would have had the best odds but were ineligible for the lottery as they picked in the top six the past two years.

While the White Sox won out, two oof the teams with the worst chances – the San Francisco Giants (1.01%) and Kansas City Royals (0.84%) – defied the odds and snuck into the top six.

Here’s a look at the order for the 2026 MLB draft:

MLB draft lottery results

• 1. Chicago White Sox
• 2. Tampa Bay Rays
• 3. Minnesota Twins
• 4. San Francisco Giants
• 5. Pittsburgh Pirates
• 6. Kansas City Royals
• 7. Baltimore Orioles
• 8. Athletics
• 9. Atlanta Braves
• 10. Colorado Rockies
• 11. Washington Nationals
• 12. Los Angeles Angels
• 13. St. Louis Cardinals
• 14. Miami Marlins
• 15. Arizona Diamondbacks
• 16. Texas Rangers
• 17. Houston Astros
• 18. Cincinnati Reds

When is MLB draft lottery? How to watch, TV channel

• Time: 5:30 p.m. ET
• TV channel: MLB Network

MLB draft lottery odds 2026

• White Sox: 27.73%
• Twins: 22.18%
• Pirates: 16.81%
• Orioles: 9.24%
• Athletics: 6.55%
• Braves: 4.54%
• Rays: 3.03%
• Cardinals: 2.35%
• Marlins: 1.85%
• Diamondbacks: 1.51%
• Rangers: 1.34%
• Giants: 1.01%
• Royals: 0.84%
• Mets: 0.67%
• Astros: 0.34%
• Rockies: ineligible
• Nationals: ineligible
• Angels: ineligible

The Colorado Rockies had the worst record in baseball but are are ineligible for the lottery because a team can’t receive a top-six pick three years in a row, after the team had such picks in 2024 and 2025. The Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Angels are also ineligible as ‘payor’ teams, unable to receive back-to-back lottery picks.

BYU basketball and Clemson find themselves in a back-and-forth clash in an early-season men’s college basketball showcase game at Madison Square Garden in the Jimmy V Classic.

The Big 12 vs. ACC clash, however, experienced a brief delay in the second half. … And it wasn’t for an injury.

The delay at Madison Square Garden was instead because of a bent rim on BYU’s side of the court that came from an emphatic dunk from BYU forward Keba Keita.

The bent rim led to an extended delay with members of the facility staff at The Garden bringing out ladders to the court to remove the padding on the net to level the rim. For the trouble, BYU and Clemson were given three minutes each to warm up on the court before the second half resumed.

As a result of the delay, the start of Game 2 of the doubleheader at The Garden between Florida and UConn was delayed and didn’t start on time at its original 9 p.m. ET tipoff.

Here’s a look:

Clemson pieced together an impressive first-half performance against BYU, led by its 11 second-chance points and nine points off four caused turnovers.

BYU came out of halftime strong with a 12-1 run to cut the deficit to 10 points at the 15:16 mark, with nine of those points coming from Cougars star freshman AJ Dybantsa. That start to the half was enough for Dybantsa to get going in his Madison Square Garden debut, as he scored 12 of BYU’s next 16 points to force Clemson to call a timeout after he made it a one-point game with a layup at the 5:13 mark of the half.

BYU would go on to win 67-64 behind a Robert Wright game-winner, so every point counted.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.