Le Journal

Unlike last year, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell will not be a 2026 NBA All-Star starter in Los Angeles. The league announced the starting fives for both the Eastern Conference and Western Conference on Monday afternoon, with the six-timer and two-time starter as a notable omission. Focused on facing the Oklahoma City Thunder at Rocket Arena, Mitchell preferred not to find out the news before the matchup. “I didn’t know what had happened, but you can assume ’cause no one said anything,” Mitchell said postgame following the Cavs’ blowout loss on Monday. “Typically, they’d say something during the game, so once [I didn’t hear that], I was like, ‘Alright, it is what it is.’ To be honest, I kind of expected that. The guys that were named, their record is better than ours, so naturally, you reward that.” The East announced three first-time starters, as Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, and Cade Cunningham joined Jalen Brunson and Giannis Antetokounmpo to represent the conference. “I want to be a starter for sure,” Mitchell said. “But understand that, at the end of the day, [if] we win games, everybody gets rewarded. We haven’t won games necessarily at the rate we would like to, and that’s what comes first. Everything else comes with that.” The West welcomes Victor Wembanyama to the first-timers club, alongside veterans in Steph Curry, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, and Nikola Jokic. Mitchell started in the All-Star Game in two of the previous three seasons, but will ultimately come off the bench in this year’s game. He’s having an unbelievable campaign individually, averaging 29.0 points, 5.7 assists, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in 34 minutes per game. It’s been the most efficient shooting season of his career, knocking down 48.5% of his field goals and 38.4% of his three-point attempts. And though the 24-20 Cavs haven’t quite been their best in the first half of the 82-game marathon, Mitchell has only uplifted his teammates and stepped up his game when they’ve needed it the most. The post Why Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell ‘expected’ NBA All-Star starter snub appeared first on ClutchPoints.

With the national title on the line, everyone had to leave everything they had out there on the gridiron. That is certainly what Indiana football star quarterback Fernando Mendoza did. Mendoza knows that nothing will be handed to them, not even to an Indiana Hoosiers side that’s been undefeated in 14 games thus far this season. And he certainly gave it his all, if his fearless fourth-down rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter to put them up by 10 over Miami football is any indication. After Indiana sealed their fate, winning the natty in a 27-21 slugfest against Miami, Mendoza dished on what was going on in his mind that fueled such an insane decision to put his body on the line. “I had to go airborne. I’ll die for my team. Whatever they need me to do, if they need me to take shots — the front or the back, whatever it is — I’mma die for my team out there,” Mendoza said in his postgame interview with ESPN’s Holly Rowe. “I know they’re gonna do the same for me. That’s what makes us so close. That’s what makes this national championship so special.” Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza on his epic 4th-down rushing TD: “I had to go airborne. I’ll die for my team. If they need me to take shots — the front or the back, whatever it is — I’ll die for my team out there.” This is an epic interview. pic.twitter.com/beNcBSQAyI https://t.co/r03GnW3VZX — Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 20, 2026 This kind of fearlessness from the Indiana QB makes him such a no-brainer selection for any NFL team in need of a quarterback that will not be scared of anything that comes his way. Indiana football survives late scare from Miami Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images Mendoza had to pull out the stops to give Indiana football a comfortable enough lead in the CFP national championship game against Miami. That rushing touchdown of his gave the Hoosiers a 10-point advantage, which was all the cushion they needed. A Malachi Toney touchdown run gave Indiana a scare, but they did just enough to hold on to the victory. Mendoza is going to leave Indiana as a hero to be remembered forever, and he’s now set to carry his talents to the next level — with many believing that he’s worth selecting with the first overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft. The post Indiana football star Fernando Mendoza reveals fearless mentality behind 4th down rushing TD appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The star running back Mark Fletcher Jr. delivered one of the defining moments of the College Football Playoff national championship, even as the Miami Hurricanes ultimately came up short against an unbeaten Indiana Hoosiers. After being completely shut out in the first half, the Hurricanes desperately needed a spark early in the third quarter. They received that break from their star running back. On a simple handoff near midfield, Fletcher spotted a crease, trusted it, and exploded through the Indiana defense. Fifty-seven yards later, he was in the end zone, trimming Indiana’s lead to 10-7 and reigniting Hard Rock Stadium. That single run carried historic weight. “478 yards and counting. With his 57-yard TD, Mark Fletcher Jr. passed Ezekiel Elliott for the most career rushing yards in College Football Playoff history.” ESPN Insights noted on X, formerly Twitter. 478 yards and counting With his 57-yard TD, Mark Fletcher Jr. passed Ezekiel Elliott for the most career rushing yards in College Football Playoff history pic.twitter.com/1ooP9uoplK — ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) January 20, 2026 Elliott’s feat had stood since his dominant 2014 postseason run when he recorded 476 CFP rushing yards, making Fletcher’s achievement all the more vital on the sport’s biggest stage. The moment was especially meaningful for Fletcher, a Fort Lauderdale native playing close to home in the national title game. Throughout the postseason, he had spoken about the emotional pull of representing Miami in front of family while honoring the memory of his late father. His touchdown was not flashy or deceptive; it was a downhill, physical run that reflected Miami’s identity. Entering the championship, Fletcher had already piled up 395 rushing yards across three CFP games, sitting just 81 yards shy of Elliott’s record. By the time the night ended, he had firmly moved past it. Fletcher finished the game with 112 rushing yards on 17 carries. His postseason surge pushed him past 478 career CFP rushing yards, placing him atop the playoff record book. Despite Fletcher’s heroics, Curt Cignetti’s Indiana held on for a 27-21 victory, capping a perfect 16-0 season and claiming the program’s first national championship. While Miami made multiple pushes in the second half, including a late touchdown drive to pull within three, but the Hoosiers responded each time. While the loss stings, Fletcher’s performance and record-setting run cemented his place in CFP history. The post Miami’s Mark Fletcher breaks Ezekiel Elliott’s CFP record amid Indiana clash appeared first on ClutchPoints.

GIBSONBURG, Ohio — Fire crews battling a morning fire in the village’s south side found a person dead inside the home.