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The Houston Rockets welcomed a special guest at Toyota Center on Monday as they faced off against the Phoenix Suns. Houston Astros pitcher Tatsuya Imai was on hand to watch the game at courtside. Imai recently signed a three-year, $54 million deal with the Astros after spending nine years with the Saitama Seibu Lions in his home country of Japan. The 27-year-old star is already acclimatizing himself in Houston, and supporting the Rockets should only earn him more fans. The crowd gave him a huge applause when he was introduced by the stadium announcer in the first quarter. Imai stood up and acknowledged the warm reception, while also signing a baseball. Newest Astros pitcher Tatsuya Imai at the Rockets game tonight. pic.twitter.com/vKD3Uyf3dC — ClutchFans (@clutchfans) January 6, 2026 Fans on X were also delighted to see Imai attending the game. “Bro, he’s everywhere. I love this dude already!” said @kadenlk44. “My boy is really loving it already. I feel like he’s going to cook,” added @Clutchfan199. “He’s already locked in with the city,” echoed @DubIslegend. “Good luck charm,” claimed @ultimatenovason. “This dude is already a celebrity, and he hasn’t thrown one pitch,” commented @fluker_lane. With all the hype surrounding him, Imai is expected to bolster the Astros, who missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016 after an 87-75 record. It will be interesting to see how Imai will adjust to the MLB, especially with all the pressure and comparisons to fellow Japanese and Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto. In the meantime, the Rockets did not disappoint Imai, as they beat the Suns, 100-97, to improve to 22-11. Kevin Durant led the charge with 26 points and 10 rebounds. The post Astros’ Tatsuya Imai gets incredible gesture from fans during Rockets-Suns appeared first on ClutchPoints.

The New York Knicks are in the middle of their worst stretch of the season, with some of their early-season lethargy problems coming back to haunt them. On Monday night, the Knicks lost yet another game, their fourth in a row, but this wasn’t just any other defeat; they were so poor on both ends of the floor as the top seed in the East, the Detroit Pistons, embarrassed them at Little Caesars Arena to the tune of a 121-90 demolition. The Knicks’ starters just weren’t able to match the Pistons’ energy and effort on both ends of the floor; they struggled a bit in the first half, with Detroit taking a 10-point lead into the halftime interval. But that deficit ballooned more and more the deeper they went into the second half, and New York had to pull the plug early. “It’s pretty simple: they just physically kicked our a**,” Knicks head coach Mike Brown said, per James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. The Pistons hauled in nine more offensive rebounds than the Knicks did, and 14 more boards overall. Detroit went crazy in transition, scoring 33 points off turnovers and 21 points in the fastbreak — outscoring New York by 32 in those areas. And just to top it all off, the Pistons also shot over 50 percent from deep. There was no way the Knicks were winning this game, not when Detroit outplayed them in every facet of the sport. Knicks face familiar problem in embarrassing loss vs. Pistons Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images The Knicks have diagnosed in recent days that they struggle with physicality, and not even incorporating Mitchell Robinson into the starting five helped much in their 31-point loss to the Pistons. Josh Hart’s absence has played a huge role in the Knicks’ languid play. There’s no coincidence that they’ve gone 2-4 since Hart went down with an ankle injury. The post Knicks’ Mike Brown doesn’t hold back on 31-point loss to Pistons appeared first on ClutchPoints.

There is no spinning it, reframing it, or softening the language anymore. The Las Vegas Raiders hit rock bottom in 2025. Sometimes, though, that’s exactly where a franchise needs to be before it can rebuild with clarity. Armed with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Raiders finally control their own destiny again. According to the PFF mock draft simulator, Las Vegas unsurprisingly uses that leverage to chase a franchise quarterback. As such, they can begin reconstructing a roster that collapsed under its own weight. Season recap © Kirby Lee-Imagn Images The Raiders finished the 2025 NFL season with a paltry 3-14 record. That locked in the top pick and closed the book on one of the most disastrous campaigns in franchise history. What was supposed to be a stabilizing year under head coach Pete Carroll quickly devolved into chaos. Carroll was dismissed immediately after the season. Now, the Raiders extended their playoff win drought to 23 years. Their offense also finished dead last in points per game. Quarterback play was at the center of the collapse. Geno Smith led the league with 17 interceptions. He frequently put an already overmatched defense in impossible positions. Still, even in the wreckage, there were glimmers of hope. Tight end Brock Bowers earned Pro Bowl honors. He looked like a legitimate offensive cornerstone. Meanwhile, Ashton Jeanty flashed enough explosiveness to suggest the Raiders may already have a functional run-game foundation. Everything else, however, was negotiable. Draft needs The Raiders enter the 2026 NFL Draft with needs at almost every position group. At the top of the list is quarterback. Las Vegas has cycled through stopgaps for years. The lack of long-term answers under center has poisoned every rebuild attempt before it could take hold. Beyond quarterback, the offense desperately needs help at wide receiver and along the offensive line to protect whoever ends up starting. Defensively, the problems are just as severe. The Raiders struggled to stop the run, generate turnovers, and hold up in coverage. Upgrades are required at defensive interior, linebacker, and cornerback. With the No. 1 overall pick and multiple premium selections, this draft really is about identifying players who can become pillars of the next era. Here we’ll try to look at and discuss the Raiders’ 3-round mock draft based on the PFF 2026 NFL mock draft simulator. Round 1, pick 1: QB Dante Moore, Oregon With the top pick, Las Vegas swings for the most important position in football They will select Dante Moore over Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza. Moore is widely viewed as the best pure passer in the 2026 draft class. That alone makes him worthy of serious No. 1 overall consideration. He processes coverages quickly, attacks vertically with confidence, and can make throws that only a handful of quarterbacks at any level attempt. The concerns are real, though. Moore’s short-area accuracy has been inconsistent at times. His lighter frame also raises durability questions. That’s especially true for a franchise that hasn’t exactly excelled at offensive line protection. This is not a plug-and-play savior. Moore needs structure, protection, and patience. That said, if the Raiders commit to building around him properly, his ceiling is unmistakably that of a franchise quarterback who can redefine the offense for a decade. Round 2, pick 36: CB Keith Abney II, Arizona State After securing their quarterback, the Raiders pivot to defense with Keith Abney II. Abney brings toughness, communication skills, and versatility to a secondary that lacked all three in 2025. His best work comes in zone coverage. That’s where he reads quarterbacks well and positions himself effectively to contest throws. Abney isn’t a blazing-speed corner, though. That limits his margin for error in pure man coverage against vertical threats. Still, his willingness to tackle and his competitive edge fit exactly what Las Vegas has been missing on the…

Florida football fans watched DJ Lagway visit rival Florida State in the portal. Now they won’t like his glowing take following the College Football Transfer Portal visit. Lagway caught up with Noles 247 after his trip to Tallahassee Monday. The dual-threat’s words to Chris Nee paint the picture that he likes FSU way more than he ever did at Gainesville. “It was really nice up here. Yeah, I’m excited for the relationship to continue to build,” Lagway stated first. Yet that wasn’t his strongest take on the visit. These next quotes become a gut punch followed by a counter toward Gator fans. “Still on cloud nine about this one,” Lagway said in describing his FSU trip. “I can see it’s genuine. A lot of places you blow smoke, but I feel like this place is really genuine.” FSU is more “genuine” compared to Lagway’s last stop, says the QB. If he chooses the Seminoles, Gator fans likely will write those words down as motivation for the next FSU-Florida meeting. DJ Lagway already making decision after Florida departure? Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images There’s good news for Gator fans, though, who are hoping Lagway avoids Tallahassee. He confirmed to Nee that he hasn’t made his decision yet and still has another visit. He’ll even visit a rival of Florida State’s in Virginia. The Cavaliers upended the then No. 8 Seminoles in Charlottesville — ultimately creating a conference title game run appearance after the stunner. Virginia still fell to Duke for the Atlantic Coast Conference championship. Lagway, though, could earn a stronger chance to play at UVA compared to FSU. The Cavs could be losing 2025 starter Chandler Morris to exhausted eligibility (the 25-year-old Morris is hoping for another year). UVA also lost backup Daniel Kaelin to the portal — launching theories of Virginia becoming a closet destination for Lagway. But other schools are seeking a QB. Including rival Southeastern Conference programs of Florida like Tennessee, Kentucky, LSU and Vanderbilt. It’s not known if Lagway plans to visit all the mentioned schools. But again, Gator fans are facing the possibility of seeing Lagway perform the famed chop with FSU. The post Florida fans won’t like DJ Lagway’s glowing Florida State review appeared first on ClutchPoints.