Empire State lit up in 2026 World Cup hosts' colors 100 days befo… — and more

New York's Empire State Building was illuminated in the colors of the flags of 2026 World Cup hosts Mexico, Canada and the United States Tuesday as organizers marked 100 days until kick-off.

Organizers were joined by the tournament's three mascots, Canada's Maple the moose, Mexico's Zayu the jaguar and Clutch the American bald eagle for a ceremony at the 1,454 feet-tall Manhattan skyscraper.

A record 48 teams -- up from 32 in 2022 -- and millions of fans are set to descend on the United States, Canada and Mexico for the first ever World Cup shared by three nations.

Alex Lasry, CEO of the FIFA World Cup New York New Jersey host committee, told AFP "we're continuing our preparations, we are in the heat of it, but this is where it becomes fun right." 

Asked how the organizers would prepare for possible disruption from the war in the Middle East, Lasry said "our goal as the New York-New Jersey Host Committee is to be prepared to welcome the world to our region and we want to make sure that everyone who comes here has a safe and secure experience."

"You can kind of feel it -- it's starting to become a reality. And being 100 days out from the first ball being kicked is exciting," he said.

"It's supposed to be uniting and you know, we can't wait to welcome the world to our region to participate in what is going to I think be the biggest global sports and entertainment event that the world has ever seen."

The greatest footballing show on earth kicks off on June 11 at Mexico City's Estadio Azteca and will conclude nearly six weeks later on July 19 at the 82,500-seater MetLife Stadium just outside New York.

A total of 104 matches will be played across 16 venues and four time zones, with the bulk of the action taking place in the United States, which will host 78 games.

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Illinois snapped their recent losing streak with an 80-54 victory over Oregon on Senior Night at State Farm Center. The win moves the Illini closer to securing a top four finish in the Big Ten standings and a triple-bye in next week's conference tournament.

The Illini honored seniors Kylan Boswell, Ben Humrichous, and AJ Redd in their final home game. Junior Andrej Stojakovic led the team with 21 points and 12 rebounds, while freshmen Keaton Wagler and David Mirkovic added 11 and 19 points respectively. Illinois dominated the game with a 38-12 run in the first half, putting the Ducks away early.

The Philadelphia 76ers traded Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a deal that many analysts say favors the Thunder. The trade, which involved a future draft pick, has drawn criticism for its perceived imbalance.

Fans and commentators argue that the 76ers received little in return, labeling the move as lopsided and potentially detrimental to the team's future competitiveness.

Federal prosecutors told a judge Wednesday that nearly two dozen people charged in October for their alleged roles in a nationwide rigged poker ring could reach plea deals.

Meanwhile, Chauncey Billups and 30 others await further updates in their case when they return to a Brooklyn federal courthouse.

The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Detroit Pistons 113-109. Let’s go over today’s winners and losers.

WINNER – Jaylon Tyson

Earlier this week, Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson was asked what the ideal role for Jaylon Tyson is. His response? Defend, rebound, and make open shots.

I’d say Tyson checked all of the above tonight.

Tyson led the Cavs with 22 points on 5-12 three-point shooting. Each of his makes came off the creation of other players, knocking down catch-and-shoot opportunities to punish the defense and reward his teammates. Tyson also played superb defense throughout the night, at times checking Cade Cunningham and helping to “drain his battery,” as Atkinson put it.

As for the rebounding, Tyson only finished with 3 rebounds. But make no mistake, he was fighting for every loose ball and boxing his man to secure defensive stops. All in all, it was everything the Cavs envisioned him doing in a big win over an Eastern Conference rival.

It can be tough for a young player to have their place in the rotation juggled as much as Tyson has recently. But when the details of the job are as clearly defined as they are, it makes it easier for Tyson to slot back into his role on any given night.

LOSER – Injuries

It feels like the Cavs have been bitten by the injury bug all season. They’ve been without key plays throughout the year, including tonight. And as the game went on, they lost another one.

Jarrett Allen left this game in the third quarter with a knee injury. It appeared to be a non-contact injury that happened as Allen was going after a rebound. That’s something no one likes to see. Until we find out more, we won’t know how bad this is. We’re hoping the four days off are enough to get Allen healthy and back on the court.

WINNER – The James Harden Step Back

Everyone is aware of James Harden’s patented step-back jumper. For many of us, that jumper brought nothing but pain for the past decade and a half.

But now that he’s doing it in a Cavs jersey? I have to say, it’s a piece of art.

Harden began this game by slamming on the brakes and nailing a step back jumper. A few minutes later, he turned Ausar Thompson fully around before smacking another three. Finally, he sent Cade Cunningham to Parma with a step-back that brought the crowd to its feet. Harden let that one linger, doing a mini-shimmy before (tragically) missing the attempt.

This wasn’t an efficient game from Harden. In fact, those two step-back jumpers were the only three-point shots he made tonight. But you know what, he made each one count.

WINNER – Hustle

We’ve all heard it. The Cavs are soft and can’t handle intensity. Certainly not against a bruising, physical team like the Pistons.

So, what happened tonight?

Cleveland established an early lead by beating the Pistons to loose balls. They gobbled up second-chance opportunities throughout the first half, setting the tone that they wouldn’t be folding over and taking a big loss on the glass tonight.

The Pistons eventually won the rebounding battle 44-38, but the Cavaliers finished with more offensive rebounds. And they forced Detroit into 13 turnovers behind 7 steals. The tenacity that Cleveland played with made it seem like maybe the difference in perceived toughness won’t matter so much once the ball is actually tossed into the air.

I don’t want to jinx anything, obviously. But this is consecutive games against the Pistons, where physicality was simply not a concern. The Cavs met and passed the test.