2025 Masters picks, ranking the field; Arsenal leads Real Madrid on amazing goals; Nuggets fire Michael Malone

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Happy Wednesday, everyone! Let’s get right to it.

⚽ Good morning to all, but especially to …

ARSENAL AND INTER

It always takes something special to beat Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League. Declan Rice produced two special somethings in one of the best wins in Arsenal history, scoring two magnificent free kicks in the Gunners’ 3-0 win over Los Blancos. James Benge was on the scene for a magical night at the Emirates.

• Benge: “This is now a man forever assured of his status in north London folklore. In what is surely the greatest night this ground has ever seen, his free kicks — plural — felled the great titan of European football. … For years to come, they’ll be shouting Rice’s name across the playing fields of north London whenever anyone goes to hit one.”

Here’s what Rice had to say about his “bangers.”

Though 3-0 seems insurmountable, I’ve seen too many Real Madrid miracles in this competition to be sure. Carlo Ancelotti feels the same way.

There was plenty more drama in Inter‘s 2-1 win over Bayern Munich. Lauturo Martinez, playing as well as any striker in the world, hit a marvelous first-time shot to give Inter the lead, but Thomas Muller scored in the 85th minute, and it looked like spoils would be shared. But substitute Davide Frattesi redirected a Carlos Augusto cross in the 87th minute to give the Nerazzurri the first-leg advantage.

Today, we have two more matches:

Here are our expert picks.

👍 Honorable mentions

😳 And not such a good morning for …

MICHAEL MALONE, CALVIN BOOTH AND THE DENVER NUGGETS

Michael Malone‘s tenure leading the best era in Nuggets history has come to a stunningly abrupt close. Denver fired Malone on Tuesday, and also announced the team is moving on from GM Calvin Booth with just days left in the regular season. Assistant coach David Adelman will take over for a 47-32 team that can still finish as high as third in the West.

• The moves come less than two years after Malone led Denver to its only NBA title. Malone had been with the Nuggets since 2015-16 — Nikola Jokić‘s first season — and his 471 wins with Denver are a franchise record.
• Booth, on an expiring contract that won’t be renewed, helped put the finishing touches on Denver’s 2022-23 title team but struggled in drafting and player acquisition since.
• There was also dysfunction behind the scenes, including frustration with the team’s defense and lack of depth and an internal divide regarding Russell Westbrook.

Sure, the Nuggets got their title, but their aims should be higher considering they have an all-time great. Simply put, they are wasting Jokić’s prime, Sam Quinn writes.

• Quinn: “In a full decade with the Nuggets, not a single teammate of his has ever made an All-Star Game or won an individual trophy. He has never played with an All-NBA player, an All-Defense teammate or for a Coach or Executive of the Year … This is a team devoid of meaningful trade assets. It is bogged down by a number of ill-advised contracts and staring down the most restrictive CBA the NBA has ever devised. And if its own track record is to be believed, it is owned by a group not willing to pay for the best people to solve these problems.”

Here are the coaches who could be next to go.

👎 Not so honorable mentions

⛳ 2025 Masters expert picks, top groupings, ranking the field

The 2025 Masters is nearly upon us. Action at Augusta National will be underway before this newsletter comes out Thursday morning, so we’re giving out our expert picks in today’s edition. Neither Patrick McDonald nor Robby Kalland is taking Scottie Scheffler nor Rory McIlroy to leave Augusta with a green jacket on Sunday. For his winner, Robby likes …

• Kalland: “Collin Morikawa (18-1): Morikawa has been so good this year and so good at Augusta National in the last three years that I can’t help but think the breakthrough is coming. I know he’s struggled to get it across the finish line lately, but his ball-striking has been outrageous this year (which is the formula at Augusta National).”

Patrick, meanwhile, has a familiar name as his sleeper.

• McDonald: “Sleeper — Patrick Reed (90-1): The 2018 champion is peaking at the precise right time. Reed has rattled off three top-10 finishes in his last four worldwide starts including a close call at LIV Golf Doral where he held the first-round lead. Always dangerous given his short-game prowess, Reed’s recent improvement off the tee and into the greens could push him over the edge and into contention.”

Speaking of most likely potential winners, here are notable first-round tee times and groups.

• 9:47 a.m. ET — Collin Morikawa, Joaquín Niemann, Min Woo Lee
• 10:15 a.m. — Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas, Jose Luis Ballester
• 12:50 p.m. — Brooks Koepka, Russell Henley, Sungjae Im
• 1:01 p.m. — Adam Scott, Xander Schauffele, Viktor Hovland
• 1:12 p.m. — Rory McIlroy, Ludvig Åberg, Akshay Bhatia
• 1:23 p.m. — Hideki Matsuyama, Bryson DeChambeau, Shane Lowry
• 1:34 p.m. — Jon Rahm, Wyndham Clark, Tommy Fleetwood

Patrick McDonald ranked the entire field 1-95, and Masters coverage extends with a guide on where to watch all of the action and which featured groups will be streaming live on Thursday.

🏀 Way-too-early Top 25 And 1 for 2025-26, plus how Florida celebrated title

Normally, I’d say any “way-too-early” ranking is actually never too early. But in men’s college basketball? Yeah, maybe it’s too early. The transfer portal is overwhelming — be sure you’re monitoring our live updates — and I’m reminded of John Calipari saying “I met with the team. There is no team.” less than a year ago when he was hired at Arkansas.

But there are some semblances of teams. And that means Gary Parrish has his first Top 25 And 1 of the 2025-26 season.

It won’t take the sting out of Monday night’s loss, but Houston is No. 1 — and also atop Isaac Trotter’s Top 25 — thanks to several potential returnees and a standout recruiting class. Here’s what’s next for the Cougars, and here’s Gary’s top five:

1. Houston
2. Duke
3. Purdue
4. Alabama
5. UConn

Before we completely turn the page on 2024-25, you must read Matt Norlander’s behind-the-scenes look at how Florida celebrated its title on the San Antonio River, filled with wonderful (and hilarious) anecdotes. Here’s what’s next for Florida, too.

Here’s more:

Former MLB pitcher, World Series champion Octavio Dotel dies in nightclub roof collapse

Octavio Dotel, who pitched for 13 teams across a 15-year MLB career, died early Tuesday after a roof collapsed at a Dominican Republic nightclub. He was 51 years old.

• At least 113 people died after the roof at Jet Set, a club located in the Dominican Republic’s capital of Santo Domingo, collapsed.
• Dotel was rescued from the rubble but later succumbed to his injuries.
• A starter early in his career, Dotel switched to the bullpen primarily in 2001. From 2001-09, he posted a 3.10 ERA, and in 2011, he won a World Series with the Cardinals.
• Among other fatalities were Tony Blanco, 43, who played for the Nationals in 2005, and Nelsy Cruz, the sister of former MLB star Nelson Cruz.

📺 What we’re watching Wednesday (and early Thursday)

⚽ PSG vs. Aston Villa, 3 p.m. on Paramount+
⚽ Barcelona vs. Borussia Dortmund, 3 p.m. on Paramount+
⚾ Phillies at Braves, 7:15 p.m. on MLB Network
🏀 Lakers at Mavericks, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏒 Flyers at Rangers, 7:30 p.m. on TNT/truTV
🏀 Nuggets at Kings, 10 p.m. on ESPN
🏒 Blues at Oilers, 10 p.m. on TNT/truTV

⛳ And on Thursday morning, we’re watching the 2025 Masters. Here’s how.