NBA 101

How Kimi Antonelli can clinch the F1 Drivers’ Championship in Austin

With the Singapore Grand Prix in the books, the Formula 1 grid will go quiet for a week, until the United States Grand Prix.

And a champion can now be crowned that weekend in Austin.

Kimi Antonelli is on the doorstep of his first F1 Drivers’ Championship, and could mathematically clinch that title at the United States Grand Prix later in Austin.

Here is how.

F1 Drivers’ Championship standings

Here are the current standings, including only the drivers that still have a mathematical chance at winning the F1 Drivers’ Championship this season.

Position	Driver	Team	Points	Wins
1	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	340	8
2	George Russell	Mercedes	238	3
3	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	229	1
4	Max Verstappen	Red Bull	221	2
5	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	215	1
6	Lando Norris	McLaren	201	2

How Antonelli can clinch at the USGP

This weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix marked the final F1 Sprint race of the season. Six race weekends remain, all in the standard Grand Prix format, meaning that on paper 150 points are up for grabs — 25 points are awarded to the winner of each Grand Prix.

That number will drop to 125 after the United States Grand Prix in Austin.

That means that to clinch the title in Texas, Antonelli needs to leave the Circuit of the Americans with at least a 125-point lead over his rivals in the title chase. He will head to Austin with a 102-point lead over teammate George Russell, and a 111-point lead over Lewis Hamilton, putting Antonelli in position to clinch in Texas.

A win in Austin, coupled with favorable results from Russell and Hamilton, would get the job done. If Antonelli wins the United States Grand Prix he would move to 365 points on the year, 127 points ahead of Russell and 136 points ahead of Hamilton before their results are factored in.

Which means Russell needs to finish eighth or higher in Austin to remain alive in the title race, and Hamilton needs to finish fourth or higher to remain alive, should Antonelli win the United States Grand Prix. We will return to these two drivers in a moment.

A win from Antonelli would eliminate Lando Norris, Charles Leclerc, and Max Verstappen. At the moment Antonelli has a 139-point lead over Norris, and with a win in Austin that would extend to 164 points, and a second-place finish from Norris would only cut that margin down to 146, outside of striking range. With Leclerc, Antonelli has a 125-point lead, which would grow to 150 points with a win in Austin, and a P2 from Leclerc would only cut that margin down to 132 points, outside of striking range.

As for Verstappen, who is in prime form at the moment, Antonelli enjoys a 119-point lead over the Red Bull driver. An Antonelli win at the United States Grand Prix would grow that to 144 points, which Verstappen could only cut down to 126 points with a P2, just outside of striking range. Remember, only 125 points are available after the United States Grand Prix.

Now let’s talk about Russell and Hamilton.

Antonelli has a gap of 111 points to Hamilton at the moment, and if Antonelli wins in Austin, that would grow to 136 points. If the Ferrari driver were to finish second, he would cut that gap down to 118 points, which would keep Hamilton alive. Simply put, if Antonelli wins in Austin, as long as Hamilton finishes in the top four, he would remain alive. Should Antonelli win — and grow his lead over Hamilton to 136 points before we calculate the Ferrari driver’s finish — then a P5 from Hamilton would trim that gap by ten points to 126.

With 125 points remaining available.

As for Russell, if he finishes eighth or higher, he would remain alive in the title fight even if Antonelli wins in Austin. If he finishes ninth, he would be exactly 125 points behind Antonelli if the Italian driver were to win the United States Grand Prix, with five race weekends left. He could then — theoretically — win the rest of the races while Antonelli finished outside of the points in all of them, and finish tied with Antonelli on points.

But he would lose to Antonelli on countback, or tiebreakers.

An Antonelli win in Austin would move him to nine wins on the season. And if Russell won out from there, he would finish with … eight wins. Wins are the first tiebreaker, so if the two were to finish level on points, the title would be decided by the number of wins and since Antonelli would have nine and Russell would have eight, the title would be Antonelli’s.

However, there are some other factors to consider …

What about Qatar and Abu Dhabi?

Nothing in this world happens in a vacuum.

Including Formula 1.

Hostilities in the Middle East between the United States and Iran already forced the cancellation of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, and required moving the Bahrain Grand Prix to Malaysia. As things stand right now, the final two races of the season are set for Qatar in late November, and Abu Dhabi the following weekend at the start of December.

F1 has not announced a decision on those races — and news is expected later this month — but the sport’s governing body already cancelled Rally Saudi Arabia, as the World Endurance Championship was slated for a race in Saudi Arabia in mid-November.

Which does not bode well for Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

So, hypothetically for the moment, if we remove those two races from the schedule, then only four race weekends remain this season. And in that scenario, only 100 points are available to those drivers chasing Antonelli.

And since Russell is closest at 102 points behind … in this scenario Antonelli has already clinched the title.

Now, F1 has floated the idea of adding a race in Imola at the end of the season, should circumstances force a cancellation of both Qatar and Abu Dhabi. In that scenario, with five races remaining, a maximum of 125 points are available to the drivers over those events.

And Antonelli would need a lead of 100 points over each of his rivals to clinch the title in Austin, if the season were to finish with Mexico, Brazil, Las Vegas, and Imola.

What do we know for sure?

Antonelli heads to Austin with a chance to clinch his first title, and SB Nation will be on the ground covering it live.

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Jaguars holder Logan Cooke just delivered an all-time NFL performance

In the National Football League, there are a few positions that fans do not even think about until something bad happens.

Holding for place kicks is one of those positions.

That is considered a routine part of the game, almost an automated task you could imagine pulling off yourself while watching games from your couch. But it is a lot harder than it looks, and there are a lot of moving parts. From making sure the field goal unit is set, to catching the snap cleanly, to placing the ball down on the right spot and spinning the laces away from the kicker, and finally getting the angle of teh ball right based on the kicker’s personal preference.

It is also something I did for four years in college, so I know what it looks like when it goes right … and how it looks when everything goes haywire.

That brings me to Jacksonville Jaguars punter — and holder — Logan Cooke, who had a starring role in Jacksonville’s stunning 19-17 win on Sunday.

Jacksonville lost long snapper Ross Matiscik to a shoulder injury early in Sunday’s game in London against the Philadelphia Eagles. That forced Liam Coen and the Jacksonville coaching staff to turn to defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton to handle the snapping duties against the Eagles.

While Hamilton’s first long snap Sunday, on a punt, was perfect things were less accurate after that.

Before diving into these clips, let’s talk about the holding operation. Cooke holds for Cam Little, a right-footed kicker. What happens before the snap is this: Cooke will take his spot around seven yards behind the ball, get into his stance, put his left hand down to mark where the ball will be placed, and then brace his left elbow against his left leg as a guide. Cooke does this so that after he catches the snap, he brings the ball back with both hands and the left leg stops that movement, enabling him to place the ball where Little expects it.

You can see that in the image below, as Cooke has his left elbow pinned to the inside of his left leg, waiting for the snap. In a clean operation he’ll catch the snap, pull the ball back with both hands, drive his left elbow into his left leg to guide him, place the ball down with his left hand, and spin it with his right to get the laces out:

That’s when everything goes as it should.

But when it does not, the holder needs to work a little magic.

Following a Jacksonville touchdown Hamilton, Cooke, and the Jaguars field goal unit came into the game to attempt the extra point. Hamilton’s snap was high, but watch how Cooke is able to catch the snap, get the ball placed and then … GET HIS LEFT FOOT OUT OF THE WAY BEFORE CAM LITTLE KICKS IT:

What a play by @Jaguars P Logan Cooke to catch the high snap and save the PAT @PHIvsJAX on NFL Network
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/8CKtLI2F2l

— NFL (@NFL) October 11, 2026

Even though Cooke has to adjust to catch the high snap, he gets the ball down where Little is expecting it. However, the adjustment Cooke makes to catch the snap moves his left foot a bit, and into the path of Little’s swing. So Cook lifts that foot up a bit, giving Little a clear path to the football.

On a field goal attempt later in the game, a similar situation played out: A high snap, a great adjustment from Cooke, and a final move with his left foot to clear the path for Little:

Another high snap, but @Jaguars P Logan Cooke brings it down and makes sure Cam Little still gets the kick through@PHIvsJAX on NFL Network
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/V6CDORtZS3

— NFL (@NFL) October 11, 2026

Here is a better look at it:

Fantastic grab from Logan Cooke on a high snap to get the ball down

— CJ Fogler (@cjzero.bsky.social) 2026-10-11T15:54:05.444Z

The kicking operation did seem to impact how Coen handled some fourth-down decisions on Sunday. At the end of the half the Jaguars faced a 4th-and-goal from the Philadelphia 1-yard line, and rather than try a field goal to make it a 14-10 game, Coen left his offense on the field.

A jet sweep was stopped for a six-yard loss.

Midway through the fourth quarter Jacksonville again faced a 4th-and-goal decision, now trailing 14-10, and Coen kept the offense on the field. A Trevor Lawrence pass fell incomplete.

There was another high snap later in the game, following an incredible touchdown reception from Parker Washington Jr. Hamilton’s snap was high, but Cooke still managed to get the ball down, but the timing may have been off as Little pulled the kick to the left.

That looked for a moment as if it would be a deciding factor in this game, as the Eagles responded with a field goal in the closing minute to take a 17-16 lead. But on the ensuing kickoff, Jaguars returner Ameer Abdullah ripped off a 53-yard return, getting Jacksonville into field goal range for Little.

And giving Cooke one more chance to pull off something special as well.

Once again, Hamilton’s snap was high, but Cooke got the hold down, Little split the uprights, and the Jaguars had a stunning 19-17 win:

UNBELIEVABLE. JAGS WIN.

WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!?! pic.twitter.com/O7x8JTgPeK

— NFL (@NFL) October 11, 2026

But when it comes to Cooke, holding is one of those specialties that you do not think about until you have to. And usually, in those situations, it is because something has gone terribly wrong.

But sometimes, iit is because a holder has dome something rather special.

Like Cooke did Sunday in London.

Karl-Anthony Towns ‘Very Disappointed’ By Knicks’ Decision To Pause Extension Talks

Karl-Anthony Towns said Sunday he was caught off guard by the New York Knicks’ decision to delay contract extension talks until later in the season. The team announced late last week that it would not negotiate with eligible players until then.

“It was news to me,” said Towns. “Very disappointed, to say the least. Let’s state the obvious: It’s a business, but there is business on the court for us to handle.”

Towns is one of four Knicks eligible for extensions, along with Josh Hart, Miles McBride and Tyler Kolek. Towns has been the most outspoken of the group about his frustration.

The Knicks’ offer to Towns has centered on a deal worth close to $200 million in total, league sources said. Towns is eligible to sign for up to a four-year, $276 million extension.

The Knicks face tight financial constraints. Owner James Dolan has instructed the front office not to cross the second apron, which has complicated negotiations following the team’s NBA championship.

The timeline now hinges on Towns’ $61 million player option for next season. He must decline it by Oct. 19 to negotiate with the Knicks during the season.

If he does not, New York cannot legally discuss an extension with Towns or his representatives until after the season. Towns would then be officially entering the final year of his contract.

Josh Hart ‘Not Too Stressed’ About Knicks Stopping Extension Talks

New York Knicks wing Josh Hart was asked about the team tabling extension talks for eligible players, such as himself. Hart didn’t seem as worried about the situation as teammates Karl-Anthony Towns and Miles McBride seem to be.

“Everything is going to work out. I’m not really too stressed over it,” Hart said. “I’m not putting too much into it. We have expectations, so it’s good we are able to focus on the season.”

Hart has two years left on his contract. This season, the veteran wing is owed $20.9 million. Next season, the Knicks hold a $22.4 million team option for Hart. In order for Hart to extend after October 19, New York would need to decline that team option first. As things play out, Hart was honest that their next deals would occasionally be on the minds of the extension-eligible players.

“There will be days where we don’t think about it,” Hart said. “There will be days where it’s top of the mind. We’re humans.”

Jalon Moore, Pelicans Sign Exhibit 10 Contract

The New Orleans Pelicans have signed forward Jalon Moore to an Exhibit 10 contract. Moore replaces Christian Koloko, who was waived in the last couple of days.

Moore missed last season while recovering from a torn Achilles that he suffered in the pre-draft process ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-6 forward played for the Pelicans during Summer League and averaged 6.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals.

Caitlin Clark Undecided On EPIC Extension, Says ‘No Matter What, I’m Gonna Be Here’

Caitlin Clark is now eligible for a contract extension under the WNBA’s new “EPIC” provision, but the Indiana Fever star has not committed to signing it. Clark said she wants to consider how the deal would impact the team’s salary cap and roster.

“We have to think about things with the cap,” said Clark, “and what we’re going to need and who we’re going to need to sign and what value they bring to the team.

“Not saying I’m going to sign it or not sign it. I think it’s just kind of figuring out the way we need to construct our roster. No matter what, I’m gonna be here. I just want to do what’s best for the team and make sure we have the opportunity to be able to win championships. Like, that’s my main goal.”

The EPIC (Exceptional Performance on Initial Contract) provision in the latest collective bargaining agreement lets qualifying players renegotiate the fourth year of their rookie deals and sign three-year extensions.

Clark could earn the projected max of $1.3 million in 2027 and the projected supermax of $1.7 million in 2028. Players qualify for the max with a prior first- or second-team All-WNBA selection, while the supermax requires an MVP award.

The three-time All-Star was the 2024 Rookie of the Year and a first-team All-WNBA pick that season. She ranked third in scoring and second in assists this season.

The Fever lost in the first round of the playoffs as the No. 6 seed for the third straight year, and Kelsey Mitchell, Sophie Cunningham, Tyasha Harris and Myisha Hines-Allen are all unrestricted free agents.

Clark said she plans to help general manager Amber Cox with roster decisions and free-agent recruiting. Clark called it a responsibility as a team leader.

“Those are definitely conversations we have with Amber,” said Clark. “At the end of the day, Amber’s the GM and she makes the final call, but she certainly asks us our opinion, and wants us to have a voice in that.”

Pacific Division preview + WNBA Semifinals Game 2 reactions

Subscribe to The Dunker Spot

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We have a fun episode of The Dunker Spot coming your way!

First, Nekias Duncan and Steve Jones preview the Pacific division (Lakers, Suns, Clippers, Warriors, Kings).

On the WNBA side, the guys recap the Dream’s Game 2 win over the Liberty, as well as the Valkyries’ win over the Aces, then talk through potential adjustments we may see in each Game 3.

If you ever have NBA or WNBA questions, email us at dunkerspot@yahoo.com

01:40 — Los Angeles Lakers

16:05 — Phoenix Suns

27:26 — Los Angeles Clippers

36:07 — Golden State Warriors

46:03 — Sacramento Kings

51:34 — Dream-Liberty

01:11:26 — Valkyries-Aces

Luka Hales

🖥️ Watch this full episode on the Yahoo Sports NBA YouTube channel

Check out all episodes of The Dunker Spot and the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at yahoosports.tv

NBA Franchises Worth Combined $199 Billion, Average Team Value Rises 21%

The NBA’s 30 franchises are worth a combined $199 billion, according to Sportico’s 2026 valuations. The average team is now valued at $6.64 billion, a 21 percent increase from last year.

The Golden State Warriors lead the league at $14.5 billion after a 28 percent jump. Only the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys, at $15.5 billion, rank higher among global sports franchises.

The New York Knicks moved past the Los Angeles Lakers for second place at $12.8 billion. The Lakers, valued at $12.5 billion in their pending sale to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger, fell to third. The Los Angeles Clippers and Chicago Bulls round out the top five.

The average team value has climbed 183 percent since 2020, when it stood at $2.35 billion.

League revenue reached an estimated $13.7 billion last season, up 12 percent, as the NBA’s 11-year, $76 billion national media deal took effect. Each team received roughly $180 million from shared league revenue.

Golden State generated $895 million in revenue net of revenue sharing, 26 percent more than the Knicks. The Warriors’ new jersey patch deal with Iren is worth more than $50 million per year, the richest sponsorship in North American team sports history.

The top half of the league rose 26 percent on average, while the bottom four teams gained just five percent.

The average NBA team is valued at 14.6 times revenue, the highest multiple among major North American leagues. Expansion could push values higher, with the league expected to decide on Las Vegas and Seattle by the end of the year.

2026 NBA Team Valuations

1. Golden State Warriors: $14.5 billion (+28%)
2. New York Knicks: $12.8 billion (+30%)
3. Los Angeles Lakers: $12.5 billion (+25%)
4. Los Angeles Clippers: $8.21 billion (+22%)
5. Chicago Bulls: $8.13 billion (+33%)
6. Miami Heat: $8.05 billion (+33%)
7. Boston Celtics: $8 billion (+26%)
8. Brooklyn Nets: $7.45 billion (+20%)
9. Philadelphia 76ers: $7.15 billion (+27%)
10. Houston Rockets: $6.92 billion (+25%)
11. Toronto Raptors: $6.47 billion (+24%)
12. Dallas Mavericks: $6.35 billion (+21%)
13. Phoenix Suns: $6.32 billion (+24%)
14. Atlanta Hawks: $6.08 billion (+21%)
15. Cleveland Cavaliers: $6 billion (+23%)
16. Sacramento Kings: $5.71 billion (+14%)
17. Washington Wizards: $5.56 billion (+16%)
18. Denver Nuggets: $5.51 billion (+15%)
19. San Antonio Spurs: $5.3 billion (+18%)
20. Indiana Pacers: $5.26 billion (+11%)
21. Milwaukee Bucks: $5.14 billion (+13%)
22. Oklahoma City Thunder: $5 billion (+15%)
23. Utah Jazz: $4.92 billion (+15%)
24. Orlando Magic: $4.9 billion (+16%)
25. Charlotte Hornets: $4.85 billion (+17%)
26. Detroit Pistons: $4.83 billion (+16%)
27. Minnesota Timberwolves: $4.5 billion (+6%)
28. Portland Trail Blazers: $4.4 billion (+4%)
29. New Orleans Pelicans: $4.25 billion (+6%)
30. Memphis Grizzlies: $4.2 billion (+5%)

NBA Pushes Back On Claims Second Apron Hurts Middle-Class Players

The NBA issued a statement Friday disputing claims that the second apron had adverse effects upon the league’s middle-class players. The league said salaries have grown for players at every pay level since the rule took effect.

“Recent reports asserted that the second apron is hurting ‘lower’ and ‘middle’ class players,” said the NBA in a post on X. “That’s untrue. Since the implementation of the second apron, the number of players on team rosters has remained the same and annual salaries have increased by nearly $1.3 billion resulting in pay increases of approximately 30% for all classes of players.”

The statement came a day after comments from veteran guard Bruce Brown. Brown was asked after Thursday’s preseason game between the New York Knicks and Washington Wizards whether players were frustrated by the second apron.

“I’m sure there is,” said Brown. “The new CBA is good for max guys, new free agents and rookie extension guys. The middle guys, it kind of sucks for us. There’s not a lot of people getting that full midlevel.”

Brown played all 82 games for the Denver Nuggets last season but did not land a guaranteed contract this summer. Brown signed a non-guaranteed training camp deal with the Knicks and is competing for the defending champions’ final roster spot.

The second apron was introduced as part of the 2023 collective bargaining agreement. Teams above the threshold, set at $209 million this season, lose access to most trades and free-agent signings and can see future draft picks pushed to the end of the first round.

No team enters the 2026-27 season above the second apron. Knicks owner James Dolan said in June that his team could not cross the threshold.

However, more teams have moved into the luxury tax since 2023. That threshold, which carries lighter penalties, sits just over $200 million.