LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Washington Commanders safety Jeremy Reaves got to celebrate two major accomplishments on the field Sunday night, proposing to longtime girlfriend Mikaela Worley after he and his teammates beat Atlanta in overtime to clinch a spot in the playoffs.
“I hate losing, so there’s no way I could have done that in the right spirit after a loss,” Reaves said. “That thing was burning a hole in my pocket.”
The 28-year-old Reaves considered doing it last week but finally decided to make the move after giving Worley's family a heads up Friday.
“If we win this game, it’s destiny,” Reaves said. “She’s earned it. I can’t say enough about her. When I was at my lowest last year, she was there to pick me up everyday. She showed up. That’s my best friend. Been my best friend since high school.”
Reaves had surgery to repair a partially torn ACL in October 2023, ending that season. He was the NFL's All-Pro pick as special teams player in the 2021 season after finally earning a full-time job in the league, but the injury last year again put his career in jeopardy.
“You can tell a lot about somebody when they are going through the worst and how they handle it,” Reaves said. “I was going through the worst last year coming off an ACL (tear). Couldn’t do anything, couldn’t be my own man and she was the crutch there when I couldn’t do it myself.”
Reaves is one of Washington’s few players left from the organization’s most recent playoff game in the 2020 season.
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FILE - Washington Commanders' Jeremy Reaves reacts after an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans, Dec. 1, 2024, in Landover. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)
NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Knicks knew Jalen Brunson couldn't play. Then they were thrown a surprise when neither could the guy who was supposed to replace him.
Without their leading scorer and down to their third choice for a starting point guard, the Knicks beat the Utah Jazz 119-103 on Wednesday night for their ninth straight victory.
Brunson was ruled out about 40 minutes before the game because of right calf tightness. Deuce McBride was expected to start in his place.
However, McBride developed left hamstring tightness and was scratched just before the game.
“Probably like right before they called the lineups,” said Cam Payne, who was then told he would start. “Halfway thought they weren’t going to call my name. I thought they were going to call Deuce and I was going to have to run out there, honestly. That’s how close it was to the lineups.”
Payne finished with eight points and nine assists. To back him up, the Knicks used rookie Tyler Kolek for 12 minutes off the bench.
That made it a 52-minute day for Kolek, who logged 40 minutes in a G League game in the afternoon, finishing with 36 points and 11 assists in the Westchester Knicks’ overtime victory against Indiana. He had two points and four assists versus Utah.
Brunson scored a season-high 55 points in a win at Washington on Saturday, but then struggled to a 6-for-17 shooting performance two nights later in the rematch.
Brunson is the Knicks' leading scorer with 25.2 points per game. They relied heavily on him last season and had a hard time finding enough offense on nights when he struggled. But when he missed his first game of the season Wednesday, they got 12 assists from Josh Hart in his second straight triple-double and finished with 31 assists while shooting 55% from the field.
“It just shows a difference between last year and this year,” Hart said. “Last year, him out, not sure how that would have went.”
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New York Knicks' Josh Hart, right, drives past Utah Jazz's Svi Mykhailiuk during the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
New York Knicks' Tyler Kolek (13) drives past Utah Jazz's Brice Sensabaugh (28) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
New York Knicks' Josh Hart (3) shoots over Utah Jazz's Brice Sensabaugh (28) and Lauri Markkanen (23) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) drives to the basket as Washington Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas, left, defends during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, Dec. 30, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)
