South Australia’s hopes of qualifying for the Sheffield Shield final has received a timely boost, with Australian superstar Travis Head confirming his availability for this week’s crucial clash against New South Wales in Adelaide.
NBA player Luke Kornet calls on Hawks to cancel promotion with Magic City adult entertainment club
By The Associated Press (AP) — Luke Kornet called on the Atlanta Hawks to cancel their upcoming collaboration with Magic City, saying he and other NBA players were surprised by the team's decision to promote the adult entertainment club.
The San Antonio Spurs center wrote Monday that allowing the March 16 event during the Hawks' game against the Orlando Magic “would reflect poorly on us as an NBA community, specifically in being complicit in the potential objectification and mistreatment of women in our society.”
“Regardless of how a woman finds her way into the adult entertainment industry, many in this space experience abuse, harassment, and violence to which they should never be subjected,” Kornet added in a blog post.
The Hawks announced the promotion last week, saying it would include a live performance by Atlanta native T.I., and have two versions of Magic City's famed chicken wings and a special hoodie available for purchase.
But Kornet noted that the press release “failed to acknowledge that this place is, as the business itself boasts, ‘Atlanta’s premier strip club.’” Therefore, he asked the Hawks to cancel the promotion.
“We desire to provide an environment where fans of all ages can safely come and enjoy the game of basketball and where we can celebrate the history and culture of communities in good conscience,” Kornet wrote. “The celebration of a strip club is not conduct aligned with that vision.”
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
Shaikin: Clayton Kershaw's 'perfect' ending has one final chapter in WBC
How do you improve on the perfect ending?
Clayton Kershaw stood in the desert heat Monday, wearing a far darker shade of blue than the Dodgers do. He does not need a medal, or a chance to fail. His election to the Hall of Fame will be a formality.
In his farewell year, the Dodgers won the World Series, becoming baseball’s first back-to-back champions in 25 years. He secured a critical out. He bathed in adoration at the championship rally, and he told the fans he would be one of them this year.
“I’m going to watch,” he hollered that day, “just like all of you.”
Four months later, he was back in uniform.
Read more:'That's what I expect.' Dodgers' Mookie Betts seeks to regain his All-Star form
He wore a dark blue jersey with red and white piping. As Team USA ran through its first World Baseball Classic workout, Kershaw participated in pitchers’ fielding practice and shagged fly balls during batting practice. He could have been home with his five kids, and instead he was rushing off the mound to take a throw at first base.
That November night in Toronto, as it turned out, was not the last time we would see him in uniform.
“Feels good,” he said Monday. “I wouldn’t put on a uniform for anything else. This is a special thing.”
He put the World Baseball Classic into red, white and blue perspective.
“It’s a bucket list thing for me,” he said.
He is either self-deprecating or painfully honest about his capabilities right now, or perhaps a little of both.
The last World Baseball Classic came down to Shohei Ohtani pitching to Mike Trout. This one could come down to Kershaw pitching to Ohtani.
“I think, for our country’s sake, it’s probably better if I don’t,” Kershaw said.
Never say never. Team USA planned to run a tremendous rotation of Tarik Skubal, Paul Skenes, Joe Ryan and Logan Webb, but now Skubal says he will pitch just once in the tournament. Skenes says he’ll pitch twice. Ryan says he won’t pitch in the first round, at least.
Kershaw might be needed beyond the role he was promised: save the team from using the current major league pitchers in blowouts or extra innings.
In 11 career at-bats against Kershaw, Ohtani has no hits. Kershaw won’t duck the assignment if gets it, but he considers it so unlikely he is happy to share his game plan publicly.
“It’s throw it, pitch away, play away, hope he flies out to left,” Kershaw said. “Don’t throw it in his barrel.
“I can’t imagine, if it comes down to USA vs. Japan, with the arms that we have, that I’ll be needed. But I’ll be ready.”
Kershaw’s average fastball velocity dropped to 89 mph last season, but he led the majors in winning percentage. He could eat innings for some team — maybe even the Dodgers, with Blake Snell and Gavin Stone all but certain to be unavailable on Opening Day.
But, even with his success last year and even with the joy of wearing a uniform once again, he insists he isn’t interested in pitching beyond the WBC.
“I don’t want to,” he said. “You can’t end it better than I did last year. I had a great time last year. It was an absolute blast and honor to be on that team. I think that was the perfect way to end it. Honestly, I don’t know if I would have enough in the tank to pitch for a full season again. I’m really at peace with that decision.
“This is kind of a weird one-off thing, but you can’t really turn down this opportunity. It wasn’t easy to get ready for this, with no motivation for a season, but I actually am in a pretty good spot with my arm. I’ll be fine. If they need me, I’ll be ready.”
Kershaw said he has kept in touch with his old Dodgers teammates, with some connecting on video calls from the weight room or clubhouse at Camelback Ranch. He arrived in the Phoenix area two days before the workout, but he skipped a trip to Camelback Ranch.
“I’ve thought about it,” he said. “I miss the guys. I think it’s probably just better, at least for this first year, for me mentally to just stay away, just for spring training.”
Kershaw said he would be at Dodger Stadium for the championship ring ceremony March 27.
He is content with what he calls “Dad life.” He and his wife, Ellen, just welcomed their fifth child, and Dad life includes lots of shuttles to baseball and basketball practice.
Read more:Shaikin: In L.A. and in Cooperstown, Freddie Freeman will forever be a Dodger, not a Brave
“I run an Uber service,” Kershaw said.
This wouldn’t be a Dodgers story these days without some reference to the team’s big spending so, for what it’s worth, Kershaw spent some time Tuesday chatting with Skubal, who will be the grand prize on the free-agent market next winter, or whenever the likely lockout might end.
That’s a rational explanation, Kershaw says, for Skubal pitching just once in the WBC.
“Everybody knows the situation he is in, contract-wise,” Kershaw said. "Any innings we can get out of him is a huge bonus to this team. He’s great. Super competitive. We’re honored to have him.”
Should we assume Skubal will be pitching for the Dodgers next season? Kershaw laughed.
“No comment,” he said, then walked away to get ready for the first game of his post-retirement life.
Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Game Preview #62 – Timberwolves vs. Grizzlies
Minnesota Timberwolves at Memphis Grizzlies
Date: March 3rd, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM CST
Location: Target Center
Television Coverage: FanDuel Sports Network – North
Radio Coverage: Wolves App, iHeart Radio
There’s a very specific kind of confidence that creeps in when you beat the Denver Nuggets on national television. It’s the “we’re back” confidence. And right now, the Minnesota Timberwolves are flirting with that version of themselves.
Six wins in their last seven. A convincing Sunday afternoon win over Jokic and the Nuggets. A leapfrog in the standings. Suddenly they’re sitting tied for the third best record in the West, staring at the Houston Rockets, and licking their chops.
It feels good. It should feel good.
But before we start fantasizing home court in Round 1, let’s take a healthy dose of reality. The margin for error in the West is still razor thin. The Wolves have momentum, but they haven’t exactly looked like world-beaters during this stretch. They’ve won games that should’ve been comfortable by making them unnecessarily dramatic. They’ve flirted with disaster against inferior opponents and needed fourth-quarter gear shifts to survive.
Which brings us to this week’s three-game homestand: Memphis. Toronto. Orlando.
On paper? Bankable wins. In reality? Potential landmines.
Because the Wolves don’t have a “talent” problem. They have a “professional urgency on random Tuesday nights” problem. Which makes this Memphis Grizzlies team one of the most dangerous opponents they could face…
The Setup: The Games You Have to Bank
March is a gauntlet. After this homestand, Minnesota heads west to face both L.A. teams, Golden State, and then south for the fourth and final showdown with OKC. That’s not a sightseeing tour. That’s a standings reshuffle waiting to happen.
So if the Wolves want that three-seed, if they want home court in Round 1, if they want to avoid staring down OKC in the second round like it’s a dentist appointment, they have to stack the games that are sitting right in front of them.
Memphis is one of those. And before you (or the Wolves) begin to mentally add a digit to the win column, stop and remember that these Grizzlies have already beaten Minnesota twice this season. The most recent upset was at the start of February in one of those games where the Wolves assumed they could flip the switch late, only to realize the power had been disconnected.
When we get to April and we’re recapping the “what could have been” portion of the season, those Memphis losses are going to glow in neon. This is a team Minnesota has a clear talent advantage over. And yet, lack of intensity and professionalism already put two notches in the loss column.
They cannot afford a third.
#1: Take This Personally (And Take It Seriously)
The Grizzlies punched Minnesota in the mouth twice. Both times, the Wolves walked in thinking it was a formality. That can’t happen again.
This needs to be one of those games where the Wolves remember the taste of blood. Where they come out like they’ve had this date circled since February 2nd. Where they don’t “feel it out” for a quarter and a half.
Jump on them early. Crank the defensive aggression up immediately. Dive for loose balls. Sprint in transition. End defensive possessions with rebounds. Make Memphis feel like they wandered into the wrong building.
Because if you let them hang around, if you let this become a fourth-quarter coin flip, you’re inviting déjà vu.
And Wolves fans have had enough déjà vu this season to last a lifetime.
#2: Blanket Ty Jerome
Memphis has pivoted away from the core that knocked the Wolves out of the playoffs in 2022. Jaren Jackson Jr. is gone, shipped to Utah at the deadline. Desmond Bane was jettisoned before the season. The identity that once made Memphis dangerous has been dismantled piece by piece. Ja Morant is still there, only because nobody else was eager to take on that particular roller coaster. This is not the same Grizzlies team that one appeared to be the next great Western Conference contender.
But Ty Jerome? He’s real. He already proved a month ago that he can hang with Minnesota and put enough points on the board to steal the game. And if you let him get comfortable, he’ll start doing that annoying thing where role players turn into All-NBA guys for a night.
Anthony Edwards. Ayo Dosunmu. Jalen Clark. Donte DiVincenzo. They all need to take turns sitting in Jerome’s jersey.
#3: Keep Jaden McDaniels Unlocked
Jaden McDaniels is the Wolves’ secret ingredient. When he’s passive, the Wolves are good. When he’s aggressive, they’re terrifying. We saw it against Denver. McDaniels attacking downhill, finishing at the rim, getting high-percentage looks. He tilted the floor.
The Wolves need to treat the next six weeks as a referendum on fully integrating McDaniels as a third pillar of this offense. Not an afterthought. Not a “stand in the corner and wait” guy.
If this team heads into the postseason as a legitimate three-headed monster of Ant, Randle, and McDaniels, that’s a completely different ceiling. Minnesota needs to be done with six-point Jaden games. Finch and the staff need to scheme him into action early. Get him touches. Get him downhill. Let him feel the game.
#4: Keep the Ball Moving
One of the more encouraging trends from Sunday? Edwards passing out of doubles. He didn’t force it against Denver. He trusted the read. He let teammates cook. That’s when Minnesota’s offense feels like a five-lane highway instead of a one-man street.
Memphis probably won’t double Ant the way Denver did. But the philosophy has to stay the same: Share it. Swing it. Keep the defense honest.
There is zero reason for this to devolve into iso-heavy, dribble-the-air-out-of-the-ball basketball. The Wolves are far more dangerous when the ball is whipping around the perimeter and the defense is chasing shadows. This is not a “prove you’re the best player in the building” game. It’s a “prove you’re the most professional team in the building” game.
#5: Defend the Perimeter Like It’s a Playoff Game
The only way Memphis stays alive here is if Minnesota gifts them space with lazy rotations, turnstile perimeter defense., and wide-open threes because someone didn’t feel like tagging the shooter.
Don’t give them that.
If Memphis earns tough buckets, fine, but don’t be the reason they get easy ones. Close out hard. Contain at the point of attack. Rotate with purpose. Make it feel suffocating.
This should be a blowout win. Honestly? Anything less is unacceptable.
The Big Picture: Climb the Ladder, One Rung at a Time
The Wolves did the hard part Sunday.
They beat Denver. They flipped the script. They vaulted in the standings. It was a statement win.
But statement wins only matter if you don’t step on a rake 48 hours later.
The dog days of January and February are behind us. The postseason is visible on the horizon. Now it’s about stacking wins. Banking games you’re supposed to win. Turning momentum into separation.
You want the three-seed? You want home court? You want the opposite side of OKC? Then treat Memphis like what they are right now: a stepping stone.
No coasting. No “we’ll turn it on later.” No letting inferior teams dictate terms.
Keep climbing, one rung at a time.
Memphis is the next grip.
John Gibson injury update, Detroit Red Wings say goalie looks OK
NASHVILLE, TN –The Detroit Red Wings will have John Gibson examined further, but early indications are he's fine.
Gibson left the Red Wings' game after the first period after incurring an upper-body injury at Bridgestone Arena on Monday, March 2, and did not return .
"Right at the end of the period, he took a shot up high into the shoulder area," coach Todd McLellan said. "It was kind of like a stinger, if you will. When you get those, you don't get the feeling back right away.
"I think he's OK now. He's walking around. But we'll have him looked at when we get home."
The Wings (35-20-6) next play Wednesday at home against the Vegas Golden Knights. Tuesday is a day off.
John Gibson injury update
Gibson walked around the visitors' locker room after the game, chatting with a member of the team, but he was not made available to reporters.
Cam Talbot made 18 saves in relief in the 4-2 victory. It was Talbot's first victory since Dec. 28.
He said he found out he would be entering the game with "about nine or 10 minutes left on the clock from the first intermission. I knew that he was in some discomfort so I just kind of started to stretch out, get ready just in case, and then got the official word around the 10-minute mark."
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: John Gibson injury update: Latest on Red Wings goalie
Mavericks vs Hornets preview: 3 things to know as Dallas visits Charlotte
The Dallas Mavericks (21-39) travel to Charlotte to take on the Hornets (30-31), hoping to snap a three-game losing streak. It’ll be hard to imagine getting a better game than the last Mavericks-Hornets matchup, even though Charlotte walked away with the win, 123-121. The injury report is longer for the Mavs this time around, and with Cooper Flagg likely out, Dallas will have to get solid production from everyone who suits up. Here are three things to watch as the Mavericks take on the Hornets.
The Rookie of the Year race is tight
The last time these two teams met, we got a classic. Cooper Flagg notched his career high of 49 points, also adding 10 rebounds and 3 assists. His former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel hit eight of his 12 threes, posting 34 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists. The two future stars put on a show and proved why the Rookie of the Year race is one of the closest ever.
For the first time since November, betting sportsbooks have Kon Knueppel edging out Cooper Flagg for Rookie of the Year. The two former teammates have separated themselves as being on a tier of their own in the 2025 NBA draft class. Each has shown their basketball brilliance in different ways. Knueppel is a marksman, shooting an astounding 44% from three this season on eight attempts per game. He broke the NBA rookie record for three pointers made in a season, netting his 207th — in 59 games. The previous record was held by Keegan Murray in 2023, who took 80 games to reach 206 made threes. Knueppel, who was taken fourth in the 2025 draft, has also put up an impressive stat line of 19.3 points per game, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists. He’s arguably the biggest reason why the Charlotte Hornets could reach their first season of being above .500 since 2022.
Cooper Flagg, the perennial favorite to win the Rookie of the Year race, has slipped behind Knueppel largely because he’s been sidelined with a left foot sprain since February 10. Charlotte will be his eighth consecutive game missed. Before the injury, Flagg was living up to the hype of everything Mavs fans were hoping to see from the number one overall pick. He’s averaging 20.4 points per game, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.1 assists — all slightly ahead of his former Duke counterpart.Prioritizing Flagg’s health is, of course, most important. Once he returns, it could be a photo finish for who takes home the Rookie of the Year trophy.
Charlotte is better than its record
After an abysmal start, the Hornets have been red hot. It looked like Charlotte was headed for another rebuilding year as it started 15-26 by the halfway point in the season. Since then, they’ve won 15 of 20 games and now the only thing standing between them and a .500 record is the Mavericks. They have a 3.0 net rating this season, better than the Heat, Raptors, Sixers, Magic, Lakers, Suns, and Warriors — all teams that are above .500. In their past 20 games, the Hornets own the third-best net rating in the NBA at 9.8, only behind the Pistons and Celtics.
Charlotte’s athleticism and size cause matchup problems for many teams. They are second in the NBA in offensive rebounding percentage at 35.8. If the Mavs want any chance at keeping the Hornets from breaking the .500 plateau, they’ll have to keep them off the glass. Charlotte’s offensive rating has also cracked the top-10 in the NBA, scoring 117.5 points per 100 possessions, largely due to its efficient three-point shooting. They make 15.9 threes per game, trailing only the Warriors, and are third in percentage at 37.8%, trailing only the Nuggets and Bucks. Shooting a lot of threes and elite offensive rebounding for second and third opportunities will put you in the upper third of efficient NBA offenses.
Embrace the weird stat lines
The injury list these days reads more like a Walmart receipt. With so many key rotation guys out, the Mavs are digging deep into their bench to fill minutes. In a season that’s largely lost and with eyes already shifting to the draft, these last 22 games still have purpose. They’re a glorified tryout for real minutes on (hopefully) a much better team next season.
If 48 minutes are largely filled by your bench, you’re bound to get some bizarre stat lines. In Dallas’s 100-87 loss to Oklahoma City on Sunday, Moussa Cisse recorded 12 rebounds, 0 points, 0 assists, 0 blocks, and 0 steals. But with weird stat lines come real questions. Who should be on the roster next season? Now is the time to find out. Is Cisse a viable big man Dallas should give a roster spot to next season? Caleb Martin was the leading scorer with 18 points against the Thunder. Can he reset his value and be a real contributor next season? How does Ryan Nembhard respond after securing his NBA contract? Who will the Mavericks choose to run the bench unit once Kyrie returns? Where does Brandon Williams fit in? In the bigger picture, these minutes matter.
A lot of losing is happening, but that’s OK. This grind part is important for the rebuilding process. Speaking of the Thunder, who are widely considered the favorite to repeat as NBA champions, let’s look at the beginning of their rebuild. In the 2021-2022 season, the Thunder lost 16 games by 20+ points, including a 50-point loss to the Clippers and a 73-point loss to the Grizzlies. In comparison, the Mavericks have four losses by 20+ points this season. The Thunder finished with a record of 24-58. This is the same season Oklahoma City discovered Lu Dort as an elite defender, Aaron Wiggins as a real scoring threat, and Kenrich Williams as a serviceable wing who can contribute off the bench. Most of that 2022 roster didn’t make the 2025 title team, but these guys did. Oklahoma City knew Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the star, but who were the guys that could contribute around him? With no pressure to win games, now is the time to find out who those players are for the Mavericks. This is part of the process.
How to watch
It can be hard to get motivated to watch Mavericks games without Cooper Flagg. But even without him, these games are a good way to see what Dallas has around him. The star is the hardest part to get in a championship puzzle. The hardest part is done. But as fans saw with Dirk Nowitzki and Luka Doncic, the talent you put around your star matters. With or without Flagg, let’s see how the Mavs compete.
The Mavs and Hornets tip off at 6:00 PM CST on KFAA Channel 29, MavsTV streaming, and NBA League Pass.
Darius Garland to make Los Angeles Clippers debut tonight vs. Warriors
The Los Angeles Clippers are set to finally get a look at their new point guard.
Darius Garland, who the Clippers acquired from the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for James Harden at this year's trade deadline, will reportedly make his Clippers debut on Monday night against the Golden State Warriors.
Garland had been sidelined since suffering a grade 1 right big toe sprain on Jan. 14 while with the Cavaliers.
It's a full circle moment for Garland, as he suits up for the team that his father, Winston Garland, played for parts of two seasons in 1990 and 1991.
SSR Open Thread: 3/2 – 3/6
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Trae Young announces he will make Washington Wizards debut Thursday vs. Utah
Trae Young announced on Instagram that he plans to make his Washington Wizards debut Thursday night when they host the Utah Jazz.
This has been confirmed by Washington head coach Brian Keefe, who added that Young would be on a minutes limit.
Brian Keefe just said the expectation is that Trae Young will play 17 to 20 minutes when Young makes his Wizards debut on Thursday.
— Josh Robbins (@JoshuaBRobbins) March 2, 2026
Young has not played since Dec. 27 due to right knee and quad issues. Since that date, the four-time All-Star was traded from Atlanta — the only team he had ever played for — to the Wizards.
In the 10 games Young has played this season, he's averaged 19.3 points and 8.9 assists per game, while shooting 35.1% from 3-point range. His shooting should help space the floor for Washington, and his passing will make life easier for Alex Sarr and the other Wizards big men. Young will upgrade the Wizards' offense.
Washington also traded for Anthony Davis around the deadline, but he is out for the season after finger surgery.
While the addition of Young is exciting for Wizards fans starving for something to cheer for, the team does not want to start winning too many games the rest of this season. Washington owes its first-round pick to New York, but it is top-eight protected. Washington currently has the fourth-worst record in the league and cannot lose its pick in the lottery. However, start racking up wins and getting a better record than Utah, New Orleans or Dallas, and the odds of keeping that pick go down, slightly at first, but they drop. With that, expect the Wizards to keep Young limited this season.
Young is expected to reach a contract extension deal with the Wizards this offseason, reports Marc Stein at The Stein Line. Young has a $48.9 million player option for next season, the conventional wisdom around the league is that he agrees to a shorter extension, two or three years, worth less money per year but more money total.
Cavs will be without star player against Detroit Pistons
The Cleveland Cavaliers are familiar with injury troubles. They’ve been dealt a short hand for most of the season. So it’s no surprise they will again be without one of their key players as they host the Detroit Pistons tonight.
Donovan Mitchell is listed as OUT with a groin injury. The seven-time All-Star has missed Cleveland’s previous three games with the same injury. He last played in their win over the New York Knicks on February 24.
The Cavs will also be without Riley Minix and Darius Brown, both of whom are on G League assignment. Max Strus is still out, as well. Dean Wade is questionable with an ankle injury. Everyone else is currently available.
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Mitchell is averaging 28.5 points, 5.8 assists, and 4.5 rebounds this season while shooting 48.3% from the floor and nearly 37% from downtown. He’s having a career-best year while the Cavs are 3-4 without him this season. He’s been surprisingly available for a player carrying such a massive load each night. It makes sense that the Cavs are being cautious with his latest groin injury. They’ll need him moving forward.
Cleveland is better equipped to withstand a stretch without Mitchell than they were at the start of the season. Trading for James Harden has given them an All-Star-caliber guard to replace Mitchell during these stretches. While Darius Garland was previously capable of doing the same thing — Garland’s own injuries became too much of a roadblock. Harden, albeit currently dealing with a broken finger, has historically been more durable than both Mitchell and Garland.
Harden had 22 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists in the Cavaliers’ latest win over the Brooklyn Nets. He’s capable of carrying the offense on his own.
The Cavs will have their hands full against a Pistons team that probably feels they shouldn’t have gone to overtime with this shorthanded Cleveland squad last week. But the Cavs are upset with themselves for not sealing the deal in that one. This should be a fun game even without Mitchell.
Thunderbolts and blunders, White Sox fall 6-5 to the Giants
The Arizona sun was blazing, Giants fans were howling (it was so obnoxious on the live stream), and the White Sox? Well, tally up another one-run loss. Despite 101 mph on the gun, a bomb by Luisangel Acuña, and Miguel Vargas flashing leather, none of it mattered. The Sox couldn’t hold on late and dropped another one, 6-5, at Camelback Ranch.
Davis Martin got the ball and looked every bit a guy still searching for his stuff. He survived the first two innings, mostly because Vargas bailed him out with a double play that screamed ‘best glove in camp.’
Then came the third, and it all unraveled. Martin forgot where the plate was, walking two with two outs. Then, the desert sky swallowed a routine fly for Jarred Kelenic, gifting the Giants a run-scoring double. Martin’s final line: three innings, four hits, three runs, two walks, two Ks. Not exactly a ‘remember me’ outing.
While the pitching was a bit of a mess, at least the bats and legs woke up. After sleepwalking early, the Sox finally got to Giants prospect Carson Whisenhunt in the third. Korey Lee kept his ‘hey, look at me’ spring rolling, ripping an RBI double and swiping a bag for good measure. He even gunned down Christian Koss, trying to steal, just to remind everyone he’s got a cannon.
Luisangel is turning ‘Acuña Matata’ into a South Side rallying cry. He stayed scorching, yanking a solo shot in the fifth to put the Sox up 5-3 for a hot minute.
Between the power and the constant contact, he’s one of the at-bats you don’t want to miss this spring. There were also doubles everywhere as Sosa and Kelenic both smoked two-baggers, with Kelenic’s in the fourth putting the Sox ahead.
The bullpen? A grab bag, as usual. Grant Taylor came in for the fifth and looked like he was hurling thunderbolts. Seven pitches, six strikes, and 101 mph on the gun. The kind of stuff that makes you wonder if there’s hope for the rotation someday.
However, the late innings were the same old pain. Jonathan Cannon ate up three frames, but the Giants kept chipping. Nate Furman tied it with a solo shot in the eighth, and the Sox offense faceplanted in their half with Dustin Harris, who was in for Hill, getting caught in a rundown between third and home.
By the ninth, the air was out of the balloon. Zach Franklin took over, and Braden Montgomery made a diving grab to keep hope alive for about five seconds. Unfortunately, next up, Buddy Kennedy crushed a 416-foot bomb to center. Sox went down with a whimper, and they’re now 7-5 on the spring.
The White Sox will try to scrape off the desert dust and maybe win one tomorrow. Sean Newcomb gets the ball against the Padres at Camelback Ranch. The first pitch is at 2:05 p.m. CST. We’ll be right back at it here at South Side Sox!
JJ Redick threw shade at national media coverage of Lakers
The Lakers are never going to get a fair shake when it comes to national media coverage.
This isn’t a new revelation. In fact, the very topic of this article has already been written about by our own Darius Soriano just two months ago.
And while there’s lots of season left to play and things could always change, right now, the Lakers are actually a good story! They’ve been hammered by injuries and all they’ve done is win nearly two-thirds of their games through almost half the season.
No one’s asking to anoint them the favorites to win the title or anything like that. But if we could maybe just start treating them as though they’re a good team that is actually finding ways to win games they probably shouldn’t and position themselves well to actually make the run no one thinks they will, that would be okay too?
Or maybe we put another blowhard on TV saying how they should trade LeBron or Austin Reaves for role players? Yeah, let’s do that instead.
Not surprisingly, the media hasn’t changed its tune on the Lakers since that article was posted.
The only change in the last two months is that head coach JJ Redick has also taken notice. After wins on either side of the team’s weekend back-to-back, Redick spoke about the resiliency of his side and took a subtle jab at the overreactions at various moments this season.
“Again, the world has fallen for us 19 times and it’s just part of the nature of this cycle,” Redick said. “Our guys have bounced back and responded well throughout the season. Tied in the loss column for fifth and a couple of games out of third with a number of these teams coming up that are right there with us. So, we’re going to keep plugging away.”
Certainly, there are times when strong reactions are warranted. There should be criticism when the team loses three straight games as they did last week. When they were trending in the wrong direction in late December and into January, criticism was warranted.
However, the issue is that the noise isn’t nearly as loud for other teams. Frankly, after the Thunder and Spurs, the next tier of teams in the Western Conference — which includes the Lakers — is remarkably mid. Houston, Minnesota, Denver and LA are separated by 1.5 games.
While the Lakers have gone 5-5 in the last 10 games, Denver has gone 4-6. The Warriors team the Lakers blew out in Golden State on Saturday? That starting lineup without Draymond Green beat the Nuggets one week ago. Houston had a monumental collapse in the fourth quarter against the Knicks a week ago, to say nothing of Kevin Durant’s burner accounts and how that mess has just quietly gone away.
Could you imagine if it came out that LeBron was creating accounts and trashing teammates to random people on Twitter? It wouldn’t have just gone away inside of two weeks!
Frustratingly, things are just louder when it comes to the Lakers. Again, that’s not new and that won’t change. But it’s nice to see the head coach calling that out as well.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.
Athletics defeat Padres 7-2 for their 3rd victory of the Spring
Spring Training entered week two as the Athletics took on the San Diego Padres at Peoria Stadium in Arizona today, the Padres Spring Training Facility.
Right-hander Mason Barnett got the start for the A’s today. He made five starts for the Athletics in 2025. logging 22+ innings. Righty Michael King got the nod for the Padres this afternoon. After an injury-plagued season he went 5-3 in fifteen starts for San Diego last year, finishing up with a 3.44 ERA.
The A’s bats continued where they left off after yesterday’s twelve-run barrage in the first inning when Tyler Soderstrom got them on the board with a 2-run blast to right field that was a no-doubt homer.
Two young prospects who may likely see some real playing time for the A’s this season showed why the team loves them. Henry Bolte singled and showed his speed going from first to third on a single to left field by Junior Perez. After a walk to Kurtz to load the bases, Shea Langeliers singled to drive in both Bolte and Perez. That gave the A’s a 4-0 lead with two outs in the top of the second inning. After 48 pitches, that was it for King.
Barnett, who threw strikes and stayed out of trouble in the first, lost control to start the second with two walks on just nine pitches. He got some help from a missed fair ball call that likely would have scored two. He coaxed a double play ball and then struck out the final batter to end the inning. He ended up with forty pitches over the first two innings.
Bolte continued to impress with an RBI single scoring Max Muncy and moving DeVries from first to third. DeVries scored on a throwing error by the Padres third baseman. Kurtz hit a ground ball to the second baseman, but Castellanos roamed too far off first base and the pitcher didn’t get there on time, scoring Bolte from second base. Nice hustle by a youngster fighting to make it to the bigs.
Barnett’s day was over after 2.1 innings and forty-seven pitches. He gave up no hits but allowed two runners via walks. Brady Basso replaced him and got four straight outs keeping the Padres off the scoreboard through four innings.
Luis Medina replaced Basso in the fifth inning. He gave up the first two hits of the day to Padres batters and one run but also worked out of a jam.
By the seventh inning the Padres had subbed all their starters, and the A’s were beginning the process. Wander Suero replaced Medina in the sixth with a 1-2-3 inning and escaped the seventh after giving up just one hit.
By the start of the eighth inning all starters but DH Brent Rooker had ended their day. Colby Thomas replaced him in the ninth, striking out on three pitches.
Nick Hernandez gave up one hit and struck out two in the eighth and returned to pitch the ninth. He gave up a leadoff homer to Jace Bowen to open the inning. That trimmed the lead to 7-2. Zane Taylor replaced Hernandez with two outs in the ninth and got the final batter to ground out to end the game.
The A’s scored all of their runs in the first three innings but held on to win their third game of the Spring 7-2 over the Padres.
Reds 17, Cubs 9: The pitching and defense forgot to show up
The Cubs scored four runs in the first inning of this game and the game summary shows they hit three doubles in that inning, but all three of those baseballs could have been played had the Reds had a bit better defense.
In the end it didn’t matter, as Jameson Taillon and Ryan Rolison both got lit up for six runs and the Reds smashed the Cubs 17-6 on another very hot afternoon in the Phoenix area (86 degrees at game time, average high for today is 74).
Matt Shaw led off the game with a misplayed double and went to third on a wild pitch. Kevin Alcántara followed with a walk.
Moisés Ballesteros doubled in both runners [VIDEO].
As you can see, Reds left fielder Will Benson misplayed that ball. Still, it was well-struck by Mo Baller.
Dylan Carlson followed with another double. This single by Chas McCormick scored Ballesteros [VIDEO].
Jefferson Rojas followed by hitting into a double play, but Carlson scored to make it 4-0.
That lead didn’t last long. Taillon issued a walk in between getting a pair of outs in the bottom of the first, but after that it was a pair of doubles, making the score 4-2.
The Reds scored four in the second. Noelvi Marte led off with a home run off Taillon [VIDEO].
This was another pretty good pitch that the hitter went and got:
So, Jamo’s last start before heading to throw for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic wasn’t a good one. He threw 53 pitches (31 strikes). Here’s his pitch breakdown [VIDEO].
The Cubs tied up the game in the third. One run scored on a ground out, the other on this RBI single by Pedro Ramirez [VIDEO].
The 6-6 tie didn’t last very long, because left-hander Ryan Rolison, who had a 7.02 ERA in 31 games for the Rockies last year, got torched for six runs in the bottom of the third. The big blow was a three-run homer by Matt McLain. Rolison has options so he’ll wind up in the bullpen at Triple-A Iowa this year, although it wouldn’t surprise me if the Cubs try to get him through waivers at some point this spring if they need room on the 40-man roster.
The Reds announcers were a bit confused in the fifth, saying that Grayson Moore was pitching for the Cubs, but it was another No. 52, Collin Snider, who got lit up for three runs — another three-run homer, this one by Sal Stewart.
Then both managers cleared the benches for minor leaguers. The Reds added a run in the sixth on their fourth homer of the game, by Rece Hinds. At that point most probably just wanted this game to be over. Cubs minor leaguer Kade Snell smacked a three-run homer in the eighth to make it 17-9.
The result obviously doesn’t matter, but the hard hits of Taillon have to be at least a bit concerning. On the other hand, Carlson’s two doubles give him a .538 BA for the spring. Small sample size and spring games, of course, but Carlson’s making his case to make the Opening Day roster. Mo Baller also had two hits, and his delayed arrival at camp has clearly not affected his bat. Hoby Milner threw a scoreless inning, so that was good.
The Cubs will have an exhibition game against a WBC team Wednesday at Sloan Park, the team representing Italy. Cade Horton will start for the Cubs. At the time of this recap posting, Team Italy had not announced a starting pitcher for the exhibition game. Their top two starters are Aaron Nola and Michael Lorenzen, though I don’t think we’ll see either of those two against the Cubs. Game time Tuesday is 2:05 p.m. CT. No TV or radio for Tuesday’s game.
Trae Young is expected to make his Washington Wizards debut on Thursday
WASHINGTON (AP) — Trae Young appears set to make his first appearance for the Washington Wizards on Thursday.
Young made an Instagram post of himself working out in Wizards gear and ended it with “3/5.” The Wizards are set to host Utah that night.
Asked later Monday about the plan before Washington hosted Houston, coach Brian Keefe said the point guard was trending toward being ready to play against the Jazz. He said Young would likely be restricted to about 17 to 20 minutes, mostly in the first half.
Young played in 10 games for the Atlanta Hawks this season, averaging 19.3 points and 8.9 assists, before being sidelined by knee and quadriceps injuries. The Wizards acquired him for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert in January.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba