The Cleveland Cavaliers face the New York Knicks for the final time this season. We’ll see how they stack up in what could be a playoff preview.
I’ll be in the comments throughout the game sharing my thoughts. Come talk with me and the rest of your fellow Cavs fans there.
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Go Cavs!
The Dallas Mavericks (20-36) visit the Brooklyn Nets (15-41) to participate in a Tuesday evening basketball contest for the ages. Or not. We’ll see. Dallas finally won a game after losing 10 straight, beating the shameless Indiana Pacers. Brooklyn is no better though; they’ve lost four straight and are really not good at basketball. In these games between teams without incentive, the team with the least talent usually loses. That is the Nets
Here’s the main things you need to know:
The injury report for our Dallas Mavericks is not surprising. Cooper Flagg is out, the foot sprain lingers and they should take their time here. Kyrie Irving and Dereck Lively are of course still out. Mousa Cisse and Ryan Nembhard are doubtful, but this means out. They don’t have a lot of eligibility left and Dallas should’ve done a much better job managing that. Daniel Gafford is questionable but that’s been his whole season, so expect him to play.
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The Brooklyn Nets have five guys on the injury report, but they are all on G-League assignments.
This all goes to explain how the Nets are organically awful as much as any team in the NBA, so while they’re capable of winning, I do not expect them to offer much resistance. The Mavericks have the “problem” of having functional NBA-level veteran talent. Even without Flagg, they fight each game. So expect more of that and one more win in the column for the Mavericks.
Be sure to chime in with your predictions in the comments!
Consider joining Josh and me on Pod Maverick live after the game on YouTube, we should start LATE. Thanks so much for spending time with us here at Mavs Moneyball. Let’s go Mavs!
Dillon Brooks, whose energy and unexpected shot creation have been at the heart of the Phoenix Suns this season, will miss 4-6 weeks after having surgery to repair a fractured left hand, Phoenix announced Tuesday.
This was not a surprise, the fracture was reported a few days ago, but without details on the surgery or a timeline for a return.
Brooks has been a culture setter for the organization and, on the court, a needed secondary shot creator, averaging 21.2 points per game. Not that there was a good time for an injury, but this hits the Suns particularly hard this week with Devin Booker missing time with a hip injury and Grayson Allen out with knee and ankle issues. The Suns lost to the Trail Blazers over the weekend without either of their two leading scorers.
Phoenix, 33-25, sits as the No. 7 seed in the West, just two games out of getting into the top six and avoiding the play-in, but it's going to be tough to make up that gap without the team being healthy.
The Suns also announced that guard Jordan Goodwin is out for at least a week or two due to a left calf strain. Goodwin is averaging 8.9 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.
Michael Toglia smashed a grounder down the 1B line to plate Leo Balcazar in the Bottom of the 9th inning in Goodyear Ballpark on Tuesday afternoon, and doing so pushed the Cincinnati Reds to a 5-4 victory over the Kansas City Royals.
It marked the first win of Cactus League play for the Reds, who now sit 1-2 after a day off on Monday.
Here’s how things shook down:
Elly De La Cruz and Eugenio Suarez went back to back in the Bottom of the 5th inning, with each’s homer being their respective first of the spring.
Elly’s traveled 432 feet through the thin Arizona air.
No data from the Reds on Geno’s blast, but it sure sounded good.
Sal Stewart and Edwin Arroyo helped level the score in the Bottom of the 9th, as each singled (sandwiched around Balcazar’s single) with the latter scoring Sal from 3B. I have very high hopes for this trio this season.
Also, the Cincinnati bullpen looked a far cry better than their disastrous performance on Sunday, with the crew cobbling together five consecutive scoreless frames to finish the game, with the likes of Pierce Johnson and Sam Moll firing scoreless frames.
Let’s preface it with this – Brandon Williamson returned to a mound in a competitive game, and that’s way more good than bad. If anything, I pulled him out for this section to highlight what went well for him despite the fact that he was tagged for a pair of ER on 3 hits in 2.0 IP.
He didn’t walk anyone, which kicks tail. He also struck out 4 in his pair of frames, and the stuff that’s reportedly looked so good early in camp definitely had its perks.
Williamson wasn’t bad, truly. The only thing that was ‘bad’ was that Jac Caglianone tagged him for a 460 foot moonshot, and that kinda stings.
Only that it ended, really. I suppose Andrew Abbott, who allowed 2 ER on a dinger in his second frame of the day, would’ve liked to have been a bit better, though he did look excellent in the Top of the 1st in his first inning of the season.
Nick Lodolo will start tomorrow as the Reds hit the road for Camelback Ranch to face the Chicago White Sox. First pitch is once again set for 3:05 PM ET, and it once again won’t be televised anywhere.
You’ll be able to follow along the Reds radio feed via 700 WLW, however.
That was satisfactory – and it didn’t look like it would be initially. Michael Soroka, in his debut for Arizona, pitched his team into a deficit before he recorded an out, opening up by allowing a triple and RBI single. But he gave up just a walk thereafter, getting through two innings while allowing the one run, with three strikeouts. The middle innings were solid, with scoreless frames from Brandyn Garcia, Andrew Hoffmann, Philip Abner and Isiaiah Campbell. Texas did chip away down the stretch, getting single runs off Taylor Rashi, Bryce Jarvis and John Curtiss, but all of them avoided giving up a crooked number, to close out the win. Three ABS challenges, but in a win for home-plate umpire Sean Sparling, all three were confirmed!
Meanwhile, a three-run fifth inning saw Arizona take the lead for good. A Jorge Barrosa single was followed by A.J. Vukovich’s first home-run of spring, and Ketel Marte following him in going deep later in the inning. Two more runs followed in the seventh, on an Alek Thomas triple and Ben McLaughlin single. Both those men had two hits on the day, as did Carlos Santana and LuJames Groover, although nobody on the team drew a walk this afternoon. Small sample size, plus the usual meaningless nature of spring training – but Alek is 4-for-7 with three extra-base hits, and has also walked more than he has struck out. Given he has changed his swing, perhaps this is meaningful.
We’ll get to see tomorrow. No, we’ll really get to see, with the game against the Dodgers being available for free on a dbacks.com live-stream. That will be our first chance to see Zac Gallen, with Dylan Ray and Drew Jameson among those scheduled to pitch out of the bullpen. 1:10 pm start at Salt River Fields for that.
I had to listen to the game on the radio for a little bit today, and no, the Cleveland broadcasters aren’t bitter. In the 10 minutes I was listening, they mentioned the Dodgers’ $414M payroll three times. It is six times the payroll of the Guardians. The Dodgers have ONE BILLION DOLLARS in deferred monies. They also spent some time opining about how when you play baseball at Harvard, you DO have to go to class, and you CAN’T play for seven years. The disgust was seeping through the airwaves. They obviously rolled in on the bitter bus.
On the field, the Dodgers looked like a team that has six times the payroll of their opponents across the field. They beat the Guardians 11-3, with Cleveland’s runs all coming off a three-run homer given up by Edgardo Henriquez in the second inning.
The Dodgers are a perfect 4-0 so far this spring, allowing only six runs total, while scoring 34.
What was important in this game was the return of Gavin Stone to the mound – and boy, did he look good.
Stone has not seen a Major League mound since August 2024, when he was sidelined needing shoulder reconstruction surgery. While he pitched only one inning, his 15 pitches were dominate. His changeup looked nasty, and he struck out two of the three batters he faced, setting them down in order.
“That’s my bread and butter, so if I don’t have that I’m screwed”, Stone told reporters after the game. “Seeing the results today was really uplifting”.
SportsnetLA’s Kirsten Watson had a nice interview with Stone after his outing.
I am here for a Dodgers band. I feel like maybe Kike’ Hernandez would be a good lead singer.
Justin Wrobleski got the win, and including Wrobleski, the remaining seven Dodger pitchers that appeared in the game combined to allow only four more hits for the rest of the game.
Freddie Freeman also appeared in his first game this spring. He popped out his first at bat and then roped a patented Freeman double in his next at bat, scoring two.
Max Muncy and Mookie Betts remain the only two regular starters that haven’t appeared in a Spring Training game so far but should do so by the end of the week. Roki Sasaki will make his first start tomorrow, and Tyler Glasnow will start on Thursday. The Dodgers will be at Salt River Fields against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday, and home against the Chicago White Sox on Thursday although they will be the away team.
The term most associated with the top prospect in baseball regarding his chances to make the big league club out of spring training is to leave “no doubt.”
On Tuesday afternoon in Fort Myers, Konnor Griffin left no doubt on two baseballs.
In fact, they left the entire ballpark.
Facing All-Star left-hander Ranger Suarez and the Boston Red Sox in the second inning of his third spring training game, Griffin smashed a two-run home run over the left field wall.
The ball traveled 374 feet and left the bat at a 104.8 mph exit velocity.
If you thought that was fun to watch, you’d better have been seated for his second.
Facing veteran right-handed reliever Seth Martinez in the fourth, Griffin hit a tape-measure shot to left center field.
The measurements? 440 feet and 111 mph exit velocity for the consensus best player in the minor leagues.
Griffin hit an RBI groundout to third base in his third time up, finishing the day with two home runs and four RBIs. He also committed one error at short.
Only 19 years old, Griffin played his first full season in 2025 after being selected No. 9 overall in the 2024 MLB Draft. Griffin was the first high school player taken and rapidly rose up the charts by mid-season.
In 122 games between three different levels, Griffin slashed .333/.415/.527 with a .942 OPS. He combined for 23 doubles, four triples, 21 home runs, 94 RBIs, and a whopping 65 stolen bases.
Griffin won’t turn 20 until April 24. Despite moving up from Single-A, to High-A and finally Double-A, Griffin hit .325 or better in all three leagues.
In 21 games with Double-A Altoona, Griffin recorded a .337 average and .960 OPS, increasing his OPS total each level. During that span, Griffin hit five home runs and drove in 22.
He didn’t play a single game of pro ball after being drafted in 2024, bursting onto the scene as a star that prospect analyst Keith Law called “Willie Mays at shortstop.”
The pressure and expectations on Griffin to be a key solution to the Pirates’ offensive woes are immense.
Ben Cherington and Don Kelly may refrain from making Griffin a member of the Opening Day roster if they don’t feel he’s ready or for a number of other reasons, but Griffin is already doing his part to ensure that one of the best prospects this century leaves “no doubt.”
With the lengthy injury to Kevin Fiala and the acquisition of superstar Artemi Panarin, the Los Angeles Kings are not backing down with the NHL's trade deadline approaching.
The latest reports from The Fourth Period and Dennis Bernstein reveal that Kings GM Ken Holland has contacted the Montreal Canadiens regarding the status of right winger Patrik Laine.
"As the Kings explore the market for a top-six forward, I can confirm they spoke with Montreal about Patrik Laine," Bernstein said on X.
It's no surprise that Holland is dabbling in the trade market to look for more scoring help. Kings left winger Fiala has been ruled out for the remainder of the NHL's regular season following a serious leg injury he suffered during the Olympics. His absence will be a massive blow to the Kings offensively.
With that, Los Angeles continues to look to find someone who can fill in the hole on the flanks.
While it seems clear that Holland is looking for even more help in the scoring department, it appears that he won't further pursue Laine after the initial inquiry.
"There doesn’t seem to be a fit right now and Kings are now looking elsewhere," Bernstein reported.
Former Los Angeles Kings Defenseman In Spotlight Of NHL Trade RumorsFormer Los Angeles Kings defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov has appeared in the NHL trade rumor mill less than one year after signing with the New York Rangers.Laine, the second-overall pick in the 2016 draft, is known for his scoring touch and heavy shot. However, the 27-year-old has been on the wrong side of luck in terms of health and injuries.
He's only made five appearances this season for the Canadiens and hasn't played a game since Oct. 16. Laine has been sidelined for the past four months after receiving core muscle surgery.
Canadiens: Laine Back On The IceIt was business as usual in Brossard for the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday as the team held its second practice since the start of the Olympic break. In addition to Laine's health and inconsistencies over the past few years, there are other aspects that have driven the Kings' brass into another direction.
Bernstein said that Los Angeles may be looking for more of a play driver or facilitator rather than a finisher like Laine is. He also pointed out that finding a center is likely the main focus for the organization going into the March 6 trade deadline.
The Kings have over $12.41 million to work with in current salary cap space, according to puckpedia.com. They also have several respectable prospects, as well as three first-round picks and four second-rounders in the next three drafts.
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Boston Celtics (37-19) at Phoenix Suns (33-25)
Tuesday, February 24, 2026
9:00 PM ET
Regular Season Game #57, Road Game #30
TV: ESPN, NBCSB, 3TV
Radio: 98.5 Sports Hub, 98.7 AZ Sports Radio, Sirius XM
Mortgage Matchup Center
The Celtics continue their western road trip with a stop in Phoenix to take on the Suns. They won the first 2 games of the trip by beating the Warriors and the Lakers. They will face the Nuggets on Wednesday to close out the trip. This is the first of 2 games between these two teams this season. They will meet for the 2nd, and final, time on March 16.
The Celtics won the series 2-0 last season and have won 4 straight against the Suns. They are 79-60 overall all time against the Suns and they are 33-36 in games played in Phoenix. The Celtics are playing in the first of back to back games and will travel to Denver to complete the back to back set on Wednesday. The Celtics are 6-3 in the first of back to back games this season.
Like the Celtics, the Suns have changed quite a bit since last season. In the offseason, they traded Kevin Durant to Houston for Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green. They traded Vasilije Micic to Charlotte for Mark Williams. They claimed Jordan Goodwin off waivers from the Lakers. They bought out Bradley Beal. and they drafted Khaman Maluach (10th), Rasheer Fleming (31st) and Koby Brea (41st. Tyus Jones and Mason Plumlee both left in free agency. At the trade deadline, they traded Nigel Hayes-Davis and Nick Richards for Amir Coffey and Cole Anthony.
The Celtics are 2nd in the East, 5 games behind 1st place Detroit. They are 1 game ahead of 3rd place New York, 2 games ahead of 4th place Cleveland, 3.5 games ahead of 5th place Toronto, 6.5 games ahead of 6th place Philadelphia and 7 games ahead of 7th place Orlando. The Celtics are 13-6 against Western Conference opponents. They are 19-10 on the road and 8-2 in their last 10 games. They have won their last 3 games.
The Suns are 7th in the West, 11 games behind 1st place OKC, 3 games behind 3rd place Denver, 2.5 games behind 4th place Houston, and 2 games behind the 5th place Lakers and 6th place Minnesota. They are 2.5 games ahead of 8th place Golden Stat and 5 games ahead of 9th place Portland. The Suns are 11-7 against Eastern Conference opponents and 19-11 at home. They are 4-6 in their last 10 games and are coming off a loss in their last game.
The Celtics are playing in the 3rd game of a 4 game Western road trip. They beat Golden State 121-110 on Thursday and beat the Lakers 111-89 on Sunday. They will play Denver on Wednesday to close out the trip. They will then return home for games against Brooklyn and Philadelphia before a game at Milwaukee. Then they are back home for games against Charlotte and Dallas before a tough 3 game road trip through Cleveland, San Antonio, and Oklahoma City. Then they host Washington, Phoenix and Golden State.
The Suns are playing in the 3rd game of a 4 game home stand. They beat Orlando and lost to Portland in the first two games and will face the Lakers to close out the home stand. They will then play at Sacramento before three more games at home against Chicago, New Orleans and Charlotte. They will then head out on a 6 game road trip through Milwaukee, Indiana, Toronto, Boston, Minnesota and San Antonio.
Jayson Tatum remains out for the Celtics as he rehabs from the Achilles injury, although rumblings of his return seem to be getting louder. Jaylen Brown has been added to the injury report with a knee contusion. They may be cautious with him due to the back to back games with Denver being the tougher team. He was originally questionable but has been downgraded to out. I’m going to take a wild guess that Hugo Gonzalez starts but I’m usually wrong.
The Suns have 5 players out and one player questionable on their injury report. Grayson Allen is questionable due to right knee and ankle injury management. He will be a game time decision. Cole Anthony has not reported to the team as yet after his trade from Orlando. Devin Booker (hip), Dillon Brooks (hand), Jordan Goodwin (calf) and Haywood Highsmith (knee) are all listed as out. I’ve listed their starting lineup from their last game.
Probable Starting Matchups
PG: Derrick White vs Collin Gillespie
SG: Baylor Scheierman vs Jalen Green
SF: Hugo Gonzalez vs Ryan Dunn
Sam Hauser vs Royce O’Neale
C: Neemias Queta vs Mark Williams
Celtics Reserves
Payton Pritchard
Luka Garza
Amare Williams
Nikola Vucevic
Jordan Walsh
Delano Banton (10-day)
John Tonje (10-day)
2-Way Players
Ron Harper, Jr
Max Shulga
Injuries/Out
Jayson Tatum (Achilles) out
Jaylen Brown (knee) out
Head Coach
Joe Mazzulla
Suns Reserves
Amir Coffey
Rasheer Fleming
Oso Ighodaro
Khaman Maluach
2-Way Players
Jamaree Bouyea
Koby Brea
Isaiah Livers
Injuries/Out
Grayson Allen (ankle) questionable
Cole Anthony (not with team) out
Devin Booker (hip) out
Dillon Brooks (hand) out
Jordan Goodwin (calf) out
Haywood Highsmith (knee) out
Head Coach
Jordan Ott
Key Matchups
Derrick White vs Collin Gillespie
Gillespie is averaging 13.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.7 assists,and 1.4 steals per game. He is shooting 42.9% from the field and 42.8% from beyond the arc. He is one of their best 3 point shooters and so the Celtics need to especially defend him on the perimeter.
Baylor Scheierman vs Jalen Green
Green is averaging 13.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. He is shooting 38.2% from the field and 31.3% from beyond the arc. In his last game, he finished with 13 points to go along with 3 rebounds and 3 steals. He hit a game winning 3 to beat the Magic on Saturday and so can be dangerous if not defended well.
Honorable Mention
Neemias Queta vs Mark Williams
Williams is averaging 11.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game. He is shooting 64.2% from the field but is not a threat from beyond the arc. Williams ranks 4th in the NBA in FG% (64.2%) and is 1-of-5 players in the NBA this season averaging 11+ points on 67+ TS% and 11+ rebounds per game. The Celtics need to keep him out of the paint and off the boards.
Keys to the Game
Defense – Defense is always a key to winning. The Celtics have a defensive rating of 112.2 (7th) and the Suns have a defensive rating of 112.5 (8th). The Suns take 40.4 threes per game (6th) and make 14.5 threes per game (8th). The Celtics take 42.3 threes per game and make 15.4 (3rd). The Suns are a good shooting team and the Celtics will need to up their defense, especially on the perimeter, if they want to beat the Suns at home.
Rebound – The Celtics need to rebound on the offensive end to give themselves extra possessions and to prevent the Suns from racking up fast break points. They also have to crash the boards on the defensive end to prevent the Suns from getting tip ins and second chance points. The Celtics are 8th with 45.7 rebounds per game while the Suns are 18th with 43.4 rebounds per game. Rebounding is all about effort and the Celtics are going to have to put out extra effort to win the battle of the boards.
Move the Ball Carefully – The Celtics need to move the ball in order to find the best shot on each possession. When the ball sticks and players try to do too much, the Celtics struggle. They are at their best when they pass the ball and keep it moving. ISO ball is not usually winning ball. The Celtics are 29-4 when they have at least 25 assists. They need to keep the ball moving and find the open man. However, they need to be careful with their passes and ball handling since the Suns are 3rd with 20.8 points per game off turnovers.
Be Aggressive – The Celtics have to come out and be aggressive right from the opening tip. They have to be aggressive on defense, driving to the basket, rebounding, diving for loose balls and just playing harder in general. They need to get off to a strong start and play hard right up until the final buzzer. They can’t let the Suns outwork them for any period of time because even the best team in the league can lose to the worst if they don’t play with effort. The Celtics tend to take it easy when a team is bad or missing key players. The Suns are missing several key players but are still capable of beating the Celtics if they don’t play aggressively throughout the game.
X-Factors
Road Fatigue – The Celtics are playing in the 3rd game of a 4 game road trip. They have had a lot of travel and had to sleep in hotels and play in hostile arenas. They may be gettng somewhat road weary. They have also changed time zones and may have a bit of jet lag. They may be short handed if Jaylen Brown is out and so they all need to pick up the slack and that could also add to fatigue in the game.
Officiating – I know that I say this every game, but the officiating always has the possibility to be an x-factor in every game. Every crew calls the game differently, whether they call every little ticky tack foul or they let a lot of contact go and let the teams play. Some refs favor the home team and some call for both teams evenly. The Celtics have got to adjust to the way the game is being called and not allow the officiating to take away from their focus.
The Washington Wizards play the Atlanta Hawks at 7:30 p.m. tonight at State Farm Arena. Watch the game on Monumental Sports Network.
Trae Young remains out in his return to Atlanta. Former Wizards Corey Kispert and CJ McCollum will be available for the Hawks.
It’s game 4 of the St. Louis Cardinals Spring Training schedule as they take on the Washington Nationals with a start time of 5:05pm central. According to MLB.com, Andre Pallante will get the start for the Cardinals while the Nationals will send Cade Cavalli to the mound.
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The NBA Finals MVP odds are shaping up to look very familiar.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has led the Finals MVP odds since the 2025–26 season tipped off, and with the Oklahoma City Thunder owning the league’s best record — even while he’s sidelined with an abdominal strain — OKC is proving it has the pieces to repeat.
When their star guard returns, he should be able to slide right back into a NBA Championship caliber lineup with ease.
Here's a look at the latest NBA odds to win 2026 Finals MVP.
These are the latest NBA odds for the NBA Finals MVP race with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading the pack to go for it once again.
Odds from bet365, one of our best betting apps. Sign up with our bet365 promo code, or get one of our other sportsbook promos.
| Player |  |
|---|---|
 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | +145 |
 Nikola Jokic | +500 |
 Victor Wembanyama | +1200 |
 Cade Cunningham | +1400 |
 Jalen Brunson | +1600 |
 Donovan Mitchell | +2000 |
 Jaylen Brown | +2200 |
 Anthony Edwards | +3500 |
Odds as of 2-24.
The Oklahoma City Thunder remain the favorites in the NBA Finals odds. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been their most reliable source of production, and that's why he's the leader in this market.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have been weathering the storm without their top scorers, with Jalen Williams also dealing with an injury — but they’ve kept rolling through the league by showing resilience despite a short-handed roster.
Here are what NBA Finals MVP opening odds looked like, just before the postseason.
Line movement (Game 6 to Game 7)
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander -650 to -235
• Jalen Williams +650 to +1050
• Pascal Siakam +1500 to +325
Highest ticket percentage
• Tyrese Haliburton 22.7%
• Pascal Siakam 15.2%
• TJ McConnell 8.4%
Highest handle percentage
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 41.2%
• Tyrese Haliburton 17.5%
• Pascal Siakam 11.6%
Data courtesy of BetMGM.
Here are some trends you'll want to keep in mind when placing a bet on NBA Finals MVP:
The adage of needing versatile forwards in today's NBA rings especially true when looking at the recent Finals MVP winners. Despite Giannis being one of the most position-amorphous players in NBA history, eight of the past 10 Finals MVPs have been, at least by most definitions, forwards.
| Year | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Jaylen Brown |  Boston Celtics |
| 2023 | Nikola Jokic |  Denver Nuggets |
| 2022 | Stephen Curry |  Golden State Warriors |
| 2021 | Giannis Antetokounmpo |  Milwaukee Bucks |
| 2020 | LeBron James |  Los Angeles Lakers |
| 2019 | Kawhi Leonard |  Toronto Raptors |
| 2018 | Kevin Durant | Golden State Warriors |
| 2017 | Kevin Durant | Golden State Warriors |
| 2016 | LeBron James |  Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2015 | Andre Iguodala | Golden State Warriors |
Scouting basketball betting websites should be a breeze, but new bettors often feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of options available. Here are the must-have basketball betting site features you should target before placing your wagers.
Best odds: Not all sportsbooks are created equally, especially when it comes to odds. Finding the best price for your basketball bets is key to a successful betting strategy.
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For the first time since he grounded out to end the 11th inning in Game 7 of the World Series, Freddie Freeman stepped into the batter’s box in the first inning Tuesday against the Cleveland Guardians at Camelback Ranch. Freeman was met with cheers by the thousands of Dodgers fans in attendance.
After popping out to third in his first at-bat, Freeman laced a double to left-center to drive in two runs in the third inning before he was lifted from the Dodgers’ 11-3 victory.
Freeman, who last season battled the lingering effects of a right ankle injury he suffered late in the 2024 season, said having a more typical offseason was crucial to regaining his fitness.
“It’s been in a good spot since I started hitting this offseason,” Freeman said of his swing. “Nice to be able to hit a ball to left-center already, that’s a good sign. ... I hadn’t swung a bat till a day before FanFest last year. A normal offseason definitely helps.”
While still an All-Star and a recipient of MVP votes, Freeman has had a slight decline in production over the last two seasons compared to his first two with the Dodgers. Freeman posted on-base percentages of .407 and .410, while raking a league-leading 47 and 59 doubles, respectively, in 2022 and 2023. His OBP dropped to .378 in 2024 and .367 in 2025.
Five-run rally for the lead! pic.twitter.com/c02Qf0nBiE
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) February 24, 2026
But for Freeman, it is his contact numbers that have been a thorn in his side all offseason.
His .295 batting average was the third-best in the National League last season but still was not good enough for Freeman, a career .300 hitter.
“There wasn’t a 3 at the start of my batting average last year, and that irks me,” Freeman said last week. “That’s my goal always, to hit .300. I like hits. I’m a hitter. Three at the front of a batting average means a lot to me. I know batting average and those kinds of things don’t mean a lot to a lot of people these days, but it does to me. If you hit .300, it means you’re on base a lot, and you’re scoring runs for your team, so that’s the goal, .300 again.”
Freeman landed on the injured list at the start of last April after he aggravated his surgically repaired right ankle, causing him to miss nine games and setting the tone for a season in which he never felt quite right.
Read more:'Pretty healthy' Kyle Tucker content to fit in among Dodgers' galaxy of stars
“I was taping my ankle till about August,” Freeman said. “It was never really in a good spot last year. There was a lot of treatment, and I think I played all right for that, and we won again, so I’m really looking forward this year.”
One area Freeman thinks he can improve is his defense. A former Gold Glover, Freeman rated as a below-average fielder in both the defensive runs saved (minus-7) and outs above average (minus-6) metrics.
“I didn’t like the way I played defense last year and I thought it was just because I wasn’t mobile enough,” Freeman said. “So, that’s a big, big goal of mine, to play better at first this year, get to more balls, be able to cover more things. So, that’s going to be a key for me.”
Manager Dave Roberts is optimistic about what his veteran first baseman can do, even at age 36.
“I think he takes such good care of himself,” Roberts said. “I think that age is an easy one to point to, but I really believe that he’s been dinged up for two years.
“Right now, today, it’s as good as I’ve seen his swing over the course of a week sample, [better] than I have [seen] in two years. So, he’s in a good spot physically, mechanically. So, if we can keep him healthy, I just don’t see why he can’t have the year that he expects, and with that, with everything that he went through the last couple years, he was still very productive.”
Freeman said last week he hopes to play four more years, through his 20th season as a big leaguer.
Read more:Stephen Nelson is now part of Dodgers fans' memories. Here's how he keeps it in perspective
“In that fourth year, I turn 40,” Freeman said. “Four is just a number that’s floated. Is it less? Is it more? I don’t know, but that’s kind of just where I’m at. I feel good right now, so that was just floated because that would be an even 20 years, I’ll be 40. I got a family that I would like to go home to. I do love this game; I love playing it, but for me, if I can do four, that would be 20 years. I think that’s enough.”
After major shoulder surgery in 2024 that forced him to miss all of last season, right-hander Gavin Stone made his return to the mound a smooth one, pitching a scoreless first inning and striking out two against the Guardians.
“It was awesome,” said Stone, who last pitched for the Dodgers on Aug. 31, 2024. “Definitely a lot of hard work over the previous year. Rehab was a grind, but it’s good to be back out there.”
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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The San Antonio Spurs are once again surging in odds to win the NBA Finals, this time after they beat the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons by double digits Monday night.
The Spurs are 41-16, good for the second-best record in the Western Conference and the third best in the NBA. The only teams ahead of them are the Oklahoma City Thunder (44-14) and Pistons (42-14).
San Antonio passed the “40-20” test, which refers to more than 90% of champions winning 40 games before losing 20 during the regular season.
The Spurs were +6,600 to win the Finals on Oct. 21, the day before they made their season debut, according to Sports Odds History’s archive of BetMGM’s odds.
BetMGM is now one of several sportsbooks to list the Spurs at +1,000 odds, meaning they’ve gone from a 1.5% to a 9.1% implied chance to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy. OKC is at +135 (42.6% chance) and Denver is at +550 (15.4% chance).
Prediction platform Kalshi views the race much differently. The Thunder are still at the top of the board, though users have only given them a 39% chance to win the Finals. The Spurs are second at 14%, ahead of the Nuggets at 12%.
Those probabilities translated to betting odds would look like this:
The Spurs’ continued ascent in NBA Finals winner odds is well earned. They are 9-3 against the top three teams in each conference (Thunder, Pistons, Houston Rockets, Boston Celtics, and New York Knicks) and beat the defending champions in four of their five matchups.
They also won the NBA Cup and are two wins (against the Toronto Raptors and Brooklyn Nets) away from going 11-0 in February.
The team’s surge has given life to Victor Wembanyama’s NBA MVP case. Kalshi’s odds list the young Frenchman fourth behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, and Cade Cunniingham with a 9% chance to win.
While he is an obvious underdog, both Gilgeous-Alexander and Jokic are in danger of losing their eligibility for the award due to the NBA’s 65-game requirement for players. Cunningham isn’t close to missing more than the allotted amount of games, but he’s only at a 16% chance at the time of writing.
Here’s how the top four candidates stack up against one another as they continue to battle in NBA MVP odds:
A Spurs NBA championship would mark the largest Finals upset on record, according to Sports Odds History data.
The longest preseason underdogs to win since 1984-85, when odds were first tracked, were the 2014-15 Golden State Warriors. Even they were only +2,800.
The closest team since then was the 2018-19 Raptors, who were +1,850.
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Just when the Lakers reached full health, another injury occurred to one of their rotation players.
Jaxson Hayes had to exit early during LA’s loss against Boston and was deemed doubtful to play in the team’s upcoming game against Orlando.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Lakers downgraded him to out for the contest.
After Monday’s practice, Lakers head coach JJ Redick said Hayes was considered day-to-day due to this ankle injury. So, while he’ll be unavailable for LA’s upcoming matchup, he isn’t automatically ruled out for the team’s other games.
Overall, Hayes has been relatively healthy this season. He’s only missed nine games so far this year.
His most recent injury was left hamstring tendinopathy, which caused him to miss three games in January. Since then, he’s played in 15 of the last 16 games for the purple and gold.
On the season, Hayes is averaging 6.8 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. Hayes has always been effective on his shot attempts, but this season, his 77% shooting from the field is a career-best.
He’s been an integral part of the rotation, providing LA with a lob threat and a good pick-and-roll partner for Luka Dončić to work with.
With Hayes out, the Lakers’ frontcourt depth shrinks dramatically. Redick will either have to rely on Maxi Kleber to slot into that backup role or use two-way big Drew Timme to take up those minutes.
Timme has had a handful of good games for Los Angeles, including a road win over the Raptors back in January.
Redick can also opt to play some more small-ball lineups and use Jarred Vanderbilt as his center.
Regardless, losing Hayes is a negative for the Lakers and something they’ll have to navigate while he’s out. There is no other player on LA’s roster that can give the Lakers the vertical spacing he provides.
LA has played only a handful of games with its full rotation, and while Hayes has a smaller role on this team, he will be needed for the Lakers to optimize their roster and maximize their chances to go on a run this season.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.