March 4, 2022: A security guard locks the gates near the main entrance at the Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale, AZ. Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred implemented the lockout over stalled labor negotiations with the Major League Baseball Players Association. Usp Mlb Lockout S Bbo Usa Az
We’re back with another daily question, and today’s question is: How worried are you about a baseball lockout?
This is one of those topics where everyone seems to have a strong opinion one way or the other. Obviously, no baseball fan wants to see an absence of games, and the long-term fallout is something that is definitely under consideration (remember what the 1994-95 strike did?). But at the same time, many (including plenty of Brewer fans) think a labor stoppage and lockout are the only way for some of baseball’s biggest issues to be fixed, namely the lack of a salary cap/floor.
Are you worried about a baseball lockout? Or is that the right thing for baseball?
Weigh in in the comments, and join us throughout the month as we keep these conversations rolling into spring training. Have a question you’d like to ask in a future BCB Daily Question? Drop one in the comments and we may use it later this month.
SARASOTA, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 12: Cade Povich #37 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches live during practice at Ed Smith Stadium on February 12, 2026 in Sarasota, Florida. (Photo by Todd Olszewski/Baltimore Orioles/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, Camden Chatters.
We’re four days into the Grapefruit League season, still at the point where every team has roughly 10,000 players in camp and the regulars are getting sporadic half-days of work. That’s good, because yesterday’s 10-7 loss to the Braves was not the most sterling pitching performance for the Birds. The O’s used 10 pitchers, of whom you’d probably recognize fewer than half the names in the box score. Someone named Cohen Achen, who is so anonymous that his MLB player profile includes neither a picture nor a birthday, gave up five runs, including a grand slam by former Oriole Jorge Mateo. Journeyman reliever Enoli Paredes gave up three.
Still, the pitchers you’ve actually heard of mostly did well. Cade Povich worked two scoreless innings, and righty bullpen candidates Rico Garcia and Jose Espada tossed a perfect frame apiece. Keegan Akin wasn’t so sharp, giving up two runs in his inning of work. The important thing is that nobody got hurt and everybody’s got another month to continue working out the kinks.
The Orioles’ starting lineup was mostly full of regulars, though the majority of the offensive production came from bench players, who contributed six of the Birds’ nine hits. Jhonkensy “Big Christmas” Noel had a pair of hits, and even former first-round pick Vance Honeycutt got in on the action by hitting a home run, something he did only five times in 436 minor league PAs last year. For the first time, though, Pete Alonso started a game and did not homer. That’s it, I’m calling it: he’s a bust.
The O’s are back to work today at 1:00 PM with a visit to the Twins in Fort Myers, but for the second straight day, there will be no local TV or radio broadcast of the game. Albert Suárez will start for the Orioles, and we’ll just have to take someone else’s word as to how effective he looks today.
Based on his .655 OPS for the worst team in baseball last year, Estrada is probably not any kind of a solution to the Orioles’ infield problem. But it doesn’t hurt to stash him at Triple-A as depth.
I don’t see Povich having any real shot of cracking the Opening Day rotation, but don’t rule him out as a reliever. Not having to go multiple times through the lineup would help him a lot, and so could this delicious-sounding new pitch of his.
One thing that made the 2025 Orioles’ rotation so shoddy is that they had almost no legitimate pitching prospects at Triple-A who could provide any big league help. They’re in a much better spot this year, thanks to the trio of Trey Gibson, Levi Wells, and Nestor German.
Craig Albernaz described Cade Povich as “really good” with a “really good” tempo, Keegan Akin as “good,” and Blaze Alexander as a “good” athlete who made “really good” defensive plays. Albernaz may turn out to be a fine manager, but somebody get this man a thesaurus.
Orioles birthdays and history
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! And happy 70th birthday to the great Eddie Murray, the Orioles legend who spent 13 of his 21 MLB seasons in Baltimore. With the Birds, he was the 1977 AL Rookie of the Year, a seven-time All Star, three-time Gold Glover, two-time Silver Slugger, and 1983 World Series champion. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003. Enjoy your day, Eddie!
Other former Orioles born on this day are catcher Chance Sisco (31), 1B/OF Chris Parmelee (38), and catcher Gustavo Molina (44).
On this date in 2014, the Orioles signed veteran DH Nelson Cruz to a one-year, $8 million deal. Cruz, despite solid career numbers, had been left untouched on the free agent market until spring training due to his 2013 suspension for involvement in the Biogenesis scandal. The O’s took a gamble and were rewarded with perhaps the best bang-for-the-buck free agent signing in franchise history, as Cruz mashed an MLB-best 40 home runs for the Orioles, leading them to the 2014 AL East title. But the O’s made the mistake of letting him leave in free agency, after which he crushed 204 homers in the next five years.
“All progress occurs because people dare to be different” is what the fortune cookie from my lunch said last week. That little sliver of paper with a generic response now sits on my work desk as a reminder to think outside the box and to challenge the minds of Cardinals fans, including myself. The 2026 St. Louis Cardinals project to feature a roster that is unlike anything this generation of Cardinals fans is used to. No All-Stars, no household names, no future Hall of Fame-bound members. The only universal aspect of this team that’s true across all of baseball is that half the fan base wants the Manager fired. No numbers, no graphs, no charts this week, just thoughts.
The highest-paid player entering the season (that’s still rostered) is Starting Pitcher Dustin May, and the oldest player projected to make the roster is 33-year-old Relief Pitcher Ryne Stanek. These are stark differences from teams we’ve watched over the previous decade-plus of Redbird baseball. The players that Cardinals fans ARE aware of each come with real question marks: Can Herrera stay healthy and be a factor as a Catcher? Can Masyn Winn take the next step offensively and be the 5+ win player and be the next face of this team? Can Victor Scott, Jordan Walker, or Nolan Gorman find offensive consistency and plant their flag as long-term members of the future? What’s realistic to expect from rookie sensation JJ Wetherholt? What if all of the IF’s become answers and the Cardinals wind up being better than everyone expects?
Same with the pitching staff; what if Dustin May makes good on his rebound and re-establishes himself as the pitcher amateur scouts drooled over? What if Liberatore puts together a full season of exceptional pitching and not just half of one? What if Pallante regains his 2024 form? Can McGreevy, Fitts, Dobbins, Leahy, and Matthews all take the next steps and provide the major rotation depth the Cardinals haven’t had in years? What if Riley O’Brien has a career year as a closer, and the other pieces of the bullpen settle into roles that create a new formula for the Cardinals to lock down games with a late lead?
What if it doesn’t matter if the Cardinals don’t look anything like the previous 30 years of Cardinals baseball and still find a way to be in a competitive mix at the end of the season, and knocking on the door of the playoffs?
The Cardinals will never be a team that can financially compete with the LA Dodgers, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, or Chicago Cubs (If Ricketts ever realizes what a financial advantage he has in the NL Central from a media market size standpoint). The Milwaukee Brewers, Cleveland Guardians, and Tampa Bay Rays, despite being in the bottom third of baseball in payroll, have found unique ways to perennially find themselves in the mix for an October berth, thanks to unheralded talent nobody projected to be as good as they were.
So, I ask whether the Cardinals are actually rebuilding? Because they themselves have pushed back against that notion time and time again this offseason, and maybe it’s not actually a PR strategy, and the team has had more up its sleeve than we have been led to believe. To paraphrase: “We will stay long-term focused but concede nothing.” Continues to be a message that echoes in my head from Chaim Bloom’s introductory press conference.
Most readers on this site would concede that this team is not devoid of talent but rather devoid of proven production. Chaim Bloom has placed a large number of small bets on this team, and it just takes two or three to hit to alter the trajectory of the 2026 team. In the reader mailbag articles, I ask you, the readers, for your best, most pressing questions, to help me create content that’s centered around what you’re interested in from a Cardinals perspective.
So, I will flip the script on all of you and ask, are the Cardinals rebuilding, and this is a lost year? Or are we watching, in real time, the Cardinals rebrand themselves into one of the other major league teams that win differently, and more might be in store for 2026 than we all initially thought?
“If you accept the expectations of others, especially negative ones, then you never will change the outcome.” -Michael Jordan
Les Bleus have variety and gifted youngsters but, by contrast, Steve Borthwick’s men are predictable and flawed
France (15 points) Three games played, three bonus-point victories banked and the title at their mercy. If they claim another four-try win at Murrayfield on Saturday week, they will secure the crown with a round to spare, setting up a rousing grand slam opportunity in Paris. Above all else, though, Les Bleus have illuminated this year’s championship with their pace and attacking grace, not least “King” Louis Bielle-Biarrey who has been spectacularly good. How many other sides in the world, aside from South Africa, can also interchange their second-row and midfield pairings without missing a beat? Or casually whistle up gifted youngsters such as Fabien Brau-Boirie, Émilien Gailleton and Gaël Dréan who all look instantly to the manner born. When you factor in the squad’s collective ability with and without the ball – to date France have scored the most tries, 18, and conceded the fewest, five – the future looks dazzlingly bright.
Scotland (11pts) The script has previously been a familiar one. Bask in the rosy glow of beating England, only to come crashing to earth in their next game. This time, finally, they have broken that pattern and still have their destiny in their own hands. France are due an off day and do not always prosper at Murrayfield while, before last Saturday afternoon, more than a few people would have backed them to cause problems in Dublin on the final weekend. The message will be simple: attack as smartly and accurately as they did in their Calcutta Cup fever dream and maintain the defensive organisation that has so far enabled them to concede just six tries in three games. And, of course, keep Finn Russell fit. The quick‑thinking restart that helped to bail his team out against Wales was merely the latest example of his whirring creative brain. A shoutout, too, for Kyle Steyn and Rory Darge who lead the way, respectively, for defenders beaten and turnovers won in this year’s championship.
Feb 13, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA;New York Yankees pitcher Camilo Doval (75) throws a bullpen session during spring training practices at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
After adding Devin Williams last offseason, the Yankees had to feel confident about the state of their bullpen. Williams, perhaps the best reliever in the world, was joining a group that finished sixth in ERA the year prior, and now had a fearsome duo at the backend in the form of Williams and incumbent closer Luke Weaver.
Those best-laid plans went up in smoke quickly. Williams got off to a nightmarish start en route to the worst season of his career, while Weaver struggled with injuries and inconsistency much of the year. The bullpen would prove to be the Yankees’ biggest weakness, so much so that Brian Cashman made several moves for relief pitching at the deadline, overhauling the entire relief corps as the club headed into the stretch run.
There’s been plenty more turnover in the bullpen since the end of the 2025 campaign, with Williams and Weaver gone, and several other notable names, including Ian Hamilton and Mark Leiter Jr., also heading out the door. The Yankees didn’t make any major moves to replace those arms, instead opting to take a number of low-risk fliers on players like Angel Chivilli and Cade Winquest.
With that in mind, do you see the bullpen proving to be as much of a problem in 2026 as it was in 2025? The unit finished 23rd in ERA last year, and didn’t even see any overall improvement in that figure after Cashman added David Bednar, Camilo Doval, and Jake Bird at the deadline. After opting not to sign a major reliever in free agency, it’s not hard to imagine relief pitching once again looking like the Yankees’ Achilles heel once the season starts.
Yet there remains reason for optimism. For one, despite all the doom and gloom, the cold numbers paint a rosier picture, with FanGraphs projecting the Yankee bullpen as the eighth best in the league right now. The team could see a positive regression just based on getting a full-season out of Bednar, while the other 2025 deadline additions, Doval and Bird, could hardly play worse than how they started in pinstripes (and Doval, for his part, looked very sharp by the end of 2025). We also can’t forget Fernando Cruz’s name, the right-hander proving to be one of the better under-the-radar relief finds in the league last season, or the possibility that someone like Chivilli or Winquest could prove to be the 2026 version of Cruz. And, if the team still can’t get enough out of the group as constructed, well, there’s always the option for Cashman to make another series of bullpen-reinforcing maneuvers at the trade deadline.
What do you think? Will the Yankee bullpen once again be a disaster, or are brighter times ahead in the late innings? Let us know in the comments below.
On the site today, Josh previews Aaron Judge’s season (a fourth MVP incoming?). Also, Jeff celebrates Mike Lowell as part of our Yankee Birthday series, the third baseman only playing eight games as a Yankee before being shipped away. Later, John gives us the rundown on the White Sox as part of our general MLB preview series, and Peter highlights a few adjustments to keep an eye on in spring training.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - FEBRUARY 11: James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers talks with Dennis Schroder #8 prior to a game against the Washington Wizards at Rocket Arena on February 11, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers drastically changed their team at the start of the month when they traded multiple rotation players for James Harden, Dennis Schroder, and Keon Ellis.
They’ve played eight games since their first trade for Schroder and Ellis. That isn’t a huge sample size — and they haven’t exactly played the best defensive teams during that stretch — but it’s large enough to make analyzing some of the impact stats worthwhile, even if nothing conclusive should be drawn.
With that in mind, let’s look at some of the new strengths and weaknesses of this team based on the numbers.
Harden has taken the offense to another level
Harden was brought in to boost the offense, and he’s done just that. The Cavs have registered an absurd 128.1 offensive rating (99th percentile) when Harden is on the court. That’s nine points better than it has been without him during that same timeframe. And for context, the Cavs had a 116.3 offensive rating (61st percentile) with Darius Garland playing this season.
There’s multiple areas Harden has been able to help the offense.
First, the Cavs have gotten to the rim much better due to his ability to drive inside and playmake for the bigs.
They’re taking 3.4% more of their shots at the rim with Harden on the floor than they are without him (89th percentile). More importantly, they’re converting 69.8% of them (82nd percentile), which is 5.7% better than they are when he isn’t playing (93rd percentile).
Second, the Cavs are getting to the line much more easily. The Cavs have had a free-throw rate of 28.2 with Harden on the floor (99th percentile). For context, their season-long free-throw rate is 20, which is good for 22nd in the league.
Lastly, the Cavs are hitting more threes.
Cleveland has connected on 37.3% of their triples with Harden on the court. That’s above their season-long average of 35.9%. Harden shooting 47.1% from distance certainly helps.
The three most efficient ways to score are getting to the basket, getting to the free-throw line, and making more threes. Harden has helped drastically in each of these areas. From that perspective, it isn’t a surprise the offense has helped boost an already great offense.
Harden has made the offense work no matter who he plays with
It was fair to wonder how Harden and Donovan Mitchell would pair offensively. It usually takes time for two high-usage players to coalesce. That hasn’t been an issue as the offense has put together an out-of-this-world offensive rating of 132 (100th percentile) when both are on the court. This has led to the Cavs outscoring opponents by 10 points per 100 possessions in such lineups (91st percentile).
The same can be said of just about every other Cavalier Harden has played alongside.
These numbers actually got worse when Garland was forced to carry the Mitchell-less lineups. The Cavs registered a -9.5 net rating (15th percentile) and a 111.1 offensive rating (22nd percentile) when Garland was on the court without Mitchell. There’s context behind why this was the case, but the ineffectiveness of those lineups was a major issue.
It’s difficult to find a guard who can both play well with Mitchell and hold things down when he isn’t on the floor. Harden has done that extraordinarily well so far in his time in Cleveland.
Anything bought from the links helps support Fear the Sword. You can buy the Mark Price shirt HERE. You can also shop all of Homage’s Cavs gear HERE.
The offense has been elite since the trades
I don’t want to give Harden all the credit for the offense being better, even though he deserves plenty of praise. The Cavs as a team have played well on that end since the initial trades for Schroder and Ellis.
Since the beginning of February, the Cavs have had the second-best offense in the league with a 124.9 offensive rating.
Harden isn’t a good defender. Even though he can hold his own in the post, the rate at which he gets blown by on the perimeter far outweighs that. So far, the Cavs haven’t found a good way to mask his ineffectiveness on that end.
The Cavs have registered a poor 120.8 offensive rating (16th percentile) when Harden is on the floor. That’s 20.8 points worse than it is with Harden off the floor since the trade. That disparity is artificially high due to the defense being uncharacteristically good with Harden off the floor, but it does speak to some of the issues.
Harden hasn’t helped the Cavs’ rebounding problem
Cleveland is 29th in defensive rebounding percentage since the beginning of February. In that time, opponents are collecting 34.2% of their missed shots.
Defensive rebounding has plagued the Cavs all season, but it’s actually worse when Harden is on the floor. Opponents are collecting 35.1% of their misses when he is playing (second percentile).
The Cavs have been great defensively with Ellis and Schroder
It’s worth noting that these lineups have been good offensively as well. The defense, however, has been elite. That means something on a team that has struggled on that end with Harden in the lineup.
Lineups with Ellis and Harden have been good defensively
The interesting part about these lineups is that there isn’t much commonality with the other three players. The Cavs have run this duo out in many different combinations, and nearly all of them have worked so far.
Groups with Schroder and Harden, but without Mitchell, have worked well. They’re in the 64th percentile for net rating (+2.7) due to being good offensively in their 85 possessions together. That is perfectly fine, even though it doesn’t live up to the other grouping.
This makes sense conceptually. Mitchell needs to play with a point guard, and Schroder fits that mold well. Harden needs additional spacers, not ball handlers. Schroder can do that, but that isn’t his area of expertise.
What do we make of all this?
It’s dangerous to read too much into the data that we have. The sample size is still incredibly small, the Cavs have played some horrible defenses, some good offenses, and the rotations haven’t been set yet.
That said, the numbers do conclusively show that the offense is much more well-rounded than before. They’re getting to the rim and the free-throw line more than they have in the past. Their attack is much more diversified, so that they don’t have to live and die by the three-ball as much as they have in the past.
Additionally, they need to find ways to make it work defensively with Harden. They haven’t figured out a system that best hides his deficiencies. It’s difficult to have a solid defense if your back court with him and Mitchell is that susceptible to being blown past. Going with more zone defenses could be a solution, but I’m not sure if having him at the top of a 3-2 zone is the best way to do so.
I would lean more into playing Harden with Ellis. It’s not a huge sample size, but their fit matches the eye test. Harden just needs floor spacers on offense, and that’s one of the few things Ellis can do well on that end. And Harden also needs people who can cover for him defensively. Ellis can do that as he’s one of the most disruptive defenders in the league for his size.
The main takeaway, however, is that the Cavs are implementing many changes in their rotations and style of play. It takes time to work those things out, and that’s not something this team has.
Right now, Atkinson will need to decide if he values trying as many lineup combinations as possible or if he wants to do less experimenting in an effort to establish some continuity. I would opt for the latter, but neither is a perfect solution.
These trades were a bet on Atkinson’s ability to figure out the rotations and style of play. So far, he’s done a great job, but there’s still plenty of work to be done before the playoffs. We’ll see if Atkinson can get this group to reach their potential.
In any event, we’ve had to reexamine the committee’s order and come up with a new template for our latest bracket projection. Duke, now topping the USA TODAY Sports coaches poll, strengthened its case for the No. 1 overall seed with its neutral-site victory against Michigan. Arizona also has an argument, with its win at Houston adding to an impressive list of high-end triumphs away from home. Michigan remains well-positioned as a top regional seed. Iowa State holds down the fourth No. 1, as its recent decision against Houston helps offset Saturday night’s loss at Brigham Young.
Houston is still very much in the No. 1 conversation but remains a 2 for now after a loss to Kansas on Monday. We also differ with the committee on Florida, which was outside the top 10 but projects as a No. 2 seed in our bracket. Purdue and Connecticut round out the second line.
Illinois, which lost a third consecutive overtime contest, might have missed out on its shot at heading a regional and slips to the third line along with Nebraska, Texas Tech and Gonzaga. The middle portion of the bracket wasn’t drastically altered by the weekend’s results, but there was a change on the fringe of the at-large pool as UCLA, thanks to its buzzer-beater against Illinois, replaces rival Southern California in the field.
March Madness bracketology: NCAA Tournament projection
March Madness last four in
TCU, New Mexico, UCLA, Santa Clara.
March Madness first four out
Southern California, California, Virginia Commonwealth, San Diego State.
NCAA tournament bids conference breakdown
Multi-bid leagues: Big Ten (10), SEC (10), ACC (8) Big 12 (8), Big East (3), West Coast (3), Mountain West (2).
Feb 22, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden (1) gestures to his team during a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Good morning, it’s Tuesday, February 24th. The Cleveland Cavaliers are 36-22 and host the New York Knicks tonight. The last time they played the Knicks was in New York on Christmas Day. Since then, the Cavs have turned the corner and are playing like a new team.
New York still stands as one of the Cavaliers’ biggest obstacles in the Eastern Conference. This game can give them valuable intel into how James Harden changes the dynamic of this matchup.
Also, I’m hoping to see a bounce-back game from Evan Mobley.
Today’s Game of the Day
Boston Celtics at Phoenix Suns – 9 PM, NBA League Pass
The Celtics are in the middle of their West Coast road trip. They previously dismantled the Los Angeles Lakers and now face a scrappy Suns squad. This could make for a fun matchup as both teams have surpassed expectations this season.
Boston is a dark-horse contender in the East this year and should be on the mind of every Cavs fan. Especially if Jayson Tatum returns before the playoffs. This isn’t a team to ignore.
The rest of the NBA schedule
Philadelphia 76ers at Indiana Pacers – 7 PM
Oklahoma City Thunder at Toronto Raptors – 7:30 PM
Washington Wizards at Atlanta Hawks – 7:30 PM
Dallas Mavericks at Brooklyn Nets – 7:30 PM
Miami Heat at Milwaukee Bucks – 8 PM
Golden State Warriors at New Orleans Pelicans – 8 PM
Charlotte Hornets at Chicago Bulls – 8 PM
Minnesota Timberwolves at Portland Trail Blazers – 10 PM
Crystal Palace fan Dan Cook says Oliver Glasner should have already been removed from his role as manager.
Speaking on the latest Monday Night Club, Cook was asked about Glasner's approach to recent disharmony and also his legacy.
"It's such an obvious thing to say he's our greatest ever manager - he is," said Cook.
"You could argue Steve Coppell is above him for longevity. It depends how you look at it.
"In terms of tangible success, it's beyond our wildest dreams. I never thought I'd see it.
"In terms of his legacy, how he'll be viewed as an individual and personality-wise, he has definitely sullied it. You want to feel like your manager wants to be your manager and he clearly doesn't."
You can watch clips of Cook discuss Glasner's current position above or his legacy below.
BOTTOM LINE: The Washington Capitals host the Philadelphia Flyers after Jakob Chychrun's two-goal game against the Nashville Predators in the Capitals' 4-2 win.
Washington is 29-23-7 overall with an 11-4-2 record against the Metropolitan Division. The Capitals have gone 26-8-3 when scoring at least three goals.
Philadelphia is 25-20-11 overall and 6-5-4 against the Metropolitan Division. The Flyers have given up 177 goals while scoring 162 for a -15 scoring differential.
The teams match up Wednesday for the second time this season. The Flyers won 4-2 in the previous meeting.
TOP PERFORMERS: Dylan Strome has 16 goals and 31 assists for the Capitals. Chychrun has four goals and seven assists over the last 10 games.
Travis Konecny has 22 goals and 32 assists for the Flyers. Owen Tippett has scored four goals with three assists over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Capitals: 5-4-1, averaging 3.1 goals, 5.7 assists, 4.3 penalties and 11 penalty minutes while giving up 3.3 goals per game.
Flyers: 3-4-3, averaging 2.9 goals, 4.4 assists, 3.4 penalties and 7.1 penalty minutes while giving up 3.5 goals per game.
INJURIES: Capitals: None listed.
Flyers: None listed.
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
MILAN (AP) — Inter Milan must overturn a two-goal deficit against Bodø/Glimt in Tuesday's Champions League playoffs if it is to avoid becoming the latest giant to be cut down by the tiny Norwegian team.
Bodø/Glimt leads 3-1 after the first leg and has its sights on the round of 16.
Inter — the beaten finalist in two of the last three seasons — plays the second leg at home but is in danger of suffering one of the biggest upsets in the competition's history.
“We should have done better, and there’s a lot of disappointment,” Inter coach Cristian Chivu said. “But we’ve reset and I’m now interested in our approach and our confidence, being the best version of ourselves and knowing we can turn it around.”
“We feel we can compete with most teams but at the same time we have nothing to lose,” Bodø/Glimt midfielder Patrick Berg said.
Atletico has work to do after drawing at Club Brugge 3-3.
Newcastle appears to be cruising into the next round after a 6-1 win in Qarabag, while Bayer Leverkusen is in control against Olympiakos following a 2-0 win in the first leg.
Lifelong memories are not usually made during dank winter nights at the MKM Stadium in Hull, but the World Club Challenge will be treasured even by those of us who do not have red and white allegiances. The match was an absolute cracker but, even if NRL champions Brisbane Broncos had strolled to victory rather than losing a spellbinding game to Hull Kingston Rovers, the event would still have been a spectacular success.
There were fireworks, a light show, music from Reverend and The Makers, and a rammed “away end” knocking out Robins anthems. Fans turned the stadium red as they waved thousands of flags while decked out in glasses from sponsors Specsavers. It was all simple but hugely effective, which is an apt description for Hull KR as a club and team.
Manager has already undergone a tactical evolution but needs further progress if his side seek highest honours
At first glance, Anthony Gordon appears to have little in common with Sir Keir Starmer but, like the prime minister, the Newcastle forward looks infinitely more surefooted on foreign soil than domestic battlegrounds.
In the Champions League, Gordon has scored 10 goals in nine games. In the Premier League, meanwhile, he has managed a modest three in 21 appearances, two of which were penalties. Whether deployed wide on the left or, following a recent positional shift, at centre-forward, Gordon seems emblematic of a wider Newcastle paradox. Just like Eddie Howe’s team, he is irrepressible one match and ineffective the next.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - FEBRUARY 22: Brandin Podziemski #2 of the Golden State Warriors handles the ball during the game against the Denver Nuggets on February 22, 2026 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Let me set the scene for you in Sunday’s game against the Denver Nuggets.
The Warriors were down on starpower. Steph Curry was out. Draymond Green got ruled out before tip-off. Kristaps Porzingis? Nope. Jimmy Butler III? Not available. You’re essentially running a nine-man road crew against Nikola Jokic, who just posted his 185th career triple-double like it was a grocery errand.
And third-year Golden State guard Brandin Podziemski? He was 1-for-10 through three quarters, couldn’t hit the side of a barn with a beach ball. The kind of performance that makes trade rumors feel justified. Then the fourth quarter happened.
Podziemski scored 15 points on 6-for-6 shooting to fuel a 20-2 run that buried Denver 128-117. He finished with 18 points, a career-high 15 rebounds, and9 assists. One assist away from a triple-double and a plus-19 in 37 minutes. On National TV!
The historical context here matters deeply, because a Basketball Reference query shows Podziemski’s 18-15-9 line against Denver makes him just the 28th entry in Warriors franchise history to post at least 18 points, 15 rebounds, and nine assists in a single game. The names above him on that list? Wilt Chamberlain, Nate Thurmond, and Draymond Green. That is the full list of Warriors players who have done something in this neighborhood. Brandin Podziemski is 22 years old and carved his name into that wall Sunday afternoon.
The heavy.com report from December noted the Warriors had shifted from treating him as “untouchable” to being “more open than ever” to moving him before the trade deadline. That’s a real tension that exists around this young man that I see around Podz in the fanbase; and performances like these make believers.
This is the version of Podziemski that had Mike Dunleavy Jr. telling him “you’re ours” when teams were calling with draft picks during the offseason. This is the version Joe Lacob saw when he believed him to be a future All-Star. And 15 rebounds from the guard feels rather Prime Westbrookian, amirite? They say if you can’t score, find other ways to contribute, don’t let your shot drag down your game. Those boards represent effort and will to affect the game in multiple ways.
Al Horford had great insight and perspective into Brandin Podziemski’s huge game after last night’s Warriors game pic.twitter.com/CpvfaLLAVO
Here’s what I keep coming back to from what Podziemski said in October that stuck with Dub Nation. He talked about wanting Curry and Green to be able to leave the franchise with him, to go to Joe Lacob and say “he’s the one.” But Sunday against Denver was Brandin answering that challenge without saying a word. Podziemski was ice cold for three quarters and then he willed them to a win against the fourth-best team in the Western Conference.
That’s not just promise; that’s character. As to whether Podziemski is catching his stride, and the answer has to be: he’s catching something. Call it confidence. Call it clutch gene. Call it the beginning of a player materializing the understanding of what he’s capable of when the lights get bright.
Imagine being this dude who dropped $124K on the Nuggets to beat the Warriors last night only to see Podz go full Curry mode in the fourth 😭
The baton metaphor he used in October looked premature when December came around. Sunday it looked like a sneak peek at a very favorable future in the Bay.
