Midfielder tapped into history while frustrated by injury but hopes to help a young side rediscover promising form
Jonathan Varane’s 2026 didn’t get off to the best start. Four days into the new year, the QPR midfielder sprained a knee during a 3-0 win over Sheffield Wednesday and was a frustrated spectator for more than a month.
Varane had been desperate to play his part, with QPR hoping to push for the playoffs, but the 24-year-old took the opportunity to indulge in two of his other passions: reading and history. That included a trip with his teammate Paul Nardi to the British Museum, where the ancient Egyptian artefacts proved of particular fascination.
Feb 23, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) is defended by San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) in the second half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
It’s been 26 days since the Spurs last played in their home venue of the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, TX. Sure, they had a couple of “home” games in Austin to break up the annual Rodeo Road Trip a bit, but that still counts as travel and not sleeping in their own beds, so they’re part of the overall RRT record in my book, which spanned nine games, seven cities and three time zones that saw the Spurs go 8-1 overall.
If that record is triggering some nostalgia, you aren’t alone. Back in the the good ol’ days, the Stock Show and Rodeo coming to town was a good thing for the Spurs. The extended road trip always acted as bonding time and a successful launching point to get the team out of the January doldrums and into championship contention mode. In 13 of the first 14 years, beginning 2003, they had winning records (and the time they didn’t was when they 4-4 in 2010). However, the tide turned in 2018 when the team went 2-4, just trying to hold on while waiting to hear if Kawhi Leonard would return. While that group and the 2019 squad, who went 1-7, both ultimately turned things around in March and made the playoffs as the 7th seed, the RRT has gone from a defining point of the season to a lost cause ever since. Until now.
With the Spurs going undefeated in the month of February, including a huge win over tonight’s opponent, and sitting comfortably at second in the West, they look like the Spurs of yore. After an inconsistent January, they started clicking as the calendar turned to February, and they’ve been on a roll ever sense (outside of a bad showing in New York that, if their beatdown of the 76ers two nights later was any indication, was a one-off).
Now, after tying 2003 for their best RRT record ever, they head back home to welcomed six-game homestand, but it won’t be that easy. It starts tonight with the top team in the East, and the two “easiest” games will be a couple of play-in teams in the Clippers and Hornets that have been on the rise and are better than their record. It’s officially the home stretch of the season for the Spurs, and for the first time in seven years, there’s a purpose behind it beyond just proving a light at the end of the tunnel while waiting for the season to come to a merciful end.
San Antonio Spurs (44-17) vs. Detroit Pistons (45-15)
March 5, 2026 | 7:00 PM CT
Watch: FanDuel Sports | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)
Spurs injuries: Harrison Barnes — out (ankle); Mason Plumlee — out (reconditioning)
Pistons injuries: none
What to watch for
The “return home” trap game
Given the pension the Spurs had for playing down to opponents not to long ago, combined with the return home from a long road trip always being a trap game, it’s probably a good thing that this game is against one of just two teams with a better record than them. The Spurs faced the Pistons a mere ten days ago, and the game was everything it was hyped up to be: physical, chippy, and a match-up of two defensive-minded teams with good but imperfect offenses. While it took some time to adjust, Victor Wembanyama eventually figured how to use his gravitational pull on Detroit’s defense to find his open teammates, and they paid him back in kind by hitting their shots.
On the other end, the Spurs’ defense and physicality gave the Pistons problems. They couldn’t finish around Wemby, and Stephon Castle did an amazing job on Cade Cummingham all night. The Spurs have the blue print to beat the Pistons, but perhaps their biggest challenge will be to stay out of their own heads. Don’t relax just because you’re back home, and don’t think you have this figured out. Cunningham will likely be out of revenge, plus there is one other player that wasn’t there in the first match-up to watch out for…
The return of Beef Stew
The Pistons did not have Isaiah Stewart last week because he was serving a 7-game suspension after leaving the bench and fighting Miles Bridges during a brawl with the Hornets before the All-Star break. He’s back now, and while he may seem like merely a backup center whose stats don’t jump off the page, Spurs fans can attest that stats don’t always tell the entire story. Affectionately called Beef Stew, Stewart is known for his confidence, physical play and willingness to muck it up — basically your classic Detroit Bad Boy — making him a fan favorite who hearkens back memories of underdog Ben Wallace.
Everyone knows that the best hope to beating the Spurs is to make Wemby as uncomfortable as possible. While the Pistons were able to do that to an extend in their first match-up, he still found other ways to contribute. If they again have trouble truly taking him out of the game, don’t be surprised if Stewart is put on Wemby and told to not just out-physical him, but get in his head. Wemby will need to be ready for whatever is thrown at him, and just like last time, his teammates need to be ready to respond if he can’t get it going on offense. As they have shown time and again lately, the best way to do that is hit shots.
You can follow along with game here on the Game Thread, as well as on our X profile (@poundingtherock).
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MARCH 4: Keyonte George #3 of the Utah Jazz drives to the basket against Quentin Grimes #5 of the Philadelphia 76ers in the first quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena on March 4, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 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 Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This is the big one. The Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards.
Scroll all the way down the NBA standings, and you should be able to find these teams representing some of the very worst either conference has to offer. It’s an elderly goldfish vs a geriatric turtle. It’s coughing baby vs sneezing baby. It’s the fifth-worst Utah Jazz and fourth-worst Washington Wizards. The tagline for this blockbuster epic? Somebody’s got to win. That’s how basketball games work.
It’s professional sports’ worst-kept secret that these two teams have been gunning for lottery odds over Ws — they’ve been the usual suspects for the past few seasons, and this 2025-26 has been no exception.
Washington (16-45) has sidelined their newly acquired veteran stars, Trae Young and Anthony Davis, in an effort to lose today and win tomorrow (though Young struggles to remain sidelined at times). Though their strategy board reads only “TANK”, their new acquisitions arrived with a promise: lose today, win tomorrow.
Utah (18-44) is in a very similar trajectory since the trade deadline, though instead of banking on aging stars alongside their budding young core, the Jazz plug 27-year-old Jaren Jackson Jr. into their roster to pair with their youngsters and whatever you’d consider Lauri Markkanen to be. But with JJJ, Markkanen, and Kessler all out with injury, the Jazz are equally keen to burn the season in hopes of adding an excellent rookie to fortify what’s already forming into a frightening roster.
Lose today, win tomorrow. But again, somebody has got to win in the nation’s capital on Thursday. It’s inescapable.
The Jazz sit 1.5 games ahead of the Wizards in the current standings, but a Washington victory would cut the difference to just 0.5 games. Danny Ainge salivates. Austin Ainge continues to pretend that the Jazz don’t tank. The Inside Out HQ in Adam Silver’s brain has burned to ash in a fit of unbridled rage.
Utah and Washington are currently on a combined losing streak of 13 games, and just 4.5 and 3.0 games removed from the bottomless pit of Sacramento at the very bottom of the NBA ladder.
Keyonte George is officially back from his ankle injury and back to his old ways, dropping 30-plus in both of his two games back. If George plays, this contest leans to Utah on paper, as the Wizards have already announced the absence of Kyshawn George and leading scorer, rebounder, and defender, Alex Sarr. We’ll all watch with bated breath as the injury report will likely confirm that Keyonte George has contracted polio and will be absent for the next four weeks, as the NBA rushes its medical team to Key’s hotel room to confirm the reports.
Somebody has to win, gentlemen. Now shake hands and pretend to want it.
How to watch Utah vs Washington:
Date: Thursday, March 5, 2026 Time: 5:00 PM MT Location: Capitol One Arena, Washington, D.C. Channel: KJZZ, Jazz+
Calvin Barrett is a writer, editor, and prolific Mario Kart racer located in Tokyo, Japan. He has covered the NBA and College Sports since 2024.
PEORIA, ARIZONA - MARCH 4: Joe Musgrove #44 of the San Diego Padres pitches during a World Baseball Classic scrimmage against Great Britain at Peoria Stadium on March 4, 2026 in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It probably was not the exact start Joe Musgrove had in mind for his return to the mound in the San Diego Padres’ 2-2 tie with Great Britain at the Peoria Sports Complex on Wednesday, but it was positive. He got one out in the first inning, allowed a run and was taken out with the bases loaded and one out. Reliever Johan Moreno came into the game and recorded back-to-back strikeouts of Trayce Thompson and Nick Ward to end the inning and leave the bases loaded.
Musgrove returned to the mound to start the second inning and recorded a strikeout and a flyout against the first two batters. He then allowed a single to Nate Eaton, who advanced to second base on a wild pitch. Musgrove then got Jazz Chisholm to pop out to end the inning, stranding Eaton in scoring position.
Musgrove returned to start the third inning and recorded a groundout before allowing a single to BJ Murray. Musgrove followed that with a strikeout of Matt Koperniak for the second out of the inning, which ended Musgrove’s day on the mound.
Musgrove threw a total of 60 pitches with 36 of those pitches going for strikes. His final stat line was two innings pitched with one run allowed on five hits with three strikeouts and a walk. Musgrove left the outing with his fastest pitching topping 95 mph and used an array of fastballs and off-speed pitches.
Joe Musgrove shared his thoughts on his first outing of the spring after missing all of the 2025 season: pic.twitter.com/4WZGDGRxXZ
The most important part of the outing was that Musgrove walked off the mound healthy and officially kicked off his return to the MLB mound, which is expected to occur sometime during the season-opening series against the Detroit Tigers on March 26-28 at Petco Park.
Times
are tense around the St. Louis Blues, especially with the news of the
day Wednesday being reported my multiple people that the team has the
framework of a trade with the Buffalo Sabres that includes long-time
defenseman Colton Parayko.
But
the schedule doesn’t stop, and the Blues put up another ‘W’ in
the win column.
As
first reported by TSN’s Darren Dreger, the Blues and Sabres are in
agreement of a trade, that reportedly includes Buffalo’s
first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, defenseman Radim Mrtka, along
with a first-round pick plus other pieces, the deal hinges on Parayko
waiving his full no-trade clause, which he hasn’t done so yet, and
I've been told that initially, the 11-year veteran is reluctant
to do so (that could change by Thursday or Friday):
In
the meantime, the Blues continue to motor on, winning their second
straight road game after 10 straight losses away from Enterprise
Center, and third win in four games after the Olympic break, downing
the Seattle Kraken, 3-2, at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle.
Robert
Thomas had his second one-goal, one-assist game in as many games
since returning from a right leg injury/personal reasons; Brayden
Schenn with a three-assist game; Logan Mailloux scored in his second
straight game and played a career-high 22:52; Dylan Holloway scored
his fifth goal in three games this season against Seattle (29-23-9),
and Joel Hofer came up large again with 34 saves for the Blues
(23-29-9), who have scored three or more goals in nine of the past 10
games.
Let’s
go into Wednesday’s game observations:
*
Thomas looks motivated – You think Thomas doesn’t hear all this
trade talk surrounding, not only him but several other Blues key
cogs? You bet he does. And just how much do you think it’s
motivating him right now? Plenty.
For
the second straight game since having a right leg procedure done,
Thomas put up two points and has two goals and two assists since
returning. He looks healthy, smooth and fluent in his game, and it
was his goal that turned out to be the game-winner when he took a
smooth pass from Schenn in the slot and whipped a one-timer past
Philipp Grubauer to make it 3-1 at 1:33 of the third period:
Thomas
played 16:53 and had four shot attempts (two on goal) and won 10 of
16 face-offs (63 percent) and was on the ice late taking draws when
the Blues were killing a 6-on-4 late in the game trying to preserve a
one-goal lead.
*
Look out for Mailloux – Keep the temperament
to
a minimum. Let’s allow the 22-year-old to continue to cook, but
that’s what’s been happening for the defenseman.
Not
only did he score for the second straight game on this wraparound
that tied the game 1-1 at 6:50 of the first period, but he logged an
NHL career-high 22:52 and played 20-plus minutes for the third
straight game:
I’ll
have more on a separate story on Mailloux on Thursday, but it’s
evident that this kid is becoming more assertive and confident in
what he’s doing on the ice, and what he told me was it’s stemming
from killing plays in the D-zone and doing things defensively that’s
leading to other aspects of his game.
Mailloux
was a plus-1, the fourth straight game in which he’s a plus (plus-5
total) and was second to only Holloway (six) in shots on goal with
four (on seven attempts); his ice time in the game was second to only
Philip Broberg’s 26:19.
Is
he finally starting to turn a corner here? Let’s see if it
continues moving forward, but as a fan, you have to be encouraged
that this has been a stretch of games going back to prior to the
Olympic break that Mailloux’s game has started to change for the
better.
*
Holloway loves him some ‘Sleepless in Seattle’ – Holloway is up
to 12 goals on the season now, and his redirection of a Cam Fowler
thread-the-needle pass to the crease at 7:40 of the second period
that gave the Blues a 2-1 lead was his fourth against the Kraken in
less than a week – he had a hat trick in a 5-1 Blues win over
Seattle at home on Feb. 26 – and fifth of the season after scoring
on them in November:
So
nearly 50 percent of his goals this season have come against one
team, but it was another game in which ‘Hollywood’ Holloway was
noticeable on the ice with his speed and aggressive play around the
puck at both ends of the ice, playing
16:12 in the game (plus-1).
And as evidenced by the video, his determination to drive to the net
after giving up the puck at the O-zone blue line is another example
of a player playing injury free and doing things that was lacking by
this group when it was struggling.
* The captain bringing it again – His name is one that has been floated
around in the rumor mill going back to last season, and it’s one of
the names running rampant again as this year’s NHL Trade Deadline
is nearing on Friday afternoon at 2 p.m. (CT) but no matter the
circumstances, he’s bringing it again.
The
alpha in the room and on the ice had a hand in all three goals and
had his second three-point game of the season. As he indicated prior
to departing on this current three-game trip, players just need to
put their heads down and go to work and let things fall into place
with Friday’s deadline looming.
Schenn
played 14:24 and has four assists his past two games and was a plus-2
Wednesday with three shots on goal.
*
Hot Hofer – Honestly, I didn’t like the goal scored by former
Blue Jaden Schwartz just 31 seconds into the game that made it 1-0
Seattle. It came off a wrister from the right point by Adam Larsson
that I thought Hofer could have done better with his rebound control
and put it right into the path of Schwartz instead of off to the side
or into the corner, but boy did he hold the fort down after that,
especially in the third period.
There’s
nothing he could do on another goal by a former Blue, Vince Dunn, in
the third period on a slot shot that cut it to 3-2 with 6:26 to play,
but Hofer was in control of his crease throughout and made 15 saves
in the third period. He had to be especially sharp when Justin Faulk
airmailed a backhand over the glass for delay of game with 2:06 to
play and Seattle playing with a 6-on-4 situation in a one-goal game.
Hofer,
who has won all three starts coming out of the break allowing just
four goals, gloved Brandon Montour’s dart from the point with five
seconds left in regulation to preserve the lead and ultimately, win
the game.
Hofer
has a 1.33 goals-against average and .952 save percentage in the
three starts coming out of the break.
Are
we seeing the changing of the guard with him and Jordan Binnington?
Sort of seems that way, doesn't it? Or at least they're giving the 1B coming into the season more runway, at least.
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BOTTOM LINE: Utah enters the matchup against Washington after losing seven straight games.
The Wizards have gone 11-21 in home games. Washington has a 7-35 record in games decided by 10 points or more.
The Jazz are 7-23 on the road. Utah leads the Western Conference with 29.6 assists. Isaiah Collier paces the Jazz with 7.2.
The Wizards are shooting 45.9% from the field this season, 3.0 percentage points lower than the 48.9% the Jazz allow to opponents. The Jazz average 12.9 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.0 fewer made shot on average than the 13.9 per game the Wizards allow.
TOP PERFORMERS: Justin Champagnie is averaging 8.1 points and 5.6 rebounds for the Wizards. Bilal Coulibaly is averaging 12.3 points over the last 10 games.
Kyle Filipowski is averaging 10.1 points and 6.7 rebounds for the Jazz. Collier is averaging 16.1 points over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Wizards: 2-8, averaging 111.5 points, 40.2 rebounds, 24.5 assists, 9.2 steals and 5.8 blocks per game while shooting 46.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 125.0 points per game.
Jazz: 2-8, averaging 114.1 points, 43.9 rebounds, 27.0 assists, 11.3 steals and 4.1 blocks per game while shooting 45.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 118.5 points.
INJURIES: Wizards: Anthony Gill: day to day (illness), Jamir Watkins: day to day (foot), Anthony Davis: out for season (finger), Tristan Vukcevic: day to day (thigh), Cam Whitmore: out for season (shoulder), Kyshawn George: out (elbow), D'Angelo Russell: day to day (not injury related), Alex Sarr: out (hamstring).
Jazz: Lauri Markkanen: out (ankle), Vince Williams Jr.: out for season (acl), Walker Kessler: out for season (shoulder), Jusuf Nurkic: out for season (nose), Jaren Jackson Jr.: out for season (knee).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Marnus Labuschagne was named one-day domestic player of the year, while Sam Harper continued his blistering form on the opening day of the penultimate round of the Sheffield Shield season.
Two days before the NHL trade deadline, the Anaheim Ducks hosted the New York Islanders on Wednesday night at Honda Center. This game was the 2500th game in the history of the Anaheim Ducks/Mighty Ducks of Anaheim franchise.
The Ducks were playing their second game of a back-to-back, as they were defeated by the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday, a game that snapped their five-game winning streak.
New York was playing their first game of a back-to-back, and entered play on a five-game winning streak of their own.
Ducks forward Frank Vatrano was activated off IR before the game and was inserted into the lineup. Ryan Strome had missed the last six games, both due to healthy scratches and illness, and was also re-entered the lineup. Mikael Granlund was placed on IR in a corresponding transaction.
Here’s how the Ducks lined up in this game:
Kreider-Carlsson-Gauthier
Killorn-McTavish-Sennecke
Vatrano-Poehling-Strome
Johnston-Washe-Viel
LaCombe-Trouba
Zellweger-Gudas
Mintyukov-Moore
For the first time in eight games and for the first time since Jan. 26, Ville Husso got the start for the Ducks. He saved 42 of the 43 shots he faced in this game. David Rittich opposed Husso in the Islanders’ net, who stopped 21 of 25.
“I liked our game tonight. I know the shot clock was in their favor by a big number, but at the same time, I thought we had more energy in this game from the start to finish than we had since we’ve been back (from the Olympic break),” Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville said after the game. “Physically, it was a hard game for both teams, and I liked the way we played, competed in the back-to-back game. So, I thought we did a lot of good things.”
Game Notes
Once again, the Ducks surrendered the first goal of the game, but they responded with three goals in quick succession to end the first period with a 3-1 lead. From there, the Islanders made a continuous push in the second amid a myriad of penalties on both sides. The Ducks played one of their strongest stretches early in the third period, got a quick tally, and Islanders’ coach Patrick Roy pulled Rittich with 8:33 left in the third, afterwhich the Ducks eventually extended their lead to 5-1.
Between the penalties and the early goalie pull, this game only featured 37:38 of 5v5 play. During that time, the Ducks accounted for 45% of the shots on goal, 49.4% of the shot attempts, and 43.7% of the expected goals.
Ville Husso: Husso was challenged early with perimeter shots that led to rebounds in tight that his defensemen had a difficult time finding, as they also struggled to box out New York’s heavy forwards. Quenneville said it seemed like he had velcro on him because pucks were sticking to him as the game wore on.
Day-to-day, Husso remains on the ice for extended periods after Ducks practices, both to help skaters looking to refine their skills and to keep himself fresh for these instances when he gets the call to start an occasional game. He rose to the challenge, and while he didn’t make many spectacular saves, his anticipation and knowledge of angles kept his team within striking distance when the game could have gotten out of hand early.
Ian Moore: Ian Moore returned to his natural position on the blueline and didn’t seem to miss a beat. In fact, he played with added confidence with the puck on his stick and was the driver on his team’s third goal. He is calmer with the time and space afforded to him in all three zones, and in the offensive zone, he is picking opportune times to activate, pinch, or drive the middle lane to either make himself a dangerous option or disrupt the opposing defensive structure in front of him.
He’s still being utilized as a forward on the penalty kill. His explosive lateral movement is beneficial at the top of the diamond, and he thinks like a defenseman, so he’s always scanning and aware, on the weak side of the diamond, of the weak side flank cutting to the back post in an attempt to find a seam.
Ryan Strome/Frank Vatrano: This hasn’t been an easy season for the pair of veteran Ducks forwards. They’ve struggled to carve out meaningful roles for themselves and produce on the scoresheet. Both played their first game in weeks, next to the speedy and responsible Ryan Poehling, and made the most of their shifts.
Strome’s vision was on full display, as his two pacey linemates opened up several cross-ice seams all game, which he exploited on several occasions while cycling. Vatrano was a key contributor on the Ducks’ cohesive and energetic forecheck all game long, which hounded New York’s defensemen into throwing area passes up the wall where they could be met by a pinching defenseman or F3 forward.
Vatrano’s F1 work to pressure Matthew Schaefer into a quick slip pass attempt upon a retrieval, and Strome’s effort to win position against Adam Boqvist were integral elements to Poehling’s goal, the Ducks’ fourth, in this game.
The Ducks will return to action hours after Friday’s NHL trade deadline passes, as they’ll host the Montreal Canadiens at 6 PM PST.
The California trip got off to a thud of a start with a 5-1 loss in Anaheim as the Islanders could not get much going and could not finish nor get better looks against the Ducks’ backup-backup goalie.
Ville Husso made 42 saves, but the game really turned in the first period as the Islanders gave up three quick goals, the first one on a Ducks power play, to erase the Anders Lee power play goal that opened scoring.
Trailing 3-1 going into the first intermission, the Isles outshot Anaheim 13-4 in the second period (though that looks more lopsided than it was) but still couldn’t get back on the board.
When Ryan Poehling scored early in the third to make it 4-1, that was about it. With Mathew Schaefer’s regular partner Ryan Pulock out, Poehling’s goal was another occasion where Schaefer and Scott Mayfield were not in sync heading back to the D zone, though Calum Ritchie was the guiltiest party leaving Poehling all alone in front with time to beat David Rittich.
As Anders Lee said, they need to wipe this one away quickly because they play again Thursday night in L.A. They banked some runway with their three comeback wins coming out of the Olympic break and five-game win streak overall, but they need to get something from the next two games against Western wild card chasers.
NEW YORK — Chet Holmgren knew that, for the Oklahoma City Thunder, it could’ve gone the other way.
Minutes before he tried to fit his 7-foot-1 frame into a padded folding chair here at Madison Square Garden, his team escaped with a 103-100 win Wednesday, March 4 over the Knicks that didn’t come without drama.
New York whittled an eight-point deficit inside the final three minutes, eventually putting up a pair of clean looks inside the final six seconds with the chance to tie the game. The first shot was long — the second one, short.
And so, the Thunder outlasted New York in another reminder that, for Oklahoma City, things won’t come easy.
“We made enough plays down the stretch on both ends to close it out,” Holmgren told reporters. “They made some plays, too — they just didn’t quite convert. If they do, it’s a different-looking game.”
This Thunder team isn’t nearly as dominant as the one that won the championship last season. For one, Oklahoma City already has more losses (15) than it did last year (14), with 18 games still remaining. For another, points are more difficult to come by; this season’s Thunder ranks seventh in offensive rating, scoring 116.9 points per 100 possessions, after it ranked third in the league (119.2) last year.
Ultimately, it may not matter. The Thunder (49-15) remain the best team in the NBA and are a legitimate threat to become the first team to repeat as NBA champions since the Warriors did so in 2018. This is only magnified when you consider that they’ve done all this despite being saddled with injury issues since training camp.
Jalen Williams, an All-Star last season, has played just 26 games and is currently out with a strained right hamstring. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander just returned from a nine-game absence. Center Isaiah Hartenstein has played just 35 games, and he left the Knicks game Wednesday midway through the third quarter with left calf tightness. Alex Caruso (left hip contusion) was also knocked out.
But as they have all season long, role players filled in.
“We’re a pretty deep team,” Gilgeous-Alexander said after the game. “With the injuries we’ve gone through this year, for us to still be in the mix for the top seed in the league and in the West is pretty impressive.”
Against the Knicks, third-year guard Cason Wallace started his 51st game of the season. He was the primary defender on Knicks All-Star Jalen Brunson and swiped 4 steals on the night. Veteran forward Kenrich Williams played just 6:13 in the game — all in the fourth quarter — and hit a big 3 early in the period that quieted a New York run.
“It just speaks to the guys that have had to step up, like Isaiah Joe, Cason — the past few weeks have transformed their game and have shown what they can be as basketball players in big roles,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Guys like myself come back and kind of diminish their role and it’s a little bit unfair. Hats off to those guys for doing whatever the team asks from them, literally. If the team asks them to do more, they do more. If the team asks them to do less, they do less.
“To win a championship, no matter how good your best players are, you need to have those guys on your team. We know that, and we’re thankful for them, for sure.”
Prior to Wednesday night’s game, Williams went through an extended shootaround session in which he moved with ease and didn’t appear hampered whatsoever. He was loose, he joked with Gilgeous-Alexander, and he laced shot after shot.
If he can stay on the floor, he’ll provide a massive boost for the Thunder on both sides, especially late in games. Williams earned All-Defensive second-team honors last season and his shot creation in the NBA Finals helped the Thunder close the Pacers.
Yet, the final 18 games of the regular season will test this team more than any stretch since winning the title. According to Tankathon.com, the Thunder have the NBA’s third-toughest remaining schedule (.535), and Oklahoma City only has a 3½-game lead on the Spurs for the top seed in the West.
And if the Thunder are to retain the No. 1 seed, it will be because of games like these — games against great teams, on the road in iconic venues — games in which the Thunder are shorthanded, for them to pave the foundation to get there.
“I don’t have pixie dust,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “It’s those guys. They’re the ones executing. They’ve got the competitive maturity at this point to understand how to win. That doesn’t mean we’ll win every game, but they understand the path you have to walk through.
“Their ability to click in the way they did tonight is a necessary skill. And it’s great for us to get experiences like this — and have success in those experiences. That’s how you build your muscle through the course of the regular season to make yourself as mentally tough as you can be.”
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 29 points, Bennedict Mathurin scored 23 on 8-for-11-shooting, and the Los Angeles Clippers won their third in a row, 130-107 over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night.
Brook Lopez had 17 points for the Clippers while Darius Garland had 12 in his first home game since being acquired in a trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers last month.
Pascal Siakam had 29 points in his return after sitting out three games with a left wrist sprain to lead Indiana, but the Pacers lost their seventh in a row and fell to the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings with a 15-47 record.
Jay Huff had 18 and was 4 of 8 on 3-pointers, and Jarace Walker finished with 17.
The Clippers led 42-25 after one quarter and 63-51 at halftime, with Leonard racking up 20 points. The Clippers pulled away with a 16-2 run in the third quarter to extend a seven-point lead to 21 points.
The Clippers shot 12.2 percentage points better from the field (55.1%) than the Pacers (42.9%).
Norchad Omier had only one basket but according to the Clippers, became the first Nicaraguan to score in the NBA.
Up next
Pacers: At the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Nikolaj Ehlers sealed his seventh career hat trick with an empty-net goal and the Carolina Hurricanes held off the Vancouver Canucks for a 6-4 victory on Wednesday night.
Sean Walker, Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho each added a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes. Seth Jarvis had two assists and Brandon Bussi stopped 18 shots.
Filip Hronek had a goal and two assists for the Canucks, who have lost seven straight and have just two wins in their last 23 games (2-17-4).
Vancouver traded defenseman Tyler Myers to Dallas earlier in the day for a 2027 second-round draft pick and a 2029 fourth-rounder.
Marco Rossi scored and had an assist and Brock Boeser and Nils Hoglander added goals for the Canucks. Kevin Lankinen allowed four goals on 22 shots before getting pulled midway through the second period. He was replaced by Nikita Tolopilo, who made nine saves in relief.
The Canucks took a 2-1 lead on goals by Rossi and Hronek 44 seconds apart in the opening period.
Carolina took control with four consecutive goals in the second, with Walker, Ehlers, Aho and Ehlers again to make it 5-2.
Boeser scored with 43 seconds left in the second and Hoglander scored his first of the season to cut the Canucks' deficit to one at 5-4 6:45 into the third. But Ehlers sealed the win — and his hat trick — with 14 seconds left.
Vancouver played without forward Evander Kane, who general manager Patrik Allvin said was recovering from the flu.
VANCOUVER, CANADA - MARCH 4: Nikolaj Ehlers #27 of the Carolina Hurricanes scores a hat trick during the third period of their NHL game against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on March 4, 2026 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Carolina Hurricanes got a hat trick from Nikolaj Ehlers and defeated the Vancouver Canucks, 6-4 on Wednesday night at Rogers Arena.
It was a tight game at the end as Ehlers netted his last goal into an empty net with just 14 seconds left. It was his second hat trick of the season and the seventh of his career.
At times it seemed like the Hurricanes might run away with things as they outshot the home team, 33-22, but Vancouver made it interesting.
After taking the lead early on a powerplay goal by Andrei Svechnikov, the Canucks scored twice before the end of the first period to carry a 2-1 lead into the first intermission.
The Canes would come roaring back in the second period and scored four straight goals to pull ahead.
Sean Walker, Ehlers, Sebastian Aho, then Ehlers again provided the offensive push.
Aho’s goal gave him 60 points making him just one of four other Finnish players to score 60 points or more in eight straight seasons. He joins Kurri, Selanne, and Rantanen.
The Canucks scored late in the second and early in the third to make it a one goal game but it stayed that way until near the end.
Brandon Bussi picked up another win giving him a 25-3-1 record. Bussi didn’t look sharp at times but made the saves he needed to when it counted, which he has done often this season. That makes nine wins in a row for the netminder.
Brandon Bussi now the fastest goaltender in NHL history to 25 career wins.
Boston, MA - March 4 - Former Celtics, Charlotte Hornets forward Xavier Tillman (26) meets up with Boston Celtics center Neemias Queta (88) and forward Sam Hauser (30) after the NBA game at the TD Garden. (Photo By Matt Stone/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images). | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
BOSTON — For the first time in two years, when Xavier Tillman took the TD Garden parquet for his pregame shooting, he wasn’t donning Celtics green.
Instead, the 26-year-old forward wore Hornets blue, making his return to Boston for the first time since he was unexpectedly traded to the Charlotte Hornets last month.
And, from the moment he stepped onto the parquet, more than two hours before tip-off, Tillman was in reunion-mode.
First, he embraced all of the Celtics assistant and player development coaches. Then, over the course of the next 45 minutes, he caught up with former teammates, giving Baylor Scheierman and Hugo Gonzalez both big hugs, and catching up with everyone from the ball boys to the equipment staff to team security.
After his shooting workout concluded, Tillman tried to head back to the visiting locker room. But, with nearly every step he took, he ran into yet another member of the Celtics organization, and immediately broke into jovial conversation.
It was quintessential Xavier Tillman.
“[He] has great relationships with the staff,” said Joe Mazzulla.
Xavier Tillman is backing at TD Garden and catching up with some of the ball boys and arena staff pic.twitter.com/tmwFl1Q8SK
Tillman ultimately got a tribute video in Wednesday’s game, a 118-89 Hornets win over the Celtics. The video highlighted some of his biggest plays for the 2024 Finals, including a clutch three-pointer and a block on Luka Doncic.
Xavier Tillman gets a tribute video and loud applause from the TD Garden crowd pic.twitter.com/7bCiCBwn3k
He ended up getting a second major round of applause when he checked into the game with 4 minutes to play; the TD Garden crowd was eager to celebrate him despite the fact that Wednesday’s game had gone to the wayside for the Celtics.
Cool moment: with the Celtics down by 25 with 4 mins to go, Xavier Tillman is checking in for the Hornets
Tillman looked so comfortable in reunion-mode that it was hard to believe that just a month ago, he was a member of the Celtics answering questions about his peers getting traded. Just a few weeks ago in the Dallas Mavericks visiting locker room, it was Tillman who reflected on the Anfernee Simons trade.
“They always talk about it being a business, but you build relationships with people, and you grow to really care about them and their families,” Tillman said then. “And it’s always tough to see your friends get separated from you.”
Little did he know, his tenure in Boston was also in its final days.
Inside trade deadline day for Xavier Tillman
Tillman started thinking that a trade might be coming when moves began piling up ahead of the trade deadline. First, it was the Anfernee Simons trade, which came a few days ahead of the deadline.
“I had some inklings after Ant got traded that, ‘ok, we’re making some moves,‘” Tillman said pregame on Wednesday.
Then, in the hours leading up to the deadline, the Celtics traded Josh Minott to the Brooklyn Nets and Chris Boucher to the Utah Jazz. The team was on the way home from a two-game Texas roadtrip, and Tillman was about to head home from the airport when he got word that it’d be his last day in green.
“My agent was like, ‘Yeah, I think something’s going to happen,‘” Tillman said.
After two years in Boston, Tillman’s time was up, and a new chapter in Charlotte began.
The good news? He immediately reunited with a few familiar faces: three coaches from the 2024 Celtics championship team. Former lead assistant coach Charles Lee was now the head coach in Charlotte, while player development coaches Jermaine Bucknor and Blaine Mueller were now Hornets assistants.
“Those guys welcomed me with open arms, and it’s been really seamless for me to be here on this team,” Tillman said. “The guys have welcomed me in, shown me their culture, and it’s been easy to really buy into what they got.”
Lee was especially excited to reunite with Tillman, who he loved coaching two years ago.
“My time here in Boston, being with X, he brought a joy to the building every day,” Lee said. “He works extremely hard. He gets along with his teammates, and we needed that veteran presence, someone that’s ready for 5 seconds of play, 10 seconds of play. I’ve thrown him out there for a minute, one possession.”
Lee was excited to bring in Tillman, the person, first and foremost. And, over the past few months, he’s connected with other members of the Stay Ready Group — the players mostly out of the Hornets rotation who are tasked with
“He interacts and talks about his experiences, and builds relationships with our players really well,” Lee said. “So, I was looking forward to just getting a guy who I think can help be a good veteran in our locker room, and help our young players as we continue on throughout this season or journey.”
Tillman’s presence in Charlotte has already been felt
Former Celtic Grant Williams, one of several Hornet veterans, said Tillman brings a maturity beyond his years.
“He’s one of the best locker room presences you can have in the league,” Williams said. “I bet you everyone here in Boston would say the same.”
Reflecting on Tillman’s tenure, Mazzulla stressed that, in addition to being a culture-setter, Tillman was also someone he relied on on the floor. In November, after 9 DNPs, Tillman laced up for a season-high 30 minutes in a win against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Mazzulla points to that game as a defining point in the season.
“When he did play, I thought he was impactful for us,” Mazzulla said. “He started at Cleveland on the second night of a back-to-back, and that’s kind of when we went on a run, and where I really thought we started to develop the identity that we’re trying to create and maintain now. And so, over the years, when he’s been on the floor for us, he’s been impactful.”
As Tillman looks back on his time in Boston, the 2024 championship run undoubtedly stands out.
But above that are the connections he formed off the floor.
“I just think [about] the relationships I was able to build being here,” Tillman said. “I think about guys like Jordan [Walsh], and think about guys like Payton [Pritchard] and Sam [Hauser] and Neemi[as] Queta, and then obviously, all the staff, like, those are guys who — we’re playing cards together. We’re actually building genuine bonds.”
Grant Williams said he’s already observed first-hand Tillman’s unique ability to build those relationships.
“He not only checks in on you as a human being and makes sure you’re good, he asks you personal questions,” Williams said. “He wants to know you deeply, not just as an acquaintance or as a co-worker, but also as a friend. And I think that his value stretches way further than just his time on the court.”
Over the past two years, one of the biggest beneficiaries of that support was Jordan Walsh.
“Me and X were like this,” Walsh said last month, crossing his fingers. “And so that first game back, I’m always looking for somebody to talk to, for inspo, points, or whatever it may be, and he just wasn’t there. And I was like, dang it just feels different. Everything feels different.“
On Wednesday, Tillman said he’s long rooted for Walsh’s success.
“I was one of his biggest fans, for sure, just watching him continue to develop in the games and continue to build his confidence day in and day out,” he said. “And then, even when things don’t go as well as he’d hope, [I’d] keep preaching confidence to him, because I see how good a player that he is, and that he just needs to let it shine. And so that was my biggest thing to him, is just always staying true to who he is and staying true to the work that he puts in — because he’s really good.”
Tillman, for what it’s worth, has found himself in a great landing spot. On top of the familiarity with Lee, Bucknor, and Mueller, the Hornets have been one of the NBA’s best teams of late.
Over the past two months, Charlotte has the best record in the entire league at 20-8. And, they’ve won 6 straight games by 15+ points, the longest such streak since the 2017-2018 Warriors.
In Wednesday’s match-up between the Celtics and the Hornets, he found himself on the winning side.
And, after the final buzzer, Tillman was swarmed by many of the same teammates with whom he won a championship.
Xavier Tillman is clamored by former Celtics teammates after the final buzzer pic.twitter.com/xF5PqSDBKw
SEATTLE (AP) — Dylan Holloway scored the go-ahead goal in the second period, Brayden Schenn had three assists and the St. Louis Blues beat the Seattle Kraken 3-2 on Wednesday night.
Robert Thomas added a goal and an assist, and defenseman Logan Mailloux also scored as the last-place Blues improved to 9-17-3 on the road with their second consecutive victory away from home against a playoff contender.
Joel Hofer made 34 saves for St. Louis, which won 3-1 on Sunday at Minnesota after going 2-8-1 in its previous 11 games.
Seattle defenseman Vince Dunn had a goal and an assist. Jaden Schwartz also scored for the Kraken, who had won five in a row at home without giving up more than two goals in any of them. Philipp Grubauer stopped 24 shots.
Seattle fell to 2-1 on its six-game homestand and 7-4-0 in its last 11 overall. The Kraken, who hold the second wild card and final playoff spot in the Western Conference, remained one point behind third-place Edmonton in the Pacific Division with a game in hand on the Oilers.
Holloway gave the Blues a 2-1 lead with his 12th goal at 7:40 of the second. The 24-year-old forward scored St. Louis' first hat trick this season and added an assist when he returned from a sprained ankle to lead the Blues over Seattle 5-1 at home in their first game back from the Olympic break last Thursday.
Thomas made it 3-1 just 1:33 into the third. Dunn trimmed Seattle's deficit to one at 13:34.
Up next
Blues: Visit the San Jose Sharks on Friday night, the third stop on a four-game trip.
Kraken: Host the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night.
