SSR Open Thread: 3/2 – 3/6

LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 1: Will Ferrell and Dalton Knecht #4 of the Los Angeles Lakers shake hands after the game against the Sacramento Kings on March 1, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, 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 the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

Hey guys!

We’re back with another open thread for the week. Want to discuss movies, games, basketball, TV, the weather, what you had for lunch, your wins of the week? Here’s the place. This can also serve as a spot to chat about non-Lakers games going on around the league as well.

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Trae Young announces he will make Washington Wizards debut Thursday vs. Utah

Trae Young announced on Instagram that he plans to make his Washington Wizards debut Thursday night when they host the Utah Jazz.

This has been confirmed by Washington head coach Brian Keefe, who added that Young would be on a minutes limit.

Young has not played since Dec. 27 due to right knee and quad issues. Since that date, the four-time All-Star was traded from Atlanta — the only team he had ever played for — to the Wizards.

In the 10 games Young has played this season, he's averaged 19.3 points and 8.9 assists per game, while shooting 35.1% from 3-point range. His shooting should help space the floor for Washington, and his passing will make life easier for Alex Sarr and the other Wizards big men. Young will upgrade the Wizards' offense.

Washington also traded for Anthony Davis around the deadline, but he is out for the season after finger surgery.

While the addition of Young is exciting for Wizards fans starving for something to cheer for, the team does not want to start winning too many games the rest of this season. Washington owes its first-round pick to New York, but it is top-eight protected. Washington currently has the fourth-worst record in the league and cannot lose its pick in the lottery. However, start racking up wins and getting a better record than Utah, New Orleans or Dallas, and the odds of keeping that pick go down, slightly at first, but they drop. With that, expect the Wizards to keep Young limited this season.

Young is expected to reach a contract extension deal with the Wizards this offseason, reports Marc Stein at The Stein Line. Young has a $48.9 million player option for next season, the conventional wisdom around the league is that he agrees to a shorter extension, two or three years, worth less money per year but more money total.

Cavs will be without star player against Detroit Pistons

CLEVELAND, OHIO - JANUARY 04: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks on during the second half against the Detroit Pistons at Rocket Arena on January 04, 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 are familiar with injury troubles. They’ve been dealt a short hand for most of the season. So it’s no surprise they will again be without one of their key players as they host the Detroit Pistons tonight.

Donovan Mitchell is listed as OUT with a groin injury. The seven-time All-Star has missed Cleveland’s previous three games with the same injury. He last played in their win over the New York Knicks on February 24.

The Cavs will also be without Riley Minix and Darius Brown, both of whom are on G League assignment. Max Strus is still out, as well. Dean Wade is questionable with an ankle injury. Everyone else is currently available.

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Mitchell is averaging 28.5 points, 5.8 assists, and 4.5 rebounds this season while shooting 48.3% from the floor and nearly 37% from downtown. He’s having a career-best year while the Cavs are 3-4 without him this season. He’s been surprisingly available for a player carrying such a massive load each night. It makes sense that the Cavs are being cautious with his latest groin injury. They’ll need him moving forward.

Cleveland is better equipped to withstand a stretch without Mitchell than they were at the start of the season. Trading for James Harden has given them an All-Star-caliber guard to replace Mitchell during these stretches. While Darius Garland was previously capable of doing the same thing — Garland’s own injuries became too much of a roadblock. Harden, albeit currently dealing with a broken finger, has historically been more durable than both Mitchell and Garland.

Harden had 22 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists in the Cavaliers’ latest win over the Brooklyn Nets. He’s capable of carrying the offense on his own.

The Cavs will have their hands full against a Pistons team that probably feels they shouldn’t have gone to overtime with this shorthanded Cleveland squad last week. But the Cavs are upset with themselves for not sealing the deal in that one. This should be a fun game even without Mitchell.

Islanders know they ‘can’t get used to’ rousing comebacks after pulling off three in a row

New York Islanders head coach Patrick Roy observes from the bench as players watch the game.
Patrick Roy reacts during the Islanders' March 1 win over the Panthers.

LOS ANGELES — The Islanders have come back from down 2-0 to win in each of their first three games following the Olympic break.

Rousing as the drama has been, the Islanders would naturally prefer if they could play with a lead at the start of games.

While their play wasn’t uniformly poor across all three of those first periods, the 2-0 deficits do speak for themselves.

“I feel like the better we’re gonna be on our breakouts, the better we’re gonna be on our D-zone coverage,” coach Patrick Roy told reporters Sunday night. “I think our expected goals against are a little bit high because we made too many turnovers. You know how it works, you make turnovers, technically, it’s a scoring chance. So if we do a better job there, I think we’re gonna [improve] because we’re doing so well on the rush.

“[Off the] rush, we’re top five in the league. But breakouts, we’re bottom of the league. So if we could clean up there, I think that’s gonna help a lot.”

The breakouts were a clear issue early in Sunday’s match against the Panthers.

Patrick Roy reacts during the Islanders’ March 1 win over the Panthers. Imagn Images

The Islanders played fairly well defensively, keeping Florida to the perimeter, but couldn’t break the Panthers’ forecheck and possess the puck for any sustained time until the second and third periods.

“How skilled they are, they play an extremely simple game and it’s very effective,” Anders Lee said. “That’s how they’ve won the last two years. They’re the best at it right now. I thought that showed, especially early in the game, how well they play the right way. Once we started doing that, it started to work for us too.”

Bo Horvat attempts a shot during the Islanders’ March 1 win over the Panthers. Imagn Images

No one can question the Islanders’ resiliency or their ability to come back in games after doing so three straight times.

But the more they play with fire, the higher likelihood there is that they eventually get burned.



“We can’t get used to it,” Bo Horvat said. “Obviously, we’d like to get off to a bit better start here and play with a lead.”


The win Sunday moved the Islanders to 14 games over NHL .500 for the first time since the end of the 2021 season, per team statistician Eric Hornick.


The Islanders did not hold practice Monday as they flew to California.

This will be the third straight trade deadline they’ve spent on the West Coast.

Thunderbolts and blunders, White Sox fall 6-5 to the Giants

Luisangel Acuña continues to make his case for a spot on the plane to Chicago with a home run at Camelback Ranch. | (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)

The Arizona sun was blazing, Giants fans were howling (it was so obnoxious on the live stream), and the White Sox? Well, tally up another one-run loss. Despite 101 mph on the gun, a bomb by Luisangel Acuña, and Miguel Vargas flashing leather, none of it mattered. The Sox couldn’t hold on late and dropped another one, 6-5, at Camelback Ranch.

Davis Martin got the ball and looked every bit a guy still searching for his stuff. He survived the first two innings, mostly because Vargas bailed him out with a double play that screamed ‘best glove in camp.’

Then came the third, and it all unraveled. Martin forgot where the plate was, walking two with two outs. Then, the desert sky swallowed a routine fly for Jarred Kelenic, gifting the Giants a run-scoring double. Martin’s final line: three innings, four hits, three runs, two walks, two Ks. Not exactly a ‘remember me’ outing.

While the pitching was a bit of a mess, at least the bats and legs woke up. After sleepwalking early, the Sox finally got to Giants prospect Carson Whisenhunt in the third. Korey Lee kept his ‘hey, look at me’ spring rolling, ripping an RBI double and swiping a bag for good measure. He even gunned down Christian Koss, trying to steal, just to remind everyone he’s got a cannon.

Luisangel is turning ‘Acuña Matata’ into a South Side rallying cry. He stayed scorching, yanking a solo shot in the fifth to put the Sox up 5-3 for a hot minute.

Between the power and the constant contact, he’s one of the at-bats you don’t want to miss this spring. There were also doubles everywhere as Sosa and Kelenic both smoked two-baggers, with Kelenic’s in the fourth putting the Sox ahead.

The bullpen? A grab bag, as usual. Grant Taylor came in for the fifth and looked like he was hurling thunderbolts. Seven pitches, six strikes, and 101 mph on the gun. The kind of stuff that makes you wonder if there’s hope for the rotation someday.

However, the late innings were the same old pain. Jonathan Cannon ate up three frames, but the Giants kept chipping. Nate Furman tied it with a solo shot in the eighth, and the Sox offense faceplanted in their half with Dustin Harris, who was in for Hill, getting caught in a rundown between third and home.

By the ninth, the air was out of the balloon. Zach Franklin took over, and Braden Montgomery made a diving grab to keep hope alive for about five seconds. Unfortunately, next up, Buddy Kennedy crushed a 416-foot bomb to center. Sox went down with a whimper, and they’re now 7-5 on the spring.

The White Sox will try to scrape off the desert dust and maybe win one tomorrow. Sean Newcomb gets the ball against the Padres at Camelback Ranch. The first pitch is at 2:05 p.m. CST. We’ll be right back at it here at South Side Sox!

JJ Redick threw shade at national media coverage of Lakers

Los Angeles, CA - February 22: Head coach JJ Redick of the Los Angeles Lakers react against the Boston Celtics in the second half of a NBA basketball game at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 22, 2026. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images

The Lakers are never going to get a fair shake when it comes to national media coverage.

This isn’t a new revelation. In fact, the very topic of this article has already been written about by our own Darius Soriano just two months ago.

And while there’s lots of season left to play and things could always change, right now, the Lakers are actually a good story! They’ve been hammered by injuries and all they’ve done is win nearly two-thirds of their games through almost half the season.

No one’s asking to anoint them the favorites to win the title or anything like that. But if we could maybe just start treating them as though they’re a good team that is actually finding ways to win games they probably shouldn’t and position themselves well to actually make the run no one thinks they will, that would be okay too?

Or maybe we put another blowhard on TV saying how they should trade LeBron or Austin Reaves for role players? Yeah, let’s do that instead.

Not surprisingly, the media hasn’t changed its tune on the Lakers since that article was posted.

The only change in the last two months is that head coach JJ Redick has also taken notice. After wins on either side of the team’s weekend back-to-back, Redick spoke about the resiliency of his side and took a subtle jab at the overreactions at various moments this season.

“Again, the world has fallen for us 19 times and it’s just part of the nature of this cycle,” Redick said. “Our guys have bounced back and responded well throughout the season. Tied in the loss column for fifth and a couple of games out of third with a number of these teams coming up that are right there with us. So, we’re going to keep plugging away.”

Certainly, there are times when strong reactions are warranted. There should be criticism when the team loses three straight games as they did last week. When they were trending in the wrong direction in late December and into January, criticism was warranted.

However, the issue is that the noise isn’t nearly as loud for other teams. Frankly, after the Thunder and Spurs, the next tier of teams in the Western Conference — which includes the Lakers — is remarkably mid. Houston, Minnesota, Denver and LA are separated by 1.5 games.

While the Lakers have gone 5-5 in the last 10 games, Denver has gone 4-6. The Warriors team the Lakers blew out in Golden State on Saturday? That starting lineup without Draymond Green beat the Nuggets one week ago. Houston had a monumental collapse in the fourth quarter against the Knicks a week ago, to say nothing of Kevin Durant’s burner accounts and how that mess has just quietly gone away.

Could you imagine if it came out that LeBron was creating accounts and trashing teammates to random people on Twitter? It wouldn’t have just gone away inside of two weeks!

Frustratingly, things are just louder when it comes to the Lakers. Again, that’s not new and that won’t change. But it’s nice to see the head coach calling that out as well.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.

Athletics defeat Padres 7-2 for their 3rd victory of the Spring

Tyler Soderstrom got the scoring started today in Peoria with a two-run homer in the top of teh first inning. The A’s never lost that lead. | Getty Images

Spring Training entered week two as the Athletics took on the San Diego Padres at Peoria Stadium in Arizona today, the Padres Spring Training Facility.

Right-hander Mason Barnett got the start for the A’s today. He made five starts for the Athletics in 2025. logging 22+ innings. Righty Michael King got the nod for the Padres this afternoon. After an injury-plagued season he went 5-3 in fifteen starts for San Diego last year, finishing up with a 3.44 ERA.

The A’s bats continued where they left off after yesterday’s twelve-run barrage in the first inning when Tyler Soderstrom got them on the board with a 2-run blast to right field that was a no-doubt homer.

Two young prospects who may likely see some real playing time for the A’s this season showed why the team loves them. Henry Bolte singled and showed his speed going from first to third on a single to left field by Junior Perez. After a walk to Kurtz to load the bases, Shea Langeliers singled to drive in both Bolte and Perez. That gave the A’s a 4-0 lead with two outs in the top of the second inning. After 48 pitches, that was it for King.

Barnett, who threw strikes and stayed out of trouble in the first, lost control to start the second with two walks on just nine pitches. He got some help from a missed fair ball call that likely would have scored two. He coaxed a double play ball and then struck out the final batter to end the inning. He ended up with forty pitches over the first two innings.

Bolte continued to impress with an RBI single scoring Max Muncy and moving DeVries from first to third. DeVries scored on a throwing error by the Padres third baseman. Kurtz hit a ground ball to the second baseman, but Castellanos roamed too far off first base and the pitcher didn’t get there on time, scoring Bolte from second base. Nice hustle by a youngster fighting to make it to the bigs.

Barnett’s day was over after 2.1 innings and forty-seven pitches. He gave up no hits but allowed two runners via walks. Brady Basso replaced him and got four straight outs keeping the Padres off the scoreboard through four innings.

Luis Medina replaced Basso in the fifth inning. He gave up the first two hits of the day to Padres batters and one run but also worked out of a jam.

By the seventh inning the Padres had subbed all their starters, and the A’s were beginning the process. Wander Suero replaced Medina in the sixth with a 1-2-3 inning and escaped the seventh after giving up just one hit.

By the start of the eighth inning all starters but DH Brent Rooker had ended their day. Colby Thomas replaced him in the ninth, striking out on three pitches.

Nick Hernandez gave up one hit and struck out two in the eighth and returned to pitch the ninth. He gave up a leadoff homer to Jace Bowen to open the inning. That trimmed the lead to 7-2. Zane Taylor replaced Hernandez with two outs in the ninth and got the final batter to ground out to end the game.

The A’s scored all of their runs in the first three innings but held on to win their third game of the Spring 7-2 over the Padres.

Reds 17, Cubs 9: The pitching and defense forgot to show up

The Cubs scored four runs in the first inning of this game and the game summary shows they hit three doubles in that inning, but all three of those baseballs could have been played had the Reds had a bit better defense.

In the end it didn’t matter, as Jameson Taillon and Ryan Rolison both got lit up for six runs and the Reds smashed the Cubs 17-6 on another very hot afternoon in the Phoenix area (86 degrees at game time, average high for today is 74).

Matt Shaw led off the game with a misplayed double and went to third on a wild pitch. Kevin Alcántara followed with a walk.

Moisés Ballesteros doubled in both runners [VIDEO].

As you can see, Reds left fielder Will Benson misplayed that ball. Still, it was well-struck by Mo Baller.

Dylan Carlson followed with another double. This single by Chas McCormick scored Ballesteros [VIDEO].

Jefferson Rojas followed by hitting into a double play, but Carlson scored to make it 4-0.

That lead didn’t last long. Taillon issued a walk in between getting a pair of outs in the bottom of the first, but after that it was a pair of doubles, making the score 4-2.

The Reds scored four in the second. Noelvi Marte led off with a home run off Taillon [VIDEO].

This was another pretty good pitch that the hitter went and got:

So, Jamo’s last start before heading to throw for Team Canada in the World Baseball Classic wasn’t a good one. He threw 53 pitches (31 strikes). Here’s his pitch breakdown [VIDEO].

The Cubs tied up the game in the third. One run scored on a ground out, the other on this RBI single by Pedro Ramirez [VIDEO].

The 6-6 tie didn’t last very long, because left-hander Ryan Rolison, who had a 7.02 ERA in 31 games for the Rockies last year, got torched for six runs in the bottom of the third. The big blow was a three-run homer by Matt McLain. Rolison has options so he’ll wind up in the bullpen at Triple-A Iowa this year, although it wouldn’t surprise me if the Cubs try to get him through waivers at some point this spring if they need room on the 40-man roster.

The Reds announcers were a bit confused in the fifth, saying that Grayson Moore was pitching for the Cubs, but it was another No. 52, Collin Snider, who got lit up for three runs — another three-run homer, this one by Sal Stewart.

Then both managers cleared the benches for minor leaguers. The Reds added a run in the sixth on their fourth homer of the game, by Rece Hinds. At that point most probably just wanted this game to be over. Cubs minor leaguer Kade Snell smacked a three-run homer in the eighth to make it 17-9.

The result obviously doesn’t matter, but the hard hits of Taillon have to be at least a bit concerning. On the other hand, Carlson’s two doubles give him a .538 BA for the spring. Small sample size and spring games, of course, but Carlson’s making his case to make the Opening Day roster. Mo Baller also had two hits, and his delayed arrival at camp has clearly not affected his bat. Hoby Milner threw a scoreless inning, so that was good.

The Cubs will have an exhibition game against a WBC team Wednesday at Sloan Park, the team representing Italy. Cade Horton will start for the Cubs. At the time of this recap posting, Team Italy had not announced a starting pitcher for the exhibition game. Their top two starters are Aaron Nola and Michael Lorenzen, though I don’t think we’ll see either of those two against the Cubs. Game time Tuesday is 2:05 p.m. CT. No TV or radio for Tuesday’s game.

Trae Young is expected to make his Washington Wizards debut on Thursday

WASHINGTON (AP) — Trae Young appears set to make his first appearance for the Washington Wizards on Thursday.

Young made an Instagram post of himself working out in Wizards gear and ended it with “3/5.” The Wizards are set to host Utah that night.

Asked later Monday about the plan before Washington hosted Houston, coach Brian Keefe said the point guard was trending toward being ready to play against the Jazz. He said Young would likely be restricted to about 17 to 20 minutes, mostly in the first half.

Young played in 10 games for the Atlanta Hawks this season, averaging 19.3 points and 8.9 assists, before being sidelined by knee and quadriceps injuries. The Wizards acquired him for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert in January.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Grading Chicago Blackhawks' Connor Murphy Trade With Edmonton Oilers

The Chicago Blackhawks traded Connor Murphy, who has been in trade rumors for a long time now, to the Edmonton Oilers. 

In exchange for Murphy at a 50 percent retained salary, the Oilers sent back a second-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft. 

Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson continues to stockpile high-end draft picks for players who aren't a part of the long-term plan. Connor Murphy is a good player, but his age and contract situation forced the Blackhawks to make a decision.

He will help a playoff-bound Oilers team on the defensive side of the puck. Playing for the playoffs for the first time in his NHL career, outside of the COVID bubble, should be a great motivator for him to bring his best. Having teammates like Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl will also be refreshing. 

Murphy is on the top unit of the number one penalty kill in the NHL. The Oilers are seen as a power play type of offensive team, so adding a stay at home shut down defender/penalty-killer like Murphy makes them more dangerous as a unit. 

Former Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman was famous for acquiring former players, and he showed that knack on Monday with this Murphy trade. Admittedly, this one makes sense for him more than others. 

Trade grade for the Blackhawks: A

Kyle Davidson and the Chicago Blackhawks get a second-round pick, which is a high-value selection, for a player who is on an expiring contract. Landing a pick like that is not easy on the trade market, but Kyle Davidson was once again rewarded for sticking to his guns in negotiations. 

Whether they use that pick in 2028 or move it as a trade chip remains to be seen, but they have a lot of time before they will truly worry about that. As sellers, you want to get as many assets for unrestricted free agents as you can. Davidson was successful in that venture this time, earning him an A-grade for the deal. 

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How to watch Warriors vs. Clippers

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 02: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the LA Clippers handles the ball defended by Draymond Green #23 of the Golden State Warriors in the fourth quarter at Crypto.com Arena on December 02, 2023 in Los Angeles, 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 the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Golden State Warriors will host another Southern California rival as they take on the Clippers on Monday night. The game will be played at 7:00 PM PT in San Francisco and can be watched on Peacock and NBC Sports Bay Area.

Previously with the Warriors:

Golden State is coming off a 129–101 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night. Unfortunately, the game was never close as a healthy Lakers squad jumped out to a first-quarter lead and never looked back against the undermanned Warriors. Luka Dončić, who celebrated his 27th birthday on Saturday, led all scorers with 26 points, followed by LeBron James with 22 points.

As for the Warriors, they needed a strong shooting night to stay competitive, but it never came as the team shot just 12-of-44 from three-point range (27.3%). Gui Santos led Golden State with 14 points, while Moses Moody came in second with 12 points, including four made threes. 

What to watch for tonight:

The Warriors look to bounce back against a Clippers team playing on the second night of a back-to-back. On Sunday, Los Angeles snapped a three-game losing streak with a 137–117 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. Kawhi Leonard scored 23 points in 29 minutes, marking his 37th straight game with at least 20 points, and he continues to lead the Clippers with an average of 28 points per game this season.

Golden State, meanwhile, remains without its top scorer in Stephen Curry. The team announced on Sunday that Curry will miss at least 10 more days with a lingering knee injury.

The Warriors are 4–6 in the 10 games they have played without Curry. Although expectations have understandably been lowered in his absence, along with Jimmy Butler’s season-ending ACL injury, head coach Steve Kerr has praised the effort and coachability shown by the rest of the roster during this challenging stretch of the season. And with the Clippers trailing just 2.5 games behind them for the eighth seed in the West, Golden State will once again be counting on their depth and effort to give them a chance without their stars.

Enjoy the game Dub Nation. GO WARRIORS!!!

Projected Starters

Warriors: Brandin Podziemski, De’Anthony Melton, Moses Moody, Gui Santos, Draymond Green

Clippers: Darius Garland, Kris Dunn, Kawhi Leonard, Derrick Jones Jr., Brook Lopez

How to watch Regular Season Game 61

Who: Golden State Warriors (31 – 29) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (28 – 31)

When: Monday, March 2nd, at 7:00 p.m. PT

Where: Chase Center — San Francisco, California

TV and Streaming: Peacock and NBC Sports Bay Area (available on fuboTV)

Spurs' Luke Kornet wants Hawks to call off 'Magic City Monday' collaboration with strip club

San Antonio Spurs' Luke Kornet reacts to a call during the first half of an NBA basketball game.
San Antonio Spurs' Luke Kornet reacts to a call during a game Sunday against the New York Knicks. (Seth Wenig / Associated Press)

At least one NBA player objects to the Atlanta Hawks paying tribute to the famous Magic City adult entertainment club during their game Monday against the Orlando Magic.

San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet posted a statement on Medium asking the Hawks to call off the promotion "as to ensure that the NBA remains a safe, respectful, and welcoming environment for everyone involved."

"The NBA should desire to protect and esteem women, many of whom work diligently every day to make this the best basketball league in the world," Kornet wrote. "We should promote an atmosphere that is protective and respectful of the daughters, wives, sisters, mothers, and partners that we know and love.

"Allowing this night to go forward without protest would reflect poorly on us as an NBA community, specifically in being complicit in the potential objectification and mistreatment of women in our society. Regardless of how a woman finds her way into the adult entertainment industry, many in this space experience abuse, harassment, and violence to which they should never be subjected."

Read more:Luka Doncic and LeBron James power Lakers to another rout against last-place Kings

The Hawks announced its "Magic City Monday" promotion last week. Hawks principal owner Jami Gertz was a producer on the docuseries "Magic City: An American Fantasy" that aired last year on Starz. Atlanta-based artist T.I. will perform at halftime. A collaborative hoodie will be available for purchase, and some of the club's well-known wings will be served — including the lemon-pepper wings named after former Hawks player Lou Williams.

In 2020, while he was playing for the Clippers during the pandemic, Williams made headlines for visiting Magic City during an excused absence for personal reasons to return home to Atlanta. The NBA was finishing its season in a so-called bubble in Orlando meant to protect against COVID-19. Williams has said he was at the club just to pick up food.

In expressing his objection to the promotion, Kornet stressed that NBA teams should be held "to a higher standard of what they find worthy of promoting."

"I and others throughout the league were surprised by and object to the Hawks’ decision," Kornet wrote. "We desire to provide an environment where fans of all ages can safely come and enjoy the game of basketball and where we can celebrate the history and culture of communities in good conscience. The celebration of a strip club is not conduct aligned with that vision."

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

2 Former Canadiens Get Waived

The Minnesota Wild brought in a veteran forward on Monday, as they claimed Robby Fabbri off of waivers from the St. Louis Blues. However, in a corresponding move, the Wild placed a former Montreal Canadiens forward on waivers.

According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, the Wild have placed former Canadiens forward Tyler Pitlick on waivers.

After spending all of last season at the AHL level with the Providence Bruins, Pitlick has gotten into a good amount of NHL action this campaign with the Wild. In 32 games this season with Minnesota, the former Canadiens forward has recorded two goals, 24 penalty minutes, and 78 hits. 

If Pitlick clears waivers, Minnesota will then be able to assign him to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Iowa Wild. The Minnesota native has played in 12 games this season for Iowa, where he has eight goals and 11 points. 

The Canadiens acquired Pitlick during the 2021-22 season as part of the trade that sent Tyler Toffoli to the Calgary Flames. In 14 games during that campaign with the Habs, he posted one goal, three points, and 15 hits. 

Pitlick is not the only former Canadiens player who has been placed on waivers, though. This is because the Detroit Red Wings have placed defenseman Erik Gustafsson on waivers as well.

Gustafsson has played in two games this season with Detroit, where he has recorded zero points and a minus-2 rating. Down in the AHL with the Grand Rapids Griffins this campaign, the former Canadiens defenseman has two goals and 20 points in 22 games.

Gustafsson played in five regular-season games for the Habs in 2020-2021, where he had two assists. He also played in 16 playoff games for the Canadiens in 2021, posting one goal and three points. 

Rockets and Wiz duke it out

MIAMI, FL - FEBRUARY 28: Kevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets during the game against the Miami Heat on February 28, 2026 at Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

Houston Rockets vs Washington Wizards

March 2, 2026

Location: Capital One Arena — Washington, DC

TV: Space City Home Network

Radio:KBME Sports Talk 790

Online: Rockets App, SCHN+

Time: 6:00 CST

Probable Starting Lineups

Rockets: Reed Sheppard, Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, Kevin Durant, Alperen Sengun

Wizards: Bub Carrington, Tre Johnson, Kyshawn George, Bilal Coulibali, Anthony Gill