MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: The Yankees’ re-signing of Cody Bellinger fills a hole in left field and the heart of the batting order. But, with GM Brian Cashman slated to run back a remarkably similar roster to the one that folded in the ALDS last season, will they do more? Pitching seems the clearest area of need, but top targets like MacKenzie Gore and Freddy Peralta are now off the table, and acquisitions Tarik Skubal and Sandy Alcantara seem increasingly unlikely.
One option would be to move either Jasson Domínguez or Spencer Jones — two outfielders without a clear path to playing time on the current roster — for bullpen help. With Bellinger and center fielder Trent Grisham both batting from the left side, New York has also been linked to right-handed free agent outfielders Austin Hays and Harrison Bader, though the limited potential playing time would admittedly be a drawback. And, with the team’s three top catching options (Austin Wells, J.C. Escarra, and Ben Rice) all lefties as well, a righty catcher could be in play, though Cashman calls this possibility “probably less of a realistic option” due to the dearth of options on the market.
ESPN: ESPN reporter Jorge Castillo agrees with Hoch’s take on Domínguez, projecting him to be traded before spring training. While the Martian’s speed and bat from the left side of the plate make him a viable bench option, his defensive struggles and inability to hit lefties could make him expendable. Castillo posits bullpen help or a right-handed hitter at catcher or outfield as areas the club could look to upgrade by flipping the former top prospect. The most likely outcome still probably has Domínguez still sticking around as depth unless the Yankees find the right deal, as they might be glad to have a legitimate outfield starter in house if anyone pops a hamstring or worse in spring training.
MLB Trade Rumors | Darragh McDonald: The Yankees have claimed center fielder Michael Siani off waivers from the Dodgers, the team announced Friday. Call it a darkly amusing twist, as the Dodgers had to drop Siani upon signing Kyle Tucker to his megadeal. In 383 plate appearances with the Reds and Cardinals over the past four seasons, the 26-year-old Siani has posted an OPS of just .547 but flashed stellar defense, including registering 16 Defensive Runs Saved in 2024, second in MLB among center fielders. Look for him at Triple-A Scranton as depth if he sticks with the organization through April.
To make room for Siani on their 40-man roster, the Yankees designated reliever Kaleb Ort for assignment. Claimed by the Yankees in January (five years after being lost by New York to Boston in the Rule 5 Draft), Ort posted a 4.89 ERA in 46 innings with Houston last season.
They started out by beating the Seattle Kraken 6-3 on Monday, then the Calgary Flames 4-1 on Wednesday, and the Edmonton Oilers 6-2 on Thursday. They were by far the better team in each game and won all three in different ways.
On Monday, the depth really shone through with Connor Dewar scoring two goals, one of which was shorthanded. Brett Kulak, Justin Brazeau, Parker Wotherspoon, and Rickard Rakell also scored.
Wednesday's game against the Flames was a defensive clinic for the Penguins, limiting the Flames to only 19 shots and five high-danger chances at 5v5. Thursday saw the Penguins blitz former teammate Tristan Jarry with three goals in 37 seconds in the first period, and he could never recover. They also held Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to a combined zero points, which shows how well this team is humming right now.
They have six games left before the Olympic break, and I can't stress enough how important they are for the Penguins. They're a chance for them to really solidify themselves in the top three of the Metropolitan Division, and four of them will be against teams not currently in playoff position.
The first will be on Sunday against a Vancouver Canucks team that is simply going through it. They've only won five games at home this season and have the worst record in the NHL at 17-29-5. They've already traded Quinn Hughes and Kiefer Sherwood, and more moves should be on the way as we get closer to the trade deadline.
Next week, the Penguins will return home for two games against the Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers. The Blackhawks had a nice start to the season, but are 21-22-8 through 51 games. They've also given up the sixth-most scoring chances against and the most high-danger chances against at 5v5 this season.
The Rangers are once again a mess after releasing another letter to their fans, explaining that they will be doing a retool since they're at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. The Rangers have lost eight of their last nine games, including Friday's game against the San Jose Sharks, and are still without star goaltender Igor Shesterkin and star defenseman Adam Fox.
Jan 22, 2026; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; The Pittsburgh Penguins celebrate a goal scored by forward Sidney Crosby (87) during the first period against the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
The Penguins' final three games before the break will come against the Ottawa Senators, who have taken a really big step back this season, the New York Islanders, who are trying to catch them for second place in the Metropolitan Division, and the Buffalo Sabres, who have been on fire for the last month and a half.
For whatever reason, the Senators have been a matchup nightmare for the Penguins over the past few seasons, with the Penguins losing eight of their last 10 against them. That said, the Senators have lost seven of their last 10 games and face an uphill climb for the rest of the season.
That Islanders game on Long Island is a four-point game that could go a long way in the standings. This will be the second of three meetings between the Penguins and the Islanders this season, following the Penguins' 4-3 win in Pittsburgh on Oct. 9. It could also be a potential first-round preview, since the two teams are neck and neck in the standings.
Finally, the Sabres have been a wagon as of late and have been a ton of fun to watch. Tage Thompson is especially doing his thing this year with 26 goals and 52 points in 50 games, and they've also gotten contributions from a lot of other players throughout their lineup, including Josh Doan, Alex Tuch, Rasmus Dahlin, Jack Quinn, and their goaltenders.
They're trying to end their long playoff drought since they haven't made the postseason since the 2010-11 season.
A big run during these six games would give the Penguins even more breathing room in the standings since their March schedule is especially difficult. They'll be playing virtually every other day in that month, and against some of the top teams in the league. Let's see how these next couple of weeks go.
Pittsburgh Penguins' general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas has quite the track record of taking chances on players who fall out of favor or aren't given greater roles with other organizations.
Last season, he took a chance on former Nashville Predators forward Philip Tomasino, surrendering only a fourth-round pick. Although that one didn't quite pan out for Pittsburgh - he was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers in December - others have, including the signings of Parker Wotherspoon, Justin Brazeau, and Anthony Mantha. So far, too, has the trade for Stuart Skinner and Brett Kulak.
And the latest example of a chance acquisition looking like a steal for Dubas is winger Egor Chinakhov, who the Penguins acquired for a 2026 second-round pick, a 2027 third-round pick, and forward Danton Heinen from the Columbus Blue Jackets on Dec. 29. The 24-year-old Russian winger had not seen eye-to-eye with then-head coach Dean Evason, but Dubas decided to take a chance on him.
Well, it looks like that gamble may very well pan out. And then some.
Before joining the Penguins, Chinakhov had three goals and six points in 29 games for Columbus, largely playing fourth-line minutes and even finding himself a healthy scratch. Despite the potential of the 2020 first-round pick (21st overall), injuries and inconsistency threatened to derail what was supposed to be a pretty promising young player. Pittsburgh was a second-chance opportunity for Chinakhov to play to his strengths and skate in a role that could, potentially, help him rediscover his game.
Since joining the Penguins? That's exactly what has happened.
In 12 games with Pittsburgh, Chinakhov already has five goals and six points, which amounts to a 34-goal, 41-point pace for an entire season. He's also seen an uptick in ice time, averaging 2:37 more than he did in Columbus, he's been seeing time on the Penguins' second power play unit, and he's held down a regular spot on the second line next to Evgeni Malkin and Tommy Novak.
Of course, there are many players who enjoy a post-trade boost. It happened last season with Tomasino, who registered three goals and four points in his first five games with the Penguins post-arrival. Given Chinakhov's issues with inconsistency, things could go sideways at any moment, and it shouldn't be all that surprising if they do.
But things feel different with Chinakhov. For one - unlike Tomasino and others who have been in a similar situation with the Penguins - he isn't a one-dimensional player.
His speed is just on the periphery of the top-10 in the league, according to NHL Edge data, and his max skating speed this season of 23.6 mph is in the league's 98th percentile. In addition, Chinakhov plays a 200-foot game, showing a conscientiousness in the defensive zone and an ability and willingness to backcheck. He is also lethal in the shootout - something the Penguins, 1-7 in shootouts this season, desperately need - as a career 57.1 percent finisher in them.
No, this isn't just your above average shot in the National Hockey League. Chinakhov has a devastating wrister and quick, deceptive release that defies logic and seemingly breaks the sound barrier, as it has clocked as high as 99.03 mph this season and as high as 101.56 in his career - both of which are in the 99th percentile of the league. He has clocked the fourth-hardest shot by a forward this season and is right in the mix with the hardest-shooting defensemen in the league, who largely populate the hardest shot list.
Chinakhov's lethal wrist shot is a rare gift, and it's not something that has been commonplace at all in this league. Many compare his wrist shot to Joe Sakic's, whose 625 career goals rank 17th all-time, and there have also been comparisons to former Penguin Alexei Kovalev, who also had a devastating, heavy wrister.
I have seen so many comparisons of Egor Chinakhov’s shot and release to Alexei Kovalev.
Well, it's quite simple. He a multifaceted player, he has already developed some very real chemistry with Malkin and Novak, and he has a finishing touch that simply cannot be taught. He could stand to work on his shot accuracy, but as long as he keeps firing pucks at the net, more than enough are bound to go in because of his shot.
And it helps to play with two guys who can distribute the puck the way that Malkin and Novak are capable of. All of his goals with the Penguins have been a result of his shot, and if anything, it might benefit him to venture to the danger areas and the net-front more in order to maximize his production.
In any case, there's a chance that Chinakhov may end up being a very, very good find for Dubas and for the Penguins. Obviously, there's no guarantee that he ends up a 30-plus goal-scorer, or even that he ends up being an impact top-six player for the Penguins.
But with the talent and the gift that Chinakhov possesses, it's really not hard to imagine him thriving in Pittsburgh and being an integral part of their stretch run to the playoffs.
The Calgary Flames couldn’t turn a strong start into two points, falling 3–1 to the Washington Capitals on Friday night at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
Jonathan Huberdeau returned to the lineup after missing the previous game with a day-to-day injury, while Brayden Pachal drew in on the blue line and Hunter Brzustewicz watched from the press box. Devin Cooley got the nod in goal, entering the night riding a 3-0-1 stretch over his last four starts.
Calgary opened the scoring midway through the first period on the power play. Morgan Frost carried the puck over the blue line, drifted into the slot, and snapped a wrist shot past Logan Thompson for his 10th goal of the season. The Flames controlled much of the opening frame, outshooting Washington 16–8 and setting the pace early.
The Capitals answered in the second period, capitalizing on a fortunate bounce. John Carlson’s point shot deflected off traffic in front and landed on the stick of Hendrix Lapierre, who shoveled the puck past Cooley for his first goal in 91 NHL games, tying the contest 1–1.
The deadlock held into the third period before another bounce swung the game. A rebound found Aliaksei Protas in front, and he made no mistake, scoring his 17th of the season to give Washington a 2–1 lead midway through the final frame.
Alex Ovechkin sealed the outcome with an empty-net goal in the final minutes as the Capitals skated away with a 3–1 victory.
Three Takeaways
1. Cooley continues to give Calgary a chance
Despite the loss, Devin Cooley was steady once again, making 35 saves. Coming in hot at 3-0-1, he faced several high-quality looks and kept the Flames within striking distance. The goaltending has been there consistently, but offensive support remains an issue.
2. Scoring woes persist
Calgary’s offence stalled yet again, marking the sixth loss in January in which the Flames were limited to a single goal. It was also their third straight one-goal performance that ended in defeat, underscoring an ongoing struggle to generate timely scoring.
3. Paying the price defensively
The Flames defence absorbed plenty of punishment. Mackenzie Weegar blocked a shot off the knee, while Zach Whitecloud took a hard shot to the body that sent him briefly to the locker room before returning. Calgary’s willingness to block shots remains commendable, but the physical toll continues to mount.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Andrew Nembhard had 27 points and 11 rebounds, and Jarace Walker added a career-high 26 for the Indiana Pacers, who withstood a late rally to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 117-114 on Friday night in a rematch of last season’s NBA Finals.
Walker, whose previous high was 21 points, sank four free throws in the final 10 seconds to lift injury-riddled Indiana (11-35), which snapped a three-game skid. Pascal Siakam added 21 points.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 47 points for the NBA-best Thunder, who were also depleted by injuries with Jalen Williams, Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso among those sidelined. Chet Holmgren added 25 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks.
It was the second and final meeting this season between the Pacers and Thunder, whose fortunes have diverged since Indiana star Tyrese Haliburton tore an Achilles tendon early in Game 7 of last season’s NBA finals. Oklahoma City went on to win its first title and has the league’s best record (37-9), although the Thunder have slowed after a 24-1 start.
Oklahoma City trailed 113-103 with 2:35 remaining but pulled within 115-114 on a pair of free throws by Gilgeous-Alexander with 7.8 seconds left. After two free throws by Walker, the Thunder’s Isaiah Joe missed a 3-pointer with 3 seconds remaining.
Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning MVP, made 17 of 28 field goals and all 12 free throws, and he scored nine points in the final 2 minutes.
ROCKETS 111, PISTONS 104
DETROIT (AP) — Kevin Durant scored 32 points as Houston ended the Detroit's four-game winning streak with a victory.
Durant averages 30.6 points in 32 career games against the Pistons - his highest average against any other team. He added seven rebounds and three assists in 40 minutes without a turnover.
Alperen Sengun scored 19 points and Reed Shepherd added 18 points for the Rockets, who have won four of five. Amen Thompson had 15 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for Houston, which had lost five straight on the road.
Jalen Duren led Detroit with 18 points and seven rebounds, but Detroit’s other four starters combined for 37 points on 13-of-35 shooting (37.1%).
Houston outscored Detroit 34-20 in the third quarter to turn a tie game into an 86-72 lead. Durant and Sheppard combined for 18 points in the quarter on 7-for-8 shooting.
Detroit got within 87-80 with a four-point possession early in the fourth. Cade Cunningham missed, but Jae’Sean Tate was called for a flagrant foul when he undercut Ron Holland II as he went for the rebound. Holland made both free throws and Duren dunked off a Cunningham lob.
HAWKS 110, PHOENIX 103
ATLANTA (AP) — Jalen Johnson scored 23 points and tied a career high with 18 rebounds for his NBA-leading 30th double-double, and Atlanta rallied to beat Phoenix after the Suns lost Devin Booker to a right ankle injury.
Onyeka Okungwu had 25 points for the Hawks, who trailed 91-84 late in the third quarter but gained momentum after Booker went down. The Suns star scored a team-high 31 points and added four rebounds and three assists before leaving.
CJ McCollum extended his double-digit scoring streak to 34 games, scoring 21 points off the bench and adding four rebounds. McCollum and Corey Kispert were acquired in a trade with Washington in exchange for Trae Young in early January.
The Hawks, who outscored the Suns 26-12 in the fourth quarter, were 43 of 81 from the field overall, including 13 of 26 from 3-point range.
It was the second and final meeting between the teams this season. Atlanta beat Phoenix 124-122 earlier this season in mid-November.
CAVALIERS 123, KINGS 118
CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 33 points, Evan Mobley matched a season high with 29 and Cleveland showed some more encouraging signs in a win over Sacramento.
The Cavs, who have been streaky through much of this season, won for the fourth time in five games. They also improved to 16-5 against teams with losing records.
Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson has been hoping to get more consistency from his team, which can look like title contenders one night and dismal the next. That trend continued against the Kings, who rallied from an 11-point deficit to take a 114-113 lead with four minutes left.
But Mitchell, who has carried the Cavs through several rough patches, dropped a big 3-pointer with 2:29 remaining to put Cleveland up 118-114.
The Kings had several chances to get closer, but they missed three straight 3-pointers in the last minute and Cavs guard Jaylon Tyson put them away by making a floater with 25.6 seconds to go.
Mobley added 13 rebounds and seven assists in one of the defensive-minded forward’s best all-around games.
PELICANS 133, GRIZZLIES 127
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Saddiq Bey scored 19 of his season-high 36 points in the fourth quarter and New Orleans erased a double-digit second-half deficit to defeat Memphis.
Trey Murphy III scored 32 points for New Orleans, while Zion Williamson finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds as the Pelicans snapped a three-game losing streak.
Jaren Jackson Jr. led Memphis with 26 points and 12 rebounds, while Jock Landale added 24 points and 11 rebounds. Cam Spencer had 21 for Memphis, shooting 7 of 9, including 4 of 6 from outside the arc.
The Pelicans, who had lost six straight to Memphis, trailed 123-122 after Jackson scored inside. But Williams scored on a three-point play and Bey added a 3-pointer to preserve New Orleans’ victory.
The Pelicans are anchoring last place in the Western Conference, while Memphis — which has lost five of seven — sits just outside 10th place.
Memphis built a 13-point lead with accurate shooting in the third quarter, but New Orleans whittled into the advantage as Williamson used his bulk in getting to the rim against a smaller Grizzlies defender in the fourth. Between Williamson and Bey, the Pelicans overtook the Grizzlies.
CELTICS 130, NETS 126, 2OT
NEW YORK (AP) — Payton Pritchard scored 32 points, Jaylen Brown had 27 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds, and Boston outlasted lottery-bound Brooklyn in double overtime.
Hugo González forced the second OT on a 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left in the first extra period. Baylor Scheierman found the 19-year-old Spanish rookie with a no-look pass and González buried the wide-open shot from the corner.
The Celtics, who have won four of five, never trailed in the second OT. Anfernee Simmons put Boston ahead for good with a three-point play, and Sam Hauser’s 3-pointer made it 128-124 with 1:51 left.
Michael Porter Jr. scored 30 points and Nolan Traore added a career-high 21 for the Nets, who nearly knocked off the second-place team in the Eastern Conference two days after they were beaten 120-66 by the crosstown New York Knicks.
Nic Claxton forced overtime with a putback dunk with 1.9 seconds left and finished with 19 points for the Nets, who have lost nine of 10.
Brooklyn led 117-112 with 7.9 seconds left in the first OT. Pritchard hit a 3-pointer for Boston, then fouled Traore, who made 1 of 2 free throws to set up González’s tying 3.
Brown had three rebounds in the second overtime to complete his fifth career triple-double.
After a wildly disappointing 2025, David Stearns vowed to make significant changes to the team, and the players and coaches who show up to Port St. Lucie in a few weeks will look a lot different than last year.
As Stearns said this week, “There’s gonna be a lot of guys in our clubhouse who really have no affiliation at all with what happened to us in ’25. And I think that’s healthy and I think that’s good for us.”
Here’s a look at who’s here — and who’s not.
In
Bo Bichette
After losing Pete Alonso, the Mets waited to add another big right-handed bat. They got Bichette, one of the best ball-to-bat hitters in the game and considered an excellent clubhouse presence. Can the longtime shortstop play third base? We’re about to find out, but he only turns 28 in March and is an excellent athlete — although he’s had some injuries.
Freddy Peralta
Arrived in a trade from Stearns’ old Brewers team, along with right-hander Tobias Myers. Expected to pitch near or at the top of the rotation, the 29-year-old is due to be a free agent following this season, so the pressure will be on both Peralta and the Mets, who gave up a pair of top prospects in Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams for one year of the starter.
New York Mets infielder Bo Bichette speaks at his introductory press conference at Citi Field, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, in Queens, NY. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Luis Robert Jr.
The Mets took a chance the center fielder will be able to recapture what he showed in 2023, when he was among the best players in the game with the White Sox. He’s battled injuries and had too many strikeouts the past two years.
Jorge Polanco
This one had plenty of people scratching their heads when it first happened, since Polanco has primarily played in the middle of the diamond and the Mets are set there with Francisco Lindor at shortstop and newly arrived Marcus Semien at second. But the Mets think the 32-year-old switch-hitter, coming off perhaps his best season at the plate, can make the move to first base.
Devin Williams
When the Mets signed Williams, Edwin Díaz was still on the market and there was a chance Williams would be setting up for him. Instead, Díaz went to the Dodgers, leaving Williams to try to bounce back as a closer in New York after failing in the role with the Yankees last season.
Marcus Semien
Semien’s arrival to play second base gave the Mets a significant upgrade in their infield defense, which was one of Stearns’ stated goals. At 35 and coming off back-to-back subpar years at the plate, there are certainly questions about other parts of his game.
Luke Weaver #30 of the New York Yankees reacts after giving up a run during the 7th inning. Jason Szenes / New York Post
Luke Weaver
The right-hander has proven he can pitch in big spots in New York, having done so with the Yankees when they reached the World Series in 2024. The 32-year-old was inconsistent last season, but still effective.
Tobias Myers
Not just a throw-in as part of the Peralta deal, the right-hander has the ability to start and pitch out of the bullpen. He also blanked the Mets for five innings in a postseason start in 2024.
Luis García
The 38-year-old journeyman gives the Mets another right-hander in the bullpen.
Coaching staff
Justin Willard was hired as the new pitching coach after serving as the director of pitching with the Red Sox, and Troy Snitker, the former Houston hitting coach and son of former Braves manager Brian Snitker, was brought in as hitting coach. Kai Correa (bench coach), Gilbert Gomez (first base), Tim Leiper (third base) and J.P. Arencibia (catchers) are among the other new faces on the coaching staff.
Out
Pete Alonso
Just a few months after breaking Darryl Strawberry’s franchise record for home runs, Alonso (right) signed a five-year, $155 million contract to go to Baltimore. The Polar Bear will see how many homers he can hit in Camden Yards, as the Mets let him go without a fight.
Edwin Díaz
After seeing their closer return to elite form, the Mets tried to retain Díaz (left), but he took a slightly bigger deal to go to the Dodgers, leaving a hole in the bullpen.
Brandon Nimmo
The organization’s 2011 first-round pick is all over the top-10 lists in franchise history, from runs scored to plate appearances, but the Mets decided to move on from the 32-year-old with five years and just over $100 million remaining on his contract, trading him to Texas.
Brandon Nimmo #9 of the New York Mets reacts after the final out of the 9th inning. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
Jeff McNeil
Like Nimmo, McNeil spent his entire professional career with the Mets until they traded him to the A’s, as his production at the plate and defensive versatility dwindled.
Luisangel Acuña
The former top prospect likely didn’t have much of a role on this Mets team, with their infielder-heavy roster, and was sent to Chicago in exchange for Robert.
Coaching staff
Perhaps the biggest surprise surrounding the shake-up of Carlos Mendoza’s staff, highly respected pitching coach Jeremy Hefner was let go and quickly picked up in the same role by the Mets’ divisional rivals in Atlanta. Hitting coaches Eric Chavez and Jeremy Barnes were also fired and bench coach John Gibbons, third base coach Mike Sarbaugh and catching coordinator Glenn Sherlock also won’t be back.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Yaxel Lendeborg had 18 points and nine rebounds, Morez Johnson scored 12 points and No. 3 Michigan beat Ohio State 74-62 on Friday night.
The Wolverines (18-1, 8-1 Big Ten) took control with a 21-6 run in the second half after the Buckeyes (13-6, 5-3) tied it for a ninth time midway through the second half.
Ohio State’s John Mobley Jr. scored 14 of his 22 points in the first half when Michigan led 33-30.
NO. 24 SAINT LOUIS 97, ST. BONAVENTURE 62
OLEAN, N.Y. (AP) —Ishan Sharma scored 29 points and Saint Louis routed St. Bonaventure.
The Billikens (19-1, 7-0 Atlantic 10) tied their best start 20-game start in the program’s 110-year history, joining the 1993-94 team. They took control of the game early, dominating from 3-point range, and had a 58-26 lead to end the first half.
Trey Green had 15 points for Saint Louis and Amari McCottry added 12.
After taking one of the most humiliating beatings in team history, Jordi Fernández challenged his Nets to show more fight.
Fernández saw plenty of fight Friday. And then saw it undone by a couple of endgame gaffes that cost Brooklyn a 130-126 double overtime loss to the Celtics in front of a sellout crowd of 17,727 at Barclays Center.
The Nets earned a five-point lead with just five seconds left in overtime. That’s when their own mental mistakes did them in.
Michael Porter Jr. goes up for a shot during the second quarter of the Nets’ 130-126 double overtime loss to the Celtics on Jan. 23, 2026 at Barclays Center. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
“We’re up five, they throw a cross-court pass and you have a chance to foul…and then probably make one (and) it’s over. We didn’t do it and they made the 3. Then the other one is we’re around the 3-point line, there’s a miscommunication and they get a wide-open shot,” Fernández said. “We made a couple mistakes, and those mistakes in this league against a very good team makes you pay.”
Boston did just that.
Up 117-112, they didn’t intentionally foul, and let Payton Pritchard (game-high 32 points) drill a 3-pointer with 4.5 seconds left.
Then, after rookie Nolan Traore (21 points) missed one of two at the charity stripe to give the Celtics one last gasp, a defensive miscommunication left Hugo Gonzalez too open for a game-tying corner 3-pointer with :00.4 left.
That forced a second overtime, where the Nets ran out of gas.
“He was just wide open. He was wide open. He hit the shot,” said a dumbfounded Nic Claxton, who had 18 points and nine rebounds. “I’m confused. I got to watch it. I’m confused. I don’t know how it got so open. That’s in the corner. I don’t know. I don’t know. I can’t give you an answer for thatr.”
Michael Porter Jr. — who had a team-high 30 points and eight boards — ended up miscommunicating with Noah Clowney. He passed off Gonzalez to the young forward thinking Clowney was going to cover him.
But with one player thinking man and the other thinking zone, the Nets were in abysmal disarray and got punished.
Nic Claxton looks to make a move on Neemias Queta during the Nets’ double overtime loss to the Celtics. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
“Obviously, it was poorly executed. I tried to pass the guy through to Noah on that side, and we just weren’t all on the same page,” Porter said. “Coach Jordi was trying to communicate on the sideline, it was just such crunch time, we didn’t know we were still zoning up, or if we were in man…We were just discombobulated. We got to learn from it, hopefully do better in the next situation.
“We just got discombobulated. But yeah, it’s on us, the players, to communicate, and obviously the No. 1 thing is don’t give up a wide open corner uncontested 3. So somebody’s got to get him, whether that’s me following him through to the corner or the guy on the inbound kind of taking that zone of the area away. We’ve just got to make it happen.”
The Nets (12-31) have dropped 12 of their last 14, the worst a 120-66 loss Wednesday to the Knicks. It was the second-largest margin of defeat in franchise history, and their worst output since a 90-65 loss to Miami on March 12, 2005. To a man, they’d acknowledged the need to redeem themselves.
Brooklyn came close, leading by as many as 11 points, but it couldn’t hold it.
Traore had 21 points, playing 36:51 and getting key minutes instead of Egor Dëmin down the stretch because of his ability to touch the paint.
And Ziaire Williams (14 points, eight rebounds) played feisty defense.
Ziaire Williams makes a jumping pass as Luka Garza defends during the the Nets’ double overtime loss to the Celtics. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
Pritchard (32 points) and Jaylen Brown (27 points, 12 assists, nine rebounds) led Boston.
But in the second overtime, Brooklyn finally ran out of gas.
The Nets (12-31) stayed fifth in the lottery race, 1 ½ games behind fourth-place Sacramento and moved two ahead of sixth-place Utah.
But they’re now only 2 ½ behind Indiana for a spot in the top 3.
Rockies Fest is always great, but it’s especially notable in 2026 given the significant front office and coaching changes the Colorado Rockies have made.
Still, it’s great to be at Coors Field (even though it’s extraordinarily cold out!), eat some ballpark food, and hang out with other fans and players.
Just to get everyone in the mood, here’s a video from 9News.
This link will take you to the official program if you’d like to plan ahead.
Me, I really enjoy the panels with prospects discussing their MLB experience, and I also like roaming around those parts of Coors Field that generally are not available to the public. (Last year, I learned where the visiting team’s weight room was located, which, really, I had no idea!)
I suspect there will be lots of folks at the front office panels, too.
Tomorrow’s “This Week in Purple” will be a discussion thread for the day’s activities. If you’ll be there, perhaps we can arrange a meet-up. If you’re not, we’ll try to give you a sense of what’s going on.
But for tonight, what are you looking forward to tomorrow if you’re attending? And if you’re not, what do you want us to try to learn about?
Maybe we’ll get an announcement on that fifth starter . . . .
DALLAS (AP) — Jason Robertson scored his 30th goal of the season with one minute to play to lift the Dallas Stars to a 3-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Friday night.
Robertson lifted the puck in from the right circle four seconds after Roope Hintz won a faceoff for the Stars, who have won two of their last three games following a three-game losing streak.
Wyatt Johnston and Matt Duchene scored power-play goals for the Stars, and Johnston also had an assist. Jake Oettinger made 20 saves.
Robertson is tied with Edmonton’s Connor McDavid for second in the NHL in goals scored.
Pavel Buchnevich had a goal and an assist and rookie Dalibor Dvorsky also scored for the Blues, who have lost eight consecutive road games, all in regulation, and are a league worst 7-15-3 away from home. Jordan Binnington stopped 16 shots, his record at Dallas dropping to 1-5-3.
Dallas split a back-to-back, shutting out Columbus 1-0 on Thursday night.
The teams traded power-play goals in the first period. Johnston’s rebound score gave the Stars a 1-0 lead 5:41 in. His 17th power-play goal is the most in the NHL this season and one short of Mike Modano’s Dallas record. Dvorsky tied the score at 11:30 on the Blues’ first shot on goal, his team-high fifth power-play goal.
Buchnevich’s one-timer from the slot put St. Louis ahead four minutes into the second period. Duchene answered with Dallas’ second power-play goal 3 1/2 minutes later with Binnington tossing his stick toward the puck.
The Stars finished with five defensemen after Ilya Lyubushkin left during the second period with a lower-body injury.
Up Next
Blues: Will complete a back-to-back at home vs. Los Angeles on Saturday night.
Stars: Will complete a home-and-home at St. Louis on Tuesday night.___
NEW YORK (AP) — Payton Pritchard scored 32 points, Jaylen Brown had 27 points and 12 assists, and the Boston Celtics outlasted the lottery-bound Brooklyn Nets 130-126 in double overtime on Friday night.
Hugo González forced the second OT on a 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left in the first extra period. Baylor Scheierman found the 19-year-old Spanish rookie with a no-look pass and González buried the wide-open shot from the corner.
The Celtics, who have won four of five, never trailed in the second OT. Anfernee Simmons put Boston ahead for good with a three-point play, and Sam Hauser’s 3-pointer made it 128-124 with 1:51 left.
Michael Porter Jr. scored 30 points and Nolan Traore added a career-high 21 for the Nets, who nearly knocked off the second-place team in the Eastern Conference two days after they were beaten 120-66 by the crosstown New York Knicks.
Nic Claxton forced overtime with a putback dunk with 1.9 seconds left and finished with 19 points for the Nets, who have lost nine of 10.
Brooklyn led 117-112 with 7.9 seconds left in the first OT. Pritchard hit a 3-pointer for Boston, then fouled Traore, who made 1 of 2 free throws to set up González’s tying 3.
The Celtics led 101-91 with 3:06 left in regulation, but the Nets closed the period on a 13-3 run.
Up next
Celtics: At Chicago on Saturday night.
Nets: At the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night.
NEW YORK (AP) — Payton Pritchard scored 32 points, Jaylen Brown had 27 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds, and the Boston Celtics outlasted the lottery-bound Brooklyn Nets 130-126 in double overtime on Friday night.
Hugo González forced the second OT on a 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left in the first extra period. Baylor Scheierman found the 19-year-old Spanish rookie with a no-look pass and González buried the wide-open shot from the corner.
The Celtics, who have won four of five, never trailed in the second OT. Anfernee Simmons put Boston ahead for good with a three-point play, and Sam Hauser's 3-pointer made it 128-124 with 1:51 left.
Michael Porter Jr. scored 30 points and Nolan Traore added a career-high 21 for the Nets, who nearly knocked off the second-place team in the Eastern Conference two days after they were beaten 120-66 by the crosstown New York Knicks.
Nic Claxton forced overtime with a putback dunk with 1.9 seconds left and finished with 19 points for the Nets, who have lost nine of 10.
Brooklyn led 117-112 with 7.9 seconds left in the first OT. Pritchard hit a 3-pointer for Boston, then fouled Traore, who made 1 of 2 free throws to set up González's tying 3.
Brown had three rebounds in the second overtime to complete his fifth career triple-double.
The Celtics led 101-91 with 3:06 left in regulation, but the Nets closed the period on a 13-3 run.
Up next
Celtics: At Chicago on Saturday night.
Nets: At the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night.
The Celtics found themselves in a dog fight at the Barclays Center on Friday night, playing their first overtime and their first double overtime of the season. After not playing all of regulation and only 5 seconds in overtime, Amari Williams played the entire 2nd overtime and made a lot of plays as Boston beat Brooklyn 130-126.
Not before after being left for dead, Hugo Gonzalez hit a game tying three to force double overtime.
Derrick White joined Jayson Tatum and Josh Minott on the inactive list, it was a rest night for him (we don’t see the Celtics mark someone as missing a game for rest really ever so I found that mildly interesting). In his place, Baylor Scheierman got his third start of the season with Payton Pritchard, Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser and Neemias Queta. Haywood Highsmith has yet to play in a game for Brooklyn this season and that did not change on Friday. The Nets started Egor Demin, Drake Powell, Michael Porter Jr., Noah Clowney and Nic Claxton.
The Celtics got off to a fast 8-0 start but that lead vanished quickly as the Nets went on a 14-5 run to take a 14-13 lead in the first quarter. Sam Hauser’s hot streak continued early in the game as he made 2 of his first 3 shots.
We had Ron Harper Jr. first quarter minutes! Entering the game on Friday, Harper, older brother to the number 2 pick Dylan Harper and son to former Bulls guard Ron Harper, had played 28 minutes on the season entering Friday night.
The first quarter ended in a deadlock at 28 points. Jaylen Brown led the team with 7 points, though he went 2/7 in the quarter, while Luka Garza had 5 points off of the bench.
The 2nd quarter was a frustrating one for the Celtics. Boston had too many turnovers, was not sharp enough on defense and were not quick enough getting back in transition, leading to a lot of good Brooklyn looks.
The Celtics closed the quarter well, cutting what was an 11 point lead to 6 as Brooklyn led Boston, 55-49 at the half. Jaylen Brown and Sam Hauser led the team in scoring with 12 points.
The third quarter was back and forth and much like the first half the three point shot kept Boston in it. The Celtics were able to take a lead with 2:32 left in the quarter thanks to Payton Pritchard making shots and a Hugo Gonzalez ‘pick six’ with the steal and layup.
Brooklyn did end up retaking the lead, 81-78 at the end of the third quarter. Pritchard led the team with 19 points to go along with 3 assists. 12 of his 19 points came in the third quarter.
The 4th quarter was much like the rest of the game, back and fourth. However, what the rest of the game didn’t have was a big time Luka Garza rejection.
As the 4th quarter progressed, the Celtics put together an 11-0 run to give them their largest lead of the night at 10 points with 3:05 left in the game capped off by a Payton Pritchard three. Derrick White was a big fan of it.
Payton Pritchard has 22 points and Derrick White, who is resting tonight, loves what he sees pic.twitter.com/Q5r6jQHOal
The Celtics could not put the Nets away as Brooklyn stuck around and had it at a one possession game with under a minute to go after Noah Clowney made a pair of free throws.
Sam Hauser had a chance to put the Nets away with a three but he missed it and a Nic Claxton put back made it a one point game.
Anfernee Simons went to the line with 11 seconds left, he split the pair to make it a 2 point game.
Michael Porter Jr. missed a go ahead three but a Nic Claxton put back tied the game at 104 a side with 1.9 seconds left. Offensive rebounds costed the Celtics again.
Make it six straight points off offensive rebounds for the Nets. Claxton ties the game with a putback dunk.
Celtics will have the ball with 1.9 seconds to get up a potential game-winner. https://t.co/ssF61PnQLD
The Celtics possession was a mess as we had overtime in Brooklyn.
Luka Garza picked up three fouls in the first 2 minutes of overtime and fouled out of the game. That was less than ideal because the Celtics already could not get a rebound. Brooklyn was also in the bonus 2 minutes into the period.
Then, the Celtics took a 4 point lead and had a chance to take it to 7 but then the Nets got a lob dunk and a three and took the lead.
Payton Pritchard had a look to take the lead and Jaylen Brown had a look to tie the game. They both missed as the Nets took a 5 point lead.
Pritchard then hit a three to make it a 2 point game. Nolan Traore went 1/2 from the line so the Celtics had the ball down 3 and a chance to tie with 2.5 seconds left.
Brooklyn had a lapse in their coverage and left Hugo Gonzalez wide open from three and he drilled it to tie the game at 118 as we headed to double overtime.
Double overtime was all over the place. Everyone was tired and Amari Williams, who did not play until the last minute of overtime, played the entire period. He had an and-1 which was fun.
Boston survived and won the game 130-126. Pritchard led the team with 32 points while Brown had 27 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds, his 2nd triple-double of the season.
The Celtics shot 45% from the field and 43% from three, hitting 22 threes. The Nets shot 44% from the field and 29% from three. Boston’s next game is Saturday (yes, tomorrow) in Chicago at 8 EST as the Bulls retire Derrick Rose’s jersey.
ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) — Britain's Ethan Vernon won the dramatic fourth stage of the Tour Down Under cycle race Saturday which was shortened because of high temperatures and which saw defending champion Jhonatan Narvaez forced to abandon the tour after crashing.
Narvaez's UAE Team Emirates teammate Jay Vine of Australia retains a lead of more than a minute on general classification ahead of the final stage of the tour on Sunday.
Saturday's 176-kilometer (109-mile) stage was supposed to favor climbers, finishing with three grueling ascents of Old Wilunga Hill.
Instead, the stage was reduced to 131 kilometers (81 miles) as temperatures soared over 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) and the final climbs were removed because of the extreme fire risk on the bush-clad hill.
The stage ended in a bunch sprint on a long, slow rise to Wilunga township which Vernon (NSN Cycling Team) won from Tobias Lund Andresen (Decathlon CMA CGM Team) of Denmark and Laurence Pithie (Bora Hansgrohe) of New Zealand.
“Considering the stage wasn't meant to be (a sprint) 24 hours ago, to turn around and do that ... was outrageous,” Vernon said. "I was sitting there feeling quite comfy with 250 meters to go, so I went and I got a gap and held it to the line.
“Everyone was suffering in the heat but the boys did a really good job of keeping me cool. I saw guys suffering and I kept it calm because I wasn't suffering in the heat.”
Vine and Narvaez were first and second on general classification coming into the fourth stage, 1 minute, 5 seconds ahead of their nearest rival. At the end of the stage, Vine led by 1 minute, 3 seconds from Mauro Schmid (Team Jayco Alula) of Switzerland with Harry Sweeney (EF Education EasyPost) a further nine seconds back.
The final stage Sunday will be an undulating one, covering 169 kilometers (105 miles).
The race suffered a major shock when Narvaez crashed early Saturday and was ruled out of the tour on medical advice. A second crash with 84 kilometers (52 miles) remaining split the peleton and caused the withdrawal of another UAE rider.
After an early break Matthew Greenwood and Luke Plapp of Australia and Remy Cavagna of France stayed away from the peleton for most of the stage, leading by up to 2 minutes, 30 seconds.
Plapp started the stage 1 minute, 57 seconds behind Vine and that advantage made him the overall leader on the road at times. Cavagna dropped off with around 48 kilometers (29 miles) to ride and Greenwood and Plapp finally were caught 23.7 kilometers (14 miles) from the finish.
The Brooklyn Nets had nowhere to go but up on Friday night. Not that it wasn’t obviously, but everyone knew it, and seemed focused on it.
“Just bounce back,” said Michael Porter Jr. at practice this afternoon. “Be ready to play tonight and move on.”
“It’s about how you respond,” Fernández added pregame. “Obviously you don’t like to feel embarrassed. It was a tough feeling, but we were out there together and the best thing you can do is yesterday, watch some film, talk to each other, get some work done this morning, do it again and go out there and respond as a group…Once again, how you respond is how you should be judged.”
Indeed, Brooklyn responded, and went up, but not past the visiting Boston Celtics.
The Nets began the game in a familiar position — down several possessions. Brooklyn started 1-6 from the field, seating us for what seemed like a sequel to the MSG Massacre. But thankfully, the Egor Dëmin x Drake Powell backcourt stepped in to cut the film’s funding. The rookie duo, starting together for the third time this season, put in 12 points in the first to give us our first quarter of competitive Nets basketball since Monday.
By the end of the night, everyone would be talking about Brooklyn’s third rookie guard, but more on that later…
Boston battled Brooklyn’s youth with their ball movement, assisting on seven of 10 made field goals in the first, but also spent much of the period hunting Nolan Traoré switches with Jaylen Brown. Brooklyn did a solid job timing their help to assist the rook, holding Brown to a 2-7 shooting start. However, they couldn’t win every battle against the recently donned All-Star starter, especially with the officials seemingly on his side…
Entire Nets bench and coaching staff went nuts after Jaylen Brown fended off Ziaire Williams here in the first…No call. pic.twitter.com/rjfKkKguEL
That said, the Nets went into the second quarter tied with Boston and eventually leapt out to a 46-39 lead. Traoré had his “get back” with seven points in just under seven minutes during the period. The speedster’s aggression wore off on his teammates as well, as the Nets outscored their rival 8-0 on the break in the first half.
But in the second, all other Brooklyn highlights naturally belonged to the Junior. MPJ looked to respond tonight from a team and individual standpoint following a 4-14 shooting night from the field vs New York. In the subsequent period, he added six points while shooting 2-3 from the field. By halftime, he had already surpassed his scoring output from the Knick game, leading the Nets with 13 points while shooting 4-6 from the field and 2-3 from deep. He also dished three assists, including this magnet to Nic Claxton…
I’m hesitant to call third-year Claxton “prime” with him being just 26 years old, but he looked like that version of himself at the defensive end tonight. Clax showed little-to-no issue keeping up with guards after switching and could often be seen swatting at the ball like a that middle-aged guy at your local pickleball court who takes the game way too seriously. He went into the half with only six points, yet two assists and two blocks. He finished with an 18/9/4 line.
“They kept going at me,” Claxton said postgame. “They kept trying to isolate me, so that’s good. When a team was trying to isolate me, that’s good, and we just forced tough shots for him down the stretch.”
But in true Mazzulla Ball form, Boston shot 38.3% on field goals in the first, but 47.8% from three, and gave Brooklyn a 55-49 lead to start the third. The Nets maintained that advantage almost the entire period, running an offense on fumes such as Claxton iso attacks vs Neemias Queta (which rendered mixed results) and backdoor cuts from Ziaire Williams. The wheels momentarily fell off after Hugo Gonzalez picked Cam Thomas’ pocket and went coast to coast, putting Boston back in front 74-73 with 2:32 to go in the third, but the Nets rebounded to carry an 81-78 lead into the fourth.
There, neither team’s start looked like anything you’d build a highlight reel around, but would fire up a bipartisan crowd. Using that word to describe tonight’s fan attendance tonight is being generous, but that’s neither here nor there. Eight of the fourth period’s first 15 points were second chance, including all five of Brooklyn’s buckets.
Nolan Traore splashes this one from deep. He's shooting 45.5% on 3Ps in his last six games including tonight. pic.twitter.com/d6Lb07uhix
Finding a Boston bunker with that grenade, Traoré finished the night with 21 points while shooting 7-13 from the field and 2-4 from deep, continuing his solid play since coming over from Long Island.
“His ability to touch the paint and how slippery he is, that was the reason why I put him there,” Fernández. “There’s some mistakes and we need him to be the floor general and talk and use his voice, but he’s going to grow that voice and I’m going to trust him.”
Traoré took a seat at the 4:41 mark of the fourth and Boston back ahead, but then reentered the game as the Nets closed with a rather curious lineup featuring him, Williams, Porter Jr., Clowney, and Claxton.
That gamble didn’t get Fernández back up on the Boston house by the end of the fourth, but it did get him even, and able to play another round…
Soon after coming in, Traoré hit another jumper, this one inside the arc, that made it a five point game with about a minute left in the fourth. Two stops and two made free throws from Clowney later, and the Nets had the ball down three with 27 seconds to play. Traoré again finished the next possession, though this time with an assist to Claxton, who made it a 103-102 game with 11 seconds to play.
That kicked off the foul game, and with Anfernee Simons splitting his attempts at the line, the Nets possessed the ball again down two. Porter Jr. clanked the potential game-winner, but once again, Claxton was there, cleaning up the possession and sending the Nets to their second overtime game this month.
The extra period was exactly as you’d expect one to look between two teams who just put in a gritty 48 minutes. Both squads combined to begin it 3-12 from the field. All seemed lost after the Nets missed four shots on one possession while down the same amount, but an ill-timed quick trigger three from Brown reopened the door, and the Nets crawled back through it.
The next two times down the floor, Claxton finished an alley-oop and Clowney splashed his third three of the ball game, miraculously giving the Nets a one point lead with under a minute to go.
Then, it was Brooklyn’s turn to play the foul game. They couldn’t do it cleanly either, and it bit them in the end.
Traoré took care of business first, nailing each of his attempts at the line. Ziaire Williams then appeared to close the client call, hitting both his shots to put the Nets up five with seven seconds to go.
However, next time down, Payton Pritchard hit a quick strike three to keep his team alive. Traoré again found himself at the line with a chance to extend the lead late, but went one of two, giving Boston the ball back, down three, and with 2.5 seconds to play with. Of course, Gonzalez used that final grain of sand in our second hourglass to tie things up again…
“He was just wide open,” a dumbfounded Claxton said postgame. “He was wide open. He hit the shot…I guess I’m confused. I gotta watch it. I’m confused. I don’t know how it got so open. That’s in the corner. I don’t know. I don’t know. I can’t give you an answer for that.”
Porter Jr. seemed to find an extra wind in our next five minutes of free hoops, dropping six in the frame, but Boston controlled it one nonetheless. Timely finishes from Pritchard and Brown, leveraging around an over-helping and understandably tired Net defense, kept Brooklyn apart until the closing seconds (we’re almost done, I promise).
Brooklyn had a shot to apply pressure one last time, with the ball and down four, but ran out of late game fairy dust. A final miss from Porter Jr. at long last introduced us to the end of the game, and perhaps Brooklyn’s best loss of the season. At least in this building, this year, those are of high value.
“I’m proud of the basketball we played, the competitiveness,” Fernández said. “We got better today, and that’s what’s most important.”
Heck, it sure was a fun ride too.
Final: Boston Celtics 130, Brooklyn Nets 126
Injury Report
Despite the extra run time, the Nets got away tonight relatively clean. However, Nic Claxton did sustain a pinky injury.
“It’s sore,” he said. “I really don’t know. I have to get X-rays and MRIs, so I don’t know. It is sore though. It was just locking up, so I just put some tape on it.”
We’ll make sure to update as we find out more.
Milestone Watch
With his second 3-pointer in the first quarter against Boston, Egor Dëmin tied Bojan Bogdanović for the second most games with multiple 3PM by a rookie in franchise history (24). The franchise record is held by Kerry Kittles (50 such games in 1996-97).
Traoré 21 points tonight are a career-high.
This was Brooklyn’s first double-overtime game since January 20. 2021 at Cleveland and their first at Barclays Center since December 26, 2018 vs. Charlotte
Tank Watch
It was a good night for the tank … excuse me, playing the probabilities. Two teams above the Nets in the Tankathon rankings — the Pelicans (who owes their first to the Hawks) and the Pacers — both won as did the two teams below the Nets — the Jazz and the Hornets. The bottom line: Brooklyn is still in fifth and still a game and a half (and three games in the loss column) behind the Kings. They are closer to the third pick but still two and a half games back.
Next Up
No NBA team has a better record than the Los Angeles Clippers since December 23rd. No NBA team needed it more, with Los Angeles among the basement dwellers earlier in the year and in danger of giving the champs a lottery pick. They’ve still got a long way to go, but they’re back in the race at 20-24. Nets vs Clippers tips on Sunday at 9:00 p.m. ET.
