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Warriors’ injury woes get even worse in loss to Timberwolves

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Gui Santos #15 of the Golden State Warriors drives to the basket against a Minnesota Timberwolves player, Image 2 shows Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves drives to the basket during a basketball game

SAN FRANCISCO — The Warriors were already beaten-up heading into their matchup with the Timberwolves, and by the close of the first quarter, they had lost Draymond Green and Al Horford, too.

Slowing down Anthony Edwards turned from a difficult task to an impossible one for the undersized and undermanned Warriors in a 127-117 loss that got out of hand early.

Edwards feasted for 42 points, including a dozen at the foul line. Rudy Gobert sank eight of 10 free-throw attempts to finish with 18 as Golden State struggled to handle Minnesota’s size, speed and physicality, falling behind by as many as 25 points early in the second half.

The Warriors were already beaten-up heading into their matchup with the Timberwolves. NBAE via Getty Images
Slowing down Anthony Edwards turned from a difficult task to an impossible one. NBAE via Getty Images

The uncompetitive loss — and the worsening injury issues — spoiled what could have been a positive turn on the health front as Kristaps Porzingis suited up for the third time in four games. Making his first start, the 7-foot-3 center trailed only Brandin Podziemski (25) with 20 points and offered some of their only resistance against the Timberwolves’ onslaught in the paint.

The spot in the starting five was only available after Green was ruled out about an hour before tipoff. Horford, Seth Curry and Quinten Post also left the game and didn’t return. 

“We’re going through it, for sure,” coach Steve Kerr said. “But you saw how hard the guys played. … Can’t ask anything more of our players right now. We’re about as beaten-up as any team I can ever remember.”

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What it means

One team was going to snap out of a skid, and it turned out to be the Timberwolves. Minnesota cruised to its first win in four games, while the Warriors’ losing streak reached a season-long four games.

Turning point

When Horford was ruled out for the remainder of the game late in the first quarter.

The veteran 6-foot-8 big man started alongside Porzingis, and it looked at first as if the Warriors would be able to counter the size of Timberwolves’ four starters at 6-foot-9 or taller.

Horford was ruled out for the remainder of the game late in the first quarter. AP

That went out the window as soon as Horford’s right calf tightened up during his first stint on the court. With Porzingis still limited to 19 minutes, the Warriors ended up asking 6-foot-7 Gui Santos to play center for much of the fourth quarter after Post exited with a sprained left ankle.

“My only goal was just trying to take Rudy out of the way so that somebody else could grab the rebound,” Santos said. “But then you look and there’s two more guys that are really tall that are trying to fight for the rebound. It’s tough when you lose all that size.”

Minnesota bullied its way to a 52-40 edge in the paint, 23 points on 26 attempts from the foul line and 55 rebounds to the Warriors’ 45.

MVP: Anthony Edwards

Ant was unstoppable at all three levels. He facilitated easy early buckets for Gobert and Julius Randle before taking over himself, getting to the rim just as easily as he would cross over and step back beyond the arc.

Edwards finished a perfect 12-for-12 from the foul line and 13-of-22 from the field. He finished four times in the paint, found the bottom of the net five times from the mid-range and connected on four 3-pointers.

“As a defense, I think league-wide, you would be OK giving up the majority of the shots that he took,” said Podziemski, calling him a top-five player in the NBA. “Him and Shae (Gilgous-Alexander) and Kawhi (Leonard) are kind of on that level where the shots you would give up to anybody else, you probably don’t want to give up to them, and he hit a bunch of those.”

The Warriors entered halftime down by 21, 69-48, as Minnesota outscored them 38-20 in the second quarter. But they used a run of their own late in the third quarter and into the fourth to cut the deficit to single digits, 112-104 with 7:01 to play.

Edwards immediately put a stop to things with consecutive 3-pointers. Golden State wouldn’t get any closer than 10 points the rest of the way.

That went out the window as soon as Horford strained his right calf during his first stint on the court. Getty Images

Stat of the game: 65.4%

Whether it was Edwards or anyone else, the Timberwolves got whatever they wanted inside the arc against a Warriors team that played long stretches of the game with only Post or Porzingis as their only player on the court taller than 6-foot-5.

Minnesota converted 34 of its 52 two-point field goals for a success rate of 65.4%. That opened things up from beyond the perimeter, where the Timberwolves also outshot the Warriors (40% to 31.3%)

All in all, Golden State clearly felt the absences pile up.

Up next

The Warriors head to the East Coast to begin a six-game road trip Sunday against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Steph Curry (knee) will miss at least the first portion of the trip, and coach Steve Kerr said before the game he wasn’t sure if Curry would travel with the team.

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Anthony Edwards’ 42 points lead Timberwolves to 127-117 win against undermanned Warriors

NBA: Minnesota Timberwolves at Golden State Warriors

Mar 13, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) dribbles the ball next to Golden State Warriors guard De’Anthony Melton (8) in the first quarter at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Anthony Edwards scored 42 points and the Minnesota Timberwolves held off the injury-plagued Golden State Warriors 127-117 on Friday night.

Edwards shot 13 for 22, made all 12 of his free throws and also had eight rebounds and five assists, while Rudy Gobert contributed 18 points and nine rebounds in what coach Chris Finch considered a must-win game. The Wolves snapped a three-game skid — all of those double-digit defeats, including 153-128 at the Clippers on Wednesday — following a five-game winning streak.

Gui Santos’ 3-pointer followed by a dunk by Malevy Leons cut Minnesota’s lead to 109-102 with 8:37 left but Golden State couldn’t do much more.

Brandin Podziemski scored 25 points for the Warriors, who scratched Draymond Green less than an hour before tipoff because of a lower back injury. Kristaps Porzingis moved into the starting lineup in his place as the Warriors used their 33rd different starting five, and it was Porzingis’ first start since being acquired by Golden State at the trade deadline from Atlanta. He finished with 20 points.

After Porzingis’ step-back jumper with 9:57 left in the second quarter, Minnesota responded with a 17-4 run.

Golden State lost big man Al Horford for the night in the first quarter because of right calf tightness, then Seth Curry exited in the second half with tightness in his left inner thigh.

Older brother Stephen Curry — who turns 38 on Saturday — missed his 16th straight game and will be out until at least next weekend. It marked the seventh time this season Golden State was without the trio of Jimmy Butler, who is recovering from ACL surgery on his right knee, Curry and Green.

The Warriors lost their fourth straight, fourth in a row at home and sixth of seven. They dropped to 9-18 without Curry overall this season and 5-11 during his recent stretch out.

Up next

Timberwolves: At Oklahoma City on Sunday to conclude a four-game road stretch.

Warriors: Visit the New York Knicks on Sunday to begin a six-game road trip.

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Utah Jazz vs. Portland Trail Blazers: Recap and Final Score

PORTLAND, OREGON - MARCH 13: Brice Sensabaugh #28 of the Utah Jazz celebrates after making a three point basket during the first half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on March 13, 2026 in Portland, Oregon. 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 Soobum Im/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Utah Jazz came up short against the Portland Trail Blazers, with a final score of 114-124.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver was in attendance tonight to watch 10-day contract players Bez Mbeng and Andersson Garcia promote pro-competitive play. Thankfully for the Commissioner, and the Jazz’s pocketbooks, none of Utah’s stars played tonight.

Tongue-in-cheek comments aside, Utah’s end-of-rotaion players played surprisingly well tonight. Facing off against Portland’s A-team, the Jazz stayed within striking distance largely off the back of fast-paced, high-effort play. Utah was led by Brice Sensabaugh, who ended the night with 31 points on 12-20 from the field. This marks three-straight games of 20+ points for the third-year guard. Cody Williams finished with a career-high 19 points, 14 of which came in the first half.

Mbeng and Garcia, both experiencing the first NBA minutes of their careers, were tremendous on defense. Both had two steals, were quick in rotations, and had active hands. But most of all, they showed great effort on that side of the ball, something Utah’s youth have struggled significantly at times. Isaiah Collier finished the night with 17 points and 9 assists, but on only 6-15 from the field.

The Trail Blazers were led by 25 points apiece from Jrue Holiday and Scoot Henderson. Donovan Clingan dominated the paint, finishing with 21 points and 15 rebounds.

Utah continues its roadtrip against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday.

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Kimi Antonelli takes historic pole for F1’s Chinese GP after George Russell’s sprint race win

  • Italian takes advantage of Mercedes teammate’s technical trouble

  • Lewis Hamilton third in qualifying and sprint race for Ferrari

There was an inescapable sense of joy and satisfaction for Kimi Antonelli as he became the youngest pole sitter in Formula One history. Tellingly, there was an air of vindication from his Mercedes principal, Toto Wolff, as the teenage protege came good when it mattered by claiming the top spot for the Chinese Grand Prix.

The Italian took pole by beating his older and more experienced teammate George Russell into second, albeit after the Briton endured a technical problem in Q3 and had time to set only one quick lap.

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We snooze, they lose: M’s fall to Dodgers, 10-7

PEORIA, ARIZONA - MARCH 13: Brock Rodden #90 of the Seattle Mariners turns a double play in the third inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the spring training game at Peoria Stadium on March 13, 2026 in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) | Getty Images

In the preview, I noted that Kade Anderson would face a real test with the top third of the Dodgers lineup tonight, and his results were like my typical attempts to pick up women: 0 for 3. Miguel Rojas led off with a double off the 410 marker on the centerfield wall. Anderson then tried to avoid the middle of the zone against Kyle Tucker, but ended up avoiding the zone entirely, with a five-pitch walk. Teoscar Hernandez put the cap on it by going yard to right field. Anderson picked up the next three outs, but, even then, he was consistently missing arm-side. His velo’s up a bit from his first outing, but this was the first time he looked simply overmatched.

He settled down a bit in the second, punching out Nick Senzel on a Bugs Bunny changeup and Eliezer Alfonso on a fastball. Anderson’s third inning was shaping up to be another rough one when he walked Tucker again, but Brandon Donovan cleaned it up with a very quick-handed double play, and Anderson completed his day with his third strikeout, this time on a 94-mph fastball. While he looked less impressive than his first couple outings, I still came away pleased, as he never seemed to lose his composure even as things were going off the rails in the first. A guy in his third pro game got beat by some of the Dodgers’ everyday players; that’s hardly cause for concern.

The bottom of the Mariners’ lineup tried to back him up a bit with a rally in the second where back-to-back doubles from Rhylan Thomas and my boy Brock Rodden tied the game up at three. But that was just about all the bats did all night other than when they drew three free passes off Blake Treinen in the fifth, but they couldn’t cash any of those runs in.

The middle of the Mariners bullpen was the most impressive contingent tonight, with Carlos Vargas and Jose Ferrer recording six outs on 33 pitches with five pieces of weak contact and a strikeout. The strikeout was the separator between them that secures Ferrer tonight’s Sun Hat Award for making a notable individual contribution to the game. The pair’s competence was a welcome reprieve from Gabe Speier surrendering a home run to Bo Naylor in the WBC. You’ll forgive me for being too distraught to follow the rest of the Mariners game closely.

It wasn’t as if I was missing much. The sixth inning saw a bizarre face-off between Kyle Tucker and Robinson Ortiz (who I always think of as “Robinson Ortiz, Caribbean fusion,” a phrase that lives in my head rent-free). We got an ABS challenge that overturned a call, followed by a pitch-clock violation, followed by a monster home run. Our beautiful game.

Robinson Ortiz, Caribbean fusion couldn’t find the zone after that and got pulled before recording an out. Tyler Cleveland came in to relieve him, so we got to hear another team’s broadcast booth marvel at his funky delivery. Despite walking his first batter, Cleveland looked pretty good, right up to the point that he gave up a three-run home run. Although that ball was barely fair and barely over the wall, it brought the score to 9-3, and a couple batters later, the second base umpire had to call a runner out when he was safe just to make it all stop.

They played three more innings because the rules mandate they must. But as a special reward for those who stayed all the way to the end, Colt Emerson hit a three-run home run when the game was one strike away from being over.

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Another trio of home runs power Dodgers over Mariners 10-7

Feb 24, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Kyle Tucker against the Cleveland Guardians during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Dodgers poured it on with a six-run sixth against the Mariners in a 10-7 Cactus League win in Peoria Friday night. Yency Almonte nearly blew the victory with a three-run ninth, but the cushion the Dodgers created early kept them ahead.

The warm night in Arizona helped three home run balls fly high for the Dodgers. Teoscar Hernandez homered in back-to-back nights for the Dodgers. Kyle Tucker hit his first home run in Dodger Blue. James Tibbs III also hit a three-run shot for his third spring homer.

Miguel Rojas didn’t waste any time with a booming leadoff double to deep center field. Rojas took advantage of some lazy defense by Seattle and swiped third base. Tucker drew a walk, and Hernandez flexed his power with a three-run shot before the first out of the game was recorded.

Knack pitched a solid inning in the first, but the Mariners made him work in the second.

The former 2020 second-round pick is vying for a spot in the rotation for the Dodgers. He’s only entering his second big-league season as a 28-year old. Knack pitched consecutively this spring training while Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are away with Japan in the World Baseball Classic.

The early-season injury to Blake Snell and Gavin Stone’s shoulder issues give Knack the opportunity. While Knack and Blake Treinen both struggled in a spring loss to the Rockies last week, Knack made more promising contact in his last outing.

Rhylan Thomas attacked a changeup from Knack to make it a 3-2 game in the bottom of the third with a two-run double. Brock Rodden got a hold of a fastball to tie the game with a RBI double.

Knack struck out four batters in two innings of work, but he also allowed three runs on three hits with a walk.

The aforementioned Treinen came in to pitch in the fifth inning with the 3-3 tie still intact. He didn’t instill much confidence by walking the first two batters he faced. It took 30 pitches in the inning, but Treinen pitched around three walks to escape with the game still tied.

Tucker broke the tie in the top of the sixth with his first home run of the spring with the Dodgers. The tie-breaker was a solo shot off reliever Robinson Ortiz.

The Dodgers collected their fifth and sixth run thanks to a Santiago Espinal infield single and Nick Senzel force out that brought home Michael Siani. The Dodgers kept pouring it on in the sixth. Tibbs III picked up his third home run this spring to make it 9-3.

Ben Casparius walked two batters in the seventh before he was replaced by Matt Lanzendorfer for his Cactus League debut. The left-hander, drafted out of the University of Virginia, walked two and allowed a run. He also picked up his first strikeout in Dodger Blue.

 Yency Almonte swept back right into our lives when he returned to the mound for the Dodgers in the ninth inning. This would be his second stint with the team as he fights for a roster spot.

Down to their last strike, Colt Emerson hit a three-run shot for the Mariners. Almonte looked terrible, but he had enough cushion and was able to close up shop and secure the spring win. The Dodgers are now 14-6 in Cactus League play.

Up next

The Dodgers and White Sox, roomies, battle each other for the final time this spring at Camelback Ranch at 1:05 p.m. PT on SportsNet LA. Justin Wrobleski starts for the Dodgers and Mike Vasil for Chicago.

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Columbus Blue Jackets (77 pts) vs. Philadelphia Flyers (73 pts) Game Preview

The Columbus Blue Jackets are on the road to play the Philadelphia Flyers tonight at 7 PM.   

Philadelphia Flyers - 31-23-11 - 73 Points - 6-3-1 in the last 10 - Won 2 - 5th in the Metro

Columbus Blue Jackets - 33-21-11 - 77 Points - 5-1-4 in the last 10 - OTL 1 - 4th in the Metro  

Team Notes Per CBJ PR

  • Columbus stretched its points streak to a season-high eight games (4-0-4) after picking up a point in a 2-1 OT loss at Florida on Thursday. The club has also earned points in 19 of its last 21 contests since Jan. 11 (15-2-4).
  • The Blue Jackets, who are in a stretch of six-of-nine games played away from Nationwide Arena from Mar. 10-26, rank second in the league in points pct. on the road since Jan. 11 (.833; 7-1-1 in nine contests).
  • Since Dec. 22, CBJ are tied for the least regulation losses with a 19-6-5 record (43 pts, .717 points pct.), and rank second-T in the NHL in points, third in points pct., seventh in goals-against/game (2.77) as well as 10th in goals for/game (3.47).
  • The Jackets play three-straight and five of six games against Metropolitan Division opponents from Mar. 14-24 and enter Friday's contests two points shy of Pittsburgh and the NY Islanders for second and third in the division.

Player Notes Per CBJ PR

  • Charlie Coyle registered points in seven-straight games (1-8-9) prior to the contest at Florida. He has posted 30-plus assists and 50 or more points for the third time in his 14-year career (16-35-51 in 65 GP).
  • Adam Fantilli notched the club's lone goal on Thursday, has collected points in eight of the last ten games (6-5-11) and has posted 7-9-16 in the past 15 contests since Jan. 24.
  • Jet Greaves has earned points in each of his last 10 starts since Jan. 11 (8-0-2, 2.55 GAA in 11 GP), while G Elvis Merzlikins has recorded points in nine of his past 11 starts over that span (7-2-2, 2.54 GAA in 12 GP).
  • Mason Marchment collected an assist on Thursday and has tallied 11-9-20 in 23 games with the Blue Jackets.
  • Kirill Marchenko, who had his six-game points streak (4-5-9) snapped on Thursday, has posted points in 11 of his past13 contests since Jan. 24 (6-9-15).
  • Zach Werenski has collected points in 24 of his past 28 games played since Dec. 11 (11-27-38, 12 multi-point efforts) andsits two points shy of his second-straight 70-point campaign (20-48-68, 58 GP).

Blue Jackets Stats

  • Power Play - 20.3% - 18th in the NHL
  • Penalty Kill - 77.1% - 24th in the NHL
  • Goals For - 182 - 24th in the NHL
  • Goals Against - 206 - 23rd in the NHL 

Flyers Stats

  • Power Play - 15.5% - 32nd in the NHL
  • Penalty Kill - 78.0% - 22nd in the NHL
  • Goals For - 191 - 18th in the NHL
  • Goals Against - 200 - 16th in the NHL

Series History vs. TheFlyers   

  • Columbus is 30-19-3-4 all-time, and 12-13-1-2 on the road vs. Philadelphia.
  • Columbus has won three-straight in the series and collected points in the past four meetings since Dec. 21, 2024 (3-0-1).
  • The Jackets have also earned points in six of the last seven meetings dating back to Jan. 4, 2024 (5-1-1).
  • CBJ have earned points in their last three visits to Xfinity Mobile Arena (2-0-1) and nine of the past 13 road contests since Mar. 15, 2018 (7-4-2).
  • Three of the last five games played at Xfinity Mobile Arena have been decided after regulation (2-OT, 1-SO).
  • The winning team has won by multiple goals in consecutive meetings and six of the past nine since Oct. 12, 2023.
  • The clubs have combined for seven or more goals in four of the past six games at Philadelphia and six-plus in 10 of thelast 13 meetings in the state of Pennsylvania.
  • The Jackets have not relinquished a power play goal in the last four meetings dating back to Dec. 21, 2024 (13-of-13).
  • The teams have averaged 59.0 shots combined over the past four meetings at Philadelphia.

Who To Watch For TheFlyers

  • Travis Konecny leads the Flyers with 24 goals, 34 assists, and 58 points.
  • Trevor Zegras has 54 points on the year.
  • Goalie Dan Vladar is 21-11-6 with a SV% of .904.

CBJ Player Notes vs.Flyers

  • Charlie Coyle has 22 points in 34 games vs. the Flyers.
  • Zach Werenski has 21 career points against Philadelphia.
  • Boone Jenner has 14 goals and 20 points in his career against the Flyers.

Injured Reserve

  • Brendan Smith - Lower Body - Missed 27 Games IR - Out for the rest of the regular season.

TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 172 

How to Watch & Listen: Tonight's game will be on FANDUEL SPORTS NETWORK. The radio broadcast will be on 97.1 The Fan, with Bob McElligott behind the mic doing the play-by-play.  

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Dusty Baker, Juan Soto believe Albert Pujols should already have MLB manager job: ‘Right now’

Dominican Republic manager Albert Pujols (5) watches from the dugout during the sixth inning against the Netherlands.
Dominican Republic manager Albert Pujols (5) watches from the dugout against the Netherlands during the sixth inning at loanDepot Park.

It’s been speculated that Albert Pujols could manage in the MLB — but some people in the game believe he should already have a gig in the big leagues.

Pujols, who is the Dominican Republic’s skipper in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, was in the mix for multiple MLB managing jobs this offseason, but they ultimately fell through.

Given Pujols’ stellar playing career, questions have arisen if he could translate that greatness to the managerial level.

Dominican Republic manager Albert Pujols watches from the dugout during the sixth inning of their win over the Netherlands at loanDepot Park. Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Longtime skipper Dusty Baker said he thinks that the transition would be easy for the 11-time All-Star.

“It shouldn’t be someday. He should be managing right now,” Baker, who managed Nicaragua in the WBC, told The Athletic this week. “There are a lot of guys that are managing that don’t have the experience on the field of Albert Pujols. I didn’t have much experience either. I coached for a while, and then I had experience in the fall league.

“There are a lot of guys in the game that don’t have the experience that Albert Pujols has, that don’t have the knowledge that Albert Pujols has or don’t have the respect from the players.”

Juan Soto, who is playing under Pujols during this year’s tournament, told reporters that the former first baseman is a pleasure to have in the clubhouse, saying that he “understands how we feel.”

Dominican Republic pitcher Abner Uribe is taken out of the game by manager Albert Pujols during the ninth inning of their win against Venezuela at loanDepot Park. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“It’s truly incredible having a legend like Albert in the clubhouse, leading every single one of us as our manager,” Juan Soto told reporters in Spanish, according to ESPN. “He’s been in our shoes and truly understands how we feel, how the pieces move on the field, every swing we take, every decision we make.

“He’s right there with us through it all, and that makes it something truly special and beautiful.”

During the offseason, Pujols was in talks about managerial openings with the Angels — whom he spent 10 seasons playing for — along with the Padres and Orioles.

Dominican Republic manager Albert Pujols walks on the field during the third inning of their win over the Netherlands on March 8, 2026, in Miami. AP
The WBC bracket after the first quarterfinal round games. New York Post

Each team went in a different direction, however, and Pujols admits that he still doesn’t “know everything” when it comes to managing a club.

“I had managers such as Tony La Russa, Dave Roberts, Joe Maddon, Oli Marmol, Hall of Famers,” Pujols said, according to The Athletic. “You learn a lot from them. … This is something that I have been developing, and I have the chance to go to the stadium and learn something new every day.

“I don’t think that, just because I have been here for 23 years, I know everything. Every time I come to the stadium, I have this open mindset to learn, and I will learn with every play and go back to the hotel thinking, ‘Well, I could have done this a different way.’”

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NBA Commissioner Silver visits Portland after passage of bill to help fund arena renovations

PORTLAND, Ore (AP) — NBA Commissioner Adam Silver attended the Portland Trail Blazers' game against the Utah Jazz on Friday night following the Oregon Legislature's approval of funds for the renovation of the Moda Center.

State lawmakers passed the measure last week that gives the state joint ownership of the Moda Center with the city and provides a mechanism to secure $365 million for renovation of the 30-year-old building.

The legislative effort comes amid the sale of the Blazers by Paul Allen's estate to a group led by Tom Dundon, owner of the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes. It helped allay fears that the new ownership might move the team out of Portland.

During his visit to Portland, Silver met with local officials about the next steps. He noted that Moda Center is not just home to the Blazers, but it will also be home to the expansion Portland Fire in the WNBA.

“I’ve had great conversations with the governor and the mayor, and it’s been a bipartisan effort,” Silver said. “I think everyone in this community recognizes that, even in addition to the Trail Blazers and the Fire — and we can’t forget about the Fire, which are about to open this season — that these arenas are multiuse facilities, whether it’s conventions or trade shows, concerts, graduations, you name it. They’re part of the life blood of communities. So it’s not just for the Trail Blazers and the Fire. You need a state of the art arena here.”

Silver made the comments in an interview posted by the Blazers. He did not speak to reporters at the game.

The Blazers have maintained that the arena needed renovation to attract big events, like the NBA All-Star Game and future NCAA Tournament games. The estimated total cost of the project is $600 million.

“You need a state-of-the-art arena here. And the Moda Center has become probably the oldest building in the league. There may be a building or two that are older, but have already gone through significant renovations,” Silver said. “So you know that this work needs to be done, not just for the basketball teams in town, but for all those events, and because I know, on behalf the economy of Portland, you guys have lost out on some big events because this arena hasn’t been updated in a long time. So it’s just work that needs to get done. But it seems like the spirit is there.”

Allen's estate has already agreed to the terms of the sale to Dundon. The NBA Board of Governors was expected to approve the sale later this month.

___

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

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Carson Benge keeps making his Mets case with another run-scoring hit

New York Mets right fielder Carson Benge (93) hitting an RBI single against the Washington Nationals during the fifth inning of a Spring Training game.
Mar 13, 2026; West Palm Beach, Florida, USA; New York Mets right fielder Carson Benge (93) hits and RBI single against the Washington Nationals during the fifth inning hits at...

Observations from Mets spring training on Friday:

Steady Benge

Carson Benge went 1-for-4 with an RBI single in the Mets’ split squad 8-3 victory over the Nationals in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Benge, who is attempting to win the starting right field job, owns an .858 OPS this spring.

Carson Benge hits an RBI single during the Mets’ March 13 game. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Hudson plunge

Lefty reliever Bryan Hudson allowed two earned runs, two hits and one walk against the Nationals over two-thirds of an inning.

Hudson is competing for a bullpen spot.

Caught my eye

Clay Holmes induced eight groundouts over five innings in his relief appearance against the Marlins in Port St. Lucie.

Saturday’s schedule

Freddy Peralta is scheduled to face the Astros in West Palm Beach.

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Yankees News: Gerrit Cole focused as he continues comeback

TAMPA, FL - FEBRUARY 27: (EDITORS NOTE: This image has been converted to black and white) Gerrit Cole #45 of the New York Yankees works out during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field on February 27, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Athletic | Brendan Kuty: Having missed all of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, Gerrit Cole is on the comeback trail. The Athletic got a chance to shadow him as he worked out as part of his ongoing rehab, getting a look into the mad man — I say with affection — that is Gerrit Cole.

FanGraphs | Eric Longenhagen and Brendan Gawlowski: Spring training is always a time not only for players to get ready for their upcoming season, but also for us as fans to get a glimpse of the future. Here’s another look at some of that future with another set of Yankees’ prospect rankings, this time from FanGraphs.

New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: With their tall frames and nasty repertoires, Yankees’ prospect Carlos Lagrange gets a decent amount of comparisons to former Yankees’ relief ace Dellin Betances. However, Betances himself thinks Lagrange could be even better, and that he could do something that Betances couldn’t quite: stick as a major league starter.

ESPN | Jeff Passan: We’re entering the final weeks of spring training, which means plenty of people are starting to look ahead to the start to the action that counts. Here is a preview of 2026 for all 30 MLB teams from Jeff Passan, featuring some possible breakout stars, including one for the Yankees mentioned right above.

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Jaden Bradley’s buzzer-beater lifts Arizona past Iowa State 82-80 in Big 12 semis

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Arizona’s Jaden Bradley answered a tying 3-pointer by Iowa State guard Tamin Lipsey with a fall-away jumper at the buzzer, sending the second-ranked Wildcats to an 82-80 victory over the No. 7 Cyclones in the Big 12 Tournament semifinals Friday night.

Bradley finished with 15 points, and Anthony Dell’Orso matched a career-best with six 3-pointers and scored 26 points for the tournament’s top seed. The Wildcats (31-2) advanced to play fifth-ranked Houston in Saturday night’s championship game.

Ivan Kharchenkov also had 17 points for Arizona. Tobe Awaka added 10 points and 10 rebounds.

It looked as if the game was headed to overtime after Lipsey, who had been 1 for 10 from the field, drilled a 3-pointer from the wing with 15.2 seconds to go. Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd chose not to call a timeout and Bradley calmly walked the ball up the floor, then drove to his right and hit the winner before his teammates jumped from the bench on top of him.

Milan Momcilovic matched a career-high eight 3-pointers and scored 28 points for the No. 5 seed Cyclones (27-7). All-Big 12 forward Joshua Jefferson had 21 points, Killyan Toure added 12 and Lipsey finished with eight points and seven assists.

NO. 1 DUKE 73, CLEMSON 61

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Cameron Boozer had 24 points, 14 rebounds and five assists and Duke ran out to a 19-point halftime lead and held on to beat Clemson to advance to the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament championship game.

Cayden Boozer, who is starting for the injured Caleb Foster, set a career high with 16 points and Nikolas Khamenia chipped in with 14 points for the Blue Devils.

Duke (31-2) will play for its second straight ACC Tournament title and third in the last four years on Saturday night against No. 10 Virginia, an 84-62 winner over Miami in the other semifinal.

RJ Godfrey had 18 points for Clemson (24-10).

Cameron Boozer, the ACC player of the year, showed off his diverse skillset, scoring from the low post, mid-range and from deep where he knocked down three 3s. He even ran the point at times and was dominant on the boards, helping Duke outrebound Clemson 41-27.

NO. 3 MICHIGAN 71, OHIO ST. 67

CHICAGO (AP) — Aday Mara scored 13 of his 17 points in the second half, helping Michigan hold off Bruce Thornton and Ohio State for a victory in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals.

Elliot Cadeau had 15 points, seven assists and three steals for Michigan in its fifth consecutive win. Trey McKenney scored 12 points, and Morez Johnson Jr. finished with 11.

Mara anchored a strong defensive effort that shut down Ohio State in the final minutes. It was the first game of the tournament for the top-seeded Wolverines (30-2), while the Buckeyes (21-12) advanced with a 72-69 victory over Iowa on Thursday.

Michigan is going for its second straight Big Ten tourney title and fifth overall. It will face No. 23 Wisconsin on Saturday after the Badgers rallied for a 91-88 overtime win over No. 9 Illinois in the second quarterfinal of the day.

Thornton scored 22 points for Ohio State, and Devin Royal had 13. It was the Buckeyes’ third loss of the season against the Wolverines.

Ohio State grabbed its first lead of the game when Royal’s 3-pointer from the top of the key made it 61-60 with 5:40 left.

Mara’s layup lifted Michigan to a 67-64 advantage with 2:56 to go. Royal and Thornton then missed jumpers for Ohio State before Yaxel Lendeborg made a free throw for the Wolverines with 1:24 remaining.

The Buckeyes pulled within two on Royal’s two foul shots in the final seconds, but Lendeborg responded with two free throws to help close it out.

Lendeborg, the Big Ten player of the year, was held to six points. But he also had six assists and five rebounds.

NO. 4 FLORIDA 71, KENTUCKY 63

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Alex Condon scored 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, and Florida took the first step toward defending its Southeastern Conference Tournament title by beating Kentucky in the quarterfinals.

The Gators (26-6) never trailed and were tied only once while winning their 12th straight game. The regular-season SEC champions, who are seeking a sixth tournament title overall, will play No. 22 Vanderbilt in Saturday’s semifinals.

Thomas Haugh added 13 points for Florida, and Xaivian Lee had 11.

Kentucky (21-13) now has one more loss all-time (32) than titles (31) in this tournament. The ninth-seeded Wildcats played their third game in as many days after opening the tournament Wednesday morning, a first for a program that last won this event in 2018.

Denzel Aberdeen led Kentucky with 17 points, reserve Mouhamed Dioubate scored 14 and Otega Oweh added 10.

NO. 5 HOUSTON 69, NO. 14 KANSAS 47

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kingston Flemings scored 21 points, fellow freshman Chris Cenac Jr. had 17 points and 14 rebounds, and Houston rolled past poor-shooting and lackluster Kansas in the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament.

The second-seeded Cougars (28-5) held the third-seeded Jayhawks without a field goal for more than 10 minutes at point in the game, ultimately breezing into another championship matchup with second-ranked Arizona on Saturday night.

Houston beat the Wildcats 72-64 last year for its first Big 12 Tournament title.

Darryn Peterson had 14 points to lead the Jayhawks (23-10), who had beaten the Cougars in their only regular-season matchup. But the Jayhawks were a whole lot better that night in Allen Fieldhouse than they were at T-Mobile Center, where they were 6 for 31 from the field in the second half and shot 24.6% overall in their lowest-scoring game of the season.

NO. 6 UCONN 67, GEORGETOWN 51

NEW YORK (AP) — Braylon Mullins scored 15 of his 21 points in the first half, Jayden Ross hit a couple of momentum-stunting 3-pointers in the second, and UConn defeated Georgetown to set up a showdown of the top two seeds in the Big East Tournament final.

The second-seeded Huskies (29-4) will face regular-season conference champion and 13th-ranked St. John’s in the title game Saturday night after the Red Storm beat Seton Hall 78-68 in the other semifinal.

Like St. John’s, UConn has yet to trail in either of its first two games this week at Madison Square Garden. Mullins scored five of the team’s first seven points to go up 7-0, and the closest 11th-seeded Georgetown (16-18) got after that was down three at the 7 1/2-minute mark.

UConn led by 11 at halftime, despite not attempting a free throw to that point, and finished with assists on 21 of its 28 field goals. Without leading scorer KJ Lewis, who was ruled out for the season with a left ankle injury, the Hoyas were ultimately overmatched by a stacked opponent they played tight in January and again in February.

UCLA 88, NO. 8 MICHIGAN STATE 84

CHICAGO (AP) — Donovan Dent had 23 points and 12 assists, Trent Perry added 22 points and UCLA held off Michigan State in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals despite losing star Tyler Bilodeau to a leg injury.

Bilodeau had to be helped off the court late in the first half and spent the second on the sideline with his right knee wrapped. The Bruins led by 15 early in the second half and withstood several big pushes down the stretch to advance to a semifinal matchup with No. 18 Purdue, which beat No. 11 Nebraska 74-58.

They were clinging to an 82-80 lead when Brandon Williams scored on a fast-break layup to make it a four-point game with 25 seconds remaining. Carson Cooper made a layup for Michigan State with 12 seconds left. UCLA’s Trent Perry immediately answered with two free throws.

Jeremy Fears Jr. then drove for a layup to cut it to 86-84 with six seconds remaining. But Perry sealed the win with two free throws.

NO. 10 VIRGINIA 84, MIAMI 62

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Virginia beat Miami to advance to the ACC Tournament championship game for the first time since 2023.

Mailk Thomas scored nine of his 15 points in the second half for the Cavaliers, who improved to 29-4 under first-year coach Ryan Odom.

Tru Washington scored 13 points and Shelton Henderson added 12 for Miami, which shot just 39% from the field and was outrebounded 35-24.

Virginia broke open a tightly contested defensive game with a 13-2 run over the final 2:47 of the first half for a 38-23 lead at the break. Chance Mallory closed out the run with a running 3-pointer to beat the buzzer following a Miami turnover.

The Hurricanes never recovered.

The lead grew to 18 points six minutes into the second half as Miami struggled to find lanes to attack the basket against the taller Cavaliers. Miami couldn’t hit from deep, missing 10 of its first 11 shots from behind the 3-point line.

NO. 18 PURDUE 74, NO. 11 NEBRASKA 58

CHICAGO (AP) — Fletcher Loyer scored 19 points, Braden Smith collected 10 more assists and Purdue beat Nebraska in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals.

C.J. Cox and Oscar Cluff each had 12 points for the Boilermakers, and Trey Kaufman-Renn finished with 10 points and nine rebounds.

Smith set a Big Ten Tournament record and matched a career high with 16 assists in an 81-68 victory over Northwestern on Thursday. The senior guard needs 22 more assists to break Bobby Hurley’s NCAA record of 1,076 assists in 140 games for Duke from 1989-93.

Purdue (25-8) advanced to the Big Ten semifinals for the fourth time in the last five years, bouncing back nicely after closing the regular season with four losses in six games. It will play UCLA on Saturday.

Pryce Sandford scored 15 points for Nebraska, which dropped to 6-14 all-time in the Big Ten tourney. Rienk Mast finished with 11.

NO. 13 ST. JOHN'S 78, SETON HALL 68

NEW YORK (AP) — Zuby Ejiofor scored 20 points and St. John’s beat Seton Hall to reach the Big East Tournament title game for the second consecutive season.

Joson Sanon added 15 points off the bench for the defending champion Red Storm (27-6), who will face sixth-ranked and second-seeded UConn on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.

St. John’s, outright regular-season champions each of the past two years, has never won back-to-back Big East Tournament crowns. The program has advanced to the semifinals in all three seasons under Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino after failing to do so at all from 2001-23.

Bryce Hopkins had 13 points and seven rebounds for the Johnnies, who improved to 10-1 as the top seed in this event. Dillon Mitchell provided 13 points, six rebounds and five assists.

Budd Clark paced the fourth-seeded Pirates (21-12) with 17 points and 11 assists. Seton Hall was trying to reach the final for the first time since a 74-72 loss to Villanova in 2019.

St. John’s has won six straight matchups in the Hudson River rivalry, its longest streak since winning 15 in a row from 1982-88.

MISSISSIPPI 80, NO. 15 ALABAMA 79

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — AJ Storr scored 17 points, Ilias Kamardine added 16 and 15th-seeded Mississippi upset second-seeded Alabama in the Southeastern Conference Tournament quarterfinals.

Mississippi (15-19) won for the third time in three days in the tournament after losing 12 of the final 13 regular-season games. The Rebels advanced to the semifinals Saturday against the winner of the final quarterfinal matchup between No. 17 Arkansas and Oklahoma.

Labaron Philon led Alabama (23-9) with 28 points. Aden Holloway added 18 points and Aiden Sherrell had 14. Philon was five for seven from 3-point range and shot 9 of 16 overall.

Philon cut Mississippi’s lead to a point with two free throws with 13.4 seconds remaining. Mississippi’s Eduardo Klafke missed the front end of a 1-and-1 with 9.4 seconds remaining. Alabama went the other way on the rebound, but turned the ball over under its own basket.

NO. 23 WISCONSIN 91, NO. 9 ILLINOIS 88, OT

CHICAGO (AP) — Nick Boyd scored a career-high 38 points, John Blackwell added 31 and Wisconsin rallied from 15 down in the second half to beat Illinois in overtime in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals.

It was tied at 80 in overtime when Boyd scored in the paint and Austin Rapp nailed a 3 to give Wisconsin a five-point lead with 2:33 remaining.

The Badgers were up by four with about a minute left when Boyd rebounded a missed 3 by Rapp. That led to two free throws for Blackwell, making it 87-81 with 46 seconds left.

Illinois got within 90-88 on David Mirkovic’s layup with six seconds remaining. Wisconsin’s Braeden Carrington then missed a free throw and hit the second to make it a three-point game before Illinois’ Keaton Wagler missed a long 3 at the buzzer.

The Badgers (24-9) advanced to the semifinals against No. 3 Michigan on Saturday. The Wolverines, seeking their second straight Big Ten Tournament title, held off Ohio State 71-67.

Boyd surpassed his previous high of 36 points in a win against Providence on Nov. 27. Blackwell, coming off a career-best 34 a day earlier against Washington, became Wisconsin’s all-time leading scorer in Big Ten Tournament games with 144 points.

NO. 22 VANDERBILT 75, NO. 25 TENNESSEE 68

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Duke Miles scored a season-high 30 points as Vanderbilt beat Tennessee to advance to the Southeastern Conference Tournament semifinals.

The fourth-seeded Commodores (25-7) came in with its highest seeding since winning the 2012 SEC Tournament. They will play regular-season SEC champ Florida, a 71-63 winner over Kentucky, on Saturday.

Tyler Tanner added 19 points for the Commodores, who won their third straight.

No. 25 Tennessee (22-11) lost to Vanderbilt for the second time in a week and leaves well short of the tournament title game where the Vols lost to Florida last year.

Ja’Kobi Gillespie led Tennessee with 21 points. Nate Ament, who had 27 points in the second round, missed his first eight shots. He finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds. J.P. Estrella added 12 points and Jaylen Carey 10.

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Takeaways: Turnovers Costly As Penguins Fall To Golden Knights, 6-2

It's become quite a story that these Pittsburgh Penguins have been scratching and crawling their way to points without their two best players in Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and during their toughest stretch of the 2025-26 season. 

Unfortunately, they hit a bit of a roadblock - and it was mostly self-inflicted.

On Thursday, the Penguins lost their second game of their five-game road trip, 6-2, to the Vegas Golden Knights, and it was largely the result of turnovers. Of course, the Penguins weren't the only ones credited with a lot of giveaways - they had 17, while Vegas was credited with 23 - but it just so happened that nearly every mistake ended up in the back of their net. 

On the goal that opened the scoring, Vegas took advantage of both a misplay by Penguins' defenseman Parker Wotherspoon and a case of overskating by Erik Karlsson, and Braeden Bowman found Colton Sissons crashing the net front to get the Golden Knights out to a 1-0 lead. And this was despite the Penguins getting the majority of chances, even if the chances that Vegas was getting were grade-A.

And they continued to get those chances in the second. After transitioning the puck into the offensive zone, Vegas was cycling, and it eventually found its way to defenseman Kaedan Korczak in the high slot, who got it to Pavel Dorofeyev down low for his 31st of the season on a top-shelf shot. 

But the Penguins had a response this time. With around eight and a half minutes to go in the middle frame, the Penguins' first line of Rickard Rakell, Egor Chinakhov, and Bryan Rust was cycling and dominating possession in the offensive zone, and they were eventually rewarded when Rust put a perfect shot-pass on the stick of Rakell, who was waiting at the backdoor, to make it 2-1. 

However, Mitch Marner responded less than a minute later with a strong individual effort after he and Dorofeyev gained the zone, and Marner got behind Egor Chinakhov to accept a pass as he was walking across the net front to make it 3-1. The Penguins did respond before the end of the period, though, when Anthony Mantha found Ben Kindel with a perfect seam pass on the doorstep - and they appeared to be going into the third period with some momentum.

But then, the third period was one of the Penguins' worst of the season. Dorofeyev registered his second of the game as well as his third point on the night after Wotherspoon turned the puck over near the offensive blue line in an attempt to get the puck to forward Ville Koivunen, and the Knights broke on a three-on-one opportunity. Marner - breaking down the left side - found Dorofeyev in the low slot area, and he didn't miss, making it 4-2. 

Less than two minutes later, Vegas scored off the rush again, courtesy of Jack Eichel, and defenseman Brayden McNabb added an empty-net goal with less than a minute remaining in regulation to give the Golden Knights the keys to a 6-2 victory.

Penguins Recall Big Defenseman, Send Another On AHL Conditioning LoanPenguins Recall Big Defenseman, Send Another On AHL Conditioning LoanWith the Pittsburgh Penguins' injury woes mounting, they made another move to shore up their blue line for the rest of their Western road trip.

Here are a few thoughts and observations:

- What a rough game for Wotherspoon. He ended up a minus-2 on the evening and was credited with a team-high three giveaways, and it could have been a whole lot worse. 

He has been a revelation for the Penguins this season, and he has also been the perfect partner for Erik Karlsson. However, his play since the Olympic break has declined a little bit, and it's been especially noticeable in the last handful of games. But the Vegas game takes the cake as his worst of the season.

It's worth noting that the most games Wotherspoon had ever played in an NHL season prior to this one was 55 with the Boston Bruins last season. He has logged 65 for the Penguins this season, meaning he has played in every game this season.

I'm not saying the grind of the schedule or fatigue is a factor here for sure, but there are mild signs of concern right now for him. Again, he's been spectacular for most of the season, and this could very well just be a rough stretch of games. 

But maybe that fatigue is setting in just a bit.

Opinion: 'No Quit' Mentality Shows Why These Penguins Are DifferentOpinion: 'No Quit' Mentality Shows Why These Penguins Are DifferentThe Pittsburgh Penguins keep finding new ways to collect points and win hockey games this season - and it speaks to a no-quit mentality that differentiates them from teams past.

- Koivunen has looked a heck of a lot more comfortable in during this stint than he has at any other point this season. That said, there are still times where you can tell he isn't reading the game at NHL speed, and he does get knocked off the puck quite a bit.

It appears he still needs to add some size, and his play on the wall when Wotherspoon attempted to get him the puck wasn't the best, either. I'm far from giving up on Koivunen, but if he is going to be an effective player at the NHL level, he needs to improve some fundamental aspects of his game first.

- On a positive note, it was another good game from the Penguins' top line of Rickard Rakell, Egor Chinakhov, and Bryan Rust as well as the third line of Ben Kindel, Elmer Soderblom, and Avery Hayes. 

I like the look of both of these lines right now and how much they've been able to generate. They - like everyone else - have had their moments defensively, but they're carrying play in the offensive zone on most nights.

4 Penguins Who Have Stepped Up Big Without Crosby, Malkin4 Penguins Who Have Stepped Up Big Without Crosby, MalkinOne look at the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins/">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>' schedule in the month of March was enough for a whole lot of people to question whether or not a team that was - according to outside noise - supposed to be a lottery team would be able to sustain playoff-level hockey.&nbsp;

- It was not, however, a good night for the fourth line, which is very uncharacteristic. A Connor Dewar turnover led to Marner's goal, and the line was on the ice for three goals against - all of which were semi-consequential in the result.

They've been great for the vast majority of the season, but it was not their night at all.

- Silovs was not particularly good, either. He surrendered five goals on 16 shots, and he never looked all that comfortable between the pipes, as he was deep in his net and reading plays poorly. I especially didn't love how he played Dorofeyev's second goal. 

He has been really, really good for the Penguins in the back half of this season, and he's known to have a clutch gene. The defense in front of him was not doing a good job, either, against Vegas, but he needs to get back on track fast if the Penguins hope to make the playoffs.

Penguins' GM Kyle Dubas Hits Big Career MilestonePenguins' GM Kyle Dubas Hits Big Career MilestonePittsburgh Penguins' general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas hit a career milestone during Tuesday's game against the Carolina Hurricanes.

- Speaking of making the playoffs: lucky for the Penguins, it was a pretty good night on the scoreboard for them. The New York Islanders lost in regulation. As did the Carolina Hurricanes, the Detroit Red Wings, and the Boston Bruins. The Columbus Blue Jackets lost in overtime, which did bring them to within two points of Pittsburgh.

They need to simply survive this stretch without both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, and so far, they've managed to do that. They've earned exactly half the available points with Crosby out (3-3-3) and Malkin out (1-1-2), and they're still clinging onto second in the Metropolitan Division. 

Saturday will mark the final game of Malkin's five-game suspension, and Crosby is practicing with the team during morning skates on the road (the team does not have any practices on off-days due to travel). If they can manage to win one more on Saturday against the Utah Mammoth, that will help them tremendously, and it will set them up nicely for both players' imminent returns. 

Every point matters, and the Penguins need to keep collecting as many as possible. 

'Find A Way To Write Our Own Story': After Quiet Deadline, It's Time To See What These Penguins Are Made Of'Find A Way To Write Our Own Story': After Quiet Deadline, It's Time To See What These Penguins Are Made OfKyle Dubas and his Pittsburgh Penguins were relatively quiet at the NHL trade deadline - which speaks to the GM's belief in his current group of players.

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!  

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Raptors rally past Suns 122-115 as Brandon Ingram scores 36

TORONTO (AP) — Brandon Ingram scored 36 points, RJ Barrett added 22 and the Toronto Raptors rallied to beat Phoenix 122-115 on Friday night, snapping the Suns’ winning streak at four.

Jalen Green scored 34 points for Phoenix, matching his career high with eight 3-pointers, and Devin Booker added 31 points, but the Suns couldn’t hold on after leading by 10 in the fourth quarter.

Immanuel Quickley scored 17 points for Toronto. Scottie Barnes had 14 and Ja’Kobe Walter 12 as the Raptors won for the first time in three games.

Grayson Allen scored 15 points for the Suns.

Toronto trailed 105-95 with 8:12 left in the final period but turned it around with a 13-2 spurt capped by Barrett’s 3-pointer with 3:35 remaining.

Royce O’Neal stopped the run by making a 3 with 2:36 left but the Suns didn’t score again until Booker made three free throws with 24 seconds remaining.

CAVALIERS 138, MAVERICKS 105

DALLAS (AP) — Evan Mobley matched his season high with 29 points, Donovan Mitchell had 24 and Cleveland beat Dallas in the opener of a home-and-home series.

Mobley had 16 points in the first quarter and was already up to 23 by halftime, the second-highest scoring half of his career. He went 12 for 15 from the field and grabbed seven rebounds while playing just 23 minutes.

James Harden finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for the Cavaliers, who shot 61.5% from the field and were 18 for 38 (47%) from 3-point range.

Cooper Flagg scored 25 points for the Mavericks, who were coming off a victory in Memphis that snapped an eight-game losing streak. Naji Marshall had 17 points.

PISTONS 126, GRIZZLIES 110

DETROIT (AP) — Jalen Duren had 30 points and 13 rebounds and Cade Cunningham added 17 points and 15 assists as Detroit handed Memphis its seventh straight loss.

The Pistons have won their last three games by an average of 25.3 points after a season-worst four-game losing streak.

Marcus Sasser had 16 points for the Pistons, which had seven players in double figures.

Javon Small led the Grizzlies with 23 points while Ty Jerome had 21. Taj Gibson made his season debut for the Grizzlies after signing with them in late February. The 40-year-old played nearly 12 minutes with three points and three rebounds.

Detroit led 98-84 at the end of three quarters, thanks to 26 points from Duren, and quickly moved the advantage to 22 before coach J.B. Bickerstaff emptied the bench.

KNICKS 101, PACERS 92

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Jalen Brunson finished with 29 points and nine assists, OG Anunoby added 25 points and eight rebounds, and New York beat Indiana.

Mitchell Robinson had a career-high 22 rebounds to go with 12 points as last year’s Eastern Conference runner-up won its second straight and its sixth game in nine contests. The Knicks are still fighting to earn a top-four seed and home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

Jarace Walker scored 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead the Pacers. Aaron Nesmith had 12 points as injury-riddled Indiana lost its 12th straight. Ivica Zubac added 11 points and eight rebounds in his second game with Indiana since being acquired in a February trade.

ROCKETS 107, PELICANS 105

HOUSTON (AP) — Kevin Durant hit a go-ahead 18-footer with 7.6 seconds left and Houston outlasted New Orleans to move into third place in the crowded Western Conference.

Durant scored 32 points two nights after matching his season low with 11 in a blowout loss at Denver. Against the Pelicans, he was 13 of 24 from the field and had six rebounds and five assists.

Amen Thompson added 23 points for Houston in the opener of five-game homestand. Reed Sheppard scored 18 points, and Jabari Smith Jr. had 16.

Dejounte Murray led New Orleans with 35 points, but stepped out of bounds with the Pelicans up a point with 13 seconds remaining. After Durant put the Rockets ahead, Zion Williamson threw the ball out of bounds, and Durant hit two free throws to put it away.

TRAIL BLAZERS 124, JAZZ 114

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Jrue Holiday and Scoot Henderson each scored 25 points, Donovan Clingan had 21 points and 15 rebounds and Portland beat Utah.

With Golden State’s loss to Minnesota, the Trail Blazers moved within a half-game of the Warriors for the ninth seed in the Western Conference.

Brice Sensabaugh led Utah with 31 points.

After Utah jumped out to a 33-15 lead, the Trail Blazers found their footing and went on a 27-5 run to take control.

Portland’s Sidy Cissoko’s 3-pointer hit back-to-back 3-pointers to open the second to make it 38-34, part of a 14-0 run to open the periodr. Portland took its first lead on a 3-pointer by Holiday, and led 66-58 at halftime.

The Jazz made several runs to cut into the lead in the second half. A layup by Oscar Tshiebwe made it 91-89 with 2:01 left in the third quarter, but that was as close as the Jazz would get.

TIMBERWOLVES 127, WARRIORS 117

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Anthony Edwards scored 42 points and Minnesota held off injury-plagued Golden State.

Edwards shot 13 for 22, made all 12 of his free throws and also had eight rebounds and five assists, while Rudy Gobert contributed 18 points and nine rebounds in what coach Chris Finch considered a must-win game. The Wolves snapped a three-game skid — all of those double-digit defeats, including 153-128 at the Clippers on Wednesday — following a five-game winning streak.

Gui Santos’ 3-pointer followed by a dunk by Malevy Leons cut Minnesota’s lead to 109-102 with 8:37 left but Golden State couldn’t do much more.

Brandin Podziemski scored 25 points for the Warriors, who scratched Draymond Green less than an hour before tipoff because of a lower back injury. Kristaps Porzingis moved into the starting lineup in his place as the Warriors used their 33rd different starting five, and it was Porzingis’ first start since being acquired by Golden State at the trade deadline from Atlanta. He finished with 20 points.

CLIPPERS 119, BULLS 108

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 28 points, Bennedict Mathurin had 26 and Los Angeles extended its winning streak to four games with a victory over Chicago.

Jordan Miller added 14 points to help the eighth-place Clippers win for the seventh time in eight games to solidify their hold on a spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament. After starting the season 6-21, Los Angeles is a season-best two games over .500 at 34-32.

Leonard scored at least 20 points for the 44th consecutive game to tie Bob McAdoo’s franchise record set for the Buffalo Braves in 1974-75.

The Clippers were without trade-deadline acquisition Daruis Garland, who was listed with left toe injury management on the front end of a back-to-back.

Josh Giddey had his 11th triple-double of the season for the Bulls with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. Tre Jones scored 21 points and Matas Buzelis added 18 as the Bulls went 2-3 on a West Coast trip.

Chicago shot 44.2% from the floor and 29.3% from 3-point range while falling to 3-4 following an 11-game losing streak.

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Austin Wells' only swing of the bat puts the Dominicans in WBC record book and semifinals

MIAMI (AP) — Austin Wells' only swing of the bat put the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic record book and the semifinal round.

Wells hit a game-ending three-run homer in the seventh inning Friday night that stopped the contest under a tournament rout rule as the Dominican Republic beat South Korea 10-0 to reach the WBC semis.

Wells' homer was the 14th for the Dominicans in the tournament, tying the tournament record set by Mexico in 2009. Wells, who also homered in a 12-1 pool victory over the Netherlands on Sunday, drove a first-pitch cutter from Hyeong Jun So off the front of the second deck in right.

“Trying to win today and be able to move to the next round was the goal,” Wells said. “Being able to help out today and be part of it was a lot of fun. Definitely a special moment.”

With a lineup of stars including Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Fernando Tatis Jr, Wells has quickly adjusted to the team. And, when the star sluggers did their damage without the long ball against South Korea, it was Wells who went deep.

The homer also tied Wells with Soto, Guerrero, Tatis, Junior Caminero and Oneil Cruz.

“The experience has been incredible. It’s been an unbelievable honor being able to represent my family and the country of the Dominican,” said Wells, who was born in Arizona to a mother of Dominican descent. “It’s something that I’m never going to forget and hopefully I’ll have the opportunity again.”

During its power barrage through the first four games, the Dominicans have displayed viral-worthy bat flips and exuberant group celebrations when they complete their trot around the bases. But, Wells has been more subdued.

“I haven’t been one for big bat flips in my career,” Wells said. “I’m taking notes. A lot of the times I just black out when I hit a home run. It’s been hard for me to show some sort of emotion. Maybe next time.”

The Dominicans reached the semifinal round for the first time since the tournament championship game in 2013. Now, they will have the opportunity to move past Mexico and claim the homer record as their own — and move a step closer to another title — when they face the United States on Sunday in Miami.

“This is something special for us because we are a very united team, compact team,” Caminero said. “You can feel the emotion, the energy in the clubhouse. We work as a team. This is something very special to us. Now we have to focus on the next rival on Sunday, and to continue playing like we have been doing so far.”

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb