There are now 60 days remaining until Orioles Opening Day. WBC-participating pitchers and catchers report to Sarasota in just 15 days. I don’t normally derive much excitement out of spring training is approaching milestones but in the midst of the current snow/ice and with the possibility of not seeing above-freezing temperatures for several days, the idea of approaching baseball does bring a certain mental warmth, if not physical warmth. I hope that if you are in the path of this weather, that it goes by with minimal inconvenience and no harm.
The aforementioned snow has deprived us of the chance to have any kind of fresh Birdland Caravan-related stuff to talk about today. The team acted with perhaps an excessive amount of caution in canceling the entire Saturday lineup of activities. It seems like at least the first wave of planned things could have gone off. I figure that was driven as much by the players wanting to get out of the area ahead of the arrival of the weather as it was by any safety concerns about having local fans on the road. I can’t really blame them if that’s the case, but anyone who is disappointed to miss out on unique opportunities to see the players outside their uniforms and open to fans is totally fair to feel that way.
Henderson further explained that this happened at some point early in the season when diving for a ball and it also caused inflammation, which caused him to use a sub-optimal swing plane for driving the ball. This all remains a plausible story for why Henderson only hit 17 homers last year and why he could be poised for a monster bounce-back. I got burned believing in a coming Adley Rutschman revival this time a year ago. We’ve heard more specifics from Henderson himself than we ever did about Rutschman, so it’s probably not as crazy to believe in that one, but still… I’ve heard all this before and sometimes it amounted to nothing.
On Friday night, another one of the big top prospect lists released its preseason top 100 for the year. That was MLB Pipeline, freshly updated for 2026 with three Orioles on its top 100. They’ve got Samuel Basallo high on the list at #8, Dylan Beavers at #69, and last year’s breakout outfielder Nate George at #93. Those three were also on the recent Baseball America top 100 prospects list, with BA also ranking two pitching prospects, Trey Gibson and Luis De León, who were left off the Pipeline list.
Albernaz on 2026 Orioles: ‘I feel good about this club’ (Baltimore Baseball) It might not end up meaning anything that he says this, but I’m reminded again that if Albernaz got a bad vibe about the Orioles, he could have told them to take a hike and that he’d look for open manager’s jobs next year.
Why Basallo, Beavers being ranked top 100 prospects again matters (The Baltimore Sun) The Sun reminds us of the Prospect Promotion Incentive draft pick potential, for which Basallo and Beavers are now officially qualified after being on both the BA and Pipeline lists.
Birthdays and Orioles anniversaries
Nothing of particular note in Orioles history is recorded for this day. I don’t imagine Mike Elias, trapped by the snow, is going to change that in 2026.
There are a few former Orioles who were born on this day. They are: 1998 two-game pitcher Richie Lewis, 1989 infielder Francisco Meléndez, and 1963-68 pitcher Wally Bunker. Today is Bunker’s 81st birthday, so an extra happy birthday to him.
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you! Your birthday buddies for today include: mathematician Joseph-Louis Lagrange (1736), author Virginia Woolf (1882), President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy (1978), musician Alicia Keys (1981), and actress/musician Ariana DeBose (1991).
On this day in history…
In 750, rebels fought against the reigning Umayyad Caliphate in the Battle of the Zab in modern-day Iraq. The victory by these rebels led to the overthrow of the Umayyad, which was replaced with the Abbasid Caliphate. The Abbasids ruled in Baghdad until the Mongols arrived close to 500 years later.
In 1945, during World War II, the Battle of the Bulge came to an end about a month after the surprise German attack on Allied lines, with the German offensive being repelled and turned back.
In 1971, Charles Manson as well as four members of his so-called “Family” were found guilty of a series of eight murders across two nights in August 1969.
A random Orioles trivia question
I received a little book of Orioles trivia questions for Christmas. I’ll ask one question in this space each time it’s my turn until I run out of questions or forget. The book is multiple choice but I’m not providing the choices because it would be too easy.
Who led the Orioles in home runs during the 1970 season?
**
And that’s the way it is in Birdland on January 25. Have a safe Sunday.
The Pittsburgh Pirates made some big additions to their Spring Training team, including some of the franchise’s best prospects.
The Pirates announced seven more non-roster invitees to their Major League camp down in Bradenton, Fla. They will train with the best players and look to boost their stock ahead of the 2026 season.
Top prospect Konnor Griffin is the big name to be announced for the Spring Training team. He was selected ninth overall in the 2024 draft out of Jackson preparatory school in Mississippi. He was the first high school player selected in that draft and the Bucs believe he could be a future star just for the team but in the league.
He had a strong Spring Training, starting with Single-A Bradenton, he then moved to High-A Greensboro on June 10 and then to Double-A with Altoona on July 18. Griffin slashed .333/.415/.527 for an OPS of .942 in 122 games, 161 hits, 23 doubles, four triples, 21 home runs, 94 RBIs, 50 walks to 122 strikeouts and 65 stolen bases on 13 attempts.
He became the unanimous top prospect in baseball, he played in the Futures Game during All-Star week and earned numerous accolades for his play, including Baseball America naming him their Minor League Player of the Year Award and MLB Pipeline naming him their Hitting Prospect of the Year and Debut of the Year.
Griffin is also heavily rumored to be the potential Opening Day shortstop for the Pirates. He won an MiLB Gold Glove Award at the position in 2025. Since moving Oneil Cruz to the outfield the Pirates have not been set at the short stop position.
The other players are infielders Termarr Johnson and Duce Gorson, catchers in Omar Alfonzo and Shawn Ross, as well as right-handed pitchers in Noah Davis and Chris Devenski are the seven additions.
Johnson is another young player that really excited the organization. He was the fourth overall pick in the 2022 MLB draft out of Benjamin E. Mays high school in Atlanta, Georgia.
The young prospect spent all of his 2025 season in Altoona, where he dominated .272/.363/.382 for an OPS of .745 in 119 games, with 118 hits, 67 runs, 15 doubles, three triples, nine home runs, 35 RBI and 20 stolen bases.
Both MLB Pipeline and Baseball America rank Johnson as the seventh best Pirates prospect coming into the new season.
Former UCLA player Duce Gorson started out with Greensboro before making it to Altoona on June 24, where he spent the rest of the season there. The infielder had a strong season from the plate, slashing .275/.370/.439 for an OPS of .809 in 95 games, with 92 hits, 21 doubles, 10 home runs, 38 RBI and 31 stolen bases. Some websites have Gorson has the 21st top prospect while others don’t even have him in the top 30.
Catching prospect Omar Alfonzo is expected to be a future star behind the plate, he ranks 13th in baseball America top 30 Pirate prospects.
While Ross played with both Altoona and Triple-A Indianapolis, hitting .174/.285/.295 for an OPS of .580 in 68 games played last season.
Davis has MLB experience, spending time with the Colorado Rockies from 2022-24. He also pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Minnesota Twins last season. He has an 0-6 record over 27 appearances and six starts, a 9.53 ERA over 62.1 innings pitched, 58 strikeouts to 29 walks, a .364 batting average allowed and a 2.05 WHIP.
Devenski played some time with the New York Mets in 2025 and showed some true potential out of the bullpen. He finished with a 2.16 ERA in 13 games, one start and 16.2 innings pitched, plus 14 strikeouts to five walks, a .179 batting average allowed and a 0.90 WHIP.
Devenski is more of a veteran as he spent some time with the Houston Astros for five seasons in 2016-20, winning the 2017 World Series with them and earning an All-Star nod as a rookie in 2016.
These seven players will join the first seven non-roster invitees to Major League camp in outfielders, Ronny Simon and Dominic Fletcher, infielder Davis Wendzel, right-hander pitchers in Beau Burrows and Noah Murdock, and left-handed pitchers in Joe La Sorsa and Oddanier Mosqueda.
A lot of these prospects have a lot of potential and it will be very fun to see how they will play in Spring Training, especially top prospect Konnor Griffin who is expected to play a big role for the team this season.
It’s a snowy Sunday across much of the US, and the hot stove is cooling off as well, with most of the work done across the league. Only four of MLB Trade Rumors’ Top 25 free agents remain unsigned (Framber Valdez, Eugenio Suárez, Zac Gallen and Christ Bassitt), leaving the sport as a whole almost ready to head to spring training in a few weeks. If you’re in the area of this winter storm, we hope you stay dry and warm; keep inside and perhaps enjoy a couple of big NFL games later on. On the site today, Matt profiles Les Nunamaker, an old-time Yankee that New York swiped from the Red Sox before they’d even stripped Boston of Babe Ruth, while John goes around the week that was in Yankees social media.
Questions/Prompts:
1. Do you think there’s any chance the Yankees spring for one of the veteran starting pitcher remaining (Gallen, Bassitt, Lucas Giolito), or will any additional pitching acquisitions be more low profile?
2. Any predictions for today’s championship NFL games?
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Novak Djokovic has had a walkover into the Australian Open quarterfinals after Jakub Mensik withdrew 24 hours ahead of their scheduled fourth-round match with an abdominal injury.
The tournament confirmed Mensik's withdrawal late Sunday. The match had been scheduled for Rod Laver Arena on Monday night.
“After last couple of matches, I started to feel worse, and actually the problem is my abdominal muscle on the left side,” Mensik said in comments published by the tournament. “Like I said, last few matches it got significantly worse, and I think if I would step on the court tomorrow, it would be such a big risk for me for my next weeks, for my next tournaments, and actually for my health.”
No. 16-seeded Mensik beat Ethan Quinn in straight sets on Saturday.
Novak Djokovic has won the Australian Open a record 10 times.
The 24-time major winner became the first player to reach 400 wins in Grand Slam singles when he beat Botic van de Zandschulp 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (4) on Saturday night in the third round of the Australian Open.
Doncic was at the Dallas Mavericks from 2018 to 2025 [Getty Images]
Luka Doncic starred for the Los Angeles Lakers with 33 points as he helped them beat his former side, the Dallas Mavericks 116-110.
The Slovenian, playing in Dallas for the second time since being traded to the Lakers last February, also registered 11 assists and eight rebounds.
"We counted after the game, he [Doncic] had six straight stops where they targeted him," said Lakers coach JJ Redick.
"Just a fantastic job from him. Then [he] makes the game-sealing defensive play with the charge on [Naji] Marshall."
"It's a special place," Doncic told ESPN of his return to Dallas. "I mean, I'm always going to want to win no matter what. Every game I want to win, but obviously this one's a little bit different."
Doncic scored twice from beyond the arc in the first quarter as the 26-year-old became the youngest player in NBA history to reach 1,500 three-pointers.
He had been with Dallas from 2018 until last year, and said he almost went to the home dressing room at half-time as he "was kind of confused".
The Lakers trailed by 15 points with seven minutes and 41 seconds remaining, but overturned the deficit to secure a third win in four games.
LeBron James scored 11 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter, while Max Christie top scored for Dallas with 24 points.
"Understanding the system, understanding the city, the city embracing him. Understanding it's his team, and we're all rallying around him.
"Obviously we know it's emotional, a big game, to come back and play your former team. He showed who he is tonight."
The result leaves the Lakers fifth in the Western Conference, while the Mavericks are 12th.
Elsewhere, Kevin Huerter made a three-pointer just before the buzzer to help the Chicago Bulls beat the Boston Celtics 114-111, while Bam Adebayo scored 26 points as the Miami Heat thrashed the Utah Jazz 147-116.
That’s
sort of been the St. Louis Blues’ motto the past few games: right
in the thick of it but in the end, the result has been consistent in
a bad way.
The
Blues dropped their fourth straight game, this time losing to the Los
Angeles Kings, 5-4 in a shootout on a snowy Saturday at Enterprise
Center in front of 6,848 people that braved the affects of a big
winter storm that hit the area all day Saturday and into Sunday.
The
Blues (19-24-9), who fell to the Dallas Stars 3-2 on a last-minute
goal in regulation by future Blue (wink, wink) Jason Robertson, have
either played as the better team at even strength or battled back the
past three games and conceivably could have won each of them, yet
found a way to be on the wrong side of each.
“Back-to-back’s
are always tough, especially with some travel,” said Blues forward
Jordan Kyrou, who scored twice to give him seven points (three goals,
four assists) the past seven games. “I thought we battled hard
today, especially in the second (period) of that game. We kept
bringing it back and I thought we had a good game.”
Dalibor
Dvorsky also scored for the second straight game and had a beautiful
shootout goal in the third round to extend the shootout, Brayden
Schenn scored and Joel Hofer made 24 saves for the Blues, who saw
their four-game home winning streak end.
“There’s
some things defensively that we need to clean up again,” Blues
coach Jim Montgomery said.
“You can’t be happy any time you give up four goals.”
Let’s
take a look at the game observations:
*
Slow start to the game – Not surprising, the Blues did not come out
with the energy and jump early.
They
were playing the second of back-to-back nights, the Kings (21-16-13)
haven’t played since Tuesday and had fresh legs and showed it.
They
scored early on Taylor Ward’s goal off a turnover 4:31 into the
opening period and carried some of that momentum into the early
stages of the second when Brian Dumoulin made it 2-0 at 1:11.
“I
did not like our first 10 minutes of the game,” Montgomery said. “I
thought they vastly started the game a lot better than we did. Their
forwards were skating, we were getting caught from behind, we had too
many turnovers at the red line and then I thought in the second
period, we came out skating ourselves and we got a little more
physical and we started winning more battles. You can say we were
playing north really well.”
*
Pushback started late in first, carried into second period – Even
though they gave up the early goal in the second, I thought the Blues
finished the first strong after a lackluster beginning.
You
can see they found their legs and it fueled a usually bad second
period into a good one Saturday in which they scored three times in
5:56 to erase a two-goal deficit and lead 3-2.
“We
found our legs a little more,” Kyrou said. “It was kind of a slow
start and then we found it a little bit there at the end of the first
and we just picked up from there and continued with that.”
Dvorsky,
who scored in Dallas Friday, extended his point streak to three games
when he finished off a beautiful passing play after initially winning
a puck in the D-zone, then moving up in transition getting it from
Mathieu Joseph, then worked a give-and-go with Otto Stenberg before a
quick release from the slot beat Darcy Kuemper at 2:14 to make it a
2-1 game:
“Good play by the whole line on the goal today," Dvorsky said. "'Mojo' carrying it out, Otto gave me a great pass. It's always about the whole line, but yeah, I'm just trying to play with confidence every time I'm out there."
With
Kevin Fiala in the box for tripping, the Blues’ power play scored
for the third straight game and tied it 2-2 when Schenn finished off
a back door play that was also beautifully set up with a zone entry
by Pavel Buchnevich, Dvorsky’s little slip pass to Jimmy Snuggerud,
who found Buchnevich low before he found Schenn on the right post at
6:30:
And
Kyrou’s first of the game may have been the best executed goal of
the night for the Blues when he made it 3-2 at 8:10 after starting
with the puck in his zone, Cam Fowler’s stretch pass up ice to
Logan Mailloux enabled the young defenseman to move it across the
blue line and find Kyrou with speed, and he did the rest by freezing
Kuemper and finishing off the wraparound:
“Great play by 'Fowls' to find 'Maisy' and then great vision from 'Maisy' to just kick it out to me there," Kyrou said. "I kind of just used my speed and tried to make it happen as quick as I could."
*
Tough
sequences for Toropchenko
– The
usually reliable, hard-working Alexey Toropchenko found himself in a
couple tough shifts that cost the Blues two goals.
It
was his turnover on Ward’s goal when he took a second or two too
long to move the outlet pass off the boards, and it got deflected
enough and picked off at the blue line and back in:
And
after your team builds some strong momentum and scores three times to
take the lead for the first time, those next shifts are equally as
important to solidify that momentum.
But
Toropchenko had a chance to check Corey Perry off the puck behind the
Blues’ net and didn’t, enabling the Kings veteran forward to
wheel the puck back around to the left point, and when the puck was
thrown back to Perry behind the net, Toropchenko was caught off
position, not covering either Perry behind the net or Alex Laferriere
at the opposite side, and when Perry went against the grain feeding
Laferriere back behind the left post, Laferriere tied the game 3-3 at
10:18,
or 2:04 after the Blues gained the lead stunting any momentum and
allowing the Kings to push back:
*
Controversy on fourth goal – Here’s
where things really got quirky after the Kings grabbed a 4-3 lead
when Trevor Moore poked a puck through Hofer at 11:34 of the third
period, a rebound after
he initially tipped on goal of Brandt Clarke’s right point shot (oh
by the way, did anyone see Jake Neighbours deliver a knockout blow to
Clarke in the first period?).
The
Blues immediately challenged for offside, and without looking at it,
offside challenges are usually won by the challenging team; it’s
rare that the goal is awarded because they’re so cut and dry:
When
officials quickly came back with the rendering that the play was
onside, the goal stood.
The
question at hand from the Blues was if Joel Armia was offside. The
Blues felt like he was, at least according to their interpretation of
Rule 83.1, which states:
A
player is on-side when either of his skates are in contact with the
blue line, or on his own side of the line, at the instant the puck
completely crosses the leading edge of the blue line. For the
purposes of this rule, a “skate” is to be considered the blade of
the skate only. On his own side of the line shall be defined by a
“plane” of the blue line which shall extend from the leading edge
of the blue line upwards. If a player’s skate has yet to break the
“plane” prior to the puck completely crossing the leading edge,
he is deemed to be onside for the purpose of the off-side rule.
Here’s
Montgomery’s explanation on their thought process:
“They
changed the wording of the rule book and I’ve got to get
confirmation from the league,” Montgomery said. “But it reads
both skates need to be on the neutral side of the blue line, so the
leading edge, and we saw one on one. The year before, it did not say
both skates needed to be, so we need to get clarification. I talked
to the linesman, they were great. They explained it’s no doubt, in
their mind, it’s one foot.”
Montgomery
continued, “Lawyers
write the books for rule books, and I don't think like a lawyer. And
obviously a lawyer would love facing me in court. But I talk hockey,
and both skates to me means two. I thought (video coach) Elliott
Mondou did a great
job because the rule had changed. I was unaware of the wording
change. So to us, if you change the wording, it's because you want
both skates versus one skate and we've just got to get clarification
on that.”
Unless
I’m missing something in the rule book, the above interpretation
clearly states one skate has to be touching up the blue line, with
control of the puck, and the league ruling was: Video
review supported the call on the ice that Los Angeles’ Joel Armia
had possession and control of the puck when entering the attacking
zone and was on-side prior to Trevor Moore’s goal.
*
Hofer not at his best – Hofer
has been solid for the Blues for the better part of nearly two months
and the numbers back it up.
I
didn’t think Saturday was one of his best.
Yes,
he made a terrific save in overtime on Clarke that extended the game:
But it just felt like he was fighting the puck for good chunks of the game.
I
initially thought he missed a cover on the Moore goal but replay
showed Moore’s clever deflection initially enabled the puck to be
freed up.
But
it just didn’t feel like Hofer was as assertive as he’s been in
recent past.
*
Finally, a sixth-attacker plus – Blues
fans have such a warm feeling when either Hofer or Jordan Binnington
get pulled for an extra attacker. They know what usually happens
next: an empty-net goal against.
Not
this time. This time, the Blues delivered, and Kyrou got it when he
one-timed a rebound of Justin Faulk’s point shot from the left
circle at 17:50 of the third that tied the game 4-4:
It
was just the second time this season (Schenn vs. the New York Rangers
on Nov. 24, 2025) the Blues scored with the goalie pulled while
they’ve allowed 10.
“That was really good to see that execution," Montgomery said. "The Schenn line went out right after the time out and there was 2:43 left. They got an icing, and there's 2:06 left, and that's good. The other team's tired, they got 30 seconds there. 'Buchy' wins the draw, we go right to the spread there that we wanted to, and I love the play by Dvorsky. Dvorsky sends it in there, Kyrou's on the backdoor, all the execution that we wanted to create a little bit of havoc and chaos at their net, and that happened, and then we got the loose puck, went up top and we brought it right back to the net, and we got that good rebound goal."
*
Dvorsky nearly delivers – Montgomery
mentioned it above, but Dvorsky nearly delivered a picture-perfect
ending, not only for the team but also for himself.
The
Blues did not have the puck for the first portion of overtime, but
once they did, it was a chance to end it, but Kuemper just got a
right toe on Dvorsky’s breakaway chance at 1:42.
“It
would have been great if we won the game on Dvorsky’s breakaway (in
overtime),” Montgomery said. “That would have really capped off a
really solid hockey effort by our team.”
Dvorsky
did extend the shootout with a really nice backhand goal to extend it
to a fourth round.
“I
was kind of deciding between shot or doing that,” Dvorsky said. “I
saw he was out pretty far so I deked it, went to backhand and happy
that went in.”
*
Shootout goes Kings’ way– Unfortunately
for the Blues, they fell to 1-9 on the season in either overtime or a
shootout (1-3 in shootouts).
Neighbours
and Kyrou barely got any shots off, waiting too long to decide on
what to do, and L.A., which has played the most overtime/shootout
games (21) in the league this season, made good on goals from Adrian
Kempe and Moore in the fourth round before Kuemper stopped Jimmy
Snuggerud:
“The
games are close,” Dvorsky said. “For sure, we just need to stay
with it. For sure, it’s going to turn to our favor for sure. We’ve
just got to keep grinding and keep doing the right things and keep
playing our game.”
* Shoutout to the brave fans – There were 6,848 of you that braved the weather and were in attendance, a number I thought was much higher than expected.
That's roughly a third of building capacity but you were loud, you were enjoying yourselves and were treated to an entertaining game.
Of course, you were looking for a Blues victory but you got to see plenty of good, some not-so-good, and in the end, a chance to see a victory that fell just short.
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It was a fun night inside a very frozen American Airlines Center in Dallas. Although the visiting Los Angeles Lakers were able to pull out a 116-110 win over the Dallas Mavericks, the Dallas fans were once again able to welcome one of their own back home. Luka Doncic returned to Dallas as a visitor for the second time. And while the scene was not nearly as emotionally charged as the first time around (Nico Harrison was not in attendance as far as we know. We definitely know he is no longer employed by the Dallas Mavericks), it’s special when 77 comes to town these days.
It’s clear that it’s special to Doncic, too. For that, let’s open up the quote board.
LUKA DONCIC
On the emotions of returning to Dallas again
I mean, obviously there’s always going to be emotions. I was happy to be back here, back to my house, my cars, so obviously it’s always going to be emotional. I appreciate how [the fans] cheered for me when I was introduced. It’s always going to be a special place for me.
On Dallas feeling like home
I was here seven years, you know. A lot of things happened, bad and good. I kind of describe it how when I went to Madrid when I was 13, every time I came back to Slovenia I feel good. That’s why it’s always going to be a special place for me.
On what makes coming to Dallas special
Like I always say, it’s a special place. I’m always going to want to win, every game I want to win, but obviously this one’s different. But again, I want to win every game.
On the difference of emotions from April 9th to January 24th games
Oh there’s still emotions, trust me, but a little bit better, a little bit easier for me. Like I said before, how the fans accept me here, it’s unbelievable. I still got a lot of friends here, players, some other people, so I’m happy to be back for a little bit.
On walking towards the Mavericks locker room at halftime
I didn’t see that (laughing)
On the fans turning out to see him amidst a winter storm
It was really special. I didn’t know what to expect before, I know how the city gets when the weather gets this bad, but I really appreciate a lot of people showing up.
On buying a suite for fans and having a meet and greet pregame
Dallas will always be special to Luka 🥹
Almost a year after the trade to LA, Luka surprised 22 fans who supported him on social media with a suite for Lakers–Mavs, a pregame meet & greet, and gift bags with Luka Lakers jerseys and his signature shoe. pic.twitter.com/hdznSXx5bv
Yeah, that was something that was special for me to do. I see what a lot of them did on social media, and after when I got traded how much support they gave me. Obviously, there’s a lot more fans than [what could fill up a suite], but I could only fit 22 of them.
It’s clear that Doncic will always love coming back home to Dallas. Hey, you never know, maybe one day he might just…
After recovering from a disappointing loss to the Houston Rockets by beating the Utah Jazz on the road, the Spurs are headed back home to face a New Orleans Pelicans squad that has the worst record in the West but has still managed to make things difficult for the Spurs in their previous three match-ups. A win will give the Spurs a sweep of the season series, and it’s one they will want to have before heading right back on the road again and facing a sneakily tough schedule ahead of the Rodeo Road Trip in a few weeks.
San Antonio Spurs (31-14) vs. New Orleans Pelicans (11-36)
January 25, 2026 | 6:00 PM CT
Watch: FanDuel Sports | Listen: WOAI (1200 AM)
Spurs injuries: Luke Kornet — Questionable (adductor); Harrison Ingram — Out (G-League); David Jones-Garcia — Out (G-League); Stanley Umude — Out (G-League)
Pelicans Injuries: Jose Alvarado — Questionable (oblique); Dejounte Murray — Out (Achilles); Trey Alexander — Out (G-League); Hunter Dickinson — Out (G-League)
What to watch for
The return of Devin Vassell and the hunt for consistency
It has once again been a week of mixed results for the Spurs. Their offense has pretty much recovered from its post-Christmas slump, and they were steady and consistent as they gradually put the Jazz away at home to open the week. However, in their two road games since, they struggled to keep their foot on the gas after building sizeable leads. In Houston, they completely fell apart in the fourth quarter, giving up what had been a 16-point lead and unable to stop the Rockets on defense or find any good shots on offense, leading to another loss. Then the same thing happened in Utah, but fortunately for them, the Jazz were unable to maintain the momentum that had allowed them to come back and tie things up, and De’Aaron Fox and Victor Wembanyama put the team on their backs to recover and make a dominant game-winning run.
While that’s what you want to see from your superstars, it would be better to not even need their heroics. The Spurs need to recognize there such thing as a “comfortable” lead in today’s NBA and not let up. Perhaps Devin Vassell’s return will help them find some more of that consistency on offense since he is someone who can create his own shot when they get in a rut. Regardless, they’ll need to be careful because while the Spurs have won all three match-ups against the Pelicans so far, each has been close thanks to explosive performances from players like Trey Murphy III and Derik Queen, plus Zion Williamson played well in his one appearance against the Spurs (in the 2nd game of the season, which went to overtime). Speaking of Zion…
The uncertainty of Zion Williamson
He was supposed to be their savior: the one who mitigated the sting of Anthony Davis demanding a trade. With promises of a smaller version of Shaq, Williamson was going to be the one who made the New Orleans basketball a true contender for the first time since Chris Paul was there. Instead, he’s another cautionary tale of how sometimes hype and talent doesn’t align with reality. Don’t get it wrong: both are real for Zion, but he has never been able to stay healthy enough to live up to it and constantly faces scrutiny over how much of that is his own fault, to the point that there are massive incentives regarding body management tied to his contract.
Now, in a scenario that seemed almost unheard of a couple of years ago, he’s a part of trade rumors. The Pelicans may be accepting that he is not the one who will carry them to the promised land, and with no first round pick in this season’s loaded draft, trading him might be the best way to get one, even if the Trae Young deal showed teams are starting to value their own picks more than a star with massive question marks. Williamson has been his typical self when he’s played this season — a terror at the rim but not even a threat to shoot from outside — but it just isn’t translating to wins anymore. With the trade deadline looming, it will be interesting to see how focused he actually is.
The weather
For all the stereotypes about Texans out there, one that is absolutely true is we don’t handle winter weather well, especially as far south as San Antonio. (I was 25 before I ever saw snow in SA and only recall one “ice day” from school, although some form of winter precipitation has become a near-annual event this decade.) With a massive storm moving across the country and dipping well into the South, there is a chance for icy roads beginning Sunday morning, depending on if it’s still raining and/or wet enough once freezing temperatures set in. If so, it’s possible this game is either postponed or sparsely attended. If it’s the latter, please don’t judge us! We don’t have the road treatments and special tires folks up north do.
You can follow along with game here on the Game Thread, as well as on our X profile (@poundingtherock).
Move aside Nikola Jokic, there’s a new triple-double king in the NBA — for this week.
In one of the most random statistical stretches in Utah Jazz history, Jusuf Nurkic has done what no other Utah Jazz player past or present has done: record three straight triple-doubles.
On Tuesday, Nurkic logged only the second triple-double in 16 years for Utah when he put up a 16-18-10 stat line in a win against the Timberwolves. It was the first time a Jazz player has recorded the feat since Jordan Clarkson in 2024.
In the very next game, Nurkic recorded a 14-assist triple-double against the Spurs. This was the Jazz’s first back-to-back triple-double performance since the franchise’s all-time leader in triple doubles, Pete Maravich, did so in New Orleans.
Which brings us to Saturday. He can’t do it three times in a row. Right? Surely there’s now way.
Wrong. Nurkic has done it again.
Against the Heat on Saturday night, Nurkic put up 17 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists to become the first player in franchise history to record three straight triple-doubles. He did the impossible.
He becomes only the fourth center in NBA history to get back-to-back-to-back triple-doubles.
He is now one of one five players to have three triple-doubles to their name when wearing a Jazz uniform, joining Maravich (7), Mark Eaton (6), Karl Malone (3) and Andrei Kirilenko (3). He’s only played 36 games in a Jazz jersey, but is already etched in the history books.
With this accomplishment, Nurkic is now also the (unfortunate) owner of the worst plus-minus for a player with a triple-double in NBA history. His minus-30 in the 31-point loss to Miami surpassed Elfrid Payton and Lonzo Ball, who both recorded a minus-27 with the New Orleans Pelicans in 2019 and 2020 respectively.
This could very well be Nurkic’s only season in Utah, and I don’t foresee any great playoff battles for him wearing purple mountains on his jersey, but in 20 years every single Jazz fan will remember the triple-double drought, think of Nurkic’s three-game streak and say to themselves, “Oh yeah! Huh.”
The Jazz are back in action on Tuesday night against the Clippers. Can Nurkic make it four in a row?
Los Angeles Lakers (27-17, fifth in the Western Conference) vs. Chicago Bulls (23-22, ninth in the Eastern Conference)
Chicago; Monday, 8 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Chicago heads into a matchup with Los Angeles as winners of four consecutive games.
The Bulls are 15-9 in home games. Chicago ranks fifth in the NBA with 18.0 fast break points per game led by Coby White averaging 3.8.
The Lakers are 15-9 on the road. Los Angeles is 5-0 in games decided by 3 points or fewer.
The Bulls are shooting 47.6% from the field this season, 0.9 percentage points lower than the 48.5% the Lakers allow to opponents. The Lakers average 116.0 points per game, 3.7 fewer than the 119.7 the Bulls give up to opponents.
TOP PERFORMERS: Nikola Vucevic is scoring 16.8 points per game with 9.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists for the Bulls. Matas Buzelis is averaging 16.6 points and 4.7 rebounds while shooting 46.5% over the past 10 games.
Luka Doncic is averaging 33.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.7 assists and 1.6 steals for the Lakers. LeBron James is averaging 21.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 6.3 assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Bulls: 6-4, averaging 116.5 points, 43.9 rebounds, 31.2 assists, 6.9 steals and 6.0 blocks per game while shooting 48.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 112.5 points per game.
Lakers: 4-6, averaging 112.3 points, 42.8 rebounds, 24.3 assists, 7.5 steals and 4.1 blocks per game while shooting 47.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 114.1 points.
INJURIES: Bulls: Noa Essengue: out for season (shoulder), Zach Collins: out (toe), Tre Jones: out (hamstring).
Lakers: Austin Reaves: out (calf), Adou Thiero: out (knee).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
BOTTOM LINE: Milwaukee looks to end its three-game home skid with a win over Dallas.
The Bucks have gone 9-12 in home games. Milwaukee averages 14.0 turnovers per game and is 8-7 when it turns the ball over less than its opponents.
The Mavericks are 5-15 in road games. Dallas is the leader in the Western Conference scoring 19.0 fast break points per game led by Cooper Flagg averaging 3.3.
The Bucks are shooting 48.1% from the field this season, 1.9 percentage points higher than the 46.2% the Mavericks allow to opponents. The Mavericks average 114.3 points per game, 1.2 fewer than the 115.5 the Bucks allow.
The teams square off for the second time this season. The Bucks won the last matchup 116-114 on Nov. 11. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 30 points to help lead the Bucks to the win.
TOP PERFORMERS: Myles Turner is averaging 12.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks for the Bucks. Bobby Portis is averaging 13.2 points over the last 10 games.
Naji Marshall is scoring 14.7 points per game and averaging 4.9 rebounds for the Mavericks. Klay Thompson is averaging 3.8 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Bucks: 4-6, averaging 108.0 points, 41.4 rebounds, 26.6 assists, 6.8 steals and 3.9 blocks per game while shooting 46.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 114.0 points per game.
Mavericks: 6-4, averaging 117.2 points, 46.4 rebounds, 26.3 assists, 7.8 steals and 4.3 blocks per game while shooting 48.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 113.2 points.
INJURIES: Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo: out (calf), AJ Green: day to day (illness), Kevin Porter Jr.: out (oblique), Gary Trent Jr.: day to day (illness), Taurean Prince: out (neck).
Mavericks: Dereck Lively II: out for season (foot), Moussa Cisse: day to day (illness), Kyrie Irving: out (knee), Dante Exum: out for season (knee), Anthony Davis: out (hand).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Australian cycling star holds on to lead the hard way
Kangaroo caused Vine and others to crash during final stage
The Australian cycling star Jay Vine has survived a race crash caused by a kangaroo to win the Tour Down Under for the second time.
Despite losing two more UAE Team Emirates colleagues on Sunday’s last stage, Vine’s commanding lead was enough of a buffer. He also won the event in 2023.
The New York Knicks defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 112-109 yesterday, a win familiar for anyone who has ever sat on the edge of their bed at the end of a long day of getting a small child through shopping and vaccinations and missed naps and vegetables and vomiting and felt that peculiar buzz that’s a mix of adrenaline and apathy. The Sixers are the closest thing the Knicks have to a heated rivalry, especially when the teams play at Madison Square Garden West, especially especially when Joel Embiid is healthy and Embidding. At least he was half of the time — the very definition of Embiiding.
Believe it or not, we’re now nearing a decade of Embiid vs. Mitchell Robinson, who still gets as juiced for this matchup as he did his rookie year. Good thing he does, and that he played as well as he did, because the Knicks needed it with Karl-Anthony Towns still rabbit-holing down his one-man magical mystery tour. After five fouls each in four of the last five games, KAT went all “Have thy will, I am the love that dare not speak its name” with foul number six and finally gave in to temptation, fouling out after 16 minutes of play so bizarre they’d leave Kafka pissing his pants. Once Robinson checked in, the Knicks went on a 12-0 run.
“From a certain point onward,” Kafka wrote, “there is no longer any turning back. That is the point that must be reached.” Mitch was that point.
As Ryan Ruocco reminded the viewers every three minutes, when Embiid is at the top of his game the 76ers are a team every team must fear. Outside of San Antonio, how many teams have a truly unguardable two-way big man? If Embiid is still playing in June, he’s one of maybe four people alive the Thunder don’t have an answer for, along with Victor Wembanyama, Nikola Jokić and Kevin Durant, mysteries for whom neither God nor math offer answers. Peak Embiid is 28 points in 17 first-half minutes without breaking stride, like the Knicks endured Saturday.
As I repeated to Ruocco every three minutes via my TV screen — loudly and profanely late in the first half, when I was hungry and the Sixers took the lead; softer and smarmy most of the second, after mac and cheese and the Knicks resuming control — “‘Embiid’s good!’ isn’t news.” Despite his history with the Knicks, he’s easily one of my favorite players to watch play against them — a real marvel. The playoffs are way better when he’s a meaningful part of them. And yet to ignore the other shoe, the one everyone’s waiting for to drop, is to be a fool. And now is no time for fools. Be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
After playing only six of Philadelphia’s first 18 games, never more than 26 minutes, yesterday was the 16th time in his last 19 games Embiid’s played 30+. In just over three weeks, he’s played 36+ five times. Last time he played that many in that short a span? Twenty-one months ago. Remember?
In the first half Embiid was the good boyfriend, stroking your hair, using the soft voice he did when you first met, when he first swept you off your feet. He finally met with your uncle for that job interview; it went really well. Why’s he so sweaty? He’s working out again. He’s even seeing a therapist. Things are gonna be different. Then one day he isn’t answering your texts, not since the night before, after he came home sweaty, long past when the gym closed. You’re missing some cash.
Ariel Hukporti fell on his knee. It could have been any number of things, could have happened to anybody. That’s what makes it human. But it’s always something, always happening to the same person. That’s what makes it Embiid.
Embiid played a part in Philly’s last stand, but looked to be laboring through it. For much of the endgame the Knicks played without a center and looked none the worse for it, though Embiid’s partial brilliance might have been enough to knock the Knicks off on a night Towns, Mikal Bridges and Miles McBride went 8-of-31. But there’s one advantage the Knicks enjoy over their fellow Boston-hating East Coast metropolis: OG Anunoby. Whether his flurry of first-half dunks or late game heroics on both ends, Anunoby, if not/alongside Mitch, was the player of the game. His fake swing pass as V.J. Edgecombe came flying at him led to a bounce pass to Landry Shamet in the corner showed the sublime ease of a perfect panenka.
When you sit at the high-rollers table, where the Knicks now do, how you win means less than how much. 85% of New York’s victories this season have been by 5+ points, including six by 20+. Detroit? 75% and five. Who cares? The Pistons have won 32 games, period, while the Knicks have 26. That’s the only number that matters, at least until they all re-set in April.
41 wins matters when you’re up and coming. 50 matters when some dreams have come true and others remain. When you’re the Knicks in January 2026, it’s all about winding your way through 82 games, then winning 16 more. Nobody cares how, or by how much.
Quoth iwamofo: “Fugly win.” It was. This one was never in jeopardy and never in the bag, for either team. When it ended I felt empty, tired, and joyless — but not hopeless. Every day like that is a win. Like the Knicks, all I can do today is win the games I’m in, then do it again tomorrow, every day, long as I can, long as it takes. You too, loves.
Connor McDavid scored 46 seconds into overtime, Evan Bouchard had his first NHL hat trick and three assists, and the Edmonton Oilers held on for a 6-5 win over the Washington Capitals on Saturday night.
Bouchard's six-point game came in his 400th regular-season contest. McDavid had a goal and three assists in regulation, Zach Hyman scored and Leon Draisaitl contributed three assists for the Oilers.
Edmonton netminder Connor Ingram gave up three goals on 12 shots before being replaced by Tristan Jarry midway through the second period. Jarry made 13 saves to close out the victory.
Washington got off to a slow start and didn’t register a shot on goal until the final minute of the first period. Connor McMichael had a goal and an assist, while Aliaksei Protas, Justin Sourdif, Dylan Strome and Anthony Beauvillier all got goals. Charlie Lindgren stopped 34 of the 40 shots he faced.
Washington was coming off a 3-1 win over the Flames in Calgary on Friday, and is now 1-4-0 in its last five games.
Washington’s first goal came just 22 seconds after Bouchard opened the scoring and the visitors leveled the score again two minutes and 37 seconds after his second of the night.
The Capitals climbed back into the game despite going down a defenseman late in the first period after Rasmus Sandin was hurt blocking a shot in the dying seconds of the opening frame and had to be helped off the ice. He did not return.
Draisaitl registered his 600th regular-season assist on Bouchard’s second goal. He is the fourth player in franchise history with 600 assists, following McDavid, Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier.
Up next
Capitals: Visit the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday night.
