Minnesota is going to look very different this season with Julius Randle and Naz Reid gone and LaMelo Ball in.
Coach Chris Finch understands he has a lot of puzzle pieces to fit together, and he discussed that with Britt Robson of MinnPost. That starts with how LaMelo and Anthony Edwards fit together, and what that means for the team's offensive identity.
"As I sit here now, I want to see how it plays out. Your identity is driven by your best players, for sure, and we still have them. I can see a lot of our offensive identity still flowing through Ant. It is just that I think we have a chance to play faster, be a better passing team, maybe people benefit from off-ball movement more. With Rudy, a lot of different things, so I can see everything kind of get a little polished, if you will. But ultimately a lot of our identity is still going to flow through Anthony a lot."
Finch also talked about the Timberwolves needing another step forward from Jaden McDaniels, and how he wants to play faster and get more passing into the offense (Minnesota was 16th in the league in assists per game last season).
He also said they need 19-year-old big man Joan Beringer, who showed promise as a rookie, to step up into the backup center role behind Rudy Gobert.
"You have to realize, as with all young players, there is going to be inconsistency. The way I'm looking at it, is it self-imposed inconsistency or is it just young-player-growth inconsistency? I think with Joan you are certainly going to have the latter.... He's got to figure out the balance of retaining the effort while regulating wanting to go after everything all the time...
"The fouls. He always ends up on the ground, you know? And oftentimes takes himself out of position by being overly aggressive. But learning to dial that back is better than the other way around, trying to ramp somebody up all the time."
It's a lot of questions, but it is what makes Minnesota one of the must-watch teams to start the season.
The Carolina Hurricanes are going to have their work cut out for them Sunday night as they prepare to face the Florida Panthers in their preseason opener.
The Hurricanes will primarily be icing a roster comprised of prospects and AHL players while the Panthers meanwhile will be playing almost their entire NHL roster.
"It'll be a huge challenge for us, obviously," said Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour. "But it's also an opportunity for guys because if they can show in a game like that, they can show in any type of game."
The game will take place at Amerant Bank Arena in Florida, with puck drop set for 7 p.m.
The game will be streamed on the team's website.
Here's how the Hurricanes lined up at the morning skate on Sunday:
Bradly Nadeau - Charlie Cerrato - Felix Unger Sorum Juha Jaaska - Jesperi Kotkaniemi - Viktor Neuchev Josiah Slavin - Skyler Brind'Amour - Justin Robidas Gleb Trikozov - Ivan Ryabkin - Zach Lansard
Mike Reilly - Joel Nystrom Juuso Valimaki - Dominik Badinka Noel Fransen - Charles Alexis Legault
1. One of the keys for me will be seeing how some of the younger guys handle themselves in what's going to be a very difficult environment. There's a lot of very young and inexperienced players on the Hurricanes' roster, but will any of them be able to shine a little bit?
2. It'll also be notable to see which defensemen can separate themselves from the rest of the pack. With five guys competing for one roster spot (four of whom will be playing in the game), this is going to be a golden opportunity for guys to try and standout.
3. The final thing I'm looking for is how does Pyotr Kochetkov look. It's been a long time without NHL action for the Russian goalie and so I'm curious to see how he looks. Obviously he's not gonna have a lot of help, but I'm more so curious to see how he looks physically and if he is making good reads.
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England begin ODI series against Sri Lanka this week
England’s white-ball coach, Brendon McCullum, was full of praise for the captain, Harry Brook, after Saturday’s eight-wicket victory over Sri Lanka completed a T20 series whitewash and took the side to No 1 in the world.
Brook, player of the T20 series against Sri Lanka, has now won 23 of his 26 completed games as captain. If he is not yet considered a suitable candidate as Test leader, the cap fits nicely in the smash and grab format.
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Rieger Lorenz wanted to make sure the jump to professional hockey didn't catch him by surprise.
So far, it hasn't.
Lorenz was one of the Minnesota Wild's most noticeable young players in their preseason action Saturday, scoring a goal and earning praise from both head coach John Hynes and veteran center Nico Sturm.
“I thought Lorenz was impressive tonight,” Hynes said. “You kind of notice him in camp. Really good energy, highly competitive.”
The goal certainly helped Lorenz stand out, but it wasn't what impressed Hynes most.
“Obviously he scored the goal, but I just think his overall game,” Hynes said. “He had a big blocked shot, and he was a player that I think over the course of the game, he kind of caught your eye quite a bit.”
That's exactly what Lorenz is trying to accomplish during his first training camp with the Wild.
The 22-year-old forward spent the summer training in Calgary alongside professional players and made a concerted effort to increase the pace of his game before arriving in Minnesota.
“I'm really comfortable,” Lorenz said. “My group in the summer back in Calgary, we got a lot of pro guys out there. I really pushed myself this summer to try and pick up the pace in my game. I think those guys pushed me, so it's been a pretty seamless jump into camp so far.”
Lorenz also had an opportunity to get an early taste of professional hockey last season.
After finishing his college career, he joined the Iowa Wild and got a firsthand look at what would be required of him at the next level. Instead of entering the offseason wondering how his game would translate to professional hockey, Lorenz had a blueprint for what needed to improve.
“I think that was a big emphasis on going to Iowa and seeing what the pro game entails,” Lorenz said. “I think doing that allowed me to kind of see where my game needs to grow in the offseason. Not kind of going in blind and just wondering what it's like.”
Now he's putting those lessons to use.
Lorenz has also been paying close attention to the NHL players around him during camp. While watching stars such as Kirill Kaprizov, Matt Boldy and Brock Faber has given him a glimpse at the skill and pace required at the top of an NHL lineup, Lorenz understands his path to the league will likely require something different.
“The bottom depth guys, they're super reliable,” Lorenz said. “That's kind of going to be my role as I move up the ranks. So kind of learning as much as I can from those guys, which Foligno and Sturm have been great for that.”
Sturm has apparently been impressed with his young teammate, too.
“Oh yeah, Reegs was great,” Sturm said. “He's really shifty, but most importantly, he's got a little bit of a bite to him.”
That bite has shown up in more ways than one.
According to Sturm, Lorenz hasn't acted like a young player afraid to make his presence known while surrounded by NHL veterans.
“He is chirping out there and stuff, which is, you know, a lot of guys that play their first game or NHL preseason games, they shy away from some stuff,” Sturm said. “But he was out there, just full of confidence.”
Then Sturm offered perhaps the strongest endorsement of Lorenz's night.
“Also a guy that I think is going to be a good NHL player.”
One preseason performance won't determine Lorenz's future, but Saturday provided another encouraging glimpse.
He scored. He blocked shots. He competed. He picked up an assist. And, maybe most importantly for a prospect trying to establish himself during training camp, he made people notice him. Including the Wild's head coach.
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LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 11: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks looks on during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2026 NBA Summer League game on July 11, 2026 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Ryan Stetz/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The season starts in a month! And with that in mind, we’re slowly going to turn our NBA brains back on and write more things. To get us started, I asked the staff what one thing they’re looking forward to about the season. And it doesn’t have to be centered on the Mavericks.
David: I am ecstatic to see what Cooper Flagg does this season. We all remember the jump Luka Doncic took in year two, and I think we expect a similar leap from Flagg. He may not get to the 28+ points night Doncic did, but his impact in other areas could make it feel like we are watching the same level of player. I want him playmaking, leaning in to his downhill physicality, defending the other team’s best player, and taking every shot the defense gives him without hesitation. There are a lot of questions around Dallas’ roster, but the only thing I care about is Flagg.
Tyler: After the somewhat outside-the-box hire of Dusty May, I’m really looking forward to seeing how different this team operates this season. I think my expectations are for a much more aesthetically pleasing brand of basketball. Whether or not that actually translates to wins, I have no earthly idea. But I will be awfully disappointed if they are a slog to watch like last season.
Michael: This season might be the first since the early 2000’s where I’m looking forward to being surprised by the team and the prospect of what it may become. Even in the Luka Doncic era, it felt a little different – perhaps because he crossed over with Dirk Nowitzki for a moment. Here we have an entirely new coaching staff, a front office of basketball professionals (per se) for the first time in two-and-a-half decades, and a core of young players waiting to show what they will become.
So for me, I’m looking forward to a truly new era in Mavs’ basketball taking shape right in front of us, and I’m excited to see what these players will bring and how they will develop beyond just this season.
Brent: The Mavs have made it clear by hiring Gina Miller that they care about communication and tacitly appear to acknowledge the massive failings of the previous era on that front. When you are needlessly adversarial with the media, as Harrison and Kidd often were, you come across as brutish or petulant or above being questioned.
And yet it is the media’s job to question you constantly it’s going to happen before and after every game. The Uriji/Schmitz/May media interaction-while admittedly still in its honeymoon phase-doesn’t have even a width of that old stink.
And setting aside writing about the Mavericks for just a moment, my appetite as a fan to consume those interviews goes way up when the tone is not downright
Joe: What I’m looking forward to Mavs-wise is if this team and franchise truly pick a direction and to see how they manage that with limited assets? Will they commit to the Cooper Flagg era and try and reload their utility belt of assets to start building around coop or are they trying to maximize this roster because of their lack of assets and limitations in roster building?
Non-Mavs-wise, I am looking forward to the season-long crap shoot that will be the 76ers. I already have tickets to the Presidents’ Day game here in Dallas. I’m so curious to see what this looks like. It’s like you’re taking the KD Nets and multiplying it by 10. The true super team with a floor lower than maybe any super team ever.
Sudarshan: I’m looking forward to a relatively drama-less season. Our past few offseasons have been so chaotic because we were run by toddlers high on a sugar rush. It’ll be nice to have a simple, yet unsuccessful season with adults at the helm now.
The 26-27 season is about clearing all major deadwood and setting the platform once more that we can build around Flagg, Morez, Larry, and even possibly Lively.
In broad league terms, I’m looking forward to seeing how the revised lottery rules change the way teams approach tanking, the play-in and contention. If it blows up in Adam Silver’s face, then all the better.
Matt M.: What fresh Hell awaits this team? As long as I get to watch Cooper Flagg take what I think will be a massive leap in Year 2, I can compartmentalize mostly anything, I think.
I don’t know if I’m as high on Morez Johnson and Sergio de Larrea as some on staff are, but I’m confident that Flagg and whatever incremental improvement in the roster has taken place will net Mavericks fans a watchable product, maybe even at times a team you could call “plucky” or heaven forbid “fun.” Remember fun?
For some reason I want to think Marcus Sasser could be something. If nothing else, he’ll definitely get a chance in Dallas to prove it.
League-wide I’m anxious to see if the basement dwellers are forced to become somewhat watchable as well. I’m eager to see if the changes to the lottery system will make more games watchable.
Bryan: I am pumped for Kyrie/Flagg hoops! With the moves made between the season’s end and the initial free agency surge, it’s clear that the Mavericks are banking on heavy (if staggered) doses of Kyrie and Cooper handling primary on-ball duties for the team.
There is still a trade or two just beyond the horizon with Gafford almost assuredly living out of a suitcase for the next 5 months in anticipation of his next NBA destination, but the team as constructed is weird. Fun weird. Oh, how I’ve missed fun weird. I openly embrace fun weird and welcome all its head-scratching quirks and eccentricities as opposed to the mud-tracking, joy-extinguishing swamp that was the last season and a half of Mavericks basketball.
Give me tall ball with shooting. Give me Kyrie/Sasser/Larry three-guard lineups. Give me Morez on the wing for a couple of plays.
Florida will open their abbreviated preseason slate when they host the Carolina Hurricanes at Amerant Bank Arena.
Puck drop is set for 7 p.m.
Panthers head coach Paul Maurice has said that his plan during the shortened training camp and preseason would be to play his veterans early and then give them time to rest ahead of Opening Night.
For those who may have forgotten, Florida’s regular season opener is just nine days away.
Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Sandis Vilamanis
Cole Reinhardt – Cole Schwindt – Jack Devine
Gus Forsling – Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola – Seth Jones
Dmitry Kulikov – Radko Gudas
Matvei Shuravin (seventh defenseman)
The goaltenders are Jacob Markstrom and Cooper Black. Markstrom is expected to play at least some of the game, but its not yet known if he will play all sixty minutes.
Maurice said that Panthers goalie coach Robb Tallas would be handling how the goaltenders are used during the preseason, but did indicate the expectation was that Markstrom would play Sunday.
Photo caption: May 20, 2023; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; FloridaPantherscenter AleksanderBarkov(16) celebrates his goal against CarolinaHurricanesgoaltender Antti Raanta (32) in the second period of game two of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PNC Arena. (James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports)
Josh Inglis scored his second one-day international century and Nathan Ellis his highest score in the format with an unbeaten 36 from 44 balls as Australia claimed a dramatic one-wicket victory over hosts Zimbabwe with a ball to spare in Harare on Sunday.
When Ellis was joined at the crease by Australia’s No 11, Spencer Johnson, the tourists needed 27 runs for victory, something the pair managed at a run-a-ball to take their side to the win.
MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- The St. Louis Blues have made their first eight cuts of training camp.
The club announced Sunday morning that forwards Juraj Pekarcik, Simon Robertsson, and Jakub Stancl, defensemen Michael Buchinger and Lukas Fischer, and goalie Parker Gahagen have been assigned to Springfield of the American Hockey League. Also, forward Maddox Dagenais, the 16th pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, returns to Quebec of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and goalie Vladimir Proskurin, a fourth-round pick in 2026, returns to Victoria of the Ontario Hockey League.
With Sunday's cuts, the Blues reduced their camp roster down to 40, although forwards Felix Trudeau and Nikita Susuev and defenseman Marc-Andre Gaudet, who was placed on waivers Saturday, were not on the ice on Sunday.
The Blues practices Sunday with 37 players.
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Philadelphia may have just had the most star-studded offseason since Miami welcomed their big three 16 years ago. The common thread there is LeBron James, who is somehow still doing it nearly two decades after making his first decision. The 76ers, who have an extremely talented young backcourt, added two NBA Finals MVPs to their former regular-season MVP to create the most formidable lineup they have had in this decade.
When you make moves like those, it is championship or bust. There is no margin for error, and there are no excuses to be made. With as much star power in the starting lineup as the 76ers have, there is pressure to win every night. Even before they signed LeBron James, it would have already been an immensely important year in Philly. But the self-proclaimed best player of all time comes with a set of expectations that no other player in history has. This is the most consequential year in franchise history.
Philadelphia 76ers: Over/Under 50.5 wins (-110/-120)
Key Losses: Paul George, Quentin Grimes, Andre Drummond
The 76ers have not made the conference finals since 2001. It is safe to say that if that trend continues this season, it will be a massive failure. They have to win, and win a lot. The books certainly think they will, as they are tied with Boston for the second-highest win total in the Eastern Conference (behind New York, 51.5). My first instinct is that this team will suffer from Joel Embiid and LeBron James’ health and the overwhelming nature with which the crowd agreed that they won the Brown trade. But even if Embiid and James play 50 or so games, Brown just won 56 last year with a lesser roster on his old team. I want to fade the public and take the under on this team’s win total badly, but the talent of Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecomb mixed with the experience of their frontcourt, coach, and bench makes it impossible to say they will win fewer than 51 games.
Union score four goals in nine minutes v Sporting KC
Caden Clark helps Sounders to late draw
Sam Surridge scored in the first half and Brian Schwake finished off his league-leading 12th clean sheet of the season as Nashville SC clinched a playoff spot and remained unbeaten at home with a 3-0 victory over the Chicago Fire on Saturday night.
Eastern Conference-leading Nashville lead the Supporters’ Shield race and are the only team in the league unbeaten at home with 12 wins in 13.
This preliminary final showcased everything that is exquisite, brutal and cruel about the sport. And how about Nick Watson?
Some of the most memorable games in the history of Australian rules football have come in preliminary finals. Some, like Geelong’s win over North Melbourne in 1994, are remembered as wildly fluctuating, end-to-end shootouts. Some, like Collingwood v GWS in 2023, were hand-to-hand combat. Some, like Hawthorn’s win over Melbourne in 1987 and Sydney’s over Essendon in 1996, are remembered for their dramatic finishes. Some, like the Crows-Bulldogs game in 1997, wrenched the hearts out of the losing supporters. Some are remembered for individual brilliance – Ablett in 1989, Long in 1993, Kouta in 1999 and Cox in 2018. And some, like the 2016 prelim in western Sydney and the Brisbane-Geelong game in 2024, are remembered for the high standard of play throughout.
The Brisbane-Hawthorn prelim on Saturday sampled the best of those and distilled them into one discombobulating, unforgettable brew. It had violent momentum swings, exceptional skills, tactical intrigue and plenty of controversy. And that was just the opening 20 minutes. One of our greatest historians once called Australian football an “emotional bath of agony and ecstasy”. Hyperbole butters a lot of bread in footy. But if ever that phrase was applicable, it was this game. It might be the greatest of all the preliminary finals. It might be the finest exhibition of the code we’ve ever seen.
Manchester City sent a message to Arsenal with this chaotic victory that takes Enzo Maresca’s team three points clear as leaders during the three-week international break.
Until the Premier League resumes on 10 October City can enjoy their status while Mikel Arteta’s champions have to stew following Saturday’s 3-0 humbling at Brighton.
Alexander Isak’s second-half goal was enough to give Liverpool the points in a disappointing game, taking them up to sixth in the table; Bournemouth are 17th
I don’t imagine Rose spent too long sweating over his team. Kluivert is a miss, and of course Junior Kroupi is long-term injured, but otherwise, his team is pretty settled. Adam Scott, who we might’ve thought would leave in the summer, stayed, and has started the season in excellent form. His ball-carrying is exceptional and he offers height in both boxes; if he can develop his passing, especially shirt, punched through the lines, he might develop into an all-round monster.
But back to our game, let’s have a closer look at our dramatis personae.
GLENDALE, AZ - MARCH 21: Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman James Tibbs III (98) reacts running the bases after hitting a home run against the Chicago White Sox in a Spring Breakout Game on March 21, 2026, at Camelback Ranch at Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Oklahoma City Comets allowed seven runs in the sixth inning, breaking a tie in stunning fashion in a road loss to the El Paso Chihuahuas (Padres).
Player of the day
Oklahoma City was first on the board with five runs in the third inning, including a three-run home run by James Tibbs III, who was designated to hit and did just that on Saturday.
Tibbs this season was already the first player in the Pacific Coast League with at least 100 runs, 100 RBI, and 100 walks since Greg Brock, Dodgers first base prospect for Albuquerque in 1982. This home run on Saturday was Tibbs’ 30th of the season, second-most in the PCL.
Ryan Fitzgerald, playing third base on Saturday, had three hits and drove in his 101st run of the season. His 171 hits are the most by an Oklahoma City player in the team’s Bricktown rra (since 1998).
Shortstop Noah Miller started the scoring with a two-run home run in the third inning, his second start in a row with a home run.
Transactions
Mike Sirota, yet another Dodgers minor league outfielder ranked among the top 100 prospects in baseball, started the season in High-A Great Lakes, was promoted to Tulsa in May and put up a stunning .450 on-base percentage in Double-A. With the Drillers season over he was promoted to Oklahoma City on Friday and played in his first Triple-A game on Saturday, and batted third, playing right field.
Sirota on Saturday doubled after he walked three times, giving him 100 on the season between the three levels. After the second walk, in the fifth inning, Sirota scored his 100th run of the season. He has played 107 games.
Sirota is the seventh Dodgers minor leaguer to score 100 runs this season, along with Zach Ehrhard (118 runs with Oklahoma City), Tibbs (109), Eduardo Quintero (108 runs for Great Lakes and Tulsa), Josue De Paula (106 runs with Tulsa, not counting his six runs so far with the Dodgers), Midwest League MVP Charles Davalan (103), and Mairo Martinus (103 with Ontario and Great Lakes).
Tibbs (108) and Sirota (100) are the only Dodgers minor leaguers with triple-digit walks this season.
