MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Russsell Westbrook scored 25 points and Precious Achiuwa had 22 points and 12 rebounds as the Sacramento Kings snapped a 16-game losing streak — the longest in franchise history — with a 123-114 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night.
DeMar DeRozan and Daeqwon Plowden finished with 19 points each, with Plowden scoring 10 in the fourth quarter. Sacramento has the NBA’s worst record and hadn’t won since beating Washington on Jan. 16.
Javon Smalls led Memphis with 21 points and nine assists. Olivier-Maxence Prosper had 17 points and GG Jackson added 16 points.
SPURS 114, PISTONS 103
DETROIT (AP) — Victor Wembanyama had 21 points, 17 rebounds and six blocks, Devin Vassell scored 28 and San Antonio beat the Detroit in a potential NBA Finals preview.
The Spurs have won a season-high nine games in a row and trail only the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference.
The Eastern Conference-leading Pistons, who had won five straight, host Oklahoma City on Wednesday night in another test.
Detroit star Cade Cunningham struggled, missing 21 of 26 shots and finishing with 16 points and 10 assists.
ROCKETS 125, JAZZ 105
HOUSTON (AP) — Jabari Smith Jr. had 31 points and nine rebounds and Amen Thompson scored 20 points as Houston beat Utah.
Smith hit his first five shots and matched a career-high with 14 points in the first quarter. He converted 12 of 17 shots overall and made six 3-pointers.
Thompson shot 8 for 9 from the field and finished with seven rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Kevin Durant scored 18 points and added a season-high 12 assists. Reed Sheppard scored 15 points off the bench.
With the win, the Rockets (35-21) into third place in the Western Conference, behind Oklahoma City and San Antonio.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Tre White scored a season-high 23 points and No. 14 Kansas bounced back from a surprising defeat with a 69-56 victory over No. 5 Houston on Monday night.
Freshman star Darryn Peterson added 14 points on 5-of-14 shooting in 30 minutes for the Jayhawks (21-7, 11-4 Big 12), who fell six spots in this week’s AP Top 25 following an 84-68 loss at home Saturday to unranked Cincinnati.
Bryson Tiller had 11 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks for Kansas, which handed the scuffling Cougars (23-5, 11-4) their third consecutive defeat — all against top-15 opponents.
Houston hadn’t dropped three straight games since 2017.
NO. 18 NORTH CAROLINA 77, NO. 24 LOUISVILLE 74
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Seth Trimble scored a career-high 30 points and hit two key free throws with 12.3 seconds left to help North Carolina hold off Louisville.
Trimble’s free throws made it a two-possession game after Louisville had chopped UNC’s 16-point second-half lead all the way down to 74-71.
Freshman Mikel Brown Jr. hit a desperation 3-pointer with 1.3 seconds left to pull Louisville within 76-74. The Cardinals were able to foul Derek Dixon to extend the game with 0.8 seconds left, but Dixon made the second of his two free throws. Louisville had a final chance but Ryan Conwell couldn’t get off the tying shot in time after catching a long inbounds heave.
Henri Veesaar and Luka Bogavac each added 12 points for the Tar Heels (22-6, 10-5 Atlantic Coast Conference), who again played without injured freshman star Caleb Wilson.
North Carolina shot 53.6% for the game but had a white-knuckle finish for the home fans by going just 7 of 13 from the foul line after halftime. UNC ran off a 17-2 run out of halftime to build a 56-40 lead on Trimble’s steal and dunk that he punctuated with a triumphant scream.
Brown, a high-end NBA prospect, scored 24 points while Conwell added 23 for the Cardinals (20-8, 9-6). Louisville shot 38.8% and went 14 of 39 from 3-point range. But Louisville missed its first 10 shots out of halftime and had to battle uphill the rest of the night.
TAMPA, FL - FEBRUARY 21: Jasson Domínguez #24 of the New York Yankees smiles before the game against the Detroit Tigers at George M. Steinbrenner Field on February 21, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Athletic | Brendan Kuty & Chris Kirschner: ($) A projection of the Yankees Opening Day roster now that spring training is underway. There aren’t too many surprises, with Jasson Domínguez starting the year at Triple-A and Cade Winquest and Jake Bird rounding out the bullpen as perhaps the most notable insights.
Kuty and Kirschner also provide some updates on two potential X factors for the Yankees. José Caballero is focusing his offseason work on increasing his bat speed, which was well below average last season. “If your bat speed increases, even if you mis(hit) a ball, you’re going to hit it a little harder than you used to,” said the shortstop, who led the AL in steals for the second straight time last year. Luis Gil, who struggled to regain his Rookie of the Year form while dealing with injuries last season, will likely get a shot in the rotation early with Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón beginning the season on the shelf. “He’s capable of big things,” says manager Aaron Boone of the 27-year-old, adding, “I’ve seen him dominate like the aces dominate, so he’s capable of that, without question.”
MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: After coming up through the Yankees system with the label of a “bat-first” prospect, Austin Wells has made himself into one of the top defensive catchers in the game. The primary driver of this has been his pitch framing, with his 19 framing runs at the bottom of the zone leading MLB the past two seasons. “One thing that has helped him separate is an ability to make adjustments fast,” said Tanner Swanson, the Yankees’ catching coach. “He’s capable of taking information even with minimal training.”
That propensity for continual improvement has not translated to his offense, which sputtered at times last year after a strong rookie season. “I expect a lot more out of him offensively, as does he,” said Boone of his backstop. “Being a Major League catcher, especially as a rookie and a first- and second-year player, there’s a lot of things you’re focusing on away from your hitting. I still think there’s a lot more in there offensively.” Wells agrees. “It’s just about keeping it consistent,” he said. “That’s the next level for me, and I think that’ll help me give less at-bats away.”
MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: As he gets the chance to square up against top competition in spring training camp, the Yankees remain bullish on George Lombard Jr. Per Brian Cashman, the organization’s consensus number-one prospect “could play defense in the big leagues right now, but he’s still developing on the hitting side.” The Yankees’ GM also calls the shortstop an “exciting, high-ceiling talent,” while Boone praised his “consistently great work habits.” For his part, Lombard embraces all that comes with his place atop the Yankees’ farm system. “I feel like I’m blessed to be in that situation, where I have those expectations and goals to meet,” he said. “I really just try to block that out. I acknowledge the situation that I’m in, and then just focus on my work and let those things figure themselves out.”
It was another high-spirited practice, during which head coach Dan Muse put his team through it. He wants everyone ready to go for Thursday's game against the New Jersey Devils, which will come three weeks after their last game against the Buffalo Sabres.
Every healthy player was on the ice, except for Sidney Crosby, who was coming back from the Olympics. He's also still banged up, and the Penguins don't have an update on him yet. The Penguins are off on Tuesday, so an update on his status for this week may not come until Wednesday when they return to practice.
Crosby was injured during Team Canada's quarterfinal game against Czechia and missed the semifinal against Finland and the Gold Medal loss to the United States.
Erik Karlsson returned to practice on Monday and was paired with his usual defensive partner, Parker Wotherspoon. It was Karlsson's first practice back after representing Sweden at the Olympics.
Rickard Rakell and Arturs Silovs, who also went to the Olympics, were back at practice on Sunday.
Avery Hayes was a full participant at practice after being called up from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on Monday morning. He was on the top line with Rakell and Bryan Rust.
Here is what the forward lines looked like:
Hayes-Rakell-Rust
Chinakhov-Malkin-Novak
Mantha-Kindel-Brazeau
Dewar-Lizotte-Acciari
Kevin Hayes was the 13th forward.
Defensively, the Penguins showcased Wotherspoon-Karlsson, Kulak-Letang, and Shea-Clifton. Ryan Graves and Ilya Solovyov were listed as the fourth pair.
Muse had the Penguins go through several 5v5 drills. He also set aside time for a lot of special teams work and some 6-on-5 work.
The Penguins will have three games this week to jumpstart the stretch run of the 2025-26 season. After Thursday's game against the Devils, the Penguins will play the New York Rangers on Saturday and the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday.
Surprise, AZ - February 21: Miguel Andujar #41 of the San Diego Padres runs to first base during a spring training game against the Kansas City Royals on February 21, 2026 in Surprise, AZ. (Photo by K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)
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Criticism of the offseason and the lack of moves made by San Diego Padres President of Baseball Operation and General Manager A.J. Preller was warranted. Preller changed the narrative of the offseason with a flurry of moves as Spring Training was getting under way. In one weekend the Padres added position players Nick Castellanos and Ty France and pitcher Griffin Canning, German Marquez and Walker Buehler. With those moves, Preller added depth to the roster and created competition in areas of need at designated hitter, first base and the starting rotation.
Castellanos started the first Spring Training games and was held without a hit, but he showed promise that he could make a successful transition to first base with a couple plays on ground balls to his right, one of which required him to dive to make the stop, recover and make a good throw to Wandy Peralta who was covering first base to get the out.
The afore-mentioned moves followed the free agent addition of Miguel Andujar on a one-year $4 million deal that became official on Feb. 11. The Padres and Preller got to see the benefits of Andujar on the roster in their 7-5 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday. He launched a solo home run to left field that got San Diego on the scoreboard and gave the Padres offense life.
There were also some additions that came early in the offseason that were almost forgotten about by many of the Friar Faithful. Jose Miranda, who was signed to a minor league deal in early January, has been one of the best players in camp after four Spring Training games. Samad Taylor is another January addition who signed a minor league deal who has performed well this spring.
It is fair to question the pitching additions that have thrown for San Diego this spring. Starters Triston Mackenzie and JP Sears, who was added at the 2025 trade deadline, were roughed up in their first spring outings. They each allowed four runs and were unable to complete an inning of work. Right-handed reliever Ty Adcock also did not look particularly sharp in outing on Sunday. He allowed a run on three singles, but he faced a string of left-handed hitters, which would not be a typical time for him to be on the mound.
With all the additions/moves made by Preller, the fan perspective on the San Diego offseason has changed. A group that was largely disappointed in the lack of activity this offseason has reversed course and is more than pleased with the work that has been done to fill out the roster. With that being, said the roster could always be better and with Preller another move or moves could come before Opening Day.
GRAMBLING, La. (AP) — Antonio Munoz had 21 points and Jimel Lane posted a double-double to help Grambling pull away in the second half and beat Mississippi Valley State 83-62 on Monday night.
Munoz made 6 of 11 shots with a 3-pointer and went 8 for 14 at the free-throw line for the Tigers (12-15, 6-8 Southwestern Athletic Conference). Lane totaled 18 points and 10 rebounds, Roderick Coffee III had 11 points, seven assists and three steals. Derrius Ward hit two 3-pointers and scored 10 off the bench.
Michael James finished with 19 points, eight rebounds and four assists for the Delta Devils (2-27, 1-14). Xzayvion Childress added 12 points and three steals, while Daniel Mayfield totaled 11 points and five rebounds.
Munoz had 12 points by halftime to help Grambling take a 38-36 lead into the break. James scored 11 to keep MVSU close.
The Delta Devils beat Texas Southern 72-71 their last time out to snap a 25-game losing streak.
GOODYEAR, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 23: Chase DeLauter #24 of the Cleveland Guardians gets ready in the batters box against the Arizona Diamondbacks during a spring training game at Goodyear Ballpark on February 23, 2026 in Goodyear, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Guardians are now 4-0 so far in Spring Training after beating the Diamondbacks today. Overall record doesn’t mean much in Spring Training, nor does player performance but I’m never going to complain about Guardians players playing well, and today was pretty eventful when you look at which players performed well.
First and foremost, the lineup today had us Guardians fans dreaming about a potential DeLauter-José 2-3 combo for the next 5+ years. It started when DeLauter roped a 101.2 mph double down the right field line on a 96 mph sinker that was way up and in on his hands. The fact he was able to hit that ball as hard as he did just goes to show how special Chase DeLauter really is. José followed that by knocking in DeLauter with a ground-rule double the very next at bat. José would later go on to hit a 3 run home run in the bottom of the 5th, which is just a great sign to see him doing this in February.
We saw some other solid performances today:
Tanner Bibee: 2.0 IP, 1H, 0R, 0BB, 1K
Jaison Chourio: 2-2, RBI, R
Bo Naylor: 2-3, double
Johnathan Rodriguez: 1-2, BB
Overall it was a very fun game for the Guardians. As a big Minor League Baseball fan, I love Spring Training, because you get to watch players from nearly every level of the organization.
The Guardians take on the Dodgers Tuesday at 3:05 PM ET. It will be Gavin Williams vs Gavin Stone, and this one WILL be televised! Yay!
DETROIT, MI - FEBRUARY 23: Cade Cunningham #2 of the Detroit Pistons handles the ball during the game against the San Antonio Spurs on February 23, 2026 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. 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 Brian Sevald/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Spurs’ much-anticipated visit to the league-best Pistons lived up to the hype. The matchup had the intensity of a playoff game, with both teams clearly valuing a win more than they’d normally would on an average February night. In that context, San Antonio’s 114-103 victory has to be considered one of their best of the season, as they not only beat a contender but did so while playing their game and never buckling under pressure.
The flow of the game and its most defining characteristics were there from the start. Early in the game, Devin Vassell swished jumpers while Victor Wembanyama affected every single shot inside, two factors that would be present throughout the night. Quickly, the Spurs found themselves up double digits and comfortable with the Pistons’ physicality. Unfortunately, Detroit reached another level of intensity, upping the aggressiveness and daring officials to call a foul on every play. The momentum of the matchup shifted, and suddenly the hosts were grabbing every rebound and running out in transition while forcing San Antonio to play half-court offense, with predictably mixed results.
The Pistons only led by two heading into the second period, but they seemed to be in control longer than their opponent. The trend continued, as the home team seemed more comfortable with the level of physicality the officials were allowing. Making matters worse for the Spurs, Luke Kornet got hurt in his first stint and sat out most of the first half, leaving them to rely on a small unit whenever Wembanyama rested. Still, San Antonio continued to fight. Those stretches in which Detroit got to dictate the tenor of the matchup, including an incident that led to double technicals, were countered by good early offense, especially on drives by Stephon Castle, and by Wembanyama’s defensive dominance. At the break, the visitors were the ones up two.
The start of the second half felt momentous. De’Aaron Fox attacked off the dribble and got Cade Cunningham to commit his fourth foul. Cunningham stayed in the game and eventually got a few shots to fall, but Stephon Castle continued to do a fantastic job on him, and the foul trouble limited him. With the Pistons packing the paint and focusing heavily on not allowing Wembanyama to score, the Spurs started to use the big man as a decoy and had others attack off the bounce and either get to the rim or find open shooters. It was a rare display of patience and maturity for such a young team. Things got uglier once Kornet checked in and Wemby rested, but neither team could really score, so San Antonio’s lead grew. At that point, it felt like the Silver and Black had figured out their opponent.
The Pistons have the best record in the league for a reason, and they are known for their toughness, so of course, they just didn’t go away. They attacked the paint, testing Wembanyama and enjoying some success when Jalen Duren went up strong in the pick-and-roll or after offensive boards. On the other end, they stuck to their game plan and had some success, especially when the Spurs tried to get their superstar some touches. Ultimately, it was all futile against a San Antonio squad that absorbed any punches, both literal and figurative, while remaining focused and calm. They knew their opponent lacked firepower for any big run that wasn’t assisted by turnovers, so they did a solid job avoiding them while funneling players to the paint in the half-court, where Wembanyama dominated. The better team prevailed on Monday in a battle that shows the Silver and Black are a real title threat.
Game notes:
Wembanyama finished with 21 points, 17 rebounds, four assists, and six blocks, but his performance was more impressive than any stat line can describe. After forcing things a little early, he completely understood that for the Spurs to win, he needed to draw extra defenders to him or keep Duren outside of the paint with the threat of his jumper, and seemed perfectly happy doing just that. He opened up the floor for others on offense and made his mark on the defensive end. An incredible sign of maturity from a 22-year-old.
Wemby’s defensive impact couldn’t be matched, but Stephon Castle came close to it. He pressured Cunningham for entire possessions and was physical without fouling. The Pistons’ superstar got so frustrated that he pushed Castle in what ended up being a small altercation. Just like Wemby, he ended up with a good stat line, but his impact was greater than the numbers show.
When the shooters have the hot hand, it’s almost impossible to guard the Spurs. Detroit was so concerned with packing the paint that they gave up open looks, and Devin Vassell and Julian Champagnie made them pay dearly for it. Vassell had as many made three-pointers (seven) as the entire Pistons team.
De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper were both solid. Fox didn’t have it going from outside but tried to get to the paint and spray out passes when he couldn’t get to the rim. He should have had a few more points if he had gotten some calls that he deserved. Harper played intense defense on Cunningham and kept the ball moving. Having multiple ball handlers can be the difference between winning and losing, as the Pistons, who don’t have anyone other than the star who can create, can attest.
The word of the night was “physicality,” and Keldon Johnson did his part to help the Spurs match the Pistons’. He had Castle’s back after Cunningham pushed him, and he attacked the offensive glass. Not a glamorous game from Keldon, but another night that shows he’ll just do what it takes to win.
Play of the night
The game in a nutshell. Wemby gets a stop, draws the defense in, and Vassell hits an open three.
They wanted someone to help replace Brandon Sproat, a top prospect who was part of the package sent to the Brewers.
Myers tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings in a 4-3 win over Toronto at TD Ballpark, walking none and striking out three.
More importantly, it was an opportunity for Myers — who is expected to pitch in a multi-inning role this season — to work on some new pitches that he’s added to his repertoire over the past year.
Tobias Myers throws a pitch during live batting practice Feb. 13. Corey Sipkin for the NY Post
There was the splitter he added in the second half of last season and is still fine-tuning, as well as a slider that he and pitching coach Justin Willard added more than a week ago.
“The slider I threw a lot today,” Myers said. “They probably think it’s a curveball that’s pretty big and I want to get the [velocity] up on that.”
The splitter, Myers believes, is more effective than the changeup he threw previously.
While making sure to note the pitch is nothing like teammate Kodai Senga’s famous ghost fork, Myers did say having experienced pitchers like Senga and Clay Holmes around — pitchers also adept at moving the ball around the zone — will help his development.
The Mets have said Myers will open the season on the major league roster, whether in the rotation or the bullpen, and he could get a start in the spring, especially when Holmes and Nolan McLean head to the World Baseball Classic.
Tobias Myers is pictured during the Mets’ spring training session Feb. 18. Corey Sipkin for the NY Post
In the meantime, manager Carlos Mendoza has liked what he’s seen, especially the “life” on Myers’ fastball.
Nick Morabito made his presence felt in all facets of the game Monday.
The outfielder, who spent all of last season at Double-A Binghamton, had an RBI single off José Berríos and stole second.
He also made a fine running catch down the left field line on a fly ball by Daulton Varsho.
Afterward, Mendoza called Morabito “a baseball player.”
“He’s a guy that’s a pretty good defender, he has good at-bats, puts the ball in play and runs the bases,” Mendoza said. “He can win games.”
The Mets have not been shy about trying to steal bases in the early going this spring and Mendoza said to expect more of it.
“We are always gonna be aggressive, especially when the situation presents itself,” Mendoza said. “We’ve got the personnel.”
Australia have been dealt a significant blow with Ellyse Perry and Kim Garth ruled out of the series in the lead-up to Tuesday’s first ODI against India at Brisbane’s Allan Border Field.
SCOTTSDALE, AZ - FEBRUARY 20: Kyle Karros #12 of the Colorado Rockies adjusts his hat before taking the field in a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields on Friday, February 20, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Kyle Cooper)
Yesterday in the press box, we had a lively discussion about some alternate jobs for various Rockies if they weren’t Major League Baseball players.
On the Purple Row board, Doug78 mentioned yesterday that they thought, “If Karros can’t make it in the MLB, he definitely has a career being cast in a teen drama for the CW.” I personally think Chase Dollander could be a PR guy, and maybe Ryan Feltner would be a graphic designer or VFX artist.
What are your thoughts? Would Karros cut it as a television star? What other jobs would Rockies players have?
DALLAS, TEXAS - JANUARY 12: Naji Marshall #13 of the Dallas Mavericks is defended by Noah Clowney #21 of the Brooklyn Nets during the fourth quarter at American Airlines Center on January 12, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. 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 Sam Hodde/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Get ready for another dose of irredeemable basketball on Tuesday when the Dallas Mavericks (20-36) travel to the Barclays Center to square off with the Brooklyn Nets (15-41) in a game sure to rival Sunday’s tilt at the Indiana Pacers for sheer lack of import.
With the Mavericks’ recent 10-game losing streak in the rearview, two losing teams are set to do battle on Tuesday for mere inches of ground in the race to the bottom of their respective conference tables, where only lottery balls hang in the balance.
It’s an existence that tries the spirit of whatever is left of the two fanbases in question, but here we are — staring irrelevance in the eyes. Fun, ain’t it?
Here are three storylines to conjure any faint glimmer of interest that may be left as two struggle busses collide in the Big Apple.
Flagg on the mend?
We went from hearing from Mavericks’ head coach Jason Kidd at practice that “we’ll see how he feels” on Tuesday to Cooper Flagg being officially ruled out of the game at Brooklyn in just a few hours, but at least Flagg is participating at this point.
The Mavs just finished practice at Butler University. Today was a “get what you need day,” so most of the players had individual workouts, including Cooper Flagg, who signed autographs for a few fans waiting here at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
He was seen wearing a protective boot on his right foot during All-Star Weekend festivities after spraining the foot before the break against the Phoenix Suns. As Mavs fans have seen during his three-game absence, watchable basketball is not a thing with Flagg on the sidelines. Khris Middleton and Marvin Bagley III may be interesting side conversations for a minute, but prolonged exposure to basketball teams that feature them as central figures can be hazardous to fans’ mental health.
The Mavericks have no reason to bring Flagg back until the foot is 150% healed. There is nothing to play for at this point besides notching the requisite 65 games played necessary to stay in consideration for the NBA Rookie of the Year award. Flagg has appeared in 49 games so far this season, with 27 left on the Mavericks’ schedule. The point here is, he could stand to sit another game or two, even after Tuesday’s matchup with the Nets, and still be the favorite to win.
New friends
In the meantime, the Middleton and Bagley storylines will have to suffice. Both have been solid in their first handful of games with the Mavericks. Middleton is coming off his best game of the 2025-26 season against the Pacers, when he scored 25 points, pulled down seven rebounds and handed out seven assists to lead Dallas to its first win in a calendar month.
Bagley, for his part, has notched double-doubles off the bench in three of his five games in a Mavericks uniform. Do either warrant a look after their current contracts are up at the end of the season? Maybe, but only in short-term, bargain basement scenarios. They have the rest of this season to make their modest cases.
Washington watch
Mavericks’ fandom is on P.J. Washington watch for the rest of this year, as his relative slide from previous years’ production has made some start to question whether he needs to stick around as part of the core group surrounding Flagg when his four-year, $88-million deal kicks in next season. He’s still a 14 and seven guy this year, but he’s not the indispensable man he was before Naji Marshall started to eat his lunch a little, as Washington has missed time with injury here and there and underperformed at other times this year.
Washington had his best game since December on Sunday at Indiana. He scored 23 points on 8-of-14 shooting and grabbed nine boards in the win. He needs to put together a few more games like that to cement his place in the pecking order.
How to watch
The Mavericks and the Nets tip off at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday from the Barclays Center. The game will be televised locally on KFAA Channel 29 and on sister stations throughout the Mavericks’ viewership area. It will also be streamed on MavsTV and on NBA League Pass, where available.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 22: Luka Doncic # of the Los Angeles Lakers attempts a pass against Baylor Scheierman #55 of the Boston Celtics during the second half of their game at Crypto.com Arena on February 22, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Luiza Moraes/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After an embarrassing loss to the Boston Celtics, the Lakers (34-22) aim to bounce back on Tuesday when they take on the Orlando Magic (30-26) at home. This game will conclude their nine-game home stand.
On Sunday, a day the Lakers celebrated the legend that is Pat Riley, they were run out of the gym courtesy of Payton Pritchard and the Celtics. It was disappointing and, frankly, unacceptable. Losing to an opponent, an arch-rival no less, without their franchise player was a reminder that this team has its limitations.
Sure, the referees may have impacted the Lakers’ performance throughout the game, but that’s still not a good enough excuse. Great teams find a way to win basketball games despite not having the friendly whistle and the Lakers showed that they weren’t that on Sunday. They lost the offensive possession and rebounding battle while their defense couldn’t contain an elite offense either. On top of that, they complained to the referees more than people do to customer service.
This begs the question: Have the Lakers already reached their ceiling? Is it a mistake to hope that they have another gear to get into that will propel them to make a deep run in the playoffs? Is it wrong to hope that they do? Because it’s losses like Sunday’s that really sting, even if they manage to win their next couple of games.
It’s frustrating that they’re now 11-14 against teams above .500 this season. They have enough time to improve, but it won’t change the fact that they are what they are at this point. Their ceiling has been reached and we’re all just here for the ride.
So, what’s next?
At least, this ride involves watching this team perform very well against mediocre teams and that’s what the Magic are. Not to undermine how good they can be but the Magic have underperformed for most of the season. Part of that is due to injuries, but also because they’re a below-average offensive team. They don’t rebound the ball so well nor do they shoot great from the 3-point arc. The Lakers’ defense should be able to capitalize.
Although Orlando has its flaws offensively, Los Angeles should still be wary Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane. With Franz Wagner out due to an ankle injury, Banchero and Bane will certainly have a ton of touches, and the Lakers have to make sure that neither of them dominates. It’s vital that Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves and LeBron James get their offense rolling, which didn’t happen against the Celtics.
One way the Lakers could push their ceiling is to get their role players to perform at a high level consistently. Can they get that from Rui Hachimura, DeAndre Ayton, Jake Laravia, Marcus Smart and others for the next 26 games leading up to the playoffs? They should be able to outperform the Magic’s supporting cast.
Maybe the Lakers figure out something this late into the season that could perhaps impact their ceiling. Here’s to hoping that they do. In the meantime, the fairest expectation is for them to win their upcoming game against the Magic. So let’s see if they can do that on Tuesday.
Notes and Updates
For the Lakers’ injury report, Jaxson Hayes is listed as doubtful with a right ankle sprain after exiting Sunday’s game.
As for the Magic, Jalen Suggs is questionable with a back strain. As mentioned, Wagner is out.
DETROIT, MI - FEBRUARY 23: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs goes up for the rebound during the game against the Detroit Pistons on February 23, 2026 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. 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 Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Detroit Pistons built their game plan around containing Victor Wembanyama, but the reason the San Antonio Spurs are one of the best teams in the league is that it isn’t all about Wemby. The Spurs had everything working in a 114-103 win over the Pistons in front of a raucous and then quite dejected crowd at Little Caesars Arena.
The bottom line is the Spurs surrounded Wembanyama with shooters and ball handlers, and those players moved the ball and hit their shots. The Pistons have a lack of shooting and ball handling around Cade Cunningham, and it was on full display on a night when Cade struggled, and San Antonio’s elite defense was able to control the paint in the second half.
Wembanyama was just 6-of-16 from the floor, and Cunningham was limited to 5-of-26. They both found ways to be impactful through passing, rebounding, and shot blocking (three for Cunningham and six for Wembanyama). The surrounding cast delivered this win for the Spurs by getting plenty of open looks and making a ton of them. The Spurs hit 18 three-pointers on the night compared to just seven for the Pistons. That was the ballgame right there.
These two teams entered tonight as two of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the NBA and succeeded despite it. Tonight, though, the Spurs shot 18-of-40 from deep, and Detroit was a woeful 7-for-36. If you told me before the game that San Antonio’s Devin Vassell and Julian Champagnie were going to shoot a combined 12-for-19 from deep tonight, I would tell you that the Spurs were going to win that game. And that’s exactly what happened. Sometimes basketball isn’t that complicated.
Vassell was the high-scorer on the night with 28 points and seven made threes, while Champagnie had 17, and Steph Castle had 16 and 11 assists. Wembanyama was bottled up on offense for the most part, but he still had an otherworldly 21 points, 17 rebounds, and six blocks.
The Pistons were able to stay in the game through three quarters via their signature — flying all over the floor, defending their butts off, and getting into the teeth of San Antonio’s defense. Jalen Duren led the Pistons with 25 points and 14 rebounds, and Ron Holland scored 15 and added 11 boards. But it was a night when Tobias Harris was invisible (1-of-6 for four points) and Ausar Thompson was played off the floor. Thompson only played 18 minutes and was subbed at the 8:14 mark of the third quarter with the Spurs up 63-62. He never returned to the game.
Either Thompson did something JB Bickerstaff really didn’t like or he had already determined that the paint was going to be off limits the rest of the night and needed to try to source some offense and couldn’t afford to put the non-shooter back on the floor. Whatever the reason, the offense never really came. Detroit was limited to 20 points in the third quarter and went up by as many as 15 points.
Cunningham struggled with fouls, struggled with his shot, struggled with ball pressure, and Detroit didn’t really have the ability to turn to anyone else to make things happen. The magic dust has worn off Daniss Jenkins a little bit, who still plays hard and mostly plays smart, but is not a reliable scoring threat. Caris LeVert played like Caris LeVert. Hit a couple of tough shots and did heinous things with the ball in his hands. Javonte Green is a defender and spot-up shooter only, and Ron Holland is all hustle; you can’t run plays through him.
That is a recipe for tough nights against the elite teams who are locked in, and it leaves Detroit with a lot of pondering to do, because this is exactly the kind of game you’re going to need to figure out how to win come playoff time.
The Pistons have the best record in the NBA against the league’s best teams, we know they know how to win close games, and they have an elite player in Cunningham they can turn to in the clutch. That’s great in the regular season, but Detroit needs to understand how to win playoff basketball. Because tonight had the look and feel of playoff basketball, and the Pistons came up way short.
Luckily, Detroit still has 26 games to figure it out.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - JULY 29: Chas McCormick #20 of the Houston Astros breaks his bat during the eighth inning against the Washington Nationals at Daikin Park on July 29, 2025 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s another week here at BCB After Dark: the grooviest gathering of night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in and sit with us for a while. You’re always welcome here. The show will start shortly. The hostess will seat you now. There’s no cover charge, but there is a two-drink minimum. Bring your own beverage.
BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.
Here’s the part where we listen to music and talk movies. But you’re free to skip ahead if you want. You won’t hurt my feelings.
Here’s some (rare?) video of saxophonist Hank Mobley on Danish television in 1968. Joining Mobley is an all-star backing group of Kenny Drew on piano, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (NHØP) on bass and Albert “Tootie” Heath.
You voted in the BCB Winter Science Fiction Classic final between 2001: A Space Odyssey and Terminator 2: Judgment Day and 2001: A Space Odyssey is your champion! That’s not a real surprise. It was the number-one seed coming into the tournament and it’s certainly the most-acclaimed science fiction film of all-time, coming in as the number-six film of all-time (in any genre) in the most-recent BFI Sight & Sound critics poll. The film does have its critics—Soviet director Andrei Tarkovsky (of Solaris and Stalker fame) in particular didn’t like it—but most critics and scholars see it as a film that changed the way we think about what a film can be.
As I said in my original essay on the film, 2001 is the first film to really capture the sheer awe of outer space and maybe no film since then has even approached it. It’s also a film that leaves you with a lot of questions at the end, even if director Stanley Kubrick was more than happy to explain it when asked. It came out at a time when the “New Hollywood” movement, freed from the restrictions of the Production Code, really pushed the boundaries of what film could be. And luckily, there was an audience for this kind of new expression in 1968.
So here’s the final bracket with everything filled in.
Running the Science Fiction tournament was more difficult than our previous tournaments. For one, I was willing to cover the entire 20th Century this time, whereas the Film Noir was limited to 1941 to 1959, the Western tournament was limited from 1939 to 1972 and the Hitchcock one was limited to Hitchcock’s career which went from the 1920s to 1976. Secondly, there are always some disagreements about what counts as science fiction. Genres are always difficult to nail down, but science fiction is a really broad category that has changed a lot from 1902’s A Trip to the Moon to 1999’s The Matrix. Thank goodness I didn’t include 21st Century films in the tournament or I would have gone nuts trying to figure out what counted.
I just want to thank everyone who participated and voted. I especially thank those of you who carried on the comments in the discussions. What really makes it worthwhile is the way that we share the ways we interact with the films. That’s the way I learn new things. Even those of you whom I disagreed with—heck, maybe especially those of you whom I disagreed with—taught me to look at the films in different ways.
But you’re all still wrong about Back to the Future. It’s very so-so. Just like Huey Lewis and the News. And Repo Man and Brazil should have done better. So should have Stalker, but that’s my own fault for putting it up against Blade Runner in the first round. I also saw The Incredible Shrinking Man for the first time for this tournament, and it turns out I loved it. So that was a nice moment for me.
Welcome back to everyone who skips the music and movies.
The Cubs signed Michael Conforto to a minor-league deal today and that is just another indicator that the Cubs consider their biggest question in Spring Training to be who is going to be the fourth outfielder. The Cubs already had non-roster invitees Chas McCormick and Dylan Carlson in camp as well as prospect Kevin Alcántara and waiver claim Justin Dean. Prospect Brett Bateman is also in camp as a non-roster invitee, but he’s not considered a serious candidate to claim the 4th outfielder job, at least not out of Spring Training. Maybe in August.
So tonight, I’m going to ask you which one of the non-roster invitees is most likely to be a contributor to the Cubs this season. Not necessarily right out of Spring Training, but over the course of the season.
The model here is Mike Tauchman, whom the Cubs signed to a minor league deal with a Spring Training invitation in 2023. Tauchman didn’t make the Opening Day roster, but accepted an assignment to Triple-A Iowa and got called up to the majors in May. Of course, Tauchman was an important player on both the 2023 and 2024 Cubs.
Two pitchers in recent years were NRIs and ended up making major contributions to the team were Mark Leiter Jr. in 2021 and Brad Keller last season. It’s easier to make the roster as a reliever than as an outfielder. If anything, the other relievers are more likely to get injured than other outfielders.
So let’s quickly review the three NRIs. We’re going to bypass Dean, since he’s on the 40-man roster and is likely ticketed for Iowa. He could certainly see some time in the majors if he does well down there and there’s an injury in the majors. But he’s got options and the Cubs won’t have to make a decision on him in March. We’re not going to count Kevin Alcántara, because he’s a top prospect and in the Cubs long-term plans at the moment. They hope he’s more than a fourth outfielder. The same goes for Brett Bateman, although he’s not as well-regarded as Alcántara.
The first candidate is Dylan Carlson. Once upon a time, 2021 to be exact, Carlson was one of the top 20 prospects in baseball and was expected to be a star for the Cardinals. His rookie season of 2021 was pretty good. He hit .266 with 18 home runs and a .343 on-base percentage. Carlson finished third in Rookie-of-the-Year balloting. He didn’t set the world on fire his rookie year, but it was promising enough that you could easily predict stardom for him down the road.
That didn’t happen. Instead, Carlson suffered a series of injuries that cut into his playing time and his power. In particular, he suffered a shoulder injury after colliding with Jordan Walker in Spring Training in 2024 and he never really seemed to be himself since then. Last year with the Orioles, Carlson hit just .203/.273/.336 with six home runs over 83 games. Hamstring and oblique injures have also cost him enough speed that he’s no longer an acceptable center fielder except on an emergency basis.
On the plus side of Carlson, he’s still just 27 and if he ever got healthy, that top prospect that used to be there is probably still in there somewhere.
Al covered Conforto pretty well earlier today. Just last year, the Dodgers thought enough of Conforto to give him a $17 million, one-year deal. That was coming off a two-year, $36 million deal with the Giants. And as Al wrote, Conforto was a pretty good outfielder for the Mets from 2015 to 2021. But he missed the entire 2022 season with a shoulder injury and hasn’t really been good since, although he was solid enough for the Giants in 2024 that the Dodgers took a chance on him with that one-year deal.
The other downside on Conforto is that he turns 33 on March 1. He also hasn’t played center field since 2019.
Finally, there’s Chas McCormick, who has spent his entire career with the Astros until now. He made his major league debut with Houston in 2021 just shy of his 26th birthday. From 2021 to 2023, McCormick was an excellent fourth outfielder. He played over 100 games in all three of those seasons and hit 50 home runs in those three years combined. McCormick had a 117 OPS+ over those three seasons and was a solid defender at all three outfield positions.
Then McCormick suffered a hamstring injury early in 2024 and hasn’t been right since. He hit a poor .210/.279/.290 last season and put up almost identical numbers in 2024. McCormick also turns 31 in April, so his decline might be as much age-related as injury-related.
On the plus side to McCormick, he’s still a solid defender at all three outfield positions. Unlike Carlson and Conforto, McCormick still has minor league options, so he could be sent down to Iowa to start the season. However, most of these minor league deals with an invite to Spring Training contracts have an opt-out clause where a player can leave the organization if they aren’t on the major-league (or 40-man) roster by a certain date. So there may not be as much flexibility on McCormick as it might seem initially.
Obviously none of these outfielder are without warts. If they were, they wouldn’t have signed a minor league deal. Teams would be fighting for their signature. But all three of these players were very good once and not too long ago. Which one do you think is most likely to be good again in 2025?
Thanks for stopping by tonight. Please get home safely. If you braved the snow to get here, be extra safe. We want you healthy enough to stop by again. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again tomorrow for more BCB After Dark.
