Have you been following the big stories in football, rugby union, MMA, rugby league, skiing, skeleton and cricket?
Continue reading...Magic use 3-point flurry to hand the Kings their franchise-record 15th straight loss
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Paolo Banchero scored 30 points and the Orlando Magic beat Sacramento 131-94 on Thursday night for the Kings’ franchise-record 15th straight loss.
Orlando made a team-record 27 3-pointers on 51 attempts. Banchero was 5 of 7 from 3-points range and had six assists and five rebounds in the opener of a four-game trip.
The Kings broke the futility record a day after star center Domantas Sabonis and guard Zach LaVine had season-ending surgeries. The franchise had 14-game losing streaks in 1959-60 and 1971-72 while playing as the Cincinnati Royals.
The NBA record for consecutive losses is 28, set by Philadelphia over the 2014–15 and 2015–16 seasons and matched by Detroit in 2023–24.
The NBA-worst Kings are 12-45, with a five-game trip up next. Sacramento is winless since beating Washington at home Jan 16 for its season-best fourth straight victory.
Orlando broke the team record for 3-pointers of 25 set Jan. 3, 2004, at Sacramento in a 138-135 loss in double overtime.
Anthony Black added 20 points for Orlando. Desmond Bane had 17, Jett Howard 16, and Jevon Carter 14. Seventh in the East, the Magic improved to 29-25.
Maxime Raynaud led Sacramento with 17 points. Keegan Murray added 15, and Precious Achiuwa and Malik Monk each had 14.
Banchero had 18 points in the first half to help the Magic take a 64-55 lead.
After Sacramento cut it to 83-81 with 4:25 left in the third, Orlando closed the quarter with a 19-3 run to take a 102-84 lead into the fourth.
Tristan da Silva hit three straight 3s early in the fourth to make it 111-88. The Magic outscored the Kings 48-13 in last 16:25.
Sabonis had a meniscus tear in November, and played just 19 games this season. LaVine had surgery to repair a tendon on his right pinky finger.
The Kings started out as the Rochester Royals and also were the Kansas City-Omaha Kings and Kansas City Kings. They moved to Sacramento for the 1985-86 season.
Up next
Magic: At Phoenix on Saturday.
Kings: Face San Antonio in Austin, Texas, on Saturday night.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
Padres Reacts Survey: Has your opinion of the Padres’ offseason changed?
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Padres fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
San Diego Padres fans were asked how they would rate the San Diego offseason on a Padres Reacts Survey on Jan. 13. The majority of respondents – 59 percent – said the offseason for the Padres was worse than expected, followed by about as expected – 36 percent – and better than expected – five percent.
Since that poll from Gaslamp Ball, San Diego has made several additions to the roster, but none of the additions were headline deals. Instead, Padres president of baseball operations and general manager A.J. Preller has been adding to the roster with one-year major league deals and multiple minor league deals with invites to Spring Training.
Pessimists will say Preller is dumpster diving and hoping to find someone salvageable, especially among the pitchers. Optimists will say Preller has an eye for talent and the combination of ability with the tutelage of pitching coach Ruben Niebla is bound to deliver at least one success story from the group. For the Friar Faithful who find themselves between the two groups, the wait and see approach allows them to bide their time before passing judgement.
The position player additions have been perceived in largely the same manner. Miguel Andujar was largely thought to be a good signing, but there are questions about his role on defense. The big-name addition, Nick Castellanos who was signed for the major league minimum after being released by the Philadelphia Phillies, has had a lukewarm reception due to clubhouse concerns and declining numbers. Ty France, who was recently signed to a minor league deal, is known for his defense, but has not had much success at the plate.
Perhaps the biggest move of the offseason came Monday when the Padres announced a multi-year extension for Preller to remain with the team following the 2026 season. Like the players, this move will be and has been discussed positively and negatively among the fans, but it would seem based on their comments the players are in full support of Preller and what he has accomplished to this point in San Diego.
With all that said, this week’s Padres Reacts Survey wants to know if your opinion of the offseason has changed with the various moves that have taken place since the previous poll. Results will be revealed later this week.
Yankees’ Austin Wells, Giancarlo Stanton belt homers off new reliever fighting for spot
Observations from Yankees’ spring training on Thursday in Tampa:
Going bye, bye
Austin Wells and Giancarlo Stanton both crushed home runs off Osvaldo Bido during live batting practice, with Stanton’s blast hitting halfway up the scoreboard in left-center field.
Bido beatdown
Bido, claimed off waivers earlier this month but out of minor league options, got beat up a bit during his inning of work.
He just escaped a line drive smoked back at him by Aaron Judge , and Trent Grisham tagged a deep fly ball to the warning track.
Caught my eye
J.C. Escarra mixed in some first base work with his regular catching duties Thursday and also brought out his third-base glove.
Escarra made cameos at both corner infield spots last season, and his ability to play there in a pinch adds to his case to make the roster, giving the Yankees more flexibility off the bench even if they carry three catchers.
Friday’s schedule
The Yankees begin Grapefruit League play on the road against the Orioles in Sarasota, Fla., with top pitching prospect Elmer Rodríguez getting the start.
Mets’ Luis Robert Jr. puts on a laser show at spring training batting practice
Observations from Mets’ spring training on Thursday in Port St. Lucie:
Midseason form
The Mets want Luis Robert Jr. to get back to the form he displayed in 2023 with the White Sox, when the center fielder hit 38 homers before his production plummeted the past two seasons.
On Thursday, he routinely crushed balls over 110 mph in both regular and live batting practice.
“It’s impressive,” Carlos Mendoza said. “He’s done it before when he’s healthy.”
Low down
Sean Manaea has been tinkering with his arm slot seemingly as long as he’s been a Met.
During live BP on Thursday, the lefty looked to be using a nearly sidearm delivery at times.
He’s coming off a rough, injury-plagued 2025 and will no doubt continue to work on his mechanics, but Mendoza is encouraged that the lefty is finally healthy.
Caught my eye
Kodai Senga didn’t seem bothered by anything in his inning of work in Thursday’s live BP, a positive sign for the right-hander who’s made just 23 starts over the past two seasons.
Senga hit the mid-90s, something Mendoza called “a really good sign.”
Friday’s schedule
The Mets will have their final workout before Saturday’s Grapefruit League opener against the Marlins at Clover Park.
Beverly Hills apologizes to Celtics star Jaylen Brown for claims about his event that was shut down
BOSTON (AP) — The City of Beverly Hills apologized to Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown on Thursday for initially stating that an event he hosted on the eve of the NBA All-Star Game was shut down because the city said it lacked a permit.
“Upon further internal review, the City has determined that its prior public communication contained inaccurate information,” the city said in a statement posted to Instagram. “Specifically, no permit application was submitted nor denied for the event and the residence does not have any prior related violations on record.”
But Brown posted a statement from Jaylen Brown Enterprises on the X platform Thursday night taking issue with another part of the city's statement that claimed the event was actually shut down because of a perceived code violation.
The event promoting Brown’s performance brand, 741, was held at Oakley founder Jim Jannard’s home. Brown has a sponsorship deal with Oakley.
“We acknowledge the City of Beverly Hill's recent clarification confirming that prior public statements made on their behalf were incorrect and false; specifically that no permit was ever applied for, denied, and that the residence had no prior violations on record, ” the statement said.
The statement from Brown's company added that while it appreciated the clarification, it still took issue with the city's insistence that the event was shut down because of a belief that a code violation had taken place.
“No alleged proof of any violation was ever produced to the homeowner, our team or legal counsel,” the statement said. “Without observation, documentation, or confirmed violations, enforcement action based on belief alone raises serious due-process concerns.”
On Sunday, Beverly Hills released a statement to The Boston Globe, saying it rejected a permit.
“An event permit had been applied for and denied by the City due to previous violations associated with events at the address,” the statement to the Globe said. “Despite the fact that the permit was denied, organizers still chose to proceed with inviting hundreds of guests knowing that it was not allowed to occur. BHPD responded and shut down the unpermitted event.”
Brown countered to ESPN, saying: “That was not true. We didn’t need a permit because the owner of the house, that was his space. We were family friends. He opened up the festivities to us so we didn’t have to. We never applied for one.”
The statement from Brown’s company on Thursday said it remains “open to a constructive resolution with the City of Beverly Hills.”
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
Memphis coach Penny Hardaway emotional after loss to USF: 'I wanted that game'
The Penny Hardaway era of Memphis basketball has had more than its share of ups and downs.
Just ask Hardaway himself. After making the Men's NCAA Tournament in three of the past four years, the Tigers are enduring a difficult season in which they are 12-14 (7-6 AAC). After their most recent loss, an 87-66 loss to USF that saw Hardaway visibly upset on the sideline at multiple points in the game, he wore his emotions on his sleeve.
"I wanted that game bro," Hardaway said in response to Jason Munz of "The Commercial Appeal," part of the USA TODAY network, before taking a long moment to gather himself. "I just want the game," he added, punctuating with a light knuckle rap on the podium.
When asked how he keeps from entirely falling apart, Hardaway replied: "I'm just gonna keep riding with my guys and believing in God," he said. "That's what I'm gonna do. It's tough. Because we've never been here but... It's not impossible."
This will likely mark the first year Memphis doesn't hit 20 wins under Hardaway, and the second time in three years it won't make the Men's NCAA Tournament (barring, of course, a run in the AAC conference tournament).
Memphis has another game against a very good USF team on March 5 at home, where Hardaway and the Tigers will try to exact some revenge on the Bulls in the penultimate game of their regular season.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Penny Hardaway gives emotional answer after Memphis loses to USF
Around the Empire: Yankees baseball is back!
NJ Advance Media | Randy Miller: Spring training is officially here! As the Yankees begin their slate of exhibition games in preparation of the season, fans are always left to wonder which big names they can look forward to seeing in the lineup and which players they will miss out on. Aaron Judge is chief among these names, but don’t expect to see him in the spring opener today in Sarasota against the Orioles, as it is customary for the captain not to travel to spring away games. However, he’ll make his spring debut playing right against the Tigers tomorrow in Tampa and will DH against the Mets on Sunday. The captain is expected to appear in five of the first nine spring games as a tune-up before heading off to play for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic.
Giancarlo Stanton will also take things slowly before appearing in games as he deals with maintenance of the chronic pain in both elbows, as will Oswaldo Cabrera as he nears 100-percent recovery from the broken ankle suffered last year. Cam Schlittler returned to throw a pain-free live BP after sitting out the first week of camp with minor back inflammation, while top pitching prospect Elmer Rodríguez starts the spring opener later today.
The Athletic | Chris Kirschner ($): As he enters his walk year, Jazz Chisholm Jr. has set himself some lofty goals for the 2026 season: AL MVP, Gold Glove, Silver Slugger, and the second player to join the 50/50 club after Shohei Ohtani became the first to achieve the feat in 2024. For what it’s worth, Jazz did go 30/30 last year and has 35 homers and 44 steals across his last 162 games. He is also focused on improving his focus and concentration on defense at second base after committing 18 errors last season. Jazz also was sure to relay that he harbored zero negative feelings about his name surfacing in trade rumors over the winter, acknowledging that it’s just a part of baseball business.
Newsday | Erik Boland: Intriguing storylines crop up every spring and Boland provides six names we should watch over the next few weeks. Judge tops the list both in camp and at the WBC. Jasson Domínguez and Spencer Jones have opportunities to impress this spring, the upcoming season a pivotal period for the pair to convince the Yankees to keep them in their long term plans. Top prospect George Lombard Jr. earned another spring invite after impressing last spring, but expect him to start the year at Double-A. Finally, there’s the pair of exciting pitching prospects in Rodríguez and Carlos Lagrange, both of whom have an opportunity to impact the major league squad this season.
MLB Trade Rumors | Anthony Franco: As Anthony Volpe recovers from his offseason shoulder surgery, the Yankees have been getting Ryan McMahon reps at shortstop, a position where he has played just three big league innings, all in 2020. However, he is still being viewed as purely an emergency backup at the position, with Trade Deadline acquisition José Caballero expected to start there to open the season. Cabrera and Amed Rosario can also play short in a pinch.
New York Post | Greg Joyce: Taking grounders at a new position isn’t the only thing McMahon is working on this offseason. The third baseman isn’t ignorant of the fact that he disappointed at the plate upon making the move from Colorado, placing among the league’s worst in strikeout rate (32.3%), whiff rate (35.2%), and in-zone contact rate (77.8%). McMahon and the Yankees hitting coaches identified his stance as a potential culprit — his 42.7-inch-wide stance the fourth-widest stance in the league, which they felt was causing the whiff issues. His defense remained as excellent as ever after moving to the Bronx, if the Yankees could just coax out a little more offensive production he’d be a pretty valuable player.
Cade Cunningham powers Pistons past Knicks 126-111
NEW YORK (AP) — Cade Cunningham had 42 points and 13 assists to lead the Detroit Pistons to a 126-111 win over the New York Knicks on Thursday night.
The Pistons have defeated the Knicks in the teams’ three meetings this season.
Paul Reed scored 18 points, Tobias Harris had 11 points and 10 rebounds, and Ausar Thompson added 10 points for Eastern Conference-leading Detroit.
Jalen Brunson led New York with 30 points, and Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds.
Landry Shamet scored 15 points and Josh Hart had 11 as the Knicks shot a miserable 23% (8 of 35) from 3-point range.
The Knicks scored the first five points of the game, taking their biggest lead at 9-2. The Pistons then went on a 21-8 run, taking the lead for good.
Detroit ended the second quarter on a 7-0 run and took its first double-digit lead of the game, 58-48, at halftime.
The Knicks pulled within 62-60 on Towns’ basket early in the third quarter. But, Duncan Robinson hit back-to-back 3s and the Pistons extended their lead to 13 points before settling for a 90-79 advantage heading into the final quarter.
Detroit went up by a game-high 19 points at 104-85 on Daniss Jenkins’ tip-in with 7:50 left in the game.
The Knicks closed within 11 at 120-109 on a 3-pointer by Brunson with 1:33 remaining, but got no closer.
CAVALIERS 112, NETS 84
CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 17 points, James Harden added 16 and Cleveland routed Brooklyn to extend its winning streak to a season-high six games.
The Cavaliers have also won five straight at home and 11 of their last 12 overall. It was the second straight game and sixth time this season they haven’t trailed in a game.
It was the start of five games in seven days for Cleveland. With a 102-67 lead at the end of the third quarter, coach Kenny Atkinson rested his starters for the final 12 minutes.
Michael Porter Jr. had 14 points and Ochai Agbaji 13 for Brooklyn, which is 5-20 since Dec. 29.
Harden and Mitchell were in sync early. Harden got a steal off a bad pass by Brooklyn’s Noah Clowney and started a fast break. He lobbed a pass to Mitchell for an alley-oop that gave the Cavaliers a 14-3 lead.
Harden made his first six from the field, including three 3-pointers. He also had nine assists and five rebounds. Mitchell was 7 of 12 from the field.
Cleveland was up by 18 points at the end of the first quarter. Jarrett Allen scored 10 of his 15 points in the first 12 minutes.
The Cavaliers shot a season-best 64.2% from the field in the first half (27 of 42) and had a 70-48 advantage at halftime.
ROCKETS 105, HORNETS 101
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kevin Durant made two free throws with 3.2 seconds left for the last of his 35 points, and Houston held on to beat Charlotte.
Jabari Smith Jr. added 15 points, and Reed Sheppard and Alperen Sengun each had 13 for Houston. The Rockets overcame an 11-point first-half deficit.
Grant Williams led the Hornets with 20 points. Brandon Miller scored 17 points, but was 1 of 12 from 3-point range.
LaMelo Ball, playing a day after being involved in a two-car crash in downtown Charlotte, had 11 points, seven assists and seven rebounds.
The Hornets, who had won 11 of 12 going into the All-Star break with the only loss coming to Eastern Conference-leading Detroit, looked sharp early and bolted to an 11-point lead early in the second quarter.
But the Rockets would start to pull away in the fourth quarter with Sengun making a spinning reverse layup against rookie 7-foot- center Ryan Kalkbrenner and baby hook shot on back-to-back possessions to Houston its biggest lead at 95-84 with five minutes left.
WIZARDS 112, PACERS 105
WASHINGTON (AP) — Bub Carrington and Anthony Gill each scored 13 points and helped spark a decisive fourth-quarter run as Washington outlasted Indiana.
Kadary Richmond and Jaden Hardy also had 13 points each as Washington snapped a three-game slide on a day it announced Trae Young is still at least a week from his team debut.
Bilal Coulibaly and Tristan Vukcevic scored 12 points each in the opener of a back-to-back set against the same opponent.
Jarace Walker scored 19 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for the Pacers, who fell to 2-3 during a season-long, six-game road trip wrapped around the All-Star break.
Taelon Peter added 16 points as Indiana fell a game behind Washington at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. Jay Huff and Ben Sheppard scored 15 each.
Pacers guards Kam Jones (back soreness) and Aaron Nesmith (ankle sprain) both left by halftime.
The Wizards led by 17 early in the third quarter before the Pacers responded with a 14-3 run to take a 92-91 lead early in the fourth.
Washington answered later with its own 14-0 run to put it away.
HAWKS 117, 76ERS 107
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jalen Johnson had 32 points and 10 rebounds and CJ McCollum added 23 points as Atlanta beat Philadelphia in the teams’ first game after the All-Star break.
Dyson Daniels finished with 15 points, Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 14, and Zaccharie Risacher and Jock Landale each had 10 as the Hawks snapped a three-game losing streak with their third win over Philadelphia this season.
Tyrese Maxey scored 28 points and Rising Stars MVP VJ Edgecombe added 20 for the Sixers, who were without center Joel Embiid, who missed the game due to soreness in his right shin.
Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 17 points and Quentin Grimes scored 10 of his 14 points in the first half for Philly. Andre Drummond contributed 10 points and 14 rebounds as the Sixers lost their third in a row and for the fourth time in five games.
RAPTORS 110, BULLS 101
CHICAGO (AP) — Brandon Ingram scored 31 points and Toronto returned from the All-Star break to beat Chicago.
With Chicago coach Billy Donovan away following his father’s death Saturday, assistant coach Wes Unseld Jr. directed the Bulls. Chicago has lost seven straight, also falling to the Raptors two weeks ago in Toronto.
Fifth in East, Toronto won for the eighth time in 12 games to improve to 33-23. Ingram also had eight rebounds and six assists. Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley and Ja’Kobe Walter each had 14 points, and RJ Barrett added 13.
After Anfernee Simons hit a 3-pointer to cap a 7-0 run and pull Chicago to 103-101 with 2:12 left, Collin Murray-Boyles had a three-point play with 1:18 remaining and Ingram hit a 17-footer with 36 seconds to go to make it 108-101.
Simons led Chicago with 20 points in his fifth game since coming over from Boston in a trade. Isaac Okoro added 16.
SPURS 121, SUNS 94
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Stephon Castle scored 20 points, Victor Wembanyama added 17 and San Antonio beat short-handed Phoenix for its seventh straight victory.
San Antontio also will face Sacramento on Saturday in Austin, a city the Spurs covet as part of a mega-region that they’ve cultivated for years.
Castle converted 8 of 11 shots from the field and had four assists and three steals in 21 minutes. Wembanyama had 11 rebounds and five blocks while playing 25 minutes. De’Aaron Fox added 15 points and eight assists in 22 minutes.
The Spurs received big contributions from backups Dylan Harper (17 points) and Luke Kornet (10 points, nine rebounds).
Jalen Green, playing in just his eighth game of an injury-plagued season, led Phoenix with 26 points. Mark Williams had 11 points and 10 rebounds.
Suns star Devin Booker played only nine minutes, all early in the game, before leaving with right hip soreness.
Padres 2026 Spring Training preview
San Diego Padres manager Craig Stammen had a busy and exciting first week as the on-field manager of the Friars. After setting the tone of relaxed and straightforward media scrums, Stammen was gifted by president of baseball operations A.J. Preller with a flurry of baseball moves, creating a lot of business for the first week.
Adding three position players and three starting pitchers, Preller complicated the decisions the Padres brass have to make before camp breaks on March 23. The obvious needs going into pitchers and catchers reporting on Feb. 10 were starting pitching depth and a platoon partner for first baseman Gavin Sheets and DH candidates who can also add bench depth.
There is nothing saying that Preller is done as we head into the start of spring games at the Peoria Sports Complex on Friday. I would be surprised if there aren’t multiple additional moves made before the start of the regular season. But now there are multiple competitions taking place in the rotation and in the DH and 1B needs.
1B/DH options
Miguel Andujar has a lot of experience as a third baseman and has played some outfield. Nick Castellanos came up as a third baseman as well but spent a lot of his career playing corner outfield. Ty France is a Gold Glove first baseman from last season but has trailed off on his offense.
Korean infielder Sung-Mun Song will reportedly be tested at first base, the outfield and maybe even shortstop. The only true backup outfielder is Bryce Johnson, who has played well in limited duty and is a true centerfielder. There is only Jake Cronenworth as the current backup at shortstop until the bench is decided.
Starting pitchers
Starters Germán Márquez, Griffin Canning and Walker Buehler are all at various stages of recovering from surgery and trying to return to form. Canning and Márquez are on major league deals. They join Matt Waldron, Kyle Hart, JP Sears, Randy Vasquez, Triston McKenzie and Marco Gonzales competing for the fourth, fifth and maybe even, sixth starter spots.
It has been floated in camp that the Padres are considering slow-playing Joe Musgrove, Michael King and Griffin Canning as the season begins. If Canning and Musgrove don’t begin in the rotation, there will be more spots open and they could shift into a six-man group to space the recovering pitchers out even more.
That would complicate the tough decisions in the bullpen that already exist but everyone except Ron Marinaccio have options remaining and could start in Triple-A. Stammen even threw out Logan Gillaspie as a possible jack-of-all-trades pitcher. Spot starter, long-man and late-inning bulk pitcher were all mentioned as possible work for him. Gillaspie was scheduled to start the first game on Friday against the Seattle Mariners but was scratched because his wife went into labor according to Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune. Left-hander Jagger Haynes will start in his place.
WBC provides more opportunities
With multiple roster players leaving for the WBC on March 1, the other candidates will get more time to show what they can do. There will be lots of innings to go around with Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., Xander Bogaerts, Mason Miller, Wandy Peralta, Alek Jacob, Yuki Matsui and Ron Marinaccio all leaving to play in the WBC.
Two players who won’t be participating are Jhony Brito and Tirso Ornelas. Brito was placed on the 60-day IL to add Márquez to the roster and Ornelas was designated for assignment when Canning was added. If Ornelas clears waivers he could return to the minor leagues and stay in the organization.
ABS in 2026
The Padres used the stadium field in the complex to practice using the ABS system for part of their practice on Wednesday. The team needs to figure out its plan for using the system for the 2026 season and the hitters and catchers will probably be primarily responsible for making those decisions. The general opinion is that pitchers are too emotionally involved and too far away from home plate to make good decisions about appealing ball and strike calls. Not saying we won’t ever see it, but it will likely be a rare occurrence.
If you don’t remember from last spring the basics of the system, here are the main points to remember as you follow the Cactus League games.
- The strike zone is different for each hitter, based on their height and is measured by an outside contractor.
- Each team begins the game with two challenges and if a challenge is won then the team retains it.
- If a team is out of challenges and the game goes into extra innings, they get an additional challenge each inning played.
- The pitcher, catcher and hitter are the only people on the field allowed to challenge. No input from the dugout or coaches. It must be appealed immediately so there is no chance to check with the dugout.
- No challenges allowed if a position player is pitching.
The player taps their hat or helmet to challenge, and the pitch will be shown on the video board with the result visible to everyone in the stadium and on TV. As a result of the new system, the on-screen strike zone box will not indicate a ball or strike.
All Padres games will be available either on radio, webcast, or Padres.TV. The televised games will be free on the MLB app.
The first game is Friday and the last is March 23. There are no exhibition games for the Padres after the spring schedule. They do play an exhibition against Team Great Britain on March 4 and the second annual Spring Breakout game between Padres prospects and, this year, the Cubs prospects takes place on March 21.
If you are planning on a trip to Peoria to watch practice and catch a game, the team made significant improvements to the practice complex that gives the players nicer facilities. The stadium has similar rules to Petco Park regarding security and bag policy. Players are usually relaxed and accessible to fans at the practice fields and along the seating bowl before games. Most are good about stopping and signing, for kids especially. Just remember they have work to do and can only stop when their work is done.
Players going to their WBC teams will leave on March 1 and will return when their team is eliminated from the tournament. If any Padres players are in the final, don’t expect to see them back in Arizona until after the final on March 17.
How many points did Cade Cunningham score? Pistons vs. Knicks stats
Cade Cunningham led the Detroit Pistons in a 126-111 victory over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, Feb. 19.
Cunningham produced 24 of the team’s 58 points in the first half, entering the locker room with a 10-point lead. The Detroit star finished the game with 42 points and continues to build himself into an MVP candidate.
He is currently third in the MVP race at +700 on BetMGM, trailing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (-150) of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Nikola Jokic (+275) of the Denver Nuggets.
The Pistons are currently the top seed in the Eastern Conference with a 41-13 record.
Detroit Pistons vs. New York Knicks highlights
Cade Cunningham stats vs. Knicks
- Points: 42
- FG: 17-for-34 (5-for-11 from 3-point line)
- Free Throws: 3-for-3
- Rebounds: 8
- Assists: 13
- Steals: 1
- Blocks: 2
- Turnovers: 5
- Fouls: 0
- Minutes: 38
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Cade Cunningham stats, points tonight, Pistons vs Knicks highlights
Devin Booker injury updates: Latest on Suns star's hip injury vs Spurs
Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker left Thursday night's 121-94 loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the second quarter with right hip soreness and was ruled out for the rest of the game.
Suns head coach Jordan Ott told reporters that Booker "wasn't moving great" and the decision to sit him was made to "save himself from himself," per the Arizona Republic's Duane Rankin.
Booker initially subbed out and went into the locker room with 5:24 left in the first quarter. He checked back in with 4:46 left in the second but then exited again two minutes later and returned to the locker room. His final stat-line for the night was five points and a rebound, shooting two-for-six from the floor in just nine minutes played.
Devin Booker (right hip soreness) will not return tonight
— Amanda_Pflugrad (@Amanda_Pflugrad) February 20, 2026
An All-Star for the fifth time this season, Booker has caught the injury bug recently. He missed seven straight games with a sprained ankle that he originally suffered on Jan. 23 against the Atlanta Hawks. He returned to the Suns lineup on Feb. 7 and played in their next game on Feb. 11 before sitting out the team's final game before the All-Star break against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
At All-Star Weekend, Booker participated in the three-point contest and was part of the USA Stars team, winning the first edition of the new USA vs. the World format All-Star Game.
The Suns are currently the seventh seed in the West, two games behind the Minnesota Timberwolves for sixth.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Devin Booker ruled out with hip injury after exiting Suns game in second quarter
Avery Hayes Can't Stop Scoring For Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Avery Hayes has been a man on a mission over the last couple of weeks.
Two weeks ago, on Feb. 5, Hayes made his NHL debut and scored two goals, helping the Penguins beat the Buffalo Sabres 5-2. His first goal came on his first shot in the first period before scoring his second goal later in the period.
He was then assigned back to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton after the NHL went on its Olympic break, and he got a hat trick in his first game back on Feb. 7. He scored the first two goals of the game against the Hershey Bears before winning the game in overtime.
Hayes recently got in a big fight with former Penguins forward Zach Aston-Reese last Sunday in a 4-3 loss against the Cleveland Monsters before registering another hat trick for WBS on Wednesday against the Springfield Thunderbirds.
HAYESY KEEPS ROLLING 🧢🧢🧢🔥 pic.twitter.com/xFGIwqI1GM
— Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (@WBSPenguins) February 19, 2026
He's making a very strong case to be called up again after the Winter Olympics. He's going to be a full-time NHL player really soon.
Wednesday's win improved Wilkes-Barre's overall record to 33-13-3-2, good for 71 points.
Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!
11 Stats to explain Cavs 112-84 win over Nets
CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers did what they were supposed to do against the struggling Brooklyn Nets. Cleveland controlled this game wire-to-wire, which led to a one-sided 112-84 victory.
The stats in the table below are taken from Cleaning the Glass.
| Effective Field Goal Percentage | Offensive Rebounding Percentage | Offensive Turnover Percentage | Free Throw Rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cavs | 58.1%, 72nd percentile | 26.7%, 40th percentile | 14.4%, 50th percentile | 14, 17th percentile |
| Nets | 42.5%, 4th percentile | 18.6%, 10th percentile | 12.5%, 69th percentile | 11.5, 9th percentile |
Now, let’s dive into the numbers.
- The Cavs are 17-2 when Jarrett Allen scores 15 or more points. Allen finished with exactly 15 in his 24 minutes of action. The Cleveland guards did a good job of getting him involved early and often.
- Allen’s 10 free-throw attempts tie the second most he’s had for a game this season. Allen didn’t do a great job of converting these opportunities (5-10), but getting to the line is more important. He continually went up strong whenever he was coming off a screen and roll with James Harden. That’s what led to most of these looks. And as we know, Allen is at his best when he’s playing with this level of aggression.
- The offense took 43% of their shots at the rim (92nd percentile). The most efficient shot in basketball is still at the rim. The offense was able to continually get there due to the guard’s ability to get to the rim and find the bigs in the pick-and-roll. This led to a great offensive output even though the Cavs only converted 65.7% of their looks at the rim (44th percentile).
- Cleveland added 10.9 points in transition per 100 plays (96th percentile)against Brooklyn. The offense has been elite since the Harden addition, but a majority of their damage came in the half-court. In their previous three games, they were under the 25th percentile in points added in transition. That changed on Thursday as they were able to attack off steals and defensive rebounds.
- The Cavs pulled their starters after the third quarter and scored just 10 total points in the fourth. The reserves really struggled as they went 5-22 from the field and 0-12 from three in the final quarter. Their poor showing really skews most of the Cavs’ offensive stats. For example, the halfcourt offensive rating was great through the first three quarters, but the poor showing in the fourth made me erase an entire paragraph about what has made them so good there. So, thank you, Cavs reserves, for that.
- Donovan Mitchell led the starters with a plus/minus of +37. He made the most of his 21 minutes, scoring 17 points on 7-12 shooting with five assists. The Cavs were at their best with him on the court. As good as Harden has been, this is still Mitchell’s team. The pairing couldn’t have gotten off to a better start together.
- Mitchell went 7-12 from the floor (58.3%). He’s been able to attack as a scorer against rotating and unstable defenses in a way he hasn’t before at any point in his career, largely due to Harden’s presence. As a result, Mitchell has shot over 54% from the floor in three of the four games he’s played with Harden.
- Harden finished with nine assists. He’s now finished with seven assists or more in each of his games as a Cavalier.
- Harden provided three steals. Playing alongside Dean Wade and Evan Mobley in the starting lineup gave him more leeway to jump passing lanes. Being able to create turnovers is a good way to offset the defensive limitations we know that Harden has.
- Cleveland’s defense was phenomenal as the Nets finished with an 86.5 offensive rating (2nd percentile). This was Cleveland’s best defensive rating of any game this season. The Cavs kept the Nets from finishing at the rim, contested three-point shots, prevented them from getting out in transition, and cleaned the defensive glass. As a result, Brooklyn was held to under 20 points in three of the four quarters.
- Keon Ellis has three blocks and a steal. He’s been everywhere on the court for the Cavs and is a legitimate difference maker on that end. The Cavs getting Ellis in the De’Andre Hunter trade was an absolute steal. I’m not sure why the Sacramento Kings weren’t giving him consistent playing time earlier this season.
Sixers Bell Ringer: Sixers simply not good enough in third loss of season to Hawks
2025-26 Sixers Bell Ringer standings:
Tyrese Maxey – 20
Joel Embiid – 9
VJ Edgecombe – 7
Paul George – 6
Dominick Barlow – 2
Andre Drummond – 2
Jared McCain :’( – 2
MarJon Beauchamp – 1
Adem Bona – 1
Justin Edwards – 1
Quentin Grimes – 1
Kelly Oubre Jr. – 1
Trendon Watford – 1
15th roster spot – 1
The Philadelphia 76ers fell 117-107 to the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday in their first game back from the All-Star break.
Joel Embiid was out for this one after reporting shin soreness over the hiatus. The Sixers said at practice on Wednesday that the big fella will be re-evaluated before the team’s weekend back-to-back after missing the Sixers’ first game back from the All-Star break.
And boy did this look like the first game after some time off. Just ugly all-around, honestly, with the feeling of a random pick-up game more so than an NBA contest. The Hawks never got too far ahead but the Sixers just couldn’t seem to make up much ground at any point until it was too late — it probably didn’t help that they shot 38.4% from the floor (33-for-86). Atlanta wasn’t much better, but clearly they were better enough.
This is the Sixers’ third loss this season to a now 27-30 Hawks squad.
The Sixers will now hit the road for a weekend back-to-back, visiting the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday and the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday.
Until then, let’s get to the Bell Ringer.
VJ Edgecombe: 20 points, 9 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block
The rookie looked fresh and energetic coming off the All-Star weekend where he was the MVP of the Rising Stars game last Friday evening. Edgecombe led the Sixers in the first period with 11 points on 4-for-7 field goal shooting (2-for-4 from long range) and was really the only offensive juice Philadelphia had in an ugly 26-point first.
Speaking of long range, he hit this triple to beat the buzzer at the end of the opening frame.
Edgecombe cooled off a bit after that hot start, but the rookie didn’t stop contributing. Per usual, he was the best when the Sixers’ backs were against the wall. He had seven points and a few great defensive plays in the fourth as the Sixers were trying to pry a victory from the jaws of defeat.
The rookie finished this one with 20 points (7-for-15 field goal shooting, 3-for-8 from long range) with nine rebounds, a steal and a block.
Adem Bona: 9 points, 7 rebounds, 4 blocks in 19:40
I don’t think you could possibly ask for more hustle from a guy. Adem Bona came out with a fire for this contest and was absolutely all over the court. By halftime, he had already racked up four blocks and four rebounds (three on the offensive end) in under 10 minutes on the floor. That doesn’t happen by coincidence. It happens from making sure you’re at the right place at the exact right times (with precise execution on the blocks) to make the plays.
In addition to putting up five points of his own in that first half, there’s one play I specifically want to highlight on the offensive end that turned what would have been Atlanta ball into three points for the Sixers.
That’s an Adem Bona play. The hustle, the awareness and the execution.
And it’s a play that won’t show at all on a stat sheet. That’s what Bona does, the energy and hustle plays that don’t always show in the form of eye-popping stat lines — but if you’re watching, you know exactly what he’s bringing for the Sixers, especially in games like Thursday’s.
Bona finished this one with nine points, seven rebounds and four blocks in 19:40 on the floor.
Tyrese Maxey: 28 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block
Tyrese Maxey is far from perfect right now. His shot selection has been leaving a lot to be desired and is leading to some really inefficient shooting lines, but he is undeniably still able to string together bursts of scoring for this Sixers’ squad and leads the offensive production when Embiid is sidelined. Tonight was another one of those nights. He shot just 34.8% from the floor (8-for-23) — but he also led the Sixers with 28 points.
Maxey had an especially strong third period — the period where it typically all gets worse somehow for the Sixers — with 11 points on 4-for-7 field goal shooting with a few timely triples to keep Philadelphia within striking distance of Atlanta. However, he then put up just three points (all free throws) in the entirety of the fourth.
I’m conflicted personally putting Maxey here. I feel like I have to, because he did lead the Sixers scoring and had a number of good defensive plays… but his game continues to be off in a concerning way. From the shot selection and poor shooting to his demeanor and emotional reactions throughout games, it just feels like Maxey is far from at his best right now.
But here we are. Maxey finished the night with 28 points, three rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block. He played nearly 39 minutes.
Quentin Grimes: 14 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block
Someone is feeling good after some time in the sun! Quentin Grimes has not been having a ton of success as of late making much impact for the Sixers, especially struggling shooting, so seeing him start tonight going 3-for-3 from the floor (2-for-3 from three) for nine points was an encouraging sight.
It didn’t feel like Grimes was forcing things on Thursday and he was actually one of the more efficient shooters for the Sixers, ending up 5-for-9 (55.6%) on field goals (2-for-4, 50% from long range). It wasn’t anything that’s going to break records or majorly turn heads, but getting 14 points off the bench from Grimes feels like a step in the right direction — hopefully a direction he can keep moving in.
He finished Thursday with 14 points, two rebounds, one assists and a block.
Kelly Oubre Jr.: 17 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 1 block
Felt like this was a quietly decent game from Kelly Oubre Jr. This certainly wasn’t his best game shooting, going just 4-for-13 on field goals, but it wasn’t really anyone on the floor’s best game shooting. Even with that inefficiency, Oubre was able to score 17 points tonight, including five in the final frame as the Sixers attempted to mount a comeback.
In that same late stint, he also came up with a number of massive defensive plays, including a block and a steal, to give Philadelphia even the suggestion of a chance.
Oubre finished the contest with 17 points, three rebounds, three assists, three steals and one block.