BOTTOM LINE: Detroit enters the matchup with Miami as losers of three straight games.
The Heat are 19-18 against Eastern Conference opponents. Miami is second in the NBA averaging 120.1 points and is shooting 46.5% from the field.
The Pistons have gone 30-9 against Eastern Conference opponents. Detroit ranks third in the league with 13.3 offensive rebounds per game led by Jalen Duren averaging 3.9.
The 120.1 points per game the Heat average are 10.5 more points than the Pistons give up (109.6). The Pistons average 10.8 made 3-pointers per game this season, 3.0 fewer made shots on average than the 13.8 per game the Heat allow.
The teams meet for the third time this season. The Heat won 118-112 in the last matchup on Jan. 2. Norman Powell led the Heat with 36 points, and Cade Cunningham led the Pistons with 31 points.
TOP PERFORMERS: Andrew Wiggins is scoring 15.9 points per game and averaging 5.1 rebounds for the Heat. Bam Adebayo is averaging 21.9 points and 10.1 rebounds over the last 10 games.
Cunningham is averaging 25.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 9.8 assists and 1.5 steals for the Pistons. Duncan Robinson is averaging 2.5 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Heat: 7-3, averaging 122.5 points, 49.2 rebounds, 28.3 assists, 8.2 steals and 5.3 blocks per game while shooting 47.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 112.8 points per game.
Pistons: 6-4, averaging 114.0 points, 48.5 rebounds, 25.8 assists, 10.2 steals and 7.1 blocks per game while shooting 46.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 109.8 points.
INJURIES: Heat: Nikola Jovic: out (back), Andrew Wiggins: day to day (toe), Norman Powell: out (groin), Simone Fontecchio: out (groin).
Pistons: Ausar Thompson: day to day (ankle), Cade Cunningham: day to day (quadriceps).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
BOTTOM LINE: Orlando looks to keep its three-game win streak alive when the Magic take on Milwaukee.
The Bucks are 19-23 against conference opponents. Milwaukee averages 13.9 turnovers per game and is 10-8 when it has fewer turnovers than its opponents.
The Magic are 20-19 in conference play. Orlando is ninth in the Eastern Conference scoring 114.8 points per game and is shooting 46.2%.
The Bucks are shooting 47.9% from the field this season, 0.4 percentage points higher than the 47.5% the Magic allow to opponents. The Magic average 114.8 points per game, 0.7 fewer than the 115.5 the Bucks give up.
The two teams square off for the third time this season. The Bucks defeated the Magic 116-108 in their last matchup on Feb. 12. Cam Thomas led the Bucks with 34 points, and Desmond Bane led the Magic with 31 points.
TOP PERFORMERS: Giannis Antetokounmpo is averaging 27.5 points, 9.9 rebounds and 5.5 assists for the Bucks. Ryan Rollins is averaging 14.2 points over the last 10 games.
Bane is scoring 20.4 points per game and averaging 4.2 rebounds for the Magic. Tristan da Silva is averaging 2.4 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Bucks: 5-5, averaging 109.1 points, 42.3 rebounds, 25.2 assists, 7.5 steals and 3.9 blocks per game while shooting 46.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 115.1 points per game.
Magic: 6-4, averaging 113.0 points, 43.8 rebounds, 27.1 assists, 8.5 steals and 5.3 blocks per game while shooting 45.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 107.5 points.
INJURIES: Bucks: Kevin Porter Jr.: day to day (knee), Taurean Prince: out (neck).
Magic: Franz Wagner: out (ankle), Anthony Black: day to day (back), Jonathan Isaac: day to day (knee), Jase Richardson: day to day (back), Colin Castleton: out (thumb).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Memphis Grizzlies (23-39, 11th in the Western Conference) vs. Brooklyn Nets (16-47, 14th in the Eastern Conference)
New York; Monday, 7:30 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: Memphis looks to stop its three-game skid with a win against Brooklyn.
The Nets have gone 8-22 in home games. Brooklyn currently has the league's lowest-scoring offense averaging 106.9 points per game.
The Grizzlies are 11-20 on the road. Memphis is 9-16 in games decided by at least 10 points.
The Nets average 106.9 points per game, 10.9 fewer points than the 117.8 the Grizzlies give up. The Grizzlies average 115.7 points per game, 0.1 more than the 115.6 the Nets give up.
The teams play for the second time this season. The Grizzlies won the last matchup 103-98 on Jan. 11. Cedric Coward scored 21 points to help lead the Grizzlies to the win.
TOP PERFORMERS: Michael Porter Jr. is scoring 24.3 points per game with 7.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists for the Nets. Noah Clowney is averaging 12.6 points and 3.8 rebounds while shooting 44.3% over the past 10 games.
Cam Spencer is averaging 11.4 points and 5.5 assists for the Grizzlies. GG Jackson is averaging 17.8 points over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Nets: 1-9, averaging 102.6 points, 37.7 rebounds, 25.8 assists, 8.3 steals and 4.1 blocks per game while shooting 43.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 119.0 points per game.
Grizzlies: 3-7, averaging 117.8 points, 36.8 rebounds, 29.5 assists, 11.5 steals and 5.7 blocks per game while shooting 48.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 120.1 points.
INJURIES: Nets: Egor Demin: day to day (foot).
Grizzlies: Santi Aldama: day to day (injury management), Taj Gibson: day to day (reconditioning), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: out for season (finger), Ja Morant: out (elbow), Zach Edey: out for season (ankle), Brandon Clarke: out (calf).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
EUGENE, Ore. (AP) — Kwame Evans Jr. scored 20 points, which included the last nine of the game, and Oregon blew a 21-point lead before the Ducks rallied to beat Washington 85-79 on Saturday night in the regular-season finale for both teams.
Evans was fouled on a 3-point shot and made the and-1 free throw to give Oregon a one-point lead with 11.5 seconds left. Evans stole the ball from Hannes Steinbach, who quickly fouled, and Washington coach Danny Sprinkle, who thought Steinbach had been fouled, erupted. He was assessed back-to-back technical fouls and was ejected before Evans made 5 of 6 from the free throw line with five seconds left to seal it.
Takai Simpkins scored 18 points and Nate Bittle had 15 points, seven rebounds and five assists for Oregon (12-19, 5-15 Big Ten). Dezdrick Lindsay added 11 points and Drew Carter 10.
The Ducks started 11-of-14 shooting — 7 of 7 from 3-point range — and used a 16-0 run to take a 21-point lead midway through the first half. Oregon shot 58% (15 of 26) and hit eight 3s and had 13 assists in the first half to take a 44-30 lead into the intermission.
Steinbach had 26 points on 9-of-11 shooting and grabbed 13 rebounds for Washington (15-16, 7-19). Steinbach, a 6-foot-11 freshman, has 20 double-doubles this season, tied with Justin Neely of UNC Greensboro for second most nationally behind UNC Greensboro's Delrecco Gillespie (21).
Steinbach scored 13 points in a 29-8 run that gave the Huskies a three-point lead with 24 seconds left.
Up next
Both teams will be waiting for the Big Ten Tournament pairings to come out Sunday to find out who and when they’ll play at Chicago next week.
CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Joel Farabee scored twice and had an assist to lead the Calgary Flames to a 5-4 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday night.
Morgan Frost had a goal and two assists for the Flames, who snapped a four-game winless skid. Ryan Strome had a goal and an assist in his debut for Calgary, and Blake Coleman also had a goal and an assist. Dustin Wolf made 25 saves.
Seth Jarvis had a goal and two assists for the Eastern Conference-leading Hurricanes, who lost in regulation for just the second time in their last 16 games (12-2-2). Sean Walker, Alexander Nikishin and Andrei Svechnikov also scored for Carolina.
Brandon Bussi stopped 20 shots, but his nine-game franchise record-tying winning streak ended.
In their first game without No. 1 center Nazem Kadri, who was traded to Colorado on Friday, the Flames got off to a rough start as Jarvis scored 44 seconds in on the game’s first shot.
Calgary bounced back in the second with three goals to take the lead for good. Strome, acquired from Anaheim on Friday, got it started by scoring 19 seconds into the period off a feed from Olli Maatta — who also made his Flames debut after coming from Utah in a trade on Wednesday.
Strome had his first multipoint game since Dec. 7, when he had two assists against Chicago.
Flames defenseman Zach Whitecloud (upper body) left the game in the first period and didn’t return.
Bo Horvat scored with a nifty backhand on a breakaway as the Islanders continued their insane overtime record (9-0) and salvaged a win from their California swing, defeating the San Jose Sharks, 2-1.
Brayden Schenn made his Islanders debut and was a presence for both the regulation goal for and against, settling in next to Ondrej Palat and the center he’s temporarily bumped to wing, Cal Ritchie. Wearing the #10 ceded to him by new #92 Simon Holmstrom, Schenn was credited with winning 6 of his 14 faceoffs, a blocked shot and a check in 17:26 of ice time.
The first two periods were not super eventful, though that in itself is a big improvement over the previous two games. There were a few good saves from both star goalies. Tony DeAngelo broke the ice with a shot through traffic midway through the first period. The Isles were victimized by super sophomore Macklin Celebrini finding space just 33 seconds into the second period to tie it at 1-1.
The rest of the second was a standstill, but the Islanders came out with real jump in the third and logged 11 of the first 13 shots. They couldn’t convert though, and every Celebrini rush provided a scare, just as every Matthew Schaefer counter doused the flame.
With time winding down, the Islanders were perhaps gifted with a power play with under four minutes in regulation, when noted pest(ilence) Kiefer Sherwood took a run at Mat Barzal on the Isles forward’s way to the bench. Barzal got a crosscheck back at him, but perhaps Sherwood’s reputation and prior behavior earned him the only call.
As they always do, however, the Isles completely wasted that power play. There was a TV timeout, and Patrick Roy started the second unit, which promptly skated in offside to burn their 30 seconds.
And worse, the officials gave the Sharks a chance of their own when Pelech held Sherwood’s arm on a counterattack after J-G Pageau failed to get the puck in at the Sharks blueline. The Sharks spent the final 1:28 of regulation on the power play and got a couple of golden chances that required five-star saves from Sorokin.
The power play carried into overtime for about 30 seconds of 4-on-3, but the Isles killed that off with some great anticipatory interceptions by Schaefer.
Horvat’s winner came when things were back to 3-on-3 with a great threaded feed from Schaefer, his 26th assist of the year. He got a step around all three Sharks and slipped a backhand through Yaroslav Askarov’s wickets, which proved a better approach than shooting him in the mask.
It’s Schenn Packing Day as the Islanders finish this road trip Tuesday in St. Louis, where Schenn will get to pick up his things, do a farewell wave and hopefully take two points from his former team.
The win nudges the Islanders into 2nd in the Metro, a point ahead of Pittsburgh, which lost in extra time (as did Columbus). Both have two games in hand on the Isles.
Bo Horvat played hero, beating San Jose's netminder Yaroslav Askarov five-hole on a backhand breakaway try at 4:20 of overtime, an extra frame that began with the Islanders killing off the final 32 seconds of Adam Pelech's penalty.
Tony DeAngelo got the scoring started at 11:37 of the first period, a wrister that beat Askarov from the point. Then, Macklin Celebrini tied the game just 33 seconds into the second period.
That was the lone scoring in regulation.
Brayden Schenn, whom the Islanders acquired at the trade deadline, played 17:26 minutes, recording a shot, a hit, and a block. He went 6-for-14 in the face-off dot (43%).
The Islanders wake up on Sunday morning in second place in the Metropolitan Division.
UP NEXT: The Islanders conclude thier four-game road trip (1-2-0) against the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night at 7:30 PM ET.
A UTEP fan got into a heated exchange with members of the Jacksonville State men's basketball team following Saturday's game between the two schools.
Jacksonville State earned a 64-61 victory over UTEP (Texas-El Paso) in a Conference USA game in El Paso on Saturday night.
The game was tied 61-61 when Mostapha El Moutaouakkil, the conference's scoring leader, made a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from the corner to secure the win. He finished the game with 23 points and seven rebounds in 31 minutes played.
An altercation involving the UTEP fan happened after the game, while the players were in the handshake line.
A fan was seen on video briefly holding up a chair while having a verbal exchange with members of the Jacksonville State team.
A UTEP fan picked up a chair amid an exchange with Jacksonville State players on Saturday 😳
The fan and players were quickly separated before the incident got out of hand.
Conference USA and the two schools are expected to review the incident.
"We are reviewing the incident in conjunction with both (athletic directors), but we do not have a statement at this time," a Conference USA spokesperson told ESPN.
UTEP AD Jim Senter told ESPN the school "will take appropriate action as needed."
LOS ANGELES (AP) — David Martinez scored in the second half and Hugo Lloris made it stand up for a third straight clean sheet to begin the season as Los Angeles FC beat FC Dallas 1-0 on Saturday night.
Neither team scored until Martinez used assists from Stephen Eustáquio and defender Sergi Palencia in the 55th minute to find the net for the first time this season and for the ninth time in the 20-year-old's 49th appearance and 20th start.
Eustáquio has a goal and two assists in his first three MLS matches. Palencia's helper was his first this season and ninth in 86 career matches.
Lloris finished with five saves for LAFC (3-0-0) — off to the best start in its nine-year history with a fifth straight victory in all competitions to begin the season. The club also won its first three league matches for the first time while outscoring its opponents 6-0.
Michael Collodi saved five shots in his third start for Dallas (1-1-1) this season after making nine last year as a rookie. Collodi allowed only eight goals in his nine 2025 starts, making Maarten Paes expendable.
Both keepers had three saves in a scoreless first half.
LAFC leads the all-time series 8-4-3, including a 6-0-1 record at home.
LAFC opened the season at home with a 3-0 victory over defending champion Inter Miami and then blanked the Houston Dynamo 2-0 on the road. The club also posted 6-1 and 1-0 victories over Real España in the CONCACAF Champions Cup to advance to the Round of 16.
Dallas beat Toronto FC 3-2 in its home opener before a playing to a scoreless draw with visiting Nashville SC.
HOUSTON, TX - JANUARY 28: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs and Kevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets looks on during the game on January 28, 2026 at the Toyota Center in Houston, 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Tonight the Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs complete their season series. San Antonio leads 2-1, and a win for the Spurs would clinch the tiebreaker, not that it’s likely to matter. This is the first of three difficult games in four days for Houston.
To talk about the Spurs, I enlisted the help of my friend, Blaine. He’s a Spurs fan that spent many nights with us in Playback (RIP), and he’s a smart basketball mind and great dude. I asked him some questions and he was kind enough to give some super detailed answers, even when I put him on the spot with San Antonio’s championship chances. I learned a ton, and I hope you do as well.
Armin (AK): By the old Phil Jackson metric, approximately 83% of all NBA champions won 40 games before losing 20. The Spurs are one of three teams that qualify this season. How serious are San Antonio’s chances? What would you consider a successful postseason?
Blaine: Going into this season, I honestly thought we would be happy with the 6 seed. At this point in time, we are probably a year ahead of what I thought our progression would be. Last year, we finished 13th in the West. I figured we would pass Portland Trail Blazers, Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings, and Memphis Grizzlies. I thought Dallas could be dangerous if they were healthy, but we knew Kyrie Iriving was a long shot this year, and Anthony Davis doesn’t have the best luck. I didn’t love Golden State’s offseason, the LA Clippers were (are) going through an interesting Steve Ballmer/Kawhi Leonard based investigation. That left Oklahoma City, y’all, the LA Lakers, Denver Nuggets, and Minnesota Timberwolves as teams I thought could stay ahead of us and it still be seen as a potentially successful year of further growth. Y’all lost Fred VanVleet, then Steven Adams, and Dorian Finney-Smith hasn’t been the player I thought he could be for y’all. Denver has had to go without Nikola Jokic for a stretch, Aaron Gordon for longer, and Cam Johnson hasn’t been as big of a factor as I thought he could be for them, but they should be a dangerous team come playoff time. We’ve shown we can matchup well with OKC, beating them 4-1 this season (admittedly, 1 game they basically punted), but they are still the defending champs and current #1 overall seed.
All this is to say that we definitely have a shot, but history says it’s unlikely. The list is short for teams that found postseason success with as little playoff experience as our core has. On the plus side, Harrison Barnes and Luke Kornet each have 5 playoff runs and one ring each, but Barnes was 5th in minutes for the Warriors in the 2015 finals, Kornet was 11th for the Celtics in 2024. Outside of them, De’Aaron Fox has one playoff series, that’s it for our top 10 players.
On the plus side, we have a generational talent that is continuing to grow (in talent, but some say he might be taller than he was last year), and the team around him is getting better too. I wrote earlier that I thought we would be happy with the 6th seed going into the year. What I didn’t see that had me setting the lower expectations was not only Victor Wembanyama still clinging to the possibility of hitting the 65 game mark, but that we now have a team around him that doesn’t crumble without him on the floor. I believe we are 10-4 in games without him this season, although we were lucky that many of those came during a somewhat forgiving stretch.
Fox has been great, even though it seems like we are keeping his usage a bit lower than he deserves. He hasn’t been getting near the credit he deserves from Spurs fans, which I hope is due to the excitement of our younger core, I can also be guilty of this. I’m glad he got the all-star nod even if there were arguments for other replacements.
Stephon Castle has taken a nice leap. His 3% hasn’t increased much, but I’m more confident in the attempts than I was last year. His playmaking continues to grow and he is probably the best lobber on the team. He’s also the best point-of-attack defender and has had some really nice putbacks. I believe he is deserving of an All-Defensive Team selection. I see him and Amen Thompson as very comparable players. Castle is a better shooter and maybe slight edge in playmaking, while Thompson still has the advantage on defense and rebounding.
Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson have both adjusted their games to become really useful to us. Vassell as a spark plug on offense, and Keldon as a battery and battering ram. Vassell has had a really good shooting stretch. In a 5 game stretch from 2/23-3/3 he averaged 5 3PMs on 62.5%. Johnson is still in the running for 6MOY, although I think the chances have chilled slightly post all star break.
AK: San Antonio appears so deep right now and is seemingly getting contributions from everyone. Besides playoff experience, what do the Spurs need to get to the next level moving forward? Is internal development enough or do you see the Spurs making a splash in free agency in Wemby’s last rookie contract season? (Note: The Spurs will have something around $35-40 million in space under the first apron this summer)
Blaine: Along with the guys above, Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant are also exciting looks into the future while providing valuable play. Harper plays with a veteran’s level of change of pace and shows real flashes of something special, while Bryant has recently shown flashes of becoming a great 3&D player. They are clear parts of the future so some care needs to be taken that we have money available for them when the time comes.
Kornet is the final player I feel sure will be around for the next 3 years. He’s been a really great back up big, even if it doesn’t always show up in the box score. He does so many of the little things that allow the team to be successful.
Barnes has been a solid vet and has gone through stretches of being a really important floor stretcher for us. Unfortunately, his ironman streak of 364 straight regular season games played was snapped due to a sore ankle, his 3% has dropped over 5% from last year, Bryant is showing growth, and his current contract is too big and runs out at the end of the year. He’d be great to have back, but I don’t know that he would or should take the cut needed for us to make it happen.
Julian Champagnie is currently on one of the best contracts (non-rookie or superstar-on-max edition). We have a team option, but I’m sure we will try to renegotiate for a longer deal while trying to keep it somewhat team friendly.
Looking into next year, we have Atlanta’s pick that will likely be a lottery pick. Depending on where that pick falls could determine if we feel like we luck into another rotational piece or if we use it to package for a different piece or future pick. Looking over a list of upcoming FAs, the number of good fits that I think have a ok chance of moving are fairly slim. Rui Hachimura and John Collins are maybe the best options which aren’t the flashiest moves. Therefore, I think our best chance at a big swing would be to sign and trade Barnes packaged with ATL’s pick. A bigger swing would have to include Vassell or Johnson that, as I’ve stated, have been playing well this season and could be considered the hearts of the team, especially Keldon on the latter.
I think it is more likely that we try to make a Barnes deal work, while extending Wemby and Champagnie.
AK: Fill in the blank: The Spurs are winning a title in the next _____ years.
Blaine: When Tim Duncan retired, I said with full sincerity that I would be satisfied as a fan if we never won another because of the 5 rings he brought to my favorite team, and asking for anything further would be greedy. Well, the 3rd lucky pick of a ping pong ball that gave me a generation big to watch has me feeling like Scrooge McDuck. I stated earlier in the year that I’m still not a big fan of the Cup. Players get more money, good for them, but for me as a fan, I’m not ready to give this midseason tournament any prestige. That being said, it was great for us this year. The OKC and New York Knicks games had a solid playoff-like atmosphere that gives the young core at least a small feel of what to expect come playoffs. I’m trying hard to keep my expectations tempered. Injuries happen, guys playing well lead to them earning contracts that break teams apart, teams struggle at the wrong time, and opposing teams have the opposite happen at the right time for them. We aren’t here for that though, and I’m not backing down from your challenge to actually answer this question that I usually talk my way around. Spurs in 3. Maybe we get lucky this year, we have been playing really well. If we make it to the conference finals this year, I think we can rebound and make it through the next. If we flame out early, I think we do whatever we need to to make it work in the 3rd. There, you got me to say it. You happy?
AK: What are your thoughts on the Rockets as an outsider?
Blaine: Before the injuries, I really thought this could be y’all’s year. I’ve been telling you since the start of the year that I think y’all are a bad matchup for us. Wemby has more difficulty with Alperen Sengun’s offensive timing, Kevin Durant is still a bucket, Jabari Smith Jr. gives y’all extra size, and I remain a big fan of both Amen and Reed Sheppard.
AK: Got any fun tidbits I didn’t ask?
Blaine: Just for fun, Spurs have some pretty good duo names. Ex Area 51 (Wemby/Castle), Pineapple Express (Castle/Vassell), Slash Bros (Castle/Harper), French Vanilla (Wemby/Kornet), White Castle (Castle/Kornet). Do the Rockets have any fun nicknames?
Also, current situation of Wemby chasing Dream’s block record:
Current Pace (3.48) 936 games to overtake (14.4 65 game seasons)
COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (AP) — Alexis Manyoma netted the go-ahead score in the second half and Rafael Navarro added a pair of insurance goals, all after Los Angeles was forced to play a man down, helping the Colorado Rapids pull away for a 4-1 victory over the Galaxy on Saturday night.
João Klauss scored for the fourth time in his first three matches with the Galaxy to tie it 1-1 in the 56th minute. But Gabriel Pec was tagged with a second yellow card four minutes later and forced to exit.
Manyoma made his fifth career appearance and second this season when he subbed into the match in the 68th minute and scored his first career goal in the 76th to give Colorado a 2-1 lead. Navarro provided insurance with an unassisted goal in the 85th minute before taking a pass from Wayne Frederick and scoring again four minutes later for the final margin. Frederick's assist was his first in his 13th career appearance.
Navarro's first two goals of the campaign give him 30 in 78 career appearances with the Rapids.
Nico Hansen totaled four saves in his first start for Colorado (2-1-0) this season after starting 10 times as a rookie last season.
Novak Micovic saved two shots in his third start of the season for the Galaxy (1-1-1) after getting the nod 20 times as a rookie last season.
Darren Yapi, who scored in the 23rd minute to give the Rapids a 1-0 lead, picked up an assist along with Ted Ku-DiPietro on Manyoma's go-ahead score.
The Galaxy lead the all-time series 41-34-13, but fall to 14-23-7 in Colorado.
Up next
Los Angeles: Hosts Sporting Kansas City on Saturday.
The 2026 NHL Trade Deadline has come and gone. Several significant prices were paid to acquire players league-wide, and other prices weren’t met, leaving many players rumored to be on the move to stay put with their current teams. What was rumored to be a “buyer’s market” quickly became a “seller’s market,” and now the NHL landscape is more solidified for the stretch run of the regular season, with playoffs on the ever-nearing horizon.
The Anaheim Ducks have been one of the busiest “sellers” since Pat Verbeek took over as general manager just before the 2022 trade deadline. They’ve stocked up on high-end young talent via the draft and trades, added some seasoned veterans, hired the second-winningest coach in franchise history, and are now on the precipice of their first playoff appearance since 2018, which would end the NHL’s third-longest such streak.
The Ducks made two trades in the 24 hours before Friday’s noon PST deadline, so here are reviews of those deals:
The Anaheim Ducks acquire defenseman John Carlson from the Washington Capitals in exchange for a conditional 2026 first-round pick and a 2027 third-round pick
Embracing the “buyer” label, Verbeek actively attempted to put his team into the “contender” category when he pulled off perhaps the deadline’s biggest blockbuster trade. Carlson is in the final year of his eight-year contract, which carries an AAV of $8 million. No contract extension talks have been had or will be had during the season. Carlson is a pure rental.
The conditions on the pick rely solely on the Ducks making the 2026 playoffs. If they make the playoffs, they’ll transfer their 2026 first-round pick to the Caps. If they don’t qualify, they’ll have the option to send their 2026 or 2027 first-round pick.
Carlson (36), in his 17th NHL season, has scored 46 points (10-36=46) in 55 games and leaves the Capitals franchise as their defensive leader in all categories for defensemen and a Stanley Cup champion in 2018.
This is an interesting move for the Ducks from two angles. 1) Trading a first-round pick isn’t a move non-cup-contending teams make in exchange for rental players. 2) Carlson doesn’t fit the expected archetype for a defenseman the Ducks would have been looking to add at this year’s deadline.
The Cost
“I think when you have an opportunity to better your team, I think that’s your responsibility and your duty to do that,” Verbeek told the media following the deadline. “I think we have enough draft picks. We have enough prospects coming. Is it worth it to give up a conditional first-rounder? In my opinion, yes, it is. And so to get the quality of a player with John Carlson, then it made sense not only to us, but to our organization. So that’s how I viewed it.”
The Ducks are projected to make the playoffs for the first time in eight years, since 2018. They’ve stockpiled talented current young players and prospects at every position during their extended playoff absence, and the potential path to the Western Conference Final is the easiest (on paper) in the Pacific Division, widely regarded as the weakest division in the NHL.
Does adding a 36-year-old defenseman for 20 games line up with the assumed “contending window” for the Ducks? If the Ducks win one or two playoff rounds this spring, then the window is open now.
If the fit is undeniable and Carlson is a big part of whatever run the Ducks make during their projected playoff appearance, Verbeek has stated he hopes to re-sign Carlson following the season.
“It’s worth it to give this group experience, give them a chance to make the playoffs, and to do well in the playoffs,” Verbeek said. “That’s kind of how I looked at it, with the hope that we’ll be able to re-sign him when this season’s over.”
Parting with a first and third round pick for a player who plays 20 regular season games and a potentially short playoff run can understandably give some pause. However, if that player re-signs with the club on a reasonable contract extension, the deal becomes a lot easier to swallow and could even be received more glowingly.
The Fit
The other area of intrigue with Carlson’s addition to the Ducks’ roster is his fit along the blueline. Looking at the left side of their defense corps, it’s full of dynamic and offensively gifted young players: Jackson LaCombe, Pavel Mintyukov, and Olen Zellweger.
If one had speculated an add to the blueline for Anaheim at the 2026 deadline, one would likely have assumed they’d have added a traditional “shutdown/stay-at-home” defender. Frequent names on trade lists fitting that archetype were players like Colton Parayko, Tyler Myers, Brandon Carlo, etc.
However, Verbeek zigged when a zag was expected. Carlson has been one of the most consistent and productive offensive-oriented defensemen in the NHL for nearly the last two decades.
The Ducks are one of the poorest defensive teams in the NHL in 2025-26 and have gotten where they are off the backs of their high-octane offense and spectacular starting goaltender, Lukas Dostal. So in a surprising and refreshing move, Verbeek seemingly leaned into his team’s strength and acquired an offensive play-driving puck-mover from the backend in Carlson.
Carlson’s offensive output shouldn’t dismiss his defensive impact, however. Even at age 36, Carlson, before the trade, played in all situations for the Caps, including ranking second among Washington blueliners in shorthanded TOI/G (2:28) and power play TOI/G (2:33).
Though his defensive metrics haven’t been spectacular, he’s a quality skater, cerebral positionally, and fundamentally sound. It’s possible that switching from the Caps’ man-coverage in the defensive zone to the Ducks’ pressure-zone coverage system could benefit Carlson, as he won’t be exerting as much energy in his end during elongated sequences and should give a boost to the Ducks’ exit numbers.
In theory, the Ducks’ system could enhance what he does well and allow him to translate that ability to the defensive side of the puck.
The Anaheim Ducks acquire a 2027 seventh-round pick from the Calgary Flames in exchange for forward Ryan Strome
Strome was one of two signings Verbeek made on his first day of unrestricted free agency in his first summer as an NHL general manager in July 2022, with Frank Vatrano representing the other. Strome was signed to a five-year contract that carried a $5 million AAV and had no trade protection attached.
Strome was an eerily consistent producer for Anaheim, scoring 41 points in each of his first three seasons with the Ducks. He was projected to start the 2025-26 season in the middle-six for new coach, Joel Quenneville, but missed the first 16 games of the season with an oblique injury. He was replaced in the lineup by Beckett Sennecke, who grabbed hold of that spot and refused to relinquish it, as he currently leads all rookies in scoring.
Strome struggled to carve out a role for himself outside the top six and even served as a healthy scratch for 12 games this season. He’d been a positive locker room presence for the Ducks during three of their leanest years in franchise history, and he’s too skilled to be continuously kept out of the lineup.
Moving him to Calgary, even though his value was at its lowest, will allow him to play meaningful minutes again for the remainder of this season and next. Calgary will absorb Strome’s full cap hit, clearing $5 million off Anaheim’s books for the summer of 2026, where they’re expected to sign star RFAs Cutter Gauthier and Leo Carlsson to sizable contract extensions, as well as RFAs Olen Zellweger, Pavel Mintyukov, and Ian Moore. In addition, if Verbeek plans on re-signing any number of pending UFAs like Jacob Trouba, John Carlson, or Radko Gudas, he’ll need all the cap space he can get.
The Ducks are in a transitional period in their franchise’s history, on the cusp of returning to the playoffs and now even looking to make a deeper run than anticipated. Though the roster remains imperfect, and they’re playing a firewagon brand of hockey, Verbeek has made a statement to his roster and to the league that the Ducks view themselves as true contenders.
Looking ahead to the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline, many were anticipating some bigger moves ahead of the 3:00 p.m. ET cutoff on Mar. 6.
Well, as it turns out, there wasn't much activity at all - not from the league, and not from the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The lone move that Penguins' general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas made on deadline day was to acquire forward Elmer Soderblom from the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick. Soderblom, 24, is a massive physical presence at 6-foot-8, 252 pounds, his forechecking, speed for his size, and two-way game were all attributes that drew the Penguins to him.
However, given the Penguins' current predicament - they are still without Sidney Crosby, who is week-to-week with a lower-body injury but skated with the team Friday, and Evgeni Malkin, who was suspended five games by the Department of Player Safety - there are many who wanted to see the team shoot a bit bigger in the trade market (size aside, of course).
The Penguins are stretched thin at the center position, they have the toughest strength of schedule remaining in the NHL, they're missing their top-two points producers, and they're barely hanging on to second place in the Metropolitan Division with two teams chasing closely behind them.
Nevertheless, Dubas chose to stay the course. And he believes in the group that they have.
"Obviously, the mix has worked quite well," Dubas said. "They've got some chemistry. Dan [Muse] has done a great job coaching them. The staff has done a great job. We just have to deal with some absences this year for various different reasons, and continue to stay with it.
"Find a way to write our own story, regardless of what everyone else expects it to be."
Dubas's actions - or inactions - at the deadline didn't simply speak to the market he was dealing with. Yes, he did say prices were sky-high, and teams weren't willing to meet asking prices. Yes, he did say that teams' respective positions in terms of playoff contention - including his own - played a factor in choosing not to buy big. Yes, at the end of the day, he didn't do much at all.
But a big part of the equation was the fact that he already added to this team - and that they've already responded to those additions. Through trade, he added Stuart Skinner, Egor Chinakhov, and Brett Kulak - then Sam Girard - all of whom are upgrades over the players who would be in those positions otherwise based on the roster the team began the season with.
Since the Chinakhov trade, the Penguins are 14-5-4, and they've been playing better systemic hockey. They've been getting contributions from up and down the lineup, and even Crosby went pointless in four out of his last six games before the Olympic break while his team went 4-1-1.
And Dubas points to those contributions from everyone - as well as his team's ability to respond well to adversity and respond after bad games - as defining qualities of this particular group of players.
"I think the contributions from some of the younger guys throughout, but then, whether it's been Chinkahov, Brazeau, Mantha, the rise of the Lizotte line... I think that's led us to have success and give the team the chance to see it all the way through" Dubas said. "I think, especially since we've come back from Christmas, it's not just been the wins, but the way that the team has gone about winning that shows that, when we're at our best, it's a very good team."
He added: "For me, the greatest thing about the team the whole year has been the way that we've weathered times that haven't been great. The way that the team responds when things don't go well... the team always finds a way to respond, even with guys out of the lineup."
Without both Crosby and Malkin, there are some players, in particular, who are going to have to step up even more. That includes Rickard Rakell, who is already being asked to man the center position, which he hasn't played regularly since his teens and early-20s. That also includes Erik Karlsson, who will be relied upon to drive more offense from the blue line. And it especially includes 18-year-old rookie Ben Kindel, who has already impressed with his 200-foot play and will probably need to hike up the production.
But that's just what these Penguins have done. They've stepped up when things have gotten hard. They've responded after tough losses. They've fought tooth and nail for every point they've gotten this season.
And that's not only a testament to the talent that populates the roster, it also speaks to the chemistry of the team and the locker room.
Mar 7, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Ben Kindel (81) skates with the puck in overtime against the Philadelphia Flyers at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
"I think the mentality is very much, 'We're gonna make the most of what we have,'" Dubas said. "And I think Dan has led that, but the players have been right there with him every step of the way, and it's a huge credit to them for being able to stick with that throughout the year.
"That said, we have our biggest challenges ahead, and it will be the ultimate test of that. But I think that's also the most exciting part of being here and being in this position is we have a great opportunity now, and we have to make the most of it and find a way."
Dubas believes in his team as-is, and his team has a belief in themselves. Now, it's time for them to show everyone exactly what they're made of down the stretch run of what has been a magical season so far.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Langston Reynolds scored 21 points and scored the game-winning basket to lead Minnesota 67-66 past Northwestern in the final regular season game of the season for both Big Ten teams on Saturday.
Reynolds was 9 of 13 from the floor and scored the final four points over the last 26 seconds. He turned a three-point Golden Gophers (15-16, 8-12 Big Ten) deficit into a win with a layup with 11 seconds left, and scored 17 in the second half.
Cade Tyson had 15 points, while Isaac Asuma added 14 points and eight rebounds. Bobby Durkin scored 12, made 4 of 8 from behind the arc and had two steals.
The Golden Gophers had a 39-29 lead at the half after opening the game with an 18-2 run fueled by nine points from Asuma.
Nick Martinelli, the nation's sixth-leading scorer (22.7 per game), had 23 points on 9-of-18 shooting and nine rebounds for the Wildcats (13-18, 5-15). Jake West added 14 points and hit 4 of 7 behind the arc, and Tre Singleton scored 10 to go with six rebounds and four assists.
Up next
Northwestern will be the No. 15 seed in the Big Ten tournament and face No. 18 seed Penn State on Tuesday in the opening round.
Minnesota will enter as the No. 11 seed and face No. 14 seed Rutgers in the second round Wednesday. ___
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 27 points, and the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Golden State Warriors 104-97 on Saturday night for their fifth straight win.
Gilgeous-Alexander made just 6 of 15 field goals, but he made 14 of 15 free throws to maintain his usual production. He has scored at least 20 points in 125 consecutive games. He can tie Wilt Chamberlain’s record of 126 straight games with at least 20 points Monday at home against Denver.
Oklahoma City is 5-0 since Gilgeous-Alexander returned from an abdominal strain. The defending champion Thunder have the league’s best record and became the first team in the league to win 50 games this season.
Isaiah Joe added 18 points and Jaylin Williams had nine points and 14 rebounds for Oklahoma City.
Gui Santos had 22 points and 11 rebounds, Brandin Podziemski scored 17 points and Draymond Green added 16 for the Warriors, who were held to 40.9% shooting.
MAGIC 119, TIMBERWOLVES 92
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Desmond Bane scored 30 points, Paolo Banchero added 25 points and 15 rebounds, and Orlando won its third straight game by beating Minnesota.
Jalen Suggs added 14 points and Tristan da Silva had 11 points for the Magic, who moved atop the Southeast Division.
Anthony Edwards scored 34 points, including 13 of 14 from the free-throw line, but Minnesota had it’s five-game winning streak snapped.
Julius Randle scored 14 points and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds for the Timberwolves, Naz Reid added 13 points off the bench, and Rudy Gobert added 12 points.
Minnesota shot just 35.7% in scoring its second-fewest points of the season. Starters Donte DiVincenzo and Jaden McDaniels were a combined 0 for 15.
NETS 107, PISTONS 105
DETROIT (AP) — Ziaire Williams made two 3-pointers in the final three minutes and Brooklyn ended a 10-game losing streak by rallying to beat Detroit.
Brooklyn trailed by 23 points in the third quarter and were still down by double figures with 5:29 left, but outscored Detroit 18-6 down the stretch.
Michael Porter Jr. had 30 points and 13 rebounds for the Nets, while Williams finished with 23 points.
Tobias Harris had 18 points and 10 rebounds for Detroit and Jalen Duren had 17 points and 14 rebounds. The Pistons, who have lost three straight for the first time this season, were missing Cade Cunningham (quadriceps) and Ausar Thompson (ankle).
HAWKS 125, 76ERS 116
ATLANTA (AP) — Jalen Johnson had 35 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists and Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 24 points as Atlanta beat Philadelphia for its season-best sixth straight victory.
Atlanta, which had two five-game runs during the season, has won seven of its last eight games and moved two games over .500 at 33-31.
CJ McCollum scored 13 of his 17 points in the first half and added seven assists, Dyson Daniels finished with 15 points and nine rebounds, and Onyeka Okongwu had 10 points as the Hawks overcame a seven-point halftime deficit.
Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with 31 points before injuring his right hand in a collision with teammate Adem Bona with 16 seconds remaining in the game. Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse had no update on the extent of Maxey’s injury after the game and said the All-Star guard would have X-rays on his hand.
Quentin Grimes scored 26 points, Kelly Oubre Jr. added 24 and Trendon Watford 10 as Philly had its four-game winning streak halted. Jabari Walker, who was coming off consecutive 20-point games for the first time in his four-year NBA career, finished with nine points.
BUCKS 113, JAZZ 99
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo had 27 points, nine rebounds and eight assists as Milwaukee snapped a four-game skid by beating Utah.
Antetokounmpo did all that while playing just 27 minutes as the Bucks continue to monitor the two-time MVP’s workload in his return from injury. Milwaukee was playing for the third time since Antetokounmpo came back from a right calf strain that caused him to miss 15 straight games.
Utah has lost eight of its last nine games. The Jazz had ended a seven-game skid Thursday by winning 122-112 at Washington.
The Jazz were missing leading scorer Lauri Markkanen because of impingement in his right hip and Isaiah Collier due to personal reasons. Multiple other Utah players already have been ruled out for the season.
Milwaukee’s Kevin Porter Jr. missed a second straight game with swelling in his right knee. Before the game, Bucks coach Doc Rivers had no update on when Porter might return to the lineup.
CLIPPERS 123, GRIZZLIES 120
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Kawhi Leonard had 28 points, Darius Garland scored 11 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter and Los Angeles held on for a victory over Memphis.
Bennedict Mathurin finished 21 points and 10 rebounds, and Derrick Jones Jr. added 16 points as the Clippers won for the fourth time in five games despite hitting only four 3-pointers, a season low. Los Angeles was 4 for 17 from distance.
Ty Jerome led Memphis with 23 points and seven assists. Taylor Hendricks scored 18 and Cedric Coward 15 as Memphis lost its third straight.
The game was close throughout, and the Grizzlies held a 118-117 lead with about two minutes left. Leonard and Jordan Miller each made a pair of free throws to give Los Angeles a 121-118 edge. Mathurin’s two free throws with 4.4 second left sealed the win as Jerome’s closing 3-point try for Memphis was off the mark.
The Clippers, who were 15 games under .500 earlier this season, now sit at 31-32. The are in ninth place in the Western Conference, and in the running for a postseason bid.
