Dallas Mavericks (19-36, 12th in the Western Conference) vs. Indiana Pacers (15-42, 15th in the Eastern Conference)
Indianapolis; Sunday, 5 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Dallas heads into the matchup with Indiana as losers of 10 in a row.
The Pacers are 10-18 in home games. Indiana is 4-24 in games decided by at least 10 points.
The Mavericks are 5-20 on the road. Dallas allows 117.5 points to opponents while being outscored by 3.6 points per game.
The Pacers average 111.2 points per game, 6.3 fewer points than the 117.5 the Mavericks give up. The Mavericks are shooting 47.0% from the field, 1.4% lower than the 48.4% the Pacers' opponents have shot this season.
The two teams square off for the second time this season. The Mavericks defeated the Pacers 107-105 in their last matchup on Oct. 30. Brandon Williams led the Mavericks with 20 points, and Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 27 points.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jarace Walker is shooting 39.9% and averaging 10.7 points for the Pacers. Jay Huff is averaging 1.8 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
Naji Marshall is averaging 15.1 points for the Mavericks. Max Christie is averaging 12.8 points over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Pacers: 4-6, averaging 115.6 points, 41.7 rebounds, 29.0 assists, 8.0 steals and 3.5 blocks per game while shooting 48.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 119.7 points per game.
Mavericks: 0-10, averaging 111.7 points, 43.7 rebounds, 22.9 assists, 7.5 steals and 4.6 blocks per game while shooting 45.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 121.7 points.
INJURIES: Pacers: Aaron Nesmith: out (ankle), Obi Toppin: out (foot), Johnny Furphy: out for season (knee), Andrew Nembhard: out (back), Ivica Zubac: out (ankle), Pascal Siakam: out (personal), Tyrese Haliburton: out for season (achilles).
Mavericks: Dereck Lively II: out for season (foot), Kyrie Irving: out for season (knee), Cooper Flagg: out (foot).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Wellington’s Josh Oluwayemi heads into his own goal from outside box
Auckland FC’s 5-0 win prompts Giancarlo Italiano to resign
A comical own goal from Wellington goalkeeper Josh Oluwayemi sparked a 5-0 thrashing by Auckland FC, prompting coach Giancarlo Italiano to dramatically announce his resignation in the post-match press conference.
Oluwayemi’s 24th-minute howler looks destined to be a permanent feature on goalkeeper gaffe compilations after the Phoenix No 1 completely misjudged a Jake Girdwood-Reich clearance at Sky Stadium in Wellington on Saturday.
Luka Doncic scored 38 points against Yanic Konan Niederhauser and the Clippers in his return to the Lakers' lineup Friday at Crypto.com Arena. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
They are the core of the Lakers (34-21), the engines that make this team go, but health issues have prevented them from playing together for far too much. In their first game since the All-Star break, Doncic, Reaves and James carried the Lakers to a 125-122 win over the Clippers on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena.
Doncic had 38 points, 11 assists, six rebounds and some trash-talking with Clippers’ defensive Kris Dunn.
Reaves did his part with 29 points on an efficient nine-for-15 shooting. He also had six rebounds and a key defensive play late in the game.
And James had 13 points and 11 assists, his fifth straight game with 10 or more assists. He also was playing with a sore left knee and a migraine.
Lakers guard Austin Reaves celebrates after drawing a charging foul against Clippers guard Bennedict Mathurin in the fourth quarter. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
They got helpfrom Marcus Smart, who scored all seven of his points of the fourth quarter and played his typical tough defense, and Deandre Ayton, who had 13 points, seven rebounds and a lob from James that he threw down for a dunk over Clippers center Brook Lopez late in the fourth quarter.
But this game was all about Doncic, Reaves and James, who are trying to build some chemistry this late in the season.
“I think it’s good. I hear this question every day. So, I always answer the same,” Doncic said. “You know, obviously we didn’t play a lot together, but chemistry is going to grow and grow.”
The Clippers kept chipping away at the Lakers’ lead late in the game despite Kawhi Leonard leaving with 5:10 left because of left ankle soreness.
Though Leonard departed with 31 points on 11-for-19 shooting, four-for-six on three-pointers and five-for-five on his free throws, the Clippers didn’t back down.
But in what Lakers coach JJ Redick called the play of the game with 1:49 left and the Lakers leading 118-115, Reaves drew a charge on Bennedict Mathurin. It was Mathurin's sixth foul and it sent him to the bench with 26 points.
“Marcus did a good job. He stabbed at the ball. I think Mathurin kind of got off balance and I saw an opportunity to make a winning play,” Reaves said. “I actually don’t mind taking charges because I can’t jump and block a shot, so my only chance is to take a charge”
Still, the Lakers didn’t escape until Doncic made two free throws with 21.2 seconds left to give the Lakers a five-point lead that barely stood.
With a 125-122 lead and the ball in the closing seconds, James threw a dangerous cross-court pass intended for Doncic that Nicolas Batum stole. But Batum missed a potential tying three-pointer, and James got the rebound to secure the win.
James then explained how his knee was feeling after practice Thursday.
“I mean, it happened at practice yesterday during our scrimmage,” James said. “I went up for a dunk, came down pretty good, but a couple minutes into the scrimmage after that, it started getting a little sore, started getting a little tight and yeah, that’s what happened.”
James still played 33 minutes. His time on the court allowed James, Doncic and Reaves to develop some much-needed chemistry.
“I mean, every game, every second, every minute that we’re on the floor together, it helps,” James said. “Like I said, when was that, All-Star weekend? We don't know what we're going to be until we get fully healthy and tonight was one of the first games where JJ and the coaching staff can look down and know everybody was available. So, we just got to keep pushing. We got to keep pushing. We got a tough team coming in on Sunday (against the Celtics). Obviously, a lifetime NBA rivalry, so we got to be ready for them. They're playing great basketball, too.”
Doncic played just five minutes for Team World in the All-Star game Sunday and had missed the previous four games before the break with his hamstring issue.
But he played 37:53 against the Clippers.
“It wasn’t bad,” Reaves said about his hamstring. “I got treatment after the game. But I felt good.”
Australia has gone down to India in the T20 stanza of the multi-format series after a blistering batting display set up the touring side for a stirring 17-run win in Ellyse Perry’s 350th on Saturday night.
LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 20: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates during the game against the LA Clippers on February 20, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
In their first game back from the All-Star break, the Lakers beat the Clippers 125-122.
The game began with Brook Lopez going on a personal 5-0 run for the Clippers. Austin Reaves scored the first five points for the Lakers. The offense started to pick up for the Lakers, who were now shooting 80% from the field. LeBron James added a quick seven points.
At the 6:18 mark, the purple and gold were up by three.
Luka Dončić started to heat up, draining two 3-pointers for six points. Lopez led the Clippers with nine points. After a Laker timeout, Luke Kennard knocked down a 3-pointer. The triples continued to fly as Luka drained two more. The Lakers had taken complete control of the game.
At the end of the first, the purple and gold were up by 12.
The Lakers start their first game out of the break absolutely unconscious from 3, going 8 for 9 in the 1st Q after Dončić drilled his 3rd and 4th.
The home team leads 41-29 on 84.2% FG's overall, led by 17 points from Luka.
Benedict Mathurin started the second period with a jump shot for the Clippers. Reaves kept his strong play going, converting on a jumper off the glass. Rui Hachimura joined the behind-the-arc party, knocking down a 3-pointer. Kawhi Leonard started heating up for the Clippers, scoring eight points.
At the 7:35 mark, the purple and gold were up by 13.
The Clippers cut the deficit to single digits on the shoulders of Leonard, who was now at 13 points for the half. Deandre Ayton dunked the ball off an impressive assist from Luka to stop some of the Clippers’ surge. John Collins responded with a triple on the other end.
Luka knocked down another 3-pointer; he was shooting 71% from behind the arc.
Leonard was cooking with hot grease for the Clippers, scoring another eight points, bringing his total to 21 for the half. The Clippers were winning the second-chance points battle 14-2, a major reason why they were still in it.
At halftime, the Lakers were up by seven.
The Lakers lead the Clippers at the half, 72-65. Luka Dončić has a game-high 22 points. According to the Lakers, it's his league-leading 28th half this season with 20 or more points.
The third period began with Leonard turning the ball over, leading to Reaves draining a 3-pointer on the other end. The Lakers went on a 10-2 scoring run to take a 15-point lead. The Clippers responded with a quick four straight points. Reaves was now at 22 points after he drained his third 3-pointer of the game.
Another double-digit lead evaporated quickly for the Lakers, as they allowed six straight points, four of which came from Derrick Jones Jr.
It was a 17-1 scoring run for the Clippers that put them ahead by two. The purple and gold responded well, with Luka draining a 3-pointer and Kennard converting on a layup, putting them back in the lead.
Going into the fourth, the purple and gold were up by four. The Clippers had managed to outscore the Lakers by three in that quarter.
The Lakers survive the Clippers' surge and lead 99-95 as we enter the fourth quarter. Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves each have 26 points.
Jarred Vanderbilt opened the final frame with a dunk for the Lakers. Three foul calls early for the purple and gold led to a few stoppages in play. The Clippers tied the game at the 9:50 mark.
Reaves drained a 3-pointer to put his team back in the lead.
An extended 11-3 run helped the Clippers retake the lead by two. The Lakers were shooting 16% in the quarter, converting only 2 of 12 shots. Marcus Smart drained a much-needed triple to stop some of the bleeding. Leonard responded with one on the other end.
The Lakers had turned on their jets, led by Smart, to take back the lead. Smart now had an important five points. Luka added to the spurt with his seventh 3-pointer of the night. The purple and gold were relying heavily on defense.
Leonard left the game at the 5:10 mark with ankle soreness.
It was a three-point Laker lead with 2:15 left, and the Clippers challenged a foul call on Mathurin and lost. Luka then scored on the other end, converting a three-point play. Jones Jr. responded with a triple on the other end, making it a one-possession game.
Smart was fouled, converting on the shot but not the three-point play. Jones Jr. then scored on the other end. Luka knocked down two clutch free throws to give the purple and gold a five-point lead with 21 seconds left.
Jordan Miller converted on two free throws to make it a three-point game with 9 seconds left. The Lakers turned the inbounds pass over, leading to an open 3-pointer for Nicolas Batum, but he didn’t make it, which sealed their fate.
Key Player Stats
Luka scored 17 of his 38 points in the first quarter. He also finished with six rebounds and 11 assists. Reaves pitched in with 29 points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals. LeBron scored 13 points with 11 assists.
Ayton ended with 13 points and seven rebounds. Kennard had nine points off the bench. Jaxson Hayes notched eight points with three rebounds. Smart finished with seven points and two rebounds.
The Lakers’ next matchup will be against the Boston Celtics on Sunday at 3:30 PM PT.
SAN FRANCISCO — Al Horford took his warmup shots with his son Ean and then sat in the locker room, open to reporters and took several questions. It’s a routine he did regularly while in Boston, and now performed in Warriors gear. And there’s still some uncertainty about why, with Golden State now 7.0 games behind the Celtics in the standings, Horford left the franchise he won his first championship and spent the most number of seasons with.
“For me, the decision, it’s something that’s deeper than just the basketball stuff,” Horford said pre-game on Thursday when asked by CLNS/CelticsBlog why he left. “It’s something that at some point I’ll share with people, but for me, it felt like it was the time for me to go elsewhere.”
Horford signed a two-year, $11.7 million contract with the Warriors late in the offseason after reports early in July pointed toward him departing Boston. Brad Stevens acknowledged later that the Celtics wanted to keep Horford and Luke Kornet, and made them offers, while noting that Boston’s limited flexibility by pointing to the minimum contracts they agreed to with other front court players.
His departure didn’t come without context around it though. Jayson Tatum’s Achilles tear nearly moved Horford to tears in the locker room following Game 4. Stevens signaled to Kristaps Porziņģis and Jrue Holiday following the Celtics’ defeat in Game 6 that they would probably move them for financial reasons during the offseason. An end of an era loomed, and while Horford reportedly weighed retirement among numerous options, Payton Pritchard stressed in his exit interview the importance of bringing Horford back.
Instead, reports almost immediately linked him to Golden State at the start of free agency, and after the deal became official after the Warriors’ nearly summer-long cap navigation, Horford expressed a desire to continue competing as a reason for joining Golden State. This week, he said Boston’s success came as little surprise.
“If you think about, even last year, we had a lot of guys down throughout the year, and we were playing a lot of the time missing a lot of players, and we were still winning a lot of games,” Horford said. “So I feel like that was a blueprint right there, and this year, I just think guys are comfortable playing in that situation and the biggest thing is everybody’s bought into what Joe is telling them and he’s just running a really good program over there, him and all those assistant coaches. They’re really doing a good job getting the guys ready, getting them to commit and play at a high level, and that’s why I feel like it’s so smooth. But I think if you look at last year, there were a lot of times that KP was out, Jrue was out, that different guys were out and we were still getting results. That’s why it’s not surprising of their success.”
Horford’s departure also surprised his father Tito when he found out about it over the summer, he told CLNS Media in October. He repeatedly called the decision one that was outside of Al’s control, and sources indicated at the time that Boston wasn’t able to offer more than a minimum contract to the veteran. Horford received two years of the taxpayer mid-level exception from the Warriors, where he’s averaged 7.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game on 42.9% shooting (33.8% 3PT). Though a significant role also appealed to him, he only started five of his first 34 appearances with Golden State.
Porziņģis and Horford both came off the bench during Thursday’s loss to the Celtics, where the Warriors fell behind by as many as 34 points early in the third quarter. They rallied to within 11 points in the fourth behind the former Celtics’ contributions in a double-big look, Horford finishing with five points, eight rebounds and four assists on 2-for-10 shooting. After the buzzer, Joe Mazzulla found Ean for a photo, Celtics players greeted their former veteran and Horford admitted just how weird the experience proved.
The Warriors looked like a team figuring things out at an almost ground floor level. Boston more resembled a machine that’s played together for years. And while Horford remained committed to what they’re figuring out in Golden State, he didn’t rule out one more appearance in green before his career ends.
“As far as the end of my career, I don’t know,” Horford said. “I always keep that open. It would definitely be a privelage to do that, but I’m obviously so focused on trying to finish out this year.”
TEMPE, - MARCH 16: A general view of the field prior to the 2024 Spring Breakout Game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Los Angeles Angels at Tempe Diablo Stadium on Saturday, March 16, 2024 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Marison Bilagody/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The first game of the spring for the Dodgers is finally here on Saturday afternoon, with a bus ride to Tempe to face the Angels at Diablo Stadium.
José Soriano will start on the mound for the Angels, who according to Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register “will have almost their entire projected everyday lineup when they face the Dodgers in the first Cactus League exhibition game on Saturday,” though Mike Trout is not expected to start.
Austin Wells challenged a pitch in the fourth inning, trying to get a ball turned into a strike for his pitcher, Jake Bird.
Austin Wells is pictured during the Yankees’ spring training session Feb. 15. Charles Wenzelberg
But the ABS system showed Bird’s curveball was, in fact, well below the zone, as the Yankees lost a challenge.
Caught my eye
Center fielder Kenedy Corona provided the web gem of the day, diving into the gap to make a grab and rob Pete Alonso of extra bases.
The non-roster invitee won a minor league Gold Glove in 2023.
Tomorrow’s schedule
Top pitching prospect Carlos Lagrange will start the Yankees’ Grapefruit League home opener against the Tigers, with Aaron Judge among the regulars expected to be in the lineup.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - FEBRUARY 20: Tyus Jones #1 of the Dallas Mavericks and Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves after the game on February 20, 2026 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 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 David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Dallas Mavericks lost again, this time 122-111 to the Minnesota Timberwolves Friday night in Minneapolis. It’s the Mavericks 10th loss in a row. The last time Dallas won was Jan. 22 against the Golden State Warriors.
This game followed the trend of the previous nine losses almost exactly — Dallas gets crushed in the first quarter, then slowly-but-surely work their way back to make a game more competitive than it had any right to be. Dallas was missing rookie star Cooper Flagg, along with their best three point shooter Max Christie.
The Wolves had their main rotation of players and still struggled to put the Mavericks away time and time again. Dallas had runs in each of the second, third, and fourth quarters to give Minnesota a scare, but couldn’t get over the hump.
Anthony Edwards led all scorers with a monster 40-points game. Newly acquired Khris Middleton led a balanced Mavericks attack with 18 points.
Here are the three stats to know.
16-8: Minnesota’s advantaged in made 3-pointers
Dallas did a lot of things right in this game — it attacked the paint, got to the free throw line, and kept turnovers in check after a very sloppy opening quarter. It didn’t really matter though like most Mavericks efforts go to waste because of one thing: shooting. Specifically three point shooting and the lack thereof for the Mavericks.
Minnesota went 16-of-42 from deep, while the Mavericks went just 8-of-25. Both the makes and attempts for Dallas are abysmal, but it’s hard to fault them when a bad shooting team is missing its best shooter in Max Christie. Klay Thompson was responsible for three of the Mavericks makes from distance but it wasn’t enough. The gap was just too big to make up elsewhere.
60: Mavericks points in the paint
Against a top-tier defense and one of the best rim protectors in the NBA, the now 19-36 Mavericks dropped 60 points in the paint. Impressive! It’s the main reason the game was as close as it was.
Dallas has been attacking the paint with force and volume this season, mainly because these players have to go hard to the bucket because no one can shoot. The Mavericks are averaging well-over 50 points in the paint per game, nearing the 55 mark for most of the season, which is top-10 in the league. Dallas can’t get a break because they fall so behind on threes, but the paint scoring does enough to keep them competitive nearly every night.
15, 13: Marvin Bagley’s points, rebounds
Marvin Bagley has only played four games with Dallas since being part of the Anthony Davis trade, but he’s stood-out in every one. This time he picked up another double-double with a solid 15-point, 13-rebound effort off the bench.
This is Bagley’s second double-double since being traded, his first a 16-point, 12-rebound effort against the Spurs in his Mavericks debut. Bagley is fun — he might not be long for this roster, but he’s young, athletic, and shows enough skill that got him drafted second overall by the Kings in 2018 to make you ponder. It’s sort of impressive how Bagley has sort of accepted his destiny as a nice rotation backup big, and he’s better for it. Bagley isn’t forcing shots or hogging possessions, he’s just setting screens, waiting in the dunkers spot, grabbing boards, and running the floor. That’s kind of cool, and plenty of other draft busts have failed to make that transition from sta prospect to role player when the star stuff didn’t work out.
Who knows what Dallas thinks of Bagley long-term, and he might not even be on the roster when opening day of next season arrives, but he’s a worthy dart throw and I look forward to win he can play more minutes with Cooper Flagg when Flagg returns to health. Flagg likes to get up and go, and having another horse to run alongside him could be fun. Bagley can’t really guard a chair, and his rebounding waxes and wains, but he’s fun and with a season this dreadful, that counts for a lot.
Nolan McLean and Juan Soto had an epic 10-pitch battle during the Mets' spring training session Friday.
Observations from Mets’ spring training on Thursday:
Old school
There was no ABS during Friday’s live batting practice at-bat between Juan Soto and Nolan McLean.
When there was a questionable call, Soto suggested a game of Rock Paper Scissors.
Juan Soto reacts during the Mets’ live batting practice on Feb. 20, 2026. Corey Sipkin for the NY PostNolan McLean throws a pitch during live batting practice on Feb. 20. Corey Sipkin for the NY Post
Soto won the contest, which led to a 10-pitch battle between the two that featured nothing but fastballs and ended in a Soto groundout.
Heads up
Ben Rortvedt, who battled plenty of injuries during his two years with the Yankees, managed to hit his head — twice — on a camera attached to the net right behind home plate during an at-bat in live batting practice.
Fortunately, he escaped unscathed as he looks to stick with the Mets after joining the organization last week.
Caught my eye
Brett Baty is dealing with right hamstring discomfort, but he’s been able to get in some work at first base as he looks to gain more versatility.
He’s looked fairly comfortable there in early drills.
Saturday’s schedule
It’s the Mets’ Grapefruit League opener against Miami at Clover Park at 1:10 p.m.
Lefty Brandon Waddell is set to get the start for the Mets, with at least several regulars expected to be in the lineup.
SARASOTA, Fla. — In case there was any doubt left that Pete Alonso has moved on from the Mets and embraced his new home, he was in the middle of an interview — after staying in his spring debut with the Orioles an extra inning so he could crush a home run — when he stopped in his tracks.
John Denver’s “Thank God I’m a Country Boy,” the song played during the seventh-inning stretch of every game at Camden Yards, came on the speakers at Ed Smith Stadium.
“I really love this song,” a grinning Alonso said. “This is going to be really fun this year.”
Pete Alonso rounds the bases after homering for the Orioles’ 2-0 spring training win over the Yankees on Feb. 21, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
No, the slugging first baseman is not in Queens anymore.
Alonso is still wearing orange (a slightly different shade) and beating up on the Yankees (albeit this time in a game that did not count), but he looked right at home in an Orioles uniform as he delighted his new fans by doing what he does best: crushing baseballs.
“I feel honored to wear it,” Alonso said during the Orioles’ 2-0 win over the Yankees. “I feel great in it. I feel like I look good in it. It’s fantastic, I honestly couldn’t feel any better.”
Most of the Orioles regulars exited the Grapefruit League opener after the fifth inning, but Alonso wanted to stay in one more frame so he could take another at-bat. He had been robbed of extra bases in his second at-bat, on a diving grab by center fielder Kenedy Corona, but made the third one worth it.
He saw a curveball over the plate from non-roster right-hander Bradley Hanner and clobbered it 107.2 mph over the left-field fence.
It offered a reminder of the challenge the Yankees will be facing twice as often this season than when Alonso was with the Mets, though he still did plenty of damage then — clubbing 11 home runs in 32 career games in the Subway Series.
First baseman Pete Alonso flies out to center field during the third inning of the Orioles’ spring training win over the Yankees on Feb. 21, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“I feel like he’s done some damage against us — he’s hurt us,” manager Aaron Boone said before the game. “He’s gotten some big hits against us, some big homers against us. So hopefully we can do a better job of slowing him down a little bit. But he’s a huge presence in a lineup, and a guy that’s been incredibly durable, too. He’s a guy that goes to the post all the time. To have that 40-homer guy in the middle, night in and night out, lengthens their lineup.
“And it’s a lineup over there that has a chance to be really good.”
The Orioles-Yankees rivalry is a little different than Mets-Yankees, but Alonso said he was looking forward to it.
“It’s always fun because Yankee Stadium, it’s a really great place to play, fun place to hit,” he said. “Obviously they have really good teams. When you play against good teams, it makes for good competition.
“For me, I’m looking forward to this next chapter. It’s going to be really exciting going to war with this team that we got here. I’m really excited.”
TAMPA, FL - FEBRUARY 12: Gerrit Cole #45 of the New York Yankees works out during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field on February 12, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: Yankees ace Gerrit Cole crossed off another milestone in his recovery from Tommy John surgery in the spring of 2025. For the first time since going under the knife, the 35-year-old righty faced hitters, and it went as well as one could have expected. The 2023 AL Cy Young threw an inning and about 20 pitches, facing hitters such as Trent Grisham, Aaron Judge, and Jasson Dominguez. He struck out the center fielder, induced Judge to hit a grounder to second, and allowed hard contact to the Martian to round out the day.
Cole’s fastball sat in the 95-96 mph range, awfully encouraging at this time of the year. He won’t be ready for the start of the season, but should be back once he is fully stretched out, probably around late April.
Brendan Kuty on X: Everybody in attendance was impressed with Cole’s live batting practice session, his first after blowing up his elbow last spring. One of them, of course, was Yankees captain Aaron Judge.
“It looked like the old 45 that I’ve seen for years,” Judge said about his teammate. With his fastball sitting in the mid-90s and touching 96 mph, it’s a matter of making sure Cole’s command is on point and his breaking stuff rebounds all the way back after surgery, plus stretching out to a full starter’s workload. That could take a few weeks, but things are trending in the right direction. Can Cole and Judge lead the Yankees to the promised land?
MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: The Yankees had their spring training debut on Friday afternoon at Ed Smith Stadium, losing 2-0 to the Baltimore Orioles. A Pete Alonso two-run shot versus Bradley Hanner was the difference between the two teams. Prospect Elmer Rodríguez stole the show for the Yankees, touching 97 mph on the radar gun and tossing three scoreless frames. He conceded just three hits and no walks, striking out one. He looked in control for most of the afternoon, and his stuff was crisp.
“It felt good,” Rodríguez told Hoch. “That first inning, my adrenaline was high in the moment, but I was able to use it and channel it, and use it to my advantage.”
Jazz Chisholm Jr., Amed Rosario, Austin Wells, and José Caballero played on Friday, and Jake Bird contributed a scoreless frame in relief. Carson Coleman struck out the side in the seventh.
Tonight, the Houston Rockets head to world’s most famous (indoor) arena to take on the New York Knicks in a primetime game on national television.
Houston is coming off a close and hard-fought win over the upstart Charlotte Hornets. New York, meanwhile, is coming off a loss against the upstart Detroit Pistons, the same team that the Knicks dispatched in the first round of last year’s playoffs. Clearly, that game meant a lot to the Pistons and maybe not as much to the Knicks.
So therefore, the Knicks saw one Thompson twin two nights ago and will get to the see the other one tonight. Last season in this building, the Rockets played a whale of a game but were chased down late by Jalen Brunson, he of the “I never miss in the clutch” fame.
Houston, of course, has their own version of that in Kevin Durant. KD, who may or may not go by other names, scored Houston’s last ten points in Charlotte to put the game away. If the game comes down to the wire, it’s going to be awfully exciting for neutral observers. And in case you haven’t noticed, the Rockets don’t win many blowouts. Either the game will be close and a coin flip, or the Knicks will run Houston out of the gym. There is no in-between for this version of the Rockets.
The past few days at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry, Pa. have been busy for the Pittsburgh Penguins, even without four of their regular players.
Starting Tuesday, the Penguins' roster - minus Sidney Crosby, Erik Karlsson, Rickard Rakell, and Arturs Silovs - returned to practice, and they've practiced for four consecutive days. In the last few, however, word spread quickly that Crosby was injured during Canada's quarterfinal matchup against Czechia on Wednesday, and that lower-body injury held him out of Canada's semifinal game against Finland on Friday.
The past few days at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry, Pa. have been busy for the Pittsburgh Penguins, even without four of their regular players.
Starting Tuesday, the Penguins' roster - minus Sidney Crosby, Erik Karlsson, Rickard Rakell, and Arturs Silovs - returned to practice, and they've practiced for four consecutive days. In the last few, however, word spread quickly that Crosby was injured during Canada's quarterfinal matchup against Czechia on Wednesday, and that lower-body injury held him out of Canada's semifinal game against Finland on Friday.
Obviously, losing Crosby is just about the worst blow that could happen to the Penguins. The severity of Crosby's injury is not known, and it is unclear at this point if he figures to miss any sustantial amount of time.
But, should that be the case, the Penguins are confident enough that their "next man up" mentality will still be able to help them string together some wins - as has been the case all season long.
"We've kind of had it all year, in a sense, where we've had a lot of injuries," defenseman Ryan Graves said. "Geno missed a little bit of time, Tanger's missed time, Karl's missed time, Rusty’s missed a little bit of time. That’s, kind of, been our M.O. a little bit.
It happens to most teams. Injuries happen, so it is what it is. But, I mean, we always hope for the best. I hope he can play there, but obviously, hope for him to be healthy as well. But, it is what it is. We’ll make the most of it.”
Even if, in the grand scheme of things, players didn't get all that much actual time off, this consecutive string of practices - the Penguins practiced Feb. 17-20, will practice Feb. 22-23 and again on Feb. 25 ahead of return-to-play - is something they believe will benefit them.
After all, it's not often that they get a training camp-llike schedule of practice time to work on some of the details that they don't otherwise always have time for.
“Even before the break, we weren’t having a lot of practices. Our practices were morning skates,” Shea said. “And everyone knows those skates. They’re a quick 20 minutes, and then, you’re off. Having all these practices is nice and it’s gonna be much-needed because I think it’s, like, 17 games in March? I mean, with that type of schedule, and you’re not going to be able to practice much in March, and you’re not going to be able to work on whether it’s structure for a team or individual skills.
“So, you get seven or eight practices before we play our next game, and I think they’re huge.”
Head coach Dan Muse stressed that it's not exactly like a training camp, but it's an opportunity for them to work on details until their other four players are back from Milan.
"It is unique in that it’s almost like a tune-up in-season where you can take some different things that we want to focus in on,” Muse said. “Some of them are areas that we like about our game and that we just want to make sure we’re coming out of the break and we’re sharp, and other areas, too, between these last couple days and the four practices that will be coming up after the day off, some areas within the game that we want to just fine-tune a little bit.
“I don’t think this time of year that you want to make massive changes, but you can maybe make some little tweaks on some areas that you want to focus in on within our team game.”
Of course, Crosby's status is still unclear. But, if they do need to call on someone, forward Avery Hayes seems like the obvious choice right now, even if he's not a center.
In addition to scoring two goals in his NHL debut against the Buffalo Sabres on Feb. 5, Hayes has 10 goals and 12 points in his last 10 AHL games. He is on an absolute heater, and that hasn't gone unnoticed by Muse and his staff.
And Muse will keep his options open.
"I think we're always having conversations. I'm having conversations with management, I'm having conversations with [WBS head coach Kirk MacDonald] in Wilkes and getting updates," Muse said. "I think he's done a very good job this year, too, of just... One, he positioned himself when that opportunity was there, or a potential opportunity in that Buffalo game, just based on the work that he has done this year - especially as of late - for him to kind of earn that opportunity.
"And then, he's another guy who took full advantage of it, and you saw the impact he made in that game. Then, there's obviously been follow-up there from him in terms of his play. So, that's great by him, and that stuff doesn't go unnoticed."
I spoke to Shea about Ben Kindel tagging along last-minute with he, Kevin Hayes, Connor Dewar, and a few other guys on their trip to Anguilla, and Shea was thrilled that the rookie was able to come along on the trip.
He mentioned that it was initially Hayes's idea, but that they were delighted to invite him to a place that he, likely, had never been before. And - evidently - Kindel was excited about the opportunity to hang out with his teammates and have some fun in the Caribbean over the break.
"It's actually hilarious because, when we asked him, he immediately said 'yes,'" Shea said.
LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 12: Marvin Bagley III #35 of the Dallas Mavericks shoots a free throw during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on February 12, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Dallas Mavericks took on the Minnesota Timberwolves Friday night in their first game since the All-Star break on Friday. Losers of nine-straight coming into the night, Dallas dropped their tenth in a row, 122-111.
Let’s get to the grades!
Tyus Jones: B+
13 PTS / 1 REB / 6 AST / 0 STL / 0 BLK – 26 MIN
Jones had his best game in his as-yet short time in Dallas. He combined with Brandon Williams to give the Mavs excellent production from the point guard position, which is something that hasn’t often been said about Dallas this season. If he can play with this type of efficiency and poise, it will certainly help Dallas in a position of need.
Naji Marshall: B-
15 PTS / 5 REB / 3 AST / 3 STL / 0 BLK – 33 MIN
Marshall struggled with his shot most of the night, finishing 5-for-16, detracting from his grade. He did a bit of everything and had some nice moments, but you can’t help but think that one of his hot shooting nights could have made a big difference in the outcome.
Khris Middleton: B+
18 PTS / 7 REB / 2 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK – 30 MIN
Middleton was the steadying force offensively when the Mavs were down big in the first half. He didn’t blow the doors off, but very much kept Dallas connected when things could have really gone south. He continued his steady play throughout the game.
P.J. Washington: C
12 PTS / 12 REB / 2 AST / 2 STL / 0 BLK – 36 MIN
Washington had solid numbers but his actual game left a bit to be desired. He was roasted on defense on more than one occasion, missed a pair of free throws that could have tied the game in the third quarter, and had a few strange sequences where he rebounded his own miss only to miss again.
Daniel Gafford: C-
8 PTS / 5 REB / 2 AST / 2 STL / 3 BLK – 24 MIN
Gafford was similar to Washington in that his stat line was fine, but the actual game saw him getting outplayed by both Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert and his own teammate Marvin Bagley who was backing him up in a bench role.
Brandon Williams: B+
13 PTS / 1 REB / 4 AST / 0 STL / 0 BLK – 18 MIN
Williams paired with Jones for a nice showing from the point guard position. Like Jones, Williams’ damage wasn’t boisterous, but it was efficient and productive. Nice game penetrating and scoring while also getting his teammates involved.
Klay Thompson: C
11 PTS / 0 REB / 2 AST / 0 STL / 0 BLK – 28 MIN
With under two minutes remaining in the third quarter, Thompson was 0-for-5 from the floor and his only measurable stat was a single personal foul. He hit a three-pointer before the quarter ended and had a positive fourth quarter, but this one is easy enough to move on from.
Marvin Bagley: A+
15 PTS / 13 REB / 0 AST / 0 STL / 1 BLK – 24 MIN
Bagley continues to bring it every night and is endearing himself each time out. Watching him away from the play on Friday night showed how much he battles and how well he positions himself to have an impact both tangibly and intangibly. Bagley as part of a more complete and healthy team has a lot of appeal at this early juncture of his Mavs’ tenure. Fantastic game, especially off the bench in limited minutes.
Final Thoughts
Dallas was outclassed in almost every facet of the game for much of the first half, but again would just not go away. Some of that was due to Minnesota falling off, but credit to Dallas for not letting this turn into the 30-point blowout it easily could have been by halftime.
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