SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO - MARCH 09: Willi Castro #3 of Team Puerto Rico fields a ball during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool A game presented by Capital One between Team Cuba and Team Puerto Rico at Hiram Bithorn Stadium on Monday, March 9, 2026 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
On Monday, we asked which Rockie you thought was having the best WBC and who you were rooting for to win. Last night, we asked who you think will win the whole thing. Today, I present you the results from Monday’s poll:
The majority of fans believe that INF Willi Castro. Castro has gone 3-f0r-10 with a double and two RBI in four games for Team Puerto Rico. He has also drawn four walks and struck out twice with a stolen base.
Ezequiel Tovar went 3-for-5 with a double and a run scored in three games for Team Venezuela. He drew one walk, struck out twice, and stole a base. Juan Mejia has allowed just one hit in two scoreless innings for Team Dominican Republic.
Beyond individual players, Purple Rowers are overwhelmingly rooting for Team USA.
Unfortunately, Team Venezuela and Team Mexico have been eliminated, but we can still root for the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico!
What are your thoughts on these results? Do you agree? Have your answers changed since Monday? Let us know in the comments!
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DALLAS, TX - MARCH 13: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives to the basket during the game against the Dallas Mavericks on March 13, 2026 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
After a national game letdown, the Cleveland Cavaliers flexed their muscles from start to finish and beat down the Dallas Mavericks 138 to 105. Evan Mobley led the way with 29 points on a very efficient 12-15 shooting, while Donovan Mitchell and James Harden added 24 and 17 points, respectively. The Cavs led by 17 points at halftime, scored 41 points in the third, and led by as many as 35.
This is the type of game that the Cavs should be having against poor teams like the Mavericks. While Cooper Flagg is certainly an exciting player (he finished with 25 points, including 19 in the second half), he is not enough against what should be a championship contender like the Cavs. Dallas has the third-worst offensive rating in the league, are an equally bad three-point shooting team, and to add insult to injury, they inbounded the ball on the wrong side of the court in the third quarter. The better team did what they were supposed to do.
The Cavs set the tone with quality defense in the first half, with seven different players recording a steal and forcing 11 Dallas turnovers in total.
After a disappointing game from Mobley in Orlando, he righted the ship tonight against a Dallas team that really started Marvin Bagley III at center. The Cavs kept feeding him down low, and Mobley delivered with a monster game. Those 29 points tied his season-high, though the free-throw shooting still leaves something to be desired (3-7). As has been the case all season and last season, it comes down to consistency with Mobley in terms of energy on the offensive side of the ball. It is one thing to dominate bad teams, but it’s a new ball game against the best of the best in the league.
In a high-octane third quarter, where the Cavs had a scorching stretch of eight-straight made field goals, Harden showed off his slick handle and shot-making ability. That included draining a long three over Flagg and erasing Naji Marshall with a nasty crossover and comfortably hit the floater.
Since coming to Cleveland, Harden has been as advertised, and that was on full display against the Mavs.
Keon Ellis started in place of the injured Sam Merrill, and he produced in his absence. Ellis had 13 points and three rebounds on 5-9 shooting, but it’s the energy that is what makes him so important. Even up 25 points in the third quarter, Ellis was the first player down the floor to defend after he made a three, sprinting after his man. There is endless hustle in Ellis.
The Cavs were able to pull their starters and meaningful bench with just under seven minutes left in the fourth quarter, an indication of their dominance all night. Nothing quite like a good old-fashioned beatdown to brighten the spirits. Cleveland will face Dallas once again on Sunday afternoon at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. Tip-off is at 3:30 p.m EST.
DALLAS, TEXAS - MARCH 13: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks is defended by James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first half at American Airlines Center on March 13, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the GettyImages License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dallas Mavericks (22-45) got brushed aside on Friday by the Cleveland Cavaliers (41-26) at American Airlines Center in a 138-105 loss. Evan Mobley scored a game-high 29 points against a Mavericks front line consisting primarily of Marvin Bagley III and Dwight Powell. Cooper Flagg bounced back from a tough stretch of games after returning from his recent foot sprain for a team-high 25 points and five assists in the loss.
The Mavericks’ 12-8 start quickly turned into an 18-12 deficit with the first of two 10-0 Cavaliers runs in the first quarter. Mobley abused the depleted Dallas frontcourt on his way to 16 first-quarter points on 7-of-9 shooting. Craig Porter Jr.‘s runout layup in transition forced Mavs head coach Jason Kidd into his second run-stopping timeout of the quarter with 2:41 left.
Cleveland shot 6-of-10 from 3-point range in the first and 60% from the floor in the first, essentially eliminating the Mavericks’ chances for an upset with a 38-21 lead after one.
Flagg, who has struggled since his return from a foot injury five games ago, keyed a 12-0 Mavericks run early in the second quarter to cut Cleveland’s lead to seven, down 40-33 after Ryan Nembhard’s 3-pointer on Flagg’s fourth assist of the game with 9:21 left in the half. But back-to-back sensational finishes at the rim by Donovan Mitchell pushed the Cavs’ lead back into double digits in response to the run.
Mitchell sliced and diced the Dallas defense in the second on the way to 10 points in the quarter. The Cavs found wide open driving lanes against a porous Mavericks interior defense whenever they wanted. On the other end, Flagg made some plays distributing the ball off drives but had a hard time once again finding the bottom of the net to start the game. He came in shooting just 35.1% from the floor in the five games since his return and managed just 2-of-8 in the first half against Cleveland.
The Cavaliers led 67-50 at the half, fed in part by 11 Dallas turnovers.
Flagg started the second half with seven quick points, including a massive tomahawk slam and his first 3-pointer of the game on back-to-back possessions four and a half minutes into the third. He didn’t elevate quite as high as he has on some of his other spectacular slams throughout his rookie year, which may point to the lingering effects of his foot injury still being worked all the way out, but he’s still a sight to see when he gets going downhill.
Flagg scored all 13 of his third-quarter points in the first seven minutes of the frame, but the damage was done in the first half. The Cavs led 108-83 going into the fourth and coasted to the 138-105 win. Flagg scored 19 of his 25 points in the second half, while Mitchell finished with 24 points on 11-of-16 shooting for Cleveland.
Breaking down the rookie wall
Flagg hasn’t been quite the same since his return from the foot injury that kept him out eight games in February. To his credit, he still makes the right play nine times out of 10 and still affects the game on the defensive end, but his offensive production has taken a hit since about the 45-game mark. There are times during recent games that remind nightly viewers of his first 10 games, when he had wide eyes and hesitated on offense. One came late in Thursday’s second quarter, when he had James Harden defending him in a one-on-one situation and passed out of it to Nembhard with six seconds left on the shot clock. You’d love to see Flagg take on the challenge there, especially with a smaller defender in front of him.
It seems an opportune time to remind oneself that the guy is 19 years old and that, in the grand scheme of things, the Rookie of the Year Award doesn’t mean anything for his development. Plenty of big-time players have hit the proverbial rookie wall. Flagg played in 37 games last year in his only season at Duke. The Mavericks played their 37th game of this season back on Jan. 6.
It also seems an opportune time to remind oneself of the moment surrounding Flagg as well. The lineups he’s playing with are held together by duct tape and bubble gum. He’s playing a lot of point guard by default because the Mavericks guards are, well, awful. He’s on a team that, frankly, doesn’t care about winning. These are not ideal circumstances to grow the young man’s game. They are slightly better for growing the young man’s character, which is one valuable attribute he carried into the league with him even at such a young age.
Don’t worry about Flagg all that much if you didn’t like what you were seeing until his high-flying act in Friday’s third quarter. Charlotte’s Kon Kneuppel can have his trophy, if indeed that is the way it shakes down. He’s had an amazing year. Flagg’s day in the sun is coming.
Three’s a crowd
Let’s not kid ourselves. The Mavericks never had a chance in this one. Cleveland has too many weapons, and without a couple of the bigger bodies in the lineup (P.J. Washington, ankle; Daniel Gafford, rest), Mobley’s big night was all but inevitable.
The Cavaliers didn’t need to put it on the Mavs behind the 3-point line under these circumstances, but they did anyway, shooting 18-of-38 (47.4%) from beyond the arc in the win. Dallas made just 9-of-32 (28.1%) on the other end.
Harden shot 3-of-7 from deep, Dennis Schroeder and Jaylon Tyson combined to make 4-of-7 off the bench, and even Mobley shot 2-of-4 for the Cavaliers. Keon Ellis went 3-for-5 as well. Cleveland made a combined 12-of-19 from 3-point land in the first and third quarters in the brutal thrashing of the Mavs.
NEW YORK (AP) — Adrian Kempe scored his team-leading 26th goal of the season and the Los Angeles Kings held off the New York Islanders 3-2 on Friday night.
Trevor Moore and Anze Kopitar also scored for the Kings and Darcy Kuemper stopped 21 of the 23 shots he faced.
Emil Heineman scored twice for the Islanders, and Ilya Sorokin made 24 saves. Bo Horvat added two assists.
Kempe scored on a wrist shot with 1:32 remaining in the first period to put the Kings up 3-0. Kempe now has five goals and four assists in his last six games.
After the game, the Islanders stayed on the ice and shook hands with Kings captain Kopitar, who is playing in his 20th and final season in the NHL.
NEW YORK (AP) — Adrian Kempe scored his team-leading 26th goal of the season and the Los Angeles Kings held off the New York Islanders 3-2 on Friday night.
Trevor Moore and Anze Kopitar also scored for the Kings and Darcy Kuemper stopped 21 of the 23 shots he faced.
Emil Heineman scored twice for the Islanders, and Ilya Sorokin made 24 saves. Bo Horvat added two assists.
Kempe scored on a wrist shot with 1:32 remaining in the first period to put the Kings up 3-0. Kempe now has five goals and four assists in his last six games.
After the game, the Islanders stayed on the ice and shook hands with Kings captain Kopitar, who is playing in his 20th and final season in the NHL.
However, the Big 12 Player of the Year delivered one of the biggest shots thus far of March (and of his career) Friday night in an all-time thriller for No. 1 Arizona against No. 7 Iowa State in the Big 12 semifinals. With the ball in his hands in a tied game at 80-80 and time expiring, Bradly drove right, faded, shot, and found the bottom of the net for the buzzer-beating winner to send the Wildcats to Saturday's conference tournament championship game.
Bradley's shot at the T-Mobile Center came seconds after Tamin Lipsey hit a game-tying 3-pointer in front of the Cyclones bench to allow for the possibility of playing overtime in Kansas City on Friday.
"JB's one of a kind. He's put in the work like I've seen everyone else do on the team. We have the ultimate confidence in him. He won Big 12 Player of the Year for a reason," Bradley's teammate, Anthony Dell'Orso, told ESPN's Rece Davis, Jay Williams and Seth Greenberg after the game.
The Wildcats had to come from behind to win Friday's semifinal, as they trailed the Cyclones 43-37 after the first half. Arizona, which trailed as many as 12 points in the first half, finished the game on a 26-20 run against Iowa State to keep its chances of being a 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament alive.
Bradley finished with 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field with seven assists, two steals, two rebounds and a block.
Arizona will face the winner of Houston vs. Kansas in March 14's championship game at 6 p.m. ET.
DENVER, CO - MARCH 5: Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets passes the ball during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on March 5, 2026 at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. 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 Morgan Engel/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Lakers (41-25) have a crucial game to win against the Denver Nuggets (41-26) on Saturday. This is the last time these two teams meet in the regular season, they are currently even in their season series at 1-1.
Just when it felt like the Lakers were falling apart two weeks ago, they’ve completely turned it around once again and are now sitting in third place in the Western Conference standings.
Granted, that can change in an instant, but the fact that they’re a top seed in the West means they’re doing things right. Now, the goal is to remain in that spot.
That will be possible if the purple and gold take care of business against the visiting Nuggets on Saturday.
The same Nuggets team that they’ve had two close games with this season. This time, Aaron Gordon is back, which means Denver will be at their healthiest this year against LA on Saturday.
It should make another exciting clash between two teams who are not only looking to claim the tiebreaker but also to overtake each other in the standings.
Here are three factors that could determine the winner of this heavyweight match.
Whose defense is worse?
Defense will matter a lot in this game because the Lakers and Nuggets have one thing in common: being below-average in that department. The Lakers are 20th in defensive rating and Denver is right behind them, at 21st.
Over the last two games, LA has been successful scoring in the paint against Denver. They’re +26 in points generated inside the paint across both games. The non-Nikola Jokic minutes specifically are when the Lakers should look to capitalize. They’ve also been successful in generating second-chance opportunities and transition points against the Nuggets this season. That should continue if the Lakers want to win on Saturday.
Which superstar will rise to the occasion?
Speaking of defense, it’s a given that the Lakers will have to do everything to contain Jokić. They also have to make sure that Jamal Murray doesn’t play extraordinarily well and now Gordon too.
The Lakers’ defense will have their hands full and will need to put a ton of pressure on the Nuggets as well. For that to happen, Luka Dončić will have to play very well, as well as Austin Reaves and LeBron James. Now is the perfect time for the supporting cast to make sure they don’t disappear too.
Both teams may have their flaws, but they employ All-Stars who can take over games. The question is, who will be the superstar in this one? Hopefully, it will be one that dons the purple and gold armor.
Who will be the X-factor?
In the Lakers’ first victory against the Nuggets this season, it was Marcus Smart who pitched in 15 points to help Dončić and James complete the comeback win. In their second game, when the Nuggets barely escaped the Lakers, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Christian Braun stood out. It’ll be interesting to see who comes up big for both teams on Saturday. The likeliest candidates to be the Lakers’ X-factor are: Rui Hachimura, Deandre Ayton or even Jaxson Hayes.
Let’s see if the Lakers can find a way to tip things in their favor and win the season series against the Nuggets for the first time in six years.
Notes and Updates
For the Lakers’ injury report, Maxi Kleber (lumbar back strain) is out, while Jaxson Hayes (back soreness) is probable.
As for the Nuggets, Peyton Watson (right hamstring strain) is out while Aaron Gordon (right hamstring) is probable.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - OCTOBER 5: Draymond Green #23 and Moses Moody #4 of the Golden State Warriors looks on during the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on October 5, 2025 at Chase Center in San Francisco, 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 Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
After two very disappointing losses on Monday and Tuesday, the Golden State Warriors are back in action tonight, hosting the Minnesota Timberwolves. It won’t be as disappointing if they lose this game, given how good the Wolves are, but … well … it sure would be nice if they won.
Unfortunately, they’re once again at a health disadvantage. Here’s the full injury report for both teams.
Warriors
Out — Steph Curry (right patellofemoral pain syndrome)
Another week, another Curry injury update that pushes his return further down the road. We’re not far from starting to question whether he’ll be back this season at all.
Out — Jimmy Butler III (right ACL surgery)
Well, I’m not exactly breaking any news here, am I?
Out — Moses Moody (right wrist sprain)
This is Moody’s fifth consecutive missed game. He does seem to be nearing a return, though. The Warriors begin a six-game road trip on Sunday, and the expectation is that Moody will return at some point during that trip.
Out — Draymond Green (left low back injury management)
Green is technically still listed as questionable on the official injury report, but the Warriors just announced he won’t play. That’s a big blow to the team.
Timberwolves
Out — Joan Beringer (on G League assignment)
That’s it. That’s the entirety of the injury report. Technically they list Anthony Edwards and Ayo Dosunmu as available (as the Warriors did with De’Anthony Melton and Quinten Post), but that’s not really an injury is it? The Dubs are limping, and facing a very healthy team. We’ll see how that works out for them.
Enjoy the game, Dub Nation. It kicks off at 7:00 p.m. PT on Prime Video.
MIAMI (AP) — Austin Wells hit a walk-off three-run homer in the seventh inning that ended the game under a tournament rout rule, and the Dominican Republic beat South Korea 10-0 Friday night to reach the World Baseball Classic semifinals.
Seeking its second title and first since 2013, the Dominicans play the United States or Canada in a semifinal on Sunday in Miami and will start Luis Severino. The Dominicans are 5-0 in the tournament, have outscored opponents 51-10 while batting .312 and with 14 homers tied the WBC record set by Mexico in 2009.
Fernando Tatis Jr. drove in two runs and has 11 RBIs in the tournament. He is tied for third in a single WBC, trailing only Masataka Yoshida’s 13 for Japan in 2023 and Wladimir Balentien’s 12 for the Netherlands in 2017.
Wells, who entered as a defensive replacement in the top of the seventh, reached down and drove a first-pitch cutter from Hyeong Jun So off the front of the second deck in right. Wells was born in Arizona to a mother is of Dominican descent.
He hit the Dominicans' second walk-off homer of the tournament after Juan Soto's drive that ended a 12-1 group stage win over the Netherlands.
Backed by three runs in the second inning and four in the third, winner Christopher Sánchez struck out eight in five innings of two-hit ball.
South Korea, which lost a semifinal in 2006 and the final in 2009, had been eliminated in the first round three straight times before reaching a quarterfinal this year. The South Koreans had two hits, batted .222 and finished with a 5.91 ERA.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. walked against loser Hyun Jin Ryu and scored the game's first run from first base with a head-first slide on Junior Caminero’s double into the left-field corner. Julio Rodríguez followed with an RBI groundout and Tatis had a run-scoring single.
Soto scored on Guerrero’s double in a four-run fourth, hooking an arm around catcher Dong Won Park with a head-first slide.
Mar 1, 2026; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; New York Mets pitcher Clay Holmes (35) pitches against the Houston Astros in the first inning at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
The split squads were in effect today, with the Mets hosting the Marlins at Clover Park and the team traveling to the CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches to take on the Nationals.
Home Game: Marlins 1, Mets 0
Kodai Senga looked excellent over three innings of work, striking out five and allowing no hits or walks. His velocity was hitting 98 and his ghost fork was diving, both wonderful signs for the oft-injured righty.
Devin Williams pitched a scoreless fourth inning, working himself out of trouble after striking out the first two batters he faced. Back to back singles put men on the corners, but he was able to induce a weak ground out to end the frame.
Bo Bichette came to bat thrice, striking out once and grounding into two double plays. Woof.
The sole run crossed the plate in the seventh, when Christopher Morel singled in Connor Norby. This would be the only run charged to Clay Holmes, who looked excellent in five innings of work, allowing two hits, no walks, and six strikeouts in his first post-WBC appearance.
Away Game: Mets 8, Nationals 3
The Mets jumped on the board in the top of the first when Ronny Mauricio doubled in Brett Baty, giving the Mets a 1-0 lead.
Carl Edwards Jr. started for the away Mets, and looked really good in his four innings of work, striking out four and allowing just one baserunner on a walk to Nasim Nuñez.
The Mets extended their lead by a run when Carson Benge drove in A.J. Ewing with the second run in the fifth.
Bryan Hudson entered the game in the bottom of the fifth, giving up a single to Dylan Crews, a walk to José Tena, and a double to Nuñez on the first three batters to face him, leading to a run. A sacrifice fly by Yohandy Morales tied the game.
Joe Jacques gave up a third run on a Crews sacrifice fly in the sixth inning.
The Mets retook the lead in the eighth when Nick Roselli cleared the bases on a three-run double, putting the Mets up 5-3.
A flurry of Met prospects that you probably haven’t heard of (Ronald Hernandez! Diego Mosquera! Nick Lorusso!) added on in the top of the ninth, putting the Mets up 8-3.
The Mets play away tomorrow against the Astros at 6:05pm.
NORTH PORT, Fla. — With less than two weeks left until it’s being used for real, Aaron Boone remains unimpressed with the automated ball-strike system (ABS).
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“I don’t like it,” the manager said before the Yankees’ 7-6 spring training loss to the Braves Friday at CoolToday Park. “I don’t want it. I think the umpires are trained really well now and graded really fairly. I’ve seen the [strike] zone get more consistent umpire-to-umpire.”
But his real issue is the impact it could have on the flow of the game.
“It’s a whole new component,” Boone said. “A guy strikes out a guy to end the sixth inning in a big spot and he’s going off the field and it’s overturned. Now he’s back in the fire. Hopefully that serves us well, but that’s now part of the game. Is that a great thing? I don’t know.”
Aaron Boone is pictured during the Yankees’ March 4 spring training game. Imagn Images
And it’s not about the concept of letting umpires make mistakes behind the plate, it’s the way in which the challenge system may impact calls in games.
“There’s a human element of ‘This team is out of challenges and [the umpire] got one wrong,’ ” Boone said.
Now that it’s here, though, Boone believes the Yankees will have success with the system.
“I continue to think it will be good for entertainment and I think there’s entertainment value to it,” the manager said. “I think we’re going to be good at it. I expect us to be good at it.”
Boone said the Yankees are “going to be prepared correctly for it. I think our guys, offensively speaking — kind of our identity [and] DNA — is controlling the strike zone. Hopefully that serves us well in this environment.”
And Boone added he’s not totally against it — and acknowledged he may come around at some point.
Aaron Boone takes Max Fried out of the Yankees’ spring training game on March 9. AP
“I might grow to like it,” Boone said. “I was skeptical about some of the rule changes a couple years ago. … [And] I’m not dead-set that I hate it. It’s fine. I don’t think I love it.”
He’d also rather they just go totally to an automated system instead of relying on a challenge system.
“I’m kind of one way or the other,” Boone said. “Then there’s no consternation. You want it or you don’t.”
Boone said with Ryan Weathers expected to be in the five-man rotation to open the regular season, veterans Paul Blackburn and Ryan Yarbrough likely would pitch out of the bullpen in the early going.
Paul Blackburn throws a pitch during the Yankees’ March 5 Grapefruit League game. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Boone also added the Yankees could go with a four-man rotation for the first few weeks, given extra built-in off days in March and April.
“Those are things we’ll work through over the next weeks,” Boone said.
A day after top prospect George Lombard Jr. was reassigned to minor league camp, Boone praised the young infielder who has stood out each of the last two springs.
“Obviously, we think very highly of him and he continues to confirm those notions,” Boone said. “The way he goes about it, he’s as professional as it gets: Great routine, his love of the game, how he works.”
Boone’s message to Lombard and Spencer Jones, in particular, was: “Be where your feet are. The bottom line is to keep getting better. Go play. … Some things are out of your control. Handle your end of business.”
Mar 1, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Landon Knack against the Los Angeles Angels during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The Dodgers take on the Mariners Friday night at Peoria Stadium. Landon Knack makes his fourth spring start for the Dodgers. Cade Anderson takes the ball for Seattle.
On a night established to celebrate fathers and daughters, it was only fitting that two Lakers stars stole the show.
A sellout crowd of nearly 19,000 fans all received hats as the Lakers hosted their third annual “Girl Dad Night,” a celebration of girls in sports and the fathers who champion them.
A black baseball cap with white stitching on the brim, featuring a white “L” logo and “GIRL DAD NIGHT” in yellow and white text, on a black surface.Luka Dončić coloring with daughter.LeBron James holding hands with his daughter Zhuri, both looking forward.
Luka Doncic, father to 2-year-old Gabriela and newborn Olivia, produced the finest scoring performance of his young Lakers tenure, exploding for 51 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists in the Lakers’ 142-130 victory over the Bulls.
LeBron James, who returned to the lineup after missing the last three games, quietly stitched together another vintage all-around performance — 18 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, two steals and a block. A little over a week after bringing his daughter, Zhuri, with him on the road to San Francisco, James spent Thursday reflecting on fatherhood and the responsibility that comes with raising a daughter in a world constantly watching.
“The way I treat her mother. The love that I have inside the family. The accountability,” James said when asked what the most important lesson he taught his daughter is. “One of the best compliments Savannah and I get is when people say our kids are well-mannered and great kids. That’s the greatest compliment we can get.”
James smiled when asked about the title that filled the arena.
“I love girl dads. It’s pretty cool, and I’m happy to be one,” he said, admitting his daughter “definitely softened me up a lot.”
LeBron James on returning to the lineup, playing alongside Luka and AR, why it took for him to be ready for this game, and being a girl dad in the Lakers 142-130 victory over the Bulls tonight. pic.twitter.com/ebVb6Sq6JK
Kobe Bryant smiling and making a peace sign, sitting between his two daughters who are also smiling, in a stadium audience.
The Lakers launched Girl Dad Night in March 2024 during Women’s History Month as a tribute to Kobe Bryant and former owner Jerry Buss, two of the most famous girl dads in franchise history. Bryant’s love for his daughters — and especially for Gianna’s basketball dreams — helped reshape how sports culture celebrates girls and the fathers who lift them up.
Thursday’s game felt like an extension of that legacy.
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Fathers and daughters were spotlighted throughout the night. In-game host Ray A. Castillo shared the spotlight with his daughters, Alexis and Hayley. The national anthem was performed by father-daughter duo Matt and Savanna, and the Laker Girls even danced at halftime alongside their dads.
Two men and two Laker Girls stand on a basketball court.
Weeks earlier, the Lakers welcomed father-daughter pairs from local nonprofit organizations to their training facility for a basketball clinic and empowerment workshop — surprising them with tickets to Thursday’s game.
Below are many of the photos of the Lakers girl dads.
Ducks captain Radko Gudas has been suspended for five games for his knee-to-knee hit on Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews during the second period of Thursday’s game. Gudas was assessed a five-minute major penalty for kneeing and given a game misconduct. Matthews left the game and did not return.
On Friday, the Leafs announced that Matthews sustained a Grade 3 MCL tear and quad contusion. Though he will be re-evaluated in two weeks, he will miss the rest of the 2025-26 season.
Mar 12, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas (7) leaves the ice after being ejected from the game for a hit on Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews (not pictured) during the second period at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
This hit comes just weeks after Gudas’ hit on Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby during the 2026 Winter Olympics, which resulted in a Grade 2 MCL sprain for Crosby. While Gudas’ hit on Crosby was fair and legal, his hit on Matthews was anything but.
This is the fifth time that Gudas has been suspended by the NHL and his first time since 2019, when he was suspended two games for high sticking the Tampa Bay Lightning's Nikita Kucherov.
Gudas has had two longer suspensions in his NHL career. He was suspended 10 games in 2017 for slashing the Winnipeg Jets’ Mathieu Perreault across the neck and suspended six games in 2016 for a late, high hit on the Boston Bruins’ Austin Czarnik.
Mar 12, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas (7) gets set for a face off against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the first period at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
A phone hearing between Gudas and the NHL Department Player of Safety was held on Friday. Phone hearings carry a maximum suspension of five games, whereas an in-person hearing would have allowed for a longer suspension.
Trade deadline acquisition John Carlson has been targeting Saturday versus the Ottawa Senators or Sunday versus the Montréal Canadiens for his Ducks debut. With Gudas out, Drew Helleson will likely remain in the lineup and Ian Moore, who lined up as a winger in Thursday’s game, will also likely return to the blue line for this weekend’s pair of games.
