There have been plenty of whispers about members of the Mets' 2025 clubhouse not all pulling in the same direction, and one of the rumors that circulated involved an alleged rift between Francisco Lindor and Brandon Nimmo, now a member of the Texas Rangers.
“Nimmo and I are brothers. I love him. I love him," Lindor told the Post. "He’s a great guy. He’s missed around here — good teammate, good person, good family man.”
"We had a professional clubhouse," he said. "When you're winning, everything is fun. Then you go through stretches where it's hard, and you're not winning as many games. And I take responsibility for it, because it became, like, a corporate clubhouse, you know, where guys respected each other, but I don't think we celebrated each other enough."
Nimmo, of course, was traded to the Rangers this offseason in the deal that brought Marcus Semien to the Mets. Nimmo is hitting .360 with a home run and five RBI to begin his career in Texas.
Los Angeles, CA - March 31: Lakers guard Luka Doncic, #77 smiles as he dunks the ball on a fast break against the Cavaliers during the second half at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Things couldn’t have gone better for the Lakers this week.
Not only did they win, but they did so with pizzazz. LeBron James had multiple jaw-dropping dunks, Luka Dončić scored more baskets in the month than any Laker ever, and the Lakers find themselves already at the 50-win mark with six games left to play.
Even the South Bay Lakers are playing well, having just beaten the San Diego Clippers in the first roundof the G-League playoffs.
The good times are here, and if they can keep it up and have a good 10 days, they can lock up the third seed in the Western Conference.
5 things I liked and didn’t like
1. Luka Dončić is MVP
The list of players performing better than Luka right now is zero. He scored 600 points in March, the second most ever by any NBA player. LA went 15-2 in the month and he punctuated it by dropping 42 points on the Cavaliers, the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Dončić is an offensive savant with the ability to do anything he wants, regardless of the opponent. He is competing with himself, and his only problem is figuring out which spots on the floor he wants to get his buckets.
.@JLin7 joins NBA Today, and walks us through why Luka Doncic continues to be unstoppable in isolation 🤝 pic.twitter.com/veJm6GJx7i
Not only is Luka the NBA’s leading scorer, but he is also averaging 8.3 assists per game, fourth-most in the league. Defensively, Luka is one of the best at stealing the ball, averaging 1.7 per game, which is 13th in the NBA.
Elevating his game has the Lakers cemented as the No. 3 seed, and he should be in the MVP conversation if not the frontrunner. His coach JJ Redick knows it, Rui Hachimura knows it and soon we’ll see if the NBA voters do as well.
2. Lakers part of the Big 3 in the West
While the Western Conference race remains tight, a hierarchy has been established. The Thunder are No. 1, the Spurs are No.2 and the Lakers are No. 3.
LA is no longer bunched up with the fourth, fifth and sixth seeds. They’ve established they are the best of the bunch.
They have the better record than the Nuggets, Rockets and Wolves, and went 4-0 against them in the month of March. The Lakers continue to outperform these teams, having won nine of their last 10 games to start separating themselves from that pack.
By every metric, the Lakers have the edge over every team in the West except the Thunder and Spurs. And with two games set this week against OKC, LA can potentially make the claim that they are a problem for the best team in the NBA.
For now, though, it’s clear they are the third best. Anyone saying otherwise has an agenda.
3. Beating who is in front of you
This week, the Lakers played the Nets and the Wizards, two unserious teams. It wasn’t pretty basketball from the Lakers, but they got the wins they needed. Throughout this year, the Lakers made sure to beat the league’s bad teams.
They are 27-3 against teams below .500. The only team that has a better record against losing teams is the Thunder. Thanks to the Lakers winning the games they were supposed to, they were able to rack up victories while they got healthy and figured out the best lineups and who their rotation players were.
4. Rob Pelinka was right
All season long, Lakers haters and fans alike have complained about how poorly constructed the team was.
According to them,they didn’t have enough to be elite in the NBA. People used their 4-11 record against teams with a .600 or better winning record as evidence. They also pointed to LA’s poor net rating numbers and the struggles of the big three.
Now, all of that has flipped.
The Lakers have recently beaten the Knicks, Cavs, Rockets, Wolves and Nuggets, all teams above .600. This week, they had a net rating of +8.2 and the Luka, LeBron and Austin Reaves trio had a plus-minus of +28, making them the second-best three-man lineup for LA.
So, at what point does Lakers President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka get credit?
In the summer, he got Luka to sign an extension and acquired the Lakers’ starting center via the buyout market. At the trade deadline, he got the Lakers some shooting by turning Gabe Vincent into Luke Kennard, and now they are about to enter the offseason with a ton of cap space, draft picks they can trade for a blockbuster deal and they are still competing for a title this season.
He never gets credit for anything he does. When things go well, there is always an excuse for why it was inevitable. And when transactions don’t work, or deals never happen, it’s an example of his glaring flaws as the head of the front office.
Pelinka has done a great job. The praise needs to be as loud as the disrespect, and right now I’m not hearing a peep.
5. Statement wins
LA has had a handful of statement wins in March, but their most recent one was very impressive. On the second night of a back-to-back, they took on the Cavs and beat them handily 127-113. They took over during the second quarter and never looked back.
It was a complete performance with Luka dominating offensively, and the defense holding Donovan Mitchell to just 10 points.It was encouraging to see the Lakers pass every test they faced in March. And if they do the same in April, they’ll be playing games in May.
Stat of the Week
The Lakers got to the 50-win mark this season, making Redick the fourth Lakers head coach to accomplish this feat. The last one to do so? Phil Jackson in 2011.
JJ Redick is now the 16th head coach in NBA history to win at least 50 games in each of his first two seasons, and the fourth for the Lakers (Pat Riley, Paul Westhead and Butch van Breda Kolff). He’s also the first with B2B 50-win seasons for LA since Phil Jackson.
The fact that Redick has accomplished this in his first two seasons in charge is impressive. He has silenced his critics and his coaching has elevated the team.
Play of the Week
LeBron remains one of the most electrifying players in basketball. His dunk against the Cavs was one of the highlights of the season. It started with Deandre Ayton deflecting a pass from James Harden. LeBron recovered the ball and tried to pass to Reaves, but Harden deflected it.
Thankfully, Jake LaRavia regained possession and since Reaves never changed directions, he remained in front of the play. Reaves received the ball and had a two-on-one advantage over the trailing Mitchell, who made a business decision and decided not to get put on a poster.
He is just performing at a ridiculous level. He averaged a gaudy 41.5 points per game along with 7.5 assists and 6.5 rebounds over the last week. Hehad a plus-minus of +40 for the week. It’s hard to make a case that anyone is playing better than him in the NBA, much less on this Lakers roster.
With tanking becoming a topic of conversation, Tom Haberstroh wrote for Yahoo! Sports about how it’s splitting the NBA in half, with one side incentivized to win and the other incentivized to lose.
The B-League vs. The A-League
The chasm between leagues is obvious once you track the results. The only teams the Wizards have beaten since the All-Star break are the Indiana Pacers (twice) and the Utah Jazz — two members of the B-League, which means that for almost two months straight Washington has yet to beat a team that is not actively trying to lose.
For the Wizards, Friday’s loss to the Warriors, Sunday’s defeat at the hands of the Portland Trail Blazers and Monday’s blowout loss to the Los Angeles Lakers extended their A-League losing streak to TWENTY straight games. That’s right: The Wizards have gone 0-20 against teams trying to win, having dropped every game against an A-League opponent since Detroit lost to the ‘Zards in early February.
Alex Regla is here to remind us that, regardless of whether Luak wins the MVP, what he is doing is something no Lakers fan should take for granted.
What these numbers and the season Dončić is having ultimately prove is that the Lakers have one of the best players on the planet on their team. They have the cornerstone. The vision of their future now has a face and a name.
And while a physical reward at the end of it would be nice, the assurance Dončić provides is so much more valuable than any number on a spreadsheet or MVP trophy.
SURPRISE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 17: Cody Bradford #61 of the Texas Rangers poses for a portrait during photo day at Surprise Stadium on February 17, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Texas Rangers pitcher Cody Bradford will begin a rehab assignment with the Round Rock Express tonight, the team has announced.
Bradford spent the entire 2025 season on the injured list due to an elbow injury that ultimately necessitated internal brace surgery. Bradford is currently on the 15 day injured list. Reports have previously indicated that the hope is that he would be able to return to the majors sometime in May.
Bradford had a 3.54 ERA in 13 starts and a relief appearance in 2024, and was anticipated to be a member of the team’s rotation in 2025. Bradford has also pitched out of the bullpen in the past, so if there is not an opening in the rotation when he is ready to return, he could potentially fill a reliever role instead.
Round Rock hosts Gwinnett tonight in a game that starts at 6:45 p.m. Central. I am guessing that Bradford will be on a 2 inning/30 pitch limit in this first appearance.
Mar 10, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Detailed view of the scoreboard showing an ABS ball and strike challenge call being confirmed during the Los Angeles Dodgers against the Arizona Diamondbacks during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The Texas Rangers have been slow on the draw so far with the introduction of automated balls and strikes. There’s been plenty to like about how the first week of the season has gone for Texas, as they sit at 4-2 with two road series wins, but taking advantage of the potential competitive advantage afforded by the new ABS replay system seems to be a work in progress.
While I’ve been against a lot of the recent Manfred era rules changes, I’ve been waiting for practically my entire baseball-following life for robot umps and now it’s kind of here albeit with the twist that teams are allowed two failed challenges before they can no longer appeal to the divine intervention of replay on suspected blown ball/strike calls.
Indeed, if I had my druthers, they’d just turn the hawkeye on for every pitch for a fully automated, purely human error-less experience. But there’s no doubt that the challenge system offers degrees of tactics and intrigue and here in the early goings, that’s been a fun new aspect for the baseball enjoyer and a nightmare for some umpires.
Team strategies and philosophies are developing. Do you challenge a close ball you’re fairly sure the ump got wrong in the 2nd inning of a scoreless game and risk being wrong and losing a challenge? Do you have a hierarchy for who can challenge? Do you save challenges for specific hitters or potential run-scoring rallies? Do you keep a challenge in your back pocket for a pitch that could determine the outcome of the game?
Each team likely has their own ideas on the hows and whens and whos and that undeniably adds an extra dimension of strategy to the rollout of this new tech and ruleset. With extra dimensions of strategy comes, frankly, people who are best at it or those who are best at exploiting it.
Right now, the Rangers are not those people.
So far this season Rangers hitters have made seven challenges and have succeed on three of them. The 43% success rate is good for 21st in the league. You know, whatever, it’s early. However, per Statcast’s ABS tracker, the Rangers have had the most opportunities in the league with 38 “reasonable” challenge chances and have only challenged on five of those offerings.
By Statcast’s estimation, the Rangers are about half a run in the hole due to their actual batting challenge decisions, which is third worst in the league. And their expected run value on potential overturns is -2.5 runs, second worst behind Cleveland.
Meanwhile, the Rangers have lost another estimated -0.2 runs on ABS challenges made by opponents against Texas hitters with teams going 5-for-6 on reversing a call.
The Rangers also had the indignity of being the first team to lose on a walk-off challenge in Wednesday’s finale in Baltimore. Though, it’s no surprise seeing the Rangers and Orioles involved in bizarre history.
It’s not any better when the Rangers are out on the field on defense, either. Texas is the only team in the league that has yet to win a challenge while an opponent is up to bat but they’ve also only challenged once overall with Kyle Higashioka losing a challenge on Sunday in Baltimore.
Despite the lack of challenges by Rangers pitchers and catchers, they’ve had 15 reasonable opportunities and challenged zero of them, worst in the league.
Meanwhile, while the Rangers are on defense, teams have gotten six of eight Texas offerings reversed with Baltimore going 5-for-5 on challenge attempts during the recent three-game set.
It’s obviously incredibly early and the technology and rule is brand new for most of the players and coaches, so there will be plenty of adjustments to be made. So far, however, the Rangers have been seeing a lot of chances to impact the game in their favor while being a bit gun-shy to pull the trigger.
Meanwhile, their opponents are taking advantage of the system and earning extra calls which has potentially led to snuffed out rallies that never were for Texas or more chances to add runs to the board for them.
Hopefully the Rangers do adjust and make better use of ABS because it’s not much fun being the team worst at humiliating umpires.
Hurley has since downplayed the incident. When asked about it again Thursday, April 2, at a news conference ahead of the Final Four in Indianapolis, Hurley admitted to being tough to officiate, but his record is clean.
"Then, dealing with the officials, I think I'm an intense coach," Hurley said. "It's not easy to work my games. But I've always gotten zero technical fouls in my NCAA Tournament coaching career."
Hurley looked up with a smile and paused for a moment.
"I just jinxed myself. Oh, my God, now I'm going to get bounced out of this thing. Oh, my God," he added with a laugh.
Hurley expounded on the controversy that followed the game.
"Yeah, surprised now? Obviously, the reaction, the outrage, I don't — I guess I just look at it a lot differently. I think we all do, and I think that's what, I guess, makes social media so appealing to people, is that you can have the discourse and different opinions about how somebody carries themselves in — for you, it's a game. For some people, we're just out there playing a game. For me, it's a life-or-death battle. It's a war. It's a street fight for me.
"However, you look at sports or people on social media that comment on how the combatants carry themselves, that's not really for me to judge. I approach sports as a competitor, the way that I do. My responsibility is to win games and obviously do a great job for my players. Those are really the only two things I'm concerned with.
"All that other stuff, it comes with the territory, and a lot of it comes with the success. The winning back-to-back championships, you put yourself in a position where you're going to be picked apart."
CBS Sports rules analyst and former NCAA basketball and NFL referee Gene Steratore agreed with the assessment Hurley was not being confrontational in the moment.
Hurley acknowledged Steratore as the "goat of referees," using goat and zebra emojis.
While fans are still upset about the interaction — perhaps in reaction to UConn's potential budding dynasty — it's obvious the coach and other officials do not view this as an issue moving forward.
OKLAHOMA CITY — The NBA announced on Thursday that Luka Doncic was named the Western Conference Player of the Month for games played in March.
Doncic averaged a league-high 37.5 points (49.2% shooting, 39.2% on 3-pointers), 8 rebounds, 7.4 assists and 2.3 steals in March.
Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after scoring a three-pointer against the Miami Heat during the third quarter at Kaseya Center on March 19, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images)
Getty Images Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers makes a slam dunk against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second half at Crypto.com Arena on March 31, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)Getty Images Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots a winning jumpshot past Spencer Jones of the Denver Nuggets during overtime of a game at Crypto.com Arena on March 14, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Denver Nuggets 127-125. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
Getty Images Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates after making a three pointer during the fourth quarter of the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on March 18, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)
Getty Images
Nuggets star center Nikola Jokic was the West’s Player of the Month for games played in October/November, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander received the honor for games played in December and Spurs big man Victor Wembanyama was the Player of the Month in February.
Hawks wing Jalen Johnson was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Month for March.
The 27-year-old Doncic, who’s in the middle of an MVP race, entered Thursday averaging a league-high 33.8 points to go with 8.3 assists, 7.8 rebounds and 1.7 steals entering the Lakers’ matchup against the Thunder.
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Former Cy Young Award winner Trevor Bauer is beginning another chapter in his professional baseball career.
Bauer, 35, signed with the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB), the team announced Thursday, April 2.
The former MLB All-Star is slated to be the starting pitcher on opening night against the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars on April 21 at Fairfield Properties Ballpark in Central Islip, New York.
“We are excited to welcome Trevor to Long Island,” Ducks President/CBO Michael Pfaff said in a news release. “His talent and knowledge will be important additions to our ballclub, and we are happy to offer him this opportunity to showcase his talents to MLB clubs while giving fans unprecedented access to Ducks baseball.”
The Ducks also plan to have Bauer provide in-game commentary and access as he will be “mic’d up” for all games and practices to create content for their social media platforms and streaming outlets.
“I’m looking forward to competing in front of U.S. fans again this season,” said Bauer. “The Ducks have had some incredible players come through their organization, and I’m excited to be part of that tradition.”
🚨 PLAYER SIGNING 🚨
10-year @MLB veteran and 2020 National League Cy Young Award winner @BauerOutage is the newest member of the Ducks! He is currently slated to serve as the our opening night starter on Tuesday, April 21st!
Bauer has spent 15 years playing professional baseball. He previously spent 10 seasons in Major League Baseball, where he played for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Cleveland Indians (now Guardians), Cincinnati Reds and Los Angeles Dodgers.
His career began as the No. 3 overall pick in the 2011 MLB Draft, selected by the Diamondbacks. Bauer made his first MLB appearance in 2012 and pitched for another decade.
While in Cleveland, Bauer was named to the AL All-Star team in 2018. His best season came a couple of years later pitching for the Reds. Bauer recorded a 1.73 ERA in the 2020 season, and allowed just 41 hits while striking out 100 batters in 73 innings of work for Cincinnatti, earning him the National League Cy Young Award.
In 10 MLB seasons, Bauer notched 83 wins in 212 big league starts.
Bauer's baseball dreams continue post-MLB
Bauer was released from the Dodgers in January 2023 after after serving a 194-game suspension for violating MLB's domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy. Bauer was never charged with a crime, and all civil claims were eventually settled.
Prior to signing with the Ducks, Bauer spent the past three seasons pitching in Japan and Mexico.
Bauer immediately signed with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) league. After completing one season, Bauer went to Mexico to play for the Diablos Rojos del México of the Mexican League (LMB).
He helped position los Diablos Rojos to a Mexican League championship in 2024.
Who are the Long Island Ducks?
The Long Island Ducks have been around since 2000 and are entering their 26th season of play in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.
The team plays its home games at Fairfield Properties Ballpark in Central Islip, N.Y.
The club is arguably the best in Atlantic League history, boasting the record for all-time wins and number of attendance.
For five consecutive seasons, the Ducks led all MLB Partner Leagues in total attendance, including selling out a record 721 games.
The Atlantic League is MLB's first ever professional partner league and serves as a stepping stone for players to make it to the major leagues.
The league has drawn nearly 50 million fans to their 10 ballparks from New York to North Carolina. In 27 years, the Atlantic League has sent more than 1,450 players to the majors.
It was a banner week for extensions at the corner of Clark and Addison last week, with news that Nico Hoerner was extended through the 2032 season breaking just days after news of the Pete Crow Armstrong extension. Both of these deals extended two Cubs icons for six more years, but that’s really where the similarities end. While PCA’s deal is a bet that the defensive prodigy in centerfield will continue to improve his plate discipline and value through his age-29 season, the Nico Hoerner extension is a bet on a player with a lower overall ceiling and a much more reliable floor that could make Hoerner a Cub for life.
I have to take a minute to reflect on how amazing it feels to be able to type the words “Cub for Life.” It’s been a minute since I even believed this was a possibility the Cubs would consider with their players, let alone a possibility that could become a reality. Part of the heartbreak with the Blue Friday trade deadline in 2021 was the realization that none of the heroes from the 2016 World Series team would end their careers with the Cubs aside from David Ross, who retired after Game Seven and World Series MVP Ben Zobrist, who saw his career fizzle out amidst personal issues that pulled him away from the field during a 2019 season that ended with a whimper for the Cubs.
Speaking of 2019, that was the year Nico Hoerner debuted for the Cubs. He had just finished his second season in the minors, putting together a solid campaign in Double-A when late season injuries led to him being called up during a playoff race to start at shortstop. He was certainly young for the level with zero Triple-A at bats, but the poise was evident immediately. Hoerner demonstrated his value both defensively and with a plus contact tool almost immediately. That value led to two extensions, the first was a three-year $35 million deal that bought out the end of Hoerner’s arbitration years and tacked on the 2026 season. The second is a six year $141 million that will see him in blue pinstripes until at least 2032.
The defense is elite. Since moving to second base full time in 2023, Nico Hoerner is third in MLB in total outs above average. You can see the top ten players by that metric below:
That defense has allowed the Cubs to roster a pitch-to-contact staff that generates fewer whiffs because balls hit on the ground up the middle or to the right of second have a high probability of being outs with Nico at the keystone.
His hit tool is also elite and has improved over time. You can clearly see this in looking at Nico’s wOBA by year according to FanGraphs:
As a reminder, wOBA is a fancy on-base metric that gives hitters more value for extra base hits than singles or walks. It’s notable that Hoerner has been at or above league average every season since 2021, particularly since this metric punishes him a bit for his lack of power. What it’s taking away from Nico in power it’s rewarding him for in consistent extra base power. It’s a hit tool that honestly reminds me of a 2020’s version of Mark Grace, a player who posted low strikeout rates with doubles power for for the better part of 16 seasons. I use the “2020’s version” caveat because Nico strikes out almost twice as much as Grace and is consistently about 30-50 points lighter in terms of his ability to get on base. The similarities generally derive from both players’ ability to make contact with extra base power that is light on home runs.
Obviously the 2026 spike is something for fans to hope on, but deserves small sample size caveat the size of Texas. Hoerner probably hasn’t added 60 points of wOBA this season, but he is likely to provide slightly above league average on-base and power ability. Combined with an elite glove, it’s worth every penny of the $141 million six-year contract he agreed to with the Cubs.
The 19-year-old shortstop, who is poised to make his MLB debut during the Pirates’ home opener against the Orioles Friday, is finalizing a nine-year, $140 million deal with Pittsburgh, per ESPN’s Buster Olney, who noted the sides are still at work.
Pirates shortstop Konnor Griffin (75) hits a two-run home run against the St. Louis Cardinals during spring training. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
If and when it comes to fruition, it would become the largest guarantee made to a player before their MLB debut.
Griffin hit four homers in Spring Training, but started the year in Triple-A. Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Before this year, Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio held the record for the largest guaranteed deal before debuting in the majors, signing an eight-year, $82 million pact during the 2023 Winter Meetings.
The promotion of Griffin, ranked by MLB Pipeline as the top prospect in baseball entering 2026, provides another boost to Pittsburgh’s lineup after a busy offseason.
The Pirates added ex-Braves slugger Marcell Ozuna, first baseman Ryan O’Hearn and second baseman Brandon Lowe, bolstering a lineup the team hopes can reach the postseason for the first time since 2015.
"I'm fired up that Konnor Griffin is making his debut on Friday..
Reigning National League Cy Young winner Paul Skenes, who rebounded from a rough Opening Day start against the Mets with a strong outing Wednesday against the Reds, is “fired up” to have Griffin in the majors.
“Yeah, I’m fired up,” Skenes said Thursday during an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show. “If Bucco fans needed anything else to get excited about for the home opener, they got it. It’s great. He’s super mature, he’s 19 right now, you’d never know it talking to him.
“The most mature 19-year-old you’re ever going to meet in your life. The play speaks for itself, but the way he conducts himself in the locker room and off the field, it’s cool to see. He’s going to bring an energy and obviously a skillset to Pittsburgh that’s exciting.”
Taken ninth overall by Pittsburgh in the 2024 MLB Draft out of Jackson Preparatory School in Mississippi, Griffin enjoyed a meteoric rise through the organization’s system after making his pro debut last year.
Between three different levels in 2025, Griffin slashed an eye-popping .333/.415/.527 with 21 homers, 94 RBIs and 65 stolen bases over 122 games.
He got off to a torrid start in Spring Training, including a two-homer game in late February, as he made a strong bid to crack the Opening Day roster.
Griffin cooled off the rest of spring and ultimately began 2026 in Triple-A, where he continued to hit well, notching a .438 average in five games before his call-up.
Three of the past four games for the Detroit Red Wings have yielded discouraging results, the most recent being a 5-1 setback at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins, who led 3-0 at the end of 20 minutes on Tuesday evening.
Tonight, they have a chance to avenge their setback from Saturday evening against the Philadelphia Flyers, who raced out to a 4-0 lead at Little Caesars Arena and later withstood a late third-period rallying attempt by Detroit.
Head coach Todd McLellan, who has repeatedly emphasized the need for the club's leadership to step up at such a critical time in the season, once again echoed those sentiments following Thursday morning's skate in Philadelphia.
“We, like any other team, went to Training Camp and put the foundation into place, and worked on our game all the way through to get to this spot in the season,” said McLellan. “What we have in front of us is an opportunity, and it's up to us to seize it or give it it away.
“To get that done, you have to have good leadership. Now, when I talk like that, I'm not just talking about the players; it comes from me too, and the rest of the coaching staff and everybody in the organization."
McLellan emphasized that the leadership needs to come from all areas of the room, not just the most high-profile players and stat leaders.
“Once the equipment is put on and the game starts, we need guys to step up," he said. "Leadership shows up in a lot of different ways; it's not just the vocal guy in the locker room, although that's important. It's not just the best player scoring goals, it's the shot blocking, the taking a hit to make the play (guy), that's all forms of leadership. The teams that get through have really good leadership at this time of the season.”
Going into their game against the Penguins, the Red Wings emphasized playing with greater urgency and desperation while avoiding the kind of poor decision-making that can come with it.
However, they found themselves not only trailing by three goals after the first period but also being outshot, 14-5.
In addition to reiterating the need for the club's leadership to step up its game in the remaining eight games, McLellan also noted that the team’s structure should already be ingrained by this stage of the season.
“If playing with urgency negatively affects our structure and what we do, then we’ve probably done a poor job of putting it in play,” McLellan continued. “That’s why you go through all of these exhibition games, you go through the first 60, 70 games, because you rely on your structure when it counts. And the urgency should already be there in your game, and then you take your chances."
"There’s not much that’s going to change between now and the end of the year for many teams.”
The Red Wings battle the Flyers at 7:00 p.m. ET, and a much better start than what they've shown in three of their last four outings is a necessity.
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Apr 1, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama (1) dribbles the ball against the Golden State Warriors in the fourth quarter at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
For what it’s worth, these Spurs are determined to head into the playoffs winning as many games as they can, building on their success and trying to stay motivated along the way. Couch-surfing fans (like myself) might question the need for motivation playing a game we all love, but 82 games is a grind.
On Wednesday night, Victor Wembanyama needed no extra motivation to score 41 points on 16 -22 shooting along with 18 rebounds. Stephon Castle ran the offense with his usual efficiency to the tune of 15 points while handing out 11 assists.
Let’s address the elephant in the room and just campaign for me to have an MVP vote and all the awards votes that I would unequivocally use to cast all of them for Keldon Johnson (MVP, DPOY, MIP, OPOY, Sixth Man, most likely to end up on a Key & Peele skit when Jordan Peele decides to quit making horror movies).
Back to our regularly scheduled highlights, Victor Wembanyama scored 40+ in back-to-back games, playing basketball on easy mode. For his part, Wembanyama looks both assertive and comfortable out on the floor these days, which bodes well as the team heads into the playoffs. Didn’t take long, but in his third year, Wemby has already set a career-high average of 24.7 points per game. His 11.5 rebounds per game is also a career peak.
.@wemby is now just the third player in Spurs history to have 40+ points in back to back games!
This move looked like an elongated euro step if you only needed two steps to go from Belarus to Portugal. It goes without saying how unique and special Wembanyama’s game is, but none of that is possible without his impeccable footwork.
Harrison Barnes, or as I would like to call him, the Blowfish to Hootie’s and, got up for this wide open dunk. I’m sure any chance Barnes gets to score against his former team, he would relish the opportunity. On Wednesday night, Barnes helped lead the bench mob with 13 points with a nice 3 – 6 shooting from downtown.
A recent tweet discussed a re-draft of the 2024 class, which had Stephon Castle at number one with the benefit of hindsight. No arguments from me, but I do want to point out that the Oklahoma Thunder getting 16th pick Jared McCain from the Philadelphia Sixers seems unfair (not unethical) especially if he can contribute as a fourth best scorer for the defending champions. To that end, Alex Sarr and Reed Sheppard, who were drafted ahead of Castle are special players and would have fit well on the Spurs, but given what we see, know, hear, and love, Castle was a very special (and fortuitous) pick just one year after the basketball gods gifted the Spurs Wembanyama.
Someone asked Wembanyama about the Spurs’ lack of playoff experience, and his answer was perfect: “Screw it.” They can only go out and play and let it fly, right? Of course, a little team chemistry doesn’t hurt. Right now, this team has chemistry in spades as evidenced by this play below. Screw it.
Once a game, on plays like the outstretched dunk below, Wembanyama reminds us that he can do Space Jam level dunks, and that if the Mon-Stars invaded Earth to steal our best basketball players skills as part of their mission for galaxy-wide domination, they would stop at Wembanyama. Don’t worry y’all, even if a former president and current sitting president have all but confirmed the existence of extraterrestrials, our planet still has Wayne Knight and Bill Murray to save us.
Does Dylan Harper play more than 25 minutes per game in the playoffs (assuming the Spurs have a full roster available). Discuss amongst yourselves in the comments. Coherent arguments not needed, just outlandish wild takes that would catch the attention of at least 3 of Kevin Durant’s online burner accounts.
Do you get tired of seeing lobs from Castle to Wembanyama? I don’t. But if you do get fatigued, may I suggest watching 8 hours of your daughter’s favorite cartoon at the moment (currently, it’s Super Kitties and Gabby’s Dollhouse)? After that, your eyeballs and psyche will be yearning for more of that sweet, sweet dish from our favorite reigning rookies of the year.
Phil Mickelson has announced he will not compete at next week’s Masters due to an ongoing “family health matter”.
Six-time major winner Mickelson, who won the Masters in 2004, 2006 and 2010, missed the first four LIV Golf events of the year and said he will remain “out for an extended period of time”.
The NBA postseason is rapidly approaching, with less than two weeks remaining in the 2025-26 regular season.
While all postseason berths have been clinched, teams are furiously jockeying for playoff positioning, especially those seeking to remain above the fray of the Play-In Tournament. That’s especially true in the Eastern Conference, where only four games separate the current No. 5 seed, the Atlanta Hawks, and the Miami Heat, currently No. 10.
In the Western Conference, all three divisions have been clinched, with the Oklahoma City Thunder claiming the Northwest, the San Antonio Spurs the Southwest and the Los Angeles Lakers the Pacific. But perhaps the most intriguing story as the regular season winds down is whether the Spurs can catch the Thunder for the top seed in the West.
Heading into the slate of April 2 games, the Cleveland Cavaliers, currently the No. 4 team in the East, can clinch a playoff spot with a win, while the Houston Rockets, currently the No. 5 team in the West, can clinch a playoff berth if the Phoenix Suns lose.
Here are the current brackets for the playoffs and the Play-In Tournament, the NBA standings and the schedule for Thursday, April 2:
NBA schedule for Thursday, April 2
(All times Eastern)
Phoenix Suns at Charlotte Hornets, 7 p.m.
Minnesota Timberwolves at Detroit Pistons, 7 p.m.
Los Angeles Lakers at Oklahoma City Thunder, 9:30 p.m. ET
Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State Warriors, 10 p.m.
New Orleans Pelicans at Portland Trail Blazers, 10 p.m.
San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Clippers, 10:30 p.m.
NBA standings
All 20 teams – 10 in each conference – that will participate in the postseason have been determined. Here are their records through April 1, and what each of those teams have clinched so far (x-clinched playoff berth; d-clinched division):
Eastern Conference
(1) d-Detroit Pistons: 55-21
(2) x-Boston Celtics: 51-25 (4 GB)
(3) x-New York Knicks: 49-28 (6.5 GB)
(4) Cleveland Cavaliers: 47-29 (8 GB)
(5) Atlanta Hawks: 44-33 (11.5 GB)
(6) Philadelphia 76ers: 42-34 (13 GB)
(7) Toronto Raptors: 42-34 (13 GB)
(8) Charlotte Hornets: 40-36 (15 GB)
(9) Orlando Magic: 40-36 (15 GB)
(10) Miami Heat: 40-37(15.5 GB)
Western Conference
(1) d-Oklahoma City Thunder: 60-16
(2) d-San Antonio Spurs: 58-18 (2 GB)
(3) d-Los Angeles Lakers: 50-26 (10 GB)
(4) x-Denver Nuggets: 49-28 (11.5 GB)
(5) Houston Rockets: 47-29 (13 GB)
(6) Minnesota Timberwolves: 46-29 (13.5 GB)
(7) Phoenix Suns: 42-34 (18 GB)
(8) Los Angeles Clippers: 39-37 (21 GB)
(9) Portland Trail Blazers: 39-38 (21.5 GB)
(10) Golden State Warriors: 36-40 (24 GB)
NBA playoffs bracket
(After games played on April 1)
Eastern Conference
(1) Detroit Pistons vs. (8) Play-In Winner
(4) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks
(3) New York Knicks vs. (6) Philadelphia 76ers
(2) Boston Celtics vs. (7) Play-In Winner
Western Conference
(1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (8) Play-In Winner
(4) Denver Nuggets vs. (5) Houston Rockets
(3) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (6) Minnesota Timberwolves
(2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (7) Play-In Winner
NBA Play-In Tournament
(After games played on April 1)
Western Conference
(7) Phoenix Suns vs. (8) LA Clippers
(9) Portland Trail Blazers vs. (10) Golden State Warriors
Eastern Conference
(7) Toronto Raptors vs. (8) Charlotte Hornets
(9) Orlando Magic vs. (10) Miami Heat
When do the NBA playoffs begin?
The NBA Play-In Tournament begins on Tuesday, April 14 and runs through Friday, April 17.
The NBA playoffs start Saturday, April 18 and feature eight teams in each conference after teams are eliminated in the Play-In Tournament.
Game 1 of the NBA Finals is scheduled for Wednesday, June 3.
Which NBA teams have been eliminated from the playoffs?
The Hockey News' main site has revealed the top 10 players from their top 100 NHL-affiliated prospects rankings, and a Chicago Blackhawks first-round pick was given the No. 1 spot: Anton Frondell.
Frondell being named the best NHL-affiliated prospect by THN is not difficult to understand. The 18-year-old forward has the potential to blossom into a star forward at the NHL level. It is precisely why the Blackhawks selected him with the third-overall pick of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.
Frondell had a strong season with Djurgardens IF in 2025-26, as he recorded 20 goals, 28 points, and a plus-15 rating in 43 games. With numbers like these, Frondell certainly showed off his offensive upside in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) this campaign.
Now, since joining the Blackhawks, he is only continuing to shine. In his first five NHL games with the Blackhawks, Frondell has recorded one goal, four assists, and five points. This included him recording two assists against the New Jersey Devils on May 29 and scoring his first NHL goal in his most recent appearance against the Winnipeg Jets on March 31.
With this, there is a lot to like about Frondell's game, and it is hard not to be excited about his future with Chicago.
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 31: LeBron James #23 and Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers high five during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 31, 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 king of the Western Conference is here and his name is Luka Dončić.
During the month of March, no one played better than the Wonder Boy and the NBA agreed, naming him the Player of the Month for the Western Conference on Thursday.
Luka scored over 40 points seven times in March and ended the month with 13 consecutive games scoring 30 or more points.
Dončić averaged 37.5 points, eight rebounds, 2.3 steals and 7.4 assists per game in March. Luka was the NBA’s highest scorer in March while also ranking 10th in rebounding and third in steals.
With Luka elevating his game, the Lakers dominated the league, going 15-2 in March. They haven’t won that many games in a month since 2000.
Lakers won 15 games in March
Last time Lakers won 15 games in a single month was March 2000: the Shaq MVP season https://t.co/NqhKk11Ivy
This award only strengthens Luka’s MVP case. He’s been named the best player in the West twice, while Victor Wembanayama only won it in February and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander won it back in December.
Luka is also a shoo-in to be the scoring king of the league.
He’s averaging 33.8 points per game, just a decimal point off his career-best of 33.9 in the 2022-23 season when he led the Dallas Mavericks to an NBA Finals appearance.
With the Lakers currently sitting at the No. 3 spot in the Western Conference and Luka playing some of the best basketball of his career, they look like one of the teams to beat as the regular season comes to a close.
