Fueled by 24 points from Jalen Haynes and 18 from Jared Billups, George Mason rolled past rival George Washington to advance to the semifinals of the Atlantic 10 men's basketball tournament.
Josh Hart says Knicks are ‘moving on’ from Draymond Green’s comments about Karl-Anthony Towns
The Knicks are in the Bay Area to take on the Golden State Warriors on Saturday in what will be the final game of their five-game West Coast road trip. While the game itself is enough for NBA fans to want to tune in, the controversy surrounding Draymond Green and his comments about Karl-Anthony Towns has added a layer of intrigue to the matchup.
The outspoken Warriors forward made news when he suggested Towns did not want to play Golden State when the two teams matched up last week at The Garden. On his podcast, Green said Towns wanted to avoid Jimmy Butler.
Of course, Towns missed that game due to the loss of a family friend. When Green was asked about his comments after Golden State's game against the Brooklyn Nets on March 7, Green was surprised and offered condolences but didn’t apologize for his baseless accusation.
Josh Hart was asked about Green’s comments Friday and said the team is ready to move on, but wishes the former Defensive Player of the Year was more responsible.
“I think KAT handled it the right way,” Hart told Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “For me, I have my own podcast and all that stuff. Whenever I’m wrong about something, I’ll sit there and say I was (wrong). For me, I wish he kind of did that - just apologized. You don’t got to be embarrassed or feel like apologizing is when you’re wrong isn’t manly. I wish he did. Now that’s in the past and we’re moving on.”
Bondy asked Towns earlier this week for his reaction, and the first-year Knick stayed positive.
“I choose to approach that with love and not hate. That’s all I really care about,” Towns said. “I hope no one has to go through what I went through and those kids—and what those kids had to go through. Losing a parent is tough."
The Knicks enter Saturday’s matchup with a 2-2 record on the road trip and hope to finish it on a high note without their captain, Jalen Brunson who is out for a few weeks due to an ankle sprain. Entering Friday, the Knicks (42-23) sit five games ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks for the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Draymond Green suggests on his podcast that Karl-Anthony Towns missed Tuesday’s game vs GSW because he wanted to avoid Jimmy Butler. Green casually throwing this out there on his platform without researching the situation is extremely irresponsible: pic.twitter.com/UkUpMp2111
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) March 6, 2025
Flames & Wranglers Busy Adjusting Rosters
The Calgary Flames (30-23-11) play the Colorado Avalanche on Friday night, ending a three-game homestand before their final trip to the East Coast next week.
In their last contest against the Vancouver Canucks, forward Conor Zary hit defenseman Elias Pettersson with an elbow in the back of the head, leading to a two-game suspension, announced on Thursday afternoon.
During the same game, captain Mikael Backlund suffered an upper-body injury, and on Friday, the team announced that he was now listed as week-to-week.
#Flames say captain Mikael Backlund is week-to-week with an upper body injury.
— Pat Steinberg (@Fan960Steinberg) March 14, 2025
Big blow down the stretch.
Before the Canucks game, the Flames recalled Adam Klapka from the Calgary Wranglers. The 24-year-old was a healthy scratch on Tuesday, but will most likely be pressed into action on Friday night against Colorado.
Meanwhile, with another hole in the lineup to fill, Calgary recalled Dryden Hunt on Friday morning. The pair of Wranglers forwards have combined to skate in 14 games this season in the NHL, with one point.
Forward Dryden Hunt has been recalled from the @AHLWranglers.#Flames | @original16beerpic.twitter.com/xsWOSO7tns
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) March 14, 2025
Hunt is the Wranglers' second-leading scorer, with 48 points, while Klapka has contributed 26 points.
However, that wasn't the Flames organization's last move on Friday. The Wranglers acquired forward Ty Tullio from the Buffalo Sabres via the Rochester Americans.
Forward Ty Tullio has been reassigned by the Buffalo Sabres from Rochester Americans and loaned to the Calgary Wranglers.
— Calgary Wranglers (@AHLWranglers) March 14, 2025
Tullio, fifth round draft pick by the Edmonton Oilers in 2020 has played 147 games in the AHL, putting up 54 points. pic.twitter.com/q2QL8ZZsJE
Initially drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in the fifth round (125th overall) in the 2020 Draft, Tullio has yet to play in the NHL. Over three seasons in the AHL, he has scored 23 goals with 31 assists for 54 points in 147 games.
The Flames, who maintain the second wildcard spot in the Western Conference, will host the Avalanche at the Saddledome on Friday. Meanwhile, the Wranglers hit the road for a weekend series with the Abbotsford Canucks on Saturday and Sunday.
Ohio State DC Matt Patricia: ‘It’s (Ohio) where all the good players come from’
Super Bowl-winning coordinator Matt Patricia, now at Ohio State, had nothing but praise for the Buckeye State's top high school players.
House and Jacksonville State defeat Middle Tennessee 70-68 in Conference USA Tournament semifinals
Freshman Quel'Ron House led Jacksonville State with 20 points, including two free throws with 22 seconds remaining as the Gamecocks took down Middle Tennessee 70-68 on Friday in the Conference USA Tournament semifinals. Jacksonville State will face Liberty in the championship game on Saturday. House shot 6 for 10 (2 for 4 from 3-point range) and 6 of 6 from the free-throw line for the Gamecocks (22-11).
Pep Guardiola fires back at Capello’s jibe about making football boring
- ‘It’s not the first time he’s said that’
- Capello said Guardiola ruined Italian football
Pep Guardiola has responded sarcastically to Fabio Capello’s claim that he is arrogant, has “ruined Italian football” and has made the sport boring. The former England coach offered his view of Guardiola to the Spanish newspaper El Mundo this week. On Friday Manchester City’s manager was asked whether he listened to someone of the Italian’s stature in the game.
“I listen to everything that people say about me. Everything. So be careful. I am controlling you,” he said as a joke. “It’s not the first time that Mr Fabio Capello said that. I’m not good enough to win Italian football. Italian football is much, much more important than the way you do it. A big hug from Fabio. A big hug.”
Continue reading...Mazzulla praises ‘overlooked' Holiday after big night vs. Heat
Mazzulla praises ‘overlooked' Holiday after big night vs. Heat originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Jrue Holiday may not be the first, second, third, or even fourth player who comes to mind when thinking about the Boston Celtics’ star-studded roster. Still, the All-Defensive guard is a crucial part of the C’s championship formula.
Holiday provided a firm reminder of that in Friday’s 103-91 victory over the Miami Heat, battling through his right-hand mallet finger injury to deliver a season-high 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting. He also contributed four rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and a steal in a stellar two-way performance.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla heaped praise on Holiday after the win. When asked about the 34-year-old veteran’s impact being “kind of” overlooked, Mazzulla issued a correction.
“It’s not ‘kind of.’ It is overlooked,” Mazzulla said. “But it’s overlooked because that’s just the type of person that he is, and it’s also just the type of teammate that he is, that he’ll do whatever it takes to win for his team.
“Tonight, the ball found him early and I’m glad he was aggressive and then he was able to build through that. I thought he made some timely plays and some big-time plays. I’m really happy for him because he does get overlooked at times, but we’re really grateful to have him.”
Holiday has never been flashy or outspoken, but he has been among the most consistent two-way players since entering the league in 2009. The two-time NBA champion continues to lead by example in Boston, most recently by battling through a finger injury that forced him to miss several games.
“I’m doing the best I can. Today was a good day,” Holiday told NBC Sports Boston’s Abby Chin. “Sometimes on the catch, it feels weird, but there’s no excuses out here. They don’t care that my finger’s broken or I have mallet finger. Just trying to come out here every game and focus and try to lock in.”
Holiday stepped up with Jaylen Brown (right knee posterior impingement) and Kristaps Porzingis (illness) sidelined. The Celtics will hope to have the duo back in the starting lineup when they visit the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday for the second night of their back-to-back.
Tip-off for C’s-Nets is set for 6 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Boston.
Chaz Lanier scores 23 as No. 8 Tennessee downs Texas to reach SEC Tournament semis
Chaz Lanier scored 17 of No. 8 Tennessee's first 21 points, and the Volunteers never trailed Friday beating Texas 83-72 in the Southeastern Conference Tournament quarterfinals. The fourth-seeded Volunteers (26-6) also gave coach Rick Barnes the 832nd victory of his career, moving him into sole possession of 10th all-time after being tied with Cliff Ellis. The Vols will play regular season champ and third-ranked Auburn, a 62-57 winner over Ole Miss, in the semifinals Saturday.
PJ Haggerty scores 42 for Memphis after coach Penny Hardaway told standout guard he had to produce
Memphis coach Penny Hardaway was speaking from experience with his message to standout guard PJ Haggerty before the start of the American Athletic Conference Tournament. "When you’re the man and you’re expected to go out to produce, you’ve got to go out and produce,” Hardaway told the sophomore. Haggerty responded with a career-high 42 points, including nine in a 12-0 run after halftime that put the 16th-ranked Tigers ahead to stay in an 83-80 win over nemesis Wichita State in a quarterfinal game Friday.
Hines scores 15 as Alabama State beats Grambling 64-62 in SWAC Tournament semifinals
CJ Hines had 15 points in Alabama State's 64-62 win against Grambling on Friday in the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament semifinals. TJ Madlock made two free throws with 56 seconds left to give Alabama State a 64-58 lead. Hines added five assists for the Hornets (18-15).
Mets' Brandon Nimmo still uncertain about Opening Day role amid knee injury
The Mets have taken a cautious approach to Brandon Nimmo's spring training workload since the outfielder expressed soreness in his right knee on Feb. 28. And while his return to the lineup as a designated hitter on Thursday reaffirmed optimism in his availability for Opening Day, his role for the start of the regular season remains undefined.
Nimmo is expected to be the Mets' designated hitter again on Saturday against the Washington Nationals. But he believes his assignment for Mar. 27 against the Houston Astros is up in the air since the discomfort in his knee isn't completely gone yet.
"All I know is we're trying to progress every day and see if we can get a little bit of gain every day," Nimmo said Friday. "I don't know what it means for Opening Day, I just know we're trying to get the at-bats. As soon as I can get close to 100 percent, then I'll be able to play the outfield. But before that point, it's probably going to do more harm than good to try and get out there before it's ready.
"I'm hopeful [to play the outfield]. But I also know if you're not playing near 100 percent, you're probably a liability out there. I'll go and progress every day and do my best to be ready for the outfield on Opening Day. But right now, I've never been through this process before... I'm good at the plate right now, we're still working on getting the percentage higher on running. Sometimes it's a little bit of a slow process."
Nimmo, who received a gel injection in his knee last week, resumed baseball activities in Port St. Lucie on Monday. He ripped a single in his first-bat against the Boston Red Sox on Thursday, and proceeded to strike out in the third inning and fly out to left in the sixth. So far, he's logged only four spring at-bats.
At full strength, Nimmo will be valued in the heart of the Mets' batting order. But the team isn't focused solely on his knee recovery -- he also dealt with plantar fasciitis in his left foot throughout the 2024 campaign.
The 31-year-old veteran still managed to play 151 games last season, and drive in a career-high 90 runs with 23 home runs and 25 doubles across 663 plate appearances. In the meantime, the Mets can only hope that Nimmo's bat speed remains sharp and his lower-body movements become more pain-free.
Watson’s 25 help Loyola Chicago beat Saint Louis 72-64 in Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament
Des Watson had 25 points in Loyola Chicago's 72-64 win over Saint Louis on Friday in the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament quarterfinals. Loyola Chicago (22-10) will play top-seeded VCU in the semifinals on Saturday. Watson shot 7 of 14 from the field, including 3 for 5 from 3-point range, and went 8 for 9 from the line for the Ramblers.
3 Blackhawks Who Weren’t Traded Before Deadline That Could Be During Off-Season
On Trade Deadline Day, the Chicago Blackhawks made a few moves to try and better their situation in the long term. After having already traded Taylor Hall and Seth Jones, there was wonder how far they’d go on the final day to do something.
Petr Mrazek and Craig Smith were traded to the Detroit Red Wings and they made a prospect/salary cap/draft picks trade with the Utah Hockey Club. There wasn’t anything fancy but these moves could all help them in the future.
Ryan Donato, Pat Maroon, and others all had their names in rumors for the week leading up to the deadline. Almost everyone ended up sticking around though so there are a few veterans still there to help out the kids.
Donato and Maroon being on the team next year means that they would have signed an extension so they won’t be traded away. However, there are a few other guys that weren’t moved and could be traded come the summer.
Now that the dust has settled from the big day and some time has passed, these are the three guys who might be sent packing once the time comes in the off-season:
1. Connor Murphy
Connor Murphy is a solid defenseman that plays good minutes when he is healthy. That's the problem though. He deals with injury trouble just about every season. For a guy that makes $4.4 million against the cap, that money could go toward some offense which this team sorely lacks.
A Stanley Cup contender with some cap space may consider a player like Murphy as a top-four guy. The Blackhawks might be able to retain on Murphy during the summer too as Mikko Rantanen and Jake McCabe will come off the books.
Murphy's name wasn't in any reported trade talks ahead of the deadline but his contract situation makes him someone to think about. If they decide to make a move involving him this summer, it won't shock anyone.
Throughout his Blackhawks tenure, the team has been lousy. They wanted to get younger when they acquired him in the Niklas Hjalmarsson trade with the Arizona Coyotes which made sense but it didn't lead to more winning ahead of the rebuild. Now, everyone might be better off if he went somewhere with a chance to compete.
2. Kevin Korchinski
The Chicago Blackhawks have a lot of young defensemen in the organization. Guys like Artyom Levshunov, Louis Crevier, Ethan Del Mastro, Wyatt Kaiser, and Alex Vlasic amongst others are fighting for ice time at the NHL level.
Korchinski is currently down in the AHL. That doesn't even account for Sam Rinzel who has been one of the best defensemen in the NCAA this season. All of these guys can't be on the NHL roster at the height of their powers.
Chicago could also draft Matthew Schaefer in the top three of the 2025 NHL Draft if they believe that he is a future superstar defenseman. With or without Schaefer, the Hawks are loaded at the position which is a good problem to have.
The Blackhawks need help up front. A team may take a chance on Korchinski who is a highly gifted offensive defenseman who was drafted in the top ten (7th overall) of the 2022 NHL Draft. He's had his ups and downs at both the NHL and AHL level but there is no doubting his ability to create. That will attract teams if the Hawks put him on the market.
3. Jason Dickinson
The Blackhawks probably should have traded Jason Dickinson during the 2023-24 season while he was in the middle of having a career year. His value will never be higher than it was then. You can also understand Kyle Davidson wanting some veteran presence within the organization.
In 2024-25, he's been good but hasn't produced offensively the way that he did one year prior. Now, he is facing the final two years of his current contract which has a cap hit of $4.25 million.
Teams looking for a solid bottom-six center that plays well defensively and can bring some offense to the table may be all over him if he were put on the block.
Like the first two on this list, Dickinson was never in any rumors ahead of the deadline this year but they are in the organization and could now be moved once summertime comes for something good in return.
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Bradley Beal open to trade this offseason, 'Different deal in the summer'
At the trade deadline last month, when the Suns needed to find a new home for Bradley Beal to complete a Jimmy Butler trade, there was no deal to be made. Part of that was a limited market for Beal, but a more significant issue was Beal having a no-trade clause that he would have to waive for any deal to get done.
If the Suns are going to attain their goal of reshaping the roster around Devin Booker and getting under the second apron of the luxury tax, Phoenix is going to have to revisit Beal trades this offseason (not just trade Kevin Durant). Beal is far more open to an offseason move, he told Tim MacMahon of ESPN. The one caveat is that he wants to go somewhere with a chance to win.
"It is a different deal in the summer," Beal said. "Everything is kind of more laid out on the table. You got more options...
And my biggest thing is when I came here, I want to win. I've scored 30 points a game. I've been an All-Star. I've been All-NBA. I want to win. That's always been my label -- I haven't won anything. So whatever that looks like for the team, whether that's me coming up the bench, whether it's me starting, whether it's me, whatever it is, I'm going to do it... I enjoy the game, man. This game is fun. I try not to let nobody take the joy out of it for me... I'm still playing in the NBA, I still have the best job in the world, and I still have my no-trade clause. So I'm smiling every day."
It's unclear how big a trade market there might be for Beal this summer, and it's likely the Suns would need to attach a draft pick to him in any deal to get a team to take on the $110.8 million he is owed over the next two seasons. Beal still has value in the league, he's averaging 17.7 points a game this season and is shooting 39.3% from 3. He can still get buckets. But his role on any team now will not be as a primary offensive creator, at least with the first unit. His price tag outweighs his contributions at this point, limiting the market for his services.
Beal is not eager to uproot his family and move, it will have to be to a situation where he feels comfortable and the team has a shot at winning. That said, there's a better chance a Beal trade happens in June around the NBA Draft or during free agency in July than there was at the trade deadline.
Expect a lot of Beal rumors this summer. Whether any of them pan out is another question.
Toronto Marlies Acquire Brandon Baddock From Rockford IceHogs
The Toronto Marlies announced they have acquired forward Brandon Baddock from the Rockford IceHogs for future considerations.
Baddock has three goals, seven points and 86 penalty minutes in 38 games for Rockford this season.
The 29-year-old will add depth and toughness to the Marlies after the Toronto Maple Leafs dealt away several players at the NHL trade deadline.
News: The Toronto Marlies have acquired forward Brandon Baddock from the Rockford IceHogs in exchange for future considerations.#LongLivepic.twitter.com/JTKCgaPHg3
— Toronto Marlies (@TorontoMarlies) March 14, 2025
A sixth round pick of the New Jersey Devils in 2014, Baddock has 24 goals, 62 points and 899 penalty minutes in 424 career AHL games with the IceHogs, Binghamton Devils, Laval Rocket and Iowa Wild.
The Vermilion, Alta., native has appeared in one career NHL game with the Montreal Canadiens.
His first chance to make his Marlies debut comes Mar. 15 against the Charlotte Checkers.
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