Ole Miss Rebels infielder Will Furniss (36) bats against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles at Pete Taylor Park in Hattiesburg, Miss., on Mar. 10, 2026. | Matt Bush/Special to the Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The annual Kid’s Day Game at Swayze Field is just a special little event if you’ve never been there in person.
Thousands of shrieking children from local schools pack the stands for this one game and getting to skip a day of school to watch baseball is about as American as it gets. First pitch is set for 11 a.m. CT, so you know there will be approximately 5,000 hot dogs and 10,000 sno-cones ate/spilled in just a few short hours.
The Rebels (19-10, 3-6 SEC) are looking to bounce back from a four game losing streak that started last Tuesday. Enter the Ohio Valley’s Little Rock (17-11, 5-1 OVC) for today’s game, and it very well could be a tighter contest than anyone expected in the preseason.
Five Trojans are batting over .300 in this lineup that produces 6.3 runs per game, and with the Rebels ongoing offensive struggles, this could make for a potential upset in the making. Now meanwhile the Little Rock pitching leaves a lot to be desired giving up more than 5.5 runs per game with one huge outlier being one of its games against Memphis where it lost 24-5 in seven innings.
PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUPS
Ole Miss: LHP Grayson Gibson (1-1, 2.25 ERA)
Little Rock: LHP Nic Bronzini (0-1, 11.57 ERA)
Grayson Gibson will be making his first start as an Ole Miss Rebel today against Little Rock. The freshman out of Tampa, Fla. has been solid out of the bullpen and has shown the ability to go 50+ pitches. His best and longest stint in a game this season was a four inning shutout against Memphis a few weeks back.
Nic Bronzini doesn’t look like a great pitcher on paper with his plus-11 ERA, and his best performance of the year looks to be a 3.1 IP, 2 ER, 4 K outing against Arkansas St. I think the strategy for this opposing pitching staff today is going to be throwing outside of the zone to get some swing and misses to build some pressure on the home team.
If there was a team that ever needed a slumpbuster, it is this Ole Miss squad. First pitch is set for 11 a.m. CT and will be streamed live on SEC Network+. Get at least mildly irresponsible and watch it from work.
If the Montreal Canadiens swept their season series against the Carolina Hurricanes, their results have been far less satisfying against Tuesday night’s opponents, the Tampa Bay Lightning. In the first two duels between the two sides this season, the Habs have been beaten by a combined score of 11-5. Once with Jakub Dobes in the net and the other with Jacob Fowler between the posts.
The Bolts now sit atop the Atlantic Division with 98 points, the same total as the Buffalo Sabres, but the Florida outfit has a game in hand. Meanwhile, the Canadiens are still in third place with 94 points, and they also have a game in hand on the Sabres. Montreal now has a six-point lead over the eighth-place team in the Eastern Conference and an eight-point lead over the ninth-place team, the Ottawa Senators. While the Sainte-Flanelle has yet to clinch a playoff spot mathematically, Moneypuck now gives Martin St-Louis and his men a 99% chance of making the spring dance.
Neither team has confirmed who will be manning their net tonight, but all signs point to Jakub Dobes being back in the crease for the Canadiens. The Czech netminder has started two games against Jon Cooper’s men but has a 0-1-0 record with an 8.80 goals-against average and a .727 save percentage. While these are far from reassuring numbers, the Dobes that is playing for the Habs now is very different from the one who struggled at times this season. Since the trade deadline, he has a 6-2-0 record, a 1.88 GAA, and a .937 SV. Meanwhile, Fowler has a 0-0-1 record with a 3.77 GAA and a .810 SV.
At the other end of the ice, it would be surprising if Andrei Vasilevskiy wasn’t between the posts. The Russian netminder has an excellent record against the Canadiens with a 16-3-2 record, a 2.08 GAA, and a .931 SV. As for backup Jonas Johansson, he’s 4-2-0 when facing Montreal with a 3.79 GAA and a .875 SV.
The Canadiens had a day off yesterday, so there’s no indication as to what their lineup could look like on Tuesday night, but they will hold a morning skate at 11:30. While Martin St-Louis no longer divulges his lineup ahead of games, we’ll at least know if Josh Anderson is over his virus if he is present. The Habs also called up Adam Engstrom on Monday, and he joined the team in the evening. The Canadiens announced on Tuesday morning that Alexandre Carrier would be out for two to four weeks with an upper-body injury, which explains the move. Montreal has now used two of its five available call-ups for the rest of the season. It will be interesting to see who plays between Arber Xhekaj and Engstrom.
Brendan Gallagher is the Canadiens’ most productive forward against the Bolts with 19 points in 39 games, but none of those points came this season. Phillip Danault has 14 points in 28 games, and Nick Suzuki wraps up the top three with 13 points in 20 games. The team’s top scorers against Tampa this season have, however, been Juraj Slafkovsky and Ivan Demidov, who both notched three points in two games.
As for Cole Caufield, he has seven points in 14 duels with Tampa, but he is on fire right now and is eyeing the 50-goal mark and perhaps even a Rocket Richard Trophy win. The sniper now has 46 goals on the season and only trails Nathan MacKinnon by three goals since the Colorado Avalanche superstar added a 49th goal to his tally in the Avs’ 9-2 triumph over the Calgary Flames on Monday night.
Meanwhile, Victor Hedman leads the Lightning with 51 points in 52 games against the Canadiens, but he stepped away from the team for personal reasons on March 25, and he has yet to return. Nikita Kucherov is not far behind with 48 points in 40 games, but he has missed the last two games with an illness. Should he be unable to suit up, the Canadiens certainly wouldn’t complain, as he also has four points in two games against them this season. Brayden Point comes in third with 27 points in 31 games, and the top line center is healthy and ready to go.
The Bolts are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games and are on a two-game winning streak, while the Canadiens are 7-3-0 and have a five-game regulation winning streak going. The Bolts have won seven of the last ten games between the two sides, including the last three tilts, and the Canadiens’ last win in Tampa dates back to December 29, 2024.
The game is set for 7:00 PM, and you can catch it on The Spot, TSN2, and RDS. Jean Hebert and Brandon Blandina will officiate, while Jonny Murray and Jonathan Deschamps will be the linemen. The Habs and Bolts will meet one last time this season on April 9 in Montreal.
Mar 30, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Keldon Johnson (3) talks to a fan in the second half against the Chicago Bulls at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images
San Antonio is now 25-2 since February 1st, with a good chunk of those wins being blowouts (or at least blowout-adjacent). This latter outcome has been especially common recently, as the Spurs’ schedule has been laden with hapless teams more interested in collecting ping pong balls than wins. The stereotype is that conditions like this breed complacency, often resulting in a disappointing loss to an underqualified opponent.
I never actually thought that Chicago would win last night’s game, but the first quarter at least raised the specter of this cautionary tale. Outside of some spectacular play by Wemby, the Spurs felt a bit disconnected, inconsistent, and bored (I love puns!) during that period. However, by the start of the second everyone seemed to get on the same page, and San Antonio was off to the races. This game ended up being a pretty vanilla blowout in which the Spurs earned several respectable but unspectacular box score margins. Even so, there were a number of notable highlights:
This was yet another dominant rebounding performance from the Spurs, with TRB and ORB differentials of +20 and +9, respectively. San Antonio has now had at least 20 more rebounds than its opponent in four of the last five games, and amassed a five-game TRB differential of +97. This is the highest 5-game TRB margin that any team has produced in the regular season dating back to the start of 2012-2013. The previous record was held by the Houston Rockets, who achieved a TRB margin of +96 across five games ending on March 17, 2025.
Although not as spectacular as their performance against Milwaukee, the Spurs put together another excellent foul differential in this game, with six fewer fouls than Chicago. On average over the last 13 seasons, this would have translated to a FTA margin of about +11; however, the Bulls’ fouls appear to have been pretty well-timed, as San Antonio only had three more free throw attempts. With both teams having essentially the same FT%, the Spurs’ extra volume translated to a FTM differential of +2.
The Silver and Black finally managed to outscore a team from distance for the first time since their win over the Kings on March 17th, albeit by the narrowest margin possible. As in the Milwaukee game, this happened because the Spurs’ significant edge in 3P% (+11.63 percentage points) was largely negated by the Bulls’ advantage in 3PA (+10).
Even so, the Spurs did manage to pull away using a solid edge in FG% (+4.81 percentage points), which – together with an advantage in FGA (+3) – helped them log six more made baskets than Chicago.
What are Team Graded Box Scores?
Very briefly, these box scores grade winner-loser differentials for basic box score statistics, with the grade being based on the winning team’s differential relative to other NBA winners during a defined reference period. Think of it like a report card for understanding how a given winner performed relative to other winners. The reference period used runs from the start of the 2012-2013 season to the latest date of play, including only games in the same season category (i.e., regular season and playoff games are not compared to each other).
Data Source: The underlying data used to create these box scores was collected from Basketball Reference. In all cases, the data are collected the morning after the game is played. Although rare, postgame statistical revisions after data collection do occur and may affect the results after the fact.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - MARCH 29: Miles McBride #2 of the New York Knicks guards Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the game on March 29, 2026 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 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 Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The few hours surrounding the Knicks’ Sunday night loss to the Thunder couldn’t have been more of a rollercoaster. We all received word leading up to the game that Deuce McBride, a fan favorite and a pivotal piece of the Knicks’ puzzle, would be returning after missing two months with a sports hernia injury. And as if his return wasn’t enough, we saw McBride lock up Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the first half, and remind fans just how impactful his presence alone could be.
But as Knicks fans are painfully aware, things don’t always stay great forever. While the Knicks, thanks in part to McBride’s play, were engaged in a close back-and-forth battle with the Thunder, McBride went down while diving for a loose ball. And Knicks fans’ hearts all skipped a beat collectively. As fans repeatedly refreshed their social media timelines, hoping for even a modicum of good news, they were forced to go to sleep wondering if we had all seen the last of McBride’s 2025-26 season.
Knicks are listing Miles McBride (pelvic/core muscle surgery) as questionable for tomorrow’s game at Houston. McBride returned on Sunday from a two-month absence following the core muscle surgery but appeared to reinjure the area vs OKC. Landry Shamet (knee) remains out
Throughout most of Monday, we received no updates. But, in the early evening, reports started surfacing that McBride was listed as just questionable for tomorrow’s matchup against the Rockets. A questionable listing usually isn’t a reason to celebrate. But, with him being seen grabbing the same area he had surgery on last night, and lip readers speculating that he had said, “I can’t walk”, this can be seen as good, maybe even great news.
Now, the Knicks have been somewhat mischievous with injury reports in the past. It wasn’t too long ago that they were very quiet about updates on Julius Randle and OG Anunoby’s injuries, which ended up missing much more time than initially expected. That could leave fans suspicious of the Knicks and their injury reports. Fans may not be completely out of the woods just yet. But it still seems doubtful that McBride suffered the type of injury that would keep him out for the entirety of the playoffs. Just how long he’ll actually be out remains to be seen, but fans can, and should, be able to exhale a bit.
ELMONT, NY -- On Monday night, in the New York Islanders' first game of their back-to-back, starting netminder Ilya Sorokin was chased from his goal after allowing seven goals on 29 shots in an eventual 8-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
He played 47:54.
The loss was a damning one, given that the Islanders could have padded their lead for second place in the Metropolitan Division to three points with seven games to go.
Instead, the Islanders watched the Penguins leap over them in the standings by one point and a game in hand, dropping them to third place, with the Columbus Blue Jackets just one point back in the second wild-card spot.
Sorokin had only been pulled once this season, in the finale of a three-game road trip, a 7-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday, March 21.
He allowed six goals on 26 shots through 50:47 minutes.
That game was also the first of a back-to-back, with Roy citing that pulling Sorokin was to keep him fresh for a pivotal Sunday night game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The move paid off as Sorokin stopped all 26 shots that came his way for a critical 1-0 shutout win.
Will Roy do the same against a Buffalo Sabres team that has just one win in their last four games?
That's likely -- but not confirmed.
"We're going to talk about this one and see where we're at," head coach Patrick Roy said postgame. "I mean, I haven't talked with Sergei (Naumovs) or even Ilya after the game just to see how he feels and what their thought are. We'll let you know tomorrow who will play against Buffalo."
If the Islanders had beaten the Penguins, one would think David Rittich would have received the start for Buffalo, potentially his last start of the season, with Sorokin getting both games of the back-to-back -- Philadelphia on Friday at home and then Carolina in Raleigh on Saturday.
This Buffalo game is a tremendous opportunity for the Islanders to rebound from what was an atrocity of a second period at UBS Arena. That includes Sorokin, who probably doesn't want to sit three days before getting another crack at it.
"We know what we did. We know what's wrong. We know what we need to do to play the right way. And that's regrouping mentally for tomorrow," Ryan Pulock said postgame. "That's all that matters right now, is regrouping for tomorrow. Understand what went wrong. Understand what we did. I feel like that's not us. Obviously, it was a big game, and we didn't do it the right way, but tomorrow's a chance to make up for it."
We'll be talking with Roy at 5:35 to get the latest on his starting goaltender and any lineup changes ahead of their 7 PM ET puck drop.
The Islanders are 9-3-1 on the second legs of back-to-backs this season. Sorokin is 5-1-0 and has not faced the Sabres this season.
Lamar Odom became a celebrity as much for his celebrity lifestyle as his NBA achievements. Photograph: Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images
There’s a version of the Lamar Odom story that ends in a Nevada brothel. It’s not hard to imagine the grand finale – the TMZ bulletin relating his fatal drug overdose, followed by emotional tributes to what was lost: a radical basketball prodigy of the New York tradition, a two-time NBA champion with the Kobe Bryant Lakers, a glittering career that spanned coasts and eras before caving under the weight of addiction. A cautionary tale of incandescent fame, with Odom’s celebrity wife Khloé Kardashian cast as a man-eater to eclipse her more notorious older sister, would have been the epilogue cemented in a thousand think pieces.
But by living to tell the tale, Odom has instead become the latest fallen star to prove a core truism of Western mythmaking: heroes who don’t die young are doomed to live long enough to become the villain in their own tale
“There is a way of understanding Lamar where everything in his life is kind of in reaction to death hunting him since he was a kid,” says Ryan Duffy, executive producer of Netflix’s Untold sports docuseries. “Then it catches him, he somehow wiggles out of it and is still here. Shit, I’d be pretty sideways if that was the case for me, too.”
For the latest installment of Untold, The Death & Life of Lamar Odom, Ryan Duffy (who previously chronicled the scandals of Manti Te’o and Johnny Manziel) returns to the director’s chair to revisit the moment in 2015 when Lamar Odom was found unresponsive at a Nevada brothel – a breaking-news jolt that marked the most spectacular sports downfall since Tiger Woods slammed into a fire hydrant. (You’d have to think the Untold team is strongly considering their own deep dive on the golfer in light of recent events.) That was the year Odom topped the Google Trends list for living people, a tidy measure of how fully his saga consumed the public.
Reportedly on a cocaine binge in the days before the brothel incident, Odom suffered kidney failure, multiple heart attacks and 12 strokes. He was placed in a medically induced coma for several days, with doctors initially giving him little chance of survival without significant and lasting brain damage. All the while, his stunning crash-out was framed in the tabloid press as the culmination of a mushrooming substance abuse problem. Odom had nearly wrapped up a three-year probation sentence following a 2013 DUI arrest, and Kardashian was waiting for a judge to sign off on her divorce request. That delay would turn out to be an extraordinarily lucky break for Odom.
Over the course of the documentary’s 90 minutes, Odom steers the conversation with charm and vulnerability. But before dismissing this sports biography as yet another exercise in self-guided legacy shaping, viewers should know that Odom bucks the athlete co-producer trend. Not only does he keep things unflinchingly real, he lets the uncomfortable truths lie without a positive spin. He accepts that he was a bad father, a worse partner.
“I know cocaine isn’t the way to go,” he explains in a wistful aside about his past drug use, “but it’s a high that feels so good, you wish you could capture it and put it in a bottle so you can have it the next day.”
As his daughter, Destiny, points out in the documentary, Odom would sooner move on with his life than spend too long considering his misfortunes and missteps before plotting a fresh course. It quickly becomes clear that this isn’t just a defense mechanism; it’s the survival instinct of a man who couldn’t afford to dwell on losses. His father, a heroin addict, has largely been a background character in Odom’s life, and his mother died of colon cancer when he was 10. His relationship with his high school sweetheart, Liza Morales, another prominent voice in the documentary, fell apart when their six-month-old son died of sudden infant death syndrome in 2006 while Odom was partying with friends.
Odom, now 46, processes these tragedies with deadpan candor, much like Rick James reflecting on his rock’n’roll past in those old Chappelle Show skits – unbowed and unrepentant. He doesn’t make excuses for throwing away what could have been an all-time great NBA career, one that surely would have earned him more credit for helping usher in the current era of positionless basketball. That lack of pretense is a quality hardcore fans have always respected about Odom, who agreed to come off the bench after LA acquired him in a blockbuster trade and went on to become the NBA’s top reserve.
In the documentary, Phil Jackson fondly remembers Odom as a selfless player who saw his teams as family – but then winces at his former player’s attraction to fame (as if Jackson wasn’t dating team owner Jeanie Buss when Odom’s whirlwind romance with Kardashian was in full bloom).
“Getting on that plane and going up to Montana to see him was personally thrilling,” Duffy says of meeting Jackson, the 13-time NBA champion that sportswriters dubbed the Zen Master. “Like, going to see the oracle at the road and have his wisdom bestowed upon me.”
Jackson, who has been out of basketball since his disappointing tenure as New York Knicks president, would have been the major get for this project if Kardashian hadn’t agreed to sit down at the last minute.
“It happened late enough in the doc that I was telling my editor [Freddie DeLaVega]: ‘We can probably plug her in here or there,’” Duffy says. “But after she gave us two hours of her time, I was like: ‘Freddie, I have bad news: we’re starting over.’”
The Kardashian interview is the element that separates Untold’s Odom treatment from the other docs he’s sat for over the years. She pulls back the curtain on their paparazzi romance – how she met Odom while working a $5,000 hosting gig for a party celebrating Ron Artest’s 2009 Lakers signing, how they married a month later, how he took an immediate interest in her family’s budding reality TV empire and pushed for a spin-off featuring just the two of them. She remembers Odom’s drug use and serial philandering quickly snowballing into a monstrous situation that had her searching for him in alleys, paying off hotel maids to keep stories out of the press and even frantically pumping his stomach when he overdosed.
“I felt such a responsibility to cover this up, hold it together and protect him,” she says, viewing herself as more of an enabler of Odom’s addiction in hindsight.
When an intervention in 2013 didn’t work, she filed for divorce, with both parties signing off in July 2015. Three months later, Odom was discovered unconscious at the Love Ranch – a legal brothel roughly equidistant between Las Vegas and the Mexican border.
“The drive itself was illuminating,” says Duffy, recalling how initial reporting of Odom’s medical emergency placed him in Las Vegas. “It was all double-wide trailers and fucking meth labs. Like, you are in dire straits if you find yourself out here. It gave me a better appreciation for the depths he had fallen to.”
Kardashian claims Odom’s estranged father would have pulled the plug on his son if she hadn’t intervened at the hospital – which still recognized her as his next of kin with their divorce unfinalized – and bought him off Odom Sr with $100, a pair of Nikes and a night’s hotel stay. She also suggests their marriage might have survived if Odom hadn’t continued to use drugs behind her back – the final straw coming when she caught him smoking crack months after being discharged.
Odom neither pushes back against Kardashian’s version of events nor shows much appreciation for the considerable efforts she made to save his life and reputation, sealing a twist in the tale. She transitions from reality-TV foil to hero, while he flips from sympathetic protagonist to unmistakable villain. Or at least that’s before considering the grip of addiction and its role in this story. Odom jokes about partying in Vegas and “marrying somebody” as the documentary wraps. Earlier this year, he voluntarily entered a 30-day rehab program for marijuana use after pleading not guilty to a DUI. (His case is set for a July trial.) Odom still seems to think like a user. But that’s not to suggest he’s irredeemable.
Untold shows him attempting to repair his relationship with his adult children. His son Lamar Jr shares a heart-rending story about Odom jilting them for the Lakers’ 2009 championship parade while Destiny recalls a post-emergency tour that took Odom everywhere – most notably Bryant’s farewell game – but never to therapy. Odom often harkens back to a recurring dream in which he sees Bryant again and is told “the afterlife is not what people make it out to be.” Worryingly, Odom appears curious enough to test his late teammate’s “message” – again. “He just acted like the coma thing never really happened,” Destiny says.
In an alternate telling, Odom’s survival story would be a profile in courage and clarity. The version he offers through Untold – raw, rough and bracingly real – delivers a far more authentic lesson. “When you make these docs, especially with athletes who are pretty well media trained and have been in the spotlight, they understand documentaries,” Duffy says. “We’ve been in this sports documentary boom for the better part of a decade now, so they understand them and usually work really hard – whether it’s true or not – to tie things in a tidy bow: ‘Yeah, look, I did have these struggles, but they’re gone. I overcame them. Here I am, the fully realized version of me that you always wanted.’ Lamar, to his credit, didn’t do that. As much as I’m sure that is a tax on the people around him, I appreciated the sheer honesty and vulnerability of that.
“The guy’s perspective is: ‘I survived this night in Nevada – where, by all accounts, I should be dead. There was divine intervention involved in my survival. And that means I need to do something. I need to find some meaning.’ But he doesn’t know what the fuck that is. Where he is now is in a place of just searching. And he’s comfortable with that uncertainty.”
Welcome to this edition of the Vancouver Canucks post-game analytics report. This recurring deep dive breaks down the analytics behind each Canucks game as recorded by Natural Stat Trick. In this article, we look back on Vancouver’s most recent 4-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Canucks struggled to generate scoring chances in this game. At even-strength, the Golden Knights held a 34-11 scoring chance advantage while also winning the high-danger scoring chances battle 11-9. Ultimately, it was the Kevin Lankinen show for Vancouver as he kept his team in the game until the end.
The heat map from this game shows Vegas' willingness to fire pucks from all over the ice. The Canucks big issue was the second period, where they were outshot 14-6 at even strength. It is hard to explain why the second period has been such an issue for Vancouver this season, as the Canucks are giving up goals in the middle frame almost every night.
Vancouver Canucks vs. Vegas Golden Knights, March 30, 2026, Natural Stat Trick.
To wrap this game up, Tom Willander led the team with an xGF% of 51.55. Vancouver also held an 11-8 shots advantage during his 21:01 of even-strength time. Willander is making the most of his opportunities late in the season and is showing he can develop into a solid top-four defender in the NHL.
The Canucks will start a back-to-back on Wednesday when they take on the Colorado Avalanche. These teams have played twice already this season, with the Avalanche picking up two victories. Game time is scheduled for 5:30 pm PT.
Mar 30, 2026; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vancouver Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen (32) makes a save against the Vegas Golden Knights during the first period at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
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Edward Cabrera started against the Angels’ Ryan Johnson, a comparatively inexperienced player (overall #74 in the 2024 draft). Neither have pitched yet this season. The Ryan Johnson Express derailed; Cabrera was as advertised. Ian Happ homered. What did I tell you?
Ryan will have better days. Dansby Swanson got his first hit of the season off Johnson. By that point, it was 6-0. Yoan Moncada clouted one for the Angels’ runs.
Matt Shaw is going to see more time in right, I suspect. Dylan Carlson might see a few at-bats, too, if Conforto continues to slump.
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SAN FRANCISCO, CA - MARCH 25: A general view of American flags being displayed during the national anthem before a MLB game between the New York Yankees and the San Francisco Giants on March 25, 2026 at Oracle Park in San Francisco, CA. (Photo by Trinity Machan/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
Today, I wanted to check in to see how everyone is feeling after the first series of the year for the San Francisco Giants, in which they were swept by the New York Yankees. Yes, I know they will have technically started the second series by the time you’re reading this, but you’re just going to have to live in the past with me because these are pre-written to post at the crack of dawn.
This is one of those seasons where I really have to laugh at myself. I start to get so excited for Opening Day to finally arrive after a long, cold, miserable winter. And I start to let myself get a little bit optimistic, despite knowing better.
And then the Giants actually start the season and it’s like we never even left the previous season. It’s like a weird form of a time loop, but instead of living out the same day over and over again, we’re cursed to live out the same mediocre baseball season forever and ever until the end of time.
But you know what, I’ll take it. Having baseball is still better than not having baseball. Even if the baseball in question isn’t good, or fun, or particularly entertaining. And, of course, it’s only the first three games. Literally anything could still happen this year so it’s silly to read too much into anything right now. But that’s never stopped us!
How are you feeling about the rough start to the season?
What time do the Giants play today?
The Giants continue their series against the San Diego Padres tonight at 6:40 p.m. PT.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 29: Kyle Karros #12 of the Colorado Rockies steals third base against the Miami Marlins during the seventh inning at loanDepot park on March 29, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Yesterday, The Athletic published their yearly survey of MLB fandoms and where they are on the “Hope-o-meter.” (Gift link here.)
The Colorado Rockies finished 27th, ahead of the Washington Nationals, Los Angeles Angels, and Minnesota Twins. Some 25.3% of fans said they felt “optimistic.”
(Surprising no one, Los Angeles Dodgers fans are 99.7% optimistic.)
Here’s how the Rockies number have trended since 2022:
2025: 8.8 percent (29)
2024: 4.6 percent (30)
2023: 1.8 percent (30)
2022: 17.2 percent (23)
So, this year’s 25.3% marks a substantial upward shift.
Staff from The Athletic selected four representative fan replies to represent the sample, going with three positive comments (mostly about the rebuild finally happening) and one negative one (the team is beyond fixing).
This survey arrived in my inbox at just the right time as I’d been pondering the Game Thread comments following the Rockies being swept in Miami and wondering if I needed to revise my thinking about the 2026 season.
If the Purple Row Site traffic is any indicator, Rockies fans are engaged and eager to see what this team can do. (I’m not sure the national media fully understands this yet.)
Yesterday, Sam Bradfield wrote about some overreactions to the opening series, and I guess I needed to remind myself that this is, in fact, a rebuild, and rebuilds take time. We are going to see some lows — like last weekend — and some highs — like last night.
And I appreciate my fellow Rowers reminding me that we are embarking on a climb that’s going to take time and be pretty awful on occasion. I mean, a best-case scenario is that the Rockies lose just under 100 games, and that still means a lot of losing waiting around the corner for us.
As Mario pointed out, this rebuild should have started years ago, and the delay has put the Rockies in the deep hole in which they fine themselves now.
It’s also a weird time in the season when we just don’t have enough data to know much of anything, so it’s not yet possible to determine if there’s progress. There’s just the losing with an occasional blowout and the waiting to see what happens.
So here are some things that I’m going to be watching for when I start to feel some purple despair (because I’ll forget how awesome that first game against the Blue Jays felt).
Let me start with this reminder from Jason Collette:
Yes, that’s Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman on that list. The first games of the season are not indicative of a player’s potential.
Second, as a teacher, I know better than anyone that improving at anything takes time, and that’s going to be true of where the Rockies are right now. Let’s see what they look like next month and the month after that and the month after that with the understanding that the Rockies have a tough starting schedule by any measure.
Plus, it’s going to be a learning season not just for the players but for the front office as well. President of baseball operations Paul DePodesta and general manager Josh Byrnes are going to be learning, too, as is the coaching staff. Look, you can’t say of a pitching philosophy “Everything is on the table,” and not expect some failure. Solving problems means accepting and learning from failure. As a fan, I have to remember that.
And we are going to see incremental improvements both with the Rockies and on the farm.
But we need to prepare for a lot of lows and enjoy a few highs.
On top of all of that, I need to remember to be thankful for the Purple Row community. We all have our moments of overreacting, but I feel like we also help each other see multiple perspectives. We’re a community, and one can’t just do better than being part of a great learning community.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - MARCH 30: Pitcher John Schreiber #46 of the Kansas City Royals reacts as the Royals defeat the Minnesota Twins 3-1 to win the opening day game at Kauffman Stadium on March 30, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) | Getty Images
If you missed anything about the Home Opener yesterday, everyone’s got you covered.
There was a wide range of emotions — from jubilation to heartwarming moments. The Royals honored late outfielder Terrance Gore with his family in attendance. His son, Zane, threw out the ceremonial first pitch, and it was a perfect strike.
“You know, I didn’t know Terrance at all,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said, “(but) these guys all knew him. And just to see his family, they were in Atlanta as well. I mean, super nice kids. Just to see his son tearing up there at the video, and then he goes out there and throws a laser to Gordo, that made me feel good. Very moving.”
The Royals faithful — all 39,320 in attendance — erupted with applause. And the moment set the stage for what became a 3-1 victory over the Minnesota Twins.
Six years ago, Kris Bubic made his Major League debut on July 31, 2020, which also happened to be the Royals’ home opener in that pandemic-shortened season.
He pitched that game in an empty stadium in front of cardboard cutouts. “Eerie” is the way he described it.
“Today, obviously a different story,” Bubic said.
Blair Kerkhoff covers the amazing start Salvador Perez has had in the ABS era.
Heading into Monday’s games, including the Royals’ home opener against the Minnesota Twins, Perez was a perfect 4-for-4 in challenging the home plate umpire’s ball-strike call.
Three occurred in the first game last Friday, a loss at the Atlanta Braves, and in the fifth inning with consecutive batters. In all three cases, Perez challenged a “ball” call by home plate umpire Doug Eddings, who originally ruled the pitches from Cole Ragans below the strike zone.
In each case, Perez was proven correct, a couple by tenths of inches.
The perfect streak ended in the Royals’ 3-1 victory on Monday. Perez went 1-for-2; a ball called by home plate umpire Alex Tosi was upheld.
John Sherman spoke about the stadium situation prior to the game. There’s not much to glean. AP News also covered that here. The phrase “sense of urgency” was written again, which I feel like they said 3 months ago?
What’s the latest on the search for a new stadium?
In short, as team owner John Sherman replied this time, same as he has for a while now: It’s to be determined.
But Sherman offered a bit more detail Monday on exactly what needs to be determined before the Royals announce where they plan to pursue a move when their lease expires in 2031.
“I think we would want to have site control and certainly the public financing in place before we announce it,” Sherman said when asked by The Star what needs to fall in place before making a decision. “There will be work still to do, but those two things are important.”
The NFL is moving to hire and train replacement referees because they did not learn any lessons from 2012’s replacement referee fiasco. I learned that the idea of using replacement referees was hilarious and I would relish the opportunity to see more nonsense while Mahomes “continues rehab” and the Chiefs games don’t matter.
It’s time for another LeBron James temperature check. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
He has embraced being the Lakers’ third option. The Big Three has figured things out. And the team is a contender.
It begs a question: If he returns for another season, is he more likely to play for the Lakers now?
While no one knows the answer except James, one thing is obvious. There’s a different feeling in the locker room now than there has been all season.
James went from saying “we’re not” a championship team after falling to the Thunder in January, to calling the Lakers “very resilient ” after a win over the Nets on Friday.
He went from acknowledging during All-Star break that one of the biggest questions for the team was “how much chemistry we can build,” to spending his off-days golfing alongside his teammates on a recent road trip during which the Lakers went 5-1.
Austin Reaves and LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers practice their golf swing before the game. NBAE via Getty Images
He went from lamenting that the Big Three hadn’t had enough time together to jell, to embracing being the team’s third option so they could become one of the most formidable offenses in the league.
Now, the Lakers have won 15 of their last 17 games, including going on a recent nine-game winning streak.
All of the sudden, a return to Los Angeles seems much more likely for James than it did just a short while ago.
Before this month, the Lakers were mired in drama and dysfunction.
James had to answer questions about his relationship with Lakers’ governor Jeanie Buss in January after an ESPN story alleged she had a myriad of frustrations with him and even privately pondered trading him.
The Big Three had only played 11 games together before the All-Star break because of injuries. And after the Lakers improved to 10-2 when Doncic and Reaves played without James, a narrative sprang up that the Lakers were better without the megastar.
James dribbles against Brooklyn Nets forward Ziaire Williams during the first half at LA’s Crypto.com Arena. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
For arguably the greatest player of all-time, whose name sits atop nearly every NBA record, why did he need all of that drama?
It seemed as though his time with the Lakers was coming to an end.
The Lakers had made it obvious that their top priority was building around Doncic. And James just seemingly wasn’t fitting into that equation.
Adding fuel to the rumor mill, James teared up during his return to Cleveland in January while watching a tribute video. If he didn’t retire, it seemed as though there was a real chance he’d want to finish his career where it all began.
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Now James has morphed his game to fit alongside Doncic and Reaves and the Lakers are soaring. After James had a 19-point, 15-rebound and 10-assist performance against the Heat on the second leg of a back-to-back on March 19, James, unprompted, took a dig at everyone who doubted him.
“I mean it sells papers a lot easier and clippings and podcasts if you say ‘LeBron, that their team is better off without him,'” James said. “A lot of people will try to like view it. So, I get it. But they’re absolutely wrong.”
James reacts after a play against the Orlando Magic at Kia Center. Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Over the last nine games, the narrative that the Lakers were better without him has been completely shut down.
He’s looking to pass first and fill in the gaps. He has become perhaps the best role player ever. He has opened up the court for Doncic to have scoring explosions and Reaves to shine. Oh, and the team’s third option just happens to be a four-time MVP who’s in a two-horse race with Michael Jordan for the GOAT title.
Good luck to the rest of the league in the playoffs.
At this stage in James’ career, the things that are important to him are obvious.
James wants a real shot at earning his fifth ring. That’s happening. The Lakers are in third place in the West and have found their stride with the playoffs around the corner.
And James wants to enjoy his time alongside his son, Bronny.
That’s happening, too.
James and Bronny James take on the Indiana Pacers, March 25 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana. NBAE via Getty Images
Last week, Bronny further silenced his detractors by playing meaningful minutes in two games. James and Bronny even made history with the first father-son assist in NBA history.
James is now enjoying himself. And that’s very important.
Recently, James revealed how he wants his NBA career to end.
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE - MARCH 30: GG Jackson #45 of the Memphis Grizzlies goes to the basket against Royce O'Neale #00 of the Phoenix Suns during the second half at FedExForum on March 30, 2026 in Memphis, Tennessee. 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. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I’m not gonna lie, there was a little bit of anxiety creeping in on Monday night as the Phoenix Suns battled through the first three quarters against the Memphis Grizzlies. Devin Booker was cooking. He was hyper-efficient, dropping 36 points through three quarters without taking a single free throw. Jalen Green looked right there with him, adding 21. Together, they had 57 of the Suns’ 91 points.
Devin Booker scored 36 points tonight without 1 free throw attempt. How many times has SGA scored 30+ without a FTA? Never. pic.twitter.com/bgyIfmMDFx
So yeah, that is where the concern set in. Not about how they were playing, but about how it would be perceived. Because you know how it goes. People check the box score, see the scoring totals, see the narrow lead, and the first reaction becomes that the offense is the problem. Too much isolation, not enough ball movement, not enough guys involved. We have seen that narrative before when both Booker and Green go off and the team still comes up short.
But that was not the story here.
The offense was fine. It was flowing, it was producing, it was doing exactly what it needed to do. The issue was on the other end. Defense, or more specifically, what was happening in the paint.
With Oso Ighodaro at the five, you are going to give some of that up. He brings a lot to the table. Connectivity, playmaking, switching. But rim protection is not his calling card. That is part of the equation, and Memphis knew it. Their plan was simple, and it is one we have seen teams lean into against Phoenix. Beat the initial defender, get downhill, and attack the interior. Over and over again.
Through three quarters, it worked. The Grizzlies had 46 of their 89 points in the paint, living at the rim, forcing rotations, and keeping the game tight despite the offensive output from Booker and Green. That is what kept it close. Not the shot diet, not the scoring distribution. It was the inability to consistently deter what Memphis wanted to do inside.
The fourth quarter saved everyone from that conversation, at least for a moment. The Memphis Grizzlies showed their hand, drifted away from what was working, stopped living in the paint, and the game flipped. At the same time, Collin Gillespie found his stroke, the Phoenix Suns found their rhythm, and suddenly it was a 40–16 quarter that turned a tight game into a 26-point win.
It matters. Win number 42 locks in a winning season. No matter what comes next, another small milestone in a year built on progress.
But it circles back to the original concern. There are times when frustration with the offense is warranted. That is part of the deal. More often than not, though, when things tighten or slip away, it traces back to what is happening inside. Interior defense, rim protection, and the ability to deter those downhill attacks. That is the pressure point.
And as the postseason gets closer, that is where the focus will be. Because once the games matter a little more, teams will lean into that weakness until you prove you can stop it.
Bright Side Baller Season Standings
Jalen’s efficient night against the Jazz moves him up the standings.
Bright Side Baller Nominees
Game 75 against the Girzzlies. Here are your nominees:
The 36-game sprint of a regular season has officially come to an end. By now, you probably caught wind that the Iowa Wolves have ended their 11-year postseason drought! Huzza!
Let’s review the month of March, and preview what’s to come in this edition of Eyes on Iowa Wolves.
Record: 6-2
Player of the Month: Zyon Pullin (27.7p, 3.3r, 6a, .667/.545/.903)
Recap: Iowa was in prime position for a spot in Winter Showcase tournament spot behind the strong play of their backcourt. Pullin, Tristen Newton, and Jules Bernard, all averaged over 20 points each, spearheading a league-best offense.
Record: 5-6
Player of the Month: Tristen Newton (26.4p, 4.6r, 4.9a, .506/.374/.830)
Recap: Iowa stumbled as they lost previous POTM, Zyon Pullin, to a wrist injury. They missed out on the Winter Showcase playoff tournament, but found their form to end the month thanks to Tristen Newton’s outstanding play.
Timberwolves rookie Joan Beringer also made his debut this month with some impressive performances of his own.
Record: 8-5
Player of the Month: Jules Bernard (26p, 5.5r, 5.9a, .473/.394/.812)
Recap: Iowa lost their best player, Tristen Newton, to the Rockets to start 2026. They course corrected to win 7 of their next 11 games thanks to the outstanding play of Jules Bernard and Alize Johnson.
Rookie Rocco Zikarsky was selected for the G League Next Up game during All-Star Weekend.
Record: 3-4
Player of the Month: Jalen Crutcher (22.1p, 3.7r, 6.7a, .535/.548/.846)
Recap: Alize Johnson departed for China, though Enrique Freeman filled in admirably. It was a tough month, but vets Jalen Crutcher and Jules Bernard helped the Wolves stay alive in the playoff race.
Jules Bernard signed a two-way contract for a few days (pay bump) before being replaced by Zyon Pullin, who won POTW in his first week back from injury.
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March Overview
Overall Month Record: 7-4
Current Regular Season Record: 21-15 Final Standing: 6th in Western Conference
The story of the Iowa Wolves season has been about battling back from adversity.
They started off the season in November strong. They were among the elite teams, overwhelming opponents with their league-best offense. Zyon Pullin was the lightning rod of the team. An avatar of Iowa’s style — Breakneck pace by attacking the paint, and limited, but efficient, three-point shooting. Unfortunately, a wrist injury took him out of the lineup for over two months. Iowa was able to tread water despite various roster changes to until Pullin finally returned late February amidst a skid of four losses in five games to end the month.
It just took a little time for Pullin’s impact to reflect in the win column.
A pair of dominant victories against the Rip City Remix helped keep their playoff dreams alive. Pullin averaged 28 points in those games while scoring on 20 of his 26 field goal attempts, enough to earn the G League Player of the Week honors.
Iowa ran into a buzzsaw that was the South Bay Lakers though. The Lakers were on a double-digit game win streak before dispatching the Wolves twice. Timberwolves rookie Joan Beringer was active and ultra productive for Iowa during a three-game losing streak though, providing some silver lining to his third assignment in the G League.
Speaking of temporary assignments, newly acquired Julian Phillips suited up for a pair of games against the Salt Lake City Stars. The 22-year-old shined, posting a career-high in points at any level of collegiate or professional play. He helped get Iowa back on track as they headed towards their final four games of the season with the playoffs on the line.
They nearly punched their ticket in a set of games against the Texas Legends. Iowa performed a miracle 16-point fourth quarter comeback in the first game, but dramatically lost the second. The Wolves most clutch player of the regular season, Jalen “Clutch” Crutcher, uncharacteristically missed a pair of free throws and a clean step-back three-pointer.
Regardless, they had done enough that a loss by the Santa Cruz Warriors a few days later secured a postseason berth. With nothing but playoff seeding to play for, Pullin and his teammates torched the Oklahoma City Blue by an average of 21 points to end the season.
Their positive momentum will hopefully carry them far into the postseason tournament.
Playoff Preview
In prior G League seasons, only the top six (or less) teams of each conference made the postseason. This season, they’re reintroducing the 16-team playoff bracket. There’s no need for asterisks though, as the Iowa Wolves finished as the sixth seed and will face the third seed Stockton Kings in the first round.
Every playoff series will be a single-elimination format until the Finals, where the format changes to a best-of-three.
Who are the Stockton Kings?
The Stockton Kings, contrary to their NBA affiliate, are no joke.
Sure, Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé named his daughter, a wildlife activist and aspiring pop star with zero professional basketball experience at any level, the Assistant General Manager of the Stockton Kings (She has since stepped down from her role). Yes, it was around that same time where an off-the-court scandal featuring one of the their players was charged with the kidnapping and murder of a woman two years ago (Ranadivé’s daughter may or may not have been involved). And okay, Stockton’s leading scorer is the 28-year-old veteran DaQuan Jeffries, who has played with five different NBA teams across six seasons and is married to the daughter of current unqualified Sacramento Kings Head Coach, Doug Christie.
That said.
On the court, they have been the number one seed in the Western Conference for four of their last five seasons. They’ve made back-to-back G League Finals, and won their first championship a year ago. They are a good basketball team.
Their roster does look considerably different than last season. First and foremost, their Finals MVP and three-time All NBA G League selection Mason Jones is now playing overseas. Their entire starting frontcourt from the playoffs, Skal Labissière, Isaiah Crawford, and Terry Taylor are no longer on the team. In fact, Taylor is now coming off the bench for Iowa (Institutional knowledge?). Of the Kings postseason lineup from their championship run, the only rotation players who are returning are Jon “Temu Alex Caruso” Elmore, and Dexter Dennis.
The Kings two-way players are Patrick Baldwin Jr., Isaiah Stevens, and Daeqwuan Plowden. Due to tanking the laundry list of a injury report, Plowden has been called up to Sacramento and has been playing well over 30 minutes a night for nearly two months. Stockton’s best player has been the aforementioned DaQuan Jeffries recently signed a 10-day contract with Sacramento and hasn’t been available for Stockton either.
The Kings are ninth in offensive rating, and 16th in defensive rating. They’re dead last in pace, where they’ll grind out possessions, moving the ball until they get a good shot as evidenced by their 64.3 assist percentage (Fourth) and 55.6% effective field goal mark (11th). They take the third most amount of threes per game, yet they convert on the second most three-point makes per game. A stark contrast to Iowa’s style of play.
On the other end of the court, they hold their opponents to just 33.2 three-point attempts per game, and 31.9% from distance when they do get shots off. Both of these marks are second-best in the league.
Matchup vs Iowa
The Iowa Wolves and Stockton Kings split their season series 1-1, both occurring in February and in California. The Wolves were led by the hot shooting of Jalen Crutcher and a near triple-double by Alize Johnson in his final game before departing overseas. Despite being without Pullin’s services, Iowa still eked out a five-point win without Pullin.
In the second contest three weeks later, the Kings cruised to an easy triumph courtesy of a 16-0 run that bridged the two halves together. The Wolves never recovered from there, as Stockton was on fire from deep. Three different players scored 25 points or more for the Kings, including bench reserve Antoine Davis, who poured in surprising and season-best seven triples. Across both games, DaQuan Jeffries averaged a ridiculous 34 points in this series, but as mentioned earlier, he may not be available for Stockton on Wednesday as Sacramento has a game against the Raptors.
Here is the tale of the tape:
Iowa
Stockton
OFFRTG
124.1 (5th)
122.7 (9th)
DEFRTG
119.1 (12th)
119.4 (16th)
NETRTG
5.0 (6th)
3.3 (10th)
eFG%
56.3 (7th)
55.6 (11th)
ORB%
30.3 (3rd)
26.1 (23rd)
TOV%
14.0 (17th)
13.6 (12th)
FTr
17.6 (15th)
16.9 (19th)
Pace
97.5 (9th)
93.4 (31st)
AST%
59.6 (17th)
64.3 (4th)
%3P
35.0 (20th)
47.7 (2nd)
By the numbers, Iowa should have a sizeable advantage. They’re the stronger team in terms of offensive and defensive rating. They score better in three of the Four Factors. They hold a ginormous pace advantage. However, Stockton holds a big edge in the ultimate wild card factor: Three-pointers. Nearly half of their field goal attempts are from distance, and for a team that shoots 37.4% from distance, that could be a problem. Another outlier night from perimeter could doom the Wolves as it did a month ago.
Iowa will travel to Stockton to face the Kings on Wednesday, April 1 at 8:30pm CT on Prime Video.
Joan & Julian Assignments
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - MARCH 25: Joan Beringer #19 of the Minnesota Timberwolves looks on before the game against the Houston Rockets on March 25, 2026 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Joan Beringer Full season stats: 11 GP | 29.5 MP | 14.6 PTS | 10.7 REB | 0.9 AST | 0.5 STL | 2.4 BLK | 1.3 TOV | 2.3 PF 62.7 FG% | 66.7 FT% Glass ceiling comp: Ultimate Giannis Antetokounmpo Boring mezzanine comp: Faster Jarrett Allen Dark basement comp: Taller Bismack Biyombo
Joan looked like prime Dwight Howard in his final four-game assignment with Iowa. He averaged:
20 points
15.3 rebounds
1 assist
1.8 blocks
68.6% field goal percentage
83.3% free throw percentage
Beringer was as dominant as the numbers looked despite having almost no plays called for him. His confidence as a play finisher has skyrocketed. He’s showing a much larger assortment of post moves, and deft touch around the rim. He’s even had a handful of dribble-drive finishes from outside the paint.
It’s likely that the Frenchman may have played his last game in Iowa considering his growth and opportunity moving forward for the Timberwolves.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - FEBRUARY 08: Julian Phillips #4 of the Minnesota Timberwolves looks on against the LA Clippers in the fourth quarter at Target Center on February 08, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Clippers defeated the Timberwolves 115-96. 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. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Julian Phillips Full season stats: 2 GP | 34.7 MP | 29.0 PTS | 8.5 REB | 1.5 AST | 1.0 STL | 0.5 BLK | 3.0 TOV | 2.0 PF 54.2 FG% | 30.8 3P% | 16.7 FT% Glass ceiling comp: Ideal Jerami Grant Boring mezzanine comp: Young Derrick Jones Jr. Dark basement comp: Smaller Josh Minott
Julian was really aggressive in his two-game stint with Iowa, to say the least. He led Iowa in field goal attempts in both games, averaging 24 shots per game. What was clearly evident was his ability to slither into the lane and use his length, athleticism, and craftiness to score.
He got to the cup at will.
Phillips is a dangerous cutter and transition player as well, with tremendous top-end speed and the ability to play fly above the rim. He was excellent in contest-and-release situations, often taking advantage of careless defenses. Coach Abdelfattah also used Phillips in defensive lineups, as his near seven-foot wingspan caused problems for opponents.
It’s hard to be too critical about his less than ideal shot selection. Often times when non-two-way players are sent on G League assignments, they’re sent with the goal of getting in reps. That said, Phillips does have a considerably long journey ahead of him in terms of his jump shot. He has a bit of a wonky shot release that results in shots either swishing through the cylinder, or not being close at all. The consistency is not there, as was reflected in his one for six mark from the charity stripe.
Two-Way Wolves Update
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 13: RoccoZikarsky of Timberwolves warms up before the NBA game 34 between Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors in San Francisco at Chase Center on March 13, 2026 in San Francisco, California, United States. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images) | Anadolu via Getty Images
Rocco Zikarsky Full season stats: 42 GP | 25.1 MP | 14.8 PTS | 8.9 REB | 0.9 AST | 0.6 STL | 2.5 BLK | 1.9 TOV | 2.2 PF 53.3 FG% | 30.8 3P% | 75.6 FT% Glass ceiling comp: Healthy Kristaps Porziņģis Boring mezzanine comp: Less athletic Jay Huff Dark basement comp: Shorter Tacko Fall
Rocco has really come into his own throughout the G League season. For the first month all season, Zikarsky averaged over 30 minutes per game in March. As a result, we saw him post his best scoring, rebounding and shot blocking marks of any month. Averaging a 19.5 point and 11.8 rebound double-double is amazing, but swatting away a ridiculous 5.2 blocks per game is mind-boggling. The Aussie finished second in the league in total blocks (103). His 8.4% BLK% would’ve been second in the NBA behind Victor Wembanyama.
Unfortunately, his three-point shooting has been anything but reliable. He showed signs of promise at the beginning of the season, but then really tailed off in February. His 31.6% mark from distance in March might not be exciting, but consider the fact that he went zero for 15 in February and you’ll be relieved to know that he even has the ability to score from beyond the arc.
At 19-years-old (20 in July), this isn’t to say Zikarsky can’t keep developing. Jump shooting tend to trend upwards, not downwards, as players get older. He still has upside and that’s all anyone should ask for from a 45th overall pick.
DES MOINES, IA - MARCH 28: Zyon Pullin #5 of the Iowa Wolves looks to pass the ball during the game against the Oklahoma City Blue on March 28, 2026 at Casey's Center in Des Moines, Iowa. 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 Jasey Bradwell/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Zyon Pullin Full season stats: 22 GP | 34.9 MP | 25.3 PTS | 4.2 REB | 6.2 AST | 0.9 STL | 0.2 BLK | 2.2 TOV | 2.3 PF 58.4 FG% | 53.4 3P% | 82.4 FT% Glass ceiling comp: Explosive Ajay Mitchell Boring mezzanine comp: Offensively skewed Tre Jones Dark basement comp: Devin Carter
What more can you say about Zyon that I haven’t already said about him at this point? I’ve been a Pullin truther since November and he’s only gotten better as the season progressed, despite a significant injury. Take a look at his month-by-month splits:
PTS
REB
AST
STL
3PM
3P%
NOV
27.7
3.3
6.0
0.7
1.7
54.5%
DEC (INJURY)
14.8
3.3
5.5
0.5
1.3
41.7%
FEB (RETURN)
26.7
4.0
5.7
0.7
1.7
42.9%
MAR
28.0
5.6
7.0
1.3
2.4
59.4%
With the loss of players like Tristen Newton and Alize Johnson, Pullin has shouldered even more of the workload in the past month. He’s picking up the playmaking hole left by the former, while attacking the glass to makeup for the loss of the latter. Most impressive has been his three-point shooting. Never known as a volume chucker from beyond the arc, Pullin has become an absolute sniper in recent games including a career-high six makes in his second to last game.
As mentioned in the February recap, Zyon isn’t a star on the defensive end of the court, but he has great court awareness and isn’t typically a defender that’s targeted by opponents. It’s clear that Iowa will only go as far as Zyon can pull them.
STOCKTON, CA - FEBRUARY 25: Enrique Freeman #25 of the Iowa Wolves drives to the basket during the game against the Stockton Kings on February 25, 2026 at Adventist Health Arena in Stockton, 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 Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jack Arent/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Enrique Freeman Full season stats: 39 GP | 33.2 MP | 16.5 PTS | 8.8 REB | 2.4 AST | 0.8 STL | 0.8 BLK | 1.8 TOV | 2.8 PF 54.6 FG% | 32.3 3P% | 73.8 FT% Glass ceiling comp: Poor man’s Paul Millsap Boring mezzanine comp: Trim Jared Sullinger Dark basement comp: Poor man’s Craig Smith
The oft-forgotten two-way player for the Wolves has steadily found his groove in recent months. He had a breakout February, averaging a 22.5 point, 10.5 rebound double-double while shooting 41.7% from distance. Though his 11-game March hasn’t been as good, he’s logged a repeatable and consistent 16.7 points and 9.2 rebounds per game averages while knocking down 36.6% of his triples.
Something that has stood out from Freeman has his been his increased playmaking skills. He’s averaged a career-best 3.5 assists this month while decreasing his turnovers down to just 1.5 per game. Enrique is a strong roll man who has made good decisions in the short roll, but also flashed some ability as an offensive hub at the top of the arc. The Puerto Rican has a dependable jump hook with either hand that Iowa can lean on in tough possessions.
Freeman will have a chance to prove himself on the defensive end in the postseason. He’s shown the ability to get deflections or go up for difficult rim contests, but he has to be more reliable on that end. I’d like to say that he is one of those players that acts before he thinks, often playing off instinct for better or worse. Sometimes he’ll wow you, but other times it’ll make some forehead slapping decisions.
Intriguing Prospects
DES MOINES, IA - MARCH 28: Jalen Crutcher #18 of the Iowa Wolves drives to the basket during the game against the Oklahoma City Blue on March 28, 2026 at Casey's Center in Des Moines, Iowa. 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 Jasey Bradwell/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Jalen Crutcher Full season stats: 34 GP | 35.3 MP | 18.4 PTS | 3.2 REB | 6.0 AST | 0.8 STL | 0.4 BLK | 2.0 TOV | 1.9 PF 46.9 FG% | 43.3 3P% | 83.6 FT% Glass ceiling comp: Better shooting Dennis Schröder Boring mezzanine comp: “We Have Cameron Payne at home” Dark basement comp: Ryan Nembhard in four years
Jalen Crutcher has slowly, but surely, become one of the most important players on the roster. Sure, Rocco gets a lot of fanfare as a seven-foot unicorn. Joan makes waves every time he’s violently throwing down a dunk or swatting a shot. Zyon’s emergence has become the story of the season for Iowa.
But Crutcher has become an invaluable engine to this team.
Ever since he took over as the full-time starting point guard after Tristen Newton signed with Houston, the 26-year-old has been the best ball handler, playmaker, and perimeter shooter for Iowa. In March, Crutcher was launching 9.5 three-point attempts per game and connecting on 41% of them. Many of those were of the dribble pull-up variety. When defenders play up on him, he beats them with his signature floater.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Crutcher is offered a lucrative contract elsewhere. This is his fifth year in the G League and he’s been a more than productive innings eater for multiple teams.
STOCKTON, CA - FEBRUARY 25: Jules Bernard #14 of the Iowa Wolves drives to the basket during the game against the Stockton Kings on February 25, 2026 at Adventist Health Arena in Stockton, 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 Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jack Arent/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Jules Bernard Full season stats: 45 GP | 34.0 MP | 22.1 PTS | 6.2 REB | 5.2 AST | 1.1 STL | 0.4 BLK | 3.4 TOV | 1.9 PF 42.0 FG% | 32.9 3P% | 79.3 FT% Glass ceiling comp: Norman Powell Boring mezzanine comp: Bigger Cole Anthony Dark basement comp: Discount Jaden Hardy
The return of Pullin and increased role for Crutcher has predictably limited Bernard’s role. He had a standout January, but has begun to regress back to his inefficient ways in the last two months. Jules has also dealt with some injuries and illnesses recently, perhaps impacting his play.
At his best, Bernard is an overqualified third option on offense. At his worst, he’s disrupting the offensive flow by calling his own number too often. His perimeter shooting has steadily declined from 38.3% in January, down to 25% in March. He’s still effective at getting to the paint and drawing contact, but he frequently gets caught in the paint with no second plan of attack if the whistle isn’t blown.
PHOENIX — OK, whoever wrote this Hollywood script has a merciless sense of humor.
Come on, this was supposed to be the first chapter of Justin Verlander’s glorious return, his first start in a Detroit Tigers uniform in 3,135 days, at the age of 43 years and 38 days.
Instead, it was a living nightmare Monday night for the future Hall of Famer and the oldest athlete in major North American team sports.
Verlander took the loss, and lasted just 3 ⅔ innings, giving up six hits, five earned runs and two walks with one strikeout.
It took Verlander 20 pitches to record his first out.
It was 2-0 after the first four batters.
It was 5-0 after the first 11 batters.
The Diamondbacks had a homer, triple, double and three singles by the third inning. All-Star outfielder Corbin Carroll had a triple, homer and four RBIs by the second inning, becoming only the second player to accomplish the feat in an entire game against Verlander, joining Denard Span.
The Diamondbacks scorched six balls over 100 mph the first two innings, and Verlander didn’t produce a single strikeout until the 15th batter he faced. He recorded only six swings and misses in his 80-pitch outing.
"It sucks, not the way I obviously wanted it to go," Verlander said, "which is disappointing for myself more than anybody else in the world. … You spend all spring training working on stuff, feel OK, and then the first game of the season felt like nothing was right. ...
"They had way too many good swings on most of my pitches. I need to be better."
It was a season debut that Verlander hopes to flush from his memory as quickly as possible, certainly before his next scheduled start Sunday, April 5, in a nationally televised game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Detroit’s Comerica Park.
Still, despite the ugliness, Verlander refused to give in. He finished his outing by retiring seven of the final nine batters he faced, leaving after 80 pitches. He stayed in the dugout for awhile after he was pulled from the game, standing next to Tigers manager A.J. Hinch, lamenting his performance.
"I got some outs, but I wouldn’t consider it progress," Verlander said. "I think it was much of the same, to be honest."
It’s premature, and perhaps foolish for anyone to start panicking over Verlander. It was just one start against one of the league’s finest hitting teams in Arizona. Verlander got off to a slow start last season for the San Francisco Giants, too, going 0-7 with a 4.70 ERA in the first half compared to 4-4 with a 2.99 ERA the second half.
"I don’t think what I did today is sustainable," he said. "If that’s the way hitters are going to react against me, I need to be sharper than that."
Verlander already has ideas swirling in his head before his next start, knowing he has three Cy Young awards and 266 victories for a reason. He wouldn’t have come back if he thought he’d be a detriment. He knows he can still be successful, and plans to prove it.
"Obviously, he’s thinking about some different things, pitch mechanics, or whatever it may be." Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler said. "He’s a perfectionist, and he’s one of the best to ever do it. So it’s kind of cool to see the constant drive that he has. It’s cool that each game he’s trying to get better and get better."
The Tigers’ confidence in Verlander refuses to wane, even after a spring in which he yielded a 6.75 ERA, giving up seven homers in 14 ⅔ innings. Tigers pitchers can’t stop raving about what he has meant to their staff, and are convinced vintage Verlander will surface again.
"It’s been a ton of fun to be with him," two-time Cy Young award winner Tarik Skubal tells USA TODAY Sports. "Just his eagerness to want to get better and his preparation, not that I didn't expect it, it's just like to a level that I didn't really know was possible.
"He's invested in everything going on. That's something I can easily pick up on and apply to my game the attention to detail he is on every single specific thing. It's really impressive. He’s 43 years old and still locked in. He's locked in for my bullpens. He's locked in for the other guys’ bullpens. He's locked in on days I pitch on what I'm doing.
"It's really cool."
The Tigers didn’t sign Verlander to a one-year, $13 million contract for sentimental purposes. They know he can be a solid No. 4 starter, replacing Reese Olson, who underwent labrum surgery. Yet, they also see the impact he makes behind the scenes, what he means to this passionate fanbase, and believe he can take them where they haven’t gone in 42 years:
The World Series championship.
"It definitely got me excited when I heard Justin was coming back here," said Tigers closer Kenley Jansen, who’s just 23 saves shy of 500 and a ticket to Cooperstown. "He’s definitely a Detroit legend, a first ballot Hall of Famer. I can only imagine what it does for the fans.
"But for us, guys like me, my first year in Detroit, it’s definitely fired me up."
Hinch vividly remembers Verlander walking through the Houston Astros clubhouse doors for the first time after being traded in 2017, in between games of a doubleheader, and just what his presence meant to the entire team.
Two months later, the Astros were celebrating their first World Series championship with Verlander going 5-0 with a 1.06 ERA in five regular-season starts, and 4-1 with a 2.21 ERA in the postseason.
"When he walked through the doors," Hinch said, "is when I first felt the magnitude of what it was like to have Justin Verlander on your team, and how he raises everyone's play around him. He’s been incredible ever since …
"He’s fit in extremely well with this club, the personality of this team and the preparation surrounding this team."
While Verlander’s parents and family were at the game Monday, it will be a whole different vibe in his next start in Detroit. It’s a day Tigers fans have been anticipating since he signed, with Scott Harris, Tigers president of baseball operations, receiving more positive feedback than any move he made since joining the team.
"He's been a huge boost," Harris said. "In addition to what he can do on the field, off the field, the leadership and the wisdom that he shares with this young group is incredible. There are players asking him questions all the time about how he would approach certain situations. But the thing that I was struck by is how many of our players take notice of his work and how he approaches things.
"When he throws a bullpen, he is obsessed with every detail on every single pitch. That's just a habit and a practice that has served him well in his career. He's going to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer because of the talent, but also like the way he approaches the game and how prepared he is. It’s already rubbing off on our young guys."
Verlander, who made 380 starts for the Tigers before being traded Aug. 31, 2017, to the Astros, joins Don Sutton of the Los Angeles Dodgers as the only pitchers in baseball history to make the first 380 starts of their career for one team, leave and start at least 175 games elsewhere, and then return to his original team.
It’s reminiscent of Hall of Famer Tom Seaver returning to the New York Mets after making 360 starts and leaving, and Hall of Famer Tom Glavine who returned to Atlanta after making 505 starts, departing as a free agent, and returning.
"I think the home start is really what will hit our guys because of the fan reaction," Hinch said, "the Old English D being on his chest will hit a little bit different."
Said Skubal: "That one Sunday is going to be pretty special. I know it’s scheduled to rain, but I expect 40,000. It’s going to be like a playoff environment."
Maybe, the emotional return will bring back a vintage Verlander, too.
