Feb 26, 2026; Peoria, Arizona, USA; Cleveland Guardians center fielder Angel Martinez (1) reacts after hitting a single against the Seattle Mariners in the first inning at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
The Guardians lost 1-3 to the Rangers today, but there were some positive takeaways. First and foremost, Slade Cecconi looked solid despite giving up two runs in 2.2 IP. He recorded four strikeouts to just one walk. It’s worth noting that he threw a ton of cutters today, and that was a pitch we didn’t see all that much from him last season. That will be something to keep an eye on.
Angel Martinez continues to prove that he is a very viable hitter against left handed pitching, as he went 2-2 with a HR and 108 mph double against LHP Austin Gomber. I really wish he would just scrap switch hitting and try to hit as a right handed hitter full time to see it went. He is up to a .385 average and a 1.500 OPS this spring.
Outside of that there wasn’t much offense today for the Guardians, as most of the regulars had a day off. The Guardians play the Dodgers tomorrow at 3:05 pm ET and it will be televised.
WEST PALM BEACH, FL - MARCH 02: Ezequiel Tovar #14 of Team Venezuela poses for a photo during the Team Venezuela photo day at Cacti Park at the Palm Beaches on Monday, March 2, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Kevin Liles/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The World Baseball Classic starts this week, and the Colorado Rockies have 11 players representing various countries:
The Rockies will face off against Team USA in an exhibition game at Salt River Fields on Wednesday, and Kyle Freeland will face his former team.
So the question tonight is this: which team are you rooting for in the WBC? Who do you think could make some noise?
Mar 2, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Cam Thomas (24) shoots against Boston Celtics guard Hugo Gonzalez (28) in the first half at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
The Celtics didn’t have their usual stars on hand Monday night against the Milwaukee Bucks, but like many nights this season, it didn’t matter. The Prove-It Unit made a statement. Behind a relentless bench performance and a breakout night from Hugo Gonzalez, Boston turned a competitive game into a runaway road win.
First Quarter
Milwaukee struck first, with Giannis Antetokounmpo scoring the game’s opening basket at the 10:53 mark. The Celtics responded quickly. Hugo Gonzalez got Boston on the board with a driving finish just under a minute later, then followed it up with a dunk in transition to settle things early.
Sam Hauser connected from behind the arc at 9:04, his first of the night, to keep Boston within striking distance as both teams traded possessions in the opening minutes.
Coming out of the first TV timeout, the Celtics’ bench group shifted the tone.
After Nikola Vucevic scored inside with a hook, Payton Pritchard checked in around the six-minute mark. Ron Harper Jr. then entered shortly after and made an immediate impact, drilling a no-hesitation corner three at 4:39 and recording multiple blocks on the defensive end. Boston’s energy picked up during that stretch, particularly on the glass.
Luka Garza contributed on the offensive boards, extending possessions and finishing around the rim. Jordan Walsh didn’t score in the quarter but tied for the early rebounding lead with four boards. Nine Celtics appeared in the opening period and eight of them scored.
Milwaukee stalled a bit when Giannis Antetokounmpo went to the bench, and Boston capitalized. Sam Hauser closed the quarter with a missed three, grabbed his own rebound, and, à la Larry Bird, converted a circus midrange shot just before the buzzer. The Celtics led 30–20 after one.
Second Quarter
Boston continued to build the lead early in the second.
A Bucks travel led to a quick transition opportunity for the Celtics, where Hauser hit a no-dip wing three off a pass from Vucevic — the catch-high, release-high shot that he and Baylor Scheierman frequently practice, as CelticsBlog’s Noa Dalzell noted.
Gonzalez recorded a chasedown block from behind and later finished in transition after Pritchard pushed the pace, converting the and-one at the line. Through the middle of the quarter, the Celtics’ Prove-It Unit kept the game tilted in Boston’s favor with activity on both ends.
Antetokounmpo returned around the 9:20 mark and immediately impacted the game, dunking in transition over Derrick White and later beating Gonzalez off the dribble for another finish at the rim. Milwaukee briefly gained momentum, but Boston responded.
Gonzalez hit a corner three at 7:57 to make it 43–24. Pritchard and White both connected from deep as the Celtics’ lead grew to 52–30 with 6:20 remaining in the quarter. Milwaukee answered with threes from Bobby Portis, Kevin Porter Jr., and Dieng to stay within reach.
Defensively, Boston was active in help situations and forced multiple turnovers. Gonzalez stripped Antetokounmpo on one possession, and Garzilla continued to clean up on the offensive glass on the other side.
Luka Garza hasn't played much since Boston got Nikola Vucevic. But tonight is a good example of the "stay ready" role and making the most of things when you get minutes. 7 points and 4 rebounds (3 offensive) in the first half. Great energy and hustle, as we've come to expect too.
The Celtics’ lead reached 22 before a late stretch of sloppy play allowed Milwaukee to chip away. A few turnovers and missed shots in the final two minutes helped the Bucks cut the deficit to 14 at halftime. Mazzulla appeared frustrated with the final possession after Boston turned the ball over rather than getting a clean look.
Still, the Celtics controlled most of the half and went into the break up 54–40.
Third Quarter
Milwaukee opened the half aggressively.
Hauser hustled out to block an AJ Green three on the first possession, but Vucevic airballed his third attempt from deep on the other end. Giannis Antetokounmpo began to impose himself, finishing through contact and converting an and-one at the 10:49 mark to cut the lead to single digits.
Vucevic steadied things briefly with a soft finish inside off a White feed, but Antetokounmpo continued to pressure the rim, bullying his way to another layup as the deficit dipped to nine.
Boston answered.
Hauser drilled a contested three from the wing, and Gonzalez recorded his second career double-double at the 9:30 mark. Fifteen seconds later, he buried a corner three to push the lead back to 15.
White and Vucevic re-established their two-man rhythm, connecting inside to make it 67–50 with 8:33 remaining. That capped a 10–0 Boston run in under two minutes.
From there, the Celtics’ Prove-It Unit swung momentum again.
Gonzalez blocked a perimeter attempt, sprinted the floor and finished on a cut to reach 15 points. Hauser connected on another contested three at 7:28. Gonzalez later absorbed contact in the post to draw an offensive foul on Antetokounmpo.
By the six-minute mark, Boston’s lead was back to 23.
Milwaukee responded with threes from Portis and Dieng, trimming the deficit during a 15–5 stretch. A successful Bucks challenge overturned a Ron Harper Jr. finish at the rim, and tensions rose briefly after a jump ball sequence involving Luka Garza and Porter Jr.
Boston closed the quarter cleanly. White converted a tough reverse layup to halt the run, and after another Milwaukee turnover, the Celtics secured the final possession for the third straight quarter. Pritchard delivered, stepping back for a high-arching midrange jumper that fell just before the buzzer.
Boston left little doubt early in the final frame.
Vucevic opened the quarter with a finish inside to push the lead back to 20. Milwaukee struggled to generate clean offense, including an airballed three and a sloppy sideline turnover as Giannis Antetokounmpo checked back in at the 10:27 mark.
Pritchard stretched the margin further at 10:10, drilling a deep three to give him 16 points and seven assists at that point. On the other end, Antetokounmpo missed at the rim but drew a late whistle on Gonzalez. Cam Thomas later earned free throws after strong help defense from White was wiped away by a foul call on Vucevic.
Boston stayed composed.
White continued orchestrating, finding Vucevic for another interior finish to make it a 21-point game again. After Antetokounmpo missed a wide-open three that rattled out, the Celtics delivered what felt like the decisive sequence.
Walsh grabbed an offensive rebound to extend the possession, and Pritchard — after missing a step-back — relocated beyond the arc. Walsh found him again. This time it dropped. Bucks timeout. Boston up 24 with 7:45 remaining.
From there, the gap only widened.
Gonzalez secured his 14th and 15th rebounds of the night as Milwaukee continued to miss at the rim against Boston’s layered help defense. White knocked down a contested three to reach 18 points and nine assists before checking out for the night. Pritchard followed with another deep three as the lead touched 30, drawing another timeout from Doc Rivers.
Hugo Gonzalez is only the 2nd Celtic rookie to have at least 18 points, 16 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks in a game.
The other? Larry Bird against Detroit (23-19-3-2 on 11/14/79)
Scheierman added a late three and flashed a thumbs-up toward the bench. Tonje checked in with 2:30 remaining for just his second appearance as a Celtic, joined by Amari Williams and Max Shulga in the final minutes.
Gonzalez put the finishing touch on his 18-point, 16-rebound performance with a late three in the closing minute, sealing a dominant road win that pushed the Celtics to 41–20 on the season.
Boston will return home Wednesday to face the Charlotte Hornets.
South Australia’s hopes of qualifying for the Sheffield Shield final has received a timely boost, with Australian superstar Travis Head confirming his availability for this week’s crucial clash against New South Wales in Adelaide.
The Chicago Blackhawks officially made their first notable move of trade deadline week, as they dealt defenseman Connor Murphy to the Edmonton Oilers. This was after the right-shot defenseman was the subject of trade rumors for quite some time.
Yet, there is certainly a chance that the Blackhawks might not be done yet, as they have multiple other trade candidates to watch. Due to this, let's look at four Blackhawks who could be on the move next.
Jason Dickinson
Jason Dickinson is another veteran pending UFA who has a chance of being dealt by the deadline. With the Blackhawks having several promising young forwards in their system, it would make sense if they at least listened to offers on Dickinson. He could get them a decent return when noting that he is a solid veteran two-way center.
Ilya Mikheyev
Ilya Mikheyev is the pending UFA that the Blackhawks should be working hardest to sign to a contract extension. He has been a great addition to their roster since his arrival, as he has been a fantastic penalty-killer and has chipped in offensively. Yet, if the Blackhawks can't come to terms with him on an extension by the deadline, he could be a valuable trade chip for them to move.
Nick Foligno
If Nick Foligno lets the Blackhawks know that he wants to play for a contender, the veteran forward could end up being moved. At 38 years old, he likely will not have too many more chances to try to win the Stanley Cup, so it would be understandable if he wanted to play for a top team. However, if he wants to finish the year in Chicago, the Blackhawks won't be moving him.
Matt Grzelcyk
Grzelcyk is another pending UFA who could generate some interest from contenders. The Massachusetts native could be a nice addition to a playoff team's bottom pairing. He also has a lot of playoff experience due to his time with the Boston Bruins, so that adds to his appeal.
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Wins turned losses
As the calendar flipped to the first full month of the college baseball season, the Huskies ushered March in harshly, letting a series win — and not inconceivably, a sweep — fall through their fingertips this weekend.
UConn led late in all three games, held UNC Wilmington to just five runs through the first 28 innings of the weekend but secured just one win on Friday before blowing eighth-inning leads on both Saturday and Sunday to lose 2-1 and 7-2, respectively.
It was the kind of weekend that made Jim Penders say: “I don’t have any answers.”
Photo: UConn Athletics
Let’s recap…
Reigning Big East Pitcher of the Week Charlie West took the ball to start UConn’s lone win. He battled control issues as he walked six but limited the damage to two earned runs across four-plus innings thanks to nine strikeouts.
“(West) doesn’t get rattled, he kept competing,” Penders said postgame. “He didn’t have his command today, obviously, a lot of freebies from the mound. But he stayed in there, he kept battling. You want him out there because he has such a calm demeanor.”
Los Medanos transfer Chase Taylor followed up a solid weekend in Arizona with his first multi-RBI performance at the Division I level. The junior brought Chris Polemeni home with a bases-loaded walk in the second before doubling in the fourth, his first extra base hit of the season, to even the score at two runs apiece.
The score remained until the ninth when the Huskies plated three to jump out front. Nater Wachter recorded an RBI single, Bryce Detwiler scored on a wild pitch and Jackson Marshall pushed another across with a walk, giving UConn the lead and a pair of insurance runs heading to the ninth. Charlie Hale recorded the win, pitching 4 1/3 strong in relief of West, allowing just three baserunners and striking out four.
The Huskies late-inning heroics dried up by Saturday, however, as the Seahawks tied the series with a 2-1 walk off victory in the 12th.
The Huskies led 1-0 entering the eighth inning on the shoulders of Cayden Suchy, who twirled seven shutout innings and allowed just four hits. The lone RBI came courtesy of a Chris Cancel double, but the lead disappeared in Paxton Meyer’s first inning in relief. The righty allowed a single, a sac bunt to advance a runner, and a game-tying double.
Meyers settled in, retiring 11 hitters in a row until the fateful 12th inning. In three outings since allowing four earned in one inning to Kansas State, the Brown transfer has thrown 8 1/3 innings, allowing just the aforementioned earned run.
UConn served up the win on a gold platter in the 12th, botching a bunt play to all a walk-off. With a pair on, UNCW pinch hitter Brady Thompson laid a sacrifice bunt down in front of the pitcher’s mound. Third baseman Maddix Dalena charged in to field the ball, but checked to see if there was a potential play at third base. A rushed throw to first sailed into the outfield and Seahawks’ shortstop Kevin Jones trotted all the way around from second to score the winning run with ease.
From the seventh inning on, UConn managed a base runner in all but the 11th. Three times they were caught stealing, stranding all others in a disappearing act from the offense.
“The bats were abysmal,” Penders said. “Aside from Chris Polemeni, Chris Cancel… we didn’t do anything offensively.”
“Seemed like we saved our worst at-bats for whenever anybody was on second base,” he continued.
Sundaysaw the Huskies again blow a late-inning lead, allowing a six-run eighth-inning explosion as the Seahawks ripped away a 7-2 win and the series victory.
Despite the lopsided final score, UConn needed just six outs to lock down a would-be 2-1 win. A fourth inning home run from Will Tyrrell gave the Seahawks a 1-0 advantage, though Nater Wachter stole it back in the sixth with an opposite-field two-run home run, his second of the season.
A second-straight solid start for Oliver Pudvar also helped UConn’s cause. The left-hander went five innings as he fanned seven and allowed just one run to keep the Huskies within striking distance. Greg Shaw III gave UConn a pair of scoreless innings before turning the ball over to closer Sean Finn, who was quickly jumped by the Seahawks’ offense.
Finn lasted just 2/3 of an inning, completely losing sight of the strike zone as he allowed a slew of base runners, including four straight walks to end his day. Garret Garbinski came on, inheriting bases loaded, and allowed a barrage singles to blow the game open. Between the two UConn pitchers, seven straight Seahawks reached base in the deciding inning. Finn penciled four earned to his ledger before Garbinski recorded a strike out to put a bandaid on the lost frame.
An Anthony Belasario double was moot in the ninth as the Huskies never threatened a comeback, giving the win and the series away in one fell swoop. A 4-7 record hangs over UConn’s heads as it prepares to host its first home game of the season Wednesday.
“We had our best swings in the ninth inning after it was out of reach,” Penders said. “You can’t play this game afraid. I hope our hitters can take a lesson from our starting pitchers all weekend. See the confidence that they had… the anxiety is all over (the hitters’) faces. It’s oozing out of their bodies, and that’s gotta change. We don’t have a drill for that. We don’t have a pill for that. Twenty percent of the season is gone. There’s got to be a sense of urgency.”
Ouch.
Photo: UConn Athletics
Takeaways
The UConn lineup has been streaky and this weekend was without a doubt its worst of the young season. The Huskies swatted just .121 on the weekend while striking out 37 times. They were outscored by the Seahawks in the aggregate, 11-8.
Where UConn did find consistency was the defensive side of the ball. Save for the debilitating Dalena error in game two — a big exception — the Huskies played a clean weekend of defensive baseball. Dalena’s blunder was UConn’s lone error on the weekend and the team turned four double plays, including three on Sunday night.
While the Huskies struggled with batted balls, UConn earned 18 free passes, with 13 coming on walks and 5 on hit batsmen. It isn’t enough to make up for the high strikeout totals in each contest, but it does demonstrate some semblance of plate discipline.
Playing good fundamental baseball is laudable, but it doesn’t win ballgames.
Still, the Huskies are going to need more out of their role players in games where their bigger bats, such as Evan Menzel and Jackson Marshall, can’t get it done. On the weekend, Menzel and Dalena both went hitless across a combined 25 at bats, while Marshall recorded a singular hit in 12 at bats. The two left eight runners on base over the three-game set.
The injuries are hard to ignore. Tyler Minick, Connor Lane — Jim Penders confirmed he took a ball off the face during batting practice that will sideline him for the time being — and Rob Rispoli were all absent from the lineup this weekend. Perhaps their return could inject some life into a floundering offense.
Weekend Winners
Chris Polemeni and Chris Cancel
Polemeni finds himself on the list for the second-straight week and did plenty to earn that honor. Hitting .625 this weekend, the outfielder gave the Huskies five hits, including a three-knock performance on Sunday.
The redshirt junior could not sit still on base. He went an aggressive 5-for-6 on stolen base attempts, wreaking havoc on the base paths for the Huskies and scoring four of UConn’s 8 runs. A slight knock for his lone caught stealing in the seventh inning of Saturday’s loss when an insurance run could have prevented the 12th-inning meltdown.
“Chris Polemeni had an awesome weekend. Really proud of him,” Penders said. “Chris Cancel, a guy who didn’t have a single at-bat coming into the weekend, he looked like he wanted to be out there… both Chris’ had nice weekends.”
Cayden Suchy
Suchy once again shined against the Seahawks. With seven shutout innings, it was his first scoreless appearance of the season and his longest. He also threw nine less pitches than in his 6 2/3 inning start against Arizona. Not only are the results improving, but he is becoming more efficient in achieving them.
The sophomore also posted a career-high 12 strikeouts against just one walk. Suchy has pitched well enough to be considered an early season Big East Pitcher of the Year candidate.
Nater Wachter
Wachter had his best weekend as a Husky. The outfielder posted a pair of multi-hit games and provided three RBI over the course of the weekend.
The junior notched a pair of clutch hits, driving in the go-ahead run in Game 1 and homering in the middle innings of Game 3 to give the Huskies their only lead of the day.
Charlie Hale
Hale was exceptional once again in relief on Friday. After West departed, Hale picked up the final 4 ⅔ innings and allowed just one hit and a pair of walks in his second scoreless outing of the season and second win.
Over four appearances and one start, the right hander has now worked to a minuscule 1.23 ERA.
“Hale did an awesome job. He loves to compete and he’s fun to watch,” Penders said. “He doesn’t light up the radar gun (but) it doesn’t matter. He’s gonna take on the hitter and throw a lot of strikes and kind of calm the waters a bit.”
Oliver Pudvar
Pudvar has picked up steam with each start. What stuck out for Pudvar in this one was his seven strikeouts. After punching out just three in each of his first two starts, the lefty showed renewed swing-and-miss potential for the first time this season while also keeping the walk total low. It seems the lefty is back to business, having struck out 73 last season, good for the second-best total.
The redshirt junior walked just one in the outing after allowing no free passes in his second start. That combination of limiting contact and emphasizing control could be dangerous if he shows that he can demonstrate it consistently. Pudvar can shine in a late-weekend starting role after he was relied upon so heavily last season to be an ace.
Huskies in the Pros
In the absence of any RPI or Bracketology updates, we will use this space this week to highlight a few former UConn ballplayers continuing their careers throughout different levels of professional ball.
George Springer
The greatest position player in UConn baseball history is still getting it done late in his illustrious MLB career. Springer had a monstrous season last year at age 35, hitting .309 with 32 homers as the Blue Jays advanced as far as Game 7 of the World Series. Entering the final season of a six-year, $160 million contract he signed prior to the 2021 season, Springer has appeared in just two games of spring training as he ramps up for the new year.
Ben Casparius
On the other side of the World Series was Ben Casparius, who appeared in 46 games for the Dodgers last year, recording over 75 innings with an ERA a touch over 4.50. In two innings thus far this spring, he’s allowed one home run, his lone baserunner. The two-time World Series champ should be a mainstay in Los Angeles’ bullpen as it eyes its third-straight title.
P.J. Poulin
Poulin made his MLB debut last year and appeared in 28 games for the Nationals in the second half. The southpaw recorded a 3.65 ERA, striking out 27 and walking 13 in 24 2/3 innings. His spring is off to a good start as he hopes to remain a fixture of Washington’s bullpen in 2026, pitching three scoreless innings.
Anthony Kay
After two seasons in Japan with the Yokohama Bay Stars, Kay returned stateside to join the White Sox on a two-year, $12 million deal, signed in December. The lefty last appeared in the MLB in 2023 with the Mets and aims to slot in at the back of Chicago’s rotation. In two starts this spring, Kay had pitched 4 2/3 innings, allowing two earned with four strikeouts and four walks apiece.
Ryan Daniels
The Twins plucked Daniels from UConn in the MLB draft and quickly sent the 2025 Big East Player of the Year to Single-A ball. He played just two games for the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels, failing to record a hit in nine plate appearances. Daniels landed on the injury report multiple times before retiring in December of 2025, according to MILB.com’s Mighty Mussels transaction report.
Ian Cooke
Cooke joined the MLB Draft League following his final season in Storrs, looking to boost his stock after going undrafted in 2025. The righty appeared in 14 games for the Frederick Keys, going 3-1 with a 2.84 ERA across 19 innings, striking out 33. The 2026 MLB Draft League season is set to get underway in June.
Brady Afthim
The Reds took Afthim in the 13th round of last summer’s draft, assigning him to rookie ball with the ACL Reds in August. Less than a month later, he was promoted to Class A’s Daytona Tortugas of the FSL. The closer had just a quick cup of coffee, two innings pitched, before the season’s end, but he is still listed as active on MiLB.com, presumably in Reds minor league camp ahead of the 2026 season.
Sam Biller
Biller signed with the Mets as an undrafted free agent following the 2025 season. He played six games with the Single-A affiliate St. Lucie Mets, recording 4 hits in 17 at-bats (.235 AVG) with one double, one RBI and three walks. Biller was released by the Mets last month.
On Deck
The Huskies take the field at Elliot Stadium for the first time since May 17, when they hosted former Black Bear turned UConn infielder Evan Menzel and Maine in a 5-1 win. New Haven, playing their first season as a Division I program, will make the short trip before the Huskies head to Virginia for three with Old Dominion.
Wednesday: vs. New Haven, Storrs, CT, 7 p.m. (UCONN+)
Friday: at Old Dominion, Norfolk, VA, 2 p.m. (ESPN+)
Saturday: at Old Dominion, Norfolk, VA, 2 p.m. (ESPN+)
Sunday: at Old Dominion, Norfolk, VA, 1 p.m. (ESPN+)
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Magic City is famous throughout Atlanta. Photograph: Prince Williams/WireImage
San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet has called on the Atlanta Hawks to abandon their collaboration with a famous strip club.
Magic City is an Atlanta institution and been mentioned in a string of hip-hop records, as well as hosting rappers such as Drake, Lil Yachty, Migos, Jack Harlow and Future. It is also popular with athletes: past visitors have included Michael Jordan, while MLS’s Atlanta United celebrated their title at the club in 2018. The club gained widespread attention in 2020 when the Los Angeles Clippers’ Lou Williams visited the club after leaving the NBA’s quarantine bubble during the Covid pandemic.
The Hawks recently announced a theme night with Magic City for their game against Orlando Magic on 16 March. The night will feature a performance from Atlanta native TI, while fans will be able to buy Magic City’s famous wings and branded hoodies.
However Kornet, a devout Catholic, said he disapproves of the night, writing in a Medium post that it “would reflect poorly on us as an NBA community, specifically in being complicit in the potential objectification and mistreatment of women in our society.”
In a press release, the Hawks said Magic City is an “iconic cultural institution,” and praised “its pivotal role in hip-hop and Black culture.”
However, Kornet noted that the press release made no mention of the fact that Magic City “is, as the business itself boasts, ‘Atlanta’s premier strip club.’”
Kornet added that he believed the night was inappropriate for many NBA fans.
“We desire to provide an environment where fans of all ages can safely come and enjoy the game of basketball and where we can celebrate the history and culture of communities in good conscience,” he wrote. “The celebration of a strip club is not conduct aligned with that vision.”
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 05: Stephen Curry #30 talks with Will Richard #3 of the Golden State Warriors during the first half against the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center on February 05, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Warriors defeated the Suns 101-97. 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 Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Golden State Warriors failed to beat a Southern California team on Saturday. They’ll try again tonight. Two days after a blowout loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Warriors are hosting the LA Clippers tonight at the Chase Center. The good news is that the Clippers aren’t playing very good basketball these days. The bad news is that the Warriors are, once again, the walking dead.
Here’s the full injury report.
Warriors
Out — Kristaps Porziņģis(illness)
Yep, unfortunately, Porziņģis is still out. Steve Kerr unfortunately created some unnecessary drama by speaking about whether or not Porziņģis has POTS, but regardless of the answer to that, the one-time All-Star will miss his fifth straight game. He’s only played once since the Warriors acquired him nearly a month ago.
Out — Will Richard (right ankle sprain)
This is a big loss for the Dubs. Richard has been playing wonderfully lately, and is so important to everything they do on defense. Speaking of defense…
Out — Gary Payton II (left ankle impingement)
No Richard and no GPII spells bad news for Golden State’s perimeter defense. Some people will have to step up.
Out — Steph Curry (right patellofemoral pain syndrome)
It’s an 11th straight missed game for Curry. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like we’re going to see him anytime soon.
Out — Jimmy Butler III (right ACL surgery)
It’s been more than a month since Butler tore his ACL. I still feel bummed writing this segment of the injury report.
Out — Seth Curry (left sciatic nerve irritation)
Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear as though we’ll see either Curry brother anytime soon.
Clippers
Out — John Collins (neck soreness)
Collins is have a strong first year with the Clippers, and he’s been fairly healthy. This will be just his sixth absence of the season.
Out — Bradley Beal (left hip fracture)
No new news here, as Beal suffered a season-ending injury right at the start of his Clippers tenure. A bummer to see.
Enjoy the game, everyone! It tips off at 7:00 p.m. PT on Peacock and NBC Sports Bay Area.
Danny Wolf attempts a shot during the Nets' March 1 loss to the Cavaliers.
Danny Wolf was instructed to miss a free throw intentionally in the closing seconds of Sunday’s loss to the Cavaliers, but the rookie’s admittedly “too hard” attempt missed the rim entirely for a violation that essentially ended the Nets’ last chance to come back and win.
Coaches and teammates jokingly gave him a hard time afterward, but they agreed that the mistake should not detract from what was likely the strongest performance of Wolf’s initial NBA campaign.
The 6-foot-11 forward put up a career-best 23 points with three made 3-pointers, nine rebounds, five assists and two steals in 27 minutes off the bench.
“Obviously, you see the points, but it’s nine rebounds, five assists, one turnover; that’s elite,” coach Jordi Fernández said after the game. “Very happy for him. Well deserved. He was confident from the beginning, all the shots looked really good.
“He can handle, get to the rim. He did everything, and you cannot control all the time if you’re going to be able to score at that level, but the good things and the good intentions were there.
“So huge growth in this game for him, and happy to see it because he deserves it.”
The 21-year-old Wolf was the final of an NBA-record five first-round picks by the Nets in 2025, selected at No. 27 overall out of Michigan.
Danny Wolf attempts a shot during the Nets’ March 1 loss to the Cavaliers. Robert Sabo for the NY Post
Each has started at least five games, led by lottery pick Egor Dëmin’s 45.
Wolf has started eight times but ranks second to Dëmin among the quintet with averages of 8.9 points in 20.5 minutes over 46 appearances entering consecutive games Tuesday and Thursday’s against the Heat in Miami.
The lottery-bound Nets have dropped eight straight games to sink within a half-game of the Pacers for the worst record in the Eastern Conference.
“I have another [22] games left to improve on this year to finish my rookie year, but I gotta go game by game and hopefully we can string together some wins,” Wolf said. “I think you have a bunch of guys in the NBA, and most guys come from winning teams, whatever level that is. However long I can think of my basketball career, I’ve been a part of winning teams, and you know the feeling.
Danny Wolf dribbles the ball during the Nets’ March 1 loss to the Cavaliers. NBAE via Getty Images
“This is the first time I’ve been a part of — I don’t want to say we’re a losing team, obviously our record is 15-45 — but we’re the youngest team in the NBA, and there’s a lot of valuable lessons.”
One of those for Wolf will be to not repeat his mistake on the intentionally missed free throw if that situation arises again.
“It’s harder to miss the way I missed it than it is to make a free throw,” Wolf said. “After I made the first one, my thought process was to hit the front of the rim, but I threw it definitely a little bit too hard.
“You live, and you learn; it’s something new that I needed to know that I need to work on that I didn’t know before. So, that’s definitely on me.”
Assistant coach Juwan Howard was seen talking and laughing with the rookie right after the play, “understandably so,” Wolf added.
Teammate Michael Porter Jr. said he also joked with Wolf that “maybe he’s been in the weight room too much,” but the team’s scoring leader also stressed that shouldn’t be the focus after the rookie’s overall performance Sunday.
“His all-around game — outside game, 3s, getting to the lane, layups, throwing dimes, post-ups — I thought that he was spectacular and played with a high motor and was all over the floor,” Porter said. “So he’s just got to be able to replicate that, and through misses and makes, be able to play like that.
“I thought he didn’t start the game off making his first couple of shots, but I could still see in his energy and his aggression that he was going to have a good game, regardless.”
Dëmin (plantar fascia management) remains out for Tuesday’s game, while Nic Claxton (thumb) is probable.
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 2: Kyshawn George #18 of the Washington Wizards drives to the basket during the game against the Houston Rockets on March 2, 2026 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. 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 Kenny Giarla/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Washington Wizards faced the Houston Rockets on Monday night at Capital One Arena. The Wizards made 19 of their 35 3-point attempts, but that hot shooting wasn’t enough as they lost to the Rockets, 123-118.
Julian Reese, who signed a two-way contract with the Wizards on Saturday, started at center in his NBA debut with Anthony Gill (illness), Anthony Davis (finger sprain), Alex Sarr (hamstring strain) and Tristan Vukcevic (thigh contusion) all sidelined.
Kyshawn George, who made his first five shots in Saturday’s loss to the Toronto Raptors, opened 3-for-4 from the field with an early eight points. Bilal Coulibaly came alive toward the end of the first half, scoring 11 of his 14 first-half points in a three-minute stretch where he made three straight 3-pointers.
But Washington had no answer for Alperen Sengün, who scored 19 first-half points as he dominated the paint. The Wizards trailed 60-51 at halftime and faced an uphill battle against a talented Rockets squad.
That battle became even tougher after three straight Wizards turnovers allowed Houston to open a 16-point advantage. But Washington refused to go away, embarking on a 10-0 run that started with Reese’s first NBA bucket and ended with a Bub Carrington triple.
Tempers flared in the third quarter when Tari Eason shoved Jamir Watkins twice before a mini scuffle broke out. Eason received two technical fouls, which resulted in his ejection. Watkins received a technical foul.
Trae Young walked onto the court to argue with officials, which resulted in his ejection. So, before Young makes his Wizards debut on Thursday, he might be suspended for Tuesday’s game for leaving the bench area during an in-game altercation.
Once the dust settled, Houston pulled away to earn a dominant victory. Washington dropped its fifth straight game and fell to 16-44 on the season.
Coulibaly finished with a season-high 23 points and made five triples, which marked a career high for threes made in a game.
Kyshawn George, who took a hard screen in the first half, left the game in the third quarter and didn’t return due to a left elbow sprain.
Zion Williamson said the criticism he faces from people “comes with the territory,” but what’s been the toughest thing for him during his career was hearing people question how much he cares.
The Pelicans’ star took part in a sit-down interview with ESPN’s Malika Andrews on Monday’s edition of “NBA Today.” He was asked what the most difficult thing has been during his six year NBA career, which has been hindered by injuries.
“There are pros and cons to being in a certain position. Critics come with the territory,” Williamson said. “The part that would get at me the most is, people saying I didn’t care and I care a lot. I really care and when you’re not on the court and you just have to sit on the sideline, how much my critics hate it, I hate it more than them. Because I don’t want to be on the sideline, I want to be out there on the court. That was a part of the process of looking in the mirror. Am I doing enough? Am I really doing what I need to do?
Zion Williamson talks with ESPN’s Maria Taylor. ESPN/X
“Going through all those injuries and missing lots of time because of it, it did a lot on my mental, but it also helped me grow as a pro.”
Williamson has struggled to stay healthy during his time in the NBA and critics of the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft have bashed him for everything from his fitness and his weight to whether he cares about playing.
During his rookie season, he played in just 24 games and didn’t make his debut until Jan. 22, 2020, after suffering a torn meniscus during the preseason.
He missed all of the 2021-22 season and had his 2022-23 campaign cut short due to a hamstring injury that limited him to just 29 games.
Williamson is on track to surpass 50 games, which he has only done twice in his career, although he tweaked his ankle during a win over the Jazz on Saturday night.
"The part that would get at me the most is people saying I didn't care. I care a lot… How much my critics hate it, I hate it more than them. I don't want to be on the sideline. I want to be on the court"
The Pelicans star said that missing his third year in the NBA was the “most difficult point” of his career.
“There was a lot of criticism on my weight, my care for the game,” he said. “But the whole time I’m looking at a doctor and the doctor is telling me that, ‘yeah we’re going to perform this surgery, but if this surgery doesn’t work we really don’t know the next step.’ And people are saying what they’re saying and everybody is entitled to their own opinion. It is what it is. I’m in Portland rehabbing, not knowing if my foot’s going to heal.
“And it was frustrating and I was really low because I just wanted to play basketball. I just wanted to play the game I loved, but everytime you turn the TV on and every time I checked my phone, it was nothing but negative criticism. And at the time, it did a lot.”
Rob Gray-Imagn Images
When Williamson has been healthy, he has been a presence in the front court.
For most of this season, Josh Hart’s 3-point shooting was a surprising weapon for the Knicks.
From the start of the season to the All-Star break, he was shooting 40.7 percent from deep — which would represent a career-best. But in six games since the break, he shot just 24 percent from behind the arc.
Was his first-half shooting sustainable? Is his recent form a sign of things to come? Or will he end up somewhere in the middle, as he has been most of his career?
Hart went just 1-for-6 in Sunday’s 114-89 win over the Spurs at Madison Square Garden. He seemed to grow hesitant with his shot, passing up open looks.
“The frustrating thing for me [is I’m] in a slump,” Hart said after the game. “The confidence is coming and going.”
Hart’s ability to at least be a competent 3-point shooter is vital to the Knicks starting lineup and coach Mike Brown’s 3-heavy offense. Felllow starters Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges are usually strong 3-point shooters. Hart tends to be the weakest among them in that regard — meaning opponents often match up their center on him defensively, allowing their big man to sag off of Hart and camp in the paint as a rim protector and help defender. It’s what the Spurs did Sunday, putting Victor Wembanyama on Hart. That also allows opponents to have a wing guard Towns, who usually operates outside the perimeter rather than as their center.
But for much of the season, Hart has made opponents pay for that decision. Given his current shooting struggles, though, he’s had to adjust.
Knicks guard Josh Hart drives to the basket as San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama gives chase. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
“I ain’t make a damn thing, so I gotta do something else,” Hart said. “That’s all I’m thinking about. … I’m putting the work in; I gotta make sure I play my game, shoot my shots with confidence and those kinds of things. But if you can’t hit the side of a barn, you gotta do something different. Wemby’s in a deep drop against me, I gotta make sure I have the opportunity to get guys wide-open shots on some of those handoffs, pitch backs, stuff like that.”
Characteristically, Hart still has found ways to impact winning. When he’s not making his 3s and opponents sag off him, he uses that extra space to become even more aggressive as a screener, as a ball handler forcing the defense to collapse and in crashing the offensive glass. He finished with seven assists and 10 rebounds in Sunday’s win.
At one point during the third quarter, he set a screen to free up Brunson, who missed his shot. Hart then grabbed the rebound, kicked it out to Bridges and then got it back from Bridges, who cut toward him to initiate a dribble handoff. Hart handed it off to Bridges and subsequently set a screen for him to create space, and Bridges promptly drilled the 3.
Knicks guard Josh Hart reacts on the court against the Spurs. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
For good measure on the other end of the floor, he poked the ball away from De’Aaron Fox, leading to a breakaway for Anunoby (who missed the dunk).
“Shooting, it was probably, obviously, one of my worst games of the season, worst three- or four-game stint,” Hart said. “But I think, for me, I was extremely happy in terms of how I was able to get past that and affect the game in different ways. Obviously, don’t want to have an abysmal shooting night like that, but for me, I was able to help guys get shots, defensively bring it.”
There is a portion of the fan base that constantly calls for Hart to be removed from the starting lineup, especially when he struggles with his shot, in favor of Landry Shamet or, when healthy, Miles McBride. While each is a more consistent shooter, neither possesses nearly the playmaking or rebounding prowess of Hart. Both also are better in shorter stints rather than in heavy workloads that Hart regularly logs.
In terms of shooting, Hart was a positive for most of the year rather than a weakness. Whether he can return to that production will be a key X factor heading into the postseason.
The three-time Cy Young Award winner, who retired on top after the 2025 season, was on the mound throwing a bullpen session for Team USA’s practice ahead of the World Baseball Classic, which begins later this week.
Kershaw sat down with ESPN television host Pat McAfee on Monday
Kershaw rode off into the sunset following back-to-back World Series titles for the Los Angeles Dodgers, punctuated by a dramatic Game 7 triumph over the Toronto Blue Jays. But before Cooperstown comes a calling, Kershaw wanted to scratch one more thing off his bucket list: wearing the red, white, and blue on the mound for Team USA.
Kershaw sat down with ESPN television host Pat McAfee on Monday during Team USA’s practice to talk about his decision to retire, to return for the WBC, and also share insights on being in the locker room with Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Following the conversation, Kershaw and McAfee took turns facing off on the mound and at the plate for charity.
#ESPN’s @PatMcAfeeShow before taking live at-bats vs Team USA’s Clayton Kershaw. McAfee said his plan was to swing and probably get hurt. My advice was to use a reasonable bat, line 33-31 or 33-30. pic.twitter.com/feLWSV8DUa
“My arm told me it was time,” Kershaw said, seated across from McAfee, reflecting on why he walked away.
Still, he’s available to pitch for the next three weeks. “I’ll throw zero. I’ll throw every game. It doesn’t matter,” he told Team USA manager Mark DeRosa. He called the WBC a bucket-list dream, describing its atmosphere as October with a national anthem wrapped around it.
Kershaw later grinned and said he thought he still had “enough” to get McAfee out on the mound.
McAfee, for his part, looked like a man who’d just challenged a mountain when he decided to face off with the former MVP. Aaron Judge had offered him advice beforehand: “aim for the mountain beyond the outfield.” It didn’t help. MLB’s teaser clip showed McAfee spiking a pitch into the opposite batter’s box before muttering, “There’s no way I’m going to throw it over the plate.”
The full results of the face off between McAfee and Kershaw have yet to be released publicly, but the California Post will publish them here once they do.
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It may’ve taken Randal Grichuk longer than expected to find a new home in free agency, but the veteran outfielder is happy with how things played out.
Grichuk, of course, landed with the Yankees on a minor league deal late last week.
He revealed on Sunday that New York was one of his most aggressive suitors over the winter, but the thing that drew him to the Yankees the most was their status as a World Series contender.
“I’m glad it worked out the way it did,” he told Greg Joyce of the NY Post. “I know it’s getting late in my career, at this point I'm more towards the end than the beginning and I want to win -- there’s no better place to do it.”
Grichuk’s been to the playoffs just three times over his 12-year big-league career.
While the 34-year-old is coming off one of his worst offensive showings to this point, he still feels there were signs that could lead to a bounce back at the plate.
"The underlying metrics were still there," the slugger said. "Barrels went up. Exit velo went up. Swing and miss went down. All of that stuff stayed similar or went up -- I know it’s balls in play, a lot of luck is involved.
"The baseball card numbers weren’t there, but the underlying metrics made me feel good -- hopefully the baseball card numbers will look a bit better this year."
The Yanks are certainly hoping the same.
While Grichuk is a bit behind in camp having just arrived on Sunday, he seems to have an inside track for the team’s fourth outfielder spot with career-long success against left-handed pitching.
Jasson Dominguez is also in the mix for the spot with his strong start on the spring, but he's struggled in that area in the majors and the team has already stated that they feel he'd be better off receiving consistent playing time.
Grichuk, on the other hand, has taken kindly to being more of a platoon player after adjusting to the role.
“It was tough in the beginning because I had never been in that type of role,” the veteran admitted. “It’s not an easy role, but it’s one that’s gotta be done -- if you can do it mentally, I think it’s a pretty good role to be in."
He is a career .268 hitter with a .819 OPS against opposing southpaws.
And her next stop is with the Mets, as the 39-year-old was hired this offseason to be the organization’s Double-A hitting coach at Binghamton.
The move comes after Folden spent the previous six seasons in the Cubs organization.
Folden got her first job with Chicago in November 2019, the same month Rachel Balkovec was hired by the Yankees to be a roving minor league hitting coach.
At the time, Folden was the lead hitting lab technician, as well as a coach for the Rookie-level Arizona League Cubs.
She worked her way up to become the hitting coach for Chicago’s Triple-A Iowa affiliate before her contract was up and she headed to the Mets.
“It was a good fit,’’ Folden said. “Six years with an organization is a long time and when my contract ended, I thought it was time to try a new organization. I’ve been told you don’t really learn in baseball until you’ve worked for another organization and I’m finding that out already.”
Mets Double A hitting coach Rachel Folden talks on the field during Spring Training at Clover Field, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
The Mets have had other female coaches in the minors — including Gretchen Aucoin and Bree Nasti, who were both in uniform — but Alyssa Nakken, a major league coach with the Giants from 2020-24, is still the only woman to have an on-field coaching job in the majors.
“I don’t know if getting to the majors is my ultimate goal,” Folden said. “If a big league job came calling, I don’t think I’d turn it down. But I just really love working in baseball and am very passionate about working in the minor leagues. I really do enjoy it. I just like making players better, whatever level that’s at.”
Folden was a star catcher in college at Marshall and played some professional softball before getting into coaching baseball.
“I wasn’t sure if I was gonna like it, to be honest,” Folden said. “I love coaching and once I got into the atmosphere of baseball, I just really enjoyed it. I love coaching full-time and there are very few positions [in college] where you can do that and not have to recruit at the same time.”
Mets hitting coach Troy Snitker (l.) looks on with minor league hitting coach Rachel Folden (r.) before a game against the Washington Nationals during Spring Training Clover Field, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, in Port St. Lucie, FL. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
She’s already made an impression on some of the younger Mets players.
“We see eye-to-eye on hitting,” top outfield prospect A.J. Ewing said. “We’ve talked about approach and she’s a good communicator.”
And since players like Ewing have already worked with female coaches in the Mets system, there’s not even an adjustment.
“She’s just a coach who’s trying to make us better,” Ewing said.
And that’s why Folden believes she’s been accepted wherever she’s gone.
“If a player thinks you can help them, it doesn’t matter who you are,” Folden said. “They just want to be helped. It just becomes about building relationships, building trust. All of those things are pretty genderless and then everything comes together quickly.”
The bigger adjustments can come from above.
“With staff members and the organization, there’s always a level of skepticism whenever a woman is hired into a male-dominated field — and for good reason, I think,’’ said Folden, who credits Balkovec — now the director of player development for the Marlins — for breaking down barriers in the sport. “Inherently, they want to make sure it’s a comfortable environment for us and also a comfortable environment for the players.”
David Stearns, Mets president of baseball operations, hired Folden not to make a statement, but because “I think she’s a good coach.”
Folden came recommended by Andy Green, the Mets senior vice president of player development, who worked with Folden in Chicago.
“I do think women throughout baseball at different positions are becoming more commonplace,” Stearns said. “I think we’re eager to get to the point where having an on-field woman coach is not a story. I recognize it is one right now. But she’s impacted hitters throughout her career and earned the position. Players respect knowledgeable coaches and that’s what she is.”
