VANCOUVER, CANADA - JANUARY 25: Ben Kindel #81 of the Pittsburgh Penguins is congratulated at the bench after scoring his second goal during the second period of their NHL game against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on January 25, 2026 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
The Penguins find themselves holding a playoff position at the Olympic break almost entirely because of a series of surprise contributions. They’re exceeding any and all realistic preseason expectations as a result. This break gives a good chance to circle back at the preseason to re-emphasize just how incredible many things have worked out on an individual level.
The reasons are as long as you care to keep looking.
Parker Wotherspoon (at $1.0 million this season and next) has to be the best value signing free agent in the NHL. Perhaps in quite some time. Wotherspoon has been a legitimate first-pair defender, is solid physically, can move the puck, skates well. Does everything right. What a revelation he’s been.
Ben Kindel’s stats are somewhat modest though still impressive with 27 points to rank seventh among rookies this season. His impact on the team and in the games sure isn’t. Despite his age and not even being a top-10 pick, Kindel has gone to almost unprecedented territory as a ready-made NHL player at age-18 and is quality enough to perform well as one of the more shocking developments that remains unimaginable.
Anthony Mantha, fresh off an ACL surgery, is setting up for a career-year at age 31 (25 goals and 48 points back in 2018-19), having already produced 20 goals and 42 points in 56 games with the Pens.
Evgeni Malkin is an all-time legend, so it’s odd to list him as a surprise but not many thought he would be 43 points in 44 games type of good at age-39 coming off his worst season in 2024-25 (50 points in 68 games).
Justin Brazeau has 15 goals and 27 points in 42 games this season. He only had 16 goals and 29 points in 94 career games prior to joining the Penguins.
Connor Dewar has 13 goals and 24 points, both career-highs and coming almost entirely from a low-minute, defensive-oriented fourth line role that makes his impact even greater than the impressive stat line.
Brett Kulak has steadied the defense and helped to unlock Kris Letang’s game in major ways.
Tommy Novak has proved he can perform without being in a sheltered role and keep his production going.
Egor Chinakhov has exploded into a modern day Alex Kovalev or James Neal, harnessing his shooting ability in a spot where he can succeed filling the net.
Ryan Shea is closing in on 20 assists and has been a viable player up and down, left and right within the lineup as needed.
Arturs Silovs and Stuart Skinner have had their ups and downs but the goaltending has improved from a bottom-five NHL unit last season to more than respectable this season.
Add it all up and the results are astounding, even before getting to the least surprising element of all that 38-year old Sidney Crosby remains one of the league’s top players and keeps leading the way.
Ironically enough, most of the players we tabbed in preseason (Hallander, Brunicke, Alexeyev, Silovs) have had no to minimal impact, except for Silovs who is on track to lead the team in games played by a goalie this year. Which goes to show how remarkable it’s been, it’s one thing if a player or two hits a best case scenario, it’s another when across the board everyone is playing to a high level.
When that’s the case, coaching and management impacts have to be considered as well. Dan Muse has done a great job in his first season as an NHL head coach, his whole staff including assistants Todd Nelson and Mike Strothers deserve a lot of praise and recognition as well. Kyle Dubas gets a lot of the spotlight pp a level from there, his staff with Jason Spezza, Wes Clark and Vukie Mpofu have pressed a whole lot of the right buttons to add no shortage of incoming talent large (Chinakhov, Skinner, Kulak) and even small (Solovyov) while the season has been ongoing.
Success has many fathers, as the old saying goes, and that certainly applies on the individual level when it comes to the impressive team results that the Penguins have received so far this season.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 11: Paul Goldschmidt #48 of the New York Yankees looks on during the fifth inning of the game against the Minnesota Twins at Yankee Stadium on August 11, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning all. We hope that you have a relaxing Saturday ahead of you!
There’s no sense beating around the bush on what the main topic of discussion is in Yankeeland at the moment, so we’ll just let you have at it. The Yankees re-signed Paul Goldschmidt to a one-year contract. It’s not as big as the one he signed with New York last offseason and indeed will only be worth as much as $5 million — comparative chump change for the Bombers.
I offered some commentary on the Yankees’ “run it back” approach in the linked breaking news item but I’ll ponder on Goldschmidt in particular a bit more. It is admittedly a low bar for him to clear to be a productive bench player on the 2026 team if he’s indeed used as such and is just around to both occasionally spell Ben Rice against tough lefties and serve as further injury insurance for the cold corner beyond Cody Bellinger (who the Yankees want in left). But Goldy’s bat can’t be as inconsistent as it was in 2025, when he was scorching hot in the first couple months before going cold for the majority of the season. Somewhere in the middle would be acceptable, and if he’s also teaching the still-new Rice some tools of the trade defensively while continuing to mentor in the clubhouse, then that also has utility. We’re all human after all.
That may be the best-case scenario for Goldschmidt at 38. He is a touch ancient — in the baseball sense anyway, I suppose. So are you ultimately fine with this move in a vacuum even if it’s continuing the “run it back” trend? Or should they have pursued other bench options?
Today on the site, Peter and Nolan will run through the Yankees’ list of 27 non-roster invitees to 2026 spring training and offer some commentary; Peter will handle the hitters and Nolan will be on the pitchers. For today’s featured birthday, Michael will tip his cap to an erstwhile Yankees middle infield up-and-comer who went on to flourish in Toronto in the 1980s: Dámaso García.
Coming into the season, the script was supposed to be simple. Kentucky Basketball knew Jayden Quaintance was likely a one-and-done talent. Even with his injury struggles, the NBA scouts have been tracking him for years.
But while everyone was watching Quaintance, another Wildcat has quietly, or maybe not so quietly anymore, snuck his way up the draft boards.
MalachiMoreno is playing his way into the first round, and Kentucky fans might need to start preparing for the reality that they could lose two 7-footers to the league this summer.
The scouts are taking notice of Malachi Moreno
Moreno wasn’t necessarily projected as a “one-and-done” lottery pick when he arrived on campus, but his efficiency has forced the issue. Major outlets are now consistently ranking him as a top-30 prospect.
FanSided ranks him at No. 20, noting: “Despite a fluctuating role, Malachi Moreno looks the part of an NBA contributor… He has ready-made size and strength for the next level, on top of impressive agility in space, which allows Moreno to fully weaponize his reported 7-foot-2 wingspan.”
SB Nationlists him as the 23rd-best prospect in the entire class.
Sports Illustratedhas him going No. 28 to the Denver Nuggets in their latest mock draft.
Why Moreno is rising
It is easy to see why the league is intrigued. In just 22 minutes per game, Moreno is putting up extremely productive numbers: 8.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks. He is shooting 58.6% from the field, proving he knows his role and doesn’t force bad shots.
“We recruited (Moreno) because we thought he could be a terrific passing big,” Pope said.
But what separates him from a standard “rim runner” is his feel for the game. Moreno is averaging 1.7 assists per game, showing a passing ability that NBA teams crave in modern bigs. He can anchor a defense with his shot-blocking, but he is agile enough to hedge on screens and recover, a prerequisite for surviving on an NBA court.
The one weakness
The only thing holding him back from being a lottery lock is the modern NBA’s obsession with spacing. Moreno has not made a 3 in college, shooting just 2 so far.
In a league where “stretch fives” are king, he is a throwback. Could his versatility outweigh his shooting? Yeah, probably. You can’t find a lot of very mobile 7-footers.
Kentucky fans were bracing to lose Quaintance. They probably weren’t bracing to lose Moreno this fast. But when you are 7-feet tall, can protect the rim, and pass, the NBA comes calling quickly. It is beginning to look like Mark Pope might have to replace more than just 1 center.
Drew Holbrook has been covering the Cats for over 10 years. In his free time, he enjoys downtime with his family and Premier League soccer. You can find him on X here. Micah 7:7. #UptheAlbion
BOSTON, MA - FEBRUARY 6: Nikola Vucevic #4 of the Boston Celtics boxes out during the game against the Miami Heat on February 6, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
1. Incredible Second Half Comeback
The Celtics scored 38 points in the first half and were down by as many as 22 points. It looked like it was going to be a blowout, but something lit a fire under this team at halftime because Boston came out and scored 36 points in the third quarter alone t0 tie the game going into the fourth. In a back and forth final quarter where both teams were doing everything they could to win, the Celtics were able to come out on top with a Derrick White three at the 1:31 mark to give Boston a 98-96 win.
Overall, they shot 14-47 (30%) from the field in the first half and 21-37 (57%) in the second half. This 22-point comeback was the biggest comeback win of the season for Boston and it showed the resiliency that this team has. The lineup of Payton Pritchard, Derrick White, Baylor Scheierman, Sam Hauser, and Nikola Vucevic came together and went on a heater to bring the Celtics kicking and screaming back into this game.
Boston shot 1-20 (5%) from three in the first half of this game and it was the worst three point shooting first half in the Joe Mazzulla era. The last time the Celtics made only one triple in a first half before tonight was on January 11th, 2024 against the Milwaukee Bucks when they shot 1-16. There was a chance that Boston was going to continue this slow shooting stretch, but they caught fire in the third quarter. The Celtics shot 5-7 from three in the third quarter and 9-16 from three in the second half as a whole. The three-point shot has been the common denominator in a lot of the Celtics close games this season and it once again showed tonight. Once Boston was started knocking down their threes, everything fell into place after that.
Shooting Zone Chart From the Celtics in First Half (left) vs Second Half (right) (Via NBA.com)
3. Nikola Vucevic Debut
Nikola Vucevic played his first game of the season as a member of the Celtics since the trade deadline and he made a huge first impression for his debut. Vucevic finished with a double-double of 11 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals on 4-8 shooting.
He scored his first points of the night after Pritchard missed a shot and Bam Adebayo fumbled the rebound. Vucevic just grabbed it and flipped it up for an easy floater and his first points as a member of the Boston Celtics.
Vucevic then started to turn it on in the third quarter when the Celtics were making their run. He scored three times in the paint on Miami, just abusing their interior defense. He started by rolling out of a pick and roll with Derrick White. Two Heat defenders went to White so he fired a pass to Vucevic for a layup. The second basket came when he was backing down Dru Smith in the post. Pritchard found him and Vucevic missed his first attempt but was able to finish on a tap back on his second try. The final basket came when he had great positioning on Jamie Jaquez Jr. and White found him again for another layup.
Another thing that really surprised me from Vucevic’s debut was how great of a passer he was. All of his assists looked like fastballs coming 100 miles per hour and all of them were right on target. The first one came after he tapped an offensive rebound to himself and threw a crosscourt pass to Baylor Scheierman for a long two. The next came when he found Hugo Gonzalez cutting to the basket and threw a strike right to his hands for a dunk. The third came in the second quarter when he got the ball in the post and two Heat defenders went after him. Vucevic calmly found Derrick White who was cutting to the basket from the top of the three-point line and he finished with an easy dunk. Finally, on the game winning basket, Vucevic put the ball on the floor and found White for a wide-open corner three to give Boston the lead with under two minutes to go. Overall, this was a great showing out of Vucevic and the Celtics did a great job of incorporating him into the offense.
Jaylen Brown finished with 29 points and 7 rebounds on 11-25 shooting and didn’t have his best game of the season. However, when the Celtics were down big at the half, without Brown turning it on the second quarter, they would have been down by a lot more. Brown had 15 of the Celtics 23 points in the second quarter, shooting 6-10 and doing everything in his power to keep Boston in striking distance.
Brown started his scoring barrage with a layup after sealing of Andrew Wiggins on the drive to the basket. Next came on a thunderous slam where he blew by Wiggins and attacked the rim. The third bucket came when he had Bam Adebayo one-on-one. He drove and threw up a floater that went in plus the foul for an And-1. The next one came where he took it coast-to-coast for an easy layup over Simone Fontecchio. The fifth came where he overpowered Davion Mitchell and finished another easy layup. Finally, he got the ball at the perimeter, blew by Mitchell, and threw down another dunk.
The fourth quarter was the next time Brown came up big, starting with a play that got broken up by the Heat defense. Brown was able to get it back and take the contact from Adebayo to finish a floater that should have been an And-1. The other big bucket came at the 2:16 mark where he scored the second to last basket of the game for the Celtics, driving into Norman Powell and finishing a tough shot.
At the end of the first half, Payton Pritchard had 5 points on 1-6 shooting and was being really passive. As a 6MOTY winner, scoring was going to have to be his top priority in the second half and he did not disappoint. Pritchard finished with 19 points in the second half on 7-9 shooting from the field and 4-4 from three.
Pritchard started his second half scoring a step back three over Myron Gardner who was a step slow on the contest. The next one came on another step back three, this time over Simone Fontecchio who had no chance of guarding him. He finished the third quarter with a driving layup and forced an And-1 on Kel’el Ware who hit him on the arm.
Starting the fourth quarter, Pritchard picked up right where he left off, starting with crossing up Nikola Jovic one-on-one for a midrange jumper. The next bucket came off of a missed shot by Brown but Sam Hauser got the offensive rebound and found Pritchard wide open for three. The next one came on another three, this time right in the face of Norman Powell. Finally, on maybe his best play of the night, Pritchard backed down Davion Mitchell, hit a spin move into an up and under move for a layup.
Similar to Pritchard, White had a slow first half in this game but turned it on when the Celtics needed him most. He finished with 21 points, 5 assists and 4 blocks on the night and the biggest came in the fourth quarter.
Before the fourth quarter, as time was running down in the third quarter, Baylor Scheierman found White for a wide open corner three out of an inbounds pass. White made the shot as he was falling away and tied the game for Boston, completing their 22-point comeback.
As the Celtics were rolling, White hit his first shot of the fourth quarter coming off a pass from Pritchard. White caught the ball in front of Erik Spoelstra, hit the three, and held the follow through for a little bit. To quote Wesley Snipes from White Men Can’t Jump, “It’s pretty, it’s so pretty.”
His other basket of the quarter came with 1:31 left in the game. Brown attracted two Heat defenders on the pick and roll and found Vucevic wide open at the three point line. Vucevic caught the pass, made one dribble, and found White wide open in the corner from three. This would be the game winning basket for the Celtics as neither team scored again.
The reason why nobody scored again can also be attributed to Derrick White. With 34 seconds to go, Davion Mitchell drove on Derrick White. He must have forgotten that White is the best shot blocking guard in the NBA because he sent it back and Baylor Scheierman grabbed the rebound.
Hugo Gonzalez’s birthday was on February 5th, 2026, the same day as the trade deadline and the day before this game. He graduated from no longer being 19 anymore, although he still might be in the eyes of Celtics fans for while. But since he is now 20 years old, Hugo decided he wanted celebrate his birthday by doing the thing he does best, creating chaos on the basketball court.
Gonzalez’s first highlight play of the night came in the first quarter when he started streaking from the corner. Vucevic found him on a nice pass Hugo’s beautiful cut led to a wide open dunk.
The next impressive play of the night came in the second quarter. Hugo was the only defender trying to guard two Heat players on the three point line. But when Pelle Larsson tried to make a bounce pass to the corner, Gonzalez picked it off and started the fast break. On it, he found Jaylen Brown on an incredible bounce pass that led to Brown being fouled and shooting free throws.
Finally, Hugo showed that he will back down to no man when it comes to fighting for the basketball. When Norman Powell grabbed a rebound in the fourth quarter, Gonzalez was also trying to grab the ball as well. He was trying to force a jump ball and when the ref blew the whistle, Powell and Gonzalez went up to each other face-to-face. Gonzalez didn’t back down to the all-star and the fight was broken up before anything got started.
Postgame, Joe Mazzulla smiled when he was about the confrontation, saying, “That was fun.” He dove deeper into it, saying “…anything that can create chaos and conflict, but not cost you points, we should be all about that.”
Joe Mazzulla on Hugo Gonzalez standing toe-to-toe with Norman Powell:
“That was fun.”
“So anything that can create chaos and conflict, but not cost you points — we should be all about that.” pic.twitter.com/bQznD8Va2z
In the Celtics win over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday, Joe Mazzulla ran out a double-big starting lineup with Luka Garza and Neemias Queta. It worked well as they were able to upset Houston so Mazzulla tried that lineup again to start this matchup against the Heat. Results were not working the same to start this game as the Heat went on a 9-2 run before Joe pulled the plug. Mazzulla took out both Garza and Queta at the 8:58 mark of the first quarter and didn’t use a double big lineup for the rest of the night. Although the double big lineup didn’t work with Garza and Queta, I don’t think Mazzulla should be swayed to never use it again. I would like to see what a lineup of Vucevic and Queta look like for a game and although it might yield similar results to tonight, you never know.
Before tonight I thought the Celtics could potentially run three bigs in their rotation similarly to how they would use Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet. After tonight I am a lot less confident in my belief of that. I think Luka Garza will be a great third center coming off the bench for Boston but I think most of the minutes should be switched off between Queta and Vucevic. If or when Jayson Tatum comes back, the power forward spot will be filled but for now I wouldn’t mind them starting a guy like Baylor Scheierman or Hugo Gonzalez. This allows Pritchard and Vucevic to come in off the bench at the same time and be able to build continuity.
9. Playoff Atmosphere
This season is my first season covering the beat for CelticsBlog live from TD Garden during games and as a media member I have been to 3 or 4 Celtics games so far but as a fan I have been to a lot more. I have been to a lot of both regular season and playoff games over the years but I think the crowd in tonight was the loudest I have ever heard it.
During the Celtics comeback in the third quarter, every time Boston made a basket or a stop on defense the crowd was erupting like it was Game 7 of the NBA Finals. I don’t know if it was because it was a Friday night or because it was against the Miami Heat, but either way sitting up in the press box, you could feel the stadium shaking with every basket. The loudest it got was in the fourth quarter when Derrick White hit what was the game winning three for Boston. My phone recording doesn’t do it justice because I could feel the stadium vibrating underneath my feet.
This was an all time TD Garden crowd tonight and when Joe Mazzulla was asked about it after the game he said, “We have the phrase up there, “different here”, and it’s the truth… I thought that the crowd could have easily given up on us, deservedly so and I thought they stuck with us and helped us, especially third quarter.”
When the TD Garden crowd is rocking, there is no other place in the NBA that I think gets louder. I would say the crowd tonight was a factor and it got into the heads of a young Miami Heat team.
Joe Mazzulla on the fans impact tonight
“We have the phrase up there, “different here”, and it's the truth… I thought that the crowd could have easily given up on us, deservedly so and I thought they stuck with us and helped us, especially third quarter.” pic.twitter.com/ChR1xiAhyW
To say this was a collapse of epic proportions for the Miami Heat would be an understatement. After being the only team in the Eastern Conference not to make a move at the trade deadline, Miami opened up a huge lead on the road in Boston. Celtics fans were surly getting PTSD from the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals and going into halftime, all they had to do was just keep their foot on the gas.
That did not happen for them to the benefit of the Celtics, and their poor third quarter was really their downfall. They shot 5-19 (26%) from the field and 2-12 from three in the quarter. This along with the Celtics hot shooting, got the fans in TD Garden into a frenzy and Miami lost all momentum from there. Boston has now won 13 of their last 15 matchups against the Miami Heat and 10 of those wins in a row. In the dead of winter, its always nice to Beat the Heat.
The Bucks put the Warriors through the washing machine.
By dangling Giannis Antetokounmpo as a carrot ahead of the NBA trade deadline, they made the league’s modern-day dynasty believe it had another shot at the mountaintop. They made Steph Curry believe he had a chance to compete for his fifth ring. And they made Draymond Green face the harsh reality that anyone is disposable if a shiny enough object comes along.
The Warriors went all in on the Antetokounmpo sweepstakes. They were considered front-runners. They were willing to mortgage their future with four unprotected first-round picks. They shifted their focus from pursuing other trades, including Jaren Jackson Jr., before pivoting at the buzzer and landing Kristaps Porzingis.
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green and forward Gui Santos celebrate during a game against the Philadelphia 76ers. AP
There was a lot of fallout from the Bucks’ 6-foot-11, 240-pound pump fake.
But none was more revealing than the way Green handled hearing that his name was involved in trade talks for the first time in his 14-season career, something that would’ve been off the table for pretty much anyone not named Antetokounmpo.
Green took it on the chin.
Two days before the trade deadline, when he was asked about being included in a potential deal, he was markedly understanding. “I think a lot of people want to know how I feel about it, like am I upset about it,” Green said Tuesday. “I’m not at all. If that’s what’s best for this organization, that’s what’s best for the organization.”
That wasn’t an act. One thing Green isn’t is disingenuous. Rather, those were the words of a man who knew he did everything he could for the Warriors. They were the words of someone who poured every ounce of himself into a franchise, helping it become a dynasty that won four championships in eight years. They were the words of someone at peace.
The 35-year-old Green is known for being fiery. He’s a guy who transformed himself from an undersized No. 35 pick in the 2012 draft into one of the greatest defenders in NBA history. He’s grit personified. For the Warriors, none of this would’ve happened without him.
He was considered untradable — or at least as untradable as someone can be in a league in which Luka Doncic can be dealt. He had earned that. But when that changed, he didn’t express surprise over the whiplash of it all. He didn’t express disappointment over the shift in loyalty.
Rather, he leaned into gratitude.
“I don’t know that it ends at 13 1/2, but if it does, what a f***ing run it’s been,” Green said. “I’ll take the fine for (cursing). What a f***ing run it’s been.”
The thing is the relationship between Green and the Warriors has always been symbiotic.
His ability to guard 1 through 5 made the Warriors one of the greatest franchises ever. In turn, they supported him through the turbulence that goes hand-in-hand with a player whose oxygen is intensity.
After Green got into it with Kevin Durant in November 2018, Curry drove to Green’s Oakland home and talked with him in his backyard for two hours. And after Green was suspended indefinitely for striking Jusuf Nurkic in the face in December 2023, Warriors coach Steve Kerr went to Green’s Los Angeles home, sat in his backyard and helped recenter him.
The Warriors have had Green’s back. And he’s had theirs.
For Green, if a trade had happened, there wouldn’t have been any bitterness. Any resentment. Any betrayal. While Green can be reactionary, this clearly showed his other side. He’s contemplative. He’s likable.
You don’t remain on a team for 13 1/2 years if you’re not. A few years ago, Green likened himself, Curry and Klay Thompson to being the co-founders of a start-up. Over their six Finals runs, they played an extra 127 games, or the equivalent of an extra season and a half.
They became brothers, spending more time together than with their actual families. They wanted to retire together. Thompson left in free agency in July 2024 because he wanted out amid frustrations over contract negotiations and his decreased role.
If Green had been traded, that would’ve felt different.
Coach Steve Kerr gestures to his team during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Detroit Pistons. AP
Kerr has called Green the “heart and soul” of the team. His unbridled intensity served as a defibrillator in locker rooms and huddles, shocking his teammates into meeting him at the feverish pitch at which he existed.
Without Green, the Warriors’ path could’ve been dramatically altered.
Curry might not have been able to become the best shooter of all time without fully trusting that the other end of the court was patrolled. Kerr might not have been so effective without having a human form of fireworks echoing his words.
Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters
Green is the Warriors’ glue guy, who selflessly facilitated on offense, while also pouring himself into the less glamorous side of the court. He is the person who does the things other players don’t want to do. He’s a blue-collar worker who turned himself into a four-time All-Star and future first-ballot Hall of Famer.
And when his name surprisingly came into trade conversations, he didn’t hem and haw. He didn’t take veiled shots at the organization. Rather, he understood.
Over the last decade, he helped the Warriors become one of the NBA’s most dominant teams. And in turn, they enabled him to become the best version of himself.
And when his future was hanging in the balance, it was clear he overwhelmingly felt one emotion: appreciation.
“What do I have to be upset about?” he asked. “I’ve been here for 13 1/2 years. That’s longer than probably 98% of NBA players have been in one place. And this guy from Saginaw has been in a place for 13 1/2 years.”
Faheem Ashraf smashed an unbeaten 29 off 11 balls as Pakistan scrambled past the Netherlands by three wickets to avoid a massive shock in the curtain-raiser of the T20 World Cup in Colombo on Saturday.
MILAN — NHL players are scheduled to land in Milan early in the morning Saturday and start practicing within hours.
It's the logistical aspect of getting around 150 players from the U.S. to the 2026 Winter Games, where for the next two weeks they'll try to reach the gold medal game Feb. 22. The players and other NHL personnel are traveling on chartered planes.
While NHL owners may grumble about the possibility of injuries, it's a win for the sport to have the game's best players back at the Olympics for the first time since 2014. (The 2018 Olympics in South Korea were a no-go for insurance and travel reasons, and the NHL pulled out of the 2022 Olympics in Beijing because of the pandemic.)
Here's what to know.
When and where does Olympic men's hockey get underway
The first practices run all day Sunday, with Latvia holding the first slot at 10 a.m. in Milan (4 a.m. ET). The U.S. has a slot from 6-7:30 p.m., and Canada from 7:45 to 9:15 p.m. There are practices through Feb. 10. They're vital to getting everybody on the same page as quickly as possible, and to turbo-charge team bonding. As far as arenas, Santa Giulia Arena is the primary one, while Rho Ice Hockey Arena is a temporary venue.
When do the games begin
Games begin Feb. 11, with the marquee team in action that day being Sweden against Italy. In preliminaries, the U.S. plays Latvia Feb. 12, Denmark Feb. 14, and Germany Feb. 15.
How many teams are there
The participating national teams are Canada, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, and the U.S. Host Italy is the only team without an NHL player on its roster. The teams are divided into fields of four. Group A has Canada, Czechia, France and Switzerland. Group B is Finland, Italy, Slovakia and Sweden. Group C has Denmark, Germany, Latvia and the U.S.
All 12 teams play three preliminary games in their respective groups, then move on to a single-elimination playoff that will conclude with the gold medal game Feb. 22.
Who is there from the NHL
All 32 NHL teams have a player going, but some teams have quite a few more than others. Take the Florida Panthers (10, representing five teams) and the Vegas Golden Knights (Nine, representing seven countries).The Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild and Tampa Bay Lightning each have eight players going.
‘It’s not been a very nice time of my life,’ he says
Harry Brook wants to draw a line under a “pretty horrendous” past few weeks when revelations about his conduct in Wellington cast doubt on his leadership as he prepares to lead England at the T20 World Cup.
More than three months on from Brook being punched by a nightclub bouncer in New Zealand, hours before captaining England, the saga took on fresh legs when the Yorkshireman claimed to have been on his own, only for the Daily Telegraph to uncover he was accompanied by Jacob Bethell and Josh Tongue.
Kurtis Patterson has celebrated his 100th Sheffield Shield appearance in style after bringing up a career-best first-class score of 173 not out for NSW against South Australia.
DETROIT — The Knicks were already banged up before Josh Hart limped off the court with another ankle problem.
It’s unclear how Hart, who has been dealing with soreness in his right ankle since spraining it on Christmas, was injured.
He grabbed a rebound about midway through the third quarter, started dribbling, and grabbed his ankle area in pain.
Hart went to the locker room and never returned, with the Knicks saying it was a right ankle issue and there was no further update.
Hart was listed as questionable before the game with a left ankle injury, which he twisted Tuesday.
“He’s a gamer,” Jalen Brunson said. “He’s going to do whatever he can to help his team win, regardless of how he feels or whatever. It’s just who he is.”
Two other starters didn’t suit up in the 118-80 loss to the Pistons. OG Anunoby (toe soreness) was a late scratch.
Karl-Anthony Towns sat with an eye laceration, which the center sustained in Wednesday’s double-OT win over the Nuggets.
Josh Hart, who later exited with an ankle injury, looks to make a move on Caris LeVert during the Knicks’ 118-80 blowout loss to the Pistons on Feb. 6, 2026 in Detroit. Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Coach Mike Brown explained why the Knicks acquired Alvarado.
“He just brings a level of toughness to the team, his energy is unmatched,” Brown said. “What he can do defensively in the full court and even in the frontcourt on the ball especially on pick-and-rolls and stuff like that, is at a pretty high level.
“He shoots it better than most people think. We want to play fast and we believe he’s a guy who will come in and push the pace. Get us into our offense and all that other stuff. Because he is quick, he’s got a low center of gravity. Been around for a while, he’ll touch the paint and make others better. We’re a big spray team and he should be good in that area, too. So, excited to have him.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo has been named an NBA All-Star for the 10th consecutive season [Getty Images]
Giannis Antetokounmpo is "close" to returning from injury, says Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers, who described the "relief" in the camp after speculation that the two-time MVP might be traded.
The 31-year-old forward remained at the club after Thursday's trade deadline, and Rivers said the other players were "skipping around the gym" after it was confirmed he would be staying put.
Antetokounmpo has been limited to 30 games this season because of injury and has not played since suffering a calf strain on 23 January.
"He's going to play when he's healthy - he's getting close," said Rivers.
"He's working out. He looks good. So I would say hopefully sooner than later."
The Bucks claimed their third consecutive win on Friday night, beating the Indiana Pacers 105-99, but remain 12th in the NBA's Eastern Conference, three wins behind the Charlotte Hornets in the final play-off spot.
The Bucks have a 6-14 losing record when playing without Antetokounmpo, but have won 15 of their 30 games when he has been in the team.
Antetokounmpo averages 30 points, 10 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game and a 65% shooting success this season, earning him a place in the NBA All-Star game.
He has completed a workout on court before the past three Bucks games and posted a clip on social media from the film The Wolf of Wall Street after Thursday's trade deadline passed, along with a message: "Legends don't chase. They attract."
"It was a relief," Rivers said. "I thought Giannis' tweet was like a unifying thing for all the players."
The off-field politics are toxic, Wales are on a terrible run and England are flying, but everyone needs Saturday’s game to be competitive at Twickenham
Are you a Wales fan reading this on the train to London? If so, let’s huddle in tight and try to stay positive. In round one of the Six Nations everyone starts equal. There is rain around and England have a couple of significant injuries. Steve Tandy is a capable guy and there are some talented individuals at his disposal. In this grand old championship miracles have been known to happen.
C’mon boys, believe. That red jersey still represents something special. All that history, all that fabled lineage. Gareth, Gerald, Jiffy, Alun Wyn … they’re all right with you. It’s only 80 minutes and opportunity knocks. Under the radar is a useful place to be. And, look, it’s not even called Twickenham these days. Allianz Stadium could be anywhere.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - FEBRUARY 4: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs dribbles the ball during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on February 4, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photos by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Dallas Mavericks have spent two weeks in free fall, during which their coach, Jason Kidd, has lost his cool with the press. They can point to injuries sinking their season, yet they also run a starting lineup without a traditional point guard, and have lacked a spare penetrator to combine with top pick Cooper Flagg.
It’s game two of the miniseries, and the San Antonio Spurs have beat them twice this year. Despite some warts here and there, the Spurs are playing well and must continue to do so because the Oklahoma City Thunder’s first seed is vulnerable. Keep in mind that the Mavericks are on par with the league’s worst offensive rating on the road.
San Antonio Spurs (35-16) vs. Dallas Mavericks (19-32)
Spurs injuries: De’Aaron Fox — questionable (back); Luke Kornet — questionable (adductor, ankle); Jeremy Sochan — questionable (quad); Lindy Waters III — out (knee)
Mavericks injuries: Kyrie Irving — out (knee); Derrick Lively II — out (foot); Khris Middleton — doubtful (trade pending); Brandon Williams — probable (leg)
What to watch for
The Mavericks spend nearly as much time in transition as the Spurs, yet are slightly more efficient, scoring 1.2 points per possession. They notably kept up the pace in Thursday’s game even when the Spurs were scoring efficiently, which is not easy to do because checking in the ball takes away precious seconds. The Spurs will need to get back promptly, and avoid being torched by a trailing shooter.
Coach Mitch Johnson said on Thursday that Stephon Castle’s normal role is starting, but he dominated in 22 bench minutes in the win over the Wild Horses. Castle will play well regardless of when his minutes begin, but using him as a reserve gives the Spurs an advantage because second-string players are easier for him to take apart. Still, expect to see him get most of the defensive minutes on Flagg.
The next best thing three years ago versus the next best thing now. It makes it much sweeter that both play in Texas, and divisional matchups usually carry extra intensity. Don’t expect Wembanyama to guard him much because he’s only spent 83 seconds doing that this season, although it would be nice to see him take an unorthodox assignment. Giannis Antetokounmpo neutralized Jimmy Butler in the 2021 first round when guarding him, and maybe Wemby could do something similar.
League tracking data says the Mavericks are the 11th-best defense in the league, but it’s suspect, and their defensive numbers are better thanks to misses they didn’t cause. Opponents aren’t taking advantage of the Mavericks’ poor outside defense, only making 35.7 percent of the 18.7 wide-open attempts Dallas allows. A wide-open shot is defined as being open by six feet or more.
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers designated reliever Anthony Banda for assignment on Friday after the left-hander won two consecutive World Series rings with the team.
The 32-year-old Banda had a 5-1 record with a 3.19 ERA in 71 games last season. He had an 8-3 record with a 3.14 ERA over two seasons.
Banda has been in the majors for parts of nine seasons with Arizona, Tampa Bay, the New York Mets, Pittsburgh, Toronto, the New York Yankees and Washington. He is a combined 15-9 with 4.44 ERA in 209 games.
The Dodgers claimed catcher Ben Rortvedt off waivers after he was designated for assignment by the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday.
The 28-year-old returns to the Dodgers, which he first joined on July 31 via a trade from Tampa Bay. Rortvedt played 18 games, hitting .224 with one home run and four RBI with Los Angeles. He helped the Dodgers’ starting rotation to an MLB-leading 2.17 ERA in September. He appeared in four playoff games last season.
Rortvedt had previous stints with Minnesota, the Yankees and Tampa Bay.
Los Angeles Clippers (24-27, ninth in the Western Conference) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (32-21, sixth in the Western Conference)
Minneapolis; Sunday, 3 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: The Minnesota Timberwolves host the Los Angeles Clippers in Western Conference action Sunday.
The Timberwolves are 18-16 in Western Conference games. Minnesota scores 119.5 points and has outscored opponents by 4.7 points per game.
The Clippers are 14-15 against Western Conference opponents. Los Angeles is 3-6 in games decided by 3 points or fewer.
The Timberwolves are shooting 48.1% from the field this season, 1.5 percentage points higher than the 46.6% the Clippers allow to opponents. The Clippers average 112.3 points per game, 2.5 fewer than the 114.8 the Timberwolves give up to opponents.
The teams meet for the second time this season. In the last matchup on Dec. 7 the Timberwolves won 109-106 led by 27 points from Jaden McDaniels, while Kawhi Leonard scored 20 points for the Clippers.
TOP PERFORMERS: Julius Randle is averaging 22.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists for the Timberwolves. Anthony Edwards is averaging 27.3 points over the last 10 games.
Kris Dunn is scoring 7.8 points per game and averaging 2.9 rebounds for the Clippers. Leonard is averaging 20.4 points and 4.8 rebounds over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Timberwolves: 5-5, averaging 117.3 points, 46.3 rebounds, 25.4 assists, 9.4 steals and 6.7 blocks per game while shooting 46.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 115.3 points per game.
Clippers: 6-4, averaging 111.7 points, 43.3 rebounds, 23.4 assists, 7.3 steals and 3.8 blocks per game while shooting 49.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.8 points.
INJURIES: Timberwolves: Julian Phillips: day to day (wrist), Terrence Shannon Jr.: day to day (foot), Ayo Dosunmu: day to day (quadriceps).
Clippers: Bennedict Mathurin: day to day (not injury related), Bradley Beal: out for season (hip), Yanic Konan Niederhauser: day to day (illness), Darius Garland: day to day (toe), Isaiah Jackson: day to day (not injury related).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
