International signing day is here, and the Phillies wasted little time making a splash.
Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic reported Thursday that the club has signed 17-year-old outfielder Francisco Renteria out of Venezuela to a $4 million contract.
Renteria, who hails from Maracaibo — the birthplace of Hall of Fame infielder Luis Aparicio — stands 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, and ranks as the No. 3 prospect in the international class, according to MLB Pipeline. He is widely viewed as one of the most complete players available this year.
On MLB’s 80-grade scouting scale, Renteria received the following grades:• Hit: 60
• Power: 65
• Run: 60
• Arm: 55
• Field: 60
• Overall: 60
The combination of size and athleticism at such a young age has evaluators optimistic about the right-handed hitter’s long-term offensive ceiling. Renteria already shows advanced bat-to-ball skills, and there is confidence that added strength could translate into above-average power as he matures. That power was on display recently in a Home Run Derby in his home country.
Parte de la actuación del súper prospecto de Las Águilas del Zulia Francisco Rentería en el Home Run Derby.
Defensively, Renteria’s athleticism gives the Phillies flexibility. He projects as a potential center fielder but could also settle into a corner spot while providing above-average defense.
Thursday does not mark the end of the Phillies’ international activity. The signing period runs through the calendar year (Dec. 15), and eligible players must be at least 16 years old at the time of signing and turn 17 before the following year. Renteria, who was born in January 2009, met that criterion.
Philadelphia entered the signing period with $6,679,200 in international bonus pool money. Renteria ties the club’s largest amateur international signing, as outfielder Jhailyn Ortiz received $4 million back in 2015.
The Phillies have found success in Venezuela before, signing pitchers like Ranger Suárez (2012) and infielder César Hernández, along with current No. 5 organizational prospect Aroon Escobar in 2022. Renteria now becomes the latest high-upside addition to that pipeline.
The club has also been rumored to sign shortstop Juan Parra (No. 39), yet another highly-touted position player from Venezuela.
Vancouver Canucks - 16-25-5 - 37 Points - 1-7-2 in the last 10 - Lost 5 Straight- 8th in the Pacific
Columbus Blue Jackets - 20-19-7 - 47 Points - 5-4-1 in the last 10 - Won 2 Straight - 7th in the Metro
Blue Jackets Stats
Power Play - 19.0% - 20th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 74.6% - 29th in the NHL
Goals For - 136 - 20th in the NHL
Goals Against - 155 - 28th in the NHL
Canucks Stats
Power Play - 19.6% - 16th in the NHL
Penalty Kill - 73.1% - 30th in the NHL
Goals For - 121 - 27th in the NHL
Goals Against - 165 - 31st in the NHL
Series History vs. TheCanucks
Columbus is 26-33-2-9 all-time, and 15-15-2-3 at home vs. Vancouver.
The Blue Jackets has won 5 straight games at home against the Canucks.
The CBJ went 1-1-0 vs Vancouver last season.
Who To Watch For TheCanucks
Elias Pettersson leads the Canucks with 28 points.
Filip Hronek leads Vancouver with 24 assists.
Goalie Thatcher Demko is 8-10-1 with a SV% of .897
CBJ Player Notes vs.Canucks
Zach Werenski has 8 points in 15 games vs. the Canucks.
Dmitri Voronkov has 5 points in 5 games.
Sean Monahan has 29 points im 40 career games against Vancouver.
Injuries
Erik Gudbranson - Upper Body - Missed 38 Games - IR - Skating with team, but there is no timeline for a return to the lineup.
Isac Lundeström - Lower Body - Missed 10 Games - IR
Brendan Smith - Lower Body - Missed 8 Games IR - Out 3-4 months after having knee surgery.
Miles Wood - Lower Body - Missed 7 Games - IR - Week-to-week.
Mason Marchment - Upper Body - Missed 5 Games - Week to week.
TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 122
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The Philadelphia Flyers are in a bad way after losing their fourth straight in addition to losing Dan Vladar to injury. The silver lining, however, is that now is as good a time as any to evaluate a prospect who's completely turned his career around in one season.
Vladar, 28, exited the Flyers' 5-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres with an unspecified injury and did not return, even as a backup in an emergency capacity.
Vladar surrendered two goals on five shots, and Sam Ersson, who has struggled mightily this season, made six saves on eight shots in relief.
The Flyers, who were already reportedly considering alternatives to Ersson, now have no choice but to turn to prospect Aleksei Kolosov, who's had an excellent first real season in the AHL with the so-so Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Kolosov, 24, has posted a 9-9-1 record in 19 games for the Phantoms to the tune of a 2.54 GAA, .908 save percentage, and his first two shutouts on North American ice.
The numbers aren't amazing, no, but neither are the Phantoms, who have experienced a ton of player turnover and have a number of first-time pros occupying significant roles on the team, led by Alex Bump, Carson Bjarnason, Denver Barkey, Karsen Dorwart, and Devin Kaplan.
Kolosov, now in the last year of his entry-level contract with the Flyers, has earned himself at least one more opportunity to show his stuff at the NHL level.
The Belarusian has played well in the AHL, and on the other hand, it would be almost impossible to play worse than Ersson has for the Flyers this season; Ersson has been beaten 14 times on the last 57 shots he's faced and currently boasts a .855 save percentage and 6-7-4 record on the year.
Kolosov, as bad as he looked at times last season, still managed a .884 save percentage and 5-6-1 record.
It should ease the Flyers' minds, too, that Kolosov has a .929 save percentage across two NHL appearances for the club this season.
He's looked the part and played his role at both levels, and with he and Ersson both set to become free agents at the end of the season, the Flyers need to use Vladar's injury as an opportunity to evaluate and draw conclusions on both players, deciding who, if either, they will retain this summer.
Kolosov, at least for now, has the edge, if for no reason other than Ersson all but playing himself off the team, just as Egor Zamula had earlier in the season.
However, a new potential suitor has emerged on the day Kuminga officially is trade eligible.
The Los Angeles Lakers have “some interest” in Kuminga, The Athletic’s Marcus Thompson II, Sam Amick and Nick Friedell reported in a joint column published Thursday, citing league and team sources, adding that it remains unclear if talks will unfold.
Since becoming eligible to be moved, Kuminga wasted no time in demanding a trade away from the Warriors, league sources confirmed to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Dalton Johnson on Thursday morning. This comes after the 23-year-old forward has — once again — fallen out of coach Steve Kerr’s rotation this season.
Golden State, which has been open-minded to parting ways with the wing but won’t make any rash decisions that don’t make sense for the organization, is aware of the Lakers’ interest in Kuminga and is waiting to see how things unfold.
The team that has shown most interest in Kuminga dating back to last summer has been the Kings, but things have changed in recent weeks.
Veteran Kings guard Malik Monk has been the name tossed in reported trade talks with the Warriors, but the trade package offered in the offseason — Monk and a 2030 first-round pick for Kuminga — no longer is on the table, per The Athletic, as Sacramento no longer is willing to offer the first-round pick.
The Kings, though, still have “significant interest” in Kuminga, per The Athletic, so a three-team deal could be the best avenue.
League sources confirmed to NBC Sports Bay Area that Jonathan Kuminga has demanded a trade away from the Warriors with Thursday, Jan. 15, being the first day he became trade eligible from the contract he signed over the summer as a restricted free agent.
The NBA’s official trade deadline is three weeks away on Feb. 5. So, now what?
Every party involved, the Warriors side and the Kuminga side, acknowledge the best move for the two is a split and fresh start for the fifth-year pro. However, league sources recently have relayed there’s a non-zero chance Kuminga remains on the Warriors in the coming weeks and past the trade deadline.
His trade value has never been lower as teams around the league watch him be nowhere in Golden State’s plans, and the Warriors have dug a hole that might be too hard to climb out of at 22-19 as the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference at the halfway point of the season. Kuminga has played just once in the last 17 games, in which the Warriors have gone 10-7, playing nine and a half minutes against the Phoenix Suns in a one-point loss after Steve Kerr said he would “reward” Kuminga for a string of strong practices.
Kerr has made Kuminga a healthy DNP-CD in every other game since Dec. 7, aside from Kuminga being a late, and surprising, addition to the injury report with lower back soreness against the Oklahoma City Thunder in a 37-point loss on Jan. 2.
Multiple teams have shown different levels of interest in Kuminga, with one always standing out as the strongest suitor. NBC Sports Bay Area listed the Sacramento Kings, Dallas Mavericks, Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards as those teams one week ago on Jan. 7. Some things already have changed.
The Kuminga connection to the Mavs, though they do like the idea of having him in a rebuilding state around rookie Cooper Flagg, was centered more on Dallas gauging the Warriors’ interest in Anthony Davis. It already was a stretch to envision Davis wearing a Golden State jersey with the Warriors’ reluctance to trading Draymond Green or Jimmy Butler, and now the oft-injured Davis is out for at least the next six weeks because of a left hand injury.
The Bulls, who were the first team Kuminga was a healthy DNP-CD (Did Not Play, Coach’s Decision) against, have eyed Kuminga multiple times in the past but nothing materialized then, and it hasn’t now. The Wizards recently took a big swing and traded for Trae Young, sending Corey Kispert, whom the Warriors have liked in the past, and CJ McCollum to the Atlanta Hawks. That leaves the Kings, who also have pushed hardest for Kuminga, remaining from those above four teams.
Even still, the Warriors have lost leverage on their foes from up north. The Kings offered a three-year, $63 million contract to Kuminga in the summer, putting guard Malik Monk and a protected 2030 first-round draft pick on the table. The draft pick has been taken off the table for a long time now as Kuminga racks up DNPs, and the Warriors don’t have any interest in Monk, as well as the three years and more than $60 million left on his contract.
The Phoenix Suns are the other team that did offer Kuminga a contract in the offseason. Their offer was a four-year, $90 million contract with Kuminga’s desired player option at the end, in exchange for veteran Royce O’Neal and multiple second-round picks. The Warriors didn’t deem that to be a good enough trade, and the Suns currently don’t have the same kind of in-season Kuminga interest.
With only Moses Moody’s $13.4 million contract on the books for the 2027-28 season, the Warriors are unenthusiastic about taking on long-term contracts and dealing future first-round picks a few years from now in what could be the post-Steph Curry era.
Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. has been a name hotly connected to the Warriors on social media. In reality, the Warriors, as NBC Sports Bay Area reported three days ago, have been hesitant on Porter and have never shown the kind of interest that would get a deal done. The two teams have not spoken for more than a month.
The Nets are not a Kuminga team. If they were, they wouldn’t have selected five players in the first round of last June’s draft, and they would have opened their wallets as one of the only teams with salary cap space last summer.
A multi-team trade to acquire Porter always was going to be the path if the Warriors even want to walk down that road. They haven’t shown any desire to give the Nets multiple first-round picks for Porter.
The player they would do that for is 25-year-old Trey Murphy, who is averaging a career-high 22.2 points per game on 38.9 percent shooting from 3-point range. But the Pelicans have even less reasons than the Nets to move their best asset during the season.
As the list of possible Kuminga teams becomes murkier, there is one to keep your eyes on: The Los Angeles Lakers.
That connection dates back to the summer of Kuminga’s restricted free agency saga. League sources told NBC Sports Bay Area then that the Lakers were a team monitoring Kuminga’s situation and the possibility of him taking the qualifying offer where he’d be an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2026.
Lakers president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka is a fan of Kuminga’s, sources say, and likes the idea of him as an athletic wing on a Luka Dončić-led team. The Warriors have been aware of the Lakers’ likeness for Kuminga, though it’s unclear how likely an in-season move between the two teams is.
The Warriors have a team option on Kuminga’s second season, and he essentially becomes a $23.4 million expiring contract this summer. That can be valuable to teams, sure. It also can’t be stressed enough how much moving on from one another now would benefit Kuminga and the Warriors, a team that can’t have Curry and Butler playing at an elite level as a play-in team while such a tradable contract sits and watches from the bench.
Standing idle would be a failure in asset mismanagement. The Warriors can see what Curry and Butler still are, and any help is better than no help.
Changes come quickly in the NBA. There is undoubtedly more than one team that likes Kuminga, but that doesn’t ensure anything. More could be added to the mix in this three-week window now that Kuminga is trade eligible. His standing with Kerr and the Warriors, though, couldn’t be clearer.
It’s time to move on, and time to let Kuminga move on too.
Michael Porter Jr. does not appear destined for the Warriors.
At least, not yet.
The Brooklyn Nets’ veteran forward has drawn plenty of interest across the NBA ahead of the league’s Feb. 5 trade deadline, and while many believe Golden State could be a fit, the Warriors have not spoken to Brooklyn about Porter in quite some time, and do not appear to be a serious suitor as of right now, ESPN’s Shams Charania and Anthony Slater reported Thursday, citing league sources.
“As of this week, the Warriors hadn’t talked to the Brooklyn Nets in more than a month and have never shown real interest in a trade for wing Michael Porter Jr., league sources said,” Slater and Charania wrote. “They’ve been fond of Trey Murphy III in the past, but the New Orleans Pelicans are rebuffing calls about all their young wings, league sources said.”
Charania and Slater also reported, citing team sources, that Golden State would be willing to move multiple of its first-round draft picks if the right player is made available, but that the team is more protective of its first-rounders from 2028 and beyond.
Porter, 27, who was selected by the Nuggets with the No. 14 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, spent the first six years of his career with Denver and averaged 16.2 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game in 345 games (291 starts).
Then, Porter was traded to Brooklyn this summer in a deal that landed guard Cameron Johnson in Denver, and in 31 games with the Nets this season, Porter is averaging career-highs in points (25.7), rebounds (7.5) and assists (3.3).
Porter’s breakout campaign has made him one of the hottest names on the trade market, and while he certainly could be a fit for the Warriors, it does not appear Golden State has much interest right now with the trade deadline three weeks away.
The 2005-06 NHL season was a disaster for the Boston Bruins.
They traded away superstar center and captain Joe Thornton to the San Jose Sharks early in the campaign for a lackluster return package. The team lacked talent and toughness, and it finished with the fifth-worst record in the league.
The franchise, which hadn’t been a real Stanley Cup contender since the late 1980s and early 1990s, appeared to be light years away from ending its championship drought, which in 2006 stood at 34 years.
It was, essentially, rock bottom for the Bruins.
And then everything changed July 1, 2006.
That’s when the Bruins, who were not big spenders at the time, splashed the cash to sign star defenseman Zdeno Chara to a five-year, $37.5 million contract. It’s without question the best free agent signing in league history.
“I’m willing to lead by my example of hard work, dedication, discipline and drive,” Chara said in his introductory press conference in July of 2006.
He also made it clear in that press conference what the objective was for him and the team: “I think the only thing we care (about) is the final goal and to win at the end.”
The Bruins will retire Chara’s No. 33 to the TD Garden rafters Thursday night before the B’s play the Seattle Kraken. It’s a fitting honor for a player who transformed the Bruins back into a Stanley Cup contender.
But it didn’t happen overnight. Playoff setbacks in 2008, 2009 and then blowing a 3-0 series lead in the second round to the Philadelphia Flyers in 2010 created some doubt over whether the Bruins had what it took to be champions.
But Chara, with his leadership and determination, kept the B’s moving forward. One thing about Chara is he never backs down from a challenge. He looks at the impossible as very much possible.
The Bruins’ 2011 playoff run, which culminated with the franchise winning its first Stanley Cup in 39 years, was one of the most exciting three-month periods in the history of Boston sports. There were so many ups, downs, and memorable moments.
There were many heroes during those four playoff series. Tim Thomas set a record for playoff save percentage and won the Conn Smythe Trophy as postseason MVP. David Krejci led the playoffs with 23 points. Brad Marchand scored a then-rookie record 11 playoff goals, including five in the Cup Final. Nathan Horton scored two OT-winning goals and the only goal in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final.
Chara was also at the top of his game. When the Bruins needed it most, their captain stepped up with elite play at both ends of the ice on the sport’s biggest stage.
Chara played an astounding 37:06 of ice time in Game 5 of the first-round series versus the Montreal Canadiens. The Habs did not score and tallied only 14 shots when Chara was on the ice. The Bruins ended up winning in double overtime to take a 3-2 series lead. They won the series in overtime of Game 7.
In the second-round sweep against the Flyers, Chara helped tilt the ice heavily in the Bruins’ favor. Boston outscored Philadelphia 13-4 and generated more than 60 percent of all scoring chances during Chara’s 113:58 of ice time over four games.
In Game 7 of the East Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Bruins had a 16-7 advantage in shots, a 12-5 edge in scoring chances and allowed zero goals during Chara’s 26:43 of ice time. The Lightning only tallied two shots on net when Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis and Steven Stamkos went up against Chara in that game. The B’s won 1-0 to clinch their first Stanley Cup Final appearance since 1990.
Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images
Canucks superstar Henrik Sedin struggled to score against Zdeno Chara in the 2011 Stanley Cup Final.
The 2011 Cup Final against the Vancouver Canucks is where Chara’s defensive excellence really played a key role for the Bruins. He put on a defensive masterclass against a Canucks team that won the Presidents’ Trophy, scored the most goals of any team and had the No. 1 ranked power play. Daniel Sedin led the league with 104 points. His brother and linemate, Henrik, had 94.
Neither of those two superstar forwards made a profound impact in the Final. Daniel tallied four points in the series but was held without a point in five of the seven games. Two of his points were garbage time assists in Game 6. Henrik was completely invisible. He scored a meaningless goal late in Game 6. It was his only point of the series.
They couldn’t escape the physicality, long reach and towering presence of Chara. He played about 70 even-strength minutes against the Sedins in that series, per Natural Stat Trick, and Boston outscored Vancouver 5-2 and had a .960 save percentage in those minutes. Chara winning that matchup so decisively was pivotal in the outcome.
The Sedins were power-play maestros, too. Daniel led the league with 42 power-play points in the 2010-11 regular season. Henrik had 35. But in 28 minutes of power-play ice time against Chara in the Cup Final, the twins could only muster one goal — a garbage time tally in Game 6. Vancouver’s potent power play, which was supposed to tip the scale in its favor, was bottled up by the Bruins’ 6-foot-9 defenseman. The Canucks ended up going 2-for-32 on the power play in the series.
Overall, the Bruins outscored the Canucks 15-6 in Chara’s ice time over the seven games. He made a huge impact all over the ice versus a Vancouver team that many experts picked to win the series.
And when the final buzzer sounded in Game 7 and commissioner Gary Bettman brought the Stanley Cup onto the Rogers Arena ice and gave it to Chara, the greatest trophy in sports was lifted higher in the air than it ever had, or ever has been.
Winning the ultimate prize didn’t come easy, but those Bruins teams never did anything easy. There were many times throughout that journey toward winning the Stanley Cup that the B’s could have folded and given up. But Chara was never going to let that happen.
He set an example of hard work and dedication that was contagious. No challenge or setback was going to keep him from delivering on the goal he set during his introductory press conference in 2006. This is why the Bruins had the mental toughness to withstand a lot of challenges against the Canucks in the 2011 Cup Final.
Whether it was Patrice Bergeron getting bitten by Alex Burrows in Game 1 and Boston losing 1-0 on a late goal, or the Bruins losing in overtime of Game 2, or Nathan Horton getting knocked out of the series in Game 3 by a vicious hit, or the team losing 1-0 again in Game 5, or the B’s playing a must-win Game 7 on the road, Chara’s leadership kept his team laser-focused on the No. 1 objective.
Other legendary Boston athletes might have won more championships, or taken home more individual awards. But very, very few made the kind of transformational impact on their franchise that Chara did for the Bruins.
It’s one of many reasons why Chara will always be regarded as one of the best Bruins of all time. And it’s why the 2011 title will always matter a little more than some of the others that Boston teams have won.
SAN FRANCISCO — For a second straight year, the Giants started the international signing period by picking up the best position player available.
Venezuelan shortstop Luis Hernández signed on Thursday morning during a ceremony at the organization’s Felipe Alou Baseball Academy in the Dominican Republic. Hernández signed exactly one year after Josuar Gonzalez, who already is a top 100 prospect overall and is considered the organization’s second-best prospect.
Hernández will get a signing bonus of about $5 million, per sources, the second-biggest international bonus in franchise history. The Giants gave Lucius Fox $6 million in 2015 before restrictions were put in place, and Gonzalez signed for just under $3 million a year ago.
A right-handed hitter, Hernández is the No. 1 player on both the Baseball America and MLB Pipeline boards. He has long been connected to the Giants, who were on him early and had no doubts in recent months that Hernández would sign.
“He is so mature for his age as a player,” senior director of international scouting Joe Salermo said recently. “He can play short with plus skills, he’s a plus hitter, he’s going to have plus power. The only thing you can knock him for is he’s an average runner, but the way he controls the game is incredible for a younger kid.”
Hernández vaulted to the top of the class in part because of an eye-opening performance in a professional league in Venezuela last summer. Playing against some former big leaguers and pitchers who were a decade older than him, the teenager hit .346 and struck out just 11 times in 114 plate appearances.
Salermo visits Venezuela four or five times a year and the Giants have also had a good relationship with the Carlos Guillen Academy in Maracay, where Hernández trains. The longtime big league shortstop played on the Seattle Mariners with Randy Winn, who now runs the Giants’ player development department.
“Our evaluators [in Venezuela] did a really good job of identifying the player and feeling comfortable with the player,” Salermo said.
The Giants came away impressed not just with Hernández’s physical skills, but also his makeup. Because he’s so advanced at the plate, it’s possible that he will skip the Dominican Summer League and go straight to Arizona this summer to begin his professional career.
The Hernández signing will continue to add to a farm system that is on the rise. In addition to Gonzalez and Hernández, the Giants will add the No. 4 overall pick in the 2026 MLB Draft this July after getting lucky in December’s lottery. Now that he’s officially a Giant, Hernández joins one of the best groups of young middle infielders in the minors.
Scouts also are high on Jhonny Level, signed out of Venezuela in 2024. In the first round of last year’s draft, the Giants took Tennessee infielder Gavin Kilen. When Bryce Eldridge graduates from prospect lists this summer, it’s possible that the organization’s top four prospects will be middle infielders, including three teenagers.
The two likely leading the way — Gonzalez and Hernández — come with similar rankings but bring different traits. Gonzalez draws Francisco Lindor comps and is a more athletic and flashier player with what is considered a higher ceiling. Hernández, the Giants believe, has a significantly higher floor. There’s no certainty when dealing with 17-year-olds, but Hernández is considered about as safe a bet as it gets for a player his age.
“It’s amazing how these two guys are totally different, but we feel that they can both play a premium position,” Salermo said. “We’re excited to see it.”
The Warriors’ young forward is demanding a trade from the team, NBC Sports Bay Area’s Dalton Johnson confirmed Thursday morning, citing league sources, after ESPN’s Anthony Slater and Shams Charania first reported the news.
League sources confirm Jonathan Kuminga has demanded a trade away from the Warriors with today, Jan. 15, being the first day he’s trade eligible @NBCSWarriors
Kuminga has played once in the last 17 games and has been a healthy DNP by the Warriors 16 times this season
Kuminga, who signed a two-year, $48.5 million contract with the Warriors on Sept. 30, was not eligible to be traded, due to a rule in the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, until Thursday, Jan. 15.
After spending all offseason canvassing the league for a potential Kuminga trade suitor as the young forward navigated through restricted free agency, Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy and his front office have spent the past several weeks doing so again, with the Sacramento Kings and Dallas Mavericks among the teams that have shown interest in Kuminga, Charania and Slater reported in their story, citing league sources.
After a tumultuous summer, Kuminga started the first 12 games of the 2025-26 NBA season, and impressed early before returning to a role off the bench and eventually falling out of coach Steve Kerr’s rotations completely. The 23-year-old now has registered 13 consecutive DNP-CDs (Did Not Play – Coach’s Decision).
While it appears likely that Kuminga is traded sooner rather than later, ESPN also reported that the Warriors’ decision-makers have given zero assurances to teams that the young forward will be dealt before the league’s Feb. 5 trade deadline, believing it could “prove better business” to push the decision to the summer.
The Warriors’ young forward is demanding a trade from the team, ESPN’s Anthony Slater and Shams Charania reported Thursday morning, citing league sources.
Golden State's Jonathan Kuminga has demanded a trade away from the Warriors as he becomes eligible to be moved Thursday, sources tell ESPN.
Nine-time Olympic gold medalist Katie Ledecky clocked the second-fastest women’s 1500m freestyle time in history on Wednesday to launch the US Pro Swim Series event in Austin, Texas, with a dominant victory.
Ledecky was untouchable as she cruised to victory in 15min 23.21sec, more than a minute in front of 16-year-old runner-up Brinkleigh Hansen, who touched in 16:31.31.
Knicks star Jalen Brunson, who suffered a right ankle sprain in the first quarter of Wednesday's 112-101 loss to the Sacramento Kings, is out for Thursday's matchup against the Warriors.
Brunson is listed as day-to-day.
While Brunson is out, Landry Shamet has been upgraded to questionable.
According to multiple eyewitness accounts, including from The Athletic's James Edwards, Brunson left the locker room after Wednesday's game without a boot or crutches.
The incident occurred with 7:45 remaining in the first quarter when Brunson tried to cross up Maxime Raynaud on the wing, but slipped and fell, appearing to turn his ankle.
Brunson tried to remain in the game, but checked out with 7:01 on the clock and headed to the locker room.
The Los Angeles Kings (19-16-11) played host to the Vegas Golden Knights (22-11-12) in a battle between two playoff hopefuls from the Pacific division. After a rough loss to the Dallas Stars on Monday, the Kings were in desperate need of two points as they are start to slip out of the playoff picture in the West.
Unfortunately, two points isn't easy to come by in the National Hockey League as the Los Angeles was unable to finish the job on home ice and fall to Vegas by a score of 3-2 in overtime.
The silver lining in all of these heart wrenching defeats is that they continue to walk away with the loser point, which could be seen as both a bad, and a good thing. The Kings now have the second most loser points in the NHL with 11, funnily enough, only Vegas has more with 12.
Kings Fail to Capitalize Early
In perhaps one of the biggest games of the season so far, the Kings needed to get off to good start early in order to compete with a Vegas team that has found their footing lately.
Los Angeles did control the majority of the play in the opening frame, while Vegas looked incredibly sloppy and were unable to get virtually anything going, as they struggled to even enter the Kings zone cleanly.
Unfortunately, the Golden Knights were able to weather the storm and get out of the first period with a 0-0 tie. The Kings outshot the Knights 9-5 to end the period but just couldn't beat Akira Schmid.
Golden Knights Get on the Board
After successfully escaping an ugly first period, the Golden Knights looked like an entirely different hockey team in the second period. Clearly, head coach Bruce Cassidy voiced his frustration because it didn't take long for Vegas control the game.
Just under four minutes into the middle frame, rookie forward Braeden Bowman gave his team the lead with his sixth of the season. After a defensive mishap by Brian Dumoulin, Jack Eichel scooped up the loose puck and found a wide open Bowman who ripped the puck past Darcy Kuemper.
Both teams had an opportunity on the power play in the latter half of the period, but neither could capitalize. After 40 minutes Vegas was outshooting L.A. 19-17.
Just like Vegas did in the first period, Los Angeles weathered the storm in the second period and were lucky to be down just 1-0 after 40 minutes.
Through the early stages of the third period the Kings began to look desperate as they were pushing hard to even things up. They were able to generate some quality chances but just couldn't finish.
That was until Kevin Fiala buried his team-leading 17th goal of the season past Akira Schmid was in the midst of a shutout bid. Fiala earned this one as he was stopped on his initial shot, the puck then came to Alex Turcotte in the slot who fired it on goal which led to a juicy rebound right on the tape of the Kings sniper who wasted no time firing it into the back of the net. Fiala, who was probably the most notable Kings prior to his goal gets rewarded for sticking with the play and crashing the net. Turcotte and Andre Kuzmenko register the assists.
Marner Puts Vegas on Top
After a strong first 10-12 minutes of the final frame, the Kings were tested after Adrian Kempe was sent off for hooking.
Just over 40 seconds into their man advantage, Vegas took the lead right back as Mitch Marner scored his 11th of the year with a blistering wrist shot. At this point it looked like Marner shoved the dagger into the heart of the Kings.
When all hope seemed to be lost after yet another Kings third period fumble, the team didn't give up and continued to fight for the game tying goal.
It came down to the final 90 seconds but Brandt Clarke made the building erupt as he slid home his 5th of the season past Schmid to tie the game at 2-2 which meant extra time was needed.
After an electric finish to regulation, the Golden Knights silenced the Kings crowd as they scored just 25 seconds into the overtime period.
In a somewhat broken play that had Kuemper facing the wrong way, Jack Eichel was able to find Mark Stone all alone who was able to put the puck in the wide open cage, giving Vegas the win in a hard fought battle between two divisional foes.
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The Knicks had one of their worst shooting games of the season and lost to the Sacramento Kings, 112-101, on Wednesday night.
Here are the takeaways...
-- New York found themselves down 16-8 early in the first quarter and then things got even worse with Jalen Brunson leaving the game with a right ankle injury. Brunson slipped and fell with 7:45 remaining in the first quarter while trying to cross up Maxime Raynaud. He tried to stay in the game but left for the locker room with 7:01 on the clock and did not return.
-- It didn't get better for Mike Brown's new squad against his former team as NY trailed 32-17 at the end of the first quarter. The Knicks went 0-for-9 from three-point range and shot just 35 percent from the field compared to the Kings' 63 percent. Former Knick Precious Achiuwa, DeMar DeRozan, and Zach LaVine all scored 10 points in the first. Karl-Anthony Towns tried to carry the load for New York with seven points.
-- New York missed their first 12 three-point attempts before Josh Hart hit one to make it a 41-24 game in the second quarter. The Knicks slowly tried to mount a comeback despite their struggles from beyond the arc. Offensive rebounds and second-chance points were a big factor as Mitchell Robinson dominated the glass (11 total offensive rebounds in the first half, Robinson with six).
The Knicks outscored the Kings, 25-24, in the second quarter but trailed 56-42 at halftime. It's tied for their lowest scoring first half of the season. The team shot an abysmal 1-for-19 from three and 34 percent from the field. Towns was the go-to scorer with Brunson out (13 points on 5-for-11 shooting), but no one else was in double figures.
-- Sacramento scored seven quick points to open the third quarter before Mikal Bridges made the Knicks' second three-pointer of the night (2-for-21 at the time), making it a 63-46 game. The Kings continued to get to the foul line and extend their lead. Hart made the team's third three-pointer (3-for-25) and then Robinson picked up his seventh offensive rebound, scoring on a tip-in as the Knicks trailed, 79-57, with 4:47 left in the third quarter.
DeRozan made his first three-pointer in three games with just under a minute remaining in the third quarter as the Kings grew their lead to 23 points. They led 96-76 heading into the fourth as Achiuwa's revenge game continued, getting up to a season-high 20 points already. New York made a total of four three-pointers (4-for-10) in the third, improving to 17 percent from deep.
-- Jordan Clarkson gave the Knicks a spark with six straight points in the fourth quarter and then Bridges sank his second three-pointer to cut the Sacramento lead to 15 points. Brown emptied the bench with 2:34 left, down 108-94. They made it a nine-point game after a Tyler Kolek three and Guerschon Yabusele layup before Russell Westbrook banked in a three to have fans chanting to "light the beam."
-- The Knicks shot 39 percent overall and 20 percent from three, missing 33 attempts (8-for-41). Towns didn't score in the second half, finishing with 13 points and four rebounds, while Bridges led the team with 19 points. OG Anunoby finished with 15 points, Clarkson had 11 points, and Hart and McBride each had 10 points.
Sacramento made 32 free throws (84 percent from the foul line) and shot 47 percent from the field. The Kings won the rebound battle, 48-43. DeRozan had 27 points and LaVine added 25 points.
Game MVP: Precious Achiuwa
The former Knick and five-star recruit out of high school had his best game of the season, scoring 20 points on 7-for-14 shooting with 14 rebounds (six offensive), two assists, two blocks, and two steals.
Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images
