Detroit Pistons (49-19, first in the Eastern Conference) vs. Washington Wizards (16-52, 14th in the Eastern Conference)
Washington; Thursday, 7 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: Washington takes on Detroit looking to end its six-game home losing streak.
The Wizards are 11-32 against Eastern Conference opponents. Washington allows 123.8 points to opponents and has been outscored by 11.0 points per game.
The Pistons are 33-11 in conference games. Detroit ranks seventh in the Eastern Conference with 27.0 assists per game led by Cade Cunningham averaging 9.9.
The Wizards' 13.0 made 3-pointers per game this season are only 0.3 more made shots on average than the 12.7 per game the Pistons give up. The Pistons average 11.0 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.7 fewer made shots on average than the 13.7 per game the Wizards give up.
The teams meet for the fourth time this season. In the last matchup on March 17 the Pistons won 130-117 led by 36 points from Jalen Duren, while Bub Carrington scored 30 points for the Wizards.
TOP PERFORMERS: Carrington is averaging 10 points and 4.5 assists for the Wizards. Tre Johnson is averaging 1.9 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
Duren is averaging 19 points and 10.6 rebounds for the Pistons. Cunningham is averaging 17.6 points and 3.8 rebounds while shooting 46.8% over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Wizards: 0-10, averaging 117.6 points, 38.1 rebounds, 23.8 assists, 6.8 steals and 4.6 blocks per game while shooting 48.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 129.5 points per game.
Pistons: 5-5, averaging 116.9 points, 44.1 rebounds, 28.3 assists, 9.4 steals and 6.0 blocks per game while shooting 48.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 110.9 points.
INJURIES: Wizards: Anthony Davis: out (finger), Cam Whitmore: out for season (shoulder), Alex Sarr: day to day (hamstring), Leaky Black: day to day (ankle), Kyshawn George: out (elbow), D'Angelo Russell: day to day (not injury related), Trae Young: day to day (quad), Bilal Coulibaly: day to day (heel).
Pistons: Cade Cunningham: day to day (back), Isaiah Stewart: out (calf).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Orlando Magic (38-30, sixth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Charlotte Hornets (35-34, 10th in the Eastern Conference)
Charlotte, North Carolina; Thursday, 7 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: Charlotte faces Orlando in a matchup of Eastern Conference teams.
The Hornets are 21-22 in conference games. Charlotte is third in the Eastern Conference with 12.7 offensive rebounds per game led by Moussa Diabate averaging 3.8.
The Magic are 9-6 against opponents from the Southeast Division. Orlando has a 15-16 record in games decided by 10 points or more.
The Hornets are shooting 45.8% from the field this season, 1.5 percentage points lower than the 47.3% the Magic allow to opponents. The Magic average 11.8 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.0 fewer made shot on average than the 12.8 per game the Hornets give up.
The teams meet for the fourth time this season. The Hornets won 124-97 in the last matchup on Jan. 23.
TOP PERFORMERS: LaMelo Ball is averaging 19.5 points and 7.2 assists for the Hornets. Kon Knueppel is averaging 19.4 points over the past 10 games.
Desmond Bane is averaging 20.5 points and 4.2 assists for the Magic. Paolo Banchero is averaging 25.5 points over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Hornets: 7-3, averaging 115.4 points, 46.2 rebounds, 26.5 assists, 8.6 steals and 4.8 blocks per game while shooting 45.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 105.1 points per game.
Magic: 7-3, averaging 118.7 points, 45.7 rebounds, 26.9 assists, 8.1 steals and 3.4 blocks per game while shooting 46.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.9 points.
INJURIES: Hornets: Tidjane Salaun: day to day (calf).
Magic: Franz Wagner: out (ankle), Anthony Black: out (back), Jonathan Isaac: out (knee).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Philadelphia 76ers (37-32, ninth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Sacramento Kings (18-52, 15th in the Western Conference)
Sacramento, California; Thursday, 10 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: Philadelphia will try to end its five-game road skid when the 76ers take on Sacramento.
The Kings have gone 12-24 in home games. Sacramento ranks last in the NBA shooting 33.7% from 3-point range.
The 76ers have gone 17-16 away from home. Philadelphia is 14-25 against opponents over .500.
The Kings average 10.1 made 3-pointers per game this season, 3.3 fewer makes per game than the 76ers allow (13.4). The 76ers' 45.9% shooting percentage from the field this season is 3.4 percentage points lower than the Kings have allowed to their opponents (49.3%).
The teams meet for the second time this season. The 76ers won 113-111 in the last meeting on Jan. 30. Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with 40 points, and DeMar DeRozan led the Kings with 25 points.
TOP PERFORMERS: DeRozan is scoring 18.6 points per game with 3.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists for the Kings. Maxime Raynaud is averaging 18.1 points and 8.8 rebounds while shooting 61.4% over the past 10 games.
Quentin Grimes is averaging 13.5 points and 3.4 assists for the 76ers. VJ Edgecombe is averaging 10.3 points and 3.8 rebounds while shooting 36.3% over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Kings: 5-5, averaging 114.7 points, 46.1 rebounds, 28.1 assists, 7.4 steals and 4.5 blocks per game while shooting 48.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 118.4 points per game.
76ers: 4-6, averaging 106.9 points, 41.3 rebounds, 22.8 assists, 9.5 steals and 6.1 blocks per game while shooting 44.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 117.1 points.
INJURIES: Kings: Malik Monk: day to day (ankle), Domantas Sabonis: out for season (back), Devin Carter: day to day (calf), De'Andre Hunter: out for season (eye), Zach LaVine: out for season (finger), Drew Eubanks: out for season (thumb), Keegan Murray: out (ankle).
76ers: Tyrese Maxey: out (finger), Johni Broome: out (knee), Jabari Walker: day to day (illness), Joel Embiid: day to day (oblique), Kelly Oubre Jr.: out (elbow).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
After opening their four-game homestand on an offensive tear with 10 goals in two wins, the Golden Knights ran into a buzzsaw Tuesday night.
Buffalo, the league's hottest team since Dec. 9, stayed red hot with its 10th win in 11 games since the Olympic Break, winning 2-0.
It was Vegas' third shutout loss of the season and its first at home.
While Buffalo goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 27 saves to keep his stat line clean, the Golden Knights misfired on 22 shots
"I thought we got lots of pucks there, some rebounds," Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. "We just misfired on them. I thought Mitch (Marner) had a chance late. (Nic) Dowd had a rebound with an open net that ended up off net. (Mark) Stoney had a rebound on the power play.
"There were some rebounds there that we just didn't finish."
KEY MOMENT
With 16:35 left in the game, Pavel Dorofeyev took a pass from Marner and fired a wicked wrist shot from the bottom of the left circle, but was stymied by Luukkonen, setting the tone for a resilient finish by Buffalo's netminder, who improved to 6-1 since Jan. 22.
KEY STAT
0 for 3 ... For the fourth time in five games the Golden Knights couldn't score a power-play goal. From Jan. 31 through March 6, the Golden Knights ranked tied for fifth in the NHL with their 33.3% power-play clip. Since then, the Knights rank 26th with a 13.3% conversion rate.
WHAT A KNIGHT
Goalie Adin Hill allowed one goal after turning in another strong performance, outside of the lone goal he let in. After Hill failed to clear the puck behind the net, Buffalo's Josh Doan fired his shot off the back of the Knights' netminder's right pad and the puck ricocheted into the net. Otherwise, Hill was the best Knight on the ice, stopping 23 shots.
The Golden Knights conclude their four-game homestand against the Utah Mammoth on Thursday.
PHOTO CAPTION:Â Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill (33) makes a save against Buffalo Sabres center Noah Ostlund (86) during the first period at T-Mobile Arena.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen turned aside 27 shots to record his first shutout of the season and eighth in his NHL career, leading the Buffalo Sabres to a 2-0 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday.
Josh Doan and Josh Norris scored for Buffalo (42-20-6), who have surged to a 10-1-0 record since returning from the Olympic break. With the win, the Sabres are now tied with the Carolina Hurricanes for first place in the Eastern Conference. Carolina, however, holds a game in hand after a 5-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday.
Adin Hill stopped 23 shots in the loss for Vegas (31-23-14), snapping a two-game winning streak. The Golden Knights fell to third place in the Pacific Division, trailing the Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks by a single point. Edmonton, which has played one more game, defeated the San Jose Sharks 5-3 on Tuesday.
Josh Doan scores for the Sabers.
The game's opening goal came late in the first period. At 18:02, Doan capitalized on a miscue behind the net by Hill, banking a shot off the goaltenderâs right pad to give Buffalo a 1-0 lead. Norris sealed the victory with an empty-net goal at 19:02 of the third period, finalizing the 2-0 scoreline.
With Luukkonenâs standout performance and the Sabresâ continued dominance post-Olympics, Buffalo is asserting itself as a legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference heading down the stretch.
The Sabers were coming off a 3-2 shootout victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.
Jack Quinn was the hero for the Buffalo Sabres in that game, scoring the game-tying goal in the second period and delivering another crucial goal in the shootout.
In the shootout, Quinn started wide on the right wing before cutting to the middle and firing a precise wrist shot under Joseph Wollâs blocker to open the scoring for Buffalo.
Owen Power also contributed a goal in regulation, while Alex Lyon made 16 saves to secure the win for the Sabres.
Alex Tuch added a goal in the shootout, with Lyon coming up big by stopping one attempt and forcing another to miss the net, sealing the victory for Buffalo.
The Golden Knights, however, have been struggling as of late as they've dropped seven of their last 10 games.
The Vancouver Canucks have their second win in their past three games, having taken a 5â2 win against the Florida Panthers tonight. Elias Pettersson led the way with two power play goals, Marco Rossi scored in his third-straight game, and Aatu RĂ€ty and Drew OâConnor also found the back of the net. In goal, Kevin Lankinen recorded his first win since January 21, stopping 21 shots on 23 faced.
One of a few positive outcomes from tonightâs game was the fact that the Canucks broke a four-game goalless streak on the power play by scoring two on the man-advantage thanks to Pettersson. Both of the forwardâs goals came as a result of hard shots fired from the faceoff dot, with the first flying powerfully past Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and the second trickling behind him on a similar shot.
âIt was nice to get a bounce to go the right way, but Iâm trying to play the right way. I know I still have a lot to do to be where I want to be, but definitely nice to see it go in tonight,â Pettersson said after the win.
Even Vancouverâs second-unit power play got some good looks. During the Canucksâ third man-advantage of the game, Linus Karlsson got some good tip-attempts off on Bobrovsky. While the goal didnât technically take place on the power play, as it had just expired prior to it, OâConnor scored Vancouverâs fifth of the game to tie a career-high in goals with 16 on the season.
Vancouverâs third goal of the first period came off a lapse in defensive coverage for the Panthers. An ill-timed pinch left Rossi all alone in the slot in front of Bobrovsky, with the Canucks centre making a quick move before flicking the puck past the goaltenderâs blocker. Rossi and his line of Brock Boeser and Liam Ăhgren had yet another solid game, with the former two each registering three points and all three putting up at least one.
Despite having a solid response to Vancouverâs performance in the first period, Floridaâs defensive lapses took place yet again on Vancouverâs fourth goal of the game. This time it was RĂ€ty who managed to work his way into Floridaâs slot, not giving his shot a second thought as he put it past Bobrovsky to put the Canucks up 4â2.
When Vancouver needed him most in order to secure the win, Lankinen shut things down excellently. He made a flurry of saves with the Panthers fighting to invade the crease and made some big stops on Florida during their third-period power play. Even within the final minute, with the Panthers crowding him in an attempt to score their third, Lankinen stood tall.
âI was just happy to keep the puck out of the net,â Lankinen said after the game. âObviously, I thought our team as a whole played a great game. Petey, Brock, Marco â they stepped up in a big way and led the way, and it was fun to watch.â
One other aspect of tonightâs game that should be noted is the teamâs willingness to stand up for one-another. On multiple occasions, such as when Florida prodded at Lankinen after whistles or Zeev Buium was tripped up, the Canucks â particularly young players like RĂ€ty, Nils Höglander, and defenceman Elias Pettersson â werenât afraid to go after the Panthers. Canucks Head Coach Adam Foote spoke on the change in energy around his team's room through the past few games.
âThe last four or five games, weâve been right there [...] Iâd say we are consistent the last four or five, you feel the momentum change, you feel in the locker room, itâs different. The energy on the ice at practice is different."
Mar 17, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks goalie Kevin Lankinen (32), defenseman Filip Hronek (17) and forward Elias Pettersson (40) battle for the loose puck with Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk (19) in the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Stats and Facts:
Kevin Lankinen takes part in his 200th career NHL game
Canucksâ record on March 17 increases to 10â4â0
Elias Pettersson scores his 200th career NHL goal
Marco Rossi increases his goal-streak to three-straight games
Scoring Summary:
1st Period:
3:49 - VAN: Elias Pettersson (14) from Marco Rossi and Brock Boeser (PPG)
11:41 - FLA: Matthew Tkachuk (9) from Carter Verhaeghe
13:40 - VAN: Elias Pettersson (15) from Brock Boeser and Marco Rossi (PPG)
17:46 - VAN: Marco Rossi (9) from Brock Boeser and Liam Ăhgren
2nd Period:
11:28 - FLA: Sam Bennett (25) from Matthew Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe
14:27 - VAN: Aatu RĂ€ty (4) from Evander Kane and Elias Pettersson (D)
3rd Period:
14:25 - VAN: Drew OâConnor (16) from Linus Karlsson and Tom Willander
Up Next:
With the Canucks now halfway through their eight-game home stand, their next match will take place on Thursday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 pm PT.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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By his own admission, Josh Hart has been âkind of in my head with a lot of stuffâ since the All-Star break.
Heâd missed 28 of his 38 three-point attempts since the break. And he was part of a Knicks starting lineup that was struggling early in games.
As is usually the case, there were calls in some corners of social media to pull Hart from the starting lineup.
But he showed those fans â and anyone else watching â why he should stay put on Tuesday night.
Hart scored a Knicks career high 33 points in a win over Indiana. He went 12-for-13 from the floor and hit all five of his three-point attempts.
âI just like that he took the right shots and he didnât hesitate,â Mike Brown said after the game.
Brown said earlier in the week that he wouldnât hesitate to change his starting lineup if the group continued to struggle. But it doesnât sound like he would consider taking Hart out of the lineup.
âI think the main thingâŠis him connecting the group. Iâm not saying he is Andre Iguodala or his game is like Andre Iguodalaâs, but there are a lot of similarities where you watch himâŠheâs really good in a lot of different areas,â Brown said Tuesday. âBut more importantly, he connects the group and having a guy like that, especially to start games, is hugeâŠ. Heâs been fantastic giving us that energy, giving us the connectivity we needed with that starting group and then doing the little things. Offensive glass, pushing the pace, getting off in transition. Heâs a switchable guy, heâs a physical guy and (he does) a lot of things that donât necessarily show up in the stat sheet that ⊠help with connectivity as well.â
Hart did plenty that showed up in the stat sheet on Tuesday. In addition to hitting all of his three-point attempts, he had seven rebounds and five assists. But anyone who watches this team knows that they are at a different level when Hart is hitting his shots.
After the Knicksâ win over Indiana, Hart was asked if he could gain confidence from his strong shooting.
âI think since All-Star I was struggling in terms of shooting,â he said. âI think Iâm kind of in my head with a lot of stuff. So I just got to trust my work and go out there and shoot my shots.â
New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) celebrates center Mitchell Robinson (23) in the third quarter at Madison Square Garden / Wendell Cruz - Imagn Images
MIKAL CONNECTS LATE
Speaking of hitting shots, Mikal Bridges knocked down two threes in the fourth quarter after missing his first four attempts against Indiana. He hit those two threes with under seven minutes to play and the Knicks up by 22. Normally, a coach would rest his veteran starter in this circumstance. But Brown wanted Bridges to knock some shots down. The veteran wing had made just 29 percent of his threes in the past 15 games.
âTo try to get anybody that hadnât shot it well from the three-point line to get another look, especially in a game like this, was a good thing,â Brown said Tuesday. âYou talk about Mikalâs streak and his durability â when he turned his ankle (in the first quarter), I was like, âWhoa.â So for him to be able to somehow someway fight through that was good to see. So to try to get him an extra look or two down the stretch was something that we wanted to do.â
Brown said he played Jordan Clarkson over Mohamed Diawara because Clarkson had been scoring the ball at a high clip over the past four games.
âWeâll continue to see what happens going forward,â Brown said. âWeâve all had the pleasure of being able to see Mo at a young age contribute a lot. He just has to keep himself ready like Jordan did. Go out there when your numberâs called, donât do too much but do what you can do and perform at the highest level in terms of your work ethic, focus and attention to detail and just go from there.â
CARLISLE SUPPORTS KERR CAUSE
Steve Kerr has said several times this season that he thinks the NBA should shorten its schedule. Rick Carlisle was asked about it on Tuesday.
âItâd be great if it was possible to do that. There would be a lot involved with it. An obvious big revenue shift,â Carlisle said. âYouâre talking about 10-12 percent of the games being eliminated... the question is, would everyone be willing to do that if it was deemed that it would really help the game. It's a lively conversation. Iâve heard Adam talk about the possibility of shortening the season slightly, going back a few years. The game has changed. One of the compelling aspects of it to me is that when the effort was made to eliminate back-to-backs, in order to have the space to do that, you needed to shorten training camp. So training camp essentially became three weeks instead of four. That extra week to build a base in terms of strength, many layers of protection that you can get for the body, Iâve always wondered if the effort to have less back-to-backs was really worth it. Essentially, youâre playing every other day. But these are all questions. There are a lot of great things about todayâs game (and) schedule. The longer All-Star break has been a real positiveâŠ. To get to the heart of the matter, youâre going to have to talk about the finances of it. I certainly am in agreement that itâs conversation worth havingâŠ. (The exact solution) is hard to say⊠but the nature of the game has changed significantly. Steve is right on point with that. The speed and everything is quite different than it was 5-6 years ago, 3-4 years ago.â
DENVER, COLORADO - MARCH 17: Quentin Grimes #5 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives against Jamal Murray #27 of the Denver Nuggets in the second quarter at Ball Arena on March 17, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. 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 Tanner Pearson/Clarkson Creative/Getty Images) | Getty Images
2025-26 Sixers Bell Ringer season standings:
Tyrese Maxey â 22 Joel Embiid â 9 VJ Edgecombe â 9 Paul George â 6 Justin Edwards â 4 Kelly Oubre Jr. â 4 Quentin Grimes â 3 Jared McCain :â( â 3 Dominick Barlow â 2 Andre Drummond â 2 MarJon Beauchamp â 1 Adem Bona â 1 Cam Payne â 1 Jabari Walker â 1 Trendon Watford â 1 15th roster spot â 1
The Sixers looked to continue their winning ways as they traveled to Denver on Tuesday night for a cross-conference clash. The Sixers came into the night tied for ninth place in the Eastern Conference. They were once again without all three of their stars while the Nuggets had their full complement of players available, save for Peyton Watson.
The Nuggets jumped all over the Sixers from the jump in this one and took a 38-22 lead at the conclusion of the first quarter. Quentin Grimes and VJ Edgecombe struggled to get into any kind of flow as the Nuggets made it a priority to make life hard on them. Edgecombe and Grimes went a combined 4-for-13 from the field in the first quarter while the Sixers struggled to provide any resistance to the Nuggetsâ offensive attack.
Things got worse for the Sixers in the second quarter as Denver continued to get whatever it wanted offensively. The Nuggets hit 9-of-17 from beyond the three-point line in the first half to go along with 25-for-44 from the floor overall. Denver held a 72-40 lead at the halftime break.
The Sixers won a quarter! The Nuggets headed to the fourth quarter with a 100-71 lead. The Sixers went to the final period a robust 37% from the field and 24% from three.
Denver went on to close this one out with no drama in the fourth. Nuggets win, 124-96.
Time for tonightâs Bell Ringer.
Marjon Beauchamp: 16 points, 6-for-11 from the field, 4-for-8 from three
The Bell Ringer for tonight goes to Marjon Beauchamp. Beauchamp got it going late in this one when the game was well out of reach. The Sixersâ athletic two-way swingman took advantage of his opportunity in an otherwise very forgettable game. Beauchamp knocked down a team- and game-high four threes in his 18 minutes of action.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) â Elias Pettersson scored twice, including the 200th goal of his NHL career, and the Vancouver Canucks held on for a 5-2 win over the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night.
The Swedish center opened the scoring at the 3:49 mark of the first period, blasting a one-timer in from inside the faceoff circle during an early power play. It was his 14th tally of the season and his first goal in 21 games.
Marco Rossi also scored and contributed a pair of assists for the Canucks, who rebounded from a lopsided 5-2 loss to the Seattle Kraken on Saturday.
Vancouver center Aatu Raty and Drew OâConnor also scored and Brock Boeser added three assists. Kevin Lankinen â playing in his 200th NHL game â stopped 21 of the 23 shots he faced for his first win since Jan. 21.
The Panthers got a goal and an assist from Matthew Tkachuk. Sam Bennett also scored and Carter Verhaeghe had two assists.
Sergei Bobrovsky made 17 saves for the defending Stanley Cup champions, who lost their second straight game.
Panthers defenseman Seth Jones returned to the lineup after missing 26 games with an upper-body injury. Bennett also played after an undisclosed ailment kept him out of Floridaâs 6-2 loss to the Kraken in Seattle on Sunday.
Winger Nolan Foote played his first game for the Panthers after getting called up from the AHLs Charlotte Checkers on Sunday. His dad is Canucks head coach Adam Foote.
It was a tough night offensively for Team USA in Tuesday night's World Baseball Classic Championship game.
Going up against Venezuela, the high-powered USA lineup just did not show up in their 3-2 loss, and that includes Yankees slugger Aaron Judge.
Judge, who was captain of this iteration of Team USA, went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. However, it was not just Judge's results that were disappointing for Team USA, but the timing.
In the first, Judge struck out looking on a questionable third-strike call to end the inning. He struck out swinging in his second at-bat with the bases empty and Team USA down 1-0.Â
Judge's third at-bat saw the two-time AL MVP come up as the tying run. Team USA was down 2-0 and they had a runner on first base with two outs. Judge grounded out to third base to end the inning.Â
"Surprised because of the names on the back," Team USA manager Mark DeRosa answered when asked if he was surprised by his team's lack of offense. "Not surprised because where theyâre at at spring training... Thatâs my answer. I donât really have a rhyme or reason as to why. Youâre either hot or not in a seven-game blast like this."
âThey made their pitches, worked the corners on both sides. When we did get a pitch we either popped it up or hit it on the ground. Stuff like that canât happen," Judge said. "When you get a pitch to hit, you have to be able to drive. Even if you get one pitch in a game, you got to do something with it. They executed their pitches and their gameplan. And we just couldnât get rolling offensively."
Aaron Judge on facing Venezuela:
"When we did get a pitch we either popped it up or hit it on the ground. Stuff like that can't happen. When you get a pitch to hit, you gotta be able to drive it" pic.twitter.com/7CDVFKoEzJ
Judge wasn't the only superstar who had a bad offensive night. Venezuela starter Eduardo Rodriguez allowed just two baserunners (one hit and one walk) in his 4.1 innings pitched, and Team USA never had a runner get into scoring position once. Even when Bryce Harper tied the game in the eighth with a two-run bomb, it was with a runner on first base.
After the homer, Judge came up for his fourth at-bat as the potential go-ahead run. Judge was called out on strikes to end the eighth, in what would be his final AB.
"Pitching wins championships," Harper said of the lack of offense. "Roddy threw the ball great tonight, kept everyone off balance. I was happy when they took him out of the gameâŠsometimes thatâs going to happen, thatâs part of the game, thatâs part of baseball. Pitching wins, they had timely hitting tonight and they made things happen."
In total, Team USA had three hits and Harper had two of them. The other came from Brice Turang in the third inning.
Three of Team USA's top four batters (Bobby Witt Jr., Judge and Kyle Schwarber) combined to go 0-for-10 with two walks and six strikeouts. DeRosa credited Venezuela's pitching for keeping Team USA's bats at bay, but the manager said his team's lack of baserunners just allowed Venezuela to keep the momentum for most of the game.
"We didnât put any pressure on them offensively," DeRosa said of the game. "There was a passed ball there early, they got a sac fly, grabbed the lead and keep the fans involved. It wasnât a mistake on our end. We just never put any pressure on them."
DENVER, CO - MARCH 17: Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets handles the ball during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers on March 17, 2026 at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. 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 Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Medals of bravery will be going out for every Sixers fan that stayed up for this one.
Philadelphia was crushed 124-96 by the Denver Nuggets Tuesday night.
They are 37-32, only two games back of falling to the 10th seed in the Eastern Conference.
VJ Edgecombe had just nine points, three rebounds and four assists shooting 3-of-12 from the floor. MarJon Beauchamp shot it well again with the game out of hand, leading the Sixers with 16 points. Christian Braun led all scorers with 22. Nikola Jokic had eight points on seven shots along with 14 assists.
The Sixers were once again without Tyrese Maxey (finger sprain), Joel Embiid (oblique strain), Paul George (suspension), Kelly Oubre Jr. (elbow strain), Jabari Walker (illness) and Johni Broome (torn meniscus). Denver was without Peyton Watson along with their two-ways.
Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.
First Quarter
The early battle was between Dominick Barlow and Aaron Gordon. Gordon sealed him off a couple of times for baskets but Barlow was able to swat a couple shots away. The Sixers offenseâ looked overmatched early, only scoring on an Edgecombe drive and a rolling dunk by Adem Bona.
Edgecombe was hunting his midrange pull-ups, but it took three tries to make his first one. Quentin Grimes was also aggressive early but could only get one pull-up three to go. It was another unbalanced start from behind the arc, with Denver making five of their first seven triples while the Sixers started 2-of-8 from deep.
One of the few edges the Sixers had early was the chippiness of the game. Andre Drummond got Jokic Tâd up in the process of drawing an offensive foul. That was about as much resistance as the Sixers had early, as the Nuggets shot 56% from the field in the first and jumped out to an 18-point lead.
Second Quarter
Even the high of Bonaâs impressive dunk was quickly overshadowed. The 33-year old Jonas Valancuinas beat him off a couple dribbles and threw down a contested dunk of his own. For once, the Sixers were at least outpacing their opponent in three-pointers attempted but nothing fell for them. They missed their first four threes of the quarter.
This pace continued so much so that any positive play for the Sixers felt like a noteworthy event. Dalen Terry cut his way for a basket and made a nice little dribble move to get himself a floater. Edgecombe threw a nice lob to Grimes cutting backdoor but neither of them were able to get into a rhythm off the dribble. On top of that, Edgecombe picked up four fouls in the half.
On top of a subpar defensive performance, the Sixers were buried early because their shooters couldnât buy anything. Edgecombe, Grimes and Cam Payne shot a combined 8-of-29 from the field in the half. The Sixers made 17 field goals in the half while the Nuggets had 20 assists. Denver led by 32 at the break.
Third Quarter
Still scourging for any positive, Justin Edwards became the first Sixer of the night to make multiple three-pointers, MarJon Beauchamp would join him late in the quarter when he finally got his second shift. Bona picked up two more blocks and was somehow only -7 to this point in the night but still got an early hook.
Edgecombe picked up his fifth foul early in the third, but he was able to make it over halfway through the quarter before the white flag was waved. Perhaps he could have gotten a few more shots up, but he was cold and his night was ending quickly one way or another. After winning a third quarter for once, the Sixers only trailed by 29.
Fourth Quarter
Beauchamp again took advantage of the run he was given, making five of his first seven shots of the night. Itâs weird that heâs seemed to fallen down the hierarchy even amongst two-ways when theyâve been slightly healthier. Thereâs plenty of reasons heâs on a two-way, but at least heâs made shots. As a Sixer, Beauchamp came into this game shooting 47% from the field and 36% from three-point range.
PEORIA, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 24, 2026: Luke Raley #20 of the Seattle Mariners bats during the second inning of a spring training game against the Chicago White Sox at Peoria Stadium on February 24, 2026 in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by David Durochik/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
The Mariners played their first split-squad game of the spring this season now that they finally have enough players back from the WBC and split the games, losing at home against the Padres and winning on the road against the Rockies.
The Mariners offense made a steady effort, holding a slender 4-2 lead through the sixth thanks to Leguminaâs effort, with the runs coming on this Luke Raley opposite field shot:
Emerson was also involved in the Marinersâ go-ahead score in the fifth; he made a gutsy challenge on a called strike three and instead got it called a ball for a walk. Luis Suisbel then doubled, and Brendan Donovan sacrificed him home to give the Mariners the go-ahead run.
Another young player helped the Mariners pad their lead in the sixth, with Cole Young continuing his strong spring with an RBI single scoring Luke Raley, who had singled and moved to second on a wild pitch.
San Diego opened up the scoring after that, beating up on the Mariners bullpen, but the young kids did claw back another pair of runs late, with Felnin Celesten coming through with a pinch-hit RBI single in the seventh and Austin St. Laurent adding one last run in the ninth on an RBI single scoring Colt Emerson, who had doubled for his second hit of the day in a nine-inning effort.
Away Game: Mariners 10, Rockies 6
Cooper Criswell turned in a solid effort, albeit with some loud contact: a 114 mph EV single in the first, and back-to-back 100 mph+ EV doubles in the second that led to two runs for Colorado, tying the game after the Mariners had struck first. He wasnât especially efficient, needing 61 pitches to clear his three innings of work and giving up five hits, but he also struck out five, working out of jams by enscorcelling the Rockies with a beautiful changeup and a devilish cutter. The loud contact is worrisome, but Criswell has enough craft in his arsenal to be able to survive a lineup at least once through.
Meanwhile, the Mariners âBâ offense went to work on the Rockies tandem of Ryan Feltner and Chase Dollander, who are fighting it out for the fifth rotation spot like George Kirby and Matt Brash back in 2022, but like, badly. The Mariners hitters tagged Feltner for three runs over 3.1 innings, taking advantage of some poor command â four walks â and then beat up on Dollander for another five runs over 3.2 innings, again taking advantage of three walks, although Dollander struck out four. The big blows came off Dollander in the sixth, who gave up three doubles in a row to Rhylan Thomas, Connor Joe, and Carson Taylor, giving the Mariners an 8-5 lead
The Mariners got another pair of runs in the top of the ninth on a homer by prospect Colin Davis, scoring J.T. Arruda, who I am embarrassed to say Iâve never heard of before today. So weâre at that point of spring training. That would give the Mariners a 10-6 lead they would not relinquish, securing a split in todayâs split-squad action.
DAYTON, Ohio (AP) â Bryce Harris had 19 points and 14 rebounds, and he sank a turnaround jumper with 13 seconds remaining that sent Howard to its first NCAA Tournament victory in program history, 86-83 over UMBC in the First Four on Tuesday night.
Ose Okojie scored a career-high 23 points to lead the Bison (24-10), who entered with an 0-4 record in March Madness and had to hold off a late rally by the Retrievers (24-9).
DJ Armstrong Jr.âs 3-pointer with 43 seconds left got UMBC within 83-81. After Harrisâ jumper as the shot clock expired gave Howard a four-point lead, JahâLikah King made a layup to make it 85-83.
Isaiah Brown made one of two free throws and Armstrong couldnât convert a 3 at the buzzer, sealing a trip to Buffalo, New York, for the Bison, who enter the Midwest Region bracket as the No. 16 seed and will face top-seeded Michigan on Thursday.
Coach Kenneth Blakeney also led Howard, one of the countryâs premier historically Black universities, to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title and NCAA Tournament appearances in 2023 and â24.
UMBC was seeking its first March Madness win since it shocked top overall seed Virginia in 2018, becoming the first No. 16 seed to knock off a No. 1. The Retrievers lost in the second round that year and this was the first NCAA Tournament appearance since for the suburban Baltimore school, located 31 miles north of the Howard campus in Washington.
King led UMBC with 19 points, Armstrong had 17 and Caden Diggs scored 15.
Cedric Taylor III scored 16 points for Howard, going 9 of 10 at the free-throw line before fouling out in the final minute
TEXAS 68, NC STATE 66
DAYTON, Ohio (AP) â Tramon Mark hit a fadeaway jumper from just inside the 3-point line with 1.1 seconds left, and Texas survived a late rally to beat N.C. State in a First Four matchup of power-conference teams that limped into March Madness.
Mark scored 17 points to lead the Longhorns (19-14), who had lost five of six entering the NCAA Tournament. Texas moved into the bracket as the No. 11 seed in the West region and will face sixth-seeded BYU on Thursday night in Portland, Oregon.
Coach Sean Millerâs Longhorns led 62-53 on Chendall Weaverâs two free throws with 2:56 left, but the Wolfpack (20-14) â who also lost five of six before getting sent to Dayton â scored 10 points in a span of 1:12. Paul McNeil Jr. hit two 3s before Mark beat the shot clock with a fadeaway.
Darrion Williams connected from deep to get N.C. State within one. The Wolfpack then forced a turnover by Dailyn Swain, and Tre Holloman made one of two free throws to tie it at 66-all.
Texas ran down most of the game clock before Mark connected from 19 feet, and N.C. State couldnât get a shot off before the buzzer.
Mark finished with 17 points, Matas Vokietaitis scored 15 and Swain added 13 for the Longhorns. Weaver recorded his first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
Darrion Williams led the Wolfpack with 21 points. Quadir Copeland scored 16 and McNeil finished with 11.
In 2023, the late Sam Landsberger wrote a piece in the Herald Sun recalling how Andrew Dillon came to work at the AFL. Dillon was driving down Punt Road in the early 2000s after playing a game for amateur club Old Xaverians. Senior AFL administrator Ben Buckley, who was recruiting for an in-house counsel, was in the next lane and spotted his former Xavs teammate. âHey Dills,â he shouted across traffic, âyouâre a lawyer, arenât you?â
A quarter of a century later, a line from North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson in an interview with Jay Clark jumped off the page on Sunday. âI spoke to Gil [McLachlan] on Tuesday night and he says: âThis will all be resolved by the end of next week,ââ Clarkson said. âThis was the grand final week of 2022. Just talk to âDillsâ and this will all be resolved.â
TEMPE, ARIZONA - MARCH 10: Pitcher Walker Buehler #10 of the San Diego Padres throws against the Los Angeles Angels during the second inning of a spring training game at Tempe Diablo Stadium on March 10, 2026 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With the news that Joe Musgrove will start the season on the injured list, the San Diego Padres now have two rotation spots available instead of just one.
GermĂĄn MĂĄrquez was lined up to take the fifth spot due to his big-league contract, but now thereâs room for one more. One name has continued to come up this spring for San Diego: Walker Buehler
An inconsistent career
The Los Angeles Dodgers mainstay has struggled since having the best year of his career in 2021, with a 4.83 ERA from 2022-25. But in â21 he dominated the league with a 2.47 ERA and 0.97 WHIP.
Toward the end of the â22 season, Buehler underwent Tommy John surgery and was out for the entire 2023 season. Since then, he has been largely ineffective outside of a dominant postseason run in â24.
In 2025, Buehler put up a 5.45 ERA while on a prove-it deal with the Boston Red Sox to bolster their rotation depth. Suffice it to say, he did not prove it. He was released by the club in August before being picked up by the Philadelphia Phillies.
Through three games in Philly, Buehler dominated. Itâs obviously a small sample size, but a 0.66 ERA down the stretch is nothing to sneeze at. It pointed to a possible return to the success that had eluded him the last few years.
Fighting for rotation spots in San Diego
The Padresâ rotation has been a thing of immense scrutiny this offseason. With Musgrove now out of the group due to injury, there are two spots remaining behind Nick Pivetta, Michael King and Randy VĂĄsquez.
Buehler has been fighting for his life in Cactus League play. He was signed by the Friars to a minor-league contract with an invite to Spring Training. Since joining the club, heâs put up a 3.09 ERA in 11 â innings.
Mondayâs dominant outing
Prior to Monday, Buehler had a 5.40 ERA this spring. Heâs made two solid starts but nothing awe-inspiring, giving up four runs in 6 â innings.
But against the San Francisco Giants, Buehler dominated. Pitching five full innings in a spring game and striking out seven, he allowed only three hits and two walks without allowing a run.
The even greater thing of note was his pitch count. Buehler only threw 77 pitches through five innings, meaning he could have likely gone deeper if this were a regular season game. But this has been a winning formula for San Diego: starter goes six innings, relievers pick up one apiece to close it out.
Now donât immediately go and say that heâs going to dominate every single game. He is far from the pitcher he was in 2021. But heâs beginning to lean into the stuff he now has after his fastball lost velocity. That has given him some new ways to get outs during Cactus League.
How will it translate to real games?
If anything, Buehler has earned the starter spot head-and-shoulders above MĂĄrquez, who has struggled to a 9.26 ERA this spring. But with room in the pitching staff for both now, theyâll each get an opportunity to prove themselves for the big-league club.
If Buehler can continue to build on what he showed against San Francisco, it would go a long way to anchoring a shaky Padres rotation. The pitcher has long struggled with pain in his throwing arm but has said that it disappeared this offseason.
Itâll be exciting to see what this new form of Buehler looks like in San Diego, and what he can do to add to the Friarsâ World Series aspirations.
