Australia’s struggles against spin were exposed again on a horror night in Pakistan, with a potential drama set to erupt after Cameron Green appeared to accuse one of the home side’s bowlers of chucking after he was dismissed.
White Sox are counting on Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami to add pop to their lineup
CHICAGO (AP) — White Sox left-hander Anthony Kay spent the past two years in Japan pitching for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars and got a good look at Munetaka Murakami in the opposing batter’s box.
The Japanese slugger brings some much-needed pop to Chicago’s lineup, and Kay looks forward to seeing the impact Murakami has on their new team.
“He was not fun to face,” Kay said.
Though he wasn’t on hand, Murakami was a big topic of conversation at the White Sox fan festival this weekend. He got a big ovation when his name was announced on Friday, and he was featured in a video that he wrapped up by saying “Go White Sox!”
Chicago expects Murakami, who turns 26 on Monday, to deliver in a big way after signing a $34 million, two-year contract in late December. He hit .270 with 246 homers and 647 RBIs in 892 games over eight seasons with the Yakult Swallows of Japan’s Central League.
The left-handed-batting corner infielder launched 56 home runs in 2022 to break Sadaharu Oh’s record for a Japanese-born player in Nippon Professional Baseball while becoming the youngest player to win the triple crown there. He hit more than 30 homers four straight years before an oblique injury limited him last season.
Murakami finished 2025 with 24 homers and 47 RBIs in 56 games. He said at his introductory news conference in Chicago that he has recovered and is ready to show what he can do in the majors.
The White Sox are looking forward to it, too.
“I was excited,” shortstop Colson Montgomery said. “I knew who he was because I watched him in the World Baseball Classic and I saw him tear it up. The fact that we have him on our team, I’m happy about that. I’d rather him be on our team than anyone else’s. I think I could just tell the excitement that he had. You can kind of see that he’s very excited to be with this core group that we have and be able to just go out there and win games.”
Murakami came through with some big hits to help Japan win the 2023 World Baseball Classic. His game-ending double off Giovanny Gallegos drove in Shohei Ohtani and Masataka Yoshida for a 6-5 semifinal win over Mexico. The following day in the championship game, Murakami hit a tying home run off Merrill Kelly in the second inning and Japan went on to beat the United States 3-2.
Murakami is joining a team with three straight 100-loss seasons and back-to-back last-place finishes in the AL Central. The White Sox went 60-102 last year, though they also made a 19-game improvement from 2024, when they finished 41-121 and set a modern-era major league record for losses.
Chicago was second to last in the American League with 165 home runs last season. But with Murakami joining a promising core of young hitters that includes Montgomery, Kyle Teel and Chase Meidroth, the White Sox expect to have more pop.
“Obviously, the power is real,” manager Will Venable said. “We’ve seen that from afar. But he’s just somebody that’s really committed to getting better. I think that’s been really apparent in the communication that we’ve had with him. He talks a lot about his defense. He wants to be a great baserunner, and so just to be on the ground floor with him and go to work and see him go about his business is going to be really exciting.”
One knock against Murakami is his contact and strikeout rates. He struck out 977 times in 3,780 plate appearances over eight seasons with Yakult, but he also had a .557 slugging percentage and 614 walks.
“He does hit a lot of homers,” Kay said. “He didn’t have any problem with the velocity I had. I don’t understand why he can’t have a lot of success over here. There will probably be an adjustment period for him. Pitchers might be able to figure him out for a little bit, but he’s a good enough hitter where he can also make adjustments.”
Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson fined $50K for actions following ejection in loss vs. Suns
NEW YORK (AP) — Cleveland Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson was fined $50,000 by the NBA for “aggressively pursuing, berating, and making inadvertent contact with a game official” during a game on Friday night.
The NBA's head of basketball operations James Jones made the announcement on Saturday.
The incident happened after Atkinson was called for his second technical foul and ejected from the game with 10:59 remaining in the fourth quarter of a 126-113 loss to the Phoenix Suns.
Atkinson appeared to be upset about a no-call on Suns guard Collin Gillespie, who was aggressively guarding Sam Merrill on the perimeter.
The loss snapped Cleveland's five-game winning streak. The Cavaliers play again on Sunday against the Blazers.
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Luis Arráez, Giants agree to 1-year deal: Contract details
The San Francisco Giants are quietly adding to their roster this winter, just in time for spring training and preparation for the 2026 MLB season.
Luis Arráez and the Giants have agreed to a one-year, $12 million deal, USA TODAY Sports' Bob Nightengale reports.
ESPN was the first to report the news.
Arráez, familiar with San Francisco as a foe, played for the NL West-rival San Diego Padres during the 2025 season.
Luis Arráez contract with Giants
Arráez's new deal with the Giants is worth $12 million, according to USA TODAY Sports' Bob Nightengale.
Arráez, who's nickname is "La Regadera" or "The Sprinkler," tallied 181 hits (best in the NL), 61 RBIs, and eight home runs with a .292 batting average in 2025.
He's played seven MLB seasons with the Minnesota Twins, Miami Marlins and Padres, racking up 1,028 hits, 169 doubles, 36 home runs, a .317 batting average and .777 OPS. He's added 31 stolen bases.
Luis Arraez signing one-year, $12 million contract with Giants
One of top remaining free agents has found a new home.
Luis Arraez has agreed to a one-year contract with the Giants, The Post’s Joel Sherman confirmed.
ESPN reported the deal is worth $12 million.
Arraez, with the Padres last season, led the National League with 180 hits, finishing the year with a .292/.327/.392 slash line across 154 games.
The 28-year-old is an anomaly in modern baseball, a game that now rewards power and slugging over contact hitters.
But Arraez has consistently been the latter in his career, and he won three straight batting titles from 2022-24, leading all of MLB in ’23 with a .354 average.
He’s an incredibly difficult hitter to strike out, as he’s whiffed just 215 times total over seven seasons.
His strikeout (3.5 percent) and swing-and-miss rate (5.3 percent) both ranked in the 100th percentile in MLB in 2025, according to Baseball Savant.
On the flip side, though, his hard hit rate ranks in the 1st percentile.
He’s spent the most of the last two seasons with the Padres, and he’ll now travel north to the Bay Area as the Giants look to make a run in the NL West.
Arraez has the ability to play both corner infield positions and second base, though he spent most of the time — 117 games — at first base in 2025.
The Arraez pickup comes on the heels of outfielder Harrison Bader signing a two-year, $20.5 million contract with the Giants.
The team will have a new look this season, at least in the dugout, with former Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello taking the reins as the new manager.
After an 81-81, campaign, the Giants are looking to get over the hump and back into the postseason for the first time since 2021.
Before the Arraez signing, the Giants ranked third in the NL West in Fangraphs’ projected WAR at 38.1.
Indiana tops UCLA 98-97 in double OT, ending Bruins' 14-game winning streak at home
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Freshman Trent Sisley made the first of two free throws with less than a second remaining in a second overtime and Indiana outlasted UCLA 98-97 on Saturday.
Nick Dorn hit six 3-pointers and scored a season-high 26 points for the Hoosiers (15-7, 6-5 Big Ten Conference) in a third straight victory following a four-game losing streak. Lamar Wilkerson added 24 points and eight rebounds.
Indiana reserve Reed Bailey totaled 24 points before fouling out in OT. He made 6 of 7 shots and 12 of 13 free throws. His only miss at the foul line came with eight seconds left in regulation, leading to a 3-pointer by Trent Perry that forced the first extra period tied at 76.
Perry made all 10 of his free throws and scored 25 to lead the Bruins (15-7, 7-4), who fall to 12-1 at home after winning 14 straight dating to last season. Donovan Dent totaled 24 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out with 0.3 seconds left, leading to the winning free throw. Tyler Bilodeau added 18 points and 11 rebounds before fouling out.
It was UCLA's first OT game at home in four years and their first double OT game there in 11 years.
Perry had 11 points in the first half to help UCLA build a 38-30 advantage.
Indiana played from behind until Dorn hit a 3-pointer to give the Hoosiers a 45-43 lead with 14:14 remaining. UCLA trailed by 10 before outscoring Indiana 15-5 over the final 1:50 to force OT.
Indiana's Sam Alexis had a layup to tie it 84-all with six seconds left, leading to a second extra period after Perry missed a jumper.
Up nextIndiana: At Southern California on Tuesday.
UCLA: Hosts Rutgers on Tuesday.
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Giants sign Luis Arráez to play second base
The San Francisco Giants made no secret about their desire to acquire a second baseman this offseason. They were never really in on free agent Bo Bichette, it seemed. There was a little smoke with Nico Hoerner, but it never seemed likely that the Chicago Cubs would deal him. They surprisingly made a run at CJ Abrams but (thankfully, in my eyes), the Washington Nationals rebuffed them. And they’ve spent months dancing around Brendan Donovan and the St. Louis Cardinals.
On Saturday, they finally found their man and … well … it’s certainly not where I envisioned them going. As first reported by ESPN’s Jorge Castillo, the Giants agreed to a one-year contract with contact maven Luis Arráez. The deal with the three-time All-Star is for $12 million.
Before I get into why I kind of hate the move, we should be clear about one thing: it’s not hard to see why the Giants are enamored with Arráez. President of Baseball Operations Buster Posey has made it clear that the organization values contact hitters, and we’ve seen that on display with the prospects they’ve targeted in the draft and in trades. Arráez, who won the batting title three years running from 2022 through 2024, is arguably the greatest pure contact hitter of this generation. His strikeout rate of just 3.1% last year lapped the field: only five qualifying hitters had a strikeout rate below 10%, and the next-closest player (Jacob Wilson) struck out more than twice as frequently as Arráez, at 7.5%.
That’s not just something the Giants covet, but something they need help with. Last year, San Francisco’s strikeout rate of 22.7% was 18th in the Majors, while their batting average of .235 was 25th. Arráez and his .292 batting average last year (and .317 for his career) is an excellent tonic for that issue. So it’s not hard to see why the Giants targeted Arráez as someone they wanted to take 600 at-bats.
Unfortunately, that’s where the positives end. While Arráez is all-world from a contact perspective, he has no power whatsoever, and doesn’t draw walks, either. For his career, he has just 36 home runs in 3,533 plate appearances, and a 6.5% walk rate. The underlying metrics are almost comical: while he ranked 100th percentile in whiff percentage, strikeout percentage, and squared up rate in 2025, he was 1st percentile in hard hit rate, barrel rate, and bat speed, and 6th percentile in average exit velocity. Perhaps even more concerning is that all of those numbers have been trending in the wrong direction for a few years, even though Arráez doesn’t turn 29 for a few months. As a result, the total offensive line has been in a downward spiral: after posting a 128 OPS+ in both 2022 and 2023, Arráez fell to 107 in 2024, and just 99 a season ago.
But if his power is poor, it’s nothing compared to his defense, which is the truly confounding part of the signing. It was odd enough that the Giants, preaching a desire to win with pitching and defense, “upgraded” the rotation with Tyler Mahle and Adrian Houser, and then flirted with Abrams. It’s another thing entirely to pursue Arráez (and, for those wondering, the beat reporters have already clarified that Arráez will be the team’s second baseman, with Casey Schmitt moving into a utility role).
After playing all over the infield earlier in his career, Arráez was moved almost exclusively to first base last season, where his Fielding Run Value was 248th out of 299 qualifying players. In 2024, when he split time fairly evenly between first and second, he ranked 302nd out of 311 players. And in 2023, when he was a full-time second baseman, he was 299th out of 311 defenders. In total, since the start of 2023, Arráez’s Fielding Run Value of -25 is 296th out of 303 players. His Outs Above Average paints an equally grim tale.
Suffice to say, it’s a strange addition, and one that could work wonderfully or horribly. I fear it’ll be the latter; but I’ll hope for the former. Personally, I’d rather just give Schmitt the keys to the vehicle and see what happens.
Arráez will certainly be motivated: according to Bob Nightengale, he rejected a few multi-year deals for a chance to play second base, so he’ll be looking to reset his value before re-entering free agency next winter, while still in his 20s.
Mike Sullivan ‘Not Surprised’ About Penguins' Success Less Than One Year Removed From Departure
The New York Rangers’ 6-5 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday afternoon was emotional for Mike Sullivan.
As part of the ten-year anniversary celebration of the Penguins' 2016 Stanley Cup team, Sullivan attended an event with all of his former players on Friday night.
Ahead of Saturday afternoon’s matchup, the entire team was honored, including Sullivan, who received a standing ovation from the Pittsburgh fans.
“It's a proud moment for me, I was really happy to get a chance to see some of those guys that I was fortunate enough to win a Stanley Cup with,” Sullivan said. “That group of players deserves to be celebrated. They were a great team. We were certainly proud of them. It was a privilege to coach them, and so it was a bit of an emotional moment.”
Sullivan coached the Penguins for 10 seasons, winning two Stanley Cups in the process.
However, over Sullivan’s final three seasons in Pittsburgh, the team failed to reach the playoffs. After the 2024-25 campaign, Sullivan and the Penguins parted ways with a fresh start clearly needed from both sides.
Sullivan left a Penguins team that was seemingly retooling and looking to get younger around its core of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang, while he joined a Rangers team still hoping to remain competitive following a disappointing season.
Ironically, it’s the Penguins, coached by former Rangers assistant coach Dan Muse, that find themselves in a playoff spot with an impressive 28-14-11 record, as they’ve managed to flip the script upon the departure of Sullivan.
“It doesn't surprise me because I think those core guys that have been here as long as they have, they're a unique group,” Sullivan said of the Penguins' success. “Although they are aging, they're still elite-level play in their game. It's driven by Sid, their captain.
“And so does it surprise me? No, it doesn't. I think they've done a great job as far as becoming a team, and some of the young guys they added, and some of the pieces they added along the way. When you look at the top line, they are the heartbeat of the team, and have been for a number of years. All the elements are in play. Their special teams have been really good. They're getting saves. It's a good recipe.”
On the other side of the coin, the Rangers currently sit in last place in the Eastern Conference standings with a 22-28-6 record. Instead of competing, Sullivan is now forced to navigate through yet another retooling situation with little to no hope of making the playoffs.
An Artemi Panarin Trade Involving Shane Wright Floated As Possibility As Artemi Panarin continues to be held out of the lineup due to roster management with the New York <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers/">Rangers</a> seeking a trade, multiple teams have been linked to be interested in Artemi Panarin’s services, including the Washington Capitals, Carolina Hurricanes, Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks, and New York Islanders.
“I’m fine, it's a different challenge,” Sullivan said about how he is navigating through the Rangers’ struggles. “We're going to keep digging in here. We're going to try to rally around one another and control what we can, and we're going to try to win the game right in front of us. It's a different situation. I'd be lying if I didn't tell you otherwise, but I think our guys have done a good job in just trying to compartmentalize their emotions. When the puck drops, they try to do their best to compete and play the game the right way.”
The contrast between the two teams was on full display on Saturday afternoon.
The Rangers dug themselves into a 2-0 deficit less than 10 minutes into the game and were down 5-1 heading into the final period.
Through the first 40 minutes of the contest, the game was controlled by the Penguins, specifically indicative of their 10-2 edge in shots in the second period.
Despite a strong and valiant push by the Rangers in the final frame that saw them cut Pittsburgh’s lead to 6-5, it was simply too little too late, and the Blueshirts were unable to overcome their early woes.
This loss was yet another reality check for Sullivan, watching the Penguins thrive in his absence, as it certainly couldn’t have been easy for him.
Mavericks vs Rockets Preview and Injury Update: Another nationally televised game
The Dallas Mavericks (19-29) head out on the road to face off against the Houston Rockets (29-17) in a Saturday night ABC showdown of division rivals. It’s not as much of a showdown as the network would like, with Dallas stumbling as of late, most recently dropping one to the Charlotte Hornets. Houston mostly recently walloped the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday night.
Heres the main things you need to know before tipoff.
- WHO: Dallas Mavericks at Houston Rockets
- WHAT: Road division rival game
- WHERE: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
- WHEN: 7:30 pm CST
- HOW: ABC
I have to say… this is the best Dallas Mavericks injury report in a while. Yes, the same four guys who have been out forever are still out (Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, Dante Exum, Dereck Lively), but past that… everyone else is a go, even the two way guys you’d expect (Moussa Cisse, Ryan Nembhard). Steven Adams is now out for the season after it was determined his ankle needed surgery. Fred Van Vleet has been out for the Rockets all year.
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This will be the fourth and final game of the season series between these two teams. Dallas lost the first in early November but hung around, then took the next two games from Houston. In the second game, they sat key players and hoped to get by and did not. In the third game, All-Star forward Alperin Sengun hurt himself minutes into the contest.
It’s not like Houston needs this game, but Dallas is sliding into a true losing streak after finally looking like they were turning a corner. The three point shooting between these two teams is what I’d keep an eye on. Offensive rebounding can be a key, but Dallas has managed to hang around in that department these last two games.
Consider joining Josh and me on Pod Maverick live after the game on YouTube, we should start LATE. Thanks so much for spending time with us here at Mavs Moneyball. Let’s go Mavs!
Anthony Roy scores 26 points and Oklahoma State wins Big 12 road game for 1st time in nearly 2 years
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Anthony Roy hit five 3-pointers and scored 26 points and Oklahoma State beat Utah 81-69 on Saturday for the Cowboys' first Big 12 road win in nearly two years, ending a 15-game skid.
Oklahoma State last won a conference road game at Cincinnati, 80-76, on Feb. 21, 2024.
Christian Coleman added 14 points and 10 rebounds, Parsa Fallah scored nine of his 13 points in the final 3 1/2 minutes and Vyctorius Miller added 10 for the Cowboys (15-6, 3-5), who ended a two-game losing streak.
Terrence Brown scored 20 points, Don McHenry added 17, Keanu Dawes had 12 points and 10 rebounds and Seydou Traore scored 10 points for the Utes (9-12, 1-7), who have lost three straight and eight of their last nine.
There were nine ties and 10 lead changes, the final one coming after Coleman had a consecutive baskets in an 8-0 surge for a five-point lead with eight minutes left.
A 3-pointer by Fallah, only his seventh in 15 attempts this season, made it 67-62 by the final media timeout. His tip-in made it a 10-point edge with 1:26 to go and after Utah got within eight with 44 seconds remaining he scored the final four points.
Oklahoma State led 40-39 at halftime behind Roy’s 14 points.
Up nextOklahoma State is home against No. 13 BYU on Wednesday.
Utah is home against Arizona State on Wednesday.
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Longtime Penguins defenseman Kris Letang out at least a month due to fractured foot
Jan 19, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang (58) during the third period against the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
Steven Bisig-Imagn Images
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang will miss at least four weeks with a fractured foot.
The club announced the extent of the injury on Saturday before the surging Penguins faced the New York Rangers. Pittsburgh coach Dan Muse said Letang, who is in his 20th season, injured the foot during a 6-2 victory over Chicago on Thursday.
Letang’s absence comes with the Penguins surging into the Olympic break. Pittsburgh is 6-0-2 in its last eight games to move into second place in the Metropolitan Division.
The 38-year-old Letang has three goals and 22 assists in 50 games this season for the Penguins. He is currently three points shy of 800 for his career.
Letang’s injury comes at a potentially fortuitous time for Pittsburgh with the NHL set to take an extended break for the 2026 Winter Games in Milan Cortina, which start next week. The Penguins not participating in the Olympics will be off from Feb. 6 to Feb. 25.
Wiggins, Jones, McCray V combine for 60 points as Florida State beats Stanford 88-80
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Chauncey Wiggins, Lajae Jones and Robert McCray V combined to score 60 points as Florida State held off Stanford 88-80 on Saturday, in the first meeting between the two sides in Tallahassee.
Wiggins was 6 of 13 from the floor and 7 of 8 at the line, scoring a team-high 23 points, including 16 in the second half for the Seminoles (10-12, 3-6 Atlantic Coast Conference). McCray V added 19 points, seven assists and two steals. Jones finished with 18 and five rebounds, scoring 13 in the first half.
Alex Steen had 12 points and Kobe Magee 10 to go with six rebounds.
The win makes it back to back for the Seminoles against their Californian foes in the ACC. They've won three of their last four games — all in ACC play — after starting the season 0-5 in the conference.
The Seminoles built a 41-33 lead at the half, using a 13-2 run to flip a four-point deficit into a six-point lead that grew. In the second half, they used a 12-0 run with seven points from Magee to build a 19-point lead with 11:38 to go.
That cushion allowed them to hold on despite an 11-4 Stanford run starting at the 6:17 mark with six points from Stanford freshman Ebuka Okorie.
Okorie started slow for the Cardinal (14-8, 3-6), scoring three in the first half on 1 of 4 shooting. He finished with 26 points after a 23-point second half in which he went 3 of 5 from 3-point range. Okorie entered the game ranked 13th in the country in scoring at 21.5 points per game and third among freshmen.
Benny Gealer added 12 points, AJ Rohosy 11, and Donavin Young 10. Oskar Giltay had nine rebounds, three blocks and two steals.
The Seminoles outscored the Cardinal 18-9 on points off turnovers.
Up nextStanford will host No. 22 Clemson on Wednesday.
Florida State heads on the road to face Notre Dame next Saturday.
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Kingz scores 28, Starling has 21 for Syracuse in 86-72 win over Notre Dame
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — Nate Kingz scored 28 points and JJ Starling added 21 for Syracuse in an 86-72 win over Notre Dame on Saturday night.
William Kyle III had 10 points and eight rebounds for the Orange (13-9, 4-5 Atlantic Coast Conference). Naithan George dished 10 assists and had a pair of steals.
An 11-0 run by Syracuse in the first half put them up by double digits early, carrying a 40-31 lead into halftime. Starling scored 17 points in the first half on a perfect 7 of 7 shooting from the field and 3 of 3 from beyond the arc.
The Irish (11-11, 2-7) got as close as six in the second half, off a 3-pointer from Cole Certa. After that, the Orange went on a 9-0 run to pull away for good.
Notre Dame was led by Jalen Haralson, who scored 26. Braeden Shrewsberry put up 17 points to go with five rebounds.
The win was Syracuse's fifth consecutive at home against Notre Dame, dating back to the 2020-21 season.
Up nextNotre Dame: Visits No. 20 Louisville on Wednesday.
Syracuse: Visits No. 16 North Carolina on Monday.
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Sharks Lose 3-2 to Flames Following Late Shorthanded Goal
The San Jose Sharks are enduring a tough five-game road swing, finishing the Tour de Canada with back-to-back losses.
After falling to the Edmonton Oilers in overtime on Thursday, San Jose jumped out to two early leads against the Calgary Flames, only to have a late shorthanded goal by Joel Farabee swing the game in Calgary’s favor, giving the Flames a 3–2 victory at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
San Jose’s road trip continues with stops in Chicago and Colorado before the NHL takes an extended break for the Winter Olympics in Italy, marking the first time NHL players will participate since 2014.
Will Smith gets things going early for San Jose 🦈
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 31, 2026
Watch Sharks vs. Flames on SNW, SNP, or stream on Sportsnet+ 📺 pic.twitter.com/rOxxgXa6wj
The Sharks struck first when Will Smith converted a power-play tap-in at 3:11 of the first period, finishing a precise backdoor pass from Alexander Wennberg. Calgary responded later in the period when Morgan Frost jammed a loose puck past a scrambling San Jose defense while the Sharks were down two men.
San Jose regained the equalizer shortly after a power play that carried over from the first period expired. William Eklund drove to the net and poked a loose puck into the crease, where Adam Gaudette was waiting for a simple tap-in on the right side.
Calgary countered when Matvei Gridin, set up by a slick cross-ice feed from Frost, executed a fluid one-timer, beating Alex Nedeljkovic to his left.
The decisive moment came at 6:53 of the third period, when Farabee, shorthanded, swiped a backhand past Nedeljkovic to give the Flames their first lead and ultimately the win.
Nedeljkovic, who played very well and finished the night with 39 saves, briefly left the game with 3:15 remaining after taking a hard lower-body shot but returned following the injury scare. Despite his efforts between the pipes, the Sharks were a bit short.
Next Game
The Sharks have two games left on this road trip with the next one taking place on Monday against the Chicago Blackhawks. Coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. local time.
Will Austin Reaves finally return against the Knicks?
For the second consecutive game, the Lakers are listing Austin Reaves as questionable, setting up for his potential return from injury.
Reaves was questionable for Friday’s game against the Wizards before being downgraded. Once again, he is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game in Madison Square Garden against the Knicks.
Prior to Friday’s game, head coach JJ Redick stated that there was no setback and that the team was just being extra cautious.
Considering Reaves suffered a pretty immediate reaggravation of his injury upon his last return from a calf strain, showcasing some more restraint and caution in this return.
However, it does feel like a bit of a tease to be this close to an Austin return and have it keep being delayed. At the start of the current road trip, Redick said the goal was to have Reaves back before they returned to Crypto.com Arena.
The Lakers have two games left on this trip, both in New York. They will face the Knicks on Sunday before finishing up the trip in Brooklyn. Having Reaves available on Sunday would be a big boost against one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference.
Tuesday’s contest against the Nets would serve as a great warm-up regardless of whether he returns against the Knicks or not.
It might be frustrating to keep having to wait for Reaves to finally be back, especially with everyone — Luka included — excited for him to return. But the Lakers are playing the long game with Reaves.
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