SAN FRANCISCO, CA - FEBRUARY 19: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics drives to the basket during the game against the Golden State Warriors on February 19, 2026 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. 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 Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Celtics will face an extremely shorthanded Golden State Warriors team on Wednesday night at TD Garden.
Nikola Vucevic will miss his sixth straight game as he recovers from a right fing finger fracture he suffered last month, but the rest of the Celtics are available. Jayson Tatum will play in his sixth game of the season after making his return from an Achilles rupture earlier this month; so far this season, he’s averaging 20 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game.
The Warriors, meanwhile, continue to be extremely shorthanded. Jimmy Butler is out for the season after tearing his ACL, while Steph Curry has been sidelined since before the All-Star break as he deals with a knee injury.
Al Horford (right calf strain), Moses Moody (wrist), and Seth Curry (left adductor strain) will all miss Wednesday’s match-up. Quenten Post (right foot injury management) and LJ Cryer (left hamstring injury management) are questionable, while Gary Payton II is probable with a left tibial contusion.
Kristaps Porzingis has dealt with illness on and off throughout the year, but he’s expected to play on Wednesday. The former Celtics big man has only appeared in 22 games this season.
How the Celtics, Warriors stack up
The Celtics and Warriors have faced off once this season — in January at the Chase Center — and Boston came away with an 11-point win. Both Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis played in that game, with the latter making his Warriors debut.
The Celtics are 45-23, and are 3.5 games behind the Detroit Pistons for first place in the Eastern Conference.
The Warriors are 33-35 and have the 9th-best record in the Western Conference. With Curry sidelined, they’ve dropped 7 of their last 10 games, and are currently fighting for positioning in the play-in tournament.
Celtics-Warriors tips off on Wednesday night at 7pm.
“In football anything is possible,” was Pep Guardiola’s rallying cry and while Manchester City failed to pull off a Lazarus act for the ages, this was a definite one-off wonder of a contest that thrilled all witnesses.
Particularly, the first 45 minutes of mayhem headlined by Vinícius Júnior apparently being ruled offside by the referee, Clément Turpin, then onside, which meant Bernardo Silva was then penalised for handball, sent off, and the Brazilian then scored from the spot. Further entertainment also derived from a Guardiola yellow card, Erling Haaland’s equaliser, and a slew of goalmouth incident that mostly continued after the break – including late finishes from Rayan Aït-Nouri and Fede Valverde that were ruled offside, and one from Vinícius that counted.
Hughes told ESPN on Tuesday that he wants the puck so he can give it to his father, Jim. The New Jersey Devils center previously said when asked about the puck during other media appearances that had no idea where it was other than that it wasn't in his possession.
The Hall of Fame has had it all along.
“These donated items represent defining moments on the world’s biggest stage and carry powerful stories of national pride and hockey history at its highest level,” Hall of Fame President and CEO Jamie Dinsmore said in a statement Monday about the Olympic showcase. “The Olympics ’26 display will help ensure that these unforgettable Olympic moments are preserved for our guests from around the world to experience.”
A stick from American Brady Tkachuk and gloves from teammate Jack Eichel, along with jerseys from Canada captain Sidney Crosby and Sweden forward William Nylander, are among the more than 70 items that will be on display for a limited time.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 16: Deandre Ayton #5 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrate during the second half against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on March 16, 2026 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Deandre Ayton era in Los Angeles has been a rollercoaster ride. In the best moments, Ayton has been as joyful as anyone on the team and a walking double-double.
The lows, however, include games in which he seems disinterested in playing and reports of his dissatisfaction with his role on the team.
Despite the frustration that watching Ayton can bring, his talent level is so high that you have to respect it and use it to help you win games.
After being a big factor in Saturday’s win over the Nuggets, Ayton was equally impressive in Houston on Monday, stepping up in the fourth quarter to help the Lakers earn their sixth straight win.
Ayton’s performance wasn’t a shock, but it was a surprise given that he went to the bench midway through the third and didn’t start during the opening minutes of the fourth.
But Lakers head coach JJ Redick went to him during clutch time, and Ayton delivered. He was a perfect 3-3 from the field, grabbed a handful of offensive boards and his back-to-back baskets in the final minutes were the exclamation points on this statement win.
After the game, Redick talked about why he brought Ayton back and how it paid off.
“We all recognized that he had not played in a significant portion of the game and then you factor in the real-time effect of that,” Redick said. “I was pretty adamant that I wanted him in the game. [Assistant coach] Greg [St. Jean] went over to him and made sure that he was ready to go and then he helped us win the game and that’s what I told him.
“We walked off the court together and he was in good spirits. But, he did. His offensive rebounding and the couple of buckets he got down the stretch were huge.”
When Ayton is a monster on the boards, the Lakers win games. He had six offensive rebounds against the Rockets and ended the night with 11. The Lakers are 14-2 when Ayton has 11 or more rebounds.
Ayton sitting down for such a long stretch in the second half could have set him up for failure when he checked into the game late in the fourth. He was ready for the moment, though and that didn’t go unnoticed by LeBron James.
“He was amazing,” LeBron said. “I mean just the fact he was sitting over there for as long as he did and stayed locked in on the game and come in and finish the game. [He was] able to get a tip dunk, couple of jump hooks around the rim, a couple rebounds around the rim. He helped us finish the game.”
Ultimately, Ayton was brought to the Lakers to help them win games of this magnitude. All of LA’s biggest hopes and dreams are still in play this season. If Ayton plays well this spring and summer, then everything else will be forgiven and forgotten.
So far during these recent big moments against the best in the West, Ayton has shown he’s more than capable of being a peak performer.
The Edmonton Oilers will be without one of their most important players down the final stretch of their playoff push.
Star forward Leon Draisaitl is expected to miss the rest of the regular season with a lower body injury, the team announced Tuesday. Draisaitl, whose 97 points in 65 games are second-most on the Oilers this season, took a hard hit from Nashville Predators Ozzy Wiesblatt in the first period of Sunday's 3-1 win. Although he returned to the ice for a few more shifts in the first, Draisaitl did not re-enter the game once the second period began.
Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch told reporters Sunday that "it shouldn't be a really long injury" judging by information given to him by the team's medical staff.
"No immediate red flags," Knoblauch said. "... There might be some time off, but we'll find out later."
Draisaitl's absence comes at a pivotal point in the Oilers' (33-26-9) heated playoff race. With 14 games left in the season, they enter Tuesday at third place in the Pacific Division trailing the first-place Anaheim Ducks by two points and second-place Vegas Golden Knights by one point. They currently hold a four-point advantage over the Seattle Kraken and Los Angeles Kings for the final Western Conference wildcard spot, with the San Jose Sharks sitting one point behind them.
If the Oilers reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the seventh consecutive year, it'll have to be without the player who has been responsible for 41% of their goals this season.
Draisaitl was the runner-up for the Hart Trophy as the league's Most Valuable Player last season as the Oilers made it to the Stanley Cup Final; he won the award in 2020.
The standings in the division remain very close, and the Kings are in the middle of it. LA now has a clear opportunity to climb the standings at a critical moment in the season.
Here’s a look at the current playoff standings in the middle of the conference:
Despite the Kings being in the mix of the postseason, a bad week would be all it would take for them to drop out of playoff position. So, they are far from out of the woods just yet.
Kings In Striking Distance
Now, when you look at the current standings as of Tuesday, the second seed only has a six-point lead over the sixth seed, and now, with the news of Draisaitl out for the rest of the year, Los Angeles needs to take advantage of that.
The Kings and Kraken are both tied for the fourth seed in the division, sitting just four points back of the Oilers, and are better equipped now to surpass a wounded Oilers squad.
Edmonton has a brutal seven-game stretch starting today against San Jose, Florida, Tampa Bay, Utah, Vegas, Anaheim, and Seattle; all of these teams are fighting for playoff positions.
Without their star forward, the Oilers can very well drop to the bottom of the playoff picture by next week, and that can benefit the Kings to rise if they take care of business.
Under D.J. Smith, the Kings have built their identity under defensive discipline and balanced scoring from their depth. While they might not have the same offensive power as the Oilers, they still have a good chance with Edmonton not fully healthy.
Now, with the Oilers suddenly looking vulnerable, even before the injury to Draisaitl, they were playing average hockey coming out of the break, going 5-5 in their last 10 games.
Los Angeles will be doing a lot of scoreboard watching over the next few weeks to help position them for a playoff spot.
Opportunity Knocks for Los Angeles
All season, Los Angeles has struggled, consistently losing games they're supposed to win and failing to establish itself as a playoff contender.
Now, they may control their own destiny, with this opportunity of a key injury to a division rival opening the door, and it's up to them to walk through it and do their job.
Los Angeles has the easiest schedule remaining in the entire league, so there's no excuse for them not to make the playoffs or climb past an injured Oilers team, which faces a much stiffer schedule.
If they can maintain their recent level of play and capitalize on Edmonton’s setback, they could not only climb the standings but also potentially secure home-ice advantage in the first round, something that was out of the question a few weeks ago.
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ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 08: Ozzie Albies #1 of the Atlanta Braves batting during the Monday evening MLB game between the Atlanta Braves and the Chicago Cubs on September 8, 2025 at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
If you enjoy seeing the Atlanta Braves uniforms being adorned with a bright-yellow bag of concrete on the left-hand sleeve then I have some news that is relative to your interests. If you’re a fan who was hoping for another company’s logo to grace the sleeves (or if you’re a purist who doesn’t want to see any of that anywhere on the uniform) then you might want to be sitting down with this one.
Earlier today, the Braves announced via press release that the concrete bags aren’t going anywhere any time soon. The Braves and QUIKRETE are now locked into a partnership through the 2036 season. Here’s a quote from the press release:
QUIKRETE and the Braves have been partners for nine seasons dating back to 2017, spanning the club’s tenure at Truist Park and The Battery Atlanta. Over that time, the partnership has grown to include some of the most recognizable branding in Major League Baseball and a strong connection with fans throughout Braves Country.
The leading construction materials company will continue as the Official Jersey Patch Partner of the Atlanta Braves, remaining the first and only jersey patch partner in team history. The QUIKRETE logo patch appears on home and away Braves uniforms throughout the regular season and postseason, providing prominent national broadcast visibility as the team competes on baseball’s biggest stages.
I’d imagine that this also means that the QUIKRETE logo will remain in yellow on the outfield fences as well. In case you didn’t notice it (and really, why would most of y’all since I’m sure this isn’t exactly the outfield fence enthusiast group), the QUIKRETE logo is the only logo on the outfield walls that is in yellow instead of white, so there’s that. It’s clear that this is a partnership that both corporate entities value and now they’re set to be locked in together for the foreseeable future.
What do y’all think? Are you a fan of the yellow bag on the sleeves? Would you prefer a different sponsor? Would you prefer none at all?
DETROIT, MI - FEBRUARY 5: Will Riley #27 of the Washington Wizards of the Washington Wizards drives to the basket during the game against the Detroit Pistons on February 5. 2026 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brian Sevald/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Washington Wizards play the Detroit Pistons at 7 p.m. ET at Capital One Arena. Chat about it in the comments below!
Mar 15, 2026; Mesa, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Jack Suwinski hits a three run home run against the Chicago Cubs in the first inning at Sloan Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
The Dodgers on Tuesday night take on the Kansas City Royals in Surprise, playing their final road game of the Arizona portion of their spring training. Highly-regarded outfield prospect Mike Sirota (wearing number 05) gets his first start of spring, hitting ninth at designated hitter in his fourth Cactus League game.
Lineup
Andy Pages CF Kyle Tucker RF Santiago Espinal 1B Dalton Rushing C Kyle Freeland 2B Nick Senzel 3B Jack Suwinski LF Hyeseong Kim SS Mike Sirota DH
Roki Sasaki starts on the mound.
Other pitchers
Tanner Scott, Alex Vesia, and Ben Casparius are three relievers slated to pitch Tuesday night.
Minor league pitchers active on Tuesday are Cam Day (90), Cody Morse (91), Nicolas Cruz (92), Jacob Frost (94), and Nick Robertson (97).
Other position players
Ryan Fitzgerald and catcher Seby Zavala are the two non-roster invitees available on the bench.
Up from minor league camp are Eduardo Quintero (06), Jesus Galiz (07), Damon Keith (08), Kole Myers (87), Yeiner Fernandez (88), Kyle Nevin (93), and Logan Wagner (95).
Mark DeRosa has made two changes to Team USA’s lineup for Tuesday’s World Baseball Classic championship game against Venezuela.
Third baseman Gunnar Henderson and center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong, both of whom started the semifinal win over the Dominican Republic, are sitting as Alex Bregman and Byron Buxton are back in the lineup with Venezuela starting southpaw Eduardo Rodriguez.
Alex Bregman Getty ImagesByron Buxton Getty Images
The U.S. is rolling out its usual top four with shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. leading off ahead of first baseman Bryce Harper, right fielder Aaron Judge and designated hitter Kyle Schwarber.
Bregman will hit fifth ahead of left fielder Roman Anthony, catcher Will Smith and second baseman Brice Turang, with Buxton hitting ninth.
Ronald Acuna Jr. is leading off and playing right field for Venezuela, followed by third baseman Maikel Garcia, first baseman Luis Arraez, designated hitter Eugenio Suarez, second baseman Gleyber Torres, shortstop Ezequiel Tovar, left fielder Wilyer Abreu, catcher Sal Perez and center fielder Jackson Chourio.
The World Baseball Classic bracket.
A new champion will be crowned as Venezuela knocked off defending champion Japan in the quarterfinals before dispatching Italy in the semis. Japan beat the U.S. in the 2023 final.
Any player that enters a season as the projected No. 1 pick in the NBA draft is going to generate interest. Darryn Peterson, though, has taken that trope to another level this season.
Various ailments forced Kansas' freshman guard to miss 11 games this season. In multiple games where he did play, he had a minutes restriction and/or sat for the key final minutes of games. Some fans and analysts expressed their frustration at Peterson's inconsistent schedule, and he fell from favorite status as the No. 1 pick.
However, Peterson has been trending upward recently, playing a season-high 37 minutes in the Big 12 Tournament against TCU.
Is Darryn Peterson playing in March Madness?
Yes, Peterson will be on the court for Kansas during the NCAA Tournament, and there is no reason to believe he will be limited. According to The Kansas City Star’s Shreyas Laddha, he has played the last seven games without asking to come out due to cramping, which happened a fair amount during the season up to that point.
Darryn Peterson cramping issues explained
Laddha explained how cramping has been the biggest recurring issue for Peterson during the season, going back to Kansas' training period in early September.
Peterson said he suffered from full-body cramps that forced him to the hospital at one point, and that he received two bags of intravenous fluids.
He described the experience as "traumatic," which made it understandable that he was quick to ask out of games when he felt the cramps coming back.
Now, though, it seems Peterson is in his best condition of the season — just in time for Kansas' most important games.
Kansas Jayhawks March Madness schedule 2026
The Jayhawks will play their first-round game against 13-seed Cal Baptist at 9:45 PM ET on Friday, March 20. If Kansas wins that game, it would face the winner of the No. 5 St. John's vs. No. 12 Northern Iowa game on Sunday.
Darryn Peterson season stats 2025-26 (points, rebounds, assists, etc.)
Peterson has been one of the most prolific scoring guards in the country when he has played, averaging 19.8 points on 44.2% field goals, 38.4% from three and 82.5% from the free throw line. He has also averaged 1.7 assists to 1.5 turnovers and 1.5 steals per game.
Is Darryn Peterson a projected lottery pick for the 2026 NBA Draft?
Peterson will absolutely be a lottery pick and is still clearly lined up to be a top-three pick at worst. A great tournament run could easily vault him back into pole position to be the No. 1 pick in the draft.
Sporting staged a stunning comeback to beat Bodø/Glimt 5-0 after extra time and reach the Champions League quarter-finals with a 5-3 aggregate victory in their last-16 tie.
Trailing 3-0 from the first leg in Norway, Sporting attacked from the kick-off and went ahead in the 34th minute when Gonçalo Inácioheaded in from Francisco Trincão’s corner.
Mar 14, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies center fielder Justin Crawford (80) looks on against the New York Yankees in the fifth inning during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Alright, it’s time to make your official prediction for the season.
We have talked all offseason long about the Phillies and the moves they made and didn’t make. There has been gnashing of teeth, rending of garments, all the marks of people unhappy with what they have accomplished in the player acquisition department.
Now, we ask the big question:
It’s the question that is the ultimate judge of team success. There might be many versions of players ups and downs this season, but this is a team game, one where they are all judged on what sort of finish they have. Should someone like Cristopher Sanchez take another step forward in his career, that won’t matter to some without a certain threshold cleared. Should Bryce Harper channel his offseason annoyance at the POBO into an elite, MVP caliber season, it won’t matter unless the team wins.
What say you?
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Phillies fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
MONTREAL, CANADA - NOVEMBER 15: Viktor Arvidsson #71 of the Boston Bruins celebrates with teammate Pavel Zacha #18 after scoring a goal during the second period of the NHL regular season game at the Bell Centre on November 15, 2025 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Vitor Munhoz/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
It’s a little premature to call this the biggest game of the season for the Bruins, but I can’t remember the last time a regular season Bruins-Canadiens game had this much on the line.
While these teams have played some entertaining games in recent years, most of them have come when one team was down and the other was up.
This time, both the B’s and Canadiens have eyes on the playoffs, but both are pretty close to being left at home as well.
The B’s start the night in the second wild card spot, two points ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
However, the B’s are also just a point behind Montreal for third in the Atlantic (with Detroit in between), so…everything is happening, I guess.
If nothing else, it’s nice to see these teams play a meaningful game in March, right?
The Minnesota Timberwolves are jockeying for position in the NBA's Western Conference playoff race, and they'll have to do at least some of the heavy lifting down the stretch without their star player.
Anthony Edwards is likely to miss several games after the team's latest injury update revealed he's dealing with right knee soreness. It's a bit of a swerve with less than a month left in the regular season.
The Timberwolves enter Tuesday's game against the Phoenix Suns in sixth place in the packed Western Conference standings after losses in four of their past five games. They're just two games behind the third-place Los Angeles Lakers and two games ahead of the seventh-place Suns.
Here's the latest on Edwards' injury, including a potential timeline for his return to the Minnesota Timberwolves ahead of the start to the 2026 NBA playoffs:
No. Edwards is listed as out with right knee inflammation on the Timberwolves' injury report ahead of their game against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday, March 17.
Anthony Edwards injury update
The Timberwolves announced on Tuesday, March 17 that an MRI performed on Edwards had revealed right knee inflammation, and he will be re-evaluated in 1-2 weeks. Edwards can only miss seven more games this season and still be eligible for NBA postseason awards based on its 65-game rule. If he were to be out two weeks, he would miss exactly seven games.
Anthony Edwards stats
Edwards is averaging a career-best 29.5 points and on pace to set career highs in field goal percentage (49.2%) and 3-point shooting (40.2%) this season. He's also averaging 5.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game for the Timberwolves.
