OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - APRIL 2: Ausar Thompson #9 of the Detroit Pistons drives to the basket during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on April 2, 2025 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 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 2025 NBAE(Photo by Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Detroit Pistons are looking to rebound after a disappointing loss against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday. Facing Oklahoma City tonight might seem like being out of the frying pan and into the fire, but it actually does represent a bit of a reprieve and potential get right game for the Pistons. Because the Pistons aren’t playing the Thunder, the Pistons are playing the Thunders’ backups. Very good backups, mind you, but backups nonetheless.
Sitting out for the Thunder tonight are: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, Alex Caruso, and Ajay Mitchell. The Pistons will only be missing Isaiah Stewart, who remains out with his suspension.
It won’t be a cake walk — Cason Wallace is a great all-around player, Isaiah Joe is a heck of a shooter, and Lu Dort can defend anywhere. But the Thunder will be undersized, and Jalen Duren might be looking to feast after a hard-fought matchup against Victor Wembanyama. Cade Cunningham, too, is coming off a terrible game against the Spurs. I’d look for him to be active, particularly as a passer. There should be open driving lines and kick-out opportunities. I hope it’s a fun one at LCA.
Game Vitals
When: 7:30 p.m. Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan Watch: ESPN, Fan Duel Sports Network Detroit Odds: Pistons -10.5
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 07: Former New York Yankee CC Sabathia throws the ceremonial first pitch before the game between the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays in game three of the American League Division Series at Yankee Stadium on October 07, 2025 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Get out your pens to mark your calendars, because there’s now an event at Yankee Stadium during this coming season that you won’t want to miss. Just a short while ago, the Yankees announced that this coming September 26th, they’ll be holding a ceremony to formally retire CC Sabathia’s No. 52 and give him a plaque in Monument Park.
Sabathia pitched for the Yankees from 2009-19, helping them to the 2009 World Series title and a number of other playoff appearances. He was a three-time All-Star in pinstripes and he finished top five in Cy Young voting three times while a member of the team. Last summer, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on his first ballot, and will forever don a Yankee logo on his plaque in Cooperstowjn.
During his 11 seasons with the Yankees, Sabathia was a stellar pitcher for the team, evidenced by what I’ve already cited and also ranking in the top ten in the franchise lists for wins, strikeouts, and more. However, he also became a revered clubhouse leader. When he first got there, he joined in a veteran heavy era, where the clubhouse was led by the likes of then captain Derek Jeter. While never officially named one, by all accounts he served somewhat of that role as the Yankees transitioned to an era led by now captain Aaron Judge. He also always had his teammates’ backs.
If the Yankees had historically been more selective in the numbers they’d retired in the past, you could argue that Sabathia would fall short of that cutoff. However, they haven’t, and CC is more than deserving, especially in light of his recent Hall induction. In addition to being an absolute gamer on the mound, literally going until he physically couldn’t, he’s an extremely likeably human. I personally cannot wait to see him get another day in the sun later this year.
Feb 21, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Milwaukee Brewers second baseman Brice Turang (2) takes a lead off second in the first inning against the against the Cleveland Guardians at American Family Fields of Phoenix. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Despite giving up 12 runs on 11 hits — including three home runs — Milwaukee managed to escape with a thrilling walk-off win over the San Francisco Giants. Brice Turang’s two-homer day powered the Brewers to a second straight victory.
After Carlos Rodriguez retired the Giants in order to start the game, Turang crushed his first home run deep into left field. The solo shot put the Brewers on the board in the bottom of the first.
Turang’s home run gave Milwaukee a lead they would relinquish half an inning later, when Luis Matos — who gave the Brewers plenty of trouble in the 2025 regular season — sent a Rodriguez cutter into the left field stands to tie the game at one run apiece.
Garrett Mitchell worked a walk in his first at-bat of the spring after going down in the count 0-2. The red-hot Brandon Lockridge doubled to right field to put runners on second and third, but Jackson Chourio grounded out to shortstop to end the second inning. Rodriguez wouldn’t come back out for the top of the third, with manager Pat Murphy going to Peter Strzelecki. Strzelecki hit the first batter he faced, Christian Koss, before retiring the next two hitters. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t get out of the inning unscathed. Strzelecki’s second pitch to Bryce Eldridge was a 91-mph fastball up in the zone, which Eldridge sent 391 feet for the Giants’ second home run of the game.
San Francisco would tack on five more runs off of prospect Garrett Stallings in the top of the fourth. After a Harrison Bader home run and a Jung Hoo Lee triple, the score was 8-1, and the game looked out of reach for the home team — but only briefly. The bottom of the fourth saw Giants pitcher Carson Whisenhunt (in for starter Adrian Houser) absolutely melt down, walking the first three batters he faced. Joey Ortiz then ripped a bases-loaded single into left field, scoring Andrew Vaughn from third and Luis Rengifo from second. Whisenhunt then walked Brandon Lockridge, and Giants manager Tony Vitello had seen enough. Right-hander Tristan Beck entered the game to face Chourio with the bases loaded.
Chourio worked an 11-pitch walk to keep the bases loaded for Turang. Beck’s first pitch was a slider low and away, and Turang was ready — crushing a 425-foot grand slam to center field. All of a sudden, the game was tied at eight.
Turang’s first home run today left the bat at 106.5 mph, and the grand slam had an exit velocity of 108.2 mph. Neither home run was pulled. For a player who appeared to be tapping into more power over the second half of last season, that’s an incredibly encouraging sign.
In the top of the fifth, Brewers No. 1 prospect Jesús Made entered the game defensively for Turang and wasted no time making his presence felt. In his first at-bat, Made smoked a triple to right field. He scored one pitch later courtesy of a William Contreras home run, putting the Brewers ahead 9-8. Meanwhile, prospects Tyson Hardin, Brett Wichrowski, Brian Fitzpatrick, and Manuel Rodriguez blanked the Giants over the next four innings.
By the top of the ninth, the score was 10-8 Milwaukee (thanks to an RBI single from Made). Edwin Jimenez, in the game for Rodriguez, was unable to get the save. Jimenez gave up hits to Grant McCray and Daniel Susac to start the inning. Jerar Encarnacion then hit a ground ball to prospect Brock Wilken at third base, but Wilken was unable to handle it, allowing McCray to score. Jimenez couldn’t bounce back after the error, allowing the Giants to tack on three more runs wrapped around a pitching change (to Stiven Cruz) before the inning finally, mercifully, ended with the score now 12-10.
After coming back from a seven-run deficit, it briefly looked like the Brewers were going to give this one away. That is, until Matthew Wood started off the bottom of the ninth with a double. Eddys Leonard then hit a bloop that dropped in for a single and the first run of the inning. Twenty-year-old Josh Adamczewski singled as well, putting runners on first and second for Luis Lara, who grounded into a force-out for the first out. The next batter, Freddy Zamora, lined a single into left field to tie the game at 12 and put the winning run at third. Outfielder Greg Jones lifted a fly ball to center that was deep enough to score Lara from third for the winning run, giving Milwaukee an exciting 13-12 spring victory.
Aside from Turang’s performance (2-for-3, two homers, five RBIs), Brewers fans have a lot to be excited about after this game. Made, who started last season in Low-A, looked the part today. Made went 2-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored. Adamczewski, one of the biggest breakouts in the farm system last year, came up clutch with a single in the ninth. Ortiz is now hitting .273 this spring after his two-run (bases loaded!) single. Luis Lara scored two runs. Jackson Chourio worked an 11-pitch walk. The future is bright in Milwaukee.
The Brewers are back at it again tomorrow as they take on the Texas Rangers. First pitch is slated for 2:05 p.m. CT.
CC Sabathia salutes fans as he walks out to the field for introductions during Old Timerâs Day before a game against the Colorado Rockies, Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024, in Bronx, NY.
Access the Yankees beat like never before
Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Greg Joyce about the inside buzz on the Yankees.
TAMPA — CC Sabathia will enter Yankees immortality later this season.
The Hall of Fame left-hander will have his No. 52 retired by the Yankees and a plaque unveiled for him in Monument Park on Sept. 26, the team announced Wednesday night.
“From the first number that hung in my locker to 52 forever hanging in Monument Park — this HOF journey has come full circle,” Sabathia wrote in a social-media post. “To have my number retired by the New York Yankees this year is one of the greatest honors of my life. The LegaCCy continues.”
A key part of the 2009 World Series championship Yankees, Sabathia spent 11 of his 19 years in the big leagues playing in The Bronx, pitching to a 3.81 ERA across 307 games.
CC Sabathia salutes fans as he walks out to the field for introductions during Old Timers’ Day before the Yankees’ blowout loss to the Rockies on Aug. 24, 2024 at the Stadium. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
He recorded his 3,000th career strikeout as a Yankee and was also the ALCS MVP in 2009.
A strong presence in the Yankees clubhouse, Sabathia was revered by his teammates and pitched with a bulldog mentality. He retired after the 2019 season, having thrown his last pitch in the ALCS when he walked off the mound with a dislocated shoulder.
“When I think of him, I think of ‘teammate,’ ” said Aaron Boone, who played with Sabathia in Cleveland before managing him in New York. “He brought people together. He connected with a lot of different people from a lot of different walks of life, while having the presence of being a superstar. He made you feel welcome. And then between the lines, just a really great competitor. I loved playing with him because he was so intense.
CC Sabathia pitching during the 2009 World Series. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post
“Just an awesome competitor and the best of the best in teammates.”
With the Winter Olympics break now officially behind us, the Ottawa Senators return to action on Thursday night (7 pm TSN5) at Canadian Tire Centre, hosting the Detroit Red Wings.
After the game, there's yet another long break in the schedule, at least as far as Senators home games are concerned. This is how the schedule looks starting Saturday.
Feb. 28 at Toronto March 3 at Edmonton March 5 at Calgary March 7 at Seattle March 9 at Vancouver
Steve Warne and Gregg Kennedy discuss which player is more inspired to be great down the NHL stretch, the gold medal winner, or the one that came up short?
Meanwhile, right in the middle of their Western road swing, the NHL trade deadline will come and go on March 6 at 3 pm Eastern.
So if the Senators decide to be active in the trade market, Thursday night's game against the Wings may be the last time some players ever put on a Sens jersey at home.
This will be Steve Staios' third trade deadline as an NHL GM and the first two couldn't have been more different. In 2024, Staios was handcuffed by Vladimir Tarasenko's no trade clause and shipped the pending free agent to the Florida Panthers for what turned out to be a third rounder.
That was pretty much it, although he made some huge moves in the summer, acquiring Linus Ullmark, Nick Jensen, David Perron, Michael Amadio, and Adam Gaudette.
2025 was just the opposite. Staios went hard at the deadline, getting Dylan Cozens and Fabian Zetterlund, then went slower in the summer, acquiring depth players Jordan Spence and Lars Eller.
The trade deadline is usually about two types of teams.
On the one hand, you have playoff-bound teams eyeballing their final chance to bulk up their roster with good established players to try and go deep. On the other hand, you have teams who are already out of contention, who are looking to do business with the great teams that can give them the picks, prospects or young players so they can retool.
But the Senators are caught in between, and in a parity-filled league where the standings are so tight, they're not alone in feeling stuck in the middle.
If the last four games before the deadline go well, maybe Staios fancies himself a buyer and strengthens the roster like he did last year. This year's Senators actually have a better record right now (.553) than they did at last year's deadline (.549) but their Eastern standing is way different.
The Sens held the second wild card last year at the deadline, but right now they're six points out.
Their needs would include a right shot D, but since almost everyone needs help in that area, they won't come cheap. It might cost them a first-rounder next year or one of their good forwards who are still young enough to help a team in rebuild.
If the last four games before the deadline don't go well, and the Sens slip further in the standings, maybe they shift to seller mode and unload some of their older UFAs rather than lose them and get nothing in return. When they dumped pending UFA Vladimir Tarasenko, in 2024 they were 19 points out of a playoff spot, but the strategy is still the same.
The Senators' list of older UFAs on expiring contracts right now includes Claude Giroux, David Perron, Nick Jensen, Lars Eller, Nick Cousins, and James Reimer.
As a dark horse move, Giroux might be a candidate to be one of those rare springtime rentals that ends up back with the team that traded him. He could go for that Cup that's eluded him, and re-sign back home in Ottawa this summer.
But even if someone gave the Sens back a 2026 first round pick (the NHL probably won't), moving Giroux would be highly discouraging to a fan base that's all in on at least the attempt at a making the playoffs.
Moving one or two of their other thirty-something UFAs may be an opportunity to shore up their draft capital without fully giving up on their playoff hopes.
The only thing we know for sure is that we won't see the Senators pulling off the firesale deals we saw from 2018-2020. Some of those deals completely blew up in their face, but others helped build a core that's now in its prime. And while it remains to be seen if they can still salvage this season, or ever emerge as a true contender, the window for this group is now wide open.
Steve Warne The Hockey News
This article was first published by The Hockey News. More headlines here:
Observations from Mets spring training on Wednesday:
Back in Action
Francisco Alvarez played his first game of the spring, going 0-for-2 as the DH. He is scheduled to catch in a simulated game on a backfield in Port St. Lucie on Thursday and make his spring debut behind the plate for the Mets on Saturday.
Francisco Alvarez and pitching coach Justin Willard confer in the bullpen during Spring Training at Clover Field, Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. Corey Sipkin for NY Post
If At 1st You Don’t Succeed …
Mark Vientos went too far to his right on a grounder by Nolan Gorman in the first, but Grae Kessinger was there to make the play to end the inning.
Vientos also made a nice scoop on a long throw from Vidal Bruján in the fourth.
Caught by Eye
Juan Soto sat next to Eli Manning on Tuesday night at a TGL golf event and said it was his first time meeting the retired Giants quarterback. “He’s definitely a humble man,” Soto said. “It was cool to talk to a legend like that.”
The conversation, Soto said, focused mainly on golf — although they chatted about New York, as well.
Thursday’s Schedule
Nolan McLean will make the start for the Mets, who face the Astros in West Palm Beach, Fla., at 1:05 p.m.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper will miss the next two games after the death of his father, Robert.
Assistant Rob Zettler was the acting head coach for the Lightning's home game against Toronto on Wednesday night and will again do so at Carolina on Thursday night.
Cooper, who coached the Lightning to Stanley Cup championships in 2020 and 2021, was the head coach for Canada in the Milan Cortina Olympics. The Canadians left with the silver medals after losing 2-1 to the United States in overtime in the gold medal game.
“Thoughts and prayers, as always, to Coop and his family," Zettler said Wednesday before facing the Maple Leafs. “That was the No. 1 thing, that he takes care of business back home. He left this morning to go back to Vancouver. What I am in confident in is our guys. They've been excellent in so many ways this year, including in times like this where's Coop's missing or something happens to one of the guys."
The NHL restarted its season Wednesday after taking a break for the Olympic Games in Milan. Tampa Bay entered the day with a six-point lead in the Atlantic Division and the Lightning's 78 points were tied with the Hurricanes for best in the Eastern Conference.
They went 19-1-1 over the final 21 games before the break.
MESA, Arizona — Things were going on swimmingly at Sloan Park for the first four innings, with good Rockies pitching holding the Cubs down and Cade Horton throwing well after Jameson Taillon got lit up early on.
Then both teams scored six runs in the fifth inning, a frame that took nearly an hour to complete. The final football-like score of Rockies 14, Cubs 7 featured 26 hits, 12 walks, a couple of pickoffs and generally looked like the minor-league game it was after the fourth inning.
About Taillon, he served up a home run to Mickey Moniak on the game’s first pitch. After that a couple more hits led to a second run in the first, and then T.J. Rumfield homered off Taillon leading off the second. Don’t know whether Taillon was still working on mechanics, as he said after his first start, or whether this was something else. Here’s what we do know:
Jameson Taillon said he will make another spring training start on Monday before joining Team Canada for the WBC.
Horton made his first spring outing and it was a good one. He issued a two-out walk in the fourth after retiring the first five hitters he faced. Overall he struck out a pair and threw 17 strikes in his 26-pitch outing. Here’s the final out Horton recorded, a strikeout of Zac Veen on a nasty curveball. He was also sitting at 96 on his fastball:
Most of the damage the Rockies did in their six-run fifth was charged to Caleb Thielbar, though in fairness, with one out and a couple of runners on, Thielbar induced a ground ball that had Michael Busch been playing first base, might have turned into an inning-ending double play with only one run scoring. But it wasn’t, a run scored and the next hitter, Ezequiel Tovar, smashed a three-run homer.
The Cubs scored six in the bottom of the fifth after most of the regulars, who started en masse in this one, had departed. Of those, only Alex Bregman, Ian Happ and Miguel Amaya had hits at all. Happ’s single in the fifth drove in two runs [VIDEO].
The Cubs made it 9-7 in the sixth on an RBI single by minor leaguer Devin Ortiz. Phil Maton and Hunter Harvey both had scoreless innings, and both executed pickoff plays, which was good to see.
Luke Little, unfortunately, again got himself in trouble with walks and then served up a two-run homer to Kyle McCann and wound up charged with five runs in the eighth. I suspect Little’s headed to Triple-A Iowa again. I’d love to see him succeed but he just doesn’t throw enough strikes. Jack Neely threw an uneventful ninth.
Matt Shaw made an error in right field after a single by old friend Nicky Lopez, and I wish I could show that to you but… there’s only a limited amount of video available from these non-televised games.
You have all probably already heard this news, but I wanted to mention it here:
Tyler Austin, who had an inside track for a bench job with the Cubs, will be sidelined for “months” after undergoing a surgical procedure on his right knee, manager Craig Counsell said.
Which now explains why Austin hadn’t played at all this spring. And this is likely why the Cubs signed Michael Conforto. I think of Conforto, Chas McCormick (who was the DH in today’s game and went 1-for-3) and Dylan Carlson, two of those three will make the team — and Moisés Ballesteros likely becomes the backup first baseman. When Ballesteros is ready for game action I suspect we will see him playing a lot of first base.
Attendance watch: A small crowd of 8,919 attended this game, likely the smallest crowd of the spring. That makes the season total for four dates 44,822, or 11,206 per date.
The Cubs head to Tempe to face the Angels Thursday afternoon. Matthew Boyd will start for the Cubs and José Soriano goes for the Angels. Game time Thursday is 2:10 p.m. CT. Once again, no radio or TV for Thursday’s game.
The Yankees announced that they will honor CC Sabathia this season by retiring his uniform number (No. 52) and giving him a Monument Park plaque.
The ceremony will take place Sept. 26 when the team takes on the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium.
Sabathia will be the 24th Yankees player or manager to have his number retired and the first since Paul O’Neill (No. 21) on Aug. 21, 2022.
After signing with the Yankees as a free agent prior to the 2009 season, the southpaw helped lead the team to a World Series championship, going 19-8 with a 3.37 ERA in 34 starts. That postseason, the Yankees went 4-1 in his five starts, and he earned the ALCS MVP Award, going 2-0 with a 1.13 ERA in the Yankees’ six-game series win over the Angels.
Over his first four seasons with the Yankees (2009-12), Sabathia went 74-29 with a 3.22 ERA and nine complete games in 129 starts, logging 905.0 innings pitched and making three AL All-Star teams.
In his 11 total seasons in pinstripes, Sabathia posted a 134-88 record with a 3.81 ERA and 1,700K in 307 games. In franchise history, he ranks fourth in strikeouts, seventh in starts, 10th in wins and 11th in innings pitched.
Sabathia was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2025, his first year on the ballot.
Boston Celtics (38-19) at Denver Nuggets (36-22) Wednesday, February 25, 2026 10:00 PM ET Regular Season Game #58 Road Game #31 TV: ESPN, NBCSB, Altitude Sports Radio: 98.5 Sports Hub,92.5 Altitude Sports Radio, Sirius XM Ball Arena
The Celtics complete their 4 game Western road trip with a stop in Denver to take on the Nuggets. This is the second of 2 games between these two teams. The Nuggets won the first game 114-110 in Boston on January 7. The Celtics won the series 2-0 last season. The Celtics are 62-41 overall all time against the Denver Nuggets. They are 21-30 in games played in Denver.
The Nuggets addressed some weaknesses in the off season while keeping their core intact. They traded Michael Porter, Jr for Cam Johnson. They traded Dario Saric for Jonas Valanciunas to address their back up center need. They signed Bruce Brown and Tim Hardaway, Jr as free agents and allowed Russell Westbrook to walk as a free agent. They didn’t have any picks in the 2025 draft. At the trade deadline, they traded Hunter Tyson to Brooklyn for a 2nd round pick to avoid the luxury tax.
The Celtics are 2nd in the East, 4.5 games behind 1st place Detroit. They are 2 game ahead of 3rd place New York and 4th place Cleveland, 4.5 games ahead of 5th place Toronto, 6.5 games ahead of 6th place Philadelphia and 7.5 games ahead of 7th place Orlando. The Celtics are 14-6 against Western Conference opponents. They are 20-10 on the road and 9-1 in their last 10 games. They have won their last 4 games.
The Nuggets are 4th in the West, 8 games behind first place OKC, 5.5 games behind 2nd place San Antonio, and tied with 3rd place Houston. They are 1 game ahead of the 5th place Lakers , and 6th place Minnesota and they are 3 games ahead of 7th place Phoenix. They are 15-11 against Eastern Conference opponents. They are 15-11 at home and 4-6 in their last 10 games. They are coming off a loss in their last game.
The Celtics are playing in the final game of a 4 game Western road trip. They are 3-0 so far on the trip. They will return home for games against Brooklyn and Philadelphia before a game at Milwaukee. Then they are back home for games against Charlotte and Dallas before a tough 3 game road trip through Cleveland, San Antonio, and Oklahoma City. Then they host Washington, Phoenix and Golden State.
The Nuggets have just completed a 3 game road trip where they beat Portland and lost to the Warriors and Clippers. After this game they will play one game on the road at OKC and then one game at home against Minnesota and one game at home against Utah. Then they host the Lakers and Knicks befoe playing at OKC once again. Next is one game at home against Houston before games on the road against the Spurs and Lakers.
Jayson Tatum remains out for the Celtics as he rehabs from the Achilles injury. Jaylen Brown missed Tuesday’s game against the Suns but is available for this game. For the Nuggets, Tamar Bates (foot), Aaron Gordon (hamstring), Jalen Pickett (knee), and Peyton Watson (hamstring) are listed as out. Jamal Murray (hamstring) and Julian Strawther (toe) are both listed as probable. I’m guessing they are going to start the same 5 as they did the last 2 games.
Probable Starting Matchups PG: Derrick White vs Jamal Murray
Derrick White | NBAE via Getty ImagesJamal Murray | Getty Images
Celtics Reserves Payton Pritchard Hugo Gonzalez Luka Garza Amare Williams Nikola Vucevic Jordan Walsh Delano Banton (10-day) John Tonje (10-day) 2-Way Players Ron Harper, Jr Max Shulga Injuries/Out Jayson Tatum (Achilles) out Jaylen Brown (knee) available
Head Coach Joe Mazzulla
Nuggets Reserves Bruce Brown Tim Hardaway, Jr DaRon Holmes II Spencer Jones Zeke Nnaji Jonas Valanciunas
2-Way Players Tamar Bates Curtis Jones KJ Simpson Injuries/Out Tamar Bates (foot) out Aaron Gordon (hamstring) out Jalen Pickett (knee) out Peyton Watson (hamstring) out Julian Strawther (toe) probable Jamal Murray (hamstring) probable
Head Coach David Adelman
Key Matchups Neemias Queta vs Nikola Jokic Jokic is has won 3 MVP’s and is in the conversation for MVP every season for a reason. He is averaging 28.8 points, 12.5 rebounds, 10.5 assists and 1.4 steals per game. He is shooting 58.4% from the field and 42.1% from beyond the arc. Over his career, against the Celtics, he averaged 22.8 points, 10.5 rebounds 6.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He missed the first game this season in Boston. He is a handful and the Celtics need to try to slow him down by any means necessary.
Derrick White vs Jamal Murray Murray is averaging 25.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 1.0 steals per game. He is shooting 48.3% from the field and 42.3% from beyond the arc. The Celtics will need to defend Murray very well both on the perimeter and in the paint as he can put up points in a hurry. In the first game against the Celtics this season, he finished with 22 points, 8 rebounds, 17 assists and 1 steal. He shot 44.4% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc. Honorable Mention Sam Hauser vs Cam Johnson Johnson is averaging 11.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists. He is shooting 46.1% from the field and 41.7% from beyond the arc. He didn’t play in the game against the Celtics in Boston in January. He is a good shooter and so the Celtics need to defend him, especially on the perimeter.
Keys to the Game Defense – Defense is the key to winning every game. The Celtics are 7th with a defensive rating of 112.2. The Nuggets have a defensive rating of 116.3, which is 22nd. The Celtics are 2nd in the league with an offensive rating of 120.1 but the Nuggets are 1st with an offensive rating of 120.9. The Nuggets are first in the league, shooting 39.4% from beyond the arc as a team so the Celtics have to especially defend the perimeter. They are capable of playing lock down defense but they have to commit to it and put in the effort to do so.
Rebound – Rebounding is another key to winning every game. The Celtics are 8th in the league, averaging 45.7 rebounds per game. The Nuggets are 22th in the league with 43.0 rebounds per game. Rebounding takes effort and the Celtics have to work harder to grab rebounds to limit the Nuggets second chance points and fast breaks. The Celtics are 28-8 when they have more or the same rebounds as their opponents. They are just 9-11 when they are out-rebounded. They have to put in the effort to best the Nuggets on the boards.
Effort and Energy for 48 Minutes – The Celtics must be the more aggressive team. They have to fight for loose balls, defend aggressively, be aggressive in driving to the basket, and just play harder than the Nuggets for the entire game. They have to be the team that wants it more and plays like it. They especially have to begin the game with energy and not allow the Nuggets to race out to a big lead and they can’t let up throughout the game. They also have to come out strong in the 3rd quarter and play hard until the final buzzer. As shown against the Lakers on Sunday, the team that is more aggressive and that plays harder usually gets the benefit of more calls from the refs as well.
Move the Ball Carefully – The Celtics need to keep moving the ball to find the open man and make it much harder to guard them. However, they have to be careful with their passes and they also need to be careful when they dribble the ball and not drive into a crowd and turn the ball over. The Celtics are usually very good at taking care of the ball but at times they lose focus and get sloppy. They can’t afford to do that against the Nuggets.
X-Factors Mile High on the Road– It’s tough to win in Denver because of the altitude that the teams are playing at. Denver is called the Mile High City because it is 5,280 feet above sea level. Nuggets players are used to the altitude but visiting teams often struggle with playing there and often are fatigued before the end of the game. It is a very unique home court advantage. The Celtics also have to shake off the distractions of travel and playing in front of a hostile crowd.
Last Game Back to Back – Along with playing at altitude, the Celtics are playing on the second night of back to back games and in the 3rd game in 4 nights. They usually pay well in back to back games but they have a lot going against them in this one with the altitude and travel and it’s also the final game of a long road trip and usually those are the toughest games. The Celtics need to keep their focus and hopefully they won’t be fatigued from playing back to back and at the end of the trip.
Officiating – I know that I say this every game, but the officiating can always be an x-factor. Every crew calls the game differently whether they call every little ticky tack foul or they let a lot of contact go and let the teams play. We have already seen games where the officiating made a difference in the outcome, both good and bad. The Celtics have got to adjust to the way the game is being called and not let the calls affect their focus or their play.
Oct 27, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper (2) dribbles past Toronto Raptors guard Jamal Shead (23) in the second half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images
Welcome to the Game Thread. Veterans of the Game Thread know how we do things around here, but for all you newbies we have a few rules. Our community guidelines apply and basically say be cool, no personal attacks, don’t troll and don’t swear too much.
O Canada! The Spurs are on a nine game winning streak, they’re in the midst of the Rodeo Road Trip, and they just beat the best team in the Eastern Conference on their home court. They took the best punch from the Pistons, maintained their composure, and fought back by playing their own game instead of getting into the physical style of play of the opponent. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that the win over Detroit in their arena was the best victory of the season for the Silver and Black, where they not only showed they skill at basketball, but their mental resilience and toughness as a team. It was playoff-style basketball, and the Spurs aced their first test.
Tonight they face a team that’s not quite on the same level as the Pistons, but one that’s very talented and well-coached and should provide another test for San Antonio, and the name of tonight’s test is to see if they can consistently play with the effort and focus they showed on Monday night. The Raptors lost last night to the Thunder, so the Spurs will have to beat Tolronto to keep pressure on OKC as they try to stay in first.
Scottie Barnes can score points in bunches, Jamal Shead is turning into a solid player in his second year. Former Spur Jakob Poeltl can be a force in the paint, and should be well-rested after sitting out last night’s game. Speaking of former Spurs, Sandro Mamukelashvili will be playing his first game as a Raptor against his former team, and hopefully he won’t have a scoring explosion like he did against the Knicks last year, where he scored 34 points and celebrated with Flavor Flav after the game. It’s gonna be fun to watch, and GO SPURS GOO!!
Game Prediction:
Grady Dick and Stephon Castle will exchange dunk attempts, but Stephon will win the exchange by blocking Dick.
San Antonio Spurs at Toronto Raptors February 25, 2026 | 6:30 PM CT Streaming: NBA League Pass TV: FanDuel Sports Southwest Reminder: It is against site policy to post links to illegal streams in the comments.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 25: Pitcher Zac Gallen #23 of the Arizona Diamondbacks throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning of a spring training game at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on February 25, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Record: 2-4. Change on 2025: 0. 5-inning record: 1-5
And it was going so well, too… The D-backs jumped on the Dodgers’ Roki Sasaki in the bottom of the first. Nolan Arenado doubled in Geraldo Perdomo, and Ildemaro Vargas then doubled in a pair for a quick 3-0 lead. But it was more or less downhill from there. While Arizona actually outhit Los Angeles by a margin of 13-7, errors and walked doomed them: half of the ten runs conceded by the D-backs today were unearned, and their pitchers also issued nine walks. But there were positives, with three Diamondbacks going deep this afternoon for the first time: Pavin Smith (below), Tim Tawa and Jose Fernandez all homered.
It was Zac Gallen who started, though he only went one inning, being a little behind the other pitchers. That may factor into the decision as to who might replace Merrill Kelly as our Opening Day starter. He allowed a lead-off hit, but struck out two and went over 95 mph, including on the last of his 23 pitches. Drey Jameson took over in the second and was touched up for a pair of runs (one unearned), on two hits and a walk, but was also throwing hard, reaching 98 mph. That was the last pitcher the casual fan would probably recognize, and the results thereafter were… mixed, shall we say.
The Dodgers added a four-spot in the fifth, helped out by a pair of bases-loaded walks and an error by Ildemaro Vargas leading to two more unearned runs. They repeated the damage – four runs, two unearned – in the seventh, with a Jose Fernandez error a key play there. Gerardo Carillo and Hayden Durke were the only two of the ten pitchers used by Arizona to throw a full, clean frame, each striking out one in their inning of work. Despite the three errors, there were some good plays by the D-backs, notably a diving catch in left-field (below) by Ryan Waldschmidt. There were four ABS challenges today, only one being successful.
Tawa was the offensive star of the day, adding another hit and a walk to his home-run, while Druw Jones also picked up two hits, and Jordan Lawlar drew a pair of walks. Tomorrow, the D-backs hit the road again, heading off to Surprise to take on the Kansas City Royals. It’ll be our first chance to get a look at left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez, with Ryan Thompson and Kade Stroud potentially also taking the mound.
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - FEBRUARY 11: Lauri Markkanen #23 of the Utah Jazz looks on during the game against the Sacramento Kings on February 11, 2026 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. 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 Alex Goodlett/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
According to Kevin Reynolds, Lauri Markkanen was injured in practice and will receive an MRI.
Source: Utah Jazz star Lauri Markkanen injured in practice, to get MRIhttps://t.co/DcWKJhH0UB
Utah Jazz star Lauri Markkanen could miss some time after suffering an injury in practice on Wednesday.
Markkanen will be evaluated for a right ankle and right hip injury, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. The 7-footer will get an MRI to determine the severity of the injury.
The source is being granted anonymity because they had not been cleared to speak publicly on the matter.
Obviously, this will create jokes online about the amount of injuries the Jazz are having, especially with an important tanking loss needed tonight against the Pelicans. That said, the Jazz have no reason to put their players in harms way. They have already lost Vince Williams Jr. to a season ending ACL tear and the last thing they need is to lose Markkanen to a meaningless injury on-court cause they’re trying to push players to play, like the NBA apparently wants teams to do. No word on whether Silver will send “his doctors” to check on Markkanen yet.
It may be just a matter of time that we hear that Markkanen will be shut down the rest of the season.
TOPSHOT - Lightning strikes during a thunderstorm in Montevideo on February 23, 2026. (Photo by Mariana SUAREZ / AFP via Getty Images) | AFP via Getty Images
The Cincinnati Reds ran their win streak to, well, a win streak on Wednesday with a 3-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox. It was their first true road game of the season as they shipped over to Camelback Ranch, and the squad got both excellent pitching and a pair of big dingers to win the day.
The Good
Nick Lodolo looked incredibly sharp in his first outing of Cactus League play, fanning 4 and scattering a pair of hits in 2.0 scoreless frames. Luis Mey rebounded from a rough initial outing of the spring to strike out the side for a hold in his perfect frame of relief, while lefty Brock Burke put up a scoreless frame of his own.
The offense, meanwhile, was powered quite literally by Sal Stewart and JJ Bleday. Sal swatted his first dinger of the spring to begin the scoring, a towering 440 foot blast to CF in the Top of the 2nd that gave Cincinnati a 1-0 lead. The following inning, Bleday knocked the snot out of an inside breaking ball, leaving a dent some 464 feet away down the LF line – a two-run shot that scored Hector Rodriguez and gave the Reds all the runs they would need on the day.
Nate Lowe singled and walked in his quest to make the Opening Day roster, while Leo Balcazar picked up yet another hit and now boasts a 1.334 OPS in this incredibly small spring sample size.
The Bad
Middle infield depth is already a bit of a question mark on this club, as the team’s regular 2B (Matt McLain) is currently the only other player projected on the roster who can cover SS when Elly De La Cruz needs a break. And on days when that happens, one of Sal Stewart or Spencer Steer would have to cover 2B, in theory, and neither of them has any real big league experience at the position in recent memory (or at all).
So, it’s a bit of a bummer to see both Edwin Arroyo and Michael Chavis have errors charged to them in this one since, in theory, both are glove-first backup options up the middle on the depth chart.
The Ugly
Lyon Richardson got bonked for a homer and a pair of hits in his one IP, failing to strike anyone out in the process. He’s now yielded 5 H and 3 ER with a walk and zero Ks in his pai of appearances so far this spring after having been DFA’d earlier in the winter (and clearing waivers).
There’s still a ton to like in his right arm, but it’s pretty clear he’s not right at the moment.
What’s Next
Chase Burns will make his second start of spring camp on Thursday afternoon back at Goodyear Ballpark when the Reds play host to Nick Pivetta and the San Diego Padres. Once again, there will be no televised coverage of the game, though audio will be provided by 1360 WSAI.
PEORIA, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 19: Rob Refsnyder #30 of the Seattle Mariners poses for a portrait at Peoria Sports Complex on February 19, 2026 in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
If you planned on killing some time this afternoon by watching some Mariners Cactus League baseball – or more enticingly, Bryan Woo’s first outing of 2026 – you were out of luck. For the first time this spring, we were confined to the narration of Rick Rizzs, Gary Hill Jr., and Charlie Furbush, with some scant video across socials filling in some gaps. Even the humble AM radio wasn’t an option to follow along live, with the broadcast shunted to later this evening on 710. Remember when that was the norm for spring training games?
The game itself was a standard February baseball affair. Seattle slogged through ten pitchers and endless mid-inning pitching changes, while the Royals were a bit more economical at seven. The floodgates opened as the NRIs and nameless jerseys took over the game, with a dozen of the game’s sixteen runs scoring after the fifth inning. Still, as with any spring contest, there were a handful of nuggets – and ~grainy footage! – beyond the statlines that are worth touching on.
Bryan Woo
Woo tossed 28 pitches through 1.1 innings, including being pulled in the first with two outs after a nine-pitch battle with Salvador Pérez that followed back-to-back doubles from Bobby Witt Jr. and Vinnie Pasquantino to open the scoring. Spring training: where the rules are made up and the runs don’t matter! Famously fastball-forward, Woo didn’t deviate, with eleven four-seamers and seven sinkers leading the charge at their normal velocities. His sweeper was his primary offspeed offering, and he only threw a single changeup – though it got Kyle Isbel fishing in the other batter’s box for a strikeout in the second inning. Velo in line, a couple strikeouts, and no walks? We take that every time.
Postgame, Woo touched on his process and approach to his first time out: “Spring training can be a little bit of a trap, come in trying to feel things out, try new things. I think everyone has their traps. Some guys are too hard on themselves, or focused on different things. That’s the trap in spring training. For me, I try to take things like, work on what you worked on during the week. Having the head space to differentiate between those two things is important.” He also offered insight on his sweeper as he gets more comfortable with adding the pitch to his repertoire and figuring out when and where to deploy it. The double from Witt was off of one, but hey, spring brings the freedom to tinker and fail.
Rob Refsnyder
Refsnyder started in the two-hole and manned right field in his second game of the spring, and both of his plate appearances came against left-handed pitchers with predictable success. He notched a one-out single off of Royals starter Noah Cameron in the first inning, and got the Mariners on the board in the third with a ringing double into the left-center gap against indy ball veteran Chase Jessee. It’s two at-bats – one against someone whose outing was his first ever in affiliated ball – but Refsnyder producing in the exact role he was signed for was a more than welcome sight.
Andrés Muñoz and Eduard Bazardo
A pair of the Mariners’ key relievers got their second outing under their belts with no damage. Muñoz took the third, coaxing a pop-up from Luca Tresh and a groundout from Maikel García before rearing back for triple digits to blow away Witt. Bazardo followed suit in the fourth, a one-out knock from Salvy the lone blemish as he worked a scoreless frame of his own, picking up a signature called strikeout with a sinker on the outer edge against Lane Thomas. After some hard-hit balls plagued Muñoz’s spring debut, weak contact and 100 on the radar gun in a breezy outing was a perfect balm.
The former top-30 prospect has made a big impression early in camp, and checked in with a monster game off the bench. Taking over right field for Refsnyder, Davis opened the top of the sixth with a solo shot to left against José Cuas, and laced doubles in his next two plate appearances, including a 111.4 MPH shot to lead off the ninth inning. Injuries have long plagued Davis’s career – he got into just 105 combined games the past two seasons – but has shown big power when on the field. He won’t break camp with the M’s unless multiple catastrophes occur, but he’s a name worth keeping on eye on when the Rainiers kick off their season.
Connor Joe
Connor Joe is this year’s Michael Chavis, Colin Moran, or any other early-to-mid-30s corner infielder the M’s have brought aboard as a non-roster invitee you can think of. We’ll probably see him frequently this spring – especially when the World Baseball Classic gets underway – but once the regular season gets underway, he’ll be chilling in Tacoma for at least a little while as the Cactus League becomes a distant memory. That being said, he did tie the game in the ninth with a two-run bomb, so I’d be remiss not to include him here.
The Mariners will get another crack at getting back to .500 against the Guardians in Peoria tomorrow. Lefty Joey Cantillo will get the start for Cleveland; perhaps we’ll see Refsnyder in back-to-back games for the first time. It’s Bryce Miller’s turn to make his 2026 debut, but don’t fret about missing it – tomorrow’s tilt is back on TV and streaming.
