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March Madness schedule: NCAA Tournament Round 2 games today, TV times, bracket update

Saturday got off to a slow start, but boy did it finish with a bang.

No. 11 seed Texas upset No. 3 Gonzaga, while Nebraska and Vanderbilt slugged it out in a 4-5 classic showdown in OKC.

And we can't forget about No. 12 High Point giving every underdog hope in its late night clash with No. 4 Arkansas in Portland before falling shot.

March Madness scores, highlights: An upset, near-misses alter Sweet 16 bracket

March Madness conference records: Big Ten leads at 11-2; How are SEC, Big 12 doing?

Can Sunday match it? Here's a look at the remaining second round schedule. Which eight teams will round out the Sweet 16?

March Madness games today: NCAA Tournament Round 2 schedule Sunday

Sunday, March 22

All times Eastern

  • 12:10 p.m.: No. 2 Purdue vs No. 7 Florida, CBS
  • 2:45 p.m.: No. 2 Iowa State vs No. 7 Kentucky, CBS
  • 5:15 p.m.: No. 4 Kansas vs No. 5 St. John's, CBS
  • 6:10 p.m.: No. 3 Virginia vs No. 6 Tennessee, TNT
  • 7:10 p.m.: No. 1 Florida vs No. 9 Iowa, TBS
  • 8:45 p.m.: No. 2 UConn vs No. 7 UCLA, TNT
  • 9:45 p.m.: No. 4 Alabama vs No. 5 Texas Tech, TBS

Who is in Sweet 16? March Madness Sweet 16 locations

  • MIDWEST: No. 1 Michigan will play No. 4 Alabama/No. 5 Texas Tech winner (in Chicago)
  • EAST: No. 1 Duke will play No. 4 Kansas/No. 5 St. John's winner (in Washington D.C).
  • EAST: No. 3 Michigan State will play No. 2 UConn/No. 7 UCLA winner (in Washington D.C.)
  • SOUTH: No. 2 Houston will play No. 3 Illinois/No. 11 VCU winner (in Houston)
  • WEST: No. 11 Texas will play No. 2 Purdue/No. 7 Miami (Fla.) winner
  • WEST: No. 4 Arkansas will play No. 1 Arizona/No. 9 Utah State winner

March Madness Round 2 scores yesterday

All times Eastern

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March Madness games today Round 2 schedule, how to watch, bracket update

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Luka Doncic says vulgar comment from Orlando player led to his 16th technical

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) goes up to shoot between Orlando Magic.
Lakers star Luka Doncic shoots between Orlando's Tristan da Silva, left, and Wendell Carter Jr. during the first half Saturday. (Phelan M. Ebenhack / Associated Press)

Luka Doncic picked up his 16th technical foul of the season in Saturday’s dramatic 105-104 win over the Orlando Magic, putting the Lakers superstar in line for a one-game suspension as the Lakers take their nine-game winning streak to Detroit on Monday.

Doncic and Magic forward Goga Bitadze were jawing back and forth in the third quarter when Doncic was at the free-throw line. Doncic missed his first free-throw attempt and paused before taking his second, speaking with an official while wagging his finger in the direction of Bitadze.

Doncic said Bitadze told him in Serbian “he’d f— my whole family,” which prompted him to react.

Read more:Luke Kennard sinks last-second three-pointer as Lakers win ninth straight game

“Obviously, I let my team down getting that last tech,” said Doncic, who is hopeful the NBA will rescind the technical. “But honestly, I wasn't trying to. … This is a basketball court. At some point, I just can't stand it. I gotta stand up for myself. But I know I gotta do better. My teammates, I know they have my back, so I let them down today.”

The NBA automatically suspends any player who receives 16 technical fouls during a season. Doncic has reached the threshold two other times, but the NBA rescinded the 16th technical each time, allowing him to avoid suspension.

Bitadze, who is Georgian and played several professional seasons in Serbia, refuted Doncic’s account of the interaction, saying he first heard inappropriate comments from Doncic and only repeated what he heard Doncic say first.

“I'm a fan of his game and don't want to look like it was directed to his family, or anything,” Bitadze said in a phone interview with ESPN and the Orlando Sentinel. “It was just in the heat of the moment. I heard what he said and I felt like I had to respond the same way. So, from my side, if he feels like I said something too much or crossed the line, I apologize as a man. I can take [accountability], but I didn't say anything but what he said. What he came out and said, I don't think that's the truth. I know that's not the truth.”

Crew chief Marc Davis said in a pool report that both players were “assessed technical fouls for their continual taunting of one another.”

“They were both warned to cease their comments directed towards one another between the two free throws,” Davis said. “After the free throw and as the ball entered the frontcourt, they were both correctly assessed technical fouls for their unsportsmanlike comments directed towards one another.”

Officials played a pivotal role in the game that came down to a winning three-pointer from the Lakers’ Luke Kennard with 0.6 seconds remaining. The Lakers trailed by two when LeBron James forced a turnover from Jalen Suggs on an in-bounds pass with 4.7 seconds left. The close play went through several minutes of hawkeye replay on the videoboard that zoomed in on James’ leg and Suggs fingertips. Officials called it Lakers ball in real time. The Magic crowd — announced at 19,597 as the second-largest in Magic history, trailing only last year’s game against the Lakers that drew one more person — was confident that referees would overturn it.

But Davis said in a pool report “there was not clear and conclusive evidence to overturn the on-court ruling.”

Read more:Luka Doncic's 60-point game thrusts Lakers star into middle of MVP debate

Players from both teams were pleading for foul calls most of the game. The Magic and Lakers are first and third in the NBA in free-throw attempts, but the Lakers attempted only nine in the first half. The Lakers finished 19 of 29 from the free-throw line while the Magic were 21 for 23.

“[Officials] didn't have a real good control of that basketball game,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said.

Doncic picked up his 15th technical foul of the season against Denver on March 5, putting him on alert for a possible suspension. It was the last time that the Lakers lost before their current nine-game winning streak, which is the franchise’s longest since the 2019-20 season that culminated with their 17th NBA championship.

Doncic has averaged 40 points per game and has shot 40.3% from three-point range during the scorching run. The Lakers climbed from sixth place in the West to third place.

Doncic hit daring fadeaway three-pointers, threw sky-high lobs to teammates and nailed a dramatic winning shot against the Nuggets at home to add cinematic highlights to his budding most valuable player case. On defense, he had five steals against Miami and four more against the Magic.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Braves News: Didier Fuentes makes roster, Spring Breakout, more

Didier Fuentes has indeed made the Braves’ Opening Day roster and that is an exciting development for Braves fans, as the 20 year old has looked phenomenal this spring. There have been shades of vintage Spencer Strider from Fuentes this spring, but he may still need that third pitch to be able to consistently be effective multiple times through major league batting lineups. There is hope that his splitter can be that effective third pitch, but that fastball-slider combo with his command could be quite deadly. It will be interesting to see if he can earn his retention on the major league roster beyond the period when a six-man rotation is needed, though an injury or two could easily pave the way for that. Either way, Fuentes will be one of the most exciting players to track early this season in Atlanta.

Braves News

The Braves more or less finalized the back end of their pitching staff and position-player crew, as Jeff Passan later confirmed Didier Fuentes’ presence on the Opening Day roster.

The Braves’ Spring Breakout squad had a strong showing in a 8-3 win against the Yankees prospects, as John Gil homered and the pitching staff showed out well.

Chris Sale and Austin Riley performed well in Saturday’s big league spring training game.

MLB News

Mets’ Freddy Peralta is reportedly unlikely to agree to an extension before Opening Day.

Pirates’ top prospect Konnor Griffin has been reassigned to minor league camp and will not begin the season on the Opening Day roster.

Phillies’ top prospect Justin Crawford has made their Opening Day roster.

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Yankees news: Latest spring training roster have Opening Day roster nearly finalized

TAMPA, FLORIDA - MARCH 15, 2026: Randal Grichuk #34 of the New York Yankees bats during the first inning of a game against the Detroit Tigers at George M. Steinbrenner Field on March 15, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. The Tigers beat the Yankees, 12-1. (Photo by Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images

Associated Press: The Yankees took a giant step into finalizing their roster on Saturday, letting outfielder Randal Grichuk know that he made the team despite a .308 spring OPS (no, not OBP) in limited action. His ability to mash lefties (career 118 wRC+ vs. LHP) ended up earning him a place. It was a busy day of roster moves for New York, as they reassigned big-league veterans infielder Paul DeJong and utilityman Seth Brown to minor league camp and optioned utilityman Oswaldo Cabrera and infielder Max Schuemann to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Bryan Hoch | MLB.com: The aforementioned moves helped clear the Yankees’ bench picture, as we now have more clarity about personnel and roles. Barring a huge surprise, New York will go with J.C. Escarra, Paul Goldschmidt, Amed Rosario, and Grichuk as their reserves. All of them will play a lot: except for Escarra, they are all right-handed hitters who perform better while facing lefties giving New York plenty of platoon options to deploy.

NJ Advance Media | Randy Miller: Speaking for the first time since learning he will open the season in Triple-A on Friday, Yankees outfielder Jasson Domínguez reiterated that the decision didn’t catch him off guard. “They said it first thing, before we even started,” he said Saturday.

Instead of complaining, the switch-hitter had a great game on Saturday, going 2-for-3 with three batted balls over 100 mph, including a three-bagger. The Martian did most of his damage against southpaw Framber Valdez, proof that he has done very well facing lefties and hitting right-handed in the 2026 Grapefruit League. He has a 1.000 OPS with a triple and a homer.

“This spring, my right side has been pretty good,” Dominguez said. “Even when I wasn’t getting many hits, I was hitting the ball well and seeing the pitches well.”

In another roster move, the Yankees sent right-hander Yovanny Cruz to minor league camp, ending his unlikely bid for a roster spot. Cruz tossed another scoreless frame on Saturday, giving him three in spring training with five strikeouts. The flamethrower, who can hit the triple digits but has below-average control, could potentially be a summer asset if he can throw strikes consistently in the minors.

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Sixers survive in Salt Lake, beating the tanking Jazz while losing another rotation player

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - MARCH 21: VJ Edgecombe #77 of the Philadelphia 76ers is pressured by Ace Bailey #19 and Cody Williams #5 of the Utah Jazz during the first half of their game at the Delta Center on March 21, 2026 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. (Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images) | Getty Images

If the Sixers are able to come away with an OK seed, they’ll owe quite a bit of it to the Jazz.

Philadelphia outlasted a tanking Utah team, holding on to win 126-116 Saturday night.

They are 39-32, the seventh seed in the East after losses earlier in the night by the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat but a win from the Atlanta Hawks.

VJ Edgecombe had 22 points shooting 9-of-19 from the field along with a new career-high 13 rebounds and four assists. Quentin Grimes led the Sixers with 25 points on 9-of-15 shooting.

Trendon Watford had 20 off the bench going 7-of-11 from the floor. Ace Bailey led the Jazz with 25 as well.

Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, Paul George, Kelly Oubre Jr. and Johni Broome remained out for the Sixers. Utah was done eight players themselves, headlined by Keyonte George and Isaiah Collier.

Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.

First Quarter

  • It was distracting just how far ahead of the action the broadcast audio was on NBCSP’s feed to start the game. This spoiled things like Justin Edwards knocking down his first three of the night, Edgecombe and Grimes both opening up their nights with drives, and Dominick Barlow hurting his ankle when he got tripped up. He was ruled out with a left ankle sprain shortly after leaving the game.
  • Utah had success in the paint early. With Kyle Filipowski getting to the line a couple of times, it only took a couple of threes to rip off a quick 10-2 run. The Sixers responded offensively, but continued to get beat by backdoor cuts and quick outlets.
  • Pushing the pace helped the Sixers as well. It helped Cam Payne knock down his first two threes of the night before getting fouled on his third attempt. Grimes blowing by his defender capped off a 15-2 run for Philly. Bailey drilled a three at the buzzer to snap a 4:41 field goal drought and pull the Jazz to within four.

Second Quarter

  • The broadcast appeared to finally be fixed with Delaware Blue Coats legend Kennedy Chandler stealing the ball from MarJon Beauchamp, getting an and-1 as he finished on the other end. Payne did his best to stop an extended Jazz run, but they were struggling defensively. Adem Bona picked up his third foul as the froncourt struggled with pick-and-rolls.
  • Edgecombe’s attempts, like Payne’s, did help swing the game back again. He hit a nice turnaround from the midrange before a dazzling spin move to set up a floater. The start to Watford’s shift was rocky but he bullied his way to eight points in the quarter.
  • As the pendulum was swinging back again, Edgecombe was inadvertently poked in the eye by Filipowski and had to leave the game. They were due after going six whole games without a starter getting injured (This is cheating a little bit, counting Barlow and Oubre as starters but it doesn’t matter, they’re all hurt anyway). This was amidst a 13-2 run for the Jazz that put them up by six at the break.

Third Quarter

  • At least this injury wasn’t as serious. Edgecombe was out there to start the second half. Bona rebounded to begin the third, blocking a Fiilipowski layup after completing an and-1 from a dunk he was fouled on. Bailey continued to be really solid for Utah. He picked up his fourth block of the night, leading to a fast break that he finished the alley-oop of. An errant pass of his though led to an easy steal and break that put the Sixers back in front.
  • Bona continued to make good on his touches, but left some on the table as well. He was fouled on a layup but split the pair. Edgecombe found him off an offensive board for a strong dunk on the next possession, but missed that free throw as well after being fouled. Watford was able to complete his three-point play, but the Jazz getting to the paint on nearly every drive kept them just in front.
  • Free throws kept the Sixers on the seesaw as Marc Zumoff would say. Edgecombe split a pair as well. Jabari Walker muscled his way for a putback layup to get the Sixers back on top, but Bailey answered right back with a three. Walker was able to work his way in for another layup and Edgecombe sprung free in the corner on the following possession. That three had the Sixers holding a one-point lead going into the fourth.

Fourth Quarter

  • Walker’s strong shift continued, swiping the ball from Cody Williams and finding Beauchamp for a transition layup. Edgecombe had an impressive take to the basket and Beauchamp made a nice up-and-under move for another layup. Still getting beat by cuts, the Sixers were not coming up with enough stops to pull ahead.
  • Just like the second, Payne hit some big baskets as the starting backcourt needed a breather. It helped that he was the only Sixer to make more than one three-pointer this late in the game. It remained far from a perfect effort as the starters returned but Grimes and Watford kept plugging away to get baskets.
  • Something this stretch has allowed Grimes to do is cook in the midrange when his three-point shot isn’t falling. Attacking there again down the stretch helped put this game away, as did the Jazz going scoreless for three minutes. Grimes hit a particularly pretty fadeaway falling to his left, kissing it off the glass.
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Nebraska advances to first Sweet 16 in program history, survives Tyler Tanner heave

Nebraska basketball is heading to the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history, winning its second NCAA Tournament game ever in a 3-day span. All it took was a wild game ending in a back-and-forth finish against Mo. 5 seed Vanderbilt.

Commodores guard Tyler Tanner's potential game-winning halfcourt heave at the buzzer bounced off the backboard, went through the rim and somehow bounced out, resulting in the entire Vanderbilt bench falling to the floor in disappointment. Pair that wild ending with Nebraska's electric crowd that traveled over six hours to take over the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, and you get one of the best NCAA Tournament games in recent memory.

"I can't believe that last shot," Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg said on the TNT broadcast immediately after the game. "I'm still shaking. ... I'm speechless. Hell, I don't even know what to say right now."

REQUIRED READING: March Madness live scores, updates: Round 2 highlights, Sweet 16 bracket

Nebraska true freshman Braden Frager scored a team-high 15 points off the bench for the Cornhuskers, including a game-winning driving layup with 2.2 seconds to give his team a 74-72 win on Saturday, March 21. Vanderbilt outscored Nebraska 40-35 in the second half and Tanner scored 27 points with four assists and four steals, but it ultimately wasn't enough to keep Nebraska from making history.

"I said, 'let me get the ball,'" Frager said. "And I go and make a play like I did, like I know I can."

Vanderbilt took a 70-68 lead with 1:44 left in regulation after AK Okereke nailed a corner 3-pointer. But it was Sam Hoiberg, the son of Nebraska's coach, who instantly responded with a driving layup to tie things back up at 70-70 on the ensuing possession.

Tanner and Rienk Mast traded buckets in the final minute, before Nebraska forced a Vanderbilt stop that led to Frager's game-winning shot.

Nebraska's fanbase showed up in droves for the game, which very well could've been the difference in the game's outcome. "Go Big Red" chants bellowed throughout the arena numerous times in the game, with a sea of red blanketing the seats.

The Cornhuskers have already accomplished their best season in program history in 2025-26 and will look to keep it going against the winner of No. 1 seed Florida and No. 9 Iowa next weekend. One thing's for certain: That Nebraska crowd will be an absolute weapon throughout the rest of its NCAA Tournament run.

"This is special, just absolutely special," Hoiberg said of the fanbase. "Every sport. They do this for every sport, we're very blessed to have a fanbase like this that is so supportive of us all year. It's so unbelievable to be able to share this journey with these guys."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nebraska advances to first Sweet 16 after wild finish vs Vanderbilt

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Nevada rallies to beat Liberty 73-63 behind Camper's triple-double, Price's double-double in NIT

RENO, Nev. (AP) — Corey Camper Jr. finished with a triple-double, Elijah Price posted a double-double and Nevada used a late 11-0 run to beat Liberty 73-63 in the second round of the NIT on Saturday night.

No. 2 seed Nevada advances to the quarterfinals where it will play the winner of Sunday’s second-round matchup between No. 4 seed Seattle University and Auburn, its top-seeded host. Nevada will either travel to Auburn or host Seattle in the quarterfinals.

Camper finished with 10 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists for the Wolf Pack (24-12). Price totaled 15 points and 10 rebounds. Vaughn Weems, Tayshawn Comer and reserve Joel Armotrading all added 10 points.

Brett Decker Jr. had 20 points to lead the unseeded Flames (26-8). Zach Cleveland pitched in with 16 points, seven rebounds and six assists, while JJ Harper scored 14.

Nevada led by as many as nine points in the first half, but Decker's 3-pointer in the final minute cut it to 35-31 at halftime.

Price dunked for a tip-in off a rebound to give Nevada its largest lead at 42-31 two minutes into the second half.

Kaden Metheny and Colin Porter hit back-to-back 3-pointers, and Harper followed with a three-point play to cap an 11-0 run that gave Liberty a 54-50 lead with 10 minutes left.

Price hit two free throws to tie it, but Decker answered with a 3-pointer and the Flames led 61-58 with five minutes remaining.

Armotrading, Price and Camper all went 2 for 2 at the foul line, Comer hit a 3-pointer and Price had a layup to finish off an 11-0 run that gave the Wolf Pack an insurmountable 69-61 lead with 1:13 left.

___

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Umpire caught on hot mic saying ‘please be a strike’ in wild ABS moment

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows Los Angeles Dodgers player Miguel Rojas scoring a run as San Francisco Giants catcher Patrick Bailey and home plate umpire Alan Porter look on, Image 2 shows A baseball catcher in red kneeling on the field with an umpire in blue behind him, Image 3 shows An MLB scoreboard shows details of a spring training baseball game at Camelback Ranch

Major League Baseball’s new Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS) already has umpires pleading.

Midway through the Giants’ 10-7 spring training win over the Guardians on Saturday, San Francisco pitcher Robbie Ray threw a low sinker to Sean Mooney which was initially called a ball by home plate umpire Bill Miller before catcher Patrick Bailey challenged the call.

Miller then announced Bailey’s challenge of the call to the crowd in Scottsdale, Ariz., but while his mic was still on, the umpire had a hysterical gaffe.

“Please be a strike,” Miller said before realizing that the crowd was able to still hear him.

Bailey, who was standing in front of Miller, snapped around in shock before later smiling and laughing.

Miller was actually hoping for his original call to be overturned, but given the scorching-hot weather in Scottsdale at that time, perhaps he wanted to cool off.

Nevertheless, his call was proven by the ABS system to be correct by three-tenths of an inch.

Los Angeles Dodgers’ Miguel Rojas, center, scores a run as San Francisco Giants catcher Patrick Bailey, left, and home plate umpire Alan Porter look on during the first inning of a spring training baseball game, Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in Phoenix. AP

After being introduced during last year’s Spring Training following multiple seasons of testing in the minor leagues and Arizona Fall League, ABS will be brought to MLB’s regular season this year.

Some teams have been able to utilize the challenge system better than others, with the Dodgers in particular struggling so far in Spring Training.

Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts admitted earlier this month that his team’s “idea of the strike zone individually, collectively just hasn’t been great.”

The Automated Ball/Strike System plays on the scoreboard after a pitch call was challenged during the first inning of a spring training baseball game between the Chicago White Sox and the San Diego Padres, Feb. 26, 2025, in Phoenix. AP

“I honestly don’t know the answer right now,” Roberts told reporters when asked about the cause of the struggles.

First baseman Freddie Freeman also noted the difficulty of figuring out the correct zone, saying that a lot of the players are still adjusting to it.

“Even if we’re wrong, we need to use it just to figure out the tops and bottoms of the zone,” Freeman said earlier this spring. “A lot of us are still trying to learn it … Spring training is the time to figure it out, figure out your zone and see if you have a better idea of it [before the start of the season].”

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Diamondbacks 5, Texas 2: Nelson is Nails

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - SEPTEMBER 13: Ryne Nelson #19 of the Arizona Diamondbacks pitches against the Minnesota Twins in the first inning of the game at Target Field on September 13, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) | Getty Images

It was another unseasonably warm day up in the valley, perfect (not) for the Diamondbacks to host the Texas Rangers at Salt River Fields in the penultimate spring training game of 2026. The starting lineup was comprised of pretty much what I think we can expect to see breaking camp with the team in a few days: it was mainly the usual suspects, aside from Brian McCann catching and Tim Tawa playing third base, with Nolan Arenado hitting in the DH spot and Corbin Carroll getting the day off. Ryne Nelson took the mound against former Rockie Austin Gomber in his last tuneup before the regular season gets underway.

It went quite well, all things considered.

Nelson pitched five shutout innings, striking out seven, walking none, and surrendering only four hits along the way. He threw 76 pitches overall, 45 of them for strikes, as he brought his spring ERA down to a nice, eminently respectable 3.18. Taylor Clarke and Paul Sewald followed with a scoreless inning apiece, and the only pitching blemish came from Isaiah Campbell, who gave up two runs in the top of the eighth on two hits and two walks. Lefty farmhand Ryan Giestling pitched a scoreless ninth to notch his second save of the spring.

Meanwhile, the offense staked Ryno an early lead in the bottom of the third, thanks to a one-out Jordan Lawlar single, a Ketel Marte double, and an Alek Thomas three-run homer over the fence in right center field. Lawlar, I’m pleased to say, really does seem to have figured out something with the bat, though of course it’s spring training so we probably shouldn’t read too much into that. Likewise Alek Thomas, who’s been raking this month and is making a reasonably convincing case that he was the outfielder to keep and that Jake McCarthy was the one to send away. Anyway, Nolan Arenado homered to left to lead off the sixth inning against old friend Jalen Beeks, who is trying to win a spot in the Texas bullpen, and the good guys scored their fifth run in the eighth thanks to back-to-back one-out doubles by Ildemaro Vargas and some creature named Jean Harvin Walters who was manning the hot corner for us at that point in the game.

Meanwhile, there was a bit more game action earlier this evening, with the Diamondbacks prospects going up against their counterparts for the Rockies. Our prospects are clearly better than their prospects, as we stomped them to the tune of 10-3. I’m not sure there’s anything terribly noteworthy from that game—LuJames Groover had a hit, Druw Jones had a couple, Jose Fernandez had three. Our offense, as it often does these days, definitely offensed. Beyond that, the only thing from the box score that caught my eye, was that Wellington Aracena, one of the pitching prospects we got from Baltimore in the Blaze Alexander trade, pitched three innings of one-run ball, so that’s kind of cool.

We’ll be in Peoria tomorrow for the final game of spring training, facing off against the Padres at 6:10pm AZ time. Non-roster invitee Joe Ross starts for us, going up against Walker Buehler, who I saw the other day made the San Diego team and will be breaking camp with the Padres.

Thanks for reading, and see you all next Saturday for some actual baseball that counts! Go Diamondbacks!

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SB Nation Reacts: Play-in edition

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MARCH 21: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors catches a basketball from the bench against the Atlanta Hawks during first quarter at State Farm Arena on March 21, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. 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 Paras Griffin/Getty Images) | Getty Images

After the Golden State Warriors’ loss to the Atlanta Hawks tonight, they are now 33-38 on the season — five games under .500 and virtually locked into the 10th seed of the Western Conference. If this holds, they will be on the road for all of the Play-In Tournament, and must win two consecutive games to enter the NBA Playoffs, in which their potential reward will be a seven-game series against the defending NBA Champions.

SB Nation asked fans if the Warriors will be able to fulfill that scenario and get out of the Play-In Tournament as the West’s 8th seed in the playoffs:

Only 43 percent of Warriors fans think the team will accomplish that feat. Steph Curry is still out of commission, although there is a glimmer of hope. However, Curry will have to ramp up and get re-acclimated to game speed; the rate of his recovery and re-acclimatization could determine how far the Warriors will advance for the rest of the season.

Do you think the Warriors will climb out of the Play-In doldrums? Head on over to https://sportsbook.fanduel.com/navigation/nba if you want to test your luck.

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10 Takeaways from Cavs comeback win over Pelicans: James Harden and Donovan Mitchell dominate in clutch

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - MARCH 21: James Harden #1 and Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers exit the court after a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center on March 21, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana. 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 Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images) | Getty Images

It wasn’t the prettiest game, but the Cleveland Cavaliers did enough in the fourth quarter to erase a 15-point deficit to defeat the New Orleans Pelicans 111-106.

The Cavs found themselves down by double figures late, mostly due to their offense stalling out in the second and third quarters. Donovan Mitchell going 2-9 from the field in that span had a lot to do with that.

For better or worse, the Cavs have gone as Mitchell has. They’ve struggled when he has, and they’ve won games when he’s excelled.

On the season, the Cavs are 21-9 when Mitchell scores 30 or more points and 12-1 when Mitchell totals 35 or more. Conversely, they’re 5-4 without him and 6-10 when he plays and finishes with 21 or fewer points.

That was the case once again. When Mitchell turned it around late, so did the Cavs. He provided 12 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter, which included icing the game with an and-one layup with less than five seconds left.

Despite the strong ending, it’s fair to acknowledge that Mitchell is in a slump, particularly with his outside shot.

Before February, Mitchell was connecting on 38.4% of his 9.8 threes per game. Coming into Saturday’s game, he’s been converting just 28.4% of his 7.3 three-point attempts per game since that time

I don’t believe this is something to worry about long-term.

Mitchell is an elite shooter. We know he will break out of the funk he’s in, and going 3-8 from deep with one of those coming at the start of the fourth quarter to help turn around momentum is a good start in doing so.

Additionally, he’s still finishing in the paint, which is still what he does best as a scorer. Since February — when his outside shot abandoned him — Mitchell has converted 69% of his looks at the rim (71st percentile) and 54% of his shots in the short midrange (71st percentile) while still getting to the line at a high clip.

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Speaking of slumps, Dennis Schroder is really going through it right now.

He hasn’t registered more than 10 points in a game since the March 3 win over the Detroit Pistons. In the eight games since, Schroder is averaging 4.4 points, 3.4 assists, and 1.1 turnovers while shooting just 32.3% from the floor and 23.1% from three. That’s not ideal.

This game was no different. Schroder once again couldn’t get his shot to go as he tallied just a single point while going 0-4 from the field, which included an aired three-point attempt.

The Cavs could use a stabilizing ball handler off the bench. Unfortunately for Cleveland, Schroder hasn’t been that over the last two weeks. It’s fair to wonder if he still has a place in the playoff rotation.

Max Strus was once again in the closing lineup. So far, he’s been in the closing group for all four games he’s played, even though he hasn’t shot the ball particularly well since his debut last Sunday.

Head coach Kenny Atkinson has mentioned there being a “comfort level” with Strus, given their history together. Jarrett Allen’s return could presumably make one less spot in the closing group. As of now, it seems like Atkinson is going to close with two of Allen, Strus, and Sam Merrill.

James Harden and Evan Mobley are continuing to get more comfortable with their two-man game. Harden assisted Mobley off of rolls to the basket twice and passed to him twice more on plays on which he was fouled. Each of those plays can be seen below.

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The timing of the pass on these actions is really important. Based on how things looked this time around, they’re more on the same page.

Merrill said after the game that it’s taken him time to get used to Harden’s passess because “ he likes the late pass and sometimes likes the real early pass.” The actions with Mobley are different, but you can see some of what Merrill is saying.

Harden is going to find unconventional windows. The second pass in the clip above is a great example of that as the pass is maybe a second later than what you’d sometimes expect. However, waiting that split second longer gives Mobley a cleaner look at the basket. In this instance, Mobley was ready for that pass to come when he might not have been previously.

Harden has stolen Mitchell’s patented over-the-head gather move.

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It didn’t look as pretty as Mitchell’s, but it still led to a basket. Also, I like how Harden used the gather to bring the ball to his right side, but still went up with the left.

Mitchell and Harden continue to be on the same page in the fourth quarter. The duo combined to score 25 of Cleveland’s 35 points, with both taking eight shots in the final period.

Like most ball-dominant pairings, there’s a bit of “your turn, my turn” to their game, but not in a bad way. The two have shown a great awareness of how to best attack the defense, gotten the ball to the person who had it going, and spaced the floor well if the play broke down.

That’s an effective strategy when both players are this good at attacking off the catch and lethal in isolation.

The Cavs have consistently had a great offense when these two share the floor. Coming into this game, the Cavaliers have registered a blistering 127.8 offensive rating (99th percentile) and a 9.1 net rating (89th percentile) when both are on the court. Those numbers are only going to improve after their close to this game.

Things can become more difficult when the game slows down in the clutch. But as of now, the great offense they’ve produced all game has carried over perfectly to late-game situations. That’s incredibly encouraging with the playoffs less than a month away.

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Red Wings Lose Third Period Lead, Drop 4-2 Final To Bruins

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Saturday evening provided the Detroit Red Wings with one of their biggest tests of the season against the Boston Bruins, a divisional opponent with whom they are neck-and-neck in the chase for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Unfortunately, the game slipped away from them in the final 20 minutes of play. 

The Bruins, who entered the contest tied with Detroit in the standings, erased a 2–1 deficit in the third period with two quick goals on their way to a 4–2 victory at Little Caesars Arena. 

Elias Lindholm beat goaltender John Gibson with a quick wrist shot through his five-hole at 6:22 to tie the score, followed by a short-side goal from defenseman Nikita Zadorov from the face-off circle just 3:20 later. It ultimately stood up as the game-winner. 

Despite the loss, the Red Wings remain in the second overall Wild Card position in the tightly-packed Atlantic Division with 84 points. Unfortunately, they once again got zero help from the outside, thanks to victories from the red-hot Columbus Blue Jackets and the Ottawa Senators. 

The Montreal Canadiens rebounded from their 3-1 loss to Detroit on Thursday by beating the New York Islanders 7-3, moving two points ahead of Detroit and into the third overall spot in the division. 

As it happens, Ottawa is Detroit's next opponent on Tuesday night. At 81 points, they're dangerously close in Detroit's rear-view mirror. 

Team captain Dylan Larkin missed his seventh consecutive contest with a lower-body injury he sustained on March 6. While he's resumed practicing, he's yet to be given the green light to return to game action. 

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features. 

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The opening 20 minutes of play were scoreless, despite J.T. Compher appearing to have beaten the buzzer with a goal in the waning seconds of the period. However, replays confirmed that the puck entered the net literally 0.2 seconds too late. 

However, Detroit was quick to find the back of the net in the second period thanks to a power-play tally from Lucas Raymond, his 22nd of the season. 

But Detroit soon got into penalty trouble. David Perron was whistled for interference, and just seven seconds later, Moritz Seider was called for delay-of-game after flipping the puck over the glass.

It directly led to a goal from sniper David Pastrnak, who scored his 28th goal off a wicked one-timed shot just seconds into the 5-on-3 chance. 

The Red Wings re-took the lead 4:06 into the third period, as Alex DeBrincat scored for the second time in as many games, beating Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman through traffic from the top of the face-off circle; it was his 35th of the season. 

Unfortunately, from that point on, Swayman was impenetrable. He made an acrobatic-like glove save on DeBrincat just minutes later, robbed rookie Emmitt Finnie on the doorstep, and made several other key saves to hold down the fort for his team.

Gibson, who also made a third-period save on Lukas Reichel's penalty shot opportunity, finished with 22 saves on the 25 shots he faced; Swayman countered with 41 stops in one of his best performances of the season. 

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Stamkos moves to 7th in NHL power-play goals as Predators beat Golden Knights 4-1

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Steven Stamkos had two goals and an assist to lead the Nashville Predators to a 4-1 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday.

Stamkos opened the scoring 40 seconds in and added a power-play goal in the first two minutes of the second period as Nashville raced to an early three-goal lead. Tyson Jost and Ryan O’Reilly also scored for the Predators, who won their third straight and for the fourth time in six games. Justus Annunen made 39 saves and improved to 8-9-2.

With his second goal of the game, the 36-year-old Stamkos broke a tie with Brendan Shanahan and moved into sole possession of seventh place in the NHL with 238 career power-play goals. Phil Esposito is sixth overall with 246 man-advantage goals. Stamkos has 33 goals and 55 points this season.

Shea Theodore scored for Vegas, which lost its third in a row and for the sixth time in eight games. Akira Schmid stopped 16 shots.

Vegas carried the play throughout, outshooting Nashville 40-20. But, the Predators made the most of their shots with leads of 3-0 and 4-1 in the second period. The Golden Knights had a 20-4 edge in shots in the first period and a 10-5 advantage in the scoreless third.

Stamkos scored in the opening minute after Ryan O’Reilly won a faceoff and delivered a perfect feed in the slot.

Stamkos scored his 33 of the season on the power play at 1:24 of the second, with assists going to Filip Forsberg and Erik Haula. Tyson Jost made it 3-0 with the Predators’ third short-handed goal of the season at 11:56. O’Reilly has the team’s other short-handed scores this season.

PENGUINS 5, JETS 4, SO

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Sidney Crosby and Rickard Rakell scored in a shootout and Pittsburgh beat Winnipeg.

Pittsburgh, which is jockeying for playoff positioning, earned an extra point in the shootout for the second time this season. The Penguins have points in seven of their last eight games and 21 of their last 25.

Arturs Silovs, who made 21 saves, stopped Jonathan Toews and Gustav Nyquist in the shootout.

Erik Karlsson scored two goals and has five in his last three games. Karlsson, who has four straight multi-point games, now has seven goals and 19 points in his last 12 games.

Egor Chinakhov earned his 100th NHL point with a goal and Rakell scored to continue a career-best eight-game point streak.

Parker Wotherspoon had two assists, while Bryan Rust, playing in his 700th NHL game, continued a six-game point streak with an assist.

Cole Koepke scored a short-handed goal, while Morgan Barron also scored for the Jets.

Brad Lambert had a goal and an assist, while Neal Pionk scored in his return after missing the last 23 games because of injury.

WILD 2, STARS 1, OT

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Vladimir Tarasenko scored 3:06 into overtime and Minnesota beat Dallas in what could be a first-round playoff preview.

Bobby Brink also scored and Filip Gustavsson made 28 saves for the Wild, improving to 9-2-0 in his past 11 starts.

It is Minnesota’s second win in six games, a stretch that included three straight home losses. The Wild are in third place in the Central Division — five points behind Dallas and 14 up on Utah.

Jason Robertson scored and Jake Oettinger stopped 26 shots for Dallas. The Stars moved within three points of Colorado, which clinched a playoff spot on Friday. Dallas is 1-1-1 in their last three games after a 14-0-1 run. Dallas beat the Avalanche 2-1 Wednesday in a shootout.

In overtime, a bounce off the half wall went to Brink, who quickly sent a pass across to Tarasenko alone in the right circle. His wrist shot found the far top corner and the Wild won its 15th game that has gone to extra time. Minnesota has played an NHL-high 28 overtime games.

SABRES 4, KINGS 1

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Zach Benson had a goal and an assist and Buffalo continued their white-hot play with a win over Los Angeles.

Tage Thompson, Sam Carrick and Rasmus Dahlin also scored for the Sabres.

Carrick and Dahlin scored 59 seconds apart midway through the third period, and Benson added an empty-netter to give the Sabres their fourth straight win and 12th in the past 13 outings. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 26 saves.

Buoyed by significant and vocal support despite being the visitors, the Sabres continued their push for an Atlantic Division title as they are on their way to ending a 14-year playoff drought, the longest in the NHL.

Artemi Panarin scored, picking up a point for the fifth straight game. Anze Kopitar tied Marcel Dionne for the Kings franchise record for points on home ice, and Anton Forsberg made 28 saves.

Los Angeles came into the day as the second wild card in the Western Conference but dropped behind the Nashville Predators, who won 4-1 over the Vegas Golden Knights.

FLYERS 4, SHARKS 1

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Christian Dvorak scored a tiebreaking goal early in the third period and added an assist, Dan Vladar made 24 saves and Philadelphia beat San Jose to complete a three-game West Coast sweep.

Owen Tippett scored in the second period and defenseman Travis Sanheim and Noah Cates added empty-net goals in the final two minutes as the Flyers won their third straight and for the fifth time in six games. Philly was coming off a 3-2 overtime win over Anaheim on Wednesday and 4-3 shootout victory over Los Angeles on Thursday. The Flyers completed a California sweep for the second time in franchise history and extended their road winning streak to seven games.

Dmitry Orlov scored for San Jose, which lost its fourth in a row and for the seventh time in nine games. Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 24 of 26 shots.

After a scoreless first period, Tippett got the Flyers on the board with his 24th of the season 2:26 into the second. Tippett took a pass from Trevor Zegras, got past the Sharks’ Nick Leddy and beat Nedeljkovic with a shot to the glove side.

Orlov evened the score with his third of the season on a power play at 13:12 with a shot from the slot off a feed from William Eklund. Macklin Celebrini also assisted.

Dvorak put the Flyers ahead 1:47 into the third, scoring on the power play after San Jose’s Mario Ferraro was sent off for roughing. The assists went to Travis Konecny and Matvei Michkov, who picked up the 100th point of his NHL career.

BLUE JACKETS 5, KRAKEN 2

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Columbus scored three times in the first period and beat Seattle, extending the Blue Jackets’ point streak to 12 games.

Danton Heinen, Damon Severson and Mathieu Olivier scored in the opening frame, and Zach Werenski assisted on all three. Cole Sillinger had a goal and two assists, Kent Johnson added a goal, and Elvis Merzlikins made 15 saves as Columbus won its fourth straight.

Kaapo Kakko had a goal and an assist, and Vince Dunn also scored for Seattle, which has lost three straight and fell two points behind Nashville for the final Western Conference wild-card spot. Joey Daccord stopped 23 shots.

CANADIENS 7, ISLANDERS 3

MONTREAL (AP) — Cole Caufield scored three goals to push his season total to 43 and added two assists to help Montreal beat New York.

Caufield is second in the NHL in goals, two behind Colorado star Nathan MacKinnon.

The Canadiens are third in the Atlantic Division, while the Islanders are a point behind Detroit for the second wild card in the tight Eastern Conference.

Juraj Slafkovsky had two goals and two assists, and Nick Suzuki had four assists to bring his season total to 61. Kaiden Guhle added a goal and two assists, Alex Newhook also scored and Jacob Fowler made 19 saves.

Emil Heineman, Simon Holmstrom and Matthew Schaefer scored for New York.

SENATORS 5, MAPLE LEAFS 2

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Ottawa had a dominant game against their provincial rivals beating Toronto.

Anthony Stolarz was expected to get the start but took a puck to the throat during warm-ups and was sent to hospital for precautionary imaging putting Joseph Woll back in action. Woll had faced 36 shots in a 4-3 overtime loss to Carolina on Friday night.

Tim Stutzle, Claude Giroux, Warren Foegele, Michael Amadio and Ridly Greig scored for Ottawa. Tyler Kleven and Jordan Spence added two assists each, and Woll stopped 38 shots.

John Tavares and Easton Cowan scored for the Maple Leafs, who were without captain Auston Matthews who had knee surgery on Thursday. Linus Ullmark made 12 saves.

BLUES 3, CANUCKS 1

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Pius Suter and Pavel Buchnevich scored in a 1:19 span in the second period and St. Louis beat NHL-worst Vancouver to end a two-game losing streak.

St. Louis is six points behind Nashville for the final wild-card playoff berth in the Western Conference. The Blues have are 7-1-2 in their last 10.

Jordan Kyrou scored into an empty net on a power play with 48 seconds left to seal it. Jordan Binnington stopped 14 shots for St. Louis, allowing only defenseman Filip Hronek’s third-period goal on a power play.

Kevin Lankinen made 18 saves for the Canucks.

BRUINS 4, RED WINGS 2

DETROIT (AP) — Defenseman Nikita Zadorov broke a tie at 9:42 of the third period and Boston beat Detroit in an Eastern Conference wild-card showdown.

Jeremy Swayman made 41 saves to help Boston move two points ahead of Detroit for the first wild-card spot. David Pastrnak, Elias Lindholm and Marat Khusnutdinov also scored for the Bruins.

Lucas Raymond and Alex DeBrincat scored for Detroit. John Gibson stopped 23 shots.

Zadorov put the Bruins ahead with a long wrist shot that seemed to surprise Gibson as it sailed past his blocker. The defenseman has two goals this season.

LIGHTNING 5, OILERS 2

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Nikita Kucherov had two goals and two assists to take the NHL scoring lead from Edmonton star Connor McDavid in Tampa Bay’s victory over the Oilers.

Kucherov scored his 39th and 40th goals and had his 77th and 78th assists to push his season points total to 118. McDavid had his 38th goal to get to 116. Kucherov has 12 points in his last three games and 22 in his last eight.

Anthony Cirelli also scored twice, Jake Guentzel added a goal and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 25 saves for Tampa Bay. Second in the Atlantic Division, the Lightning have won three in a row and four of five.

Josh Samanski also scored for Edmonton, and Connor Ingram stopped 22 shots. Second in the Pacific, the Oilers have lost two in a row.

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Observations From Blues' 3-1 Win Vs. Canucks

After a day off on Thursday following a 2-1 shootout loss to the Calgary Flames the previous night, St. Louis Blues coach Jim Montgomery put his team through the gamut on Friday.

The coach had to stop several drills multiple times to get points across. 

It resonated on Saturday when the Blues finished off a long but short on games played through Canada with a 3-1 win against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena in Vancouver on Saturday.

Pavel Buchnevich had a goal and an assist to reach 500 points in the NHL, Logan Mailloux (two assists) had his first multipoint game in the NHL, Pius Suter and Jordan Kyrou also scored for the Blues (28-30-11), who finished their trip 1-1-1 and are 7-1-2 in the month of March. They are six points behind the Nashville Predators for the second wild card in the Western Conference. Jordan Binnington made 14 saves for the win.

The Blues did have two goals called back (Jimmy Snuggerud and Dylan Holloway) in the game, one for goalie interference and one for playing the puck with a high stick, a change from Wednesday when they tied an NHL record for most challenges successfully won (three) in one game.

Let's look at Saturday's game observations:

* A more direct approach -- Unlike their 2-1 shootout loss to the Flames on Wednesday, the Blues had a more direct approach and played with a purpose, especially in the offensive zone.

They limited their giveaways in areas that weren't in dangerous areas, and when pucks were in Vancouver's zone, particularly the first and second periods, forwards were on the hunt with effective forechecks, keeping plays alive that enabled them to create opportunities and driving middle lanes to the net.

In the first period, although they didn't score, Cam Fowler and Holloway had opportunities coming down the slot due to effective pressure.

There wasn't a whole lot more to that first period, other than a very quick one due to at one point, the play running for 8:52 without a whistle and a 5-4 edge in shots on goal for the Blues, but they elevated their play in the second period when they took control of the game, and it all started with Suter scoring against his former team at 10:17 to make it 1-0.

It started when Snuggerud's forecheck got a piece of Filip Hronek's backhand clearance in the Vancouver zone, and the Blues were able to keep the puck alive, eventually with Holloway finding Robert Thomas in alone on Canucks goalie Kevin Lankinen, who made the save on Thomas, but Suter, who came on when Snuggerud came off on a line change, made an immediate beeline to the net and was able to steer it in with his body after making stick contact down on a knee:

The Blues, who outshot the Canucks 11-6 in the middle period, went right back to work and Buchnevich's one-timer from just inside the right circle made it 2-0 at 11:36 when another cycle play wound up at the point, with Mailloux finding Philip Broberg, who had space to skate in along the left side into the left circle, pump fake a shot before going back cross seam to just inside the top of the right circle for a one-timer by Buchnevich:

They say a two-goal lead is the worst in sports, especially hockey, but this one had the feel of being pretty safe despite the Blues laying off the gas in the third period and seeing the Canucks pull within one on Hronek's power-play goal at 8:32 to cut the deficit in half at 2-1 on a wrist shot that deflected off Mailloux's stick.

* The Big 5-0-0 -- Buchnevich completed the Blues' win when he could have deposited a puck into the goal himself but chose instead to give Kyrou the power-play, empty-netter at 19:12 for a 3-1 lead, giving him 198 goals and 302 assists:

The line with Jake Neighbours and Kyrou produced a 14-1 edge in Corsi-for, according to naturalstattrick.com and a Fenwick-for of 9-1. 

* Mailloux keeps playing 20-plus -- Getting to play with Broberg means the rookie will get big minutes, and for the 11th straight game, Mailloux played 20-plus minutes, To go with his first multipoint game in the NHL after getting the secondary assist on Kyrou's goal, Mailloux played 21:59 and was a plus-1.

In his past 11 games, including Saturday's 21:59, Mailloux has played 26:56, 24:58, 21:16, 21:41, 23:39, 20:16, 25:03, 22:52, 20:32, 20:35. 

Mailloux's last game when he played fewer than 20 minutes was Feb. 26, the first game out of the Olympic break; he has two goals and two assists and is a plus-3 in the past 11 games.

* Top line keeps driving offense -- With Snuggerud helping set up the first goal with his forecheck and Thomas and Holloway each picking up an assist on the Suter goal, it was another game in which this trio drive the Blues' offense with the ability to skate and check and make plays.

Thomas now has at least a point in 12 of his past 13 games (six goals, 10 assists) with a plus-16 going back to Jan. 9; Holloway has a point in eight of nine games (four goals, seven assists) with a plus-12, and Snuggerud has a point in seven of 10 games (five goals, seven assists) with a plus-10.

The line produced 12 of the Blues' 21 scoring chances for.

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Jonathan Kuminga kept quiet, but Warriors demolished by Hawks anyway

Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski (2) chases a loose ball with Atlanta Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga (0) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, March 21,...

The Warriors and Hawks swung a trade two months ago, but in the teams’ first meeting since the deal, none of the players involved played much of a role.

So much for the Jonathan Kuminga revenge game.

Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski (2) chases a loose ball with Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga. AP

Kristaps Porzingis was in street clothes, Buddy Hield only entered in garbage time and Kuminga was ineffective in limited action as the Warriors’ second-half collapse led to a 126-110 loss on Saturday.

Although Hawks star Jalen Johnson (shoulder) was ruled out before tipoff, Kuminga still came off the bench for Atlanta and was held scoreless for his first seven attempts from the field. Instead, it was Dyson Daniels who stepped up and played a starring role with 28 points.

What it means

The loss sent the Warriors (33-38) five games below .500 for the first time since they were 19-24 two seasons ago. The franchise hasn’t been six games under water since the injury-riddled 2019-20 season ended in a 15-50 finish. That’s also the last time Steph Curry missed significant time.

Golden State has lost 10 of 12 to send it into 10th place in the West.

Turning point

The Warriors’ first handful of possessions of the second half, which resulted in five turnovers, a couple missed shots and just one bucket as a 63-61 halftime deficit quickly swelled to double digits.

Golden State largely controlled the first half but wasn’t ready to play coming out of intermission and set the tone for the rest of the game. Atlanta scored 17 of the first 19 points in a 39-20 third quarter and never looked back.

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MVP: Mike Dunleavy Jr.

The Warriors GM should sleep easy after Kuminga’s showing in his first game against his former team. Kuminga’s first and only points came two minutes into the fourth quarter, with Atlanta already leading by more than 20. He finished 1 of 9 from the field and was minus-6 in 22 minutes off the bench in a 16-point win.

Hield has played 19 total minutes since the trade, including the final 4:22 he logged once things were officially out of hand. Porzingis was ruled out with low back soreness that forced him to the locker room early Friday, but he has appeared in as many games for the Warriors as Kuminga has so far in Atlanta (seven).

The Warriors’ Steph Curry shares a moment with his teammates Saturday night in Atlanta. NBAE via Getty Images

Stat of the game: Plus-143 vs. Minus-88

With all the Warriors’ injuries and Johnson out for the Hawks, neither team started its usual group, but Atlanta’s starting five dominated those early minutes of the third quarter.

That stretch was reflected in the cumulative plus-minus for each group.

Up next

The Warriors close out their road trip Monday against the Mavericks seeking to pick up their second win of the six-game trip. Before then, Curry (knee) will participate in a scrimmage Sunday that will determine his outlook for the final 11 games of the regular season.