TAMPA, FL - MARCH 21: John Gil #93 of the Atlanta Braves is congratulated after scoring a run during the game between the Atlanta Braves and the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Saturday, March 21, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Although arguably the team’s three best prospects were not apart of the roster, the Atlanta Braves top prospects completed the third season of the Spring Breakout Series with an 8-3 win over the Yankees prospects on Saturday night, going up early and leading almost the whole way. Even with Didier Fuentes, JR Ritchie, and Cam Caminiti not being included on the roster, it didn’t seem to matter to this group.
John Gil, 3B: 1-3, HR, BB, HBP, 2 R, 2 RBI
Diego Tornes, CF: 1-3, RBI
Tate Southisene, 2B: 1-4, BB, R, SB
Rolddy Munoz, RP: 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K
Garrett Baumann, RP: 3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K
On the pitching side Owen Murphy started, and it looked like it would be a promising outing as he struck out Top 20 prospect in baseball George Lombard Jr. swinging in the first at bat, but his stuff and performance were more up and down as he battled shaky command and a high pitch count. Murphy went 2.2 innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits and four walks with three strikeouts. Murphy needed 71 pitches to go one out shy of three innings, though only 38 were strikes.
Rolddy Munoz followed and went the next inning and a third, not allowing any base runners and striking out three batters. Munoz pitched well, though narrowly escaped a mistake that was hit just foul. Garrett Baumann followed, and he was the most impressive pitcher of the night for the Braves, going three innings with no hits, runs, or walks, going with five strikeouts. Baumann’s five strikeouts included four swinging on four different pitches – the fastball, sinker, slider, and splitter plus another looking on the fastball.
Herick Hernandez went the final two innings and things started out rough in his first inning of work, before he got on track and finished off his outing strong. Hernandez allowed a run on two hits and a walk with four strikeouts, three on the slider and the other on his fastball.
Offensively the star of the day had to be John Gil, though pretty much everyone in the lineup seemed to be taking quality at bats all day. Gil ended the day one for three with two runs scored and two batted in, as he homered, walked, and was hit by a pitch.
First round pick Tate Southisene went on for four with a walk, run scored, and stolen base with a pair of exit velocities above 105 MPH. Conor Essenburg was hitless in three at bats, but drew a pair of walks, while Dixon Williams was hitless in two at bats with his pair of walks. Diego Tornes was one for three with an RBI single, as were Jose Perdomo and Alex Lodise. Eric Hartman added a single and stolen base in two at bats, while catcher Colin Burgess was one for three with two runs batted in as every player in the starting lineup reached base in the win.
Off the bench we saw Isaiah Drake and Patrick Clohisy each get a pair of at bats, with Drake going hitless and Clohisy hitting a single and stealing a base. Owen Carey and Cody Miller each went hitless in their lone at bats, while Jim Jarvis and Archer Brookman played but didn’t record plate appearances.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Pius Suter and Pavel Buchnevich scored in a 1:19 span in the second period and the St. Louis Blues beat the NHL-worst Vancouver Canucks 3-1 on Saturday 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.
Suter, a former Vancouver player, opened the scoring midway through the second period. Lankinen stopped Robert Thomas' shot but the puck hit Suter and went into the net.
Just over a minute later, Buchnevich took a shot from above the faceoff circle that found an empty corner of the net past a diving Lankinen.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 17: Eduardo Rodriguez #52 of Team Venezuela pitches against Team United States during the first inning at loanDepot park on March 17, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Arizona Diamondbacks fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Let’s start off with the national poll results, which also discussed the World Baseball Classic this week. The questions there were a little more focused. The first asked what was the most enjoyable part of the tournament. This was followed by getting respondents to choose the team which was most entertaining. Finally, they were asked how they felt about international baseball events generally. Here are the results:
Personally, in regard to the first question, I’m firmly on the side of National Support. High-intensity baseball is nice, but we’ll have plenty of that beginning in about five days. Player celebrations? If I wanted to watch that kind of thing, I’d be a fan of the NFL For me, it’s the fact that players are playing for their country (ok, for a fairly loose definition of “their country” in some cases!) which inherently separates this tournament from the mercenary endeavors of the regular season. I would agree with Italy though: they were certainly the underdogs all the way to the semi-final, and I’d have loved to have seen them in a rematch with Team USA.
Here on the SnakePit, we kept things considerably simpler. But before we get to that, let’s just have a quick round-up of how the various Diamondbacks performed on their national rosters, and some memorable moments from the event.
Nolan Arenado (Puerto Rico) – Played in all five games, but underwhelmed at the plate, going 4-for-19 with no walks or extra-base hits, for an OPS of just .449
Corbin Carroll (United States) – Did not play. He was originally listed on the roster, but the broken hamate bone disappointing put an end to his chances of participation.
Wallace Clark (Great Britain) – A rare player on Team GB actually born in Britain, Clark went 0-for-3 but did draw two walks and scored a run.
Indigo Diaz (Canada) – The newest D-backs, signing a minor-league contract on Christmas Eve, appeared twice, allowing a run over 1.2 innings, on two hits and two walks with three K’s.
Jakey Josepha (Netherlands) – Another late call-up, replacing Jurickson Profar after his PED ban. Josepha went 0-for-2 with two K’s, but to be fair, has never played above A-ball.
Druw Jones (Netherlands) – Andruw’s son led the Dutch team in OPS, with a line of .400/.563/.500 – in large part thanks to five walks, tied for most among teams eliminated in pool play.
Jaitoine Kelly (Netherlands) – Became the youngest pitcher ever to start a WBC game, against Nicaragua, and tossed two scoreless innings in a 4-3 win.
Yu-Min Lin (Chinese Taipei) – Pitched in the 14-0 drubbing of Czechia, working 2.1 scoreless innings, on two hits and no walks with three strikeouts.
Ketel Marte (Dominican Republic) – Appeared all six games, mustering a line of .263/.423/.474 for an .897 OPS, and walked more times (5) than he fanned (4).
Geraldo Perdomo (Dominican Republic) – Even more remarkably, had it not been for THAT call, Perdomo would have had a K:BB of 1:6 in the WBC.
Kristian Robinson (Great Britain) – Had a rather disappointing WBC, going 1-for-9 with five strikeouts, leaving his OPS of .311, below even Clark.
Eduardo Rodriguez (Venezuela) – His start in the final, 4.1 innings of one-hit ball, ensured he’ll never buy a drink at home ever again. Gave up three in 2.2 IP against the DR, including a home run to Marte.
Carlos Santana (Dominican Republic) – It’s cool 3/4 of our starting infield was on the DR team. Though behind Vlad Jr, Santana didn’t see as much time, going 1-for-6.
Michael Soroka (Canada) – Started two games, getting the W against Colombia, but was unable to get through the third in the quarter-final versus Team America.
Alek Thomas (Mexico) – Though not making it out of pool play, Thomas led the team with six RBI, going 4-for-15 and scoring three runs.
Well, that’s pretty conclusive. Nobody at all went with the two lowest options on the poll, “Poor” or “Terrible”. I’m not sure I can remember that ever being the case before. Instead, ninety percent voted for one of the two most enthusiastic choices. I think it’s safe to say we are all looking forward to the event’s return in 2029 – hopefully, it will also come back to Chase Field again, so we can experience it in person.
TAMPA, FL - MARCH 21: Kyle Carr #48 of the New York Yankees looks on during the game between the Atlanta Braves and the New York Yankees at George M. Steinbrenner Field on Saturday, March 21, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Braves infielder Tate Southisene’s 105.7-mph single to start off the evening was a precursor of what was in store for Kyle Carr and the Yankees. It was a pretty underwhelming performance for the New York prospects, dropping the Spring Breakout game by a final score of 8-3.
For the first two innings, Carr found a way to limit the damage and keep the Yankees in the game, allowing only a run in each of them, but the rally felt somewhat inevitable when you consider that all three recorded outs in the second inning came on hard-hit balls. What was a tightly contested affair early on finally got out of hand in the fourth inning, when—unlike in previous frames—the Braves didn’t need to connect that well on his pitches. Atlanta, instead, was able to rely on three free passes and a wild pitch to help string a rally together. The Braves found a way to score four runs in the fourth without the benefit of a single extra-base hit, routinely finding their way on with soft contact up and down the order.
Ultimately, though, it’s hard to come to any conclusion other than that of Carr’s diversified arsenal doing very little to stifle Brave hitters. The sweeper did OK as a weapon against right-handers, but no whiffs on seven swings on the changeup left a lot to be desired. Carr was removed in the middle of the fourth inning, but the Yankees trailed 6-2 when the dust had settled.
One of only two Yankee hitters in the starting lineup to strike out multiple times, George Lombard Jr., the Yankees’ leadoff batter, was unable to set the tone for a team that didn’t match the Braves’ offensive effort, scoring only a pair of runs through seven. Both tallies came in the first and briefly gave New York a 2-1 lead, as Core Jackson singled, moved to third on an error, Jace Avina walked, and Coby Morales singled in Jackson for the game’s first run. Avina crossed home plate when Braves catcher Colin Burgess threw a ball into center field on a Morales stolen base. They had a chance for more, but Garrett Martin hit an absolute bullet of a liner with a man on. Alas, it was in the wrong spot at the wrong time, leading to an inning-ending double play. After that, it was only downhill for the Yankees’ offense.
For his part, Morales had a nice day on both sides of the ball, driving in another run in the eighth and throwing out two runners at the plate — first on a heads-up play at first base and then on a seed from left field.
Atlanta starter Owen Murphy never quite really settled down and wrapped up his appearance with four walks and not even three full frames. However, the Yankees didn’t hurt Murphy after those two first-inning runs, and a little later on, the star of the game would appear. With neither starter impressing too much, it was Garrett Baumann coming out of the pen for the Braves who stole the show on the mound. The right-hander came into the game in the bottom of the fifth inning, and he tossed three perfect frames. Baumann struck out more than half of the hitters he faced, nullifying any chance the Yankees had of making this a more tightly contested matchup in the end.
Morales made it an 8-3 game with a bases-loaded single in the eighth, but Roderick Arias was thrown out at home trying to score the second one. The Yankees still had the chance to make it a close one with two runners on, but back-to-back strikeouts ended the frame. They went quietly in the ninth to end the night in a Braves win. Morales registered three of the Yankees’ five hits, with the only other knocks going to the aforementioned Jackson single in the first and the other a double by Arias in the eighth.
The more familiar faces on the Yankees will be back in business tomorrow afternoon, as they host the Phillies in Tampa. Will Warren is set to face Aaron Nola with first pitch at 1:05pm ET.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — LaMelo Ball scored 29 points and finished 7 of 14 from 3-point range to help lift the Charlotte Hornets to their third straight victory, 124-101 over the struggling Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night.
Brandon Miller had 22 points and Moussa Diabate had 14 rebounds and 11 points for the Hornets, who have won five of their last six and are 21-6 since Jan. 22 to make a push for a play-in spot.
GG Jackson scored 19 points and Javon Small added 17 points and seven rebounds for the Grizzlies, who have lost two in a row and 10 of their last 11.
The Hornets took the lead for good just 2:47 into the game when Miller made one of two free throws to make it 9-8 and Charlotte was up 59-47 at halftime.
A 15-6 run by the Hornets in the third quarter, capped by a three-point play by Miles Bridges — who finished with 13 points — made it 74-53 and Charlotte cruised from there.
NEW ORLEANS, LA - MARCH 21: James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives to the basket during the game against the New Orleans Pelicans on March 21, 2026 at the Smoothie King Center 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch Jr./NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers picked up an ugly win in New Orleans. These are the hardest games to grade, as the first three quarters put a heavy tarnish on an incredible comeback in the fourth.
Please bear with me.
All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.
Donovan Mitchell
27 points, 3 assists, 7 rebounds, 1 turnover
Defense matters. With that in mind, both Mitchell and Harden are going to be severely docked for their performances tonight. Sure, they put on their capes and saved the day in the fourth quarter. But lackluster defense and iffy offensive process through the first three quarters are what caused the trouble, in the first place.
Mitchell scored 12 points in the fourth quarter, including the game-sealing and-one finish. If I were grading his fourth quarter alone, this would be a healthy A.
If he didn’t have that fourth quarter…? This would have been an F.
Harden rolled into halftime scoreless. A tough combination when paired with his poor defense. He eventually broke the dam with his playmaking and found a rhythym when it mattered most. But again, the first three quarters aren’t easy to ignore.
I will say, the box score looks flawless. I’m hoping that anyone who watched this game with me can understand why the grade is so low. Attendance matters, and Harden was extremely tardy.
Similar to Mitchell, Harden would get an A for his fourth quarter and probably an F for the previous three. I think a C is a fair enough middle ground.
Again, I’d love to give Mobley more credit than what he’s receiving here. He had 16 points at halftime and looked to be on the verge of another big scoring game. Then he largely disappeared in the second half — both because the Cavs offense became stagnant and his own lack of aggression.
Still, Mobley was more of a steady presence throughout the night. His defense was a major reason for the tide changing in the fourth quarter.
Grade: C+
Max Strus
5 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists
This is a work in progress. Strus is still getting into the swing of things after missing seven months of basketball. He secured some key rebounds tonight and once again helped the Cavs close a game. That’s worth something. But he was just as much part of the problem on defense, and he didn’t have his shot falling tonight, either.
Grade: D+
Keon Ellis
7 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
Ellis gave the Cavs some defensive juice in the fourth quarter. This wasn’t his best game, but he was active enough to make a difference.
Grade: B-
Sam Merrill
15 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists
Merrill’s efforts on both ends of the floor stopped this game from getting out of reach. A double-double from Money Merrill (first of his career) is the type of stuff that gets you a soaring grade.
Grade: A
Dennis Schroder
1 point, 1 assist, 1 rebound
Schroder only played 14 minutes, going 0-3 and quickly being taken out of the game.
Grade: F
Dean Wade
7 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals
Zion Williamson was pulverizing Dean Wade throughout the second half. But outside of that, Wade was actually one of the more positive Cavaliers.
Grade: C+
Thomas Bryant
11 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist
Bryant’s minutes didn’t go as well as the box score would suggest. He was effective early, but Cleveland’s offense eventually cratered when he was on the floor, and New Orleans’ athleticism made him look out of his depth. He was a minus-6 in 15 minutes.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Archie Goodwin subbed on in the 75th minute and scored two goals — the first two in his MLS career — and Charlotte FC beat the New York Red Bulls 6-1 on Saturday night.
Pep Biel, Idan Toklomati, Kerwin Vargas and Wilfried Zaha each added a goal for Charlotte (2-1-2) and Ashley Westwood had three assists. Kristijan Kahlina finished with seven saves.
Toklomati opened the scoring in the 14th minute when he flicked a header, off a free kick played by Biel on the right side, inside the left post.
Gustav Berggren, who made his first start of the season, was shown a straight red card in the 53rd minute and the Red Bulls played a man down the rest of the way.
Biel immediately made New York pay when he scored his fourth goal of the season on the ensuing free kick to make it 3-0 in the 54th.
Goodwin, in the 77th minute, flicked in a header off a cross by David Schnegg for his first goal in MLS and capped the scoring in the third minute of stoppage time.
Julian Hall scored the 81st minute for New York. The 17-year-old, who went into the season with three career goals in MLS, has four goals in 2026.
Ethan Horvath had four saves for the Red Bulls (2-2-1).
Mar 21, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luke Kennard (10) reacts with center Jaxson Hayes (11) guard Austin Reaves (15) and forward LeBron James (23) after hitting a game winning basket at the buzzer against the Orlando Magic in the fourth quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
On a night when offense came at a premium for the Lakers, Luke Kennard stepped up when it mattered most.
Kennard buried a game-winning 3-pointer with 0.6 seconds left to give the Lakers a 105-104 win and extend their win streak to nine games.
LA flew out of the gate to start the game, scoring 37 points in the first 10 minutes of the game. However, they scored only 68 over the next 38 minutes of the contest, though it was exactly as many as they needed to win the game.
LA shot 44.7% from the field, but a frigid 22.6% from the 3-point line. They also were outscored 21-16 on second chance points, an issue that plagued them at various stretches during the game.
The Lakers opened the game with a barrage of baskets at the rim. Deandre Ayton threw down an alley-oop, LeBron James turned a steal into a breakaway slam and Luka Dončić finished a fastbreak layup all inside the first minute.
After the officials spent a handful of possessions forgetting the rules of basketball, Luka answered a couple of Orlando threes with makes of his own. Behind some further impressive shotmaking from Luka, LA opened up a 30-20 lead after an 8-0.
While a three from the Magic stopped the run briefly, Luka did not slow down. Austin put an unexpected and emphatic exclamation point on a 15-3 run with a huge dunk in transition.
To that point, LA was shooting 16-21 from the field in the period. Some offensive rebounds from Goga Bitadze helped pull the Magic back into the game as they trailed 37-30 going into the second.
The Orlando run carried into the next quarter as a 16-2 tied the game at 39-39. Desmond Bane’s steal led to a pair of free throws for the guard, who connected on both to give the Magic their first lead of the game three minutes into the frame. Redick was eventually forced to take a timeout after a Jevon Carter jumper gave them a 43-39 lead.
Collective amnesia swept over the Lakers as they forgot how to play the sport, allowing Orlando to keep piling on. Following another Carter 3-pointer to put the hosts up six, the Magic reserves were outscoring LA’s 27-10.
Capping off a truly awful first half from the officials, Marcus Smart was handed a questionable technical foul, allowing the Magic to stem off a Lakers run as they tried to get back into the game.
The refs just gave Marcus Smart a tech foul for this play.
A couple of baskets at the rim from Austin Reaves in the final 35 seconds closed the Lakers’ deficit to just 65-62 heading into the locker room.
The halftime break allowed the Lakers to reset and regain their offense, leading them to retake the lead early in the third. The opening minutes of the quarters were spent with the two sides trading baskets with neither side able to get a foothold in front.
LeBron willed the Lakers ahead on a series of fastbreak plays. Across three consecutive possessions, LeBron either scored in transition or drew a foul, leading to six points as part of a 12-0 run that gave LA a 78-70 lead.
As was the case in the first half, the Lakers immediately allowed a run to let Orlando take the lead back following a Wendell Carter and-one, putting them ahead 81-79.
The rest of the quarter saw the Magic in firm control. Luka struggled from the field, shooting just 1-9 from the field in the period.
The biggest Luka development, though, came in the final minutes when he started trash talking with Bitadze at the free throw line before the two were given a double technical. That was the 16th technical of the year for Luka, meaning he will be suspended for the Lakers’ game against the Pistons on Monday.
Looked like Luka Doncic and Goga Bitadze were exchanging words while Luka was shooting FTs late in the 3Q.
It was a pretty fitting cap to a pretty putrid quarter as LA went into the fourth down 87-82.
After Reaves opened the frame with a turnover, Bane’s layup gave Orlando its largest lead of the game. The Lakers got on the board with a lob from LeBron to Hayes, but then the latter followed that up by missing a pair of free throws a few possessions later, an encapsulation of the team’s inability to build momentum in the second half.
The team’s defense was keeping them attached to the Magic. With no one else able to find a rhythm offensively, Reaves finally stepped up with some big shots before a pair of free throws pushed them ahead 92-91 with 6:31 remaining.
Orlando moved back ahead in an ugly fourth quarter offensively for both teams, inching ahead 98-95 after two free throws from Paolo Banchero with 3:18 left.
An acrobatic finish on a driving layup for LeBron closed the deficit to one point with just over two minutes to go. Banchero responded with his own acrobatic finish around Deandre Ayton to restore the three-point lead.
Luka got his second field goal of the half with a floater, but Wendell Carter Jr. answered wit ha free throw line jumper with just over a minute remaining.
A step-back three from Luka missed as the Lakers came up empty on the next possession. Banchero drew a foul on the other end and knocked down both free throws to make it a five-point game with 50 seconds left.
Reaves raced downcourt off the make for a layup to make it a one-possession game again. The Lakers forced a miss from Bane and corralled the rebound. Luka eventually found Reaves for an open 3-pointer that missed, but Ayton tracked down the rebound while drawing a foul with 5.5 seconds left.
The big man knocked down the first, but his intentional missed free throw attempt did not get the bounce Reaves’ did last weekend and the Magic grabbed the rebound with six seconds left.
All of that set up a chaotic ending. Orlando’s ensuing in-bound was knocked out of bounds off Banchero by LeBron, giving the Lakers a chance to tie the game or take the lead with just over 4.7 seconds remaining.
LA got LeBron open on the ATO, but was blocked — and fouled, though it wasn’t called — on the play, giving the Lakers another chance under their own basket with 2.6 seconds left. This time, Kennard was the one left open and he buried the game-winner.
LUKE KENNARD HITS THE GO-AHEAD 3 TO WIN IT FOR THE LAKERS 🚨
Luka’s big first half led him to 33 points to go with eight assists and five rebounds. Austin picked up the slack in the fourth to finish with 26 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
Aside from a stretch in the third quarter, it was a quiet night from LeBron, who tallied just 12 points along with six rebounds and four assists with three steals as well.
Kennard had 13 points off the bench while Jaxson Hayes had a strong showing with eight points and seven rebounds to go along with three blocks.
The Lakers will next be in action on Monday when they travel to Detroit. Tip-off is slated for 4 p.m. PT.
ATLANTA (AP) — Sean Johnson had two saves for D.C. United in a 0-0 tie with Atlanta United on Saturday.
The 36-year-old Johnson had his second shutout of the season D.C. United (2-2-1).
Atlanta (1-3-1) had 65% possession and outshot D.C. United 9-4, 2-1 on target. Lucas Hoyos, a 30-year-old in his first MLS season, finished with a save and had his first career shutout.
D.C.'s Caden Clark and Brandon Servania hit the post with shots from outside the area in the 83rd and 87th minutes, respectively.
NEW ORLEANS, LA - MARCH 21: James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers handles the ball during the game against the New Orleans Pelicans on March 21, 2026 at the Smoothie King Center 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch Jr./NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers made things more interesting than they needed to be. They fell down by 15 early in the fourth quarter to a bad New Orleans Pelicans team before turning things around. Strong finishes from James Harden and Donovan Mitchell were enough to secure the 111-106 victory.
As has been a recent trend, the Cavs started the game well. They got out to a 13-point lead in the first quarter due to their offense. Cleveland went 4-9 from three and 8-11 on two-point shots. That was good enough for a 34-point first quarter.
Once the offense slowed down, the defense couldn’t do enough to keep the lead.
The outside shot abandoned them in the second quarter as they went 2-12 from beyond the arc in that frame. That allowed their one-time 13-point advantage to turn into a three-point deficit at the break.
Things didn’t get better in the third quarter. The Cavs went 2-8 from three, which led to them only scoring 23 points in the third, and losing the quarter by nine.
The Pelicans pushed their advantage to 15 before the Cavs flipped the momentum.
Harden got things going with back-to-back triples. Mitchell followed it up with a triple of his own and two makes at the free-throw line. Then, Harden drained a three off a Mitchell feed after the Cavs grabbed two offensive rebounds on that possession.
That three capped off a 16-2 run that turned it from a 15-point game to a one-point game. Even though the Cavs didn’t take the lead, that sequence sapped the energy out of the building and the Pelicans as a group.
The Cavs kept their foot on the gas from there. Mitchell and Harden continued taking turns carving up the Pelicans’ defense as the run extended to 26-6.
The Cavs retook the lead on a Max Strus layup at the four-minute mark. They never gave it up from there.
Mitchell officially ended the game by converting an and-one layup with four seconds left to secure the five-point victory. In the end, the Cavs won the fourth quarter 35-18.
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Mitchell and Harden led the Cavs’ comeback, but both struggled through the first three quarters.
Mitchell compiled 15 points on as many shots in the first three quarters. He provided 12 in the fourth quarter. He finished with 27 points on 9-23 shooting with seven rebounds and three assists.
Harden was 3-9 from the field in the first three quarters. He scored 13 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter. Harden went 8-17 from the field while providing 10 assists and six rebounds in the win. He was a team-high +14.
Despite how good Harden and Mitchell were throughout the fourth quarter, Evan Mobley was the Cavs’ best player for the full 48 minutes.
Mobley made it difficult for a bigger New Orleans team to finish in the paint. On the other end, Mobley did a great job of using his athleticism to create easy looks in the paint. This led to him putting up 18 points on an efficient 8-10 shooting to go along with eight rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and a steal.
The Pelicans were led by 25 points from Zion Williamson on 10-14 shooting. Dejounte Murray added 12 points and 10 assists in the loss.
This wasn’t the prettiest game. The Cavs shouldn’t have been down double-digits to a bad Pelicans team late. At the same time, the Cavs showed how well the Harden and Mitchell backcourt can work in the clutch. Reps like this are important for a pairing that hasn’t been together long.
The Cavaliers will be back in action on Tuesday when they host the Orlando Magic for an 8 PM prime-time game.
Top Yankees prospect George Lombard Jr. went hitless and had a throwing error, while the young pitchers struggled to keep the Braves prospects off the board in their 8-3 loss in the Spring Breakout game on Saturday.
Here are the takeaways...
-Kyle Carr, the team's No. 11 prospect, started this game and got off to a rough start. After Braves No. 4 prospect Tate Southisene led off with an infield single, Southisene stole second and advanced to third base on a wild pitch by Carr. After walking the next batter, Carr bounced back by striking out Braves No. 12 prospect Diego Tornes swinging on a sinker on the outside corner.
John Gil, the Braves' No. 10 prospect, beat out the attempted 6-4-3 double play to push across the game's first run.
Carr had some bad luck in the second. Lombard Jr.'s throwing error and a two-out single put runners on second and third. Carr then balked to push across the Braves' second run.
Carr settled in to pitch a 1-2-3 third inning, but the opposite happened in the fourth. Carr allowed the first two runners to reach (walk, single) before he threw a wild pitch to get both runners into scoring position with no outs. A walk loaded the bases, and Jose Perdomo (No. 25 prospect) hit a bloop single to drive in a run. After getting a pop-up, Carr's night was done after a two-run single from catching prospect Colin Burgess.
Carr had his moments, but he either struggled with command or couldn't execute the out pitch. Carrs pitched 3.1 innings (67 pitches/41 strikes), allowing six runs (five earned) on five hits and three walks, while striking out three.
-Harrison Cohen, the Yankees' No. 27 prospect and someone who started a game for Team Israel in this past WBC, came in to relieve Carr and although he allowed an inherited runner to score on a walk and a hit, he got the two outs to get out of the fourth inning.
Jack Cebert had the best pitching performance for the Yankees. He allowed two runs on two hits and two walks in his four innings of work, but he struck out five batters, including striking out the side in the eighth inning.
-The Yankees prospects did have the lead in the bottom half of the first after Core Jackson (No. 12 prospect) singled and went to third base on a fielding error in the outfield. After Jace Avina (No. 20 prospect) walked, Coby Morales drove home Jackson with a single. Morales stole second and Avina scored from third after a throwing error by Burgess.
However, the Yankees hitting prospects could not get on base consistently. In total, they had just five hits and five walks. Morales had the best hitting performance, going 3-for-4 with two RBI.
-Lombard Jr. was the highest-profile hitter in Saturday's game for the Yankees and was left hitless.
In his first at-bat, Lombard Jr. struck out swinging as he couldn't catch up with Owen Murphy's high fastballs -- Murphy is the Braves' No. 6 prospect. His second at-bat saw the young infielder come up with two outs and runners on first and second. Lombard Jr. battled in a six-pitch at-bat, but grounded out to third base to end the threat.
Lombard Jr.'s third at-bat saw him strike out swinging on three pitches, the final one up out of the zone.
MENLO PARK, Calif. (AP) — Hyo Joo Kim played the first six holes in 6 under before stalling Saturday at tree-lined Sharon Heights, leaving her with a five-stroke lead over Nelly Korda with a round left in the Fortinet Founders Cup.
Kim, the 30-year-old South Korean player ranked eighth in the world, shot a 6-under 66 to get to 17-under 199. She won the tournament in 2015 in Phoenix for the second of her seven LPGA Tour titles.
“I’ve been in the lead, so I want to finish tomorrow well,” Kim said.
Four shots ahead entering the day, she had four birdies and an eagle on the par-5 fifth in the opening burst that ended with a bogey on the par-5 seventh.
“The start up to hole 6, I believe, was unbelievable golf and I can’t even believe it,” Kim said. “I had a lot of birdies and eagle, too. But I did also have some bogeys I shouldn’t have done. The start felt like almost a game.”
Kim opened the back nine birdie-bogey-bogey-birdie, then birdied the par-4 16th to get back to 17 under. She left a 15-foot birdie try a foot short on the par-3 17th and parred the par-5 18th after driving into the left rough.
Korda birdied 16 and 18 in a bogey-free 66. She skipped the Asia swing after winning the season opener in Florida.
“It’s nice to have a clean scorecard wherever you play,” Korda said. “Doesn’t matter. With kind of how tough it is off the tee and into the greens, just really happy with my round today.
On Thursday, Kim holed out for eagle on 8 for a 63 and a two-shot lead She pushed the advantage to four Friday with a 70. Coming off a third-place finish last month in Thailand, she's the defending champion next week in Arizona.
Ruixin Liu of China and Gaby Lopez of Mexico were 11 under. Liu eagled the fifth in a 66. Lopez had a 68 playing alongside Kim.
Top-ranked Jeeno Thitikul (69) was 9 under with Erika Hara (67), Karis Davidson (69) and Hye-Jin Choi (69).
The tournament began as a tribute to the 13 founders of the LPGA. It began in Arizona in 2011 and last year was the second event of the season and played in Florida. It has attracted eight of the top 10 players in the world ranking and kicks off a four-tournament stretch in the West ahead of the first major of the year.
PORTLAND, OR — Texas is going from First Four to Sweet 16.
The 11th-seeded Longhorns are keeping their March Madness run alive, upsetting No. 3 seed Gonzaga, 74-68, in the second round of the 2026 men’s NCAA Tournament for their third win in five days.
Fresh off slaying AJ Dybantsa and No. 6 seed BYU in the first round, Texas went toe-to-toe with the Bulldogs in a game where the lead changed 10 times and neither team led by double-digits.
Both teams traded buckets for the majority of the second half, but a spurt with just under seven minutes left gave Texas its largest lead at six and forced Gonzaga to have to catch up. The Bulldogs were able to make it a one-point game in the final minute, but Texas' Camden Heide, who hadn't scored all game hit a clutch 3-pointer with 14 seconds left that sealed the win.
In a physical game that was mostly played near the basket, Texas outmuscled the Zags, efficiently scoring while 46 of their points in the paint, compared to Gonzaga’s 38. Another key factor was Texas capitalizing on mistakes with 11 points off turnovers, compared to just two from the the Bulldogs.
Of course, the bigs were the stars of the night. Matas Vokietaitis followed up his big night against the Cougars with 17 points and nine rebounds, with another 17 points coming from Jordan Pope. The Longhorns were able to withstand another star opponent in Graham Ike. The Bulldogs senior had a game-high 25 points, but limited him to just three rebounds.
Texas becomes first First Four team to reach the Sweet 16 since UCLA’s Final Four run in 2021, and while it is by no means a Cinderella considering the resources it has, the Longhorns keep the magic of March alive, guaranteeing a double-digit seed makes the second weekend of the tournament.
Only four such teams were able to make the second round, and one of them – Texas A&M – lost earlier in the day.
The Longhorns’ run is remarkable considering how it entered the tournament on a three game losing streak, which forced Texas to have to play in the First Four to reach the field of 68. Tramon Mark’s game-winning shot against NC State on Tuesday, March 17 started the hot streak.
Gonzaga’s loss was also a rarity for the established program. It won 10-straight against double-digit seeded teams, not having fallen to one since 2016. The last team seeded 11th or higher to know the Bulldogs out of the tournament was Wyoming in 2002.
Texas now heads to San Jose, California, where they await the winner of Purdue and Miami (Fla.) on Thursday, March 26.
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 14: Tatsuya Imai #45 of the Houston Astros throws a bullpen during spring training workouts at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on February 14, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Looking at the schedule and the Astros’ plan to open with a 5-man rotation, there are certainly clues.
Back on January 5th, at the press conference introducing SP Tatsuya Imai, Astros manager Joe Espada said the team would likely employ a 6-man rotation frequently this season and that we would “probably see it from the get-go.”
With 26 games in 28 days to open the season, and their new prized pitcher used to pitching once a week in Japan, it seemed to make the most sense the Astros would utilize the 6-man rotation as much as possible to keep things as close to “normal” for Imai as they could as he adapted to the MLB schedule and level of play.
A little over a week ago, that started to change, and the Astros were unsure whether they would go 5-man or 6-man to start the year. That question was answered today by the manager.
Astros manager Joe Espada said the club will open the season with a five-man rotation.
That definitive statement was made before the Astros took on the Mets in Port St. Lucie today, in their penultimate Grapefruit League game of the 2026 season. It was a game stated by Mike Burrows, who followed Hunter Brown as the Astros line up their rotation for the season.
Cristian Javier will pitch tomorrow. Imai, who hasn’t pitched since he threw 3 shutout innings March 11, is scheduled to pitch Monday (March 23) in Houston against the Space Cowboys. The regular season begins March 26.
Lance McCullers Jr., who last pitched March 17, would presumably follow as the fifth starter. Spencer Arrighetti, the other prime candidate for the rotation’s fifth spot, has not started a game this spring and he was just away from the team due to the birth of his twins. He will likely either begin the season in the bullpen.
The Astros will play 7 games in a row to open the season. Right now, the way the Astros lineup, that rotation would run Brown, Burrows, Javier, Imai, McCullers, Brown, Burrows, DAY OFF.
Houston would then play six straight games: Javier, Imai, McCullers, Brown, Burrows, Javier, DAY OFF.
They would then play 13 straight games, and this is where the sixth starer would be introduced: Imai, McCullers, Brown, Burrows, Javier, Arrighetti as 6th starter, Imai, McCullers, Brown, Burrows, Javier, Arrighetti, Imai, DAY OFF.
After that stretch of 26 games in 28 days, they have a 3 game series with the Yankees and then another off day. This could lead to McCullers being skipped and giving him some extra rest before he would make his next start.
Against the Yankees, the Astros could go with Brown, Burrows and Javier all on 5 days rest.
Houston will then play 9 straight. With McCullers having been potentially skipped for the Yankees series, that could ultimately lead to Arrighetti not starting again until they need to create a fifth day of rest for Imai again.
The rotation coming out from the off day following the Yankees series could be Imai, McCullers, Brown, Burrows, Javier, Arrighetti, Imai, McCullers, Brown.
The Astros will want to keep Imai on 5 days rest, and in the 4th starter spot, it all seems to lineup that way for him.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 26: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts during the second half of the NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center on February 26, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Lakers 113-110. 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 Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
UPDATE: Well, it looks like the Lakers will be playing without Luka Dončić against the Wizards. The star guard earned his 16th technical foul in LA’s game against Brooklyn, automatically suspending him for a game.
Luka and Zaire Williams both made physical contact with each other, prompting the officials to issue each player a technical foul.
Luka Doncic and Ziaire Williams are called for double technical fouls after a referee's review of some jostling between the two. That is Doncic's 16th. Have a hard time seeing that one rescinded. He will face a one-game suspension Monday if it is upheld.
There’s still a slim chance it gets rescinded, but since it was a play the officials reviewed, don’t expect it to happen.
Original story follows.
A new reality for the Lakers in the Luka Dončić era will be the accumulation of technical fouls. After years of having LeBron James and Anthony Davis as the faces of the franchise — two players who did not often complain to officials or accumulate technicals — life with Luka will be different.
On Saturday, Luka was assessed his 16th technical foul of the season on a double technical with Magic center Goga Bitadze, the magic number that will result in a one-game suspension, meaning he will not be available for the Lakers’ game against the Pistons on Monday.
Looked like Luka Doncic and Goga Bitadze were exchanging words while Luka was shooting FTs late in the 3Q.
It’s possible that Luka’s technical could be rescinded. There was nothing particularly egregious about the moments leading up to the technical as it came after trash talking between Luka and Bitadze. But it will have to be a decision that comes quickly with the Lakers set to play the Pistons on Monday.
League rules state that, at 16 technical fouls, players will be suspended for one game. For every other technical after that, he will be suspended for another game. So, for his 18th, 20th, 22nd, etc., technical fouls, he will be suspended for a game.
In short, it’s less than ideal.
Prior to the Lakers’ game against the Nuggets on March 5, head coach JJ Redick spoke about Luka, who entered the contest with 14 technical fouls.
JJ Redick on Luka Doncic’s 14 technical fouls – two away from a suspension: “He’s aware that he’s close. And he’s trying [to not draw more]”
In those instances, Luka’s 15th technical came late in the season. That was not the case for the Lakers, who still had 20 games remaining when Luka moved to within a game of an automatic suspension.
Given the prior evidence, this is going to be something Lakers fans are going to have to monitor in the coming years of the Luka era.
