Mar 15, 2026; Miami, FL, United States; United States catcher Will Smith (16) celebrates after defeating the Dominican Republic in a semifinal game of the 2026 World Baseball Classic at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Tuesday evening is for multi-tasking, with the World Baseball Classic championship game starting at 5 p.m. PT, followed by the Dodgers playing the Royals in Surprise one hour later.
Will Smith gets the start at catcher for Team USA on Tuesday night, his second straight game behind the plate.
Tonight's starting lineup in the World Baseball Classic Championship Game against Venezuela pic.twitter.com/JApvM7KDL4
ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 10: Naji Marshall #13 of the Dallas Mavericks drives to the basket during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on March 10, 2026 at State Farm Arena 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Dallas Mavericks (23-46) host the Atlanta Hawks (37-31) on Wednesday in a battle of two teams who faced off just over a week ago. Tipoff at American Airlines Center is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
The Hawks took the win over the Mavericks in the teams’ first meeting of the year, 124-112, on Mar. 10 in Atlanta. Klay Thompson shot the lights out in the second half, scoring 18 of his team-high 21 points as Dallas tried to dig itself out of the hole the Mavs dug themselves with yet another slow start. Nickeal Alexander-Walker led all scorers with 29 points for the Hawks in the win, while Jalen Johnson added 27 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.
Winning
That win over the Mavs eight days ago was the Hawks’ seventh in a row at the time. They have since rattled off wins over the Brooklyn Nets, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Orlando Magic to extend their current win streak to 10 games entering Wednesday’s contest.
Alexander-Walker is coming off a career-high scoring night in Monday’s 124-112 win over the Magic. The guard in his seventh season out of Virginia Tech scored 41 points on 12-of-21 shooting, including a 9-of-14 night from 30-point range, and grabbed seven boards in the win. Johnson has grabbed 34 rebounds and dished 34 assists in the team’s last three games as well.
So, the same two guys who gave the Mavericks hell the first time around are really going well for Atlanta recently.
Losing
Dallas, meanwhile, is coming off Monday’s demoralizing 129-111 loss at the New Orleans Pelicans. Having reached the point in a long season where losing has become at least an acceptable outcome, it’s hard to envision the Mavericks offering a ton of resistance as the Hawks seek their 11th straight win.
Daniel Gafford is questionable with an illness as of the 6:15 p.m. injury report on Tuesday, and so is Caleb Martin, with plantar fascia soreness. Brandon Williams is doubtful after suffering a blow to the head in Monday’s loss to the Pelicans.
These developments open the door to heavier minutes for guys like recent two-way signee John Poulakidas and longtime Mavericks’ reserve Dwight Powell. The Mavs have won just twice in their last 14 games and currently sport the sixth-worst record in the NBA.
Drawing a blank?
It’s getting tougher and tougher to find a reason to sit through an entire Mavericks game as the 2025-26 season wears on. But, Cooper Flagg has become appointment television once more, with 21 or more points in each of his last three games. P.J. Washington has finally strung together back-to-back good nights, scoring 20 points in Sunday’s 130-120 win at the Cleveland Cavaliers and backing it up with 18 more in Monday’s loss to New Orleans.
Can Flagg work his way back to front-running in the NBA Rookie of the Year race? Can Washington find his groove down the stretch in the small-ball lineups head coach Jason Kidd has employed out of necessity in recent games?
It might be a stretch, but if you squint, sometimes there is still a feint glimmer of something resembling hope for the future with the Mavs starting a rebuild in the face.
How to watch
The Mavericks and the Hawks tip off from American Airlines Center at 7:30 on Monday. The game will be televised locally on KFAA Channel 29, and the stream will be on MavsTV and NBA League Pass where available.
Developing prospects drafted after the first round can be complicated at times. Unlike top picks, those selected in the second or later rounds statistically have a smaller chance of becoming impactful at the NHL level. That being said, teams are able to find late-round steals almost every year, which is why the 2020 and 2021 drafts remain a dark cloud over the Vancouver Canucks organization.
During the 2020 and 2021 drafts, the Canucks had a total of 11 picks. Of those 11 picks, zero have played NHL games, with only three having some form of connection to the organization. While there is a chance that one or two of these players could still play in the NHL, overall, these two drafts could go down among the worst in franchise history.
Starting in 2020, Vancouver made five selections. Of those five, only Jackson Kunz remains with the organization as he is signed to an AHL deal. Here are the five draft picks:
82nd- Joni Jurmo 113th- Jackson Kunz 144th- Jacob Truscott 175th- Dmitri Zlodeyev 191st- Viktor Persson
As for players that Canucks could have had, here are some players who have played NHL games drafted just after these selections:
83rd- Alex Laferriere 114th- Mikael Pyyhtiä 150th- Matt Kessel 181st- Cole Reinhardt 205th- Ilya Solovyov
Moving to the 2021 draft, Vancouver made six selections. Of the six, only Danila Klimovich and Aku Koskenvuo. Here are the six draft picks:
41st- Danila Klimovich 137th- Aku Koskenvuo 140th- Jonathan Myrenberg 169th- Hugo Gabrielson 178th- Connor Lockhart 201st- Lucas Forsell
And here is a look at players who have played NHL games the Canucks could have drafted instead:
47th- Logan Stankoven 144th- Jaroslav Chmelar 150th- Joshua Roy 193rd- Tyson Kozak 203rd- Zakhar Bardakov
In the end, the inability to produce at least one NHLer from these two drafts is currently causing Vancouver issues. There is also a case to be made that Jim Benning's constant trading away of picks, even middle-round ones, has impacted the organization this season. As mentioned, while there is still a chance someone from this draft makes the NHL one day, the odds are that both classes will continue to remain bare.
Jun 27, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Vancouver Canucks general manager Jim Benning announces Jake Virtanen (not pictured) as the number six overall pick to the Vancouver Canucks in the first round of the 2014 NHL Draft at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
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The Mets don’t have many roster decisions left as we draw closer and closer to Opening Day, but the big one remaining is the final bullpen spot.
Carlos Mendoza confirmed on Monday that Huascar Brazoban will make the team as long as he is healthy at the end of camp, leaving just one more opening over the final few spring games.
Among those still in the mix is veteran righty Craig Kimbrel.
Kimbrel’s faced a bit of an uphill battle since joining the club on a minor league deal, and he’s been shaky at times over his first five Grapefruit League appearances.
Kimbrel came on in the bottom of the fifth and was immediately hurt by a leadoff walk, as Miami’s Owen Cassie stole second before eventually scoring on an RBI single.
That marked just the second run he’s given up on the spring, but it was also his fifth free pass issued to go along with a pair of hit-by-pitches.
The long-time shutdown closer has also seen his fastball velocity drop off a bit, as he averaged just 92.1 mph on the pitch this afternoon, a drop-off from his peak form.
Still, he’s relatively encouraged with how things have gone.
“We’re getting close to the end here,” Kimbrel said. “My body feels good -- I wish I could show a bit more velocity-wise, but I’m throwing most of my pitches like I want to at this point.”
With one spring outing left under the bright lights on Thursday night, the 37-year-old does feel there’s still time remaining to get his arsenal where he wants it to be.
Even if he doesn’t, though, he believes he still has what it takes to help this team.
“It depends on what they want the roster to look like and who they think is going to help the team most,” Kimbrel said. “Do I feel like I can do that? Absolutely, but it’s not my choice.”
The Detroit Red Wings did what they had to do on Monday evening, defeating the Calgary Flames by a 5-2 final score at Little Caesars Arena.
Not only did goaltender John Gibson turn in another strong performance by making 25 saves, but the club also got a pair of second-period goals from future Hall of Famer Patrick Kane.
Kane knotted the score at 1-1 early in the second period when he sniped Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf on a breakaway attempt, and then later redirected a perfect pass from Alex DeBrincat (who also assisted on his first goal) past Wolf, giving him a total of 504 career goals.
With his first goal tonight (#503), Patrick Kane passes Joe Mullen for the fourth-most by a U.S.-born player in NHL history pic.twitter.com/zlkxdZBgiy
Kane, who has already set a pair of important milestones this season by scoring both his 500th career goal and becoming the highest-scoring U.S.-born player in NHL history, made history once again.
With his 503rd goal, he passed Joe Mullen and now sits alone in fourth place all-time in total goals by a U.S.-born player.
Kane, who moved past Mike Modano in late January in total scoring by a U.S.-born NHL player, looked back on a media tour that he took part in that included Modano, Mullen, and Hall of Fame defenseman Phil Housley early in his career.
“Coming into the NHL and being a high American pick, we did a little thing for Modano when he was about to pass the record there in New York City, kind of like a media tour with the past of Phil Housley and Joey Mullen, and present with Modano and myself, which I guess at that time was the future,” Kane said with a smile.
Kane then expressed his gratitude for the graciousness shown to him by both Housley and Mullen, who had already been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, as well as the future Hall of Famer in Modano.
“It was a long time ago, but to spend time with those guys, Mullen, Housley, and Modano, and just how gracious they were with their time with me, treating me like one of their own, was pretty cool to spend some time with them.”
Kane added, “It’s definitely a humbling milestone.”
There's no question that Kane will be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility whenever his playing career comes to a close.
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HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 16: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on March 16, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Lakers fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
The Lakers have plenty of optionality in the summer since they have very few players on the books for the upcoming season. That flexibility works both ways, however, as players who are not under contract can also walk away from the franchise after this season.
One player whose future is up in the air is LeBron James. He will be an unrestricted free agent, and with his talent still being at an All-Star level, there will undoubtedly be interest in his services in what appears to be a shallow free agency pool.
His future will be a hot-button topic from the moment the Lakers season comes to an end until a decision is made in free agency. As things stand, there is no indication of which way he is leaning, either on whether he’ll play or, if he does, which jersey he’ll be wearing next season.
So, for our SB Nation Reacts survey this week, what does the future hold for LeBron James?
LeBron has a couple of options here. For starters, he could return to LA and continue his longest stint with one franchise and end things here with the Lakers.
President of Basketball Operations Rob Pelinka has made it clear that he’d like to see LeBron retire here. Figuring out the contract numbers could be tricky, but the Lakers seem to be on board with him coming back if that’s his desire.
The other clear option would be LeBron returning to the Cavs. Cleveland is a contending team and not only could James help them, but it’d be a picture-perfect ending to a historic career.
It’s hard to imagine LeBron starting somewhere else this late into his career, but we know teams have expressed interest in James.
The Warriors had conversations with the Lakers about trading for LeBron. With James as a free agent, they can just talk to him directly and try to convince him to join Steph Curry for one final attempt at a title.
But what if LeBron is happy with the story ending now?
James can always walk away from the game, and at age 41, having played more years than any NBA player, no one would blink twice if he ended things here.
But what do you think? Share your opinion by voting and letting us know down below!
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 16: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws in the outfield prior to a Spring Training game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Camelback Ranch on March 16, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A National League West showdown is upon us on Wednesday afternoon, with the Dodgers back at Camelback Ranch to battle the San Francisco Giants. Shohei Ohtani will pitch in his first game this spring in this one, manager Dave Roberts told reporters at Camelback Ranch on Tuesday.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 13: Bobby Witt Jr. #7 of Team United States hits a ground double play against Team Canada during the sixth inning at Daikin Park on March 13, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There is a lot of baseball for fans to watch tonight, exactly one week ahead of Opening Day – which will inexplicably be exclusively carried by Netflix, UGH – as the World Baseball Classic comes to a thrilling conclusion when Bobby Witt Jr. and Team USA take on Maikel (Pronounced like Michael, not the way we’ve all been saying it for years) Garcia and Salvador Perez in the Championship Game. An hour after that game starts, the Royals will go live with what I believe is their final televised Cactus League game of the year.
Team USA’s behavior will certainly make Bobby Witt Jr.‘s first plate appearance must-see TV with Salvador Perez behind the plate.
And here’s the Royals’ starting lineup for their Cactus League game:
I had thought that Bailey Falter was supposed to start tonight, but it looks like Aaron Sanchez will get the nod with Falter coming in as a reliever later in the match. At first I thought perhaps the Royals had finally traded the lefty, but no announcement has been forthcoming so I suppose only time will tell on that front. Here’s a list of every pitcher scheduled to throw tonight:
Bailey Falter
Lucas Erceg
John Schreiber
Aaron Sanchez
Hector Neris
You can tell we’re getting close to the regular season by how the scheduled pitcher list keeps shrinking. Almost there!
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MARCH 15: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks holds his knee during the third quarter against the Indiana Pacers at Fiserv Forum on March 15, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 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 Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After suffering a scary fall in Sunday’s win over Indiana, Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo will miss a significant chunk of time with a hyperextended knee and a bone bruise. The Bucks reported that Antetokounmpo would miss at least one week after undergoing testing. Bucks staff changed his injury designation to out shortly before Tuesday’s primetime clash against Cleveland. Originally designated as questionable due to an ankle sprain, his knee injury marks a big setback as he continues to bounce back from a calf strain that kept him out for an extended period of time.
The injury occurred with roughly 3:50 left in the third quarter of their game against the Pacers. With the teams tied at 81, Giannis spun past Jay Huff off a transition play and finished with the dunk, landing stiffly on his left knee.
Although Giannis played a couple of minutes after the scary fall—albeit gingerly—he checked out of the game with roughly three minutes to go and didn’t return. After the game, Giannis brushed off injury concerns as typical wear and tear.
“I had the conversation with Luke and Tommy, and again, I don’t think anything changed,” Giannis told The Athletic after the win against the Pacers. “I wanted to get back in the game. They looked at me and said, ‘No, it’s not worth it.’ We were up 13, 15. They were like, ‘No, no way, it’s not worth it.‘”
“I’m just going to go back home, sleep, see how I feel tomorrow, try to lift some weights. And if I have a little bit of discomfort, then I’ll go from there. But as of now, I’m not really bothered by it at all.”
With Giannis out, the team faces a bleak future where qualifying for a play-in spot seems far away, but tanking isn’t a viable option. Giannis will likely miss the Bucks’ remaining 15 games, capping an injury-riddled season where he averaged 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game in 36 games played.
The Bucks have struggled without Giannis this season, going 11-20 in his absence and suffering despondent losses like their blowout loss to Boston or their struggles against the blatantly tanking Nets. With fellow frontcourt mate Myles Turner also suffering from injuries, the Bucks will look to Ryan Rollins, Kevin Porter Jr., and Bobby Portis to fill in the missing production. The 28-39 Bucks will continue their season tonight against the 41-27 Cavs.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - NOVEMBER 17: Evan Mobley #4 of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives to the basket against Kyle Kuzma #18 of the Milwaukee Bucks during the first half at Rocket Arena on November 17, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. 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 Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers will try to get back on track as they take on the rudderless Milwaukee Bucks for the fourth and final time this season.
Share your thoughts as the game unfolds. If you aren’t a member of the community, sign up so you can talk to your fellow Cavalier fans and make your voice heard!
Build Your Winning Bracket!
SB Nation’s CBB expert Mike Rutherford and resident bracketologist Chris Dobbertean will answer all your questions this week and help guide you to bracket glory!
MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 15: Manager Mark DeRosa #9 of Team United States leaves the field after removing Paul Skenes #30 (not pictured) from the game against Team Dominican Republic during the fifth inning at loanDepot park on March 15, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Tonight we have the World Baseball Classic final, with the United States squaring off against Venezuela. One game, winner take all.
The lineups are as follows:
USA
Witt — SS
Harper — 1B
Judge — RF
Schwarber — DH
Bregman — 3B
Anthony — LF
Smith — C
Turang — 2B
Buxton — CF
Nolan McLean is the starting pitcher for the USA.
Venezuela
Acuna — RF
Garcia — 3B
Arraez — 1B
Suarez — DH
Torres — 2B
Tovar — SS
Abreu — LF
Perez — C
Chourio — CF
Eduardo Rodriguez starts on the mound for Venezuela.
MIAMI, FL - MARCH 16: Ronald Acuña Jr. #21 of Team Venezuela celebrates hitting an RBI single in the seventh inning during the 2026 World Baseball Classic WBC game presented by Capital One between Team Venezuela and Team Italy at loanDepot park on Monday, March 16, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
At long last, we’ve come to the end. The World Baseball Classic concludes tonight at loanDepot park in Miami, and two teams who have forded adversity in the tournament will compete for the coveted championship. Team USA, the 2017 champions and 2023 runners-up, will host Team Venezuela, who defeated Italy last night to reach their first ever Classic final.
Venezuela’s victory over the plucky Italian squad marked their second consecutive come-from-behind win in an elimination game against an undefeated opponent. They had previously clawed back from a 5-2 deficit against defending champion Japan to prevail 8-5, thanks to outstanding relief pitching and a three-run homer from Red Sox outfielder Wilyer Abreu.
Manager Omar López’s squad relied upon a similar formula against Italy. After starter Keider Montero lost control, López was able to count on clutch performances from relievers Ricardo Sánchez and Luinder Avila to keep Italy’s white-hot offense at bay. When a three-run, seventh-inning rally off Michael Lorenzen gave Venezuela their first lead, the back-end relievers erased all possibility of a counter-rally. Andrés Machado and Daniel Palencia collected a pair of strikeouts apiece in the final two innings to seal the deal.
Of course, Team USA has that defeated Italian team to thank for being in their current position. After shockingly losing 8-6 to Francisco Cervelli’s group in pool play, the Americans only advanced because Italy trounced Mexico the following day. Not content to waste that second opportunity, they beat first-time quarterfinalist Canada 5-3, then found a way to outlast the high-powered Dominican Republic in a 2-1 nailbiter. Now they’re in position to take home their second WBC crown.
Let’s meet the starting pitchers! USA manager Mark DeRosa will be sending Mets rookie Nolan McLean to the hill for this title game. McLean made his Classic debut in that loss to Italy, allowing three runs on a pair of homers while striking out four across three innings. Fans unfamiliar with McLean got to see both his wipeout stuff and his penchant for surrendering the long ball, an issue which has dogged him throughout his time as a professional. He’ll attempt to keep a potent and confident Venezuelan offense in the yard tonight.
On the other end is veteran lefty Eduardo Rodriguez. The 2018 World Series champion has plenty of big game experience, though the most enduring image of him on the big stage is spiking his glove after surrendering a homer to Yasiel Puig. Rodriguez has ridden the struggle bus the past few seasons in Arizona, and had trouble in his first Classic start against the DR—surrendering three runs on three hits despite picking up five strikeouts. He’ll get a chance for redemption against an American lineup that feels like it still hasn’t truly fired on all this cylinders this tournament.
Will the United States send bombs bursting in air? Or will Venezuela dance tambor all night long? Tune in and share your thoughts as the game progresses in this open thread!
MIAMI, FL - MARCH 16: A general view of during the 2026 World Baseball Classic WBC game presented by Capital One between Team Venezuela and Team Italy at loanDepot park on Monday, March 16, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Kelly Gavin/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Jays made a bit of news today:
Jonatan Clase has been optioned to Buffalo. This is his last option year.
And Javen Coleman, Michael Plassmeyer, Geovanny Planchart, Sean Keys, Charles McAdoo and Arjun Nimmala have been assigned to the Jays minor league camp. Some of those guys got a fair bit of playing time, especially after some of the Jays players went to the WBC.
Tonight Ed Rodriguez starts for Venezuela, he was hit pretty hard earlier in the WBC. And, apparently, MLB teams have been asking them not to use any of the pitchers they used yesterday, which seems hardly fair.
Nolan McLean, who was also hit hard earlier, in the WBC. He made one start for the Mets last season. You would think the USA would have someone better.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Memphis Grizzlies guard Scotty Pippen Jr. and forward Santi Aldama will miss the rest of the season after each had surgery on Tuesday.
Pippen had an operation on his right big toe and Aldama had a procedure and injection to address discomfort in his right knee. The team said both procedures were successful and the players will be ready for next season.
The Grizzlies (23-44) have lost eight straight games and entered Tuesday night nine games back in the race for the final play-in berth in the Western Conference. Star Ja Morant has played in only 20 games this season, missing the last 25 with a left elbow injury.
Pippen had a similar procedure in October and didn’t make his season debut until last month. In 10 games, he averaged 11.4 points.
Aldama was averaging 14 points and 6.7 rebounds this season.
