NEW YORK (AP) — NBA owners vote to explore expansion to Las Vegas and Seattle.
Rotation Trust Level: Tightening things up
Even with Monday’s loss to the Pistons, the Lakers are rolling as the season races down the home stretch.
In congruence with the postseason nearing, the rotation for the purple and gold is shrinking. Head coach JJ Redick has picked the nine players he can rely upon the most and only injury has altered things in recent weeks.
While those nine players, and specifically the four off the bench, have gained Redick’s trust, where do they stand with Lakers fans? Let’s dive in.
Starters: Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves, Marcus Smart, LeBron James, Deandre Ayton
Rui Hachimura
While Rui’s raw numbers have dropped over the last two weeks, his efficiency certainly has not. Over the last six games, he’s averaging 7.3 points, but doing it on 55.9% shooting from the field and 42.9% shooting from range.
Luke Kennard
The star of the week off the bench, Kennard had one of the biggest shots of the win streak with his game-winner in Orlando.
As great as that shot and moment was, it cast a shadow over his recent struggles. In his last seven games, Kennard is shooting 37% from the field and 33.3% from the 3-point line.
Hopefully, that shot kickstarts him once again before the playoffs arrive.
Jaxson Hayes
On the flip side, Hayes is heading toward the postseason playing well, not too dissimilar from last season.
Defensively, he’s stepped up and is averaging 1.7 blocks per game over his last six outings. The rebounds are still lower than you’d want at 3.7 per contest, but the high energy level has been noticeable.
Jake LaRavia
LaRavia has the loosest grip on his spot in the rotation of any of the four players. He has offered little offensively, hitting just 33.3% of his threes in the last seven games.
The reason he’s staying in the rotation has been his overall effort level, which shows up in his rebounding and activity on the defensive side of the ball.
But if that dips, then minutes for Jarred Vanderbilt, Maxi Kleber or even someone like Adou Thiero could come in the final weeks.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.
NBA approves vote to explore expansion teams in Seattle and Las Vegas
Pro basketball is seemingly on its way back to Seattle.
The NBA's ownership group has approved the vote to explore adding two new franchises, with expansion team applicants exclusively for the Seattle and Las Vegas markets, the league announced Wednesday, March 25.
"Today’s vote reflects our Board’s interest in exploring potential expansion to Las Vegas and Seattle – two markets with a long history of support for NBA basketball," NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Wednesday, March 25, in a statement. "We look forward to taking this next step and engaging with interested parties."
The NBA Board of Governors are holding their regularly-scheduled meeting at the St. Regis Hotel in Midtown Manhattan, where the vote took place. The league has been targeting the 2028-29 season as the inaugural season for the new expansion franchises. Silver will hold a press conference later in the day.
The NBA has also contracted PJT Partners, an investment bank, to consult on prospective ownership groups, infrastructure and the overall health of the prospective markets.
Over the years, rumors had suggested that Las Vegas, Nevada and Seattle, Washington, have been considered frontrunners to acquire a new franchise.
Now that two cities have been identified, the next steps would be a bidding process for potential owners, and the price tag for ownership is expected to be steep, estimated to be between $7 billion and $ 10 billion.
The league's 30 governors would then vote on the franchises' approval, which requires 23 to vote in the affirmative; thus, it would be the league's first expansion since the Charlotte Bobcats in 2004, which paid a $300 million expansion fee.
The Bobcats rebranded as the Hornets in 2014, and the original Hornets left and relocated to New Orleans. That team has since been renamed the Pelicans.
If Las Vegas is approved, the city would be home to all four major North American sports, with the expansion Vegas Golden Knights starting play in 2017 in the NHL, the NFL's Raiders moving from Oakland in 2020, and the Athletics also moving from Oakland to start its first MLB season in Nevada in 2028. For decades, the league has avoided putting teams in Las Vegas, worried that the state's legal gambling would negatively influence play.
That went away in 2018, after the United States Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, allowing states to legalize betting on sports, and the leagues followed suit, embracing gambling and earning billions more in revenue through sponsorship deals and advertising.
Seattle has been without a professional basketball team since 2008, when the owners failed to secure funds for a new arena, were ultimately sold for $350 million, and relocated to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where they were renamed the Thunder.
The SuperSonics began play in the NBA in 1967, winning six division titles, three conference championships, and the NBA title in 1979 before moving to Oklahoma.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA approves vote to explore expansion teams in Seattle, Las Vegas
Stephon Castle’s impact goes well beyond the stat sheet
Stephon Castle is having himself a season. He has followed up his Rookie of the Year with improvements to every aspect of this game. Averaging 16.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 7.1 assists sounds great, but for a player like Castle, it just doesn’t tell the whole story.
Currently, he doesn’t shoot particularly well, averaging a below-average 51.1 percent effective field goal percentage. That isn’t great, but he’s still one of the most effective players on the court. He brings a number of intangible qualities that don’t quite make it in the box score but do make their effect felt in the win column.
Diving a little deeper, is there a way to quantify more of what Castle brings night after night? Yes. The advanced stats start to shed more light on the Spurs and Castle’s success in a more tangible way.
Plus/minus stats are the first place to look. How does the team do with him on the court versus off? Overall, it’s not a great metric because the data carries so much noise and outliers (such as who he shares the court with) and can be misleading in any particular game, but it’s not a bad place to start when looking at a large sample size. Castle’s raw plus/minus is +5.5. Not bad at all.
Second is his defense. Castle is one of the best point-of-attack defenders out there and a genuine pest to any ball handler in the NBA. Looking at opponent points per 100 possessions, it drops 4.7 points with Castle on the floor, per cleaningtheglass.com. That isn’t all attributable to Castle, but it is notable. It would be surprising if Castle isn’t on an All-Defense team.
Next up is offense, beginning with transition, where the Spurs have been very efficient this season. Per Cleaning the Glass, they are first in points per 100 possessions off live rebounds (+1.9) and 6th in overall points per 100 (+3.4). Where Castle comes in is how often the team is able to get into transition play when on the floor. That transition frequency goes up 2.3 percent (93rd percentile) overall, and 6.3 percent off of live rebounds (97th percentile) with Castle in the game. In short, the team gets rebounds and goes with Castle on the floor.
What about getting to the rim? His shooting may not be there yet, but he gets to the basket. 43 percent of his shots are at the rim (93rd percentile among combo guards). Not only this, Castle is getting fouled on a whopping 20.5 percent of his shots. He isn’t shooting particularly well, but if one out of every five of those shots gets him to the free-throw line, where he shoots 74 percent, he’s making up for it.
Looking at a more sophisticated all-in-one metric, one that tries to pare down the noise to a player’s actual contributions, there is Estimated Plus-Minus from Dunksandthrees.com. He’s at +2.8. For context, that’s 93rd percentile league-wide. Overall, a pretty remarkable figure for a player who is only 21 years old and only going to get better.
All of this is to say that Castle is a winning player. He isn’t out for his own stats and finds ways to impact the game, no matter what that looks like. Now, as this young team enters its first postseason, we’ll see if Castle can keep it up, if not find another gear.
Cade Cunningham injury spurs latest dustup over NBA 65-game rule for awards
The recent injury to Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham could be remembered as the event that ultimately led to the end of the NBA's 65-game eligibility rule for individual awards. That, at least, is the resolution the players' union hopes will come from the awkward situation
The National Basketball Players Association called Cunningham's potential ineligibility for postseason awards "a clear indictment of the 65-game rule and yet another example of why it must be abolished or reformed to create an exception for significant injuries," in a statement released to multipleoutlets on March 24.
Cunningham was diagnosed with a collapsed lung last week after falling to the court in a March 17 game against the Washington Wizards. The Pistons' No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft has been the driving force behind the team's rise to the top of the Eastern Conference standings and would be a top candidate for all-NBA honors with an outside shot at MVP if he meets the league's requirement for games played.
Cunningham has appeared in 61 games this season, but played fewer than 20 minutes on March 17 due to his injury occurring in the first quarter. Under current NBA rules, he must play in five of Detroit's remaining 11 games to be eligible.
"Since its implementation," the NBPA said about the league's rule requiring players to appear in at least 65 of their team's 82 regular-season games in order to receive individual postseason awards, "far too many deserving players have been unfairly disqualified from end-of-season honors by this arbitrary and overly rigid quota.”
The Pistons announced on March 19 that Cunningham would be re-evaluated in two weeks. He's averaging 24.5 points and 9.9 assists per game this season.
The NBPA agreed to the 65-game eligibility clause through collective bargaining and it was introduced ahead of the 2023-24 season as a way to combat load management. The rule has become especially controversial this season, with stars like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry and LeBron James already ineligible for postseason awards and all-NBA candidates Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama right on the edge of being unable to play the required 65 games despite strong seasons.
The NBA does have an exemption giving awards eligibility to a player who appeared in at least 62 regular-season games and suffered a season-ending injury after playing in at least 85% of the regular-season games played by his team prior to the injury. But that does not currently apply to Cunningham since his injury is not considered season-ending.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBPA demands NBA end, change to 65-game rule for Cade Cunningham injury
76ers' Paul George back from suspension for failed drug test, ready for late-season playoff push
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Paul George was set to return to the Philadelphia 76ers' lineup following a 25-game suspension for a failed drug test and play Wednesday night against Chicago.
The Sixers went 13-12 in his absence and began the day at 39-33 and in seventh place in the Eastern Conference standings.
George was suspended in late January for violating the terms of the NBA’s anti-drug program.
In his first public remarks since the suspension, George apologized Tuesday to the team, its fans and his family for the poor judgement that led to his flunked test.
“To let people down hurt more than kind of anything,” George said.
He said his choice to take a banned substance was connected to a mental health issue that developed because of an offseason knee injury that limited his production this season.
“The most difficult thing is when your body isn’t where you know it needs to be or where it once was,” George said. “That leads and bleeds into the mental side of things, knowing that you’re limited. But for me, I feel good, my body is feeling great. Mentally, I know I’m capable of doing what I can do and what I’ve been able to on the court for years.”
George has averaged 16 points in 27 games this season for the Sixers. He had one of his best games of the season in the week he was suspended, a 32-point outburst fueled by nine 3-pointers in a win over Milwaukee.
The 35-year-old George signed a $212 million, four-year contract in free agency ahead of the 2024 season. But his first year in Philly was marred by knee and adductor injuries that resulted in the forward having one of the worst years of his NBA career.
The Sixers also said two-time NBA scoring champion Joel Embiid was questionable against the Bulls after he missed the last 13 games with a right oblique strain. All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey has missed nine straight games with a right finger tendon strain.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
US gets exemption to send 7 women to half marathon worlds after runners led off course in error
MONACO (AP) — Three U.S. runners who were mistakenly led off the course by a guide vehicle in the women’s race at the U.S. half marathon championships will be allowed to compete at the world championships in September, the world track and field governing body said on Wednesday.
World Athletics said it made an “exceptional decision” to allow the U.S. to bring seven runners to the event instead of the usual four. However, only four of them will be entered as “scoring athletes," meaning the other three will not be able to compete for medals or prize money at the world road running championships in Denmark.
World Athletics said it made the decision because of the extraordinary nature of the incident during national qualifying for the event.
Jess McClain was ahead by a wide margin with about 1.5 miles to go on March 2 when she and three other runners followed the guide vehicle on a wrong turn. McClain, who is from Phoenix, ended up finishing ninth. The next two runners who followed her off the course — Emma Hurley of Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Ednah Kurgat of Roswell, Georgia — were 12th and 13th, respectively.
“In working to find a solution, World Athletics has been sympathetic to the impacted athletes who would otherwise miss out on competing at the WRRC Copenhagen 2026, and understanding of the unprecedented situation USATF – one our leading Member Federations – has found itself in,” World Athletics said.
It will be up to the USATF to pick which four athletes are entered as scoring athletes, World Athletics said.
USATF said on X that "we are grateful for their collaboration in helping us honor all the athletes involved in this extraordinary situation.”
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AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports
McDavid Hits Double Milestone in Playoff-Style Win Over Mammoth
Connor McDavid hit a massive double milestone on Tuesday night, scoring twice in the Edmonton Oilers’ 5-2 road win over the Utah Mammoth.
His second-period goal -- an incredible showing of hand-eye coordination on a nice breakaway finish on a feed from Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard -- was his 400th NHL career goal. His empty-netter with eight seconds left in the third period became his 1,200th career point.
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Quick McDavid Career Snapshot
- Games played: 784
- Goals: 401
- Assists: 799
- Points: 1,200
- Plus/minus: +179
He reached 1,200 points in just 784 games — making him the third-fastest player in NHL history to hit that mark, behind only Wayne Gretzky (504 games) and Mario Lemieux (593 games). He’s now the 115th player all-time (and 15th active) to reach 400 goals, and the fifth in Oilers franchise history.
2025-26 Season So Far (72 GP)
- 40 goals (tied for top-4 in the NHL)
- 78 assists (2nd in the NHL)
- 118 points (2nd in the NHL)
- +10, 34 PIM, 261 shots
One game. Two big milestones.
— NHLPA (@NHLPA) March 25, 2026
Congratulations to Connor McDavid, who is now the proud owner of 400 (plus one) NHL goals and 1,200 NHL points. pic.twitter.com/Cl1v197d6m
McDavid has now hit the 40-goal mark in five of his 11 NHL seasons. Even though he still sees himself primarily as a playmaker (needing just one more assist to reach 800 career helpers), he’s been lethal finishing chances this year. The only better season he's had was in 2022-23, when Leon Draisaitl bet he couldn't get 50. McDavid went on to score 64 that season.
This season, coming in, he said he wanted to shoot more. It took several games for him to live up to that promise -- and some drilling from the media with questions about why he wasn't -- before a flip switched. Once it did, he went on a tear.
He remains a treat to watch, and the number of milestones he'll rack up over the course of his career continues to amaze.
Oilers Beat the Mammoth For a Different Reason
However, despite the highlights that McDavid reached two milestones, the game against the Utah Mammoth will be remembered for a different reason. Yes, the Oilers' captain showed off his trademark speed, skill, and clutch timing in a big Western Conference matchup. No, that's not why the Oilers won the game.
For starters, Jack Roslovic scored two, and Matt Savoie scored shorthanded. Evan Bouchard finished the night with three assists. Getting help from others was essential.
But the really big difference was their all-around defensive effort. It was the key to the victory. Edmonton played the game as though it were a postseason matchup. They were physical, and they were staunch defensively. The Oilers limited the Mammoth to three shots in the first period and 18 shots overall. With a fragile Tristan Jarry in net, the Oilers never allowed the Mammoth to really test their netminder.
The question now will be what the Oilers do next.
Do the Oilers Go Back to Jarry?
Head coach Kris Knoblauch has a tendency to shuffle the lines. It will be intriguing to see if he keeps them as is. He's also got a decision to make in goal. Jarry was fine, but was he good enough that he earned a second-straight start? It's been Connor Ingram in goal a lot lately. Jarry needs the chance to find his game and if he gets hot, giving him starts would be wise. However, the Oilers were so good at limiting chances on Tuesday that it's difficult to know if Jarry really had it. Not much was asked of him.
When asked how he felt about his game, "Just doing my thing and trying to grow with every period and every shot." He gave most of the credit to his teammates, who he said were awesome. "They played awesome, but I think it started from the very beginning. They were doing everything in their power, they were blocking shots, they're getting pucks deep, and I think when we're playing with that kind of urgency, it helps, and it was a great game."
"Overall, I thought it was a good game on our part," said Knoblauch. "I think we managed the ups and downs."
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Grading the Mavericks: Cooper Flagg is the Rookie of the Year
The Mavericks were 0-3 this past week and remain in 13th place in the West. Defense was optional during their losing streak, as the Mavericks lost three barn burners to Atlanta (135-120), the Clippers (138-131), and Golden State (137-131). Cooper Flagg led the team in scoring with 22.3 points per game.
Grade: C+
The Mavericks hung tough with the Clippers and Warriors. In both games, they attempted a shot to win in regulation, and both were facilitated by Cooper Flagg (one was a shot he took, and one was a pass to the guy who shot). Neither play was successful, and Dallas lost both overtimes in a similar way: by running out of steam. The games are starting to run together as the season reaches the final stages.
Daniel Gafford continues his resurgence and now owns the fourth-most 20-point games ever without a miss. Naji Marshall and P.J. Washington maintained steady play, averaging 16.0 and 17.7 points over the last three games, respectively. Klay Thompson heard my criticism from last week and made 13 of the 23 threes he attempted. Max Christie’s play has leveled back out with a 12-of-25 shooting performance over his last 86 minutes.
The Mavericks have a quick road trip out west this week to Denver and Portland before they return home to face Minnesota next Monday.
Straight A’s: Cooper Flagg
The Mavericks have 10 games left before the 2025-26 campaign is a wrap. Flagg is currently averaging 20.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 0.9 blocks, and 1.1 steals per game. All of these rank in the top-five among rookies, and his points per game ranks 33rd among all 450-plus players in the NBA. He is outscoring guys like Karl-Anthony Towns and DeMar DeRozan, and yet, according to FanDuel, Flagg is not the favorite to win rookie of the year. That honor goes to Kon Knueppel, who is having a fantastic rookie season. But he is not Cooper Flagg.
Flagg is coming off of his eighth 30-point game of the season, which ties Luka Doncic for second-most in franchise history for a rookie, and seventh-most in the last 30 years of the NBA. His 56 blocks this season place him behind Dereck Lively as the only Mavericks rookies to record 50-plus blocks since 2004 (Josh Howard, 54). The 277 assists he has dished out are fourth behind Dennis Smith Jr., Luka Doncic, and current head coach Jason Kidd in the Mavericks rookie ranks. He has done a little of everything, and all at the ripe age of 19.
In the one head-to-head matchup between the two, Flagg had 49 points and 10 rebounds. But, in what is likely the reason Knueppel is ahead of Flagg in the race, the Hornets won that game. I am not sure if there has ever been a rookie of the year race decided by team success. It is not usually a relevant statistic, given that a lot of these guys are drafted to bad teams. If that ends up being the reason Knueppel wins, so be it. Flagg will just beat him to more important awards. But it shouldn’t be the reason Flagg loses, because if you watch the two of them play consistently, it is clear who the better rookie is. And it is the guy who plays in Dallas.
Currently Failing: Khris Middleton
Last week, I mentioned that “The Unction” (Klay Thompson and Khris Middleton) was huffing and puffing to get to the finish line. Thompson found some life, but Middleton seemingly keeled over and gasped for air after I wrote that. This past week was one of the worst he has had in recent memory. He made just one of every three shots he took, and played under 20 minutes in each game (this includes two overtime contests). He turned it over five times while recording just three assists and has not reached 10 points in six consecutive games. That is especially hilarious because the seventh game was a 35-point explosion in Memphis. There is no one more eager to get to the offseason than Middleton.
Extra Credit: Marvin Bagley III
Bagley has been a gem after he was seemingly a throw-in to the Anthony Davis trade. He has given Dallas a great boost at center off the bench, so much so that he has made a case to be the team’s backup next season. What really separated him from Daniel Gafford or Dwight Powell, however, has been his willingness to take open threes. He took four this week and made three, and if he can build on that going into the offseason, he will find himself a home in Dallas.
Takeaways from the Ducks 5-3 Win over the Canucks
To begin one of their final road trips of the season, the Anaheim Ducks headed to British Columbia to take on the Vancouver Canucks, the NHL’s 32nd-ranked team.
The Ducks were coming off one of the more entertaining games of the 2025-26 season on Sunday, when they defeated the Buffalo Sabres 6-5 in overtime. The Ducks were looking to extend their Pacific Division lead over the Edmonton Oilers and extend their winning streak to three games.
Takeaways from the Ducks 6-5 OT Win over the Sabres
Ducks Sign Herman Träff to Entry-Level Contract
The Canucks entered this game as the NHL’s bottom team by a sizable 15-point margin and the runaway leader to enter May’s NHL Draft Lottery with the best odds to win the #1 overall pick. They had lost three of their last four games coming into this one.
Radko Gudas re-entered the Ducks lineup in this game after serving his five-game suspension for kneeing Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews on March 12. As a result, and after a few subpar performances, Olen Zellweger observed this game from the press box as a healthy scratch.
Here’s how the Ducks lined up in this game:
Kreider-Carlsson-Terry
Killorn-Granlund-Sennecke
Viel-Poehling-Gauthier
McTavish-Washe-Harkins
LaCombe-Trouba
Mintyukov-Carlson
Moore-Gudas
Lukas Dostal got his 48th start of the season in this game and stopped 27 of the 30 shots he faced. In the Vancouver crease stood Kevin Lankanen, who saved 29 of 33.
Game Notes
This game is yet another where the Ducks have embraced their track meet style, where they exchange chances, with the confidence that they can outscore their problems, outchance their opponents, and outfinish. Jansen Harkens sustained an upper-body injury early in this game, after just three shifts, and Beckett Sennecke didn’t see the ice for the final 17:38 of this game due to a poor turnover.
This game was relatively even in shots on goal (26-24) and shot attempts at 5v5 (49-49), but the Canucks got the majority of the quality chances, winning the expected goals battle 3.6-3.19.
Breakouts: The Ducks had struggles advancing pucks beyond their defensive blueline against Vancouver’s relatively passive forecheck. The Canucks’ defensemen were calculated with their pinches, and F2 challenged against set breakouts, causing multiple turnovers at the Ducks’ blue that they then turned into quick odd-man counters with forwards flying up ice.
John Carlson: Carlson’s dynamism isn’t what it may have once been, but his efficient movements in transition, lane reading, and clever manipulation of defensive structures led to his high point total in this game and created several chances. He’s gained enough reps throughout his career to understand exactly how much pressure he can apply deep in the offensive zone before needing to retreat and switch back toward the blueline.
Mason McTavish: McTavish is still earning his way back into a more prominent role on this team heading down the stretch. In this game, with traditional winger responsibilities, he was careful with pucks, pressured pucks in every zone, and was a part of a few extended cycle sequences. He capitalized with his quick release, earning himself a game-winning tally, but in a game where Sennecke didn’t see much ice in the third period, and Harkins sustained an injury early, one would like to see McTavish grab more of his shifts by the horns, driving play, winning battles in small areas, and generating chances.
Beckett Sennecke: Sennecke’s confidence and ability have, in turn, given the Ducks coaching staff confidence in him to outproduce his mistakes, learn from them, and avoid repeating them in the future. He made a poor decision on the rush in overtime that led to a game-ending goal against the Philadelphia Flyers a week prior to this game, and he made a similar, yet less dangerous mistake that led to a tying goal early in the third.
It was a rookie mistake made by a rookie forward that could have found its way to a trailing Killorn, who could have gotten off a high-danger shot. However, it wasn’t the most optimal read, as the far side defenseman had activated, so if that pass didn’t connect, it would likely go the other way on an odd-man rush, as it did.
One hopes he’s earned enough of the coaching staff’s trust and impacts plays positively more often than not, that this won’t lead to a decrease in role or healthy scratch. The Ducks will likely need the instant offense he can provide on a shift-by-shift basis.
The Ducks will next head to Alberta to take on former teammate Ryan Strome and the Calgary Flames on Thursday.
Ducks Prospect Maxim Masse Wins QMJHL Scoring Title
"The Whole Room Is Mad": Red Wings Lament Missed Opportunity After Costly Loss To Senators
It was one of the biggest opportunities of the 2025-26 NHL Season for the Detroit Red Wings to prove that this year would be different than seasons past.
They faced a fatigued Ottawa Senators team that had not only played the night before but was also missing its top two defensemen, instead dressing a pair of rookies in their first NHL contests.
Instead, it was the Senators who jumped out to a 3-0 lead, eventually holding on for a 3-2 victory at Little Caesars Arena on Tuesday evening to leapfrog Detroit in the standings by a point.
Ottawa now occupies the second Wild Card postseason spot in the Eastern Conference, while Detroit's margin of error continues to shrink.
The latest missed opportunity by the Red Wings had their dressing room in a frustrated mood, according to team captain Dylan Larkin, who returned to the lineup after a seven-game absence.
"The room is mad, the guys are mad. That was a big game for our hockey team," Larkin said in the dressing room afterward. "And unfortunately, for how well we played against those guys all year and this one tonight, it kind of wipes away our record against those guys.
That was a big game, but we're going into Buffalo on Friday night. We have to pick ourselves back up, and that's mental toughness."
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For the second straight game, the Red Wings appeared to take a 1–0 lead, only to have the goal wiped out—just as it was in their loss to the Boston Bruins on Saturday night.
This time, instead of the clock expiring by just 0.2 seconds, replays showed that Detroit had entered the zone an inch offside.
Rather than taking a 1–0 lead, Detroit was soon penalized and ultimately fell behind 1–0 on a power-play goal by Brady Tkachuk.
But according to head coach Todd McLellan, there was no use in crying over spilled milk.
“There are rules in play for certain reasons, we ran out of time the other night against Boston, and we were clearly offside on the entry," he said. "If the linesman picked that up and made the right call, we wouldn’t even be talking about the goal that didn’t count. That’s why the rules are there.”
The Red Wings had earned victories in each of their three games against the Senators leading up to their final contest of the season.
However, the Senators continued to frustrate Detroit in March, in matchups with significant playoff implications.
As has been the case over the past two seasons, the Red Wings have now seen their playoff cushion completely vanish.
Defenseman Moritz Seider admitted that Detroit's level of urgency likely wasn’t where it needed to be in the first half of the contest, while adding that it’s up to the group to find a solution.
“Obviously, we've been in that situation before,” Seider said. “We know how much it can stink, we'd better come up with an answer for that. It's all on us right now.”
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Lakers vs Pacers Prediction, Picks & Odds for Tonight’s NBA Game
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Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves was the beating heart of the team’s recent winning run, logging major minutes during L.A.’s nine-game streak. But with that red-hot stretch coming to an end at Detroit on Monday, and a matchup with the lowly Indiana Pacers on deck, the spunky shooting guard will see his floor time dip.
My Lakers vs. Pacers predictions read into tonight’s game script, and my NBA picks see Reaves coming up short on the scoresheet on Wednesday, March 25.
Lakers vs Pacers prediction
Lakers vs Pacers best bet: Austin Reaves Under 22.5 points (-110)
During the Los Angeles Lakers’ winning streak, head coach J.J. Redick tightened his rotation and really leaned into the starters.
That had Austin Reaves averaging a team high 38.8 minutes per game over the past 10 showings — more than five minutes above his season average.
That additional floor time came with a boost in offensive activity. Reaves’ field goal attempts jumped from 14.8 to 16.5 per contest, and he scored 23.4 points during this span, including a few 30-point efforts.
Reaves’ spike in scoring had him topping his player points prop in six of the last nine outings, including dropping 24 points versus a prop total of 20.5 O/U against the Detroit Pistons.
Los Angeles has played in several tight games during this recent run, with eight of the 10 spreads closing below five points. Tonight’s point spread versus the Indiana Pacers, however, is set at -10.5. Game script says Los Angeles cruises to an easy win, limiting Reaves’ late-game usage.
We could see Redick gear down his starters in this final stop on a six-game road swing. Monday’s loss to Detroit burns any incentive to keep the streak going, and he has to be careful to protect his top talents for the final nine games, as the Lakers try to hang on to the No. 3 seed in the West.
Reaves’ player projections range from 22.1 to 20.1 points. My number comes out to 21.25, which should have the Under 22.5 priced around -140. We can get that same total at a flat -110 at bet365.
Lakers vs Pacers same-game parlay
The spread and game models say the Lakers pick up where they left off, bouncing back from Monday’s loss. Los Angeles is trying to keep Denver at bay in the Western Conference standings.
Jarace Walker has been solid from outside. The Pacers forward has made two or more 3-pointers in six straight games, and is a much better shooter from deep at home (40.9% vs. 33.5% road).
Lakers vs Pacers SGP
- Lakers moneyline
- Austin Reaves Under 22.5 points
- Jarace Walker Over 1.5 3-pointers
Our "from downtown" SGP: Going through the paces
The Pacers snuffed out a streak of their own last time out, snapping a 17-game losing skid with a win over Orlando. If Los Angeles is in a bit of a letdown after the loss Monday, all those points add quite a cushion for the home team.
Lakers vs Pacers SGP
- Pacers +10.5
- Jarace Walker Over 1.5 3-pointers
- Pascal Siakam Over 5.5 rebounds
- Jay Huff Over 10.5 points
Lakers vs Pacers odds
- Spread: Lakers -10.5 | Pacers +10.5
- Moneyline: Lakers -550 | Pacers +400
- Over/Under: Over 239.5 | Under 239.5
Lakers vs Pacers betting trend to know
For as bad as the Pacers are, they’re 12-7 ATS (63%) as double-digit underdogs this season. Find more NBA betting trends for Lakers vs. Pacers.
How to watch Lakers vs Pacers
| Location | Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN |
| Date | Wednesday, March 25, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | SPECSN, FDSN-IN |
Lakers vs Pacers latest injuries
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Spurs vs Grizzlies Prediction, Picks & Odds for Tonight’s NBA Game
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Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs visit the Memphis Grizzlies tonight at the FedExForum, with tip-off scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.
Second-year guard Stephon Castle has been in his bag, and my Spurs vs Grizzlies predictions expect him to show out.
Read more in my NBA picks for Wednesday, March 25.
Spurs vs Grizzlies prediction
Spurs vs Grizzlies best bet: Stephon Castle Over 17.5 points (+100)
While Victor Wembanyama gets a ton of credit for the San Antonio Spurs’ success, other pieces have also been key to their rise to the second-best team in the Western Conference.
Stephon Castle is a perfect example.
The 21-year-old is averaging 16.5 points per game, cashing the Over in points in five of his last seven contests.
Castle has hit the Over in two of his last three road outings, also scoring 23 last week against the Los Angeles Clippers. The Memphis Grizzlies are an easier matchup for shooting guards, allowing 22.8 ppg to the position.
Also, Castle’s backcourt mate, De’Aaron Fox, won’t play in Memphis due to back soreness. That means the young guard will have a heavier workload for the Spurs.
In nine games without Fox, Castle has averaged 18.9 points.
Spurs vs Grizzlies same-game parlay
Wemby just dropped 26 against the Heat, and he’s cashed the Over in five of his last nine appearances. The big man is averaging 24.3 ppg overall and 26.6 per outing in March.
Wembanyama already erupted for 30 earlier in the campaign vs. Memphis, and he’ll also benefit from Fox’s absence with more offensive workload.
Dylan Harper is a sparkplug off the bench for the Spurs, and he’s one of their better playmakers. Harper is averaging 3.8 dimes per game, and he just dished out six assists on Monday evening.
The Rutgers product had finished with five dimes in four of five games before Monday, and without Fox — an elite facilitator — he’ll be tasked with stepping up as a passer.
Spurs vs Grizzlies SGP
- Stephon Castle Over 16.5 points
- Victor Wembanyama Over 26.5 points
- Dylan Harper Over 5.5 assists
Our "from downtown" SGP: Spur of the moment
The Spurs are averaging 119.2 ppg this season, which ranks third in the Association. They’ve cashed the Over in three of their last four, and San Antonio just scored 136 against the Heat.
They’ve hit the Over in team points in two of the last four meetings with Memphis, who is 22nd in defensive rating.
Keldon Johnson has cashed the Over in triples in back-to-back contests and in three of his last four appearances. He’s 5-for-9 from downtown across his last two games alone.
Spurs vs Grizzlies SGP
- Victor Wembanyama Over 26.5 points
- Dylan Harper Over 5.5 assists
- Spurs team total Over 124.5
- Keldon Johnson Over 1.5 threes
Spurs vs Grizzlies odds
- Spread: Spurs -16.5 (-115) | Grizzlies +16.5 (-105)
- Moneyline: Spurs -1600 | Grizzlies +900
- Over/Under: Over 232.5 | Under 232.5
Spurs vs Grizzlies betting trend to know
The Spurs have hit the moneyline in 27 of their last 40 away games (+29.25 Units / 32% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Spurs vs. Grizzlies.
How to watch Spurs vs Grizzlies
| Location | FedExForum, Memphis, TN |
| Date | Wednesday, March 25, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 8:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | FDSN-SW, FDSN SE-MEM |
Spurs vs Grizzlies latest injuries
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The Morning After: Wait… Are the Senators Really Doing This?
It was the Ottawa Senators' biggest game of the season, and while they've been on a fantastic run, everything seemed to be working against them as they prepared for the Red Wings in Detroit on Tuesday night.
They were in game two of a back-to-back with travel, playing the night before with four defensemen. They had five defensemen out with injury, including their best two, Jake Sanderson and Thomas Chabot.
They had two kids on D making their NHL debuts against a well-rested Detroit team, which enjoyed home ice and last change to try to capitalize on the potential mistakes of the first-timers. The Wings were 3-0 against the Sens this season and needed this one to return to a playoff position.
And just before the game, they learned that Dylan Larkin, the Wings captain who always gives the Senators fits, would be ready to return from injury.
It seemed like a magnificent recipe for disaster, complete with a chef's kiss, until the Senators reminded us all why we play the games. They marched right into Detroit and handed the Red Wings a 3-2 loss, moving into a playoff spot for the first time in almost four months.
And it was one of the kids, who were described in Detroit as liabilities, who helped lead the way.
Carter Yakemchuk, the Senators' top prospect, had a goal and an assist in his NHL debut. He had a large contingent of family and friends who hustled from Alberta to Michigan once the 20-year-old got the call.
“This was a really special night,” Yakemchuk told the media afterward. “It was awesome to be a part of this win.”
While he and Brady Tkachuk helped set the table with a goal and an assist, it was Linus Ullmark who helped preserve the victory. The Wings battled back from a 3-0 deficit and pressed hard in the late going, but Ullmark stepped up big to preserve the win, stopping 32 shots (.941).
Things didn't start so well when former Senator Alex DeBrincat appeared to give Detroit a 1-0 lead in the first, but the Senators took it off the board with a successful offside challenge. Less than two minutes later, Brady Tkachuk's 20th goal of the season gave the Senators a 1-0 lead.
The very sudden two-goal swing marked a heavy shift in mindset for both teams.
The Senators then opened up a 3-0 lead on two quick goals midway through the second period, on precision shots from Yakemchuk and Lars Eller.
Yakemchuk showed great poise on his goal, especially for a rookie. He accepted a D-to-D pass from Artem Zub, and instead of blasting it as soon as he could, he saw that no one was coming out to challenge him. So, he calmly took the extra ten feet of real estate available before ripping a snapshot past Gibson.
Eller's goal came from some fine board work from Tkachuk. As he corralled the puck, he laid a reverse check on his defender to buy time and find Eller in a perfect shooting position in the slot. Eller made no mistake, giving the Sens a 3-0 advantage.
And despite the late charge by the Wings after goals by Dominik Shine and Dylan Larkin, they couldn't find the equalizer.
Since January 25, the Senators' record is now 15-3-2, which is starting to move into Hamburglar Run territory, when the team finished 20-3-3 to make the 2015 playoffs. They now hold Wild Card position 2, tied with the Islanders in points at 85 points, but the Isles have played one more game.
Ottawa actually got quite a bit of help from the Tuesday out-of-town scoreboard for a change, led by a favour from the Toronto Maple Leafs, of all teams. They defeated the Boston Bruins 4-2. The Islanders lost to Chicago 4-2, and Pittsburgh fell to Colorado 6-2.
Tuesday scores that didn't favour the Senators include Montreal taking down Carolina and Columbus defeating the Flyers.
On Wednesday night, the Sens will pick up a game in hand on the Bruins, who have a back-to-back of their own, facing the Sabres in Buffalo. Joonas Korpisalo, who the Senators are still paying, starts for Boston. It would be nice if the Sens got something for their money.
Then on Thursday, it's another crucial battle* with the Senators hosting Pittsburgh.
* Spoiler: they're all crucial battles now.
The Senators deserve major credit for forcing their way back into the playoff race with 11 games left. Getting there was tough. Staying there will be tougher, especially with the injuries.
But after that gutsy effort in Detroit, it’s hard to bet against them.
Steve Warne
The Hockey News
Butler hires former player Ronald Nored as men's basketball coach
Butler named Ronald Nored as its next men's basketball coach Wednesday, March 25.
Nored, 36, will be the 25th coach in program history, replacing Thad Matta after his retirement following the 2025-26 season. Nored is first coach hired by athletic director Grant Leiendecker, a former Butler basketball player who took over for outgoing AD Barry Collier in December of 2024.
Nored told the Atlanta Hawks, where he was an assistant coach, Wednesday morning, Leiendecker sharing a photo of the moment on Twitter.
"The term ‘dream job’ doesn’t do justice to how I feel about the opportunity to lead the Butler program," Nored said in a release. "Butler is an incredibly special place. As a player, I poured blood, sweat and tears into this program. No one appreciates both the responsibility and the potential that comes with this position more than me. Passionate fans, Hinkle Fieldhouse, the Big East, storied tradition, a world-class education, a thriving city … there is incredible momentum at Butler right now and I can’t wait to hit the ground running as we elevate Butler to new heights."
Nored emerged as a candidate to replace Matta due to his strong relationship with Leiendecker. Nored and Leiendecker played together at Butler for three seasons, including Butler's back-to-back national championship runner-up teams in 2010 and 2011. Of the potential coaching candidates, Nored was the only one without head-coaching experience at the college level, but his relationship with Leiendecker provides a level of familiarity and comfort for the AD.
“In a rapidly evolving college basketball landscape, our priority was identifying the absolute best leader to spearhead the future of Butler Basketball. Ronald Nored is that leader,” Leiendecker said.
“Ron is a relentless worker with an elite basketball IQ and a proven track record of developing talent at the highest level of basketball. He is the ultimate competitor, and he will cultivate that same quality within his team and staff. He is a gifted relationship builder who commands respect through his character and his craft. While he understands the soul of this university, we didn't hire him for his history here — we hired him for his vision of what we can become and how we will get there. His experience in the NBA provides us with a distinct competitive advantage as we navigate this new era of college basketball. He will attract an elite staff and student-athletes and build deep relationships within the Butler and Indianapolis communities. I have total confidence that Ron will put his own fingerprints on this program, set a new standard for our student-athletes, and elevate Butler Basketball to new heights.”
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Butler hires Ronald Nored as next men's basketball coach