Category: Sports News

Worldwide Sports News

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Premier League and Carabao Cup: things to look out for this weekend

Igor Thiago looms over Leeds, Newcastle need to bounce back from Barça and Viktor Gyökeres aims for hero status

Though Manchester United continued to win after playing brilliantly against Manchester City and Arsenal in Michael Carrick’s first two games as manager, the quality and coherence of their performances decreased thereafter. Lacking balance without the injured Patrick Dorgu, they’ve been rescued on three separate occasion by Benjamin Sesko’s goals – goals which eventually forced him into the team at the expense of Amad Diallo. But though Amad is easier to omit than Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, both of whom are older, dearer and more productive, without him United lacked a dribbler: a player eager to run at opponents, who isn’t necessarily seeking the quickest route to goal, and whose quick feet in tight spaces are invaluable against disciplined defences. It is no coincidence that on his return to the starting XI, against Villa last weekend, United delivered their best display since those early weeks. Though, at some point soon, Sesko’s form will again demand his inclusion, this time it is unlikely to be Amad who makes way. Daniel Harris

Bournemouth v Manchester United, Friday 8pm

Brighton v Liverpool, Saturday 12.30pm

Fulham v Burnley, Saturday 3pm

Everton v Chelsea, Saturday 5.30pm

Leeds v Brentford, Saturday 8pm

Newcastle v Sunderland, Sunday 12pm

Continue reading...
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'Nobody would play us': High Point coach gives fiery interview after Wisconsin upset

Flynn Clayman has led what is thus far the biggest upset of March Madness on Thursday, March 19, leading No. 12 seed High Point to an 83-82 victory over No. 5 seed Wisconsin.

Mere moments after securing the biggest win of his young coaching career, Clayman let his feelings be known on the sentiment mid-majors "don't play anybody."

Toppmeyer: Miami (Ohio) shows it belongs in March Madness. Pipe down, Bruce Pearl

In a postgame interview with TBS' Jared Greenberg, Clayman gave a fiery interview, saying, "We played somebody now."

"It looks pretty obvious to me that high-majors need to play mid-majors during the season," Clayman said. "Because they said we ain't played nobody? We played somebody now."

Asked how the win feels, Clayman continued, "It feels unreal, because nobody would play us, just like they wouldn't play Miami (Ohio). But they got to play us in this tournament."

REQUIRED READING: Miami (Ohio) shows it belongs in March Madness. Pipe down, Bruce Pearl

Speaking in his postgame news conference, Clayman continued by saying his team deserved the opportunity to be at March Madness — and that they weren't just happy to be here, either.

"High Point and Miami (Ohio) are 2-1 in Quad 1 games. We couldn't get games. They couldn't get games," Clayman said. "Akron, UNC Wilmington, Belmont couldn't get games. We won 22 of our last 23 games and we didn't move up one spot in the metrics. Not one. We won 22 of our 23. We've won 25 games by double-digits.

"That team (Wisconsin) right there is a fantastic team that beat five top-10 teams. If we can get games like this on neutral courts and some home games, I think we'd know who's really the best teams. I'm proud of these dudes. We're not just here to win one game; we're here to get to the Sweet 16."

Clayman's comments come after Miami (Ohio)'s metrics were questioned ahead of Selection Sunday, with former Auburn coach-turned-basketball analyst Bruce Pearl publicly stumping for the Tigers over the RedHawks. Pearl pointed to the RedHawks' poor strength of schedule and early exit in the MAC Tournament as reasons why other teams were more deserving.

As it stands now, High Point and Miami (Ohio) are a combined 2-0 in the 2026 Men's NCAA Tournament and are slated to play No. 4 seed Arkansas and No. 6 seed Tennessee, respectively.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: High Point coach Flynn Clayman viral postgame interview after Wisconsin upset

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Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell misses game against Bulls because of bruised left eye

CHICAGO (AP) — Cleveland star Donovan Mitchell missed the Cavaliers' game Thursday night against the Chicago Bulls because of a bruised left eye.

Mitchell was hurt in a collision in practice with Evan Mobley. The seven-time All-Star played through the injury in Cleveland’s victory at Milwaukee on Tuesday night and finished with 19 points on 4-for-14 shooting. He said after the game that he was having trouble seeing.

Coach Kenny Atkinson said the injury is “nothing serious,” but the Cavaliers need to “let it clear up.”

Mitchell is eighth in the NBA in scoring at 28 points per game while shooting a career-high 47.9%. He’s averaging 5.9 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.6 steals.

The Cavaliers entered the day fourth in the Eastern Conference at 42-27. They trailed New York by 2 1/2 games and led Toronto by 2 1/2.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

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Why No. 1 seed Arizona built with freshmen, not 'overpriced' transfers

SAN DIEGO – No other freshman class in America has scored more points this season than the five active freshmen on the Arizona men’s basketball team. They have combined for 1,461 points, which leads the nation heading into the NCAA Tournament this week, according to data provided by USA TODAY Sports by Stats Perform.

Which is pretty darn remarkable for two big reasons:

1. This team is on fire. The Wildcats (32-2) have won nine consecutive games and will start the tournament here as a No. 1 seed against Long Island University on Friday, March 20.

2. This kind of youth movement goes against conventional wisdom these days. Isn’t older supposed to be better in the era of wide-open player transfers?

More: John Calipari unleashed Darius Acuff by taking page out of NBA book

More: High Point upset was going to take everything — including a first layup of the season

Wildcats coach Tommy Lloyd instead took a different approach than many others last year, veering away from the transfer portal, where more experienced players typically seek to earn more money from their names, images and likenesses (NIL).

“We were able to get involved with some freshmen that we felt could be just big-time impact players in college basketball, no matter what year or what class they were,” Lloyd told USA TODAY Sports on Thursday.

He had a strategy for it, as he explained Thursday.

Why Arizona built its roster this way

One reason Lloyd built his roster this way was because didn’t think there were going to be many “quality” transfers available in the portal.

Money was a factor, too.

“I thought it was going to be overpriced,” Lloyd said.

Then there was the Duke factor. Duke beat Arizona twice last year with several freshman players, including future No. 1 NBA draft pick Cooper Flagg. Duke even started three freshmen in the Final Four last year while other Final Four teams started mostly seniors. Lloyd noticed.

By the end of the season, Lloyd said the Blue Devils didn’t seem young.

“I just thought they were really good.”

The risks of a freshman-heavy roster at Arizona

Arizona lists seven total freshman players on its roster of 16, including Bryce James, son of LeBron, who is redshirting this year but still drums up interest in his team by having the fourth-biggest social-media following in Division I basketball as of this month, according to Opendorse.

It’s the kind of roster construction that is reminiscent of a bygone era in college sports — recruiting big freshman classes, developing those players and sometimes even redshirting some of them. The problem for Lloyd is that it comes with risk.

The good ones will leave for the NBA after a year. Others might even transfer away in pursuit of more money.

Such freshman-heavy teams also often don’t work out this well, unless they include superstar NBA prospects like Duke freshman forward Cameron Boozer or Arkansas freshman guard Darius Acuff.

Consider the 13 teams that invested eight roster spots or more in freshman players this season, all more than Arizona, according to Stats Perform. Only two of those 13 earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament — SMU and Queens University. New Haven listed the most freshmen on its roster this season with 11 but finished with a 14-17 record.

But there are outliers.

“Age don’t matter,” 19-year-old Arizona freshman guard Dwayne Aristode told USA TODAY Sports. “If you’re good, you’re good.”

How Tommy Lloyd built this roster

Lloyd searches for top players overseas and has eight players from other countries, including freshman forward Ivan Kharchenkov from Germany, Aristode from The Netherlands and 6-11 freshman forward Sidi Gueye from Senegal.

Lloyd also has five transfer players, including senior guard Jaden Bradley, who came to Arizona from Alabama in 2023.

But 49.9% of the team’s scoring has come from five freshmen, who were part of a recruiting class that ranked No. 2 nationally behind fellow No. 1-seed Duke. These Arizona freshmen have scored even more than the four freshman contributors at Duke, which ranked second nationally in freshman scoring before the tournament with 1,417 points, more than half of which comes from Boozer.

The difference is Arizona’s freshmen aren’t projected to be high-lottery NBA draft prospects like Boozer. The Wildcats instead spread it around more between freshman guard Brayden Burries (15.9 points per game), freshman forward Koa Peat (13.6) and Kharchenkov (10.1).

Now comes the NCAA Tournament.

How will freshmen handle this environment?

Arizona senior forward Tobe Awaka had simple answer for this.

“Don't try and reinvent the wheel,” he said Thursday at Viejas Arena in San Diego.

Lloyd doesn’t see a problem.

“I haven't sensed that our freshmen don't know what this is about,” Lloyd said. “And I told our freshmen, 'Hey, you guys won a state championship?' Yeah. Then let's go win another state championship. And the way you win a state championship, you win a state championship game by game.  This just happens to have the word 'national' in front of it.  But it's no different approach.

Ranking college basketball teams with most points by freshmen in 2025-26

As of March 17 in Division I, according to Stats Perform:

  1. Arizona 1461
  2. Duke  1417
  3. Arkansas 1334
  4. Central Arkansas 1326
  5. New Mexico  1275
  6. Fairfield 1270
  7. North Carolina-Greensboro 1149
  8. Colorado 1138
  9. Air Force 1123
  10. Houston 1119

Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Arizona basketball enters March Madness with roster led by freshmen

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Nashville Predators Goalie Juuse Saros Out vs. Seattle Kraken With Upper-Body Injury

The Nashville Predators will be without their starting goalie in one of the most important games of the season. 

It was announced ahead of Thursday's game against the Seattle Kraken that Juuse Saros is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. He was reportedly injured during morning skate. 

Justus Annuen will start in his place with Matt Murray as the late call-up from Milwaukee. 

This is the first injury that Saros has officially sustained this season, and the Predators have gone as he has. Saros has a 24-19-7 record this season with a 3.14 goals-against and .894 save percentage. 

His last start was a 4-3 shootout win over the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday, where he made 36 saves on 39 shots, and stopped all three of the Jets in the shootout. 

Annunen sits at 6-9-2 on the year with a 3.10 goals against and a .890 save percentage. Murray has not played for the Predators this season and has not played an NHL game since the 2023-24 season, when he was with the Dallas Stars. 

Thursday's matchup is critical, as a Predators victory would tie the Kraken for the final Wild Card spot. A loss would set the Predators four points behind Seattle in the playoff race. 

Puck-drop is at 7 p.m. CST at Bridgestone Arena. 

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Rays Spring Breakout Game to be played Tonight

PORT CHARLOTTE, FL - MARCH 03: Theo Gillen (24) of the Tampa Bay Rays looks on during a spring training game against the Philadelphia Phillies on March 03, 2026 at Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte, Florida. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Spring Breakout games have arrived.

For those unaware, the Spring Breakout is when MLB host a series of games from each teams with rosters consisting of that organization’s top prospects.

This year, the Rays will have two of Baseball America’s top 100 prospects on their roster,

Starting in 2027, the Spring Breakout will be turned into a single-elimination tourament with champions being crowned in both the Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues. However, 2026 will just be a exhibition game.

This year, the Rays prospects will take on a team of prospects from the New York Mets system at Clover Park in St. Lucie with first pitch scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET which can be seen on MLB.tv, Amazon, MLB.com, and MLB Network.

Among the Rays prospects making up the roster are outfielder Theo Gillen, who was the Rays first round selection in 2024 and most recently ranked as the 64th best prospect in the game by Baseball America (2nd in the Rays system). Recently acquired Jacob Melton will also be there as well as 2025 first round pick Daniel Pierce.

Sluggling first baseman Xavier Isaac put on a show during the first Spring Breakout games in 2024 and will be making another appearances for the Rays tonight. The former first rounded had a lost 2025 campaign after undergoing surgery to remove a brain tumor last July, however, he appears fully healthy now and has been crushing the ball in Spring Training.

Carson Williams was slated to participate, he homered during last year’s games, but an injury to Taylor Walls may have opened a spot on the Rays active roster. So, Williams has rejoined the Rays big league camp and may just be the team’s Opening Day starting shortstop.

Some notable pitchers taking the mound will be Anderson Brito and Michael Forret, both of whom were acquired by the Rays in separate trades made just hours apart from each other.

Here is the complete Rays roster:

PITCHERS (8)
Ryan Andrade, RHP, NR
Anderson Brito, RHP, No. 6
Alex Cook, RHP, NR
Derrick Edington, RHP, NR
Michael Forret, RHP, No. 8
Mason Nichols, RHP, NR
Hayden Snelsire, RHP, NR
Jose Urbina, RHP, No. 17

CATCHERS (2)
Caden Bodine, C, No. 13
Nathan Flewelling, C, No. 11

INFIELDERS (10)
Gregory Barrios, SS, NR
Cooper Flemming, SS, No. 28
Taitn Gray, 1B, No. 30
Xavier Isaac, 1B, No. 14
Tre’ Morgan, 1B/OF, No. 19
Daniel Pierce, SS, No. 5
Emilien Pitre, 2B/SS, NR
Adrian Santana, SS, NR
Will Simpson, 1B, NR
Brayden Taylor, INF, NR

OUTFIELDERS (7)
Theo Gillen, OF, No. 2/MLB No. 76
Brailer Guerrero, OF, No. 24
Mac Horvath, OF, NR
Jacob Melton, OF, No. 4
Dean Moss, OF, No. 29
Austin Overn, OF, No. 26
Brendan Summerhill, OF, No. 21

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Astros Welcome Back Ingram Little League with Rebuilt Fields After Hill Country Flood

HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 27: The Daikin Park logo is seen on the backstop before a game between the Houston Astros and the New York Mets on Opening Day at Daikin Park on March 27, 2025 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The newly rebuilt Ingram Little League Ballpark, decimated by the devastating July 4, 2025 flooding will officially be debuted with a grand opening event set for Saturday, March 21 at 9 a.m. CT.

The Astros Foundation, together with the Community Foundation of Texas Hill Country, Major League Baseball, the Texas Rangers, a number of other MLB teams, as well as Texas-based baseball programs and foundations supported the efforts to rebuild and transform this key fixture of the local community in Central Texas.

The new ballpark includes three primary fields, two practice fields, newly imagined batting cages and other amenities agreed to by the Ingram Little League Board of Directors.

The grand opening event will include a ribbon cutting, remarks from special officials, a ceremonial first pitch and exhibition games between Ingram Little League teams and the Astros Youth Academy teams.

Timeline of events for Saturday, March 21

9:00 AM – Program Begins – Welcome, Prayer, National Anthem

9:15 AM – Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for New Ingram Little League Ballpark Complex

9:25 AM – Special Speaker Remarks

9: 35 AM – Ceremonial First Pitch

9:37 AM – Play Ball announcement and closing remarks

10:00 AM – Games begin between Ingram Little Leaguers and Astros Youth Academy 12U boys’ baseball and 12U softball.

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Game Thread: Suns @ Spurs

SAN ANTONIO, TX - FEBRUARY 19: Luke Kornet #7 of the San Antonio Spurs handles the ball as Oso Ighodaro #11 of the Phoenix Suns plays defense during the game on February 19, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. 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 (Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

Game 70.

Let’s get to win number 40.

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It’s time for Basketball: San Antonio Spurs vs Phoenix Suns

SAN ANTONIO, TX - FEBRUARY 19: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs dunks the ball during the game against the Phoenix Suns on February 19, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. 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 (Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

Welcome to the Game Thread. Veterans of the Game Thread know how we do things around here, but for all you newbies we have a few rules. Our community guidelines apply and basically say be cool, no personal attacks, don’t troll and don’t swear too much.

It’s the final stretch of the season, and your intrepid game thread writer has gone on vacation. While I’m on a boat in the middle of the ocean, you people get to watch the Spurs, and talk to each other in the game thread. No worries, I’ll be back before the playoffs. In the meantime: GO SPURS GO!!

[NOTE: while Mark is on vacation, the game prediction will be replaced by a random fact from the archives.]

Random Fact:

You can make a perpetual motion machine with a wad of chewing gum and a paperclip. I leave the details of how to accomplish this as an exercise for the reader

San Antonio Spurs vs Phoenix Suns
March 19, 2026 | 7:00 PM CT
Streaming: NBA League Pass
TV: FanDuel Sports Southwest
Reminder: It is against site policy to post links to illegal streams in the comments.

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Cavs at Bulls open gamethread

CHICAGO, IL - OCTOBER 9: Issac Okoro #35 of the Chicago Bulls plays defense as Evan Mobley #4 of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives to the basket during the game during Preseason on October 9, 2025 at United Center in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

The shorthandedCleveland Cavaliers will take on the more shorthanded Chicago Bulls. We’ll see if the Cavs can even up the season series with a win tonight.

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!

Join our March Madness conversation!

Drop in SB Nation’s March Madness open thread during Thursday’s games where we’ll be talking about all the wild upsets, buzzer beaters, and Cinderella runs!

SB Nation’s cast of characters will be enjoying the game together, so join Chris Dobbertean, Mike Rutherford, Ricky O’Donnell, Mark Schofield, James Dator, and others for 12 hours of basketball chaos!

Go Cavs!

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New York Islanders plan to move their AHL affiliate to Hamilton, Ontario

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Islanders plan on moving their American Hockey League affiliate from Bridgeport, Connecticut, to Hamilton, Ontario, for next season, the franchise announced on Thursday.

The relocation requires approval by the AHL Board of Governors.

Should the move be permitted, the team currently known as the Bridgeport Islanders will play at TD Coliseum in Hamilton, which completed major renovations last fall.

A team name, logo and ticketing information for the Hamilton market will be announced at a later date, pending AHL approval, the franchise said.

“We are excited to make Hamilton our primary affiliate in the American Hockey League,” Islanders general manager and executive vice president Mathieu Darche said in a statement. “The support the city has shown our organization throughout this transition has been incredible. We look forward to having our top young talent play in front of such a strong fanbase inside the newly renovated, world-class TD Coliseum and we are committed to establishing ourselves in the community to engage a new generation of hockey fans.”

The Islanders’ top minor-league affiliate has played in Bridgeport for the past 25 years.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

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Game Threads: Diamondbacks at White Sox (SS), White Sox (SS) at Padres

Davis Martin has been quietly dealing this spring, and he gets another shot to keep it rolling tonight. | (David Durochik/Getty Images)

The Good Guys will be up late in the desert tonight as they use two split-squad teams in Arizona for a Cactus League doubleheader. The opener is against the Diamondbacks at 8: 05 p.m. CST and will be followed by the Padres game at 8:10 p.m. CST. Remember…double your pleasure, double the fun!

Davis Martin’s got the ball against Arizona, and the spotlight, for whatever that’s worth, in March. The righthander has been solid this spring, going 2-1, with a 3.00 ERA, and 10 Ks. Last time out on March 13, he spun four scoreless, gave up a single hit, and punched out four. Efficient, clean, no drama. If he can whisk that into the regular season, that would be terrific now that he has his position in the starting rotation locked down.

Across the diamond, it’s old friend Michael Soroka. How has he done this spring? Well, he’s been a mess with a 9.82 ERA and 2.73 WHIP through four innings. Sure, it’s a small sample size, but the wild command is what’s plagued his entire big league career. Maybe he finds it tonight, or maybe the Sox bats make him sweat. He did play for Team Canada in the WBC and was a bit less of a disaster, going 1-1 with a 4.76 ERA over 5 2/3 frames.

This South Side lineup is a grab bag with your regulars, prospects, and a few wild cards. Andrew Benintendi and Colson Montgomery top the card with Austin Hays and his hot bat in the three-hole. Munetaka Murakami brings some mystery to the middle, batting cleanup followed by Chase Meidroth, Lenyn Sosa, Jarred Kelenic, and Luisangel Acuña.

Here’s how the D-Backs will go up against Martin:

There will not be any TV for this one. If you want in, it’s radio or bust. Old-school. Tune in to ESPN 1000 to hear Len and DJ on the call.

Five minutes later, because preseason is weird like that, the second squad takes on San Diego.

Jonathan Cannon starts this one, even though he was optioned to Charlotte on March 17. Spring Training rules: more suggestions than law. Mike Vasil’s injury cracks the door open, so Cannon’s outings suddenly matter a little more. A good night here, and he’s back in the conversation.

The Padres counter with Michael King, who’s been roughed up this spring to the tune of a 0-2 record, 9.95 ERA, and 1.74 WHIP in four starts. Don’t be fooled, though. When he’s right, King can deal. Last year, he was 5-3 with a 3.44 ERA in 15 starts. The stuff is there. The question is whether he can stay on the mound and keep it together as the 30-year-old battled through several injuries in 2025.

Chicago’s lineup in this one is very much a “prove it or pack it” group. Outside of Korey Lee, Miguel Vargas, and probably Curtis Mead, there aren’t many locks, or even near-locks, for the 26-man roster here. That leaves a whole lot of guys playing for one of two things: a last-minute bench job or a strong impression heading into Charlotte. It’s the kind of lineup where every at-bat matters a little more, whether it’s someone trying to force their way north or just making sure they’re first in line when the inevitable injuries hit.

Friars’ skipper Craig Stammen trots out his offense looking for their 14th win:

Tonight’s bonus for you is that MLB.TV is giving this one away, so you can actually watch without selling your soul or finding a sketchy stream.

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Celtics, Grizzlies injury reports show one team will be extremely depleted

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - NOVEMBER 12: Payton Pritchard #11 of the Boston Celtics drives to the basket against GG Jackson #45 of the Memphis Grizzlies during the second half at TD Garden on November 12, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Celtics center Nikola Vucevic will miss his 7th straight game when the Celtics face the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night. But Jayson Tatum and the rest of the Celtics will be available, as the team otherwise fields a clean injury report. Tatum has only missed one game since returning to the lineup almost two weeks ago.

Vucevic fractured his right ring finger on March 6th, and the Celtics announced the next day that he would be re-evaluated in three to four weeks. That means we’ll likely get a Vucevic update between March 27th and April 3rd — and the big man could be cleared to return to the floor with a few regular seasons remaining (the regular season concludes on April 12th).

The Grizzlies, meanwhile, have been very injury-riddled and are one of the Western Conference’s worst teams. Several key players have been shut down for the season: Kentavius Caldwell-Pope (right pinky finger), Zach Edey (left ankle), Scotty Pippen Jr. (right big toe), and Santi Aldama (right knee). And, Brandon Clarke (right calf strain), Jahmai (left ankle sprain), and Ja Morant (left elbow UCL sprain) are out.

In addition, Taj Gibson (right foot soreness) and GG Jackson (left knee soreness) are doubtful to play.

How the Celtics, Grizzlies stack up

The Celtics are riding a three-game win streak and enter Friday’s game with a 46-23 record. The Grizzlies, meanwhile, have dropped 8 of their last 10 games and currently have the West’s 11th-best record at 24-44.

Last time the two teams faced off was in November, and the Celtics came away with a 131-95 win.

With so many key absences, the Grizzlies have been led by rookie Cedric Coward, who is averaging 13.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.

The Celtics, meanwhile, continue to be led by Jaylen Brown, who is having a career season. Brown is averaging 28.5 points per game on the season, alongside 7 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and a steal.

Tatum, who returned to the lineup on March 6th, has been the team’s second-leading scorer, averaging 20.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 4 assists per game.

The Celtics and Grizzlies will face off on Friday night at 8pm in Memphis’ FedEx Forum.

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Luka Dončić, LeBron James, Austin Reaves available vs. Heat

HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 16: LeBron James #23, Austin Reaves #15, and Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers interact 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

UPDATE: Impressively and surprisingly, all three of the Lakers’ stars will play on Thursday. Less than 24 hours after battling the Rockets in Houston, LeBron James, Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves are all available for the Lakers against the Heat in Miami.

Given both the quick turnaround between games and the distance traveled from Texas to Florida overnight, it felt like a foregone conclusion that the Lakers would be shorthanded against the Heat. However, only Maxi Kleber, who has been dealing with a back injury in recent weeks and is not with the team on this road trip, is out in this game.

Original story follows.

While the Lakers are currently on a roll, having won seven straight games after downing the Rockets on Wednesday, earning that eighth victory might be their toughest challenge yet.

The team is set to play on the second night of their back-to-back, and they have their three stars, Luka Dončić, LeBron James and Austin Reaves, all listed as questionable.

Everything about Thursday’s game screams schedule loss. The tip-off time for the game is 22.5 hours after the Lakers and Rockets started their game on Wednesday. To add to that, the team arrived at the airport after 5 a.m. in Miami on Thursday, roughly 15 hours before the start of the contest.

When you also consider the fact that the Lakers’ star trio all played at least 34 minutes on Wednesday, it’s no surprise they are questionable for Thursday’s game.

Luka’s absence would be the biggest blow not just for the Lakers but also for his end-of-season awards eligibility.

Currently, Dončić has missed 12 games and can only miss five more and remain eligible. With just 13 games left in the season though, it’s unlikely that will become a factor.

LeBron and Reaves are both out of the running for any NBA awards, so it’s all about maintaining their health. James has been dealing with his left foot arthritis all year long, but Reaves’ right forearm contusion is a new injury. Given that he hasn’t missed any games from this ailment, it’s likely nothing for Lakers fans to be worried about.

Regardless, if any of the big three miss, it will make winning against Miami that much harder. The Heat are a pesky try-hard team and fighting for their spot in the postseason, so don’t expect them to take this game lightly.

Hopefully, enough key players on the Lakers can suit up and LA can avoid this scheduled loss.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

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Colorado Rockies announce additional roster moves

PEORIA, ARIZONA - MARCH 11: Charlie Condon #66 of the Colorado Rockies walks up to the batter's box during a Spring Training game against the Seattle Mariners at Peoria Stadium on March 11, 2026 in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images

This afternoon, the Colorado Rockies continued to make their spring training transactions as they refine the roster heading into the start of the 2026 season.

The following players were assigned to Minor League camp:

The decision to reassign Carrigg and Machín does not come as a surprise. Condon, however, was a contender for the first base starting position. In 39 at-bats, Condon slashed .385/.457/.713 with a 1.175 OPS. He also hit three home runs.

At this point, all signs point to T.J. Rumfield as the Rockies Opening Day first baseman.

Colorado has 40 active players remaining in Major League camp, including seven non-roster invitees.