PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MARCH 10: Trendon Watford #12 dumps water on Cameron Payne #20 of the Philadelphia 76ers after the 139-129 win over the Memphis Grizzlies at Xfinity Mobile Arena on March 10, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 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 Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Sixers snapping their three-game losing streak was thanks in large part to Cam Payne dropping a new career-high 32 points, carrying them over the tanking Memphis Grizzlies.
As a league-wide story it was already overshadowed by someone scoring the second-most points in a single NBA game. Bam Adebayo knocked Kobe Bryant down the list with an 83-point performance against the Washington Wizards. Payne wasn’t going to let that rain on his parade though.
“I was worried about Cam Payne honestly,” he said at the podium after the game. “I’m like, ‘Man, Bam can’t take my night.‘”
Payne of course had no problem shouting out Adebayo for his historical performance, but he’ll still remember this day for his own personal achievement.
“Shoutout to Bam though,” Payne said. “I’m a big time Kobe fan, so that’s huge for someone that scored that many points in a game, but man, I’m taking it, this is my night. March 10, this is all me.”
It’s been a whirlwind season for Payne who started the season playing in the EuroLeague for KK Partizan of Serbia. The Sixers of course brought him in following the trade deadline after trading away Jared McCain and Eric Gordon.
It certainly took time for Payne to get his feet under him. Before having the night of his career he had been shooting just 20% from three since returning to Philadelphia. That was on Payne’s mind the night before as the team suffered a loss in Cleveland.
“Yesterday, I was talking about being efficient, and I came out and I was very efficient. So that’s big time,” he said.
Efficient is putting it lightly. He went 9-of-10 from the field and made all eight of his three-pointers. It’s the most made threes in a game for a Sixer without missing.
“That’s crazy, like Tyrese ain’t did that shit?,” is how Payne said he reacted to learning that stat.
This type of production was sorely needed for a Sixers team that is 20th in both three-point attempts and percentage.
“That’s a little bit special, but he’s capable of doing that when he gets going,” said head coach Nick Nurse after the game. “He has some nights where he’ll make four out of five and it seems he’s a little streaky that way but when he gets rolling he can do that.”
Proving he was still capable was just as big for Payne himself as it was for the team. He has a chip on his shoulder after not finding an NBA suitor last offseason.
“I feel like I’m good enough to play in this league, like that’s a really good monkey off my back to show people that I’m good enough,” he said.
Payne has cultivated a reputation of being a bench spark both in terms of intangibles. At any given availability he’ll say something to the effect of his famous “energy costs nothing” quote. Not only is he appreciated by his teammates for that, but it makes them even happier for his success.
“He’s had a crazy year to say the least,” Kelly Oubre Jr. said. “So all the work he’s put in, to grind his way back and just continue to be the same person who brings energy and is a spark, up or down, hit shots. It’s always amazing to see him smile and help us in a victory.”
Payne admitted he has to be more consistent to prove himself, but to Oubre’s point, it’s been a wild year for him. He mentioned getting to hang out with his two dogs before the game since he’s only just been able to move them back to Philly. Perhaps they are the good luck charm. Everyone should hope so, since the Sixers’ backcourt could use a lot of production from Payne over the coming weeks.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 06: Bryce Harper #24 of Team United States walks to first base in the seventh inning against Team Brazil during a 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool B game at Daikin Park on March 06, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
You might not have noticed, but one of the major narratives of the Phillies’ off season was whether or not Bryce Harper is still an elite player. After Dave Dombrowski (correctly, but curiously) said that Harper’s 2025 season was not up to his previous standard, that set off a lot of people talking, including Harper himself.
If you’re sick of the “Is Harper elite?” discussion already, I have some bad news for you: It’s not going away. My prediction is that every single home run that Harper hits this season will prompt many “Elite” or “Still looks elite to me” posts on social media.
Harper has suggested that one of the causes for his non-elite season was the lack of adequate protection in the Phillies’ lineup. Harper saw a lot of balls out of the strike zone in 2025, and he swung at far too many of them. It’s not hard to infer that Harper feels he could take more of those pitches if he had more faith in the hitters behind him in the lineup.
Protection is not a problem for Harper in the WBC. He’s been batting second in the Team USA lineup right in front of Aaron Judge. And immediately behind Judge is Kyle Schwarber, which means that Harper has 109 home runs worth of power backing him up in the lineup.
Despite that prime spot in the lineup, through four games, Harper is just 3-15 with no walks, no extra base hits, and five strikeouts. He wasn’t in the starting lineup on Tuesday (largely because the manager is an idiot) and then popped up in a pinch-hitting appearance.
Obviously, it would be ridiculous to make any judgements based on 15 at bats in the month of March. Harper could very well go on to have a great season, and all of this elite/not elite talk will seem silly.
But if he doesn’t have a great season, it will likely be on him more than a lack of protection. For one thing, Harper needs to regain the ability to catch up with fastballs.
Harper looks like he’s struggling with the fastball again in the WBC.
His numbers against that pitch have been trending down over the last couple of seasons.
His AVG against four-seamers since becoming a Phillie:
He also needs to stop chasing pitches. Maybe Alec Bohm isn’t the 20+ home run threat he’d prefer behind him, but Bohm has been a quality hitter the past two seasons, so Harper needs to have more faith in him. (Ironically, if anyone should have been complaining after the NLDS, it was Bohm. With Harper going 3-15 in front of him, and the players behind producing little, Bohm was walked six times in the series.)
If Harper keeps getting himself out by chasing pitches out of the strike zone, then it’s not helping anyone. And it might also have a detrimental effect on the hitters behind him who might additional pressure to come through after Harper did not.
I don’t have numbers to back this up, but the Phillies’ offense often feels momentum-based: When things are going well in a game, they continue to go well, but if they struggle early, it seems to snowball. We all remember those stretches when the Phillies strand countless base runners and struggle to score runs. And then, they’ll have a game where one guy comes through in a big spot, and the whole team seems to relax, resulting in a double-digit outburst.
Hopefully, Harper can fix what ails him when it comes to chasing balls and hitting fastballs. Because while Team USA can overcome a down performance by Harper, the Phillies likely can not.
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - FEBRUARY 25: Martin Necas #88 of the Colorado Avalanche looks on during the third period of a game against the Utah Mammoth at Delta Center on February 25, 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Following a successful weekend with dual shootout triumphs over their central division rivals, forward Martin Nečas of the Colorado Avalanche was named the NHL’s second star of the week with eight points over four contests.
Mark Scheifele, Martin Necas and Tage Thompson have been named the NHL’s “Three Stars” for the week ending March 8.
The best part of the trade deadline passing is when the true stories of what happened behind the scenes during the frenzy start to come out including how the Montreal Canadiens were in on Nazem Kadri until the end.
— Pro Hockey Rumors (@prohockeyrumors) March 9, 2026
ICYMI, hear about our first hand account of Nazem Kadri’s return to Colorado! He’s more ready and focused than ever on earning the grand prize one more time.
Bad news for the Colorado Eagles, their arena build project in Greeley has hit a snag with a local vote that didn’t go their way. The builders are still optimistic they will find a solution.
Greeley residents kicked the Colorado Eagles out of their new nest in Tuesday’s special election. At least for now. https://t.co/6c1Cdf4c61
It’s a short turnaround for the Montreal Canadiens, as they’ll play their second Atlantic Division clash in consecutive nights against the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre on Wednesday, March 11.
My top Canadiens vs. Senators predictions and NHL picks call for Ottawa to take care of business on home ice tonight.
Canadiens vs Senators prediction
Canadiens vs Senators best bet: Senators moneyline (-170)
The Ottawa Senators are cruising along a 9-1-2 stretch while allowing the fewest goals per game (2.08) and ranking fourth in Corsi For percentage and second in expected goals percentage, so this is a daunting matchup on the second leg of a back-to-back set for the Montreal Canadiens.
Of course, the Habs rank 27th in CF% and 30th in xGF% at 5-on-5 during the same stretch, too.
Finally, I also value Ottawa No. 1 Linus Ullmark’s rock-solid .908 SV% and 2.34 GAA on home ice this season.
Canadiens vs Senators same-game parlay
While I prefer the Sens moneyline for the best bet, going with the puck line in the same-game parlay offers a nice odds boost. The Sens have allowed the fewest expected goals per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 on home ice, which paves the way to this game going Under.
Turning to Ottawa winger Drake Batherson, he’s recorded two or more shots in seven of his past nine games for 24 total while jumping the boards with the top line and No. 1 power-play unit.
The Habs' possession numbers have also been down, and Montreal has surrendered the seventh-most shots per game (30.5) during the highlighted stretch.
The Ottawa Senators have covered the puck line in 9 of their last 12 games (+8.60 Units / 54% ROI). Find more NHL betting trends for Canadiens vs. Senators.
How to watch Canadiens vs Senators
Location
Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa, ON
Date
Wednesday, March 11, 2026
Puck drop
7:30 p.m. ET
TV
Sportsnet
Canadiens vs Senators latest injuries
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
ATLANTA, GA - MAY 2: Edrice Adebayo poses for a portrait during Adidas Nations Atlanta on May 2, 2015 at the JW Marriott in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kelly Kline/Getty Images) | Getty Images
History was made yesterday, and it was made in the most bizarre of ways.
Didn’t involve the Knicks, but it surely did involve a bunch of shaddy fouling, freebies… and #HeatCulture, amirite?
New York is playing the Jazz tonight. Who says Landry Shamet cannot hit 130 on the dot? Anyway, here’s the latest from our lads.
"And out of respect Erik Spoelstra will pull Bam Adebayo…"
“Everybody says what is the difference between the (‘07 Cavs, champion Warriors) teams… But the things I think are common amongst all of them are what we formulated as our standard, and all those teams, they sacrificed for one another. All those teams, they’re connected. All those teams have a competitive spirit. All those teams have a belief in the process and each other. . . Throughout the course of the team we’ve grown a lot in those areas. Everybody needs to go through adversity. We went through some adversity and we were able to try to lean on our standards while we did do that. That’s something that’ll carry us a long way come playoff time.”
Ime Udoka on Bam Adebayo's 83 point night:
"First thing you think is how…… not because of him but because of the way he plays. I saw he only made 6 threes but 40 free throws or something like that, tells the story right there and………….. the Washington Wizards." pic.twitter.com/PScqMKHBPv
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) March 11, 2026
Jordan Clarkson
On arriving in New York without expectations:
“I ain’t coming in expecting anything, honestly. A lot of people made expectations on my arrival and what I can do and what I’ve done my whole career. But not knowing anything, I came here with an open canvas. I just knew one goal and what we wanted to do, and that’s to win. Talking to Josh and Jalen before this, we never talked about anything but winning. We’re trying to get the goal done. Seeing those dudes last year make it to the Eastern Conference finals, and just want to help them and help this team get the end goal.”
On returning to Utah on Wednesday:
“That’s a home for me. I loved the organization. I love the coaching staff. Yeah, I love the city. All I had was love there. So going back, I don’t know what my emotions are going to be. I’m going to try to keep my cool in terms of not feeling emotional, just all the gratitude and everything that the city is giving me. But yeah, I don’t know how I’m going to feel yet.”
On valuing winning in New York:
“You definitely value winning and being a part of this team and being part of this process in terms of what we want to do in terms of accomplishing winning. But it’s been great. Everything has been purposeful and meaningful. I’m just trying to stay locked in for any moment and opportunity I get here. But it’s been fun.”
The Heat are fouling while up 25 to try and get Bam Adebayo more point, madness.
On using every moment on the court as an opportunity to grow:
“Any time you have games like that you can kind of look at that as a positive and just build on those things. You don’t want those things to be the be-all, end-all. My career is about growth and getting better. So I need to learn from those experiences and learn from every one — good or bad. Those were good experiences. But me, personally, I’ve had some bad experiences on the floor. From my play. So learn from both of those things and just continue to grow, continue to get better.”
On learning to follow the game plan as a backup guard:
“Sometimes you’re out there you get in the flow of the game, and as a backup point guard or another guard on the team, when Jalen comes out you have to be really direct and accurate with how you’re playing and how coaches want you to play out there on the floor. So just following our game plan.”
Here’s every foul that led to Bam’s 43 free throw attempts
“It goes back to not being satisfied when we do the things that we’re supposed to do.”
Cam’ron on Bam Adebayo’s 83 point performance:
“The man shot 43 free throws you should get 83, this is not a real stat. This is not Michael Jordan’s 66 or even Kobe’s 81… That sh*t fraudulent, 43 free throws” pic.twitter.com/LDPeo2yvVc
MESA, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 16: Caleb Thielbar #24 of the Chicago Cubs participates in Spring Training workouts at Sloan Park on February 16, 2026 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images) | Getty Images
39-year-old Caleb Thielbar defied Father Time to be effective for the Cubs in 2025 and is returning, hoping for more of the same. At some point he’s bound to run out of gas, but maybe not yet.
He was 3-4, 2.64 last year, but hasn’t had that kind of result in the spring so far. Even so, he’s probably headed to Chicago and will occupy his short/middle relief slot once again.
Thielbar brings some funk, and has a long track record amassed during eight years as a Twin and one as a Cub. After two years of passable results in 2013-4, he spent most of 2015 and all of 2016-2019 in the Twins’ minor-league system until his curveball got him back to The Show. He spent four good years in Minnesota, had a subpar 2024, and packed his bags.
In nine years, he has a 5.6 bWAR (5.5 fWAR). He’s probably not going to hurt you, and he’ll put up 50 or 60 innings’ worth of relief, say projections. At this point, he throws fastball, slider, curve, eschewing the sinker and knuckle-curve he deployed earlier in his career. That curve is a weapon, and he throws it at different speeds to further foil hitters. At top end, it’s almost 80 mph, and he unleashes it as a quasi-eephus pitch periodically. His fastball tops out at about 92 mph.
Mar 10, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington (25) fights for a loose ball with Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson (1) and forward Onyeka Okongwu (17) in the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images
The Atlanta Hawks notched their seventh-straight victory with a 124-112 victory over the Dallas Mavericks at State Farm Arena on Tuesday night. Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored a game-high 29 points with Jalen Johnson adding 27 points. For the Mavericks, a hot burst in the third quarter saw Klay Thompson lead the Mavericks with 21 points with Kris Middleton adding 16 points off the bench.
Entering the game on a six-game win streak, in addition to the Mavericks’ position on the season at this point, the Hawks entered this contest with a mantra similar to a number of games that have dropped on their schedule after the All-Star break: take care of business.
The hosts certainly played to that mantra in the first quarter, establishing a double-digit lead A balanced scoring effort — led by Onyeka Okongwu’s nine points — helped the Hawks score 40 points in the first quarter, seemingly setting up what was looking like an easy victory.
All appeared to be going to plan, but the Hawks’ second unit really slowed the offensive work that had been done in the first quarter. While Mo Gueye had some good flashes in the second quarter (including a charge, two offensive rebounds, and five points), the others — Jock Landale, Zaccharie Risacher, Corey Kispert — struggled to make a tangible impacts on this game (though, Landale made a literal physical impact at times near the rim).
Despite shooting 61% in the second quarter, the Mavericks only outscored the Hawks by three points, in part helped by a shot disparity of 18-to-24 attempts in the Hawks’ favor, with four offensive rebounds contributing.
The third quarter looked as though the Hawks would finally put the distance between the two sides, taking an 18 point lead through a Gabe Vincent three with 5:08 remaining in the third. While young star Cooper Flagg struggled in this game (more on that later), it was the veterans that pulled the Mavericks back into the game.
After that Vincent three, the Mavericks outscored the Hawks 22-8 in the remaining five minutes, with Thompson and Middleton scoring 18 of those 22 points. Thompson found form, taking advantage of Risacher’s inexperience, while Middleton was a steady force getting to his spots.
“We just broke down,” said Hawks head coach Quin Snyder of Klay Thompson. “I mean, there are positions where we’re standing, watching, and he’s in the corner, and we can get there. We didn’t during that stretch, and we didn’t during other stretches…”
The Hawks’ second unit, again, didn’t covet themselves in glory with their play in the third quarter, and with CJ McCollum also struggling at times in this game (shooting 5-of-15 from the field)
Middleton would tie the game at 97 apiece with 9:02 remaining in the game, and it was the Hawks’ quick response that helped them re-establish their foothold in this game.
A missed three from Alexander-Walker is rebounded by Dyson Daniels, who wants to try and get the ball to Johnson. The Mavericks deny the ball to him, and the screen from Okongwu frees up Johnson on the cut, and Daniels threads the needle to find him for the finish at the rim, plus the foul:
As the shot clock is beginning to wind down, Alexander-Walker steps up to the ball screen, and as Flagg looks to drive left, Alexander-Walker gets his hands down low to poke the ball loose. Kispert goes down to the floor to attempt to recover the loose ball, and by the time all of this has transpired the Mavericks need to get a shot up. Naji Marshall obliges, but can’t convert the three:
After Thompson and Johnson traded threes, the Hawks’ lead would not fall under four points for the rest of the game, before back-to-back threes from Alexander-Walker put the game beyond reach for good with around two minutes remaining. The Hawks eased to a 12-point victory in the end, but they deserve credit for making the quick reply when the Mavericks tied the game, and they did it on both ends of the floor.
Postgame, Snyder was disappointed to see the Hawks’ once-18-point lead disappear in the third, but was pleased with his side’s response.
“We’ve executed really efficiently late,” said Snyder. “What we didn’t do tonight, which we’ve been pretty consistent on, is the 38-point third quarter, where we just traded (baskets) for a while. When you do that — and then we go through a stretch where we had some good looks — you miss a couple, and all of a sudden a lead you worked really hard to build disappears and you create game pressure. The flip side of that is that we handled the game pressure well. There’s some situations that we just didn’t execute, and we’ll have a chance to look at those and get better.”
“That third quarter we gave a big 40 points, which is too much,” added Dyson Daniels. “It was on the defensive end, we weren’t getting stops, Klay was getting hot, we had to take him out of the game and make other people try and beat us. Once we started getting stops, getting the game back on our terms, we were able to get out and run. We executed really well down the stretch. We had a little lapse there in that third, fourth quarter, but glad we could come back from it.”
When the Hawks needed big plays, Jalen Johnson (13 fourth quarter points) and Nickeil Alexander-Walker (hitting those back-to-back threes) combined to provide those plays. The Hawks were asked about this tandem after the game, with Quin Snyder praised Johnson getting off the ball — in addition to getting to the rim — and allowing Alexander-Walker to hit those big shots.
“…Jalen’s willingness to get off the ball and find Nickeil (and) Nickeil hit big shots, and JJ got to the rim, got to the line, those guys executed” said Snyder of Johnson and Alexander-Walker in late game situations.
Johnson himself praised Alexander-Walker’s intelligence, and how he and Alexander-Walker have made use of practice time to further develop their chemistry.
“Nickeil’s a hell of a player, obviously, and he’s somebody that’s really smart,” said Johnson of Alexander-Walker. “Just something we’ve been doing in practice is just continue to rip out certain actions we’re in together. So, just developing our chemistry and just figuring out ways we can get each other open, find stuff we like, and different actions we like. So it’s been good.”
Johnson finished with 27 points — 17 coming in the second half — on 10-of-18 shooting from the field, seven rebounds, and eight assists. Johnson did a good job of exploiting his physical advantage inside, and not settling for three.
There havebeen times this season where Johnson could settle for seven three-point attempts, but he took just five in this spot, making two. Johnson was a constant threat at the rim, and the passing ability of Dyson Daniels (five of his 10 assists delivered to Johnson) helped open up the floor for Johnson, this give-and-go from Daniels to Johnson for the dunk being the pick of the bunch:
Speaking of Daniels’ playmaking, his 10-assist, 0-turnover game runs his amazing recent assist to turnover ratio: four turnovers to 50 assists since the Hawks’ win-streak began on Feb 22nd. Postgame, there was (rightly) a lot of praise for Daniels’ playmaking.
“Dyson’s been huge for us,” said Johnson of Daniels. “Not just over this win streak, but the whole year. Dyson brings pretty much every aspect to the game, and he’s somebody that’s just always willing to get better and always willing to learn. 50 assists to four turnovers? That’s insane, it’s just a testament to his work, and obviously we need him to keep being big for us.”
“He’s been really steady,” added Alexander-Walker of Daniels. “He gets to the paint at will, and he’s poised. He does a really good job playing off of two feet and staying under control. I think that’s why he’s had success making plays for others. He’s really starting to slow down, and the game is slowing down for him as well.”
Daniels himself attributed his playmaking success and confidence to decision-making, and getting into the paint to utilize his teammates’ spacing.
“I think for me, it’s just about making the right decisions,” said Daniels in gaining confidence as a ball-handler/playmaker. “A lot of my game is trying to get feet in the paint, find my teammates. whether it be cutting, circle behind, kick out threes, that sort of thing. They make my job easy just by spacing and stuff. When we run in transition is when we look really good. Guys space, we get to the rim, the lane opens up. That’s really good, I want to keep my turnovers down and assists up, so I hope we can keep that rolling.”
While Daniels shooting a, sadly, woeful percentage from three is unfortunate, in last night’s matchup it allowed Daniels to see the floor more than perhaps he may have otherwise seen it, and plays developed within this extra space.
“…The way they were playing me today as well with the big sitting off so much, I was able to see the floor a lot better and make plays,” added Daniels. “Every night’s going to be different scouts, different coverages. It’s just we have to go in and execute against that. I thought we did a pretty good job tonight.”
Daniels’ defense was fantastic, and there’s a lot to be said here as well. The main avenue for a Mavericks upset win would have been Cooper Flagg erupting for a 30 or 40 point-plus game. Now, they got close in the fourth with a Klay Thompson mini-eruption, but without Flagg having a big night offensively it was going to be tough to envisage a Mavericks victory — Dyson Daniels helped ensure that no such night occurred.
A play that set a tone early was this knock-away from Daniels on Flagg on the baseline, leading to a steal:
Daniels wasn’t alone in enforcing the defense on Flagg, who the Hawks allowed to see a second body on drives — their gameplan for defending Flagg was clear to see and well executed.
On the drive from Flagg, McCollum is the extra defender that picks up the dribble, forcing Flagg to pick up his dribble, pivot, and when he tries to lift a shot inside it’s rejected by Onyeka Okongwu:
On the drive, Daniels is happy for Flagg to wander to an extra body, this time, Okongwu, and the attempted pass inside to Marshall doinks off his head and out of bounds:
On a swing to the weakside corner, Flagg’s fake takes him past Johnson, but Daniels is waiting to contest, and his vertical challenge forces Flagg to try and adjust to finish with a reverse, and Okongwu is there to knock the shot out of bounds:
Flagg finished with 14 points on 6-of-16 shooting, and in a 12 point victory, the Hawks limiting Flagg was one of the defining elements of this game. Daniels was asked about guarding Cooper Flagg postgame, and praised his teammates for switching and moving bodies for each other.
“I’ve never played Cooper Flagg, or seen him play before, this was the first time I really went up against him and he’s going to be a great player over time,” said Daniels. “Once I come up against players I’ve already seen before, I know what they like to do, I know their tendencies. So, it’s about taking that away. Every night’s going to be somewhat difficult. Every team has a great player. For me, it’s just about being locked in on that assignment, making sure I make their life as difficult as possible, making them take tough shots. As a team, we’ve been doing a really good job shifting for each other, switching and keeping the same coverages as well. So, we just got to continue to do that.”
As a whole, Daniels believes that his season started slow defensively, and has picked up the challenge of guarding the opposition’s best offensive player of late.
“…I feel like I started the season slow with my defense,” said Daniels of his defense. “The last few games have kind of taken the challenge of really getting the best player every night and trying to take him out of the game.”
Overall, the Hawks did a great job of turning defense to offense, scoring 21 points off of turnovers, and 26 fastbreak points. When the Hawks are able to get those stops/force those turnovers and can get out and run, it’s arguably Atlanta at its best offensively. Johnson can pass and run, Daniels is able to lead passes in transition, Alexander-Walker is excellent at running the floor, Okongwu can threaten from behind the arc, Mo Gueye is a good rim-runner. There’s a lot of options for the Hawks to exploit their opponents in transition once they get going (fifth in the NBA at points off of turnovers, and second in the league in fastbreak points).
Elsewhere offensively, Daniels shot an efficient 6-of-11 from the field for 14 points to go with those 10 assists, Okongwu shot 7-of-12 from the field for 18 points, including 3-of-5 from three to go with nine rebounds and four blocks. If there was a criticism of the Hawks last night, their bench play was really poor last night, and allowed Dallas to get back in this game twice.
Landale was a tough 0-of-5, and any positive contribution Risacher made to this game was undone by his defense of Thompson in the third quarter; ‘Know Your Personnel’ is a well-known defensive principle which would apply here. McCollum’s play with the bench unit wasn’t brilliant, and Kispert didn’t add a ton (two points on 1-of-3 shooting) in nearly 15 minutes. Any consistent bench play and this game is a blowout, and on another night against stronger opposition it would cost them far more than it did against the Mavericks.
Ultimately, the Hawks took care of business and run their winning streak to a current NBA-best seven games. However, the Hawks’ focus is on a playoff berth, taking it one game at a time.
“It’s been good,” said Johnson of the Hawks’ seven-game win-streak. “I think the biggest thing is just us taking it one game at a time. We’re not focused on a win streak, that’s not our end-goal. Our end goal is to make a playoff push, and the best way to focus on doing that is just taking it one game at a time and continue to stay together throughout this. Obviously, we’re winning, but understanding what we need to get better at moving forward, because we’re going to have some closer and tougher games. The more we stay together through it, I think it’ll be good.”
A comeback victory for Philadelphia against Memphis, a narrow victory for Charlotte over Portland, and Bam Adebayo’s 83 points (what.) saw the Hawks’ immediate playoff rivals all notch victories on Tuesday, so it’s important for the Hawks that this run continues.
Fortunately, the schedule may allow for this run to continue: Brooklyn is the Hawks’ next opponent, followed by Milwaukee. Then, a potentially pivotal game against the Orlando Magic at State Farm Arena awaits — a chance to, potentially, run the streak to 10 and notch a victory over a direct rival… that’s the big game to circle in the Hawks’ upcoming schedule.
In the meantime, the Hawks (34-31) remain in Atlanta to take on the Brooklyn Nets (17-48) on Thursday night at State Farm Arena.
With two back-to-backs
this week and Samuel Montembeault still struggling to find his game, the
Montreal Canadiens have decided to call up Jacob Fowler from the Laval Rocket. Given
the fact that Jakub Dobes played last night, chances are Fowler won’t have long
to wait before playing in his 11th NHL game; he could face the Ottawa Senators tonight.
In his
first stint with the Habs back in December, the 21-year-old put together a
4-4-2 record with a 2.62 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage, on
top of getting his first shutout against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
In the AHL,
he has played 27 games this year, winning 19, losing 7 in regulation and 1 in
overtime, and recording 3 shutouts. While the plan was initially for Fowler to
spend the whole season in the AHL, the circumstances in Montreal have forced
the Canadiens to call him up midseason, when both Montembeault and Jakub Dobes
were struggling.
It remains
to be seen how long this call-up will last, but since the trade deadline has
come and gone, there is no more roster size limit, as long as the team is under
the salary cap. In other words, he could be kept with the Habs indefinitely.
This move from
the Habs’ front office is not surprising, but it’s not good news for
Montembeault. The Becancour native is working on fixing his game with Marco
Marciano, but the Habs’ patience is clearly wearing thin. Given the importance
of every single point in a playoff race, they just couldn’t afford to wait
anymore, and to be honest, he’s been given plenty of opportunities to bounce
back throughout the season, but he hasn’t been able to.
This does
not mean that the Habs are getting ready to waive him; there is no roster size
limit, but it may well further indicate that the Canadiens will have to make a
goaltending decision sooner than expected. The team has confirmed that all three goaltenders are healthy right now.
While the LED court isn't new by any means — the technology has been in play abroad since 2008 and the women just played on the same surface at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City for their conference tournament — it's the first time some fans are seeing it.
The decision to utilize the floor has been met with mixed reception. While some have praised the court's innovation, a word Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark has repeatedly used to describe it, others have been skeptical of how it would affect play.
The Big 12 Conference will debut a LED glass basketball court this March.
It marks the first time this technology will be used in official competition in the United States.pic.twitter.com/1Gvj7fXitW
After a full day of play on the men's side, reviews of the floor were lukewarm to bad.
"It's pretty bad, to be honest," said Kansas State's Taj Manning after the Wildcats were eliminated with a loss. "It's slippery. The lights and stuff caused (Kansas State forward Khamari McGriff) to get a migraine. It's a bad floor, they shouldn't bring it back, if you want my honest opinion ... It's just an eyesore, it's constantly changing and stuff. With flashing different lights and all that. Nobody wants to play on that thing, just want the normal hardwood."
Athletes at a certain level are obviously creatures of habit, and the introduction of the floor is disruptive to those habits.
The floor, developed by German company ASB GlassFloor, was also referred to as slippery.
“The traction, to be honest with you, is really good, but when you go really, really hard, you slip,” said Arizona State guard Allen Mukeba, per The Athletic. “You’re gonna slip, for sure. I think it’s more like the shoes and the court, they don’t really match that much."
Keba Kaita of BYU took a spill and left the game for a bit, but didn't have much to say about the court itself postgame.
“It’s nice,” he said, per Pat Forde. “It’s cool. Good-looking court. But I don't know how I feel about playing on it.”
Perhaps the simplest way to refer to the new court is "a lot." While it creates a ton of possibility for in-game graphics and can elevate the fan experience, the question as the tournament progresses will be if it hinders the gameplay. While it mostly didn't appear to on the women's side, it will have another test as the week goes on.
PHOENIX, AZ - MAY 15: Manager Fredi Gonzalez #33 of the Atlanta Braves jokingly uses a television camera before the MLB game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field on May 15, 2013 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Atlanta Braves announced in late-February that their TV network BravesVision was coming our way. This came long with a future promise to announce what the future of their streaming options would be and as it turns out, it’s a familiar one if you’ve been following baseball in recent years.
Via press release, the Braves have revealed that Braves.TV will be their new streaming home with the price point being either $19.99 monthly or $99.99 for an entire season. Here’s more information from the press release:
Fans can stream Braves.TV at home and on-the-go across web, mobile, and connected devices, making Braves games easier to access than ever before. Supported platforms include iOS, Android, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, Chromecast, PlayStation, Xbox, and Samsung, LG, and Android smart TVs.
Braves.TV subscriptions are now available for $99.99 for the 2026 season, bringing every moment of this season’s action to fans for less than 70 cents a game. Monthly subscriptions will be available ahead of Opening Day for $19.99 per month. A-List and Premium Members will receive an email with details on how to redeem a 30% discount on a season subscription.
The most important part of all of this is that the team announced that there will be no local blackouts, either. Those days are officially in the past and you’re now free to watch the team any way you want no matter where you live at — for a fee, of course.
If you visit Braves.TV right now, you’ll be greeted with the various subscription options on offer instead of the placeholder page that was there before, so this is live and running now. If you’re interested, the monthly option will be available starting on March 23 (right in the shadow of Opening Day) while every other option appears to be available right now.
So as of right now, you have the option to watch the Braves on traditional TV platforms via BravesVision or you can watch from basically any other streaming platform out there via Braves.TV. You could also just listen to the team on the radio for free if you so choose! They even provided a nifty FAQ in case you’re confused about anything. Like Captain Planet once (kinda) said, “The power (to watch the Atlanta Braves) is yours.”
SURPRISE, ARIZONA - MARCH 10: Relief pitcher Kumar Rocker #80 of the Texas Rangers pitches against the Chicago Cubs during the fifth inning of the spring training game at Surprise Stadium on March 10, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Morning, all!
Josh Sborz has had decent results so far this spring, but his fastball is still down 4 mph from before his injury plagued 2024 and 2025 campaigns.
Andrew McCutchen has hit the ground running after spending most of the spring unsigned, collecting two doubles in four at bats over two games.
Jacob deGrom and Kumar Rocker pitched yesterday, with deGrom expressing frustration with his mechanics and Kumar Rocker still not throwing many changeups despite the team prioritizing incorporating it more into Rocker’s repertoire.
Cameron Cauley, the Rangers’ number 13 prospect and 2021 3rd round pick, has been getting noticed in his first big league camp and has survived several rounds of roster cuts.
Coincidentally, Shawn McFarland profiled Cauley yesterday in his ongoing prospect countdown and identified him as someone who could make major league contributions this season.
Kennedi Landry’s latest roster projection looks a lot different than what we’ve been used to the last few years.
Lakers guard Luka Doncic shoots a three-pointer over Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
With six wins in their last seven games, the Lakers leap-frogged the Minnesota Timberwolves in the standings Tuesday after a convincing 120-106 win over the two-time Western Conference finalists.
The Lakers (40-25) own the valuable head-to-head tiebreaker against Minnesota (40-25) that could decide home-court advantage in the tight playoff race. The third- to seventh-place Western Conference teams are within 2.5 games in the standings, with the Lakers trailing third-place Houston (40-24) by just half a game.
Here are three takeaways from Tuesday’s win:
Getting defensive
Lakers guard Luka Doncic knocks the ball out of the hands of Timberwolves forward Julius Randle at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Luka Doncic’s 31-point, 11-rebound and 11-assist triple-double stole the show Tuesday. Austin Reaves’ 29 second-half points turned a highly anticipated nationally televised game into a blowout. But the quiet force behind the Lakers’ recent surge is the team’s defensive improvement.
The Lakers were 23rd in defensive rating before the All-Star break, giving up 116.6 points per 100 possessions. They’ve jumped to 12th during the past 15 games with a defensive rating of 112.3.
Doncic credited the team’s improved effort and communication on defense. Some of it is simply time together.
“It’s later in the season, so obviously we’re heading towards the playoffs now,” forward Jake LaRavia said at practice Monday. “I couldn’t tell you why [the defense has improved], but it’s a good time to do it, that’s for sure. And I think we’re all getting closer with each other off the court and just continuing to build relationships and that helps when you get on the court as far as just being there for one another defensively.”
Guard Marcus Smart led the effort to hold Anthony Edwards, the NBA’s third-leading scorer averaging 29.6 points per game, to 14 points on two-for-15 shooting. It was his most inefficient shooting performance with more than 11 shots of his career. He missed nine of 10 shots from beyond the arc. Some were uncharacteristic misses on open chances, Lakers coach JJ Redick conceded, but he commended his players for making the majority of Edwards’ chances difficult.
“It starts with Smart, he was starting on him,” Doncic said. “But for guys like that, you need the whole team to stop them, not just one guy. So I think we did a great job.”
Tuesday's performance doubled down on one of the Lakers' best defensive games of the season when they held the New York Knicks to 97 points on Sunday. The 99-point defensive rating was the fifth time the Lakers held a team to less than 100 points per 100 possessions in a game, and the first time doing so against a team with a record of .600 or better.
Deandre Ayton shows his 'monster' side
Lakers center Deandre Ayton shoots over the Timberwolves' defense on Tuesday at Crypto.com Arena. (Ethan Swope / Associated Press)
With 33 missed shots between both teams in the first quarter, Deandre Ayton certainly had plenty of opportunities for rebounds, and the 7-foot center made the most of them.
Ayton almost single-handedly kept the Lakers in contention in the first half, scoring 12 of his 14 points in the second quarter and had a first-half double-double with 11 rebounds.
Ayton, who was scoreless in the first quarter but had six rebounds, scored three of his first four baskets off offensive rebounds. The only exception came when Reaves drove in the lane, wrapped a pass around his back and found Ayton cutting down the lane for a vicious two-handed dunk. The crowd roared.
“He was a monster,” said Reaves, who had 31 points and eight assists. “... He was the only person scoring for us efficiently and then just being high energy on the other end, just doing what he does. That’s what we need him to do. When he does that, we’re a different team and we’re thankful to have him.”
Ayton’s effort has waned throughout the season, sometimes resulting in him getting benched late in games. But he provided major lifts in marquee wins against the Knicks (six points, eight rebounds) and Timberwolves to earn the confidence and trust of his teammates.
The Lakers needed Ayton at his best after backup centers Jaxson Hayes (back soreness) and Maxi Kleber (lumbar back strain) were ruled out of the game about 15 minutes before tip-off. Hayes was starring in his reserve role in recent weeks, bringing much-needed energy off the bench and a seamless connection with Doncic, but hearing that Ayton would have to hold down the front line by himself gave the former No. 1 draft pick extra motivation.
“I know I'm the only big,” Ayton said, “so I try my best to stay out there as long as possible, especially down the stretch."
Lakers cruising without LeBron James
Lakers forward LeBron James looks across the court during the team's win over the Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
LeBron James missed his third consecutive game, still recovering from a hip contusion suffered in a fall against the Denver Nuggets last week. The 41-year-old participated in on-court shooting Tuesday before the team’s walk-through but “probably just needs a couple more days,” Redick said.
The Lakers “obviously want him in the lineup,” Redick said, but they haven’t necessarily needed him this season when his absences typically open greater opportunities for Doncic and Reaves.
In 316 minutes on the court together, James, Doncic and Reaves have a net rating of -1.1 points per 100 possessions. James and Doncic have a -3.1 net rating together while the Doncic and Reaves duo is outscoring opponents by six points per 100 possessions. In their fifth season together, James and Reaves have their worst net rating together at -1.7.
How the trio of ball-handling stars would coexist was one of the major questions entering Doncic’s first full season with the Lakers. But alternating injuries to James and Reaves have limited the group’s time together.
“The human struggle to want what you want while also having the emotional maturity and recognition that you have somebody next to you, it hasn’t been as clean,” Redick said before the game. “... There’s a clear pecking order when LeBron or when Luka and AR on the floor together with guys that are low usage players. That’s the nature of it. That’s the nature of nearly every Big Three that’s ever existed. We’re going to get there. We’ve seen some positive signs and I know LeBron, he recognizes the importance of having Luka as the engine. All he really wants is to impact winning.”
The Lakers are 13-7 (65% winning percentage) in games without James this season and 26-18 (59%) with him in the lineup.
Japan’s Vissel Kobe claimed a place in the quarterfinals of the AFC Champions League Elite with a 2-1 win over FC Seoul of South Korea on Wednesday.
Yuya Osako and Yosuke Ideguchi scored late at home as Kobe advanced 3-1 over two legs in the round of 16. Patryk Klimala scored in the first half for Seoul.
Kobe becomes the second Japanese team to reach the quarterfinals after Machida Zelvia qualified on Tuesday.
Johor Darul Tazim of Malaysia also advanced despite a 1-0 loss at Sanfrecce Hiroshima, thanks to its 3-1 win in the first leg, to prevent a third Japanese reaching the last eight.
Buriram United of Thailand rounds out the eastern zone quarterfinalists.
The tournament is divided into two geographic zones until the quarterfinals. Games in the western zone have been postponed because of the Iran war.
All matches from the quarterfinal stage onward are scheduled to take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from April 16–25 but it’s unclear when games in the western zone can resume.
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - MARCH 16, 2025: Luke Dickerson #16 of the Washington Nationals throws to first base during the seventh inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the New York Mets at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on March 16, 2025 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
The Washington Nationals were playing the Marlins in Jupiter yesterday, but that was not where I wanted to be. I learned that the Nats prospects were playing in some backfield games against the Astros prospects. This allowed me to see some players I had never seen before.
There were four games going on, two on the Astros side of the facility and two on the Nats side. The more experienced prospects were playing on the Astros side, so that is where I started. Luis Perales and Sean Linan were throwing for the Nats in those two games.
Both of them looked fairly sharp. As the higher ranked prospect that was closer to the big leagues, I was paying more attention to Perales. He threw two innings and was mostly solid. Perales gave up one monster home run, but was good besides that. Here is a video I took of him fielding a ground ball.
Perales was mostly in the zone, which was good to see for a guy with control questions. He was getting hit harder than you would expect for a guy with his stuff, so the quality of the strikes still needs to improve. However, he has such amazing stuff. Perales threw a 100 MPH fastball with almost 20 inches of carry to get a strikeout. That is really rare stuff because fastballs that hard do not tend to have that kind of movement.
The contrast between Perales and Sean Linan was also fun to see. Linan is a very different type of pitcher. He is reliant on a very unique changeup that can totally befuddle hitters. Linan had mixed results, but it was good to see him throw the ball.
The whole scene on that side felt very professional. Nats and Astros coaches were all around the complex and locked in on the games. There were also some Astros players watching the games. One cool thing I saw was Astros prospect AJ Blubaugh interacting with his family after he threw a pair of scoreless innings in the game.
When I went to the other side of the field, things felt more laid back. These games were mostly filled with the team’s younger prospects. I saw the likes of Eli Willits, Gavin Fien, Coy James, Ronny Cruz and Luke Dickerson among others.
There was one game with a lot of the younger Dominican prospects. In that crowd were a bunch of middle aged men wearing Dominican Republic hats. I figured they were the parents of some of the players, but I was not sure. They looked like they were having a blast watching the game.
One player that stood out yet again was Ronny Cruz. I wrote about him after he hit a home run in a Spring Training game the other day. He was playing in one of the games and ripped a single between the shortstop and third baseman. Then, the youngster stole a base. I am going to be watching him very closely this spring.
The Nats were aggressive on the basepaths in all the games I saw. I got a video of prospect Angel Feliz stealing a base while Luke Dickerson was hitting. Feliz is not known for his speed, but he got a great jump and swiped the bag.
Interestingly, the games with mostly younger players had some big league players getting work in as well. Miles Mikolas was throwing to Riley Adams in one of the games. This must be a replacement for Mikolas’ between-start bullpen. He shut down the young Astros hitters.
After his outing was over, I saw him chatting with his wife and playing with his three young kids. That was a really cool thing to see, and humanized a guy who I have been watching perform in the big leagues for nearly a decade. At that moment, he was just a dad and a husband.
Overall, seeing the backfields was a really cool experience. It was a hot afternoon, but this was worth sweating over. While fans mostly just see the Spring Training games, there is so much other stuff that goes on during the spring. I got to see some of that yesterday, and it was a fun experience.
MILWAUKEE, WI - March 2: John Tonje of the Boston Celtics boxes out during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks on March 2, 2026 at Fiserv Forum Center 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images). | NBAE via Getty Images
John Tonje has had a whirlwind couple of months.
The 24-year-old guard was traded from the Utah Jazz to the Celtics in the trade that sent Chris Boucher to Utah, and quickly became the Celtics’ third two-way player.
Tonje has split his time between the Maine Celtics and the Boston Celtics so far, and made his NBA debut on February 24th. Just a few days later, he scored his first NBA points in a game against the Brooklyn Nets at TD Garden.
“It all happened fast, it kind of caught me by surprise,” Tonje told CelticsBlog last month. “But I’m blessed to be in this position.”
On Tuesday night, Tonje recorded his best G League game yet. He exploded for 42 points on 12 of 20 shooting and sank 8 of his 10 three-point attempts. In turn, the Maine Celtics beat the Osceola Magic 119-112 to improve to 14-16 on the season. The Magic currently has the best G League record in the Eastern Conference, at 19-8.
☘️ John Tonje hits his 8th three of the night and is up to a career-high 40 points. pic.twitter.com/RNjnRbzdy8
John Tonje’s rookie campaign continues with the Celtics
Before the trade, John Tonje appeared in 32 games for the Jazz’s G League affiliate this season, the Salt Lake City Stars, averaging 18 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game.
That came on the heels of an NCAA Tournament run with the Wisconsin Badgers, in which he averaged 19.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Before Wisconsin, he spent four seasons at Colorado State and one year in Missouri.
A fun tidbit about Tonje is that he was high school AAU teammates with Baylor Scheierman in Nebraska, almost a decade ago.
And, Scheierman remembers him as a prolific scorer.
“He can score in a variety of ways,” he said. “He’s a good defender. I think those are the two biggest things that stood out to me back in those days. I was a completely different player and build back in those days, but I think those are the two things that stuck out the most, was just his physical maturity, it was just the ability to score.”
After being drafted 53rd overall by the Jazz back in June, Tonje assumed he’d be in Utah at least for a bit. But he landed in Boston, not even a full season into his NBA career.
And, the Celtics already feel different.
“I think it’s the culture — just the way that everyone is bought in there’s a little bit of aura, for lack of a better term, on the team,” he said.
For now, Tonje is getting up to speed with the Maine Celtics.
But, he’s also spent plenty of time with the parent club, joining the Celtics for their West Coast road trip last month on a 10 Day contract.
“Everyone’s been super welcoming, and Joe is super humble, so it’s been great,” he said. “Just kind of learning from him. And, knowing some of these guys from afar — getting a chance to meet them and be around them has been awesome.”
