HOUSTON (AP) — Kevin Durant scored 29 points and Amen Thompson scored 23 points as the Houston Rockets beat the Toronto Raptors 113-99 on Tuesday night.
Durant shot 12 of 16 from the field while adding seven rebounds. He scored 22 of his points in the first half.
Thompson eclipsed the 20-point mark for the fifth time in six games. He converted on 6 of his 10 field goal attempts while making 10 free throws.
Jabari Smith Jr. also added 23 points for the Rockets, who pulled into a tie for third place in the Western Conference standings. Alperen Sengun scored 14 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.
Houston shot 60% in the first quarter and outrebounded the Raptors 11-5, but with the help of six Rockets’ turnovers the game was tied at 29. The Rockets closed the first half on a 14-4 run to take a 58-49 halftime lead.
The Rockets shot 49% from the field for the game and outrebounded the Raptors 53-30, finishing with 22 second chance points to Toronto’s five.
RJ Barrett’s 25 points led the Raptors. Scottie Barnes scored 24 points, but Toronto made just 9 of 36 three-point attempts.
The Raptors’ lead over the Orlando Magic for fifth place in the Eastern Conference is down to ½ game.
Up next
Raptors: At the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 10: Bam Adebayo #13 of the Miami Heat celebrates during the fourth quarter of the game against the Washington Wizards at Kaseya Center on March 10, 2026 in Miami, Florida. 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 Megan Briggs/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In one of the more shocking performances in a long time, Bam Adebayo passed Kobe Bryant for the second-most points all-time in a single game, pouring in 83 points for the Heat in their win over the Wizards on Tuesday.
With the game well out of hand down the stretch, Bam took a number of trips to the free throw line down the stretch to move past Kobe.
THE MOMENT BAM FINISHED WITH 83 PTS TO BREAK KOBE’S SINGLE-GAME SCORING RECORD 🤯👏 pic.twitter.com/DSDfP7g2gv
Bam set a number of records in this game outside of the 83 points. He finished the night shooting 20-43 from the field, 7-22 from three and 36-43 from the free throw line. He added nine rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks.
But the record-breaking parts of that have to do with the shooting. The 36 made free throws are the most ever, the 43 attempted free throws is the most ever and the 22 attempted threes is the third-most ever.
Bam Adebayo tonight: – 83 points, 2nd-most in a game in NBA history – 36 made FT, most in NBA history – 43 FTA, most in NBA history – 22 3PA, tied for 3rd-most in a game in NBA history
There was certainly some gamesmanship down the stretch of this one to get Bam the record. The Heat were comfortably ahead in the fourth and began force-feeding the ball to Bam, as any team would do.
The Wizards, being the awful basketball team they are, kept fouling him and sending him to the line. Their attempts at double- and triple-teaming him did little to slow him down as they kept fouling him. Very late on in the game, the Heat began intentionally fouling to allow more chances for Bam to pass Kobe.
Hilariously, Washington answered by intentionally fouling other Heat players to send them to the line. Eventually, though, Bam did pass Kobe for the second-best scoring game in league history.
There will certainly be a lot of debate and consternation about this game compared to Kobe’s 81-point game. In his performance, Kobe went 18-20 at the line, attempting half as many free throws as Bam. He also made as many threes as Bam (7) in nearly half as many attempts (13).
But at the end of the day, records were made to be broken. None of it is all that serious. Kobe’s legacy is not changed by this game. In fact, it’s a good time to remember his final tweet and what he said of the future of the game.
Continuing to move the game forward @KingJames. Much respect my brother 💪🏾 #33644
NEW YORK (AP) — Jalen Duren scored 26 points, Cade Cunningham had 21 points and 15 assists, and the Detroit Pistons snapped a season-worst four-game skid, beating the Brooklyn Nets 138-100 on Tuesday night.
Duren shot 9 of 10 from the field and Cunningham was 8 of 10, including 4 of 5 from three-point range. Duncan Robinson added 15 points and Marcus Sasser finished with 14 for the Eastern Conference-leading Pistons, who never trailed.
Michael Porter Jr. had 19 points and Jalen Wilson added 14 for the Nets, who saw their two-game winning streak end.
Part of Detroit’s skid was an improbable loss to visiting Brooklyn on Saturday night in a game it led by 23 points midway through the third quarter. The Nets ended a 10-game skid with that victory.
Cunningham — who did not play in that game — and Duren combined for 21 first-quarter points as the Pistons shot 57 percent from the field and 45 percent from beyond the arc for a 38-27 advantage.
The Pistons then outscored the Nets 35-13 in the second quarter for a 73-40 halftime lead.
Detroit finished the game shooting 56 percent from the field and 50 percent (16 of 32) from three-point range.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MARCH 10: Kyle Kuzma #18 of the Milwaukee Bucks scores on a lay up during the first half against the Phoenix Suns at Fiserv Forum on March 10, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Milwaukee Bucks lost 129-114 to the Phoenix Suns to drop their fourth of the last five games, ending a disappointing home stand. The game saw the return of Giannis Antetokounmpo after a one-game absence and Taurean Prince after he had missed most of the season with a neck injury. Devin Booker led the Suns with 27 points, while Kyle Kuzma paced the Bucks with 33 points and a big milestone, passing 10,000 career points.
The Bucks limped out of the locker room once again, surrendering easy buckets amid a 9-2 start for the Suns. The home team quickly found its offense, though, climbing back to tie it up 9-9 as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Ousmane Dieng found their scoring groove. It was largely back and forth for the rest of the frame, with a brief Bucks’ lead peaking at 19-14. The Suns decisively won the battle of the Greens: Jalen Green finished with 14 points, while AJ Green was scoreless and committed a foul on a made 3-pointer to close the first and help the visitors pad their lead. After one, it was Suns 36, Bucks 30.
Quarter two continued in an even-steven manner, with runs by both teams that largely canceled each other out. The Bucks went on a 9-0 mid-quarter run off three quick three-pointers, two by Myles Turner that bookended one by Ryan Rollins. The visitors were helped by a reawakened Devin Booker, who found his groove late in the quarter for 13 points to send him to the locker room with a game-high of 20. Kyle Kuzma also got cooking late in the quarter, pouring in nine points in the final two minutes, including a 28-footer at the buzzer to send the Bucks hootin’ and hollerin’ into the break. Halftime: Bucks 65, Suns 62.
The Bucks were the aggressors coming out of the half for a change, jumping to a 73-62 advantage. But prosperity just can’t last for this squad. The Suns roared back, with a 15-4 midquarter run clawing them back to even, 77 all, at the 7:38 mark. The remainder of the quarter was the battle between two unlikely gunslingers. Kyle Kuzma ended the frame with 16 points to push him to 31 for the game. Royce O’Neale managed to outduel him, finishing the frame with 18 points, including a buzzer-beating three-point make. Phoenix was ahead 100-97 entering the final period.
Phoenix came out feisty to start the fourth, starting with a 7-0 run to push their lead to 10. They held onto a double-digit lead throughout the final frame, as the Bucks seemed to run out of gas on what started as a promising night for the beleaguered squad.
Stat That Stood Out
17. That’s the Bucks’ turnover total. Those gifts resulted in 22 points for the visitors.
Jaylen Brown had an early exit Tuesday night — and he didn’t wait long to voice his frustration.
The Celtics star was ejected in the second quarter of Tuesday night’s 125-116 loss to the Spurs after he received a double technical seemingly for arguing over the lack of a call against San Antonio’s Stephon Castle.
Brown, dribbling near the sideline, lost the handle of the ball as Castle guarded him, and possession was given to the Spurs. Brown took exception to the decision, immediately holding out his arms in disbelief.
Jaylen Brown has been EJECTED after being assessed a double technical foul for his reaction to this no-call
Instead of really going back on defense, an incensed Brown yelled at referee Tyler Ford and the rest of the officiating crew, which eventually gave him a double technical and the early boot.
It marked just the second career ejection for Brown, according to ESPN.
Minutes after he was given the heave-ho, Brown took to X in what seemed like his way of voicing anger with what went down.
Jaylen Brown was frustrated with the officials on Tuesday night.Jaylen Brown was frustrated with the officials on Tuesday night.
“This the s–t I be talking about,” he wrote.
Brown had eight points, seven assists and two rebounds before exiting.
“I just give a ton of credit to my high school principal. He had the balls to throw a student out,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said after the game, per ESPN. “He didn’t leave it to the hall monitor. … “I understand completely where Jaylen’s coming from. Absolutely. And I’ve got his back 100 percent, I think he was 100 percent right to be frustrated and do what he did.”
Largely without Jayson Tatum — who just returned from an Achilles tear on Friday — Brown has excelled this season at 28.7 points per game, which ranks sixth in the NBA.
The Buffalo Sabres picked up a 6-3 win over the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night. With it, the Sabres have now won eight straight games and have a four-point lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning for the top spot in the Atlantic Division standings.
Jack Quinn played a big role in the Sabres' win against the San Jose Sharks, as he had a monster game.
Quinn stepped up in a major way for the Sabres against the Sharks, as he scored three goals and recorded an assist. With this, Quinn recorded the first hat trick of his NHL career, which is an impressive achievement.
After this big performance, Quinn now has 15 goals, 28 points, and a plus-9 rating in 65 games this season. He has also now set a new career-high with 43 points on the season, so there is no question that the 2020 eighth-overall pick has been having a strong year for the Sabres.
It will now be interesting to see how Quinn builds on his strong stretch of play from here. If he continues to chip in solid offense, it would certainly be good news for a red-hot Sabres club right now.
MIAMI, FL - MARCH 10: Alexandre Sarr #20 of the Washington Wizards drives to the basket during the game against the Miami Heat on March 10, 2026 at Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. 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 Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Another game, another loss. The Washington Wizards lost to the Miami Heat, 150-129 on Tuesday night.
Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo scored a franchise-record 83 points, shooting 20-of-43 from the field and making 36-of-43 free throws tonight. He even made 7-of-22 three pointers. Adebayo, by scoring 83 points has the NBA’s second highest scoring game in history, only behind Wilt Chamberlain’s 100 point game in 1962 for the Philadelphia (now Golden State) Warriors. Adebayo scored 31 of those points in the first quarter, and scored 21 more in the fourth quarter, though 14 of those points were from the free throw line.
For Washington, let’s forget about the 83 point game by Adebayo. The thing that did the Wizards in was the turnovers and points off them. Washington committed 24 turnovers which turned into 31 Miami points. The Heat committed 17 turnovers themselves, but the Wizards only scored … 9 points off them.
Alex Sarr led the Wizards with 28 points with Will Riley adding 22 more. Jaden Hardy added 17 more points off the bench.
The Wizards’ next game is on Thursday when they travel on the road to play the Orlando Magic. Tip off is at 7 p.m. ET. See you then.
All of a sudden, the Rangers are doing everything that they couldn’t do earlier in the season.
All of a sudden, Alexis Lafrenière resembles what a $52.15 million player and former No. 1 overall pick is supposed to look like, and the Blueshirts are stringing wins together.
The latest unfolded Tuesday night, when Lafrenière scored three more goals, including one with 2:18 left to cap the second hat trick of his career, during their 4-0 win over the Flames to give him 13 points in his last nine games.
It’s the first time Lafrenière has scored in consecutive games since November.
With their latest win giving the Blueshirts (26-30-8) points in six of seven games since the Olympic break ended, they’ve also won consecutive home games in regulation for the first time all season.
Conor Sheary also scored his second goal of the season.
Jonathan Quick recorded his first shutout since October and picked up just his second win since November, stopping all 21 Calgary shots.
“I think one of the things that we tried to encourage [Lafrenière] to do a little bit more of was finding ways to create offense different ways,” head coach Mike Sullivan said, “and he’s a dangerous player off the rush because he has great offensive instincts. He has the ability to see it and make plays, and he has finishing ability when he’s on the receiving end of those plays. … But I think he’s adding a dimension to his game and that’s, we’ll call it the grind game.”
Alexis Lafrenière tips a puck past Dustin Wolf for the first of his three goals in the Rangers’ 4-0 win over the Flames at the Garden on March 10, 2026.
Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
That added element led to his first goal Tuesday, when a Mika Zibanejad shot from the point deflected off the winger and into the net late in the opening period while on the power play.
Sheary added to the Rangers’ lead in the second frame off a strange sequence, when a long pass bounced off the boards behind the net, went through Noah Laba’s legs and ended up right on the stick of Tye Kartye — who threaded a pass to Sheary.
The Blueshirts’ third goal featured some nifty passing, with Gabe Perreault opting for the extra movement and feeding a wide-open Lafrenière near the back post.
Jonathan Quick makes one of his 21 saves during the Rangers’ win over the Flames at the Garden. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
And in the final minutes, with Perreault carrying the puck down the ice on a 2-on-1 rush, Lafrenière took the cross-ice pass and ripped a shot into the Flames’ net as hats started to pour onto the ice.
“They’ve been unbelievable,” Lafrenière said of skating with Zibanejad and Perreault. “Every time they get it, they can make a play, and for me, it’s just help them as much as I can and just try and get open for them.”
J.T. Miller, on injured reserve since March 3 with an upper-body injury, participated in the Blueshirts’ optional morning skate Tuesday while wearing a red noncontact jersey — marking his first time practicing in a team capacity since landing on IR.
Sullivan anticipated Miller being able to shed the noncontact jersey “sooner than later.”
Miller is eligible to return from injured reserve at any point, as he has already missed the minimum of seven days.
Quick’s shutout marked the 65th of his career, moving him past Henrik Lundqvist and into 17th place all-time in NHL history. “Any time you’re mentioned with Hank’s name with anything, it’s special,” Quick said.
With their assists on Lafrenière’s first goal, Zibanejad and Adam Fox recorded the 800th and 400th points of their careers, respectively. Who keeps the milestone puck? “Seniority, I guess,” Zibanejad, 32, said with a grin. “We’ll see who gets it.”
Korey Lee tanked a three-run homer in Chicago’s loss to the A’s. | (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
It was another high-scoring affair for the White Sox (11-8), who broke up their win streak by dropping Tuesday’s matchup against the Athletics (8-10), 11-7. Each team played 18 position players and seven pitchers, and despite exchanging the lead back-and-forth for most of the game, the A’s were able to out-hit the South Siders 16-10, and the Sox beat themselves by committing three errors.
Shane Smith was on the mound and struggled through his 2 2/3 innings, walking four batters against two strikeouts, and two of the five hits he allowed were home runs. In 7 1/3 innings this spring, Smith’s ERA and WHIP have inflated to 9.82 and 2.05, respectively. Shane, unfortunately, also accounted for one of the errors on a pickoff to first, which led to two runs scoring on the next batter as Brent Rooker ripped a double to drive in two of his three RBIs. Smith would, however, end up actually picking off a batter in the second inning.
The bullpen didn’t fare much better. Garrett Schoenle, Mark McLaughlin, and Grant Taylor each blew a save, and the Good Guys surrendered five more runs after Smith’s exit. McLaughlin allowed one run while Taylor let two more in, and ultimately earned the loss.
Lefthander — and typically starting pitcher — Hagen Smith came in for the bottom of the eighth though he, too, wasn’t on his A-game, and he allowed two runs on three hits while striking out one before being yanked with two outs. Swapping out lefty for lefty, Rylan Kaufman re-entered the game to get the final out of the inning. Due to the pitching staff floundering throughout the game, the South Siders were hoping their offense could complete the comeback one last time. Spoiler alert, they didn’t.
Offensively, they had two three-run innings in the first and the third, but the A’s kept clawing back. Four of the 10 White Sox hits were for extra bases, including doubles from Lenyn Sosa, Miguel Vargas, and Ryan Galanie, with the fourth being a three-run bomb from Korey Lee that gave the lead back to the South Siders. Even with 10 hits and seven runs, only Vargas and Luisangel Acuña had multi-hit days, and the Good Guys went 4-for-14 (.286) with runners in scoring position and left another nine on base as a team.
Still holding a winning record in Spring Training, the White Sox will head back home to Camelback Ranch on Wednesday to take on the Los Angeles Angels. Southpaw Anthony Kay will make his fourth start and has been solid so far in Cactus League play, holding a 2.35 ERA.
The New York Islanders erased a 3-0 deficit before Mathew Barzal scored the 4-3 overtime winner to defeat the St. Louis Blues in Brayden Schenn's return.
The former St. Louis captain earned the primary assist on the Barzal winner for his point with the Islanders:
Goaltender Ilya Sorokin, who was almost pulled in this game -- will get to that in a minute -- turned aside 20 of 23 for the win, including the last 11 shots he faced.
The Islanders conclude their four-game road trip 2-2-0 after winning their last two games. It was a monumental comeback as the Buffalo Sabres won yet again, while the Pittsburgh Penguins earned a point.
Here's how the game unfolded.
The Blues scored the first three goals of the game, the second and third goals coming 1:27 apart. They did score a fourth goal, but the Islanders won their offside challenge.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau was able to stop the bleeding at 17:50 of the second period with his rebound goal to make it a 3-1 game before the second period came to a close, despite outshooting their opponents 29-14.
The Islanders then scored twice on a double-minor power play early in the third period.
First, it was Calum Ritchie, the one who took the high stick by Pavel Buchnevich at 5:52 of the third period. He was the last to touch the puck before Joe Finley poked the rubber into his own net:
Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman eyes the puck after a save in the first period. (Charles Krupa / Associated Press)
Charlie McAvoy scored 39 seconds into overtime and Jeremy Swayman stopped 14 shots on Tuesday night to earn the Boston Bruins their 13th straight victory at home, 2-1 over the Kings.
Mason Lohrei scored midway through the third period to break a scoreless tie. But the Kings tied it five minutes later when Drew Doughty’s shot from the blue line deflected off the heel of Bruins forward Elias Lindholm and into the net.
It was the seventh straight time the teams had gone to overtime in Boston.
In the overtime, Mark Kastelic blocked a shot in the defensive zone and made a long pass to David Pastrnak, who waited for McAvoy to come into the zone. The Bruins' defenseman and U.S. Olympian, who went to the locker room at the end of the second period after taking a puck off his mouth, skated in on Darcy Kuemper and went to his backhand for the winner.
Kuemper stopped 21 shots for the Kings, who entered the night one point out of the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference. The victory kept Boston in possession of the East’s second wild-card spot.
Swayman tied his career high with his 25th win of the season. The Bruins haven’t lost at the TD Garden since before Christmas.
After the game, Kings forward and future Hall of Famer Anze Kopitar stayed on the ice to shake hands with the Bruins after what is expected to be his last game in Boston.
MONTREAL (AP) — Oliver Kapanen scored his 20th of the season as the Montreal Canadiens held on for a 3-1 win and handed the Toronto Maple Leafs their eighth consecutive loss Tuesday night.
Phillip Danault also scored, and Jake Evans added an empty-net goal for Montreal. Jakub Dobes made 17 saves.
William Nylander scored for struggling Toronto, which is on track to miss the playoffs after nine consecutive trips to the postseason.
Joseph Woll stopped 30 shots in a solid outing.
The Maple Leafs entered the night 11 points outside the playoffs and 13 behind the Canadiens, who held the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Besides two shifts on the power play, Cole Caufield sat at the end of the Canadiens’ bench from late in the second period through the end of the game. Montreal’s leading goal scorer appeared to be in some discomfort, with trainers occasionally checking in. The Canadiens said after the game that Caufield was sick.
Toronto captain Auston Matthews — a former 69-goal scorer — extended his goalless streak to 12 games.
Up next
Maple Leafs: Host the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday.
Canadiens: Visit the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday.
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Carter Verhaeghe scored two goals in the final 90 seconds to rally the Florida Panthers to a 4-3 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night.
With Florida goalie Daniil Tarasov on the bench, Verhaeghe scored with 1:30 remaining to make it 3-all.
Then, with 15 seconds left, Verhaeghe took a pass from Matthew Tkachuk and his shot went off the skate of Detroit defenseman Justin Faulk and past goalie Josh Gibson.
Vinnie Hinostroza had his first goal and assist for the Panthers, and Niko Mikkola also scored. Tarasov stopped 25 shots.
Faulk had a goal and an assist in his second game for the Red Wings, who also lost to the Panthers 3-1 at Detroit on Friday night. Faulk was acquired from St. Louis at Friday's trade deadline.
Patrick Kane and Marco Kasper also scored for the Red Wings, and Gibson made 24 saves.
Hinostroza scored at 9:48 of the first period to give Florida a 1-0 lead. He was acquired from Minnesota on Friday. Hinostroza played in nine games for Florida during the 2020-21 season but did not record a point.
The Red Wings took a 2-1 lead at 12:59 of the second when Faulk shoveled a backhanded shot from 30 feet out that went over Tarasov's shoulder.
Florida tied the score 2-2 at 5:10 of the third on Mikkola’s bouncing shot from the blue line that deflected off Faulk’s skate before going past Gibson.
Just over a minute later, the Red Wings retook the lead on Kasper's breakaway.
Detroit center Andrew Copp left the game in the second period with an apparent left leg injury and did not return.
The Panthers played without their two leading scorers, Brad Marchand and Sam Reinhart.
Colorado Rockies 2026 Hype Video | Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies dropped their 2026 pre-season hype video on Monday morning.
Take a look:
I know it’s only 30 seconds, but there’s a lot going on here (in addition to the gorgeous shots of the Colorado mountains), and it’s worthwhile to sort through what the Rockies are telling fans about the coming season.
(Look, I’m an English major who really enjoys textual analysis.)
But before going into where the Rockies are now, think back to their last attempt to brand a rebuild, “Generation R.”
Here’s how Eddie Pells described it back in 2005: “If things go as planned this season, ‘Gen R’ as the new group of Rockies is being touted on billboards and newspaper ads around Denver will be scrappy, exciting and fun. And as most baseball fans know, ‘scrappy, exciting and fun’ is often the nice way of saying ‘not very good.’”
The advertising campaign met with some skepticism, even though the Rockies would be in the World Series two years later. But that initial resistance contributed to Dick Monfort’s unwillingness to call the last five years a rebuild.
But it’s a new day at 20th and Blake, and this front office is centering it.
The words
Here’s a transcript of Mike Casey’s narration:
Every climb has a beginning, a commitment to the hard work ahead and a belief that every step matters.
Success doesn’t happen overnight, but progress happens every day.
This is the start of our climb with our team, baseball at altitude here for the climb.
Begin by considering the central metaphor: a climb, which is a fitting image for a number of reasons.
First, it’s appropriate because this video promotes a team called “The Rockies,” which has mountains in its logo, and the mountains are a great place for a climb. Second, the outdoors is central to Colorado’s identity, and if you’ve ever taken a hike, you know it requires work, preparation, and determination. Third, a climb ties in to the mythic symbolism of a journey. This is the beginning of getting to another place — and learning some things along the way.
The words also urge fans to be patient: “Success doesn’t happen over night, but progress happens every day.” Plus, it’s a theme consistent with pretty much every interview we’ve conducted with the Rockies coaching and front office staff. All of them stress the need for players to put in the work and keep improving.
Now look at the third line: It’s our team and our journey.
In other words, the players and front office aren’t the only ones on this journey. Fans are participants, too, and part of the team. Plus, “our team” differentiates the 2026 Rockies from the ones that have gone before (and all that losing). As fans, you and I are participants in what’s next.
And then there’s the reference to “baseball at altitude,” which calls attention to the real challenge that has attracted president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta and general manager Josh Byrnes to Colorado: They want to see if they can figure out baseball at altitude.1
The narrator then returns to the central metaphor of the climb/journey.
It works.
I don’t know much about music theory, but I know someone who does: Sam Bradfield, who was a music teacher in a former life. Here’s her analysis:
The music begins with a lone guitar, but the score gains intensity as the clip moves on and more instruments are added the mix. It uses the same three notes as a repeating ostinato, but the second time the first note is used, there is added emphasis (think: 1-4-5-1). Additionally, the notes they use are “perfect” intervals (fourths and fifths in music), which just means they would stay the same whether the score was in a major or minor key — nothing will change as long as you stay the course.
The ostinato sequences up in pitch briefly in the middle, but returns to “home base” one repetition later. Additionally — and most interestingly — the final repetition builds but doesn’t resolve (1-4-5-1-4-5) before the final beat cuts it off. To me, that signifies that the journey isn’t over, it’s just starting.
And finally, the orchestration is simple: guitar, percussion, and some light strings. While this is a “climbing” metaphor, it doesn’t feature soaring horns and sweeping strings. It keeps to its western roots, while still pushing us to start “the climb.”
The best music always reinforces the theme of a text, and you see that at work here.
The images
The graphics are very Colorado-centric, and they harken back not only to the Colorado outdoors but also to the Rockies City Connect uniforms, which symbolize Colorado sunsets.
Initially, the screen shows someone reading a map (just as DePodesta et al have begun mapping out how to build a winning team in Denver). Then there are shots of trees and snow and the trail. The climber laces up their shoes and pulls on a backpack over a black Colorado Rockies jersey.
They’re getting ready.
After that, the camera intersperses clips of Rockies players: Hunter Goodman holds a bat and wears purple pinstripes; Kyle Freeland looks up at the camera; and Ezequiel Tovar strikes a pose in his City Connects.
Clips are also inserted of unidentified players wearing Rockies gear.
And the video closes with this:
The trail is in the background, waiting for the viewer (and the team) to take the next steps and enter the scene while the purple logo appears on the screen: BASEBALL AT ALTITUDE: HERE FOR THE CLIMB.
The Colorado Rockies logo, which, of course, includes mountains, is superimposed on CLIMB linking the two ideas together: the team and the journey. It’s not just about rebuilding; it’s about rebuilding and solving the puzzle that is baseball at elevation.
Too, it’s an invitation for fans: Come with us. This journey won’t be for everyone because it’s going to be hard work, and it’s going to take time.
But we think you — like the team the Rockies are building — are up for the task.
Well done, atRockies.
I’m in.
1 The correct term would be “elevation,” not altitude. I suspect the Rockies went with “altitude” because it’s closer to “attitude,” and it’s a common usage error.
NEW YORK (AP) — Rangers forward Alexis Lafreniere got his second career hat trick and Jonathan Quick stopped 21 shots as New York defeated the Calgary Flames 4-0 on Tuesday night.
Conor Sheary scored his second goal of the season.
Mika Zibanejad and Gabe Perreault added two assists. Zibanejad’s assist on Lafreniere’s first goal gave him 800 career points. Adam Fox’s assist on the goal gave him 400 career points, becoming the fourth Rangers defenseman to hit that milestone.
Lafreniere has eight goals and five assists in his last nine games.
Quick earned his second shutout of the season and the 65th of his career. He passed Henrik Lundqvist for 17th most career shutouts in the NHL and sits one behind Patrick Roy.
Dustin Wolf made 25 saves for the Flames.
The Rangers are in last place in the Eastern Conference. They were coming off a 6-2 win over Philadelphia in which Zibanejad scored twice. Tuesday night was the first time they won two in a row since December.
The Flames have lost six of their last seven.
New York right wing Taylor Raddysh was scratched, missing his second straight game because of the death of his father.
