Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. Missouri Tigers Game Preview
Cooper Flagg injury shows fragility of Duke’s national title hopes
Yahoo Sports’ Jason Fitz reacts to the Duke star’s ankle injury during Thursday’s ACC tournament quarterfinal and what it could mean for the Blue Devils’ chances of winning a national championship.
Tottenham and Rangers reach Europa League quarter-finals – as it happened
Spurs made it through to the Europa League quarters … as did Rangers after some late Ibrox drama
Chelsea make five changes to the team that started in Denmark last week. Filip Jørgensen replaces Robert Sánchez in goal, while Pedro Neto, Enzo Fernández, Jadon Sancho and Joshua Acheampong also step up. Sánchez drops to the bench, as do Shumaira Mheuka, Cole Palmer and Reece James, the latter pair having been ill all week. Malo Gusto misses out altogether through injury.
Copenhagen make two changes from that game. Mohamed Elyounoussi, once of Southampton, and Rodrigo Huecas come in, while Giorgi Gocholeishvili and Amin Chiakha are benched.
Continue reading...Manchester United v Real Sociedad: Europa League last-16, second leg – as it happened
A terrific performance from United, who came from behind to wallop Sociedad with Bruno Fernandes scoring a hat-trick
It’s big night tonight for Højlund. He’s improved a bit in the last couple of games – he’s getting chances and missing them, rather than disappearing – and has done well in Europe since joining United. I think Amorim has him pegged, as it goes:
“We have to look at Rasmus as a player – he has the pace, he has the technique, he’s scored some goals that are really hard to score. Sometimes he doesn’t choose the better run, sometimes he’s so anxious to touch the ball and he moves away from the goal. We address that in training but sometimes it is the confidence of the player.”
Continue reading...Big 12 Tournament – Kansas vs. Arizona Prediction: Odds, Expert Picks, Betting Trends, and Stats
Kansas Jayhawks vs. Arizona Wildcats Game Preview
No. 17 BYU sets Big 12 tourney record with 18 3s, rallies past No. 12 Iowa St 96-92 in quarterfinals
Richie Saunders scored 23 points, hitting a crucial 3-pointer with less than a minute to go, and No. 17 BYU overcame a big game from Curtis Jones in a 96-92 victory over No. 12 Iowa State in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament on Thursday. Fousseyni Traore added 15 points and Trevin Knell had 14 for the fourth-seeded Cougars (24-8), who went 18 of 36 from beyond the arc to set a tournament record for made 3-pointers, and advanced to play No. 2 Houston or Colorado in the semifinals. Jones hit seven 3s of his own and scored 31 points, and Milan Momcilovic had 18 for the short-handed Cyclones (24-9), who had won their last four games at the Big 12 tourney, including their run to the championship a year ago.
Connor Bedard And Macklin Celebrini Will Finally Have Their First Matchup
On Monday night, the Chicago Blackhawks (20-36-9) snapped a five-game point streak (3-0-2) against the Colorado Avalanche. Despite playing a mostly good road game, they took a hard loss 3-0.
Next up is the San Jose Sharks (17-40-9) who are the one NHL team with a worse record than the Blackhawks this year. Both teams believe that they have a bright future but this isn't a winning season for either franchise.
This is the third and final time that these two will meet in 2024-25. They split the first two with each team winning at home. Chicago's win was in their home opener and San Jose's win came on Halloween.
In those two matchups, 2024 number one overall pick Macklin Celebrini was injured and did not play. That means that Thursday's matchup will be the first time that Celebrini will face 2023 first-overall pick Connor Bedard in the NHL. These two are friends away from the rink but it will be all business at SAP Center on Thursday night.
Bedard locked up the Calder Trophy as the top rookie in the NHL during the 2023-24 season and Celebrini is trying to do the same thing in 2024-25. He has a chance but Lane Hutson of the Montreal Canadiens and Matvei Michkov of the Philadelphia Flyers may have something to say about it.
This will also be Celebrini's first chance to play against Artyom Levshunov, who went one pick after him in the 2024 NHL Draft. Levshunov made his NHL debut on Monday against Colorado and was great. It is always interesting to see the top two picks from a draft go head-to-head.
Bedard and Levshunov will fit into Chicago's lineup like this:
Dach - Bedard - Dickinson
Teravainen - Donato - Mikheyev
Slaggert - Nazar - Foligno
Reichel - Veleno - Bertuzzi
Del Mastro - Murphy
Vlasic - Kaiser
Martinez - Levshunov
Knight
This is the same lineup that Chicago played well with on the road against the Colorado Avalanche. Bedard will skate with Jason Dickinson and Colton Dach. Levshunov will skate with Alec Martinez again despite Martinez leaving the game early on Tuesday.
Spencer Knight will be in the net for the Hawks again. This is notable because it is the first time that he will make consecutive starts in a Chicago sweater. With three days rest in between games, they are going back to Knight which identifies him as the number one goalie.
For San Jose, Celebrini usually plays with William Eklund and Tyler Toffoli on the top line. Their other exciting rookie, Will Smith (taken 4th overall in the Bedard draft), is on the second line with Alex Wennberg and Collin Graf. Alexander Georgiev will be in the net for the Sharks.
With the way that the Blackhawks have played since the Seth Jones trade, the vibes in the room are good. This San Jose team has talent but it is far from the Colorado team that Chicago just looked good against in a loss.
No wins are easy in the NHL for any team but this is a matchup that should allow certain players on both teams to get their touches. For the two number-one picks specifically, this is a chance to shine bright.
Both Bedard and Celebrini are expected to help carry the NHL in the coming years so seeing them match up against each other for the first time is a reason to tune in. Both guys are proud to represent their NHL teams well while trying to become top-flight players.
Visit The Hockey News Chicago Blackhawks team site to stay updated on the latest news, game-day coverage, player features, and more.
Watch Steph make his 4,000th 3-pointer in Warriors-Kings game
Watch Steph make his 4,000th 3-pointer in Warriors-Kings game originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Steph Curry once again etched his name in the NBA record books.
Curry became the first player in NBA history to record 4,000 made 3-pointers Thursday after draining a triple in the third quarter of the Warriors’ matchup with the Sacramento Kings at Chase Center. After the bucket, the home crowd rained down “MVP” chants upon the 3-point king.
Steph is the first player in NBA history with 4,000 3-pointers 🙌
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) March 14, 2025
Curry’s first NBA 3-pointer came on Oct. 30, 2009, against the Phoenix Suns in his second professional game, and nearly 16 years later the Warriors superstar stands alone in the record books.
Another historic milestone for Steph 🐐 pic.twitter.com/EvdmgFZFTp
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) March 14, 2025
Los Angeles Clippers star James Harden is the only other player in NBA history to eclipse 3,000 made 3-pointers, but still sits nearly 1,000 behind Curry despite the two entering the league in the same 2009 draft class.
Curry also eclipsed the 25,000-career point mark this past Saturday against the Detroit Pistons, further adding to his already cemented status as one of the greatest players ever to step on an NBA court.
Curry always will be synonymous with the 3-point shot, and while his current mark of 4,000 and counting might already be insurmountable, it appears the two-time NBA MVP is showing no signs of slowing down and could add even more triples to his gaudy count.
Could 5,000 ultimately be in play before Curry decides to retire? He’s under contract with the Warriors through the 2026-27 NBA season, with his basketball future beyond that undetermined
Time will tell, but one thing is certain — no basketball fan would be surprised to see Curry finish on a number never to be matched by another NBA player.
Maple Leafs And Panthers' Clash Is A Sign Things Are Getting Real
Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice has noticed something interesting of late ahead of Thursday's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
When he pre-scouts his opponents, he sees a far different team than the one that ends up stepping on the ice against his team.
"When we look at the games teams play two or three prior to us, they don't look like the game they play against us," Maurice said after the morning skate prior to his team visiting the Maple Leafs. "There's high-end energy. We're always prepared for their best, which we need to do to stay sharp."
Such is life when you've won the Stanley Cup and done so largely with smash mouth hockey.
It would seem that the three games the Maple Leafs and Panthers play down the stretch going into the playoffs will be no different – high-octane, high-energy. It should provide an interesting glimpse into what should be an outstanding playoffs.
Today's video column has more.
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NHL Power Rankings: Key Matchups That Will Determine Each Team's FateWelcome back to The Hockey News' NHL power rankings, where we rank all 32 teams based on their weekly performance. Lewis and Hawkins heading home to boost Welsh pro clubs
Two Welsh internationals are returning from English clubs this summer to play for in the BKT United Rugby Championship. The 57-times capped Harlequins tight head prop Dillon Lewis has signed for Dragons RFC, while the 22-year-old Joe Hawkins is leaving Exeter Chiefs to join the Scarlets in a major double boost for the Welsh professional […]
The post Lewis and Hawkins heading home to boost Welsh pro clubs appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.
Wales XV named for Six Nations finale against England
Senior men’s head coach Matt Sherratt has named the Wales team to play England in the final round of the 2025 Guinness Six Nations at a sold-out Principality Stadium, Cardiff on Saturday 15 March (KO 16.45h GMT, live on BBC and S4C). There are two personnel changes to the starting line-up that faced Scotland in […]
The post Wales XV named for Six Nations finale against England appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.
New Jersey Devils 'Just Have To Press On' Without Injured Hamilton, Hughes And Siegenthaler
The New Jersey Devils face an added challenge in their quest for the Stanley Cup playoffs and beyond.
New Jersey’s top-scoring defenseman, Dougie Hamilton, is out for the rest of the regular season with an injury he suffered on March 4 against the Dallas Stars.
Hamilton’s recovery time may last into the second round of the playoffs, Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald told the Krackin’ Canuckleheads podcast on Thursday.
After losing center Jack Hughes for the rest of the season and playoffs due to a shoulder injury and blueliner Jonas Siegenthaler for at least the rest of the regular season with a lower-body injury, New Jersey must move forward without Hamilton.
“We turned the page pretty quickly when the injury happened. We just have to press on,” Devils coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters on Thursday.
Hamilton was only one of six Devils players to appear in all 63 of New Jersey’s games before his injury, causing him to miss the following three games. He recorded nine goals and 31 assists for 40 points, as well as 89 blocked shots, 74 hits and an average ice time of 19:48.
New Jersey played most of last season without Hamilton after he suffered a torn pectoral muscle. The Devils finished 10 points out of a playoff spot despite ranking third in the NHL in 2022-23, when Hamilton had 74 points in 82 games.
The Devils rebounded this season by currently ranking third in the Metropolitan Division and sixth in the Eastern Conference, but they’ve largely struggled since Dec. 28. They have the fourth-worst points percentage in that span at .446, with an 11-14-3 record. That’s caused them to fall from a tie for the most points in the NHL on Dec. 27 to 13th place.
Which NHL Teams Will Remain In The East's Wild-Card Battle?Now that the NHL’s trade deadline has passed, the race for playoff spots heats up.
What’s helped the Devils maintain third place in the division is the Columbus Blue Jackets’ streaky results. Despite having a four-game win streak from Feb. 22 to March 1, Columbus had a four-game winless streak before that and three losses in four outings after that, including on Tuesday against New Jersey.
Since Feb. 1, New Jersey and Columbus are nearly tied in points percentage at .462 and .458, respectively.
But playing an extended stretch without Hughes, the team’s top scorer before his injury, and defensemen Hamilton and Siegenthaler will test the squad’s depth when it matters most.
It will especially test Luke Hughes, who’s averaged 22:29 in ice time in Hamilton’s absence. The 21-year-old has a goal and three points in those three games on the top pair with shutdown D-man Brett Pesce and on the top power-play unit. Fellow 21-year-old blueliner Simon Nemec must also show what he can do in his call-up but has drawn criticism from Keefe about his inconsistency and missed assignments.
The team’s also pressed on with newly acquired center Cody Glass, who’s playing with new leading scorer Jesper Bratt and Erik Haula. Glass has a goal and two assists for three points since the Pittsburgh Penguins traded him on deadline day. Whether he continues his strong start remains to be seen, but he only has 18 points in 53 games this season, and his career-high 35 points came in 2022-23 with the Nashville Predators.
If the standings remain the same, the Devils will face the Carolina Hurricanes in the first round. Both teams rank near the top of the NHL in fewest goals against per game and in the middle of the pack for goals-for per game.
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Mikal Bridges reportedly asked Thibodeau to lighten up starters' minutes, Thibs denies talk happened
Mikal Bridges played 41 minutes Wednesday night in Portland, and he wouldn't want to give one of those seconds back because he did this during the final play of the game.
MIKAL BRIDGES FROM THE TOP OF THE KEY. BULLSEYE
— NBA (@NBA) March 13, 2025
CLUTCH TRIPLE TO WIN IT FOR NEW YORK!!#TissotBuzzerBeater#YourTimeDefinesYourGreatnesspic.twitter.com/KkiwXSrx76
Still, 41 minutes is a lot, and it's not just this game. No player has played more total minutes this season than Bridges' 2,460 (and counting). Second on that list? Josh Hart. The Knicks preferred starting five — Jalen Brunson, Bridges, Hart, OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns — has played more minutes than any five-man unit in the league by 334 minutes, the equivalent of almost seven more games.
That led Bridges to approach Thibodeau about lightening the load on the starters a little, reported Stephan Bondy at the New York Post.
"Sometimes it's not fun on the body," Bridges said. "You'll want that as a coach but also talked to him a little bit knowing that we've got a good enough team where our bench guys can come in and we don't need to play 48 (minutes), 47.
"We've got a lot of good guys on this team that can take away minutes. Which helps the defense, helps the offense, helps tired bodies being out there and giving up all these points. It helps just keeping fresh bodies out there."
Except, Thibodeau said Wednesday that conversation never happened and then went on to defend his minutes distribution. Again from Bondy:
"We never had a conversation about it...
"The facts are the facts: Your wings play more. So they're matched up with primary scorers," Thibodeau said. "So the way it works is if Jayson Tatum is in the game and Jaylen Brown is in the game, OG will be in the game and Mikal will be in the game. Try to keep the matchups. When you look at the league, all those guys are playing 35, 36 minutes — whether it's [Kevin] Durant, Tatum or a Brown. A wing is going to play more. They're primary wing defenders. That's the way the league works."
As it has been with Thibodeau teams in the past, the concern is that he wears players and teams down before the postseason. The Knicks are pretty locked into the No. 3 seed in the East, but right now that sets up a first-round matchup with a Detroit team that will not be a pushover and could be trouble for a worn-down Knicks team (and that doesn't even touch on seeing Boston in the second round). The hope would be that Thibodeau will lighten minutes near the end of the season to have legs fresh for the postseason. It's something to monitor in the coming weeks.
‘A rugby incident’: Ireland’s Simon Easterby defends Beirne and Porter
- Head coach addresses incident with Antoine Dupont
- Scotland make two changes for trip to Paris
Ireland’s interim head coach, Simon Easterby, has expressed disappointment with comments made by his France counterpart, Fabien Galthié, over Antoine Dupont’s injury. Les Bleus won 42-27 in Dublin on Saturday to end Ireland’s grand slam hopes and move into pole position for the Six Nations title. But the post-match discussion was dominated by the season-ending knee injury suffered by the France captain.
The 28-year-old scrum-half ruptured an anterior cruciate ligament when the Ireland forwards Tadhg Beirne and Andrew Beirne cleared out a ruck. Galthié said the actions of Beirne and Porter were “reprehensible” and reported the pair to the match’s citing commissioner, but no retrospective action has been taken.
Continue reading...Big East Tournament – Villanova vs. UConn Prediction: Odds, Expert Picks, Betting Trends, and Stats
Villanova Wildcats vs. UConn Huskies Game Preview