A decade ago, Bruce Pearl of Auburn and Kelvin Sampson of Houston were emerging from exile — two coaches who had been handed the harshest sanction imaginable by the NCAA and were looking to resurrect their once-successful careers.
NBA fines Ja Morant $75,000 for making finger gun gesture despite warning from league
Ja Morant had used a finger gun gesture toward the Warriors bench on Tuesday night, and on Wednesday he got a formal warning from the league.
Thursday night in Miami, he used it again.
Ja Morant just hit the finger gun celly again after getting investigated yesterday... pic.twitter.com/lDGrGnp2J9
— Carlos (@LFGPads19) April 4, 2025
The NBA came down on Morant Friday with a $75,000 fine "for twice making an inappropriate gesture on the playing court... Morant was previously warned by the league office that this gesture could be interpreted in a negative light."
Morant said after the Heat game, "I'm well aware" of the controversy and headlines the gesture was drawing.
"I was pretty much a villain for two years now. Every little thing, if somebody can say something negative about me, it's going to be out there," Morant said. "So, yeah. I don't care no more."
The league now needs to be consistent with this warning and fine, because Morant is not the only player who has used it, multiple players have done so throughout the season.
The gesture drew attention when Morant did it because of his history. Morant was suspended for eight games near the end of the 2022-23 season after he showed off a gun on Instagram Live while at a strip club in Colorado. Just a couple of months later, Morant was seen again on Instagram Live with a gun while riding in a friend's car, and this time the league suspended Morant 25 games at the start of the 2023-24 season.
Auburn’s Pearl and St. John’s’ Pitino share AP coach of the year honors, 1st tie in history of award
Bruce Pearl has turned Auburn into a basketball school and may have his best team yet. Rick Pitino has done what he does best at St. John's, ushering in a quick turnaround. Pearl and Pitino each received 20 votes in balloting released Friday from the national media panel that picks the AP Top 25 during the season.
Northwestern and basketball coach Chris Collins agree to contract extension through 2030
Collins is the only coach in the program’s 120-year history to lead Northwestern to the NCAA Tournament. Collins has a 194-190 record in 12 years. “Northwestern is my family’s home," Collins said in a statement.
Auburn’s Bruce Pearl and Rick Pitino of St. John’s named AP college basketball coaches of the year, award’s first tie
Auburn's Bruce Pearl and Rick Pitino of St. John's named AP college basketball coaches of the year, award's first tie.
Mets' Mark Vientos eager to finally play in first home opener: 'It's super emotional'
Mark Vientos is no stranger to the Citi Field atmosphere. The 25-year-old slugger has played 101 games at the ballpark since making his big league debut with the Mets in 2022, and his 2024 breakout season featured some clutch moments that unfolded before raucous postseason crowds.
But there's still one early-career milestone that Vientos is eager to check off the list. The starting third baseman will finally play in his first home opener with the club on Friday afternoon, facing the Toronto Blue Jays.
Most of the sights, sounds, and smells of Citi Field will be plenty familiar to Vientos. But the festivities and atmosphere for a home opener are always special. The excitement of a long-awaited homecoming is what the players and fans deserve every spring.
"This is sick, I'm so excited to be back here," Vientos said ahead of Friday's game. "I think we do a lot of this work, a lot of the grind and a lot of the passion, for the fans. They bring it to the field every game... What is it, a week and a half waiting for this moment?
"I've been anxious and I'm about to do it right now... This is my first home opener over here. I haven't experienced it. I can only imagine [the atmosphere] because of the playoffs last year. I feel like it's super emotional, just to sit back and realize what you're doing..."
As long as the emotions are in check, wearing the home uniform may give Vientos the jolt he need at the plate. The Mets' season-opening road trip consisted of only six games, but he's currently hitting a measly .083 with two doubles and two walks across 26 plate appearances.
Of course, the consistency and power will come for Vientos, who delivered 27 home runs, 22 doubles, and 71 RBI in 111 games last season.
The annual home opener is also meaningful to the coaching staff. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza has been in the dugout for several in his career, and he expects his second with the club to be just as thrilling as his first.
"It's always great to be home again, playing in front of your fan base," Mendoza said. "It's a unique atmosphere. The way the fans are into every pitch. They're right there behind you. It's a really good feeling, it's coming from a really good place. It's fun. It's kind of hard to describe, but it's such a special place here."
The Mets have a recent history of success playing Game 1 of 81 at Citi Field, as they've won eight of their last 10 home openers.
NHL Rumor Roundup: Sabres' Peterka, Rangers' Coach And Kraken's Plans Generate Speculation
The anticipated rise in the NHL’s salary cap to $95.5 million for next season might encourage some teams to pursue a rival club's leading RFA with an offer sheet.
A GM might draw inspiration from the St. Louis Blues' bold signings of Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg last summer from the Edmonton Oilers. Both players have been key contributors to the Blues' second-half surge into a Western Conference wild-card spot.
Buffalo Sabres left winger JJ Peterka could an RFA to watch. The 23-year-old is completing his entry-level contract and has reached a career-best 60 points in 69 games.
The Hockey News’ Michael Augello wrote that Peterka often plays with Tage Thompson on the top line, but he’s been eligible for a contract extension since last July, and his name even surfaced in trade speculation around the deadline. Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli and Carter Hutton believe Peterka could be a prime offer-sheet candidate.
The Sabres have a projected cap space of $23.2 million with 16 active roster players under contract for next season. They have plenty of room to match an offer for Peterka, but they must also ensure they have sufficient cap room to re-sign other RFAs, such as Bowen Byram, Jack Quinn, Ryan McLeod and Jacob Bernard-Docker.
Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Flyers' firing of coach John Tortorella last week prompted some observers to speculate about Peter Laviolette's future as the New York Rangers' bench boss. After guiding the Blueshirts to the Presidents' Trophy last season, Laviolette has struggled to keep his club in the playoff race in a season of uncertainty amid frequent roster shakeups.
The Hockey News’ Stan Fischler believes the Rangers should replace Laviolette with Tortorella immediately to wake up the underachievers.
Arthur Staple of The Athletic recently examined the pros and cons of replacing Laviolette. If management decides to make a coaching change, they're unlikely to bring in someone lacking NHL experience, like Denver University's David Carle or Cam Abbott of the AHL's Chicago Wolves.
Staple observed that Mike Sullivan of the Pittsburgh Penguins was on their shortlist of coaching candidates two years ago. However, Sullivan doesn't appear interested in leaving Pittsburgh, and the Penguins wouldn't want to risk him being hired by a division rival.
NHL Rumor Roundup: What Will The New York Rangers Do This Summer?The New York Rangers continue to jockey for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. Nevertheless, their off-season plans remain the subject of media speculation.
Turning to the Seattle Kraken, Kate Shefte of The Seattle Times believes they'll be busy during the off-season attempting to bolster their roster following another disappointing campaign.
Shefte observed the Kraken's offense has improved this season, but their goals-against increased while their special teams were among the league's bottom third. She noted they're set to land a top-five first-round draft pick and have the cap space and trade bait to add to their lineup this summer.
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Takeaways from the Ducks' 4-1 Loss to the Flames
With the number of games remaining in the 2024-25 season down to single digits, the Anaheim Ducks took to the road for a two-game trip to Western Canada, starting on Thursday with a matchup against the Calgary Flames.
The Ducks were coming off of a shootout win on Tuesday in which they fended off a comeback from the San Jose Sharks and entered Thursday having won three of their previous four games.
The Flames came into this game hoping to remain relevant in the Western Conference wild card standings and creep within five points of the Minnesota Wild with a game in hand. They had only logged one win in their prior four games.
Brett Leason was inserted into the lineup in place of Nikita Neserenko on the fourth line. Pavel Mintyukov was given the night off as a healthy scratch in favor of Oliver Kylington, who slotted in on the left side of Drew Helleson.
John Gibson received the start in net for the Ducks in this game. He saved 23 of the 26 shots he faced before he was forced to exit the game after the second period. He has started six games since the NHL 4 Nations break and has only been able to finish half of them.
Gibson was relieved by Lukas Dostal, who saved seven of eight shots in the third period.
In net for Calgary was rookie sensation Dustin Wolf, who stopped 26 of the 27 shots Anaheim was able to get through to him.
Here are my notes from this game:
Breakout-Anaheim didn’t have much trouble connecting on first outlets out of the defensive zone, but they did have trouble manufacturing any sort of impactful offense from those passes. Calgary did well to always have an aggressive pinching defenseman down the board and a high or backtracking F3 to cover and thwart any rush threat.
The Flames were able to pounce on second passes out of the zone and quickly turn them up ice for counterattacks, keeping Anaheim’s defense on their heels.
Trevor Zegras-This was a rare undetailed effort from Zegras, especially low in the defensive zone. Because of the constant motion of the Flames’ attackers, he was often tasked with assuming traditional center responsibilities as the low forward in the defensive zone, but often lost his assignment, was late to react, and became too puck-focused away from it.
Olen Zellweger-Zellweger may have been the Ducks' best player in this game. He was playing free and active in all three zones, looking to jump into rushes and search for passing lanes. He trusted his elite skating to recover and protected the middle of the ice well.
Radko Gudas-Gudas’ lack of lateral mobility was apparent when defending Calgary’s speed on counterattacks. An adjustment to angling techniques will be necessary if he’s to limit the number of times forwards are going to drive or make moves to the outside.
He does well when making simple plays with the puck on his stick, but judgment and overcommitments without the puck often take him out of plays.
The Ducks will next travel to British Columbia to take on the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday for a 1 pm PST matinee.
Why LeBron likens Warriors' Butler trade to KD acquisition
Why LeBron likens Warriors' Butler trade to KD acquisition originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
LeBron James had plenty of praise for the new-look Warriors with Jimmy Butler, likening the mid-season trade to Golden State’s signing of Kevin Durant in 2016.
In the aftermath of Golden State’s 123-116 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday, James gave his thoughts on facing the Warriors with Butler.
“I’ve been a part of them making big acquisitions that changed the dynamic of their team before,” James told reporters. “I had to go against them when they added Kevin Durant. So, Jimmy Butler is great. He adds toughness to them, and he adds championship DNA. It’s always the same; they always figure it out, and they always add someone that makes them dynamic.”
The Warriors sputtered through the first half of the NBA schedule, well on their way to another mediocre season, until making the trade deadline move for Butler on Feb. 5. Since then, Golden State is 20-5 and surging up the Western Conference standings.
Just like those golden years with Durant, Golden State now is brimming with swagger and confidence. Steph Curry continued his late-season scoring barrage, dropping 37 points on Los Angeles, who had no answer for the Warriors’ sharpshooter. The offensive explosion was enough to give Golden State its first win over Los Angeles this season.
With six games left in the regular season, the Warriors are one game back of the Lakers for the West’s No. 4 playoff seed. Moreover, the organization has a renewed sense that it can make a deep postseason run.
Still, challenges await in the next two games as they face the Denver Nuggets (47-30) and the Houston Rockets (50-27), two of the elite teams in the Western Conference.
Expect plenty of dynamic performances from Butler, Curry and the rest of the Golden State squad as they make their playoff push.
It's Time To Check Out How The Homestretch Sked Affects The Rangers
"PLAYOFFS OR BUST" remains a live Rangers theme and that's a fact.
But the final make-it-or fail result will hinge on the remaining games scheduled for the Rangers and its competitors.
Realistically, the schedule works against New York. That starts with the fact that the Montreal Canadiens won over Boston last night.
The victory leapfrogged the Habs over New York for the final Wild Card position. So, let's check out the homestretch schedule for the WC contenders from here to the Finish Line.
RANGERS: The Blueshirts are in Newark tomorrow afternoon. After that they have six more games: Tampa Bay, Philadelphia, Islanders, Hurricanes, Panthers and Tampa again.
CANADIENS: Leading for the remaining Wild Card spot, Montreal next faces Nashville, Detroit, Ottawa, Toronto, Chicago and Carolina.
COLUMBUS: Having lost to Colorado, the Blue Jackets still have games in hand on their rivals. Next up for the BJ's are Toronto, Ottawa (home and home), Buffalo, Washington (home and home) followed by Philadelphia and concluding with the Islanders.
DETROIT: Carolina, Panthers, Habs, Panthers, Dallas, New Jersey and Toronto.
FORECAST: The Maven's Supreme Analyst, Jess Rubenstein, puts Montreal in the Catbird Seat and insists that the Canadiens will get the final plum.
"The Habs have the easiest schedule as they play just three playoff contenders," says Rubenstein. "Starting tomorrow in New Jersey, the Rangers will face a total of five playoff contenders.
"Columbus will have to play six of the better teams while Detroit has the worst schedule – all seven remaining games are against contenders."
With a two-game winning streak on the line tomorrow against New Jersey, the Rangers are now in "Mustwinland" – and had better have their Victory visas ready!
Otherwise it will be a question of better luck next time! And "next time" – or next year – may never be!
Podziemski reveals season-long half-court competition with Steph
Podziemski reveals season-long half-court competition with Steph originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Over the course of an 82-game NBA season, Warriors teammates Steph Curry and Brandin Podziemski have found a fun yet competitive way to keep things light.
The sharpshooters are partaking in a friendly half-court shooting competition that began at the start of the season and will continue for the six remaining regular-season contests.
And the standings are closer than some might have guessed — as in tied.
“Me and Steph have shooting competitions, half-court competitions all the time,” Podziemski told reporters Thursday night in Los Angeles after the Warriors’ big 123-116 win over the Lakers. “We’re actually tied, 24-24, right now on the half-court competition.
“Just a few shootarounds left, but I think we just try to have fun with it and understand that Steph’s the best shooter that’s stepped foot on Earth so to pick his brain, not only with shooting but that flow state that he gets into when he’s shooting lights out like he did in Memphis, just trying to pick his brain on that and try to get in that type of rhythm yourself. I’ve had two good shooting games on this trip, so just continuing to lean on that.”
Podziemski wowed the crowd at Crypto.com Arena after banking in a half-court shot as the shot clock expired just before halftime. But no one was as impressed as the Warriors’ bench.
PODZ FROM THE LOGO TO BEAT THE BUZZER 🚨 🚨🚨
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 4, 2025
And per usual, leading that reaction was veteran teammate Draymond Green, who got on Podziemski for passing up a buzzer-beater opportunity against the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday.
“Him and Steph shoot half-court shots against each other every day,” Green told reporters in LA postgame. “I know you’d imagine the standings is Steph [winning]. I’m not sure what their count is but BP could be possibly leading. He hits those shots very frequently. So we get in the game in San Antonio and he’s at the buzzer and he threw it to Jimmy [Butler]. And we’re all like, ‘What’re you doing? No, you have to take that shot.’
“He took it tonight and he made it. So that’s why you seen everyone’s reaction from the bench going crazy. And he’s running off yelling, ‘Get me my money,’ because we shoot half-court shots when someone’s late for money and he’s yelling and running, ‘Get me my money, get me my money.’ So it was a great moment. It’s good to see him make that shot. It was a huge shot. Completely shifted the momentum going into the half back to us.”
Podziemski finished with 28 points on 10-of-17 shooting from the field and a career-best 8 of 10 from 3-point range, with eight rebounds, six assists and one steal in 36 minutes.
After struggling early in the 2024-25 NBA season, the second-year guard appears to have turned things around. And it all starts with the good vibes behind the scenes with his star teammates.
How Duke could fall to Houston in the Final Four
Chris Russo joins the Dan Patrick show to discuss why basketball focuses on eras of play, why Wilt Chamberlain was underrated, and which teams will find success in men's Final Four matchups.
Draymond vs. Jokić is matchup to watch in Warriors-Nuggets game
Draymond vs. Jokić is matchup to watch in Warriors-Nuggets game originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Draymond Green’s 2025 Defensive Player of the Year campaign, moribund before the All-Star break, now is conspicuous and impressive, gliding across the NBA sky like a comet.
Now that Green is close enough to almost touch the award, he faces a threat that can interfere with his flight. Denver’s redoubtable Nikola Jokić, three-time MVP and perhaps the league’s most skilled offensive player, is coming to town Friday night.
This is the daunting welcome-home greeting that awaits Draymond and the Warriors after a stirring two-week road trip. Coverage on NBC Sports Bay Area begins with “Warriors Pregame Live” at 6 p.m., followed by tipoff from Chase Center shortly after 7.
The Green-Jokić matchup is the backdrop of a game with serious implications. Golden State (45-31) is fifth in the Western Conference standings, 1.5 games behind the third-place Nuggets (47-30). Both teams are eager to remain in the top six, thereby avoiding the play-in tournament.
Jokić simply presents more problems for a defense than any other player in the NBA. He’s third in scoring (29.7 points per game), second in rebounding (12.8), second in assists (10.2) and is shooting a career-high 41.6 percent beyond the arc.
“I feel very confident that most centers in the NBA, I can outthink – maybe not Joker,” Green, who gives away five inches and about 50 pounds, said a few weeks ago.
Jokić is the exception to most every rule. Nobody “stops” him, but Draymond approaches the task by trying to bother the 6-foot-11, 280-pound superstar enough to disrupt rhythm. He’s averaging 21.6 points per game over his last 10 matchups with Green.
Considering Jokić in his last game produced 61 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds, Draymond – and the Warriors – would gladly take a 22-point night at Chase.
If the Nuggets prevail with Jokić dominating the action on Friday – he obviously has the capacity to do so – it could slow the momentum of Green’s DPOY campaign. One game, however, should not have a massive impact on voters.
But a Golden State victory, coupled with a defensively impactful game from Draymond, surely would impress voters still studying the work of other candidates, such as Cleveland’s Evan Mobley and Oklahoma City’s Lu Dort.
This is a night on which the Warriors have a chance to accomplish two important goals. Winning would snap a nine-game losing streak against the Nuggets that dates to March 10, 2022. And Green has a chance to clinch the second DPOY award of his 13-year career.
Buffalo Sabres Call Up Surging First-Round Pick
The Buffalo Sabres have announced that they have recalled forward Noah Ostlund from their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Rochester Americans.
Seeing Ostlund get called up to the Sabres is entirely understandable, as he has been red-hot with Rochester. The 2022 first-round pick currently has an eight-game point streak with the club, posting eight goals and five assists over that span. Furthermore, he has scored at least one goal in each of his last six AHL games.
Due to his excellent play, Ostlund was named AHL Rookie of the Month for March. In addition, he was named the AHL's Player of the Week from March 21 to March 30.
After recording just one point in his first 12 games with Rochester this season, Ostlund now has 18 goals, 17 assists, and 35 points in his last 32 games. He has been only getting better as he continues to adjust to the AHL level, and he is now getting this big opportunity with the Sabres because of it.
It will now be intriguing to see how much of an impact Ostlund makes with the Sabres during his call-up from here. When noting that he is one of the Sabres' top prospects, he is a player fans should watch very closely.
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Yankees designate veteran RHP Adam Ottavino for assignment, reinstate Devin Williams from paternity list
It was a short-lived return to The Bronx for reliever Adam Ottavino, as the Yankees designated him for assignment on Friday, the team announced.
In a corresponding move, the team reinstated closer Devin Williams from the paternity list.
Ottavino, 39, signed a deal with New York on April 1 and pitched in two games. The right-hander allowed no hits, struck out two, and walked two over 1.1 innings of work.
The veteran was released by the Boston Red Sox after failing to make the roster out of spring training.
Ottavino first played for the Yanks from 2019 to 2020, owning a career-best 1.90 ERA in 2019. He then spent the 2021 season in Boston, followed by three years with the Mets from 2022-2024, pitching to a 4.34 ERA and 1.28 WHIP across 60 appearances during the 2024 season.