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Phillies' first goal is to win the division and it didn't get easier

Phillies' first goal is to win the division and it didn't get easier originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Rob Thomson was manager of the National League team at the 2023 All-Star Game in Seattle, a residual perk of the Phillies making it to the World Series the previous year. One of the players on the roster was Juan Soto, who was already friendly with hitting coach Kevin Long from their time together with the Nationals.

“I’ve gotten to know him a little bit,” the Phillies’ skipper said in February. “I think he’s a really good guy.”

While Soto was trying to decide which team to sign with, though, Thomson didn’t use that inside connection to try to steer this year’s biggest free-agent prize away from the division rival Mets. “I didn’t have his number, unfortunately,” he said with a laugh.

The Phillies won the National League East last year, but two of the three postseason wild card slots were claimed by the Mets and Braves. Since then, New York bagged Soto with an astonishing 15-year, $765 million offer. And the Braves are getting back 2023 NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr. (who didn’t play again after tearing his ACL on May 26) and All-Star right-hander Spencer Strider (who made only two starts before undergoing elbow surgery.)

“I always say, to win a division you’ve got to win within your division,” Thomson said. “And you’ve got to win at home. If you can do those two things, you’re in pretty good shape.”

It doesn’t figure to get any easier. Talking about how the competition has improved from last season is an overworked trope. At the same time, on paper at least, the East could be a beast.

METS

Owner Steve Cohen has won more dollar bill-stacking contests than pennants so far, but there’s a lot of realistic optimism in Queens heading into this season after winning a playoff round for the first time since 2015.

In addition to Soto, franchise fixture and fan favorite Pete Alonso will be back at first base after a prolonged soap opera of a negotiation. A lineup that finished seventh in MLB in runs scored in 2024 could be even more dangerous this year.

The biggest question is the rotation. Returning No. 1 starter Sean Manaea will open the season on the injured list after suffering a strained oblique. Right-hander Frankie Montas was signed as a free agent … then strained his lower back his first day in Port St. Lucie and is expected to miss the first two months.

Kodai Senga made only one regular season start in 2024 before missing the rest of the year with a calf strain. Clay Holmes is being converted from reliever to starter.

There’s also uncertainty over whether 2022 batting champ Jeff McNeil will remain the everyday second baseman or be replaced by Bret Baty, Luisangel Acuna or Ronny Mauricio.

Said Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski: “The Mets took a big jump forward last year. They’ve got a lot of werewithal and some smart people running their organization. I think they’re both going to be very good for years to come.”

So circle the dates June 20-21-22 and September 8-9-10-11 on your handy pocket schedule. That’s when the Mets will be at Citizens Bank Park and this ancient rivalry has never been hotter, especially after New York kayoed the Phillies in last fall’s NLDS.

BRAVES

Despite being without one of the best position players and one of the best starting pitchers in baseball last season, Atlanta made the playoffs. What else is new? The previous six years, the Braves won the division.

They lost left-hander Max Fried (11-10, 3.25), who signed as a free agent with the Yankees. But when Strider comes back — currently expected to be around May 1 — he’ll join Chris Sale, Reynaldo Lopez and Spencer Schwellenbach to give Atlanta a formidable rotation.

Acuña has said he hopes to return about the same time. And while general manager Alex Anthopoulos didn’t make many offseason moves, he made a splash by signing Jurickson Profar (3 years, $42 million) to play left field and stabilize the leadoff spot.

Bet against the Braves at your own risk. They’ve won their division 21 of the last 33 years while qualifying as a wild-card on three additional occasions. “The Braves are a good organization,” Dombrowski said. “They’ve won the division a bunch of times. Won a World Championship. They’re a very well-run organization from top to bottom. So you know they’re going to be good.”

NATIONALS

The Nationals won the World Series in 2019. It seems so much longer ago than that. The ceremonial hoisting of the trophy was followed by five straight losing seasons, five straight years in the baseball wilderness.

Thomson and Dombrowski, however, view the Nats as the stealth club of the NL East. Probably not ready to make the playoffs right now but coming up fast in the rearview mirror and good enough to create a lot of disruption in the meantime. “I think they’re going to surprise a lot of people,” the manager said. “They’ve got a lot of really good young players and they’ve added some pretty good veteran guys to put around them.”

Five starting position players who were 25 or younger (SS C.J. Abrams, CF Jacob Young, 2B Luis Garcia Jr.; LF James Wood, C Keibert Ruiz) are returning. So is No. 1 starter MacKenzie Gore, who just turned 26 in February, plus back of the rotation starters Mitchell Parker and DJ Herz.

To that base, general manager Mike Rizzo added former 29-year-old Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner Nathaniel Lowe (in a trade with the Rangers) to solidify first base and 32-year-old power bat Josh Bell (signed as a free agent) to be the DH.

He also signed two starters: 2019 All-Star right-hander Michael Soroka and lefty Shinnosuke Ogasawara from the Chunichi Dragons of the Japan Central League.

Said Dombrowski: “They’ve got some really good, young players. You never know when it will come.”

MARLINS

It would be charitable to say that Miami is rebuilding. Again. It would probably be more accurate to depict it as starting over after yet another salary dump.

It began barely a month into the 2024 season when they sent their best hitter, Luis Arraez, to the Padres. They subsequently moved established reliever A.J. Puk and middle-of-the-order bat Jazz Chisholm Jr. before really backing the truck up at the trade deadline. On July 30, six separate trades gutted what remained of the big-league roster.

No team can be completely dismissed and the Marlins always seem to have emerging talent and some good arms. Catcher Augustin Ramirez, acquired in the Chisholm deal, is being promoted as a future star. Sandy Alcantara is expected to be 100 percent. The 2022 NL Cy Young winner is expected to be fully recovered from the 2023 Tommy John surgery that cost him all of last season.

The Phillies, of all teams, shouldn’t have to be reminded about not dropping their guard. After all, they went just 7-6 against the 100-loss Fish last year.

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‘Celtics City' beyond the episode: Larry Bird ushers in new era

‘Celtics City' beyond the episode: Larry Bird ushers in new era originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics were in a difficult place in the late 1970s.

Bill Russell had been retired for about a decade. John Havlicek retired after the 1977-78 season, which also was Tommy Heinsohn’s last year as head coach. Dave Cowens was still a very good player but no longer MVP-caliber.

For the first time in many years, the team was not a championship contender. The C’s were losing a ton of games and didn’t have a superstar player to lead them into the 1980s.

That is, until, the team drafted one of its greatest players, Larry Bird. Celtics executive Red Auerbach scouted Bird and knew he had incredible talent and the type of play style required to win championships.

More ‘Celtics City’

The Celtics took Bird with the No. 6 overall pick in the 1978 NBA Draft. But the talented forward didn’t make his debut for Boston right away because he returned to Indiana State for his senior season. The delay was tough for Celtics fans, who were eager to see if the hype surrounding Bird was legit, but he was definitely worth the wait.

The 1980s Celtics and Bird’s arrival in Boston were the focus of the fourth episode of Max’s Celtics City docuseries, titled “Great Hope. Period”. In NBC Sports Boston’s Keys to the City recapping the episode, Jackie MacMullan shared her perspective on Bird.

“He’s the most authentic superstar I’ve ever been around in my life in any sport,” MacMullan said. “He is who he is, and you can take it or leave it. He’s not going to change the way he thinks or speaks because you don’t like it, or because it’s going to get him more endorsements — because he usually wanted less of those, anyway.

“I just thought, in this episode, you just see him unvarnished — developing into the great superstar he became. There’s a scene when they’re beating the Sixers and he hits that big shot (in Game 7 of the 1981 Eastern Conference Finals) and Red’s talking about, ‘I like people who want the ball at the end of the game.’ He says that throughout this documentary. Bird’s got the ball and he’s like, ‘Look, I know the time I’ve put in, the work I’ve put in. I know most of my teammates have not, so I’m going to take the shot because I’m going to make it.’ That was him.”

Bird alone wasn’t going to bring the Celtics back to championship glory. The Celtics had the No. 1 and No. 13 overall picks in the 1980 NBA Draft. The No. 1 pick was obtained from the Detroit Pistons in a trade the previous September. Auerbach then engineered one of the greatest trades in league history by sending both picks to the Golden State Warriors for center Robert Parish and the No. 3 pick, which the C’s used to select Minnesota forward Kevin McHale.

Two future Hall of Famers in one trade? Not bad.

Parish and McHale teamed with Bird to form the Celtics’ “Big Three” and establish one of the best frontcourts the game has ever seen. Bird won Rookie of the Year in 1979-80 as the Celtics’ win total improved by 32 from the previous season, which, at the time, was a league record.

Led by Bird, the C’s would make the NBA Finals five times in the next seven seasons, including titles in 1980-81 (vs. Rockets), 1983-84 (vs. Lakers) and 1985-86 (vs. Rockets). The 1985-86 Celtics are considered by many people as the greatest team in league history. Bird won Finals MVP in 1984 and 1986, while winning league MVP three straight years from 1983-84 through 1985-86.

The epic rivalry between the Celtics and Lakers, and more specifically, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, vaulted the league to a new stratosphere of popularity during the decade. These teams met in the Finals three times in the 1980s, with the Lakers winning in 1985 and 1987 and the C’s prevailing in 1984.

Bird retired after the 1991-92 season as back injuries had taken their toll. By that time, the Celtics were still competitive but no longer were legit title contenders.

The 1980s Celtics will always hold a special place in the hearts and minds of Boston sports fans. It wasn’t just that the C’s won so many games during this span, it was the beautiful way they played — prioritizing team basketball, strong fundamentals and playing with relentless effort.

For more on the 1980s Celtics and Larry Bird, check out NBC Sports Boston’s exclusive footage and interviews below:

The 1985-86 Celtics are the greatest team in NBA history. They went 67-15, including a 41-1 record at home, before dominating in the playoffs en route to the franchise’s 16th title.

Here are some of Bird’s best highlights:

The story of how the Celtics drafted Bird:

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Blue Jackets Halt Six Game Skid; Roy and His Players Have Strong Words For The Officials

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Adam Fantilli(22), Boone Jenner(2-SHG), and Kirill Marchenko(26) scored the goals for Columbus, and Elvis Merzļikins made 30 saves, including all three Islanders shootout attempts, to beat New York on Long Island in comeback fashion. 

This game saw Sean Monahan and Erik Gudbranson return to the lineup. 

The Blue Jackets erased a two-goal second-period deficit, only to lose the lead again with 48 seconds left in the second. But in the third, the CBJ would tie the game with just over seven minutes left to play when Kirill Marchenko blasted a shot past Ilya Sorokin. 

Tragedy almost struck Columbus when New York seemingly scored with 10 seconds left. The refs on the ice immediately waived it off and then would be reviewed by Toronto for goalie interference. Kyle Palmieri was ruled to have interfered with Elvis, which nullified the goal, sending the game to overtime. 

Neither team would score in the OT period, and Merzļikins would again stand tall to win the skills competition, stopping all three Isles shots. The Jackets won 4-3 and are now 5-1 in shootouts this season. Their five shootout wins are tied for first in the league. 

One thing is for sure, NO ONE knows what goalie interference is. 

Islanders coach Patrick Roy said after the game, “I think I saw it the same way you guys saw it. Palmieri was out of the crease and we tipped it in, and I think their goalie pushed him away at the same time. So, that’s how I see it. If Toronto is afraid to overturn calls made by their referee, we don't need Toronto. That's all I want to say.”

Kyle Palmieri said after the game, “He said there was contact initiated in the crease, and I guess the goalie needs five minutes to get reset and ready for the shot, and it looked like he couldn't wait to waive it off.”

The NHL said after the game, “Video review supported the Referees’ call on the ice that New York’s Kyle Palmieri impaired Elvis Merzlikins’ ability to play his position in the crease prior to the goal.”

Columbus is now 32-29-9 and has 73 points. They're two points behind the second wild card spot. 

Final Stats

CBJ vs. NYI - CBJ APP

Player Stats

  • Adam Fantilli scored his 22nd goal of the season. He also 4 shots and 4 hits.
  • Boone Jenner scored his 2nd goal of the season.
  • Kirill Marchenko scored his team-leading 26th of the season on 5 shots.
  • Sean Monahan recorded two assists in his first game back from IR.
  • Dante Fabbro got his 12th assist and was a plus-3 on the night.
  • Ivan Provorov tallied his 23rd assist.
  • Erik Gudbranson played 16:18 in his first game back after missing 66 games.
  • Elvis Merzļikins made 30 saves and got an assist on the Fantilli goal. He now has 5 assists for his career, putting him third in CBJ history.

Team Stats

  • The Jackets power play went 0/1 on the night.
  • The Columbus PK stopped all three Islanders power plays.
  • Columbus won 55% of the faceoffs.

What's Next: The Vancouver Canucks visit Columbus on Friday. 

Let us know what you think below.

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Exclusive Interview With Jayden Struble On His Game, His Teammates And The Upcoming Lineup Change

Jayden Struble - Photo credit: Eric Bolte - Imagn Images

While Lane Hutson, Nick Suzuki, and Cole Hutson grab most of the headlines, Jayden Struble has been playing some really solid hockey for the Montreal Canadiens since Kayden Guhle’s injury at the end of January, and I thought it was high time to have a feature about him. I caught him when the team arrived at their hotel in St. Louis before he went to dinner with his usual group on the road, Michael Pezzetta. Arber Xhekaj, Kaiden Guhle, Juraj Slafkovsky, Jakub Dobes, and Wayne (which is what he calls his defense partner Lane Hutson).

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A native of Rhode Island, Struble winced when asked which team he supported as a kid before confessing the Boston Bruins were his favorite, just like most of his friends and family. The Montreal faithful will probably be happy to know that his favorite player wasn’t defenseman Zdeno Chara- who became public enemy number one with the Max Pacioretty incident- but l’Ancienne-Lorette native Patrice Bergeron.

Even though TSN insider Bob MacKenzie had him ranked at number 63 in his draft year, Struble says he wasn’t surprised to be claimed in the second round at 46th overall. Thanks to a very good combine, he believed he would be claimed around there, but he didn’t expect the Canadiens to call up his name. However, knowing he was a Bruins fan, his stepdad said wouldn’t it be funny if the Habs picked you? Enemy of his childhood team or not, he felt nothing but excitement when it did happen mere minutes later.

Unlike some players eager to jump to the pros, Struble played his four years of eligibility in the NCAA. Not that he went in telling himself that he would, but he loved being in school. Considering where he was at with his game and feeling like he wanted to finish what he started, it wasn’t a tough decision to stay. Although he has yet to graduate, he fully intends to complete his degree; he was a communications major.

He played with former Hab Jordan Harris at Northeastern, who was drafted by Montreal a year before him, but they didn’t talk about playing together in Montreal later on since they hadn’t made it yet. They did, however, think it was cool they would have the opportunity at least to earn a spot and play on the same team. He added:

It was actually pretty special to see that happen, and you know, both of us start our careers in the same spot.
- On starting his career in the same organization as Jordan Harris

Unsurprisingly, he found it tough to see him leave in a trade last Summer, having known him for as long as he did. He further explained it’s hard to see any guy leave, especially this year now that he’s more vocal in the dressing room and more “part of everything,” unlike last season when he was shying away a bit being a rookie. He’s branching out and getting to know his teammates pretty well.

Struble checks Jake DeBrusk in a game against the Vancouver Canucks - Photo credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

Playing Regularly

This season, he also had an opportunity to be in the lineup regularly, as Guhle’s injury occurred in January. Monday after practice, coach Martin St-Louis said that when Guhle was ruled out, Struble wasn’t told to go out there and replace him; he was told to go out there and be himself. I asked the blueliner what he considers to be his strengths on the ice:

You know, the way I play, the intensity to my game and being physical when you can, not being easy to play against. I think my decision-making has been really good, moving pucks, getting out of the D-zone pretty quick, and, you know, trying to contribute to the offense as well. Throwing pucks to the net, I’ve had a couple of good tips on my shots.
- Struble on his strengths

In a nutshell, he’s aiming to play pretty much mistake-free and hard to play against, a combination every coach would be happy with. He’s aware tough decisions are coming, though, with Guhle coming back, but playing that stretch where he knew he would be in every game was great for his confidence building, especially with the fact he’s been able to play well.

About The Coach

Being a defenseman, he’s mainly dealing with Stephane Robidas, the assistant coach responsible for the blueliners doing video and the on-ice part, but Martin St-Louis is still involved:

He’ll let you know if there’s something he sees and that you have to do. He’s been good, but he’s a very demanding presence. I think that brings out the most out of guys because you don’t want to disappoint him, so you work towards it and strive for perfection.
- On coach Martin St-Louis

On Monday, much was made of the fact that during practice, as Struble was stretching, St-Louis came over to talk to him; some speculated it was about Guhle’s impending return, but he explained it was just about a play that happened and was on the coach’s mind. They went through it. The bench boss told him what he thought he should do in that situation, and the defenseman agreed. In other words, it was just an example of how hands-on St-Louis is, even with his rearguards.

Struble adds that he’s always talking one-on-one with players in practice, bringing them aside. He’s not sure what he’s telling them, but he’s always striving for perfection and telling his players what he sees and the game plan.

On Challenges

Even though he has enjoyed being in the lineup regularly, he doesn’t worry about what may happen when Guhle is ready to return. He knows that someone’s going to have to come out; that’s a reality he’s aware of, but he’s controlling what he can control and putting his best foot forward to play good hockey and continue to do so, bringing that same intensity every time he’s in the lineup.

If I’m in, great. If I’m out, hopefully, everyone keeps going; I want to go and get into the playoffs. I mean, you just feel the hype and intensity from everyone in the city, with our team and everything. I’d love to be a part of it, but obviously, just wait and see.
- On the upcoming lineup change

Being in and out of the lineup is what he has found the most challenging in his hockey career so far; it’s mentally tough, and physically, you’re away from the team, you’re doing your own skates, you don’t feel like you’re part of it as much. In short, it’s not the same when you’re not playing, because you want to be in the battle with the guys and do something, be part of the grind, the successes and the failures, that’s the hardest part.

I asked him if, at times, he felt at a disadvantage in a predominately “white sport” like hockey, and he brushed it aside:

Talent’s talent, you got to work hard just like anyone else, and the one thing I can say to that is maybe when I was younger, it was a little tougher because of things you get said to you; that’s the only tough part. Opportunity wise, if I was white and playing the same hockey, I’d be in the same spot, it’s all about talent and work ethic.
- On making his way in a predominately  "white sport"

He recalls that he had good teammates whenever something was said to him; he didn’t have to handle it all himself; they were there for him. He could always lean on their support and the support of his family. He added with a smile that he wouldn’t swap places with those guys saying some things now and wouldn’t be who he is today without everything that’s happened to him, but it’s all water under the bridge now.

Struble in action against Tyson Foerster - Photo credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

About Montreal And His Teammates

When I spoke to him about how noisy the Bell Centre has been lately, he got a huge smile on his face and told me it was awesome. He had never experienced something like that. He feels like there’s something different in the air, and there’s nothing like it.

On how efficient his partnership with Lane Hutson has been for the Canadiens, he says they are both playing some good hockey and complementing each other. Of the rookie, he says:

I mean, he’s so gifted offensively and can do things that are, I mean, he’s just so shifty and smart that my job’s pretty easy. Either shoot it or get the puck to Lane. […] He’s way better defensively than he gets credit for; he’s very smart and fast, has a motor, and is always in the right spot; he makes it easy.
- On Lane Hutson

Even though he’s been playing with Hutson for a while, the youngster still manages to surprise him. While he’s come to expect him to pull things off, he still watches him on the ice and goes, “Oh!”.

While Hutson has been impressive this season, he’s not the only feel-good story on the Habs, and I felt I needed to ask him how inspiring it was to see a vet like Josh Anderson, who is dealing with injuries go out there and act like a wrecking ball on the ice. He called the power forward an absolute beast, adding that he’s been incredible in this last stretch, going full speed at players and folding them. He said it was fun to watch but got the team and the guys going. Before adding, he had just been unbelievable to them.

Lane Hutson escapes from coverage to make a play - Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

The defenseman has a lot of respect and affection for his teammates; I put him on the spot and asked him which part of his teammates he would take to build the ultimate player. It was funny to see him struggle to decide, but he landed on Suzuki’s vision, Alex Newhook’s speed for a forward, and Mike Matheson’s for a defenseman. He would have either Laine or Caufield’s shot, and the latter’s hands, although he added Hutson’s would also be an option. “You’ve got to put him somewhere; he’s so good,” and finally, he’d add Anderson’s grit.

Now that the Canadiens are in the second wild-card spot, the blueliner explains that they are all doing a bit of standing watch, making sure they are still in that spot and doing the math to see how far the other teams are. Speaking to Struble, you can feel how much he wants that first taste of the playoffs and how that counts for the Canadiens at this stage of the season. While it’s obvious he’d rather be playing than watching, the blueliner is a team player and ready to do what’s best for the team as planned by coach St-Louis.

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Jones wants Wales to “go for it” against England

Hannah Jones

Hannah Jones has a simple message for her Wales team ahead of Round 2 of the Guinness Women’s Six Nations against England at Principality Stadium – “we’ve got nothing to lose, so let’s go for it.” The Red Roses will make their debut at the home of Welsh rugby seeking to build on their 38-5 […]

The post Jones wants Wales to “go for it” against England appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.

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Unions unite to strengthen women’s game

Wales Women

With less than six months to go until Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025, all four Home Unions – RFU, WRU, Scottish Rugby, IRFU – are continuing to work together to grow the women and girls’ game, thanks to the Impact ’25 programme and UK Sport. Backed by UK Sport funding, this international collaboration between the […]

The post Unions unite to strengthen women’s game appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.

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Wiggins eager for Warriors reunion, has ‘love' for former team

Wiggins eager for Warriors reunion, has ‘love' for former team originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

  • Programming Note: Watch “Warriors Now” with Dalton Johnson and Zena Keita at 1 p.m. PT today, streaming live on the NBC Sports app. Watch the show later on YouTube and Facebook.

MIAMI – The spotlight found Andrew Wiggins at a young age because of his supreme basketball talent. Everything that comes with that isn’t what Wiggins asked for. 

Wiggins is a man of few words. Not in a rude or standoffish way, but in a respectful manner. It’s who he is. Private and to himself, always extending his big smile Warriors fans fell in love with at the perfect time.

As Wiggins prepares to play the Warriors for the first time since being traded to the Miami Heat on Feb. 6 for Jimmy Butler, he doesn’t have a long answer of reflection. He knows how he feels about his five-plus seasons with the Warriors and vice versa. Wiggins didn’t want to leave the Warriors, and a line of people within the organization fought for him to stay. 

That’s how the business goes sometimes. That also doesn’t change the love Wiggins still has for the Warriors. Those feelings, as cliché as they sound, never will go away from either side.

“I had a great time there,” Wiggins said to NBC Sports Bay Area in an exclusive interview Tuesday morning, hours before the Heat play the Warriors at Kaseya Center. “I love and appreciate everybody. Great fans. My teammates were great, the coaching staff was great. The city, meeting new people and building new relationships. I had a great time.

“Great time. Great time with the organization.” 

He won Rookie of the Year in 2015. He has been an All-Star, and a key player to a championship team. The path first laid out for Wiggins after being the No. 1 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft also never was a straight line to success from the start. 

Twists and turns were placed upon him without his doing. Rumors swirled that his bags would be packed before even being selected with the first pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers after it was announced LeBron James was coming home. Wiggins couldn’t settle in and call Cleveland home. 

Minnesota became home two months later for the first five-plus years of Wiggins’ career. Then came the Warriors calling, making what at the time was seen as a risky move, and what wound up becoming a heist to the highest order. Finally, the Toronto native felt home.

Wiggins doesn’t remember many details from the trade that sent him to the Warriors on Feb. 6, 2020. Five years later, he’s happy with where he landed if he had to be sent packing once again. 

“Any trade in mid-season is tough,” Wiggins says. “You don’t want to get traded mid-season. But I’m happy I landed here. It’s a great spot. Great city, great organization, great organization all around.” 

Wiggins scored 25 points his final game as a Warrior, and then tallied a combined 24 points his first two games with the Heat before starting to get in a groove with his new team. Between a leg injury and an illness, Wiggins has missed eight of the 21 possible Heat games he could have played. 

But in the 13 games he has played, Wiggins is averaging 21 points for the Heat on 48 percent shooting and 36.3 percent on 3-pointers. His last two games have been his best, scoring 72 total points while going 26 of 34 from the field (76.5 percent), 8 of 12 from deep (66.7 percent) and 12 of 16 on free throws (75 percent). 

“They’re very detailed here,” Wiggins says. “Very detailed. And I feel situated, getting more and more comfortable on the court with every game. I feel like they just want to get the most out of me.” 

The last two coaches Wiggins has played for, Steve Kerr with the Warriors and now Erik Spoelstra for the Heat, are “legends in the world of basketball,” as he puts it. Kerr and Spoelstra deeply respect one another and surely exchanged messages about Butler and Wiggins after the trade. Among the contingent of people who vouched for Wiggins to not be involved in a trade, Kerr was at, or near, the top of the list. 

Kerr loved coaching Wiggins. A humanitarian first and a basketball coach second, Kerr has been waiting to see Wiggins’ smile in person Tuesday night. Well, as long as Wiggins doesn’t go off for 42 points against the Warriors like he did Sunday against the Charlotte Hornets to snap the Heat’s 10-game losing streak. 

“We’re all thrilled to see Wiggs,” Kerr said Monday after Warriors practice. “Wiggs is one of my favorite guys. I wish we still had Miami in the Bay, so that will have to wait until next year. Wiggs will get an enormous standing ovation when he returns to the Bay in front of our fans, both for his contributions and just for his humanity – who he is, what kind of person he is. He’s beloved in our locker room and throughout the Bay. 

“It’ll be great to him, and hopefully he doesn’t have 42 against us.”

The Warriors stood by Wiggins through highs and lows. They rewarded him with a new contract after the 2022 championship, which in retrospect was a very team-friendly deal and showed how both sides felt about each other. They gave him the space to make his decision regarding getting vaccinated during the COVID-19 pandemic. When he had to tend to family matters during two straight seasons because of his late father’s health, the Warriors didn’t blink in telling Wiggins to do what’s best for him. 

Countless friendships were formed, and they’re not going away. Wiggins says he still has stayed connected with some former Warriors teammates and coaches the best he can. The business part of sports is cruel and heartless. Navigating it all can be an obstacle course of friendly fire neither side wants. 

The Warriors, then, now and forever, will be a special part of Wiggins’ story and will hold a warm spot in his heart.

“It’ll be good to see those guys,” Wiggins said. “It’s all love. I love those guys. I had a great time over there. Great people, great organization. Obviously we have a competitive game to play, but I’m looking forward to it.”

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Canadiens Will Try To Get Back To Their Winning Ways Against Blues

Patrik Laine - Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

The Montreal Canadiens will be taking on the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday night in what promises to be an intense battle. While the Habs dominated their host in the only meeting between both teams this season, both are holding the second wild card spot in their respective conference and are desperate to make the Spring dance. While Montreal still has 13 games left to play, St.-Louis only has 10 games remaining, and the multiple teams chasing them have games in hand.

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At the end of October, the Canadiens beat the Blues 5-2 with Samuel Montembeault in goal. Coach Martin St-Louis has already announced that he will again be in net on Tuesday night. The netminder has a 2-1-0 record against the host with a 2.99 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage. As for backup Jakub Dobes, he has never taken on Jim Montgomery’s men.

Speaking about Montgomery, he has yet to reveal which masked men will be in the Blues’ goal: Jordan Binnington or Joel Hoffer. The former, who backstopped Canada to the 4 Nations Face-Off championship, has a 2-4-0 record against the Habs with a 3.88 GAA and a .868 SP; he was in net for the October defeat. As for the latter, he beat Montreal in his only game against them and has a 3.00 GAA and a .909 SP. Binnington was in net for the Blues’ last game, but they have been alternating goaltenders lately.

Patrik Laine is the Canadiens’ most productive player against the Blues with 17 points in 18 games, but in one game in 2018, he scored five goals as the Winnipeg Jets beat the Blues 8-4. Christian Dvorak, who’s as confident as can be lately, also has 17 points but in 21 games. Brendan Gallagher rounds up the top three with 15 points in 17 games.

As for the Blues, their most prolific scorer against the Canadiens is Brayden Schenn, 28 points in 30 games. There were rumors that the center could be traded at the deadline, but he’s still with the team. Ryan Suter comes in second place with 14 points in 26 games, followed by Justin Folk, who has 12 points in 30 goals.

The Canadiens have won six of the last 10 duels between the two teams, and perhaps a road game is just what sniper Cole Caufield needs. The Canadiens’ best sniper has no points in his last three games but has scored 22 of his 33 goals on the road this season. Puck drop is set for 8:00 PM and will be the last Habs evening game to start later than 7:00 PM this season.

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Lakers lose again as NBA play-off race intensifies

LeBron James playing for the LA Lakers
Earlier this month James became the first NBA player to reach 50,000 combined regular season and play-off points [Getty Images]

The Orlando Magic ended a six-game home losing streak by inflicting a third straight defeat on the Los Angeles Lakers.

Luka Doncic scored 32 points and LeBron James added 24 and eight assists for the Lakers, who led 60-58 at half-time.

However, Orlando outscored the visitors 34-18 in the third quarter and went on to wrap up a 118-106 victory.

Franz Wagner contributed 32 points and nine assists for the Magic, while Paolo Banchero added 30 points and seven rebounds.

"We look tired," said Lakers coach JJ Redick. "I don't know what contributes to that. We weren't able to sustain the level of intensity that we started the game with."

The Lakers, who have lost seven of their past 10 games are fourth in the Western Conference with 11 games of the regular season remaining. The top eight qualify for the play-offs and they have eight more wins than the ninth-placed Sacramento Kings.

The Magic occupy eighth spot in the Eastern Conference and have 10 games left.

Elsewhere on Monday, in a match featuring two sides unlikely to make the play-offs, the Dallas Mavericks welcomed Anthony Davis back from injury in a 120-101 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.

Davis scored 12 points in 26 minutes as he returned from six weeks out with an abductor injury - suffered in his first game for Dallas after his trade from the Lakers in exchange for Doncic.

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Latest updates on Tatum's ankle injury from Celtics' win vs. Kings

Latest updates on Tatum's ankle injury from Celtics' win vs. Kings originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics extended their win streak to six games with a 113-95 victory over the Sacramento Kings on the road Monday night, but it came at a cost.

Superstar forward Jayson Tatum injured his left ankle with 3:35 left in the third quarter. He made a 3-pointer but landed on Kings forward Domantas Sabonis’ foot, which caused him to roll his ankle. Sabonis was called for a flagrant 1 foul for contesting the shot in Tatum’s landing area.

Tatum was helped to the bench but returned to the court to take his free throws. He then exited the game and didn’t return. He finished with a team-high 25 points.

The good news for the Celtics is that it appears Tatum has avoided a serious injury, per ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne.

The Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach reported that Tatum “left the arena tonight with no crutches or boot, and just a very slight limp.”

“He seems to be doing OK,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla told reporters postgame.” He’s just icing it right now. I didn’t see the play, but they made the right call. It was a flagrant foul. Fortunate that he was able to shoot the free throws. [He’s] taking care of it right now.”

The Celtics have just 10 games remaining in the regular season. With the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference nearly secured, it’ll be interesting to see how the Celtics handle Tatum’s workload over the next couple weeks.

Giving him as much rest as possible before the playoffs is the best course of action.

The Celtics resume their Western Conference road trip Wednesday against the Phoenix Suns.