Australian loses 6-2, 6-2 in last 16 against world No 2 Kazakh
Gibson had beaten five top-20 tennis players in three weeks
Talia Gibson’s impressive run at the Miami Open has come crashing down at the hands of world No 2 and two-time grand slam champion Elena Rybakina.
The in-form 21-year-old Australian, who came through two rounds of qualifying in Florida before upsetting Czech Sara Bejlek, Japan’s four-time slam winner Naomi Osaka and American teenage sensation Iva Jovic in the main draw, suffered a 6-2, 6-2 loss in her last-16 clash with Kazakh Rybakina.
Once the puck was dropped on the Madison Square Garden ice, however, the Blueshirts struggled to hit the mark on anything.
A 2-1 loss to the team that traded Zibanejad to New York on July 18, 2016, the Senators, was the result.
The Rangers’ measly nine shots on goal matched a franchise low that dates back over 70 years.
The Senators, already without two of their top four defensemen (Jake Sanderson and Nick Jensen), lost two blueliners to injury during the game and still had little difficulty containing the Rangers’ lowly offense.
“It’s not that we didn’t have a good night, we just got outcompeted,” said captain J.T. Miller, who was held to zero shots on goal in the Rangers’ 25th loss in 34 games at home. “That’s the part that’s hard to live with that stuff. Like I mentioned, looking inward at yourself, you’re just not doing enough. We don’t do enough. Today you should have a fire lit under your ass to go play for your teammate. A guy that feels like a cornerstone of the organization.
Senators left wing Warren Foegele celebrates with Ottawa Senators left wing Fabian Zetterlund after Foegele scores a goal during the second period at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York, USA, Monday, March 23, 2026. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
“We go out and have four [shots] through two [periods]. At home, a place where we haven’t been desperate enough this season. That doesn’t sit well.”
After a moving tribute video narrated by Zibanejad’s wife, Irma, fellow members of the leadership group showered the longest-tenured Ranger and his family with hugs and forms of appreciation from the organization.
Gifts included a trip to Greece for the whole family, a mini silver stick for his daughter, Ella, and a custom-engraved silver hockey stick for Zibanejad to commemorate the 1,000-game milestone.
The heartwarming ceremony bled into a stiff opening 20 minutes for the Rangers, who have soiled themselves in front of their home crowd on an egregious number of occasions this season.
The Senators got a power-play goal from Shane Pinto and hit two posts before the home team even put one puck on net.
Mika Zibanejad waves to the fans as he is honored for his 1000th career game before the first period at Madison Square Garden i JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
It was Juuso Pärssinen, playing in his first game since March 12 in Winnipeg, who finally recorded the Rangers’ first shot on goal with 6:11 left in the first period.
The Rangers didn’t get another until they earned a power play later in the frame.
Pärssinen then flipped the puck over the glass — the first of two such bench minors committed by the Rangers — to ensure his team finished the first shorthanded.
The Rangers could only funnel two more pucks at Ottawa goalie James Reimer over the next 20 minutes, finishing with a mere nine on the night.
Four shots through two periods represented the fewest for a Rangers team since 1965-66, when the NHL started tracking shots per period. The last time the Rangers posted that few shots on goal in a game was on Dec. 11, 1955 against the Red Wings.
While Conor Sheary got the Rangers on the board just over seven minutes into the final frame, the equalizer never came.
“It’s disappointing because I feel like we’re not controlling what we can to set our team up for success,” head coach Mike Sullivan said. “I just think we lacked anticipation, on both sides of the puck…We didn’t win pucks. So we ended up spending a lot of time in our end zone for the first period, for sure. I thought the second period, the first seven minutes of the second period, we had a good push. And then for the next, I think, seven of the next 13 minutes, we were in the penalty box… I don’t think we’re playing the game with enough pace.”
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MARCH 23: Luis Rengifo #13 of the Milwaukee Brewers reacts in front of Elly de la Cruz #44 of the Cincinnati Reds after hitting a double in the second inning against the Cincinnati Reds during the exhibition game at American Family Field on March 23, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
29 down, one to go for the Brewers’ spring season. The Milwaukee bullpen combined for a gem and the bats looked ready for primetime as the Brewers thoroughly defeated the Reds, 9-1, on Monday night at American Family Field in Milwaukee. It was the first of two final tune-up games against the Reds before the Brewers open the season against the White Sox on Thursday.
Aaron Ashby started this game but didn’t make it out of the first inning. Clearly on a pitch count, he was pulled with two on and two out in the first after 26 pitches—he’d walked two, struck out one, and gotten Elly De La Cruz to fly out. Blake Holub came out of the pen and struck out Eugenio Suárez to end the inning.
After Ashby’s mild hiccup in the first, the rest of the Brewers’ projected opening day bullpen mostly mowed down the Reds. Holub had a nice outing as he pitched a perfect second inning as well, and then literally every other pitcher (in addition to Ashby) that is expected to make the team’s bullpen pitched an inning. Six of those seven innings were scoreless. The only blemish was during Easton McGee’s inning, when TJ Friedl doubled and then scored on a Ke’Bryan Hayes single. Otherwise, DL Hall, Jared Koenig, Grant Anderson, Abner Uribe, Ángel Zerpa, and Trevor Megill combined for six shutout innings with only two hits allowed, two walks, and four strikeouts.
That’ll do it this spring for the opening day bullpen, as obviously none of them will pitch in tomorrow’s last spring game. The whole group will presumably be available Thursday.
As for the hitters, they looked ready, too, for the most part. The Brewers struck first in the second inning when Christian Yelich singled, Luis Rengifo doubled, and Jake Bauers walked to load the bases, and after a Sal Frelick strikeout, David Hamilton doubled in Yelich and Rengifo. Bauers scored, too, when Garrett Mitchell grounded into a run-scoring fielder’s choice.
Brice Turang (who all five of your friendly BCB writers chose as this year’s team MVP) led off the bottom of the third with his third home run of the spring. The Brewers had some traffic on the bases in the fourth, when Frelick led off with a double, went to third on a Hamilton single, and then scored when Tyler Stephenson threw the ball away trying to catch Hamilton stealing second. Hamilton scored, too, when Mitchell hit another RBI groundout.
In the fifth, William Contreras hit a homer down the right-field line into the bleachers, and Andrew Vaughn led off the seventh with the biggest hit of the night, a 109 mph, 432-foot bomb to left. The Brewers’ last run came in the eighth, when the ice-cold Garrett Mitchell—who went just 1-for-4 tonight but only struck out once (looking) and knocked in three runs—hit a 108 mph RBI double.
Almost everyone in the Brewer lineup had a good day; the exception was leadoff hitter and designated hitter (I don’t think this will happen much once the games count) Jackson Chourio, who was 0-for-3 with two strikeouts. But everyone else in the starting lineup had a hit save for Bauers (who was 0-for-1 with a walk), and several of the players who came in as subs later had nice nights too. Notably, Hamilton was 2-for-2 with a double and two RBI, Vaughn (off the bench) was 2-for-2 with a solo homer, and Rengifo, Frelick, Mitchell, Turang, and Contreras all had extra-base hits (doubles for the first three, homers for the latter two).
Wrap them up, let them chill tomorrow night, let’s get the games started.
The final game before the regular season is tomorrow at 4:10 p.m., again at American Family Field. Brandon Sproat will get a chance to make his last warm-up before his Brewers debut comes on Sunday. The Reds have not announced a starter.
NEW YORK (AP) — Shane Pinto scored on the power play, Warren Foegele added his fifth goal in nine games since being traded and the Ottawa Senators made up more ground in their chase to make the playoffs by beating the New York Rangers 2-1 on Monday night.
The Rangers had just nine shots on goal, matching a franchise worst set on Dec. 11, 1955, in a defeat at Detroit. They lost for a 25th time in 34 home games this season.
Ottawa won its third in a row, improving to 14-3-2 since Jan. 25 and moving two points back of the second and final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with 12 games to play.
The latest victory came at a cost of two more injuries to an already depleted defense. Thomas Chabot took a stick to the right arm from J.T. Miller in the final seconds of the first period and Lassi Thomson left his first NHL game since Nov. 25, 2022, during the second because of a lower-body injury. Neither returned.
The Senators, missing Jake Sanderson because of an upper-body injury and Nick Jensen following knee surgery, finished the game with four defensemen.
New York goaltender Igor Shesterkin stopped 31 shots and was the only reason the deficit wasn’t worse. Conor Sheary scored on the Rangers’ seventh shot to end James Reimer’s shutout bid with 13 minutes left.
Mika Zibanejad skated in his 1,000th regular-season game, his 719th with the Rangers after playing his first 281 with Ottawa. Zibanejad was honored in a pregame ceremony with a video narrated by his wife, Irma, and presented a silver stick along with a mini version for their young daughter, Ella.
Up next
Senators: Visit the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night in a matchup of Eastern Conference teams fighting to make the playoffs.
Rangers: Visit the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday night.
PEORIA, ARIZONA - MARCH 17: Manager Craig Stammen of San Diego Padres on the field during Spring Training workout at Peoria Sports Complex on March 17, 2026 in Peoria, Arizona. The players are wear green hats in honor of St. Patrick's Day. (Photo by Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Padres fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
Spring Training has come to a close for the San Diego Padres and the rest of Major League Baseball will soon join them as they return to their home cities. Teams will have a few days to make final roster decisions before the 2026 season kicks off on Opening Day and the hunt for the postseason begins.
The Padres played 32 games throughout the spring season and although the final 26-man roster has not been officially announced, much of the Friar Faithful have an idea of who will be on the field and in the dugout when San Diego hosts the Detroit Tigers at Petco Park on Thursday at 1:10 p.m. PST.
Cheri Bell of Gaslamp Ball wrote in January about the Steamer and ZiPS projections for the Padres for the 2026 season. With a new manager and an incomplete roster, the projections were skeptical toward San Diego. Steamer projected 80 wins and ZiPS projected high 80s to a 90-win season.
The Friar Faithful have been able to see the team perform throughout the spring, some in person, some via Padres.TV or other media outlets, so they have more information than Steamer and ZiPS had when they gave their projections. The Padres Reacts Survey question this week on Gaslamp Ball is asking respondents to make their predictions about where San Diego will finish in the win column in 2026. Results of the poll will be provided later in the week and at season’s end, Gaslamp Ball will revisit the projections to see if the Padres are higher, lower or right where the majority of readers expected them to be.
ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 23: Nickeil Alexander-Walker #7 of the Atlanta Hawks drives to the basket during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies on March 23, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. 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 Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Atlanta Hawks delivered one of their most complete performances of the season Monday night, rolling past the Memphis Grizzlies 146-107 behind a balanced offensive attack and relentless pace at State Farm Arena.
Atlanta (40-32) seized control early and never let up, outscoring Memphis in every quarter but the fourth while shooting efficiently and spreading the scoring load across the roster. The Hawks led by double digits before halftime and blew the game open with a 45-point third quarter that turned a comfortable lead into a rout.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker paced Atlanta with 26 points on an ultra-efficient 8-of-11 shooting, including 4-of-6 from 3-point range, while adding six assists. Onyeka Okongwu and Jonathan Kuminga each contributed 16 points, combining for 10 rebounds and providing energy on both ends.
Veteran guard CJ McCollum orchestrated the offense with nine assists to go along with 15 points, helping Atlanta rack up a high assist total and maintain constant ball movement. The Hawks finished with multiple players in double figures, including Dyson Daniels (12 points), Corey Kispert (11), and Zaccharie Risacher (11 points, eight rebounds).
Atlanta’s depth proved overwhelming. The bench unit kept the pressure on throughout, with strong contributions from Jock Landale (11 points), Keaton Wallace (nine), and others as the Hawks shot over 50 percent from the field and knocked down 3-pointers at a high clip.
Memphis (24-47) was led by GG Jackson’s 26 points, while Tyler Burton added 20 and Ty Jerome chipped in 17. However, the Grizzlies struggled defensively and could not keep pace with Atlanta’s scoring bursts, particularly in the second and third quarters.
The Hawks built a 32-22 lead after one quarter and extended it to 71-46 by halftime. Their 45-point third quarter effectively ended any chance of a Memphis comeback, pushing the margin beyond 30 points.
Atlanta’s performance showcased its offensive ceiling crisp passing, efficient shooting and contributions from throughout the lineup while also highlighting improved defensive activity, forcing turnovers and limiting Memphis’ rhythm.
Rising star Georgia Voll has proven she’s a worthy successor for the retired Alyssa Healy in the national side, cracking her maiden T20I century during the rain-affected series finale against the West Indies in St. Vincent.
Next up are four arms, some holdovers and some new entrants. and each finishing the year at a different level of the minors.
36. Ryan Jennings, RHP, age 26 (DOB: 8/22/1999), grade: 35, 2025: 16th
The Blue Jays’ 2022 fourth round pick out of Louisiana Tech, Jennings has had an up-and-down transit through the Blue Jays system. He popped up in his draft spring after a move to the bullpen allowed him to run his fastball up into the mid-90s and touch 99. In 2023-24, he missed significant time with injuries and his velocity fluctuated though the results were generally good with particularly dominant results in 2024.
Jennings has the arsenal of a starter, with three secondaries that have at least flashed potential. His primary swing and miss weapon is a gyro slider in the mid/upper 80s, paired with a short power curve around in the low-80s. As a starter he also used a mid-80s changeup which flashed swing and miss potential, but which has been largely shelved with his move to the bullpen.
While he had success as a starter, the hope was that a move to the bullpen would allow the stuff to play up consistently, particularly the fastball velocity. That didn’t come to pass in 2025, as he sat but also topped out in the mid-90s. Additionally, the strike throwing backed up as Jennings walked 43 in 58 innings (with another eight HBP). That was a letdown on the heels of 2024, and while the potential keeps on the backend where he previously tended to be, another year like that will really call into question his major league potential.
Signed in 2022 by the Red Sox out of the Dominican Republic , Batista was one-third of the return for Danny Jansen in 2024. At that point he had yet to pitch outside of a complex league, but the Jays bumped him up to Dunedin where turned in four promising outings and returned for 2025.
In 2025, he worked as a swingman, throwing 85 innings to pedestrian results (4.96 ERA) but with intriguing underlying numbers (83 strikeouts against 26 free passes). Once again, his undoing was the long ball, yielding 15 home runs.
As with the performance, broadly speaking it’s the same story as a year ago in terms of stuff. Batista’s fastball sits 92-94, his best off-speed a change-up that flashes plus with some feel, and rounded out with an inconsistent slider (85-87). He’s still just 21, so it’s still possible there’s more in there at least in terms of refining secondaries, but absent that there’s a lot pointing towards a future in relief. Accordingly, while the grade and ranking remains similar to last year, the upside tail is pared back.
An undrafted free agent out of Louisiana State in 2024 where he pitched to undistinguished results over four years in various roles, the Jays appear to found a real gem. Debuting in 2025, Coleman’s 36% strikeout rate in Dunedin was interesting, but not that unusual for an experienced SEC pitcher facing a lot of teenagers and came with some control issues.
It was the latter half of the year that proved an even bigger step forward in Vancouver. Against a more appropriate level competition to serve as a measuring stick, not only did the strikeout rate tick up to 40% but he threw more strikes as well. The resulting 1.40 ERA anchored Vancouver’s bullpen down the stretch.
Coleman’s arsenal is as promising as the results. A low slot lefty, it’s tough for batters to pick up the ball. His fastball velocity has jumped up into the mid-90s, and he’s got a good frisbee slider and change-up to complement that. Neither are truly stand out beyond the tough arm angle, but it’s more than enough to overwhelm lower level hitters and should be enough to keep better hitters off balance. To that end, looked good in several Spring Training outings
There’s an obvious major league role for a lefty with good stuff, and at the rate he’s taking steps forward it may be sooner than later. If everything clicks he could end up on the higher end of relief outings, providing some upside, but there’s also a relatively higher floor.
33. Grant Rogers, RHP, age 25 (DOB: 4/22/2001), grade: 35, 2025: NR
Drafted in the 11th round of the 2023 draft from McNeese State, Rogers has succeeded as a workhorse starter across the three lowest levels with almost 50 starts and over 250 innings over two years. While his peripherals have been solid, his calling card is generating weak contact on the ground.
For a starter, Rogers has something of an unconventional arsenal, at least in today’s game. His two seamer sits in the low-90s, deriving its effectiveness from significant horizontal movement. He complements that with three breaking balls that are more three variants on a spectrum: a mid-80s slider, low 80s curve and upper-80s cutter. Once in a while I’ve seen a change-up but it’s not a factor. None rate as swing-and-miss offerings, they’re part of a mix to keep hitter off-balance.
The question is how this translates to higher levels, and I have my doubts. I don’t know the shape of his breaking balls, and they got hit pretty hard in Spring Training where he got a few starts and decent look. To some extent, the outcome feels dichotomous: either it works and he ends up an inning eating backend (or maybe mid rotation at peak) workhorse starter, or it’s tough to see major league value. Once upon a time, there was a niche sinker/slider pitchability relievers (think Shawn Camp) or longmen, but there aren’t so many in today’s game.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 18: Marcus Smart #36 of the Los Angeles Lakers in action during the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on March 18, 2026 in Houston, Texas. 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 Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After having a relatively long stretch in which their entire rotation was available, the Lakers took the floor in Detroit on Monday without a starter in Marcus Smart and key reserve Rui Hachimura.
Both were listed as questionable in the initial injury report. Prior to the team’s loss to the Pistons, head coach JJ Redick provided updates on both, starting with Rui’s right calf soreness.
JJ Redick says Rui Hachimura was hit in his right calf in the Miami game and it tightened up on him in the Orlando game. He had a MRI that came back clean. He is day to day, per Redick.
Ironically, Rui missed the last game against the Pistons with right calf soreness in late December. It was, however, a short-term injury that Rui returned from in about a week. However, it does show that there’s a bit of a history with this injury.
As for Smart, he has taken a beat recently and while he was listed on the injury report with right ankle soreness, he was also dealing with a hip injury.
Redick added that Marcus Smart is dealing with a right hip issue from the Orlando game as well as the right ankle from the collision with Goga Bitadze. Redick said Smart is also day to day. https://t.co/HW2u9cgdmi
The collision in question was one of the most absurd calls of the season for the Lakers in which a fairly innocuous coming together with Goga Bitadze ended with Smart receiving a technical foul.
The refs just gave Marcus Smart a tech foul for this play.
Given his injury history and the beating he takes on a game-to-game basis, having him sit out for a night or two to heal up isn’t the worst thing. Especially given the Lakers’ upcoming schedule, which includes games against Pacers, Wizards and Nets, sneaking in some rest for players wouldn’t be a bad strategy.
As for Rui and Smart, it appears neither injury is serious. The Lakers should be able to welcome them back soon and potentially in their road trip finale on Wednesday in Indiana.
ATLANTA (AP) — Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 26 points and eight Atlanta players scored in double figures as the Hawks routed the Memphis Grizzlies 146-107 on Monday night.
Atlanta outscored the Grizzlies in the first three quarters and had an insurmountable 41-point advantage at 116-75 after three periods. The Hawks led by 10 points (32-22) after one and 25 points (71-46) at halftime on the way to their 11th straight home win and 13th victory in 14 games. Atlanta kept its lead around 40 points through most of the final period, which was won by the Grizzlies 32-30.
Onyeka Okongwu and Jonathan Kuminga scored 16 points apiece, CJ McCollum had 15 and Dyson Daniels 12. Corey Kispert, Zaccharie Risacher and Jock Landale each added 11 as the Hawks shot 49 for 92 (53%) from the field overall and 25 of 54 (46%) from 3-point range.
Atlanta (40-32) had its highest point total of the season. The Hawks entered the game in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, a half-game behind Toronto, which was playing at Utah later Monday.
GG Jackson scored 26 points, Tyler Burton added 20, Ty Jerome finished with 17 and Walter Clayton Jr. 16 for Memphis, which shot 33% (14 for 43) from 3-point distance.
The Grizzlies lost for the 11th time in 12 games. Memphis' only victory in that span was a 125-118 decision over the Denver Nuggets on March 18.
The Hawks were without Jalen Johnson due to left shoulder inflammation.
Memphis was without Cedric Coward, who missed his third straight game due to personal reasons. The Grizzlies were also without Ja Morant, Brandon Clarke and Jahmai Mashack , who are recovering from injuries. And, Zach Edey, Santi Aldama, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Scotty Pippen Jr. are out for the remainder of the season with injuries.
Up next
Grizzlies: Host the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday.
Brendon McCullum and England’s leadership cohort have survived the Ashes debacle but Aussie icon Adam Gilchrist said it is clear the rival regime needs to learn from the mistakes they made in a disastrous tour of Australia.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MARCH 10: Pete Nance #35 of the Milwaukee Bucks looks on during the first half of the game 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
Ahead of their matchup with the Clippers, 110 minutes prior to game time, the Bucks announced one expected move and one somewhat unexpected. First off, they are converting forward Pete Nance from his two-way contract to a standard, multi-year deal. But in order to do that, they needed to open up a slot on their 15-man roster (two-way players aren’t included in that number), so they elected to waive guard Cam Thomas. That one’s a bit surprising.
Let’s begin with Nance: he had just one game remaining of his 50-game eligibility given to two-way players, so if Milwaukee wanted to make him active in any NBA game after tonight, he would have to be converted to a standard deal before the deadline for doing so on April 12th. He’s impressed a fair bit since first seeing rotation minutes in mid-January: while he averages just 4.5 MPG in 12.1 MPG, he shoots a stellar 56.4% from the field and 47.9% from deep. That comes with what appears to be capable perimeter defense; I’ve heard his athleticism compared unfavorably to his older brother Larry Jr. and his father, a former All-Star, but he moves his feet quite well and stays in front of his mark. His playing time ebbed a little bit in February, though he’s since been pretty consistently above 15 each contest.
All that considered, the 26-year-old looked a lot like part of Milwaukee’s future, and he seemed a near-lock to be promoted from his two-way. While contract terms haven’t been reported yet (we’ll update this story when they are), it will likely be a minimum deal, and include team options and/or non-guaranteed salary after this year. This is typical of late-season two-way conversions, so he may still have to earn his 2026–27 roster spot during camp, if not in Summer League.
The 6’9” Northwestern alum will make about $277k the remainder of the year; his minimum salary is projected to be just under $2.6m in 2026–27, which will be his cap hit if it is a three-year deal. If this is a two-year deal expiring in summer 2027, his cap hit will be just under $2.5m. Milwaukee technically opened a two-way spot converting Nance, but the deadline to sign two-way players was March 4th, so it’ll remain open into summer.
Now onto Thomas. After four-plus years in Brooklyn, the high-scoring 24-year-old was waived mere minutes after the NBA trade deadline on February 5th. And not long after, the Bucks were reported as interested, so he signed on February 8th. According to Thomas himself, Milwaukee had been interested in him for years and apparently sold him as being a part of their future. No reason to believe Thomas was lying about this, but it appears their calculus changed.
The results looked good early, with a 34-point outing in his second appearance with the Bucks on February 11th, then 27 two games later. Since then, however, he’s struggled to make a similar impact. He was in double-digits in just five of his following 14 games and shot a poor 37.8% from the field. A slightly below average three-point shooter (34% for his career), he dipped to 25% on 32 attempts after that February 20th game. All told, he put up 10.7 PPG as a Buck on .431/.275/.754 shooting, all beneath his career averages.
At 6’4”, he’s too small to play anywhere but guard, and doesn’t have any defensive chops. While he can sometimes create for others and move the ball, he’s mostly a ballstop, though one really good at creating his own shot and getting to the line. His free-throw rate jumped in Milwaukee, but he sank them 10% less often than his career 85.8% as a Net.
Thomas will return to the free-agent market in search of a new home, but can’t play in the postseason, which he may have thought he was doing when signing with the Bucks. Since he was waived after March 1st, he is ineligible to appear in any playoff games, so he may opt to play in a non-NBA league and/or sit out to try again this summer. Last summer, he picked up his qualifying offer from the Nets in order to hit unrestricted free agency in 2026, rather than restricted free agency a year early. His $845k cap hit will stay on the Bucks’ ledgers until the end of June, but Milwaukee is far beneath the luxury tax line and can afford to keep that while adding Nance’s $277k.
What’s surprising here is that Milwaukee is waiving Thomas just over a month-and-a-half after signing him instead of Andre Jackson Jr. These were always the two most logical release candidates when it became clear Nance should be converted because they could be the Bucks’ only two unrestricted free agents this summer outside of Thanasis Antetokounmpo, who obviously wasn’t getting cut. Jackson has a fully $2.4m non-guaranteed team option for 2026–27, so waiving him or Thomas, who has no money due to him next year, means Milwaukee would owe $0 to either after the season. Gary Harris, Gary Trent Jr., and Taurean Prince each have player options for next year worth $3.8–3.9m; if the Bucks waive one of them, that $3.8m would need to be stretched over three years, so $1.3m in dead cap every season through summer 2029.
However, I got some intel last week that Jackson was the release candidate, echoed by some comments from Doc Rivers during a pregame presser. Jackson was a key rotation piece much of last season, even starting 43 games, but has been relegated to garbage time in 2025–26. In 37 games, he’s averaging just 2.7 PPG on a stinky .258/.176/.900 shooting in 5.9 MPG. Strictly a defensive player at this point, he’s never broken into this year’s rotation and has played upwards of 10 minutes just five times. He’s had 33 DNP-CDs and saw no on-court action for over two weeks surrounding New Year’s.
Rivers’ reticence to play him during a lost season seemed to spell doom for his NBA future, but he’ll survive for now. In fact, Thomas had increasingly been on the outs lately too, with two DNP-CDs last week after just three minutes on March 12th. So it’s not exactly out of the blue, and you’ll certainly find fans who agree with Doc benching him, given some of his struggles in Milwaukee. With Giannis injured again, Thomas got back on the floor for 23 then 15 minutes since Thursday, but a 14-point outing followed up by seven on Saturday wasn’t enough to save him.
Nevertheless, signing him was a low-risk endeavor, and with Nance looking the part of a future rotation piece, there is nothing to be mad about moving on from Thomas. Sure, maybe some preferred Jackson and would have given Thomas a new contract this summer, but in either case, the Bucks assure themselves of keeping Nance, which is the more important part. All that’s actually changed here is the decision between retaining Jackson or retaining Thomas into 2026–27. Best of luck to Thomas elsewhere, and we’ll always appreciate that first week.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - MARCH 23: VJ Edgecombe #77 of the Philadelphia 76ers shoots the ball during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 23, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
2025-26 Sixers Bell Ringer season standings:
Tyrese Maxey – 22 VJ Edgecombe – 11 Joel Embiid – 9 Paul George – 6 Justin Edwards – 4 Kelly Oubre Jr. – 4 Quentin Grimes – 3 Jared McCain :’( – 3 Dominick Barlow – 2 Andre Drummond – 2 MarJon Beauchamp – 2 Adem Bona – 1 Cam Payne – 1 Jabari Walker – 1 Trendon Watford – 1 15th roster spot – 1
The Philadelphia 76ers — well, still the Hospital Sixers — fell 123-103 to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday evening.
The Sixers were without Joel Embiid (oblique), Tyrese Maxey (finger), Paul George (suspension), Kelly Oubre Jr. (elbow) and Quentin Grimes (illness). This was the final game of PG’s suspension and he is set to return to action on Wednesday.
So, VJ Edgecombe and company against the best team in the NBA, coming in on an 11-game win streak. It pretty much went as expected. In fact, I actually think it could have went much worse. The Sixers were never really in this one but they also didn’t let themselves completely fall out of it without a fight for the majority of it. Edgecombe was able to put up a floor-leading 35 points with a career-high seven threes. That part was fun at least.
The Sixers are off Tuesday before hosting the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night. As stated, PG is expected to return for that one.
Until then, let’s get to the Bell Ringer. Take a guess.
<p>(Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)</p><br> | NBAE via Getty Images
VJ Edgecombe got the Sixers’ night started with a triple on their first possession. He would end up knocking down a new career-high seven three-pointers in this one. That being said, it didn’t start as his most efficient night, shooting just 3-for-10 in the first frame, but he didn’t let it slow him down in the long run.
As this one played on, Edgecombe was really the main factor in the Sixers staying even relatively within the Thunder range throughout the night. The rookie was commanding the offense, stayed aggressive in transition to take any easy bucket the Sixers could get, took advantage of any open looks and hit a number of really difficult shots against a tough OKC defense.
Oh, and any inefficiency that affected him in the first half did not carry over to the second. Before halftime, Edgecombe shot 5-for-14 from the floor (3-for-8 from long range). After the break, the rookie shot 9-for-14 for field goals and 4-for-7 from beyond the arc.
I honestly think this was one of the very few best-case scenarios in this matchup. The reality was that the Sixers, sans four starters, were not likely going to beat the NBA-leading Thunder. Getting to see the rookie not only get more experience as the leader of the Sixers’ squad but to also look pretty damn impressive against a team like OKC individually is probably as good as it was going to get.
Edgecombe finished this one leading the field with 35 points on 14-for-28 (50.0%) field goal shooting and 7-for-15 (46.7%) from beyond the arc. He also had six rebounds, four assists and one steal.
VJ Edgecombe with his fifth triple of the evening. The rookie's up to 25 points and counting 🔥 pic.twitter.com/EXi0K0QOF9
Tyrese Maxey’s reaction to Jared McCain back-to-back threes
I may never stop laughing at this.
Just as we all knew would happen, Jared McCain wasted no time getting on the board when he was subbed in for Oklahoma City in the first frame. McCain quickly sank a triple on one possession before hitting a second triple right after off a pass and screen. The former Sixer, very fairly, had some things to say as he ran back up the court for defense.
And Tyrese Maxey, on the bench in plain clothes as he continues to recover from a tendon injury in his pinky, reacted like this:
ORLANDO, FL - MARCH 11: James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives to the basket during the game against the Orlando Magic on March 11, 2026 at Kia Center in Orlando, 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 Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers will likely finish fourth in the Eastern Conference, but we don’t know who they’ll face in the first round of the playoffs, given how tight spots five through 10 are in the Eastern Conference standings. One of the many teams that they could play is the Orlando Magic.
The Cavs won the first two meetings of the year against the Magic before Orlando defeated them 128-122 a week and a half ago behind a phenomenal game from Desmond Bane.
The Magic have struggled since that win. They’ve lost five games in a row coming into this one, including on Monday at home against a bad Indiana Pacers team. We’ll see if they can rebound against the Cavs on Tuesday.
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Cavs injury report: Jaylon Tyson – OUT (toe), Jarrett Allen – OUT (knee), Craig Porter Jr. – OUT (groin), Tyrese Proctor – QUESTIONABLE (quad), Olivier Sarr – OUT (G League), Tristan Enaruna – OUT (G League)
Magic injury report for Monday’s game vs. Pacers: Jalen Suggs – OUT (illness), Franz Wagner – OUT (ankle), Jonathan Isaac – OUT (knee), Anthony Black – OUT (abdominal strain)
Cavs expectedstarting lineup: James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Sam Merrill, Dean Wade, Evan Mobley
Magic expected starting lineup: Desomond Bane, Jevon Carter, Tristan da Silva, Paolo Banchero, Wendell Carter Jr.
The Sweet 16 is almost here – who’s still alive? We’re reviewing the week that was in the first week of the NCAA tournament and turning our focus to remaining teams. How bad (or good!) is your bracket? Join us in the SB Nation March Madness Feed and let’s talk about who’s most likely to make a run to glory.
