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The Canadiens Played With Fire And Got Burned

The Montreal Canadiens finally resumed their season on Thursday night when they hosted the New York Islanders at the Bell Centre. To celebrate their return, the Habs also celebrated their “Soirée Québécoise”. As the arena filled up before puck drop, pictures of poutine, the Rocher Perce, maple syrup and Elvis Gratton were projected on the ice to name a few as Diane Bibaud warmed up by playing Noir Silence’s On jase de toi on the organ.

It wasn’t Bibaud who needed to rehearse the most, though; both teams looked as rusty as one could have expected in the first frame, and there were quite a few icings, offsides, and missed cues, but they got there in the end.

Canadiens Have 2 Blue Jackets Trade Targets To Consider
Canadiens: The Anniversary Of A Big Trade
Canadiens Prospect Out For Four Weeks

Puck Possession

Once they had shaken off the rust, the Habs had a few dominant shifts, including one in which they made a full line change in the offensive zone without losing possession. They had the Islanders pinned down and good puck movement, but they were looking for the perfect play, and when they finally took a shot, it was one Ilya Sorokin had no trouble stopping and freezing, allowing the Isles to get a much-needed change.

The tendency to look for the perfect play rather than putting pucks on net is nothing new for the Canadiens, but it is something that really needs to be addressed. In tight physical playoff games, there won’t be time or space for the perfect play.

Discipline

The Canadiens were in perfect control of the game, up 2-0 in the second frame with 3:30 to go in the period, thanks to two Noah Dobson goals, when Juraj Slafkovsky took an interference penalty after slashing Tony DeAngelo’s stick, and Mike Matheson took a high-sticking penalty seven seconds later.

As a result, the Islanders had 1:53 at five-on-three, and they made the most of the golden opportunity with rookie sensation Matthew Schaefer scoring two power-play goals. It was a shame for Samuel Montembeault, who was tracking the puck well and had made two saves on one-timers during the penalties, but Schaefer showed just how good he was with a couple of picture-perfect shots.

Managing The Lead

After the game, Martin St-Louis was disappointed with the way his team failed to manage the puck after getting a 3-2 lead:

In those last 10 minutes, I felt like we let them play with the puck too much. We had to be able to still generate some offensive time. You’ve got to be calculated with what you do with it in the neutral zone, be selective in your choice of play in the offensive zone, which allows you to make them defend a little bit, but we had to defend the last 10, so you know, they just kept coming. I felt like we were defending pretty well, but at the end, they pulled the goalie, and they got an extra guy, that’s something we talked about, but we didn’t get the job done.
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The bench boss was clearly annoyed at that five-on-six goal, adding: “The five guys have to do their job, and that’s not what happened”. After the game, the players told the media that the tying goal came from a bad bounce, but St-Louis didn’t agree.

When the Islanders scored with less than two minutes to go in the game, Mike Matheson, Nick Suzuki, Juraj Slafkovsky, Philip Danault, and Noah Dobson were on the ice, and given the coach’s comments, it feels like there might be a video session in the cards the next time there’s a full practice.

The Calder Trophy

Seeing Schaefer play in person for the first time tonight, it was hard not to be impressed with the way he plays the game at such a young age. The way he moves with so much fluidity, coupled with his stickhandling skills and decision-making at 18, it feels like the Calder Trophy is already his.

Whether or not Ivan Demidov wins the scoring race probably won’t matter, not against such a young player who has mastered the defenseman role to that kind of extent at that age. While age shouldn’t really be a factor, it generally is.

In the end, the loss was a shame for Dobson, who did manage to score twice against his former team, but he was also on the ice for three of their goals. In the net, Montembeault had a respectable outing even though he surrendered four goals on just 27 shots. The tying goal at the end of regulation was a tipped puck right in front of him, and as for the overtime goal, it was a clear faceoff win by the Islanders, and Jean-Gabriel Pageau took off, outskating everyone and showing up in front of the goaltender all alone. It’s not the first time that he’s spoiled the Canadiens day; it was his fourth game-winning goal in 37 games against the Habs.

As for Alex Newhook, he played a very good game in his return to action, spending over 13 minutes on the ice, picking up an assist on Dobson’s power play goal, taking a shot, landing a couple of hits, and winning four of the seven draws he took.

The Canadiens will hold an optional skate in Brossard at 11:30 AM on Friday, and they’ll be back in action on Saturday night when they’ll host the Washington Capitals.

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Cracklin’ Rosie and a crackling Suns’ offense

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 26: Royce O'Neale #00 of the Phoenix Suns reacts after hitting a three-point shot during the final second of the NBA game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Mortgage Matchup Center on February 26, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Lakers 113-110. 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 Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Phoenix Suns walked into Thursday night battered and bruised, injury report reading like a CVS grocery list that got out of hand. You glance across the floor, and there stand Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves. It’s a trio that makes you check the clock before tip-off and wonder how long the evening is about to feel.

And it felt long.

There were stretches where the offense stalled into a quiet panic as possessions dissolved into late-clock heaves. Phoenix could not buy a clean look for chunks of the night, and when they did, the rim treated them like strangers.

Being a fan does strange things to your brain. It turns you into a ritualist, a believer in invisible levers. On Thursday, I found mine.

My wife was behind me in the living room, puzzle board out, building a 1000-piece octopus with the calm of a surgeon. The Suns were down 10 in the third quarter, and she asked if she could put on music. Neil Diamond. Holly Holy filled the room.

The Suns started scoring.

Song Sung Blue. Another run. Cracklin Rosie. A three from Grayson Allen that felt pre-ordained. You Don’t Bring Me Flowers. Collin Gillespie rises and buries one from deep like he has been waiting for Neil to give him permission. You can break down the rotations. You can analyze the shot profile. You can talk about the 22 made three pointers, which is usually the recipe when half your firepower is in street clothes. All of that is fair.

I am giving Neil Diamond credit.

The rhythm shifted the moment his voice hit the speakers. The ball moved with purpose. The shots came in flow. The house felt different through a television screen and a living room octopus.

It was a big one for Phoenix. They are staring up at the Lakers in the standings, chasing ground, measuring margin. This win mattered. The fan base needed it. The offense has looked rough lately, heavy and unsure. Last night had those same ugly stretches.

They survived anyway. And it felt…so good, so good, so good!

Bright Side Baller Season Standings

Collin breaks into double digits, joining Devin Booker as the only two Suns to do so thus far this season.

Bright Side Baller Nominees

Game 60 against the Lakers. Here are your nominees:

Grayson Allen
28 points (9-of-24, 6-of-16 3PT), 1 rebound, 6 assists, 1 block, 1 turnover, -14 +/-

Collin Gillespie
21 points (7-of-13, 6-of-11 3PT), 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, 2 turnovers, 0 +/-

Royce O’Neale
13 points (4-of-7, 3-of-6 3PT), 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 0 blocks, 2 turnovers, -4 +/-

Ryan Dunn
10 points (4-of-7, 2-of-3 3PT), 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 0 blocks, 1 turnover, -20 +/-

Oso Ighodaro
8 points (4-of-5, 0-of-0 3PT), 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, 1 turnover, 0 +/-

Rasheer Fleming
8 points (3-of-5, 2-of-3 3PT), 6 rebounds, 0 assists, 0 blocks, 0 turnovers, +19 +/-

Who you got?

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Open Thread: Bob Costas and Doug Collins will call Tuesday night’s Spurs/76ers game

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 9: Doug Collins and Bob Costas provide commentary before Game Two of the NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and the Los Angeles Lakers on June 9, 2000 at the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. 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 2000 NBAE (Photo by Andy Hayt/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

Yes, you read that right. It’s not a rerun of a Tim Duncan/Allen Iverson era game. For the first time in over a quarter of a century, Bob Costas and Doug Collins are calling an NBA game for NBC.

On Tuesday, March 3rd, Costas and Collins reunite on NBA to call the game featuring the San Antonio Spurs and the Philadelphia 76ers.

Mike Fratello will join Costas and Collins for this “classic” coverage as well as the addition of Jim Gray reporting from the sideline.

Costas, one of the longest tenured and most celebrated sportscasters, launched his national career with NBC in 1980. With a career spanning five decades, the 73-year-old has called every major sport, multiple Olympic games, and hosted his own sports-centered radio and television shows.

Collins, the NBA’s top draft pick in 1973, played his entire eight season career for the Philadelphia 76ers. He moved into coaching and served as head coach for four NBA teams – the Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, Washington Wizards, and 76ers – one per decade. Collins began calling games in the mid-80s and has continued as a color analyst when he is not serving as an NBA head coach or executive.

For this event, NBC is also bringing on Hannah Storm, Isiah Thomas and P.J. Carlesimo for a throwback version of “NBA Showtime” starting an hour before the game broadcast. The game will be available on NBC and Peacock, check local listing s for exact presentations.

Welcome to the Thread. Join in the conversation, start your own discussion, and share your thoughts. This is the Spurs community, your Spurs community. Thanks for being here.

Our community guidelines apply which should remind everyone to be cool, avoid personal attacks, not to troll and to watch the language.

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DitD & Open Post – 2/27/26: Dispiriting Edition

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY - FEBRUARY 25: Arseny Gritsyuk #81 of the New Jersey Devils drives the puck towards the goal during the second period against the Buffalo Sabres at Prudential Center on February 25, 2026 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Here are your links for today:

Devils Links

In a dispiriting season, a great moment the other night:

With the Olympic break in the rearview mirror and the guys back in New Jersey, the Devils dropped a 2-1 decision to the Sabres on Wednesday. [Devils NHL]

Then on Thursday night, a three-goal third period pushed the Penguins to a 4-1 win over the Devils. [Devils NHL]

“Jack Hughes still gets an indescribable feeling when asked about scoring the biggest goal of his young career. Three days after becoming a national hero by scoring at 1:41 of overtime to give Team USA a 2-1 win against Team Canada in the gold medal game of the men’s hockey tournament at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, Hughes returned to the New Jersey Devils lineup for a night of reflection and celebration at Prudential Center on Wednesday. The 24-year-old center doesn’t want to dwell on the goal and prefers to speak about the team that made it all possible.” [NHL.com]

“The New Jersey Devils have no shortage of problems right now and Johnathan Kovacevic is moving up the list quickly. The 28-year-old defenseman has struggled mightily since making his season debut, and last night against the Buffalo Sabres may have been his worst showing yet.” [Infernal Access ($)]

Hockey Links

Sidney Crosby and Mikko Rantanen will miss some time:

Seems good!

1,000 wins for Joel Quenneville:

Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.

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The Warriors’ Two-Timelines Feelings Bracket: who did you believe in?

DETROIT, MI - NOVEMBER 27: James Wiseman #13 of the Detroit Pistons & Jordan Poole #13 of the Washington Wizards embrace after the game on November 27, 2023 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. 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 2023 NBAE (Photo by Chris Schwegler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

In the near future I’ll be sharing a series of polls discussing matchups of former GSW players who are draft picks during the Two-Timelines era. This concept wasn’t seeded by stats or hindsight. This was seeded by emotional gravity: draft expectations, peak belief, and how long you kept hoping. Pure feelings.

Kevin Durant left in the summer of 2019. That moment didn’t end a dynasty as many feared (or desperately desired from jealous fanbases outside of the Golden Empire), but it did start a new hope.

Over the next six years, the Golden State Warriors drafted several players who became part of something complicated, beautiful, and occasionally heartbreaking. It was a project that became what fans came to call the “Two-Timelines” era. Some of these players won championship rings. Some made you grab the remote and turn the volume up. Some broke your heart slowly, over multiple seasons, in ways you didn’t fully process until they were already gone. And maybe some of them you knew were never gonna fit in with Stephen Curry and Steve Kerr, but you held out hope. Most of them are no longer here.

And we know for a fact that Dub Nation has the power to provide so much love and positive energy to the franchise that the players suddenly morph from “meh” into giant killers before your very eyes. So with that in mind, now it’s time to answer the question that actually matters. Not which of those ex-draft picks was the best, who had the highest PER, or the most efficient season.

The question is: which of those departed GSW picks were you secretly rooting for the most?

This bracket lives at the intersection of three things: how much was put on a player’s shoulders on draft night, how high your belief actually rose during their time here, and how long you kept the faith even when the evidence got complicated. There’s no hidden agenda (OR IS THERE??), just an honest accounting of how Warriors fans actually felt, in real time, about each of these players.

Eight players. Three rounds. One crown.

THE OFFICIAL BRACKET

FIRST ROUND

1  Jordan Poole vs 8 Alen Smailagic

4  Eric Paschall vs 5 Trayce Jackson-Davis

2  James Wiseman vs 7 Ryan Rollins

3  Jonathan Kuminga vs 6 Patrick Baldwin Jr.

SEMIFINALS

W(1/8) vs W(4/5)

W(2/7) vs W(3/6)

CHAMPIONSHIP

So without further ado, here’s the bracket folks!

1. Jordan Poole

28th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft

You remember exactly where you were when Jordan Poole started cooking in the 2022 playoffs. Don’t lie. You were on your feet, screaming at the TV. This was supposed to be the guy who eventually took the keys from Steph and kept the dynasty breathing. Young, filthy with the ball in his hands, shimmy already loaded and ready to deploy on whoever was unfortunate enough to be guarding him. The Bay had already written the next chapter in its head. Jordan Poole was going to be here forever.

Then Draymond threw a punch and the universe shifted.

But before all of that — before Washington, before the struggles, before everything — Jordan Poole was EVERYBODY’S guy. And the emotional peak of that belief, the moment when the whole fanbase collectively decided this kid was going to be GREAT here, is higher than anyone else in this bracket. That’s why he’s the 1 seed.

2. James Wiseman

2nd overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft

Close your eyes and remember draft night 2020. The No. 2 pick in the entire draft. Seven feet tall. Hands like a point guard. A shot-blocking presence that made you dizzy just watching the highlights. The Warriors had just survived the worst season in franchise history and the basketball gods handed them James Wiseman as a reward. The rebuild was supposed to start right there. This was the guy who was going to anchor the next decade while Steph showed him everything he knew.

What followed was a torn meniscus, a lost season, flashes of brilliance in 12-minute bursts, and eventually a trade to Detroit that the fanbase processed in silence because nobody quite knew what to say.

Wiseman’s gravitational pull on draft night was enormous. Nobody in this bracket carried more expectation in that moment. Nobody. That earns him the 2 seed, and it isn’t particularly close.

3. Jonathan Kuminga

7th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft

Five years. Five years of “this is finally his season.” Five years of scoring rampages that had you ready to anoint him the next face of the franchise, followed by inexplicable DNPs that had you arguing with strangers on Twitter at midnight. Kuminga was the most complicated relationship Warriors fans had with any player in this era. Talent was never the question. It was always right there.

He had a real playoff run in 2025 that had the whole fanbase ready to crown him. Then they traded him to Atlanta anyway. And now he’s out there balling like he has something to prove, which means the feelings aren’t even past tense yet.

Five years of hope with a motor still running. That’s the 3 seed.

4. Eric Paschall

41st overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft

Did anybody see Eric Paschall coming? He was a second-rounder out of Villanova on a Warriors team that won 15 games, playing in empty arenas during a pandemic season that felt like the whole world was falling apart. And somehow, impossibly, this man made that team fun to watch. Scoring 14 points a night off the bench, bouncing around the court with an energy that felt almost defiant given the circumstances, he made Warriors fans feel something they hadn’t felt in two years: genuine excitement about a new player in the present tense.

The Paschall window was short. The love was real. That’s the 4 seed.

5. Trayce Jackson-Davis

57th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft

Nobody expected Trayce Jackson-Davis to be good. He was the 57th pick, the second-to-last selection in the entire draft. A four-year college big man who was supposedly too slow and too limited to survive in the modern NBA. And then he showed up at Chase Center and immediately looked like he’d been running pick-and-rolls with Stephen Curry his entire life. The screen IQ. The roll timing. The finishing around the rim with both hands. Warriors fans started falling for TJD almost immediately, quietly, the way you fall for a player before you’ve consciously decided to root for him.

Then they traded him to Toronto and the whole fanbase had to process what could have been.

The 5 seed for a 57th pick who could jump out the gym.

6. Patrick Baldwin Jr.

28th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft

Patrick Baldwin Jr. arrived with a first-round pedigree, a 6’9″ frame, a shooting touch that looked effortless in warmups, and an energy that made you want to root for him before he played a single meaningful minute. He never really got the chance. Thirty-one games. 3.9 points per game. Minutes so sparse you had to check the box score twice to confirm he was even in the building. Warriors fans kept the hope alive far longer than the evidence warranted because you genuinely liked the kid and wanted the situation to be different.

It never got different. It just ended.

The 6 seed is a love letter to everyone who kept checking the rotation looking for his name.

7. Ryan Rollins

44th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft

Ryan Rollins didn’t just leave Golden State. He got packaged into the Jordan Poole trade and shipped to Washington before he ever got a real chance to show what he could do. Most players in that situation disappear quietly. Rollins did not. He came back to Chase Center, looked the Warriors dead in the eye, and lit them up in a revenge game that nobody who watched it will forget. That’s not just athleticism. That’s a player who knew he was good enough and needed everybody else to catch up.

The 7 seed for the guy who made sure we remembered he existed. Respect.

8. Alen Smailagic

39th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft (via draft-night trade)

Alen Smailagic was a teenage center from Serbia whom the Warriors acquired via trade on draft night 2019, and for approximately one Summer League he was going to be something. The flashes were there. The potential was visible in the way that potential is always visible in a 19-year-old who is still mostly a theory. He played 29 regular season games across two seasons and then was gone, leaving behind a small but passionate fanbase of people who watched those Summer League games and told themselves: okay, maybe.

The 8 seed belongs to every player who made us say okay, maybe. And to the people who said it about Smailagic specifically, this bracket is for you.

HONORABLE MENTIONS

These players were part of the Two-Timelines story but didn’t make the bracket. They deserve acknowledgment.

Nico Mannion — We wanted him to be the Italian Steph Curry.

Justinian Jessup — Drafted in 2020, played zero regular season games as a Warrior, carved out a career overseas.

ONE LAST THING

This bracket is not a trial. Nobody is being convicted of anything. Every single player on this list showed up, competed, and tried to make it work inside one of the most demanding basketball environments in the modern NBA. Some of them won championships doing it and others gave us moments we still talk about. All of them were, for at least one night, somebody’s favorite Warrior.

Keep an eye out as the matchups come out and get your vote out!

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NHL mock draft: Gavin McKenna inches closer to reclaiming the top pick

With the NHL trade deadline fast approaching after the league's return from the Olympic break, the upcoming draft is quickly coming into focus for hockey fans around the world.

The 2026 draft class, headlined by Gavin McKenna, Ivar Stenberg and Keaton Verhoeff, features a ton of talent that has the chance to become foundational pieces of NHL franchises for a long time.

Considering the standings and the needs of the teams positioned to select in the top 16 of the first round, let's take a crack at what those picks could look like in June.

(Draft order determined by standings, sorted by points percentage, before games played on Feb. 26)

NHL mock draft: Top 16 picks

1. Vancouver Canucks: Frolunda (Sweden) left wing Ivar Stenberg

Stenberg's historic offensive pace in the Swedish League is just one of many reasons why he's proved to be the top player in this class. His compete level is off the charts in his ability to fight off defenders and retrieve pucks, all while possessing the playmaking, shooting and cerebral game to be a threat in every area of the offensive zone. He's a difference-maker on every single shift and rises to the occasion when the lights are the brightest.

2. St. Louis Blues: Penn State (NCAA) left wing Gavin McKenna

McKenna has been on a tear with Penn State as of late, putting together a dominant eight-point performance against Ohio State as part of a two-game series where he finished with two goals and eight assists. He's operating with the level of confidence and swagger that he had in his WHL days, and he's been much more engaged without the puck as of late. He's inching closer to reclaiming his spot as the top prospect in this class.

3. New York Rangers: North Dakota (NCAA) defenseman Keaton Verhoeff

Verhoeff's raw athleticism has become one of his defining traits as a freshman at North Dakota. While his skating will be the biggest point of emphasis for his development, he's got great range with his stick and is efficient at closing gaps when defending oncoming pressure. He's got room to grow offensively, but the creative foundation is there, making him the most projectable two-way defender in this class for the time being.

4. Calgary Flames: Boston University (NCAA) center Tynan Lawrence

Lawrence's offensive production in the NCAA hasn't translated to the same level of dominance he displayed in the USHL, which, to an extent, was to be expected. However, his transition game remains elite, and he processes offense at a high level, all without compromising his defensive effort. There's nobody with a higher ceiling at the center position in this class than Lawrence, and if the Flames trade top center Nazem Kadri in the next week, they'll eventually need another No. 1 pivot.

5. Chicago Blackhawks: Windsor (OHL) left wing Ethan Belchetz

At 6-foot-5 and 228 pounds, Belchetz possesses the physical profile that scouts rarely pass up on when combined with his hands, shot and playmaking vision. His pace of play has been a concern at times, but in Chicago, where he wouldn't be relied on as a primary puck carrier, he should be more than capable of becoming a complementary top-line winger alongside Connor Bedard.

6. Winnipeg Jets: Jukurit (Finland) defenseman Alberts Smits

Smits played a sizable role for Latvia at the Olympics, an incredible accomplishment for the 18-year-old. While his team was heavily outmatched from a talent standpoint, it allowed everyone to see he's capable of playing a more conservative, defensive game than we're used to seeing with Jukurit, while still being incredibly poised with the puck and calm while under pressure.

7. New Jersey Devils: Djurgarden (Sweden) center Viggo Bjorck

Despite being an undersized player, Bjorck proved all of his doubters wrong with a stellar performance at the world juniors with Sweden, recording nine points in the team's seven games, including two assists in the gold medal win over Czechia. As a result, he's seen a major uptick in ice time with Djurgarden, where his tenacious forechecking and creative playmaking have made him one of this draft's biggest risers.

8. Nashville Predators: Brantford (OHL) center Caleb Malhotra

Malhotra is a stable, detailed center with great hockey sense who has shown flashes of offensive brilliance in his time with Brantford this season. He's always trying to find ways to drive the middle of the offensive zone and knows how to create advantages with his size despite not being an overly physical player. Coaches will gravitate toward Malhotra's approach to the game, and he projects as a reliable middle-six center.

9. Los Angeles Kings: Sault Ste. Marie (OHL) defenseman Chase Reid

Reid controls the flow of play in all three zones with his high-end mobility being used to break out pucks on offense and kill rush plays when defending the opposition. His puck skills are strong as well, zipping passes to hit teammates in stride while being able to manipulate opponents in order to create space. With a blistering shot in his arsenal as well, Reid may have the highest ceiling among all defensemen in this class.

10. San Jose Sharks: Prince Albert (WHL) defenseman Daxon Rudolph

The Sharks could use another first-round defenseman to develop alongside 19-year-old rookie Sam Dickinson. Rudolph brings decent size at 6-foot-2 and 206 pounds, and he's a smooth skater. In his last 10 games in the WHL, he's recorded at least a point in eight of them, totalling nine points. While Dickinson shoots left, Rudolph shoots right, which would better balance out the Sharks' future on the back end.

11. Philadelphia Flyers: Prince George (WHL) defenseman Carson Carels

Carels is a two-way defenseman who logs a ton of minutes with Prince George and has proven to be trusted in all on-ice situations. He's great at adapting to what the game demands of him, being relied on to push the pace offensively and to play a shutdown role. While he's put together a campaign that makes him worthy of being selected in this range, there isn't a true standout trait that Carels has shown just yet.

12. Chicago Blackhawks (via Florida): Vancouver (WHL) defenseman Ryan Lin

Lin has been a stabilising presence on the Vancouver Giants' blueline over the past two seasons, remaining one of the most defensively detailed players in this class. He's also put up strong offensive numbers with 50 points in 42 games this season, though his defensive positioning and ability to read and react to opponents at this stage of his development make him projectable as a top-four defender at the NHL level.

13. Boston Bruins (via Toronto): Boston College (NCAA) left wing Oscar Hemming

Hemming has a physical edge to his game that would fit perfectly in Boston. He's a powerful forechecker who lays thunderous hits, giving opponents little to no time to make plays and often causing turnovers in dangerous areas of the ice. He doesn't get enough credit for his offensive instincts, proving capable with the puck on the rush while also reading off his teammates well in the offensive zone.

14. Ottawa Senators: Forfeited draft pick

The Ottawa Senators must forfeit this year's first-round pick after not disclosing Evgenii Dadonov's limited no-trade clause when they sent him to the Vegas Golden Knights in 2021. That led to an invalidated trade between the Golden Knights and Anaheim Ducks the following year.

15. Washington Capitals: Blainville-Boisbriand (QMJHL) defenseman Xavier Villeneuve

Villeneuve is the most dynamic blueliner in this class, with his deception and skating ability being the biggest highlights as a gifted offensive defenseman. He's averaged over a point per game in back-to-back QMJHL seasons. While there are concerns about his commitment in the defensive zone, he has all the makings of a top power-play quarterback at the NHL level. There's a chance he goes much higher on draft day.

16. Columbus Blue Jackets: Tappara (Finland) center Oliver Suvanto

Suvanto is a proficient net-front presence who engages well in the defensive zone, showing dominant physical traits while playing against older competition. He's shown instances of being able to generate offense in a way that's translatable to the NHL, but will have to do so more consistently to be projected beyond a bottom-six center at this point. With few long-term solutions at center, this would be a safe pick for the Blue Jackets.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NHL mock draft 2026: Where could Gavin McKenna and other prospects go?

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Trade rumors in rearview, Nolan Arenado has things to prove with Diamondbacks

SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Nolan Arenado plops down on a bench in the back fields of the Arizona Diamondbacks’ spring training complex, takes off his cap, wipes the perspiration from his forehead, and breaks into a slow, expansive smile.

Sitting just a few hundred yards from the complex where his career first started with the Colorado Rockies, this is home now, perhaps for the duration of his career.

He has found peace.

No more trade rumors.

No more trade requests.

No more venting his frustration with the front office.

Home sweet home, just a five-hour drive from where he grew up in Orange County, California, and about a 20-minute drive away from where he and his wife, Laura, just purchased a new home in the Scottsdale area, with their two young  kids (3-year-old daughter, Levi, and 4-month-old son, Beau).

“I’m so much more relaxed now," Arenado tells USA TODAY Sports. “I mean, obviously, the last year or two, we kept hearing that you’re going to be traded and stuff. Now, to finally have some clarity, it feels good. Really, it feels great.

“I’m thankful for the Diamondbacks to have interest in me. Now, my goal is to hold up my end of the bargain on that and take care of business."

The irony with Arenado’s arrival in Arizona is that his fate directly hinged the last two winters on Alex Bregman’s decisions.

Arenado was supposed to be taking over for Bregman a year ago as the Houston Astros’ third baseman. Bregman was a free agent, the Astros refused to raise their offer, and reached out to the St. Louis Cardinals to acquire Arenado in December 2024. The deal was done, but Arenado, who had a full no-trade clause, vetoed it.

“Listen, I respect Houston, I respect that team and who they are," Arenado says. “But at the time, I was hesitant, because they had just traded Kyle Tucker. And Bregman wasn't coming back. I just didn't know what direction they were going.

“It was nothing more than that."

The Los Angeles Angels called that winter, too, knowing that Anthony Rendon wouldn’t be healthy, but Arenado had no interest. He wanted to be on a contender, not a team that hasn’t had a winning season in a decade.

Arenado informed the Cardinals that if they could work out a deal with either the Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres or Philadelphia Phillies, he would accept it. He kept holding out hope until spring training that the Red Sox would reach out; he expected to be their fall-back plan, but Bregman wound up signing a three-year, $120 million contract with two opt-outs with Boston, leaving Arenado in St. Louis.

Arenado, who had the worst season of his career last year, still was hoping to be gone at the July 31 deadline. No one showed interest. He played in only 11 games after the deadline with a strained right shoulder and finished the season hitting just .237 with 12 homers, 52 RBI and a .666 OPS in 107 games. He looked like a shadow of himself, a guy who finished third in the MVP race in 2022 with 30 homers, 103 RBI and an .891 OPS.

When the 2025 season ended, and Chaim Bloom replaced John Mozeliak as the Cardinals’ new president of baseball operations, he informed Arenado they were going into a full-scale youth movement and would do everything possible to trade him during the winter.

The Padres eventually reached out, received Arenado’s blessing that he’d leave his third baseman’s glove at home and move to first base, but they failed to work out a deal to the Cardinals’ liking. The Athletics expressed strong interest, but sorry, they are playing at a Triple-A ballpark in Sacramento, and Arenado had no interest in potentially finishing his career in a minor-league stadium.

So, once again, he waited on Bregman, who also was drawing interest from the Diamondbacks. Bregman wound up leaving Boston and signed a five-year, $175 million deal with the Chicago Cubs. Arenado waited on the Red Sox to call. They never did.

The Diamondbacks, with Bregman off the board, reached out, offered the Cardinals an eighth-round draft pick who hadn’t thrown a professional pitch, made the Cardinals pick up $31 million of the remaining $42 million in Arenado’s contract, and Arenado approved the deal in January.

“It’s hard when it gets out in the public that this team or that team was interested, and I said no," Arenado said. “Well, they were never on my yeses to begin with, you know? So, it makes it hard."

Arenado already is hearing it from Athletics’ fans this spring.

“The A's are going to carve you up."

“We didn’t want you in the first place."

“I’m like, don’t take it personal," Arenado said. “They were never on my (approval) list anyway. I needed time to really think about that one, but the other two (San Diego and Arizona), I told Chaim if he could work out a deal, I’d go.

“I just didn't want to go through what I went through last year.

“I wanted to get this over with."

Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Nolan Arenado gets Los Angeles Angels outfielder Jose Siri out at first in the third inning of their Feb. 22 spring training game.

Now, here he is, the eight-time All-Star, 10-time Gold Glove winner, six-time Platinum Glove winner, five-time Silver Slugger, burning to prove he’s still got it, turning 35 years old in April.

He’s not carrying a Gold Glove-sized chip on his shoulder for everyone who showed no interest, or even Team USA, which chose Bregman over him to be the starting third baseman in the World Baseball Classic after he had played the previous two times. But Arenado has something to prove to himself.

“I know I’ve had a couple of tough years," Arenado says, “but this team believes in what I can do. And that’s helped me get me excited for the confidence they have in me. It’s already a top-10 lineup, and I think I can make it better.

“I'm hopeful that they can bring out the best of me."

Arenado, who used to work out in Diamondbacks World Series hero Luis Gonzalez’s backyard batting cage when he first came up with the Colorado Rockies — finishing in the top 10 in MVP voting for five consecutive seasons — knows he can find it again.

He’s almost 35, not 55.

He still feels fresh, healthy, and is rejuvenated.

“You know, it disappoints me that I didn't play the way I expected to in St Louis the last couple years," Arenado says. “But, you know, it's baseball. I'm learning about my body. There's some things changing.

“I'm getting a little bit older, I’ve just got to take care of business a different way. There's all those little things that I wish I would have nipped in the bud a little earlier in St Louis.

“I loved playing every minute in St. Louis. Their fans are unbelievable. They are so supportive. They have high expectations. I just wish I could have played better for them."

Now, with a new workout routine, he believes there’s no reason he can’t resemble the same dude who terrorized the NL West when he played with the Rockies. Certainly, if he didn’t believe he could be a star again, he wouldn’t have accepted manager Yadier Molina’s offer to play for Team Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic.

Arenado played with Molina, the future Hall of Fame catcher, in St. Louis. He was still planning to say no, since he never got a call from Team USA, but his family, particularly his mom who’s from Puerto Rico, persuaded him to do it. His entire family plans to be in Puerto Rico for the first round, giving Arenado a chance to see the beautiful island for the first time in his life.

“I wanted to play for USA again, but I didn’t get the call," Arenado said. “Honestly, I didn’t deserve the call. And when Yadi called me about it, I felt a little hesitant about it because I played on USA, and I was recovering from a shoulder surgery. But my mom really wanted me to do it, and my family kept telling me to do it."

The original plan was for Arenado to play first base for Team Puerto Rico with Carlos Correa at third base. But after Correa couldn’t get the insurance to play in the WBC, Arenado will once again be back in his customary position.

“I love it, for me, selfishly, it's the energy," Arenado says. “It gets you mentally ready for the season. Obviously, the stakes are high right away, which is tough, but it brings that intensity. It brings the focus that you only get when opening day of the season starts. I really think it’s beneficial."

It will be Arenado’s final WBC, he says, but he has plenty of other lofty goals in mind. He has two years remaining on his contract, but with a strong finishing kick, he could erase any doubts that he deserves to be standing behind a podium in Cooperstown one day. He has 353 homers, 1,184 RBI and an .846 OPS, to go along with his 10 Gold Gloves. He has more Gold Gloves, All-Star appearances, and homers than Scott Rolen, the last third baseman to be inducted into the Hall of Fame two years ago.

“I try not to look that far ahead," Arenado says, “but I still feel like I do have good game left in me. I still feel like I can express it and do it now. For how long? I don't know. I’ve got two years left. I don't know if I want to play past two years, but if I take care of the business the way I know I can, or I feel I can, I could see myself playing a little bit longer.

“But, I do expect to perform well on both sides of the ball again.

“I expect to help this team win.

“And I expect to be a complete player again."

Follow Nightengale on X: @BNightengale

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nolan Arenado has plenty to prove in 2026 MLB season after trade

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Jack Doohan received ‘serious death threats’ and called for police help before Alpine exit

  • Australian F1 driver was replaced after 2025 Miami GP

  • Doohan revealed threats and abuse on Drive to Survive

Jack Doohan has said he received death threats and called police to resolve an encounter with armed men around the time of last year’s Miami Grand Prix, just before he lost his Formula One drive with Alpine.

In the latest series of the Netflix documentary Drive to Survive, released on Friday, the Australian driver said he had been threatened by email, describing the atmosphere around what proved to be his final race as “pretty heavy stuff”.

Continue reading...
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Pens Points: Back in action

PITTSBURGH, PA - FEBRUARY 26: Tommy Novak #18 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates his first period goal against the New Jersey Devils at PPG PAINTS Arena on February 26, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

Here are your Pens Points for this Friday morning…

Thursday night was the return to action for the Pittsburgh Penguins after the Olympic break, playing host to the New Jersey Devils. Playing against a team lower than them in the standings, Pittsburgh took care of its business and defeated the Devils by pulling away with multiple third-period goals to secure two points and a win. [Recap]

As Penguins captain Sidney Crosby is set to miss at least the next month on injured reserve with a lower-body injury, he still believes in his teammates to maintain course and fight for a playoff spot in his absence. [Trib Live]

Updates from around the NHL…

The Detroit Red Wings are reportedly keen on acquiring veteran defenseman Tyler Myers from the Vancouver Canucks, according to NHL insider Darren Dreger. [TSN]

Joel Quenneville became only the second head coach in NHL history to reach 1,000 career wins when his Anaheim Ducks rallied for a 6-5 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night. [ESPN]

With a silver medal finish in the rearview mirror, is it too early for Team Canada to examine a possible roster for the 2030 Olympic Games? Perhaps Canada aims to go with a younger, faster squad, anchored by Connor McDavid, Macklin Celebrini, and Sidney Crosby?! [Sportsnet]

The Hockey Hall of Fame announced the death of former chairman Ian Morrison on Thursday. He was 95 years old. [TSN]

Montreal’s public transit agency, the Société de transport de Montréal, announced that it will once again display the English slogan “Go Habs Go!” on some city buses’ electronic signs to support the Canadiens after the provincial language watchdog reversed its earlier decision to ban the phrase following public criticism and government intervention. [Montreal Gazette]

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Which young pitchers will propel the Yankees in 2026?

Sep 27, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees starting pitcher Cam Schlittler (31) walks off the mound after retiring the side in the fourth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Last week, I wondered about which Yankees pitching prospect could have a Cam Schlittler-esque turn this year, coming up in the middle of the season to make a major impact on the Yankee staff. Elmer Rodríguez and Carlos Langrange look like prime candidates, even if it’s unlikely that any single prospect plays as well as Schlittler did in his summer audition last year.

The thought of another young power arm coming up and propelling the Yankees midseason is tantalizing, but the fact is the Yankees have a plethora of young starters already on the major-league roster. New York hopes that Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, and Carlos Rodón will ultimately lead them to glory, but with injury concerns stuck to at least two of those three, young starting pitching will have to buoy the Yankees during parts of 2026.

Schlittler stands tall, literally and figuratively, among that group of hurlers, coming off a sensational rookie campaign and one of the most memorable playoff debuts in Yankee history. There’s also Will Warren, who’s had his inconsistencies in his career but just led all rookies in starts in innings, with his baffling east-west arsenal hinting at untapped upside. Luis Gil stands at a pivotal moment in his career, not long removed from his 2024 Rookie of the Year campaign but looking to re-establish himself after a 2025 season in which he was injured and diminished. You can even arguably include Ryan Weathers in this group; though the left-hander has appeared in five different MLB seasons, he only just turned 26 and has but 280 career innings to his name.

The question today is, which of these young starters will make the biggest impact in 2026? With Rodón likely to miss about a month of the season, Cole scheduled to miss about two months, and Clarke Schmidt still on the mend, the Yankees need a chunk of these young starters to show out, if not most of them. Who will it be? Which of these inexperienced arms will prove to be most valuable to the Yankees this year?

This morning, Matt’s entry in our Yankee Birthday series highlights Ron Hassey, who had a couple of remarkable things happen to him over the course of his career. Also, Peter previews Carlos Rodón’s season, and Jeff takes a look at the Pirates as part of our 2026 MLB preview.

Today’s Matchup:

New York Yankees at Minnesota Twins

Time: 1:05 p.m. EST

Video: Gotham Sports App, Twins.TV

Venue: Lee Health Sports Complex, Fort Myers, FL

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Three things standing out from the first week of Pirates Spring Training

BRADENTON, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 12: Manager Don Kelly #12 of the Pittsburgh Pirates looks on at Pirate City on February 12, 2026 in Bradenton, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The sun is shining, birds are chirping and the Pirates are back in Bradenton for Spring Training. Spring ball for fans is the first glimpse into how their favorite ball club is going to look in the regular season, and there has already been several noteworthy developments for the Buccos.

The new look lineup looks great

The Pirates organization made it a point this offseason to improve their bottom dwelling offense and in just a week of games, it already looks like this lineup is transformed. So far the Pirates are 5-2 in Spring and have had a couple of contests with offensive barrages overpowering their competition. It’s not uncommon for hitters to be a step behind pitchers following the long winter away from the game, but for the Pirates, it has been the complete opposite.

Against the Boston Red Sox, the Buccos scored 16 runs, with three homers recorded. In their opener against the Baltimore Orioles, this transformed offense put up eight runs with Ryan O’Hearn and Endy Rodriguez both going deep. Then against Tampa Bay, the team put up seven runs, with the team currently averaging just over six runs scored in the seven contests that they’ve played.

Obviously it’s only Spring ball, but it is very encouraging to see an offense this hot already ahead of the regular season. While the lineup will still need some fine tuning for regular season competition, there is clearly a lot of fire power coming to PNC Park this season.

Konnor Griffin is turning heads and crushing baseballs

Konnor Griffin is the unanimous top prospect in baseball, and he is showing everyone why in a big way. In the team’s contest against Boston, Griffin had two huge home runs and is already looking like a Major Leaguer.

Since arriving in Pirate City, the talk of the town has been on if Griffin can make Pittsburgh’s opening day roster. All signs are pointing to yes, but more than that, it’s looking like the Mississippi native could be the next generational super star in Major League Baseball. Griffin is very much on the same trajectory as Barry Bonds, Bryce Harper, Juan Soto and Ken Griffey Jr. At just 19-years-old, he already plays, moves and operates like a Major Leaguer, and it may already be time for Pittsburgh to consider signing Griffin to a long term deal.

Griffin could finally be the piece the Pirates need to put them over the top and emerge as real contenders in the National League. We have to hope that Bob Nutting and company don’t screw this one up.

Fans should be excited about Pirates’ baseball again

I was talking to my father a couple of weeks ago, and he was telling me that he would really love to see Pittsburgh become a great baseball city again. There’s a lot of work that still needs to be done, but it really feels like the Pirates may finally be heading back in a good direction. They have to rid themselves of some nasty heritage that has in the last 30 years not been committed to winning, and currently hold the longest playoff drought in the NL.

The black cloud that follows Pittsburgh because of the sins committed by Nutting and management is something that fans and players are still constantly working through, but there is no doubt that this Pirates squad on paper is looking to be one of the best teams they’ve had in a decade. They signed big free-agents in the offseason, went out and made smart trades and of course have some of the best talent in baseball emerging as Paul Skenes, Bubba Chandler and Griffin are looking to change the reputation of Pittsburgh’s ball club.

It’s a long 162 game season that hasn’t even started yet, but there are shades already of a quality ball team. O’Hearn has said that this Pirates team reminds him of the Baltimore teams that he found success on. Don Kelly at the helm is reimagining the culture in the clubhouse and is willing to bring back alumni to help inspire the new generation of Buccos. The best time of the year is just getting started and fans should be excited to see their Pittsburgh Pirates in 2026.

What has stood out for yinz in Spring Training? Let us know in the comments!

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March Madness bracketology: NCAA Tournament last four in, first four out

Connecticut’s 72-40 blowout of St. John’s in Wednesday's key Big East tilt puts the Huskies back atop the conference standings and onto the No. 1 line in our latest bracketology update.

On some nights, UConn looks like the best team in the country. That was the case on Wednesday, when its defense held the Red Storm to just 19.6% shooting from the field. St. John’s was outscored 31-14 in the second half and missed its final 24 attempts.

The win avenges one of UConn’s three losses, which includes Arizona and Creighton. Arizona, Michigan and Duke are also on the No. 1 line.

Starting Five: College basketball games to watch this weekend

College basketball coach changes: Live updates on who is out

The Huskies’ bump knocks Iowa State down a peg to a No. 2 seed. The Cyclones lost to Brigham Young last weekend but rebounded with a road win against Utah, which is tied for last place in the Big 12.

Alabama moves to a No. 4 on the back of a seven-game SEC winning streak highlighted by defeats of Auburn and Arkansas. Since the double-overtime loss in Tuscaloosa, the Razorbacks have topped Missouri and Texas A&M to climb to a No. 5.

There are 11 SEC teams in the field, led by defending national champion Florida on the No. 2 line. The conference sent a record 14 teams to last year’s tournament.

March Madness bracketology: NCAA Tournament projection

March Madness last four in

Indiana, Ohio State, Missouri, Santa Clara.

March Madness first four out

Southern California, California, Virginia Commonwealth, San Diego State.

NCAA tournament bids conference breakdown

Multi-bid leagues: SEC (11), Big Ten (10), ACC (8) Big 12 (8), Big East (3), West Coast (3).

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March Madness predictions: Bracketology forecast for NCAA Tournament

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College basketball games to watch schedule full of March Madness implications.

As February turns to March and the men’s college basketball season winds toward its conclusion, there are plenty of high-stakes offerings on this weekend’s schedule for your viewing enjoyment. We can’t promise two top-five clashes like we had last week in this space, but the slate makes up for that in quantity with no fewer than a half dozen USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll Top 25 showdowns over the course of the weekend.

That lineup begins Friday night in the Big Ten and continues into a Saturday marathon that opens with a first-place showdown in the ACC and also features a doubleheader in the SEC.

BRACKETOLOGY:A new No. 1 seed emerges in March Madness projection

Without further ado then, let’s get to this week’s Starting Five – plus a few coming in off the bench.

No. 3 Michigan at No. 11 Illinois

Time/TV: Friday, 8 p.m. ET, Fox.

The Wolverines are three games clear in the Big Ten race entering the regular season’s penultimate weekend, and in all likelihood they’ve already done enough to merit a No. 1 NCAA regional seed. The Fighting Illini’s recent run of tough overtime losses cost them both of those goals, but a win here would provide a huge confidence boost heading into March. The good news for Brad Underwood’s squad is Illinois is one of the few teams with the frontcourt strength and depth to match up with the Wolverines. The Illini also have more reliable perimeter shooting, thanks mainly to Keaton Wagler, but Michigan’s Elliot Cadeau shook off his rough outing against Duke with a more accurate night against Minnesota.

No. 12 Virginia at No. 1 Duke

Time/TV: Saturday, noon ET, ESPN.

It's a surprising fight for the top position in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Blue Devils of course were expected to be in this position in the ACC. The new-look Cavaliers were more of a mystery at the start of the season but have meshed together well in Ryan Odom’s initial campaign. Duke’s Cameron Boozer is the odds-on favorite to be named league player of the year, but UVa’s Thijs De Ridder has a strong case for all-conference accolades putting up 16.0 points and 6.3 rebounds a game.

Duke forward Cameron Boozer dribbles against the defense of Kansas forward Flory Bidunga during the 2025 State Farm Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York.

No. 14 Kansas at No. 2 Arizona

Time/TV: Saturday, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN.

The Wildcats shook off their recent two-game skid and have retaken control of the crowded Big 12. The wildly inconsistent Jayhawks go for a rare season sweep of Arizona, but leaving the McKale Center with a win is never easy. KU’s defensive effort against Houston in its most recent outing was arguably its best of the season, and Flory Bidunga and the rest of the Jayhawks will have to be just as connected to handle the Wildcats’ numerous offensive threats. Arizona will still likely be without Koa Peat due to a leg injury, but Brayden Burries and Jaden Bradley are also capable of taking over a game.

No. 16 Texas Tech at No. 5 Iowa State

Time/TV: Saturday, 4 p.m. ET, CBS.

Elsewhere in the Big 12, the Cyclones look to add to their collection of quality home-court victories and stay in the hunt for a No. 1 NCAA seed. The game is no less important for the Red Raiders, who need to show they can still compete for a championship despite losing their best player. With J.T. Toppin sidelined, Texas Tech has relied more on long-range scoring from Christian Anderson and Donovan Atwell, but LeJuan Watts has also stepped up to help on the glass. Iowa State can get points in a variety of ways but is at its best when the ball finds Milan Momcilovic and Joshua Jefferson close to the bucket.

No. 18 Alabama at No. 22 Tennessee

Time/TV: Saturday, 6 p.m. ET, ESPN.

In truth these SEC contenders are more than likely playing for second place in the league at best, but securing a top-four seed in the upcoming conference tournament is an important priority. That became a concern for the Volunteers with their midweek loss at Missouri. Usually their solid team defense would give them an excellent chance to successfully defend their home court, but they need to find Crimson Tide sharpshooters Labaron Philon and Aden Holloway quickly. While it might appear at times that defense is optional for Alabama, the Tide at least need to limit second-chance opportunities for Vols standout freshman Nate Ament.

Villanova at No. 15 St. John’s

Time/TV: Saturday, 8 p.m. ET, Fox.

The Red Storm must put Wednesday night’s dismantling at the hands of Connecticut behind them quickly as they return home to the more friendly environs of Madison Square Garden. But the game is just as vital for the Wildcats, whose March staying power remains very much in question. St. John’s desperately needs a fast start to erase the memory of the 0-for-24 finish at UConn, which will likely mean getting Zuby Ejiofor involved early. Villanova will need Duke Brennan to hold his own on the boards and stay out of foul trouble.

No. 17 Arkansas at No. 7 Florida

Time/TV: Saturday, 8:30 p.m. ET, ESPN.

The Gators look to run their winning streak to nine and in the process lock up the SEC regular-season title. The Razorbacks must win in Gainesville then get some help in order to catch Florida, but they're also looking to continue the momentum of five wins in six games. The presence of Darius Acuff gives Arkansas a shot in every game, howevert the improved production from the Gators guard tandem of Xaivian Lee and Boogie Fland has raised the team’s ceiling considerably.

No. 9 Gonzaga at Saint Mary’s

Time/TV: Saturday, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN.

The day concludes with a final edition of West Coast Conference after dark, though there will probably be yet another encounter between these long-time league rivals in a little over a week before Gonzaga departs for the new Pac-12. Gonzaga has the top seed clinched, but the Gaels would nevertheless like to leave the Zags with one last impression of their Moraga, California, campus before the programs part ways. Graham Ike and the rest of Gonzaga’s veteran lineup won’t be rattled by a hostile student section, but the Saint Mary’s interior defense of Andrew McKeever and Paulius Murauskas could prove more difficult to solve.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College basketball schedule for weekend has March Madness implications

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Do the 2026 Boston Celtics look like champions?

Feb 24, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla against the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

It’s time for a meeting.

All stakeholders of the Boston Celtics — the optimists, the skeptics, the doom-scrollers, the “I told you so’s, the ones who check box scores with breakfast — please take your seats.

We’ve reached late February, meaning there’s a big enough sample size in front of us that it’s worth taking stock of what we have. At a high level, the Celtics look structurally sound in the areas that usually matter when games slow down and whistles tighten in the playoffs.

As emotionally-invested stakeholders in the Boston Celtics, we’re allowed to dream. But we also owe it to ourselves to do a little due diligence. Fortunately, history gives us a blueprint for success. Over the last two decades, championship teams have tended to share similar statistical markers — strong records, dominant possession margins, top-tier defenses, and elite talent at the top.

So, that’s what we’re going to measure.

We’ll walk through the key pillars that usually define a real contender, stack this year’s Celtics up against those benchmarks, and decide whether what we’re watching is sturdy enough to hold up when the games really matter.

I. The Record & Net Rating Audit

The champions’ benchmarks

  • .634+ win percentage
  • Top 7 overall record
  • Top 8 net rating
  • +4.0 or better point differential (per 100 possessions)

2026 Celtics snapshot

  • 38–20 (.655) | 4th overall record
  • +7.6 net rating (4th) | +6.95 point differential per game
  • 18–13 vs .500+ teams | 18–9 at home

What the numbers mean

This season was pre-packaged with a “please be patient” label.

The roster churn was predictable. In today’s NBA, the cap math always shows up eventually. Fans braced for an identity transplant. How could you not after losing five key rotation players without obvious replacements?

The Celtics’ response? Allow me to reintroduce myself.

Their success is what the overall record captures, and the net rating confirms it. A +7.6 net rating over nearly 60 games usually belongs to teams with a clear system and a clear sense of themselves. Boston has done it while mixing lineups constantly, asking young guys to play significant minutes, and still landing in the same place most nights: ahead on the scoreboard, dominating the margins, and looking down, not up, in the standings.

Yes, they missed the 40–20 stamp of approval. For context, since the 1979-80 NBA season, 41 of the last 45 champions won their 40th game before losing their 20th.

But that rule is less prophecy and more math trick, another way of identifying teams on a mid-to-high 50s win trajectory. The 2021–22 Celtics are a reminder of that. That group started 16–19, sat at 34–26 through 60 games, and never came close to clearing Phil’s threshold. They still finished 51–31, swept Brooklyn, survived seven-game battles with Milwaukee and Miami, and reached the NBA Finals.

Momentum, structure, and health matter more than the order in which the wins arrive. Boston’s current pace and efficiency margins still place them in the same statistical neighborhood as teams that typically contend, regardless of whether they crossed the 40-win line on game 59 or 61.

If this run were purely the product of a hot shooting stretch or clutch time anomalies, the overall profile would wobble. Instead, Boston’s success shows up in the possession math and keeps showing up regardless of who’s available on any given night.

The Verdict: The win profile matches the contender blueprint, and the process behind it looks repeatable.

II. The Defense Audit

The champions’ benchmarks

  • Top-11 defensive rating
  • Top-13 opponent effective FG%

2026 Celtics snapshot

  • 111.9 defensive rating (7th)
  • 109.8 defensive rating since Jan. 1 (3rd)
  • 52.2% opponent eFG% (3rd)

What the numbers mean

Championship teams almost always pack a defense that travels. Boston checks that box.

Seventh in defensive rating and third in opponent effective field goal percentage tells you that teams are not getting easy math against them. The Celtics contest cleanly. They rotate with purpose. They’re willing to send help and live with the right shots rather than panic into fouls.

The trend line matters, too. Since Jan. 1, they’ve tightened the clamps even more, ranking third in defensive efficiency over that time period.

The identity this season — more movement, less watching, more stability, less frenetic scrambling — is woven into the texture of their defense. Switching and surviving is one thing. These Celtics are scouting, pre-rotating, and hunting tendencies on a nightly basis. When games slow down in May, you need a defense that understands details. Boston plays like a group that expects to know what’s coming.

Are they perfect? No. The opponent 3-point percentage is middle of the pack. There will be nights when the late closeouts and overhelp bite them. But structurally, this looks like a defense built to survive playoff basketball.

The Verdict: The defensive foundation aligns with the championship template, and it’s trending in an even better direction.

III. The Offense Audit

The champions’ benchmarks

  • Top-16 offensive rating (modern champs usually much higher)
  • Top-15 effective FG%
  • Reliable halfcourt efficiency
  • Shooting that holds under pressure

2026 Celtics snapshot

  • 119.5 offensive rating (4th)
  • 54.9% eFG% (12th)
  • 36.1% from three (12th)
  • 42.4 3PA per game (2nd)
  • 100.9 halfcourt offensive rating (5th)
  • 111.2 clutch offensive rating (14th)

What the numbers mean

Offense is where the data gets noisy.

Some champions are historic scoring machines. Others just need to be good enough because their defense carries the load. What almost all of them share is that when the game slows down, they can manufacture clean looks in the halfcourt.

Boston’s overall offensive profile is strong. Fourth in offensive rating is no joke, but fifth in halfcourt efficiency is what might matter more down the stretch. Their 100.9 halfcourt offensive rating tells you the Celtics aren’t solely reliant on transition chaos or early-clock threes to build their leads. They can execute when possessions stretch deep into the shot clock.

The shot diet has changed, too.

This group still shoots a lot of threes, but they don’t seem to hunt them out at the same frequency they did in the previous two seasons. Jaylen Brown’s expanded freedom is showing up in the mid-range. Pritchard continues to hunt advantages created by coming off the bench. Vucevic is instantly providing a whole new kind of interior gravity. In other words, the offense feels less scripted and more read-based than it did two years ago.

That matters in the playoffs.

The one area that warrants a raised eyebrow is the clutch offense. Fourteenth in clutch offensive rating is fine, not dominant. It suggests this team still wins more through structure and margin than through late-game shot-making heroics.

Not disqualifying, but worth monitoring. The good news is that underlying math is strong, and the halfcourt foundation is legitimate. Those are the parts that tend to travel into May and beyond.

The Verdict: The offensive profile clears the historical bar, with enough half-court stability to project into playoff basketball. The late-game execution remains the swing factor, though.

IV. The Star Talent Audit

The champions’ benchmarks

  • At least one top-15 player in the league
  • An All-NBA level engine
  • Preferably multiple high-end contributors

2026 Celtics snapshot

  • Jaylen Brown:
    • 22.5 PER (19th)
    • +2.4 EPM
    • All-Star
    • All-NBA projection (likely 1st or 2nd Team)

What the numbers mean

This is the part where history may not be all that helpful, considering who might be on their way back soon. Data aside, it’s a good thing to have Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown on your basketball team.

Almost every champion of the modern era has had a player who lives in the top-10 conversation. This year, that responsibility has belonged to Brown.

The MVP buzz isn’t accidental. Brown has absorbed more defensive attention, expanded his shot profile, and carried scoring volume without the infrastructure this team leaned on in prior seasons. The mid-range freedom, the late-clock creation, the willingness to take tough shots when the plan breaks down.

That’s all nice to see in February, but it matters even more in May.

The advanced metrics for Brown may not scream top-five player in the league, but the impact shows up in how opponents guard Boston. He bends coverages, forces matchups, and dictates pace whenever he’s on the floor.

The potential return of Jayson Tatum is not something we can model cleanly. It’s the ultimate unknown in this audit. What we can say is that the Celtics have built a contender profile without him.

If he returns and resembles himself, the ceiling changes immediately. That’s a powerful, albeit unpredictable, place to be.

The Verdict: The star engine is strong enough to qualify, with an upside variable that could shift the entire equation.

Final Assessment

Entering this season, the reasonable take was that Boston would recalibrate. Too much turnover. Too much youth. Too much money. A year to reset and regroup.

Instead, nearly three-quarters of the way through the season, they look like a team that fast-forwarded through the transitional phase and landed squarely back in a contention window.

The audit told us what we needed to know. The record aligns with past champions. The possession margins are strong. The defense travels. The offense holds up when the game slows down. And the star power — present and potentially expanding — clears the historical bar.

Of course, that doesn’t promise anything. But when the underlying structure matches the teams that usually matter in late spring, you stop asking whether it’s sustainable and start asking how dangerous it might be.

Meeting adjourned.

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Maxey happy to take a rare pause following record-breaking, meaningful night

Maxey happy to take a rare pause following record-breaking, meaningful night  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Tyrese Maxey’s record-breaking Thursday night was not just one of those silly, manufactured milestones. 

It wasn’t as if he became the first Sixer to ever post at least 25 points, 10 assists and three steals in a game during the last week of February while wearing a black uniform and red shoes.

Maxey broke Allen Iverson’s franchise three-point record in the first quarter of his team’s win over the Heat. The Sixers acknowledged the moment with a Jumbotron graphic and a video following Maxey’s 20-point first quarter. The fans chanted “MVP” and Maxey soaked it all in. 

Not a game that will bled in with the blur of NBA life at the end of Maxey’s career. 

“I’m just happy, man,” Maxey said. “I’m blessed. I thank God for the opportunity, thank God for the Sixers organization drafting me, trusting me, believing in me. I thank God for both my coaches, Doc (Rivers) and (Nick) Nurse. They’ve instilled a lot of confidence in me.

“And lastly, my teammates, man. I gave a shoutout to Tobias (Harris) earlier. My rookie year, he told me I was a great shooter. Even though I wasn’t shooting as well as I wanted to, he told me I was a great shooter. And Joel (Embiid), man. He’s been on me about shooting 10 threes a a game since probably my second or third year and I appreciate him for that.”

The names directly below Maxey on the Sixers’ three-point leaderboard are now Iverson, Robert Covington, Kyle Korver, Harris and Embiid. Of course, Iverson is not the best pure shooter on that list. Korver’s an all-time great in that department. He still ranks in the top 10 in NBA history for both three-point makes and three-point percentage.

Iverson’s a Hall of Famer and franchise legend, though. The basic facts are Maxey, at 25 years old, broke his record. He didn’t take that lightly. 

“A.I. is somebody that we’ve all looked up to, that I looked up to, being a small guard,” Maxey said. “To be able to pass him at anything in basketball, that’s cool. To have my name next to his is a blessing.”

The gist of Maxey’s route to stardom is well-known, but some scenes pop to mind again. 

In all likelihood, Maxey would’ve been drafted higher than the 21st pick if he’d been a better shooter in college. He went 29.2 percent beyond the arc in his 31 games at Kentucky and COVID-19 then canceled the NCAA tournament.

Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey even said on draft night that, “People have sort of fixated on his shooting” and noted “we strongly believe Tyrese will shoot better than the number that sticks next to his name in not a lot of Kentucky games.”

Maxey missed the start of his first NBA training camp after testing positive for COVID. 

“It’s a minor setback for a major comeback,” he said via Zoom.

Though he showed fantastic abilities as a rookie, Maxey only made 31 threes and shot 30.1 percent. He kept firing up shots before most players were awake and kept improving. If you saw him behind the scenes, you knew he was determined to find out his full potential. 

Celtics assistant coach Sam Cassell was an early believer during his three seasons mentoring Maxey on the Sixers’ staff. 

“The kid puts the work in, so his success doesn’t surprise me,” Cassell told NBC Sports Philadelphia in 2022. “It surprised all of y’all, but nothing he does on the basketball court surprises me.”

Maxey’s speed remains his world-class tool. There’s many aspects of his game one can easily glide past these days, including his immense, league-leading minutes load. 

For good reason, Maxey was happy to pause Thursday night and share why he had a historic game ball in his hands. 

“I always said I was going to make it to the NBA and I didn’t know what to expect,” Maxey said. “Someone asked me at All-Star (weekend), ‘Did I expect to be an All-Star starter?’ And I was like, ‘No, man. I just worked.’ 

“I just work, work, work until I can’t work anymore. That’s just the mindset that I have.”