Toronto Raptors (33-23, fifth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (24-30, 11th in the Eastern Conference)
Milwaukee; Sunday, 3:30 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Milwaukee will try to keep its three-game home win streak intact when the Bucks play Toronto.
The Bucks are 17-18 in Eastern Conference games. Milwaukee has a 13-17 record in games decided by 10 or more points.
The Raptors are 25-15 in conference matchups. Toronto is the league leader with 19.4 fast break points per game led by RJ Barrett averaging 3.8.
The Bucks score 112.3 points per game, 0.2 more points than the 112.1 the Raptors allow. The Raptors average 11.4 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.8 fewer made shots on average than the 14.2 per game the Bucks allow.
The teams meet for the fourth time this season. The Raptors won 111-105 in the last matchup on Dec. 19.
TOP PERFORMERS: Ryan Rollins is averaging 17.1 points, 5.5 assists and 1.5 steals for the Bucks. Kyle Kuzma is averaging 13.6 points over the last 10 games.
Brandon Ingram is averaging 22 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists for the Raptors. Immanuel Quickley is averaging 17.2 points and 5.0 rebounds while shooting 48.9% over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Bucks: 6-4, averaging 114.1 points, 43.3 rebounds, 25.8 assists, 6.0 steals and 4.6 blocks per game while shooting 48.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 114.3 points per game.
Raptors: 6-4, averaging 110.8 points, 43.1 rebounds, 27.1 assists, 9.4 steals and 6.8 blocks per game while shooting 47.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 110.1 points.
INJURIES: Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo: out (calf), Myles Turner: out (calf), Taurean Prince: out (neck).
Raptors: None listed.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Boston Celtics (36-19, second in the Eastern Conference) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (34-21, fifth in the Western Conference)
Los Angeles; Sunday, 6:30 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Boston hits the road against Los Angeles trying to continue its three-game road winning streak.
The Lakers have gone 16-10 in home games. Los Angeles is seventh in the Western Conference with 25.4 assists per game led by Luka Doncic averaging 8.6.
The Celtics are 18-10 in road games. Boston is third in the league averaging 15.4 made 3-pointers per game while shooting 36.4% from downtown. Derrick White leads the team averaging 2.8 makes while shooting 32.1% from 3-point range.
The 116.2 points per game the Lakers average are 7.8 more points than the Celtics give up (108.4). The Celtics average 115.4 points per game, 0.7 fewer than the 116.1 the Lakers give up to opponents.
The teams meet for the second time this season. The Celtics won 126-105 in the last matchup on Dec. 6.
TOP PERFORMERS: Doncic is scoring 33.0 points per game with 7.8 rebounds and 8.6 assists for the Lakers. LeBron James is averaging 17.8 points and 4.4 rebounds while shooting 47.5% over the last 10 games.
White is averaging 17.1 points, 5.6 assists and 1.5 blocks for the Celtics. Jaylen Brown is averaging 20.6 points and 6.7 rebounds while shooting 48.9% over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Lakers: 6-4, averaging 115.7 points, 38.9 rebounds, 27.5 assists, 8.8 steals and 3.5 blocks per game while shooting 52.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 115.6 points per game.
Celtics: 8-2, averaging 108.3 points, 48.8 rebounds, 25.1 assists, 6.5 steals and 5.1 blocks per game while shooting 45.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 99.8 points.
INJURIES: Lakers: None listed.
Celtics: Jayson Tatum: out (achilles).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Denver Nuggets (36-21, third in the Western Conference) vs. Golden State Warriors (29-27, eighth in the Western Conference)
San Francisco; Sunday, 3:30 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Western Conference foes Golden State and Denver face off on Sunday.
The Warriors have gone 19-16 against Western Conference opponents. Golden State is 3-3 in games decided by 3 points or fewer.
The Nuggets are 21-10 against Western Conference opponents. Denver is sixth in the NBA with 33.5 defensive rebounds per game led by Nikola Jokic averaging 9.3.
The Warriors score 115.4 points per game, 0.7 fewer points than the 116.1 the Nuggets give up. The Nuggets score 7.1 more points per game (120.9) than the Warriors give up to opponents (113.8).
The teams meet for the third time this season. The Nuggets won 129-104 in the last meeting on Nov. 8. Jokic led the Nuggets with 26 points, and Draymond Green led the Warriors with 17 points.
TOP PERFORMERS: Brandin Podziemski is averaging 12 points and 3.6 assists for the Warriors. Moses Moody is averaging 3.3 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
Tim Hardaway Jr. is shooting 45.4% and averaging 14.0 points for the Nuggets. Jamal Murray is averaging 2.8 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Warriors: 4-6, averaging 108.9 points, 40.9 rebounds, 29.5 assists, 11.6 steals and 4.0 blocks per game while shooting 45.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 112.3 points per game.
Nuggets: 5-5, averaging 123.4 points, 45.5 rebounds, 29.3 assists, 7.5 steals and 3.9 blocks per game while shooting 49.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 116.4 points.
INJURIES: Warriors: Jimmy Butler III: out for season (knee), Stephen Curry: out (knee), Seth Curry: out (back).
Nuggets: Tamar Bates: out (foot), Aaron Gordon: out (hamstring), Peyton Watson: out (hamstring).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Dallas Mavericks (19-36, 12th in the Western Conference) vs. Indiana Pacers (15-42, 15th in the Eastern Conference)
Indianapolis; Sunday, 5 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Dallas heads into the matchup with Indiana as losers of 10 in a row.
The Pacers are 10-18 in home games. Indiana is 4-24 in games decided by at least 10 points.
The Mavericks are 5-20 on the road. Dallas allows 117.5 points to opponents while being outscored by 3.6 points per game.
The Pacers average 111.2 points per game, 6.3 fewer points than the 117.5 the Mavericks give up. The Mavericks are shooting 47.0% from the field, 1.4% lower than the 48.4% the Pacers' opponents have shot this season.
The two teams square off for the second time this season. The Mavericks defeated the Pacers 107-105 in their last matchup on Oct. 30. Brandon Williams led the Mavericks with 20 points, and Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 27 points.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jarace Walker is shooting 39.9% and averaging 10.7 points for the Pacers. Jay Huff is averaging 1.8 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
Naji Marshall is averaging 15.1 points for the Mavericks. Max Christie is averaging 12.8 points over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Pacers: 4-6, averaging 115.6 points, 41.7 rebounds, 29.0 assists, 8.0 steals and 3.5 blocks per game while shooting 48.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 119.7 points per game.
Mavericks: 0-10, averaging 111.7 points, 43.7 rebounds, 22.9 assists, 7.5 steals and 4.6 blocks per game while shooting 45.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 121.7 points.
INJURIES: Pacers: Aaron Nesmith: out (ankle), Obi Toppin: out (foot), Johnny Furphy: out for season (knee), Andrew Nembhard: out (back), Ivica Zubac: out (ankle), Pascal Siakam: out (personal), Tyrese Haliburton: out for season (achilles).
Mavericks: Dereck Lively II: out for season (foot), Kyrie Irving: out for season (knee), Cooper Flagg: out (foot).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Wellington’s Josh Oluwayemi heads into his own goal from outside box
Auckland FC’s 5-0 win prompts Giancarlo Italiano to resign
A comical own goal from Wellington goalkeeper Josh Oluwayemi sparked a 5-0 thrashing by Auckland FC, prompting coach Giancarlo Italiano to dramatically announce his resignation in the post-match press conference.
Oluwayemi’s 24th-minute howler looks destined to be a permanent feature on goalkeeper gaffe compilations after the Phoenix No 1 completely misjudged a Jake Girdwood-Reich clearance at Sky Stadium in Wellington on Saturday.
Luka Doncic scored 38 points against Yanic Konan Niederhauser and the Clippers in his return to the Lakers' lineup Friday at Crypto.com Arena. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
They are the core of the Lakers (34-21), the engines that make this team go, but health issues have prevented them from playing together for far too much. In their first game since the All-Star break, Doncic, Reaves and James carried the Lakers to a 125-122 win over the Clippers on Friday night at Crypto.com Arena.
Doncic had 38 points, 11 assists, six rebounds and some trash-talking with Clippers’ defensive Kris Dunn.
Reaves did his part with 29 points on an efficient nine-for-15 shooting. He also had six rebounds and a key defensive play late in the game.
And James had 13 points and 11 assists, his fifth straight game with 10 or more assists. He also was playing with a sore left knee and a migraine.
Lakers guard Austin Reaves celebrates after drawing a charging foul against Clippers guard Bennedict Mathurin in the fourth quarter. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
They got helpfrom Marcus Smart, who scored all seven of his points of the fourth quarter and played his typical tough defense, and Deandre Ayton, who had 13 points, seven rebounds and a lob from James that he threw down for a dunk over Clippers center Brook Lopez late in the fourth quarter.
But this game was all about Doncic, Reaves and James, who are trying to build some chemistry this late in the season.
“I think it’s good. I hear this question every day. So, I always answer the same,” Doncic said. “You know, obviously we didn’t play a lot together, but chemistry is going to grow and grow.”
The Clippers kept chipping away at the Lakers’ lead late in the game despite Kawhi Leonard leaving with 5:10 left because of left ankle soreness.
Though Leonard departed with 31 points on 11-for-19 shooting, four-for-six on three-pointers and five-for-five on his free throws, the Clippers didn’t back down.
But in what Lakers coach JJ Redick called the play of the game with 1:49 left and the Lakers leading 118-115, Reaves drew a charge on Bennedict Mathurin. It was Mathurin's sixth foul and it sent him to the bench with 26 points.
“Marcus did a good job. He stabbed at the ball. I think Mathurin kind of got off balance and I saw an opportunity to make a winning play,” Reaves said. “I actually don’t mind taking charges because I can’t jump and block a shot, so my only chance is to take a charge”
Still, the Lakers didn’t escape until Doncic made two free throws with 21.2 seconds left to give the Lakers a five-point lead that barely stood.
With a 125-122 lead and the ball in the closing seconds, James threw a dangerous cross-court pass intended for Doncic that Nicolas Batum stole. But Batum missed a potential tying three-pointer, and James got the rebound to secure the win.
James then explained how his knee was feeling after practice Thursday.
“I mean, it happened at practice yesterday during our scrimmage,” James said. “I went up for a dunk, came down pretty good, but a couple minutes into the scrimmage after that, it started getting a little sore, started getting a little tight and yeah, that’s what happened.”
James still played 33 minutes. His time on the court allowed James, Doncic and Reaves to develop some much-needed chemistry.
“I mean, every game, every second, every minute that we’re on the floor together, it helps,” James said. “Like I said, when was that, All-Star weekend? We don't know what we're going to be until we get fully healthy and tonight was one of the first games where JJ and the coaching staff can look down and know everybody was available. So, we just got to keep pushing. We got to keep pushing. We got a tough team coming in on Sunday (against the Celtics). Obviously, a lifetime NBA rivalry, so we got to be ready for them. They're playing great basketball, too.”
Doncic played just five minutes for Team World in the All-Star game Sunday and had missed the previous four games before the break with his hamstring issue.
But he played 37:53 against the Clippers.
“It wasn’t bad,” Reaves said about his hamstring. “I got treatment after the game. But I felt good.”
Australia has gone down to India in the T20 stanza of the multi-format series after a blistering batting display set up the touring side for a stirring 17-run win in Ellyse Perry’s 350th on Saturday night.
LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 20: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates during the game against the LA Clippers on February 20, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena 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 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
In their first game back from the All-Star break, the Lakers beat the Clippers 125-122.
The game began with Brook Lopez going on a personal 5-0 run for the Clippers. Austin Reaves scored the first five points for the Lakers. The offense started to pick up for the Lakers, who were now shooting 80% from the field. LeBron James added a quick seven points.
At the 6:18 mark, the purple and gold were up by three.
Luka Dončić started to heat up, draining two 3-pointers for six points. Lopez led the Clippers with nine points. After a Laker timeout, Luke Kennard knocked down a 3-pointer. The triples continued to fly as Luka drained two more. The Lakers had taken complete control of the game.
At the end of the first, the purple and gold were up by 12.
The Lakers start their first game out of the break absolutely unconscious from 3, going 8 for 9 in the 1st Q after Dončić drilled his 3rd and 4th.
The home team leads 41-29 on 84.2% FG's overall, led by 17 points from Luka.
Benedict Mathurin started the second period with a jump shot for the Clippers. Reaves kept his strong play going, converting on a jumper off the glass. Rui Hachimura joined the behind-the-arc party, knocking down a 3-pointer. Kawhi Leonard started heating up for the Clippers, scoring eight points.
At the 7:35 mark, the purple and gold were up by 13.
The Clippers cut the deficit to single digits on the shoulders of Leonard, who was now at 13 points for the half. Deandre Ayton dunked the ball off an impressive assist from Luka to stop some of the Clippers’ surge. John Collins responded with a triple on the other end.
Luka knocked down another 3-pointer; he was shooting 71% from behind the arc.
Leonard was cooking with hot grease for the Clippers, scoring another eight points, bringing his total to 21 for the half. The Clippers were winning the second-chance points battle 14-2, a major reason why they were still in it.
At halftime, the Lakers were up by seven.
The Lakers lead the Clippers at the half, 72-65. Luka Dončić has a game-high 22 points. According to the Lakers, it's his league-leading 28th half this season with 20 or more points.
The third period began with Leonard turning the ball over, leading to Reaves draining a 3-pointer on the other end. The Lakers went on a 10-2 scoring run to take a 15-point lead. The Clippers responded with a quick four straight points. Reaves was now at 22 points after he drained his third 3-pointer of the game.
Another double-digit lead evaporated quickly for the Lakers, as they allowed six straight points, four of which came from Derrick Jones Jr.
It was a 17-1 scoring run for the Clippers that put them ahead by two. The purple and gold responded well, with Luka draining a 3-pointer and Kennard converting on a layup, putting them back in the lead.
Going into the fourth, the purple and gold were up by four. The Clippers had managed to outscore the Lakers by three in that quarter.
The Lakers survive the Clippers' surge and lead 99-95 as we enter the fourth quarter. Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves each have 26 points.
Jarred Vanderbilt opened the final frame with a dunk for the Lakers. Three foul calls early for the purple and gold led to a few stoppages in play. The Clippers tied the game at the 9:50 mark.
Reaves drained a 3-pointer to put his team back in the lead.
An extended 11-3 run helped the Clippers retake the lead by two. The Lakers were shooting 16% in the quarter, converting only 2 of 12 shots. Marcus Smart drained a much-needed triple to stop some of the bleeding. Leonard responded with one on the other end.
The Lakers had turned on their jets, led by Smart, to take back the lead. Smart now had an important five points. Luka added to the spurt with his seventh 3-pointer of the night. The purple and gold were relying heavily on defense.
Leonard left the game at the 5:10 mark with ankle soreness.
It was a three-point Laker lead with 2:15 left, and the Clippers challenged a foul call on Mathurin and lost. Luka then scored on the other end, converting a three-point play. Jones Jr. responded with a triple on the other end, making it a one-possession game.
Smart was fouled, converting on the shot but not the three-point play. Jones Jr. then scored on the other end. Luka knocked down two clutch free throws to give the purple and gold a five-point lead with 21 seconds left.
Jordan Miller converted on two free throws to make it a three-point game with 9 seconds left. The Lakers turned the inbounds pass over, leading to an open 3-pointer for Nicolas Batum, but he didn’t make it, which sealed their fate.
Key Player Stats
Luka scored 17 of his 38 points in the first quarter. He also finished with six rebounds and 11 assists. Reaves pitched in with 29 points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals. LeBron scored 13 points with 11 assists.
Ayton ended with 13 points and seven rebounds. Kennard had nine points off the bench. Jaxson Hayes notched eight points with three rebounds. Smart finished with seven points and two rebounds.
The Lakers’ next matchup will be against the Boston Celtics on Sunday at 3:30 PM PT.
SAN FRANCISCO — Al Horford took his warmup shots with his son Ean and then sat in the locker room, open to reporters and took several questions. It’s a routine he did regularly while in Boston, and now performed in Warriors gear. And there’s still some uncertainty about why, with Golden State now 7.0 games behind the Celtics in the standings, Horford left the franchise he won his first championship and spent the most number of seasons with.
“For me, the decision, it’s something that’s deeper than just the basketball stuff,” Horford said pre-game on Thursday when asked by CLNS/CelticsBlog why he left. “It’s something that at some point I’ll share with people, but for me, it felt like it was the time for me to go elsewhere.”
Horford signed a two-year, $11.7 million contract with the Warriors late in the offseason after reports early in July pointed toward him departing Boston. Brad Stevens acknowledged later that the Celtics wanted to keep Horford and Luke Kornet, and made them offers, while noting that Boston’s limited flexibility by pointing to the minimum contracts they agreed to with other front court players.
His departure didn’t come without context around it though. Jayson Tatum’s Achilles tear nearly moved Horford to tears in the locker room following Game 4. Stevens signaled to Kristaps Porziņģis and Jrue Holiday following the Celtics’ defeat in Game 6 that they would probably move them for financial reasons during the offseason. An end of an era loomed, and while Horford reportedly weighed retirement among numerous options, Payton Pritchard stressed in his exit interview the importance of bringing Horford back.
Instead, reports almost immediately linked him to Golden State at the start of free agency, and after the deal became official after the Warriors’ nearly summer-long cap navigation, Horford expressed a desire to continue competing as a reason for joining Golden State. This week, he said Boston’s success came as little surprise.
“If you think about, even last year, we had a lot of guys down throughout the year, and we were playing a lot of the time missing a lot of players, and we were still winning a lot of games,” Horford said. “So I feel like that was a blueprint right there, and this year, I just think guys are comfortable playing in that situation and the biggest thing is everybody’s bought into what Joe is telling them and he’s just running a really good program over there, him and all those assistant coaches. They’re really doing a good job getting the guys ready, getting them to commit and play at a high level, and that’s why I feel like it’s so smooth. But I think if you look at last year, there were a lot of times that KP was out, Jrue was out, that different guys were out and we were still getting results. That’s why it’s not surprising of their success.”
Horford’s departure also surprised his father Tito when he found out about it over the summer, he told CLNS Media in October. He repeatedly called the decision one that was outside of Al’s control, and sources indicated at the time that Boston wasn’t able to offer more than a minimum contract to the veteran. Horford received two years of the taxpayer mid-level exception from the Warriors, where he’s averaged 7.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game on 42.9% shooting (33.8% 3PT). Though a significant role also appealed to him, he only started five of his first 34 appearances with Golden State.
Porziņģis and Horford both came off the bench during Thursday’s loss to the Celtics, where the Warriors fell behind by as many as 34 points early in the third quarter. They rallied to within 11 points in the fourth behind the former Celtics’ contributions in a double-big look, Horford finishing with five points, eight rebounds and four assists on 2-for-10 shooting. After the buzzer, Joe Mazzulla found Ean for a photo, Celtics players greeted their former veteran and Horford admitted just how weird the experience proved.
The Warriors looked like a team figuring things out at an almost ground floor level. Boston more resembled a machine that’s played together for years. And while Horford remained committed to what they’re figuring out in Golden State, he didn’t rule out one more appearance in green before his career ends.
“As far as the end of my career, I don’t know,” Horford said. “I always keep that open. It would definitely be a privelage to do that, but I’m obviously so focused on trying to finish out this year.”
TEMPE, - MARCH 16: A general view of the field prior to the 2024 Spring Breakout Game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Los Angeles Angels at Tempe Diablo Stadium on Saturday, March 16, 2024 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Marison Bilagody/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The first game of the spring for the Dodgers is finally here on Saturday afternoon, with a bus ride to Tempe to face the Angels at Diablo Stadium.
José Soriano will start on the mound for the Angels, who according to Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register “will have almost their entire projected everyday lineup when they face the Dodgers in the first Cactus League exhibition game on Saturday,” though Mike Trout is not expected to start.
Austin Wells challenged a pitch in the fourth inning, trying to get a ball turned into a strike for his pitcher, Jake Bird.
Austin Wells is pictured during the Yankees’ spring training session Feb. 15. Charles Wenzelberg
But the ABS system showed Bird’s curveball was, in fact, well below the zone, as the Yankees lost a challenge.
Caught my eye
Center fielder Kenedy Corona provided the web gem of the day, diving into the gap to make a grab and rob Pete Alonso of extra bases.
The non-roster invitee won a minor league Gold Glove in 2023.
Tomorrow’s schedule
Top pitching prospect Carlos Lagrange will start the Yankees’ Grapefruit League home opener against the Tigers, with Aaron Judge among the regulars expected to be in the lineup.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - FEBRUARY 20: Tyus Jones #1 of the Dallas Mavericks and Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves after the game on February 20, 2026 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 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 David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Dallas Mavericks lost again, this time 122-111 to the Minnesota Timberwolves Friday night in Minneapolis. It’s the Mavericks 10th loss in a row. The last time Dallas won was Jan. 22 against the Golden State Warriors.
This game followed the trend of the previous nine losses almost exactly — Dallas gets crushed in the first quarter, then slowly-but-surely work their way back to make a game more competitive than it had any right to be. Dallas was missing rookie star Cooper Flagg, along with their best three point shooter Max Christie.
The Wolves had their main rotation of players and still struggled to put the Mavericks away time and time again. Dallas had runs in each of the second, third, and fourth quarters to give Minnesota a scare, but couldn’t get over the hump.
Anthony Edwards led all scorers with a monster 40-points game. Newly acquired Khris Middleton led a balanced Mavericks attack with 18 points.
Here are the three stats to know.
16-8: Minnesota’s advantaged in made 3-pointers
Dallas did a lot of things right in this game — it attacked the paint, got to the free throw line, and kept turnovers in check after a very sloppy opening quarter. It didn’t really matter though like most Mavericks efforts go to waste because of one thing: shooting. Specifically three point shooting and the lack thereof for the Mavericks.
Minnesota went 16-of-42 from deep, while the Mavericks went just 8-of-25. Both the makes and attempts for Dallas are abysmal, but it’s hard to fault them when a bad shooting team is missing its best shooter in Max Christie. Klay Thompson was responsible for three of the Mavericks makes from distance but it wasn’t enough. The gap was just too big to make up elsewhere.
60: Mavericks points in the paint
Against a top-tier defense and one of the best rim protectors in the NBA, the now 19-36 Mavericks dropped 60 points in the paint. Impressive! It’s the main reason the game was as close as it was.
Dallas has been attacking the paint with force and volume this season, mainly because these players have to go hard to the bucket because no one can shoot. The Mavericks are averaging well-over 50 points in the paint per game, nearing the 55 mark for most of the season, which is top-10 in the league. Dallas can’t get a break because they fall so behind on threes, but the paint scoring does enough to keep them competitive nearly every night.
15, 13: Marvin Bagley’s points, rebounds
Marvin Bagley has only played four games with Dallas since being part of the Anthony Davis trade, but he’s stood-out in every one. This time he picked up another double-double with a solid 15-point, 13-rebound effort off the bench.
This is Bagley’s second double-double since being traded, his first a 16-point, 12-rebound effort against the Spurs in his Mavericks debut. Bagley is fun — he might not be long for this roster, but he’s young, athletic, and shows enough skill that got him drafted second overall by the Kings in 2018 to make you ponder. It’s sort of impressive how Bagley has sort of accepted his destiny as a nice rotation backup big, and he’s better for it. Bagley isn’t forcing shots or hogging possessions, he’s just setting screens, waiting in the dunkers spot, grabbing boards, and running the floor. That’s kind of cool, and plenty of other draft busts have failed to make that transition from sta prospect to role player when the star stuff didn’t work out.
Who knows what Dallas thinks of Bagley long-term, and he might not even be on the roster when opening day of next season arrives, but he’s a worthy dart throw and I look forward to win he can play more minutes with Cooper Flagg when Flagg returns to health. Flagg likes to get up and go, and having another horse to run alongside him could be fun. Bagley can’t really guard a chair, and his rebounding waxes and wains, but he’s fun and with a season this dreadful, that counts for a lot.
Nolan McLean and Juan Soto had an epic 10-pitch battle during the Mets' spring training session Friday.
Observations from Mets’ spring training on Thursday:
Old school
There was no ABS during Friday’s live batting practice at-bat between Juan Soto and Nolan McLean.
When there was a questionable call, Soto suggested a game of Rock Paper Scissors.
Juan Soto reacts during the Mets’ live batting practice on Feb. 20, 2026. Corey Sipkin for the NY PostNolan McLean throws a pitch during live batting practice on Feb. 20. Corey Sipkin for the NY Post
Soto won the contest, which led to a 10-pitch battle between the two that featured nothing but fastballs and ended in a Soto groundout.
Heads up
Ben Rortvedt, who battled plenty of injuries during his two years with the Yankees, managed to hit his head — twice — on a camera attached to the net right behind home plate during an at-bat in live batting practice.
Fortunately, he escaped unscathed as he looks to stick with the Mets after joining the organization last week.
Caught my eye
Brett Baty is dealing with right hamstring discomfort, but he’s been able to get in some work at first base as he looks to gain more versatility.
He’s looked fairly comfortable there in early drills.
Saturday’s schedule
It’s the Mets’ Grapefruit League opener against Miami at Clover Park at 1:10 p.m.
Lefty Brandon Waddell is set to get the start for the Mets, with at least several regulars expected to be in the lineup.
SARASOTA, Fla. — In case there was any doubt left that Pete Alonso has moved on from the Mets and embraced his new home, he was in the middle of an interview — after staying in his spring debut with the Orioles an extra inning so he could crush a home run — when he stopped in his tracks.
John Denver’s “Thank God I’m a Country Boy,” the song played during the seventh-inning stretch of every game at Camden Yards, came on the speakers at Ed Smith Stadium.
“I really love this song,” a grinning Alonso said. “This is going to be really fun this year.”
Pete Alonso rounds the bases after homering for the Orioles’ 2-0 spring training win over the Yankees on Feb. 21, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
No, the slugging first baseman is not in Queens anymore.
Alonso is still wearing orange (a slightly different shade) and beating up on the Yankees (albeit this time in a game that did not count), but he looked right at home in an Orioles uniform as he delighted his new fans by doing what he does best: crushing baseballs.
“I feel honored to wear it,” Alonso said during the Orioles’ 2-0 win over the Yankees. “I feel great in it. I feel like I look good in it. It’s fantastic, I honestly couldn’t feel any better.”
Most of the Orioles regulars exited the Grapefruit League opener after the fifth inning, but Alonso wanted to stay in one more frame so he could take another at-bat. He had been robbed of extra bases in his second at-bat, on a diving grab by center fielder Kenedy Corona, but made the third one worth it.
He saw a curveball over the plate from non-roster right-hander Bradley Hanner and clobbered it 107.2 mph over the left-field fence.
It offered a reminder of the challenge the Yankees will be facing twice as often this season than when Alonso was with the Mets, though he still did plenty of damage then — clubbing 11 home runs in 32 career games in the Subway Series.
First baseman Pete Alonso flies out to center field during the third inning of the Orioles’ spring training win over the Yankees on Feb. 21, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“I feel like he’s done some damage against us — he’s hurt us,” manager Aaron Boone said before the game. “He’s gotten some big hits against us, some big homers against us. So hopefully we can do a better job of slowing him down a little bit. But he’s a huge presence in a lineup, and a guy that’s been incredibly durable, too. He’s a guy that goes to the post all the time. To have that 40-homer guy in the middle, night in and night out, lengthens their lineup.
“And it’s a lineup over there that has a chance to be really good.”
The Orioles-Yankees rivalry is a little different than Mets-Yankees, but Alonso said he was looking forward to it.
“It’s always fun because Yankee Stadium, it’s a really great place to play, fun place to hit,” he said. “Obviously they have really good teams. When you play against good teams, it makes for good competition.
“For me, I’m looking forward to this next chapter. It’s going to be really exciting going to war with this team that we got here. I’m really excited.”
Tonight, the Houston Rockets head to world’s most famous (indoor) arena to take on the New York Knicks in a primetime game on national television.
Houston is coming off a close and hard-fought win over the upstart Charlotte Hornets. New York, meanwhile, is coming off a loss against the upstart Detroit Pistons, the same team that the Knicks dispatched in the first round of last year’s playoffs. Clearly, that game meant a lot to the Pistons and maybe not as much to the Knicks.
So therefore, the Knicks saw one Thompson twin two nights ago and will get to the see the other one tonight. Last season in this building, the Rockets played a whale of a game but were chased down late by Jalen Brunson, he of the “I never miss in the clutch” fame.
Houston, of course, has their own version of that in Kevin Durant. KD, who may or may not go by other names, scored Houston’s last ten points in Charlotte to put the game away. If the game comes down to the wire, it’s going to be awfully exciting for neutral observers. And in case you haven’t noticed, the Rockets don’t win many blowouts. Either the game will be close and a coin flip, or the Knicks will run Houston out of the gym. There is no in-between for this version of the Rockets.
