Serie A side win 4-3 on aggregate after 4-1 victory
Istanbul giants fend off 10-man Juve in extra time
Lazar Samardzic slotted home a stoppage-time penalty to complete a dramatic 4-1 victory for Atalanta against Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday, sending the Italian side into the Champions League’s last 16 with a comeback 4-3 aggregate triumph.
Dortmund’s Ramy Bensebaini was sent off after his studs caught the head of Atalanta’s Nikola Krstovic in the penalty area and Samardzic converted the spot kick in the 98th minute to send the Italians through. Atalanta will now face either Arsenal or Bayern Munich in the round of 16, with the draw on Friday.
BROOKLYN, NY - FEBRUARY 24: Marvin Bagley III #35 of the Dallas Mavericks drives to the basket during the game against the Brooklyn Nets on February 24, 2026 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. 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 Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
When the Dallas Mavericks traded Anthony Davis, they were mocked for the sheer lack of assets they acquired. Most expected that the trade would only amount to salary cap relief, but the Mavericks may have found something extra.
That cherry on top, was Marvin Bagley.
In his 6 games with the Dallas Mavericks, Bagley has averaged an impressive 13.5 points, and 8.5 rebounds, all while only playing 23 minutes per game. This may have come as a shock to many Mavericks fans, as Bagley’s reputation is of a bust who was drafted before Luka Doncic. But this “breakout” isn’t that surpirising.
Bagley has slowly evolved as a player since he was drafted, having to completely change his role after being taken 2nd overall. Many hoped that Bagley could develop into the next dominant two-way superstar, believing that his offensive game would rapidly improve.
But it never did, leading to most labeling him as a bust within just a few years. It also didn’t help that he was drafted ahead of Luka Doncic and Trae Young, both players being passed over by Kings G.M. Vlade Divac.
So how did Bagley turn his career around?
By focusing on the things that top 3 picks do not often do.
Bagley has become everything you want in a backup big man, from incredibly high effort, to defensive switch-ability. His touch around the rim is also a breath of fresh air, as watching Daniel Gafford or Moussa Cisse attempt jump-hooks is maddening. Bagley’s rebounding, especially on the offensive end has been sorely lacking since Dereck Lively got hurt. His box score numbers don’t look all that impressive, but the advanced metrics tell a different story. Bagley grades very highly in most defensive playmaking metrics, and players shoot 8 percentage points worse when he is contesting a shot, according to Databallr.
So, it seems obvious that he should be resigned this offseason, but it may not be that easy. Since Bagley is on a minimum contract, the Mavericks only have his non Bird Rights, meaning they can only offer him 3.7 million next season, according to MavsCBA. This means the only way they can bring back is to pay him part of the Mid-Level Exception. This brings another set of problems, as it would be ideal for the Mavericks to find one high end role player with the MLE, rather than splitting it into two.
But there may be a solution.
This solution is to shuffle the deck of your existing role players. Instead of using the MLE to find a 3-and-D wing, use either Gafford, or P.J. Washington, allowing the Mavericks to use the MLE money on Bagley. While this may seem like a winding process to sign a backup big man, it’s something that should happen anyway, regardless of Bagley.
If they do manage to resign Bagley, a center duo of him and Dereck Lively becomes very interesting, if Lively can stay healthy. Rather than having two centers who do the exact same things, the Mavericks could have real versatility, with centers who have very different skillsets.
Either way, it has been fun to watch a player find his role in the NBA, and no matter what team he plays for next season, Marvin Bagley III has found a home in the league.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 23: A general view of the stadium during the spring training game between the Colorado Rockies and Chicago White Sox at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on February 23, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Evil Empire arrives at Salt River Fields, and the run they had last post-season is ongoing. The Dodgers have won their first four games, outscoring their opponents by a whopping 34-6 margin so far. So let’s hope this is not an omen of things to come in the regular season. But we are sending Zac Gallen to the mound today – and I would imagine, after the news that Merrill Kelly won’t be ready to start the season, he’s most likely to be the Opening Day starter for the D-backs in four weeks time, against these same Dodgers. But it will be Gallen’s first start of spring, so I wouldn’t expect him to throw more than a couple of innings. Here’s the full Arizona line-up:
Also potentially pitching: RHP Dylan Ray, RHP Drey Jameson, RHP Gerardo Carrillo, RHP Alfred Morillo, RHP Hayden Durke, LHP Spence Giesting, LHP Avery Short, RHP Casey Anderson, RHP Indigo Diaz and LHP Carlos Rey. Jameson is probably the one I’ll be keeping a particular eye on, seeing if he can flash the sharply increased velocity he showed in the Arizona Fall League. He was hitting 99 mph there after, of all things, a botox injection in his neck helped relieve elbow discomfort. If he can get back to the form he had, I’d not be surprised to see him getting the chance to close out games for Arizona.
This one is going to be streamed through dbacks.com, though I haven’t clicked around enough to find the exact location yet. Mike Ferrin is on the call, and will be joined by former D-back Jake Lamb, acting as the color commentator. That should be fun.
Feb 23, 2026; Tempe, Arizona, USA; Fans watch a spring training game between the Los Angeles Angels and Texas Rangers at Tempe Diablo Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images
Today the Texas Rangers head on over to Goodyear, AZ, which is the spring home of the Cleveland Guardians.
RHP Nathan Eovaldi is set to make his second start of the spring for Texas opposite RHP Slade Cecconi for Cleveland.
Today’s Lineups
RANGERS
GUARDIANS
Sam Haggerty – 2B
Steven Kwan – CF
Danny Jansen – C
Chase DeLauter – RF
Michael Helman – CF
Jose Ramirez – 3B
Ezequiel Duran – SS
Bo Naylor – C
Tyler Wade – RF
Gabriel Arias – SS
Mark Canha – LF
Daniel Schneemann – LF
Jonah Bride – 1B
Brayan Rocchio – 2B
Willie MacIver – DH
David Fry – DH
Richie Martin – 3B
CJ Kayfus – 1B
Nathan Eovaldi – RHP
Slade Cecconi – RHP
I don’t believe there’s a broadcast for this one again so you’ll have to follow along on Gameday. First pitch from Goodyear Ballpark is scheduled for 2:05 pm CT.
Following a breakout summer across formats, South Australian all-rounder Liam Scott is pressing his case for national selection as pressure mounts on the out-of-form Cameron Green.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — James Harden is questionable for Cleveland's game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night because of a right thumb injury.
The Cavaliers guard was injured during Tuesday night's 109-94 win over the New York Knicks. Harden was examined by the Cavaliers medical staff after the game and X-rays on Wednesday showed a non-displaced fracture of the distal phalanx.
Harden will undergo treatment and evaluation. The 17-year veteran was traded by the Los Angeles Clippers to Cleveland on Feb. 4, and is averaging 18.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and eight assists in his seven games with the Cavaliers.
Cleveland (37-22) has won eight of its last nine games and is tied for third place in the Eastern Conference.
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 24: James Tibbs III #98 of the Los Angeles Dodgers warms up against the Cleveland Guardians during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch on February 24, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers look to remain undefeated this spring, as they are on the road take on the Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick.
Roki Sasaki makes his spring debut against right-hander Zac Gallen.
James Harden came out of Monday night's Cavaliers win over the Knicks, scoring 20 and looking like a guy who is thriving in a simplified role in Cleveland.
He also came out of it with a fractured right thumb that leaves him questionable for Wednesday night's Cavaliers game against the Bucks, the team announced.
This is a non-displaced fracture on his off hand. While certainly not ideal and would impact his handles, this is also not an injury expected to keep him out for an extended time.
The Cavaliers have already said Donovan Mitchell (groin strain) and Evan Mobley (calf injury management) are out Wednesday night in Milwaukee. With the Cavaliers playing on the second night of a back-to-back and Detroit looming on Friday, this is the smart move by the Cavaliers (who are playing the injury game to avoid Adam Silver's wrath and a fine).
The Cavaliers are 6-1 since Harden started suiting up for them, and he is averaging 18.9 points and eight assists a game. The Cavaliers' offense is thriving (third-best in the league) during that stretch, and the win against the Knicks was a sign that this team needs to be taken seriously as a threat to come out of the East. There is a real optimism in Cleveland right now.
Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Slade Cecconi (44) dries his hands off in between pitches during the first inning of Game 3 of the American League Wild Card Series at Progressive Field, Oct. 2, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio. | Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
No TV or Radio today, so discuss statcast/GameDay/hope one of our community members is on site.
It's never easy for an NHL team when one of its best players goes down. The Pittsburgh Penguins have dealt with this for much of the 2025-26 season, with Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Erik Karlsson all missing time.
Despite that adversity, they have continued to climb the standings and bank the points needed for a legitimate playoff push.
However, it's an entirely different animal when your best player is set to miss some time. And that's exactly what the Penguins are facing.
Right now, they sit eight points back of the division-leading Carolina Hurricanes with a game in hand and three games against them in March. They have a guantlet of a March schedule that includes 17 games in 31 days, and 14 of those games are against teams currently in playoff position.
They have played teams above them in the standings pretty well this season, but it won't be quite as easy without Sid. The players know this, but they are ready for the challenges that come with it.
"Anytime anybody goes out of the lineup, I think everybody's kind of got to ramp up their game a little bit," Bryan Rust said. "Guys are going to have opportunities to play in positions that, otherwise, they may not have been able to play in. Obviously, yeah, he might be a little bit harder to replace than others, but I think that just means the rest of us have to step up that much more."
He added: "Once you get the official word, I think it's kind of like a moment where we all have got to think about ourselves and be like, 'Okay, let's pick it up here, there's a lot of hockey over this next little while. We've got to win as many games and get as many points as possible."
But Rickard Rakell will begin as the team's first-line center, which is a role he hasn't played much in a long time at the NHL level until sporadic deployments there this season. Tommy Novak will continue to center Egor Chinakhov and Evgeni Malkin, and Ben Kindel will resume his third-line center duties for now.
All that said, they are aware they will have to play a bigger role, and that includes the 18-year-old Kindel, who has six goals and seven points in his last six games and is already used to the prospect of being elevated to a bigger role within an NHL lineup.
"I think, just collectively as a group, everybody's going to have to step up a little bit and chip in just a little bit more," Kindel said. "But, I'm ready for any extra that I need to do to help the team win, and I'll always be ready for that no matter what the situation is.
"None of us are pleased to see our leader, our captain, and our best player go out like that. But, at the end of the day, there's nothing we can do about it now, and we're just going to have to step up, play as a team, and try and bank some points here down an important stretch."
Kindel believes this team is capable of carrying on and pushing for the playoffs without Crosby in the fold, especially since they have dealt with those other major injuries for sustained periods of time this season and still managed to keep winning hockey games.
And that resilience, he said, speaks to culture in the locker room that begins with 87 but trickles down to the rest of the group as a collective.
"There has been major pieces of our group that have been out at different times during the year, and I think we've just stuck to it no matter what that situation was," Kindel said. "And I think that's just a testament to the culture of our team and just the group that we have in here.
"On any given night, anybody can step up, and it's been great for our team this year."
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - MAY 28: Starting pitcher Noah Cameron #65 of the Kansas City Royals pitches during the first inning of the game against the Cincinnati Reds at Kauffman Stadium on May 28, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Royals take on their biggest rivals in baseball today – the Seattle Mariners. Noah Cameron makes his Cactus League debut. Does he actually have to “win” a rotation spot?
Kameron Misner is in the lineup – he’s been up five times this spring and has yet to put the ball in play with two walks and three strikeouts.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA - JANUARY 31: Head coach Tony Bennett of the Virginia Cavaliers reacts to a play in the second half during a game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at John Paul Jones Arena on January 31, 2024 in Charlottesville, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After the firing of Joey and Jesse Buss, the Lakers found themselves with very few scouts left in their front office. They’ve begun to bolster that department by announcing on Wednesday that Tony Bennett would be joining the Lakers as an NBA Draft advisor.
He’ll be working with the President of Basketball Operations, Rob Pelinka, as they continue to retool their scouting department.
Bennett has 18 years of collegiate coaching experience. He was the head coach at Virginia for 15 years, from 2009 to 2024, and the coach of Washington State for three years from 2006 to 2009. Bennett is a three-time recipient of the national coach of the year award, winning in 2007, 2015, and 2018. Virginia won the national championship in 2019 under Bennett’s leadership.
Given his decade-plus time as a college coach, he is precisely the kind of person a franchise would want discussing which players have what it takes to perform at the next level, working with Pelinka to help build the culture in Los Angeles.
In a press release, Pelinka expressed his enthusiasm about Bennett joining the Lakers organization.
“We’re thrilled and honored to welcome Tony as an advisor to the Lakers basketball operations department,” Pelinka said. “As we refine and build out our NBA draft and scouting processes, we could think of no better basketball mind than Tony Bennett to have as a resource. Tony’s track record of forming culture, with high-character, high-skill and high-IQ players is revered and respected across all basketball circles. Tony will be an incredible asset to our basketball leadership, to our scouts and to our draft department as a whole. We are truly excited.”
Bennett also spoke about joining the Lakers in the press release.
“When Rob and I began talking, what stood out to me was the chance to help out such a storied organization,” Bennett said. “The Lakers carry a tradition that speaks for itself, so to be connected to it and assist Rob and the Lakers in any way I can is exciting.”
The Lakers have a 2026 first round draft pick, so Bennett’s first big task will be to find a quality player for the Lakers to select at that spot.
Now that Mark Walter is officially the majority owner, the Lakers have been making plenty of new hires.
The Lakers will undoubtedly add many more new faces as the franchise continues its transition into a new era.
For now, they’ve begun to address their need for improved scouting by adding Bennett to this position, and that’s a step in the right direction for the purple and gold.
NORTH PORT, Fla. (AP) — National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes lost four strikes to challenges in his first spring training start.
Skenes struck out four and walked four over 2 1/3 innings for Pittsburgh on Wednesday against the Atlanta Braves, who were 4 for 4 against the right-hander on challenges to get called strikes overturned to balls — one of them by the slimmest of margins.
The 53-pitch outing is expected to be the only one Skenes has for Pittsburgh before he joins the U.S. for the World Baseball Classic. He allowed one hit and one run while facing 12 batters. He is going into his third season with the Pirates.
“Winning gold is the biggest thing,” said Skenes, who was then asked if U.S. success in the just-completed Winter Olympics provides more motivation. “Yeah, men’s hockey, women’s hockey, all the other golds that we won in the Olympics. We’re America, we’ve got to assert our dominance over everybody else. That’s what we do. ... It's going to be fun.”
Skenes threw 27 pitches for strikes against the Braves, along with four other pitches initially called strikes by home plate umpire Chris Segal that Braves hitters challenged through the automated ball-strike system — the so-called robot umpires.
“Today, that’s how it is. I’ve just got to adjust," Skenes said. “I think it will even out over the course of the season, but ask me in June.”
Three of those challenges came on consecutive batters in the first inning.
Matt Olson challenged an 82.3 mph curveball that was called a strike, and had a smile on his face as replay showed indeed that the 1-1 pitch was only about one-tenth of an inch off the plate. He went on to draw a walk.
“When the season gets rolling, that’s probably not the pitch that you’re going to be challenging, but you’ve got to feel it out a bit,” Olson said. “I figured, whatever. It was a backdoor sweeper that I felt kind of held up a little bit.”
Jurickson Profar then challenged a 98.3 mph fastball for a strike on the first pitch he faced, and it was overturned to a 1-0 count before he also walked. Austin Riley sought a replay when a 99 mph pitch on an 0-2 count was called a strike, but was above the zone, though on the next pitch he struck out swinging on a 98.5 mph fastball just below that.
In the Braves second, Ronald Acuña asked for a review and got a ball on a 97.6 mph fastball off the plate that had been called a strike.
While the overturned strike thrown to Riley was the fastest of the day by Skenes, his fastball was consistently in the upper-90s throughout his outing.
Yesterday, the Brewers finally picked up their first Cactus League win behind Tyler Black’s six (!!) RBIs. They’ll be looking to make it two straight in today’s matchup with the San Francisco Giants, who haven’t lost a game yet this spring.
Carlos Rodriguez, who appeared in four games last year, will be on the mound to start. The only other probable pitcher listed for today’s game is Peter Strzelecki, who pitched in 66 games for the Brewers between 2022 and 2023. He’s back on a minor league deal with a big league spring invite. Starting for the Giants is another familiar face, former Brewer Adrian Houser.
Today’s lineup consists entirely of players who project to play a role for the big league squad this season, although it’s probably not a lineup Milwaukee will ever roll out in the regular season (maybe on a getaway day?). Jackson Chourio, Brice Turang, and William Contreras make up the top of the lineup. Hitting cleanup today is Jake Bauers, who’s recorded a hit in each of his two at-bats this spring. Andrew Vaughn is in the five-spot followed by the newly signed Luis Rengifo, who starts at third. Garrett Mitchell will hit seventh in his first Cactus League appearance. Rounding out the bottom of the order are Joey Ortiz and Brandon Lockridge, who’s already hit two home runs in seven at-bats.
Notable names in San Francisco’s lineup include Jung Hoo Lee, Harrison Bader, Bryce Eldridge, and former Brewer Eric Haase (hitting cleanup!). First pitch is slated for 2:10 p.m. CT and this one will be broadcast on 620 WTMJ and the Brewers Radio Network.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former Virginia coach Tony Bennett, a two-time national coach of the year, joined the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday as NBA draft adviser to president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka.
Bennett was Virginia's coach from 2009-24 and guided the Cavaliers to the 2019 national championship. Bennett compiled a 364-136 record at Virginia.
“As we refine and build out our NBA draft and scouting processes, we could think of no better basketball mind than Tony Bennett to have as a resource," Pelinka said in a statement.
"Tony’s track record of forming culture, with high-character, high-skill and high-IQ players is revered and respected across all basketball circles. Tony will be an incredible asset to our basketball leadership, to our scouts and to our draft department as a whole. We are truly excited.”
Bennett is Virginia's career leader in wins.
Virginia honored Bennett in a ceremony before Saturday's 86-83 win over Miami, naming the court at John Paul Jones Arena after him. With a group of his former players by his side, Bennett watched as his signature was unveiled on the court.
Bennett was the AP national coach of the year in 2007 and 2018. He led Virginia to six ACC regular-season championships. He coached at Washington State from 2006-09.
“When Rob and I began talking, what stood out to me was the chance to help out such a storied organization,” Bennett said in a statement. “The Lakers carry a tradition that speaks for itself, so to be connected to it and assist Rob and the Lakers in any way I can is exciting.”
Bennett played under his father, Dick Bennett, at Wisconsin-Green Bay before playing four years in the NBA, including three for Charlotte, from 1992-95.
