NEW YORK (AP) — Brandon Miller scored 25 points, Miles Bridges had 19, and the Charlotte Hornets routed the Brooklyn Nets 117-86 on Tuesday night.
Moussa Diabaté finished with 10 points and 12 rebounds while LaMelo Ball had 14 points, nine assists and seven rebounds to help the Hornets (40-36) stop a two-game losing streak.
Josh Minott scored 14 points for the lottery-bound Nets (18-58), who have lost 11 of their last 12 games.
Charlotte (40-36) is tied with the Miami Heat for ninth in the Eastern Conference, a half-game behind Orlando.
The Hornets matched their season low for points allowed. Charlotte also allowed 86 points in a 25-point win at Toronto on Dec. 5.
The Hornets rebounded from consecutive home losses Saturday to Philadelphia and Sunday to Boston by taking a 35-18 lead at the end of the first quarter. Miller scored 16 points on 5-of-5 shooting - including three three-pointers – and Charlotte shot 54.5% (12 for 22) from the field and 40% (6 for 15) from beyond the 3-point line in the period.
Brooklyn trimmed the deficit to 47-39 after rookie Drake Powell hit a 3-pointer with 5:19 remaining in the second quarter, but got no closer. Charlotte outscored the Nets 70-47 the rest of the way.
The Hornets had 28 assists on 41 made field goals and outrebounded the Nets 56-41.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - MARCH 21: Head coach Ime Udoka of the Houston Rockets reacts during the first quarter of the game between the Miami Heat and the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on March 21, 2026 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Just how much have the Rockets improved under Ime Udoka?
This seems a very silly question at first glance, and maybe at second, but join me in taking a look at just what has been accomplished, and perhaps not accomplished, under Udoka’s tenure as head coach of the Rockets. I’ll set the groundwork here with a recap of the past four seasons, including this one. I believe we’re close enough to the end of this season for that to be reasonable.
TLDR: This is a brief recap of the past four seasons. It think it’s worthwhile to refresh memory before getting to the heart of this piece.
I think most of us would agree that the Rockets are a far better team now than they were in the 2022-2023 season. That was the last season of the Stephen Silas coached Rockets, and the main “veteran” Rockets were Eric Gordon, Jalen Green, Kevin Porter Jr., and Alperen Sengun. The team also added rookies Jabari Smith Jr., and Tari “Peso” Eason. Others getting substantial minutes were JaeSean Tate, Garrison Matthews and of course, Daishen Nix and Bruno Fernando. Not exactly an inspiring lineup, and the results confirmed it. That team won 22 games and lost 60. That number speaks for itself. There are some other numbers, though, that have remained silent that might surprise you as we move along.
In the grand Rockets tradition of playing out the contract of a coach ownership and management no longer wants, to avoid the no doubt devastating expense of paying two coaches at once, Stephen Silas was not brought back the next season. A delightful and unquestionably useful cost savings that is still paying dividends in uneven, at best, player development to this day. The Rockets roster of relic coaches, who were mostly friends of Silas’ late father (by all accounts a good person, but by no means a basketball innovator a couple of decades ago) instilled, well it’s hard to know what exactly they instilled, in the young Rockets.
Instead we got a widely lauded hiring in Ime Udoka, after he spent a whole year in the basketball wilderness after getting fired, for cause, by Boston. The details of that firing have not been revealed to the public, but some who might have inside information on the situation reported it was ugly. In any case, he was if not precisely fresh from leading Boston to the Finals, he was at least in marketable condition.
A discussion of the pros and cons in hindsight can await the datapoint of the postseason. What I want to deal with now is how much has changed, and where we might offer credit or place blame for that change. This is by no means a definitive look at the whole situation. It’s designed to spark some conversation, and perhaps provide a different perspective.
In Udoka’s first season the Rockets added a great deal of talent. First they brought in Fred VanVleet, and Dillon Brooks. Many complained about the amount paid to VanVleet, while seemingly ignoring the ramifications of the NBA salary floor and a limited number of roster spots. In any case, Rafael Stone’s many regrettable seeming moves to clear the Rockets cap sheet for the 2023-24 season allowed this to happen.
The Rockets also drafted Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore, as Victor Wembanyama went to the Spurs, as if guided by some great Franco-South Texan basketball destiny. This was quite an injection of talent, and also a great improvement in coaching. It would be hard not to improve from Stephen Silas’ tenure.
The Rockets went 41-41, as some late season losses, and blown leads in crucial games (which will become a theme) kept them just outside the play in. Still, that was a 20 win improvement, and deserved all the good vibes it got. The Rockets were transformed overall, playing hard, if not especially adeptly, all the time. Brooks and VanVleet brought an edge to the team it was sorely lacking. The Rockets identity as fast, big, athletic, defensive monster was set.
The next season brought Reed Sheppard to the fold with an unexpectedly high #3 pick in a widely derided draft. The corral is where he would largely remain, with the flock of other Rockets not really playing basketball. The Rockets had also added Steven Adams the previous year, but he didn’t play due to injury. When he finally did, he was the same overwhelming force in the paint, on the boards, and setting picks. The Rockets tough edge only got sharper. The only other addition of note was Aaron Holiday, who saw a vastly expanded role to what he had in previous stops. The Rockets surprised most non Rockets fans by finishing with 52 wins, good for second in the Western Conference in a very crowded playoff seeding picture, apart from OKC’s dominant first place.
The Rockets, of course, would go on the play a lackluster Golden State Warrior team in the playoffs, where they’d lose in seven games. They lost not because of their defense, which was generally excellent, but their offense, which was generally horrible. Also, the Rockets were felled by the greatest game Buddy Hield ever played, and will ever play, in game 7 of that first round series.
The conclusion of that season seemed to be that the problem with the offense was an inability to score with the pressure on, and the blame fell mostly on the shoulders of Jalen Green, whether or not that was entirely fair is actually an open question, as we’ll see.
The off season was busy. It saw the trade of a lottery pick, Jalen Green, and Dillon Brooks to Phoenix for Kevin Durant. It also featured signings of Dorian Finney-Smith, Clint Capela and Josh Okogie, as well as two way PG JD Davison. The signing of Durant, currently number 5 in all time scoring, ahead of Michael Jordan was meant to fix all the woes that Jalen Green brought to the Rockets offense. Dorian Finney-Smith seemed as though he might be a one for one replacement for Dillon Brooks, and Clint Capela seemed meant to be injury insurance against Steven Adams frequently injured status.
Kevin Durant has been largely as advertised, and has had a great scoring season by almost any measure. Steven Adams, alas, did get a season ending injury, and Dorian Finney-Smith turned out to be hurt, and when he came back was considerably worse than afterthought signing Josh Okogie. Fred VanVleet was injured in training camp activities, and has not played a minute this season. The Rockets, in large part due to blowing an astonishing 17 fourth quarter or overtime leads this season (so far), will most likely not surpass their 52 win total of the previous season. They currently stand at 45-29, with 8 games remaining. 52 wins might yet be reached, but it’s probably not the way to bet.
That’s the stage set. Let’s look at the numbers.
First, though, I’ll mention that with rare exception over the past twenty seasons of NBA basketball, teams reaching the Finals have been top 5 in either offense or defense, and top 8 in either offense or defense. There are, again, very few exceptions to this. This should worry Rockets fans.
These numbers are telling. The Rockets are a far better team on defense than they were under Stephen Silas. Nothing unexpected there. The Rockets on defense, despite this year feeling worse than the past two seasons, has seen their ranking climb from 14th, to 6th, to 4th overall. This is in large part due to NBA scoring increasing, while the Rockets maintained their points allowed number at the same level as in the 2024-25 season.
That’s the sort of defense that can win a title. Unfortunately, the offense is nowhere close to contention. In fact, the offense, despite replacing Stephen Silas, despite an a huge influx of talent, has improved by exactly four points per game from whatever it was the Silas Rockets were doing.
Four. Points. Four points over three seasons with the same coach. The Rockets offense, in fact, has gotten worse relative to the rest of the NBA this season.
Let me say that again. The Rockets offense has not improved, at all, in Udoka’s three seasons as head coach, in terms of points per game. It has worsened this season, relative to the league.
Over three seasons the Rocket have added Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard, Tari Eason, Cam Whitmore, Steven Adams, Clint Capela, Aaron Holiday, and oh, yeah, Kevin Durant. They removed Kevin Porter Jr, and Jalen Green, among others. In that time they have gone from scoring 114.3, to 114.3, to 114.4 points per game. As NBA scoring has gone up, that has become not just a static performance, but a worse one, as in Udoka’s first season that scoring ranked 16th, then 14th, and finally, this season, 20th.
Adding the 5th best scorer in NBA history in Kevin Durant has done effectively nothing to improve the Rockets points per game output. Durant is having a very good scoring season by his own lofty standards, and has missed almost no games. He’s among the top NBA players in terms of minutes played.
Nonetheless, the Rockets offense is worse than the two prior seasons. Is this a talent issue? If it’s a talent issue, why is the scoring exactly the same? Is Kevin Durant not talented enough? What, exactly, could improve an Ime Udoka offense, if Kevin Durant isn’t sufficient? How can the offense be actually worse relative to the NBA after three seasons with Ime at the helm? It indisputably is worse, though, by those measures.
This isn’t a contending offense by the standards of the previous 20 seasons. This is not a contending team. Historically, neither great defense, nor great offense, wins championships if the other side of the ball isn’t at least top 10. The Rockets defense is up to the job. The offense is barely top 20. With Kevin Durant. The answer isn’t more defense.
Things have looked better lately, and I very much hope that improvement continues. Still, we have three seasons evidence now of an offense that has at best stalled out in term effectiveness. I want the Rockets to do well. Hopefully this recent run of complete performances isn’t a late March flourish, but a sign of how things will look in the post season.
CINCINNATI, OHIO - MARCH 31: Oneil Cruz #15 of the Pittsburgh Pirates hits a two RBI home run in the 9th inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on March 31, 2026 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) | Getty Images
If you just look at the box score for this game, it won’t tell you much beyond the Cincinnati Reds getting handed a loss by 5 runs from their division rivals from upriver in Pittsburgh. However, there was a level of nuance to how this one shook out that wasn’t quite so objective, and that’s what I’ll try to spell out for you here.
Yes, Brandon Williamson’s first start since September of 2024 could have gone a whole lot better. He gave up back to back longballs at one point, one of the backbreaking 3-run variety in a 5-run Top of the 2nd by the Pirates. However rusty he was, though, is hidden a bit by the fact that he actually stuck around to throw 94 pitches and almost get through 5 IP (4.2) which helped buy manager Terry Francona a bit more time out of his bullpen after it’s been worked hard through the first few games of the year.
The Reds were also technically no-hit through the first four frames by top Pittsburgh prospect Bubba Chandler, who did look excellent for a lot of his outing. However, they had an initial hit by Ke’Bryan Hayes later (correctly) ruled an error, and Chandler did walk 6 (six!) batters in his 4.1 IP, which meant time and time again the Reds came to the plate with ample runners on base and simply couldn’t cash them in early.
Things remained squirrely late, too. After Chandler was chased, Cincinnati put some thunder in their bats for the Pittsburgh bullpen, and both Elly De La Cruz and the inimitable Sal Stewart even went yard back to back to get this game much, much more interesting in the Bottom of the 8th. Eugenio Suarez then singled in what was then a 6-3 game, Bucs manager Don Kelly got tossed for arguing Geno should’ve been called out on strikes on a check-swing, Dane Myers singled to bring the would-be tying run to the plate in Nate Lowe, and Lowe then hit a liner in between 1B and 2B that nearly cleared the infield…only for it to be caught on a dive and turned into an inning-ending double play.
Before I could get my surrender cobra off my head, Pierce Johnson had served up a 2-run homer to Oneil Cruz, and the game was suddenly 8-3. You’d think that’s where the drama had ended, but the Reds still managed to coax the bases loaded in the Bottom of the 9th with Geno at the plate…only for him to strike out to end a game that was seemingly one big swing away from being a whole lot more fun in retrospect.
The Reds will wrap this series on Wednesday with Opening Day starters Andrew Abbott and Paul Skenes on the mound, with first pitch set for 12:40 PM ET. Given how frustrating the first start of the year was for Skenes, methinks the Reds are going to seriously lament that they didn’t find the big hit tonight to clinch this series since that’s a hammer they simply cannot match.
MILWAUKEE, WI - MARCH 31: AJ Johnson #8 of the Dallas Mavericks drives to the basket during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks on March 31, 2026 at Fiserv Forum Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images). | NBAE via Getty Images
The Dallas Mavericks (24-52) got ran off the floor by the Milwaukee Bucks (30-45) on Tuesday night, falling 123-99. Ryan Rollins led the Bucks with 24 points. Cooper Flagg was the high-point man for Dallas with 19, but it took 19 shots to get there.
The sport of basketball was attempted between the Bucks and the Mavericks in the first quarter of Tuesday night’s contest. Rollins and Kyle Kuzma chewed Dallas up early and late, scoring with ease. Both teams shot the three well and it ended up being a much higher score than many might’ve predicted. The atrocious Dallas defense lost out against a Bucks offense that kept the gas pedal down. The Mavericks trailed 38-31 after twelve minutes.
Frame two of the basketball-adjacent atrocity saw the Bucks hold and grow the lead as the Mavericks were unable to score. Max Christie appears to be feeling like not enough butter scraped over too much toast, unable to hit anything while also looking bad on defense. Daniel Gafford went down late in the frame after taking a hard fall trying to block a Rollins rim attempt. Both team’s long distance shooting died in the quarter, but the Bucks scored a few more baskets in the paint and connected on a few more outside looks than the Mavs to give the home team a 65-51 lead at the half.
The second half started and ended poorly. With Gafford getting ruled out at halftime due to a stinger, Dallas had just nine players able to play, and most of them were not very good at basketball on this particular night. The Bucks grew their lead to 20, then higher, and it quickly became a game of “can everyone get out of here without getting hurt.” Dallas entered the fourth quarter down 90-70.
The fourth was unwatchable. Dallas lost b…. a lot.
Running clock, please
This was one of the more brutal basketball games this iteration of the Mavericks has played this year. When Klay Thompson is out and Max Christie can’t hit shots, Dallas is unwatchable. The Bucks STINK, and yet the Mavs were down by 20 for a huge chunk of this game. I love the Mavs, but this is awful. Speed the season along, please.
Max Christie has to get better
If Christie is to be a piece of the future, he has to show more. He gets a ton of minutes and the second half of this season, he’s been ineffective most of the time. In March, his overall shooting numbers took a tumble, hitting just 38% from the floor. More than half his attempts being threes helps to some degree because he shot that from distance this past month, but that means inside the arc he’s a liability. Dallas needs players who can be more from all over the floor and unless it’s a catch-and-shoot, Christie hasn’t been good enough.
Cooper’s shot looks bad from three, try again next year
Cooper Flagg shot the ball horribly from the perimeter since returning from a foot injury after the All-Star break. He’ll be fine, I believe that, but watching these shooting struggles from distance sucks right now.
That’s all I have. I wish the Mavericks were better. It’s an exercise in endurance for Mavs fans right as the 2025-26 season wraps up.
Mar 31, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Kodai Senga (34) pitches against St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker (18) during the fourth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Kodai Senga’s first start of the season went well, but the Mets’ lineup was lifeless as the team lost 3-0 to the lowly Cardinals tonight in St. Louis.
It’s hard to come out of seeing your team get shut out by an unimpressive cast of pitchers, but let’s start with the positive. Senga continued to hit the high-90s with his fastball, and he struck out nine and walked three in six innings of work. Officially, he gave up two earned runs, but even those were not entirely his fault.
Luis Robert Jr. came to the Mets as a sure-thing great defender in center field who’s struggled to stay healthy and was coming off back-to-back disappointing years at the plate. He’s been a hot hitter to start his Mets tenure, but the noteworthy defense in center was notably missing in the bottom of the third tonight. Victor Scott II led off the inning with a well-struck ball to center, but it was one that a good defender should’ve caught.
Instead, Robert Jr. misread it, and Scott wound up on second base with a double as a result. On an ensuing single to center by JJ Wetherholt, Robert Jr. missed the cutoff man as Scott stopped at third, allowing Wetherholt to advance to second unnecessarily. Iván Herrera then doubled to left field to plate both of those runners.
That was effectively when the game ended. Despite the fact that they were facing a starting pitcher who had a 5.31 ERA last year and a bullpen that included Ryne Stanek, the Mets mustered up just three hits in total. Their best chance at scoring came in the top of the sixth, as Juan Soto smoked a double to begin the inning and was followed by Bo Bichette drawing a walk.
But Robert Jr. flew out to center, and Jared Young lined out to shortstop. Bichette didn’t get the best read on that line drive, and he was doubled off first.
Carlos Mendoza opted to turn the game over to Richard Lovelady in the bottom of the seventh, and while you can feel for the person for having been designated for assignment by the same team so many times over the past year, you can’t help but wonder why the Mets have a payroll that far exceeds $300 million but continue to acquire and roster a pitcher like him.
Lovelady served up a solo home run to Ramón Urias to lead off his first frame. If there was a silver lining in this game, it was the fact that Lovelady didn’t give up any more runs and soaked up the eighth inning, too, to keep the rest of the Mets’ bullpen fresh.
And if you’re looking to end this recap on an upbeat note, well, the Mets have a chance to win the series in St. Louis tomorrow at 1:15 PM EDT with Freddy Peralta on the mound. Here’s hoping they can score for him.
Big Mets winner: Juan Soto, +7.2% WPA Big Mets loser: Jared Young, -17.6% WPA Mets pitchers: -3.1% WPA Mets hitters: -46.9% WPA Teh aw3s0mest play: Juan Soto doubles to start the sixth, +8.1% WPA Teh sux0rest play: Jared Young lines into a double play in the sixth, -15.4% WPA
The Detroit Red Wings used all the right kind of words and phrases following their 5-3 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.
Alex DeBrincat called their slow start "unacceptable". Lucas Raymond said they needed to play "with more desperation".
Those words rang hollow on Tuesday evening against the Pittsburgh Penguins, who raced out to a 3-0 lead and a 14-5 shots advantage in the opening 20 minutes of play en route to a 5-1 win at PPG Paints Arena.
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) April 1, 2026
Once again, the Red Wings were plagued by a slow start against an opponent that, like the Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers, had played the previous night.
The Penguins scored barely four minutes into the game on their first shot of the night, courtesy of Rickard Rakell.
Former Red Wings forward Anthony Mantha haunted his old team minutes later by increasing the lead to 2-0, giving him 30 goals in a season for the first time in his career. Egor Chinakhov then gave Pittsburgh a 3-0 advantage late in the frame.
For the second straight game, goaltender John Gibson was pulled in favor of Cam Talbot, who played the final 40 minutes.
While team captain Dylan Larkin scored on a rebound at 3:17 of the second period, Pittsburgh kept them off the scoresheet the rest of the way and later went up 4-1 thanks to Justin Brazeau.
A tally from Noel Acciari would cap the scoring for the Penguins in the third period.
The Red Wings entered March well aware of their struggles during the month in past seasons and said all the right things about delivering a different result this time around.
Just like their words after the loss to Philadelphia on Saturday, their actions didn't match what they ultimately delivered on the ice.
The Red Wings have eight games remaining on their schedule. While there is still a path to the playoffs, their margin of error continues to shrink.
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Mar 30, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs pinch hitter Matt Shaw (6) hits a single against the Los Angeles Angels during the fifth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images | Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images
It’s Tuesday night here at BCB After Dark: the hippest hangout for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in out of the cold. We’ve got a fire going in here. There’s no cover charge. We can check your coat for you. Bring your own beverage.
BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.
Last night I asked you who will lead the Cubs in home runs this year and I stupidly forgot to include Seiya Suzuki as an option. In any case, 60 percent of you picked Michael Busch. Fourteen percent of you picked “other,” which I assume meant Suzuki.
Here’s the part where we listen to jazz. I don’t normally do movie stuff on Tuesday nights, so just enjoy the tunes.
Tonight we’re featuring vibraphonist Sasha Berliner at SFJazz this past December. She’s joined by Tristan Cappel on tenor sax and flute, Javier Santiago on keyboards, Giulio Xavier Cetto on bass and the drummer is Myles Martin.
This is “Did You Get It?”
Welcome back to everyone who skips the music.
The natural position for Matt Shaw is second base. Can he play other positions? Sure. But he’s going to be most valuable at second base.
This is a problem for Shaw and the Cubs now that they have signed Nico Hoerner for the next six years. Hoerner is not moving off of second base. Third base, where Shaw played last year, is occupied by Alex Bregman for the next six years. So unless you think Shaw can be a corner outfielder, the Cubs are looking at keeping Shaw as a utility player until he reaches free agency if they don’t trade him first.
At this time last year, Shaw was a Top 50 prospect in all of baseball. After one year in the majors, he still has some of that top prospect sheen. He was the Cubs starting third baseman last year and while his overall numbers weren’t great, they were much better in the second half after he got adjusted to the majors. His defense at third base was good. Baseball Reference and Fangraphs had very different evaluations of his overall WAR (3.1 on BR and 1.5 on Fangraphs) but even if you go by the lower value, a 23-year-old who was worth a win and a half usually has a promising future.
But it doesn’t look like Shaw has a promising future with the Cubs. They’re trying him out in right field and while there isn’t enough of a sample size to draw any conclusions from the stats, Shaw isn’t passing the eye test out there. Maybe he gets better. But is Shaw’s best value as a corner outfielder?
I would argue that it isn’t. Even if Shaw learns to play a decent outfield, I don’t think he’s going to hit like a corner outfielder hits. Shaw profiles as an above-average hitter as a second baseman. I think he’s a below-average hitter as a left or right fielder.
So the answer appears to be to trade Shaw. However, the Cubs had a major weakness last season: their bench. Shaw is a huge upgrade over Jon Berti, Vidal Bruján and everyone else whom the Cubs used as a backup infielder last season. Even Willi Castro, who turned into a pumpkin right after the trade deadline.
So it would seem that the Cubs could really use Shaw this year to shore up their bench. The problem with that is that the longer Shaw plays as a utility player, the less his value on the trade market gets. Sure, some top 50 prospects end up as utility infielders (Iowa Cub Scott Kingery is one), but if another team thinks that Shaw can be their starting second baseman for the next five years, maybe it’s better to trade him now, even if the Cubs have to accept 75 cents on the dollar for him.
So how urgent is the need to trade Matt Shaw? Should the Cubs try to get a deal done as soon as possible, or should they wait until the offseason? That way the Cubs would have Shaw ready to step in for any injuries during the season and there might be a bigger market in the winter. On the other hand, there might be teams looking to dump players who are approaching free agency whom the Cubs could get for Shaw now who would not be available in the winter. No, I don’t think the Tigers are trading Tarik Skubal unless they completely fall out of playoff contention, but there might be other quality players whom teams would deal for Shaw.
Or maybe you think the Cubs should keep Shaw for next season. Maybe you think he can hit and field well enough to be a quality corner outfielder. Maybe you just want to keep him around as a utility super-sub.
If you think the Cubs should trade Shaw as soon as possible, just vote “by the trade deadline.” Most teams aren’t willing to make deals before June, but you never know when a team might suffer an injury that Shaw be the answer for.
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MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MARCH 31: Ryan Rollins #13 of the Milwaukee Bucks drives against Ryan Nembhard #9 of the Dallas Mavericks during the second quarter at Fiserv Forum on March 31, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Milwaukee Bucks torched the Dallas Mavericks 123-99 at home tonight, spoiling Khris Middleton, Tyler Smith, and AJ Johnson’s hopes of revenge. The Bucks were led by Ryan Rollins (24 points) and Kyle Kuzma (20 points), while Cooper Flagg paced the Mavs with 19 points. Milwaukee completed a 2-0 season series sweep over Dallas with this win.
Kyle Kuzma and Khris Middleton, ironically, traded the first buckets of this game for their respective teams. Kuzma was heavily involved in the offense off the rip, taking a quick four shots in three minutes and setting up Jericho Sims for a few easy ones inside. The Bucks got off to an early 15-7 lead in large part due to the duo of Kuz and Sims. Milwaukee continued to ride their hot hands, but Doc Rivers needed his first timeout of the night at the 3:46 tick after Dallas’ lefty rookie John Poulakidas drained a pair of triples that cut their edge to four. Some AJ Green free throws and a Pete Nance putback dunk helped the home team escape the opening quarter with a 38-31 advantage.
Two threes from Ryan Rollins at the beginning of the second stanza increased the Bucks’ lead to double digits for the first time, and things didn’t slip from there. Milwaukee was pushing the pace (and playing random, in Budenholzerese), which created great looks from beyond the arc that they kept converting on. They were hot, and the Mavs were not—simple as that. All told, the Bucks went 22/44 from the field in the half (50.0%) while Dallas registered an ugly 17/50 (34.0%). The efficiency canyon fueled Milwaukee’s 65-51 lead at intermission.
Milwaukee’s offensive aggression didn’t wane coming out of the locker room. Kuzma was still cooking, and two buckets from him plus a Gary Trent Jr. trey forced a Jason Kidd timeout less than three minutes into the second half. The Mavericks, especially Brandon Williams and Cooper Flagg, weren’t completely folding over, but the Bucks extended their cushion to 20 points by the 6:13 mark. The difference was still exactly 20 heading into the final frame, with a score of 90-70.
Rollins and Taurean Prince both knocked down a long ball to kick off the fourth, and after those shots, any dwindling chance of a Mavericks comeback felt finally extinguished. Green, who was already having a solid outing, banged a couple more jumpers that got Fiserv Forum as close to rocking as possible on a Tuesday night in a tanking season. With under three minutes on the clock, Alex Antetokounmpo checked in for his NBA debut, and he booked his first career points at the charity stripe.
Stat That Stood Out
There were only two lead changes in the entire game. The Bucks genuinely dominated this one, which hasn’t been the case in a long time.
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Bowen Byram flipped a long shot into an empty net with 1:43 remaining to lead the Buffalo Sabres to a 4-3 victory over the New York Islanders on Tuesday night.
The Sabres became the NHL’s 11th franchise to reach 2,000 wins — and the first team not added in the league’s first expansion in 1967 when the NHL went from six teams to 12. Buffalo joined in the second wave of expansion, joining the NHL with Vancouver in 1970.
Jack Quinn and Tage Thompson had a goal and an assist, and Peyton Krebs also scored for the Sabres, who reached 100 points for the 10th time in franchise history and first since finishing with 100 in 2009-10. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 25 saves for the Sabres.
Brayden Schenn, Calum Ritchie and Anders Lee scored, and Bo Horvat added three assists for the Islanders. Ilya Sorokin made 29 saves.
Some three minutes after Lee tied the game at 2, Krebs scored with 3:01 left.
Alex Tuch set it up by circling the Islanders net and feeding Krebs in front for a one-timer.
And Bowen Byram sealed it by flipping a long shot into an empty net with 1:43 remaining.
Schenn scored with 1 second left, bringing the Islanders within 1.
Mar 31, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (27) runs to first base on an RBI bases loaded walk scoring catcher Tyler Heineman in the fifth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Last night, with the series opener, the Colorado Rockies soundly defeated the Toronto Blue Jays in a 14-5 onslaught. In Game 2, the Rockies hit some bad luck and (again) couldn’t seem to get the offense working (again). Add to that a seventh inning that put the Rockies on the back foot.
They ended up ceding the second game to the Blue Jays, 5-1.
More bad luck for Ryan Feltner
The game was fairly uneventful — a bit of a pitchers’ duel between Ryan Feltner and Max Scherzer — until the bottom of the third inning when Feltner was injured on a 106 mph comebacker from Andrés Giménez.
The injury was diagnosed as a “right glute contusion.”
After finishing the inning, he was removed from the game.
Before his exit, Felter looked excellent. He left the game with 3.0 IP, giving up one hit and striking out four on 47 pitches. Given Feltner’s history of injuries in 2025, any potential derailment of his season is reason for concern.
Although there was some traffic on the base paths, the game remained scoreless through four innings.
Manager Warren Schaeffer said of Feltner after the game, “I think we avoided something bad there” since Feltner’s hip tightened up after the contact and prevented him from re-entering the game.
According to Feltner, his hip “just stiffened up,” and he expects to make his next start.
The bullpen takes over
Juan Mejia entered in the fourth. He gave up hits to Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. and Kazuma Okamoto before pulling off this nifty double play.
However, Mejia was not so fortunate in the fifth where he loaded the bases before handing the ball over to Jaden Hill, who promptly game up an RBI single to Jesús Sánchez, making the score 1-0 Blue Jays.
He then walked Guerrero Jr with the bases loaded, making the score 2-0 Blue Jays. Following that, Hill struck out Okamoto and Lukes with the bases loaded.
In addition, the Blue Jays had used both of their challenges by the end of the fifth inning.
Hunter Goodman enters the chat
The Rockies certainly had their chances early in this game, courtesy of singles from T.J. Rumfield and Brenton Doyle, but neither were able to score.
That all changed in the sixth when the Rockies got on the board after Hunter Goodman hit his first home run of the season, a gorgeous second-decker (435 ft, 110.9 mph).
Scherzer’s evening was done after tossing 6.0 innings. He allowed four hits and one run (earned), walking one and striking out four and the Blue Jays leading 2-1.
Rumfield led off the seventh with a single (sensing a theme here) and made it to second on a wild pitch before being picked off at second and ending the inning.
Blue Jays feather their nest in the seventh
Zach Agnos came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and gave up three singles that led to the Blue Jays taking a 3-1 lead on a Okamoto RBI. Nathan Lukes followed that with another RBI single, and the score was 4-1 Blue Jays. Ernie Clement followed that with a double, and it was 5-1.
With two outs, Jake McCarthy hit a double in the eighth inning, but, again, the Rockies were unable to bring him home.
Old friend Jeff Hoffman entered to close the game, and surrendered a single to Ezequiel Tovar, but, once again, the Rockies were unable to capitalize.
Final score: Blue Jays 5, Rockies 1
Notable numbers
The Rockies finished the evening with one run on seven hits. They walked once and struck out six times (a notable improvement from last season). They were 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position and left five runners on base.
In addition, it was a long night for the bullpen:
Mejia: 1.1 IP, 4 hits, 2 runs (earned), 1 BB, 0 K
Hill: 0.2 IP, 1 hits, 0 runs, 1 BB, 2 K
Bernadino: 1.0 IP, 1 hit, 0 runs, 0 BB, 1 K
Agnos: 2.0 IP, 7 hits, 3 runs, 1 BB, 3 K
“I’m extremely proud of our ‘pen,” Schaeffer said. “We’ve asked a lot of them this season.”
Looking ahead
Join us tomorrow at 11:07 am when the Rockies will win their series against the Blue Jays. They will need length from starting pitcher Kyle Freeland given the usage of the bullpen tonight.
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Bowen Byram flipped a long shot into an empty net with 1:43 remaining to lead the Buffalo Sabres to a 4-3 victory over the New York Islanders on Tuesday night.
The Sabres became the NHL’s 11th franchise to reach 2,000 wins — and the first team not added in the league’s first expansion in 1967 when the NHL went from six teams to 12. Buffalo joined in the second wave of expansion joining the NHL with Vancouver in 1970.
Jack Quinn and Tage Thompson had a goal and an assist, and Peyton Krebs also scored for the Sabres, who reached 100 points for the 10th time in franchise history and first since finishing with 100 in 2009-10. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 25 saves for the Sabres.
Brayden Schenn, Calum Ritchie and Anders Lee scored, and Bo Horvat added three assists for the Islanders. Ilya Sorokin made 29 saves.
Some three minutes after Lee tied the game at 2, Krebs scored with 3:01 left.
Alex Tuch set it up by circling the Islanders net and feeding Krebs in front for a one-timer.
And Bowen Byram sealed it by flipping a long shot into an empty net with 1:43 remaining.
Schenn scored with 1 second left, bringing the Islanders within 1.
Right off the faceoff to start the third period, Lee and Sam Carrick fought. While Carrick threw punches with his right hand, his left arm was tied up in Lee's jersey at an awkward angle. As Carrick spun and was taken down to the ice, he landed hard. He remained down in obvious pain before leaving for the locker room.
Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff confirmed after the game Carrick injured his left arm in the fight.
Batter pays for poor form since fearless Boxing Day knock in 2024
Brendan Doggett earns spot on 21-man list after Ashes Test debut
Australia’s Ashes-winning players have been rewarded with contracts for a bumper 2026-27 cricket season, but there was no room on the 21-man list for Sam Konstas and Glenn Maxwell.
Paceman Brendan Doggett, who made his full international debut against England in November’s opening Ashes Test in Perth, earned his first national contract, while opener Jake Weatherald, who played all five Tests last summer, retained his upgraded contract despite averaging just 22.33 during the series.
The Broadway Blueshirts are the worst team in the Eastern Conference, already eliminated from playoff contention, and the Devils are well on their way to missing the playoffs as well. But fans taking in Tuesday night's rivalry matchup at least got one good memory from this campaign: a goalie fight.
Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin and Devils netminder Jacob Markstrom threw down on March 31 during a heated moment in the third period between the teams.
It was a pretty good scrap all in all, with Shesterkin — the 2021-22 Vezina Trophy winner — in particular unleashing a good flurry of punches.
Hilariously, as a result of the fight, the goaltenders ended up with the most penalty minutes of any players on the night with 7 each (5 for fighting and 2 minutes for leaving the crease). Their penalties were served by Timo Meier (Devils) and Conor Sheary (Rangers).
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - MARCH 31: Ivan Herrera #48 of the St. Louis Cardinals hits a two-RBI double against the New York Mets in the third inning at Busch Stadium on March 31, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Andre Pallante pitched 5 strong innings and received offensive support from Ivan Herrera, JJ Wetherholt and Ramón Urías as the St. Louis Cardinals shutout the New York Mets 3-0 at Busch Stadium Tuesday night.
It’s hard to overstate how good Andre Pallante looked as his pitches were down with great movement as he only allowed 3 hits over 5 innings. Kodai Senga was impressive for the Mets, but the Cardinals got all the runs they needed in the bottom of the 3rd inning. Ivan Herrera found his swing and drove in JJ Wetherholt and Victor Scott II who both had 2 hits Tuesday night.
The Cardinals had a few defensive gems, too, with Masyn Winn helping Pallante get out of a 5th inning jam when the Mets had runners on 1st and 3rd with only one out when he was able to double up the Mets when he snagged a line drive and rifled the ball back to first.
The Cardinals added an insurance run in the bottom of the 7th when Ramón Urías crushed a 403 foot home run into the left field stands.
The St. Louis Cardinals bullpen was solid tonight as Andre Pallante was supported by Gordon Graceffo who was just called up from Memphis in place of Matt Pushard who was sent to the IL. Ryan Stanek and JoJo Romero kept the Mets off the scoreboard and Riley O’Brien closed out the game in the 9th. The Cardinals are now 3-2 on the season and will try to take the series against the Mets in a Wednesday afternoon game at Busch Stadium starting at 12:15pm . Matthew Liberatore is expected to get his second start of the season while Freddy Peralta is expected to take the mound for the Mets.
Mar 31, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Shane McClanahan (18) delivers a pitch against the Milwaukee Brewers in the first inning at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
It has been a long time since we’ve seen a start from Shane McClanahan. Since August 2, 2023, in fact. But the former All-Star has dealt with bad hand after bad hand in terms of injury, and his path back to the majors hasn’t been an easy one. Tonight, all eyes were on the mound as McClanahan made his triumphant return to the bump, and everyone wanted to see if he still had the same goods he once did. Meanwhile, much has been made of the Brewers’ offseat efforts to bolster their rotation, potentially at the hindrance of other positions (Gary Sanchez taking reps at first? What is this, Moneyball?) It would be an interesting outing to test McClanahan’s mettle. The Brewers, meanwhile, had Brandon Woodruff, who was reliable and efficient in 12 games for the Brewers last year after also missing the enitre 2024 season due to injury.
The Rays wasted little time getting on the board, as Jonathan Aranda hit a one-out home run.
The ABS system then turned around and bit the Rays a little as catcher William Contreras challenged a call and it was overturned, ultimately resulting in Junior Caminero striking out. The Rays would need to settle for the one run as they turned things over to McClanahan and his big moment. Shane didn’t miss a beat, looking like he’d never left his role as an All-Star starter, someone the Rays believed in enough to let him debut in the postseason. He took the Brewers out in order in the home half.
In the top of the second the Rays went 1-2-3. Heading into the bottom of the inning, McClanahan had his first wobble, giving up a one-out walk to Gary Sanchez. He got right back in the swing of it, though, getting the next two outs to end the inning.
Heading into the top of the third, Chandler Simpson challenged a strike call and lost, but then singled to get on base anyway. With one out, Simpson stole second, but two outs followed to leave the baserunner stranded. Nice to see Simpson already in midseason form with the basepath hustle, though. Bottom of the third and the Brewers once again went three-up, three-down.
After nearly putting two Brewers players into the dugout chasing down a high pop-up in foul territory, Caminero hit a single to kick off the fourth. RIP Junior Caminero’s bat. Alas, three outs then followed, once again leaving a baserunner stranded. Thankfully, McClanahan continued to show excellent command in the bottom of the fourth, getting through the Brewers in order.
Nick Fortes decided to lend his starting pitcher a hand in the top of the fifth with a leadoff home run to put the Rays up 2-0. Three outs followed, but we love a man who recognizes the necessity of insurance runs.
In the bottom of the fourth, Gary Sanchez took a leadoff walk, his second walk of the night. With one out, Brandon Lockridge singled, and from that point, McClanahan kind of lost his mojo. Joey Ortiz walked, and then Brice Turang singled. Gary Sanchez got home, but Turang had been caught in a rundown and there was some contention over whether or not Turang actually got tagged out at second. After a review, it was ruled that Turang was safe at second keeping the inning going and probably taking three years off Kevin Cash’s life. The Rays all had to return to the field because everyone had assumed it was an out. The safe call also meant that a run across home by Ortiz after the tagout was now a scoring run, putting the Brewers in the lead. McClanahan’s night was also done. His final line was 4 2/3 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER (Ortiz was counted as an error to Cedric Mullins), 3 BB, 4 K on 79 innings. Not how you’d like to see a really solid start from McClanahan end, but overall there was plenty to like from his return. Cole Sulser came out of the pen to get the final out of the inning.
Woodruff’s night was also done after five innings, as Jared Koenig came out of the Brewers’ pen. Jake Fraley got a two-out single, but the Rays couldn’t capitalize on the baserunner once again. Things just got worse in the bottom of the inning as Gary “Still Not a Good First Base Choice” Sanchez hit a solo home run to center to extend the Brewers’ lead to 4-2. Jake Bauers then singled, and stole second. Lockridge hit a long double to score Bauers. Sal Frelick singled to put runners on the corners. Sulser did finally manage to get out of the inning but the Brewers were up 5-2.
Grant Anderson was in next for the Brewers in the seventh. With two outs, Simpson legged out a strong triple, but it wasn’t enough to give the Rays the edge, as a strikeout then ended the inning. In the home half, Yoendrys Gómez came in and gave up a leadoff walk to Turang. Turang then stole second. Gomez got two outs then intentionally walked Christian Yelich. Despite an attempt from the Brewers to challenge a stike call, the call on the field was upheld to strike out a pinch-hitting Garrett Mitchell and end the inning. No additional damage done despite having two runners aboard.
Abner Uribe came in for the Brewers in the top of the eighth. He gave up a two-out walk to Caminero. Fraley then singled to put runners on the corners. The Rays brought in Richie Palacios to pinch-hit, and he pinch flied-out instead. Things didn’t get much better in the home half when Jake Bauers hit a leadoff home run. Three outs followed, but the damage was really done by that point.
Angel Zerpa was the next Brewers pitcher up in the ninth, hoping to finish things off. He got the first two outs, but a pinch-hitting Ryan Vilade got a walk. It wasn’t enough for the Rays to stage a comeback, though, and the final out came around to end the inning.
