BOTTOM LINE: The Buffalo Sabres host the Washington Capitals after Jack Quinn recorded a hat trick in the Sabres' 6-3 win against the San Jose Sharks.
Buffalo has a 40-19-6 record overall and a 21-8-3 record in home games. The Sabres are third in league play with 228 total goals (averaging 3.5 per game).
Washington has a 12-16-4 record in road games and a 32-27-7 record overall. The Capitals have a 15-6-0 record in games they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponents.
Thursday's game is the second meeting between these teams this season. The Sabres won the previous meeting 4-3 in a shootout.
TOP PERFORMERS: Tage Thompson has 34 goals and 36 assists for the Sabres. Alex Tuch has six goals and three assists over the past 10 games.
Tom Wilson has 24 goals and 26 assists for the Capitals. Pierre-Luc Dubois has four goals and three assists over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Sabres: 8-1-1, averaging 4.1 goals, 6.7 assists, 4.7 penalties and 12.9 penalty minutes while giving up 2.8 goals per game.
Capitals: 5-5-0, averaging 2.9 goals, 4.5 assists, 3.3 penalties and 7.7 penalty minutes while giving up 2.4 goals per game.
INJURIES: Sabres: None listed.
Capitals: None listed.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
The top four seeds seem to be locked up, but the bubble is as unstable as ever. It seems like no one wants to grab a spot in both hands. It should make for a nervy few days.
The 2026 NCAA tournament selection show is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET on CBS, though it could be delayed if the Big Ten tournament championship game runs long.
When does March Madness 2026 start? NCAA Tournament schedule
The 2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament will take place over the next three weeks, which will end with the Final Four and the national championship game in Indianapolis.
Here’s a rundown of the schedule for the 2026 NCAA Tournament:
The Harlequins fly-half will win his 50th cap against France but it still appears the head coach lacks faith in him
When Steve Borthwick is summoned to Twickenham to explain what will be England’s worst Six Nations campaign should they lose to France on Saturday, to effectively fight for his job, he would be well advised to give the Rugby Football Union’s strategic plan another read.
Released in January, the RFU made clear Borthwick’s aim “is not only to consistently win senior international competitions, but to do so in a way that inspires future generations”. He has failed on both counts but it is the second charge – that England have been thoroughly uninspiring – he must sufficiently answer if he is remain in place for next year’s World Cup.
SALT LAKE CITY — There was no sugarcoating an ugly first-half performance from the Knicks in the locker room, and the harsh words during the break helped spur a comeback in Wednesday’s 134-117 victory over the Jazz.
“It was our halftime speech, in terms of how we came at each other, where we tried to hold each other accountable,” Clarkson said. “And then just came out here and wanted to win.”
What was the message?
“Get our s–t together,” said Clarkson, adding that the discussion was started by the coaches before the players took over.
The Knicks responded by picking up the defense and, more important, being careful with the ball on offense. Coach Mike Brown broke down the tale of two halves.
“We committed eight turnovers for 14 points [in the first half] and a lot of them were unforced,” the coach said. “A lot of those turnovers led to easy baskets in transition for Utah. They had 27 fast-break points in that first half, the way we calculate it.
“We cleaned both those areas at halftime. We had just four turnovers in the second half, giving up four points off those turnovers, and then we gave up just five fast-break points in the second half. And that was the difference in the game. We gave ourselves an opportunity to shoot the basketball. And when we did, it obviously went in.”
Jordan Clarkson, who scored 27 points off the bench, goes up for a layup as Oscar Tshiebwe defends during the Knicks’ 134-117 win overt the Jazz in Salt Lake City on March 11, 2026. AP
The Knicks outscored the Jazz 78-52 in the second half. And that happened after a fire was lit under the players at halftime.
“It helped us win,” Brunson said.
Barring a shocking NBA Finals matchup, there will be no Stephen Curry at MSG this season.
The Golden State guard, who has missed the past 15 games with a bone bruise in his right knee, will be re-evaluated in 10 days, the team announced Wednesday.
That means the game at MSG on March 15 is off the table.
Curry, 37, has 10 straight wins at MSG, including last year during his 28-point performance.
He scored 54 points at the Garden in 2013.
Josh Hart was ruled out of Wednesday’s game with knee soreness.
He was replaced in the lineup by Landry Shamet, although the starters struggled as a unit in Utah.
Verstappen predicted his Red Bull probably couldn’t go any higher than fifth place this weekend in the Chinese Grand Prix — even if he starts much closer to the front in Sunday's race in Shanghai — because of the big gap between Mercedes and Ferrari and all the other teams.
“Honestly, it’s such a jungle out there at the moment," Verstappen said Thursday at the driver news conferences in Shanghai. “I mean, I would hope that it gets a bit closer ... but it’s clear that at the moment we cannot fight with those cars.”
It's not the first time Verstappen has taken a swipe at the sport's new regulations, which he thinks are anti-fun, anti-racing and could potentially be dangerous.
F1’s new cars are complex, with unprecedented changes across the chassis and power unit, which now feature an almost 50:50 output split between the turbo 1.6-liter V6 engine and electrical energy harvested from the brakes — one that requires a new, often counterintuitive driving style.
One of Verstappen's concerns is starting the race with empty batteries in the hybrid cars. Franco Colapinto only very narrowly avoided Liam Lawson at the start of the Australian Grand Prix, with the Racing Bulls car was slow off the line with minimal battery power — many drivers started with depleted batteries among the teething issues with the new rules.
“There are a few simple solutions, but they need to be allowed by the FIA, with the battery related stuff, because, yeah, starting with the 0% battery — not a lot of fun and also quite dangerous,” Verstappen said. "You can see, I mean, we almost had a massive shunt in Melbourne in the start.
“This is something that I think can be easily fixed.”
As for speculation he may quit if reforms aren't made quickly, Verstappen said: “I don’t want to leave, but I also hope, of course, that it gets better.
“I’ve had discussions with F1 and FIA and, I think, we are working toward something, hopefully, and, hopefully that will improve everything," he said, without elaborating on what the changes might be. “I hope already for next year we can already make a decent improvement.”
A 24-hour switch
In the meantime, in the search of more “fun,” he has confirmed this week he'll be driving his first 24-hour sportscar race at the historic Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit in May. F1 hasn’t used it since 1976, when then-reigning champion Niki Lauda suffered severe burns in a crash.
“It’s one of the best races in the world, it’s one of the best tracks. I mean, honestly, in a GT car for me that’s like the perfect speed round there," Verstappen said. "I think if you go anything faster it can be a bit dangerous in places."
“I mean, I’ve been watching it, of course, for a long time. I know a lot of my friends, of course, that have been racing in it already. They say it’s one of the best things ever, and I like racing other cars as well.”
The 28-year Verstappen says he still has career ambitions.
“I don’t need to be only a Formula 1 driver, I can also do other things," he said. "I’ve done this for a while and I’ve achieved everything that I wanted to achieve, so that’s why I want to explore other things, and I don’t want to do them when I’m 40 years old. So now I think this is the perfect age to do it.”
The win streak lives on for the San Antonio Spurs, as they find themselves halfway to another double-digit tally. They’ve only lost one game between the months of February and March, as they’ve worked their way into a hot pursuit of the NBA-leading Oklahoma City Thunder, and the #1 seed in the Western Conference.
However, in order to achieve that goal (and further extend the streak), they’ll likely have to win their way through one of the toughest stretches of the season.
Starting with the Nuggets, the Spurs will then face the rapidly rising Charlotte Hornets, a Clippers team that was one quarter away from running them off of the court, and (after a breather against the Kings) match-ups against the Phoenix Suns (tanking Pacers) and Miami Heat.
Let’s get back to Denver, though, who just got finished laying waste to the #4 seed that is the badly-listing Houston Rockets, to the tune of 129-93.
How did they manage that, you might ask? Oh, by having 8 different Nuggets score 15+ points, that’s all.
With all the injuries they’ve endured to key players this season, it’s been easy to forget that the Nuggets are also an incredibly deep squad.
That the Nuggets were without Nikola Jokic and Aaron Gordon for weeks, and are still just a game out of the 3# seed is a testament to that depth, and how (not unlike the Spurs) they have been tested to the point of improvement and cohesion.
No longer does Jokic have to soak up all possible minutes at center after the addition of the still-reliable Jonas Valanciunas. No longer does the bench collapse in the absence of the Joker’s offensive impetus, ranking 7th in True Shooting Percentage and 5th in Field-Goal Percentage.
Denver’s front office has surrounded their big man with long-distance demons, to the tune of ranking 1st in the NBA in three-point percentage, at just shy of 40%.
The point being that when healthy the way they were Wednesday night, this Nuggets team might actually be the biggest roadblock for the Spurs come the postseason.
Pick an offensive stat. Just about any offensive stat, and I can guarantee the Nuggets are in the top 5 or top 10 of that category.
They’re great passers (9th in assists, 1st in assist%), great shooters (2nd in FG%, 5th in FT%), great at limiting mistakes (1st in assist-to-turnover ratio and 3rd best in limiting turnovers), and consequently, are great scorers (2nd in scoring).
Outside of injury, they do have two weaknesses, though.
One is rebounding, where they rank near the bottom third of the league (19th), and especially offensive rebounding (26th). Part of that is due to how many shots they sink, but in the event of a miss, the Spurs must keep the Nuggets from getting a second shot.
The other flaw is the defensive end. And by that, I mean, basically all of it.
The Nuggets are dead last in steals, 2nd to last in blocks, and rank 22nd in Defensive Rating. They’re about as bad as a team can be on defense and still be really good, and they do not create offensive opportunities on that end. And oddly, they’ve actually somehow been worse on that end (29th) over the last 5 games.
That could be very unfortunate timing for the Nuggets, just as the Spurs are on an offensive tear, ranking 1st in Offensive Rating, 1st in True Shooting, 1st in Effective Field Goal Percentage, 1st in three-point shooting (42%), and 3rd in scoring over that same five-game stretch.
There is, of course, a bit of a wrinkle, as it seems there must be.
Victor Wembanyama has found his way onto the injury report in questionable status, after a couple of games in which he flirted with 40 minutes and took more than a couple of shots to the face and body.
Speaking as someone who has thoroughly enjoyed and also assigned Wemby-Jokic match-ups a household priority since Wembanyama entered the league, that would be a bummer from the viewer/fan/basketball lover’s perspective. (Though, yes, I can certainly see the ‘long-term benefit’ *teenaged eye roll*)
However, I’m starting to find myself brimming with an almost idiotic degree of optimism, a dangerous thing for anyone who has to write about any team. You don’t have to write about humiliating losses. I almost certainly will.
But gosh-darn it, these kids have really been filling up my cup of joy! I think they can win this thing, with or without their fearless leader. They’re that good. They’re that tough. They’re that freaking cocky.
Here’s hoping Wemby’s healthy enough to play, and here’s hoping the Nuggets underestimate the kiddos if he’s not.
Go! Spurs! Go! (and please don’t make me regret this)
INGLEWOOD, CA - MARCH 11: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the LA Clippers drives to the basket during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 11, 2026 at Intuit Dome 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 Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
“Aspiration” is a funny word.
In one context, it’s the kind of corporate-sounding buzzword you might associate with some fake environmental company allegedly planting trees while secretly funneling money to star players to circumvent the NBA salary cap. But in medical terms, aspiration is something much less glamorous. It’s what happens when your saliva or vomit goes down the wrong pipe and ends up in your lungs instead of your stomach. It can lead to pneumonia. In severe cases, it can even be fatal.
And if you were watching the Minnesota Timberwolves Wednesday night inside the Intuit Dome, it felt like a pretty fitting metaphor. Because for the second straight game in Los Angeles, the Wolves essentially choked and flatlined.
Coming off two games where they couldn’t defend anyone and couldn’t buy a shot, Minnesota desperately needed a reset to stabilize a team that suddenly looked nothing like the group that had climbed its way into the Western Conference’s third seed just a week earlier. Instead, they ran straight into Kawhi Leonard, who looked like the Terminator if the Terminator could also hit midrange jumpers with robotic precision.
By the time the smoke cleared, the Wolves had given up 153 points, suffered a third straight loss, and fallen all the way back to the sixth seed in the Western Conference. For those of you who happen to be gluttons for punishment, let’s walk through how this thing spiraled out of control.
First Quarter: Turnovers and Kawhi’s Heater
The game started in about the worst way imaginable. In the first three minutes, the Wolves turned the ball over five times. That stretch helped spark a 12–0 Clippers run, and before anyone had even settled into their seats the Wolves were staring at a 12–2 deficit.
A Jaden McDaniels dunk and an Anthony Edwards three-pointer helped steady things briefly, trimming the score to a more respectable 18–9 halfway through the quarter. But the early damage had already been done.
Then Kawhi Leonard decided to get involved. Actually, “get involved” is underselling it. Kawhi essentially launched his own personal scoring rampage. At one point he outscored the Wolves by himself, scoring 14 points to Minnesota’s 12, pushing the Clippers lead to 28–12.
By the time the first quarter ended, Kawhi had piled up 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting, and the Clippers were comfortably ahead 38–27. At that pace, Los Angeles was tracking toward a score in the 150s, which (spoiler alert), turned out to be exactly where they ended up.
The Wolves had survived the first quarter, but it already felt like they were chasing the game.
Second Quarter: Edwards Fights Back, But Turnovers Strike Again
For a brief moment in the second quarter, Minnesota looked like it might stabilize. The Wolves actually started generating some stops, something that had been painfully absent over the previous nine quarters of basketball. Edwards knocked down another three, bringing his personal total to 10 points, and suddenly the score was 45–43.
Momentum shift, right?
Not quite.
The Wolves hit the bonus just five minutes into the quarter, repeatedly sending the Clippers to the free-throw line. That parade to the stripe helped stretch the lead back to 51–43, forcing Chris Finch to call a timeout.
To Minnesota’s credit, they responded. A quick five-point burst from McDaniels cut the deficit to 60–57, and suddenly the game felt competitive again.
But then the Wolves remembered they were playing Kawhi Leonard and that turnovers were their favorite hobby of the night. Another sloppy stretch led to an 8–0 Clippers run, and by halftime Minnesota found itself trailing 74–65.
The halftime stat that told the whole story? 15 turnovers, which Los Angeles had turned into 21 points.
The game still had the feel of a star duel brewing. Kawhi had 28 points at halftime, while Edwards had already piled up 23 of his own, but Minnesota’s sloppiness kept preventing any sustained push.
Third Quarter: Hanging Around… Barely
Coming out of halftime, the Wolves at least avoided getting immediately blown off the floor. For a while the teams traded buckets, keeping the margin within reach.
Then Kawhi and company stepped on the gas again. Back-to-back threes from Kawhi Leonard and Darius Garland pushed the Clippers lead to 95–76, threatening to turn the game into a full-blown rout.
To their credit, the Wolves finally showed some fight. Minnesota answered with a 9–0 run, trimming the deficit to 95–85 and at least giving the appearance that a comeback might be brewing.
By the end of the third quarter, the Wolves were still technically within striking distance, trailing 109–98.
And the reason they were still breathing was simple: Anthony Edwards.
Ant had taken control offensively by attacking the rim, getting to the free throw line, and picking his spots from deep. While the rest of Minnesota’s offense sputtered, Edwards kept dragging them back into the game possession by possession. It felt like one more run might make things interesting.
But that hope lasted about two minutes.
Fourth Quarter: The Clippers Slam the Door
Whatever oxygen remained in the Wolves’ balloon disappeared immediately at the start of the fourth. The Clippers came out firing, stretching the lead to 120–100 in a matter of moments. Just like that, the faint comeback hopes vanished.
From there it turned into a full avalanche.
Los Angeles ripped off another 17–6 run, pushing the lead beyond 30 and effectively ending the competitive portion of the night. With roughly half the quarter still to play, Chris Finch emptied the bench, sending out Joe Ingles and the young reserves to finish out the inevitable.
By the final buzzer, the Clippers had hung 153 points on Minnesota in an absolute demolition.
The Final Numbers
The box score told a pretty straightforward story.
Kawhi Leonard: 45 points
Clippers points: 153
Wolves turnovers: 15 in the first half alone
Edwards fought hard and delivered a 36-point performance, but the rest of the Wolves never provided the support needed to make it matter. Meanwhile, Kawhi played one of those terrifyingly efficient superstar games where every shot seems automatic and every defensive mistake gets punished.
A Team That Suddenly Looks Lost
After the game, Chris Finch didn’t offer any grand explanations for what’s happening to his team. He simply noted that the Wolves currently feel like they’re “worlds apart from where they were a week ago.”
That’s probably the most honest assessment. Just days ago Minnesota looked like a team climbing toward the top of the Western Conference standings.
Now they look like a group stuck in quicksand.
The three-game skid has allowed Houston, Los Angeles, and Denver to leapfrog Minnesota in the standings. The Wolves now find themselves right back where they started, clinging to the sixth seed in the West.
What Comes Next
The road trip isn’t over. Next stop: Golden State on Friday, where Minnesota will try to snap the losing streak before things get even worse.
Because if the Wolves learned anything in Los Angeles this week, it’s that in the Western Conference standings, you don’t just slide down the ladder.
Minnesota Timberwolves (40-25, sixth in the Western Conference) vs. Golden State Warriors (32-33, ninth in the Western Conference)
San Francisco; Friday, 10 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: Golden State aims to stop its three-game home losing streak with a win over Minnesota.
The Warriors are 22-21 in Western Conference games. Golden State is ninth in the Western Conference scoring 115.2 points while shooting 45.9% from the field.
The Timberwolves have gone 24-18 against Western Conference opponents. Minnesota has a 15-16 record against teams above .500.
The Warriors are shooting 45.9% from the field this season, 0.4 percentage points lower than the 46.3% the Timberwolves allow to opponents. The Timberwolves average 118.4 points per game, 4.2 more than the 114.2 the Warriors give up.
The teams square off for the fourth time this season. The Timberwolves won the last meeting 108-83 on Jan. 27. Julius Randle scored 18 points to help lead the Timberwolves to the win.
TOP PERFORMERS: Moses Moody is scoring 11.9 points per game and averaging 3.3 rebounds for the Warriors. Brandin Podziemski is averaging 16.1 points and 8.4 rebounds over the last 10 games.
Randle is averaging 21.2 points, seven rebounds and 5.2 assists for the Timberwolves. Anthony Edwards is averaging 27.9 points, 3.2 assists and 1.8 steals over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Warriors: 3-7, averaging 113.4 points, 46.0 rebounds, 31.3 assists, 9.3 steals and 4.6 blocks per game while shooting 44.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 117.2 points per game.
Timberwolves: 7-3, averaging 112.8 points, 43.2 rebounds, 24.0 assists, 9.3 steals and 5.7 blocks per game while shooting 48.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 112.8 points.
INJURIES: Warriors: Jimmy Butler III: out for season (knee), Stephen Curry: out (knee), Moses Moody: day to day (wrist), Seth Curry: day to day (sciatic nerve), Quinten Post: day to day (foot), De'Anthony Melton: day to day (adductor).
Timberwolves: Ayo Dosunmu: out (thumb).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
BOTTOM LINE: Orlando will try to keep its three-game home win streak alive when the Magic play Washington.
The Magic are 7-5 against the rest of their division. Orlando is seventh in the Eastern Conference with 32.6 defensive rebounds per game led by Paolo Banchero averaging 7.4.
The Wizards are 2-11 against Southeast Division teams. Washington allows 123.7 points to opponents while being outscored by 11.1 points per game.
The Magic are shooting 46.5% from the field this season, 1.5 percentage points lower than the 48.0% the Wizards allow to opponents. The Wizards average 112.6 points per game, 1.2 fewer than the 113.8 the Magic give up.
The teams square off for the fourth time this season. In the last matchup on March 4 the Magic won 126-109 led by 37 points from Banchero, while Will Riley scored 19 points for the Wizards.
TOP PERFORMERS: Banchero is averaging 22.3 points, 8.6 rebounds and five assists for the Magic. Desmond Bane is averaging 26.1 points and 4.7 assists over the last 10 games.
Alex Sarr is averaging 17.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and two blocks for the Wizards. Riley is averaging 15.4 points over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Magic: 7-3, averaging 114.9 points, 45.8 rebounds, 27.2 assists, 7.7 steals and 4.9 blocks per game while shooting 47.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 107.8 points per game.
Wizards: 1-9, averaging 114.8 points, 39.3 rebounds, 24.0 assists, 7.4 steals and 5.0 blocks per game while shooting 48.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 128.5 points.
INJURIES: Magic: Franz Wagner: out (ankle), Anthony Black: out (back).
Wizards: Jamir Watkins: day to day (foot), Anthony Davis: out (finger), Cam Whitmore: out for season (shoulder), Kyshawn George: out (elbow), D'Angelo Russell: day to day (not injury related), Bub Carrington: day to day (hip).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
New Orleans Pelicans (22-45, 12th in the Western Conference) vs. Houston Rockets (40-25, third in the Western Conference)
Houston; Friday, 8 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: The New Orleans Pelicans take on Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets in Western Conference action Friday.
The Rockets are 6-6 against the rest of their division. Houston ranks third in the Western Conference with 52.4 points per game in the paint led by Alperen Sengun averaging 13.7.
The Pelicans are 6-7 against the rest of the division. New Orleans is eighth in the Western Conference scoring 115.6 points per game and is shooting 46.5%.
The Rockets average 114.2 points per game, 5.8 fewer points than the 120.0 the Pelicans allow. The Pelicans are shooting 46.5% from the field, 0.6% higher than the 45.9% the Rockets' opponents have shot this season.
The two teams square off for the third time this season. The Rockets defeated the Pelicans 119-110 in their last meeting on Jan. 19. Jabari Smith Jr. led the Rockets with 32 points, and Trey Murphy III led the Pelicans with 21 points.
TOP PERFORMERS: Durant is shooting 51.4% and averaging 25.9 points for the Rockets. Reed Sheppard is averaging 3.9 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
Murphy is averaging 22.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.6 steals for the Pelicans. Saddiq Bey is averaging 20.7 points and 5.2 rebounds over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Rockets: 6-4, averaging 113.9 points, 47.0 rebounds, 25.4 assists, 7.9 steals and 5.8 blocks per game while shooting 49.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 113.0 points per game.
Pelicans: 7-3, averaging 121.0 points, 46.9 rebounds, 26.2 assists, 8.9 steals and 6.8 blocks per game while shooting 47.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 116.0 points.
INJURIES: Rockets: Jae'Sean Tate: out (knee), Fred VanVleet: out for season (acl), Steven Adams: out for season (ankle), Dorian Finney-Smith: out (ankle).
Pelicans: Bryce McGowens: out (toe).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
BOTTOM LINE: San Antonio comes into a matchup with Denver as winners of five games in a row.
The Spurs are 28-13 against Western Conference opponents. San Antonio is the NBA leader with 35.2 defensive rebounds per game led by Victor Wembanyama averaging 9.2.
The Nuggets are 24-14 in Western Conference play. Denver scores 120.4 points while outscoring opponents by 4.1 points per game.
The Spurs are shooting 48.1% from the field this season, 1.1 percentage points higher than the 47.0% the Nuggets allow to opponents. The Nuggets are shooting 49.3% from the field, 4.2% higher than the 45.1% the Spurs' opponents have shot this season.
The teams meet for the second time this season. The Spurs won 139-136 in the last matchup on Nov. 29.
TOP PERFORMERS: Wembanyama is scoring 24.2 points per game with 11.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists for the Spurs. De'Aaron Fox is averaging 17.3 points and 3.2 rebounds while shooting 52.9% over the last 10 games.
Jamal Murray is averaging 25.5 points and 7.1 assists for the Nuggets. Nikola Jokic is averaging 29.1 points and 12.9 rebounds while shooting 53.9% over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Spurs: 9-1, averaging 121.6 points, 44.8 rebounds, 30.7 assists, 7.2 steals and 6.9 blocks per game while shooting 49.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 110.1 points per game.
Nuggets: 5-5, averaging 121.2 points, 46.1 rebounds, 28.9 assists, 6.9 steals and 3.1 blocks per game while shooting 48.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 116.1 points.
INJURIES: Spurs: David Jones Garcia: out for season (ankle), Harrison Barnes: day to day (ankle), Lindy Waters III: day to day (illness).
Nuggets: Peyton Watson: out (hamstring).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Isaiah Brickner had 23 points and 10 rebounds — his first double-double of the season — and Brody Rowbury scored 12 points to help seventh-seeded Idaho beat No. 4 seed Montana 77-66 on Wednesday night to win the Big Sky Conference Tournament and clinch a berth in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in nearly 40 years.
Idaho (21-14), which played its fourth game in five days, has won five in a row and won the Big Sky Conference Tournament for the first time since 1990. The Vandals snapped a nine-game losing streak against Montana and leads the series 113-99.
Kolton Mitchell added 11 points and Trevon Blassingame scored 10 for Idaho.
Under third-year coach Alex Pribble, the Vandals have their most victories since they also won 21 games in 2015-16.
Money Williams and Te’Jon Sawyer led the Grizzlies (18-16) with 19 points apiece and Brooklyn Hicks scored 11.
Williams scored a tournament-record 91 points, breaking the mark of 83 set by Montana's Anthony Johnson in 2010.
The Grizzlies beat No. 1 seed Portland State 75-72 and Idaho knocked off third-seeded Eastern Washington 81-68 in the semifinals.
Up next
Idaho: Looks to Selection Sunday.
Montana: Awaits a potential postseason invitation.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 01, 2026: Germán Márquez #33 of the San Diego Padres throws a pitch during the first inning of a spring training game against the San Francisco Giants at Scottsdale Stadium on March 01, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by David Durochik/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Padres fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.
The San Diego Padres entered the 2026 season knowing they would have to address needs in the starting rotation, but with a limited budget, doing so through free agency proved to be difficult. San Diego re-signed Michael King, who could easily be considered the ace of the staff and that was the one “big signing” that was made to address the rotation. At the very least, King would be considered a co-ace with Nick Pivetta, who finished sixth in Cy Young voting following the 2025 season.
The return of Joe Musgrove gave the Padres a solid top of the rotation, and if Randy Vasquez could continue to improve throughout Spring Training and into the season, the top four spots in the rotation would be set. San Diego would need to address the fifth starter in the rotation and general manager A.J. Preller attempted to do so by bringing in several veteran pitchers on minor league deals to compete with JP Sears, Matt Waldron and potentially Kyle Hart, who were already on the roster. Hart has been used more as a long-relief bullpen arm and seems to be out of starter consideration.
Preller signed German Marquez to a major league deal and Walker Buehler, Marco Gonzales and Triston McKenzie to minor league deals. They all came to Spring Training with a chance to win a spot in the rotation. Each pitcher has had positives and negatives this spring, but only McKenzie seems to have played himself out of consideration due to control issues. The right-hander has good stuff and a high-velocity fastball, but his ability to command his pitches could be what keeps him off the roster.
Marquez seems to have the liveliest arm in the group of rotation contenders, but he has not been able to stand out from the group and take control of the competition. Buehler, who was previously known as a fastball pitcher, is re-inventing himself and becoming more of a “pitcher,” relying on movement to keep hitters off balance. Gonzales has had a spring similar to Marquez. He has not been bad, but he has not done anything to separate himself from his competitors.
Sears continues to have trouble with the home run ball. He has been a flyball pitcher for his career, but the problem he runs into is that too many of those flyballs land beyond the outfield wall in the stands.
With Opening Day approaching March 26, Preller, manager Craig Stammen and pitching coach Ruben Niebla will have to decide who will make the roster and fill the final rotation spot. With news in recent days of Pivetta missing a start due to arm fatigue and Musgrove’s return to the mound after one spring start in question, perhaps multiple candidates will make the Padres roster.
For this week’s Padres Reacts Survey, Gaslamp Ball asks readers which candidate they think will win the fifth and final spot in the rotation. For this exercise, let’s assume King, Pivetta, Musgrove and Vasquez are all healthy and on the Opening Day roster. Results will be published later in the week.
HOUSTON — Vinnie Pasquantino, walking though the corridor with a half-empty can of beer Wednesday night, lifted up his blue suit jacket, smelled it, and wrinkled his nose.
He has worn the same suit every day, to day games and night games, with Team Italy at Daikin Park, maintaining the tradition Italy manager Francisco Cervelli established for his team in this World Baseball Classic.
But Pasquantino may have made a serious wardrobe miscalculation.
Team Italy, which was supposed to be dismissed from the World Baseball Classic after four games in pool play, is sticking around for awhile, and perhaps may have another flight to catch. It pulled off a second consecutive stunning upset Wednesday, 9-1, over Mexico.
The team that was supposed to be an afterthought, suddenly is on everyone’s forefront, sweeping all four games in the WBC to win Pool B and be a No. 1 seed for the first time in Italy history. It will play Puerto Rico on Saturday afternoon at Daikin Park for the right to play in the semifinals in Miami.
“There’s another team in the world that can play baseball,’’ Cervelli proudly said.
And there’s another slugger in the world who can hit three home runs in a single game, becoming the first player to achieve the feat in World Baseball Classic history.
So, is there a nickname Pasquantino wants after his feat, considering Reggie Jackson earned his monicker after hitting three homers in Game 6 of the 1977 World Series for the Yankees?
“Mr. March,’’ he said, laughing.
“It’s just a good night. That's it. This will be forgotten very soon. But you know, anytime you can just say Reggie Jackson's name to me is cool.’’
When was the last time Pasquantino, the Kansas City Royals first baseman, hit three homers in a game?
“I've never done it before,’’ he said.
College?
“No.’’
High School?
“No.’’
Little League?
“Never.’’
And never had the Hall of Fame ever reached out and requested anything from him to be displayed in Cooperstown.
Then, again, he might become the first one to flatly turn them down. Well, at least delay them a bit.
“They liked the bat,’’ Pasquantino said. “I said, 'I need the bat for a few more days.’’
When you go hitless in the first three games of the WBC, and get so desperate that you actually attempt a bunt in your first at-bat Wednesday, you’re sure not going to hand over the bat that made you an overnight WBC legend.
“Just nice to be involved and help the team offensively,’’ Pasquantino said. “It's no secret how I'd been doing prior. So, you know, we worked really hard to try to get right, and tonight was a good night.’’
Pasquantino’s struggles were so pronounced that simply laying off a 2-and-2 slider in the eighth inning, instead of chasing a slider that was low, was his proudest moment of the night. He hit the next pitch 337 feet over the right-field fence.
“I had been chasing quite a bit to the point that, you know, I wanted to just cry,’’ said Pasquantino. “Just like, 'Hey, stop chasing balls. Just take balls.' And I took that pitch. And I think I was about as happy as I could be.’’
Pasquantino, their leader who orchestrated the espresso shots after homers, parading in the dugout with an Armani jacket and passing out celebratory bottles of wine after victories, refused to let his struggles carry over into the clubhouse. His teammates will tell you he was the same guy, clowning around, keeping everyone loose.
“He's been the happiest player on the team,’’ Italy second baseman Jon Berti said. “Trust me.’’
Yet, Pasquantino's struggles were burning inside, and only Italy’s victories kept his sanity.
“Francisco and I had talked about it, and I said, 'Skip, if you need to drop me in order, do it because I understand,’’’ Pasquantino said. “It's been bad. But I felt like I was still competing and giving it my best. (USA pitcher) Nolan McLean made me look like I'd never hit a baseball before last night.
“So, I'm glad we were able to do something productive tonight.’’
Yes, for the first time in the WBC, he actually got to keep a bottle of the fine wine for himself. He also presented one to Marco Mazzieri, the Italian Baseball Federation president, for making this all possible.
“I'm like weirdly emotional tonight,’’ Pasquantino said, “to the point I'm thinking about crying. Which is funny for a tournament in March.’’
Pasquantino thinks about the players on the team who risked losing their jobs in spring training to come play for Italy. He thinks about the guys who may wind up in the minor leagues instead of the big leagues because of the time away from their team. He thinks about players like White Sox catcher Kyle Teel, who will be out four to six weeks with a strained hamstring after stretching a single into a double against the USA.
And he gets emotional about playing for Cervelli, GM Ned Colletti, Mazzieri and Yankees great Jorge Posada.
“I'm so thankful for those guys for allowing me to be myself,’’ Pasquantino said, “and to lead this team the way that I've kind of seen from a player perspective. They have to do what they need to do from a leadership side, from a coaching staff. But to kind of give me the reins to say, 'All right, this is your team, what do you want it to look like?’
“It doesn't mean that I'm making decisions or anything, but it just means, like, what can we do to get the best out of every player? And honestly, like the 'C' on my chest, which we argued about if I was going to wear or not, that's what that means to me. It wouldn't matter. What matters is trying to get the best out of my teammates, and they've given me the freedom to try to do that, whether it's taking mound visits or talking to the group.’’
Cervelli, who was mentored by Hall of Famer Joe Torre, and brings the great Yankees tradition to the team, knows the value of leadership, being around Derek Jeter, CC Sabathia and Posada during his playing days.
Pasquantino may not have the Hall of Fame resume, but those leadership qualities, they are all there.
“I think leaders, they're born like that,’’ Cervelli said. “This guy, everybody follows him. He respects everyone. He can be loud sometimes when he needs to. He doesn't talk that much. Everybody follows him.
“That's a leader. He put himself before everyone to protect everyone, not because it's Vinnie, that's what a captain is. This is amazing to have. It's a pleasure for me to have a player like that because it makes my job very easy.’’
It was Pasquantino’s leadership that prevented Italy from having an emotional letdown after beating the USA in the biggest victory in Italian history just 24 hours earlier. They sat around and talked about the tiebreakers. They were told they could actually lose to Mexico, but as long as they didn’t give up more than four runs, they’d earn a tiebreaker over the USA.
They talked about all of the scenarios, and then Pasquantino put a stop to it.
“Just being realistic, there was a lot of conversation if different scenarios arise,’’ Pasquantino said, “what do we do? Then finally, we just got together and said, 'You know what? Let's just win the game.’
“So last night when we were celebrating, we had a good time in the locker room. But I said to the guys, 'Once midnight hit, guys, we've got to get going.' We stayed and we hung out and we had a good time. But it was a lot of hanging out and just, 'What are we going to do tomorrow? How are we going to win this game?'"
They won the game by jumping on Pasquantino’s back as he hit the three solo homers, the arm of Aaron Nola who pitched five shutout innings, and the contributions of seven different players producing hits, and six different pitchers getting outs.
“Tonight, we just handled business,’’ Pasquantino said. “That was the expectation. And it was awesome.’’
Next stop: vs. Puerto Rico on Saturday afternoon.
Win, and they have a flight to Miami for the semifinals, going where no Italy team has gone before.
So, considering Team Italy will be sticking around for awhile, perhaps it could be time to grab a new suit, particularly since the Italians have the next two days off.
But, hey, as long as Team Italy keeps winning, and the suit is working, how in the world can Pasquantino change the wardrobe now?
And, if someone wants to buy him a nice Italian designer suit, he knows just the guys who owe him.
Yep, Team USA, which staved off elimination in the WBC thanks to Italy’s victory.
“You're welcome, USA,’’ Pasquantino said on the field. “We were thinking of you guys over at your hotel. We were thinking of you guys, so glad you guys can join us in the party.’’
SEATTLE (AP) — Mikyla Grant-Mentis and Danielle Serdachny scored goals in the final six minutes of the third period, Alex Carpenter also had a goal, and the Seattle Torrent beat the Boston Fleet 3-2 on Wednesday night to snap a four-game losing streak.
Seattle (5-1-2-9) had lost back-to-back games following the Olympic break and went into the game last in the PWHL with 16 points.
Boston (9-4-2-3) — which had its six-game win streak come to an end — leads the league with 37 points.
Theresa Schafzahl and Susanna Tapani scored goals for the Fleet. Abbey Levy made her second start of the season, both against the Torrent, and had 35 saves. Levy had 27 saves as the Fleet beat Seattle 3-1 on Dec. 21.
Grant-Mentis scored a short-handed goal on a jailbreak to make it 2-2 with 5:13 left in the game and Serdachny’s one-timer off a pass from Natalie Snodgrass capped the scoring with 3:46 to go.
Alina Müller, on the left side, dropped a pass to Daniela Pejsova for a one-timer from just inside the blue line that was redirected by Schafahl over the stick-side shoulder of goaltender Corinne Schroeder to give the Fleet a 1-0 lead with 7 1/2 minutes left in the first period.
Carpenter, on the rush after a save by Schroeder, flicked a back-hand shot into the net with 5.6 seconds left in the first to make it 1-1.
Schroeder, who finished with 25 saves, parried a shot by Loren Gabel but couldn't control the puck and Tapani slammed home the rebound to make it 2-1 with 8 1/2 minutes left until the third period. The Torrent had 18 shots in the second period but went into the second intermission trailing by a goal.
Up next
Boston: Visits second-place Montreal (35 points) on Sunday.
