BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Josh Hubbard scored 15 points, Quincy Ballard added 13 and Mississippi State dominated LSU from the start in an 80-66 victory on Wednesday night.
Mississippi State shot 60% and outrebounded LSU 17-5 in the first 10 minutes while building a 30-10 lead. Later in the half, a 13-3 run left the Bulldogs with a 44-17 lead. It was 44-21 at halftime.
LSU was within 58-42 seven minutes into the second half before Epps hit two 3-pointers in a 10-2 Mississippi State run and the Bulldogs led 68-44.
The biggest lead of the second half was 72-46 with about 10 minutes remaining. LSU kept the margin under 20 points for the final six minutes, which included the game's final five points. It was the closest the game had been since 12 1/2 minutes remained in the first half.
Max Mackinnon scored 15 points, Dedan Thomas Jr. and Rashad King had 14 each and Pablo Tamba added 10 for LSU (13-8, 1-7 SEC).
Ja’Borri McGhee added 11 points and Sergej Macura had 10 for Mississippi State (11-10, 3-5).
Mississippi State bounced back after losing by 32 to then-No. 15 Vanderbilt on Saturday.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Bennett Stirtz scored 20 points, including two free throws with 4.6 seconds remaining, as Iowa survived USC's comeback bid to win 73-72 on Wednesday night.
The Hawkeyes (15-5, 5-4 Big Ten) led by as many as 17 points in the second half, but a rally by USC put the Trojans ahead by one point with eight seconds to go. Stirtz was fouled by USC's Jerry Easter II, and made both free throws to put Iowa back ahead.
Tavion Banks also had 20 points before fouling out with just over three minutes to go.
A 20-4 run early in the second half gave the Hawkeyes a double-digit lead, but Kam Woods single-handedly got the Trojans (15-6, 4-6) back into the game with a solo 12-0 run. Woods scored 19 straight points for USC before Jacob Cofie made the go-ahead layup. Woods finished with 33 points on 12-of-17 shooting after playing all 40 minutes. His previous season high was eight points.
USC led 28-27 at the half, led by Chad Baker-Mazara who scored 11 of his 13 points in the first half.
Alvaro Folgueiras added 14 points and five rebounds for Iowa, and Kael Combs dished a team-high four assists.
Artemi Panarin was held out of the New York Rangers' lineup on Wednesday, Jan. 28 for roster management purposes.
The Athletic and other media organizations said Panarin isn't likely to play before the Olympic break. The Olympic roster freeze begins on Feb. 4.
He's the most valuable trade asset the Rangers have after general manager Chris Drury said in a letter to fans that they planned to "retool" the roster. Panarin has led the team in scoring each season since signing as a free agent in 2019. He leads again with 57 points in 52 games.
Panarin is in the final year of his contract but has a full no-movement clause, meaning he has the final say on where he goes if traded. TSN reported that Panarin, who averages $11.6 million in his current deal, would want an extension lined up before signing off on a trade.
Here are some possible places where it could make sense for Panarin to end up in a trade:
They have been aggressive the past two seasons, trading for Jake Guentzel and Mikko Rantanen, though they weren't able to re-sign those players. The Hurricanes likely want to make a splash again as they try to get past the third round. They have cap space and a first-round pick.
The Red Wings are a legitimate threat to end their nine-year playoff drought. They made only minor moves at last year's deadline, which drew criticism. Acquiring Panarin would be a major addition and the Red Wings have tons of cap space. Panarin would be reunited with former Blackhawks and Rangers teammate Patrick Kane.
The Stars were also aggressive last season, trading for and signing Rantanen at the 2025 deadline. They could use forward help with Tyler Seguin out after ACL surgery. But they lack a first-round pick and their cap situation is tight.
If they could acquire and sign Panarin, it would help the team's future with Anze Kopitar going to retire after the season. They have a first-round pick and workable cap space.
Vegas Golden Knights
When are they not in the mix whenever a big name is available? They already traded for Rasmus Andersson this season. It doesn't matter what their cap situation is. They find a way.
Welcome to the Game Thread. Veterans of the Game Thread know how we do things around here, but for all you newbies we have a few rules. Our community guidelines apply and basically say be cool, no personal attacks, don’t troll and don’t swear too much.
The Spurs face the Rockets for the third time this season, a 121-110 Spurs victory on November 7 and a 111-106 loss where the Rockets shut down the Spurs in the fourth quarter, outscoring them 29-14 in the final frame. The Spurs’ offensive collapse in the fourth quarter of that second game has caused quite a bit of concern for fans of the Silver and Black, as it showed how the team can be disrupted by physical play, especially in the paint. The Spurs will have to come up with a response tonight, because if the fourth quarter is turned into a wrestling match between Alperen Sengun and Victor Wembanyama, it’s likely that Houston could come out on top again.
The Spurs will have to play more of a space and pace game to counter the grab and grind defense of the Space City gladiators tonight, and not leave Victor one on one against Sengun without help from his teammates. The Rockets are really clicking on offense, with both Alperen Sengun and Kevin Durant scoring 33 in their 108-99 victory over the Grizzlies on Monday night, so the Spurs defense will also be tested tonight. They can’t forget about Reed Sheppard, who burned the Spurs for 21 points in the previous contest coming off the bench.
The whole team looked a little off in the loss to the Pelicans a few days ago, where they forgot to play until late in the game and burned all their energy in catching up and had nothing left to finish. They can’t beat the Rockets by playing 1/3rd of a game, as they attempted to do to the Pelicans. Let’s see if the Spurs can get on a roll going into the All Star Break, just a little over two weeks and eight games away. After tonight, the Spurs have a few days of before they face the Hornets in Charlotte, who have been very dangerous lately. Let’s GO SPURS!!
Game Prediction:
Mitch Johnson is fired at halftime by a Pounding the Rock fan poll and is replaced in the second half with player-coach Jeremy Sochan. This is reversed at the end of the third quarter when it is determined that 75% of the votes were cast by 4 users using multiple aliases.
San Antonio Spurs at Houston Rockets January 28, 2026 | 8:30 PM CT Streaming: ESPN app TV: ESPN Reminder: It is against site policy to post links to illegal streams in the comments.
CINCINNATI (AP) — Baba Miller scored 18 points and grabbed 17 rebounds as Cincinnati took down Baylor 67-57 on Wednesday night.
Jizzle James added 17 points for the Bearcats (11-10, 3-5 Big 12 Conference) on 6-for-11 shooting. Miller recorded his ninth double-double this season, second most in the Big 12.
Cincinnati shot 39% (28% from deep) and Baylor 35% (23% from deep). Miller made all six of his attempts from the foul line, where the Bearcats were 11 for 14, while Baylor was 5 for 9.
Cincinnati never trailed, as Miller made a dunk on a fastbreak just four seconds into the first half. An 8-0 run extended the lead to double-dights less than eight minutes later, but Baylor answered with a 10-0 run. Cincinnati led 35-28 at the half.
Moustapha Thiam converted a three-point play with 16:14 remaining in the game that made it 45-35 and Cincinnati lead by double figures the rest of the sway.
Thiam finished with 14 points (6-of-12 shooting), and Jalen Celestine and Day Day Thomas had four assists each for the Bearcats.
Tounde Yessoufou scored 16 points and Obi Agbim added 14 for the Bears (11-9, 1-7), who lost their fourth straight game. Cameron Carr and Dan Skillings Jr. led with seven rebounds apiece.
Up next
Baylor: The Bears visit West Virginia on Saturday.
Cincinnati: The Bearcats visit No. 10 Houston on Saturday.
The Jazz had their first nationally televised game, and it did not disappoint… for the first half. In the second half, they fell apart and struggled mightily without Keyonte George. They also faced some familiar faces in John Collins, and Kriss Dunn. Dunn had a fantastic night, notching 5 steals and 14 points. These were not the same Clippers that the Jazz faced at the beginning of the season. At the end of the day, though, the Jazz are one loss closer to a top 3 pick in this year’s NBA draft.
With that out of the way, here are my player grades for tonight’s 115-103 loss to the Clippers.
Lauri Markkanen – C-
Lauri Markkanen looked fairly rusty this game, which is to be expected as it was his first game back since January 12th against the Cavaliers. He started the game shooting 1/6 and just not looking fully comfortable on the court. His night as a shooter did not improve as he would finish shooting 5/15 from the field. He did, however, have two blocks, including an impressive one on a James Harden shot attempt.
Cody Williams- B 🙂
Williams did a little bit of everything tonight, he had 11 points, two boards, and two steals on the night. He continues to be more aggressive on offense, as showcased by his beautiful up-and-under dunk over John Collins. It wasn’t a perfect night for him, however, as he did lose his handle on the ball on what should have been an easy dunk in transition. He also had the ball snatched away immediately after he got a steal. Overall, however, he shot 4/7 from the field and made one of his two three-point attempts.
Ace Bailey- B
If he were graded on his punctuality, Ace would get a big fat F for tonight, as he was late to his halftime interview because he headed to the locker room too early after drilling a three to end the 1st half. Thankfully, that’s not what he is being graded on, as he had a solid night, putting up 20 points while shooting 50% from the floor and making 4/9 threes. He also forced a jump ball on an impressive hustle play.
Kevin Love – C-
Not a night to remember for Kevin Love as he only had 3 points in 24 minutes. He shot a putrid 1/5 tonight and had the worst +/- of any Jazzman at -20. His night wasn’t a total stinker, however, as he still managed to grab 11 rebounds.
Isaiah Collier- B-
Collier had a solid night, dropping 12 points to go along with 9 assists, 4 rebounds, and only one turnover. He also had a pretty smooth fade-away jump shot over Harden. I am slightly discouraged to see him go 0/2 from three. His shot from deep just has very little arc and seems to always miss short. There is no question about his ability to pass the ball and drive to the rim, but the development of his three-point shot will determine whether his game can take the next step.
Brice Sensabaugh- C+
I had the toughest time grading Sensabaugh tonight out of everyone. He had 13 points on decent shooting splits, and he also forced an offensive foul on John Collins. Some of those points did come in garbage time, though, which is why I settled on a grade of C+ for Brice.
Taylor Hendricks – D
A night that Taylor Hendricks will need to put behind him as he continues to battle back after his horrific leg injury last season. In my notes for this game, I didn’t mention him once. I still believe in Hendricks 100%, but tonight was rough for him as he shot 0/4 to go along with 3 turnovers in just 12 minutes of gametime. He also posted a +/- of -15.
Kyle Filipowski- D+
On paper, Flip had a solid game. 8 points, 10 rebounds, and a +8 on the night. That, however, doesn’t tell the full story of his game. He got beat inside by the Clippers big men several times. The charge that was called on John Collins was a very generous call, because to me it just looked like Flip got bullied. His defense must improve if he wants consistent minutes heading into next season.
Walter Clayton Jr.- C-
Clayton played only 19 minutes tonight, which I thought was a slightly odd decision considering that Keyonte George was out tonight. He did nail a three and get a nice lay-up that probably should have been an and-one. Looking at the stats, he also had a block, which I have no mention of in my notes, and have no memory of seeing him get one, but I’ll take their word for it.
Kyle Anderson- B
Kyle Anderson was Kyle Anderson, providing a steady vet presence out there in a game without Jusuf Nuric. He did have 12 points on good shooting and 5 assists. Side note, I don’t think I will ever get used to watching the way he plays basketball. Just completely at his own pace, and with his own unique shooting form.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has told the Milwaukee Bucks he’s ready to be traded, and it puts speculation about his future into overdrive as the Feb. 5 trade deadline approaches. It appears the Bucks are resigned to their fate when it comes to trading their superstar forward, but it’s still possible they will wait until the summer for the best deal.
Rival teams are lining up to make Milwaukee their best offer, and right now there’s four teams considered “strong suitors” for Antetokounmpo. The New York Knicks, Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, and Minnesota Timberwolves were named by Charania as the teams who currently have the inside track on landing the Greek Freak. Charania gave his report during the ESPN NBA tip-off show on Wednesday night.
Notice that this report does not include a few teams often mentioned as potential Giannis suitors: the San Antonio Spurs, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Los Angeles Lakers, and Houston Rockets. The Rockets, Spurs, and Thunder reportedly don’t have interest in trading for Antetokounmpo at this time, and it’s likely that the Lakers’ best offer couldn’t come until this summer when they gain control of more tradable draft picks.
What could each of these teams offer? Let’s get into it.
Golden State Warriors’ Giannis trade offer
It might be wise to fade the Warriors’ future with Stephen Curry approaching his 38th birthday. If Golden State really is willing to go all-in to give Curry another superstar teammate for one last potential run, this is one hell of an offer. Butler is out for the year with a torn ACL, and Kuminga and Podziemski are middling role players, but the draft compensation here is significant. Outside of getting their own picks back, which seems impossible, betting against the Warriors at the end of Curry’s career might be the best Milwaukee can do.
Knicks’ Giannis trade offer
Giannis has always wanted the Knicks, and the Knicks have always been a terrible trade partner for Milwaukee. This trade is legal on Feb. 1, and at least it doesn’t have the Bucks taking back Karl-Anthony Towns. The Knicks can add first-round swaps in 2026, 2030, and 2032. They do not have a tradable first-round pick. The Bucks could probably immediately flip Anunoby and Bridges for significant draft compensation. It feels like this only happens if Giannis really pushes for it.
Heat’s Giannis trade offer
The Heat can add swaps in 2028, 2030, and 2032. The trade would keep Giannis in the East, and put him in a market where he would likely re-sign. Milwaukee getting three unprotected first-round picks and three swaps might be enough to pull the trigger. Second-year center Kel’el Ware is the best long-term asset in this haul, while Tyler Herro could probably be flipped for more picks in the offseason. I like this one the more I think about it.
Timberwolves’ Giannis trade offer
Randle and McDaniels are both good players who could be flipped to other teams for future draft assets. Beringer was Minnesota’s first-round pick in 2025, and projects as a super bouncy young center who could fit well in a Milwaukee rebuild. It still feels like the Wolves just don’t have enough draft capital to get it done. The 2026 pick is currently slated to be No. 20 overall. Even if Milwaukee can find two first-round picks out there for McDaniels (no guarantee), it still feels underwhelming.
The Dallas Mavericks will rest rookie sensation Cooper Flagg for Wednesday night's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the team announced earlier Wednesday.
Officially, Flagg is being held out for "left ankle injury management."
He scored 16 points in 34 minutes in the Mavericks' last contest on Jan. 24 against the Los Angeles Lakers. Flagg, the top pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, has had a few injury scares this year but has only missed three other games this season. He last missed games on Jan. 15 and 17 but had played in the Mavericks' last three contests.
For the season he's averaging 18.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists.
The Mavericks will also be without Klay Thompson, Dereck Lively II, Kyrie Irving, Dante Exum, Anthony Davis and Moussa Cisse, per the team.
The Yankees won 94 games — and nearly the AL East — last season without any contribution from ace Gerrit Cole.
What nearly derailed 2025 in The Bronx, rather, was the right elbow flexor strain that Aaron Judge suffered in late July.
So the fact Aaron Boone said Wednesday that Judge was “doing really well” in his throwing program as he prepares to play for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic may have been the most important news that came out of Wednesday’s Zoom call with Yankees hierarchy.
“He has ramped up his throwing program a little bit more because he’s ready for the WBC,” Boone said. “He’s ahead of the game, more so than he normally is, from a throwing standpoint. … He feels ready to go right away in camp.”
Asked if there was any concern Judge could be at risk, Boone said, “No, he looks great.”
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday that Aaron Judge was “doing really well” in his throwing program as he prepares to play for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. Paul J. Bereswill
As the Yankees know all too well, it was Judge’s toe injury in 2023 that played a huge factor in them missing the postseason for the only time in Judge’s career.
With the elbow injury a year ago, Judge returned to the lineup after a brief IL stint, but wasn’t able to play right field regularly until mid-September and then was a force the rest of the way, including in the postseason.
Anthony Volpe’s rehab from the partially torn labrum in his left shoulder is “going well” according to general manager Brian Cashman, although he declined to place a timeline on the shortstop’s return.
Anthony Volpe’s rehab from the partially torn labrum in his left shoulder is “going well,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Earlier in the offseason, Cashman said Volpe could begin hitting by mid-February and be back in April or May at the latest, with the expectation that José Caballero would fill in at short until Volpe returns.
“He’s here [in Tampa], working his tail off with a smile on his face, fully committed,’’ Cashman said. “We look forward to him rejoining us at some point at shortstop, sooner than later.”
Whenever Volpe does get back, he’ll be under the microscope again, coming off an inconsistent season in which he had another subpar season at the plate — although that could have been attributed in some part to the shoulder, which Volpe initially injured in May.
And his defense has also gone backward after Volpe won a Gold Glove as a rookie in 2024.
Cody Bellinger said he would be interested in representing Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, but not this year, just coming out of free agency.
Thursday night will feature a special moment in Jake DeBrusk's career. When the puck drops at Rogers Arena, the 29-year-old will skate in his 600th career regular-season game. Over the first 599 games, DeBrusk has recorded 341 points while also playing in 86 playoff games.
Hitting the 600-game mark is an impressive achievement for any player. The first 465 came with the Boston Bruins, while the remaining 134 so far featured DeBrusk in a Vancouver Canucks sweater. In an interview with The Hockey News, DeBrusk revealed that it was one of his younger teammates who reminded him that he was closing in on his 600th game.
"I haven't thought about that in a while, but yeah, I know it's lots," said DeBrusk. "You can go through the years, obviously, but a lot of good memories, a couple heartbreaks in there at the same time. Yeah, 600 games, a lot of games. I didn't even know about that till last game. Actually, Junior (defenceman Elias Petersson) told me about it. But, you know, we don't play the game to play games. We play the game to win. The 600 and I think 80-something playoff games as well. You know, I played a lot of hockey."
After recording 81 points in 72 games with the Swift Current Broncos of the WHL, DeBrusk was selected by the Bruins 14th overall in 2015. He was a player who rose up the rankings as the season went on and entered the draft as the 19th-ranked North American Skater. When asked about any advice he would have given his 18-year-old self, DeBrusk spoke about how he probably wouldn't have believed that he would one day play 600 games at the NHL level.
"I was pretty raw. Honestly, I don't even know. I think I'd probably say, get ready for 2019, because we went to the finals that year in game seven. That's probably what I would tell myself at 18. But if I told myself this at 18, my draft year, I don't think I would have believed you, to be honest with you. At the start of that year, I think I was ranked either in the fifth round or the sixth round. Was like a C or D prospect at the start of that year. So I would be shocked if I was able to say, Hey, this is what you've been doing in the future. I don't know if I change a whole lot. I think everyone would change certain things, but I don't know if I'll give myself a single piece of advice."
The 2015 class is considered one of the deepest drafts in recent memory as it included Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, Mikko Rantanen, Sebastian Aho, Kirill Kaprizov, Zach Werenski, Mathew Barzal and Brock Boeser. For Boston, though, it is seen as a missed opportunity as the organization had the 13th, 14th and 15th picks, yet only hit on DeBrusk. Even though DeBrusk turned into a successful player, he was used as a scapegoat to hide the fact that the Bruins' 2015 draft did not go as planned.
"I got asked about it a lot when I was a Boston, and obviously, I was the only one that really played. And I took the brunt of those questions from my rookie year on. So first and as a player, I was just happy to get selected by a team. It didn't really matter to me. I just was happy that the team wanted me. And coming into a situation in Boston, obviously, it was a great setup for me, but, yeah, I got asked about that a lot my first couple of years. Felt like I was kind of getting blamed for it, and you know, pushed me to become a better pro. And that's why I'm here, sitting at 600 right now. I think that's easy to say from the outset. But yeah, I took a lot of that heat, that's for sure."
Shifting back to the present, DeBrusk has experienced plenty of memorable moments in his career. He has played for an original-six franchise and been to the Stanley Cup Final. Overall, DeBrusk has packed a lot into the last decade, which is why it is hard to pick a favourite memory from his career so far.
"Yeah, probably my first playoffs. I think probably the first time playing in the post-season. You dreamed about as a kid. My rookie year, playing seven-game series, Winter Classics, first 20-goal season. Just little things. First goal is probably what I remember the most, how that felt. And, yeah, I would say probably those are the good memories, obviously, lots of different playoff goals. Usually, what I think about my career is my playoffs and just different little challenges that have come through that."
Jan 25, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Jake DeBrusk (74) during a stop in play against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
To wrap up the interview, DeBrusk was asked about any advice he has for the younger players on the team. Vancouver has one of the youngest rosters in the league, and is projected to get even younger as the organization enters a rebuild. For DeBrusk, he discussed the increased speed of the game and ensuring that, as a player, you don't lose confidence when the team is struggling.
"The NHL changes, it's a faster league. It's more skilled. You need speed. If you don't have speed, you die. We just played against a pretty young team in San Jose. And what's everyone talking about, how fast they were. Look at Chicago, look at the best team in the league in Colorado. Why are they so good, speed? So I look at that, and I think that's just how the game is changing. But in terms of these younger guys, just getting to know them. Obviously, it's a tough go. We're really struggling. So just try to be there for them if they need anything. Confidence is the biggest thing in the NHL. It's not something that is given to you at this level. You have to earn it, and you have to kind of keep it and learn how to stay with it. And when you lose, when you get scored on, it's human not to have any confidence. So for me, I just kind of look around and see how guys are doing in those terms. When you're young, you're trying to fight, to stay the next day. You're trying to fight, no matter what the score is or what's going on. So they got a pretty good read. But you know, they know I'm there for them if they need, and I try to crack a couple of jokes."
DeBrusk has had an impressive career to this point. As mentioned, he is closing in on 350 points and is on pace for his second-straight 20-goal season. Overall, DeBrusk provides value to the organization not just on the ice, but off it as well.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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rian Cashman, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the New York Yankees, and Aaron Boone #17 of the New York Yankees speak before game two of the American League Division Series against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Now that the Yankees have just about the whole band back together — the one that got knocked around in an ALDS loss to the Blue Jays — exactly why will this version have a better ending than the 2025 version?
That’s what Brian Cashman, Aaron Boone and the player that was at the center of the Yankees reunion, Cody Bellinger, tried to explain Wednesday.
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The answer lies in the development of some young players — Cam Schlittler for one — a full season with their trade deadline acquisitions from last summer and, most of all, the expected return of Gerrit Cole in the first half of the season.
Cole didn’t throw a pitch last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in the spring.
His rehab, as well as the rehab of Carlos Rodón, is going as expected, which is positive news in The Bronx.
Will it be enough, though, to get the Yankees past the Blue Jays — not to mention the improved Orioles and up-and-coming Red Sox — to win the AL East and then have a chance to upend the mighty Dodgers in the World Series?
“One series, make or break, is not gonna define what we think our capabilities are,” Cashman said of the ALDS loss on a Zoom call from Tampa. “We all understand in [the] postseason, you’ve got to bring your best baseball every series and if you don’t, you’re going home. It doesn’t mean we weren’t capable of great things. We just didn’t get the job done in that time frame against the Toronto Blue Jays, the defending American League champs.”
Boone was similarly confident.
“At the end of last year, in so many ways, it’s as good as I felt about our team heading into the postseason in the years I’ve been here,” Boone said. “Obviously, we got beat up in the division round. It didn’t go our way. That doesn’t mean it’s not gonna go our way the next time. We think we’re really good. That doesn’t mean we’re gonna win 94 games again. It doesn’t mean we’re gonna win 88. But we think we have the pieces.”
A source also told The Post’s Jon Heyman the Yankees have stayed in contact with Paul Goldschmidt as a right-handed bat to give the lefty-swinging Ben Rice some protection at first, but only if the price is right. They also continue to be interested in adding more pitching, as well as possibly a right-handed outfield bat, with Randal Grichuk and Austin Slater potential candidates, according to Heyman.
rian Cashman, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the New York Yankees, and Aaron Boone #17 of the New York Yankees speak before game two of the American League Division Series against the Toronto Blue Jays. Getty Images
And then there’s Bellinger, who signed a five-year, $162.5 million deal with a pair of opt outs to return to The Bronx after a successful first season with the Yankees following his trade from the Cubs last offseason.
“I feel really good with that,” Bellinger said of going into this year with a similar squad as a year ago. “That might not be what everyone wants to hear, but I love the group we had. We had great chemistry. I don’t think that can be understood unless you’re inside the clubhouse. We all played for each other.”
New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger triples. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Cashman, the architect, noted that there have been some alterations from a year ago, with some new arms, in particular.
“It’s not the same roster,” Cashman said. “We have some players at some point returning from the IL that are important players. Gerrit Cole is one of them.”
There’s also internal optimism that the upgrades they made at the deadline, with bullpen arms like David Bednar and Camilo Doval, in particular, as well as potential improved defense at third base from Ryan McMahon and more depth with Amed Rosario and José Caballero will pay dividends.
“I’ve been openly willing to challenge anybody that we don’t have a championship caliber roster [and] team,’’ Cashman said. “And it’s our job to try to make it better along the way.”
The Dallas Mavericks (19-27) host the Minnesota Timberwolves (28-19) on Wednesday evening. It’s the first game of a back-to-back for the Mavericks; they unexpectedly had three days off when their Sunday game was postponed due to weather. Dallas has won four out of their last five, with the lone loss coming last Saturday to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Timberwolves are on the other side; they lost five in a row before snapping out of it with a Monday win over the Golden State Warriors
Heres the main things you need to know before tipoff.
WHO: Dallas Mavericks vs Minnesota Timberwolves
WHAT: Trying to slow down Anthony Edwards
WHERE: American Airlines Center, Dallas, Texas
WHEN: 7:30 pm CST
HOW: KFAA Channel 29, MavsTV streaming, NBA League Pass
Dallas has an annoying injury report, but that’s been the entire stinking year. Cooper Flagg was ruled out due to an ankle injury or injury management, whatever you want to call it. I expect him to play tomorrow. Klay Thompson is out as well with knee soreness. Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, Dante Exum, and Dereck Lively are of course out. Anthony Edwards was the only Timberwolf on the injury report of note and he is playing.
This is going to be a close game somehow, I just have zero idea how that actually happens. Naji Marshall’s been given the green light and I expect more of that. PJ Washington needs to string together some decent games too. Dallas is going to have a hard time on the boards but if Ryan Nembhard can get the offense in a flow for the Mavericks, maybe they hang around and surprise the Wolves, who are talented but inconsistent as hell.
Consider joining Josh and me on Pod Maverick live after the game on YouTube, we should start LATE. Thanks so much for spending time with us here at Mavs Moneyball. Let’s go Mavs!
We don’t know how many more times LeBron James will play in the arena he called home for 11 years. As such, the Cleveland Cavaliers pulled out all the stops to make sure that the current Los Angeles Lakers star knew that what he’s done for the team and community is appreciated.
First, the crowd gave him the loudest ovation during pregame intros, which included a special welcome from the Cavs’ mascot, Moondog.
Then, the Cavs welcomed him back with a tribute video at the first timeout with highlights of his 25-straight point game against the Detroit Pistons in 2007. It was a fitting tribute, given that the current Cavs were sporting the same uniforms the team wore then.
Cavs welcome LeBron back with highlights of his 25-straight point performance against the Pistons in 2007. pic.twitter.com/m5RKXP0rtO
Anything bought from the links helps support Fear the Sword. You can find the awesome Cavs’ Starter jacket HERE. Homage’s entire Cavs collection can be found HERE.
James has the ability to keep playing the game at a high level, even if his athleticism has taken a notable decline in the last few seasons. Whether or not someone of his caliber wants to keep going if he isn’t able to play at the level he used to remains to be seen. James doesn’t have anything more to prove in this game.
Could Brooklyn Nets swoop in and steal Giannis Antetokounmpo from the New York Knicks … using the Knicks own first round picks? Wouldn’t that be juicy?
Well, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, Tim Bontemps, Dave McMenamin agree there’s indeed a possibility of a Nets offer in the Wednesday edition of their Hoop Collective podcast.“ Windhorst took the lead…
Will the Brooklyn Nets make an offer for Giannis?
No aggregation from Swamp Dragons, clipped straight from the source. Nets have 10 tradable firsts, 11 by draft day.
“I think Brooklyn will seriously consider making an offer,” Windhorstr said, noting the assets Sean Marks & co. have accumulated, particularly draft picks which are likely to the coin of the realm as well as good young players in any deal for the 31-year-old two-time MVP and one Finals MVP. A number of those assets — three remaining unprotected firsts in 2027, 2029 and 2031 as well as an unprotected swap in 2028 — were all part of the Nets haul from the June 2024 trade for Mikal Bridges.
“Brooklyn has 10 tradeable firsts and Michael Porter Jr. and 11 tradeable firsts as of draft night. Do we think Brooklyn will make an offer,” the ESPN’s top NBA insider asked amidst a back-and-forth between the three writers. “I think Brooklyn will seriously consider making an offer.”
Both Bontemps and McMahon agreed with Bontemps offering this: “A top five player becoming available … a lot of things are going to be discussed that you don’t know about and you don’t expect to hear. Players like this do not become available very often and while there are concerns about Giannis out-years on the contract, about his calf, all this stuff at the end of the day, he’s a top five player on the planet and those five players are still going to return big value in a trade.”
All of this was in a roundtable of discussion of which NBA teams would make a move for the near 7-footer who has finally made it clear he wants a new home. as their colleague Shams Charania reported earlier in the day
So far, the Knicks and Miami Heat are seen as the leading candidates, but the Knicks and Bucks tried and failed to come to an agreement during an exclusive trade window last summer. A big impediment was that Leon Rose had traded all those picks (plus two in last year’s draft) and a couple of seconds to Brooklyn in the Mikal Bridges trade. The Nets also have $15.3 million in cap space
Giannis, whose never played for any team other than the Milwaukee Bucks in his 11-year career, is going to be eligible for a five-year, $275 million extension come October no matter who controls his contract with.
Windy and Bontemps discuss the risks involved with that extension.
“Also, if you’re trading for Giannis who’s 31 years old, you’re also trading for the right to pay him $270 million in an extension this fall,” said Windhorst. “If you’re going to do that, you’re going to have to commit to that, do we agree on that?”
“Yes,” agreed Bontemps. “Can’t imagine many teams that would want to take Giannis on for the price it would take to get him that would only want him for a year and a half.”
Windhorst did say
The Nets of course, with the smallest payroll in the league and Joe Tsai and Julia Koch’s deep pockets — a combined net worth approaching $100 billion, wouldn’t likely flinch at Giannis price tag. He currently makes $54.1 million. However, agreeing to the full amount and term of an extension would mean paying him more than $60 million at age 37.
Marks made it clear at the Nets Media Day in September that if they were to defer from their rebuild, there would have to a belief that whoever they acquired would have to dramatically change the franchise’s course, not an incremental move up the standings.
“If you’re going after max level talent, they’ve got to automatically and absolutely change the trajectory of your team. This this can’t be ‘well, let’s go get this and lock ourselves in to being a six or seven seed.” he said. (Emphasis added.)
Windhorst et al didn’t offer any thoughts on whether Antetokounmpo would want to join Brooklyn, particularly since the Nets are currently one of the league’s worst team and he reportedly wants to join a winner. In previous reporting, ESPN and others have suggested that the Bucks front office would try to work with their franchise player to get him to a team he likes. How much patience the front office and new owner would have remains to be seen.
The ESPN trio weren’t the only pundits suggesting Nets interest but the most prominent voice, Jake Fischer, told The SteinLine that he could see the Nets as well as the Hornets and Jazz playing a facilitator roles.
Growing belief that we’ll see Brooklyn, Charlotte and Utah play facilitator in a few of these more complicated frameworks. Sources say Nets, Hornets, Jazz have all been reiterating in ongoing conversations that they’re willing to help grease trades in exchange for draft capital.
The Nets could have as many as 13 firsts going forward, including the 10 tradeable ones, as well as as many as 20 seconds (While the Nets may have more than enough seconds, they could swap out seconds from traditionally good teams like the Lakers and Celtics for picks likely to be higher. The Nets currently have three Laker seconds plus a Celtics second and a Warrior second.)
With the Phoenix Suns exceeding expectations a little more than halfway through the season, many have now started to give them their flowers for a successful season. Dealing with key injuries to guys like Jalen Green and, now, Devin Booker has had this team fighting top-tier teams while limited. Many guys on this roster have had to step up and shine in bigger roles, and one of those guys has been Dillon Brooks.
Brooks, who was a solid third option for the Memphis Grizzlies, was once said to be “under no circumstances” would be brought back. A player who was mocked by fans after a bad playoff series with the Shanghai Sharks then went to Houston and changed his narrative around the league. He is once again trying to rebuild here in the Valley this season, where he has certainly won over the fanbase by storm.
With his infectious energy and the effort this team lacked for years, he has finally built a name for himself in shifting the culture in the Valley. He has done that so well that he has started to get praise from former NBA players, even one of the Valley’s best, Charles Barkley.
Charles Barkley says Dillon Brooks deserves to be an All-Star
“What’s different than what he does than Draymond? What Dillon Brooks is doing for the Phoenix Suns is similar and comparable to what Draymond does for the Warriors when they were rolling, and he was like the third or… pic.twitter.com/hrI41Dkscg
Now what Barkley says in this snippet is fact. Brooks has been the culture shifter here and the perfect puzzle piece to mesh everything. If you need him to go out and get you a game-winning stop, he will. If you need him to be the leading shot taker because four top scorers are out, he can do that. This man is the do-it-all box of fun the fanbase has been salivating for to have on the core, and he is finally here.
Not to mention that Brooks is having a solid year, stats-wise. He is averaging a career-high 20.5 points this season, on a team where he is given more opportunities. Even if he is not close to 40% from three-point land like last year, in a bigger role, he is still shooting just shy of 35%, which is still impressive given his growth as a player. All of that, with 3.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.1 steals, looks like a great resurgence season for the man.
The main question is, will that be enough? We already saw, with the fan voting, how low Devin Booker ranked on the scale compared to the other Western Conference stars. I know fan voting isn’t all of it, but it seems like an uphill battle, especially with how deep the conference is.
Brooks is an all-star for this team and is a key part of the engine that keeps it going. He deserves it, but so do so many players, and the spots are so limited. That being said, with how many other stars are in this conference, I think he will not get there. But what are your guys’ thoughts?
