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Canadiens: Slafkovsky Rose To The Challenge

When Montreal Canadiens coach Martin St-Louis revealed his lines for Monday night’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, I’ll admit I wondered how Juraj Slafkovsky would react to losing his spot on the first line. With Zachary Bolduc set to skate alongside Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, the 21-year-old Slovak found himself on the second line alongside Oliver Kapanen and Ivan Demidov.

Ever since he joined the Canadiens, Slafkovsky has spent most of his time on ice with the team’s most productive duo, but he hasn’t produced as much as they did. That’s not surprising, though, since he’s not on the same level of skills, and that’s not why he was drafted; he was drafted because of his own skill set that has more to do with a physical style of play than finesse.

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On the ice, his role is to use his big body to retrieve pucks and allow his linemates to initiate or continue the attack. The fact that he has points in only 23.1% of the goals scored while he is on the ice at even strength and 39.1% of the goals scored on the power play reflects the nature of his role. As for his points per 60 minutes, it stands at 1.6. His style of play, however, doesn't mean his production should have decreased compared to last season.

At the end of the 2024-25 campaign, his points per 60 minutes stood at 2.2, and he had gathered 51 points. His even strength points percentage stood at 65.1%. He has already shown that he can be more productive than his numbers show this season. He’s on pace for 39 points this year, a significant decrease.

Taking those numbers into account, it made sense for St-Louis to try and shake things up a bit, and Slafkovsky understood to move and rose to the challenge. He was energetic on the ice and skating with purpose. The fact that he found himself on a line with rookie-of-the-year candidate Demidov probably helped; everyone can see just how talented the young Russian is.

While Slafkovsky didn’t pick up any points, he worked hard all night and provided the screen, which allowed Lane Hutson to tie up the score with less than two minutes left in the game. It takes time to build chemistry, but the signs were positive on Monday night, even if the “kid line” faced one of the Jackets’ top lines. It will be interesting to see what they can do with St-Louis controlling the match-up on home ice, if he decides to stick with those combinations.

Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social and Threads @karinehains.

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The Spin | Stokes’ England have reminded us all that cricket is meant to be fun

Bazball has been infuriating at times but never forget how bad England were before the Brendon McCullum era

Nobody talks about the last ball of the Ashes. It’s the first that’s famous. That wide that flies to slip, that cover drive for four, that wicket, bowled him! Last balls? I had to look them up. Moeen Ali slicing a drive behind to finish an innings defeat in a dead rubber in 2015; Boyd Rankin being taken at slip off Ryan Harris, Rankin playing in his one and only Test at the fag-end of a 30-over collapse in a 5-0 whitewash that’s been full of them in 2014; a Steve Harmison bouncer ricocheting away off Justin Langer’s shoulder for four leg byes, the only four Australia score in a run chase they’ll never get to make in 2005.

It’s the difference between wondering how things will go, and knowing how they do. One thing’s certain, there’s no guarantee there will be a happy ending. For the last decade, England’s Australian tours have ended in ashes, instead of with them. Andy Flower lost his job as head coach after one humiliating defeat, in 2013-14, Chris Silverwood lost his after another, in 2021-22. You can make a pair of XIs out of England players who played their last Test match at the back end of an Australian tour during the past 25 years, and still have a couple of men over to carry the drinks for either side.

This is an extract from the Guardian’s weekly cricket email, The Spin. To subscribe, just visit this page and follow the instructions.

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Jimmy Butler, Draymond reportedly ruled out vs. Heat alongside Steph Curry

Jimmy Butler, Draymond reportedly ruled out vs. Heat alongside Steph Curry originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors will be without, perhaps, their four best players as they close out their six-game road trip.

Steph Curry (ankle soreness) and Jonathan Kuminga (bilateral knee tendinitis) officially were ruled out of Wednesday’s game against the Miami Heat before ESPN’s Shams Charania reported shortly after on “NBA Today” that both Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green also are not expected to play.

Curry told reporters after Tuesday’s game against the Magic that he tweaked his ankle in San Antonio and re-aggravated it against Orlando.

“Those are the things that you just try to play through and try to figure out how to build momentum,” Curry said (h/t ESPN’s Anthony Slater). “We all know what the schedule’s been like. We try not to think about it too much, knowing it is what it is. You have to find a way to overcome it.”

Charania also reported that the Warriors are “optimistic” that all three of Curry, Butler and Green will return for Friday’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Chase Center.

After missing three games due to an illness, Curry joined the Warriors on the road and has been on a heater. In five games, he’s averaging 29.8 points on 48-percent shooting from the field and 39 percent from 3-point range in 30.4 minutes.

In Tuesday’s loss to the Magic, Curry scored 34 points in 34 minutes.

After the game, he told reporters he would see how he felt before determining his status in Miami.

“We’re just looking at how it responds because I did it again in the first half tonight,” Curry said Tuesday. “I don’t think it’s anything crazy, but we’ll see how it responds during the flight and how I feel tomorrow.”

Veteran guard Buddy Hield (illness) also was listed as questionable on the Warriors’ injury report, while center Al Horford (toe/injury management) will miss the second game of the back-to-back.

For Miami, Tyler Herro (ankle) is out and Bam Adebayo (toe sprain) is questionable against Golden State.

While the Warriors’ “Strength in Numbers” mantra let them down in Tuesday’s loss, they might have to rely on it to end the road trip with a win.

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Steph Curry out vs. Heat with ankle injury; Jimmy Butler, Draymond questionable

Steph Curry out vs. Heat with ankle injury; Jimmy Butler, Draymond questionable originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Warriors will be without their best player as they close out their six-game road trip.

Steph Curry was ruled out of Wednesday’s game against the Miami Heat with right ankle soreness, per the NBA’s latest injury report. Curry told reporters after Tuesday’s game against the Magic that he tweaked his ankle in San Antonio and re-aggravated it against Orlando.

“Those are the things that you just try to play through and try to figure out how to build momentum,” Curry said (h/t ESPN’s Anthony Slater). “We all know what the schedule’s been like. We try not to think about it too much, knowing it is what it is. You have to find a way to overcome it.”

After missing three games due to an illness, Curry joined the Warriors on the road and has been on a heater. In five games, he’s averaging 29.8 points on 48-percent shooting from the field and 39 percent from 3-point range in 30.4 minutes.

In Tuesday’s loss to the Magic, Curry scored 34 points in 34 minutes.

After the game, he told reporters he would see how he felt before determining his status in Miami.

“We’re just looking at how it responds because I did it again in the first half tonight,” Curry said Tuesday. “I don’t think it’s anything crazy, but we’ll see how it responds during the flight and how I feel tomorrow.”

Jimmy Butler III (back), Draymond Green (illness) and Buddy Hield (illness) are all questionable.

Warriors center Al Horford (toe/injury management) will miss the second game of a back-to-back. Jonathan Kuminga, who’s been sidelined for the last three games while dealing with bilateral knee tendonitis, will miss his fourth consecutive game on Wednesday.

For Miami, Tyler Herro (ankle) is out and Bam Adebayo (toe sprain) is questionable against Golden State.

While the Warriors’ “Strength in Numbers” mantra let them down in Tuesday’s loss, they might have to rely on it to end the road trip with a win.

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Numbers don't lie: Fourth Quarter Derrick is vital to Celtics' success

Numbers don't lie: Fourth Quarter Derrick is vital to Celtics' success originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Every season, we tie ourselves is knots trying to figure out if there are any not-so obvious bellwethers for the success of the Boston Celtics.

Give us a small enough sample size and we can convince ourselves that the presence of Kelly Olynyk’s headband or the color of Jayson Tatum’s shoes can, on their own, predict the success of those individual players on a night-to-night basis. Sometimes it feels as if the color of the Celtics jersey is enough to determine the final result. 

It is, of course, deeper than that. Crunch the numbers over a larger sample and most of these sartorial predictors get exposed.

But over the past three seasons, there is one very telling, non-apparel-related indicator of Boston’s success: Did the Celtics outscore their opponent during Derrick White’s fourth-quarter floor time? If so, there’s a good chance they won that night.

You see, “Fourth Quarter Derrick” and his knack for winning plays on both ends of the court is a very real thing.

On Tuesday night in Brooklyn, as the Celtics stumbled their way through a turnover-plagued outing against the lowly Nets at the Barclays Center, White channeled some of his familiar fourth-quarter heroics. He knocked down two timely 3-pointers. He drew a charge. He swatted Michael Porter Jr. to force a 24-second violation.

White finished with a team-high eight points in the fourth quarter as the Celtics outscored the Nets by 10 and emerged with a 113-99 triumph.

The Celtics are now 67-7 over the past three seasons when they outscore opponents during White’s fourth-quarter floor time. That’s a .905 winning percentage. Boston was 33-1 last season when the team won White’s fourth-quarter time. The C’s are 6-2 this season.

On the flip side, when the Celtics either tie or are outscored during White’s fourth-quarter floor time, they are 40-27 over the past three seasons (.597 winning percentage). That includes a 2-4 mark this season, as White has struggled to have his familiar fourth-quarter impact in the infancy of this new campaign.

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Balk if you’d like. We wouldn’t blame you for saying, “Thanks, Captain Obvious: If the Celtics’ starters outscore their opponent in the fourth quarter, there is a very good chance the team wins.” But we ought to know by now: As goes Derrick, so go the Celtics. And his fingerprints were all over getting Boston to the finish line of an otherwise sloppy night in Brooklyn.

Like everything White does, the numbers don’t leap off the page. He didn’t even rank in the top 30 last season for fourth-quarter scoring. But he simply had a knack for big plays in big spots, especially on the road. White did rank fifth in the NBA in fourth-quarter 3-pointers made last season, with 66. Only Stephen Curry, Malik Beasley, Anthony Edwards, and Zach LaVine made more. 

This season, White ranks 21st in the NBA in fourth-quarter points (26). He easily leads the NBA with 43 fourth-quarter 3-point attempts (eight more than second-place Grayson Allen), but has only connected on 30.2 percent of those shots. On the bright side, White is sixth in the NBA in fourth-quarter assists with 21 final-frame helpers (with only four turnovers in 139 minutes of floor time). 

In an eyesore of a game in Brooklyn on Tuesday night, a rare glimpse of Fourth Quarter Derrick was an encouraging sign, especially as he pulls himself out of an-early season shooting funk. We have a lot of data now, and all signs point to the Celtics’ success when White is at his best in the final frame.

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LeBron James reflects on ‘rise to the top' of NBA mountain alongside Steph Curry

LeBron James reflects on ‘rise to the top' of NBA mountain alongside Steph Curry originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

From NBA archnemeses to friends to teammates on the global stage, LeBron James and Steph Curry have come a long way.

If you told the NBA superstars 10 years ago that they’d be sitting side-by-side doing a podcast together, they probably wouldn’t have believed you. But growing in the game over the last two decades has made James and Curry as close as ever, and it’s something James is deeply appreciative of.

“When you’re trying to rise to the top of the mountain, you have guys that’s trying to stop me from getting there and vice versa,” James said after making his 2025-26 season debut Tuesday night. “Steph has been one of those guys throughout our career, we’ve been trying to get to the mountaintop, and we’re trying to knock each other off of it. That competition was brewing for a long time and every time we play against each other, it still brews.

“When you get to a certain age and you get to a certain level and you understand that appreciating greatness and appreciating things that you won’t be able to have for a long time ever after, when you’re done. You can look back on those moments, you don’t want to waste an opportunity to be able to build a relationship with somebody that you kind of share some of the same, I guess, goals in life. Our families. The way we go about our profession. The way we go about our everyday, trying to uplift people, inspire.”

James recently had Curry as a guest on his “Mind the Game” podcast that he co-hosts with NBA great Steve Nash.

The three discussed a variety of topics, including a nearly 10-minute segment where they broke down and analyzed their NBA Finals film from their many championship clashes.

Two of the greatest to play the game, breaking down film — it’s like being a kid in a candy shop for basketball lovers around the world.

“There’s so much mutual respect,” James shared, “and now it’s just even more respect just out of the simple fact that we can hop on a phone call or text or whatever. It was great [for] us to talk basketball in just the most easy, organic way with the two episodes and have that time, so it’s been cool.”

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Giants notes: Prospect acquired in Camilo Doval trade opens eyes in Fall League

Giants notes: Prospect acquired in Camilo Doval trade opens eyes in Fall League originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO — When they finally pulled the trigger on a Camilo Doval trade, the Giants opted to take several shots at finding help instead of pushing for one higher-ranked prospect. At the time, catcher Jesus Rodriguez was the clear centerpiece of the four-player package, but in this year’s Arizona Fall League another player emerged as a potential contributor from that trade. 

Infielder Parks Harber didn’t garner much attention at the deadline, which wasn’t surprising. He was undrafted out of North Carolina, and while he put up good numbers in the New York Yankees farm system before the trade, he was a bit on the older side for A-ball. 

The Giants sent Harber to the Fall League to get some more reps, and he ended up representing them in the Fall Stars Game. In 17 AFL appearances, he had a .383/.513/.683 slash line with three homers, nine doubles and 14 walks. Harber’s 1.196 OPS was fourth in the league, which is filled with some of the game’s top prospects.

“For him not maybe getting a lot of attention nationally or in the media, he surely got a lot of attention in our room,” general manager Zack Minasian said on the “Giants Talk” podcast. “It’s a credit to Hadi Raad, our pro [scouting] director, Josh Zimmerman, our director of player procurement, [VP of analytics] Paul Bien [and] a lot of our scouts who were on Parks. 

“I think what he has shown in the Fall League is just a continuation of what he did all last year in A-ball and High-A, and that’s just hit. He can hit, he impacts the baseball, he has shown decently at third base, maybe even better than what we expected. There’s maybe a chance to move him on the field and see where else he’s comfortable defensively, but I think the bat is real and it’s been fun to watch.”

Harber primarily has played first and third in the minors, but those two spots might be spoken for at Oracle Park for the rest of the decade. He made four appearances in right field in the Fall League, and that figures to be part of the plan moving forward. 

Harber was injured at the time of the trade, but he hit the ground running as a member of the Giants organization. In 25 games with High-A Eugene, Harber hit .333 with a 1.097 OPS and seven homers. The Giants were slow in promoting prospects last year, but given Harber’s background — including four seasons at big colleges — the 24-year-old should see Double-A early in the 2026 season. He might not have been a well-known prospect when the Giants acquired him, but they’re thrilled that he was part of the deal. 

“Right-handed power in our ballpark seems to fit pretty well,” Minasian said. “It’s always going to be a welcome addition.”

No Action

An offseason deadline came and went Tuesday without any moves from the Giants. They elected not to add any minor leaguers to their 40-man roster to protect them from next month’s Rule 5 Draft, which wasn’t a huge surprise. 

The Giants had several potential relief pitching candidates, but none who had done enough to force the front office into removing someone else from the 40-man, which currently is full. 

Will Bednar, the organization’s first-round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, was one potential option after his velocity ticked up in the bullpen this year. But he also had a 5.85 ERA in Double-A and Triple-A with 6.7 walks per nine innings. The Giants also elected not to protect 2022 first-rounder Reggie Crawford, betting that 29 other teams will pass on the left-handed reliever, who just had his second shoulder operation in as many years. Another club could draft Crawford and stash him on the 60-day IL, but he isn’t likely to be ready until the middle of next season at the earliest.

The Rule 5 Draft will take place on the final day of the Winter Meetings next month in Orlando. To protect a player, the Giants would have had to DFA someone, and while there are several candidates for that on the 40-man at the moment, they’ll need those spots for offseason additions. 

Coaching Tree

The 2021 season will always be a remarkable outlier in a decade of otherwise mediocre Giants baseball, and years from now people will still be trying to figure out exactly how it happened. One thing the Giants knew at the time was that their coaching staff was firing on all cylinders, and it’s more apparent than ever that there was a lot of talent in that room. 

With Mark Hallberg departing to become bench coach for the Minnesota Twins, there are now three members of that staff who are MLB bench coaches. Kai Correa is No. 2 with the New York Mets and Donnie Ecker is the next man up to Craig Albernaz, who was hired as Baltimore Orioles manager a few years after he coached the catchers for Gabe Kapler. 

Kapler himself is now the general manager in Miami, and he certainly can brag about his coaching tree. There were 13 coaches on that young and inexperienced staff, and just about all of them are now in notable spots elsewhere. Dustin Lind, the director of hitting on that staff, is another one who got an offseason promotion; he’s now Albernaz’s hitting coach. 

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Fantasy Basketball Trade Tips: Week 5 Buy, Sell, Hold

A month past your fantasy basketball draft, initial fantasy basketball rankings matter less than analyzing real-time production. With the injury report constantly shuffling NBA starting lineups, impacting stars like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Paolo Banchero, values are shifting rapidly. This week, we'll be talking about buying low on Desmond Bane, selling high on Michael Porter Jr., or holding VJ Edgecombe. Use our updated NBA player projections and the latest fantasy basketball news to capitalize on these opportunities.

Fantasy Basketball Trade Tips in Week 5

Buy

Desmond Bane, Orlando Magic

Bane began his career with the Magic on a rough note, crashing his value in fantasy basketball rankings. Over his first 10 games, he averaged just 14.2 points and 1.2 three-pointers. He shot 43.1% from the field during that span, including 29.3% from behind the arc. The only saving grace was that he still provided 4.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists during that span.

Bane has shown signs of turning things around lately, shooting 44.3% from the field and 34.4% from behind the arc over his last five games. During that stretch, he averaged 22.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2.2 three-pointers. While he has been given more shot attempts with Paolo Banchero (groin) out, it's his improved efficiency from behind the arc, which should excite fantasy managers. His buy-low window might be closing.

Myles Turner, Milwaukee Bucks

In his first eight games since signing a big contract with the Bucks, Turner averaged just 9.8 points and 6.5 rebounds. His minutes were down a bit at 28 per game, and he shot just 40.0% from the field. Since then, Turner has averaged 15.3 points and 32 minutes across his last seven games. He shot 47.9% from the field during that span, while also averaging 6.0 rebounds, 1.9 steals, 1.3 blocks and 3.0 three-pointers.

Turner seems to be getting more comfortable in his new surroundings. His efficiency should continue to improve as the season moves along, given that he has shot at least 48.1% from the field in each of the last four seasons. Another reason to consider buying low on him is that Giannis Antetokounmpo landed on the NBA injury report with a groin strain Monday that is expected to sideline him for at least 1-2 weeks. Turner could see significantly more shot attempts during that stretch.

Sell

Michael Porter Jr., Brooklyn Nets

Porter has been nothing short of dominant with the Nets. He is currently on pace to set new career highs in points (24.2), rebounds (7.7), assists (3.2) and three-pointers (3.2) per game. His usage rate is up to 29.0%, which is more than seven percentage points higher than his career mark. With Cam Thomas (hamstring) sidelined, Porter should continue to receive all of the shot attempts that he can handle.

As good as Porter has been, the Nets are 2-12 and barreling towards another dreadful season. Amazingly, the Pacers and Wizards have fewer wins, while the Pelicans have equaled the Nets with two victories. Since the Nets are in the early stages of a rebuild, we might not see much of Porter down the stretch as they try to improve their lottery odds. Porter is at his peak right now, so start shopping him to see if someone will take the risk of rostering him off your hands.

Andrew Wiggins, Miami Heat

Before his 3-for-15 shooting performance against the Knicks on Monday, Wiggins was playing well for the Heat. Even with that line factored in, he is shooting 48.4% from the field for the season. That has helped him average 16.7 points and 1.8 three-pointers, to go along with 4.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.1 steals per game.

Wiggins' improved efficiency is masking the fact that his usage rate has fallen from 26.7% with the Heat last season to 20.9% this season. That's with Tyler Herro (ankle) yet to play and Bam Adebayo (toe) having missed six games. When those two get healthy, they will combine with Norman Powell to lead the Heat's scoring attack. With even fewer shots possibly coming for Wiggins, now is the time to try and trade him.

Hold

VJ Edgecombe, Philadelphia 76ers

Edgecombe provided 19.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.6 steals and 2.6 three-pointers over his first seven games. Since the 76ers were missing so many players because of injuries, Edgecombe was immediately put in a prominent role. As the team's health situation has improved, the rookie has started to see his production slide. Over their last six games, he has averaged 11.2 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 0.8 steals and 1.5 three-pointers.

It was too much to expect Edgecombe to continue producing at the rate that he did out of the gate. It's also not a good thing for him that Paul George made his season debut Monday against the Clippers. However, George and Joel Embiid have a checkered injury history, so they could be in and out of the lineup for much of the season. Even with George back in the fold, Edgecombe isn't going to relinquish his starting role. Don't let George's return force you into a panic move. Hang onto Edgecombe for the long haul.

Devin Vassell, San Antonio Spurs

A deep Spurs team has suddenly become very thin. De'Aaron Fox is back, but Victor Wembanyama (calf), Stephon Castle (hip) and Dylan Harper (calf) are all currently sidelined. With that trio out Tuesday, Vassell played 35 minutes versus the Grizzlies. He finished the game with 10 points, three rebounds, five assists, two steals, two blocks and two three-pointers.

Although he is only averaging 13.6 points per game right now, Vassell had averaged at least 16.3 points in each of the last three seasons. Wembanyama, Castle and Harper could be out for at least a couple of more weeks, so the Spurs are going to need more scoring and minutes from Vassell. We could be getting at least a couple of weeks of improved production from him, so don't look to sell low on him right now while he could provide fantasy basketball sleeper value. 

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James breaks NBA record with first game of season

LeBron James
Last season James became the first player in NBA history to score 50,000 combined points across regular season and play-off games [Getty Images]

LeBron James became the first player to take part in 23 consecutive NBA seasons when he stepped onto the court for the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.

The 40-year-old, who missed his side's opening 14 games of the season because of sciatica, contributed 11 points, 12 assists and three rebounds in 30 minutes of a 140-126 home win over the Utah Jazz.

James - the NBA's record scorer - overtook Vince Carter's mark of having played in 22 successive NBA seasons, while his two three-pointers also moved him above Reggie Miller into sixth place in the NBA's all-time list of most three-pointers made.

"It's been a long time since he played basketball, so I think for the first game back, he looked amazing," said Lakers team-mate Luka Doncic.

"He's going to keep getting his rhythm, and help us a lot."

Doncic had a game high 37 points and four steals in the win against the Jazz as he also contributed 10 assists and five rebounds.

Austin Reaves scored 26 points for the Lakers, while Keyonte George and Lauri Markkanen scored 34 and 31 points respectively for Utah.

The win puts the Lakers fourth in the Western Conference, with the Jazz in 10th place.