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Nebraska Baseball Upsets #7 Auburn 9-8 in Extra Innings

Will Jesske doubles at Auburn | Nebraska Athletics

This wasn’t a matchup we hadever seen before, Auburn vs Nebraska on the diamond. In fact, going to any SEC team for a weekend series isn’t something we see very often at all. But the way the NCAA Tournament Committee has been rewarding teams that have a tough non-conference schedule, it will probably become a more common sight. And with how good of a game we saw tonight, it would be a welcome one.

For the first time this season, the game had a true Friday night feeling as the teams rolled out top flight starters to begin a series. Nebraska with Ty Horn and Auburn with Virginia Tech transfer Jake Marciano, and they were dueling early on. They combined to strike out 7 batters in the first two innings.

Auburn was the first to strike in the 3rd inning. Mason McCraine singled through the right side of the infield, and stole second base. His brother, Brandon hit a choppy grounder to Husker third baseman Josh Overbeek who was unable to come up with it. A sac fly brought 1 run home. Then Horn slipped covering a bunt, potentially another out awarded to the Tigers. a 3-2 count walk, loaded the bases for Auburn, and back to back singles made it 4-0. In the middle of all that, Horn and Worthley also got crossed up on the pitch call, despite wearing the communication devices. Just a bad half inning all around.

The Huskers would respond in the next half inning. Case Sanderson singled to lead off. Overbeek and Dylan Carey both stuck out on 3-2 pitches, including Sandy, that was 3 batters in a row that got to a full count. DH Cole Kitchens had no interest in working a full count, driving his first pitch off the War Eagle Wall (Auburn’s version of Fenway’s Green Monster) for an RBI double. Nebraska left fielder Will Jesske hammered a ball (on a full count!) to the nearly the same spot, trading places with Kitchens and cutting the lead to 4-2.

Jesske has had a lot of pop in his bat to start the season, the only issue is he has played at some of the biggest and strangest laid out outfield fences you can find. Had Nebraska played all their games in places like Haymarket Park, Jesske could very well be leading the nation in home runs. Could that be foreshadowing?!

Auburn added a run back in the 4th, ending Horn’s day at 3.2 innings pitched, with 4 earned runs allowed, on 5 strikeouts and 2 walks. Things went sideways quick on him, for the first time in quite a few outings, as he was clutch down the stretch for Nebraska last year and had been off to a good start to 2026.

Marciano was able to make it only through 5 himself, as the Huskers were able to work him deep into counts often, and he chased the strikeouts, all 9 of them, but allowed zero walks. Nebraska would strike out 18 times in the 10 inning game, but despite the numerous deep counts, end up with zero walks. That shows you how ready you have to be in the batters box, but also how predictable the pitches can be when they get to a count with 3 balls.

The bullpens led by Cooper Katskee for the Huskers and Jett Johnston for the Tigers took over, tossing up zeros until Nebraska broke through in the 8th. Mac Moyer reached on an error, Case Sanderson ripped a single into center field, and Overbeek loaded the bases by taking a ball to the elbow.

The exact man Coach Will Bolt and Husker fans everywhere would want up for the situation strode to the plate, in Dylan Carey. Despite being 0-3 on the night, Carey worked it to a 3-2 count, and as stated above, got a predicable strike right over the middle of the plate and smashed the 51st double of his career to the War Eagle Wall. Two pitches later Cole Kitchens tied the game with a double into the right field corner. Overbeek scored on thr play, and Dylan Carey may have been able to score the go ahead run, but went back to tag up as the fielder seemed to get close to catching it on the fly from his perspective.

J’Shawn Unger took over on the mound in the 8th for NU, and despite a rocky inning with a walk, wild pitch, and unintentional/intentional walk, Unger was able to come up with a big strikeout to hold the tigers off the board.

After the Auburn closer struck out the side, Unger need only 7 pitches to retire the Tigers and send the game to extra innings.

The 10th started with a bang, as Sanderson collected his team leading 3rd hit of the night, a double into the left field corner. Overbeek hit a ball to the right side to move Sandy over to third and bring up that man again, Dylan Carey. Carey continued his hot streak, hitting a single to left and claiming his 3rd RBI of the night and team leading 15th RBI on the season in only 8 games. Devin Nunez added a base hit putting runners on 1st and 2nd for Jesske. This time Jesske conquered the War Eagle Wall, blasting his 3rd home run of the season and increasing his RBI total on the day to 4, putting his team up 9-5.

Nebraska would need every single one of those runs as they have struggled at the closer position to start the season. Kevin Mannell would be passed over, as the team tried other options. Unger gave up a 1 out single. The runner advanced to 2nd without a throw, then came around to score on a single. Caleb Clark came in to face a left handed batter and surrendered a 3-2 walk. Freshman Jace Ziola replaced Clark and gave up an 0-2 RBI single. A passed ball and 4 pitch walk loaded the bases.

Nebraska then turned to Pryce Bender, who was able to induce a ground ball which Carey snagged at short despite the runner and Overbeek both flashing in front of him. A run did score on the play, cutting the Husker lead down to 9-8. The best hitter for Auburn stepped to the plate with the tying run on 3rd and winning run on 2nd. Bender was able to get him to pop up on his first pitch and secure the win for Unger and a save for himself, albeit in nail-biting fashion.

This was the first Nebraska regular season win at an SEC field since 2014, and their 2nd win over a ranked team in a row. They did it by continually putting pressure on the Auburn pitchers, getting 6 lead off hitters on out of 10. Number of pitches is a big thing, but number of pitches under pressure is just an extra bit of stress on an arm. Nebraska is going to have to cut down on the strikeout numbers on offense if they want to win this series. They should go down a bit, as Auburn did use both of their closers and their top strikeout starter, but the rest of the staff is just as stingy on handing out walks, so get ready!

The Huskers go for the series win Saturday at 2pm CT.

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Kreider beats Hellebuyck in OT to lift the Ducks past the Jets, 5-4

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Chris Kreider beat Connor Hellebuyck off a rebound at 4:47 of overtime to give the Anaheim Ducks a 5-4 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Friday night.

Beckett Sennecke kept the puck and shot on a two-on-one break, with Kreider backhanding the loose puck in at the side of the net.

After Leo Carlsson, Pavel Mintyukov and Ryan Poehling scored third-period goals to give Anaheim a 4-3 lead, Winnipeg's Kyle Connor tied it with 1:22 left and Hellebuyck off for an extra attacker.

Hellebuyck made 35 saves in his first game since backstopping the United States to Olympic gold.

Jacob Trouba also scored for Anaheim, Sennecke had three assists and Lukas Dostal made 29 saves. The Ducks have won seven in a row at home and 11 of 13 overall.

Anaheim won two nights after returning from the break to beat Edmonton at home for coach Joel Quenneville’s 1,000th NHL victory. The Ducks have five games left on a nine-game homestand.

Winnipeg rookie defenseman Elias Salomonsson had his first NHL goal and Alex Iafallo and Gabriel Vilardi also scored. Well back in the race for a playoff spot, Winnipeg has a game left on three-game trip before an eight-game homestand.

Up next

Jets: At San Jose on Sunday.

Ducks: Host Calgary on Sunday.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhla

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Emma Maltais scores go-ahead goal and the Toronto Sceptres beat the Seattle Torrent 5-2

SEATTLE (AP) — Emma Maltais scored a go-ahead goal early in the third period, and Sara Hjalmarsson and Kali Flanagan added empty netters in the final two minutes to give the Toronto Sceptres a 5-2 victory over the Seattle Torrent on Friday night.

Toronto (5-1-3-8) had gone winless in four straight road games. The Sceptres were also held scoreless in their last two games before the Olympic break.

Four different players scored their first goal of the season.

Jesse Compher scored 28 seconds into the game for Toronto off a nice back pass from Daryl Watts, who led Canada in her Olympic debut with eight points on two goals and six assists.

Renata Fast gave Toronto a 2-1 lead on her first goal of the season 4:25 into the second period with a shot from a sharp angle that bounced off the stick of goaltender Hannah Murphy.

Maltais scored her third goal after getting past the defense for a two-on-one opportunity.

Both goals for Seattle (4-1-2-8) came in the final 80 seconds of the first and second periods. Aneta Tejralová had a one-timer to tie it at 1-all with 11.2 seconds left in the first and Natalie Snodgrass sent in a rebound off of Alex Carpenter's breakaway shot with 1:12 left in the second.

Seattle, which was without Hilary Knight due to a lower-body injury suffered at the Olympics, announced it was the first sellout in franchise history with 17,335 fans.

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AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey

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8 Takeaways from Cavs overtime loss to Pistons: ‘I think luck plays more into this whole thing’

DETROIT, MI - FEBRUARY 27: Jarrett Allen #31 of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives to the basket during the game against the Detroit Pistons on February 27, 2026 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan. 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 Brian Sevald/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

DETROIT — The Cleveland Cavaliers had numerous chances to win Friday’s game against the Detroit Pistons, even though they were without four rotation players, including James Harden (finger) and Donovan Mitchell (groin). They couldn’t make the one play they needed to seal the victory. As a result, they fell 122-119 in overtime.

Head coach Kenny Atkinson believes in luck. He was asked before the game if his team was cursed given their latest rash of injuries.

He laughed the question off, but then proceeded to provide the perfect table setter for one of the wildest games of the season.

“I believe in luck,” Atkinson said before the game. “I think luck plays more into this whole thing in sports. I know in America, we don’t like to talk about luck, like you earn it, you win it. That was a good thing about being overseas for so long. I was shocked when I first went out there, especially in Spain, they talked about luck so much. … When you read the sports papers, it was part of the way they talked. … Here, we want right and wrong and clear yes and no. That’s kind of how our mentality is. So I definitely think luck plays a lot into this.”

The Cavs lost this game, so we’re programmed to see things in the worst possible light. Instead of viewing the areas that the Cavs did right, we automatically look at what didn’t go their way, and there’s a long list of those things.

Poor rebounding, inability to create offense late, turnovers, and blowing multiple chances to defeat the top team in the conference are a few that come to mind. All of these are problems that could be explored deeper, considering they’re things that could be an issue in a possible playoff series.

However, if a few calls go slightly differently, we’re likely looking at all the things that went right, such as Jarrett Allen’s dominance, Evan Mobley’s resurgence, and the role players stepping up.

This is a results-based business, but sometimes, the results come down to things far outside of the player’s control.

That said, we’ll start with the bad.

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Cleveland should’ve won this game.

They were up six with two minutes left when MVP candidate Cade Cunningham fouled out of this game. That should’ve been the final nail in the coffin, but the Cavs failed to execute from there.

In the final two minutes, they turned it over in the backcourt, allowed baskets on Detroit’s final eight possessions in regulation, Evan Mobley missed a free throw with seven seconds left that would’ve made it a two-possession game, and they didn’t properly commit a foul on the floor while up three, which led to the game-tying free throws.

It was a litany of errors from a team that has blown more than a few important games in this embarrassing way in the past.

“That was our game to take,” Jaylon Tyson said. “We were definitely there. We should have won that game. Yeah, we should have won that game.”

Overtime presented its own issues.

The Cavs struggled to generate offense after Allen fouled out, but they still had chances to win. They were on the wrong side of a few calls (and weren’t afraid to make that known in the locker room afterward), including what could’ve been easily called a shooting foul on a potential game-tying Sam Merrill three-point attempt.

Even so, they kept fighting, forced a jump ball when providing defensive pressure in the backcourt, and created what would’ve been a game-tying three-point attempt for Mobley that didn’t go.

“There’s no moral victories,” Atkinson said. “This was a big game. We had chances. … The execution, turnovers, you know, we’re just kind of kicking ourselves.”

Still, there are things that the Cavs should feel encouraged about if they happen to play the Pistons in the postseason, the most important being Allen’s continued dominant play.

Allen once again couldn’t be stopped, scoring 25 points on 10-12 shooting to go along with nine rebounds, four assists, and a block.

“Jalen Duran is one of the toughest, strongest guys in the league,” Atkinson said. “He went toe to toe with him. And I just love [it]. … We just got to keep him there. You know, it’s our job as coaches to keep him in this great, great space. But I loved his energy tonight.”

It’s easier to keep Allen in check when he doesn’t have the benefit of playing alongside dynamic guards like Mitchell and Harden. This allowed the Pistons to crash inside anytime he rolled to the basket, which made it difficult for them to get him the ball.

But if Allen got his hands on the ball, he was able to make them pay as he converted nine of his 10 shots in the paint. He spent stretches of this game being the best player on the court, which is incredibly impressive considering the talent on the other team.

Detroit also didn’t have an answer for Mobley.

He did more of his damage outside, going 4-8 from three. But they also couldn’t handle Mobley inside as he went 5-6 in the restricted area.

“He’s starting to catch a groove, I can see it,” Atkinson said. “Just seems like when he comes back from injury, it just takes him a little bit to get going. So that might be the most positive thing about this, about this game tonight.”

The Cavs are on the Pistons level, even though they couldn’t get the result on Friday, and rightfully so. They routed the New York Knicks on Tuesday and went toe-to-toe on the road with the conference leaders despite being severly short handed. They should feel that way.

“I feel like we’re one of the top teams,” Mobley said. “They’ve got to face us, honestly. We’re playing pretty good basketball, and we’re going to continue to play good basketball. Just got to play our best basketball in April, May, and June. That’s our goal right now. We’re going to learn from this game and just keep stacking wins and get ready for the playoffs.”

Right now, the Cavaliers are unlucky. Injuries are happening at all the wrong times. And on top of it, they weren’t rewarded with a win despite playing well enough to get one.

Yes, they should’ve closed it out, but they were also on the wrong end of more than a few calls that went against them. If the referees called the foul on the floor on the Dannis Jenkins “shot attempt” as they should’ve, this game ends differently. The same could be said about several other calls.

However, the end result in a game like this isn’t the only thing that matters. This team is putting the pieces together at the right time. And if they ever get healthy, they will be a problem in the playoffs.

And that’s true, even though luck wasn’t on their side on Friday.

“Learn from our mistakes right now and just keep ramping up, staying focused,” Mobley said. “Game in and game out, just being locked in, knowing what our game plan is and figuring that out. Getting comfortable with the new guys. But I feel like we’re getting there pretty quickly and we’re on a good trajectory right now.”

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Nuggets-Thunder get into heated scrum after Lu Dort trips Nikola Jokic in wild scene

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows The Nuggets and Thunder got into it on Friday night, Image 2 shows Luka Doncic was not happy with Lu Dort after the trip
Jokic Dort

The NBA got a little spicy in the Thunder’s 127-121 win over the Nuggets on Friday night in Oklahoma City.

The two teams got into a heated scrum in the fourth quarter after it appeared Oklahoma City’s Lu Dort tripped Denver star Nikola Jokic, leading to a heated scene at center court with both teams pushing and shoving.

Things all started after Jared McCain hit a two-point bucket for OKC, and on the ensuing inbound, Dort appeared to make an intentional step — almost like a hip check — into Jokic as he made his way back up the court.

Nikola Jokic was not happy with Lu Dort after the trip. ESPN/X
The Nuggets and Thunder got into it on Friday night. ESPN/X

Jokic immediately fell and tumbled onto the floor at Paycom Center. But that’s only where the fun began.

Dort was called for a foul, and he didn’t appear to agree with it, and as Jokic got back to his feet, he immediately got in his opponent’s face, eyes wide as he was incensed over what had just taken place, bumping Dort’s chest before anyone could step in.

The teams converged but officials eventually calmed things down before things could really escalate.

After reviewing the play, Dort was assessed a flagrant 2, meaning he was ejected from the game.

Jokic and the Thunder’s Jaylin Williams also received technicals in the bizarre scene in Oklahoma City.

Dort finished his night with eight points and six rebounds.

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Nikola Jokic involved in altercation in Nuggets' OT loss to Thunder

The Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder are among two of the top teams in the Western Conference this season. That was on display as the two teams played in a tightly contested game that went into overtime at the Paycom Center on Friday, Feb. 27.

Tensions were running high during the game between the two championship contenders.

Luguentz Dort was ejected following a Flagrant 2 foul after it was considered unnecessary and excessive by the officials.

Dort tripped Nuggets star Nikola Jokic while the Thunder had a 90-88 lead with 8:03 left in the fourth quarter.

Jokic was upset and immediately approached Dort. Jokic and Jaylin Williams received technical fouls for pushing and shoving one another following the initial tripping incident. The fouls offset.

Dort scored eight points and six rebounds in 28 minutes of play before the ejection. Even with Dort ejected and reigning league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sitting out the overtime period, Oklahoma City prevailed, 127-121.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nikola Jokic involved in altercation; Luguentz Dort ejected

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Player Grades: Recapping the Mavericks Loss To The Memphis Grizzlies

DALLAS, TX - FEBRUARY 27: Naji Marshall #13 of the Dallas Mavericks shoots the ball during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies on February 27, 2026 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

Watching the Mavericks lose 124-105 to the Memphis Grizzlies felt like a test of mental strength, rather than something a normal person would do for fun.

But, when the injury list is as long as the active roster, it makes some sense.

Unfortunately, let’s get to the grades.

Brandon Williams: C

16 PTS / 8 REB / 4 AST / 0 STL / 0 BLK -26 MIN

Brandon Williams was on the court tonight, and led the Mavericks in scoring while also snagging 8 rebounds.

He also had only 2 turnovers, which was 10% of the Mavericks’ total on the night.

Khris Middleton: C

10 PTS / 1 REB / 3 AST / 1 STL / 0 BLK -19 MIN

Khris Middleton may have played his final game as a Maverick, as March 1st is the deadline for players to be bought out.

If Middleton does choose to be bought out, he could still provide value for a contender.

Daniel Gafford: A

14 PTS / 5 REB / 0 AST / 0 STL / 2 BLK -20 MIN

Daniel Gafford had a great transition dunk and made a few plays defensively.

Naji Marshall: D

4 PTS / 2 REB / 2 AST / 1 STL / 1 BLK -24 MIN

After playing 42 minutes on Thursday night, Naji Marshall should’ve had the day off, as his energy was nonexistent.

But can you blame him?

Max Christie: C+

13 PTS / 3 REB / 2 AST / 0 STL/ 0 BLK -29 MIN

In a game where the Mavericks clearly had no interest in winning, how did Max Christie only end up attempting 5 threes?

Christie should be attempting 10 threes every single night from here on out.

A.J. Johnson: C+

12 PTS / 3 REB / 4 AST / 0 STL / 0 BLK -34 MIN

A.J. Johnson’s box score numbers were not good, but he only a -1 in a 20-point loss.

With the season already over, Johnson should be playing 20-plus minutes per night, as his energy and speed is fun to watch.

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Padres drop another one-run game, this time in walk-off fashion

Peoria, AZ - February 22: Sean Boyle #96 of the San Diego Padres throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers during a spring training game on February 22, 2026 in Peoria, AZ. (Photo by K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)

For the third time in the last four games, a San Diego Padres Spring Training game was decided by one run. Unfortunately for the Padres, it was the Colorado Rockies who were at the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning and it was Zac Veen who hit a one-out solo home run to center field just to the right of the batters eye to give the Rockies a 3-2 walk-off win at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale, Ariz. on Friday.

San Diego took the lead early in the game when Manny Machado collected his seventh RBI in to games with a bases loaded sacrifice fly to right-center field to give the Padres a 1-0 lead in the top of the third. San Diego scored its second run of the game in the top of the eighth inning when Samad Taylor hit a two-out a single through the left side of the infield that scored Tirso Ornelas to tie the game, 2-2.

Veen connected on his game-winning home run when Padres reliever Sean Boyle left an 89.1 mph fastball out over the plate on a 1-0 count. Veen took his trip around the bases much to the delight of his teammates and the home field crowd and Boyle and his teammates walked off the field and made their return to Peoria, Ariz.

Jake Cronenworth, Ramon Laureano and Sung-Mun Song were the only San Diego starters to record a hit against Colorado pitching. Taylor had the only other hit for the Padres in the game with his eight-inning RBI-single.

Randy Vasquez started on the mound for San Diego and turned in another solid outing. He finished 2.2 innings and did not allow a hit. Vasquez did issue to walks, but he also recorded four strikeouts.

The Padres return to the Peoria Sports Complex to take on the Seattle Mariners on Saturday at 12:10 p.m. San Diego opened Cactus League play against Seattle on Feb. 20 last time the teams met, and the Padres took a 7-4 loss.

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Yankees learn tough ABS lesson after running out of challenges early in spring game

New York Yankees pitcher Luis Gil (81) throws a pitch.
Luis Gil prepares to throw a pitch during the Yankees' Feb. 27 Grapefruit League game.

Observations from Yankees’ spring training Friday:

Bombs away

The Yankees crushed five home runs in a blowout of the Twins, with Jasson Domínguez, J.C. Escarra, Spencer Jones, Paul DeJong and Duke Ellis all going deep.

Challenging

The Yankees ran out of ABS challenges by the bottom of the first inning after right fielder Yanquiel Fernandez and Luis Gil were both wrong in trying to get calls overturned.

Luis Gil delivers a pitch during the Yankees’ 17-5 blowout over the Twins in a Feb. 27, 2026 Grapefruit League game. Imagn Images

Gil later tried to challenge a ball in the second inning (that looked like a strike), but did not have one to use.

Caught my eye

Escarra launched his first homer of the spring off righty Cole Sands, a 413-footer that came off the bat at 109.6 mph — the hardest-hit ball of his career, according to Statcast.

“That means I’m eating well,” Escarra joked.

Saturday’s schedule

Paul Blackburn, who pitched in a piggyback role in his first appearance, will start against the Blue Jays on Saturday afternoon at Steinbrenner Field, the last game for all of the Yankees’ WBC participants.

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Stats Rundown: 3 numbers to know from the Mavericks’ 124-105 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies

DALLAS, TEXAS - FEBRUARY 27: GG Jackson #45 of the Memphis Grizzlies drives to the basket against Daniel Gafford #21 of the Dallas Mavericks during the first quarter at American Airlines Center on February 27, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Commentary on the alleged basketball game that transpired on Friday between the Dallas Mavericks (21-38) and the Memphis Grizzlies (22-36) is not worth the bits and bytes it took to make the web page you’re reading appear on your screen. You would have sworn you were watching an NBA Summer League game if it weren’t for the calendars hanging from your wall, letting you know it is, indeed, still February.

Nobody wanted to win this game — least of all the Mavericks, who outlasted the Grizzlies for the 124-105 loss at American Airlines Center. The dozens of fans in attendance were serenaded by a symphony of ineptitude on both ends of the floor. This was tanking in its purest form.

Cam Spencer led eight Grizzlies’ scorers who reached double figures, with 25 points on 4-of-8 shooting from 3-point range in the win. Brandon Williams led the Mavericks with 16 points and eight rebounds in the loss. Here are, mercifully, just three quick stats from the game that was and should not have been.

6:02: Mavericks’ first-quarter stretch between field goals

Dallas put lineups on the floor against the Grizzlies that were unfit to compete against professional basketball players. It resulted in an early stretch of 6:02 of game time between made field goals for the Mavericks. Khris Middleton sank a long two-point jumper with 8:44 left in the first, and Dallas went 0-for-11 from there. A.J. Johnson finally ended the drought with 2:42 left in the opener on a driving finger roll through the lane for his second bucket of the game to bring the Mavs to within 22-14.

Dallas trailed 34-20 at the end of one, shooting just 25% from the field and turning the ball over five times. They had been on a better run to start games recently, averaging 54% shooting from the field in their last three games.

16/10: Olivier-Maxence Prosper’s revenge-game stat line

Further proof that we now reside in the Upside Down, Olivier-Maxence Prosper started for Memphis against his former team on Friday, his fifth start of the season with the Grizzlies. Prosper finished with 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting against the Mavs, a huge step up in development from when Mavs fans last saw him play.

He has now scored 13 or more points in six of his last eight games. It’s hard to tell how much of that development means anything at all in the day-to-day reality of the NBA, as it’s all come during NBA Silly Season, but feel free to put a feather in your cap if you always thought he’d be something one day.

36-15: Memphis’ points off turnovers advantage

Dallas turned the ball over 21 times in the loss to Memphis, one night after turning the ball over 18 times in a 130-121 loss to the worst team in the NBA, the Sacramento Kings. The Grizzlies scored 36 points off those 21 Mavericks’ turnovers, all in the first three quarters, as they took their foot off the gas down the stretch in the fourth.

Max Christie and Naji Marshall combined to account for eight of the Mavs’ 21 turnovers on the second night of the back-to-back set.

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Yankees news: Volpe gets wisdom from an iconic Yankee shortstop

TAMPA, FL - FEBRUARY 24: Anthony Volpe #11 of the New York Yankees looks on during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field on February 24, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images

NJ.com | Bob Klapisch ($): Anthony Volpe’s faced more than his fair share of detractors over the past year, and while he may not be ready to start on Opening Day the shortstop aims to regain a foothold on his starting spot once he’s fully recovered from shoulder surgery. Part of that journey rests on the 24-year-old finding his footing at the plate, and luckily there’s a host of former Yankee greats that love to swing by for the start of spring to impart some lessons onto the next generation. Bucky Dent knows a thing or two about transforming his image in a hurry, and the man whose nickname in Boston isn’t proper to publish wanted to share as much as he could with Volpe to aid in his comeback attempt.

NY Post | Greg Joyce: Barring any last-minute surprises, Randal Grichuk’s quest to make it out of Yankees camp begins today after undergoing a physical with the team on Friday. He’s now clear to begin working out with the team, and should find his way into a lineup before long as the organization envisions a bench/platoon role for the outfielder as their answer to left-handed pitching.

NY Daily News | Gary Phillips ($): Cam Schlittler had one of the few minor injuries of note when spring camp opened, as the phenom starting pitcher worked through a back/lat issue. However, Aaron Boone noted the other day that Schlittler is expected to be ready for Opening Day, and the only consequence is that he likely won’t be fully built up to a regular starter’s workload by then. Instead, Schlittler will probably be capped around 70 pitches by then, as the team aims to get him back into a five-day routine soon and make his spring debut afterwards. The early schedule will aid their attempts to build Schlittler back up to form, but they’ll take everything they can get from the young flamethrower after seeing a taste of what he could offer last year.

FanGraphs | Jay Jaffe: The curious case of Jarren Duran’s 2025 season led Jaffe down a rabbit hole of examining players who had one terrific month that carried their year, and then eventually flipped that exercise around to examining consistency overall among the game’s stars. Aaron Judge gets a feature in here as an example of sheer unbelievable consistency, as his worst month of the year in 2025 dwarfed the worst months of all the other notable superstars in his stratosphere. Give it a read, it’s an interesting dive.

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Houston Rockets vs. Miami Heat game preview

MIAMI, FL - MARCH 21: Amen Thompson #1 of the Houston Rockets handles the ball during the game against the Miami Heat on March 21, 2025 at Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. 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 2025 NBAE (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

After a hard-fought win in Orlando, the Houston Rockets travel to South Beach for a game about 40 hours later. This is a recipe for disaster. At least James Harden isn’t on the team anymore.

The Heat are 31-29 and are coming off back-to-back losses against the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers. They play offense at the league’s fastest pace and take (and make) the most shots in the league. They grab the most defensive rebounds and are fourth on defense.

Norman Powell got hurt against the Sixers so Miami’s offense will mostly revolve around Bam Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins, Jaime Jaquez Jr., and Amen Thompson’s nemesis, Tyler Herro.

The early games are basically always losses for the Rockets, regardless of roster. I expect Miami to come out hot after two losses and treat this game a bit more seriously than Houston. If the Rockets come out sloppily, this could be over in a hurry.

Tip-off

2:30pm CT

How To Watch

Space City Home Network and Amazon Prime Video

Injury Report

Rockets

Steven Adams: OUT

Fred VanVleet: OUT

Jae’Sean Tate: OUT

Jabari Smith Jr.: OUT

Heat

Nikola Jovic: GTD

Norman Powell: OUT

The Line (as of this post)

Hou -3.5

Check here for updates

Looking ahead because we can

Monday night in Washington D.C. against the Wizards

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Could Egor Chinakhov Help Extend Malkin's Career?

There has been a whole lot going right for the Pittsburgh Penguins during the 2025-26 season, and much of it can be credited to the work of general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas. 

He brought in the right free agents during the offseason, including defenseman Parker Wotherspoon and forwards Justin Brazeau and Anthony Mantha. He has also managed to get maximum value from the trades he has made.

And one of those trades - and, inarguably, the best so far - was the one in late December that landed winger Egor Chinakhov for a second- and a third-round pick.

The 24-year-old forward - selected 21st overall by the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2020 - requested a trade from Columbus over the summer, and his season didn’t start off the way he or the Jackets would have wanted it to. Before heading over to Pittsburgh this season, he had just three goals and six points in 29 games to go along with a minus-6. 

Since then? Nine goals and 13 points in 20 games, and the vast majority of those have come playing on the same line as Evgeni Malkin. In fact, Malkin has six assists on Chinakhov’s nine goals, and five of them are primary assists.

A 39-goal pace for Chinakhov isn’t too shabby, but neither is an 87-point pace for the 39-year-old Malkin, who is on an expiring contract. Chinakhov is the kind of scoring winger that Malkin has lacked since the days of Phil Kessel from 2015-19, and their chemistry has, undeniably, been a huge asset to the Penguins winning hockey games, as they are 13-3-4 since acquiring Chinakhov.

On Saturday, Malkin clarified to reporters after the Penguins’ 3-2 shootout loss to the New York Rangers that contract extension talks between his representation and the Penguins’ would stall until the offseason. According to Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now, Malkin and GM/POHO Kyle Dubas will meet next week to discuss.

Malkin: Contract Extension Talks Will 'Wait [Until] End Of Season'Malkin: Contract Extension Talks Will 'Wait [Until] End Of Season'It appears that contract talks between veteran star forward Evgeni Malkin and Kyle Dubas and the Pittsburgh Penguins will be pushed back until the offseason

And, if the Penguins have been paying any attention to the magic of the Malkin-Chinakhov combination, it should be a no-brainer to bring Malkin back for another season or two.

The striking thing about Chinakhov is that his goal-scoring doesn’t appear to be a fluke. Yes, it’s highly unlikely that he will continue at his current pace for the rest of the season, but it’s also worth considering that he’ll be playing a more elevated role without Sidney Crosby in the lineup for a few more weeks. 

But his shot is legitimate. So are his hockey smarts and his ability to somehow always expose the soft areas of the ice and be in position to create scoring chances. So is his defensive ability. So is his speed. This is a player who is not only a scoring threat, but a complete package. 

Takeaways: Penguins Blow Two Goal Lead, Lose To Rangers In ShootoutTakeaways: Penguins Blow Two Goal Lead, Lose To Rangers In ShootoutThe Pittsburgh Penguins stumbled against the New York Rangers on Saturday afternoon, losing 3-2 in a shootout.

Malkin’s playmaking is still legitimate, too. He is on pace for 68 assists, which would be the second-highest total of his career behind his 2008-09 campaign in which he registered 35 goals and 78 assists for 113 points. He is probably beyond the point in his career where he will be putting the puck in the back of the net with much regularity, but that’s almost a non-issue if he can consistently set up a player who is capable of putting the puck in the back of the net with regularity. 

The fact is that Chinakhov is a revelation for Malkin and the Penguins, and he’s the exact kind of player who has the potential to extend Malkin’s career. With no Chinakhov in the picture, it’s very possible that Malkin would not be producing at the rate that he is, and even if he was, there’s no guarantee he would have the talent around him beyond this season to sustain this level of production. 

Chinakhov is also a restricted free agent this offseason, and he has already expressed his desire to return to Pittsburgh. At this point, why not make Malkin and Chinakhov a package deal?

NHL Rumors: 2 Trade Fits For Penguins' Stuart Skinner NHL Rumors: 2 Trade Fits For Penguins' Stuart Skinner Penguins goalie Stuart Skinner has created some chatter as a trade candidate. Which teams could make sense as landing spots for him?

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!    

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Jalen Duren scores 33 as Pistons beat Cavaliers 122-119 in OT

DETROIT (AP) — Jalen Duren had 33 points and 16 rebounds and the Detroit Pistons outlasted the short-handed Cleveland Cavaliers 122-119 on Friday night in a game that was delayed for 18 minutes in the third quarter because of a blaring horn.

During a timeout with Detroit up 65-64, a power surge caused the overhead scoreboard to malfunction, with the horn remaining on after signaling the teams to return to the floor. Eventually, the scoreboard was shut down to stop the horn and a manual airhorn was used when play resumed.

Cade Cunningham had 25 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists for East-leading Detroit before fouling out.

Cleveland — which will host Detroit on Tuesday night — led by nine points with 2:44 left in regulation, and Cunningham fouled out with 1:56 to play, but the Pistons outscored the Cavaliers 16-7 to force overtime.

With Cleveland up 114-111 with 4.7 seconds left in regulation, Jaylon Tyson tried to intentionally foul Daniss Jenkins near halfcourt, but Jenkins was able to shoot and draw three free throws that he made.

In overtime, Cleveland’s Evan Mobley missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

CELTICS 148, NETS 111

BOSTON (AP) — Jaylen Brown had 28 points, nine assists and seven rebounds and Boston rolled past Brooklyn.

Nikola Vucevic finished with 28 points and 11 rebounds for his third double-double since joining the Celtics. Payton Pritchard added 22 points for Boston, which has won five of six since returning from the All-Star break.

The Celtics shot a season-high 66.7% from the field and connected on 22 3-pointers. They also got 77 points from their bench.

Michael Porter Jr. finished with 18 points for Brooklyn, which has lost seven straight games.

The Celtics took control in the third quarter, outscoring the Nets 43-26. Brooklyn managed only seven points over the final 6:23 of the period.

Boston shot 15 of 19 from the field with 12 assists in the pivotal quarter and connected 5 of 7 attempts from the 3-point line

Boston’s lead grew to as many as 41 points in the fourth.

KNICKS 127, BUCKS 98

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Jalen Brunson scored 27 points and OG Anunoby added 24 as New York routed Milwaukee.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 17 points and 13 rebounds, Landry Shamet added 15 points, Josh Hart finished with 12 and Mikal Bridges and Mohamed Diawara each had 10 for the Knicks, who shot 21 for 42 from 3-point distance.

Myles Turner had 18 of his 19 points in the first half, Kyle Kuzma scored 17, Bobby Portis 14 and Ryan Rollins 13 to pace the Bucks. Milwaukee had won eight of 10 coming in and was playing its fifth game in eight days, including four in a row at home. Kevin Porter Jr. chipped 11 points and 10 assists.

The Bucks entered the game as one of the hottest offensive team in the league, but it was the Knicks who controlled play early.

New York jumped out to a 38-30 lead after one quarter fueled by 22 points from Brunson, the most by a New York player in any quarter this season. Brunson made 9 of 10 shots, including all three 3-pointers he attempted.

GRIZZLIES 124, MAVERICKS 105

DALLAS (AP) — Cam Spencer scored 25 points off the bench and Olivier-Maxence Prosper had 16 points and 10 rebounds to lead Memphis to a victory over Dallas.

Scotty Pippen Jr. added 15 points and Jaylen Wells and GG Jackson each had 12 to help Memphis snap a three-game skid.

The Grizzlies, who had lost seven of their previous eight, led the entire game and won despite being short-handed with star guard Ja Morant out for a 16th consecutive game with an injured left elbow, and Zach Edey (ankle) and Cedric Coward (knee) also sidelined.

Taj Gibson, signed by Memphis on Thursday to help deal with the absences, wasn’t active.

Brandon Williams scored 16 points and had eight rebounds to lead the Mavericks, who have lost seven straight at home. Daniel Gafford added 14 points, Dwight Powell had 13 points and 11 rebounds and Max Christie also scored 13 points.

Rookie Cooper Flagg missed his sixth straight game with a sprained foot.

THUNDER 127, NUGGETS 121

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 36 points in his return after missing nine games with an abdominal strain and Oklahoma City defeated Denver in overtime in a testy matchup that featured multiple technical fouls and an ejection.

Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning MVP, didn’t play in overtime, but the Thunder still pulled through in the extra period.

Denver’s Nikola Jokic, who got into an altercation with Oklahoma City’s Lu Dort in the fourth quarter, had 23 points, 17 rebounds and 14 assists. Dort was ejected for a Flagrant 2 foul.

Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, listed as questionable with an illness before the game, led the Nuggets with 39 points.

Gilgeous-Alexander started and drew loud applause when his name was announced in pregame introductions. His first basket came on a driving layup two minutes into the game.

The teams are very familiar with each other — the Thunder defeated the Nuggets 4-3 in the Western Conference semifinals last year. The Thunder won the first two meetings this season and they play twice more.

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Pierre-Luc Dubois scores 2 goals as the Capitals beat the Golden Knights 3-2

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pierre-Luc Dubois had two goals and an assist to lift the Washington Capitals to a 3-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday night.

All three of Washington’s goals came in the second period, with Jakob Chychrun adding his 22nd of the season. Braeden Bowman and Tomas Hertl scored in the third for the Golden Knights.

The Capitals pulled within two points of the New York Islanders for third place in the Metropolitan Division and within two of Boston for the Eastern Conference’s second wild card. Washington is 2-0 since the Olympic break and has won six of its last seven.

The Pacific Division-leading Golden Knights had a three-game winning streak snapped despite the return of five Olympians. Vegas was without two Americans (Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin) and three Canadians (Mark Stone, Mitch Marner and Shea Theodore) in Wednesday’s win over Los Angeles. All were back on the ice Friday.

The Golden Knights scored five third-period goals in that 6-4 victory over the Kings and they nearly pulled off a big comeback at Washington. Bowman broke up Logan Thompson’s shutout bid early in the third, and Hertl’s power-play goal made it 3-2 with 10:45 still to play, but that was as close as Vegas could come.

SABRES 3, PANTHERS 2

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Alex Lyon made 27 saves to beat his former Florida teammates for the second this month, helping Buffalo win for its eighth victory in 11 games.

Lyon played for the Panthers during the 2022-23 season. He has won two of his past four starts — both against Florida.

Beck Malenstyn gave Buffalo a 2-1 lead with 8:22 left, sending a slap shot from the point through traffic and past Daniil Tarasov. Florida challenged for goalie interference after Buffalo defenseman Mattias Samuelsson’s stick made contact with Tarasov’s glove, but the goal stood.

The Sabres won 2-1 at New Jersey on Wednesday night in their return from the Olympic break. They are tied with Detroit for second place in the Atlantic Division. Buffalo has missed the playoffs an NHL-record 14 straight years.

The two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers are in serious danger of missing the playoffs. Florida, which has lost six of its past eight, is eight points behind Boston for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with 23 games left.

Alex Tuch and Peyton Krebs also scored for Buffalo. Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett scored for Florida.

MAMMOTH 5, WILD 2

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Lawson Crouse scored twice, U.S. Olympian Clayton Keller had a goal and two assists and Utah beat Minnesota to end its winning streak at six games.

Logan Cooley and Barrett Hayton also scored and Karel Vejmelka made 21 saves to help the Mammoth rebound from a 4-2 home loss to NHL-leading Colorado on Wednesday night in their return from the Olympic break. Utah holds the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference, three points ahead of Seattle.

U.S. Olympian Matt Boldy scored and assisted on Kirill Kaprizov’s goal for Minnesota. Second behind Central Division-rival Colorado in the West, the Wild are 9-2-1 in their last 12. They beat the Avalanche 5-2 on Thursday night in Denver.

Cooley opened the scoring with a short-handed goal with 6:37 left in the first period. The former University of Minnesota star got the puck on the right side off a deflection and put a shot between Wallstedt’s legs for his 15th goal.

Keller scored his 18th at 4:26 of the second. Nick Schmaltz forced a turnover on a forecheck and fed Keller on the right side.

Crouse made it 3-0 at 7:49 of the second. He came down the middle, took a pass from Keller and beat Wallstedt with a backhander.

Kaprizov countered for Minnesota on a power play with 5:57 left in the second. He has 33 goals this season.

DUCKS 5, JETS 4, OT

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Chris Kreider beat Connor Hellebuyck off a rebound at 4:47 of overtime to give Anaheim a victory over Winnipeg.

Beckett Sennecke kept the puck and shot on a two-on-one break, with Kreider backhanding the loose puck in at the side of the net.

After Leo Carlsson, Pavel Mintyukov and Ryan Poehling scored third-period goals to give Anaheim a 4-3 lead, Winnipeg’s Kyle Connor tied it with 1:22 left and Hellebuyck off for an extra attacker.

Hellebuyck made 35 saves in his first game since backstopping the United States to Olympic gold.

Jacob Trouba also scored for Anaheim, Sennecke had three assists and Lukas Dostal made 29 saves. The Ducks have won seven in a row at home and 11 of 13 overall.

Anaheim won two nights after returning from the break to beat Edmonton at home for coach Joel Quenneville’s 1,000th NHL victory. The Ducks have five games left on a nine-game homestand.

Winnipeg rookie defenseman Elias Salomonsson had his first NHL goal and Alex Iafallo and Gabriel Vilardi also scored. Well back in the race for a playoff spot, Winnipeg has a game left on three-game trip before an eight-game homestand.