No TV or Radio today, so discuss statcast/GameDay/hope one of our community members is on site.
here is the lineup:
CF Steven Kwan
RF Chase DeLauter
3B Jose Ramirez
C Bo Naylor
SS Gabriel Arias
LF Daniel Schneemann
2B Brayan Rocchio
DH David Fry
1B CJ Kayfus
P Slade Cecconi
It's never easy for an NHL team when one of its best players goes down. The Pittsburgh Penguins have dealt with this for much of the 2025-26 season, with Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, and Erik Karlsson all missing time.
Despite that adversity, they have continued to climb the standings and bank the points needed for a legitimate playoff push.
However, it's an entirely different animal when your best player is set to miss some time. And that's exactly what the Penguins are facing.
On Wednesday, it was revealed that captain Sidney Crosby will miss the next four weeks with a lower-body injury that he sustained during the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milano-Cortina. While the nature of Crosby's injury wasn't specified, the timeline was, putting the Penguins in a difficult spot.
Right now, they sit eight points back of the division-leading Carolina Hurricanes with a game in hand and three games against them in March. They have a guantlet of a March schedule that includes 17 games in 31 days, and 14 of those games are against teams currently in playoff position.
They have played teams above them in the standings pretty well this season, but it won't be quite as easy without Sid. The players know this, but they are ready for the challenges that come with it.
"Anytime anybody goes out of the lineup, I think everybody's kind of got to ramp up their game a little bit," Bryan Rust said. "Guys are going to have opportunities to play in positions that, otherwise, they may not have been able to play in. Obviously, yeah, he might be a little bit harder to replace than others, but I think that just means the rest of us have to step up that much more."
Penguins Provide Bad Sidney Crosby Injury UpdateThe Penguins have provided the latest on Sidney Crosby.He added: "Once you get the official word, I think it's kind of like a moment where we all have got to think about ourselves and be like, 'Okay, let's pick it up here, there's a lot of hockey over this next little while. We've got to win as many games and get as many points as possible."
As Rust said, there are several guys who will be playing different roles without Crosby in the fold, and that's especially true down the middle. The Penguins did recall winger Avery Hayes - who had six goals and seven points in his last five AHL games, including two hat tricks, since he made his NHL debut and scored two in a 5-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Feb. 5 - to help offset some of the scoring lost from Crosby's exit.
But Rickard Rakell will begin as the team's first-line center, which is a role he hasn't played much in a long time at the NHL level until sporadic deployments there this season. Tommy Novak will continue to center Egor Chinakhov and Evgeni Malkin, and Ben Kindel will resume his third-line center duties for now.
Penguins Recall Avery Hayes From AHLThe Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled Avery Hayes from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.All that said, they are aware they will have to play a bigger role, and that includes the 18-year-old Kindel, who has six goals and seven points in his last six games and is already used to the prospect of being elevated to a bigger role within an NHL lineup.
"I think, just collectively as a group, everybody's going to have to step up a little bit and chip in just a little bit more," Kindel said. "But, I'm ready for any extra that I need to do to help the team win, and I'll always be ready for that no matter what the situation is.
"None of us are pleased to see our leader, our captain, and our best player go out like that. But, at the end of the day, there's nothing we can do about it now, and we're just going to have to step up, play as a team, and try and bank some points here down an important stretch."
Penguins' Notebook: Players Talk 'Next Man Up' Mentality, Return To PlayThe past few days at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry, Pa. have been busy for the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>, even without four of their regular players.
Kindel believes this team is capable of carrying on and pushing for the playoffs without Crosby in the fold, especially since they have dealt with those other major injuries for sustained periods of time this season and still managed to keep winning hockey games.
And that resilience, he said, speaks to culture in the locker room that begins with 87 but trickles down to the rest of the group as a collective.
"There has been major pieces of our group that have been out at different times during the year, and I think we've just stuck to it no matter what that situation was," Kindel said. "And I think that's just a testament to the culture of our team and just the group that we have in here.
"On any given night, anybody can step up, and it's been great for our team this year."
'I Think He Knows He's That Face': Crosby's Inspiration To Canadian Teammates No Surprise To Penguins' PlayersPittsburgh Penguins' injured captain Sidney Crosby delivered a powerful message to his Canadian teammates during Wednesday's quarterfinal matchup versus Czechia - which comes as no surprise to his teammates in Pittsburgh.Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!
The Royals take on their biggest rivals in baseball today – the Seattle Mariners. Noah Cameron makes his Cactus League debut. Does he actually have to “win” a rotation spot?
Kameron Misner is in the lineup – he’s been up five times this spring and has yet to put the ball in play with two walks and three strikeouts.
Bryan Woo goes for the Mariners. Not a lot of regulars in the Mariners lineup today.
You can listen to the game in Kansas City on 1660 AM.
After the firing of Joey and Jesse Buss, the Lakers found themselves with very few scouts left in their front office. They’ve begun to bolster that department by announcing on Wednesday that Tony Bennett would be joining the Lakers as an NBA Draft advisor.
He’ll be working with the President of Basketball Operations, Rob Pelinka, as they continue to retool their scouting department.
Bennett has 18 years of collegiate coaching experience. He was the head coach at Virginia for 15 years, from 2009 to 2024, and the coach of Washington State for three years from 2006 to 2009. Bennett is a three-time recipient of the national coach of the year award, winning in 2007, 2015, and 2018. Virginia won the national championship in 2019 under Bennett’s leadership.
Given his decade-plus time as a college coach, he is precisely the kind of person a franchise would want discussing which players have what it takes to perform at the next level, working with Pelinka to help build the culture in Los Angeles.
In a press release, Pelinka expressed his enthusiasm about Bennett joining the Lakers organization.
“We’re thrilled and honored to welcome Tony as an advisor to the Lakers basketball operations department,” Pelinka said. “As we refine and build out our NBA draft and scouting processes, we could think of no better basketball mind than Tony Bennett to have as a resource. Tony’s track record of forming culture, with high-character, high-skill and high-IQ players is revered and respected across all basketball circles. Tony will be an incredible asset to our basketball leadership, to our scouts and to our draft department as a whole. We are truly excited.”
Bennett also spoke about joining the Lakers in the press release.
“When Rob and I began talking, what stood out to me was the chance to help out such a storied organization,” Bennett said. “The Lakers carry a tradition that speaks for itself, so to be connected to it and assist Rob and the Lakers in any way I can is exciting.”
The Lakers have a 2026 first round draft pick, so Bennett’s first big task will be to find a quality player for the Lakers to select at that spot.
Now that Mark Walter is officially the majority owner, the Lakers have been making plenty of new hires.
Lon Rosen has been named the new President of Business Operations as the franchise moved on from Tim Harris, who is leaving after 35 years with the team.
The Lakers will undoubtedly add many more new faces as the franchise continues its transition into a new era.
For now, they’ve begun to address their need for improved scouting by adding Bennett to this position, and that’s a step in the right direction for the purple and gold.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.
NORTH PORT, Fla. (AP) — National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes lost four strikes to challenges in his first spring training start.
Skenes struck out four and walked four over 2 1/3 innings for Pittsburgh on Wednesday against the Atlanta Braves, who were 4 for 4 against the right-hander on challenges to get called strikes overturned to balls — one of them by the slimmest of margins.
The 53-pitch outing is expected to be the only one Skenes has for Pittsburgh before he joins the U.S. for the World Baseball Classic. He allowed one hit and one run while facing 12 batters. He is going into his third season with the Pirates.
“Winning gold is the biggest thing,” said Skenes, who was then asked if U.S. success in the just-completed Winter Olympics provides more motivation. “Yeah, men’s hockey, women’s hockey, all the other golds that we won in the Olympics. We’re America, we’ve got to assert our dominance over everybody else. That’s what we do. ... It's going to be fun.”
Skenes threw 27 pitches for strikes against the Braves, along with four other pitches initially called strikes by home plate umpire Chris Segal that Braves hitters challenged through the automated ball-strike system — the so-called robot umpires.
“Today, that’s how it is. I’ve just got to adjust," Skenes said. “I think it will even out over the course of the season, but ask me in June.”
Three of those challenges came on consecutive batters in the first inning.
Matt Olson challenged an 82.3 mph curveball that was called a strike, and had a smile on his face as replay showed indeed that the 1-1 pitch was only about one-tenth of an inch off the plate. He went on to draw a walk.
“When the season gets rolling, that’s probably not the pitch that you’re going to be challenging, but you’ve got to feel it out a bit,” Olson said. “I figured, whatever. It was a backdoor sweeper that I felt kind of held up a little bit.”
Jurickson Profar then challenged a 98.3 mph fastball for a strike on the first pitch he faced, and it was overturned to a 1-0 count before he also walked. Austin Riley sought a replay when a 99 mph pitch on an 0-2 count was called a strike, but was above the zone, though on the next pitch he struck out swinging on a 98.5 mph fastball just below that.
In the Braves second, Ronald Acuña asked for a review and got a ball on a 97.6 mph fastball off the plate that had been called a strike.
While the overturned strike thrown to Riley was the fastest of the day by Skenes, his fastball was consistently in the upper-90s throughout his outing.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
Yesterday, the Brewers finally picked up their first Cactus League win behind Tyler Black’s six (!!) RBIs. They’ll be looking to make it two straight in today’s matchup with the San Francisco Giants, who haven’t lost a game yet this spring.
Carlos Rodriguez, who appeared in four games last year, will be on the mound to start. The only other probable pitcher listed for today’s game is Peter Strzelecki, who pitched in 66 games for the Brewers between 2022 and 2023. He’s back on a minor league deal with a big league spring invite. Starting for the Giants is another familiar face, former Brewer Adrian Houser.
Today’s lineup consists entirely of players who project to play a role for the big league squad this season, although it’s probably not a lineup Milwaukee will ever roll out in the regular season (maybe on a getaway day?). Jackson Chourio, Brice Turang, and William Contreras make up the top of the lineup. Hitting cleanup today is Jake Bauers, who’s recorded a hit in each of his two at-bats this spring. Andrew Vaughn is in the five-spot followed by the newly signed Luis Rengifo, who starts at third. Garrett Mitchell will hit seventh in his first Cactus League appearance. Rounding out the bottom of the order are Joey Ortiz and Brandon Lockridge, who’s already hit two home runs in seven at-bats.
Notable names in San Francisco’s lineup include Jung Hoo Lee, Harrison Bader, Bryce Eldridge, and former Brewer Eric Haase (hitting cleanup!). First pitch is slated for 2:10 p.m. CT and this one will be broadcast on 620 WTMJ and the Brewers Radio Network.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Former Virginia coach Tony Bennett, a two-time national coach of the year, joined the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday as NBA draft adviser to president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka.
Bennett was Virginia's coach from 2009-24 and guided the Cavaliers to the 2019 national championship. Bennett compiled a 364-136 record at Virginia.
“As we refine and build out our NBA draft and scouting processes, we could think of no better basketball mind than Tony Bennett to have as a resource," Pelinka said in a statement.
"Tony’s track record of forming culture, with high-character, high-skill and high-IQ players is revered and respected across all basketball circles. Tony will be an incredible asset to our basketball leadership, to our scouts and to our draft department as a whole. We are truly excited.”
Bennett is Virginia's career leader in wins.
Virginia honored Bennett in a ceremony before Saturday's 86-83 win over Miami, naming the court at John Paul Jones Arena after him. With a group of his former players by his side, Bennett watched as his signature was unveiled on the court.
Bennett was the AP national coach of the year in 2007 and 2018. He led Virginia to six ACC regular-season championships. He coached at Washington State from 2006-09.
“When Rob and I began talking, what stood out to me was the chance to help out such a storied organization,” Bennett said in a statement. “The Lakers carry a tradition that speaks for itself, so to be connected to it and assist Rob and the Lakers in any way I can is exciting.”
Bennett played under his father, Dick Bennett, at Wisconsin-Green Bay before playing four years in the NBA, including three for Charlotte, from 1992-95.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA
It is no secret that the Detroit Red Wings have been searching for help on the back end. Detroit was reportedly in the mix for both Quinn Hughes and Rasmus Andersson, but neither pursuit resulted in a deal.
Now, new reports suggest the Red Wings have shifted their focus to another high-profile defenseman, this time targeting MacKenzie Weegar of the Calgary Flames.
Detroit general manager Steve Yzerman has made it clear he prefers players with term remaining on their contracts rather than short-term rentals. Weegar fits that mold. The 32-year-old Ottawa native has five years remaining on his deal after this season with a $6.25 million annual cap hit.
While that contract represents a significant commitment, Detroit appears better positioned than most to absorb it. The Red Wings have just under $13 million in cap space, and with the NHL salary cap projected to rise in coming seasons, the long-term financial outlook could make Weegar’s deal more manageable over time.
Speaking on the Barn Burner podcast, TSN insider Darren Dreger confirmed Detroit is one of the few teams capable of pulling off such a move.
Darren Dreger: Re Mackenzie Weegar: The other team...is the Red Wings; that's what it's gonna take, is a team like that, who isn't interested in the rental market...and have whatever the pieces are that are going to coerce...the Flames to make that trade - Barn Burner (2/20)
— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) February 24, 2026
“The other team is the Red Wings, that’s what it’s gonna take, is a team like that, who isn’t interested in the rental market and have whatever the pieces are that are going to coerce the Flames to make that trade,” Dreger said.
Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features.
Weegar over the last two seasons has emerged as a widely regarded top 25 defensemen in the league. During his peak seasons, he has produced between 35 and 50 points while posting elite defensive metrics, including a plus-40 rating that ranked ninth best in the NHL during the 2021-22 season.
This season has been more difficult as Calgary endures a challenging year, Weegar’s numbers have dipped. He is projected to fall just short of the 30-point mark and carries a minus-32 rating, one of the lowest in the league. A change of scenery could benefit both player and team.
Weegar primarily plays on the right side but has experience on the left, a versatility that would add valuable depth to Detroit’s blue line. For a Red Wings team looking to take the next step, adding a proven, minutes-eating defenseman with term could be the type of bold move that accelerates their rebuild and strengthens their playoff push.
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The Los Angeles Kings had played 56 games before the NHL entered its Olympic break, leaving them with 26 games left in the regular season. 15 of the 26 games will be played at home, where the Kings have a below-average record.500 record (8-11-7) and are giving up more goals (72) than they are scoring (63) against their opponents. Meanwhile, they are just .500 away from Crypto.com Arena with a 15-8-7 record and have scored more goals (79) than their own arena.
Of course, fighting for a playoff spot with no spot guaranteed is a tough task, considering the hectic schedule, including a back-to-back tonight against the top two teams in their division, the Vegas Golden Knights and the Edmonton Oilers.
13 of the 26 games will be against teams currently in playoff position or right in the mix to make the playoffs, and their first nine games back from the break will be against teams above .500 and in the mix to make the playoffs.
Now, the other half of the 13 teams will be those currently out of the playoff hunt but still fighting to get back in the mix. That's not necessarily good news, because all those teams, like the Kings, will be fighting for urgency themselves, but at least Los Angeles can make up for any losses they suffer against teams below .500.
The Kings are currently in fifth place in the Pacific Division, four points behind the Oilers for the second seed, who are in a slump, having lost three straight and five of their last eight games. Seattle and Anaheim are both one point behind Edmonton for that second seed and can overtake the Oilers, especially with the Kraken and the Ducks playing solid before the break.
2 Kings Who Must Show Up For LA's Final StretchThe Los Angeles Kings will look for these two players to finish the season strong as LA fights to stay in the playoff race after the Olympic break. Now, the Kings have already defeated the Oilers this season, most recently on Dec. 10, when they won 4-3 in a shootout, and will play them two more times before the season ends, including tomorrow night after tonight's game against Vegas.
Just like last season, Vegas is in pole position to lock up the one seed in the division, right now holding a four-point lead over the Oilers with 68 points, but did end the first half playing poorly, losing six of their last eight games, primarily due to Jack Eichel and Noah Hanific being out, who will also miss tonights game against the Kings, something Los Angeles needs to take advantage of and win this game against a banged up Vegas team.
Now, they've already lost to the Golden Knights twice this season, but tonight will be the final game between the two. A win will split the season series 2-2 and could help Los Angeles in the tiebreaker if Vegas continues to slide.
The only concern for Los Angeles right now is health and consistency as their schedule continues to heat up. Losing Kevin Fiala for most likely the entire season is certainly a blow, but the good news is that Los Angeles acquired Artemi Panarin, who will make his debut tonight for the Kings and will instantly become a game-changer for Los Angeles, looking to make noise down the stretch.
The Kings have been a very mediocre team this season. On one hand, they look like a playoff team, and on other nights, they look like a team that doesn't belong in the playoffs. The home record is concerning, and the Kings will need to fix it starting tonight if they want a chance to play in April.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
As expected, the Golden State Warriors will be without De’Anthony Melton in Wednesday night’s matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies. While Melton will be sitting out the second half of the Dubs back-to-back, Al Horford (who missed Tuesday’s game) will be returning to the rotation. Draymond Green is questionable. Obviously the Warriors are already missing Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler, Kristaps Porzingis, and Seth Curry as well.
The Dubs will face a Grizzlies team that is among many NBA squads engaged in an embarrassing tanking operation. Despite trading core pieces like Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. in the last year, Memphis is still holding out Ja Morant, Zach Edey, Santi Aldama, Cedric Coward, Brandon Clarke, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will all be out (some with legitimate injuries to be fair). Former Warriors forward Kyle Anderson is also listed as questionable.
The Warriors hopes of escaping the Play-In Tournament have largely been dashed by Butler and Curry’s injuries, however, the collective tanking throughout the league has also lessened the pressure on Golden State from behind them in the standings. Nevertheless, the Dubs do have a fairly easy schedule over the final months of the season and could make a run at the 6th or 7th seed with a particularly strong stretch.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel called on the NFL to increase staffing at its replay command center to ensure reviews from all games are treated equally.
Vrabel spoke at the NFL scouting combine Wednesday and was asked about comments earlier this week by league executive Troy Vincent that there were a handful of mistakes made in replay last season in games played in the early Sunday afternoon window when as many as nine games were played at the same time.
“We need to make sure every game is treated the same — from the prime-time game on Sunday night to the prime-time game on Monday or Thursday or whether it’s one of those 1:00 games that is the lifeblood of our league,” said Vrabel, who is a member of the competition committee.
“So if it’s something we need to take care of in the offseason, staffing issues that need to be taken care of so that those things are looked at, we need to be really good at replay because there’s going to be mistakes on the field. ... We have to get to a system in replay that’s as close to 100% accurate as possible.”
Vincent said there were 322 stoppages for replay reviews this past season, including 171 that were made from the replay center in New York. He said five of those plays were mishandled, with the majority coming in the 1 p.m. ET window when there are more games being played simultaneously.
“There were five after we kind of took a step back and breathed — four of them (were) in the 1:00 window,” Vincent said. "Just volume and you go, ‘Ah, if we had to do that one again, just looking at it.’”
At least one of those plays proved crucial in the playoff race. Vincent cited a replay review in a Week 14 game that overturned a ruling on the field of an interception thrown by Pittsburgh's Aaron Rodgers. The decision cost Baltimore 46 yards in field position, and the Ravens eventually lost the game 27-22 when a potential go-ahead TD pass from Lamar Jackson to Isaiah Likely was ruled incomplete by replay.
That call was not one of the five Vincent referenced, but he did say it warranted more discussion about what is or isn't a catch. A win in that game for Baltimore would have given the Ravens the AFC North title instead of the Steelers.
An increase in staffing at the replay command center during windows with more games would not solve all of the inequities in comparison to higher-profile games, which feature significantly more cameras used by the broadcasters.
San Francisco 49ers general manager John Lynch, a former broadcaster and a new member of the competition committee, said that needs to be addressed as well.
“I do think that’s something we want to strive for as a league,” Lynch said. "I think there’s some uniformity you can get by requiring teams to have fixed cameras and things. I know all those things are being discussed, but that is a reality that the 1:00 games, there’s multiple games going on at the same time. So, the New York headquarters, they’re not going to have all their attention on that game. And then within that, the element that I talked about just not having the amount of cameras and angles. That’s a reality and something that we have to figure out because every game is important in our league, not just the prime-time games.”
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
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A fourth-quarter comeback couldn’t save the Toronto Raptors from a sloppy start against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
And things won’t get easier. Scottie Barnes is dealing with a minor injury, and they welcome Victor Wembanyama and the red-hot San Antonio Spurs to town for the second half of a back-to-back.
My Spurs vs. Raptors predictions and NBA picks break down what projects to be a low-scoring matchup set to tip off at 7:30 pm ET at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, on Wednesday, February 25.
Spurs vs Raptors best bet: Under 229.5 (-110)
The San Antonio Spurs have won nine consecutive games, and Victor Wembanyama & Co. seem to be getting better with each passing game.
With Wemby anchoring the middle, the Spurs are an elite defensive team, ranking third in defensive rating. Meanwhile, the Toronto Raptors are also strong at that end of the floor, ranking sixth in defensive rating.
Additionally, Scottie Barnes is questionable after getting banged up in last night’s game against the Thunder. That all reads like a low-scoring game, and these teams have been two of the best Under bets in the NBA this season.
Wemby is going to take advantage against a potentially fatigued Raptors team, so I’m taking the Over on his rebounds and his blocked shots.
"The Alien" is averaging 11.3 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game this season, but those numbers are up to 12.5 and 3.5 over his last 13 games.
Toronto ranks 18th in rebounding rate and 24th in opponent blocks per game.
Wemby isn't the only one who could rack up the blocks in this defense-first NBA matchup.
The Raptors have hit the Game Total Under in 29 of their last 45 games for +11.40 Units and a 23% ROI. Find more NBA betting trends for Spurs vs. Raptors.
| Location | Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON |
| Date | Wednesday, February 25, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | FDSN Southwest, TSN |
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While the Sacramento Kings snapped their 16-game losing streak, do not expect them to start a winning streak against the Houston Rockets tonight.
My Kings vs. Rockets predictions and NBA picks have little faith in either team on Wednesday, February 25.
Kings vs Rockets best bet: Under 221.5 (-110)
The Houston Rockets will long lament Fred VanVleet’s preseason injury.
Without a quality point guard, adding Kevin Durant has been a relative disappointment for the Rockets. Since New Year’s, their offensive rating has sat at No. 24 in the NBA, scoring just 111.3 points per 100 possessions.
Fortunately, Houston’s defense ranks No. 6 in that same stretch, which should obviously stifle the Sacramento Kings’ heavily depleted rotation. There are several reasons the Kings’ offensive rating is No. 27 since January 1, and most of those reasons are injuries.
Kevin Durant has cleared this prop in two of his last three, three of his last five, and four of his last seven.
Those are all modest enough rates, but given how depleted Sacramento’s rotation is, logic can safely expect Durant to score efficiently, shooting over just about everyone.
A low-scoring affair benefits a hefty underdog against the spread.
Four of Houston’s last five games have gone Under their totals, falling short of bookmakers’ expectations by an average of 7.9 points per game. Find more NBA betting trends for Kings vs. Rockets.
| Location | Toyota Center, Houston, TX |
| Date | Wednesday, February 25, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 8:00 p.m. ET |
| TV | NBC Sports California, SCHN |
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New Zealand knocked co-hosts Sri Lanka out of the T20 World Cup on Wednesday with a 61-run win in Colombo that boosted their semi-final hopes.
With the calendar flipping to March on Sunday, it's crunch time in fantasy basketball. While most leagues will have a few more weeks before the playoffs, others have already begun their postseason. And since teams have a better idea of where they stand in terms of the NBA Playoffs or the draft lottery, we're seeing more players ruled out for the rest of the season. That makes the task of finding value on the waiver wire that much more difficult. Let's look at some of the key injuries affecting fantasy basketball in Week 18, starting with the Hawks losing their All-Star forward during Tuesday's win over the Wizards.
Johnson has been one of the best players in fantasy basketball this season, so a potential extended absence at this point in the season would have a significant impact. The Hawks forward injured his left hip flexor during Tuesday's win over the Wizards, exiting during the first half. Johnson's early departure coincided with Jonathan Kuminga (28 percent rostered, Yahoo!) making his Hawks' debut, and the former Warrior did not disappoint.
In 24 minutes off the bench, Kuminga shot 9-of-12 from the field and 6-of-7 from the foul line, finishing with 27 points, seven rebounds, four assists, two steals and three three-pointers. While the opposition wasn't the best, there's no denying how good Kuminga looked in his first game action in a month. While the performance alone was good enough to boost his rostership, Kuminga stands to be an even more popular add in the aftermath of Johnson's injury, especially if the All-Star has to miss multiple games.
This past week was a rough one for the Bulls in terms of injuries. The news that Collins will undergo season-ending toe surgery was made official, and with Smith suffering a strained right calf during Sunday's loss to the Knicks, Chicago will be extremely shorthanded in the frontcourt. While his production has tailed off since his stellar Bulls debut, Guerschon Yabusele (10 percent) becomes a player worth picking up. Fantasy managers should also keep an eye on Nick Richards (three percent), and while Patrick Williams (one percent) should play plenty, he's done little to gain any semblance of trust in fantasy basketball.
On the perimeter, Simons was diagnosed with a small fracture of his left wrist, with Bulls head coach Billy Donovan noting that the guard aggravated an injury initially suffered early in the season while with the Celtics. The team has not provided a timeline, but it would make no sense for them to rush Simons back onto the court. Also sidelined is Ivey, who will have his left knee re-evaluated in two weeks. Regarding Ivey, hopefully, he can get back to a point where he's playing consistently, even though the guard said last week he doesn't believe he'll be the player he was before fracturing his fibula last January.
In theory, those injuries should create more opportunities for Rob Dillingham (one percent), as there is far less known about his ability to fit into an NBA roster than for established vets Josh Giddey, Tre Jones (15 percent) and Collin Sexton (16 percent). In seven appearances for the Bulls, Dillingham has averaged 7.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.3 steals in 20 minutes, shooting 39.2 percent from the field. He hasn't done enough to merit being added in redraft leagues, especially with Giddey, Jones and Sexton in the rotation. Still, Dillingham is someone whose opportunities should increase as the Bulls, losers of ten straight, drift further out of the play-in tournament picture.
Porziņǵis made his Warriors debut immediately after the All-Star break, playing 17 minutes in a loss to the Celtics. Unfortunately, the 7-foot-2 forward/center has not played since due to an illness. Tuesday's loss to the Pelicans was the first of two games he has been ruled out for, as POTS continues to be an issue. With Al Horford (six percent) also out due to a toe injury, Quinten Post (one percent) was inserted back into the rotation in New Orleans. He played 23 minutes, finishing with six points, nine rebounds, one assist and one blocked shot. There isn't much to gain from streaming Post, especially if Horford is made available for Wednesday's game against the Grizzlies.
Nesmith suffered a sprained right ankle during Indiana's February 19 loss to the Wizards, with head coach Rick Carlisle saying on Sunday that the wing would be out for at least one week. Rookie Kam Jones (less than one percent) has moved into the starting lineup, averaging 9.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.7 three-pointers in 33 minutes per game. While this production isn't enough to make Jones a viable option in redraft leagues, he is a player worth watching for those competing in dynasty formats. Of course, the Pacers' rotation won't have as much room next season with Tyrese Haliburton back on the floor, so Jones' role for the rest of this season won't align with what's to come in 2026-27.
It's unknown when Santi Aldama (37 percent) will play again this season, and Coward has missed four straight and five of Memphis' last six games with a posterior capsule sprain in his right knee. Given where the Grizzlies are in the standings, fantasy managers would be wise to seek alternatives rather than wait this out. Jaylen Wells (21 percent) has been a top-100 player since the trade deadline, while Ty Jerome (34 percent) has hovered around the top-50 according to Basketball Monster.
For managers seeking players with forward eligibility, GG Jackson (31 percent) is another solid option despite coming off the bench. Olivier-Maxence Prosper (12 percent) has also been productive recently, and he now has center eligibility in Yahoo! leagues. Memphis may be 11th in the Western Conference standings, but they trail the Clippers by five games in the loss column for the final play-in spot. Given the injuries, a rally isn't happening.
After suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon last January, Murray made his season debut in Tuesday's win over the Warriors. And he did so as a starter, finishing with 13 points, two rebounds, three assists, one steal and one three-pointer in 25 minutes. While Murray did commit five turnovers, some of that can be attributed to rust. What was interesting about the lineup was that interim head coach James Borrego started DeAndre Jordan (one percent), with Derik Queen (51 percent) moved to the bench.
"DJ, welcome back!" ️
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) February 25, 2026
Inside the locker room after the DUB pic.twitter.com/0IWNMvAbjS
Jordan played 22 minutes while Queen logged 18 on Tuesday, and that's something to watch, more from the angle of what it means for the latter's rest-of-season value than deciding whether or not to pick up the former. Fantasy managers can, and should, leave Jordan on the waiver wire.
As for Murphy, Tuesday's game was the third that he's missed since suffering a right shoulder contusion during the Pelicans' February 11 loss to the Heat. He's been day-to-day since, with Bryce McGowens (less than one percent) starting New Orleans' February 20 loss to the Bucks and then Jordan starting the next two. Would Murphy's return bump Jordan to the bench, or would Saddiq Bey (43 percent) be the odd man out? Of the two, Bey is more capable of providing reliable fantasy value in a reserve role.
Gilgeous-Alexander (abdominal strain) and Mitchell (abdominal strain and right ankle sprain) are due to be re-evaluated later this week, so more clarity should be gained on their respective statuses. As for J-Dub, he'll be re-evaluated at some point next week as he continues to recover from a strained right hamstring.
Cason Wallace (30 percent) has been part of the Thunder starting lineup since the beginning of February and has offered third-round per-game value, according to Basketball Monster. He should be a more popular option within 12-team leagues while fantasy managers await SGA's return. Isaiah Joe (21 percent) has averaged nearly four three-pointers per game since February 1, and his overall fantasy value has skyrocketed. Joe has started Oklahoma City's last two games, and he's another player who should be a bit more popular due to the current injury situation.
Already without Franz Wagner, the Magic played their last three games without Suggs, who has been sidelined by a strained back. With Anthony Black (56 percent) already in the starting lineup, Tristan da Silva (two percent) has filled the void left by Suggs. Da Silva played 32 minutes in Tuesday's win over the Lakers, finishing with 13 points, six rebounds, three assists, two steals and three three-pointers, shooting 5-of-9 from the field. While he isn't a must-stream player, da Silva would be worth a look for Thursday's game against the Rockets if Suggs remains out.
The Suns are another team that's had terrible injury luck recently. Already without Booker due to a strained right hip (he should be re-evaluated toward the end of this week), the Suns lost Brooks to a fractured right hand and Goodwin to a strained left calf during their February 21 double-overtime win over the Magic. Brooks will be re-evaluated in four to six weeks, while Goodwin will be re-evaluated in one to two weeks.
Ryan Dunn (one percent) has moved into the starting lineup, totaling 12 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, one steal and two three-pointers in losses to the Trail Blazers and Celtics. While he did shoot the ball better in Tuesday's loss to the Celtics, that production isn't enough to move the needle in fantasy basketball. The injuries have also led to rotation minutes for Amir Coffey (less than one percent), Jamaree Bouyea (less than one percent) and Rasheer Fleming (less than one percent), with none doing enough to merit streaming. Fleming is the most intriguing of the three, and that's solely for dynasty league purposes.
Avdija's lower back has remained an issue for the All-Star wing, as he left Sunday's win over the Suns after playing one minute due to it flaring up. He sat out Tuesday's loss to the Timberwolves, resulting in a spot start for Kris Murray (less than one percent). In 29 minutes, Murray accounted for 16 points, five rebounds, one assist, two blocks and two three-pointers, shooting 7-of-10 from the field.
Redraft league managers will want to see more from Murray before committing to him, and that's understandable. Despite coming off the bench, Scoot Henderson (17 percent) also receives a boost if Avdija misses time, and he finished Tuesday's defeat with 19 points, six rebounds, five assists and one three-pointer. While he shot 7-of-18 from the field, Scoot committed just two turnovers.
As for Sharpe, further examination of his strained left calf revealed a stress reaction in his left tibia, and he was given a re-evaluation timeline of four to six weeks. Still rostered in 86 percent of Yahoo! leagues, he's unlikely to be a factor in most fantasy leagues once he's cleared to return. Rebounding woes aside, Jerami Grant (36 percent) will be worth a look for Sharpe managers looking for more scoring, while Tourmani Camara (42 percent) can provide a little more value to category-league managers.
Unfortunately for Hunter and the Kings, he made just two appearances for the team before suffering a season-ending left eye injury. Initially diagnosed with left eye iritis after being inadvertently poked in the eye during a February 6 loss to the Clippers, Hunter was found to have suffered a detached retina, which required surgery to address.
Keegan Murray (43 percent) has returned to the starting lineup after missing time with a sprained ankle, and he's playing starters' minutes. However, for those looking to the fantasy playoff weeks, Nique Clifford (13 percent) may be a more intriguing prospect, especially for those who are operating under the assumption that the Kings will play Russell Westbrook (60 percent) and DeMar DeRozan (96 percent) less as the franchise focuses on the future.
While it was a bit perplexing to see Nurkić's name on the Jazz injury reports due to nose injury management, the 7-footer has undergone season-ending surgery to address the issue. With Jaren Jackson Jr. already out for the rest of the season, this frees up more opportunities for Kyle Filipowski (37 percent). However, while he has started Utah's last three games, the second-year forward/center did not exceed 30 minutes in any of them. In those starts, Filipowski averaged 16.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 4.3 steals, 1.0 blocks and 1.0 three-pointers in 27.3 minutes, so the value is certainly there. We aren't going to expect Filipowski to sustain the steals production for the rest of the season, but it is a nice bonus.
And Nurkić wasn't the only Jazz player ruled out for the rest of the season, as Williams suffered a torn left ACL during Monday's loss to the Rockets. While his injury won't have a significant impact on the Jazz rotation, there is now even more playing time available for Brice Sensabaugh (15 percent), who has the potential to be a silly season standout despite coming off the bench.
Young, who is still recovering from knee and quad injuries suffered while with the Hawks, is due to be re-evaluated in one week, while Davis will have his left hand re-evaluated in two weeks. In the latter's case, he still has not been cleared to resume basketball activities. Bub Carrington (nine percent) and Tristan Vukčević (nine percent) are the players who will be impacted the most by the availability of Young and Davis. Still, it's very difficult to envision a scenario in which those established stars are asked to play anywhere near starters' minutes. Washington is also awaiting Alex Sarr's return from a strained right hamstring, and he should also be re-evaluated toward the end of this week.
Cole Huff