The Philadelphia Flyers are expecting top prospect Porter Martone to be a huge part of their future. It is understandable, as the 2025 sixth-overall pick has all the tools to become a top-six power forward at the NHL level.
Martone has had a fantastic freshman year with Michigan State University this campaign, as he has recorded 23 goals and 46 points in 32 games. With this, the 6-foot-3 forward has earned some big praise.
With Martone simply dominating the collegiate level, it makes sense that he is being viewed as one of the NHL's best prospects by Button. His mix of skill and physicality should make Flyers fans very excited about his future with the club.
It will now be interesting to see how Martone continues to develop from here. There is no question that he has the potential to be something special for the Flyers once he makes the jump to the NHL level.
Mar 9, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Milwaukee Brewers second baseman David Hamilton (6) celebrates with teammates after scoring a run against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the second inning at American Family Fields of Phoenix. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
The Brewers put up a win in the Cactus League today, but for most fans, they were just interested in today’s bulk pitchers: Jacob Misiorowski, the starter, and Brandon Sproat, who followed. Both did pretty well, and a balanced Brewer offense, powered by homers from three guys who aren’t necessarily known as power hitters, did plenty.
The Miz didn’t get off to a great start. The first three batters of the game, Tyler Freeman, Cole Carigg, and Jordan Beck, all singled. Beck’s knocked a run in, and TJ Rumfeld followed with a sacrifice fly that made it 2-0. After that, though, Misiorowski locked in—he finished the first with a strikeout and a groundout, and then went three more innings without allowing another hit. He did walk two in that stretch, but he ended up with four innings, two earned runs, six strikeouts, and two walks.
Jacob Misiorowski struck out six over four innings on a curveball-heavy day, giving up a couple early and then finding the zone with the fastball later. Here’s how it looked. pic.twitter.com/0HnOJtjCC3
The Brewer offense, meanwhile, didn’t have much trouble answering the Rockies. Some bad luck in the first inning cost them a potential rally—after Sal Frelick led off with a hit, Joey Ortiz, perhaps a little sharper than his teammates due to the competitive baseball he’s been playing in the World Baseball Classic, smoked a line drive that turned into a double play. But in the second inning, Milwaukee got to one of the better Colorado pitchers, Victor Vodnik. Things started with a Jake Bauers walk, a wild pitch, and, one out and a wild pitch later, a Brandon Lockridge walk. That brought David Hamilton to the plate, and he got a hanging 1-0 changeup that he crushed 107mph and 431 feet for a three-run, scoreboard flipping homer.
Vodnik got the second out but then gave up consecutive hits to Jett Williams and Frelick before getting pulled. That brought Ortiz back to the plate, and he reached on an infield single that was about 40mph slower than the batted ball that turned into a double play in the first. That scored Williams to make it 4-2, and the Brewers very nearly broke it completely open after that; Christian Yelich walked to load the bases and Bauers hit a fly ball at 112 mph, but Beck caught it for the third out.
Brandon Sproat was the next pitcher in for Milwaukee, and after he threw a three-up, three-down top of the fifth, Ortiz led off the bottom of the fifth with a wall-scraping homer to right. He didn’t exactly crush the ball, but it was one of those up-and-away pitches that when Ortiz is looking good he does damage on. Another Yelich walk and this time another monster shot off Bauers’ bat—this one 113 mph—found grass in the outfield, scoring Yelich from first. Bauers scored a couple batters later on a Hamilton groundout, and Milwaukee led 7-2.
Beck led off the sixth with a solo homer off of Sproat. Ortiz hit another ball hard in the sixth, but it was caught in center field. The game hummed along for a while—Jared Koenig came in with two outs in the eighth, walked a guy, and ended the inning with a groundout. Lockridge hit a homer (on his 29th birthday) in the bottom of the inning, and Sproat returned for the ninth. Sproat did allow a single and a run-scoring double in the ninth, but he finished the game with Milwaukee winning 8-4.
Milwaukee almost got through this one with just two pitchers, as Misiorowski pitched four innings and Sproat pitched 4 2/3. Both pitchers allowed two earned runs on four hits; Miz, as mentioned, struck out six and walked two, while Sproat struck out three and didn’t walk any. Misiorowski threw 70 pitches, Sproat 65.
On the offensive side of the ball, Frelick and Ortiz were the two Brewers with multiple hits, while Ortiz, Lockridge, and Hamilton homered. Bauers also had a nice day, as he went 1-for-2 with a double, two batted balls with exit velocities higher than 112 mph, and a walk.
Meanwhile, some non-spring training news: Andrew Fischer came a couple feet from hitting a grand slam in Italy’s game against Puerto Rico today. A fan reached over the wall and caught it, and it was instead ruled a two-run double (in a game Italy won by two), but Fischer crushed it. I think he can hit. Video below:
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Kyle Connor reached 30 goals for a franchise-record eighth time and added an assist, Connor Hellebuyck made 28 saves and the Winnipeg Jets beat the NHL-leading Colorado Avalanche 3-1 on Saturday.
Connor broke a tie with Ilya Kovalchuk for the most 30-goal seasons in Thrashers/Jets history. Connor has reached the 30-goal mark in every season of his nine-year NHL career except for the 56-game COVID-19 shortened campaign when he had 26.
Alex Iafallo and Cole Perfetti, with an empty-netter, also scored for the Jets. Mark Scheifele had to two assists for push his season total to 51, one more than his previous best.
Martin Necas ended Hellebuyck's shutout bid with 1:16 left.
Mackenzie Blackwood made 15 saves for the Avalanche. They had won six in a row on the road.
Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns played in his 990th consecutive NHL game, surpassing Keith Yandle for the second-longest streak in league history. Phil Kessel is the leader at 1,064.
Mar 14, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Justin Wrobleski against the Chicago White Sox during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Even as far as spring training games go, this was a pretty forgettable one for the Dodgers, coming out on the losing end of a 7-2 effort against the White Sox. After a strong start to his spring, Justin Wrobleski didn’t showcase his best stuff, laboring through a difficult outing against a White Sox lineup that, to claim it doesn’t quite stand out, would be putting it lightly. Wrobleski came into this game without allowing a single earned run in three appearances (2 starts), and despite nearing 70 pitches, couldn’t quite crack three full innings, responsible for five of the seven runs Chicago scored.
Facing a lineup built almost entirely of right-handed hitters, Wrobleski didn’t allow a ton of hard contact and was probably a bit unfortunate in giving up four runs—his struggles to find the zone consistently were partially to blame, conceding a couple of walks and hitting the zone only 40% of the time.
Putting up a pretty unproductive effort were the Dodgers’ star hitters, who, unlike the White Sox, couldn’t fully capitalize on all of their free passes. Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, and Max Muncy combined for four walks, and only one of them (Betts) came around to score.
Still needing to fill a bulk of the game with relievers after Wrobleski’s day was done, Dave Roberts turned to Alex Vesia, among others, with a couple of points to highlight regarding his appearance. Traditionally, almost exclusively a four-seamer-slider arm, Vesia tossed in a few more changeups than usual, and his fastball velocity was still well below his career norm (91.5 MPH in comparison with the 92.7 MPH average last season). Following Vesia, Tanner Scott and Alex Vesia both tossed a scoreless inning.
The second Dodger run came courtesy of Zach Ehrhard. The young outfielder, subbed in during the game to play right field, hit a triple in the top of the seventh and came around to score on a Ryan Fitzgerald groundout. That’s particularly noteworthy given it was the only extra-base hit the Dodgers had the whole game. The Dodgers loaded the bases in the ninth, but couldn’t do anything with it.
Up next
Youth versus experience will be on display as the Dodgers face the other Chicago-based club, with Emmet Sheehan going against Jameson Taillon in a split-header day, with games against the Cubs and the Rangers. River Ryan will be the other starter. Both games start at 1:05 PM Pacific time.
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Zennia Thomas scored 15 points, Nile Miller had 12 points and 13 rebounds, and Howard defeated Norfolk State 53-46 on Saturday to claim the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship for the first time since 2022.
The Bison defeated the team that beat them in the last three MEAC championship games. Saturday was the fifth consecutive time that the Bison and Spartans squared off in the championship game.
Howard and Norfolk State's dominance of the MEAC was evident during the regular season. Top-seeded Howard went 13-1 in the regular season and now has a 14-game winning streak. Second-seeded Norfolk State won 12 of its final 15 games, with each loss at the hands of Howard.
Ariella Henigan's mid-range jumper gave Howard a 51-45 lead with 2 1/2 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Norfolk State managed one free throw the rest of the way and the Spartans missed their last seven shots. Henigan made two free throws with 22 seconds left to set the final margin.
Henigan scored 11 points for Howard (26-7).
Jasha Clinton scored 11 points and Anjanae Richardson added 10 for Norfolk State (18-14).
Howard scored the last eight points of the first quarter to take a 16-9 lead but Norfolk State came right back in the second quarter, scoring seven points in the first 1 1/2 minutes to tie it up. A 3-pointer by Cire Worley put the Spartans up 23-20 in midway through the quarter and they held the lead until a jumper by Howard's Sa’lah Hemingway tied it at 27 heading to halftime.
Howard built a 42-33 lead through three quarters, despite shooting only 24% in the third quarter. Norfolk State shot 13% in the third.
Up next
NCAA Tournament pairings will be announced on Sunday.
March Madness upsets don't start when the games begin.
In fact, much of the anger and anxiety for some programs and fans begins several weeks before the tournament's 68-team field is announced. That's the nature of the beast with a 31-game regular season with 364 Division-I men's basketball programs competing for limited spots in the NCAA Tournament.
Perceived snubs are inevitable. Anger over where a team is seeded is expected. If the selection committee uses advanced metrics, fans will scream about the "eye test." However, if the eye test is used, fans will scream about the metrics.
The committee uses a mixture of both to select the full field for the 68-team field. The seven metrics used by the committee are a combination of predictive metrics and results-based.
While some teams have similar metrics abound by the end of the season, others have a wider range of outcomes, depending on how games were won and lost. The selection committee has to weigh those and figure out the best 68-team field.
This inevitably leaves some fans and programs angry about a snub.
Here's a look at the most polarizing teams ahead of Selection Sunday based on the metrics used for the men's NCAA Tournament:
March Madness 2025: NCAA Tournament metrics' most polarizing teams
All rankings as of Saturday, March 14
Miami (Ohio) (31-1)
NET: 64
KenPom: 93
BPI: 93
Torvik: 87
KPI: 53
SOR: 29
WAB: 38
The RedHawks could ill afford to lose the MAC tournament championship game without debate if they belonged in the NCAA Tournament. Losing in the quarterfinals to a 15-loss UMass team is definitely not going to help Miami (Ohio)'s case.
Despite a perfect 31-0 regular season, being one-and-done in the conference tournament places them right on the bubble, and it's hard to say it's on the right side of it. Their Wins Above Bubble ranking, though, should be enough to get them in as an at-large.
Auburn (17-5)
NET: 39
KenPom: 38
BPI: 28
Torvik: 41
KPI: 46
SOR: 43
WAB: 44
The dropoff from a Final Four appearance to a bubble team is hard to swallow for Auburn nation. However, the Tigers have a win over Mississippi State, but fell to No. 25 Tennessee in the SEC Tournament.
Southern Methodist (20-13)
NET: 37
KenPom: 42
BPI: 42
Torvik: 42
KPI: 41
SOR: 49
WAB: 46
The Mustangs looked like a tournament lock on Feb. 21 with a 19-8 record. However, SMU would win one more time in its final six games, dropping them to the bubble and potentially out of the tournament with a loss to Louisville in the NCAA Tournament.
SMU started the season 8-0, but finished 12-13 the rest of the way.
Central Florida (21-10)
NET: 50
KenPom: 52
BPI: 57
Torvik: 54
KPI: 28
SOR: 37
WAB: 36
The Knights likely needed a couple of wins in the Big 12 Tournament to have a chance to sneak into the picture. However, they could not hang with No. 1 Arizona in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament.
UCF, like SMU, opened the season blisteringly hot with a 17-4 record following an impressive win over then-No. 11 Texas Tech on Jan. 31. However, the Knights finished with a 3-6 in their final nine games, which included a pair of three-game losing skids.
Indiana (18-14)
NET: 41
KenPom: 45
BPI: 38
Torvik: 34
KPI: 69
SOR: 50
WAB: 52
The Hoosiers seemed like a safe bet to make the 68-team field as recently as a month ago, with a 17-8 record, but they lost six of their final seven games, including a pair of losses to a 15-19 Northwestern squad.
Because of that, Indiana's probably on the outside looking in at the end of Darian DeVries' first season as coach. Thankfully it's a football school now.
New Mexico (22-9)
NET: 46
KenPom: 49
BPI: 56
Torvik: 52
KPI: 44
SOR: 64
WAB: 58
Like Indiana, the Lobos faltered down the stretch, losing four of their final six games after a 21-6 start. The slide was capped off by a 64-62 loss to San Diego State in the Mountain West tournament semifinals, denying them a shot at the league's automatic berth.
Barring a surprise, they're likely not to hear their name called on Selection Sunday.
Texas (18-14)
NET: 42
KenPom: 37
BPI: 39
Torvik: 45
KPI: 66
SOR: 44
WAB: 47
The Longhorns — stop me if you've heard this before — faltered in the final weeks of the regular season, losing five of their final six games, all but one of which was decided by at least 10 points. That included a 10-point loss in the first round of the SEC tournament to a Mississippi team that was 12-19 entering the matchup.
The predictive metrics still like Sean Miller's team, but they're still widely viewed as one of the first four teams to miss the tournament cut.
South Florida (24-8)
NET: 49
KenPom: 50
BPI: 52
Torvik: 51
KPI: 36
SOR: 53
WAB: 59
The Bulls are one of the hottest teams in the country, with 10 consecutive wins after into their American Conference tournament semifinal victory against Charlotte. Given their statistical profile, they'll likely need to win the conference tournament to earn the American's automatic berth.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Griffin Lake won the individual title Saturday, taking second in both smallbore and air rifle, to help West Virginia claim the 2026 NCAA rifle championship, the 21st in program history.
The Mountaineers entered the final day of competition in fourth place, then tied the NCAA record for air rifle score with 2,395 Saturday and finished with an aggregate of 4,748, seven more than second-place TCU, for their second consecutive national title. Mississippi (4,738) was third ahead of Kentucky — last year's runner-up — and Nebraska with 4,736 each.
TCU was second in air rifle with 2,387 and Kentucky (2,383) finished third.
First-year head coach Will Shaner led Ole Miss to its first smallbore team title with a score of 2,356 and the Rebels tied for the best overall finish in program history.
Lake finished with a score of 1,194 with 101 centers. Audrey Gogniat (1,192, 95 centers) of Ole Miss was second and TCU's Katie Zaun, who led the competition with 103 centers, finished tied with Océanne Muller (1,191) for third.
Lake became the fifth person in program history to be named the championship's Most Outstanding Performer.
Kentucky's Braden Peiser won the smallbore crown with a score of 596 and 37 centers. Lake (595, 44 centers) was second while Zaun and Gracie Dinh of Ole Miss tied for third with 593. Zaun led the smallbore competition with 48 centers.
Gogniat scored a perfect 600 with 54 centers to win the individual air rifle for the second consecutive year. Lake, Muller, Nebraska's Katlyn Sullivan and West Virginia's Jennifer Kocher tied for second with 599 apiece.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - JANUARY 29: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder dribbles the ball against Jaden McDaniels #3 and Rudy Gobert #27 of the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first quarter at Target Center on January 29, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 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 David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Minnesota Timberwolves at Oklahoma City Thunder Date: March 15th, 2026 Time: 12:00 PM CDT Location: Paycom Center Television Coverage: ABC Radio Coverage: Wolves App, iHeart Radio
Just over a week ago, the Timberwolves looked like a team that had finally remembered who it was supposed to be. They had steadied themselves, stacked some wins, climbed back into the heart of the Western Conference race, and started to feel like one of those teams nobody wants to see once the playoffs arrive. Then came this past week, and with it a harsh reminder that this version of the Wolves is still capable of going from “sleeper contender” to “what the hell was that?” in about 48 hours.
The Wolves spent the better part of last week getting their doors blown off, most embarrassingly in that grotesque 153-point defensive disaster against the Clippers, and now they head into one of the biggest games of the season needing not just a win, but something even more valuable: evidence that they can still be taken seriously.
Sunday in Oklahoma City is not just another game on the schedule. It is not just the fourth stop on a four-game road trip. It is not just a revenge spot against the team that ended Minnesota’s season in the Western Conference Finals last year. It is all of those things, yes, but it is also a survival game. It is the kind of game that sits in the middle of March and quietly decides whether the rest of the month gets framed as a charge or a collapse.
The setup is brutal. Oklahoma City is the defending champion, playing at home, fully aware that San Antonio is charging hard enough to make the top seed feel less secure than it looked a month ago. The Thunder have already dropped two of three to Minnesota this season, which means they don’t need any manufactured motivation here. The Wolves, meanwhile, are coming in with all the warning signs flashing. Their defense has sprung leaks. Their offense has looked disjointed. Their identity has wobbled. And as the cherry on top, this is also a Sunday afternoon game, which for this year’s Timberwolves has basically been code for “blowout loss.”
Yet, despite all of that, the game remains there for them.
That’s the funny thing about the Wolves. They can play three ugly games in a row, get kicked down from the three seed to the six seed, and still find themselves a half-step away from climbing right back into prime position. Lose here, and the trip starts to look like the beginning of a real unraveling, especially with Phoenix waiting next. Win here, and suddenly Friday’s victory in Golden State starts to look like the first real foothold in a recovery.
That’s why this game matters so much. If Minnesota loses in OKC and then stumbles again against the Suns, that seventh seed stops being an abstract worry and starts becoming a very real possibility. And from there, with March still loaded with landmines, the slide could get ugly fast. But if they can shock the Thunder on their home floor and follow it with a win over Phoenix, then the conversation changes again. Suddenly the play-in fears cool off. Suddenly the three seed becomes visible again. Suddenly all those “the Wolves are falling apart” takes start looking a little premature.
The Wolves do have one thing working in their favor, and it’s something that has made them both fascinating and impossible to trust all season. They have shown a unique ability to go from disinterested to fully engaged in the blink of an eye. That’s part of what makes this team so exhausting. You can watch them get embarrassed by the Clippers on Wednesday and then talk yourself into them beating OKC on Sunday because, honestly, both outcomes feel equally plausible.
So the question becomes simple: which Wolves team is getting off the bus?
Is it the disconnected, soft, turnover-prone group that spent the last week giving up layups, open threes, and chunks of its dignity? Or is it the team that swarmed OKC the last time these clubs met, frustrated Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, made Chet Holmgren’s life miserable, and looked every bit like a team that could absolutely do damage in May?
That answer will likely determine everything.
And with that, here are the keys to the game.
#1 – Deliver a locked-in, aggressive defensive performance.
The last time Minnesota beat Oklahoma City, it did so by playing one of its most inspired defensive games of the season. The Wolves didn’t just defend hard. They defended together. They swarmed Shai, they made him work, they cut off driving angles, and they used their size to turn the paint into a miserable place to operate. They’re going to have to do that again, only harder, because this version of the Thunder is more complete. Jalen Williams is back, which means there’s now another All-Star-level scorer on the floor who has to be accounted for. Minnesota won’t be able to survive with partial effort here. Jaden McDaniels has to be elite. Anthony Edwards has to defend with pride. Rudy Gobert has to anchor everything. And the perimeter resistance has to be real, not the fake kind where a guy gets beat and everyone just hopes Rudy erases the mistake.
#2 – Be smart with the ball.
OKC will absolutely try to steal the Wolves’ cookies. This is not the team to play loose, lazy basketball against. The Thunder get handsy. They pressure. They jump passing lanes. They turn bad decisions into instant transition points, and once they get downhill and rolling, the avalanche comes fast. Minnesota basically gave away the Clippers game in the opening minutes by throwing the ball all over the floor and putting itself in a hole. Against OKC, that kind of start is a death sentence. Friday’s first half against Golden State was a much better example of what this has to look like: sharp passes, controlled possessions, fewer self-inflicted wounds. Every possession in this game is too valuable to donate away.
#3 – Win the second-chance points battle.
Good defense means nothing if you don’t finish the possession. One of the most demoralizing things in basketball is defending like hell for 20 seconds, forcing a tough shot, and then watching the other team grab the rebound and do it all over again. This is where Gobert has to be massive. He needs to be the biggest guy on the floor in every sense. On the other end, the Wolves need to steal some extra chances of their own. Gobert, Randle, and Naz Reid have to turn their size into tangible extra points. In a game likely to be decided in the margins, those second chances matter enormously.
#4 – The offense has to stay connected.
Oklahoma City is going to send pressure at Anthony Edwards. That’s not speculation. That’s a certainty. They know what he is, and they know what happens when he gets downhill and starts feeling the game. So when the pressure comes, Ant has to make the mature read. He has to trust his teammates. He has to use his gravity to bend the floor and open up the rest of the offense. That means moving the ball. That means getting Rudy involved as a lob threat. That means finding Donte DiVincenzo, Naz, Jaden, and Ayo in the right spots. That also means Julius Randle has to be a connector, not a possession-stopper. The Wolves can’t afford long stretches where everyone stands around waiting for Ant to solve the puzzle by himself. Against Oklahoma City, stagnant offense becomes bad offense in a hurry.
#5 – Stay composed and show some actual maturity.
This is where Oklahoma City is so dangerous. You can play them evenly for a quarter and a half, maybe even feel pretty good, and then one weak stretch, one lazy cross-match, one turnover, one rushed three, one failure to get back, turns into a 12-2 run and suddenly the game is tilting away from you. The Thunder are excellent at sensing weakness and pressing on it. So the Wolves have to resist the urge to get emotional, frantic, or careless. That means not letting a bad whistle or a mini-run turn into full panic. That means concentrating and hitting free throws. This probably isn’t going to be a blowout victory for the Wolves. If Minnesota wins, it will likely be because it played a tight, smart, grown-up game in the final six minutes. They’ve certainly had enough crunch-time experience this season. Now they have to prove they learned something from it.
The question heading into this game is not “can the Wolves beat the Thunder?” We already know they can. They’ve done it twice. It’s whether they can beat the Thunder now, with their season wobbling, with the standings tightening, with the pressure ratcheting up, and with all the bad habits of the last week still lingering.
This isn’t the biggest game of the season, but it is a very big game for every reason that matters right now. The Wolves need a reset. They need a statement. They need something to stop the creeping feeling that the season is turning in the wrong direction.
Beat Oklahoma City, and the road trip becomes survivable. Beat Phoenix after that, and the last week starts to feel like a stumble instead of a collapse. Lose both, and suddenly this team is staring at the play-in while trying to explain how a season with this much promise got so messy.
The Wolves have spent the year walking the line between contender and cautionary tale. Sunday is another chance to decide which one they want to be.
So yes, the Thunder are excellent. Yes, the Sunday afternoon demons are real. But if Minnesota wants to be taken seriously again, if it wants to prove that the chatter about its demise was premature, if it wants to make one more push at that three seed that somehow remains within reach, then this is exactly the kind of game it has to steal.
We’ll find out soon enough whether the Wolves rise to the moment or hit the snooze button again.
Lakers coach JJ Redick knew his team was taking better care of the ball.
Whether it was a trend was something he needed to discuss with Max Wiviott, the Lakers’ coaching analyst.
“Generally speaking, if you can’t catch it with the eye test, Wiv has a good answer,” Redick said. “Sometimes, when I think my eyes are correct, I’ll ask him a question, ‘Hey, can you see what’s this trend here? I feel like this is a trend. Is it a trend?’ Sometimes he says yes, sometimes he says no. So I don’t have a good answer for that.”
Marcus Smart is available to play Saturday night after missing the victory Thursday against the Bulls. Getty Images
But the numbers are undeniable: The Lakers have gone from one of the NBA’s worst teams with ball security to one of the best entering Saturday’s prime-time matchup against the Nuggets at Crypto.com Arena.
The Lakers entered the All-Star break No. 23 in turnover percentage, according to Cleaning The Glass, with 15.3% of their offensive possessions ending in a giveaway.
But in the 12 games since the break entering Saturday, their turnover percentage dropped to 12.2 for the league’s third-best mark during that stretch.
It’s one of the biggest reasons, in addition to improved 3-point shooting, for their offense taking a step from borderline top 10 in offensive rating before the break (117.5) to inside of the top five post-break (122.2).
The Lakers have been one of the league’s most efficient scoring teams the entire season.
But one of their issues before the break is they didn’t take a lot of shots.
The Lakers’ 83.6 field-goal attempts per game entering the break was the league’s second-fewest mark — a number suppressed by their high free-throw rate but also their lack of offensive rebounding and ball security.
They still aren’t a good offensive rebounding team, but they entered Saturday averaging 86.8 shots per game since the break — which is still a low figure but more than three extra shots they were getting before the break.
“The word ‘physicality’ gets thrown around the defensive end, and it is just as important offensively, in terms of screening and being strong with the basketball and working to get open,” Redick said. “That’s a big piece of it.”
The Lakers have been taking better care of the basketball lately. LeBron James and his teammates are hosting the Nuggets on Saturday night. NBAE via Getty Images
The record books
With his career-high-tying nine 3-pointers in Thursday’s win over the Bulls, Lakers star Luka Doncic surpassed teammate Austin Reaves for the second-most 3s made in a season.
Doncic entered Saturday with 208 made 3s on a league-high 567 attempts across 54 games.
Reaves made 200 3s last season.
D’Angelo Russell set the franchise record for most made 3s in a season in 2023-24, when he made 226.
Doncic is on pace to surpass Russell’s record in the next four to six games he plays.
The Slovenian star guard entered Saturday shooting 39.7% on 3s on a league-high 10.5 attempts per game since Dec. 25.
Status update
Backup center Jaxson Hayes was upgraded to available for Saturday’s game after sitting out of Thursday’s win because of back soreness.
Starting guard Marcus Smart was also available after being sidelined for the matchup against the Bulls because of a hip contusion.
Maxi Kleber was the lone Laker unavailable because of injury. He missed his sixth game in the last seven because of a back injury that’s expected to sideline him for a “little bit,” Redick said.
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The Flyers struggled offensively and missed out on a big opportunity with a 2-1 shootout loss Saturday night to the Blue Jackets at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Kirill Marchenko won it for Columbus as the game’s lone scorer in the shootout.
Matvei Michkov, Trevor Zegras and Travis Konecny couldn’t deliver in the skills competition.
Alex Bump scored the Flyers’ regulation goal.
With a golden chance to take the lead, the Flyers came up empty on a four-minute power play, which carried over from the second period into the third.
“Sluggish group tonight, we didn’t have our A game,” Rick Tocchet said. … “A lot of hockey lately, late nights, I don’t know. But getting a point with our B game, you’ve got to take the positive out of it.”
This was their 23rd overtime of the season. They dropped to 8-4 in the shootout.
“There are moments where you’ve got to make a play, we’re lacking that sometimes in those moments,” Tocchet said. “But the good thing is we’re hanging in games. You’ve got to give the guys credit.”
Tocchet’s club has lost three of its last four home games. The losses have felt like momentum killers.
The Flyers dropped to five points back of the Blue Jackets (34-21-11), a team that’s also trying to chase down a playoff berth.
• After a busy Saturday around the NHL, the Flyers fell to six points back of the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot. They entered the day five points back.
They’ve made it interesting with at least a point in seven of their last nine games (6-2-1). They have 16 games to go.
“I think every guy in the room is one-track minded still on getting in,” Jamie Drysdale said. “There are no ifs, ands or buts. Was this an important game to get two points? Absolutely. In saying that, we’re not out until we’re out, so I think this team can kind of build off that and that’s kind of our attitude. I know for a fact that’s how everyone in the room feels.”
• Dan Vladar did his job again, denying 27 of 28 shots.
In the first period, Marchenko scored six seconds after Vladar made a string of three saves, which had him sprawling in his crease.
But the 28-year-old was his reliable self and converted a number of timely saves. Can’t fault him at all.
“He has been unreal,” Denver Barkey said. “I’ll say it once, I’ll say it again, he’s our backbone. He’s positive, he has got all the energy, he’s awesome and he has been great for us.”
Columbus netminder Jet Greaves stopped 18 of the Flyers’ 19 shots.
• Bump continued to impress with his second goal and third point through five games since being called up for his NHL debut.
The 22-year-old winger deflected home an Emil Andrae shot to tie the game at 1-1 in the first period.
Three days ago, Tocchet was effusive in his praise for Bump’s ability to shoot the puck. The rookie really hasn’t given the Flyers any reasons to send him back down.
On Bump’s goal, Christian Dvorak recorded a secondary assist, giving him a career-high 39 points.
• Barkey had an injury scare with 5:47 minutes left in the first period when he had to exit after being boarded by Marchenko.
But the 20-year-old rookie returned around the beginning of the second period.
Barkey was slow to get up after the hit, with his face in his hands while being down on the ice. But he was eventually able to skate off under his own power.
The undersized winger showed toughness during the middle stanza when he took some whacks while battling in the slot. He ended up drawing two penalties, but the Flyers couldn’t capitalize on the long power play.
“He was like that in London, he’s a fireball, he’s not scared to go in the corners, the size doesn’t matter,” Tocchet said. “Great effort, great effort from the kid.”
One day, I will be able to write up a Cubs recap and present a lot of highlights from the game.
Today is not that day. (Though I do have SOME video to show you.)
The Cubs lost to the Rockies 4-3 at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale Saturday afternoon, another very warm day in the Phoenix area (84 degrees at game time, likely warmer tomorrow). A walkoff homer by a Rockies minor leaguer named Braxton Fulford off Grant Kipp won the game for Colorado, and obviously that means nothing for the 2026 regular season Cubs.
The much bigger story of this game is Ben Brown, who had a very good outing. Brown threw four innings, allowed two hits and one run, didn’t walk anyone and struck out six. He threw an efficient 51 pitches (39 strikes).
If Brown could throw like that all the time, well, he’d be in the Cubs rotation. Consistency has been one of his big issues. Yes, Rockies today, but that team does have some good hitters and, on a split-squad day for Colorado, many of their regular-season starters were in their lineup. So good for Ben — now go out there and do it again next time, which might wind up being one of the Cubs’ split-squad games next Friday.
Again, I fail to understand, if there’s a video feed like that one available, why that feed couldn’t be streamed. People would watch that! The audio is, as noted, from the Cubs radio broadcast on The Score.
MLB and its teams have to do some hard thinking about how to handle Spring Training games on TV going forward. This year has been a pretty big failure on that account.
The Cubs’ runs scored on a single by Kevin Alcántara, a sacrifice fly by Jonathon Long and a throwing error by Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman after an attempted steal by Matt Shaw. Hoerner scored on the error. Good to see Long back in the lineup after missing three weeks with an elbow issue caused by a collision in a Sloan Park game in February. He went 1-for-3 with the sac fly as the DH in this game.
Hunter Harvey allowed the Rockies a run in the sixth, unearned due to a throwing error by Scott Kingery that allowed Brenton Doyle to reach base to lead off the inning.
The game remained 3-2 until the bottom of the ninth, when the aforementioned walkoff homer happened, sending Rockies fans home happy.
The Cubs return to Sloan Park Sunday afternoon to take on the Dodgers. Jameson Taillon, just returned from the World Baseball Classic, will start for the Cubs and Emmet Sheehan goes for the Dodgers. Game time is 3:05 p.m. CT and this game will be televised on both Marquee Sports Network and the Dodgers channel SportsNet LA — so there will be game highlights Sunday! There will also be a radio broadcast via WSCR The Score.
With the Men's NCAA Tournamentbracket set to be revealed in one day, teams on the bubble are really starting to sweat if they’ll make it. On Saturday, March 14, there’s only one thing that could make it an even more stressful 24 hours: bid stealers.
In conferences where it’s clear who is going to the Big Dance, the whole picture can be flipped by teams not projected to be in, who battle their way to a conference tournament crown to earn an automatic spot in the field.
It’s the worst thing a bubble team could see, and it was in effect on Saturday.
The Atlantic 10 was the first source when top-seeded Saint Louis was stunned by a last-second tip-in from Dayton in the semifinals. The Billikens are a tournament lock and there was uncertainty if another A-10 team would qualify, but now it’s a certainty, which will come at the expense of those on the fringe of the field.
Now, the bubble conversation gets even more intriguing, and shows why it’s so important to get those critical wins in the final week. The picture is shifting, highlighting the winners and losers before Selection Sunday.
March Madness bubble winners
VCU and Atlantic 10
With Saint Louis falling, the Atlantic 10 will now get two teams in with the winner of Dayton vs. VCU earning the automatic bid.
There was uncertainty if the conference could get two teams in since VCU was on the bubble. Now it is the favorite since it will face a Dayton team it has beaten twice, paving the way for the Rams to win the tournament title for the second straight time.
Regardless of the result, it’s good news for the Atlantic 10 as its prestige in the sport has dwindled. There was a real chance it could’ve been back-to-back years as a one-bid league for the first time in more than 40 years. Now, the conference will get two teams similar to 2024, when Duquesne earned itself a spot by taking the tournament crown.
And who knows, maybe VCU has done enough in the committee's eyes and the A-10 could get three teams in if Dayton wins Sunday.
There won’t be a magical run to the NCAA Tournament with the SEC’s 15th-place team Ole Miss falling to Arkansas in the conference tournament semifinal.
It was a run that came out of nowhere considering Ole Miss entered the week 12-19 with four conference wins, but the Rebels had put together three wins in three days. The conference title was the only way it could get in, and it put up another strong fight against the Razorbacks to force overtime. However, Ole Miss couldn't keep the magic going and lost to end the March Madness hopes.
The Rebels stealing the automatic bid would have truly altered the bubble in the craziest of ways, but luckily every team hanging in the balance didn’t see a preposterous result happen.
March Madness bubble losers
SEC
The SEC has a good chance to send the most teams in the field with 10, but it’s getting harder to envision it getting any more in.
The conference had teams in Oklahoma and Auburn on the bubble, with the Sooners making a late push and the Tigers collecting major wins over the season despite a questionable record.
To make matters worse, it also affects Texas; a bad end of the season has pushed the Longhorns toward the possibility of playing in the First Four. It’s not a comfortable position to be in as it could easily end up being left out of the field.
A draw that had huge ramifications at both ends of the Premier League
Manchester City get the ball rolling. A fine Saturday-evening-pints atmosphere!
The teams are out! Pretty bubbles in the air. West Ham in claret and blue, Manchester City in second-choice black. Not sure that’s the best combo for colour-blind fans, but that particular consideration seems to have fallen by the wayside pretty much across the board this season. We’ll be off in a minute.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Rebecca Leslie scored 2:59 into overtime to lead the Ottawa Charge to a 3-2 win against the Vancouver Goldeneyes on Saturday.
Leslie’s snipe to win the game was her 11th of the season, tied for first in the PWHL.
The Charge moved past New York and into fourth place in the standings, with the Sirens having a game in hand.
Fanuza Kadirova and Sarah Wozniewicz, with the game-tying goal, also scored for Ottawa. Gwyneth Philips made 34 saves.
Sarah Nurse and Sophie Jaques scored for Vancouver, which lost its fourth straight game. Kristen Campbell stopped 14 shots.
The Goldeneyes threatened in the first two periods with three power-play opportunities and outshooting the Charge 21-8, but Ottawa’s defense kept the scoresheet blank.
Kadirova’s power-play goal with 35 seconds left in the second period opened the scoring to give the Charge their first and only lead of the game.
The goal was reviewed for possible goaltender interference, and after a lengthy review by the officials, the goal stood, giving Kadirova her seventh of the season.
The equalizer came from Nurse’s unassisted effort as she skated through the Charge defense and scored at 9:50 in the third period.
Jacques put the Goldeneyes ahead with 5:22 left in regulation as she shot the puck from the left center circle for her fifth goal of the season.
Wozniewicz knotted the game with 54 seconds remaining in regulation when she came flying in from the neutral zone, made a move to the middle and wired a shot past Campbell for her fourth of the year.
PARIS (AP) — France won back-to-back Six Nations titles after beating England 48-46 on a last-second penalty kick by Thomas Ramos in a thriller for the ages on Saturday.
England scored its seventh try in the 77th minute and converted for 46-45. If the score held for a few more minutes Ireland would have been crowned the champion.
But France pressed yet again with 14 men, lost possession, regained it, and earned two simultaneous penalties after the fulltime siren. Captain Antoine Dupont debated with referee Nika Amashukeli where the penalty spots were. Ramos, who didn't miss a goalkick all night, finally lined up his seventh shot from more than 40 meters out.
He nailed it, seemingly without any nerves, in the 83rd and leaped into the arms of teammates, back-to-back champions for the first time in 19 years.
Of the title-winning goalkick, Ramos said, "It's in my top three, and not just third. I love moments like that. This title rewards our very strong start to the tournament. I’m very happy. It would have been so tough, when you think about the scenario, to lose it at home in the 76th minute.”
In a bewildering and breathless match including 13 tries and six lead changes, Ramos was the difference as France scored only six tries, four to wing Louis Bielle-Biarrey.
England put up its highest ever score against France on French soil on the 120th anniversary of Le Crunch, but suffered a fourth loss in a single championship for the first time in 50 years.
“We are disappointed to lose but we showed the spirit of this team,” England capain Maro Itoje said.
“You don't want to go through what we have in the last four games but I truly believe we are going places and will be better for it. We knew we had to attack the game more, our conversion of territory into points had to get better and it paid dividends.”
Ireland beat Scotland 43-21 to move to the top of the standings earlier Saturday, leaving the championship closer at the Stade de France as the title decider.
England came into the game under fire for its kick-heavy approach, but ran hard at France and was constantly rewarded. England scored four tries in the first half but suffered a major turning point right on halftime while leading 27-17.
Prop Ellis Genge was sin-binned for collapsing a maul — England's eighth yellow card in the tournament — and France was awarded a penalty try. While Genge was off the field, France rallied from 27-17 down to lead 38-27.
England came back with tries by standout lock Ollie Chessum from an intercept and replacement back Marcus Smith for 39-38.
Then Bielle-Biarrey scored his fourth try of the match, his ninth in the tournament breaking his own record of eight last year. They also extended his own record try-scoring streak in the championship to 10 matches.
But while leading 45-39, France prop Demba Bamba was sin-binned and the defense cracked when center Tommy Freeman finished a counterattack from a goalline dropout. Marcus Smith converted for 46-45 after replacing Fin Smith, who slotted only three of his six goalkicks.
Just over two minutes were left and France didn't hold back. Just as it didn't at the start.
Bielle-Biarrey connected with grubber kicks by Ramos and Matthieu Jalibert to get France away to 14-5. But England drew level on 17 after tries by its own wingers, Tom Roebuck and Cadan Murley, and Chessum's first of the match.
England then led after an Alex Coles try, converted with a drop kick by Fin Smith with players charging after the ball off the tee. England was bossing the game up front at 27-17 until Genge was sin-binned and France pounced.
