The injury bug is swirling throughout the NBA and its latest victims are Phoenix Suns guards Devin Booker and Jalen Green.
Both players left during the Suns' 110-103 loss against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Friday, Jan. 23.
The Hawks were led by Onyeka Okongwu, who tallied 25 points, while Jalen Johnson had a monster game with 23 points, 18 rebounds and was an assist shy of a triple-double.
Booker scored 31 for Phoenix. Collin Gillespie and Grayson Allen had 16 apiece.
Booker went down with 5.4 seconds left in the third quarter as Phoenix led 91-84. He seemingly rolled his right ankle on Okongwu's foot, which left Booker in serious pain.
He grabbed at his ankle and screamed in agony before the Suns medical staff left the bench to tend to Booker.
Booker needed assistance from Gillespie and the medical staff to get off of the floor and he limped back to the locker room and did not return to the game.
Booker finished with 31 points on 12-of-21 shooting, including 5-of-9 (55%) on 3-point field goals, in 28 minutes.
Devin Booker is serious pain after rolling his right ankle on Onyeka Okongwu's foot.
The Cleveland Cavaliers didn’t put their best foot forward, but they still found a way to win 123-118 over the Sacramento Kings. Pretty or not, the Cavs have now won nine of their last 13 games.
All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.
Donovan Mitchell
33 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds
Mitchell still isn’t playing his most efficient basketball. Some of that is to be expected with Darius Garland out. And while I could nitpick the way he got his 33 points on 25 shots tonight — he only had 1 turnover — and the Cavs won the game in large part because of his threat as a scorer.
Though I can’t give him higher than a B+ because of his defense. It wasn’t great.
Grade: B+
Evan Mobley
29 points, 13 rebounds, 7 assists, 4 blocks
This was the type of performance that allows you to let out a deep breath. You aren’t crazy for thinking Mobley is a star, after all. He’s capable of dominating every facet of the game, and the Kings had no answers for him tonight.
Grade: A+
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Opponents are daring Tyson to prove he can handle more offensive responsibility. Blitzing the ball out of Mitchell and challenging Tyson to make them pay. He’s continued to win this bet, making great decisions in the short-roll or attacking closeouts.
Grade: A-
Craig Porter Jr.
5 points, 3 assists, 5 rebounds
The Cavalier offense is begging for a three-point shooter. The lack of Sam Merrill, Darius Garland, and Max Strus has exacerbated Porter’s limitations. He shot 1-3 from deep tonight and had a difficult time generating openings as the Kings simply didn’t care to defend him outside of 20 feet.
Grade: D+
De’Andre Hunter
9 points, 0 rebounds, 0 assists
I don’t think anyone knows what to do with Hunter right now. He has to find his footing and stop this downward spiral at some point.
Props to Allen for taking the physicality of this game head-on and earning 10 trips to the free-throw line. He had a near double-double and helped Cleveland win the rebounding battle.
Grade: A-
Nae’Qwan Tomlin
4 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal, 1 block
A commenter recently asked me to stop grading Tomlin on a curve. I won’t be doing that — but I will give him his lowest grade in quite some time. Tomlin was ignored on offense and totally lost on defense tonight. This wasn’t a good performance, even for a player on a two-way contract.
He avoids the F for his inbounds steal and block on Russell Westbrook’s three-point attempt in the second half.
Grade: D-
Larry Nance Jr.
2 points, 3 rebounds
Junior is back and playing better basketball than before the calf injury. Nothing special, but a servicable 14 minutes off the bench is something this team hasn’t always had in their frontcourt rotation.
Grade: C+
Dean Wade
6 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
Wade did his job tonight. He’s getting back to himself defensively and shot 2-4 from three. He was a team-high +21.
CHICAGO - The Chicago Blackhawks came home after a quick one-game trip to play the Carolina Hurricanes. Down in Raleigh, they took down one of the best teams in the NHL in a shootout. It is better known as "The Oliver Moore birthday game".
On Friday night, they returned to the United Center for a match against another top NHL team, the Tampa Bay Lightning. Tampa came in on a 14-game point streak, even with all of the injuries that they have been dealing with.
Despite mostly being outplayed by the Lightning in the first period, Ryan Greene found a lane to the net and made it 1-0 with a beautiful move and shot. It isn't easy to beat Andre Vasilevskiy clean like that, but Greene made it happen. The dynamic duo of Oliver Moore and Nick Lardis collected the assists on the play.
The Blackhawks weren't much better in the second period. Arvid Soderblom was able to keep them in the game, but Nikita Kucherov did tie it up late with a nifty backhand after receiving a neat pass from Brandon Hagel.
In the middle frame as a whole, the Blackhawks were outshot 13-2. In the game overall up to that point, Tampa led 21-6 in shots. Chicago came into the third knowing they needed a much better effort if they were going to escape with one point, let alone two.
The play was much more even in the third period. Tampa and Chicago exchanged chances, but both Vasilevskiy and Soderblom warmed to the task. Bonus hockey was required for the second night in a row.
In overtime, the Blackhawks had their one stretch of dominance. They had multiple grade-A chances, but Vasilevskiy stood tall as he always does.
A shootout was required in consecutive games as well. Like the one on Thursday, it went to extra frames. Frank Nazar and Louis Crevier scored for Chicago, but Tampa scored just one extra goal and took the second point.
Arvid Soderblom, despite taking the tough loss, was excellent. He was the only reason that the Blackhawks had a chance to win in the first place.
“We owe a lot of credit to [Soderblom]," Ryan Greene said of his goalie. "I thought he was unbelievable. I don't think that game goes overtime without him playing the way he did.”
Soderblom made 31 saves on 30 shots during regulation and overtime. Playing in place of Spencer Knight once every few games isn't the easiest role in the world of hockey, but he has done it with class and respect for the game.
Although they don't want to keep taking penalties, their kill continues to be excellent. Add another 3/3 performance in this one, moving their NHL lead up to 85.4 percent. Again, Soderblom played a key role in that success, along with some of the young defenders.
That's three points out of four against two top teams for the Blackhawks. It wasn't perfect at times, but they continue to battle hard and find ways to collect points.
Chicago, however, must clean up their play if it is going to keep getting these aforementioned points. Being outchanced 72-40 is not the way, but their goalie and some luck allowed them to nearly win.
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The Los Angeles Dodgers’ signing of Kyle Tucker for four years, $240 million caused an uproar in baseball last week. The outrageous overpay triggered many around the game to say enough is enough. With the coming end to the current Collective Bargaining Agreement between MLB and the MLBPA, negotiations for a new agreement will probably begin this spring. It has already been a volatile and public debate between all the parties with MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred and MLBPA head Tony Clark both dropping test balloons in the media.
The outrage regarding the Dodgers’ ability to spend unlimited amounts of money on payroll has been on the rise since the Shohei Ohtani deal. But the Tucker contract appears to have been the final straw for many. Although almost all quarters of the game agree that a lockout is inevitable on Dec. 1 of this year, how long that lasts and what the new contract looks like almost no one agrees on.
With the offseason winding down and Spring Training around the corner, baseball execs and players will start meeting soon to lay the groundwork for what their demands and strategies will entail. With baseball enjoying a huge uptick in popularity over the past few years, it remains to be seen if the two sides can look past their differences and find common ground in order to keep their game on the field.
Sports journalist Joon Lee took this opportunity to once again address a common theme being discussed in the lead up to the negotiations. Are the Dodgers responsible for breaking baseball?
Here is the video of his report regarding the unique advantage he believes the Dodgers have in just their media revenue and how that has taken them from being bankrupt and sold in 2012 to being the organization that can have whatever payroll they want in present day.
When this story first broke in 2012, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times posted an article (taken from a Bloomberg piece) outlining the deal as he understood it (requires subscription). There were multiple other outlets that reported on the story with the synopsis being that the bankruptcy settlement negotiated with team for sale allowed the organization to pay less in revenue-sharing for their media deal than the 29 other teams. The goal was to allow them more money to be able to recover from the bankruptcy. It was negotiated before the media deal and went for the length of whatever deal they signed.
According to an article just published in EssentiallySports by Disita Sikdar, the deal meant that the team would never have to report more than $84 million in media revenue, with a four percent yearly escalator. With the deal the team eventually signed with Spectrum, the Dodgers deal is worth $8.35 billion over the 25 years of the contract. It works out to $334 million per year.
The Vice President of MLB at the time was Manfred. He stated that the information was incorrect and the Dodgers would be paying the same amount in revenue-sharing as all the other teams. The direct contradiction was partially addressed by Maury Brown in his article for Baseball Prospectus in October of 2012.
Focus on this out of the Bloomberg piece: the Dodgers are going to pay revenue-sharing on every penny that comes into their coffers through media rights. They wouldn’t, however, have to pay revenue-sharing on any equity should they start an RSN with a partner such as FOX or TWC. Consider this “proliferation” — another big-market, storied franchise being able to move money from one hand to the other. After all, the Yankees and Red Sox have been doing it for years.
The Dodgers formed a partnership with Spectrum and are co-owners of their regional sports network. This makes the situation more complicated than I can figure out with my limited understanding of partnerships and finance. Brown acknowledges that the Dodgers likely have an unfair advantage. This article was written before the media deal was set.
If any of Lee’s report is true, it just adds more flame to the fire that many in baseball already have raging. The system is definitely broken, with the Dodgers having more resources than any other team, and flaunting it. Can the league and the players find common ground to begin fixing what needs to be addressed?
Will there be a salary cap and a salary floor? Does revenue-sharing need to be revamped to reflect the disparity in media rights and revenue from the media contracts or lack thereof?
The future of the Padres rests not just with these issues but also with the sale of the team. It seems reasonable that we might not have a new owner until some of these questions are answered.
The big brother to the north doesn’t seem to care about the penalties they have to pay for breaking the rules regarding their spending and payroll. They forfeit money, draft picks and international signing bonus pool cash because of their payroll. The current estimate for 2026 sits at $413-$429 million. No one else even comes close.
The bigger picture is about the health of the sport. Something has to be done.
TORONTO (AP) — Mark Stone had two goals and an assist and the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Maple Leafs 6-3 on Friday night in Mitch Marner’s emotional return to Toronto.
Jack Eichel Pavel Dorofeyev, Braeden Bowman and Keegan Kolesar also scored for Vegas. Adin Hill made 18 saves, and Ivan Barbashev had three assists.
Marner, who played nine seasons with the Maple Leafs before his long march out the door ended last summer, was booed every time he touched the puck.
John Tavares, Scott Laughton and Bobby McMann scored for Toronto. Anthony Stolarz stopped 25 shots in his return from an upper-body injury.
Playing in the second of a back-to-back, Vegas won for the first time in three contests following a seven-game winning streak, including a 6-5 overtime victory over the Maple Leafs last week.
Toronto has dropped three in a row and five of six.
Rasmus Andersson made his debut for Vegas after the blueliner was acquired from Calgary on Sunday.
CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers outscored the Sacremento Kings 123-118 to grab their fifth win in their last seven games and ninth in their last 13. That’s a step in the right direction.
This game was back-and-forth throughout.
Cleveland created separation at the end of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth. They pushed their lead to 14, but the Kings quickly responded with a 12-4 run to get right back into the game.
Sacremento briefly retook the lead with four-minutes left in the fourth. Donovan Mitchell then responded with back-to-back baskets to give the Cavs a four-point advantage they wouldn’t relinquish.
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This game was the exact opposite of Wednesday’s win against the Charlotte Hornets. Cleveland won this game on the offensive end. Their ability to grab offensive rebounds (12 second-chance opportunities) and score off 15 Sacremento turnovers helped buoy their offensive attack.
It also helped that Evan Mobley aggressively attacked the basket all game.
Before the game, Kings head coach Doug Christie said that the goal of his defense was to “push him off of his spots.” They weren’t able to do that as Mobley was able to continually get two feet in the paint and went up strong once he did. This allowed Mobley to convert six of his eight shots in the restricted area and go 12-18 on shots in the paint overall.
Mobley also did a great job finding his teammates when the defense shifted over to cut off lanes to the basket, leading to seven assists. On top of that, Mobley was the best defensive player on the floor and had four rejections. This was his fourth game in a row with two or more blocks.
This all led to Mobley finishing the evening with 29 points on 13-24 shooting to go along with 13 rebounds and seven helpers.
Sacremento also struggled to contain Mitchell. He provided a game-high 33 points on 11-25 shooting to go along with eight assists to just one turnover.
Jaylon Tyson added 17 points on 6-14 shooting with seven rebounds. Jarrett Allen had 15 points and nine rebounds.
The Cavs as a team did a great job of protecting the ball. They turned it over just six times, which is much improved over the 21 times they gave it up in their previous two games.
The defensive side of the court wasn’t as pretty.
Head coach Kenny Atkinson lamented his team’s three-point defense before the game. His team showed him why. The Kings connected on 39.4% (13-33) of their outside shots. Cleveland struggled to keep Sacramento’s guards in front of them, got caught in rotation, and the Kings made them pay in a way the Hornets weren’t able to.
Domantas Sabonis led the Kings with 24 points on 9-14 shooting to go along with 15 rebounds and six assists. Dennis Schröder supplied 21 points on 3-5 shooting from deep.
The Cavs will be back in action on Saturday as they hit the road to take on the Orlando Magic. Game time is at 7 PM.
CHICAGO (AP) — Dominic James scored in the fifth round of a shootout and the Tampa Bay Lightning made it 15 straight games without a regulation loss, outlasting the Chicago Blackhawks 2-1 on Friday night.
Tampa Bay is on a 14-0-1 tear, winning three straight after a shootout loss a week ago in St. Louis. The Lighting are 32-13-4 overall.
Nikita Kucherov tied it at 1 late in the second period with his 25th goal of the season and also scored in the shootout. Gage Goncalves scored in the fourth round of the tiebreaker to keep Tampa Bay alive and, after Oliver Moore failed for Chicago, James slipped the winner past Arvid Soderblom.
Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 17 shots for Tampa Bay.
Ryan Greene scored for Chicago, and Soderblom made 30 saves. Chicago had won two straight, beating Carolina 4-3 in shootout Friday night in Raleigh.
Andre Burakovsky nearly ended it for Chicago in overtime, but couldn’t get the puck in at the side of that net as it slid across the crease.
Tampa Bay outshot Chicago 13-2 in the second period and had a 21-6 overall advantage through 40 minutes. Both teams were 0 for 3 on the power play.
Kucherov tied it with 1:18 left in the second. He cut through the slot, taking Brandon Hagel's pass on his forehand and lifting in a backhander.
Greene opened the scoring on a power play with 2:18 left in the first period with a goal that withstood a lengthy review after the Lightning challenged for offsides. Greene cut across the front and beat Vasilevskiy with a forehand shot.
Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno fought Jack Finley early in the first, with Finley getting an extra two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct.
The Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Sacramento Kings tonight 123-118. Let’s see who won and lost the game.
WINNER – Evan Mobley is a Star
Evan Mobley had 19 points on 8-14 shooting in the first half tonight. A stellar performance that deserves all the praise we’ll soon give. But, after a similar first half the other night, we couldn’t help but worry that Mobley would disappear in the second and third quarters again, as he did in Charlotte.
Mobley didn’t take his foot off the gas this time.
The third quarter was a huge relief. Mobley continued to get to the rim and put pressure on SAC’s questionable interior defense. He worked his way up to 27 points by the end of the third frame, sustaining the aggression he showed in the first half.
Mobley finished with 29 on 13-24 shooting. He had a near triple-double with 13 rebounds, 8 assists, and 4 blocks. That’s a beastly performance.
We don’t need Mobley to press the issue if he doesn’t have a favorable matchup or simply isn’t making shots on any given night. But when it is his night — when he does have an advantage and is getting to his spots comfortably — that’s when we need to see his usage skyrocket. Just like tonight.
LOSER – 3PT Defense
Quick trivia: Do you know which NBA team allows the highest opponent three-point percentage in the league? If you’ve watched the Cavs this season, you already know the answer.
Yep, Cleveland ranks dead last in opponent three-point percentage. A spot they won’t be in danger of losing if they play defense like they did tonight. The Kings enjoyed a full half of 60% shooting from behind the arc as the Cavaliers were a step too slow to closeout on shooters.
Obviously, three-point defense can be complicated. We wrote about that earlier today. But while the Kings were making some difficult shots, they were also generating too many easy ones. We all understand how momentum works, right? A few easy shots can give you the confidence to take and make the challenging ones. It’s not easy to put the jeenie back in the bottle.
Or in this case, slow down a team that’s already feeling themselves.
The Kings eventually did return to earth, ending the night above league-average from deep but crashing down from their scorching first half. I’d say the Cavs played a better defensive game in the second half, but they can’t continue to spot opponents free threes in the first.
WINNER – Rebounding
This King’s team doesn’t have much going for it. That’s not meant to be a diss, it’s just the truth. However, one thing they absolutely do have is strength and physcality. Those two things don’t always result in rebounding, but for a Cavalier team that has struggled with physicality, you’d assume the glass could have been a problem tonight.
Cleveland took care of business in that department, winning the rebounding battle 48-43. The Cavs had six more offensive rebounds and limited the Kings to 13 second-chance points. Win on the margins, win the game.
LOSER – Bench Scoring
There’s more to basketball than scoring points. I understand that. The Cavalier bench has mainly given value through their defensive effort and intensity (though those have been questionable at times, too).
But getting buckets is still the name of the game. And this Cavalier bench, even on their best nights, isn’t providing much offense.
Cleveland’s bench was outscored 73-23. You read that correctly. Now, the Kings had Domantas Sabonis come off the bench, which partially skews this number — but even if you remove his 24 points — the Cavs bench still got beat handily.
Again, there’s more to this game than scoring. But it’s a problem when your second units are routinely being outscored. I mean, that’s kind of the entire point of the game. The Cavalier bench is 24th in points per game this season.
The road trip is over, and the Suns are coming home limping, literally and figuratively. They went back to Atlanta, a place they have not won in since 2014, and I am fully convinced that city is cursed. In a 110–103 loss to the Hawks, Phoenix did not only lose a game, they lost $88.7 million in payroll.
It started with Jalen Green, playing only his second game back from a hamstring injury, exiting in the first quarter with hamstring tightness. Same leg. Same sinking feeling.
Jalen Green injury update:
Green (precautionary right hamstring tightness) will not return tonight.
And yet, the Suns rallied. Down as many as 11, they clawed their way back and carried a seven-point lead into the end of the third quarter. Then the other shoe dropped. Devin Booker went down.
Now the Suns return home for a five-game homestand carrying more questions than answers. This is the kind of loss that lingers because we do not know the severity. We do not know timelines. Booker finished with 31 points. The Suns were in position to win, but once the stars were gone, the offense stalled, and execution vanished.
The road trip ends at 3–3. Respectable. But the bigger story is this. They are headed home, and they are hurt.
Game Flow
First Half
The Suns came out of the gate with good rhythm, knocking down six of their first 11 shots and hitting 2-of-3 from deep. Atlanta was sharper though, opening 8-of-12 and 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. Three different Hawks hit the five-point mark early, and that collective punch gave them a 19-14 lead heading into the first timeout.
There was one defensive possession that stood out immediately. Oso Ighodaro found himself defending a two-on-one break and held his ground long enough for help to arrive. The result was three straight missed shots by Atlanta. That is the kind of sequence he gives you quietly, consistently, and it still feels underrated, even as the appreciation for his work is starting to catch up.
Jalen Green checked in off the bench and showed a little rust early, which was expected. Then the speed showed up. He blew by Luke Kennard with ease, leaving him reaching for air and taking his ankles along for the ride. That burst changes the geometry of the floor every time it shows itself.
Oh dear lord Jalen Green…you didn’t have to take Luke Kennard’s ankles from him! That man has a family!
Unfortunately, right after that sequence, Green headed back to the locker room.
From there, the bench picked up right where it has all road trip. When Grayson Allen checked in, the Suns were down 19-14. By the time the first quarter ended, Phoenix was on top 31-27. Allen capped it with a driving finger roll as the buzzer sounded, finishing the quarter at +9 with seven points. The second unit drove it. 15 bench points, 7 of the final 10 shots made, and suddenly the Suns had momentum and a lead heading into the second.
Grayson kept it rolling to open the second quarter, staying active off the ball and cashing in on an easy look at the rim. But turnovers started to creep in, and they hurt. Phoenix coughed it up three times early, fueling a 16–9 Atlanta run that flipped the feel of the game.
Midway through the quarter, the Hawks pushed it further with an 11–2 burst that stretched the lead to eight. CJ McCollum, acquired in the Trae Young deal, was a problem. He poured in 16 first-half points off the bench, 14 of them in the second, and Phoenix never quite found the brake pedal.
Out of a timeout with three minutes left, the Suns answered. A quick 7–0 run tied it at 54–54, punctuated by a Devin Booker three. He followed it with another on the next trip, finishing the half 3-of-6 from deep with 15 points.
But McCollum had the last word, closing the quarter with a personal 5–0 run. Atlanta won the second 37–28, dominated bench scoring 20–8, and carried a 64–59 lead into the locker room. They had 17 fast break points to the Suns’ 4.
Second Half
As the second half opened, the Suns got the gut-punch confirmation that Jalen Green would not return, ruled out with hamstring tightness. And almost on cue, Atlanta twisted the knife. A 17–3 run.
If you are looking for insult layered neatly on top of injury, this was the moment. One piece of bad news, immediately followed by the game tilting hard in the wrong direction. You could feel it in the building. The air went out. The climb got steeper. And suddenly Phoenix was chasing both the score and the circumstance.
But the Suns did not fold. Not even close. Devin Booker grabbed the wheel and dragged Phoenix back into it, igniting a 20–9 run with shot-making and sheer force of will. He stayed scorching from beyond the arc, and after staring down an 11-point hole, he erased it himself. When Booker drilled his fifth three on his eighth attempt midway through the third, the Suns were suddenly back in front by one. Same building. Same game. Completely different energy.
This is where stars earn their status. With uncertainty around Jalen, Booker has stabilized the game, controlled the pace, and led by example.
And then the clamps came out. Phoenix turned the game into a street fight on defense, bodies on the floor, hands everywhere, every loose ball treated like it owed them money. They imposed their will possession by possession and pushed the lead out to seven.
Then, cruel timing struck again. In transition, Devin Booker glanced back, never saw Onyeka Okongwu step into his path, and came down on his foot. His right ankle twisted. Booker stayed down, pain written all over him, before being helped up and limping toward the locker room to join Jalen Green.
Devin Booker is serious pain after rolling his right ankle on Onyeka Okongwu's foot.
Booker had 16 points in the third and 31 in the game at the time of his injury.
The Suns won the third quarter 32-20, scored 12 points off 9 Atlanta turnovers, and showcased how disruptive they can be when locked in. They entered the fourth up 91-84, but down their two stars.
A 16–8 run by Atlanta opened the fourth quarter and immediately erased the cushion Devin Booker had built before everything went sideways. Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu each dropped 7 points to start the frame, and suddenly the Suns were scrambling.
Then we hit clutch time, and the obvious question was who was going to score. Collin Gillespie answered first, ripping off a quick 4–0 burst to put Phoenix back in front, 104–103. For a brief moment, there was order.
CJ McCollum ruined that calm. He had been a problem all night, and he stayed one, answering with his own 3–0 run to swing the lead back to Atlanta.
After that, the Suns offense flatlined. Completely. The final three minutes were chaos, perimeter passes with no purpose, rushed looks, heavily contested shots, nothing finding the bottom of the net. Atlanta closed on an 8–0 run, and that was the ballgame. Suns score 12 in the 4th and lose 110-103.
Up Next
The Suns head home after this long roadie and have the next five games at the friendly confines of the Morg. First up? The Miami Heat on Sunday at 6:00pm.
While it's still unclear when Yankees top prospect George Lombard Jr. will make his anticipated debut in pinstripes, league scouts and analysts are still holding high hopes for him.
MLB Pipeline released its first Top 100 prospects list for 2026 on Friday, and the 20-year-old infielder ranked No. 32 overall, a seven-spot drop from his final placing (No. 25) last season.
Lombard is joined by three other Yankees farmhands -- right-handers Carlos Lagrange (No. 79) and Elmer Rodríguez-Cruz (No. 82), and infielder Dax Kilby (No. 94).
The four youngsters were also ranked on Baseball America's latest prospects list, and notably, outfielder Spencer Jones -- MiLB's home runs leader in 2025 -- was excluded by both outlets.
Lombard, the Yankees' consensus top prospect, is projected to reach the majors in 2027 but still has plenty to prove as a reliable bat and defender.
The former first-round pick reached Double-A Somerset last season, but hit a measly .215 with 124 strikeouts in 108 games. He did produce 36 extra-base hits for a .695 OPS, however, in 391 at-bats.
Rodríguez-Cruz, named the Yankees' Minor League Player of the Year in 2025 by Baseball America, registered a 2.58 ERA with 176 strikeouts across three levels, finishing the season with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Lagrange, standing 6-foot-7 with a fastball touching triple-digits, logged a 3.22 ERA with 104 punchouts over 78.1 innings in Double-A last season. MLB Pipeline estimates his big league debut sometime this season.
Dilby, the Yankees' first-round pick in the 2025 draft, has several boxes to check in his development. The lefty-hitting, righty-hitting teen saw some time with Single-A Tampa last season, hitting .353 with nine RBI in just 18 games (68 at-bats).
The Atlanta Hawks were at home on Friday evening to take on the Phoenix Suns. The Hawks were coming off a clutch win two days ago against the Memphis Grizzlies, and hoping to continue that momentum against one of the better teams in the Western Conference.
The last time these two teams faced off, it was a comeback thriller for the Hawks, as they won after overcoming a 22-point deficit in the fourth quarter.
Onyeka Okongwu got things started for the Hawks with a three-pointer.
O starts the scoring with a 3
It's his 88th 3 on the season, tied for most by a center on one season in Hawks history 👏 pic.twitter.com/eZnoEsAK1N
The Hawks were being rewarded for their defense on the other end, and pulled away slightly in the first for a minute. The transition points continued to pile up for the Hawks, and Johnson took this one for himself.
The Hawks continued to create easy opportunities for themselves, and it was even scoring throughout. The Suns started to make some shots late and ended up taking the lead late. The Hawks trailed 31-27 going into the second.
Luke Kennard got it going early in the second for the Hawks with two three-pointers and helped them take back the lead.
The Hawks were able to string together a few stops throughout the quarter, and capitalized on the other end to help extend their lead. It was the CJ McCollum show down the stretch of the first half, and he was able to get almost any shot he wanted.
The threes kept raining for the Hawks to start the second half, and back-to-back shots from Okongwu and Alexander-Walker helped them take a double-digit lead at one point.
The Hawks maintained the lead for a little while, but the Suns came storming back and went on a run themselves. It was the turnovers that doomed the Hawks in the third, and the Suns found every way to capitalize on the other end.
The Hawks kept battling late in the third, and they had to lead with their defense. Christian Koloko played some good minutes against the Grizzlies, and he did the same in this game.
The turnovers continued to hurt the Hawks, and they ended the quarter with more turnovers than field goals made. Going into the fourth, the Hawks trailed 91-84. One thing to take note of for the Hawks was Devin Booker going down late in the third.
The Hawks fought to start the quarter, and were able to keep things close. Johnson got this big putback dunk after a miss.
The game went back-and-forth late in the fourth, and the Hawks had just been in this situation with the Grizzlies. It started on the defensive end, as the Hawks were able to get some key stops.
As players get ready to report to spring training camp, it's the perfect time for prospects from all MLB teams to show their respective organizations what they have, and the Mets have plenty this year.
MLB Pipeline updated its Top 100 prospects list for the preseason on Friday, and it includes four Mets. Here are the Mets prospects who made MLB Pipeline's Top 100:
No. 6 - Nolan McLean
No. 16 - Carson Benge
No. 48 - Jonah Tong
No. 98 - A.J. Ewing
The Mets are one of four teams to have two prospects in the Top 25 on MLB Pipeline's preseason list, with McLean being the only pitcher in the Top 10. The right-hander is also the highest Mets prospect on the MLB's rankings since Francisco Alvarez was ranked No. 3 back in the preseason 2023 list.
McLean's place on the list is not surprising after bursting onto the scene and becoming one of the Mets' best pitchers. Across 48.0 innings over eight starts during his big league debut last season, McLean posted a 2.06 ERA and 1.04 WHIP while striking out 57 batters.
Benge, who ended the 2025 season with Triple-A Syracuse, will compete for a spot on the Opening Day roster and, according to president of baseball operations David Stearns, the young outfielder has a legit chance to capture a place on the 2026 Mets.
Tong was called up to the big leagues not long after McLean and showed moments with the club, striking out 22 batters across 18.2 innings (five starts).
And then there's Ewing, who enjoyed a breakout 2025 season. He slashed .315/.401/.429 (.830 OPS) across three levels, ending with Double-A Binghamton.
McLean and the others were also on Baseball America's updated list of prospects, along with Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams. However, Sproat and Williams were recently traded to the Brewers for Freddy Peralta; otherwise, the Mets would have six prospects on MLB Pipeline's Top 100.
Williams (No. 51) and Sproat (No. 100) now give Milwaukee four prospects this preseason.
What’s the phrase, insult to injury. There is something about Atlanta. State Farm Arena feels cursed, at least for the Phoenix Suns. They have not won in this city since 2014, and on Friday night, the bad juju showed up again. Only his second game back, and Jalen Green was lost once more.
That kind of moment hits a team in the chest. This is a group that has lived the rehab with him, sweat by sweat, day by day. You can see how much joy he gets from playing with, how badly he wants to be out there, and when that gets taken away again, it lands emotionally. Hard.
Devin Booker tried to steady everything. He poured in 16 points in the third quarter and finished with 31, dragging the Suns forward with force of will alone. And then, because Atlanta apparently demands a sacrifice, it happened again.
With 5.2 seconds left in the quarter, Booker was running back in transition. He glanced over his shoulder, never saw Onyeka Okongwu in front of him, and stepped on his foot. His right ankle twisted. He hit the floor in pain, then limped off toward the locker room.
Devin Booker is serious pain after rolling his right ankle on Onyeka Okongwu's foot.
On a night already weighed down by losing Jalen Green, the Suns were forced to process losing Devin Booker too. I do not know much in this world. But I know this. I hate Atlanta.
The Suns lost the game 110-103 as their offense became inept in the fourth quarter, scoring just 12 points. And Booker? Per Jordan Ott, he left on crutches.
"You feel for them."
Jordan Ott as he confirmed right ankle injury for Devin Booker.
Booker left the locker room after the game on crutches, something players use so they don't put pressure on it.
He was struggling to put pressure on it when leaving the court with the injury.… pic.twitter.com/oQjqmu5r1e
Similar to the rest of the franchise, Carlos Mendoza has had himself a rollercoaster of an offseason thus far.
During an appearance on the “Foul Territory” podcast on Friday, Mendoza opened up on his eventful past few months, which started with the skipper firing a large chunk of his coaching staff following the Mets’ disappointing 2025 season.
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Under Mendoza, the organization let go of pitching coach Jeremy Hefner, hitting coaches Eric Chavez and Jeremy Barnes, bench coach John Gibbons and third base coach Mike Sarbaugh, moves that the manager said were the “toughest days” of his career.
“I’m not going to lie they were probably some of the toughest days of my professional career,” Mendoza said.
In the weeks following the mass firing, the Mets hired Tony Snitker as its hitting coach and Justin Willard as pitching coach, along with promoting director of hitting Jeff Albert to oversee the hitting program in Queens.
New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza looks on with pitching coach Jeremy Hefner at Spring Training, Friday, Feb. 14, 2025, in Port St. Lucie, FL. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
“You develop these relationships with these coaches — we worked together for a couple of years — and then you know you are going to have to make some tough decisions,” he added. “You spend more time with them than you do your own family that they become your family, and when you’re making those phone calls, it just breaks your heart.”
Despite the rough start to the offseason, Mendoza has seen an upturn with the Mets going on a massive free agency spree in January, signing Bo Bichette and trading for Luis Robert and Freddy Peralta all within days of each other.
Mendoza insisted that Bichette’s signing was not a “panic pivot” because the Mets failed to land Kyle Tucker, saying that the organization was “prepared” to give the two-time All-Star a deal.
“I don’t see it as a panic because we laid down that foundation,” Mendoza said of Bichette’s signing. “We were prepared, we had two calls with him. …This wasn’t like ‘oh, Tucker went somewhere else and the very next day here we are signing Bo.’ We had meetings with him.”
The New York Mets infielder Bo Bichette poses with manager Carlos Mendoza at his introductory press conference at Citi Field, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, in Queens, NY. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Just days after Bichette signed a three-year, $126 million deal with the Mets, David Stearns made a trade with the White Sox for Robert, giving up Luisangel Acuna and minor league arm Truman Pauley in return.
Mendoza liked the deal, but acknowledged that Robert — who has missed 114 games over the past two seasons — needs to stay on the field, and that the Mets’ medical staff has already been in contact with the outfielder.
“When he’s healthy, he’s one of the best,” Mendoza said.
Mendoza also said that immediately after the Mets traded for Peralta — and reliever Tobias Myers — on Wednesday, he got on the phone and had a “very good conversation” with the 29-year-old righty.
Despite the huge splash the Mets have made over the past week, Mendoza claimed that they are not done building the 2026 roster.
“As a manager you appreciate having an owner like Steve and Alex [Cohen] who are willing to put in all the resources — that’s a really good feeling,” Mendoza said.
“We feel really good where we’re headed as an organization,” he added.
The Lakers (26-17) will continue their road trip in Dallas, where they will face the Mavericks (19-26). LA looks to get back in the win column by snapping Dallas’ current four-game winning streak.
The theme that has been evident in the Lakers’ current road trip thus far has been being in comeback games. They successfully came back against the Nuggets thanks to their improved defense and energy in the second half, but it wasn’t the same script against the Clippers.
This is something they’ve done often this season, where they allow themselves to get punched early in the game and when it looks like they’re about to fold, they trim the lead to within striking distance and oftentimes have escaped with the victory.
After all, they’re 13-2 in clutch games this season and that says a lot about this team’s penchant for cramming their way to victory.
But, as commendable as it is to be a really good clutch-time performing team, at one point will the Lakers just dominate an opponent?
On Saturday, let’s see if they can buck the trend of getting down and rallying back and just outright beat Dallas.
This will also be the second time Dončić returns to his former home since the blockbuster trade last February.
Expect this one to be another emotional game for the 26-year-old, who often talks about how special his seven-year tenure was with the Mavericks.
“Obviously it’s always gonna feel like home there (Dallas) but I needed that game to move on (first game back in Dallas last season) a lil bit but obviously I’ll always appreciate those fans they were really really tight. I think we had some special bonding or how do you say it?… pic.twitter.com/Bs2D0sE8bK
The Mavericks may have lost Anthony Davis to injury, but they’re playing well right now.
They’ve strung together four straight quality wins, including their most recent victory against the Warriors. This is a team that will definitely attempt to throw the first punch on the purple and gold, and it’s up to the latter to take it well and fight back early.
Given that Dončić is back in his old playground, it’s fair to expect him to be more aggressive and fired up in this one from the get-go.
Outside of Dončić and obviously LeBron James, the Lakers’ role players also need to step up. In the loss to the Clippers, JJ Redick said the team didn’t pass the ball well, a consistent theme in all their defeats this season.
The Mavericks are the opposite of the Lakers in the sense that they’re very good on defense but atrocious on offense. So this game will be a clash of styles, and the team that performs best at what they excel att will be the one to come out on top.
Notes and Updates
The last time these two teams faced off was back in November of last year, when the Lakers crushed the Mavericks in the fourth quarter to seal the win. They also trailed at halftime and gave up 40 points in the second quarter to the Mavericks. The Mavs were led by Cooper Flag, who had 13 points and a career-high 11 assists. It was one of his best games of the season as well. Expect another strong performance from the rookie in this one.
As for the injury report, the Lakers note Austin Reaves (left calf strain) and Adou Thiero (right MCL sprain) are listed as out.
For the Mavericks, Daniel Gafford (ankle), Anthony Davis (finger), Dereck Lively II (right foot surgery), Kyrie Irving (knee) and Dante Exum (knee injury) are out.
Moussa Cisse (illness) is questionable while Daniel Gafford (right ankle sprain) is probable.
