SCOTTSDALE, AZ - FEBRUARY 20: Charlie Condon #66 of the Colorado Rockies looks on from first base in a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields on Friday, February 20, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Kyle Cooper)
On Tuesday, I asked which pitching prospect you thought would make a name for himself in 2026.
Tonight, let’s look to the position player side of the roster.
Which Rockies prospect do you see stepping up this season?
And if you need a refresher, the most-recent PuRPs rankings are here.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 26: De'aaron Fox #4 of the San Antonio Spurs drives with the ball against Nolan Traore #88 of the Brooklyn Nets during the third quarter at Barclays Center on February 26, 2026 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. 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 Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Spurs extended their winning streak to 11 and secured a perfect record in February. They dominated from start to finish on their visit to Brooklyn, often playing amazing team ball, with seven players reaching double digits on their way to a 126-110 victory.
After a disaster of a game at times in terms of execution against the Raptors the prior night, the Spurs looked like a completely different team in the early minutes against the Nets. The ball was moving crisply and finding the open men, who connected on three pointers. The Silver and Black guarded with intensity and pushed the pace off turnovers for easy looks. Brooklyn constantly tried to touch the paint, with Nolan Traore leading the way, but they were running into Wembanyama and failing to score. The home team found more success when Wemby rested and Day’Ron Sharpe attacked Luke Kornet, but the perimeter defense remained active even with some starters getting extra rest on the second game of a back-to-back.
Understandably, considering the opponent and the quick double-digit lead after one, San Antonio relaxed a little on both ends in the second. The ball movement stalled out at times, especially when there were three non-shooters on the floor. Wembanyama started to get more involved on offense, but wasn’t the force he can be. When they could push the pace, the opportunities for easy buckets were there, but the half-court execution wasn’t as sharp for the Spurs. The Nets, meanwhile, hit a couple of threes, dominated the offensive glass to create second chances, and continued to drive whenever possible. Brooklyn didn’t shine on either end, but managed to just trade buckets and keep the Spurs’ lead from getting insurmountable. At the break, the Silver and Black were up 15.
The Spurs have played with their food in the past, and it looked like they would again on Thursday to start the second half. The ball movement completely stopped as ball handlers dribbled and made passes without much purpose that didn’t create an advantage. By itself, the issues on offense wouldn’t have been too worrisome, but the Nets continued to dominate the offensive glass, San Antonio’s ball pressure and intensity disappeared, and Michael Porter Jr. started to heat up. The Silver and Black looked tired and complacent for a while. Fortunately, they snapped out of it in time to regain a double-digit lead, and the second unit closed the third frame strong. A lead that Brooklyn fought hard to cut to six ballooned back to 20 heading into the final period.
There wasn’t much to the game after that. The Spurs kept growing their lead early, which allowed Mitch Johnson to rest some of his starters and then empty his bench with over six minutes to go. The Nets’ deep bench had some interesting moments, but the win was never in question. After prevailing in back-to-back games and finishing February with a perfect record, San Antonio will get some rest and try to extend the longest winning streak in the league to 12.
Game notes:
Victor Wembanyama has mentioned that he’s tired after All-Star weekend and that he’s had trouble sleeping. He played like someone who had to manage his effort level. He was still dominant on defense for long stretches and finished with a decent stat line, but he definitely needs rest, which he should be able to get now that the SEGABABA is over.
Devin Vassell and Julian Champagnie once again provided scorching hot shooting. The duo combined for 10 three-pointers in 16 attempts. The equal-opportunity, ball-movement-oriented style San Antonio has adopted recently plays to their strenghts. They didn’t just shoot, though. Champagnie finished with three steals and two blocks, and Vassell had seven rebounds and four assists.
The three-headed monster of De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper was a nightmare for the Nets for the entire game. They pressured ball handlers to create turnovers and pushed the pace to get easy buckets. All three scored in double digits, with Castle leading the way with 18, and they combined for 18 assists to four turnovers.
Whenever the Spurs were starting to play with less energy, Keldon Johnson provided a jolt. He attacked the paint as usual, but also defended well and talked to his teammates to wake them up. After some rocky years, KJ has found his place in the league, and it’s been great to watch.
Luke Kornet has such a thankless job. Because Wembanyama is so dominant, whoever backs him up is going to look bad in comparison. Teams attack more when Kornet is out there, and he’s forced to be a part of some shooting-challenged lineups that don’t do him any favors. It’s easy to take him for granted or just wonder when Wemby will check back in whenever he’s resting, but the truth is having Kornet, limitations and all, is a luxury for the Spurs, even if his stat lines are rarely impressive.
Carter Bryant had a horrendous game, a throwback to the early-season ones in which he looked lost and too green to be on the floor. It’s nothing to worry about, long term, but a matchup against a young, tanking team seemed like a good chance for him to get some big minutes. Instead, he had a bad first stint, got called out by Mitch Johnson after going under on Egor Demin and allowing an open three, and finished the game 0-for-6. A missed opportunity to overtake Harrison Barnes in the rotation, as Barnes struggled with his shot but looked like the more reliable option by far.
Play of the game
Dylan Harper is known for being a smooth player more than an explosive one, but he will occasionally showcase his impressive hops.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Ryan O'Reilly scored with 3:16 remaining and the Nashville Predators scored three times in the third period in a 4-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night in the teams’ first game following the Olympic break.
Filip Forsberg and Matthew Wood also scored for Nashville. Steven Stamkos scored his 29th of the season into an empty net in the final minute for the Predators, who had lost two in a row and five of their last seven games heading into the break. Justus Annunen stopped 21 of 23 shots.
Connor Bedard and Tyler Bertuzzi scored for the Blackhawks, who have one victory in their last eight games. Spencer Knight made 22 saves.
Forsberg scored unassisted with just over six minutes remaining in the first period. Forsberg, who played for fourth-place finisher Sweden at the Olympics, scored his 25th of the season.
Bedard scored his career-best 25th goal just over four minutes into the second period to tie the game at 1. Ryan Greene had his 14th assist. Bedard had 22 goals in 68 games in 2023-24 and 24 goals in 82 games last season.
Bertuzzi scored his team-leading 26th goal of the season on a power play at 3:16 of the third to give the Blackhawks the lead. San Rinzel and Teuvo Teravainen, won a bronze medal with Finland at the Milan Cortina Olympics, assisted.
The Blackhawks' lead was short-lived as Wood tied it at 2, also with a power-play goal, just under four minutes later. The assists went to Erik Haula and Luke Evangelista.
Haula and Juuse Saros were considered game-time decisions after they returned to Nashville on Wednesday after playing for bronze medal-winning Finland at the Olympics.
Up next
Blackhawks: At the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday.
While the Detroit Red Wings didn’t get off to the start that they wanted on Thursday evening against the Ottawa Senators, all’s well that ends well.
Fresh off a gold medal victory with Team USA, Dylan Larkin scored both goals for the Red Wings, including the overtime game-winner, in Detroit’s 2-1 victory at Canadian Tire Place.
In doing so, they vaulted past the idle Buffalo Sabres and the Montreal Canadiens (who lost in OT to the New York Islanders) and into the second overall spot in the Atlantic Division.
The Red Wings thought they’d struck first in the opening 20 minutes of play, as Michael Rasmussen broke in on a two-on-one rush with Elmer Soderblom and beat Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark under the glove with a quick wrist shot.
However, the Senators successfully challenged for the play being offside, which video replay confirmed.
The Senators then took a 1-0 lead thanks to Larkin’s Team USA teammate Brady Tkachuk, who scored on the man-advantage.
Not to be outdone, Larkin notched a power-play goal of his own early in the second period, knotting the score at 1-1.
Neither team found the back of the net from that point on through the rest of regulation, setting up overtime.
After winning a face-off in the defensive zone, Larkin maneuvered his way down the ice and took a feed from Lucas Raymond, broke in alone and beat Ullmark with a backhand shot, securing the win for Detroit.
Red Wings goaltender John Gibson was impressive, stopping 26 shots. Ullmark countered with 18 saves.
The Red Wings’ three game road swing will continue on Saturday night in North Carolina against the Hurricanes.
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DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Toby Fournier scored 22 points and grabbed 13 rebounds and 12th-ranked Duke broke it open after halftime to beat Florida State 80-52 on Thursday night for at least a share of the ACC regular-season title.
Duke secured the top seed in next week's ACC Tournament with the win.
Delaney Thomas added 13 points and a career-high 20 rebounds and Taina Mair also had a double-double for the Blue Devils (21-7, 16-1) with 11 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Ashlon Jackson scored 15 points and Riley Nelson had 11.
Jasmine Shavers scored 21 points and Sole Williams 12 for Florida State (9-19, 4-12), which was outrebounded 54-30.
Duke, which led 33-29 at halftime, used a 13-2 run to start the third quarter to take control and the Blue Devils outscored the Seminoles 47-23 in the second half.
Duke was coming off its first loss since Dec. 4, falling at Clemson 53-51 on Sunday.
The Blue Devil’s 16 ACC victories are the most in a season under head coach Kara Lawson.
Up next
Florida State: Ends the regular season on Sunday playing at Wake Forest.
Duke: Travels to Chapel Hill to face 21st-ranked North Carolina on Sunday to also conclude the regular season.
BOSTON, MA - FEBRUARY 26: Joonas Korpisalo #70 of the Boston Bruins covers the puck on the penalty kill during a game between the Boston Bruins and the Columbus Blue Jackets on February 26, 2026, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
With Jeremy Swayman given an extra night off to acclimate to post-Olympic life, Joonas Korpisalo filled in more than admirably.
The former Columbus netminder made 36 saves, including several big ones, to lead the Bruins to a 4-2 win over the Blue Jackets at TD Garden.
Viktor Arvidsson led the way on offense with two goals, one an empty-netter to seal it. Sean Kuraly (also a former Blue Jacket) and Morgan Geekie scored the other goals.
Kirill Marchenko got the scoring started in this one, making it 1-0 Columbus with a breakaway goal less than five minutes into the first period.
Arvidsson would seal it with an empty-netter with 33 seconds left in the third.
Bruins win, 4-2.
Game notes
Korpisalo left the game for a little more than six minutes in the second period after being bowled over by Miles Wood. With Swayman not dressing, Michael DiPietro, who has had a terrific season in Providence, stepped in as the back-up and made two saves on two shots. A nice 1.000 save percentage for six minutes of work. NOT BAD.
20 of Korpisalo’s 36 saves came in the first period, as Columbus fired plenty of rubber on net early.
The B’s took just a single penalty on the night, a holding call on Mikey Eyssimont late in the first period. Maybe they left their penalty woes in the pre-Olympic portion of the season?
The B’s celebrated Charlie Coyle during a break in play, as the Weymouth native made his first return to TD Garden since getting dealt to Colorado.
Charlie McAvoy showed little rust in his return from Olympic duty, leading the B’s in TOI at 23:55 and registering an assist.
Per NESN, the Bruins have won ten homes games in a row and are 12-2-3 since the calendar turned to 2026. They have points in eight straight games as well.
It’s probably too early for intense standings watching, but this was a pretty big win for the B’s based on other results: Florida and Detroit won, while both Ottawa and Montreal picked up points in losses.
That Florida win was a 5-1 decision over Toronto, which also lost on Wednesday night. Auston Matthews was a -4 in tonight’s loss, which should inspire some nuclear-level takes up in the Great White North. That game included this comedy of errors goal.
The Bruins will be back in action on Saturday afternoon in Philadelphia. That game will be a 3 PM start, broadcast nationally on ABC.
MONTREAL (AP) — Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored 3:14 into overtime, rookie Matthew Schaefer had two goals in a 55-second span in the second period and the New York Islanders rallied to beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 on Thursday night.
Schaefer has 18 goals to surpass Denis Potvin for the most by a rookie defenseman in team history. Schaefer, selected first overall in last year’s draft, also moved past Phil Housley for the most goals in NHL history by an 18-year-old defenseman.
Islanders captain Anders Lee, skating in his 900th game, also scored and Ilya Sorokin made 21 saves to help New York win its third straight. Sorokin improved to 7-0-2 in his career against Montreal.
The Canadiens’ Noah Dobson scored two goals in his first game against his former team. Cole Caufield scored his team-leading 33rd goal for Montreal in the third period and Samuel Montembeault made 23 saves.
Dobson, who scored at even strength and on the power play, spent his first six NHL seasons with the Islanders before being traded last June to Montreal for Emil Heineman and two 2025 first-round draft picks.
It was the first game back for both teams following the NHL’s 19-day pause for the Milan Cortina Olympic Games.
Dobson took advantage of a poor line change by the Islanders to open the scoring for Montreal in the first period. The Canadiens defenseman took a stretch pass from Lane Hutson before firing a wrist shot from the left circle that beat Sorokin to the glove side.
Dobson has 12 goals, one shy of his single-season high set with the Islanders in both the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons.
Up next
Islanders: At the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday.
Canadiens: Host the Washington Capitals on Saturday.
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Dylan Holloway had a hat trick and added an assist in his return from a sprained ankle, Joel Hofer made 23 saves and the St. Louis Blues came off the Olympic break to beat the Seattle Kraken 5-1 on Thursday night.
Jordan Kyrou and Holloway — activated from injured reserve before the game — scored in a 23-second span early in the second period to give St. Louis a 3-1 lead.
Pius Suter added a goal and two assists to help the Blues end a three-game losing streak.
Holloway completed St. Louis’ first hat trick of the season with 3:01 left, scoring into an empty net for his 11th of the season.
Kaapo Kakko tied it at 1 for Seattle in the first period, and Philipp Grubauer stopped 26 shots. The Kraken were coming off a 4-1 loss in Dallas on Wednesday night.
Kyrou made it 2-1 at 1:12 of the second off a feed from Pavel Buchnevich on a break. Holloway poked the puck past Grubauer off a scramble at 1:35. Suter scored at 1:56 of the third.
St. Louis' Cam Fowler appeared in his 1,100th game, becoming the 10th active defenseman in the NHL to reach the mark.
MONTREAL (AP) — Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored 3:14 into overtime, rookie Matthew Schaefer had two goals in a 55-second span in the second period and the New York Islanders rallied to beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 on Thursday night.
Schaefer has 18 goals to surpass Denis Potvin for the most by a rookie defenseman in team history. Schaefer, selected first overall in last year’s draft, also moved past Phil Housley for the most goals in NHL history by an 18-year-old defenseman.
Islanders captain Anders Lee, skating in his 900th game, also scored and Ilya Sorokin made 21 saves to help New York win its third straight. Sorokin improved to 7-0-2 in his career against Montreal.
The Canadiens' Noah Dobson scored two goals in his first game against his former team. Cole Caufield scored his team-leading 33rd goal for Montreal in the third period and Samuel Montembeault made 23 saves.
Dobson, who scored at even strength and on the power play, spent his first six NHL seasons with the Islanders before being traded last June to Montreal for Emil Heineman and two 2025 first-round draft picks.
It was the first game back for both teams following the NHL’s 19-day pause for the Milan Cortina Olympic Games.
Dobson took advantage of a poor line change by the Islanders to open the scoring for Montreal in the first period. The Canadiens defenseman took a stretch pass from Lane Hutson before firing a wrist shot from the left circle that beat Sorokin to the glove side.
Dobson has 12 goals, one shy of his single-season high set with the Islanders in both the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons.
Up next
Islanders: At the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday.
Canadiens: Host the Washington Capitals on Saturday.
Observations from Yankees spring training on Thursday.
Having a blast
Jazz Chisholm Jr., Paul Goldschmidt and Spencer Jones all crushed home runs in a 7-3 win over the Braves — Chisholm’s first of the spring and the second each for Goldschmidt and Jones.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. hit his first home run of the spring in the Yankees’ 7-3 exhibition win over Braves on Feb. 26, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Downer for Doval
Camilo Doval made his spring debut and gave up a home run to ex-Yankees minor leaguer Ben Gamel in an inning of work. But he rebounded by striking out a pair to strand a runner on third.
Caught my eye
Goldschmidt’s homer came off the bat at 102.4 mph, but his single in the bottom of the first inning (against former Yankee Carlos Carrasco) was smoked at 108 mph.
Results can be deceiving in spring, especially for veterans, but quality of contact is a better measuring stick and in that regard, Goldschmidt has consistently been hitting the ball hard during the first week of games.
Paul Goldschmidt shakes hands with third base coach Luis Rojas as he jogs around the bases after hitting a solo homer in the third inning of the Yankees’ spring training win over the Braves on Feb. 26, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Friday’s schedule
Luis Gil makes his second start of the spring when the Yankees travel to face the Twins in Fort Myers, Fla.
Without whom none of this would be possible… | NHLI via Getty Images
Noah Dobson scored two fist-pumping goals in his first meeting against his old team, but Matthew Schaefer scored two of his own to erase those, then the Islanders tied the game late with a sixth attacker, which set the table for Canadiens-killer J-G Pageau to score the OT winner in Montreal.
The 4-3 win gives the Isles a two-point boost coming out of the Olympic break, in a game that could’ve slipped away from them after an unimpressive second period (until Schaefer’s late heroics) and a power play goal gave the Habs a 3-2 lead midway through the third.
The Islanders hardly touched the puck in OT through two long but mostly unthreatening shifts, before Simon Holmstrom won a faceoff board battle with, um, Dobson, and sent Pageau off to the races to settle down a wobbly puck just in time.
The Isles had a decent start and though they opened scoring in the first period, but Marc Gatcomb’s goal was called back for offside, with Schaefer the glaringly guilty party. That seemed to stunt the Isles’ energy or give the Canadiens a boost, because play started to tilt after that.
Dobson’s opener at 12:11 wasn’t a particularly threatening play — though Schaefer screened Ilya Sorokin on the shot after stumbling from a netfront battle — but it followed a sequence of increasing, sustained Montreal control.
The Islanders made it to the first intermission only trailing one, but they didn’t rebound in the second. Cole Caulfield had a bid to make it 2-0 immediately waved off due to a kicking motion.
This play was called "no goal" due to a distinct kicking motion by Cole Caufield. pic.twitter.com/vGxWxkxBhh
Scott Mayfield took the first penalty of the game, and Dobson converted on that power play to give the Canadiens a real 2-0 lead, one that seemed imposing at the time, based on how things were going.
But, well, you know: anything Dobber can do, Schaefer can do better.
The Islanders got the break they needed with a nearly full two-minute 5-on-3. It looked like they would need every second of it before Schaefer finally broke the ice with a wicked shot through the defender’s legs and over the glove. That got the Islanders on the board, though they couldn’t do anything with the remaining half minute of 5-on-4.
MATTHEW SCHAEFER WITH TWO GOALS LESS THAN A MINUTE APART! 🤯
However, thankfully, Schaefer wasn’t done. Less than a minute later, he did one of his regroups, calling for the puck back at their blueline, flying through the neutral zone, orbiting behind the net, changing directions to shake the checkers and then whipping another shot through a screen to tie it at 2-2.
Most goals by an 18-year-old defenseman in NHL history.
So they were back even, a new game headed into the third period. They’d just need a solid start and a better 20 minutes and…oh. Simon Holmstrom took a penalty 18 seconds in, one of two correct-but-soft tripping calls the Isles would take.
They killed off the first one convincingly. They killed most of the second one (seven minutes later) with the same approach, but a squib through the crease left an open net for Caulfield to slam it home and give the Habs the lead with 10:49 to go in the period.
Things looked stark, but for once the Islanders pulled the goalie during a proper flow into the zone. Their top guys maintained possession despite some close calls from good defensive pressure from the Habs. Just when it seemed like that would all be for naught on that shift, Bo Horvat’s last-gasp shot from the high slot deflected in off the chest of captain Anders Lee, playing his 900th regular season NHL game.
We were mercifully spared a shootout thanks to Pageau finishing the game 1:46 into OT. The Canadiens won the faceoffs and controlled the puck up to that point, but they didn’t really threaten thanks to patient positioning from the Isles.
When Pageau won the next draw in the D-zone to the right wing, Holmstrom won his battle and chipped a puck off the boards to send his running mate in. The puck seemed to be wobbling all night, as if the [telecom or bank or whatever] Cent(e)r(e) ice care team took the entire Olympics off, and Pageau indeed had to settle this one before depositing it between Sam Monte…Monteba…Monte-not-gonna-work-here-much-longer’s legs.
Holmstrom beat Noah Dobson on the wall before making an incredible pass to Pageau for the game-winner 👀 pic.twitter.com/hX0IpZoVqd
Victor Wembanyama steps out of the visitors’ locker room, hunches through the tunnel, and Barclays Center greets him with a shriek. A mass circles the east end of the court as the Alien starts to warm up. Rarely is a nickname — bland it may be — this fitting. Wemby clutches a basketball, balancing on one leg while the physiotherapist pokes and prods him; they then begin a series of strange-looking stretches targeting muscles you haven’t heard of. Hushed fascination overtakes the crowd. It really does feel like a ticketed exhibition at Area 51; I snap the best photo I can get, proof that my work is occasionally as cool as my friends think it is.
On the west end of the court, Josh Minott and Ochai Agbaji warm up in front of empty seats. In pregame, Jordi Fernández gives his longest answer of the season, promising a bright future for the Brooklyn Nets as directly as he can: “We really like where we are. You know, we have a process and a plan in place … and everybody should feel the excitement of the next step. It’s a big 25 games for everybody, and a big, big, big summer.”
The media room is packed with national reporters, braving the slush to observe the Alien up close. Some of them ask me how I feel about Brooklyn’s rookie class. But before getting nerdy, I express my gratitude: The rookies have made this season interesting at the very least, even exciting at times.
Danny Wolf made a couple threes on Thursday night, finishing with 14/5/2, but Nolan Traore was once again the most impressive of the pack. He put up 13/2/3, only turned it over once, and consistently put pressure on the paint…
Nolan rejects, then uses the screen, then uses the re-screen and engages the big.
Nolan is 3-of-8 from two tonight, but three of his misses have been tipped in, in this exact manner vs. drop. More positive plays: pic.twitter.com/8JBffyk4Ae
Brooklyn did not wilt against Wemby. They scored 54 points in the paint, their highest total since a February 9 victory over the Chicago Bulls. San Antonio threatened to break the game open in the first quarter, but Day’Ron Sharpe, who reached a double-double, came off the bench and scored a quick seven points. Nic Claxton subbed back in and followed his lead, reaching double-figures before the half.
Jordi Fernández knew they would drown if not for the adjustment: “We go out there and shoot three threes and seven mid-range shots in the first quarter. So that’s just lack of intention and concentration … but then after that, you know, the second quarter we did better and coming out in the third, we did good.”
Michael Porter Jr. single-handedly kept Brooklyn within striking distance in that third quarter, maneuvering around Wemby for three quick layups…
Then, at long last, he found the 3-point stroke that’s been AWOL in February, hitting three straight. Porter Jr. scored 17 points in the period, finishing with 25/14/1 and six turnovers on just 9-of-22 shooting. Still, an improvement.
Alas, the Spurs put their foot down after Porter Jr.’s little outburst. The Nets were trailing by six. Blink. The Nets were trailing by 26. Brooklyn native Julian Champagnie led the way with 26 points, but it was a total team effort, as the West’s #2 seed showed no signs of fatigue having flown in from Toronto the night before.
Unperturbed by every run the Nets made, San Antonio whipped the ball around the court, posting an incredible 36:9 turnover:assist ratio and shooting 39.5% from three. It was the exact basketball Brooklyn hopes to play, right down to the franchise-changing superstar in the middle of it, though Wemby scored just 12 points himself.
“I thought we fought in that third quarter, cut it under ten, made it a game,” said Jordi Fernández. “We did a lot of things better, you know, fighting for long, longer rebounds, took the challenge, but then couldn’t close it. So, you have to play very well against a team like this, one of the best teams in the NBA.”
Egor Dëmin, perhaps unsurprisingly, was not one of the Nets who barreled toward the rim on Thursday. He shot just 2-of-3 from the floor, and was pulled early in the first quarter after being “involved in a few defensive mistakes,” per Fernández. But it wasn’t all bad for the young Russian, just a little odd: He did post a career-high nine assists with just one turnover.
Brooklyn’s head coach had a succinct message postgame: “Be more aggressive, and find those shots early, pushing. Obviously the unselfishness. I really like it … So, gotta watch the film again. In a perfect world, probably, I need him to take more than two threes and more than three shots.”
Jordi Fernández knows that we’re waiting for the summer. As opponents keep rolling through Barclays Center with ease, he might be counting down the days too. But until then, the Nets are not quite a basketball team trying to win games, but a collection of kids trying to — hold on, Spurs Head Coach Mitch Johnson came up with the perfect metaphor in his pregame.
“It’s hard to ask a 19-year-old to help another 19-year-old. It’s like asking a bunch of kids learning how to swim to make sure the other one doesn’t drown.”
Final Score: San Antonio Spurs 126, Brooklyn Nets 110
Milestone Watch
Dëmin joins Reece Beekman (4/8/25) as the only Nets rookies with at least nine dimes and under two giveaways since Marcus Williams(!) (3/9/07).
With 14/11/4 Day’Ron Sharpe logged his 19th career double-double, and his fifth this season. (Had a career-high six in 2023-24.)
After a couple of later games — the Pelicans win over the Jazz and the Kings over the Mavericks — the Tankathon rankings are looking up for the Nets. They are now one game out of second and two games out of first.
Next Up
<p>Luiza Moraes/Getty Images</p><br>
It’s a quick turnaround, as the Brooklyn Nets ship up to Boston for the second night of a back-to-back. Tip-off against the Celtics is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Dylan Larkin scored in his second goal of game at 1:50 of overtime, John Gibson made 26 saves and the Detroit Red Wings beat the Ottawa Senators 2-1 on Thursday night.
Larkin beat Linus Ullmark with a backhander in the tiebreaker.
Ottawa captain Brady Tkachuk opened the scoring in the first period. Ullmark stopped 18 shots.
Detroit tied it at 1 on a power play early in the second when Lucas Raymond fed Larkin at the side of the net for a one-timer past Ullmark.
Just over two minutes later, Simon Edvinsson stepped into Tkachuk, with the Senators forward’s stick bouncing up and hitting him in the face. Tkachuk dropped to the ice, and Dylan Cozens jumped to his captain’s defense. Edvinsson and Cozens were both sent to the box.
Tkachuk returned to the ice before play resumed and skated to the penalty box to confront Edvinsson, drawing a 10-minute misconduct. Once in the box, Tkachuk continued to voice his displeasure.
ATLANTA, GA - FEBRUARY 26: Bilal Coulibaly #0 of the Washington Wizards drives to the basket during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on February 26, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Joe Boatman/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Washington Wizards lost to the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday, 126-96.
The first half of this game was tough to watch. Washington allowed Atlanta to head into halftime with a 76-56 lead. I get that the Wizards aren’t going to be very good this season. But that margin and the total number of points the Hawks scored is embarrassing.
Now, there’s something else I wanted to point out today. The Hawks wore their black and gold City Edition uniforms which were coincidentally the same colors as the Wizards’ black and gold City Edition uniforms. Unless you are someone who digs deep into each team’s alternate uniforms, some viewers may have very well had a tougher time figuring out who the Wizards and Hawks were.
Anyway, Washington was able to keep things relatively even in the third quarter, but the Hawks went back on another rampage in the fourth.
Corey Kispert, now with the Hawks, scored 33 points to show some revenge on his old team. He also made 6-of-11 of his three point shots. For the Wizards, Will Riley, Jaden Hardy and Justin Champagnie all scored 14 each to co-lead the team.
The Wizards now head back home to face off against the Toronto Raptors for their next game on Saturday. Tip off is at 7 p.m. ET. See you then.
Takeaways from the Mets’ training camp on Thursday:
Laser show
Ronny Mauricio, whose first major league hit was clocked at 117 mph in 2023, drilled a 111-mph single to center in the fourth inning as he tries to show enough offense, as well as defensive versatility, to stick around.
First things first
Mark Vientos is 0-for-10 on the spring after going hitless again Thursday, but he made a pair of solid plays at first base.
Mark Vientos walks back to the dugout after striking out in the fifth inning of the Mets’ 5-0 spring training win over the Astros on Feb. 26, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Fla. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
He’s expected to be at third base when he leaves to play for Team Nicaragua in the WBC.
Caught my eye
Houston right-hander Tatsuya Imai, who was one of the more high-profile signings of the offseason, got drilled with a comebacker from Marcus Semien to lead off the game. Imai stayed in the game and pitched a scoreless first inning before departing.
Friday’s schedule
Two of the Mets’ biggest acquisitions to their pitching staff will make their debuts in Jupiter, Fla., against the Cardinals, with Freddy Peralta starting and Devin Williams out of the bullpen. Game time is 1:05 p.m.