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Houston Rockets vs. San Antonio Spurs game preview

HOUSTON, TX - JANUARY 28: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs and Kevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets looks on during the game on January 28, 2026 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

Tonight the Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs complete their season series. San Antonio leads 2-1, and a win for the Spurs would clinch the tiebreaker, not that it’s likely to matter. This is the first of three difficult games in four days for Houston.

To talk about the Spurs, I enlisted the help of my friend, Blaine. He’s a Spurs fan that spent many nights with us in Playback (RIP), and he’s a smart basketball mind and great dude. I asked him some questions and he was kind enough to give some super detailed answers, even when I put him on the spot with San Antonio’s championship chances. I learned a ton, and I hope you do as well.

Armin (AK): By the old Phil Jackson metric, approximately 83% of all NBA champions won 40 games before losing 20. The Spurs are one of three teams that qualify this season. How serious are San Antonio’s chances? What would you consider a successful postseason?

Blaine: Going into this season, I honestly thought we would be happy with the 6 seed. At this point in time, we are probably a year ahead of what I thought our progression would be. Last year, we finished 13th in the West. I figured we would pass Portland Trail Blazers, Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings, and Memphis Grizzlies. I thought Dallas could be dangerous if they were healthy, but we knew Kyrie Iriving was a long shot this year, and Anthony Davis doesn’t have the best luck. I didn’t love Golden State’s offseason, the LA Clippers were (are) going through an interesting Steve Ballmer/Kawhi Leonard based investigation. That left Oklahoma City, y’all, the LA Lakers, Denver Nuggets, and Minnesota Timberwolves as teams I thought could stay ahead of us and it still be seen as a potentially successful year of further growth. Y’all lost Fred VanVleet, then Steven Adams, and Dorian Finney-Smith hasn’t been the player I thought he could be for y’all. Denver has had to go without Nikola Jokic for a stretch, Aaron Gordon for longer, and Cam Johnson hasn’t been as big of a factor as I thought he could be for them, but they should be a dangerous team come playoff time. We’ve shown we can matchup well with OKC, beating them 4-1 this season (admittedly, 1 game they basically punted), but they are still the defending champs and current #1 overall seed. 

All this is to say that we definitely have a shot, but history says it’s unlikely. The list is short for teams that found postseason success with as little playoff experience as our core has. On the plus side, Harrison Barnes and Luke Kornet each have 5 playoff runs and one ring each, but Barnes was 5th in minutes for the Warriors in the 2015 finals, Kornet was 11th for the Celtics in 2024. Outside of them, De’Aaron Fox has one playoff series, that’s it for our top 10 players.

On the plus side, we have a generational talent that is continuing to grow (in talent, but some say he might be taller than he was last year), and the team around him is getting better too. I wrote earlier that I thought we would be happy with the 6th seed going into the year. What I didn’t see that had me setting the lower expectations was not only Victor Wembanyama still clinging to the possibility of hitting the 65 game mark, but that we now have a team around him that doesn’t crumble without him on the floor. I believe we are 10-4 in games without him this season, although we were lucky that many of those came during a somewhat forgiving stretch.

Fox has been great, even though it seems like we are keeping his usage a bit lower than he deserves. He hasn’t been getting near the credit he deserves from Spurs fans, which I hope is due to the excitement of our younger core, I can also be guilty of this. I’m glad he got the all-star nod even if there were arguments for other replacements.

Stephon Castle has taken a nice leap. His 3% hasn’t increased much, but I’m more confident in the attempts than I was last year. His playmaking continues to grow and he is probably the best lobber on the team. He’s also the best point-of-attack defender and has had some really nice putbacks. I believe he is deserving of an All-Defensive Team selection. I see him and Amen Thompson as very comparable players. Castle is a better shooter and maybe slight edge in playmaking, while Thompson still has the advantage on defense and rebounding.

Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson have both adjusted their games to become really useful to us. Vassell as a spark plug on offense, and Keldon as a battery and battering ram. Vassell has had a really good shooting stretch. In a 5 game stretch from 2/23-3/3 he averaged 5 3PMs on 62.5%. Johnson is still in the running for 6MOY, although I think the chances have chilled slightly post all star break.

AK: San Antonio appears so deep right now and is seemingly getting contributions from everyone. Besides playoff experience, what do the Spurs need to get to the next level moving forward? Is internal development enough or do you see the Spurs making a splash in free agency in Wemby’s last rookie contract season? (Note: The Spurs will have something around $35-40 million in space under the first apron this summer)

Blaine: Along with the guys above, Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant are also exciting looks into the future while providing valuable play. Harper plays with a veteran’s level of change of pace and shows real flashes of something special, while Bryant has recently shown flashes of becoming a great 3&D player. They are clear parts of the future so some care needs to be taken that we have money available for them when the time comes.

Kornet is the final player I feel sure will be around for the next 3 years. He’s been a really great back up big, even if it doesn’t always show up in the box score. He does so many of the little things that allow the team to be successful.

Barnes has been a solid vet and has gone through stretches of being a really important floor stretcher for us. Unfortunately, his ironman streak of 364 straight regular season games played was snapped due to a sore ankle, his 3% has dropped over 5% from last year, Bryant is showing growth, and his current contract is too big and runs out at the end of the year. He’d be great to have back, but I don’t know that he would or should take the cut needed for us to make it happen.

Julian Champagnie is currently on one of the best contracts (non-rookie or superstar-on-max edition). We have a team option, but I’m sure we will try to renegotiate for a longer deal while trying to keep it somewhat team friendly.

Looking into next year, we have Atlanta’s pick that will likely be a lottery pick. Depending on where that pick falls could determine if we feel like we luck into another rotational piece or if we use it to package for a different piece or future pick. Looking over a list of upcoming FAs, the number of good fits that I think have a ok chance of moving are fairly slim. Rui Hachimura and John Collins are maybe the best options which aren’t the flashiest moves. Therefore, I think our best chance at a big swing would be to sign and trade Barnes packaged with ATL’s pick. A bigger swing would have to include Vassell or Johnson that, as I’ve stated, have been playing well this season and could be considered the hearts of the team, especially Keldon on the latter.

I think it is more likely that we try to make a Barnes deal work, while extending Wemby and Champagnie.

AK: Fill in the blank: The Spurs are winning a title in the next _____ years.

Blaine: When Tim Duncan retired, I said with full sincerity that I would be satisfied as a fan if we never won another because of the 5 rings he brought to my favorite team, and asking for anything further would be greedy. Well, the 3rd lucky pick of a ping pong ball that gave me a generation big to watch has me feeling like Scrooge McDuck. I stated earlier in the year that I’m still not a big fan of the Cup. Players get more money, good for them, but for me as a fan, I’m not ready to give this midseason tournament any prestige. That being said, it was great for us this year. The OKC and New York Knicks games had a solid playoff-like atmosphere that gives the young core at least a small feel of what to expect come playoffs. I’m trying hard to keep my expectations tempered. Injuries happen, guys playing well lead to them earning contracts that break teams apart, teams struggle at the wrong time, and opposing teams have the opposite happen at the right time for them. We aren’t here for that though, and I’m not backing down from your challenge to actually answer this question that I usually talk my way around. Spurs in 3. Maybe we get lucky this year, we have been playing really well. If we make it to the conference finals this year, I think we can rebound and make it through the next. If we flame out early, I think we do whatever we need to to make it work in the 3rd. There, you got me to say it. You happy?

AK: What are your thoughts on the Rockets as an outsider?

Blaine: Before the injuries, I really thought this could be y’all’s year. I’ve been telling you since the start of the year that I think y’all are a bad matchup for us. Wemby has more difficulty with Alperen Sengun’s offensive timing, Kevin Durant is still a bucket, Jabari Smith Jr. gives y’all extra size, and I remain a big fan of both Amen and Reed Sheppard. 

AK: Got any fun tidbits I didn’t ask?

Blaine: Just for fun, Spurs have some pretty good duo names. Ex Area 51 (Wemby/Castle), Pineapple Express (Castle/Vassell), Slash Bros (Castle/Harper), French Vanilla (Wemby/Kornet), White Castle (Castle/Kornet). Do the Rockets have any fun nicknames?

Also, current situation of Wemby chasing Dream’s block record:

Current Pace (3.48) 936 games to overtake (14.4 65 game seasons)

Wemby 1st 3 seasons: 166 games, 577 blocks, 3.48 BPG

Hakeem 1st 3 seasons: 225 games, 705 blocks, 3.13 BPG

Hakeem in 1st 166 games: 501 blocks, 3.02 BPG

Wemby age now 22 years 62 days

Hakeem age first nba game 21 years 280 days

Tip-off

7pm CT

How To Watch

Peacock/NBC

Injury Report

Rockets

Steven Adams: OUT

Fred VanVleet: OUT

Jae’Sean Tate: OUT

Spurs

Harrison Barnes: OUT

Mason Plumlee: OUT

David Jones Garcia: OUT

The Line (as of this post)

SA -4.5

Check here for updates

Looking ahead because we can

Tuesday night at home against the Toronto Raptors

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Takeaways: Penguins Fall To Flyers, Shootout Losses Becoming Psychological?

If you've been paying any manner of attention to the Pittsburgh Penguins this season, you may have heard about their immense struggles in shootouts. 

And, unfortunately, those woes continued on Saturday in a key divisional matchup against the cross-state rival Philadelphia Flyers.

All three Penguins' shooters failed to score in the shootout, and Flyers' forward Trevor Zegras was able to capitalize to give his team the 5-4 shootout win. After this shootout loss, the Penguins are now 1-9 in shootouts this season, and they are in third place in the Metropolitan Division after a New York Islanders overtime win. 

At this point, the shootout is legitimately costing the Penguins precious points in the standings. The team practices it frequently. The players can get the job done in practice, as can their goaltenders.

But 1-9 when it actually counts? Just seven goals on 28 attempts? Only a whopping 11 saves on 27 attempts against?

At this point, it's not a matter of effort, or even skill. The Penguins have three historically good shootout performers in Rickard Rakell, Egor Chinakhov, and Bryan Rust. 

No. It's, probably, mostly a psychological thing at this point. 

"Yeah, I think it might be," said Rakell, who missed on his attempt Saturday. "I mean, everybody knows it. Everybody really wants to score in the shootout, but it might one of the instances now where we're gripping the stick a little bit too tight and not really doing what we want to."

Even Erik Karlsson, who rarely gets an opportunity in shootouts, agreed that they might be in their own heads at this point. 

"Yeah, probably," Karlsson said. "Overtime and shootout usually go one way or another. Obviously, we've been on the short end of things for most of the season. I don't think it's for a lack of effort or trying. It's just the hand that we've been dealt, and hopefully, we can find a way - if we get in these situations again - to turn it around.

"And we're trying to. Obviously, today, again, we had a good opportunity to and couldn't capitalize on it. And that's the way it is sometimes."

'Find A Way To Write Our Own Story': After Quiet Deadline, It's Time To See What These Penguins Are Made Of'Find A Way To Write Our Own Story': After Quiet Deadline, It's Time To See What These Penguins Are Made OfKyle Dubas and his Pittsburgh Penguins were relatively quiet at the NHL trade deadline - which speaks to the GM's belief in his current group of players.

Obviously, the shootout struggles are a huge point of emphasis. But the Penguins also surrendered multiple leads in this game before the shootout even happened.

Tommy Novak opened the scoring on the power play with a shot from the slot three minutes into the opening frame to make it 1-0 Penguins. However, 54 seconds later, Owen Tippett one-timed a pass from Trevor Zegras and past Stuart Skinner to tie the game.

Then, three and a half minutes into the second period, the story was the same. Rickard Rakell notched his 12th of the season on a top-shelf snipe from the high-slot area to restore the one-goal lead. But, again, the Flyers responded a little over a minute later when Alex Bump, all alone at the net front, made a nifty move to beat Skinner for his first NHL goal in his first NHL game.

The Penguins responded 59 seconds later, though, as Rakell won a faceoff back to linemate Egor Chinakhov, who fed a one-timer to Erik Karlsson. He slammed it home to put the Penguins back up, 3-2. 

But, once again, Philadelphia responded. Denver Barkey scored his third of the season to tie the game at 3-3 a tick past the midway point of the third, which sent the game to overtime.

And, in overtime, the Penguins had a prime opportunity to end the game when Flyers' goalie Dan Vladar interfered with Karlsson and sent the Penguins to a four-on-three power play. But the Penguins were unable to convert and, clearly, had tired bodies on the ice near the end of it, as they kept all but one member of their first power play unit on for the entire two minutes.

Once the game went to a shootout, things felt inevitable. Anthony Mantha, Rakell, and Chinakhov all missed their opportunities for the Penguins, and Zegras - as he usually does - put them away and gave Philly the 4-3 shootout win.

Head coach Dan Muse, too, understands that the shootout struggles are probably getting to the players quite a bit. But he was also willing to shoulder some blame.

"It's a factor," Muse said. "I'm not going to say it's the only one. I think any time a part of your game's not going well consistently, then there's conversations about it. And then, there's buzz about it. And then, it wears on you. And then, you get in these situations, too, and rather than attacking them, rather than being excited for them, there's some of that.

"And some of that falls on me. I've got to do a better job of helping these guys with it. I'm not throwing just on the players or just on the shooters or just on the goalies, it's collective. I mean, the record is what it is. So, collectively, it hasn't been good enough, and I'll take some blame on that, too."

'You Know That Things Are Happening': Penguins' Players Talk Deadline Day, Belief In Group'You Know That Things Are Happening': Penguins' Players Talk Deadline Day, Belief In GroupWell, the biggest day of the NHL's regular season has finally arrived.

Here are a few quick observations from Saturday's loss:

- As much as shootouts are a problem for the Penguins, so is closing games in regulation and overtime. 

The Penguins had plenty of opportunities to put this game away, and they just didn't do it. It's been an issue for them all season long in what has, otherwise, been a magical season. They barely showed signs of life on that overtime power play opportunity.

If the Penguins aren't going to get any better at shootouts, they need to find ways to prevent it from ever getting to that point in the first place. 

- The defensive effort was lacking in key moments during this game. Ben Kindel experienced a particularly rough outing, as he was on the ice for all three goals against and lost his man on two of those. Penguins' defensemen were allowing Flyers' players to break through the middle and to the net-front far too easily as well.

The shots don't really tell the story in this one. Yes, they only surrendered 15 shots on goal, and yes, they mostly kept play to the outside. But, in those few moments where they did let down their guard, they were burned every time.

- The Sam Girard-Kris Letang pairing has been a nightmare in these few games for the Penguins. Both try to play the same brand of high-risk, offensive-minded hockey, and they are always out-of-sync and caught out of position relative to each other.

Trading Brett Kulak when he was meshing so well with Letang is the only gripe I have about a move that Kyle Dubas has made this season. I understand the intent of getting a second-round pick and a puck-moving defenseman with term as opposed to keeping a rental. But Kulak and Letang had legitimate chemistry, and he was bringing the best out of Letang.

But, what's past is past, and I think Muse needs to swap Girard and Ryan Shea.

Evgeni Malkin Suspended Five Games By NHL's Department Of Player SafetyEvgeni Malkin Suspended Five Games By NHL's Department Of Player SafetyEvgeni Malkin has been suspended for five games for slashing Rasmus Dahlin.

- As rough as the third line had it Saturday, there was a pretty good sequence of events in the first period for them. 

First, a nice zone keep by Girard led to an offensive opportunity, as Ville Koivunen - playing in his first game back from the AHL and waiting for the puck below the goal line - made a ridiculous pass to set up Kindel in the slot, who simply couldn't finish the play. Then, Avery Hayes came in and leveled Cam York on the wall, and Jamie Drysdale took exception to it.

Hayes and Drysdale fought, and Drysdale took the insitgator and sent the Penguins to the power play. The building went nuts for Hayes' fight, as he clearly understood the rivalry and the assignment.

I'd like to see more of the kid line on Sunday.

- Speaking of Sunday, to say this game is a must-win is probably an understatement. The Penguins have lost four straight games to the Boston Bruins, who are in the final wild card spot in the East and beat Pittsburgh 2-1 on Mar. 3. 

The Columbus Blue Jackets are just three points behind the Penguins. The Islanders are one point up, even though the Penguins have two games in hand on them. Boston is just one point down on the Penguins. 

Of course, every point matters. But the Penguins really, really need two on Sunday.

Boston Bruins At Pittsburgh Penguins Preview: Lineup Changes, Where To WatchBoston Bruins At Pittsburgh Penguins Preview: Lineup Changes, Where To WatchThe Pittsburgh Penguins will try to take two points from the Boston Bruins on Sunday.

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

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Aaron Judge breaks scoreboard after torching ball in World Baseball Classic

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Aaron Judge hitting a baseball, Image 2 shows A baseball player in a red shirt fields a ground ball next to a colorful outfield wall

Aaron Judge might have to write out a check for this one.

During the sixth inning of Team USA’s 9-1 blowout win over Great Britain on Saturday in Group B pool play, Judge hit a laser directly into the left field wall, breaking the scoreboard at Daikin Park in Houston.

The ball, which ended up resulting in an RBI single for Judge, wound up destroying a panel on the left-field scoreboard at a scorching 109.6 mph off of the bat.

Judge’s hit also came during a three-run sixth inning for Team USA, which saw them break the game open against Great Britain.

Team USA was held scoreless for the first four innings, with Great Britain jumping out to an early lead after outfielder Nate Eaton homered off of Tarik Skubal on the first pitch of the game. Trayce Thompson also robbed Will Smith of a homer in the second inning, but the Americans rolled after that.

After their victory against Brazil on Friday, Team USA improved to 2-0 in pool play, with the team set to face Mexico next on Monday.

The U.S. went all out with its roster for this year’s tournament following a devastating loss to Japan in the finals back in 2023.

Aaron Judge flies out during the fifth inning of Team USA’s 9-1 blowout win over Great Britain in a World Baseball Classic game on March 7, 2026, in Houston. AP

Manager Mark DeRosa assembled a star-studded U.S. squad this time around, and was dead set on landing Judge, previously detailing on “The Show with Joel Sherman & Jon Heyman” last month how he got the three-time American League MVP to come aboard.

DeRosa said he was able to recruit Judge through former Yankee great — and current Team USA pitching coach — Andy Pettitte, who said that the seven-time All-Star wanted to play for the U.S.

“I just said, ‘Hey Aaron, I’m not going to bug you throughout the year. … I talked to Andy Pettitte, I’d love for you to be obviously the captain of Team USA and kind of start with you and filter everything around you as the pillar of this thing,’” DeRosa said was his pitch to Judge. 

“He called me back within 48 hours and was like, ‘I’m in, I want to do it.’ … I started it in April, I just started slow-playing and trying to make pitches. I was building a Dream Team at night in my apartment on paper. Trying to make lineups out and pitching staffs. I was just slowly cold-calling people and seeing where their heads were at” 

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Alexis Manyoma, Rafael Navarro rally Rapids to 4-1 victory over Galaxy

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. (AP) — Alexis Manyoma netted the go-ahead score in the second half and Rafael Navarro added a pair of insurance goals, all after Los Angeles was forced to play a man down, helping the Colorado Rapids pull away for a 4-1 victory over the Galaxy on Saturday night.

João Klauss scored for the fourth time in his first three matches with the Galaxy to tie it 1-1 in the 56th minute. But Gabriel Pec was tagged with a second yellow card four minutes later and forced to exit.

Manyoma made his fifth career appearance and second this season when he subbed into the match in the 68th minute and scored his first career goal in the 76th to give Colorado a 2-1 lead. Navarro provided insurance with an unassisted goal in the 85th minute before taking a pass from Wayne Frederick and scoring again four minutes later for the final margin. Frederick's assist was his first in his 13th career appearance.

Navarro's first two goals of the campaign give him 30 in 78 career appearances with the Rapids.

Nico Hansen totaled four saves in his first start for Colorado (2-1-0) this season after starting 10 times as a rookie last season.

Novak Micovic saved two shots in his third start of the season for the Galaxy (1-1-1) after getting the nod 20 times as a rookie last season.

Darren Yapi, who scored in the 23rd minute to give the Rapids a 1-0 lead, picked up an assist along with Ted Ku-DiPietro on Manyoma's go-ahead score.

The Galaxy lead the all-time series 41-34-13, but fall to 14-23-7 in Colorado.

Up next

Los Angeles: Hosts Sporting Kansas City on Saturday.

Colorado: At New York City FC on Saturday.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer

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Anaheim Ducks 2026 Trade Deadline Review

The 2026 NHL Trade Deadline has come and gone. Several significant prices were paid to acquire players league-wide, and other prices weren’t met, leaving many players rumored to be on the move to stay put with their current teams. What was rumored to be a “buyer’s market” quickly became a “seller’s market,” and now the NHL landscape is more solidified for the stretch run of the regular season, with playoffs on the ever-nearing horizon.

The Anaheim Ducks have been one of the busiest “sellers” since Pat Verbeek took over as general manager just before the 2022 trade deadline. They’ve stocked up on high-end young talent via the draft and trades, added some seasoned veterans, hired the second-winningest coach in franchise history, and are now on the precipice of their first playoff appearance since 2018, which would end the NHL’s third-longest such streak.

Takeaways from the Ducks 6-5 Shootout Win over the Canadiens

Ducks GM Pat Verbeek on 2026 Trade Deadline Moves

The Ducks made two trades in the 24 hours before Friday’s noon PST deadline, so here are reviews of those deals:

The Anaheim Ducks acquire defenseman John Carlson from the Washington Capitals in exchange for a conditional 2026 first-round pick and a 2027 third-round pick

Derek Lee-The Hockey News
Derek Lee-The Hockey News

Ducks Acquire John Carlson from Capitals

Embracing the “buyer” label, Verbeek actively attempted to put his team into the “contender” category when he pulled off perhaps the deadline’s biggest blockbuster trade. Carlson is in the final year of his eight-year contract, which carries an AAV of $8 million. No contract extension talks have been had or will be had during the season. Carlson is a pure rental.

The conditions on the pick rely solely on the Ducks making the 2026 playoffs. If they make the playoffs, they’ll transfer their 2026 first-round pick to the Caps. If they don’t qualify, they’ll have the option to send their 2026 or 2027 first-round pick.

Carlson (36), in his 17th NHL season, has scored 46 points (10-36=46) in 55 games and leaves the Capitals franchise as their defensive leader in all categories for defensemen and a Stanley Cup champion in 2018.

This is an interesting move for the Ducks from two angles. 1) Trading a first-round pick isn’t a move non-cup-contending teams make in exchange for rental players. 2) Carlson doesn’t fit the expected archetype for a defenseman the Ducks would have been looking to add at this year’s deadline.

The Cost

“I think when you have an opportunity to better your team, I think that’s your responsibility and your duty to do that,” Verbeek told the media following the deadline. “I think we have enough draft picks. We have enough prospects coming. Is it worth it to give up a conditional first-rounder? In my opinion, yes, it is. And so to get the quality of a player with John Carlson, then it made sense not only to us, but to our organization. So that’s how I viewed it.”

The Ducks are projected to make the playoffs for the first time in eight years, since 2018. They’ve stockpiled talented current young players and prospects at every position during their extended playoff absence, and the potential path to the Western Conference Final is the easiest (on paper) in the Pacific Division, widely regarded as the weakest division in the NHL.

Does adding a 36-year-old defenseman for 20 games line up with the assumed “contending window” for the Ducks? If the Ducks win one or two playoff rounds this spring, then the window is open now.

If the fit is undeniable and Carlson is a big part of whatever run the Ducks make during their projected playoff appearance, Verbeek has stated he hopes to re-sign Carlson following the season.

“It’s worth it to give this group experience, give them a chance to make the playoffs, and to do well in the playoffs,” Verbeek said. “That’s kind of how I looked at it, with the hope that we’ll be able to re-sign him when this season’s over.”

Parting with a first and third round pick for a player who plays 20 regular season games and a potentially short playoff run can understandably give some pause. However, if that player re-signs with the club on a reasonable contract extension, the deal becomes a lot easier to swallow and could even be received more glowingly.

The Fit

The other area of intrigue with Carlson’s addition to the Ducks’ roster is his fit along the blueline. Looking at the left side of their defense corps, it’s full of dynamic and offensively gifted young players: Jackson LaCombe, Pavel Mintyukov, and Olen Zellweger.

If one had speculated an add to the blueline for Anaheim at the 2026 deadline, one would likely have assumed they’d have added a traditional “shutdown/stay-at-home” defender. Frequent names on trade lists fitting that archetype were players like Colton Parayko, Tyler Myers, Brandon Carlo, etc.

However, Verbeek zigged when a zag was expected. Carlson has been one of the most consistent and productive offensive-oriented defensemen in the NHL for nearly the last two decades.

The Ducks are one of the poorest defensive teams in the NHL in 2025-26 and have gotten where they are off the backs of their high-octane offense and spectacular starting goaltender, Lukas Dostal. So in a surprising and refreshing move, Verbeek seemingly leaned into his team’s strength and acquired an offensive play-driving puck-mover from the backend in Carlson.

Carlson’s offensive output shouldn’t dismiss his defensive impact, however. Even at age 36, Carlson, before the trade, played in all situations for the Caps, including ranking second among Washington blueliners in shorthanded TOI/G (2:28) and power play TOI/G (2:33).

Though his defensive metrics haven’t been spectacular, he’s a quality skater, cerebral positionally, and fundamentally sound. It’s possible that switching from the Caps’ man-coverage in the defensive zone to the Ducks’ pressure-zone coverage system could benefit Carlson, as he won’t be exerting as much energy in his end during elongated sequences and should give a boost to the Ducks’ exit numbers.

In theory, the Ducks’ system could enhance what he does well and allow him to translate that ability to the defensive side of the puck.

The Anaheim Ducks acquire a 2027 seventh-round pick from the Calgary Flames in exchange for forward Ryan Strome

Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
Sergei Belski-Imagn Images

Ducks Trade Ryan Strome to Flames

Strome was one of two signings Verbeek made on his first day of unrestricted free agency in his first summer as an NHL general manager in July 2022, with Frank Vatrano representing the other. Strome was signed to a five-year contract that carried a $5 million AAV and had no trade protection attached.

Strome was an eerily consistent producer for Anaheim, scoring 41 points in each of his first three seasons with the Ducks. He was projected to start the 2025-26 season in the middle-six for new coach, Joel Quenneville, but missed the first 16 games of the season with an oblique injury. He was replaced in the lineup by Beckett Sennecke, who grabbed hold of that spot and refused to relinquish it, as he currently leads all rookies in scoring.

Strome struggled to carve out a role for himself outside the top six and even served as a healthy scratch for 12 games this season. He’d been a positive locker room presence for the Ducks during three of their leanest years in franchise history, and he’s too skilled to be continuously kept out of the lineup.

Moving him to Calgary, even though his value was at its lowest, will allow him to play meaningful minutes again for the remainder of this season and next. Calgary will absorb Strome’s full cap hit, clearing $5 million off Anaheim’s books for the summer of 2026, where they’re expected to sign star RFAs Cutter Gauthier and Leo Carlsson to sizable contract extensions, as well as RFAs Olen Zellweger, Pavel Mintyukov, and Ian Moore. In addition, if Verbeek plans on re-signing any number of pending UFAs like Jacob Trouba, John Carlson, or Radko Gudas, he’ll need all the cap space he can get.

The Ducks are in a transitional period in their franchise’s history, on the cusp of returning to the playoffs and now even looking to make a deeper run than anticipated. Though the roster remains imperfect, and they’re playing a firewagon brand of hockey, Verbeek has made a statement to his roster and to the league that the Ducks view themselves as true contenders.

Ducks Sign Ryan Poehling to Four-Year Extension

Takeaways from the Ducks 5-1 Win over the Islanders

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'Find A Way To Write Our Own Story': After Quiet Deadline, It's Time To See What These Penguins Are Made Of

Looking ahead to the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline, many were anticipating some bigger moves ahead of the 3:00 p.m. ET cutoff on Mar. 6.

Well, as it turns out, there wasn't much activity at all - not from the league, and not from the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The lone move that Penguins' general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas made on deadline day was to acquire forward Elmer Soderblom from the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick. Soderblom, 24, is a massive physical presence at 6-foot-8, 252 pounds, his forechecking, speed for his size, and two-way game were all attributes that drew the Penguins to him.

However, given the Penguins' current predicament - they are still without Sidney Crosby, who is week-to-week with a lower-body injury but skated with the team Friday, and Evgeni Malkin, who was suspended five games by the Department of Player Safety - there are many who wanted to see the team shoot a bit bigger in the trade market (size aside, of course).

The Penguins are stretched thin at the center position, they have the toughest strength of schedule remaining in the NHL, they're missing their top-two points producers, and they're barely hanging on to second place in the Metropolitan Division with two teams chasing closely behind them.

Nevertheless, Dubas chose to stay the course. And he believes in the group that they have.

Evgeni Malkin Suspended Five Games By NHL's Department Of Player SafetyEvgeni Malkin Suspended Five Games By NHL's Department Of Player SafetyEvgeni Malkin has been suspended for five games for slashing Rasmus Dahlin.

"Obviously, the mix has worked quite well," Dubas said. "They've got some chemistry. Dan [Muse] has done a great job coaching them. The staff has done a great job. We just have to deal with some absences this year for various different reasons, and continue to stay with it. 

"Find a way to write our own story, regardless of what everyone else expects it to be."

Dubas's actions - or inactions - at the deadline didn't simply speak to the market he was dealing with. Yes, he did say prices were sky-high, and teams weren't willing to meet asking prices. Yes, he did say that teams' respective positions in terms of playoff contention - including his own - played a factor in choosing not to buy big. Yes, at the end of the day, he didn't do much at all. 

But a big part of the equation was the fact that he already added to this team - and that they've already responded to those additions. Through trade, he added Stuart Skinner, Egor Chinakhov, and Brett Kulak - then Sam Girard - all of whom are upgrades over the players who would be in those positions otherwise based on the roster the team began the season with. 

Penguins Sign Goaltender To Entry-Level ContractPenguins Sign Goaltender To Entry-Level ContractThe <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> are pretty well-known at this point for the goaltending depth they possess in their system. Netminders like Sergei Murashov, Joel Blomqvist, and 2025 draftee Gabriel D'Aigle have received a fair amount of attention.&nbsp;

Since the Chinakhov trade, the Penguins are 14-5-4, and they've been playing better systemic hockey. They've been getting contributions from up and down the lineup, and even Crosby went pointless in four out of his last six games before the Olympic break while his team went 4-1-1. 

And Dubas points to those contributions from everyone - as well as his team's ability to respond well to adversity and respond after bad games - as defining qualities of this particular group of players. 

"I think the contributions from some of the younger guys throughout, but then, whether it's been Chinkahov, Brazeau, Mantha, the rise of the Lizotte line... I think that's led us to have success and give the team the chance to see it all the way through" Dubas said. "I think, especially since we've come back from Christmas, it's not just been the wins, but the way that the team has gone about winning that shows that, when we're at our best, it's a very good team."

He added: "For me, the greatest thing about the team the whole year has been the way that we've weathered times that haven't been great. The way that the team responds when things don't go well... the team always finds a way to respond, even with guys out of the lineup."

Evgeni Malkin Suspended Five Games By NHL's Department Of Player SafetyEvgeni Malkin Suspended Five Games By NHL's Department Of Player SafetyEvgeni Malkin has been suspended for five games for slashing Rasmus Dahlin.

Without both Crosby and Malkin, there are some players, in particular, who are going to have to step up even more. That includes Rickard Rakell, who is already being asked to man the center position, which he hasn't played regularly since his teens and early-20s. That also includes Erik Karlsson, who will be relied upon to drive more offense from the blue line. And it especially includes 18-year-old rookie Ben Kindel, who has already impressed with his 200-foot play and will probably need to hike up the production. 

But that's just what these Penguins have done. They've stepped up when things have gotten hard. They've responded after tough losses. They've fought tooth and nail for every point they've gotten this season. 

And that's not only a testament to the talent that populates the roster, it also speaks to the chemistry of the team and the locker room.

Mar 7, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Ben Kindel (81) skates with the puck in overtime against the Philadelphia Flyers at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Mar 7, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins center Ben Kindel (81) skates with the puck in overtime against the Philadelphia Flyers at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

"I think the mentality is very much, 'We're gonna make the most of what we have,'" Dubas said. "And I think Dan has led that, but the players have been right there with him every step of the way, and it's a huge credit to them for being able to stick with that throughout the year.

"That said, we have our biggest challenges ahead, and it will be the ultimate test of that. But I think that's also the most exciting part of being here and being in this position is we have a great opportunity now, and we have to make the most of it and find a way."

Dubas believes in his team as-is, and his team has a belief in themselves. Now, it's time for them to show everyone exactly what they're made of down the stretch run of what has been a magical season so far. 

'You Know That Things Are Happening': Penguins' Players Talk Deadline Day, Belief In Group'You Know That Things Are Happening': Penguins' Players Talk Deadline Day, Belief In GroupWell, the biggest day of the NHL's regular season has finally arrived.

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Postgame notes on a Colorado Rockies 6-4 win over the Dodgers

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 23: Brenton Doyle #9 of the Colorado Rockies runs during the spring training game against the Chicago White Sox at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on February 23, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images) | Getty Images

This evening in the Colorado Rockies first night game of 2026, they headed home with a 6-4 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

For game highlights, click here.

Postgame video of manager Warren Schaeffer was not available, but here’s starting pitcher Zach Agnos:

Sean Sullivan commented on his performance:

And here’s Brenton Doyle on being back in the lineup:

Please enjoy another Doyle defensive gem:

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And this very smooth play by Jake McCarthy:

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Tomorrow, the Rockies will welcome the Cleveland Guardians to Salt River Fields at 2:10 pm. (Don’t forget the time change.)

See you then.

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

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Reynolds scores 21, winner to take Minnesota 67-66 past Northwestern

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Langston Reynolds scored 21 points and scored the game-winning basket to lead Minnesota 67-66 past Northwestern in the final regular season game of the season for both Big Ten teams on Saturday.

Reynolds was 9 of 13 from the floor and scored the final four points over the last 26 seconds. He turned a three-point Golden Gophers (15-16, 8-12 Big Ten) deficit into a win with a layup with 11 seconds left, and scored 17 in the second half.

Cade Tyson had 15 points, while Isaac Asuma added 14 points and eight rebounds. Bobby Durkin scored 12, made 4 of 8 from behind the arc and had two steals.

The Golden Gophers had a 39-29 lead at the half after opening the game with an 18-2 run fueled by nine points from Asuma.

Nick Martinelli, the nation's sixth-leading scorer (22.7 per game), had 23 points on 9-of-18 shooting and nine rebounds for the Wildcats (13-18, 5-15). Jake West added 14 points and hit 4 of 7 behind the arc, and Tre Singleton scored 10 to go with six rebounds and four assists.

Up next

Northwestern will be the No. 15 seed in the Big Ten tournament and face No. 18 seed Penn State on Tuesday in the opening round.

Minnesota will enter as the No. 11 seed and face No. 14 seed Rutgers in the second round Wednesday. ___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

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Thunder grind past Warriors for a fifth straight win, 104-97 behind Gilgeous-Alexander

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 27 points, and the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Golden State Warriors 104-97 on Saturday night for their fifth straight win.

Gilgeous-Alexander made just 6 of 15 field goals, but he made 14 of 15 free throws to maintain his usual production. He has scored at least 20 points in 125 consecutive games. He can tie Wilt Chamberlain’s record of 126 straight games with at least 20 points Monday at home against Denver.

Oklahoma City is 5-0 since Gilgeous-Alexander returned from an abdominal strain. The defending champion Thunder have the league’s best record and became the first team in the league to win 50 games this season.

Isaiah Joe added 18 points and Jaylin Williams had nine points and 14 rebounds for Oklahoma City.

Gui Santos had 22 points and 11 rebounds, Brandin Podziemski scored 17 points and Draymond Green added 16 for the Warriors, who were held to 40.9% shooting.

MAGIC 119, TIMBERWOLVES 92

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Desmond Bane scored 30 points, Paolo Banchero added 25 points and 15 rebounds, and Orlando won its third straight game by beating Minnesota.

Jalen Suggs added 14 points and Tristan da Silva had 11 points for the Magic, who moved atop the Southeast Division.

Anthony Edwards scored 34 points, including 13 of 14 from the free-throw line, but Minnesota had it’s five-game winning streak snapped.

Julius Randle scored 14 points and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds for the Timberwolves, Naz Reid added 13 points off the bench, and Rudy Gobert added 12 points.

Minnesota shot just 35.7% in scoring its second-fewest points of the season. Starters Donte DiVincenzo and Jaden McDaniels were a combined 0 for 15.

NETS 107, PISTONS 105

DETROIT (AP) — Ziaire Williams made two 3-pointers in the final three minutes and Brooklyn ended a 10-game losing streak by rallying to beat Detroit.

Brooklyn trailed by 23 points in the third quarter and were still down by double figures with 5:29 left, but outscored Detroit 18-6 down the stretch.

Michael Porter Jr. had 30 points and 13 rebounds for the Nets, while Williams finished with 23 points.

Tobias Harris had 18 points and 10 rebounds for Detroit and Jalen Duren had 17 points and 14 rebounds. The Pistons, who have lost three straight for the first time this season, were missing Cade Cunningham (quadriceps) and Ausar Thompson (ankle).

HAWKS 125, 76ERS 116

ATLANTA (AP) — Jalen Johnson had 35 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists and Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 24 points as Atlanta beat Philadelphia for its season-best sixth straight victory.

Atlanta, which had two five-game runs during the season, has won seven of its last eight games and moved two games over .500 at 33-31.

CJ McCollum scored 13 of his 17 points in the first half and added seven assists, Dyson Daniels finished with 15 points and nine rebounds, and Onyeka Okongwu had 10 points as the Hawks overcame a seven-point halftime deficit.

Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with 31 points before injuring his right hand in a collision with teammate Adem Bona with 16 seconds remaining in the game. Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse had no update on the extent of Maxey’s injury after the game and said the All-Star guard would have X-rays on his hand.

Quentin Grimes scored 26 points, Kelly Oubre Jr. added 24 and Trendon Watford 10 as Philly had its four-game winning streak halted. Jabari Walker, who was coming off consecutive 20-point games for the first time in his four-year NBA career, finished with nine points.

BUCKS 113, JAZZ 99

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Giannis Antetokounmpo had 27 points, nine rebounds and eight assists as Milwaukee snapped a four-game skid by beating Utah.

Antetokounmpo did all that while playing just 27 minutes as the Bucks continue to monitor the two-time MVP’s workload in his return from injury. Milwaukee was playing for the third time since Antetokounmpo came back from a right calf strain that caused him to miss 15 straight games.

Utah has lost eight of its last nine games. The Jazz had ended a seven-game skid Thursday by winning 122-112 at Washington.

The Jazz were missing leading scorer Lauri Markkanen because of impingement in his right hip and Isaiah Collier due to personal reasons. Multiple other Utah players already have been ruled out for the season.

Milwaukee’s Kevin Porter Jr. missed a second straight game with swelling in his right knee. Before the game, Bucks coach Doc Rivers had no update on when Porter might return to the lineup.

CLIPPERS 123, GRIZZLIES 120

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Kawhi Leonard had 28 points, Darius Garland scored 11 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter and Los Angeles held on for a victory over Memphis.

Bennedict Mathurin finished 21 points and 10 rebounds, and Derrick Jones Jr. added 16 points as the Clippers won for the fourth time in five games despite hitting only four 3-pointers, a season low. Los Angeles was 4 for 17 from distance.

Ty Jerome led Memphis with 23 points and seven assists. Taylor Hendricks scored 18 and Cedric Coward 15 as Memphis lost its third straight.

The game was close throughout, and the Grizzlies held a 118-117 lead with about two minutes left. Leonard and Jordan Miller each made a pair of free throws to give Los Angeles a 121-118 edge. Mathurin’s two free throws with 4.4 second left sealed the win as Jerome’s closing 3-point try for Memphis was off the mark.

The Clippers, who were 15 games under .500 earlier this season, now sit at 31-32. The are in ninth place in the Western Conference, and in the running for a postseason bid.

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Undermanned Warriors nearly shock Thunder in Porzingis’ return

The Warriors almost did it again. Almost.

After a severely undermanned Golden State squad eked out an unexpected win over the Rockets to begin its road trip, the Warriors nearly pulled off an even bigger upset against the best team in the Western Conference and presumed title favorites.

Golden State got Kristaps Porzingis back from a six-game absence but still only suited up 10 players and still took the Thunder to the wire Saturday night in a 104-97 loss.

Shai Gilgous-Alexander sank a step-back 3 with 44 seconds left for the last of his game-high 27 points and forced a turnover on the other end of the floor to seal the game. 

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – MARCH 7: Brandin Podziemski #2 of the Golden State Warriors passes the ball during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 7, 2026 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NBAE via Getty Images

The Warriors never held a lead but were as close as two points with less than a minute to play, trailing 99-97 before Gilgous-Alexander’s game-sealing 3. They missed their final six shots of the game.

Porzingis played 23 minutes off the bench and scored nine points in his first action since his Warriors debut on Feb. 19 — only the second game he has played dating back to the first week of January.

What it means

The Warriors earned a nice win against the Rockets. They returned to reality against the Thunder, who became the first team in the NBA to reach 50 wins.

Turning point

With the state of the Warriors’ roster, it should have been the moment they entered the building. 

But the score was tied at 77 more than halfway through the third quarter after Malevy Leons, one of three active two-way players, drained a 3-pointer with 4:14 left that capped a 19-4 run. 

The typically sound Thunder turned the ball over five times in the first six minutes of the third quarter. They coughed it up nine times the rest of the night.

The run came to an end in appropriate fashion for the Thunder — with Gilgous-Alexander getting to the foul line on consecutive possessions. The free-throw artist collected 14 of his points at the line. He baited Nate Williams, another two-wayer, both times.

The Warriors kept it close until the very end but never were able to pull ahead.

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – MARCH 7: Gui Santos #15 of the Golden State Warriors drives to the basket during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 7, 2026 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NBAE via Getty Images

MVP: SGA

The reigning NBA MVP is probably on his way to a repeat win, so it would be silly to select anybody else after he led the box score in scoring and seemed to get a bucket — or free throws — at the moments the Thunder needed it most.

Draymond Green, tasked with guarding him, turned in one of his strongest offensive performances of the season with 16 points on four 3-pointers.

Gui Santos also scored a career-high 22 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in 38 minutes.

But the Warriors just didn’t have enough firepower to overcome a quintessential performance from Gilgous-Alexander, who is now one game away from Wilt Chamberlain’s NBA record after scoring 20 or more points for the 125th consecutive contest. 

Stat of the game: 15 offensive rebounds

The Warriors kept it close with the defending champions despite missing their two best players and a sizable chunk of their supporting cast. How?

By owning the offensive glass.

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – MARCH 7: Nate Williams #19 of the Golden State Warriors drives to the basket during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 7, 2026 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NBAE via Getty Images

The Warriors cleaned up their misses for a 16-7 edge in second-chance points. They grabbed 15 offensive rebounds, compared to the Thunder’s seven.

Gary Payton II grabbed seven offensive boards by himself with a game-best 12 total.

The Thunder hadn’t converted a single second-chance basket until Andrew Wiggins tipped in a miss from Lu Dort with 4:30 left in the third quarter. It was Oklahoma City’s second offensive rebound of the possession, matching its total to that point in the game.

As for what prevented the Warriors from pulling off the upset?

Look to the foul line, and don’t complain about the whistle.

The Warriors missed key free throws down the stretch and shot 61.1% from the foul line. Oklahoma City only had a six-shot edge in attempts but converted 23 of its 24 free throws, while the Warriors missed seven of their 18 attempts.

Up next

Golden State finishes its three-game road trip Monday night with a date with the Jazz in Salt Lake City. The Warriors will play their third game in four days the following night, the beginning of a stretch of 10 in a 15-day span — just two in San Francisco.

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Surridge scores 2 goal — his 2nd multi-goal game this season — as Nashville beats Minnesota 3-1

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Sam Surridge scored two goals — his second multi-goal game this season — and Cristian Espinoza added a goal and an assist to help Nashville SC beat Minnesota United 3-1 on Saturday night.

Surridge has scored 17 home goals — the most in MLS — since the start of last season.

Surridge re-directed a shot by Patrick Yazbek into the net to open the scoring in the 26th minute and his rising shot from the right corner of the 6-yard box in the 47th made it 3-1.

Hany Mukhtar’s shot from just outside the penalty area was parried by diving goalkeeper Drake Callender, but Espinoza was there for the tap-in putback to give Nashville (2-0-1) a 2-0 lead in the 33rd.

Nectarios Triantis scored for Minnesota (1-1-1) in the 35th minute.

Callender finished with three saves.

Nashville's Brian Schwake stopped two shots.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

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Sakamoto helps McKendree win team title at inaugural NCAA women's wrestling championship

CORALVILLE, Iowa (AP) — Yu Sakamoto beat Riley Rayome of North Central (IL) 4-3 to win the 117-pound crown and clinch the team title for McKendree on Saturday night at the inaugural NCAA women's wrestling championships.

After a wild scramble in the final seconds, a challenge by North Central and a review, Sakamoto's win gave McKendree a 167-166 lead over Iowa — which finished with three individual champions and a runner-up, but had no remaining competitors with two matches remaining. The Bearcats finished with 171 points and third-place North Central had 123.5.

Grand Valley State’s Katerina Lange, the No. 1 seed, beat second-seeded Claire DiCugno of North Central 4-1 to claim the 138-pound title and become the first women’s wrestling national champion.

North Central’s Bella Mir won at 145 pounds, beating No. 1 seed and former teammate Reese Larramendy of Iowa in the first round to avenge her only regular-season loss. The second-seeded Mir — an Iowa transfer and the daughter of former UFC heavyweight champion, Frank Mir — reversed a takedown attempt, immediately rolled and pinned Larramendy with 34 seconds left.

Iowa's Valarie Solorio, the No. 2 seed, beat fourth-seeded Rayana Sahagun of Grand Valley State by technical fall in the second round to win the 103-pound title. Sahagun beat No. 1 seed Heather Crull on criteria (7-7) in the semifinals.

Lehigh’s Audrey Jimenez pinned Sage Mortimer of Grand Valley State just 1:19 into the first round to claim the crown at 110 pounds.

Quincy's Xochitl Mota-Pettis won at 124 pounds, beating Shelby Moore of McKendree by technical fall (10-0) in the second round.

Cameron Guerin of McKendree beat Alexis Janlak of Aurora on criteria (5-5) to win the championship at 131 pounds in the final match of the night.

Iowa's Kennedy Blades, the No. 1 seed, pinned third-seeded Tiffani Baublitz of East Stroudsburg in 1:19 to claim the 160-pound crown.

Iowa's Kylie Welker outscored Destiny Rodriguez of McKendree 11-0 in the first round to win the 180-pound title by technical fall.

McKendree's Tristan Kelly beat Sabrina Nauss of Grand Valley State by technical fall (11-0) in the second round to secure the national championship at 207 pounds.

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Utah Jazz vs Milwaukee Bucks: Recap and final score

MILWAUKEE, WI - MARCH 7: Ace Bailey #19 of the Utah Jazz dribbles the ball during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks on March 7, 2026 at Fiserv Forum Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 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 Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images). | NBAE via Getty Images

The Utah Jazz didn’t have enough to take out the Milwaukee Bucks, who now have Giannis Antetokounmpo back. With Giannis, the Bucks were able to consistently build leads against the Jazz, but would lose those leads in the minutes that Giannis was off the court. It’s a successful end for the Bucks, who win 113-99 and are clawing their way to a potential play-in game.

The Jazz, who are currently 5th in the lottery standings, are inching towards the end of the season as they will very likely keep their pick. They just have to keep their focus as they make sure to stay as close to the top spot in the lottery as they possibly can.

It’s not just losing that is the focus of this team, though. Utah is getting invaluable development time for players that wouldn’t get it otherwise. Cody Williams had the first double-double of his career tonight with 13 points and 11 rebounds. That freedom to develop is giving him a chance to grow in ways he never would if the Jazz were not focused on development. Williams will need to improve his shooting but this season has shown how he can be a contributing player, especially on the defensive end.

Ace Bailey is also receiving much needed development minutes and it’s paying dividends. His percentages weren’t good tonight but he’s also learning to contribute in ways other than just scoring. Bailey had three assists tonight on a random Saturday night in the NBA. In college, Bailey had four total games with three assists. He’s doing things now with regularity that were not happening before. For the season, Bailey is averaging 1.7 assists in 26 minutes per game. In college, Bailey averaged 1.3 in 33 minutes per game. It’s an uptick worth watching and shows that Bailey is playing a more winning style of basketball. The eye test is especially good with Bailey. He looks like a player that is figuring out how to do more and more each night and the freedom to experiment and work on his weaknesses will make him that much better next season.

Finally, we got to see Keyonte Geoge today and it was a tough shooting night, something that seemed to be a recurring theme for everyone on the team. That said, George got to the line all night and took 13 free throws. That ability to get to the line is elite and makes up for when he has bad shooting games like this one. The Jazz have to shoot the ball better next season, and that will likely be the thing that changes lineups the most, but they are figuring out how to do all the other things that help you win games. That experience will pay off in a big way next season when the Jazz become a winning team in the league.

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Tennessee State beats Morehead State 93-67, wins first OVC Tournament title since '94

EVANSVILLE, Ind. (AP) — Antoine Lorick III scored 18 points, and top-seeded Tennessee State beat No. 2 seed Morehead State 93-67 on Saturday night for the Tigers' first win in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament championship game since 1994.

Travis Harper II made five 3-pointers and finished with 17 points for Tennessee State (23-9), which shot 16 of 26 from long range. Dante Harris and Carlous Williams added 16 points apiece. Aaron Nkrumah chipped in with 14 points and six assists. Harris grabbed 11 of the Tigers' 44 rebounds.

George Marshall scored 17 points and shot 4 of 9 from beyond the arc to lead Morehead State (20-13). Anouar Mellouk and Davion Cunningham added 12 points each.

The Tigers scored a Division-I program-record 55 points in the first half for a 21-point lead. Harris scored 16 points and shot 4 of 7 from deep. Harper added 15 points on five 3s. Marshall scored 12 first-half points for Morehead State.

TSU entered having won a program-best 15 conference games. The Tigers won back-to-back tournament titles in 1993 and 1994.

The teams split the regular-season series, each winning at home. Tennessee State won the first meeting 105-100 in overtime. Morehead State won the second 94-86.

___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

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Cameron Boozer scores 26 as No. 1 Duke beats No. 17 North Carolina 76-61

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Cameron Boozer had 26 points, 15 rebounds and five assists to help No. 1 Duke beat No. 17 North Carolina 76-61 on Saturday night in a rivalry rematch.

Maliq Brown added 15 points as Duke led by a single possession early after halftime before taking over with 16 unanswered points in what ballooned to a 24-2 surge.

The Blue Devils (29-2, 17-1) completed a second straight one-loss run through ACC regular-season play, this one coming a month after losing at North Carolina on Seth Trimble’s last-second 3-pointer. Duke has won eight straight, including a neutral-court victory over then-No. 1 Michigan and a romp against No. 13 Virginia.

The loss capped a rough 24 hours for the Tar Heels (24-7, 12-6). They appeared on the verge of getting star Caleb Wilson back from a fractured left hand just in time for March Madness — and maybe this game — only for him to suffer a season-ending broken right thumb during a non-contact drill Thursday.

The freshman was on the bench with his right thumb wrapped in a black brace as North Carolina fell to 5-2 without him.

Derek Dixon had 17 points for North Carolina, which trailed just 47-44 on Trimble’s drive with 16:45 left before Duke made its decisive push. The Tar Heels went six minutes without a point and managed one basket over more than 10 minutes as Duke blew the game open.

MARQUETTE 68, NO. 4 UCONN 62

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Nigel James Jr. scored 19 points and UConn coach Dan Hurley was ejected in the final second as Marquette hung on for a victory that prevented the Huskies from claiming a share of the Big East regular-season title.

UConn (27-4, 17-3) trailed 64-62 when the Huskies’ Silas Demary Jr. drove to the basket while being defended by Ben Gold. Demary’s shot hit the glass and the rim before the ball bounced off a couple of players and hit the floor.

Marquette’s Chase Ross won the battle for the loose ball and got fouled with one second left. Hurley argued the lack of a foul call and was whistled for two technical fouls before heading to the locker room while shaking his head.

Ross then made four of six free throws to account for the final margin.

NO. 5 FLORIDA 84, KENTUCKY 77

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Thomas Haugh had 20 points and nine rebounds as Florida beat Kentucky to end the regular season with an 11-game winning streak.

Boogie Fland added 16 points and six assists for the Gators (25-6, 16-2 Southeastern Conference), the No. 1 seed in next week’s SEC Tournament at Nashville, Tennessee. The defending national champions completed a regular-season sweep of the Wildcats (19-12, 10-8).

Alex Condon scored 14 points for Florida. Rueben Chinyelu had 13 points and eight rebounds, and Xaivian Lee finished with 11 points, seven rebounds and five assists.

Otega Oweh led Kentucky with 28 points, 17 in the first half. Oweh was honored before the game along with follow senior Denzel Aberdeen and walk-ons Zack Tow and Walker Horn.

Aberdeen scored 15 points, and Mouhamed Dioubate added 10 off the bench for Kentucky.

NO. 6 IOWA STATE 86, ARIZONA STATE 65

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Joshua Jefferson, Tamin Lipsey and Milan Momcilovic had 16 points apiece, and Iowa State scored 24 straight points to break open a victory over Arizona State.

The Sun Devils led 45-41 when the game turned early in the second half. Momcilovic and Jefferson hit consecutive 3s to start the decisive run. Jefferson riled the Hilton Coliseum crowd when he blocked Anthony Johnson’s layup attempt and sped down the court to take Nate Heise’s long pass for a dunk.

Arizona State missed 11 shots and committed five turnovers before Massamba Diop made a free throw for his team’s first points in almost nine minutes. Arizona State’s field-goal drought lasting nearly 11 minutes ended on Andrija Grbovic’s 3-pointer with 6:21 to play. At that point, the Cyclones led by 19.

The 24-0 run was the biggest in coach TJ Otzelberger’s five years and the Cyclones’ 39th double-digit run this season, most in the nation.

Iowa State (25-6, 12-6 Big 12) outscored ASU 49-24 in the second half, the Sun Devils’ fewest points after half since they managed just 21 in a loss to the Cyclones last season.

Diop led the Sun Devils (16-15, 7-11) with 12 points but committed seven of their season-high 23 turnovers.

NO. 7 HOUSTON 82, OKLAHOMA STATE 75

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Reserve Chase McCarty scored 14 of his 20 points in the second half and Houston rallied for a win over Oklahoma State.

Kingston Flemings added 13 points, five rebounds and nine assists for Houston (26-5 overall, 14-4 Big 12 Conference), which clinched the No. 2 seed in the Big 12 Tournament and a spot in the quarterfinals on Thursday in Kansas City.

The Cougars trailed by as many as 13 points in the first half, but McCarty, a redshirt freshman, made 7 of 10 field goal, including 6 of 9 from beyond the arc to fuel the comeback.

Anthony Roy scored 18 points, Kanye Clary added 14 and Jaylen Curry had 13 for Oklahoma State (18-13, 6-12). Roy (four), Clary (four) and Curry (two) combined for all 10 of the Cowboys’ 3-point baskets.

NO. 13 VIRGINIA 76, VIRGINIA TECH 72

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Ugo Onyenso and Malik Thomas each had 16 points, Sam Lewis scored 15 and Virginia held off Virginia Tech for a win.

The Cavaliers (27-4, 15-3) had already clinched the No. 2 seed in next week’s Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament in Charlotte, North Carolina, and are all but assured of a spot in the NCAA Tournament field. The Hokies (19-12, 8-10) entered squarely on the NCAA bubble and in seek of an AP Top 25 win to enhance their resume.

Ben Hammond led the Hokies with 21 points and five assists. He missed a pair of free throws with 2:09 to play trailing by four points.

Virginia went 15 for 17 at the free-throw line.

NO. 14 KANSAS 104, KANSAS STATE 85

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Freshman star Darryn Peterson scored 27 points in his likely Allen Fieldhouse finale, Tre White and Melvin Council Jr. had memorable senior send-offs of their own, and Kansas routed Kansas State.

Peterson, the potential No. 1 pick in this year’s NBA draft, was an efficient 10 of 15 from the field for the Jayhawks (22-9, 12-6 Big 12), who clinched a double-bye in next week’s conference tournament by winning on Senior Day for the 43rd consecutive year.

White, a transfer from Illinois, had 23 points and 11 rebounds to cap his lone regular season in Lawrence, while Council — who arrived from St. Bonaventure — nearly had a triple-double with 17 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists in his final game at the Phog.

WISCONSIN 97, NO. 15 PURDUE 93

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — John Blackwell made five 3-pointers and scored 25 points, Nick Boyd added 23 and Wisconsin set a school-record with 18 3-pointers in a road game Saturday in a win over Purdue.

The Badgers (22-9, 14-6 Big Ten) have won three straight overall and six of their last eight after going 18 for 34 from beyond the arc. That tied the second-highest single-game 3-point total in school history, and they also set a school record with 12 3s in the first half, despite playing without forward Nolan Winter, who has an injured left ankle.

Fletcher Loyer had 23 points and six 3-pointers, making his 282nd career 3 to break Carsen Edwards’ school record. Braden Smith had 20 points and nine assists, while Trey Kaufman-Renn added 17 points. Smith, Loyer and Kaufman-Renn all played their home finales.

It marked the first time in nearly 14,000 days and 135 games Purdue topped the 90-point mark and lost. The last time it happened was against Iowa State in Nov. 24, 1987.

Purdue started fast, using an early 13-0 run to take a 22-13 lead. But the Boilermakers couldn’t match the Badgers barrage of 3s that helped them take the lead and thwart every Purdue charge.

NO. 16 ALABAMA 96, AUBURN 84

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Labaron Philon and Aden Holloway each scored 21 points and Alabama beat Auburn in the regular-season finale for both teams.

Alabama (23-8, 13-5 Southeastern Conference) never trailed, making its first six shots — three by Philon, who scored his 1,000th career point in the game.

The Crimson Tide rebounded from a 98-88 loss at Georgia on Tuesday night. It opened the second half on a 17-8 run to extend its lead to a game-high 28 points.

Kevin Overton led Auburn (16-15, 7-11) with 24 points, and Tahaad Pettiford had 19. The Tigers have lost eight of 10.

NO. 20 ARKANSAS 88, MISSOURI 84, OT

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — Arkansas beat Missouri in overtime on Saturday to make John Calipari the fifth Division I men’s basketball coach to win 900 games.

Meleek Thomas scored 28 and Trevon Brazile had 19 points and nine rebounds for Arkansas (23-8, 13-5 Southeastern Conference), which played without star freshman point guard Darius Acuff Jr. He missed the game with an undisclosed injury.

Acuff entered play leading the SEC in scoring and passing with 22 points and 6.2 assists per game.

Malique Ewin had 17 points and nine rebounds, and converted four straight free throws in the final 12 seconds of overtime to seal the game for the Razorbacks.

Brazile, who played his freshman season at Missouri, drained a 3-pointer with 22 seconds remaining in overtime to give the Razorbacks an 84-82 lead.

Mark Mitchell scored a career-best 32, and Shawn Phillips Jr. had 13 points and 10 rebounds for Missouri (20-11, 10-8), which has lost two straight heading into the conference tournament.

LOUISVILLE 92, NO. 22 MIAMI 89

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Ryan Conwell scored 18 of his 24 points in the first half, Adrian Wooley hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 18.4 seconds remaining and Louisville wasted a 12-point lead before hanging on to beat Miami.

J’Vonne Hadley scored 16 for the Cardinals, while Wooley and Isaac McKneely each scored 15. Louisville (22-9, 11-7 Atlantic Coast Conference) wrapped up the No. 6 seed in the conference tournament with the win — and could see the Hurricanes (24-7, 13-5) in the quarterfinals.

Tre Donaldson scored 25 points for Miami, which got 18 from Malik Reneau — 14 from the foul line. Tru Washington had 12 and Shelton Henderson finished with 11 for the Hurricanes.

NO. 24 VANDERBILT 86, NO. 23 TENNESSEE 82

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tyler Tanner scored 25 points to lead Vanderbilt past Tennessee.

The Commodores (24-7, 11-7 in Southeastern Conference) led by double digits most of the game. The Volunteers (21-10, 11-7) cut their deficit to five points at 69-64 with a 3-pointer by Amari Evans with 5:25 to play. Vandy’s Chandler Bing answered with a 3-pointer to end that threat.

Tennessee, which scored 60 points in the second half, closed within four points in the final minute, but got no closer.

AK Okereke scored 17 and Duke Miles had 13 for Vandy.

Evans led Tennessee with 24 points. J.P. Estrella had 20 points and 10 rebounds. Ja’Kobi Gillespie scored 17 points and Felix Okpara had 10 rebounds.

GEORGE MASON 86, NO. 25 SAINT LOUIS 57

FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — Jahari Long had 21 points and nine assists, and George Mason routed Saint Louis in the regular-season finale for both teams.

Kory Mincy added 15 points, five rebounds and five assists for the Patriots (23-8, 11-7 Atlantic 10), who defeated a ranked opponent for the first time since upending then-No. 16 Dayton on Feb. 21, 2024.

Dion Brown had 13 points for the Billikens (27-4, 15-3), who had already clinched the No. 1 seed in next week’s Atlantic 10 tournament. They shared the regular-season title with VCU, a team they defeated twice this season.

Senior center Robbie Avila, who entered averaging a team-high 13.0 points for Saint Louis, played only five scoreless minutes in the first half because of foul trouble. He finished with two points and one rebound in 12 minutes.