ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MARCH 07: Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts against the Atlanta Hawks during a game at State Farm Arena on March 07, 2026 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. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Are we sure this is legal? Tyrese Maxey and Kelly Oubre Jr. are officially available. The Sixers will have all their regulars against the Hornets Saturday night.
This is a lot of good injury news at once — is this allowed?
The Sixers released their injury report ahead of a big matchup with the Charlotte Hornets and it revealed that Tyrese Maxey may return to the court slightly earlier than expected. Both Maxey and Kelly Oubre Jr. (elbow strain) are listed as questionable. Charlotte has yet to submit their injury report.
Tyrese Maxey listed as questionable tomorrow vs. the Hornets. The Sixers might have their whole team available. Wow.
This would be just a few days ahead of the approximate three-week timeline the Sixers originally gave for his reevaluation after suffering a torn tendon in his right pinky when he last played on March 7 against the Atlanta Hawks. After participating in left-handed only drills, Maxey has been seen on the court doing work with the right hand this week.
It’ll be a really big one in Charlotte at that. The Sixers currently sit just a half game behind the Toronto Raptors for the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference, but they’re just a game ahead of the Orlando Magic, Hornets and Miami Heat for the eighth, ninth and 10th seed, respectively.
The Sixers next stop after the Hornets will be in Miami to take on the Heat. Tiebreakers for the season series are on the line as well with the Sixers going 1-1 against in each of their first two games against both opponents.
The 2025–26 season hasn’t been very kind to the Vancouver Canucks, but it has been to some of the organization’s former players. One such player is none-other than Bo Horvat, former Canucks captain and now 30-goal scorer for the fourth time in his NHL career.
Horvat’s first career 30-goal season came as a member of the Canucks back in 2021–22, during which he scored 31 goals in 70 games. The season after that remains his career-high, as he scored 31 goals in 49 games with Vancouver before being traded to the New York Islanders and adding seven more to his overall total in 30 games. He has since scored 30+ goals in two of his three other seasons with New York, with his lone sub-30 goal season being the 2024–25 season. He scored 28 goals in this particular year.
Horvat has enjoyed quite the season in his third full-year with the Islanders, having scored his 30th goal of the season in his team’s 2–1 win against the Dallas Stars on Thursday night. This goal extended Horvat’s current point streak to five straight games, with this being the second time this season he’s had a point streak of that length.
Throughout the month of March, 13 games so far, Horvat has scored six goals and five assists, going pointless in only three of his team’s games. This came only a few weeks after he suited up for his first Winter Olympic Games with Team Canada, during which he scored two goals in six games.
Mar 7, 2026; San Jose, California, USA; New York Islanders center Bo Horvat (14) scores the game-winning goal against San Jose Sharks goaltender Yaroslav Askarov (30) in the overtime period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images
Prior to sustaining a couple of injuries in December and January, Horvat had scored 19 goals in 31 games with the Islanders this season, putting him at a goals per game pace of .612. While his 30th goal of the season now ties him with Zach Hyman and Connor Bedard for 27th-most in the NHL, had he been healthy through the whole season, it wouldn’t have been a surprise if he ranked much higher.
Horvat and the Islanders are currently deadlocked in a stiff battle for the Eastern Conference’s wildcard spots. While the Islanders currently occupy the final spot with 87 points in 73 games, the Ottawa Senators are only a point behind them with a game in hand.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.
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The NBA’s process of finding new ways to deter teams from tanking is currently focused around three separate concepts to change the draft lottery, two people with knowledge of the discussions surrounding the issue told The Associated Press on Friday.
The concepts — they are not yet finalized proposals — were presented to the league’s board of governors by NBA executives earlier this week, the people said.
The people spoke on condition of anonymity because none of the details have been shared publicly.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Wednesday he expects a special meeting of owners to take place in May to vote on changes to the lottery, vowing that the league would fix the tanking issue. And one of the people who spoke with the AP on Friday said it’s almost certain that the concepts will change or at least be tweaked in the coming weeks, with a possibility of more ideas being presented to owners as well. The league’s general managers — for some time — have also been weighing in with ideas for potential changes.
ESPN first reported that the concepts were shared with the governors.
“I will say again, as I’ve said this before, this is not a new issue in this league,” Silver said this week. “You can go back to the ’60s, when coin tosses were used to determine who got the first pick, then in the ’80s, when a draft lottery was created. That lottery has been modified four times since then. Does not seem to be operating optimally where we are now.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver addresses the media following the Board of Governors meetings on March 25, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
The changes — whatever they end up being — won’t be in place for this year’s lottery, which will be held in May.
The current rules
The 14 teams that don’t make the NBA playoffs go to the lottery, where a four-number combination of ping-pong balls are drawn to decide the order of the top four teams in the draft.
The teams with the worst three records all have a 14% chance of winning the No. 1 pick — and none of the teams with the worst five records can finish lower than eighth in the lottery. The odds of winning the No. 1 pick decrease gradually for the other 11 teams outside the top three, from 12.5 percent for the team with the fourth-worst record to 0.7 percent for the team with the 14th-worst record.
“Incentives need to be fixed,” Silver said. “We will fix them. I’m looking forward to that.”
Concept 1: An 18-team lottery
The 10 teams that don’t make the playoffs and the eight teams that reach the play-in tournament all would be headed to the lottery. The bottom 10 teams would all have 8 percent odds of winning the lottery, and the odds would decrease from there.
Brooklyn Nets forward Jalen Wilson (C) tries to control a loose ball while being surrounded by the against the Oklahoma City Thunder defense during the second half at the Barclays Center in New York, New York, USA, Wednesday, March 18, 2026. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST
This is the scenario where the 18th-worst team — a playoff team — could still win the lottery. It would have a 1 percent chance of winning.
Concept 2: The WNBA model
The WNBA lottery is for the worst teams over a two-season span, not just the previous season. An idea the NBA is considering would be similar to that.
But the NBA would also have a floor for wins as well — the current idea there being 25 wins per season. It would mean that if Team A won 31 games over two seasons, it would have the same odds of winning the No. 1 pick as a team that won exactly 50 games over those two seasons. That floor would be in place to give teams no incentive for trying to lose every game.
Concept 3: Better odds for more teams
A third idea being presented is one where the five worst teams would all have 11% odds of winning the No. 1 pick — instead of the current three-teams-at-14% model.
There would be some pick protections in that model as well, keeping the worst teams from falling too far in the draft.
With arms and bats more promising than recent seasons, the Charlotte Knights are poised for a winning record in 2026. | Charlotte Knights
Welcome back to the Charlotte Knights’ redemption season. Last season didn’t go as expected, as the Knights finished 65-85, the fourth-worst record in the International League East. Despite spending time early in the season with a winning record and flirting with .500 for a while, the club ultimately struggled because the bullpen frequently gave up games, and the bats were streakier than Midwest weather in the spring. Fortunately, the Knights finally appear to be sporting some top-notch talent this year.
Starting Pitching The Knights rotation looks slightly different than last year.
After securing a Southern League title, Tanner McDougal is ready to cruise through Charlotte. His 3.26 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, and .241 allowed batting average made him a standout pitching in the farm system in 2025. But the real test is yet to come. McDougal lasted less than four innings in nearly half his starts last year, which isn’t enough in the majors. All eyes will surely be on the only new starter.
Jonathan Cannon returns to Charlotte after missing Chicago’s 26-man roster cut. He hopes to work his way back to the majors after posting a 5.82 ERA and giving up 17 home runs in 22 games. His regression from 2024 and struggles in Charlotte require he work especially hard to reclaim any role in Chicago.
Duncan Davitt and Noah Schultz fall into a similar category of needing to prove themselves. Davitt didn’t give up the long ball as much as he couldn’t stop the bleeding. His 27 earned runs in nine starts with the Knights set a sink-or-swim expectation for him this year. Schultz is also in hot water after his leap from Double to Triple-A was a disaster. Schultz was decimated for 15 runs in his first three starts, was plagued for a month by a bum knee, and couldn’t manage to squeak out shutout appearances in his last two very short starts.
Shane Murphy starts the season with the Knights after breaking out last year. His stunning 1.66 ERA, 24 walks, and 104 strikeouts from High-A through Triple-A went under the radar, but he was one of the best pitchers in the minors. Murphy needs reps in Triple-A before he gets the call up, and his timeline could speed up if Erick Fedde or Drew Thorpe get annihilated in April and May.
Relievers Shifting to the bullpen, not much has changed. A few old faces will reclaim their place in the pen after pitching at least 25 innings last year for the Knights:
Wikelman González – 33 IP
Tyler Schweitzer – 50 IP
Chase Plymell – 52 ⅓ IP
Garrett Schoenle – 27 ⅔ IP
Ben Peoples, Adisyn Coffey and Zach Franklin got a taste of Triple-A last year, but struggled in the few innings they pitched.
Brandon Eisert had two appearances in Charlotte before being called up to play out the rest of the season with the Sox. He’s been relegated back to the Knights — although it could be a brief stay given Chicago embarrassed itself on Opening Day in a 14-2 loss to Milwaukee. Eisert’s 34 earned runs, 74 strikeouts, and nine holds in 72 innings aren’t keeping him off the 26-man as much as lack of space. However, he still has yet to show he isn’t a 4A reliever.
Position Players With Korey Lee released, the Knights will rely on backstops Michael Turner, Josh Breaux and DrewRomo. With Reese McGuire signed to an MLB deal (no demotion to Triple-A in the plans) and Kyle Teel on the mend and preparing to share catching duties with Edgar Quero, it’s unlikely that any of this trio will get off of the Charlotte busses in 2026. However, Turner is the closest thing the White Sox have to an ace catcher in the system at this point.
Making our way around the horn, first base seems anyone’s guess, while there is some strong talent otherwise. A trio of middle infielders anchor the group, including Sam Antonacci, William Bergolla Jr. and Jacob Gonzalez. Gonzalez, the only one a first-rounder, is probably the odd man out and pushed to third base, as Antonacci strutted his stuff at the WBC representing team Italy and seems destined to be the first bat up in Chicago when injury calls. Like Antonacci, Bergolla impressed with his Spring Training invite. Oliver Dunn was solid at third base and could slide over to play some first. Darren Baker also had an active camp with the White Sox, and he’ll be subbing in at second base and pinch-running.
Finally, the outfield. Dustin Harris comes from the Rangers minor league system bouncing between Triple-A and the majors. While he didn’t hold his own in Texas, he slapped the ball around for Round Rock Express (.285/.369/.435, 44 walks, 41 RBIs). He should help move runners around the diamond on a team that loved to strand hitters. Dru Baker had a strong season with the Knights and has a real chance of being called up. Acquired in the Matt Thaiss trade, Baker hit a respectable .256 batting average and kept the offense. The only issue is that he is one of the few guys who can incite an offense on a whim. Jarred Kelenic takes over right field after struggling with Braves and Gwinnett Stripers. With batting averages below or just touching the Mendoza line, there are no expectations. And finally, LaMonte Wade Jr. couldn’t parlay his terrific Spring Training with the White Sox into a guaranteed deal somewhere else, so he is back to club the ball in Charlotte.
My first question: Is Will Wade bringing the boombox with him to LSU?
My second question: Does LSU possess no scruples at all? Never mind, I know the answer to that question. LSU is a kingdom of rebels and renegades. Just win, baby.
Wade, Lane Kiffin and Kim Mulkey walk into … well, I can’t quite figure the punchline of that joke, but wherever they’re walking into, they’re probably going there to win, and if you try to stand in their way, they’ll just steal your players.
Vaudeville pined to cast a trio of characters quite like these three.
There’s Wade, the disgraced cheater, turned boombox-blasting Cinderella, turned prodigal son returning to save LSU.
There’s Kiffin, the — mercy, what’s the word for him, even? We’ll go with college football’s shameless and slippery renegade-in-chief.
Considering the company she keeps, Mulkey qualifies as the decorous statesman of these three amigos, but her enemies despise her with the fire of a thousand suns.
If you find either the sum or individual parts of this trio a bit odious, do you really think LSU cares? Not as long as they’re winning.
NC State athletic director Boo Corrigan said he felt “lied to” after Wade bolted back to LSU after one season with the Wolfpack. Corrigan will get no sympathy here. Don’t hire duplicitous renegades and expect them to behave as a straight shooter.
Scofflaw returns to LSU, as Will Wade vows to 'follow more rules'
In bringing back Wade this week, LSU became the first school I'm aware of to rehire a coach it fired for cause, just four years previously.
Never mind that Wade trampled on NCAA rules for several years, to the extent he got a pink slip, a show-cause, and a suspension, and his conduct resulted in LSU getting probation, scholarship reductions and recruiting restrictions.
That “strong-ass offer” Wade once spoke of making to secure JaVonte Smart positioned Wade as a scofflaw, within an ecosystem that no longer exists.
After arriving back in Louisiana, Wade told reporters he'll try "to follow more rules this time."
Rules? What rules?
NCAA enforcement is a husk, not to be feared, and the LSU president and athletic director who fired Wade in 2022 are gone from the school.
With the sheriff out to lunch, long live the rebel, and fill up the stands.
Will Wade suits LSU's tribe of rebels and renegades
A few years away gave Wade some time for the stink to blow off of him. He even spawned an underdog’s tale at McNeese, set to the tune of a boombox, a year ago.
Now, it’s LSU basketball that stinks, and so Wade returns as a savior. The school hopes Wade will reinstall basketball relevance, like Mulkey delivered in women’s basketball.
If Wade gets LSU back to the Sweet 16, as he did in 2019, he’ll be hailed as a hero on the bayou.
“Will is a consistent winner, a diligent program-builder, and a charismatic leader with an incredible ability to connect with his student-athletes,” LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry said in a news release announcing Wade’s hiring.
The announcement naturally made no mention of Wade’s firing, the NCAA scandal, or the FBI wiretap.
In Louisiana, there’s no such thing as being too tarnished for a comeback, or too scandalized for a revival. As a fellow sports columnist who’s native to the state once said, “They love scoundrels down there.”
Do they ever.
Louisianans elected Edwin Edwards as governor four times. Edwards overcame a slew of scandals to make not one, but two, political comebacks before ultimately heading to federal prison.
In Louisiana, a scoundrel can be governor, and a once-fired cheater can be a savior.
Scruples get stomped in the Boot. Ethics and moralities, that’s so pollyannaish anyway in this no-holds-barred time and space College Sports Inc. finds itself in. A lawless enterprise suits LSU.
The current guvnah of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, made it clear he wanted to reshape LSU when he tossed out athletic director Scott Woodward. And, who would rise up to replace Woodward? That’d be Ausberry, whom LSU banned from attending football games in 2021, when he was also suspended for a month without pay after he mishandled allegations of domestic abuse and did not follow Title IX reporting requirements.
Remember, you’re never too tarnished for a comeback in Louisiana, so Ausberry took the reins of LSU athletics in November and swiftly made his mark by plundering Kiffin from rival Mississippi. Now, LSU would only love it if Wade could bring the juice (and transfers) to Tigers basketball, like Kiffin supplied for football.
Landry’s reconfiguration of LSU continued with the hiring of Wade Rousse as university president. Rousse previously was president at McNeese, the school that had rescued Wade from the scrap heap. And, so, the pieces quickly snapped into place for Wade to return to LSU.
“It's a chance to go home,” Wade said.
Home?
Wade’s from Nashville.
He’s spent his coaching career like a traveling salesman, living out of a suitcase before jetting off down the road to where business might be better.
And yet it makes sense Wade would see LSU as home. In Louisiana, a scandal is but a speed bump, and a scoundrel who arrives in a time of need receives a hero’s welcome.
With the 20th overall pick of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, the Columbus Blue Jackets selected goaltender Pyotr Andreyanov. The Blue Jackets are hoping that the 19-year-old will be a big part of their roster later down the road, as he certainly has the potential to become a very good NHL goalie.
Because of his good upside, Andreyanov was given the No. 77 spot on The Hockey News' latest Top 100 NHL-affiliated prospect rankings.
When looking at how well Andreyanov has played in Russia, it is understandable that he is being viewed as one of the NHL's best prospects. The 6-foot goaltender had a 13-8-3 record, a .919 save percentage, and a 2.59 goals-against average in 26 games with CSKA Red Army Jr. of the MHL this season. He also had a .918 save percentage and a 2.13 goals-against average in the VHL with HC Zvezda this campaign.
Andreyanov also had a 1.75 goals-against average and a .942 save percentage in 37 MHL games in 2024-25 with CSKA Red Army Jr.
With all of this, there is no question that Andreyanov has shown plenty of promise. It will be interesting to see how he continues to grow his game from here.
The Montreal Canadiens have announced that they have signed defenseman Owen Protz to a three-year entry-level contract, which kicks in during the 2026-27 season.
Protz was selected by the Canadiens with the 102nd overall pick of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. The 6-foot-2 defenseman appeared in 64 games during this regular season with the Brantford Bulldogs of the OHL, where he had five goals, 18 assists, 23 points, 84 penalty minutes, and a plus-45 rating.
Protz is a defenseman with size who plays a very heavy game. With this, he is undoubtedly an intriguing prospect in the Canadiens' system, and they will be hoping that he can become a nice part of their blueline in the future.
Protz has continued to show promise at the junior level, too. During the 2024-25 season with the Bulldogs, he had five goals, 27 assists, 32 points, and a plus-11 rating. He also had one goal and six points in 11 playoff games for Brantford last year.
Overall, there is a lot to like about Protz's game, and it will be fascinating to see how he continues to develop his game from here.
BOSTON, MA - JANUARY 28: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics looks to pass the ball during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on January 28, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Atlanta Hawks (41-32) at Boston Celtics (48-24) Friday, March 27, 2026 7:30 PM ET Regular Season Game #73, Home Game #37 TV: NBCSB, FDSNSE, NBA-LP Radio: 98.5 Sports Hub, 92.9 The Game, Sirius XM TD Garden
The Celtics continue their home stand after a win over the Thunder on Wednesday as they host the Atlanta Hawks. This is the 3rd of 4 games between these two teams this season. The Celtics won the first game 132-106 in Atlanta on January 17. They lost the second game 117-106 in Boston on January 28. They will meet again for the final time in Atlanta on March 30. The Hawks won the series 2-1 last season with the Celtics winning one in Atlanta and the Hawks winning twice in Boston. The Celtics are 246-152 overall all time and they are 132-57 in games played in Boston. The Hawks have won the last 3 games in Boston.
The Hawks were among the most active teams at the trade deadline. They traded Trae Young to Washington for Corey Kispert and CJ McCollum before the deadline. They traded Vit Krejci to Portland for 2 second round picks. They traded Luke Kennard for Gabe Vincent. They got Jock Landale for cash considerations. And their biggest move was trading Kristaps Porzingis to Golden State for Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield.
Since the All Star break, the Hawks are 15-2, the best record amongst all Eastern Conference teams. Before the break, Atlanta ranked 27th in the NBA in offensive rebound %. Since the break, the Hawks rank fourth-best among all NBA teams over that time. In March, Atlanta is 11-1, tied with the Thunder for the best record in the league since the beginning of March. They are coming off a 130-129 overtime win in Detroit over the Pistons.
The Celtics are 2nd in the East, 4.5 games behind 1st place Detroit. They are 1 game ahead of 3rd place New York, 3.5 games ahead of 4th place Cleveland, 7.5 games ahead of 5th place Atlanta, 8 games ahead of 6th place Toronto, and 8.5 games ahead of 7th place Philadelphia. The Celtics are 29-14 against Eastern Conference opponents. They are 25-11 at home and 7-3 in their last 10 games. They are coming off a win in their last game.
The Hawks are 5th in the East, 11.5 games behind 1st place Detroit7 games behind 3rd place New York and 4 games behind 4th place Cleveland. They are half a game ahead of 6th place Toronto, 1 game ahead of 7th place Philadelphia, and 2 games ahead of 8th place Miami. They are 23-21 against Eastern Conference teams. They are 20-16 on the road and 9-1 in their last 10 games. They have won their last 3 games.
This game at home against Atlanta completes a 3 game home stand. Then it’s back on the road for a 4 game trip through Charlotte, Atlanta once again, Miami and Milwaukee. They will then play two games at home against Toronto and Charlotte before one game on the road at New York. They will finish the season with 2 games at home against New Orleans and Orlando.
Dealing with a busted bracket?
The Sweet 16 is almost here – who’s still alive? We’re reviewing the week that was in the first week of the NCAA tournament and turning our focus to remaining teams. How bad (or good!) is your bracket? Join us in the SB Nation March Madness Feed and let’s talk about who’s most likely to make a run to glory.
This is the 2nd game of a 2 game road trip for Atlanta. They beat the Pistons in Detroit on Wednesday to begin the trip. They will return home to play Sacramento and complete the series against Boston. Then they play at Orlando and at Brooklyn. They then have a game at home against New York before a home and home series against Cleveland. They will finish the season on the road at Miami.
Nicola Vucevic remains out after surgery to stabilize a fracture in his right ring finger. Neemias Queta is available after being questionable due to a right thumb sprain. Derrick White is also available after originally being questionable with a bruised right knee. Jaylen Brown is out due to left Achilles tendinitis. I’m just guessing that Baylor Scheierman will get the start. The Hawks had a late addition to their injury report. Jock Landale is questionable due to a shoulder injury.
Probable Starting Matchups PG: Derrick White vs CJ McCollum
Derrick White | NBAE via Getty ImagesCJ McCollum | NBAE via Getty Images
SG: Baylor Scheierman vs Nickeil Alexander-Walker
Baylor Scheierman | NBAE via Getty ImagesNickeil Alexander-Walker | NBAE via Getty Images
SF: Sam Hauser vs Dyson Daniels
Sam Hauser | NBAE via Getty ImagesDyson Daniels | NBAE via Getty Images
PF: Jayson Tatum vs Jalen Jackson
Jayson Tatum | Getty ImagesJalen Johnson | NBAE via Getty Images
C: Neemias Queta vs Onyeka Okongwu
Neemias Queta | Boston Globe via Getty ImagesOnyeka Okongwu | NBAE via Getty Images
Celtics Reserves Payton Pritchard Hugo Gonzalez Luka Garza Amare Williams Jordan Walsh Max Shulga Charles Bassey (10-Day) 2-Way Players Ron Harper, Jr
Injuries/Out Nikola Vucevic (finger) out Neemias Queta (thumb) available Derrick White (knee) available Jaylen Brown (calf) out Head Coach Joe Mazzulla
Hawks Reserves Mouhamed Gueye Buddy Hield Caleb Houston Corey Kispert Jonathan Kuminga Asa Newell Zaccharie Risacher Gabe Vincent Keaton Wallace
2-Way Players Rayj Dennis Keshon Gilbert Christian Koloko
Injuries/Out Jock Landale (shoulder) questionable Head Coach Quin Snyder
Key Matchups Jayson Tatum vs Jalen Johnson Johnson is averaging 22.8 points, 10.3 rebounds, 8.1 assists and 1.3 steals per game. He is shooting 49.3% from the field and 34.9% from beyond the arc. In the first 2 games against the Celtics, he averaged 15.5 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists while shooting 33.3% from the field and 45.5% from beyond the arc. The Celtics need to defend him well and keep him off the boards.
Baylor Scheierman vs Nickeil Alexander-Walker Alexander-Walker is averaging 20.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 45% from the field and 39% from beyond the arc. In the first 2 games against the Celtics, he averaged 19.5 points, 1.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.3 steals while shooting 41.9% from the field and 42.9% from beyond the arc. He is a good 3 point shooter and the Celtics need to stay with him on the perimeter. Honorable Mention Derrick White vs CJ McCollum McCollum is averaging 18.8 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game. He is shooting 45.5% from the field and 37.2% from beyond the arc. In 4 games against the Celtics this season, he is averaging 12.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 34% from the field and 18.2% from beyond the arc.
Keys to the Game Defense – Defense is always a key to winning games. The Celtics have an offensive rating of 119.3 (2nd) while the Hawks have an offensive rating of 114.7, which is 14th. The Celtics have a defensive rating of 111.5 which is 4th while the Hawks have a defensive rating of 113.0, which is 10th. The Celtics have been hot and cold on defense this season. Sometimes they can shut down the other team (See OKC) and sometimes they allow them to score at will (see Minnesota). The Celtics need to defend the perimeter because the Hawks are 6th, shooting 36.9% on threes. They also have to defend the paint as the Hawks are 6th with 52.3 points in the paint per game. The Celtics must make defense a priority in this game and they have to play that tough defense for 48 minutes and not let up.
Rebound – Next to defense, rebounding is the key to winning. When the Celtics put out the extra effort on the boards, it usually carries through to the rest of their game. The Hawks are averaging 43.4 rebounds per game (17th) while the Celtics are averaging 46.5 rebounds per game (4th). The Celtics need to aggressively go after every rebound. They can’t afford to give the Hawks extra possessions and 2nd chance points by allowing them to beat them to rebounds.
Move the Ball Carefully – When the Celtics move the ball and find the open man, they are tough to beat. When they hold the ball and try to play iso ball, they become predictable and struggle. When the Celtics have more assists than their opponents they are 29-0 and when their opponents have more assists than the Celtics, they are just 17-22. The Hawks average 30.4 assists per game so getting more assists will not be easy. The Celtics need to move the ball, but they have to make careful passes because the Hawks are 3rd in the league with 20.3 points off turnovers per game.
Effort and Focus for 48 Minutes– The Celtics have to play with extra effort overall for all 4 quarters. In most of their losses and even in some of their wins, they have allowed their opponents to play with more energy than them for periods of time during the game. They play well for stretches but let up and allow their opponents to surge ahead, especially down the stretch as they did against Minnesota. They have to stay focused for all 48 minutes and be ready for their opponents to play harder in the second half and they need to match that effort. They also have to come out with more effort and energy to start the game and not dig themselves into a hole. The Hawks have been playing the best of any team in the league and just beat the first place Pistons. The Celtics will need maximum effort for all 48 minutes to beat them. With Jaylen Brown out, every player will need to step up their game.
X-Factors Home Game and Revenge– They call it home court advantage for a reason and the Celtics need to take advantage of playing on their home court. The Celtics need to get motivation from the home crowd, which should be loud and doing everything in their power to support the Celtics and rattle the Hawks. The Hawks have the distractions of travel, an unfamiliar arena and a hostile crowd and hopefully that will give the Celtics an advantage. The Hawks were also embarrassed by the Celtics on their home court in January and will be looking for some revenge on them. The Celtics need to be ready for the Hawks to give it their best effort in this one.
Officiating – Officiating is always an x-factor in every game. Every crew officiates differently. Some call it tight, others let them play. The Celtics need to adjust to how the refs are calling the game and not allow bad calls or no calls to take away their focus from playing the game the right way. We have seen how much of an x-factor officiating can be in a few games this season. The Celtics have to play so well all game that the officiating, no matter how bad, can’t influence the outcome.
The Hockey News' main site revealed players 21 to 40 for their latest top 100 NHL-affiliated prospect rankings. A Pittsburgh Penguins prospect had made the cut this time around, as defenseman Harrison Brunicke was given the No. 26 spot.
Seeing Brunicke make THN's rankings is not difficult to understand, as he has plenty of upside. The 19-year-old defenseman had a strong 2025-26 regular season with the Kamloops Blazers, as he recorded two goals, 22 assists, and 24 points in 24 games. This was after he had five goals and 30 points in 41 games with Kamloops back in 2024-25.
Brunicke also played in his first nine career NHL games this season with Pittsburgh, where he had one goal and six penalty minutes. He also had four assists in five games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins this season.
With all of this, there is no question that Brunicke has shown plenty of promise this season. The young defenseman has the tools to become a big part of the Penguins' roster in the near future.
It will now be interesting to see how Brunicke continues to build on his game. The Penguins could have found something special in the 2024 second-round pick.
SARASOTA, FLORIDA - MARCH 04: Shane Baz #34 of the Baltimore Orioles delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Houston Astros during a Grapefruit League spring training game at Ed Smith Stadium on March 04, 2026 in Sarasota, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Orioles are staying busy even on the off day between Opening Day and the second game of the season. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported on Friday afternoon that the O’s and Shane Baz are in the process of finalizing a five-year, $68 million contract extension.
That’s a serious vote of confidence in a player who has yet to even throw a regular season pitch for the Orioles and who had a bad ERA in his only full season to date as a major league starter. The team obviously believed in Baz’s breakout potential since they traded four prospects to get him, including two high draft picks from last year’s draft. Now they’ve put an even bigger sign down that they believe in Baz. I am surprised to see Mike Elias finally commit any kind of big, multi-year money to a pitcher. He really is doing things differently now.
According to Passan, the contract will buy out three years of Baz’s arbitration and two years of free agency. That suggests a deal that is replacing his already-negotiated 2026 salary of $3.5 million; Baz had been set to become a free agent after the 2028 season, three full seasons (minus one day) from now. The Orioles will now control his rights through the 2030 season.
The overall average annual value of the contract is $13.6 million. The structure of the near-final contract has not been reported yet. Extensions like this typically guarantee the player a bit more than they might have made through their arbitration years while paying them a bit less than they might have made if they had hit free agency on a good trajectory. MLB Trade Rumors reported that the contract breakdown is a $4 million signing bonus plus $1 million salary for 2026, $7 million for 2027, $10 million for 2028, then $21 million and $25 million over the two free agent years that were bought out.
That’s a serious chunk of change. It’s also a much lower amount in the total commitment compared to what it would cost to get a pitcher at the top end of free agency. Baz doesn’t have to do much to live up to the contract other than mostly stay healthy and mostly pitch at least like a #3 starting pitcher. That’s actually quite a lot to ask of his career track record, so it is really interesting that the Orioles have done this. I hope they’re right.
If Baz pitches like the Orioles are now betting, he would have been in line for somewhere between two and three times this amount guaranteed for his next contract. It’s not an awful deal for Baz, either, because he’ll hit free agency after his age 30 season. If he brings a solid-to-good track record into that, he’s still going to have a good chance to get a nice 3-4 year contract on top of what he’ll have already made at that point.
How are you feeling about this news? Who do you want to see the Orioles lock up next? Let us know in the comments below.
Philadelphia Phillies' Alec Bohm reacts to his three-run home run during an opening day game against the Texas Rangers on March 26, in Philadelphia. (Chris Szagola / Associated Press)
Alec Bohm grew up in Omaha and starred at Wichita State before the Philadelphia Phillies made him the third overall pick in the 2018 MLB draft. He's as Midwestern as they come.
Bohm usually doesn't stand out, even at 6-foot-5, 225 pounds, with the nickname Raffe because a teammate thought he resembled a giraffe. He has retained the stereotypical Midwestern qualities of humility and consistency, fitting in well with veteran Phillies stars Bryce Harper, Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber.
Beneath the surface, however, Bohm has faced obstacles and oddities, including a frightening elbow infection and a viral social media post touting his generosity that was untrue.
Yet nothing compares to the news that he sued his parents this week on the eve of opening day, accusing them of draining staggering amounts of his money from four financial accounts they created.
The lawsuit describes deceptive financial dealings by Dan and Lisa Bohm that began shortly after the Phillies paid Bohm a $5.85 million signing bonus in 2018 and continued for years. Bohm alleges that his parents used his cash from the four limited liability companies to pay their expenses.
Through their attorney, Bohm's parents said they are "deeply saddened by the allegations" and will defend themselves.
"Mr. and Mrs. Bohm love their son very much and have always acted in his best interests, both personally and professionally, and still do so to this day," lawyer Robert Eckard said.
Bohm's lawsuit demands at least $3 million in damages and that his parents relinquish control of the accounts. He also requests that an accountant track every transaction that involved money transferred from Bohm's personal accounts to the accounts his parents controlled.
Bohm declined to comment on the lawsuit after Thursday's opening-day game in which he hit a three-run home run in a Phillies victory.
A 2024 All-Star, Bohm has batted .280 with 71 home runs in six seasons. He is making $10.2 million in 2026, his last season of arbitration, and earned an additional $20 million or so from his signing bonus and salaries in his first five seasons.
Bohm's lawsuit also alleges his parents used money from the Alec Bohm Foundation to pay their expenses. Dan and Lisa Bohm, who a few years ago sold their home and title insurance business in Elkhorn, Neb., to travel to their son's games in a recreational vehicle, remain listed as directors of the foundation.
According to the MLB.com "Beyond the Bell" blog, online tax documents indicated Bohm had given $675,000 to the foundation through 2022. The blog said the foundation "helped drill about a half-dozen water wells in Africa" while also assisting Nemours Children’s Health hospital in Philadelphia and Covenant House Pennsylvania, which serves runaway, homeless and trafficked youth in the Philadelphia area.
“I learned from a young age to help those less fortunate,” Bohm told MLB.com at the time. “My parents and I were often involved in local church efforts. We helped others whenever we could.”
None of those donations is listed on the foundation's website, which states that the "Alec Bohm Foundation's mission is to inspire philanthropy and create a meaningful impact in communities nationwide. We do this by cultivating generosity, strengthening nonprofits and initiatives, and engaging the community around issues elevated by Alec.
"Our investments are guided by Alec’s passions — which include high school and collegiate athletics, medical research and innovation, and the eradication of homelessness."
Bohm was a late bloomer in high school, growing so fast that he required elbow surgery between his junior and senior years. A plate and screw inserted in his elbow to fix a growth plate injury became infected and required emergency treatment.
Gangly and awkward, Bohm was not drafted out of high school or offered a scholarship by Nebraska, his school of choice. He blossomed at Wichita State and by his junior year became one of the nation's top MLB prospects.
Bohm, 29, soon cemented himself as the Phillies' everyday third baseman, and he has been a consistent cog on a team that has made four consecutive postseason appearances. Still, a strange, viral Facebook post in 2025 caused a distraction.
The post on a Phillies fan page proclaimed that Bohm had donated his "entire $15.9 million bonus and sponsorship earnings to a homeless shelter in Omaha." Comments lauded Bohm for his generosity, but he explained that the post was a hoax.
Now his name is trending again, his lawsuit against his parents a startling revelation.
BOSTON, MA - MARCH 25: The sneakers worn by Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics before the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 25, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - JULY 25: Merrill Kelly #29 of the Arizona Diamondbacks warms up in the bullpen prior to the MLB game against the San Francisco Giants at Chase Field on July 25, 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Kelsey Grant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This was provoked – triggered might be a better word – by paulnh’s feed post about the D-backs’ bullpen. The key conclusion was, “Since Mike Hazen has taken over, the Diamondbacks bullpen has been the second worst position in all of baseball, better only than the Pirates shortstop. That’s an even 300 positions (30 teams x 10 positions) and your D-backs bullpen ranks 299th.” As a kneejerk response, last night’s opening game of the 2026 season didn’t indicate any improvement. While Ryan Thompson and Juan Morillo looked good, and Andrew Hoffman wobbled into and out of trouble, Taylor Clarke served up batting practice. Overall bullpen ERA = 9.00. Not a great start.
This continues a trend which, frankly, we have banged on about for years. It has probably gone past dead horse levels, and is now circling dead parrot levels of obviousness. Mike Hazen has a bullpen problem. But how much has it hurt the Diamondbacks overall? To find out, I decided to look at each season from 2018-2025, and give the D-backs simply a league average bullpen. For this, I used fWAR, because Fangraphs allows easy splitting out of starting and relief pitching. I took the mid-point between the 15th- and 16th-ranked bullpens as the average, and saw how many more wins than the actual D-backs bullpen that would have given the team.
The chart above shows the math. But those averse to such things can focus on the final two columns, which show the actual wins for the Diamondbacks and the “ABP wins”. That is the wins Arizona would have had, with an Average BullPen. Now, there are some season it wouldn’t have made a difference. The biggest bump comes in 2021, when our bullpen was five wins below average. However, that would only have given the D-backs a record of 57-105. They would still have had the second pick in the draft the following season, so an average bullpen that year really would not have moved the needle at all.
The same goes for all the seasons through 2022. In 2018, the last wild-card went to the Colorado Rockies who won 91 games, so Arizona would still have been well short. Of course, back in those days, there were only two wild-card teams, so the bar was higher. But a third wild-card team would have been the Braves at 90 wins. No difference. In 2023, the D-backs would still have had a wild-card spot. Though the extra two wins would have made the last week or so considerably less nerve-wracking – or “exciting”, if you prefer. It would have bumped them above the Marlins to face the Phillies in the first round. Would we have beaten them in five? We didn’t in the first five games of the NLCS…
But it’s 2024 and 2025 where the bullpen really hurt the Diamondbacks, and that’s perhaps why we have focused on it so much over the past couple of years. In 2024, the Arizona bullpen was the closest to mediocrity it has been since 2019, just a win and a half below average. But considering the team ended up on the sticky end of a three-way tie for the last two spots… Those 1.5 wins would have propelled the D-backs from the outside of the dance to the second wild-card position, and a series against the Padres. Who knows what might have happened? Could hardly have done worse than Atlanta, who trailed at the end of 17 of the 18 innings played against San Diego.
Although the D-backs were worse in 2025, so was the post-season standard. The Mets got in with just 83 wins, three more than the Diamondbacks. With our bullpen 3.7 wins below average, we would have been rounded into the final wild-card spot based on ABP victories. [Three wins would have led to another three-way tie between New York, Arizona and Cincinnatti. I do not have time to go down the rabbit-hole of that hypothetical scenario, especially since we split the season series against the Mets!] We’d have replaced the Reds against the Dodgers. Again, we could hardly have done worse, as Cincinnati conceded eighteen runs over two games.
Based on the above, it’s fair to think that, with merely an average bullpen, the D-backs could have gone to the postseason in three consecutive seasons. That’s something the team has never managed to do. Let’s hope this is not another article about our relievers I need to start bringing out every winter.
TAMPA, FLORIDA - MARCH 11: Cam Schlittler #31 of the New York Yankees pitches during the fourth inning of a spring training game against the Toronto Blue Jays at George M. Steinbrenner Field on March 11, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mark Taylor/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a dominant Opening Day performance and early rest day, the Yankees are back at it again this afternoon for the second game of their series with the Giants in San Francisco. Cam Schlittler will get the ball for the Yankees against veteran left-hander Robbie Ray as the Bombers look to keep the momentum going from the Wednesday night victory.
With Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón still on the mend, Schlittler is the Yankees’ de facto second starter behind Max Fried—an incredible step up for the young man considering the fact that he was in Somerset this time last season. Cam looked good in three spring starts, allowing just one run in 9.2 combined innings, and now he’ll give a multifaceted Giants lineup their first taste of his high-octane repertoire.
Robbie Ray revived his career with the Giants last season, putting up vintage numbers across an All-Star campaign. The 2021 AL Cy Young winner pitched to a 3.65 ERA across 182.1 innings, with his trademark high-strikeout, high-walk profile. He’s always been vulnerable to letting a village get aboard against him—and we’ll see how his command is out of the gate. But when he attacks the zone he’s among the hardest pitchers to square up. Even with a multitude of left-handed bats, the Yankees typically hit southpaws well last season. Will that trend continue in 2026?
With that in mind, lefty smasher Paul Goldschmidt enters the lineup as the leadoff man ahead of Aaron Judge, who seeks to rebound from a rare four-strikeout night on Wednesday. Cody Bellinger, who was the best left-on-left hitter in the league last year, bats third with Giancarlo Stanton cleaning up. Another platoon man bats fifth: Amed Rosario makes his season debut at third. Jazz Chisholm Jr. will hit sixth followed by José Caballero and left fielder Randal Grichuk, making his first appearance in Yankee drapery. Austin Wells will do the catching and hit ninth.
How to watch
Location: Oracle Park — San Francisco, CA
First pitch: 4:35 pm ET
TV broadcast: YES Network, NBC Sports Bay Area
Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280
Online stream: Gotham Sports App, MLB TV (out-of-market)
BRISTOL, TN - AUGUST 03: Eli White #36 of the Atlanta Braves is greeted by teammates Ozzie Albies #1 and Michael Harris II #23 after hitting a three-run home run during the 2025 MLB Speedway Classic presented by BulidSubmarines.com between the Atlanta Braves and the Cincinnati Reds at Bristol Motor Speedway on Sunday, August 3, 2025 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Hello and welcome to the Atlanta Braves Lineup, Opening Day (Night) 2026 Edition.
For your perusal this fine March evening, we have entrees such as “Jonah Heim is on this team?” and “Eli White hitting sixth.” To be fair, the Braves are making the best of their situation, but both Heim and White will likely bedevil the future version of you that tries to do the whatever-the-2036-Sporcle-equivalent is and gets stumped by the missing spots in the 2026 Opening Day lineup you try to re-encounter in your mind palace.
In any case, this lineup is largely as expected, just… kind of jarring. Ozzie Albies is hitting third because Kansas City starter Cole Ragans throws baseballs with his left hand. Among players available to the team, Steamer’s split-specific, versus-southpaws projection is the fourth-best, so hitting him third makes sense. Given the uncertainty about whether Albies is firmly in the twilight of his career or not, there’s at least a chance this makes sense.
Both of these lineups are somewhat similar in that they are basically halved into “pretty scary” and “not so scary.” The Braves’ trio of White, Mauricio Dubon, and Jonah Heim — whether pressed into service due to injury or not — is more defensively-focused than anything else; if Michael Harris II has another struggle-laden year, that trio could be a quartet. The same goes for the 6-7-8 spots in the Kansas City lineup, including acquisitions Starling Marte and Isaac Collins. Carter Jensen absolutely destroyed the ball in 69 PAs last year and may not be hitting ninth for long. (Amusingly, both teams have two catchers in the lineup.)
If we’re talking head-to-head history, well, there’s not much. Six Braves in this lineup have a combined 20 PAs against Ragans, and 12 of those come from Dubon (who actually has a .376 xwOBA / .382 wOBA in those 12 PAs, though he hasn’t faced Ragans since 2024).
There are also six Royals that have faced Chris Sale, and again, it’s overwhelmingly tilted towards one guy: Salvador Perez has faced Sale in 69 distinct PAs, and has an uremarkable .236 xwOBA / .273 wOBA. The other guys all have fewer than ten (or zero) PAs against Sale so far.
With this being Opening Day and all, both starters probably aren’t going to stick around too long. Expect to see Mike Yastrzemski come in when the Royals move to a righty reliever; the Royals will probably throw Jac Caglianone (and maybe Kyle Isbel for Lane Thomas?) in there when the Braves do the same.
