ATLANTA, GEORGIA - FEBRUARY 5: Nickeil Alexander-Walker #7 of the Atlanta Hawks goes up for a shot against Kyle Filipowski #22 of the Utah Jazz during the first quarter at State Farm Arena on February 5, 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 Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Atlanta Hawks were in action on Thursday evening to face the Utah Jazz. With the NBA trade deadline behind them, the Hawks didn’t have most of the players that they traded for in this matchup, but they were able to have Jock Landale in the lineup after acquiring him yesterday. In fact, Landale made the start at center in his first game with the Hawks.
As for the Jazz, they made a big splash acquiring Jaren Jackson Jr. at the deadline, but he was not active for this game.
Landale made an impact early in the game, grabbing multiple offensive rebounds, knocking down a three-pointer, and getting blocks.
Dyson Daniels was able to knock down a three-pointer earlier in the game.
It was a back and forth game between both teams, and the Hawks were able to get stops when they needed on the defensive end to stay within striking distance.
Landale continued his defensive impact on the court with another block.
To end the first half, the Hawks went on a huge run led by Landale, as he knocked down a few three-pointers to cut the deficit. The Hawks ended up with the lead going into halftime, 61-60.
Both teams traded baskets to start the second half, but it was the Jazz that was able to pull away with the lead for most of the third quarter. Landale continued his hot streak throughout the quarter, and his teammates set him up with easy shots.
The Hawks traded buckets with the Jazz throughout the fourth, as stops were hard to come by during crucial moments. One that didn’t stop was the ball movement for the Hawks, and Newell benefitted with an easy layup.
Getting down to the stretch of the game, the Hawks were able to execute and get some shots to go down. With a chance to tie the game or take the lead, the Hawks gave up several offensive rebounds, but in the end they were able to get the stop.
Landale came in clutch once again with a big three-pointer to give the Hawks a 117-116 lead.
The Hawks came back down on the other end and got a big stop, and the Jazz had to play the foul game from there. Alexander-Walker made both of the free throws to give the Hawks a three-point lead with 13.8 seconds left.
The Jazz came down after a timeout and knocked down a three-pointer to tie the game, courtesy of Ace Bailey. The Hawks didn’t call a timeout and decided to take the ball down the court, and Alexander-Walker was the player to deliver, knocking down a tough jumper with 1.3 seconds remaining.
The Jazz called another timeout and advanced the ball, but were not able to get a clean shot off in the end, leading the Hawks to victory.
Johnson finished with 22 points, 16 rebounds, and 15 assists, Landale finished with 26 points and 11 rebounds, and Alexander-Walker finished with 23 points.
The Hawks will be back in action on Saturday to face the Charlotte Hornets.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Jalen Suggs had 15 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists for his first career triple-double, Desmond Bane scored 23 points and Paolo Banchero added 22 to lead the Orlando Magic to a 118-98 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night.
Playing 29 minutes in his seventh game after missing eight games with a right knee injury, Suggs also blocked four shots and had three steals.
Egor Demin led the Nets with a career-high 26 points, shooting 6 of 10 from 3-point range. Fellow rookie Nolan Traore matched his career high with 21 points and added seven assists.
Michael Porter Jr., Brooklyn's leading scorer, shot 2 of 13 and scored nine points.
Anthony Black had 18 points and five assists for Orlando and Mo Wagner came off the bench with 14 points and five rebounds in 12 minutes.
The loss was was the 15th in 17 games for the Nets, who came in as the lowest-scoring (107.1) and poorest field-goal shooting (44.3%) team in the NBA. They shot 41.5% and had 19 turnovers.
The Magic, playing the first of four straight home games against opponents with losing records, took a 21-point lead in the first half and led by as many as 26 in the third quarter.
Up next
Nets: Play at home against Washington on Saturday.
The Nashville Predators' penalty struggles and another early deficit prove costly in their final game before the Olympic break, as they fall to the Washington Capitals 4-2 on Thursday in D.C.
The Predators logged 12 minutes in penalties, putting the Capitals on the power play six times. Washington scored twice on the man advantage, which proved the difference in a two-goal game.
Defenseman Jakob Chychrun scored twice for Washington and recorded an assist for three total points. Dylan Strome (2A) and Pierre-Luc Dubois (1G, 1A) had two points each.
For the 39th time this season, the Predators gave up the first goal of the game, coming 4:15 minutes off the stick of Tom Wilson. Dubois scored on the power play to put Nashville in a 2-0 hole for a third straight game.
Chychrun made it 3-0 early in the second period. Jonathan Marchessault got the Predators on the board with an Adam Wilsby shot; Erik Haula deflected it on net, which went off Marchessault's skate.
In the first two minutes of the third period, Michael McCarron drove to the net and scored off a third rebound attempt to make it a one-goal game. Nashville was eyeing its 18th comeback victory of the season.
However, a Marchessault slashing penalty put the Capitals on the power play for the sixth time on the night, and Chychrun scored to restore the two-goal edge.
Justus Annunen allowed four goals on 30 shots and made 26 saves. This was the fifth straight game that the Predators allowed their opponent to register 30-plus shots on net.
The Predators head into the two-week Olympic break with a 26-24-7 record with 59 points. Dropping games to Minnesota and Washington, Nashville is four points outside of a Wild Card spot.
Their first game after the break will be against the Chicago Blackhawks on Feb. 26 at Bridgestone Arena.
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Bo Horvat broke a tie late in the third period and the New York Islanders went into the Olympic break with a 3-1 win over the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night.
Horvat went to his backhand off the draw, slipping the puck past goalie Jake Allen, with only 3:27 left to play. Casey Cizikas scored in the second period for the Islanders and Mathew Barzal scored an empty-net goal to seal the win for New York.
Cizikas put the Islanders up 1-0 at 6:30 in the second period, cleaning up a rebound in front of the net. From behind the net, Allen sent the puck around the boards right to Marc Gatcomb while the Devils were in a line change. Gatcomb fired the puck to the slot, where Kyle MacLean got a stick on it, tipping it to Cizikas. Allen made the save on the first tip by Cizikas, but couldn’t control the rebound.
Allen stopped 11 shots.
Two nights after head coach Sheldon Keefe lamented his team’s lack of mental toughness, the Devils showed some fight, but the Islanders showed more of it.
Star New Jersey center Jack Hughes remained out for the third straight game with a lower-body injury. Still, New Jersey pummeled New York goalie Ilya Sorokin, outshooting the Islanders 24-14.
Late in the second period, Allen sent an outlet pass up to Jesper Bratt in the neutral zone. Once in the offensive zone, Bratt slid a cross-ice feed to Nico Hischier at the edge of the right circle and his wrist shot beat Sorokin high on his glove side.
ORLANDO, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 05: Nolan Traore #88 of the Brooklyn Nets throws a pass against Wendell Carter Jr. #34 of the Orlando Magic during the first quarter at Kia Center on February 05, 2026 in Orlando, Florida. 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 Rich Storry/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Brooklyn Nets had their first game on the other side tonight. The other side of the trade deadline. The other side of weeks spent wondering whether Michael Porter Jr. would still be here. The other side of the Cam Thomas “era,” if you can even call it that. Now, it’s about Egor Demin and Nolan Traore and the Flatbush Five!
But while the moves made today brought a collective sense of renewal to Brooklyn and the league at large, the Nets gave us more of the same tonight.
In fairness, Brooklyn did make some incremental improvements early on here in game no. 50. The Nets only trailed their opponent, the Orlando Magic, 27-19 after the first period. They ran with the same five they opened with against the Lakers on Tuesday night, which got beat down through the hardwood and into the Atlantic Yards ruins in the first quarter.
While Egor Dëmin led all Nets after one with eight points, the eye test argues Nolan Traoré played the largest part in helping us get a different solution this time even with a similar formula.
Most conversations about the French ball-handler start with his quickness, but tonight, he channeled it more decisively. Much like Dennis Schröder used to do in Brooklyn, he did well leveraging his speed around the Orlando defense, slamming and softening on the gas pedal at all the right times.
The Magic shooting 3-of-12 from deep in the first also helped. They sure as hell had the looks, though they’re not known for having laser-like accuracy as the league’s fourth-worst 3-point shooting team. Still, Desmond Bane, who’s shot 49.3% against the Nets in his career, began 0-of-4 from downtown.
It’s not like the Nets were any better way out there in logo land. Even with the aforementioned contributions from Traoré and Dëmin, Brooklyn’s offense began 7-of-22 from the field and 3-of-15 from outside. When the Lakers shut down the Brooklyn offense for the length of a commercial break two nights ago, multiple Nets attributed their lack of production to LA’s zone. However, Orlando played man and stayed in the drop for much of first half, and the Nets didn’t fare any better. They missed the basket — and each other — over and over again.
Ziaire Williams gets visibly frustrated with Danny Wolf after not getting a pass on a fastbreak. He slaps the stanchion and picks up a technical, with the ref seemingly thinking it was directed at him.
Then, things got magical for Orlando as the first two periods crossed over, as they enjoyed a 22-6 run. With 6:52 to go in the frame, they found themselves up by a 44-25 score. At that point, Michael Porter Jr. had only three points to his name while shooting 1-8 from the field. He finished with just nine points tonight while shooting 2-13 from the field.
“I think that we were not connected at all throughout the whole game,” Fernández said. “I know our guys are willing to do the right things. And, you know, just find that connection at some point. When you’re always half a second late or not talking when you’re supposed to, all those things are, it’s really hard to win a game.”
The Nets did put together a 9-2 run in the second period’s final two minutes, but that only made the first half deficit slightly less embarrassing — more along the lines of how it feels to get blown by on defense rather than putting up an air ball at the charity stripe. Neither are good, and both things had already happened to Brooklyn by halftime. The Nets went into it down 56-40.
Orlando later scoffed at Brooklyn’s subtle attempt to claw back into it, pushing their lead up to a then game-high 21 points less than four minutes into the third. The Magic kept it there until the start of the fourth as well. They also bullied Brooklyn inside like Flash Thompson on a rainy day, outscoring the Nets there 18-6 during the third period.
Dëmin did his best to fight back, putting down three “Egor bombs” in the period to give himself 21 points going into the fourth. Although they weren’t enough to make this a competitive watch, they gave us a chance to see Dëmin chase down the career-high scoring mark he posted less than a week ago in Utah.
He eventually got there, and had company.
Finishing with 26 points to beat his old mark by one digit, Dëmin shot 8-of-12 from the field and 6-of-10 from deep. Traoré also tied his career-best in scoring with 18, going 7-13 from the field and 3-5 from deep. He did the same in the passing department, dishing seven assists. The 19-year-olds helped each other get to the top of their statistical mountains on a few occasions as well…
“We all know he’s a threat from the three point line,” Fernández said of Dëmin. “Every time he shoots, I think it’s going in. He was 6-for-10, but I felt like he could have been 10-for-10. So, very good, right there. We needed that from him.”
But even before those two reached their milestones, the fourth proved to be a period dedicated to the rookies in a way we’ve yet to see this season. Brooklyn played its final six minutes with all of its rookies — the Flatbush 5 — on the floor, doing so for the first time this year in Game 50. They played the bulk of those minutes against Orlando’s deep bench guys, but it’s still worth mentioning that they won them by a 19-13 margin.
“Every minute matters, and they won their minutes together,” Fernández said. “So, their last seven minutes, they won those minutes, and I’m proud of them for doing that, and that’s what I expect from them every time they play.”
The Nets, of course, still lost the game.
Brooklyn ended up going down without applying any real pressure for a third straight contest. The ended up losing by 24 in the paint. They also turned it over 19 times leading to 24 Orlando points. They lost by 15 or more for the third time this season.
Sure, night like this are never fun, but growth rarely comes without aches. The Nets might as well pay that price now while it’s worth it.
Final: Orlando Magic 118, Brooklyn Nets 98
Milestone Watch
Nolan Traore became the 12th rookie in Nets history with 20+ points and 7+ assists in a game and the first since MarShon Brooks on 3/10/12. He’s also recorded multiple assists in 10+ games.
Egor Dëmin joined Kerry Kittles (30 points, 6-8 3PT) on 2/17/97 as the only rookies in Nets history with 26+ points and 6+ 3PM in a game.
This was Dëmin’s third time making 6+ 3-pointers in a game this season, tied as the eighth-most by a rookie in NBA history.
Dëmin’s 21 points through three quarters tonight are the most he’s had in a game in his career through that stage of the game.
Nic Claxton’s first assist of the game tonight against Orlando was his 188th of the season, which passes Brook Lopez (187 in 2009-10) for the most assists by a center in a single season in Nets franchise history. Claxton has the fourth-most assists by a center in the NBA this season.
Final Words on Thomas
Jordi Fernández spoke on Cam Thomas’ exit with the YES Network’s Meghan Triplett before tonight’s game. The coach acknowledged how both sides can benefit from a fresh start and had some nice words for CT given the circumstances as well
“I think right now, at this point, it’s a new opportunity for everybody, and I think that is extremely valuable,” Fernández said. “Obviously, appreciate his time with us. I’m a better coach than I was before. It’s been fun to coach somebody that can score the level that he can score, and now he has the opportunity to choose where he wants to go and make the impact that he wants to make. So, happy for him, and just we all want to wish him luck.”
Since Thomas’ previous contract was below the the non-tax payer mid-level exception, he can sign with any team, even if their in the first or second apron.
Newcomers on the way
With Cam Thomas, Haywood Highsmith and Tyrese Martin all waived Thursday, the Nets had three openings, but none of their replacements, shooting guard Ochai Agbaji and small forwards Hunter Tyson and Josh Minott, were eligible to play vs. the Magic. The Nets did confirm that Agbaji will wear No. 30.
Next Up
After a three-game run of good competition, the Nets will find themselves back in a tank-off this Saturday while hosting the Washington Wizards, who are tied with them for fourth in the Tankathon rankings at 13-37.
The Wiz Kids took their largest competitive swing in almost a half-decade this week by trading for Anthony Davis — just a week removed from trading for Trae Young. The problem? Both are injured and not expected to suit up anytime soon. Also, Washington loses its pick this summer if they let it stray beyond the top eight. They’re incentivized and set-up to lose on Saturday. Who’s excited? The game tips off at 3:00 p.m. ET.
NEWARK, NJ -- After scoring the overtime winner in a 5-4 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday, Bo Horvat played hero yet again, helping the New York Islanders to a 3-1 win over the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night.
With the game deadlocked at 1-1 with not a lot of space out there, Horvat came through, scoring the eventual game-winning goal at 16:33 of the third:
Gimme some Italian Ice! Bo Horvat scores his 24th goal of the season and puts the #Isles up 2-1 late.🚨 pic.twitter.com/PsP0Ruzp0P
Mathew Barzal added an empty-net tally at 19:36 of the third for the 3-1 final.
Here's what happened prior:
Casey Cizikas gave the Islanders a 1-0 lead at 6:30 of the second period. After Allen turned the puck over to Marc Gatcom along the right half-wall, he shot the puck toward goal. Kyle MacLean redirected the puck on goal before Cizikas buried the rebound for his seventh of the season:
After Ryan Pulock swiped a loose puck stationed behind Sorokin out of danger, the Devils got posession before Jesper Bratt fed Nico Hsicher, who roofed one glove side at 18:26 of the second:
NEWARK, NJ - FEBRUARY 05: Bo Horvat #14 of the New York Islanders celebrates after scoring during the third period of the game against the New Jersey Devils on February 5, 2026 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Rich Graessle/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Up until a little over 16 minutes into the third, this recap had a very different vibe. The Islanders did only register 14 shots on goal, apparently tying their lowest ever against the New Jersey Devils, last done in 2004. Ilya Sorokin needed to put in a Vezina-level (and frankly, Hart-level) performance to keep the Islanders in the game. The fourth line was really the only consistent line tonight, which is never great. And Jonathan Drouin made a terrible turnover that created a clean breakaway that only luckily wasn’t in the back of our net, yet for some reason didn’t get stapled to the bench like Mat Barzal and Anthony Duclair.
But then, Bo Horvat.
For the second game in a row, Horvat came up clutch, picking up the game-winning goal out of nowhere. And Mat Barzal will be taking a four game goal streak into the Olympic break, putting him just six goals away from tying his career high of 23 in a season.
The Islanders sit in second place in the Metropolitan Division and they’ll stay there at least until the season resumes on February 26th, after the Olympic break.
Early on, Emil Heineman had a great chance, putting the puck behind Jake Allen, but across the crease rather than in the net.
Timo Meier took a high sticking penalty, but the Devils killed an inept Islanders power play.
Dawson Mercer had a breakaway after a bad Jonathan Drouin turnover, and his backhand shot went off the post.
The fourth line played well all night and got rewarded when Casey Cizikas got the Islanders on the board 6:30 into the second period, with both Kyle MacLean and Marc Gatcomb picking up the assists.
But then, MacLean took a high sticking penalty, which the Islanders killed largely thanks to Ilya Sorokin. Sorokin was incredible this period, although he got a little bit of help when Adam Pelech made a huge block with his right skate to save a sure goal. Following that, Sorokin made a big save on Dougie Hamilton to keep the Isles’ one goal lead.
Evgenii Dadanov couldn’t get a chance across the goal line for the Devils, but the Islanders got caught in a change after clearing the puck, and Nico Hischier tied the game.
With just a few seconds left in the second, Anders Lee got hit by a Simon Holmstrom shot, and Lee skated off the ice slowly and had to be helped by the training staff down the tunnel at the end of the period. He did return at the start of the third, though.
Sorokin made a save on Connor Brown after a bad pass from Carson Soucy, MacLean had a shot saved by Allen, and Tony DeAngelo had a solid shift where he made a great pass to Heineman in the slot who hit the glass with his shot, and a great pass to Gatcomb who had his shot saved by Allen.
The Islanders had some solid looks, with Ondrej Palat having a shot saved against his former team, and Lee setting up Holmstrom only to have that chance saved by Allen, too.
But then, our hero, the Olympian, the rally bird man himself, Bo Horvat, scored with 3:27 left off the faceoff, picking up the puck behind Hischier and driving to the net to make it 2-1. That goal was Horvat’s 600th NHL point and 24th goal of the season.
The Devils pulled Allen a minute later, and Sorokin had to make a big save as the Islanders essentially defended 6 on 4 when Cizikas broke his stick. But Mat Barzal would extend his goal streak to 4 games, shooting the puck into the empty net as the Isles picked up a massive win heading into the Olympic break.
Next, it’ll be a while before we see more Islanders hockey, when the season resumes for the Isles in Montreal on February 26th. Hopefully everyone will be back well-rested and healthy, especially the latter for our Olympians!
Alternate captain Bo Horvat celebrates with teammates after scoring the go-ahead goal in the third period of the Islanders' 3-1 win over the Devils on Feb. 5, 2026 at the Prudential Center.
The Islanders haven’t looked like the best versions of themselves in a while, and they didn’t break that streak Thursday.
What they did do was drag themselves over the line and into the NHL’s Olympic pause, as Bo Horvat gave his team a late winner and a 3-1 victory over the Devils at the Prudential Center in his last game before flying to Italy to represent Team Canada.
The break, to put it mildly, is badly needed, with the Islanders feeling the effects of a condensed schedule over the last month through which they barely managed to tread water.
“It wasn’t pretty at times, for sure. We know that. We weren’t as good as we can be,” Ryan Pulock told The Post. “But I think the important part when you know that is just about finding a way. You have to be a good team to find ways when maybe you’re tired, maybe whatever it is, you dig deep. And I feel like this team has done that a lot throughout the year.”
There were points Thursday when it looked like they would finally succumb.
Alternate captain Bo Horvat celebrates with teammates after scoring the go-ahead goal in the third period of the Islanders’ 3-1 win over the Devils on Feb. 5, 2026 at the Prudential Center. John Jones-Imagn Images
The Islanders took on pressure, especially during the second period.
They struggled to hit the net, putting just 14 of 45 attempts on goal.
They ceded chances off the rush and managed the puck poorly against a Devils side without Jack Hughes and with far more reason to have their minds on the beach than the Islanders.
Thanks to Ilya Sorokin and Adam Pelech, whose kick-save block on Lenni Hameenaho’s one-timer at 11:07 of the second stopped a no-doubt goal, the Islanders still went into the third tied at one, with every chance at redeeming themselves.
That was when they picked their game up and started to haul their way back into it.
Ondrej Palat, Marc Gatcomb and Simon Holmstrom piled up chances and though the flow was still missing from both teams, the momentum seemed back with the visitors.
Ilya Sorokin makes one of his 23 saves during the Islanders’ road win over the Devils. John Jones-Imagn Images
Like much of the night, the Islanders were not doing much with what they were given.
Finally, with 3:27 to go, Bo Horvat mugged Nico Hischier off a faceoff in the Islanders’ zone and backhanded the puck past Jake Allen for a 2-1 lead.
“It wasn’t a clean draw win and I saw it laying there and tried to battle as hard as I could to get it,” said Horvat, who has five points in his last two games before making his Olympic debut next Thursday with Team Canada. “Saw it had landed near the net. Allen tried to poke check. Thankfully I got around it, slipped it five-hole.”
Mat Barzal added an empty-netter for good measure, but it was only fitting that the game was won by Horvat.
It was fitting, too, that just like for much of the last month, the Islanders gutted out two points with their meter looking dangerously close to empty for much of the 60 minutes.
Casey Cizikas celebrates with teammates after scoring a second-period goal during the Islanders’ road win over the Devils. AP
Though Cal Ritchie provided a jolt of energy in his return from a lower-body injury, the Islanders played a perimeter game, at best, Thursday.
Less generously, they managed the puck poorly, with Jonathan Drouin guilty of one of the season’s most heinous turnovers toward the end of the first period.
The fourth line, though, was terrific, with Casey Cizikas scoring the opener from his own rebound before Hischier’s goal tied it at one for New Jersey.
JG Pageau had a great night at the dots and his line with Anders Lee and Holmstrom was up ice regularly.
The top line, quiet through two periods, woke up in the third in a big way.
It was enough.
Just enough.
“A lot of these games [last year] we just kinda found a way to lose,” Pulock said. “And this year, we’re finding a way to win.
“… When it goes right for you a couple times, you build some confidence in that and you feed off that and you remember being in those situations. You don’t freeze under pressure, you take it head on. I feel like that’s been a lot of big moments throughout this year where we’ve gone at it head on and not sat back and hoped.”
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Bo Horvat broke a tie late in the third period and the New York Islanders went into the Olympic break with a 3-1 win over the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night.
Horvat went to his backhand off the draw, slipping the puck past goalie Jake Allen, with only 3:27 left to play. Casey Cizikas scored in the second period for the Islanders and Mathew Barzal scored an empty-net goal to seal the win for New York.
Cizikas put the Islanders up 1-0 at 6:30 in the second period, cleaning up a rebound in front of the net. From behind the net, Allen sent the puck around the boards right to Marc Gatcomb while the Devils were in a line change. Gatcomb fired the puck to the slot, where Kyle MacLean got a stick on it, tipping it to Cizikas. Allen made the save on the first tip by Cizikas, but couldn’t control the rebound.
Allen stopped 11 shots.
Two nights after coach Sheldon Keefe lamented his team’s lack of mental toughness, the Devils showed some fight, but the Islanders showed more of it.
Star New Jersey center Jack Hughes remained out for the third straight game with a lower-body injury. Still, New Jersey pummeled New York goalie Ilya Sorokin, outshooting the Islanders 24-14.
Late in the second period, Allen sent an outlet pass up to Jesper Bratt in the neutral zone. Once in the offensive zone, Bratt slid a cross-ice feed to Nico Hischier at the edge of the right circle and his wrist shot beat Sorokin high on his glove side.
MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 19: Bobby Witt Jr. #15 of Team USA fields a ball in the sixth inning against Team Cuba during the World Baseball Classic Semifinals at loanDepot park on March 19, 2023 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images) | Getty Images
March means spring training, roster battles, and this year, a reminder that baseball is very much a global sport. The World Baseball Classic is back, with players representing their native land (or, in some cases, the lands of their ancestors). So many Royals players won’t be in camp early on, they’ll be playing in games that can take on a postseason atmosphere.
Which members of the organization are trading games in Surprise for the WBC spotlight?
Team USA
Team USA brings a stacked squad to celebrate the nation’s semiquincentennial this year. Leading the team will be Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., on the team for a second time. Last time around in 2023, he was still green and sat the bench while the more established stars took the field. This time, he’ll be one of those stars, part of a dangerous lineup of sluggers that includes Aaron Judge, Bryce Harper, Alex Bregman, Cal Raleigh, and Pete Crow-Armstrong.
Joining Bobby on Team USA is Royals pitcher Michael Wacha. Also on the pitching staff are former Royals Gabe Speier and Brad Keller. They’ll be joined by Joe Ryan, Mason Miller, and Tarik Skubal, with a rookie in Nolan McLean, and a retired future Hall of Famer in Clayton Kershaw.
El Capitán, Salvador Perez, will be leading the Venezuelan squad with fellow Royals All-Star Maikel Garcia. They’ll be joined by Garcia’s cousin, Braves star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. Slugger Eugenio Suárez, Jackson Chourio, Gleyber Torres, and brothers William and Willson Contreras will all be featured in the lineup. The pitching staff will feature Pablo López, Ranger Suárez, and Germán Márquez, as well as former Royals pitcher Angel Zerpa and Andrés Machado.
¡𝗘𝗦 𝗢𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟! 🚨 Este es el roster de Venezuela para el Clásico Mundial de Béisbol 2026. 🇻🇪
📺 Por supuesto, este evento lo vivirás a través de @Canal_Televen.
The Dominican team could also be a contender for the championship with a team of stars that includes Ketel Marte, Manny Machado, Julio Rodríguez, Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis, Jr., and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Manager Albert Pujols will have a tough time deciding which stars should be in the lineup. The team also has some veterans, like former Royals first baseman Carlos Santana.
The pitching staff is pretty loaded as well, with Sandy Alcantara, Cristopher Sánchez, and Luis Severino. Closing things out will be the MLB saves leader from last year, Royals reliever Carlos Estévez.
The Puerto Rican team has been beset by issues with getting players insured, which has caused some players to pull out. Still, they will field a formidable roster that includes Royals pitcher Seth Lugo. Other top arms include Edwin Diaz, Fernando Cruz, and Jorge Lopez. The lineup boasts Nolan Arenado, Heliot Ramos, and Willi Castro. Former Royals MJ Melendez, Emmanuel Rivera, and Martín Maldonado will also be on the lineup.
A pair of paisanos from Kansas City will slug for Team Italy – Vinnie Pasquantino and Jac Caglianone. Vinnie hit for the Italians in the last World Baseball Classic. They’ll be joined by former Royals pitcher Michael Lorenzen, Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola, and White Sox catcher Kyle Teel.
Other Royals on rosters include infielder Abraham Toro and pitcher Eric Cerantola on Team Canada, catcher Jorge Alfaro on Team Colombia, catcher Omar Hernandez on Team Cuba, pitcher Eli Morgan on Team Italy, and pitcher Oscar Rayo on Team Nicaragua. Other former Royals include Cheslor Cuthbert (Nicaragua) and Nate Eaton (Great Britain). You can find complete rosters here, and players divided by MLB team here.
Altogether, there are 190 big leaguers on 20 team rosters, including 78 All-Stars. The tournament kicks off on March 5 (March 4 at 9 p.m. CT) in Tokyo.
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Avery Hayes scored twice in his NHL debut, Arturs Silovs made 26 saves and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Buffalo Sabres 5-2 on Thursday night in the final game for both teams before the Olympic break.
Called up from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League with the Penguins hit by a series of injuries, Hayes tied at 1 at 9:18 of the period on his first shot on goal. He raced to beat defenseman Jacob Bryson to the puck and put a wrister past goalie Alex Lyon.
Hayes made it 2-1 with 1:13 left in the period, taking Anthony Mantha’s short, backward pass and knocking it in. He's the third Penguins player to score twice in his NHL debut, joining Rob Brown (two goals on Oct. 21, 1987) and Jake Guentzel (two goals on Nov. 21, 2016).
Hayes has 13 goals and 10 assists in 31 games this season in the AHL. He made his NHL debut with Blake Lizotte out for the birth of his first child, Rickard Rakell nursing a lower-body injury and Noel Acciari sidelined by an illness.
Fellow rookie Ben Kindel gave Pittsburgh a 3-1 lead at 7:44 of the second, Tommy Novak made it 4-2 with 4:29 to go in the third, and Kindel had a short-handed empty-netter with 14 seconds to go for his 14th of the season. The Penguins rebounded from a 5-4 overtime loss at the New York Islanders on Tuesday night.
Tage Thompson scored his 30th goal of the season for Buffalo. Jason Zucker also scored, and Lyon stopped 27 shots. The Sabres have lost two in a row.
Zucker opened the scoring for Buffalo at 1:46 of the first period. Thompson scored on a power play to cut it to 3-2 at 1:55 of the third.
NEW YORK (AP) — Rookie Brandon Bussi made 16 saves for his second shutout, Andrei Svechnikov gave Carolina an early lead in the first period and the Hurricanes topped the New York Rangers 2-0 on Thursday night to extend their points streak to 10 games.
Jordan Staal scored into an empty net with 54 seconds left to seal it for the Hurricanes in the final game for both teams before the Olympic break.
The Eastern Conference-leading Hurricanes are 8-0-2 since Jan. 16 and 12-1-3 since Jan. 4.
Jonathan Quick made a season-high 41 saves for the Rangers, who were shut out for the ninth time this season and the seventh at home. New York has lost four in a row.
Svechnikov made it 1-0 game 6:26 into the first period on a wrist shot off an assist from Mark Jankowski. And Bussi, who has won his last seven starts, made that goal hold up.
Bussi’s first career shutout came on Nov. 30, 2025, when he stopped 15 shots against Calgary.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 19: Jimmy Butler III #10 of the Golden State Warriors is guarded by Andrew Wiggins #22 of the Miami Heat during the second half at Chase Center on January 19, 2026 in San Francisco, California. 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 Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Per the Golden State Warriors, forward Jimmy Butler will finally get surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his right knee, suffered during a home game against the Miami Heat on January 19. Butler garnered the injury on an awkward landing after catching an entry pass thrown high up in the air by Brandin Podziemski.
The surgery will take place in Los Angeles and will be performed by Dr. Bert Mendelbaum.
Warriors say Jimmy Butler will undergo surgery to repair his ACL on Feb. 9th in LA. The surgery will be performed by Dr. Bert Mendelbaum.
Based on the recovery timeline that teammate De’Anthony Melton underwent after undergoing ACL repair surgery (returning exactly one year after the date of the procedure), Butler may return in early February of 2027, in the middle of the 2026-27 season — a month before Stephen Curry’s 39th birthday and Draymond Green’s 37th birthday. At that point, Butler himself will be 37 years old.
Jimmy Butler’s ACL surgery will be Feb. 9th in LA, per the Warriors
De’Anthony Melton returned exactly one year to the date of his ACL surgery this season
The Warriors reassured Butler that they intend to keep him on the team instead of shopping his contract in the days leading up to the trade deadline — a promise they ended up keeping, with reports of Draymond Green being offered instead during negotiations with the Milwaukee Bucks in the Warriors’ attempt to acquire superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. Ultimately, the Bucks decided to keep Antetokounmpo.
BUFFALO, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 5: Avery Hayes #85 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates with teammates after scoring his first career goal during the first period of an NHL against the Buffalo Sabres game at KeyBank Center on February 5, 2026 in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Joe Hrycych/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Pregame
A trio of forward changes to the lineup tonight, Blake Lizotte is unavailable for tonight due to an impending birth which opens the door for Kevin Hayes to play for the first time since January 11th. Noel Acciari is too sick to play and Rickard Rakell has picked up an injury, opening the door for Avery Hayes to make his NHL debut.
Buffalo gets on the board early, the Penguins turn the puck over in the middle of the ice and the Sabres jump on it. Jason Zucker shoots from outside, Arturs Silovs lunges for it with his glove and he comes up empty. The shot hits the inside edge of the post and goes into the net. 1-0 Buffalo 1:46 into the game.
Hayes has his welcome to the NHL moment, using a burst of speed to sneak past defender Jacob Bryson and create a mini-breakaway out of no where. Hayes finishes is strong on Alex Lyon for his first NHL goal on his first shot (but not first shift). What a moment, 1-1 game.
Evgeni Malkin takes a two-minute high-sticking penalty, the Pens kill it off. Then Hayes goes to set the career goal-to-period ratio. This time it’s a great bump pass from Anthony Mantha and a quick shot from Hayes nets his second of the night. 2-1 Pens.
Ryan Shea takes a penalty 12 seconds later, best timing ever, who would ever notice or remember that?
First 20 minutes is up, Avery Hayes and his family in the stands are on Cloud 9. A dream two-goal first ever period in the NHL has the Penguins up 2-1 on Buffalo.
Second period
Pittsburgh kills off the carryover time from the penalty and continues on.
Bryson’s bad night continues when he blows a tire and goes down, sending Ben Kindel on a 2-on-1. The replay is impressive, Kindel looks hard to his right for the pass the whole way, then suddenly snipes Lyon to the short-side with a perfect shot. 3-1 Pens, thanks to their rookies.
Sidney Crosby is the next in line for a penalty, the Sabres get some looks but can’t score.
The Penguins finally get their first power play of the night when Alex Tuch trips Silovs behind the net. Zone time doesn’t lead to a goal.
Pittsburgh extends their lead and is up by two with 20 to go.
Third period
Evgeni Malkin takes an offensive zone tripping penalty and Buffalo gets their first power play goal on their fourth time. Tage Thompson isn’t pressured down low, he’s got enough time to see that Silovs has left some room at the top of the net. A goal-scorer like Thompson easily finds it, notching his 30th of the season to bring the score to 3-2.
Later a couple of close calls, Egor Chinakhov nearly scores in front of the net, play goes the other way. Thompson bulls through Ilya Solovyov but Silovs makes his best stop of the night to throw out the leg and stop the puck.
Then some mayhem. Peyton Krebs crashes into Silovs, Connor Clifton doesn’t take kindly to that and drops the gloves with Krebs. Clifton gets the better of his former teammate by feeding him a bunch of knuckle sandwiches.
Pittsburgh still gets the power play out of it for Krebs completely barreling into the goalie. No goal, it does drain two more minutes off the clock.
The Pens get some insurance with 4:27 to go. Tommy Novak negates an icing call, the puck finds its way to Chinakhov near the blueline thanks to Malkin getting a piece of the attempted outlet. Chinakhov’s deep shot is stopped, rebound pops to Novak who calmly dekes to the backhand and deposits the trash into the net. 4-2 game.
Buffalo pulls the goalie with over two minutes to go. Mantha goes to the penalty box for hooking with 1:29 to go, the Sabres utilize their timeout to get their plan together. Doesn’t work, Kindel scores the shorthanded empty net goal to make it 5-2.
Some thoughts
Great first goal for Hayes. It’s so fitting that the goal came on a play looked like nothing at the beginning, then only turned into something due completely to the effort that Hayes put into it. Not to get poetic (well, too late for that I suppose) but that’s practically the story of his career in a nutshell as an undersized, undrafted player that could only muster an AHL contract upon turning pro. He proved himself in Wilkes-Barre, got an NHL deal for this season. Impressed in camp and prospect tournaments along the way, still took a while to get his first game in the show now at age 23 and fairly deep into this season. It didn’t take very long for Hayes to show what’s been his “long-term overnight success story” due to the skating burst, extra desire and find the ability to finish and standout, making a real name for himself.
The only thing that could make it even better is a second goal. It was more of a right place at the right time, courtesy of the sweet setup by Mantha, but hey, there’s something to be said about showing up at the right place at the right time.
Along those lines for timing and circumstance working out, you gotta think and remember that had Acciari not been sick OR Rakell been able to play OR Lizotte not need to leave the team for an impending birth, A. Hayes wouldn’t have been called up and played tonight. A lot of stars had to align to get his NHL debut to happen on this night. Wild how it all worked out, which always makes a great story that much more special and fun when so many factors come together in just the perfect way.
Hayes told Hailey Hunter during the first intermission interview on TV that he was changing into his suit while the car service was driving him to Buffalo, having only learned he would be needed and playing late this morning. I mean you just can’t make this stuff up, guy wakes up in Wilkes this morning having scored a goal against the Hershey Bears last night, the next thing he knows he’s scrambling to get to Buffalo in time to make his NHL debut.
Bob Grove Stat of the night: Hayes joins Jake Guentzel and Robbie Brown. Not bad company there.
Per HockeyFights, this was the seventh Penguin fight of the season, coming in Game No. 56. Doesn’t even seem that weird any more with its absence. Probably the most entertaining one of the year too, Clifton hit Krebs with lefts and rights with some pretty good shots.
Silovs didn’t have to be remarkable but his stop on Thompson in the third period when it was a 3-2 game was a complete difference-maker in how this game played out. Pittsburgh was up 3-1, and as you might have heard, have had some struggles with keeping leads late into games this season. (And, as noted in the preview, Buffalo is extremely strong with scoring in the third period). If the game goes to 3-3 on that play – and it well could have – it very well was trending towards being another tough night for the Pens. Get a key stop at a key time and a lot of good things can happen. The Pens got that tonight.
Rust didn’t get on the scoreboard but he did a great job on the PK blocking all kinds of shots, passes, marking up on Josh Doan when he drove to the net for backside plays.
With the Panarin saga finally reaching a conclusion with his trade to the Kings, the Rangers played their final game before the NHL break for the Winter Olympics — and the corresponding league-wide roster freeze — with the knowledge that their devolving season eventually will resume with more work to do for general manager Chris Drury to retool the roster for 2026-27 and beyond.
That pre-Olympic finale Thursday night only represented more of the same for the crashing Blueshirts, however, as they fell for the fourth straight game without Panarin with a sleepy 2-0 loss to the Hurricanes at the Garden.
It marked the ninth time they have been shut out this season — and inexplicably, the seventh time on home ice — and head coach Mike Sullivan wasn’t pleased with the effort.
Jonathan Quick makes a save during the Rangers’ Feb. 5 loss to the Hurricanes. Robert Sabo for the NY Post
“I thought they outplayed us. … The first two periods weren’t nearly good enough,” Sullivan said afterward. “My message to the group was, I will acknowledge that we’re in a little bit of a difficult circumstance and none of us really want to be in this position. … But the reality is we are where we are.
“I thought tonight that we lacked a certain competitive spirit. It’s simply unacceptable on our part.”
Panarin, who inked a two-year contract extension worth $22 million with Los Angeles to bypass unrestricted free agency this summer, was dealt for junior forward prospect Liam Greentree and at least one conditional third-round draft pick, depending on Los Angeles’ postseason success.
The last-place Rangers previously had played without Panarin while their leading scorer was held out of the lineup in two defeats to the Islanders last week and another against the Penguins before Wednesday’s trade.
Before the game, Sullivan had said he wished the 34-year-old winger “the very best” in a conversation after the trade was announced.
The Hurricanes celebrate a goal during the Rangers’ Feb. 5 loss. Robert Sabo for the NY Post
He added that he “already had addressed the circumstances” of potential additional trades with his squad, which is now mired in a 3-13-2 tailspin to sink to the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings at 22-29-6.
“From the drop of the puck, we got outplayed all night,” said captain J.T. Miller, who will join Sullivan as part of Team USA in Italy. “It wasn’t good enough. We wanted to go into the break feeling good about ourselves, and it’s quite the opposite right now. So it sucks.”
With the 20-year-old Greentree slated to finish out his current season with OHL Windsor, the Rangers will continue to plug the gaping hole left by Panarin from within.
Will Cuylle mostly has skated in his spot the past several games alongside center Vincent Trocheck.
“You know that we’re not going to plug a player in, and he’s going to replace what Artemi does for this team,” Sullivan said. “I think what we’re trying to do is build a team game where we can replace it by committee, so to speak. I think we can do a better job at being harder to play against, giving up less opportunities on the defensive side, which should allow us an opportunity to create some offense off of that. But we’re not plugging anybody in and saying, ‘Hey, you’re gonna go replace what Artemi’s brought to this group.’ That would be unfair.”
Carolina’s Andrei Svechnikov gathered in a failed clearance attempt by Vladislav Gavrikov and opened the scoring with a wrister from the slot past Quick for a 1-0 lead 6:26 into the game.
Mika Zibanejad had a strong chance on the power play later in the period, but he rang the puck off the crossbar and the Rangers generated little else against Carolina goalie Brandon Bussi (16 saves).
Quick made 41 stops to keep the Rangers within one despite a lopsided shot disparity before Jordan Staal added an empty-netter in the final minute.
“[Quick played] extremely well,” Sullivan said. “I think he did his very best to drag us into the fight. But we needed more guys to do that for us.”
