DALLAS (AP) — Defenseman Miro Heiskanen scored 22 seconds into overtime to give the Dallas Stars a 4-3 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday.
Second in the Western Conference, the Stars are 11-0-1 in their last 12.
Young Chicago star Connor Bedard forced the extra period by scoring with 1:20 left in regulation with the Blackhawks playing with an extra skater.
Mavrik Bourque had a goal and an assist for Dallas. Nathan Bastian and Justin Hryckowian also scored, and Casey DeSmith made 12 saves.
Tyler Bertuzzi and rookie defenseman Sam Rinzel also scored for Chicago, and Arvid Soderblom stopped 28 shots. The Blackhawks are 2-7-4 in their last 13.
The Stars turned a 2-1 deficit going into the third period into a 3-2 lead on Bourque’s goal 42 seconds in and Hryckowian’s power-play goal at 9:40.
The Blackhawks took a 2-0 lead in the first period on a deflection by Bertuzzi at 6:59 and Rinzel’s blast from the slot fewer than two minutes later. Bastian scored Dallas’ first goal late in the period.
Soderblom made consecutive starts for the first time this season with No. 1 Blackhawks goalie Spencer Knight sidelined with an illness.
Blackhawks rookie forward Oliver Moore left midway through the first period after three shifts with an undisclosed injury when sliding into the end boards seconds after assisting on Rinzel’s goal.
Dallas improved to 6-12-4 when trailing after two periods, while Chicago dropped to 15-3-2 when leading after two.
Up next
Blackhawks: Complete a back-to-back hosting Utah on Monday night to begin a home-and-home with the Mammoth.
Stars: Host Vegas on Tuesday night in the third game of a six-game homestand.
Lately, Austin Reaves had been a muted version of himself.
He opened the season playing All-Star-caliber basketball, looking like a breakout star. But after suffering a left calf strain that sidelined him for 19 games, the volume on his incredible start has been dialed down.
Austin Reaves drives to the basket against the New York Knicks. NBAE via Getty Images
Reaves had 25 points on 50% shooting, including going 3 of 6 from beyond the arc. He was aggressive. He was hunting for the ball. He was looking for his shot. It led to arguably the best Lakers win this season and their fifth victory in their last six contests.
The Lakers needed Reaves in peak form against a team with the third-best record in the East, especially with LeBron James sidelined for his second straight game because of a left elbow contusion and left foot arthritis.
Before Reaves’ extended absence, he was averaging 26.6 points on 50.7% shooting from the field, 6.3 assists and 5.2 rebounds a game. He was one of the NBA’s top 10 scorers.
But since he returned Feb. 3, he has only scored 20-plus points three times over 15 contests.
One of the biggest issues has clearly been that Reaves is trying to find his place in a crowded offense alongside superstars James and Luka Doncic. Before the All-Star break, the trio had only played 11 games together.
Since then, they’ve been trying to find a rhythm after James missed the first 14 games of the season because of sciatica, Reaves missed every game in January and Doncic was sidelined four games at the beginning of February because of a hamstring injury.
As the Big 3 has tried to learn how to effectively share the court, Reaves has looked a little less like Reaves.
Heading into Sunday’s game, Lakers coach JJ Redick wanted to change that.
“I think the messaging to him has just been to be himself,” Redick said. “And I think sometimes when you miss time and there’s circumstances going on with the team that you can kind of be a little passive. … We want him to be aggressive. Every time he gets the ball, we want him to be aggressive and have a mentality to touch the paint.”
Reaves played as though he internalized those words Sunday.
He dazzled with fadeaway 3-pointers. He aggressively drove through the lane. He made sure he was a threat every time he touched the ball.
“We just kept telling him, ‘Touch the paint, touch the paint, touch the paint,'” Redick said. “He was really strong today. … When people talk about physicality, we always talk about physicality on defense, but you need physicality on offense. And I thought he was very physical offensively and that allowed him to score the basket, allowed him to draw fouls. And they’ve got a lot of size and they’re a big team, and he did a great job.”
It was a great reminder of the player who dazzled at the start of the season. You know, the one who had a 51-point, 11-rebound, nine-assist performance in the Lakers’ third game of the season, followed by a 41-point performance on 59% shooting in their fourth contest.
“Hillbilly Kobe” was living up to his nickname. Reaves, who is eligible for a five-year, $241 million maximum contract extension with the Lakers this summer, was playing as though he was hungry to earn every penny of that deal. When he didn’t make the All-Star team, it was considered one of the biggest snubs in the West.
Austin Reaves shoots a free throw against the New York Knicks. NBAE via Getty Images
But since then, things have slowed down.
As for Reaves’ mentality entering Sunday’s game?
“Have fun,” he said. “Woke up, early game, I was tired when I got here. I just told myself to have fun. I don’t feel like I’ve played bad, I just haven’t made a lot of shots. I feel like I’ve done a lot of other things well. Just continuing to play the game the right way, and I feel like good will come to good.”
But Reaves took things to another level Sunday. In addition to being the second-leading scorer behind Doncic (35 points), Reaves had four rebounds, five assists, three steals and one blocked shot. He was everywhere. Now, he just needs to figure how to play at that level alongside both of the team’s superstars.
“Playing with him, it makes my life easy,” Doncic said.
Reaves’ amplified aggression helped the Lakers (39-25) secure a win of which they can be proud. The whole team was gritty. They were swarming. Entering Sunday’s game, the Lakers were 4-12 against opponents with a record better than .600, according to ESPN. They never even trailed the Knicks (41-24).
When Reaves plays to his potential, things dramatically shift for the Lakers. That was evident in the team’s 15-4 start. And it was obvious Sunday.
Rui Hachimura summed things up concisely.
“When he’s aggressive, good things are going to happen,” he said.
TORONTO, CANADA - MARCH 8: Klay Thompson #31 of the Dallas Mavericks drives against RJ Barrett #9 of the Toronto Raptors during the second half of their NBA game at Scotiabank Arena on March 8, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 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 Cole Burston/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With 20 games left in the regular season, the Toronto Raptors are in an interesting position. Currently 5th in the Eastern Conference standings, the idea that they will be playing in the postseason is pretty much confirmed. Whether or not they have to endure the NBA Play-In tournament, though, isn’t decided one way or another. They would have to drop lower than sixth in the standings to have to compete in the Play-In, but with a tough schedule still ahead of them, their 5th-place spot isn’t as cushioned as they’d like it to be.
That adds a little bit of pressure onto the team in March and April — a concept the Raptors haven’t had to deal with in a few years. They haven’t played in a playoff series since the 2022 season (Scottie’s rookie year), and one other time since then, in a pretty entertaining but still ultimately bad play-in game that resulted in a loss. Since then, this time of year has felt more like a slow descent into lottery odds than a buildup to the postseason for the team. This year changes things, as it looks like the Toronto Raptors will be competing past the regular season.
At the Raptors’ practice on Saturday, the idea that the pressure was building instead of waning was literally giving Darko Rajakovic goosebumps. “Pressure is a privilege,” he said, quoting the great Billie Jean King (apt for International Women’s Day). Yet, that also means that the Raptors have higher expectations, and their recent play since the All-Star Break has not been very indicative of a team looking to rise above their station. They came into this game on Sunday having lost four of their last five games.
Rajakovic was very vocal about Saturday’s practice being particularly good. When asked what was so good about it, Scottie Barnes told the media that their team was really communicating and holding each other accountable for their recent slump. They didn’t like how they had performed in their last games, and knew they could do better. That’s the beauty of having more than a day off in between games, especially so deep into the season, you have more time to address slumps or mistakes.
Sunday’s home game proved that whatever they did on Saturday worked. The Raptors acheived a wire-to-wire win over the Dallas Mavericks, which was expected, but obviously still needed to be earned. Every win is important this time of the year, as the conversation now shifts into playoff placement and more importantly, avoiding the Play-In. Home court advantage would also be fun, but let’s not get too ahead of ourselves in the first year back into the postseason picture. Making the postseason alone is enough progress for this year.
Toronto took Sunday’s game 122-92 over Dallas, with RJ Barrett scoring a game-high 31 points in the game. Darko though, was more impressed with Barrett’s defence, saying that the more Barrett locks in defensively, the more energy he has on the other end. Barrett agreed with him, saying the more energetic he is on defense, the more focused on the game he feels. Darko also stated the emphasis he put on his team to take care of the basketball, after turnovers have been an issue over the past week.
Barrett confirmed that their good practice from Saturday was a huge reason why they competed the way that they did today. He himself hit a milestone today, scoring his 8,000th career point, which he reflected on after the game. As one of only a select group of Canadians to achieve that milestone, he added “doing it for the Raptors is more special.”
Whatever energy Saturday’s practice held — whether it be the closeness of the postseason, the crisp spring air coming into Toronto this weekend, or just a desire to be better — they need to hold onto that. The Raptors will head out onto the road to play Houston and New Orleans this week before comign back home Friday night.
Emma Raducanu suffered a heavy defeat in just 52 minutes to Amanda Anisimova in the third round at Indian Wells. The British No 1 was well below par in a 6-1 6-1 loss to the American world No 6.
Raducanu, seeded 25, may have been struggling with a fitness issue as she repeatedly refused to chase down drop shots. The 23-year-old’s first serve misfired badly and she hit just two winners to her opponent’s 21.
MIAMI, FL - MARCH 8: Cade Cunningham #2 of the Detroit Pistons handles the ball during the game against the Miami Heat on March 8, 2026 at Kaseya Center in Miami, 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Detroit Pistons have cemented themselves at the top of the Eastern Conference by delivering suffocating defense, getting to every lose ball, locking down the paint, and wanting it more than their opponent night in and night out. On Sunday in Miami, the Heat out-Pistons the Pistons. Detroit was outhustled and outmuscled, falling behind by 20 points early and never recovering, eventually falling 121-110.
On Saturday, you could blame the terrible effort as a team scrambling without its star Cade Cunningham. On Sunday, Cade was back, and he delivered. Cunningham scored 26 points, hit six of his nine three-point attempts, and added 10 assists. They still struggled to stay within 30 points most of the game. Jalen Duren (24 points) was 10-of-12 from the field, but the Pistons couldn’t come close to Miami because he wasn’t delivering on defense or on the boards.
Detroit lost this game because Miami did everything Detroit hangs its hat on better than it did. The Pistons are one of the premier teams in the paint, on both offense and defense, but Miami outscored them 58-56. The Pistons thrive when their locked-in defense creates turnovers that lead to transition opportunities. The Heat outscored Detroit on the fast break 22-6. They lost the board war 58-48. It seemed like Miami was forcing every deflection, getting to every loose ball, and was the one dictating everything on the floor. Detroit could do nothing but react, and they were two steps slow in every reaction.
The Heat were led by Tyler Herro with 25 points, including four three-pointers, and Bam Adebayo, who hit four from deep as well. The two also got themselves to the free-throw line, and went a collective 11-of-12. Detroit’s two stars, Duren and Cunningham, were just 6-of-7.
The biggest issue is the team’s tissue paper defense in the past few games, which is true enough, but the most worrying thing to me is that the team is letting its completely limp offensive production leak into its effort on defense. They are so devoid of trust in their ability to put the ball in the basket that they are not playing loose and aggressive on the defensive end.
Losing Ausar Thompson to an ankle injury certainly doesn’t help. Nor does replacing his production with a completely invisible Marcus Sasser (two points and bad defense in 20 minutes of action). Javonte Green isn’t providing a spark on either end of the floor like he was in the season’s first 50 games, and when multiple spots on the floor are sputtering, it means the limitation of a player like Ron Holland really begins to show.
The Pistons, quite simply, have no answers right now. They need to figure out how to rediscover their identity as a defense-first team, and let that lead to some offensive creation. No more shooters and ball handlers in the lineup who aren’t providing any of either alongside Cunningham. I’d put Isaiah Stewart, one of the only players who seemed like he gave a damn tonight, into the starting lineup and shift Tobias Harris to small forward.
Stewart provides just as much spacing as Sasser, but also actually provides rebounding and defense. It also opens up an opportunity for minutes for Paul Reed, who you’re never sad is getting minutes.
Until the team remembers that it is one of the best defensive teams in the league, it is going to keep losing. And it’s not a stellar offensive night that is going to ignite this defense. It’s the opposite. They need to impose their will on an opponent, and the rest will become much easier.
Their next chance is a bit of redemption against the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday. It is starting to feel like a must-win game.
TORONTO, CANADA - MARCH 8: Daniel Gafford #21 of the Dallas Mavericks dunks the ball during the game against the Toronto Raptors on March 8, 2026 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 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 Vaughn Ridley/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Dallas Mavericks (21-43) continued the northeastern portion of their current road swing on Sunday against the Toronto Raptors (36-27). Coming in having lost 16 of their last 18 games, the Mavs dropped yet another with a 122-92 loss.
The game started with the Raptors missing a 3-point attempt, only for Brandon Ingram to grab an offensive rebound for a put-back dunk. With how frequently Dallas allows 3-point attempts and with recent struggles on the boards, the sequence was not ideal. Dallas forced an early Raptors’ timeout less than four minutes into the game after Daniel Gafford put on a dunk clinic with six quick points on 3-for-3 from the floor. Dallas once again gave up 30-plus first-quarter points, trailing 36-29 after 12 minutes.
The Mavericks were out of sorts at the beginning of the second, committing multiple turnovers while playing a lineup that did not have many reps together. A timeout at the 7:44 mark brought starters Cooper Flagg and Max Christie back, but it did little to help as the Mavs went scoreless until P.J. Washington hit a free throw with 5:13 remaining in the half to end a 14-2 Raptor’s run. Down by 15 points, Dallas stopped a four-minute field goal drought with a Gafford layup, but couldn’t make any real headway from there, closing the half down 57-44.
Dallas started the second half with the ball, scoring on their first two possessions, with both buckets coming by way of offensive rebounds. Slowly but surely, Dallas was making small inroads by outscoring Toronto for the first five minutes, but those efforts fell apart quickly. The Raptors responded with a 10-0 run in just under a span of two minutes to put the Mavs behind by 21. Dallas spent the remainder of the quarter trying to catch up, only to end up further behind as they trailed 88-66 heading into the fourth quarter.
Flagg opened the fourth quarter with a made 3-pointer then converted an and-one, but his personal six-point burst was not enough to prevent a necessary timeout when Dallas fell behind by 26. Flagg then registered his first-ever technical foul, which was starting to feel like a long time coming. Of late, Flagg has not been getting calls that seem obvious to the naked eye. With just over five minutes remaining in the game, Jason Kidd called it a day and gave Ryan Nembhard, AJ Johnson and Dwight Powell some burn, alongside Brandon Williams and Caleb Martin. Even garbage time did nothing to make the final score any more palatable.
Let’s take a look at three key factors from Sunday night’s game.
Turnovers tell the tale
The Mavericks average 14.7 turnovers per game, but had 11 in the first half alone Sunday night. Meanwhile, the Raptors had only four across the first 24 minutes, contributing heavily to the 13-point halftime deficit Dallas faced. Dallas added six more turnovers to Toronto’s two in the third quarter. When it was all said and done, the Mavs tallied 20 turnovers against the Raptors’ 8. Giving the opponent that many extra possessions while creating so few the other way is a big part of a 30-point beatdown.
Shooting woes for Dallas
The Raptors’ defense stymied Dallas, however the Mavericks did not do themselves any favors with some wide-open misses. They shockingly fell short of 40% shooting overall, converting just 35-for-88 on the night. Some of this was also due to strange lineup combinations and only a single player logging more than 30 minutes (P.J. Washington; 31 minutes), but this was a disasterclass in shooting. Max Christie was an improbable 1-for-11 and 0-for-7 from deep to lead the woefulness.
Gafford’s return to form
Gafford had a season-high 21 points to go along with 11 rebounds (six offensive), 3 assists and shot a perfect 10-for-10 from the floor. This was Gafford at his best, and there is really no obvious explanation why he feasted like this, other than perhaps being healthy. This game was largely uncompetitive, but it’s almost frightening to think how bad it would have been without Gafford’s contributions. With fewer than 20 games remaining in the season, it will be important for Gafford to re-establish this level of play. The stats may not always look this nice, but it was obvious he was in the right position and making smart decisions throughout the night as he simply played aggressively.
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TAMPA — Among the competition for the last spot on the Yankees bench is an excellent, flexible defender with a bat perhaps capable of more than it has shown.
Max Schuemann played six positions just last year for the A’s.
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He is a natural infielder who most often manned second base but is capable at shortstop, which is part of why he is in the mix for a spot on the Opening Day roster.
The 28-year-old brings a strong glove to each position and can be a backup to José Caballero while Anthony Volpe recovers.
The path to a spot and playing time would be much wider if Schuemann, playing in a different organization for the first time and enjoying life and technology with the Yankees, can hit more than he has in the past.
With the A’s, Schuemann hit like, well, a utility player, sporting a .212 average and .603 OPS in 234 games the past two seasons.
With the A’s last season, Schuemann played his home games at a minor league ballpark without modern luxuries.
Max Schuemann swings during the Yankees-Rays spring training game on March 6, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
A tool such as the Trajekt machine — which is basically a robot that mimics any pitcher’s delivery and repertoire — was not available because the A’s didn’t have one.
“That’s been fun to use,” Schuemann said Sunday from Steinbrenner Field, where he has played with the machine just about every other day. “Whether it benefits me or not, I’m not really sure. But I do feel like it’s helpful for timing going into a game.
“I mean, you’re basically facing a pitcher before you actually face him.”
The machine is universally praised by hitters who have access and is standard prep for Yankees hitters.
For a hitter like Schuemann — who has shown a strong knowledge of the strike zone, rarely chases or strikes out but has not hit the ball hard in his short career — it can’t hurt, and the way-too-early returns have been nice: 5-for-12 with seven walks plus two steals in 19 Grapefruit League plate appearances.
The different minds around the team can help, too.
Max Schuemann has a chance to earn one of the last spots on the Yankees roster. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Schuemann had been with the former Oakland franchise since being drafted in 2018 until the trade last month in which the Yankees gave up minor league righty Luis Burgos.
The Yankees do have a strong history with infielders from Michigan. Schuemann was born in Kalamazoo.
“I have my fair share of [Derek] Jeter memorabilia,” Schuemann said with a smile. “He was definitely a role model of mine.”
Schuemann has several minor league options so he will be with the organization regardless, but continuing his strong camp would give the Yankees plenty to think about in constructing their roster.
Paul Goldschmidt and Amed Rosario will be on the bench, and Randal Grichuk is the leading candidate for another spot as a righty-hitting outfielder.
If the Yankees do not believe Ryan McMahon can ably fill in at shortstop and if Oswaldo Cabrera is still recovering, perhaps Schuemann becomes the 26th man rather than, say, J.C. Escarra.
Such decisions and concern over those decisions are for another day.
“Really just trying to get my feet on the ground, basically, and show [the Yankees] that I can play all the positions that I’m set to play,” Schuemann said. “My goal in camp is just check as many boxes as possible.”
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (AP) — Aaliyah Collins had 21 points, Anna Hager scored 18 and High Point held on for a 71-67 victory over Radford on Sunday night to win the Big South Conference Championship and earn an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament for a second straight season.
Collins and Hager took over for top-seeded High Point (27-5) on a night when Macy Spencer, the league's leading scorer at 18.8 per game, was held to six points.
The Panthers beat No. 2 seed Radford (22-12) to earn their third trip to the main event, also appearing in 2021.
Hager hit a 3-pointer and Brecken Snotherly followed with a three-point play as High Point jumped out to an 8-0 lead. Radford battle all the way back to tie it 16-all on Angelina Nice's tip-in before Collins made two free throws with one second left to put the Panthers up two heading to the second quarter.
Kirah Dandridge hit two 3-pointers and the Highlanders outscored High Point by five to take a 32-29 lead into halftime.
Cate Carlson sank a 3-pointer to give Radford a 39-33 lead, but Hager answered with a 3 to spark 13-2 run capped by Spencer's 3-pointer and High Point moved in front 46-41 with four minutes left in the third quarter. The run grew to 20-4 and the Panthers led 56-45 heading to the final period.
Joi Williams buried 3-pointers on both sides of a Dandridge basket in an 8-0 spurt to cut the deficit to three less than 90 seconds into the final 10 minutes.
Williams drove for a layup to tie it 63-all with 4:50 remaining, but Collins and Hager had back-to-back baskets and the Panthers stayed in front from there.
Williams had 30 points to pace Radford and Ellie Taylor scored 10.
The Highlanders last appeared in the NCAA Tournament in 2019 after making three appearances in the 1990s.
The High Point men’s team also advanced to the NCAA Tournament
The Magpies didn’t enjoy the best off-season but they excelled in opening round at the MCG as too many fumbles and shanks cost St Kilda dearly
St Kilda spent the summer talking up Sunday night’s opening round game, and Collingwood spent the summer being talked down. It was St Kilda’s occasion, but it was Collingwood’s game. The Saints had the hope, the hyper-inflated recruits, the best paid player in the sport and the largest home-and-away crowd they’d ever played in front of. But Collingwood had cool heads, manic pressure, a wily old fox in his 426th game and two brothers who had 77 touches between them.
The Pies didn’t have the greatest of summers. It felt like the majority of pundits, including this one, had them missing the top 10 (do I have to say that now?). There were all sorts of rumours swirling about regarding the coach Craig McRae, which he and the club were forced to confront publicly. Their captain Darcy Moore was injured. They were coming off less than convincing scratch matches at La Trobe University and Ballarat.
The Magpies didn’t enjoy the best off-season but they excelled in opening round at the MCG as too many fumbles and shanks cost St Kilda dearly
St Kilda spent the summer talking up Sunday night’s opening round game, and Collingwood spent the summer being talked down. It was St Kilda’s occasion, but it was Collingwood’s game. The Saints had the hope, the hyper-inflated recruits, the best paid player in the sport and the largest home-and-away crowd they’d ever played in front of. But Collingwood had cool heads, manic pressure, a wily old fox in his 426th game and two brothers who had 77 touches between them.
The Pies didn’t have the greatest of summers. It felt like the majority of pundits, including this one, had them missing the top 10 (do I have to say that now?). There were all sorts of rumours swirling about regarding the coach Craig McRae, which he and the club were forced to confront publicly. Their captain Darcy Moore was injured. They were coming off less than convincing scratch matches at La Trobe University and Ballarat.
Jake Bauers and Andrew Vaughn both had two extra-base hits, Ethan Murray channelled his inner Barry Bonds, and Kyle Harrison struck out over half of the batters he faced to earn Milwaukee their fourth straight spring victory.
The only batter to reach base for either team in the first inning was Jake Bauers, who laced a one-out double into right off of Mariners starter George Kirby. In the top of the second, a passed ball by Jeferson Quero allowed Patrick Wisdom to reach on a strikeout. The next batter up was Leo Rivas, who hit a 441-foot home run to give Seattle an early 2-0 lead.
Aside from the Rivas home run, Harrison — Milwaukee’s starting pitcher — pitched incredibly well today. Harrison struck out eight Mariners in just three innings of work, with four of those strikeouts coming in the second inning. He walked two batters, but only allowed two hits — the other a double off the bat of Lazaro Montes in the second.
— Pitcher List Stats (@PitcherListPLV) March 8, 2026
Milwaukee finally broke through in the bottom of the fourth.
Andrew Vaughn led off with a ground-rule double, prompting Mariners manager Dan Wilson to remove Kirby in favor of Troy Taylor. Taylor got David Hamilton to fly out for the first out, but Blake Perkins ripped a single into right field to score Vaughn from second. Perkins advanced to second on the throw home, giving Milwaukee another runner in scoring position with only one out. After Brock Wilken popped out for the second out, Quero walked on a 3-2 count to keep the inning alive. That brought up prospect Ethan Murray, who crushed a monster 477-foot home run (110-mph exit velocity) to give the Brewers a 4-2 lead.
The scoring didn’t stop there, either.
In the bottom of the fifth, Bauers homered off of Josh Simpson for his second hit of the game. The next batter, Christian Yelich, worked a walk, and Vaughn doubled again to knock him in. Vaughn then advanced to third on a wild pitch — still with nobody out. Unfortunately, despite a two-out walk by Brock Wilken, Simpson was able to bear down. Hamilton, Perkins, and Quero all struck out to end the inning with the score 6-2 Milwaukee.
Jacob Misiorowski gave up a home run to Brennan Davis to start the top of the sixth, but the scoring would end there as the Brewers picked up their fourth straight win.
Harrison and Misiorowski (3 1/3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 6K) both looked ready for the season. Jared Koenig, Jesús Broca, and Will Childers all held the Mariners scoreless in their appearances. Vaughn and Bauers both had multiple extra-base hits. Murray only had one hit, but his moonshot was probably the highlight of the game.
The Crew will look to make it five straight tomorrow in an NLCS rematch against the Los Angeles Dodgers. First pitch is scheduled for 3:10 p.m. CT.
CLEVELAND, OH - MARCH 8: James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers shoots the ball during the game against the Boston Celtics on March 8, 2026 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. 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 David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Boston is a bad matchup for Cleveland. They can press the Cavs in a lot of the areas they struggle with most on both ends of the floor.
Offensively, they can spread the Cavs’ defense out and force them to guard one-on-one. This isn’t ideal for a team that has struggled with point-of-attack defense all season. And if the backside help comes, the Celtics have capable enough playmakers to find the open man and make them pay with their three-point shooting.
Defensively, they stay out of rotation due to their willingness to switch everything. They trust each player on the court to hold their own in any matchup, and they mostly do. This allows them to limit the amount of disruption an off-ball shooter like Sam Merrill can cause or the effectiveness of the pick-and-roll because they’re okay with giving up mismatches if it means slowing down the offense’s ball movement.
The problems this can cause the Cavs came through, particularly in the second quarter when the game got away from them.
The Cavs lost this game in the second quarter. They mustered just 10 points, went 0-14 from three, and just 4-25 from the field.
“I think that first half man, it was really just about shots,” Donovan Mitchell said.
The Cavs generated good looks in the second quarter that simply didn’t fall. Below is a clip of eight threes that were either quality attempts or, at the very least, open enough that you’re okay with the shot in a vacuum.
“If we get a couple shots to fall, layups, threes, anything…it’s a different ballgame,” James Harden said. “It’s draining when you feel like you’re getting easy looks and they’re not going, but it’s part of the game.”
Missing threes in the second quarter wasn’t an issue for the Cavs; their inability to find other ways to score was.
“Part of basketball is missing and making shots, but our competitive nature, our competitive spirit [needs to be there] for a full game,” Harden said. “That’s what we do. We force the game to be in our hands.”
This is what the Celtics did better, particularly in the second quarter. They also shot poorly, going 1-9 from three in the second, but they found ways to attack the basket and get to the free-throw line.
Boston only scored 21 points in that frame, but their ability to keep their offense on schedule allowed them to create separation. If the Cavs hadn’t abandoned trying to get inside in the second quarter, they might’ve been able to stay in the game until their three-point shot came around.
The same three-point looks that weren’t falling in the first half fell in the second. They went 11-23 (47.8%) from three en route to a 62-point half.
If you look at most of the makes below, you’ll see that the offensive process that led to the attempts wasn’t too different. It’s just that the shots went in this time around.
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“I think we did an unbelievable job in the second half,” Harden said. “We just kept fighting and giving ourselves a chance.”
The Celtics don’t have an answer for Evan Mobley. This is a matchup he’s historically done well in, and did so again on Sunday. He punished mismatches when he got the switch and did a good job of getting into the paint on opposing center Neemias Queta.
While the Cavs don’t have an answer for Boston’s wings, the Celtics also don’t have an answer for Cleveland’s bigs. This was evident even though the Cavs were without Jarrett Allen.
Boston’s role players were the biggest difference in this matchup.
Both teams had good enough games from their stars. The same can’t be said about the supporting cast.
The Celtics’ bench outscored the Cavs’ 41-13. This included standout performances from Payton Pritchard (18 points) and Baylor Scheierman (16 points). Sam Hauser was a starter, but his 15 points were more than any Cavalier outside of Mitchell, Harden, and Mobley.
Conversely, the Cavs received a substandard performance from everyone outside of their stars. Jaylon Tyson provided eight points and didn’t make an impact defensively, Sam Merrill went 1-7 from three, Dennis Schroder registered just two points, and Keon Ellis didn’t score at all.
Even though this game felt one-sided at times, the Cavs aren’t far off.
The Celtics are the standard in the East. They’re the only proven, championship team among the four top teams in the conference. Games like this show why. They understand who they are and what they want to do on both ends. That came through in the stretches where they weren’t getting their shots to fall in the second quarter, and didn’t let it affect how they played. That, in the end, is what won them the game.
The Cavs aren’t on the Celtics’ level right now, but that doesn’t mean they can’t get there.
“In that second half, we found something in ourselves,” Harden said. “That’s the level we got to get to, Boston. Once we’re there, because I know we’re good enough. We will get there, then we’ll be a much better team.
“If we’re making shots, we’re going to blow teams out. And tonight we didn’t make our shots.”
You never know what will happen to anyone sitting courtside during an NBA game.
In fighting for a loose ball, Lakers guard Marcus Smart crashed into longtime television host and political commentator Bill Maher while facing the Knicks in a Sunday afternoon tip-off at the Crypto.com Arena.
It’s only the fourth time this season the Lakers held an opponent under 100 points, and the Knicks are by far the best team L.A. has done this against, with the others being the Golden State Warriors, Milwaukee Bucks and Toronto Raptors.
Luka Doncic led the LeBron James-less Lakers with 35 points, eight rebounds and four assists, making five threes in the process.
Smart shot just 1-for-10 and went 0-for-5 from deep, ending the day with just five points, four assists and two steals.
He was not at his sharpest on Sunday against the Mets, but the 26-year-old, expected to be an important new piece to the rotation, said he’s still getting used to being in game competition at this point in the spring.
For a pitcher who’s never started more than 18 games in a major league season, just staying healthy is key.
“He has immense talent,’’ pitching coach Matt Blake said Sunday. “The biggest thing is supporting him to keep his routine together to help keep him on the field.”
Blake has a good understanding of what kind of potential the 26-year-old has.
Part of Blake’s job when he worked in player development with Cleveland before the Yankees hired him to be their pitching coach prior to the 2020 season was to be involved in the draft process.
Ryan Weathers has dealt with injury issues throughout his career. Getty Images
It was when Blake was in that role when he first encountered Ryan Weathers, then a top prospect at Loretto High School in Tennessee.
“He was a baseball player, not just a pitcher,’’ Blake said Sunday, before Weathers started at Clover Park. “He had a good feel for the game. And you wouldn’t necessarily think he was a great athlete, you watch him on the mound and he moves really well. He handles himself and has good instincts.”
Aaron Boone talked about the 26-year-old’s athleticism and power.
But the lefty has yet to put it all together in the majors after San Diego made him the No. 7 overall pick in 2018.
“I saw him there and then watched him ascend from San Diego to Miami,’’ Blake said. “It’s hard to know, especially when they come out of high school, what direction they’re gonna go in. You think they can improve their body and throw harder, but it takes a guy to commit to the process. Young guys like that can get chewed up in the minors, but he got up there quickly and has had to go through some ups and downs and fight to stay on the field.”
If that happens, the Yankees believe the results will follow.
Sunday was not a great example of that, as Weathers was knocked around for six runs — five earned — in two innings over a 59-pitch outing.
He routinely hit 99 mph on the radar gun, but allowed seven hits and a pair of walks as he rushed his delivery, especially with runners on base and when he was trying to finish off at-bats.
“What I didn’t do well, because it’s been so long since I’ve been in that game-type atmosphere where there’s traffic, is I’ve got to do a better job of slowing down and not trying to do too much,” Weathers said.
The Yankees are confident Ryan Weathers can be a front-line starter. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Boone, who remains confident Weathers can be a “front-line starter,” agreed.
“I think he has a lot of room to grow,’’ the manager said. “These are good situations to be in right now.”
Blake said they are working with Weathers — the son of former Yankees reliever David Weathers — to alter his workout routine in an effort to avoid injuries.
He spent time on the IL with a strained lat and a flexor strain a year ago. The Yankees are counting on more than that.
“He’s really impressed everyone,’’ Aaron Boone said. “His stuff is real. The big thing for him is getting out there and going to the post. I think he’ll do special things. He’s a beast.”
Queensland’s Sheffield Shield dream is still alive after Brisbane’s miserable weather helped the Bulls salvage an undeserving draw in their low-scoring contest against Western Australia at Allan Border Field.
