Feb 25, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) shoots during the first quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers nearly stole one from the Milwaukee Bucks. This one ended on a Jarrett Allen hook that nearly sent the game into overtime if he had just released it 0.2 seconds earlier.
All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.
Allen continues the best stretch of his career. This time, elevating the Cavaliers’ B-Team with his interior presence. Allen dominated the glass and put the ball in the hoop anytime his teammates passed to him. He nearly saved this game and sent it into overtime with a putback opportunity that came just a tad too late. Otherwise, it was a stellar game from JA.
Grade: A+
Jaylon Tyson
14 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals
This was a brutal shooting game from Tyson. He finished 5-16 from the floor and ended as a team worst minus-19. His efforts on the glass are commendable, but the Cavs simply needed a more efficient shooting performance and better defensive integrity from Tyson tonight.
Grade: C-
Dennis Schroder
26 points, 5 assists, 2 rebounds, 1 steal
Schroder’s a competitor. His feisty playstyle helped turn the tide of this game in the third quarter. When the Bucks rattled off an 11-0 run, Schroder helped lead a 10-0 response for the Cavs. His dashes into the lane caused Milwaukee’s defense to scramble, and Schroder either made the correct pass or put two points on the board himself.
His final stretch in the fourth quarter was the definition of grit-and-grind. Even on a rolled ankle, Schroder kept the Cavs in stride and almost carried them to a win.
Grade: A+
Sam Merrill
14 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 turnovers
Something tells me Sam is going to feel this one in the morning. He hit the floor every other possession as the Cavs leaned on him to create more than usual. Merrill impressed me with some of his mid-range shot-making, and it’s always nice to see him turn the corner on an unsuspecting defender and finish at the rim.
That said, Merrill airballed a three-pointer and sailed a lob pass out of bounds moments later in the fourth quarter. I have to knock him for that. This was a hard-fought game that wasn’t particularly pretty.
This was the best game Ellis has played in a Cavalier uniform (so far). We’ve seen him make an impact with his defense. Tonight, he poured in four three-pointers in addition to his elite defensive instincts. Some of the steals and deflections he comes up with are absurd. And when he has it rolling from behind the line as he did tonight, it’s a special sight to see.
This is everything you want in a role player.
Grade: A+
Nae’Qwan Tomlin
2 points, 2 rebounds, 2 turnovers
The recent Qwan minutes haven’t been great. He threw some truly bad turnovers tonight and didn’t play in the second half.
Grade: F
Craig Porter Jr.
8 points, 9 assists, 2 rebounds
Porter finally returned to the rotation tonight as injuries cleared the way for him. He made the most of it, aiding Schroder in the Cavaliers’ huge third-quarter run. Porter’s downhill drives helped pull the offense out of the mud — and he threw some of the best passes to Allen all game.
Grade: A-
Dean Wade
0 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists
Wade wasn’t great tonight. He shot 0-4 from the floor, and his defense wasn’t as impactful as the Bucks’ spammed three-pointers, putting him into space and away from his size.
Grade: F
Thomas Bryant
11 points, 2 rebounds
Reliable. Bryant has stepped up and provided the Cavs with quality minutes whenever they need him.
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Nikita Kucherov scored to give him his ninth 30-goal season and added two assists for 701 in his career and the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 on Wednesday night for their sixth straight victory.
Brayden Point had two goals and an assist, Gage Goncalves had a goal and two assists and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 32 saves for the Lightning, who are 20-1-1 in their past 22 games. Vasilevskiy is 17-0-1 since Dec. 20.
Tampa Bay won in its first game back from the Olympic break without coach Jon Cooper on the bench. Cooper, who led Canada to the silver medal at the Milan Cortina Games, will miss two games after the death of his father, Robert.
Assistant Rob Zettler stepped in for Cooper and the Lightning ended the Maple Leafs' three-game winning streak.
The Russian-born Kucherov got his 700th assist in his 855th NHL game, becoming the second-fastest player born outside of North America to reach the mark and trailing only Peter Stastny (784 games). The milestone assist came on Goncalves' goal at 7:58 of the second period that gave the Lightning a 2-0 lead.
Kucherov's 30th goal came at 2:59 of the third and made it 3-0. His nine 30-goal seasons tie him with Steven Stamkos for the most in team history.
John Tavares and Matthew Knies scored and Anthony Stolarz made 32 saves for the Maple Leafs, whose five-game winning streak against the Lightning was stopped.
With Stolarz pulled to give Toronto an extra skater, Tavares scored with 3:41 remaining to end the shutout bid for Vasilevskiy. It came moments after Jake Guentzel missed an empty-net goal for the Lightning when his shot hit the post.
After Point made it 4-1, Knies capped the scoring with 2:47 left for Toronto. Auston Matthews had an assist on the goal, tying Tim Horton for 10th on the career franchise list with 349.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - FEBRUARY 25: Jalen Duren #0 Pistons high fives Ausar Thompson #9 of the Detroit Pistons during the second quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Little Caesars Arena on February 25, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. 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 Nic Antaya/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Despite the Thunder missing majority of their rotation with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Willians, Isaiah Hartenstein, Chet Holmgren, Alex Caruso, and Ajay Mitchell all reported as out, they were able to hold with Detroit early as they held a 17-16 lead halfway through the first quarter. Their second and third-stringers showed up ready to play as seven different Thunder players would score in the first as they ended the quarter with a 15-2 run to lead 34-22.
Detroit’s defense was missing, but they found offense through Jalen Duren. Without both of the OKC big men, Jaylin Williams was the lone man left to handle JD. Duren’s size would prove to be a problem early as he led the team in field goal attempts along with eight points and three rebounds.
The Pistons needed a spark in the second and they found it from their 9-to-5 crew.
We saw the typical Ron Holland on defense, but it was his offensive rebounding with Paul Reed that provided extra possessions for Detroit to start clawing back against OKC. There was one sequence where the two of them had three straight boards over the Thunder team and RoHo was able to get the layup to go. It hasn’t looked pretty from three recently for Ron, but you can never doubt his effort.
I thought Ausar had a great second quarter – he came in for Caris LeVert after LeVert picked up his third foul and instantly made an impact on both ends of the floor. He had a sequence of a block pinned against the backboard into a transition alley-oop to Jalen Duren, and it was one of those moments where I was convinced no one else on the team could replicate that.
Most importantly, he did a great job of operating with the ball despite the Thunder not respecting his jumper from deep. They guarded him from the block or the free throw line at times, but he was able to attack and kick to find teammates for an open three. He was able to be patient and get to the right elbow for a jumper, a spot we know he’s much more comfortable shooting from.
Between these two and Jalen Duren continuing to feast inside, Detroit was able to reclaim the lead late in the second. They ended the half on a 10-2 run and took a 58-52 lead. Duren led the way with 18 points and seven rebounds as OKC didn’t have an answer for him down low.
The Pistons were able to extend that lead into the third quarter. They forced an Oklahoma City timeout after Cade did his best Tayshaun Prince impression with a chase-down block followed by a transition bucket from Duncan Robinson gave Detroit a double-digit lead. Newly acquired Kevin Huerter even got some minutes before the end of the quarter.
With a 94-80 lead heading into the final frame, things were looking good for Detroit in the Battle of the #1 Seeds. OKC was playing a lot of zone defense, though, Cade did a good job of picking it apart. While the Pistons relied on scoring from inside, the Thunder looked to score from deep. They were consistently shooting threes, with 10 attempts coming from Jaylin Williams who finished with a career-high 30 points. The entire team would shoot 18-for-49 from deep – Detroit’s season-high in attempts is 43.
Those OKC threes landed in the fourth quarter and they made it a five-point game with 5:30 left behind a 11-2 Thunder run. Guards Aaron Wiggins, Cason Wallace, and Jarden McCain contributed with at least 20 points each. Every time they made it close, Cade would carve up the Oklahoma City defense to keep the game just out of reach. It wasn’t the performance you’d hope to see after hearing more than half of their rotation was out, but Detroit now owns a 1-0 record over OKC this season after a 124-116 victory tonight.
It was the Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren show for Detroit as they were the focal point of the offense and were able to capitalize with the lack of interior presence for the Thunder. Both players had 29 points while Cade added 13 assists and JD had 15 rebounds. The two combined to shoot 23-for-33 (69.7%) for an incredibly efficient night. Cunningham also added in multiple highlight reel blocks as he continues to show he’s a complete, two-way hooper.
Duncan Robinson had 16 points including three threes and five free throws, three of which came in the clutch after getting fouled on an attempted three-pointer with less than two minutes left. Ausar did Ausar things tonight and finished with a stat line of 11 points, four rebounds, seven assists, three steals, and two blocks. Thompson had a great bounce back game after being benched in the second half against San Antonio.
The gauntlet of potential playoff previews continues with another primetime matchup, this time on Friday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Feb 25, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) shoots against Milwaukee Bucks center Myles Turner (3) during the first quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
The shorthanded Cleveland Cavaliers fought hard, but they ran out of steam in the fourth quarter. Cleveland had a chance to tie the game in the final seconds. Jarrett Allen grabbed a Dennis Schroder miss, but his putback hookshot came just after time expired, leading to the 118-116 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks
This game was defined by who wasn’t playing, as opposed to who was. The Cavs were without Donovan Mitchell (groin), James Harden (thumb), and Evan Mobley (calf). Meanwhile, Milwaukee didn’t have Giannis Antetokounmpo (neck) and Taurean Prince (neck). Having this much firepower in street clothes isn’t ideal, but that’s become an increasingly common reality in the NBA this season.
Unsurprisingly, this led to what was a somewhat disjointed game that had wild swings back and forth, but not necessarily because of great play, but due to having players out of their ideal roles.
Allen wasn’t one of those players. He once again showed why getting him involved should be the priority of any team he’s on, no matter who’s in or out of the lineup.
The Cavs needed a big game from Allen, and he delivered. He outplayed his counterpart, Myles Turner, as he was able to consistently push Turner off his spots. Allen controlled the glass on both ends and was the focal point of the offense, putting up 27 points on 10-15 shooting to go along with 11 boards.
Despite the strong play from Allen, it wasn’t enough to get Cleveland the victory.
The Cavs took the lead early on, and it seemed like they were going to run away with it. But Milwaukee roared back due to their hot three-point shooting. They pushed their advantage to 12 midway through the third quarter, before the Cavs closed the frame on a run to capture a one-point lead heading into the fourth.
The final quarter was a slog. Neither team could create separation.
Milwaukee took a two-point lead late thanks to a midrange jumper from Kevin Porter Jr. with 20 seconds left. The Cavs weren’t able to respond. Dennis Schroder’s game-tying runner bounced out, and Allen couldn’t put it back in before the game clock expired.
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Opponent three-point shooting once again had an outsized impact on the outcome of the game. The Oklahoma City Thunder’s hot shooting helped lead them to victory on Sunday, the New York Knicks poor shooting did them yesterday, and the Bucks’ 42.2% shooting from three helped secure them the victory. The Cavs have prioritized taking away lanes to the basket, but they may need to find a better balance as the Bucks were able to generate too many easy outside looks despite not having much on-ball juice.
The Bucks were led by 20 points from Porter Jr., Ryan Rollins contributed 18, and Kyle Kuzma chipped in 17 on 5-10 shooting from deep.
Schroder did a superb job stepping into the starting role. He provided 26 points on 8-14 shooting and made several crucial baskets late despite seemingly turning his ankle in the final minutes. Schroder also had five assists and a steal.
Keon Ellis, Sam Merrill, and Jaylon Tyson each finished with 14 points.
The Cavs have now lost two of their last three, even though it’s difficult to be too upset about this one. Three of their key players didn’t participate, and this was the tail end of a back-to-back and their fifth game in seven nights.
Cleveland will head on the road to take on the conference-leading Detroit Pistons on Friday. Tip-off is at 7 PM.
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Tarris Reed Jr. had 20 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks, and No. 6 UConn held 15th-ranked St. John’s to 20% shooting in a 72-40 blowout Wednesday night that snapped the Red Storm’s 13-game winning streak.
Alex Karaban added 14 points and five rebounds for the Huskies, who moved back into first place in the Big East by avenging an 81-72 loss to St. John’s at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 6.
St. John’s missed 12 consecutive shots in the first half and then its final 24 field goal attempts of the game as the Huskies (26-3, 16-2) romped to their most lopsided victory in series history.
It was by far the largest defeat for the Johnnies in three seasons under Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino, and their fewest points in a game since a 66-40 loss at Notre Dame in March 2013.
Solo Ball had 11 points and four assists for UConn, and Silas Demary Jr. provided seven points, eight rebounds and five assists.
Joson Sanon scored all 10 of his points in the first half for St. John’s (22-6, 15-2), which finished 11 of 56 from the field and fell a half-game behind UConn in the conference standings. The team’s 13-game winning streak was its longest in 41 years.
NO. 7 FLORDA, 84, TEXAS 71
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Alex Condon scored 23 points, Boogie Fland had 22 and Florida beat Texas for its eighth consecutive victory.
Florida (22-6, 13-2 Southeastern Conference) has won seven straight SEC road games. The Gators have outscored their last eight opponents by an average of 20.5 points, rounding into form as they seek to defend their national title.
The 6-foot-11 Condon converted 10 of 12 shots from the field. He had five points and an assist during a 14-1 run gave the Gators a 75-65 lead with 4:16 remaining. Fland hit 7 of 10 shots and scored seven during the game-changing burst. Xavian Lee scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half.
Florida, a poor 3-point shooting team most of the season — 30% accuracy — has heated up to 36% during the winning streak. Coach Todd Golden’s Gators made 6 of 9 from long range during the second half against Texas, finishing 8 of 18.
Meantime, the Longhorns (17-11, 8-7) went without a field goal for the final 7:27.
Texas has lost two in a row after winning its previous five. Dailyn Swain led the Longhorns with 21 points, including 15 in the second half. Tramon Mark scored 15 points and Jordan Pope had 14.
NO. 9 GONZAGA 89, PORTLAND 48
SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Graham Ike scored 19 points and matched a school record with seven steals as Gonzaga routed Portland to clinch its first West Coast Conference regular-season championship in three years.
Braeden Smith added 15 points for the Bulldogs (28-2, 16-1), who avenged their 87-80 loss at Portland on Feb. 4. Mario Saint-Supery and Tyon Grant-Foster each scored 12, and Ike grabbed eight rebounds.
Joel Foxwell led the Pilots (12-18, 5-12) with 12 points. Portland shot 34.7% from the field and committed 22 turnovers.
NO. 12 NEBRASKA 74, MARYLAND 61
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Braden Frager scored 21 points off the bench to lead four Nebraska players in double figures and the Cornhuskers beat Maryland.
The Huskers (24-4) improved to 13-4 in Big Ten play, matching their program record for conference wins and moving them into a tie for second place with Illinois.
Pryce Sandfort made a couple of big 3-pointers late and finished with 16 points, Rienk Mast had 11 of his 13 in the second half and Sam Hoiberg had 12 points to go with seven rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Andre Mills had 16 of his 19 points in the second half for Maryland (11-17, 4-13) and Elijah Saunders scored all 15 of his points on a career-high five 3s. Solomon Washington added 13 points for the Terrapins.
NO. 17 ALABAMA 100, MISSISSIPPI STATE 75
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Amari Allen scored 23 points, Latrell Wrightsell Jr. added 18, and Alabama cruised to a win over Mississippi State.
Aden Holloway had 16 for the Crimson Tide (21-7, 11-4 Southeastern Conference), who started the game with five 3-pointers in a 15-2 run on their way to a season-high 16 3s in the first half. It was Alabama’s ninth straight game with at least 10 made 3-pointers.
Alabama leading scorer Labaron Philon missed the game with a left leg injury, coach Nate Oats said. Freshman London Jemison started in his place, which marked the team’s 13th different starting lineup this season — the most since Oats has coached the team (2019-present).
The Crimson Tide led 66-33 at halftime and pulled ahead by 39, knocking down 22 3-pointers (22 for 50), the most by an SEC team in conference play this season. Six different players connected on at least two 3-pointers and the team reached 100 points for the eighth time this season.
Mississippi State (13-15, 5-10) struggled offensively, particularly in the first half. Leading scorer Josh Hubbard, who entered the game as the SEC’s leading scorer at 22 points per game, scored 11 — his third lowest output this season.
Achor Achor had 18 to lead the Bulldogs.
NO. 20 ARKANSAS 99, TEXAS A&M 84
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Billy Richmond III scored 23 points and Arkansas took advantage of Texas A&M’s miscues to beat the Aggies.
Richmond, who shot 8 of 13 from the floor and has scored 20 points or more in the last four games, had 15 points in the first half as the Razorbacks (21-7, 11-4 Southeastern Conference) took a 37-28 lead into halftime.
They carried the advantage in large part because Texas A&M (19-8, 9-6) couldn’t take care of the ball. Thirteen first-half turnovers led to 15 points for Arkansas.
Darius Acuff Jr. scored 22 points for Arkansas, Malique Ewin had 18, Trevon Brazile 14 and Meleek Thomas 13. Acuff, who entered leading the SEC in scoring with 22.2 points per game, had been held to just five points until the final nine minutes as he made his last six of his last seven shots from the floor after a 1-for-12 start.
Zach Clemence came off the bench to score a career-high 29 points for Texas A&M. Rashaun Agee added 17.
NO. 25 VANDERBILT 88, GEORGIA 80
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Devin McGlockton had 17 points and 10 rebounds for his fourth double-double this season as Vanderbilt held off Georgia.
Tyler Tanner also scored 17 for the Commodores (22-6, 9-6 Southeastern Conference), who led by 20 in the first half before Georgia stormed back to tie the game midway through the second.
Two free throws by McGlockton with 3 1/2 minutes left made it a two-possession game, and the Bulldogs went scoreless from the field over the final 4:24.
Duke Miles scored 15 points off the bench for Vanderbilt, reaching double figures for the second consecutive game since returning from an injury. AK Okereke had 13 points, six rebounds and six assists. Tyler Nickel and Jalen Washington added 10 points apiece.
Jeremiah Wilkinson made five 3-pointers and finished with 28 points off the bench to lead Georgia (19-9, 7-8). Kanon Catchings had 15 points. Blue Cain added 10 points and tied the score at 62 on a second-chance 3 from the top of the arc.
MEMPHIS, TN - FEBRUARY 25: Brandin Podziemski #2 of the Golden State Warriors drives to the basket during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies on February 25, 2026 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Golden State Warriors started out their short two-game road trip in disappointing fashion, falling to the New Orleans Pelicans 113-109 on Tuesday night. But they rebounded — literally and figuratively — in emphatic fashion on Wednesday night, crushing the Memphis Grizzlies 133-112 in a game that wasn’t as close as the not-at-all close score might suggest.
It is, admittedly, what the Warriors probably felt they were supposed to do. Even on the road, even on the back end of a back-to-back, and even playing without Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler III, De’Anthony Melton, and Kristaps Porziņģis, the Warriors surely felt they should beat a Grizzlies team that is actively making no attempt to win games after trading Jaren Jackson Jr. at the trade deadline and gearing up for a rebuild.
But that didn’t make the effort any less impressive, especially considering just how shorthanded the team was. Just look at those names again: Curry! Green! Butler! Melton! Porziņģis! That’s a whole lot of talent missing for the Dubs, who started Brandin Podziemski, Will Richard, Moses Moody, Gui Santos, and Al Horford, while bringing just four players — Pat Spencer, Quinten Post, Gary Payton II, and two-way contract Malevy Leons — off the bench. Though the Grizzlies were, admittedly, without Ja Morant, among others.
And so the battle of the injured vs. the tanking commenced, and it did so with endless energy from both sides. The Warriors were flying around the court, which led to a fair amount of sloppiness, but resulted in more good than bad. They took an early 17-12 lead that forced a Grizzlies timeout.
Steve Kerr used that timeout to pound a little bal control into the team’s collective head, and they came out of it with impeccable offensive execution. The ball movement was exceptional, and you could see every high school and college coach grinning ear to ear as the Warriors repeatedly drove into the paint and kicked the ball out, drove back onto the paint and kicked the all out, repeating until a cutter or a shooter got wide open.
The Grizzlies started to close the gap, but Podziemski and Spencer were in control for the Warriors. But Memphis ended on a high note, as GG Jackson banked home a halfcourt jumper to beat the buzzer. After scoring just 19 points in the first quarter the night before, the Warriors had hung 34 on the Grizzlies … but allowed 31.
It all changed in the second quarter, though. The energy that defined the first quarter was dialed up a notch for Golden State, while Memphis failed to sustain it. It was a case of out-hustling and out-hearting for the Warriors, but it wasn’t just effort: the execution was utterly phenomenal. The team was cutting, cutting, and cutting some more, and within a few possessions it was a double-digit lead. Before you knew it, the lead had ballooned to 20, and then to 24 thanks to a 14-0 run. The youths were playing with endless energy and joy, while the veteran Horford was controlling all the action and holding down the fort on both ends of the court. It was a delight to watch, and the Warriors entered the halftime break with a 74-53 advantage, and total control of the game.
That control was threatened early in the third quarter. Memphis found their energy at the half and that, combined with the Warriors jumpers going cold to start the third quarter, made things look dangerous for a little bit. The Grizzlies started to cut into the deficit, but the Warriors were able to hold court.
It wasn’t always pretty. Things got a little hectic, and at times it felt like the Dubs were leaking oil, yet they never let the Grizzlies actually get close. Every sloppy play or missed rotation was met with a deflection, a cut, or a rebound from someone crashing from the wing. They weren’t just responding to the punches thrown by Memphis, but countering their own mistakes, and sustaining the lead.
Richard in particular came up huge in the second half, seemingly deflecting a pass on every defensive position, and repeatedly leaking out for uncontested buckets at the rim. Despite having their momentum threatened, the Warriors still led 96-76 entering the final quarter.
From there, they settled into a smooth and easy win. The Grizzlies had given it a run in the third quarter, and had nothing left in the tank for the fourth. The Warriors kept cutting and kept busting their butts down the court, earning transition opportunities galore.
The only question in the fourth was whether or not Leons could get to double figures for the first time in his career, as all eight other players had cruised to that mark. Tragically, the youngster left the team — and Bob Fitzgerald in particular — hanging. He made it to nine points, earned. atrip to the free throw line, and then missed both shots. So it goes.
It was a might impressive performance up and down the roster. The Warriors outrebounded the Grizzlies 56-39, and forced 16 turnovers. They outscored their counterparts in the paint 58-44, and in transition 17-13. The Dubs made 49 baskets, and 37 of them were assisted.
A day after not taking a single shot, Richard led the team with 21 points on 9-for-15 shooting, and added five rebounds, six assists, and three steals. Spencer nearly had a double-double with 12 points and nine assists, while Podziemski flirted with a triple-double, finished the game with 19 points, eight rebounds, and six assists. Post and Horford were both very strong in the paint, with the former having 12 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks, and the latter 10 points, seven rebounds, and one swat. Leons may have failed to make it a clean sweep of players in double figures, but he grabbed eight rebounds, dished two assists, grabbed two steals, and blocked a shot in less than 18 minutes of action.
Fantastic play up and down the roster, and a very nice win.
With none of the other Western Conference play-in tournament teams in action, the Warriors moved to 31-28 on the year, and within two games of the Phoenix Suns … while moving to three games ahead of the Portland Trail Blazers and LA Clippers. They now get a pair of days off before hosting the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — S’Mya Nichols made 15 of 17 from the free-throw line — 8 of 8 in the final 3 1/2 minutes — and finished with 19 points to help Kansas beat No. 20 Texas Tech 68-59 on Wednesday night.
Nichols is the first Kansas player to make at least 15 free throws in a game since Carolyn Davis also hit 15 at Wisconsin on Nov. 2, 2010.
The Jayhawks (18-11, 8-9 Big 12) have won three straight and five of their last six — the only loss in the span coming at then-No. 16 Texas Tech, 70-65, on Feb. 10.
Sarengbe Sanogo had a career-high 16 points on 8-of-10 shooting, six rebounds and a season-high five blocks for Texas Tech (24-6, 11-6). Snudda Collins added 11 points and Bailey Maupin, who went 0 for 8 from 3-point range, scored 10. Collins and Maupin were each 4-of-14 shooting.
Jaliya Davis had 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Jayhawks. Elle Evans hit three 3-pointers and finished with 11 points and Regan Williams scored 10.
The Lady Raiders were just 1-of-7 shooting over the final five minutes as the Jayhawks closed on a 16-3 run.
The Jayhawks shot 89% from the free-throw line, where they outscored Texas Tech 24-5.
Bristow and Denae Fritz fouled out with about three minutes to play and three other TTU players had four personal fouls. The Lady Raiders were called for 27 fouls, Kansas just 16.
Up next
Texas Tech: Wraps up the regular season Sunday at home against Arizona State.
Kansas: Visits Oklahoma State on Saturday in the regular-season finale.
HOUSTON (AP) — Reed Sheppard made a career-high seven 3-pointers and scored 28 points, Alperen Sengun had 26 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists, and the Houston Rockets beat the Sacramento Kings 128-97 on Wednesday night.
Kevin Durant added 21 points for the Rockets in their most-lopsided victory of the season. Houston has won two in row since blowing an 18-point lead in the fourth quarter at New York on Saturday.
Russell Westbrook scored 22 points for Sacramento, but 17 came in the first quarter. DeMar DeRozan added 15 on a night he moved ahead of Paul Pierce into 20th place on the NBA's career scoring list.
The Kings were coming off a victory over Memphis that snapped their franchise-record 16-game losing streak.
Westbrook was 8 for 14 in the first quarter, with his 17 points his most in a first quarter since getting that many against Utah on Feb. 9, 2020. But the rest of the Kings were 1 for 10 and Houston led 33-22. The Rockets then outscored the Kings 44-28 in the second, going 8 for 12 from 3-point range, to lead 77-50 at the break.
Sengun had his third triple-double of the season and 11th of his career. Houston shot 54.7% from the field and hit 17 of its first 30 shots.
The Rockets led by 36 points in the fourth quarter.
The Kings lost starting forward Keegan Murray to a left ankle injury in the first quarter.
They practiced for less than an hour on Wednesday after multiple sessions that went over 80 minutes on Sunday and Monday. Wednesday's practice featured Samuel Girard on a pair with Kris Letang after the former was acquired by the Penguins from the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday. The Penguins also got a 2028 second-round pick in that trade, while sending Brett Kulak the other way.
A Girard-Letang pairing was something I hinted at in my Tuesday column, and it has the potential to be a peak chaos pair. However, if it doesn't work out, they could look to move Girard down to the third pair with Connor Clifton or Ilya Solovyov. Ryan Shea would likely move up to the second pair with Letang in that instance.
Regardless, Girard is another puck-mover who the Penguins need on their backend. He's good in transition and exiting his own zone with control.
He's also super happy about landing in Pittsburgh.
"Very happy," Girard told SportsNet Pittsburgh's Hailey Hunter. "Like I said, it's a great organization, great players have been through here, and I'm very excited to be around those guys. Those guys have been together for a while, so very excited."
- Sidney Crosby missed practice and will be out for a minimum of four weeks with a lower-body injury. He suffered the injury during the quarterfinals of the Olympics against Czechia.
Rickard Rakell centered the top line during Wednesday's practice and is slated to stay in that spot when the Penguins play on Thursday. He had Avery Hayes and Bryan Rust as his wingers.
The Pittsburgh Penguins celebrate a goal scored by forward Rickard Rakell (67) during the second period against the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images
- Speaking of Rust, he knows how important that "next man" mentality is for the team since Crosby is going to be out for a bit.
"It's super important," Rust said after practice. "Anytime anybody goes out of the lineup, I think everybody's kind of got to ramp up their game a little bit. Guys are going to have opportunities to play in positions that they otherwise may not have been able to play in."
- Ben Kindel is one of many players who will likely see an increased workload with Crosby out, and he's more than ready for it.
"Just collectively as a group, everybody's going to have to step up a little bit and chip in just a little bit more," Kindel said. "I'm ready for any extra that I need to do to help the team win, and I'll always be ready for that, no matter what the situation is."
Kindel has passed every test that the coaching staff and management staff have given him this year, so what's one more?
The Penguins have dealt with injuries throughout the season, but this might be their biggest challenge yet, since it's an injury to their best player and it comes during a time when the schedule is turning nasty. Once they get past the Devils and the New York Rangers games, they'll be facing playoff team after playoff team once March starts on Sunday.
Here's what the lines looked like on Wednesday:
Forwards
Avery Hayes-Rakell-Rust
Kevin Hayes-Novak-Malkin
Mantha-Kindel-Brazeau
Dewar-Lizotte-Acciari
Defensive pairs
Wotherspoon-Karlsson
Girard-Letang
Shea-Clifton
Kevin Hayes was in Egor Chinakhov's spot on the second line since Chinakhov and his wife welcomed the birth of their first child.
Chinakhov will likely play on Thursday, meaning Hayes will be the 13th forward. He's been the 13th forward throughout practice this week.
Puck drop for Thursday's game is set for 7 p.m. ET.
TORONTO, CANADA - FEBRUARY 25: Dylan Harper #2 of the San Antonio Spurs drives to the net against RJ Barrett #9 of the Toronto Raptors during the first half at Scotiabank Arena on February 25, 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
The San Antonio Spurs found themselves down twelve to the Toronto Raptors. They kicked up the defensive intensity at the start of the fourth quarter, outscoring Toronto 32-17 in the final frame to secure the 110-107 victory. The Spurs nearly lost a free-throw battle down the stretch. The team went 13-23 from the line for the game, but made enough free throws to squeak out the win.
On a night when Victor Wembanyama was held quiet, the Spurs guards stepped up to carry the offensive load. Devin Vassell had 21 points while hitting 5 three-pointers, De’Aaron Fox had 20 points, including some clutch shots in the fourth quarter, and Dylan Harper had 15 points and 7 assists off the bench. Toronto had a similarly balanced offensive attack, with Brandon Ingram and Immanuel Quickley leading the team with 20 points apiece.
With the win, the Spurs have won 10 straight games, with a record of 42-16. They’ll look to extend their winning streak against the Brooklyn Nets tomorrow night.
Observations
Wembanyama seemed frustrated the entire game. He had 12 points on 3-12 shooting, adding 8 rebounds and 5 blocks. The Raptors were incredibly physical with him, not letting him catch the ball inside and staying in front of him on the perimeter. He was incredibly impactful defensively, but just couldn’t shake free offensively.
Harper had one of his best games of the season. Despite Toronto’s physical pressure defense, he remained calm and played at his own pace. Defensively, he guarded with physicality and did a great job staying in front of Ingram in the fourth quarter.
The Spurs are one of the best teams in the NBA at holding teams from scoring off their turnovers. They allowed the Raptors to score 23 points off their 13 turnovers on Wednesday night. It was one of the main reasons that Toronto was able to build a big lead going into the fourth quarter.
Old friend Jakob Poeltl had a great game for the Raptors. He put up 15 points, 7 rebounds, and had 3 blocks. He was incredibly effective on Wembanyama. Late in the game, the Spurs’ superstar tried to get Poeltl in isolation, but couldn’t get around Toronto’s center. It was one of the more impressive defensive showings from an opposing big man this season.
With a Spurs win and an Oklahoma City Thunder loss to the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night, San Antonio is now two games back from the number one seed in the West. There is a very real chance that the Spurs can catch OKC for first place.
Fox hit a shot in the fourth quarter that made my mouth drop. With three seconds left on the shot clock, he fought through tough perimeter defense and found himself behind the backboard. He tossed up a lefty floater that swished in gently.
DENVER, CO - NOVEMBER 13: From left, Colorado Rockies Executive Vice President Walker Monfort, new President of Baseball Operations Paul DePodesta and owner Dick Monfort during Depodesta's introductory press conference at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado on Thursday, November 13, 2025. (Photo by Andy Cross/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images) | Denver Post via Getty Images
Introduction
When the expansion franchise Colorado Rockies first came into existence in the early 1990s, it could be forgiven if a team didn’t have a dedicated analytics department and instead relied on the traditional old school way of running a baseball team. It has been over 20 years since Michael Lewis’s 2003 book Moneyball popularized SABREmetrics and stastical analysis in baseball and I would say that it’s clearly a disadvantage for any team to not be utilizing the best analytical tools in every step of player development and acquisition. Dick and Charles Monfort, the majority owners lf the Colorado Rockies since 2005, never got that memo apparently, nor did they read the book, or even bothered seeing the Brad Pitt lead adaptation released in 2011, because during their ownership the Rockies have had either no stastical analysis/analytics department or one that was so inadequate as to be considered a joke.
The competitive disadvantage it has given the Rockies is very clearly demonstrated by the fact they have the worst winning percentage (.456) out of all the active MLB franchises, that they have only eight seasons with a winning record, and not once have they won the NL West division title. The last Rockies winning season was in 2018, when they had a 91-71 record. Somehow, even after the Rockies lost 103 games in 2023 and 101 games in 2024, it still was not enough for Rockies ownership to make any changes to the way organization is run. Only after spending the majority of the 2025 season on pace for theworstseason ever in MLB history and finishing with a 119 losses, did it finally prompt ownership to actually do something about it.
Now with the obligatory backstory out of the way, it makes it much easier to understand how the Rockies biggest acquisition of this past offseason wasn’t a free agent signing or a trade, it was the hiring of a new president of baseball operations, Paul DePodesta, who then brought in former Dbacks and Padres General Manager Josh Byrnes as the new GM. Never mind the fact that Paul DePodesta has not worked in pro baseball for nearly a decade, and instead had been the chief strategy officer for a terrible Cleveland Browns team in the NFL that has stayed pretty terrible. For a team that has essentially operated in the baseball equivalent of the stone age, it’s revolutionary move.
(Note: If you’ve only seen the movie, Jonah Hill’s character Peter Brand is a composite character largely based on Paul DePodesta, who didn’t allow his name to be used in the film)
The Rockies could have signed the top FA at every position and they still probably wouldn’t be competitive enough to win the NL West, especially with a top heavy farm system that lacks any depth. No executive is capable of turning around a historically bad MLB team in the span of an offseason, especially when it’s a franchise that hasn’t had a winning season since 2018. In the 25 years that I’ve been a fan of MLB i don’t think I have liked anything the Rockies FO has done. So it should speak for itself when I say that I actually like what Depodesta and Byrnes have accomplished so far in their short amount of time in charge of the Rockies, even if I don’t think there will be any immediate results. Claimingfirst baseman Troy Johnston off waivers, for example, might be one of the best under the radar moves by an NL West team during this past offseason. While not a top prospect due to his lack of power for a first baseman, his pro career reminds me of Christian Walker prior to getting a chance with the Diamondback. He looks primed now to breakout with Rockies while still being under team control for another five seasons. T.J.Rumfield, who was acquired in exchange for RHP Angel Chivilli, gives them another option at first besides Johnston. Edouard Julien is a nice bounceback option at second base.
The real issue for the Rockies is and always will be the starting pitching. Although all three free agent starters signed are out of the bargain bin, it appears to me that there’s an actual strategy there of trying to finding pitchers with a large selection of pitches. RJ Petit was a no-brainer choice for the Rockies to take in the Rule 5 draft and he is just a solid cost-controlled young pitching option.
There appears to be strategy to mitigate some of the challenges of pitching with outfield defense. It’s baffling that that outfield defense has never been a priority considering how much Coors Field’s gigantic outfield punishes bad defense. Seeing a well past his prime Charlie Blackmon struggle with getting to any ball is why I like the Jake McCarthy trade so much for the Rockies. McCarthy actually seems like a great fit for Coors Field not only defensively, but offensively as well thanks to his speed on the basepaths and willingness to take extra bases
This is still a team that likely will finish in dead last not just in the NL West but all of MLB and even best case scenario still won’t win the NL West division title, but I think the most important thing for Rockies fans is that there’s now hope for their team to be competitive again
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 12: Wilmer Flores #41 of the San Francisco Giants singles during the game at Oracle Park on August 12, 2025 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Andy Kuno/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It’s Wednesday evening here at BCB After Dark: the grooviest get-together of night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. It’s so good to see you. We’re busy tonight, but we’ll make room for you. There’s no cover charge. The dress code is casual. We’re getting a table ready for you now. Bring your own beverage.
BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.
Last night I asked you if we should “Let Pete be Pete” or whether he should tone down his fiery nature. Fully 72 percent of you don’t want Pete Crow-Armstrong to change anything about his personality. The rest were fairly split down the middle between whether PCA should only tone it down on the field or everywhere.
Boy, are Dodgers fans angry about this one. At least the “online” ones. I always have to keep reminding myself that the majority of people aren’t scanning social media for stuff to get angry about.
Here’s the part where we listen to jazz and talk movies. You can skip this part if you want. I mean, you can skip reading the entire thing if you want, but you no doubt realize that it’s too late for that now.
I’ve been re-visiting Miles Davis’ early electric period lately, so I’m going to share some of that with you. Here’s the title track (and all of side two) of In a Silent Way, the album that revolutionized what jazz could be. (And that’s not the first time Miles did that.)
This is the period where Miles was transitioning away from the Second Great Miles Davis Quintet and towards the electric group that played on his next (and more famous) album, Bitches Brew. Wayne Shorter is still on saxophone and Herbie Hancock is still on piano, except that it’s an electric piano and he’s joined by another legendary player on electric piano, Chick Corea. Joe Zawinul, who wrote the first part of this suite, plays the organ. John McLaughlin joins Miles for the first time on electric guitar. Dave Holland has replaced Ron Carter on bass but Tony Williams is still the drummer.
We’re done with the BCB Winter Science Fiction Classic now and we’ll have seven more months before we have to decide what we’ll talk about next winter. That means I have to go back to writing about movies on my own, at least if I want to keep the format of this feature the same. I may temporarily stop writing about movies in a week or so because the World Baseball Classic may be taking up all of my time. But I have a little time to write about film in the meantime.
I’m going to depart from my traditional way of writing about an old movie a week. When writing about the winner of our recent tournament, 2001: A Space Odyssey, I mentioned that the most recent (2022) BFI Sight & Sound critics poll of the greatest films of all time listed 2001 as the sixth-greatest film of all-time. When I went back to the list to double check that, I realized that since I had recently watched director Wong Kar-wai’s 200o film In the Mood for Love, I had seen seven of the top ten films on that list. Since the other three movies were easy enough to track down and watch, I did that. The three films I hadn’t yet seen were director Yasujirō Ozu’s Tokyo Story (1953), director Claire Denis’ Beau Travail (1999) and director Dziga Vertov’s Man with a Movie Camera (1929). Over the past week or so, I’ve watched all three of those films, so I can say I’ve seen the top ten movies of all time, at least according to one list.
So today I thought I’d start by giving you some quick thoughts on all ten of those films. I’m not going to go in depth on any of them and some of them I’ve written about before. I’ll write about the first two tonight and try to get to the rest when I have the chance.
Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles. (1975) Directed by Chantal Akerman. Starring Delphine Seyrig.
I wrote about Jeanne Dielman before and looking back at what I wrote about it, man, was I too harsh. I understand why I was too harsh—I’ll get to that in a minute—but the farther away I get from the ordeal of actually having to watch Jeanne Dielman, the more I’ve come to appreciate it.
The thing that impresses me about Jeanne Dielman is the impact the film has. I originally wrote that I was still thinking about the film three days after having seen it. It’s been three years now since I watched Jeanne Dielman and I’m still thinking about it. This is a movie with the kind of real power that ninety-nine percent of films do not have. It’s genius. I don’t think I got that in 2022. I do now.
Having said that, I wrote that watching it was an ordeal and I stick by that. Akerman seemingly borrowed a lot from experimental theater of the time. I don’t know if she was familiar with the works of Robert Wilson, but that’s what I was reminded of. The film is almost three-and-a-half hours long and nothing happens over the first three hours. That’s not quite true. For example, Dielman drops a brush while cleaning midway through the film and that’s significant, although it doesn’t seem so at the time. But it’s not what any of us in the audience would call action. It’s silently dropping a brush and picking it up. Watching Jeanne Dielman is a test of your endurance. You’ll be rewarded in the end, but it won’t seem worth it while you’re doing it.
Would I put it in my top ten? Maybe. It’s certainly a film that’s changed the way I interact with movies and the farther the actual experience of watching it is in my rearview mirror, the more I enjoy it. I don’t begrudge anyone who voted it number one anymore. But I would not make it my number one and please don’t make me watch it again or I might hate it again.
2. Vertigo. (1958) Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Starring James Stewart and Kim Novak.
Jeanne Dielman knocked Vertigo off the top spot as Hitchcock’s masterpiece won the previous 2012 poll. I wrote about Vertigo last winter when we did our Alfred Hitchcock tournament. I seeded it as the number-one Hitchcock movie, although the more crowd-pleasing North by Northwest ended up winning the whole thing. (And man, I do love North by Northwest too, so that result didn’t disappoint me.)
I don’t think I truly appreciated Vertigo until I got a 4K UHD Blu-Ray copy of it and could really take in the visual feast that Hitchcock and cinematographer Robert Burks put together. I’m sure the first time I saw Vertigo was on a rented VHS tape on a standard 1980s television with tinny mono sound. I remember for years thinking that Vertigo was just good, but that there were at least a five or six Hitchcock films that were better. The technology of the times couldn’t capture the artistry of Vertigo. I’m not even sure if most theaters in 1958 could capture it, although I’m sure they did a whole lot better than my TV. Psycho, which was made with a TV crew and a TV budget, played a lot better on a VCR than Vertigo ever did.
I had to watch Vertigo three or four times before I realized it’s a masterpiece. It looks gorgeous and every shot is perfectly composed. Speaking of composed, I might prefer the Bernard Herrmann score in other Hitchcock films, but his work on Vertigo is fantastic as well. Both Stewart and Novak give powerful performances. And I guess as I get older, the film’s themes of madness and obsession resonate more with me.
Would I put it in my top ten? Definitely. I’d probably vote for it as number one. Vertigo is everything cinema should be. I could watch it ten more times and never get bored.
Next time, I’ll try to write about Citizen Kane and Tokyo Story.
Welcome back to everyone who skips all that other stuff.
The Cubs got some bad news today as first baseman Tyler Austin underwent knee surgery and would be out for “months,” according to manager Craig Counsell. Now I don’t know if “months” means two months or eight months, but I’m going to assume that with the surgery, recovery and time to ramp back up, Austin is probably out until at least July. Early June would probably be a best-case scenario, but August or September isn’t out of the question. Heck, the entire season is possible.
Austin, 34, who was returning to MLB after a successful six-year career in NPB, isn’t one of the key players on the Cubs roster. But he was expected to fill the role that Justin Turner played last year: a right-handed bat off the bench and depth at first base.
Without Austin, the Cubs are thin at first. Yes, Michael Busch returns and he is one of the top first basemen in the game these days. The Cubs have also said that they expect Busch to play a lot more against left-handed starters this year. But on the days Busch doesn’t play, there aren’t a lot of good options. Rookie Moisés Ballesteros has a fair amount of experience at first in the minor leagues, but he also bats left-handed and thus isn’t a good choice to give Busch a day off against a tough lefty. He’s also not a terrific defensive first baseman, although he may be at least OK there, which is more than you can say about his catching.
Ian Happ has played 11 games in the majors at first and I suppose that whoever ends up winning the fourth outfielder role could man left field while Happ is at first. But that doesn’t solve the right-handed bat on the bench problem, nor is it really a long-term solution if Busch got hurt. None of the three non-roster invitee outfielders, Dylan Carlson, Chas McCormick and Michael Conforto, have any real experience at first base. Conforto is a left-handed bat to boot. (Carlson is a switch-hitter who hits lefties better.) Matt Shaw is a right-handed bat off the bench, but he has zero experience at first base. Plus, the Cubs want him playing all over the diamond and not just at first.
The Cubs do have one option in the minor leagues in first baseman prospect Jonathon Long. Long is right-handed and has played the majority of his career at first base. He could be an easy in-house solution for the hole that Austin’s injury has left.
There are a couple of caveats to Long, however. While Long had a good year in Triple-A Iowa last year, we know that with the contraction of the minor leagues, the jump from Triple-A to the majors is greater than it’s ever been. Even top prospects have struggled with it to start their careers. By the time Long got the hang of hitting major league pitching, it might be July and Austin might be ready to return.
Long’s ZiPS projections for 2026 in the majors aren’t great either at .246/.334/.372. To be fair, those batting average and OBP projections are pretty close to what they projected for Austin, although Austin was projected for more power with a .459 slugging percentage.
Finally, if you really think Jonathon Long is a good major league prospect, do you really want him sitting on a major league bench getting six or seven at-bats a week? Don’t you want him working on his skills down in Iowa? Long could especially work on increasing his power totals if he wants to be a starting first baseman in the majors (and he does).
There is one other option. While almost every first base free agent has signed with a team already, there is still one on the market: Wilmer Flores. The 34-year-old 12-year right-handed hitting veteran is still unsigned, even though he didn’t have a bad year last year. With the Giants, Flores hit .241/.307/.379 with 16 home runs in 125 games. Signing Flores would give the Cubs an almost like-for-like replacement for Austin, although Flores won’t have to re-adjust himself to major league pitching.
I’m sure the reason that Flores hasn’t signed yet is that he wants a major league deal. Were he willing to accept a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training, someone would have given that to him by now. To sign him, the Cubs would have to give him guaranteed money, which would certainly put the Cubs into the luxury tax penalty, if they aren’t already in that territory now.
The good news, however, is that Flores probably won’t need a lot of money. He inked a two-year extension with the Giants in 2022 that had a player option for 2025 at $3.5 million. Flores exercised that player option. So he agreed to play for the Giants on a one-year, $3.5 million deal last year and is probably looking for something similar this year. Going $3 million or so over the first luxury tax threshold is a minor penalty for a team like the Cubs.
So should the Cubs try to bring in Wilmer Flores to replace Tyler Austin before some other team snaps him up? Or should they just try to make due with the players currently in the organization?
Thanks to everyone who stopped by this week and especially a big thank you to everyone who joined the conversation. We are always glad to hear from our patrons. Please get home safely. If it’s snowy by your house, take extra care. We want you back next week. Tell your friends about us. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again next week for more BCB After Dark.
The latest man to attempt to improve the NBA's premier weekend is Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia, who is ready to put some money up for All-Stars to compete in the highly-anticipated annual All-Star competitions.
Ishbia even said on "The Pat McAfee Show" on Wednesday, Feb. 25, that he is willing to offer $1 million to the 2027 NBA dunk contest and 3-point contest winners.
He said he wants "to get the best guys" to participate during next year's All-Star Weekend, which will be held in Phoenix.
McAfee proposed that Ishbia put up $2 million, one for the winner and another one for a local charity.
"Done," Ishbia responded.
"We're hosting the All-Star Game in Phoenix next year..
Ishbia told McAfee that he will have a say in how to improve All-Star Weekend.
"Not the actual game part of it, like how they do East versus West, or World versus U.S., but I have a say in 'how do we get great players in it?" Ishbia said. "How do we make it a great event? How to make (the) fan experience phenomenal? We're gonna make it an amazing event."
McAfee challenged Ishbia to share the details, asking him to announce what he's planning for the dunk contest, and offered a proposal. Ishbia was all ears.
"You're gonna put a million dollars up for the winner and then a million dollar donation to a charity," McAfee said.
Ishbia quickly responded in excitement, "done" and added, "Let's get the best guys in it. Let’s make it awesome."
Will the NBA allow Mat Ishbia to pay players?
The idea proposed by McAfee and verbally agreed upon by Ishbia is illegal by NBA rules and regulations, according to ESPN.
Officials from the NBA league office and players' union told ESPN that Ishbia's generous donations would not "conform with the existing bonus structure."
Additionally, Ishbia did not consult the league office before making the offer, according to ESPN.
Ishbia remains motivated to find a way to get more stars into the events.
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — U.S. Olympian Tage Thompson scored his 31st goal of the season and added an assist to help the Buffalo Sabres beat the New Jersey Devils 2-1 on Wednesday night in the NHL’s return to action.
Thompson had three goals and an assist in six games in Milan for the champion United States.
Peyton Krebs also had a goal and an assist, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 27 saves. The Sabres have won seven of 10 to improve to 33-19-6.
Buffalo is looking to make the playoffs for the first time in 14 seasons. The Sabres entered Wednesday night in the top wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Thompson scored in the second period, and Krebs made it 2-0 midway through the third. Timo Meier scored for New Jersey with 2:30 to play.
U.S. Olympic hero Jack Hughes was honored by the Devils before the game, and assisted on Meier’s goal. The Devils showed video of Hughes’ overtime goal in the United States’ 2-1 victory over Canada on Sunday in the gold-medal game.
Jake Allen had 28 saves for New Jersey. The Devils are 28-28-2.
High fives are in order for Eric Maisonet after the Tigers took down Arkansas-Pine Bluff in a 5-1 game on Wednesday, Feb. 25, in Columbia, Mo. | Courtesy of Mizzou Athletics
The Missouri Tigers are coming in hot with a five game winning streak and have claimed 111 runs in nine games. After a dominant 15-1, run-rule victory in the home opener, the Tigers followed it up with another clutch performance to secure the series sweep, and improved to a 7-2 record on the season. They are sending the fans a clear message: this lineup and pitching staff is ready for anything.
Game 1 Remarks
Tuesday’s opener was a display of offensive firepower and a standout pitching game. After a slow start, the Tigers woke up in the third inning and sent 11 batters to the plate. Freshman Blaize Ward started the inning up with a double to center, followed by Isaiah Frost’s single to left. Bases-loaded walks from Pierre Seals and Sam Parker brought the first runs home, and Serna extended with an RBI groundout. Chris Patterson and Eric Maisonet knocked up hits as well which gave Missouri a 5-1 advantage.
In the fifth, Serna launched a 407-foot homer and the sixth inning was quite a show. Serna had a two-run single and James Woita hit a three-run blast. Tyler Macon had a two-RBI single, which made the score 15-1.
Stellar Pitching Performance
On the mound, Dohrmann allowed just one hit. His performance extended Missouri’s streak of starting pitchers going at least five innings to open the season to eight straight games. Dane Bjorn finished the game as a reliever and threw a clean seventh inning with a strikeout to close out the first game against Pine Bluff.
Game 2 Success
The second game of the series was a whole different game. Freshman Luke Sullivan, who relieved during the New Haven series, had his first collegiate start and quickly proved his depth on the mound. Through the first three innings, he allowed just one hit with three strikeouts. By the fourth and fifth innings, Sullivan took command, adding two more strikeouts and kept Pine Bluff off the board.
Highlight of Game 2
Missouri’s offense finally broke through in the bottom of the sixth. Frost broke Medellin’s no-hitter in the bottom of the sixth and lined the Tigers’ first hit of the afternoon to the right side of the infield. Tyler Macon added to the inning with a hit down the right field line, moving Frost to third base with Mizzou runners on the corners.
Soon after, Cameron Benson drew a walk to load the bases. Even after Sam Parker struck out, this inning was far from over. Serna launched a 341-foot grand slam to left field for the Tigers which brought their lead to 4-1 and completely changed the game. This was his second home run of the series.
Frost got his second hit of the day for the Tigers and Macon laid down a bunt, which safely moved Frost to second. Seals followed with a walk, and loaded the bases up for the Tigers. Serna grounded out, but it was just enough to bring Frost home and stretched the lead to 5-1.
Notable Relievers
The Tigers’ pitching staff did not go unnoticed. Jackson Sobel came in for his second appearance and battled through a tense sixth inning. He recorded a huge strikeout after a wild pitch, but allowed the lone run to make it 4-1.
During the top of the seventh, former shortstop Trey Lawrence picked up his first strikeout. Sam Rosand struck a batter out in the eighth, but with bases loaded, a new pitcher was needed.
The Closer We Needed
Left-handed Ian Lohse came in to relieve Rosand in the bottom of the eight with two outs and runners on all bases. Lohse managed to strike out the batter to save the inning and allow no runners to score. Lohse closed out the top of the ninth in style.
Macon caught a ball in center for the first out, followed by a sharp strikeout from Lohse for number two. Then, with the count full at 3‑2, Lohse took charge of the final batter, and secured the series win against Pine Bluff for the Tigers 5-1.
Defense That Cannot Be Stopped
Missouri’s defense proved a steady backbone for the Tigers throughout this series win. The team recorded 21 putouts and 12, and committed just one error for a .971 fielding percentage. Mizzou had heads up moments from Blaize Ward and Eric Maisonet, which included a key tag at second, which helped keep Dohrmann’s day on a roll.
On day two, the defense was just as reliable. They finished with a 1.000 fielding percentage, 27 putouts and 2 assists. The pitching defense was substantially strong as pitchers were aggressive with runners on base and managed two key strikeouts when needed. Missouri also threw out a runner at second, which limited the Lions’ chances to put pressure on the bases.
Offensive Takeaways
Day one of the series the Tigers scored 15 runs on eight hits and drew 12 walks. They only struck out six times in 26 at-bats. Mizzou capitalized on every opportunity and had 13 RBIs, spreading the scoring across all nine lineup spots. They also managed to trigger the run-rule victory during four of their games.
Day two focused more on situational hitting. The Tigers collected five hits in 29 at-bats (.172), but came through when needed. With two outs, Mizzou went 1-for-9 but drove in four RBIs, showing their ability to perform under pressure.
When runners were on base, the Tigers hit .333 (3-for-9) and moved five of eleven runners to better scoring positions. While the Tigers struggled against left-handed pitching on both days, going 0-for-7 on Day 2 and 3-for-19 vs. LHP on Day 1, their overall production caused them to take on huge leads against Pine Bluff.
Macon leads the batting leaderboard with a blazing .556 average, setting the pace for the Tigers. Frost is close behind at .550, while Eric Maisonet holds third with a strong .400. Jase Woita holds the lead in home runs with three, while Serna has two. Macon is making plays on the bases as well, leading the team with four stolen bases.
On the mound, Dohrmann has been lights-out, leading the staff with a stellar 1.64 ERA. Right behind him, Javyn Pimental and Josh McDevitt are keeping the pressure on, each posting an impressive 1.80 ERA to rank second and third overall. Lohse is in four with an ERA of 1.93.
The Tigers are set to face-off against North Dakota State, with their current record of 1-7. Currently, they are 0-6 during away games, so the Tigers will have to take that into consideration. Caleb Corbin for NDSU has the highest batting average at .407. On the pitching side, Braden Gluth sits with an ERA of 1.94.
Their three-game series will begin at 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 27, at home in Taylor Stadium. The home series will continue during the weekend, where the games will be at 2 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday.
