Rusty Hardin and Letitia Quinones-Hollins, attorneys for Patrick Beverley, released a statement Monday, Feb. 23: "Several months ago, we said that when all the information was in – when a grand jury could hear all the facts of this case – Patrick Beverley would be cleared of all charges. That is what happened today, when a grand jury sitting in Fort Bend County no-billed Patrick, effectively ending the case.
"Patrick wants everyone to know that he would never do anything to harm his sister and that he is very grateful that the grand jury has recognized that with their no-bill. He is thankful for all who prayed for him and supported him during this time. He is glad that the process was allowed to work as it did and his hope is that with these charges behind him now, his name and reputation will be restored."
Beverley had been accused of assaulting his teenage sister and faced a third-degree felony assault charge for the alleged incident. The arrest circumstances were detailed in a probable cause affidavit obtained by USA TODAY Sports.
According to that affidavit, deputies were dispatched to the home of Beverley's mother, Lisa, in Rosharon, Texas, a Houston suburb, in the early morning hours of Nov. 14. The mother had called Beverley to confront his teenage sister and her 18-year-old boyfriend, both of whom were in the residence. Upon arriving at the home, Beverley then confronted his sister, who is 15 years old.
The affidavit stated that the sister had snuck out to meet her boyfriend, identified as being 18 years old.
Feb 21, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Houston Rockets guard Amen Thompson (1) at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Houston Rockets vs Utah Jazz
February 23, 2026
Location: Toyota Center, Houston, TX
TV: Peacock, Space City Home Network
Radio:KBME Sports Talk 790
Online: Rockets App, SCHN+
Time: 8:30pm pm CST
Later Start For TV Purposes
Probable Starting Lineups
Rockets: Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun
Presenter joins Triple M’s play-by-play commentary team
Move hailed as win for women working in sport broadcasting
Emma Lawrence will become the first woman in NRL broadcast history to call a game, with Triple M including “one of the sharpest broadcasters in rugby league” on its play-by-play commentary team for the new season.
Lawrence, one of the most respected voices in the game, will enter the domain previously reserved for men in a move the radio station called a “landmark moment”. Female voices are present across broader coverage of the NRL, but a woman has never been handed the prestigious play-by-play call before.
HOUSTON (AP) — Utah Jazz center Jusuf Nurkic will undergo nose surgery this week and miss the remainder of the season.
Jazz coach Will Hardy said before Monday’s game against Houston that Nurkic has needed the procedure for a while.
“He has had a really bad deviated septum in his nose,” Hardy said. “He has gotten hit in the face four or five times this year. His recent sickness has pushed that forward. It’s something that he’s needed to get done for a while now, so he’s going to get it taken care of.”
The 31-year-old Nurkic averaged 10.9 points and 10.4 rebounds in 41 games in his first season with the Jazz. He is scheduled to become a free agent after the season.
“Nurk has been a big part of what we’ve done this year, and he helps our team in a bunch of ways,” Hardy said.
PHOENIX –– On the scoresheet, Monday might’ve only gone down as one inning, 17 pitches and three inconsequential spring training outs for Dodgers reliever Alex Vesia.
But for the still-grieving pitcher, who just four months ago missed the World Series following the loss of his newborn daughter, his official return to game action couldn’t have been any more meaningful.
“We’ve been waiting for that one,” Vesia said afterward, before adding with a gracious smile: “It was a little overwhelming … just trying to take it all in.”
Indeed, in the Dodgers’ 3-0 win over the Seattle Mariners, Vesia’s outing was emotionally charged throughout. He received a rousing ovation from the crowd as he entered the game at the start of the fifth inning. He was greeted by a line of high-fives and handshakes as he returned to the dugout after his 1-2-3 frame.
Dodgers pitcher Alex Vesia returned to the mound Monday, four months after missing the World Series after the tragic death of his newborn daughter. Getty Images
Mostly, though, he rediscovered a feeling he had missed during the hardship of his heartbreaking winter –– getting to pitch, compete and exude his typically energetic demeanor from back atop a big-league mound.
“I just want to have fun on the mound,” he said. “I just want to be able to spazz out and be myself out there. Because right now, I feel really good out there. It’s just me and myself and baseball.”
Ever since arriving at Dodgers camp this spring, Vesia has been chasing that sense of normalcy.
He is grateful for all the support he and his wife, Kayla, received in the wake of last year’s tragedy, noting how on even the first day of spring, “we walk out the doors, and (there was) cheers and lots of love. It means a lot.”
Vesia is grateful for all the support he and his wife, Kayla, received in the wake of their daughter’s death. Getty Images for Netflix
But, the 29-year-old left-hander is also ready to fall back into familiar, comforting routines.
And compartmentalizing it all, he acknowledged, “has been hard, (but) hard in a good way, because I want to interact with the fans and all that, but I know I have a job to do.”
Vesia began preparing for this coming season back in November. He spent more time than usual bulking up in the gym, a place where he said he rediscovered “mental clarity” amid his personal grief.
So far, that work has helped him get off to a quick start in Dodgers camp.
“Thank you to the Dodgers for their understanding and support during this time. Our baseball family showed up for us and we wouldn’t be able to do this without them,” Vesia wrote after announcing the Oct. 26 death of his daughter, Sterling Sol. Alex Vesia
Vesia was not only one of the team’s first pitchers to begin facing batters in workouts in recent weeks, but also had two of the biggest highlights from the club’s live BP action: Striking out Shohei Ohtani not once, but twice, after getting some good-natured ribbing from his superstar teammate.
“Shohei was like, ‘Hey, I want a little piece of that,’” Vesia recalled with a laugh. “So I was like, ‘OK, come on.’”
After each Ohtani strikeout, Vesia celebrated by strutting around the mound and unleashing one of his familiar celebratory shrieks. He did the same thing on Monday afternoon, as the crowd roared again for his strikeout of Mariners infielder Cole Young on a full-counter slider.
“To see him get back out here in a baseball game, in a big league game, and have a clean inning and be received by the fans, I know it meant a lot to him,” manager Dave Roberts said. “And obviously, his teammates feel for him and want to support him. So today was a really good day for Alex.”
Dodger teammates, Vesia said, have been among his biggest supporters as he has navigated this spring.
While he has only once spoken publicly about the death of his daughter –– in a prepared statement he read to reporters on the first day of camp earlier this month –– he said he has found comfort in discussions he’s had around the clubhouse.
“That’s honestly been a blessing,” he said. “I do like talking about it with the guys. I don’t want them to feel like they can’t, because to share those important moments and whatnot – these guys are my brothers. I truly do love all of them. It’s meant a lot.”
Nothing has meant more, though, than getting back to pitching.
After all he has endured, it’s his way to keep moving forward.
The San Jose Sharks play their first game following the Olympics on Feb. 26 against the Calgary Flames. The Sharks will be looking to start their final stretch of the season on the right foot by picking up a victory against Calgary and ending their four-game losing streak.
With the Sharks getting back on the ice, let's look at three storylines that fans should be keeping an eye on.
What Will The Sharks Do At The Trade Deadline?
The Sharks will certainly be a team to watch leading up to the 2026 NHL trade deadline. At this point of the season, they have a 27-24-4 record and are five points behind the Anaheim Ducks for the final wild card spot in the Western Conference standings.
The Sharks have already shown that they are willing to add to their roster, as they acquired Kiefer Sherwood from the Vancouver Canucks last month. Their next addition should be a right-shot defenseman, but there are also questions about whether they will sell off some of their pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs).
Macklin Celebrini's Chase to 100-Point Season
Macklin Celebrini is having a spectacular second season in the NHL with the Sharks. In 55 games so far, the 19-year-old forward has recorded 28 goals, 53 assists, and 81 points. The only three players with more points than Celebrini in the NHL are Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, and Nikita Kucherov.
With Celebrini having 81 points at this point in the season, he undoubtedly has a very good chance of hitting the 100-point mark for the first time in his career. The Sharks have 27 games remaining, so if Celebrini continues to dominate, he should not trouble reaching point No. 100 of the season.
Will The Sharks Make The Playoffs?
As noted above, the Sharks still have a chance of making the playoffs this season. While they need to climb up the standings and get ahead of the Ducks, Los Angeles Kings, and Nashville Predators, the possibility of them doing so should not be ruled out. This is especially so when noting that the Sharks have played fewer games than all three of them at this point in the season.
Adam Silver and the NBA league office singled out the Utah Jazz among the myriad of tanking teams this season because the way Utah went about it — playing their best players, including Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr., for three quarters then sitting them in the fourth — was bad PR and a black eye for the league. Silver slapped Utah with a $500,000 fine. However, other teams have sat players for extended periods after injuries — or come up with dubious medical reasons to keep them out — and gone untouched.
Center Jusuf Nurkic is going to miss the remainder of the season following surgery to his nose, a story broken by NBA insider Chris Haynes. The Jazz have yet to confirm this, but it tracks and we can expect that on Tuesday or Wednesday.
With Walker Kessler out for the season following shoulder surgery, Nurkic, 31, has stepped into a larger role and is averaging 10.9 points and 10.4 rebounds a game for Utah, although he has not played since the All-Star break.
Without Nurkic out of the rotation, look for more Kyle Filipowski, Kevin Love and Oscar Tshiebwe.
Utah owes its first-round pick this year to Oklahoma City, but it is top-eight protected, which is why the Jazz are tanking — they want to hold on to a high pick in what scouts believe to be an exceptionally deep draft. Utah currently has the sixth-worst record in the NBA and, with that, a 96% chance of retaining its pick. This is the kind of tanking that has NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on a crusade, one that generates a lot of headlines but largely feels misguided and likely will end in "solutions" that don't fix the core issues of improving paths for bad teams to get the kind of elite players needed to turn their fortunes around. Silver is treating the symptom, not the problem, but that's the topic for longer stories coming later in the week here at NBC Sports.
Jusuf Nurkic #30 of the Utah Jazz dribbles the ball during the game against the Sacramento Kings.
The Jazz lost another big man in their rotation for the rest of the season.
Jusuf Nurkić will undergo season-ending surgery on his nose Wednesday, according to multiple reports.
Nurkić has been experiencing complications with his breathing and sleeping since he fractured his nose several years ago, NBA insider Chris Haynes reported.
The season-ending procedure comes at a time when Nurkić had been seeing an uptick in his production, averaging 10.9 points and 10.4 rebounds a game while shooting 50.3 percent from the field this season.
Jusuf Nurkic of the Utah Jazz dribbles the ball during the game against the Sacramento Kings. NBAE via Getty Images
Additionally, Nurkić has averaged 4.8 assists per game this year.
The 2025-26 season has been Nurkić’s first with the Jazz after playing for the Nuggets, Trail Blazers, Suns and Hornets.
Nurkić will be an unrestricted free agent this upcoming offseason and is near the end of a four-year, $70 million contract that he originally signed with the Trail Blazers in 2022.
He now joins a growing list of Jazz players who have had their seasons cut short due to injury.
Jaren Jackson Jr. recently underwent knee surgery to deal with a non-cancerous growth, and Walker Kessler had his season end prematurely in early November after suffering a torn labrum.
Jusuf Nurkic #30 and Lauri Markkanen #23 of the Utah Jazz look on during the game against the Portland Trail Blazers on February 12, 2026 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. NBAE via Getty Images
The organization had also been caught up in the ongoing conversation around the NBA regarding tanking.
The NBA fined the Jazz $500,000 for a violation of the league’s player participation policy.
The fine stemmed from instances on Feb. 7 and Feb. 9 where the NBA said the Jazz took out Lauri Markkanen and Jackson Jr. before the start of the fourth quarter and did not have them play the rest of the night.
“These players were otherwise able to continue to play and the outcomes of the games were thereafter in doubt,” the league said in a statement at the time.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - FEBRUARY 11: Jaden McDaniels #3 of the Minnesota Timberwolves dribbles the ball against Jrue Holiday #5 of the Portland Trail Blazers in the second quarter at Target Center on February 11, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Timberwolves defeated the Trail Blazers 133-109. 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 David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Portland Trail Blazers Date: February 24th, 2026 Time: 9:00 PM CST Location: Moda Center Television Coverage: Peacock Radio Coverage: KFAN FM, Wolves App, iHeart Radio
The Timberwolves had a golden opportunity Sunday night. Denver lost. The Lakers lost. Houston stumbled. The Western Conference standings basically opened the door, rolled out a red carpet and said, “Hey Minnesota, would you like to be tied for the 3-seed?”
Instead, the Wolves got absolutely shellacked by the Philadelphia 76ers on their own floor. 135 points worth of shellacked, to be exact.
And yes, context matters. Rudy Gobert was suspended after the Marvin Bagley flagrant. Naz Reid was out with shoulder soreness. Julius Randle was apparently under the weather, though he gave it a go. When you remove Gobert and Naz from the equation, you’re not just losing size. You’re losing the defensive backbone and a key offensive release valve. That’s real. But even with that caveat, Sunday was ugly.
Because yes, Minnesota was undersized. Yes, they were missing their Defensive Player of the Year center. But the bulk of the damage didn’t come from post dominance or paint bullying.
It came from the three-point line. Philadelphia shot 57 percent from deep. Twenty-one made threes on 37 attempts. That’s not “Gobert is suspended” stuff. That’s perimeter breakdown stuff. That’s effort and communication stuff. That’s point-of-attack defense stuff.
Meanwhile, Minnesota went just 10-for-33 from beyond the arc. Do the math. That’s a 33-point differential from three alone. In a 27-point loss. That’s not bad luck. That’s a defensive collapse.
The Familiar Wolves Problem
This has been the maddening paradox of the 2025-26 Wolves. Even when Gobert is available, the defense has been suspect at times. But when he’s out, the floor drops out completely.
Against Philly, the Wolves looked like a team that assumed the Sixers would roll over. Philadelphia was on the second night of a back-to-back. If anything, Minnesota should have had the fresher legs and the hungrier mindset. Instead, it looked like only one team bothered to show up.
Tyrese Maxey and company got comfortable early. Minnesota’s closeouts were late. Rotations were sluggish. Shooters were wide open. The Sixers weren’t just making tough shots, they were getting clean looks in rhythm. When the Wolves fall into that trap, when they start trading baskets instead of defending, things spiral. They don’t have the offensive consistency to win 135-130 track meets every night. That’s not who they are, and that’s not how they’re built.
This loss stung even more because of the standings math. Denver dropped to Golden State. The Lakers fell to Boston. Houston stumbled against New York on Saturday. If Minnesota handles its business, they’re neck-and-neck with the Nuggets for the 3-seed.
Instead? They’re staring at the 6-seed again. Play-in territory hovering in the background like an unwelcome sequel nobody asked for.
The Good News (Yes, There Is Some)
The West is still jam-packed. The margin is razor thin. One good road trip flips everything. And here’s what’s ahead: Portland, then the Clippers in L.A., then a final showdown with Denver on March 1.
If the Wolves string together three wins on this trip, they’re right back in the mix and will have likely leapfrogged Denver. The three seed is sitting there. Waiting.
But this team doesn’t get credit for theoretical standings jumps. They get credit for showing up. So now we pivot to Portland…
Keys to the Game
1. Don’t Walk In Like It’s Wrapped Up
Minnesota just beat Portland before the All-Star break. And that’s the danger. Because if you rewind a bit further to opening night, it took fourth-quarter heroics from Anthony Edwards to avoid losing to this same Blazers team.
They’re young. They’re scrappy. They don’t know they’re supposed to lose. If Minnesota strolls in assuming this is a get-right game, they’ll find themselves in another fourth-quarter coin flip on the road. That’s not the recipe.
Show up. Focused. Determined. Play like a team that understands the stakes.
2. Protect the Perimeter — For Real This Time
Sunday was a clinic in what not to do defensively. Maxey and the Sixers got comfortable because the Wolves failed at the point of attack. No resistance. Lazy closeouts. Slow rotations. That can’t happen again.
When Jaden McDaniels, Anthony Edwards, and Jaylen Clark are locked in, they can be suffocating on the perimeter. We’ve seen it. We saw it against OKC earlier this season. We’ve seen them swarm and choke teams out. They have to bring that version. Keep Portland’s guards from living in the paint. Contest shooters with purpose. Rotate like it matters.
Because it does.
3. Reclaim the Paint
Gobert is back. Randle should hopefully be recovered from his illness. Naz Reid remains questionable, but even if he’s limited, Minnesota has a size advantage. The Wolves looked lost without their interior presence against Philly. That shouldn’t happen again.
Run the floor. Crash the glass. Establish physicality early. Feed Gobert on lobs. Let Randle bully his way into high-percentage looks. Clean up misses with putbacks. Portland should not win the rebounding battle. Period.
4. Reestablish Defensive Identity
This is bigger than Portland. Bigger than one night.
If Minnesota wants to be taken seriously in April and May, giving up 120-130 points can’t be the norm. Two years ago, this team routinely held opponents under 100. That edge, that pride, has flickered this season. When they get bored, when they assume their offense will carry them, they bleed points.
On the road, you cannot let a young team build momentum. You can’t turn it into a fourth-quarter scramble. Assert control. Make Portland earn every bucket.
Time to Get Real.
After the Dallas win, Edwards said he wanted to go 25-0 down the stretch. That every game matters now.
That sounded great.
Sunday didn’t back it up.
There are 24 games left. The 3-seed is within reach. It doesn’t take a miracle run, just professionalism and consistency. The Wolves don’t need to be perfect. They just need to stop stepping on rakes.
Portland is overmatched on paper. But so was Memphis. So was New Orleans. We’ve seen how that story goes when Minnesota assumes it’s entitled to the result.
This road trip could define the season. Three wins and they’re talking about home-court advantage and avoiding OKC’s side of the bracket. Another slip-up and they’re flirting with the play-in.
Anthony Edwards can say all the right things, but talk is cheap and it’s time to get real. The only thing standing in this team’s way is effort, focus, and whether they decide this matters. We’ll find out Tuesday night in Portland whether 24-0 is a mission statement… or just another sound bite.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Basketball center Charles Bediako is asking the Alabama Supreme Court to let him play the rest of the season for the Crimson Tide.
The recent NBA G-League player on Monday filed an appeal of Tuscaloosa Circuit Court Judge Daniel Pruet’s recent decision that ended Bediako's temporary playing status with the University of Alabama. While Bediako appeals the decision to the state Supreme Court, his lawyers asked Pruet to grant interim relief and allow him to return to play.
Bediako spent two seasons (2021-23) at Alabama, averaging 6.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks, and helped the Crimson Tide make the NCAA Tournament both years. He wasn’t selected in the 2023 NBA draft, but he played for the Motor City Cruise in the G League as recently as mid-January.
He returned to Alabama this season and filed a lawsuit against the NCAA after it denied Alabama’s request to allow him to return to collegiate competition. His lawyers argued that Bediako remains within his five-year college eligibility window. NCAA President Charlie Baker and SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey have opposed Bediako’s reinstatement.
A judge, who later recused himself from the case, issued a temporary restraining order that allowed Bediako to play while the case moved forward. But Pruet on Feb. 9 ruled against Bediako, writing that the player “failed to demonstrate that he is entitled to the injunctive relief that he seeks.”
On Monday, Bediako’s lawyers asked the judge to issue an interim order while the appeal is pending requiring the NCAA to reinstate Bediako as a student-athlete immediately eligible to compete in NCAA competition. They noted that the end of the season and collegiate tournaments are rapidly approaching, and it is unlikely that the Supreme Court will rule on the appeal before the season concludes.
“Without interim injunctive relief, the whole purpose for Plaintiff’s appeal — the ability to play basketball for the University of Alabama for the remainder of play in 2026 — will be null,” lawyer David W. Holt wrote.
Alabama’s regular season ends on March 7. The SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament takes place in mid-March, and the NCAA Tournament will be held from March 17 through April 6.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 22: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers goes for the basket against Sam Hauser #30 of the Boston Celtics during the second half of their game at Crypto.com Arena on February 22, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Luiza Moraes/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When you’re run off the floor by your rival, there aren’t many positives that can be taken away. Particularly with the way things played out in the fourth quarter, there was definitely a very sour taste in the mouths of fans walking away from that contest.
However, when looking at the box score, it wasn’t a total disaster for the Lakers. In fact, all things considered, it was one of the better defensive showings against a top team this year, even if every Payton Pritchard three felt like a dagger to the soul.
The problem for the Lakers came on the other end of the floor where they had arguably their worst offensive showing of the season.
“I think going against this team and their offense,” Redick said, “[when I] made the subs at 3:22 in the fourth quarter, they’ve got 105 points and they’re 12-for-32 from three and they’re shooting 47%. We did a good job limiting their fast break points [and] did a good job limiting their points in the paint under 50. So, we did enough defensively. We were just awful offensively tonight.“
Technically, the Lakers have had one game with fewer points this year, that coming in a mid-December loss to the Clippers. However, in that contest, Austin Reaves didn’t play and Luka Dončić left midway through the contest and didn’t return.
On Sunday, all three were healthy and the team laid a huge egg. While it’s fair to call the Big 3 a work in progress, there was no excuse for that performance against the Celtics.
For Reaves, while part of it came down to missing open looks, the process also wasn’t good, specifically in the first half, either.
“We missed some good looks,” Reaves said. “I think we could have done a better job in the first half playing with the pass [and] trying to create better looks in that first half. I thought [in] the second half, we did a good job of that. We missed some good looks and they capitalized on that.
“You’re going to have games where you don’t shoot it well or offensively play well. You got to find other ways to keep yourself in the game.”
The Lakers aren’t going to have the necessary time to figure things out. All of this is going to be rushed. But there is still a level of expectations that the team, and the Big 3 in particular, need to meet.
Sunday needs to be an aberration, though, based on how the season has played out, that might not end up being the case.
WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 22: Jordan Walker #18 of the St. Louis Cardinals celebrates with teammates in the dug out after scoring against the Houston Astros during the third inning of a spring training game at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on February 22, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I cannot remember going into a St. Louis Cardinals season with so many different expectations than what the team faces in 2026. I’ll ask a question that does not just have one good answer and that is what would make the St. Louis Cardinals upcoming season a success to your eyes?
A majority of the baseball metrics sites project the St. Louis Cardinals having a losing record in 2026 with the best-case scenario being around a .500 team. The season I hope to see is not connected to the win-loss record, though. One of my biggest gripes with the St. Louis Cardinals for the past 3 seasons was the lack of direction and clarity. Ownership and management were giving unclear signals from 2023 through the 2025 season about whether they planned to add to the current team or if some kind of teardown was required. For 2026, we now have that answer.
I will look back at the 2026 season as a success for the St. Louis Cardinals if there is clarity about which players (if any) are worth building around for the next few seasons. I want to see Masyn Winn add offense to his prolific defense and have a relatively injury-free year. Can JJ Wetherholt make the major league roster and establish himself as the St. Louis Cardinals everyday 2nd baseman? Will Alec Burleson follow up his Silver Slugger year with another great offense campaign and is there a place for him on the team moving forward? What about Ivan Herrera as a catcher and/or DH? Don’t even get me started on the Nolan Gorman and Jordan Walker development question. I also want to see where Matthew Liberatore and Michael McGreevy settle into the rotation. Is Liberatore capable of being a #1 starter? I have hopes and questions.
I also want to see what Chaim Bloom will do with the roster now that the first big teardown is complete. Will he make smart trades at the deadline this summer? What free agents will he be able to lure into the organization once the Cardinals want to add and compete again? I’ll admit that this past offseason was just a honeymoon period. Now, the roster building begins and we’ll start to learn more about what type of builder Chaim Bloom is. I also want to see another year of Oli Marmol managing to decide if he’s the type of leader this team needs to take it back to contention. While I think I’ve seen enough to know how I feel about Oli, 2026 will be another year to observe and measure.
Yes, I would love it if the St. Louis Cardinals shocked the baseball world and contended in 2026, but I think the season can still be a success if they don’t. If I more clearly understand the core group of players that will be a part of this team for the next 3 years or so, I’ll consider the 2026 season a success. What is your measuring stick for a successful Cardinals season? I expect the answers will vary wildly and it will be fun to look back after the season is over to compare notes on how this plays out.
Another NHL player will miss some regular season time because of an injury that he suffered at the Olympics.
The Dallas Stars placed forward Mikko Rantanen on the injured list with a lower body injury, retroactive to Feb. 20. That means the earliest he could return is Feb. 27 and he will miss at least one game and possibly more.
Rantanen, the eighth-leading scorer in the NHL, sat out the bronze medal game at the Olympics, in which Finland beat Slovakia, 6-1, for its fifth medal in Winter Games involving NHL players. He was on the ice after the game for the medal ceremony and team photo.
Mikko Rantanen injury update
Mikko Rantanen was placed on the injured list by the Dallas Stars because of a lower-body injury he suffered at the Olympics with Team Finland.
Mikko Rantanen stats
Mikko Rantanen leads the Stars and is eighth in the NHL with 69 points in 54 games.
Other Olympians injury updates
Five NHL players were hurt in Milan, the most serious being Switzerland's Kevin Fiala (broken leg), who will miss the rest of the regular season for the Los Angeles Kings.
Pittsburgh Penguins/Team Canada captain Sidney Crosby was hurt in the quarterfinals and missed the semifinals and gold-medal game. Coach Dan Muse said Monday that Crosby was traveling and they'd have to wait until doctors could see him before getting a clearer picture on whether he'll miss time.
Winnipeg Jets/Canada defenseman Josh Morrissey didn't play after being hurt in the opening game. Coach Scott Arniel said Morrissey would miss the team's Feb. 25 game and "we'll see where we go from there."
First baseman Romeo Sanabria | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The San Diego Padres had a late start to their practice routine on Monday, before they played the Milwaukee Brewers at Peoria Sports Complex. The players had their MLBPA union meeting as well as their normal team meetings and didn’t appear on the practice fields until 10:30 a.m. or later.
That did not seem to slow down the minor league players that rallied late in the game to score six runs in the eighth inning for a come-from-behind 7-5 victory. Nor did it affect catchers Freddy Fermin and Ethan Salas, who combined for four challenges that were upheld by the ABS system, all overturning umpire calls.
Jose Miranda came in as a sub for Miguel Andujar, after he hit his first home run of the spring in the bottom of the fourth inning and got the Padres on the board, contributing to the eighth inning rally and challenging a called strike that was changed to a ball and earned a walk. He scored on Romeo Sanabria’s bases loaded double that cleared the bases.
Overall, the Padres challenged five times, winning all of them. The Brewers challenged twice and lost both.
The system appeared to work flawlessly to those of us in the stands, with the calls coming very quickly after the appeal and the umpire’s request for a review. The game was not slowed by the system even though it did end up being a three-hour and one-minute contest.
For the experts who have declared the Padres farm system dead, they should have watched as outfielder Pablo Reyes started off with a walk and was followed by a Luis Campusano single, a Miranda walk, the Sanabria double and a Salas walk. All of which were topped off by outfielder Samad Taylor’s second hit of the day. There was a Brewers pitcher balk called in there as well.
Ramon Laureano and Fernando Tatis Jr. were the only regulars to start this game, with neither getting a hit. The damage was done by Andujar’s home run, and the rally in the eighth inning.
Padres pitching did not have its best day. JP Sears started and couldn’t get out of the first inning, allowing four runs on four hits as well as a hit-by-pitch. He got two outs and was followed by Carlton Loewen who struck out the next hitter. David Morgan, Mason Miller, Wandy Peralta and Jeremiah Estrada did not allow a run over the next four innings but there were walks and/or hit batters by everyone but Morgan.
After going through nine pitchers to get through eight innings, Padres manager Craig Stammen gave the ball to Garrett Hawkins to close out the ninth. He got two quick outs before allowing a hit and a walk but then got the final out on a strikeout. The 6-foot-5-inch reliever that was added to the roster to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft before the winter meetings, got his first save of the spring. Reliever Manuel Castro, who pitched the top of the eighth, got the win.
All-in-all, a pretty typical Spring Training game but enjoyable for Padres fans, although the umpire certainly did not enjoy his afternoon.
As a side note, Tatis Jr. came out into the autograph signing area for a prolonged period during practice today. He did have a member of security with him but fulfilled the desires of multiple fans by signing for many minutes before continuing with his game prep for today.
The Padres travel to Sloan Park in Mesa, Ariz. on Tuesday for a game against the Chicago Cubs. Most of the regulars do not travel during away games in the spring but tomorrow could be an exception as all but Laureano and Tatis Jr. got today off for the home game.
With many of the WBC attending players set to leave this coming weekend, more playing time in Arizona could lead to an unusual lineup for tomorrow’s game.
The seemingly bad conditions were perfect for Jaylen Brown.
The Celtics were left for dead after Jayson Tatum suffered a torn Achilles last postseason. Then they lost Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday and Al Horford from the 2024 championship team. They were expected to have a gap year. No one thought they’d be competitive.
But what was overlooked in all of this is Brown’s superpower: The more he’s discounted, the more he thrives.
Brown is having a career-best season as his superstar teammate, Jayson Tatum, recovers from an injury. NBAE via Getty Images
Brown has led a team that was supposed to tank to second place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 37-19. The Celtics are one of the NBA’s biggest surprises of the season. And Brown is one of the most notable success stories.
Only one person saw this coming.
“I always knew I was one of the best players in the world,” Brown told the California Post in an exclusive interview after the Celtics beat the Lakers on Sunday, 111-89. “I always felt like that. And on top of that, the opportunity presented itself because we got guys that got traded and injured. So, I’m just grateful to be able to have great teammates that allow me to lead them.”
Brown loves proving people wrong. It’s how he has made a name for himself in the league.
When Celtics fans booed him after the franchise selected him with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2016 draft, he transformed himself into a star. When pundits questioned whether he deserved the then-richest contract in NBA history in July 2023 (a supermax worth up to $304 million over five years), he responded by carrying Boston to a championship in 2024 and winning Finals MVP.
And when everyone crossed off the Celtics, he circled them, transforming his game to a new level.
This season, he’s averaging career-highs in points (29.2), rebounds (7) and assists (4.9). Heading into the All-Star break, he led the Celtics to have the same seeding (second) and net rating (third) that they had last year at that time.
Jaylen Brown goes in for a slam against the Lakers. NBAE via Getty Images
When asked directly if he should win the MVP Award this season, Brown didn’t hesitate.
“Me?” he questioned. “I’m the best two-way player in the world.”
Brown is currently sixth on the NBA’s MVP ladder, behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Cade Cunningham and Victor Wembanyama.
It has left some people perplexed, including LeBron James, who advocated for Brown to be included in the MVP conversation on Sunday. It was a notable endorsement considering James also pointed out in the same media availability that he remembers cameras catching Brown saying his son, Bronny, wasn’t a pro at summer league in 2024.
“This whole MVP thing, I don’t understand why his name is not getting talked about some as well,” James said. “Like, nobody gave them a shot to start the season. And he’s averaging what, 30? Just under 30? It’s a popularity contest sometimes, I tell you.”
As for Brown, when asked if he’s surprised he’s not getting more recognition, he didn’t hesitate.
“No. I don’t know what the criteria is,” Brown said. “But I don’t always follow the rules, so that comes with consequences. So, I get it. But I’m just going to keep doing what I do. And we’ll see what happens.”
LeBron James has advocated for Brown to be in the MVP conversation this season. Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
This isn’t the first time Brown has felt as though he were snubbed.
Brown believes he was excluded from the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris because he was critical of Nike, a key sponsor of Team USA. Most notably, after Nike co-founder Phil Knight said Kyrie Irving “stepped over the line” by sharing a link to an antisemitic film in 2022, Brown posted on X, “Since when did Nike care about ethics?”
Recently, Brown has made headlines for standing up against the city of Beverly Hills after police shut down his event over All-Star weekend. The city later issued an apology to Brown, saying police had cited inaccurate information. Brown responded by thanking the city in a post on X, but added that it “embarrassed me and my brand” and asked “what about resources / partners lost?”
Despite all of the drama, Brown hasn’t lost focus on what he’s doing on the court.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla isn’t surprised by Brown’s growth. In fact, he believes regardless of Tatum’s injury and the team’s offseason moves, the 29-year-old would’ve made leaps this season.
“I would expect to see something like this, just the evolution of Jaylen, regardless of the environment around him,” Mazzulla said. ” I think he’s the type of guy who relishes in getting one percent better in whatever that looks like. And he just cares about winning.”
With Tatum out, Brown has stepped up. Getty Images
Payton Pritchard echoed that, pointing out that what Brown has been doing in the shadows has come into the light this season.
“He’s always been a great leader,” Pritchard said. “But it’s showing more this year because we’ve had such a veteran team. Now it’s a young group of guys thinking it’s going to be a gap year and stuff like that. And he’s leading us and doing a hell of a job.”
While everyone assumed the Celtics would let go of the rope, Brown held tight and pulled with all his might. It’s what he has done his entire career when the cards seemed stacked against him.
Not good enough? Overrated? Second fiddle to Tatum?
He has systematically erased those narratives, as well as the most recent one about the Celtics not being contenders.
“I know everybody was counting us out,” Brown said. “But I knew it would make for a perfect story if we were able to figure it out. So, my mentality was being aggressive, play with a chip on my shoulder. But also lead my group through adversity, through the tough times to make sure we could come together at the right moments.”
