Yes! This is one that NESN never misses. Check it out at 1:05 PM.
From an on-field perspective, the most interesting thing here is Kristian Campbell in centerfield, by far. But that’s not what today is about. Today is about looking away from the snow that’s still outside your window and drowning in the sounds of baseball. It’s back.
News came out today that California prep prospect Jared Gridlinger is set to reclassify and move from the 2027 MLB Draft into the 2026 MLB Draft. Gridlinger ranked as high as No. 3 overall and No. 1 prep player in the 2027 class, and adds another premium talent into what is already a strong draft class. This move comes after the deadline to make the move, though Gridlinger was able to secure a waiver from MLB to give him access.
To give you a little more background on Gridlinger, he will be just 17 years and two months old at the time of the 2026 MLB Draft, making him especially young for the draft. As a player he is one of the most legit two-way prospects we have seen at the top of the draft since Brendan McKay back in 2017. He’s a 6’3”, 185-pound lefty at just 16-years-old presently, but is seen as a projectable pitcher with a fastball already up to 96 MPH and potentially both a plus slider and change. That goes with plenty of power and a feel for taking good at bats as a hitter. If his name sounds familiar, that would be because he is the younger brother of Tennessee freshman catcher Jared Gridlinger – a name you may remember leading up to the 2025 MLB Draft.
This impacts the Braves in a big way as it adds another premium talent to a loaded 2026 class that sees them pick twice in the first round and five times in the first 112 picks. While Gridlinger is the type of prospect capable of going in the Top 10 and pushing another guy, such as a Cam Flukey or AJ Gracia, down to the Braves at No. 9, it is more likely that as of today he has that impact with pick No. 26 instead. That is because scouts and front offices will have to play a little bit of catch up on him, and he has a long list of proven college players to push past to go Top 10.
Gridlinger is also a player who could appeal to the Braves themselves. They have taken their share of two-way guys from the likes of Austin Riley, Michael Harris, Owen Murphy, and even Cam Caminiti, and also their analytics models do like picking players who are young for the class. When you factor in that he is an arm with top of the rotation potential, or a premium bat, it’s hard to picture the Braves not at least tracking him closely.
PALLEKELE, Sri Lanka (AP) — Australia crushed Oman by nine wickets in a dead rubber at the T20 World Cup on Friday, reaching its winning total with more than 10 overs remaining.
Defeats against Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka had already led to the shocked Australians exiting the tournament at the first stage.
Adam Zampa, who went wicketless against Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka, picked up 4-21 as Australia bowled out Oman for 104 in 16.2 overs after captain Mitchell Marsh won the toss and chose to field.
Marsh then blazed a 26-ball half century inside the power play and motored Australia to 108-1 in only 9.4 overs for a consolation win. Marsh smashed seven fours and four sixes in his 33-ball unbeaten 64 and Travis Head scored 32 off 19 deliveries before he skied a catch when Australia needed 12 runs for victory.
Australia finished third in Group B while Oman rounded off its campaign with four defeats in four games and was last in the five-team group.
The indifferent form of Marsh’s men had encouraged Oman skipper Jatinder Singh to declare “it is the best time to crush” Australia on the eve of the game. Instead, Australian bowlers dominated.
Xavier Bartlett (2-27) crashed the leg stump of Aamir Kaleem off the very first ball and Singh also got clean bowled by Bartlett inside the power play after hitting three boundaries in his knock of 17.
Zampa and Glenn Maxwell (2-13) struck regularly in the middle overs before Wasim Ali scored 32 off 33 balls and helped Oman reach the 100-run mark. Zampa grabbed his fourth four-wicket haul at T20 World Cups by claiming the last two wickets off successive deliveries.
The Super 8 stage of the tournament begins Saturday with Pakistan taking on New Zealand in Colombo in Group 2 that also features co-host Sri Lanka and England. The unbeaten teams in the group stage -- defending champion India, South Africa, West Indies and Zimbabwe – are in Group 1.
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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
The Boston Celtics face the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday (2/22 at 6:30 PM on NBC/Peacock) and it will be just another matchup between the sport’s greatest rivals. So I thought I’d take a moment to take a trip down memory lane and talk about the past. What was your favorite memory?
It is hard not to go straight to the Finals matchups. If you are old enough to remember Bill Russell and Bob Cousy taking down Jerry West and others over and over again, well bless your soul and thank you for still coming to this site.
I’m old enough to remember the pain of 1985 and the feeling that we were robbed of our revenge in 1986 where we surely would have rolled over them like we did the Rockets. I don’t have a lot of memories of 1984 unfortunately (I was just turning 9 at the time).
Obviously there was the ultra-glorious 2008 run. With Ray Allen breaking Sasha Vujačić’s ankles on the way to a series clinching layup. Paul Pierce hoisting the Finals MVP trophy. Kevin Garnett screaming “Anything is possibllllllllllllllllle!!!”
But there have been countless regular season matchups as well. Bird and Magic were on National TV any time they met in the 80’s, and for good reason. The Big 3 always battled Kobe well. And Tatum and Brown have continued the legacy, including a sweet blowout over LeBron in 2021.
What memories do you have of the rivalry? Share in the comments below! And Beat LA!
Manchester City take on Newcastle on Saturday night while Tottenham host neighbours Arsenal in Sunday’s derby
Saturday 3pm Venue Villa Park
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Opponent: Princeton
Mascot: Pooh’s Jumpy Friend | School Location: Eponymous, NJ | Conference: Ivy
2026 Record: 0-0 (0-0, T-1st) | 2026 RPI Rank: 285
2025 Record: 12-31 (8-13, T-5th) | 2025 RPI Rank: 270
2024 Record: 18-26 (12-9, 2nd) | 2024 RPI Rank: 182
Location: Doak Field at Dail Park (Raleigh, NC)
Game Time(s): Fri, Feb 20 @ 3:00pm | Sat, Feb 21 @ 2:00pm | Sun, Feb 22 @ 1:00pm
TV: Friday (ACCNX) | Saturday (ACCNX) | Sunday (ACCNX)
Live Stats: Stat Broadcast (Friday | Saturday | Sunday)
Last year was a rough go of it for Princeton, slogging their way to a 12-31 overall record with the underlying stats that say that record probably should have been worse. Collectively, the Tigers hit just .209/.320/.302 with a 11.7 BB% and 26.1 K%. Turns out that notching just 77 extra-base hits over 43 games is not an ideal way to score a lot of runs.
The pitching staff wasn’t any better, and was certainly hurt by the loss of staff ace Sean Episcope after just four starts (Episcope, a draft-eligible sophomore, ended up a 5th round pick of Milwaukee). That group had a combined 6.92 ERA with a 11.3 BB% and 15.8 K%, and didn’t help themselves either by plunking 94 opposing hitters.
This is a new year, though, and in the transfer portal era a team can rebuild itself quickly… except for military academies and Ivy League schools. Princeton brought in zero transfers, but does have an 8-man freshman class that looks promising. It’ll need to rely on them – as well as a couple arms that are returning from injury – if it’s going to rebound from last year’s subpar performance.
Friday: LHP Ryan Marohn (JR) vs RHP Justin Kim (SR)
Saturday: RHP JacobDudan (JR) vs RHP Liam Kinneen (SO)
Sunday: LHP Cooper Consiglio (JR) vs RHP Brady Kaufman (FR)
INF Jake Koonin (SR) – .236/.385/.460, 6 2B, 8 HR, 14.5 BB%, 20.5 K%, 10-12 SB. Winston-Salem native who attended Mount Tabor HS. Had a down year in 2025 but is a bounce-back candidate based on his 2024 showing (.319/.402/.528, 22 2B, 4 HR, 7.9 BB%, 17.3 K%, 11-11 SB) in which he earned 2nd Team All-Ivy League honors.
UTIL Nick Shenefelt (SO) – .206/.308/.257, 3 2B, 0 HR, 12.1 BB%, 15.9 K%, 0-1 SB. Started 38 games as a freshman and the BB and K rates tell you he wasn’t overmatched, and the .248 BABIP last year tells you an upward regression is in the mix for 2026.
INF Jake Kernodle (JR) – .213/.333/.238, 3 2B, 0 HR, 13.1 BB%, 22.8 K%, 0-0 SB. Charlotte native has started 72 games over his Princeton career. While his 2025 was awful, like Shenefelt, he’s an upward regression candidate after posting a .286/.367/.429, 3 2B, 4 HR, 8.0 BB%, 29.3 K%, 4-6 SB line as a freshman. That 2024 triple slash with his 2025 BB% and K% would be a nice season for him.
RHP Justin Kim (SR) – 2-5, 3 SV, 5.26 ERA, 49.2 IP, 9.6 BB%, 18.4 K%. Key reliever for Princeton during his freshman and junior years, while he also served as a starter his sophomore year but had issues with control and didn’t miss many bats (2-2, 4.66 ERA, 38.2 IP, 13.8 BB%, 8.6 K%). Will get another go at the starting rotation this year.
RHP Liam Kinneen (SO) – 3-5, 5.80 ERA, 49.2 IP, 13.4 BB%, 18.9 K%. Big 6’4, 210 lbs second year player who should make a nice sophomore jump if he can reign in the control. Spent his entire freshman year in the starting rotation and will be a mainstay again.
RHP Brady Kaufman (FR) – True freshman two-way player who will be making his college debut on Sunday, assuming he doesn’t play in the field ahead of time (he should). Solid build at 6’2, 190. The next earned run he allows will be the first against him since his junior year of high school.
RHP Elliott Eaton (JR) – 0-0, 8.71 ERA, 31.0 IP, 15.5 BB%, 16.8 K%. Good frame at 6’5, 210 lbs. Control issues are what keeps him back with 43 BB, 28 HBP, and 15 WP in 59.0 career innings.
RHP Will Sword (rJR) – Cary native who attended Thales Academy and missed all of the 2025 season due to injury. Prior to that pitched to a 2-4, 6.52 ERA, 48.1 IP, 12.3 BB%, 18.2 K% in 2024. Has made 13 starts over his 22 career appearances with the Tigers. Could be a key component to the bullpen this year.
Princeton coach Scott Bradley had that program rolling early in his tenure, taking the Tigers to five NCAA Regionals in a seven-year span from 2000 to 2006.
The Tigers have a daunting opening slate for 2026. They play three games in Raleigh this weekend, then head to Durham next weekend for a four-game series with Duke, and then head to Columbia the following weekend for a three-game set with South Carolina.
Despite having just 30 players drafted since 2000, seven Princeton baseball alums have made it to the MLB level: RHP Ross Ohlendorf, OF Will Venable, RHP Chris Young, RHP Danny Barnes, RHP David Hale, 1B Mike Ford, and RHP Matt Bowman. Each of those players had multi-year MLB careers.
Ivy League teams typically play a smaller schedule versus other D1 teams. Princeton has 42 games scheduled for this year compared to 56 for the majority of non-Ivy League schools.
Princeton doesn’t have the pitching depth to stay in this one, so a patient approach to work the pitch counts of the starters will get the Pack deep into a Tigers pitching staff that won’t be able to keep up. The key for State is simple: hunt your pitch at the plate and don’t swing at junk.
The Wolfpack will score a bunch of runs and Princeton will not, but the Tigers will show more punch than they did in 2025.
Outcome: State sweeps
Once the NHL Olympic roster freeze lifts later this month, the Montreal Canadiens will be a team to watch very closely. The Canadiens are currently one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, so they are naturally expected to be buyers ahead of the 2026 NHL trade deadline.
Due to this, we recently kicked off our Canadiens trade targets series by looking at potential targets from the Nashville Predators. Now, in this latest edition of the series, let's focus on the New York Rangers.
Vincent Trocheck is a player who has been connected to the Canadiens this season, and it would not be surprising in the slightest if they at least had him on their radar. He would give the Canadiens a clear answer for their second-line center spot and would also work on both their power play and their penalty kill if acquired.
Trocheck's contract adds to his appeal, as he has a $5.625 million cap hit until the end of the 2028-29 season. With this, he would be a long-term addition to the Canadiens' roster.
In 43 games this season with the Blueshirts, Trocheck has recorded 12 goals, 24 assists, 36 hits, and 130 hits. That mixture of offense and grit would make him a nice pickup for the Habs.
Alexis Lafreniere has been the subject of trade rumors since Rangers GM Chris Drury confirmed through a letter to fans that the club is rebuilding. It is clear that the 2020 first-overall pick could use a change of scenery, and it would be fascinating to see the Canadiens take a chance on the St-Eustache, Quebec native.
At just 24 years old, Lafreniere could be a good fit on a Canadiens club that is on the rise. This is especially so if the fresh start helped him tap into his potential more.
Yet, Lafreniere's contract would make him a risky addition for the Canadiens. This is because he has a $7.45 million cap hit until the end of the 2031-32 season.
In 57 games this season with the Rangers, Lafreniere has 12 goals and 32 points. His best season so far was in 2023-24, as he set career highs with 28 goals, 29 assists, and 57 points in 82 games.
Instead of writing about Cal Raleigh’s 2025 season, I’d like to show you a few pitches that caught my attention.
The Mariners had stormed back in the ninth inning to tie the game and send it to extras (thanks to a Cal Raleigh home run), which meant that Cal would have to wear the catcher’s gear for an extra inning.
In the 1930s, a catcher—either Muddy Ruel or Bill Dickey, depending on who you ask—referred to the mask, chest pad, and shin guards as “the tools of ignorance.” The irony was clear: anyone smart enough to play the position would be smart enough not to play it if he understood the risks.
You can see that phenomenon on display in this video as Andrés Muñoz spikes a slider that comes up and gets Cal Raleigh in the throat. The trainer comes out, but when the ump eventually asks if he needs more time, Cal just nods “nah, I’m good.”
A few days later, he hit a home run off the facing of the second deck.
Here we see Cal catching a Matt Brash pitch that appears to jam his hand. He shakes it off, but one pitch after that, CJ Abrams fouls a ball back to the knob of Cal’s ankle, where there’s no protection. Former catcher Dave Valle is on the call, and you can hear the “believe me, that one hurts” tone in his voice. Cal takes a minute and grimaces, then gets back to it.
The next night, he hit a home run in the first inning. And then another one in the eighth.
Another foul ball, this one to the inner thigh. Carlos Correa will never stop being hateable. Cal has to stand up and walk this one off, bouncing and hobbling around the plate for a moment. Three innings later, he hit his 32nd home run of the season.
Detroit’s first batter tips one straight back to Cal’s wrist. But don’t worry. It’s not like you need your wrists for hitting. The umpire gives him a minute, knowing Cal’s got an entire game left of this. Two days later, Cal became the first catcher to win the Home Run Derby.
In some ways, this isn’t really an article about Cal Raleigh. It’s about Andrés Muñoz’s slider, and Matt Brash’s curveball, and Logan Gilbert’s splitter, and Carlos Vargas’s entire arsenal. Cal catches a lot of pitches where the hurlers will be the first ones to tell you they’re not entirely sure where they’re going. In this clip, we get another spiked Muñoz slider, this one knocking dirt into Cal’s eye.
The next day, Cal Raleigh hit a home run.
Alec Bohm hits a foul directly back into Cal’s mask, bouncing off his face and skull. He takes less than two seconds before reaching his glove out for the next ball. When I was in college, sometimes I would stay home from class because I “felt icky.”
That weekend, Cal hit two home runs in a game. The first traveled 448 feet and tied Salvador Perez’s record for most home runs by a catcher in a season. The second one, also over 400 feet, broke it.
Later on in the game where Cal broke Salvy’s record, he catches Carlos Vargas. One of his pitches comes in wide off the plate. After 114 games behind the dish, this pinwheel is taking its toll.
Cal catches the wayward pitch awkwardly, has to drop his glove, and shake out his hand. In the first inning of the next day’s game, he hit his 50th home run.
Logan Gilbert overthrows a curveball that bounces off the spring of home plate’s rubber and catches Cal in the throat. In the replay, you can see the flesh ripple. But four minutes later—four minutes later—Cal Raleigh hit a home run. About half an hour after that, he tied Ken Griffey Jr. for the franchise record.
After catching 1,072 innings in the regular season, having caught at least 1,000 in each of the last three years (the only player to do that), Cal takes a foul ball straight back into his face in the extra innings of a playoff game. 24 hours later, he doubled and scored the winning run for the Mariners’ first home playoff win in a quarter century.
You know what Cal Raleigh did last year. 60 home runs, just the fourth guy not connected to PEDs to do that. The most home runs by a catcher, as a catcher, by a switch hitter, by a Mariner. The first player to hit at least 20 home runs from both sides of the plate. And he did it while taking shot after shot while squatting with 15 extra pounds of gear in the summer heat. He’s smart enough to lead the Mariners pitching staff but too ignorant to understand why that’s a terrible idea. For Mariners fans, it’s bliss.
Today we look at the Cubs’ new flamethrowing reliever, a former first-round pick (#22 overall in 2013 by Baltimore), who has been in The Show since 2019.
Hunter Luke Harvey, son of former MLB reliever Bryan Harvey, came to the Cubs as a free agent, signing on New Year’s Eve, and is expected to take on a short relief/setup role, perhaps picking up save opportunities if Daniel Palencia is tired or unavailable.
In seven years split between Baltimore (where he was their No. 1 pick in 2013), Washington and Kansas City, Harvey has posted career numbers of 10-11, 3.11, with 11 saves, a 4.0 bWAR ( 3.6 fWAR) and a 1.10 WHIP. He is on a one-year, $6 million deal, with a 2027 mutual option. He’s had 201 strikeouts, 51 bases on balls, and 17 home runs in 185 innings, all of which are just fine, but he has struggled with injuries since 2024. That’s the risk, but he’s a high-reward-potential kind of arm and should serve the Cubs well with judicious use.
Keep him healthy and there will be returns. He’s a complementary arm but, as said, he brings the heat — one of his offerings was clocked at 99.8 mph, and he has consistently thrown in the 97-99 zone, with a n average of 95.7-96.1, with a very (+2000) spin rate. That’s good stuff, and a very different look for the Cubs’ bullpen, which hasn’t been very high-velocity, but seems to be turning that corner. He also throws a splitter (19.2 percent), slider (18 percent), and curve (9.6 percent).
He’s extremely likely to head north with the team after Spring Training concludes and presumably will be locking down the seventh or eighth in preparation for Palencia to step in and close the deal.
The 31-year-old will need careful handling. But high 90s with +spin is in vogue, and for good reason.
Oman 104; Australia 108-1. Australia won by nine wickets
Victory completed with more than 10 overs to spare
Australia demolished Oman by nine wickets to win the final Twenty20 World Cup group encounter in Pallekele on Friday in emphatic style, . Both teams were already eliminated from the tournament.
Chasing a modest target of 105, Mitchell Marsh was in no mood to hang around and ruthlessly dispatched Oman’s bowlers, bringing up his half-century off 26 balls inside the first powerplay.
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The Battle of Los Angeles takes center stage tonight at Crypto.com Arena, and while the Clippers are settling into their own home, this remains a Purple and Gold city. With the Lakers entering as 7.5-point favorites, there’s no better time to capitalize on their dominance with a three-leg same-game parlay.
My NBA picks expect Luka Dončić to continue his MVP-caliber campaign alongside the timeless brilliance of LeBron James, who thrives under the bright lights of this rivalry. Between Luka’s playmaking and LeBron’s efficiency, the Lakers appear primed to defend their home court tonight.
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Luka Dončić 10+ assists
LeBron James 20+ points
Lakers moneyline
Los Angeles Clippers vs 
Los Angeles LakersWhile this is his first game back from a hamstring strain—and you’d normally expect some form of minutes restriction—Luka Dončić played in the NBA All-Star Game on Sunday and then had extended time off to continue his rehab. Because of that, I don’t expect any restriction to be particularly limiting. The Clippers love to blitz Dončić and force the ball out of his hands, and with the Lakers fully healthy on Friday, he’ll have no shortage of capable teammates to convert those potential assists.
With Ivica Zubac no longer anchoring the middle and Brook Lopez expected to start at center, the Clippers are likely to rely more on deep drop coverage, which should open up plenty of passing lanes for Dončić.
In their previous matchups with the Clippers this season, Rui Hachimura and LeBron James have converted the most assists from Dončić, with five each. With the Clippers blitzing Dončić to get the ball out of his hands, that should open up driving lanes for James, who will be operating off Dončić’s gravity. The spacing for James to get downhill should also be there, as the Lakers are fully healthy and the roster is filled with shooters and scorers like Austin Reaves and Hachimura.
When you bet an alternate over on the assists of a primary creator like Luka Dončić, pairing it with the team’s moneyline often makes a lot of sense. If Dončić gets to 10+ assists, it means his teammates are converting shots—likely including open threes and easy finishes from role players. With the Clippers playing on the second night of a back-to-back, there’s also a realistic chance we gain additional edge if their starting lineup changes closer to tip-off due to the scheduling spot.
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The Cleveland Cavaliers (35-21) look to extend their six-game winning streak as they hit the road to face the Charlotte Hornets (26-30) on Friday night at the Spectrum Center. Coming off a dominant 112-84 victory over Brooklyn on Thursday in their first game after the All-Star Break, Cleveland is playing the second night of a back-to-back, having integrated James Harden successfully into a lineup that now features a healthy Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. The Cavaliers enter as 5.5 to 6.5-point favorites, seeking to at a minimum solidify their fourth place standing in the Eastern Conference.
Even with last night’s loss at home to the Rockets, the Hornets have still won eight of their last ten to climb into tenth in the Eastern Conference and the final spot in the Play-In Tournament. They are just four games behind the Magic in the Southeast Division and 4.5 games behind Philadelphia and the 6th seed in the East. The Hornets are 9-2 in the second half of back-to-backs. As far as individuals are concerned, Brandon Miller has taken a significant leap as a scorer for Charlotte, averaging 20.5 points this season, and Kon Knueppel is challenging for Rookie of the Year honors (18.8PPG).
This is the fourth meeting of the season between these teams. The Hornets took the season opener, but the Cavs have taken the last two.
Lets take a closer look at the matchup and take into consideration lineups, injuries, and other factors affecting the line and total.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds courtesy of DraftKings recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
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This game opened Cavaliers -4.5 with the Total set at 235.5.
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Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Dallas Mavericks
Date: February 20th, 2026
Time: 6:30 PM CST
Location: Target Center
Television Coverage: FanDuel Sports Network – North
Radio Coverage: KFAN FM, Wolves App, iHeart Radio
The All-Star break is officially in the rearview mirror. The beach towels are folded. The sunglasses are back in the drawer. And the Wolves return to Target Center sitting in the Western Conference’s 6-seed, a respectable address, but not exactly the penthouse suite they’ve been eyeing all year.
Twenty-six games remain. That’s it.
If the Wolves want to climb out of the Play-In danger zone and secure something meaningful, like, say, actual home-court advantage in the first round, it’s going to require a level of consistency and maturity we’ve only seen in flashes over the first 56 games.
Because let’s be honest: this season has been a roller coaster designed by someone who hates stability. One night they look like a team capable of going toe-to-toe with Oklahoma City and punching a ticket to June. The next night they look like a group that accidentally showed up to the wrong gym and decided to wing it anyway.
That’s the problem. The Wolves have been both world-beaters and sleepwalkers, a team with championship upside and “what are we doing?” energy, sometimes within the same week. Now they open the final stretch against an injured Dallas Mavericks team that, on paper, simply does not measure up to Minnesota’s roster. Which means this game isn’t about talent. It’s about tone. If this team is serious about climbing the ladder they’ve been hovering beneath all season, it starts with beating teams like this, cleanly, decisively, and professionally.
There are no excuses here. None.
Only Anthony Edwards played competitive basketball during the break. Everyone else got a week-plus to recharge. Meanwhile, Dallas rolls into Target Center without Kyrie Irving (done for the season), without Cooper Flagg (foot injury), without Anthony Davis (traded), and possibly without Daniel Gafford.
This isn’t Dallas’s A-team. It’s not even their B+ team. But this is a group that, if you let them hang around, will absolutely make you regret it.Minnesota cannot treat this like a glorified practice. They cannot “feel it out.” They cannot play with their food for three quarters and decide to turn the jets on in the fourth. We’ve seen that movie. It ends poorly.
They need to come out of the gate with urgency. Defensive pressure. Fresh legs. Purpose. Make it clear within the first six minutes that this is not going to be the night for a scrappy Dallas upset. This game should feel uncomfortable for the Mavericks from the jump.
This is where the Wolves have no excuse. With Anthony Davis gone and Gafford questionable, Minnesota’s frontcourt advantage is overwhelming. Rudy Gobert, Julius Randle, and Naz Reid should feast. This needs to be paint pressure. Offensive rebounds. Lob threats. Putbacks. High-percentage looks. Physicality. Impose-your-will basketball.
The Wolves’ size advantage should show up on the glass. It should show up in second-chance points. It should show up in shot quality. If Minnesota’s bigs get outworked or outhustled in this matchup, that’s not a talent issue, that’s an effort issue. And effort issues are no longer acceptable with 26 games left.
Anthony Edwards just lit up the All-Star Game. He looked like the face of the league. He stole the show. It was awesome. But this is not the All-Star Game.
This isn’t about Ant dropping 45 for the vibes. This is about building cohesion. The Wolves are at their best when Ant and Randle operate as dual threats, scorers and facilitators. When the ball pops. When Donte DiVincenzo gets clean looks. When Naz spaces the floor. When Jaden McDaniels finds rhythm inside the flow of the offense.
When Minnesota plays like a five-headed monster, they are hard to guard. When it devolves into iso-heavy, late-clock bailout possessions, they make life way too easy for an inferior opponent.
Dallas cannot match Minnesota’s depth or offensive variety. But they can hang around if the Wolves shrink themselves into a one-man show. The mission here is simple: play connected basketball.
The only way Dallas stays in this game is if Minnesota gifts them confidence. That means lazy closeouts. Blow-bys. Miscommunications. Rotations a half-step slow. Open threes.
We’ve seen this script before: Wolves control the talent battle but turn into a defensive revolving door. Suddenly a team that shouldn’t be able to score 110 is sitting at 102 midway through the fourth quarter and the arena is nervous.
It starts on the perimeter. Guard the ball. Provide resistance. Funnel drives intelligently into Gobert instead of asking him to bail out breakdown after breakdown. If Minnesota defends with purpose, Dallas simply does not have the firepower to keep up. But if the Wolves get casual, they invite drama.
And they’ve had enough drama this season.
This isn’t just Game 57. This is the start of tune-up mode.
The Wolves are integrating Ayo Dosunmu into the mix. They’re recalibrating rotations. They’re building toward April. Chemistry doesn’t magically appear in Game 1 of the playoffs. It gets built in February and March.
That means playing focused. Playing together. Communicating defensively. Trusting the extra pass. Understanding spacing. Learning tendencies. This stretch is about laying groundwork for May and June. You don’t flip a switch in the postseason unless you’ve wired it properly beforehand.
There are numbers floating around in my head — 17–9.
That’s roughly what Minnesota needs over these final 26 games to realistically put themselves in position for the three-seed. Maybe even better.
You don’t get to 17–9 by dropping “gimme” games at home. You don’t get there by coasting. You don’t get there by assuming the opponent will roll over.
This is about professionalism now. The Wolves have talked about contender status. They’ve tasted Western Conference Finals basketball. They know what’s at stake. Now they have to show it.
The runway is there. The schedule is manageable. The talent is undeniable. The only question left is whether this team finally decides to be consistent. It has to start tonight.
No excuses.
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The first Spring Training games of 2026 get underway today! Grapefruit League play begins with Yankees vs. Orioles, and we'll see four all-pro matchups in the Cactus League out west.
Find out why I'm targeting a pair of plus-money teams in my MLB picks for Friday, February 20.
| Picks |  |
|---|---|
 Royals moneyline | +110 |
 Rockies moneyline | +114 |
 Padres vs.  Mariners Over 11 | -105 |
+110 at DraftKings
The Texas Rangers are likely favored due to the name value on the mound with Nathan Eovaldi taking the ball vs. Stephen Kolek. But I wouldn't be surprised if Eovaldi only lasts one inning in his first Cactus League start of 2026.
Eovaldi pitched only two innings in his initial Spring Training outing in 2025, coughing up two runs.
The Kansas City Royals were a robust 20-12 in exhibition play last season, scoring an MLB-best 204 runs.
+114 at DraftKings
Antonio Senzatela gets the nod for the Colorado Rockies, and although his regular season stats were dismal in 2025, he was a force to be reckoned with in Spring Training, authoring a 1.21 ERA over 22 1/3 innings.
The Arizona Diamondbacks are playing things close to the vest, having yet to name a starter or announce a starting lineup. I don't think the recently-signed Zac Gallen will get the nod, which would be the only reason to wait for this line to jump in the right direction.
-105 at DraftKings
Runs came fast and furious in Seattle Mariners games last spring, as they scored 199 (second-most) and surrendered 202 (most). The San Diego Padres were also a poor defensive team in Cactus League play last year, allowing 180 runs (tied for fifth-most).
Neither starter will put fear into the hearts of their opponents today, with San Diego rolling with unproven rookie Jagger Hayes, and Seattle countering with journeyman Dane Dunning.
The announced starting lineups are dotted with stars, with the likes of Fernando Tatis Jr. and Cal Raleigh written in toward the top.
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The 2026 Men’s Olympic Hockey tournament concludes this weekend, which means the 2025-26 NHL season is getting closer to returning from its Olympic break. The Pittsburgh Penguins next game will be on Thursday, February, 26 against the New Jersey Devils. Overall, they have 26 regular season games remaining. So let’s talk about the four things they need the most the rest of the way.
This is the biggest concern at the moment given his injury at the Olympics. There has been no official update on what exactly his injury is or the severity of it, and we only know that he tried to skate before Friday’s semifinal game agains Finland and was then ruled out for the game. All of the reporting so far seems to indicate it is not anything season-ending, but it seems likely he is going to miss at least something when the Penguins return from the break.
On one hand, the Penguins have surprisingly strong depth this season and still have enough to stay competitive if Crosby deals with a shorter-term injury.
They have played extremely well without him on the ice this season, and even though him being out of the lineup would move people up the depth chart they should still have enough depth to stay competitive and win games.
If they are going to actually make the playoffs and then have a chance to do anything when they get there, a healthy Crosby is eventually going to be a must.
Overall the Penguins power play has been excellent this season and a significant part of their success. For the season as a whole they are converting on 25 percent of their attempts, good enough for the fourth-best mark in the NHL.
Since the start of January, however, that unit has struggled to consistently fill the net.
Since January 1 the Penguins are converting on just 15.9 percent of their power play attempts, a number that drops them to 29th in the NHL over that stretch.
Even more concerning: They are not generating a ton of actual chances on the power play, either.
Over that stretch of games they are averaging just 8.59 expected goals per 60 minutes of power play time. That is 22nd in the NHL during that stretch.
They are generating just 53.6 shots on goal per 60 minutes. That is 15th in the NHL over that stretch.
They are averaging just 59.1 scoring chances per 60 minutes. That is 20th in the NHL in those games.
They are averaging just 28.4 high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes. That is 16th in the NHL during that stretch.
In other words, it has been a very average to below average unit for a significant chunk of the season. The Penguins are a good enough 5-on-5 team that they do not need a great power play to have a chance to generate offense, but that unit becoming a force again (or at least better than it has been since the start of January) would be a huge help for the offense and the team as a whole.
[Power Play Scoring Chance, Shot Rates And Expected Goal Data via Natural Stat Trick]
It seems very likely that, given their place in the standings, the Penguins are going to be in a position to add something before the March 6 trade deadline. Especially since they only play five games before the deadline. Their forward situation looks pretty settled with plenty of depth. Between their NHL roster and the options ready to go in the AHL (Rutger McGroarty, Ville Koivunen, Avery Hayes, the potential return of Filip Hallander) they are probably 15-16 deep in terms of NHL capable forwards at the moment. The defensive depth is the question.
While the defense has been significantly better than we anticipated at the start of the season, especially as it relates to the left side of the defense, they could still use some help as it relates to the depth.
Kris Letang is 38 years old, missed some time this season, and showed serious signs of decline at times.
Erik Karlsson is 35 years old and just played four extra high-intensity games at the Olympic tournament.
The depth players like Connor Clifton, Jack St. Ivany, Ilya Solovyov and Brett Kulak have held their own, you still might like to see an upgrade for the playoffs or just simply have some extra depth. You probably need at least eight or nine capable NHL defensemen for a playoff run. I am not sure the Penguins have that right now. An upgrade would be nice. It also seems likely. It is just a matter of how big of an upgrade it is and how much the Penguins are willing to pay.
They are almost certainly still looking for any young talent that can help both now and in the future at any position, but if we are talking short-term upgrades the defense should be the focus. This team has raised its expectations for the season through its play and it deserves an addition.
We talked about this earlier in the week, but given where the Penguins are in the standings, what they have already done, what the teams around them have already done, and what it typically takes to make the playoffs, winning 14 more games, regardless of what they do in the other 12 (overtime loss, regulation loss, shootout loss, whatever the case may be) should be enough to secure a playoff spot.
The schedule is difficult. It is doable. The playoffs are within reach. Hope for the best with Sidney Crosby’s injury, get the power play back on track, keep getting some competent and capable goaltending, and get an upgrade on defense and that should be an attainable goal.