CLEVELAND, OH - MARCH 9: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives to the basket during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers on March 9, 2026 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers handled their business against a shorthanded Philadelphia 76ers team that was missing their four best players. The Cavs took the lead at the end of the first quarter, stretched the advantage to 25 in the third, and settled for a 115-105 victory.
This was a complete team victory. The Cavs had six players finish in double figures, led by James Harden, who scored his 29,000th career point.
Harden set the tone. He controlled the offense, got his teammates involved, and found ways to score himself. He provided a team-high 21 points on 6-11 shooting with five assists.
Evan Mobley had another solid game. The pick-and-roll partnership with Harden is still a work-in-progress, but games like today show that there is a way that this duo can work together, even if he isn’t the typical big man you’d pair with Harden.
Mobley finished with 15 points on 7-12 shooting with eight rebounds and three blocks.
Anything bought from the links helps support Fear the Sword. You can also shop all of Homage’s Cavs gear HERE. The link to the Donovan Mitchell NBA Jam shirt is HERE.
Donovan Mitchell wasn’t his usual efficient self from the floor. He shot 4-11, but was able to make up for it by going 9-9 at the free-throw line. He had 17 points, six assists, and two steals in the win.
The other Cavaliers that finished in double figures scoring were Keon Ellis (19 points), Dean Wade (13 points), and Jaylon Tyson (11 points).
The Sixers were led by Quintin Grimes’s 17 points on 6-13 shooting.
There isn’t a whole lot to take from a game like this. The Sixers weren’t close to having their usual rotation players, and it very much looked that way. There weren’t many ways they could actually challenge the Cavs.
It is, however, worth pointing out that the Cavs didn’t take this game lightly. They approached it as they should’ve, didn’t suffer a letdown from yesterday’s emotional loss, and played up to their skill level.
The Cavs will be back in action on Wednesday when they hit the road to take on the Orlando Magic. Tip-off is at 7:30 PM.
The Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star guard has now scored at least 20 points in 126 consecutive games, tying the NBA record set by Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain. Gilgeous-Alexander tied the mark during the Thunder's game against the Denver Nuggets Monday, March 9.
It’s yet another indicator of Gilgeous-Alexander’s remarkable consistency and dominance. Gilgeous-Alexander, the 2024-25 NBA Most Valuable Player, entered the night ranked second in the league in scoring, at 31.6 points per game.
Gilgeous-Alexander, 27, set the record in the third quarter, on a stepback 3-pointer that he rattled through the net.
He got off to a quick start, making his first four shot attempts of the game. The Thunder are down three starters in the game, with Jalen Williams (right hamstring strain), Chet Holmgren (flu) and Isaiah Hartenstein (left calf contusion) all sidelined. That meant that Gilgeous-Alexander had to take on a greater role in the team’s offense.
Through the first quarter, aside from Gilgeous-Alexander and backup guard Ajay Mitchell, who combined to go 10-of-13 from the field, the rest of the Thunder started the game just 4-of-14 (28.6%) from the floor.
Gilgeous-Alexander will now have the chance to set the NBA record Thursday, March 12 in a game against the Boston Celtics (Amazon Prime).
CLEVELAND, OH - MARCH 9: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives to the basket during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers on March 9, 2026 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Another 0-4 season series against an Eastern Conference opponent — that’s not exactly ideal.
The hospital Sixers were handled a 115-101 loss by the Cleveland Cavaliers Monday night.
They are 34-30, the eighth seed in the East and now a game and a half back from the sixth.
Quentin Grimes led the Sixers with 17 points shooting 6-of-13 from the floor. James Harden led all scorers with 21.
The Sixers were only down Tyrese Maxey (finger strain), Joel Embiid (oblique strain), Paul George (suspension) and VJ Edgecombe (lumbar contusion).
Here are some thoughts at the buzzer.
First Quarter
The start was about what you’d expect from the Sixers’ side. Adem Bona’s first two attempts of the night were thwarted. Grimes’ first drive ended with a pass sailed into the second row, but the guard went on to knock down his first two threes of the night off the catch. Cleveland opened the game just as cold as their game the day before, missing eight of their first 10 attempts.
The Sixers held an early lead thanks to some hustle plays like Cam Payne’s putback layup and turning a blocked jumper into a transition opportunity. Harden hit his first three before having one blocked. He also got four from the line and was the only source of points in the early going.
On the other end it was a struggle from the stripe, with Dominick Barlow and Tyrese Martin each missing their first two foul shots to start the night. Both Martin and Dalen Terry got early minutes with Barlow and Oubre getting in early foul trouble. Martin somehow made a nice recovery block on a Jalen Tyson layup attempt, but Tyson drilled a corner three at the buzzer to make it a six-point Cavs lead after one. The Sixers went the last 3:05 of the quarter without a field goal.
Second Quarter
Justin Edwards was also on the floor early, getting on the board with a midrange pull-up before trying a deep three of the catch. The two-ways all ended up with short shifts, with Martin and MarJon Beauchamp combining for three ugly turnovers. The Cavs’ offense — DonovanMitchell specifically — took advantage with drive after drive.
Bona got rolling, quite literally in fact, having two nice finishes at the rim being set up by Grimes and Payne. Grimes himself found success getting to the hoop after missing three straight threes. The occasional bucket in the post hardly kept up with the Cavs’ offense coming alive.
At least that’s how it looked like compared to the Sixers shooting 22% from three in the half. Cleveland only shot 33% from beyond the arc, but eight more attempts certainly helped them take a 12-point lead into the half. Payne hasn’t given the Sixers the shooting boost since coming over from Europe so far, coming into the night shooting 18% from three in his return. He finally got one to go with 30 seconds left in the half after missing his first five attempts.
Third Quarter
Bona had another exciting dunk, but his hands problem was on full display, struggling to corral a rebound and a wild turnover trying to get somewhere with his dribble. Harden seemed intent on putting the game away quickly, setting up a couple teammates for threes after nailing one himself.
The broadcast kept mentioning how the Sixers had as many or more made field goals than the Cavs. They rightly attributed that to free throws, but again the three-point disparity was very much on display. Cleveland had only made two more field goals but had made nine more threes as they coasted to a 21-point lead.
Fourth Quarter
It was at least nice to see Terry have a nice little sequence. He pulled down an offensive rebound and kicked it out for a three before stealing the ensuing inbounds pass and knocked down a three of his own. He drove and found Jabari Walker for a corner three a few possessions later.
A rotation note is that Walker had only played a couple minutes in the first half, perhaps a shot to the head ending that shift prematurely. If that was the case it didn’t make much sense in putting him out there. If he had been good to go he probably should have played more minutes before this point in the game.
It didn’t take long for Terry, Edwards and Walker to nearly double the team’s made three-pointers on the night, but that was hardly enough to keep the lead under 20 points. It’s been fitting seeing players who were added by teams that did some cost cutting at the deadline play well against the Sixers such as Jose Alvarado back in mid-February. Keon Ellis dropped 19 points in this one shooting 5-of-9 from the floor.
Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jesús Luzardo works out during spring training
The Phillies made sure Jesús Luzardo isn’t going anywhere.
The team locked up the 28-year-old lefty on a five-year, $135 million contract extension on Monday, The Post’s Jon Heyman confirmed.
Luzardo was set to become a free agent at the end of the 2026 season after coming over in a deal with the Marlins before this past season.
Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jesús Luzardo works out during spring training AP
Luzardo, whose fastball hits around 97 mph to go with a dominant slider, acquitted himself well during his first year in Philadelphia, going 15-7 with a 3.92 ERA with 216 strikeouts in 183.2 innings.
His career-high 216 Ks were second in the NL behind the Giants’ Logan Webb.
He gives the defending NL East champions a formidable top-three in the rotation, joining Zack Wheeler and Cristopher Sanchez as the team looks to win the World Series for the first time since 2008.
Wheeler, 35, is a bit of a wild card coming off thoracic outlet surgery, leaving Luzardo as important insurance, despite his own injury history with elbow and back issues early in his career.
Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Jesús Luzardo throws out Los Angeles Dodgers’ Teoscar Hernandez at first during the fourth inning in Game 2 of baseball’s National League Division Series, Oct. 6, 2025. AP
The Phillies are Luzardo’s third stop during his career after being drafted by the Nationals in 2019, having made his big league debut with the Athletics in 2019 before three-plus seasons in Miami, where he went 21-28 with a 4.15 ERA and 1.231 WHIP over 74 starts.
SALT LAKE CITY, UT - MARCH 9: Seth Curry #31 of the Golden State Warriors watches a shot drop during warmups before their game against the Utah Jazz at the Delta Center on March 9, 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah. 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 Chris Gardner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There’s something poetic about this. Steph Curry, the greatest shooter in NBA history, is watching from the bench while his little brother Seth laces up for the Golden State Warriors tonight against the Utah Jazz. Three months removed from a left sciatic nerve issue that’s kept him sidelined since December 4th, Seth Curry makes his return for what is technically his third appearance in a Warriors uniform this season.
Two sons of Dell Curry. One family legacy built on the art of putting the ball through the net.
And right now, with Steph still nursing his knee, the Warriors need the other one badly.
Seth Curry is officially making his return tonight for the Warriors @NBCSWarriors
This will be his third game of the season and first since Dec. 4 after missing the last three months to left sciatic nerve irritation
Seth’s sample size this season is microscopic but encouraging: 7.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, shooting 66.7 percent from the field and 50 percent from three in two games back in December. That’s not a projection. That’s not a trend. But it IS a sharpshooting guard on a team that has been scrapping for consistent perimeter shooting while running its “Communist Ball” offense through youth and collective will.
The timing matters. The Warriors’ shooting depth is stretched thin. Seth Curry arriving tonight isn’t just a heartwarming family subplot. Rather, it’s a necessary basketball injection.
We spent all offseason talking about the “Splash Brothers 2.0” narrative when Golden State signed Seth. The blood version of a legacy pairing that helped redefine how the NBA plays basketball. Dub Nation started daydreaming about Steph and Seth running off screens together, surgical and inevitable. The injury report had other plans. But tonight, at least one son of Dell is back.
And in a season that has tested the faith of every Warriors fan repeatedly, that’s worth something.
As the Sun Belt’s No. 10 seed, the Eagles would need to win six games in six days to secure one of those precious auto bids that unlock NCAA Tournament access for super Cinderellas, no matter their record.
A conference 10-seed, becoming a bid-stealer? That really would be mad, but, hey, this is March.
The way the Sun Belt’s “Flying V” bracket works, teams with double-digit seeds like Georgia Southern face a rigorous journey to reach the point of the “V,” the finals, while the conference’s best teams start several rounds closer to the finish line.
The NCAA Tournament starts next week, and mid-majors supply the event's charm and paint some of the most epic scenes for Luther Vandross to croon over. Real ones know, though, the upsets and the mad twists begin in the conference tourneys, where precious NCAA access is on the line, even for teams with damaged records and flawed resumes.
One by one, night by night, Georgia Southern carved through Old Dominion, Arkansas State, South Alabama, Coastal Carolina and Marshall.
Down went Sun Belt’s No. 3 seed. Out went the No. 2.
One more upset, and the Eagles wouldn't just be soaring, they'd be dancing.
And you can say they ran out of steam, and that’d probably be right. Or you can say they simply ran into the Sun Belt’s best team, and that’d be right, too.
However you put it, super Cinderella bowed out. The Sun Belt’s No. 1 seed, Troy, is headed to the NCAA Tournament for a second straight year after a 77-61 victory to turn back Georgia Southern.
"We wanted to make it six, man," Georgia Southern coach Charlie Henry said. "We really did."
How to describe playing six games in six nights?
"It's legendary," Georgia Southern guard Tyren Moore said. "It didn't end the way that we wanted it to, but I'm still proud."
Troy beating Georgia Southern makes NCAA Tournament bracket better
This result works neatly for the Sun Belt, that its best team will be on display on the sport's biggest stage. Troy is likely headed somewhere in the direction of the 14-seed line, after its frontcourt dominated in the paint against the Eagles.
"We won it with defense and rebounding and toughness," Troy coach Scott Cross said.
And with fresher legs, too, a benefit of Troy winning the Sun Belt's regular-season crown and securing the top seed.
It’s good for March Madness when the best teams in mid-major conferences win their respective conference tournaments. That means a better batch of underdogs.
And, still, what a story it would have been — a story that can only be told in March — if Georgia Southern had gotten a crack at playing a No. 1 or a No. 2 seed in a first-round game after a six-night stand in this Panhandle city that’s home to the world-famous Blue Angels and pristine beaches with sugar-white sand.
Georgia Southern came out of halftime burying buckets in a furious final stand that cut Troy’s lead to four points. Ah, but it wasn’t to be, and when Troy’s star big man Victor Valdes made a bucket in the paint to re-establish a double-digit lead, it was clear the postgame Fiskers were headed to the Trojans to do the net snipping.
March Madness expansion is coming, but not to help mid-majors
NCAA Tournament expansion probably is coming for us, not because fans want it or because deserving teams are being left out of the bracket. Expansion is coming because the Power-conference power brokers want to rescue the 10th- and 12th-place teams from the mega conferences they created.
No matter whether the bracket grows to 72 or 76 or even 80 teams, it’s not going to be big enough for 10th-place teams from the Sun Belt.
For teams like Georgia Southern, there’s still only one way in: By banging down the door with six wins in six nights and getting an auto bid.
And in those rare instances when a super Cinderella pulls it off, it’ll be madness, the likes of which Georgia Southern attempted, before Troy took its rightful place in the tournament every mid-major pains to reach.
SURPRISE, ARIZONA - MARCH 6: Kade Anderson #13 of the Seattle Mariners throws a pitch during a Spring Training game against the Texas Rangers at Surprise Stadium on March 6, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Kade Anderson’s fastball is neither fast nor shapely, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t good.
Anderson’s first two outings this Spring have been somewhat controversial. He’s earned rave reviews from the Mariners and the media, but the underlying data has lagged behind. Public “stuff” models are somewhat skeptical of his arsenal, and his vaunted fastball appears especially disappointing. Here’s a snapshot from Thomas Nestico, whose website I highly recommend for exploring pitching data:
Stuff+ is statement on the physical properties of a pitch, where 100 is average and higher is better. It takes a bunch of data points—velocity, spin, movement, etc.—and estimates the effect of those characteristics on performance. In broad strokes, it works very well, and there’s a reason both public-facing analysts and teams invest in these models. Andrés Muñoz is the Mariners all-time leader in Stuff+, if that helps paint the picture.
Anderson’s fastball so far grades at 91 by tjStuff+, Nestico’s version of the model. (I’m not picking on Nestico here. His just happens to be one of the few models available for Spring, and again, I really enjoy playing around in his website.) For reference, that’s about 10% below league average and would be one of the lesser four-seam grades in MLB. He’s only thrown 28 fastballs—another element of this discourse to keep in mind—but we can see why the models are unimpressed: it’s not very fast. His average four-seamer of 93.4 mph would be below average by MLB standards, and you don’t need fancy statistics to tell you more velocity is good.
The “shape” (or vertical and horizontal movement) of the pitch is also not unique. Great fastballs come in all shapes and sizes, and nothing about Anderson’s movement profile prevents it from being a highly effective pitch. But his fastball doesn’t exhibit the traditional top-rail four-seamer rise to coax whiffs at the letters, nor the bowling ball quasi-sinker that can plop down in the zone. From the perspective of these models, it’s just kind of… generic.
Again, none of this is disqualifying. Plenty of great pitchers have a lesser, nondescript fastball—some pitchers don’t even throw a fastball. But the concern here is Anderson was billed as having a remarkable fastball. FanGraphs, for instance, gave it a 70 grade on the traditional scouting scale. That’s hard to square with what we’re seeing in these models, even in small samples. If the fastball has indeed been overstated, it’s possible there’s some limit to his projection.
But as Nestico or anyone else developing these models will tell you: stuff isn’t everything. It doesn’t capture location, tunneling, and other matters of deception. As Brendan Gawloski noted in his report for FanGraphs, that’s a big part of what makes Anderson’s fastball an elite pitch:
His fastball sits 92-95 mph with vertical ride, and it plays up because his loose arm action hides it until the very last moment. It generated a whopping 35% miss rate in 2025. The way his fastball plays means Anderson’s command of it doesn’t have to be precise; it rides enough to evade barrels in the strike zone.
Jerry Dipoto offered a similar account when Kate Preusser asked him about it on Sunday. Anderson’s delivery naturally hides the ball from the batter until the last moment, Dipoto said. He throws from an unusually high arm slot for a lefty, while still getting solid extension down the mound. It’s just not a “look” batters see very often. Public models can’t capture that, Dipoto said.
And it’s not just Dipoto saying it. Mariners’ hitters have reported issues picking up the pitch in practice.
“It’s got some teeth on it,” Ryan Bliss said. “It’s spinny, it’s sneaky. It’s 93-94, but it feels like it’s 96-97. And he will throw it any time, he’ll throw any of his pitches any time for strikes, so you don’t know what’s coming. It’s an uncomfortable at-bat.”
And look, I’m not going to tell you that I, sitting here in my office, in my sweats, mustard still staining my fingers from lunch, can “see” even the weakest professional fastball. But yeah, I get how this pitch might appear out of nowhere from the perspective of a batter.
The other thing stuff models don’t capture? Arsenals. In addition to the fastball, Anderson throws a slider, changeup and curveball. Each of these pitches grades a more favorably by stuff models, and each gets the same boost from his deceptive arm action. This is one thing we (and by we I mean people much smarter than me) are starting to model publicly, and it does appear to be a big factor in whether a pitch or pitcher is effective. When Anderson releases the ball, batters might expect the incoming pitch to move at four different speeds and in four different directions. They can’t cheat and sit on any one offering, and because of his hocus-pocus delivery, they can’t afford not to cheat. It’s a blender of deception that helps his velocity play up.
…. in theory. We have yet to see the sum of this deception in games that count. We have data telling us one thing, and we have the Mariners telling us another. That’s why there’s dissonance. But while I normally wouldn’t put stock in typical Spring Training chatter from the team, I certainly value action. And the Mariners, somewhat literally, put $8.8 million where their mouth is when they drafted him. That’s worth something, as Justin Hollander pointed out Monday.
“If the Seattle Mariners draft him third overall in the country, you can bet our models like him,” Hollander said.
That’s the strongest point in favor of Anderson’s fastball, in my opinion. To be clear, Kumar Rocker, Max Meyer, and Ian Anderson were also drafted third overall within the last decade, so it’s not quite ipso facto in the way Hollander asserts. But the Mariners are indeed a top five collection of pitching thinkers across the league, and (I’d argue) the best organization at knowing who to draft. They’re aware of the models, and they invested anyways.
This level of scrutiny isn’t entirely fair to Anderson. He is still a prospect after all and has yet to make a professional appearance outside these exhibitions. His stuff is not defined by 64 pitches in any setting, and a few outings while ramping up for the season aren’t representative of his current abilities. Regardless, he’s sure to get better with experience, whether we can measure it or not.
Still, the scrutiny isn’t quite misplaced. The hype heaped on Anderson has been pushed to rare levels, and the emphasis of the narrative is how fast he’s expected to move through the minors. The Mariners are trying to win a World Series this year, and there are legitimate questions about the depth of their rotation. It’s fair to wonder whether the team is serious about accelerating him, and whether he is ready for the jump. Is he now the sixth starter? Seventh? Eighth? I’m not sure. But my sense is Anderson, much like his fastball, will sneak up on us quick.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 25: Pitcher Zac Gallen #23 of the Arizona Diamondbacks throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning of a spring training game at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on February 25, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Diamondbacks are 7-5, fourth in the Cactus League, and still only the third best NL West team in the league. Preview of what’s to come?
James: While I never consider Cactus League indicative of anything remotely accurate to the regular season, I do still think AZ finishes 2026 in a battle for third or fourth.
Wesley: There’s very little correlation between a team’s performance in spring training and how they ultimately do in the regular season, although I also wouldn’t be surprised if they finish third or fourth anyway. I am actually somewhat encouraged by the performance of some of our young hitters. Seeing Jordan Lawlar, Tommy Troy, Ryan Waldschmidt, and Alek Thomas hit the cover off the ball this Spring should be a sign of encouragement, but it has to be taken with a massive grain of salt especially with Thomas and Lawlar’s previous offensive struggles.
Makakilo: The manager and coaches are looking at things that don’t show up in the box score, such as player skills, poise, and confidence. Three thoughts follow:
In the first 11 games, the offense scored an average of 6.5 runs per game. That encourages me to predict above average offense.
With four infielders who are excellent defenders (Arenado, Perdomo, Marte, and Santana) now playing WBC games, runs allowed are not predictive of the regular season.
Thru Saturday the 5-inning win-loss record would be 4-10-1, which is worse than their full-game win-loss record of 7-8. Nevertheless, my view is that 81 regular-season wins is the floor for the Diamondbacks.
Spencer: They keep a record of Cactus League results?
1AZfan1: Ha Spencer wins
How’s the unexpected fifth starter competition going? Any standouts to you so far? If the season started tomorrow, who gets the nod?
James: This is sort of a trick question for me. If Merrill Kelly is healthy enough to not miss more than the first run through the rotation, I don’t see much of a competition for fifth starter. Michael Soroka was never a serious rotation candidate, despite the narrative around his initial signing. If Soroka is in the rotation, someone is hurt long-term. That would be bad.
Wesley: I’m with James on this, it really depends on how many starts Merrill Kelly is likely to miss. Soroka has stood out to me for the wrong reasons, as he’s been awful so far this spring.
Spencer: Sadly I agree here. I think unlike with The Bum and The Full Monty, Rodriguez is guaranteed a rotation spot because he was actually a Hazen target and signing not a Kendrick splurge. I personally would rather have Soroka in there but he’s headed to the bullpen most likely. I think the only way that changes is if Pfaadt has a rough go and they choose to stash him in Reno for some reason. I put that option at 10% likelihood.
1AZfan1: Concur with the consensus. Soroka will be the odd man out if Kelly is healthy enough to start the year on the active roster.
Makakilo: The following is good news about Kelly:
“But, after throwing 26 pitches Thursday and feeling no discomfort Friday, Kelly may very well be able to open the season on the active roster and pitch at the backend of the rotation.” – Steve Gilbert, 6 March
On the flip side, who gets the ball on Opening Day 12 games in?
James: Unless Ryne Nelson turns into Brandon Webb between now and just under three weeks from now, the answer is Zac Gallen. It shouldn’t even really be a debate.
Wesley: Ryne Nelson has actually been better than his already solid performance this spring, but James is right, Gallen is the obvious answer here.
Makakilo: Last season, Ryne Nelson pitched better than Gallen (ERA 3.39 vs 4.83, FIP 3.73 vs 4.50). Therefore, Ryne Nelson is my choice.
Spencer: The concept that Opening Day Starter means something still confuses me. Whomever is ready and looks good will start. We play in LA. You can basically pencil in a loss already. So ERod or Pfaadt gets my vote.
1AZfan1: Nelson deserves it. He’s been our best starter for the past year and a half. Opening Day starter is largely ceremonial in my mind, so I could see the argument for Gallen getting the ball as he’s been the guy for the past 3 years. Torey has a valid excuse to delay Gallen’s start to the home-opening series, though. If this isn’t Nelly’s perfect opportunity (late start for Gallen and Kelly injury setback) then I don’t know what is.
Jurkison Profar will be serving his second PED suspension in 2 years. Is that a sign the program is working? Or do you feel it’s a sign that even more is happening we can’t see?
James: In this particular case, both. Overall, I think the system works as-is. While the system is far from perfect, it has the sort of teeth that clearly have had an effect.
Wesley: I think there’s a very real issue with medication/supplement labeling in Caribbean and Latin-American countries. There’s also the real issue of tainted/adulterated supplements being sold online as well. While I don’t think that either is applicable in Profar’s case, both are very real issues not being discussed, and MLB really needs to do a better job educating young players on “Maybe don’t take that sketchy supplement from a pharmacy back home” and “Don’t order cheap bulk supplements from a sketchy online retailer.”
Makakilo: There is reason to believe the program is working to reduce PEDs. Looking at this Wikipedia Website, suspensions of MLB players and former MLB players dropped from about 10 per year in 2020 to 2022, to about 6 per year in 2023-2025, with 3 so far in 2026.
An interesting point is that Profar had nothing to gain financially from using PEDs. His high-paying contract was good thru the 2027 season. That would be his age 34 season, which might have been his last season before retirement (and now it looks likely to be his last season before retirement).
Profar’s reaction after his first suspension (assuming it was unintentional per his statement at the time) should have been to consistently guard (and document) his intake of foods, vitamin supplements, and medicine to for-sure avoid a second suspension. Some people might have avoided anything that might have a risk, even if it hurt their health. And yet he is facing a second suspension. Why?
Spencer: Working. The league is actually testing people and following through on punishment. The list of PED users this decade is laughable. And Tatis showed a new generation just how good PEDs can make a player. Profar has proven how stupid players can be…
1AZfan1: I think that’s a really interesting point brought up by Wesley. Something worth looking into further for sure. General rule of thumb is that programs like these don’t catch every rule-breaker, but I still speculate that the program is working overall, though.
What’s your favorite Spring Training park?
James: Trick question. While I am torn between Scottsdale Stadium and SRF for favorite venue, my favorite place to attend an actual game is Tempe Diablo. If one arrives early to the game, there are shaded tables situated along the outfield concourse with individual seats. The view is great. Sitting in those seats allows stretching out. The shade is a massive boon. Also, the be girl is 8-10 feet away. My mattress and I regularly have purchased premium seats to enjoy the game (in case we couldn’t get one of those tables). We then don’t feel bad if we monopolize one of those tables for the duration. Without that loophole, Tempe Diablo needs a serious updating.
Wesley: The two spring training parks I’ve been to no longer host spring training games, ie Hi Corbett Field and Kino Ballpark. I can’t really answer the question honestly.
Makakilo: I, like Wesley, have been to games at Hi Corbett Field and Kino Ballpark. Also, many years ago, I went to Surprise Arizona. Because Surprise was a delightful adventure, and because spring training games happen there this season, my choice is Surprise Stadium.
Spencer: I have no idea what parks I attended as a kid living in Phoenix. So I’ll just say Peoria because it’s the only one I’m confident I went to. As I recall, most Spring Parks are nicer than Chase, but lackluster compared to most AAA/MLB parks around the country. I’m also told this has been changing since I left AZ in 2012.
Justin: Same as Wes. I think of the two, I preferred Hi Corbett. It’s an older ballpark, so maybe the old timey nostalgia feel. When the Sidewinders were still here, I would go to several games over the summer (yay living at my parents house still…) at Kino, versus maybe 1 game at Hi Corbett so that might add to it. 1AZfan1: I’ve only been to one Spring game in the past 20 or so years and that one trip to Salt River Fields was very nice. Baseball is generally a nostalgic pastime, though, so with that in mind, my absolute favorite Spring Training memory occurred at Peoria Sports Complex. I was thrilled to see my all-time favorite player, Ken Griffey Jr., launch a moonball to the top of the berm in right field in his first AB of the game. I was the happiest kid alive that day – except for maybe the kid who got that Griffey home run ball. So I’ll go with Peoria as my fave.
Will Giannis Antetokounmpo be back with the Milwaukee Bucks next season?
It will be the question of the offseason, and nobody knows the answer — not pundits, not social media influencers, not Antetokounmpo himself, and not his teammates. Here is what Milwaukee's Bobby Portis said when he was asked about his confidence in Antetokounmpo returning during a recent episode of FanDuel TV’s Run It Back (hat tip Bleacher Report).
"I'm at a five, bro. I'm right there in the middle... for real, it's up in the air...
"It's going to be a super lingering thing all summer long, especially leading up into the draft. So, I guess we'll have to see, but I think it's right there at that five."
Antetokounmpo returned to the court last week in an effort to push the Bucks into the postseason, but since then the team is 1-3 and sits four games back of the No. 10 seed with 19 to play. If they miss the play-in, it shows how far away from the contender Antetokounmpo says he wants to play for the Bucks are right now. Antetokounmpo has also said he wants to be a Buck for life and that he loves Milwaukee.
This summer, Milwaukee GM Jon Horst will have three first-round draft picks and some players with tradable salaries — Kyle Kuzma, maybe Portis — to make moves that turn the team back into a threat in the East. That is going to start around the draft.
Ultimately, Milwaukee will talk max contract extension with Antetokounmpo (which he can't officially sign until Oct. 1), and if he says he will sign it, then he stays. If he says he will not (which most people outside Milwaukee expect), the rumor mill starts up again. Milwaukee could work with him on a trade that works for everyone. Or the Bucks could decide he is too important to the franchise to trade, as Oklahoma City did with Kevin Durant, and hold on to him. Antetokounmpo can be a free agent in the summer of 2027 (he has a player option for the 2027-28 season).
Whatever happens, there will be drama, and even Antetokounmpo's teammates don't know how this will play out.
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Jillian Huerter hit four 3-pointers and scored 16 points, Cyanne Coe had 15 points and 10 rebounds and Fairfield beat top-seeded Quinnipiac 51-44 on Monday to claim a third straight Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament championship.
Fairfield (28-4), the No. 2 seed, advances to its fourth NCAA Tournament in the past five years and its eighth overall. Quinnipiac (26-6) was aiming for a sixth appearance in the main event — with its five previous trips coming from 2013-19.
Anna Foley hit a 3-pointer and Jackie Grisdale added a layup as Quinnipiac took advantage of three straight Fairfield turnovers to cut it to 47-44 with 60 seconds remaining. But Sydney Ryan missed a tying 3-pointer with 23 seconds left and Kaety L'Amoreaux and Sydni Scott sealed it at the free-throw line.
Foley led the Bobcats with 17 points and nine rebounds. Ella Ryan added 14 points.
There were four lead changes in the second quarter with neither team leading by more than a point until Huerter sank back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Stags a 20-13 lead.
Ella Ryan's layup with 2:04 remaining was the final basket of the half and left Quinnipiac trailing 25-19.
Coe had six points in the third quarter and the Stags outscored the Bobcats by three to take a 38-29 lead into the fourth. Quinnipiac never had a second-half lead.
The two teams split two games during the regular season, with both winning on the road.
Quinnipiac was the last to win three straight conference tourneys (2017-19). Marist won nine straight from 2006-14.
Ryan McMahon has altered his batting stance during spring training.
TAMPA — There are players who overhaul mechanics during an offseason or spring training and then cram in every at-bat or inning they can, determined to feel comfortable before the games actually matter.
Ryan McMahon is not in this subset. The Yankees third baseman, who will debut a new batting stance on Opening Day after a winter and a spring devoted to altering his setup, feels adjusted and natural with his new posture.
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“I’m ready,” McMahon said before Monday’s 5-3, exhibition loss to the Pirates at Steinbrenner Field. “I’m ready for some games with some juice.”
McMahon is ready with a stance that is noticeably narrower than what was one of the widest stances in baseball last season. According to Statcast, he averaged 42.7 inches between his feet while in the batter’s box last year, the fourth biggest gap in the majors. That stance saw him swing and miss at a 35.2 percent clip, the worst rate among qualified hitters for a player who struck out 189 times between the Rockies and Yankees.
After the season, McMahon sat for a lengthy Zoom with Yankees hitting minds including hitting coach James Rowson and assistant hitting coach Casey Dykes. McMahon is a good pupil, according to Dykes, both because he is receptive to new ideas and because he is clearly talented — a few tweaks can make a large difference.
“You’re always trying to help guys be in a position where they can be multidimensional,” Dykes said. “He can make more contact. He can keep the ball up [for fly balls rather than ground balls]. He obviously hits the ball hard. He sees the ball really well.
“We’re trying to put him in a position to maximize all those things.”
Ryan McMahon has altered his batting stance during spring training. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
McMahon is a bit of a rarity and has not suffered from the problems that usually plague the strikeout-prone. He rarely chases pitches out of the strike zone, above-average in ignoring pitches that become balls and ranked 24th last season — in between Bryce Harper and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. — in drawing walks. His 93.3 mph average exit velocity last season was the 14th best in the game, percentage points behind 13th-place Fernando Tatis Jr.
He swung at the right pitches, ignored the wrong ones and did plenty of damage. He simply whiffed too often. Were his legs too far apart?
“We’re trying to get him in a consistent position to maximize what we think he can do offensively,” Dykes said of McMahon, who himself said the extreme nature of the stance was not a lifelong issue but a bad habit that had “kind of happened over time.”
McMahon, about to embark on his 10th major league season, did not realize how far apart his legs had grown over the years. The tick reappeared recently at camp.
“The coaches brought it up to me immediately,” McMahon said. “Got in the cage the next day, worked it out. Felt great. Went into live [batting practice]. I think I had like six at-bats that day, and I think I walked in one and then hit all the other five balls over 100 [mph].
“It’s going to be something I got to keep my eye on because my feel — if I’m not feeling it right, I can get wide.”
It is rare that a 31-year-old with an impressive résumé — a 2024 All-Star and routinely one of the best third basemen in the sport — qualifies as a bit of a project, but McMahon’s first experience with a new organization and away from the Rockies, along with his sheer talent, makes him particularly intriguing. McMahon, who has begun his Grapefruit League season 3-for-23 with three doubles, said the new stance feels natural and “sturdier.”
The Yankees have appreciated that McMahon has fully bought in.
“He’s been great,” Dykes said. “A lot of conversations throughout the offseason, a lot of work in camp. … Just like anybody who was going through adjustments during the offseason period, as you go into the season you’re going to continue to try to refine — especially when you’ve been doing something one way for a long time.
Ryan McMahon swings during the Yankees-Tigers spring training game on Feb. 21, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
“He’s had a lot of success at the big league level already. Sometimes it takes time for things to feel natural, to be able to repeat them without having to overthink it. But he’s been great and working his tail off.
Australian leg-spinner Adam Zampa will not play New South Wales’ One-Day Cup final against the Tasmania in Hobart after making the “very unselfish” decision to step aside for his heir apparent.
MIAMI, FL - MARCH 07: Luis Arraez #2 of Team Venezuela celebrates after hitting an RBI double in the first inning during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool D game presented by Capital One between Team Israel and Team Venezuela at loanDepot park on Saturday, March 7, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Kelly Gavin/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
New San Francisco Giants second baseman has read your (our) criticism of his lack of power and he decided to take it out on the beleaguered pitchers of Team Israel. Luis Arraez went 4-for-5 with four runs, five RBIs, two doubles and two big home runs as Venezuela defeated Israel Saturday night, 11-3. at loanDepot Park (It’s a lowercase “L” because the Marlins are the worst).
Arraez got scoring started in the first inning with an RBI double, a play that didn’t make new Giants center fielder Harrison Bader look great as he utilized what looked like a pilates move in his attempt to catch the line drive.
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 8, 2026
Arraez went deep for the first time in the bottom of the fifth off of New York Mets reliever Jordan Geber, he of 6.2 career major league innings pitched.
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 8, 2026
In the bottom of the sixth, Venezuela had a 7-2 lead and two runners on when Israel brought in left-handed reliever Ryan Kaminsky to shut down the Reggie Jackson of the World Baseball Classic. Arraez said “Nacht gut!” and sent 3-1 pitch over the right-field wall.
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 8, 2026
Arraez added another double in the eighth and came around to score. That almost capped the scoring, but Bader proved the Giants may have one of the most powerful lineups in the world by hitting a 397-foot home run in the top of the ninth.
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 8, 2026
Look, maybe Arraez has only hit 16 home runs in the last three seasons, when he hasn’t slugged over .400, despite winning a batting title in 2024. But if this tournament is any indication, Arraez is poised for a power breakthrough, as long as he can solely face marginal Israeli one-inning relievers.
Israel! Venenzuela! They’re all about power now, and not just the United States imperial overreach kind!
NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 7: OG Anunoby #8 of the New York Knicks looks on during the game against the LA Clippers on January 7, 2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. 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 Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
After yesterday’s stinker against the Lakers, the Knicks (41*-24) get an LA mulligan against the Clippers (31-32) at the Intuit Dome. LA has gone 25-11 after a 6-21 start, powered by Kawhi Leonard’s monster year (27.9 PPG). Fatigue could be a concern for our heroes in this one, especially for Cap, who logged 42 minutes a little over 24 hours ago.
Game time is 9 p.m. 10 p.m.** EST on MSG. This is your game thread. This is Clips Nation. Please don’t post large photos, GIFs, or links to illegal streams in the thread. Pick up after yourselves and be good humans. Go Knicks.
* Should be one more, but NBA Cups are actually Dixie Cups.
** Sorry about that, folks. Blame it on daylight saving time and wishful thinking.
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 24: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles the ball during the game against Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves on October 24, 2025 at Crypto.Com Arena 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Minnesota Timberwolves at Los Angeles Lakers Date: March 10th, 2026 Time: 10:00 PM CDT Location: Crypto.com Arena Television Coverage: NBC, Peacock Radio Coverage: Wolves App, iHeart Radio
Every good run eventually meets reality.
For the Minnesota Timberwolves, that reality arrived Saturday afternoon at Target Center when their five-game winning streak came to a screeching halt courtesy of the Orlando Magic. The timing, of course, was almost comically predictable. If you’ve followed this team long enough, you know the Wolves have a weird kryptonite: weekend matinees. For this team, Saturday afternoon basketball is the equivalent of trying to run a marathon after waking up from a nap.
But here’s the important distinction: this loss wasn’t one of the lifeless disasters we’ve seen before. The Wolves have had games this season (the blowouts against the Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers come to mind) where it felt like the team simply forgot to show up. Those games were frustrating not just because they lost, but because the effort wasn’t there.
Saturday wasn’t that. Minnesota didn’t play well. Not even close. But they fought. They competed. They tried to claw their way back into a game that kept slipping through their fingers like sand. That doesn’t make the loss any easier in the standings, but it does separate it from the kind of no-show performance that makes you question the team’s focus.
The frustrating part is that the Wolves actually started the game well. The first quarter had the feel of a team ready to extend its winning streak. The ball moved. The defense held up. For a moment it looked like Minnesota might be in line for another comfortable home win.
Then the offense collapsed. Anthony Edwards cooled off after his scoring heater, and the rest of the roster seemed to follow gravity straight back to earth. The Wolves finished the game shooting an absolutely brutal 22 percent from three-point range.
And that’s a problem for this team. Because for better or worse, the Timberwolves’ offensive identity this season has revolved around the three-point line.
When the Threes Don’t Fall, Everything Falls Apart
Minnesota has built its offense around spacing, shooting, and the gravity that Anthony Edwards creates. Edwards has been spectacular this season as a three-point shooter, and players like Donte DiVincenzo, Naz Reid, Jaden McDaniels, and Bones Highland have all proven capable of catching fire from deep.
When those shots fall, the Wolves look unstoppable. The offense opens up, the driving lanes widen, and Minnesota can bury teams under an avalanche of perimeter scoring. But when those shots don’t fall?
It can get ugly fast.
Saturday was one of those days. The Wolves simply couldn’t buy a basket from deep. Some nights the rim looks like the ocean and everything drops. Saturday felt like the Wolves were trying to shoot into a thimble. Without the long ball falling, Minnesota’s offense stalled out completely.
Orlando certainly deserves some credit for that. The Magic played excellent defense. They built a wall in the paint, cut off driving lanes, and forced the Wolves into contested looks. As the misses piled up, frustration crept into Minnesota’s offense. Possessions started ending with rushed shots instead of flowing through the offense.
Meanwhile, Orlando took advantage of Minnesota’s defensive lapses in the exact opposite way. The Magic weren’t lighting it up from three either, but they didn’t need to. Orlando simply attacked the rim over and over again, slicing through Minnesota’s perimeter defense like a hot knife through butter.
Where the Magic put up a wall, the Wolves sometimes looked like a revolving door. The result was a 20-plus point blowout that never really felt like it was coming back.
A Wake-Up Call Before the Road Trip?
If you’re searching for a silver lining, and Wolves fans have spent decades mastering that particular skill, there’s an argument that this loss might not be the worst thing in the world.
Sometimes a good team needs a punch in the mouth.
The Wolves are about to embark on a four-game road trip that will serve as one of the biggest tests of their season. And if there’s a game in that stretch that stands above the rest in terms of importance, it’s the first one.
The Los Angeles Lakers.
Yes, the Wolves need wins against the Clippers, Warriors, and Thunder as well. Those are all tough opponents, and every win will matter in the standings. But the Lakers game is different. Because the Lakers are the team Minnesota is directly battling with in the standings.
The Wolves have already dropped two games to Los Angeles this season, which means they won’t own the tiebreaker. That makes the margin for error razor thin. Minnesota cannot afford to allow the Lakers to gain any more ground, especially at a moment when Los Angeles has started to wobble a little bit. If the Wolves want to claim the three seed, and avoid sliding back into the fourth or fifth spot, they need to establish their authority in this matchup.
There’s also a little psychological edge at play here. These two teams met in the playoffs last season, with Minnesota eliminating Los Angeles in the first round. That history adds a little extra spice to this matchup.
The media will bill this as Edwards vs. Doncic, and honestly, that’s not a bad storyline. But for Minnesota, the bigger story is the standings.
Keys to the Game
#1 – The three-point shooting has to rebound.
Minnesota’s offense lives and dies by the long ball. Anthony Edwards continues to shoot at a high clip, but the Wolves cannot rely solely on him to carry the perimeter attack. Players like DiVincenzo, Naz Reid, and Jaden McDaniels need to convert the open looks they’re getting. If Minnesota can push its team three-point percentage back into the mid-to-high 30s, the offensive balance returns immediately.
#2 – Reassert the physical advantage in the paint.
Minnesota bullied the Lakers down low in last year’s postseason series. Rudy Gobert and Julius Randle dominated the boards and controlled the interior, and Los Angeles simply didn’t have an answer. The Lakers attempted to fix that weakness by acquiring Deandre Ayton, who provided more resistance earlier in the season, but Minnesota still holds the edge.
Gobert needs to channel his Game 5 energy from that playoff series by dominating rebounds, protecting the rim, and turning missed shots into second-chance opportunities.
#3 – Contain Luka Doncic.
Doncic has torched the Wolves before, including earlier this season in Los Angeles when he outdueled Edwards. Stopping Luka entirely is impossible, but Minnesota can’t allow him to dictate the game.
This isn’t a one-man defensive assignment. Even elite defenders like Jaden McDaniels and Anthony Edwards can’t handle Doncic alone for forty-eight minutes. It will require coordinated team defense, disciplined rotations, and the willingness to make Luka work for every shot.
If the Wolves force other Lakers players to beat them, they dramatically improve their chances.
#4 – Attack the rim.
Yes, the threes need to fall. But the Wolves can’t sit back and hope that better shooting alone solves their problems. The Lakers’ defense is vulnerable, particularly when it comes to perimeter containment. Doncic, Austin Reaves, and even LeBron James can be attacked off the dribble.
Players like Edwards, Ayo Dosunmu, Bones Highland, and McDaniels need to apply pressure by driving into the paint, collapsing the defense, and creating easier scoring opportunities.
#5 – Commit to playing the right way.
That means disciplined defense instead of gambling for highlight plays. It means moving the ball instead of falling into isolation hero ball. It means trusting teammates and playing connected basketball on both ends of the floor.
This road trip is where chemistry either strengthens or cracks. With the playoff just around the corner, the Wolves need to establish their identity and their habits. “Later” isn’t an option.
A Defining Road Trip Begins
The margin for error in the Western Conference is razor thin. One bad stretch can undo weeks of progress, and the Wolves know it. This four-game road trip will test their maturity, their discipline, and their ability to bounce back from adversity. And it starts with the biggest game of the bunch. Beat the Lakers and Minnesota keeps control of its destiny. Lose, and suddenly the standings get uncomfortable again.
The Wolves have spent the past few weeks climbing toward that coveted third seed.
