NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 26: Julian Champagnie #30 of the San Antonio Spurs shoots a three-point basket against Nolan Traore #88 of the Brooklyn Nets during the game at Barclays Center on February 26, 2026 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. 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 Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Spurs game in Denver did not go as expected. The Silver & Black blew a lead late in the fourth and lost their way in overtime.
Some silver lining to the gray cloud was Julian Champagnie’s six three-pointers. He ended the afternoon with eighteen points on 6 of 9 shooting beyond the arc.
With four home games remaining, Champagnie has the opportunity to crack 200 hits from downtown in one season. Following Keldon Johnson’s recent milestone — becoming the first played in Spurs history to hit 1,000 points coming off the bench — the Spurs as a whole look keyed up to head into the postseason strong.
In addition to his offense prowess, Champagnie’s rebounding is a strength of his defensive contributions. He’s double his rebounding from two seasons ago while only increasing his minutes by 50%.
Champagnie is a key component of the Spurs success this season. Head coach Mitch Johnson has entrusted the undrafted sharpshooter as a member of the starting line-up.
Originally designed around Victor Wembanyama, Harrison Barnes, Devin Vassell, Stephon Curry, and De’Aaron Fox, Champagnie earned the role as go-to starter as early season injuries sidelined Fox and then Castle. As New Year’s Eve approached, he started in place of Devin Vassell who was suffering a left adductor strain. And later, when Harrison Barnes’ left ankle caused him to miss his first games since December of 2021, Champagnie established himself in the starting line-up going forward.
Champagnie originally came to San Antonio in 2023 on a two-way contract, two days after being waived by the Philadelphia 76ers on Valentine’s Day. That summer, he signed a friendly four-year/$12M contract. He’s got one more season before he is offered what is sure to be a big payday.
Hopefully the Spurs can put a ring on it and lock him down for a long, prosperous career in San Antonio.
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The Montreal Canadiens put the finishing touch on their five-game road trip when they took on the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center on Saturday night. There was no surprise in the Habs’ lineup, at least on the ice. Jakub Dobes was in the net, but Samuel Montembeault was acting as backup, a first since Jacob Fowler was recalled from the Laval Rocket on March 11. His presence on the bench doesn’t mean he’s out of the doghouse, though. With the two teams meeting again on Sunday night, it was reported that the Tricolore had sent Fowler back to Montreal to rest before he starts Sunday’s game.
While Fowler was heading back to Montreal, a lot of Canadiens fans did the opposite. There were a lot of Habs fans in the stands when warm-up started, with Cole Caufield being on the verge of scoring his 50th goal of the season. Fans were hungry to see him accomplish the feat in person, and they didn’t want to risk missing it if it happened away from the Bell Centre.
With the former first-string goalie watching from the bench, Dobes played yet another great game and as has become a habit, he kept Montreal in the game in the first frame. After the first 20 minutes, Sheldon Keefe’s men had the upside in shots with 14 to Montreal’s nine, but once again, it was the visitor who held a 1-0 lead, nonetheless.
Since Eric Raymond has been dismissed and replaced by Mario Marciane, the Czech netminder has been looking much more confident and poised in net, and it has paid off. He doesn’t overcommit anymore, but he remains aggressive in net, knowing when to move forward to cut the angles or to use a poke check when an opponent is too daring. Wherever the shot comes from, he’s ready. In the second frame, he made a cracking save on a one-timer from the slot off the stick of Simon Nemec.
When the Canadiens struggled on a four-minute power play, he made a big save on an odd-man rush, but when the Habs gave up another one in quick succession, he couldn’t neutralize that one. Still, on a four-minute power play, he made three saves while Jake Allen only needed to make one.
While he gave up three goals in regulation for the first time since March 14, Dobes cannot be faulted for the Devils tying up the game. On that third goal, Kaiden Guhle provided the perfect screen in front of his own goaltender.
Granted, he made the overtime somewhat scary by coming out of his net, but in the end, he managed to fix his own mistakes.
Caufield The Passer
While everyone was waiting to see Caufield’s 50th goal of the season, he treated them to a couple of nice assists instead. He had the primary assist on the first goal of the game as he fed Jayden Struble for a very Caufield-like shot that beat Allen. On the second goal of the game, he had the puck in his office on the power play. Still, instead of going for the shot, he saw a perfect passing lane to Ivan Demidov, who was sneaking in towards the goal, and he took it, allowing the Russian rookie to notch his 60th point on the season.
Perhaps the Habs were just as keen as the fans to see Caufield get his 50th goal, though. When they got the four-minute power play at the end of the second frame, you could see them try to get the puck to the sniper. After giving up an odd-man rush, the Habs tried to feed Caufield, who was waiting on the offensive blueline, but the pass was off target, which led to another odd-man rush, and that one was costly.
Caufield still found the back of the net, but it was in the shootout and therefore doesn't count as number 50. With the next four games at home, you can expect the Bell Centre to erupt if/when he finds the back of the net.
With a 3-0 lead and a four-minute power play, it looked like the Devils were dead and buried, but they weren’t. The Canadiens' inability to generate much on that power play was a turning point in the game and nearly cost them their win streak.
This will serve as a reminder to a young Habs team that might have felt invincible on a seven-game winning streak that it is not. However, they did win it in the end, thanks to an Oliver Kapanen goal in the shootout. On Sunday night, both teams will be at it again, and it will be interesting to see if the Canadiens have learned their lesson.
KAPPY OFFRE LA VICTOIRE AU TRICOLORE EN TIRS DE BARRAGE
Joe Mazzulla wasn’t supposed to be the long-term answer.
A week before training camp in 2022, the Celtics’ future was clear and it was beautiful. They had just come off a Finals loss against the Warriors, the roster was intact, and the next few years of contention felt inevitable.
Then, the Ime Udoka situation forced everything sideways, and a 34-year-old assistant coach was suddenly running a contender with championship expectations and no runway to grow into the job.
That kind of transition usually leaves a scratch on an organization when you look back at their history. Even good teams wobble when the voice in the room changes overnight. Boston didn’t. In Mazzulla’s first year, they opened 18–4, carried over the same edge from the previous season, and kept stacking wins as if nothing had really changed. At the time, that steadiness felt temporary, like the roster was strong enough to carry the rookie coach while things settled.
A few years later, it’s clear that wasn’t what was happening.
An emergency replacement
Early on, the question followed Mazzulla everywhere: how much of the success was him, and how much of this was already built? It’s a fair question when you inherit a Finals team with two All-NBA wings entering their prime. Plenty of coaches could keep that group competitive. Far fewer can shape it into something more sustained and defined.
That’s where Mazzulla has separated himself. The Celtics play with a level of clarity that reflects a coach who knows exactly what he wants each game to look like. Offensively, the system is built on quick decisions and spacing that stretches defenses until something gives. The three-point volume gets a lot of the attention, but the real story is how those shots are created. The ball rarely sticks. Actions flow into each other. Role players are involved by design.
You see it in players like Payton Pritchard stepping into larger responsibilities, whether that’s as a starter or off the bench. You see it in how Jaylen Brown’s usage shifts depending on who’s available. The system holds up through the constant roster changes that come with an NBA season. When Jayson Tatum missed extended time, the Celtics stayed organized offensively and avoided drifting into isolation-heavy stretches. When he returned, the structure didn’t need to be rebuilt.
That kind of continuity points to a system that has been intentionally constructed. So how did he do it in such a short period of time?
“Give the game what it needs”
Defensively, the identity has always been deliberate, even if it shows up in less obvious ways. Boston prioritizes protecting the paint and controlling possessions, even if it means living with certain perimeter looks. The help is aggressive. Rotations are early and often. The goal is to shape the game into something predictable and repeatable over long stretches.
That approach requires discipline across the roster, especially when lineups change or when less experienced players are on the floor. It also requires buy-in. Players have to trust the tradeoffs possession after possession, even when the results don’t always look clean in the moment.
What’s interesting is how different this feels from the versions of the Celtics we’ve seen under previous coaches.
Under Brad Stevens, the emphasis was also on structure and execution, but maybe even more so than Mazzulla. Everything was precise, often methodical, and built to minimize mistakes. Under Ime Udoka, the identity shifted toward physicality and accountability. That group defended with force, leaned into toughness, and played with an edge that carried them to the Finals.
Mazzulla has taken pieces of both and made the team his own. The structure of Brad is still there, as is the defensive edge of Udoka, but the games (and results) are better than they’ve ever been. There’s more trust in players to make the next read, to take the next shot, to keep the possession moving without overthinking it.
That’s where “give the game what it needs” shows up. It’s not about running a perfect possession every time, but instead recognizing what’s available and acting on it quickly. Sometimes that means a quick three. Other times it means one more pass or trusting a role player to make the right play in a big moment (see Xavier Tillman in Game 3 of the 2024 NBA Finals).
Opposing coaches have pointed out how clearly Boston plays to its strengths and how consistent the approach is on both ends. That level of execution typically develops over time. In Boston’s case, it came from a coach stepping into a volatile situation and establishing structure quickly, then giving it room to breathe.
There’s also growth that’s easy to overlook. Mazzulla’s first playoff run had moments where things unraveled, and some of the criticism at the time was fair. Since then, the adjustments have improved. So while the learning curve has been steep, he’s handled it just about as well as you could have asked.
“Nobody cares”
At some point, the context around how Joe Mazzulla got here starts to fade into the background. What replaces it is the résumé, and it’s already difficult to wrap your head around. A championship. The highest winning percentage the league has ever seen. Year after year of 50-plus wins. A team that hasn’t drifted, hasn’t fractured, hasn’t taken a step back at a time when most contenders eventually do.
What’s almost as impressive as the results is the environment he’s maintained. Two superstars entering their primes, in a league where that usually comes with questions about timelines, pressure, and whether something else might be out there for them. Instead, the Celtics, top to bottom, have stayed aligned. The expectations have risen, and the response has been nothing but steadiness. That part doesn’t show up in a statistic, but it might be the most impressive thing he’s done to date.
All of that from a coach who, a few years ago, was an assistant from Rhode Island who had never held a head coaching job, outside of a stop at Fairmont State.
But the thing is that we, Celtics fans around the world, care. Deeply. Not about the award or the optics, though Celtics fans agree that his name should be on the shortlist for COTY candidates. It’s that the Celtics were thrown into massive uncertainty and ended up with a coach who has kept them at the center of the league, defined how they play, and helped push them over the line.
There wasn’t a plan for this. How could there have been? It was a moment that could have gone a lot of different ways, most of which you’d expect to go badly.
PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 04: Evgeni Malkin #71 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates his second period goal against the Florida Panthers at PPG PAINTS Arena on April 4, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
This all feels very familiar..
Who:Florida Panthers (37-36-3, 77 points, 7th place Atlantic Division) @ Pittsburgh Penguins (39-22-16, 94 points, 2nd place Metropolitan Division)
When: 3:00 p.m. ET
How to Watch: Locally broadcast on Sportsnet Pittsburgh and SCRIPPS, streaming on ESPN+
Pens’ Path Ahead: Ahh, the rare break is ahead. The Pens enjoy their first string of three consecutive days with no games since the Olympic break and are out of action until a road game on Thursday in New Jersey. After that is a home-and-home with the Capitals, Saturday afternoon in Pittsburgh and next Sunday in Washington.
Opponent Track: The Panthers were officially eliminated from the playoffs yesterday after their 9-4 defeat to the Penguins. Florida heads north after today for a game in Montreal on Tuesday.
Season Series: Pittsburgh looks for a season sweep over the defending Cup champions today, having won yesterday and then back in October.
Hidden Stat: The Panthers have a 16-21-0 road record this season (71-point full season pace) compared to a 21-15-3 record at home (95-point pace). Florida’s 21 road regulation losses rank second worst in the NHL (Calgary, 24).
Potential scratches: Aaron Ekblad, Dmitry Kulikov, Sam Reinhart, Anton Lundell, Uvis Balinskis, Cole Reinhardt
Injured Reserve: Evan Rodrigues
LTIR: Aleksander Barkov, Brad Marchand, Cole Schwindt, Jonah Godjovich, Niko Mikkola
It’ll be interesting to see if the Panthers throw Bobrovsky back into the fire after lifting him about halfway through yesterday’s game. His body language looked like he was over it. Maybe he flushes that after a day, the Panthers have basically split the starts (11 for Bob, eight for Tarasov) since the Olympic break. One of them will have to play for a second straight day and it was surely planned to be Tarasov’s game coming into the weekend. Did yesterday’s performance change that? We’ll soon find out!
Speaking of packing it in, yesterday Tkachuk (0), Bennett (1) and Verhaeghe (2) combined for three shots on goal in yesterday’s game, almost none of them standing out within the game or making much of an impact. Florida doesn’t have much talent left available with four of their top seven scorers on the season already out, if the ones they do have are barely out there it’s going to make the struggles that much more difficult.
Well, it looks like three-straight years of Stanley Cup Final appearances (not to mention numerous players involved in 4 Nations and Olympics) caught up in a major way with Florida. The tone for the season was set when captain Aleksander Barkov went down with a knee injury in September and was lost for the year. It’s only been downhill from there with injuries and down seasons across the board. Truly a team that’s hit the wall and run out of gas, but what a run they had from 2023-25.
And now for the Pens
Projected lines
FORWARDS
Egor Chinakhov – Sidney Crosby – Bryan Rust
Tommy Novak – Rickard Rakell – Evgeni Malkin
Anthony Mantha – Ben Kindel – Justin Brazeau
Elmer Soderblom – Connor Dewar – Noel Acciari
DEFENSEMEN
Parker Wotherspoon / Erik Karlsson
Sam Girard / Kris Letang
Ryan Shea / Connor Clifton
Goalies: Stuart Skinner and Arturs Silovs
Potential Scratches: Ilya Solovyov, Blake Lizotte (injured), Kevin Hayes, Ryan Graves, Jack St. Ivany
IR: Filip Hallander, Caleb Jones (season-ending shoulder surgery)
It’ll be interesting to see for the Penguins if anyone can’t answer the bell for another game today. Rust, Dewar, Kindel and Brazeau all took some lumps yesterday. Hockey players can play through a lot, and a three-day rest is on the horizon but this might be a time to give someone who isn’t 100% a day off with the bigger picture in mind of hopefully getting them ready for Thursday and beyond.
Boston, MA - November 8: Boston Celtics SF Jayson Tatum high fives C Neemias Queta after Tatum's dunk brought the Celtics within a point of the Brooklyn Nets in the third quarter. (Photo by Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) | Boston Globe via Getty Images
We’re back! And Jayson Tatum might be…like…ALL the way back. Welcome to the Celtics’ Top-5 Highest IQ Plays of the Week!
Sure, we love the high-flying dunks and the deep, off-the-dribble step-back threes, but this is a place for the under-the-radar plays that might not get the credit they deserve. The plays that get the basketball sickos and nerds out of their chairs. The plays that even YOU could make in your weekly rec league game.
Each week, the plays will be ranked from five to one—one being the smartest—and will only be taken from games that occurred within the past week. For this week, games from March 29th to April 4th are considered. The Celtics went 3-1 this week, with wins over the Hornets, Heat, and Bucks but a loss to the Hawks.
Every basketball coach talks about pass fakes, but it’s rare to find a player who uses them as effectively as Baylor Scheierman. On this play, the lefty throws his entire body into the fake and doesn’t immediately get rid of the ball, which is the perfect read on this play. With LaMelo having to guard two players and Gonzalez being the other three-point shooting option, Scheierman makes the ideal play in real time. Sometimes the simplest plays are the most effective.
Tatum has very quickly reintegrated himself into NBA basketball. But he might have somehow come back a better passer than he was before. I absolutely love his vision on this play—seeing both defenders converging on him and Kon lurking in the passing lane—and throwing a perfect lead pass to Queta for the dunk. Perhaps it’s because he had time off to watch his teammates and see the game in a different way, or perhaps the Celtics just have a better offense than they did last year, but Tatum looks like he’s leveled up as a passer.
Wondering about that aforementioned improved Celtics offense? This is it in a nutshell. More flare screens, Spain pick-and-roll, passing and off-ball movement, and all of it happening earlier in the shot clock. Here, Hauser runs completely perpendicular to the ball-handler in an unconventional flare cut that results in a wide open shot on the wing thanks to Garza’s crushing screen and White’s heady passing. Plays like these have been a staple of Boston’s offense this season.
Payton Pritchard does his best Ja-Marr Chase impression on this play, getting rid of the ball and then shifting Pelle Larson into his own basket before peeling away and setting his feet for the jumper. I love that Payton cuts behind Larson, thus making it impossible for his fake cut to be seen or reacted to effectively. So smart.
1. Smart hustle
NEW STORY: I wrote 1,000 words on my favorite play of the year: a Derrick White sprint.
“I told JT — that’ll go in my Hall of Very Good nomination.”
Derrick White makes a play here that very few other players would. Right after he throws the beautiful lob to Brown, he hauls his behind back to the defensive end of the floor and essentially blocks Larson’s buzzer-beater attempt. Special hustle from the Celtics’ highest IQ player and one of the smartest players in the entire NBA.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - AUGUST 12: Luis Gil of the New York Yankees pitches in a game against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field on August 12, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Matt Dirksen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
MLB | Bryan Hoch: After beginning 2026 at Triple-A with a packed house in the rotation, 2024 AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil is set to make his season debut this coming week. Gil is scheduled to start today for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (his first appearances this year) and will then pitch for the Yankees on regular rest, which would mean he’ll take the ball on Friday at Tropicana Field against Tampa Bay. The Yankees took advantage of early season days off to roll with a four-man rotation temporarily. But barring injury, that will end soon, when Gil returns to the big leagues.
The Athletic | Chris Kirschner ($): Ben Rice looked like he was going to have a no good, very bad day Friday, striking out in his first three at-bats. But when the game ended, Rice had a home run, a double, and three runs batted in. Behind the paywall, Kirschner looks at Rice’s rise to stardom. One interesting, though early, note: Rice is clobbering non-fastballs so far in 2026, something that had previously been a hole in his game. With pitchers throwing him fastballs 15 percent less often thus far, he has countered by clubbing non-fastballs to the tune of a 1.351 OPS.
NJ.com: Speaking of young stars, how about Cam Schlittler. The flamethrower is coming off his second consecutive outstanding start for New York, and the voice of the Yankees has noticed. In an interview, Michael Kay reveals that it was this spring when everyone in the organization realized Schlittler looked even better than last year, which is impressive considering what Cam did to Boston in the playoffs. For his part, Kay thinks the sky is the limit.
“And if you look at this guy, if he doesn’t get hurt… this guy could be an All-Star. He’s going to be in the Cy Young conversation. He’s that good. And I don’t think that’s hyperbolic.”
MLB | Shanthi Sepe-Chepuru: Former Yankee CC Sabathia did something new on the weekend. On Friday, the Hall of Famer, with former teammate and New York native Dellin Betances in tow, took the New York City subway for the first time. CC and Dellin needed to get to the Yankees’ home opener and evidently decided the subway was the way to go. I’m guessing a bunch of Yankees fans were thrilled by the presence of the former Yankee superstars.
Nikola Jokic outshone fellow Most Valuable Player contender Victor Wembanyama with a game-high 40 points as the Denver Nuggets ended the San Antonio Spurs' 11-match winning streak.
Serb Jokic, a three-time winner of the NBA's MVP award, starred as Denver recorded their eighth straight win with a 136-134 triumph in overtime.
Wembanyama led San Antonio with 34 points but the Frenchman's team squandered a 107-96 advantage in the fourth quarter.
Both players are among the leading names to claim this season's coveted individual award, given to the best performer during the regular season, and were full of praise for the other after the match.
Jokic said of Wembanyama to ESPN: "I think the first time I played against him, I told you guys he's going to change the league. He's going to change basketball.
"I still think that. And I think he has an opportunity, a chance to be the most unique basketball player to ever play the game."
Reflecting on defeat, Wembanyama said: "I think it was an amazing game. One of the most fun games. I wish we could have closed it out.
"It was a real test against a team that's playing for something right now. They've got the best offensive player in the world."
Both teams have already clinched a place in the post-season play-offs, which begin on 18 April.
But while San Antonio are assured of a top-two seeding in the Western Conference - they trail reigning champions Oklahoma City Thunder - Denver's final placing within the top six is still to be decided.
The Thunder can move closer to a third straight Western Conference title against the Utah Jazz on Sunday, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander seeks back-to-back MVP crowns.
Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic could be out of MVP contention after the NBA's leading scorer was ruled out for the rest of the regular season with a hamstring injury on Friday.
SAN FRANCISCO – As Stephen Curry was spending his days rehabbing in the wake of his season-altering runner’s knee diagnosis, one goal stayed atop his mind. Get right and return to the Warriors while the season still has an iota of consequence.
It does, and Curry is expected to make his highly anticipated return Sunday night against the Houston Rockets at Chase Center.
“It’s pretty simple. He’s healthy,” coach Steve Kerr said Saturday after practice. “If you’re healthy, you play. You have a lot to play for. We’re going to be in to play-in (tournament). Get a chance to get to the playoffs. Why else do we do this?”
But as Curry was approaching the late stages of rehab and the Warriors were falling apart like soggy cardboard, debate raged over the benefit of his return: Should Steph come back to a team that can only dream of a robust playoff run?
Only if he is fully healthy. Only if he has a strong desire to play. Not unless he believes there is significance in achieving goals that matter to him.
Those in the “no” camp, who have given up on the season and concluded Curry should embrace self-preservation and wrap his right knee in ice until September, might not understand that he is repulsed by the idea of surrender.
For Curry, getting on the court when healthy is as natural as brushing his teeth.
“I love playing basketball,” said Curry, who last appeared in a game on Jan. 30. “That’s what I get paid to do. If I’m healthy enough to play and it’s safe to go out there and test it in live action, all the work that I put in will hopefully pay off.
“Our season has been different than we expected. But the fact that we know there is something to still play for gives all of us a lot of confidence down the stretch to try to make something out of it. I want to be a part of that.”
This season has been different than expected is an understatement. After bumbling through the first two months, they finally found their rhythm, going 12-4 over a 16-game stretch as the calendar turned to 2026. They were generating momentum when disaster struck. Jimmy Butler III, Robin to Curry’s Batman, went down with a season-ending torn right ACL. The forlorn look that crept across Curry’s face in that instant spoke volumes. It was as if he had seen the entire season flash before his eyes.
Golden State lost three of its next five games and was hit with another disaster in the sixth, when Curry limped off the court and missed the next 27 games.
The Warriors are 11-21 since Butler was sidelined, 9-18 since he was joined by Curry. Smacked with a spate of other aches and injuries, they descended from eighth place to ninth and then to 10th in the Western Conference. That’s enough to earn the final berth in the NBA play-in tournament, the last chair in the waiting room to the playoffs.
Curry didn’t give up as a teenager when college basketball’s power conferences ignored him. He waved no white flag when his ankles tried to derail his NBA career. He didn’t slink away because his frame wasn’t built to prosper in the best league on the planet. He turned the doubters into believers, the naysayers into cheerleaders.
You think the Warriors are done? Maybe they are. You think Curry is wasting his time and risking further harm? He’s been there, heard that and still is the league’s only unanimous MVP and basketball’s latest change agent.
Your danger is his mountain to climb. Outside skepticism is fuel for his heart.
“What we’re trying to do (is) be the best team for that first play-in game,” Curry said. “Whoever we play, whether it’s Portland or the Clippers, to be able to embrace that challenge, win one game and then have to go do it again. That’s pretty straightforward.”
Kerr knows this but adds another element to support the player behind his fabulous coaching record, while also buttressing his own side of the debate.
“Steph is the most joyful athlete I’ve ever seen,” Kerr said, clearing his throat. “He loves to play, loves to compete, loves to work. And that joy is infectious. It’s infectious not only with his teammates, but with our fans. The question about why Steph is coming back cuts to the core of what our business is about. We want our fans to be really excited to come watch beautiful basketball. And nobody represents that more than Steph.
“He wouldn’t be coming back if he wasn’t healthy. But he’s healthy, so he’s going to play. We want to bring joy to (Chase Center). We want to bring joy to our fans. And that’s what this is about. It’s about winning, yes, but it’s about people really enjoying coming to the building and watching our team play. It’s the most important thing, and they go hand in hand.
“These last 12 years have really shown that we’ve been able to play a really entertaining style and win championships. Frankly, Steph is responsible for more of that than anyone. One of the greatest players of all time, but he’s the greatest face of a franchise in any sport that I’ve ever seen.”
Kerr rests his case. Curry already made his case, testifying on his own behalf. He wants to ride. He needs to ride. Let him.
Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson is generally recognized as the second-best quarterback in the 2026 NFL draft, behind only Indiana's Fernando Mendoza, who's set to go to the Raiders first overall. So where will Simpson go?
If the betting odds are to be believed, the Cardinals or Jets will trade into the late first round to take Simpson.
The Cardinals are +125 favorites to land Simpson, with the Jets just behind them at +145.
But no one expects the Jets or Cardinals, who have the second and third overall picks, to take Simpson with their own first-round picks. Instead, Simpson's odds project him to go somewhere in the last eight picks of the draft: His over/under and first-round odds suggest he'll be between the 25th and 32nd picks.
That would mean the Cardinals or Jets trading up from their own first-round picks, No. 33 and No. 34 overall, to move into the late first round and take Simpson. That's what the Giants did last year when they traded up from the 34th overall pick to the 25th overall pick to draft quarterback Jaxson Dart. That required the Giants to give up third-round picks both last year and this year in the deal, and that's probably the kind of trade the Cardinals or Jets would be looking to make.
If the Cardinals or Jets don't draft Simpson, the team with the next-best odds to take him is the Rams at +425, followed by the Browns at +650 and Steelers at +800.
Nashville Predators (36-31-9, in the Central Division) vs. Los Angeles Kings (31-26-19, in the Pacific Division)
Los Angeles; Monday, 10:30 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: The Los Angeles Kings host the Nashville Predators after Adrian Kempe scored two goals in the Kings' 7-6 overtime win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Los Angeles has a 12-17-9 record at home and a 31-26-19 record overall. The Kings have a 12-9-10 record in games they have more penalties than their opponent.
Nashville has a 36-31-9 record overall and a 16-16-6 record in road games. The Predators have gone 30-6-3 in games they score three or more goals.
The teams meet Monday for the third time this season. The Predators won the previous matchup 5-4 in a shootout.
TOP PERFORMERS: Artemi Panarin has scored 27 goals with 53 assists for the Kings. Alex Laferriere has three goals and six assists over the last 10 games.
Steven Stamkos has 38 goals and 22 assists for the Predators. Filip Forsberg has nine goals and nine assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Kings: 4-2-4, averaging 3.2 goals, 5.2 assists, three penalties and 8.2 penalty minutes while giving up 2.9 goals per game.
Predators: 7-3-0, averaging 3.4 goals, 5.5 assists, 4.3 penalties and 11 penalty minutes while giving up 2.7 goals per game.
INJURIES: Kings: Kevin Fiala: out for season (leg), Andrei Kuzmenko: out (meniscus).
Predators: Nicolas Hague: day to day (undisclosed).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Mar 5, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) is fouled by Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) during overtime at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Of course Stephen Curry is coming back for this game.
Not that it matters, of course. The Houston Rockets have lost multiple games against the Golden State Warriors over the past couple of seasons in which Curry didn’t play. Houston lost earlier this year at Toyota Center. In the one game Curry did play, Reed Sheppard had his coming out party and Houston came back and won without Kevin Durant. Maybe that’s the key? Whichever team is missing its best player wins?
Tonight starts Houston’s final road trip of the season. They will head to Phoenix to take on the Suns on Tuesday. Earlier this season when Houston went on the road to play the Warriors and Suns, Durant missed both games due to personal reasons. So it’s only fitting that Houston is playing both teams again on the same trip. The Phoenix game will be more emotional since KD’s time with the Suns ended poorly compared to his time in the Bay Area.
The Warriors are all but guaranteed to be the 10 seed in the West. Mathematically they still have a shot at 9 or even 8, but that would require something pretty extreme. In reality, they are going to need to win two road games in the play-in to play the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round. As I mentioned in the Jazz preview, this isn’t the worst year to end up in the lottery, and if they do you know the league will make sure they’re rewarded (if the lottery is rigged).
This is going to be a tough game. That building is going to be loud.
New York Knicks (50-28, third in the Eastern Conference) vs. Atlanta Hawks (45-33, fifth in the Eastern Conference)
Atlanta; Monday, 7 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: Atlanta will look to keep its four-game win streak going when the Hawks take on New York.
The Hawks are 26-22 in conference play. Atlanta ranks second in the Eastern Conference with 18.4 fast break points per game led by Jalen Johnson averaging 4.1.
The Knicks are 32-16 in Eastern Conference play. New York has an 8-4 record in games decided by less than 4 points.
The Hawks' 14.6 made 3-pointers per game this season are only 0.8 more made shots on average than the 13.8 per game the Knicks allow. The Knicks are shooting 47.6% from the field, 0.4% higher than the 47.2% the Hawks' opponents have shot this season.
The teams play for the third time this season. The Hawks won the last matchup 111-99 on Jan. 3. Onyeka Okongwu scored 23 points to help lead the Hawks to the victory.
TOP PERFORMERS: Nickeil Alexander-Walker is averaging 20.6 points and 3.7 assists for the Hawks. CJ McCollum is averaging 19.7 points over the last 10 games.
Karl-Anthony Towns is averaging 20.1 points and 11.9 rebounds for the Knicks. Jalen Brunson is averaging 18.9 points and 6.4 assists over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Hawks: 8-2, averaging 124.0 points, 42.6 rebounds, 30.2 assists, 10.2 steals and 5.1 blocks per game while shooting 49.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.5 points per game.
Knicks: 7-3, averaging 116.8 points, 44.3 rebounds, 27.7 assists, 8.2 steals and 3.6 blocks per game while shooting 50.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 108.9 points.
INJURIES: Hawks: Jock Landale: out (ankle).
Knicks: Karl-Anthony Towns: day to day (elbow).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
BOTTOM LINE: Washington travels to Brooklyn looking to break its four-game road losing streak.
The Nets are 12-34 in Eastern Conference games. Brooklyn is the worst team in the league with just 39.5 rebounds per game led by Nic Claxton averaging 6.9.
The Wizards are 11-36 against Eastern Conference opponents. Washington is 8-47 in games decided by 10 points or more.
The Nets' 13.2 made 3-pointers per game this season are only 0.4 fewer made shots on average than the 13.6 per game the Wizards allow. The Wizards' 46.2% shooting percentage from the field this season is 3.3 percentage points lower than the Nets have given up to their opponents (49.5%).
The teams square off for the fourth time this season. The Nets won the last meeting 127-113 on Feb. 7, with Michael Porter Jr. scoring 23 points in the win.
TOP PERFORMERS: Noah Clowney is averaging 12.3 points for the Nets. Josh Minott is averaging 9.6 points over the last 10 games.
Bilal Coulibaly is shooting 41.6% and averaging 11.4 points for the Wizards. Jaden Hardy is averaging 3.3 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Nets: 1-9, averaging 101.4 points, 35.1 rebounds, 23.2 assists, 10.0 steals and 4.1 blocks per game while shooting 43.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 117.0 points per game.
Wizards: 1-9, averaging 115.1 points, 37.4 rebounds, 25.0 assists, 8.1 steals and 4.1 blocks per game while shooting 47.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 131.3 points.
INJURIES: Nets: Ziaire Williams: out (foot), Noah Clowney: day to day (ankle), Nic Claxton: out (hand), Danny Wolf: out for season (ankle), Egor Demin: out for season (foot), Day'Ron Sharpe: out for season (thumb), Michael Porter Jr.: out for season (hamstring), Terance Mann: day to day (achilles), Ben Saraf: day to day (back).
Wizards: Anthony Davis: out (finger), Tristan Vukcevic: day to day (knee), Cam Whitmore: out for season (shoulder), Alex Sarr: day to day (toe), Kyshawn George: out for season (elbow), D'Angelo Russell: out (not injury related), Trae Young: out (quad).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
For their second game of a back-to-back, the Anaheim Ducks hosted the Calgary Flames on Saturday night at Honda Center.
The Ducks were looking to quickly rebound from a disappointing 6-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues on Friday and return to the win column after going 0-3-1 in their previous four games. Coming into Saturday, the Ducks were tied at the top of the Pacific Division standings with the Edmonton Oilers, but Edmonton held the tiebreaker.
The Flames were coming off two high-scoring affairs against the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights, losing both games by a combined score of 15-5.
The Ducks remained without defensemen Radko Gudas and Pavel Mintyukov, along with forward Cutter Gauthier. Defenseman Tyson Hinds was recalled from the San Diego Gulls of the AHL prior to the game, and he made his NHL debut in this one.
Here’s how the Ducks lined up in this game:
Killorn-Carlsson-Sennecke
Kreider-Granlund-Terry
McTavish-Poehling-Viel
Washe-Gaucher-Moore
LaCombe-Trouba
Hinds-Carlson
Zellweger-Helleson
Ville Husso got the start in the Ducks’ net and saved 15 of just 19 shots. He was opposed by Devin Cooley in the Calgary cage, who stopped 36 of 39.
Games Notes
Offensively, this was one of the Ducks’ better efforts in recent memory and their best on this recent skid. They were maintaining possession and generating above-average looks, at times, shift after shift.
Overaggression, high turnovers, and even bad bounces would spring Calgary’s wingers into the neutral zone on an odd-man rush or breakaway, where all four of their goals against Husso came from.
At 5v5, the Ducks predictably controlled the numbers, winning the shots-on-goal battle 34-18, the shot-attempts battle 72-39, and the expected-goals battle 3.74-2.75.
“Definitely better than last night’s game. The breakaways and the odd-man breaks were preventable by basically knowing that’s what they’re going to do,” Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville said following the game. “With a shot from our end, they take off, and all of a sudden, it’s free. That’s what got them going.
“Our first period wasn’t bad. They get breakaway after breakaway, and that was the big thing. And then we got going in the third with some possession, zone time, and opportunities. Something we’ve been fortunate with all year, it didn’t happen.”
Rush Defense: There was a clear concerted effort from forwards to play more aware and diligent when retreating back into their zone to defend a rush. Mistakes came from eager-to-pinch defensemen failing to read whether they had a high F3, or puck-carrying forwards failing to read whether their far-side defenseman had activated.
If the scouting report suggested Calgary preferred to fly their wingers when pucks were turned over, or battles were created, as Quenneville stated postgame, defensemen would have benefited from playing a bit more conservatively on pucks they were unsure they could get to.
Tyson Hinds: Hinds played a whopping 23:22 TOI in his NHL debut, all at 5v5. From the drop of the puck, he was confident, active, and involved. He refused to allow opponents to remain in dangerous ice uncovered, and he refused to allow seams to open.
He made smart, efficient decisions on breakouts, which led to him and his partner, John Carlson, not having to spend much time deep in the defensive zone. For his play style, one couldn’t ask for a better debut, and he was a true impact player in every zone.
Cycle: Early, the Ducks were determined to funnel pucks toward Cooley from every angle, and when they didn’t make their way there, Anaheim was aggressive with their pinches and were first to several pucks that found their way to the perimeter.
When Cooley was forced to make a save on those perimeter shots, his rebound control was impeccable. Pucks stuck to him, and he didn’t allow any flurries in tight. As the game wore on, the Ducks began controlling play with clever connecting passes, and at times, even forwent potential high-danger shot attempts. The majority of their truly dangerous 5v5 chances came off the rush.
The Ducks will have a couple of days off before their next game on Tuesday, when they’ll host the hungry Nashville Predators, who will be fighting for their playoff lives.
