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The Daily Hilario: Saturday
Observations From Blues' 6-2 Win Vs. Ducks
The St. Louis Blues are trying to do their part to stay in whatever margin they have remaining in the Western Conference wild card chase.
A second dominating performance in a month against the Anaheim Ducks produced a resounding 6-2 win at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. on Friday and pulled the Blues (32-31-12) within three points of three teams (San Jose Sharks, Los Angeles Kings and Nashville Predators) who are all tied in points with 79 for that second wild card.
The Blues also jumped over the Seattle Kraken by a point and even with the Winnipeg Jets with 76 points in the standings; all of the aforementioned teams have played 75 games except for the Sharks and Kraken, who each have a game in hand.
But the problem the Blues are facing is the head-to-head matchups that all the teams fighting for one spot are facing. Fort instance, Nashville and San Jose square off on Saturday, so by the end of the night and when they next play, the Blues will once again be five points behind someone.
Dylan Holloway led the offense with a pair of power play goals; Robert Thomas had a goal and two assists, Pius Suter and Colton Parayko each had a goal and an assist, Jake Neighbours had his third two-assist game in the past four games, and Philip Broberg had two assists to extend his point streak to seven games (two goals, six assists).
Let's get into Friday's game observations:
* When does Holloway start being looked at as a star in this league -- I mean, guys, it's starting to feel that way.
And let's be honest, the forward was on this trajectory at the end of last season until that torn abductor muscle April 5, 2025 against the Pittsburgh Penguins sent him on a long journey, that also included a high ankle sprain, and has sent the 24-year-old on a road to full health.
His 18th of the season put the Blues ahead 2-1 at 11:15 of the opening period on a simple shot that may have caught goalie Lukas Dostal off guard, but it looked more like something that was off a smart read of scouting this particular goalie:
Hollywood lighting the lamp in Hollywood. Of course. #stlbluespic.twitter.com/azdhGVBssP
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) April 4, 2026
And his power-play goal at 1:22 of the third period wrapped up the scoring and made it 6-2 on a cross-seam pass from Thomas and one-timer from the right circle:
doesn't get much prettier than that pic.twitter.com/F24ubrHzmy
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) April 4, 2026
But since he came back healthy following the Olympic break on Feb. 26, Holloway has 23 points (11 goals, 12 assists) in 18 games, averaging 1.28 points per game. The 23 points is tied for 12th in the NHL; the 11 goals is tied for seventh, and his plus-22 is best in the league, only ahead of Thomas at plus-20.
This was the sort of trajectory he was on last season and with restricted free agency status looming this summer, what type of contract are you comfortable if you're outgoing GM Doug Armstrong-incoming GM Alexander Steen giving to Holloway. Do you go bridge deal? Do you go for more term like Broberg's six-year, $48 million extension the defenseman signed earlier in the season?
Holloway is playing himself into a bonafide top-line winger and there's no ignoring it when he's producing like he is and playing with an edge on the ice affecting the game like he's been doing.
He's just seven goals off of tying last season's career high of 26 in 25 fewer games played. It's food for thought folks, and it's a legitimate thought whether this kid can be a star winger.
* Blues scoring was balanced for a change -- Look, the top line of Holloway, Thomas and Jimmy Snuggerud -- although he went without a point Friday -- produced three goals and two assists in the game, so they definitely had an impact in the game. But the Blues have been desperately searching for some balance in the lineup on the offensive side.
In 18 games (15 for Thomas), that line has produced 58 points (25 goals, 33 assists) and a combined plus-57. Just astounding numbers.
But Blues coach Jim Montgomery removed Pavel Buchnevich (maintenance), Alexey Toropchenko and Jack Finley off the forward group and Justin Holl on defense. In their spots, Jonathan Drouin, Oskar Sundqvist and Nathan Walker went in at forward, and Tyler Tucker, playing his first game since a lower-body injury on Oct. 18 against the Calgary Flames, went in on D.
You saw 10 guys get on the stat sheet in the game, and Montgomery moved Dalibor Dvorsky between Drouin and Jordan Kyrou, and Pius Suter centered an effective line with Neighbours and Jonatan Berggren, whose goal at 18:44 from the slot in the first period proved to be the winner and gave the Blues a 3-2 lead off a turnover and ensuing strong feed from Suter:
Jonatan Berggren lights the lamp in game No. 200. #stlbluespic.twitter.com/FbmWFmZIZF
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) April 4, 2026
And when Suter is utilized more down the middle, he tends to be around the net more and certainly was when he took a Tucker feed on the backside to slam a shot in from the slot at 3:08 of the second period that made it 4-2:
wide open pic.twitter.com/gq66V9JE7Q
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) April 4, 2026
Even Parayko got in on the scoring with Dvorsky and Kyrou setting the big defenseman up at 16:50 of the second that essentially put the game away at 5-2:
unstoppable pic.twitter.com/U7ji6KyTKr
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) April 4, 2026
The Blues weren't as predictable as they have been in recent games with their top guys doing their best, and they certainly were, carrying the bulk of the offensive load.
* Tucker lowers the boom -- The Blues didn't actually get off to a good start in this game when the Ducks (41-30-5), fighting for the Pacific Division title, struck just 1:51 into the game on a Ryan Poehling redirect that made it 1-0.
You had to wonder if the losses in the past two games to the Sharks and Kings had a lasting affect on the Blues, who realize their playoff hopes are in dire straits.
But then Tucker, who missed the past seven games, used all that pent-up energy from not playing and laid a jarring hit on Ducks talented rookie Beckett Sennecke. It seemed inspire the group and not long after, led to Thomas tying the game at 1-1 at 5:24, a beautiful top shelf goal set up by a Broberg feathery feed into space:
Goalie had no chance. #stlbluespic.twitter.com/9BhWtPDA36
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) April 4, 2026
Tucker, who had another heavy hit in the third period, finished the game playing 12:55 with a blocked shot doing what he does best when the team needs a lift.
That hit on Sennecke certainly provided one.
Speaking of Broberg, how about him joining some rarified company for his point streak among Blues defenseman since the 1994-95 season? Pretty impressive.
Philip Broberg is joining some rarified company among #stlblues defensemen in recent decades ... pic.twitter.com/3wXigwnZOz
— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) April 4, 2026
“We’re just playing for each other… playing for the guy next to you, trying to play the right way, sticking to our game plan and executing.”
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) April 4, 2026
Dylan Holloway, Pius Suter and Jim Montgomery after Friday’s 6-2 win over the Ducks. #stlbluespic.twitter.com/DEciKizrep
Colin Ralph Leaves Michigan State, Signs Three-Year Entry-Level Contract2024 second-round pick left St. Cloud State to join Spartans, in hopes of winning a national championship
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Mariners score three runs, two broken bats, beat Angels in extras
12 years before I was born, while Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five were bemoaning broken glass, the Seattle Mariners were breaking bats. The M’s of 1982 were the club’s crowning achievement, a 76-86 assemblage that was, at the time and until 1987, by far the franchise’s most respectable showing. On a night where the M’s pitching staff dazzled and had to wait for fashionably late aid from their hitters, this club I never witnessed was on my mind.
Having dealt OF Tom Paciorek in the offseason after his 10th-in-MVP-voting season that was the most recognition the club had received to that point, those M’s were shallow at the plate. They’d moved Paciorek for Todd Cruz, who’d become expendable to the Chicago White Sox after the North Siders determined Cruz potentially stealing a bunch of watches from an Edmonton, Alberta department store was a dealbreaker. Seattle also flipped future rotation stalwart Bud Black for 3B Manny Castillo, who gave the ‘82 M’s what he had: limited defense and awful hitting. He also was 2-for-10 stealing bases. I haven’t forgotten.
But what those M’s had for the first – and potentially only time – in the Kingdome era, was a club made competent by its pitching staff. While the hitters fumbled their rationed cromulence between one another, Floyd Bannister, Jim Beattie, Wild Bill Caudill, and Ed Vande Berg put together one of the greatest pitching staffs in Mariners history. They were buoyed by impressive work from Bryan Clark, Bob Stoddard, and several others, including 43 year old Gaylord Perry who famously secured his 300th win in this penultimate campaign. The M’s had, by FanGraphs, the best pitching staff in their franchise history that year, amassing 21.2 fWAR (5th in MLB) and 23.0 bWAR (3rd) by Baseball Reference.
It was novel, not yet enshrined in their ballpark’s fabric to be baseball’s ballast to Coors Field, the bulwark of the Steroids Era and Launch Angle Revolution. The club had little in the way of expectation, nor could it compound their astounding improvements in the years to come. But tonight, watching Seattle’s hitters labor through their eighth game of the season, bearing expectations that would’ve been laughable in every year of the 1980s for a Mariners club, we witnessed a throwback victory.
Both Cal Raleigh and Julio Rodríguez have started the year frosty. Seattle’s 2-3-4 hitters have been glacial at the dish, putting the M’s in uphill battles to score runs with their most frequent hitters producing nothing and less. Aptly, against Anaheim southpaw Reid Detmers, both Raleigh and Rodríguez chipped their barrels. Broken bats, everywhere, cautions the Grandmaster at this recap’s introduction. If it was just Seattle’s superstars, it might as well have been each plate appearance, as neither club mustered more than cardboard threats most of the evening. In their home opener, the Angels managed one hit, one walk, every ABS challenge going their way, and not a damn thing else. Bryan Woo, Matt Brash, Andrés Muñoz, and Gabe Speier made sure of of that.
While Anaheim are roundly expected to clutter the AL West’s cellar this year, at this stage, their lineup is no pushover. For Bryan Woo, whose lone hit yielded was a bloop single Victor Robles nearly speared at full dive and sprint and was backed up savvily by Cole Young, the resemblance between him and the image of an ace grew uncannier. I’ve shared before how much I adore seeing Woo pitch. The flow of his motion is the apogee of pitching to me, fastballs that ride and tumble to their intended locations, sweepers and sliders eluding bats and ending innings. 87 pitches for 7.0 scoreless, one-hit frames, and each reliever behind him was even more dominant. By the time Jorge Soler skied a sacrifice fly to cash in Mike Trout as the Manfred Runner, the end result had already been finished in pen, tossed in a “complete” bin like a Sunday Crossword.
But for much of the night, Seattle slogged. The gusting winds of Orange County blew fly balls back in the yard, added movement to pitches, and otherwise ensured a low-scoring affair. Despite six walks – four from an otherwise impressive Detmers – Seattle’s multiple well-struck gap-shots found premature conclusions in the gloves of Josh Lowe, Trout, and Jo Adell. The game felt, heading into the bottom of the 9th still knotted 0-0, eminently losable.
The ‘82 M’s would look foreign in today’s game in many ways. The club’s 7.3% K-BB% was fourth-best in the league then and would’ve been worst in the sport every year since 2011 now. But they’d have watched with knowing familiarity this predicament, albeit also narrow pride as Muñoz shredded the 9-1-2 of the Angels’ order, spaghettifying Trout on a pair of sliders and then a 100-mph heater at the zone’s apex.
It feels wrong not to give Woo a clip this evening, but I hope if you did not see it, you can grant yourself a moment of zen. Close your eyes, and imagine this pitch from Muñoz, ad nauseum, all evening. A beautiful process, with many results just as gorgeous as the stage set in the top of the 10th for Seattle. Cole Young did his best Troy Bolton, starting the inning off with yet another highlight in this young season.
That’s Cole Young, who started against a lefty, and evaded a pinch-hitter, albeit in part due to an early exit for Brendan Donovan which was minimally explained beyond caution with leg discomfort postgame with optimism from manager Dan Wilson. Cole Young whose ferocious early results are a massive feature in Seattle’s ability to overcome the palpitations of their order’s heart. Notably, Anaheim opted to pitch to Cal Raleigh with one out after retiring Rob Refsnyder, whose day at the dish in fairness included some of Seattle’s most capable PAs including a pair of walks. Raleigh, for his part, looked infinitesimally closer to clobbering Brent Suter’s heater, but put a two out opportunity in the hands of Rodríguez. Seeking a left-on-left matchup, Anaheim walked Julio, who dashed to second on a dirt ball to give the club an additional insurance run when Josh Naylor’s single lined into right.
The gap in expectations between 1982 and 2026 are chasmic. At times, I’ve struggled to balance those expectations, finding only relief in a win like this that could’ve been facile. But not today. Woo’s and the bullpen’s brilliance, a timely hit by a hot-starting youngster, J.P. Crawford’s healthy return, and the first road victory of the year. That’s beautiful enough for me.
New Orleans faces Orlando, aims to halt 7-game skid
Orlando Magic (41-36, ninth in the Eastern Conference) vs. New Orleans Pelicans (25-53, 12th in the Western Conference)
New Orleans; Sunday, 7 p.m. EDT
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Magic -3; over/under is 235.5
BOTTOM LINE: New Orleans will try to end its seven-game slide when the Pelicans take on Orlando.
The Pelicans are 16-23 on their home court. New Orleans is 14-24 in games decided by 10 points or more.
The Magic are 17-20 in road games. Orlando has an 18-25 record against teams above .500.
The Pelicans score 114.9 points per game, 0.5 fewer points than the 115.4 the Magic give up. The Magic average 11.8 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.4 fewer made shots on average than the 14.2 per game the Pelicans allow.
The two teams square off for the second time this season. The Magic defeated the Pelicans 128-118 in their last matchup on Jan. 11. Desmond Bane led the Magic with 27 points, and Zion Williamson led the Pelicans with 22 points.
TOP PERFORMERS: Trey Murphy III is averaging 21.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals for the Pelicans. Saddiq Bey is averaging 3.0 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
Bane is averaging 20.4 points and 4.2 assists for the Magic. Paolo Banchero is averaging 22.2 points over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Pelicans: 3-7, averaging 111.5 points, 41.2 rebounds, 26.2 assists, 8.9 steals and 6.2 blocks per game while shooting 46.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 116.8 points per game.
Magic: 3-7, averaging 114.2 points, 38.7 rebounds, 25.8 assists, 7.5 steals and 2.1 blocks per game while shooting 45.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 123.6 points.
INJURIES: Pelicans: Karlo Matkovic: day to day (back), Dejounte Murray: day to day (achilles), Bryce McGowens: day to day (toe).
Magic: Anthony Black: out (abdomen), Jonathan Isaac: out (knee).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Mets' Nolan McLean dominates Giants lineup with just one working pitch: 'I was just trying to piece it together'
The Mets know what they got in Nolan McLean, and the young right-hander showed off that ace potential on Friday night against the Giants.
McLean may not have been as dominant as some of his past starts, but he was near-perfect for most of his outing. The right-hander pitched five perfect innings, before the Giants finally wore him down in the sixth.
Still, McLean delivered the losing-streak-stopping stuff to help the Mets come away with a 10-3 win.
"He was very good. The cutter was the pitch he had today," manager Carlos Mendoza said of McLean's outing. "A lot of three-ball counts. And the cutter was the one to get back in counts to get swings and misses. It’s impressive when he doesn’t have the feel for the secondary pitches and that cutter was the way he did it today. It goes to show you that there are so many weapons there that he can go through lineups with a pitch or two. It was good to see it."
Those three-ball counts were McLean's one kryptonite on Friday. It elevated his pitch count and once the Giants batters started drawing walks, it was only a matter of time until they broke through. With one out in the sixth, and two runners on base via the walk, Willy Adames drove a double in the gap to give San Francisco their first hit and first run.
"I was just trying to piece it together," McLean said of his outing. "Nothing felt incredibly great. It felt ok towards the end of the game. Full counts snuck up on me there at the end, got a little fatigued by the end of it. Leaning on the cutter really helped things tonight."
McLean said he leaned on the cutter because it was the only pitch he could throw strikes with any consistency. Of his 93 pitches, 19 were the cutter (20 percent) and it's the pitch he got his most whiffs on (4). However, the 24-year-old said that his other pitches showed up at times, and made hitters keep them in the back of their minds. McLean took advantage of that to get through his outing.
In fact, he didn't even realize he was throwing a perfect game because of how ineffective most of his pitches were.
"I didn’t realize [I was perfect]," he said. "It didn’t feel that way because of how many 3-2 counts and behind in the counts I felt like I was. Felt grinder than what the scoreboard showed."
"If he's got a perfect game going and he didn't feel great, I can't wait to see what he does when he feels great," Marcus Semien said of McLean's start.
"It’s pretty impressive. He had one pitch today, which was the cutter, and he still dominated that lineup," Mendoza said. "Kid’s special, man. Still going to show you the breaking ball, the secondary, the sinker, he kept using it. But when he needed to get back into counts or execute a pitch, it was the cutter tonight."
Perfect or not, McLean delivered a performance the Mets needed. Although the offense exploded for 10 runs, McLean gave them the lane to break out offensively by putting up zero after zero.
Friday was McLean's 10th start as a major leaguer. He's now 6-1 with a 2.16 ERA. And although it's a small sample size, the Mets know their chances of winning a game goes up with him on the mound.
"You feel good about your chances every time he takes the baseball," Mendoza said. "Every time he’s pitching, you feel good about winning that game and that’s what he’s done. And even when he’s not at his best, you know he’s going to keep you in games, he’s going to go at least five. That’s what makes him special."
Hornets face the Timberwolves, seek 4th straight win
Charlotte Hornets (42-36, eighth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (46-31, sixth in the Western Conference)
Minneapolis; Sunday, 7 p.m. EDT
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Timberwolves -1.5; over/under is 228.5
BOTTOM LINE: Charlotte is looking to keep its three-game win streak alive when the Hornets take on Minnesota.
The Timberwolves are 25-14 on their home court. Minnesota ranks fifth in the Western Conference with 16.2 fast break points per game led by Ayo Dosunmu averaging 3.8.
The Hornets are 21-17 on the road. Charlotte leads the league averaging 16.4 made 3-pointers per game while shooting 38.0% from downtown. LaMelo Ball leads the team averaging 3.6 makes while shooting 36.5% from 3-point range.
The Timberwolves' 13.7 made 3-pointers per game this season are only 0.9 more made shots on average than the 12.8 per game the Hornets give up. The Hornets are shooting 46.1% from the field, 0.2% higher than the 45.9% the Timberwolves' opponents have shot this season.
The teams square off for the second time this season. The Timberwolves won the last matchup 122-105 on Nov. 1, with Julius Randle scoring 30 points in the win.
TOP PERFORMERS: Randle is averaging 21.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.1 assists for the Timberwolves. Dosunmu is averaging 15 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists over the last 10 games.
Ball is scoring 19.5 points per game with 4.8 rebounds and 7.1 assists for the Hornets. Brandon Miller is averaging 20.3 points and 4.7 rebounds while shooting 49.3% over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Timberwolves: 5-5, averaging 110.4 points, 46.1 rebounds, 25.1 assists, 8.9 steals and 6.7 blocks per game while shooting 44.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 107.0 points per game.
Hornets: 8-2, averaging 122.4 points, 47.0 rebounds, 26.8 assists, 6.7 steals and 3.5 blocks per game while shooting 48.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 104.4 points.
INJURIES: Timberwolves: Jaden McDaniels: out (knee).
Hornets: Grant Williams: day to day (knee), Moussa Diabate: day to day (ankle), PJ Hall: day to day (ankle).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Memphis takes on Milwaukee, looks to break 3-game skid
Memphis Grizzlies (25-52, 11th in the Western Conference) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (30-47, 11th in the Eastern Conference)
Milwaukee; Sunday, 3:30 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: Memphis looks to stop its three-game losing streak with a victory over Milwaukee.
The Bucks have gone 17-22 in home games. Milwaukee allows 116.9 points to opponents and has been outscored by 6.4 points per game.
The Grizzlies are 11-26 in road games. Memphis averages 14.7 turnovers per game and is 14-24 when committing fewer turnovers than opponents.
The Bucks average 15.0 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.0 more made shot on average than the 14.0 per game the Grizzlies allow. The Grizzlies average 13.7 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.1 fewer made shots on average than the 14.8 per game the Bucks allow.
The teams meet for the second time this season. The Grizzlies won 125-104 in the last matchup on Dec. 27.
TOP PERFORMERS: Myles Turner is averaging 11.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks for the Bucks. Ryan Rollins is averaging 14.5 points and four assists over the last 10 games.
GG Jackson is averaging 12.5 points for the Grizzlies. Olivier-Maxence Prosper is averaging 12.8 points over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Bucks: 2-8, averaging 106.0 points, 38.6 rebounds, 23.3 assists, 7.3 steals and 3.7 blocks per game while shooting 45.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 122.0 points per game.
Grizzlies: 2-8, averaging 109.7 points, 35.1 rebounds, 23.8 assists, 9.5 steals and 3.8 blocks per game while shooting 44.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 126.0 points.
INJURIES: Bucks: Kevin Porter Jr.: out for season (knee), Giannis Antetokounmpo: out (ankle), Ryan Rollins: day to day (hip), Bobby Portis: day to day (wrist), Gary Trent Jr.: day to day (hip).
Grizzlies: Santi Aldama: out for season (knee), Jahmai Mashack: day to day (neck), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: out for season (finger), Walter Clayton Jr.: day to day (hip), Ja Morant: out for season (elbow), Scotty Pippen Jr.: out for season (toe), Zach Edey: out for season (ankle), Ty Jerome: day to day (ankle), Jaylen Wells: out for season (toe), Taj Gibson: day to day (foot), Olivier-Maxence Prosper: day to day (back), Cam Spencer: day to day (back), Brandon Clarke: out for season (calf).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Utah takes on Oklahoma City, looks to stop 8-game skid
Utah Jazz (21-57, 15th in the Western Conference) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (61-16, first in the Western Conference)
Oklahoma City; Sunday, 7 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: Utah is looking to stop its eight-game slide with a win against Oklahoma City.
The Thunder are 38-9 in Western Conference games. Oklahoma City ranks second in the Western Conference with 34.6 defensive rebounds per game led by Chet Holmgren averaging 7.0.
The Jazz are 1-14 against Northwest Division opponents. Utah ranks third in the league with 29.4 assists per game led by Isaiah Collier averaging 7.2.
The Thunder score 118.9 points per game, 6.7 fewer points than the 125.6 the Jazz give up. The Jazz score 9.7 more points per game (117.2) than the Thunder give up (107.5).
The teams square off for the fourth time this season. The Thunder won 129-125 in overtime in the last meeting on Jan. 8. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 46 points, and Lauri Markkanen led the Jazz with 29 points.
TOP PERFORMERS: Holmgren is shooting 55.0% and averaging 16.9 points for the Thunder. Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 30.5 points over the last 10 games.
Kyle Filipowski is scoring 11.3 points per game and averaging 7.1 rebounds for the Jazz. Ace Bailey is averaging 3.2 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Thunder: 9-1, averaging 120.9 points, 46.9 rebounds, 25.3 assists, 9.9 steals and 5.3 blocks per game while shooting 48.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 105.5 points per game.
Jazz: 1-9, averaging 116.6 points, 42.5 rebounds, 29.8 assists, 8.9 steals and 4.8 blocks per game while shooting 47.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 130.6 points.
INJURIES: Thunder: Alex Caruso: day to day (illness), Luguentz Dort: day to day (undisclosed), Thomas Sorber: out for season (knee).
Jazz: Lauri Markkanen: out (hip), Isaiah Collier: day to day (hamstring), Keyonte George: out (leg), Walker Kessler: out for season (shoulder), Jusuf Nurkic: out for season (nose), Elijah Harkless: day to day (hamstring), Jaren Jackson Jr.: out for season (knee).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Los Angeles takes road win streak into matchup with Sacramento
Los Angeles Clippers (39-38, ninth in the Western Conference) vs. Sacramento Kings (20-57, 14th in the Western Conference)
Sacramento, California; Sunday, 9 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: Los Angeles will try to keep its three-game road win streak alive when the Clippers take on Sacramento.
The Kings are 3-10 against opponents in the Pacific Division. Sacramento has a 3-4 record in games decided by less than 4 points.
The Clippers are 8-6 against opponents in the Pacific Division. Los Angeles is 18-27 against opponents over .500.
The Kings are shooting 46.6% from the field this season, 0.3 percentage points lower than the 46.9% the Clippers allow to opponents. The Clippers are shooting 48.5% from the field, 1.0% lower than the 49.5% the Kings' opponents have shot this season.
The teams play for the fourth time this season. The Kings won the last matchup 118-109 on March 15. DeMar DeRozan scored 27 points to help lead the Kings to the win.
TOP PERFORMERS: DeRozan is scoring 18.6 points per game with 3.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists for the Kings. Maxime Raynaud is averaging 15.5 points and 7.5 rebounds while shooting 54.6% over the last 10 games.
Kawhi Leonard is averaging 28 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.6 assists and two steals for the Clippers. Darius Garland is averaging 19.4 points over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Kings: 3-6, averaging 112.3 points, 43.2 rebounds, 27.4 assists, 5.9 steals and 3.5 blocks per game while shooting 47.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 122.6 points per game.
Clippers: 5-5, averaging 115.3 points, 38.8 rebounds, 24.2 assists, 10.2 steals and 5.7 blocks per game while shooting 50.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 112.7 points.
INJURIES: Kings: Domantas Sabonis: out for season (back), Russell Westbrook: out (foot), De'Andre Hunter: out for season (eye), Zach LaVine: out for season (finger), Drew Eubanks: out for season (thumb), Malik Monk: day to day (shoulder), Keegan Murray: out (ankle).
Clippers: Isaiah Jackson: out (ankle), Yanic Konan Niederhauser: out for season (foot), Bradley Beal: out for season (hip).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Duren and the Pistons visit conference foe Philadelphia
Detroit Pistons (56-21, first in the Eastern Conference) vs. Philadelphia 76ers (43-34, sixth in the Eastern Conference)
Philadelphia; Saturday, 7 p.m. EDT
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Pistons -1.5; over/under is 227.5
BOTTOM LINE: Detroit faces Philadelphia in Eastern Conference action Saturday.
The 76ers are 25-24 against Eastern Conference opponents. Philadelphia ranks eighth in the Eastern Conference with 50.2 points per game in the paint led by Tyrese Maxey averaging 11.3.
The Pistons are 35-12 in Eastern Conference play. Detroit averages 117.5 points and has outscored opponents by 7.9 points per game.
The 116.5 points per game the 76ers score are 6.9 more points than the Pistons allow (109.6). The Pistons are shooting 48.2% from the field, 1.4% higher than the 46.8% the 76ers' opponents have shot this season.
The teams meet for the fourth time this season. The Pistons won 131-109 in the last matchup on March 12. Duncan Robinson led the Pistons with 19 points, and MarJon Beauchamp led the 76ers with 17 points.
TOP PERFORMERS: Maxey is averaging 28.7 points, 6.8 assists and 1.9 steals for the 76ers. VJ Edgecombe is averaging 20.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists over the past 10 games.
Ausar Thompson is averaging 9.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and two steals for the Pistons. Jalen Duren is averaging 22.2 points over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: 76ers: 7-3, averaging 122.5 points, 46.4 rebounds, 27.8 assists, 7.5 steals and 6.6 blocks per game while shooting 48.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 118.8 points per game.
Pistons: 8-2, averaging 119.2 points, 44.6 rebounds, 31.0 assists, 9.9 steals and 6.0 blocks per game while shooting 50.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 108.6 points.
INJURIES: 76ers: Johni Broome: out (knee).
Pistons: Marcus Sasser: day to day (hip), Tobias Harris: day to day (knee), Cade Cunningham: out (lung), Isaiah Stewart: out (calf).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Chicago faces Phoenix, seeks to halt 6-game slide
Phoenix Suns (42-35, seventh in the Western Conference) vs. Chicago Bulls (29-48, 12th in the Eastern Conference)
Chicago; Sunday, 3:30 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: Chicago heads into the matchup against Phoenix as losers of six games in a row.
The Bulls are 18-21 on their home court. Chicago ranks sixth in the Eastern Conference with 17.0 fast break points per game led by Matas Buzelis averaging 2.7.
The Suns are 18-20 on the road. Phoenix ranks seventh in the NBA allowing only 111.3 points while holding opponents to 47.2% shooting.
The Bulls score 116.2 points per game, 4.9 more points than the 111.3 the Suns give up. The Bulls average 112.8 points per game, 8.8 fewer points than the 121.6 the Bulls allow to opponents.
The teams meet for the second time this season. The Bulls won 105-103 in the last matchup on March 6.
TOP PERFORMERS: Josh Giddey is shooting 44.8% and averaging 17.0 points for the Bulls. Buzelis is averaging 18.6 points over the last 10 games.
Devin Booker is averaging 25.7 points and six assists for the Suns. Collin Gillespie is averaging 2.7 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Bulls: 2-8, averaging 119.3 points, 44.0 rebounds, 26.4 assists, 7.3 steals and 5.1 blocks per game while shooting 47.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 130.8 points per game.
Suns: 3-7, averaging 114.7 points, 42.3 rebounds, 26.7 assists, 8.8 steals and 4.6 blocks per game while shooting 45.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 112.4 points.
INJURIES: Bulls: Anfernee Simons: day to day (wrist), Jalen Smith: out for season (calf), Noa Essengue: out for season (shoulder), Nick Richards: day to day (elbow), Zach Collins: out for season (toe).
Suns: Haywood Highsmith: day to day (knee), Amir Coffey: day to day (ankle).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Los Angeles visits Dallas following Flagg's 51-point outing
Los Angeles Lakers (50-27, third in the Western Conference) vs. Dallas Mavericks (24-53, 13th in the Western Conference)
Dallas; Sunday, 7:30 p.m. EDT
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Lakers -6.5; over/under is 235.5
BOTTOM LINE: Dallas faces the Los Angeles Lakers after Cooper Flagg scored 51 points in the Dallas Mavericks' 138-127 loss to the Orlando Magic.
The Mavericks are 13-34 against Western Conference opponents. Dallas gives up 119.3 points to opponents and has been outscored by 5.7 points per game.
The Lakers are 30-17 against conference opponents. Los Angeles ranks eighth in the NBA scoring 52.1 points per game in the paint led by LeBron James averaging 11.0.
The Mavericks average 113.6 points per game, 1.4 fewer points than the 115.0 the Lakers allow. The Lakers average 11.9 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.0 fewer made shot on average than the 12.9 per game the Mavericks allow.
The teams square off for the fourth time this season. The Lakers won the last matchup 124-104 on Feb. 13. James scored 28 points to help lead the Lakers to the win.
TOP PERFORMERS: Flagg is averaging 20.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.5 assists for the Mavericks. Naji Marshall is averaging 15.5 points and 3.7 assists over the last 10 games.
James is scoring 20.6 points per game and averaging 6.0 rebounds for the Lakers. Austin Reaves is averaging 1.7 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Mavericks: 2-8, averaging 117.8 points, 43.4 rebounds, 26.9 assists, 9.1 steals and 4.3 blocks per game while shooting 45.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 127.9 points per game.
Lakers: 8-2, averaging 116.9 points, 40.5 rebounds, 23.9 assists, 9.3 steals and 5.4 blocks per game while shooting 51.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 113.3 points.
INJURIES: Mavericks: Dereck Lively II: out for season (foot), Caleb Martin: day to day (foot), P.J. Washington: day to day (illness), Kyrie Irving: out for season (knee), Marvin Bagley III: day to day (shoulder).
Lakers: Marcus Smart: day to day (ankle), Luka Doncic: out (hamstring).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Siakam, Pacers to visit Mitchell, Cavaliers
Indiana Pacers (18-59, 13th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (48-29, fourth in the Eastern Conference)
Cleveland; Sunday, 6 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: Eastern Conference foes Cleveland and Indiana meet on Sunday.
The Cavaliers have gone 30-18 against Eastern Conference opponents. Cleveland ranks fifth in the Eastern Conference with 28.3 assists per game led by James Harden averaging 8.1.
The Pacers are 14-34 against Eastern Conference opponents. Indiana averages 13.7 turnovers per game and is 13-25 when turning the ball over less than opponents.
The Cavaliers are shooting 48.0% from the field this season, 1.1 percentage points lower than the 49.1% the Pacers allow to opponents. The Pacers are shooting 45.9% from the field, 0.5% lower than the 46.4% the Cavaliers' opponents have shot this season.
The two teams match up for the fourth time this season. The Cavaliers defeated the Pacers 120-116 in their last meeting on Jan. 7. Evan Mobley led the Cavaliers with 20 points, and Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 22 points.
TOP PERFORMERS: Donovan Mitchell is averaging 27.7 points, 5.7 assists and 1.5 steals for the Cavaliers. Harden is averaging 20.6 points over the last 10 games.
Siakam is averaging 24 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists for the Pacers. Aaron Nesmith is averaging 2.4 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Cavaliers: 7-3, averaging 121.0 points, 44.2 rebounds, 28.6 assists, 6.6 steals and 3.4 blocks per game while shooting 50.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 119.2 points per game.
Pacers: 3-7, averaging 123.0 points, 38.3 rebounds, 35.0 assists, 6.6 steals and 4.3 blocks per game while shooting 52.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 128.1 points.
INJURIES: Cavaliers: Dean Wade: day to day (ankle), Jaylon Tyson: out (toe).
Pacers: T.J. McConnell: day to day (hamstring), Johnny Furphy: out for season (knee), Andrew Nembhard: day to day (back), Ivica Zubac: out for season (rib), Pascal Siakam: day to day (back), Jarace Walker: day to day (back), Aaron Nesmith: day to day (neck), Tyrese Haliburton: out for season (achilles).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Player Grades: Recapping the Mavericks’ 138-127 loss vs. Magic
The Dallas Mavericks kicked off the weekend with a Friday night matchup against the Orlando Magic. Both teams came in ice cold, each 2-8 in their past 10 games. But Orlando had too much firepower against a shorthanded Dallas, as the Mavericks home losing streak extended to 14. But it didn’t matter because there was a bigger storyline for Dallas tonight: Cooper Flagg is special. Here are the grades, as the Mavs shift focus to the Lakers on Sunday.
Cooper Flagg: A+
51 PTS / 6 REB / 3 AST / 3 STL / 1 BLK – 34 MIN
Holy cow. No teenager had ever scored 50 points in an NBA game – until tonight. At 19 years and 103 days old, Cooper Flagg became the youngest player in NBA history to hit the 50-point mark (51 actually). He was special tonight. Flagg was 19/30 from the floor, 6/9 from three, and 7/7 from the free throw line. An aggressive Cooper Flagg is a Cooper Flagg that we like to see. From the jump, Flagg was searching for his shot and getting to the rim with relative ease. Even with a physical Magic team hounding him all night, Flagg found a way to get to his spots, and his jumper was hotter than fish grease. When he starts taking pullup jumpers from the perimeter, you know he’s in rhythm.
Naji Marshall: C-
9 PTS / 4 REB / 2 AST / 1 STL – 24 MIN
This was an uncharacteristic Naji Marshall game. Marshall was just 3/12 from the floor, missing several of his patented paint floaters. He just didn’t have the touch tonight and was a team worst -16. As icing on the cake, he was ejected with 10:40 remaining in the fourth quarter, after receiving his second technical foul.
Klay Thompson: A
18 PTS / 2 AST / 1 REB – 22 MIN
Klay Thompson is a lot more like us regular folk than one might think. This man just shows up for work, does what he was hired to do, and goes home. He was the hot hand from beyond the arc tonight for Dallas, going 4/10. If you needed a reminder, Klay is closing in on 3,000 three pointers made in his career and if he stays a Maverick this offseason, he’ll do it sometime in 2026. He currently sits at 2,891. And once he eclipses that mark, he’ll be one of only three players to hit 3,000 career threes, joining Stephen Curry and James Harden.
Max Christie: B+
14 PTS / 5 REB / 3 AST – 29 MIN
Max Christie, after losing his touch for a few games this season, has been better as of late. He hit a couple threes to give the Mavericks offense life early but was largely silent for the rest of the game. But he impacts the game defensively. Christie was a team high +7 on a night the Mavs lost by 11.
Brandon Williams: B-
23 PTS / 5 AST / 2 REB / 2 STL / 3 TO – 26 MIN
Williams’ ability to attack and finish is never an issue. He has one of the quickest first steps of any guard in the NBA and he’s past you before you can blink. But he had loose hands tonight, adding three turnovers to his five assists. The scoring is there, but Williams is limited in creating offense for others.
Ryan Nembhard: C+
2 PTS / 6 REB / 5 AST / 3 TO – 21 MIN
Nembhard is a good facilitator. He can run and offense and help get guys into their spots. But his lack of size is too often exploited on both ends of the floor. Sometimes his offense can make up for his defense, but it didn’t tonight. Scoring two points with five assists and three turnovers just isn’t good enough.
Daniel Gafford: B
7 PTS / 3 REB / 1 AST / 2 STL / 2 BLK – 20 MIN
Gafford has been through a lot this season. He has no real point guard to play off of and his injuries have kept him from maintaining any consistency in his play. While the stat sheet doesn’t jump off the page tonight, his energy and effort were much needed as the Mavs are desperately searching for something to inject them with some life on a nightly basis.
Dwight Powell: B
0 PTS / 5 REB / 1 AST / 1 STL / 1 BLK – 25 MIN
This is the most Dwight Powell game of Dwight Powell games. He didn’t score but did grab a few rebounds and still moved like he’s 22. Powell was at a severe disadvantage tonight with Orlando’s athletic big men, but as he always does, he tried. And solely for his effort, he would get an A.
Final Thoughts
Orlando, despite its recent struggles, is just the clear better team. They shot well from three, beat the Mavs up in the paint, and just found ways to expose the Mavericks on defense. But the real story was Cooper Flagg. There’s nothing else to be said that hasn’t been already. He’s special and one-of-a-kind. Even if he doesn’t win Rookie of the Year, he’ll be amongst the league’s elite…very soon.
Takeaways from the Ducks 6-2 Loss to the Blues
The Anaheim Ducks returned home after a brief, yet supremely disappointing one-game road trip to begin their final homestand of the season. Their last five home games of the 2025-26 season began on Friday, as they hosted the St. Louis Blues.
The Ducks entered winless in their last three games, accumulating just one point of a possible six, yet remained tied with the Edmonton Oilers atop the Pacific Division.
Game #76: Ducks vs. Blues Gameday Preview (04/03/26)
Takeaways from the Ducks 4-3 Loss to the Sharks
The Blues came into this game five points out of the second wild card spot, but lost both of their first two California road trip games to the San Jose Sharks on Monday and the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday.
On their roster, the Ducks only have 18 healthy skaters, as Radko Gudas, Pavel Mintyukov, and Cutter Gauthier are all considered “day-to-day” but remained out of the lineup for this one.
Here’s how the Ducks lined up to start this game:
Kreider-Carlsson-Terry
Killorn-Washe-Granlund
Viel-Poehling-Sennecke
McTavish-Gaucher-Vatrano
LaCombe-Trouba
Moore-Carlson
Zellweger-Helleson
Lukas Dostal got the start for the Ducks, and he saved 23 of the 29 shots he faced in this game. Between the pipes for the Blues was Joel Hofer, who stopped 25 of 27.
Game Notes
After getting off to a decent start, scoring within the first two minutes of the game, the Ducks fell victim to their own propensity for catastrophic mistakes. They were undisciplined, allowing two goals on four power play opportunities, and they suffered mental lapses against the rush, which led to several chances against Dotal.
As they attempted to claw out of the deficit they created for themselves, they began to take increasingly bigger chances, which, when not successful, gave way to outnumbered opportunities the other way.
The underlying numbers reflect the final score relatively accurately, as at 5v5, the Ducks only generated 47.83% of the shots on goal, 53.85% of the shot attempts, and 41.99% of the expected goals.
“We had a decent start, then we gave them three goals in the first period that were definitely all our fault,” Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville said after the game. “They gave us a good education on playing a real solid team game, and we didn’t play with the urgency needed, and they’re capable of sustaining their game.”
Rush Defense: Mistakes, with and without the puck, from the top of the circles in the defensive zone to the top of the circles in the offensive zone, cost the Ducks dearly in this game. F3’s made poor reads to engage in puck battles instead of tracking back to cover for pinching defensemen.
At the same time, Pinching defensemen made poor reads to activate down the offensive wall without a necessary high F3 to cover for him. Even when the Ducks did have numbers tracking back into their end to defend a rush, sorting issues arose, as did a lack of desire to eliminate the middle lanes of the ice and increase the difficulty for off-puck attackers to crash the crease.
Penalty Kill: St. Louis won most of their offensive zone draws while up a man in this game. They moved pucks efficiently along the perimeter and got to loose pucks on the walls. In doing so, they sustained elongated zone time and tired out the Anaheim penalty killers.
When the Ducks’ killers were running out of gas and spread too far toward the flanks, wide east-west seams opened, and the weak side forwards were late to react and close them. The Blues rarely utilized their bumper or net front attacker. Instead, they allowed the net front forward to drift to the bottom of the circle, and they allowed their bumper to drift to the flank.
Lukas Dostal: In order for the Ducks to win games like this, Dostal needs to be spectacular or at least make the saves an NHL starting goaltender is supposed to make, as he’d done for most of this season. He rarely allows soft goals where he gets beat on perimeter shots that eek through his body, but he allowed two such goals in this game, and at critical junctures.
The Blues’ second goal came on a power play in a tie game, just over halfway through the first period, which gave them a lead in a game where the Ducks had been controlling the game flow. St. Louis’ fifth goal came in the dying minutes of the second period, which ended up as a backbreaker, extending a two-goal deficit to three.
The Ducks saw their Pacific Division lead and their games in hand evaporate in relatively short order. They have another opponent in town in less than 24 hours, who could be considered better than their record, the Calgary Flames, and the Ducks now are more desperate for a win than they’ve been in a long time. Saturday’s game against Calgary will begin at 7 PM PST.
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