"They've Been Delivering For 18, 20 Years Under Pressure": Canucks Rick Tocchet Discusses The Historic Careers Of Sidney Crosby & Alex Ovechkin
The 2024-25 season is shaping up to be a historic one for both Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin. The ninth and 11th all-time point producers in NHL history are wrapping up their 20th season and are now breaking Wayne Gretzky records that were once deemed unbreakable. Despite both closing in on 40 years old, neither looks like they are slowing down, with both Crosby and Ovechkin signed for at least one more season.
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As mentioned, by the end of the season, both Crosby and Ovechkin will have passed records set by Gretzky. Starting with Crosby, he already has set a new record, becoming the NHL's all-time leader in consecutive seasons above a point per game. As for Ovechkin, he is on the verge of surpassing Gretzky's all-time goal record and, before the end of the campaign, could become the first and only player in NHL history to score 900 goals.
Watching these players battle it out over the past two decades has been a treat for hockey fans. While they weren't drafted in the same year, Crosby and Ovechkin made their NHL debuts on the same day and have faced off 97 times combined in the regular season and playoffs. Both will also be headed to the Hockey Hall of Fame while also having their jersey's retired by their organizations.
One person who has witnessed this rivality first hand is Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet. Tocchet spent three years as an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins and faced the Washington Capitals in both the 2016 and 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs. When asked about Crosby and Ovechkin's careers, Tocchet had a simple answer as to why they have been successful for so long.
"Well, it's just amazing, said Rick Tocchet. "We talk about consistency; they're consistency level. Whether it's scoring or whether it's any facet of the game. I lived it there for a couple of series of Washington and Pittsburgh, and watching them at high level, especially in the playoffs. Just a respect factor. It's hard to play that way every game. It's hard to play in pressure games and deliver, and they've been delivering for 18, 20 years under pressure. That's the hard part, to be able to deliver under pressure."
Crosby and Ovechkin have also served as role models for a large portion of players in the NHL. For years, whenever players were asked who their favourite player was growing up, the answer was usually Sid The Kid or The Great Eight. As Tocchet explains, he hopes young players are still paying attention to how much work Crosby and Ovechkin are putting in as the two continue to demonstrate how to be successful in the NHL.
"The easy answer is work ethic. They're doing stuff that other players aren't doing. Sidney Crosby, he trains, you know, he'll be in Germany one year training the new way of training. He's always trying to look outside the box. He always tried to build his foundation. And I think that's the same with the young players. You got to do what is required, what's more than required. Habits, build your foundation, build your game, what's your identity as a player, and then apply it in all the games."
In the end, the Crosby vs Ovechkin rivalry will go down as one of the best in NHL history. The two have battled their entire careers and produced moments that won't soon be forgotten. Luckily, fans will get one more chance to watch Crosby and Ovechkin go head-to-head, as they will face each other on April 17, 2025, which is the final day of the 2024-25 regular season.
Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. downplays cheers from Mets fans at Citi Field: 'That's normal for me'
Among all the pomp and circumstance of the Mets' home opener was a curious moment when the Blue Jays were being introduced during the pregame ceremony.
When the Mets' public announcer introduced Toronto slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr., there were noticeable cheers from the Citi Field crowd. Guerrero Jr.'s impending free agency -- unless he agrees to an extension with the Blue Jays before the end of the regular season -- is not lost on the Mets fans in attendance and they remember when New York checked in on him this offseason.
Of course, the Mets re-signed Pete Alonso and didn't get Guerrero Jr., but those rumblings are hard to keep quiet as evidenced by the fan reception. When asked about it after the game, the Blue Jays first baseman downplayed it.
"To be honest with you, that's normal for me," Guerrero Jr. said of the cheers through an interpreter. "I've never been booed in any other stadium. Everybody always has been nice to me everywhere I go."
The 26-year-old is coming off one of the best seasons of his career and is off to a good start this year. Although he hasn't hit a home run, he's batting .267 and hit 2-for-3 with a walk on Friday. He's easily the Blue Jays' best player and a homegrown star, which is why the team is looking to sign Guerrero Jr. to an extension, which multiple reports say they are close to achieving.
But, Guerrero Jr. poured some cold water on those reports.
"We didn't talk anything about contracts or deals or nothing like that. Just talking about family and seeing how we're doing," he said. "Like I said before, I'm playing right now. I'm concentrating on the games, on my teammates."
He told ESPN's Jorge Castillo in Spanish a bit more on these reported extension talks, saying, "Well, until now, I don't know anything. I've always tried to talk to my agent and I've always left that to my agent. I focus on playing. Until now, I don't know what you're talking about."
Guerrero said back in early March that he was looking for a contract that would go for "14, 15, even 20" years but did not reach the reported $600 million ask. The most recent reports say both sides are close to a deal that is closer to $500 million.
The Mets will host the Blue Jays, and Guerrero Jr., for two more games this weekend.
"To be honest with you, that's normal for me. I've never been booed in any other stadium. Everybody always has been nice to me everywhere I go."
— SNY (@SNYtv) April 4, 2025
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. talks about being cheered by the Citi Field fans today: pic.twitter.com/qjPKn1wMaD
Jaylen has jokes for Porzingis after big man's nasty cut on nose
Jaylen has jokes for Porzingis after big man's nasty cut on nose originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Kristaps Porzingis quickly diffused a scary moment Friday night at TD Garden.
The Boston Celtics big man took an elbow to the face from Phoenix Suns wing Cody Martin while defending the paint in the fourth quarter of Friday’s matchup and started bleeding from his nose while lying on the hardwood.
Porzingis quickly got to his feet with a big smile, however, and started pumping up the home crowd as he walked toward the locker room with a trainer.
The cut on Porzingis’ nose required stitches, but while he didn’t return to the game– a 123-103 Celtics rout — he seemed to avoid any serious injury. That meant he was open to chiding from his teammates, and good friend Jaylen Brown happily obliged.
“I told KP, ‘The stitches can’t make you uglier than you already are,'” Brown joked in his 1-on-1 with Abby Chin after the game, as seen in the video player above.
Celtics big man Luke Kornet, meanwhile, got a rise out of watching Porzingis channel his inner wrestler by hyping up the crowd as blood streamed from his nose.
“I feel like for anyone to have just blood dripping down the middle of their face — kind of the whole wrestler persona, the UFC-type persona — I feel like KP was perfect for that,” Kornet said in an exclusive interview with Celtics Postgame Live.
Porzingis has always had a great relationship with the Garden crowd, and his ability to feed off their energy even while dealing with a bloody nose will only add to his legend in Boston.
The C’s are back in action Sunday at TD Garden against the Washington Wizards, with tip-off at 6 p.m. ET.
Bruins And Predators' Free Fall Could Lead To Great News
The Boston Bruins are so bad right now that it may help them more than people think.
It almost beggars belief that, coming off a 47-20-15 record last season, the Bruins are dead last in the Eastern Conference right now.
The Bruins were three points out of a wild-card spot at the NHL trade deadline when they traded Brad Marchand, Brandon Carlo, Charlie Coyle and Justin Brazeau. They since plummeted to the East’s basement and sit 29th overall with a 30-37-9 mark. They’re also 0-9-1 in their last 10 games after losing to longtime rivals, the Montreal Canadiens, on Thursday. It’s undoubtedly painful for Bruins fans to watch.
But the Bruins’ free fall through the standings has a positive element. It means they’ve avoided the mushy middle of the East and can now have a very high draft pick – maybe even the first-overall pick, if they win the draft lottery.
Before you know it – perhaps as soon as next season – the Bruins could be right back in the thick of the playoff hunt .
After Boston GM Don Sweeney sold at the trade deadline, Boston is committed to about $66.7 million in salary cap space next season. With the cap ceiling slated to rise to $95.5 million, that leaves the Bruins with about $29 million in cap space, which gives them leeway to spruce things up in the off-season. They do have six RFAs to take care of and five UFAs, but if they want to make changes and go big in free agency, they can.
But if the draft goes in their favor, Boston would have a draft pick in the top half of the first round for the first time since 2016, when they selected defenseman Charlie McAvoy 14th overall.
Boston hasn’t had a top-10 pick since Dougie Hamilton went to them ninth overall in 2011, and they haven’t had a top-five pick or higher since Tyler Seguin went to them second overall in 2010.
Needless to say, landing a top-five pick or better this season would do wonders for Boston’s core in the next decade or longer. All things considered, the Bruins’ relatively short period of struggle this season could be extremely beneficial for their big picture.
Another team in a similar situation to the Bruins is the Nashville Predators. They currently have the NHL’s third-worst record despite being major buyers in free agency.
Heading into next season, Nashville has about $17.2 million in cap space, so GM Barry Trotz will have many areas where he can improve the organization.
The Predators haven’t had a top-10 draft pick since they selected defenseman Seth Jones fourth overall in 2013. Incredibly, they haven’t had a top-three pick or better since selecting David Legwand second overall with the franchise’s first-ever draft pick in 1998. The Preds desperately need young, elite talent, and like the Bruins, Nashville’s unexpected collapse this season could have benefits in the long haul.
Three NHL Clubs That Made The Best Of A Seller’s MarketThe NHL trade deadline saw contenders mortgage their future by trading future first-round picks and top prospects to add players to help in their pursuit of a Stanley Cup.
But back to the Bruins, whose fans have grown accustomed to year after year of being legitimate front-runners to go on long playoff runs. Their longest playoff drought since the 1960s is two seasons.
It must be unsettling for them to see this rapid collapse, but it must be more comforting to know that this doesn’t happen as often to them as it does to other teams. They’ll also be picking up a skilled player who can be part of their core for many years to come.
Who knows – by adding some veteran talents, Boston could return to the playoff mix next season. But you can’t get elite young players without some short-term pain, and that’s why the Bruins’ current struggles are a double-edged sword. They, at some point, needed to bottom out to take more steps forward as soon as possible, and that time is now.
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Pete Alonso, Tylor Megill power Mets to 5-0 home-opening win over Blue Jays
QUEENS, New York, April 4, 2025 — There was a festive atmosphere all morning at Citi Field on Friday. Crowds and vendors were lurking outside by the 7 train as early as 10 am. Pyrotechnics were being set up for player introductions, and the massive scoreboard was flashing through images with the words "Opening Day" as the Mets prepared to open the gates to their fans for the first time in the 2025 season.
By first pitch, 43,645 fans had piled into the stadium, both a sell-out and the 9th largest regular crowd in Citi Field history. With the Mets coming off a surprise NLCS performance and then an off-season that saw them bring Juan Soto crosstown to Queens and also re-sign fan favorite Pete Alonso, there was plenty to be excited about.
That excitement bled carried out onto the field almost immediately. After starting pitcher Tylor Megill retired the Blue Jays in order in the top of the first inning, Francisco Lindor opened the game for the Mets by lacing a single to left center field. The excitement seemed to get to Lindor too, as he took off for second base, only to be thrown out trying to stretch it into a double. It was the ultimate rollercoaster of emotions that seemed to epitomize the Mets' 2024 season.
Only, this is a new year and a new team with boundless optimism in the early stages of 2025. After review, it turned out that Bo Bichette missed the tag, and Lindor was able to get his hand in safely.
"He likes to set the tone," said Mets manager Carlos Mendoza of Lindor. "Today, first pitch of the game right away. Here we are, attacking. It's good to see. He brings the energy, and, again, that's what you want to see out of your offense: you have to attack. We did that from pitch one today."
The Mets' attack continued with their $765 million man coming up to bat. The whole stadium rose to its feet and stayed standing. In fact, the stadium rose to stand for all of Juan Soto's at-bats in his first game at Citi Field as a member of the Mets, not wanting to miss a single pitch.
However, in this moment, Soto wasn't the hero. He popped out to second base and jogged off the field, but the disappointment for Mets fans was only momentary. Before Soto could even leave the field, the PA announcer was calling out the name of a player who currently ranks third on the Mets’ all-time home leaders, trailing only Darryl Strawberry and David Wright.
For much of the off-season, it seemed like Pete Alonso was destined to be wearing another uniform in 2025. In his six seasons with the Mets, Alonso slashed .249/.339/.514/.854 with 226 home runs and 586 RBIs, but he was entering his age-30 season and seemingly wanted a longer deal than the Mets were willing to give a player they worried would be a soon-to-be-DH. In fact, there were a few days where it seemed realistic that today would be Alonso's return to Citi Field, only as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays.
Yet, Alonso and the Mets wound up agreeing to a two-year, $54 million contract, and he strode into the batter's box wearing his Mets' whites as the stadium chanted his name. Four pitches later, Alonso drove a 1-2 fastball from Kevin Gausman 377 feet over the fence in right field to put the Mets on the board.
"It was sick," said Alonso after the game. "That type of stuff is what you dream about as a kid, and to have that type of support is really special for sure. I enjoyed every second of it."
"It's pretty cool. Not gonna lie," added Mendoza. "You were there in the dog out, and everybody's kind of waiting for that moment as he's walking towards the plate to a standing ovation. He means a lot to the people, the fans, and to our players, and then for him to go out there, you know, first at bat of the season here at Citi Field after the off-season, with all the rumors and all that. It's a pretty cool feeling for him, for all of us."
After the opening inning excitement, the bats went quiet for a while. Tylor Megill and Kevin Gausman traded zeros on the scoreboard; although, neither pitcher was overpowering or forced many swings and misses. A lot of batted balls died in the brisk April air, and the potential early-season timing issues for hitters led to plenty of pop-ups and not many scoring opportunities.
Until the sixth inning. After getting a lineout to start the frame, Megill issued back-to-back walks to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Anthony Santander and was removed from the game after throwing 82 pitches. Reed Garrett would come in and strike out Andres Gimenez and Alejandro Kirk to end the threat.
Megill finished the day allowing no runs on two hits in 5 1/3 innings while walking three and striking out three. He induced nine whiffs for a 23% whiff rate and 24% CSW in what was a rather uneven performance. The Blue Jays weren’t able to hit much hard, but Megill had just a 44% zone rate overall.
He leaned into his four-seam fastball the most, but it had just a 52% strike rate and got only two whiffs. His new slider, which was so effective for him in his first start, did generate four whiffs, but he struggled to command it with a 30% zone rate and 59% strike rate.
Still, he made enough good pitches when it mattered and kept the Mets ahead on the scoreboard after the bats went quiet following the energetic first inning.
A walk to Francisco Lindor chased Kevin Gausman from the game after failing to record an out in the sixth inning, and then Mason Flaherty immediately allowed a double down the right field line to Juan Soto to plate Lindor and give Soto his first hit and RBI at Citi Field.
"It was pretty cool," said Soto of his first game at Citi Field, where he finished 1-for-4 with a stolen base and his lone RBI. "It feels great."
"He's going to help you win games in a lot of different ways," added Mendoza. "Whether it's by getting on base, by getting the big hit, and he made a big defensive play there at the end of the game."
Yet, Soto isn't the only dangerous presence in the Mets' lineup. After his double, the Blue Jays opted to intentionally walk Alonso, and Brandon Nimmo made them pay with another double to right to score Soto. A sac fly from Starling Marte made it 5-0 Mets heading into the top of the seventh inning.
"Hitting is contagious," smiled Nimmo after the game. Nimmo himself finished 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI while Lindor finished the day 1-for-2 with two walks, two runs, and a stolen base.
If that's indeed true, then a Mets lineup that features Lindor, Soto, and Alonso at the top may spread a lot of hits around Citi Field this season. But, for now, they'll take the time to enjoy a perfect opening to their home season.
"Envisioning coming back, for me, it was all about winning," said Alonso. "Obviously, this place is familiar. Love it here. Love being in New York. It checks all those boxes for me." Alonso would finish the day 1-for-3 with a walk, two runs scored, and his two-run home run, which is already his third of the season.
"Pete loves New York," added Nimmo. "He loves the Mets fanbase, and I'm glad he's putting on a show for them."
"You couldn't write up a better home opener," said Alonso. Now the Mets will hope to carry on those festivities into the remainder of the season.
Carolina Hurricanes Rookie, Justin Robidas, To Make NHL Debut
Carolina Hurricanes forward Justin Robidas will be making his NHL debut tonight as the team takes on the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena.
The Canes recalled the 2021 fifth-round pick yesterday in relation to both Jordan Staal and Andrei Svechnikov being questionable to go Friday and it was confirmed during morning skate that neither forward would be going tonight.
So in comes the rookie, the third to make their NHL debut for the Hurricanes this season (Juha Jaaska, Ryan Suzuki).
"He's a great kid and he's kind of earned the callup," said Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour. "That's kind of how we look at it. Had a good year, did everything that they asked him to do down there and I think we're rewarding him with this callup. It's well deserved.
"He's earned it by the way he came in this summer. He put in the work and just had a solid, solid season. So I'm happy for him."
Robidas is also another of NHL lineage, as his father, Stephane, played 15 years in the league. He's now an assistant coach with the Montreal Canadiens and according to FanDuel Sports Network's Hanna Yates, is trying to make it to Detroit in time for the game.
"Hopefully he can get here," Brind'Amour said. "They played last night and they don't play tonight so he should get here. Figure it out, because these are special moments in his life and in the family's life. Hopefully it has a good outcome."
The 22-year-old centerman had a strong first AHL season, with 17 goals and 48 points in 65 games.
Despite being listed at just 5-foot-8, Robidas is a relentless worker who makes an impact at 5v5, the power play and the penalty kill.
"From his work ethic to his defensive play and creating offense, he's really grown over the last two years," said Hurricanes AGM Darren Yorke to team reporter Walt Ruff. "He has developed into a consistent offensive driver, as well as a trustworthy defensive player and leader."
He'll be debuting on the fourth line alongside Mark Jankowski and Tyson Jost.
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Podz reveals mindset shift behind 3-point shooting revival
Podz reveals mindset shift behind 3-point shooting revival originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski saved his best for the most vital stretch of the season.
Since March 18, the 22-year-old guard leads the NBA in 3-pointers made with 34 (h/t StatMuse) after netting four in Golden State’s 118-104 win over the Denver Nuggets on Friday night at Chase Center.
Battling injuries and struggling to establish a shooting rhythm early on in the season, the second-year Warriors guard revealed the mindset reset behind his recent three-point revival.
“Yeah, I got some great people on my corner that I talk with extensively about it,” Podziemski admitted to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Bob Fitzgerald and Kelenna Azubuike on “Warriors Postgame Live.”
“Really breaking shooting down to the physics of it: How my body moves and things that are going to help me personally. [I’m] just trying to stay consistent and stay in the moment.”
On Thursday night, Podziemski netted a career-best 8 of 10 from 3-point range in the Warriors’ win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Although Podziemski’s 3-point shooting on Friday night fell below his personal record, his overall performance in recent weeks has been remarkable.
Spot the difference 🤷♂️ pic.twitter.com/EUHIwv3JT7
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 5, 2025
Teammate Steph Curry, who has been on a run of his own, sits at 32 3-pointers made since March 18 – two behind Podziemski.
Cognizant of the ups and downs of playing against the best, Podziemski is prioritizing a level-headed approach when it comes to shooting from deep.
“Sometimes, you make two, three in a row and you get excited and start taking bad ones or rush it,” Podziemski added. “[I’m] just trying to stay in the moment and take one shot at a time, like it’s my last shot. And that’s all I’ve been focused on.
“Like I said to you guys in November when I was struggling, I always [knew] the percentages were going to even out to where they should be because I know how much time and effort I put into the gym. To see it paying off at the right time of the year, it’s really good for me.”
Realmuto's heroics, Ohtani's blunder help Phillies win fun first meeting vs. Dodgers
Realmuto's heroics, Ohtani's blunder help Phillies win fun first meeting vs. Dodgers originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
A Citizens Bank Park crowd of over 43,000 let out a collective, “Ooooh,” Friday night when Shohei Ohtani drilled the first pitch he saw in the third inning.
Jesus Luzardo was already walking back to the dugout.
Ohtani’s deep flyball died in the wind, a few feet in front of the warning track in left-center, and two hours later the Dodgers were undefeated no longer, watching the Phillies celebrate a dramatic finish in the teams’ first meeting of the season.
Ohtani’s own baserunning blunder helped the Phils seal it. With runners on the corners, he illogically attempted to steal second base down three runs in the bottom of the eighth and Mookie Betts at the plate representing the tying run. Realmuto nailed him pretty easily.
The next one was even prettier and even more important. Realmuto threw out Chris Taylor for a game-ending strike-em-out, throw-em-out double play as the Phillies won 3-2. It would’ve been a walk-off caught stealing for Realmuto if not for the umpires needing to review the play after an initial safe call.
“The Ohtani one surprised me a little bit just because Mookie was hitting,” Realmuto said. “When Chris ran, I had a pretty good idea he was gonna try to run at some point in that at-bat just because he was the tying run.
“Live, I thought I got (Taylor) for sure and the first replay it looked like he was out, then the next couple of angles, it was tough to tell whether the tag was there or not. It felt 50-50 and I didn’t feel good about them overturning that.”
It was overturned, though, ending an entertaining first edition of a potential NLCS preview.
The Phils have won seven of their last eight games against the Dodgers and outscored them 29-10 at home the last two years. This Dodgers roster is even better than the last two, but the Phillies have a ton of confidence against the team most of the baseball world seems to already have crowned. Facing them three times in early April and three times in mid-September provides a fun wrinkle.
“They have a lot of depth. They can beat you in a lot of different ways,” manager Rob Thomson said. “They can match up offensively, they can match up defensively, they’ve got great start pitching. We know we’ve got to play well every time we play them.”
The front office, fanbase and Phillies clubhouse has to love what it’s seen so far from Luzardo, who has allowed two runs through 12 innings with 18 strikeouts and held his opponents to a .167 batting average. He allowed two hits over seven scoreless innings Friday.
Luzardo called it “one of the most well-executed starts of my career,” and said he didn’t shake off Realmuto once.
“He’s incredible back there, obviously,” Luzardo said. “I’ve enjoyed being able to watch him from a distance for a while and now being able to work with him is awesome, all the homework he does, the preparation, and then going out and throwing two guys out in that situation is huge.”
The Phillies held a narrow one-run lead for most of the game after scoring in the bottom of the first when Trea Turner, doubled, stole third and scored on an errant throw. Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto stepped off the mound and had a play on him but threw wide of third baseman Miguel Rojas, who was far off the bag and racing with Turner.
They were unable to muster anything else against Yamamoto but Luzardo just kept throwing up zeroes quickly to keep the Dodgers from gaining any momentum.
The Dodgers pulled Yamamoto after six innings and Kirby Yates gave up two runs in the seventh as Max Kepler walked, Nick Castellanos doubled down the line, Bryson Stott singled one in and Brandon Marsh brought another home with a groundout. Two themes throughout the first week have been the Phillies getting to opposing bullpens and starting rallies at the bottom of the order.
The Phils knew they didn’t have Jose Alvarado on Friday after using him for 35 pitches Thursday, his second of back-to-back appearances. They brought in Matt Strahm for the eighth inning but had to turn to Jose Ruiz with two outs after Ohtani rocketed a single past Bryce Harper to put runners on the corners and bring the tying run to the plate in the form of Betts. That’s when Ohtani bailed the Phillies out.
Jordan Romano earned his first save as a Phillie but it was of the heart-attack variety. Holding a three-run lead, he allowed a two-run homer and put the tying run on first base before striking out Max Muncy as Realmuto threw out Taylor.
The Phillies are 6-1 but do have to figure out what’s going on with Strahm, whose fastball was 90-91 mph against the Dodgers, and Romano, who has struggled with control and had a pair of two-run outings. Thomson suspects Strahm is dealing with a “dead arm” period that pitchers typically experience toward the end of spring training. Strahm missed most of camp with a left shoulder impingement.
As for Romano?
“Just not getting ahead of guys has been his biggest issue,” Realmuto said. “When he’s attacking the strike zone and able to get ahead then expand, that’s when he’s really good. For me, the stuff is there, just got to command the baseball a little better.”
The Phillies go for their third straight series win to begin the season when Aaron Nola opposes Japanese rookie Roki Sasaki on Saturday.
For Florida’s Clayton, spiking football and saying so long to Pitino leads to the Final Four
Most people thought Walter Clayton Jr. would play football in college. Taking a different path has turned Clayton into one of the best players to wear a Gators uniform, and also led him down a road every college basketball player hopes to travel — the one that ends at the Final Four. Heading into Saturday's game against Auburn, Clayton averages 18 points this year, 22.2 in the tournament and, maybe most important, is proving to be the most clutch player in all of March Madness so far.
European football: Bayern stretch lead while Espanyol move clear of drop
- Harry Kane scores in 3-1 victory at 10-man Augsburg
- Espanyol up to 15th after 4-0 win against Rayo Vallecano
Bayern Munich came back from a goal down to beat 10-man Augsburg 3-1 away on Friday and move nine points clear at the top of the Bundesliga but Jamal Musiala went off injured and looks unlikely to be fit for next week’s Champions League quarter-final.
Musiala equalised before Harry Kane’s header and a deflected own goal from Augsburg’s Chrislain Matsima gave Bayern the points after the hosts took the lead thorugh Dimitris Gianoulis’ strike but ran out of steam when Cedric Zesiger was sent off. Bayern now have 68 points with six games left, nine ahead of Bayer Leverkusen, who travel to Heidenheim on Saturday.
Continue reading...Mitchell Marsh’s blistering form continues with match-winning fifty in tense IPL triumph
Openers Mitchell Marsh and Aiden Markram hit half-centuries to set up a tense 12-run victory for Lucknow Super Giants against IPL heavyweights Mumbai Indians on Friday.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. shifts gears with his No. 8 logo to avoid potential conflict with Lamar Jackson
NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. is shifting gears with his No. 8 merchandising.
Earnhardt announced on social media Friday that he has secured the right to use a stylized version of No. 8 and will forgo the original No. 8 logo used by his NASCAR team, JR Motorsports. His decision came two days after Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson filed an opposition claim with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to stop Earnhardt from putting that JRM version of No. 8 on merchandise.
“We are looking forward to the remainder of an already successful season,” Earnhardt wrote on social media.
Jackson, who has worn No. 8 since his college days at Louisville, previously registered the trademark “ERA 8 by Lamar Jackson.” His latest claim argued that Earnhardt’s attempt to trademark that particular version of No. 8 would create confusion among consumers.
Earnhardt avoided a trademark review with the rebranding. Had the U.S. Patent and Trademark appeal board denied Earnhardt, Jackson could have sued had Earnhardt used that No. 8 on any merchandise.
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Pete Alonso sets the tone with two-run HR, leads Mets to 5-0 win over Blue Jays
In their home opener, the Mets jumped ahead early and went on to a 5-0 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday at Citi Field.
The Mets are now 42-22 in home openers, including 12-5 at Citi, and they’ve won it in five of the last six seasons.
Here are the top takeaways...
-- Pete Alonso continued to be the driving force in the Mets’ offense, as he set the tone for the day with a two-run home run in the first inning, driving in Francisco Lindor, who had led off with a double to left-center.
The home run was a nice piece of two-strike hitting by Alonso, as he went down and got a low-and-away fastball from Kevin Gausman and drove it over the right field fence.
According to Inside Edge, it’s only the fourth time in Alonso’s career that he has hit a two-strike pitch out of the strike zone for a home run.
-- Alonso was also in the middle of the Mets’ three-run rally in the sixth, getting an intentional walk from rookie left-hander Mason Fluharty that was sandwiched between RBI doubles from Juan Soto and Brandon Nimmo.
For the day Alonso went 1-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBI. The one out he made was a 107.1 mph rocket on the ground to third. Going back to Wednesday in Miami, that was the sixth straight ball Alonso had put in play at 101 mph or harder. That streak ended in the eighth when Alonso flew out to right.
For the season, the Mets’ first baseman is hitting .292 with a .433 on-base percentage and a .750 slugging percentage.
-- Tylor Megill delivered his second strong start of the young season, holding the Blue Jays scoreless over 5.1 innings. The right-hander allowed two hits and three walks, to go with his four strikeouts as he threw 82 pitches.
Megill seemed to be sailing along through five innings and got Bo Bichette to lead off the sixth on a soft liner to third. But when he walked Vlad Guerrero Jr. and Anthony Santander back-to-back, Carlos Mendoza wasted no time going to the bullpen.
When Reed Garrett finished the inning with two strikeouts, Megill’s record was complete, giving him a 0.87 ERA for his two starts as he continued his success against the Blue Jays.
In three previous career starts vs. Toronto, the right-hander was 1-0 with a 0.52 ERA, allowing one earned run in 17.1 innings, with 19 strikeouts.
-- The Mets’ bullpen continued to excel, as three relievers combined to hold the Blue Jays scoreless over 3.2 innings.
Reed Garrett, A.J. Minter and Max Kranick allowed only two baserunners between them. Minter racked up three K’s in his one inning of work.
-- Mark Vientos continued his early-season slump, going 0-for-3 as his average fell to .074 through seven games.
-- In the first race of the five-borough mascots at Citi Field, the Queens subway car not-so-shockingly pulled ahead near the finish line for the win. The Bronx giraffe led until mysteriously stumbling and falling down the stretch on the warning track.
GAME MVP: PETE ALONSO
Juan Soto was probably the odds-on favorite to get the first intentional walk of the season for the Mets, but Alonso’s hot bat has changed that equation, at least for now.
With Soto on base, Alonso was walked intentionally in the sixth inning ahead of Brandon Nimmo, a testament to his scorching start to the season. It paid off for the Mets when Nimmo promptly doubled home a run and Starling Marte delivered another with a sacrifice fly.
Highlights
Tylor Megill strikes out Anthony Santander to complete a 1-2-3 first inning 💪 pic.twitter.com/bNq5mY3eJU
— SNY (@SNYtv) April 4, 2025
Alexa, play My Girl 🎶
— SNY (@SNYtv) April 4, 2025
Francisco Lindor gets a hustle double on the first pitch! pic.twitter.com/fj251uECxy
POLAR POWER.
— SNY (@SNYtv) April 4, 2025
Pete Alonso goes oppo for a two-run shot! pic.twitter.com/n2UlBFTva4
Reed Garrett comes in and gets back-to-back strikeouts to get out of the 6th 💪 pic.twitter.com/JlFZxG2KcQ
— SNY (@SNYtv) April 4, 2025
Juan Soto brings home Francisco Lindor with an RBI double!
— SNY (@SNYtv) April 4, 2025
It's his first Citi Field hit as a Met 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Yt3pq7bTcO
An RBI double for Brandon Nimmo! pic.twitter.com/S6FPa0rlBq
— SNY (@SNYtv) April 4, 2025
Starling Marte brings home Pete Alonso with a sacrifice fly! pic.twitter.com/ACKUM6srwc
— SNY (@SNYtv) April 4, 2025
Three strikeouts for A.J. Minter in the 7th! 💪 pic.twitter.com/oQRc5euNoh
— SNY (@SNYtv) April 4, 2025
Juan Soto tracks down Anthony Santander's fly ball in front of the wall pic.twitter.com/IDu2Hs0brv
— SNY (@SNYtv) April 4, 2025
What's next
The Mets continue their three-game series against the Blue Jays on Saturday. First pitch is at 7:10 p.m. on SNY.
Griffin Canning will take the mound and face former Met Chris Bassitt.
What we learned as Steph Curry ignites Warriors' incredible win over Nuggets
What we learned as Steph Curry ignites Warriors' incredible win over Nuggets originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN FRANCISCO – Following a two-week road trip and playing their second game within 24 hours, the Warriors shook off their early lethargy to summon enough energy to drop their own personal colossus Friday night.
With Stephen Curry leading the way, scoring 36 points, the Warriors came together for a 118-104 victory over Denver, snapping a nine-game regular-season losing streak against the Nuggets.
STEPH IS FIRED UP 😈 pic.twitter.com/vNhxNwxYON
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 5, 2025
The Warriors (46-31) outscored Denver 84-60 over the final three quarters, delighting the sellout crowd (18,064) and moving within a half-game of the fourth-place Nuggets (47-31) in the Western Conference.
Golden State remains the Western Conference’s No. 5 seed with the win, one game up on the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Brandin Podziemski finished with 26 points and Jimmy Butler added 19 to support Curry’s game-high total. The Warriors forced 26 Denver turnovers, off which they scored 23 points.
Here are three observations from Golden State’s third consecutive win in a four-game stretch against conference competitors:
Steph quickens sluggish pulses
The Warriors played in the first quarter in haze, with countless defensive lapses, more dribbling than passing and giving away eight points off turnovers. They looked like a team on the dark side of a back-to-back set after a two-week road trip.
After his teammates pulled it together enough to shave nine points off a 10-point lead while Jokic was on the bench early in the second quarter, Curry took it upon himself to restore his team’s lagging collective pulse.
Returning simultaneously with Jokic, Curry scored 12 of Golden State’s next 14 points – awakening the snoozing sellout crowd – to give the Warriors a 62-58 lead. After trailing by as much as 12 early, they went into intermission up 66-60.
Steph's seventh 3 makes it a 15-point game 💦 pic.twitter.com/RVg9Ioy1Rw
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 5, 2025
Of Curry’s 19 first-half points, 12 came during his 5:33 stint in the quarter. His flurry, along with a revived defense (Denver scored 16 points in the quarter), put the Warriors in position to succeed.
Draymond vs. Joker
Given the monumental task of trying to keep Jokic from dominating the game, Draymond Green immediately tried to defend his way into the big man’s head.
It worked, initially. Frustrated with Green’s mongoose energy, Jokic aggressively shoved Draymond to the floor and was whistled for an offensive foul within the first three minutes of the game. Green lobbied for a flagrant, but crew chief Josh Tiven held firm.
It was clear Green, knowing the Nuggets follow the lead of the three-time NBA MVP, wanted to maximize his energy on defense. Jokic scored 15 points in the first quarter, 18 over the final three.
That's our DPOY 😤pic.twitter.com/mQsX2s5OuQ
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 5, 2025
Multiple Warriors took turns defending Jokic, with Jonathan Kuminga the most prominent. Jokic totaled 33 points on 13-of-17 shooting from the field, including 4-of-7 from beyond the arc. He added 12 rebounds and nine assists.
Butler’s quiet-storm excellence
This was Butler’s introduction to a Warriors-Nuggets clash, and he fit right in with the physicality and the psychological warfare.
While Curry and Podziemski were splashing pretty jump shots, Butler, who was listed as questionable on the injury report with left forearm strain, committed to the dirty buckets that come amid crowds in the paint or under late-shot-clock pressure.
He was the third scorer the Warriors needed, but he also brought more than points, adding five assists, five steals, three rebounds and his usual late-game composure as Golden State held on down the stretch.
Jimmy Buckets connects on a PRAYER 🙏 pic.twitter.com/3qNL2TtXyB
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) April 5, 2025
Butler’s 19 points came on 6-of-13 shooting from the field, including 1-of-3 from distance, and 6-of-6 from the foul line. He played 34 minutes and finished a team-high plus-21.