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Jets Conclude Regular Season Road Schedule With Duel Against Blackhawks

Winnipeg Jets center Vladislav Namestnikov (7) moves the puck past Chicago Blackhawks left wing Tyler Bertuzzi (59) during the second period at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images

The Winnipeg Jets will play their final road game of the regular season against the 31st-ranked Chicago Blackhawks.

The Jets have defeated the Blackhawks in their two previous meetings this season, winning the first matchup 2-1 in overtime and the second 4-2. The Central Division foes haven't played one another since Dec. 7, 2024.

The Jets enter tonight's game after dominantly beating the Dallas Stars and are now just a point away from clinching the Central Division and first place in the Western Conference. A win or an overtime loss will confirm their spot. 

If the Jets can clinch their spot at the top, they likely won't know their opponent until the final game of the regular season. The St. Louis Blues and the Minnesota Wild are tied with 93 points, each with two games remaining. The Wild currently hold the tiebreaker with two more regulation wins, meaning if the standings do not change, the Jets will face the Blues in the opening round of the playoffs. 

The Blackhawks are once again one of the worst teams in hockey. They have the second-worst goal differential (-71) and the second-fewest wins. Tonight's opportunity is one that needs to be taken by the Jets. 

Puck drop is at 6:00 PM CST at the United Center.

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Eastern Conference playoffs set: Cavaliers, Celtics, Knicks earn top three seeds

It's going to be a lazy Sunday for Eastern Conference stars.

With one game to go, the Eastern Conference playoffs are locked in place. Here is how the standings shook out:

That sets up these postseason matchups:

EAST PLAY-IN

Atlanta (8) at Orlando (7) – winner is the No. 7 seed and will face Boston.
Miami (10) at Chicago (9) – winner to face loser of the 7/8 seed game to see who is the No. 8 seed and faces Cleveland.

EAST PLAYOFFS

Cleveland (1) vs. No. 8 seed
Boston (2) vs. No. 7 seed
New York (3) vs. Detroit (6)
Indiana (4) vs. Milwaukee (5)

The Pacers vs. Bucks in the first round should be an entertaining series, which will ultimately be won by the team that plays the better defense in an offensive showdown (since the All-Star break the Pacers have had the better defense, but by less than a point per 100 possessions).

Detroit, in the playoffs for the first time since 2019, will push New York.

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Severino set to face former teammates in Athletics’ series finale against Mets

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Athletics right-hander Luis Severino greeted some of his former New York Mets teammates Friday before the teams opened a three-game series at Sutter Health Park.

“I was really happy to see those guys. They’re like family to me,” the 31-year-old pitcher said. “Even (though) it was one year, I feel like I was there for a long time.”

Severino (0-2, 4.74 ERA) is scheduled to face the Mets in the series finale on Sunday.

In December, Severino signed a two-year, $45 million deal with the Athletics with a player option for 2027. He went 11-7 with a 3.91 ERA with the Mets in 2024. Severino said he had hoped to remain with them.

“I actually asked for less money to stay there,” Severino said, “but I was not in their plans. At the beginning, I was shocked, but at the end, I knew that it was a business and it needs to take care of itself.”

Severino began his career with the New York Yankees and spent nine years with them before joining the Mets for last season. He is now with an Athletics team that is sharing a ballpark with the Sacramento River Cats, the San Francisco Giants’ Triple-A club. The A’s spent 57 years in Oakland before leaving after last season. They hope to begin play in Las Vegas in 2028.

Severino was asked what it’s like to be at Sutter Health Park after previously playing at Yankee Stadium and Citi Field.

“What do you think? It’s way different,” Severino said. “The situation we have right now is not good, but this is what we have right now. So, we have to just adjust to what we have and try to do the best job we can.”

He went 54-37 with a 3.79 ERA with the Yankees, including All-Star selections in 2017 and ’18. Mets manager Carlos Mendoza was a coach for the Yankees from 2018-23.

“I had a really good relationship with (Severino) even when we were both with the Yankees,” Mendoza said. “He’s proud of the fact that he got a nice contract. The hard work paid off and I’m proud of him.”

And on Sunday, Mendoza and the Mets will take on Severino, who will be looking for his first win with the Athletics.

“It’s going to be fun facing those guys,” Severino said. “I’m going to bring my best, and best of luck to them.”

On Saturday, J.T. Ginn will start for the Athletics against New York. The 25-year-old right-hander was selected by the Mets in the second round of the 2020 draft before being traded to the Athletics as part of the Chris Bassitt deal.

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Freddie Freeman returns to Dodgers’ lineup after missing nine games with shower ankle injury

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Freddie Freeman came off the injured list Friday after missing nine games with a right ankle injury that resulted from slipping in the shower at home.

Freeman said an MRI showed fraying of the scar tissue in his surgically repaired ankle, but he was back to running bases a few days ago.

“I hate to say it, but I might have needed the 10 days,” said Freeman, who loathes missing games. “I feel the best I’ve felt since I’ve gotten hurt.”

The 35-year-old first baseman went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts, was hit by a pitch and scored a run in the Dodgers’ 3-0 win over the Chicago Cubs, his first game since March 29.

“Got on base by way of hit-by-pitch and it was just his first game back,” manager Dave Roberts said. “He does a lot of great things, but this was a tough one. He’ll be back in there tomorrow.”

Fans chanted “Freddie! Freddie!” as he came to the plate for the first time in the series opener against the Chicago Cubs on his bobblehead night.

Freeman saw fans waiting outside the stadium when he arrived 6 1/2 hours before gametime. Not quite the madness of a Shohei Ohtani giveaway, but impressive nonetheless.

“That was kind of crazy,” he said. “I do appreciate it. I just want to say thank you. My family is really excited about this bobblehead, too.”

Charlie Freeman, the oldest of Freeman’s three sons, threw a ceremonial first pitch. The 8-year-old has a locker next to his father in the Dodgers clubhouse.

Charlie nonchalantly walked to the rubber on the pitcher’s mound and fired a strike, just like he did last year. The crowd cheered and he walked off and into the arms of his father, who scooped him up.

The Freeman family, including wife, Chelsea, and father, Fred, gave the traditional pregame call of “It’s time for Dodger baseball!”

The World Series MVP has played in just three games so far. He missed the opening series against the Cubs in Tokyo with left rib discomfort and sat out last week’s three-game series against his old team, the Atlanta Braves. Freeman has batted .250 with two home runs and four RBI.

Then came the shower incident.

Freeman slipped and fell on March 30 in what he called a “freak accident.”

It was another mishap involving the same ankle Freeman sprained on a play at first base in late September. He struggled in the first two rounds of the postseason, but it was hardly evident during the World Series. He homered in the first four games and had 12 RBIs as the Dodgers beat the New York Yankees in five games.

He had debridement surgery in December to remove loose bodies in the ankle.

Utilityman Kiké Hernández filled in at first during Freeman’s absence.

“When you lose Freddie to have a backfill like Kiki has been huge for us,” Roberts said. “Certainly in preventing runs and making plays defensively.”

Freeman said he feels good enough to steal a base.

But he doesn’t have the green light.

“No,” Roberts said. “It’s as red as it can be, fire engine red.”

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Marcus Stroman goes to hospital for knee tests after getting chased in five-run first inning

NEW YORK — Yankees pitcher Marcus Stroman went to a hospital for tests on his left knee after he gave up five runs before getting chased in the first inning of a 9-1 loss to the San Francisco Giants on a cold and rainy Friday night.

New York manager Aaron Boone had just about finished his postgame news conference when he revealed Stroman was not in the clubhouse to speak with reporters.

“He came out. His knee was bothering him, so he went to get some tests done on his knee, so we’ll see what we have from there,” Boone said. “He said his left knee was bugging him so he got some X-rays here and I think he went to the hospital to get some more testing, and so we’ll see what we have tomorrow.”

Jung Hoo Lee hit a three-run homer and LaMonte Wade Jr. a two-run double in the first inning as the Giants won for the ninth time in 11 games. The game was played on a cold night with rain throughout and was called in the top of the sixth inning after conditions deteriorated.

New York has lost four of five following a 6-2 start and its starting rotation has a 5.46 ERA, worst among the 30 teams. While Max Fried has a 1.56 ERA, Carlos Rodón is at 5.19, Will Warren at 6.00, Carlos Carrasco at 7.71 and Stroman at 11.57.

“We got to do better,” Boone said. “Obviously we’re coming off a great start with Max. But we’ve struggled to this point. ... It’s 13 games in, but we’ve got night in and night out to pitch a little bit better to put us in a good situation.”

Stroman lasted nine batters, throwing 46 pitches and getting two outs while allowing four hits and three walks.

Clarke Schmidt is slated to rejoin the Yankees on Tuesday or Wednesday after recovering from right rotator cuff tendinitis that has sidelined him since spring training, Boone wouldn’t address who would be dropped from the rotation.

Stroman’s ERA would be the highest in the major leagues if he had enough innings to qualify.

“He’s dotting off the plate,” Boone said, “and then when he came into the zone he got hurt.”

A right-hander who turns 34 on May 1, Stroman (0-1) is in the second season of a two-year contract guaranteeing $37 million. His deal includes a $16 million conditional player option for 2026 that could be exercised if he pitches in at least 140 innings this year.

He skipped the Yankees’ first two spring training workouts at a time when he didn’t have a projected rotation role behind Gerrit Cole, Fried, Rodón, Luis Gil and Schmidt. He arrived on Valentine’s Day, eight days ahead of the mandatory reporting date.

“I won’t pitch in the bullpen. I’m a starter,” Stroman said, repeating ”I’m a starter” seven times in a 13-second span. Injuries to Cole, Gil and Schmidt created an opportunity.

A two-time All-Star, Stroman hasn’t pitched through the fifth inning this season and has a 2.04 WHIP. Batters are hitting .467 (7 for 15) against him in the first inning with four walks.

“The movement qualities are there. Again, it’s less margin for error and there’s probably some adjustments we can all make,” Boone said. “The stuff’s not much different than the first half of last season to the second half to now, so just we got to execute a little better.”

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Cardinals reserve C Yohel Pozo making most of first trip back to majors since 2021

ST. LOUIS — Reserve catcher Yohel Pozo will remember his first time being in St. Louis.

Pozo came off the bench in the second inning against the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday night after teammate Masyn Winn left after one inning with lower back spasms, sliding into the shortstop’s No. 9 position in the batting order.

And, he played a big role helping the Cardinals to a 2-0 victory over the Phillies. Pretty amazing stuff for a player who recently returned to the major leagues for the first time since 2021.

“When I played in the big leagues in ’21, I was in the American League,” said Pozo, who was with the Texas Rangers. “I have never been to St. Louis before. This is beautiful here. It feels great to play in front of a lot of people. It’s really nice.”

Getting into the game unexpectedly didn’t bother Pozo, who had never caught winning pitcher Andre Pallante previously.

“I sitting on the bench talking to Willson (Contreras), and (Daniel) Descalso came over to me and said you’re going to catch next inning. You don’t have time to do anything,” Pozo said. “If you’re mind is right, you’re ready to go anytime.”

He hit an RBI double in the fifth inning that ended a scoreless game. It was the first of his three hits, just the second in his 22-game big league career. He scored five batters later on a bases-loaded walk by Aaron Nola.

“He takes a really good at-bat,” St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol said. “He does a nice job behind the plate. He’s done a nice job for us.”

Pallante agreed.

“I mean, it’s not easy,” Pallante said. “He wanted to know what we’re doing. I just went over everything really briefly and he learned it really fast. He hit great. He was great back there.”

Pozo’s wife, Paola, and his two sons were in St. Louis to see him, as they are every game.

“My family is in the stands and I’m happy for that,” Pozo said.

The 27-year-old Pozo, a native of Venezuela, joined the Cardinals to replace injured catcher Ivan Herrera, who is out with a bone bruise on his left knee.

He made his debut with the Cardinals — and return to the major leagues — on Monday in Pittsburgh after being called up from Triple-A Memphis.

In that game — his major league debut — in front of 15 family members, Pozo hit a home run in the 8-4 loss. The home run came three years, seven months and 25 days since his last MLB homer on Aug. 13, 2021, against Oakland.

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Foerster buries a few more goals as Flyers beat Islanders in shootout

Foerster buries a few more goals as Flyers beat Islanders in shootout originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Tyson Foerster stayed hot with two goals and the Flyers picked up a 4-3 shootout win Saturday afternoon over the Islanders at the Wells Fargo Center.

Bobby Brink won it in the skills competition after four Flyers came up empty.

The Flyers lost a 3-2 lead when Bo Horvat scored with 1:01 minutes left in regulation.

Jakob Pelletier also found the back of the net for the Flyers. His goal tied the game at 2-2 in the third period. The 24-year-old has recorded a point in six of the last seven games.

Foerster then delivered the go-ahead 3-2 goal. He has five markers through the last two games after scoring a hat trick Wednesday night in the Flyers’ 8-5 win at Madison Square Garden.

“You can tell he’s a goal scorer,” Samuel Ersson said. “You see that he’s one of the toughest guys to stop in practice.”

Owen Tippett collected assists on the two third-period goals.

“I thought we had a good team effort there in the third,” Foerster said.

The Flyers (33-37-9) improved to 5-1-0 under interim head coach Brad Shaw, a stretch in which they’ve scored 28 goals. They have three games to go.

“I think for everybody, we’re still trying to work on our own games, trying to get better, I think that’s a huge part of it,” Ersson said. “As a team, having some pride, playing for the Flyers’ logo and knowing that we’re trying to do something good here with the games we have left.”

The Flyers went to overtime for the 21st time this season. They’re 12-9 after regulation.

They split their four-game regular-season series with the Islanders (34-33-12).

• Foerster’s first goal was on the power play and it opened the game’s scoring in the second period.

The 23-year-old winger has eight markers in the last six games and 24 on the season after putting up 20 as a rookie last year.

“I like how he earns his success, I like how he doesn’t cheat to get his success,” Shaw said. “That’s not an easy thing to do on a regular basis. A real good sign from a young guy that’s showing he’s going to be a good pro and a good player for a long time.”

Matvei Michkov registered an assist on Foerster’s power play tally, giving him a 60-point rookie season.

More: How Michkov embraced a ‘boring process’ to become an even greater scorer

• Ersson saw his first start since last Saturday and converted 37 saves on 40 shots.

The 25-year-old denied Horvat, Maxim Tsyplakov, Simon Holmstrom, Tony DeAngelo and Kyle Palmieri in the shootout.

“I thought he was good all game,” Shaw said. “I loved him in the shootout, he had a little bit of swagger. I like that, when we see that from Sam, it usually bodes well for how many pucks he’s going to stop.”

New York erased a 1-0 deficit with second-period goals from Anders Lee and Noah Dobson. Lee’s marker came on the power play as Cam York was hit with a high-sticking penalty. Dobson’s tally was after the Flyers turned the puck over entering the offensive zone.

Islanders netminder Marcus Hogberg stopped 19 of the Flyers’ 22 shots.

• With the win, the Flyers moved a point ahead of the Kraken and into No. 6 for the 2025 NHL draft lottery odds. Seattle has two games left, with one late tonight at home against the Blues.

The Flyers are one point back of the Sabres, who visit the Panthers tonight.

• The Flyers are right back at it Sunday when they visit the Senators (1 p.m. ET/NBCSP+).

They’ve had a nightmarish time in the second game of back-to-back sets, going 1-10-1 while being outscored 52-29. 

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Foerster buries a few more goals as Flyers beat Islanders in shootout

Foerster buries a few more goals as Flyers beat Islanders in shootout originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Tyson Foerster stayed hot with two goals and the Flyers picked up a 4-3 shootout win Saturday afternoon over the Islanders at the Wells Fargo Center.

Bobby Brink won it in the skills competition after four Flyers came up empty.

The Flyers lost a 3-2 lead when Bo Horvat scored with 1:01 minutes left in regulation.

Jakob Pelletier also found the back of the net for the Flyers. His goal tied the game at 2-2 in the third period. The 24-year-old has recorded a point in six of the last seven games.

Foerster then delivered the go-ahead 3-2 goal. He has five goals through the last two games after scoring a hat trick Wednesday night in the Flyers’ 8-5 win at Madison Square Garden.

Owen Tippett collected assists on the two third-period goals Saturday.

“I thought we had a good team effort there in the third,” Foerster said.

The Flyers (33-37-9) improved to 5-1-0 under interim head coach Brad Shaw, a stretch in which they’ve scored 28 goals. They have three games to go.

The Flyers went to overtime for the 21st time this season. They’re 12-9 after regulation.

They split their four-game regular-season series with the Islanders (34-33-12).

• Foerster’s first goal was on the power play and it opened the game’s scoring in the second period.

The 23-year-old winger has eight markers in the last six games and 24 on the season after putting up 20 as a rookie last year.

“I like how he earns his success, I like how he doesn’t cheat to get his success,” Shaw said. “That’s not an easy thing to do on a regular basis. A real good sign from a young guy that’s showing he’s going to be a good pro and a good player for a long time.”

Matvei Michkov registered an assist on Foerster’s power play tally, giving him a 60-point rookie season.

More: How Michkov embraced a ‘boring process’ to become an even greater scorer

• Samuel Ersson saw his first start since last Saturday and converted 37 saves on 40 shots.

The 25-year-old denied Horvat, Maxim Tsyplakov, Simon Holmstrom, Tony DeAngelo and Kyle Palmieri in the shootout.

“I thought he was good all game,” Shaw said. “I loved him in the shootout, he had a little bit of swagger. I like that, when we see that from Sam, it usually bodes well for how many pucks he’s going to stop.”

New York erased a 1-0 deficit with second-period goals from Anders Lee and Noah Dobson. Lee’s marker came on the power play as Cam York was hit with a high-sticking penalty. Dobson’s tally was after the Flyers turned the puck over entering the offensive zone.

Islanders netminder Marcus Hogberg stopped 19 of the Flyers’ 22 shots.

• With the win, the Flyers moved a point ahead of the Kraken and into No. 6 for the 2025 NHL draft lottery odds. Seattle has two games left, with one late tonight at home against the Blues.

The Flyers are one point back of the Sabres, who visit the Panthers tonight.

• The Flyers are right back at it Sunday when they visit the Senators (1 p.m. ET/NBCSP+).

They’ve had a nightmarish time in the second game of back-to-back sets, going 1-10-1 while being outscored 52-29. 

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Blue Jackets Stay Alive, But Face Elimination Once Again Today

© Russell LaBounty-Imagn Images

The Columbus Blue Jackets have been getting a lot of help from the hockey gods lately.

The first time they faced elimination, they pulled out a 3-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres to stay alive. Then last night, they got the help they needed—thanks to the Ottawa Senators beating the Montreal Canadiens, they're still in it.

But staying alive another day also means facing elimination again.

Here’s the scenario for today:

The Canadiens will clinch a playoff spot and eliminate the Blue Jackets if any of the following happen:

(a) They beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in regulation (b) They win in overtime or a shootout and the Blue Jackets lose to the Washington Capitals (c) They collect a point and the Blue Jackets lose (d) They win in overtime or a shootout and the Blue Jackets lose in overtime or a shootout

There’s a lot of moving parts here, but the simplest path is this: the Blue Jackets need to beat the Capitals, and hope the Maple Leafs beat the Canadiens.

If everything goes their way, they'll live to fight another day—and get a rematch with the Capitals tomorrow with their season still alive.

Columbus Blue Jackets (81 pts) vs. Washington Capitals (109 pts) Game PreviewColumbus Blue Jackets (81 pts) vs. Washington Capitals (109 pts) Game PreviewThe Columbus Blue Jackets and the Washington Capitals play the first of back-to-back games this weekend, today at 12:30 PM. Columbus Blue Jackets Lines, Defensive Pairings, & Scratches For Tonight's Game vs. Washington Capitals Columbus Blue Jackets Lines, Defensive Pairings, & Scratches For Tonight's Game vs. Washington Capitals The Columbus Blue Jackets and the Washington Capitals play the first of back-to-back games this weekend, today at 12:30 PM. Columbus Blue Jackets Injury UpdateColumbus Blue Jackets Injury UpdateJust when the Columbus Blue Jackets thought they had turned the corner in terms of injuries, the injury bug has bitten again. 
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Malachi Moreno walks his own, throwback path to Kentucky, Nike Hoop Summit

PORTLAND — Youth basketball can be more business than game, especially at the highest levels. Top players jump high schools — sometimes moving across the country, sometimes from another country — to find perceived better development opportunities. Top AAU programs are expensive. The best players have NIL money pouring in and people — not always trustworthy people — in their ear telling them how to monetize their social media or make a quick buck another way. It can be disorienting for teenagers making life-altering decisions.

Malachi Moreno is a welcome throwback.

The 6'11" center never left his home, his family and friends in Georgetown, Kentucky, population 37,000. There were offers to move, go anywhere and everywhere, and chase the almighty dollar (and potential future dollars). He chose home. From that comfort zone, Moreno won the state championship with the guys he grew up with, was named 2024-25 Kentucky Mr. Basketball — plus earned an invite to the Nike Hoop Summit this weekend in Portland.

" It was the place that built me and made me who I was," Moreno told NBC Sports about Georgetown. "Being given opportunities like [Nike Hoop Summit], it gives me an opportunity to represent where I'm from, and just to show like you can be from a small town and still accomplish great things."

Family and Friends

The ties that bound Moreno to Kentucky — and will continue to bind him as he is committed to play for Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats next season, just 15 miles down the I-75 — are friends and family.

"I'm glad Malachi stayed home," his mother, Sarah, said. "It allowed him to actually enjoy his senior year, and it allowed him to be a kid for his final year of high school experience. All those high school things that's a lost art, sometimes, when you get into these high elite things."

"He wasn't ready to let go of going to prom, being with his childhood best friends, to try and chase the dream they've all had for so long," Malachi's brother Michael (who played at Eastern Kentucky, 2019-2024) added. "So ultimately, he's proven to himself that things can be done from Kentucky."

"It's a lot of fun just being with kids you grew up with," Moreno said. "You just get to enjoy life and just enjoy high school with them... and not feel pressured to perform every day.

"Like, I can go play a game and the next day go to school and I'll be fine. Nobody's coming up to me talking about, 'You need to work on this, this and this.' They're like, 'Oh, how's your day going? Let's hang out this weekend,' some kind of things like that. Those are things I enjoy really well."

Moreno's foundation is built on a rock of a family.

"They've been with me every step of the journey," Moreno said. "Through the hard times, through the good times, they've always been with me. They've always stuck with me. And every time, say, I have a bad game, they're the first ones to come talk to me and lift me back up. I mean, there's no reason to leave that. They always give me motivation. They give me confidence every single day."

While Moreno —the No. 3 ranked high school center in the nation per 247Sports — had offers from any number of national powers, where to play in college wasn't much of a debate for him.

"Kentucky was always a dream school for me," Moreno said. "You grow up, you live in Kentucky, you grow up watching them. Once I got the opportunity to play for them, it was kind of a first thing, keeping in the back of your mind, 'This is where you want to be.' The more games I went to, the more of the feel I got for just the University of Kentucky, just the fan base, and just being on the floor, it's just somewhere, like, you can't pass up that opportunity."

Nike Hoop Summit opportunity

While Moreno has played with and against many of the other stars at the Nike Hoop Summit at various events such as the McDonald's All-American game, this is the first time he's playing a game wearing the USA across his chest and playing for USA Basketball.

"It's a lot of pride, just being able to represent my country," Moreno said. "My family, we're a military family, I had my grandparents and they were influential in my life. Just being able to wear this across my chest, I feel like I'm kind of representing them and them, and also representing the greatness that came before me. And it's just a it's an honor and a blessing."

Playing for USA Basketball, and particularly for head coach Frank Bennett, has been the kind of challenge Moreno savors.

"Just the level of intensity we have in the practices, and just the intensity of the coach, the attention to detail, everything's very sharp, everything's very poised," Moreno said. "And I think that's a really good opportunity for everybody, just playing against guys and we know, but also keeping that competitive edge, it makes a lot of fun."

Confidence took time

Moreno is a throwback in more ways than just staying near home at Kentucky, his game is more old-school center — the kind of drop big, rim protector and vertical spacer coming back in vogue around the NBA. Moreno also has shown a deft passing touch in the practices in Portland.

"As a five man, I kind of want to dominate the paint first, and then, that sucks everybody in, and it opens it up for my teammates…" Moreno said." I'm more of a 'we over me' kind of player. I prefer for my teammates to eat, get their confidence going, and that gets my confidence going."

Some players are born with the confidence it takes to play high-level basketball. Moreno was not one of those guys.

"He wasn't necessarily too interested in basketball as a young kid, then he sprouted up and was always the biggest kid in his class," and that's when things started to change, Michael said of his brother.

"I can be brutally honest, the skill was not always there," Moreno said. "But once I got to high school and, I think it was more so my freshman summer, I got a couple of Big 10 offers, and that's when the drive really came to me — like this is really what you can do. You can make a living out of this. And that drive just kept me motivated. And then every day, I just wanted to get better and better and better."

That drive has led him all the way to representing the USA at the Nike Hoop Summit.

However, wherever the game takes him, Moreno will always be representing Kentucky.

And home.

How to watch the Nike Hoop Summit 2025

The Nike Hoop Summit games take place Saturday, April 12, and will be broadcast on the USA Network as well as streamed on Peacock.

The broadcast begins at 7 p.m. Eastern, with the women's game tipping off at 7:30 p.m. and the men's game at 10 p.m. from the Moda Center in Portland (home to the NBA's Trail Blazers).

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Canadiens Have Another Opportunity To Punch Their Playoff Ticket

A scene we should see often on Saturday night - Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

After taking on the Ottawa Senators on Friday, the Montreal Canadiens will jump back into the action on Saturday night when they take on the Toronto Maple Leafs. The hosts should be well rested, as they played their last game on Wednesday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning. However, they will need all their energy since they may be forced to play with only five defensemen.

Three Takeaways From A Missed Opportunity
Canadiens: Demidov Has Landed And May Be Perfect For St-Louis
Canadiens: Where Does Demidov Slot In?

With Jake McCabe already injured, Craig Berube confirmed after practice on Friday that Oliver Ekman-Larsson would miss Saturday night’s game against the Habs. The Toronto outfit will be forced to play a defenseman down, thanks to roster limitations and cap rules.

Saturday night’s duel will be the fourth and final matchup between the two teams; the Canadiens won the first game 1-0 in October, while Toronto won 4-1 in November and 7-3 in January. The Leafs have also won seven of the last ten meetings and three of their previous four games, while the Canadiens are still reeling from their first loss in seven games.

Samuel Montembeault was in the net last night, and Martin St-Louis has already confirmed that Jakub Dobes will be facing the Leafs for the first time in his young career. In 15 games this season, the youngster has a 7-4-2 record with a 2.87 goals-against average and a .904 save percentage.

As for the Leafs, Anthony Stolarz is 3-2-0 in 5 games with a GAA of 2.78 and a .910 SP versus the Canadiens, while Joseph Woll has never lost against the visitors; he’s 3-0-0 with a 1.67 GAA and a .942 SP.

If you were still hoping to see Ivan Demidov take his first strides as a Canadiens against the Leafs, forget it. The coach has already said it’s not happening. It will be interesting to see if St-Louis does make some changes to his lineup, given Friday night’s 5-2 loss and the fact that this is the tail end of a back-to-back. He should, however, put on the Canadiens’ jersey for Saturday morning’s optional skate.

It will be interesting to see if St-Louis tinkers with his lineup. Michael Pezzetta had a tough fight on Friday night and looked worse for wear. Perhaps an opportunity to bring Emil Heineman back in the lineup if he’s ready to go after the injury that made him day-to-day. It could be a good idea for Arber Xhekaj to reintegrate the defense corps. The Leafs aren’t overly physical, and some of their forwards can think twice before engaging in brutal board battles.

The Canadiens will have another opportunity to book their playoffs spot on Saturday night, but if they hope to, they’ll need a better contribution from their top line. In 27 games against the Leafs, captain Nick Suzuki has 22 points to his name, second only to Brendan Gallagher, who has 23 in 46 duels. Josh Anderson takes the third spot with 17 points in 36 tilts, while Cole Caufield and Patrik Laine have 13 points in 15 and 14 games, respectively. Suzuki currently has a seven-game point streak; he’s put up 13 points in that span.

As for the Leafs, John Tavares leads in points production against Montreal with 51 points in 58 games, followed by captain Auston Matthews, who has 46 points in 36 games, Mitch Marner with 38 points in 39 games, and William Nylander, who has 31 in 35 duels. Needless to say, the Canadiens need to stop the big four to win.

Two players to keep in check - Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images 

Montreal will need to have a good start if they want to prevail. Toronto is quite stingy in the first period, allowing only 68 games this season. Their worst defensively is the third, in which they’ve given up 84 goals on the year, which is good news for Martin St-Louis’ men who usually have a strong third.

The Habs have played 384 games in Toronto and have a 139-194-45-6 record away from home against the old enemy. With an assist tonight, Suzuki could join Chris Chelios as the 36th most prolific passer in franchise history with 237. Speaking of the former blueliner, Lane Hutson remains on the verge of breaking his record for most points by a Canadiens rookie defenseman. Meanwhile, with three games left to play, sniper Cole Caufield is on 37 goals, while the team’s main objective remains to qualify for the playoffs, getting the right winger to 40 lamplighters would be quite the milestone, something Montreal hasn’t seen since Vincent Damphousse did it in 1993-94.

The Canadiens will head back home after the game. They have a date with the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday night for what should be Demidov’s NHL debut. Something tells me the Bell Centre crowd will be deafening for that rookie lap.

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Championship roundup: Plymouth stun Sheffield United with late fightback

  • Defeat is blow for Blades as Leeds beat Preston
  • Sunderland lose 1-0 at home to Swansea

Miron Muslic praised his Plymouth side for a remarkable late 2-1 Championship comeback victory over promotion-chasing Sheffield United.

Muhamed Tijani scored an 88th-minute winner after in-form Ryan Hardie – with nine goals in his last 11 games – cancelled out Jesurun Rak-Sakyi’s 44th minute opener. That boosted Plymouth’s survival hopes but dented the Blades’ automatic promotion ambitions as they slipped five points behind joint leaders Leeds – who deservedly beat Preston 2-1 – and Burnley with four games remaining.

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Mets at Athletics: How to watch on SNY on April 12, 2025

The Mets (9-4) face the Athletics (5-9) in Sacramento on Saturday at 4:05 p.m. on SNY.

Here's what to know about the game and how to watch...

Mets Notes

  • After a 3-for-3 night, including a home run, Pete Alonso is slashing .378/.482/.778 with 10 extra-base hits in 45 at-bats over 13 games this season
  • LHP David Peterson will make his third start of the season and hopes to have more control after walking five in his last outing as the 29-year-old tries for his second win
  • Luisangel Acuña went 2-for-4 with a double, walk and a stolen base while scoring a run on Friday
  • RHP JT Ginn, former Mets prospect traded to the A's in the Chris Bassitt deal, will start on Saturday which gives the struggling Brett Baty the start at second base
METS
ATHLETICS

Francisco Lindor, SS

Jacob Wilson, SS

Juan Soto, RF

Brent Rooker, RF

Pete Alonso, 1B

Tyler Soderstrom, 1B

Brandon Nimmo, LF

Shea Langeliers, DH

Starling Marte, DH

Miguel Andujar, LF

Mark Vientos, 3B

JJ Bleday, CF

Brett Baty, 2B

Luis Urias, 3B

Jose Siri, CF

Max Muncy, 2B

Hayden Senger, C

Jhonny Pereda, C

What channel is SNY?

Check your TV or streaming provider's website or channel finder to find your local listings.

How can I stream the game?

The new way to stream SNY games is via the MLB App or MLB.tv. Streaming on the SNY App has been discontinued.

In order to stream games in SNY’s regional territory, you will need to have SNY as part of your TV package (cable or streaming), or you can now purchase an in-market SNY subscription package. Both ways will allow fans to watch the Mets on their computer, tablet or mobile phone. 

How can I watch the game on my computer via MLB? 

To get started on your computer, click here and then follow these steps: 

  • Log in using your provider credentials. If you are unsure of your provider credentials, please contact your provider. 
  • Link your provider credentials with a new or existing MLB.com account. 
  • Log in using your MLB.com credentials to watch Mets games on SNY. 

How can I watch the game on the MLB App? 

MLB App access is included for FREE with SNY. To access SNY on your favorite supported Apple or Android mobile device, please follow the steps below.  

  • Open “MLB” and tap on “Subscriber Login” for Apple Devices or “Sign in with MLB.com” for Android Devices. 
  • Type in your MLB.com credentials and tap “Log In.”  
  • To access live or on-demand content, tap on the "Watch" tab from the bottom navigation bar. Select the "Games" sub-tab to see a listing of available games. You can scroll to previous dates using the left and right arrows. Tap on a game to select from the game feeds available.  

For more information on how to stream Mets games on SNY, please click here.