With their 7-3 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday afternoon, the New York Rangers have officially been eliminated from playoff contention.
Despite their season quite literally being on the line, the Rangers showed no sense of urgency to start the game as they looked completely out of sorts.
Carolina took a commanding 4-0 lead in the second period, putting the Rangers in desperation mode.
The Rangers provided some pushback in the third period to keep the game close. However, it was too little.
From winning the Presidents’ Trophy just one year ago to missing the playoffs entirely, it’s been a true fall from grace for the Blueshirts.
“You can't just show up and expect it to go the same way it did last year,” Vincent Trocheck said. “We earned it last year. We certainly didn't earn it this year.”
There’s a feeling of frustration and disappointment not only because they missed the playoffs, but because this team had so many opportunities to make the most of the season and ultimately couldn't salvage their chances.
Even with all the talent in the world, the Rangers couldn’t even squeak the postseason. The Rangers disappointed the fans and they disappointed themselves.
“It's disappointing for everybody,” Peter Laviolette said. “It certainly wasn't anybody's plan coming into the year, especially coming off of last year. Yet here we are. We had opportunities in the last 20 games to make our own noise and make our own way and we didn't do that. It's on us. We needed to be better…
“I think there's always expectation here. I think every year this team has gone in expecting to be successful, expecting to win a Stanley Cup. The disappointment is real.”
The Rangers have two games remaining with nothing to play for but pride.
The Yankees' offense exploded for eight runs, including a five-run fifth inning, on 11 hits that pushed them to an 8-4 win over the San Francisco Giants on Saturday afternoon in the Bronx.
With the weather misty, cold and windy again, the Yankees shook off the elements thanks to solid pitching and timely hitting.
Here are the takeaways...
-Saturday's starter, Will Warren, already gave the Yankees more than Marcus Stroman did on Friday. Warren pitched around a two-out walk to get out of the first inning unscathed and threw just 16 pitches in the opening frame as opposed to Stroman's 46.
But the young righty couldn't keep the early lead, giving up a two-run homer to Wilmer Flores to tie things up at 2-2 in the second. Surprisingly, Flores pulled into a tie for the MLB lead with his sixth dinger of the season. After he gave up the homer to Flores, Warren settled down, sitting down 10 straight Giants with four strikeouts among them -- and aided by some stellar defense from Goldschmidt. After giving up a two-out walk to the No. 9 hitter, pitching coach Matt Blake came out to talk to Warren. The talk must have settled him down, as Warren responded by punching out Mike Yastrzemski for the third time and put a bow on the outing.
Warren was great after the Flores home run, giving the Yankees some length they desperately needed. While Warren wasn't as efficient as he'd like (91 pitches/54 strikes), he got through five innings, allowing two runs on two hits and two walks while striking out six batters.
-After scoring just one run in five innings on Friday, the Yankees got on the board early thanks to Cody Bellinger. The outfielder launched a pitch the opposite way that continued to carry all the way to the wall. The Giants' Heliot Ramos could not track the ball down at the wall as it kicked passed him for a triple, scoring Aaron Judge -- who singled -- from first. Paul Goldschmidt followed with a sac fly to give the Yankees an early 2-0 lead.
Judge would come up in the second with two outs and the bases loaded, but the captain grounded out on a 1-1 pitch to end the threat.
-Bellinger would come through again in the fifth, following Ben Rice and Judge singles with a single of his own to give the Yankees back the lead, 3-2. Goldschmidt would follow with an opposite-field double that scored another -- and would have been more if it didn't go into the stands. Jazz Chisholm Jr. walked to load the bases -- and chase starter Jordan Hicks -- and an Anthony Volpe sac fly drove in another run.
Jasson Dominguez capped off the five-run inning with a two-run single, going the other way.
-Things got dicey in the top half of the sixth. With Fernando Cruz on the mound, Chisholm had a chance to turn a double play, but his errant throw pulled Volpe off of second, allowing everyone to be safe. Cruz then walked the bases loaded with no out, but got Ramos to fly out to first base, LaMonte Wade Jr. to strikeout swinging. Flores then came up and hit a two-run single to cut the Yankees lead to 7-4.
Luke Weaver was called in to get the final out of the sixth, which he did with a strikeout of Sam Huff. Weaver work out of trouble in the seventh, getting Matt Chapman to strikeout swinging with men on second and third and two outs.
Mark Leiter Jr. worked in and out of trouble in the eighth and Devin Williams was called in for the ninth in a non-save situation. He gave up a leadoff walk and then a double before striking out the next two batters out swinging on his patented changeup. He got Ramos to groundout to end the game.
Despite some hiccups, the Yankees bullpen did not allow an earned run in four innings.
-Rice would get one of those runs back in the home half of the sixth. On the first pitch he saw from former Yankee Lou Trivino, Rice launched a blast over the right field wall at 113.2 mph, the hardest-hit ball of his career.
Game MVP: Cody Bellinger
After being unable to get runs on Friday, it was important that Bellinger got the Yankees on the board in the first and giving them the lead back in the fifth.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Seth Jarvis had a goal and two assists and the Carolina Hurricanes eliminated New York from playoff contention, beating the Rangers 7-3 on Saturday.
Jalen Chatfield, Jackson Blake, Mark Jankowski, Jordan Staal, Jordan Martinook and Logan Stankoven also scored for the Hurricanes. Pytor Kochetkov made 28 saves.
Adam Fox, K’Andre Miller and Will Cuylle scored for New York, and Igor Shesterkin stopped 21 shots. The Rangers have lost four of their last five.
Chatfield and Jarvis gave Carolina 2-0 lead in the first period. Jarvis scored his 25th goal at home this season to match the most since the franchise moved to North Carolina in 1997.
Takeaways
Rangers: New York was swept (0-4-0) in the season series for the first time since 1987-88, when the Hurricanes were the Hartford Whalers.
Hurricanes: New York knocked the Hurricanes out of the Stanley Cup playoffs in 2022 and ’24, so there was a small measure of payback for Carolina on Saturday. The Hurricanes’ first-round matchup in the Stanley Cup playoffs with the New Jersey Devils is already set.
Key moment
Artemi Panarin had a wide- open net with 7:27 left in the second period and the Rangers trailing 3-0. Instead of cutting into Carolina’s lead, he hit the right post and Jankowski made 4-0 just 26 seconds later.
Key stat
Kochetkov had lost four of his previous five starts and given up 21 goals in the process.
Up next
The Rangers are at Florida on Monday night. The Hurricanes host Toronto on Sunday.
The Pittsburgh Penguins were down to their final three games. Despite no opportunities to play spoil in the season's final week, they showed they are still a prideful bunch as they rallied from an early 2-0 deficit to emerge victorious 4-2 against the New Jersey Devils on Friday night.
The Penguins must win their final two games to finish with a .500 record while several players chase individual milestones. Some of them inched closer on Friday. Let's discuss.
Crosby is a Certified Legend
Only five players in NHL history scored 90 points after their 37th birthday. With a goal and an assist against New Jersey, Penguins captain Sidney Crosby is now just one point shy of becoming the sixth player and two points short of Mario Lemieux's team record of 91 points at age 37 in 2002-03.
In a classic down-on-one-knee goal, Crosby gave Pittsburgh their first lead in the third period, the only lead they'd need after falling behind 2-0. As many people have pointed out, no one can ask a group of 20 professional hockey players to "tank," and with Crosby continuing to pile up the points at 37, he's too prideful to give up opportunities to further cement his legacy as one of the game's greatest.
Rust's Career Year Overshadowed by Missed Playoffs
Fans outside of Pittsburgh may not know that Bryan Rust set a career-high with 29 goals and, with two games left on the schedule, could become a 30-goal scorer for the first time.
Until 2022, Rust never missed the playoffs, but 2024-25 will mark the third consecutive year he'll miss the postseason, which is a shame considering he's on the cusp of 30 goals and surpassed 60 points for the first time.
The 2010 Penguins draft pick scored his 200th goal this year and now has over 400 points, ranking in the top 15 in franchise history. However, with no shot to win another Stanley Cup, Rust will have to settle for a career year during a season ending with a potential sub-.500 record for the first time since 2005-06.
Jarry Rebounds After Horrific Start
Tristan Jarry has been one of the Penguins' strongest players in the past month, but there are still a few wrinkles in his game that need ironing out—like giving up a goal on the first shot.
Penguins' fans must have buried their heads in their hands when Jarry gave up a goal 15 seconds into the game, then surrendered another six minutes later to put his team in a deep hole.
However, Jarry responded to guide Pittsburgh to a win, making 26 saves after giving up those two goals early. Since returning in early March, the 29-year-old is quietly 8-3-2dsexW with a .904 SV%. No one would believe it, especially after recent back-to-back pulls, but he's proven that he's still capable of being a top goalie when the system in front of him is also working.
Abhishek Sharma lit up the IPL on Saturday with a spectacular 141 off 55 balls to steer Sunrisers Hyderabad to the second-highest successful chase in tournament history of 246 as they downed Punjab Kings by eight wickets.
When defenseman Matt Grzelcyk made the decision to sign with the Pittsburgh Penguins last summer, he did so with the mindset that he'd come in and simply be given some opportunity to re-find his game.
But consistent top-four minutes and running the top power play weren't exactly what he had in mind from the jump.
“I think I’ve been given a lot of opportunity, which is all you can ask for as a player," Grzelcyk said. "I wasn’t really expecting to, maybe, play as much or be on the power play, but obviously, I welcomed that with open arms."
And he has not only welcomed that opportunity, he's made the most of it.
Fast forward nine months after signing a one-year, $2.75 million deal with the Penguins last summer, and Grzelcyk has enjoyed a career year. After a two-point effort in a 4-2 win over the New Jersey Devils Friday, he has a career-high 38 points, which includes 15 power play points as a result of quarterbacking a top unit with the likes of Sidney Crosby and other future hall-of-fame players on a rotating basis. And those numbers surpass previous career-highs of 26 and seven, respectively, from his eight-year tenure with the Boston Bruins.
His work on the power play is a big reason why the unit has catapulted itself from bottom-three in the league last season to top-seven this season. And his overall progression throughout the season has not gone unnoticed.
"He certainly has done a really good job on the power play," said assistant coach David Quinn, who coaches both the defense and the power play. "It's not an easy situation to step into, but I think he's had a heck of a year. He had a really good career in Boston. Last year was a little bit of a down year for him, but health had something to do with it.
"I think he's really done a great job taking advantage of the situation that he's been presented with here, and he's earned everything he's gotten. Obviously, he's done a really good job on the power play, he's played big minutes for us, and I think, defensively, he's gotten better and better as the season has gone on. So, we're fortunate to have him. He's really done a good job here."
Grzelcyk's puck-moving ability and the simplicity in his game have certainly endeared him to his teammates and to the coaching staff.
"I think he's fit in real well," head coach Mike Sullivan said. "We love his ability to move the puck, and that's an important element of our team game is getting back to pucks on retrievals and being able to advance the puck to get out of our end. That's his biggest attribute, his biggest strength, and I think he's brought that to this team."
The offensive side of his game is something he has been able to fully unleash in Pittsburgh, as the system is inherently more catered toward offense as opposed to Boston's defense-heavy system. Pittsburgh focuses a lot on generating chances off the rush and from the transition game.
And that adjustment systems-wise has been pretty seamless for Grzelcyk - especially given the elite, offense-first players he has been sharing the ice with for most of the season.
"Not that we don’t value defense here," Grzelcyk said. "But with the caliber of players, the way that they create off the rush and get open in the o-zone… I’m just taking some time to pick their brains, seeing certain face-off plays or how they see the ice a little bit."
And when he's been deployed with those players - as he has all season long - it lends to an uptick in his offensive game, which has shown in the results. But he's also still working on some of those defensive details that were a huge part of his game prior to his stint in Pittsburgh.
"Offensively, I'm playing in more situations, getting more o-zone starts," Grzelcyk said. "Defensively, I think there’s still some things that I want to sharpen up on and continue to improve there... have good gaps, things like that. But I feel like I have a better understanding of how things work here now."
And Sullivan also believes that he has made the most of his opportunity, especially given the fact that his deployment and minutes exceeded what even the coaching staff - not just Grzelcyk - anticipated when the blueliner was first brought in.
"I think he's quietly had a very solid season for us," Sullivan said. He's played in the top-four all year long. I don't know that we anticipated playing him in the top-four when we first signed him, but he's earned his way in there based on the group that we have. I think, in those terms, it would be hard to sit here and say he hasn't had a solid contribution for us. I think he's quietly had a really good year for himself."
But Grzelcyk has enjoyed his time in Pittsburgh, a city he was drawn to initially when deciding where to land last summer. And he hopes to stick around.
“I would love to come back," Grzelcyk said. "You never know how it’s going to shake out, especially after the deadline. But it’s obviously been a very positive experience for myself, and I love the city. I got drafted here in 2012, played my first game. So that kind of just started pulling me in this direction a little bit, and then just talking with the coaches and things like that in the offseason and how it fit in.
"It’s felt pretty comfortable from the start, and the guys have been super welcoming. It was a pretty seamless transition, and I’m super thankful for the opportunity I’ve been given.”
Barcelona stretch La Liga lead with win at Leganés
Inter Milan cruised to a 3-1 win at home to Cagliari thanks to goals from Marko Arnautovic, Lautaro Martínez and Yann Aurel Bisseck to keep their grip on top spot in Serie A on Saturday.
Inter are six points clear of second-placed Napoli, who host lowly Empoli on Monday, with six rounds to go.
The Buffalo Sabres are playing out the string of another playoffless season, but with four games left in the on the schedule, the club will have a big say on who will win the Atlantic Division and have home-ice advantage in the first two rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Sabres take on the Florida Panthers in the first of back-to-back weekend games in the Sunshine State on Saturday and will start James Reimer in goal. The Panthers are in third place in the Atlantic with 96 points. They would move into a tie for second place with Tampa Bay and come closer to locking up one of the top three spots in the division, moving six points ahead of the Ottawa Senators with a win over Buffalo.
On Sunday, the Sabres play in Tampa against the Lightning, who have 98 points. Depending on the outcome of the Toronto - Montreal game on Saturday, the Lightning could move into a tie with the Leafs for first place entering the final week of the campaign. Tampa has stumbled in the last few games, with overtime losses to Toronto and Detroit, so on the eve of a critical match against the Panthers on Tuesday, they will need to get two points with Buffalo likely starting Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.
The Maple Leafs make their final visit to Buffalo on Tuesday, with potentially a lot riding on the outcome. The Leafs have 100 points and will use up their game in hand on Tampa on Saturday. If they win over the Habs and on Sunday in the second of back-to-back games in Carolina on Sunday, a win at Key Bank Center could conceivably clinch the division, but with the Sabres 13-2-0 in their last 15 games and 22-14-3 overall this season at Key Bank Center and their traditional good fortune against Toronto at home, Buffalo could very well strike a blow to their hated rival’s division-winning aspirations.
Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo
Rory McIlroy started the day with six straight threes, Bryson DeChambeau ended it with a birdie rake to trim the gap at the top to two. What a Moving Day!
An extremely smiley Bryson DeChambeau has a chat with CBS Sports. “If I can just keep it in the fairway … iron shots into the green … I watch a lot … see what players are doing … where the pin locations are … how people are playing it … trying to get comfortable with that … get my day started off a little late on purpose … feel comfortable like I’m just getting up, getting ready to go play some golf and have a good time … I’m excited … it’s gonna be a lot of fun!”
Shot of the week at 12 by Denny McCarthy! At the 155-yard par-three, he lands his ballfive feet in front of the flag. A couple of tiny bounces take it a couple of feet closer, but no further. That’s a kick-in birdie, though. The 32-year-old from Florida, whose best finish here was a modest tie for 45th last year, moves into the red at -1 overall. So close there to only the fourth ace at 12 in Masters history. The others: the two-time US Open champion Curtis Strange in 1988, the amateur Bill Hyndman in 1959, and Claude Harmon, Butch’s dad, in 1947 (a year before his victory).
Mets centerfielder Jose Siri left Saturday’s game vs. the Athletics with a left shin contusion, and manager Carlos Mendoza said on Sunday that the outfielder is still in pain, making a stint on the Injured List a possibility.
"He’s in pain," Mendoza said on Sunday. "He walked in this morning still on crutches. Like I said, he’s pretty sore, not able to put weight on it. He’s getting treatment right now and we’ll see where we’re at, but he’s in pain."
Mendoza was then asked a follow-up question about whether the injury could result in an IL stint for Siri.
"It could be," Mendoza answered. "We’ll have to have a conversation after the game and maybe tomorrow, but the way he’s feeling right now, I could see this being a potential IL [situation]."
Siri underwent x-rays on Saturday, which came back negative, and the team still considers him day-to-day, at least for the time being.
The 29-year-old stayed down for several minutes after fouling a ball off his leg during his at-bat in the top of the second on Saturday -- the speedster then needed assistance from trainers as he limped back to the dugout and was carted to the clubhouse in left-centerfield.
"Honestly, I was expecting the worst," Mendoza said after the game on Saturday. "When I went out there he was in pain, he couldn't put any weight on it -- so when the trainers got a hold of me and told me in the middle of the game I was like alright at least it's good news but he's going to be in pain."
"It got me right there, right on the bone, pretty much," Siri said through a translator on Saturday. "Right now, I feel like I don't have any power in that leg -- it's the first time it's ever happened to me, so I can't really judge it based on how it's going to be in the next couple days.
"I think what we should do is just wait and see how it feels and then we'll have a better idea."
LAS VEGAS -- Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said Saturday after morning skate that he is not concerned long-term with an injury that's kept Alex Pietrangelo out of the lineup.
The veteran defenseman who has missed six of the last nine games, including the last two, will miss Saturday night's home finale against the Nashville Predators, as the Golden Knights look to clinch the Pacific Division.
Star forward Jack Eichel will also miss his third straight game.
Despite their absences, the Golden Knights come into Saturday night winners of three of their last four (3-0-1) while riding a 9-2-1 win streak.
"It's good to have depth, guys that can get in when you're injured, and that's how you end up in first place sometimes, when you have injuries, right?" Cassidy said. "You don't lose a beat because other guys are ready to go."
Pietrangelo, who has missed only nine games all season, is a key part of the Knights' defensive pairings, who Cassidy hopes to have back in time for the playoffs, which start in one week.
The 35-year-old is ninth on the team with 33 points, while his 29 assists are tied for fourth.
Cassidy confirmed it is not the same issue that kept Pietrangelo from participating in the Four Nation's Face-Off two months ago.
"If he was able to play, he would," Cassidy said. "Right now, he's dealing with something, and he's getting better. He's skating, but he's not ready to go in the lineup.
"He's one of the, probably the most competitive guy in there. The Four Nations, I think he addressed that. There was some stuff that he had to take a little time off to be better for us. He came back in the lineup after that. Unfortunately, he's dealing with something different now that should be good to go. I just can't give you an exact date."
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Players and coaches from the 2024 championship team received a ring for making the College Football Playoff, one from the CFP for winning it and a championship ring from Ohio State.
Thank you for turning down $70 million from the Lakers to stay at UConn. Thank you for walking away from Hollywood to hang out in Storrs. Thank you for doing the unthinkable to a team desperate for the impossible.
Thank you for the rejection, because it was the beginning of a rebirth.
Lakers coach JJ Redick, talking with guards Luka Doncic and Gabe Vincent, has been able to get stars and role players to accept his and the coaching staff's plan for the team. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Trade of the year.
Can everyone now admit that hiring JJ Redick instead of Hurley last summer has been the most important development in transforming an ordinary team into a potential champion?
Acquiring Luke Doncic was great, but it is Redick who has seamlessly integrated him into the offense.
The renewed inspiration of LeBron James has been impressive, but it’s been based on respect for Redick’s voice and his vision.
With disarming honesty, unrelenting passion and unvarnished empathy, Redick has guided the Lakers through early-season embarrassments, bonded them through midseason roster changes and now has raised their intensity just in time for a deep spring run.
“As a team, I feel like we can win a championship, to be honest with you,” said Reaves after the Lakers’ third-seed-clinching win over the Houston Rockets on Friday night. “The reason of that is, I know that everybody in the locker room believes that and has also bought into whatever your role is to help us do that.”
That belief comes from coaching, from Redick down through his top assistants, Scott Brooks and Nate McMillan, a powerful veteran braintrust that smartly and constantly connects.
“That’s why I give this coaching staff a lot of credit,” said Reaves. “They come in, they planted their system and they held guys accountable to what they asked them to do and everybody bought into that.”
The head of sales is, of course, Redick, this group curated with his cool mix of brains and humanity that has turned a team into something more closely resembling a family.
He has cried, he has scowled, he has scolded and he has unconditionally supported, and that’s just in the news conferences.
He has, honestly, made more of an impact in one season of coaching than in 15 years in uniform. On Friday I had to ask him, was coaching actually more rewarding than playing?
Lakers coach JJ Redick recounts that he and his family lost their rental house in the deadly Palisades fire during a news conference at the team's training facility on Jan. 10. (Damian Dovarganes / Associated Press)
“Yes” he quickly said.
“Why?” I asked.
“So I’ve been trying to figure that out for the last six months, I'm not sure,” he said. “But I will say, I think anybody that was around me as a player knows how much I enjoyed the job every day and knows how grateful I was to be in the NBA every day and very grateful to have a 15-year career. I like this more.”
So the flashy former scorer has more fun guiding players than shooting over them, and who knew?
Not me. While I’m now praising him as a great hire, I must acknowledge that I was once among the loudest to fight it.
When the offer was made to Hurley to replace the fired Darvin Ham last spring, I loved the idea. I loved Hurley. I pictured the two-time NCAA defending champion lighting a fire, changing the culture, bringing his East Coast toughness to the soft confines of El Segundo.
Redick was the only other serious candidate at the time, and that I didn’t love. He had never coached anywhere beyond youth league, he had never won a championship as a sharpshooter, and he was currently best known as a TV analyst and the co-host of a podcast with LeBron James. He wasn’t qualified beyond being LeBron’s buddy, and hiring him would be a mistake that would set the franchise up for more wasted years.
I was ready to welcome Hurley, writing, “No brainer. No question. No more looking. If the Lakers really think they can get him, they need to go get him.”
Then in the early days of June, Hurley stunningly turned them down, convinced by his wife, Andrea, to stay on the East Coast and pushed by his fighter’s instinct to attempt a UConn three-peat.
A couple of weeks later, the Lakers hired Redick, and most of the basketball world shuddered.
“So now it’s painfully clear that JJ doesn’t stand for Just Joking,” I wrote at the time. “So now this is real. Real unusual. Real unsettling. Real unfortunate.”
Rob Pelinka, the Lakers general manager, saw it differently
“It was just really important to us as we made this hire to find a head coach that could sit across the table from some of the smartest and best players in the world,” Pelinka said at the time. “This is the stage for those players to be able to relate to, coach, hold them accountable, lead them, inspire them. And we felt like JJ was very unique in holding all those qualities to do that.”
JJ Redick, right, laughs as Lakers general manager and vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka addresses the media during a news conference to introduce Redick as the new Lakers coach. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
It turns out, and not for the first time with this unusually special team, Pelinka was right and I was wrong.
First, this season Hurley was a walking distraction at UConn, his angry sideline antics constantly grabbing the headlines and making one wonder how long would he have lasted with the Lakers before completely melting down?
Meanwhile, Redick was immediately establishing himself here with basketball smarts and superstar relatability. Barely a month into the season, he aced his first test after the Lakers endured a two-game stretch of horrible performances, getting blown out in Minnesota and Miami, the latter a 41-point loss.
“I'm embarrassed; we're all embarrassed,” he said after the Heat defeat. “It's not a game that I thought we had the right fight, the right professionalism. … There has to be some ownership on the court and I'll take all the ownership in the world. This is my team and I lead it and I'm embarrassed. But I can't physically get us organized. I can't physically be into the basketball. … I'm not blaming players … I own this, but we’re going to need some ownership on the court as well.”
In that one locker-room speech dressed as a news-conference answer, he showed his players that this cool persona can be tough and unafraid, and then he took it a step further. It was around this time he had a chat with LeBron, and the team’s most important player bought in and everyone soon followed.
A December that began with the blowouts ended with D’Angelo Russell being blown out to Brooklyn to mark the second evolution of the team. This change, besides featuring the arrival of the underrated steal of the season — Dorian Finney-Smith! — also resulted in a new bond between Redick and Reaves.
With the frustrating Russell gone, Redick became the first Lakers coach to fully entrust Reaves with the role as the team’s third option. Reaves has since played so well, that grouping of LeBron, Luka and Austin has now become one of the NBA’s Big Three.
Lakers coach JJ Redick, center, has guided the team deftly this season along with top assistants Scott Brooks, left, and Nate McMillan. (Kevork Djansezian / Associated Press)
Friday night, after casually scoring 23, Reaves glowed when I specifically asked about the impact of the new coach.
“Huge,” said Reaves. “When the Lakers hired him … I knew his IQ of the game, but obviously there was all the talks about, you know, he’s never coached at any type of high level or anything like that. Since Day 1, he’s been super professional, super locked into one goal, that’s getting the team to buy into what the coaching staff wants. He’s been huge in what he’s done, I can’t give him enough credit for what he’s done for me and the team, happy to go to war for him any day.”
With the new calendar year came new, unimaginable challenges, and Redick handled every issue as if calmly sinking a game-winning trey.
His entire team culture was upended with the trading of Anthony Davis for Doncic? In his biggest win of the season, Redick somehow convinced two superstars and one budding star to each adjust their roles.
In the beginning, many worried that the players would ignore him because he had no coaching credibility. But as the season progressed it became clear, Redick is so basketball bright and communication savvy, the players couldn’t help but listen.
Nearly a year ago, much of the basketball world was pouring cold water over the idea that JJ Redick could be a successful NBA coach.
Lakers coach JJ Redick embraces guard Luka Doncic after he substituted for him during his 45-point effort in Dallas. (Sam Hodde / Getty Images)
On Friday night, after their win over the Houston Rockets gave them 50 victories for only the second time in 14 seasons, that cold water was administered over his head in the locker room by his players in celebration.
Approximately eight ice buckets worth.
“I just want to apologize to Kathy (Montoya, Lakers vice president of game operations and entertainment), hopefully in the next nine days the $17,000 in damage to the carpet we can get fixed,” Redick said.
On the contrary, it’s been several years since the ground under the Lakers shoes has looked so lush and felt so solid.
“It’s a credit to our players … they’ve all participated in a winning culture,” said Redick.
A JJ Redick culture. A realistically championship culture.
NEW YORK — The New York Yankees placed Marcus Stroman on the 15-day injured list with left knee inflammation Saturday, one day after he gave up five runs and got two outs in a rainy 9-1 loss to the San Francisco Giants.
Stroman went to a hospital for tests on his left knee after throwing 46 pitches in the rain on Friday. Manager Aaron Boone said Stroman said his knee was bothering him and the Yankees announced the move about an hour before Saturday’s scheduled first pitch.
Stroman is 0-1 with an 11.57 ERA in three starts after allowing a three-run homer to Jung Hoo Lee and a two-run double to LaMonte Wade Jr. in his shortest career start that was not interrupted by rain, though Boone said he was not sure if the conditions caused the injury.
“I don’t know, tough to say,” Boone said before Saturday’s game. “We’re haven’t been in ideal conditions most of the start of the season here and that affects everyone a little bit different,” Boone said. “Stro has also been doing this a long time and pitched in these situations a lot before, so I’m sure that all plays a role.”
The Yankees recalled pitcher Allan Winans from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre to replace Stroman on the roster.
Winans had a 5.02 ERA in five spring training appearances and pitched 2 2/3 innings in his lone appearance with Triple-A.
Winans made his major league debut with the Braves in 2023 and was 1-4 with a 7.20 ERA in eight starts over the previous two seasons.
The Yankees claimed him off waivers from the Braves on Jan. 23, designated him for assignment on Feb. 5 and invited him to spring training as a non-roster invitee two days later.
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.
Clarke Schmidt is scheduled to rejoin the Yankees on Tuesday or Wednesday after recovering from right rotator cuff tendinitis that has sidelined him since spring training,
Boone did not address who would be dropped from the rotation, though Stroman’s injury creates an easier decision.
“I’m excited to get him back,” Boone said. “He’s turned into a really good pitcher in the league. So feel like he’s in a really good spot too.”
Stroman turns 34 on May 1 and is in the second season of a two-year contract guaranteeing $37 million. The right-hander’s 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, Max Fried, Carlos Rodón, Luis Gil and Schmidt. He arrived on Valentine’s Day, eight days ahead of the mandatory reporting date and injuries to Cole, Gil and Schmidt created an need for him.
A two-time All-Star, Stroman hasn’t pitched through the fifth inning this season and has a 2.04 WHIP.
Last season, Stroman was 10-9 with a 4.31 ERA in 30 games (29 starts) when he threw 154 2/3 innings, his most since 2021 with the Mets. Stroman struggled in the second half and did not appear in the postseason when the Yankees made their first World Series appearance since 2009.
MIAMI — The Washington Nationals placed shortstop CJ Abrams on the 10-day injured list on Saturday because of a right hip flexor strain.
Abrams first experienced discomfort during the Nationals’ home series against Arizona last week and it then flared up again on Friday, when Washington opened a road series in Miami. He was removed after the third inning and underwent an imaging test Saturday that confirmed the strain.
“I told him today to get this thing to calm down and get it right so it doesn’t become a bigger issue,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez said before Saturday’s game. “In a week and a half hopefully he’ll be ready to go.”
The 24-year-old Abrams has four homers through his first 11 games this season.
“CJ wants to play every day,” Martinez said. “He wasn’t happy about it. But this was the second stint that it was bothering him. We’re going to try to get him all healed up so it’s something that he won’t have to worry about for the rest of the year.”
The Nationals recalled infielder Nasim Nuñez from Triple-A Rochester in the corresponding move.
