WOLVERHAMPTON, England (AP) — Andy Robertson scored for only the second time this season and set up Mohamed Salah for another goal as Liverpool beat Wolverhampton 3-1 on Friday to move into the quarterfinals of the FA Cup.
Scotland captain Robertson rifled in a low shot from outside the penalty box 10 minutes into the second half to put Liverpool ahead and then Salah crashed home his enticing cross two minutes later.
Curtis Jones added a third for the visitor 16 minutes from time before Hwang Hee-Chan scored a stoppage-time consolation for Wolves.
Defender Robertson’s only other goal this season came in September when Liverpool beat Atletico Madrid in the Champions League. His leading role in Friday’s win was a welcome one after Wolves had humbled Arne Slot's team 2-1 in the Premier League three days ago.
“(That was a) bit more like it,” Robertson told the BBC. “We know we let ourselves down on Tuesday … it was up to us to go and put it right. The FA Cup is do or die.”
The quarterfinals take place on the first weekend in April. The other seven contenders will be decided in matches to be held over the next few days.
“We are trying to fight on all fronts,” Robertson said. “We are still in two cup competitions. If we play like we did tonight, then nobody wants to play against us. We have to start showing that consistency. It is one step forward and two steps back.”
The Philadelphia Flyers have spent the past several seasons methodically reshaping their roster, trying to build a sustainable core rather than chasing quick fixes. That long-term approach often requires difficult decisions—especially when the player involved is someone the organization helped develop from the ground up.
The trade sending Bobby Brink to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for defenseman David Jiricek represents exactly that kind of decision. It was not a move rooted in dissatisfaction with Brink but in the reality of roster construction. For the Flyers, the deal reflects the intersection of two organizational priorities: managing a growing surplus of wingers and investing in young defensemen with high ceilings.
The Difficult Part: Parting With a Homegrown Player
From the Flyers'—and specifically Danny Briere's—perspective, this was not a transaction made lightly. Brink’s development has been closely watched within the organization, and his growth over the past two seasons made him an increasingly reliable contributor.
Briere made that clear when discussing the move.
“It was not an easy [decision]," he said on Friday. "I was part of the development staff when Bobby came along. We had some long discussions about his future and his career, so to have been a part of that and then to see him blossom into the play he has become—there’s, selfishly, a lot of pride in that.”
Danny Briere said that the decision to trade Bobby Brink was “not an easy one” and said he “selfishly” had a lot of pride in Brink’s development since he was part of the development staff that helped Brink blossom. Ultimately it came down to managing the Flyers winger logjam.
Brink’s progression had been evident on the ice. After entering the NHL with questions about how his size and skating would translate, he worked to carve out a role through intelligence, puck movement, and creativity.
His playmaking instincts became particularly effective on a line with Noah Cates and Tyson Foerster, where Brink’s vision complemented Cates’ two-way reliability and Foerster’s shooting ability.
That trio often functioned as one of the Flyers’ most analytically sound lines, capable of maintaining offensive-zone pressure and creating scoring chances through controlled puck movement rather than pure speed.
In short, Brink had proven he belonged on an NHL roster.
The Roster Reality: A Crowded Wing
The challenge for the Flyers was not Brink’s performance, but the organizational depth chart for Brink's position.
Philadelphia has steadily accumulated a significant number of wingers, both on the current roster and in the prospect pipeline. According to Briere, the organization felt the need to start managing the logjam.
“When you look at the way our team is coming along and you look at the depth we’re building on the wing—Konecny, Michkov, Tippett, Zegras, and then you have Tyson [Foerster], who’s going to come back next season," he said. "You have Martone that’s getting close, you have Barkey who surprised us this year with how well he’s played, you have Alex Bump and other young guys that are also pushing.”
Philadelphia Flyers forward Trevor Zegras (46). (Megan DeRuchie-The Hockey News)
At some point, depth becomes redundancy, and teams rarely have the luxury of holding excess talent at a single position while other areas of the roster require reinforcement.
For the Flyers, the imbalance was becoming clear. The wing position featured a growing list of established players and extremely promising prospects, while the organization continued searching for long-term solutions on the blue line.
Those circumstances forced a difficult question: which winger could be moved to address another need without disrupting the core of the forward group?
Brink, despite his clear development, ultimately became the logical candidate.
Why David Jiricek Fits the Flyers’ Vision
In acquiring Jiricek, the Flyers are taking a calculated swing.
The 22-year-old defenseman has long been viewed as a player with considerable upside—size, strength, and the kind of physical profile teams covet on the blue line. Philadelphia had previously shown interest in Jiricek but believed he was unlikely to become available.
Briere said that the Flyers had previously been interested in David Jiricek when he first got traded to Minnesota but didn’t think he’d be available, so the interest is not out of the blue. Said they’re going to dedicate a lot of effort to help Jiricek grow his game here.
When the opportunity emerged, the Flyers recognized the potential value.
“When that came in yesterday, we started thinking about the chance to add a big, young, strong defenseman like [Jiricek], we felt that was a good opportunity for us to look towards the future," Briere said. "We felt it was a good swing to take on a promising young defenseman.”
With his size (6-foot-4, 204 lbs.) and right-hand shot, Jiricek is not dissimilar to current Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, but Briere made it clear that they're in no rush to get him into the NHL lineup, choosing instead to work with him to develop his game and ensure he's fully prepared to take that step into becoming a regular NHL defenseman.
"I can't say David or Oliver Bonk are ready today," Briere admitted. "To come in, especially in the top four position—it's one thing to come in a play in a bottom pairing at the start, but they haven't even done that yet. I think they need a little bit more time and we need to protect them a little bit.
"[Ristolainen] is playing on that top pairing with Sanheim right now. I don't think it would be fair to ask David or Oliver to play those minutes yet. We hope that at one point it comes to that, but I don't think they're ready for that role yet... We hope they get there, but we want to protect them as well along the way."
A Trade That Reflects Organizational Strategy
Viewed in isolation, trading a young forward who has shown steady improvement might seem counterintuitive to what the Flyers are building. But roster construction rarely exists in isolation.
The Flyers’ decision ultimately reflects a broader strategy. With such a crowded group of talented wingers, opportunities for ice time were likely to become increasingly limited, which ultimately doesn't benefit anyone.
Meanwhile, acquiring a young defenseman with upside addresses an area where the organization still seeks long-term answers.
So, in that context, the Brink-for-Jiricek trade becomes less about losing a productive player and more about reallocating assets in pursuit of balance.
Brink leaves Philadelphia as a player who successfully proved his NHL ability and contributed meaningfully to the Flyers’ progress. Jiricek arrives as a project with potential—a player the Flyers believe could grow into an important piece of their future.
(And the Flyers won't have to wait long to see Brink again, as they travel to Minnesota for a game on March 12.)
TAMPA, FLORIDA - JUNE 26: Nazem Kadri #91 of the Colorado Avalanche lifts the Stanley Cup after defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in Game Six of the 2022 NHL Stanley Cup Final. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In what looked to be a pretty quiet deadline day for the Avs, as they had already gotten most of their business taken care of in the weeks and days leading up to the deadline, they managed to get a deal into the queue before the official cutoff to bring home a very familiar face and one of the biggest names on the trade market for this deadline: Nazem Kadri.
This is the big trade that Avs fans have been talking about wanting to happen leading up to the deadline, and Colorado actually managed to pull it off. Kadri is and has been a fan-favorite player for years and years now, and of course, was a massive part of the 2022 Stanley Cup-winning team. Calgary did retain 20% of Kadri’s AAV for the remainder of his contract in this deal as well, which brings his contract down to $5.6M through the 2028-29 season. This means that the Avs were actually able to make the money work, especially with big financial commitments looming, such as Cale Makar’s extension.
In the biggest deal of the day and perhaps of the entire trade deadline period, thr Avalanche give up a conditional 2028 first round pick, a conditional 2027 second round pick, depth forward Victor Olofsson and unsigned prospect Max Curran. We previously discussed how with Curran electing to go to college as a 2024 draftee his rights likely wouldn’t not extend and is a good candidate as a trade chip. The Avalanche will have to address the opportunity cost of dwindled assets at next years trade deadline but this is a fair price to pay and even hints at Calgary doing Kadri a favor with this deal.
Condition update: – '28 1st converts to a '29 1st if either its a Top 10 pick or the '28 is transferred to TOR from the Roy trade
The 35-year old center is having a slight down year, with 12 goals and 29 assists in 61 games for the Flames so far. That said, Kadri will undoubtedly have a better supporting cast in Colorado compared to Calgary and should be more than fine playing and producing on this team.
Ultimately, I don’t know how you feel anything other than great about this move. As I said, Kadri has been a fan-favorite player for years and years now, and people have wanted him to come back to Colorado since he signed in Calgary in the 2022 offseason. Now, he’s back and gets another chance to chase another Stanley Cup. I think I speak for a lot of Avs fans when I say I’m so excited for him to be back, and I’m extremely excited to watch this team after the deadline for the remainder of the regular season and the playoffs. It’s going to be a ton of fun.
A bonus point win for Ireland kept them in the Triple Crown and Championship hunt
6 mins. The ball is won by Ireland and they work up to the 11 phases, moving left with some big McCloskey carries, before returning to the shadow of the posts. The ball is moved short to Stockdale off his wing to go over close to the posts.
Carlos Lagrange continues to turn heads at Yankees camp.
The young right-hander has arguably been one of the biggest standouts to this point, helping him receive some big-time praise from captain Aaron Judge.
After a live BP battle between the two earlier in camp, Judge said that Lagrange has all the makings to be a top-of-the-rotation arm in the big leagues.
On Friday, another Yankee great offered his two cents on the 22-year-old.
This time, it was ace Gerrit Cole who was left blown away by the consistent heat he showed as the two completed their latest live BP session at Steinbrenner Field.
“It’s like, silly, I’ve never seen anything like it,” Cole told MLB.com's Bryan Hoch. "I'm just blown away by the velocity every time."
Lagrange topped out at 101.5 mph during his three innings on Friday, and he only needed three pitches to dispose of Jasson Dominguez during their matchup.
Dominguez is just the latest to fall victim to the 23-year-old’s heat.
He’s punched out six batters and allowed just two runs (one earned) while topping out at 103 MPH over his first two Grapefruit League appearances.
This has been just a glimpse of Lagrange’s big-time potential.
He racked up 168 punchouts last season in 120 innings between High-A and Double-A.
Manager knows his quadruple-chasers have a target on their back in their FA Cup fifth round trip to Mansfield
Mikel Arteta knows the score. There is a reason why Arsenal’s trip to Mansfield Town on Saturday is the tie of the FA Cup fifth round, why it has been selected by TNT Sports for a 12.15pm kick-off. It has all the ingredients and everybody – Arsenal fans aside – is looking for an upset. Arteta was asked whether he was clear on that point. “Yes,” the Arsenal manager replied.
It has always been this way when a top club visits a minnow and, to repeat, the plotlines are certainly there for this one. Mansfield are 16th in League One, too close to the relegation line for the comfort of the manager, Nigel Clough. The Stags have gone nine league matches without a win.
Playmaker has become peripheral as Manchester City chase quadruple and is no longer a shoo-in for the World Cup
With 76 minutes gone at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night, Phil Foden was culpable for what might prove the title race’s defining moment. With Manchester City leading Nottingham Forest 2-1, Foden lost Elliot Anderson, who ran off him and curled home a 20-yard equaliser. Sixty seconds later, Pep Guardiola substituted his England playmaker.
As Morgan Gibbs-White’s first equaliser could also be traced back to a loose Foden touch, this was a miserable evening for him: City managed only a draw, and as Arsenal won at Brighton, the title race tilted the Gunners’ way.
DUBLIN (AP) — Ireland scraped past Wales 27-17 and stayed in the Six Nations title race on Friday for at least 24 hours.
France can successfully retain the title by beating Scotland at Murrayfield on Saturday.
While Ireland won its first-ever Friday home championship match with a four-try bonus point, Wales took most of the plaudits.
Wales started as a 20-point underdog but was trailing by only two points as late as the 68th minute.
Wales hadn't beaten Ireland in Dublin in the championship in 14 years but Irish flyhalf Jack Crowley was made to kick a 77th-minute penalty to avoid the chance of a humbling draw.
Wales was second best in terms of territory and possession but backed up its three-point home loss to Scotland in the last round with magnificent defense, and an even better all-round show of commitment and progress.
Wales' Six Nations losing streak was extended to 15 games and it may yet finish the tournament with a third consecutive wooden spoon, but it was more encouragingly competitive against Ireland than coach Steve Tandy hoped for.
“We're disappointed but massive pride in our character,” Tandy said. “There's confidence building in the team and that is going to take us to the win in the near future.”
There was none of the fist-pumping joy by Ireland coach Andy Farrell during the record away win against England two weeks ago as his team failed to back that up with the expected big win over Wales.
“Credit to Wales, they were outstanding, certainly getting better defensively," he told broadcaster ITV. "They made it a scrap so to come away with a bonus-point, happy with that."
Wales didn't give Ireland the space on the outside that it enjoyed against England. Wales' rush defense, spearheaded by center Eddie James, frequently shut down Ireland attempts to go wide.
The defense was outstanding, especially on the tryline. Alex Mann made 28 tackles and two turnovers in his 22, Dafydd Jenkins added 27 tackles, James Botham 24 and Dewi Lake 23.
Ireland started impressively. Winger Jacob Stockdale ran off the shoulder of midfielder Stuart McCloskey, his Ulster clubmate, to score his first test try since 2021.
Ireland had two more attacks of at least a dozen phases in the first 20 minutes. But an Irish knock-on rubbed out a try for Jack Conan, and the second chance was turned over by Mann.
Holding out Ireland galvanized Wales.
Ireland took a half-hour to score again, through Crowley, who couldn't convert his own try.
The Irish looked set to reach halftime up 12-3. But Wales prop Rhys Carre, who was prevented from adding another tap penalty try that he managed against France and Scotland, made like a winger from 35 meters out and blew past three Irish for a brilliant try. Wales' leading try-scorer in the championship was even smiling before he scored.
"I saw some space and went as hard as I could and no one caught me,” Carre told ITV.
The Irish gave themselves breathing room on the scoreboard again when Conan scored from a tap penalty after halftime.
But Wales refused to bow down. Josh Adams botched a try chance throwing a forward pass to Botham but Botham scored off a ruck and Dan Edwards converted for 19-17.
It took a Joe McCarthy steal to launch the fourth Irish try walked in by fullback Jamie Osborne with 12 minutes to go. Wales lost scrumhalf Tomos Williams to the sin-bin and Crowley, who missed two easy goalkicks, made the result safe for Ireland with his only penalty.
When it comes to the race for NBA Most Valuable Player, we’re coming to an inflection point.
Because of the 65-game eligibility rule stipulating that a player must appear in at least as many games to qualify for individual honors, several stars who have dealt with injuries are now approaching disqualification.
Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, last season’s MVP, must play in 13 of his team’s final 18 games of the regular season. Denver Nuggets All-Star center Nikola Jokić, a three-time MVP, can miss no more than a single game over the team's final 20 to maintain eligibility.
It all sets up for a tight finish through the final month of the 2025-26 season.
Here's the latest iteration of the USA TODAY Sports NBA MVP rankings:
His standing here will almost certainly be compromised, now that Jayson Tatum is making his return for the final 20 games of Boston’s season. Brown, though, was a stabilizing presence and may even continue to be the primary option as Tatum works his way back to game shape. The Celtics owe him immense gratitude for his efforts to carry the team on both ends. He’s averaging career-highs in points (28.9; tied for fourth-most in the NBA), rebounds (7.2) and assists (5.0), and is a steady defensive presence. The Celtics are one of the big surprises of the season because of him.
There’s a strong argument for Wembanyama to be higher up on this list. The Spurs are just behind the Thunder in the West, and Wembanyama continues to impact both ends of the floor with efficiency. He leads the NBA in blocks per game (2.7), but he also alters dozens of shot attempts per game. He ranks sixth in rebounds (11.2) and is shooting a career-high 50.1% from the floor. It seems that we write this in every edition of the MVP power rankings, but, once again, he’s only getting better each time he steps on the court.
As mentioned above, the big issue here is Jokić’s availability and eligibility. Yet, consider this: he has played 47 games this season, and 23 of those – or 48.9% – have resulted in triple-doubles. Statically, no player has better numbers than Jokić, who is actually averaging a triple-double (28.6 points, 12.6 rebounds, 10.4 assists per game). And, frankly, if Jokić hadn’t missed all the games that he has, he’d probably top this list. But that time missed cannot be overlooked, at least at this point in the season.
Unfair or not, MVPs tend to go to the best player on the best teams. The Pistons have lost two consecutive games to a pair of contenders in the Cavaliers and Spurs. In one of those losses, against Cleveland, Cunningham scored just 10 points on 4-of-16 shooting, though he did generate 14 assists. Still, Cunningham is the catalyst through which Detroit’s offense runs. His 9.8 assist per game rank second in the NBA (behind Jokić), and his defense is an essential part of his game; his length and persistence helps establish Detroit’s defensive identity.
Always the model of consistency, Gilgeous-Alexander moves slightly ahead of Cunningham after an uneven week for the Detroit star. Gilgeous-Alexander is on the verge of breaking Wilt Chamberlain’s record of 126 consecutive games with at least 20 points, now three games away from the mark (through March 5). Gilgeous-Alexander has worked on his efficiency this season – which was already remarkably high. He’s shooting fewer 3s, is at a career-high 55.1% field goal rate and is carrying his team as Oklahoma City is dealing with several injuries.
The New York Rangers have reportedly traded Brennan Othmann to the Calgary Flames in exchange for Jacob Battaglia.
Othmann was selected by the Rangers with the 16th overall pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, marking Chris Drury’s first draft pick as Rangers president and general manager.
Despite being drafted with high expectations, Othmann struggled to carve out a sustainable role with the Rangers.
He spent much of his time with the organization playing for the Harford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League.
Over the past two seasons, the 23-year-old forward has played a total of 39 NHL games, recording one goal, two assists, and three points.
“I just think it has been a little bit of an inconsistent game,” Mike Sullivan of Othmann said shortly after the Rangers sent him down to the AHL. “There’s been times when he’s made a positive impact on the game, there’s been others when he hasn’t. We’ve talked a lot to him about attention to detail, bringing in a reliable conscientious game.”
The Flames selected Battaglia in the second round with the 62nd overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.
The 19-year-old forward currently plays for the Flint Firebirds of the Ontario Hockey League. In 22 games this season, Battaglia has recorded 12 goals, four assists, and 16 points.
Battaglia also served as captain of the Kingston Frontenacs before being traded to the Firebirds.
NAPLES, Italy (AP) — Napoli beat Torino 2-1 on Friday to close the gap on second-place AC Milan to one point and maintain its record as the only team still unbeaten at home in Serie A this season.
Torino hasn’t beaten Napoli in the top tier since the 2008-09 season and it fell behind after six minutes.
Alisson Santos created a meter of space on the edge of the Torino penalty area and fired a low shot past the outstretched arm of Alberto Paleari.
Third-place Napoli dominated throughout and Eljif Elmas spun to volley home Matteo Politano’s knock down and make it 2-0 midway through the second half.
Napoli coach Antonio Conte introduced playmaker Kevin De Bruyne for his first appearance since an October injury, but his team was forced to sweat in the final seconds after Cesare Casadei pulled back a late consolation goal for Torino.
Napoli, though, held on to open a five-point gap on fourth-place Roma. It now has 56 points, one behind Milan and 11 behind champions-elect Inter.
Inter and Milan face off in the Milan derby on Sunday.
Brendon McCullum is set to remain England’s coach across all formats as the England and Wales Cricket Board wrapped up a review following their 4-1 Ashes defeat in Australia.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - AUGUST 10: Alan Roden #19 of the Minnesota Twinswarms up before the game against the Kansas City Royals at Target Field on August 10, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Adam Bettcher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
First Pitch (CT):5:05 PM TV: Twins.TV Radio: 830 WCCO/Audacy App Know Yo’ Foe: Battery Power
What to watch: We’re on Roden CF watch yet again. With how well both he and James Outman have been playing this Spring, the Twins will have some hard decisions to make if a trade isn’t done before Opening Day. Also, Twins legends Kyle Farmer and DaShawn Keirsey are in the lineup for Atlanta!
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - DECEMBER 27: Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans is defended by Collin Gillespie #12 of the Phoenix Suns during the second half of the game at Smoothie King Center on December 27, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Who: Phoenix Suns (35-27) vs. New Orleans Pelicans (20-44)
When: 7:00pm Arizona Time
Where: Mortgage Matchup Center— Phoenix, Arizona
Watch: Arizona’s Family 3TV, Arizona’s Family Sports, Suns+
Listen: KMVP 98.7
There is no time to wallow. No time to lick your wounds.
The Phoenix Suns dropped a game last night to the Chicago Bulls, and less than twenty-four hours later, they are back on the floor again. This time the opponent is the New Orleans Pelicans.
On paper, it feels like a matchup Phoenix should handle. That thought probably sounds familiar, because the same thing was said before the Chicago game. The Suns walked into that one flat, unmotivated, and disconnected on the defensive end. That performance came against a team fully comfortable living in the tank. Yet the Suns could only muster 103 points. The taste of blood is still fresh in your mouth as you attempt to get back up off of the mat.
New Orleans presents a different kind of challenge on Friday night as they coem on on the second night of a back-to-back as well. They are coming in off of a victory against the Sacramento Kings.
Yes, the Pelicans bring a 20-44 record into the building. At first glance, that looks like another team drifting toward the lottery. The recent results tell a different story, however. They have won five of their last seven games, and they have zero incentive to lose. Why would they? Their first-round pick in this upcoming draft already belongs to the Atlanta Hawks, the price they paid to acquire Derik Queen. Losing games does not help them. Competing does. Evaluating talent does. Using the final stretch of the season as a launching pad toward next year does.
So when the Suns step on the floor tonight chasing win number 36, a total that would match last season, they will not find an easy path waiting for them. The team from the Big Easy is coming in with a purpose, and Phoenix already learned the hard way what happens when you assume the schedule will cooperate.
That question kept coming up over and over during their loss to the Chicago Bulls. Chicago attacked the paint all night long. It felt like every drive found daylight. Granted, the Bulls bring a pair of unbelievably twitchy guards in Collin Sexton and Tre Jones. Both of them repeatedly beat Suns defenders off the dribble and forced the defense to collapse.
The Pelicans approach the paint in a different way. They do not rely on guard burst in the same fashion, although they still place enormous pressure on the interior. New Orleans attempts the fourth most two-point shots in the NBA. They are also eighth in offensive rebounds, pulling down 12.3 per game. Their offensive identity revolves around pressure near the rim. No team in the league takes more shots in the restricted area than the Pelicans. They average 34.8 attempts per game in that space. That number sits 3.8 attempts more serious than the second-place team.
That second-place team? The Chicago Bulls.
On the other end of the spectrum sit the Suns. Phoenix averages 19.8 attempts per game in the restricted area, the second-lowest mark in the league.
So the script tonight might feel familiar. The method of attack could look slightly different, although the destination remains the same. Chicago leaned on its guards to slice through the defense. New Orleans applies that pressure through size and physicality on the wings and inside. Zion Williamson averages 9.1 field goal attempts per game in the restricted area. Derik Queen sits at 4.7. Trey Murphy adds another 4.4.
They attack the interior with length, power, and volume.
Meanwhile, the Suns will likely lean into their own identity. Phoenix spreads the floor and fires away from deep. That is their offense, as they are 6th in NBA in three-point rate, attempting 45.1% of their shots from deep. Last year’s team was at 44.0%.
The question is whether their defense can survive the constant pressure waiting for them near the rim. Which leads me to…
Key to a Suns Win
The Suns are going to have to hit their three-pointers. Plain and simple.
When this team shoots well from deep, the math works in their favor. When the shots do not fall, the margin disappears quickly. It really is that straightforward. In games where Phoenix shoots under 35% from three point range, they are 9-17. In games where they clear that 35% mark, they are 26-10.
The Phoenix Suns are 15th in the NBA in three-point shooting at 35.9%
In games in which they’ve made >35% of their threes: 26-10 (.722)
That number tells the story. The Suns live and die with the long ball, and nights like this one will likely follow that same script.
We will probably see a similar formula tonight, especially when you consider how much size the Pelicans bring to the interior. The Suns do not have many players who consistently penetrate and finish at the rim. That has been an issue throughout the season, and with more injuries piling up, it becomes even more noticeable.
Without reliable pressure at the rim, the offense continues to lean heavily on the three-point line. That is where the spacing comes from. That is where the scoring bursts arrive. So the math remains the same. If the Suns hit over 35% of their three-pointers, they put themselves in a position to win this game.
Prediction Time
I struggle with this one. The Suns have not looked good for a while now. We all know the reasons. Injuries, totations shifting, and players trying to rediscover rhythm. All of that exists. The reality remains the same: they have not looked good.
It does not seem to matter whether the offense runs through the number one option or the number two option. Some nights, they look unstoppable from beyond the arc. Other nights, the offense goes quiet and the game drifts into long scoring droughts. The inconsistency is real right now. This was a top ten three-point shooting team earlier in the season. They have slipped to fifteenth in the league. Maybe it is tired legs. Maybe it is rhythm. It certainly is not a lack of opportunity.
The Suns take the sixth-most wide-open three pointers in the NBA. Despite that, they rank fourteenth in converting those shots. The looks are there. The results have been uneven.
But I am going to lean toward a bounce back tonight. Grayson Allen does not go 5-of-16. Jalen Green does not go 1-of-8. Collin Gillespie does not go 1-of-5. The Suns hit around 37% of their threes, knock down 17 of them, and that ends up being enough to win the game.
Brennan Othmann #78 of the New York Rangers warms up before a game against the Boston Bruins.
Brennan Othmann is getting a fresh start.
The Rangers traded Othmann, the 16th-overall pick in 2021, to the Flames before Friday’s 3 p.m. deadline, per a league source. In exchange, the Rangers received wing prospect Jacob Battaglia from Calgary.
Both skaters needed a change of scenery, and this deal made it possible.
Brennan Othmann #78 of the New York Rangers warms up before a game against the Boston Bruins. NHLI via Getty Images
Othmann has been on the trade block for a majority of this season. Over 42 games with the Rangers across parts of three seasons, the 23-year-old was unable to establish himself at the NHL level. It took him 34 games to score his first goal, but it finally happened this season against the Flyers on Jan. 17.
He finishes his Rangers tenure with one goal and two assists while averaging 9:52 of ice time per game.
Battaglia was drafted 62nd overall in 2024 by the Flames, but he has yet to make his NHL debut. This season in the Ontario Hockey League, the 19-year-old was traded from the Kingston Frontenacs to the Flint Firebirds in early January.
Jacob Battaglia #88 of the Kingston Frontenacs skates against the Ottawa 67’s. Getty Images
In 58 OHL games this season between the Frontenacs and Firebirds, Battaglia has posted 26 goals and 17 assists.
