LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Kings fired coach Jim Hiller on Sunday after losing five of their past six games and falling out of playoff position.
D.J. Smith was named the interim replacement for the rest of the season in the first coaching change by general manager Ken Holland, who kept Hiller behind the bench when he took over the front office last May. Player development coach Matt Greene is joining Smith’s staff as an assistant.
“I want to thank Jim Hiller for his dedication, professionalism, and the commitment he showed to our players and our team every day: He is a respected coach and person, and we appreciate the work he’s done behind our bench,” Holland said. “At this point in the season, we believe a change in leadership is necessary to give our group the best opportunity to reach its potential and compete at the level we expect. These decisions are never made lightly, but our responsibility is to position this team for success now and moving forward.”
Hiller was in just his second full season in the charge of the Kings, who looked lifeless in an 8-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday. Fans broke into repeated chants of “Fire Hiller!” while the Oilers poured it on in the second and third periods of Los Angeles’ largest defeat of the season by far.
One night earlier, Los Angeles allowed five goals in the third period of an embarrassing 6-4 loss to short-handed Vegas in both teams’ first game back from the Olympic break. A 2-0 win against Calgary on Saturday was not enough to save Hiller’s job.
Hiller went 93-58-24 with the Kings and made the playoffs twice, but never won a postseason series.
The 56-year-old Hiller was a longtime NHL assistant who got his first chance to lead a team when the Kings promoted him to replace the fired Todd McLellan in February 2024. He righted their season and got the Kings to the playoffs, but they lost in the first round to Edmonton — just as they had in each of the previous two seasons under McLellan.
Los Angeles tied its franchise records for victories (48) and points (105) last year in its first full campaign under Hiller, but they landed in yet another first-round matchup with the Oilers — and Connor McDavid sent them packing yet again in six games.
Hiller maintained McLellan’s commitment to defense-first hockey as the Kings’ primary identity, even if it sometimes meant playing a boring style for fans.
Holland addressed their offensive problems by acquiring high-scoring Artemi Panarin in a trade with the Rangers before the break, but the Kings then lost star forward Kevin Fiala for the season when he broke his leg while playing for Switzerland at the Olympics.
With back-to-back losses out of the break, Los Angeles slipped three points behind Seattle, which is in position for the final wild-card playoff spot in the Western Conference.
“We didn’t feel good tonight,” Hiller said immediately after the 8-1 shellacking from Edmonton. “I don’t feel good standing here. Those players don’t feel good today, but we’ve got a job to do.”
Smith was the coach of the Ottawa Senators from 2019 to 2023, leading four non-playoff seasons before he was fired 26 games into his fifth season. He joined the Kings’ staff after Hiller replaced McLellan.
He is the Kings’ fifth coach since the firing in 2017 of Darryl Sutter, who led Los Angeles to its only two Stanley Cup championships.
The Kings haven’t won a playoff series since raising that second Cup in 2014, winning just nine total games in six first-round exits.
Hiller is just the second coach fired in the NHL this season. Columbus replaced Dean Evason with Rick Bowness in January.
The Nashville Predators are the closest they've been this season to moving into the final Wild Card spot in the Western Conference: one spot out.
On Saturday, with a 2-0 lead against the Dallas Stars and needing two points to tie the Seattle Kraken and surpass them in wins for the final spot, the opportunity was "for the taking."
However, Nashville gave up three unanswered goals, including the game-winning conversion in overtime to Jason Robertson, in a 3-2 loss to the Stars. Once again, Nashville finds itself on the outside looking in.
"The game was there. It was for the taking," Steven Stamkos said. "Both teams had stretches where they were the better team, and we obviously had a great start...but you can't just sit back."
The joy of being in playoff position was going to last at most two hours anyway as the Kraken defeated the Vancouver Canucks, 5-1, to move back into the second Wild Card spot.
However, losing a point to the Stars puts the Predators off-pace with the Kraken, now needing to win two games instead of one to potentially surpass Seattle in the standings.
The Predators have accomplished a lot in dragging themselves out of the basement in the NHL, but have been chasing the Wild Card for nearly two months now, coming up to it, but failing to cross the threshold.
"We're disappointed in not getting two (points), but coming out of the break and getting three of four is positive," Stamkos said. "We need as many points as we can. We're trying to stay the course and we've gotten on a little streak of collecting points. We'll take it."
Nashville will host two teams this week that are in desperate positions as well. Both Detroit (Monday at 1 p.m. CST) and Boston (Thursday at 7 p.m. CST) are in Wild Card positions, with Washington just two points behind the Bruins for the final spot.
While the Predators have a wide 6-3 win over the Red Wings this season, they've dropped an overtime result to the Bruins, losing 15 seconds into the extra frame.
An early start to Monday's game benefits the Predators, as a victory will give them a feel of where they stand before the evening games start.
Seattle also hosts the best team in the Eastern Conference, Carolina, and Los Angeles (62 points, tied with Nashville) hosts Colorado, the best team in the NHL. Of the three, the Predators have the "easier" opponent.
After Saturday's disappointing loss, head coach Andrew Brunette said the key is to get back to the basics and even get into a learning mindset.
"We have to grow our game, build our game. It was a great experince for our group to go through...We've got some really good teams coming in this week. It's another big week for us."
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Christian Ramírez scored in the 82nd minute on Sunday to help Austin FC beat D.C. United 1-0.
Ramírez headed home the rebound of a shot by Besard Sabovic that was redirected at the goal line by defender Silvan Hefti. The 34-year-old Ramírez, who has 56 career goals in MLS, was acquired off waivers Friday from the LA Galaxy.
Brad Stuver had two saves for Austin (1-0-1).
Sean Johnson had eight saves, which included a diving parries early in the first and second halves, for D.C. United (1-1-0).
Austin had 56% possession and outshot D.C. United 16-8, 9-2 on target.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - NOVEMBER 11: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics goes in for a layup against Quentin Grimes #5 of the Philadelphia 76ers during the second half at Xfinity Mobile Arena on November 11, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 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 Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Philadelphia 76ers (33-26) at Boston Celtics (39-20) Sunday, March 1, 2026 8:00 PM ET Regular Season Game #60, Home Game #29 TV: NBC/Peacock, NBCSB, NBCSP Radio: 98.5 Sports Hub, 97.5 Fanatic, Sirius XM TD Garden
The Celtics host the Philadelphia 76ers for the 4th, and final, game between them this season. All 3 games so far have been decided by either 1 or 2 points. On opening night, the 76ers won 117-116 in Boston. On December 31, The Celtics won 109-108 in Philadelphia. Then, on November 11, the 76ers won 102-100 in Philadelphia.
The Celtics beat the 76ers 3-1 last season and they were also 3-1 against the 76ers in the 2023-24 season. The Celtics are 275-202 overall all time and they are 157-59 all time at home against the 76ers. The Celtics are playing on the first night of back to back games. They will travel to Milwaukee to take on the Bucks on Monday. The Celtics are 7-3 in the first of back to back games.
Like the Celtics, the 76ers made a couple of moves at the trade deadline to get under the tax line. They traded Jared McCain to Oklahoma City in exchange for draft picks. They also traded Eric Gordon to Memphis to gain flexibility to convert Dominick Barlow from a 2-way contract to a standard contract. Like the Celtics they are staying under the tax line with 10 day contracts and will still have to sign another player eventurally.
The Celtics are 2nd in the East, 5.5 games behind 1st place Detroit. They are 1.5 games ahead of 3rd place New York , 3 games ahead of 4th place Cleveland, 5 games ahead of 5th place Toronto, 6 games ahead of 6th place Philadelphia and 7.5 games ahead of 7th place Orlando. The Celtics are 25-13 against Eastern Conference opponents and 8-5 against the Atlantic Division. They are 19-9 at home and 8-2 in their last 10 games. They are coming off a win in their last game.
The 76ers are 6th in the East, 11.5 games behind 1st place Detroit, 6 games behind 2nd place Boston, 3 games behind 4th place Cleveland, and 1 game behind 5th place Toronto. They are 1.5 games ahead of 7th place Orlando and 2 games ahead of 8th place Miami. They are 21-19 against Eastern Conference opponents and 8-6 against the Atlantic Division. They are 17-11 on the road 5-5 in their last 10 games. They have won their last 3 games.
The Celtics are at home for the 2nd straight game having played Brooklyn on Friday. After this game they will play Milwaukee on the road in back to back games. Next, they are back home for games against Charlotte and Dallas before a tough 3 game road trip through Cleveland, San Antonio, and Oklahoma City. Then they host Washington, Phoenix and Golden State. Then, it is one game at Memphis before a 3 game home stand against Minnesota, Oklahoma City and Atlanta.
The 76ers will return home after this game to host San Antonio and Utah before playing Atlanta and Cleveland on the road. Then they play Memphis at home before playing at Detroit Next they host Brooklyn and Portland before heading out on the road to play at Denver, Sacramento and Utah before returning home to play Oklahoma City and Chicago.
Although many were guessing that Jayson Tatum would return for this game because the game was moved to NBC, he remains listed as out on the injury report. Baylor Scheierman joins him on the injury report as questionable due to a fractured left thumb that he suffered against the Nets on Friday. If he can’t go I would guess that Ron Harper, Jr or Hugo Gonzalez would start, but you never know what Joe will do.
For Philadelphia, Joel Embiid is listed on their injury report as out due to a right oblique strain. Embiid reported soreness on his right side following the 76ers’ win over the Heat on Thursday and tests determined it to be a strain that will keep him out at least 3 games. I’m guessing that Andre Drummond will start in his place. Paul George is out due to a suspension for failing a drug test. Johni Broome is also out with a knee injury.
Probable Starting Matchups PG: Derrick White vs Tyrese Maxey
Derrick White | NBAE via Getty ImagesTyrese Maxey | NBAE via Getty Images
SG: Baylor Scheierman vs VJ Edgecombe
Baylor Scheierman | Denver Post via Getty ImagesVJ Edgecombe | NBAE via Getty Images
SF: Jaylen Brown vs Kelly Oubre, Jr
Jaylen Brown | Getty ImagesKelly Oubre, Jr | Getty Images
PF: Sam Hauser vs Dominick Barlow
Sam Hauser | NBAE via Getty ImagesDominick Barlow | Getty Images
Celtics Reserves Payton Pritchard Hugo Gonzalez Luka Garza Amare Williams Nikola Vucevic Jordan Walsh Delano Banton (10-day)
2-Way Players Ron Harper, Jr Max Shulga John Tonje Injuries/Out Jayson Tatum (Achilles) out Baylor Scheierman (thumb) questionable
Head Coach Joe Mazzulla 76ers Reserves Quentin Grimes Kyle Lowry Justin Edwards Trendon Watford Cameron Payne Adem Bona Jabari Walker
2-Way Players Dalen Terry MarJon Beauchamp Tyrese Martin Injuries/Out Johni Broome (knee) out MarJon Beauchamp (illness) questionable Joel Embiid (oblique) out Paul George (suspension) out Head Coach Nick Nurse
Key Matchups Derrick White vs Tyrese Maxey Maxey is averaging 29.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 2.1 steals per game while shooting 46.5% from the field and 37.6% from beyond the arc. In the first 3 games against the Celtics, he averaged 29 points, 5 rebounds, 9.7 assists, 1.7 steals and 1 block while shooting 45.6% from the field and 58.3% from beyond the arc. He is quick and shoots the ball well and so the Celtics will have their hands full defending him but they must make it a priority to slow him down.
Jaylen Brown vs Kelly Oubre, Jr Oubre is averaging 14.5 points, 4.8 rebounds. and 1.7 assists. He is shooting 46.9% from the field and 37.6% from beyond the arc. In the 3 games against the Celtics this season, he averaged 13 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 0.3 assists while shooting 44.8% from the field and 27.8% from beyond the arc.
Honorable Mention Baylor Scheierman vs Vj Edgecomb Edgecombe is one of the leaders for Rookie of the Year. He is averaging 15.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 43.1% from the field and 36.0% from beyond the arc. In the first 3 games against the Celtics, he averaged 19 points, 5 rebounds, and 3.7 assists while shooting 45.8% from the field and 39.1% from beyond the arc. The Celtics need to be ready for him and defend him both in the paint and on the perimeter. If Sheierman can’t play, then Hugo Gonzalez, or Ron Harper Jr or, knowing Joe, anyone else on the team may start in his place.
Keys to the Game Defense – As always, defense is a key to winning this, and every, game. The Celtics defense has been getting better as the season has gone on. In the first 20 games of the season, the Celtics were 18th on defense. In the 2nd 20 games, they ranked 12th. In the last 16 games, they have the 3rd best defense. Overall, they are 7th with a defensive rating of 112.1. The 76ers are 16th with a defensive rating of 114.2. The Celtics must play tough lock down defense in this game if they want to beat the 76ers.
Rebound – Rebounding is also one of the biggest keys to winning every game.. The Celtics are 30-8 in games that they tie or out-rebound opponents. They are just 9-12 in games tin which they are out-rebounded. They simply have to fight harder to grab rebounds than their opponents. Every Celtic has got to crash the boards and fight for every rebound.
Move the Ball Carefully – The Celtics need to move the ball and find the open man. They play their best when they share the ball. They are 25-2 when they have more than 25 assists in a game. However, the Celtics need to take care of the basketball and limit turnovers. They have to make careful passes and also be aware while dribbling and not drive into a crowd or allow a defender to steal the ball since the 76ers average 19.2 points off turnovers per game.
Effort and Focus – The Celtics have to put out more effort in this game than the 76ers. The 76ers play hard and the Celtics have to play harder. They have to be more aggressive on the boards, in going to the basket, in diving for loose balls, and just playing harder overall. They also have to stay focused on taking good shots and making them. They can’t afford to lose focus or to allow the 76ers to play harder than them. X-Factors Home Game – The Celtics need to feed off the energy of the crowd and hopefully, the 76ers will be distracted by travel and the hostile crowd. The Celtics should also be motivated by the fact that the 76ers came into their building on opening night and beat them there. The Celtics should protect their home court and play harder because of it.
Coaching – Joe Mazzulla is in his 4th season as Celtics’ head coach. He won a title with a very talented team that was packed with shooting stars. Now he has to win in a different way since his personnel has changed and so far he is doing a great job of it. Nick Nurse is in his 8th season as a head coach overall and his 3rd as the 76ers head coach. He won a title with the Raptors in 2019. The 76ers returned their core this season and added a very talented lottery pick and so Nurse has a lot to prove with this team.
Officiating – Officiating is always an x-factor. Every crew calls the game differently. Some call it tight and call every bit of contact while others allow more physical play. Some favor the home team while others call both sides evenly. The Celtics have to adjust to the way the refs are calling the game and not allow the no calls and bad calls to affect their focus on playing the game.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - FEBRUARY 26: Gabe Vincent #4 of the Atlanta Hawks goes to the basket during the fourth quarter against the Washington Wizards at State Farm Arena on February 26, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. 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 Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Atlanta Hawks (30-31) aim for .500 in a game against the Portland Trail Blazers (29-32) who are on the second leg of a road back-to-back set.
Starting lineup:
G CJ McCollum
G Nickeil Alexander-Walker
F Dyson Daniels
F Jalen Johnson
C Onyeka Okongwu
Please join in the comments below as you follow along.
Where, When, and How to Watch and Listen
Location: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA
Start Time: 6:00 PM EDT
TV: FanDuel Sports Network Southeast (FDSNSE)
Radio: Sports Radio 92.9 the Game (WZGC-FM)
Streaming: FanDuel Sports Network app, Fubo (out of market), NBA League Pass (out of market), Youtube TV (NBA League Pass out of market)
FIFA believe Iran will take part in this year’s World Cup despite the recent escalation of conflict in the Middle East, while several sporting stars are trapped in Dubai.
The Flyers added some organizational depth at forward Sunday night when they acquired Boris Katchouk in a trade with the Wild.
In exchange for Katchouk, the Flyers sent Roman Schmidt to Minnesota. Schmidt was acquired by the Flyers in December, but the 23-year-old defenseman never played for the big club. He went scoreless in 16 games with AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley.
Katchouk, who will report to the Phantoms, is a 27-year-old with 179 games of NHL experience between three teams. He played three games with the Lightning this season before being traded to the Wild in December. He saw eight games with Minnesota’s AHL affiliate Iowa, recording a goal and two assists.
The 2016 second-round pick started his career with Tampa Bay and scored his first NHL goal against the Flyers in 2021-22. It came in a 7-1 win for the Lightning, a game that ended up being Alain Vigneault’s last as the Flyers’ head coach.
Katchouk has also played for the Blackhawks and Senators. In 2022-23, he set a career high with 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) over 58 games for Chicago.
He set AHL career highs last season with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, putting up 21 goals and 49 points.
Katchouk is 6-foot-2 and has played primarily as a winger, but he also has some ability down the middle.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey is going to have another operation on his ailing left ankle.
The 7-foot-3 Edey has been sidelined since Dec. 7 because of a stress reaction in his ankle. He is averaging 13.6 points, 11.1 rebounds and 1.9 blocks over 11 games in his second season.
Edey's operation is expected to address ongoing discomfort and bone stress, according to the team. He also had surgery on his left ankle in June after he was voted to the All-Rookie first team.
The 23-year-old Edey, a two-time AP National Player of the Year at Purdue, missed 12 games early in his rookie season because of a sprained left ankle.
Edey is expected to make a full recovery, the Grizzlies said, and a timeline will be provided following his surgery.
The team also said forward Brandon Clarke will be re-evaluated in approximately two weeks. The 29-year-old Clarke has been out since Dec. 20 because of a strained right calf.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Sophie Hart scored 17 points, Amaya Battle added 10 of her 16 points in the second half and No. 22 Minnesota beat Illinois 78-73 on Sunday in the regular-season finale for both teams to clinch a double-bye in the Big Ten Tournament.
Minnesota (22-7, 13-5 Big Ten), which lost 75-61 to No. 18 Michigan State last time out, has won 10 of 11 and will be the No. 4 seed in Big Ten Tournament, which begins Wednesday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
The Gophers tied the program's single-season record for conference wins, previously set in the 1982-83 and '84-85 seasons.
Berry Wallace hit a 3-pointer before Cearah Parchment drew a charge and then scored in the post to make it 70-all with 1:01 left in the game, but Grace Grocholski, Mara Braun and Tori McKinney combined to go 8 of 8 from the free-throw line from there to seal it.
Braun had 11 points, six rebounds and five assists, Finau Tonga also scored 11 points and McKinney added 10.
Wallace led Illinois (19-10, 9-9) with 15 points while Maddie Webber and Aaliyah Guyton each scored 14. Parchment and Destiny Jackson added 13 points apiece.
Hart scored six points in a 14-3 first-quarter run that made it 16-9 with 3:24 left in the period and Minnesota never again trailed.
The Gophers used a 11-3 spurt in the second quarter to push the lead to 15 points before Illinois scored eight consecutive points to close the first half that made it 36-29 at the intermission.
Up next
Minnesota: Plays Friday in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament.
Illinois: The 10th-seeded Illini play Wednesday in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Sydney Shaw, Kierra Wheeler, Jordan Harrison, and Gia Cooke combined for 85 points and No. 17 West Virginia hit a season-high 15 3-pointers as the Mountaineers beat Cincinnati 118-60 on Sunday in the regular-season finale for both teams.
Shaw scored a career-high 24 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the field, and went 6 of 9 from 3-point range. Wheeler had 21 and 10 rebounds, Harrison added 20 points and 10 assists, and Cooke scored 20. The Mountaineers (24-6, 14-4 Big 12), who scored their most points in a win since 2002, have a double-bye into the Big 12 Tournament which begins Wednesday.
West Virginia jumped ahead with an early 18-3 run, spanning most of the first quarter and carrying over into the second to take a 35-9 lead. Cincinnati (11-19, 6-12) could never find its footing, committing 18 turnovers for 25 West Virginia points.
The Bearcats were led in scoring by Mya Perry, with 19.
Up next
West Virginia: Plays Friday in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City.
Cincinnati: Will be the No. 13 seed in the Big 12 Tournament and plays Wednesday in the first round.
There’s a familiar name stepping back into the NHL head coaching spotlight, this time in Southern California.
The Los Angeles Kings have hired former Ottawa Senators head coach D.J. Smith to take over their bench on an interim basis after the firing of Jim Hiller on Sunday. Hiller becomes the second coach to be fired this season after Columbus parted company with Dean Evason and gave the role to Rick Bowness back in January.
Interestingly, this season's two NHL coaching subs share something in common. They were both doomed to fail, taking over Ottawa Senators teams that were years away from being good.
Smith was hired by the Senators in 2019, just after they had traded away all their best players. Bowness took over the expansion Senators in 1992 at a time when expansion teams were still universally bad by design.
Smith coached four seasons for the Sens posting a record of 131-154-32, good for a points percentage of .464.
Prior to his time in Ottawa, Smith and Hiller were assistants together in Toronto under Mike Babcock. When Smith was fired by Ottawa in Dec. 2023, Smith took a job in LA as Hiller's assistant coach.
On Sunday, he took Hiller's job.
The Kings had just dropped five of six, including a massive beatdown at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers, and it sounds like that was probably the final straw.
"Couple of tough games going into the Olympic break and I was hoping that the time off and then the mini training camp, that our team was able to respond," Kings GM Ken Holland told LA Kings Insider. "Tough couple of games coming out, especially the game against Edmonton on Thursday night.
"On Friday, I did a lot of thinking. I didn't do it on Friday because Friday was an off day, the players weren't here and we played at 4:00 on Saturday. I didn't want just a new coach behind [the bench] and make the move going into a game."
The Oilers game had to be particularly frustrating as the last thing anyone wants is to be pounded 8-1 by the team they used to run. Holland was GM of the Oilers from 2019-24.
During that same time period, Smith was in Ottawa, vainly trying to mould a young roster that was poorly insulated by fading veterans. GM Pierre Dorion was patient with Smith, almost to a fault, and never got the chance to fire him. Dorion lost his job a month before Smith got his walking papers.
Now in Los Angeles, the personable 48-year-old Smith now has a more veteran roster to work with, one that's built to win now, so it's hard to believe that his second NHL coaching chapter won't be more successful than the first.
Steve Warne The Hockey News
This article was first published by The Hockey News. More headlines here:
CLEARWATER, FL - MARCH 1: Will Warren #98 of the New York Yankees is congratulated in the dugout after being taken out of the baseball game against the Philadelphia Phillies at BayCare Ballpark on March 1, 2026 in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Both the Yankees and Phillies ran out partial lineups in Sunday’s afternoon action, with many players on both sides gearing up for action in this year’s World Baseball Classic. Despite that fact, it was a relatively tight game, that moved quickly end-to-end, featuring plenty of good pitching on both sides and promise for their starters, Will Warren for the Yankees and Andrew Painter for Philadelphia. The Yanks got the better of the Phils at the end of the afternoon, 5-3.
Warren, who co-led the American League in starts last season and will almost certainly have a regular role in 2026, looked excellent in his second spring outing. The right-hander was cut off at 50 pitches on the afternoon, but he certainly made the most of them. Across 3.2 innings of work, Warren punched out three Phillies, allowed just one hit while avoiding any walks and keeping the scoreboard blank.
This was obviously a promising start for Warren and the Yankees. If the 26-year-old can take a step forward in his second full big league season, it could be a major relief to a rotation that will be missing several key pieces in the early part of the season.
The first half of this ballgame flew by, thanks in large part to Warren’s performance in tandem with an equally dominant showing from Painter. The prized Phillies pitching prospect worked two innings against the Yankees, keeping things scoreless and striking out one in his limited 20-pitch outing. The Yankees did not record a hit against the 22-year-old.
For both sides, scoring kicked off in the fifth inning, after the bullpens had gone to work. The Yankee got things rolling their half when J.C. Escarra reached with a sun-aided double deep into center field. Two batters later, former Athletic Seth Brown singled to bring him home and give New York a 1-0 lead.
The Phillies punched right back in their half, however. The Yankees had Cade Winquest on the mound, who met Bryson Stott leading off for Philadelphia. The second baseman poked an 0-2 changeup deep and out to center field for a game-tying solo shot.
Against the Phillies ‘pen in the seventh, New York once again took the lead thanks to some high-quality two-out at-bats. With Jorbit Vivas in scoring position after a walk and a stolen base with two outs, Miguel Palma kicked off scoring with an RBI knock. Yanquiel Fernández continued the rally with a run-scoring double, before Duke Ellis piled on with a triple off the wall in left-center. Ernesto Martinez Jr. put the finishing touches on the inning with an infield single toward the hole on the left side, bringing the score to 5-1 after an eventful top half of the seventh.
After Stott’s homer, the Yankees relievers continued to keep the Phillies’ bats quiet. Angel Chivilli recorded two quick outs after Winquest left the game, and Ben Hess followed with two scoreless inning, allowing just one hit in his solid effort.
The Phillies put a solid fight together in the bottom half of the ninth against Michael Arias. After a walk, Philadelphia’s Dylan Campbell plated their second run of the day with a deep triple off the wall in left-center, before being quickly scored himself thanks to a single from Felix Reyes. Suddenly, the Yanks had their backs against the wall, with the tying run at the plate, but Reyes was able to induce a flyout to the center fielder Ellis to put a cap on their 5-3 victory.
With the win, the Yankees improve to 8-2 in Grapefruit League play, and will next take on Panama’s WBC team this Tuesday in a tune-up game for the national team.
LAVAL, Quebec (AP) — Ann-Renée Desbiens made 17 saves for her fourth shutout of the season and the Montreal Victoire beat the Minnesota Frost 4-0 on Sunday to take the PWHL lead.
Montreal moved a point ahead of Boston in the standings. The Victoire have won five straight and eight of nine to improve to 9-3-0-5.
Maureen Murphy had a goal and an assist, Maggie Flaherty, Dara Greig and Laura Stacey also scored and Hayley Scamurra added two assists.
Montreal captain Marie-Philip Poulin returned after missing a game because of a lower-body injury sustained in the Olympics. She assisted on Stacey’s goal.
Nicole Hensley made 29 saves for Minnesota. The Frost (7-2-3-4) were playing their first game since the Olympic break.
Minnesota was 0 for 4 on the power play, including 54 seconds of 5-on-3 in the third period.
Mar 1, 2026; Clearwater, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Andrew Painter (76) walks off the field after pitching against the New York Yankees in the first inning during spring training at BayCare Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Sure, there is another loss in the ledger for the Phillies, one that will likely be forgotten in due time. We’re still gettin the good Bryson Stott right now, something to keep an eye on once the games actually begin to mean something. But today, this was the day to talk about Andrew Painter.
This was his 2026 spring debut, his first spring start since 2023. That meant that we were finally going to see how he looked three years later. How did it go?
His two innings of work really couldn’t have gone much better. He was getting whiffs, throwing all of his stuff for strikes and generally looking like he belonged. That last part may not seem like a big deal, but it’s no secret he wasn’t up to snuff last year in the minor leagues after we heard all spring how he was a part of their July plans.
His stuff?
Andrew Painter’s 2026 Spring Training debut is in the books!
He showed exactly why he’s still so highly touted, flashing electric velocity, disgusting breakers, and a changeup that might surprise some people. pic.twitter.com/itVDZk1V2I
The fastball is still a little meh, but the velocity of it today was such that he was able to get some late swings of hitters still getting their sea legs under them. The secondary pitches all looked quite good, that slider to Jasson Dominguez particularly drool worthy.
Painter has a decent amount of expectations on his shoulders this year, so starts like this do have value. It’s nice to see him get off to a good start to his spring.
It was not only the first assist of many for the Lakers, who blew out the Warriors to get back on track after a three-game losing streak, but it also was the first road trip James had his daughter on in his career outside of All-Star Weekend.
“She’s a good luck charm,” James said of his daughter.
Austin Reaves interrupted James’ postgame media availability to joke that James’ daughter was going to Denver for the Lakers’ next road game against the Nuggets.
“Don’t say that too loud,” James said while laughing at Reaves. “Because she’ll definitely be like, ‘Dad, can I go to Denver?’ She already said, ‘When is the next road trip?’ “
James said he and his daughter visited Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge on Friday night before going out to dinner.
LeBron James had a special guest as Zhuri 11, joined her father on court pregame in the Bay! On Feb 28, 2026 NBA/X
“I miss a lot of moments spending time with my kids because of my career,” James said. “And any time I get to have — over the course of my career, any time I got moments with them either individually, two of them, three of them all together, whatever the case may be — it’s always special for me. So, to have my daughter want to come on the road and be with me (is special). Spent a lot of time (Friday). It was awesome.”
James made it clear that despite the pregame handles she showed off, his daughter is a volleyball player.
“Don’t get my wife mad — my wife is done with this basketball s— ,” said James, whose oldest son, Bronny, also plays for the Lakers and younger son, Bryce, plays collegiately at Arizona. “She’s done with it. She’s a volleyball player. But she’s been around the game for a while, so she does got good handles. She got a good form, too. But my wife ain’t playing that. Not another one.”
