The sellout crowd at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday afternoon was primed from the get-go to explode in cheers for their Red Wings, who were facing the former heated rival Colorado Avalanche.
However, a good majority of the fans had already decided to get a head start on the traffic by the midway point of the third period in what was ultimately a 5-0 Avalanche win over the Red Wings.
Those that remained behind let out a few noticeable boos as time ticked away in regulation
The crowd wasn’t the only group feeling it. Several Red Wings players showed visible frustration after Avalanche goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood shut down their scoring chances, while their power play came up empty and their passing lacked crispness.
Afterward, head coach Todd McLellan said that any visible frustration on the part of the players was earned by their performance, while also noting that it's on them to come up with the solution.
"There was frustration, but we earned it, and we deserved it," he said. "That can change just through our play and execution."
"They're (the Avalanche) a real good hockey club, and they're going to do some things to you that you're not comfortable with," he continued. "They're going to score some goals. But if you let frustration drag you down even deeper, you'll end up with exactly what we got."
All season long, McLellan has preached the importance of mental fortitude to avoid letting a rough stretch of play, which happens to every NHL team over the course of a long 82-game campaign, snowball out of control.
Never one to let his players off the hook, McLellan emphasized the need for a stronger start to games, as the Red Wings surrendered the first goal against in each of their last three outings, which all resulted in losses.
"One (reason) is lack of focus, and if there’s lack of focus, then that’s on all of us to get it back and make sure we’re executing," he said. "It could be you get stale with linemates, and it’s not working. It could be complacency that slips in, and you’re okay with what’s going on.
And that’s wrong, so we have to fix that."
Detroit gets a shot at a course correction Monday night in Denver when they face the Avalanche again.
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PARIS (AP) — Midfielder Noah Nartey made an immediate impact at his new club by scoring Sunday on his Ligue 1 debut to lead Lyon to a 10th consecutive win across all competitions.
In a match of few chances for both teams, Nartay broke the deadlock in the 37th minute as Lyon beat Lille 1-0 to climb to fourth place in the French league, level on points with third-placed Marseille.
The 20-year-old Danish player signed a five-year contract with Lyon last month, joining from Brondby.
Lille dominated the first half and Nartay showed his solid defensive skills. He then displayed his composure to send a low shot between the legs of the Lille goalkeeper. That capped a fine move by Ruben Kluivert, who had rushed down the the left flank then set up his teammate with a precise cut-back pass at the penalty spot.
“I'm proud of the team, we worked hard,” Kluivert said. “Lille was good, but we were better.”
Nartay's goal extended Lille's losing streak to a fourth consecutive Ligue 1 match, with Bruno Génésio's team in fifth place, seven points behind Lyon.
Defending champion Paris Saint-Germain played at Strasbourg later Sunday and is looking to move back to the top. Lens reclaimed the lead with a 1-0 win against Le Havre on Friday.
Forget about Nazem Kadri reuniting with the Colorado Avalanche.
Any trade with the Calgary Flames would demand a significant return, and the team acquiring Kadri would be taking on the remaining four years of his $7 million-per-season contract.
While the Avalanche certainly have the assets to meet Calgary’s demands, doing so would likely come at a steep cost to Colorado’s long-term flexibility—and, more importantly, its chances of competing for a Stanley Cup.
3 years ago, today…..Nazem Kadri became the first Muslim to hoist the Stanley Cup. 🥲🩵 pic.twitter.com/tCryJuA3iL
Even if the Flames were to retain 25% of Kadri’s $7 million annual salary, the Avalanche would still be responsible for $5.25 million through the 2028‑29 NHL season—assuming the Flames were even willing to be generous.
Kadri is typically a second-line center, but he wouldn’t be replacing Brock Nelson, who was recently named to Team USA for the Milan-Cortina Olympic Games. At 34, Nelson is on pace for one of the best seasons of his career, projected to finish with a career-high 43 goals and 31 assists for 74 points. For context, his previous career-high in points was 75, set with the New York Islanders during the 2022‑23 campaign.
Kadri himself posted a career-high 87 points during the 2021‑22 season with the Avalanche, tallying 28 goals and 59 assists in 71 regular-season games—a season that culminated in a Stanley Cup championship for Colorado. After the Avalanche were unable to re-sign him, he joined the Flames. While he has put up solid numbers in Calgary, he isn’t quite the player he once was.
How are we feeling about Nazem Kadri?
For me, he looks like the Kadri from the end of the 22-23 season. He looks disinterested and he's making a lot of careless plays with the puck
He has 4 points in the last 17 games. He's been outscored 14-4 at 5v5. It's been tough to watch pic.twitter.com/1foX0j0NE3
Although Kadri could certainly boost production on the third line, the Avalanche’s depth remains their greatest strength. And if Colorado were to pursue a trade, you could likely kiss Parker Kelly goodbye, Ross Colton is probably gone, top prospect Mikhail Gulyayev could be included, and a draft pick might also be on the table.
Teams That Could Snag Kadri
Even if the Avalanche were willing to go all-in, the bigger question remains: what’s the point? Trading solely to block another team rarely makes sense.
Recent reports indicate that the Central Division’s Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild are showing interest in the 35-year-old forward. The Stars need little introduction: the Avalanche have historically struggled against them in the playoffs, losing five of seven series.
That might tempt some fans to argue for trading for Kadri just to keep him out of Dallas’ hands. But that’s a risky approach. Making a major financial decision just to block one team ignores the bigger picture—you still have to contend with other playoff contenders. Take the Wild, for example: they’re steadily closing in on the top spot that the Avalanche have long held.
Over the past month, while Colorado has hit a rough patch, Minnesota has continued to improve. At 32-14-10, the Wild have 74 points—just seven behind the Avalanche, who sit at 36-8-9 with 81 points.
Nazem Kadri has informed the Flames that he is open to being moved, per @TheFourthPeriod.
The Dallas Stars, Montreal Canadiens, Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild are among the teams that have kicked the tires on Kadri before. pic.twitter.com/GPDfwjMOga
If one of those teams ends up with Kadri, would it be disappointing? Perhaps, from a nostalgic perspective—but the Avalanche have their own battle to fight. No one will forget the 2022 team and what they accomplished, but the focus must remain on the present.
Chris MacFarland is probably working on a savvy trade as we speak and who knows, we could be wrong on the Kadri situation altogether. Let’s see what this team does to get even better.
A Sunday trade between the Hawks and Trail Blazers appears to be the precursor to future trades.
Atlanta is sending sharpshooting guard Vit Krejci to Portland for promising big man Duop Reath, as well as two second-round picks (the Hawks' own 2027 pick and the Knicks' pick in 2030), a story first reported by Shams Charania of ESPN.
Krejci is a 6'8" guard averaging 9 points a game while shooting 42.3% from 3-point range this season, but he became a player Atlanta could move on from after acquiring Corey Kispert in the Trae Young trade (so the Hawks got a couple of picks for him). Krejci is on a very team-friendly contract, making $2.3 million this season with a non-guaranteed $2.7 million on the books for next season.
In Atlanta, Reath, who is out for the season following foot surgery, could well be waived to open a roster spot (the Hawks have another big man in N'Faly Dante out for the season due to injury, he is the other candidate to be let go, but Dante is under contract for another season while Reath is a free agent this summer).
In Portland, this seems like a trade that sets up another trade. Not that the Trail Blazers couldn't use Krejci, the Blazers have the worst 3-point shooting percentage in the league (33.4%), and the Czech guard can shoot the rock.
But the Trail Blazers are now up against the luxury tax and they will be looking to reduce payroll. The Blazers have a full 15 roster spots filled, but they want to convert two two-way players — Caleb Love and Sidy Cissoko — to regular contracts. Something has to give.
MESA, AZ - FEBRUARY 23: Henry Bolte #75 of the Athletics bats during a spring training game against the Colorado Rockies at HoHoKam Stadium on February 23, 2025 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Justine Willard/Athletics/Getty Images) | Getty Images
*In an effort to make the nomination voting easier for everyone, I will comment, “NOMINATIONS”, and you may reply to that with your picks and upvote the player you’d like to see on the next nominee list.
Well he finally got his spot on our annual list. Outfielder Henry Bolte comes in as the obvious pick for the sixth-best prospect in the A’s system. The righty-swinging Bolte had a great all-around year this past season, demolishing Double-A pitching before a brief promotion to Triple-A. He faced some challenges at that next level but still held his own as a relatively young player against better pitching. While he may need another couple of months with the Aviators the speedy outfielder could be a legitimate option for the Athletics in the outfield this summer and looks like a potential contributor when the A’s open their new stadium.
The next nominee was a close vote but corner infielder Tommy White just eked out the win this time around. The former second-round pick has a strong right-handed bat but there are major questions about his ability to remain at the hot corner. With Nick Kurtz sticking around for the next few years at first base and Brent Rooker locked in as the DH White is going to need to show improvement at third base if he wants to get to the big leagues with the A’s.
The process for this public vote is explained below. Please take a moment to read this before participating:
Please only vote for one. The player with the most votes at the end of voting will win the ranked spot. The remaining four players move on to the next ballot where they are joined by a new nominee.
In the comments, below the official voting, the community will nominate players to be put onto the ballot for the next round. The format for your comment should be “Nomination: Player Name”.
If a prospect is traded, his name will be crossed out, and all other players will be moved up a space. If a prospect is acquired, a special vote will be put up to determine where that player should rank.
The voting continues! Which A’s prospect do the fans believe is the #7 player in the system? Here’s a quick rundown on each nominee— the scouting grades (on a 20-to-80 scale) and scouting reports come from MLB Pipeline.
White’s right-handed power is legitimate and he can hit the ball a long way to all fields thanks to his strength and bat speed. He might be known for his home run totals but he’s a better overall hitter than people think, finding the barrel consistently and limiting strikeouts. His knack for contact can lead to him expanding his strike zone, but he doesn’t swing and miss very often.
It will be White’s bat that carries him to the big leagues. He’s a well-below-average runner who likely lacks the range and tools to stick at third base, where he toiled as a sophomore and junior, earning praise for playing through a shoulder injury at LSU in 2023. He’s likely headed to first base long term, which could give the A’s a glut of serious offensive talent between him and first-rounder Nick Kurtz.
At the plate, Morii features a smooth left-handed swing with tremendous balance. His power stands out, as he clubbed 45 home runs as a high schooler. He is considered an advanced hitter with good barrel control. On the mound, his fastball has been clocked as high as 95 mph and sits around 92-93. He also brings a splitter with nasty movement, a true 12-to-6 curveball and a tighter slider with solid bite and depth, though that offering will probably require some fine-tuning. Having only been pitching with regularity for less than two years, Morii’s arm is relatively fresh as he enters the organization.
Morii’s high-octane throwing arm plays well at shortstop, but some evaluators see a possibility of moving to third base as his 6-foot-1 frame fills out. While scouts see Morii’s long-term future in the batter’s box, the A’s plan on giving him every opportunity to succeed as a two-way player, with excitement already building over his impressive physical traits and desire to become one of the next great players out of Japan.
It’s not often that teenage prospects launch home runs. But Colome has a tendency to get to that jumpy pop with frequency, consistently leveraging his swing well – so well in fact, that one evaluator mentioned the most recent occasion on which he saw an international prospect continually get to their launch point in such a manner was Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Colome is a right-handed hitter with explosive hands and a solid contact rate, although he has been known to be a tad aggressive in the box as a means of getting to said power.
Something of an athletic marvel at 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds at age 16, Colome is an agile athlete who shows a lot of lateral quickness. The fluidity of his movements and strong arm led to a Manny Machado comparison being hung on him defensively. Much like the seven-time All-Star, Colome may move off short as his frame fills out, but he’s a tremendously dedicated worker and has the feet, soft hands and instincts to stick at the premium position.
The A’s believe Echavarria’s stuff played better than the overall numbers might suggest. His fastball reached 98 mph and sat 95-96 with good ride up in the zone. The issue was struggling to command his arsenal when he would fall behind in counts. His mid-80s slider flashes plus, and his upper-80s changeup continues to improve. He also throws a two-seamer in the 92-93 mph range. He clearly dealt with some control issues, but the A’s are not at all sounding the alarm, instead patiently working with the teenager on adjustments.
Echavarria profiles as a starter for the long-term with his 6-foot-1 frame and sound delivery. Previously having shown an ability to consistently throw all of his offerings for strikes prior to the Draft, he will continue to work to rediscover that control in his second season of pro ball.
A switch-hitting shortstop, Montero has shown the ability to impact the ball from both sides of the plate, with his natural right-handed swing more direct to the ball, though his left-handed swing is more picturesque and he obviously gets more plate appearances from that side. He has the chance to hit for average and power, with a solid approach that has allowed him to walk more than he strikes out for much of the summer.
Last year, Montero was slower and less athletic, but attention to conditioning and nutrition has helped him get leaner and stronger. An average runner, Montero has the instincts and actions to stick at shortstop for a long time, with a solid and accurate arm. If his body gets bigger as he matures — he played all of 2025 at age 18 — he could move to the hot corner, but the A’s don’t see that in his future. What they are hoping for is that he comes to instructs this year and stays in the United States as one of the better prospects to come out of their Dominican academy in some time.
* * *
Programming Note: Each CPL vote will run for around 48 hours, so don’t delay m
All eyes are on LeBron James and a possible Madison Square Garden finale when the Los Angeles Lakers visit the New York Knicks tonight.
However, New York isn’t going to let “The King” steal the show, especially not All-Star guard Jalen Brunson.
My Lakers vs. Knicks predictions see potential in Brunson’s playmaking, featuring buyback value on his assist prop.
Here are my best NBA picks for Sunday, February 1, with tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. ET on NBC.
Lakers vs Knicks prediction
Lakers vs Knicks best bet: Jalen Brunson Over 5.5 assists (-120)
Jalen Brunson’s passing prowess has slimmed over the past month.
After averaging around seven assists through November and December, the New York Knicks guard dished out just 4.4 dimes per game in January and closed out the month by finishing Under his total in seven straight.
Brunson’s potential assists went from 11.7 per game to 8.0 in those seven outings, with Brunson converting only half of those chances for 4.0 assists.
Brunson has failed to record more than six dimes in a game during that stretch, and that’s pulled his assist market down to 5.5 O/U.
Tonight’s tilt with the Los Angeles Lakers offers a good spot to buy back the Over, considering the Lakers allow the sixth most assists per game on the season, with that metric spiking to 30.3 over the past three contests. L.A. also gives up a high assist-to-FGM rate, especially on the road (65.6%).
Brunson is a handful for any defender, but the Lakers don’t have anyone who can hang with the mighty guard when he wants to attack the paint.
Luka Doncic and Rui Hachimura are below-average defenders, and Austin Reaves, who is questionable, has been sidelined with a calf injury since Christmas.
New York’s offense thrives on spot-up shooting, and Brunson’s dribble penetration will draw help defenders and gift wing shooters with extra space on those kickout passes.
Despite his dip in assists, his projections vs. L.A. remain positive. His assist tally ranges from 6.0 to 7.4 dimes tonight, with my number at 6.6. That should have the Over 5.5 assists priced around -170.
Lakers vs Knicks same-game parlay
New York is riding a five-game winning streak and has covered in each of those games.
Mikal Bridges benefits from Brunson's playmaking, with projections north of 16 points.
Over/Under: Over 229.5 (-105) | Under 229.5 (-115)
Lakers vs Knicks betting trend to know
New York is 6-2 SU and ATS when hosting Western Conference foes. Find more NBA betting trends for Lakers vs. Knicks.
How to watch Lakers vs Knicks
Location
Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Date
Sunday, February 1, 2026
Tip-off
7:00 p.m. ET
TV
NBC
Lakers vs Knicks latest injuries
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The Winnipeg Jets are quietly turning things around at a point in the season when many had already written them off as a playoff contender.
After a deflating 4–1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday, the Jets responded with a statement win Saturday night, edging the back to back defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers 2–1. While Florida is also enduring a challenging season and currently sits outside the playoff picture, defeating a team of that caliber could provide a significant momentum boost for Winnipeg.
The Jets have been collecting points when it matters most. They have earned at least one point in 10 of their last 14 games, posting a 7–4–3 record over that stretch. That mark is stronger than several current playoff teams, including the Detroit Red Wings, Minnesota Wild, Seattle Kraken, and New York Islanders.
Winnipeg appears to be playing its best hockey at a critical time. Although the organization has been expected to sell off some assets, Fourth Period insider David Pagnotta reported recently that the Jets could also explore adding pieces if the price is right.
At 22–25–7, Winnipeg sits eight points out of a playoff spot and the road ahead will not be easy. The Jets are entering what looks to be their toughest stretch of the season with upcoming games against the Dallas Stars, Montreal Canadiens, and Anaheim Ducks. If they can survive that portion of the schedule, they could put themselves in position to make a serious push toward a playoff berth.
There are also opportunities ahead that the Jets will need to capitalize on. The schedule includes two games against the Vancouver Canucks, along with single matchups versus the Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues, and Nashville Predators. To remain in the hunt, Winnipeg will almost certainly need to win the majority, if not all, of those contests.
The next 13 to 14 games will be telling in determining whether this team can pull off a late season surge. Complicating matters is the timing of the trade deadline, as the Jets have just seven games remaining before decisions must be made on the team’s direction. If Winnipeg hopes to add reinforcements for a playoff run, winning now is essential.
With the Olympic trade freeze set to begin Wednesday, league wide activity is expected to pick up in the coming days. As a result, the Jets could be among the teams making notable moves as they attempt to turn a once written off season into something more.
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BERLIN (AP) — Ermedin Demirović scored in the last minute for Stuttgart to beat Freiburg 1-0 on Sunday and move fourth in the Bundesliga, the last place for Champions League qualification.
Demirović controlled Deniz Undav’s cross from the left and then hit the ball with a brilliant strike under the crossbar near the right post.
Stuttgart goalkeeper Alexander Nübel denied Bruno Ogbus a response and the home team held on for the three points, capitalizing on Leipzig’s defeat at home to Mainz the day before.
Stuttgart moved three points ahead of Leipzig with 14 rounds remaining.
Borussia Dortmund was hosting last-place Heidenheim later, hopeful of a win to cut Bayern Munich’s lead to six points following the Bavarian powerhouse’s surprise 2-2 draw at Hamburger SV the day before.
CINCINNATI, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 03: Nick Martinez #28 of the Cincinnati Reds pitches during the fifth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Great American Ball Park on September 03, 2025 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With the Yankees’ $162.5 million outlay to keep Cody Bellinger in the fold, word around the league is that the front office does not have another big move up their sleeves. However, that does not preclude the team from making improvements through additions to the margins of the roster. They still feel a pitcher light in both the rotation and the bullpen, and perhaps they likely feel they can knock out two birds with one stone given the recent rumors linking them to veteran swingman Nick Martinez.
Martinez pitched the first four years of his big league career with the Rangers before heading overseas for a three-year stretch in NPB. The Padres brought him back stateside for the 2022 season, and he pitched better than his first stint in the bigs, with a 3.45 ERA in 110 games (19 starts) totaling 216.2 innings. He parlayed that performance into a two-year, $26 million deal with the Reds prior to the 2024 campaign. Martinez then logged the best season of his career, with a 3.10 ERA, 3.21 FIP, and 3.4 fWAR in a swingman role in Cincy, triggering an opt-out in his contract and leading to one of the more surprising qualifying offer tenders in recent memory. Martinez snapped up the $21.05 million salary for the 2025 season but regressed as both his ERA and FIP inflated by over a run.
Prior to last season, Martinez ranked among the game’s best at limiting hard contact, placing comfortably within the top ten percent league-wide in exit velocity and hard-hit rate between 2023 and 2024. However, in 2025 Martinez started giving up a lot more pulled fly balls, which underlies the increases in home run rate, ERA, and FIP. Most alarmingly, Martinez went from the 95th percentile in chase rate in 2024 to just the eighth percentile in 2025, resulting in a drop in strikeout rate and an almost doubling of his walk rate. His velocity and pitch movement stayed pretty stable this entire time, so it is difficult to single out a culprit for the cratering in chase rate.
That being said, Martinez possesses the tools to navigate hitters starting to do more damage. He has an expansive arsenal, throwing the cutter, four-seamer, changeup, sinker, curveball and slider each over 10 percent of the time. Having this many weapons can help mitigate the penalties associated with multiple turns through the order as a starter or reliever familiarity across a series. What’s more, Martinez is one of the best in the game at inducing downward movement across his arsenal, his cutter, changeup and curveball all placing in the 90th percentile in downward movement vs. average since he returned to MLB in 2022.
Martinez was never better in 2025 than June 27th, when he flirted with a no-hitter at home against the Padres. San Diego didn’t get a hit until Elias Díaz doubled in the ninth.
Martinez certainly aligns with the Yankees’ apparent all-hands-on-deck, almost piecemeal approach to confronting the injuries in their rotation. Gerrit Cole is targeting a return from Tommy John rehab around May or June while Carlos Rodón should be back a little earlier after undergoing offseason surgery to remove bone chips in his elbow. Rather than target the names at the top of the free agent and trade markets, the front office has gone with more of a quantity approach. Their first two moves were to re-sign swingmen Ryan Yarbrough and Paul Blackburn on the cheap (the latter may well just be a reliever anyway). Then they traded for Ryan Weathers from the Marlins, allowing the more proven but more expensive Freddy Peralta and MacKenzie Gore to get dealt to the Mets and Rangers, respectively.
Martinez would give them another buy-low option who’s capable of deputizing short-term in the rotation at the start of the season before transitioning to a long-man role in the bullpen when Cole and Rodón return, which makes further sense given Martinez pitched much better as a reliever (2.61 ERA) than as a starter (4.72 ERA) in 2025. While not a needle-moving acquisition, Martinez is the kind of rotation insurance policy every team could use to make it through the grind of a full season.
CINCINNATI, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 09: A Cincinnati Reds mascot stands on the field beofre the game between the Reds and the St. Louis Cardinals at Great American Ball Park on September 09, 2023 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Aaron Doster/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Adolfo Sanchez repeated a level by staying in the Dominican Summer League again in 2025, doing so after a somewhat disappointing season there in 2024 where he posted just a .701 OPS as a 17 year old.
His 18 year old season, though, couldn’t have gone much better.
His repeat in the DOSL saw him hit .339/.474/.504 (.978 OPS) with more walks (24) than strikeouts (21) across 154 PA, even swiping 10 bags in the process. While he socked just a pair of homers, his line-drive approach saw him mash 8 doubles and a trio of triples, and it was a massive reduction in strikeouts that helped define his breakout campaign – he fanned 60 times in 177 PA the season before.
He’s a hit-first outfielder who can play center but likely will end up in right, and after signing for a $2.7 million signing bonus his work in 2025 gave the Reds a much better feeling about investing that kind of coin. Sanchez will certainly be stateside for the first time in 2026, the only question being whether they choose to slow-play him by starting him in the Arizona Complex League or if they’ll send the now 19 year old straight to Daytona in the Class-A Florida State League.
While he doesn’t have any one tool that jumps off the board, he’s got five tools that are above average, especially an ability to run and throw that complement his hitting prowess well. He’s also physically mature for the most part, meaning the Reds might well choose to be more aggressive in promoting him since they won’t be simply waiting for him to fill out further.
All of that compiled is your #14 prospect in this year’s Community Prospect Rankings, as Sanchez outlasted his peers in the voting.
Benjamin Sesko will never forget the sweet pirouette-and-finish that burst Bernd Leno’s net in stoppage time to earn Manchester United a dramatic victory over Fulham.
Only 180 seconds earlier Kevin had curled a peach of an equaliser past Senne Lammens in the 92nd minute that hushed the Old Trafford faithful and seemed to have grabbed a point for the visitors.
We are launching a new daily article here at South Side Sox, more prominently than our items that pop up on The Feed. It falls under the category of White Sox Discussions, which you’ll see in a few weeks will also be our new branding for Game Threads.
A lot’s happened this offseason, and while we as White Sox fans remain angry about a low payroll and lack of core superstars, the team will undoubtedly improve in 2026. Bring over Munetaka Murakami from Japan, both a power-boost move on the field and a shocking reversal of fortunes for a team so flaccid in free agency, is a big reason. But even if that move doesn’t pan out along with countless other “AAAA” adds by the White Sox this offseason, the young core of this team alone should present sunnier days.
What stands out as the biggest reason why we’ll be happy to have been dialed in to the White Sox in 2026?
PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 31: Noel Acciari #55 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates his first period goal against the New York Rangers at PPG PAINTS Arena on January 31, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Over the summer, a respected voice like Elliotte Friedman really drove home a lot of feelings about the Pittsburgh Penguins in a podcast:
“It’s really hard to make deals right now because there are 31 teams in the NHL attempting to get better….then there is Pittsburgh”
Turns out the signings of players like Anthony Mantha, Parker Wotherspoon, Justin Brazeau and Connor Dewar didn’t impress many people in the moment. Someone forgot to tell the Penguin players they were going to be uncompetitive this year. Rolling on a six-game winning streak, Pittsburgh has climbed solidly into second place in the Metropolitan Division.
As the Olympic break approaches this Thursday, here’s the picture in the Eastern Conference.
The mission is becoming clear for the Pens: stay ahead of Columbus, Washington, Philadelphia and New Jersey and they will make the playoffs. Considering that Washington has been stuck in neutral for a while, Philadelphia has melted away and New Jersey has yet to put it all together, that mission for the Penguins looks more achievable with every passing game.
What a shocking season this has been. The two time Stanley Cup champion (and, let’s not forget 3x Eastern Conference champion) Florida Panthers are eight points out of a playoff spot. Other, almost near unanimous preseason playoff shoo-ins like Ottawa, Toronto, New Jersey and Washington find themselves in the bottom-half of the block too.
Pittsburgh is one of many surprise stories and success stories. John Gibson has boosted Detroit, Matthew Schaefer is absurdly good for the Islanders. Buffalo fired their GM and somehow shook themselves out of the doldrums at a most unexpected time. Ditto Columbus, just replace the word ’GM’ in last sentence with ‘coach’.
But, bias aside, Pittsburgh might be the most astounding stories of them all. The team that was pushed to the side and about unanimously picked to finish last – in the division, if not the conference or the entire league, instead has been one of the best teams and stories across them all so far. Now almost two-thirds of the way through the season (at 53 games, they’ve completed 64.6% of it), it’s no fluke or something to be written off as a small sample.
The Penguins have a good process offensively. Defensively they’re nothing special but not to a harmful amount, and they still keep shots down. Both of their special teams are top-5 level. They are getting great goaltending inputs and finishing chances when they shoot. Pick a category, Pittsburgh is pretty darn good at just about all of them.
Many of the popular models are starting to buy in at this point to shift and adjust their pictures that now include the Penguins in post-season outlooks.
The Milwaukee Bucks are wrestling with whether to bring down the curtain on the Giannis Antetokounmpo era, and it would be no surprise if there’s a distracted vibe in today’s clash with the Boston Celtics.
Milwaukee has lost four in a row and will be without Giannis again here, so my Bucks vs. Celtics predictions expect Boston to take care of business, powered by more Payton Pritchard fireworks.
Check out my NBA picks for this Eastern Conference showdown on Sunday, February 1.
Bucks vs Celtics prediction
Bucks vs Celtics best bet: Payton Pritchard Over 16.5 points (-110)
Despite Jayson Tatum’s injury and Kristaps Porzingis’ exit, the Boston Celtics still rank second in the league in 3-pointers made per game this season.
Payton Pritchard has willingly stepped up from beyond the arc, and he had free rein to cook on Friday with Jaylen Brown sitting out. He turned those extra touches into 29 points on 12-for-16 shooting against Sacramento, and Pritchard's a high-value pick to continue that hot streak against the Milwaukee Bucks.
While he probably won’t have that kind of volume today, Pritchard still fits in effortlessly when Brown and Derrick White are running the show, and he’s averaging 21.2 points per game across his last five games. That leads me to the Over on this points prop, after Pritchard knocked down his 3-pointers at a 42% clip in January.
It helps that the Bucks are on the ropes — their double-digit loss to Washington this past Thursday says it all. I don’t expect the visitors to offer much resistance defensively, especially with the Giannis shadow still looming over the franchise.
That should mean some great looks for Pritchard, who’s a slightly more accurate shooter at TD Garden and has become a steady No. 3 option for Boston.
Bucks vs Celtics same-game parlay
Piggybacking on a big Pritchard game, I’ll take the Over on this Celtics team total. The hosts are averaging 116.3 ppg this season, and without Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee could be vulnerable to an avalanche of Boston 3-pointers.
Antetokounmpo’s absence also opens up more rebounding opportunities for his teammates, and Kyle Kuzma has upped his activity on the glass lately. Kuzma has hauled in 27 boards across his past three contests, and he’s seen an uptick in court time, logging 30+ minutes in four of his last five games.
White continues to contribute all over the box score for Boston, but his 3-point slump has been alarming.
The Celtics guard shot just 26% from downtown in January, and he’s only knocked down 3+ triples in one of his last nine outings.
Bucks vs Celtics SGP
Payton Pritchard Over 16.5 points
Celtics Over 114.5
Kyle Kuzma Over 6.5 rebounds
Derrick White Under 2.5 threes
Bucks vs Celtics odds
Spread: Bucks +13.5 (-110) | Celtics -13.5 (-110)
Moneyline: Bucks +550 | Celtics -900
Over/Under: Over 217.5 (-110) | Under 217.5 (-110)
Bucks vs Celtics betting trend to know
The Bucks are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games. Find more NBA betting trends for Bucks vs. Celtics.
How to watch Bucks vs Celtics
Location
TD Garden, Boston, MA
Date
Sunday, February 1, 2026
Tip-off
3:30 p.m. ET
TV
ESPN
Bucks vs Celtics latest injuries
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Is Sunday LeBron James' final game in Madison Square Garden?
Fans are treating it like it is. In a city where hot tickets — from hit Broadway shows to Harry Styles coming residency at Madison Square Garden — are a fact of life, no ticket is hotter right now than when the Knicks host LeBron and the Lakers on Sunday at 7 p.m. (a game you can watch on NBC and Peacock, it’s the debut of Sunday Night Basketball).
This is the most expensive NBA regular-season game ticket since Kobe Bryant's final game in Los Angeles, according to both Gametime and TickPick.
Lakers-Knicks at MSG is one of the biggest matchups of the season!
Just the average ticket price for this game is close to $900, according to Gametime.
Is this LeBron's final game in New York, at age 41 in his record 23rd NBA season? Nobody knows, not even LeBron.
"I don't know what the future holds," LeBron said last week after an emotional return to Cleveland this week. "I'm just trying to live in the moment."
LeBron said he and his family would discuss his future after this season. Most people in league circles think LeBron will play one more season, kind of a farewell tour, but it will not be with the Lakers. New York and Cleveland have been speculated to be the most likely final stops in LeBron's unparalleled career if he does play another season.
But this could be his final game in Madison Square Garden. It's just one more reason to tune into what will be a star-studded game with All-Star Game starters Luka Doncic and Jalen Brunson, among others. Be sure to tune in on NBC and Peacock to not miss a moment of what shapes up to be an epic game.
