DENVER, CO - MAY 20: A detail of a baseball on the field in the first inning of a game between the Colorado Rockies and the Philadelphia Phillies at Coors Field on May 20, 2025 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Massey will stay back in Arizona as the team heads to Texas, allowing him to get more at-bats in Minor League Spring Training games and fully test his running. He played second base on Saturday and is scheduled to play the outfield on Sunday. By Tuesday, the Royals hope to have a better idea of whether they can have him on the roster, which has to be set by Wednesday because of the Yankees and Giants beginning the 2026 season that night.
“If Massey’s ready, he’ll be on the team,” general manager J.J. Picollo said. “It may affect which way we go if he’s not on the team. We’ve got Drew Waters, we’ve got Nick Loftin. Trying to figure out how they fit. The good thing is we’re confident in anybody. We’d like to have Michael on the team. But it’s a deeper roster, and that’s a good thing. We’re in a good spot either way.”
He did throw a scoreless inning, but it was ugly. He threw 28 pitches but literally seven were in the zone. That’s brutal. He got just two chases on the 21 pitches outside the zone. His average velocity was 89.0, which was better than we’d seen when he was last in camp, but not good enough. And he maxed out at 90.7 MPH. I was concerned, but when it was going up somewhat steadily, I figured it was just something to monitor. We’re a week from Opening Day and he has two more outings to get this figured out. Look, maybe he does and we look back on this the same way we looked back on spring last year. But this is also worse than last year. Not every game had Statcast last year, but he pitched on March 17, March 20, March 22 and March 25 that was tracked. His average velocities were 92.8, 92.5, 93.9 and 93.2. He hasn’t touched any of those numbers on any pitch this spring.
In 2024, my bold prediction was the Kansas City Royals to make the playoffs on the strength of their emerging young offense. Bold Predictions HQ took a win on that one despite the fact that their playoff berth was more due to pitching than anything else. But we’re going back to the well and being more specific this time. The offense. It’s ready to bust out.
Cameron’s cutter is key to his success—the pitch comes in fairly slow at just 88 mph on average, but it’s got loads of induced horizontal break to it and it works beautifully, posting a 33% chase rate (78th percentile among cutters) a 34.5% ICR (71st percentile), and a 47.1% groundball rate (76th percentile).
BRADENTON, FL - MARCH 20: Max Clark #31 of the Detroit Tigers and Konnor Griffin #75 of the Pittsburgh Pirates greet each other after the game between the Detroit Tigers and the Pittsburgh Pirates at LECOM Park on Friday, March 20, 2026 in Bradenton, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Of course, projecting the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens roster is also a sneaky excuse for one more final projection of the Detroit Tigers Opening Day roster. Nothing has really changed at the major league level. I expect Kevin McGonigle and Parker Meadows to be with the Tigers on Opening Day, and for some combination of Enmanuel de Jesus, Brant Hurter, Sean Guenther, and Brenan Hanifee to start the season with the three open spots in the Tigers’ bullpen.
We got news on Saturday night that second ranked Tigers’ prospect, center fielder Max Clark, will start the season in Triple-A Toledo. That move has consequences, indicating that almost certainly Parker Meadows has made the Opening Day roster. They can’t both play center field in Toledo, although it’s at least plausible that they could share center and right field duties or something. Trei Cruz will also need to stay sharp in center field, though he’ll also split some time at the shortstop position.
Either way, here is our crack at the players manager Gabe Alvarez and pitching coach Doug Bochtler will be working with to start the 2026 season. They can carry 28 players on the active roster.
The Hens open on Thursday the 26th, just as the Tigers do. They’ll be on the road as well, taking on the Lehigh Valley IronPigs in a short series to begin the regular season. Then they’ll spend a week in Syracuse, before returning to the Fifth Third Field on April 7th for their home opener against the St. Paul Saints.
Starting rotation
RHP Keider Montero
RHP Ty Madden
LHP Bryan Sammons
LHP Carlos Pena
RHP Dylan File
RHP Sawyer Gipson-Long – IL
RHP Troy Watson – IL
Sawyer Gipson-Long, and Troy Watson are all working their way back off the injured list. Gipson-Long suffered an oblique strain at the beginning of camp and is throwing bullpens. He should return shortly, perhaps in time to take the fifth spot in the rotation right out of the gate. Watson had arthoscopic surgery on his right elbow and may be a while longer.
We’ll probably see a pitcher or two released from the relief ranks before the season starts. Depending on Gipson-Long’s status, they will likely spot start their final rotation spot out of a deep group of veteran minor league relief arms until one of the two is ready to go.
Jake Miller is close to a return after a lost 2025 season in Erie with back issues and then surgery on both hips to correct the underlying labrum tears that contributed to his back trouble. The Tigers assigned him to Toledo back on March 6, but seem likely to send him back to Erie to get back into form before he makes the jump to Toledo. Fellow lefty starter Andrew Sears had some kind of issue that kept him from seeing major league camp, but is reportedly throwing bullpens. We’ll see how long it takes for him to get on the mound again, but he’s not too far from a promotion to Toledo either.
Bullpen
RHP Dylan Smith
RHP Tyler Mattison
RHP Tanner Rainey
RHP Jack Little
RHP Matt Seelinger
LHP Sean Guenther
LHP Konnor Pilkington
LHP Colin Poche
RHP Woo-Suk Go
RHP Ricky Vanasco
RHP Scott Effross- IL
RHP Tyler Owens – IL
LHP Bailey Horn – IL
RHP Dugan Darnell – IL
RHP Phil Bickford – IL
The bullpen is pretty full, though a veteran or two might end up opting out, but really only Dylan Smith and Tyler Mattison are notably exciting. Bailey Horn fits the bill in terms of good stuff, but he’ll be a little while before returning from right elbow arthroscopy. With minimal information available, it’s impossible to know when guys will come off the injured list. Sean Guenther has had a good camp and should get a look again this year and could possibly take a spot on the Opening Day roster instead, bumping Brant Hurter or Enmanuel de Jesus to Triple-A for a while.
Drew Sommers could be a quality lefty reliever if his command comes together, and he’s still young at 25 years of age. I expect he’s bound for Erie to start the year to keep working on his command. It’s just hard to imagine them carrying four lefties in the pen to start the year, and Pilkington, Poche, and Guenther feel like bigger priorities as major league depth until Sommers levels up a bit more.
RHP Cole Waites is still trying to rebuild his velo after his return from Tommy John last year. He used to be 98 mph, but was 92-93 mph for the most part in camp. I will guess he’s going to Erie until it comes back, but they could keep him in Toledo instead, and send RHP Woo-Suk Go to Erie instead. Otherwise it’s a collection of veterans with enough quality stuff to succeed, but not enough command, and in most cases, no huge carrying pitch to lean on if they don’t improve that command.
The Tigers have added minor league veterans like RHP Yendy Gomez, RHP Wandisson Charles, RHP Luke Taggart, RHP Jan Carabello, and RHP John Stankiewicz, along with a few younger free agent signings who will be in Lakeland. Since we haven’t seen them, it’s pretty impossible to know where the Tigers will play the older minor league veterans in that group. Gonez and Carabello are young though, and project for West Michigan or Erie to start the season.
Either way, leaving out the injured list guys, that gives them a five-man rotation and an 10-man bullpen to start with on the 28-man roster.
Position players
CF Max Clark
OF Wenceel Pérez
OF Ben Malgeri
OF Corey Julks
OF Cal Stevenson
1B Jace Jung
2B Max Anderson
SS Trei Cruz
3B Hao-Yu Lee
UT Chris Meyers
UT Gage Workman
C Tomas Nido
C/1B Eduardo Valencia
SS Trey Sweeney -IL
Obviously, we’re assuming Parker Meadows is with the Tigers on Opening Day, moving Wenceel Pérez, Trei Cruz, and Corey Julks to Toledo. It sounds like Hao-Yu Lee is just about healed from his oblique injury. If not, the Tigers could add a veteran minor leaguer like 1B/LF types, Chris Meyers or Justice Bigbie. Whenever Lee is ready, he and Anderson will split days between second and third base together.
We’ll see what the Tigers decide to do with John Peck. There’s a good chance he goes back to Double-A if only to keep both he and Trei Cruz playing shortstop most days. Still, Peck has had a great camp, and while he’s only spent about a month and change at the Double-A level, the Tigers clearly are impressed as he’s travelling to Arizona with the club for the final two exhibition games. I wouldn’t be shocked if he ends up in Toledo either, in which case veteran minor leaguer Chris Meyers can easily be bumped back to Erie. Peck can play all over the infield, and so if Cruz gets a lot of time at shortstop it isn’t going to hinder Peck’s development as a versatile right-handed hitting infielder who has some power and is pretty good at shortstop to boot.
If Peck is starting the year as the Hens’ shortstop, splitting some of that time with Trei Cruz, that might spell the end for Trey Sweeney. The Tigers will need a 40-man spot for Kevin McGonigle sooner rather than later, and it’s just hard to see Sweeney doing anything without a major overhaul to his swing. Of course, they could also drop Workman at this point and keep Sweeney as a utility infielder, and that’s probably more the move as Workman has aged out and couldn’t take advantage of his major league look with Cubs last year. Still, they’re both 26 this year, so pick your poison I suppose. They’re young enough not to totally give up on, but not important enough to worry about at the same time.
Overall, this is a really good group of position players with Clark as the headliner. Wenceel Pérez is a solid MLB caliber hitter who just doesn’t stand out in terms of power or defense. Anderson and Lee are just outside of top 100 consideration. Jung and Cruz are older minor league former prospects who had pretty good camps. Valencia isn’t much of a catcher in MLB terms but he bat did erupt in a big way last year and he could provide some power and lefty mashing depth to the Tigers along the way.
The Tigers have a far stronger supporting cast in case of injury or ineffectiveness from their position player group than we’ve really even seen before. It’s just unfortunate that they don’t really have an ace pitching prospect or at least a fearsome relief prospect waiting in the wings. Keider Montero may be able to help out, but until his command takes another step he’s still just quality depth for the rotation and bullpen. Tyler Mattison has the stuff, as does Tanner Kohlhepp, but they’re now deep into their mid-20’s and neither has been able to develop enough command to reach the major league level yet. Hopefully Troy Melton, and maybe by late July or August, Jackson Jobe, can ultimately provide some more impressive help, while top pitching prospects like Miller and Sears get in position to contribute spot starts or long relief work this summer.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts enters his 11th season at the helm and is coming off two consecutive World Series wins. (Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)
It's the Dodgers, and everyone else, in the National League West this season.
The two-time defending World Series champions ponied up a combined $309 million to sign two free agents, world-class closer Edwin Díaz and four-time All-Star corner outfielder Kyle Tucker.
The second-place San Diego Padres continued to cut payroll, bidding farewell to free agents Dylan Cease, Robert Suarez, Luis Arraez and Ryan O’Hearn. The San Francisco Giants' offseason highlight: becoming the first MLB team to make a college coach with no professional baseball coaching experience their manager. The 47-year-old Tony Vitello comes on board after coaching the Tennessee Volunteers for the past eight seasons.
The Arizona Diamondbacks are attempting to bounce back after following up a 2023 World Series appearance with two underwhelming seasons. And the Colorado Rockies are starting fresh yet again, replacing general manager Bill Schmidt with Paul DePodesta, who, after working for the Dodgers and other MLB teams, most recently served as the Cleveland Browns' chief strategy officer for the past 10 years.
1 | Dodgers
2025 | 93-69, 1st in West
Last year in playoffs | 2025
The Dodgers will open the season with a record payroll, to go with sky-high expectations, as the team vies for baseball’s first three-peat since the New York Yankees won three straight World Series titles between 1998 and 2000. The Dodgers remain the steady favorites, but seven of their nine regular position players are on the other side of 30. Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts and Teoscar Hernández all showed signs of regression last season. The Dodgers have been bitten by the injury bug over the past two years, especially in their rotation and bullpen. Pitchers Blake Snell, Gavin Stone, Brusdar Graterol and Evan Phillips will all open the season on the injured list. How will Roki Sasaki’s second try as a member of the pitching rotation go? With all this in mind, expect Dave Roberts to manage his club accordingly. Don’t expect the Dodgers to gun for the 2001 Seattle Mariners’ win record of 116. Expect load management, as the Dodgers pace themselves with the goal of a healthy roster entering postseason play.
2 | San Diego Padres
2025 | 90-72, 2nd in West
Last year in playoffs | 2025
Despite a middling September — the Padres went 14-11 in the final month of the season — the club finished only three games back of the Dodgers. Though the club lost some key pieces over the winter, the Padres still boast a lockdown bullpen featuring Mason Miller, and a potent lineup starring Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. After an impressive rookie season, Jackson Merrill struggled to find his footing in his second year, landing on the IL three separate times. Merrill could be this season’s breakout star in the National League. If he takes a leap and the Padres stay healthy, this club could surprise.
3 | San Francisco Giants
2025 | 81-81, 3rd in West
Last year in playoffs | 2021
Since the Chicago Cubs eliminated the Giants from the 2016 NLDS, the club has made the postseason just once. Newcomers Luis Arraez and Harrison Bader should provide length to their lineup. Bader enjoyed a resurgent 2025 where he slashed .277/.347/.449 while playing plus-defense, earning himself a two-year, $20.5-million deal. Arraez saw a 22-point dip in batting average last season from 2024, but maintained a low-strikeout rate (3.1%). Right-side infield defense will be a question mark with Arraez returning to second base and Rafael Devers manning first. The Giants should get good length out of starting pitchers Robbie Ray and Logan Webb. Webb led the National League in innings pitched for the third straight season.
4 | Arizona Diamondbacks
2025 | 80-82, 4th in West
Last year in playoffs | 2023
Since their miraculous run to the World Series in 2023 — a postseason in which they bludgeoned the Dodgers, outscoring their divisional foes 19-6 in a three-game sweep in the NLDS — the Diamondbacks have missed the playoffs in each of the last two seasons. The club will likely be without two of their best three starting pitchers to open the season, as Corbin Burnes works his way back from Tommy John surgery and Merrill Kelly deals with lingering intercostal nerve irritation. With manager Torey Lovullo entering his 10th season with the club and the final year of his contract, could his seat be heating up?
5 | Colorado Rockies
2025 | 43-119, 5th in West
Last year in playoffs | 2018
Under new president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta, the Rockies will look to turn the page from a season to forget in 2025. Having played just 170 games through his first four seasons with the Rockies — posting a minus-WAR (Wins Above Replacement) in three of them — Kris Bryant’s future remains in question as he deals with a degenerative disk disease. He will open the season on the 60-day IL. The club saw promise last year from 25-year-old catcher Hunter Goodman and 27-year-old Mickey Moniak. The club will hope to see continued growth from youngsters Ezequiel Tovar, Jordan Beck and Brenton Doyle, with top prospect and 2024 Golden Spikes Award winner Charlie Condon eyeing a potential big-league debut this summer.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 23: A general view of play between the Bay FC and the Washington Spirit at Oracle Park on August 23, 2025 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/NWSL via Getty Images) | NWSL via Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
Welcome to the first week of the regular season! It’s time to take a look at what’s on deck for the San Francisco Giants this week.
Monday
The Giants welcome the Sultanes de Monterrey to Oracle Park for an exhibition game tonight at 6:45 p.m. PT. The game will have television coverage on NBC Sports Bay Area and radio coverage on KNBR.
Tuesday
The exhibition series with the Sultanes continues Tuesday at 6:45 p.m. PT. The game will have television coverage on NBC Sports Bay Area and radio coverage on KNBR and KSFN.
Wednesday
OPENING DAY! The Giants will welcome the New York Yankees to Oracle Park for Opening Day at 5:05 p.m. PT. This will be the only game on Wednesday, which means you can only watch it on Netflix. Naturally. Radio coverage will be available on KNBR and KSFN.
Thursday
Off Day
Friday
The Yankees series continues on Friday, starting at 1:35 p.m. PT. The game will have television coverage on NBC Sports Bay Area and radio coverage on KNBR and KSFN.
Saturday
The final game of the Yankees series will start at 4:15 p.m. PT. This will be a national broadcast on Fox, with radio coverage available on KNBR and KSFN.
Sunday
An extremely rare Sunday off. What a weird schedule to start the season.
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 22: Gabriel Landeskog #92 of the Colorado Avalanche celebrates a goal in the third period during a game against the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena on March 22, 2026 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by John McCreary/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Colorado Avalanche News
Landeskog needed a quick surgery after taking Makar’s slapshot to the family jewels. [TSN]
Avalanche defeat Blackhawks, become first team to clinch playoff berth. [NHL]
News Around the League
Alex Ovechkin joins Wayne Gretzky as only players with 1,000 career goals. [The Athletic]
Former Avs breaks through in win marred by ugly hit. [Yahoo]
Wild reporter Jessi Pierce and her three children are being mourned by the hockey community. [Sportsnet]
Oilers’ McDavid seemingly calls out their coach after a tough loss to the Lightning. [The Hockey Writers]
Hamilton to become new home of New York Islanders’ AHL affiliate. [CTV News]
Sidney Crosby speaks up on Olympic puck and makes Jack Hughes look rather petty. [Daily Hive]
Toronto hosts world’s largest blind hockey tournament at Mattamy Athletic Centre. [CP 24]
Maple Leafs vs. Senators: Toronto’s trouble starts with Anthony Stolarz scare before the opening faceoff in Ottawa. [Toronto Star]
Boston has 11 regular-season games remaining, while Detroit has 10. If the Pistons win just six of their last 10 games, they’re guaranteed the No. 1 seed. Even if they stumble and go 4-6 down the stretch, the Celtics would need to win 10 of their last 11 games to make up that 4.5-game gap.
So, it’s time for Celtics fans to shift their focus to a much tighter race: the battle with the New York Knicks for the No. 2 seed.
Let’s lay everything out.
Eastern Conference standings
As of Monday morning, the Celtics are up just 0.5 games on the surging Knicks, who have won six in a row.
Basketball Reference’s Playoff Probabilities Report, which is based on 10,000 simulations for the remainder of the season, gives Boston a 53 percent chance of earning the No. 2 seed, just ahead of New York at 43.5 percent.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are lurking 2.5 games behind the Knicks (and three games behind the Celtics), but for all intents and purposes, the No. 2 seed should come down to New York vs. Boston.
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Remaining schedules
Which team is better positioned to earn the No. 2 seed?
Both the Celtics and Knicks have pretty difficult schedules down the stretch: Per Tankathon, Boston owns the NBA’s third-toughest remaining schedule (opponents have a combined winning percentage of .544), while New York has the ninth-toughest (.530 opponent winning percentage).
In fact, just two of the Celtics’ remaining 11 games are against teams with losing records, while the Knicks play just three of their remaining 10 games against teams below .500.
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What’s at stake
Why is the No. 2 seed so important, you ask?
While the Pistons hope Cunningham will return at some point in the playoffs, his injury casts major doubt over their ability to make a deep playoff run. And if a Cunningham-less Detroit team gets eliminated early, the No. 2 seed would have home-court advantage for the rest of its postseason run through the East.
As for first-round matchups, the No. 2 seed would face the winner of the East play-in tournament (the No. 7 seed), while the No. 3 seed would face the No. 6 seed. The bottom of the East playoff race is an absolute mess — just 2.5 games separate the No. 5 seed from the No. 10 seed — so it’s impossible to predict Round 1 matchups at the moment.
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The Celtics would be favored to win any first-round matchup, but there are some teams that could give them trouble — notably the red-hot Atlanta Hawks, who are 12-1 in their last 13 games.
For now, Boston’s goal should be staving off the Knicks for the No. 2 seed and letting the chips fall where they may. And based on the current standings, we could be gearing up for a photo finish.
Cristian Romero promises ‘200%’ in remaining games
Tottenham’s interim manager, Igor Tudor, is mourning the death of his father, Mario. Tudor was unable to fulfil his media commitments after Spurs’ 3-0 Premier League home defeat by Nottingham Forest because of the bereavement.
The Spurs assistant Bruno Saltor stepped in and the Spaniard declined to reveal any details on Tudor’s “family issue”. Juventus announced on Monday that their former player and manager was grieving his father’s death. In a statement the club said: “Juventus stands with Igor Tudor and his family at this difficult time. Juventus joins in mourning the passing of his father.”
The idea that there might not be one particular skill that they excel at, but that there a bunch of areas they affect the game and when you look at the whole body of work, it results in a winning player.
Josh Hart celebrates on Knicks bench during win over Wizards on March 22, 2026. Jason Szenes / New York Post
What does Hart think of that comparison?
“Andre is extremely talented, definitely was a better player in this league than I am,” Hart told The Post before the Knicks’s game against the Wizards Sunday night at Madison Square Garden. “But we can be like an older version of Andre. Older, less athletic, scoring version of Andre. But it’s cool, Andre is someone who is highly respected for everything he’s done for the game. So it was cool.”
Iguodala was a key glue guy — and one-time finals MVP — on four championship teams with the Warriors. His impact often did not necessarily jump off the box score, though.
It’s that part of the comparison Hart most enjoys — and knows often goes unnoticed.
Andre Iguodala during Game 6 of the 2015 NBA Finals. USA Today Sports
“I take a lot of pride in it,” Hart said. “Especially right now, you just look at numbers and you don’t understand the process of the game. A lot of people think you can just throw five guys in that score X amount of points, and that’s how it’s gonna be.
“But that’s not always what it is, situations are different. So for me, especially in that [starting] group, I’m a guy that’s gonna connect the dots, a guy that’s gonna try to be unselfish, get other guys involved, get other guys flowing in good rhythm. I think that gets overlooked, but for me, I take pride in it.”
Montreal Canadiens’ defenseman Kaiden Guhle has struggled this season, not just because of injuries, but also on the ice, where his performances have not been up to the standard we’ve been accustomed to.
However, in Saturday night’s crucial game against the New York Islanders, the rugged defenseman took it up a notch and played what was arguably his best game of the season. Not just because he gathered three points, including what would turn out to be the game-winning goal, but also because his decision-making was spot on in all aspects of the game.
He had five shot attempts, three of which made it to the net. On the other side of the puck, he had a team-leading four blocked shots and landed three hits. In the third frame, as tempers were running high and the Islanders were getting frustrated by the turn of events, Matthew Barzal dropped his gloves and tried to fight captain Nick Suzuki, and it only took seconds for the rugged blueliner to come to his rescue.
The defenseman told the media after the game that the Canadiens met after last weekend’s games against the San Jose Sharks and the Anaheim Ducks and talked about buckling down:
Commitment to defend, to play hard, to not take any shit. It’s all that I think we were missing there for a bit, and we found it
-
That perfectly sums up Guhle’s performance on Saturday night. His stepping up for Nick Suzuki was definitely part of the “not taking any shit” point, and it showed how healthy the team culture is in Montreal. Especially if you compare that reaction to the Maple Leafs’ reaction, or lack thereof, when Radko Gudas ended their captain’s season.
Mat Barzal wanted to go with Nick Suzuki and he would NOT take no for an answer 😳🫣 pic.twitter.com/D3IvWEb8O0
That performance was definitely a step in the right direction for Guhle, but he now needs to play like that consistently. That’s harder to do than it sounds, but the rugged defenseman proved last night that he can play the exact kind of game that’s needed in the playoffs.
Feb 1, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Utah Jazz guard Ace Bailey (19) drives to the basket against Toronto Raptors guard Jamal Shead (23) in the second half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Coming off a brutal loss last night in Phoenix, the Raptors are playing their second game of a back-to-back, this time, agains the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City. This game against an injured opponent should be a chance for the Raptors to stop a dangerous skid late in the season.
The Jazz have had a season of distinct highs and lows. They started the season by drafting a high value forward in Ace Bailey, saw point guard Keyonte George break out, and traded for former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. At the same time, many of their starters have been ruled out for extended periods, since November when Walker Kessler was shut down, and have caught league-wide flack for a tanking scandal, with players getting benched in a manner that was perceived to be unethical. Indeed, Monday’s game will see Keyonte George, Isaiah Collier, and Lauri Markkanen still out, not to mention the host of previous injuries to JJJ and Jusuf Nurkic, amongst others.
As it currently stands, the Jazz are in poor shape to win games with most of their starting lineup out, so the Raptors can breathe relatively easily when they step into the Delta Center. The Raptors are playing with almost their entire roster intact, though Collin Murray-Boyles remains on the injury report, as he has been for nearly a month. This game should hopefully be a chance to bounce back after last night’s loss, which saw an extremely lacklustre offence combined with a total lack of production from some of the Raptors’ starters.
Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, and Brandon Ingram have been instrumental in getting the Raptors back on track with a three game winning streak, taking out the Pistons, Suns, and Bulls, before falling to the Denver Nuggets and the Phoenix Suns in consecutive games. Establishing a consistent offence will be important for this game against the Jazz, as well as ensuring that they’re able to slow down Ace Bailey and avoid him getting hot. The rookie has had two thirty point explosions over his last ten games, and keeping him subdued will be important in keeping the Jazz hitting sour notes. Brice Sensabaugh has been shooting threes at a 41.3% clip over the past ten games, meaning that Toronto’s perimeter defence needs to be on point to avoid an upset.
Considering the state of Utah basketball, it is unlikely for Toronto to drop this game. A soft opponent on the road is a luxury this late in the season, with the Eastern Conference looking as dangerous as it is. Toronto is unlikely to fall out of the Play-In Tournament, but are within only a few games of every opponent within the sixth to the tenth seed. 4.5 games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers, and half a game behind both the Atlanta Hawks and the Philadelphia 76ers, the Raptors are in serious danger of relinquishing their playoff spot to a rival if they don’t clean up their act and begin performing consistently.
Today’s game is likely to be another part of the same old story for the Raptors: lose to the best teams, but beat down the worst ones.
The San Antonio Spurs announced the launch of “Spurs Rewards,” powered by Fanmaker, a new loyalty program offering fans a way to earn rewards, unlock exclusive experiences and receive value through their support of the Spurs. Debuting March 12 vs. the Denver Nuggets, Spurs Rewards allows fans to earn points for activities such as attending games, shopping and engaging with the team across digital and in-person experiences. Fans can learn more and sign up for free by texting REWARDS to 210-444-5940 or visiting the Official Spurs Mobile App, presented by Frost. Official program terms apply.
Chief Commercial Officer at SS&E Frank Miceli stated,
“Spurs Rewards is about creating a smarter, more rewarding fan experience that recognizes the many ways our fans support the team throughout the season. Whether it’s attending games, shopping or engaging digitally, this platform turns that support into meaningful value.”
Fans can earn one point for every dollar spent on Spurs single-game tickets via Ticketmaster, retail purchases through the Spurs Official Fan Shop, and Frost Bank concessions at Frost Bank Center.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 22: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 and Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks react during the second quarter against the Washington Wizards at Madison Square Garden on March 22, 2026 in New York City. 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 Pamela Smith/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Washington Wizards (16-55) are in a neck-and-neck race with the Indiana Pacers for last place in the conference. They had lost 15 games in a row before tonight’s tilt at Madison Square Garden against the Knicks (47*-25). The Wizards showed some signs of life in the first half, and a brief heartbeat after intermission, but their 16th loss was never really in doubt. New York took the W, 145-113, beating the Wiz for the 12th straight time.
New York started on the right foot, with Mikal Bridges (14 PTS, 6 AST) and Karl-Anthony Towns (26 PTS, 16 RBS, 9-13 FG) helping to build a small cushion. Washington kept up with them, though, with five points by Tristan Vukcevic (13 PTS) and Bub Carrington (14 PTS, 8 ASTS) getting to the line. Once again, New York allowed their opponents to shoot freely from the perimeter. Luckily for them, Washington’s not a strong three-point shooting team, making 4-of-10 from deep over the first 12 minutes. With the visitors coughing up the rock seven times, the Knicks built a head of steam and went up by double-digits late in the quarter.
The Knicks’ best stretch came midway through the quarter, with Towns flexing his muscles on the glass, Jalen Brunson (23 PTS, 4 AST) drawing contact, and Josh Hart (16 PTS, 6 RBS, 4 AST) logging rebounds, steals, and an alley-oop to Mitchell Robinson (10 PTS, 10 RBS, 2 BLK). Then the pendulum swung the other way. Jaden Hardy (25 PTS, 7-13 3PT) sparked a run with three triples in a short span—two assisted by Sharife Cooper (11 PTS)—narrowing the Knicks’ lead to 32-27 by the buzzer.
KAT with the smooth reverse layup 👌
He's got 15 PTS and 10 REB at the break as the Knicks seek their 6th win in a row! pic.twitter.com/V4We9Dri0U
The quarter opened with Washington briefly finding a rhythm—Cooper hit an early jumper, and Anthony Gill (18 PTS, 3 STL, 8-10 FG) followed a steal with a dunk. A few minutes in, a Cooper triple tied the score at 38 before New York got serious. After that, Towns cleaned up inside with putbacks and rebounds, while Bridges and OG Anunoby (9 PTS, 4 TO) chipped in buckets. Jose Alvarado (8 PTS, 8 AST) played but was a mixed bag. Hart helped to push the pace, and Robinson made his presence felt as the good guys regained a double-digit lead. Down the stretch, New York turned stops into buckets, pushed the margin to 15, and went into halftime ahead 68-52.
The Knicks shot 57% from the field and 50% from yard, which beat Washington’s 43% and 29%. KAT gave NY a big advantage in the paint, which they won 34–20, and where they outrebounded the Zards, 22–16. Towns led all scorers with 15 points. For the visitors, Gill scored 11 to lead a bench that contributed 30 points.
Hart and Bridges hit a pair of triples to start the second half, then Vukcevic scored eight straight points to chase New York into a timeout. Following that, Hart and Bridges knocked down threes, and Brunson hit some middies. The key, though, was Towns, who scored with hook shots, drives, free throws, and a three-pointer. Washington’s sorry frontcourt had no antidote for the big fella. With the Knicks starting to get in sync, a 13-5 run pushed their lead to 20 by the midway point.
Washington made a push when Hardy drilled a trey and a pull-up jumper, and Gill converted from long range. All that effort was little more than a death rattle, though. New York took a 105-81 score into the fourth.
The Knicks kept the party going in the fourth, pushing their lead to 27. Alvarado and Jordan Clarkson (8 PTS) provided steady hands, and Mouhamed Diawara (12 PTS, 3-4 3PT) hit back-to-back threes. Jeremy Sochan (8 PTS, 6 RBS, 8 MIN) subbed in and benefited from a gorgeous Clarkson lob. But the most interesting storyline of the final frame: Tyler Kolek scored 42 points for the Westchester Knicks this morning, and added 11 points (on 4-of-4 shooting) tonight to finish the day with 53! Quoth Jslashnoel: “Tyler going nuclear is a nice victory cigar.”
With tonight’s totals, KAT has 50 double-doubles for the season to lead the league.
March 22, 2013: Ray Williams passed away at the age of 58. That night, Carmelo Anthony scored 37 points and Kenyon Martin added 19 points and 11 rebounds in a 99-94 win at Toronto, securing New York’s third straight trip to the postseason.
Hart is pumping! Josh has made 12 of his last 17 three-point attempts.
Their 16th consecutive loss ties Washington’s franchise record. The Knicks have won six straight three times this season.
New York scored 93 points against the Nets on Friday. They topped that with four minutes left in the third quarter tonight.
Washington head coach Brian Keefe was an assistant coach for the Knicks during the 2015-16 season.
Up Next
New York visits the Big Easy on Tuesday to pluck the Pelicans. Safe travels, Knickerbockers.
Mar 20, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Capitals right wing Ethen Frank (53) shoots the puck as New Jersey Devils goaltender Jake Allen (34) defends during the third period at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images
Here are your links for today:
Devils Links
A late goal from Jesper Bratt kept the Devils from being shut out, but otherwise the goals dried up as the Devils dropped a 2-1 loss to the Capitals on Friday. [Devils NHL]
“It’s been a tough season for the Maple Leafs, but Knies has been one of their more productive players. He’s averaged 2.26 points per 60 minutes at five-on-five, making him their second most efficient five-on-five scorer behind William Nylander. However, there are red flags that’d give me pause about acquiring Knies. There are only two Maple Leafs skaters above 50 percent in xGs, and Knies is not one of them. Not even close. He has an xG% of 45.88 percent this season, one of the worst marks on the Maple Leafs.” [Devils on the Rush ($)]
Injury updates:
Sheldon Keefe says that Brett Pesce is questionable to be able to return this season.
Stefan Noesen has been ruled out for the remainder of the year.#NJDevils
“Fitzgerald’s draft record in the second round and beyond is more or less fine. By that, I mean that the probability of a draftee turning into an NHL-caliber player generally drastically diminishes in the second round and beyond, and, to be frank, the Devils have drafted two NHL-caliber players (Lenni Hämeenaho and Seamus Casey) in the second round. New Jersey has not hit on any third-rounders in recent memory, and any draftee in the fourth round and beyond is typically some form of dart throw. The first round resume, however, is outright putrid.” [Devils’ Advocates]
Hockey Links
Some history for Ovi:
OVI x 1,000 🚨
Alex Ovechkin joins Wayne Gretzky as the second player in NHL history to score 1,000 career goals in the regular season and #StanleyCup Playoffs combined! pic.twitter.com/Zol6EgR7xg
“This year’s Sabres aren’t just the season’s best bandwagon team; they might be the single greatest bandwagon team of all time. Seriously, can you think of a better option?” [The Athletic ($)]
“Minnesota’s hockey community is mourning longtime NHL writer Jessi Pierce and her three children following a deadly house fire in White Bear Lake. Fire officials said four people — including three children — were found dead inside a home early Saturday, March 21, in the 2100 block of Richard Avenue. Authorities have not yet publicly identified the victims or said what caused the fire.” [Minnesota Star Tribune]
Feel free to discuss these and any other hockey-related stories in the comments below.
Arsenal picked a bad time to produce their worst performance of the season with everybody in the starting XI falling well below their best – apart from maybe William Saliba. No one will want to dwell on the period from the beginning of the second half to the moment when Nico O’Reilly scored his second goal in the 64th minute to put City in an unassailable position. It was one-way traffic, Arsenal pinned back, unable to get out.
After a Men's NCAA Tournament second round that saw a No. 1 seed in Florida, a few bluebloods in Kansas and Kentucky, and a pair of No. 3s in Gonzaga and Virginia eliminated, the Sweet 16 is set. Duke overcame a shaky start to advance to the second weekend, UConn rolled over UCLA after a slog against Furman, and Michigan has largely looked dominant thus far.
But none of that matters. As the teams in the Sweet 16 prepare for their prospective opponents, they'll have time off until Thursday for half the field and Friday for the other half. There are no games on Monday March 23, but they'll be back — likely with a vengeance as the field condenses — on Thursday, March 26.
Here's what to know about the college basketball schedule, as the teams remaining recharge for the second of three frenetic weekends.
Are there Men's NCAA Tournament games on today?
Following four days of action, the Men's NCAA Tournament will be taking a respite. There are no games on Monday, March 23, as teams prepare for the Sweet 16.
There are, however, Women's NCAA Tournament second round games, as its first weekend concludes.
When do Men's March Madness games resume?
Men's NCAA Tournament games will recommence on Thursday, March 26 when No. 2 Purdue plays No. 11 Texas to open the Sweet 16. From there, it will be eight games, concluding with No. 2 Iowa State vs No. 6 Tennessee on Friday, March 27.
Men's Sweet 16 schedule
Here's a look at the schedule for when games come back.
THURSDAY, MARCH 26
7:10 p.m.: No. 2 Purdue vs. No. 11 Texas (West), CBS
