TORONTO (AP) — Matvei Michkov and Trevor Zegras scored in a shootout and the Philadelphia Flyers extended their winning streak to three games with a 3-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday night.
William Nylander scored on the Maple Leafs’ first shootout attempt, but Auston Matthews and Max Domi failed to convert as Toronto's losing streak reached four games.
Noah Cates converted a pass from Bobby Brink with 5:18 remaining in regulation time to give the Flyers a 2-1 lead. The Maple Leafs tied the game when Nylander slammed in a feed from John Tavares on the power play with 2:30 left.
Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube adjusted his lines, with the most notable move being the pairing of Matthews, the team captain, alongside Nylander.
Toronto’s Dakota Joshua opened the scoring at 15:22 of the first period, knocking in a pass from Matias Maccelli. It was Joshua’s first goal since returning last week after missing two months with a lacerated kidney.
Flyers center Christian Dvorak tied the game three minutes later on the power play, sweeping in a loose puck in front of the net.
Toronto outshot the Flyers 31-25, and Anthony Stolarz finished with 23 saves. Philadelphia’s Dan Vladar made 29 stops.
Flyers defenseman Jamie Drysdale had a chance to end the game in overtime, but his shot off the rush hit the outside of the near post with 30 seconds remaining.
Flyers' leading scorer Travis Konecny missed the game with a lower-body injury. He was a game-time decision.
Matthews has gone eight games without a goal, his longest drought of the season. A member of the U.S. Olympic team that won the gold medal in Italy, Matthews was without a goal in four games before the break and has gone four more since his return.
When Giannis Antetokounmpo went down with a right calf strain on Jan. 23, he told reporters that he would likely miss 4-6 weeks.
Turns out, he was right on schedule as Antetokounmpo made his return to the Milwaukee Bucks' lineup in Monday's 108-81 loss to a Jaylen Brown-less Boston Celtics team.
At one point, it was uncertain if Antetokounmpo would ever play in a Bucks uniform again after suffering his injury just over two weeks ahead of the trade deadline. His name has been surrounded by trade rumors for the past few years, but they especially heated up this season when it was reported that he was "open" to a trade.
But the Bucks didn't deal the two-time NBA MVP — at least for now — and re-tooled his supporting cast by taking low-risk fliers on Cam Thomas and Ousmane Dieng. The team hasn't exactly taken off though, the Bucks have just a 6-5 record since Feb. 5 and currently sit in 11th place in the Eastern Conference, 3.5 games behind the red-hot Charlotte Hornets for the final play-in spot.
And while Milwaukee hasn't been a good team in almost any facet this season, they still at least have a shot when they have their superstar. With Giannis, the Bucks are 15-16 and average 113.6 points per night. Without him, they drop to 11-18 and 109.1 points.
Here's how Giannis did in his return to the court on Monday vs. the Celtics:
At long last, the NHL trade deadline is just four days away, which also means the league's most chaotic and exciting time during the regular season has finally arrived.
And the Pittsburgh Penguins figure to be one of the most interesting teams ahead of the 3:00 p.m. deadline on Mar. 6.
Penguins' general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas has done a masterful job so far this season, as his offseason signings, trade pickups, and draft prospects - as well as some in-season acquisitions - have led to Pittsburgh being a top-six team in the NHL. They currently sit second in the Metropolitan Division and are fifth in the league in goal differential at plus-30.
In other words, the Penguins may just be contenders, but they could be even more so once that deadline passes. Dubas has a careful line to walk between continuing to prioritize the long-term and putting his chips on the table for a run this season with a legitimately good hockey team.
Here are six Penguins' storylines to keep an eye on during trade deadline week.
When thinking about where the Penguins' goaltending situation was just a few months ago, no one could have imagined they'd be making a legitimate playoff push with two goaltenders playing lights-out.
But, that's what has happened. Skinner was brought to Pittsburgh as part of the Tristan Jarry trade in mid-December, and he has been more than serviceable since. Aside from a few outlier bad performances that skew his numbers down a bit - overall, he is 8-4-2 with an .890 save percentage with the Penguins - the 27-year-old has proven to be just as valuable, if not more valuable, as Jarry was in a Penguins' uniform this season.
Second shutout of the season, .981 save percentage, and 2-0-0 over the week? That’s our kind of Arty party 🎊
Congrats to Arturs Silovs on being named @NHL Second Star of the Week!
However, with Arturs Silovs beginning to pull away from Skinner a bit in terms of performance - Silovs has a whopping .936 save percentage over his last nine appearances and has a track record of performing well in high-stakes situations - Skinner, who is on an expiring contract, could end up being the backup down the stretch.
It's certainly a risk rolling with two young, inexperienced goaltenders as opposed to having a veteran with ample playoff experience, so Dubas and the Penguins may have a tough decision ahead of them.
With Crosby out, will the Penguins target a depth center?
This will be one of the more interesting storylines to follow, as Crosby is expected to miss approximately three more weeks with a lower-body injury, and his team has the NHL's most difficult schedule for the remainder of the season.
So far, scoring hasn't proven to be much of an issue for the Penguins without Crosby. However, faceoffs certainly have been, as they have won just 52 of 159 total draws (32.7 percent) in their three games back from the Olympic break Crosbyless.
We'll circle back to this, but it will be interesting to see how the Penguins approach this situation. They do have two capable younger centers in Tristan Broz and Filip Hallander - barring their health - who should be able to help offset at least some of it. But depth never hurts, especially when that depth serves to improve the team overall. And the best bet at acquiring the best depth is in the trade market.
So, it will be interesting to monitor whether or not the center depth on the roster - especially without Evgeni Malkin manning the middle - looks like it could use a boost in the two games the Penguins have remaining prior to the deadline.
Will Evgeni Malkin sign before the trade deadline?
It was reported by Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now on Saturday that Malkin would meet with Dubas early this week, which follows Malkin saying in a postgame interview after a 2-1 shootout loss to the New York Rangers that they wouldn't meet until the offseason.
Of course, no one in their right mind actually believes that Malkin is going to be anywhere but Pittsburgh for the remainder of the season. However, it sure would bring some peace of mind to Penguins' faithful if Dubas and the team show priority to their 39-year-old future hall-of-famer, who is having his best season in several years with 13 goals and 47 points in 44 games.
Malkin has also developed ridiculous chemistry with winger Egor Chinakhov, who was acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets in late December and has 10 goals in 21 games since - more than anyone else on the Penguins since his arrival and half of which have primary assists credited to Malkin.
Many feel Malkin has earned another season with the Penguins, and folks will be anxious to hear about how that meeting with Dubas goes down.
Something they could still use? A young blueliner with higher upside, whether that's on the left or right side. Harrison Brunicke, a right-side d-man, has to play out the rest of his WHL season before becoming a young depth option for the Penguins again, and that won't be until April.
Of course, the Penguins have some options in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS) should someone go down, including Dumba, Owen Pickering, Alex Alexeyev, and Finn Harding. But if they want a young defenseman who can make an impact on the NHL roster now, they're likely not within the organization already.
Heading into this season, a priority outlined by Dubas was improvement on the left side. Well, Parker Wotherspoon and Ryan Shea have both been good for the Penguins this season, and whoever has been in that other slot has been good enough. Still, it will be interesting to see if Dubas targets a younger blueliner with promise along the lines of Braeden Schneider (Rangers) or Pavel Mintyukov (Anaheim Ducks), if available.
Given the Penguins' place in the standings - and the fact that they already have more high-value draft capital (and more draft capital, period) than any other team in hockey - it's unlikely that Dubas is going to sell big at the deadline, even if he could receive fairly significant value in return for some of his better assets.
That said, it doesn't mean a "max value hockey trade" won't happen.
Names like Skinner's and Anthony Mantha's have popped up and have the attention of other teams, but in order for those guys to be moved, value would have to come the other way - simliar to the Kulak trade and the Jarry trade, where a guy playing the same position was part of the return along with draft capital (or a prospect).
However, Dubas needs to tread carefully here. Messing with the chemistry of a locker room on a team with a high degree of belief is a tricky thing, and sometimes, these kinds of moves backfire.
Obviously, "going big" - like selling - typically requires one or more pieces on your NHL roster or a high-value prospect going the other way in addition to high-value draft capital, which the Penguins do have. The discourse on trading their first-round pick this season comes with mixed response, as the 2026 draft is deep, but the Penguins, at this point, will probably draft late in the first round and have two second-round picks.
But even if they were willing to give up their first-rounder and more to acquire an impact player, is this year's trade deadline the time to do it?
It's absolutely reasonable to think that Dubas will wait until the summer to go big, given the direction he is taking the team in the foreseeable future as well as the fact that he has already made a pretty big move with the Chinakhov acquisition.
But, never say never. Dubas keeps his cards close to the vest, and given how good this Penguins' team is, he might just shoot higher than everyone expects.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Payton Pritchard scored 25 points, rookie Hugo González had career highs of 18 points and 16 rebounds, and the Boston Celtics beat Milwaukee 108-81 on Monday night to spoil Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo’s return from a right calf strain.
Derrick White also scored 18 points for the Celtics, who have won three straight and seven of eight. White and Pritchard each had nine assists.
Antetokounmpo had 19 points and 11 rebounds in 25 minutes in his first action since getting injured on Jan. 23. The Bucks went 8-7 during his absence.
Overall this season, the Bucks are 15-16 with Antetokounmpo and 11-18 without him.
ROCKETS 123, WIZARDS 118
WASHINGTON (AP) — Alperen Sengun had 32 points and 13 rebounds, Kevin Durant scored 30 and Houston beat Washington.
Trae Young was ejected from the game after leaving the bench to come on the court to complain to a referee, days before he is expected to make his Wizards debut.
Durant made all 11 free throws and added seven assists and six rebounds in his only game close to his Maryland home this season. Amen Thompson had 22 points and 12 rebounds, while Reed Sheppard finished with 19 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds and six steals in his first career double-double.
Bilal Coulibaly scored 23 points and Sharife Cooper had 21 for the Wizards.
NUGGETS 128, JAZZ 125
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Jamal Murray scored 45 points and made the go-ahead free throws with 31.8 seconds remaining to help Denver hold off the depleted Utah.
Utah’s Keyonte George scored 36 points, but was denied two free throws that could have given the Jazz the lead on what would have been Nikola Jokic’s sixth foul with 16.3 seconds remaining — a shooting foul that was reversed to a blocked shot after a lengthy review.
Jokic, who had 22 points and 12 rebounds, made two free throws with 6.1 seconds left and George missed a last-second 3-pointer as the Nuggets escaped with the win.
Cam Johnson was a late scratch with a hurt ankle, but Julian Strawther scored 15 points and Jonas Valanciunas added 13 for Denver.
CLIPPERS 114, WARRIORS 101
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Kawhi Leonard had 23 points, eight rebounds and four assists, and Los Angeles erased a 17-point deficit to beat the short-handed Golden State.
Darius Garland scored 12 points in his Clippers debut, coming off the bench to play nearly 23 minutes in his first game since being acquired from Cleveland at the trade deadline last month in a deal that sent James Harden to the Cavaliers.
Garland had been nursing a toe injury, then he went down with 1:26 left in the second quarter after a collision with Moses Moody when they both went for a loose ball and Moody’s right shoulder appeared to get Garland in the face. Both players were shaken but stayed in the game.
Garland’s 3-pointer with 3:09 left in the third pulled the Clippers within 75-68, then Kris Dunn had a steal and layup to make it a five-point game. Los Angeles was within 79-77 going into the final 12 minutes.
Dunn finished with 16 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for the Clippers, who shot just 9 for 31 from 3-point range. Los Angeles used a 9-4 spurt to start the fourth quarter and go ahead 88-81.
Brandin Podziemski scored 22 points for the Warriors with Stephen Curry sidelined for an 11th straight game with a right knee injury, big man Kristaps Porzingis out for his fifth consecutive contest because of an illness coach Steve Kerr called “mysterious.” Rookie Will Richard was in a walking boot for his sprained right ankle he hurt in Saturday’s blowout home loss to the Lakers.
NEW YORK (AP) — Kirill Marchenko scored his second goal of the game 1:04 into overtime and the Columbus Blue Jackets edged the New York Rangers 5-4 Monday night after squandering a four-goal lead.
Columbus built a 4-0 advantage through the first two periods before the Rangers staged a furious comeback by scoring four unanswered goals, including Gabe Perreault's tying goal with 4:46 left in the third, to force OT.
Marchenko also added an assist for Columbus, which snapped a two-game skid . Adam Fantilli, Sean Monahan and Mathiew Olivier also scored for the Blue Jackets, and Charlie Coyle had two assists. Elvis Merzlikins stopped 27 of the 31 shots he faced.
After falling behind four goals after two periods, the Rangers rallied in the third, scoring twice in a 24-second span in the first minute. New York, which had a 16-7 edge in shots in the period, scored two more goals in just over a two-minute span later in the third and managed to force overtime before falling short.
Perreault finished with two goals, and Vladislav Gavrikov and Will Borgen also scored for New York, which dropped to 7-16-5 at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers were coming off a 3-2, shootout win over Pittsburgh on Saturday that snapped a five-game skid. Igor Shesterkin made 23 saves.
Fantilli opened the scoring with a goal in his third straight game, netting his 16th on a tip-in shot at 5:50 of the first. Marchenko, who assisted on Fantilli's score, made it 2-0 with a power-play goal at 15:32.
The Rangers had an apparent power-play goal by J.T. Miller disallowed early in the second when the officials ruled there was goaltender interference. Moments later, the Blue Jackets got a short-handed goal by Monahan. Olivier added a score at 11:54 of the middle period.
New York stormed back in the third on goals by Gavrikov 30 seconds into the period, and Perreault 24 seconds later. Borgen scored at 12:52, and Perreault added his second at 15:14.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Alperen Sengun had 32 points and 13 rebounds, Kevin Durant scored 30 and the Houston Rockets beat the Washington Wizards 123-118 on Monday night.
Trae Young was ejected from the game after leaving the bench to come on the court to complain to a referee, days before he is expected to make his Wizards debut.
Durant made all 11 free throws and added seven assists and six rebounds in his only game close to his Maryland home this season. Amen Thompson had 22 points and 12 rebounds, while Reed Sheppard finished with 19 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds and six steals in his first career double-double.
Bilal Coulibaly scored 23 points and Sharife Cooper had 21 for the Wizards.
Washington coach Brian Keefe said before the game that Young was trending toward being ready to play Thursday against Utah. The All-Star point guard was limited to just 10 games this season with Atlanta and was sidelined by knee and quadriceps injuries when the Wizards acquired him in January.
But Young didn't wait to get into the action, getting ejected in the third quarter during a confrontation between Houston's Tari Eason and Washington's Jamir Watkins. Eason was also thrown out.
Washington was 12 for 19 from 3-point range in the first half but just 6 for 28 inside the arc as Houston led 60-51. Thompson had 12 points and Durant 11 in the third quarter as the Rockets pushed the lead to 18, and they led by 19 in the fourth before Washington made the score close with a 38-point period.
Washington center Julian Reese fouled out with two points in his NBA debut. The brother of WNBA player Angel Reese started and played 28 minutes.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MARCH 02: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks dribbles the ball against Luka Garza #52 of the Boston Celtics during the second quarter at Fiserv Forum on March 02, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 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 Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The return of Giannis wasn’t enough to propel the Milwaukee Bucks over the Boston Celtics (who were missing All-Star wing Jaylen Brown and starting center Neemias Queta), losing 108-91. It’s the third straight loss by 20 or more for the Bucks. Payton Pritchard led the Celtics with 25 points on 5/10 shooting from beyond the arc. Giannis carried a sluggish Bucks offense with 19 points and 11 rebounds on 7/18 shooting.
Ousmane Dieng was tapped to join the starting five in Giannis’ return, with Ryan Rollins heading to the bench. The Ous got loose early, scoring five of Milwaukee’s first seven. Following Giannis’ first bucket in 38 days, the Bucks went up seven on the Celtics. Boston responded with a 10-0 run, with Hugo González converting two baskets inside, followed by threes from Sam Hauser and Derrick White. After Dieng’s second three of the quarter with 5:36 to go, Milwaukee’s offense went into a nearly three-minute dry spell; Boston took advantage, going up six before Bobby Portis finally got the Bucks back on the board. The Celtics scored the last three buckets of the opening frame, with Hauser capping it off with a mid-range buzzer-beater, putting the visitors ahead 30-20.
Boston kept the pedal to the metal to open the second quarter, going on an 8-0 run to put them up 18. Giannis returned and finally ended the run with a dunk, but that didn’t slow down the Celtics one bit, as they drilled four straight threes to take a 22-point lead with about six minutes left. The Bucks were able to chip into that lead slightly in the final three minutes, though, responding with a 10-3 run, with Giannis, Dieng, and Myles Turner all converting on much-needed buckets. Turner found the bottom of the net once again to close the half on a three-pointer, as the Bucks went into the locker room down 57-43.
Giannis stepped on the gas to open the third, scoring seven straight and cutting Boston’s lead to single digits in just over two minutes! González and Hauser responded, however, torturing the Bucks from three-point range; the pair combined for three triples as part of a 15-0 run for the visitors, growing their lead to 24. It was an unlikely hero that brought Milwaukee life, though, with Pete Nance—who had gotten two DNP-CDs and garbage time minutes in the last four games—helping spark a 9-3 run with a pair of corner threes. But of course, White and Payton Pritchard scored the final six points of the period, with the latter draining a high-arching mid-range shot in the dying seconds. The bucket put Boston ahead 83-65 after three.
The Celtics made sure there was no chance of a Bucks comeback early in the fourth quarter. Pritchard continued to make triples, converting two more as part of a 13-4 opening run, ballooning Boston’s lead to 27, before the Bucks called a timeout. Pritchard splashed home another, making it an even 30-point lead with 4:47 left as Doc called another timeout to empty his bench. Another tough L for the Bucks.
Stat That Stood Out
Despite being relatively the same in size down low, the Bucks were dominated on the inside. The Celtics outscored them 34-22 in the paint and outrebounded them 63-47.
And after climbing out of a two-goal hole against the Penguins, the Blueshirts proved they haven’t totally lost their inspiration and overcame a four-goal margin in a single period Monday night to force overtime before Kirill Marchenko won it 5-4 for Columbus.
“It’s easy for us to pack it in and feel sorry for ourselves,” Adam Fox said. “But, on the flip side, you have the ability to play free and I think just play proud. We’re getting booed off the ice after the second. No one feels good about that. We’ve been saying it all year, we’re a prideful group. Things haven’t gone as smooth as anyone has liked, but definitely proud of the group for that third period and, honestly, just giving the fans something to cheer for, something to get excited for. We want to be able to deliver that for a full 60 minutes, not just one period at a time.”
Igor Shesterkin reacts after allowing a goal during the Rangers’ loss to the Blue Jackets. Robert Sabo for the NY Post
Despite securing at least one point for a second game in a row, the Rangers have not won in regulation on home ice since before Thanksgiving.
That’s an 18-game streak at MSG without a regulation win.
The Rangers now have just three regulation wins over their last 25 contests.
Gabe Perreault had a hand in three of their four goals in the third period, scoring two of them — including the game-tying score — and assisting on one to help his team pick up at least one point.
It marked the 20-year-old’s second multigoal game through his first 32 career NHL games.
“I feel like every game I’m more and more comfortable,” said Perreault, who has five goals through 27 games this season. “J.T. [Miller] and Mika [Zibanejad] have done a great job helping me and mentoring me and making me feel confident. I think we’ve been starting to build some chemistry. It’s been really good playing with those guys.”
Gabe Perreault is positioned by the net during the Rangers’ March 2 loss to the Blue Jackets. Robert Sabo for the NY Post
The Rangers didn’t get on the scoreboard until early in the third period, when the home team scored twice in the span of 24 seconds to make it a two-goal game with the bulk of the final frame remaining.
Vladislav Gavrikov scored his 10th goal of the season before Perreault took advantage of Denton Mateychuk’s whiffed pass.
The 20-year-old collected the puck and whipped it past Columbus goalie Elvis Merzlikins.
With the extra skater on the ice amid a delayed penalty later in the period, Will Borgen stuffed in a loose puck.
The Rangers defenseman then dished to Perreault in transition for the 4-4 score with just under five minutes remaining in regulation.
“The fight we had in the third period, the energy,” head coach Mike Sullivan said. “We almost won in regulation. We had a couple of looks right at the end of the game to break it open. Their goalie made a couple pretty big saves to take it to overtime.”
Feb 26, 2026; Peoria, Arizona, USA; Cleveland Guardians center fielder Angel Martinez (1) reacts after hitting a single against the Seattle Mariners in the first inning at Peoria Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
The Guardians lost 1-3 to the Rangers today, but there were some positive takeaways. First and foremost, Slade Cecconi looked solid despite giving up two runs in 2.2 IP. He recorded four strikeouts to just one walk. It’s worth noting that he threw a ton of cutters today, and that was a pitch we didn’t see all that much from him last season. That will be something to keep an eye on.
Angel Martinez continues to prove that he is a very viable hitter against left handed pitching, as he went 2-2 with a HR and 108 mph double against LHP Austin Gomber. I really wish he would just scrap switch hitting and try to hit as a right handed hitter full time to see it went. He is up to a .385 average and a 1.500 OPS this spring.
Outside of that there wasn’t much offense today for the Guardians, as most of the regulars had a day off. The Guardians play the Dodgers tomorrow at 3:05 pm ET and it will be televised.
WEST PALM BEACH, FL - MARCH 02: Ezequiel Tovar #14 of Team Venezuela poses for a photo during the Team Venezuela photo day at Cacti Park at the Palm Beaches on Monday, March 2, 2026 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Kevin Liles/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The World Baseball Classic starts this week, and the Colorado Rockies have 11 players representing various countries:
The Rockies will face off against Team USA in an exhibition game at Salt River Fields on Wednesday, and Kyle Freeland will face his former team.
So the question tonight is this: which team are you rooting for in the WBC? Who do you think could make some noise?
Mar 2, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Cam Thomas (24) shoots against Boston Celtics guard Hugo Gonzalez (28) in the first half at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
The Celtics didn’t have their usual stars on hand Monday night against the Milwaukee Bucks, but like many nights this season, it didn’t matter. The Prove-It Unit made a statement. Behind a relentless bench performance and a breakout night from Hugo Gonzalez, Boston turned a competitive game into a runaway road win.
First Quarter
Milwaukee struck first, with Giannis Antetokounmpo scoring the game’s opening basket at the 10:53 mark. The Celtics responded quickly. Hugo Gonzalez got Boston on the board with a driving finish just under a minute later, then followed it up with a dunk in transition to settle things early.
Sam Hauser connected from behind the arc at 9:04, his first of the night, to keep Boston within striking distance as both teams traded possessions in the opening minutes.
Coming out of the first TV timeout, the Celtics’ bench group shifted the tone.
After Nikola Vucevic scored inside with a hook, Payton Pritchard checked in around the six-minute mark. Ron Harper Jr. then entered shortly after and made an immediate impact, drilling a no-hesitation corner three at 4:39 and recording multiple blocks on the defensive end. Boston’s energy picked up during that stretch, particularly on the glass.
Luka Garza contributed on the offensive boards, extending possessions and finishing around the rim. Jordan Walsh didn’t score in the quarter but tied for the early rebounding lead with four boards. Nine Celtics appeared in the opening period and eight of them scored.
Milwaukee stalled a bit when Giannis Antetokounmpo went to the bench, and Boston capitalized. Sam Hauser closed the quarter with a missed three, grabbed his own rebound, and, à la Larry Bird, converted a circus midrange shot just before the buzzer. The Celtics led 30–20 after one.
Second Quarter
Boston continued to build the lead early in the second.
A Bucks travel led to a quick transition opportunity for the Celtics, where Hauser hit a no-dip wing three off a pass from Vucevic — the catch-high, release-high shot that he and Baylor Scheierman frequently practice, as CelticsBlog’s Noa Dalzell noted.
Gonzalez recorded a chasedown block from behind and later finished in transition after Pritchard pushed the pace, converting the and-one at the line. Through the middle of the quarter, the Celtics’ Prove-It Unit kept the game tilted in Boston’s favor with activity on both ends.
Antetokounmpo returned around the 9:20 mark and immediately impacted the game, dunking in transition over Derrick White and later beating Gonzalez off the dribble for another finish at the rim. Milwaukee briefly gained momentum, but Boston responded.
Gonzalez hit a corner three at 7:57 to make it 43–24. Pritchard and White both connected from deep as the Celtics’ lead grew to 52–30 with 6:20 remaining in the quarter. Milwaukee answered with threes from Bobby Portis, Kevin Porter Jr., and Dieng to stay within reach.
Defensively, Boston was active in help situations and forced multiple turnovers. Gonzalez stripped Antetokounmpo on one possession, and Garzilla continued to clean up on the offensive glass on the other side.
Luka Garza hasn't played much since Boston got Nikola Vucevic. But tonight is a good example of the "stay ready" role and making the most of things when you get minutes. 7 points and 4 rebounds (3 offensive) in the first half. Great energy and hustle, as we've come to expect too.
The Celtics’ lead reached 22 before a late stretch of sloppy play allowed Milwaukee to chip away. A few turnovers and missed shots in the final two minutes helped the Bucks cut the deficit to 14 at halftime. Mazzulla appeared frustrated with the final possession after Boston turned the ball over rather than getting a clean look.
Still, the Celtics controlled most of the half and went into the break up 54–40.
Third Quarter
Milwaukee opened the half aggressively.
Hauser hustled out to block an AJ Green three on the first possession, but Vucevic airballed his third attempt from deep on the other end. Giannis Antetokounmpo began to impose himself, finishing through contact and converting an and-one at the 10:49 mark to cut the lead to single digits.
Vucevic steadied things briefly with a soft finish inside off a White feed, but Antetokounmpo continued to pressure the rim, bullying his way to another layup as the deficit dipped to nine.
Boston answered.
Hauser drilled a contested three from the wing, and Gonzalez recorded his second career double-double at the 9:30 mark. Fifteen seconds later, he buried a corner three to push the lead back to 15.
White and Vucevic re-established their two-man rhythm, connecting inside to make it 67–50 with 8:33 remaining. That capped a 10–0 Boston run in under two minutes.
From there, the Celtics’ Prove-It Unit swung momentum again.
Gonzalez blocked a perimeter attempt, sprinted the floor and finished on a cut to reach 15 points. Hauser connected on another contested three at 7:28. Gonzalez later absorbed contact in the post to draw an offensive foul on Antetokounmpo.
By the six-minute mark, Boston’s lead was back to 23.
Milwaukee responded with threes from Portis and Dieng, trimming the deficit during a 15–5 stretch. A successful Bucks challenge overturned a Ron Harper Jr. finish at the rim, and tensions rose briefly after a jump ball sequence involving Luka Garza and Porter Jr.
Boston closed the quarter cleanly. White converted a tough reverse layup to halt the run, and after another Milwaukee turnover, the Celtics secured the final possession for the third straight quarter. Pritchard delivered, stepping back for a high-arching midrange jumper that fell just before the buzzer.
Boston left little doubt early in the final frame.
Vucevic opened the quarter with a finish inside to push the lead back to 20. Milwaukee struggled to generate clean offense, including an airballed three and a sloppy sideline turnover as Giannis Antetokounmpo checked back in at the 10:27 mark.
Pritchard stretched the margin further at 10:10, drilling a deep three to give him 16 points and seven assists at that point. On the other end, Antetokounmpo missed at the rim but drew a late whistle on Gonzalez. Cam Thomas later earned free throws after strong help defense from White was wiped away by a foul call on Vucevic.
Boston stayed composed.
White continued orchestrating, finding Vucevic for another interior finish to make it a 21-point game again. After Antetokounmpo missed a wide-open three that rattled out, the Celtics delivered what felt like the decisive sequence.
Walsh grabbed an offensive rebound to extend the possession, and Pritchard — after missing a step-back — relocated beyond the arc. Walsh found him again. This time it dropped. Bucks timeout. Boston up 24 with 7:45 remaining.
From there, the gap only widened.
Gonzalez secured his 14th and 15th rebounds of the night as Milwaukee continued to miss at the rim against Boston’s layered help defense. White knocked down a contested three to reach 18 points and nine assists before checking out for the night. Pritchard followed with another deep three as the lead touched 30, drawing another timeout from Doc Rivers.
Hugo Gonzalez is only the 2nd Celtic rookie to have at least 18 points, 16 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks in a game.
The other? Larry Bird against Detroit (23-19-3-2 on 11/14/79)
Scheierman added a late three and flashed a thumbs-up toward the bench. Tonje checked in with 2:30 remaining for just his second appearance as a Celtic, joined by Amari Williams and Max Shulga in the final minutes.
Gonzalez put the finishing touch on his 18-point, 16-rebound performance with a late three in the closing minute, sealing a dominant road win that pushed the Celtics to 41–20 on the season.
Boston will return home Wednesday to face the Charlotte Hornets.
South Australia’s hopes of qualifying for the Sheffield Shield final has received a timely boost, with Australian superstar Travis Head confirming his availability for this week’s crucial clash against New South Wales in Adelaide.
The Chicago Blackhawks officially made their first notable move of trade deadline week, as they dealt defenseman Connor Murphy to the Edmonton Oilers. This was after the right-shot defenseman was the subject of trade rumors for quite some time.
Yet, there is certainly a chance that the Blackhawks might not be done yet, as they have multiple other trade candidates to watch. Due to this, let's look at four Blackhawks who could be on the move next.
Jason Dickinson
Jason Dickinson is another veteran pending UFA who has a chance of being dealt by the deadline. With the Blackhawks having several promising young forwards in their system, it would make sense if they at least listened to offers on Dickinson. He could get them a decent return when noting that he is a solid veteran two-way center.
Ilya Mikheyev
Ilya Mikheyev is the pending UFA that the Blackhawks should be working hardest to sign to a contract extension. He has been a great addition to their roster since his arrival, as he has been a fantastic penalty-killer and has chipped in offensively. Yet, if the Blackhawks can't come to terms with him on an extension by the deadline, he could be a valuable trade chip for them to move.
Nick Foligno
If Nick Foligno lets the Blackhawks know that he wants to play for a contender, the veteran forward could end up being moved. At 38 years old, he likely will not have too many more chances to try to win the Stanley Cup, so it would be understandable if he wanted to play for a top team. However, if he wants to finish the year in Chicago, the Blackhawks won't be moving him.
Matt Grzelcyk
Grzelcyk is another pending UFA who could generate some interest from contenders. The Massachusetts native could be a nice addition to a playoff team's bottom pairing. He also has a lot of playoff experience due to his time with the Boston Bruins, so that adds to his appeal.
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Wins turned losses
As the calendar flipped to the first full month of the college baseball season, the Huskies ushered March in harshly, letting a series win — and not inconceivably, a sweep — fall through their fingertips this weekend.
UConn led late in all three games, held UNC Wilmington to just five runs through the first 28 innings of the weekend but secured just one win on Friday before blowing eighth-inning leads on both Saturday and Sunday to lose 2-1 and 7-2, respectively.
It was the kind of weekend that made Jim Penders say: “I don’t have any answers.”
Photo: UConn Athletics
Let’s recap…
Reigning Big East Pitcher of the Week Charlie West took the ball to start UConn’s lone win. He battled control issues as he walked six but limited the damage to two earned runs across four-plus innings thanks to nine strikeouts.
“(West) doesn’t get rattled, he kept competing,” Penders said postgame. “He didn’t have his command today, obviously, a lot of freebies from the mound. But he stayed in there, he kept battling. You want him out there because he has such a calm demeanor.”
Los Medanos transfer Chase Taylor followed up a solid weekend in Arizona with his first multi-RBI performance at the Division I level. The junior brought Chris Polemeni home with a bases-loaded walk in the second before doubling in the fourth, his first extra base hit of the season, to even the score at two runs apiece.
The score remained until the ninth when the Huskies plated three to jump out front. Nater Wachter recorded an RBI single, Bryce Detwiler scored on a wild pitch and Jackson Marshall pushed another across with a walk, giving UConn the lead and a pair of insurance runs heading to the ninth. Charlie Hale recorded the win, pitching 4 1/3 strong in relief of West, allowing just three baserunners and striking out four.
The Huskies late-inning heroics dried up by Saturday, however, as the Seahawks tied the series with a 2-1 walk off victory in the 12th.
The Huskies led 1-0 entering the eighth inning on the shoulders of Cayden Suchy, who twirled seven shutout innings and allowed just four hits. The lone RBI came courtesy of a Chris Cancel double, but the lead disappeared in Paxton Meyer’s first inning in relief. The righty allowed a single, a sac bunt to advance a runner, and a game-tying double.
Meyers settled in, retiring 11 hitters in a row until the fateful 12th inning. In three outings since allowing four earned in one inning to Kansas State, the Brown transfer has thrown 8 1/3 innings, allowing just the aforementioned earned run.
UConn served up the win on a gold platter in the 12th, botching a bunt play to all a walk-off. With a pair on, UNCW pinch hitter Brady Thompson laid a sacrifice bunt down in front of the pitcher’s mound. Third baseman Maddix Dalena charged in to field the ball, but checked to see if there was a potential play at third base. A rushed throw to first sailed into the outfield and Seahawks’ shortstop Kevin Jones trotted all the way around from second to score the winning run with ease.
From the seventh inning on, UConn managed a base runner in all but the 11th. Three times they were caught stealing, stranding all others in a disappearing act from the offense.
“The bats were abysmal,” Penders said. “Aside from Chris Polemeni, Chris Cancel… we didn’t do anything offensively.”
“Seemed like we saved our worst at-bats for whenever anybody was on second base,” he continued.
Sundaysaw the Huskies again blow a late-inning lead, allowing a six-run eighth-inning explosion as the Seahawks ripped away a 7-2 win and the series victory.
Despite the lopsided final score, UConn needed just six outs to lock down a would-be 2-1 win. A fourth inning home run from Will Tyrrell gave the Seahawks a 1-0 advantage, though Nater Wachter stole it back in the sixth with an opposite-field two-run home run, his second of the season.
A second-straight solid start for Oliver Pudvar also helped UConn’s cause. The left-hander went five innings as he fanned seven and allowed just one run to keep the Huskies within striking distance. Greg Shaw III gave UConn a pair of scoreless innings before turning the ball over to closer Sean Finn, who was quickly jumped by the Seahawks’ offense.
Finn lasted just 2/3 of an inning, completely losing sight of the strike zone as he allowed a slew of base runners, including four straight walks to end his day. Garret Garbinski came on, inheriting bases loaded, and allowed a barrage singles to blow the game open. Between the two UConn pitchers, seven straight Seahawks reached base in the deciding inning. Finn penciled four earned to his ledger before Garbinski recorded a strike out to put a bandaid on the lost frame.
An Anthony Belasario double was moot in the ninth as the Huskies never threatened a comeback, giving the win and the series away in one fell swoop. A 4-7 record hangs over UConn’s heads as it prepares to host its first home game of the season Wednesday.
“We had our best swings in the ninth inning after it was out of reach,” Penders said. “You can’t play this game afraid. I hope our hitters can take a lesson from our starting pitchers all weekend. See the confidence that they had… the anxiety is all over (the hitters’) faces. It’s oozing out of their bodies, and that’s gotta change. We don’t have a drill for that. We don’t have a pill for that. Twenty percent of the season is gone. There’s got to be a sense of urgency.”
Ouch.
Photo: UConn Athletics
Takeaways
The UConn lineup has been streaky and this weekend was without a doubt its worst of the young season. The Huskies swatted just .121 on the weekend while striking out 37 times. They were outscored by the Seahawks in the aggregate, 11-8.
Where UConn did find consistency was the defensive side of the ball. Save for the debilitating Dalena error in game two — a big exception — the Huskies played a clean weekend of defensive baseball. Dalena’s blunder was UConn’s lone error on the weekend and the team turned four double plays, including three on Sunday night.
While the Huskies struggled with batted balls, UConn earned 18 free passes, with 13 coming on walks and 5 on hit batsmen. It isn’t enough to make up for the high strikeout totals in each contest, but it does demonstrate some semblance of plate discipline.
Playing good fundamental baseball is laudable, but it doesn’t win ballgames.
Still, the Huskies are going to need more out of their role players in games where their bigger bats, such as Evan Menzel and Jackson Marshall, can’t get it done. On the weekend, Menzel and Dalena both went hitless across a combined 25 at bats, while Marshall recorded a singular hit in 12 at bats. The two left eight runners on base over the three-game set.
The injuries are hard to ignore. Tyler Minick, Connor Lane — Jim Penders confirmed he took a ball off the face during batting practice that will sideline him for the time being — and Rob Rispoli were all absent from the lineup this weekend. Perhaps their return could inject some life into a floundering offense.
Weekend Winners
Chris Polemeni and Chris Cancel
Polemeni finds himself on the list for the second-straight week and did plenty to earn that honor. Hitting .625 this weekend, the outfielder gave the Huskies five hits, including a three-knock performance on Sunday.
The redshirt junior could not sit still on base. He went an aggressive 5-for-6 on stolen base attempts, wreaking havoc on the base paths for the Huskies and scoring four of UConn’s 8 runs. A slight knock for his lone caught stealing in the seventh inning of Saturday’s loss when an insurance run could have prevented the 12th-inning meltdown.
“Chris Polemeni had an awesome weekend. Really proud of him,” Penders said. “Chris Cancel, a guy who didn’t have a single at-bat coming into the weekend, he looked like he wanted to be out there… both Chris’ had nice weekends.”
Cayden Suchy
Suchy once again shined against the Seahawks. With seven shutout innings, it was his first scoreless appearance of the season and his longest. He also threw nine less pitches than in his 6 2/3 inning start against Arizona. Not only are the results improving, but he is becoming more efficient in achieving them.
The sophomore also posted a career-high 12 strikeouts against just one walk. Suchy has pitched well enough to be considered an early season Big East Pitcher of the Year candidate.
Nater Wachter
Wachter had his best weekend as a Husky. The outfielder posted a pair of multi-hit games and provided three RBI over the course of the weekend.
The junior notched a pair of clutch hits, driving in the go-ahead run in Game 1 and homering in the middle innings of Game 3 to give the Huskies their only lead of the day.
Charlie Hale
Hale was exceptional once again in relief on Friday. After West departed, Hale picked up the final 4 ⅔ innings and allowed just one hit and a pair of walks in his second scoreless outing of the season and second win.
Over four appearances and one start, the right hander has now worked to a minuscule 1.23 ERA.
“Hale did an awesome job. He loves to compete and he’s fun to watch,” Penders said. “He doesn’t light up the radar gun (but) it doesn’t matter. He’s gonna take on the hitter and throw a lot of strikes and kind of calm the waters a bit.”
Oliver Pudvar
Pudvar has picked up steam with each start. What stuck out for Pudvar in this one was his seven strikeouts. After punching out just three in each of his first two starts, the lefty showed renewed swing-and-miss potential for the first time this season while also keeping the walk total low. It seems the lefty is back to business, having struck out 73 last season, good for the second-best total.
The redshirt junior walked just one in the outing after allowing no free passes in his second start. That combination of limiting contact and emphasizing control could be dangerous if he shows that he can demonstrate it consistently. Pudvar can shine in a late-weekend starting role after he was relied upon so heavily last season to be an ace.
Huskies in the Pros
In the absence of any RPI or Bracketology updates, we will use this space this week to highlight a few former UConn ballplayers continuing their careers throughout different levels of professional ball.
George Springer
The greatest position player in UConn baseball history is still getting it done late in his illustrious MLB career. Springer had a monstrous season last year at age 35, hitting .309 with 32 homers as the Blue Jays advanced as far as Game 7 of the World Series. Entering the final season of a six-year, $160 million contract he signed prior to the 2021 season, Springer has appeared in just two games of spring training as he ramps up for the new year.
Ben Casparius
On the other side of the World Series was Ben Casparius, who appeared in 46 games for the Dodgers last year, recording over 75 innings with an ERA a touch over 4.50. In two innings thus far this spring, he’s allowed one home run, his lone baserunner. The two-time World Series champ should be a mainstay in Los Angeles’ bullpen as it eyes its third-straight title.
P.J. Poulin
Poulin made his MLB debut last year and appeared in 28 games for the Nationals in the second half. The southpaw recorded a 3.65 ERA, striking out 27 and walking 13 in 24 2/3 innings. His spring is off to a good start as he hopes to remain a fixture of Washington’s bullpen in 2026, pitching three scoreless innings.
Anthony Kay
After two seasons in Japan with the Yokohama Bay Stars, Kay returned stateside to join the White Sox on a two-year, $12 million deal, signed in December. The lefty last appeared in the MLB in 2023 with the Mets and aims to slot in at the back of Chicago’s rotation. In two starts this spring, Kay had pitched 4 2/3 innings, allowing two earned with four strikeouts and four walks apiece.
Ryan Daniels
The Twins plucked Daniels from UConn in the MLB draft and quickly sent the 2025 Big East Player of the Year to Single-A ball. He played just two games for the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels, failing to record a hit in nine plate appearances. Daniels landed on the injury report multiple times before retiring in December of 2025, according to MILB.com’s Mighty Mussels transaction report.
Ian Cooke
Cooke joined the MLB Draft League following his final season in Storrs, looking to boost his stock after going undrafted in 2025. The righty appeared in 14 games for the Frederick Keys, going 3-1 with a 2.84 ERA across 19 innings, striking out 33. The 2026 MLB Draft League season is set to get underway in June.
Brady Afthim
The Reds took Afthim in the 13th round of last summer’s draft, assigning him to rookie ball with the ACL Reds in August. Less than a month later, he was promoted to Class A’s Daytona Tortugas of the FSL. The closer had just a quick cup of coffee, two innings pitched, before the season’s end, but he is still listed as active on MiLB.com, presumably in Reds minor league camp ahead of the 2026 season.
Sam Biller
Biller signed with the Mets as an undrafted free agent following the 2025 season. He played six games with the Single-A affiliate St. Lucie Mets, recording 4 hits in 17 at-bats (.235 AVG) with one double, one RBI and three walks. Biller was released by the Mets last month.
On Deck
The Huskies take the field at Elliot Stadium for the first time since May 17, when they hosted former Black Bear turned UConn infielder Evan Menzel and Maine in a 5-1 win. New Haven, playing their first season as a Division I program, will make the short trip before the Huskies head to Virginia for three with Old Dominion.
Wednesday: vs. New Haven, Storrs, CT, 7 p.m. (UCONN+)
Friday: at Old Dominion, Norfolk, VA, 2 p.m. (ESPN+)
Saturday: at Old Dominion, Norfolk, VA, 2 p.m. (ESPN+)
Sunday: at Old Dominion, Norfolk, VA, 1 p.m. (ESPN+)
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Magic City is famous throughout Atlanta. Photograph: Prince Williams/WireImage
San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet has called on the Atlanta Hawks to abandon their collaboration with a famous strip club.
Magic City is an Atlanta institution and been mentioned in a string of hip-hop records, as well as hosting rappers such as Drake, Lil Yachty, Migos, Jack Harlow and Future. It is also popular with athletes: past visitors have included Michael Jordan, while MLS’s Atlanta United celebrated their title at the club in 2018. The club gained widespread attention in 2020 when the Los Angeles Clippers’ Lou Williams visited the club after leaving the NBA’s quarantine bubble during the Covid pandemic.
The Hawks recently announced a theme night with Magic City for their game against Orlando Magic on 16 March. The night will feature a performance from Atlanta native TI, while fans will be able to buy Magic City’s famous wings and branded hoodies.
However Kornet, a devout Catholic, said he disapproves of the night, writing in a Medium post that it “would reflect poorly on us as an NBA community, specifically in being complicit in the potential objectification and mistreatment of women in our society.”
In a press release, the Hawks said Magic City is an “iconic cultural institution,” and praised “its pivotal role in hip-hop and Black culture.”
However, Kornet noted that the press release made no mention of the fact that Magic City “is, as the business itself boasts, ‘Atlanta’s premier strip club.’”
Kornet added that he believed the night was inappropriate for many NBA fans.
“We desire to provide an environment where fans of all ages can safely come and enjoy the game of basketball and where we can celebrate the history and culture of communities in good conscience,” he wrote. “The celebration of a strip club is not conduct aligned with that vision.”
