Southwest Division rivals face off in tonight's “Battle of Texas” as the San Antonio Spurs host the Houston Rockets.
Elite defense will be on display from both teams, and my Rockets vs Spurs predictions call for the Under to hit at Frost Bank Center.
Here are my free NBA picks for this divisional tilt on Sunday, March 8.
Rockets vs Spurs prediction
Rockets vs Spurs best bet: Under 222.5 (-115)
Don’t expect a high-scoring affair tonight, as the Under has hit in two straight and eight of the last 10 head-to-head matchups between the Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs.
Houston is 27-35 to the Under — including a 13-30 mark on the road — while San Antonio is 26-38 (12-17 at home).
The Rockets have allowed the third-fewest points per game at 109.3, and the Spurs have allowed the seventh-fewest at 111.4.
Rockets vs Spurs same-game parlay
Alperen Sengun has found success against Victor Wembanyama, averaging 20.2 points and 5.4 assists across nine head-to-head matchups.
Sengun has recorded 19+ points in 30 of 55 games overall and two of three against the Spurs this season.
He's recorded at least six dimes in 33 of 55 games overall, cruising past this line in all three games against San Antonio.
Rockets vs Spurs SGP
Under 222.5
Alperen Sengun Over 18.5 points
Alperen Sengun Over 5.5 assists
Our "from downtown" SGP: Battle of the bigs
Victor Wembanyama has averaged 12 rebounds in nine career matchups against Sengun, and he's pulled down 12+ in two of four of those at home.
Rockets vs Spurs SGP
Under 222.5
Alperen Sengun Over 18.5 points
Alperen Sengun Over 5.5 assists
Victor Wembanyama Over 11.5 rebounds
Rockets vs Spurs odds
Spread: Rockets +5 | Spurs -5
Moneyline: Rockets +170 | Spurs -205
Over/Under: Over 222.5 (-105) | Under 222.5 (-115)
Rockets vs Spurs betting trend to know
The San Antonio Spurs have hit the game total Under in 28 of their last 40 games (+14.80 Units / 34% ROI). Find more NBA betting trends for Rockets vs. Spurs.
How to watch Rockets vs Spurs
Location
Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, TX
Date
Sunday, March 8, 2026
Tip-off
8:00 p.m. ET
TV
NBC
Rockets vs Spurs latest injuries
Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - MARCH 6: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs celebrates after the game against the LA Clippers on March 6, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Most people have heard of the five stages of grief. As described by author David Kessler:
“The five stages — denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance — are a part of the framework that makes up our learning to live with the one we lost. They are tools to help us frame and identify what we may be feeling.But they are not stops on some linear timeline in grief. Not everyone goes through all of them or in a prescribed order.”
But I am not writing about grief today. No, I am writing about hope — the five stages of hope. The Spurs have had two recent games in which fans realistically had no hope that our favorite team could pull out a win.
One of those games was the second of a back-to-back on a cold February night in Toronto. (The words “February night in Toronto” are always preceded either by “snowy”, ‘freezing” or “cold”.) The night before, the Spurs had beaten the “best record in the league” Pistons in an extremely physical game against the number one defense in the NBA. In Toronto barely 24 hours later, the Spurs trailed 90-75 with less than a minute left in the third quarter. While fans had little to no hope, the players had other thoughts. After making a three to close the gap to 12 entering the fourth, the Spurs outscored the home team by 32-17 in the final quarter to win by 110-107. In some ways, that win was more impressive than the win the night before.
Last Friday against the Clippers was perhaps even more unlikely. Once again, it came 24 hours after an emotional homecoming win against those same Pistons in which Victor Wembanya played a season-high 39 minutes, which meant he was on a severe minutes restriction against the Clippers. Even worse, the Spurs fell behind by even more than in the Raptor game, trailing 75-50 in the third quarted. Check out the ESPN odds of the Clippers winning after Kawhi Leonard’s three put the Clippers up by 25 points:
+3 Points 9:23 – 3rd
Kawhi Leonard makes 26-foot three point jumper (Kris Dunn assists)
75-50
Win %: LAC, 98.8
Once again, the Spurs kept hope alive, outscoring the Clippers by 9 in the third quarter (thank you, Julian Champagnie!) and by 15 in the fourth. Yes, hope is a powerful thing.
But hope does not spring from nothing, nor does it occur suddenly or magically in a gym in Toronto or San Antonio. Like grief, hope comes in stages. Like grief, hope can arise in people, or teams, after different stages and in different orders.
For this Spurs team, I believe the first stage of developing hope arose from the strength of the organization. Perhaps we can describe this stage as having a solid foundation or core — the Spurs, with their remarkable history of success, certainly provide that. This also meant instilling the right habits. Even when the team was not winning, the coaches insured the players played the right way and learned the structure and effort that makes winning possible.
The second stage in the Spurs journey was planning. Even when painful to do so, the Spurs organization planned their future. This meant trading away popular and talented players such as Dejounte Murray and Derrick White. While the organization and fans loved what those players contributed, they knew that they could not bring the team to the level we wanted. Even bringing in Chris Paul on a one-year deal last year was part of the planning, and learning, process.
The next stage for the Spurs was good fortune — being in the right place at the right time. For the Spurs, this happened when they won the lottery the same year that Victor entered the draft. We can call this stage “opportunity”. Others could call this “karma”. Certainly the entire NBA was happy that he landed with the Spurs, with their history of success and their solid organization. Pairing him, with his immense desire to succeed, with an organization known for its success, has been a perfect marriage. And while the Spurs were fortunate to be the team to select him, the organization’s intelligence led to the drafting of Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper — plus the under-rated selection in the last draft of Carter Bryant with the 14th pick,
The fourth stage was, and remains, patience. The Spurs have not attempted to skip any steps on their way back to relevance. The only significant trade they have made to bring in talent was the trade for De”Aaron Fox, a player who really wanted to come play in San Antonio. And acquiring Fox did not require squandering significant future capital — the only one of their picks surrendered was next year’s first round pick. That pick will surely be in the high 20’s, and thus reasonably expendable.
The fifth stage of hope is belief — an outgrowth of the prior four steps. Because of the solid foundation, the careful planning, the good fortune to take advantage of opportunity, and the patience to stick with it the plan, the Spurs, their players and their fans now can sincerely believe that this will all come together. And because the players and coaching staff believed that they could be better than everyone else predicted, they are now significantly ahead of everyone else’s schedule, but not their own. Which is why we all have high hopes, not only for the bright future but also for the blindingly breathtaking present.
GOODYEAR, ARIZONA - MARCH 7: Ethan Salas #90 of the San Diego Padres waits for a pitch during a Spring Training game against the Cleveland Guardians at Goodyear Ballpark on March 7, 2026 in Goodyear, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
It was a rough day for San Diego Padres pitchers in Goodyear, Ariz. on Saturday. The Padres were on the road to face the Cleveland Guardians with one of their top pitchers on the mound in Michael King. It was only King’s second start of Spring Training and after a diving attempt by center fielder Bryce Johnson on a ball that landed in the outfield and rolled all the way to the wall allowing Steven Kwan to reach third base, it looked as though it was not going to be a good day. King would allow Kwan to score in the bottom of the first but limited the damage to one run. He would finish his day on the mound with 3.2 innings pitched with three earned runs allowed on three hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
Garrett Hawkins, who had been having a solid spring season, followed King and allowed two runs on two hits in 0.2 innings pitched. He also allowed a walk and failed to record any strikeouts. Carter Loewen did not fare much better following Hawkins. He also worked 0.2 innings and allowed two runs on three hits with a walk and a strikeout.
The first three pitchers for the Padres combined with the San Diego offense, which had one run on 10 hits, took the loss in Goodyear at the hands of the Guardians, 7-1. The Padres will look for better performances from the pitching staff when they play the Cincinnati Reds at the Peoria Sports Complex on Sunday at 12:10 p.m.
Padres News:
Position battles have been the story of Spring Training for the Padres. Cheri Bell of Gaslamp Ball provides a snapshot of each competition and some insight with regard to how she believes each position will be decided. AJ Cassavell of Padres.com, like Bell, looked at the competitions in Spring Training for the Padres. He focused on the players competing for the fifth starter spot in the rotation.
The Padres have a new manager who appears young and energetic in his dealings with the media. Craig Stammen took the job as the San Diego skipper and brought in many of his own coaches and the Padres players seem to be enjoying the new atmosphere of the clubhouse.
AHMEDABAD, India (AP) — Mitchell Santner won the toss as New Zealand opted to bowl against defending champions India in the T20 World Cup final on Sunday.
It is a second consecutive T20 World Cup final for India after it beat South Africa in 2024 at Barbados to claim a second title. India won the inaugural tournament in 2007 and could become the first team to lift this trophy for a third time.
India is the only team to reach four finals. West Indies (2012 and 2016) and England (2010, 2022) are the other teams to have won the T20 World Cup twice.
New Zealand is aiming for its first T20 World Cup triumph. It finished as runner-up in the 2021 final, losing to Australia in Dubai.
India topped Group A in the first round and then finished second in Group 1 in the Super 8s. Its only loss came against South Africa in the Super 8s at the same venue. The co-hosts beat England in the second semifinal in Mumbai.
New Zealand finished second in Group D in the first round and finished second in Group 2 in the Super 8s. It beat South Africa in the first semifinal at Kolkata.
The Black Caps have made one change with medium pacer Jacob Duffy coming in for Cole McConchie.
India is unchanged from the Mumbai semifinal.
The Narendra Modi Stadium is the largest cricket ground in the world, with a crowd in excess of 100,000 expected at today’s final. The pitch should aid batters through both innings, with evening dew possibly aiding the chasing side.
New Zealand: Tim Seifert, Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner (captain), Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Jacob Duffy
DENVER, CO - MARCH 6: New York Knicks bench celebrates during the game against the Denver Nuggets on March 6, 2026 at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Say, whatever happened to those Knicks that were a disgrace to basketball during a 2-9 stretch, which saw them play some of the worst defense the NBA has ever seen?
Wait, what do you mean that team has now been the best defense in basketball for six weeks?
It’s been a weird year. The Knicks are on pace for 52.5 wins, just marginally better than similarly topsy-turvy seasons in 2023-24 and 2024-25. Through 64 games, they’re 41-23… identical to last season. They’re once again winless against No. 1 seeds. If you looked at it from the periphery, you’d think this is the exact same season with a different tone.
But if we exclude that 11-game stretch of basketball, which, let’s be completely real, isn’t representative of this team, they’re playing at a 61-win pace. The stretch did happen, and it represents over 15% of the season, but even the most pessimistic Knicks fan cannot seriously think that a team that’s currently sixth in defensive rating is in any way similar to what they did during that stretch.
The Knicks started 23-9 (24-9, the NBA Cup counts to me, dammit!). They’re 16-5 in their last 21 games. That’s 39-14. That’s ridiculously elite basketball.
What’s the best Knicks team you’ve ever watched? Are you old enough to remember Clyde Frazier and Willis Reed winning championships in the early 1970s? Did you watch Patrick Ewing’s glory throughout the late 80’s and 90’s? Was Carmelo Anthony your introduction to Knicks playoff basketball? Do you hold really, really fond memories of the January 2024 Knicks?
I’m not arguing that the 2026 Knicks are better than any or all of them, as they can still embarrass me depending on how the last 18 games and playoffs go. That said, I’ll provide some stats that put them in some company that you’re going to want to see to believe.
Defense
Mike Brown: Defensive guru?
Probably not, but the way the Knicks have played defense with guys like Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson playing big roles is certainly notable. Towns, specifically, has tremendously improved defensively in several aspects and has had individual games of brilliance
The Knicks were at their best defensively with Karl-Anthony Towns guarding Victor Wembanyama.
The Spurs shot 26% from three on Sunday, including 2-14 (14%) on plays where KAT guarded Wemby 🔒
As previously stated, the Knicks are tied with the Celtics for the sixth-best defensive rating in the NBA. They never truly had a bad defense under Tom Thibodeau, but the only year it was this good was in 2020-21, where the team sold out to muck up games with lineups that included Elfrid Payton, Reggie Bullock, and Nerlens Noel. This team has more offensive firepower in Brunson and Towns’ pinkie toes than that team had, especially considering Julius Randle’s playoff woes.
They’re just 0.3 back of the Heat for the fourth-best defense. They’ve been better as the game goes on, sporting the league’s best defensive rating by a considerable margin in fourth quarters. When the team needs it most, they’re putting the clamps on. The dream of having defensive wings like OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges is being realized, potentially to a degree never thought conceivable.
The Knicks have held 13 opponents under 100 points, fourth in the NBA. They’ve held 23 to under 105, third in the NBA. Among the teams they’ve held under these numbers:
Few things are more satisfying than a blowout. Usually, you can rely on games against undermanned teams like the Wizards, Jazz, and Nets to pick up an easy win, and the Knicks have done that. But what’s separated this team from others? They’re blowing out good teams, too.
It ended in a 10-point win, but the Knicks took the Celtics behind the barn in October, leading by as much as 24.
In early November, they boatraced Minnesota with a hobbled Anthony Edwards. They’ve blown the Raptors out repeatedly, and even the competitive games eventually see a massive run make the final result look uncompetitive. For a while, that was about it. That was until a month ago.
In the last 30 days, the Knicks have blown out the Celtics (by 22), the Sixers (by 49), the Spurs (by 25), and the Nuggets (by 39). You can add whatever context you want, these are still very impressive victories to come by this margin.
The Knicks have won 14 games by at least 20, 11 games by 25, seven games by 30, four games by 35+, two games by 40, and one by 50 this season. The only team that matches or exceeds them in any of these categories is OKC.
Here are the last Knicks teams to accomplish these numbers (remember: we still have 18 games left):
14 by 20+: 2024-25 (15) 11 by 25+: 1969-70 (11) 7 by 30+: 1969-70 (7) 4 by 35+: 1993-94 (4) 2 by 40+: 1993-94 (2) 1 by 50+: Never
In the last five categories, the Knicks have already tied the franchise record. In all of the seasons that meet the same criteria as the current Knicks, they made the NBA Finals (1970, 1973, 1994).
Consider the following, all of these things have happened in Knicks’ blowouts in the last month:
Worst loss by the Sixers since 2015, worst loss in 480 all-time meetings with the Knicks
Worst loss by the Spurs this season, only loss for the Spurs since late January (14-1)
Tied for the worst home loss by the Nuggets ever (2/2/1998 vs CHI), worst loss of Nikola Jokic’s career, worst Nuggets loss since January 2015
In about 1,000 words, I have, in a way, compared this team to the 1998 Bulls, 1970 Knicks, the 1994 Knicks, and a few others. Surely, all of these comparisons will be received well!
The Dallas Mavericks will seek a fifth straight win against the Toronto Raptors when they visit Scotiabank Arena tonight.
Toronto is a healthy 9.5-point home favorite, but my Mavericks vs. Raptors predictions and NBA picks have the home team struggling to put away Dallas by double digits.
Mavericks vs Raptors prediction
Mavericks vs Raptors best bet: Mavericks +9.5 (-110)
Of the current 12 teams sitting in the Top 6 spots in each conference, the Toronto Raptors are the only ones that don't have a winning record at home (16-16).
The Dallas Mavericks should be the get-right opponent, as they’ve lost six straight and have just two wins in their last 18, but Dallas is 3-1 against the spread against Toronto in the last four meetings.
Injuries could play a factor too, as Cooper Flagg (foot) is questionable, as is Brandon Ingram (illness). Either way, the Raptors are just 4-7 ATS in their last 11 at Scotiabank Arena, while Dallas is 4-2 ATS in their last six road games.
Mavericks vs Raptors same-game parlay
RJ Barrett led the Raptors with 25 points in their loss to Minnesota, and he’s grooving right now, hitting 20+ points in four of his last five games.
Khris Middleton has connected on just one moneyball in his last five games, and since leaving Milwaukee, he’s yet to hit from downtown in four games against Toronto.
Mavericks vs Raptors SGP
Mavericks +9.5
RJ Barrett Over 19.5 points
Khris Middleton Under 0.5 threes
Our "from downtown" SGP: All aboard the Klay-Train
Klay Thompson is in one of his best shooting grooves of the season. Coming off a 5-for-11 night from downtown against Boston, he’s now hit at least three triples in five of his last seven games.
And Jakob Poeltl has been Toronto’s leading rebounder in three straight games, but only once has he hit nine rebounds, and he’s yet to reach that mark in four games against Dallas as a Raptor.
Mavericks vs Raptors SGP
Mavericks +9.5
RJ Barrett Over 19.5 points
Khris Middleton Under 0.5 threes
Klay Thompson Over 2.5 threes
Jakob Poeltl Under 8.5 rebounds
Mavericks vs Raptors odds
Spread: Mavericks +9.5 | Raptors -9.5
Moneyline: Mavericks +325 | Raptors -425
Over/Under: Over 229 | Under 229
Mavericks vs Raptors betting trend to know
The Mavericks have lost 14 straight games as underdogs. Find more NBA betting trends for Mavericks vs. Raptors.
How to watch Mavericks vs Raptors
Location
Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON
Date
Sunday, March 8, 2026
Tip-off
6:00 p.m. ET
TV
MavsTV, Sportsnet
Mavericks vs Raptors latest injuries
Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 25: Romy Gonzalez #23 of the Boston Red Sox reacts after striking out during the second inning of a game against the Toronto Blue Jays on September 25, 2025 at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I’m not going to pretend I’m a doctor. I’m not to going to act like I know more about Romy Gonzalez’s body than the highly paid and likely excellent medical staff working in Fort Myers and on Ipswitch Street. I’m not here to second guess medical advice — I’m sure there was a very solid reason why “wait it out” made sense. But I will say that I am not remotely surprised by how this has developed. After arriving at Spring Training with a shoulder that was still bothering him after an initial injury that occurred way back in September, Romy Gonzalez is now meeting with an orthopedic surgeon to determine whether surgery is necessary. Even if he he does elect surgery, he doesn’t think he would miss the whole season, but as of now there is absolutely no timetable for his return. (Tim Healey, Boston Globe)
The Romy injury is a big blow to the lineup, particularly against lefties. But it does open up some opportunities. Unfortunately, though, it doesn’t do much to help the outfield/DH logjam, because Masataka Yoshida looks like he’s ready to hit:
If the Red Sox let Masataka Yoshida wear his Team Japan jersey for the whole season, he would break Barry Bonds’ single season home run record by the All Star break. pic.twitter.com/Jf87cN1drJ
One player who is better positioned to take advantage of Romy’s absence, though, is infielder Andruw Monasterio, who is one of four under-the-radar players who could end up making an impact for the Sox in 2026. (Jen McCaffrey, The Athletic)
Here’s a guy whose shoulder is definitely not injured. Connelly Early’s fastball is averaging 95.3 MPH so far this spring, after averaging 94 MPH last year. The book on Early has usually been that, while he has a complete arsenal, he doesn’t necessarily have elite stuff. It looks like he’s trying to rectify that. (Christopher Smith, MassLive)
Though after two strong starts in a row — and two starts in a row without issuing a walk — some are now saying that the fifth spot in the rotation is Johan Oviedo’s to lose. (CJ Haddad, MLB.com)
As Patrick so ably reported to you yesterday, the Houston Astros have agreed to a minor league contract with Christian Vazquez with an invitation to Spring Training. Fortunately, he has been working out with team Puerto Rico, so he will not be coming in completely cold and presumably could reasonably build up enough plate appearances to plausibly make the team out of camp. Of course, that brings up the salient question: should he make the team out of camp?
I would point out that Vazquez was likely always on their radar and Dana Brown simply had a price he wanted to stick to. We don’t know know the exact parameters, but the wild suggestions that he could sign for something like four to six million dollars were always ridiculous on their face. Vazquez was always going to be in the Jonah Heim, Gary Sanchez, and Elias Diaz neighborhood of things.
Some of you will remember that we profiled Vazquez with the catchers in our current series. However, I looked at Cesar Salazar based on his big league numbers and we didn’t look at Carlos Perez at all. In this edition, we will look at Vazquez’s big league numbers since 2023 and compare them with the AAA numbers for both Perez and Salazar. I should note that the 2023 numbers for Perez came in Oakland which was nominally a big league team.
This is just a gentle reminder that we are looking at five different statistics on offense. That includes the chase rate, hard hit rate, BABIP, contact rate, and home runs per flyball. We have been looking at these fairly consistently, but I will include the league norms for those metrics below in case you are joining us for the first time.
Chase rate: 30% league average
Hard hit rate: 35% league average
BABIP: .300 league average
Contact: 75 percent league average
HR/FB: 10 percent league average
Carlos Perez
Chase
Hardhit
BABIP
Contact
HR/FB
2023
28.8
39.4
.256
80.8
11.1
2024
28.4
32.4
.258
82.1
18.5
2025
27.3
36.1
.290
81.4
18.4
Aggregate
28.2
36.0
.271
81.4
15.9
There is one significant difference between Perez and the other two. The home run rates are significantly higher and he did club 27 home runs two seasons in a row at the AAA level. He has hit 20 or more home runs several times since the 2021 season in the minors. Even the 2023 rate (which came in Oakland) is significantly better than what the other two have done. So, if we assume he plays 40 games, how many extra dingers does this end up translating into?
Catcher BABIP is an interesting conversation itself. If the league average is ,300 then that would include all positions and some where the BABIP is probably naturally above .300. Catchers aren’t beating out infield singles as a general rule, so it makes perfect sense for their BABIP to dip to the .270 or .280 range naturally. Otherwise, Perez looks like an average big league hitter across the board. Maybe that’s not exciting, but getting average major league hitters on your bench can be exciting.
On the other hand, Perez has spent parts of five seasons in the big leagues as a catcher. He was significantly above average defensively back in 2015. Unfortunately, he was below average in 2018 and 2023 (his last two stints) according to both defensive runs saved and fielding run value. A vote for Perez is a vote for the bat. Given what the other two have going on, that might not be the craziest bet.
Cesar Salazar
Chase
Hardhit
BABIP
Contact
HR/FB
2023
25.6
21.1
.223
78.3
4.3
2024
24.0
21.7
.274
83.8
9,4
2025
25.3
28.9
.237
80.1
11.1
Aggregate
25.0
23.9
.241
80.7
8.3
It’s hard not to like a guy like Salazar. He probably gets about as much out of what he has as anyone has any right to do. When you consider the fact that there are 780 big league players we could then take that number and multiply by five to get the total number of players in affiliated baseball. Then, you take that number and probably multiple it two or three times to include Japan, Korea, Mexico, Australia, and Cuba. Then, you have the independent leagues. It would probably be fair to guess that there are around five or six thousands players being paid to play baseball around the world. That might be a conservative estimate.
Maybe Salazar is one of the top 1000 players in the world. That’s actually an accomplishment even if he never sticks in the big leagues. He doesn’t chase. He doesn’t swing and miss often. He just doesn’t hit the ball hard and he doesn’t have power. If you add in the fact that he does not have speed as a catcher then you see what we are up against. Soft contact from slow runners is not a recipe for a good BABIP. Add in very little extra base power and I’m not sure where the offense is going to come from.
He has been more or less a neutral defender at the big league level in minimal innings, but comes with a reputation of a good receiver. You did have the dust up with Framber Valdez last season, so there is some question over whether he has the cache to work with veteran pitchers. Simply put, you have to be over the moon about his defense in order to accept the lack of offensive production.
Christian Vazquez
Chase
Hardhit
BABIP
Contact
HR/FB
2023
33.2
32.8
.279
75.5
7.2
2024
33.5
36.6
.257
81.7
7.5
2025
25.3
27.4
.214
84.6
4.1
Aggregate
30.7
32.3
.250
80.6
6.2
I’m probably repeating myself from the last time I profiled Vazquez, but the ultimate question is whether he bounces back to the aggregate or continues to rot. In general, I like the choices he seems to have made to react to his aging. He swings at fewer balls outside the zone and makes more contact. I have to believe that is a conscious choice and one that could mask some of the decline in hard hit ball rate and home run rate.
The good news is that even with the low hard hit rate, that BABIP was ridiculously low last season. I think the aggregate in BABIP is actually a decent target and give him 35 points on his batting average and he would have hit about .225. No one would confuse that with Josh Gibson, Johnny Bench, or even Joe Mauer, but for a backup catcher that also produced good fielding numbers, that would be more than reasonable.
The question at backup catcher wss never about whether either Perez or Vazquez (or anyone else) was better than Salazar. That was likely always a given. The question was always how much more you would have to pay for marginal improvement? I wrote an earlier piece about preferring to stand pat because the costs being thrown around sounded ridiculous. A Christian Vazquez at or near veteran minimum seems like a reasonable cost to pay for a marginal upgrade. Assuming he is in shape, he would seem to be the preferred choice, but we will have to see how it all plays out.
Earlier this week, NBA.com released an article talking about this season’s MVP race. Obviously, the race is headlined with names like Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous Alexander, but another player who many fans who aren’t as tuned in to the NBA would not expect has emerged onto the list. That player is Kevin Durant. Durant comes in this week at ninth behind Shai Gilgeous Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Cade Cunningham, Victor Wembenyama, Jaylen Brown, Luka Doncic, and Donovan Mitchell.
Naturally, Durant deserves praise for his prowess as one of the game’s all-time scorers, but he also deserves praise for his ability to play at a high level even at 37. Even though players like LeBron and Curry, who are also having successful seasons, and have multiple MVPS aren’t even on Durant’s level this year.
The four-time scoring champion is currently in the top ten with a 51% overall and 40.1% 3-point shooting percentage. He continues to lead double-teams. He has only missed four games. Additionally, he has the Houston Rockets comfortably above the sixth-place cutoff and in the middle of the Western Conference playoff hunt.
The important statistic is that Durant, who is currently in his 18th season, has averaged at least 26 points each season for each of the teams he has played for, including the Thunder, Warriors, Nets, Suns, and now the Rockets. His first season in Seattle, which naturally led to a relocation to Oklahoma City the following season, was the only other occasion in his career that he failed to average 25 points per game. Additionally, he averages 51% for the Rockets and has made at least half of his shots in a season for every franchise. He is scoring with incredible efficiency. Additonally even though the Rockets are undefeated without Kevin Durant playing its a small sample size and against lesser opponents in the Indiana Pacers, Phoenix Suns, and Golden State Warriors.
Obviously, Durant winning MVP is far from likely, but there’s no debate that he has been integral to the Rockets this season.
SYDNEY (AP) — South Korea edged host Australia for top spot in Group A at the Women’s Asian Cup on goal difference after a 3-3 draw Sunday in front of a tournament-record crowd at Sydney’s Stadium Australia.
Philippines maintained a chance of advancing to the quarterfinals with a 2-0 win over Iran in another Group A match that kicked off simultaneously in wet conditions at Gold Coast Stadium.
The Iranian women’s team exited the tournament on three losses and faces a return to a country embroiled in war. Organizers have not announced details for Iran's departure from Australia.
The top two teams in each of the three groups advance to the quarterfinals along with the two best third-place teams, meaning Philippines will have to sweat on other results after placing third in Group A.
South Korea will play the third-place team from either Group B or Group C in the quarterfinals, while Australia will have to face either defending champion China or three-time champion North Korea.
Australia's late goal not quite enough
Australia twice rallied from a goal down in front of a crowd of 60,279, with Chelsea forward Sam Kerr playing a key role and with Alanna Kennedy scoring twice, including the late equalizer in stoppage time. Both teams finished unbeaten in the group, but 2022 finalist South Korea finished with a goal difference one better than Australia's.
The crowd surpassed the attendance of 44,379 at Australia's opening game aganist Philippines in Perth on March 1, which was a Women's Asian Cup record.
Kerr and Caitlin Foord both missed scoring chances for Australia before South Korea opened with a counter-attacking goal in the 13th minute after Jeon Yu-gyeong outpaced the defense and set up Mun Eun-ju for the score.
Kenney made it 1-1 in the 32nd after lead-in work from Foord and Mary Fowler and Kerr gave Australia a 2-1 lead going into halftime with Kerr scoring from close range just before the break.
Kim Shin-ji and Kang Chae-rim came on as substitutes in the second half and had a quick impact, giving South Korea a 3-2 lead. Kim Shin-ji's penalty kick made it 2-2 in the 53rd and she delivered the cross for Kang's goal four minutes later.
Kennedy's goal eight minutes into stoppage time ensured Australia finished unbeaten, albeit not entirely happy with the result.
“We all know we needed to win tonight, so it felt like a loss to be fair,” Kerr said.
South Korea coach Shin Sang-Woo felt like his team should have won.
“I’d like to say thank you to all of my players because they did not give up and gave 100% to the end. I slightly feel sorry that we couldn’t end this game with three points, but I’m still delighted with the first goal to be winner of this group.”
Philippines still in contention
Philippines scored a goal in each half in a tough encounter against the Iranian women's team to clinch third place and maintain a chance of progressing.
Sara Didar had an early chance for Iran but her strike in the sixth minute was comfortably saved by goalkeeper Olivia McDaniel.
At the other end, 38-year-old Iran goalkeeper Raha Yazdani kept it level with three saves in four minutes but Philippines opened the scoring in the 29th when Sara Eggesvik had a goal awarded after a VAR review.
Yazdani made three more crucial saves late in the first half to keep it to 1-0 at the break and it took until the 82nd minute before substitute Chandler McDaniel fired in the goal to give Philippines a two-goal buffer.
State of play
In Group B, defending champion China and three-time winner North Korea are into the quarterfinals after their second consecutive wins. On Monday, North Korea plays China in a match that will decide top spot, while Bangladesh takes on Uzbekistan.
In Group C, two-time champion Japan leads with six points following an 11-0 win over India in Perth on Saturday. Japan will next face Vietnam, which lost 1-0 to Taiwan on Saturday after opening with a 2-1 win over India.
HOUSTON, TX - MARCH 07: Kyle Schwarber #12 of Team USA rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run in the fifth inning during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool B game presented by Capital One between Team Great Britain and Team USA at Daikin Park on Saturday, March 7, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Rob Tringali/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
We’ve got another day of WBC baseball and this one wasn’t without it’s thrills.
Japan 8, Korea 6
Ho hum, another game for Japan, another home run for Shohei Ohtani.
Except this time, it wasn’t Ohtani that was the star for Japan. That would be Seiya Suzuki, who homered twice to help Japan take a game was pretty well played from both teams.
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 7, 2026
Korea’s offense was actually clicking on a few cylinders and gave Japan a scare, but Samurai is just too deep.
Canada 8, Colombia 2
Canada has a sneaky good team put together that might be able to do a little damage. They rode an Owen Cassie home run and a two hit, two RBI day from Abraham Toro to a victory over Colombia.
Canada’s offense is legit. If they can get some pitching to back it up, particularly if their bullpen can be effective, don’t be surprised if they win their pool and maybe a quarterfinal game.
Netherlands 4, Nicaragua 3
This one was a thriller. Nicaragua, which has yet to ever have a win in the Classic, were down to needing their last out to secure that first victory. They had gotten that lead thanks to a two-run home run from Jeter Downs that broke a 1-1 tie. However, with those two outs, Netherlands put two runners on for Ozzie Albies. Albies got a first pitch fastball and…
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 7, 2026
Fun game to watch.
Italy 8, Brazil 0
Italy began their tournament play with a thumping of a Brazilian team that is simply overmatched in any game they play. The Italians were led by Dante Nori, who had two home runs.
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 7, 2026
That’s a rather nice swing from the Phillies’ prospect. Might we be seeing a breakout campaign begin right before our eyes?
Puerto Rico 4, Panama 3 (10 innings)
Now, this was another thriller that was probably missed thanks to the U.S. playing around the same time. Panama had a lead in the bottom of the ninth, but blew it thanks to a bases loaded walk to Willi Castro. In the tenth, the Panamanians took the lead when Jose Caballero singled in the ghost runner on second, but they needed to get three outs themselves.
It was not to be.
DARELL HERNAIZ HITS A WALK-OFF HOME RUN TO WIN IT FOR PUERTO RICO IN EXTRAS!!! 🇵🇷 pic.twitter.com/A9fnyybeYD
Venezuela continued to show an all around offensive thunder by beating Israel 11-3. Luis Arraez was the hitting star of the night, going 4-5 with two doubles and two home runs, driving in five to pace the Venezuelans. They are looking dangerous yet again.
United States 9, Great Britain 1
Tarik Skubal gave up a first pitch home run to someone named Nate Eaton, but that was the only offensive production the Brits would have. The American pitching simply overwhelmed the opposition while their own offense slowly creaked the life as the game when on. They were sparked by Kyle Schwarber.
— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) March 8, 2026
That should wrap up that pool, I think.
Chinese Taipei 5, Korea 4 (10 innings)
Another extra inning thriller, Chinese Taipei put their hat into the ring as the possible second seed in their pool by taking a game from Korea thanks to a suicide squeeze in the 10th inning. Fundamentals are critical, folks.
Australia stayed with defending World Baseball Classic champion Japan step for step for more than six innings during their Sunday pool play clash.
Masataka Yoshida changed that with one swing.
Yoshida, the Red Sox outfielder/designated hitter, hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to wipe out a one-run deficit and ultimately help Japan to a narrow 4-3 win.
Japan scored two more runs in the eighth to provide some breathing room, which proved important when Australia designated hitter Alex Hall AND first baseman Rixon Wingrove blasted solo homers in the ninth.
Australia matched zeroes with Japan for five innings before breaking through with the game's first run in the sixth.
Center fielder Aaron Whitefield, who had three of Australia's six hits, was almost single-handedly responsible for that run. Whitefield hit one-out double in the sixth off Japan reliever Chihiro Sumida, then he stole third and scored after a bad throw by Japan catcher Kenya Wakatsuki. It gave Australia a 1-0 lead, which it held going into the bottom of the seventh.
The starting pitchers were stellar with Tomoyuki Sugano leading Japan by working four scoreless innings with two hits and two strikeouts. Australia starter Connor MacDonald blanked Japan on one hit over three innings with one strikeout.
Australia could still advance to the next round by beating Korea on Monday (6 a.m. ET. on FS1).
Shohei Ohtani stats today
For the first time in this WBC, Shohei Ohtani did not leave the yard. He didn't even have a hit.
Ohtani wound up 0-for-3 with two walks, the last of which was intentional in the eighth inning.
Ohtani led off the bottom of the first inning with a groundout to second base, and he ended the second inning with a hard lineout to center field. Ohtani came up to the plate in the bottom of the fourth with the bases loaded and two outs, and he had a 2-2 count when his teammate Shugo Maki was picked off second base by Australia catcher Robbie Perkins to end the inning. Ohtani wound up lining out to right to start the fifth.
Ohtani won his fourth MVP award in 2025 with a career-high 55 home runs and returned to the mound after only hitting in 2024, leading the Dodgers to a second consecutive World Series title.
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - JANUARY 31: Head coach Quin Snyder of the Atlanta Hawks talks with Jalen Johnson #1 of the Atlanta Hawks against the Indiana Pacers during the first half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on January 31, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. 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 Bobby Goddin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Your Atlanta Hawks have now won six straight games.
I’d like to open this thread to ask you: what has been the biggest key to this streak?
It could be a player, a coaching decision, the schedule, whatever you’d like. What say you?
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MARCH 07: Ryan Rollins #13 of the Milwaukee Bucks dribbles the ball against John Konchar #55 of the Utah Jazz during the third quarter at Fiserv Forum on March 07, 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
It wasn’t pretty, but the Bucks snapped out of their four-game skid last night at Fiserv with a victory over the Jazz. Read our full summary of the game here and catch a six-minute audio recap on the Bucks+ podcast, Bucks In Six Minutes, below.
I get that Sims is playing well lately, but I don’t think Turner has been bad enough to necessitate being benched so often in clutch time. Not by a mile. I did like how they tried to get him involved inside—more of that, please.
Though Rollins had pretty loose handles and couldn’t find his shot, another sneaky near-triple double is nothing to sneeze at. Some pretty nice finishes through traffic and larger defenders.
This was the best I’ve seen Dieng as a playmaker for both himself and others—an even sneakier near-triple double. Nine assists ties a career high. Had another high-release catch-and-shoot three near the top of the arc. Stayed with his man pretty much every time.
Starting again as the Bucks opted for more size. The shooting line is nice, but it hides a rough first half. He biffed two early layups and struggled guarding Keyonte George. Came up big late with an and-one that extended the lead to six. One of his two late threes might have been a dagger, though the second was when the game was well in hand.
Grade: B
AJ Green
21 minutes, 7 points, 4 fouls, 2/8 3P, +0
The first sub after being removed from the starting lineup, Green is shooting just 30% from deep since the All-Star break. Three for his last 17 including this one. Didn’t make his first shot until 2:30 in the third but did get another shortly thereafter. Abused on defense routinely, but finally stopped fouling when bigger guys switched onto him.
Grade: D+
Bobby Portis
18 minutes, 12 points, 5/8 FG, -6
Doc remarked postgame how Portis was too uninvolved towards the end of the first quarter, when the offense first dried up. That was corrected to begin the fourth quarter, when he scored half his points. Also had a flashy spin move on Elijah Harkless during that stint.
Grade: B+
Jericho Sims
30 minutes, 6 points, 5 rebounds, 3/4 FG, -2
Probably would have had a nicer scoring line had a few lobs been better placed. Generally good defensively and on the glass. Doc says he closes because he defends and he’s switchable—also hailing his passing—but I wouldn’t say Turner doesn’t defend and isn’t switchable…
One of several Bucks whose jumper was MIA, though I was impressed by Nance on the other end. He moves his feet so well, and for all people talk about his “lack” of athleticism, you’d never notice it defensively. Doc called him a connector postgame, noting that the ball moved much better in the second unit when Nance was on the floor.
Grade: B-
Doc Rivers
Credit where it’s due for upgauging the starting lineup, benching Green, sliding Dieng to guard, and reinserting Kuz. He mentioned after the Atlanta loss that they just needed more size (Giannis echoed this postgame too) and while I don’t know if this group will be as effective with Orlando or other teams, it’s worth a try. As this was another game the Bucks struggled out of half, I asked him why he thought that was:
“I don’t know why. We’ve talked about it; I have one of my coaches going out now and watching them [while shooting during halftime] to make sure they’re moving. Because this has happened a lot to us. We come out stagnant, slow… I will say this: it wasn’t because we were not playing right. We just didn’t come out and play well… in Chicago—I’ll give you an example—we just didn’t play right. We came out and didn’t play the right way. And so that’s why you could live with it a little bit more tonight. Maybe tht’s why it wasn’t pronounced as much, because once we got out of it, we got some stops. We gotta start the second half thinking defense, though. That’s the culprit, in my opinion. When we get stops, we get out running. It just seems like we ease into the third quarter, and we have to stop doing that.”
Kuzma mentioned that their sense of urgency is gone after they get momentum in the first half. We asked Giannis too, and he didn’t mention defense as much. He took it on himself:
“Today… you could see it. We come down, miss a shot, put our head down. We go the other way, they make a shot, we go to the free throw line, we wait, and we look down… everybody’s in their head… And that’s gotta change, and it starts for me. I gotta be more aggressive with it. I feel like the more aggressive I am, the more I’m [getting] downhill, the more I play with a good pace, it translates to everybody. Everybody follows, right? So sometimes, especially in the third quarter, I’m just warming up. I’m waiting for everybody else to kind of take that step, and maybe that’s a mistake for me. As a leader, I got to be able to come and set the tone, be that engine for our team. And hopefully in the next third quarters moving forward, I can do a better job with that.“
Probably more of a team effort than Giannis is letting on. But whatever that coach is doing at halftime, I guess it’s not working.
Grade: B
Limited Minutes: Cam Thomas, Gary Trent Jr.
DNP-CD: Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Gary Harris, Andre Jackson Jr.
Inactive: Alex Antetokounmpo, Kevin Porter Jr., Taurean Prince, Cormac Ryan
Bonus Bucks Bits
Oscar Tshiebwe got the assignment on Giannis out of the chute. You’ll recall his first career points from the Ballgate game back in 2023.
Milwaukee went without a point guard often: at first, Green came in for Rollins, and Giannis predictably ran the offense, and it predictably looked good. They ran this one-guard soon after with Trent, less successfully.
It took Utah nearly seven minutes to make their first two-point field goal.
The Bucks missed six free throws in the first, and only two were from Giannis. Sims and surprisingly Thomas also missed back-to-back FTs in this game.
Trent saw first-half minutes for the first time since February 6 against Indiana. Every appearance he’s had since has been in garbage time.
Thomas saw six first-half minutes, made a shot, but did not appear in the second half.
Utah shot only 30.6% from the field in the first half. Yuck. In general, this game had a college feel with the poor shooting on both sides, especially in the first half.
Milwaukee got outrebounded again (53-48) on both ends (13-7 offensive) and lost the shot battle by five. Most of that damage came in the second half.
At least the Jazz had only one more free throw. But unlike the Bucks, who missed 12 of them, they only missed four (86.2%).
33 assists is tied for third most this season. Sounded like ball movement and advance passes were a big focus of Friday’s practice.
Rollins eclipsed 1,000 points for the first time in his career.
Marquette took down UConn earlier in the day at Fiserv, and apparently, that meant Huskie alum Andre Jackson Jr. lost some money to Marquette legend Rivers.
Up Next
The Bucks are immediately back in action tonight vs. the Orlando Magic. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. CDT on FanDuel Sports Wisconsin.
Kristaps Porzingis was healthy enough to accompany the Warriors on their current road trip, and he took another step in the right direction, returning to the court Saturday night against the Thunder.
Before Saturday, the center had only played 17 of a possible 533 minutes since the Warriors acquired him at the NBA trade deadline. Despite his recent progress, his outlook remains a mystery.
That is the unfortunate reality of living with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, or POTS, doctors who specialize in the autonomic disease told The California Post.
Kristaps Porzingis, who was acquired by the Warriors in a trade deadline deal with the Hawks, had only played 17 of a possible 533 minutes for Golden State before Saturday’s game against the Thunder. Getty Images
“It is a difficult, difficult thing to deal with,” said Dr. Tom Clennell, a physical therapist who works with POTS patients at UC San Francisco. That said, “I do think he should be able to contribute and be a productive player. … I don’t think it’s unrealistic to think they can get it under control.”
About 3 million Americans have been diagnosed with POTS, Dr. Alba Azola said. Cases in elite-level athletes such as Porzingis are rarer. But the Latvian said last fall that he got an answer to his unexplained absences toward the end of his time with the Celtics: He told The Athletic that doctors diagnosed him with POTS, which deregulates the nervous system.
“It hit me, and it hit me like a truck,” Porzingis said. “The breathing wasn’t good. I did everything I could potentially to feel as good as I could, but my engine wasn’t running the way I wanted. …
“You know how people say, ‘Oh, I’m so fatigued.’ I’ve never used those words. I don’t even like to speak in those terms, but I really was like that. At that time, I could just lay on the couch and be a house cat.”
The prone position — the natural state for many a house cat — is often the only comfortable one for a patient suffering from, as Clennell put it, “a POTS crisis.”
Without the nervous system regulating things we take for granted — heart rate, blood pressure, etc. — “the heart is not able to adjust to the demands of the body,” explained Azola, who treats patients dealing with POTS and chronic fatigue at Johns Hopkins.
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Typically the body would send a signal upon standing to tighten the blood vessels in the legs and allow the heart to redistribute that blood to other areas, Azola said. The misfiring nervous system in POTS patients prevents that from happening, causing blood to pool in the legs and feet. Lacking blood flow, the brain sends a “fight or flight” signal,” Azola said.
“That, in turn, triggers this response of tachycardia (heart palpitations), sweating, nausea, lightheadedness — all of those symptoms come from that.”
The simple act of standing rapidly increases the heart rate by more than 30 beats per minute, according to Azola. “And it doesn’t normalize. It stays up, just from standing.”
All considered, it might sound like a feat for Porzingis to be playing at all. He has been effective when on the court, too, looking like the Warriors’ missing puzzle piece in his first game with Golden State and averaging 18.7 points over 60 games the past two seasons.
Unlike a broken bone or a torn ligament, POTS “is not an injury you can truly see,” said Clennell, the physical therapist. “He can come out and he can play and look really good, but the issue is … small changes to what’s going on physiologically … can create a kind of crisis.”
Hydration and electrolyte levels have to be closely monitored. Getting sick is a common precursor — 31% of POTS patients suffer from long COVID, Azola said — but environmental changes routine for most NBA players, such as the dry air on flights, can cause complications.
Porzingis’ conditioning as one of the league’s scariest stretch 5s should help him manage the disease, but his 7-foot-3 frame could also predispose him to more frequent disruptions.
“I think it can be hard for fans to grasp,” said Dr. Nirav Pandya, an orthopedic surgeon at UC San Francisco who has treated several patients with POTS. “Because it’s like, ‘Well, you should be able to push through something. You’re sick; you should be able to push through it.’
“But it becomes so debilitating for people that even doing basic day-to-day things can become really hard.”
Warriors coach Steve Kerr had to walk back a claim that POTS wasn’t actually a problem with Kristaps Porzingis. AP
Warriors coach Steve Kerr described Porzingis’ condition as “mysterious,” and he’s not entirely wrong. The doctors all said POTS was not part of their curriculum in medical school.
Kerr had to walk back a claim that POTS wasn’t actually the problem with Porzingis. He told a local radio station that he consulted Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh, a former Golden State front office employee, and “got confirmation it was not POTS but it was something else that was really difficult to figure out.”
It’s possible Kerr wasn’t misled, according to Pandya. There isn’t a definitive blood test.
“We kind of diagnose it based on your symptoms,” he said. “That’s where I can understand how there can be some confusion around what the actual diagnosis is. …
“At the end of the day, you have a player that can’t play and you have something that’s not related to a torn meniscus or quad,” for example, Pandya said.
When general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. acquired Porzingis at the trade deadline from the Hawks for Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield, he said he wouldn’t have done so if the team wasn’t confident that it could keep him on the court — a goal that has, for one reason or another, evaded the medical staffs at all of his five previous stops.
The doctors and trainers in the Warriors’ building are widely considered to be among the best in the NBA, but Porzingis presents a novel challenge.
Azola treated one high-level athlete at the Johns Hopkins clinic in Baltimore — an Olympic swimmer — whose career she said was “absolutely” impacted by POTS. “It’s something that requires medical management to continue to compete at that level.”
Porzingis is running out of time to prove the Warriors’ return for Kuminga is more than a $31 million expiring contract. When healthy, he gives them the ideal package of size and spacing.
