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Unreal Macklin Celebrini theatrics, heroics fuel Sharks' comeback win over Kings

Unreal Macklin Celebrini theatrics, heroics fuel Sharks' comeback win over Kings originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Macklin Celebrini Show took Los Angeles by storm on Wednesday night, and it was a sight to behold in the Sharks’ 4-3 overtime win over the Kings at Crypto.com Arena.

With the Sharks in need of a late miracle, the 19-year-old superstar authored one of the more remarkable goals of the 2025-26 NHL season to tie the game with 66 seconds remaining in regulation.

Celebrini’s 24th goal of the season forced overtime, and just over three minutes into the extra period, he connected with a streaking William Eklund for the game-winner.

“I know Mack’s going to find me if I’m open, so for me, it was just like, OK, when I get the puck here, it’s going to go in the net and I thought [Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper] saved it there but no, it went in,” Eklund told Randy Hahn and Drew Remenda on NBC Sports California’s “Sharks Postgame Live” moments after the win. “So, I’m happy for that.”

The Sharks’ fifth win in six games pushes their record to 22-18-3 and moves them into the Western Conference’s first wild-card spot. San Jose is just one point away from leading the crowded Pacific Division.

Celebrini finished the night with one goal and two assists, giving him 67 points this season.

The 2024 No. 1 overall pick is at the forefront of the Sharks’ resurgence and has the team thinking about the Stanley Cup playoffs, and a possible deep postseason run.

“It’s great,” Celebrini told reporters after the win. “This is what we want, the position we want to be in, especially with where things were. We’re doing a great job handling all of it and I think we have the group to do it. Obviously, there’s half a season left and there’s a lot of work to do, but you have a feeling in our group.

“We’re confident in those situations that when we’re down 3-2 or tied 2-2 going in late against a really, really good team, a playoff team. It’s a different type of swagger and feeling in our group.”

After sweeping a home-and-road back-to-back against the Columbus Blue Jackets and Kings, the Sharks get two well-earned days off before taking on the 60-point Dallas Stars at home on Saturday night.

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Al Horford, De'Anthony Melton show Warriors surest path to top-six playoff seed

Al Horford, De'Anthony Melton show Warriors surest path to top-six playoff seed originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN FRANCISCO – A couple of X-factors showed out Wednesday night, and the only way the Warriors can make the ascent of their dreams is if this becomes a semi-consistent pattern.

It’s profoundly evident these Warriors have no chance of thriving if they throw all their hopes into the lap of Stephen Curry. It’s unfair. Silly, even. Same, for that matter, applies to the best of Jimmy Butler III and Draymond Green. All three are essential, but the rest of the roster – a battalion of X-factors – must have the ability to threaten opponents.

De’Anthony Melton and Al Horford did more than that Wednesday night in a 120-113 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks at Chase Center. They delivered the kind of goodies the coaching staff and the Curry-Butler-Green trio have consistently insisted were within the reach of the supporting cast.

Melton and Horford combined for 30 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, two blocks and one steal. Melton was plus-4 over a season-high 25 minutes, and Horford was plus-9 over 19 minutes.

“Those are two guys that connect our lineups,” Green said of Melton and Horford.

“Those two guys weren’t available much or at all early in the year, and they’re both trying to find their legs, their rhythm,” Curry said. “But you can see how much of a difference they can make off the bench.”

Melton was terrific, dropping a season-high 22 points, twice punishing the Bucks with timely 3-pointers. He scored with high efficiency, shooting 8-of-13 from the field, including 5-of-9 from deep.

After spending most of December searching for his shot after returning from a yearlong recovery and rehab from ACL surgery, Melton has found it.

Horford brought the kind of assortment bag that put a gold star on his stat line and his fingerprints on the game: eight points, on 3-of-6 shooting, including 2-of-4 from deep, along with team- and season-high 10 rebounds and six assists.

“We’re starting to get to the point where we’ve been able to bump his minutes up,” coach Steve Kerr said. “And he looks healthy. Playing him 19 minutes gave us a new heavy rotation. And he was terrific. He did everything.”

This is the Horford the Warriors expected when they signed the 39-year-old to a contract in the offseason. Fill in the gaps, no matter what they are.

“My impact, I feel like it’s anything that has to do with winning and making winning plays, whether it’s rebounding, whether it’s assists,” Horford said. “I know I can shoot the ball, so being able to be a floor spacer for the group and shoot. Just impacting in different ways. But this was a game that a lot of that came together, which was nice for me.”

Though Curry shone, Butler and Green did enough to support him.

Curry totaled a team-high 31 points, 13 of which came during a third quarter that allowed Golden State to take a 16-point lead (98-82) into the fourth quarter. His step-back 3-pointer with 26.1 seconds remaining extinguished Milwaukee’s hope of a comeback.

Butler didn’t shoot well (6-of-15, including 1-of-5 from distance) but managed 21 points, five rebounds and three assists. Green, playing with controlled fire, contributed 14 points, seven assists (with one turnover) and three rebounds.

A couple of X-factors filling in superbly allowed the core trio to survive ordinary games from Butler and Green.

“It’s always great to have those guys stepping up, because, like we’ve said all year, we need those guys to win,” Green said. “It’s not just going to be an effort of us three doing it . . . and that’s never been the answer. When you look at teams that think that’s the answer, they’ve been wrong every time. So, we depend on our guys. We trust our guys.”

On this night, the “guys” the Warriors depended on were Melton and Horford, along with 18 intense minutes from Gui Santos. On another night, it might be Gary Payton II or Moses Moody or Brandin Podziemski or Quinten Post or Will Richard or Trayce Jackson-Davis or, of course, Pat Spencer.

They’re all X-factors for Golden State, which is greatly enhanced when any two or three bring it as Horford and Melton did against the Bucks. It’s the Warriors’ surest path to climbing out of eighth place in the Western Conference and into at least the top six.

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Avalanche Set for 2027 Winter Classic Showdown Against Utah

The Colorado Avalanche are headed outdoors once again.

The NHL announced Monday that Colorado will serve as the visiting team in the 2027 Discover Winter Classic, facing the Utah Mammoth at Rice-Eccles Stadium on the campus of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. Additional details, including the game’s date, start time, and ticket information, will be announced at a later date.

Avs-Mammoth 2027 Winter Classic Official

The matchup will mark the Avalanche’s first appearance in the Winter Classic and the fourth outdoor game in franchise history. It will also be the first time Colorado has taken part in an outdoor NHL game as the road team.

Previously, the Avalanche hosted the Detroit Red Wings at Coors Field during the 2016 Stadium Series, the Los Angeles Kings at Falcon Stadium in Colorado Springs for the 2020 Stadium Series, and the Vegas Golden Knights at the NHL Outdoors at Lake Tahoe in 2021.

For the first time in its 20-year history, Colorado will take part in the Winter Classic. However, it will not be the 20th edition of the event, as the 2013 and 2021 Winter Classics were canceled due to the NHL lockout and the COVID-19 pandemic, respectively.

“We’re excited and honored that the League selected us for the Winter Classic,” said Avalanche President of Hockey Operations Joe Sakic. “The Avalanche organization is always proud to be in consideration for marquee events like this. We’re looking forward to being matched up with a great team and represent the Rocky Mountain region in a game that appeals to these two markets in this part of the country.”

Colorado Record in Outdoor Games

The Avalanche are 1–2 all-time in outdoor games, though their most recent appearance came in a 3–2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights at the NHL Outdoors at Lake Tahoe in 2021. Several months later, Vegas returned the favor, eliminating Colorado in six games during the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

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Cubs agree to acquire right-hander Edward Cabrera in a trade with the Marlins

CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs are adding Edward Cabrera to their rotation, agreeing Wednesday to acquire the right-hander in a trade with the Miami Marlins in their first major offseason move.

A person familiar with the deal confirmed the move to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because it hadn’t been announced.

Chicago agreed to send outfielder Owen Caissie and infield prospects Cristian Hernandez and Edgardo De Leon to Miami for Cabrera, who went 8-7 with a 3.53 ERA in a career-high 26 starts and 137 2/3 innings last year.

Caissie, 23, could compete for a starting job with the Marlins after making his major league debut in August. Caissie, a second-round pick in the 2020 amateur draft, hit .192 in 12 games with the Cubs, but he batted .286 with 22 homers and 55 RBIs with Triple-A Iowa last season.

Cabrera is eligible for arbitration and cannot become a free agent until after the 2028 season.

The Cubs finished second in the NL Central last year with a 92-70 record. They made it to the playoffs for the first time since 2020 before they were eliminated by Milwaukee in a five-game NL Division Series.

Cabrera, who turns 28 in April, joins a deep rotation that also includes Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, Cade Horton and Jameson Taillon. Colin Rea and Javier Assad are two more starting options, and Justin Steele is coming back from left elbow surgery on April 18.

The 6-foot-5 Cabrera made his major league debut with Miami in 2021. He is 25-29 with a 4.07 ERA in 87 career starts and two relief appearances.

Cabrera arrives in Chicago with some injury concerns, including recurring blisters on his right middle finger. He also was placed on the 15-day injured list on Sept. 1 with a right elbow sprain. He returned on Sept. 23 and pitched five shutout innings against the New York Mets in his final start of the season on Sept. 28.

While the addition of Cabrera strengthens Chicago’s rotation, Caissie was expected to compete for time in right field. Kyle Tucker is expected to leave the Cubs in free agency.

Miami went 79-83 in its first season under manager Clayton McCullough, a 17-game improvement from its last-place finish in 2024. Sandy Alcantara and Eury Pérez lead the team’s rotation.

Hernandez, 22, batted .252 with seven homers and 53 RBIs for High A South Bend last year. De Leon, 18, played for the Cubs’ team in the Arizona Complex League in 2025, hitting .276 with five homers and 15 RBIs in 43 games.

Also Wednesday, the Cubs claimed left-hander Ryan Rolison off waivers from the Chicago White Sox. Rolison made his big league debut with Colorado in May.

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Former Sharks Forward Has Monster Game

The New York Islanders defeated the New Jersey Devils by a 9-0 final score on Jan. 6. Former San Jose Sharks forward Anthony Duclair played a significant role in the Islanders' blowout win, as he had a huge game for the Metropolitan Division club. 

Duclair impressed in a big way against the Devils, as he recorded three goals, five points, and a plus-6 rating in the contest. With numbers like these, there is no question that Duclair was simply fantastic for the Islanders in this contest. 

With this huge game for the Islanders, Duclair now has seven goals, 11 assists, 18 points, and a plus-5 rating in 40 games this season. This is after he had seven goals and 11 points in 44 games for the Islanders during the 2024-25 season. 

Duclair will now be looking to stay hot for the Islanders after this fantastic performance. If he does, it would be good news for an Islanders club that is looking to get back into the playoffs. 

Duclair played in 56 games during the 2023-24 season with the Sharks, where he recorded 16 goals, 11 assists, and 27 points. Overall, he proved to be a solid pickup for the Sharks, but his time with the organization was short-lived. This is because he was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning ahead of the 2024 NHL trade deadline. 

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Emery rages at Crystal Palace draw as Glasner extends record against Aston Villa

Even with Aston Villa enjoying their best season for years, Unai Emery cannot get one over Oliver Glasner. The Crystal Palace manager has been struggling with a threadbare squad that still has not recorded a victory for several weeks but stretched his unbeaten record against Emery to seven matches after a game which both sides felt they could have won.

A late Victor Lindelöf header that struck a post was the closest anyone came in the end as neither Adam Wharton nor Morgan Rogers could quite inspire their sides to victory in front of the England manager, Thomas Tuchel, watching on in the stands. But despite losing Emiliano Martínez to injury at half-time, it was Villa who ended the evening more frustrated as they missed an opportunity to move into second place in the table despite bombarding the Palace goal in the final 10 minutes.

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What we learned as Steph Curry outduels Giannis in Warriors' tight win vs. Bucks

What we learned as Steph Curry outduels Giannis in Warriors' tight win vs. Bucks originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

BOX SCORE

SAN FRANCISCO – Returning from a frustrating road loss to the Clippers in LA, the Warriors on Wednesday night began an eight-game homestand that can define their season, less than a month away from the NBA trade deadline. 

The start of a two-week stretch at Chase Center was picture-perfect for the Warriors in a 120-113 win against the Milwaukee Bucks.

It took the Warriors going 5 of 10 on threes in the fourth quarter of their loss to the Clippers to get to 24.4 percent for the game. Shooting wasn’t such a problem playing the Bucks, as Golden State shot 48.9 percent from the field and 38.3 percent from three with 18 makes.

Steph Curry led the Warriors with 31 points, six rebounds and seven assists. De’Anthony Melton (22 points) and Jimmy Butler (21 points) gave the Warriors three 20-point scorers on a night where five players scored in double figures.

The Warriors continued to improve their ball security and had just nine turnovers one game after giving up seven. As the ball hummed, six Warriors had multiple assists, which was twice as many that had multiple turnovers.

Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo was an unstoppable force, finishing with 34 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.

Here are three takeaways from the Warriors’ win that pushes them to 20-18:

The Others Step Up

What a difference it makes when the Warriors actually make shots. There have been flaws and cracks in the defense, but shotmaking has become a season-long problem nearly at the halfway mark. The Warriors entered their 38th game ranked 27th in field goal percentage and 15th in 3-point percentage for the 20th-ranked offensive rating in the NBA. 

They resembled a much better product than those numbers back in front of their home fans. 

The biggest positive was the “other guys.” In this case, we’re talking about players not named Curry or Butler. Those two combined to score 51 points Monday in LA, which was half of the team’s total, while the rest of the starting five scored 15 points with a 17.6 shooting percentage and went 1 for 11 on threes. In the first quarter alone, the other three starters – Draymond Green, Moses Moody and Quinten Post – scored 14 points.

That number rose to 25 points by halftime. The final total between those three was 34 points. But they weren’t alone. Melton scored 20 points for the first time since Dec. 27, 2023 and the Warriors won the bench battle 34-24.

Red-Hot Curry

Efficiency was Curry’s only problem in the Warriors’ previous game. While he led both teams with 27 points, Curry did so on 9-of-23 shooting (39.1 percent) and 4 of 15 on threes (26.7 percent). He cleaned that mess two days later.

Curry was slicing and dicing the Bucks’ defense without breaking a sweat. He made it look easy and still found ways to get fans out of their seats. As the Warriors held an 11-point halftime lead, Curry was a plus-21 and the second-highest among the starting five was Moody at plus-5.

He just kept cooking in the second half, too. Curry had his latest third-quarter flurry of 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting. He could have pulled out his Night Night celebration with his stepback jumper that sealed the deal with 26 seconds remaining.

Curry finished the night 12-of-21 shooting (9 of 12 on 2-pointers and 3 of 9 on 3-pointers).

On a night where Curry did a bit of everything, the stat that he might be proudest of is one. Curry’s only turnover came with 15 seconds left when he lost the ball out of bounds. 

Horford’s Huge Impact 

As he read the direction of Melton’s 3-point attempt in the final minute-plus of the second quarter, Al Horford crashed to the middle of the paint, grabbed the miss and found Melton in the left corner for an open three that went through this time. Horford’s rebound already was eighth of the game and third on the offensive glass. 

Nobody was better for the Warriors than Horford in the second quarter. The Warriors and Bucks were tied at 31 points after the first quarter. But the Warriors then went on an 11-0 run in the final two minutes of the first half prior to the Bucks making a 3-pointer in the final few seconds. Horford in that span had three points, three rebounds and an assist. 

He played six and a half minutes in the second quarter and was a plus-14 with six points on two 3-pointers, six rebounds and three assists.

Horford inhaled a season-high 10 rebounds. The veteran center also made two threes and connected the game on both sides. Getting these versions of him and Melton consistently can be game-changing for Golden State.

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Wizards acquire star Trae Young from Hawks in major trade, report says

Wizards acquire star Trae Young from Hawks in major trade, report says originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Trae Young is moving on from Atlanta — but staying the same conference.

The Washington Wizards reportedly acquired the star point guard from the Hawks in a major trade to open 2026, ESPN’s Shams Charania first reported Wednesday.

Shooting guard CJ McCollum and forward Corey Kispert are the players headed to Atlanta in return. No draft picks are expected to be exchanged by either team.

News of Young’s potential trade first broke Monday, with the Wizards also emerging as the preferred destination.

The 27-year-old, who went No. 5 overall in the 2018 draft, has seemed to plateau with Atlanta ever since leading the team to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2018. Young has also played just 10 games this season, with Atlanta 17-21 at the time of the trade. Washington is 10-26, second to last in the Eastern Conference.

Young is posting 19.3 points, 8.9 assists, 1.5 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 28.0 minutes on a 41.5/30.5/86.3 shooting split. Just last season, he averaged 24.2 points, 11.6 assists and 3.1 rebounds on a 41.1/34/87.5 split in 36.0 minutes, but Atlanta hasn’t developed into a serious contender for multiple seasons.

A four-time All-Star, Young can still provide Washington with a focal point at the 1-spot thanks to his elite playmaking, but his dip in long-range shooting numbers and playoff defense will be notable concerns should Washington make a leap soon. He has a $48.9 million player option next season before entering unrestricted free agency.

The Wizards were led by McCollum’s 18.6 points per game, but his $30 million expiring salary will instead go to Atlanta, where he may help a play-in tournament push. Kispert, the 2021 No. 15 overall pick, is averaging 9.2 points on 39.5% 3-point shooting in a bench role.

Alex Sarr, the 2024 No. 2 overall pick, is the next best scorer after McCollum at 17.2 points, with Kyshawn George, Tre Johnson, Bub Carrington and Bilal Coulibaly all contributing on a young team. Veteran Khris Middleton has also started all 23 games he’s appeared in.

For Atlanta, Jalen Johnson has led the way with 24 points per game, while Nickeil Alexander-Walker, 27, is averaging a career-high 20.5 points on a healthy 45/38/85 split at the guard spot. The Hawks will now turn the page and search for the next big star.