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Padres star on playing Team Japan in WBC: ‘They’re nasty, but we’re going to beat them.’

Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr.

The buzz has begun for the upcoming 2026 World Baseball Classic, which is scheduled to start March 5 and end March 17 in Miami.

The tournament features stacked rosters and international bragging rights. One MLB superstar believes his country, the Dominican Republic, is going to win it all, and he has some words for reigning champion Team Japan.

Padres superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. will make his debut in the WBC when he steps on the diamond alongside his father, Fernando Tatis Sr., in a couple weeks.

San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) gets ready to hit during spring training camp. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Tatis Sr. serves as the team’s hitting coach under manager Albert Pujols. During his first conversation with reporters Tuesday, Tatis Jr. spoke about his dream of playing for his country in the WBC — where he joins Juan Soto, Manny Machado and a constellation of other Caribbean stars in a bid for global glory.

“It’s definitely what you dream about as a kid. I’ve always wanted to do it. This came at the right time. I’m really happy it’s going to happen. It’s going to be a beautiful experience.”

When asked about facing Japan’s powerhouse team — laced with Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and his Padres teammate Yuki Matsui — he didn’t flinch:

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“They’re nasty, but we’re going to beat them.”

If confidence were a currency, the Dominican Republic might just be the richest team in the Classic. With history beckoning and legacy on the line, Tatis Jr. isn’t just playing for a flag — he’s playing to immortalize a father-son chapter in baseball lore. It’s Dominican baseball with a pulse, a heritage-heavy heartbeat that could very well carry them all the way to glory.

Shohei Ohtani (R) #16 of Team Japan is awarded the trophy by the Commissioner of Baseball Rob Manfred (L) after defeating Team USA in the World Baseball Classic Championship. Getty Images

‘There’s a lot of great competition, but I’m looking forward to facing that competition and coming out on top.”

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The Injury That Exposed Trade Narratives

Credit © Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Credit © Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

FISH CAMP, CA — The National Hockey League sent its players to the Winter Olympics for the first time since 2014, and the risk seemed varied. For teams and individual players, it presents an opportunity to represent your country and play at a very high level against elite competition. On the flip side, it also means a nice, cut block, two-week-plus break from the grind of the regular season. For the Los Angeles Kings and Kevin Fiala, it spiraled into a worst-case scenario situation.

An injury that put things into perspective. 

A hit from Tom Wilson, and the season is officially over for Fiala. That is woeful timing for a team that just made its most significant in-season trade since its championship glory days. The Kings' third-leading scorer (second before the Artemi Panarin deal) hasn't been ruled out for the playoffs, but is shut down for the critical stretch run to qualify for the playoffs. Ironically, the NHL's first involvement in the Olympics since 2014 coincides with the last playoff round the Kings won.

See, since 2014, the organization has won 9 playoff games across 5 appearances. That's right around winning less than two games per playoff appearance. With a Stanley Cup-winning core nearing a single thread in the pending retirement of Anze Kopitar, the team's actual cup contention is trending towards delusion and refinement of previous rhetoric. 

Panarin is a big deal, and I do say that with gusto. The loss of Fiala doesn't necessarily bring the Kings back to square one, as Panarin certainly ranks among the top 5-10 wingers in the league, but it does feel like three steps forward, two steps back.

Panarin, even with Fiala healthy in the lineup, wasn't going to elevate this marginal team to the heights of contender legitimacy. The Kings, even before the trade in the aftermath of the Phillip Danault departure, had been involved in numerous discussions about acquiring a center to bolster this lineup, despite a backend that hampers this team. Their defensive core slows their transition game and strains the entire forward group through increased defensive labor due to a lack of overall outlet ability/footspeed in their own zone. 

The team is stuck with that; they have to eat this situation on the backend, as fixing it would likely require serious retention and assets going back, which they are already thinning out. That being said, a center is still needed.

That raises questions about their heir apparent, but Quinton Byfield is not out of the equation just yet, as I've covered before. He's undoubtedly under the spotlight now with a legitimate star winger that should be attached to his flank. It's now or never for the young forward, who is getting a better winger than Kopitar ever had, albeit in decline. There is the struggling Byfield, and then there's a massive drop-off in the ability to drive play and handle top six matchups in the stark decline of Kopitar. 

Samuel Helenius and Alex Turcotte aren't elevating this team to contention status. The reinforcements from Ontario are more detrimental than helpful. It has to be external.

The hockey world has been brimming with rumors of a potential trade that involves Vancouver's eleven-million-dollar centerman, Elias Pettersson. There's also a growing desire for Robert Thomas from St. Louis. Other names that have been tossed around are centers like Charlie Coyle and Nazem Kadri. The Kings are likely to look at all available options, even though most NHL teams are competitive this season, save for a few souring teams. There's no 2024 White Sox team in the NHL.

Re: Pettersson and Kadri—No movement clauses and modified trade lists come into play, so hoping for a Panarin-type situation asks that lightning strike twice. Panarin held all the cards in his deal, essentially handcuffing Chris Drury to a maddening effect for Ranger fans. Furthermore, I have a hard time putting stock in tagging the Kings to Pettersson solely because of his wife's long-time connection in Los Angeles. I also have a heck of a time thinking a player of this caliber gets swapped in a divisional trade.

That goes for Kadri, too, as the Flames won't be so inclined to do in-division deals, and Kadri has a modified no-movement clause. The aging veteran doesn't exactly thread the needle when considering the seasons in the wake of Kopitar's retirement (Kadri's contract runs through 2028-29). In one season, the team trades away Greentree, then gives up a first-round pick and more for a 35-year-old center with term? That doesn't bode well for the club.

Interestingly, Thomas has a no-trade clause and is locked up with the Blues until 2029-30, with an AAV of 8.125 million. That's gem-worthy on price; he's 26, a righty with 1C capacity. Thomas does sit in that rarified category with Pettersson, but would be extremely pricey if the player were to waive his clause. Should Thomas waive, and unless he demands a trade in the near future, St. Louis can wait out bidders with aplomb, picking apart what would likely be 15+ suitors. Doug Armstrong and Alexander Steen can deal with bids into next season if need be.

Unless there is some wizardry from Ken Holland, I don't see him dipping into the honey pot twice with New York to chase Vincent Trocheck. As mentioned, the Rangers got worked by Panarin's NMC. Trocheck has a 12-team no-trade clause. 

There are those clauses again, and the three highest upside names at center (Pettersson, Thomas, Trocheck) all have some clause. Kadri has a clause too.

On the lower end, there's Coyle, who plays for a competitive Columbus team in a similar situation to the Kings (four points out of the Eastern Conference wildcard playoff spot). These situational trades between aspiring playoff teams typically mean assets leaving matches, with the return, if only marginally better, from each team's perspective. Columbus, like the Kings, is looking to upgrade now. 

That leaves a more realistic vision for the Kings' trade strategy, but much less on the table regarding the higher-tiered ceiling in the return.

Untested goalie prospects, draft picks, and marginal middle-six pivot prospects to bargain with? Their legitimate blue-chip prospect pantry took a practical knockout blow in the deal to acquire Panarin without shedding a roster player: Liam Greentree. That asset pool has gone from bleak to barren. Solely relying on their plethora of picks might get a conversation with St. Louis or Vancouver going, or entice a fall-from-grace team such as New Jersey or Winnipeg, but it doesn't close the deal.

There is also the absurdity that Byfield would have to go the other way. Swapping him out for another center, even a much better one like Thomas or Pettersson (on the rare, off chance it happens), doesn't fix the center depth weakness. That feeds into a retool, not a rebuild.

There just aren't proper assets to get something substantial in return for the Kings in the wake of the Panarin deal. There aren't a plethora of clear-cut sellers as suitors in the league right now, forcing a perilous waiting game towards the trade deadline. It makes me believe the team needs to retain Warren Foegele, despite a back-down-to-Earth-level of production this season. 

Ears are certainly ringing if Foegele, a first-round pick and more, is the mock trade out there for the player who could actually redefine the team's current trajectory down the middle. Those extremely limited players (Pettersson or Thomas) who can actually put the Kings' categorization up a level or two are leaning towards the 'pipe dream'/'fleece' trade categorization. This isn't an Xbox game.

Holland has stated he has no interest in a rebuild. This suggests the Kings are putting all their chips in, especially given Kopitar's final season. 

The situation, however, is getting derailed and exposed by an ill-timed injury. Even before that, Holland was working with peanuts to make lemonade, as the former GM, Rob Blake, hamstrung the team across many areas. For Holland, credit where credit is due: the Panarin move was a stroke of beauty, given the assets sent over for the player, largely influenced by Panarin himself. But has Holland played his full hand?

An overpay for a center not expected, or one expected, is assumed to be looming. However, many doors must open for the right moves to be unlocked, leading to better short and long-term outcomes for the club. Landing a player who has to waive some form of trade clause twice in one season seems like a pretense for a not-so-well-thought-out plan. The reality is that the season was always going to be a stretch, and the organization might have just pulled a muscle. 

Waiting and hoping for a game-breaking 1C or high-end 2C to be available in free agency is foolhardy roster planning, given their last five years of franchise navigation. It directly ties into the notion of rebuilding this team. That long-term rebuild Holland is publicly deferring away from the organization will resurface in the offseason in a bad way should the Kings falter, yet again.

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Kevin Durant addresses social media burner account speculation

Houston Rockets All-Star forward Kevin Durant deflected questions about a possible social media burner account, though he did not deny the legitimacy of any claims.

Speaking to reporters Wednesday, Feb. 18 following a practice, Durant was asked about speculation that an account on X, formerly known as Twitter, might belong to Durant. The account handle, @gethigher77, was created in August 2021 and has just 75 followers and is following 75 other users. The account recently went private.

Over the All-Star break, screenshots emerged that showed the account openly criticizing current and former teammates of Durant.

“I know you’ve got to ask these questions, but I’m not here to get into Twitter nonsense,” Durant said. “I’m just here to focus on the season, keep it pushing, but I get why you have to ask those questions.”

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When pressed further and asked whether he had addressed the matter with his Rockets teammates, Durant once again deflected.

“My teammates know what it is,” he said. “We’ve been locked in the whole season. We enjoyed our break. We had a great practice today, and we look forward to the road trip.”

The Rockets, who are 33-20 and in a tight race near the top of the Western Conference, are set to go on a two-game trip to Charlotte and New York.

The screenshots from the @gethigher77 account led to speculation over the weekend that the tone and speech patterns were similar to messages Durant has used in the past from his verified accounts.

The images show direct messages sent from the account that seemingly disparage Rockets All-Star center Alperen Şengün and forward Jabari Smith Jr. Those direct messages are in the first person and imply that the Rockets are “this (expletive) ass team.” The messages also use offensive epithets.

“Your franchise player can’t shoot or defend,” one message reads, seemingly alluding to Şengün. “That's a wayyyyyyy bigger issue than my turnovers. Remember, these guys are your future.”

“I can’t trust Jabari to make a (expletive) shot or get a stop,” another message reads, before calling Smith a common epithet against people with a learning disability.

It’s important to stress that there has been no direct evidence tying Durant to the account and that the supposed link is, at this point, merely internet speculation.

Known to be active on his social media channels, particularly when responding to other users or trolls, Durant even said during a 2019 interview with ESPN that he used burner accounts.

Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) looks on from the bench during the third quarter against the Sacramento Kings Jan 11, 2026 at Golden 1 Center.

“I wasn’t used to that amount of attention from playing basketball,” Durant said then. “I wanted a place where I could talk to my friends without anybody butting in on my conversations or mixing my words or taking everything out of context because I enjoyed that place.”

Previously, in 2017, Durant was seemingly caught using a burner account when a fan addressed his official account and Durant responded by speaking in the third person.

Then, in July 2023, after the launch of Threads, Durant posted a message to Twitter, saying: “On threads with the burner. Come find me.”

During a press conference Saturday, Feb. 14 at All-Star media day, Durant was asked if he was forced to give up X or video games for the rest of his life, which one he would choose.

“Damn,” Durant said then. “I’m going to go Twitter. I’m going to go Twitter, because they don’t deserve to hear this God-level talk I’m giving to them. They take it for granted, cuz.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kevin Durant burner account: Rockets star addresses speculation

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Donovan Mitchell agrees with James Harden, loyalty in sports is overrated

CLEVELAND, OHIO - FEBRUARY 11: James Harden #1 and Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers warm up prior to a game against the Washington Wizards at Rocket Arena on February 11, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. 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 Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden made headlines after his home debut by saying loyalty is overrated after joining his fourth different franchise since 2022.

“It’s basketball, the whole quote on quote loyalty thing is, I think it’s overrated,” Harden said last week.

“I think this is a business at the end of the day, and it’s a lot of money involved and a lot of decisions that have to be made. If a player isn’t producing, or if you don’t see him in your future, you know, if the front office, some of them have to do a job and want to keep their job. So they feel like they got to do what’s best keep their job, and they trade players.”

Donovan Mitchell was asked about those comments after practice on Wednesday and agreed with Harden. Loyalty in sports isn’t what it ideally should be, but many factors go into why it isn’t.

“I think as a sports fan, and as a diehard Mets fan, would I love for Jacob deGrom to still be here? Yeah,” Mitchell said. “You know, certain situations, it’s not always going [to work out]. It’s not always like that. For him to be honest with you guys and give that answer, I respect that. This is a business.”

And there are competiting interest at play, even internally.

“You can’t blame a guy for wanting to maximize his opportunity, maximize his life-changing money for his family,” Mitchell said. “On the flip side, it’s that weird side in sports where it’s like, this is a business, but there’s also the concept of, ‘Hey, I want to be here forever.’ There’s always that with every athlete.”

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Mitchell has seen how this dynamic works, even if he personally hasn’t changed teams as much as Harden has.

There were reports that Mitchell was open to being traded from the Utah Jazz back in 2022. It was also clear that this was something that the Jazz felt was in their best interest after they weren’t able to advance out of the second round with their team built around Mitchell and Rudy Gobert.

“This season wasn’t very much fun this year,” Jazz CEO Danny Ainge said a few months before the team traded Mitchell. “This draft wasn’t fun. Free agency wasn’t very much fun. You’re over the tax, no draft picks, and our team loses in the first round. It wasn’t fun for us. We want it to be fun for our fans and our players, but we just haven’t had much flexibility to do anything over the last little while.”

Whether or not this was ultimately the right move for Utah is up for debate. What isn’t, is the fact that they felt that their core wasn’t good enough to win, and it was time to move on.

In many instances, it’s in the team’s and the player’s best interest to open up a new chapter. And in the NBA, things can change quickly, as Darius Garland found out.

“You look at my situation in Utah,” Mitchell said, “you go from being the one seed and the next thing you know (he snaps), it’s like that. It just happens. With DG, it was the same thing. The Jimmy Butler situation, the Dame [Lillard] situation, there’s other situations. It’s so fragile. Everything is so fragile. One day could be great, the next day (snaps again) can be like that.”

Some of Harden’s exits have been messy and seemingly not as mutually beneficial as you’d ideally like. That’s part of Harden’s complicated legacy and the business of sports.

“I don’t know his exact experience,” Mitchell said. “All I know, is pretty much what you guys know. But I do know there’s certain things that can kind of skew that. … Not just speaking of him, but as a whole in sports.

“So I really respect the fact that he was honest. I think a lot of guys relate to that. I think it also gives fans a unique insight on like, hey, there’s so much love here for sure, but there’s also things that can get in the way.”

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Brusdar Graterol expected to miss Opening Day while recovering from shoulder surgery

Dodgers reliever Brusdar Graterol

PHOENIX — Brusdar Graterol’s return to the mound will have to wait a little longer.

After missing all of last season recovering from a shoulder surgery, the hard-throwing Dodgers reliever is not expected to be ready for Opening Day this year, manager Dave Roberts said Wednesday.

Though Graterol came into spring training hopeful of returning for the start of the new season, Roberts said the right-hander will be on a slower progression as he ramps up in the coming weeks, after he struggled to dial up his velocity in some early throwing session in camp.

Los Angeles Dodger Pitcher Nick Frasso (79) walks with pitcher Brusdar Graterol (48) during Los Angeles Dodger workouts at Camelback Ranch in Glendale, Arizona. Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images

“With Brusdar, he’s shown that we can count on him when he’s needed in the biggest of spots,” Roberts said. “We just got to get him back up to that velocity. It’s an intentionally slow build-up.”

Graterol — who has a 2.78 career ERA — becomes the Dodgers’ latest right-handed reliever expected to be sidelined at the beginning of the year.

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Brock Stewart is still working his way back from a shoulder surgery he underwent in September. Evan Phillips isn’t expected back until midseason as he completes his recovery from last year’s Tommy John surgery.

Their absences could create opportunities for younger right-handers including Will Klein and Edgardo Henriquez, who are trying to parlay their success in last year’s playoffs into more permanent roles in the team’s big-league bullpen.

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Five biggest things to watch as NBA resumes for sprint to finish

LeBron James said, "We've gotten past the marathon and the sprint is about to start."

We're not sprinting yet. To keep with LeBron's marathon analogy, there's about 8.5 miles left in the race of the NBA season — still a ways to go, right about when people start running into the wall, but the end (and that sprint) is in sight.

What are the five biggest things to watch, the five biggest story lines as we get ready for that sprint to the end of the season? Let's break it down.

Tanking

When Adam Silver was first asked about tanking during his All-Star Saturday press conference, he proceeded to give a four-and-a-half-minute, circular, almost rambling statement that boiled down to this: He doesn't think it is what fans want, he understands why the analytics tell teams to tank (and some fans root for their team to lose, "the worst place to be, for example, is to be a middle-of-the-road team"), and that the league is looking at things it can do to limit tanking in the future.

Then Silver got to the real issue: This year is a perfect storm that makes things worse. This year's draft is considered particularly deep, with at least three potential franchise cornerstone players at the top (and potential All-Stars through the top eight or nine), and the next couple of drafts are seen as down years. Teams are focused on tanking this season because the rewards are higher.

The reality is that there is only so much the league can do — in basketball, landing one elite player changes a franchise. Despite what seemingly every other Reddit NBA post says, there are no easy answers here, every "solution" creates a different problem. It comes down to this: Landing Cooper Flagg or Cade Cunningham or Anthony Edwards or Victor Wembanyama can turn a franchise around, so it is worth the risk (and some fines) to improve draft positioning.

Just ask Mark Cuban.

Nine teams are more focused on maximizing their draft odds and landing one of those top players than winning games the rest of this season (Milwaukee would have made 10, but Giannis Antetokounmpo is coming back and looking to win games). That's 30% of the league. To be clear, the players on the court will play hard and try to win, this is a front office call. Meaning the higher-level players who can help those teams win games will see limited court time. If any.

It's going to lead to some ugly games the rest of the season, either blowouts when a team that cares faces these squads, or fans will be paying NBA prices to witness essentially a G League game when these tanking teams meet. It's only going to get worse in the coming weeks.

Silver will fine more teams, the league will institute some new rules in the offseason, but it will ultimately change little. As Silver said, the "incentives are misaligned" because getting one elite player changes everything, and the risk is worth it.

James Harden in Cleveland

Cleveland got better at the trade deadline, bringing in James Harden. The question is how much better?

How about No. 2 seed in the East better? Maybe NBA Finals better.

Cleveland sits as the No. 4 seed in the East, just 1.5 games back of No. 2 Boston, and the Cavaliers have the fifth-easiest remaining schedule in the league (and noticeably easier than any team above them), according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Yahoo Sports' Tom Haberstroh did the math and said that 13 of the Cavaliers remaining 28 games are against tanking teams (only the Warriors and Magic have more).

Harden brings a lot of positives to Cleveland. He is a pick-and-roll master, and that has helped Jarrett Allen — a proven pick-and-roll big — thrive since the trade. Plus, late in games, it has opened up opportunities for Donovan Mitchell. Rather than Mitchell having to create against a set defense, Harden can initiate the offense, get the defense in rotation, then swing it to Mitchell to finish the play (not unlike what Darius Garland could do when healthy last season for Cleveland). Plus — and this is an odd thing to say — Harden could be better for the Cavaliers' defense. Opponents targeted the 6'1" Garland, forcing switches into mismatches; Harden is no elite defender, but he's 6'5", has great hands, and is stout and can't be backed down easily.

Will Harden on the Cavaliers work in the playoffs, especially the second round and beyond? That's the big question. Considering his track record of duds, not to mention Cleveland's history, there's still a lot to prove. That said, Harden running a lot of pick-and-roll against the Knicks defense seems like bad news for New York. One team the Cavs may not match up well against is in Boston, which brings us to…

Jayson Tatum’s return

Is Boston the best team in the East?

The Celtics already sit as the No. 2 seed in the conference, with a top-10 offense and defense, and now it looks like their best player — Jayson Tatum — will return before the playoffs.

Tatum's return from a torn Achilles suffered last playoffs is not set in stone, but Boston is acting as if they expect his return — it is not trading away the wing scoring of Anfernee Simons to add big man Nikola Vucevic if they don't expect Tatum on the wing for a playoff run.

There are questions in Boston. Can Tatum slot into the role Jaylen Brown played for this team? These Celtics don't need vintage, MVP-ballot Tatum because they have MVP-ballot play from Brown this season, plus Derrick White has stepped up. What Boston needs is Tatum to be the No. 2 option and threat that keeps the defense honest and opens up driving and passing lanes. Just 85% of Tatum is a huge help for this team.

Still, in an open Eastern Conference, this Celtics team with Tatum (and now Vucevic) may be the best of the group.

Denver’s health

One thing that has come out of the first 55 games of the season: Oklahoma City is not inevitable. They are the best team in the NBA, especially when healthy, but they are not unbeatable.

Denver is the team best positioned to knock OKC off… if healthy.

The Nuggets have the size, the scoring, the defense to challenge the Thunder — it was a seven-game series a year ago against OKC, and the Nuggets didn't have Johnson or this Peyton Watson, but they were playing Russell Westbrook in all seven games.

This year's Denver is improved and a legit title contender, but has been hit hard by injuries: Nikola Jokic has missed 14 games, Cameron Johnson 24, Aaron Gordon 32 (and counting, he remains out with a hamstring issue), and Christian Braun 36. The Denver core of Jokic/Murray/Gordon have played just 229 minutes together all season (with a +23.5 net rating in those minutes). The ideal starting five — Murray, Braun, Johnson, Gordon, Jokic — have played in 10 games together.

Through all that, the Nuggets are still the No. 3 seed in the West and have the best offense in the league. Get healthy, get their defense playing better, and this team is a legit title threat. It's just a question of getting right before the postseason.

Are we sleeping on the Pistons?

Already in this list, we have said to keep an eye on how much better James Harden makes the Cleveland Cavaliers, or how, with Jayson Tatum back in the fold, the Boston Celtics could be the best team in the East.

What about the team that is on top of the East in the standings, the Detroit Pistons? Are we sleeping on them?

Detroit has the elite star in Cade Cunningham, the team has an identity, and it meets the classic definition of a contender with a top-10 offense and defense in the league (and it is second in the league in net rating).

Yet ask around at the All-Star break, and it's almost likely the Pistons are in the second tier. The concerns are on the offensive end: This is a team that scores a lot of points in the paint (56.8 per game), and they are third in the league in offense started in transition (17.3% of their possessions), but those points are harder to come by in the playoffs as the games slow down. Teams will pack the paint against Detroit and dare it to shoot over the top — Detroit takes the third-lowest percentage of shots from 3 in the league, and it is in the bottom 10 in the league in shooting percentage from deep (34.9%). The Pistons could simply lose the math game some nights in the playoffs.

Also, when teams load up on Cade Cunningham in the playoffs, who is the secondary shot creator?

Still, Detroit has an elite defense and a clear identity. This is a very good team, and in this Eastern Conference, count them out at your own risk.

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Green Bay coach Doug Gottlieb suspended by Horizon League after postgame rant

Green Bay men's basketball coach Doug Gottlieb has been suspended by the Horizon League for his postgame comments about referees.

The Horizon League announced it was suspending Gottlieb for one game for his comments following a 75-72 loss to in-state rival Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Sunday, Feb. 15. As a result, he will miss the Phoenix's matchup against Oakland on Friday, Feb. 20.

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"The Horizon League is suspending Green Bay men's basketball head coach Doug Gottlieb for violating the League's Operating Regulations on Sunday, Feb. 15," the league wrote in a statement shared on X.

The post also added that it considers the matter closed and will have no further comment.

Shortly after the league announced the discipline, Gottlieb took to his own personal X (formerly Twitter) account to apologize for his actions.

"I'd like to apologize to the Horizon League and the officials for my disparaging comments following Sunday's game," Gottlieb wrote. "I understand and appreciate how difficult their job is, and respect what they do for the sport of basketball. I will be better moving forward."

Gottlieb was upset about a foul call against his best player, CJ O'Hara, which was his fourth and came with 4:25 left in the game. The Phoenix led by four at the time, but the foul changed the direction of the game.

Later on, Gottlieb was further angered by a no-call for a foul when his player drove to the hoop for a potential game-winning shot with just a few seconds remaining.

"You had the exact same play at both ends on the last play of the game," Gottlieb said to reporters, pausing momentarily to aggressively slam his fists onto the table.

"The exact same [expletive] play!" he yelled, "The exact same play!"

Gottlieb also took exception to a technical foul he was hit with, with just under seven minutes left in the game.

"I need the new commissioner of the Horizon League to explain to me what a technical foul is when I don't leave the box, I don't curse, I'm not demonstrative," Gottlieb said. "There was nothing, nothing that should have been called a technical foul. I know when I earn one. I did not earn one.

"The CJ play, we're up [four] points, that dramatically changed the [trajectory] of the game."

For the game, Milwaukee shot 37 free throws, while Green Bay shot 19, despite drawing only five more fouls. 

"All we ask is that there's a fair game. That's what we ask," Gottlieb said. "CJ O'Hara goes and gets an offensive rebound, their player dives at his legs and CJ gets called for a foul. I need [Jill Bodensteiner] at the league, our new commissioner, to explain to me the disparity in the officiating. That's what I need explained to me."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Doug Gottlieb suspended by Horizon League after Green Bay coach's rant

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Anthony Gordon grabs four as Newcastle hit Qarabag for six in playoff

When the Qarabag manager, Gurban Gurbanov, declared before kick-off that Newcastle possess “a style of play that does not suit us”, there were suggestions that he was playing mind games. Long before half-time it was fully apparent that he had rather understated things.

Had this been a boxing match it would surely have been stopped by the 20th minute. Qarabag were utterly overwhelmed by the pace of their guests, and that of Anthony Gordon in particular. Gordon scored four times, boosting his tally in the Champions League this season to 10 goals.

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Jurrangelo Cjintje is your #5 St. Louis Cardinals prospect

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AR - SEPTEMBER 03: Jurrangelo Cijntje #7 of the Arkansas Travelers pitches prior to the game between the Amarillo Sod Poodles and the Arkansas Travelers at Dickey-Stephens Park on Wednesday, September 3, 2025 in North Little Rock, Arkansas. (Photo by Braeden Botts/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)

Instead of sharing that Jurrangelo Cjintje lost the head-to-head vote to Quinn Mathews for the #5 prospect during our regularly scheduled programming (tomorrow), I figured it was more appropriate to have its own official post. There was an interesting quandary posted in the comments that was not a quandary at all as it turns out. There was a belief that Cjintje could have plausibly lost to Joshua Baez but would have beat Mathews. But no, the prospect order was seemingly confirmed when Cjintje beat Baez and then lost to Mathews. The order as it stands now:

  1. JJ Wetherholt
  2. Liam Doyle
  3. Rainiel Rodriguez
  4. Quinn Mathews
  5. Jurrangelo Cjintje
  6. Joshua Baez
  7. Leonardo Bernal
  8. Jimmy Crooks
  9. Brandon Clarke
  10. Tink Hence
  11. Tekoah Roby

The 12th prospect gets revealed tomorrow, although it wouldn’t be terribly difficult to figure out who that is if you really wanted to know right this minute. And hey while you’re here, I might as well get some use out of this post and run another comparable player poll, which I technically lost when Cjintje was automatically placed in the top 7 without ever going on the vote.

Comparable Player Poll #1

One of the appeals of making this its own post, quite frankly, was being able to run a couple extra of these. When Cjintje got added to the top 7 without ever going into the main vote, I lost a comparable player poll. And since this is such an exceptionally short post and you’re already here, help me separate seemingly indistinguishable prospects who may or may not get added to the voting, but at least shortening my options from 3 to 1 would help a lot. The first of these will be simple: pick the best of the 2025 trade deadline pickups:

Nate Dohm, 23 – RHP

Low A: 7 GS, 28.1 IP, 27.9 K%, 8.2 BB%, 43.4 GB%, .351 BABIP, 3.18 ERA/2.66 FIP/3.14 xFIP

High A: 15 GS, 46.2 IP, 27.9 K%, 10.9 GB%, 39 GB%, .289 BABIP, 3.28 ERA/4.28 FIP/3.52 xFIP

Scouting (FG): 50/60 Fastball, 45/50 Slider, 30/50 Command

Frank Ellisalt, 24 – RHP

Low A: 18 G (7 GS), 50.2 IP, 28.4 K%, 10.4 BB%, 30.2 GB%, .222 BABIP, 3.02 ERA/3.69 FIP/3.64 xFIP

High A: 6 (3 GS), 15.1 IP, 22.2 K%, 12.7 BB%, 35 GB%, .282 BABIP, 4.70 ERA/4.18 FIP/4.26 xFIP

Scouting: 55/60 Fastball, 50/60 Slider, 30/40 Change, 30/40 Command

Mason Molina, 22 – LHP

Low A: 11 GS, 46.2 IP, 32.3 K%, 8.3 BB%, 43.6 GB%, .298 BABIP, 3.86 ERA/3.87 FIP/2.94 xFIP

High A: 11 GS, 49 IP, 28.1 K%, 13.3 BB%, 36.5 GB%, .270 BABIP, 2.39 ERA/3.38 FIP/4.03 xFIP

Scouting: 45/50 Fastball, 40/45 Slider, 35/40 Curve, 50/55 Change, 30/40 Command

No mini-profiles here, just the stats and the scouting.

VOTE HERE

Comparable Player Poll #2

Kind of weird comparison honestly, but today we are looking at two recently recovering from Tommy John pitchers with not much of a sample size and a recent draft pick with zero sample size. I wanted all of them in a poll at some point, and honestly, comparing three guys with very little sample to work with makes sense to me. As such I don’t think listing the stats is particularly useful. Here’s a spoiler: the Tommy John guys struck out a lot of guys but also walked a lot of guys.

Cade Crossland was the 2025 3rd round draft choice out of Oklahoma. He is left-handed and had in my opinion a bit of a confusing stat line last season. Playing in the SEC, he struck out a good number of batters, walked a bit too many but nothing too bad and…. allowed a lot of runners to score. He is an underlying metrics + scouting the stuff bet I would guess.

Andrew Dutkanych IV was the 7th rounder from the 2024 draft who was drafted after having already gotten Tommy John, with a gamble on grabbing a higher round talent who was available lower because of his injury. He threw 17 total innings and finished the year in Low A.

Jacob Odle was a 14th round pick from the 2023 draft who needed Tommy John after getting drafted and thus missed all of 2024. On the bright side, he threw 51 innings last season including 43 in Low A. He averaged a bit more than 3 innings per start.

All three are 22-years-old, so age is not a separator.

VOTE HERE

That’s all I have for you. The #12 prospect will be revealed tomorrow and so will the chance to vote on 13th best prospect.

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Cavs Injury Updates: Multiple key players are ramping up for a return

CLEVELAND, OHIO - MAY 04: Max Strus #1 is helped up by Evan Mobley #4 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the fourth quarter of game one of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Indiana Pacers at Rocket Arena on May 04, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Pacers defeated the Cavaliers 121-112. 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 Jason Miller/Getty Images) | Getty Images

It’s been a long season full of recurring injuries for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Soon, hopefully, they can put those concerns behind them and finish the final 27 games strong. That means getting multiple key players such as Evan Mobley, Dean Wade and Max Strus back on the court.

Head coach Kenny Atkinson says those guys are starting to ramp up towards a return.

“All are trending very positive,” said Atkinson. “Dean and Evan are trending toward playing tomorrow. They went through a full practice today and looked good.”

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Getting back Mobley and Wade would give this surging team another boost. They both bring tremendous value defensively and should pair well offensively with newcomer James Harden. There’s an entire pick-and-roll game to develop between Harden and Mobley, while Wade should benefit from catch-and-shoot attempts in the corner off Harden’s drive-and-kicks.

As for Strus, the timeline is still murky.

“Max is progressing,” said Atkinson. “Did a pretty high-level workout today, no contact still, but he’s starting to ramp up. Don’t get too excited, but he’s doing a lot more, so that’s good news.”

Strus has not played yet this season after suffering a foot injury in August. It was announced in January that Strus would miss at least another month with the injury.

The Cavs have missed Strus for his ability to space the floor and get hot in a hurry. He’s one of the streakiest three-point shooters in the league, and that’s led to some of the most entertaining games of the last few years for Cleveland. They’d love to have him back, not only for his volume shooting, but for the connective tissue he brings to both ends of the floor. Strus is a competitor that raises the floor for everyone.

For now, Cavs fans can at least look forward to Mobley and Wade returning soon. Cleveland is back from the All-Star break tomorrow as they host the Brooklyn Nets.

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Real Madrid beats Paris FC to set up women’s Champions League quarterfinal against Barcelona

LONDON (AP) — Real Madrid set up a Clasico against three-time champion Barcelona in the women's Champions League quarterfinals by beating Paris FC 2-0 on Wednesday.

Striker Naomie Feller opened the scoring and Melween N’Dongala put through her own net as Madrid advanced 5-2 on aggregate, having won the first leg in Paris 3-2.

Later Wednesday, defending champion Arsenal protects a 4-0 lead when it hosts Belgian side OH Leuven. Qualification for the London club would set up a quarterfinal with rival Chelsea.

Early red card

Paris' cause was made harder when defender Théa Greboval was sent off in the fifth minute for pulling back Feller as she ran through on goal.

Still, the visitors came close to taking a 19th-minute lead at Estadio Alfredo Di Stéfano when Océane Picard’s low shot from 20 meters was well saved by goalkeeper Misa Rodríguez.

Attacking midfielder Caroline Weir missed a chance to put Madrid ahead from the penalty spot in the 36th after Picard handled a cross. Goalkeeper Mylène Chavas, playing against her former club, pushed away the spot kick with both hands.

Feller broke Paris' resistance in the 54th when she volleyed in from close range following a fine cross from right back Eva Navarro, who also set up the second goal midway through the second half when her cross led to N’Dongala's own goal from near the penalty spot.

The revamped women’s Champions League format has followed the men’s competition, with an opening league phase of six rounds instead of eight.

The top four in the 18-team league phase — Barcelona, Lyon, Chelsea and Bayern Munich — advanced directly to the quarters and teams placed fifth to 12th went into the playoffs.

To come

In Thursday's second legs, Juventus hosts two-time champion Wolfsburg with the score 2-2 while Manchester United defends a 3-0 lead at home to Atletico Madrid.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

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What happened to the Bucks’ once-prolific three-guard lineup? Part 2

MILWAUKEE, WI - OCTOBER 30: Ryan Rollins #13, AJ Green #20, Myles Turner #3 and Kyle Kuzma #18 of the Milwaukee Bucks celebrates during the game against the Golden State Warriors on October 30, 2025 at Fiserv Forum Center 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images). | NBAE via Getty Images

Late in the 2024–25 campaign, the Bucks featured a three-guard look that was quite effective, even in the playoffs: Kevin Porter Jr., AJ Green, Gary Trent Jr., Giannis, and Bobby Portis. It was so intriguing that many fans thought the answer this year would be to replace Portis with newcomer Myles Turner and run with it. But while that lineup has been good, we’ve barely seen it thanks to injuries and ineffectiveness. Still, we’ll attempt to figure out how playing three guards is going this year.

Yesterday, we found that when the best lineups stayed together over the 2024 offseason, they remained pretty good, even with a drop-off from increased playing time. That generally held when these teams swapped or added significant talent to their rotations too, improving their holdover lineups on paper. It also held when said talent came in the form of a big man.

But that was only entering last season. To get a handle on how it’s gone in recent years, we’re going to increase the scope here. I looked at teams that made a significant frontcourt acquisition the previous offseason, particularly additions who regularly played the five, then I compared how they integrated with smaller or less-talented groups from one year to the next. This dates back to offseason big man additions since 2018:

LineupTeamMPYear 1 NetMPYear 2 NetDiff.
Horford/G. Williams/Brown/White/TatumBOS11713.1
Horford/Porzingis/Brown/White/TatumBOS11816.2+3.1
Horford/Smart/Brown/White/TatumBOS43212.2
Horford/Porzingis/Brown/White/TatumBOS11816.2+4.0
Horford/R. Williams/Brown/White/TatumBOS6944.9
Horford/Porzingis/Brown/White/TatumBOS11816.2-28.7
Horford/Brogdon/Brown/White/TatumBOS482.0
Horford/Porzingis/Brown/White/TatumBOS11816.2+14.2
Olynyk/Clarkson/Markkanen/Sexton/VanderbiltUTA13315.7
Olynyk/Clarkson/Markkanen/Sexton/CollinsUTA2564.3-11.4
Olynyk/Clarkson/Markkanen/Sexton/KesslerUTA79-0.1
Olynyk/Clarkson/Markkanen/Sexton/CollinsUTA2564.3+4.4
Olynyk/Clarkson/Markkanen/Sexton/BeasleyUTA37-3.8
Olynyk/Clarkson/Markkanen/Sexton/CollinsUTA2564.3+8.1
Olynyk/Clarkson/Markkanen/Sexton/ConleyUTA3030.4
Olynyk/Clarkson/Markkanen/Sexton/CollinsUTA2564.3-26.1
Olynyk/Clarkson/Markkanen/Horton-Tucker/KesslerUTA4118.4
Collins/Clarkson/Markkanen/Horton-Tucker/KesslerUTA84-22.1-40.5
Russell/Towns/Vanderbilt/Edwards/McDanielsMIN155-4.6
Russell/Towns/Gobert/Edwards/McDanielsMIN2604.0+8.6
Russell/Towns/Beasley/Edwards/McDanielsMIN10411.9
Russell/Towns/Gobert/Edwards/McDanielsMIN2604.0-7.9
Russell/Towns/Beverley/Edwards/McDanielsMIN7610.7
Russell/Towns/Gobert/Edwards/McDanielsMIN2604.0-6.7
Russell/Towns/Okogie/Edwards/McDanielsMIN45-0.9
Russell/Towns/Gobert/Edwards/McDanielsMIN2604.0+4.9
Thompson/Smart/Brown/Tatum/TheisBOS95-4.3
Horford/Smart/Brown/Tatum/TheisBOS5933.9+38.2
Thompson/Smart/Brown/Tatum/G. WilliamsBOS3230.1
Horford/Smart/Brown/Tatum/G. WilliamsBOS61-13.7-43.8
Valaciunas/Anderson/Melton/Morant/BaneMEM5014.0
Adams/Anderson/Melton/Morant/BaneMEM60-25.2-39.2
Redick/Favors/Ingram/Ball/HartNO94-10.7
Redick/Adams/Ingram/Ball/HartNO4620.0+30.7
Bledsoe/Henson/Middleton/Giannis/BrownMIL3220.7
Bledsoe/Lopez/Middleton/Giannis/BrownMIL130-10.4-31.1
Bledsoe/Henson/Middleton/Giannis/SnellMIL6065.8
Bledsoe/Lopez/Middleton/Giannis/SnellMIL673.5-2.3
Bledsoe/Henson/Middleton/Giannis/BrogdonMIL22413.0
Bledsoe/Lopez/Middleton/Giannis/BrogdonMIL5975.7-7.3
Bledsoe/Henson/Snell/Giannis/BrogdonMIL40-23.4
Bledsoe/Lopez/Snell/Giannis/BrogdonMIL3561.7+85.1
Livingston/West/Iguodala/Thompson/GreenGS1399.4
Livingston/Cousins/Iguodala/Thompson/GreenGS6713.2+3.8
Durant/Pachulia/Curry/Thompson/GreenGS4148.5
Durant/Cousins/Curry/Thompson/GreenGS26813.1+4.6

These aren’t all elite teams by any means, but does the pattern above—the best lineups fell off but were still generally very good, and increased exposure lowered net ratings overall—hold? Well, lineups that shifted their biggest guy down the positional spectrum, then installed their shiny new big man in place of a guard or wing, sometimes saw a nice jump. Look at the Celtics replacing Malcom Brogdon with Kristaps Porzingis in 2023, then further down the list, Tristan Thompson with Al Horford in 2021. A post-ACL tear DeMarcus Cousins elevated some Warriors holdovers too.

On the other hand, newcomer Rudy Gobert plus lesser defender Karl-Anthony Towns lineups in Minnesota were a mixed bag, as were groups that added John Collins alongside one of Utah’s returning bigs, Kelly Olynyk or Walker Kessler. Even Lopez couldn’t elevate two of the Bucks’ better quintets in 2017–18, though they were still solid (the 20.7 net with Sterling Brown looks quite fluky).

Generally, though, new big men lineups did fit the pattern I mentioned: the four-returnees-plus-one-new-guy groups averaged a 1.5 points per 100 possessions decrease in their net rating. And when previous-year lineups saw an uptick in minutes, their net decreased 73% of the time. But the truly elite groups didn’t usually maintain a standard of excellence. Of all the fivesomes with net ratings above 12 (usually around 80th percentile), nearly all sank to league average or below in net, except for the Porzingis crews.

We now finally arrive to this year’s Bucks. Unfortunately, only two Milwaukee lineups with Turner replacing Lopez and the other four not changing have carried over from 2024–25 to 2025–26 thus far. The sample size is far too small to glean anything from:

LineupMP24–25 NetMP25–26 NetDiff.
Porter/Green/Trent/Giannis/Lopez1775.8
Porter/Green/Trent/Giannis/Turner1748.9-26.9
Porter/Green/Trent/Kuzma/Lopez43-9.8
Porter/Green/Trent/Kuzma/Turner418.3+28.1

Though Giannis may be returning soon, we may not get more data on last year’s three-guard trio since Trent seems to have been replaced by Cam Thomas in the rotation. But it’s really Rollins who has replaced him in the Bucks’ three-guard groups, which they have used a lot this year: they’ve played 373 minutes together, which CTG defines as 754 non-garbage time possessions. They have a very solid 119.9 offensive rating and 111.0 defensive rating; a +8.9 net rating, good for the 90th percentile. Their most successful and most used groups slot Giannis alongside Portis, Turner, or Kuzma, though using Portis and Turner together has also worked in small doses (only seen in four games):

LineupPossessionsNet Rtg%tileORtg%tileDRtg%tile
Rollins/Porter/Green/Giannis/Turner35613.681st123.074th109.474th
Rollins/Porter/Green/Kuzma/Turner99-17.612th104.011th121.626th
Rollins/Porter/Green/Giannis/Portis9430.296th120.262nd90.099th
Rollins/Porter/Green/Sims/Turner874.154th114.938th110.968th
Rollins/Porter/Green/Portis/Sims36-2.037th133.396th135.53rd
Rollins/Porter/Green/Kuzma/Portis28-59.10th96.42nd155.60th
Rollins/Porter/Green/Portis/Turner2632.698th115.442nd82.8100th
Rollins/Porter/Green/Kuzma/Giannis1931.697th142.1100th110.570th

Of the four lineups that are made up of returning players from 2024–25, only one saw any action last year: the one at the very bottom, with just five possessions. But the third lineup down, with its +30.2 net, is probably the best analogue for Porter/Green/Trent/Giannis/Portis, and the top lineup is the closest we’ll get to Porter/Green/Trent/Giannis/Lopez. If we use Rollins as our Trent equivalence (not too far off, given Trent’s excellent shooting last year and scratch defense), here’s how they compare across seasons:

LineupPoss.24–25 NetPoss.25–26 NetDiff.
Porter/Green/Trent/Giannis/Lopez3488.2
Porter/Green/Rollins/Giannis/Turner35613.6-74.6
Porter/Green/Trent/Kuzma/Lopez84-7.4
Porter/Green/Rollins/Kuzma/Turner99-17.6-10.2
Porter/Green/Trent/Giannis/Portis8854.6
Porter/Green/Rollins/Giannis/Portis9430.2-24.4
Porter/Green/Trent/Kuzma/Portis3361.5
Porter/Green/Rollins/Kuzma/Portis28-59.1-120.6
Porter/Green/Trent/Portis/Lopez22-58.2
Porter/Green/Rollins/Portis/Turner2632.6+90.8
Porter/Green/Trent/Kuzma/Giannis58-6.3
Porter/Green/Rollins/Kuzma/Giannis1931.6+37.9
Porter/Green/Trent/Kuzma/Sims964.2
Porter/Green/Rollins/Kuzma/Sims3133.3+129.1

In a sense, the Bucks’ small-ball “death lineup” didn’t go anywhere, if you just replace Rollins with Trent, and the three-guard “triumverate” still exists with him alongside Porter and Green. The sample sizes of Porter/Green/Trent/Giannis/Portis and Porter/Rollins/Green/Giannis/Portis are now about the same, and though it’s seen a net falloff of 24.4, it’s still 96th percentile. That’s in line with findings from other teams dating back several years: the best lineups fell off but remained generally very good, and increased exposure lowered net ratings overall.

And as much as we’ve bemoaned the Bucks’ lack of size on the wing, playing AJG as an undersized three has actually worked pretty well as long as he has the right frontcourt: CTG gives lineups with Green playing alongside two smaller guards (not just Rollins and KPJ, but also small doses of Cole Anthony and Cam Thomas) a +7.8 net. What you don’t want, though, is him plus another non-ballhandling guard (-28.6 in 35 possessions). Or worse yet, one of Trent or Gary Harris moving up a spot to the three (-9.4 in 1228 possessions).

Rollins’ emergence has been so critical to the Bucks this year, as roster construction and an injury to Taurean Prince have dictated that they play three guards very often. Though they can now play bigger on the wing when necessary, thanks to Ousmane Dieng, it’s still a good weapon. One question moving forward is how it will work with Thomas: playing next to any of Rollins, KPJ, or Porter, will he bring enough offense to keep three-guard lineups above water? If so, how high above even, and who do they need in the frontcourt? We’ll check on this down the road, provided Doc doesn’t abandon the three-guard look, which he shouldn’t, even if playing that small is usually a necessity.

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2026 Chicago Cubs player profiles: Javier Assad

Today we look at the Cubs’ younger right-handed swingman.

The Cubs have restocked the bullpen and added a starter. So far, we’ve covered the starting five and the entire batting/fielding group (as it stands). We’ll look at the additional starter candidates and the bullpen in alphabetical order, which means that the roster will consist of Assad, Brown, Harvey, Hodge, Hollowell, Little, Martin, Maton, Milner, Neely, Palencia, Ray, Roberts, Rolison, Thielbar, Webb, Wicks. We’ll skip Miller and Steele until they are activated.

Javier Eduardo Assad was born July 30, 1997 in Tijuana, Mexico. He’s 18-12 lifetime, 3.43 ERA in 78 games, 54 of which were starts, over a four-year period. When he isn’t starting, he’s a long reliever. He’s fine in either role — I don’t think he gets enough respect, honestly. He started 29 games in 2024, his best overall and most complete season, and then got hurt, suffering a Grade 2 left oblique strain in Spring Training which bit him twice, aborting a first comeback attempt.

He seems fine now, is playing for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic, and is said to be focused on his health.

His health willing, Assad will probably make the cut in the spring and travel north. He’s more or less on a plain with Colin Rea as a swingman, and there’s no reason not to keep both unless they lay eggs in Mesa.

He’s amassed a career 5.1 bWAR (2.7 fWAR), and is an injury away from the rotation.

We’ll see you tomorrow with a few words about Ben Brown.

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Green Bay's Doug Gottlieb gets 1-game suspension from Horizon League after criticizing officiating

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Green Bay coach Doug Gottlieb was suspended one game by the Horizon League on Wednesday for comments he made while criticizing officials after a 75-72 loss to Milwaukee last Sunday.

Gottlieb slammed his hands on the table at one point and used an expletive in his postgame news conference while complaining about what he perceived as inconsistency in the officiating. Video of his news conference garnered attention on social media.

“Gottlieb’s postgame comments do not reflect the League’s values or sportsmanship expectations,” the Horizon League said in a statement announcing the suspension. “The Horizon League considers this matter closed and will have no further comment.”

The suspension will take effect for Friday when Green Bay (15-13, 10-7) visits Oakland (14-13, 10-6).

“I’d like to apologize to the Horizon League and the officials for my disparaging comments following Sunday’s game,” Gottlieb said Wednesday in a statement. “I understand and appreciate how difficult their job is, and respect what they do for the sport of basketball. I will be better moving forward.”

Kerry Rupp, an assistant on Gottlieb's staff, will be Green Bay's acting head coach on Friday.

“We have talked to Coach Gottlieb about the comments he made following Sunday’s game," Green Bay chancellor Michael Alexander athletic director Josh Moon said in a statement. “We appreciate his apology and respect the commissioner’s decision, however, we do not believe his actions warrant a suspension. We feel a reprimand or public censure would have been appropriate.”

Green Bay was trailing 73-72 in the closing seconds when Milwaukee’s Stevie Elam stole the ball from Preston Ruedinger, who was driving to the basket. Elam then made two free throws with 1 second left.

On Milwaukee’s previous possession, Amar Augillard had driven to the basket, got a foul call and made two free throws to put the Panthers ahead. Green Bay believed a foul should have been called on Ruedinger’s drive as well.

“It’s the exact same play as the other end — could not be more similar,” Gottlieb said after the game. “And yet, every time they drove, it was a foul. And every time we did, it was mixed.”

Milwaukee went 30 of 37 on free-throw attempts, while Green Bay was 14 of 18. There were 23 fouls called on Green Bay and 18 on Milwaukee.

Gottlieb also wondered why he received a technical foul at one point in the game. Gottlieb said he didn’t curse, wasn’t demonstrative and hadn’t left his box before the technical was called.

“There was nothing, nothing that should have been called a technical foul,” Gottlieb said. “I know when I’ve earned one. I did not earn one.”

___

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