The Cleveland Cavaliers will have the Boston Celtics on Monday night in the second gathering between the groups in Spring, and the fourth and last matchup of the normal season.
Cleveland has a 2-1 advantage in the series. Boston won 117-113 at home on Wednesday, while Cleveland won 114-113 in overtime on November 2 and 132-123 in Boston on October 28.
In a shootout at the game on Wednesday, Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell scored 44 points more than Boston’s Jayson Tatum. However, the Celtics were able to hold off a Cavaliers comeback from as much as 19 points down in the fourth quarter thanks to Tatum’s final two free throws.
On Saturday, the Cavaliers beat Detroit 114-90 to make up for their loss. With 106.4 points allowed per game, Cleveland’s best defense in the NBA has held an opponent to less than 100 points for the 21st time in this victory.
Evan Mobley, a forward in his second season, and center Jarrett Allen, a center, have been crucial to the Cavaliers’ dominance on the defensive end.
Allen blocks 1.2 shots per game, while Mobley blocks 1.4 shots per game. Additionally, Cleveland opponents are held to 9.4 offensive rebounds per game, which ranks third in the NBA. The Cavaliers have the third-lowest percentage of field goal attempts allowed per game, at 83.6, as a result.
After losing to New York on Sunday in double overtime by a score of 131-129, Boston heads into this game on Monday, the second leg of a back-to-back.
Al Horford finished with 20 points and 14 rebounds for the Celtics, Jaylen Brown had 29 points and eight rebounds, and Tatum had 40 points and 11 rebounds.
The defeat was Boston’s third in as many games and their second in a row. However, in his post-game press conference, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla stated that he had “zero” concern about the term trending in the wrong direction throughout the remainder of the season.
With 117.5 points per game, Boston is fourth in the league in scoring. The Celtics had scored 113 points at the end of regulation on Sunday, falling short of their 48-minute goal of more than 117 points per game in all three of their recent defeats.
Protectively, Boston has permitted more than its normal yield (112.1 focuses per game) in every one of the last three games, including the latest gathering with Cleveland.
2023 NWSL Draft pick joins Pride through 2025 season
ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Pride and forward Messiah Bright have agreed to a three-year contract, signing the player through the 2025 NWSL season, it was announced today. Bright was drafted by the Pride in the second round, No. 21 overall, in the 2023 NWSL Draft.
“Messiah has the potential to be one of the most dangerous attackers in the NWSL, something the Club knew when we drafted her this year,” VP of Soccer Operations and General Manager Haley Carter said. “She has had a great preseason, showcasing the skills she possesses and becoming a great fit for the culture we are building in our locker room. We know she still has so much untapped potential and we are excited that Orlando will be where she develops and grows as an athlete and person. We’re really looking forward to the important role she is going to play in achieving our goals, this year and in the future.”
Bright played collegiately at Texas Christian University for five years and finished her career with 50 goals and 17 assists in 102 games played, all of which were starts. She ranks as the program’s all-time leader in goals and points (118) along with earning All-Big 12 honors in each of her five years with the Horned Frogs. Bright also was a two-time United Soccer Coaches All-American during her time in Fort Worth.
“I am beyond excited to be able to stay in purple and call Orlando home for the next few years. It’s always been a dream of mine to play professional soccer, and I finally get to do that with such an amazing team,” Bright said. “The experience thus far is something I have been truly grateful for. The team as well as the coaching staff have welcomed me with open arms, and they drive me to be the best person I can be on and off the pitch. I can’t wait to see my development and give it my all for the Club and our fans!”
During the 2022 campaign at TCU, Bright posted double-digit goals for the third time in her NCAA career, netting 10 for the Horned Frogs as they made a run to their third-consecutive Sweet 16 appearance. During the 2021 season, the forward racked up 17 goals, which set the program record for goals scored in a single season and was tied for fourth nationally.
At the international level, Bright earned a call-up to the U-23 U.S. Women’s National Team in 2022 and for U-18 USWNT training camps in Florida and Switzerland in 2018.
Most recently, Bright provided the assist on Julie Doyle’s game-winning goal on February 23 in the Pride’s 2-0 preseason win over the Kansas City Current.
The Pride open their 2023 season on the road, traveling to face Portland Thorns FC on March 26. The home season will begin on April 2, with Angel City FC coming to Exploria Stadium for a 5:30 p.m. ET kickoff.
Tickets for that match, as well as full season ticket packages, half season ticket packages and group tickets, are available here.
TRANSACTION: Orlando Pride signs forward Messiah Bright to a three-year contract through the 2025 season.
Messiah Bright (meh-CY-uh) Number: 23 Position: Forward Height: 5-9 Born: January 12, 2000 in Dallas, Texas Hometown: Dallas, Texas Citizenship: USA
New York, N.Y., – New York City Football Club (NYCFC) today announced that it has acquired Midfielder Santiago Rodriguez as a Designated Player from Montevideo City Torque through the 2027 season.
The Uruguayan will don the number 10 jersey and will be available for selection against Chicago Fire FC. Rodriguez is now a U.S. Permanent Resident and will not occupy an international roster spot.
Sporting Director David Lee said: “We are excited to welcome Santi back to NYCFC on a permanent basis. Over the last two seasons Santi developed into one of the most impactful attacking players in MLS and quickly became a very important part of our group. He has an extremely bright future ahead of him and at just 23 years old, we know he will continue to develop and improve.
“Bringing Santi back to the Club was a priority for us and we are delighted that we have been able to finalize this deal. We’re looking forward to welcoming him back into the group and supporting his development over the years ahead.”
The Uruguayan arrived to New York in June of 2021, on loan from Montevideo City, and had an immediate impact on the team scoring three goals and providing one assist across 21 regular season matches. A fixture in the lineup, Rodriguez played all four playoff games in the historic 2021 MLS Cup run, scoring in the Eastern Conference Semifinal against New England.
Rodriguez said: “I am delighted to be coming back to New York City. It’s a City and a Club that I have fell in love with. We have had many successes the past couple season and I hope to continue to bring happiness and silverware to the Club and our fans.
“I will continue to work hard and grow as a professional every day on-and-off the field and do my part in helping the Club achieve its goals. I am excited to be reunited with the New York City faithful and play in front of them again.”
2022 was a breakout year for the midfielder helping the Club claim Campeones Cup while scoring seven goals and contributing with 19 assists across all competitions, including four assists in the MLS Cup Playoffs en route to back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals.
Transaction: New York City acquired Midfielder Santiago Rodriguez from Montevideo City Torque on a Designated Player contract through the 2027 MLS season.
Revolution’s second-round selection in 2022 MLS SuperDraft joins USL Championship side for second pro season
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The New England Revolution have loaned defender Ben Reveno to Birmingham Legion FC of the USL Championship. Reveno will remain on loan with the fifth-year club for the entirety of the 2023 USL Championship season.
Selected 52nd overall by New England in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft, Reveno signed his first professional contract with Revolution II in February 2022 and totaled over 1,500 minutes across 20 appearances and 17 starts in MLS NEXT Pro. Shortly after logging 105 minutes in New England’s Open Cup match vs. New York City FC, the San Jose, Calif. native signed with the first team on May 31, 2022, and made one MLS appearance on June 19 vs. Minnesota United FC. Prior to the draft, the defender played five seasons of collegiate soccer, including two at UC Irvine and three at UCLA. Reveno made 47 starts in 49 appearances for the Bruins, tallying one goal and six assists. As a redshirt senior in 2021, he logged a career-high 1,570 minutes between central defense and outside back.
New England hosts Houston Dynamo FC tonight at Gillette Stadium for the club’s home opener, with kickoff slated for 7:30 p.m. ET on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, 98.5 The Sports Hub, and 1260 AM Nossa Radio USA in Portuguese.
New York, N.Y. – Today, New York City Football Club made the announcement that it had signed defender Stephen Turnbull to a short-term contract. Turnbull had been on loan from NYCFC II, an MLS NEXT Pro affiliate.
For MLS, U.S. Open Cup, Concacaf Champions League, and exhibition games, clubs can use the Short-Term Contract to sign players on loan from their MLS NEXT Pro affiliate. A player can only play in two league games per season and sign a maximum of four Short-Term Contracts per season.
Turnbull impressed during the First Team’s participation in this year’s preseason. After graduating from Stony Brook University in February of 2022, the defender played a significant role for NYCFC II during the previous season. The attacking fullback had a passing success rate of 82.6% in 1,992 minutes played in 23 games and contributed four assists.
Before today’s away match against Chicago Fire FC, Turnbull will join the team.
Transaction: Stephen Turnbull, a defender, has agreed to a short-term contract with the New York City Football Club.
TAMPA BAY — The Tampa Bay Lightning have recalled defenseman Darren Raddysh from the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League, vice president and general manager Julien BriseBois announced today.
Raddysh, 27, made his season debut with the Lightning on Thursday, March 2 against the Pittsburgh Penguins and recorded three hits and two shots. Raddysh has played five career games in the NHL, making his debut December 30, 2021 at Florida.
The 6-foot-1, 193-pound Raddysh has skated in 50 games this season with the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League, notching 13 goals and 50 points, ranking second on the Crunch for assists (37) and scoring. Raddysh leads all Crunch defensemen for scoring and ranks second among AHL defenseman scoring leaders. Raddysh also ranks second among all AHL defensemen for assists and tied for second for goals and was selected to represent the North Division at the 2023 AHL All-Star Classic. Raddysh has skated in 339 career AHL contests, notching 42 goals and 170 points.
The undrafted Raddysh was originally signed by the Lightning to a one-year, two-way contract July 28, 2021 and was re-signed to a two-year, two-way contract June 30, 2022.
The Atlanta Dream have signed 5-10 guard Mikayla Pivec to a training camp contract, the organization announced today.
Pivec was drafted by the Atlanta Dream in the third round (25th overall) in the 2020 WNBA Draft but chose to sit out the 2020 WNBA season for personal reasons. She joined the Minnesota Lynx’ training camp in 2021, appearing in both preseason games. With Bursa Uludağ in Turkey this season she is averaging 5.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game.
The Lynwood, Wash. native played in 126 career games (117 starts) for the Oregon State Beavers, averaging 12.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 29.9 minutes per game.
ARLINGTON, Texas—The Utah Valley men’s basketball team has earned the No. 2 seed at next week’s 2023 Hercules Tires Western Athletic Conference Basketball Tournament that will take place March 7-11 in Las Vegas.
Despite winning the 2022-23 WAC regular season title outright and beating Sam Houston in its head-to-head meeting, Utah Valley (24-7, 15-3 WAC, 6.964 points) will be the No. 2 seed due to the WAC’s Resume Seeding System. Sam Houston (24-6, 14-4 WAC, 6.977 points) will be the No. 1 seed.
Utah Valley will play on Thursday, March 9 at Orleans Arena against the winner of Tuesday’s first-round game between No. 7 Tarleton and No. 10 UTRGV. Tip-off for Thursday’s quarterfinal game is set to tip-off at 6 p.m. (PT)
The winner of Thursday’s quarterfinal will advance to Friday’s semifinal match set for 8 p.m. PT. The championship game of the WAC Tournament will take place on Saturday, March 11 at 8:30 p.m. PT.
All preliminary round games of the 2023 Hercules Tires Basketball Tournament will air live on ESPN+, with the men’s championship game on March 11 airing live at 8:30 p.m. PT on ESPN2.
TUESDAY, MARCH 7, MICHELOB ULTRA ARENA, LAS VEGAS – MEN’S FIRST ROUND No. 8 California Baptist vs. No. 9 Abilene Christian – noon PT (ESPN+) No. 5 Grand Canyon vs. No. 12 UT Arlington – 2 p.m. PT (ESPN+) No. 7 Tarleton vs. No. 10 UTRGV – 6 p.m. PT (ESPN+) No. 6 Stephen F. Austin vs. No. 11 Utah Tech – 8 p.m. PT (ESPN+)
THURSDAY, MARCH 9, ORLEANS ARENA, LAS VEGAS – MEN’S QUARTERFINALS No. 1 Sam Houston vs. Game 1 Winner – noon PT (ESPN+) No. 4 Seattle U vs. Game 2 Winner – 2 p.m. PT (ESPN+) No. 2 Utah Valley vs. Game 3 Winner – 6 p.m. PT (ESPN+) No. 3 Southern Utah vs. Game 4 Winner – 8 p.m. PT (ESPN+)
FRIDAY, MARCH 10, ORLEANS ARENA, LAS VEGAS – MEN’S SEMIFINALS Game 5 Winner vs. Game 6 Winner – 6 p.m. PT (ESPN+) Game 7 Winner vs. Game 8 Winner – 8 p.m. PT (ESPN+)
SATURDAY, MARCH 11, ORLEANS ARENA, LAS VEGAS – MEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP Game 9 Winner vs. Game 10 Winner – 8:30 p.m. PT (ESPN2)
* The Senators extended their win streak to five games and moved three points back of the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference – as did the Sabres, Panthers and Capitals.
* Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl established a pair of Oilers records while Josh Morrissey, Erik Karlsson and Quinn Hughes each achieved notable feats from the blueline.
* The NHL on TNT will begin Sunday’s slate with a matinee between the Lightning and Hurricanes. Later, 21-year-old Devils forward Dawson Mercer will pursue history when he aims to push his goal streak to nine games.
FOUR TEAMS TIED AT 68 POINTS, THREE BACK OF LAST WILD CARD SPOT IN EAST Seven teams entered play separated by six points in the hunt for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, with four of those clubs involved in head-to-head matchups Saturday. The results now have four clubs tied at 68 points – all three back of the second Wild Card spot in the conference.
* Anders Lee scored twice to help the Islanders (32-25-8, 72 points) earn their eighth third-period comeback win of the season and leapfrog the Penguins (31-22-9, 71 points), who later lost in regulation, for the first Wild Card spot. The only teams with more third-period comeback wins than the Islanders are the Golden Knights (10) and Canucks (9).
* Tage Thompson and Jeff Skinner both tallied 1-1—2 as Buffalo (32-25-4, 68 points) defeated Tampa Bay (37-20-5, 79 points) and moved one point closer to the second Wild Card position – they now trail Pittsburgh by three points with a game in hand. Thompson recorded his 18th power-play goal of the season, the most by a Sabres player since 2008-09 when Thomas Vanek potted 20.
* Tim Stützle (2-0—2) extended his goal streak to a career-high four games and Travis Hamonic (2-0—2) posted his first multi-goal game in the NHL (780 GP) to help the Senators (32-26-4, 68 points) claim their fifth straight win overall and extend their home point streak to six contests (5-0-1). Stützle reached the 30-goal mark for the first time and become the second-youngest Senators player to do so.
* Aleksander Barkov (0-2—2) recorded his 158th career multi-point game and surpassed Jonathan Huberdeau for sole possession of the most in franchise history as Florida (31-27-6, 68 points) defeated Pittsburgh (31-22-9, 71 points) in regulation to move within three points of them in the standings.
* Alex Ovechkin (2-1—3) overtook Stan Mikita for sole possession of 16th place on the NHL’s all-time points list as the Capitals (31-27-6, 68 points) also moved within three points of the Penguins by staging their fifth multi-goal comeback win of the season.
BRUINS KEEP ROLLING ON HOCKEY DAY IN CZECHIA, STARS RECLAIM TOP SPOT IN WEST Conference leaders came out victorious during a matinee doubleheader on ABC, ESPN+ and Sportsnet:
* In what was the first-ever Hockey Day in Czechia, three Czech-born players found the score sheet for Boston as David Pastrnak (Havirov, CZE) and David Krejci (Sternberk, CZE) and Tomas Nosek (Pardubice, CZE) helped the Bruins (49-8-5, 103 points) extend their winning streak to 10 games (their longest since a 12-0-0 run in 2013-14). Nosek scored for the second time in four games and celebrated by waving to his wife and kids in the crowd – a tradition he began during his time in the AHL in appreciation of the sacrifices his wife, Eliska, has made to support him throughout his hockey journey.
* In the second half of the doubleheader, Wyatt Johnston scored one of his team’s seven goals as the Stars (34-16-13, 81 points) defeated the reigning Stanley Cup champion Avalanche (34-21-5, 73 points) and reclaimed first place in the Western Conference standings. Johnston boosted his totals to 15-14—29 in 2022-23 (63 GP), the most goals by a Stars teenager in a season since the club relocated to Dallas, eclipsing Valeri Nichushkin (14 in 2013-14).
FRANCHISE RECORDS FALL, DEFENSEMEN RE-WRITE HISTORY
Saturday’s #NHLStats: Live Updates featured a number of notable personal achievements, including:
* Connor McDavid hit the 70-assist mark for the fifth time in his career and set the Oilers franchise record for power-play points in a single season (58), breaking a tie with Wayne Gretzky (57 in 1981-82).
* Erik Karlsson (19-61—80 in 63 GP) tallied 0-2—2 to become the fastest defenseman to 80 points in a season since Al MacInnis (62 GP in 1990-91) and the 10th blueliner in League history to record 60 assists in 63 games or fewer.
TNT GEARS UP FOR RUSH TO THE PLAYOFFS WITH CLASH BETWEEN EASTERN POWERS A five-game Sunday will begin with a matinee between the Metropolitan Division-leading Hurricanes (40-12-8, 88 points) and Lightning (37-20-5, 79 points) on TNT, Sportsnet 360 and TVA Sports. The reigning champion Avalanche (34-21-5, 73 points) will host the Kraken (35-21-6, 76 points) in the nightcap on Sportsnet.
* Tampa Bay is in search of its fourth consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Final – which will air exclusively on TNT for the first time this year – as they look to keep pace in the Eastern Conference, where they sit among the top five and Carolina ranks No. 2.
DAWSON’S STREAK: MERCER EYES HISTORY IN ARIZONA
The longest goal streak in the NHL this season will be on the line Sunday when DawsonMercer and the Devils (40-15-6, 86 points) pay their first visit to Mullett Arena. After scoring 11 times in 53 games through Valentine’s Day, Mercer has collected 10 goals during his run including a tally Saturday in Las Vegas when he tied the franchise record for longest goal streak.
* Mercer’s eight-game run is tied for the longest by any active player. He now can become the 37th different player in League history with a goal streak of nine or more games and first since TeemuSelanne in 1997-98 (11 GP).
The Memphis Grizzlies will be without their star Ja Morant for two games in Los Angeles, the first of which is against the Clippers on Sunday.
After Morant appeared in an Instagram Live video in the early hours of Saturday while at a nightclub with what appeared to be a gun in his hand, the NBA imposed a two-game suspension on him.
Morant won’t play for the first time since Feb. 5 and will also have to miss Tuesday’s game against the Lakers. He just finished a game in which he scored 27 points in a 113-97 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Friday.
Since February 7, Morant has averaged 26.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 7.6 assists per game in Memphis’ 6-3 record. The Grizzlies lost on Friday to the Nuggets, who are currently in first place in the Western Conference, putting them in second place.
The fact that forward Brandon Clarke is out for the season after suffering an Achilles injury during Friday’s game adds to the Grizzlies’ problems. Additionally, guard Dillon Brooks will be suspended for Sunday’s game after receiving his 16th technical foul, which is the most in NBA history.
The Clippers are coming into Sunday’s game with a five-game losing streak, the most recent of which was a heartbreaking 128-127 loss to the Sacramento Kings on the road on Friday. With seven seconds remaining, Sacramento’s Domantas Sabonis hit two free throws, and Los Angeles’ Paul George missed a potential game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer.
After missing the entirety of the previous season following knee surgery, Kawhi Leonard was unable to play in Friday’s game due to load management.
Russell Westbrook scored 28 points in his fifth Clippers game, but his new team hasn’t won since he started playing. After losing 176-175 in double overtime to the Kings at home in Westbrook’s debut with the Clippers, this was the Clippers’ second tough-luck defeat of the season.
The Clippers’ Norman Powell, a sharpshooter, could be out for a long time. He didn’t play against the Warriors on Friday because he injured his shoulder.
Sr. Marcus Morris Ivica Zubac has also missed the Clippers’ game on Friday because of an elbow injury, and he has also missed four of the last five games because of a strained right calf.
The Clippers and Grizzlies will meet for the first time in just one month of the regular season. Additionally, they will meet in consecutive games on March 29 and 31 at Memphis.
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