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NHL Preview: Detroit Red Wings (28-25-9) at Philadelphia Flyers (23-28-11)

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NHL Preview: Detroit Red Wings (28-25-9) at Philadelphia Flyers (23-28-11)

DETROIT RED WINGS NOTES:

LAST GAME
RED WINGS 1 at ISLANDERS 4 (3/4/23)
1ST PERIOD: No scoring
2ND PERIOD: DET Larkin (Seider, Fabbri) 18:59-PP
3RD PERIOD: NYI Parise (Aho, Palmieri) 2:11-EV; NYI Lee (Fasching, Cizikas) 4:39-EV; NYI Palmieri (Dobson, Nelson) 15:41-PP; NYI Lee (Bailey) 17:22-EV
SHOTS: DET 23 (6-6-11) / NYI 36 (16-9-11)
GOALIES: DET Hellberg (L, 32-36) / NYI Sorokin (W, 22-23)
PP: DET 1-3 / NYI 1-2

MAN GAMES LOST (games missed / out since)
Michael Rasmussen – lower body (6 / Feb. 25)
Ville Husso – undisclosed (3 / March 3)
Total Man Games Lost: 241
Individual Man Games Lost: Filip Zadina (37), Robby Fabbri (35), Jakub Vrána (33), Matt Luff (32), Tyler Bertuzzi (31), Robert Hägg (15), Elmer Söderblom (13), Gustav Lindström (11), Lucas Raymond (8), Oskar Sundqvist (7), Olli Määttä (4), Jake Walman (3), Jordan Oesterle (2), Dylan Larkin (1)

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
3/3 – Recalled goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic from Grand Rapids under emergency conditions … Signed forward Alex Chiasson and goaltender John Lethemon to one-year contracts for the remainder of the 2022-23 season … Acquired a fourth-round pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft in exchange for forward Oskar Sundqvist … Acquired a seventh-round pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft and forward Dylan McLaughlin from St. Louis in exchange for forward Jakub Vrána (Detroit will retain 50 percent of Vrána’s salary) … Loaned forward Dylan McLaughlin to Springfield (AHL)
3/2 – Recalled forward Adam Erne from Grand Rapids … Activated defenseman Jordan Oesterle from injured reserve … Placed forward Michael Rasmussen on injured reserve … Acquired a first-round pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft and a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft from Boston in exchange for forward Tyler Bertuzzi (Detroit will retain 50 percent of Bertuzzi’s salary)
3/1 – Signed forward Dylan Larkin to an eight-year contract extension with an average annual value of $8.7 million … Acquired a conditional first-round pick and a second-round pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft from Vancouver in exchange for defenseman Filip Hronek and a fourth-round pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft … Signed forward Alexandre Doucet to a three-year entry-level contract

TONIGHT’S GAME
RED WINGS at FLYERS / 6:00 P.M. EST / Wells Fargo Center / TV: NHLN, BSD / RADIO: WXYT 97.1 FM
TONIGHT: 149th all-time meeting, 73rd at Philadelphia … Second of three games this season, first of two at Philadelphia
ALL-TIME vs. PHI: 55-67-21-5 / AWAY: 15-44-11-2 / LAST 10: 4-5-1 / IN 2021-22: 3-0-0 / THIS SEASON: 0-1-0
DET top scorers vs. PHI: Dylan Larkin (4-11-15 in 18 GP), David Perron (5-6-11 in 20 GP), Robby Fabbri (7-3-10 in 9 GP), Lucas Raymond (3-2-5 in 4 GP), Pius Suter (1-4-5 in 4 GP), Moritz Seider (1-3-4 in 4 GP), Dominik Kubalík (0-3-3 in 5 GP), Gustav Lindström (0-2-2 in 3 GP), Joe Veleno (1-1-2 in 4 GP)
PHI top scorers vs. DET: Rasmus Ristolainen (2-16-18 in 28 GP), James van Riemsdyk (11-7-18 in 30 GP), Kevin Hayes (4-8-12 in 17 GP), Scott Laughton (6-4-10 in 14 GP), Tony DeAngelo (3-6-9 in 12 GP), Joel Farabee (1-2-3 in 4 GP), Noah Cates (1-0-1 in 1 GP), Wade Allison (0-1-1 in 1 GP)

UPCOMING GAMES (ALL TIMES ET)
Wed., March 8: RED WINGS vs. BLACKHAWKS / 7:30 p.m. / LITTLE CAESARS ARENA / TV: TNT / RADIO: WXYT 97.1 FM
Sat., March 11: RED WINGS at BRUINS / 1:00 p.m. / TD Garden / TV: ESPN+, ABC / RADIO: WXYT 97.1 FM
Sun., March 12: RED WINGS vs. BRUINS / 1:30 p.m. / LITTLE CAESARS ARENA / TV: TNT / RADIO: WXYT 97.1 FM

LAST TIME OUT
March 4 at New York Islanders – 4-1 L
Detroit fell against the New York Islanders to move to 28-25-9 overall and 13-13-5 on the road … The Red Wings are 6-2-1 on the road against Metropolitan Division opponents this season … Detroit is 19-1-2 this season when leading after two periods, and 10-1-2 when doing so on the road … The Red Wings are 18-9-7 this season when scoring first, and 8-4-5 when doing so on the road … Detroit is 20-8-5 this season when scoring a power play goal … Dylan Larkin opened the scoring on the power play with his team-leading 23rd goal of the season … Larkin continues to pace the Red Wings in goals (23), assists (36), points (59), power play goals (12), power play points (22) and shots (188) through 61 games … Eight of Larkin’s 12 power play goals this season have come on the road … Larkin has recorded 26 points (10-16-26) and seven power play goals in 24 games since Jan. 10 vs. Winnipeg … Larkin’s goal was his 10th game-opening goal of the season, tying Colorado’s Mikko Rantanen for the league lead in that category … Larkin has scored 20 gameopening goals since the beginning of the 2021-22 campaign, which is the most of any NHL skater in that span … Moritz Seider logged the primary assist on Larkin’s power play goal … It marked Seider’s 71st career assist, tying Sergei Fedorov for the sixth-most assists by any Red Wings skater prior to their 22nd birthday … Seider has accumulated 19 points (2-17-19) and a plus-seven rating in 24 games since Jan. 10 vs. Winnipeg … Robby Fabbri also picked up an assist on Larkin’s power play goal, giving him 11 points (3-8-11) in 12 games since Feb. 11 vs. Vancouver … Larkin (1-1-2 in 2 GP), Seider (0-2-2 in 2 GP) and Fabbri (0-2-2 in 2 GP) all have points in back-to-back games … Alex Chiasson made his Red Wings debut, tallying one shot in 10:41 time on ice … Chiasson was signed to a one-year contract by Detroit on Friday after collecting 20 points (9-11-20), a plus-six rating and 14 penalty minutes in 29 games with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins.

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS NOTES:

TONIGHT’S GAME
Detroit Red Wings vs. Philadelphia Flyers
Wells Fargo Center
TV: NBCSP | Radio: 97.5 The Fanatic

UPCOMING GAMES
DATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIME (ET) BROADCAST INFO.
Tue., March 7 Tampa Bay Lightning Amalie Arena 7:00 p.m. NBCSP+, 93.3 WMMR
Thur., March 9 Carolina Hurricanes PNC Arena 7:00 p.m. NBCSP, 97.5 The Fanatic
Sat., March 11 Pittsburgh Penguins PPG Paints Arena 3:30 p.m. ABC/ESPN+, 97.5 The Fanatic

CURRENT INJURIES
PLAYER INJURY DATES GAMES MISSED
Cam Atkinson IR-upper body 9/25-present 62
Sean Couturier IR-back 9/19-present 62
Ryan Ellis LTIR-groin/hip/back 10/11-present 62
Travis Konecny IR-upper body 2/21-present 4
Tanner Laczynski lower body 12/7-present 36
2022-23 TOTAL MAN GAMES LOST: 330

FLYERS VS. RED WINGS: HEAD-TO-HEAD
FLYERS RED WINGS
72-53-23 ALL-TIME RECORD 55-67-26
46-14-12 HOME 40-23-13
26-39-11 ROAD 15-44-13
2-3-0 LAST 5 MEETINGS 3-2-0
6-3-1 LAST 10 MEETINGS 4-5-1
516 GOALS SCORED 463
30.5% POWER PLAY 27.7%
72.3% PENALTY KILL 69.5%
Ristolainen: 18 pts (2-16=18) in 28 GP
van Riemsdyk: 18 pts (11-7=18) in 30 GP
Hayes: 12 pts (4-8=12) in 17 GP
TEAM SCORING LEADERS Larkin: 15 pts (4-11=15) in 18 GP
Perron: 11 pts (5-6=11) in 20 GP
Fabbri: 10 pts (7-3=10) in 9 GP
Hart: 5-3-0, 2.77 GAA, .911 SV% in 8 GP
Sandstrom: Has not faced DET
TEAM GOALTENDERS Nedeljkovic: 2-1-0, 3.33 GAA, .888 SV% in 3 GP
Husso: 0-1-0, 2.13 GAA, .920 SV% in 1 GP

2022-23 SEASON SERIES (ALL TIMES EASTERN)
January 21 Little Caesars Arena PHI (2), DET (1)
March 5 Wells Fargo Center 6 p.m.
March 25 Wells Fargo Center 1 p.m.

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
3/3 – Acquired a 2023 Sixth-Round Draft Pick from Ottawa in exchange for F Patrick Brown
3/3 – Acquired F Brendan Lemieux and a 2024 fifth-round draft pick from Los Angeles in exchange for F Zack MacEwen
3/3 – Activated F Tanner Lacyznski and F Zack MacEwen from Injured Reserve
3/2 – Re-assigned F Elliot Desnoyers and F Olle Lycksell to Lehigh Valley (AHL)

TEAM NOTES
QUICK HITS

  • The Flyers are 12-11-4 in their last 27 games.
  • Philadelphia has allowed the opposing team to score first in 37 of its 62 games this season. Philadelphia ranks T-12th in the NHL with 11 wins when trailing first in a game. The Flyers have scored first in 14 of their last 25 games, ranking T-12th in the NHL in wins (9) when scoring first since Jan. 2.
  • The Flyers tallied 40 hits Feb. 11 vs. NSH for their sixth game of 40-plus hits this season. The six games of 40-plus hits are the most in a single season since recording 13 games during the 2014-15 season.
  • Philadelphia recorded a franchise-best 59 hits Nov. 12 vs. OTT. The 59 hits are tied for the ninth-most in a regular season game in NHL history.
  • Philadelphia registered 30 blocked shots Monday at CGY for its fifth game of the season with 30-plus blocked shots

– the most 30-plus blocked shot games in a Flyers season since 2005-06. The Flyers tallied a season-high 32 blocked shots Oct. 27 vs. FLA.

  • The Flyers rank second in the NHL with 1,086 blocked shots and rank third with 1,742 hits.

HOME COOKIN’

  • Philadelphia will play nine of its 13 games in March at home, including a season-high seven-game homestand, March 14-28.
  • The Flyers have played in four extra session games in the last seven home contests, posting a 1-0-3 record in those games. Flyers are 1-0-4 in extra play games at home this season.
  • Philadelphia is 5-6-3 in its last 14 home games and 11-15-4 in 30 home games this season.
  • The Flyers have scored three-plus goals in nine of its last 17 home games. The Flyers are 10-3-2 at home this season when scoring three-plus goals.

NHL Preview: Tampa Bay Lightning (37-20-5) at Carolina Hurricanes (40-12-8)

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NHL Preview: Tampa Bay Lightning (37-20-5) at Carolina Hurricanes (40-12-8)

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING NOTES:

LAST GAME
Lightning 3 at Buffalo 5
The Tampa Bay Lightning dropped a fourth-straight contest with a 5-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres March 4 at KeyBank Center…The Bolts fell to 37-20-5 on the season with a road record of 15-15-1…The Lightning concluded the season series vs. BUF with a 2-1-1 record…Brayden Point opened the scoring with his team-leading 39th goal of the season and 16th power-play goal of the year when Nikita Kucherov found Point in the bumper for a quick one-timer that went off the left goal post and past Eric Comrie with 6:32 left in the first period…Steven Stamkos recorded the secondary helper on Point’s game-opening goal…BUF answered with a power-play goal of their own with Tage Thompson tying the game at one with 3:45 left in the first…BUF rattled off three straight goals in the second period off the sticks of Vinnie Hinostroza, Tyson Jost and Jack Quinn at the 5:35, 12:30 and 19:46 marks to send Tampa Bay into the second intermission trailing 4-1…Jeff Skinner scored a power-play goal 53 seconds into the third to pit BUF up 5-1…Alex Killorn was able to redirect a shot from Nick Perbix past Comrie to make it a 5-2 game with 17:05 left in the third as Nick Paul recorded the secondary assist…Killorn added a second goal, his first shorthanded goal of the season, at the 13:18 mark of the third when he took a pass from Tanner Jeannot near the top of the crease and beat Comrie with a move to the backhand…Victor Hedman picked up the secondary helper on Killorn’s second goal of the afternoon…Brian Elliott made 29 saves on 34 shots against…Michael Eyssimont made his Lightning debut.
PP: TBL – 1-5 BUF – 2-5
SOG: TBL – 36 BUF – 34
Attendance: 19,070

TONIGHT’S MATCHUP
The Lightning and the Hurricanes are playing the second of three matchups this season and the first of two meetings at PNC Arena…The Bolts are 0-0-1 against CAR this season after following a 4-3 shootout loss Nov. 3 at AMALIE Arena…Seth Jarvis opened the scoring with the lone goal of the first period at the 8:29 mark…The Lightning responded on the power play with 14:10 left in the second period when Ross Colton deflected a shot from Mikhail Sergachev to tie the game 1-1…Nick Paul gave Tampa Bay a 2-1 lead 3:29 after Colton tied the game at one…Martin Necas made it a 2-2 game with a power-play goal at the 14:01 mark of the second…Nikita Kucherov scored a power-play goal at the 19-minute mark of the second to put the Lightning up 3-2…Brady Skjei scored shorthanded at the 13:34 mark of the third to tie the game at three…Colton scored the only shootout goal for the Bolts…Sebastian Aho scored the game-winning shootout goal in the sixth round…Andrei Vasilevskiy got the start for Tampa Bay and made 52 saves on 55 shots against…Kucherov has picked up points in five straight games vs. CAR (1-7—8) and eight of the last nine meetings (1-10—11)…Kucherov has pointed in six of his 10 career games at CAR (2-6—8)…Alex Killorn has points in four straight games vs. CAR (2-2—4) and five of the last six meetings (3-3—6)…Paul has picked up points in four of his last five games vs. CAR (3-1—4)…In eight career starts at CAR, Vasilevskiy is 4-3-1 with a .935 SV% and 2.27 GAA…The Lightning are 4-3-3 in their last 10 games at CAR and 5-3-2 in the last 10 meetings overall…The Bolts are 68-50-11 with 10 ties all-time vs. CAR, including a road record of 26-29-8 with seven ties…Martin St. Louis (38-48—86) holds the Lightning franchise records for career goals, assists and points vs. CAR.

TBL ALL-TIME POINT LEADERS VS. CAR

  1. Martin St. Louis – 86 pts. (36-48—86, 75 GP)
  2. Vincent Lecavalier – 78 pts. (31-47—78, 80 GP)
  3. Steven Stamkos – 45 pts. (20-25—45, 53 GP)
  4. Vinny Prospal – 38 pts. (14-24—38, 37 GP)
  5. Brad Richards – 36 pts. (10-26—36, 42 GP)

TONIGHT’S STORYLINES
Tampa Bay is playing the second game of a two-game road trip tonight…The Bolts will play eight of their 16 games in March on the road…The Lightning are 7-5-2 against Metropolitan Division opponents and 17-13-3 against the Eastern Conference this season…Tampa Bay is 3-6-2 in the second game of back-to-back sets this season…The Bolts are 15-15-1 on the road this season…The Lightning have scored three or more goals in 11 of their last 13 road games (39 total)…Tampa Bay has scored a power-play goal in seven of their last eight contests.

INJURIES
2022-23 Regular Season Man Games Lost: 96
Current Injuries:
Erik Cernak (Lower-body injury; Day-to-day) 1 Game

TRANSACTIONS
March 3 – Re-assigned D Darren Raddysh to AHL Syracuse
March 2 – Recalled D Darren Raddysh from AHL Syracuse
March 1 – Acquired F Michael Eyssimont from San Jose in exchange for F Vladislav Namestnikov

CAROLINA HURRICANES NOTES:
LAST GAME
The Hurricanes posted a 6-1 win over the Arizona Coyotes in their first trip to Mullett Arena on Friday. Brent Burns (4a) became the first defenseman in franchise history to record four primary assists in a game, and Sebastian Aho (2g, 1a) and Martin Necas (1g, 2a) each earned three points as Carolina went 3-for-3 on the man-advantage. Jaccob Slavin (1g, 1a) and Andrei Svechnikov (2a) registered two points, while Shayne Gostisbehere scored a power-play goal in his Hurricanes debut. Antti Raanta stopped 17 of 18 shots faced in net, extending his win streak to six games.

INJURY REPORT
Jake Gardiner, upper-body, missed 60 games (10/12-3/3)
Ondrej Kase, concussion, missed 59 games (10/14-3/3)
Max Pacioretty, torn Achilles, missed 15 games (1/21-3/3)
2022-23 Man-Games Lost Due to Injury: 230

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
March 1 Acquired Shayne Gostisbehere from Arizona in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft
Feb. 28 Acquired Jesse Puljujarvi from Edmonton in exchange for Patrik Puistola

UPCOMING GAMES
DATE OPPONENT TIME TV RADIO
March 5 Tampa Bay 3 p.m. TNT HRN
March 7 at Montreal 7 p.m. BSSO HRN
March 9 Philadelphia 7 p.m. BSSO HRN
March 11 Vegas 7 p.m. BSSO HRN
March 12 at New Jersey 7 p.m. BSSO HRN

  • All times are Eastern | BSSO = Bally Sports South | HRN = Hurricanes Radio Network

UPCOMING PRACTICE SCHEDULE
DATE DAY LOCATION TIME
March 5 Sunday No morning skate
March 6 Monday PNC Arena 12 p.m.
March 7 Tuesday Bell Centre 11:30 a.m.
March 8 Wednesday PNC Arena 12 p.m.
March 9 Thursday PNC Arena 10:30 a.m.

  • All times are local. Times and locations are subject to change.

HURRICANES vs. LIGHTNING SERIES NOTES
— Carolina is facing Tampa Bay in the second of three meetings between the teams during the 2022-23 season. The Lightning will return to PNC Arena on 3/28.

— The Hurricanes and Lightning are meeting for the 140th time in their regular-season histories. Carolina holds a 61-56-10-12 overall record, including a 37-23-7-3 home record.

— Carolina leads the season series 1-0-0 in 2022-23 (Tampa Bay: 0-0-1).

— The Hurricanes earned a 4-3 shootout win over the Lightning at Amalie Arena on 11/3. Seth Jarvis, Martin Necas and Brady Skjei scored in regulation before Teuvo Teravainen and Sebastian Aho scored in the shootout. Frederik Andersen made 23 saves in net and stopped five of six shootout attempts to register the win.

— Sebastian Aho has registered 17 points (7g, 10a) in 24 career regular-season games against the Lightning.

— Shayne Gostisbehere is a native of Pembroke Pines, Fla., and he ranks first in games played, goals, assists and points among all NHL players born in Florida.

— Martin Necas has recorded 12 points (7g, 5a), including two overtime winners, in 15 career regular-season games against Tampa Bay.

— Paul Stastny has tallied 20 points (11g, 9a) in 22 career regular-season games against the Lightning.

— Derek Stepan has earned 22 points (10g, 12a) in 32 career regular-season games against Tampa Bay.

— Ian Cole posted 19 points (2g, 17a) in 75 games with Carolina in 2021-22 and added two points (1g, 1a) in 14 playoff games, including his first postseason overtime goal in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference First Round vs. NYR.

— Haydn Fleury was selected seventh overall by the Hurricanes in the 2014 NHL Draft and recorded 24 points (5g, 19a) in 167 NHL games with the team from 2017-21. He also registered 39 points (11g, 28a) in 101 AHL games with Charlotte from 2015-19 and served as an alternate captain in his final season with the team, helping lead the Checkers to their first Calder Cup championship. Fleury was traded to ANA in exchange for Jani Hakanpaa and a sixth-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft on 4/12/21.

NBA Preview: Charlotte Hornets (20-45) at Brooklyn Nets (35-28)

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NBA Preview: Charlotte Hornets (20-45) at Brooklyn Nets (35-28)

When the Brooklyn Nets defeated the Charlotte Hornets on their home court nearly four months ago, they started a 12-game winning streak that propelled them from being around.500 into the upper echelons of the Eastern Conference.

The Nets are trying to avoid a play-in game in a crowded field after a significant roster turnover and acclimating to several new players.

The Nets hope to get back on track with Sunday’s visit from Charlotte, matching the largest comeback in franchise history with an impressive road victory over the Boston Celtics.

When Brooklyn started the streak, it was 13-12. It beat Charlotte 122-116 on Dec. 7 to start the streak. The Nets moved up to second place in the East thanks to the streak, which lasted until January 2. The Nets have since gone 9-16 in their last 25 games as a result of Kevin Durant’s knee injury and the trade of Kyrie Irving for Mikal Bridges, Cameron Johnson, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Dorian Finney-Smith.

The Nets’ four new players made their debuts as teammates on Feb. 11, when they lost 101-98 at home to the Philadelphia 76ers. Since then, the team has gone 2-6 in their last eight games. When they were 28 down at halftime, they were on their way to their fifth loss in a row and their fourth loss by more than 10 points. But they came back strong in Boston, where they lost by 43 points on Feb. 1 and won 115-105.

Despite trailing 51-23, the Nets outscored the Celtics by a whopping 92-54 in the final 31:23. It was similar to the comeback they staged against the Knicks on February 16, 2022, in New York, and on March 19, 2019, in Sacramento.

The Nets went on their longest losing streak of the season, allowing 130 points per game. After allowing the Knicks to shoot 60.7%, the Nets gave up 53.1% in the first half. In the second half, they held the Celtics to 43% and forced 12 turnovers.

After a sluggish start, Bridges contributed to the offense’s success. His third 30-point game with Brooklyn saw him score 38 points.

In its season-best five-game winning streak, Charlotte averaged 122 points, but it heads to Brooklyn hoping to avoid a third defeat in a row. The Hornets were held to their second-lowest point total in Wednesday’s 105-91 loss to Phoenix, and on Friday, they were defeated by the visiting Orlando Magic 117-106 in a comeback attempt.

By allowing 64 points in the paint and 53.5 percent shooting, Charlotte was defeated. It was the 26th time that an opponent had a shot percentage of at least 50% against the Hornets.

P.J. Washington missed his fourth consecutive game due to a foot injury, in addition to missing LaMelo Bell due to his season-ending injury. Washington had scored 20 points in his previous four games before sitting out, and he might be out again on Sunday.

The Hornets will be hoping for another big night from Kelly Oubre Jr., who scored 26 points on Wednesday and 29 points on Friday in his fifth game back from surgery on a hand ligament. Washington is not playing for the Hornets.

NBA Preview: Golden State Warriors (34-30) at Los Angeles Lakers (30-34)

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NBA Preview: Golden State Warriors (34-30) at Los Angeles Lakers (30-34)

On Sunday afternoon, the Golden State Warriors will face the rival Los Angeles Lakers to kick off a three-game road trip. The Warriors are excited to finally have the superstar advantage.

When the Warriors and Lakers meet for the fourth and final time this season, the Warriors expect Stephen Curry to return from an 11-game absence caused by a partially torn ligament in his left knee.

They won’t have to deal with LeBron James this time because he’s still out with a foot injury.

Ten days ago, the Lakers defeated the Western Conference playoff contenders 124-111 at home after taking advantage of Curry’s absence. Before finishing with 13 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists, James had a chance at a triple-double.

Before that, Curry outscored James 33-31 on the Warriors’ opening night, when they handed out their 2022 championship rings and won 123-109.

They then both missed a rematch on February 11 in Los Angeles, which the Lakers won 109-103. With 26 points, Dennis Schroder led the hosts in that game.

In Curry’s absence, the Warriors are 7-4. However, they interspersed road losses against both Los Angeles teams and Portland with seven wins in eight games played at home.

The Warriors have won five of their last six games at home. However, their last five losses have come on the road.

The last four of Golden State’s home victories over Minnesota, Portland, the Clippers, and New Orleans came from deficits of as much as 14 points, 23 points, 12 points, and 17 points, respectively.

In the five victories, Klay Thompson scored an average of 28.6 points and made 28 of 55 (31%) 3-pointers. Over that time, he has made the most 3-pointers in NBA history.

Friday’s 110-102 loss to the Timberwolves kicked off a five-game homestand for the Lakers, who were desperate for wins as they looked up at the Warriors and nine other teams in the Western standings.

The Lakers’ Anthony Davis scored 38 points and made 12 of 22 shots, but his nine teammates only went 24-for-64 (38 percent) and scored 64 points.

Since James suffered his injury last week against Dallas, the Lakers are now 1-2. Darvin Ham, Los Angeles coach, was unhappy with the performance against Minnesota.

NBA Preview: Indiana Pacers (28-36) at Chicago Bulls (29-35)

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NBA Preview: Indiana Pacers (28-36) at Chicago Bulls (29-35)

During the lengthy NBA season, every rebuilding team will experience setbacks. This does not apply to the Indiana Pacers.

The Indiana Pacers will try to get back on track on Sunday when they play the Chicago Bulls to end a four-game road trip, one game after giving an uninspired performance in their loss to the San Antonio Spurs.

Before falling to San Antonio 110-99 on Thursday, Indiana had won two straight and three of four. The Spurs, who currently hold the third-worst record in the league, outscored Indiana 31-16 in the third quarter.

After All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton missed Thursday’s game due to tightness in his right calf, Indiana hopes to have him back in the lineup.

Without Haliburton, who is averaging 20.1 points and 10.1 assists, the Pacers are 2-11 this season. In his place, rookie Andrew Nembhard had trouble against San Antonio, scoring four points on 0-of-8 shooting.

One bright spot was guard Chris Duarte’s performance, breaking out of a long shooting slump with 18 points on 8 of 14 shots, including 2 of 3 attempts from three-point range.

One game behind Chicago, the Pacers are 12th in the Eastern Conference. The two groups are engaging for tenth spot and a spot in the association’s play-in competition. Two games ahead of the Bulls, the Washington Wizards and Toronto Raptors currently hold the final two spots.

After falling 125-104 to Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns on Friday, Chicago is reevaluating its strategy. Phoenix shot 20 of 47 (42.6 percent) from beyond the arc, led by 35 points from Devin Booker, who also made six 3-pointers, matching his career high.

20 points came from Durant.

With 28.7 attempts and 10.3 made 3-pointers, the Bulls rank 30th in the NBA. After shooting 7 of 23 from three-point range against the Suns, coach Billy Donovan stated that the team needed to improve those numbers.

Zach LaVine had 27 points in the loss to Phoenix, while DeMar DeRozan had 31. According to DeRozan, the Bulls must immediately concentrate on Indiana.

The last time Chicago played the Pacers was on February 15, when it lost 117-113. In the game, LaVine scored 35 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. In his last five games against Indiana, he has averaged 25.2 points, six rebounds, and five assists.

NBA Preview: Phoenix Suns (35-29) at Dallas Mavericks (33-31)

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NBA Preview: Phoenix Suns (35-29) at Dallas Mavericks (33-31)

On Sunday, the Phoenix Suns play a matinee against the Dallas Mavericks, who are trying to win consecutive games for the first time since the All-Star break. This will be the final game of a four-game road trip for the Suns.

Phoenix defeated Chicago 125-104 on Friday, winning for the second time in a row in its second game with Kevin Durant in the lineup. Durant, who was acquired from Brooklyn in a trade last month, scored 20 points, grabbed nine rebounds, and had six assists against the Bulls.

He made his debut on Wednesday in Charlotte, scoring 23 points and grabbing six rebounds to help the Suns defeat the Hornets 105-91.

Booker scored 37 points in Charlotte and 35 points in Chicago after taking advantage of Durant’s absence in both of the previous two games. Josh Okogie scored 25 points on Friday, making him one of three Phoenix scorers with 20 or more points. Booker and Durant also scored 20 or more points.

Durant played 26:50 and 30:54 minutes in his first two appearances since joining the Suns following an MCL sprain.

Phoenix has a chance to finish its road trip at 3-1 and win three straight when it travels to Dallas. In contrast, the Mavericks are trying to win back-to-back games for the first time since losing three straight on Feb. 10.

Dallas defeated Philadelphia on Thursday by a score of 133-126 to get back on track after suffering consecutive defeats on Sunday to the Los Angeles Lakers and Tuesday to Indiana.

The Mavericks scored 133 points, which was their third-highest total of the season. Since returning from the All-Star break, they have now played two of their three most productive games of the season. They defeated San Antonio by 26 points after the break, scoring 142 points.

A franchise first was also established by Thursday’s victory. The first time two Mavericks have scored at least 40 points in the same game was when Luka Doncic scored 42 points and Kyrie Irving scored 40.

Phoenix’s arrival will pose a challenge to Dallas’ offensive progress as the Suns enter one of their best defensive periods of the season.

On February 26, Phoenix’s road trip began with a three-point loss to Milwaukee. However, in their final game without Kevin Durant, the Suns only allowed 104 points to the Bucks.

Monty Williams, the head coach of Phoenix, stated that the team “played the kind of defense we’re capable of playing” following Friday’s victory.

The Mavs have won two of their three meetings with Phoenix this season, including a 130-111 victory on December 5 in Dallas.

Rangers sign Free Agent LHP Will Smith to One-Year Major League Contract

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Rangers sign Free Agent LHP Will Smith to One-Year Major League Contract

Smith will join the club’s Spring Training workouts in Surprise, Arizona today

Surprise, Ariz. — The Texas Rangers this morning announced that the club has signed free agent left-handed pitcher Will Smith to a one-year Major League contract.  Smith will join the team’s Spring Training workouts in Surprise today.

To make room on the Major League roster for Smith, infielder Mark Mathias has been designated for assignment.

Smith, 33, split last season with Atlanta and Houston, combining for a 3.97 ERA and 5 saves over 65 relief appearances.  He was acquired by Houston on August 2 in exchange for current Ranger Jake Odorizzi and produced a 3.27 ERA (8 ER/22.0 IP) over 24 relief outings for the Astros.  Houston declined a 2023 club option for Smith on November 9, making him a free agent.

Smith has pitched exclusively for playoff teams over the past three seasons.  He made 3 appearances for Atlanta in the club’s 2020 National League Championship Series loss to the Dodgers at Globe Life Field.  He also totaled 11.0 scoreless innings over 11 postseason appearances in the Braves’ 2021 World Championship run, going 2-0 with 6 saves.  Smith was on the Astros’ World Series roster last year, but did not appear in the club’s Fall Classic win over Philadelphia.

The Georgia native produced a career-best 37 saves for Atlanta in 2021 and was an All-Star with San Francisco in 2019, which was current Rangers Manager Bruce Bochy’s final season with the Giants.  Since the start of 2018, Smith has a 3.27 ERA with 90 saves and a 1.125 WHIP figure over 271 relief outings, and his 11.61 strikeouts per 9 innings over that span ranks 15th among all MLB relievers with at least 200 appearances.

Smith owns a career 3.59 ERA with 91 saves over 513 games spanning 10 Major League seasons with Kansas City (2012-13), Milwaukee (2014-16), San Francisco (2016, 2018-19), Atlanta (2020-22), and Houston (2022).  He was originally selected in the seventh round of the 2008 MLB Draft out of Gulf Coast State College in Panama City, Florida.

Mathias has played in 5 games for Texas this spring, batting .300 (30-10) with 3 RBI and 3 walks.  He was acquired by Texas from Milwaukee in a trade on August 2, 2022, and hit .277 over 24 with the Rangers to end last season.  The Rangers have seven days to trade, release, or outright Mathias to the minor leagues.

Colorado Rockies agree to terms with left-handed pitcher Brad Hand

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Colorado Rockies agree to terms with left-handed pitcher Brad Hand

Right-handed pitcher Tyler Kinley placed on the 60-day injured list

SCOTTSDALE – The Colorado Rockies announced today that they have agreed to terms with left-handed reliever Brad Hand on a one-year contract that covers the 2023 season. To make room on the 40-man roster, right-handed pitcher Tyler Kinley has been placed on the 60-day injured list.

Hand, 32, went 3-2 with five saves and a 2.80 ERA (45.0 IP, 14 ER) in 55 appearances for Philadelphia in 2022 … held left-handed hitters to a .217 average (13-for-60) while righties hit .226 (24-for-106) … the three-time All-Star (2017-18, ‘19) has recorded seven 20-plus save seasons with his 129 total saves from 2017-22 ranking seventh-most in baseball … in 519 career appearances across parts of 12 seasons with Florida/Miami (2011-15), San Diego (2016-18), Cleveland (2018-20), Washington (2021), New York-NL (2021), Toronto (2021) and Philadelphia (2022), has gone 35-52 with 131 saves and a 3.62 ERA (718.1 IP, 289 ER) … the Minneapolis, Minn. native was originally selected by the Florida Marlins in the second round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft.

Cardinals trim seven from spring roster

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Cardinals trim seven from spring roster

58 PLAYERS REMAIN IN MAJOR LEAGUE CAMP

JUPITER, Fla., – The St. Louis Cardinals announced today that the team has reduced its Spring Training roster to 58 players, with seven players optioned or assigned to minor league camp.

The team optioned pitchers Freddy Pacheco and Guillermo Zuniga to the Memphis (AAA) roster and re-assigned non-roster pitchers James Naile, Tommy Parsons and Kodi Whitley to minor league camp along with non-roster catchers Aaron Antonini and Jimmy Crooks.

Colorado Rockies Spring Training transactions

MLB Editor
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Colorado Rockies Spring Training transactions

SCOTTSDALE – The Colorado Rockies announced today that they have reassigned infielder Grant Lavigne, catcher/infielder Hunter Goodman, catcher Roniker Palma and right-handed pitcher Case Williams to Minor League Camp.

The Rockies have 58 players remaining in Major League Spring Training Camp, including 18 non-roster players. The Rockies have a full 40-man roster.

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