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NBA Preview: Sacramento Kings (28-21) at San Antonio Spurs (14-37)

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NBA Preview: Sacramento Kings (28-21) at San Antonio Spurs (14-37)

The Sacramento Kings will shoot for another win on the road in their transcendent season when they square off against the hapless San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday.

Sacramento has taken the first two games of the season series with the Spurs and has won its past four overall contests with San Antonio.

The Kings head south after a 118-111 overtime win at Minnesota on Monday that snapped a two-game losing streak. Sacramento got 32 points from De’Aaron Fox and Trey Lyles scored eight of his 11 points in the extra period in the win.

The Kings led by four points with less than a minute to play before Minnesota rallied to force overtime. Three-pointers by Lyles and Keegan Murray early in the extra session put Sacramento on top for good and allowed the Kings to avenge a loss at Minnesota on Saturday in the first of a back-to-back between the teams.

Malik Monk added 19 points for Sacramento in the win while Domantas Sabonis had his league-leading 38th double-double (17 points, 13 rebounds) before fouling out. Murray pitched in 13 points and 13 rebounds to post the third double-double of his rookie season.

Wednesday’s contest is the third of a season-long seven-game road trip for the Kings.

The Spurs are searching for answers after a 127-106 loss at home to surging Washington on Monday. The setback was the sixth in a row, and the 11th in the past 12 games, for San Antonio to finish off a dismal January in which it won just twice in its 15 contests.

Keldon Johnson led all scorers in the loss with 26 points while Jeremy Sochan had 17 (15 of them in the first half), Zach Collins had 16 points and 11 rebounds and Stanley Johnson added 10 points for the Spurs.

The Spurs led by as many as eight points in the first period, were down by eight at the half and clawed to within four points midway through the third quarter before Washington took charge for good, reeling off eight straight points. San Antonio’s deficit was at 11 going into the fourth quarter and it never got closer as Washington poured it on down the stretch.

NBA Preview: Golden State State (26-24) at Minnesota Timberwolves (27-26)

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NBA Preview: Golden State State (26-24) at Minnesota Timberwolves (27-26)

The Minnesota Timberwolves will get an opportunity to avenge their most lopsided loss of the season when they host the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night in Minneapolis.

The game is a rematch of a 137-114 Warriors romp at Minnesota in November on a night in which Golden State had all hands on deck for one of the few times all season.

The type of depth that helped carry the Warriors to the 2022 championship was on full display, with Stephen Curry scoring 25 points, Jordan Poole 24, Klay Thompson 21, Draymond Green 19, Andrew Wiggins 17 and Donte DiVincenzo 14. Curry (11 rebounds) and Green (11 assists) recorded double-doubles.

Curry (35 games played) and Wiggins (30) have combined for 35 absences in Golden State’s 50 games this season, while Thompson (39) and Green (45) have gotten some nights off to preserve their 30-something bodies.

The club has gotten whole again, however, with the return of Wiggins for Monday’s trip-opener at Oklahoma City, a game the Warriors won 128-120.

Curry scored 38 points, Thompson added 28 and Wiggins and Poole contributed 15 apiece. Green chipped in with seven points, nine rebounds and 12 assists.

Along with the team’s third straight win came more individual acclaim for Curry, who passed Wilt Chamberlain for the all-time franchise lead in field goals, which stood at 7,216.

The win was just the Warriors’ seventh of the season on the road. Counting a 120-114 triumph at Cleveland on Jan. 20 in their previous road game, they have consecutive victories away from home for the first time this season.

The Timberwolves had a nice thing going at home, winning two straight to tip off a six-game homestand before falling 118-111 to the Sacramento Kings in overtime Monday. The outcome snapped a four-game home winning streak.

Anthony Edwards paced the hosts with 33 points, continuing a late roll that has likely earned him additional consideration from the Western Conference coaches as they fill out their ballots for All-Star reserves.

Edwards has averaged 34.0 points, shooting 53.6 percent overall and 50.8 percent on 3-pointers over the Timberwolves’ past six games.

Edwards had 26 points and Karl-Anthony Towns scored 21 in the earlier loss to Golden State. Towns has missed Minnesota’s past 32 games with a strained right calf.

The Warriors and Timberwolves will enter the game separated by just a half-game in the tightly packed Western Conference playoff standings. Before Tuesday’s action, Golden State was in fifth place in the West and Minnesota was ninth.

NBA Preview: Oklahoma City Thunder (24-26) at Houston Rockets (12-38)

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NBA Preview: Oklahoma City Thunder (24-26) at Houston Rockets (12-38)

Eyeing elusive .500 mark, Thunder meet Rockets

A stretch of six wins in seven games, sullied only by a one-point road loss to the Miami Heat three weeks ago, had lifted the Oklahoma City Thunder back to the brink of .500 for the first time in almost three months on Monday.

However, the Thunder suffered a sixth consecutive loss while one game under .500, losing to the visiting Golden State Warriors 128-120. The Thunder have been below .500 since Nov. 5, when a 108-94 loss at the Milwaukee Bucks marked the second of four consecutive defeats. The Thunder, who have labored mightily to reach break-even status but have failed repeatedly, will have another chance to climb within a game of .500 on Wednesday against the host Houston Rockets.

The meeting will mark the first of three between the teams over the next two weeks. Houston claimed the first game of the season series on Nov. 26, beating the visiting Thunder 118-105.

The Thunder trailed by 21 points early in the third quarter against the Warriors before whittling that margin to 109-107 with 4:15 left. Throughout their stretch of exceptional play, the Thunder have shown a tendency for tenacity and toughness and have consistently exceeded the meager expectations that faced the team entering the season.

Despite the Warriors’ reputation, the Thunder didn’t fold when the deficit swelled. For a team with one of the youngest rosters in the NBA, the fact that it has established that type of personality comes as no surprise to coach Mark Daigneault.

The Rockets won for the second time in six days on Saturday on the heels of a 13-game losing skid, besting the Detroit Pistons 117-114 despite participating without their three leading scorers.

The Rockets rallied late despite Jalen Green (calf), Kevin Porter Jr. (foot) and Alperen Sengun (illness) all being unavailable. The trio averages a combined 56.4 points — 51.5 percent of the Rockets’ total — 18.5 rebounds and 12.9 assists, yet the Rockets somehow found a path to victory.

NBA Preview: Brooklyn Nets (31-19) at Boston Celtics (36-15)

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NBA Preview: Brooklyn Nets (31-19) at Boston Celtics (36-15)

The Brooklyn Nets could get some reinforcements for Wednesday’s road game against the Boston Celtics.

Ben Simmons (knee) and T.J. Warren (shin contusion) each missed the team’s past two games, but they could be available against Boston.

Simmons has dealt with knee soreness at times this season and sat out Monday’s contest as a precaution. He exited in the third quarter of Thursday’s loss to Detroit. That was the second game in as many nights for the Nets.

The Nets also have been playing without Kevin Durant, who has been out of the lineup since sustaining an MCL sprain during a victory at Miami on Jan. 8. Brooklyn has gone 4-6 since the injury occurred.

Durant, 34, is averaging 29.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game. He’s scheduled to be re-evaluated Feb. 7.

The Celtics are dealing with injury issues of their own. Boston has been without point guard Marcus Smart (ankle) for the past four games and has a 1-3 record during that stretch. Boston ended a three-game losing streak by beating the Lakers 125-121 in overtime Saturday night.

Smart, the NBA’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year, said Monday that he’s feeling “OK” but doesn’t want to rush his return. Smart is averaging 11.1 points and a career-best 7.2 assists per contest this season.

Boston center Robert Williams III was also unavailable for the victory over the Lakers because of a sprained right ankle.

Boston hasn’t played since its controversial win against Los Angeles. With the game tied, LeBron James missed a layup that would have handed the Lakers the victory. James contended that he was fouled by Jayson Tatum on the play, and the National Basketball Referees Association later admitted the no-call was a mistake.

Wednesday’s matchup will be the third meeting between the Celtics and Nets this season. Tatum had 20 points and 11 rebounds when Boston beat Brooklyn 109-98 on the road Jan. 12. That was Brooklyn’s first game after losing Durant to the knee injury. Boston was without Brown, who sat out with hip soreness.

Former Celtic Kyrie Irving scored 24 points to lead the Nets. Simmons was scoreless in the loss, but had 13 assists and nine rebounds.

Boston also beat Brooklyn 103-92 on the road Dec. 4. Brown collected 34 points and 10 rebounds in that victory. Durant led Brooklyn with 31.

The Celtics, who swept the Nets in the first round of the 2021-22 playoffs, have won the past five regular-season games against Brooklyn.

NBA Preview: Portland Trail Blazers (24-26) at Memphis Grizzlies (32-18)

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NBA Preview: Portland Trail Blazers (24-26) at Memphis Grizzlies (32-18)

The Memphis Grizzlies will aim to continue their torrid play at home on Wednesday night when they host the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Grizzlies recorded their eighth straight win at FedEx Forum and 21st in 24 outings at home with a 112-100 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday.

Ja Morant recorded his fifth triple-double of the season and second in a row to lift Memphis, which overcame a 19-point deficit to snap a season-high five-game losing streak.

Morant collected 27 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds on Sunday. He had 20, seven and nine, respectively, in the Grizzlies’ 111-106 victory over the Trail Blazers on Nov. 2.

Jaren Jackson Jr. also continued his dominant play at home on Sunday, contributing 28 points, eight rebounds and five blocks. His totals for blocks and steals at FedExForum led one random Reddit user to conclude that the Defensive Player of the Year candidate is having his numbers inflated by Memphis’ home-court scorekeeper.

For what it’s worth, Jackson has stepped up his play at home. He has totaled 71 blocks and 23 steals in 17 games at home, as opposed to 37 and 12, respectively, in 17 games on the road.

Jackson, however, didn’t put much stock into the conspiracy theory.

Memphis will receive an added assist with the expected return of Danny Green.

Green, 35, is in line to make his season debut on Wednesday, approximately eight months removed from tearing the anterior and lateral cruciate ligaments in his left knee while playing for the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The three-time NBA champion was traded with David Roddy to Memphis in the offseason for De’Anthony Melton.

The Trail Blazers head into the opener of their three-game road trip having won three of their past four games, with Damian Lillard averaging 42.3 points during that stretch. He highlighted his 42-point performance in Portland’s 129-125 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday by making all 17 of his free-throw attempts.

Anfernee Simons, who matched Lillard with five 3-pointers, converted from beyond the arc with 34.1 seconds left in the fourth quarter to give the Trail Blazers a lead they would not relinquish.

Simons scored a team-high 31 points in the previous encounter with Memphis.

NBA Preview: Orlando Magic (20-31) at Philadelphia Sixers (32-17)

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NBA Preview: Orlando Magic (20-31) at Philadelphia Sixers (32-17)

Just when the Philadelphia 76ers were surging with seven consecutive victories, they surprisingly stumbled against the Orlando Magic.

The Sixers let a 21-point lead dissipate and fell 119-109 to the Magic on Monday.

In an infrequent scheduling twist, the Sixers once again will host the Magic on Wednesday.

Joel Embiid led the way with 30 points, 11 rebounds and five assists, the ninth time this season he has posted at least 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. However, Embiid (foot) is listed as questionable for the rematch.

James Harden and Tobias Harris added 17 points apiece, but the Sixers’ defense scuffled in the second half and especially in the final minute with two costly turnovers.

This will be the fourth and final meeting between the Sixers and Magic this season. The 76ers won the first two.

The upstart Magic have continued to improve with a 15-11 mark after a 5-20 start.

Paolo Banchero was stellar with 29 points and nine rebounds. Moritz Wagner scored 22 points and Franz Wagner had 19.

The balanced effort was evident as Wendell Carter Jr. had 12 points and nine rebounds and Markelle Fultz contributed 12 points and 10 assists. Carter (foot) is questionable for Wednesday’s game.

The young Magic have beaten the Boston Celtics three times and the Golden State Warriors twice, and they’ll be looking for their second win against the 76ers.

While they’re far from a finished product, it’s clear that the Magic are trending in a positive direction.

The wins will continue if the Magic keep improving defensively like they did against the Sixers.

NBA Preview: Washington Wizards (24-26) at Detroit Pistons (13-39)

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NBA Preview: Washington Wizards (24-26) at Detroit Pistons (13-39)

The Washington Wizards extended the longest current winning streak in the NBA by ending a decades-old losing streak on Monday.

They’ll look for their seventh straight victory when they visit Detroit on Wednesday.

Washington hadn’t won in San Antonio since December 1999 until its 127-106 triumph over the Spurs on Monday. The Wizards could finish off a perfect five-game road trip if they defeat the floundering Pistons.

Reserve forward Deni Avdija apparently was feeling really good at the offensive end. He led the team with a career-high 25 points. Beal had 21 points, and five other Wizards reached double figures.

Avdija hit 10 of 12 shots from the field.

Washington can start setting its sights on a franchise record for consecutive wins. The franchise’s all-time record is nine, which it has achieved a handful of times.

The Wizards are now just two games under .500.

This will be the second of three meetings between Washington and Detroit this season. Kyle Kuzma tallied 25 points in the Wizards’ 120-99 victory over the Pistons on Oct. 25.

Detroit, which begins a four-game homestand, has lost nine of its past 11 games.

Dallas superstar Luka Doncic overwhelmed the Pistons with a 53-point performance on Monday as the Mavericks pulled out a 111-105 victory.

Detroit point guards Jaden Ivey and Killian Hayes fouled out trying to guard Doncic.

Despite Doncic’s outburst, the Pistons were down by just two points with under two minutes remaining. They came up empty in their last four possessions while getting outscored 28-21 during the quarter.

Bojan Bogdanovic led Detroit with 29 points. He’s averaging a career-best 21.4 points in his ninth NBA season.

Mets sign All-Star Jeff McNeil to a four-year contract

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Mets sign All-Star Jeff McNeil to a four-year contract

FLUSHING, N.Y., – The New York Mets today announced the club has signed infielder/outfielder and two-time All-Star Jeff McNeil to a four-year contract that begins in 2023 and runs through the 2026 season. The deal also includes a club option for the 2027 season. 

“We are thrilled for Jeff and his family,” Mets Owner, CEO and Chairman Steve Cohen said. “It feels like he hasn’t stopped hitting since he lined a single in his first at-bat at Citi Field five years ago. We are especially proud that Jeff worked his way through our organization over the last decade to become a homegrown star and that he has chosen to extend our partnership.”

The Nipomo, California native was named to his second All-Star team in 2022, earning the start at second base. He was also an All-Star in 2019, his first full major league season. McNeil and Ron Hunt are the only players in franchise history to start an All-Star Game at second base.  

McNeil, 30, led the major leagues with a .326 (174-533) batting average while appearing in a career-high 148 games in 2022. He became the first Mets player ever to lead MLB in average and the second Met to win a National League batting title. He also ranked third in the majors and led the NL in strikeout rate (10.4 percent) last season. His 5.7 bWAR led the team and ranked ninth among NL position players. McNeil recorded 53 multi-hit games in 2022, tied for the fourth-most in the majors and was eighth in the NL with 39 doubles. 

“Jeff was a big part of our success last season,” Mets General Manager Billy Eppler said. “He has truly elite bat-to-ball skill, which has been the foundation of his strong offensive performance throughout his career. On the other side of the ball, his ability to play infield and outfield at a high level adds valuable flexibility to our roster. We’re thrilled to have him here for years to come.” 

He has batted .311 or better and posted an on-base percentage of .381 or higher in four of his five seasons with New York. His .307 career batting average is the second-best in MLB since 2018 and his .370 lifetime OBP is the 15th-highest mark (min. 2,000 PA) over the last five years. 

Among 589 players with a minimum 1,750 at-bats in their first five big league seasons in the Divisional Era (since 1969), McNeil has the 34th-highest career batting average with a .307 mark. McNeil has the third-highest WAR (16.9) by a Mets position player in their first five major league seasons behind David Wright (26.2) and Darryl Strawberry (20.1) according to Baseball Reference. 

A versatile player on both sides of the ball, McNeil has made 253 of his 462 career defensive starts at second base. He has also started in left field (130 games), right field (53 games) and third base (26 games). He made starts in seven different batting order positions in 2022 and took at least one at-bat in all nine spots in the batting order last season.  

Originally drafted by the Mets in the 12th round of the 2013 First-Year Player Draft, McNeil has appeared in 516 games for the Mets in five major league seasons. He owns a career .307/.370/.458 slashline with 258 runs, 121 doubles, nine triples, 46 home runs and 214 RBI.

Rays sign Yandy Díaz to three-year extension

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Rays sign Yandy Díaz to three-year extension

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Tampa Bay Rays have signed infielder Yandy Díaz to a three-year, $24 million contract through the 2025 season, including a $12 million club option for the 2026 season.

Díaz, 31, has spent parts of six seasons in the majors with Cleveland (2017-18) and Tampa Bay (2019-22) and is a career .278/.372/.411 (451-for-1,624) hitter with 39 home runs and 198 RBI. He was acquired by the Rays in a three-team trade on December 13, 2018 and is batting .277/.374/.419 (376-for-1,359) with 38 home runs and 170 RBI in 384 games with the Rays.

Last season, Díaz hit .296/.401/.423 (140-for-473) with nine home runs and 57 RBI in 137 games (126 starts) with the Rays and set career highs with 71 runs, 140 hits, 33 doubles, 78 walks and a .824 OPS. His .401 on-base pct. ranked fifth in the majors behind NYY Aaron Judge (.425), LAD Freddie Freeman (.407), HOU Yordan Alvarez (.406) and STL Paul Goldschmidt (.404) and ranked fourth for a single season in franchise history behind Carlos Peña (.411) in 2007, Fred McGriff (.405) in 1999 and Ben Zobrist (.405) in 2009. With 78 walks and 60 strikeouts, Díaz was one of six players in the majors to qualify for leaderboards and finish with more walks than strikeouts, joining MIN Luis Arraez, HOU Alex Bregman, TOR Alejandro Kirk, CLE Steven Kwan and WSH/SD Juan Soto. He became the first qualifier in Rays history to finish with more walks than strikeouts and his 78 walks tied for 11th in the majors and tied for fourth in the American League. Since the start of the 2020 season, his .383 on-base pct. ranks third in the AL (min. 500 PA) behind Judge (.395) and LAA Mike Trout (.391).

Díaz won the club’s 2022 Paul C. Smith Champion Award, as voted by the Tampa Bay Chapter of the BBWAA. The award is given to the player who best exemplifies the spirit of true professionalism on and off the field.

Díaz defected from Cuba to the Dominican Republic and trained for scouts there before signing with Cleveland on September 20, 2013. He was acquired by the Rays with right-handed pitcher Cole Sulser in a three-team trade with Cleveland and the Seattle Mariners. The Rays sent first baseman Jake Bauers to Cleveland and cash considerations to Seattle.

Dodgers extend Tony Gonsolin

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Dodgers extend Tony Gonsolin

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Dodgers agreed to terms with All-Star right-handed pitcher Tony Gonsolin on a two-year contract through the 2024 season for $6.65 million dollars. 

Gonsolin, 28, made 24 starts for the Dodgers in 2022, going 16-1 with a 2.14 ERA (31 ER/130.1 IP) and 119 strikeouts. He had a remarkable campaign in 2022, earning his first trip to the Midsummer Classic, going a perfect 11-0 with a 2.02 ERA and allowing 55 hits in 93.2 innings during the first half of the season and finished the season with the highest winning percentage in franchise history (.941), while finishing amongst the Major League leaders (min. 130 IP) in wins (T-5th), WHIP (0.87, 2nd), ERA (2nd), batting average against (.172, 2nd) and winning percentage (1st).

The Northern California native has been with the Dodgers parts of four seasons since being drafted in the ninth round out of Saint Mary’s College in 2016. In 59 games (51 starts), he is 26-6 with a 2.51 ERA (76 ER/272.2 IP) and 267 strikeouts. He finished fourth in the National League Rookie of the Year voting and was the Baseball America Rookie of the Year in 2020 after going 2-2 with a 2.31 ERA (12 ER/46.2 IP) and helping the Dodgers win the 2020 World Series.

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