Tuesday, July 14, 2026
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MBB: Nevada Wolfpack (8-2) at Oregon Ducks (4-5)

Coming off of a thrilling road victory over Pepperdine this past Tuesday night, the University of Nevada Men’s Basketball team will conclude a three-game road swing by making the trip to Eugene, Oregon to take on the University of Oregon Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m.

The Pack bounced back in a big way after suffering just their second loss of the season, earning a resilient 85-77 comeback victory over Pepperdine, in which Nevada’s exceptional poise was on full display.

Playing their seventh game over an 18-day period, Nevada trailed by eight with 13 minutes to go in the second half; but, the Pack displayed incredible grit, outscoring the Waves 35-19 over the final 13 minutes of play to secure the impressive road victory.

Kenan Blackshear led all scorers with 22 points in the contest, marking a new career-high for the senior guard. Blackshear also recorded a game-high four assists, as he continues to lead the Mountain West in assists per game (5.6). Blackshear has tallied at least three assists in every contest this season.

Jarod Lucas had another efficient outing on the offensive end of the court for the Pack, scoring 18 points on just 10 shots. Lucas also knocked down all six of his free throw attempts on the night. He currently ranks fourth in the conference in points per game (17.3), second in free throw percentage (88.5%), and third in 3-point field goal percentage (41.4%). Lucas also leads the entire Mountain West in points scored this season, as the senior has poured in 173 points across Nevada’s 8-2 start to the season. Lucas has scored in double figures in nine out of ten contests this season; and, over the past three games, he is averaging 17.3 points on a sensational 52 percent shooting from the field (13-25), 50 percent from three (10-20), and 93.3 percent from the free throw line (14-15).

Nevada had another stout defensive effort against Pepperdine, limiting the Waves to just 38.5 percent shooting from the field. The Pack’s defense continues to rank in the top-five of the conference in a plethora of categories, including opponent points per game (5th), opponent field goal percentage (1st), opponent 3-point field goal percentage (4th), defensive rebounding (3rd), turnover margin (5th), and blocked shots (2nd).

The Pack are holding their opponents to an abysmal 37 percent shooting clip from the field this season, which not only ranks first in the Mountain West, but is also good for 18th best in the nation. 

Offensively, Nevada leads the Mountain West in free throw percentage, as they are shooting an exceptional mark of 78.2 percent at the line, ranking as the 16th-best free throw percentage in the country. They also rank third in the conference in 3-point field goal percentage (37.1%).

Freshman forward Darrion Williams continues to lead the team, as well as all freshmen in the conference, in rebounds per game (7.7) and steals, as he is averaging 1.7 per contest. Williams is shooting a sensational 42.9 percent from behind the arc this season, ranking second-best on the team.

Redshirt-freshman Nick Davidson has elevated his game for the Pack as of late, as the forward is averaging 11.0 points on 58.8 percent shooting from the field (10-17), 50 percent from three (5-10), and 100 percent from the free throw line (8-8), in addition to pulling down 5.7 rebounds and tallying 1.0 blocks per game over Nevada’s last three games. Davidson currently leads the team in 3-point field goal percentage this season, knocking down 43.5 percent of his attempts from behind the arc this year. 

Sophomore guard Tyler Powell had the best performance of his career on Tuesday night, setting new career highs in both points (10) and rebounds (6). Powell provided a huge spark for the Pack off the bench, as Nevada outscored Pepperdine, 27-17, in the 12 minutes that he was on the court. 

Junior forward Tré Coleman has maintained his stellar defensive play, and he will need to have another strong performance on that end of the floor this Saturday, as he will likely be matched up with Oregon’s leading scorer, Will Richardson, for a portion of the contest. 

The Pack improved in the NCAA NET rankings, one of the primary metrics used in the selection process for the NCAA Tournament, following their victory over Pepperdine, moving up to 40th in the rankings, which is the fourth-highest ranking of Mountain West teams.

Nevada has another huge opportunity to capture an impressive win this Saturday; however, they will need to have one of their best defensive outings of the season and keep the Ducks off the offensive glass if they hope to secure the road victory and improve to 9-2 on the year.

Scouting Oregon

The Ducks are off to a 4-5 start this season, but three of their five losses have come against ranked opponents. They hold marquee victories over Washington State and Villanova, and they are 1-1 in Pac-12 play this season.

Oregon has been solid on the defensive end of the court this season, holding their opponents to 64.4 points per game on 41.3 percent shooting and 33.6 percent from three. 

Offensively, the Ducks have struggled this year, particularly from behind the arc, as they are knocking down just 28.2 percent of their 3-point field goal attempts this season, ranking as second-worst in the Pac-12. Oregon has been highly successful on the offensive glass, as they rank tied for second in the conference in offensive rebounds per game, pulling down an impressive 11.8 offensive boards per contest. 

Individually, Will Richardson has led the way for the Ducks, as the senior guard is averaging a team-high 14.0 points per game and 5.2 assists per contest. 

Center N’Faly Dante is also having a strong season thus far, as the senior is averaging 13.6 points per game, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per contest. 

Freshman center Kel’el Ware is also averaging double figures in scoring at 10.3 points per game, and he leads the team in blocks, posting 1.4 per contest.

Senior forward Quincy Guerrier is the fourth Duck averaging double figures in scoring, as he is currently putting up 10.1 points per contest while hitting 34.1 percent of his 3-point field goal attempts. 

Series History

Nevada and Oregon have faced off on the court twice throughout history, with the Ducks collecting wins in both contests. The two teams most recently met in 2012, as Oregon earned a 56-43 win in Eugene. 

NHL Preview: Ottawa Senators (10-14-2) at Nashville Predators (12-10-2)

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OTTAWA SENATORS NOTES:

LAST GAME: Dec. 8, 4-3 OT loss at Dallas: Seguin scored his fifth goal of the season at 4:31 of the extra session as Ottawa saw their four-game winning streak against the Stars snapped with a 4-3 overtime loss at American Airlines Center. Heiskanen provided the home side with a 2-0 lead registering two goals in 1:48 of the first period to establish the mark for fifth-fastest two tallies by a rearguard in Stars/North Stars franchise history. The Senators would battle back with three consecutive markers as Brassard, Chabot and Hamonic all replied for the visitors. The goal saw Chabot extend his point-streak to four consecutive games and move into a tie for first in scoring among NHL defenders this month (six). Lundkvist would even the game with 5:06 remaining to send the game into the extra period. The contest saw five of the seven goals registered by defencemen – the second game this season to feature as many goals from blueliners. Oettinger stopped 28 shots to earn the win for Dallas in his first career game against Ottawa while Forsberg took the loss in turning aside 28 shots. Scratches: Heatherington, Kelly; Injuries: Bernard-Docker, Norris, Zub; Shots: OTT – 31, DAL – 32; PP: OTT – 0-3, DAL – 0-2.

BROADCAST INFORMATION: This afternoon’s game against Nashville will be broadcast regionally on TSN5 and TVAS. On the radio, the game will be available locally via TSN 1200 (English) and 94,5 Unique-FM (French).

WHAT’S NEXT: Ottawa begins a two-game homestand against Anaheim on Monday at 7:30 p.m. EST. The contest will mark the second of two regular-season meetings and the lone matchup at Canadian Tire Centre.

INJURY REPORT: D Bernard-Docker, RW Joseph, C Norris and D Zub are on IR and will not oppose the Predators this afternoon.
Total man-games lost: 61.

RECENT TRANSACTIONS: Recalled D Heatherington from Belleville (AHL) on Dec. 7.

OTTAWA vs. NASHVILLE – History:
2022-23 (0-0-0): Dec. 10 @ Nashville, Jan. 9 @ Ottawa
2021-22 (0-2-0): 3/29/22 @ Nashville (4-1 loss), 4/7/22 @ Ottawa (3-2 loss)
Series record: Overall: 14-14-0-3; Home: 9-4-0-3; Away: 5-10-0-0
Last Ottawa win: @ Ottawa: 12/19/19 (5-4 OT); @ Nashville: 1/11/14 (2-1 SO)
Last Nashville win: @ Ottawa: 4/7/22 (3-2); @ Nashville: 3/29/22 (4-1)
Last OT result: 12/19/19 (5-4 OT win) @ Ottawa
Last shootout: 10/17/15 (4-3 SO loss) @ Ottawa
Most goals, game: Scored: 5, (4x, Last: 12/19/19, 5-4 OT win); Allowed: 7, (11/10/05, 7-5 loss); Both teams: 12, (11/10/15, 7-5 loss)
Last Game: 4/7/22, 3-2 loss @ Ottawa; OTT Goals: Joseph, Norris; NSH Goals: Duchene, Jeannot, Johansen; OTT Scratch: Mete;
OTT Injuries: Batherson, Chabot, Ennis, Gambrell, Murray, Pinto, Sanderson, Stützle; OTT Goalie: Forsberg; NSH Goalie: Saros;
OTT PP: 0-4; NSH PP: 1-4; Shots: 29-34.
Career vs. Nashville: Brassard leads all players in career games played (35), in assists (14), in points (19) and in penalty minutes (20);
DeBrincat leads in goals (eight) against Nashville.

SWEATER WEATHER: The Senators enter their third season of wearing a primary logo which sees the organization return to its roots with the implementation of the modified original “2D” logo. The team has earned a 65-80-13 all-time record (10-13-2 this season) while wearing its current sweater. Ottawa unveiled their Reverse Retro jersey on Oct. 20 and will wear the sweater on five occasions in 2022-23 (0-1-0 this season). The Senators hold an all-time record of 112-76-7-25 when wearing an alternate; 27-19-2-5 when wearing a red alternate, 84-56-5-19 when wearing a black alternate and 1-1-0-1 when wearing a cream alternate.

HOME ON THE RANGE: Ottawa has a record of 6-8-0 at home this season … Claude Giroux is the Senators leader with eight goals at home while Tim Stützle maintains the club lead with 13 assists at Canadian Tire Centre … Through 14 home games, Stützle leads the team with 19 points on home ice … The Senators earned a record of 15-22-4 at home through 41 home contests in 2021-22.

ROAD SCHOLARS: The Senators have a record of 4-6-2 on the road this season … Tkachuk leads with six goals on the road this season while also ranking first with eight assists while the Senators serve as visitors … Through 12 road games this season, Tkachuk maintains the club lead with 14 points … The Senators registered an 18-20-3 record over 41 road contests in 2021-22.

FRANCHISE RECORD: Ottawa has posted an all-time record of 1,014-996-115-178 over 2,303 games … The Senators are 554-443- 60-97 through 1,154 all-time home games and 460-553-55-81 through 1,149 all-time road games.

BACK-TO-BACK GAMES: Ottawa will play back-to-back games on 12 occasions in 2022-23 and will open their second set of the season on Dec. 17 when they visit Detroit ahead of a trip to Minnesota the following afternoon … The Senators played 17 back-to-back sets last season and earned a record of 6-9-2 in the first half of contests on consecutive nights (1-0-0 this season) while posting an 8-8-1 record (1-0-0 this season) in the second half of games on consecutive days.

ON THE POWER PLAY: The Senators are 25 for 96 (26.0%) on the power-play in 2022-23 … Drake Batherson, Thomas Chabot, Stützle and Tkachuk lead with four power-play goals while Stützle maintains the club lead with 13 points while the team enjoys a man advantage … Ottawa has recorded multiple power-play goals six times in an individual contest in 2022-23 after having done so 11 times in 2021-22.

ON THE PENALTY KILL: Ottawa has overcome 74 of the 96 occasions the team has been shorthanded in 2022-23 to maintain an efficiency of 77.1% through 26 regular-season games … The team has registered one (Joseph) shorthanded marker this season after recording nine such goals in 2021-22.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES
COACH SMITH: D.J. Smith was introduced as the Senators’ 14th head coach in franchise history on 5/23/19. A native of Windsor, Ont., Smith spent the four previous NHL seasons as an assistant coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Prior to joining the Maple Leafs (which was also the team for which he made his NHL playing debut in 1996-97), Smith guided the Ontario Hockey League’s Oshawa Generals to a record of 135-53-3-13 over three campaigns which included his having been recognized as the OHL’s Coach of the Year in 2013- 14. One year later, he helped the team capture the Mastercard Memorial Cup. His 91 head coaching victories with Ottawa see him rank sixth in franchise history.

SECOND SEASON AS CAPTAIN FOR CHUCKY: Two-time NHL All-Star Brady Tkachuk was appointed the 10th captain in Senators franchise history on 11/5/21. A native of St. Louis, Tkachuk succeeded Erik Karlsson who served in the role for four seasons from 2014-15 to 2017-18. The bronze medal winner with Team U.S.A. at the 2018 IIHF World Junior Championship is the first American-born skater to serve as team captain. Tkachuk is assisted by full-time alternates Thomas Chabot and Claude Giroux.

BRADY HITS THE 30 MARK: With one assist in Thursday evening’s 4-3 overtime loss at Dallas, Senators captain Brady Tkachuk became the first Ottawa skater this season to reach the 30-point mark. The Scottsdale, Ariz. native now sits tied for 23rd overall in league scoring (as of Thursday evening) and joins his brother Matthew as the only two skaters in the top 30 in points to register 30-plus points and 40-plus penalty minutes so far this season. In reaching the mark in his 26th game of the campaign, the left-winger became the fifth player in franchise history to hit 30 points in 26 games or less joining Jason Spezza (2005-06, 2006-07), Marian Hossa (2000- 01, 2002-03), Alexei Yashin (1993-94) and teammate Drake Batherson (2021-22).

ALL-TIME LEADERS: Chris Phillips is the Senators’ all-time leader in games played (1,179) … Daniel Alfredsson leads in goals (426), assists (682) and points (1,108) … Following Phillips is Alfredsson (1,178), Chris Neil (1,026), Wade Redden (838), Radek Bonk (689), Jason Spezza (686) and Mike Fisher (675) … Neil leads in penalty minutes (2,522) while Patrick Lalime holds the lead in shutouts (30) and ranks second (283) to Craig Anderson (435) in games played among goaltenders. Anderson leads in wins (202).

NASHVILLE PREDATORS NOTES:

ALL-TIME vs. OTTAWA
OVERALL (31 GP) 17-10-(0)-4
HOME (15 GP) 10-4-(0)-1
ROAD (16 GP) 7-6-(0)-3

PLAYOFFS Never Met
− The Predators are 17-10-(0)-4 all-time against the Senators, including a 10-4-(0)-1 record at Bridgestone Arena.

− This is the first of two matchups between Nashville and Ottawa in 2022-23; it is the first and only at home.

− Nashville went 2-0-0 against Ottawa last season, including a 4-1 victory at home on March 29.

− The Predators are 3-0-2 in their last five games against the Senators; they are 7-0-3 in their last 10; and 5-0-0 in their last five at home.

− Nashville has not lost in regulation to Ottawa since Nov. 20, 2014, a 12-game span.

− The Predators have won seven straight games against the Senators at Bridgestone Arena, a run that dates back to Oct. 9, 2014. Nashville’s last regulation loss at home to Ottawa was on Dec. 23, 2010.

− The Predators have scored at least three goals in 12 consecutive games against the Senators.

NOTABLES vs. OTTAWA
− Roman Josi posted a five-game point streak (4g-4a) against Ottawa from Feb. 8, 2018-Jan. 19, 2019. He’s tallied 16 points (5g-11a) in 17 career meetings with the Senators, including three points (3a) on April 7, 2022.

− Mikael Granlund has averaged nearly a point-per-game in his career vs. Ottawa, posting 13 points (1g-12a) in 15 games. Granlund has eight points (1g-7a) in his last six games against the Sens, including a three-assist effort on Nov. 21, 2018.

− Matt Duchene has 13 points (6g-7a) in 17 career games against his former club. He spent parts of two seasons with the Senators from 2017-19, recording 107 points (50g-57a) in 118 games.

− Mark Borowiecki played in 375 games for the Senators from 2012-20, recording 51 points (15g-36a) and 647 penalty minutes.

− Senators forward Austin Watson had 77 points (36g-41a) in 306 games with Nashville from 2013-19.

LAST TIME OUT
− Nashville Predators 2, Tampa Bay Lightning 5 – Dec. 8 (AMALIE Arena)

− NSH goals: Jankowski – SH (3), Carrier (1)

− TBL goals: Point (12), Perry – PP (4), Point – GWG (13), Paul (12), Hagel – SH (8)

− Goaltenders: NSH – Saros (L, 28/33); TBL – Elliott (W, 34/36)

− Power plays: NSH 0-2; TBL 1-2

− Notes: Nashville moved to 5-7-0 on the road in 2022-23… The Predators went 0-1-1 in their two-game regular-season series against the Lightning… The result snapped Nashville’s three-game win streak… Mark Jankowski scored Nashville’s first shorthanded goal of the season… Alexandre Carrier scored his first goal and tallied his first point of 2022-23… Filip Forsberg assisted on Carrier’s goal to give him points in three straight games… Nino Niederreiter also assisted on the goal for his first helper since Nov. 5 at Vancouver.

INJURY REPORT
Player Designation Dates Missed Games Missed
Mark Borowiecki Upper body – IR Oct. 27-Dec. 8 17
Cody Glass Upper body – day-to-day Dec. 2-8 2
Ryan McDonagh Upper body – IR Dec. 8 1
Total man-games lost: 30
Borowiecki – 18; Trenin – 5; Glass – 3; Jankowski – 2; McCarron – 1; McDonagh – 1

NASHVILLE PREDATORS GAME NOTES
Dec. 10, 2022 vs. Ottawa Senators

RECENT TRANSACTIONS
− Dec. 5: Recalled defenseman Jordan Gross from Milwaukee (AHL). Placed defenseman Ryan McDonagh on IR (upper body).
− Nov. 23: Assigned forward Zach Sanford to Milwaukee (AHL).
− Nov. 14: Signed forward Nolan Burke to a three-year, entry-level contract.
− Nov. 12: Recalled forward Juuso Parssinen from Milwaukee (AHL). Reassigned defenseman Jordan Gross to Milwaukee
(AHL).

RESCHEDULED GAMES
− The NHL announced new dates and start times for the two Predators home games that were postponed due to flooding at Bridgestone Arena.

− Nashville vs. Colorado, originally scheduled for Nov. 25, will not be played on April 14 at 7 p.m. CT.

− Nashville vs. Columbus, originally scheduled for Nov. 26, will now be played on Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. CT.

LAST 10
− The Predators are 7-2-1 in 10 games since Nov. 12, tied for the fourth-best point percentage (.750) among NHL teams in that time span.

− The Predators have allowed 2.50 goals-against per game since Nov. 12, the fourth-best mark in the League.

− Nashville’s run has been bolstered by a 5-0-1 record at Bridgestone Arena since Nov. 12. It is the Predators’ longest home point streak since a seven-game stretch from Oct. 8-31, 2019 (5-0-2).

− Nashville went 4-0-1 during its season-long five-game homestand from Nov. 12-21, picking up wins over the NY Rangers, Minnesota, NY Islanders and Arizona and earning a point in an OT loss vs. Tampa Bay.

− Since Nov. 12, the Predators are 2-2-0 in road contests, including wins in back-to-back games against the Devils and Islanders on Dec. 2-3.

Goals
Rk. Player G
1 Filip Forsberg 228
2 David Legwand 210
3 Shea Weber 166
4 Martin Erat 163
5 Craig Smith 162
6 Roman Josi 146
7 Viktor Arvidsson 127
8 Mike Fisher 111
9 Jason Arnott 107
10 Patric Hornqvist 106

Assists
Rk. Player A
1 Roman Josi 416
2 David Legwand 356
3 Martin Erat 318
4 Shea Weber 277
5 Filip Forsberg 264
6 Ryan Johansen 243
7 Kimmo Timonen 222
8 Mattias Ekholm 200
Ryan Suter 200
10 Ryan Ellis 195

Points
Rk. Player P
1 David Legwand 566
2 Roman Josi 562
3 Filip Forsberg 492
4 Martin Erat 481
5 Shea Weber 443
6 Ryan Johansen 348
7 Craig Smith 330
8 Kimmo Timonen 301
9 Ryan Ellis 270
10 J-P Dumont 267

NASHVILLE PREDATORS GAME NOTES
Dec. 10, 2022 vs. Ottawa Senators
LATE-GAME DRAMATICS
− Nashville’s 4-3 OT win on Dec. 1 at New Jersey came in dramatic fashion.

− Mikael Granlund tied the game at 3-3 with 10 seconds remining in the third period, the third-latest game-tying goal in franchise history. It was also the third time in Predators history the team has tied a game with 10 seconds or less remaining in the third period and went on to win in overtime or a shootout; the last time was Feb. 27, 2020 vs. Calgary when Granlund tied the game with one second remaining and went on to s
score the OT winner.

− Additionally, Ryan Johansen opened the game’s scoring just 11 seconds into the first period. It tied the Predators record for fastest goal to begin a game (David Legwand – April 5, 2007 vs. St. Louis) and was the fastest goal to begin a road game in franchise history. Nashville became the fifth team in the past 24 years to score goals in the first 15 seconds and final 15 seconds of the game and first since Boston on Feb. 3, 2021.

HEAD COACH JOHN HYNES
− John Hynes won his 100th game as Predators head coach on Nov. 17 vs. the Islanders.

− He’s up to 254 career NHL wins, moving him into 63rd on the NHL’s all-time list.

− Hynes won his 100th game in his 183rd contest in charge of the Predators. Peter Laviolette hit the 100-win mark as Nashville’s head coach in his 189th game (Dec. 6, 2016); Barry Trotz reached it in his 274th game (Dec. 6, 2011).

THE CAPTAIN
− Roman Josi has 19 points (6g-13a) in his last 17 games after recording a goal and an assist on Dec. 2 at NY Islanders.

− Josi is inching closer to passing David Legwand for the most points in franchise history. Josi (562) needs four more points to tie Legwand (566) and five to pass him.

− He scored his seventh career overtime goal on Nov. 29 vs. Anaheim, tying him with Shea Weber for the third-most in franchise history.

− Tallying four assists on Nov. 17 vs. the NY Islanders, Josi notched the seventh four-point game of his NHL career, the most among active NHL defensemen. He led all NHL blueliners with four four-point games in 2021-22. In that same game, he became the ninth different defenseman in NHL history to record three assists in the first 10 minutes of a contest; he also became the fourth active blueliner to record three points in the opening 10 minutes of a game.

− Since Oct. 27, Josi is tied for second among NHL defensemen in goals (6); seventh in points (19); and tied for 11th in assists (13).

− Josi has scored 94 goals since the 2016-17 campaign, the most among NHL blueliners in that time span.

− He recorded at least five shots on goal in five straight games from Nov. 17-29. It’s tied for the fifth-longest such streak by an NHL defenseman since 2000-01.

Where Josi ranks among NHL defensemen
Category Total Rank
Shots on Goal 105 1st
Goals 6 Tied for 7th
Average TOI 25:05 8th
Points 20 Tied for 13th
Assists 14 Tied for 18th

JUICE IS LOOSE
− Goaltender Juuse Saros is 6-1-1 with a 2.57 goals-against average and .920 save percentage in his last eight games dating back to Nov. 12.

− His six wins since Nov. 12 are tied for the third-most in the NHL.

− Additionally, Saros owns a 4.62 goals saved above average (GSAA) since Nov. 12, the eighth-best mark in the League (per Natural Stat Trick). GSAA measures the goals a goalie prevented given his save percentage and shots faced vs. the NHL average save percentage on the same number of shots.

− Per Natural Stat Trick, Saros has made 135 high-danger saves this season, the 10th-most among League netminders.

DREAM DEBUT
− Forward Juuso Parssinen, 21, who made his NHL debut on Nov. 12 vs. the Rangers, has five points (3g-2a) in his first 10 career NHL games.

− He became the first Predators player to make his NHL debut this season.

NASHVILLE PREDATORS GAME NOTES
Dec. 10, 2022 vs. Ottawa Senators
− He is the only rookie in Predators history to score three goals in his first four career NHL games.

− He is one of three rookies in team history to record five points in his first four career NHL games, joining Denis Arkhipov (2g-3a in 2000-01) and Marek Zidlicky (2g-3a in 2003-04).

− On Nov. 17 vs. the NY Islanders (2g-1a), Parssinen also became the 15th rookie in franchise history to record a three-point game and is one of three to do so within his first three career NHL games, joining Smith, who did so in his second on Oct. 8, 2011 at St. Louis (1g-2a), and Tommy Novak, who did so in his third on Oct. 23, 2021 at Winnipeg (3a).

− Scoring his first career NHL goal on his first shot, Parssinen joined an exclusive group of Predators players. He became the fifth Nashville skater to score in his NHL debut, joining Miikka Salomaki (2014-15), Kevin Henderson (2012-13), Smith (2011-12) and Mikko Lehtonen (2006-07).

− The No. 210 overall pick (seventh round) in the 2019 NHL Draft became the sixth player in the last decade to score in his first career NHL game after being selected in the seventh round.

NUMBER NINE
− Filip Forsberg (483) passed Martin Erat (481) and moved into sole possession of third place on the Predators’ all-time points list on Nov. 8 at Seattle. He is eight points from becoming the third player in team history to reach the 500-point milestone.

− After recording an assist on Thursday at Tampa Bay, he leads Nashville in points with 23 (8g-15a) and has five multi-point outings in his last 16 games.

− Forsberg has 20 points (6g-14a) in his last 17 games dating back to Oct. 22 vs. Philadelphia. He’s recorded two three-point games in that time frame – Oct. 27 vs. St. Louis (3a) and Nov. 1 at Edmonton (1g-2a).

− Nov. 1 at Edmonton was Forsberg’s 32nd career three-point game, the most in Predators history.

QUICK HITS
− The Predators are tied for fifth in the NHL in face-off percentage (53.3 percent).

− Among NHL players who have taken at least 300 faceoffs, Ryan Johansen is fourth at 61.8 percent.

− Johansen won at least 50 percent of his faceoffs in a franchise-record 23 consecutive games, a streak that came to an end on Nov. 23 at Detroit. The previous record was held by current Predators Assistant GM Scott Nichol, who did so in 17 straight games during the 2006-07 season.

− Colton Sissons is third in the NHL in shorthanded faceoffs won (48).

− Mark Jankowski was selected by Calgary in the first round (21st overall) of the 2012 NHL Draft. That pick was initially held by Nashville but was traded to Buffalo on Feb. 27, 2012 for Paul Gaustad and a fourth-round pick in the 2013 NHL Draft, with which the Predators used to select Juuse Saros. To close the pick history, Buffalo traded the 21st overall choice in the 2012 NHL Draft to Calgary with a second-round pick in the 2012 NHL Draft (Patrick Sieloff) for the 14th overall pick (Zemgus Girgensons).

NHL Morning Skate – Dec. 10, 2022

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* Two division-leading teams tallied wins Friday, while Lawson Crouse scored a late go-ahead goal as the Coyotes stunned the League-leading Bruins at Mullett Arena.

Alex Ovechkin scored the 500th even-strength goal of his NHL career and is now just four away from reaching the 800-goal milestone.

* The 2022-23 NHL season is set to eclipse the one-third mark as 16 teams take to the ice Saturday.


VEGAS, WINNIPEG WIN GAMES AGAINST PHILADELPHIA, CHICAGO
The Western Conference-leading Golden Knights (20-8-1, 41 points) earned an overtime win Friday, while the Central Division-leading Jets (18-7-1, 37 points) also picked up a victory to keep pace:


Jonathan Marchessault scored his seventh overtime goal with Vegas to match Shea Theodore for the most in franchise history and help the Golden Knights open an eight-point lead on the Kraken (15-8-3, 33 points) atop the Pacific Division standings. Vegas, which became the first Western Conference club to reach the 40-point mark this season, plays host to League-leading Boston (21-4-1, 43 points) at T-Mobile Arena on Sunday.

Josh Morrissey (5-25—30 in 26 GP) recorded two assists to become the fourth NHL defenseman with 30 points this season and help Winnipeg improve to 7-1-0 in its last eight games while also opening a two-point lead on idle Dallas (15-7-5, 35 points) atop the Central Division standings. Morrissey became the fastest defenseman in Jets/Thrashers franchise history to reach the 30-point or 25-assist mark in a season.



NEW YORK CLUBS WIN AS WILD CARD MOVEMENT CONTINUES IN EAST

The Islanders (17-11-0, 34 points) and Rangers (14-10-5, 33 points) each won as movement continued in the Eastern Conference Wild Card picture. At least one Eastern Wild Card team has changed by end-of-day 16 times over the past month (since Nov. 10), with nine different clubs as part of that rotation.

Brock Nelson (2-0—2) extended his point streak to seven games (5-3—8 in 7 GP), establishing a career high. He has not gone consecutive contests without a point this season, finding the scoresheet in 22 of 28 outings. Mathew Barzal collected two assists and also has not been held off the scoresheet in consecutive games this season, notching a point in 21 of 28 appearances.

Igor Shesterkin made 41 saves and stopped both shootout attempts by Colorado. Shesterkin secured the 11th 40-save win of his NHL career, tying Mike Richter and John Vanbiesbrouck for the third most among Rangers goaltenders (since 1955-56). The only New York netminders with more in that span are Gump Worsley (22) and Henrik Lundqvist (21).

PITTSBURGH RALLIES PAST BUFFALO IN REMATCH OF FIRST-EVER WINTER CLASSIC
Ahead of the Penguins and Bruins squaring off outdoors at Fenway Park in the 2023 Winter Classic on Jan. 2, Jeff Carter scored the overtime winner while Tristan Jarry made 28 saves as the Penguins earned a come-from-behind road win against the Sabres. Pittsburgh and Buffalo contested the first-ever Winter Classic, which took place roughly 10 miles from KeyBank Center on Jan. 1, 2008, and will celebrate its 15-year anniversary a day before the 2023 edition of the event.

* Carter’s overtime winner marked the 16th of his NHL career, tied with Brent Burns, Jonathan Toews and Max Pacioretty for the fourth most among active players behind only Alex Ovechkin (25), Sidney Crosby (19) and Brad Marchand (17). Carter is one of six active players who dressed in the 2010 Winter Classic at Fenway Park (also Patrice Bergeron, Claude GirouxDavid Krejci, James van Riemsdyk & Blake Wheeler).

Click here to read the 2023 Winter Classic #NHLStats Pack, which features notes on the Penguins and Bruins, past outdoor games as well as hockey’s ties to Fenway Park and the state of Massachusetts. The 2023 Discover NHL Winter Classic Information Guide is also available to download via the League’s Media site.

MORE McDAVID, MORE DRAISAITL, MORE KAPRIZOV & MORE OVECHKIN IN LIVE UPDATES

The Friday edition of #NHLStats: Live Updates featured the League’s hottest scorers continuing their recent string of success, while Alex Ovechkin (1-1—2) reached yet another NHL milestone with his 500th career even-strength goal.

Connor McDavid (9-9—18 in 7 GP) extended his goal streak to a career-high seven games as the Oilers (16-12-0, 32 points) moved past the Kings (14-11-4, 32 points) for third place in the Pacific Division. It marks the first time that a team other than Vegas, Seattle or Los Angeles ranks among the top three in the division since entering play Nov. 5, when Edmonton occupied second place.

Leon Draisaitl (19-27—46 in 28 GP), who ranks second in the 2022-23 Art Ross Trophy race behind McDavid (25-29—54 in 28 GP), scored the 105th power-play goal of his NHL career to move within two of tying Jari Kurri (107) for fourth place in franchise history.

Kirill Kaprizov (9-12—21 in 14 GP) collected an assist to extend his franchise-record point streak to 14 games.Kaprizov’s run is the third-longest point streak in the NHL this season.

Erik Karlsson (1-1—2) and Nico Sturm scored goals eight seconds apart during the Sharks’ 6-1 win. They were one second shy of the franchise record for fastest two goals (0:07), achieved on Dec. 28, 2021 (Radim Simek & Jeffrey Viel) and Nov. 5, 1992 (Larry Depalma & Dave Snuggerud).

Lawson Crouse scored twice, including the game winner in the final 14 seconds of regulation (59:46), to lift the Coyotes past the League leading-leading Bruins at Mullett Arena. It marked the latest go-ahead goal by a Coyotes player since Keith Tkachuk found the back of the net with one second remaining in Phoenix’s game against Detroit on March 17, 1999 (59:59).
 

QUICK CLICKS

Maple Leafs’ Pierre Engvall suspended one game for high-sticking
Jeff Skinner to have hearing for actions in Sabres game
NHL’s bright young stars focus of new ‘Next Golden Era is Now’ campaign
Islanders bringing back Fisherman logo for first time since 1997

SATURDAY SKATES US THROUGH THE FIRST THIRD OF THE 2022-23 SEASON

More than one-third of the 2022-23 NHL season will be complete following Saturday’s slate, with offense, comebacks and resurgence by teams that missed the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs defining the first 65 days of the campaign.


* Four of the League’s top 10 teams missed the playoffs last season (NJD, VGK, WPG & NYI). Only five other campaigns since 1970-71 were this way at the one-third mark: 2017-18 (TBLLAKWPGNJD & NYI), 2009-10 (LAKCOLBUF NSH), 2002-03 (DALMINEDM TBL), 2001-02 (NYR, CGY, NYICHI BOS) and 1996-97 (DAL, HFD, NJD EDM). Bold in the brackets means that club went on to reach the playoffs.

* Two teams are on pace for an improvement of 40 or more points relative to their 2021-22 total (NJD: +68 & SEA: +44). Only six clubs in NHL history have had a +40-point improvement YOY (min. 80 GP in each season), with the largest standing at +58 points by the Sharks in 1993-94.

* Three of four division leaders missed the playoffs last season, with the Devils, Golden Knights and Jets pacing the Metropolitan, Pacific and Central Divisions, respectively.

* Both conferences have seen a shift in Wild Card positioning at the end of a game day 16 times over the past month (since Nov. 10). In the East, nine clubs have factored into that movement; in the West, eight.

* There has been at least one comeback victory on 93% of game days this season (56 of 60 game days). Overall, 44% of contests in 2022-23 have seen the winning club overcome a deficit (188 of 431 GP).

* The 6.4 goals-per-game scoring rate is the highest at this stage of a season since 1995-96 (6.4). There are 23 clubs averaging 3.00 goals-per-game or higher (excluding shootout-deciding goals).

* Seven different birth countries are represented among the top 15 point-getters, led by the U.S. with four representatives. Furthermore, there are six U.S.-born players among the top 25 in scoring – all of whom were born in California (Jason Robertson, 1st; Auston Matthews, 5th), Arizona (Tage Thompson, 2nd; Matthew Tkachuk, 3rd; Brady Tkachuk, 6th) or Florida (Jack Hughes, 4th) and are age 25 or younger. Player ranks are relative to other U.S.-born skaters.

Maple Leafs’ Engvall Suspended One Game for High-Sticking

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NEW YORK – Toronto Maple Leafs forward Pierre Engvall has been suspended for one game, without pay, for high-sticking Los Angeles Kings defenseman Sean Durzi during NHL Game No. 420 in Toronto on Thursday, Dec. 8, the National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety announced today.

The incident occurred at 1:02 of the third period. Engvall was assessed a match penalty.

Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and, based on his average annual salary, Engvall will forfeit $12,162.16. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

NBA Preview: Minnesota Timberwolves (13-12) at Portland Trail Blazers (13-12)

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Portland’s Damian Lillard was in destroy mode in his second game back from a calf injury, but his performance didn’t lead to victory.

Lillard will seek a happier ending on Saturday night when the Trail Blazers host the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first of consecutive games between the teams. They will play again Monday night in Portland.

Lillard scored 40 points, buried a season-best nine 3-pointers and matched his season high of 12 assists on Thursday night, but the Trail Blazers fell 121-120 to the visiting Denver Nuggets.

Portland led by as many as 11 points, but the Nuggets rallied in the fourth quarter and won on Jamal Murray’s 3-pointer with 0.9 seconds remaining.

The 40-point effort was the third of the season for Lillard in just 13 contests. He has been sidelined with two right calf injuries.

Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups was highly disappointed that Murray was able to get off a 3-point attempt in that situation.

Big man Jusuf Nurkic also played well for Portland with 21 points and nine rebounds. But the hot Anfernee Simons was frigid with just six points on 3-of-12 shooting — including missing all six 3-point shots — after scoring at least 20 points in 15 of his past 17 appearances.

Lillard had 24 points, 11 rebounds and six assists in his lone outing against Minnesota last season, but the Trail Blazers fell 116-111 at home. He missed the other three matchups due to his season-ending abdominal injury, and the Timberwolves won each of those games, including a 124-81 home romp on March 7.

Overall, Minnesota has won five straight games against Portland after the Trail Blazers prevailed in eight of the previous 10 meetings.

The Timberwolves could be a bit fatigued after opening a five-game trip with a 118-108 victory over the Utah Jazz on Friday night.

The contest marked center Rudy Gobert’s first visit to Salt Lake City since Minnesota acquired him from the Jazz during the offseason.

Gobert, a three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, contributed 22 points and 13 rebounds and was warmly received by Utah fans.

D’Angelo Russell scored 20 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Timberwolves. Russell was 12 of 16 from the field overall and 6 of 9 from 3-point range.

Kyle Anderson also played a key role with 15 points and a career-best 12 assists. But Anthony Edwards was just 3-of-14 shooting while scoring 14 points.

Reserve guard Jordan McLaughlin departed Friday’s game with left calf tightness and is unlikely to be available against Portland.

NBA Preview: Utah Jazz (15-13) at Denver Nuggets (15-10)

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The NBA season is a slog of 82 games, filled with good and bad stretches for teams. The Denver Nuggets were in danger of an extended bad stretch when they went to Portland on Thursday night having lost three in a row.

They battled back and stole a victory on Jamal Murray’s 3-pointer in the final second. That win should give the Nuggets plenty of momentum when they host the Utah Jazz on Saturday night.

Murray, still at times looking for his old form after missing all of last season because of a torn ACL, was vintage in the fourth quarter in Portland when he scored 14 of his 21 points. It was a bounce-back performance after a span in which Murray missed 10 shots in a row from deep.

He felt miserable after the Nuggets’ one-point home loss to Dallas on Tuesday night but atoned for it against the Trail Blazers.

According to the Denver Post, he texted coach Michael Malone after Tuesday’s game to tell him this: “I have to be better; I can’t let my frustrations get the best of me.”

Denver probably is feeling a little frustrated with Michael Porter Jr. out again with a left-heel strain. Porter, who missed all but nine games last season after back surgery, is averaging 16.4 points a game but hasn’t played since Nov. 22 against Detroit.

Malone said Thursday there is no timeline for Porter’s return.

The Nuggets could get a break facing a Utah team that played at home on Friday night, a 118-108 loss to Minnesota, two nights after a wild win over Golden State.

The Jazz played Friday’s game without Lauri Markkanen (illness), Johnny Juzang (wrist), and Simone Fontecchio (ankle). They did get Mike Conley back after the guard missed the previous nine games with a left-leg injury.

It was a somewhat emotional game against Minnesota with the return of Rudy Gobert, who played for Utah for nine seasons before a trade sent him to the Timberwolves this past summer.

The Jazz won’t have him to battle Nikola Jokic on the inside Saturday night. Jokic is coming off another near triple-double with 33 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists against Portland, the fifth time this season he has come within an assist or rebound of a triple-double.

He does not have a triple-double in the two meetings with Utah this season. He put up a better stat line in an opening-night loss at the Jazz with 27 points than in Denver’s 117-101 win over Utah on Oct. 28 when he had 12 points and 10 rebounds.

It was Bones Hyland who was the problem for the Jazz that night; he hit seven 3-pointers and scored a game-high 26 points.

NBA Preview: Boston Celtics (21-5) at Golden State Warriors (13-13)

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The Boston Celtics and Golden State Warriors will be well-rested, but still not at full strength, when they go head-to-head Saturday night in San Francisco in a rematch of June’s NBA Finals.

The Warriors claimed the championship in six games, rallying from a 2-1 deficit with three straight wins, including two in Boston.

Neither Celtics center Robert Williams nor Warriors swingman Andrew Wiggins, both of whom played critical roles in last year’s respective playoff runs, will suit up for the first of two regular-season meetings this season. The clubs will duel again on Jan. 19 in Boston.

Boston’s Al Horford (health and safety protocol) and Golden State’s Andre Iguodala (strained left hip) also will be absent from the reunion.

Williams is recovering from knee surgery after an injury that often kept him out of action last season. Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla upgraded Williams’ status to day-to-day.

Without Williams, the Celtics have gone to a smaller look this season with impressive results. Jayson Tatum (30.5 points per game) and Jaylen Brown (26.7) have become one of the most potent forward tandems in the league.

Each had 25 points when the Celtics steamrolled the Phoenix Suns 125-98 on Wednesday night in their third consecutive road game. Boston has had the last two days off.

Golden State also hasn’t played since Wednesday, when it saw a late lead get away in a 124-123 road loss to the Utah Jazz. The Warriors played without Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, both of whom were resting minor injuries, and also Wiggins, who will sit out a third straight Saturday with right adductor tightness.

Wiggins garnered Finals MVP attention when he spearheaded the Golden State comeback with double-doubles in Games 4 and 5, averaging 21.5 points and 14.5 rebounds in those wins.

Curry was voted the Bill Russell Award winner as the series MVP after leading the Finals in scoring at 31.2 points per game.

Curry has scored at a similar rate this season (30.0), but the Warriors have yet to recapture the magic that allowed them to win 16 of 22 postseason games a year ago.

The Warriors have lost two in a row to fall to 13-13, but don’t appear to be fazed by it nor the showdown with the Celtics. In fact, Curry was preoccupied during the run-up to the showcase contest accepting the Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year award and applauding the return of women’s basketball star Brittney Griner.

The Celtics, meanwhile, have been all business in running up the league’s best record at 21-5 and opening a six-game trip with wins at Brooklyn, Toronto and Phoenix. They will swing through Los Angeles to face the Clippers on Monday and Lakers on Tuesday before heading home.

Brown, a former University of California standout, insisted that last June’s disappointment against the Warriors is not forgotten.

NBA Preview: Dallas Mavericks (13-12) at Chicago Bulls (10-14)

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The Chicago Bulls hope their version of the “Big Three” finally has arrived.

DeMar DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic and Zach LaVine will look to send the Bulls to their second straight win on Saturday night when they host Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks.

DeRozan collected 27 points and seven rebounds in Chicago’s 115-111 victory over the Washington Wizards on Wednesday. Vucevic added 25 points and 11 boards, and LaVine had 25 and seven, respectively, as the Bulls snapped a three-game skid.

Wednesday marked the first time this season that each member of the trio scored at least 25 points in a game. The group also came through in the clutch by combining to score 33 of the team’s 35 points in the fourth quarter against Washington.

DeRozan is averaging team-leading totals in points (25.5) and assists (4.6). LaVine is contributing 22.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists, while Vucevic is adding 16.2 points and a team-leading 11 rebounds.

Goran Dragic, 36, is averaging just 7.8 points; however, he may be able to provide extra insight on Doncic. After all, Dragic played with Luka’s father, Sasa, on the Slovenian national team before playing alongside Luka himself.

Doncic turned in another dominant performance on Friday, collecting 33 points and 11 assists in Dallas’ 106-105 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. The three-time All-Star recorded his 18th game of at least 30 points this season.

The late-night nationally televised game on Friday didn’t do coach Jason Kidd and his team any favors: The Mavericks had to board a plane to the Windy City and prepare for a quick turnaround vs. the Bulls.

Spencer Dinwiddie scored 15 points for Dallas, which made just 10 of 24 foul shots to see its three-game winning streak end. Two of those victories were on the road, which is a welcome sight considering the Mavericks are a paltry 3-8 away from home.

NBA Preview: Oklahoma City Thunder (11-14) at Cleveland Cavaliers (16-10)

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Donovan Mitchell has been the driving force of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ hot start.

Without Mitchell on Friday night, a slow start and a disastrous finish doomed the Cavaliers in a home loss to the Sacramento Kings.

Cleveland gets a quick chance to bounce back as it closes out a three-game homestand with a matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Saturday.

Mitchell missed the Friday contest due to right lower leg soreness that has been bothering him since he was initial hurt on Nov. 11. The three-time All-Star missed the Cavaliers’ next game but then played in 12 consecutive games before sitting out against the Kings.

He is expected to return for the Saturday game.

While Mitchell has been effective in plenty of situations, he has been particularly strong late in games. Without him vs. Sacramento, Cleveland got outscored 19-0 in the final 4:50, missing its final nine shots in a 106-95 defeat.

Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff felt as if his team turned down several open shots down the stretch.

Asked how he could fix that problem, Bickerstaff said, “Just continue to give guys belief. They know what they’re capable of. When they’re just put in those positions, you’ve just got to give them support. Keep encouraging them.”

Cleveland fell to 11-2 at home, which is tied for the best home record in the NBA.

The Cavaliers weren’t missing only Mitchell. Kevin Love was sidelined due to lower back soreness, while Dean Wade missed his third consecutive game because of a left shoulder sprain.

The Thunder are looking to bounce back after their three-game winning streak was snapped with a 123-102 road loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday.

While Bickerstaff is looking for his team to take shots, Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault is comfortable with his players figuring out when to shoot, in particular when it comes to Tre Mann.

The second-year guard has struggled of late. Over the past nine games since returning from missing three contests due to a back ailment, he is averaging 6.8 points, shooting 34.7 percent from the field and 22 percent from beyond the 3-point arc.

In 13 games before getting hurt, Mann averaged 11.1 points while shooting 40.1 percent from the floor and 33.3 percent from long distance.

Oklahoma City is 2-1 so far on its season-high, five-game road trip, with wins over the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Atlanta Hawks preceding the defeat against the Grizzlies.

The Thunder’s Kenrich Williams will miss his third game in a row due to a sprained right knee.

The Saturday game is the first of two this season between the teams, with the rematch set for Jan. 27 in Oklahoma City. Cleveland swept the two-game season series in 2021-22, giving the Cavaliers three consecutive wins over the Thunder.

NBA Preview: Los Angeles Clippers (14-13) at Washington Wizards (11-15)

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John Wall returns to Washington when the Wizards host the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday night.

Wall averaged 19 points and 9.2 assists per game while directing the Wizards offense over nine seasons after being selected by Washington as the first pick overall in the 2010 draft.

After being traded to the Rockets in December 2020, Wall sat out the 2021-22 season. He signed with the Clippers and is averaging 12.8 points and 5.8 assists in over 22 minutes per game while coming off the bench and sitting out the second game of back-to-backs.

The Rockets and Wall played in Washington during the 2020-’21 season, but no fans were in the stands due to Covid-19, so Saturday night will provide a more appropriate DC homecoming.

The Clippers visit Washington having lost four of five after a 115-110 loss to the Miami Heat.

Paul George finished with 29 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for the Clippers, who went 0-2 on their Florida swing after falling in overtime at Orlando on Wednesday. Reggie Jackson added 20 for the Clippers, while Nicolas Batum and Marcus Morris Sr. each scored 11.

The Clippers were without Kawhi Leonard on the second night of a back-to-back as the team manages his right knee issues.

Washington has lost five in a row and eight of their last nine overall after a 121-111 loss at the Indiana Pacers Friday.

The Wizards got within three points with under six minutes to play, but a lengthy stretch without a field goal was ultimately too much to overcome.

Kristaps Porzingis scored a game-high 29 points on 11-of-13 shooting and added nine rebounds. He has reached the 20-point mark in seven consecutive games. Kyle Kuzma topped the 20-point plateau for the ninth time in his past 10 games, scoring 27 points and grabbing seven rebounds. Reserve Jordan Goodwin added 19.

The Pacers made 18-of-41 from 3-point range while the Wizards were 10-of-29.

The Wizards remain without Wall’s long-time running mate, Bradley Beal (strained hamstring), and were down to nine players against the Pacers as Will Barton (foot sprain), Rui Hachimura (right ankle soreness) and Delon Wright (right hamstring strain) were also absent.