標籤: Ahead

Head coach Brian Keefe is excited about Trae Young’s debut with the Washington Wizards in Thursday’s game against the Utah Jazz.

Keefe discussed who stands out According to Ben Strober of Locked On Wizards, he raved about Young’s play before the guard’s Wizards debut.

Keefe said, “I’ve played against him for many years. This guy makes other guys better. We see his own scoring ability, his ability to draw free throws, his ability to get into the paint.” “I think his best skill has always been his passing.”

Keefe was an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder during the first two seasons of Young’s NBA career. Keefe also coached against Young for an additional two seasons during his time with the Brooklyn Nets before joining the Wizards’ coaching staff in 2023.

“This guy makes other people better…his best skill has always been his demise.”

Wizards head coach Brian Keefe meets with Trae Young ahead of his debut tonight

(via @strobersports)pic.twitter.com/xWOYYRd6dC

– ClutchPoints (@clutchpoints) 5 March 2026

Young will make his Wizards home debut in Thursday’s matchup.

Trae Young is set to make his Wizards debut

After nearly upsetting the Rockets in a 123–118 loss, the Wizards’ third-year guard Bilal Koulibaly led the way with 23 points on 9-16 shooting, including five threes. Wizards fans are excited to see Young paired with Koulibaly before his debut against the Jazz on Thursday.

According to Joshua Valdez of ClutchPoints, Koulibaly recently talked about the reason for his offensive streak for the Wizards.

“Just getting more reps, getting out there more,” Coulibaly said. “Finding my rhythm, and yeah, just my thing.”

Bilal Coulibaly scored a season-high 23 points tonight and went 5 of 7 from deep. His shot has improved significantly recently, and he attributes it to getting more reps and finding his rhythm. The oft-injured guard has been in the lineup consistently since late January, having… pic.twitter.com/EbxySnQcwl

-Joshua Valdez (@joshvaldez100) 3 March 2026

Koulibaly scored a season-high 23 points in the Wizards’ 123–118 win against the Rockets. He is averaging 10.4 points on 41.3% shooting, 4.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists this season.

Both Manchester United and Newcastle United are in the mix for Borussia Dortmund full-back Julian Ryerson, and Dortmund could put him up for sale this summer.

This is according to BILD. The German newspaper reports that Ryerson could be sacrificed by the Bundesliga club to help balance the books.

According to his information, Dortmund need to make around €27m this summer. Failing to progress beyond the Champions League play-off stage has left them with a financial hole that they need to fill.

To compensate for this loss, the club’s management knows that they need to sell a top player. According to BILD, a decision has now been made.

What should happen for the sale of Ryerson?

If an interested party pays around €30 million for Ryerson, the 28-year-old will be released. His ‘top performances’ have attracted the attention of Barcelona, Manchester United and Newcastle United.

He has 11 assists this season, giving him ‘elite status’ among full backs in Europe. Only Luis Diaz and Michael Olise have better assist statistics this season. Thus, Norwegians are in high demand.

BILD says the ‘King of the Cross’ could boost his market value even further with Norway at the World Cup this summer. It remains to be seen whether Manchester United or Newcastle are willing to make a move before then.

where things go from here

There is no indication whether any side will be willing to pay €30 million for Ryerson this summer. Given that Dortmund are desperate to sell, both will likely want to use this to their advantage.

The player being pushed out seems like a clear attempt to market him, which gives a different dynamic to the situation.

Our opinion on the situation

There is potentially a better deal to negotiate. There are plans for squad changes at Borussia Dortmund this summer. Their Champions League failure has heightened the need for major changes.

So €30 million is a starting point, and negotiations could reduce that amount.

transfer market He is valued at €20 million on a contract running until 2028. This is its highest value, and will reach that level in 2024.

Although he is primarily a right-back, Ryerson is also capable of playing on the left, making him a versatile value signing who could benefit the team profile at both clubs.

last month, sports witness Manchester United’s claims of interest in Juventus’ Pierre Kalulu covered. Liverpool are also emerging as candidates for the defender.

The Red Devils went on a scouting mission to keep an eye on the French. It happened during Juve’s Serie A clash against Inter Milan.

Kalulu was controversially sent off as the Bianconeri lost the match. As chaos erupted over Alessandro Bastoni’s diving tackle to secure a red card in Italy, it was easy to forget how important Kalulu has been this season.

Despite this, the defender could leave Turin in the summer. Manchester United and Liverpool are trying to bring him to England.

Juve is looking for attractive offers

today’s gazzetta dello sport Report on the Bianconeri’s plans for the summer. The Italian giants have big ideas they want to implement and they can only do so if there are some sales.

Kalulu is believed to be a candidate to step down, especially if given the right offer.

His impressive season in the Premier League has not gone unnoticed, with Manchester United and Liverpool ready to compete for him, with the newspaper saying a sale would be ‘dependent on offers’.

Kenan Yildiz and Weston McKennie are the only players who are not sellable. The rest of the Bianconeri squad carries a price tag.

Big money unlikely to be spent on Kalulu

Juve paid around €17m to sign Kalulu from Milan. This was an initial loan which later became permanent.

At the moment, his contract in Turin expires in the summer of 2029 and there has been no progress on a renewal so far. With all this in mind, big money is unlikely to be spent on the ex-Lyon player.

Even though he has been very impressive, the deal should be sealed by handing over capital gains to Juve. The financial situation in Serie A is generally such a delicate one.

And he would be a very useful signing for Manchester United and Liverpool. The main reason for this is his ability to play on the backline and do an equally reliable job everywhere. Furthermore, he is only 25 years old and is reaching his prime.

The LA Clippers will be without John Collins on Wednesday night when they host the Indiana Pacers. This will be the second consecutive game Collins will be out with a neck sprain after injuring his neck Sunday night against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Collins initially suffered the injury in the Clippers’ second game during the All-Star break against the Los Angeles Lakers. At the end of the first half, John Collins went up sinking an alley-oop attemptBut was undercut by Jackson Hayes, resulting in a dangerous landing in which Collins hit his head on the hardwood and immediately began bleeding.

A dazed Collins ran back to the Clippers locker room with a towel pressed to his left eyebrow. A head injury and neck pain caused him to miss the remainder of that game and the Clippers’ next two games against the Orlando Magic and Minnesota Timberwolves.

In total, Collins had eight days between games to recover from the injury and neck pain. The Clippers forward returned to the lineup Sunday against the Pelicans, playing 25 minutes early feeling another shock On the left side of his head/neck area, going down due to pain, and immediately grabbing his right arm.

John Collins finished that game with 15 points, seven rebounds, one assist and two steals before suffering a neck injury and returning to the Clippers locker room.

John Collins suffered these two neck injuries within a span of 10 days:

– 1/20/26 – Landed hard on left side of head, avoided injury, but had head injury + neck pain.
– 3/1/26 – In the first game, hits the head/neck on the same left side on a drive and immediately catches… https://t.co/3Aj6WFgQH5 pic.twitter.com/rwzmpnkP32

– Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) 4 March 2026

The Clippers have now ruled Collins out for Wednesday night’s game against the Indiana Pacers with an updated injury description: Collins is dealing with a neck strain.

The fact that Collins has been ruled out a day early obviously doesn’t bode well for his availability in the near future, but that’s to be expected after the traits he displayed against the Pelicans.

Collins also grabbed his right arm and backed him all the way downcourt after striking the left side of his neck.

It remains to be seen how long John Collins will be out, as the Clippers are scheduled to play a home game on Wednesday before going on a two-game road trip against the San Antonio Spurs and Memphis Grizzlies.

In 54 games for the Clippers this season, John Collins has averaged 13.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game, while shooting 56 percent from the field and 42.3 percent from three.

Anthony Edwards has become one of the NBA’s 10 best players, and that’s quite an accomplishment for someone who faced so much doubt as a prospect coming out of Georgia. Many thought he would be too distracted and not deeply in love with the game of basketball, but he proved that wrong almost immediately, and developed into a true superstar for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

On Tuesday night, Edwards did superstar things for the Timberwolves; He scored 13 points in the fourth quarter, including 10 straight at one point, to lead Minnesota to a 117–110 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. He finished the night with 41 points on 15-29 shooting, including 7-13 from beyond the arc, as he left the Grizzlies defense helpless.

In doing so, Edwards now there is more A 40-point game for a shooting guard before the age of 25 compared to Kobe Bryant, as noted by Real Apps on X. The Timberwolves star now has the second-most such games, and he is now behind Michael Jordan in that department.

This shows how explosive a scorer Edwards is and how he is the closest thing to Bryant or Jordan in today’s NBA. And the next task for him is to lead the Timberwolves to the promised land, just as Bryant and Jordan did for the Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls, respectively.

Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves are figuring it out

The Timberwolves know their intention this season is not to make it to the Western Conference Finals for the third consecutive year. They want to get over the hump, and if Edwards keeps up this level of play they have a good chance to do so.

Currently, the Timberwolves are in fourth place in the Western Conference standings, although they are within striking distance of third place. This may be more favorable to them, considering how they took care of business against the Lakers in last year’s playoffs (LA is currently in sixth place).

When it comes to VJ Edgecombe, the Philadelphia 76ers rookie is as good as they come.

One of the best young players in the NBA who still can’t legally take the bar, Edgecombe has quickly established himself as a long-term starter for the 76ers, to the extent that Daryl Morey was willing to trade another young guard, Jared McCain, to guarantee maximum runway for the No. 3 overall pick.

So naturally, when Edgecombe gets a chance to showcase his fast-growing game on national television, especially against a future face of the league like Victor Wembanyama, he’ll have extra motivation to show up and show it on the court, right?

Eh, not so much, as before the game, Edgecombe had a simple answer for reporter Ashlyn Sullivan when asked if he was excited to face off against “The Alien.”

“Eh, not really,” Edgecombe announced.

“Eh…not really.” ???

This was VJ Edgecombe’s reaction when I asked if he was excited to go up against Victor Wembanyama. The rookie told me he only gets excited about winning basketball. More on Edgecombe and why he FaceTimed a fan on Sunday. @NBCPhilly pic.twitter.com/mnsSVXFTyn

– Ashlyn Sullivan (@ashlynrsullivan) 4 March 2026

A true success story of perseverance, Edgecombe came from a home in the Bahamas that used a generator to produce electricity to being a consensus five-star recruit who played his college ball at Baylor, and ultimately being the third-overall selection in the 2025 NBA Draft, where he was selected by Morey over other options like Kon Knueppel and Ace Bailey.

Widely known as more of an athlete than a finished product coming into the NBA, Edgecombe looks quite polished as he prepares for his first trip to the NBA postseason, averaging 15.5 points, 3.9 assists and 5.6 rebounds a night, while playing really good defense and hitting 36.3 percent of his 5.8 3-pointers per game. If Edgecombe keeps this up, he will not only finish his rookie season with a spot on the All-Rookie team, but will also look forward to facing a star player like Wembley in the future.

Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been ruled out of Tuesday’s game against the Chicago Bulls after giving positive feedback to reporters following his first two games back from an abdominal injury. Gilgeous-Alexander will miss the first leg of the Thunder’s back-to-back, which ends on Wednesday against the New York Knicks. He’ll likely be back to take on the Knicks.

Starting center Isaiah Hartenstein was added to Gilgeous-Alexander on the Thunder’s injury report as players ruled out of Tuesday’s game. Hartenstein returned from a calf injury on Friday. Both Thunder players missed overtime in Friday’s 127-121 win against the Denver Nuggets and will also miss Tuesday’s game against the Bulls due to their respective injuries.

Jalen Williams (right hamstring), Ajay Mitchell (abdominal strain, left ankle), and Brandon Carlson (lower back strain) are out, while Nikola Topic is on assignment with the Thunder’s G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue.

Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 30 points on 12-of-20 shooting, five assists, four rebounds and four steals in Sunday’s 100-87 win against the Dallas Mavericks.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander injury update after Thunder win

It was difficult for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to watch the Thunder compete against the Nuggets in overtime on Friday, even if the defending champions won. Fortunately for Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder defeated the Mavericks in regulation, earning a 13-point win on the road.

After the win, a reporter asked Gilgeous-Alexander how his body was feeling after playing his first two games since returning from an abdominal injury.

“Okay,” Gilgeous-Alexander replied. “I ramped up the workouts before the games, I knew I was coming back. The guys who helped me with the workouts did a great job building them into game legs. So, I feel great. Cardio-wise, I don’t feel like I missed a beat.”

The Thunder improved to 47–15.

The Dallas Mavericks have been playing without their standout rookie star Cooper Flagg for the past seven games. Flagg had earlier suffered a left foot sprain during a match against the Phoenix Suns on February 10.

However, he is now expected to get a chance to play against the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday after being listed as ‘doubtful’ on the official injury report. According to a post on X by Mark Stein, the flag’s status has been upgraded to ‘Out’.

The Mavericks have officially listed Cooper Flagg (left midfoot sprain) as questionable for Tuesday’s game against fellow Rookie of the Year top contender Kon Nueppel in Charlotte.

Doubtful has been at least one step above the flag’s outright OUT classification for the last seven games. https://t.co/0cHy8vHhWb

– Mark Stein (@TheSteinLine) 2 March 2026

“The Mavericks have officially listed Cooper Flagg (left midfoot sprain) as questionable for Tuesday’s game against fellow Rookie of the Year top contender Kon Nueppel in Charlotte.
Suspect is at least one step above the outright OUT classification of flag for the last seven games,” he wrote.

In his absence, the Hornets’ Kon Knuppel has undoubtedly stepped up to the plate with his best run of the year. Before his injury, Flagg was averaging 20.4 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists while shooting 48.2% from the field and 30.2% from beyond the arc over the course of 49 games.

He has emerged as one of the few bright spots for Dallas in a season that looks unlikely to reach the playoffs. The Mavericks currently sit in 12th place in the jam-packed Western Conference with a 21-39 record, a far cry from their 50-32 season during the 2023-24 campaign.

They have also suffered other major injuries, with Kyrie Irving and Derek Lively II out for the season while PJ Washington recovers from an ankle problem.
“Mavericks coach Jason Kidd has already announced that Flagg ‘probably won’t’ play in another Rookie of the Year contest against the Hornets’ Kon Nueppel on Tuesday in Charlotte… but stay tuned,” Stein previously reported.

The Mavericks have gone 2-5 without the flag and will face the Orlando Magic after their performance against the Hornets, which may be a more plausible point for their comeback.

The Milwaukee Bucks are in no position to make fun of other teams, considering the franchise is on life support amid the many trade rumors swirling around Giannis Antetokounmpo.

And they’re certainly in no position to mock the Chicago Bulls’ deal before the trade deadline, as they lost to Chicago by 23 points on Sunday night when the Bulls outscored them 33-8 in the fourth quarter, including a 27-0 lead.

However, the basketball gods remember everything, and they certainly didn’t forget what Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said before their contest on Sunday. Before their game against the Bulls, Rivers mocked Chicago’s trade deadline moves.

According to The Big’s Drew Stevens, in response to a question about how much the Bulls have changed, Rivers said, “Yeah, they added 17 more guards.”

It’s a bit of a trend to make fun of the Bulls, but the Bucks had to back up their head coach and they didn’t. Chicago may have added 17 or maybe even 67 guards, but in the end, a win is a win. And on Sunday night, Milwaukee was on the verge of defeat.

The boxes are stuck in limbo

The Bucks have few draft assets and Antetokounmpo should move with a trade demand and not much in the way of solid young prospects to make the team. Kevin Porter Jr. and Ryan Rollins are two of the best young players on the team, and their long-term position home appears to be the same (point guard).

The Bucks will have no choice but to try to remain semi-competitive for at least the next few years, as they don’t control their future first-round picks until 2031. Until then, they will have to avoid the defeat they suffered against the Bulls on Sunday at all costs if they want to.

SAN FRANCISCO — After missing the past three games due to illness, Golden State Warriors center Kristaps Porzingis is headed in the right direction ahead of the Dubs’ matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Following the Warriors’ Friday afternoon practice, Steve Kerr gave a positive update on the big man’s status.

“Kristaps felt better in practice today. It’s the first time he’s done anything since his illness,” Kerr said. “He would be suspicious [for the Lakers game]”

It’s been a rough start to the Porzingis era in Golden State. After his mixed debut against the Boston Celtics, in which he scored 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting in 17 minutes of action, health has once again proven to be a hindrance for the big man. Before the Denver game, the first game Porzingis missed during this period, Kerr said that Porzingis’ illness was so severe that he could not leave his hotel room. And last week, Porzingis remained at the bay to recover as the Dubs went on the road for a quick back-to-back.

With the disease rearing its head, Porzingis’ medical history with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) certainly comes to the forefront of speculation. In the past, Porzingis has struggled with POTS’ chronic symptoms, primarily an increased heart rate that later leads to dizziness and extreme fatigue.

However, the Warriors have not officially linked this particular disease to that specific condition. Details about Porzingis’ symptoms and the specifics of his illness remain scarce and vague. Still, this is an ailment that Golden State knew about when they traded for him and were confident they could manage.

So far, health has hampered Porzingis’ start in Golden State, but hopefully they can get him back against the Lakers.

Draymond Green injury update

As for other injury updates, Kerr said Draymond Green was able to participate in practice and he expects to be available against Los Angeles after lower back pain sidelined him against the Memphis Grizzlies.

But the problem with Green, lately, has been when he’s been available and on the court. Whenever Green takes the field, his decline in offensive performance has a negative impact on the rest of the team. In the last two games he has missed, the Warriors have scored more than 120 points. And in the last two games, they have decided not to finish with him; They have managed to pick up some close wins over the Phoenix Suns and Grizzlies.

On the season, when Green is on the floor, the Warriors are 4.3 points worse per 100 possessions, which is in the bottom 22nd percentile among players at his position. For a player who had historic on-off, positive plus/minus in his heyday, the situation he is in now is a far cry from his peak.

It’s a problem of which Kerr is acutely aware. Last week, he said it was up to him and the coaching staff to put him in the best position to succeed. After practice, Kerr talked about how they can find a rhythm with him out there.

“We have to read the situation. New Orleans, we found more rhythm in the second half with Dre than we did in the first, and so it’s some type of sets we can call,” Kerr said. “We’re doing some of our off-ball things. And then some adjustments that he’s going to have to make without Steph, and those are all things we talked about internally and with the whole group.”

Baiser Enal has become a regular for NEC Nijmegen over the past two seasons. The youngster is now attracting the attention of Aston Villa – and rightfully so.

The versatile winger has made quite an impression for the Dutch side in the ongoing campaign. He has contributed five goals and seven assists, showing his versatility by starting regularly at wing-back.

This seems to have brought out the best in him, as the 21-year-old played up front last season but only scored once. In the past, he has also played as an attacking midfielder and right winger, but left wing-back has played to his strengths.

Now, his performances are helping NEC Nijmegen challenge for a surprise European place. They are tied for third in the Eredivisie on points with Ajax.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa is now emerging as a possible destination for Onal.

Why might Aston Villa tempt Onal?

Today, corriere dello sport A detailed look at the versatile attacker, his strengths and where his future could lie.

They make it clear that Onal is one of Nijmegen’s prized assets and he is now attracting the attention of major clubs. There is interest from Aston Villa but also from Atletico Madrid.

However, the villains may be in the driving seat. The main reason is that he will be tempted to switch to the Premier League.

The transfer could be facilitated by his contract, which expires in 2028. So far, there are no signs that the Türkiye U21s man will extend his stay at the Dutch club.

Anal is seeing incredible growth

The Turkish talent joins Nijmegen from De Graafschap for just €1m in 2024. At his former club, he contributed 30 goals in 83 games in all competitions, impressing at a young age.

At that time, his best performances came in a traditional left wing role, another example of Aston Villa’s versatility.

His price tag is currently unknown but Nijmegen will surely make high capital gains from the sale.

The Indiana Pacers have fully embraced their plan for the remainder of the season: developing young guys and losing enough games to retain the lottery pick they hope to have in May. Unfortunately, this means a lot more injury updates for guys like Pascal Siakam.

Indiana currently sits at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a record of 15-43, one game behind the Brooklyn Nets, who have a record of 15-41. The only team worse than the Pacers right now is the Sacramento Kings, who have a record of 12-46.

With Tuesday night’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers scheduled, Pascal Siakam is listed as “questionable” due to a left wrist sprain. This is the first time Siakam has been listed with an injury in recent weeks as his availability alternates between active and inactive for the Pacers.

Siakam missed the first game of the All-Star break due to personal reasons, and was changed for the second game after the break in the management of his left hamstring injury. He played in Sunday’s game against the Dallas Mavericks, recording 30 points, eight rebounds and three assists in 29 minutes of play in a 134–130 Mavs victory.

The Pacers have every incentive to lose as many games as possible over the remainder of this season. The Pacers traded their 2026 first-round draft pick to the LA Clippers with protection if it falls to 1-4 or 10-30. So if the pick falls 5-9, this would be considered the Clippers fully loaded draft and potentially the best one ever when it is all said and done.

This selection was part of the package that Indiana sold to the Clippers for Ivica Zubac. In the deal, the Pacers traded Benedict Mathurin, Isaiah Jackson and two first-round picks to Los Angeles for All-Defensive center in Zubac.

In 52 games played so far this season, Siakam has averaged 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.1 steals per game, while shooting 48.3 percent from the field and 37.3 percent from three. Siakam was named to his fourth NBA All-Star team this season despite the Pacers’ poor record, which highlights how good he is.

Although he’s still one of the best pure scorers in the game today, Kevin Durant understands he doesn’t have much time left in the NBA. He would soon become a great player who would be forced to experience the game away from the hardwood. When a player enters the final stages of his career, he gets better appreciation from those who came before him. The Houston Rockets superstar got a chance to chat with one such person ahead of Saturday’s showdown with the New York Knicks.

Durant hugs Hall of Fame center Patrick Ewing inside Madison Square Garden. Ewing rose to stardom in those parts by spending four years at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. in the 1980s before becoming head coach of the Hoyas in the late 2010s.

Kevin Durant is stamped in The Garden 🤝 pic.twitter.com/pASZROOGcI

– ESPN (@espn) 22 February 2026

The Moda Center felt like a dream sequence Friday night when Portland Trail Blazers rookie Yang Hansen finally came face to face with his basketball idol, Nikola Jokic. For Hansen, a 7-foot-1 center often dubbed the “Chinese Jokic” for his excellent passing and high basketball IQ, it wasn’t just another game on the schedule; It was a meeting that took months in the making.

The two ran into each other near mid-court during pregame warmups, a light-hearted moment that certainly calmed some of the 20-year-old rookie’s nerves. Hansen has been vocal about his admiration for the Denver Nuggets superstar since Portland selected him 16th overall last summer.

Yang Hansen has revealed how much he admires Nikola Jokic. The two are meeting before tonight’s game here in Portland. pic.twitter.com/XkTgri9gS4

– Katy Winge (@katywinge) 21 February 2026

He even famously joked during All-Star weekend that he “can’t wait to kiss” the three-time MVP. Jock, always wise, had previously set a humorous condition for a photo op: he would only take a photo if Hansen promised to play poorly against him.

Juraj Slafkowski and Nick Suzuki will both reach the semi-finals at the 2026 Winter Olympics, giving Montreal Canadiens fans even more reasons to keep a close eye on the important tournament.

(NB Due to rights issues, some highlights may not be available in your country. To watch highlights in the United States, be sure to check out the NBC Olympics Twitter feed)

slovakia advance

In the first quarterfinal of the day, Slafkovsky and Team Slovakia defeated Team Germany 6–2. As a result, the courageous Slovaks have punched their ticket to the semi-finals.

Slafkowski recorded an assist in the game, as former hub Tomas Tatar scored an empty-net goal to put the game out of reach for the Germans. This brought his tournament totals to an impressive three goals and four assists in seven games, moving him into third place in Olympic scoring along with Swedish forward Lucas Raymond, Swiss forward Timo Meyer and German star Leon Draisaitl.

The semi-finals of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games take place on Friday, although it remains to be seen which opponent the Slovaks will face in one of the most important hockey games in the country’s history.

What we do know is that they represent one of the most cohesive and well-built teams at the Olympics, which is quite a feat, considering that Slovakia has a population of less than six million.

Slafkovsky on returning to the medal round at the Olympics:
“It’s amazing. It’s even better because we’ve got the best players in the world here and we, from a small 🇸🇰 where we have 5 million people, we managed to get into the top four. We want to keep working hard so we can get some medals”

– Mark Masters (@markhmasters) 18 February 2026

Canada sneaked in quietly

Maclin Celebrini’s early goal opened the scoring for Team Canada, although we have to give Connor McDavid enough credit as he found his young teammate after a brilliant steal, not to mention a brilliant pass.

Hockey M – 🇨🇦 Maclin Celebrini’s first goal in the quarter-finals in the Canada vs Czechia match! Now it’s 1-0.#MilanoCortina2026 #rcsports #Hockey #teamcanada #olympic games pic.twitter.com/iYGcnXZb0a

– Radio-Canada Sports (@RC_Sports) 18 February 2026

However, it was the Czechs who took over in the pace department after the Celebrini marker.

Czechia not only responded with a goal, but also took a 2–1 lead over Canada before the first intermission. It was the first time since 2010 that Canada fell short of the best of the best at the Olympics.

Things went from bad to worse, when Sidney Crosby was forced to leave the game after some heavy contact through Radko Gudas.

Thankfully for Canada, they were gifted a relatively unwanted power play, giving them a perfect opportunity to tie the game midway through the second period. Nathan MacKinnon made no mistake, equalizing the game with a spectacular shot and easily fooling Czech goaltender Lukas Dostal.

Nathan MacKinnon ties it for Canada, 2-2 🚨🇨🇦

Watch: https://t.co/oTy7mwM1Un pic.twitter.com/nOiHeTRPmL

– CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) 18 February 2026

Suzuki had a great chance to give Canada the lead in the final minutes of the second frame, but the Montreal Canadiens captain hit the post, tying the score at the second intermission.

With the Czechs leading 3–2 with just a few minutes left to play, Suzuki saved himself and put together one of the best innings by a Canadian player in the entire Olympic tournament.

He kept the puck alive in the offensive zone by outrunning his defenders, and then made his way to the front of the net, where he drained a point shot to tie the game for a very nervous Canadian team.

(To view this highlight in the United States, please click this link)

Hockey M – 🇨🇦 Nick Suzuki scores the equalizer in the quarter-finals of the Canada vs. Czechia match! It’s 3-3 now.#MilanoCortina2026 #rcsports #Hockey #teamcanada #olympic games pic.twitter.com/prxgT5COMA

– Radio-Canada Sports (@RC_Sports) 18 February 2026

do or die

With the game on the line, former Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner decided to score the biggest goal of his career, beating all three Czech players on the ice before firing a perfect backhand shot past Dostal to secure a 4–3 win.

Mitch Marner 🚨

Canada wins Canada wins Canada wins 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/sKICnjLnA6

– CBC Olympics (@CBCOlympics) 18 February 2026

Mark has been covering the Habs for over a decade. He previously worked for the Journal Metro, The Athletic, The… More about Mark Dumont