newcastle united Star Sandro Tonali is ‘in the red circle’ at Juventus and ‘something must be done’ to get him this summer.

transfer market The report adds that Tonali has been at the top of Juventus’ wishlist for some time, but acquiring him for next season will be no easy task.

Juventus’ interest in Newcastle star

The website explains that it is almost a name with a red circle around it, as if indicating that something has to be done to get it.

At present, there has been no contact from Newcastle. With a transfer window of several months ahead, the midfielder’s return to Italy is not thought to be impossible. But this is not an easy step either.

The Bianconeri know there are many hurdles, including cost and competition. Juventus have arrived and the Newcastle star’s agents have been contacted. He feels there is no need for an immediate return to Serie A.

Competition arrives in the form of Manchester United and Arsenal. The Gunners had already made contact in January. He was valued at over €70m by Newcastle.

That’s the cost element of the barriers. Juventus need Champions League qualification to get closer to a deal. They will still need to work out an agreement with Tonali. He earns €8m net per season plus a €2m bonus linked to team and individual performances.

hard transfer

Again, all signs point to it being difficult to make a deal for the Newcastle midfielder. The Magpies are certainly not going to offer a discount on a star player’s deal, which was recently extended until 2030.

And Tonali doesn’t seem too keen on a return to Serie A at the moment.

Perhaps the 25-year-old is waiting to see what his options are before making any moves. Either way, Juventus’ stance will remain the same. It will be difficult to sign Tonali this summer.

This may be the most important offseason in New Jersey Devils franchise history.

Sunny Mehta has an extensive list of tasks to get the Devils back on track as playoff and Stanley Cup contenders this summer.

He began his introductory press conference by stating that he was extremely optimistic about the roster as currently constructed.

“I am extremely optimistic about this team,” Mehta began. “We have a lot of talented players, and I really believe that these talented players are going to reach a turning point and get over that hurdle. It’s my job to make sure this roster is consistently filled with the amount of talent needed to be a championship team, and I intend to do that.”

However, that doesn’t mean New Jersey shouldn’t make changes, on and off the ice.

To reach that hit point, Mehta will have to press all the right buttons.

True to his poker player nature, Mehta didn’t reveal his hand as to what was going to happen through the rebuild. He explained anything and everything is being evaluated.

This leaves us with several key questions regarding the important offseason.

Will Sheldon Keefe stay?

When Mehta was introduced at the Prudential Center earlier this week, head coach Sheldon Keefe was in attendance. Mehta thanked Keefe and the Devils players in attendance for their hospitality.

The new Devils GM explained that he and Keefe have already had several conversations, emphasizing that Keefe is a “fantastic guy” while reminding everyone that everything will still be up for evaluation.

Still, when discussing the team’s identity and roster construction, Mehta admitted he hadn’t given it much thought on his second day on the job. However, he clarified that he would talk to Keefe to get a better idea on how to move forward with building his team.

So, will Keef return? We don’t know for sure. However, his attendance at the introductory conference and his involvement towards the settlement indicate that Keefe may be behind the Devils’ bench again next season.

What happens to Dougie Hamilton?

Certainly, this is no mess that Mehta has created. However, it has to be cleaned up somehow.

Dougie Hamilton’s situation is a strange one for Mehta. By now, you know that Hamilton has not been made available to the media since December, refusing to speak on multiple occasions after his agent made public his mockery of the former regime.

His reluctance to speak in exit interviews indicates that tensions remain despite Tom Fitzgerald’s absence.

This is an important part of what happens with the Devils this offseason. Will Mehta decide that a fresh start is best for everyone for Hamilton and waive his $9 million cap hit?

Or, will Mehta see Hamilton’s 28 points in the final 37 games speak loudly for the Devils GM as part of the solution moving forward?

Either way, once Hamilton’s situation is resolved, it may have little impact.

What is Simon Nemec’s influence?

One of the key questions hinged on the Hamiltonian situation is, whichever way it works, what impact does it have on Simon Nemec?

Nemec is a pending restricted free-agent who has shown positive growth from the blueline this season.

The 22-year-old defenseman got a clutch gene en route to an 11-goal year. His offensive touch also gets him top power play minutes.

What Nemec lacks, however, is his defensive game. In their region, they have shown slower growth than anticipated. Nemec is still a green banana that may take a while to ripen. Still, for the Devils to return to the playoffs, can they afford the No. 17 pick to develop his defensive game at the NHL level?

Either way, it feels like whether Hamilton stays or goes, Nemec will have an adverse impact.

Trade or keep the 2026 first round pick?

The Devils’ chances of moving up in the Draft Lottery are quite slim. Right now, they are 12th from the bottom in the league-wide standings and are only eligible to reach second place overall.

We’ll find out in two weeks where the Devils are going to select. Still, unless they have a chance at Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg, the Devils should plan on moving this selection in favor of a top-six forward to play with Jack Hughes.

How aggressive will Mehta be in pursuing reforms?

Leaving aside the trade discussion regarding their 2026 first-round pick, we wonder how aggressive Mehta will be in improving the team.

Devils have certain needs. First of all, as I said earlier, the Devils need a top six forward to pair with Jack and Jesper Bratt. If Mehta is going to do this, it’s more than likely he’ll use the first-round pick they currently have.

However, could Mehta also have decided that he needed to shake up the culture? If a big-name player like Brady Tkachuk or Jason Robertson becomes available on the trade market, would Mehta be included as a serious trade partner? If Mehta feels that the current core has not worked, and perhaps they are not aligned with his analytical thinking, then it is not far-fetched to think that he would make a deal that would break a piece off from the core.

After all, Mehta has no attachment to anyone on the roster as of now. While Fitzgerald probably had a lot of love for his own roster, there should be no strings attached to Mehta in terms of making a trade.

And let’s not forget that the bottom six needs work too. The Devils rank 27th in goals scored this season. There was no reduction in their depth which impacted the top six.

How many new faces will we see in September?

Can Mehta fix the goaltending?

The Devils’ goaltending was structured as the last line of defense. Obviously, right? You have to beat the goaltender to score.

However, Jacob Markstrom was brought in for his high-threat defensive pedigree. Fitzgerald locked down Allen as a reliable 1B/backup. Only one of those two things happened in 2025-26.

The problem is that both goaltenders are on the wrong side of 35. Mehta could work with Allen who is on the hook for just $1.8 million for the next four seasons.

However, Markstrom’s new two-year contract begins on July 1 and runs through 2027–28.

Markstrom has shown signs of decline this season, and if it gets even worse, the Devils are going nowhere fast. Is there any solution this summer? They don’t have a 20-team trade list, so Mehta’s only option is to go with 11 other teams.

Otherwise, perhaps Mehta should reconsider Dave Rogalski as the goaltending coach.

Big ticket for Nico Hischier?

Perhaps the biggest question of the offseason. Will the Devils extend Nico Hischier when he becomes eligible on July 1?

When asked about his pending contract during the regular season, Hischier stated in his exit interview that he wanted to win a Cup in New Jersey.

However, if Mehta cannot resolve his contract with Hischier as soon as possible, it could put a halt to the crucial 2026-27 season. Allowing Hischier to reach unrestricted free agency would be an obvious mistake.

Coming from Florida, one of the comparisons to Hischier would definitely be Sasha Barkov. Could Hischier sign the same 8x$10M contract that Florida’s captain signed in 2021?

Five years later, you’ll have to account for the cost of inflation in an era of rising salary caps.

Short or long term extension for Arseniy Gritsyuk?

Arseniy Gritsyuk’s rookie season could only have been better if he had not been injured in the final stages of the season.

The 25-year-old first-year NHLer scored 13 goals and 31 points in 66 games this season, and is an outside candidate to receive a Calder Trophy nomination.

Everything about Gritsyuk screams core player.

Still, the Devils have been burned by KHL-imports before. Looking at you, Nikita Gusev.

So will Mehta commit to Gritsyuk long-term? Or is the bridge contract ready?

Everyone, including Jack Hughes, wants Gritsyuk to stay long term. But, again, Mehta has no relation to the player.

Gritsyuk has passed both eye tests and his analysis is impressive. It seems like he is a player Mehta would like to keep around for a long time.

James is the fully certified New Jersey Devils beat reporter for New Jersey Hockey Now on SportsNote and … More about James Nicholls

Rangers’ Nasser Ziga arrived at Ibrox from Wolverhampton Wanderers last summer when Danny Rohl’s predecessor Russell Martin was in charge.

The arrival of both Wolves-owned player and Emmanuel Fernandez at Rangers had a direct impact on the future of Robin Propper.

Last July, The latter indicated Both signings convinced him to leave Rangers and return to FC Twente.

Ziga and Fernandez have made 37 and 28 appearances for Rohl in all competitions this season.

The Burkina Faso international’s Scottish Premiership statistics are as follows:

• Appearances: 20
• Start: 18
• Total minutes: 1,554
• Minutes per game: 78
• Interceptions per game: 1.6
• Tackles per game: 1.5
• Balls recovered per game:
• Clearances per game: 4.6
• Blocked shots per game: 0.7
• Duels won per game: 4.1

Rangers keen to buy Wolves man

Nasser Dziga’s performances for Rangers have convinced them to make his move to Ibrox permanent.

is according to 226 feetWho make it clear that this is their own information about the 23-year-old man.

Danny Rohl’s team wants to buy the Wolves-owned player in the summer but the operation is not simple.

The Premier League side signed the defender from Red Star Belgrade for around €12m in February 2025 and sent him on loan to Rangers later that year.

The Molineux club’s relegation from the top flight was confirmed. Despite this, the English club ‘fully intend’ to recoup the investment, meaning Wolves want €12m to sell the player.

So far, Wolves have not yet decided whether to keep Ziga in the Championship or sell him in the next window. A final decision is expected in the coming weeks.

The next few weeks will be ‘decisive’ to understand the outcome of this saga. Rangers are keen to buy while Wolves need to weigh between sporting and financial aspects.

Contract, price and agent information

Nasser Dziga has a contract with Wolves until 2030 transfer market He is worth €6 million.

Agent Marcel Veerman is representing the defender, who is now on loan at Rangers.

Aston Villa and Chelsea are willing to pay £40 million to sign Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Lucas Bergvall, who is making his first transfer move of the January window.

sportbladet Report that both sides approached Tottenham in the January window, which Spurs clearly rejected.

Europe’s big clubs are looking

According to Sportbladet, the 20-year-old Tottenham midfielder is on the radar of many of Europe’s biggest clubs.

Despite Spurs’ struggles, his development at Tottenham over the past year has made him a player of interest.

Aston Villa and Chelsea are among those who are keen and interested in purchasing the Sweden international in the January transfer window. Both of them informed Tottenham that they were keen to move on.

At the time both clubs were prepared to pay £40 million for Lucas Bergvall. But Tottenham ‘categorically refused’ to initiate any talks regarding his efforts or the Swede.

demotion probability key

His stance is unlikely to change now, but a demotion could be significant. Spurs are firmly in the relegation battle, with just one point separating them from the bottom three.

If they drop into the Championship at the end of the season, there is the possibility of a summer fire-sale. Lucas Bergvall will be among those targeted.

Aston Villa and Chelsea have already shown a willingness to pay £40m, in such a scenario they would likely be first in line. The Blues had already been linked with a move in February.

And slipping to the Championship could force Tottenham to leave. They will need to balance the books and reduce costs as much as possible.

However, for now it seems that Tottenham are resisting. They have already rejected the efforts of their Premier League counterparts. Whether they can do that again in the summer will depend on how well Roberto De Zerbi performs in keeping them.

🇮🇹 Manuel Locatelli | De Zerbi’s arrival at Tottenham makes Juventus’ links with the midfielder inevitable

➡️The manager said he wants him here #THFC
➡️ Transfer was mentioned during initial talks
📈Helped launch Locatelli’s career
🔁 Fits the Player De Zerbi systemhttps://t.co/iIqD80i8fD

– Sports Witness (@Sport_Witness) April 1, 2026

Roberto De Zerbi is set to become the new Tottenham Hotspur manager.

The Premier League team has endured a difficult season so far and has won seven of its 31 league matches.

Tottenham parted ways with Thomas Frank in February and appointed Igor Tudor as their manager for the remainder of the season.

Spurs struggled under Tudor, winning only one [against Atlético Madrid] Out of seven matches under his command. They scored only one point against Liverpool in the league.

on sunday, tottenham Confirmed He has broken ties with Tudor and has not yet appointed his successor.

Tottenham warming up to De Zerbi

Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio Roberto De Zerbi is now reported to be in line to become the next Spurs manager.

The 46-year-old has been without a club since leaving Marseille in February. Initial claims made He is not thinking about joining the club until the end of the season.

However, it seems the manager has changed his stance as he is now ready to consider an offer from Tottenham. Evaluation is ongoing from both sports [their project and ambition] And financial outlook.

Spurs have also assured of building a competitive team for next season and have offered the Italian a five-year contract. That’s why he’s in the process of potentially changing his mind about the London opportunity.

Di Marzio claims the next few hours are ‘crucial’ for De Zerbi to say yes to Spurs.

The Brooklyn Nets have Noah Clowney on the injured list. The third-year forward missed Wednesday’s 121-92 loss to Oklahoma City with a sprained wrist. He was ruled out of Friday’s game with the New York Knicks.

Jordi Fernandez said Clowney likely will miss Sunday’s game with the Sacramento Kings. The Nets are already without Michael Porter Jr. (hamstring strain), Igor Demin (plantar fasciitis) and Deron Sharp (thumb surgery).

“I had to take him out because he was in so much pain. Sometimes, as I remember with De’Ron, I’d say, ‘Are you OK?’ And he wanted to play through it, and then I had to take him outside and look, and then he went back in, and all of a sudden, he needed surgery. And Noah, immediately when I saw he was in pain, I said, ‘Do you need a sub?’ And I’m asking guys to pick fouls to be able to get him out, and I ended up calling a timeout. That’s why he was very sad. He has sprained his wrist. He’ll be out tonight, most likely he’ll be out the next game, and then we’ll go from there.”

Clowney has appeared in 62 games with 56 starts this season, averaging 12.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.7 assists on .396/.333/.804 shooting splits.

Noah Clowney likely to join several key Nets sidelined for Kings matchup

Sunday’s Kings matchup will have a significant impact on the NBA’s draft lottery race. The Nets are in third place in the lottery standings entering the game. Sacramento is fourth with one more win than Brooklyn.

The Nets are coming off a five-game losing streak entering Friday’s matchup with the New York Knicks. They have posted the NBA’s worst offense during that span, sidelining Porter, Demin and Sharp, averaging 96.2 points on 39.7 percent shooting.

Meanwhile, the Kings have lost their last two games 4-1, dropping them from first to fourth in the lottery standings. After Thursday’s 139-118 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, Sacramento will have two days off before the Brooklyn matchup.

The Montreal Canadiens were in Detroit on Thursday night, facing the Red Wings in a game steeped in playoff fallout.

In the end, the Red Wings emerged with a 3–1 victory, and in the process won one of the most important games of the schedule.

Let’s look at the highlights!

To assault

Neither team managed to break the ice in the first period, as makeshift hockey was on the menu, although it must be said that the Canadiens did a better job when it came to creating high-danger chances. The Habs took a 5–3 lead on high-quality shots, including a great scoring opportunity for Juraj Slafkowski that was set up by captain Nick Suzuki.

Great pass by Suzuki to set up Slafkowski for a great scoring chance. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/lDiteUfVI0

– Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) 19 March 2026

Powerplay threat

There is a saying in hockey that states that generating a penalty will result in a potential windfall.

Or, more traditionally, put the puck on net and good things will happen.

The Canadiens don’t exactly follow this adage, as they take fewer shots with the man-advantage than most NHL teams, despite having a top-10 power play.

On Thursday night, we got a prime example of the principle at work, when a low-quality shot from Cole Caufield bounced off John Gibson and went straight onto the blade of Slafkowski. The 21-year-old Slovak player made no mistake and scored his 25th goal of the year.

If we wanted to be pedantic, we could describe it as a quick pass by Caufield rather than a shot, but the point stands.

If you want to take a boat ride in the river, you have to go down the river.

This is an important lesson that Canadians should keep in mind moving forward.

More shots. Always more shots.

Juraj Slafkowski scored his 25th goal of the year #GoHabsGo 1-0 lead! pic.twitter.com/n1joZ5wiXQ

– Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) 20 March 2026

coaching ireland

The Red Wings tied the game in the third period when a point shot by Patrick Kane hit Jacob Dobbs and then deflected off JT Comfer on what, all things considered, was an innocuous play. However, Canadiens head coach Martin Saint-Louis was furious, with most of his anger directed towards Alex Newhook and possibly Ivan Demidov.

Martin was angry on the St. Louis bench after Red Wings goal pic.twitter.com/lDM4eP6F8q

– TVA Sports (@TVASports) 20 March 2026

one mistake too many

It was a tight contest, usually requiring a bad bounce or a bad changeup to decide the outcome. In this case, Mike Matheson provided a terrific layup that gave Detroit its first lead of the game with about three minutes left in the third period. Shortly thereafter they would score an empty-net goal to seal the win.

Brutal turnaround for Mike Matheson.

The Red Wings took the lead with about 3 minutes left in the third. pic.twitter.com/nvjaEoio8s

– Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) 20 March 2026

The Montreal Canadiens are back in action on Saturday facing the New York Islanders at the Bell Centre. Puck drop is scheduled for 7pm ET.

All Montreal Canadiens stats are 5v5, via Natural Stat Trick, unless otherwise noted.

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

The Montreal Canadiens host the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night to avoid their first three-game losing streak since late November.

It was no good, and required overtime, but in the end the Habs emerged with a hard-fought victory, as Cole Caufield scored his 40th goal of the year to secure a 3–2 victory.

Let’s look at the highlights!

search for discipline

Habs fans will be quick to tell you that the team has not received favorable officiating this season, and there is some truth to that theory, but the fact that the Canadiens have struggled to show any shred of discipline this year has compounded the problem considerably.

Alexander Carrier’s double-minor to start the game against the Bruins was a perfect example. This left the Canadiens behind by the eight ball, as the Bruins scored quickly during the first power play.

Despite the inconsistency involved in NHL officiating, the Canadiens need to do a much better job when it comes to avoiding needless penalties. For the most part, they are the authors of their own penalty problems.

pav stays hot 🔥 pic.twitter.com/TfgFLV1y63

– Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) 17 March 2026

first line effect

The first line didn’t get a chance to play 5v5 shifts for about five minutes, another symptom of there being no discipline at all in the team.

Luckily for the Canadians, Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkowski made their mark early on and tied the game midway through the first period. It was Suzuki’s 24th goal of the season, although we must give credit to Caufield for his excellent work on the blue line, keeping the game alive after a few fortuitous layups.

back and goodbye

forehand, backhand, tie game#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/zpaxofDZD9

– Montreal Canadiens (@CanadiensMTL) 17 March 2026

coverage issues

Boston took a 2-1 lead midway through the second period, and while many will look for the skater to make the mistake, the truth is that Montreal’s poor defensive coverage is incredibly common. At some point, you have to view the system as the cause of an endless stream of defensive failures.

For the record, it was Oliver Kapanen who was covering Zacha, and then proceeded to drop him at the last minute, but again, this is a recurring theme for the Habs. Whether it’s Kapanen or another Canadiens player, questionable defensive coverage happens all too often for a team that is in a very competitive playoff race.

Confused defensive coverage is once again at the center of a goal.

The Bruins lead 2-1. pic.twitter.com/vSi4XUmCGz

– Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) 18 March 2026

mr anderson

With the Canadiens trailing once again, the veteran line provided a crucial goal, as Josh Anderson tied the game at 2–2 with a point shot.

Full marks to Anderson for creating enough of a gap between himself and the much bigger Nikita Zadorov. It was exactly the kind of play you’d expect to see from a rough-and-tumble player like Anderson, who scored his 13th goal of the season.

It should also be noted that Jaden Struble did a great job keeping the game alive, leading to the Lane Hutson shot and of course the Anderson tip. Brendan Gallagher, appearing in his 900th NHL game, also recorded an assist in the scoring game.

The teams remained tied at 2 at the second intermission, however, the Canadiens maintained a clear edge in high-danger chances at 5v5 at 14–7.

Great work by Josh Anderson to create space between himself and Zadorov before the tip. Tie the game. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/0tDhZiLtnm

– Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) 18 March 2026

it had to happen to him

While the Bruins pushed the envelope in overtime, it was the usual suspect Caufield who secured the victory for the Canadiens.

It was his 40th goal of the year, the first time a Canadian player has scored the goal since Vincent Damphousse in 1993–94.

For the first time in more than 20 years, #GoHabsGo There are 40 goal scorers in the lineup.

Cole Caufield once again plays hero for the Canadiens in OT: pic.twitter.com/A1307KgtP8

– Montreal Hockey Now (@MTLhockeynow) 18 March 2026

The Montreal Canadiens are back in action on Thursday, facing the Red Wings in Detroit, with puck drop scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.

All Montreal Canadiens stats are 5v5, via Natural Stat Trick, unless otherwise noted.

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

MIAMI – The Miami Heat look to improve as the team heads into the regular season home stretch, with the upcoming week set to be crucial in solidifying their spot as they attempt to advance into the playoffs. Although the Heat are struggling with injuries to key players like Norman Powell and Andrew Wiggins, the team will have to work hard to take care of business.

After Miami defeated the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons on Sunday, the upcoming week will be crucial to picking up wins in their continued goal of avoiding the play-in tournament. It cannot be denied that the Heat aim to avoid the tournament, as many within the team have made it public, as they are sick and tired of making the playoffs the last three seasons.

The team will be in Miami until the contest against the Charlotte Hornets on March 17, meaning the team will be at home for seven of its last eight games, having already defeated the Houston Rockets and Brooklyn Nets twice. After the Pistons on Sunday, the Heat will face the Washington Wizards, Milwaukee Bucks and Orlando Magic.

Given the Eastern Conference standings, it is very tight, leaving very little room for error, as there is only four games separating the fifth to 10th seeds. Aside from handling business against lower-ranked teams in the conference like the Wizards and Bucks, although each have stars like Trae Young and Giannis Antetokounmpo, respectively, these are contests that Miami is expected to win.

The most important game will be against the Magic on Saturday, as they are right next to each other in the standings as before the Pistons contest, Orlando was in sixth place, to Miami’s seventh, a difference of just a fraction of a percentage point. Depending on how long Powell and Wiggins are out, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro and others will need to lift weights.

How has the Heat performed so far at home

Due to the Heat’s pressure to make the playoffs, the road to the postseason is not easy, as looking at the middle of the Eastern Conference teams, Miami has the toughest schedule left in terms of winning percentage, according to Esfandiyar Baraheni. Including Sunday against Detroit, the remaining 10 games will take place at Kasia Center, where the Heat have a 21-11 record on their home floor.

In addition to the overall goal of playing well at home, there is an added pressure of making every game count due to the standings, which head coach Erik Spoelstra said he wants his team to “enjoy in these matchups.”

“We’ve known all season how important it is to establish that home feeling and that feeling that you don’t want it to be a place where people don’t want to come, and I think we did a pretty good job of that,” Spoelstra told ClutchPoints before the win over Detroit. “But more importantly, it’s just the opportunities to be competitive, the context of these games is a little more, and that’s what you love this time of year. … That’s our motivation, trying to get to another level as a basketball team, but also as competitive. I want our guys to enjoy these matchups this time of year.”

Asked Erik Spoelstra about the urgency of caring as these home games get closer to the standings.

“We know from all seasons how important it is to establish a homely feeling and feeling, as you don’t want this to be a place people want to come to…” #HeatNation pic.twitter.com/Eu78RuXXPr

– Zachary Weinberger (@ZachWeinberger) 8 March 2026

If there’s one thing Miami needs for the rest of the schedule, it’s momentum and energy, the same things the home crowd can provide.

“I mean, being able to get in front of our home crowd and build that energy, keep this win streak going. And you know, when we get home, I think we can start getting 140,” Adebayo said after the team’s win over the Hornets on Friday.

“It’s nice, sunny, go to the beach, you know, you just have to stay home. I think that’s the most important thing. We love our fans, so getting home is going to be important for us. We want to make the most of it,” Jamie Jacquez Jr. said.

At any rate, Miami has a five-game winning streak after the Pistons game, taking the team record to 36–29.

After the Miami Heat’s dominant win over the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday, the team made a quick turnaround for an important game on Friday night against the Charlotte Hornets, who were two games behind them in the Eastern Conference standings. However, the Heat would come out on top against the Hornets in a 128–120 victory on the road, as head coach Erik Spoelstra explained the result.

There’s no denying how dominant Charlotte was playing before Friday night, winning six games in a row and going 16-9 in their last 25 contests. Nevertheless, Miami would get an important win in a high-pressure situation, which was an issue for the team, making the win “satisfying” for Spoelstra.

“It was really gratifying to see our guys react in these pressure moments,” Spoelstra said via the team’s YouTube page. “Our game is trending really well on both ends of the court. Our defense is becoming more consistent.”

“I really want our guys to have these types of moments, I’ve been saying that for the last month,” Spoelstra added. “It’s the best time of the year. We feel like our game is running so great on both ends of the court. Our defense is getting more consistent. You see the effort, and you see more guys making an impact. And then offensively, since the start of the new year we’ve felt like our offense has been running in a good way.”

Coach Spo on tonight’s win:

“I really want our players to have moments like this. That’s what I’ve been saying for the last month. This is the best time of the year. We feel like our game has been trending so great on both ends of the court… Now it’s about these… pic.twitter.com/NoxEBuWdU7

– Heat Central (@HeatCulture13) 7 March 2026

Heat overcomes high pressure conditions

With the Heat preparing to advance to the playoffs, Friday night’s win showed the team is playing up to its potential, despite the team being without key players like Andrew Wiggins and Norman Powell, their leading scorers.

It was Miami’s longtime duo of Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro (who had a game-high 33 points) who led the way, especially in the final period, though there were contributions from a number of guys like Kel’El Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Drew Smith and others.

“It was a big win … felt like a playoff game. It’s good to see Charlotte come from behind a team like that, the whole crowd, that kind of intensity … it was very physical today, which we eliminated,” Adebayo said after recording 24 points, 12 rebounds and four assists.

Bam says tonight’s matchup vs. the Hornets felt like a playoff game:

“It was a big win – felt like a playoff game. It’s good to see Charlotte come from behind a team like that, the whole crowd, that kind of intensity… It was very physical today that we overcame.”

(Via Miami Heat… https://t.co/a1niCxC7rY pic.twitter.com/1CuKYApcNn

– Heating Zone (@WadexFlash) 7 March 2026

Spoelsta will be pushing for the Heat to get a game and win like Friday’s game in Charlotte, as the atmosphere was mild, giving it a playoff atmosphere, as Adebayo mentioned. At any rate, the Heat (35-29, seventh in the East) are at home for the next 10 days, though Sunday is going to be a tough game with the Detroit Pistons coming to town.