Aston Villa The season concluded with silverware, but Emiliano Buendia’s summer did not go exactly to plan.

The midfielder played a key role in Villa’s Europa League victory. He also recently made headlines by openly discussing his dream of one day playing for River Plate in Argentina.

Yet despite finishing the campaign strongly, he was left out of Lionel Scaloni’s final Argentina squad for the World Cup.

It appears that the door to international participation will be closed this summer. However, a recent report dsports radio There are suggestions that Buendia may not be completely out of the picture.

Holidays postponed

According to the Argentine outlet, the Aston Villa player has been told to ‘remain on alert and postpone his holiday plans’.

The report claims that national team representatives informed him to continue training if a late call-up became necessary due to fitness concerns elsewhere in the team. And… this This has happened to him only last year.

The report does not indicate that a call-up is imminent. Instead, it appears that Buendia is among the players being kept on standby should Argentina need reinforcements before or during the tournament.

Why Buendia might still have a chance?

local outlet bugle Explained in detail Argentina’s injury situation ahead of the World Cup.

The good news for Lionel Scaloni is that many of the team’s biggest concerns are being eased. Cristian Romero has returned to full training after his knee injury, while Julián Álvarez has also completed his recovery and is working as normal with the group.

However, Argentina are still keeping an eye on some players. Leandro Paredes remains the most worrying case and is looking for time to be fit for the opening match.

Gonzalo Montiel is also struggling to recover from a muscle injury. Meanwhile, Nicolas Gonzalez and Emiliano Martínez are being carefully managed. Recently, Thiago Almada, another player struggling with fitness problems, trained without any restrictions.

Lionel Messi is also progressing as expected after suffering a hamstring problem during Inter Miami’s MLS campaign. Meanwhile, highly rated Como youngster Nicolás Paz is recovering from a knee problem and is under the close observation of Argentina’s medical staff.

From a positional standpoint, the injuries that will realistically open the door for Buendia are those affecting Nicolas Gonzalez, Thiago Almada and Nicolas Paz.

Buendia’s profile fits that mold far more naturally than Leandro Paredes’ role. His absence will likely be covered by more defensive or central midfield options.

Messi is another theoretical possibility given the areas of the pitch he dominates, although replacing the Argentina captain is a unique challenge.

Another layer of uncertain heat

The update comes during an already uncertain period for Buendia. His contract at Aston Villa expires in June 2027, leaving the club with decisions to make in the coming months.

Turkish reports have linked him to Possible interest from Galatasaray. Meanwhile, Buendia himself recently admitted that Future Steps Towards River Plate A personal ambition remains.

However, thinking about transfers may have to wait for now.

Buendia was looking forward to the summer break after missing out on World Cup selection. Instead, if Argento’s latest claims are true, he has been instructed to keep his shoes on and his phone nearby.

crystal Palace Jefferson has moved to activate Lerma’s contract renewal option. However, there are increasing signs that the decision may have come too late.

last week, report from spain Claims were made that Lerma was preparing to become a free agent and was looking for the final major contract of his career. There were also suggestions that he would prefer to leave English football unless a major offer from the Premier League came along.

Now it appears that Palace are reacting to the situation by triggering the extension clause in his contract. However, the increasing level of interest in the 31-year-old means the club may still face a battle to keep hold of him.

This is according to a Colombian journalist pipe sierraWho reports that several clubs are now showing keen interest in the midfielder. This comes after he entered the final month of his deal at Selhurst Park.

European interest is growing

bolavip colombia Lerma is expected to decide his future with Colombia after the World Cup. Unless there are some big surprises in the coming weeks, this is the likely timeline.

The report again states that the midfielder rejected Crystal Palace’s renewal offer despite helping the club achieve another trophy by winning the UEFA Conference League. Furthermore, Valencia and Sevilla continue to be named as interested clubs from Spain.

Lerma’s situation soon became one of the more delicate contract matters at the Palace. The club clearly values ​​his experience and impact, especially after another successful campaign. However, it appears the midfielder now has realistic options elsewhere.

Lerma is also recognized for his involvement in some of the most important titles in Crystal Palace’s history. According to the Colombian outlet, the midfielder helped the Eagles win the FA Cup, Community Shield and Conference League.

Daniel Munoz has also been mentioned as another Palace player attracting transfer attention ahead of the World Cup, with Colombia expecting both players to remain starting players for the national team.

Pipe Sierra also shed light on Lerma’s position in England. The Crystal Palace player is now the most decorated Colombian footballer in English football, having made 303 appearances with Bournemouth and Palace.

Despite injury problems this season, Lerma remained a key figure in the team. His future is now going to be one of the major decisions for Palace after the World Cup.

The Buffalo Sabers swept the Boston Bruins in their victory in Game One. However, B could not be caught sleeping twice.

The Bruins earned a 4-2 win over the Sabers at KeyBank Center on Tuesday night, tying the best-of-seven series at 1-1 on the evening. After being held scoreless in the first period, Boston scored three goals in the second and another in the third before a late push by Buffalo.

Victor Arvidsson opened the scoring with a backhand shot at 4:54 of the second period, assisted by Jonathan Espirot and Casey Mittelstaedt. Morgan Geikie made it 2-0 on a backhand assist from David Pastrnak and Sean Kuraly at 16:29 of the second. Pavel Zacha scored a power-play goal at 18:10 (assists: Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy) to give Boston a 3–0 lead in the third.

Arvidsson scored his second goal just 16 seconds into the third period – on assists from Espirot and McEvoy – increasing the lead to 4–0.

Sabers coach Lindy Ruff opted to pull goaltender Ukko Pekka Luukkonen after surrendering four goals after 40:16 of the game. Alex Lyon manned the Buffalo net for the remainder of the tilt, and made seven saves on seven shots in relief.

The Sabers responded late, with Bowen Byram and Peyton Krebs scoring in the final frame to make the score 4–2. A flurry of harsh penalties and misconducts occurred in the third, including a fight between Mark Kastelic and Logan Stanley, which increased the tension.

sabers pulled

Final shots were Boston 26, Buffalo 21. Jeremy Swayman got the win in net for Boston with strong play after the first period, while Buffalo’s goaltenders faced heavy pressure. Boston went 1 of 6 on the power play; Buffalo was 0 for 5.

The Bruins’ timely scoring and defensive structure in the first 40 minutes proved decisive, although Buffalo showed late fight. Game three moves to Boston on Thursday.

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

The Detroit Red Wings’ season is over. On Wednesday night, Detroit was defeated by the Florida Panthers by a score of 8–1, finishing the season with 92 points. Despite a late-season collapse, the Red Wings finished the campaign with the most points since making the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs (93 points).

This was shaping up to be a special season for the Red Wings. On January 25, the organization awoke to the leadership of the Eastern Conference. It didn’t last long, as Detroit struggled to win down the stretch. It was a historic collapse that raises many questions heading into the 2026 NHL offseason.

However, there were some surprising developments for the Red Wings this year. Alex DeBrincat scored 40 goals for the third time in his career. In fact, Detroit had not seen a 40-goal scorer since Marian Hossa during the 2008–09 season. DeBrincat was sensational after a slow start.

Meanwhile, Mo Sider emerged as arguably the best defenseman in the NHL. Seider’s defensive rating was the highest of any NHL defenseman contending for the Norris Trophy. The 25-year-old was also spectacular offensively, becoming the first Detroit defenseman to reach 50 assists in a season since Nicklas Lidstrom in 2008–09.

Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin also earned an Olympic gold medal after the United States defeated Canada in the gold medal game. While Larkin and Detroit were not able to reach the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, several personal accomplishments were still achieved.

The Red Wings hope their star player gets even better during the 2026-27 NHL season. With some new additions, Detroit hopes to return to the Stanley Cup playoffs next season after a poor showing in 2026.

READ MORE: Detroit Red Wings front office drama – Are big changes coming?

Austin Konensky is a writer at SportsNut, covering the NHL, MLB, NFL, NBA and more. His work may also…More about Austin Konensky

Despite letting a two-goal lead slip away early, the New Jersey Devils battled adversity to defeat the Nashville Predators 4-2 on Thursday night.

The Devils initially opened the scoring with goals awarded to Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt, but were later credited with the goals again to Bratt (for the first goal) and Nico Hischier, respectively.

The Predators bounced back in the second period with goals from Reed Schaefer and Steven Stamkos.

Hischier added another run late in the third period, a deflection off a shot from Hughes restoring New Jersey’s lead. Timo Meyer converted an empty netter in the last minute of the game to seal the victory.

Jacob Markstrom started in goal for New Jersey after consecutive games sitting on the bench behind Jake Allen. With the win, Markstrom moved to 22–16–1 on the year.

Justus Anunen played between the pipes, going 8-10-2 on the year in the loss.

Arseniy Gritsyuk was out of the lineup for the Devils after suffering an injury at the end of their previous game against the Dallas Stars. Evgeny Dadonov took his place on New Jersey’s third line.

first period

The Devils came out of the gate outscoring the Predators 4–0 in the first five minutes of the game.

Enunen held strong in the early parts of the game and Nashville took the lead late in the contest. However, Markstrom and the Devils were able to hold off the attacks through the middle and end of the period.

That defensive resilience opened the door for New Jersey to take the lead before the end of the opening frame.

The Connor Brown-Hughes-Bratt line continued to be productive, Hughes fired a shot which Bratt deflected past Anunen for his 19th goal of the campaign. The first goal was scored in 1:58 minutes.

After 20 minutes the Devils led 1-0 and had a 9-6 advantage in shots.

second period

Once again, the Devils dominated the first few minutes of the period and outscored the Predators 6–1 over the opening 5:30.

The Devils used that momentum to double the lead at the 10:47 mark, with Hischier tipping a sharp-angle shot by Bratt into the top shelf.

However, that two-goal lead was short-lived, as the Predators responded by immediately scoring two goals in the next four minutes.

In the first, Nashville took advantage of a poor turnover by the Devils defense, allowing Schaefer to solo on Markstrom to cut the lead in half with 8:51 to go in the second.

Just 1:51 later, veteran Stamkos converted on back-to-back defensive zone giveaways from Simon Nemec and Hughes, tying the game just before the end of the period.

After 40 minutes, the Predators had tied the Devils 2–2, despite trailing 10–6 in the second frame and 19–12 after two.

third period

The third period was much more even than the previous two, with the Predators and Devils trading chances in the first ten minutes.

Nashville picked up its first and only power play of the game 3:27 into the period, but the best chance with the man-advantage went to Hischier, who could not find a way past Annunen on a rush chance.

However, the successful kill gave the Devils a second wind, tilting the ice back in their favor. Nashville took two penalties later in the third and New Jersey’s pressure finally increased.

Hischier scored his second goal of the night and 26th of the season, on a Hughes shot on the power play with 5:53 minutes left.

The Devils defense closed things out late with a 3–2 lead, limiting the Predators to just two shots in the final five minutes of the game.

Meyer put away the game with an empty net goal in the final 33 seconds, scoring his 21st goal of the season to give New Jersey a 4–2 victory.

The Devils battled adversity late in the second period and ultimately earned their fifth win in six games. Not only that, but star center Hughes extended his point streak to seven games with two assists, bringing his total points in that span to 14.

New Jersey will conclude its road trip on Saturday night when it faces division rival, the Carolina Hurricanes.

With 76 points and 11 games to play, the Devils will need a miracle to reach the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. But if they keep scoring points like this, they might be able to stay in the race for a little while longer.

The Devils are ten points behind the Ottawa Senators for the second wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference.

James Birley is an emerging sports commentator and journalist with extensive experience covering football and hockey. Recently graduated… More about James Birley

The San Antonio Spurs take on the Indiana Pacers at home on Saturday night. Victor Wembanyama is on the injury report along with Stephen Castle. Vembanyama is struggling with pain in his right ankle, while Castle is already out with right hip tightness. Here’s everything we know about Victor Wembanyama’s injury and his status in the game against the Pacers.

Victor Wembanyama’s injury status vs Pacers

While Castle has already been ruled out, Wembanyama is considered doubtful for Saturday’s contest between the Spurs and Pacers. His status will remain unclear until San Antonio announces his potential availability prior to tip-off. Victor Wembanyama has said he wants to win MVP and Defensive Player of the Year so he can push to play on Saturday night.

The Spurs are currently firmly in second place in the Western Conference, as they are just three games behind the Oklahoma City Thunder. Given that the Pacers have the worst record in the NBA (15–55), this game is not considered a marquee matchup.

Victor Wembanyama has been a monster for Spurs all season. The three-time All-Star is averaging 24.3 points (career-best), 11.1 rebounds (career-best), 2.9 assists and 3.0 blocks (league leader) per game. He also has an impressive 50.6% field goal percentage while shooting 35.7% from beyond the three-point line (career-best).

Wembanyama played in the Spurs’ last game which ended in a 101–100 victory over the Phoenix Suns. The third-year veteran finished that contest with 34 points, 12 rebounds, one assist and three steals. That win clinched a playoff spot for San Antonio.

So, when the question comes whether Victor Wembanyama is playing against the Pacers tonight, the answer remains up in the air.

spurs injury report

Stephen Cassel – Outside: Right hip; tightness
Harrison Ingram – Out: G League; two ways
David Jones Garcia – Out: G League; two ways
Emmanuel Miller – Out: G League; two ways
Victor Vembanyama – Questionable: right ankle; agony

pacers injury report

Jonny Furphy – Out: Right ACL; tears
Tyrese Haliburton – Out: right Achilles tendon; tears
Quentin Jackson – Questionable: Right calf; strain
TJ McConnell – Questionable: right hamstring; agony
Andrew Nembhard – Questionable: Right calf; Indigo
Aaron Nesmith – Questionable: right ankle; injury management
Talon Peter – Questionable: G League; two ways
Micah Potter – Questionable: Right triceps; strain
Ben Sheppard – Questionable: left ankle; Sprain
Pascal Siakam – Questionable: Right knee; Sprain
Jalen Slauson – Questionable: G League; two ways
Ethan Thompson – Questionable: G League; two ways
Obi Toppin – Questionable: right leg; injury management
Ivica Zubac – Outside: Fish; fracture

The Orlando Magic will be without center Wendell Carter Jr. on Thursday night after he was sidelined with a mild left rib injury ahead of their game against the Charlotte Hornets.

Orlando (38-30) announced an update on its latest injury report on Thursday afternoon, giving Carter Jr. a late opportunity as the team prepares for tipoff at 7:00 p.m. ET on NBA TV. His absence adds to an already lengthy injury list as the Magic face major rotation losses heading into the season.

Carter Jr. last appeared in a 113-108 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday, where he recorded 11 points, five rebounds, three assists and one steal in 29 minutes. He made 3 of 9 shots from the field and converted 5 of 6 free throw attempts in the contest.

The 26-year-old has been a consistent presence for Orlando throughout the season. In 65 games, he has averaged 11.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game, while shooting 50.6% from the field and 32.2% from three-point range in 29.6 minutes per contest. His interior presence and rebounding have played a vital role in the Magic’s frontcourt stability.

The absence of Carter Jr. further diminishes Orlando’s depth in the frontcourt. The team’s injury report also lists Anthony Black (left lateral abdominal strain), Jonathan Isaac (left knee sprain) and Franz Wagner (left high ankle sprain/injury management) out. With several starters and rotation players sidelined, Orlando will be forced to rely on their remaining available personnel to fill key minutes.

Magical way to stabilize the standings without Wendell Carter Jr. vs. Hornets

The Magic entered Thursday’s contest looking to stop a two-game losing streak and reclaim a spot in the Eastern Conference standings. Orlando drops to the sixth seed and is one game behind the Toronto Raptors (39-29) for fifth place. The team is also 3.5 games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers (42-27) in the race for the fourth seed.

Charlotte (35-34) presents a competitive challenge as it continues to dominate the Eastern Conference standings. With both teams fighting for a postseason berth, availability and depth could prove decisive.

Following the matchup against the Hornets, Orlando will return home to begin a two-game homestand. That streak begins Saturday night against the Los Angeles Lakers (44-25), who are on a seven-game winning streak.

As the regular season enters its final stretch, the Magic’s ability to manage injuries while maintaining consistency will continue to be important. Carter Jr.’s late start underscores the challenges facing Orlando as it looks to stabilize its rotation and stay within reach of a higher seed in the Eastern Conference.

A top NFL Draft expert just offered a quarterback who could be a late steal for teams like the New York Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals next month.

Like every other year, many teams would love to find a potential franchise QB in April’s NFL Draft. Unfortunately, this year’s QB class is weak. The Las Vegas Raiders are set to use the No. 1 overall pick on Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza. After the Heisman Trophy winner, Alabama’s Ty Simpson is the next best QB on the board, and it’s debatable whether he’ll even go in Round 1.

That’s why many teams have been aggressive in acquiring veteran options that have become available over the past few weeks. However, teams like the NY Jets, Steelers, and Cardinals have situations where they need to consider using the pick on the signal-caller. But in a year with a heavy QB class, which player should they take and when?

Should the NY Jets or Steelers target Cole Payton in the NFL Draft?

Well, this week, veteran draft expert Todd McShay offered a low-cost, high-profit alternative. In a new social media post, he suggested that North Dakota State star Cole Payton is the lowest-rated QB in the entire draft.

“In conversations with NFL GMs, this is a one-of-a-kind guy,” he said, praising his timing and accurate passing. Additionally, he has a high ability to extend the play and make accurate throws under pressure. He added, “There’s a lot of unused stuff here.”

Former first-round picks Carson Wentz and Trey Lance are NDS alumni, and McShay believes Payton is the best QB prospect ever drafted by the university. The fifth-year senior had a career year in 2025, throwing for 2,719 yards and hitting 72% of his 225 passes. He also rushed for 777 yards and scored 29 total touchdowns.

Payton is expected to be a Day 3 pick and could fall as far as Round 7. He could be an interesting option for the NY Jets, Steelers and Cardinals as a project to develop this year.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

Well, the New Jersey Devils may have given up three leads, but they still came up with two points.

A back-and-forth affair between the Devils and the Los Angeles Kings ended in victory when Jack Hughes sealed the deal with the game-winning power play goal in the third period.

The Devils took a 1–0 lead on a goal off the stick of Cody Glass at 7:58 of the first period.

Arseniy Gritsyuk collected the loose puck on the right wall and fed the glass into the slot for a one-time chance, beating Anton Forsberg to give New Jersey a one-goal advantage.

Three minutes later, Nico Hischier scored on a rebound by Timo Meier to give the Devils a 2–0 lead in the first period.

New Jersey began the second period of attack. However, Dougie Hamilton sent the Devils to the early penalty kill after being whistled for interference.

On the Los Angeles power play, Anze Kopitar cut the Devils’ lead to 2–1 by hitting a backdoor pass from Bradent Clark.

Just over two minutes later, Artemi Panarin tied the game, skating the puck into the slot and passing it past Jake Allen to tie things at two.

The Kings scored three consecutive goals to take the lead at 11:43 of the middle frame. Clark walked to the Devils blueline with the puck on his stick and passed it to Taylor Ward at the top of the left circle, who beat Allen to give the Kings a 3–2 lead.

It didn’t take long for the Devils to tie the game in the third period.

Lenny Haminaho drove quickly to the Kings’ zone and took a good step to beat the defense. The Finnish rookie fed Gritsyuk backdoor, and Gritsyuk batted in the puck that was in mid-air and tied the game at three.

Quinton Byfield was later whistled for tripping, forcing New Jersey back on the power play for the third time. Hischier played well on the man advantage and the Devils regained the lead at 12:41 of the third period.

However, Haminaho’s puck was modest and the Devils were sent back to the PK, and Kopitar collected his second of the night to tie the game at four.

Kopitar’s second goal of the night saw him break the Los Angeles franchise record for points, the 1,308th of his career.

The Devils gained another man advantage after the whistle for holding Clarke.

Hughes took no time in giving the Devils their third lead of the night, scoring a goal on a FC-off draw to make the game 5–4 in favor of New Jersey.

Meyer deflected the empty-net goal to seal a 6–4 Devils victory.

Jake Allen made 27 saves on 31 shots and earned his 13th win of the season.

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

The Minnesota Timberwolves are in the midst of a tight Western Conference race, and every game will be important until the end of the season. Their next game will be against the Golden State Warriors, who are also alive in the West by being in the play-ins. Both teams are struggling to get seeded and are doing so while battling injuries.

As for the Timberwolves, they have been fairly healthy, but before their game, Anthony Edwards was added to the report with right knee soreness. It’s uncertain whether the injury is serious, but if so, he would likely have been listed as questionable or out.

Edwards still has a chance to suit up, and if he’s able to play, there’s no doubt he will. Plus, the Timberwolves don’t want to see him on the injury report at all, especially at this point in the season.

Edwards has been huge for the Timberwolves this season, as he is averaging a career-high 29.4 points per game. He is also shooting a career high from the three-point line at 40.2%.

Although Edwards is doing the best he can, the Timberwolves have still had times throughout the season when they have been very inconsistent. As far as a recent example goes, they are currently losing three games in a row and their defense is not playing well. They gave up 153 points to the Los Angeles Clippers, and in the game before that, they gave up 120 points to the Los Angeles Lakers.

The schedule will not be easy for the Timberwolves, as after the Warriors, they will have to face the Oklahoma City Thunder and Phoenix Suns.

If the Timberwolves ever need to try and lock down a lead, it should be now. With them being seeded sixth, there is a possibility they could reach the seventh seed, depending on what the Suns do the rest of the season.

It hasn’t been the cleanest season for Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green.

The decline has begun for the 36 year old future Hall of Famer as the Warriors have seen seasons up and down from .500, with injuries to Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler derailing their championship aspirations.

You can see it in his diminished impact on offense – the Warriors are 5.7 points worse per 100 possessions when Green is on the floor, which is their worst offensive point differential since his rookie season. You can see it in his defensive slips. While the Warriors still allow fewer points when Green is on the floor, 1.2 fewer points per 100 possessions, it is the second most he has allowed when he is on the floor in his career.

The player who made his money by being an on/off, plus/minus, advanced statistics god hasn’t been the same this season. He looks very dangerous this season. The Warriors know it, Steve Kerr knows it and Green knows it to some extent. Green witnessed his basketball mortality during the last trade deadline, during the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes, which ultimately never materialized.

And the challenge this season has been how to navigate a former DPOY and all-time great in the final stages of his career.

Kerr has tried to play Green at the four next to stretch centers Al Horford, Quinton Post and now Kristaps Porzingis so he doesn’t get burned physically at the five. He’s done the opposite and gone back to his old style, rocking him at the fifth spot in small ball with a group of shooters.

But of all the solutions the Warriors have tried recently, the one that has reinvigorated them has come down to the defensive end – taking on the primary task of guarding opposing stars on the perimeter.

protecting the best of the best

Over the past three games, the Warriors have changed their defensive philosophy in how they use Green defensively. Instead of using him on the backend of the defense, where he can quarterback the defense, they have committed him to guarding the opposing team’s star perimeter player.

That means guarding Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, perhaps the strangest arsenal of offensive talent you can give a guard. But the results came positive. The Warriors, along with Curry and a handful of players, fought valiantly in all three games. And Green looked as lively and energetic as he has all season.

“I think our coaching staff realizes that I have a lot of energy when I’m given this type of workload,” Green said. “It’s amazing to have those responsibilities at this point in my career. And it energizes me a lot because, number one, my team needs me… And yet—I’m a very egotistical person. I can’t just go out there and kill.”

The color green shines brightest when the best players step onto the court. The same passion we are seeing now is what we saw in the Victor Wembanyama matchup earlier this season.

“I think it excites him when we give him this job, ‘You guard the best player,'” Kerr said. “He loves it. He’s up for the challenge. He’s still one of the great defensive players in the game. The last few games, between Shai and Kevin and Kawhi, he’s guarded three of the toughest guys on the planet. And done a phenomenal job.”

And that passion has extended to crime. Eight assists in Rockets’ win, four 3-pointers in narrow loss to OKC. Nothing outstanding, but a far cry from the liability it sometimes looked like at that level.

How Draymond Green on the perimeter transforms the Warriors’ defense

Those stars are still in their bag, that’s how it works in the NBA. But this strategy shocked the Clippers, Rockets and Thunder on offense while keeping the Dubs’ defensive shield intact. By pressing the head of the serpent of these crimes, the warriors avoid excessive helping and selling in order to stop them. Why waste two players and compromise on help when you can use green to do the same and avoid a 4-0n-3 loss on the backend?

“Part of the reason we go [me on the top opposing scorer] Green explained, “So we don’t have to help so much. And I have to take that responsibility and make sure we don’t have to help.”

But the other carryover effect of such a strategy is the possibility of larger lineups. Kerr closed the OKC game with a Giant Green, Horford, Porzingis, Gui Santos and Brandin Podziemski lineup. A lineup in which Green was essentially playing small forward, something he has not done since the Mark Jackson days.

This isn’t a lineup Kerr hopes to use often, but the process behind that lineup may see more use. With their size in Horford and Porzingis, the Warriors can afford to put Green in star perimeter matchups. This way, they can maintain their goal of not helping excessively frequently.

“I love it,” Green said about potentially coming in with a bigger lineup. “I think when you have more size, you’re able to cover more. You’re able to cover mistakes. And then when you have more length you’re able to close the gaps as well. So I like that.”

But the question will be whether Green and the Dubs can maintain the juice they have found in him. Will there be enough motivation when it’s a game against the star-less Utah Jazz or Sacramento Kings? Consistency has been a struggle for Green this season. They know they can call it quits when the lights are brightest, this three-game stretch has proven that. But can he find the motivation to do so when they are not so bright?

Regardless, the Draymond Green they’re gunning for right now is exactly what the Warriors need. Kerr and Green have found the right buttons to push. And the other thing this three-game stretch proved is that Green still has a lot to offer the Warriors in the final stretch.

“Give Draymond the toughest job and put a big man behind him,” Kerr said. “It’s a good formula.”

The Los Angeles Lakers were giving the Denver Nuggets everything they could handle on Thursday night, even if their starting center Deandre Ayton had to leave after just four minutes with a knee injury. This made the Nikola Jokic matchup more difficult.

The Lakers almost had to deal with being shorthanded even more, because at one point in the fourth quarter, it looked like LeBron James was going to chase Ayton into the locker room with an early exit of his own.

With about four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, James made a hard layup in Jokic’s grill. However, the Lakers star didn’t go down easily; Actually, while doing this he fell on the ground and got injured in his left elbow.

California Post price via Khobi:

LeBron James was holding his left elbow after the fall. He is currently on the bench being tended to by his longtime coach. pic.twitter.com/Oy676TN19U

– Khobi Price (@khobi_price) 6 March 2026

James slammed his elbow into the camera, and was slow to get back to his feet. The Lakers then committed a foul to stop the game and then called a timeout to remove James from the field.

But with 2:05 remaining in the period, James returned to play, checking in for Rui Hachimura, with the Lakers trailing the Nuggets by just one, 112–111. In the end, the Lakers didn’t have enough to overcome the Nuggets. The good news is that James escaped serious harm.

Lakers can’t hit shots in tough times vs. Nuggets

The Lakers gambled that they would play short and make enough shots to counter the Nuggets led by Jokic. And it worked to some extent, as LA came back and made it a close game vs. the Nuggets. However, with the Lakers trailing by only three (114-111), they could not hit open shots – Marcus Smart hit two triples on back-to-back possessions.

It was Jokic who scored the dagger in the end, as he made a routine floater to give Denver a five-point lead that proved to be enough for a 120–113 victory.

The 2025-26 Vegas Golden Knights have been remarkably consistent. Unfortunately, they are consistent in all the wrong ways – they have a tendency to start playing well only after falling behind by two or more goals. They have managed to save points from many of those attempts, but that is hardly a recipe for success.

It happened again Tuesday when the Golden Knights faced the Buffalo Sabers at KeyBank Center. The Sabers took a 3-0 lead early in the second period before the Golden Knights responded. He performed exceptionally well in just under 35 minutes of play, but it was not enough and the Sabers won 3–2.

“It’s very tough to be down by that many goals and come back to win the game,” Colton Sissons said after the game. “We’re constantly looking for ways to make it interesting, but now it’s too late.”

The Sabers opened the scoring just 4:02 into the first period. Ryan McLeod tried to find Jack Quinn for a back-door tap-in, but his pass went off the skate of Jack Eichel. The puck bounced straight to Jason Zucker at the goal line, and the Las Vegas native tapped it home.

The Sabers doubled their lead just 46 seconds into the second period. Noah Ostlund won in the offensive zone in front of Owen Power, who walked to the line and fired a shot on goal from distance. Rasmus Andersson partially screened Akira Schmidt, and Power’s shot went off Andersson’s glove and into the net.

The Sabers extended their lead at 5:44 of the second minute. Alex Tuch flew into the offensive zone and threw a pass to Taj Thompson. Thompson stepped into the right circle and beat Akira Schmidt with a wrist shot from distance.

That’s when everything changed, and the Golden Knights responded just 1:06 later. Jack Eichel set up Shea Theodore for a one-timer, but the shot went wide. Alex Lyon denied Ivan Barbashev’s pass attempt, so Barbashev buried it home on a wraparound.

At 8:27 in the second minute, the Golden Knights tied it at one goal. Reilly Smith forced a turnover and knocked the puck out of the zone, and Pavel Dorofeyev advanced to first. Dorofeyev raced up the ice, protected the puck and beat Alex Lyon for the five-hole.

Despite trailing by only one goal, the Golden Knights struggled to generate offense in the third period. He failed to move forward this time and looked disinterested while doing so. Apart from hitting a few crossbars, they managed only six shots on goal in the final frame and lost 3–2.

Three Golden Night Takeaway

1. Credit is due: Alex Lyon played very well in net for the Sabers tonight. He saved 27 of 29 shots and finished the night with a .931 SV% and 1.85 GSAX. That being said, the Golden Knights didn’t do enough to make life difficult for him. He challenged them only six times in the third period. This is often not going to result in a win – especially when they are trying to make a comeback.

2. The Golden Knights are faltering; With a 3-6-2 record in their last 11 games, they are in serious danger of losing control of the Pacific Division. Of course, their biggest issue is their slow start. Sure, they made it competitive tonight. Big noise. Moral victory means little early on, and even less at this time of year when points are at a premium.

Chasing leads is exhausting, and the Golden Knights have made a habit of it. In 61 games played, he has spent 1502:48 of time at the back, fourth most in the league. The fact that they are still leading the Pacific Division says more about the state of the division than the quality of their play.

“We’ve been down this road before,” head coach Bruce Cassidy said after the 3-2 loss. “We get held back, kind of punched in the face. Then we get on our game — we’re talking about trying to get there before that happens, a lot.”

3. The hockey gods have not smiled on the Golden Knights goaltenders this season. Their team’s Goals Against Above Expected is 25.42 – second worst in the entire league. But tonight, goaltending was the least of his concerns.

Tonight, their biggest problem was that they couldn’t score three goals. Following the loss, head coach Bruce Cassidy dismissed the team for poor performance offensively.

“[Goaltending] Bruce Cassidy said after the game, “We’ve had a couple of nights where we needed extra saves. Tonight, we needed another goal… I think there are some guys at the bottom of the lineup who usually score more, and that hasn’t happened yet. Losing by one goal like that.”

Hannah Kirkel is a beat writer who covers the Vegas Golden Knights for Vegas Hockey Now on SportsNote. She studied more about Hannah Kirkel

After the Denver Nuggets defeated the Portland Trail Blazers by 54 points last Friday, the team would be unable to muster a 128-117 win over the Golden State Warriors on Sunday. As there is some concern for the Nuggets following their loss to the understaffed Warriors, head coach David Edelman will point to an interesting aspect of the opponent’s injury report.

Just before tip-off, which was at 12:30 p.m. local time, Golden State announced that Green was a late scratch due to lower back tightness. This prompted the Warriors to go with Al Horford, who scored 22 points in his highest-scoring game as a team member, leading Edelman to admit how “confused” it was to see a late injury to Green.

“That was confusing,” Edelman said, via ESPN. “I think that’s why we report the injury. Obviously, the game plan was very different.”

The loss was a painful one for Denver, as they were missing Jimmy Butler, Stephen Curry, who is still out, Golden State’s top four players, Kristaps Porzingis and Green due to a season-ending injury. Although this was Denver’s third road game in four days after the All-Star break, it can’t be denied that the team won’t use this as an excuse.

What Warriors had on Nuggets to Nikola Jokic became real

Jokic, who himself is recovering from injury, had a great game where he recorded 35 points, 20 rebounds, 12 assists, three steals and two blocks. However he also acknowledged, via Sports Illustrated, that Golden State had “better energy”.

“They had better energy, and since I (dunked in the fourth quarter), I think the score was tied, I missed a three, they made a three, I had a turnover, they made like a six, went on a 7-0 quick run, and they were up 13, 11 or whatever. So we couldn’t really find an open shot; they were finding open shots, they were making like they made the whole game,” Jocic said.

At any rate, Denver will look to bounce back in its next game on Wednesday night against the Boston Celtics.

NEW YORK – The New York Knicks’ 18-point comeback win over the Houston Rockets on Saturday night delivered a thrilling finish. The defensive intensity of Karl-Anthony Towns led to the lead in the fourth quarter, which set up Jalen Brunson to save the day. However, with 5:04 left in the fourth quarter, head coach Mike Brown continued a controversial trend of late games by sending Mikal Bridges to the sideline.

The coach replaced the starting wing with Landry Shamet, telling reporters after the game that assistant coach Rick Brunson deserves credit for the idea. Thursday night against the Detroit Pistons, Bridges sat the last 9:31 of the game. He also finished contests on the bench in late January and early February against the Sacramento Kings and Philadelphia 76ers, respectively.

Bridges replaced Towns in the final five seconds of the game, allowing New York’s four-point lead to focus on defense. But the 29-year-old wing, whom Leon Rose and the Knicks front office signed to a $150 million extension this summer, spent much of the crisis on the bench.

They saw Brunson destroy Houston’s defense with Josh Hart sitting to make way for the newly acquired Alvarado. The Brooklynite recorded his third, fourth and fifth steals of the game in those minutes, made just one of three late shots, but provided the energy and aggression New York needed to shut out Kevin Durant’s group.

Bridges repeats Celtics playoff magic with clutch 3-pointer vs. Bulls

On Sunday night, in the Knicks’ second leg of the weekend, the team defeated the Chicago Bulls. Bridges closed out the six-point victory, hitting a key 3-pointer with 27 seconds remaining to seal the victory. However, by then, Wing had only eight points on 3-9 shooting in over 29 minutes of playing time. A clutch 3-pointer pushed him into double figures and saved the Knicks’ night.

From not playing at all to stabbing Chicago in the back, the combination of late-game roles played by Bridges represents more than the ups and downs of Sunday night. Provides two-way wing performance that includes frustrating plays in quarters, halves or entire games. But, somehow, he often finds a way to make up for it in the end.

In each of the team’s first two games against the Boston Celtics in last year’s playoffs, Bridges won the Knicks the game with incredibly timely defensive play. The second of those games featured a perfect example of Bridges’ extreme swing. The Wings failed to score in the first three quarters, but scored 14 points and made the game-winning defense in the fourth.

Bridges’ early-game struggles and late-game heroics on Sunday night did not give New York a win with playoff-level significance. But it further demonstrated the wing’s zero-to-hero range. Under a new coach in Brown, the Knicks are leaning into their depth as Bridges wanted last season. Players, including Bridges, may not view finishing a game on the bench as an insult.

His competitive nature should allow him to use any tough times benching as motivation. Just because someone like Shamet or Alvarado was red-hot inside doesn’t mean a certain starter’s play was unacceptable. Sometimes, the two coincide. Ultimately, the Knicks shouldn’t care.

Brown has stressed the importance of “finding ways to win” and will likely continue to do so during the season. It’s something their group needs to pursue with equal enthusiasm, no matter who is on the court.

On Thursday, the Chicago Bulls were back in action from the All-Star break and defeated the Toronto Raptors at home. Head coach Billy Donovan was recently absent to care for his family. his father diedBilly Donovan Sr.

Before the game, Bulls issued a tribute To Donovan Sr., according to ClutchPoints.

The Bulls honored the passing of head coach Billy Donovan Sr., father of head coach Billy Donovan, before tonight’s game versus the Raptors.

(via @DravesZachary) pic.twitter.com/ui1abaibg3

– ClutchPoints (@clutchpoints) 20 February 2026

Billy Donovan Sr. was a standout player at Boston College, where he finished as the No. 3 top scorer in program history with 1,102 career points. He was a first lieutenant in the army.

Billy Jr. later began playing basketball and played in college at Providence. In 1987, he was part of the team that reached the Final Four. Ultimately, Billy Jr. became the head coach at Florida and led them to two consecutive NCAA Championships in 2006 and 2007.

After his father passed away, colleagues like Rick Pitino sent my best wishes. Meanwhile, the Bulls are 24-31 and on a six-game losing streak.

Donovan has been the head coach of the Bulls since the 2020–21 season. Till now he has made a record of 195-205. Additionally, Donovan led the Bulls to the 2022 NBA Playoffs, in which they were eliminated in the first round by the Milwaukee Bucks in five games.

Previously, Donovan was the head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder from 2015 to 2020. He compiled a record of 243–157. His current overall coaching record in the NBA is 438–362. In 2025, Donovan was Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Meanwhile, Wes Unseld Jr. has taken over as interim head coach.

Ronald Koeman has been warned to act quickly to prevent the Netherlands from losing West Ham United star Crescencio Somerville.

Soccer News today covered the comments from journalists Valentijn Driessen and Jeroen Kapteijns. The pair believe Somerville should now be in the Netherlands squad.

Somerville has been the undisputed star of the show for West Ham this season, especially under Nuno Espirito Santo.

west ham’s star man

The 24-year-old has made huge strides after a disappointing debut season at the London Stadium last year. He managed just one goal and two assists in 22 games last season, with less than 1,000 minutes on the clock.

This season he is already on six goals and four assists in 23 games and 1755 minutes. At least it can be said that there is rapid improvement across the board. In fact, 2026 has been a productive year so far as he has managed to score four goals and one assist in seven games.

The 1–1 draw with Manchester United was his first match in which he remained blank since a 3–0 defeat to Wolves on 3 January.^third.

However, he is yet to play for the Netherlands. The West Ham star has played for them at every level from U16 to U21, last returning in 2021.

There have been suggestions that they could be surprisingly included, Which was covered by Sport Witness in January. This was before his current form.

suriname effort

In the background is Suriname, who also qualified for the World Cup, putting pressure on him to officially switch allegiance. According to Driessen, who is a big fan, that would be a shame.

“He’s a player who is doing brilliantly at West Ham; he scores goals like crazy. Koeman has to look at that, and you shouldn’t let him go just like that,” he said. However, fellow journalist Kapteijns believes it may be too late for any efforts.

He said, “It may be too late; they have already made their choice for Suriname.”

“If he reaches the playoffs, he will easily go to the World Cup. He will make his debut in March when Suriname plays against Bolivia and probably Iraq.”