OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Tari Eason scored a season-high 26 points, and the Houston Rockets beat the short-handed Oklahoma City Thunder 112-106 on Saturday.
Alperen Sengun had 17 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists for his second triple-double of the season and No. 10 for his career. Jabari Smith Jr. had 22 points and 10 rebounds for the Rockets, and Kevin Durant added 20 points.
Cason Wallace scored 23 points for Oklahoma City, and Isaiah Joe added 21.
It was Oklahoma City’s second game without reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is recovering from an abdominal strain. He will be out until after the All-Star break. The Thunder already were missing 2025 All-Star Jalen Williams and second-year guard Ajay Mitchell, one of the Rising Stars for All-Star Weekend.
Second-year guard Jared McCain played his first game with the Thunder since coming over in a trade with Philadelphia. He entered late in the first quarter to loud cheers. He finished with five points in 14 minutes.
Oklahoma City fans, still angry with Durant 9 1/2 years after he left the Thunder to head to Golden State in free agency, booed him during pregame starter introductions. They cheered when the normally outstanding free-throw shooter missed two in the second quarter after being fouled on a shot.
McCain scored his first basket for the Thunder with about nine minutes left in the second quarter. An alley-oop lob from Joe to Wallace gave the Thunder a 46-32 lead. Oklahoma City led 52-46 at the break, with Chet Holmgren posting 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Houston dominated the third and led 80-74 heading into the fourth. Durant didn’t look for his shot much, but he scored on a short jumper to give the Rockets a 107-101 lead with just over a minute remaining in the fourth.
Up next
Rockets: Host the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Xzayvier Brown scored 14 of his 20 points in the second half and Oklahoma held off No. 15 Vanderbilt 92-91 on Saturday to end a nine-game losing streak.
Nijel Pack added 17 points for the Sooners (12-12, 2-9 Southeastern Conference) who had a 21-point lead with 12:03 left. Oklahoma shot 53.4% from the field.
Tyler Tanner led Vanderbilt (19-4, 6-4) with 37 points. Tyler Nickel added 18.
Nickel hit a 3-pointer with 1 1/2 minutes left to cut Oklahoma’s lead to 10. AK Okereke had a 4-point play to make it a two-possession game with 49 seconds remaining.
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Chauncey Wiggins scored 22 points, and Florida State survived a late Notre Dame rally for an 82-79 win on Saturday in Atlantic Coast Conference play.
Florida State (11-12, 4-6 ACC) hit five straight 3-pointers to open the game and jumped out to a 17-2 lead with 14:00 left in the first half. The Seminoles led 41-32 at halftime, then watched Notre Dame close the gap in the final minutes of regulation.
Logan Imes’ 3-pointer gave Notre Dame a 75-74 lead with 2:07 remaining, but Wiggins answered on the next possession, burying a 3 of his own to put Florida State back in front 77-75. Lajae Jones made two free throws with 35 seconds left, Martin Somerville split a pair with 17 seconds remaining, and Alier Maluk made two with nine seconds left to seal the win.
Wiggins went 5 of 10 from 3-point range as Florida State made 15 3s and committed five turnovers. Robert McCray V scored 15 points and hit four 3s, Alex Steen had 10 points and nine rebounds, and Jones added 11.
Braeden Shrewsberry scored 18 points for Notre Dame (11-12, 2-8). Jalen Haralson had 15 before fouling out, Cole Certa scored 14 and Sir Mohammed added 11 off the bench for the Fighting Irish.
AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Labaron Philon Jr. tallied 25 points, six assists and five rebounds, Amari Allen added 17 points and six rebounds, and Alabama took down Auburn 96-92 on Saturday.
The Crimson Tide (16-7, 6-4 Southeastern Conference) trailed by as many as 10 points, but rallied back with runs of 11-0 and 8-0 in the second half. They took the lead for good with 10:39 remaining in regulation.
Aden Holloway scored 15 points, and Charles Bediako had 12 on 5-for-5 shooting. Aiden Sherrell had a game-high four blocks.
The Tigers (14-9, 5-5) were led by Tahaad Pettiford, who scored 25 points to go with seven assists. Keyshawn Hall added 24 points on 8-for-22 shooting before fouling out late, and Kevin Overton scored 17. Keshawn Murphy had a 13-point, 12-rebound double-double.
Auburn led 41-37 at the half, with Overton pacing the Tigers with 11 points in the first frame. Philon Jr. scored nine first-half points for Alabama.
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Brayden Burries scored 15 points and No. 1 Arizona stifled Oklahoma State’s high-scoring offense to remain unbeaten, winning 84-47 in a Big 12 Conference game on Saturday.
The Wildcats (23-0, 10-0) extended the best start in school history by holding the Cowboys to 24.6% shooting. Arizona’s start also is the best in Big 12 history, passing Kansas’ 22-0 opening run in 1996-97.
Oklahoma State (16-7, 4-6) was averaging 86.5 points and scored 99 points Wednesday night in a victory over No. 16 BYU.
Burries was 7 of 11 from the field and added eight rebounds. Arizona had a 55-35 edge in rebounds and 54-14 advantage on points in the paint.
Arizona’s 37-point margin of victory was its largest in a Big 12 game since joining the league last season and largest in a conference game since beating rival Arizona State by 45 in 2024.
Oklahoma State got 10 points from Anthony Roy while no other player scored more than eight. The Cowboys’ shooting percentage was their worst since 2014 and their point total the lowest since scoring 47 at Houston in 2024.
Up 40-22 at halftime, Arizona extended the lead to 30 via a 13-0 run. The Wildcats made seven of eight shots at one point and shot 59.4% in the second half.
Up next
Oklahoma State: At Arizona State on Tuesday night.
Sep 23, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Lou Trivino (57) throws a pitch during the eleventh inning against the Miami Marlins at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
The hits just keep on coming.
Free-agent reliever Lou Trivino in agreement with Phillies on minor-league deal with invitation to major-league spring training, source tells @TheAthletic. Ended last season with Phillies.
Instead of being satisfied with their roster, the Phillies continue to add minor league depth to the bullpen. Trivino got into a few games with the team at the end of the season, so he’s familiar with the roster. But for all those that made jokes about the team being happy with where they are at with the construction of the roster, this one’s for you.
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) — Eian Elmer scored 18 points, Peter Suder had 17 and No. 23 Miami (Ohio) kept its perfect season going with a 90-74 victory over Marshall in the MAC-Sun Belt Challenge on Saturday.
Antwone Woolfolk added 15 points and Luke Skaljac had 12 points and seven assists for the RedHawks (24-0), who extended the longest winning streak in Mid-American Conference history. Miami and Arizona are the only remaining unbeaten teams in Division I.
Three of Miami’s previous five games were one-possession wins, including a 73-71 win at Buffalo on Tuesday night. But the RedHawks had little trouble in this one.
The nation’s top scoring team, Miami was held just under its 92.8-point average for the fourth straight game but came out hot Saturday against the Thundering Herd. The RedHawks shot 56% from the floor in the first half, including a dozen layups, and built a 49-31 halftime lead.
Marshall (15-9) went 10 minutes between baskets in the first half and was limited to 40% shooting for the game, its first at home against a ranked opponent in 11 years. Marshall’s Erich Harding was called three times for first-half lane violations while he attempted free throws.
Marshall trimmed a 24-point deficit to 65-56 with nine minutes left but got no closer.
Noah Otshudi led the Thundering Herd with 23 points. Wyatt Fricks had 16 points and 10 rebounds.
1. The Maven is accepting one-worders that best describes the Rangers mess. `Let’s start with “disaster.” (Got better? Lemme know.)
2. Most fans see through “Blueshirts Alibi Letter,” 2025-26 season. Others cannot figure out James Dolan approved what amounts to the Rangers surrendering the current season.
3. Third Most Heard Fan Comment after yet another MSG loss: “It looked like the Rangers didn’t even care.”
4. Fourth Most: “They’re as listless as ever.”
5. First Most: “I want a refund.”
6. If these Rangers were a Broadway show, it would close after one night.
7. The Maven’s premier mind-reader – author George Grimm – believes that something was in the Rangers’ players’ heads after the Panarin deal. Something like, “Is that all they could get for him?”
PEORIA, ARIZONA – FEBRUARY 26: An aerial view of the Peoria Sports Complex on February 26, 2021 in Peoria, Arizona. The Peoria Sports Complex is the MLB spring training home for the San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Peoria Sports Complex in Peoria, Ariz. will be very busy beginning Feb. 10 as the San Diego Padres begin their 2026 season with pitchers and catchers reporting for physicals before their first workouts on Feb. 11.
The next day, Feb. 12, is the report date for all Padres players who will be participating in the World Baseball Classic. With the addition of three more relievers this past week, the group now totals eight players/pitchers who will be leaving the team early and reporting to their respective WBC teams. Those Padres are:
Manny Machado – Dominican Republic team
Fernando Tatis Jr. – Dominican Republic team
Xander Bogaerts – Netherlands team
Yuki Matsui – Japanese team
Mason Miller – USA team
Wandy Peralta – Dominican Republic team
Ron Marinaccio – Italian team
Alek Jacob – Italian team
There will also be three minor league participants, as well as special assistant Mark Loretta who was named as the third base coach for the Israel team.
RHP Carlton Loewen – Canadian team
LHP Miguel Cienfuegos – Panama team
RHP Josh Mallitz – Israel team
The rest of the team is due to report for their first workout on Feb. 15. Jake Cronenworth stated at Padres FanFest on Jan. 31 that he had heard from many teammates who intended to report early to have more time together due to the WBC.
WBC/MLB exhibitions scheduled
There will be exhibition games played between MLB and WBC teams on March 3 and 4 before the WBC officially begins. The Padres will play Team Great Britain on March 4 at 12:10 p.m. PST in Peoria. There will be 28 games played over the two days at various locations.
The first official WBC games start in the Tokyo Dome on March 4 and 5 with other locations beginning March 6. Team USA plays its first game in Houston, Texas versus Brazil on March 6.
Media access on Feb. 10
Media availability for manager Craig Stammen will be Feb. 10 at 8 a.m. PST with coaches Steven Souza (hitting) and Randy Knorr (bench coach) following Stammen. The clubhouse will be open for media on Wednesday.
Spring Breakout games return
MLB will once again hold Spring Breakout games during Spring Training for teams to showcase their top prospects. Those games will take place March 19-22 with a 16-game schedule. The Padres prospects plays the Chicago Cubs prospects on Saturday, March 21 at 6 p.m. PST. Those rosters will be announced after minor league players arrive in camp.
Spring Training schedule
The Padres play their first Spring Training game on March 20 at 12:10 p.m. PST versus the Seattle Mariners in the yearly charity game played at Peoria Sports Complex. They will then play 30 games (split squad included) and finish on March 23. There are no exhibition games this year after they leave Peoria and return to San Diego. The home opener is March 26 versus the Detroit Tigers at Petco Park.
There are currently 38 players on the 40-man roster with the reported signing of Miguel Andujar not yet official. When that player is added to the roster, the Padres will have one spot available and then will have to make a roster move to add any other players.
Non-roster invites
The organization recently announced 28 players invited to Spring Training who are not on the roster. Those players (NRI’s) include 13 players who were recently added to the organization. There are 13 pitchers, four catchers, seven infielders and four outfielders in the group. It includes the Padres No. 1 prospect Ethan Salas who missed most of the 2025 season due to a stress fracture in his lower back. Following is the full list of NRI:
RHRP Francis Pena and RHSP Triston McKenzie as well as LHSP Marco Gonzales have the best chances to make big impressions from the group of pitchers. There are others who could be taking a step forward but those three have gotten the most mentions.
Catchers Ethan Salas and Blake Hunt should be followed closely. Hunt is presumably in competition for the backup catching job and was originally drafted by the Padres in 2017. He is a defense-first catcher who was most recently in the Seattle Mariners organization, playing in 25 games for the Mariners.
This will be a pivotal year for Salas, he needs to re-establish himself as a highly regarded prospect after struggling in 2024 and missing most of last season.
The Padres signed infielder Jose Miranda to a minor league deal. Entering his year-28 season, Miranda played in 12 games for Minnesota last season with a .417 OPS. He had a .569 OPS in Triple-A in the Twins organization. He is a candidate for a bounce-back year.
The Padres’ most advanced first base prospect, Romeo Sanabria, gets his first Spring Training invite at 24 years old. He needs to take a step forward this season to be considered an MLB player.
Infielder Marcos Castañon appeared to make advances last season and might stand out this spring.
Outfielders Carlos Rodriguez and Nick Schnell could be auditioning as depth pieces for the Padres. Schnell is 26 and Rodriguez is 25, both are left-handed hitters.
New roster additions
Padres fans should also keep an eye on the two new additions to the 40-man roster from the minor league prospect list. Both righty reliever Garrett Hawkins and right-handed starter Miguel Mendez are likely to show well in Spring Training but probably need a little more seasoning in the minor leagues to begin the season.
Mendez would benefit from added bulk to improve stamina and durability. He took a major step forward with command last year.
Hawkins was a standout with his dominant performance last year but was newly returned to baseball after Tommy John surgery. He has the potential to be a dominant late-inning reliever if he continues progressing on his current path.
I am still waiting for a couple more additions to the team from general manager A.J. Preller. The next few weeks should be an exciting time for Padres fans as we near the 2026 season and enjoy the WBC and spring games as we wait.
Two days after Pat Spencer splashed a career-high six 3-pointers and scored a personal-best 20 points in a 101-97 comeback win on the road against the the Phoenix Suns, the Golden State Warriors converted the 29-year-old, two-way guard to a standard NBA contract for the second straight season.
Golden State had two roster spots open after dealing Jonathan Kuminga, Buddy Hield and Trayce Jackson-Davis, and receiving Kristaps Porziņģis before the trade deadline.
While the Warriors converted Spencer to a standard contract last season as well, that was in March in the lead-up to the playoffs. This time, he’s a legitimate backup point guard and scoring option off the bench, and his contributions are finally making more headlines than his unconventional route to the league.
Great all-around game for Pat Spencer last night. Knocked down six threes, grabbed six boards, and made good connective reads all night long. He’s a guy who understands that knowing where to be defensively is half the battle pic.twitter.com/mRAjlIL6QE
Spencer is posting 5.8 points, 2.9 assists and 2.2 rebounds in 14.4 minutes per game across 36 outings this season. In his five starts, he’s averaged 14.6 points, 5.4 assists, 5 rebounds and 1.4 steals while shooting 54.2% from deep.
He’s been much more willing to pull from long range, and, at times, he’s taken over games. Perhaps most notably, during a Dec. 4 thriller against the Philadelphia 76ers, he announced himself as “that motherf***er” and then two days later started and scored 19 points in a road win over the Cleveland Cavaliers that had head coach Steve Kerr agreeing with the declaration.
Famously, Spencer established himself as a college lacrosse great at Loyola (Maryland), where he won the Tewaaraton, the sport’s most prestigious award, before using the last bit of his eligibility to play basketball at Northwestern. He went undrafted in 2020 and then played overseas and in the G League prior to making his NBA debut with the Warriors in 2024.
Since, he’s persistently carved out a small role for himself within the organization. It’s never been bigger than it has been this season, though.
Now he has the contract to show for it, and the injury-riddled Warriors need his help.
