SURPRISE, ARIZONA – MARCH 11: Starting pitcher Tyler Mahle #54 of the San Francisco Giants pitches against the Kansas City Royals during the first inning of the spring training game at Surprise Stadium on March 11, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A day after flirting with perfection, the Giants were perfectly inept at capitalizing on scoring opportunities.
In their 3-1 loss against the San Diego Padres, San Francisco bats went hitless in a baker’s dozen worth of at-bats, including three duds in the 9th inning after Osleivis Basabe’s lead-off triple. Tyler Fitzgerald’s sacrifice fly in the 7th accounted for the Giants’ solitary run, so “perfectly inept” isn’t exactly right — just near-perfect once again.
While it was a team effort in this regard, Luis Matos, a sub for Jung Hoo Lee in right in the 7th inning, particularly struggled. His two at-bats of the day each came with a runner in scoring position. With a man on first and second and one-out, he chased after an inside cutter and popped it up to short. In the 9th, he was called out on strikes on the sixth pitch of the at-bat: a four-seam fastball in the corner pocket that froze him completely. He had fouled off three previous pitches out of the zone to put him in the two-strike hole.
The spring slump continues for Matos and based on some of the swing decisions today, his eagerness to swing his way out of it is doing more harm than good.
All three of San Diego’s runs came against reliever Spencer Bivens in the 6th inning. Chalk this unseemly frame up to a 50/50 mix of tough-luck and self-inflicted trouble. The Padres peppered three singles off Bivens, two of them grounders finding holes, and two of them probably corralled by second baseman Casey Schmitt on a better day. What made those tough breaks hurt was the traffic supplied by Bivens by way of a walk, a hit batter, and a wild pitch. It also didn’t help that he didn’t properly back-up the catcher on Christian Koss’s overthrow home on Miguel Andujar’s sacrifice fly. The error was attributed to center fielder Koss, but if Bivens was positioned better, the runner on first would’ve been prevented from advancing into scoring position on the play.
But it wasn’t all bad!
Tyler Mahle went toe-to-toe with Padres starter Walker Buehler and Tyler Mahle through the early innings. Buehler scattered 3 hits and 2 walks over 5 innings pitched while bailing himself out of trouble by way of 7 strikeouts. Mahle had started the day with an unblemished ERA but struggled with command, having walked 7 batters against 6 strikeouts over his previous 6 innings of work. Over four innings against San Diego, Mahle doubled his K-total while allowing just one baserunner and preserving his scoreless Spring.
While the typical 1-2 punch of his four-seam and splitter were present today (accounting for 4 of his 6 strikeouts), Mahle evened out his mix on the day to focus on his slider.
Historically the offering has probably been his worst pitch. It’s an underwhelming specimen in regards to movement. The pitch is a little sluggish for a slider, nor does its glove-side run distinguish itself from his cutter, and only by virtue of being a couple of beats slower on the radar gun does the offering get more of vertical lilt.
Mahle tossed 13 of these sliders, about a quarter of his overall pitches, and most were offered to right-handed batters. Two of his six K’s came on the pitch. He threw four consecutive sliders in the 1st inning, and all of them were elevated in the upper-third of the zone or higher. While this feels like a location mistake for this pitch-type, because Mahle is such a north-south thrower, he seems to be able to get away with spotting his breaking ball at the belt. Xander Bogaerts, who spun around one on the 8th pitch of his at-bat in the 1st, was clearly timed-up for the fastball and thought he got one reading the ball out of Mahle’s hands. In their next match-up, Mahle served up a 2-1 slider (his last of the afternoon) to a similar spot that Bogaerts somewhat mis-hit, directing the pitch into the ground but striking it hard enough to coax a fielding error from shortstop Tyler Fitzgerald.
That belt-high slider should’ve been a souvenir for a fan sitting on the hill beyond left field. Instead a bad pitch in a bad location got drilled into the ground. A veteran hitter like Bogaerts still couldn’t square it up because Mahle mixed it in so well. He knows his stuff and knows how to squeeze the most out of each offering — this is the benefit of signing veteran arms. You can bet when those two meet in the regular season, that slider is going to be top of Bogaert’s mind. Mahle, in the middle of March, was pitching for outs in June.
PEORIA, ARIZONA – FEBRUARY 22: James Tibbs III #98 of the Los Angeles Dodgers gets ready in the batters box against the San Diego Padres during a spring training game at Peoria Stadium on February 22, 2026 in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Outfielder Michael Siani and reliever Paul Gervase are on the 40-man roster, so they were optioned to the minors.
Non-roster invitees Zach Ehrhard, James Tibbs III, Noah Miller, Zyhir Hope, Cole Irvin, and Ryder Ryan were reassigned to minor league camp.
Hope is the consensus top-100 prospect who remained the longest in camp, and through Monday leads the Dodgers with 22 games played this spring, though he hit just .179/.238/.231 with two doubles in 42 plate appearances.
Ehrhard and Tibbs, both acquired from the Boston Red Sox for Dustin May last July, each impressed this spring, and among Dodgers outfield prospects are older and closer to the majors than the rest, likely ticketed for Triple-A this season. Ehrhard hit .327/.389/.551 with five doubles and three triples in 20 games, while Tibbs hit .326/.392/.651 with three home runs, three doubles, and a triple in his 20 games.
With Irvin and Ryder Ryan sent down, the only two non-roster pitchers remaining in big league camp are right-hander Chris Campos and left-hander Antoine Kelly.
With these moves, the Dodgers have 43 players remaining in big league camp, including 23 pitchers and 20 position players.
Mar 9, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Milwaukee Brewers left fielder Brandon Lockridge (20) hits against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the second inning at American Family Fields of Phoenix. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images | Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
Yesterday, the Brewers’ offense was almost held completely in check. Today, they let out all of the offense that they’ve been holding back. Three big innings by the Brewers’ offense made up all of the offense in this one, as the Brewers defeated the Dodgers 24-9.
The game started with the Dodgers’ offense in high gear. Chad Patrick escaped the first inning with just a single allowed. He faltered a bit in the second, giving up two singles and a walk as the Dodgers scored a run. In the third, he struggled a lot. After allowing back-to-back walks to start the inning, Teoscar Hernández hit a three-run home run to center field that put the Dodgers up 4-0. After another walk, the Brewers brought in Patricio Aquino from the bullpen. He allowed a fourth walk in the inning, and two batters later Eliezer Alfonzo doubled to bring them both in. It was a five-run inning for the Dodgers, who were up 6-0. Patrick came back in for the fourth inning and allowed a solo home run to Max Muncy. That was it for Patrick, who finished his day with 3 1/3 innings pitched, six runs, five hits, and four walks. He also struck out two.
As for the Brewers offense, Tyler Glasnow kept them in check for the first four innings. All he allowed in those innings was a Luis Rengifo single to lead off the game. In the fifth inning, they finally broke through. Joey Ortiz led the inning off with a walk, and Brandon Lockridge singled behind him to put runners at the corners. The first run came from Jett Williams, who singled and put the Brewers on the board.
Jett Williams is producing insane numbers this spring 🤯
That was just the start of the inning. Williams stole second with Brock Wilken at the plate, but Wilken struck out. Glasnow’s day ended there and Jerming Rosario entered the game. He would not record an out. Luis Lara singled to bring in Lockridge and Williams, and Lara reached second on a fielding error. Rengifo followed that up with another single to put runners at the corners, then Andrew Vaughn was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Two more singles, this time from Tyler Black and Gary Sánchez, closed the gap to 7-6.
The Dodgers brought in Blake Treinen with two runners on base and one out. He promptly hit Ortiz with a pitch to load the bases once again. Lockridge then put the Brewers up with a grand slam, a 103.1 mph shot out to center field that gave them a 10-7 lead.
Meanwhile, the Brewers’ bullpen entered the game and mostly shut down the Dodgers for the next two innings. Trevor Megill struck out all three batters he faced in a scoreless fifth inning. Tyler Koenig allowed a leadoff single, then struck out three more Dodgers in a scoreless sixth.
In the seventh, the Brewers’ offense surged once again. Singles by Ortiz and Lockridge led off the inning, and a Williams walk loaded the bases. Pinch-runners Brady Ebel and Ethan Murray replaced Ortiz and Williams as Cooper Pratt came to the plate. Pratt hit an easy ground ball to second, but shortstop Noah Miller missed the throw and everyone was safe. That scored Ebel and increased the Brewers’ lead to 11-7. Lara added on another run with an RBI single. Back-to-back walks by Luke Adams and Mike Boeve increased the lead to 14-7.
Black hit a sacrifice fly out to left field for what should have been an easy out, but Zyhir Hope missed it and the bases cleared, with Black making it all the way to third base. He would score on a Ramón Rodríguez groundout, the Brewers’ first out of the seventh inning after they had scored eight runs. They would add on a ninth run in the next at-bat as Ebel hit a solo home run.
First-round pick Brady Ebel, son of Dodgers 3B coach Dino Ebel, just homered against his dad’s team ❕ pic.twitter.com/trVAIKcZhF
The bullpen did give the Dodgers a couple runs back in the next two innings. Grant Anderson walked the first two batters he saw, and a fly out and sacrifice fly brought in a run for the Dodgers. Anderson finished the inning with no other damage, but also did not record a strikeout. Jack Seppings came in for the eighth inning but struggled. He walked two batters with a strikeout in-between, then allowed an RBI single to Hope that made it a 19-9 game. Will Childers finished the eighth with two strikeouts.
The Brewers’ offense came back for one more encore in the ninth inning, with Lucas Wepf pitching for the Dodgers. All five Brewers that faced him reached base. Ebel led off with a walk, and back-to-back singles by Josiah Ragsdale and Murray loaded the bases. Pratt walked to bring in the Brewers’ 20th run of the game. Braylon Payne also walked to make it a 21-9 game. The Dodgers switched to Robby Porco, who walked Luke Adams — the third straight walk from the Brewers and fourth in the inning. It took Porco eight pitches before he finally threw a strike. On the ninth pitch, Boeve singled to bring in another run. The Dodgers finally recorded two outs when Eddys Leonard hit into a double play, but that scored Payne. After Rodríguez was hit by a pitch, Ebel struck out swinging to end the inning. It was a five-run inning for the Brewers, and the score after that was 24-9.
Joe Corbett took the ninth for the Brewers, and a calm 1-2-3 inning finally brought the game to an end. It was a three hour, 54 minute spring training game with a combined 33 runs, 24 hits, 22 walks, three errors, and two hit batters.
The Brewers’ offense had 24 of those runs, 16 hits, and 12 walks. They were also well-distributed throughout the lineup. Lockridge led the offense with a 3-for-5 day with four RBI and three runs scored. Rengifo, Williams, and Lara each had two hits. Adams didn’t record a hit but walked in all three of his plate appearances. Tyler Black had only one hit but his sacrifice fly brought in three runs. Lara also had three RBI, and Pratt added two of his own.
After that barrage of offense, the Brewers get a day to rest before returning to action with a split-squad day on Wednesday. One squad to travel to face the Mariners, while the other will remain home and host the Angels. The road game against the Mariners will be on Brewers.TV, and the home game will be available on the Brewers Radio Network. First pitch in both games is set for 3:10 p.m.
Mar 4, 2026; Glendale, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tyler Glasnow against Team Mexico during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The Dodgers opened up their final week of Cactus League play with a lopsided defeat against the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday, relinquishing a seven-run lead and falling 24-9.
Tyler Glasnow was given an extended leash as he worked his way into the fifth inning. He tossed 79 pitches (46 strikes) while striking out six and walking just one hitter, but was charged with three earned runs as the bullpen failed to preserve the Dodgers’ lead prior to the start of the inning. Jerming Rosario and Blake Treinen couldn’t stop the bleeding as the Brewers rallied for a 10-spot, highlighted by a grand slam from Brandon Lockridge.
The Brewers rallied again in the top of the seventh inning for an additional nine runs, extending the lead to 12 and giving Milwaukee 19 unanswered runs. Dino Ebel was not in attendance to see his son, Brady, cap off the scoring with an opposite field home run. The Dodgers managed to respond with a sacrifice fly from Chris Newell in the seventh inning and an RBI single from Zyhir Hope in the eighth inning, but still trailed by double-digits. Milwaukee eventually returned the favor in the ninth inning with an additional five runs.
Teoscar Hernández has been on a recent power surge over the past week, and it continued on Monday as he launched a three-run home run of Patrick for his third home run of the spring to give the Dodgers a 4-0 lead. Hernández is now hitting .459 (17-36) across 14 games, with his 15 RBI and 1.298 OPS both ranking best on the team among regular starters.
Hyeseong Kim has played well in the two games since returning from the World Baseball Classic, going 2-6 with a pair of stolen bases and three runs scored. Kim is now hitting .421 in 19 at-bats this spring and he appears to be the heavy favorite to win the starting second base job for the start of the regular season.
Zach Ehrhard continues to flourish this spring, as he drove in the first run of the game and is now hitting .327 with a .940 OPS across 20 games.
Monday’s contest marked the largest margin of defeat for the Dodgers this spring, but they still maintain a positive run differential of 21. Their 166 runs scored are the most among both Cactus League and Grapefruit League teams.
UP NEXT
The Dodgers are on the road as they take on the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night at Surprise Stadium (6:05 p.m. PT, SportsNet LA). Roki Sasaki makes his third start of the spring, facing left-hander Bailey Falter.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – JANUARY 16: Jarrett Allen #31 high fives Craig Porter Jr. #9 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during a game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Xfinity Mobile Arena on January 16, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers haven’t looked like the same team in the last five games without Jarrett Allen. Unfortunately for the Cavs, they will have at least a few more games without their starting center.
The team released a statement on Monday evening that Allen would be out for all three games during the Cavs’ upcoming road trip with right knee tendinitis. That would have him missing Tuesday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks, Thursday’s game against the Chicago Bulls, and Saturday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans. The earliest Allen could return would be for next Tuesday’s home matchup against the Orlando Magic.
The Cavs have struggled without Allen in the five games he’s been out. They’ve dropped three of those contests, while giving up 128 and 130 points to bad offenses like Orlando and the Dallas Mavericks. Additionally, James Harden hasn’t been able to replicate the pick-and-roll success that he’s had with Allen with Evan Mobley. Even though the offense hasn’t been the issue, they also haven’t looked great.
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Allen first injured his knee in the second half of Cleveland’s March 3 win over the Detroit Pistons. When asked about Allen’s injury on Sunday, head coach Kenny Atkinson reiterated that he doesn’t “anticipate this to be long-term” and that they’re trying to be cautious with the injury with the playoffs around the corner.
Allen was playing the best basketball of his career in the month before the injury. In February, he averaged 22.3 points and 11.5 rebounds per game.
The Cavs have also been without Craig Porter Jr. and Tyrese Proctor in recent games.
Porter had an MRI that confirmed a left groin strain. He was initially injured in Friday’s victory over the Mavs. He’s expected to be sidelined for one to three weeks.
Proctor has been unavailable for the last few games with a right quad strain. Like Allen, he will also be out for the upcoming road trip. The team didn’t give a timetable for his return.
This Cavs’ season has been defined by injuries and trying to work new and returning players back into the lineup. Right now, the only hope is that the team will be healthy when postseason play begins next month.
Mason Miller closed out Team USA’s semifinal win over the Dominican Republic on Sunday, striking out Geraldo Perdomo on a questionable called third strike. But the San Diego Padres closer threw 22 pitches in the outing. And if he pitches on Tuesday, Miller will have taken the mound three times in five days.
However, if Miller can pitch, manager Mark DeRosa may need him because the U.S. bullpen could also be without reliever David Bednar due to pitch count considerations, according to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman. Bednar threw 18 pitches in Sunday’s win.
Miller and Bednar’s usage have not exceeded the rules set in place for World Baseball Classic pitch counts. Bednar has thrown 79 total pitches in four appearances, while Miller has thrown 40 in the past five days. However, both relievers will have had one day of rest. So their availability comes down to personal preference and the wishes of the Padres and the New York Yankees.
Padres manager Craig Stammen told reporters on Monday that he’s spoken with Miller about his usage during the WBC and his availability for Tuesday’s final will depend on how he feels before the game. Miller says he wants to pitch, “but I’ve got to be smart about it, too,” via The Athletic.
Another consideration with Miller is that his pitches are more strenuous. He’s thrown 35 pitches clocked at over 100 mph while notching 10 strikeouts in his four innings.
Stammen doesn’t like the idea of preventing DeRosa from using one of his best pitchers, but each of the MLB teams that has players in the WBC has to consider what’s best for their pitchers while preparing for the long regular season.
“They’re managing that team right now, but they’re not the manager of the player overall in Major League Baseball,” Stammen told reporters.
“Definitely a tough position for him and Andy [Pettitte] managing the pitching staff,” he added. “They’ve been very communicative with us and understanding of our situation with Mason and, I’m sure, with the rest of the pitchers.”
Garrett Whitlock, who threw 16 pitches in Sunday’s win, is apparently available for Sunday’s win. Team USA also added relievers Tyler Rogers, Jeff Hoffman (who replaced Clayton Kershaw on the roster) and Will Vest (taking Tarik Skubal’s place) before the WBC semifinals.
Nolan McLean will get the start for the U.S. on Tuesday.
MADRID (AP) — Pathé Ciss’ controversial goal in stoppage time gave Rayo Vallecano a 1-1 draw and shattered visiting Levante’s hopes on Monday of a rare win that would boost its chances of avoiding relegation from La Liga.
Levante started the night second from bottom in the table and went ahead when 20-year-old Carlos Espí headed the opener — his fourth goal in three games — four minutes before halftime.
However, in the fourth minute of second half added time, Ciss stole in at the back post to control a cross and stroke the ball past goalkeeper Mathew Ryan. Although Levante claimed he handled the ball before shooting, Ciss swore there was no touch.
“It wasn’t our day but we can’t always get what we want,” the Senegal midfielder said. “We suffered with a man less and maybe this point will be crucial at the season’s end.”
The man less was Nobel Mendy, who was shown a second yellow eight minutes after halftime.
The red card forced the home side into a reshuffle and it was more dangerous with 10 men than with 11 as Ciss’ last-gasp equalizer proved.
The result extended Rayo’s unbeaten run to six league games and the point lifted it two places into 13th.
Levante remained in the cellar. Although it has seven points from a possible nine in recent weeks, it was three points behind third-from-bottom Elche and five behind Alaves.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – DECEMBER 08: Naz Reid #11 of the Minnesota Timberwolves drives to the basket against Oso Ighodaro #11 of the Phoenix Suns in the first quarter at Target Center on December 08, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Phoenix Suns Date: March 17th, 2026 Time: 7:00 PM CDT Location: Target Center Television Coverage: FanDuel Sports Network – North Radio Coverage: Wolves App, iHeart Radio
For a few beautiful, deeply misleading moments in the third quarter against Oklahoma City, the Timberwolves had all of us believing again.
They were swarming defensively. They were forcing the Thunder into ugly, uncomfortable possessions. The reigning NBA MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, had been held to just four first-half points, blanketed by Anthony Edwards on the perimeter and rejected at the rim by Rudy Gobert. Ayo Dosunmu had caught absolute fire in the second quarter, piling up 15 first-half points and drilling threes with confidence. Julius Randle, who had looked like he’d been sleepwalking through parts of the post-All-Star schedule, suddenly seemed awake again, scoring efficiently around the basket and actually looking like the bruising, playoff-useful version of himself.
And despite all the usual self-inflicted nonsense, the turnovers, the loose rebounds they failed to secure, and the extra possessions they gifted away, the Wolves had built an nine-point lead. It wasn’t pristine, but it was gritty, it was competitive, and it felt like Minnesota had a real chance to walk into Oklahoma City, punch the champs in the mouth for the third time in four meetings, and announce to the Western Conference that the rumors of their collapse had been exaggerated.
Then the floor gave way.
Suddenly the defense lost its edge. Rotations were a beat late. Closeouts weren’t quite there. Those Thunder possessions that had looked so difficult in the first half started turning into open threes and comfortable rhythm looks. The Wolves’ offense, which had been hanging together through effort and timely contributions, started to grind and seize up. Ayo cooled off. Julius lost his edge. Edwards was trapped, crowded, doubled, and no one else could consistently rise up and punish Oklahoma City for overcommitting to him. The turnovers kept coming. The offensive rebounds kept coming. The second- and third-chance points kept piling up. And with every careless possession and every missed box-out, you could feel the game slipping.
By the end of it, the Wolves hadn’t just lost. They had been reminded, again, what the difference is between a team that plays like a champion and a team that keeps insisting it can just flip a switch whenever it feels like it. Oklahoma City looked like a team that knows exactly who it is. Minnesota looked like a team still arguing with itself in the mirror.
Now, if you’re feeling generous, and at this point I’m not sure how many Wolves fans still are, you can look at the glass half full and say Minnesota was right there. If they take better care of the ball, if they rebound with more force, if they stop tossing away possessions, maybe we’re talking about a statement win. Maybe we’re talking about a team that weathered a brutal week and still came out looking dangerous. Maybe we’re talking about momentum.
Instead, we’re talking about another demoralizing loss and another example of the gap between a team with championship maturity and one that is still trying to fake it until it makes it.
And now, because the Western Conference is the basketball equivalent of a highway pileup in freezing rain, the Wolves are sitting firmly in the six seed, just a game and a half ahead of the Phoenix Suns and the Play-In. Which means the next game on the schedule, a game that a month ago might have felt like just another meaningful late-season test, is now blaring red lights and sounding sirens.
Because this one is not just important.
This is a full-on HAVE TO WIN game.
Phoenix has already beaten Minnesota twice. One of those losses was the season’s biggest collapse. Holding a sizeable late-game lead on the road in the desert, the Wolves hemorrhaged turnovers and free throws and somehow managed to bleed out in the final minute, snatching defeat from the jaws of what should have been a routine win. The Suns are sitting directly beneath them in the standings, holding the tie-breakers, with a chance to gain serious ground and shove Minnesota even closer to the trapdoor. And with Detroit looming twice, Houston twice, and games against Boston and others still ahead, this is not the time for the Wolves to make their margin for error any thinner than it already is.
This is where the season starts asking serious questions. Can they finally stop playing with their food? Can they take an inferior, injured team seriously on their home floor? Can they act like a group that wants one of those top six spots, or are they going to keep wandering through March like they’re entitled to a playoff berth because of what happened last spring?
The Keys to the Game:
#1 – Take care of the basketball.
The turnovers lately have not just been bad, they’ve been insulting. Against the Clippers and Thunder, Minnesota repeatedly sabotaged itself before the offense even had a chance to function. Against Oklahoma City, the Wolves meaningfully outshot the Thunder, and it didn’t matter because they kept ending possessions before they ever got a real look. You simply cannot beat good teams, or even beat decent teams cleanly, when you’re casually throwing away twenty possessions a game. Against Phoenix, that nonsense has to stop. No gifts. No shortcuts. No helping the opponent do its job.
#2 – Dominate the paint and the glass.
This is where the Wolves catch a real break. Mark Williams, whose last feisty battle with Gobert ended with Rudy’s flagrant two, will not be playing. That matters. A lot. Phoenix’s frontcourt is thinner now, and that means Gobert should walk into this game with the expectation that the paint belongs to him. Sunday in Oklahoma City was a pedestrian game for Rudy by his standards. Fine. Flush it. This is the bounce-back spot. He needs to inhale rebounds, protect the rim, and turn the paint into a miserable experience for anybody wearing a Suns jersey.
Randle also has to build on the good things he showed against OKC. There were real signs of life there. He found his shot. He was physical. It was in Phoenix last year that he started to really wake up late in the season and carry that into a strong postseason. This would be an awfully good time to start writing that script again.
#3 – Win the little hustle battles.
Phoenix is not overwhelming anybody with talent. They’re not steamrolling teams because they have more stars. They’re surviving and climbing because they play hard, they stay connected, and they do all the boring little things that add up to wins. They scrap for rebounds. They stay in possessions. They don’t beat themselves quite as often. That’s the exact mentality Minnesota has to mirror. No getting outworked. No giving up second-chance points. No mental nonsense at the free-throw line. Every small play in this game matters because the standings say it does.
#4 – Anthony Edwards has to look like Anthony Edwards.
Oklahoma City made life miserable for him and deserves credit for it. They loaded up, they doubled, they forced the ball out of his hands, and to Ant’s credit he largely stayed composed and used that attention to open things up for Ayo and others. But this is not the same kind of challenge. Dylan Brooks, one of the guys who tends to turn games against Ant into full-on personal vendettas, will not be there. Without him, Phoenix does not have the same kind of defensive shell. This should be an Ant game. A 40-piece kind of night where he bends the game to his will and makes a statement that Phoenix is not grabbing his team’s spot on his home floor.
That doesn’t mean hero ball. It doesn’t mean dribbling the air out of the ball and firing late-clock nonsense. It means smart aggression, rim pressure, and using his gravity to open everything else up.
#5 – Play intense, connected defense – especially on the perimeter.
The Wolves cannot let Devin Booker get loose. He cannot be allowed to stroll into the paint, find comfort, and start building one of those silky 34-point nights. He needs to be put in a straightjacket. This has to be a high-energy, high-effort, highly communicative defensive performance. The Wolves have the size advantage. They have the home crowd. They should have the desperation edge.
Phoenix, in a lot of ways, is playing with house money. They weren’t supposed to be here. To be fair, Minnesota wasn’t supposed to be here fighting to stay out of the play-in either. The difference is the Wolves put themselves here with all the avoidable nonsense, including the previous two losses to this same team.
That’s why the heat has been turned all the way up now. No more moral victories. This is one of those nights where the Wolves need to act like a team that understands what’s at stake. The talent edge is theirs. The size edge is theirs. The urgency edge had better be theirs. If they can’t get up for this game, if they can’t beat an inferior and injured Suns team that is openly trying to take their playoff spot, then at some point you have to stop doing the hopeful fan thing and come to the difficult conclusion: Maybe they don’t deserve one of those six spots after all.
But that’s the beauty and cruelty of the NBA in March. You don’t have to answer the question in theory. You answer it on the floor.
Tuesday night at Target Center, the Wolves have a chance to do exactly that.
NEW ORLEANS, LA – DECEMBER 22: Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans dribbles the ball during the game against the Dallas Mavericks on December 22, 2025 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Dallas Mavericks (23-45) head to Louisiana to face of against an old friend/foe in the New Orleans Pelicans (22-46). Dallas took the Cavaliers to the woodshed on Sunday afternoon and have had a full day to recover and get ready for tonight’s game. The Pelicans, meanwhile, just keep winning. They have no incentive to lose, seeing as they don’t own this year’s draft pick, but it’s been fascinating watching them from afar (yes I know they lose to the Rockets in maddening fashion on Friday).
Here are the main things you need to know:
WHO: Dallas Mavericks vs New Orleans Pelicans
WHAT: Heading to Louisiana for a Southwest Division game
WHERE: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, Louisiana
WHEN: 7:00 pm CST
HOW: KFAA Channel 29, MavsTV streaming, NBA League Pass
The Mavericks injury report is worth taking a gander at before tipoff. The two-way guys are all questionable, so the coaching staff is still deciding if they should play or not. Daniel Gafford is going to miss this game, as is Klay Thompson (each is doubtful as of this writing). Caleb Martin is questionable. Everyone else should be playing unless I cannot read (entirely possible).
The New Orleans side of the report is clean, with Dejounte Murray listed as questionable with an illness. deThe line is a whopping 8.5 favoring the Pelicans. That reads weird to me but Dallas is on their fourth game in five nights and New Orleans has been off for a few days. Still, that’s a massive line for one bad team to be favored over the other. We’ll see shortly I suppose!
Be sure to chime in with your predictions in the comments!
Consider joining Josh and me on Pod Maverick live after the game on YouTube, we should start LATE. Thanks so much for spending time with us here at Mavs Moneyball. Let’s go Mavs!
PHILADELPHIA, PA – MARCH 14: Ben Saraf #77 of the Brooklyn Nets shoots a free throw during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers on March 14, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Inhale. Exhale. Michael Porter Jr, Day’Ron Sharpe, Noah Clowney, Egor Demin, and Terance Mann are all out for Brooklyn. That’s great news for those getting ready for the big dance.
In the meantime, Brooklyn hoops. 15 games remain including tonight.
🏀 KEY INFO
Who: Portland Trail Blazers (32-36) at Brooklyn Nets (17-50) When: 7:30 PM ET Watch: YES Network
✍️ Game Preview
“Amazingly, this is the first meeting between the two teams this season. This is the second night of a back-to-back and game two of a six game road trip for the Blazers. Former Nets assistant coach Tiago Splitter is coaching the Blazers these days. And it feels like a lifetime ago, but Splitter got the job because the feds got Chauncey Billups in a sweep. If he can get them into the playoffs, there’s a chance he’ll be there permanently.” | Brian Fleurantin
💬 DISCUSSION
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INJURY REPORT 3/16 @ BKN:
OUT Damian Lillard (L Achilles Tendon) Caleb Love (Two-Way) Shaedon Sharpe (L Fibula Stress Reaction) Yang Hansen (G League) Chris Youngblood (Two-Way)
DOUBTFUL Vit Krejci (L Calf Contusion)
QUESTIONABLE Robert Williams III (L Knee Inj Mgmt)
