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Updated: 4 hours 54 min ago

Raptors get tough lesson on why size is so valuable for winning teams

Wed, 03/27/2024 - 22:05

The Toronto Raptors welcomed back a couple of old friends on Wednesday. 

Are they ever missed. 

This is no comment on Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett, who the Raptors received in the Dec. 30 trade that saw OG Anunoby and Precious Achiuwa (along with Malachi Flynn, since traded to Detroit) head to the New York Knicks.

Both Quickley and Barrett have played well for the Raptors. 

But any team is going to miss Anunoby, an all-NBA defender who can credibly guard four positions, space the floor offensively with his shooting and be a problem as a super-sized off-ball cutter. That he does all of that at 6-foot-7 and in the range of 230 pounds makes it all the better. Anunoby is big for his size, as they say. 

The Knicks certainly miss him: New York is 15-2 with Anunoby in the lineup and are waiting anxiously for him to recover from elbow surgery so they can get him back on the floor for the playoffs. 

The nice thing about Anunoby being out in his first game back in Toronto since the trade was that he could show how sincerely delighted he was to be by the video tribute the Raptors had for him the first quarter, an honour for the six-plus seasons he spent with Toronto after being drafted in 2017. 

But the Raptor miss Achiuwa too. At 6-foot-8 he can guard three positions, if not four, and is athletic enough to play either centre or power forward on the other end. He was locked in when the Raptors put up their tribute for him at the start of the second quarter but was all smiles and hugs as he made his rounds before the game catching up with old friends. 

He made sure the grab a plate of pasta pre-game too. “The chef they got here is fire,” he said. 

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Anyway, the thing about the Knicks, who have weathered a long stretch of injuries to key players — bruising forward Julius Randle has been out since January 29 with a shoulder injury and centre Mitchell Robinson played Wednesday night for the first time after a 50-game absence due to an ankle injury — is that they’re a huge basketball team. 

Adding Anunoby and Achiuwa only made them bigger. 

The Raptors? Well the version that took the floor against the Knicks was a tiny team, by NBA standards, but the trade for Quickley and Barrett made them smaller, just like the trade that sent 6-foot-9 Pascal Siakam to the Indiana Pacers did. 

Scanning the Raptors roster — even when fully healthy — and the list of players who have ‘good’ size runs out pretty quickly. Centre Jakob Poeltl — out indefinitely after surgery on his finger — probably classifies as average for his position, but that’s something. Scottie Barnes — out indefinitely after surgery on his hand — is a big wing who plays even bigger in every sense.

But after that? Barrett and Quickley (reconditioning after personal leaves) aren’t really physical players, and while Chris Boucher (knee injury) throws what weight he has around with fearless abandon, he still working with just 200 pounds stretched over his 6-foot-9 frame. The Raptors injury issues got worse when Ochai Agbaji — who can at least play above the rim at 6-foot-5 — left the game in the first quarter after a scary fall on an alley-oop attempt. 

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In contrast, the Knicks seem to be giant everywhere. Robinson was their starting centre at 7-foot and 280 pounds before he got hurt. His minutes were taken up by Isaiah Hartenstein who goes 7-1, 270. When he was injured the Knicks still had Achiuwa — who started 17 consecutive games and at one point played more than 40 minutes in six straight starts. And even then the Knicks could look to 6-foot-10 Jericho Sims if necessary. 

Even their players who don’t measure as big play well beyond their size. Jalen Brunson leverages his 6-foot-2, 200 pounds so cleverly even Kyle Lowry would be proud. Josh Hart is just 6-foot-5, but he’s powerfully built, athletic and one of the best rebounders of his size in the NBA. 

“I like a big team,” says Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau. 

The benefits are apparent. The Knicks lead the NBA in offensive rebounding, as just one example. 

They certainly had their way against the undermanned Raptors Wednesday as New York had 15 offensive rebounds to 11 for Toronto, though it was 10-3 in the first half as the Knicks led by 21 after two quarters on their way to a 145-101 blowout win. It was the largest home loss in team history — breaking the mark the Raptors set earlier this month — and was the Raptors 12th-straight loss and 13th in their last 14 games as they fell to 23-50 on the season, giving them their first 50-loss season since 2011-12. The losing streak is the third longest in franchise history and longest since they lost 13 straight in the 2010-11 season. The team record is 17 which was recorded in the 1997-98. 

Fun times. 

Meanwhile the Knicks improved to 44-28 winning. their third straight and seventh time in eight starts. The fourth-place Knicks work to solidify homecourt advantage and keep an eye on chasing down third-place Cleveland or second-place Milwaukee in the East. 

And the Knicks overall team size is one of their advantages. The Raptors aren’t exactly playing great basketball right now — 37-year-old Garrett Temple had 15 points off the bench and led the team in hustle plays, and rookie Gradey Dick had a career-high 23 points while Kelly Olynyk had 13 points, seven rebounds and eight assists while trying to avoid getting overwhelmed at centre. 

But it’s exacerbated by giving up physical advantages at almost every position. 

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“It was a little bit of effort,” said head coach Darko Rajakovic of the problems with his team’s performance. “But like when somebody’s like twice your size, there is not much that you can do especially like rebounding [when] Mitchell Robinson checked in on the court, he looked like a giant out there. But this is the moment that we’re in and we’ve got to find a way.”

But being big means more than just having an edge on the offensive glass — although it was hard to overlook moments Wednesday when 6-foot-5 Temple had to battle for position with Robinson or the way Achiuwa was able to bounce his way to 19 points, 12 rebounds and two blocked shots off the bench for the Knicks. 

Being big is almost a state of mind. The Knicks play with a certain confidence and toughness, knowing that every position they likely have some kind of edge on their opponent. 

“We have a lot of bigs, it’s very different [than Toronto], I’d say that.” said Achiuwa. “A lot of times it’s just nice to have another big guy out there.” 

Or lots of them. Or being big at multiple positions. 

The Raptors rebuilding process is just starting. How long it lasts will depend on all kinds of variables: can Dick become a steady rotation player in his second season? If they keep their draft pick in June can they get lucky and hit on a quality player who can be part of an NBA rotation sooner rather than later. Is there a trade or free agent signing that can provide unexpected dividends? 

But it’s worth keeping in mind as the off-season approaches and the Raptors future comes into sharp focus that most of the best teams in the NBA are big across the board, the Knicks foremost among them. 

The Raptors have gotten smaller all season.

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Vasilevskiy stops 23 as surging Lightning beat Bruins

Wed, 03/27/2024 - 20:53

TAMPA, Fla. — Brayden Point scored his 42nd goal of the season to break a second-period tie, Andrei Vasilevskiy made 23 saves, and the surging Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Atlantic Division-leading Boston Bruins 3-1 on Wednesday night.

Tampa Bay also got goals from Mitchell Chaffee and Nikita Kucherov as the Lightning improved to 7-0-1 over their last eight games. The Lightning moved within two points of third-place Toronto in the Atlantic Division.

Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman and Point both returned after missing one game with lower-body injuries. Hedman had an assist to become the fourth active defenseman to have three 70-point seasons.

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Linus Ullmark stopped 28 shots, and Danton Heinen scored for the Bruins. Boston was coming off a 4-3 win Tuesday night at Florida in a matchup for the division lead.

“I didn’t think either team was really on top of their game, to be honest,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said. “I think they were traveling back from the West Coast. so I don’t think they were as sharp as they’ve been. The intensity and the emotion in the game was not the same as it was for us last night.”

Point put the Lightning up 2-1 on a wraparound 6:50 into the second period. The center has 10 goals over his last seven games.

“Getting the lead for us was big tonight,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “I thought it was big for us to take advantage of a team that, you know, emptied the tank the night before and I thought we did.”

Kucherov took over the NHL points lead with 124 on an empty-net goal with 27 seconds left. The right wing has a career-high 42 goals.

“They forechecked better than we did, which I think led to more o-zone time for them,” Montgomery said. “I mean, their second goal was a real nice breakout from them but it was a poor forecheck by us.”

Vasilevskiy won his 290th game to tie Ed Giacomin for 46th place on the career list. The goalie, who missed the first 20 games this season after having surgery to address a lumbar disc herniation, said physically he feels “not good, not bad.”

“Trying to take care of myself and I will work on myself,” Vasilevskiy said. “Again, it’s a different season for me, like surgery-wise and all that stuff.”

Tampa Bay appeared to go up 3-1 on what would have given Steven Stamkos his ninth 30-goal season at 5:44 of the third, but a video review found the play was offside.

UP NEXT

Bruins: Play the fourth of a six-game trip Saturday night at Washington.

Lightning: Host the New York Islanders on Saturday night.

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Ottawa Senators head coach Jacques Martin said that defenceman Thomas Chabot will be evaluated after he exited the game in the third period against the Buffalo Sabres.

Chabot played just two shifts in the third period. It’s not clear when he may have sustained an injury, but did backcheck against Sabres’ Victor Olofsson on his last shift. Prior to leaving, he was shown to be talking to a Senators trainer.

Chabot has suffered various injuries this season, sidelined for all of November with a hand injury and earlier this month with a lower-body injury. The 27-year-old has played just 43 of the Senators’ 71 games this season.

Another cause for concern — fellow defenceman Jake Sanderson blocked a shot with less than four minutes remaining in the game and did not return, though Martin did not provide an update on his status.

The Senators currently sit seventh in the Atlantic Division and 15 points out of a playoff spot.

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Wed, 03/27/2024 - 20:27

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Rookie Brandon Miller made seven 3-pointers and finished with 31 points, and Charlotte beat Cleveland 118-111 on Wednesday night to avenge a 23-point loss earlier in the week.

Miles Bridges and Tre Mann added 17 points and Grant Williams had 16 for the Hornets, who shot 58% from the field to snap a five-game losing streak. Vasa Micic had 11 points and 12 assists, and Nick Richards added 11 points and 10 rebounds.

But it was Miller who provided the boost — and the knockout blow with a 3 with 25 seconds left — for the Hornets.

Jarrett Allen scored 24 points and Sam Merrill added 17 for the Cavs, who have lost four of their last five games. Allen became the first Cleveland player in four games to top 20 points.

WARRIORS 101, MAGIC 93

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ORLANDO, Fla. — Andrew Wiggins scored 23 points, Stephen Curry made the final two baskets of the game on an off-shooting night and Golden State overcame Draymond Green’s early ejection to beat Orlando.

Green, who missed 16 games after being suspended by the NBA in December, was ejected 3:36 in for disputing a foul call on Wiggins. It was Green’s fourth ejection of the season.

Curry made a driving hook shot with 1:09 to go to make it 98-93 and added a 3-pointer with 34 seconds left for the final points. He had 17 points — going 6 of 18 from the field — and 10 assists.

Cole Anthony led Orlando with 26 points and eight rebounds. Paolo Banchero had 15 points and eight rebounds. Anthony’s turnaround jumper brought the Magic within a point with 2:41 left.

The Warriors, holding the 10th spot in the Western Conference, won for the 20th time in 35 road games. They are 18-19 at home.

NETS 122, WIZARDS 119, OT

WASHINGTON — Cam Thomas scored 38 points, including a pair of jumpers in overtime, and Brooklyn held off Washington, snapping the Wizards’ modest three-game winning streak.

Jordan Poole scored a season-high 38 points for Washington, but he missed a 3-pointer that could have tied the game late in overtime. Dorian Finney-Smith had a chance to ice the game for Brooklyn with 4.3 seconds left, but he missed two free throws. The Wizards, however, were out of timeouts, and after securing the rebound, Washington’s Deni Avdija lost control of the ball when he tried to dribble quickly upcourt.

The game began moments after Wizards owner Ted Leonsis spoke at a news conference touting the new agreement keeping his NBA team and the NHL’s Capitals in the District of Columbia. A plan to move them to Virginia had fallen apart.

HAWKS 120, TRAIL BLAZERS 106

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ATLANTA — Dejounte Murray had 30 points and seven assists and Atlanta won their third in a row and handed Portland its eighth straight loss.

The Hawks won their third straight game and maintained a hold on 10th place in the Eastern Conference. The Trail Blazers lost their eighth in a row.

Garrison Mathews scored a season-high 21 points off the bench for the Hawks, hitting five three-pointers. It was part of a 41-point effort from the Hawks bench.

Bogdon Bogdonovich had 16 points and five assists and Clint Capela had 16 points and 10 rebounds as the Hawks avenged a 106-102 loss in Portland on March 13.

KNICKS 145, RAPTORS 101

TORONTO — Miles McBride scored 29 points, Jalen Brunson had 26 and New York never trailed in a win over slumping Toronto,, New York’s biggest margin of victory this season.

Precious Achiuwa had 19 points and 13 rebounds against his former team as the Knicks won for the seventh time in eight games, set a season-high for points and swept the four-game season series with Toronto.

Knicks center Mitchell Robinson played for the first time since a left ankle injury in December that sidelined him for 50 games. The 7-footer had not played since he was injured in a Dec. 8 loss at Boston, later undergoing surgery.

Robinson came off the bench and scored eight points in 12 minutes.

Gradey Dick scored a career-high 23 points for Toronto and Gary Trent Jr. had 18 but the short-handed Raptors lost their 12th in a row and fell to 1-13 against Atlantic Division opponents.

Shane Pinto has a goal, three assists as the Senators roll over the Sabres

Wed, 03/27/2024 - 20:00

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Shane Pinto had a goal and three assists, and the Ottawa Senators enjoyed a five-goal first-period surge in cruising to a 6-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night.

Artem Zub opened the scoring 2:37 in an outing the Senators led 4-0 by the 8:49 mark of the opening period, and Pinto closed the scoring with an empty-net goal. Brady Tkachuk, Boris Katchouk, Jakob Chychrun and Drake Batherson each had a goal and assist in a matchup of two Atlantic Division teams all but mathematically out of playoff contention.

Joonas Korpisalo had 34 saves to improve to 5-1 in his past six starts.

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“I thought we came out strong,” Pinto said, breaking into an uncontrollable laugh. “When you start like that, it’s just awesome. I think it was fun out there. We had a fun first period.”

It’s not often the Senators could discuss having fun in a season they’ve played well below expectations, and face the likelihood of missing the playoffs for a seventh straight year.

The outcome was another setback for the Sabres, who continue tumbling out of playoff contention and are in jeopardy of extending their NHL-record postseason drought to a 13th year.

“I was pretty shocked. I thought our season’s on the line,” defenseman Connor Clifton said. “They came in and they gave it to us and we had no answer.”

Clifton and JJ Peterka scored second-period goals for Buffalo. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen was yanked after allowing four goals on nine shots. Devon Levi mopped up in allowing one goal on 32 shots.

The Sabres’ flat start was indicative of a team still attempting to get acclimated to playing at home after spending much of the past week on a western road swing that closed with a 4-1 win at Calgary on Sunday. Buffalo lost three of five on the trip and sits eight points out of the Eastern Conference playoff race.

The Senators fourth line provided the early spark by scoring the first two goals.

Zub opened the scoring by sweeping in a loose puck that dribbled in behind Luukkonen, after he stopped Katchouk’s shot that was deflected in front by Mark Kastelic. Katchouk scored 2:19 later by deflecting in Parker Kelly’s shot from the right circle.

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“Right off the bat, the first two goals, they were the ones that produced it, so I think it really helped,” Senators interim coach Jacques Martin said. “It doesn’t change things, but you need to have some production from different people on different nights. And, I think when you look at some of the wins that we’ve had lately, we’ve been getting some production from other people.”

Luukkonen was pulled after Chychrun made it 4-0 by blasting in a shot from the left circle. Tkachuk capped the surge in the final minute to mark the 17th time the Senators have scored at least five goals in one period — and first time since a five-goal second period in a 6-4 win against Montreal on April 23, 2022.

The team record is six, which came in the first period of a 7-1 win over Atlanta on March 21, 2000.

Martin said defenseman Thomas Chabot will be evaluated after leaving the game with an undisclosed injury in the third period.

UP NEXT

Senators: Host the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night.

Sabres: Resume a five-game homestand against the New Jersey Devils on Friday night.

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Wed, 03/27/2024 - 19:59

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Dakota Joshua’s return a silver lining for Vancouver Canucks amid other injury concerns

Wed, 03/27/2024 - 19:27

VANCOUVER — The pinky finger that Dakota Joshua seriously injured in a fight on Feb. 13 probably cost him a 20-goal season and, theoretically, some money as the Vancouver Canuck winger inches towards unrestricted free agency this summer.

But the seven weeks that Joshua missed after completing his Gordie Howe hat trick in Chicago on Feb. 13 by initiating a fight with MacKenzie Entwistle may have actually increased his value because it became obvious that the Canucks had no one to replace Joshua’s combination of size, speed, physicality and skill.

He is a 27-year-old power forward who only now, under coach Rick Tocchet, is starting to show what he could become in the National Hockey League.

Joshua left the lineup as a third-liner but practised Wednesday on the top unit alongside J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser. That impressive promotion is expected to hold for at least the Canucks’ home game against the Dallas Stars on Thursday, when Vancouver will try to secure its Stanley Cup playoff berth with nine games remaining.

No wonder Joshua will be at the top of general manager Patrik Allvin’s to-do list when it comes to the sorting through the nine Canucks eligible for unrestricted free agency.

The return of the left winger from Michigan is excellent news for a team that has had bad news lately on injuries, including the Canucks’ decision Wednesday to formalize starting goalie Thatcher Demko’s absence by placing him on long-term injured reserve.

After his Vezina Trophy-calibre season was halted by a knee injury on March 9, Demko is ineligible to play again until April 6, just six games before the Canucks will open their first playoff series at home since 2015.

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And while Joshua fully practised Wednesday for the first time since he was hurt, key mid-season acquisition Elias Lindholm missed his third straight workday while resting what Tocchet said is a nagging injury. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that Lindholm was seeing a “specialist” this week.

There is no spinning news on Demko and Lindholm as positive. They’re not getting rest; they are injured as the playoffs approach. There is also no denying the advantage that Joshua’s return should provide.

“He’s a hard guy to replace,” Tocchet reiterated to Sportsnet on Wednesday. “When I first got here, I guess he was on the outside looking in, and I just didn’t understand it. I thought that type of player. . . could really help. I just saw his game get better and better. He has body position, he holds on to pucks, he wins battles in front, good penalty killer. And for the most part, his hockey IQ has really taken off this last year. He has actually developed in the last year like a 20-year-old becoming a 25-year-old. He has really developed.”

Still a fringe player when Tocchet replaced Bruce Boudreau 14 months ago, Joshua was reprimanded for his conditioning at training camp in September, and the coach healthy-scratched him on Nov. 2.

But that was a turning point for the six-foot-three power forward, who built consistency into his game and soon joined Teddy Blueger and Conor Garland to form one of the most effective third lines in the NHL.

Joshua became a go-to penalty killer, still led the Canucks in hits until J.T. Miller recorded seven of them in Monday’s 3-2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings, and had career-highs with 13 goals and 26 points in 53 games before getting hurt.

A Toronto Maple Leaf draft pick in 2014 who was given to the St. Louis Blues for future considerations five years later, Joshua did not become a full-time NHL player until Allvin took a flyer on him in free agency two summers ago.

“This was my first one, my first long-term (injury),” Joshua said. “It was hard at first, but then I realized, like, that’s just how it is. I wouldn’t have been able to come back earlier and been myself, which also could have been detrimental. So you know, it’s a learning process to go through this. Definitely not fun because you want to be out there with the guys, so not anything I want to experience again.”

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Unlike many injuries, however, this one could have been avoided. Already with a goal and two assists in Vancouver’s 4-2 win in Chicago, Joshua did not need to instigate a fight with Entwistle after the Blackhawk flattened Garland with a hard, clean check that did not hurt the five-foot-nine Canuck.

“You don’t ever know what’s going to happen and that’s just how you play the game, right?” Joshua told reporters. “I don’t regret it. It’s just unfortunate the way that it turned out. You know, you’ve got to stick up for your teammates.”

“I know the end result was getting hurt,” Tocchet said. “Like, why did he do it? But I think that’s what Dakota is (and) doing that added a lot to the crest and to the culture. Now listen, there’s spots where you go, ‘no, don’t.’ But that situation. . . . I think that’s a culture thing that he did. And I’m a little old school when it comes to that. But, yeah, you’ve got to pick your spots, though.”

Joshua is starting with Miller and Boeser partly because Garland was the spark plug that ignited Elias Pettersson on Vancouver’s second line. But Joshua’s direct, heavy style, ability to win and hold pucks and get to the front of the net make him a template for the way Tocchet would like his wingers to play.

Only two weeks ago, the coach said: “I wish we were a little bit better on the boards. . . a better wall team. We want to make plays and we want to scoot and play fast. We’ve got some guys that are never going to be great wall guys, let’s face it. And that’s okay. But can they play five or 10 per cent better on the wall or win a battle?”

And just Monday, after the Canucks failed to get inside on the smothering Kings, Tocchet said: “It’s just blue-paint stuff. You’ve got to own the blue paint.”

Joshua does not quite own the blue paint in the NHL yet, but he’s put down a deposit on a long-term lease in front of opposition goalies.

Asked if he thinks his value to the Canucks was made clearer by his absence, Joshua said: “I don’t really think of myself like that, I guess. I just go out there and try to do what I can. It’s easy to say after a loss, you know, what could have been different (for the team). But I’m just kind of staying in my lane and playing the game.”

That’s all Tocchet wants.

ICE CHIPS – Tocchet insisted that Demko will still have time to play his way into top form for the playoffs despite going on LTIR. And the coach is unconcerned that Lindholm’s day-to-day absence could turn into something significantly longer. “It’s something a little nagging that’s getting better every day,” Tocchet said. “That’s the way you’ve got to look at it.” . . . At one point during practice at the University of B.C., Tocchet barked at players during a meeting at the whiteboard. “A few guys weren’t ready,” he explained. “We have a day off (Tuesday), you’ve got to be ready to go. They picked it up after that. No big deal. I can’t be yelling and screaming every day. But I don’t think I’ve yelled and screamed in two weeks, so it was a good time to do it. Every 14 days.” . . . With cap space created by Demko’s move to LTIR, the Canucks recalled minor-leaguer Arshdeep Bains, who practised Wednesday as an extra forward.

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Canada’s Dabrowski, Routliffe reach Miami Open doubles semis

Wed, 03/27/2024 - 19:19

Ottawa’s Gabriela Dabrowski and doubles partner Erin Routliffe of New Zealand reached the Miami Open semifinals with a three-set win Wednesday over Sloane Stephens and Ashlyn Krueger of the United States.

Second-seeded Dabrowski and Routliffe outlasted the American duo 6-3, 4-6, 10-4 by dominating in first service points won and first return points won.

Dabrowski and Routliffe, who are the reigning U.S. Open champions, are aiming for their first title of 2024.

They’ll face Alycia Parks and Asia Muhammad of the U.S. in the semifinal of the hardcourt tournament.

Muhammad and Ena Shibahara of Japan upset Dabrowski and Routliffe in the second round of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., earlier this month.

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Warriors’ Draymond Green ejected four minutes into game vs. Magic

Wed, 03/27/2024 - 18:38

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green was ejected from the team’s contest against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday, less than four minutes into the first quarter.

After teammate Andrew Wiggins was called for a foul at the 8:24 mark of the opening frame, Green was quick to speak up to the officials about his thoughts on the whistle. That was when he received his first technical foul.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr tried diffusing the situation by calling a timeout, though Green continued and the officials heard enough to warrant handing him a second technical – ending his night.

This marks the fourth time Green has been ejected this season and the 9th and 10th technical fouls he’s received.

Earlier this season the 34-year-old was suspended for five games due to his involvement in an altercation with Rudy Gobert and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

About a month later, in December, Green was ejected and subsequently suspended, this time for striking Jusuf Nurkic in the face. The league decided that this time he would be suspended indefinitely, referencing Green’s “repeated history of unsportsmanlike acts.” The ejection for hitting Nurkic in the face was the 18th of his career, the most among active NBA players.

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Green did issue a public apology, citing that he had enlisted himself into counselling services during his suspension. He was reinstated on Jan. 3, making his return to the court after a 16-game absence.

The forward has walked a relatively straight and narrow path since the incident involving Nurkic but last week marked the return of some antics.

On Mar. 20 Green received a technical for an on-court scuffle with Desmond Bane of the Memphis Grizzlies, and less than 24 hours before his ejection against the Magic, he was not penalized after clotheslining Miami Heat guard Patty Mills.

The Warriors were already without Jonathan Kuminga, who missed this game due to knee tendinitis, and were then without both starting forwards for a majority of the night. Green has played in 46 games for Golden State this season, averaging 8.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, and six assists.

“After a prolonged diatribe, Green directed egregious profane language towards a game official,” crew chief Mitchell Irvin said post-game. “Green’s history did not affect the decision to eject the player.”

The Warriors went on to their second-best defensive quarter of the season, holding the Magic to 11 points on 3 for 22 shooting.

Stephen Curry was visibly upset when Green was ejected.

“But it was a beautiful team effort to respond the way we did,” Curry said. “We went and took it, and that’s a good sign for us.”

Trying to hold on to a play-in spot with 10 regular-season games remaining, the Warriors “don’t want to have self-inflicted wounds,” Curry said.

“We need him. He knows that. We all know that, so whatever it takes to keep him on the floor, for him to be available, that’s what’s got to happen, especially at this time of year,” Curry said. “I’ve talked to him plenty of times about it, even tonight, and I’ll continue to talk to him as a teammate and a friend.”

— With files from AP

More from Sportsnet

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Toronto Raptors’ Ochai Agbaji leaves game vs. New York Knicks with right hip contusion

Wed, 03/27/2024 - 18:19

Toronto Raptors guard Ochai Agbaji left Wednesday’s game against the New York Knicks after suffering a right hip contusion.

Agbaji took a hard fall after colliding with Knicks’ Miles McBridge, landing on his side. Appearing to be in visible pain, he was helped off the court and to the locker room, not putting any weight on his right leg.

The Raptors announced he suffered a right hip contusion and will not return to the game.

The 23-year-old is averaging 5.9 points and 2.7 rebounds in 20.5 minutes this season. The Raptors acquired him on the trade deadline alongside Kelly Olynyk from the Utah Jazz.

Knicks’ Anunoby receives heartfelt video tribute in return to Toronto

Wed, 03/27/2024 - 18:09

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Senators chase Luukkonen in under 10 minutes with white-hot start

Wed, 03/27/2024 - 17:51

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Warriors’ Green ejected after fired up reaction to technical foul call

Wed, 03/27/2024 - 17:36

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Blue Jays’ Opening Day call ‘an amazing moment’ for Wes Parsons, Nate Pearson

Wed, 03/27/2024 - 17:33

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Wes Parsons didn’t know what to expect when manager John Schneider’s name popped up on his phone. The right-hander felt that he pitched well during spring training and was hopeful of breaking camp with the Toronto Blue Jays for his first Opening Day in the majors since 2019 with Atlanta.

Still, when Schneider broke the news that he was opening the year in the majors, “I was honestly in shock,” he said Wednesday in the visitors’ clubhouse at Tropicana Field, where he and his teammates worked out ahead of Thursday’s curtain-raiser against the Tampa Bay Rays. “Didn’t see it coming at all. I was ecstatic.”

He was also tearful, so much so that when he FaceTimed his wife, Della, immediately afterwards she asked, “What in the world happened?”

“I was like, ‘I made the team.’ She was very excited,” said Parsons, who credits Della and their 15-month-old son Beckett for helping him persevere through some tough times. “It’s been a really long trip between the two opening days. It was crazy just going through the KBO trying to find myself, going through back surgery and after back surgery (a microdiscectomy of the L4-L5 vertebrae in 2022), I thought I was pretty much done. But I kept going and here we are. The feelings are just, I mean, it was an amazing moment.”

Watch Blue Jays Opening Day on Sportsnet


The Toronto Blue Jays are officially back as they begin the season with Jose Berrios on the mound against the Tampa Bay Rays. Watch Opening Day, beginning with a special edition of Blue Jays Central, beginning at 3 p.m. ET / noon PT on Thursday, March 28, on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+.

Broadcast schedule

For Nate Pearson, the other right-handed reliever added to finalize the Blue Jays roster with Jordan Romano and Erik Swanson slated to hit the injured list, the phone call from Schneider on Wednesday night offered both joy and relief.

During the two-day wait between Monday’s spring finale and word on his fate, “I was just sitting there, stressing a little bit.” That disappeared after learning that he’ll enjoy a proper Opening Day for the first time – he debuted six games into the COVID campaign of 2020 and while he was around the team when that season opened, he wasn’t actually part of it.

“This is definitely a lot more meaningful,” Pearson said. “I’m happy to be down there for the first game of the season. It was a good time for me and my family when I found out.”

What the opportunity looks like for both pitchers will be a moving target as their ascensions come amid many machinations for the Blue Jays. 

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Kevin Gausman emerged from his dominant showing in Monday’s spring finale feeling fine and the Blue Jays are still kicking around whether to start him in Sunday’s series finale against the Rays, or Monday’s opener at Houston, with Bowden Francis getting whichever game he doesn’t start.

Alek Manoah, who threw 34 pitches over two innings in a simulated game at the Player Development Complex, is “likely” to begin the season on the injured list as he continues to build up, said Schneider.

Yariel Rodriguez, the Cuban righty signed to a $32-million, five-year deal, was optioned along with Canadian Zach Pop so he can be fully built up under “a pretty set plan” since “we want a lot of his innings to be with us and to be 100 per cent when he is,” said Schneider.

Top prospect Ricky Tiedemann, meanwhile, will start at triple-A Buffalo where focal points will be ensuring “his fastball command, the slider usage and changeup usage are at levels that he can do different things to different lineups,” said GM Ross Atkins. “Because he has so much potential, it is really important for us to help him maximize that time down there.”

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And Joey Votto, who hasn’t resumed baseball activity since rolling his ankle after stepping on a bat March 17, is still feeling “a little bit of tightness,” said Atkins, and will want to essentially have a full spring training once he’s ready. 

“He wants to make sure, most importantly, that he’s at an elite level and not just at a level where he’s participating or contributing,” said Atkins. “He’ll be, and we will be very mindful of giving him every chance to do that. The most likely scenario would be some time essentially building up a spring training at extended and then moving to Buffalo at some point. We don’t, he doesn’t have a firm timeline on that.”

There isn’t a firm timeline yet for Romano and Swanson, although Atkins suggested that the IL stints “could be minimal” for them. Both are long-tossing without issue and getting back up on a mound is the next step.

Once they do that, “they will likely need a couple of outings facing hitters, for sure,” said Atkins. “We’ll see if they need to pitch in Buffalo. It will really depend on how long that progression is.”

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Schneider pointed to Chad Green and Yimi Garcia as options to close in the interim with Tim Mayza and Genesis Cabrera helping to cover some of the set-up work. Others will need to step up and Pearson could certainly pitch his way into being an option there, with Parsons around to support Mitch White in providing length.

Pearson is feeling good about the way he pitched in the spring, save for a rough first outing, and likes the way a new splitter that’s taking the place of his changeup has played.

“I got one strike out on it and like three or four quick ground balls, so I like where it’s at,” he said. “I can get a quick out with it, throw it ahead in the count or to putaway. I like where all my off-speed is, really. It’s really about attacking the zone with the heater to set up those things.”

Parsons, meanwhile, signed as a minor-league free agent with the Blue Jays last May after initially wondering if his back surgery would derail his dream. He split 2019 between Atlanta and Colorado, which claimed him off waivers in August, was stuck at the alternate training site in 2020 and then headed to the NC Dinos in Korea for 2021, logging 133 innings over 24 starts with a 3.72 ERA. But he made just eight starts the next year before his back flared up, three months of rehab didn’t help and he came back home for the operation.

Once he woke up, the pressure on a nerve in his spine was gone immediately – “it was instantaneous,” Parsons said – and before long he was pitching in Buffalo, covering 81.2 innings over 17 starts. 

Over the winter, he spent time focused on the mental part of his game, finding ways “to take it from pitch to pitch, if something goes south, not letting it spiral out of control, just reset.”

When spring hit, “I just showed up and I was just ready to play every day,” an approach that’s carried him right back up to the big-leagues.

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Washington Capitals’ Ethan Bear to enter NHL/NHLPA player assistance program

Wed, 03/27/2024 - 16:20

Washington Capitals defenceman Ethan Bear is entering the NHL and NHL Players’ Association’s joint assistance program and will be unavailable to the club for an indefinite period.

The NHLPA and NHL said in a joint release Wednesday that Bear will be eligible to return to on-ice competition when cleared by the program administrators.

The 25-year-old from Ochapowace First Nation, near Regina, is in his first season with Washington after signing a two-year, US$4.125-million deal in December.

He joined the Capitals after injuring his shoulder while representing Canada at the 2023 world hockey championship and undergoing surgery.

Bear has a goal and three assists in 24 games with Washington this season.

He has 17 goals and 50 assists in 275 NHL games with Edmonton, Carolina, Vancouver and Washington.

Why it’s crucial the Maple Leafs sort out their special teams units

Wed, 03/27/2024 - 15:25

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Zadorov on importance of home-ice in playoffs as Canucks eye top seed

Wed, 03/27/2024 - 14:39

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Bob Murdoch’s family says two-time Stanley Cup winner suffered from CTE

Wed, 03/27/2024 - 14:34

The family of Bob Murdoch says the two-time Stanley Cup champion suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a progressive and fatal disease associated with repeated traumatic brain injuries.

The Concussion Legacy Foundation said in a statement Wednesday that Boston University CTE Center researchers made the diagnosis after Murdoch died in August at age 76.

The foundation added Murdoch’s widow, Bev, released the findings to raise awareness around the long-term effects of repetitive blows to the head in hockey.

The brain study found Murdoch, who was also the NHL’s coach of the year in 1989-90 with the Winnipeg Jets, suffered from stage 3 CTE at the time of his death.

Murdoch is the latest ex-NHLer to be diagnosed posthumously with the disease, which can’t be confirmed while a person is alive. Doctors can, however, identify suspected cases based on symptoms and neurological exams.

Former NHL enforcer Chris Simon died by suicide last week at age 52. His family said in a statement it “strongly believes” CTE was to blame. The NHL has repeatedly disputed any links between hockey and CTE, including at the league’s recent general managers’ meetings in Florida.

Murdoch played for the Montreal Canadiens, Los Angeles Kings and Atlanta/Calgary Flames over 12 seasons from 1970-82, registering 60 goals and 278 points.

The defenceman from Kirkland Lake, Ont., won the Stanley Cup with the Canadiens in 1971 and 1973.

“This diagnosis was not a surprise,” Bev Murdoch, Bob’s wife of 37 years, said in the statement provided by the Concussion Legacy Foundation. “He knew, we all knew, intuitively what caused his suffering. So much more needs to be done in professional hockey to acknowledge and prevent CTE.

“If not, there will be more people like Bob who will lose many years of their lives.”

The foundation said 16 of 17 NHL players studied in the United States and Canada have now been diagnosed with CTE, including Murdoch’s former Montreal teammates Ralph Backstrom and Henri Richard, as well as Stan Mikita, Bob Probert and Steve Montador.

Murdoch was an assistant with the Flames before coaching the Chicago Blackhawks (1987-88) and original Jets (1989-91). He won the Jack Adams Award as NHL coach of the year in 1989-90 after Winnipeg improved by 11 wins and 21 points.

The family said Murdoch began to experience mild cognitive impairment in 2015 before being diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia, Parkinsonism and Alzheimer’s disease in 2019. Murdoch suspected CTE was contributing to his symptoms and made the decision to donate his brain to Boston University after his death, the Concussion Legacy Foundation said.

“It’s not only the athletes who suffer,” Bev Murdoch said. “This disease causes such a significant impact on the family, especially the spouses who become caregivers. For seven years, I watched the love of my life disappear.”

The Concussion Legacy Foundation said researchers are studying whether CTE increases the risk of developing additional brain diseases later in life.

“I’m disappointed that the NHL still refuses to acknowledge a clear causal relationship between repetitive head impacts and CTE,” Dr. Ann McKee, chief of neuropathology for the VA Boston Healthcare System and director of the Boston University CTE Center and UNITE Brain Bank, said in the statement.

“I wish (NHL commissioner Gary Bettman) could see the damage these brains endure and the pain this disease causes families.”

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Capitals, Wizards arena plan in Virginia now dead

Wed, 03/27/2024 - 14:08

WASHINGTON (AP) — The NBA’s Washington Wizards and NHL’s Washington Capitals are staying in the District of Columbia for the long term after ownership and the city reached an agreement on a $515 million arena project.

Mayor Muriel Bowser and owner Ted Leonsis signed a letter of intent on Wednesday for the deal, which keeps the teams in the District through 2050. They announced the development at a joint news conference at Capital One Arena minutes later.

“It’s a great day, and I’m really relieved,” Leonsis said.

The project is set to include 200,000 square feet (18,580 square meters) of expansion of the arena complex into the nearby Gallery Place space, the creation of an entertainment district in the city’s surrounding Chinatown neighbourhood and safety and transportation upgrades.

“We are the current home and the future home of the Washington Capitals and the Washington Wizards,” Bowser said. “As Ted likes to say, we’re going to be together for a long time.”

In a statement, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb said residents “could not have been louder or clearer in expressing their desire for the teams to stay.”

“This outcome will have significant positive impacts on economic development, public safety, and overall District energy and spirit generated by the millions of people who attend games, shows, and concerts at Capital One Arena,” Schwalb said.

The Council of the District of Columbia will take up the deal next week and is expected to pass it, Chairman Phil Mendelson said at the news conference.

The agreement between Monumental Sports & Entertainment and the city came as Alexandria officials said talks for a new arena that would have moved the teams to Virginia had ended. Leonsis acknowledged Virginia had land as an advantage D.C. didn’t.

“You’re in this arms race to build bigger and better and higher quality and we’ve been running out of space,” Leonsis said, referencing the new entertainment community the agreement envisions. “We now have 200,000 square feet that we can expand to. It’s not 12 acres, but it’s enough.”

Alexandria said earlier Wednesday that the Potomac Yard proposal “will not move forward,” a blow to Republican Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who announced months ago with fanfare the outlines of a proposal negotiated with the teams’ parent company to bring them across the Potomac River.

In a statement, the governor expressed disappointment and frustration over the demise of a plan he said would have created $12 billion in economic investment, laying blame with the Democratic-controlled state Legislature.

“This should have been our deal and our opportunity,” Youngkin said, adding: “But no, personal and political agendas drove away a deal with no upfront general fund money and no tax increases, that created tens of thousands of new jobs and billions in revenue for Virginia.”

Alexandria, which first announced the news, said in a statement posted to its website that it was disappointed in the outcome.

“We negotiated a framework for this opportunity in good faith and participated in the process in Richmond in a way that preserved our integrity,” the statement said. “We trusted this process and are disappointed in what occurred between the Governor and General Assembly.”

In December, Youngkin and Leonsis announced at a public event that they had reached an understanding on the outlines of a plan to move the teams to a proposed new development district in Alexandria, with not only a new arena but also a practice facility and corporate headquarters for Monumental, plus a separate performing arts venue.

The proposal called for the General Assembly to set up an authority that would issue bonds to finance the majority of the project, backed partly by the city and state governments and repaid through a mix of projected tax revenues recaptured from the development.

Youngkin and other supporters said the development would generate tens of thousands of jobs, along with new tax revenues beyond what would have been needed to cover the financing.

But the plan faced opposition from labor unions, Alexandria residents concerned about traffic and D.C. officials who feared the loss of the teams would devastate downtown Washington.

Youngkin and other backers also failed to win over powerful Democratic Sen. L. Louise Lucas of Portsmouth, who chairs the Senate’s budget-writing committee. She used that position to block the legislation, citing a range of concerns but foremost the financing structure of the deal: The use of moral obligation bonds put taxpayers and the state’s finances at risk, Lucas said.

Lucas celebrated the proposal’s demise Wednesday. On social media, she posted a cartoon of herself swatting away a basketball with the word “REJECTED” superimposed. She wrote, “As Monumental announces today they are staying in Washington DC we are celebrating in Virginia that we avoided the Monumental Disaster!”

Leonsis had shifted his tone on social media in recent days, pointing to large crowds in Capital One Arena this month for everything from the Capitals and Wizards to ACC Tournament basketball and a Zach Bryan concert. He posted Wednesday that Monumental expected over 400,000 fans to pass through turnstiles in March.

Leonsis was notably not on the ice Sunday for a ceremony honouring longtime Capitals winger T.J. Oshie for reaching the milestone of 1,000 NHL games. He was booed by some fans when his message to Oshie came up on arena video screens.

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