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🏆 Five things to know Tuesday
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ties a Wilt Chamberlain record and may have locked up MVP. Gilgeous-Alexander put the Thunder on his back Monday night, leading a depleted team to a win over the Nuggets. Gilgeous-Alexander tied Chamberlain’s record of 126 consecutive games in which he’s scored at least 20 points, and hit the game-winning three to boot. It’s a historic night that may have locked down a second consecutive NBA MVP.
- Team USA takes down Mexico in World Baseball Classic. It may seem hard to believe, but Team USA’s 5-3 win over Mexico on Monday night was the country’s first win over our neighbors to the south since 2006. Aaron Judge led the way for Team USA, making a big impact on offense and defense while the team advanced to 3-0 in pool play.
- Where things stand with conference playoffs underway in college basketball. Florida and Arkansas jumped into the AP Top 25 as the regular season wound down, while Miami (Ohio) dropped even as they completed an undefeated regular season campaign. Nebraska made a small jump in the Top 25 And 1 rankings, completing a fantastic season that locked up a No. 2 seed in the Big Ten Tournament. We have you covered with Bracketology for the men’s tournament as well as for the women. Finally, we have a look at conference tournament predictions, potential upsets and sleeper teams.
- Champions League is back on Tuesday. It’s once again time for action in one of the biggest sporting events in the world, as UEFA Champions League play resumes with four matches on Tuesday before four more on Wednesday. Ahead of the start of Round of 16 action on Paramount+, you can check out our Champions League expert predictions, as well as a look at the biggest burning questions in the tournament.
- Previewing the NL East. Sure, spring training is underway, but the WBC is what has us truly feeling like baseball is back. Still, we’re continuing our look at each MLB division by looking at the NL East to preview lineups, rotations and to answer one key question featuring each team.
🏈 Do not miss this: NFL free agency kicks off with a wild day
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There’s no surprise that the first day of the NFL free agency period was filled with splashy moves. But, at times, Monday felt as though there was another big piece of news every few minutes. The day opened with the news that the Dolphins were releasing quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. By late afternoon, news broke that Tagovailoa was signing a one-year deal with the Falcons, setting up an intriguing battle with Michael Penix Jr. for the starting job. Miami stayed busy, signing quarterback Malik Willis to a three-year deal that could see Willis become an NFL starter once again, and trading veteran safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Jets.
Here’s a quick look at those who are on to new teams after Monday’s action:
But not everyone was on the move, with some big names staying put:
Finally, you can dive deeper into all of Monday’s moves with a broad range of analysis and reactions. Here’s a spoiler: Patrick Mahomes is probably a pretty happy man waking up this morning:
🏀 Could LeBron James end his career playing alongside Stephen Curry?
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It’s undeniable that we are in the final stretch of years where we will see LeBron James and Stephen Curry, two of the best all-time, playing near the peak of their respective powers … or playing at all. This all makes the thought of James making a move to the Warriors an interesting idea.
At first blush, the idea may seem a bit far-fetched, but as Brad Botkin points out, there are rumors that Curry has been told the Warriors are planning a big offseason move to add asuperstar to play alongside Curry, and the list of potential signings includes James. Botkin also believes that the move, which feels more realistic than ever, would make Golden State “a team to reckon with.”
- Botkin: “Would LeBron make the Warriors a contender? I would say yes. He’s not the player he used to be, of course. Surely you’ve seen all the lineup data floating around suggesting the Lakers are better off without him. That’s not necessarily true, but it may not be untrue, either. He’s redundant next to Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. But Curry plays off the ball and Jimmy Butler prefers not to prioritize scoring it unless basically forced to.
“When guys get to be this old, one year can make a big difference. Declines aren’t always gradual. Curry and Butler and Draymond Green and James could all be one year away from looking like shells. But right now they’re all still very good players, and if the Warriors didn’t have to give up all their young peripheral parts, yeah, that’s a team to reckon with.”
👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest
- With Texas opening spring drills on Monday, Arch Manning will be taking things easy after an offseason foot surgery.
- Phillies extend Jesús Luzardo on five-year, $135 million deal.
- If you’re looking for more college football reading, check out our list of the sport’s most underrated coaches, questions facing each Big Ten team during spring practices, and a look at Miami (Ohio)’s multimillion-dollar bet.
- Nikola Jokić could become a free agent in 2027, but the Nuggets superstar has made it clear he would prefer to remain in Denver.
- Rory McIlroy‘s availability for The Players Championship is in doubt after he withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational due to “stubborn” back spasms.
- It’s still early March, but it’s never too early to look ahead to players who could be on the move come the Aug. 3 MLB trade deadline.
- After his Badgers team secured the No. 2 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, Wisconsin coach Fred Hoiberg signed a contract extension.
- Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou is set to return to the cage when he faces former UFC fighter Philipe Lins at the upcoming MVP MMA event.
- As the Celtics attempt to navigate Jayson Tatum‘s return from injury, there is no blueprint to follow for the situation, so Tatum is writing his own.
- The conflict in Iran is obviously having ripples in the world of sports. Iraq coach Graham Arnold has asked FIFA to reschedule the team’s upcoming World Cup qualifier, while five members of Iran‘s women’s soccer team applied for asylum during the Asian Cup.
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📺 What we’re watching Tuesday
⚽ UEFA Champions League: Liverpool at Galatasaray, 1:45 p.m. on Paramount+
⚽ UEFA Champions League: Bayern Munich at Atalanta, 4 p.m. on Paramount+
⚽ UEFA Champions League: Tottenham at Atletico Madrid, 4 p.m. on Paramount+
⚽ UEFA Champions League: Barcelona at Newcastle United, 4 p.m. on Paramount+
⚾ World Baseball Classic: Canada at Puerto Rico, 7 p.m. on Tubi
🏒 Islanders at Blues, 7:30 p.m. on TNT
🏀 Celtics at Spurs, 8 p.m. on NBC
⚾ World Baseball Classic: Italy at United States, 9 p.m. on FS1
🏒 Oilers at Avalanche, 10 p.m. on TNT
🏀 Timberwolves at Lakers, 11 p.m. on NBC
