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👀 Five things to know Friday
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is unstoppable. Records are made to be broken, but most of them don’t stand for 63 years. The Thunder guard and 2025 NBA MVP on Thursday night posted 35 points in a 104-102 win over the Celtics, scoring 20+ points in his 127th consecutive NBA game, snapping a mark held by the legendary Wilt Chamberlain since 1963. The four-time All-Star, who began his run on Nov. 1, 2024, is in such rare company that the only other player this century to even get halfway to Chamberlain’s mark is Kevin Durant, who scored 20+ points in 72 straight games.
- Kyler Murray is a Minnesota Viking. The Vikings found their potential J.J. McCarthy replacement in Murray, who signed with the team Wednesday on a visit to the facility. It’s a one-year, veteran-minimum deal made possible by the Cardinals owing Murray $36.8 million after they released him. That was the biggest move from Day 4 of free agency, the quietest one yet, and it leaves Packers left tackle Rasheed Walker as the top free agent available. Meanwhile, fallout from the failed Maxx Crosby trade (which taught us all a lesson in league dynamics) continues as the edge rusher now appears committed to the Raiders.
- The Players Championship is wide open after the first round. There is a five-way tie atop the leaderboard (follow Round 2 coverage live), and another 11 players are within two strokes of the lead after 18 holes at TPC Sawgrass. Among the big names that stand outside that picture, though, is Collin Morikawa. The No. 5 player in the world rankings withdrew from the tournament just two holes in after injuring his back on a practice swing. That could help open the door for Scottie Scheffler, but at even par, he has work to do over the next three days to get off the early-season schneid. Rory McIlroy’s return from a back injury of his own is not going swimmingly, and that’s among our biggest takeaways from Round 1.
- Miami (Ohio) suffered its first loss of the season. The RedHawks are undefeated no more. An 87-83 upset at the hands of UMass snapped a 31-game winning streak and leaves Miami in search of an at-large berth in the NCAA Tournament, which it will receive barring an absolute shocker. This is bad news for bubble teams, as the MAC will almost certainly become a two-bid league.
- Khamzat Chimaev will defend his middleweight title at UFC 328. We now know the entire UFC headliner schedule through the White House event. The promotion announced last night that Chimaev will meet Sean Strickland in the May 9 main event in Newark, New Jersey. It marks Chimaev’s first appearance in the Octagon since August, when he claimed the title, while Strickland will look for a second-straight win after knocking out Anthony Hernandez last month. Also, the co-main event pits Alexander Volkov against Waldo Cortes-Acosta. You can watch it exclusively on Paramount+.
- A critical WNBA CBA deadline passed without a deal. The WNBA previously indicated that it needed an agreement with the players union by March 10 for the 2026 season to begin as planned. That date has come and gone, and the sides did not announce a deal after they met this week. With the draft exactly one month from today, it looks increasingly likely that something (the expansion draft, free agency and perhaps the season opener) will have to be pushed back.
🏀 Don’t miss it: Pre-Selection Sunday Bracketology
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Can you hear that? It’s the sound of the March Madness theme playing in the distance, and it’s getting louder. Selection Sunday is just two days away.
The nation’s top teams and a handful of already-crowned conference champions know they’re in the NCAA Tournament, and most have a pretty good idea of which seed line they will stand on when the bracket is unveiled Sunday at 6 p.m. ET on CBS. The drama, as always, is on the bubble. Things got even more real for those on the hot seat in last night’s conference tournament action. We crowned the biggest winners and lamented the biggest losers.
Of all the at-large candidates, David Cobb determined which teams are locks to make the tournament and which have work to do before the week is done. Here are the teams teetering on the cut line, placed into tiers:
- Almost there: NC State, Saint Louis, Missouri
- Bubble: SMU, VCU, New Mexico, San Diego State, Texas, Auburn, Oklahoma
- Longshots: Virginia Tech, Stanford, California, Seton Hall, Indiana
In his latest Court Report, Matt Norlander ranked the bubble teams from most to least likely to get enough love from the selection committee.
- Missouri
- VCU
- SMU
- Texas
- New Mexico
- Auburn
- San Diego State
- Oklahoma
This week is about more than just the bubble teams, though. The race for the top seeds often comes down to the wire, and conference tournament championships can mean a great deal for teams who need just a couple more high-quality wins to move up a line or two. Here’s how the battle for the top two seed lines is shaping up.
📊 NWSL Preseason Power Rankings
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The NWSL season is upon us. The reigning runners-up, the Washington Spirit, host the Portland Thorns tonight at 8 p.m. ET to kick off the campaign in what is a marquee matchup right out of the gate. This is another historic season for the NWSL with the addition of two expansion clubs — Boston Legacy FC and Denver Summit FC — bringing the league to a record 16 members. Sandra Herrera ranked them all ahead of the opener.
It is the Kansas City Current, not the defending champions Gotham FC, who stand atop the power rankings. Herrera explained why that is the case.
- Herrera: “The 2025 NWSL Shield winners get the honor of starting off the rankings in the top spot based on their outrageous record-setting season for wins (21), points (65), and clean sheets (16).”
Here are the top five:
- Kansas City Current
- Gotham FC
- Washington Spirit
- Portland Thorns
- Orlando Pride
As for the expansion teams, they check in at the very bottom. We’ll see where they fit into the picture as their inaugural season progresses.
👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest
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- Team USA faces Canada tonight in the World Baseball Classic quarterfinals. It will do so without pitchers Tarik Skubal, Michael Wacha and Ryan Yarbrough, who were among those removed from the roster in a flurry of personnel moves.
- He hasn’t played in the NBA since 2022, but Hall of Famer Dwight Howard finally announced his retirement.
- Erik Spoelstra pushed back against the criticism of Bam Adebayo’s historic 83-point game, which may have laid the blueprint for someone to reach 100.
- Many players are not pleased with the LED glass court at the Big 12 Tournament.
- Penny Hardaway’s eighth season at Memphis is complete. Will he get another year? Uncertainty runs rampant after his most disappointing campaign to date.
- The Big Ten asked the NCAA to halt enforcement of tampering rules, but investigations will continue.
- Former Michigan assistant coach Chris Partridge sued the school for wrongful termination.
- The UEFA Champions League quarterfinals are halfway complete. Here is what each team needs in its second-leg match to advance. Some face much tougher roads than others, and the panic meter is high for Atalanta, Tottenham and Manchester City.
- Former Duke teammates Kon Knueppel and Cooper Flagg continue to lead the pack in the race for NBA Rookie of the Year. Jaime Jaquez Jr., meanwhile, is surging into the Sixth Man of the Year battle.
- Before the MLB season begins, you’ll want to refamiliarize yourself with these players who are returning from major injuries.
- Kevin Vallejos, one of the UFC’s most exciting prospects, will headline UFC Fight Night against Josh Emmett tomorrow. Watch it at 8 p.m. on Paramount+.
- Check out Brazil’s away kit for the World Cup, which is the first manufactured by Jordan Brand.
📺 What we’re watching this weekend
Friday
🏀 Big Ten Tournament, quarterfinal: Ohio State vs. No. 3 Michigan, Noon on Big Ten Network
🏀 SEC Tournament, quarterfinal: Kentucky vs. No. 4 Florida, 1 p.m. on ESPN
⛳ The Players Championship, second round, 1 p.m. on Golf Channel
🏀 Big Ten Tournament, quarterfinal: No. 23 Wisconsin vs. No. 9 Illinois, 2:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network
🏀 SEC Tournament, quarterfinal: No. 25 Tennessee vs. No. 22 Vanderbilt, 3:30 p.m. on ESPN
⚽ Parma at Torino, 3:45 p.m. on Paramount+
⚾ Spring training: Padres at Athletics, 4:05 p.m. on MLB Network
⚾ Spring training: Astros at Cardinals, 6:05 p.m. on MLB Network
⚾ World Baseball Classic, quarterfinal: Korea vs. Dominican Republic, 6:30 p.m. on FS2
🏀 Big Ten Tournament, quarterfinal: No. 18 Purdue vs. No. 11 Nebraska, 6:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network
🏀 Big 12 Tournament, semifinal: No. 7 Iowa State vs. No. 2 Arizona, 7 p.m. on ESPN or ESPN2
🏀 ACC Tournament, semifinal: Miami vs. No. 10 Virginia, 7 p.m. on ESPN or ESPN2
🏀 Big East Tournament, semifinal: Georgetown vs. No. 6 UConn, 8 p.m. on FS1
🏀 Cavaliers at Mavericks, 7:30 p.m. on Prime Video
⚾ World Baseball Classic, quarterfinal: United States vs. Canada, 8 p.m. on Fox
⚽ Portland Thorns at Washington Spirit, 8 p.m. on Prime Video
🏀 Big Ten Tournament, quarterfinal: UCLA vs. No. 8 Michigan State, 9 p.m. on Big Ten Network
🏀 Big 12 Tournament, semifinal: No. 14 Kansas vs. No. 5 Houston, 9:30 p.m. on ESPN or ESPN2
🏀 ACC Tournament, semifinal: Clemson vs. No. 1 Duke, 9:30 p.m. on ESPN or ESPN2
🏀 Timberwolves at Warriors, 10 p.m. on Prime Video
Saturday
⚽ Atalanta at Inter Milan, 10 a.m. on CBS Sports Golazo Network/Paramount+
⚽ Gotham FC at Boston Legacy FC, 12:30 p.m. on ABC
🏀 Big Ten Tournament, semifinal: TBD vs. TBD, 1 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
🏀 SEC Tournament, semifinal: TBD vs. TBD, 1 p.m. on ESPN
⚽ Toronto FC at New York Red Bulls, 1 p.m. on Apple TV
⚾ Spring training: Tigers at Blue Jays, 1:07 p.m. on MLB Network
⚽ Everton at Arsenal, 1:30 p.m. on USA Network
⛳ The Players Championship, third round, 2 p.m. on NBC
🏒 Bruins at Capitals, 3 p.m. on ABC
⚾ World Baseball Classic, quarterfinal: Puerto Rico vs. Italy, 3 p.m. on FS1
⚽ Atlanta United at Philadelphia Union, 3 p.m. on Fox
🏀 Hornets at Spurs, 3:30 p.m. on Prime Video
🏀 Big Ten Tournament, semifinal: TBD vs. TBD, 3:30 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
🏀 SEC Tournament, semifinal: TBD vs. TBD, 3:30 p.m. on ESPN
⚽ Utah Royals FC at Kansas City Current, 4 p.m. on Ion
⚽ Manchester City at West Ham United, 4 p.m. on USA Network
⚾ Spring training: Diamondbacks at Giants, 4:05 p.m. on MLB Network
🏀 FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualification: United States vs. Italy, 4:45 p.m. on truTV
🏀 Wizards at Celtics, 6 p.m. on NBA TV
🏀 Big 12 Tournament, championship: TBD vs. TBD, 6 p.m. on ESPN
⚽ Columbus Crew at Nashville SC, 6 p.m. on FS1
⚾ Spring training: Mets at Astros, 6:05 p.m. on MLB Network
🏀 Big East Tournament, championship: TBD vs. TBD, 6:30 p.m. on Fox
⚽ Denver Summit FC at Bay FC, 6:30 p.m. on Ion
🏒 Maple Leafs at Sabres, 7 p.m. on NHL Network
⚽ Charlotte FC at Inter Miami CF, 7:30 p.m. on Apple TV
🤼 UFC Fight Night: Emmett vs. Vallejos, 8 p.m. on Paramount+
🏀 Nuggets at Lakers, 8:30 p.m. on ABC
🏀 ACC Tournament, championship: TBD vs. TBD, 8:30 p.m. on ESPN
⚽ Chicago Fire FC at D.C. United, 8:30 p.m. on Apple TV
⚽ Houston Dash at San Diego Wave FC, 8:45 p.m. on Ion
⚾ World Baseball Classic, quarterfinal: Venezuela vs. Japan, 9 p.m. on Fox
⚽ Real Salt Lake at Austin FC, 9:30 p.m. on Apple TV
🏀 Kings at Clippers, 10:30 p.m. on ESPN
⚽ Vancouver Whitecaps FC at Minnesota United FC, 10:30 p.m. on Apple TV
Sunday
⚽ Genoa at Hellas Verona, 7:30 a.m. on CBS Sports Golazo Network/Paramount+
⚽ Aston Villa at Manchester United, 10 a.m. on USA Network
⚽ Tottenham Hotspur at Liverpool, 12:30 p.m. on NBC Sports Network
🏀 Timberwolves at Thunder, 1 p.m. on ABC
🏀 SEC Tournament, championship: TBD vs. TBD, 1 p.m. on ESPN
⛳ The Players Championship, final round, 1 p.m. on NBC
⚾ Spring training: Braves at Phillies, 1:05 p.m. on MLB Network
🏀 FIBA Women’s World Cup Qualification: New Zealand vs. United States, 1:45 p.m. on truTV
⚽ New England Revolution at FC Cincinnati, 2:30 p.m. on Apple TV
🏒 Blues at Jets, 3 p.m. on NHL Network
🏀 Mavericks at Cavaliers, 3:30 p.m. on NBA TV
🏀 Big Ten Tournament, championship: TBD vs. TBD, 3:30 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
⚽ AC Milan at Lazio, 3:45 p.m. on Paramount+
🏁 NASCAR at Las Vegas, 4 p.m. on FS1
🏀 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Selection Show, 6 p.m. on CBS/Paramount+
⚽ San Jose Earthquakes at Seattle Sounders FC, 7 p.m. on Apple TV
🏒 Maple Leafs at Wild, 7:30 p.m. on TNT
🏀 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Selection Show, 8 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Warriors at Knicks, 8 p.m. on NBC
⚾ World Baseball Classic, semifinal: TBD vs. TBD, 8 p.m. on FS1
