NBA

• Wizards 130, Celtics 111
  • The Wizards didn’t exactly hit the ball out of the park with their selection of Deni Avdija 9th overall in 2020, but the forward has put together five consecutive strong performances. The 22-year-old has recorded at least 15 points and eight rebounds in each of his past five outings, showing significant signs of growth. Corey Kispert has played well for Washington of late also.
  • A 19-point loss to a likely lottery team such as the Wizards isn’t ideal, but I’d chalk this Celtics defeat up to the monotony of the regular season. With that said, Boston isn’t the world beater many thought it was earlier in the season. The Celtics may have some trouble come playoff time in the Eastern Conference.
• Raptors 106, Heat 92
  • What a game for Scottie Barnes. The second-year forward has faded a bit this season, but he was exceptional last night, dishing out 12 assists with zero turnovers. Toronto’s bench is an issue, but I’d guess that the top teams in the East are hoping to see someone other than the Raptors in the first round.
  • Miami smartly added Kevin Love following his buyout with the Cavaliers, but Love shouldn’t be starting in the NBA anymore, regardless of the Heat’s size concerns. Love shot 1-5 in this contest for just three points, while also playing his usual poor defense. Miami received little of anything in this tilt outside of Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro.
• Grizzlies 113, Magic 108
  • It’s impressive how capable the Grizzlies are of winning without Ja Morant. The Murray State product is obviously one of the game’s top point guards, but over and over again, Taylor Jenkins’ team has gotten the job done without him. Jaren Jackson Jr. recorded three blocks in this game, but also committed six fouls. Jackson Jr. is an elite defensive player, but shouldn’t be considered for Defensive Player of the Year because he’s played just 1,607 minutes this season.
  • There’s been far too much talk of Paolo Banchero losing the Rookie of the Year award due to his play falling off as the season has progressed. Last night’s performance by Banchero should quell that talk. The Duke product tallied 24 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists in this contest.
• Hornets 137, Thunder 134
  • I didn’t know P.J. Washington had it in him. Playing with a bounty of fringe NBA players, the power forward scored 43 points yesterday, leading Charlotte to a huge upset victory.
  • Sure, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander didn’t play, but this could prove to be a crushing defeat for the Thunder’s play-in hopes. Shockingly, 95 combined points from Isaiah Joe, Josh Giddey, and Jalen Williams wasn’t enough to beat the pathetic Hornets. The Thunder need size in the worst way, and Chet Holmgren’s return next season should help with that.
• Warriors 120, Pelicans 109
  • Sometimes, we get reminded that the Warriors still have one of this generation’s best players. Stephen Curry exploded for 39 points in this game with eight made three-point field goals.
  • There’s a problem with CJ McCollum. I’m not sure his best position is point guard, given his shoot-first tendencies, but he’s awfully undersized and ill-equipped to defend wings as a shooting guard. New Orleans, at 38-38, is facing this problem at the moment, and the only answer may be to pair McCollum with a big point guard, an archetype that can be hard to find.

MLB

• Guardians sign 2B Andres Gimenez to seven-year, $106.5 million contract extension
  • It’s a bit eye-opening that the Guardians handed out an extension of this magnitude, but it was probably the correct decision. Following a seventh place finish for 2020 NL Rookie of the Year, Gimenez struggled immensely for Cleveland in 2021. That’s barely relevant to this contract, though, as the middle infielder was phenomenal for an upstart Guardians team a season ago, posting 7.4 WAR and earning a Gold Glove. Gimenez is just 24, so he should only continue to solidify himself as a useful player. Cleveland most likely got a bargain here, but there is risk baked into the deal, due to Gimenez’s struggles in 2021.
    Grade: B