NHL: Cale Makar, Mario Ferraro and John Leonard will all be on the Ball Arena ice Tuesday, less than four years after they all arrived at UMass-Amherst as freshman
From UMass to the NHL: Three ex-college teammates to share special night — Santa Cruz Sentinel
The Golden Knights took a step up in competition for two games starting Tuesday against the St. Louis Blues.
Golden Knights face ‘measuring stick’ series against Blues — Las Vegas Review-Journal
Jaylen Brown’s development into a bona-fide NBA star is more impressive when one considers other ways his career might have unfolded. Former NBA player Eddie Johnson hailed Brown’s maturity and steady progression as a player Monday on Sirius XM NBA Radio. Johnson particularly credited Brown for the fact he has improved into an NBA All-Star-caliber […]
Ex-NBA Player Praises Jaylen Brown For Taking ‘Difficult’ Path To Stardom — NESN.com
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Phillies and two-time All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto agreed on a $115.5 million, five-year contract, two people familiar with the deal told The Associated Press.Both people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday because Realmuto’s deal was pending a successful physical. Realmuto gets $20 million next season, of which $10 million is deferred, with $5 million each payable in 2026 and 2027. He gets $23,875,000 in each of the final four years.He does not have a no-trade provision. The deal includes a $1 million assignment bonus if traded.Realmuto’s average annual salary of $23.1 million will become the highest for a catcher, topping the $23 million Joe Mauer averaged in a $184 million, eight-year deal with the Minnesota Twins that covered 2011-18.Realmuto was acquired from the Marlins in February 2019 in a trade that sent right-hander Sixto Sanchez and catcher Jorge Alfaro to Miami along with pitching prospect Will Stewart and $250,000 in international signing bonus pool allocation.Realmuto made his second NL All-Star team with the Phillies in 2019 and earned a Gold Glove. He had career-highs in homers (25), RBIs (83) and slugging percentage (.493) that season. Realmuto, who turns 30 in March, hit .266 with 11 homers, 32 RBIs and a career-best OPS of .840 last season. He earned $3,703,704 prorated for the pandemic-shortened season from a $10 million salary. His deal is the second-largest of the offseason behind outfielder George Springer’s $150 million, six-year contract with Toronto.Realmuto’s market narrowed last month when the New York Mets went for a less expensive option and signed James McCann to a $40.6 million, four-year deal.___More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
AP sources: Phillies, Realmuto agree on $115.5 million deal — The China Post, Taiwan
Since being traded from the Minnesota Timberwolves last year, Andrew Wiggins is embracing a supporting role with the Golden State Warriors.
Wiggins finds success, peace with Warriors after Wolves exit — Chico Enterprise-Record
It was exactly one year ago Tuesday that NBA legend Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven others were killed when their helicopter plunged into a steep hillside in dense morning fog in Southern California; the former Lakers star was 41.
Vanessa Bryant on 1-year anniversary of Kobe and Gianna’s deaths: ‘I will never understand’ — NEWS10 ABC
In a heartfelt Instagram post, former Lakers star Pau Gasol paid tribute to Kobe Bryant on Tuesday, a year after he died in a tragic helicopter crash.
‘I Miss You, Hermano’: Pau Gasol Remembers Kobe Bryant, Daughter Gigi Year After Tragic Crash — CBS Los Angeles
TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (5-2-0 – 10 Points) vs.
CALGARY FLAMES (2-1-1 – 5 Points)
JANUARY 26, 2021 ▪ 9:00 PM EST
SCOTIABANK SADDLEDOME (CALGARY, AB) ▪
TV: SPORTSNET ONTARIO ▪ RADIO: TSN 1050
MAPLE LEAFS HISTORY versus CALGARY
| ALL-TIME RECORD: | 62-60-12-5 (139 Games) |
| ALL-TIME ON THE ROAD: | 26-41-5-2 (74 Games) |
| 2020-21: | 1-0-0 |
| LAST FIVE: | 2-2-1 |
| LAST 10: | 6-3-1 |
MAPLE LEAFS CAREER LEADERS versus CALGARY
| GAMES PLAYED: | Joe Thornton (66), Jake Muzzin (32), Jason Spezza (29) |
| GOALS: | Joe Thornton (11), John Tavares (8), Wayne Simmonds (6), Jason Spezza (6) |
| ASSISTS: | Joe Thornton (44), Jake Muzzin (15), John Tavares (11) |
| POINTS: | Joe Thornton (55), John Tavares (19), Jake Muzzin (18) |
| PENALTY MINUTES: | Jason Spezza (33), Joe Thornton (31), Wayne Simmonds (23) |
MAPLE LEAFS – FLAMES TEAM STATS
| TORONTO | CALGARY | |
| GOALS FOR (Rank): | 22 (t-2nd) | 13 (t-21st) |
| GOALS AGAINST (Rank): | 19 (t-20th) | 9 (5th) |
| POWER PLAY [%] (Rank): | 9/22 [40.9%] (3rd) | 7/20 [35.0%] (6th) |
| PENALTY KILL [%] (Rank): | 21/26 [80.8%] (t-13th) | 14/16 [87.5%] (7th) |
| SHOTS (Rank): | 222 (2nd) | 126 (28th) |
| 5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPTS FOR (Rank): | 308 (1st) | 161 (27th) |
| 5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPT % (Rank): | 54.2% (5th) | 53.6% (t-7th) |
| FACEOFF % (Rank): | 57.3% (2nd) | 46.3% (24th) |
MAPLE LEAFS – FLAMES NOTES
| First Matchup between Clubs: | Nov. 5, 1972 (Toronto 2, Atlanta 2) |
| All-Time Record: | 62-60-12-5 (139 Games) |
| All-Time Record at Home: | 36-19-7-3 (65 Games) |
| All-Time Record on the Road: | 26-41-5-2 (74 Games) |
| Last Win vs. Opponent on the Road: | January 24, 2021 (Toronto 3, Calgary 2) |
MAPLE LEAFS LEADERS
| CATEGORY | LEADER |
| GOALS | 4 (Marner, Tavares) |
| ASSISTS | 6 (Marner) |
| POINTS | 10 (Marner) |
| POWER PLAY POINTS | 5 (Tavares) |
| SHORTHANDED POINTS | N/A |
| PIMs | 17 (Simmonds) |
| SHOTS | 29 (Matthews) |
| FACEOFF WIN% | 100% (Marner, Mikheyev) |
| 5-on-5 SHOT ATTEMPT % | 66.3% (Thornton) |
| BLOCKED SHOTS | 13 (Holl) |
| TAKEAWAYS | 6 (Nylander) |
| HITS | 15 (Hyman) |
| TOI PER GAME | 24:08 (Rielly) |
| PP TOI PER GAME | 3:27 (Matthews) |
| SH TOI PER GAME | 3:45 (Holl) |
MAPLE LEAFS PLAYER NOTES
| Frederik Andersen | – Ranks seventh among NHL goaltenders in saves made (123).- Has an 8-2-2 record with a 2.44 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage in 14 career games against Calgary. – Earned his 139th win as a Maple Leaf on January 22 vs. Edmonton to move past Curtis Joseph for fourth on the Maple Leafs’ all-time goaltender win register. |
| TJ Brodie | – Averaging 18:00 in even-strength ice time, which ranks second among Toronto defencemen.- Averages 2:34 per game in shorthanded ice time, which ranks third among Maple Leafs defencemen.- Ranks third among Maple Leafs in blocked shots (8). |
| Jack Campbell | – Is 3-2-0 in five career appearances against the Flames with a 1.94 goals-against average and a .943 save percentage. |
| Justin Holl | – Leads NHL defencemen who average at least 15 minutes of 5-on-5 ice time (16:44) with a shot attempt percentage of 61.6%.- Averaging 21:30 per game in ice time after averaging 18:31 per game in 2019-20.- Tied for sixth among right-handed NHL defencemen in shorthanded ice time per game (3:45). |
| Zach Hyman | – Leads Maple Leafs forwards in shorthanded ice time per game (3:00).- Has the highest on-ice goals for percentage (57.1%) among Toronto forwards.- One of nine forwards in the NHL to start average over 12:00 minutes per game (13:57) of shorthanded ice time and start fewer than 35% of his 5-on-5 shifts in the offensive zone (33.9%), while having a 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage above 50% (51.9%). |
| Alex Kerfoot | – Ranks sixth among Toronto forwards in points per 60 minutes of ice time (1.47).- Leads the Maple Leafs in penalties drawn (3).- Has won 66.7% (8 won, 4 lost) of his offensive zone faceoffs. |
| Mitch Marner | – Tied for the lead among NHLers in points (4-6-10).- Tied for the NHL lead in even-strength goals (4).- Leads NHL forwards in time on ice per game (24:03). |
| Auston Matthews | – Averaging 23:07 in time on ice per game, which ranks third among NHL forwards.- Ranks fourth among Maple Leafs in 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage (60.4%).- Ranks second in the NHL in shots on goal (29).- Has won the 12th-most faceoffs in the NHL (62). |
| Ilya Mikheyev | – Ranks third among Maple Leafs forwards in shorthanded ice time per game (2:14).- Has an average of 23.0 shot attempts per 60 minutes of shorthanded ice time, which ranks second among NHLers who have played at least 15 minutes of shorthanded ice time. |
| Jake Muzzin | – Ranks 23rd among NHL skaters in shorthanded ice time per game (3:42).- Ranks 13th among NHL defencemen in shot attempts per 60 minutes of ice time (15.57).- Has the 17th highest 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage (59.3%) among NHL defencemen. |
| William Nylander | – Has the third highest points per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 (1.93) among Toronto skaters.- Has a 5-on-5 shot attempt percentage of 62.8%, which is the second-highest percentage among Maple Leafs forwards.- Has recorded six points against the Flames (two goals, four assists) in nine career games against Calgary. |
| Morgan Rielly | – Tied for 23rd among NHLers who have appeared in multiple games in average time on ice (24:08).- Had his eighth career game with three-plus assists on January 24 at Calgary. Per NHL PR, only two defensemen in history have recorded more with the franchise: Borje Salming (29) and Tomas Kaberle (12). |
| John Tavares | – Tied for 13th in the NHL in points (4-3-7).- Leads the NHL in power play goals (4).- Tied for fourth among NHLers in shots on goal (24).- Has the highest faceoff win percentage (64.1%) among NHLers who have taken at least 100 faceoffs (103). |
CURRENT POINT STREAKS
| Mitch Marner | Assists (3) and Points (1-3-4) in two consecutive games. |
| Jason Spezza | Assists (2) in two consecutive games. |
UPCOMING MILESTONES
| Zach Bogosian | Four points from 200 NHL points |
RECENT MILESTONES
| Adam Brooks | First NHL goal (Jan. 22 vs. EDM) |
| Mitch Marner | 300th NHL point (Jan. 24 at CGY) |
| Wayne Simmonds | First goal as a Maple Leaf (Jan. 24 at CGY) First point as a Maple Leaf (Jan. 24 at CGY) 500th NHL point (Jan. 24 at CGY) |
INJURY REPORT
| Nick Robertson (Knee) | On long term injured reserve. |
| Joe Thornton (Rib) | On long term injured reserve. |
| Man Games Lost: 7 | |
RECENT TRANSACTIONS
| Jan. 24 | Added forward Travis Boyd to roster. |
| Jan. 23 | Placed forward Joe Thornton on long term injured reserve. |
| Jan. 21 | Placed forward Nick Robertson on long term injured reserve. Added forward Joey Anderson to the taxi squad. |
| Jan. 19 | Loaned forward Travis Boyd to the Toronto Marlies (AHL). |
Steve Kerr’s decision to change the starting lineup paid off as the Warriors got out to an early lead and led wire-to-wire in their 130-108 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves Monday night at Chase Center. With the previous starting lineup featuring rookie James Wiseman at center struggling, Kerr swapped Wiseman for Kevon Looney in the…
Decision to change starting lineup pays off in Warriors’ win over Timberwolves — Monterey Herald
Sign In Jayson Tatum returned to the floor Monday night for the first time since Jan. 8, and after a first-quarter air ball, it seemed the Boston Celtics star picked up right where he left off. Tatum attacked the rim, finished high off the glass, showcased some difficult shot-making and had a productive night as…
Celtics Notes: Brad Stevens Impressed With Jayson Tatum In Star’s Return — NESN.com
• The Toronto Raptors play the second of consecutive games at Indiana on Monday night. OG Anunoby scored a season-high 30 points to help Toronto defeat the Pacers, 107-102, yesterday afternoon. The Raptors have now won four in a row against Indiana. Toronto will not face the Pacers again during the first half of season.
• The NBA has incorporated steps to reduce travel this year, including the use of a “series” model where a team will play twice in one market. The Raptors will play five “series” in the first half; they have already swept Charlotte and
split with Miami with both “series” being played at home in Tampa.
• The Raptors have won two straight and five of their last six games (Jan. 14-22) after starting the season 2-8. Since Jan. 14, the Raptors rank third in the NBA in points allowed (101.3) and second in opponent field goal percentage (.436). Toronto has held its opponent below 44 percent shooting four times in the last six contests. OG Anunoby and Norman Powell lead the team in scoring, averaging 18.8 and 17.0 points, respectively, during this stretch. The duo combined for 50 points in Sunday’s victory over the Pacers.
• Toronto’s Nick Nurse and Indiana’s Nate Bjorkgren faced each other as head coaches in the NBA for the first time Sunday. Bjorkgren was hired by the Pacers following two seasons as an assistant coach on Nurse’s staff and
was a part of Toronto’s first NBA championship in 2019. Bjorkgren also served as an assistant on Nurse’s staff with the Iowa Energy from 2007-11, where they won an NBA G League championship together in 2011.
• Following the 2011 NBA G League title, Nick Nurse became head coach for Rio Grande Valley Vipers and Nate Bjorkgren became head coach for the Dakota Wizards (which later became the Santa Cruz Warriors). According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Nurse and Bjorkgren met head-to-head seven times in G League action between 2011-2013. Bjorkgren’s teams held a 3-2 edge in five regular-season games, however, Rio Grande Valley and Santa
Cruz met at the 2013 NBA G League Finals with Nurse’s squad prevailing 2-0.
• Former Indiana Hoosier OG Anunoby has scored at least 10 points in a career-high eight consecutive games (Jan. 10-24). Anunoby is averaging a team-high 17.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.5 steals during this stretch. He is
shooting .516 (49-95) from the field, including .571 (28-49) form beyond the arc, over the last eight contests.
• OG Anunoby recorded a season-high 30 points (9-16 FG, 4-6 3PT, 8-10 FT), eight rebounds and tied a season best with five steals Sunday afternoon at Indiana. Anunoby joined Kawhi Leonard as the only players in franchise
history with multiple games of at least 30 points, five rebounds and five steals. Anunoby tallied career highs of 32 points and seven steals, along with seven rebounds, Mar. 1, 2020 at Denver.
• Chris Boucher led the reserves with 12 points Sunday against the Pacers. Boucher has now led the bench in scoring in nine games, something he did 13 times in 62 contests in 2019-20. Boucher currently ranks fifth among
reserves in the NBA (min. 10 games off bench) averaging 14.6 points – behind Jordan Clarkson (17.4), Terrence Ross (15.2), Derrick Rose (14.8) and Shake Milton (14.6).
• Kyle Lowry needs 14 points to join DeMar DeRozan (13,296) and Chris Bosh (10,275) as the only players in franchise history to score 10,000 career points. Golden State’s Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, Portland’s Damian Lillard, Washington’s Bradley Beal and Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo are the only active players with 10,000 points with their current team. Lowry is Toronto’s all-time leader in three-pointer made (1,424), assists
(4,031) and steals (841).
.Kyle Lowry will play after missing two games with an infected toe. Pascal Siakam (left knee swelling) will not play for the second game in a row.
PACERS NOTES
• The Pacers will play on the second night of a back-to-back for the fourth time this season. Indiana is 2-1 this season in the second night.
• Malcolm Brogdon led the Pacers with 23 points in the win over the Magic, and sank the game-winning 3-pointer with 2.8 seconds remaining to lift Indiana to the win. Brogdon has made the
game-winner in both of the Pacers’ overtime wins this season.
• Brogdon is Indiana’s leading scorer this season with 21.9 points per game, an improvement of 5.4 points per game off his previous career-high average he set last season (16.5). He also
leads the Pacers with 7.1 assists and is averaging a career-best 1.6 steals per game.
• After missing the previous two games with a right hand injury, Defensive Player of the Year candidate Myles Turner has averaged 23.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.5 blocks per game and shot
65.4 percent (17-26) from the field and 53.8 percent (7-13) from 3-point range over the last two games.
Turner returned to the court Friday against Orlando and scored 22 points to go with nine rebounds and three blocks in 43 minutes. He set a new season high with 25 points and recorded
three steals and six blocks Sunday against Toronto.
• Despite missing two games, Myles Turner leads the NBA this season with 59 blocked shots, a total of 16 more than the NBA’s second-ranked player (Utah’s Rudy Gobert, 43). Turner has
ranked in the NBA’s top four in blocks per game in each of the last four seasons.
• Domantas Sabonis has opened the season by recording 16 consecutive double-doubles. Sabonis’ streak is the longest of his career and the longest streak in NBA franchise history. With his
109th double-double as a member of the Pacers Wednesday against Dallas, he passed Roy Hibbert (108) into seventh place for the most double-doubles in franchise history.
• Sabonis is one of six players since the ABA-NBA merger to record a double-double in at least 15 straight games to open the season (Basketball-Reference). He joins Bill Walton (34, 1976-77),
Moses Malone (16, 1981-82), Kevin Love (15, 2011-12), Giannis Antetokounmpo (19, 2019-20) and Nikola Jokic (16, 2020-21) on that list. Joining Denver’s Nikola Jokic with 15 double-doubles
through 15 games this season, this is the first NBA season since 1967-68 that two players had 15 double-doubles in the first 15 games of a season in the same year when Nate Thurmond and
Wilt Chamberlain did so.
• Sabonis leads the NBA in minutes per game as he has averaged 38.3 minutes played. He logged a career-high 45 minutes in Friday’s overtime win over Orlando as he tallied 18 points, 11
rebounds, nine assists and a career-high five steals.
• After missing the first 13 games this season, and 29 straight regular season games after suffering a torn left ACL on Feb. 23 last season, Jeremy Lamb returned to the court Wednesday
against Dallas. He finished with 10 points off the bench, and made his first four shots from the floor. Lamb followed that by posting 22 points on 7-for-14 from the field and 7-for-8 from the free
throw line to go with seven rebounds in 28 minutes of Friday’s win over Orlando.
• Doug McDermott has scored in double figures in five straight games and 12 of his 16 outings overall this year. He has started each of the last four games and has averaged 16.3 points, 4.5
rebounds and 2.8 assists while shooting 45.8 percent from 3-point range over that span.
• McDermott made his first start of the season Sunday against the Clippers (and only his second start in his three seasons with the Pacers), and led all scorers with a season-high 23 points
on 9-for-12 shooting and 5-for-7 from 3-point range. He made his first six shots from the field including his first three triples.
• After starting the season shooting 5-for-19 (26.3 percent) from 3-point range over the first four games, McDermott has shot 25-for-61 (42.6 percent) over the last 12.
• Justin Holiday has started the last seven games and has averaged 11.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 41.0 percent from 3-point range over that span.
• T.J. McConnell missed three games from Jan. 9-12 due to personal reasons. Over the five games since his return, McConnell has recorded 33 assists and 12 steals and has only committed
six turnovers over 24.6 minutes per game. He finished with six points, three rebounds, six assists and three steals with only one turnvover in 31 minutes (the most he has logged in his two
seasons with the Pacers) in Friday’s win over Orlando.
The view from left field 