AJ Lawson couldn’t help himself when he stepped on Raptors 905’s new practice court.

Lawson, who is on a two-way contract that has him playing regularly for the G-League team in Mississauga, Ont., and the Toronto Raptors, its parent club, had to try every move he could think of on the 905’s new practice court at Paramount Fine Foods Centre.

“I tried to do some trick shots to be able to say I’m the first to ever do this on this court,” said Lawson on Friday. “But it never felt as good as when I dunked it, so I think it’s a good gym.”

Lawson and his 905 teammates have had a few practices at the new facility attached to their home arena — allowing him to break in the rims — but the practice court was formally unveiled in a ceremony attended by Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish, NBA G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment chief operating officer Nick Eaves and Raptors 905 vice-president Courtney Charles.

The brand new 16,000-square foot practice facility was built in a partnership between the City of Mississauga and MLSE, the owners of the Raptors and Raptors 905.

It features a full-sized court, including three baskets, revamped state-of-the-art locker rooms, a large fitness and training space, an extensive medical and rehabilitation area and a dining room and player lounge.

Related Videos

5:33
Catching up on Canada’s big sports moments

Previous Video

Next Video

Raptors 905 head coach Drew Jones said that the facility will help with his team’s mission of developing basketball talent for the NBA team.

Get daily National news

Get daily Canada news delivered to your inbox so you’ll never miss the day’s top stories.

“It allows us to train with a great purpose and consistency,” said Jones. “In the G League, with the roster turnover and the travel, the level of consistency can vary tremendously.

“I think when you’re trying to grow and develop talent, one of the biggest things that the NBA is able to provide is a level of consistency in terms of the work, the atmosphere, the environment.”

Charles said that the facility’s best feature is that players and coaches can train whenever they want.

“When you have a space that you have access to for 24/7 you’re able to have times where you’re able to have one-on-ones with people while they work on free throws, while they work on dribbling, while they work on their game,” said Charles. “We’ve known that when our culture allows us to become a bit more human with someone, that there are the spaces that are comfortable for people, it’s a development opportunity.”

Raptors 905 are the first-ever G League team to have an exclusive NBA regulation basketball court built.

“That’s honestly amazing,” said Lawson. “It just shows that the 905 cares and they’re really putting the work in to help out whoever they can help, to help their players grow.”

Because of MLSE’s partnership with the City of Mississauga, the facility will be allocated to a number of basketball development camps and community groups both during the G League season and its off-season.

“Mississauga is a place that produces great players and coaches and is home to top-tier sport venues,” said Parrish in a statement. “Our long-standing partnership with Raptors 905 and Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment allows us to continue to elevate the calibre of sport in Mississauga.

“This new gym is a big win for us and will benefit both Raptors 905 as their new practice facility while also offering access for residents.”

Lawson, who is from neighbouring Brampton, Ont., but went to high school in Mississauga, loved that local youth will benefit from the new facility.

“As a kid I felt I played more outdoors than indoors, because there wasn’t a lot of facilities I could go train,” he said, sitting at his locker at Scotiabank Arena. “Just the fact that there’s another place you can go train at for kids in Mississauga or the GTA is honestly great.

“They’re going to love it because it just gives them an extra sense of motivation. They can see the next step, like the 905, the NBA, all that’s right there in front of them.”

Saturday’s opening concluded with Raptors 905 players leading a basketball clinic featuring more than 50 children from the Erin Mills Youth Centre, the Mississauga Monarchs and PDM Basketball, who became the first community groups to play on the new practice court.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 14, 2026.

&copy 2026 The Canadian Press

PHOENIX –– Finally, the Dodgers have found something they don’t excel at.

In fact, to this point of spring training, they’ve been significantly worse at it than every other team.

This year, Major League Baseball is introducing an automated ball-strike challenge system (ABS) into regular-season play. And so far, during a trial run in Cactus League exhibition games, the Dodgers have flat-out stunk when trying to appeal pitches.

Overall, the team won just five of the 27 pitch calls they’d challenged entering play Saturday. Among hitters, their 15% success rate (2 for 11) is six points worse than any other team. Among pitchers and catchers, their 21% success rate (3 for 11) isn’t even half as good as the next closest club.

While the Dodgers have downplayed their concern over the early numbers, manager Dave Roberts said they are “going to do an organization forum on Tuesday to get our guys, our hitting coaches, our players to talk about some things, maybe some strategies.”

Roberts also acknowledged that, while many of the Dodgers’ failed challenges have been “borderline” misses, the team’s “idea of the strike zone individually, collectively just hasn’t been great.”

“I honestly don’t know the answer right now,” Roberts added, when asked about the root cause of such pronounced struggles.

With Opening Day less than two weeks away, the team will have to find some better answers quickly.

Granted, the Dodgers have approached the ABS system with a more exploratory mindset in camp. Strategy has not been a priority. Getting calibrated to the exact dimensions of the zone has.

“Even if we’re wrong, we need to use it just to figure out the tops and bottoms of the zone,” first baseman Freddie Freeman said earlier this spring. “A lot of us are still trying to learn it … Spring training is the time to figure it out, figure out your zone and see if you have a better idea of it [before the start of the season].”

Still, their grand total of five successful challenges this spring has felt somewhat jarring. Every other club has at least 12 overturned calls. The Yankees are setting the pace with 37.

“We’ve just got to get that education,” Roberts said. “We’ll be better. I’m certain of that.”

Individually, sample sizes have been minuscule for most of the players expected to be on the Dodgers’ MLB roster. Alex Call and Dalton Rushing are the only ones who have attempted more than one challenge, with Call 1 for 2 and Rushing 0 for 2. Rushing has attempted the most challenges among the team’s catchers, going 2 for 6 on his attempts from behind the plate.

Their biggest lesson so far: Just how fine the margins between a ball and a strike can be.

Earlier this week, Rushing challenged a called ball while catching that was upheld –– with the ABS system showing it missed the zone by less than 1/10th of an inch.

“I would’ve bet my whole life that baseball was touching the zone,” Rushing joked with SportsNet LA afterward. “But that’s what spring training is for.”

On Saturday, Rushing got redemption when he challenged a ball that ABS showed had clipped the corner of the strike zone. As a scoreboard graphic at Camelback Ranch confirmed the successful challenge, Rushing playfully gave thanks by looking toward the sky.

It also remains unclear just how pivotal the ABS system will be when real games start. Teams are only allowed two missed calls before they run out of challenges. Most nights, overturned balls and strikes figure to have only a marginal impact on the outcome of games.

Nonetheless, it is one area the two-time defending champions are focused on improving before Opening Day on March 26.

“At the end of the day, we want to get it right,” Roberts said.

For now, they have nowhere to go but up.

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters

Louis Bielle-Biarrey scored four tries against England

England fell agonisingly short of a famous victory in Paris as Thomas Ramos’ last-gasp penalty saw France snatch a stunning 48-46 victory to retain their Six Nations title.

Ramos nailed a long-range penalty with the clock in the red to settle a 13-try thriller which England looked to have won when Tommy Freeman crossed with four minutes remaining.

More to follow…

This is a breaking news story that is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh this page for the latest updates.

Sky Sports brings you live updates as they happen. Get breaking sports news, analysis, exclusive interviews, replays and highlights.

Sky Sports is your trusted source for breaking sports news headlines and live updates. Watch live coverage of your favourite sports: Football, F1, Boxing, Cricket, Golf, Tennis, Rugby League, Rugby Union, NFL, Darts, Netball and get the latest transfers news, results, scores and more.

Visit skysports.com or the Sky Sports App for all the breaking sports news headlines. You can receive push notifications from the Sky Sports app for the latest news from your favourite sports, you can follow @SkySportsNews on X to get the latest updates and you can also now follow Sky Sports’ WhatsApp channel.

Wales snap 15-game losing streak in Six Nations with bonus-point win over Italy in Cardiff; Aaron Wainwright scores two tries with captain Dewi Lake and fly-half Dan Edwards also dotting down; it is Wales’ first home win in Six Nations since beating Scotland in February 2022

Aaron Wainwright scored two first-half tries

Wales emphatically ended their three-year wait for a Six Nations win with a 31-17 crushing of Italy in Cardiff.

Steve Tandy’s side have shown marked improvement since their shambolic loss to England in round one and were finally rewarded with a win as Aaron Wainwright’s first-half double put them on course for a much-needed victory, their first in the tournament since March 2023 to snap a 15-game Six Nations losing streak.

It will not prevent a third successive wooden spoon unless England fall to a record loss in Paris, but it at least gives some reasons for optimism during uncertain times in Welsh rugby.

No 8 Wainwright crossed twice in 11 minutes during a man-of-the-match display, with captain Dewi Lake also dotting down on the half-hour to give Wales a 21-0 lead at the interval.

The Wales players celebrate Dewi Lake’s try

Fly-half Dan Edwards bagged the bonus-point try, while also adding 11 points with the boot, with replacements Luigi Di Bartolomeo and Tommaso Allan and fly-half Paolo Garbisi responding for the outclassed Italians.

Italy were a shadow of the side that claimed a historic win over England. They employed a kick-heavy gameplan and did edge their hosts in the air on occasion, but it was a frustrating afternoon for their talented backline which was spent mostly on the back foot.

An early Tommaso Menoncello break from inside his own half proved a false dawn, with Garbisi squandering the chance to open the scoring as he dragged a penalty across the posts. Things went steadily downhill from there.

Follow Sky Sports on WhatsApp

Follow Sky Sports on WhatsApp for the latest sports news, videos, features, analysis and much more

Wales went in front on 15 minutes through Wainwright, who ran over Giacomo Nicotera on his way to the tryline, and he forced his way over for a second after the hosts mauled to within a metre of the whitewash.

Another catch and drive on 30 minutes resulted in a try for captain Lake, Edwards converting all three during a dream first period.

Dan Edwards scores Wales’ bonus-point try

Edwards crossed for the bonus-point try after the restart, dummying his way over on penalty advantage, and he tagged on a drop-goal to make it 31-0 after 48 minutes.

Luigi Di Bartolomeo touched down from a driving maul to get Italy on the scoreboard, with replacement prop Archie Griffin yellow-carded for his cynical attempts to take it to ground, but they failed to further reduce the deficit during the 10-minute sin-bin period.

Fellow replacement Allan scored their second, moments after butchering a chance down the right wing, while the TMO ruled out late efforts from Monty Ioane and Leonardo Marin.

Garbisi did dive over in the corner on the final play but Wales supporters were already basking in a first home Six Nations win since February 2022.

The two most recent Big East champions are set to face off in the final of the 2026 Big East Tournament.

With a spot in the NCAA tournament on the line, will it be the St. John’s Red Storm with a second consecutive victory, or will the UConn Huskies take the title back?

The Red Storm held onto a diminishing lead late in the semifinals against Seton Hall, thanks to Big East Player of the Year Zuby Ejiofor.

“We’re playing for a championship,” coach Rick Pitino said after St. John’s 18th win in its last 19th games. “We played for the regular season How to watch St. John’s vs. UConn in the Big East Tournament Finals: Time, livestream as if our life was on the line. We’re going to play tomorrow as if our life is on the line.”

This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping, Page Six, and Decider.com. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. When she’s not writing about (or watching) TV, movies, and sports, she’s also keeping up on the underrated perfume dupes at Bath & Body Works and testing headphones. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews.

Daily fantasy sports users can enter Sleeper Fantasy promo code NYPBONUS when creating an account on Saturday to receive $20 and a 100 percent deposit match up to $100.

Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs continue their playoff push on Saturday against the Charlotte Hornets. LaMelo Ball and the Hornets have gone 8-2 over their last 10 games, aiming for a postseason berth in the East.

Sleeper Fantasy Promo NYPBONUS for Hornets vs. Spurs

Sleeper Fantasy is offering new DFS players a $20 bonus plus a 100 percent deposit match worth up to $100 when registering using the Sleeper Fantasy promo code NYPBONUS.

The DFS platform is also providing higher payouts on 2-leg, 3-leg, and multi-leg entries to give users more value on their picks!

New users must be present in one of these states at sign-up to qualify for the welcome promotion: Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Wisconsin, Wyoming and Washington DC.

How to sign up for Sleeper Fantasy

1. Click this link to sign up.
2. Create an account and input the Sleeper promo code NYPBONUS.
3. Complete your profile.
4. Review and accept Sleeper’s terms and conditions.
5. Make a minimum deposit to unlock the promo.

What our Post expert thinks about Hornets vs. Spurs

Ball vs. Wembanyama is a must-watch matchup between two rare archetypes in the game today.

This will be their second meeting this season, as the Hornets knocked off the Spurs 111-106 back on Jan. 31 in Charlotte.

The Spurs hold one of the best home records in the league with a 25-8 mark at the Frost Bank Center.

Must be 18+ (19+ or 21+ depending on state of residence) and within applicable state. Not available in NJ. Full T&Cs apply.

Why Trust New York Post Betting

Mike Turay is a sports journalist and editor who closely follows the NBA, NFL, college sports and UFC. He has demonstrated expertise in both NBA and NFL player prop bets for nearly three years. Mike is also highly knowledgeable about the sportsbook offer landscape, frequently trying and reviewing the latest apps and sites.

The World Anti-Doping Agency could prevent US President Donald Trump and other officials belonging to the current administration from attending the Los Angeles Olympic Games that will be taking place in a couple of years’ time. WADA is reportedly planning to achieve that by rewriting its rules in a move that could also have major implications on the FIFA World Cup – which will be co-hosted by the United States later this summer.

According to The Associated Press, the proposal of changing rules is on the agenda for a WADA Executive Committee meeting that is set to take place on Tuesday, and is the latest development in the ongoing tussle between Washington DC and the global organisation created to combat doping in elite sport.

The US government had, after all, has refused to pay its annual dues to WADA in a unanimous, bipartisan protest against the agency’s handling of a case involving Chinese swimmers and other issues.

WADA spokesperson James Fitzgerald insists “there’s nothing new” with regards to the proposal for Tuesday’s meeting, adding that discussions pertaining to governments refusing to pay their annual dues has been going on since 2020 and aren’t specific to the United States.

It’s worth noting, however, that the proposal had first been brought up in 2024, around the time the US decided to withhold its annual dues to the Montreal-based organisation and lost its seat on the Executive Committee as a result.

And even if the rule change is passed by the WADA Executive Committee, it will largely be symbolic since an international sports federation has limited powers when it comes to preventing an elected head of state from attending an event within the borders of his own country.

Trump administration remains firm in its stance against WADA

The Trump administration, meanwhile remains firm in its stance of demanding “accountability and transparency” from WADA.

“In spite of WADA’s increasing threats, we continue to stand firm in our demand for accountability and transparency from WADA to ensure fair competition in sport,” said Sara Carter, Director of the US Office of National Drug Control Policy.

Rahul Gupta, Carter’s predecessor at ONDCP, further described WADA’s reported plans of barring Trump from attending two high-profile events on home soil as “ludicrous”.

“I have never heard of a $50-million-budget Swiss foundation being able to enforce a rule to, for example, prevent the United States president from going anywhere. And the next question you have to ask is: How are you going to enforce it? Are they going to post a red notice from Interpol? It’s ludicrous. It’s clear they have not thought this through,” said Gupta, who was on the WADA executive committee two years ago and led the movement to reject the proposal.