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Knicks advance to NBA Cup Finals after high-flying 132-120 win over Magic

The Knicks beat the Orlando Magic, 132-120, on Saturday night in Las Vegas to move on to the NBA Cup Finals for the first time.

Here are the takeaways...

-- Things got off to a fast start in this one as both teams shot over 60 percent from the field in the first quarter which featured nine lead changes. Both squads did most of their damage in the paint early on with guys running up and down the court for easy transition buckets or creating their own shot in the mid-range. 

-- In fact, New York only made two threes (on eight attempts) in the opening 12 minutes -- both by OG Anunoby and one with 4.8 seconds left in the quarter -- but still scored 33 points. However, the Magic, led by Jalen Suggs, did even better and put up 36 points.

-- Suggs continued to lead Orlando in the second quarter and scored a career-high 25 points in the first half, although he seemed to injure himself slightly just before the break. The Magic needed every bit of it, too, because the rest of the team's hot shooting from the first quarter largely disappeared as they shot under 40 percent in the second, although they still scored 28 points.

-- The Knicks, particularly Jalen Brunson, took advantage of Orlando's poor shooting and continued to lean on points in the paint to get it done, taking the lead by doing whatever they wanted near the basket. From Brunson to Mikal Bridges to even Tyler Kolek, everybody got involved. Still, it was Brunson who was matching Suggs' offensive output with 24 of his own in the first half.

-- After another quarter shooting over 60 percent from the field and scoring 38 points, New York went into halftime with a 71-64 lead.

-- Needing help from players not named Suggs and no Franz Wagner in the lineup, Paolo Banchero got more involved out of the gates after a quiet first half and helped the Magic get closer. After tying it, Orlando even took the lead on Desmond Bane two-pointer with 5:24 left in the quarter that made it 87-85 and forced head coach Mike Brown to call a timeout.

-- The Knicks regrouped after the pause and closed out the quarter on a 14-3 run to be up eight going into the fourth quarter.

-- With a trip to the NBA Cup Finals on the line, New York put Orlando away in the final frame, never allowing the Magic to get back into the game. Karl-Anthony Towns had 10 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter and put the exclamation point of a convincing win with a dunk in the final seconds.

-- Brunson went for a game-high 40 points on 16-for-27 from the field and added eight assists, four rebounds and a steal. Every other Knicks starter finished with double-digit points as the team shot 61 percent from the floor. 

-- With Josh Hart once again in the starting lineup, New York improved to 9-1 this season with him as a starter compared to 9-6 with Hart coming off the bench.

-- After his phenomenal first half, Suggs disappeared in the second half and scored just one point as the injury sustained likely played a role.

Game MVP: Jalen Brunson

Brunson was doing whatever he wanted all game, getting to his spots and knocking down shot after shot from start to finish.

Highlights

What's next

The Knicks will play the winner of the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Cup Finals on Tuesday, Dec. 16 at 8:30 p.m. in Las Vegas.

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Avalanche vs. Predators: Colorado Looks to Clinch Season Series at Ball Arena

The Colorado Avalanche face the Nashville Predators for the second time in three games tonight at Ball Arena, closing out a brief two-game homestand. 

Colorado is coming off a 4–3 shootout loss to Nashville on December 10. 

Colorado Avalanche 

Tonight’s matchup serves as the rubber match of the season series between the two clubs. 

The Avalanche took the first meeting on November 22 at Bridgestone Arena with a 3–0 shutout win on the second night of a back-to-back. Mackenzie Blackwood stopped all 35 shots he faced, while Brent Burns opened the scoring just 15 seconds into the game — a goal that stood as the game-winner. Nathan MacKinnon and Jack Drury added late empty-net goals to seal the victory. 

The second meeting came this past Tuesday, again in Nashville. A late equalizer from Cale Makar in the final seconds of regulation forced overtime, but the Predators ultimately prevailed in a shootout to earn a 4–3 win. Scott Wedgewood stopped 28 of 31 shots, settling in after an uneven start. During the shootout, Wedgewood collided with former teammate Filip Forsberg and was removed from the game by a concussion spotter. Despite the unusual sequence — which allowed him to face another shooter before being pulled — the Avalanche secured a point to remain atop the Central Division. 

Colorado enters tonight’s contest fresh off a convincing 6–2 victory over the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers on Thursday. On a night honoring the franchise’s 1996 Stanley Cup-winning roster, the Avalanche delivered a performance worthy of the occasion. Gavin Brindley returned after missing 10 games with a torn muscle and scored the eventual game-winning goal early in the second period. Nathan MacKinnon added his 25th goal of the season — the 392nd of his career — surpassing Joe Sakic for the most goals in franchise history. 

Projected Lineup 

Forwards 

Artturi Lehkonen – Nathan MacKinnon – Martin Nečas 

Gabriel Landeskog – Brock Nelson – Valeri Nichushkin 

Victor Olofsson – Ross Colton – Gavin Brindley 

Parker Kelly – Jack Drury – Joel Kiviranta 

Defense 

Cale Makar – Devon Toews 

Josh Manson – Brent Burns 

Samuel Girard – Sam Malinski 

Goaltenders 

Mackenzie Blackwood 

Scott Wedgewood 

Nashville Predators 

Despite sitting last in the Central Division, Nashville has played well of late, winning six of its last eight games — including Tuesday’s shootout victory over Colorado. 

Tonight marks the opening game of a two-game road trip for the Predators, who arrive in Denver after a 7–2 win over St. Louis on Thursday. Steven Stamkos recorded the 15th hat trick of his NHL career and factored into four of the team’s seven goals. Luke Evangelista added three assists, while Juuse Saros made 24 saves. Saros is expected to start again tonight. 

Nashville’s lineup will look slightly different from Tuesday’s meeting. Defenseman Spencer Stastney was traded to the Edmonton Oilers on Friday in exchange for a 2027 third-round pick. The 25-year-old appeared in parts of four seasons with the Predators, totaling three goals and 15 assists in 81 games. 

The Predators will wrap up their road trip Monday night with a rematch against St. Louis at Enterprise Center — their second meeting in three games. 

Projected Lineup 

Forwards 

Steven Stamkos – Ryan O’Reilly – Luke Evangelista 

Filip Forsberg – Erik Haula – Jonathan Marchessault 

Reid Schaefer – Fedor Svechkov – Matthew Wood 

Michael Bunting – Tyson Jost – Michael McCarron 

Defense 

Nicolas Hague – Roman Josi 

Brady Skjei – Adam Wilsby 

Nick Perbix – Nick Blankenburg 

Goaltenders 

Justus Annunen

Juuse Saros

Start Time & Broadcast 

Time: 7:00 p.m. MST / 9:00 p.m. EST 

Watch: ALT, ALT+, KTVD (Avalanche broadcast area), FDSNSO, ESPN+, NHL Center Ice (U.S. out of market), SN+, NHL Centre Ice (Canada) 

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Islanders edge out Lightning with 3-2 win in shootout

NEW YORK (AP) — Emil Heineman and Mathew Barzal scored in the shootout, and the New York Islanders defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 on Saturday night.

Matthew Schaefer and Cal Ritchie scored in the first period for New York, with Anthony Duclair assisting on both, and the Islanders extended their winning streak to three games. Ilya Sorokin made 32 saves and stopped two of three Tampa Bay attempts in the shootout.

Darren Raddysh and J.J. Moser scored for Tampa Bay. Jonas Johansson finished with 15 saves, and Nikita Kucherov had two assists as the Lightning closed a four-game road trip.

Moser tied the game at 3:20 of the third period off an offensive-zone faceoff. Tampa Bay won the draw cleanly, and Kucherov slid the puck to Moser, who beat Sorokin over the glove.

The Islanders took a 2-0 lead in the opening period.

Schaefer scored a power-play goal through the legs of Johansson at 3:05, and Ritchie made it 2-0 with a wrist shot over the blocker midway through the first.

Raddysh scored on a five-on-three power play midway through the second period to pull the Lightning within one.

Tampa Bay outshot New York 17-1 in the second period.

Pat LaFontaine was honored before the game as the Islanders inducted him into the franchise Hall of Fame and Ring of Honor at UBS Arena. LaFontaine finished his 15-year NHL career with 1,013 points (468 goals, 545 assists), including 566 points (287 goals, 279 assists) in 530 games with the Islanders.

Up next

Lightning: Host Florida Panthers on Monday.

Islanders: Visit Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday.

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Cavaliers Evan Mobley expected to miss 2-4 weeks with calf strain

While injuries have hit the Cavaliers hard to start the season — Darius Garland, Sam Merrill and Jarrett Allen have missed significant time, while Max Strus has yet to play — Evan Mobley has been a rock this season.

Until now, Mobley strained his calf against the Wizards on Friday night and is expected to miss 2-4 weeks, the team announced.

Mobley is the latest star to miss time with a calf strain this season.

Mobley is averaging 19.1 points and 9.3 rebounds a game this season, shooting 35.2% from 3-point range. While those counting stats are close to what Mobley did a season ago, he has been less efficient getting there, with a 57.6 true shooting percentage (close to the league average), well off the 63.3 he had last season (and a concern because the Cavaliers needed him to take a step forward. More concerning is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year not being there to protect the rim for a few weeks — the Cavaliers' defense is 2.9 points per 100 possessions worse when Mobley is off the court. The good news is the Cavaliers should get center Jarrett Allen back.

Mobley has missed just one game so far this season, but if he is out for a month, he will be in danger of not playing 65 games, making him ineligible to defend his title or, once again, make the All-NBA team.

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Why Liam Öhgren Is An Intriguing Prospect Canucks Fans Should Be Excited About

One of the three players the Vancouver Canucks received in the Quinn Hughes trade was winger Liam Öhgren. The 21-year-old is from Sweden and has already played 46 games in the NHL. Listed at 6'0", 187 lbs, Öhgren was drafted 19th overall by the Minnesota Wild in 2022. 

Öhgren's name should sound familiar to Canucks fans as he spent his pre-NHL career in Sweden playing alongside Jonathan Lekkerimäki. The two played for Djurgårdens IF and were often on a line together both for their club and when selected to play internationally for Sweden. It is clear that these two have some chemistry, which could help Lekkerimäki and Öhgren get more settled in the NHL. 

Here is what The Hockey News' 2023 Draft Preview edition said about Öhgren. In the edition, he was ranked 20th overall. As for his best-case comparable, that was Filip Forsberg. 

"The Captain of Sweden’s world under-18 team, Ohgren was a solid contributor for the gold-winning side, especially in the final when he had two goals and three points in the 6-4 win over Team USA. But the template for success was set earlier, as Ohgren ripped up the Swedish junior ranks. “He’s well-built and has a heavy release,” said one scout. “He has a shoot-first mentality, but he can also make plays. More of an up-and-down winger with compete level and skill.”

Ohgren spent half the year up in the SHL, and while he didn’t post numbers, that experience is good for a teenager. Unfortunately, Djurgarden was relegated, so his next action with the team would be in the second-tier Allsvenskan. Nonetheless, he has a great skill package.

The only question is what his ceiling will be. “He’s strong and well along the way (in his development),” said another scout. “Well built, strong skater, easy to project, and he’s got unbelievable numbers in junior. It just depends on whether people think it will translate. Is he a point producer or more of a hardworking, up-and-down winger on projection? I mean, he’s been a goal-per-gamer.”

 Öhgren is known for his heavy shot. He isn't afraid to get pucks on net, which is evident by his 40 shot attempts in 18 games this year. Where Öhgren's shot comes in handy is on rush attempts, as he can drive pucks on net and create rebounds off the wing. 

Öhgren is also a player who uses his speed to get in on the forecheck and throw hits on defenders. He has 29 hits this year and, as per the NHL stats page, is averaging 10.13 per 60 minutes played. At this point, he is still learning how to be an impactful player at the NHL level, but that is not uncommon for prospects of his age. 

Dec 11, 2025; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Wild left wing Liam Ohgren (28) awaits the face-off against the Dallas Stars in the third period at Grand Casino Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

This season has not gone the way Öhgren had planned. He doesn't have a point in his first 18 games and is averaging just 9:32 of ice time. That being said, his game has started to trend upwards over the last two games, as he had 13 shot attempts for the Wild.

If Vancouver can develop Öhgren correctly, they may have just added a key part of their top-six for the foreseeable future. He is an intriguing prospect who has the potential to contribute both at even strength and on the power play. Ultimately, it was a savvy move to include him in the Hughes deal, as Öhgren could have a bright future ahead of him. 

Make sure you bookmark THN's Vancouver Canucks site and add us to your favourites on Google News for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Also, don't forget to leave a comment at the bottom of the page and engage with other passionate fans through our forum. This article originally appeared on The Hockey News.

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Jarred Vanderbilt hoping for an opportunity to help Lakers on defense

LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 18, 2025: Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) sits next to Los Angeles Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt (2) and Los Angeles Lakers forward Jake LaRavia (12) during the game against the Utah Jazz at Crypto.com Arena on November 18, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt, sitting between teammates LeBron James, left, and Jake LaRavia, rarely has played in the last 10 games, but with Austin Reaves injured, the defensive specialist might be an option to join the rotation. (Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

Perhaps Jarred Vanderbilt and his ability to defend can help the Lakers and their reeling defense.

Perhaps Vanderbilt can return to the rotation to help the Lakers’ defensive woes while guard Austin Reaves is out for approximately a week because of a mild left calf strain.

And perhaps Vanderbilt and the Lakers can get some immediate results for shoring up their defensive shortcomings when they face the Suns in Phoenix on Sunday afternoon.

The 6-foot-8 Vanderbilt is hopeful that his opportunity will come against the Suns and he turns that into a positive for the Lakers.

"Oh, yeah, I'm pretty eager,” he said after practice Saturday. “I mean, obviously, I think a lot of the stuff we lack, I think I can help provide on that end."

In the last 10 games, Vanderbilt had only a three-minute stint against the Philadelphia 76ers because Jake LaRavia took a shot to the face that loosened a tooth.

Read more:Lakers look to sharpen defensive focus for Suns; Austin Reaves sidelined by injury

The return of LeBron James and Vanderbilt’s offensive deficiencies left him out of the rotation. During much of that time the Lakers were winning, which meant Vanderbilt spent time on the bench.

In 15 games, Vanderbilt is three for 10 (26.6%) from three-point range. He was asked how he has been handling things.

"Good,” Vanderbilt said. “Controlling what I can control. Keep showing up to work, doing my part, supporting the team."

Vanderbilt was asked if coach JJ Redick or any assistants have spoken to him about his role.

"Kind of here and there, I guess,” Vanderbilt said.

Vanderbilt was seen after practice Saturday working with an assistant coach on his shooting, just like he did after practice Friday and like he has done while not playing.

Read more:Lakers' Austin Reaves to miss at least a week because of calf strain

Redick said Reaves, who played against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night, wasn’t sure when the calf became an issue, and “we’re obviously gonna be cautious with it.”

“It's a mild strain, Grade 1, and he'll be out for a week,” Redick said, adding, “I would venture to say every player is a little bit different, but players now are becoming more cautious — to use that word again — more cautious when they get those diagnosis with the calf. Everything looks clean. It's not in the deep part.”

The Lakers have looked at the last 10 games during the film sessions as a barometer for their defensive problems. But in reality, the Lakers have not been very good on defense all season while producing a 17-7 record because of their stellar offense.

"It's been a trending thing even when we was winning, so I think like you said, the defense still wasn't there, but we was just outscoring everybody,” Vanderbilt said. “So, I think obviously during the loss, it's an appropriate time to address certain things just so it won't keep lingering and get worse."

The Lakers are 18th in the NBA in points given up (116.8), 22nd in opponents' field-goal percentage (48.1%) and 27th in opponents' three-point shooting (38.2%).

They will face a Suns team that defeated them Dec. 1 at Crypto.com Arena. The Lakers were unable to stop Collin Gillesipie, who had 28 points and was eight for 14 from three-point range, and Dillon Brooks, who had 33 points.

It hasn't gotten better in the ensuing days. The Spurs loss was the Lakers' third in the last five games.

"Nobody likes to go watch film after you get your ass kicked,” guard Marcus Smart said. “It's tough because the film never lies. And it exposed us a lot, which we already knew. We were just winning a lot of games. So it was mitigated that way, but it was straight to it: We have to be able to guard.

“The scouting report against us is we're not guarding people. And if we want to be great in this league and do what we're trying to do, you have to be able to guard, especially in the West. These guys are no joke, and they're coming. And especially [if] you got the Lakers across your jersey. They're definitely coming with everything they have. So you can't be expecting any surprises. And that's what it was. It wasn't no sugarcoating anything. It was, 'This is what we got to do.' We've been asked. Let's fix it.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.