MILWAUKEE (AP) — Paolo Banchero scored 33 points and the Orlando Magic cruised to a 130-91 win Sunday night over the Milwaukee Bucks, who rested Giannis Antetokounmpo in the second game of a back-to-back.
Jalen Suggs added 20 points and Desmond Bane had 18 for the Magic, who won their fourth straight to remain sixth in the Eastern Conference, one game behind fifth-place Toronto and percentage points ahead of Miami.
Orlando never trailed and led 67-55 at halftime. Early in the fourth quarter, Suggs hit a 3-pointer to start a 12-0 run that extended the Magic's lead to 26 points. Banchero headed to the bench for good late in the third with Orlando ahead by 31.
Bobby Portis had 18 points and 10 rebounds and Cam Thomas scored 17 for the Bucks, who beat Utah on Saturday night but have lost five of six.
Antetokounmpo has played in three games since he missed 15 with a right calf strain. The 31-year-old has sat out 30 games this season, by far the most of his 13-year career.
The Bucks are 11th in the East, 4 1/2 games behind 10th-place Charlotte, and face a difficult path just to reach the play-in tournament with 19 games left.
Milwaukee was also missing second-leading scorer Kevin Porter Jr. for a third straight game because of swelling in his right knee.
Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Giannis' little-used older brother, played a season-high 9 minutes and finished with four points.
VANCOUVER (AP) — South Africa has joined Fiji atop the World Rugby Sevens Series men's standings after beating Spain 38-12 on Sunday in the final of the Vancouver Sevens.
Player of the Tournament Tristan Leyds provided a series of try assists in the first half which allowed South Africa to take control of the final before halftime. It went on to win its 47th World Series tournament title while Spain remains without a title after three finals appearances.
Jorja Miller inspired New Zealand to a 24-17 win over Australia in the women's final, it's fifth-straight win in Vancouver and it's third win in five tournaments this season.
Australia rallied from 17-5 down just after halftime to level the match at 17-17 but New Zealand secured possession at the restart and Alena Saili scored the match-winning try.
New Zealand leads Australia by six points in the season standings with one tournament remaining in New York before the season finals. Australia and New Zealand have met in all five women's finals this season with New Zealand winning three and Australia two.
Spain's strong showing
Spain reached its first men's final of the season after an outstanding tournament in which it beat New Zealand in pool play and two-time Olympic champion Fiji in the semifinals.
But it struggled against South Africa's physical style in the final. Leyds played a key role with assists which led to tries by Sebastian Jobb and Shilton van Wyk as South Africa led 17-0 by halftime. Ryan Oothuizen opened the scoring for South Africa.
Van Wyk's second try put South Africa in control at 24-0 and after tries for Spain by Jeremy Trevithick and Anton Legorburu Impi, Visser closed out the match for the South Africans.
“It's an amazing feeling,” Visser said. “It's such a privilege to play in finals and pull the jersey over our heads.
“Sometimes we take it for granted but it's really an amazing feeling and we're just really grateful for it. We have to keep on this momentum next week in New York.”
Miller leads New Zealand's charge
Miller was hugely influential in the women's final, winning turnovers as New Zealand pressured Australia on defense.
Jaymie Kolosi scored New Zealand's first try and Miller scored the second before a try for Australia to Maddison Levi made the score 12-5 at halftime.
Katelyn Vahaakolo scored from a break by Miller, expanding New Zealand's lead to 17-5 in the first minute of the second half.
Australia then began to find gaps in the New Zealand defense through which Levi slipped to score her second try. MacKenzie Davie came off the bench to score the try that leveled the scores.
New Zealand captain Risi Pouri Lane made space for Waaka who set up the winning try for Saili.
“I think when we've got a team that plays for more than just themselves there's always a greater purpose to it,” Pouri Lane said. “Cultural connection is a great part of it and when we work so hard to have a genuine connection off the field it does pay off on the field.”
Jonathan Pintaro makes his major league debut pitching in the ninth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field on June 25, 2025 in New York City.
Observations from Mets spring training on Monday.
In a Pinch
Jonathan Pintaro provided 2 ¹/₃ scoreless innings in relief for the Mets in their 10-4 exhibition victory over the Yankees at Clover Park. The right-hander allowed three hits and two walks over that stretch, but recorded three strikeouts to escape trouble.
Jonathan Pintaro makes his major league debut pitching in the ninth inning against the Atlanta Braves at Citi Field on June 25, 2025 in New York City. Getty Images
Slow Go
Jorge Polanco finished 0-for-3 with a strikeout and is batting only .143 in the exhibition season. Polanco started at first base.
Jorge Polanco drives the ball in the fourth inning against the New York Yankees. Getty Images
Caught My Eye
Hollywood legend Ron Howard was on the field near the Mets dugout before the game and struck up conversations with players and staff.
Monday’s Schedule
Zach Thornton will be on the mound for the Mets against the Marlins at Clover Park.
For the second consecutive game, the Detroit Red Wings lost a key member of their lineup because of an on-ice injury.
However, the result of Sunday evening's game was far more positive than the result of Friday evening's game.
The Red Wings leapfrogged the Montreal Canadiens for third place in the Atlantic Division standings with a 3-0 victory over the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center, the kind of response needed after a two-game winless skid on home ice.
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) March 9, 2026
Now, the attention will turn to the status of goaltender John Gibson, who was shaken up after Devils forward Timo Meier shoved Lucas Raymond into him in the closing seconds of the second period.
He was replaced by Cam Talbot to begin the third period; both Gibson and Talbot became the first Red Wings goaltenders since Jonas Gustafsson and Jimmy Howard in 2014 to have a combined shutout in the same contest.
Gibson made 21 saves before his departure, followed by Talbot's 10 saves.
Detroit was already playing without Dylan Larkin, who suffered a lower-body injury on Friday against the Florida Panthers and was designated as day-to-day by head coach Todd McLellan.
Defenseman Justin Faulk, who was acquired from the St. Louis Blues on Friday, made his Red Wings debut and skated in 19:28 of ice time, registering three shots on goal while blocking three shots. He also had four hits.
Detroit struck first in the opening 20 minutes of play, as a shot from the point by defenseman Moritz Seider deflected off a Devils player and sailed past goaltender Jacob Markstrom.
Playing in his home state of New Jersey, first-year Red Wings forward James van Riemsdyk deflected a shot from Seider past Markstrom while on the power-play in the second period. It was his 15th goal of the season and first in 12 games.
While the Devils attempted to press and get back into the contest, Talbot held down the fort in Gibson's absence during the final frame.
The scoring was then capped by Dominik Shine, who tallied his first NHL goal by converting on a perfect centering feed from van Riemsdyk, increasing the lead to 3-0. The team captain of the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins, Shine was recalled in late February.
Detroit will continue its road swing by visiting the Sunshine State for a rematch against the Panthers, followed by the Tampa Bay Lightning.
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 08: Marcus Smart #36 and Jaxson Hayes #11 of the Los Angeles Lakers react against the New York Knicks in the first half at Crypto.com Arena on March 08, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
While it wasn’t necessarily a direct indicator of potential playoff success, the Lakers’ inability to beat “good” teams was a growing concern and trend.
Regardless of whatever metric or arbitrary line in the sand you wanted to draw, the Lakers were not beating the best teams in the league. As the postseason ticked closer and closer, it became a harder fact to ignore.
One win over the Knicks doesn’t change anything in and of itself, but it’s a start. With a whole lot of opportunities coming up to beat more good teams, Sunday was at least a start in the right direction.
So, let’s dive into the win. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.
This is one of the all-time Marcus Smart performances. It was chaotic, good, bad and impactful. And yet, he finished with a game-high plus-minus of +27.
His fourth quarter featured repeated missed 3-pointers, yet he kept following that up with a big defensive play on the other end. Peak Marcus Smart.
Rui started this game out red hot, hitting his first four shots. Clearly, he tailed off the rest of the game offensively, but it was still a strong start that got the Lakers going early. Plus, seven rebounds from Rui is like 14 rebounds from a traditional power forward.
This was actually a strong Ayton game, particularly defensively. It felt like he was defending Karl-Anthony Towns really well on top of knowing the gameplan. The Lakers went with three bigs in this game, but I think that could be the plan moving forward regardless of how well one of them plays.
Welcome back, Austin Reaves. To say he was due for this would be an understatement, but it couldn’t have come at a better time. He was knocking down threes and getting to the rim, but the surest sign that he was back is that he was foul grifting at a high level again.
What Luka lacked in efficiency, he made up for everywhere else. His shotmaking at multiple times in this one was outstanding, highlighted by his three while falling out of bounds.
Off of one leg at the buzzer & falling into the crowd
He also made a number of plays defensively, ranging from ones you can count with stats like steals or ones you can’t, like contesting shots or forcing turnovers.
It remains impressive how quickly Luke has not just fit into this team but excelled. He is closing games and his ability to space the floor opens up so much for Luka, Austin and Jaxson Hayes. He’s exactly what this team needed and has been a great addition.
It’s surprising that Hayes did not make a field goal in this game because it felt like an impactful performance. He was battling on the glass and fighting defensively. And, again, it was the right call to have him close the game.
While Jake still is lacking in the offensive production, he’s making up for it with his hustle. He came up with a trio of big offensive rebounds, two of those in the fourth. If he’s make hustle plays, you can look past some of his shortcomings right now as a scorer.
A real Vando special in this one as the Lakers got both a corner three and a block at the rim from him. But he also got confused on a defensive assignment which led to him fouling KAT for an and-one, which might be a little peak into why his playing time has gone down.
Grade: C
Maxi Kleber
10 minutes, 1 steal, 2 fouls, -1
Pour one out for Maxi Kleber’s nose, which took a walloping from KAT. Somehow, it was Kleber’s nose who fouled KAT on that play, too.
Grade: C
JJ Redick
The Lakers came out ready to go from the jump in this one. More impressively given their track record, they put the game to bed, really, in the third quarter. They never let go of the rope in the fourth as New York made a small run and closed it out without much cause for concern.
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — John Gibson and Cam Talbot combined to make 31 saves, Dominik Shine scored his first NHL goal and the Detroit Red Wings beat the New Jersey Devils 3-0 on Sunday night.
Opening a four-game trip, Detroit ended a two-game losing streak and stopped the Devils’ winning streak at four.
Gibson made 21 saves in first two periods, but was injured at the end the second. Talbot stopped 10 shots in the third. They became the first Detroit goalies to combine for a shutout since Jonas Gustavsson and Jimmy Howard in 2014.
Moritz Seider and James van Riemsdyk also scored, and each assisted on Shine’s third-period goal. Seider scored on a wrist shot at 3:20 of the first. Van Riemsdyk tipped in a shot from the point on a power play at 6:37 of second.
Shine broke through on a snap shot with 9:36 left. The 32-year-old forward was playing his fifth NHL game of the season and the 14th of his career.
Defenseman Justin Faulk made his Red Wings debut after being acquired from St. Louis on Friday.
Jacob Markstrom made 27 saves for New Jersey in the fourth game of seven-game homestand. The Devils were coming off a 6-3 victory over the New York Rangers on Saturday. Jack Hughes had a hat trick in that game.
TORONTO, CANADA - MARCH 8: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks drives against Scottie Barnes #4 of the Toronto Raptors during the second half of their NBA game at Scotiabank Arena on March 8, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Mavericks got smoked Sunday night again, losing 122-92 to the Toronto Raptors. The Mavericks were led by Cooper Flaggs ‘ 17-point, eight-rebound, six-assist, one-turnover game, and a dominant 21 and 10 rebound double-double by Daniel Gafford on 10-for-10 shooting. The Raptors pulled the Mavericks apart, with eight of their players finishing with double digits. The best game of their night was had by RJ Barrett, who had 31 points on just six missed shots on 19 attempts. Scottie Barnes also had 17 points while keeping Cooper Flagg in check for the good part of the first half, before the Raptors ended the game entirely by halftime.
Dallas struggled to find an offensive rhythm for most of the first half as Toronto steadily built control of the game. The Mavericks leaned heavily on Daniel Gafford early, who kept them afloat by going a perfect 6-for-6 from the field for 13 points while adding 6 rebounds, finishing lobs, and cleaning up misses while the rest of the offense sputtered. Cooper Flagg still impacted the game despite the scoring struggles, collecting 4 assists and 3 blocks in the half, while Naji Marshall provided a brief spark with a few early baskets. Outside of those contributions, Dallas’ perimeter shooting was the Mavericks’ problem, as the Mavericks shot just 2-of-14 from three and 40.5 percent overall in the half. Toronto took advantage by moving the ball well and consistently generating good looks, piling up 18 assists while getting strong scoring performances from Gradey Dick (16 points) along with steady downhill pressure from RJ Barrett and Scottie Barnes. The Raptors’ length and activity also disrupt Dallas’s possessions in the second, allowing them to gradually push the margin into double digits. By halftime, Toronto led 57–44, thanks to its shooting advantage and Dallas’ cold three-point shooting.
The second half never really turned into much of a game as Toronto maintained firm control from start to finish. The Raptors quickly pushed the lead deeper into double digits early in the third quarter behind steady scoring from RJ Barrett and interior finishes from Jakob Poeltl. At the same time, Dallas struggled to generate any consistent offense outside of Daniel Gafford’s finishes and the occasional Daniel Gafford finishes and occasional shots from Cooper Flagg and Khris Middleton. Toronto’s ball movement continued to carve up the Mavericks’ defense, eventually finishing the Mavericks’ night with 39 assists on 48 made field goals, while Barrett poured in 31 points to lead the way. Dallas briefly showed life with a few Flagg buckets and a couple of Gafford dunks, but the Raptors consistently answered with threes, transition layups, and second-chance opportunities. By the time the fourth quarter arrived, the game had essentially shifted into garbage-time rotations, with both teams emptying the bench over the final minutes. Toronto ultimately cruised the rest of the way to a 122–92 win, outshooting Dallas 50.5% to 39.8% while dominating the flow of the game for the entire second half.
1: Made Max Christie Shot
Max Christie had one of the roughest performances of the Mavericks’ season in this loss; it’s impossible to ignore how much it hurt the offense. In 25 minutes, Christie went just 1-for-11 from the field (9.1%) and 0-for-7 from three, finishing with only 2 points while somehow committing more turnovers (2) than both made shots (1) and assists (1). The struggles were not just missed jumpers, either. Dallas desperately needed guard creation with the offense already sputtering, and Christie repeatedly stalled possessions with forced pull-ups, empty drives, and careless mistakes. When your starting guard logs heavy minutes and produces little efficiency or playmaking, the offense has nowhere to go. The Mavericks finished the night shooting 39.8% from the field and just 5-for-30 from three, and Christie’s brutal shooting night is part of why the offense never found rhythm.
The bigger concern is that this was not some random off-night. Christie has been trending downward for several games now. Over the past week, he has bounced between inefficient shooting nights and low-impact stat lines, including a 4-for-15 night against Charlotte, 2-for-6 against Orlando, and several games hovering around the low teens in scoring with inconsistent playmaking. For a guard expected to stabilize the offense, the assist-to-turnover numbers have been particularly frustrating, and the shooting volatility makes it even harder to justify the minutes. At some point, Dallas has to be honest about roster priorities around Cooper Flagg, and that likely means emphasizing guards who can reliably create offense and space the floor. If this stretch is any indication, Christie is starting to look very expendable heading into the offseason, especially for a team that desperately needs better guard play and offensive stability.
0: Daniel Gafford Missed Shots
Daniel Gafford was one of the few Mavericks who actually showed up in this one, turning in one of his best performances in weeks. Gafford finished a perfect 10-for-10 from the field for 21 points, adding 11 rebounds, three assists, and a block in just over 23 minutes. Nearly all of his scoring came in the ways that make him valuable: rolling hard to the rim, finishing lobs, and cleaning up misses around the basket. While the Mavericks’ perimeter offense struggled, Gafford’s rim pressure and activity on the glass kept Dallas from completely disappearing offensively for stretches.
Watching him dominate the paint like that almost felt like a little advertisement. You could almost imagine a few Raptors fans in the building thinking how nice it would be to have a hyper-efficient rim runner like that coming off the bench for a playoff push. Jokes aside, this is the version of Gafford the Mavericks need to see more often down the stretch. Dallas gave him a contract extension in the fall and clearly valued him on the roster moving forward, but his play since then has been inconsistent. Whether the long-term plan is to keep him or eventually move him, the Mavericks need him to stack efficient games like this to rebuild his trade value and live up to the extension, because when he plays with this kind of energy and efficiency, he still looks like a legitimately impactful center.
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 8: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks is guarded by Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the game on March 8, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
LOS ANGELES — It’s hard to ever get a fanbase to all agree on something, but one thing about the Lakers everyone seems to acknowledge is their struggle to beat good teams.
They are 15-19 against teams with more wins than losses and entering Sunday’s matinee against the Knicks, they had just four victories in 16 attempts against opponents that had a winning percentage above .600.
The Lakers finally flipped the script on Sunday, though, picking up not just a win over a “good” team, but a Knicks side that has the second-best record in the Eastern Conference and defeated them just last month, making the victory all the sweeter.
It wasn’t just the fact that they beat a good team that made this the best result of the year, it was how they did it.
Even with LeBron James out, the Lakers established dominance from the jump. This was a vintage Reaves performance as he wasted no time getting going offensively, scoring the team’s first five points.
He was attacking the paint with positive results — he ended the game going 8-10 from the foul line — and his 3-point shot was back as he knocked down half of his attempts.
“We just kept telling him, ‘touch the paint, touch the paint, touch the paint,’” Lakers head coach JJ Redick said postgame. “He was really strong today. We always talk about physicality on defense, but you need physicality on offense and I thought he was very physical offensively and that allowed him to squirt the basket, allowed him to draw fouls. They’ve got a lot of size and they’re a big team and he did a great job.”
Even with Reaves playing well, it takes a total team effort to defeat the Knicks.
LA was offensively aggressive, taking 44 3-point attempts, well above their season average of 33.5. Rui Hachimura re-entered the starting lineup, replacing LeBron, and scored on his first four shot attempts, ending the game with 13 points. Jaxson Hayes led the bench with 12 points and once again closed out the game.
However, the team’s most impressive feat was also its most shocking. The Lakers won this game largely thanks to their defense.
They held the Knicks to just 97 points, this was only the fourth time this season that LA held a team to under 100.
Not only did New York fail to crack the century mark, but the Lakers ended many of their offensive possessions with turnovers, forcing 19 and scoring 21 points off them. Add in five blocks and holding Mikal Bridges scoreless and it becomes clear why LA earned its second straight win and fifth victory in six games.
“You go down the stretch, I think we had three or four possessions where we end up with either a deflection or steal and all of that was on multiple efforts,” Redick said. “We were able to sustain that for all four quarters.”
Not only did LA win the game easily, but they remained in control during the second half.
With 4:35 left in the third quarter, the Knicks were down by just nine points. The Lakers responded, shutting down the New York, who failed to make a shot for over four minutes. By the time they did, Los Angeles was up by 19.
In the fourth, the Knicks tried to go on a run and got within 13 points thanks to a Jalen Brunson three with 8:23 left in the game. Redick called a timeout and LA’s guards in Dončić, Reaves, and Luke Kennard responded by knocking down shots, never allowing New York to even get within single digits.
The purple and gold did everything to win this game. Marcus Smart was diving on the floor. Luka was sacrificing his body to draw charges. Jarred Vanderbilt was bumping into courtside fans.
This late into the season, every win is needed. The Lakers earning this kind of victory during a nationally televised game against an elite team makes it clear that while LA’s 2025-26 story has completed multiple chapters, how the tale ends has yet to be told.
Inside the Lakers locker room, the win was business as usual. The goal is to never get too high or too low. They passed this test, but plenty more are on the way, with Minnesota next and games against the Nuggets, Rockets and Thunder looming.
“My job is not to overreact,” Redick said. “We’re 15-9 in our last 24 [games]. We’re a top-10 offense and a top-15 defense. That’s what we wanted to be coming into this season with this group, and that’s where our group is right now.”
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — John Gibson and Cam Talbot combined to make 31 saves, Dominik Shine scored his first NHL goal and the Detroit Red Wings beat the New Jersey Devils 3-0 on Sunday night.
Opening a four-game trip, Detroit ended a two-game losing streak and stopped the Devils' winning streak at four.
Gibson made 21 saves in first two periods, but was injured late in the second on a collision in the crease. Cam Talbot stopped 10 shots in the third. They became the first Detroit goalies to combine for a shutout since Jonas Gustavsson and Jimmy Howard in 2014.
Moritz Seider and James van Riemsdyk also scored, and each assisted on Shine's third-period goal. Seider scored on a wrist shot at 3:20 of the first. Van Riemsdyk tipped in a shot from the point on a power play at 6:37 of second.
Shine broke through on a snap shot with 9:36 left. The 32-year-old forward was playing his fifth NHL game of the season and the 14th of his career.
Defenseman Justin Faulk made his Red Wings debut after being acquired from St. Louis on Friday.
Jacob Markstrom made 27 saves for New Jersey in the fourth game of seven-game homestand. The Devils were coming off a 6-3 victory over the New York Rangers on Saturday. Jack Hughes had a hat trick in that game.
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 24: Dairon Blanco #44 of the Kansas City Royals jogs to the dugout during the eighth inning against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on September 24, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Texas Rangers have claimed outfielder Dairon Blanco off waivers from the Royals. Blanco had been designated for assignment earlier this week to make room for the signing of free agent Starling Marte.
The 32-year-old Blanco was the sixth-oldest player on the 40-man roster, despite not yet being arbitration-eligible. He had a late start to his career after defecting from Cuba and was acquired by the Royals in 2019 in a mid-season trade with the Athletics for pitcher Jake Diekman. In parts of four seasons with the Royals, he hit .257/.312/.416 with seven home runs. Speed was his calling card, and he was frequently called on as a pinch-runner, stealing 59 bases, despite just 66 career hits. Blanco appeared in just nine games with the Royals last season, and hit .253/.332/.405 with eight home runs and 32 steals in 77 games for Triple-A Omaha.
Blanco had blazing speed, but for one day, he hit like Babe Ruth. On August 17, 2024, against the Reds, Blanco had a career night with two home runs and 7 RBI, tying a club record. He used a yellow crayon bat for Players’ Weekend, choosing yellow because it was his mom’s favorite color.
Blanco could be erratic at times in the outfield despite his speed. But he wasn’t totally bereft of power like many speedsters, and could be a threat offensively at times. The decision to part ways with a potential base-stealing weapon instead of an outfielder like Drew Waters probably won’t matter much, but it is a bit curious.
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - MARCH 08: Tre Johnson #12 of the Washington Wizards takes a shot over Jeremiah Fears #0 of the New Orleans Pelicans during the first half of a game at Smoothie King Center on March 08, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In an all-too-familiar line, the Washington Wizards lost to the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday, 138-118. Then again, the Wizards’ front office is thinking long term if you know what I mean.
Trae Young got his second game in for Washington and put up solid numbers: 17 points and 8 assists in just 17 minutes. In fact, Young was the only Wizards player with a positive plus/minus ratio tonight. But after Washington led the first quarter 35-32, Washington gradually let the lead slip away until the fourth quarter when New Orleans ran it up. It didn’t hurt that the Pelicans were shooting really well in the fourth quarter while Washington? Not so much. One Wizard, Bilal Coulibaly had an especially not-so-awesome night with shooting efficiency.
For the Pelicans, Trey Murphy led with 24 points. Tre Johnson led the Wizards with 20.
If you were hoping that Juju Reese would pick up right where he left off last Thursday, he played but didn’t start tonight with Alex Sarr returning to the starting lineup. Reese still had 9 rebounds along with 5 points however.
The Wizards’ next game is on Tuesday on the road against the Miami Heat. Tip off is at 7:30 p.m. ET. See you then.
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Tommy Novak scored 17 seconds into overtime to complete a wild comeback in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 5-4 victory over the Boston Bruins on Sunday.
Anthony Mantha scored two third-period goals to help Pittsburgh — playing without franchise cornerstones Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin — snap a three-game losing streak. Second in the Metropolitan Division, Pittsburgh has points in 16 of its last 19 games.
Crosby is out a minimum of four weeks because of a lower-body injury and Malkin served the second of a five-game suspension for slashing Buffalo’s Rasmus Dahlin in the head.
Egor Chinakhov added a power-play goal, Connor Dewar also scored and Arturs Silovs stopped 22 shots. Chinakhov has 14 goals this season and 11 goals in 25 games with Pittsburgh.
Pavel Zacha had his second career hat trick, and David Pastrnak also scored for Boston. The Bruins have lost five of their last eight. They have a three-point lead for the final wild-card spot in the East.
AVALANCHE 3, WILD 2, SO
DENVER (AP) — Nathan MacKinnon scored his NHL-leading 43rd goal and scored the winning goal in a shootout, lifting Colorado to a victory over Minnesota in a matchup between two of the NHL’s top four teams in points.
MacKinnon has 70 points in 55 career games against Minnesota, his most against any opponent.
Both teams converted on one of their first three shootout opportunities before Vladimir Tarasenko was stonewalled by Scott Wedgewood, giving MacKinnon the opportunity to deliver his team a win.
Wedgewood, who leads the NHL in goals against average and is second in save percentage, had 32 saves on 34 Minnesota shots.
Trailing 1-0 entering the third period, the Wild scored two goals in a stretch of 2:44, one on a power play and one short-handed, to take the lead. The Avalanche countered with a Nicolas Roy tip-in goal with 7:21 remaining to send the game into overtime.
STARS 4, BLACKHAWKS 3, OT
DALLAS (AP) — Defenseman Miro Heiskanen scored 22 seconds into overtime to give Dallas a victory over Chicago.
Second in the Western Conference, the Stars are 11-0-1 in their last 12.
Young Chicago star Connor Bedard forced the extra period by scoring with 1:20 left in regulation with the Blackhawks playing with an extra skater.
Mavrik Bourque had a goal and an assist for Dallas. Nathan Bastian and Justin Hryckowian also scored, and Casey DeSmith made 12 saves.
Tyler Bertuzzi and rookie defenseman Sam Rinzel also scored for Chicago, and Arvid Soderblom stopped 28 shots. The Blackhawks are 2-7-4 in their last 13.
The Stars turned a 2-1 deficit going into the third period into a 3-2 lead on Bourque’s goal 42 seconds in and Hryckowian’s power-play goal at 9:40.
The Blackhawks took a 2-0 lead in the first period on a deflection by Bertuzzi at 6:59 and Rinzel’s blast from the slot fewer than two minutes later. Bastian scored Dallas’ first goal late in the period.
Soderblom made consecutive starts for the first time this season with No. 1 Blackhawks goalie Spencer Knight sidelined with an illness.
SABRES 8, LIGHTNING 7
Buffalo, N.Y. (AP) — Josh Doan opened and closed the scoring with power-play goals and Buffalo outlasted Tampa Bay in a wild and feisty showdown for the Atlantic Division lead.
Doan broke a tie with 4:17 left with his 21st goal of the season, helping the Sabres win their seventh straight and move two points ahead of the Lighting.
The teams combined for 100 penalty minutes in a game that included five fights and a postgame scrum. They’ll meet one more time in the regular season on April 6 in Buffalo.
Doan capped a two-goal, third-period comeback for Buffalo in a game the Sabres led by three goals.
Alex Tuch and Jason Zucker also scored twice for the Sabres. Sam Carrick and Rasmus Dahlin added goals, Tage Thompson had four assists and Bo Byram three. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 21 saves.
RED WINGS 3, DEVILS 0
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — John Gibson and Cam Talbot combined to make 31 saves, Dominik Shine scored his first NHL goal and Detroit beat New Jersey.
Opening a four-game trip, Detroit ended a two-game losing streak and stopped the Devils’ winning streak at four.
Gibson made 21 saves in first two periods, but was injured at the end the second. Cam Talbot stopped 10 shots in the third. They became the first Detroit goalies to combine for a shutout since Jonas Gustavsson and Jimmy Howard in 2014.
Moritz Seider and James van Riemsdyk also scored, and each assisted on Shine’s third-period goal. Seider scored on a wrist shot at 3:20 of the first. Van Riemsdyk tipped in a shot from the point on a power play at 6:37 of second.
Shine broke through on a snap shot with 9:36 left. The 32-year-old forward was playing his fifth NHL game of the season and the 14th of his career.
Defenseman Justin Faulk made his Red Wings debut after being acquired from St. Louis on Friday.
BLUES 4, DUCKS 0
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Joel Hofer made 22 saves for his fifth shutout of the season, Jonathan Drouin scored in his Blues debut and St. Louis beat Anaheim to sweep a four-game trip.
Jordan Kyrou, Jimmy Snuggerud and Pius Suter also scored to help St. Louis win for the fifth time in six games since the Olympic break.
Drouin was acquired from the Islanders on Friday at the trade deadline in the deal that sent Blues captain Brayden Schenn to New York. The left wing scored the second of three second-period goals, firing a slap shot past Ville Husso on a power play with 9:53 left.
Kyrou opened the scoring at 4:22, snapping a shot from the right side to the far post on a 3-on-1 break. After helping set up Drouin’s goal, Snuggerud added one of his own on a one-timer with 7:49 to go.
St. Louis failed to add to the lead on an extended power play that spilled into the third when Ross Johnston received a major penalty for boarding Justin Holl, the defenseman who also made his Blues debut after coming over from Detroit.
After Anaheim successfully challenged Snuggerud’s apparent goal midway through the third for offsides, Suter scored into an empty net with 4:02 to go.
OILERS 4, GOLDEN NIGHTS 2
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Vasily Podkolzin, Leon Draisaitl and Kasperi Kapanen scored in the third period and Edmonton beat Vegas to tighten the Pacific Division race.
The Golden Knights, with 72 points, missed a chance to go back in front of Anaheim, which remained at 73 after the Ducks lost 4-0 at home to St. Louis. Third-place Edmonton has 70.
Vegas has lost five of six games, and the Oilers had dropped six of eight going into this meeting.
Trent Frederic also scored for the Oilers, and Connor Ingram made 24 saves. Connor McDavid had two assists and Evan Bouchard had one to extended their points streak to seven games.
Noah Hanifin and Jack Eichel scored for Golden Knights. Mitch Marner had two assists and Adin Hill stopped 15 shots.
Vegas winger Brett Howden played for the first time in two months. He had been out with a lower-body injury.
The teams traded goals in the second period, but a goal from Golden Knights winger Keegan Kolesar was successfully challenged by the Oilers.
Then in the third, Podkolzin scored an unassisted goal on a breakaway off a faceoff to put the Oilers ahead 2-1 just 2:34 into period. Draisaitl’s goal with 8:07 remaining came after Eichel failed to clear the puck out of his zone because teammate Rasmus Andersson’s broken stick was in the way.
CINCINNATI (AP) — Dániel Sallói scored late in the second half behind a clean sheet from Luka Gavran and Toronto FC defeated FC Cincinnati 1-0 on Sunday night.
Sallói used an assist from Richie Laryea to score the lone goal in the 86th minute and Gavran made two saves to finish off the shutout for Toronto (1-2-0).
Sallói's goal was his first for Toronto after spending his previous nine seasons with Sporting Kansas City. It was his 54th goal in 245 appearances. Laryea's first assist this season gives him 15 in 160 career appearances.
Gavran notched his first shutout this season and his third in 19 career starts with Toronto.
Roman Celentano turned away six shots in goal for Cincinnati (1-2-0).
Toronto entered the match with a 0-4-1 record in Cincinnati and had never scored a goal at TQL Stadium.
Cincinnati coach Pat Noonan suffered his first loss to Toronto after going 7-0-1 through the first eight matchups.
Cincinnati leads the series 9-5-1 with the nine victories its most against any opponent.
Cincinnati swept Toronto last season with Kévin Denkey scoring a goal in both wins.
Up next
Toronto: Hosts New York Red Bulls on Saturday in home opener.
Midway through the second period on Sunday against the Boston Bruins, it appeared as the though the Pittsburgh Penguins were headed for their fourth consecutive loss.
They were trailing, 3-0, and goaltender Arturs Silovs had just misplayed a puck behind the goal line to David Pastrnak, who made him pay. And it was a shame, too, because the Penguins were largely controlling play throughout the game up to that point.
But instead of throwing in the towel, they showed fight. They drew a late power play - and then, a five-on-three - that ultimately turned the tide of the game and gave them the momentum to roar all the way back from a three-goal deficit and, ultimately, take an important two points in a 5-4 overtime win.
"That's kind of been our M.O. the whole year," Novak said. "All four lines contribute, and we roll them all. [The fourth line] played unbelievable tonight, they were buzzing around from the start.
"I think it just speaks to the amount of good players we have in here, too, and how we can come wave after wave."
Boston opened the scoring midway through the first period on a Pavel Zacha power play goal, and Zacha added his second tally of the game just before the midway point of the second despite the Penguins getting the larger share of chances. The Pastrnak goal happened less than four minutes later, and it seemed like the Penguins were done for - especially considering that they had scored just two goals in their prior eight periods against the Bruins.
But the five-on-three changed everything. Egor Chinakhov - who is now part of the first power play unit - walked in and absolutely rifled a wrister past Boston goaltender Joonas Korpisalo to cut the Bruins' lead to 3-1. The goal gave them much-needed scoring momentum heading into the third period - arguably, their most impressive period of the season.
EGOORRR! 💪
Since his Pittsburgh debut on Jan. 1, no Penguin has more goals than Egor Chinakhov (11). pic.twitter.com/ZHGBf4FQ2t
After posting 15 shots in the second period, the Penguins put up 14 in the third - and three found the back of the net. It all started when Connor Dewar took a long pass from Ryan Shea that banked off the end wall, and he gathered the puck and fired a backhander toward the net that beat Korpisalo to cut the deficit to one.
Then, just 33 seconds later, defenseman Ilya Solovyov - playing in his first game since Feb. 5 - made an outlet pass to Tommy Novak at the left wall in the neutral zone. Novak found Anthony Mantha breaking down the right side, and in all alone, Mantha found the five-hole and tied the game at 3-3.
Unfortunately, Zacha responded with a hat trick goal less than two minutes later to give Boston back the lead. But the Penguins didn't quit. They just kept coming, and they were rewarded two and a half minutes after when Mantha put home his second of the game - and 23rd of the season - with a garbage goal at the net-front to tie things back up at 4-4.
The Penguins killed off a late power play for the Bruins and fended off a late push by Boston to force OT, where Novak was, ultimately, able to play hero after a nice individual effort from Chinakhov at the net-front.
"When you have a game where things haven't gone your way, and you just dig in during the third period and you keep staying with it, I think it's something that you - you want to carry that with you," Muse said. "You own it now. Like, you know you can be in these situations where you're down three at one point, and then there's hockey left.
"So, just focusing on that next shift, and stay with it. This was a great example of the guys, in the third period especially - even though there was still some back and forth - just the response that they continued to have. As a coach, you kind of feel it coming. There was a lot of belief on that bench and a lot of belief on our staff that, we didn't know how, but we were going to find a way tonight. And that's what the guys did."
- Chinakhov has completely changed the complexion of the first line. He, Rakell, and Rust have some very real chemistry.
Something that Chinakhov does so well is that he always knows where to be situationally and in relation to the play unfolding. He knows when to offer puck support. He knows when to position himself for a feed. He knows when to engage in puck battles along the walls. He anticipates where others are going to be and sets himself up to make a play.
His offensive instincts remind me so much of Jake Guentzel's. He's just a smart player. Playing alongside Rakell and Rust has brought out the playmaking side of his game, as he's not always relied upon to be the trigger man on that line. And he's darn good at switching between both.
Mar 8, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Egor Chinakhov (59) celebrates his power play goal with the Penguins bench against the Boston Bruins during the second period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
"I think he's continuing to do a lot of what he's been doing since he got here," Muse said. "He's doing it now with some different linemates. He's made some nice plays here, too, you know, the shot's obvious - I think anybody that watches any of our games or any of our practices, it's pretty clear that release is pretty special, and you saw it again there tonight - but he's also making some plays with these guys, and they continue to play hard there at both ends.
"Anytime you get new linemates, it might look look a little bit different in terms of how those plays develop and where they're going. But, the guys, they've done a good job in these games."
Oh, and I'll never, ever tire of watching Chinakhov shoot a vulcanized piece of rubber into the back of the net only to watch it bounce back out as fast as it went in. What a snipe. Not sure why plugging him on the first power play unit took so long.
Not only is he a big body - a VERY big one - he's good on the forecheck, he uses his reach to make plays, get shots off, and knock pucks out of danger. He seems to have pretty decent offensive instincts.
"I felt good. I feel like I was trying to not think too much," Soderblom said. "You know, it's new systems and stuff like that. But I tried to just play my game, and I just don't think too much and just play."
His line struggled a bit defensively - Kindel had another rough game in his own zone, particularly - but for a first game with his new team, I thought he was solid.
- Another guy who played an excellent game? Ville Koivunen.
I think the biggest difference between Koivunen's earlier stints with the NHL club this season and now is that he looks comfortable. He looks a bit more up-to-speed. And he's not trying to force plays, instead being himself and playing to his strengths.
- What a resurgent season this has been for Mantha. And, can we just talk about how impressive it is that he's doing what he's doing this season?
This guy had ACL surgery last season and played in just 13 games. That is not an easy injury to come back from, especially for a player north of 30. But his 23 goals and 47 points are just two and one shy of his career-highs, respectively, and he figures to shatter those numbers by the end of the season.
Kyle Dubas was right not to deal this guy at the deadline. He is, essentially, the Penguins' own rental, and taking him out of the picture would have been a huge detriment to their playoff chances.
What's he's doing is impressive, and it's fun to watch how well he's fit in with this group.
- The Sam Girard - Ilya Solovyov pairing was very good tonight. Solovyov was credited with a team-high three blocked shots, and I think there could have been a few more added to that total. Girard looked far more comfortable alongside a blueliner who plays a more stay-at-home style, even if Solovyov isn't exactly a classic stay-at-home defenseman.
They played some minutes together during their time with the Colorado Avalanche, and Muse thinks that familiarity was good for both players in this game. I would tend to agree. They were both good in this one, but I thought Solovyov was particularly good.
- There have been a lot of good wins for the Penguins. Big wins, too.
This one takes the cake, though, as their biggest and most character win of the season.
A loss would have extended their losing streak to four games, putting them in a precarious position ahead of their upcoming five-game road trip - all of which are games against current playoff teams. They took advantage of one of their two games in hand to the New York Islanders and leapfrogged them to go back into second place in the Metro. They're eight points back of the Carolina Hurricanes, who they play twice on this road trip and one more time at the end of the month.
Most of all, they did it without their two best players. They did it despite a large segment of fans lacking belief because of their predicament and because of the grind of their schedule.
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 4: Josue de Paula #95 of the Los Angeles Dodgers at bat during a World Baseball Classic exhibition game against Team Mexico at Camelback Ranch on March 4, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers on Sunday afternoon made their second round of roster cuts in spring training, sending a dozen players to minor league camp, including top prospect Josue De Paula.
Ryan Ward and pitcher Ronan Kopp, each of whom were added to the 40-man roster in November, were optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City. The other 10 players cut were non-roster invitees sent to the minor league side of camp — pitchers Carlos Duran, Carson Hobbs, Garrett McDaniels, Jackson Ferris, Wyatt Mills, Jordan Weems, and Lucas Wepf; catcher Griffin Lockwood-Powell, plus outfielders De Paula and Kendall George.
De Paula is tied for the Dodgers’ lead this spring with 15 games played, playing every day but once since the Cactus League schedule started on February 21, including the exhibition against Team Mexico last Wednesday. He had nine hits, including a double, in 27 at-bats this spring, with four walks and eight strikeouts.
Wepf is the only player sent down on Sunday who has yet to play in a game yet this spring.
After these roster moves, the Dodgers have 51 players remaining in minor league camp, including 26 pitchers and 25 position players.
