HOUSTON (AP) — Mateusz Bogusz scored a short-handed goal in the 15th minute of second-half stoppage time and the Houston Dynamo rallied to beat the Portland Timbers 3-2 on Saturday night.
Houston (2-1-0) shook off a red card on Nicholas Markanich for his foul on Timbers goalkeeper James Pantemis in the fourth of 18 minutes of stoppage time. Jack McGlynn's second assist of the match set up the winner. It was the first goal for Bogusz in his first season with the Dynamo after scoring 18 times in two seasons with Los Angeles FC.
Portland (1-3-0) took a 1-0 lead into halftime when Gage Guerra scored his first career goal — unassisted in the fourth minute of stoppage time after Jonathan Bond got a hand on a penalty kick by Kristoffer Velde but couldn't corral it. Guerra sent the deflection off the inside of the right post and into the net.
Houston answered with the equalizer in the 62nd minute when Guilherme Santos used assists from Bogusz and McGlynn to score for the third time in his first three MLS matches. Bogusz's assist was his first with the Dynamo after notching seven in 60 appearances with LAFC. McGlynn has three assists this season. Half of his 22 career assists have come in 29 matches with Houston — all starts.
The Dynamo took a 2-1 lead in the 77th minute when Santos set up defender Felipe Andrade's first goal this season with his first assist. Andrade had four goals in 23 appearances with the Dynamo last season.
Velde scored his first career goal in his 12th appearance thanks to Finn Surman's first career assist to pull the Timbers even in the 80th minute. It was Surman's 36th appearance — all starts.
Bond saved six shots for the Dynamo.
Pantemis had three saves for the Timbers.
Up next
Houston: At FC Dallas on Saturday in first road match of season.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Duncan McGuire and Martín Ojeda each scored a goal on Saturday, Javier Otero had four saves, and Orlando City beat CF Montreal 2-1 to snap a three-game losing streak in interim coach Mark Perelman's debut.
Orlando City (1-3-0) and long-time coach Oscar Pareja mutually parted ways Wednesday.
Ojeda put away a first-touch shot from just beyond the penalty spot to make it 2-1 in the 31st minute. Iván Angulo ran onto a through ball played ahead by Marco Pasalic and tapped a pass backward to Ojeda for the finish.
McGuire's first goal of the season opened the scoring in the 19th minute. Angulo's shot from the left side of the area bounced off the near post and McGuire tapped the rebound into a wide-open net from the edge of the 6-yard box.
Prince Owusu went up high for a header off a corner kick played by Wikelman Carmona for Montreal (1-3-0) in the 24th minute.
DALLAS (AP) — Defenseman Thomas Harley scored 2:05 into overtime to give the streaking Dallas Stars a 3-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night.
Wyatt Johnston had a goal and an assist, and Michael Bunting also scored for the Stars. Jake Oettinger stopped 22 of 24 shots. Harley scored his seventh OT goal in regular-season games.
The Stars are 14-0-1 in their last 15 games, matching the longest point streak in club history. Their 1998-99 Stanley Cup team had a streak of 12 wins and three ties.
Simon Edvinsson and Lucas Raymond scored for the Red Wings, who rallied from a 2-0 deficit in the third period but dropped their third straight (0-2-1). John Gibson made 21 saves.
Bunting’s goal, on a power play for a 2-0 lead in the second period, was his first since being acquired from Nashville on March 5.
Dallas has won four straight and owns the second-most points in the league, three behind Central-leading Colorado.
Oettinger is 11-0-1 in his last 12 games, his longest career point streak. His 28 wins rank third in the league.
The 15-game run ties for the second-longest point streak in the NHL this season with Tampa Bay, behind a 17-game effort by Colorado.
Johnston has career highs with 36 goals and 73 points. He has seven goals and 14 points in Dallas’ nine games following the Olympic break.
The Stars, with the best home power play in the league, have scored with the man advantage in 12 consecutive games.
The Red Wings played their fourth consecutive game without captain Dylan Larkin and second straight without fellow forward Andrew Copp, sidelined with leg injuries that will keep them out for weeks. To have enough skaters on Saturday, Detroit called up John Leonard from Grand Rapids of the AHL and activated David Perron off injured reserves.
Up next
Red Wings: Open a four-game homestand on Monday against Calgary.
Stars: Host Utah on Monday, completing a six-game homestand that is their longest of the season.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Reserve Shammah Scott scored 12 points and his 25-foot, 3-point basket with six seconds left helped Akron to a 79-76 win over Toledo in the Mid-American Conference title game on Saturday.
Austin Parks' desperation 3-point attempt for Toledo bounced off the back of the rim and fell to the floor as time expired.
Amani Lyles scored 15 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, Tavari Johnson scored 15 and Bowen Hardman 12 for Akron (29-5).
Leroy Blyden Jr. scored 21 points, Parks and reserve Kyle Vanderjagt scored 13 apiece and Sean Craig 10.
Toledo appeared poised to knock off the conference's second-best regular season team — after Miami, Ohio — by building a 42-30 halftime lead.
The Rockets built their lead on the strength of 53% (17 of 32) shooting including 53% (8 of 15) from 3-point range.
But Akron regrouped early in the second half and outscored Toledo 21-6 in a 7-minute span — which also included a 15-0 run — and turned a 48-36 deficit into a 57-54 lead with 10:17 remaining.
In earning the conference's automatic NCAA Tournament berth, the No. 2-seed Zips earned their third-straight tournament championship and fourth in its last five years.
It's the first time a MAC program has earned three-straight conference championships.
Toledo made its eighth MAC championship game with its lone win in 1980.
FAYATTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Tyrice Taylor and Rivaldo Marshall finished 1-2 in the 800 meters to help Arkansas run away with the men's team title, while Georgia freshman Adaejah Hodge won the 200 meters in a facility-record 22.22 seconds as the Bulldogs won the women's team crown Saturday at the NCAA Indoor Track Championships.
Arkansas clinched the men's team crown — it's first since 2013 — with two events (the 3,000 meters and 400-meter relay) remaining and finished with 73.5 points, 7.5 more than Oregon (40 points) — which also finished second on the women's side — and third-place Florida (26) combined.
Georgia, last year's women's runner-up, finished with 53 points to win its first indoor championship since 2018. The Ducks had 44 points and Illinois was third with 42 points. Georgia coach Caryl Smith Gilbert also led Bulldogs women to 2025 outdoor title.
Dejanea Oakley ran a personal-best 50.47 to win to 400 meters for the Bulldogs. Alabama's Samuel Ogazi ran a 44.57 — the fourth-fastest time in the world — to claim the men's title.
Taylor finished the 800 meters in 1:46.00, 0.12 seconds faster than Marshall. Clemson's Gladys Chepngetich ran a 2:00.01 to beat the Arkansas duo of Sanu Jallow-Lockhart (2:00.54) and Analisse Batista (personal-best 2:00.57).
Auburn’s Ja’Kobe Tharp defended his title in the 60-meter hurdles, finishing in 7.32 seconds to break Grant Holloway’s NCAA record of 7.35 set in 2019. Aaliyah McCormick of Oregon, who also won the 100-meter hurdles at the 2025 outdoor championships, ran a personal-best 7.86 to win the women's title.
BYU’s Jane Hedengren, who won the women’s 5,000 meters Friday, ran a meet-record 8:36.61 to win the 3000 meters. Colin Sahlman of Northern Arizona won a wild men's race in 7:41 after New Mexico's Habtom Samuel — who it appeared had edged Sahlman by 0.005 seconds — was disqualified for contact on the final curve. Oregon’s Simeon Birnbaum finished a fraction of a second behind Sahlman.
Tarik Robinson-O’Hagan of Mississippi became the fourth thrower in Division I history to win three consecutive indoor shot put titles with a throw of 65 feet, 9 inches. The senior joins Karl Salb (Kansas, 1969-71), Hans Hoglund (UTEP, 1973-75) and Ryan Whiting (Arizona State, 2008-10). Nebraska's Axelina Johansson broke the NCAA indoor shot put record and the Swedish national record with a throw of 64-8 1/2 to win on the women's side.
USC’s Garrett Kaalund ran a collegiate-record 19.95 to win the men’s 200 meters. Kaalund has two of the three fastest times in NCAA history.
Temitope Adeshina of Texas Tech won her second consecutive high jump title, clearing 6-feet, 5 1/2 inches to tie her own Nigerian record. Tito Alofe of Harvard won the men's high jump, clearing a personal-best 7-4 1/4.
Auburn’s Kanyinsola Ajayi won the men's 60 meters in 6.45 seconds, which tied the collegiate record he set at the SEC Championships at the end of February. Shenese Walker of Florida State ran a 7.08 to beat Hodge (7.15) for the women's crown.
Kansas State's Daniela Wamokpego claimed the triple-jump crown with a personal best of 45-4 3/4. Texas Tech's Jonathan Seremes — a Missouri transfer — won his second consecutive men's title with a personal best of 56-7.
BYU's Carter Cutting won the mile in 3:58.94 to secure his first national championship. Oregon's Wilma Nielsen timed her kick perfectly and finished in 4:40.06 to beat Rosemary Longisa of Washington State and North Carolina State's Sadie Engelhardt (4:40.21 each) for her second consecutive title.
MONTREAL (AP) — Macklin Celebrini had two goals and an assist to lead the San Jose Sharks to a 4-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night.
Collin Graf had a goal and two assists and Mario Ferraro also scored for San Jose, which ended Montreal’s three-game winning streak. John Klingberg finished with two assists, and Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 25 shots.
Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki scored for Montreal, and Noah Dobson had two assists. Jakub Dobes made 17 saves.
The Canadiens held third place in the Atlantic Division, four points behind the division-leading Buffalo Sabres with two games in hand, heading into Saturday’s games.
The Sharks were one point shy of the Los Angeles Kings for the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot, with two fewer games played.
Caufield opened the scoring at 7:21 in the first period, beating Nedeljkovic with a wrist shot for his career-best 38th goal of the season.
Celebrini tied the game with his 34th at 13:12. Ferraro later floated a wrist shot from the point and fooled Dobes before Celebrini’s attempt deflected off Graf’s leg, giving San Jose a 3-1 lead at 16:20 in the second.
Suzuki beat Nedeljkovic on the glove side with 2:22 remaining in the second to cut the lead.
Celebrini sealed the win, scoring his second of the game into an empty net at 17:56 in the third.
San Jose rookie forward Igor Chernyshov left early in the first period after a scary fall. Chernyshov collided with Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson in the neutral zone before losing his balance twice when he attempted to stand up. San Jose coach Ryan Warsofsky said Chernyshov was released from the hospital and will travel with the team to Ottawa.
The 33rd overall draft pick in 2024, Chernyshov was playing in his 16th NHL game and his first since being recalled from the San Jose Barracuda of the AHL. He has three goals and 11 points this season.
The Canadiens released a statement on social media, saying their thoughts were with Chernyshov.
There will be no Karl-Anthony Towns-Draymond Green rematch.
The Knicks, after their five-game road trip, host the Warriors at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night, the second of their two regular-season matchups this year.
Towns, after missing the win over the Pacers on Friday night with knee soreness, is not listed on the injury report, meaning he should be good to go.
Karl-Anthony Towns has his shot blocked by Draymond Green on Jan. 15, 2025 in San Francisco. Getty Images
But Green (lower back injury management) is out for the Warriors.
Green has long had it out for Towns in particular. After that January matchup, Green on his podcast made fun of Towns, including his voice.
And it wasn’t the first time. Green has on multiple occasions lashed out at Towns on his podcast and in the media.
Last year, Green accused Towns of skipping a game against the Warriors, claiming it was because Towns did not want to play against his longtime nemesis — and his former Timberwolves teammate — Jimmy Butler III.
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - MARCH 15: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors plays defense during the game against the New York Knicks on March 15, 2025 at Chase Center in San Francisco, 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 Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2025 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Greetings from the greater Boston area. Your intrepid blogger is deep behind enemy lines because young Rowan competed in a karate tournament here (and took gold for his form demonstration, woot!). I’m wearing my Knicks gear proudly to the dismay of these green-gilled goons. As for the Knicks this week, they should run the table. Favored in all three matchups, they’ll face one fading dynasty and two bottom feeders. As an added bonus, they get to ride the subway for one of the contests. Is that enough of a clue for you, smarty pants? Read on, Donkey Kong.
Sunday, March 15 — Knicks vs. Golden State Warriors (8:00 p.m. ET, NBC / Peacock)
Sunday night, the Knicks return from their five-game road trip to host the Golden State Warriors at Madison Square Garden.
Golden State still carries some cachet, but this game matters more for New York’s place in the Eastern Conference standings than for the Warriors’ dimming playoff hopes. The Knicks should be favored, as the home team and playing better basketball, while the Warriors have struggled to string wins together.
The last meeting came January 15 in San Francisco, when Golden State beat New York 126-113. Jimmy Butler scored 32, Stephen Curry added 27, while Miles McBride and OG Anunoby each had 25 for the Knicks. Perhaps you recall Draymond Green trash-talking Karl-Anthony Towns throughout the game and afterward receiving a warm hug from former coach Mike Brown? Yeah, let’s not see that again, ever. (And we probably won’t on Sunday, with Green marked OUT on the injury report.)
Tune in to NBC and Peacock.
Tuesday, March 17 — Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG)
Finally, we’ll be done with the Pacers when New York hosts them for the last contest of the four-game regular season series. Even with their terrible record, the Pacers always get up for games against the Knicks. Case in point: the teams just met March 13 in Indianapolis, and it took a career-high of 22 rebounds from Mitchell Robinson, plus 29 points from Jalen Brunson and 25 from OG Anunoby to hang those Hoosiers. For once, it would be so nice if our heroes would throw them on the floor to start the game and kick them for 48 straight minutes.
Watch it on MSG.
Friday, March 20 — Knicks at Brooklyn Nets (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG / YES)
I attended the last game of last season, when the Knicks visited Barclays. The only starter was Mikal Bridges, who subbed out after tip-off to preserve his ironman streak. An ugly affair unfolded from there—a glorified G League game, if you will. I can’t imagine Friday will be much prettier. Brooklyn has struggled all season and ranks near the bottom of the league on both ends. New York should smash them and rest their starters in the second half.
Their last meeting was January 21 at MSG, when the Knicks routed the Nets 120–66. Jalen Brunson scored 20, Landry Shamet added 18, and Michael Porter Jr. led Brooklyn with 12. That 54-point win was the largest margin of victory in Knicks franchise history.
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Jack Quinn scored the tying goal and also connected in a shootout, Alex Tuch ended the tiebreaker and the Buffalo Sabres beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 on Saturday night to rebound from their first loss since the Olympic break.
Buffalo was coming off a 2-1 home loss to Washington on Thursday night that ended an eight-game winning streak. The Atlantic Division-leading Sabres stretched their advantage over second-place Tampa Bay to four points and remained two points behind Carolina in the Eastern Conference.
Toronto played its first game since captain Auston Matthews’ season-ending knee injury. Matthews tore the medial collateral ligament in his left knee Thursday night at home in a 6-4 victory over Anaheim on a knee-on-knee hit from Radko Gudas. Gudas was given a major penalty and ejected, then suspended five games for kneeing.
Defenseman Owen Power also scored for Buffalo, and Alex Lyon stopped 16 shots.
Max Domi scored for Toronto in his 800th NHL game. Dakota Joshua also scored, and Joseph Woll made 30 saves.
The Maple Leafs lost their first eight after the Olympic break before beating the Ducks.
Quinn tied it at 2 on a power play with 8:39 left in the second. He beat Woll with a wrist shot from the left side off a nifty pass from Noah Ostlund.
Power opened the scoring at 2:01 of the first with a wrist shot from the high slot off Zach Benson's feed from behind the goal. Joshua tied it at 7:09 of the period with a snap shot from the middle, and Domi put Toronto ahead at 53 seconds of second on a break with William Nylander.
COLLEGE PARK, Ga. (AP) — Lance Williams scored 18 points and No. 8 seed Prairie View A&M beat third-seeded Southern 72-66 on Saturday night to win the SWAC Tournament.
It’s the third title for Prairie View A&M (18-17) and the first since 2019. The Panthers are also the lowest seed to win the tournament since eighth-seeded Texas Southern in 2023.
Southern trailed the entire game but pulled within 68-66 with 24 seconds left before Dontae Horne made two layups to end it. Prairie View had its largest lead, 57-35, with 13:04 remaining.
Cory Wells added 15 points for the Panthers. Horne finished with 15 points and Tai’Reon Joseph chipped in with 10.
Michael Jacobs scored 19 points for Southern (17-17). AJ Barnes added 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds
Wells scored 11 points, and Horne and Williams each had nine as Prairie View A&M shot 15 of 31 from the floor and hit six 3s for a 41-28 halftime lead.
The Panthers shot 9 of 18 from distance overall while the Jaguars hit just 5 of 19.
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NEW YORK (AP) — Nicolas Fernández scored twice in the first half and Talles Magno scored late in the second to propel New York City FC to a 3-1 victory over the Colorado Rapids at Yankee Stadium on Saturday night.
NYCFC (3-0-1) jumped in front in the 22nd minute when Fernández scored unassisted and then took a 2-0 lead in the 45th on another unassisted goal by Fernández — off a free kick. It was his fourth goal of the season after scoring three times in 11 appearances last year — his first season in the league.
It was NYCFC's first goal off a free kick since Hannes Wolf did it in May of 2024 against the Philadelphia Union.
Colorado (2-2-0) cut it to 2-1 at halftime when Darren Yapi used an assist from Rafael Navarro in the fourth minute of stoppage time to score. It was the second goal this season for the 21-year-old forward and his 12th in 95 career appearances. Navarro's first assist this season gives him 11 in 79 career matches.
Magno found the net for the first time this season with some help from Maxi Moralez in the 86th minute for an insurance goal. Magno has 15 goals in 86 appearances with the club. Moralez already has three assists, giving him 88 in 221 appearances for NYCFC.
Matt Freese had one save to help NYCFC keep pace with Nashville atop the Eastern Conference,
Nico Hansen saved five shots for the Rapids in his 12th career start.
NYCFC rolled to a 5-0 victory over Orlando City last week in its home opener.
Matt Wells has won twice at home and lost twice on the road in his four matches as the Rapids' coach after coming over from the Premier League's Tottenham Hotspurs.
The game of basketball continues to treat Patrick Ewing well, especially when March rolls around. Ewing was consistently competing at the highest levels during his college career at Georgetown.
Ewing helped the Hoyas reach three Final Fours and win the 1984 national championship. He went on to have a legendary career with the New York Knicks and now serves as an ambassador for the organization.
“I was fortunate enough to make it to three title games, but unfortunately, we only came away with one, but I wouldn’t change that experience for the world,” Ewing said, reflecting on his March Madness success. “It was us against the world mentality.”
Ewing averaged 15.3 points and 9.2 rebounds per game in 143 college games. He was a three-time, first-team All-American and was the Naismith Award winner as a senior in 1985. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008.
Despite all the success in his career, Ewing cited the loss to Villanova in the 1985 national title game as "the hardest one to get over.”
The Hoyas had beaten the Wildcats twice during conference play before losing in the NCAA Tournament final.
“Being at the Final Four and going against all these great athletes, you have to be at the top of your game to come away with the win. It’s not like the NBA, where it’s the best of seven. If you have a bad day, that day's over and we didn't play well enough to get that win.”
In honor of March Madness, Ewing reunited with former Knicks teammate John Starks and current Knicks players Jalen Brunson, Karl Anthony Towns and Jose Alvarado in a commercial for AT&T.
“I thought it was great,” Ewing said about the experience. “The Knicks have done an amazing job bridging the old generation with the new generation. I thought this commercial was going to be something that was a lot of fun.”
Ewing has appeared in several commercials and movies over the years, including an appearance in the original “Space Jam,” “The Exorcist III,” and, most recently, “The Life List” last year.
“I’m having fun doing it,” Ewing said about the on-camera work. “I’ve always enjoyed doing that, but I knew what my day job was.”
At 63, the 11-time All-Star remains committed to the game of basketball.
“I'm consumed with the Knicks,” Ewing said. “Most of my time I’m at NBA games.”
After finishing his NBA playing career with the Orlando Magic in 2001-02, he quickly transitioned to a coaching role, joining the Washington Wizards as an assistant for the following season.
He would remain an assistant in the league from 2002 through 2017 before getting his first head coaching opportunity at his alma mater.
He served as head coach of the Hoyas for six seasons, winning a Big East Tournament championship and making an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2021. It was the first appearance for the university since 2015.
“It was a great opportunity to come back and coach my school,” Ewing said. “Ever since I started coaching, it had been a dream of mine to be a head coach and I was happy to have that opportunity.”
Ewing compiled a 75-109 record during his tenure as coach.
"It may not have worked out as well as I would have liked, but I was happy for the opportunity to show people that I can do it and that I can do it at a high level,” Ewing said. “... I love Georgetown. It was a great four years for me as a student and I thought I grew a lot and it helped me become the man that I am today.”
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Igor Shesterkin made 46 saves and Vladislav Gavrikov had a goal and two assists as the New York Rangers extended their winning streak to four games with a 4-2 win over the Minnesota Wild on Saturday night.
Noah Laba, Jaroslav Chmelar and Vincent Trocheck also scored for New York, which won for the fifth time in six games despite being outshot 48-18.
Matt Boldy and Danila Yurov scored for the Wild, who dropped their second straight and lost for the third time in four games. Filip Gustavsson had 14 saves.
New York had a 9-6 edge in shots in the opening period and led 2-0. The Wild carried play the rest of the way, outshooting the Rangers 42-9 over the final two periods — including 21-1 in the third, but were unable to solve Shesterkin.
Laba opened the scoring with his ninth of the season on a power play 2:41 into the game. Gabe Perreault and Gavrikov assisted. Gavrikov scored his 13th of the season with five minutes left in the first.
In the second, the Wild cut their deficit to a goal in the first minute, but the Rangers scored twice despite being outshot 21-8 in the frame.
Boldy scored in his third straight game, scoring in the first minute of the period with a man advantage. It was Boldy’s 38th goal of the season, tying him for the team lead with Kirill Kaprizov. Quinn Hughes picked up his 61st assist and Gustavsson had his second of the season.
DALLAS, TEXAS - MARCH 13: Max Christie #00 of the Dallas Mavericks drives to the basket against James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first half at American Airlines Center on March 13, 2026 in Dallas, Texas. 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 GettyImages License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dallas Mavericks (22-45) complete their season series with the Cleveland Cavaliers (41-26) Sunday with an early 2:30pm CST tipoff at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. The two teams met Friday with Cleveland routing the Mavericks at American Airlines Center, 138-105. Cavs center Evan Mobley led all scorers with 29 points on 12-15 shooting, while the Mavericks were led by Cooper Flagg’s 25, as he emerged from an injury-related slump with a monster third quarter.
For the Mavericks, Friday’s game ended a one-game winning streak that was scarcely 24 hours old as they beat Memphis the night before, 120-112, ending an eight-game skid. For Cleveland, a won Sunday would equal their longest win streak since Feb. 20, as a tough run of the schedule including the Thunder, Celtics, Knicks, Pistons, Magic, and 76ers ended a win streak that reached seven games as the team brought aboard guard James Harden in a trade Feb. 3. While the team hasn’t yet replicated the wins from that honeymoon period, Harden’s time meshing with his new teammates looks promising as Cleveland gears for a deep playoff run.
The Cavaliers, who treated much of Friday’s matchup in Dallas as a tune-up game as they determine their playoff rotation and build chemistry with Harden, will bring a deeper roster to Sunday’s game as center Jarrett Allen and wing Max Strus plan to return from knee and foot injuries.
Game of inches
The Mavericks, for whom perimeter defense is already a nightly liability, were also without much size Friday to counter the Cavs’ relentless attacks at the rim. Forward PJ Washington and centers Daniel Gafford and Moussa Cisse were all unavailable, as frontcourts anchored by Marvin Bagley III and Dwight Powell got torched for 72 paint points achieved through a dazzling array of methods. Guard Donovan Mitchell got to his spots at will, making 10 of 12 two-pointers, while Harden and Mobley seemingly found a breakthrough building the pick-and-roll rapport that has proven elusive in their six weeks so far as teammates. Against the Mavericks, Harden and Mobley each seemed to speed things up with Harden attacking earlier off screens and Mobley rolling much harder to the basket, and the yield was lobs, pocket passes, and finishes with an easy rhythm as Harden was able to get Mobley switched onto guards and strike.
Allen, a more conventional kind of screener and roller than Mobley, is already a match for Harden’s style of play, with the 21.5 points per game he has averaged playing with Harden (not counting the game Allen left with injury against Detroit March 3) raising his season scoring average to 15.3. If the Mavericks offer the kind of resistance at the rim that was on display Friday (Washington, Gafford, and Cisse are all day-to-day), expect Harden to use this game as a laboratory to synthesize Allen’s and Mobley’s natural abilities, waiting a beat longer to accelerate around Allen’s hard screens, and finding the versatile Mobley further from the basket more often.
Welcome wagon
Max Strus also returns for Cleveland against the Mavericks; on Feb, 27, 2024 he caught fire late against a very different Mavericks club, connecting on five three-pointers in the game’s final five minutes, including the game-winner- a 60’ heave on a last-second inbounds that closed it with the Cavs up 121-119. Strus, a starter in 37 of the 50 games he has played this year, joins a wing core that had things humming against the Mavericks Friday, as Keon Ellis hit three of his five three-pointers in his first start for Cleveland and Plano native Jaylon Tyson made two of his three. The team was nearly as effective shooting beyond the arc, making 18 of 38, as it was in the paint.
How not to repeat history
While Flagg’s brilliant second half and Naji Marshall’s return to form Friday gave Mavericks fans something to cheer for besides the team’s draft lottery chances, there were not many other bright spots, as jumping out to an early two-bucket lead in the game’s opening minutes doesn’t qualify as a bright spot given what followed. In the game’s second quarter, in which the Mavericks actually played the Cavs to a 29-29 tie, eight Maverick turnovers led to 13 Cleveland points. Dallas went on to cough it up 17 times in the game overall, and although Ryan Nembhard’s 9-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio counts as a bright spot, the undersized Mavs backcourt’s inability to stop Harden and Mitchell made for bright spots for quite a few folks wearing wine and gold.
While the Mavericks will probably run some different lineups at the Cavs, the most likely result will be another early night on the bench for Harden, Mitchell, and Co., while the Mavericks get another long look at forwards Thomas Bryant and Nae’Qwan Tomlin, who combined to go seven-for-seven on two-point attempts. Winning is still the objective for this hard-playing Mavericks team, but its fans can be forgiven for quietly rooting for another strong Coop performance and no lost ground in the “other” standings if things go sideways as rapidly as they did Friday.
How to watch/listen
You can watch the game on NBA TV, KFAA Channel 29, or MAVS TV (streaming), or listen at 97.1FM KEGL (English), and 99.1FM KFZO (español).
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Hany Mukhtar scored four minutes into second-half stoppage time — the 25,000th goal in MLS history — and Brian Schwake earned his second clean sheet in his fourth MLS start as Nashville SC beat the Columbus Crew 1-0 on Saturday night.
Mukhtar subbed in to begin the second half for Nashville (3-0-1) before scoring for the second time this season. It was his 84th goal in 183 career appearances with the club.
The 34-year-old Schwake saved two shots for the shutout.
Cristian Espinoza collected his second assist of the season on Mukhtar's goal and defender Andy Nájar notched his first. Espinoza, in his first season with Nashville, had 70 assists in 218 appearances for the San Jose Earthquakes dating to 2019. Nájar had a career-high 10 assists with Nashville last season, his first with the club.
Patrick Schulte totaled three saves in goal for the Crew (0-2-2), who were also shut out at home last week in a scoreless draw with the Chicago Fire.
Nashville had three players receive first-half yellow cards — Jack Maher, Ahmed Qasem and Woobens Pacius. Sam Surridge and Mukhtar replaced Qasem and Pacius after halftime.
Twenty-year-old Taha Habroune had his first goal of the season and the second of his career waived off for Nashville in the 18th minute when Max Arfsten was caught offside after a video review.
Nashville played to a 2-2 draw in Columbus last season and beat the Crew 3-0 at home.
