MONTREAL (AP) — Cole Caufield scored three goals to push his season total to 43 and added two assists to help the Montreal Canadiens beat the New York Islanders 7-3 on Saturday night.
Caufield is second in the NHL in goals, two behind Colorado star Nathan MacKinnon.
The Canadiens are third in the Atlantic Division, while the Islanders are a point behind Detroit for the second wild card in the tight Eastern Conference.
Juraj Slafkovsky had two goals and two assists, and Nick Suzuki had four assists to bring his season total to 61. Kaiden Guhle added a goal and two assists, Alex Newhook also scored and Jacob Fowler made 19 saves.
Emil Heineman, Simon Holmstrom and Matthew Schaefer scored for New York.
Ilya Sorokin allowed six goals on 32 shots before he was pulled midway through the third period. David Rittich stopped three of four shots in relief as the Islanders dropped their second second straight game.
After Schaefer beat Fowler with a one-timer from the point to tie it 45 seconds into the third period, the Canadiens responded with four goals in a row,
Guhle restored the lead when his shot from distance deflected off forward Marc Gatcomb and into the net at 3:17.
Slafkovsky made it 5-3 at 8:08, and Caufield chased Sorokin with a shot between the goalie’s pads with 8:40 to go. Hats rained down on the ice when the American winger buried his 43rd with 5:01 left.
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — The Ottawa Senators had a dominant game against their provincial rivals beating the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2 on Saturday night.
Anthony Stolarz was expected to get the start but took a puck to the throat during warm-ups and was sent to hospital for precautionary imaging putting Joseph Woll back in action. Woll had faced 36 shots in a 4-3 overtime loss to Carolina on Friday night.
Tim Stutzle, Claude Giroux, Warren Foegele, Michael Amadio and Ridly Greig scored for Ottawa. Tyler Kleven and Jordan Spence added two assists each, and Woll stopped 38 shots.
John Tavares and Easton Cowan scored for the Maple Leafs, who were without captain Auston Matthews who had knee surgery on Thursday. Linus Ullmark made 12 saves.
Trailing 3-1 to start the third the Leafs made it close with a goal by Cowan.
The Senators regained the two-goal lead midway through the period when Amadio scored his 12th of the season, tucking in Spence's rebound. On an odd-man rush Dylan Cozens found Greig in the slot.
The Senators made it 2-0 midway through the period when Giroux grabbed Kleven's rebound and backhanded it past Woll.
Foegele made it 3-0 with just over two minutes remaining when his shot deflected off Simon Benoit, but 21 seconds later Tavares completed the give-and-go with Cowan and beat Ullmark under the arm.
Ottawa opened the scoring at 14:58 of the first with a power-play goal. Stutzle stepped into the faceoff circle and wristed a shot clean past Woll.
Morgan Rielly missed the game and is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - MARCH 21: Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts during the first half of a game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center on March 21, 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
The Cleveland Cavaliers narrowly won their final game of this road trip. Let’s go over today’s winners and losers.
LOSER- Offensive Purpose
I’ll just say it. This was one of the uglier games the Cavs have played this season. Calling it sloppy would be an understatement. For long stretches of this game, I had no idea what they were attempting to accomplish.
Aimless three-point attempts. Turnovers that made them look like an AAU basketball team. And truly, no sense of direction on offense.
James Harden went scoreless in the first half while the Cavs mustered up just 19 points in the second quarter. There really aren’t enough fingers to blame everyone. It took a full team effort to nearly blow this game
I’ll dish out criticisms for Mitchell and Harden, who looked half asleep for the first three quarters. Dennis Schroder hopped off the bench and turned in a disaster class. Nae’Qwan Tomlin apparently signed up for the same class. Thomas Bryant, while effective with 11 points and 8 rebounds, ultimately looked out of place in this up-tempo match.
Had it not been for a complete turnaround in the fourth quarter, I would have been prepared to call this the worst loss of the season. And we haven’t even talked about the defense yet.
LOSER – 3PT Containment
I don’t want to beat a dead horse. The truth is, I could copy and paste any of my previous winners and losers to explain what’s wrong with the defense. Let’s try to condense this by explaining what went wrong tonight.
Herb Jones had never taken 10 three-pointers in a game before. He did it in the first half tonight. You see, you can’t always control whether or not your opponent shoots efficiently, but you can at least limit their attempts. The Pelicans, who are among the league’s worst three-point shooting teams, had already made nine three-pointers entering halftime. That’s nothing crazy, but it’s just two shy of their average for entire games this season.
Yeah. The Pelicans are that bad.
The Cavs are giving up 3PAs at one of the highest rates in the NBA. It’s a systemic problem that allows even teams like the Pelicans to momentarily burn them.
Fortunately, the Cavs flipped this around and held the Pelicans to just three three-pointers in the second half. But if you allow the floodgates to remain open like this, you’re going to get washed away more often than not.
WINNER – The Fourth Quarter
I’m reluctant to reward this team after the way they played in the second and third quarters. But they don’t ask how, they only ask how many. The Cavs did enough in the fourth quarter to win this game. Let’s break it down.
Cleveland had worked itself into a 15-point hole entering the final frame. All of the above reasons led to that deficit. Naturally, fixing those issues in the fourth quarter is what led to them turning the tables.
Magically, the Cavs began playing defense again. Williamson was met with a wall in the paint. Three-point shooters were run off the line or contested at their release. Ball handlers were pressured. Turnovers were forced. And the Cavs used their defense to build momentum on offense.
New Orleans went four full minutes without scoring a field goal in the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, James Harden and Donovan Mitchell led a seismic wave to create a 28-6 run in favor of Cleveland. The backcourt combined for 25 of Cleveland’s 35 points in the final quarter.
It’s nice that the Cavaliers flipped the switch and won this game. Yet, it also proves that so many of their current problems can be resolved by simply playing harder. That’s a bittersweet reality in a game you almost blew.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Pius Suter and Pavel Buchnevich scored in a 1:19 span in the second period and the St. Louis Blues beat the NHL-worst Vancouver Canucks 3-1 on Saturday to end a two-game losing streak.
St. Louis is six points behind Nashville for the final wild-card playoff berth in the Western Conference. The Blues have are 7-1-2 in their last 10.
Jordan Kyrou scored into an empty net on a power play with 48 seconds left to seal it. Jordan Binnington stopped 14 shots for St. Louis, allowing only defenseman Filip Hronek's third-period goal on a power play.
Kevin Lankinen made 18 saves for the Canucks.
Suter, a former Vancouver player, opened the scoring midway through the second period. Lankinen stopped Robert Thomas' shot but the puck hit Suter and went into the net.
Just over a minute later, Buchnevich took a shot from above the faceoff circle that found an empty corner of the net past a diving Lankinen.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — LaMelo Ball scored 29 points and finished 7 of 14 from 3-point range to help lift the Charlotte Hornets to their third straight victory, 124-101 over the struggling Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night.
Brandon Miller had 22 points and Moussa Diabate had 14 rebounds and 11 points for the Hornets, who have won five of their last six and are 21-6 since Jan. 22 to make a push for a play-in spot.
GG Jackson scored 19 points and Javon Small added 17 points and seven rebounds for the Grizzlies, who have lost two in a row and 10 of their last 11.
The Hornets took the lead for good just 2:47 into the game when Miller made one of two free throws to make it 9-8 and Charlotte was up 59-47 at halftime.
A 15-6 run by the Hornets in the third quarter, capped by a three-point play by Miles Bridges — who finished with 13 points — made it 74-53 and Charlotte cruised from there.
NEW ORLEANS, LA - MARCH 21: James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives to the basket during the game against the New Orleans Pelicans on March 21, 2026 at the Smoothie King Center 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch Jr./NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers picked up an ugly win in New Orleans. These are the hardest games to grade, as the first three quarters put a heavy tarnish on an incredible comeback in the fourth.
Please bear with me.
All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.
Donovan Mitchell
27 points, 3 assists, 7 rebounds, 1 turnover
Defense matters. With that in mind, both Mitchell and Harden are going to be severely docked for their performances tonight. Sure, they put on their capes and saved the day in the fourth quarter. But lackluster defense and iffy offensive process through the first three quarters are what caused the trouble, in the first place.
Mitchell scored 12 points in the fourth quarter, including the game-sealing and-one finish. If I were grading his fourth quarter alone, this would be a healthy A.
If he didn’t have that fourth quarter…? This would have been an F.
Harden rolled into halftime scoreless. A tough combination when paired with his poor defense. He eventually broke the dam with his playmaking and found a rhythym when it mattered most. But again, the first three quarters aren’t easy to ignore.
I will say, the box score looks flawless. I’m hoping that anyone who watched this game with me can understand why the grade is so low. Attendance matters, and Harden was extremely tardy.
Similar to Mitchell, Harden would get an A for his fourth quarter and probably an F for the previous three. I think a C is a fair enough middle ground.
Again, I’d love to give Mobley more credit than what he’s receiving here. He had 16 points at halftime and looked to be on the verge of another big scoring game. Then he largely disappeared in the second half — both because the Cavs offense became stagnant and his own lack of aggression.
Still, Mobley was more of a steady presence throughout the night. His defense was a major reason for the tide changing in the fourth quarter.
Grade: C+
Max Strus
5 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists
This is a work in progress. Strus is still getting into the swing of things after missing seven months of basketball. He secured some key rebounds tonight and once again helped the Cavs close a game. That’s worth something. But he was just as much part of the problem on defense, and he didn’t have his shot falling tonight, either.
Grade: D+
Keon Ellis
7 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal
Ellis gave the Cavs some defensive juice in the fourth quarter. This wasn’t his best game, but he was active enough to make a difference.
Grade: B-
Sam Merrill
15 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists
Merrill’s efforts on both ends of the floor stopped this game from getting out of reach. A double-double from Money Merrill (first of his career) is the type of stuff that gets you a soaring grade.
Grade: A
Dennis Schroder
1 point, 1 assist, 1 rebound
Schroder only played 14 minutes, going 0-3 and quickly being taken out of the game.
Grade: F
Dean Wade
7 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals
Zion Williamson was pulverizing Dean Wade throughout the second half. But outside of that, Wade was actually one of the more positive Cavaliers.
Grade: C+
Thomas Bryant
11 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist
Bryant’s minutes didn’t go as well as the box score would suggest. He was effective early, but Cleveland’s offense eventually cratered when he was on the floor, and New Orleans’ athleticism made him look out of his depth. He was a minus-6 in 15 minutes.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Archie Goodwin subbed on in the 75th minute and scored two goals — the first two in his MLS career — and Charlotte FC beat the New York Red Bulls 6-1 on Saturday night.
Pep Biel, Idan Toklomati, Kerwin Vargas and Wilfried Zaha each added a goal for Charlotte (2-1-2) and Ashley Westwood had three assists. Kristijan Kahlina finished with seven saves.
Toklomati opened the scoring in the 14th minute when he flicked a header, off a free kick played by Biel on the right side, inside the left post.
Gustav Berggren, who made his first start of the season, was shown a straight red card in the 53rd minute and the Red Bulls played a man down the rest of the way.
Biel immediately made New York pay when he scored his fourth goal of the season on the ensuing free kick to make it 3-0 in the 54th.
Goodwin, in the 77th minute, flicked in a header off a cross by David Schnegg for his first goal in MLS and capped the scoring in the third minute of stoppage time.
Julian Hall scored the 81st minute for New York. The 17-year-old, who went into the season with three career goals in MLS, has four goals in 2026.
Ethan Horvath had four saves for the Red Bulls (2-2-1).
Mar 21, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luke Kennard (10) reacts with center Jaxson Hayes (11) guard Austin Reaves (15) and forward LeBron James (23) after hitting a game winning basket at the buzzer against the Orlando Magic in the fourth quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
On a night when offense came at a premium for the Lakers, Luke Kennard stepped up when it mattered most.
Kennard buried a game-winning 3-pointer with 0.6 seconds left to give the Lakers a 105-104 win and extend their win streak to nine games.
LA flew out of the gate to start the game, scoring 37 points in the first 10 minutes of the game. However, they scored only 68 over the next 38 minutes of the contest, though it was exactly as many as they needed to win the game.
LA shot 44.7% from the field, but a frigid 22.6% from the 3-point line. They also were outscored 21-16 on second chance points, an issue that plagued them at various stretches during the game.
The Lakers opened the game with a barrage of baskets at the rim. Deandre Ayton threw down an alley-oop, LeBron James turned a steal into a breakaway slam and Luka Dončić finished a fastbreak layup all inside the first minute.
After the officials spent a handful of possessions forgetting the rules of basketball, Luka answered a couple of Orlando threes with makes of his own. Behind some further impressive shotmaking from Luka, LA opened up a 30-20 lead after an 8-0.
While a three from the Magic stopped the run briefly, Luka did not slow down. Austin put an unexpected and emphatic exclamation point on a 15-3 run with a huge dunk in transition.
To that point, LA was shooting 16-21 from the field in the period. Some offensive rebounds from Goga Bitadze helped pull the Magic back into the game as they trailed 37-30 going into the second.
The Orlando run carried into the next quarter as a 16-2 tied the game at 39-39. Desmond Bane’s steal led to a pair of free throws for the guard, who connected on both to give the Magic their first lead of the game three minutes into the frame. Redick was eventually forced to take a timeout after a Jevon Carter jumper gave them a 43-39 lead.
Collective amnesia swept over the Lakers as they forgot how to play the sport, allowing Orlando to keep piling on. Following another Carter 3-pointer to put the hosts up six, the Magic reserves were outscoring LA’s 27-10.
Capping off a truly awful first half from the officials, Marcus Smart was handed a questionable technical foul, allowing the Magic to stem off a Lakers run as they tried to get back into the game.
The refs just gave Marcus Smart a tech foul for this play.
A couple of baskets at the rim from Austin Reaves in the final 35 seconds closed the Lakers’ deficit to just 65-62 heading into the locker room.
The halftime break allowed the Lakers to reset and regain their offense, leading them to retake the lead early in the third. The opening minutes of the quarters were spent with the two sides trading baskets with neither side able to get a foothold in front.
LeBron willed the Lakers ahead on a series of fastbreak plays. Across three consecutive possessions, LeBron either scored in transition or drew a foul, leading to six points as part of a 12-0 run that gave LA a 78-70 lead.
As was the case in the first half, the Lakers immediately allowed a run to let Orlando take the lead back following a Wendell Carter and-one, putting them ahead 81-79.
The rest of the quarter saw the Magic in firm control. Luka struggled from the field, shooting just 1-9 from the field in the period.
The biggest Luka development, though, came in the final minutes when he started trash talking with Bitadze at the free throw line before the two were given a double technical. That was the 16th technical of the year for Luka, meaning he will be suspended for the Lakers’ game against the Pistons on Monday.
Looked like Luka Doncic and Goga Bitadze were exchanging words while Luka was shooting FTs late in the 3Q.
It was a pretty fitting cap to a pretty putrid quarter as LA went into the fourth down 87-82.
After Reaves opened the frame with a turnover, Bane’s layup gave Orlando its largest lead of the game. The Lakers got on the board with a lob from LeBron to Hayes, but then the latter followed that up by missing a pair of free throws a few possessions later, an encapsulation of the team’s inability to build momentum in the second half.
The team’s defense was keeping them attached to the Magic. With no one else able to find a rhythm offensively, Reaves finally stepped up with some big shots before a pair of free throws pushed them ahead 92-91 with 6:31 remaining.
Orlando moved back ahead in an ugly fourth quarter offensively for both teams, inching ahead 98-95 after two free throws from Paolo Banchero with 3:18 left.
An acrobatic finish on a driving layup for LeBron closed the deficit to one point with just over two minutes to go. Banchero responded with his own acrobatic finish around Deandre Ayton to restore the three-point lead.
Luka got his second field goal of the half with a floater, but Wendell Carter Jr. answered wit ha free throw line jumper with just over a minute remaining.
A step-back three from Luka missed as the Lakers came up empty on the next possession. Banchero drew a foul on the other end and knocked down both free throws to make it a five-point game with 50 seconds left.
Reaves raced downcourt off the make for a layup to make it a one-possession game again. The Lakers forced a miss from Bane and corralled the rebound. Luka eventually found Reaves for an open 3-pointer that missed, but Ayton tracked down the rebound while drawing a foul with 5.5 seconds left.
The big man knocked down the first, but his intentional missed free throw attempt did not get the bounce Reaves’ did last weekend and the Magic grabbed the rebound with six seconds left.
All of that set up a chaotic ending. Orlando’s ensuing in-bound was knocked out of bounds off Banchero by LeBron, giving the Lakers a chance to tie the game or take the lead with just over 4.7 seconds remaining.
LA got LeBron open on the ATO, but was blocked — and fouled, though it wasn’t called — on the play, giving the Lakers another chance under their own basket with 2.6 seconds left. This time, Kennard was the one left open and he buried the game-winner.
LUKE KENNARD HITS THE GO-AHEAD 3 TO WIN IT FOR THE LAKERS 🚨
Luka’s big first half led him to 33 points to go with eight assists and five rebounds. Austin picked up the slack in the fourth to finish with 26 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
Aside from a stretch in the third quarter, it was a quiet night from LeBron, who tallied just 12 points along with six rebounds and four assists with three steals as well.
Kennard had 13 points off the bench while Jaxson Hayes had a strong showing with eight points and seven rebounds to go along with three blocks.
The Lakers will next be in action on Monday when they travel to Detroit. Tip-off is slated for 4 p.m. PT.
ATLANTA (AP) — Sean Johnson had two saves for D.C. United in a 0-0 tie with Atlanta United on Saturday.
The 36-year-old Johnson had his second shutout of the season D.C. United (2-2-1).
Atlanta (1-3-1) had 65% possession and outshot D.C. United 9-4, 2-1 on target. Lucas Hoyos, a 30-year-old in his first MLS season, finished with a save and had his first career shutout.
D.C.'s Caden Clark and Brandon Servania hit the post with shots from outside the area in the 83rd and 87th minutes, respectively.
NEW ORLEANS, LA - MARCH 21: James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers handles the ball during the game against the New Orleans Pelicans on March 21, 2026 at the Smoothie King Center 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch Jr./NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers made things more interesting than they needed to be. They fell down by 15 early in the fourth quarter to a bad New Orleans Pelicans team before turning things around. Strong finishes from James Harden and Donovan Mitchell were enough to secure the 111-106 victory.
As has been a recent trend, the Cavs started the game well. They got out to a 13-point lead in the first quarter due to their offense. Cleveland went 4-9 from three and 8-11 on two-point shots. That was good enough for a 34-point first quarter.
Once the offense slowed down, the defense couldn’t do enough to keep the lead.
The outside shot abandoned them in the second quarter as they went 2-12 from beyond the arc in that frame. That allowed their one-time 13-point advantage to turn into a three-point deficit at the break.
Things didn’t get better in the third quarter. The Cavs went 2-8 from three, which led to them only scoring 23 points in the third, and losing the quarter by nine.
The Pelicans pushed their advantage to 15 before the Cavs flipped the momentum.
Harden got things going with back-to-back triples. Mitchell followed it up with a triple of his own and two makes at the free-throw line. Then, Harden drained a three off a Mitchell feed after the Cavs grabbed two offensive rebounds on that possession.
That three capped off a 16-2 run that turned it from a 15-point game to a one-point game. Even though the Cavs didn’t take the lead, that sequence sapped the energy out of the building and the Pelicans as a group.
The Cavs kept their foot on the gas from there. Mitchell and Harden continued taking turns carving up the Pelicans’ defense as the run extended to 26-6.
The Cavs retook the lead on a Max Strus layup at the four-minute mark. They never gave it up from there.
Mitchell officially ended the game by converting an and-one layup with four seconds left to secure the five-point victory. In the end, the Cavs won the fourth quarter 35-18.
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Mitchell and Harden led the Cavs’ comeback, but both struggled through the first three quarters.
Mitchell compiled 15 points on as many shots in the first three quarters. He provided 12 in the fourth quarter. He finished with 27 points on 9-23 shooting with seven rebounds and three assists.
Harden was 3-9 from the field in the first three quarters. He scored 13 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter. Harden went 8-17 from the field while providing 10 assists and six rebounds in the win. He was a team-high +14.
Despite how good Harden and Mitchell were throughout the fourth quarter, Evan Mobley was the Cavs’ best player for the full 48 minutes.
Mobley made it difficult for a bigger New Orleans team to finish in the paint. On the other end, Mobley did a great job of using his athleticism to create easy looks in the paint. This led to him putting up 18 points on an efficient 8-10 shooting to go along with eight rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and a steal.
The Pelicans were led by 25 points from Zion Williamson on 10-14 shooting. Dejounte Murray added 12 points and 10 assists in the loss.
This wasn’t the prettiest game. The Cavs shouldn’t have been down double-digits to a bad Pelicans team late. At the same time, the Cavs showed how well the Harden and Mitchell backcourt can work in the clutch. Reps like this are important for a pairing that hasn’t been together long.
The Cavaliers will be back in action on Tuesday when they host the Orlando Magic for an 8 PM prime-time game.
MENLO PARK, Calif. (AP) — Hyo Joo Kim played the first six holes in 6 under before stalling Saturday at tree-lined Sharon Heights, leaving her with a five-stroke lead over Nelly Korda with a round left in the Fortinet Founders Cup.
Kim, the 30-year-old South Korean player ranked eighth in the world, shot a 6-under 66 to get to 17-under 199. She won the tournament in 2015 in Phoenix for the second of her seven LPGA Tour titles.
“I’ve been in the lead, so I want to finish tomorrow well,” Kim said.
Four shots ahead entering the day, she had four birdies and an eagle on the par-5 fifth in the opening burst that ended with a bogey on the par-5 seventh.
“The start up to hole 6, I believe, was unbelievable golf and I can’t even believe it,” Kim said. “I had a lot of birdies and eagle, too. But I did also have some bogeys I shouldn’t have done. The start felt like almost a game.”
Kim opened the back nine birdie-bogey-bogey-birdie, then birdied the par-4 16th to get back to 17 under. She left a 15-foot birdie try a foot short on the par-3 17th and parred the par-5 18th after driving into the left rough.
Korda birdied 16 and 18 in a bogey-free 66. She skipped the Asia swing after winning the season opener in Florida.
“It’s nice to have a clean scorecard wherever you play,” Korda said. “Doesn’t matter. With kind of how tough it is off the tee and into the greens, just really happy with my round today.
On Thursday, Kim holed out for eagle on 8 for a 63 and a two-shot lead She pushed the advantage to four Friday with a 70. Coming off a third-place finish last month in Thailand, she's the defending champion next week in Arizona.
Ruixin Liu of China and Gaby Lopez of Mexico were 11 under. Liu eagled the fifth in a 66. Lopez had a 68 playing alongside Kim.
Top-ranked Jeeno Thitikul (69) was 9 under with Erika Hara (67), Karis Davidson (69) and Hye-Jin Choi (69).
The tournament began as a tribute to the 13 founders of the LPGA. It began in Arizona in 2011 and last year was the second event of the season and played in Florida. It has attracted eight of the top 10 players in the world ranking and kicks off a four-tournament stretch in the West ahead of the first major of the year.
PORTLAND, OR — Texas is going from First Four to Sweet 16.
The 11th-seeded Longhorns are keeping their March Madness run alive, upsetting No. 3 seed Gonzaga, 74-68, in the second round of the 2026 men’s NCAA Tournament for their third win in five days.
Fresh off slaying AJ Dybantsa and No. 6 seed BYU in the first round, Texas went toe-to-toe with the Bulldogs in a game where the lead changed 10 times and neither team led by double-digits.
Both teams traded buckets for the majority of the second half, but a spurt with just under seven minutes left gave Texas its largest lead at six and forced Gonzaga to have to catch up. The Bulldogs were able to make it a one-point game in the final minute, but Texas' Camden Heide, who hadn't scored all game hit a clutch 3-pointer with 14 seconds left that sealed the win.
In a physical game that was mostly played near the basket, Texas outmuscled the Zags, efficiently scoring while 46 of their points in the paint, compared to Gonzaga’s 38. Another key factor was Texas capitalizing on mistakes with 11 points off turnovers, compared to just two from the the Bulldogs.
Of course, the bigs were the stars of the night. Matas Vokietaitis followed up his big night against the Cougars with 17 points and nine rebounds, with another 17 points coming from Jordan Pope. The Longhorns were able to withstand another star opponent in Graham Ike. The Bulldogs senior had a game-high 25 points, but limited him to just three rebounds.
Texas becomes first First Four team to reach the Sweet 16 since UCLA’s Final Four run in 2021, and while it is by no means a Cinderella considering the resources it has, the Longhorns keep the magic of March alive, guaranteeing a double-digit seed makes the second weekend of the tournament.
Only four such teams were able to make the second round, and one of them – Texas A&M – lost earlier in the day.
The Longhorns’ run is remarkable considering how it entered the tournament on a three game losing streak, which forced Texas to have to play in the First Four to reach the field of 68. Tramon Mark’s game-winning shot against NC State on Tuesday, March 17 started the hot streak.
Gonzaga’s loss was also a rarity for the established program. It won 10-straight against double-digit seeded teams, not having fallen to one since 2016. The last team seeded 11th or higher to know the Bulldogs out of the tournament was Wyoming in 2002.
Texas now heads to San Jose, California, where they await the winner of Purdue and Miami (Fla.) on Thursday, March 26.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 26: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts during the second half of the NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center on February 26, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Lakers 113-110. 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 Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A new reality for the Lakers in the Luka Dončić era will be the accumulation of technical fouls. After years of having LeBron James and Anthony Davis as the faces of the franchise — two players who did not often complain to officials or accumulate technicals — life with Luka will be different.
On Saturday, Luka was assessed his 16th technical foul of the season on a double technical with Magic center Goga Bitadze, the magic number that will result in a one-game suspension, meaning he will not be available for the Lakers’ game against the Pistons on Monday.
Looked like Luka Doncic and Goga Bitadze were exchanging words while Luka was shooting FTs late in the 3Q.
It’s possible that Luka’s technical could be rescinded. There was nothing particularly egregious about the moments leading up to the technical as it came after trash talking between Luka and Bitadze. But it will have to be a decision that comes quickly with the Lakers set to play the Pistons on Monday.
League rules state that, at 16 technical fouls, players will be suspended for one game. For every other technical after that, he will be suspended for another game. So, for his 18th, 20th, 22nd, etc., technical fouls, he will be suspended for a game.
In short, it’s less than ideal.
Prior to the Lakers’ game against the Nuggets on March 5, head coach JJ Redick spoke about Luka, who entered the contest with 14 technical fouls.
JJ Redick on Luka Doncic’s 14 technical fouls – two away from a suspension: “He’s aware that he’s close. And he’s trying [to not draw more]”
In those instances, Luka’s 15th technical came late in the season. That was not the case for the Lakers, who still had 20 games remaining when Luka moved to within a game of an automatic suspension.
Given the prior evidence, this is going to be something Lakers fans are going to have to monitor in the coming years of the Luka era.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MARCH 10: Jalen Green #4 of the Phoenix Suns drives to the basket on Kyle Kuzma #18 of the Milwaukee Bucks during the second half at Fiserv Forum on March 10, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. 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 John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Forward Patrick Ngongba checked into the game in the first half against TCU for the first time since March 2 against NC State, as he plays through a foot injury. Ngongba arrived to the arena on a scooter, something Jon Scheyer said was a precaution rather than a necessity, per Tracy Wolfson.
Ngongba brings a physicality to the floor for Duke, something it was sorely missing in its first-round matchup against Siena. He averaged 10.7 points per game and six rebounds, serving as a complement to Duke's extremely capable scorers.
Here's the latest on Ngongba as he plays against the Horned Frogs.
Patrick Ngongba injury update
Ngongba has been nursing foot soreness that has kept him out since he played on March 2 against NC State. He was questionable until later March 21, with Jon Scheyer saying he had to get cleared to play.
"He needs to practice," Scheyer said on March 20, per ESP. "He needs to just be on the floor and move the way that he needs to be successful. He's been ramping up and doing a really good job. We just want to make sure he's feeling right to play at a high level. Not just to be out there, but to be him."
Even so, Ngongba arrived to the arena on a scooter and is expected to be on a minutes restriction against TCU. What his ceiling is is unclear, but Duke is undoubtedly glad to have his presence back in the paint for whatever he can give it.
