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.
Anything bought from the links helps support Fear the Sword. You can buy the Donovan Mitchell and James Harden NBA Jam shirt HERE. You can also shop all of Homage’s Cavs gear HERE.
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
UPDATE: Well, it looks like the Lakers will be playing without Luka Dončić against the Wizards. The star guard earned his 16th technical foul in LA’s game against Brooklyn, automatically suspending him for a game.
Luka and Zaire Williams both made physical contact with each other, prompting the officials to issue each player a technical foul.
Luka Doncic and Ziaire Williams are called for double technical fouls after a referee's review of some jostling between the two. That is Doncic's 16th. Have a hard time seeing that one rescinded. He will face a one-game suspension Monday if it is upheld.
There’s still a slim chance it gets rescinded, but since it was a play the officials reviewed, don’t expect it to happen.
Original story follows.
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.
DARLINGTON, S.C. (AP) — The NASCAR team co-owned by NBA legend Michael Jordan continued its strong 2026 start in the Cup Series, locking up the top two starting spots Saturday at Darlington Raceway.
The 23XI Racing driver captured his 13th pole position despite smacking the wall with his No. 45 Toyota as he struggled with a new package that makes driving harder with higher horsepower and lower downforce.
“I tried to take it easy and just overdid the throttle,” Reddick said. “I kind of knew I was in trouble about a third of the way through, so I just had to hit the wall at that point.
“Just really proud of everyone at 23XI. It was a huge focal point with the adjustments to the engine and downforce to stay as strong as we have been the last couple of years. I knew it would be a huge challenge in qualifying today, and it was. I damn near wrecked.”
Teammate Bubba Wallace qualified second at 168.434 mph in his No. 23 Toyota for 23XI, marking the second front row sweep for the team founded by Jordan and NASCAR star Denny Hamlin. Reddick and Wallace are also ranked 1-2 in the points standings through five races.
“That’s Reddick for you,” Wallace said. “He pushes it to the limit. That was a hell of a lap. Just proud of the efforts of the team. Continue to ride the momentum from Race 1 to now and Darlington’s super tough. This package is a handful.”
Chase Elliott qualified third after his No. 9 Chevrolet failed inspection twice before the session, resulting in the loss of pit selection and the ejection of car chief Matt Barndt.
Kyle Larson and Brad Keselowski rounded out the top five in qualifying.
Chris Buescher qualified sixth, but his No. 17 Ford also failed inspection twice. The team lost its pit selection and car chief Josh Sisco for the race.
BUFFALO, NY — Michigan State is headed back to the Sweet 16.
Coen Carr had 21 points and 10 rebounds as the No. 3 Spartans beat No. 6 Louisville 77-69 in the second round of the East region to book a trip into the second weekend for the 17th time under coach Tom Izzo.
Michigan State will next face the winner of Sunday’s matchup between No. 2 Connecticut and No. 7 UCLA.
Point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. had 12 points and 16 assists for Michigan State. Forward Jaxon Kohler had 10 points and 6 rebounds. Guard Trey Fort (12 points) also scored in double figures.
Louisville was led by Ryan Conwell’s 21 points on 7 of 15 shooting. Adrian Wooley added 17 points and 4 rebounds.
After an early feeling-out period, the Spartans took a 19-12 lead with 11:55 to go in the first half after Kohler nailed a 3-pointer and a short jumper. At this point, 10 of Louisville’s 14 attempts from the field were from deep, with two makes.
While not able to get their own transition game working, some good ball movement in the halfcourt set helped the Spartans hang on for a 36-31 halftime lead. MSU had 12 assists on 13 made field goals and was shooting 46.4% from the field, though the offense was hampered by nine turnovers.
Louisville made just 12 of its 36 attempts in the first half, including 4 of 18 from deep, but was able to capitalize with nine points off MSU turnovers.
Louisville close within 50-47 eight minutes into the second half thanks to a corner 3 by 7-foot center Aly Khalifa. The Spartans responded with a 3 of their own by Fort, who went 3 of 5 from behind the arc, to lead 53-47 with 10 minutes left. The Spartans went into this final stretch having led for nearly 28 of the game’s 30 minutes.
The Cardinals and Spartans would continue to trade defensive stands for about the next two minutes, with a 3 by Wooley leaving MSU in front 55-50 with 8:20 left.
But in a crucial sequence, MSU would take its first double-digit lead since going ahead 22-12 in the first half after Louisville big man Vangelis Zougris was called for flagrant foul while trying to block a Kohler layup attempt.
Kohler would make both free throws and then hit a 3 from the wing on the ensuing possession, putting the Spartans up 63-50 with 6:41 to play. This came amid a cold spell for the Cardinals, who scored only 3 points in a five-minute span.
MSU then slowed down its offensive pace while Louisville trimmed the lead to single digits at 68-59 on another Khalifa make from beyond the arc. But the Cardinals were unable to get over the hump thanks in part to the Spartans’ success at the free-throw line.
MSU made four in a row from the line to keep Louisville at bay and delivered a punctuation mark on an alley-oop from Fears to Cooper with 1:54 left to lead 72-59.
In addition to 17 Sweet 16 appearances, the Izzo-led Spartans have made eight Final Four trips and reached two national championship games, winning it all in 2000.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Steven Stamkos had two goals and an assist to lead the Nashville Predators to a 4-1 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday.
Stamkos opened the scoring 40 seconds in and added a power-play goal in the first two minutes of the second period as Nashville raced to an early three-goal lead. Tyson Jost and Ryan O’Reilly also scored for the Predators, who won their third straight and for the fourth time in six games. Justus Annunen made 39 saves and improved to 8-9-2.
With his second goal of the game, the 36-year-old Stamkos broke a tie with Brendan Shanahan and moved into sole possession of seventh place in the NHL with 238 career power-play goals. Phil Esposito is sixth overall with 246 man-advantage goals. Stamkos has 33 goals and 55 points this season.
Shea Theodore scored for Vegas, which lost its third in a row and for the sixth time in eight games. Akira Schmid stopped 16 shots.
Vegas carried the play throughout, outshooting Nashville 40-20. But, the Predators made the most of their shots with leads of 3-0 and 4-1 in the second period. The Golden Knights had a 20-4 edge in shots in the first period and a 10-5 advantage in the scoreless third.
Stamkos scored in the opening minute after Ryan O’Reilly won a faceoff and delivered a perfect feed in the slot.
Stamkos scored his 33 of the season on the power play at 1:24 of the second, with assists going to Filip Forsberg and Erik Haula. Tyson Jost made it 3-0 with the Predators' third short-handed goal of the season at 11:56. O'Reilly has the team's other short-handed scores this season.
Theodore got Vegas on the board at 13:10 of the second with a power-play goal before O’Reilly restored a three-goal lead for Nashville with a power-play score at 14:53, on a deflection of a shot by Stamkos.
TORUN, Poland (AP) — Armand Duplantis won another pole vault world title after he was pushed all the way by Greece's Emmanouil Karalis on Saturday.
Duplantis won his fourth consecutive world indoor championships with a tournament record vault of 6.25 meters, a 10 centimeter improvement on his winning height a year ago in Nanjing.
The pair left behind the field at 6.05.
Duplantis cleared his first attempts at 6.10, 6.15 and then 6.25, when he wobbled the bar.
Karalis passed at 6.10 and 6.15, and missed his attempts at 6.25, finshing runner-up for a second straight year.
Duplantis put away his pole, foregoing attempts at 6.32 to break his world record of 6.31 that he set last week at the Swedish meeting named after him, the Mondo Classic.
Karalis was runner-up at 6.05 and Australia's Kurtis Marschall third with a personal-best 6.00, marking the first time in history that three vaulters surpassed six meters in the same indoor contest.
Simon Ehammer of Switzerland reclaimed the heptathlon title with a world record score of 6,670, adding 25 points to the previous high set in 2012 by Ashton Eaton of the U.S. Ehammer was the world indoor champion in 2024 and runner-up last year.
Also, Zaynab Dosso of Italy won the women's 60-meter final — Olympic 100 champion Julien Alfred was third — Christopher Morales Williams of Canada and Lurdes Gloria Manuel of the Czech Republic won the men's and women's 400, and Josh Kerr of Britain the men's 3,000 six months after tearing his calf in the world outdoor 1,500 final in Tokyo.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Wizards point guard Trae Young is dealing with a pair of injuries and is out indefinitely, the team announced before Saturday's game against the Thunder.
Young re-injured his right quadriceps, sustaining a contusion during the third quarter of Washington's game against Golden State on Monday, the team said in a statement that also said he had lower back irritation.
“Yeah, he obviously got the contusion the other night, but he’s also been dealing with a little bit of back pain, so we obviously did a little bit of imaging,” coach Brian Keefe said before the game. “The back has been irritated. Don’t have a timeline on any of that stuff yet, but obviously, he’s out tonight.”
The team said both injuries are being treated conservatively and will not require surgery at this point.
Young, acquired in a trade with the Atlanta Hawks on Jan. 9, has appeared in five games with the Wizards, averaging 15.2 points and 6.2 assists.
PHILADELPHIA, PA — You just never know when a dentist on standby will come in handy.
That moment came Friday night inside Xfinity Mobile Arena for UCLA men’s basketball guard Skyy Clark, who had his front tooth knocked out after he dove to the floor in an attempt to get a loose ball against Central Florida’s Themus Fulks.
"I didn't know (what would happen). The trainer, Alexa (Blatt), told us she was going to find a dentist. I thought I was going to be toothless for the night and get it fixed today," Clark told USA TODAY Sports outside of the Bruins' locker room on Saturday, March 21.
The 6-foot-3 guard received some immediate attention from UCLA’s medical staff at the bench after the incident. He checked back in toward the end of the game and hit a free throw with 2.3 seconds left to seal the victory for the Bruins.
The dentist who saved the day was Dr. Jeff Goldfine, who is the dentist for the Philadelphia 76ers in Philadelphia. Clark said he found out he was getting a new tooth 15 minutes after Blatt said she was going to find a dentist in the area.
"Went there (to the dentist's office), took me in around 11:30. I left around 12:45, 1 in the morning," Clark said.
UCLA shared a smile of Clark's new smile on social media on Saturday.
Clark described the procedure Goldfine performed as similar to one used for a root canal. He said Goldfine made the "whole process painless," telling a larger group of reporters at media availability that anesthesia was used.
"He had to take out the nerve, clean all the tooth, and take out the root," Clark said. "Then he had to nub it down and make a little fake tooth. (Then) cemented it on for temporarily."
When asked whether he's in any pain just over 12 hours after the procedure, Clark told USA TODAY Sports there is a "little soreness" in his mouth.
"Nothing crazy," Clark said.
The replacement tooth is only temporary, Clark emphasized. He'll need another procedure in a few weeks, once the Bruins' season is over, but there won't be any holdback in how he plays in Sunday's second-round matchup against No. 2-seed UConn. He'll wear a mouthguard for protection tomorrow, though.
The Bruins and the Huskies are set for an 8:45 p.m. ET tipoff on Sunday night in Philadelphia. A win would advance UCLA to the Sweet 16 of the Men’s NCAA Tournament.
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
