GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — Jessica Timmons and Ta'Mia Scott combined for 43 points to lead Alabama 76-64 past Tennessee in the second round of the Southeastern Conference tournament on Thursday.
Timmons and Scott were both 3 of 5 from behind the arc. Timmons had 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting and Scott had 20 on 7-of-11 shooting to go with five rebounds. Scott fouled out with 3:46 to go.
Essence Cody scored 10 points. Karly Weathers had seven assists and six steals.
The No. 11 seed Crimson Tide (23-9) built up a 39-29 halftime lead after a 9-0 first quarter run, and a 12-5 run to end the half. Alabama never trailed in the contest and held the lead from the 3:16 mark in the first quarter.
The No. 6 seed Volunteers (16-13) were led by a 20-point, five-rebound performance from Janiah Barker. She turned the ball over seven times. Zee Spearman added 13 points, six rebounds and two blocks.
Tennessee leads the SEC with 17 conference titles.
Up next
Alabama will face No. 3 seed Texas in the quarterfinals on Friday.
Tennessee, after seven consecutive losses, will await to see if it will receive a bid to the NCAA tournament.
On Thursday, the Pittsburgh Penguins played in their final game prior to the NHL Trade Deadline against the Buffalo Sabres. Going into it, they were second in the Metropolitan Division with 75 points, and they were less than 24 hours away from the 3:00 p.m. deadline on Friday.
Early in the second period with the score tied, 1-1, Penguins' foward Evgeni Malkin got tied up with Sabres' defenseman Rasmus Dahlin near Buffalo's goal line. The two exchanged cross-checks, and in frustration, Malkin slashed his stick at Dahlin's jaw area.
The result of the altercation was matching cross-checking minors and a five-minute slashing major for Malkin as well as a game misconduct.
Since Malkin has had a history of stick infractions, it would not be surprising to see supplemental discipline handed to him by the Department of Player Safety. Forward Bryan Rust was suspended three games earlier this season for a hit to the head of Vancouver Canucks forward Brock Boeser.
Pittsburgh next plays Saturday at home against the Philadelphia Flyers, which comes one day after the NHL trade deadline. Penguins' GM and POHO Kyle Dubas said Wednesday that he may look to add a forward and a defenseman, and since the Penguins could possibly be without both Malkin and Sidney Crosby - week-to-week with a lower-body injury - for a length of time, it may force his hand to add a center by 3:00 p.m. ET on Friday.
On trade deadline eve, the Winnipeg Jets hosted the Tampa Bay Lightning in an inter-conference tilt at Canada Life Centre.
The game was the second of Winnipeg's eight-game homestand and proved to be its fifth-straight registering at least a point, as the Jets took care of the Lightning by way of a 4-1 final.
Photo by James Carey Lauder
Thanks to a strong second period that saw goals from Morgan Barron and Mark Scheifele, the Jets pulled to within seven points of the Seattle Kraken for the final spot in the Western Conference Wild Card playoff run.
Prior to puck drop, the Jets announced the recall of defenceman Isaak Phillips from the AHL. Neither Logan Stanley nor Luke Schenn came out for warmup, signifying the team's interest in protecting the two players in advance of Friday's trade deadline.
With Josh Morrissey, Neal Pionk and Colin Miller already injured and out of action, the Jets dressed a defensive corps that included Ville Heinola, Dylan Samberg, Dylan DeMelo, Haydn Fleury, Elias Salomonsson and Isaak Phillips.
“It’s not fun. That’s the business," Scheifele said. "Obviously, I don’t think I’ve been through that in a long time. Something I had to do was refocus before the game. But I was really happy for this group. Philly and Ville, both coming in and playing awesome. Guys stepped up. Fleurs stepped up, Salo has been great. Samby and Smoke stepped in and played awesome, so that was good to see.”
The Jets kept the Bolts in check through the first period, actually maintaining an 8-5 shot lead through 20 minutes of play.
It was in the second period where they took the lead, blowing the shot chart wide-open, pulling ahead to a 1-0 lead and a +12 differential in shots.
Barron's ninth of the season came late in the period, to which he rebounded home a perfect shot-pass from Cole Koepke on a rush up ice, opening the scoring 35:31 in.
Then, with just 18 seconds left, Scheifele hammered home his 29th of the season. With Kyle Connor executing a perfect forecheck, he dished the puck to Alex Iafallo, who set Scheifele up for the one-time strike.
Through 40 minutes of play, Winnipeg led 2-0 and held a 22-10 shot advantage.
The third period began slowly for the hosts, which gave up eight-straight shots on goal to start the frame, including Tampa's first of the game - a Brayden Point power play marker, just seven seconds into a Salomonsson high sticking minor.
But the Jets responded with Gustav Nyquist's first goal of the season. Although taking significantly longer to earn his first marker with the Jets than he would have liked, Nyquist picked up the puck off a hard-working shift from Tanner Pearson and Jonathan Toews, who assisted on his first in Winnipeg 5:34 into the third period.
"I mean, it feels great, obviously for the support there," Nyquist said of the cheers after his goal. "I know it's been a long time coming. So, overall, I thought we played a good, really good game all throughout. And then obviously they came out with a push in the third and got the early goal on the power play. And then, so it's nice to put that goal in for 3-1."
Five minutes later, Kyle Connor thought he had the Jets up 4-1, but his goal was called back due to his linemate Scheifele skating in offside before he carried the puck into the Bolts' zone and ripped it past Andrei Vasilevskiy, negating the goal.
With Andrei Vasilevskiy on the bench for the extra attacker, Scheifele made it up to his linemate, handing him the puck on the doorstep, where he sealed the deal into the wide open net, finishing off the visitors with the 4-1 strike.
“There was no chance I was shooting another puck the rest of the game," Scheifele laughed post-game.
"I was going to do everything in my power to get him that goal back because I was so mad at myself. I was very angry with myself there. That is a loss of focus. You should never go offside in that situation - you should never go offside in general, really. I’m going to hear about that one from Oatsie and from a lot of my buddies, trust me. It won’t be a fun conversation or text I’ll be getting from some of the guys. But yeah, I wasn’t going to shoot another puck until KC got one.”
Hellebuyck finished the night with 26 stops on Tampa Bay's 27 shots, while Vasilevskiy turned aside just 26 of Winnipeg's 29 shots on goal.
Next up for Winnipeg is a test with the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday in a 6:00 PM central Hockey Night in Canada spectacle.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Morez Johnson Jr. and Yaxel Lendeborg scored 16 points apiece, and Aday Mara had two tiebreaking shots in the final 1:22 as Michigan defeated Iowa.
The Wolverines (28-2, 18-1 Big Ten) were held 18 points below their season scoring average, but managed to hold off the Hawkeyes (20-10, 10-9) in the closing seconds.
Iowa went on an 11-1 run to tie the game at 64 with 1:56 to play before Mara banked in a shot before the shot clock expired, putting Michigan in front again. After Iowa’s Cam Manyawu scored inside to tie the game at 66, Mara, who finished with 14 points on 7-for-10 shooting, scored off a lob with 43 seconds left to put the Wolverines ahead to stay.
Iowa had chances to tie the game on back-to-back possessions, but missed three shots on one of the possessions and lost the ball on another after a turnover by Tavion Banks with seven seconds left.
The Hawkeyes had a final chance to tie the game after Lendeborg made two free throws with four seconds remaining, but Bennett Stirtz’s 3-pointer try was long.
Elliot Cadeau added 11 points for the Wolverines, the Big Ten regular-season champions.
Stirtz led Iowa with 21 points. Manyawu had 14.
NO. 8 MICHIGAN STATE 91, RUTGERS 87
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Jeremy Fears had 21 points and eight assists and Coen Carr also scored 21, helping Michigan State hold off Rutgers.
The Spartans (25-5, 15-4 Big Ten) will close the regular season on the road against rival and third-ranked Michigan on Sunday.
Michigan State has won five straight games to secure a top-four seed in next week’s Big Ten Tournament and a double-bye into the quarterfinals.
The Scarlet Knights (12-18, 5-14) have slumped toward the bottom of the 18-team conference.
Rutgers’ Tariq Francis scored 25 points, Lino Mark had 14 and Emmanuel Ogbole added 13.
MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- Logan Mailloux sat at his locker inside Centene Community Ice Center recently, still catching breath after a good, hard practice for the St. Louis Blues and had this calming ease about him.
He sits down, knows questions are coming, happy to answer them, even though there's gear to sweaty sling off, shower, change and head to the airport for the next road trip.
Remember when the Mailloux-for-Zack Bolduc trade was dubbed the steal of the century for the Montreal Canadiens before allowing these two young 2021 first-round picks to grow into their respective games? Seems like an eternity ago, doesn't it?
Regardless, it's been a challenging, at times arduous, sometimes tough and exhausting, and definitely moments of learning of the past half year since the defenseman arrived in St. Louis, after being dealt to the Blues by the Canadiens on July 1, 2025.
We're not anointing the 22-year-old as the next Pronger clone here by any means, but things are certainly looking brighter for the 31st pick in the 2021 NHL Draft.
Has Mailloux, who scored in his second straight game on Wednesday in a 3-2 win over the Seattle Kraken, turned the corner? He's still got plenty of growing to do, but little by little, he's figuring things out, and quite honestly, he's taken some really nice steps here despite having a way to go. But if you're a Blues fan and the organization for that matter, you have to be pleased with what you've seen from the right-handed blueliner.
With Colton Parayko missing his third game Wednesday because of back spasms, someone had to step up and grab a bigger bite of the apple. Mailloux not only bit it but has inhaled it. He played in a career-best 22:52 on Wednesday and has surpassed 20 or more minutes in all three games playing alongside Cam Fowler.
Unlike earlier in the year when it felt like the weight of the world was on his shoulders -- and they still in a sense may be -- and when confidence was scarce, that confidence is growing with each shift, with each touch of the puck, with each defensive play and with more added responsibilities. And with more experience comes more assertiveness, a sense of calm, understanding what to do and staying within himself.
Believe it when Mailloux understood what he was coming into here. He was the guy replacing a budding, young, fan favorite that Blues fans were gravitating towards, and when things weren't going right and even having to leave the team and go refine himself for a bit in Springfield of the American Hockey League, hearing and reading comments that the trade was a disaster because Bolduc had scored in each of his first three games with the Canadiens and was off to a roaring start was naturally on the mind of Mailloux. It's easier to see, hear and read with the world of social media and what the naysayers were were feeling.
"You couldn't let it get to you," Mailloux said. "I knew who I was coming in here for and how passionate these fans are, I've come to see it. You had to block out the noise, put your head down and continue to work. I've come to realize these fans here appreciate hard work and an honest effort every night."
And work he's done as well as put in the effort. Not that it wasn't there before but the execution of it all just didn't come together. But that was then and this is now. How times have changed.
"It's been a roller-coaster year, but I feel like I've been building in the right direction, especially the last couple months," Mailloux said. "I feel bit by bit, I've been growing my game and feeling good about my game for sure."
Why wouldn't he?
In his first five games as a Blue, Mailloux was a minus-9 and really had no real sense of direction of of what to become of himself, and all that is because simply a lack of games played.
The Blues were saying all the right things, including coach Jim Montgomery, who said before the season started that Mailloux was "NHL-ready."
That was wishful thinking obviously. Sure you want to talk yourself into believing it, but the Blues knew they had a project on their hands. But it's safe to say the steps to being NHL ready are finally developing before their very eyes, and it's a pleasant sight to see the confidence starting to shine.
"I feel like I am," Mailloux said. "Obviously confidence is huge. I feel like whether it's with the puck or without the puck, if you're feeling better you're just going to kill more plays, so I think I've just felt pretty good out there.
"The more plays you kill, the more times you're going to have the puck on your stick and stuff like that. I feel like if I can kill plays as quick as I can and do my responsibility in the D-zone, then the more times I get the puck, I'm going to be skating with it more and making more plays."
Mailloux, who has taken it upon himself to be a defensive-minded player to fuel other parts of his game, has shown the knack of taking the stick, being properly positioned and as he mentioned earlier, killing plays. In doing so, the puck's on his stick more, which allows him to make plays.
"He's more assertive and it's just confidence," Montgomery said. "With Parayko out, he's getting more ice time. I don't know how much his ice time has jumped up, I don't know if it's four minutes, if it's more than that, he's getting penalty killing reps. You're just into the rhythm of the game and when you're going right5 back out there, you don't have time to get in your own head about something that might have gone wrong.
"He's starting to take off the same time Bolduc took off last year. Not to be comparable to the trade, but that's what happens. Not everybody comes to this league and is [Macklin] Celebrini. It just doesn't happen. It's the best league in the world, and good players, really talented young players like Logan Mailloux, they're going to figure it out because they're that talented and that competitive."
Teammates see it too.
"Obviously confidence does a lot to a player," captain Brayden Schenn said after Wednesday's game. "Obviously you get rewarded with a few goals, all of the sudden you start seeing the ice differently or making different plays. He's a guy that has lots of skill and talent, the full package. As you get more opportunity, more minutes, you always have to take advantage of it, and right now, he is."
And how the tides have turned. Bolduc hasn't scored in his past 22 games, even being a healthy scratch on Feb. 26, and Mailloux is now played 19 or more minutes in each of the four games after the Olympic break. But this stronger play was coming even before that. However the fan bases look at it, each player is still so young, allow them to grow at their own merits. And Mailloux is figuring out how.
"It's the consistency that you have to bring, whether it's every day in practice or in the games, I feel like you can't take a day off at all," Mailloux said. "You've got to take care of yourself and be ready to go, whether it's every practice day or every game day. I feel like just being able to be consistent kind of night in, night out is definitely the main thing I think.
"When you're playing more minutes, if you ask a lot of guys, it's easier to kind of get into the flow of things and stuff like that. But when you lose a guy like Colton, it kind of takes a committee to replace a guy like that. I don't think it's one guy. It's all of us that have been stepping up and I feel like I've had a bunch of great help from all the guys around here."
Mailloux, who has three goals and two assists in 46 games, is also taking his game back to the offensive side where it was prior to the season. He has 48 shots on goal on the season, but 13 of them have come in the past four games. So not only is he honing in on the defensive side that's leading to more offense, but he's not deferring pucks as often as perhaps earlier in the season
"I've definitely taken more of a shooting mindset," Mailloux said. "I feel like that's one of my assets is my shot. I'm going to try and use it. If I get the opportunity, I've got to take it."
Despite the 13 shots in four games, Montgomery said he can still shoot the puck more.
"Yes he can. He can. He needs to be shot-ready even more," Montgomery said. "He's got a really good one-timer, but he only used the one-timer when he's up. We want him to pound it when he's on his strong side as a defenseman even more. Kind of like you see [Justin] Faulk do.
"I think it's just not having practiced it enough, not understanding what that shot gives the team offensively. In junior hockey, American (Hockey) League, you have more time to get that puck and walk middle, stick-handle and let it go. In this league if you do that, the lane's closed and now you've got to throw it back behind the goal line."
Mailloux credits having a mentor-type in Fowler as his partner, someone with over 1,100 games' worth of experience that's guided him through the trials and tribulations of growing into the player he can be.
"He's the best," Mailloux said. "I really like him. I really like playing with him. I feel like he controls the game so well. He can slow it down, speed it up and I just am kind of able to bounce ideas off of him, what he saw or what he thinks. He's definitely been big for me."
Even though it's a sample size that Mailloux and the Blues would like to see more of, he's not going to be content. There's still plenty of work -- and learning -- left.
"Just put my head down and continue to work hard, keep gaining confidence and keep plugging away," Mailloux said. "It does feel like I'm absorbing things more cleaner and better now. I just have to working at it and put that effort in.
"The one thing I've learned is you can't look back. Just put your head down and put your best foot forward, and that's what I'm going to try and keep doing."
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Bo Bichette celebrates after scoring during the Mets' March 5 win.
Observations from Mets spring training Thursday:
Bo’s arts building
Bo Bichette has long been one of the best bat-to-ball hitters in the game, and the veteran infielder is proving that regardless of what position he plays, he will produce at the plate.
Bo Bichette celebrates after scoring during the Mets’ 7-4 spring training loss to the Nationals on March 5, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
He had two more hits Thursday in a 7-4 loss to Washington at Ballpark of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Not that Severino
Anderson Severino, a lefty who spent the past two years pitching in Mexico and is trying to get back to the majors for the first time since 2022, allowed four runs in ²/₃ of an inning.
Caught my eye
Cristian Pache plays center field well enough to be an everyday player, but his bat hasn’t produced.
He ran down a ball in left-center that proved he’s able to get to just about anything in the gaps.
Friday’s schedule
Sean Manaea will be the next pitcher to make his Grapefruit League debut Friday when the Mets visit the Marlins under the lights at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Fla., at 7:10 p.m.
MIAMI — Tyler Herro scored 25 points, Bam Adebayo added 21 and the Miami Heat beat the Nets 126-110 on Thursday night, sending the Nets to their 10th consecutive loss.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 18 for the Heat (34-29), who have won six of eight and moved five games over .500 for the first time since the first week of December.
Pelle Larsson and Kel’el Ware each had 16 points for Miami — with Ware adding 11 rebounds and seven blocked shots.
The Heat also improved to 15-5 on March 5 — or “305 Day,” as it is called in Miami, a nod to the city’s primary area code. No active NBA franchise has a better record on that date.
Tyler Herro, who scored 25 points, looks to make a move in Miami on March 5, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
Michael Porter Jr. scored 27 points for Brooklyn, which also lost at Miami on Tuesday. Noah Clowney scored 17, Nic Claxton had 16 and Ziaire Williams finished with 15 for the Nets.
Brooklyn briefly led in the third quarter, but gave up 66 points in the second half.
Miami had a 54-34 edge in bench scoring and shot 53%.
The Nets are the sixth team to have a losing streak of 10 or more games this season, joining Sacramento (16), Washington (14), Indiana (13), Chicago (11) and Dallas (10).
It’s the longest slide for Brooklyn since the 2021-22 team dropped 11 straight.
Michael Porter Jr., who scored a game-high 27 points, drives past Andrew Higgins. Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Miami was without Norman Powell (right groin strain), Nikola Jovic (lower back) and Simone Fontecchio (left groin strain).
For Brooklyn, rookie Egor Demin (left plantar fascia) missed his third consecutive contest.
The Winnipeg Jets and Buffalo Sabres are reportedly discussing a deal that could send defenseman Logan Stanley to Buffalo, with veteran blueliner Luke Schenn potentially included in the package. According to early reporting from Fourth Period's Dave Pagnotta, the two teams are engaged in advanced discussions.
The potential move would align with Buffalo’s recent efforts to strengthen its blue line as the Sabres explored a trade for Colton Parayko of the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday, but the deal ultimately fell through when Parayko declined to waive his no-move clause on Thursday. With that option off the table, Buffalo appears to be evaluating other defensemen who could provide size and stability to its back end.
Things happen fast… quick update. Per sources, Sabres are working on a trade to acquire BOTH Schenn and Logan Stanley from Winnipeg. https://t.co/BFEoSyfFVF
Stanley, 27, has emerged as one of Winnipeg’s most productive defensemen this season. The Kitchener, Ontario native is in the midst of a career year, recording nine goals and 12 assists for 21 points in 59 games.
His breakout campaign has made him an appealing trade target around the league, particularly given his ability to handle significant minutes while playing under a very manageable cap hit. Stanley is averaging just over 17 minutes of ice time per game and carries a cap hit of $1.25 million. Over the course of his NHL career, he has appeared in 261 games with 14 goals and 43 assists.
Schenn, 36, could also be part of the discussions according to early rumours surrounding the negotiations. This season he has recorded one goal and seven points in 46 games while providing a physical presence through hits and shot blocking. The veteran defenseman brings a wealth of experience, including two Stanley Cup championships across a career that has spanned more than 1,100 NHL games.
Despite the growing speculation, no official confirmation has emerged from league insiders or the teams themselves. However, with the deadline rapidly approaching, trades involving Stanley and Schenn will likely materialze before Friday's trade deadline.
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The New Jersey Devils announced on Thursday that they had placed Evgenii Dadonov, Luke Glendening, and Maxim Tsyplakov on waivers.
Dadonov, who signed a one-year, $1 million deal on July 1, 2025, has played 17 games this season without recording a point.
After being drafted 71st overall in 2007, Dadonov has played for six NHL teams, totaling 634 NHL games.
Glendening has appeared in 52 games with the Devils. The right winger has four points – all assists so far. He signed a one-year, $775,000 contract with the New Jersey Devils on Oct. 7, 2025, after he joined the team for training camp on a professional tryout.
The undrafted 36-year-old has been in the NHL for 13 seasons. He has played 916 NHL games for four teams.
Tsyplakov has appeared in 36 games this season with the Devils and New York Islanders, earning two points, one goal, and one assist. He has appeared in nine games with the Devils this season.
The undrafted 27-year-old has played 113 NHL games over two seasons.
Make sure you bookmark THN's New Jersey Devils site for THN's latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.
THN.com/free
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MIAMI (AP) — Tyler Herro scored 25 points, Bam Adebayo added 21 and the Miami Heat beat Brooklyn 126-110 on Thursday night, sending the Nets to their 10th consecutive loss.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 18 for the Heat (34-29), who have won six of eight and moved five games over .500 for the first time since the first week of December. Pelle Larsson and Kel’el Ware each had 16 points for Miami — with Ware adding 11 rebounds and seven blocked shots.
The Heat also improved to 15-5 on March 5 — or “305 Day,” as it is called in Miami, a nod to the city’s primary area code. No active NBA franchise has a better record on that date.
Michael Porter Jr. scored 27 points for Brooklyn, which also lost at Miami on Tuesday. Noah Clowney scored 17, Nic Claxton had 16 and Ziaire Williams finished with 15 for the Nets. Brooklyn briefly led in the third quarter, but gave up 66 points in the second half.
Miami had a 54-34 edge in bench scoring and shot 53 percent.
The Nets are the sixth team to have a losing streak of 10 or more games this season, joining Sacramento (16), Washington (14), Indiana (13), Chicago (11) and Dallas (10). It’s the longest slide for Brooklyn since the 2021-22 team dropped 11 straight.
Miami was without Norman Powell (right groin strain), Nikola Jovic (lower back) and Simone Fontecchio (left groin strain). For Brooklyn, rookie Egor Demin (left plantar fascia) missed his third consecutive contest.
For the first time in 102 days, the Rangers won a game on home ice in regulation.
A 6-2 beating of the Maple Leafs Thursday night snapped a 19-game streak without a regulation victory at Madison Square Garden, a stretch dating back to a Nov. 24 win over the Blues, just before Thanksgiving.
In a clash between two of the most disappointing teams in the Eastern Conference, the Rangers prevailed while sitting two players — Vincent Trocheck and Sam Carrick — for “roster management purposes.”
“Obviously, tough,” said Will Cuylle, who scored the Rangers’ first goal of the game and their last into an empty net. “I mean, you don’t know what’s going to happen with them. Just try to focus on the game and try to get a win.”
With his 14th goal of the season, Alexis Lafrenière gave the Rangers their first lead of the night just over 5 ½ minutes into the third period.
Toronto had taken the lead on two separate occasions, once in the first and again in the second, but the Blueshirts answered every time.
The final 20 minutes saw the Rangers put the game far out of reach with a four-goal period.
The organization capped its centennial theme nights by honoring those who were a quintessential part of the 15 postseason appearances since 2004.
The Rangers celebrate a goal during their March 5 win against the Maple Leafs. Charles Wenzelberg
Glen Sather, Henrik Lundqvist, Sean Avery, Marian Gaborik and so many more were acknowledged in a pregame ceremony.
It made for a joyous start to the night, but then the puck was dropped. Just 13 seconds later, the Blueshirts were already trailing. Matias Maccelli had Toronto on the board before the home team even realized the game had started.
“I thought it was a tough start to the game,” head coach Mike Sullivan said. “I wish I had an answer for that, but I also understand. It’s not an easy circumstance. We don’t play Troch or Sam. All of this happens today. These guys are a close-knit group, they’re friends, they’re teammates and it affects people. We’re trying to do our best to focus on the task at hand. I thought we grabbed ahold of it after that.”
The Rangers were able to regroup and tie it up not too long after.
Will Cuylle, who later scored an empty-net goal, got a stick on Braden Schneider’s shot to tie the game at 1-1.
Alexis Lafrenière celebrates after scoring a goal during the third period of the Rangers’ March 5 win. Charles Wenzelberg
Just under 5 ½ into a much more evenly matched second period, the Maple Leafs regained the lead off a goal from Easton Cowan. The lead did not last long, however, with the Rangers responding approximately two minutes later.
Vladislav Gavrikov buried a long rebound on the power play for his 11th goal of the season. Offensively, the Russian defenseman has been a revelation for the Blueshirts. His 11 goals rank him among the top 15 in scoring among blueliners in the NHL.
The Rangers broke the game open with three unanswered goals in the third period.
While Lafrenière notched the game-winner, Jaroslav Chmelar scored his first NHL goal at the 10:25 mark of the final frame. He took it himself on an odd-man rush and had a massive smile on his face after seeing the puck go in.
Mika Zibanejad later added another, recording his 25th goal of the season.
“I mean, I can’t really describe how it felt right now,” Chmelar said. “I think it’s gonna take me a couple hours. I don’t know if I’m gonna sleep tonight.”
MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 5: Bam Adebayo #13 of the Miami Heat smiles at an opposing coach after a dunk as Day'ron Sharpe #20 of the Brooklyn Nets walks by in the first half at Kaseya Center on March 5, 2026 in Miami, Florida. 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 Peter Joneleit/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Brooklyn Nets played the Miami Heat for a second straight time tonight. It was honest remake. The same characters appeared. There were a few creative spins on the script and plot. However, we got the same, predicable ending.
Much like in the Tuesday game, the Nets struggled to protect the rock this evening, once more turning it over 19 times. Seven of them came on their first 11 possessions of the game.
The other night, when the wasted trips down the floor began to stack, Brooklyn’s rookie ball-handlers shouldered most of the blame. It was fair criticism, and Jordi Fernández agreed with it postgame, as Ben Saraf and Nolan Traoré combined for 12 of those turnovers.
But this time, the kids were innocent, at least in the first quarter. Both Traoré and Saraf played squeaky clean opening frames. It was yet another instance of Fernández challenging his young talent and getting the desired response.
“I think today we we got better,” Fernández said. “Obviously, not what we want, coming out with a loss, but a lot of good things. And starting with the first group, the way they competed, and that’s what I like to see.”
Traoré was especially better early, and in more ways than one. He opened the game with a 7/2/2 line while shooting 3-4 from the field and 1-1 from deep. He only scored two more points after that, struggling to handle Miami’s zone, but Fernández brushed it off postgame.
“It’s understanding the game,” he said. “They were in a zone, and he was trying to call the plays against the zone, and I thought we got good shots. He thought that he saw something different than what it was, and you know, a couple of turnovers here and there… I trust that he’s very smart. He has a good feel, he’s got a good voice, but it doesn’t happen overnight, that he can control everything. So I’ve got keep helping him with games like this…There was a little bit of struggle, but I’m not concerned, because he’s going to keep growing and getting better.”
“They just played zone, and we struggled a little bit at the end, but we’re going to get better,” Traoré added. “Next time, it’s going to be way better. Just got to do what we know, execute what we learn, and we’ll be alright.”
Saraf also had two strong takes in the first and showed what positional size can do for you even when you don’t have the quickest feet…
Nets second unit again looking better on defense vs Miami.
Timely paint help, active hands + nice job by Saraf to recover and closeout with control. pic.twitter.com/zgeMFC9Cty
That production also helped the Nets stay within reach after the first, even while throwing a possession giveaway sale.
But then, like they did in the first game, the Heat started doing what playoff-hungry teams are supposed to do to basement dwellers. Dru Smith, who appeared in 10 games for Brooklyn as a tw0-way player in 2023, gave Miami five points in less than four minutes to help his team establish a double digit lead. Kel’el Ware also started doing what seven footers are known to do, rejecting three shots in the period to help him earn a career-high seven for the game.
However, Fernández has said multiple times this year he doesn’t want his team to quietly concede games. He wants to see “the fight.”
It doesn’t seem like the message always sticks, but tonight, in the humid 305, it did.
The Nets closed the second on a 14-5 run, making this a two possession game at halftime. After being -7 in turnovers in in the first, they finished +3 in the second. Ochai Agbaji, Ziaire Williams, Terance Mann, Claxton and Clowney were all in on the action with a steal each.
“Man, we just tried to play with a little extra effort, one more charge, one more closeout, just a little more effort than we had last game,” Williams said. “Still came up short, but I thought our guys were fighting back.”
Michael Porter also flipped things after a rough game on Tuesday. Benefitting from the space created off those turnovers, he sprayed two threes in the period to give himself 11 points by halftime. He finished the game with 27 points, 13 rebounds, and three assists while shooting 9-24 from the field and 7-13 from three. He also snagged two steals and blocked a shot.
“You just look at the rebounding, 13 rebounds, and then winning plays,” Fernández said. “Like, he sprinted in transition defensively and got the deflection towards the end of the third quarter. Just things like this, when I see Mike so engaged, and then when he thinks about rebounding, about cutting, and playing as far as he can defensively, then shots go in. I thought he was aggressive. I was very happy with the game he played. That’s the Michael that the group needs, because he brings so much good energy and the level of play of a very, very, very good player, a top player in the NBA.”
Porter Jr. lifted the Nets to 7-13 shooting from three by that point. The Nets only made six threes all game on Tuesday.
Understandably, Brooklyn kept pressing those buttons when play resumed. They hit another two threes to begin the second half, cracking it open with an 8-0 run that gave them their first lead since the opening minutes. Porter Jr. also added another 13 points in the third. The basket began to look like the ocean in South Beach…
Sagging off MPJ to cover Ben Saraf beyond the arc certainly is choice here by Davion Mitchell pic.twitter.com/JPBjndG1kd
After Bam Adebayo picked up his fourth and fifth fouls just 30 seconds apart from each other halfway through the third, the thought of an upset victory started to creep in.
However, that intoxicating and foreign feeling quickly faded. Tyler Herro became exactly that for all fans in attendance and Brooklyn’s greediest tank commanders hoping for a 10th straight loss. Herro scored a dozen in the frame to weigh against Porter Jr.’s production and carry the load with Adebayo handcuffed to the bench. With Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Pelle Larsson each pumping in five points during the period too, Miami reinflated its lead to 12 by the start of the fourth.
Then, in their eighth straight quarter with the Nets on their plate, the Heat refused to play with their food. Miami outscored Brooklyn 19-7 to open the period while shooting 7-8 from the field, rendering a 20+ point advantage in the process.
The Nets did respond one more time with a 9-0 punch back, but never brought the game back within single digits. They certainly tried their best, ravaging the offensive glass and keeping their starters in until 2:20 remained on the clock.
“I like the fight even when the game went to over 20, got it to 15, and they called a timeout,” Fernández remarked. “And to me, that means the world. That means that’s the right mindset — keep fighting no matter what. I’m proud of the guys, especially the first group tonight.”
But as the Nets fought on, the basket refused to cooperate. Their jump shots looked flat. They started missing short, and even on a few occasions, everything.
Eventually, there was nothing else standing in the way of Brooklyn and its 10th straight loss.
Final: Miami Heat 126, Brooklyn Nets 110
Milestone Watch
Michael Porter Jr. had 27 points and 13 rebounds tonight against the Heat for his 10th 20-point double-double of the season, which breaks a tie with 2020-21 for his most in any career season.
Jordi on Cam
Jordi Fernandez had his first chance to respond to Cam Thomas’ comments to the Post’s Stefan Bondy that the Nets as an organization didn’t believe in him and “they don’t believe in anybody.”
The Nets coach who was generally positive about his shooting guard both last season and until he was finally waived at the deadline was predictably diplomatic but made his point nonetheless.
“We wish Cam the best,” he said. “We loved him while he was here. We hope that he does very well where he is. I don’t know if he has the right to speak about others. We’re happy with the guys we have here. I believe that everybody here can help us with what we have planned.”
Meanwhile, Erik Taylor posted a this item about Thomas’ defense…
Stat I came across while writing my article on this:
Cam Thomas has posted a +16.9 defensive rating swing (points allowed per 100 possessions with a player on vs. off) since joining the Bucks.
That's the worst number by any player in the entire NBA this season. https://t.co/tiXAJYP70D
Fernández reiterated that Egor Dëmin doesn’t have a timetable for a return tonight. He missed his third straight game this evening with plantar fasciitis.
“He’s struggled with his plantar fasciitis,” Fernández said. “The soreness has increased lately. We’re being cautious and trying to figure out what’s the best way for him moving forward.”
For anyone wondering, there isn’t a 65-game requirement for all-rookie teams, so if Dëmin’s in a running for a spot at the end of the year, these or any future games out shouldn’t affect him.
Next Up
The Nets will play the conference-leading Detroit Pistons for a final time this year on Saturday afternoon. This one could get ugly quick, so get there soon. The game tips off at 6:00 p.m. ET.
NEW YORK (AP) — Alexis Lafreniere scored the go-ahead goal on a deflection in the third period, and the New York Rangers beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-2 on Thursday night to pick up their first regulation win at home in more than three months.
It was the Rangers’ 19th game at Madison Square Garden since defeating St. Louis on Nov. 24. They had lost 13 of 18 since, with the only victories during that stretch coming in overtime or a shootout.
Falling behind 13 seconds in, they rallied to win for just the eighth time in 28 home games all season.
Jaroslav Chmelar scored his first career NHL goal a few minutes after Lafreniere put the Rangers up, bringing some joy to the team and crowd at the three-quarter mark of a season that long ago went off the rails.
Playing on the eve of the trade deadline, who was not in uniform for New York and Toronto to safeguard them from injury was just as notable if not more notable than who was on the ice.
The Rangers scratched centers Vincent Trocheck and Sam Carrick. The Maple Leafs for a second consecutive night opted not to dress defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson and forwards Scott Laughton and Bobby McMann. Roster management was the reason given.
Toronto, which traded center Nicolas Roy to Colorado earlier Thursday, lost its sixth game in a row coming out of the Olympic break. The Leafs’ longest-active playoff streak is well on its way to ending at nine.
The Rangers are on the way to missing in back-to-back years, with a retool on the way. Goaltender Igor Shesterkin, the backbone of the organization for the foreseeable future, made 29 saves in a glimpse of what the future could look like if general manager Chris Drury can successfully recalibrate the roster.
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 5: Ace Bailey #19 of the Utah Jazz drives to the basket during the game against the Washington Wizards on March 5, 2026 at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. 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 Kenny Giarla/NBAE via Getty Images)
The Wizards out-tanked the Jazz tonight. Collier, and Ace had enough of losing and took this game over. While the Jazz did slip a spot in the lottery odds, remember, it’s a marathon, not a sprint, and the Jazz still have plenty of time to jump back up. For now we can all enjoy the win, and Bailey’s career night.
Isaiah Collier –A
Collier did what he does best, drive really fast to the hoop. The Wizards simply could not keep up with him, especially towards the end of the game. He posted his career high in points with 27, and dished out 11 assists.
Ace Bailey–A
Ace was on fire in the first half dropping a career high 21 points. He would follow that up with his career high of 32 points in a game. Ace was aggressive tonight, shooting, and driving often. He hit 7 threes (another career high) and shot an efficient 12-19 from the field. He also had 2 steals and a block.
John Konchar –B-
Konchar didn’t shoot well tonight going 0-3, but he more than made up for it on the defensive side of the ball, where he had 5 steals, and a block. Konchar is just a really solid glue-guy, one whose shot will hopefully start to fall more as he gets more comfortable on his new team. Tonight he also had 5 rebounds and 4 assists.
Cody Williams –B
Very solid game from Cody tonight. He shot 5-6 from the floor, notched 2 steals, and had a career high 7 assists. He looks miles better than he did last year, which admittedly wasn’t a high bar to clear, but if he can take another jump offensively next season he will be a legitimate contributor to a winning team.
Kyle Filipowski –A
Flip was a monster on both ends of the floor tonight. He just dominates lesser competition (remember his Summer League performance?). When he isn’t asked to do too much he’s just awesome. He would finish with 2 blocks, 2 steals, 14 rebounds and 20 points.
Blake Hinson–B
Hinson has been really solid so far. He made 2/5 of his three point attempts and grabbed 4 boards. He looks to be a real NBA depth piece that the Jazz would be wise to hold on to.
Mo Bamba –B
MO BAMBA! I’ll never complain about seeing Mo Bamba in a Jazz jersey. He was pretty solid tonight grabbing 12 boards in just 17 minutes. He also made a nice jumper, which is a skill I didn’t know he had. He would finish with 6 points.
Brice Sensabaugh –D+
Brice never really looked comfortable tonight, and shot poorly from deep. It may be time to have some uncomfortable discussions regarding Brice’s future on the team. Lately he’s been a sharp shooter that can’t shoot. Not that he was all bad tonight he had 4 assists and 14 points… on 15 shots.
Elijah Harkless –C-
Harkless was limited to just 12 minutes of action in this game because he got into foul trouble so early. He missed all 3 of his attempts from the field tonight.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Vitek Vanecek stopped 16 shots in his 100th career win and Dylan Guenther assisted on two Utah goals as the Mammoth beat the Philadelphia Flyers 3-0 on Thursday night.
Nick Schmaltz and Clayton Keller scored in the second period for the Mammoth, and Michael Carcone added an empty-net goal at 18:12 of the third.
Vanecek earned his first shutout of the season and the 11th of his career. The 30-year-old had four shutouts during the 2021-22 with the Washington Capitals.
Utah has won two straight games and five of its last seven while completing a two-game season sweep of the Flyers.
Dan Vladar made 20 saves for Philadelphia and slipped to 19-10-6. The Flyers had their three-game winning streak halted.
After a scoreless first period, the Mammoth outshot the Flyers 14-7 in the second period and took a lead they never relinquished.
Schmaltz opened the scoring at 1:38 of the second with a power-play goal on a shot from a tough angle to the right of Vladar. Guenther and Sean Durzi assisted on Schmaltz’s 24th goal of the season.
About seven minutes later, Keller stretched the lead to two goals with his 19th of the season. Guenther picked up his 25th assist when his feed from along the boards sent Keller in all alone, and he beat Vladar with a shot between the pads from close range at 8:03.
Keller leads the Mammoth in points with 61 (19 goals, 42 assists). Schmaltz is next with 24 goals and 33 assists for 57 points, followed by Guenther's 53 points (28 goals, 25 assists). The Mammoth have scored 94 goals away from home this season.
Veteran defenseman MacKenzie Weegar, who was acquired by Utah from Calgary on Wednesday, was not available due to visa processing. The Mammoth recalled defenseman Dmitri Simashev from Tucson of the AHL.
The Flyers were without Forward Travis Konecny (upper-body injury) and defenseman Nick Seeler (lower-body injury).
Up next
Mammoth: At Columbus on Saturday in the third game of a five-game trip.
