Wilyer Abreu uncorked an epic bat flip during Venezuela's World Baseball Classic game Saturday.
In a World Baseball Classic already filled with cinematic moments, with epic home run celebrations and moments capturing the magnitude of these games on the international stage, Wilyer Abreu just added another one to the list.
Abreu, a Red Sox outfielder playing for Venezuela, took a 2-1 pitch from Japan pitcher Hiromi Itoh and crushed it 409 feet over the right-field fence in the sixth inning, giving Venezuela the lead for good with a three-run blast during its eventual 8-5 upset in the quarterfinals on Saturday night loanDepot Park in Miami.
Wilyer Abreu (16) celebrates with his Venezuela teammates during their March 14 game. Getty Images
After Abreu swung, he watched his ball’s flight trajectory for a moment.
Then, another moment.
He turned toward the Venezuela dugout, already erupting with cheers, and pumped his bat once before launching it high in the air and beginning to shuffle down the first base line.
Wilyer Abreu hits a home run during Venezuela’s 8-5 upset win over Japan in the WBC quarterfinals on March 14, 2026. Getty Images
“That was an exciting moment,” Abreu said in a postgame television interview. “I tried to at least tie the game with a sac fly. He gave me a really good pitch to hit. I made good contact. I’m very excited for this win. Now in the semifinals I hope I can do the same thing I did today.”
It was a stunning moment, one that meant Japan — and Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani — failed to defend their WBC title after winning it in 2023.
Abreu, 26, was hitting seventh in a batting order that already includes Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr. — who homered in the first inning off Yoshinobu Yamamoto — and Royals star Maikel Garcia, whose two-run homer in the fifth inning trimmed Japan’s lead to one.
Wilyer Abreu reacts after hitting a home run during Venezuela’s upset win over Japan on March 14. AP
Then, Abreu uncorked the swing for the ages.
Ezequiel Tovar added another homer in the eighth inning that extended Venezuela’s lead, while former Yankee Gleyber Torres also flew out to the wall in that same frame.
Venezuela will now face Italy in the semifinals on Monday.
INGLEWOOD, CA - JANUARY 3: Luka Garza #52 and Neemias Queta #88 of the Boston Celtics high five during the game against the LA Clippers on January 3, 2026 at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
BOSTON — When Neemias Queta finally checked out of Saturday’s game against the Washington Wizards, Luka Garza shot to his feet and slapped Queta’s chest in congratulatory fashion. Queta had just completed one of his best games of the season — tallying 24 points, 10 rebounds, 2 blocks, and a steal — and Garza was eager to celebrate.
Such has been a common sight on the sidelines. Whenever one Celtics big man has put together a strong performance this season, the other center celebrates the success as though it were their own.
“We definitely are great friends,” Garza told CelticsBlog before Saturday’s game.
So, in typical fashion, as Queta exploded for a career-best 22 points in the first half, Garza was the first to his feet after every basket, pumping his fist at every putback and crafty finish that Queta converted.
Then, in the second half, the roles had somewhat reversed, and Garza was the one hitting shot after shot, finishing the game with 15 points.
This time, it was Queta leaping to his feet every time Garza
“When I’m on the bench, I’m just trying to cheer him up as much as I can,” Queta said. “Maybe learn a little bit with the crashing, and be[ing] able to get offensive rebounds.”
The two big men — who rarely share the floor — together combined for 39 points on Saturday, their highest-scoring total as Celtics teammates. The two have very different cultural backgrounds — Queta grew up in Portugal, Garza in Virginia — but have become fast friends in Boston.
And, they’re bonded by a similar uphill journey to make it in the NBA. Both centers were drafted in 2021, in the second round; Queta was picked 33rd by the Sacramento Kings, and Garza was picked 52nd by the Detroit Pistons. Both have fought for two-way contracts, and in moments, felt their future in the NBA was in jeopardy.
“There’s just a level of respect there from both of our journeys of coming to the league and both being second-round draft picks, both being in and out of the G League, not really getting a chance,” Garza told CelticsBlog before Saturday’s game. “And then, obviously, this year being the year that both of us get the biggest opportunities of our careers. So, I think there’s a lot of support for each other through that.”
Luka Garza gave Neemias Queta a standing ovation as he checked out of the game
Now, both are playing their best basketball, having received their most extended opportunities yet.
After being the Celtics’ fourth-string center last year, Queta has started every game he’s appeared in this season. He’s averaging 10 points and 8.4 rebounds in 25 minutes a night, having established himself as one of the league’s elite big man defenders.
Garza is averaging a career-high 7.2 points and 3.9 rebounds in 15.7 minutes per game, having appeared in 56 of the Celtics’ 67 games. He’s shooting 42.1% from three — a stark improvement from his 27.8% clip last year. Compared to Queta, Garza’s role has been more inconsistent; he’s dealt with stretches of DNPs and more limited minutes, especially in the weeks after Nikola Vucevic’s arrival in Boston.
But Luka Garza has always stayed ready
Despite fluctuating opportunities, Garza’s mindset and preparation have never wavered. So, when Vucevic fractured his ring finger last Friday, Garza was ready to slot back into the rotation.
“If I’m not playing, I’m really focused on growth and development and working on what I can do to improve when the next chance comes,” Garza said. “That helps keep my mind right in shape and all those kinds of things. So when it does come, then I’m ready.”
Another key?
Garza’s game-day routine never changes, regardless of how things have gone of late.
“The last three years in Minnesota, more often than not, I wasn’t going to check in, but I still kept the same routine, just because you never know what can happen,” he said. “And I’ve seen guys who don’t do that, and then the opportunity comes, and they’re not ready. And those small opportunities that you take advantage of can change your life, can change your career.”
It’s that type of preparation that has allowed Garza to pour in 15 points on 5-6 shooting in 15 minutes on Saturday. And, during game action, when Garza is on the sidelines, he’s scouting Queta’s every step.
“During the game, I’m mostly watching him, because that’s my position, that’s what’s happening in the game – I’m locked in on him,” Garza said. “I’m locked in on how he’s setting screens, how they’re treating him. If they’re trying to go under, if they’re trying to go over.”
Neemias Queta was the first person up after this awesome putback by Luka Garza
If Queta’s positioning is at all off on either end of the floor, Garza tries to note that too. Anything he observes from the sideline is critical information he’ll use when he checks into the game. In particular, Garza looks to study Queta’s defensive positioning, which has become critical to the Celtics’ success.
“I’m always just kind of watching and seeing, and that leads to learning a lot from him, especially defensively, and just how he anchors the paint and his positioning, especially in deep situations when he’s playing kind of a deeper drop,” Garza said. “And, there are certain times that I’ll be in that [coverage] as well, and that’s something I’ve always looked to improve on and get better at.”
And, when roles are revesed and Queta is on the sidelines, he takes it as an opportunity to study Garza’s uncanny ability to offensive rebound.
“He’s such a workhorse,” Queta said. “And, he really gets his imprint on the game.”
For Joe Mazzulla, both players have been critical to the Celtics’ success this season.
“They’re both different in their versatility,” Mazzulla said. “They both can impact matchups. They both can impact coverages. You can play different coverages with them defensively. They both do a great job of playing off of each other, having an understanding that they need each other, and that our team needs both of them to be really good, and they both have an understanding of what each guy can do. When you have that, it’s just part of being a good team. It’s a credit to those guys for helping us be that.”
Off the court, the two have grabbed dinner and gotten to know each other in a more meaningful way.
“Neemi’s an awesome dude,” Garza said. “This team, in general, is really connected.”
Queta and Garza’s underlying friendship has been one of the many strong relationships key to the Celtics’ success. Hugo Gonzalez and Baylor Scheierman are in theory competing for minutes, but that hasn’t stopped them from being the best of friends.
“At the end of the day, everyone’s goal is to win,” Mazzulla said.
All season long, Queta and Garza have helped the Celtics do just that.
MIAMI, FL - MARCH 14: Ezequiel Tovar #14 of Team Venezuela reacts after hitting a double in the eighth inning during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Quarterfinals game presented by Capital One between Team Venezuela and Team Japan at loanDepot park on Saturday, March 14, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
For the first time in the history of the World Baseball Classic, Japan won’t be in the semifinals. They were out-slugged by Venezuela 8-5 on Saturday night at loanDepot Park in Miami. Venezuela is into the semifinals of the WBC for the first time since 2009, and with the win clinched a berth into the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Maikel Garcia hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning, and Wilyer Abreu hit the go-ahead three-run shot in the sixth to give Venezuela the lead for good. Of the 17 total hits in the game, 10 were for extra bases, including five home runs.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto struggled at the start, needing 57 pitches to record his first nine outs. Ronald Acuña Jr. hit the second pitch of the night out for a leadoff home run, but Shohei Ohtani answered the call in the bottom of the frame with a leadoff blast of his own.
Venezuela hit consecutive doubles for another run in the second inning, driven in by Ezequiel Tovar, who has Yamamoto’s number at this point. The Rockies shortstop has eight hits in 12 at-bats against Yamamoto, with two home runs and two doubles. But lukily for Yamamoto, one of those outs was a strikeout to end the third inning, when Venezuela stranded a leadoff double.
With three doubles and a home run on Saturday, Yamamoto allowed four extra-base hits in a start for just the second time in 60 starts since joining the Dodgers prior to the 2024 season. The other time came last June 13 against the Giants at Dodger Stadium.
But after Japan scored four runs in the bottom of the third inning, including a three-run home run by Shota Morishita for a 5-2 lead, Yamamoto remained in and pitched a perfect fourth inning, retiring his final six batters faced. Yamamoto allowed those two early runs but nothing else in his four innings, with five strikeouts and a walk in his 69-pitch effort.
Japan did not score after the third inning, at one point held hitless for 13 straight at-bats by Emmanuel De Jesus, José Buttó, Angel Zerpa, and Andrés Machado, including two strikeouts of Ohtani. Those were the only times Ohtani struck out in five games in this tournament. In all, he had six hits, including three home runs and a double, in 12 at-bats plus five walks, three of them intentional, hitting .500/.647/1.333 with six runs scored and seven RBI.
Japan reached the semifinal round in the first five World Baseball Classics, including tournament wins in 2006, 2009, and 2023.
Earlier in Saturday quarterfinals action in Houston, Italy remained undefeated, this time holding on to beat Puerto Rico 8-6.
Edwin Díaz hit a batter, walked another, and threw a wild pitch, but pitched a scoreless ninth inning, with two strikeouts. In three appearances during the WBC, the Dodgers right-hander pitched three scoreless innings with one hit, one walk, one hit batter, and allowed two steals, but also struck out seven of his 12 batters faced.
Catcher Will Smith is the only Dodgers player still active in the World Baseball Classic.
Remaining WBC schedule
Sunday semifinal: USA vs. Dominican Republic, 5 p.m. PT (FS1)
Monday semifinal: Italy vs. Venezuela, 5 p.m. (FS1)
Spanish world No 1 falls to first defeat of tennis season
Medvedev wins 6-3, 7-6(3) to set up final against Jannik Sinner
Carlos Alcaraz said he was finding it tough to constantly have a target on his back and was surprised by the level of performance from Daniil Medvedev after the Russian handed him his first defeat of the season at Indian Wells.
Medvedev’s 6-3, 7-6(3) victory over the world No 1 in the semi-finals ended the Spaniard’s 16-match winning run to start the season. World No 11 Medvedev will play Jannik Sinner in the final on Sunday.
CARSON, Calif. (AP) — Dejan Joveljić had a goal and an assist against his former team, Lasse Johnsen had a goal and an assist in his league debut and Sporting Kansas City beat the Los Angeles Galaxy 2-1 on Saturday night.
Neither team found the net until Joveljić used assists from Manu García and Johnsen to score two minutes into stoppage time for a 1-0 lead at halftime. García earned his first assist after tallying nine as a rookie last season.
Joveljić, along with Stephen Afrifa, set up an insurance goal by Johnsen in the 74th minute for a 2-0 advantage. Afrifa's helper was first this season and his second in 39 appearances.
That proved necessary for the victory after Marco Reus used his head for an unassisted score in the 82nd minute to cut the Galaxy's deficit to a goal. Reus scored for the first time this season and the seventh time in 31 career matches.
John Pulskamp finished with four saves to help Sporting KC (1-2-1) earn its first victory of the season while putting an end to a seven-match losing streak on the road dating to last season.
Novak Micovic saved two shots for the Galaxy (1-2-1).
Joveljić totaled 34 goals and 11 assists in 106 starts with LA from 2021-24. He had 15 goals and six assists during the Galaxy's championship run in 2024 when he scored the second goal in a 2-1 victory over the New York Red Bullls. His third goal this season gives him 21 along with three assists in 36 matches with Sporting KC.
Los Angeles played without Gabriel Pec, who was suspended for the match after receiving a red card in a 4-1 road loss to the Colorado Rapids last week. Joseph Paintsil was sidelined with a hamstring injury.
The Galaxy have a slim lead in the all-time series 29-28-18, including a 19-9-9 record at home.
Both teams posted home victories in two matchups last season.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Ereauna Hardaway and Cheyenne Rowe each scored 13 points and UTSA held Rice to a season-low score beating the Owls 54-40 on Saturday in the American Conference title game on Saturday.
Idara Udo added 11 points for No. 6 seed UTSA (18-15) which clinched its first championship — and NCAA Tournament berth —since joining the American.
Hailey Adams was the only player for top-seeded Rice (28-5) in double figures with 12 points.
UTSA led 20-13 at halftime as the two squads recorded the lowest scoring half in the history of American Conference tournament play. The Owls drew within 24-20 to start the third quarter, but UTSA went on a 10-0 run in which Udo scored half the points and the Roadrunners stayed up by double digits for the remainder. Damara Allen's basket with 5:04 left made it 48-30.
Rice's only regular season conference defeat occurred when it hosted UTSA in a 61-52 loss on March 7.
UTSA knocked off second-seeded East Carolina 54-44 on Friday night and also held the Pirates to their lowest scoring total of the season.
UTSA last reached the NCAA Tournament in the 2009 season as a member of the Southland Conference. It was the program’s sixth conference championship appearance overall, and the Roadrunners now have an even record in conference championship play.
Luka Doncic made a fall-away jumper with 0.5 seconds remaining in overtime and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Denver Nuggets 127-125 on Saturday night.
Austin Reaves forced overtime when he rebounded his intentionally missed free throw and made a floater with 1.9 seconds remaining in regulation.
Doncic created enough distance from Spencer Jones to make the 17-foot shot, finishing with 30 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds as he continued his spectacular play during Los Angeles’ five-game winning streak. Doncic then blocked Tim Hardaway Jr.’s desperation heave following a Denver timeout.
Reaves finished with 32 points, making the first free throw and then perfectly executing his missed second attempt off the front of the rim after the Nuggets fouled him to prevent a tying 3-point attempt leading 118-115 with 5.2 seconds left.
Nikola Jokic had 24 points, 16 rebounds and 14 assists for his 27th triple-double of the season. Aaron Gordon led the Nuggets with 27 points and Hardaway finished with 20.
Jamal Murray fouled out 31 seconds into overtime, finishing with five points, six rebounds and six assists on a miserable 1-for-14 night.
Houston, the Lakers, Denver and Minnesota all came into Saturday with 41 wins as they jockey to be as high as the third seed in the Western Conference. The Nuggets already held tiebreakers over the Rockets and Timberwolves by virtue of having won the season series against both teams, but the Lakers denied them a clean sweep in the crowded middle.
Deandre Ayton had four of his nine points in overtime and Marcus Smart hit a 3-pointer to put Los Angeles up with 30 seconds left, only for Jokic to score a driving layup up off the glass over Ayton to tie it with 15.1 to go.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Luka Doncic made a fall-away jumper with 0.5 seconds remaining in overtime and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Denver Nuggets 127-125 on Saturday night.
Austin Reaves forced overtime when he rebounded his intentionally missed free throw and made a floater with 1.9 seconds remaining in regulation.
Doncic created enough distance from Spencer Jones to make the 17-foot shot, finishing with 30 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds as he continued his spectacular play during Los Angeles’ five-game winning streak. Doncic then blocked Tim Hardaway Jr.’s desperation heave following a Denver timeout.
Reaves finished with 32 points, making the first free throw and then perfectly executing his missed second attempt off the front of the rim after the Nuggets fouled him to prevent a tying 3-point attempt leading 118-115 with 5.2 seconds left.
Nikola Jokic had 24 points, 16 rebounds and 14 assists for his 27th triple-double of the season. Aaron Gordon led the Nuggets with 27 points and Hardaway finished with 20.
Jamal Murray fouled out 31 seconds into overtime, finishing with five points, six rebounds and six assists on a miserable 1-for-14 night.
76ERS 104, NETS 97
PHILADELHPIA (AP) — Quentin Grimes scored a season-high 28 points and Philadelphia held on for a victory over Brooklyn.
Grimes had eight rebounds for the short-handed 76ers, who were missing Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Kelly Oubre Jr., among other players. Justin Edwards scored 19 points while adding three steals.
Danny Wolf had 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Nets, who lost their third straight game. Josh Minott added 14 points.
The 76ers entered halftime up 53-31. Adem Bona’s free throw with 3:02 left in the fourth quarter gave Philadelphia the lead for good at 88-87.
HAWKS 122, BUCKS 99
ATLANTA (AP) — CJ McCollum scored 30 points, Jalen Johnson had his 12th triple-double of the season and Atlanta beat Milwaukee Bucks for its ninth straight victory.
Johnson finished with 23 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds as Atlanta extended the longest current winning streak in the NBA. McCollum made seven 3-pointers and moved ahead of Paul Pierce into 16th place on the career list with 2,147.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker had 20 points for the Hawks, who led 60-52 after a first half with six lead changes and four ties. The Hawks then broke it open in the third quarter by outscoring Milwaukee 35-26, with McCollum scoring 11.
Ryan Rollins scored 22 points for the Bucks, who were without Giannis Antetokounmpo after he sprained his left ankle during Milwaukee’s 112-105 loss to Miami on Thursday. Kevin Porter Jr. added 18 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.
SPURS 115, HORNETS 102
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Victor Wembanyama had 32 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists and three blocks in his return from a one-game absence, leading San Antonio to a victory over Charlotte.
Miles Bridges had 22 points and Kon Knueppel added 20 for Charlotte, which had won two straight and eight of 10.
The Spurs have won 17 of 19 to tighten their grip on second in the Western Conference. San Antonio (49-18) is 7 1/2 games ahead of No. 3 Houston (41-25) and three games behind Oklahoma City (52-15) for first.
The Spurs closed their longest homestand 5-1, with their only loss coming as Wembanyama watched from the bench because of a sore right calf in a 136-131 loss to Denver on Thursday that snapped a five-game winning streak.
Wembanyama had an immediate impact with 18 points, eight rebounds, two blocks and two steals in the first half.
CELTICS 111, WIZARDS 100
BOSTON (AP) — Jayson Tatum had 20 points and 14 rebounds in a season-high 32 minutes, Neemias Queta had 24 points and 10 rebounds and Boston withstood a late charge to beat Washington for its 11th straight loss.
Tatum had his second double-double since making his season debut earlier this month. Jaylen Brown added 16 points to help the Celtics snap a two-game skid.
Boston’s lead grew to 30 points in the third quarter, but Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla kept Tatum on the court to allow him to reach a high for minutes in the four games he’s played in since his return from Achilles tendon surgery. He had been capped at 27 minutes in his previous three games.
Washington, which was coming off erasing a 17-point deficit to force overtime in a loss at Orlando on Thursday, chopped Boston’s lead to 12 in the fourth quarter. But the Celtics got a layup from Tatum and 3-pointer by Sam Hauser to help them close it out.
Tristan Vukcevic had 22 points to lead the Wizards.
MAGIC 121, HEAT 117
MIAMI (AP) — Paolo Banchero scored 27 points, Desmond Bane added 21 and Orlando beat Miami, becoming the second team in the last 30 years to beat the same opponent five times in one season.
Wendell Carter Jr. scored 15 for the Magic, who won their seventh straight and snapped Miami’s season-best, seven-game winning streak.
Orlando led by as many as 22, before Miami twice got within two in the final 18.5 seconds.
Orlando (38-28) moved a game clear of Miami (38-30) in the race for fifth in the Eastern Conference, plus is 10 games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2023-24 season.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 22, while Bam Adebayo and Norman Powell each had 20 for Miami, which hadn’t gone 0-5 against one team since doing so against New York — then coached by now-Heat President Pat Riley — in 1992-93.
The only other instance in the last three decades: New Orleans went 5-0 against Sacramento in 2023-24.
TAMPA, FL - MARCH 9: Kyle Carr #66 of the New York Yankees pitches during the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at George M. Steinbrenner Field on March 9, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
NJ.com | Randy Miller: The Yankees reassigned four pitchers from spring training camp Saturday morning. The four non-roster invitees — Michael Arias, Kyle Carr, Dylan Coleman, and Dom Hamel — will continue to ramp up at the team’s minor-league complex. Carr, MLB Pipeline’s No. 11 Yankees prospect, is the most touted of the bunch and allowed one run in four innings while punching out four in big-league camp. The transaction leaves the club with 54 players on their spring training roster, not including 11-year veteran Rafael Montero, a non-roster invitee who has been unable to join camp due to visa issues.
MLB.com | Paul Casella: Carlos Rodón threw 30 pitches against live batters Saturday morning, an encouraging sign as he works back from elbow surgery. “I feel like I had more, like I could have gone more, but obviously can’t do that yet,” he said after the session.
With a host of other pitching options in spring camp, the Yankees plan to slow-play the Rodón’s recovery, ensuring he has plenty of time to ramp up. Luis Gil, Cam Schlittler, Will Warren, and Ryan Weathers appear poised to open the season behind ace Max Fried in the rotation, with swingman Ryan Yarbrough and prospects Elmer Rodríguez, Carlos Lagrange, and Ben Hess waiting in the wings.
New York Post | Greg Joyce: With Rodón and Gerrit Cole slated to begin the season on the IL, Fried is leaning into his role as the unquestioned ace of the Yankees’ staff. “He loves the craft of pitching,” said Aaron Boone. “He loves all that being on a team is about. He’s similar to [Aaron Judge] in that way, where it’s team above him, is how he kind of embodies it. Super accountable. Demands a lot of himself and his teammates.”
The four-time Gold Glover has been hands-on this spring, including helping provide focus to a bunt defense drill. “He drives a lot of the conversation, too,” Boone said. “A lot of the drill stuff that we’ve done, fundamental stuff, he’s a big voice and is pushing guys and is asking questions. He’s kind of setting the tone and setting the standard.”
SNY | SNY Newsdesk: Several Yankees continued to leave their mark on the world stage during World Baseball Classic quarterfinal action the past couple days. Aaron Judge notched a double and a walk for Team USA in its victory over Canada, with his teammate David Bednar working out of a two-on, no-out jam in the seventh. Austin Wells hit a three-run homer off the bench for Team Dominican Republic, staking the team to a three-run lead that walked off Korea via mercy rule.
There weren’t as many Yankees in action yesterday for Puerto Rico vs. Italy and Japan vs. Venezuela. Fernando Cruz went four-up/four-down with a pair of strikeouts in relief, but Puerto Rico’s WBC run came to an end against old friend Francisco Cervelli’s Italy club. So Cruz will soon return to Yankees camp, as will pitching prospect Elmer Rodríguez, who threw three scoreless innings of one-hit ball against Cuba in pool play.
With every other team in the Eastern Conference who is a threat to their playoff hopes winning on Saturday, the Pittsburgh Penguins really needed to find a way to get at least a point - but, preferably, two - when they took on the Utah Mammoth later the same day.
And just like they have so many times in this tumultuous 2025-26 season, they somehow managed to get the job done.
After going down 2-0, the Penguins stormed back with authority to beat the Mammoth, 4-3, in regulation, securing their 28th regulation win of the season and allowing them to hold onto second place in the Metropolitan Division. The New York Islanders - who are right on their heels in third place with the same number of points with 81 - won in regulation, and the Columbus Blue Jackets and Boston Bruins both won in a shootout, so getting the two points in regulation was critical since it’s the first tiebreaker and the Pens have more regulation wins than any of those teams.
The team’s ability to fight back when they’re down and out has been a theme since losing both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, and they’re now 2-1-2 in the five games without them.
Things started off rough for the Penguins, who had one of their worst periods of the season in the first. Like they did in the game against the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday, they were turning pucks over left and right, resulting in goals against.
A Blake Lizotte turnover led to the first goal of the game by Dylan Guenther, who rifled it past Stuart Skinner on a save attempt he’d probably like to have back. Then, just a minute and a half later, the Mammoth got a questionable power play opportunity after a scrum in which only Anthony Mantha was called for cross-checking, and Guenther capitalized again to make it 2-0.
But after that first 10 minutes, the Penguins started to wake up a bit. And they took over in the second period.
Mantha picked his spot and cashed in on a five-on-three power play opportunity for the Penguins with a little more than five minutes to go in the middle frame for his 25th of the season, tying a career-high. Then, less than three minutes later, Tommy Novak notched his 15th of the year from the bottom of the right circle to tie the game at 2-2.
The Penguins got a carryover power play opportunity in the third, and Bryan Rust scored the go-ahead goal less than a minute and a half in. Utah responded a few minutes later when ex-Penguin Ian Cole capitalized after yet another Penguins’ turnover to knot things back up, but the Penguins clapped right back with a Noel Acciari garbage goal off a rebound at the net front - and from his knees - to make it 4-3 and give the Penguins the win.
Skinner was brilliant in the back half of the game, ultimately 26 of 29 and making some key saves in the last few minutes to help the Penguins survive and earn the win in regulation.
Here are a few thoughts and takeaways from this one:
- The Penguins do not quit. They just don't. I've talked about it a million times at this point, but this is a defining characteristic of this group. And it's a marvel to witness.
They have a horrible start to this game, and they were punished for it by going down 2-0. But - like we've seen so many times this season - they didn't fold. Instead, they put on their work boots and fought their way back.
I can't say enough about this team's resilience. If they do make the playoffs, it's going to make them a tough out for any opponent. They will not go down quietly, and that never-die mindset is such a good one to have when the games matter most.
- Despite the win, this was another sloppy game for the Penguins. They were turning pucks over left and right, and - once again - two goals were direct results of turnovers.
With both Crosby and Malkin out, pretty much everyone has had to pull more weight and overcompensate. It's possible that some fatigue is beginning to set in, even after a long Olympic break. It also just tends to happen down the stretch run of the season where guys are simply running on fumes because they're giving 200 percent effort in all 60 minutes of every game, especially when they're in playoff contention.
But, nevertheless, the Penguins aren't the only team dealing with the same thing. I think what a lot of it boils down to is the fact that they know they have to generate more offense from different sources without 87 and 71, and they're taking more risks because of that.
Whatever the reason, it's something they need to clean up if they hope to make the playoffs and get anywhere if they do make it.
- Rust and Acciari have been scoring some big goals for the Penguins this season. Rust was the one to score the tying goal against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday. And Acciari was the one to score the penultimate goal, both of which were with the goaltender pulled.
Then, against the Mammoth, Rust scores the initial go-ahead goal, and Acciari pots the game-winner.
Both are leaders on this team, and - in addition to all of the other players I've praised during this stretch without the two stars - they've played a huge part in the Penguins continuing to collect points.
- Skinner did not have the strongest start to this game. He could have made a save on Utah's first goal by Guenther, and he looked a bit uncomfortable in the crease early on.
But, man, did he look better as the game went on - and he secured the win for the Penguins with some brilliant saves. Both Skinner and Arturs Silovs have been a bit hot and cold as of late, and consistency at the goaltending position would greatly benefit the Penguins.
But Skinner pretty much earned them two points with his effort in the third - even stopping a breakaway opportunity while the Pens had the 4-3 lead.
- For a moment, it looked like Utah forward and Pittsburgh native Logan Cooley had a bad injury. He crashed into the net, went down awkwardly, and could not put any weight on his left leg as he left the ice.
But, he returned a few shifts later, and he appeared to be okay. Glad he is, because he's a heck of a hockey player and a huge reason why the Mammoth are in playoff contention.
- The Penguins' road trip doesn't get any easier from here, but the good news is that they'll have at least one of their big guys back in the lineup on Monday against the Colorado Avalanche, as Evgeni Malkin will have served his five-game suspension.
As for Crosby? The Penguins have not had the luxury of any practice days on this trip, as they play every other day and need to designate the off-days for travel. This makes it difficult for Crosby to make tangible progress, even if he has joined their morning skates.
But, if they can get both of them back Monday, I don't think I need to take the time to describe how big that would be for this team, who managed to stay afloat without them but could certainly use them back in the lineup.
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - MARCH 14: Noel Acciari #55 of the Pittsburgh Penguins scores a third-period goal during a game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Utah Mammoth at Delta Center on March 14, 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Eli Rehmer/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Pregame
The Penguins don’t make any lineup changes from last game besides giving Stuart Skinner his turn in net.
Sloppy start for the Penguins, Blake Lizotte can’t handle a pass out of the zone and passes it back under pressure, turns out to be a bad idea that Dylan Guenther jumps on and snaps a low shot by Skinner. 1-0 Utah early.
There’s a scrum in front of the Pittsburgh net, Anthony Mantha escalates things by going after a Utah player and Mantha takes a penalty for it. Utah capitalizes on the power play, a shot bounces off the end wall and Barrett Hayton smacks at it. The Pens lunge to pull the puck off the goal-line but Guenter comes crashing into the crease and knocks the puck in for his second goal of the game.
Parker Wotherspoon holds onto a puck to let his teammates complete a line change and creates an opportunity when he gets slashed to earn the first Pittsburgh power play. They get some zone time out of it but not much more.
Pittsburgh plays a little better in the second half of the period compared to the first, not that it’s saying much considering how poor they were early on. Shots end up 12-8 Utah after 20 minutes with them also carrying a 2-0 lead.
Second period
A few penalties go for the early part, Ilya Solovyov stops moving his legs and uses his stick to latch onto a Mammoth player to take a penalty but then Hayton slashes a Penguin to make it 4v4. That leads to a tough development for Logan Cooley, who crashes into the post with his leg in a similar way to an injury he suffered last season.
Penalties cycle through, amazingly Cooley is able to return to the game after the nasty collision with the post.
Later on, the Pens get another power play, then Rickard Rakell gets upended and Pittsburgh gets 1:27 of a 5v3 power play with 5:48 to go in the period. The moment is big, Dan Muse uses his timeout to rest his top players and gameplan something for the opportunity. It works, Mantha finds space on the right side and fires a shot up and over Karel Vejmelka on the short-side to make it a 2-1 game.
The Pens keep surging, the Ben Kindel line produces a great shift to tilt the ice, Tommy Novak’s line is out next. Novak goes low-to-high with a pass to Wotherspoon at the point, Wotherspoon puts it on net. The puck gets jammed into the mess of bodies and pops back to Novak who flips a fluttering puck into the net. 2-2.
Bryan Rust sets Rakell up for a goal in front of the net, Ian Cole has to hook Rakell to stop the goal, the Pens to a power play with 15 seconds left.
It wasn’t a pretty period, but it was effective and badly needed for the Pens to score two goals and tie the game. They didn’t have much going on until the 5v3 seemed to invigorate them and they found a way to pull themselves back into a game that they weren’t looking very competitive in for the first 35 minutes or so.
Third period
Much of the carryover power play looks disjointed for the Penguins, who struggle with keeping the puck in the zone. Finally, the luck turns and the puck clicks off a pair of Mammoth players and lands within reach of Bryan Rust. Rust fires it into the net. Pittsburgh takes their first lead of the night, 3-2.
That lead doesn’t last long, Rust toepicks and coughs up a puck, Utah finds Ian Cole as a trailing player on the rush, the defense is out of sorts and Cole scores on a wrist shot. 3-3.
The Pens keep at it, Noel Acciari wins a puck back from John Marino down low and passes to the point. Wotherspoon does his thing and gets the puck to the net. Acciari’s stick is tied up but he wills his way to tapping the puck into the net with it anyways. 4-3 Pittsburgh back in front.
With power plays on the night at 6-2 PIT and Utah down on the scoreboard, wouldn’t ya know it’s the Pens who take a penalty with 8:41 to play. The Pens survive.
Michael Carcone flies the zone and gets a breakaway with about 2:30 left, puck goes off the crossbar and out of play.
The Mammoth pull their goalie soon after and then take their timeout with 1:25 to go. Utah keeps winning faceoffs and pumping shots Skinner’s way, he’s able to battle the way his team has all night. Fittingly, it’s not the prettiest or smoothest sequence with some rebounds left around but he gets the job done well enough until time runs out to secure the victory.
Some thoughts
“Playing connected” is an en vogue catchphrase these days for NHL teams to describe how they aspire to play cohesively as a unit in smooth, fluid control with one another as a group. The Penguins have not been playing connected lately and the trouble is it’s applying up and down the board. When a player as typically reliable as Blake Lizotte is creating trouble with a decision or Anthony Mantha is taking an unnecessary post-whistle penalty, it’s a tough watch right now. There’s a lot to figure out in terms of decision making right now all across the lineup.
For the faults, weaknesses and mistakes, the Penguins never really go away or stop trying though. Gotta give them that if nothing else. They’ll keep battling and working to attempt to atone for the mistakes and go after the next one. This night wasn’t a one-off considering the recent comeback efforts against Boston and Carolina earlier this week, that certain spirit and ability to soldier on has been working.
Falling behind early has been a big problem on this road trip, this was the third game on it and it was the third time the Pens fell down 1-0 somewhat early in the first period. This game and last game against Vegas it was 2-0. That’s not a way to live in the NHL being in a hole and playing from behind. The Pens have been one of the best first period and score first teams in the league this season but the starts have been another area on the fritz lately.
Things didn’t get much better in the second, the Pens only managed two shots on goal in the first 15 minutes of the second period prior to Anthony Mantha’s 5v3 goal. They started scoring after that but still never really played very consistently or in a textbook manner. At this point, however, the style points don’t matter, only the results.
Effective night for Wotherspoon, the scoresheet recorded both his shot attempts as officially being ‘blocked’, yet both times the puck ended up in the net due to a teammate in close putting in the loose puck. It’s simple yet proved effective to get bodies to the net and then send the puck in to see what could come out of any chaos created….And now the official scorer has taken away one of the shot attempts.
Unfriendly night across the league for the Pens; the Bruins, Islanders and Blue Jackets all won their respective games and the Red Wings picked up a point with an OT loss. This was one that the Pens badly needed to keep the pace with all those teams in the playoff chase (where one will be left out) and in a bottom line business, they did. Wasn’t the cleanest game or most pleasing way to go about it, but at this point in the year and given the lineup – a win is a win is a win.
The Pens up their record to 1-1-1 on the road trip to keep hanging around. They’ll have one Hall of Fame center back for Monday against Colorado with Evgeni Malkin returning from suspension. Hopefully soon they’ll add a second one too as Sidney Crosby continues his rehab from his Olympic injury.
Japan had a 5-4 lead in the top of the sixth inning, before Wilyer Abreu hit a 3-run home run to right field to give Venezuela a 7-5 lead.
Abreu did not hide his emotions, throwing his bat high in the air after the home run. Abreu’s teammates shared in his excitement, streaming out of the dugout to celebrate.
Venezuela carried the 7-5 lead into the eighth inning, tacking on another run.
Check out Abreu's epic home run, bat flip and the Venezuela celebration:
SANDY, Utah (AP) — Stijn Spierings scored a goal in his MLS debut to help Real Salt Lake beat Austin FC 2-1 on Saturday night.
Spierings, a 30-year-old former Netherlands youth international, ran onto a ball played ahead by Justen Glad and blasted a first-touch shot from well outside the area to give Real Salt Lake (3-1-0) its first lead of the game at 2-1 in the 88th minute.
Jon Bell scored for Austin (1-2-1) in the 18th minute.
Noel Caliskan played an entry pass from the left edge of the penalty box that was redirected into the net by Austin defender Oleksandr Svatok for an own goal that made it 1-1 in the 24th.
RSL had 59% possession and outshot Austin 24-10, 8-3 on target.
Diego Luna (knee) made his season debut for Real Salt Lake when he subbed on for 18-year-old Aiden Hezarkhani in the 71st minute.
Lakers guard Austin Reaves celebrates after a 127-125 overtime win against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday at Crypto.com Arena. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
The Lakers entered a critical six-game stretch Saturday that could very well determine their playoff position in the competitive Western Conference postseason race.
Behind the heroics of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, the Lakers defeated Denver in a 127-125 overtime thriller at Crypto.com Arena that secured a playoff seeding tiebreaker over the Nuggets.
Doncic made an 18-foot jumper with less than a second left in overtime to secure the win. While he'll get a lot of the credit for the outcome, the play of Austin Reaves, Deande Ayton and Marcus Smart in overtime also played a critical role.
Ayton scored four of his nine points in the overtime and Smart drilled an important three-pointer late as the Lakers (42-25) won their fifth straight game and moved back into third place in the West with 15 games remaining.
It was dueling triple-doubles between two stars, with Doncic putting up 30 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds and Nikola Jokic finishing with 24 points, 16 rebounds and 14 assists.
Reaves, who finished with 32 points, seven rebounds, six assists, forced overtime when he intentionally missed a free throw, got the rebound and scored on a floater to tie the score 118-118 with 1.9 seconds remaining. He made his first free throw with 5.2 seconds remaining.
Lakers win a thriller, 127-125. Luka Doncic hits the game-winner to finish with 30 points, 13 assists, 11 rebounds. Austin Reaves 32 points, sevenr rebounds, six assists and the huge basket to force overtime. Marcus Smart 21 points, five made threes. Game of the Lakers season. pic.twitter.com/XKe6kV7KAn
In the overtime, Smart, who finished with 21 points, made a three-pointer off an assist from Doncic for a 125-123 lead, but Jokic responded by scoring over Ayton with 15.1 seconds left to tie the score.
With the Nuggets (41-27) on the verge of winning the season series, Doncic then scored with half a second left to give the Lakers their eighth win in nine games.
LeBron James finished with 17 points, six rebounds and five assists and Ayton grabbed nine rebounds in addition to his nine points.
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 14: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives to the basket during the game against the Denver Nuggets on March 14, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Lakers beat the Nuggets 127-125 in an overtime thriller. LA now owns the tiebreaker over Denver.
Clutch plays by LeBron and Reaves sent the game into OT. While both teams played the extra five minutes with tired legs, Deandre Ayton’s four points helped Los Angeles heavily in the period. Luka put the icing on the cake with a clutch game-winning fadeaway jumper.
The game began with Jamal Murray draining a 3-pointer, but soon after, the Lakers started heating up with Marcus Smart draining one himself. Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves converted on two triples each, leading to an early seven-point lead for LA.
Yet another triple for the Lakers, Luka's 2nd, forces Denver's first time out at the 8:01 mark, with LA up 15-8.
Dončić has been dialed in from distance out of the All-Star break, shooting 44.6% on considerably high volume (6.3 makes on 14.0 attempts).
Denver called a timeout, and out of the break, Nikola Jokić turned the ball over, leading to Reaves scoring in the paint on the other end.
Los Angeles lead started to fade as the Nuggets scored five in a row, but LA’s hot shooting continued as they went on an 8-0 run. Rui Hachimura had a nice start with four points off the bench.
Reaves and Luka combined for 20 of the 29 points the Lakers had on the board with 2:18 left in the quarter. Tim Hardaway Jr. drained a three and Smart responded with his second of the quarter.
At the end of the first, the purple and gold were up by eight.
A strong start for the Lakers produced a 34-26 lead after 12 minutes of action.
Luka went for 12 points, 5 assists and 5 boards, and Jokic 9 points, 4 boards and 2 assists.
Smart opened the second period with another 3-pointer for Los Angeles. LeBron James then exploded for five points, further expanding a big lead for LA. After a wide-open bank shot in the paint for Reaves, Denver called a timeout.
Out of the break, Bruce Brown scored on a layup.
The Lakers were shooting an impressive 47% from behind the arc and a total of 58% from the field. LeBron was up to seven points in the quarter. A quick 5-0 run from Denver made it a 14-point game with 4:53 left.
Luka turned the ball over leading to Christian Braun scoring on a dunk, pushing their run to seven in a row. Smart responded with a floater in the paint to stop the run. The Lakers then went on their own 7-0 run to keep a big lead.
At halftime, LA was up by 11.
The Lakers are leading the Nuggets 61-50 at the half. Luka Dončić leads all scorers with 16. Rui Hachimura is producing off the bench with six points and Marcus Smart has 11 points on 4-6 shooting.
The third period began just as the second did, with Smart draining a three for the Lakers. Aaron Gordon responded on the other end with a midrange jumper. Gordon scored again on a jumper, giving him an early four points in the quarter. After they had gotten the deficit down to 10, LA took charge and extended their lead to 14.
Deandre Ayton finally looked more engaged, scoring four points.
Hardaway Jr. was up to 12 points off the bench. Cam Johnson knocked down his fourth 3-pointer of the night. Denver cut the deficit to nine. The Nuggets were shooting 61% in the third, while Los Angeles was shooting 47%.
The Lakers suddenly found themselves up by just three, after six in a row from Jokić.
LA had their response with Reaves and Luka combining for four, but Denver countered with six more to make it a three-point game again. Los Angeles had 1:31 left to build more cushion on their small lead.
A surge of five points from Bruce Brown tied the game at the end of the third.
The Lakers, in control for much of the night, led by 11 with 4:16 to play in the 3rd Q, but were outscored 17-6 to go into the 4th tied at 87.
Hardaway Jr. put the Nuggets in the lead to start the final frame with a triple. Reaves responded with a runner down the paint. Hardaway Jr. scored again, pushing his total to 17 for the game. The Lakers went back up by two after scoring five in a row.
Both teams kept taking turns with tying and taking the lead.
Gordon, who also had 17, drained a 3-pointer to put the Nuggets back in the lead with 7:27 left in the game. Denver pushed their lead to eight, but Los Angeles cut it to four on the shoulders of Reaves and free throws from Jaxson Hayes.
Another three from Gordon pushed the lead back to seven with 3:28 left. Hayes was sent to the line once more, converting on one of two free throws. Luka drained a much-needed 3-pointer to make it a three-point deficit.
Luka was then fouled from behind the arc, converting on all three free throws to tie it at the 1:57 mark. Gordon then knocked down another three to put the Nuggets up by three. Reaves scored on a layup to make it a one-point game with 1:11 left.
Smart then put his incredible defensive presence on full display, stealing the ball and going straight to the basket for the layup. The Lakers were now in the lead by one with 46 seconds left.
Hardaway Jr. then drained another 3-pointer, putting Denver up two. LA had the opportunity to score, but the Nuggets stole the ball, and Gordon was fouled, converting on one free throw only.
With 9.9 seconds left, Los Angeles would have a chance to either tie or put up a quick two to end up playing the foul game. Reaves was fouled and made both free throws.
Johnson was sent to the charity stripe and converted on both free throws with 6.4 left. Denver fouled Reaves, and he converted on one free throw and missed the second. He grabbed the rebound and swished a jumper, tying the game. The Nuggets had no time to score, so the game went into overtime. This is LA’s first overtime game of the year.
Behold the Austin Reaves bucket that put the Lakers in their first overtime game of the year. pic.twitter.com/0JyLFA0jTl
The overtime began with Jamal Murray, who had an atrocious game, fouling out. Ayton scored the first points for LA with a jumper. Braun was fouled and converted on both free throws for Denver’s first points of OT with 2:36 left. There were lots of tired legs running back and forth for each team.
Ayton then scored on a hook shot in the paint to put the Lakers back up by two with 57 seconds left. Gordon knocked down a triple to put Denver back up by one. Smart responded with a 3-pointer on the other end to put LA back in the lead by two with 30 seconds left.
Jokić tied the game with a layup with 15 seconds left in OT. Luka converted on a fadeaway jumper that gave the Lakers the win!
Key Player Stats
Luka finished with a triple-double of 30 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists. Reaves notched 32 points with seven rebounds and six assists. Lebron had 17 points with six rebounds, five assists and two steals.
Smart pitched in with 21 points, three rebounds, two assists and five steals. Hachimura scored six points off the bench. Ayton pitched in with nine points, nine rebounds and two assists.
The Lakers’ next matchup will be against the Houston Rockets on Monday at 6:30 PM PT.
