Despite another strong performance, including an impressive debut from goaltender Daniil Tarasov, the Detroit Red Wings couldn't find the back of the net Saturday night.
The Montreal Canadiens escaped with a 1-0 shootout victory at Bell Centre after Zachary Bolduc scored the only goal in the sixth round.
Canadiens goaltender Jacob Fowler stopped all 30 shots he faced through regulation and overtime before denying all six Red Wings attempts in the shootout, turning aside Lucas Raymond, Alex DeBrincat, Viktor Arvidsson, Dylan Larkin, Axel Sandin-Pellikka, and Nate Danielson.
Tarasov, making his first start with the Red Wings, was equally impressive, stopping 30 shots in regulation and overtime.
The Red Wings, playing their first game away from Little Caesars Arena this season and their second in 24 hours, were once again heavily shorthanded up front because of the absences of Marco Kasper, J.T. Compher, and Mason Appleton.
Additionally, defenseman Simon Edvinsson remains unsigned.
Detroit received a trio of breaks during the contest, as three would-be goals by the Canadiens would be overturned, including a snipe from Bolduc in overtime that was called back for offside.
Unfortunately for the Red Wings, it's the second time that they've been shut out through the first five games of the 2026-27 campaign.
The Red Wings will return home for another trio of games in downtown Detroit, starting Tuesday against the New Jersey Devils.
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PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 10: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics dribbles the ball during the game against the Philadelphia 76ers on October 10, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 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 Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Payton Pritchard’s 25 points and Jayson Tatum’s 23 led the Boston Celtics to a dominant 144-106 home win over the Jaylen Brown-less Philadelphia 76ers in the C’s second preseason game of the 2026-27 season.
The game provided first glimpses of Paul George and Mitchell Robinson playing in green, and marked Derrick White, Jayson Tatum, Neemias Queta, Payton Pritchard, and Sam Hauser’s return to action. All seven sat out of Thursday’s preseason opener against Cleveland.
Boston’s starters included White, Jordan Walsh, Tatum, George, and Robinson. Hauser, Queta, and Pritchard came off the bench for their first minutes of the year.
Ron Harper Jr. was out with right shoulder soreness and Devin Carter, who starred in the game against Cleveland, was out with an illness.
The Sixers deployed a starting lineup of Tyrese Maxey, V.J. Edgecombe, Justin Edwards, Dean Wade, and Jabari Walker. Joel Embiid, LeBron James, Brown and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope were inactive for Philly.
The Celtics’ starters looked clunky in their first minutes together, and couldn’t get much going early. Tatum and George both missed a couple midrange shot attempts and Tatum missed Robinson on an early alley-oop attempt. It was Edgecombe who broke the ice with an and-1 reverse layup, and Philly took an early 8-0 lead while Boston was still back-rimming every shot it took.
Tatum was passing well early, regardless of all the missed shots. He got it to White and Walsh for a couple open three-point attempts, but they bricked both. Robinson finally put the C’s on the scoreboard with a putback dunk, and White scored Boston’s second bucket of the game. George clunked another midrange shot attempt, but got fouled and hit 1 of 2 free throws for his first points as a Celtic.
Boston didn’t get it going until about halfway through the first quarter, when shots started falling. Queta and Hauser were the first substitutions of the game and injected some life into the offense, but JT also kicked into gear. He got a dunk off a George steal for his first points of the game, made a nice pass to a slashing Queta for an easy bucket, and hit a couple three-pointers to cut Philly’s lead to 16-15 with less than 3 minutes to go in the opening frame.
Over those final minutes, JT hit a tough midrange shot and hit a cutting Hauser with a clean dime to secure the Celtics’ first lead of the game, 19-18. By the time Pritchard ended the quarter with a couple free throws, Boston had a 24-20 lead over Philadelphia.
The Celtics maintained their momentum from the end of the first quarter with some hot shooting and hard rebounding in the second.
Robinson opened the frame and was active banging down low, but the whole team was active on the boards. One offensive rebound resulted in a Pritchard three-pointer, and Robinson put another back for a bucket of his own.
Baylor Scheierman and Hugo Gonzalez also provided some good energy off the bench. Scheierman made a nice pass that resulted in a Hugo Gonzalez bucket, then got a steal on the very next play. Gonzalez drew an offensive foul on one play and knocked down an open three-pointer soon after to put the Celtics up 38-28 four minutes into the quarter.
While the first quarter was close, the second quarter was a one-sided bloodbath.
Pritchard (who scored 11 points in the quarter) got hot and hit a few three-pointers to keep Boston rolling, JT came back in to play the last half of the second quarter, and George — who was racking up steals and deflections left and right — finally got his shot to fall.
The C’s really started to pull away in the latter half of the second quarter. Hauser got a steal and passed it forward to JT for an easy transition dunk. The next play down, White got another steal and got it to George, who hit an open three-pointer that forced the Sixers to call a timeout in an attempt to stop the bleeding. But, by that point, Boston was already up 53-35.
George hit another three-pointer a few minutes later to secure a 21-point Boston lead with less than a minute to go in the half. Boston ended the half with a 63-42 lead and won the quarter 39-22.
Pritchard led the C’s in first-half scoring with 15 points and 4 assists. Tatum had 14 points and George racked up 11 points, 5 rebounds and 4 steals.
Edgecombe led Philly with 14 points, 3 assists and 4 steals.
The second half opened with a couple ugly missed free throws from Robinson, but Walsh put on a show as the C’s kept their collective foot on the Sixers’ neck. He got a slick block that resulted in a White three-pointer, then got a three-pointer of his own while capitalizing on Robinson’s gravity down low.
Philadelphia seemed to increase its effort on the court, but it didn’t make too much of a difference early in the third quarter. White got a couple buckets, Walsh got another three-pointer, and Tatum hit a three-pointer to put the C’s up 85-61 with about five-and-a-half minutes to go in the quarter. George got his fifth steal of the game on the next play and dunked it to extend the lead even further.
Despite the big lead, the Celtics didn’t take their foot off the gas. Philly’s shots were no longer falling, as Boston’s defensive activity stifled the Sixers’ offense, but everything was going right for the C’s. Tatum made a nice underhanded pass to Pritchard for a deep three-pointer, then got a steal on the next play. After a Gonzalez layup and another Pritchard 3, Boston had a 31-point lead with less than 2 minutes to go in the third quarter.
With the help of another three-pointer — this time from Hauser — and a couple Pritchard free throws, the C’s ended the quarter with a 104-69 lead.
With the win all but secured, the Celtics opened the final frame with Pritchard, Hauser, Scheierman, Gonzalez and Garza on the floor. Garza immediately racked up two offensive rebounds — one off a miss of his own — and made a putback layup for the first points of the quarter.
The squad kept up Boston’s torrid pace on both ends of the court. Garza got another putback layup and Scheierman got a couple of steals, which resulted in three-pointers for both Hauser and himself.
After the C’s took a 124-88 lead with 6:52 to go, Boston subbed in Dillon Mitchell and Chris Cenac Jr. But the fun didn’t end there. Gonzalez hit another three-pointer and Mitchell made a layup soon after. Cenac got a couple easy buckets, including a strong dunk which gave the Celtics a 138-94 lead with 3 minutes to go in the contest.
With the help of Gonzalez’s fourth three-pointer of the night (he hit all four attempts), the Celtics finished with a 144-106 win — the highest scoring preseason win in franchise history.
Tatum, who didn’t play a minute of the fourth quarter, ended the game with 23 points on 47.4% shooting from the field and 40% shooting from deep, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and a steal.
Pritchard had 25 points, 7 assists and 4 rebounds.
George finished his first game as a Celtic with 13 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 5 steals.
Robinson had 6 points, 5 rebounds and 1 assist.
Gonzalez, White, and Hauser finished with 17, 15, and 11 points, respectively.
On the other end of the court, Edgecombe finished with 19 points, 4 assists and 4 steals.
Overall, Boston dominated the Sixers on the boards, 70-41, including an 18-7 difference in offensive rebounds, and put up 11 more shot attempts than Philadelphia.
The Celtics’ next preseason game will be against the Charlotte Hornets at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14, at home in TD Garden. The game will be broadcast on NBC Sports Boston and locally live-streamed via Peacock.
Boston will face Philly again in its preseason finale on Friday, Oct. 16, before the regular season begins with a road game against the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday, Oct. 20.
MONTREAL (AP) — Zachary Bolduc scored in the sixth round of a shootout, Jacob Fowler made 30 saves and the Montreal Canadiens beat the Detroit Red Wings 1-0 on Saturday night.
After Bolduc beat Daniil Tarasov through the pads for the first score in the tiebreaker, Fowler stopped Nate Danielson.
Montreal ended a three-game losing streak to improve to 2-2-1. It won for first time on home ice in three outings this season.
Fowler had his second career shutout for the Canadiens. The 21-year-old was making his second straight start for Montreal after being recalled from the Laval Rocket of the American Hockey League on Wednesday.
Tarasov made 30 saves in his first start for the Red Wings.
Detroit (1-3-1), playing in its first road game of the season, dropped its second game in two nights after falling 6-3 to the Seattle Kraken on Friday night.
Cole Caufield’s shot 1:16 into the game was deemed not to have crossed the goal line, while Bolduc’s second-period goal was disallowed due to goaltender interference by Jake Evans on Tarasov. A third apparent Montreal goal, this one courtesy of Alexandre Texier, was called back for offside midway through overtime.
In addition to cheering on the home team, Canadiens fans spent much of the game showing their appreciation for Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin. The crowd repeatedly broke into chants of “We want Larkin! We want Larkin!” in a bid to persuade the American to make Montreal his next destination. The former Red Wings captain requested a trade out of Detroit this past offseason.
WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 10: AJ Dybantsa #4 of the Washington Wizards drives to the basket during the game against the Detroit Pistons on October 10, 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 Stephen Gosling/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Washington Wizards’ clash with the Detroit Pistons on Saturday was arguably one of the greatest preseason contests in franchise history. The Wizards’ 114-108 overtime win at Capital One Arena had everything fans could have asked for.
The first quarter was virtually every Wizards supporter’s wet dream for the upcoming season. Trae Young and AJ Dybantsa were throwing endless lobs to Anthony Davis and Alex Sarr. DC’s defense turned into offense at every opportunity, with outlet passes leading to 19 fastbreak points in the opening period alone.
Tre Johnson also caught fire to close the first with three triples to help build a 40-20 lead after the first 12 minutes of action.
The Washington Express lost some steam in the second quarter as the Wizards went nearly four full minutes without scoring. The first bucket of the quarter was emphatic: Dybantsa served up another lob dunk to Sarr.
Dybantsa also showed off some transition wizardry with a behind-the-back move to get past three Pistons defenders for an And-1. Dybantsa and Johnson each had 12, while Davis and Kyshawn George had 10 apiece as Washington led 56-50 at the half.
Trae Young scored his first and only field goal of the game to start the third quarter, then got ejected minutes later following an altercation with Daniss Jenkins. He left the game with 2 points, 8 assists, and 5 turnovers as the Wizards’ lead shrank to 80-78 through three quarters.
Brian Keefe rode the third-stringers in the fourth quarter as the Pistons took a 94-87 lead with five minutes to go, in what was shaping up to be a loss. That’s when Will Riley, Justin Champagnie, and Felix Okpara shined.
Okpara hit a three-pointer, then put a Piston on a poster in back-to-back possessions. The game went into overtime, where the Wizards came out on top 114-108.
New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer (48) celebrates after scoring a goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game at UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y., Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026.
The Islanders liked the direction in which they were trending over the season’s first four games.
Until Saturday, though, they had not been tested against a true contender.
Now they have, and while the Islanders can be happy with pieces of their game, the overall results won’t be to their liking.
The Lightning were faster and smarter. Mostly, Tampa Bay played a more complete 60 minutes than the Islanders in beating them 5-3 at UBS Arena on the back of Brandon Hagel’s hat trick.
“Just didn’t show up quite on time,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “But when we did show up, we went nose to nose with them.”
Center Jake Guentzel (59) celebrates his goal with left wing Brandon Hagel (38), who had a hat trick of his own, during the second period of the Islanders’ 5-3 loss to the Lightning on Oct. 10, 2026 at UBS Arena. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Want to know why it’s so important to take care of business on nights like Thursday against Chicago or this coming Tuesday against Vancouver? Saturday is why.
It is a testament to their resilience as well as their penalty-killing on a night when the Islanders spent more than seven minutes in the box that they entered the late stages of the game still very much in it.
As has been the case a few times early this season, the Islanders grew into the game as it went on, finally starting to apply pressure and take away Andrei Vasilevskiy’s eyes in the second period. That resulted in Tony DeAngelo’s goal that made it 2-1, while Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s that made it 3-2 at 11:41 of the period may have been more about Matthew Schaefer’s supreme skill.
Schaefer walked the line, deked Anthony Cirelli clean and let loose a shot that Pageau tipped past Vasilevskiy before an emphatic celebration.
At that point, Schaefer started to take over the game. His skill on the puck helped set up the game-tying goal with seven seconds left in the second period, as a juggling keep-in led to Brayden Schenn getting to Kyle Palmieri’s pass across, with Erik Cernak’s stick giving a last touch on the way into the net.
Matthew Schaefer (48) celebrates with a teammate after assisting on a goal during the second period of the Islanders’ loss to the Lightning. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
That gave way to a rollicking third, by far the most entertaining hockey the Islanders have played this season: end-to-end, physical, breathless.
With under two minutes to go, it was still deadlocked at 3-3, but the Lightning again had started to tilt the ice. It didn’t take a long offensive-zone shift to take the lead, though: Hagel beat Ilya Sorokin clean on an innocuous-looking shot from the right circle with 1:44 to go and then completed his hat trick into an empty net just 21 seconds later.
“We passed quite a few of the tests in my mind of how we have to play,” DeBoer said. “You just have to do it for 60 minutes. You can’t spot a team like that two goals.”
The details and ethic that DeBoer is trying, bit by bit, to instill in this team have long since been perfected by Jon Cooper’s squad. There were stretches during which the Islanders looked on Tampa’s level, but also, over 60 minutes — and particularly the first 20 — too many when they did not.
Andrei Vasilevskiy defends against Bo Horvat during the third period of the Islanders’ loss to the Lightning. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock, once a shutdown top pair in back-to-back conference finals against this team, epitomized it more than anyone. The duo, reunited in the wake of Alexander Romanov’s ACL tear, was badly victimized by Hagel, who skated through both of them to make it 2-0 Tampa late in the first, then a second time by Jake Guentzel, who was left free near the crease to score the Lightning’s third on the power play.
“The start, it’s just unacceptable,” Pelech told The Post. “Partially on me. I was on for a couple goals they scored in the first period. Better execution, I think more intensity of battles, winning more battles, committing more to the way we have to play to be successful right off the bat.”
The puck management, an issue on which DeBoer has harped over the last few days, was an issue too, particularly early in the game as the Islanders breakouts consistently were stymied by their own decision-making.
Two things that seem contradictory but are not: It is an unequivocal positive that the Islanders got better throughout the game, and it is unacceptable — perhaps game-losing — that they took 25 or so minutes to look like they were in it.
“We’re gonna get better,” Schaefer said. “We’re gonna have a better start, hopefully, next time and keep it going throughout the game.”
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani works out Saturday at American Family Field ahead of Game 1 of the National League Championship Series against Milwaukee Brewers. (Kyla Wolf / Associated Press)
Shohei Ohtani blistered a ball into the second deck in right-center field. Then he launched another, this time a little closer to the imposing video board looming over American Family Field that bore the massive “2026 NLCS” logo.
“Good day of work for him,” hitting coach Aaron Bates said after the Dodgers’ workout Saturday. “Him and Bookie [Mookie Betts] had been talking hitting the last few days. His idea to hit on the field. New field, new backdrop, that sort of thing.”
Ohtani has only hit in batting practice on a field a handful of times this season. But ahead of Game 1 of the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday, he had an extended session off the machine.
“Just trying not to flip the barrel so soon,” Bates said of what Ohtani has focused on mechanically. “Get comfortable in the setup so he feels like he’s in a good position to swing the bat, but mostly just not have his top hand roll over too soon. Then just sticking his finish, and that helps him reverse engineer, keeps the effort level low and obviously just on the ball longer.”
Ohtani went two for 13 in the NLDS, recording two singles in the first two games. The four-time MVP will try to overcome his recent struggles when he faces Cy Young favorite Jacob Misiorowski in Game 1.
Misiorowski raised his own bar in his second major-league season. But Ohtani’s struggles bumped him down to the No. 5 and 4 spots in the Dodgers’ lineup for games 3 and 4, respectively, against the Atlanta Braves.
Ohtani’s recent slump, however, isn’t going to change how Misiorowski pitches to him.
“It’s still October,” the Brewers ace said. “You’ve got to still pitch like he’s the best in the world and trust your stuff and go beat him at his game, and do your job.”
That track record is what Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is leaning on, too, as he continues to predict that Ohtani will bust out of his funk.
“There’s nothing right now I’m going to hang my hat on outside of, I just believe in the person and the talent,” Roberts said in a conference call Friday. “I do think that getting a couple days out of a game environment to kind of work on his swing, rest the body, rest the mind is a benefit. I’m just never going to count Shohei out.”
Ohtani’s biggest contribution in the NLDS didn’t involve a swing. In his first at-bat of Game 4, he took advantage of Tyler Mahle taking a careful approach with him, drawing a five-pitch walk. Then he stole second base and capitalized on a pair of Braves errors to score.
“Outside of [Chris] Sale, I thought he did a good job of controlling the zone,” Roberts said. “I saw some better swings.”
Dodgers players work out at American Family Field on Saturday ahead of Game 1 of the NLCS against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Dodgers players take part in an off-day workout on Saturday ahead of Game 1 of the NLCS.
Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal walks on the field during practice.
Dodgers rookie Josue DePaula kneels on the field during practice.
(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
But the Dodgers also expressed optimism while Ohtani was on the injured list, and again after he had the bye week to work on his swing.
“It feels really good overall,” Ohtani said last Oct. 2, the last time he addressed the media. “I do feel like my swing is in a better place, feels smooth, and just a little tweak here and there, and I’ll be ready.”
Ohtani didn’t will a hot streak into existence then. But the Dodgers keep preaching optimism.
“If he’s in the batter’s box, he’s still a threat,” Roberts said Saturday. “He swung the bat well against these guys last postseason. Their memories — those pitchers, their memories are long. Now it’s just up to Shohei to understand that and control the strike zone. They’re just not going to give in to him regardless of how he might be swinging the bat over the last couple months, in my opinion.”
Roberts said he expects infielder Miguel Rojas to be on the Dodgers’ NLCS roster despite sustaining a back injury in Game 3 of the NLDS.
The Dodgers also plan to add a pitcher and remove a position player, to balance the roster at 13 pitchers and 13 position players.
“Length, having a guy that can go two or three, is something where you essentially protect downside on the pitching,” Roberts said when asked what the Dodgers would prioritize. “As far as handedness, they’re pretty balanced. So that really doesn’t come into play. I think for us, it’s more of, who can take down a couple innings if something in a medium- to lower-leverage situation?”
PHILADELPHIA, PA - OCTOBER 10: VJ Edgecombe #77 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives to the basket during the game against the Boston Celtics on October 10, 2026 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 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 Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Jaylen Brown made his return to Boston Saturday, but we’ll have to wait until the regular season to see him face off against his former team.
Brown, LeBron James, Joel Embiid and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope were all out as the Sixers took on Paul George, making his preseason debut, and the Celtics Saturday night. With Boston using its regular rotation, the shorthanded Sixers got crushed 144-106.
VJ Edgecombe was sensational, dropping 19 points (6-of-11 from the field, 2-of-5 from three) and recording four assists and four steals. Tyrese Maxey struggled from the field as he found himself in early foul trouble and saw a lot of bodies throughout the night. He was 2-of-10 for eight points. Jabari Walker, who continued his impressive preseason, pitched in 14 points and five rebounds. Rookie Labaron Philon, Jr. impressed with 14 points (4-of-8 from three) and seven assists.
Anfernee Simons (hamstring), Dominick Barlow (back), Adem Bona (foot) and Tacko Fall (hip) all remained out for the Sixers.
Only one more of these next Friday back at the crib before they start counting.
Here are some takeaways from the night.
First quarter
Edgecombe pulled up confidently from three in transition, but missed. Maxey found him in the corner and Edgecombe finally buried his first triple of the preseason. Sandwiched in between was a gorgeous up-and-under, and-one lefty finish.
I loved the Dean Wade signing when they made it. I love it even more watching Wade through three preseason games. Some guys just know how to play … and too often those guys haven’t been members of the Sixers.
Jabari Walker is having a terrific preseason. It’s no small task to go up against a true bruising center like Mitchell Robinson. Walker acquitted himself quite well. He’s playing himself into a role.
Another game with an early scare. Edgecombe was flying down the floor in transition. As he left the ground in the paint and passed it to the corner to Rayan Rupert, he went down hard. He stayed down for a moment, but eventually got up — and looked mad he didn’t get a whistle. He exited the game briefly, but was back in before the period ended.
With so many guys out, Labaron Philon, Rayan Rupert and Dillon Jones all got first-quarter minutes.
Philon made yet another beautiful move into the paint and saw a floater go in and out, a theme for the rookie so far this preseason. His miss was rebounded and kicked back out to him and he buried a three. Like the moxie from the kid.
Turnovers were a big issue in Brooklyn. The Sixers had seven in the first quarter Saturday. Maxey was just 1-of-6 from the field to start as he was aggressively trapped (because Joe Mazzulla is a crazy person). Edgecombe led the team with six points, going 2-of-5. Neither team shot the ball well, but the Celtics took a 24-20 lead after one
Second quarter
Edgecombe kicked off the quarter with a beautiful drive and finish. His improved handle and finishing have been on full display. This is a star in the making.
Wade started the period playing as the five against Robinson. Wade held his own when they dumped it down to Robinson in the post, forcing a miss.
Justin Edwards got the start tonight. Unfortunately, his rough preseason continued. He looks indecisive and is struggling to contain anyone defensively.
Don’t like to make officiating a thing (especially in the preseason), but my goodness, the Sixers are not getting a kind whistle.
The Sixers are playing multiple Exhibit 10 signees and a two-way player against Boston’s rotation guys, so the score got ugly, but it also gave Edgecombe a chance to cook — and boy, did he cook. He’s been incredibly impressive in the preseason.
Philon with a middie fadeaway in Derrick White’s eye. Fearless. He then made a beautiful read and found Rupert in the opposite corner. Rupert bricked the three. Rupert is another guy having a rough preseason.
Maxey just blocked the shit out of George, who’s having a brutal night. Really great help defense by Saint Thomas. Thomas has actually looked decent in limited minutes.
Tyrese Maxey battles with former Sixer Paul George in the post and finishes with a nasty block
Another brutal turnover from Edwards, then one by Edgecombe. The Sixers had 12 in the first half. That paired with the Celtics starting to hit shots and the score got ugly.
The Sixers had a couple beautiful possessions that led to two threes — both with assists from Wade. This guy is such good connector.
Again, it was Boston’s regulars against a thin Sixers lineup. The Celtics took a 63-42 lead into the half. Edgecombe was the bright spot, leading the Sixers with 14 points, three assists and four steals.
Third quarter
Unsurprisingly, no Maxey to start the second half. Wade also sat after halftime.
Walker picked up his fifth foul 15 seconds into the half. Suboptimal considering where the Sixers are with the center position right now.
Philon made an absolutely filthy bounce pass to Walker in transition for an and-one. Walker buried another three on the next offensive possession. He’s hoopin’.
Looks like Edgecombe’s night is done midway through third. Can’t say enough about how he played Saturday and how he’s looked overall in the preseason.
And another beauty of a dime from Philon to Walker. This kid is fun to watch.
Yeah, this is a bloodbath. Sixers are playing two two-way guys, two Exhibit 10 guys and a rookie. The Celtics still have a lineup full of rotation guys.
Fourth quarter
Four straight threes for the Sixers — two each from Philon and Edwards. Again, the Celtics still have regulars out there, so Philon is doing this against legit NBA competition. He looks like he can play right away — and he might need to depending on Simons’ health.
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Shane Pinto scored the shootout winner to give the Ottawa Senators a 3-2 victory over the Nashville Predators on Saturday night.
Tim Stutzle and Drake Batherson — who tied it with 2:23 left in the third period — scored for the Senators (4-1-0). Linus Ullmark turned away 16 shots.
Jonathan Marchessault and Ross Colton scored for Nashville (2-1-2), while Matt Murray made 18 stops.
The Predators took a delay-of-game penalty for a puck over glass with 13 seconds remaining in regulation providing the Senators the perfect opportunity, but a stagnant power play was unable to capitalize. Ottawa went 1 for 6 with the man advantage.
The game ended a three-game Eastern Canada trip for the Predators.
Defenseman Jayden Struble made his Nashville debut. He was acquired Friday from the Montreal Canadiens.
The Arizona Fall League (AFL) kicked off on Oct. 3, featuring six teams comprising prospects from all 30 MLB organizations.
* Salt River Rafters include D-backs, Rockies, Twins, Yankees, Nationals.
* Mesa Solar Sox include Athletics, Red Sox, Cubs, Angels, Blue Jays.
* Glendale Desert Dogs include Braves, White Sox, Dodgers, Marlins, Pirates.
* Scottsdale Scorpions include Tigers, Astros, Brewers, Giants, Rays.
* Surprise Saguaros include Guardians, Royals, Mets, Phillies, Rangers.
* Peoria Javelinas include Orioles, Reds, Padres, Mariners, Cardinals.
The teams play for six weeks from Oct. 3 to Nov. 14. There is a round-robin playoff with all six teams participating. The Fall Stars Game is on Nov. 8. A Home Run Derby takes place before the playoffs on Nov. 7.
The Quarterfinals begin Nov. 12 with the top two-seeded teams having a bye in the first round and playing the winners of that round in the semifinals beginning Nov. 13.
The championship game will be carried on MLB Network, MLB.com, and the MLB app (Nov. 14).
Each organization sends at least seven players to its team, and they name the participating players in August.
Padres prospects
The San Diego Padres sent five pitchers and three position players to the Peoria Javelinas of the Fall League. After finishing their minor league seasons, each player will continue developing with more competition in the desert. Some are replacing lost time due to injury, or they need further development beyond their normal seasons.
RHP Winyer Chourio, LHP Igor Gil, RHP Francis Peña, RHP Kannon Kemp, and RHP Jordan Valenzuela are the chosen pitchers. Chourio and Kemp are starters.
Catcher Ty Harvey, outfielder Alex McCoy, and infielder Justin DeCriscio are the three position players.
Danny Worth, Padres minor league infield coordinator, is the manager for the Javelinas. He just completed his second season in the Padres organization.
A split week
For their first week of competition, the Javelinas split their six games while playing two games versus Mesa, one game versus Salt River, one game versus Scottsdale, one game versus Surprise, and one game versus Glendale.
They sit in third place behind Salt River and Scottsdale, two games back of the lead.
The Javelinas are hitting just .219 so far but have healthy on-base and slugging numbers that give them a team .743 OPS. They are second in RBI with 32, while Salt River leads with 42.
Winyer Chourio has one start and three innings pitched without allowing a run on two hits. He walked none and had one strikeout.
Kannon Kemp started one game and allowed four hits and a run in 1 ⅔ innings pitched with a walk and three strikeouts.
Francis Peña has made two appearances and two innings pitched with two hits and no runs.
Jordan Valenzuela has made two appearances and pitched two innings, with three hits and two runs, a walk, and two strikeouts.
Igor Gil allowed two hits and two runs with a walk and a strikeout in his 1 ⅔ innings over two games, giving him a 10.80 ERA.
McCoy keeps hitting
Outfielder Alex McCoy, 6-foot-7 and 24 years old, missed much of 2025 with an injury. The gap doesn’t seem to have slowed his development much. Starting 2026 in Single-A Fort Wayne, McCoy was promoted to Double-A San Antonio for the last 25 games of the season. Over the two levels, McCoy hit .278/.355/.467 with 19 home runs and 71 RBI. His 26% strikeout rate was a bit high, while posting a 9% walk rate.
In the five games he has played with Peoria, McCoy has been in left field and hitting .250 with an .881 OPS while slugging a double and a homer for five RBI. He has four stolen bases in five attempts.
It could be debated whether he has earned a Spring Training invite to play left field and try hitting against more elevated pitching to see what he can do.
Infielder Justin DeCriscio has played in four games and has two hits with three RBI, hitting a double to drive in runs.
Catcher Ty Harvey missed much of 2026 due to injury and needs at-bats for development to catch up with his contemporaries. In four games as catcher and DH, Harvey has one hit and one RBI with five walks and seven strikeouts. He also has four stolen bases in four attempts.
Infielder Brandon Butterworth, traded by the Padres in 2025 to the Orioles (Ryan O’Hearn, Ramon Laureano), is also on the Javelinas playing alongside some former teammates.
The Chicago Blackhawks were blown out at home by the Carolina Hurricanes. Of course, it was always an uphill climb with the defending Stanley Cup champions in town for battle, but the Blackhawks didn't have much of a chance.
After a lackluster first period, they were down 1-0. At that point, they likely felt good about being down by only one. Before the second period was four minutes old, however, the Hurricanes added two more to take a 3-0 lead.
At that point, with the way the Blackhawks were defending and the difficulties they had exiting the defensive zone when they did have the puck, it felt like a lead that they couldn't come back from.
Shortly after that, however, the Blackhawks did get themselves on the board. Roman Kantserov earned himself a breakaway and used his speed to create separation before scoring his first career NHL goal. The former KHL superstar is officially on the board.
The good vibes following Kantserov's goal were short-lived, however, as former Blackhawk Taylor Hall scored less than two minutes after that. Four goals were scored between the two teams in five minutes.
At 5:00 of the third period, the Hurricanes made it 5-1 to give it that blowout feeling. Oliver Moore's late goal was a nifty play by him, but it doesn't erase the feeling that the Blackhawks were run out of their own building by the champs.
The Blackhawks were outshot 39-26 in the loss. They came on a bit stronger late in the third, but it was well below the standard of a winning team over the course of 60 minutes.
Roman Kantserov scored Chicago's first goal of the game, but he was also their best forward by far. It wasn't great defensively for any of their forwards, including Kantserov, but he was able to generate some offense.
It's been a tough start to the season for Nick Lardis, but he improved in this game as well. Without Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar in the lineup, it's going to be hard for these guys to carry the weight, but being ready for their return is important.
On defense, four of the six players had lousy performances. The middle pair with Alex Vlasic and Ian Cole were solid, however. So far, they've been the best duo created by Jeff Blashill so far this year.
Kevin Korchinski and Ethan Del Mastro have spent all but one game in the press box, but it might be time to start rotating them in. If Bowen Byram, Artyom Levshunov, Sam Rinzel, and Wyatt Kaiser continue to rack up games like that, Blashill won't have a choice.
This game was proof that the Blackhawks are nowhere near any of the top teams in the NHL. There were already suspicions of that reality after playing the Vegas Golden Knights, Buffalo Sabres, and Utah Mammoth, but the sample size is starting to get bigger.
The Chicago Blackhawks have only played two of their six games at the United Center. However, they are staring down another six straight at home following this loss to Carolina. Next up is a match against Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday night.
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The Islanders were defeated by the Tampa Bay Lightning, 5-3, on Saturday night.
Here are some takeaways...
-- Tampa Bay dominated the first period, racing out a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Jake Guentzel (unassisted) and Brandon Hagel (assisted by Victor Hedman and Max Crozier).
-- The Isles responded with a huge second period. Some nifty puck possession in the offensive zone combined with a solid screen to block the vision of Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy allowed Tony DeAngelo to get New York on the board with a wrister from the point, assisted by Ondrej Palat. Tampa countered with another Guentzel goal (assisted by Hagel and reigning Hart Memorial Trophy winner Nikita Kucherov), this time on the power play. The Islanders kept plugging away, in part energized by Logan Stanley dropping the gloves with Scott Sabourin.
-- A fantastic first goal of the season for Matthew Schaefer (assisted by Palat and DeAngelo), in which the second-year defenseman dangled around the blue line to create space before firing a wrist shot which found twine, made it 2-3. With a late power play in the period, Brayden Schenn beat the buzzer by seven seconds and tied the game, tapping in a cross-crease pass by Bo Horvat (secondary assist by Matias Maccelli).
-- After a physical third period, Hagel picked up his third point of the night with just under two minutes left in the game, a gut punch of a wrist shot which beat Ilya Sorokin on his low blocker side. Shortly after, Hagel completed the fourth hat trick of his career to seal the 5-3 loss for the Isles.
Highlights
Tony DeAngelo cuts the deficit in half! https://t.co/nvRZAPGhmh
SAN ANTONIO, TX -MARCH 19: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs is surrounded by teammates after his game winning shot against Phoenix Suns at Frost Bank Center on March 19, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to the Game Thread. Veterans of the Game Thread know how we do things around here, but for all you newbies we have a few rules. Our community guidelines apply and basically say be cool, no personal attacks, don’t troll and don’t swear too much. The rule against trolling also applies to members of this site that visit other fan sites.
Bad news people. The Spurs started their season on Thursday night with a loss. But, in preseason, the scores don’t count, so was it really a loss? The Spurs starters looked really good for about a quarter and then they took the rest of the game off, even though some of them were still on the court for part of the rest of the game. David Jones Garcia looked really interesting in the second half, and Tarris Reed had a pretty good outing, although he’s probably going to have a bit of adjustment learning to play against NBA bigs. Not exactly unexpected for a rookie. There were some guys who saw the court in against Atlanta who aren’t expected to make the team, and their minutes made it fairly obvious the reasons why that is so. Players like Taelon Peter and Jon Elmore are guy who are supremely talented basketball players, but not elite enough to look good against NBA talent. It’s a rough business.
Tonight they face a Phoenix squad with NBA super villain Dillon Brooks who is shooting 60% on three-point shots in the preseason (on a small sample size). If he actually becomes a good shooter, that’s going to be a reason to hate him even more. But with all of the shooters on the Suns, this is a team that should be interesting this year, and they could be in the playoff mix in the west. It will be an interesting matchup for the preseason Spurs, at least for a quarter or so, until the G-League players take over and make it hard to watch. It’s a late tipoff, so you may want to watch this game on delay and skip over the boring parts. Sorry, I’m not doing a good job of selling this, am I?
This game is on DAZN, so hook up your apps, or log in on your Smart TV. Let’s GO Spurs!!! For at least most of the first half.
Game Prediction:
Victor Wembanyama reads a book on the bench during the second half.
San Antonio Spurs at Phoenix Suns (Preseason) October 10, 2026 | 9:30 PM CT Streaming: DAZN, League Pass TV: DAZN Reminder: It is against site policy to post links to illegal streams in the comments.
MILWAUKEE – At this stage of the playoffs last year, Brewers manager Pat Murphy joked that he was certain the Dodgers couldn’t name eight players on his roster.
The false humility backfired.
Murphy’s words cast a spell on the Brewers, who went from being the winningest team in baseball to a collection of obscure laborers as unremarkable as the podunk town in which they play.
Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy, left, talks to members of the media during a workout for the National League Championship Series at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. Tannen Maury/UPI/Shutterstock
The Dodgers swept the Brewers in four games and went on to win the World Series.
Murphy started his news conference as he often does, asking reporters with whom he was unfamiliar to stand and introduced themselves. He playfully asked Japanese reporters if they could help him land a job in Nippon Professional Baseball.
But before Murphy was the manager of the Brewers, or even the coach at Arizona State or Notre Dame, Murphy was an amateur boxer who moved to Miami with designs of fighting professionally.
The day before Game 1, the fighter in him emerged.
Murphy said he regretted how he characterized his team last year. Getty Images
Murphy said he regretted how he characterized his team last year.
“I”m sorry I played that underdog card,” Murphy said. “I probably shouldn’t have played that, used that as an excuse for why we didn’t play well.
“I don’t care who the underdog is. I don’t care who the favorite is. It’s about getting in the ring and fighting it out.”
There were more boxing metaphors.
“I think any time there’s familiarity it could help,” Murphy said. “You fight a guy once and you fight him the second time, you should have a better idea. Everything’s different. The guy is a little different that you’re fighting the second time, even though it’s the same person. They’ve got a different strategy, maybe different personnel.”
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski (32) pitches during the first inning of a National League Division Series game against the San Diego Padres at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
The Brewers once again finished the regular season with the best record in baseball, this time by winning a franchise-record 103 games.
But questions remain over how their unconventional offense translates in the playoffs. The Brewers had baseball’s highest batting average in the regular season. They also had the second-fewest home runs. They also don’t have much of a rotation after their first two starters, Jacob Misiorowski and Logan Henderson.
Asked how the Brewers’ fastball-reliant pitching staff would deal with a Dodgers’ lineup with a penchant for hitting fastballs, Murphy replied, “You’ve got to execute because executing pitches is what it’s about. That stops offense. We’re still going to pitch to our strengths. It’s like any other fight. Styles matter, but we can only do what we can do. I can’t all of a sudden become a counterpuncher if I’m Mike Tyson, and they can’t be Muhammad Ali if all year they fought like George Foreman.”
Milwaukee Brewers designated hitter Christian Yelich takes batting practice ahead of Game 1 of baseball’s National League Championship Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Los Angeles Dodgers, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, in Milwaukee. AP Photo/Kyla Wolf
For the Brewers to have a chance in this series, they will almost certainly have to win Game 1 in which Misiorowski will be their starter. The prohibitive favorite to win the NL Cy Young Award, Misiorowski beat the Dodgers in Los Angeles on Aug. 15, limiting them to one run over six innings and striking out six. But pitching opposite Misiorowski will be Tarik Skubal.
From there, the Dodgers will have an enormous edge in starting pitching. Yoshinobu Yamamoto will start Game 2, after which Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow are expected to follow, in that order. The more games are played, the more the Brewers’ bullpen figures to tire.
The Brewers know what they’re up against. But they’re also projecting a different energy this year, and they’re counting on that to assist them in overcoming the band of superstars from the entertainment capital of the world.
“Look, if you want to play who’s favored in this series, it’s probably not us, but it doesn’t matter,” Brewers designated hitter Christian Yelich. “It’s the same thing in spring training when we’re the team that’s never picked to win the division or be the postseason team. It doesn’t matter who people say is favored or not favored because you have to go play the games.”
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 07: Devin Booker #15 of the Phoenix Suns looks on against the Chicago Bulls during the first half of the preseason game at the United Center on October 07, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Daniel Bartel/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A good old-fashioned San Antonio vs. Phoenix (preseason) showdown. Let’s do this!
If you don’t have the SB Nation app, it comes in real handy for Game Threads. Just sayin’!
If you haven’t downloaded the SB Nation app yet, now is the time.
Game Threads are so much better in the app, and with Suns basketball back, you’re going to want to be there with us!
MILWAUKEE — All along, Christian Yelich felt this was going to be part of the road for the Milwaukee Brewers.
It was always going to be the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers — with their consecutive World Series titles and a payroll that casts a long shadow over Yelich and the small-market Brewers.
“We’ve been expecting having to play them in this round since spring training, in the regular season,” Yelich said Saturday. “You kind of just know that’s what’s going to happen.”
The 2026 NL Championship Series is a sequel, with Shohei Ohtani and the Dodgers taking on Jackson Chourio and the Brewers. Los Angeles swept Milwaukee in last year’s NLCS on the way to the franchise’s 26th NL pennant and ninth World Series championship. The Dodgers also eliminated the Brewers in the NLCS in 2018 and the wild-card round in 2020.
Game 1 on Sunday night features a pair of stingy aces. Tarik Skubal goes for Los Angeles after the two-time Cy Young Award winner was acquired in an Aug. 1 trade with Detroit, and Jacob Misiorowski — the front-runner for the NL Cy Young Award — starts for Milwaukee.
“They’re a really good ballclub,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “Similar guys that we’re used to seeing, very similar to what we’re used to seeing. There’s going to be no secrets. They play a very good brand of baseball.”
Milwaukee was believed to be interested in pairing Skubal with Misiorowski at the trade deadline, but the Tigers ended up going with the Dodgers’ offer.
“When you’re talking about a seven-game series, to see Tarik on the other side would certainly — the series would look a lot different,” Roberts said.
The return engagement for the NLCS also shines a light on the competing arguments at the center of MLB’s collective bargaining negotiations. Baseball’s five-year labor contract expires Dec. 1, and management is expected to lock out players in a confrontation that could affect the 2027 season.
The Dodgers went 100-62 this season and won the NL West for the fifth straight year after they had an opening-day payroll of $323.6 million, second only to the New York Mets. Milwaukee’s opening-day payroll of $125.9 million ranked 20th, and the Brewers set a franchise record with a major league-best 103 wins on the way to their fourth consecutive Central title.
“We’re focused on trying to win, and I think we have for a while,” Brewers president of baseball operations Matt Arnold said. “Regardless of what the economics look like, the guys in there believe, and so do I.”
Milwaukee was shut down by Los Angeles in last year’s playoffs, hitting .118 while managing just one run in each game in the sweep. Ohtani punctuated the series by swatting three solo homers and striking out 10 over six shutout innings in Game 4.
Ohtani won’t pitch this time around because of injuries, and the Japanese slugger went 2 for 13 with four strikeouts in the four-game NL Division Series against Atlanta. But the Dodgers still have a formidable rotation, fronted by Skubal and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
“Every night when you play these guys, you know you’re going to face a great pitcher, a Cy Young-caliber pitcher,” Yelich said.
Milwaukee has its own Cy Young-caliber pitcher in the 24-year-old Misiorowski, who went 16-5 with a major league-low 1.80 ERA in 30 starts this season while averaging 100.6 mph with his four-seam fastball. The 6-foot-7 right-hander also led the majors with 252 strikeouts in 174 2/3 innings.
Misiorowski was a heralded rookie during last year’s NLCS run. He pitched 12 innings of three-run ball, including five effective innings in Game 3. The big difference this year, he said, is confidence.
“Going into last year’s postseason, I didn’t know if I was going to be on the roster,” said Misiorowski, who hasn’t pitched since Milwaukee’s NL Division Series opener against San Diego last weekend. “I didn’t know if I was going to make it and help the team. This year they trust me a little bit more. So it’s a little easier to get behind yourself.”
Misiorowski pitched six sparking innings in a 4-1 victory at Los Angeles on Aug. 15, but Dodgers slugger Max Muncy downplayed the significance of their previous experience with “a guy that throws 105” miles per hour.
“It’s very fast. Everything is coming at you very fast,” Muncy said. “It’s big-time extension, big guy on the mound, and you have to be ready to go in the box.”
The 29-year-old Skubal went 5-2 with a 2.61 ERA in 10 starts with Los Angeles down the stretch. The left-hander, eligible for free agency after the World Series, tossed six innings of one-run ball in a 5-3 win over the Braves in Game 1 of the NLDS.
“I think the pressure around — surrounding the Dodgers, it’s all a privilege,” Skubal said. “I think as an athlete this is what you want to be and you want to have (the) expectation to win. I have those same expectations as a player.”
Miguel Rojas worked out with Los Angeles at American Family Field. The utility player departed Game 3 against the Braves with lower back pain, but Roberts said he was doing well and he likely would be part of the team’s NLCS roster.
Todd McLellan: Brandsegg-Nygård's Playing Style A Good Example For Others Detroit Red Wings head coach Todd McLellan noted that the playing style of Michael Brandsegg-Nygård is what several other players on the roster could be emulating. 
