On the fifth day of March, men’s college basketball got its first true moment of madness during the sport’s trademark month.
In the quarterfinals of the Patriot League tournament, Lehigh guard Nasir Whitlock sank a half-court heave as time expired to lift the Mountain Hawks to a 69-66 victory against Holy Cross on Wednesday, March 5.
— Lehigh Men’s Basketball (@LehighMBB) March 6, 2026
The basket served as an exclamation mark on a night in which Whitlock had 29 points on 11-of-24 shooting, including a 4-of-6 effort from 3-point range.
Even before his buzzer-beater, Whitlock had been the star of the game’s final minutes. He made a driving layup to tie the score at 66 with 11 seconds remaining and forced a turnover on Holy Cross’ ensuing possession, giving Lehigh the ball back near the opposing basket with 2.1 seconds remaining.
After leading by five at halftime, the Mountain Hawks trailed 64-58 with 2:43 remaining before finishing the game on an 11-2 run, with all 11 points coming from Whitlock.
At a school that’s had its share of excellent guards — most notably, NBA standout CJ McCollum — Whitlock has been a revelation for Lehigh this season, averaging 20.8 points per game and shooting 43.1% from 3. The 6-foot-2 junior from Minnesota has nearly doubled the 10.8 points per game he averaged last season.
With the victory, Lehigh advances to the semifinals of the Patriot League tournament, where it will host Colgate on Sunday, March 8. The Mountain Hawks are the event’s No. 2 seed. Colgate, the No. 3 seed, has won the conference and earned its automatic berth to the NCAA tournament in five of the past seven seasons.
No. 1 seed Navy will host No. 4 seed Boston University in the other semifinal.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Anthony Edwards scored 22 points, including an impressive two-handed slam over RJ Barrett, and the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Toronto Raptors 115-107 on Thursday night for their fifth straight victory.
In the third quarter, Edwards used a crossover dribble to get free in the lane, elevated well above the rim and slammed it home, flexing and yelling at Barrett afterward. Barrett gave Edwards a little bump as they ran back up the court.
Coming off a 41-point performance in Minnesota’s 117-110 win over Memphis on Tuesday night, Edwards had an efficient night, shooting 8 of 12 from the field and 5 of 8 from 3-point range.
With Houston falling to Golden State in overtime, the Timberwolves (40-23) moved one game ahead of the Rockets for third place in the Western Conference.
Rudy Gobert had 18 points and 12 rebounds, Julius Randle scored 17 and Donte DiVincenzo had 16 points for the Wolves.
Barrett led the Raptors with 25 points and Immanuel Quickley added 18. Toronto has lost four of five but remains fifth in the East.
Listed as questionable for the game with a sprained left thumb, the Raptors' Brandon Ingram scored 14 points on 5-of-16 shooting.
Minnesota led 55-54 at halftime and took control with an 11-0 run in the third quarter for an 86-70 lead.
The New York Rangers have reportedly traded Sam Carrick to the Buffalo Sabres, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
This comes after the Rangers scratched Carrick out of the lineup due to roster management on Thursday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
In return for Carrick, the Rangers received a 2026 third and sixth-round pick.
The Rangers signed Carrick to a three-year, $3 million contract in the summer of 2024.
Despite playing a limited bottom-six role, Carrick has been able to etch his mark with the team, largely due to his physical style of play and the way he’s stepped up as an enforcer.
In 140 games with the Rangers, the 34-year-old forward has recorded 10 goals, 20 assists, and 30 points, while averaging 11:17 minutes.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - MARCH 5: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs shoots a free throw during the game against the Detroit Pistons on March 5, 2026 at the Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. 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 (Photos by Michael Gonzales/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The San Antonio Spurs denied the Detroit Pistons revenge in the first game at Frost Bank Center since Feb. 7. The difference was that they got everything they wanted at 0-3 feet, plus got a nice boost from second opportunities and playing in transition.
They kept it simple early, running one of the most successful plays coach Mitch Johnson has: give it to Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox. They were shooting stars at long, mid and short range, which took away the Pistons’ transition attack since they had to check the ball in often.
Wemby plus Fox still were unrestrained, keeping their feet on the gas like a boxer trying to close while their opponent was on the ropes. They combined for nearly two-thirds of the team’s first-half points, and the defense didn’t give the Pistons any breaks either, making Cade Cunningham look ordinary, and blowing up the actions they ran in the lane.
The Spurs then came out of intermission with a 16-point lead, pushing the pace and invading the lane. Wembanyama was like a shark that sniffed blood, and went back at Duren, forcing him to sit, which compromised Detroit’s backline defense. Yet, they allowed the Pistons to maintain a pulse as they were close to flatlining when there was 22 points of separation. The lead was eventually cut to eight going into the fourth, and Detroit was able to take advantage when Wemby sat.
He was back for the start of the fourth and his two-way impact was the ingredient the team needed, as their mojo returned. Fox had a late burst, but they made the same mistakes as the last quarter, inviting the Pistons back into the game when lowering the RPMs. Cunningham even cut the lead to 10 points with fewer than three minutes left on a 3-pointer with contact, yet the Spurs prevailed thanks to late heroics from Stephon Castle and Julian Champagnie.
Observations
Jalen Duren is built like a stack of bricks. Seeing how Wembanyama can handle that type of strength is illuminating, and on some occasions, his length was the perfect counter. Wembanyama intelligently went at him when he was in foul trouble and kept getting defenders to bite on his fakes. Additionally, Isaiah Stewart is smaller, but powerfully built and he got shot over, too.
The Pistons have notably been the East’s top team without a second big-time shot creator next to Cunningham. Their defense is second-best in the league thanks to a surplus of quick guys with size and desire, making up for being a poor 3-point shooting team. But Ausar Thompson, one of the key players on the perimeter, was limited to two minutes because he twisted his ankle on the break. Still, this shouldn’t be looked at as a letdown performance from Detroit, but instead one of those top-notch showings by the Spurs that exposed them.
Cunningham got off to a slow start in part because of pressure from Castle, and the quick help defense bothering him. Dylan Harper and Carter Bryant, two youngsters with size and quickness, also got time guarding him. The Spurs’ defense held them to 110.5 points, good enough for the 36th percentile, per Cleaning the Glass.
In a lot of cases, the fourth quarter is not the most important one, but rather the first one is since it sets the tone with a double-figure lead. Keep in mind how exhausting it is to erase a deficit like that. On top of that, the Spurs made seven 3-pointers in the first quarter along with four offensive rebounds that turned into eight second-chance points. They even scored 71 points by intermission, and it was the 14th time this season they have logged at least 70 in that stretch, and their record is 12-2 on those nights.
Credit to the Los Angeles Clippers, who are Friday’s opponent, for turning their season around, but this game should have been put on national TV instead when scheduling was done because both sides were on the come-up. It would have also been a nice opportunity to get more eyeballs on their second encounter in 10 nights.
Wembanyama had 38 points, tying his third-highest scoring night of the season. He and Fox will get most of the glory, yet Castle played a fine game, taking care of the ball and setting up his teammates with 12 assists, with seven coming in the first half.
If these teams meet up in the Finals, it will be a tough series for Luke Kornet as he doesn’t play high enough against screen rolls. He was a weakness at the end of the third quarter, when Detroit sliced the lead from 15 to eight in his minutes.
GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — Jessica Timmons and Ta'Mia Scott combined for 43 points to lead Alabama 76-64 past Tennessee in the second round of the Southeastern Conference tournament on Thursday.
Timmons and Scott were both 3 of 5 from behind the arc. Timmons had 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting and Scott had 20 on 7-of-11 shooting to go with five rebounds. Scott fouled out with 3:46 to go.
Essence Cody scored 10 points. Karly Weathers had seven assists and six steals.
The No. 11 seed Crimson Tide (23-9) built up a 39-29 halftime lead after a 9-0 first quarter run, and a 12-5 run to end the half. Alabama never trailed in the contest and held the lead from the 3:16 mark in the first quarter.
The No. 6 seed Volunteers (16-13) were led by a 20-point, five-rebound performance from Janiah Barker. She turned the ball over seven times. Zee Spearman added 13 points, six rebounds and two blocks.
Tennessee leads the SEC with 17 conference titles.
Up next
Alabama will face No. 3 seed Texas in the quarterfinals on Friday.
Tennessee, after seven consecutive losses, will await to see if it will receive a bid to the NCAA tournament.
On Thursday, the Pittsburgh Penguins played in their final game prior to the NHL Trade Deadline against the Buffalo Sabres. Going into it, they were second in the Metropolitan Division with 75 points, and they were less than 24 hours away from the 3:00 p.m. deadline on Friday.
Early in the second period with the score tied, 1-1, Penguins' foward Evgeni Malkin got tied up with Sabres' defenseman Rasmus Dahlin near Buffalo's goal line. The two exchanged cross-checks, and in frustration, Malkin slashed his stick at Dahlin's jaw area.
The result of the altercation was matching cross-checking minors and a five-minute slashing major for Malkin as well as a game misconduct.
Since Malkin has had a history of stick infractions, it would not be surprising to see supplemental discipline handed to him by the Department of Player Safety. Forward Bryan Rust was suspended three games earlier this season for a hit to the head of Vancouver Canucks forward Brock Boeser.
Pittsburgh next plays Saturday at home against the Philadelphia Flyers, which comes one day after the NHL trade deadline. Penguins' GM and POHO Kyle Dubas said Wednesday that he may look to add a forward and a defenseman, and since the Penguins could possibly be without both Malkin and Sidney Crosby - week-to-week with a lower-body injury - for a length of time, it may force his hand to add a center by 3:00 p.m. ET on Friday.
On trade deadline eve, the Winnipeg Jets hosted the Tampa Bay Lightning in an inter-conference tilt at Canada Life Centre.
The game was the second of Winnipeg's eight-game homestand and proved to be its fifth-straight registering at least a point, as the Jets took care of the Lightning by way of a 4-1 final.
Photo by James Carey Lauder
Thanks to a strong second period that saw goals from Morgan Barron and Mark Scheifele, the Jets pulled to within seven points of the Seattle Kraken for the final spot in the Western Conference Wild Card playoff run.
Prior to puck drop, the Jets announced the recall of defenceman Isaak Phillips from the AHL. Neither Logan Stanley nor Luke Schenn came out for warmup, signifying the team's interest in protecting the two players in advance of Friday's trade deadline.
With Josh Morrissey, Neal Pionk and Colin Miller already injured and out of action, the Jets dressed a defensive corps that included Ville Heinola, Dylan Samberg, Dylan DeMelo, Haydn Fleury, Elias Salomonsson and Isaak Phillips.
“It’s not fun. That’s the business," Scheifele said. "Obviously, I don’t think I’ve been through that in a long time. Something I had to do was refocus before the game. But I was really happy for this group. Philly and Ville, both coming in and playing awesome. Guys stepped up. Fleurs stepped up, Salo has been great. Samby and Smoke stepped in and played awesome, so that was good to see.”
The Jets kept the Bolts in check through the first period, actually maintaining an 8-5 shot lead through 20 minutes of play.
It was in the second period where they took the lead, blowing the shot chart wide-open, pulling ahead to a 1-0 lead and a +12 differential in shots.
Barron's ninth of the season came late in the period, to which he rebounded home a perfect shot-pass from Cole Koepke on a rush up ice, opening the scoring 35:31 in.
Then, with just 18 seconds left, Scheifele hammered home his 29th of the season. With Kyle Connor executing a perfect forecheck, he dished the puck to Alex Iafallo, who set Scheifele up for the one-time strike.
Through 40 minutes of play, Winnipeg led 2-0 and held a 22-10 shot advantage.
The third period began slowly for the hosts, which gave up eight-straight shots on goal to start the frame, including Tampa's first of the game - a Brayden Point power play marker, just seven seconds into a Salomonsson high sticking minor.
But the Jets responded with Gustav Nyquist's first goal of the season. Although taking significantly longer to earn his first marker with the Jets than he would have liked, Nyquist picked up the puck off a hard-working shift from Tanner Pearson and Jonathan Toews, who assisted on his first in Winnipeg 5:34 into the third period.
"I mean, it feels great, obviously for the support there," Nyquist said of the cheers after his goal. "I know it's been a long time coming. So, overall, I thought we played a good, really good game all throughout. And then obviously they came out with a push in the third and got the early goal on the power play. And then, so it's nice to put that goal in for 3-1."
Five minutes later, Kyle Connor thought he had the Jets up 4-1, but his goal was called back due to his linemate Scheifele skating in offside before he carried the puck into the Bolts' zone and ripped it past Andrei Vasilevskiy, negating the goal.
With Andrei Vasilevskiy on the bench for the extra attacker, Scheifele made it up to his linemate, handing him the puck on the doorstep, where he sealed the deal into the wide open net, finishing off the visitors with the 4-1 strike.
“There was no chance I was shooting another puck the rest of the game," Scheifele laughed post-game.
"I was going to do everything in my power to get him that goal back because I was so mad at myself. I was very angry with myself there. That is a loss of focus. You should never go offside in that situation - you should never go offside in general, really. I’m going to hear about that one from Oatsie and from a lot of my buddies, trust me. It won’t be a fun conversation or text I’ll be getting from some of the guys. But yeah, I wasn’t going to shoot another puck until KC got one.”
Hellebuyck finished the night with 26 stops on Tampa Bay's 27 shots, while Vasilevskiy turned aside just 26 of Winnipeg's 29 shots on goal.
Next up for Winnipeg is a test with the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday in a 6:00 PM central Hockey Night in Canada spectacle.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Morez Johnson Jr. and Yaxel Lendeborg scored 16 points apiece, and Aday Mara had two tiebreaking shots in the final 1:22 as Michigan defeated Iowa.
The Wolverines (28-2, 18-1 Big Ten) were held 18 points below their season scoring average, but managed to hold off the Hawkeyes (20-10, 10-9) in the closing seconds.
Iowa went on an 11-1 run to tie the game at 64 with 1:56 to play before Mara banked in a shot before the shot clock expired, putting Michigan in front again. After Iowa’s Cam Manyawu scored inside to tie the game at 66, Mara, who finished with 14 points on 7-for-10 shooting, scored off a lob with 43 seconds left to put the Wolverines ahead to stay.
Iowa had chances to tie the game on back-to-back possessions, but missed three shots on one of the possessions and lost the ball on another after a turnover by Tavion Banks with seven seconds left.
The Hawkeyes had a final chance to tie the game after Lendeborg made two free throws with four seconds remaining, but Bennett Stirtz’s 3-pointer try was long.
Elliot Cadeau added 11 points for the Wolverines, the Big Ten regular-season champions.
Stirtz led Iowa with 21 points. Manyawu had 14.
NO. 8 MICHIGAN STATE 91, RUTGERS 87
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Jeremy Fears had 21 points and eight assists and Coen Carr also scored 21, helping Michigan State hold off Rutgers.
The Spartans (25-5, 15-4 Big Ten) will close the regular season on the road against rival and third-ranked Michigan on Sunday.
Michigan State has won five straight games to secure a top-four seed in next week’s Big Ten Tournament and a double-bye into the quarterfinals.
The Scarlet Knights (12-18, 5-14) have slumped toward the bottom of the 18-team conference.
Rutgers’ Tariq Francis scored 25 points, Lino Mark had 14 and Emmanuel Ogbole added 13.
MARYLAND HEIGHTS, Mo. -- Logan Mailloux sat at his locker inside Centene Community Ice Center recently, still catching breath after a good, hard practice for the St. Louis Blues and had this calming ease about him.
He sits down, knows questions are coming, happy to answer them, even though there's gear to sweaty sling off, shower, change and head to the airport for the next road trip.
Remember when the Mailloux-for-Zack Bolduc trade was dubbed the steal of the century for the Montreal Canadiens before allowing these two young 2021 first-round picks to grow into their respective games? Seems like an eternity ago, doesn't it?
Regardless, it's been a challenging, at times arduous, sometimes tough and exhausting, and definitely moments of learning of the past half year since the defenseman arrived in St. Louis, after being dealt to the Blues by the Canadiens on July 1, 2025.
We're not anointing the 22-year-old as the next Pronger clone here by any means, but things are certainly looking brighter for the 31st pick in the 2021 NHL Draft.
Has Mailloux, who scored in his second straight game on Wednesday in a 3-2 win over the Seattle Kraken, turned the corner? He's still got plenty of growing to do, but little by little, he's figuring things out, and quite honestly, he's taken some really nice steps here despite having a way to go. But if you're a Blues fan and the organization for that matter, you have to be pleased with what you've seen from the right-handed blueliner.
With Colton Parayko missing his third game Wednesday because of back spasms, someone had to step up and grab a bigger bite of the apple. Mailloux not only bit it but has inhaled it. He played in a career-best 22:52 on Wednesday and has surpassed 20 or more minutes in all three games playing alongside Cam Fowler.
Unlike earlier in the year when it felt like the weight of the world was on his shoulders -- and they still in a sense may be -- and when confidence was scarce, that confidence is growing with each shift, with each touch of the puck, with each defensive play and with more added responsibilities. And with more experience comes more assertiveness, a sense of calm, understanding what to do and staying within himself.
Believe it when Mailloux understood what he was coming into here. He was the guy replacing a budding, young, fan favorite that Blues fans were gravitating towards, and when things weren't going right and even having to leave the team and go refine himself for a bit in Springfield of the American Hockey League, hearing and reading comments that the trade was a disaster because Bolduc had scored in each of his first three games with the Canadiens and was off to a roaring start was naturally on the mind of Mailloux. It's easier to see, hear and read with the world of social media and what the naysayers were were feeling.
"You couldn't let it get to you," Mailloux said. "I knew who I was coming in here for and how passionate these fans are, I've come to see it. You had to block out the noise, put your head down and continue to work. I've come to realize these fans here appreciate hard work and an honest effort every night."
And work he's done as well as put in the effort. Not that it wasn't there before but the execution of it all just didn't come together. But that was then and this is now. How times have changed.
"It's been a roller-coaster year, but I feel like I've been building in the right direction, especially the last couple months," Mailloux said. "I feel bit by bit, I've been growing my game and feeling good about my game for sure."
Why wouldn't he?
In his first five games as a Blue, Mailloux was a minus-9 and really had no real sense of direction of of what to become of himself, and all that is because simply a lack of games played.
The Blues were saying all the right things, including coach Jim Montgomery, who said before the season started that Mailloux was "NHL-ready."
That was wishful thinking obviously. Sure you want to talk yourself into believing it, but the Blues knew they had a project on their hands. But it's safe to say the steps to being NHL ready are finally developing before their very eyes, and it's a pleasant sight to see the confidence starting to shine.
"I feel like I am," Mailloux said. "Obviously confidence is huge. I feel like whether it's with the puck or without the puck, if you're feeling better you're just going to kill more plays, so I think I've just felt pretty good out there.
"The more plays you kill, the more times you're going to have the puck on your stick and stuff like that. I feel like if I can kill plays as quick as I can and do my responsibility in the D-zone, then the more times I get the puck, I'm going to be skating with it more and making more plays."
Mailloux, who has taken it upon himself to be a defensive-minded player to fuel other parts of his game, has shown the knack of taking the stick, being properly positioned and as he mentioned earlier, killing plays. In doing so, the puck's on his stick more, which allows him to make plays.
"He's more assertive and it's just confidence," Montgomery said. "With Parayko out, he's getting more ice time. I don't know how much his ice time has jumped up, I don't know if it's four minutes, if it's more than that, he's getting penalty killing reps. You're just into the rhythm of the game and when you're going right5 back out there, you don't have time to get in your own head about something that might have gone wrong.
"He's starting to take off the same time Bolduc took off last year. Not to be comparable to the trade, but that's what happens. Not everybody comes to this league and is [Macklin] Celebrini. It just doesn't happen. It's the best league in the world, and good players, really talented young players like Logan Mailloux, they're going to figure it out because they're that talented and that competitive."
Teammates see it too.
"Obviously confidence does a lot to a player," captain Brayden Schenn said after Wednesday's game. "Obviously you get rewarded with a few goals, all of the sudden you start seeing the ice differently or making different plays. He's a guy that has lots of skill and talent, the full package. As you get more opportunity, more minutes, you always have to take advantage of it, and right now, he is."
And how the tides have turned. Bolduc hasn't scored in his past 22 games, even being a healthy scratch on Feb. 26, and Mailloux is now played 19 or more minutes in each of the four games after the Olympic break. But this stronger play was coming even before that. However the fan bases look at it, each player is still so young, allow them to grow at their own merits. And Mailloux is figuring out how.
"It's the consistency that you have to bring, whether it's every day in practice or in the games, I feel like you can't take a day off at all," Mailloux said. "You've got to take care of yourself and be ready to go, whether it's every practice day or every game day. I feel like just being able to be consistent kind of night in, night out is definitely the main thing I think.
"When you're playing more minutes, if you ask a lot of guys, it's easier to kind of get into the flow of things and stuff like that. But when you lose a guy like Colton, it kind of takes a committee to replace a guy like that. I don't think it's one guy. It's all of us that have been stepping up and I feel like I've had a bunch of great help from all the guys around here."
Mailloux, who has three goals and two assists in 46 games, is also taking his game back to the offensive side where it was prior to the season. He has 48 shots on goal on the season, but 13 of them have come in the past four games. So not only is he honing in on the defensive side that's leading to more offense, but he's not deferring pucks as often as perhaps earlier in the season
"I've definitely taken more of a shooting mindset," Mailloux said. "I feel like that's one of my assets is my shot. I'm going to try and use it. If I get the opportunity, I've got to take it."
Despite the 13 shots in four games, Montgomery said he can still shoot the puck more.
"Yes he can. He can. He needs to be shot-ready even more," Montgomery said. "He's got a really good one-timer, but he only used the one-timer when he's up. We want him to pound it when he's on his strong side as a defenseman even more. Kind of like you see [Justin] Faulk do.
"I think it's just not having practiced it enough, not understanding what that shot gives the team offensively. In junior hockey, American (Hockey) League, you have more time to get that puck and walk middle, stick-handle and let it go. In this league if you do that, the lane's closed and now you've got to throw it back behind the goal line."
Mailloux credits having a mentor-type in Fowler as his partner, someone with over 1,100 games' worth of experience that's guided him through the trials and tribulations of growing into the player he can be.
"He's the best," Mailloux said. "I really like him. I really like playing with him. I feel like he controls the game so well. He can slow it down, speed it up and I just am kind of able to bounce ideas off of him, what he saw or what he thinks. He's definitely been big for me."
Even though it's a sample size that Mailloux and the Blues would like to see more of, he's not going to be content. There's still plenty of work -- and learning -- left.
"Just put my head down and continue to work hard, keep gaining confidence and keep plugging away," Mailloux said. "It does feel like I'm absorbing things more cleaner and better now. I just have to working at it and put that effort in.
"The one thing I've learned is you can't look back. Just put your head down and put your best foot forward, and that's what I'm going to try and keep doing."
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Bo Bichette celebrates after scoring during the Mets' March 5 win.
Observations from Mets spring training Thursday:
Bo’s arts building
Bo Bichette has long been one of the best bat-to-ball hitters in the game, and the veteran infielder is proving that regardless of what position he plays, he will produce at the plate.
Bo Bichette celebrates after scoring during the Mets’ 7-4 spring training loss to the Nationals on March 5, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
He had two more hits Thursday in a 7-4 loss to Washington at Ballpark of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, Fla.
Not that Severino
Anderson Severino, a lefty who spent the past two years pitching in Mexico and is trying to get back to the majors for the first time since 2022, allowed four runs in ²/₃ of an inning.
Caught my eye
Cristian Pache plays center field well enough to be an everyday player, but his bat hasn’t produced.
He ran down a ball in left-center that proved he’s able to get to just about anything in the gaps.
Friday’s schedule
Sean Manaea will be the next pitcher to make his Grapefruit League debut Friday when the Mets visit the Marlins under the lights at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Fla., at 7:10 p.m.
MIAMI — Tyler Herro scored 25 points, Bam Adebayo added 21 and the Miami Heat beat the Nets 126-110 on Thursday night, sending the Nets to their 10th consecutive loss.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 18 for the Heat (34-29), who have won six of eight and moved five games over .500 for the first time since the first week of December.
Pelle Larsson and Kel’el Ware each had 16 points for Miami — with Ware adding 11 rebounds and seven blocked shots.
The Heat also improved to 15-5 on March 5 — or “305 Day,” as it is called in Miami, a nod to the city’s primary area code. No active NBA franchise has a better record on that date.
Tyler Herro, who scored 25 points, looks to make a move in Miami on March 5, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
Michael Porter Jr. scored 27 points for Brooklyn, which also lost at Miami on Tuesday. Noah Clowney scored 17, Nic Claxton had 16 and Ziaire Williams finished with 15 for the Nets.
Brooklyn briefly led in the third quarter, but gave up 66 points in the second half.
Miami had a 54-34 edge in bench scoring and shot 53%.
The Nets are the sixth team to have a losing streak of 10 or more games this season, joining Sacramento (16), Washington (14), Indiana (13), Chicago (11) and Dallas (10).
It’s the longest slide for Brooklyn since the 2021-22 team dropped 11 straight.
Michael Porter Jr., who scored a game-high 27 points, drives past Andrew Higgins. Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Miami was without Norman Powell (right groin strain), Nikola Jovic (lower back) and Simone Fontecchio (left groin strain).
For Brooklyn, rookie Egor Demin (left plantar fascia) missed his third consecutive contest.
The Winnipeg Jets and Buffalo Sabres are reportedly discussing a deal that could send defenseman Logan Stanley to Buffalo, with veteran blueliner Luke Schenn potentially included in the package. According to early reporting from Fourth Period's Dave Pagnotta, the two teams are engaged in advanced discussions.
The potential move would align with Buffalo’s recent efforts to strengthen its blue line as the Sabres explored a trade for Colton Parayko of the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday, but the deal ultimately fell through when Parayko declined to waive his no-move clause on Thursday. With that option off the table, Buffalo appears to be evaluating other defensemen who could provide size and stability to its back end.
Things happen fast… quick update. Per sources, Sabres are working on a trade to acquire BOTH Schenn and Logan Stanley from Winnipeg. https://t.co/BFEoSyfFVF
Stanley, 27, has emerged as one of Winnipeg’s most productive defensemen this season. The Kitchener, Ontario native is in the midst of a career year, recording nine goals and 12 assists for 21 points in 59 games.
His breakout campaign has made him an appealing trade target around the league, particularly given his ability to handle significant minutes while playing under a very manageable cap hit. Stanley is averaging just over 17 minutes of ice time per game and carries a cap hit of $1.25 million. Over the course of his NHL career, he has appeared in 261 games with 14 goals and 43 assists.
Schenn, 36, could also be part of the discussions according to early rumours surrounding the negotiations. This season he has recorded one goal and seven points in 46 games while providing a physical presence through hits and shot blocking. The veteran defenseman brings a wealth of experience, including two Stanley Cup championships across a career that has spanned more than 1,100 NHL games.
Despite the growing speculation, no official confirmation has emerged from league insiders or the teams themselves. However, with the deadline rapidly approaching, trades involving Stanley and Schenn will likely materialze before Friday's trade deadline.
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The New Jersey Devils announced on Thursday that they had placed Evgenii Dadonov, Luke Glendening, and Maxim Tsyplakov on waivers.
Dadonov, who signed a one-year, $1 million deal on July 1, 2025, has played 17 games this season without recording a point.
After being drafted 71st overall in 2007, Dadonov has played for six NHL teams, totaling 634 NHL games.
Glendening has appeared in 52 games with the Devils. The right winger has four points – all assists so far. He signed a one-year, $775,000 contract with the New Jersey Devils on Oct. 7, 2025, after he joined the team for training camp on a professional tryout.
The undrafted 36-year-old has been in the NHL for 13 seasons. He has played 916 NHL games for four teams.
Tsyplakov has appeared in 36 games this season with the Devils and New York Islanders, earning two points, one goal, and one assist. He has appeared in nine games with the Devils this season.
The undrafted 27-year-old has played 113 NHL games over two seasons.
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MIAMI (AP) — Tyler Herro scored 25 points, Bam Adebayo added 21 and the Miami Heat beat Brooklyn 126-110 on Thursday night, sending the Nets to their 10th consecutive loss.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. scored 18 for the Heat (34-29), who have won six of eight and moved five games over .500 for the first time since the first week of December. Pelle Larsson and Kel’el Ware each had 16 points for Miami — with Ware adding 11 rebounds and seven blocked shots.
The Heat also improved to 15-5 on March 5 — or “305 Day,” as it is called in Miami, a nod to the city’s primary area code. No active NBA franchise has a better record on that date.
Michael Porter Jr. scored 27 points for Brooklyn, which also lost at Miami on Tuesday. Noah Clowney scored 17, Nic Claxton had 16 and Ziaire Williams finished with 15 for the Nets. Brooklyn briefly led in the third quarter, but gave up 66 points in the second half.
Miami had a 54-34 edge in bench scoring and shot 53 percent.
The Nets are the sixth team to have a losing streak of 10 or more games this season, joining Sacramento (16), Washington (14), Indiana (13), Chicago (11) and Dallas (10). It’s the longest slide for Brooklyn since the 2021-22 team dropped 11 straight.
Miami was without Norman Powell (right groin strain), Nikola Jovic (lower back) and Simone Fontecchio (left groin strain). For Brooklyn, rookie Egor Demin (left plantar fascia) missed his third consecutive contest.
For the first time in 102 days, the Rangers won a game on home ice in regulation.
A 6-2 beating of the Maple Leafs Thursday night snapped a 19-game streak without a regulation victory at Madison Square Garden, a stretch dating back to a Nov. 24 win over the Blues, just before Thanksgiving.
In a clash between two of the most disappointing teams in the Eastern Conference, the Rangers prevailed while sitting two players — Vincent Trocheck and Sam Carrick — for “roster management purposes.”
“Obviously, tough,” said Will Cuylle, who scored the Rangers’ first goal of the game and their last into an empty net. “I mean, you don’t know what’s going to happen with them. Just try to focus on the game and try to get a win.”
With his 14th goal of the season, Alexis Lafrenière gave the Rangers their first lead of the night just over 5 ½ minutes into the third period.
Toronto had taken the lead on two separate occasions, once in the first and again in the second, but the Blueshirts answered every time.
The final 20 minutes saw the Rangers put the game far out of reach with a four-goal period.
The organization capped its centennial theme nights by honoring those who were a quintessential part of the 15 postseason appearances since 2004.
The Rangers celebrate a goal during their March 5 win against the Maple Leafs. Charles Wenzelberg
Glen Sather, Henrik Lundqvist, Sean Avery, Marian Gaborik and so many more were acknowledged in a pregame ceremony.
It made for a joyous start to the night, but then the puck was dropped. Just 13 seconds later, the Blueshirts were already trailing. Matias Maccelli had Toronto on the board before the home team even realized the game had started.
“I thought it was a tough start to the game,” head coach Mike Sullivan said. “I wish I had an answer for that, but I also understand. It’s not an easy circumstance. We don’t play Troch or Sam. All of this happens today. These guys are a close-knit group, they’re friends, they’re teammates and it affects people. We’re trying to do our best to focus on the task at hand. I thought we grabbed ahold of it after that.”
The Rangers were able to regroup and tie it up not too long after.
Will Cuylle, who later scored an empty-net goal, got a stick on Braden Schneider’s shot to tie the game at 1-1.
Alexis Lafrenière celebrates after scoring a goal during the third period of the Rangers’ March 5 win. Charles Wenzelberg
Just under 5 ½ into a much more evenly matched second period, the Maple Leafs regained the lead off a goal from Easton Cowan. The lead did not last long, however, with the Rangers responding approximately two minutes later.
Vladislav Gavrikov buried a long rebound on the power play for his 11th goal of the season. Offensively, the Russian defenseman has been a revelation for the Blueshirts. His 11 goals rank him among the top 15 in scoring among blueliners in the NHL.
The Rangers broke the game open with three unanswered goals in the third period.
While Lafrenière notched the game-winner, Jaroslav Chmelar scored his first NHL goal at the 10:25 mark of the final frame. He took it himself on an odd-man rush and had a massive smile on his face after seeing the puck go in.
Mika Zibanejad later added another, recording his 25th goal of the season.
“I mean, I can’t really describe how it felt right now,” Chmelar said. “I think it’s gonna take me a couple hours. I don’t know if I’m gonna sleep tonight.”
