It was a tough pill for the Detroit Red Wings to swallow Wednesday evening in their first home game at Little Caesars Arena since Jan. 31, and another hard lesson in what can happen when they take their foot off the gas.
The Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Red Wings by a 4-3 final score in overtime, as Tomas Hertl scored a power-play goal in the extra session after defenseman Simon Edvinsson was whistled for slashing.
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) March 5, 2026
The Red Wings failed to protect their 3-1 lead that they'd built through the first 40 minutes of play. Also, they weren't able to convert on four separate power-play chances, including a prime opportunity with just over two minutes left in regulation.
With the overtime setback, the Red Wings fell to 35-20-7; they gained a valuable point in the standings but remain in third place in the Atlantic Division, one point behind the surging Buffalo Sabres and three points back of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Golden Knights struck on their first of the contest, as first-year Vegas forward Mitch Marner sent a pass out in front of the net to a waiting Reilly Smith.
However, the Red Wings then took control of the frame, scoring three times thanks to rookie Emmitt Finnie, Simon Edvinsson, and Alex DeBrincat. For Finnie, it was his second goal in as many games following a 23-game goalless drought.
Following a scoreless second period, Vegas immediately began pressing in the game's final frame and eventually battled their way back into the game thanks to a pair of goals from Ivan Barbashev and Marner.
During Detroit’s late power-play chance in the third period, Dylan Larkin was cross-checked from behind in front of the net by Vegas defenseman Brayden McNabb and fell to the ice in distress. He slowly skated off the ice but was eventually able to return during overtime. No penalty was called on the play.
Dylan Larkin takes a heavy cross check in the back from McNabb in front, leaves the game injured. No call on the play. #LGRWpic.twitter.com/upxzWj3ERh
Neither goaltender had a standout performance, as Adin Hill looked very shaky during the first period and finished the contest with 23 saves. Talbot, making the start in place of the injured John Gibson, made 21 saves.
It was Detroit's final game before the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline, which falls on Friday, March 6 at 3:00 p.m. ET. Later that evening, the Red Wings will face the struggling Florida Panthers at Little Caesars Arena.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
DENVER, CO - JANUARY 20: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles the ball during the game against the Denver Nuggets on January 20, 2026 at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. 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 Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Lakers (37-24) are back on the road for a quick trip to Denver, where they will take on the Nuggets (38-24) on Thursday. This is the second matchup between both teams this season.
The Lakers have made up for their most recent losing streak by winning three games in a row and just like that, they have the chance to climb up the competitive Western Conference standings.
Although to do that, the purple and gold will really have to work for it against a Nuggets team that’s consistently been sitting at the top of the conference all season.
It’s hard to imagine the Nuggets not going all out on this one. Not only is the fifth seed on the line, but there’s a good chance they still remember how they gave the game away against the Lakers last time. In that contest, Denver dominated the first half only to choke away the lead in the final quarter.
In fairness to them, they didn’t have Nikola Jokić in that one, which won’t be the case for Thursday’s game.
Regardless, this is still a winnable one for the Lakers. Yes, it’s going to be tough to contain Jokić, but it’s also not like the Nuggets have had an answer for Luka Dončić since he became a Laker.
It’s going to be a battle between these two superstars, and it’ll be important for LeBron James, Austin Reaves and the rest of the Lakers’ role players to outperform the Nuggets’ supporting cast. That’s a doable task as well, since Aaron Gordon won’t be around, but Jamal Murray will, and he’s a player the Lakers can’t allow to get hot.
Like the Lakers, the Nuggets aren’t a great defensive team. In fact, they rank 21st in the league, just above the Lakers, who are at 22. They also don’t have a deep bench and depend a little too much on Jokić and Murray to pull through for them.
This game will be the first night of a back-to-back for the Lakers, who fly straight to Los Angeles afterwards to host the Indiana Pacers.
Let’s see if the Lakers can win this big game against Denver and gain some ground in the West.
Notes and Updates
Since Luka’s arrival in Los Angeles, the Lakers are 3-1 against the Nuggets. When Dončić plays, they’re 3-0.
For the Lakers’ injury report, Maxi Kleber (back soreness) is listed as questionable.
As for the Nuggets, Aaron Gordon (right hamstring strain), Payton Watson (right hamstring strain) and Spencer Jones (right shoulder strain) are out.
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Paul Cotter and Jesper Bratt scored in the shootout, Connor Brown forced overtime with a tying goal with 2:21 left in the third period and the New Jersey Devils beat Toronto 4-3 on Wednesday night, sending the Maple Leafs to their fifth straight loss.
Timo Meier and and Arseny Gritsyuk also scored in regulation for the Devils, who have won three in a row and improved to 25-8-1 when scoring at least three goals. Jacob Markstrom made 24 saves.
William Nylander, Matias Maccelli and Matthew Knies had goals for the Maple Leafs, who haven't won since beating the Edmonton Oilers 5-2 on Feb. 3 — their last game before the Olympic break. Anthony Stolarz made 44 saves.
Cotter put a backhander past Stolarz to start the shootout for the Devils. After Nylander's wrister was stopped, Bratt also scored on a backhander to put New Jersey up 2-0 in the shootout. Auston Matthews' wrist shot was then stopped by Markstrom, giving the Devils the victory.
With the game tied at 2 in the third period, Knies batted in the rebound of John Tavares' shot past Markstrom to put Toronto ahead with 6:10 left.
Brown took a pass from Gritsyuk on a rush toward the net and roofed a quick shot in tight past Stolarz to tie it at 3 with 2:21 remaining.
The Devils outshot the Maple Leafs 47 to 27 in regulation.
New Jersey was without defenseman Brett Pesce, who suffered a lower-body injury against Florida on Tuesday night.
Up next
Maple Leafs: Play at New York Rangers on Thursday night.
On Wednesday night, the Chicago Blackhawks made another trade with the Edmonton Oilers. After trading Connor Murphy to Edmonton for a 2028 second-round pick on Monday, Kyle Davidson reconnected with his old boss, Stan Bowman, on a deal that sent Jason Dickinson and Colton Dach away for a 2027 first-round pick and Andrew Mangiapane.
This is an interesting deal to break down for both sides. For the Oilers, they free themselves of Mangiapane's bad contract while adding two players who can help them down the stretch.
In the case of Dach, he could be a boost for their AHL team or be a fourth-line/extra forward heading into the postseason. He's a big physical presence who can make it hard to find space when he's on the ice.
In the offensive zone, he can create good ice in front of the net, which would benefit a scoring line if he were placed there as the third guy. If he improves his skating as he develops, he may be able to carve out a full-time role in Edmonton, but he has some work to do.
Jason Dickinson is the prize for the Oilers, who already have Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl as a two-headed monster down the middle. If he fits in nicely as a third-line center, it is the best trio down the middle in the NHL.
McDavid and Draisaitl are good enough defensively for the amount of offense they create, but adding a shutdown center like Dickinson makes them a much more well-rounded group. If he plays the role as well as he did in Chicago, they have a high-end line for every type of situation.
As for the Blackhawks, they may or may not play Andrew Mangiapane regularly. They are not in a position where they absolutely have to buy him out, but they can afford to send him to the Rockford IceHogs or scratch him in favor of younger players.
If he does play, he will be hoping to revive his career the way that some other depth forwards have with Chicago in the recent past.
The first round pick in 2027, like Dickinson is for the Oilers, is the main prize for the Blackhawks. This draft pick is top-12 protected, just in case the Oilers have a shockingly bad year in 2026-27.
If the Florida Panthers stick with their bottom 10 record and land there in the draft, the first-round pick that Chicago received from the Seth Jones trade will move to 2027, meaning the Blackhawks could have three firsts in that draft.
Trade Grade: A
The Blackhawks have been stockpiling first and second-round picks a lot since Kyle Davidson took over. He's already made 11 selections in the first round, and most of them are looking like they could pan out.
Adding another one in exchange for a bottom-six defensive center may be his best work in terms of acquiring first-round picks. He threw in Colton Dach and took on Andrew Mangiapane to do it, but you have to give if you're going to take in the NHL.
Davidson's work on this deal earns him an A-grade, because he took an expiring (and aging) asset and turned it into a high-end lottery ticket, which is the best way to describe a first-round pick outside of the top-ten.
You will see better players traded for less in the coming days leading up to the deadline, which would be further proof that Davidson made a solid deal with this one.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Wednesday, March 4, was a day for defensemen to change teams.
Tyler Myers got the ball rolling by accepting a trade from the Vancouver Canucks to the Dallas Stars. The 6-foot-8 Houston native will be playing in his home state on the same team as 6-foot-7 defenseman Liam Bischel.
Nick Blankenburg also moved from the Nashville Predators to the Colorado Avalanche for a 2027 fifth-round pick.
“Acquiring MacKenzie solidifies our back end as we continue to push towards the playoffs, and he will be a great addition to our team on and off the ice,” Mammoth general manager Bill Armstrong said.
Here are the details and grades on the MacKenzie Weegar trade:
MacKenzie Weegar trade details
The Utah Mammoth acquire defenseman MacKenzie Weegar from the Calgary Flames for defenseman Olli Määttä, forward Jonathan Castagna and three 2026 second-round picks (Utah’s own and others previously acquired from the Ottawa Senators and New York Rangers). Both players had to waive their no-trade clauses for the deal to go through.
Utah Mammoth trade grade: A-
Armstrong has been aggressively remaking the defense since the team moved to Utah in 2024. He added Mikhail Sergachev, John Marino and Ian Cole that first season and Stanley Cup winner Nate Schmidt last summer. Weegar gives the Mammoth a solid top four as they try to hold onto their wild-card position. And the Mammoth landed him without trading Tij Iginla, who would seem a natural to be part of a trade to Calgary, where his father Jarome had starred.
Calgary Flames trade grade: B-
Considering that Weegar is signed through 2031, it's surprising that the Flames didn't pry away a first-round pick. But three second-rounders are good in what's expected to be a deep draft. Olli Määttä is a pending unrestricted free agent and Castagna, a third-round pick, is averaging a point a game in his third season at Cornell.
When is the NHL trade deadline?
The NHL trade deadline is at 3 p.m. ET on Friday, March 6.
The young right fielder showed that again Wednesday, when he went deep for the first time this spring in the 5-2 win over Team Israel on Wednesday at Clover Park.
The opposite-field shot to left came off Ryan Prager, a Single-A pitcher in the Cleveland organization.
Benge, though, didn’t make much of the shot.
“I can’t focus too much on results,” Benge said. “Just focus on the work I do pregame and postgame. That’s really all that matters to me. Results, yeah, they’re nice, but I’m sticking to my work.”
“I said before the game that he can hit left-on-left,” Carlos Mendoza said. “We saw it today: A two-strike count and he stayed in there. Not only did he put the ball in play, but he was able to drive the ball with authority [the other way]. That’s what he does and it’s exciting.”
Highly touted prospect Carson Benging, ripping a single during a game in late February, belted his first homer of the spring in the Mets’ 5-2 exhibition win over Israel on March 4, 2026 in Port St. Lucie. Corey Sipkin for New York Post
“It doesn’t matter to me who’s up there,” Benge said. “Just do my best to win the battle.”
The battle for the right field job is still up for grabs and there’s plenty of time for the right field competition to play out, with Mike Tauchman and MJ Melendez also in the mix, and Tyrone Taylor also a possibility.
The Mets continue to be intrigued by Benge’s ceiling.
“I felt like I came [into camp] trying to be myself,’’ Benge said. “I feel I’ve put in the work and whatever happens is in God’s hands.”
Mendoza said Benge has been “as advertised” this spring.
“He’s a guy with a lot of tools,’’ the manager said. “He helps win ballgames not only offensively, but defensively.”
New York Mets Carson Benge (93) runs to third on a Juan Soto double in the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals during Spring Training at Roger Dean Stadium of the Palm Beaches, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
And while Benge can play center field, Mendoza said he’d keep the prospect in right for now, since that’s the spot that’s open, with Luis Robert Jr. in center and Juan Soto in left.
Robert made his debut of sorts with the Mets in a minor league game on a back field.
He doubled and looked fine on the bases, as well as in center, where he made a catch, but wasn’t tested much in four innings.
Mendoza said Robert will play minor league games every other day for a week, but he has no restrictions when he’s on the field as the Mets look to avoid the lower-body injuries that have plagued him in recent seasons.
Francisco Lindor’s road back from hamate surgery continued Wednesday as he began a swinging program in the batting cages, according to Mendoza.
The shortstop also recently began playing catch as he tries to be ready by Opening Day.
Chris Suero, who played catcher and left field this spring, and reliever Nate Lavender were reassigned to minor league camp.
Mets Bo Bichette fields balls at third base before a game against the Washington Nationals during Spring Training Clover Field, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026.
Observations from Mets spring training on Wednesday
Long man
David Peterson, now the longest-tenured Met, got off to a strong start with three scoreless innings in his first outing of the spring. The lefty struck out four in the 5-2 win over Israel’s WBC team.
Bo Bichette fields balls at third base before the Mets’ spring training loss to the Nationals at Clover Field on Feb. 28, 2026. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Burd is the word
Nick Burdi allowed a run on two hits in his lone inning of work and has allowed three runs in three innings this spring.
Caught my eye
Bo Bichette made a terrific diving stop to his right on a smash down the third base line to start a 5-4-3 double play in a minor league game, saying afterward, “It’s all about getting more comfortable there. My goal coming into the game was to feel less antsy and not worry if a ball like that got by me and that allowed me to just go after the ball and make the play.”
Thursday’s schedule
The Mets travel to West Palm Beach, Fla., to face the Nationals with right-hander Justin Hagenman getting the start.
Somehow, Jalen Brunson — then OG Anunoby — had the ball with a chance to send the game to overtime.
Down by three points with 6.0 seconds left, both got open 3-pointers to tie the game. But both missed, and that was that.
“Just missed it,” Brunson said. “Wish I could have that one back.”
OG Anunoby missses what would have been a game-tying 3-pointer in the final second of the Knicks’ 103-100 loss to the Thunder at the Garden on March 4, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Players hate talking about moral victories, but this can be classified as one. Still, the Knicks got a reality check. And a bit of a reminder of the championship-level standard that is required for 48 minutes, not just for one quarter.
Give the Knicks credit — they had a plethora of reasons to throw in the towel, but they clawed back twice. The Finals-or-bust Knicks, however, view themselves on the same level as the Thunder, not a team that should be merely happy to be competitive.
And for three of four quarters, they were outplayed and outmuscled by the class of the league. Despite two gutsy comebacks, they fell 103-100 Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.
“Honestly, I’m proud of our guys,” Karl-Anthony Towns said. “We fought, we did our best to execute against a championship team. At the end of the day, if we’re gonna lose, I want to lose with two of our best players getting the shots they got and giving ourselves a chance.”
After their third-quarter comeback, during which they trailed by 15, the Knicks entered the fourth quarter up three. It marked their first loss this year when leading after three quarters — they had been 19-0 beforehand.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drives past Landry Shamet at the Garden on March 4, 2026. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Later, trailing by seven with 1:18 left in the game, the Knicks scored the next four points to bring themselves back within three before Brunson’s and Anunoby’s misses as time expired.
They outscored the Thunder by 13 in the third quarter, but were outscored by a combined 18 points in the other three quarters. In the fourth quarter, they shot just 7-for-21 from the field. Brunson had just three points and went 1-for-6 in that fourth quarter.
Like his teammates, Brunson struggled most of the night — besides the third quarter. Cason Wallace defended him as well and as physically as anyone has all year.
Jalen Brunson, who had 16 points and 15 assists, goes up for a layup during the Knicks’ loss to the Thunder. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Brunson entered halftime with just two points on 1-for-8 shooting from the field, then came alive for 11 points in the third quarter before his rough fourth quarter. He finished with 16 points and went 5-for-18 from the field, though he did add 15 assists.
“I feel like I missed a lot of shots I normally make,” Brunson said.
After facing that 15-point deficit with 8:12 left in the third quarter, the Knicks rattled off a 24-9 run to tie the game at 72-72 with 2:56 remaining in the third.
By the end of the quarter, Brunson was double-teamed and lobbed a pass to Mikal Bridges in the corner, who drilled a 3-pointer just before the buzzer to send the Knicks into the fourth quarter with a three-point lead.
The Knicks had just 40 points at halftime, suffocated by the Thunder’s tenacious defense. Then they erupted for 40 points in that third quarter to flip the game on its head. But then they followed that up with just 20 points in the fourth quarter.
“They could’ve folded at any time,” coach Mike Brown said. “We were down double digits. I liked our competitive spirit. Our competitive spirit was great. Those guys make the game ugly.”
OG Anunoby (right) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander battle for a loose ball. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
They certainly did.
That physicality from the Thunder bothered the Knicks all night, and left them angered by the referees throughout the game and after the final whistle. Brown even got a technical — his first of the year — in the first quarter.
Chet Holmgren had 22 points at halftime, went scoreless in the third quarter then added six points in the fourth quarter as the Thunder staved off the Knicks. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is now 7-0 at MSG, recorded 26 points and eight assists.
Landry Shamet scored 11 points in the third quarter — but just three in the other three quarters. Towns was an efficient 7-for-8 from the field and had 17 points and 17 rebounds, but fouled out late in the fourth quarter.
To be fair, it wasn’t necessarily a true measuring stick — the Knicks were on the second leg of a road-home back-to-back and playing without Mitchell Robinson, who played in their win over the Raptors in Toronto on Tuesday.
Despite backlash, a team spokesperson told The Post that the event celebrating the famed Atlanta-area strip club will go on as planned.
Last week, the franchise announced the promotional night, which will take place during a March 16 game against the Magic, billing the event as a tribute to a “cultural institution,” with appearances from Atlanta-based rapper T.I., city-themed merchandise and the venue’s iconic lemon pepper chicken wings.
Luke Kornet reacts during the Knicks’ blowout win over the Spurs at the Garden on March 1, 2026.. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
But not everyone in the NBA is on board with celebrating the adult entertainment club.
The Spurs’ Luke Kornet asked for the night to be canceled in a post on Medium, arguing in part that the promotion is disrespectful to women.
“The NBA should desire to protect and esteem women, many of whom work diligently every day to make this the best basketball league in the world,” Kornet wrote. “We should promote an atmosphere that is protective and respectful of the daughters, wives, sisters, mothers, and partners that we know and love.”
Warriors big man Al Horford agreed, co-signing his former teammate with the Celtics’ appeal by writing “Well said Luke,” on X.
Draymond Green, who shares a locker room with Horford, had a different take, saying on his self-titled podcast that the goings-on at Magic City are “a form of art.”
General view during Joseline’s Cabaret Tour at Magic City Kitchen on January 18, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. WireImage
“I think to point out that they have esteem issues because that’s the line of work they chose, I actually think it is less protective of women because you’re condemning something. It’s actually an art,” Green said. “I don’t know if you’ve ever been, but if you see it in action, it’s actually a form of art that some choose to indulge in and some choose not to indulge in.
“But to say that because a woman decides that that’s the art that they want to partake in and that the customer wants to take in, I think is reflective of society’s thoughts and how they once view things.”
With the event going on, Magic City manager JuJu Barney assured those on Kornet’s side of the controversy that those involved are going to keep it family friendly.
“There will be no nudity whatsoever, at all,” Barney told TMZ.
“There will be no signs of nudity, there will be no nudity at all. It’s strictly just wings and music and people having a good time.”
The New York Knicks (40*-23) hosted the Oklahoma City Thunder (44-19) at Madison Square Garden tonight in a tight, uneven game played with tired legs. Both teams were on the second night of back-to-backs, and the fatigue showed at the end of this workout. The Thunder controlled the first half behind Chet Holmgren’s hot shooting, but the Knicks surged back after halftime with help from their bench and Karl-Anthony Towns’ work on the glass. The game swung repeatedly in the final quarter, and although New York had chances late, their last two looks failed to fall and the Okies escaped with the narrow win, 103-100.
From the jump, both teams applied defensive heat and produced a combined 11 turnovers in the first quarter. The Thunder distributed the ball well and created clean looks for themselves. Holmgren (28 PTS, 8 RBS, 6-11 3PT) was one beneficiary, scoring 14 points in the first frame, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (26 PTS, 8 RBS) scored nine points before sitting with two fouls. Both players converted from all areas of the court.
New York’s starters started slowly, missing pull-ups, drives, and threes. Midway through the frame, they watched their guests rip off 12 unanswered points (featuring more Holmgren) and push their lead to 10. Gradually, New York came back, thanks to some bench help. Ariel Hukporti blocked Holmgren to force a shot-clock violation, Landry Shamet (14 PTS, 5-9 3PT) added two buckets, and Rookie Mohamed Diawara (9 PTS) drilled threes on the run and from the corner (he’s 16-of-20 from that spot this season per the broadcast) before stripping Jared McCain. 3 & Diawara, anyone?
With momentum, Jalen Brunson (16 PTS, 15 AST) finally got a bucket, and OG Anunoby (16 PTS, 3 STL, 2 BLK) added another three at the buzzer to cut the score to 25-23.
Diawara kicked off the second quarter with his third triple to seize a lead, but the Tornados quickly reclaimed control. Holmgren tipped in a put-back and then stretched the floor with spicy perimeter shooting. Alex Caruso and Jaylin Williams added threes during a Thunder run that nudged the lead to 33–28.
Towns played a great game on both ends. He kept the Knicks within reach with interior scoring—a tip-in and a driving layup—but the Okies found more open looks, and Lu Dort (16 PTS) added a pair of threes midway through the quarter, pushing the margin to eight.
SGA continued to avoid foul trouble thanks to a favorable whistle. His counterpart Brunson continued to drag, shooting 1-of-8 through the half. What J.B. and Josh Hart (10 PTS, 12 RBS) failed to do scoring-wise, they made up for with dimes and rebounds, respectively.
Towns and Mikal Bridges (15 PTS) trimmed the deficit briefly, but team blunders held them back. On multiple fast breaks, New York blew contested layups and lost the rebound. Meanwhile, Holmgren kept hitting those damn threes—including a deep pull-up in the final seconds. When Hart made a running jumper at the buzzer, that bucket finished off the Knicks’ lowest scoring first-half of the season. Thunder took a 50-40 score into the locker room. (Their lowest first-half total of the season is 46.)
Through the half, Oklahoma City outshot the Knicks from the field (46% to 36%) and deep (43% to 25%). Holmgren led all scorers with 22 points after hitting a career-high six three-pointers. KAT and Diawara had nine apiece.
Out of intermission, Oklahoma City pushed their lead to 15, fueled by Gilgeous-Alexander’s transition dunk and Dort’s outside shooting. From there, New York slowly chipped away behind Towns’ excellent rebounding and paint work, while Brunson steered the offense, securing another double-digit assist performance.
In the first few minutes of the third quarter, Josh Hart—who was afflicted by back spasms at the start of the season—retreated to the locker room, massaging his lower back. Hart returned to the sideline with a wrap around his midsection. A little later, Brunson walked gingerly back to the locker room, only to return later in the period.
Once again, the bench came to the rescue, with fearless play from Jose Alvarado and Shamet on a scoring tear. The latter posted 11 points in the quarter, and his defense was solid, too. With three minutes left in the quarter, Landry drew a foul on Williams—just after Brunson swished two three-pointers to knot the score at 72. Through the final minute, Anunoby had two steals (converting one into a pick-six); Jeremy Sochan came on to neutralize Shai and did, forcing a jump ball (which he won); and Bridges added a three-pointer with two seconds left. After New York doubled their halftime total, they took an 80-77 score into the final frame.
To start the fourth quarter, coach Mike Brown went with his starters. The unusual move worked, briefly, as the Knicks jumped out to a short-lived four-point lead. Hart was clearly hindered by the back; however, unable to jump for loose balls. By the middle fo the frame, the visitors had come back to take a five-point lead. Rather than letting go of the rope, the Knicks steadied themselves through KAT’s rebounding and Brunson’s playmaking. The play got sloppy, misses piling up on both ends, and OKC coach Mark Daigneault won two challenges to erase Knicks’ points.
With three minutes left and the Knicks trailing by six, Towns collected his sixth foul and sent SGA to the line. The Thunder’s Cason Wallace stole the ball from Brunson on their next possession (Wallace’s fourth theft tonight), and the air came out of the building.
Remember those two banged-up Knicks from earlier? Teetering on the edge of collapse, the Roommates teamed up to mount a valiant comeback. Hart—who must have been in agony—hit two free throws to cut the differential to four with 1:30 left. SGA answered a triple. Hart scored at the rim on another Brunson assist. At the other end, Brunson drew his third charge of the night, causing Dort to foul out. Five-point game. 51 seconds left.
On the next possession, Brunson juked SGA and hit a spinning jumper from the elbow. 103-100. 41 seconds. At the other end, Holmgren missed a seven-footer, which Hart rebounded. 16 seconds to go. Out of a timeout, Cap missed from the corner, and Anunoby missed as the clock expired. Ball game.
LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 20, 2026 : Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxson Hayes (11) gestures after scoring against the LA Clippers at Crypto.com Arena on February 20, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
After getting benched in the Lakers’ playoff series last year, most assumed Jaxson Hayes’ playing days in LA were done.
He put on 20 pounds to give himself some more strength, and it’s paid off. Hayes is having a productive year for the Lakers, averaging 6.7 points per game while shooting a career-best 77% from the field. He’s accomplished this while also embracing a backup role.
It seems Hayes is willing to do whatever it takes to win, and he displayed that in the team’s victory over the Pelicans. Hayes ended up closing out the game, with Lakers head coach JJ Redick picking him over his other center option, Deandre Ayton.
During Redick’s postgame media availability, he made sure Hayes got the recognition he deserved.
“Jaxson’s had a really good season,” Redick said. “I know I played with him his first two years. He’s a better basketball player. He’s gotten better. He’s making touch shots around the rim. He’s making great pocket decisions. He’s a good basketball player that, frankly, he consistently injects energy into the group when he runs the floor, blocks a shot or gets those dunks.”
It would’ve been completely understandable if Hayes didn’t return to LA. And even more relatable if he just came here to do what he’s always done and focus on playing well enough to earn another contract elsewhere.
Instead, Hayes pushed to get better and be a true team player. He has taken advantage of every opportunity and thanks to his play, there have been a handful of close games where he was one of the five players on the floor helping the Lakers win.
Hayes is setting an example of selflessness and the ways it can benefit the individual as well as the team. This is a very good season for Hayes so far, and perhaps he’s even making a case to be LA’s starting center.
Regardless of his role, what’s known now is that he’s a player the Lakers can trust. He has entrenched himself as a member of the rotation and, come playoff time, if he keeps playing like this, he’ll remain on the floor as an impactful player for Los Angeles.
Tomas Hertl scored his 24th goal of the season at the 2:11 mark of overtime Wednesday night to lift the Golden Knights to a come-from-behind 4-3 victory over the Detroit Red Wings.
After taking an early 1-0 lead, on Reilly Smith's goal just 1:50 into the game, the Red Wings scored three unanswered goals to end the opening period to take a 3-1 lead into the first intermission.
After a scoreless second period, the Knights began their comeback with goals by Ivan Barbashev midway through the third period and Mitch Marner with 3:24 left in the regulation.
Goaltender Adin Hill stopped 23 shots to earn the win. PHOTO CAPTION: Vegas Golden Knights center Tomas Hertl (48) skates with the puck in the first period against the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena.
This is a developing story. Please check back for the full story.
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 21: Tomoyuki Sugano #11 of Team Japan reacts during Game 2 of the Championship Round of the 2017 World Baseball Classic against Team USA on Tuesday, March 21, 2017 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/WBCI/MLB via Getty Images) | MLB via Getty Images
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 04: Kyle Karros #12 of the Colorado Rockies during the fourth inning of the MLB exhibition game at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on March 04, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today, the Colorado Rockies took a positive shellacking at the hands of Team USA, losing 14-4.
ATLANTA (AP) — Dai Dai Ames scored 18 points and Lee Dort scored 16 points and California beat Georgia Tech 79-65 on Wednesday night for the Bears' fourth win in the last five games.
John Camden added 12 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and Chris Bell scored 10 for Cal. The Bears overcame 21% shooting (5 of 24) from 3-point range with the help of a 57.5% (23 of 40) inside the arc.
Kowacie Reeves Jr. scored 19 points on the strength of 5-of-9 shooting from beyond the 3-point arc, Akai Fleming scored 16 points and Jaeden Mustaf 10 for the Yellow Jackets (11-19, 2-15 Atlantic Coast Conference). Lamar Washington distributed 10 assists with just a single turnover and had three steals for Georgia Tech.
Cal outscored the Yellow Jackets 20-7 between 15:40 remaining in the game to 8:46 left and led 62-48. Georgia Tech led 36-32 at halftime.
The last time the Bears (21-9, 9-8) posted a 20-win regular season was 2015-16, when the Bears won 22 games before postseason play. That was also the last time the Bears earned an NCAA Tournament berth in a season which Cal finished 23-6 overall.
Up Next
California: Ends the regular season at Wake Forest on Saturday.
Georgia Tech: The Yellow Jackets concludes the regular season at Clemson on Saturday.
