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Panthers Pick Up Another Victory In Edmonton, Taking Down Oilers 4-0

The Florida Panthers were back in a familiar building on Thursday night despite being extremely far from home.

Playing at Rogers Place for the first time since Game 5 of last year’s Stanley Cup Final, the Panthers picked up right where they left off, skating to a resounding 4-0 victory over the Oilers.

It was Florida who got on the scoreboard first, and the goal came off the stick of one of the newest Panthers players.

Cole Reinhardt picked up the puck in the neutral zone behind Edmonton’s defenders and went in all alone on Connor Ingram and made an abrupt backhand forehand move, sending the goaltender the wrong way while depositing the puck in the back of the net at the 11:12 mark of the first period.

The Cats weren’t done there.

A.J. Greer picked up his 12th goal of the season, deflecting a long shot by rookie defenseman Mike Benning past Ingram with 57.7 seconds left in the period, sending Florida into the intermission up 2-0 on the Oilers.

For Benning, the rookie picked up the primary assist on both Panthers goals, giving him his first multi-point game in the NHL while playing for the first time in his hometown of Edmonton.

Florida stretched their lead to 3-0 after Vasily Podkolzin took a delay of game penalty at the 13:49 mark of the middle frame.

A loose puck came out of the slot and right to Anton Lundell, who fired the puck into a yawning cage for his 18th tally of the season.

The Panthers would hold their lead until late in the third period, when Carter Verhaeghe sealed the deal with a snipe of a shot from the slot that came directly off a faceoff win.

Standing tall between the pipes for Florida was Sergei Bobrovsky.

Bob finished with 21 saves, including all nine of Edmonton’s high-danger shots, according to Natural Stat Trick.

It’s the fourth shutout of the season for Bobrovsky, and first since mid-December.

The win was also his 454th, moving him into a tie for seventh on the NHL’s all-time wins list with Curtis Joseph. Bob trails sixth-place Henrik Lundqvist by only five wins.

On to Calgary.

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Photo caption: Mar 19, 2026; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers forward Matt Savoie (22) looks for a loose puck in front of Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) during the first period at Rogers Place. (Perry Nelson-Imagn Images)

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Blackhawks Earn Regulation Win Over Wild For First Time Since 2019

The Chicago Blackhawks took on the Minnesota Wild for the second time in a week on Thursday night. This was the fourth and final meeting between the two, and the first three were all 4-3 wins past regulation in favor of the Wild. 

The Blackhawks came in looking like a team that was desperate for a win over their Central Division rival. They broke through at 16:22 of the first period, when Andrew Mangiapane made a great play to find Ilya Mikheyev at the net-mouth for a 1-0 lead. 

That would be the end of the scoring in the opening frame. In the second, Connor Bedard made a beautiful play to make it 2-0 for the Blackhawks. After stealing the puck and creating a breakaway for himself, he held off the defender to create space and made a sensational move to score. 

Bedard's goal was his 28th of the season, which ties him with Tyler Bertuzzi for the team lead. For all of the time that he's missed due to his mid-season injury, it's impressive to see him reach these goal-scoring heights. 

Watching where he takes his totals over the final 14 games will be a storyline to follow as the season comes to a close. 

The Wild got themselves on the board when Nico Sturm scored at 15:47. The Blackhawks still skated into the third period with a 2-1 lead. 

Although the Wild came very close to scoring with less than a second remaining in regulation, Spencer Knight made one final save (with help from Alex Vlasic) to preserve the 2-1 victory for the Blackhawks. Knight made 28 saves on 29 shots. 

This is Chicago's first win in regulation over Minnesota since December of 2019. That ends a 19-game point streak (18-0-1) in the head-to-head matchup for the Wild. They also haven't won in Minnesota since November of 2017. 

March has been a decent month for the Blackhawks. They are 4-2-2 during the month, which is a win for a young team beginning to improve. Most of those games have come post-trade deadline, meaning it is an even younger team, making it an even more impressive stretch. 

Watch Every Chicago Goal

What’s Next For The Blackhawks?

The Blackhawks will be back in action again on Friday night. The Colorado Avalanche, who have been the top team in the NHL all season, will be at the United Center. 

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Mets, Freddy Peralta 'highly unlikely' to reach extension agreement before 2026 season: report

The Mets and ace right-hander Freddy Peralta are "highly unlikely" to reach a long-term contract extension before the 2026 MLB season starts, according to a report Thursday by the New York Post's Jon Heyman, who cited "people familiar with the discussions."

Peralta, 29, previously told Heyman that he was seeking a new deal for seven or eight years. The Mets "generally oppose deals of that length" and "are believed more comfortable with something in the range of four years, or perhaps five," according to Thursday's report.

The Mets acquired Peralta and right-hander Tobias Myers in a Jan. 21 trade with the Milwaukee Brewers for top prospectsJett Williams and Brandon Sproat.

Through three spring training starts, Peralta is 2-1 with a 2.70 ERA. He has allowed three runs on four hits while striking out 12 and walking two in 10 innings.

"What I can say is that everything has been amazing, talking from the bottom to the top, people in the front office, everyone," Peralta said in February, via SNY's Chelsea Janes. "They’ve been very easy for me, easy to work with, and I’m just happy because I feel they have my back."

Peralta, a two-time All-Star, went 17-6 with a 2.70 ERA in 176.2 IP last season with the Brewers. He is set to make his Mets debut as New York's Opening Day starter for next Thursday's 1:15 p.m. game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

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Penguins Recall Defenseman From Wilkes-Barre/Scranton

The Pittsburgh Penguins made a couple of roster moves on Thursday.

After sending forward Avery Hayes back to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, the Penguins recalled defenseman Ryan Graves from his conditioning stint. He was with WBS for a week and appeared in two games, scoring one goal.

Graves has only played in 19 games with the Penguins this season, recording one goal. That goal came against the New Jersey Devils back on Nov. 8. 

Graves has appeared in 15 games for WBS this season, racking up three goals and 10 points. He was originally signed by the Penguins back in 2023 before the 2023-24 season started. 

Graves has played in 150 games for the Penguins over the last three seasons, scoring five goals and assisting on 14 others. 

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!   

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Reichel has goal an assist in Boston debut to help the Bruins beat the Jets 6-1

BOSTON (AP) — Lukas Reichel had a goal and an assist in his Boston debut, Jeremy Swayman made 22 saves and the Bruins beat the Winnipeg Jets 6-1 on Thursday night to end a two-game losing streak.

David Pastrnak scored his 27th goal of the season and had an assist. Viktor Arvidsson and Pavel Vacha also each had a goal and assist, and Fraser Minten and Jonathan Aspirot added late goals.

Fighting for one of the final Eastern Conference playoff spots, the Bruins finished in regulation for only the second time in seven games. They were coming off overtime losses at New Jersey on Monday night and Montreal on Tuesday night.

Jonathan Toews ended Swayman’s shutout bid on a tip-in at 5:38 of the third. Connor Hellebuyck stopped 22 shots for Winnipeg.

SENATORS 3, ISLANDERS 2

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Brady Tkachuk scored with 11.1 seconds left to give Ottawa a victory over New York.

Tkachuk controlled the loose puck in the crease and squeezed it past goalie Ilya Sorokin for the comeback victory.

New York dropped out of a playoff position in the tight Eastern Conference, while Ottawa closed within four points of the Islanders.

RED WINGS 3, CANADIENS 1

DETROIT (AP) — Alex DeBrincat scored the go-ahead goal with 3:25 remaining and assisted on Detroit’s two other goals, lifting the Red Wings to a victory over Montreal.

DeBrincat scored the winner on a backhander after stealing the puck from defenseman Mike Matheson in the Canadiens’ zone. J.T. Compher scored earlier in the period and Andrew Copp added an empty-net goal with 16.8 seconds remaining.

John Gibson made 32 saves for the Red Wings, who won for the second straight game following a three-game losing streak. Detroit recorded back-to-back victories for the first time since a three-game winning streak in mid-January.

The Red Wings also won the season series, 2-1 and pulled even with the Canadiens in the Atlantic Division standings in the tight Eastern Conference playoff race.

BLUE JACKETS 6, RANGERS 3

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Adam Fantilli scored twice, including an empty-net goal with 2:54 remaining, and Columbus beat New York, keeping alive hopes for their first playoff berth since the 2019-20 season.

Columbus extended its point streak to 11 games and takes over third-place in the Metropolitan Division thanks to the New York Islanders’ 3-2 loss in Ottawa.

Boone Jenner had a goal and an assist, and Isac Lundestrom, Conor Garland and Damon Severson also scored. Zach Werenski’s three assists give him 52 on the season and his second career 70-plus point season, tying him with Artemi Panarin for the most in team history. Jet Greaves made 22 saves for Columbus, which has won three straight.

Mika Zibanejad and Alexis Lafreniere each had a goal and an assist, and Vincent Trocheck also scored for New York, which had its two-game road win streak snapped. Igor Shesterkin finished with 31 saves.

BLACKHAWKS 2, WILD 1

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Connor Bedard scored a goal and defenseman Alex Vlasic made a game-saving stop as time ran out on Thursday night as Chicago beat Minnesota to snap the NHL’s longest active point streak for one team against another.

Ilya Mikheyev also scored and Spencer Knight made 28 saves for the Blackhawks, who were 0-18-1 in their last 19 games against Minnesota. Chicago’s last victory over the Wild was on Dec. 15, 2019.

Nico Sturm scored for the Wild and Jesper Wallstedt stopped 24 of 26 shots he faced.

With Wallstedt pulled for an extra attacker, the Wild nearly tied it in the final seconds. Knight got a piece of Quinn Hughes’ shot, but the puck trickled behind him in the crease. Before a Minnesota player could get to it, the 6-foot-6 Vlasic swept his stick into the crease and tucked the puck beneath his goalie.

PREDATORS 3, KRAKEN 1

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Filip Forsberg scored a goal and added two assists and Justus Annunen made 25 saves to lead Nashville to a victory over Seattle in a matchup of teams vying for a Western Conference wild card.

Ryan Ufko and Ryan O’Reilly also scored for the Predators, winners of two straight.

Frederick Gaudreau scored and Joey Daccord made 24 saves for the Kraken, who are 2-6 over their last eight games.

With the win, Nashville pulled even with the Kraken, both with 71 points, just outside the wild-card spots.

PANTHERS 4, OILERS 0

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Sergei Bobrovsky made 21 saves to earn his fourth shutout of the season as Florida continued to plague Edmonton, emerging with a victory over the Oilers in a rematch of the last two Stanley Cup finals.

Cole Reinhardt, A.J. Greer, Anton Lundell and Carter Verhaeghe scored for the injury-riddled Panthers, who snapped a two-game losing skid.

Sam Bennett, Evan Rodrigues and Mike Benning all had two assist games. The Panthers are almost certain to miss the playoffs and a chance to defend their back-to-back titles.

Connor Ingram made 19 stops in the loss for Edmonton.

The Oilers had a two-game winning streak halted and missed out on an opportunity to move ahead of idle Anaheim into first in the Pacific Division.

LIGHTNING 6, CANUCKS 2

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Nikita Kucherov and Anthony Cirelli each had a goal and two assists and Tampa Bay beat NHL-worst Vancouver.

Kucherov moved into sole possession of second place in the NHL scoring race with 114 points, one behind Edmonton’s Connor McDavid. Tampa Bay is second in the Atlantic Division, four points behind Buffalo.

Jake Guentzel, Darren Raddysh, Yanni Gourde and Brandon Hagel also scored for the Lightning, and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 19 saves for his NHL-leading 32nd victory.

Liam Ohgren and Linus Karlsson scored for Vancouver, and Kevin Lankinen stopped 24 shots.

MAMMOTH 4, GOLDEN KNIGHTS 0

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Karel Vejmelka stopped all 28 shots he faced for Utah, while Vegas counterpart Adin Hill was chased after allowing three goals without making a save in the Mammoth’s victory over the Golden Knights.

Vejmelka had his second shutout of the season and eighth in five NHL seasons to help Utah solidify its hold on the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference. The Mammoth built on a 6-3 home victory over Dallas on Monday night that snapped a four-game losing streak.

Third in the Pacific Division, the Golden Knights lost their second straight to finish a homestand 2-2. It fell apart quicky for Hill.

SABRES 5, SHARKS 0

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Alex Lyon made 23 saves for his 10th straight road victory as Buffalo scored three times in a span of less than two minutes in the second period to beat San Jose.

Sam Carrick scored twice, Rasmus Dahlin had a goal and an assist, and Noah Ostlund and Tage Thompson also scored to help the Sabres win for the 11th time in 12 games. Buffalo moved into a tie with Carolina for the most points in the Eastern Conference.

Lyon posted his seventh career shutout and moved within one road win of the longest streak in NHL history. San Jose’s Evgeni Nabokov and Minnesota’s Devan Dubnyk each won 11 straight on the road.

Alex Nedeljkovic made 11 saves — but none in the three-goal second period — as the Sharks dropped their third straight and remained just outside playoff position in the Western Conference. San Jose became the second team in at least 11 seasons to allow at least three goals in a period without making a save, with Boston doing it last season against Chicago.

FLYERS 4, KINGS 3, SO

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Trevor Zegras and Matvei Michkov scored in a shootout to give Philadelphia their fourth victory in five games, over Los Angeles.

Noah Cates had a goal and an assist, Travis Konecny and Travis Sanheim also scored, and Samuel Ersson made 22 saves. The Flyers remained six points behind Boston and Detroit for the two Eastern Conference wild-card spots.

On Wednesday night at Anaheim, Cates scored in overtime in the Flyers’ 3-2 victory over the Ducks.

Adrian Kempe and Artemi Panarin failed on their shootout attempts for Los Angeles, though the Kings still moved into the second wild card in the Western Conference.

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Yankees’ Giancarlo Stanton raking heading into regular season: ‘Bottle this up’

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (27) hits a 2-run home run during the third inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at George M. Steinbrenner Field, Image 2 shows Giancarlo Stanton hits a sacrifice fly during the first inning of the Yankees' 5-4 spring training win over the Orioles on March 19, 2026 at George M. Steinbrenner Field
giancarlo stanton

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TAMPA — Time for Giancarlo Stanton to fast forward to the regular season.

Opening Day is now less than a week away, but the Yankees veteran DH has spent the past two days smoking the ball like he is ready to roll in games that count.

“If we can just bottle this up and move it north …” manager Aaron Boone said with a grin after a 5-4 win over the Orioles at Steinbrenner Field. “He looks great, feels great, obviously.”

Between Wednesday and Thursday, Stanton put six balls in play.

Giancarlo Stanton has had a strong spring training. Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

Five of them registered at exit velocities over 100 mph, and if the wind hadn’t been blowing in on both brisk days, Boone is convinced Stanton would have more to show for it than only one of them leaving the yard.

“Probably with the weather switch, he’s probably got five homers the last couple games,” Boone said.

Stanton finally got one out Thursday, his fourth home run of the spring, on a ball hit 100.1 mph down the right-field line.

He also flew out on balls hit at 110.5 mph and 104.8 mph (a sacrifice fly) after flying out on Wednesday on balls hit at 112.4 mph and 104.1 mph.

New York Yankees designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton (27) hits a two-run home run during the third inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at George M. Steinbrenner Field. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Max Fried made his final tuneup before starting Opening Day against the Giants on Wednesday, giving up three runs and walking four across five innings while throwing 81 pitches.

The left-hander acknowledged he was “not sharp,” but said he liked being able to work through jams in his last chance before the games are real.

Max Fried allowed three runs in five inning in the Yankees’ 5-4 spring training win over the Orioles on March 19, 2026 at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images

“I know who I am and I know the kind of pitcher I am, but the more I can try to push myself, it’s only going to help in the end,” Fried said.

Carlos Rodón threw two innings and 35 pitches of live batting practice Thursday afternoon, continuing his buildup from elbow surgery with the hope that he could be back at some point in April.

“Physically, fine,” he said. “Just working to get a feel of things, third live [batting practice]. Obviously I would like everything to be crisp, but it’s hard to do that when you got to build up and come back from surgery. So it’s coming. I try not to get frustrated myself.”

Rodón is expected to pitch in a minor league exhibition next week when the Yankees are out west to start the season.

Aaron Judge is expected to start at DH on Friday night against the Orioles, his first game back since playing in the WBC.

Paul Goldschmidt, who only got three plate appearances for Team USA, took live at-bats against Rodón on a back field, and an hour later was in the starting lineup against the Orioles, going 1-for-3.

Cody Bellinger was initially expected to play on the road Thursday against the Blue Jays, but instead he stayed back after getting hit on the right arm in Wednesday’s game.

He is said to be fine, and looked no worse for wear while taking at-bats off Rodón on the back field.

The Yankees optioned reliever Angel Chivilli to Triple-A, eliminating another name from the bullpen competition.

Chivilli, acquired from the Rockies this winter, remains a work in progress after posting a 12.91 ERA in eight appearances this spring.

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Player Grades: Cavs at Bulls – James Harden dazzles in Chicago

CHICAGO, IL - MARCH 19: James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers prepares to shoot a free throw during the game against the Chicago Bulls on March 19, 2026 at United Center in Chicago, Illinois. 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 Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

The Cleveland Cavaliers held on for a win over the Chicago Bulls.

All grades are based on our usual expectations for each player.

James Harden

36 points, 9 assists, 7 rebounds, 5 turnovers

This was a Harden masterpiece through three quarters. He converted multiple four-point plays and canned seven three-pointers. His heliocentric control of the offense kept Cleveland grooving until suddenly, the Bulls found a way to disrupt his rhythm. The final quarter was hectic, but Harden made enough plays down the stretch to preserve his grade. His iso-jumper with 31 seconds left was the knockout blow.

Grade: A+

Evan Mobley

26 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal

Mobley made his presence known in the paint tonight. He hovered around the basket, cleaning up second-chance opportunities and crushing every lob thrown his way. Mobley posted yet another monster double-double just one game after dropping 27 points and 15 rebounds on the Bucks.

Grade: A+

Max Strus

0 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals

Strus is starting to crash back down to Earth after his electric season debut. He shot 0-6 tonight and will clearly need some time to shake off the rust. The Cavs still elected to close the game with Strus — signalling that Kenny Atkinson trusts his vet to work through this in real time. He narrowly avoids the F simply because of his efforts outside of scoring.

Grade: D-

Keon Ellis

8 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 1 block, 4 turnovers

Ellis was erratic tonight. He shot 2-6 from the floor, committed 4 fouls, and turned it over four times. But he also collected 3 steals and a block. It was a mixed bag that’s difficult to grade. I’ll skew towards the positive for his thunderous dunk in closing time.

Grade: C+

Sam Merrill

13 points, 3 assists, 1 rebound, 1 steal, 2 blocks

Merrill hit a three-pointer in the fourth quarter that allowed me to breathe for the first time in multiple minutes. So thank you, Sam.

Grade: B+

Jaylon Tyson

18 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block

Tyson needed this one. He finally found his stroke from downtown and was an impactful contributor on the glass. He still has to refine his game, but this was an encouraging reminder of how helpful Tyson can be.

Grade: A-

Dennis Schroder

9 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds, 2 turnovers

The Cavs are missing some of Schroder’s downhill drives. He hasn’t been as effective getting into the paint recently. That’s put a strain on his minutes. The offensive flow is really catering when he’s at the helm.

Grade: D

Dean Wade

0 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist

Wade put up a classic o-fer. He shot 0-3 from the floor but contributed 7 rebounds. The Cavs predictably didn’t close the game with him on the floor.

Grade: F

Thomas Bryant

5 points, 4 rebounds, 0 assists

Bryant has helped the Cavs recoup some size with Jarrett Allen on the sidelines. His minutes alongside Mobley have been positive.

Grade: B

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Kodai Senga caps strong spring training with another scoreless start for Mets

New York Mets pitcher Kodai Senga (34) pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.
Kodai Senga throws a pitch during the Mets' March 7 Grapefruit League game.

Observations from Mets spring training Thursday:

Senga shines

Kodai Senga fired four scoreless innings in the Mets’ 6-2 exhibition victory over the Astros in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Kodai Senga throws a pitch during the Mets’ March 7 Grapefruit League game. Imagn Images

The right-hander allowed three hits, struck out four, and walked one, finishing the Grapefruit League run with a 1.86 ERA.

Ache and pain

Francisco Alvarez left the game early with back tightness.

Manager Carlos Mendoza said Alvarez was removed for precautionary reasons, but would have continued playing if this were the regular season.

Alvarez will be evaluated Friday.

Caught my eye

Francisco Lindor played seven innings at shortstop and received five plate appearances in his third game since returning from rehab of hamate bone surgery in his left hand.

Friday’s schedule

The Cardinals will be at Clover Park to face the Mets.

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Luka Doncic leads Lakers with season-high 60 points to extend winning streak

Lakers stars Luka Doncic and LeBron James

MIAMI — The fact the Lakers made their Thursday night matchup against the Heat competitive, in light of the circumstances they faced entering the night, was a testament to the collective team buy-in that coach JJ Redick got from his group.

And the fact the Lakers came back from a 15-point deficit to beat the Heat 134-126 at Kaseya Center is a reflection of Luka Doncic’s greatness.

On the second night of a back-to-back after Wednesday’s win over the Rockets in Houston, and arriving at their South Florida hotel after 5 a.m. local time with less than 24 hours in between games, Doncic stepped up.

The Lakers’ Austin Reaves drives for two of his 18 points Thursday night against the host Heat. AP

He not only led the Lakers to one of their most impressive wins of the season but he also had one of his best games of the season — which says a lot considering the team success and individual brilliance Doncic has displayed recently. 

Doncic scored a season-high and Lakers career-high 60 points in the victory over the Heat, putting on a shotmaking masterclass that left the fans in Miami chanting “M-V-P” for the 27-year-old Slovenian guard while he was at the free-throw line late in the fourth quarter. 

“It was a superhero performance,” Redick said. “Him really keeping us afloat early was really important. And then all the groups there in the second quarter really did a nice job. He made big shots, he made tough shots. Made a lot of right reads. When he gets it going like that, it’s…some of it is, you just kind of like, ‘let him go.’ And his teammates felt that, they saw that. The shot making was unreal.”

Doncic shot 18 of 30 from the field, including hitting a fadeaway 3-pointer with just over a minute left that put the Lakers up 129-121 and put him at 58 points.

He shot 15 of 19 on free throws, splitting a pair of free throws with 15 seconds left to put him at 60 points, with his teammates celebrating just as loudly as the Lakers fans among the 20,177 in attendance.

“You see everybody celebrating on the bench, shows that we care a lot about each other,” Doncic said. “And that’s what great teams do. Just makes my heart happy seeing them celebrate my 60-point game.”

LeBron James finished with a 19-point, 15-rebound, 10-assist triple-double, the 124th of his career, as he tied Robert Parish for the most regular-season games played in league history (1,611). 

“He’s a psycho,” Redick said of James. “LeBron just in the same way that Luka willed it for us tonight, LeBron will it for us tonight.” 

What it means

The Lakers are now on their season-best eight-game winning streak, improving to 45-25. 

They’ve won 11 of their last 12 games, helping them not only jump to third in the Western Conference standings, but now having a two-game lead over the No. 4 Timberwolves.

The Rockets and Timberwolves are both three games behind the Lakers.

The Lakers’ LeBron James had a triple-double Thursday night against the host Heat. AP

Turning point 

The moment Doncic, James and Austin Reaves were upgraded to available. 

Their status was in doubt when the Lakers listed them as questionable on the Thursday afternoon injury report. 

But as long as the Lakers have their stars available, they can compete with any team regardless of the circumstances.

Doncic not only led the Lakers to one of their most impressive wins of the season but he also had one of his best games of the season. AP

MVP: Luka Doncic

Doncic wasn’t just the best player on the floor Thursday night.

He continued to make a case for being worthy of league MVP considerations.

Thursday was not only Doncic’s league-best 13th 40-point game of the season but also his fourth time scoring at least 40 points during the Lakers’ winning streak that started with the March 6 home win over the Pacers.

“He has been elite now for more than six weeks,” Redick said. “He’s been playing great. I think some of it too is just being clear headed. With all that’s happened with our team, he’s just in a really good place and he typically performs at his best when he’s clear headed.

Stat of the game: 9

That was the number of 3-pointers Doncic made against the Heat, moving him ahead of D’Angelo Russell for the most 3s made in a season in franchise history.

Russell made 226 3s in 76 games in 2023-24.

After Thursday, Doncic is at 232 3s through 58 games.

And with Doncic averaging a league-high four 3s per game, and 12 games left in the regular season, it’s fair to say Doncic will create a significant gap between himself and Russell.  

Up next

The Lakers will stay in Florida for a couple more days to play the Magic on Saturday at Kia Center.

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Coby White leads Hornets' 3-point surge in 130-111 win over Magic

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Reserve Coby White had 27 points and led the Charlotte Hornets’ 3-point barrage in a 130-111 rout of the Orlando Magic on Thursday night.

White shot 5 of 8 from beyond the arc and was one of four players with three or more 3-pointers, joining Brandon Miller (5 of 10), Kon Knueppel (4 of 9) and LaMelo Ball (3 of 8) as the Hornets finished 21 of 46 overall to win their fourth game in their last five.

Miller had 25 points and eight assists, Knueppel scored 23 points and Ball added 20 for Charlotte, which improved to 36-34. It’s the first time the Hornets have been two games over .500 since late in the 2021-22 season when the franchise had its last winning record at 43-39.

Desmond Bane had 24 points and Paolo Banchero 20 to lead Orlando.

PISTONS 117, WIZARDS 95

WASHINGTON (AP) — Jalen Duren had 24 points and 11 rebounds and Detroit never trailed in a victory over Washington, the Pistons’ first game since All-Star guard Cade Cunningham was ruled out for at least two weeks with a collapsed left lung.

Duren got his 37th double-double in just 25 minutes, two nights after scoring a career-high 36 points for Eastern Conference-leading Detroit in their 130-117 win over Washington.

Paul Reed added 17 points, while Duncan Robinson, Caris LeVert and Kevin Huerter each had 14 for the Pistons.

Detroit outrebounded Washington 55-33 and led 66-26 in points in the paint.

Tristan Vukcevic scored 21 for the Wizards, who lost their season worst-tying 14th consecutive game. With the NBA’s second-worst record at 16-53, Washington is two games from matching a franchise-record slide of 16 losses, most recently in March 2024.

LAKERS 134, HEAT 126

MIAMI (AP) — Luka Doncic scored 60 points, LeBron James had a triple-double on a night where he tied the NBA record for games played, and Los Angeles pushed their season-best winning streak to eight games with a win over Miami.

It tied the second-most points Doncic ever scored in a game, behind a 73-point night against Atlanta in 2024 and matching a 60-point night against New York in 2022. Doncic also broke the record for a Heat opponent, topping the 58-point effort from James Harden for Houston on Feb. 28, 2019.

Doncic — the NBA’s scoring leader — has now scored at least 30 points in eight consecutive games, and reached 50 for the second time in his last five games. James finished with 19 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists, and Austin Reaves scored 18 for the Lakers.

Bam Adebayo had 28 points for Miami, which has dropped two straight. Tyler Herro scored 21 points and Norman Powell had 20 for the Heat, which led by as many as 15 in the early going.

CAVALIERS 115, BULLS 110

CHICAGO (AP) — James Harden scored 36, Evan Mobley added 26 points and 14 rebounds and Cleveland hung on to beat Chicago even though Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell missed the game because of a bruised left eye.

Harden nailed seven 3-pointers. Jaylon Tyson chipped in with 18 points and 11 rebounds, and the Cavaliers hung on after a 29-point lead in the third quarter dwindled to one in the game’s closing minutes.

Chicago’s Tre Jones cut it to 103-102 when he made two free throws with 3:33 remaining. Sam Merrill answered with a 3 for Cleveland.

The Cavaliers were up 110-107 when Jones missed a potential tying 3 and Leonard Miller missed a layup with about a minute left. Harden hit a pull-up jumper to make it a five-point game with 33 seconds left and Cleveland hung on for the win.

PELICANS 105, CLIPPERS 99

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Trey Murphy III scored 27 points and New Orleans extended their home winning streak to seven games with a victory over Los Angeles.

Saddiq Bey had 20 points and Zion Williamson added 15 for the Pelicans, who swept the two-game set against the Clippers after 124-109 win, also at home, on Wednesday night.

Dejounte Murray was held out to rest as part of his comeback from a ruptured Achilles tendon. He had 17 points and a season-high 11 assists Wednesday night in his ninth game since making his season debut last month.

Derrick Jones Jr. scored 22 points, John Collins had 18 and Bogdan Bogdanovic added 16 for the Clippers, who lost their fourth in a row.

SPURS 101, SUNS 100

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Victor Wembanyama hit a 17-foot, pull-up jumper with a second left and San Antonio wrapped up a playoff spot to end a six-season drought, beating Phoenix.

Wembanyama had 34 points and 12 rebounds. His winning jumper capped a furious final-minute rally to secure the top-six finish in the Western Conference.

De’Aaron Fox added 23 points and Julian Champagnie had 14 in the Spurs’ fourth straight victory.

Collin Gillespie scored 24 points and Devin Booker had 22 for the Suns. They remain seventh in the West.

Fox’s finger-roll layup cut Phoenix’s lead to 100-99 with 26.6 seconds remaining.

Suns coach Jordan Ott was forced to call a timeout when Fox and Dylan Harper trapped Booker between the sideline and halfcourt with 11.7 seconds remaining. San Antonio immediately fouled on the ensuing inbounds, and Rasheer Fleming missed both free throws.

Wembanyama then dribbled the clock down to its final seconds before pulling up to hit the winner on Oso Ighodaro.

JAZZ 128, BUCKS 96

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Ace Bailey made seven 3-pointers and scored 33 points and Utah snapped a four-game skid with a victory over Milwaukee.

Bailey also had nine rebounds, four assists and three steals. Cody Williams scored 19 of his 23 points before halftime to give Utah’s offense an early spark. Elijah Harkless added 23 points and 10 assists, while Kyle Filipowski had 16 points and eight rebounds.

Ryan Rollins led Milwaukee with 15 points and five assists. Cam Thomas added 14 points and Ousmane Dieng had 13 for the Bucks.

76ERS 139, KINGS 118

SACRAMENTO, Calif (AP) — Rookie VJ Edgecombe scored a career high 38 points with 11 assists, Justin Edwards was 7 of 11 from 3-point range and finished with 32 points, and Philadelphia beat Sacramento.

Quentin Grimes scored 27 points as the 76ers ended a five-game road losing streak and won for the fourth time in their last six games playing without their two biggest stars — Joel Embiid (strained right oblique) and Tyrese Maxey (finger).

Embiid has missed 11 straight games but coach Nick Nurse said he has been making progress.

Edwards shot 11 of 18 from the field overall and went 3 for 3 from the line.

Maxime Raynaud led the Kings with 30 points and Daeqwon Plowden had 20. Dylan Cardwell had 14 rebounds. For the Kings, it was their third loss in their last five games.

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Yankees’ Paul Goldschmidt trying to make up for lost time after limited WBC play

New York Yankees first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (48) hits a single.
Paul Goldschmidt hits a single during the Yankees' March 19 Grapefruit League game.

Observations from Yankees spring training Thursday:

Oswaldo that ends well

Oswaldo Cabrera picked up his first hit of spring, roping a double to the opposite field in the eighth inning.

The utilityman, who had a delayed start to game action after breaking his ankle last May, started the spring 0-for-10 as he worked to find his rhythm.

Load of bull’

It was a rough day for a few bullpen hopefuls, as Cade Winquest and Kervin Castro each gave up a pair of runs in a split-squad loss to the Blue Jays.

Caught my eye

Back from the WBC, Paul Goldschmidt is trying to make up for the lack of at-bats he got over the last two and a half weeks.

Paul Goldschmidt hits a single during the Yankees’ 5-4 spring training win over the Orioles on March 19, 2026. Imagn Images

The veteran first baseman, who only started one of USA’s seven games in the tournament, took at-bats against Carlos Rodón in live batting practice Thursday and then played in the game against the Orioles, going 1-for-3.

Friday’s schedule

Luis Gil makes his final start of the spring when the Yankees host the Orioles at 6:35 p.m. at Steinbrenner Field.

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Michigan learns valuable lesson from Duke's near-upset against Siena

BUFFALO, NY — No. 16 Howard was making No. 1 Michigan sweat. Dusty May thought of the author Malcolm Gladwell, who wrote in his 2013 book "David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants" that David was not, in fact, an underdog.

After all, David had a slingshot.

“David versus Goliath, according to Malcolm, wasn't necessarily an upset because there's a slingshot involved,” May said. “In the first half Howard had their slingshots out. They were shooting the cover off of it off the bounce, off the catch. I was actually thinking, ‘This is how they usually happen.’”

Up by just 50-46 at halftime and then 50-48 after the first possession of the second half, the Wolverines found themselves in the deeply uncomfortable position of battling not only the hot-shooting Bison, who had made 10 of 16 from 3-point range at the break, but an ignominious place in Men's NCAA Tournament history.

Only two No. 1 seeds had lost to a No. 16, both in recent history: Virginia lost to UMBC in 2018 and Purdue lost to Farleigh Dickinson in 2023.

And earlier on Thursday, No. 1 Duke became the first No. 1 seed to trail by double digits at halftime to a No. 16 seed before righting the ship to beat Siena, 71-65.

Michigan might be able to thank Duke for turning a nailbiter into a humdrum, nothing-to-see-here blowout of a game against an overmatched opponent.

Waiting for their turn to come on Thursday night, Michigan players watched Duke struggle against Siena and took away a valuable lesson: There are no cakewalks in March, and if this can happen to the Blue Devils it can happen to us, too.

“Definitely with Duke, we were just watching the game,” guard Roddy Gayle Jr. said.

“We knew that they came out a little flat, but that's just ... 16-1 game, you kind of look at them like this should be a cakewalk, but that's just really never the case. Every team deserves to be here, and you can't look at any team like that.”

The lesson paid off. The Wolverines wrestled away control from Howard five minutes into the second half, turning a 63-56 game into an 18-point lead just three minutes later and eventually winning 101-80 to advance out of the first round for the seventh time in as many tournament appearances.

“Well, these games are tricky, as we saw earlier with Duke and Siena, and I thought Duke handled that near upset with great maturity,” May said. “When things weren't looking great for them, and this is what I learned and we learned from it today, they didn't try to go one-on-one and play hero ball.

“They made some hustle energy plays, and those are the ones that turned the tide, offensive rebounds, second, third shots, maybe a stop that turns into a transition basket.”

In the end, this was nearly a run-of-the-mill win for a team that breezed through the Big Ten before losing to Purdue in the finals of the conference tournament. Michigan shot 67.3% from the field, handed out assists on 27 of 37 field goals, made 11 of 24 attempts from deep, clamped down on Howard’s outside shooting in the second half — the Bison went 4 of 13 from 3-point range after the break — and outrebounded Howard 37-23.

“I thought in the second half we did a really good job of looking up the floor early, recognizing they have advantages, we have advantages, recognizing our advantages,” said May, “and I think those body shots probably affected their shooting and everything else during that stretch when we were able to separate.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Michigan learned from Duke's brush with March Madness infamy

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Michael Porter Jr. will likely miss remainder of Nets season with hamstring injury

Michael Porter Jr. of the Brooklyn Nets reacts after scoring.
Michael Porter Jr. #17 of the Brooklyn Nets reacts after scoring during the third quarter.

The Nets will be without their best player for the foreseeable future.

Michael Porter Jr. is set to miss at least two weeks with a strained left hamstring, which could leave Brooklyn without their top scorer for the remainder of the season.

Michael Porter Jr. react after scoring during a Nets’ game against the Bulls. Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post

Porter, 27, underwent an MRI exam on Wednesday that revealed the injury, and he will be reevaluated in two to three weeks, the team announced Thursday.

Before developing the hamstring injury, Porter had already been sidelined for three games because of a sprained right ankle.

Since arriving in Brooklyn after being traded by the Nuggets ahead of this season, Porter has had a career year, averaging 24.2 points and 7.1 rebounds while shooting 46.3 percent from the field and 36.3 percent from beyond the arc across 52 games.

Michael Porter Jr. puts up a shot during the second half of the Nets’ loss to the Heat at Barclays Center on Dec. 18, 2025. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST

With a 17-52 record, fourth-worst in the league, the Nets are seemingly in no rush to bring back Porter as they are vying for a top pick in this year’s NBA draft.

The Nets hold a 14-38 record this season when Porter is on the floor compared to a 3-14 record when he is on the sidelines.

Porter’s injury comes after rookie Egor Dёmin’s season was cut short because of plantar fasciitis, and it was announced Wednesday that the former lottery pick had a successful surgery.

“Everything went well, and now it’s just the process of rehab and getting back on the court as soon as the season ends, as we planned,” Dëmin, 20, told reporters on Wednesday.

“Hopefully everything’s going to go in the right direction and I’ll be able to get back to work as soon as I can.”

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Murphy sparks Pelicans past Clippers 105-99 and New Orleans stretches home streak to 7 games

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Trey Murphy III scored 27 points and the New Orleans Pelicans extended their home winning streak to seven games with a 105-99 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday night.

Saddiq Bey had 20 points and Zion Williamson added 15 for the Pelicans, who swept the two-game set against the Clippers after 124-109 win, also at home, on Wednesday night.

Dejounte Murray was held out to rest as part of his comeback from a ruptured Achilles tendon. He had 17 points and a season-high 11 assists Wednesday night in his ninth game since making his season debut last month.

Derrick Jones Jr. scored 22 points, John Collins had 18 and Bogdan Bogdanovic added 16 for the Clippers, who lost their fourth in a row.

Kawhi Leonard sat out a night after scoring 25 points and grabbing eight rebounds in his return from a one-game absence because of a sprained left ankle.

The Pelicans trailed 94-91 with 5:53 after Collins' floater, but Williamson made a layup and Murphy hit a 3-pointer to put New Orleans up for good as it closed with a 14-5 run.

Up next

Clippers: Play at Dallas on Saturday night.

Pelicans: Host Cleveland on Saturday night.

—

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

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Cavs needed vintage James Harden performance to sneak past Bulls 115-110

Mar 19, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden (1) makes a three-point basket against the Chicago Bulls during the first quarter at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Cavaliers did what they were supposed to do for three quarters. They dominated a shorthanded and tanking Chicago Bulls team by getting out to a 29-point lead midway through the third quarter. But their lack of focus got the best of them once again.

The Cavaliers allowed the Bulls to make this a one-point game late in the fourth quarter, before finally putting things away and securing the 115-110 victory.

The Bulls opened the evening with a quick 11-2 run to open the game — fueled by a made three and four assists from Josh Giddey. This led Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson to take a quick timeout three minutes into the action because of the poor defensive effort.

The Cavaliers came out of that timeout on a 24-6 run, which included a seven-point possession from James Harden.

Harden’s scoring carried the Cavs through the first quarter. He poured in 16 points on 4-9 shooting with three assists in the opening frame to give Cleveland a 10-point advantage after one.

The Cavaliers proceeded to seemingly put the game away in the second quarter.

They went on a 19-0 run from the end of the first to the beginning of the second that stretched their lead to 23.

The Bulls’ inability to take care of the ball helped facilitate this run. They coughed it up eight times in the second quarter alone, leading to 11 points off turnovers.

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The Bulls closed the second quarter on a run to make it just a 16-point deficit at the break. The Cavs responded quickly in the third quarter, pushing their lead to 29.

The game should’ve been over at this point, but it wasn’t.

The Cavs went into the fourth quarter holding onto a 20-point lead. Things went haywire from there.

Cleveland couldn’t make stops and couldn’t get anything going offensively. This allowed the Bulls to make it a one-point game with three and a half minutes to play.

The Cavs’ offense finally responded. Sam Merrill hit a three on the next possession to make it a four-point game. The two teams traded baskets until Harden iced the game with a midrange jumper with 33 seconds left to seemingly secure the victory, but it wasn’t that easy.

The Cavs had a chance to end the game at the line, but Harden missed one of two free throws, then Evan Mobley missed both of his. Fortunately for Cleveland, Dennis Schroder finally hit two free-throws which allowed the Cavs to actually put the game away.

For the second game in a row, Harden looked his vintage self. He was hitting step-back threes, getting whatever he wanted off-the-dribble, and setting up his teammates for easy baskets. This led to him registering 36 points on 10-23 shooting, which included going 7-13 from beyond the arc. Harden also added nine assists, seven rebounds, and two steals.

At the same time, this wasn’t a perfect game from Harden. He turned it over far too much as he accumulated five giveaways while also committing five fouls.

Evan Mobley put together another impressive game. The two-man actions between him and Harden have continued to improve, as the Cavs were once again able to run good offense out of those pick-and-rolls. This led to him putting up 26 points on 12-19 shooting with 14 rebounds. However, the free-throw shooting remains a serious issue as he went 2-6 from the line again. This becomes more worrisome the further he advances in this slump.

Jaylon Tyson put up 18 points on 8-14 shooting with 11 rebounds. It was a good game, but several defensive lapses kept him from being in the closing lineup.

Max Strus was in the closing lineup, even though he failed to register a point, going 0-5 from three. Merrill provided 13 points on 3-8 shooting. Keon Ellis finished with eight points, three steals, a block, and four turnovers.

The Bulls were led by 20 points from Tre Jones. Giddey supplied nine points and 19 assists in the loss.

The Cavs were without two starters in Donovan Mitchell (eye contusion) and Jarrett Allen (knee). We don’t know the severity of Mitchell’s injury at this time, but the Cavs have already ruled Allen out of Saturday’s game.

It’s difficult to feel good about this performance. It seemed like the Cavs had learned their lesson from the previous two games against bad opponents. They approached the game with the seriousness they needed to and controlled the game on both ends of the floor. Or at least, they did for three quarters.

The fourth quarter showed everything that has made this team frustrating over the past few weeks. The attention to detail wasn’t there, as neither the offensive nor the defensive execution was crisp. They would’ve lost this game if they were playing against a competent opponent.

Process is more important than results at this point in the season. While there were plenty of good things to take from the first three quarters, any positives are outweighed by how poorly things ended.

The Cavaliers will finish up their three-game road trip on Saturday when they take on the New Orleans Pelicans. Tip-off is at 7 PM.