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Knicks, Georgetown legend Patrick Ewing reflects on March Madness success

The game of basketball continues to treat Patrick Ewing well, especially when March rolls around. Ewing was consistently competing at the highest levels during his college career at Georgetown.

Ewing helped the Hoyas reach three Final Fours and win the 1984 national championship. He went on to have a legendary career with the New York Knicks and now serves as an ambassador for the organization.

“I was fortunate enough to make it to three title games, but unfortunately, we only came away with one, but I wouldn’t change that experience for the world,” Ewing said, reflecting on his March Madness success. “It was us against the world mentality.”

Ewing averaged 15.3 points and 9.2 rebounds per game in 143 college games. He was a three-time, first-team All-American and was the Naismith Award winner as a senior in 1985. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008.

Despite all the success in his career, Ewing cited the loss to Villanova in the 1985 national title game as "the hardest one to get over.”

The Hoyas had beaten the Wildcats twice during conference play before losing in the NCAA Tournament final.

“Being at the Final Four and going against all these great athletes, you have to be at the top of your game to come away with the win. It’s not like the NBA, where it’s the best of seven. If you have a bad day, that day's over and we didn't play well enough to get that win.”

In honor of March Madness, Ewing reunited with former Knicks teammate John Starks and current Knicks players Jalen Brunson, Karl Anthony Towns and Jose Alvarado in a commercial for AT&T.

“I thought it was great,” Ewing said about the experience. “The Knicks have done an amazing job bridging the old generation with the new generation. I thought this commercial was going to be something that was a lot of fun.”

Ewing has appeared in several commercials and movies over the years, including an appearance in the original “Space Jam,” “The Exorcist III,” and, most recently, “The Life List” last year.

“I’m having fun doing it,” Ewing said about the on-camera work. “I’ve always enjoyed doing that, but I knew what my day job was.”

At 63, the 11-time All-Star remains committed to the game of basketball.

“I'm consumed with the Knicks,” Ewing said. “Most of my time I’m at NBA games.”

Georgetown Hoyas center Patrick Ewing (33) celebrates after a victory against the Houston Cougars during the 1984 Final Four.

After finishing his NBA playing career with the Orlando Magic in 2001-02, he quickly transitioned to a coaching role, joining the Washington Wizards as an assistant for the following season.

He would remain an assistant in the league from 2002 through 2017 before getting his first head coaching opportunity at his alma mater.

He served as head coach of the Hoyas for six seasons, winning a Big East Tournament championship and making an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2021. It was the first appearance for the university since 2015.

“It was a great opportunity to come back and coach my school,” Ewing said. “Ever since I started coaching, it had been a dream of mine to be a head coach and I was happy to have that opportunity.”

Ewing compiled a 75-109 record during his tenure as coach.

"It may not have worked out as well as I would have liked, but I was happy for the opportunity to show people that I can do it and that I can do it at a high level,” Ewing said. “... I love Georgetown. It was a great four years for me as a student and I thought I grew a lot and it helped me become the man that I am today.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Georgetown legend Patrick Ewing reflects on March Madness success

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Recap: Colorado slumps in Winnipeg, lose 3-1

WINNIPEG, CANADA - MARCH 14: Goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood #39 of the Colorado Avalanche guards the net as he keeps an eye on Mark Scheifele #55 of the Winnipeg Jets during first period action at the Canada Life Centre on March 14, 2026 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. (Photo by Darcy Finley/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images

The Colorado Avalanche spent most of Saturday afternoon trying to catch up but came up short in a 3–1 loss to the Winnipeg Jets at Canada Life Centre.

Winnipeg took control early in the second period and never really let go, while goaltender Connor Hellebuyck stopped nearly everything Colorado sent his way. Martin Nečas finally got the Avalanche on the board late in the third period, but the comeback push came too late.

Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar each picked up an assist on the goal. Veteran defenseman Brent Burns also reached a milestone, playing in his 990th straight NHL game and moving past Keith Yandle for the second-longest ironman streak in league history.

Mackenzie Blackwood made 15 saves on 17 shots in the loss.

For Winnipeg, Kyle Connor scored to reach 30 goals for the eighth time in his career. Alex Iafallo and Cole Perfetti also scored, while Hellebuyck finished with 28 saves.

First Period

The first period was a slow start offensively, with both teams feeling each other out and combining for just 13 shots.

Midway through the period, Brock Nelson was called for roughing after a stick battle along the boards with Iafallo. Nelson shoved him to get his stick free and was sent to the penalty box.

Colorado’s penalty kill did its job, holding the Jets without a single shot during the power play.

Late in the period, the Avalanche earned a power play when Mark Scheifele wrapped up Devon Toews while racing for the puck along the boards. Officials called the penalty with just over 20 seconds left in the period.

The horn sounded before the power play could start, so Colorado carried 1:40 of man-advantage time into the second period. After 20 minutes, the Avalanche held an 8–5 edge in shots, but the game remained scoreless.

Second Period

Winnipeg didn’t take long to grab the lead.

Just over two minutes into the period, the Jets scored shortly after killing off Colorado’s power play. Scheifele stepped out of the penalty box, picked up the puck in the neutral zone, and spotted Connor rushing into the offensive zone. He sent a pass to the left circle, where Connor snapped a shot past Blackwood to make it 1–0.

The Jets added another midway through the period. A shot from Scheifele at the point hit Iafallo in the slot. The puck dropped right to him, and he quickly fired it past a screened Blackwood to make it 2–0.

Colorado tried to answer by pushing harder around the net. A little later, Makar moved across the blue line and fired a shot toward the net, but Hellebuyck caught it cleanly with his glove.

The Avalanche almost got on the board at the end of the period. Nelson was alone at the side of the crease with the puck bouncing on his stick, but his quick attempt slid across the goalmouth and out of the zone.

The miss kept Winnipeg in front 2–0 heading into the third.

Third Period

Colorado got an early power play when Winnipeg defenseman Jacob Bryson was called for high-sticking Parker Kelly.

Even with the chance, the Avalanche had trouble breaking through against Hellebuyck and the Jets’ defense.

They finally got one late in the game. With Blackwood pulled for an extra attacker, MacKinnon slid the puck across the ice to Nečas, who blasted a one-timer into the net to cut the lead to 2–1. It was Colorado’s first regular-season goal at Canada Life Centre since Jack Johnson scored there on December 16, 2023.

Any comeback hopes ended soon after.

MacKinnon lost control of the puck in the neutral zone, and Winnipeg quickly moved the other way. Perfetti picked up the loose puck and scored into the empty net to seal the 3–1 win.

Next Game

The Avalanche (44-12-9) host Sam Girard and the Pittsburgh Penguins (32-18-15) on Monday at 7:30 p.m. MT on ESPN and Altitude Sports Radio 92.5 FM.

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Anze Kopitar passes Marcel Dionne to become Kings' all-time leading scorer

Kings captain Anze Kopitar, left, celebrates with teammate Alex Laferriere after scoring.
Kings captain Anze Kopitar, left, celebrates with teammate Alex Laferriere after scoring in the third period against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday to become the Kings' all-time leading scorer. (Elsa / Getty Images)

Anze Kopitar became the Kings' all-time leading scorer on Saturday, passing Hall of Famer Marcel Dionne with a third-period goal in a 6-4 loss to the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center.

Kopitar, who said he will retire at the end of the season, has 1,308 points — one better than the 1,307 points Dionne had in his 12 seasons with the Kings from 1975 to 1987.

Kopitar, 38, has a franchise-best 858 assists. With 450 career goals, he trails only Luc Robitaille (557) and Dionne (550) on the team’s all-time list.

The Kings captain tied Dionne's mark on a power-play goal in the second period against the Devils. He broke the record on his 10th goal of the season, tying the score 4-4 with 6:18 left in the third period.

New Jersey's Jack Hughes scored about four minutes later to put the Devils back into the lead before Timo Meier put the game away with an empty-net goal in the final seconds.

Artemi Panarin and Taylor Ward also scored for the Kings (27-24-15), who are battling the San José Sharks, Seattle Kraken and the Nashville Predators for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Kings fell out of the final wild-card spot Saturday after San José's 4-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens.

Kopitar ranks 38th in NHL scoring history and is one of nine players in league history to have played in 1,500 games with one team.

“It’s amazing,” Kings general manager Ken Holland said earlier this month. “The league’s been around a hundred and something years. You’re watching one of nine that played 1,500 games with one team. I think it speaks to his passion. It speaks to he does it right every day.

Read more:Anze Kopitar reflects upon his decision to retire at end of season

“To play 1,500 games in the National Hockey League, lots of times when players get to a certain age the league starts to go by them because it gets hard. It’s hard during the summer, all the sacrifices you have to make in the summertime. Going to the gym and family sacrifices.

“He plays 200 feet. He plays a hard game. He’s one of the premier two-way centermen of his time. First-ballot Hall of Famer. It’s amazing what he’s accomplished. It just speaks to his passion, determination, love of the game, sacrifices. He’s an amazing player that the fans of the L.A. Kings have got to watch for a long time.”

Kopitar, a Slovenian native, was selected 11th overall by the Kings in the 2005 NHL draft. He scored twice in his Kings debut a year later. A five-time All-Star, Kopitar won the Stanley Cup twice with the Kings in 2012 and 2014. He's also the longest-serving captain in franchise history.

The Kings hope to make Kopitar's final season in Los Angeles a memorable one after four consecutive playoff losses to the Edmonton Oilers.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Mets first-round pick Mitch Voit takes advantage of first start in big-league camp

Saturday night was a big one for Mets first-round pick Mitch Voit. 

Jackson Cluff was penciled in to get the start at second in the spring loss to the Astros, but the coaching staff was forced to pivot after he reported a sore neck. 

Manager Carlos Mendoza didn’t want to play anyone for three straight days at this point in the spring, so he decided to give the young Voit the chance. 

The 21-year-old had already appeared in two spring games, but this was his first start. 

“It was definitely a huge honor,” he said. “I found out last night and texted my parents to make the drive over, I was excited and had a lot of fun out there.”

Voit played well too, as he logged eight innings in the field and picked up his first knock in three at-bats. 

After grounding out his first time up, the youngster dug in for his second AB and worked a full count before lining the eighth pitch he saw back up the middle for a leadoff single. 

He was retired in his final plate appearance, but left the big-league skipper impressed.

“He can hit,” Mendoza said. “I thought he put together some good at-bats there. I liked the takes, he was laying off some breaking balls in the dirt, he’s quick and short to the ball -- he definitely looks like a hitter.”

That certainly doesn’t come as a surprise to those who have seen Voit play.

The youngster struggled a bit after joining Low-A St. Lucie down the stretch, but he was a career .303 hitter with a .398 OBP and .962 OPS during his three years at Michigan. 

With this experience under his belt, he’s hoping to bring that type of production into his first full season in the organization. 

“I’m just taking everything day-by-day,” he said. “I’m taking spring training day-by-day, and when the regular season comes around I’m going to be the same person -- I've had a great time and I'm happy with how things are going."

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Shesterkin makes 46 saves to help the Rangers to a 4-2 win over the Wild

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Igor Shesterkin made 46 saves and Vladislav Gavrikov had a goal and two assists as the New York Rangers extended their winning streak to four games with a 4-2 win over the Minnesota Wild on Saturday night.

Noah Laba, Jaroslav Chmelar and Vincent Trocheck also scored for New York, which won for the fifth time in six games despite being outshot 48-18.

Matt Boldy and Danila Yurov scored for the Wild, who dropped their second straight and lost for the third time in four games. Filip Gustavsson had 14 saves.

New York had a 9-6 edge in shots in the opening period and led 2-0. The Wild carried play the rest of the way, outshooting the Rangers 42-9 over the final two periods — including 21-1 in the third, but were unable to solve Shesterkin.

Laba opened the scoring with his ninth of the season on a power play 2:41 into the game. Gabe Perreault and Gavrikov assisted. Gavrikov scored his 13th of the season with five minutes left in the first.

In the second, the Wild cut their deficit to a goal in the first minute, but the Rangers scored twice despite being outshot 21-8 in the frame.

Boldy scored in his third straight game, scoring in the first minute of the period with a man advantage. It was Boldy’s 38th goal of the season, tying him for the team lead with Kirill Kaprizov. Quinn Hughes picked up his 61st assist and Gustavsson had his second of the season.

Chmelar restored a two-goal at 8:41, and 22 seconds later Gavrikov shot into a crowd in front of the net and Trocheck scored on a deflection.

Wild rookie Danila Yurov scored his 10th of the season at 7:19 of the third, but the Wild got no closer.

J.T. Miller was back in New York's lineup after missing five games with an upper-body injury.

Minnesota captain Jared Spurgeon played in his 1,000th game, and Bobby Brink missed his second straight game.

Up next

Rangers: Host Los Angeles on Monday.

Wild: Host Toronto on Sunday.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

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Bryce Elder bounces back and Matt Olson homers in spring training blowout win for Braves

NORTH PORT, FL - MARCH 11: Matt Olson #28 of the Atlanta Braves celebrates with teammates in the dugout during the game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Atlanta Braves at CoolToday Park on Wednesday, March 11, 2026 in North Port, Florida. (Photo by Cole Carter/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images

Today was a lot better for Bryce Elder as far as results during spring training are concerned. Elder had a successful ramp-up during against the Red Sox and bounced back from a rough outing during his last appearance as the Braves continued to get ready for regular season action.

For all the grief that we like to give Elder around here, he does have his moments where he looks like a perfectly fine and solid hurler and this was definitely one of those occurrences. Elder got through the first two innings of this one without giving up a run — he did give up a leadoff double to the newly-crowned Grapefruit League Stolen Base King Andruw Monasterio but he ended up getting wiped out after Drake Baldwin threw him out at second base on the stolen base attempt. That’s now five runners that Baldwin has caught stealing so far during spring training as it sure looks like he’s ready to start doing a lot of the same once the end of this month rolls around.

In fact, Baldwin added another one to his collection in the third inning to make it six runners caught stealing so far this spring as he wiped Braiden Ward off of the basepaths. Unfortunately, this was after Vinny Capra led off the third with a walk and then stole second base to get into scoring position. Capra made it to third on a fly ball out and then scored on a bang-bang play where Ozzie Albies’ throw home from a ground ball was unable to beat Capra to the plate.

That was the only real trouble that Elder found himself in during this game, as he retired the final six batters he saw in order and finished the night with five innings under his belt along with six strikeouts with only two walks, a hit and a run allowed. I think everybody was looking for improvement following his most recent outing before this one and Elder certainly delivered in that regard.

Meanwhile, the Braves were mostly befuddled by Brayan Bello, who got through five innings with seven strikeouts and no runs allowed. Atlanta did rack up four hits against Bello, with Drake Baldwin, Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies and Michael Harris II all picking up singles against Bello. Harris made it into scoring position after he stole second in the second inning but outside of that, the Braves were unable to really string together any rallies against Bello.

Getting to see new Red Sox pitcher Tyler Uberstine must’ve been like walking into an oasis for the top of Atlanta’s order because they came out swinging against him. Although Ozzie Albies struck out to lead off the sixth on a foul tip, Drake Baldwin picked up his second hit of the game with a double and then Matt Olson delivered the loudest hit of the night by launching a bomb out to the Budweiser Bench in center field off of a changeup from Uberstine. The go-ahead shot was Olson’s fourth spring dinger and I think the obvious hope here is that the rhythm this lineup is in will hopefully carry into the regular season.

Most of the projected Opening Day roster players for the Braves got three plate appearances in this one before making their exit and then Walt Weiss went with organizational depth once Elder left the game, so the ride ended there if you’re interested in anybody that you’ll be regularly seeing from April and beyond here in 2026. Eli White did pick up a hit in the seventh inning before he promptly exited the game and Atlanta cashed it in for a run after Jim Jarvis picked up a single to move pinch-runner Ethan Workinger over to third and then Kevin Kilpatrick Jr. plated him with a sacrifice fly.

Atlanta did have a big inning in the eighth, though — Workinger added to his tally with two RBI, Jorge Mateo picked up an RBI after Red Sox outfielder Corey Rosier failed to corral in a line drive on a diving attempt, Jim Jarvis joined in on the fun with an RBI single of his own and then Kevin Kilpatrick Jr. joined the conga line to make it six-straight hits and seven-straight baserunners for the Braves. Once the smoke cleared and Red Sox pitcher Michael Sansone woke up from his nightmare, the Braves ended up plating seven in the bottom of the eighth.

The Braves ended up sauntering to another spring training win and while you may have quibbles with the fact that the lineup didn’t really do much against Boston’s starter, the same could be said of the Red Sox lineup’s fate against Bryce Elder in this one. Elder’s improvement was really nice to see and hopefully we’ll see that moving forward and we’ll also continue to see Atlanta’s regulars at least continue to pick up some hits like they did once Bello left the game.

Tomorrow’s game starts at 1:05 p.m. ET (I triple-checked this time) as the Braves will take on the Phillies in Clearwater.

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Japan vs. Venezuela game chat

MIAMI, FLORIDA - MARCH 12: Yoshinobu Yamamoto #18 of Team Japan warms up during a World Baseball Classic workout day at loanDepot park on March 12, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Gene Wang - Capture At Media/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Yoshinobu Yamamoto makes his final start of the World Baseball Classic on Saturday night in Miami, trying to get Japan past Venezuela and into the semifinals. The winner of this game takes on Italy on Monday night.

Shohei Ohtani bats leadoff as the designated hitter, per usual, this time facing Ranger Suárez to start.

Saturday game info
  • Event: World Baseball Classic quarterfinals
  • Teams: Japan vs. Venezuela
  • Ballpark: loanDepot Park, Miami
  • Time: 6 p.m. PT
  • TV: Fox, Fox Deportes
  • Radio: MLB Audio, Sirius XM

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3 things as the Mavericks play the Cavs again

DALLAS, TEXAS - MARCH 13: Max Christie #00 of the Dallas Mavericks drives to the basket against James Harden #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first half at American Airlines Center on March 13, 2026 in Dallas, 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 GettyImages License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Dallas Mavericks (22-45) complete their season series with the Cleveland Cavaliers (41-26) Sunday with an early 2:30pm CST tipoff at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. The two teams met Friday with Cleveland routing the Mavericks at American Airlines Center, 138-105. Cavs center Evan Mobley led all scorers with 29 points on 12-15 shooting, while the Mavericks were led by Cooper Flagg’s 25, as he emerged from an injury-related slump with a monster third quarter.

For the Mavericks, Friday’s game ended a one-game winning streak that was scarcely 24 hours old as they beat Memphis the night before, 120-112, ending an eight-game skid. For Cleveland, a won Sunday would equal their longest win streak since Feb. 20, as a tough run of the schedule including the Thunder, Celtics, Knicks, Pistons, Magic, and 76ers ended a win streak that reached seven games as the team brought aboard guard James Harden in a trade Feb. 3. While the team hasn’t yet replicated the wins from that honeymoon period, Harden’s time meshing with his new teammates looks promising as Cleveland gears for a deep playoff run.

The Cavaliers, who treated much of Friday’s matchup in Dallas as a tune-up game as they determine their playoff rotation and build chemistry with Harden, will bring a deeper roster to Sunday’s game as center Jarrett Allen and wing Max Strus plan to return from knee and foot injuries.

Game of inches

The Mavericks, for whom perimeter defense is already a nightly liability, were also without much size Friday to counter the Cavs’ relentless attacks at the rim. Forward PJ Washington and centers Daniel Gafford and Moussa Cisse were all unavailable, as frontcourts anchored by Marvin Bagley III and Dwight Powell got torched for 72 paint points achieved through a dazzling array of methods. Guard Donovan Mitchell got to his spots at will, making 10 of 12 two-pointers, while Harden and Mobley seemingly found a breakthrough building the pick-and-roll rapport that has proven elusive in their six weeks so far as teammates. Against the Mavericks, Harden and Mobley each seemed to speed things up with Harden attacking earlier off screens and Mobley rolling much harder to the basket, and the yield was lobs, pocket passes, and finishes with an easy rhythm as Harden was able to get Mobley switched onto guards and strike.

Allen, a more conventional kind of screener and roller than Mobley, is already a match for Harden’s style of play, with the 21.5 points per game he has averaged playing with Harden (not counting the game Allen left with injury against Detroit March 3) raising his season scoring average to 15.3. If the Mavericks offer the kind of resistance at the rim that was on display Friday (Washington, Gafford, and Cisse are all day-to-day), expect Harden to use this game as a laboratory to synthesize Allen’s and Mobley’s natural abilities, waiting a beat longer to accelerate around Allen’s hard screens, and finding the versatile Mobley further from the basket more often.

Welcome wagon

Max Strus also returns for Cleveland against the Mavericks; on Feb, 27, 2024 he caught fire late against a very different Mavericks club, connecting on five three-pointers in the game’s final five minutes, including the game-winner- a 60’ heave on a last-second inbounds that closed it with the Cavs up 121-119. Strus, a starter in 37 of the 50 games he has played this year, joins a wing core that had things humming against the Mavericks Friday, as Keon Ellis hit three of his five three-pointers in his first start for Cleveland and Plano native Jaylon Tyson made two of his three. The team was nearly as effective shooting beyond the arc, making 18 of 38, as it was in the paint.

How not to repeat history

While Flagg’s brilliant second half and Naji Marshall’s return to form Friday gave Mavericks fans something to cheer for besides the team’s draft lottery chances, there were not many other bright spots, as jumping out to an early two-bucket lead in the game’s opening minutes doesn’t qualify as a bright spot given what followed. In the game’s second quarter, in which the Mavericks actually played the Cavs to a 29-29 tie, eight Maverick turnovers led to 13 Cleveland points. Dallas went on to cough it up 17 times in the game overall, and although Ryan Nembhard’s 9-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio counts as a bright spot, the undersized Mavs backcourt’s inability to stop Harden and Mitchell made for bright spots for quite a few folks wearing wine and gold.

While the Mavericks will probably run some different lineups at the Cavs, the most likely result will be another early night on the bench for Harden, Mitchell, and Co., while the Mavericks get another long look at forwards Thomas Bryant and Nae’Qwan Tomlin, who combined to go seven-for-seven on two-point attempts. Winning is still the objective for this hard-playing Mavericks team, but its fans can be forgiven for quietly rooting for another strong Coop performance and no lost ground in the “other” standings if things go sideways as rapidly as they did Friday.

How to watch/listen

You can watch the game on NBA TV, KFAA Channel 29, or MAVS TV (streaming), or listen at 97.1FM KEGL (English), and 99.1FM KFZO (español).

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Hany Mukhtar scores 25,000th goal in MLS history to lead Nashville to 1-0 victory over Crew

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Hany Mukhtar scored four minutes into second-half stoppage time — the 25,000th goal in MLS history — and Brian Schwake earned his second clean sheet in his fourth MLS start as Nashville SC beat the Columbus Crew 1-0 on Saturday night.

Mukhtar subbed in to begin the second half for Nashville (3-0-1) before scoring for the second time this season. It was his 84th goal in 183 career appearances with the club.

The 34-year-old Schwake saved two shots for the shutout.

Cristian Espinoza collected his second assist of the season on Mukhtar's goal and defender Andy Nájar notched his first. Espinoza, in his first season with Nashville, had 70 assists in 218 appearances for the San Jose Earthquakes dating to 2019. Nájar had a career-high 10 assists with Nashville last season, his first with the club.

Patrick Schulte totaled three saves in goal for the Crew (0-2-2), who were also shut out at home last week in a scoreless draw with the Chicago Fire.

Nashville had three players receive first-half yellow cards — Jack Maher, Ahmed Qasem and Woobens Pacius. Sam Surridge and Mukhtar replaced Qasem and Pacius after halftime.

Twenty-year-old Taha Habroune had his first goal of the season and the second of his career waived off for Nashville in the 18th minute when Max Arfsten was caught offside after a video review.

Nashville played to a 2-2 draw in Columbus last season and beat the Crew 3-0 at home.

The all-time series is tied 4-4-4.

Up next

Nashville: Hosts Orlando City on Saturday.

Columbus: Visits Toronto FC on Saturday.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer

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Freddy Peralta continues solid spring in Mets' 8-2 loss to Astros

The Mets lost to the Houston Astros, 8-2, on Saturday night in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Here are the takeaways...

-- Freddy Peralta made the 45-minute trip down south to make his third start of the spring against the Astros and looked sharp as he has all camp with four innings of one-run ball. The lone run allowed by the right-hander came in the first inning after Yordan Alvarez singled home Taylor Trammell who walked to lead off the game before stealing second base.

From there it was smooth sailing for Peralta who ended the first inning by getting Carlos Correa to ground into a double play and then retired the next nine batters in a row. He finished with five strikeouts to one walk and threw 56 pitches (39 strikes), 11 more pitches than his previous outing on March 8 against the Yankees.

New York's Opening Day starter will likely have one more start this spring before gearing up for the Pittsburgh Pirates on March 26 at Citi Field.

-- With most of the Mets' projected starters staying behind, the offense was hard to come by, particularly against Ryan Weiss who went the first 4.1 innings and outdueled Peralta by allowing no runs on two hits and a walk. A.J. Ewing got New York's first hit with a single in the fourth and finished 1-for-2 with a walk in the leadoff spot. The youngster raised his batting average to .381 and has been one of the more impressive players in Mets camp.

-- Speaking of impressive young players, Carson Benge also had a productive day at the plate, going 1-for-3 batting third. His single in the sixth came with runners on first and second but the runners were only able to move up a base. New York squandered the bases loaded and one out opportunity with two consecutive strikeouts.

-- Ben Rortvedt, who replaced Austin Barnes at catcher in the bottom of the sixth, had the best night for the Mets with his 2-for-2 performance. He scored both of New York's runs and had the Mets' only extra-base hit with his leadoff double in the ninth.

-- Cristian Pache, still vying for a spot on the Opening Day roster, also had a solid night at the plate by going 2-for-4 with an RBI. He's hitting .440 this spring and is an option to make the roster as the team's fourth outfielder.

-- Mitch Voit, New York's 2025 first-round pick, made his first start of spring training and got his first hit as well in the nine hole while playing second base.

-- Mark Vientos' rough spring continued with an 0-for-4 night. He's now batting .048.

-- The Mets allowed the Astros to steal three bases, including one of home in the seventh inning.

Game MVP: Yordan Alvarez

Alvarez finished 2-for-3 with a three-run home run.

Highlights

What's next

The Mets return home for a Sunday matinee against the Toronto Blue Jays as they continue their spring training schedule. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m.

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MLB Scores: Astros 8, Mets 2

PORT SAINT LUCIE, FLORIDA - MARCH 8: Freddy Peralta #51 of the New York Mets pitches in the first inning during the game against the New York Yankees during a Spring Training game at Clover Park on March 8, 2026 in Port Saint Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Peter Joneleit/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Mets fell to the Astros 8-2 at CACTI Park of The Palm Beaches. The loss dropped New York to 10-8 in Grapefruit League action, with one tie.

  • Freddy Peralta started for the Mets and was terrific, holding Houston to just one hit and one earned run over four innings of work. He walked one batter and struck out five. He allowed his lone run in the first inning on a Yordan Alvarez run-scoring single. With the outing, he lowered his spring ERA to 2.70.
  • Luis García pitched a scoreless fifth for the Mets to keep New York within a run.
  • The Mets trailed by one run until the sixth, when Alvarez hit a three-run home run against Saul Garcia, who allowed three earned runs on one hit and two walks. He also struck out two batters.
  • The Mets broke through in the seventh with a run on a Jose Ramos, which drove home Ben Rortvedt. The run cut the Astros’ lead to three runs.
  • Houston plated three more runs in the seventh against Jordan Gerber, who ended up pitching 1 1/3 innings for the Mets and surrendering three earned runs on three hits, with one walk and two strikeouts.
  • Colton Cosper took over for Gerber in the eighth and allowed an unearned run on two hits. He walked a batter and did not record a strikeout.
  • The Mets picked up a run in the ninth on a Cristian Pache single, which drove in Rortvedt.
  • Rortvedt and Pache each picked up two hits for the Mets. Seven other Mets collected a hit apiece.
  • Mets’ top prospects Carson Benge and A.J. Ewing each had a hit. Benge’s average now stands at .367 and his OPS is .839 on the spring, while Ewing raised his average to .381 and his OPS to 1.090.
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Collins scores 20 to lead Utah State 73-62 past San Diego State to claim Mountain West Championship

LAS VEGAS (AP) — MJ Collins Jr. scored 20 points to lead No. 1 seed Utah State past No. 2 seed San Diego State 73-62 on Saturday to win the Mountain West Championship.

Collins was 8-of-15 shooting and 4 of 10 behind the arc with three steals for the Aggies (28-6). Mason Falslev, who was named Mountain West Player of the Year, had 16 points — 10 in the second half — and six assists. Drake Allen added 13 points and six rebounds.

The Aggies led by one point with 7:40 to go before going on a 12-2 run over the next three minutes, led by a pair of 3-pointers from Collins. The Aztecs (22-11) never got closer than eight points after that.

Reese Dixon-Waters led the Aztecs with 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting. BJ Davis scored 14 and Magoon Gwath had 12 to go with eight rebounds.

It's the final Mountain West Conference game for both teams. They'll head to the Pac-12 after this season. The Aztecs' 46 Mountain West tournament wins are the most in conference history.

The Aggies have punched a ticket to the NCAA Tournament, while the Aztecs will have to wait to see their fate on Sunday.

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Sharks rookie Chernyshov exits after a big hit less than 30 seconds in against Montreal

MONTREAL (AP) — Igor Chernyshov's return to the San Jose Sharks lasted less than 30 seconds.

The 20-year-old rookie took a hit from Montreal's Mike Matheson in the neutral zone just after the start of Saturday night's game. Chernyshov slid across the ice, then twice got up onto his skates only to fall back down. He was eventually helped up and left the game. The Sharks later announced he wouldn't return.

This was Chernyshov's 16th NHL game and his first since he was recalled from San Jose of the AHL earlier in the week. He was slotted onto the top line alongside Macklin Celebrini.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

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2 Sabres Make New Best Prospects List

The Buffalo Sabres are having a fantastic 2025-26 season and have a very good chance of making the playoffs for the first time since 2011. Yet, as great as the vibes are for the Sabres right now, things are also looking promising for their future.

The Sabres have some very good prospects in their system, and two of them have now landed some serious praise.

Sabres prospects Radim Mrtka and Konsta Helenius were both featured on Craig Button's latest top 50 NHL-affiliated prospects rankings.

Mrtka was given the No. 23 spot on Button's rankings. The 2025 ninth-overall pick has shown good promise this season in the Western Hockey League (WHL) with the Seattle Thunderbirds, as he has recorded 32 points in 39 games. The 6-foot-6 defenseman also played in four AHL games with the Rochester Americans earlier this season, where he had one assist and seven penalty minutes. 

As for Helenius, he was given the No. 25 spot on Button's rankings. The 2024 first-round pick has taken a noticeable step forward this season with Rochester, as he has 15 goals and 45 points in 48 games. Due to this, the skilled prospect has also played in his first nine NHL games this season, where he has recorded one goal, four points, and a plus-1 rating.

Mrtka and Helenius both have the potential to be big parts of the Sabres' roster in the future.

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Celtics whoop Wizards 111-100 behind Queta’s double double

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MARCH 14: Neemias Queta #88 of the Boston Celtics blocks a layup attempt by Will Riley #27 of the Washington Wizards in the first half at TD Garden on March 14, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. 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. (Photo by Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Boston Celtics won their 44th game of the season and the team’s 11th consecutive game against the Washington Wizards with a 111-100 showing on Saturday at TD Garden.

After two tough losses to the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder over the past week, Boston could have been at risk of suffering the team’s first three-game losing streak since going 0-3 to start the season.

Luckily, the Celtics were gifted with a matchup against the lowly 16-49 Wizards, the loser of 10 straight heading into the game.

Washington has not won a game against Boston since March 28, 2023, when Kristaps Porziņģis torched the C’s with 32 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 stocks — a game that might have inspired Brad Stevens to trade for the lengthy Latvian.

The Wizards had no such savior on Sunday, as Neemias Queta feasted on Washington’s porous post defense to the tune of 24 points and 10 rebounds, leading Boston to a 3-0 sweep of the season series.

Boston started Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Sam Hauser, Jayson Tatum and Neemias Queta. Nikola Vučević, who is not expected to return until early April, was the team’s only inactive player.

Washington started Trae Young, Tre Johnson, Bilal Coulibaly, Will Riley and Alex Sarr. Anthony Davis, Kyshawn George, D’Angelo Russell and Cam Whitmore were all inactive.

Neemias Queta got the Celtics started strong by scoring 8 of Boston’s first 10 points. He finished the first quarter with 13 points on 6 makes — his highest-scoring quarter of the season so far — and 3 rebounds over the frame.

While Queta dominated, the rest of the team struggled in the first quarter, especially from the perimeter, where Boston only hit 2 shots. Jaylen Brown was the only other Celtic to make multiple field goal attempts, with 3 makes. Derrick White and Baylor Scheierman each chipped in one three-point make.

Jayson Tatum started the game 0-4 from the field, with one good-looking layup attempt roll off the rim, and 0-2 from three-point range.

On the other end, the Celtics had a hard time stopping the Wizards’ perimeter attack. Washington made 7-16 of its three-point attempts during the quarter, outnumbering Boston’s made threes by five.

Despite the shooting deficit and a missed buzzer beater attempt by Payton Pritchard, the Celtics ended the quarter up 29-27.

The second quarter began with a pair of high effort plays by Luka Garza, who scored Boston’s first two field goals of the quarter and 6 points over the frame’s first three minutes.

The lid also came off the basket a few minutes into the quarter for Sam Hauser. He hit his first three-point shot of the night early in the quarter, then his second less than a minute later.

Behind Garza’s effort, Hauser’s three-point makes, and some beautiful defense, the Celtics went on a 17-2 run over the first half of the second quarter that gave Boston the first big lead of the evening.

Queta also came back in with about 7 minutes left to go in the second quarter and immediately looked as dominant as he did in the first.

He followed his 13-point first quarter with a 9-point second quarter, as he continued to feast on a defense that seemingly refused to guard him. He finished the half with 22 points on 10-12 (83.3%) shooting from the field, 6 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block.

Much like Hauser, Tatum came alive in the second quarter. He scored his first points on a pair of free throws with 3 minutes left to go in the half. Tatum then hit a three-point shot less than a minute later, and a slick midrange shot a minute after that.

Despite poor efficiency, Tatum finished the half on pace for a triple-double, with 7 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists, as well as 1 steal.

The Celtics went into the half up 64-41 after winning the second quarter 35-14.

Tatum followed up his strong finish to the second quarter with a couple of early makes in the third quarter, and had a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds with more than 20 minutes left to go in the game. He continued to attack the Wizards’ defense and racked up 11 points, 6 rebounds and 1 assist over the quarter.

Queta, Boston’s MVP of the first half, did not attempt a single shot throughout the quarter, but continued to keep Washington’s offense in check during his time on the court.

The Celtics went up by 30 with 4 minutes to go in the third quarter, but finished the frame with a 93-72 lead over the Wizards.

The game was all but over by the time the fourth quarter began, but Washington did not give up.

The Wizards went on a 7-0 run to start the final frame against Derrick and the Whites (Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, Baylor Scheierman, and Luka Garza) in a late attempt to narrow the lead.

Garza hit a pair of free throws and a three-point shot, but was subbed out alongside Hauser in favor of Queta and Jaylen Brown with about 8 minutes to go in the game.

Brown immediately scored on a driving layup, but Washington scored the game’s next three field goals to chip the lead down to 14.

The Celtics took a timeout and got Jayson Tatum back on the court, but the Wizards continued to hit shots. With less than 5 minutes to go, Washington was only down by 12.

Nevertheless, a Tatum layup and a fourth Hauser three-pointer brought the lead back up to 17 with 2:31 to go in the game. The starting crew was then subbed out with about 1:33 to go, and the bench was able to finish the game.

Queta finished the game as Boston’s top scorer, with 24 points on 11-13 (84.6%) shooting from the field, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks.

Tatum finished with the second-most points on the team, with 20 points on 8-19 (42.1%) shooting from the field, 14 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals.

Overall, the Celtics shot less efficiently than the Wizards, hitting 44.1% from the field and 26.1% from three-point range, while Washington shot 44% from the field and 38.5% from the perimeter.

Nevertheless, Boston won the battle of the boards, with 62 total rebounds to Washington’s 47, and won the math game, taking 9 more shot attempts than the Wizards.

The Celtics’ next game will be against the Phoenix Suns at 7:30 p.m. EST on Monday, March 16, at the TD Garden.