INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 26: Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves reacts after making a three-point shot against the LA Clippers in the second half at Intuit Dome on February 26, 2026 in Inglewood, California. 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 Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Game Story
Sorry to spoil the recap, but everything that happened tonight was exactly as you would’ve expected.
You would think that after three whole days off, the Los Angeles Clippers would be well-rested against the Minnesota Timberwolves. They had just thrashed the Wolves by 19 at Target Center as Kawhi Leonard dominated the game with 41 points.
Tonight? Minnesota held him to zero points.
That’s not a typo.
Leonard rolled a donut in the box score. Including minutes played. The future Hall of Famer was nursing a sore ankle despite the 72+ hours of rest. Were the Clippers load managing? Is this foreshadowing of what’s coming down from Adam Silver’s office? To be honest, it’s expected that Leonard’s availability is always in flux.
To make matters worse for the sparce home fans in attendance, Los Angeles was also missing John Collins (concussion) who was their second leading scorer in the previous meeting.
Meanwhile, this was a Timberwolves fans worst enemy: A classic low-reward, high-risk game.
After struggling to barely squeaking out a “moral loss” win against an injury ravaged Portland Trail Blazers team two days ago, Minnesota lacked great energy out of gates today as well. A pair of Donte DiVincenzo triples and a Jaden McDaniels dunk seemed like a good sign though at first. Heck, even Anthony Edwards came out putting on a show for his large fan base here in Los Angeles.
However, as expected, the Wolves defense was the problem.
Despite shooting 61.1% in the opening quarter, the Wolves allowed the Clippers to score 23 of 27 first quarter points at the basket or free throw line. It was a real jump scare to look down at the box score after the opening stanza and see that Los Angeles logged just one three-point attempt. Things got a little better for them by halftime though. They hit a whole one three-pointer out of 12 attempts!
Yet somehow, they still trailed by only six points.
What exactly was going on? Minnesota had no shortage of opportunities to extend their lead well over double-digits, but poor offensive execution capped their upside. Spacing was an issue. They were cold from perimeter. The floor spacing was just off. It was essentially a game straight out of the 90’s, as only two players in the entire game scoring in double-digits (Edwards and DiVincenzo).
If you thought Chris Finch had a rousing half time speech that woke up his team, then you would have been mistaken.
A fracas between McDaniels and Kris Dunn looked like it might’ve sparked some life into Minnesota, but to no avail. All it did was garner a flagrant foul which, to be honest, he should’ve gotten in the first half for discarding Kris Dunn. Jaden losing his cool? Expected.
When I asked Chris Finch after the game about how a team of emotional players can balance playing with force, but not losing their cool, he dropped a pretty awesome bar.
The Wolves continued with a flurry of one or no-pass possessions after this. It felt as though every player took a shot like My Hero by Foo Fighters was playing in the background. Even the steadfast Mike Conley was dusted off and immediately airballed a three-pointer. The Clippers slowly, but surely inched ahead by as many as six points which felt like more like sixteen.
Given how porous Minnesota’s defense was, losing the free throw battle by 11 in the third quarter was expected.
Everything was setting up for a disappointing final quarter for the Wolves. There was no rhythm to the game and it certainly played into the zombie Clippers hands. Choppy. Grimy. In the mud. Typically, this would be a type of scenario where someone like Julius Randle would be able to thrive in the grind, but he was still seemingly on another planet. Still. The box score only accredited him with two turnovers and a one of 10 mark from the field, though he certainly played much worse than that.
Thankfully for the visitors, DiVincenzo continued his excellent play from the first half. He single-handedly kept the game from going completely off the rails like that Tobey Maguire Spider-Man holding back a train with his body GIF. A big triple. Assist for another trey. Two straight illegal screen fouls drawn. Another steal. He was everywhere.
Meanwhile, McDaniels continued his personal vendetta against seemingly every Clipper. He was terrorizing Bennedict Mathurin all night, helping the Wolves maintain a small lead. All of this bought just enough time for Edwards to don his cape and rescue his team once again.
Just as we all expected.
There was murmuring about extracurriculars between Edwards and Finch, as caught on video after this shot. According to Edwards, his coach told him to pass the ball after he had his a tough fade-away mid-range shot right before that three-point dagger. According to Finch during the postgame press conference, he denied telling Edwards not to shoot.
You be the judge.
No matter what was said, it’s clear Edwards understands the importance of his relationship with his coach and continues to beat the drum that he’s tight with Finch. “Me and my coach got the best relationship ever. He be right most of the time.” He may have his flaws on and off the court, but he continues to flex his emotional intelligence in these types of situations where others may try sow doubt. Just as expected.
After all the dust (bricks?) settle, Minnesota earned a stronger hold on the fifth seed in the Western Conference. They’re still just half a game out of fourth, and one game out of third place. All that matters right now are wins, no matter how you get them. Should it have been an easy win today? Yes. Was it an ugly “moral loss” win again? Sure.
But what else did you expect?
Box Score
Comment of the Night
Kawhi jokes, SlowMo return, Ant dramatics, none of it is more important than the health of that little boy.
Up Next
Minnesota finally gets two days off for the first time since the All-Star break before a marquee matinee showdown against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday, March 1 at 2:30 pm CT. An early tip, in Denver, at the end of a road trip? Sounds like a recipe for an unexpected win! Or maybe just a delicious recipe recap. Either way, the Wolves will look to avoid getting swept 4-0 by the Nuggets this season, just a year after Minnesota swept Denver.
Chicago Blackhawks (22-27-9, in the Central Division) vs. Colorado Avalanche (38-10-9, in the Central Division)
Denver; Saturday, 6 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: The Colorado Avalanche host the Chicago Blackhawks after Martin Necas' two-goal game against the Minnesota Wild in the Avalanche's 5-2 loss.
Colorado is 38-10-9 overall and 9-2-4 against the Central Division. The Avalanche are 12-0-4 when scoring a power-play goal.
Chicago is 22-27-9 overall and 7-5-2 against the Central Division. The Blackhawks have a -31 scoring differential, with 153 total goals scored and 184 conceded.
Saturday's game is the second meeting between these teams this season. The Avalanche won 1-0 in the last matchup.
TOP PERFORMERS: Necas has 25 goals and 40 assists for the Avalanche. Brock Nelson has six goals and three assists over the last 10 games.
Tyler Bertuzzi has 26 goals and 17 assists for the Blackhawks. Ilya Mikheyev has three goals and six assists over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Avalanche: 4-5-1, averaging 2.8 goals, 4.8 assists, 3.3 penalties and 7.4 penalty minutes while giving up 2.6 goals per game.
Blackhawks: 3-5-2, averaging 2.2 goals, 3.7 assists, 2.8 penalties and 6.2 penalty minutes while giving up 2.9 goals per game.
INJURIES: Avalanche: None listed.
Blackhawks: None listed.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Now that you've settled down after all that Olympic hockey excitement, it's time to turn your focus back on the NHL. We're less than two months from the end of the regular season and roughly a month until fantasy hockey playoffs begin.
There may be an adjustment period for everyone who participated in Milan and/or those returning from injury, though most of the bigger names should be able to keep performing. The lengthy break could make things harder to assess for others, but we'll try our best to recommend 50(ish) percent-and-under players in immediately favorable positions.
(Rostered rates as of Feb. 27)
Forwards
Kiefer Sherwood, SJS (Yahoo: 52%): Reaching just across the halfway coverage threshold for Sherwood, who was previously discussed in late October as a member of the Canucks. He went to San Jose last month but didn't make his debut until Feb. 4 due to a lower-body injury. He immediately found himself on a line with Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith. That trio has continued, and Sherwood has moved to the top power play. That's a pretty cushy fantasy placement, especially for someone who can supply points, average more than two shots, and deliver a ton of hits. Get Sherwood before others figure it out.
Ivan Barbashev, VGK (Yahoo: 38%): Consistency has been Barbashev's calling card since he joined Vegas, as his scoring has ended up within the mid-40s/low-50s range. While that isn't spectacular, it'll work for him as a complementary player on a strong attacking side. Barbashev may only be on the second PP, but he regularly skates alongside Jack Eichel and is currently riding a six-game point streak in which he's registered five goals, two assists, 15 shots and nine hits. And even if this run stops soon, he's good for enough contributions.
Dylan Holloway, STL (Yahoo: 37%): Holloway has returned after being sidelined for 23 of the previous 24 contests with an ankle issue. Before being out, he notched 17 points, 67 shots and 77 hits over the first 30 outings. Holloway didn't waste any time on Thursday as he scored a hat trick with five shots and an assist. Despite a place on the Blues' third line and backup power play, he's a must-add in most fantasy formats.
Pierre-Luc Dubois, WAS (Yahoo: 33%): Dubois was out for three months after undergoing surgery for multiple ailments. He came back right before the Olympic break to record a PPG, assist, two shots, a hit, a block and nine faceoff wins. And even though Dubois didn't find the scoresheet on Wednesday, he logged just under 17 minutes participating on Washington's second line and man-advantage. It wouldn't be a bad idea to add Dubois now, as he should soon get back to full speed.
Marco Rossi, VAN (Yahoo: 9%): Let's continue the theme of long-lost absentees with Rossi, last year's breakout 60-point performer for Minnesota who came over in the Quinn Hughes deal and has recently endured two extended spells on the sidelines. He was doing well with the Wild until the first trip to injured reserve (13 points through 17 games) as their No. 1 center, but didn't get much time to settle in with his new teammates. Even with the Canucks ranked near the bottom for average goals, there's promise for Rossi within the top six and a first power play that's pretty much back to full strength.
Alex Killorn, ANH (Yahoo: 2%): Killorn is skating significant ice time while accumulating enough scoring and receiving advance standing to deserve more fantasy attention. Over the last six outings, the 36-year-old has tallied three goals — including a PPG on Wednesday — two assists, and 15 shots on 19:01 per game. Killorn has also teamed up with the newly returned Leo Carlsson at even-strength and PP. If that placement holds, he's at least worth a flyer.
Peyton Krebs, BUF (Yahoo: 2%): Any forward with a pedigree who can also hit can be valued a little higher, especially if he has his linemates upgraded. Krebs mainly has occupied the bottom half of the Buffalo depth chart since arriving in 2021, yet he was starting to score this season and is only one point away from a career-high. And on Wednesday, he just happened to post a goal and assist on Tage Thompson's wing. Keep an eye on Krebs the next few matchups before taking the plunge.
Mavrik Bourque, DAL (Yahoo: 1%): Mikko Rantanen is projected to be out for a couple weeks, which leaves a huge hole on Dallas's first trio that's currently being occupied by Bourque. As a reminder, the other members are Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston. You know, two players who've so far combined for 127 points. Bourque was already enjoying a decent mini-stretch heading into the break via three goals on seven shots to go with an assist and 10 hits across four appearances. And he extended that upswing on Wednesday by registering a helper and five pucks on net over 18:13.
Defensemen
Devon Toews, COL (Yahoo: 43%): It's been an underwhelming scoring season for Toews as he's only posted 13 points in 44 games after four consecutive campaigns with at least 44. He still skates alongside Cale Makar at five-on-five with a secondary power-play role while averaging 22-plus minutes and coming off an Olympics where he notched a goal and two assists, so more NHL production should eventually come on a league-leading attack.
Oliver Ekman-Larsson, TOR (Yahoo: 39%): Ekman-Larsson has already eclipsed his point haul from each of the previous six years, sitting at 35. He also bumped Morgan Rielly down to the No. 2 man-advantage and picked up a PPA on Thursday. OEL has registered a goal, nine assists, 24 shots, 13 hits and 18 blocks from his last 15 contests. He's also been mentioned in possible trade talks, so his fantasy value could decrease if he lands elsewhere. Grab Ekman-Larsson now and monitor his status leading up to the deadline.
Bowen Byram, BUF (Yahoo: 38%): Byram has managed to avoid any extended injuries since 2022-23, resulting in decent offensive gains and major minutes. While his output is mainly limited to points and blocked shots, the four assists across the last six appearances are noteworthy, and a partnership with Owen Power during even-strength and on Buffalo's backup PP can only help. Add Byram if you're looking to boost your blueline scoring stats.
Logan Stanley, WPG (Yahoo: 8%): Winnipeg is currently without its top-two power-play defenders, as Josh Morrissey got hurt in Milan and will be gone until at least Tuesday, while Neal Pionk is week-to-week with an undisclosed issue. Ville Heinola has since been inserted on the second unit and Logan Stanley — with zero career PPPs — got first crack at leading the top group. The 6'7" rearguard recently received PP2 action and already provides sufficient totals for shots, hits and blocks, so anything coming on that elite man-advantage would be a bonus.
Goaltenders
Dan Vladar, PHI (Yahoo: 41%): Vladar continues to impress during his first year with the Flyers as their clear No. 1 while in the top-10 for GAA and only allowing more than three goals six times through 34 appearances. The .905 save percentage may not look great, but it's still above average among netminders who've made at least 19 outings. Philly is set to face a few weaker defensive clubs where Vladar should start most — if not all — of those five matchups.
Casey DeSmith, DAL (Yahoo: 22%): For all Jake Oettinger does, he deserves a rest from time to time. And since joining Dallas, DeSmith has proven to be a solid fill-in, posting a 2.01/.914 line over seven 2026 outings — highlighted by wins at Washington and Utah. The Stars remain excellent on the defensive end, where DeSmith will work great as a streaming option — beginning with either Vancouver (Monday) or Calgary (Tuesday) — while picking up a few spot starts along the way.
Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees | Getty Images
The Athletic and the San Diego Union-Tribuneboth reported that an unnamed source has divulged that there are five groups who submitted bids on Wednesday in the first round of offers to purchase the San Diego Padres.
The source or sources were not authorized to speak on the sale but it seems possible that the Padres could change hands within the next month to two months.
The Athletic reported a new group, headed by Vuori CEO Joe Kudla and former San Diego Chargers quarterback and NFL Hall Of Fame player Drew Brees, were one of the five to submit bids. Before today, there were reportedly three other groups who had expressed interest in the team.
Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob, Serie A club Roma and Premier League Everton owner Dan Friedkin and ClearLake Capital founding partner Jose E. Feliciano are the other three names that have been reported to be interested or to have placed bids. There is no confirmation on any of these reports.
There is no information on who the last bidder could be.
Feliciano is a Puerto Rican native who is headquartered in Santa Monica. Friedkin is a San Diego native who lives in Texas and Kudla is the Carlsbad-based owner and CEO of Vuori, he graduated from USD and began his business in 2015, per The Athletic. His company is an athletic leisure-wear brand. Brees, his partner in the bid, participates in marketing for Vuori and is a part-time San Diego resident with a long history of Padres fandom.
Sportico has valued the Padres at $2.31 billion but reports from sources inside MLB have said that the Seidler family is seeking closer to $3 billion for the team. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred made a statement when the potential sale was announced in November of 2025, stating –
“It’s a really appealing franchise. They’ve done a great job building a fan base. The in-ballpark experience in San Diego’s probably one of our best. They’ve got some great players and I expect there will be people that will be interested in buying.”
Manfred updated that statement on Feb. 12 in his yearly media gathering at the beginning of Spring Training.
“The best I can tell on you on the Padres is there is robust interest on what is viewed as a really appealing asset.”
Padres Chairman John Seidler spoke at the start of Padres Spring Training and stated that there were multiple interested parties, not all of which had been reported in the media, and what the owners were seeking in a new owner. “We would like to see what everybody would like to see: We would like to see somebody with ties to San Diego, a deep love of San Diego and a deep love of baseball, so they can continue doing the work that we do in the community and providing the product on the field that the fans enjoy.”
He also stated the team would not be moved.
There have been widespread rumors that if Lacob were to buy the franchise, he would seek to move it out of San Diego to Northern California, where he resides and owns the Warriors.
“I can’t speak as to any details as to what may or may not be negotiated with an ultimate buyer,” Seidler said. “But if you look, a new buyer would be nuts to move the team out of San Diego, with the second-highest attendance in all of baseball last year. San Diego’s a great place for baseball. Baseball is the only major sport in San Diego right now. So, the opportunity is in San Diego, not elsewhere.”
It seems likely that the Padres could have a new owner by Opening Day or very soon thereafter. It’s unlikely most Padres fans will have a strong opinion on who would be the best owner for the team but share Seidler’s hope that a dedication to San Diego and baseball will be their motivation for owning the Padres.
Simplicity and audacity joined forces 10 years ago when one majestic shot and one word said twice stamped the greatest call from the greatest regular season game in NBA history.
The simplicity of broadcaster Mike Breen to enthusiastically yell out “Bang!” And, unknowingly doing so twice. The audacity of Steph Curry to shoot, not heave, a 38-footer to beat the buzzer in a 121-118 Warriors overtime road win against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Feb. 27, 2016. The stakes of a historic season for a player and a team made this game everything that it was.
Curry was closing in on his second straight NBA MVP season, and the first unanimous win in league history. He had scored 51 points the previous game and 42 the one before that. Neither could live up to the 46 points he scored and NBA-record tying 12 threes he made that night in OKC.
The Warriors were 52-5 and weren’t backing down in their pursuit of eclipsing the 72-10 Chicago Bulls from 20 years prior.
NBC Sports Bay Area went in-depth with Warriors coach Steve Kerr and Breen, the man behind the call, for the oral history of the Double Bang Game. Interviews have been edited and condensed.
Steve Kerr (Warriors head coach): “It’s one of the great regular-season games I’ve ever been part of. They were a hell of a team. We were obviously having a historic season, and they dominated the first half. It was one of the great wins of that season, for sure.”
Mike Breen (Hall of Fame broadcaster): “I’ve been doing this a long time. That was one of the most anticipated regular-season games ever. And that’s the thing, is that we all went into the game and couldn’t wait for the game to happen. There was such hype about the game, and then for it to turn out that way, nobody expected that because it was such a historic season for Golden State and they were the greatest show on Earth. It was some of the most beautiful basketball, team basketball, that I had ever seen, and a lot of people had ever seen. It was just a magical season where everything seemed to have this excitement and drama and just pure joy of watching. You couldn’t wait for the next game. OK, what are they going to do? Every arena they went into as the streak built and the historic season built, every arena they went into on the road, even when teams came to visit them, it was the No. 1 game on that team’s schedule.
“So there was the pressure of that. There was the pressure of possibly setting the record for greatest regular season of all time, and then now they’re facing the one team that people thought had a chance to beat them. If you think about it, Oklahoma City’s record in that game was 41-17. They were 41-17 and they were 12 games behind. Amazing, because they were a great team. Oklahoma City was a great team, but Golden State was just playing at a level that very few teams clearly have ever played at, and they were led by this special player that had captured the imagination and the hearts of not only Dub Nation, but basketball fans around the world.”
The Lead Up
Just three weeks earlier, the Warriors and Thunder played each other for the first time as the prelude to an all-time great. The Warriors beat the Thunder 116-108 at Oracle Arena in a game where Curry had a 26-point, 10-assist double-double, and Kevin Durant (40 points and 12 rebounds) and Russell Westbrook (27 points and 12 assists) had double-doubles for the Thunder. They also were set to play each other again four days later, back in Oakland after this thriller in OKC, with all three of their regular-season games being played in less than a four-week span.
While the Warriors were dominating the rest of the league, the Thunder had the third-best record in the NBA and wanted to do everything in their power to prove the Warriors didn’t scare them. Nothing about this felt like another regular-season game.
Kerr: “Yeah, definitely felt like a playoff preview. We knew how good they were and how athletic they were, so definitely had that type of feel for a regular-season game.”
Breen: “We all use the cliche, ‘Oh, this game feels like a playoff atmosphere.’ Well, this game was like a Finals atmosphere. It just had so many great individual players and these two teams playing at such an incredible level, and that building … that building was, and still is, one of the great venues in all sports, in any sport. That team means so much, not just to the fan base, but to the community. It’s such an important part of Oklahoma City, and the people there and they took this game as this is our chance. We’re going to show them that this is not going to be a runaway, that we’re not just going to hand the championship to these Warriors. We’re going to show them how great we are.
“It had all the hype. And as a broadcaster in any game like that, you have to tell yourself, ‘OK, this has a chance to be something special. Let’s not get carried away early and keep your composure.’ All of us who call the games, clearly the No. 1 objective is to call a good professional game, but on certain games, sometimes the fan takes over. I’ve loved basketball since I was a kid. When you get to watch basketball played at this level with this kind of tenacity, sometimes the fan comes out of you.”
The Game
The Thunder raced out to an 8-0 lead and led by as many as 14 points in the first quarter. The Warriors trailed by 10 points after the first quarter, 11 points at halftime and five points after the third quarter. Their first lead wasn’t until Curry made a 3-pointer in the third quarter that put the Warriors ahead 78-77 at the 1:22 mark.
Was there a point where it felt like the Thunder was the better team and simply had the goods to beat them on this night?
Kerr: “Well, because it’s a regular-season game, those thoughts aren’t even going on in your head. It’s just, ‘Hey, let’s just try to win, and we know they’re really good, and let’s see what we can do.’ We always felt like we were in any game that we played because of our firepower and our defense. We knew we were right there and we were just a spurt away from taking the lead, which is exactly what happened.”
Breen: “You thought they certainly had a chance. But we’ve seen so many amazing comebacks, especially by a team of the caliber of the Warriors. So it was not a given. There just were so many other things, like at halftime with Draymond.
Halftime Incident
The Warriors trailed 57-46 at halftime, and then tensions ran hot. Draymond Green and Kerr, in his second season as head coach, get into a heated, expletive-laden argument. Green, three months ago, on his podcast, took listeners behind the scenes to what happened. He says he only attempted two shots (he took three) and Kerr called out both of them, which he took exception to.
Green says that’s when the two started yelling at each other. He also added that he had thrown his shoes and that Kerr had told him he was done playing for the night.
But Kerr doesn’t remember anything about shoes, and his memories of what happened are a bit different.
Kerr: “I remember showing an offensive clip he was involved in. I didn’t remember him shooting it. I remember him not passing it. It was a moment of frustration for him and for me, and yeah, got heated. Yeah, it got heated. Back then, especially, that was something that happened two or three times a year with us and we were both young. A lot of piss and vinegar, as they say.”
Breen: “Here’s this team that has this magical run and they’re playing in the most anticipated regular season game of what has been a historic season. And that’s the game where Draymond Green and Steve Kerr go at it. It was, it was shocking. Like, how could this happen? Really, can this happen? But I think in many ways, that showed the magnitude of the game. The game meant so much to both teams. They realized that the basketball community, everybody was tuned in to watch to see what was going to happen. Even these great Warriors probably felt a little pressure on this particular one, and that’s probably what was part of what happened at halftime.
“We were waiting to see if, ‘OK, is this going to have any impact?’ And we quickly realized that it was going to have zero impact.
ABC’s Lisa Salters served as the game’s sideline reporter. Waiting to interview Kerr outside the visiting locker room, she heard Green yelling profanities, daring and threatening teammates to calm him down, and later in the game reported on her information.
Breen: “I remember coming back out to the court and hearing it, but Lisa Salters was there the whole time. Lisa Salters did an amazing job in getting whatever information she could get, most of it by just being there and hearing it. She wasn’t spying or anything. She was just waiting out to talk to the coach. She was able to gather as much info as she could, and then she did a great job of reporting it. And we’re just looking at each other like, wow, this is unbelievable that this happened.”
Kerr: “I wish it didn’t happen. I’m not gonna sugarcoat it. Yeah, it happened. You adapt to things as you go. We have a great relationship of 12 years of going through everything two people can possibly go through, and I love him. It’s like getting into a fight with a family member. It happens, but it doesn’t take away the love.”
Green in the second half and overtime combined to have eight rebounds, eight assists, four steals and four blocked shots.
Steph’s Injury Scare
Curry scored 15 points in the first half and made all four of the Warriors’ 3-pointers. The Warriors opened the third quarter on a 6-0 run and Curry then jumped a Durant pass to Westbrook. Driving to the basket, Curry stumbled and fell into the stanchion. As he was falling, Westbrook leapt and Curry rolled his left ankle, yelling at his teammates to foul since he couldn’t get up and began limping once he was on his feet.
Breen: “The thing that made us wonder was when he turned his ankle. People forget, there was one time earlier in his career where the Warriors, and I don’t think hesitant is the right word, but they had to have a discussion: ‘Are we going to give this young player a big extension?’ And he’s had all sorts of ankle injuries, because he had quite a few of them early in his career. Here he is in this game, and he turns his ankle and he’s hobbling and he has to leave. And now you wonder, ‘Oh no, please. This amazing game is not going to turn because the star player is out with an ankle injury.’ That was the other concern. [The Warriors] just keep overcoming these adversities to lead to what turned into one of the most spectacular endings in a regular-season game that the NBA has ever seen.
Fourth Quarter
The Warriors hung tough without Curry. It was 57-52 when he exited with 10:29 left in the third quarter. And then, he returned with the Warriors down 70-63 and scored 11 points in the final five minutes of the quarter. The Thunder held a 12-point lead early in the fourth quarter, but the Warriors never went away and brought their best in the final minutes.
Klay Thompson’s 3-pointer with 36 seconds to go in regulation made it a one-point game, 100-99, prompting the Thunder to take a timeout. Durant responded with a 3-pointer of his own to give the Thunder a 103-99 lead with just 14.5 seconds on the clock. Thompson went right by Andre Roberson for an easy layup from an out-of-bounds play after a Warriors timeout, cutting the deficit to two with 11.8 seconds.
Though the Thunder had a timeout at their disposal, the Warriors pulled a perfect trap on Durant, who panicked and threw the ball to halfcourt. Thompson deflects it like a defensive back, Green saves the ball from going out of bounds and gets it back to Thompson, who finds Andre Iguodala for a last-second shot attempt.
Kerr: “Everything is just about strategy at that point. At that point, we’re in Steal, Foul. We call it Steal, Foul. You’re going for the quick steal. You don’t want to foul immediately, because you have time. Perfect trap. It’s exactly what you’re looking for. You’re looking for a moment to trap a guy, cause a difficult pass, make a steal, and it all happened exactly as such, and that’s when Andre got fouled.”
Breen: “It just shows the competitive nature, the back and forth of the game. Oklahoma City, you can’t stress enough what a great team they were. A 12-point lead, or let me put it this way, a 12-point deficit against a team with such an offensive bunch of weapons, like Oklahoma City, that’s not easy to overcome. So much has to go right. We always talk about these different big plays that have happened, and we always focus on the last play and Curry’s 3-pointers, it’s obviously the key to the whole thing. It’s why we talk about this game with such reverence. But there were so many other plays that led to that particular moment. If one of those plays doesn’t happen, the whole thing changes. And that’s the beauty of basketball. Sometimes it’s the big shot, but other times it’s so simple as hitting a big free throw or setting a great screen or getting a deflection. Those all incorporated what happened on that particular game down the stretch that set up the perfect ending for Steph.”
The Free Throws
Iguodala caught the ball with one second left and immediately had a good enough, and quick enough, pump fake to get Durant to leave his feet. Durant is called for a foul on Iguodala’s shot with 0.7 seconds left. On the season, Iguodala was shooting 61 percent from the free-throw line. In the game, he hadn’t shot a single free throw yet. Iguodala makes the first, confidently turns to the Warriors’ sideline and drains the second to tie the game and send it to overtime.
Walking back to the Warriors’ bench, Iguodala shrugs his shoulders as if the two free throws were no big deal.
Kerr: “We get the steal, and then Andre makes a really ballsy play drawing the pump fake and then jumping into Kevin, knowing he was gonna have to make two free throws to tie the game, basically at the buzzer. And then he knocks them down. Andre, you know, not a great free-throw shooter either – a guy who has frequently struggled at the line in his career. Those were two amazing free throws to knock down.”
Breen: “From an announcer standpoint, when you have a game like that and big free throws are coming up, the first thing you do as a play-by-play announcer is you check how many free throws he shot that game. And then you check, is this a great free-throw shooter? Is this an average free-throw shooter? Is this a poor free-throw shooter? He clearly was not having a good season, percentage-wise. But this is one of the smartest players I’ve ever seen. He just had tremendous poise.”
Kerr: “Thinking about it now, it reminded me of when we beat Cleveland in the Finals. I think it was 2017, Game 5, he scored 20 points. It just seemed like the bigger the moment, the better shooter Andre became. And that was a good example.”
Breen: “Are you surprised that he gets the clutch free throws? Not really, because that’s who he was. Great players who have such mental toughness like Iguodala had, that’s what they do. Even a guy who shoots 61 percent from the line, he lives for that moment to show his mental toughness. That’s another thing that makes that game, that particular game, so great, is a player like that, who most people who played with him say he’s one of the all-time great teammates, is able to have his moment and calmly knock down those free throws.
Overtime
The Thunder score the first five points of overtime. Durant fouls out in the first minute-plus and finishes with 37 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and seven 3-pointers. Curry then scores the Warriors’ first seven points of OT and the game is tied 110-110. Back and forth they go, with the Warriors never having the lead until Curry’s final shot.
Before the infamous shot and Breen’s call, Curry’s Splash Brother, Thompson, displayed his two-way impact on both sides of the ball.
Clutch Klay
A Roberson layup gives the Thunder a 118-115 lead with 33.9 seconds left in overtime. Kerr calls a timeout and draws up an out-of-bounds play from the right side where Curry is the passer. Thompson sets a screen for Green up top, back cuts off a Harrison Barnes screen and Green finds him in stride. Absorbing contact from Westbrook, Thompson completes a nifty up-and-under three-point play to tie the game, 118-118, with 29.5 seconds left.
Kerr: “It was a play we ran frequently that year. We had it in our book. It seemed like a good call at the time. It was a different option out of the play that Draymond and Klay sort of made up and ad-libbed. But that’s what basketball players do, you know? The play was something we had run all season long. The guys were very comfortable with it. They both made great reads. The And-1 was particularly fortuitous. To get the free throw on top of that changed the game entirely.”
Thompson then picked up Westbrook full court and ran off a Roberson screen to go 1-on-1 with him. Spectacular defense made Westbrook pick up his dribble and pass the ball to Kyle Singler, who gave it right back to Westbrook, who again tried to go 1-on-1 with Thompson.
No luck. Thompson forced Westbrook to attempt a leaning jumper to his left at the end of the shot clock. The ball bounces hard off the backboard and once off the rim, falling into Iguodala’s hands.
Breen: “Because Thompson is one of the best pure shooters the game has ever seen, Klay’s defense was often overshadowed. That’s the part of that team that I think sometimes doesn’t get the proper recognition. Nobody was better than him. We talk about players who have the ability to hit clutch shots. Well, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, and in this instance, Klay, he had the ability to make clutch defensive plays. So much is spoken about the offensive end, but that’s what made him such a special player, and that’s one of the key reasons, his defense, why they won all those championships.
The Shot
When Iguodala grabs the rebound, Curry begins asking for the ball on the left side. Kerr waits a split second and then motions for everybody to go. The Warriors still have one timeout left but opt not to use it with about five or six seconds remaining. Breen even says, “They do have a timeout, decide not to use it,” right before Curry lets it fly.
Kerr: “If we didn’t have Steph Curry, we would have called a timeout, for sure. But because we had Steph, we knew with five seconds he’s gonna dribble up and shoot a 35-footer, and there’s a great chance it’s going in. And we were wrong. He ended up shooting a 40-footer. But it seemed like a much better option against such a long and athletic team, rather than face a set defense with five seconds left and in the front court, just let Steph go.”
Breen: “I understand that strategy, and a lot of coaches prefer to do that. The problem was, there wasn’t a heck of a lot of time, and even Steph says he wasn’t exactly sure where he was when he took the shot, because he could have taken another dribble or two to get a little closer. But he found the spot, and that’s what made it work, because the defense was scrambling in the open floor on a full-court situation. In hindsight, it clearly was the right call, but I’m sure that’s what Steve Kerr was thinking. Like, no, we’re not going to give them a chance to set up their defense. We’re going to let Steph work his magic.”
Kerr: “There was never any other option besides Steph pulling up and shooting. But as I said, I thought maybe he’d get a little closer. But knowing Steph, he likes the flair for the dramatic and I think he relished taking the shot from as deep as he did, honestly. Part of what makes him special is he’s a showman. And even under the most pressure, he wants to put on a show. He’s just one of a kind, and I think he had every awareness of what was happening in the moment, and he just couldn’t wait to shoot a 40-footer to end the game. That’s how confident he is.”
Breen: “As a play-by-play announcer, you just have to watch him and what he’s going to do. I did think it was a little early, but clearly he had the vision and he had the angle to get off his great shot.”
Both teams are scattering to run back. Curry takes three dribbles, barely crosses halfcourt, uses a stutter step and swishes from 38 feet away and less than a second still on the clock to give the Warriors the 121-118 lead for the win in the greatest regular season game in NBA history.
Kerr: “I just looked at Luke Walton and we just started laughing. I have so many great memories of just looking at Luke those two years when Luke was with us. We would just look at each other and shake our head and laugh, like, how lucky are we to be able to coach this guy and witness these miracles. It was a beautiful moment.”
Breen’s famous “Bang!” calls for big shots had become a staple, especially with Curry. On this night, in this moment, he let out his very first Double Bang, yelling, “Bang! Bang! Oh, what a shot from Curry!”
Kerr: “I think I saw it on SportsCenter that night. He got the double. Got the Double Bang. Pretty great.”
The fan came out of Breen. Admittedly, Breen had no idea he had just given Curry his very first Double Bang call, and still doesn’t remember saying the word twice.
Breen: “It was kind of an out-of-body experience. It was just, it was the buildup of the season. It was the buildup of this magical year that Curry was playing on a level that very few have ever played on. So all this buildup comes to this great game, and these two great teams, an amazing comeback, comes out of the locker room from an injury – it’s like one thing after another. If it’s a movie script, the producers are saying, nah, this could never possibly happen. He hits this extraordinary shot, and I just lost it.
“I talk about those moments you want to do justice for the player in their moment. You want to give the call the proper respect that it deserves. But in that time as a basketball fan, I think I became a fan as much as a broadcaster. A fan of the special ability of this young man, and a fan of the greatest game in the world to give the fans a chance to watch something like this. In many ways, yeah, I was a broadcaster calling it, but I was the basketball fan experiencing it. And I think that’s where it came out of because I just, I kind of lost it.
“I do think the first time I heard it back, I’m like, ‘Oh my goodness, I sound like a screaming fool.’ It was an emotional call, because you knew you just witnessed something that was one of the great moments in NBA history.”
When did you first realize and understand you had made such an iconic call that will live forever?
Breen: “It’s still hard for me to understand. I think the reason that it resonates is because in many ways, and not to be overly dramatic, but that shot changed the NBA. The legend of Steph Curry was already on the way, but it went to another level with that shot. He was so relatable to so many people, that I think that’s an important part of it. He’s not this overpowering, 6-foot-8, 250-pound sculpted athlete. A lot of people could go down to their local park in a pickup game and there would be a guy his size playing. But he had this incredible talent that was produced, obviously God-given, but also with one of the most incredible work ethics. I think that can never be stated enough.
“He made that shot in that moment because of all the work he put in when nobody was around. To see this young man, who not only has this great talent, but has such a beautiful humility about him, it just was a wonderful thing. He changed the definition of long-range shooting forever. Those shots that he takes now, that one is different because it’s in the final seconds, but a lot of these shots were once considered a bad shot and the coach would take you out of the game. Now it’s a part of the way the NBA is played more so every year, and it’s because of this fabulous talent who happened to hit a shot that won a game that everybody still talks about 10 years later.”
What Breen remembers next isn’t his call or the crowd’s reaction. It’s seeing Curry celebrate with his teammates and start dancing as the perfect representation of who he is and what that game was.
Breen: “I remember him dancing after hitting the shot. I don’t think he was in full shimmy mode by those days. He wasn’t doing the Night Night then. I think the fan in him came out as well. There was such joy in his face and his teammates’ faces. Obviously, we didn’t care who won from a broadcasting standpoint, but there was joy in everybody who watched, because you knew you just saw something special.
“It’s an honor and a privilege to call these games, and it’s an honor and a privilege to be involved in a moment like that, especially with a special player and a special man like Steph.”
Curry can’t wrap his head around it being 10 years since his shot and Breen’s call. He marvels at how spot on Breen was in the details and how easily he met the moment. “I’ve heard it enough now I could go word for word,” Curry says.
To put a bow on a night that forever will be part of Curry’s story, NBC Sports Bay Area asked him how he’d describe his shot and what followed. The answer was pure emotions from pure joy.
Curry: “I blacked out and lost my mind, for sure. For sure.”
Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton raised eyebrows this week when he was heard saying in the Lakers locker room his team is "trying to make me Clint Capela."
Those remarks have indeed gotten back to Capela.
The Houston Rockets center took a playful shot at Ayton Thursday night via his Instagram story. Sharing an ESPN post that contained Ayton's comments, Capela wrote "U got 2 of the best floor general in the game my dawg Lockinnn" and included two crying from laughter emojis.
Capela's comments went up roughly around the time when the Lakers' game against the Suns was concluding. Los Angeles lost a heartbreaker, 113-110, as Phoenix's Royce O'Neale hit a 3-pointer in the final seconds. Ayton struggled mightily in the contest.
Fresh off saying he was "Not no Clint Capela," following the Lakers' prior game, Ayton went out and scored just 2 points on 1-for-3 shooting. He added just 4 rebounds in his 23 minutes.
The performance, coinciding with the Lakers' third consecutive loss, is not likely to quiet down the conversation around the former No. 1 overall pick.
Toronto Raptors (34-25, fifth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Washington Wizards (16-42, 13th in the Eastern Conference)
Washington; Saturday, 7 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Washington aims to end its three-game skid when the Wizards take on Toronto.
The Wizards are 11-26 against conference opponents. Washington ranks ninth in the Eastern Conference with 47.5 points per game in the paint led by Anthony Davis averaging 13.1.
The Raptors are 26-15 in conference play. Toronto is fourth in the Eastern Conference allowing just 111.8 points while holding opponents to 46.0% shooting.
The Wizards' 12.7 made 3-pointers per game this season are just 0.2 fewer made shots on average than the 12.9 per game the Raptors give up. The Raptors are shooting 47.1% from the field, 0.4% lower than the 47.5% the Wizards' opponents have shot this season.
The teams square off for the third time this season. In the last meeting on Dec. 27 the Wizards won 138-117 led by 23 points from Kyshawn George, while Brandon Ingram scored 29 points for the Raptors.
TOP PERFORMERS: George is scoring 14.8 points per game with 5.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists for the Wizards. Will Riley is averaging 13.8 points and 4.1 rebounds while shooting 46.8% over the past 10 games.
Scottie Barnes is scoring 19.1 points per game and averaging 8.2 rebounds for the Raptors. Immanuel Quickley is averaging 3.3 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Wizards: 3-7, averaging 110.3 points, 40.9 rebounds, 24.6 assists, 9.1 steals and 5.7 blocks per game while shooting 45.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 124.3 points per game.
Raptors: 5-5, averaging 113.9 points, 42.0 rebounds, 27.6 assists, 9.5 steals and 6.0 blocks per game while shooting 47.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 110.3 points.
INJURIES: Wizards: Anthony Davis: out for season (finger), Cam Whitmore: out for season (shoulder), Kyshawn George: day to day (knee), D'Angelo Russell: day to day (not injury related), Alex Sarr: out (hamstring), Trae Young: out (knee).
Raptors: Collin Murray-Boyles: day to day (lower body).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
New Orleans Pelicans (18-42, 14th in the Western Conference) vs. Utah Jazz (18-41, 13th in the Western Conference)
Salt Lake City; Saturday, 9:30 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: New Orleans visits the Utah Jazz after Saddiq Bey scored 42 points in the Pelicans' 129-118 victory over the Utah Jazz.
The Jazz are 10-28 against conference opponents. Utah has a 4-7 record in one-possession games.
The Pelicans are 11-26 in Western Conference play. New Orleans gives up 120.3 points to opponents and has been outscored by 5.2 points per game.
The Jazz average 118.0 points per game, 2.3 fewer points than the 120.3 the Pelicans allow. The Pelicans average 11.2 made 3-pointers per game this season, 4.3 fewer made shots on average than the 15.5 per game the Jazz allow.
The teams play for the second time this season. In the last matchup on Feb. 27 the Pelicans won 129-118 led by 42 points from Bey, while Ace Bailey scored 23 points for the Jazz.
TOP PERFORMERS: Keyonte George is shooting 45.8% and averaging 23.8 points for the Jazz. Brice Sensabaugh is averaging 2.5 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
Derik Queen is averaging 12.1 points, 7.3 rebounds and four assists for the Pelicans. Bey is averaging 22.2 points over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Jazz: 3-7, averaging 115.9 points, 46.7 rebounds, 27.7 assists, 11.5 steals and 4.1 blocks per game while shooting 46.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 118.6 points per game.
Pelicans: 5-5, averaging 118.2 points, 42.1 rebounds, 26.8 assists, 8.1 steals and 6.0 blocks per game while shooting 48.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 117.6 points.
INJURIES: Jazz: Lauri Markkanen: day to day (ankle), Vince Williams Jr.: out for season (acl), Keyonte George: day to day (ankle), Walker Kessler: out for season (shoulder), Jusuf Nurkic: out for season (nose), Jaren Jackson Jr.: out for season (knee).
Pelicans: Yves Missi: day to day (calf), Trey Murphy III: day to day (shoulder).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Los Angeles Lakers (34-24, sixth in the Western Conference) vs. Golden State Warriors (31-28, eighth in the Western Conference)
San Francisco; Saturday, 8:30 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Los Angeles visits the Golden State Warriors after Luka Doncic scored 41 points in the Lakers' 113-110 loss to the Phoenix Suns.
The Warriors are 21-17 in conference matchups. Golden State is the league leader averaging 16.4 made 3-pointers per game while shooting 36.2% from downtown. Moses Moody leads the team averaging 2.5 makes while shooting 40.5% from 3-point range.
The Lakers are 23-15 in Western Conference play. Los Angeles has a 6-2 record in one-possession games.
The Warriors are shooting 46.2% from the field this season, 2.4 percentage points lower than the 48.6% the Lakers allow to opponents. The Lakers are shooting 49.8% from the field, 2.6% higher than the 47.2% the Warriors' opponents have shot this season.
The teams square off for the third time this season. The Lakers won the last meeting 105-99 on Feb. 8. LeBron James scored 20 points to help lead the Lakers to the victory.
TOP PERFORMERS: Brandin Podziemski is averaging 12.3 points and 3.7 assists for the Warriors. Moody is averaging 15.8 points over the last 10 games.
James is averaging 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and seven assists for the Lakers. Austin Reaves is averaging 17.6 points over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Warriors: 4-6, averaging 112.5 points, 42.8 rebounds, 30.9 assists, 10.2 steals and 3.7 blocks per game while shooting 46.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 114.8 points per game.
Lakers: 5-5, averaging 112.4 points, 38.8 rebounds, 25.7 assists, 8.0 steals and 4.0 blocks per game while shooting 50.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 113.8 points.
INJURIES: Warriors: LJ Cryer: out (hamstring), Kristaps Porzingis: out (achilles), De'Anthony Melton: day to day (knee), Jimmy Butler III: out for season (knee), Draymond Green: day to day (illness management), Stephen Curry: out (knee), Seth Curry: out (back).
Lakers: Rui Hachimura: day to day (illness).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
BOTTOM LINE: Dallas looks to break its six-game home slide with a victory over Memphis.
The Mavericks are 3-9 against opponents in the Southwest Division. Dallas is ninth in the Western Conference with 25.1 assists per game led by Cooper Flagg averaging 4.1.
The Grizzlies are 5-6 against opponents in the Southwest Division. Memphis allows 118.1 points to opponents and has been outscored by 2.7 points per game.
The Mavericks average 10.7 made 3-pointers per game this season, 3.6 fewer makes per game than the Grizzlies give up (14.3). The Grizzlies average 13.5 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.2 more made shots on average than the 12.3 per game the Mavericks give up.
The two teams match up for the third time this season. The Grizzlies defeated the Mavericks 102-96 in their last matchup on Nov. 23. Santi Aldama led the Grizzlies with 20 points, and Klay Thompson led the Mavericks with 22 points.
TOP PERFORMERS: Flagg is shooting 48.2% and averaging 20.4 points for the Mavericks. Thompson is averaging 2.3 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
Cam Spencer is averaging 11.2 points and 5.6 assists for the Grizzlies. GG Jackson is averaging 17 points and 6.2 rebounds over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Mavericks: 2-8, averaging 115.9 points, 42.5 rebounds, 23.7 assists, 7.0 steals and 3.8 blocks per game while shooting 48.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 123.4 points per game.
Grizzlies: 3-7, averaging 119.4 points, 37.9 rebounds, 28.5 assists, 11.7 steals and 4.3 blocks per game while shooting 48.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 125.2 points.
INJURIES: Mavericks: Daniel Gafford: day to day (ankle), Dereck Lively II: out for season (foot), Kyrie Irving: out for season (knee), Cooper Flagg: day to day (foot), P.J. Washington: day to day (ankle).
Grizzlies: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: out for season (finger), Ja Morant: out (elbow), Zach Edey: out (ankle), Cedric Coward: day to day (knee), Santi Aldama: day to day (knee), Brandon Clarke: out (calf).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
BOTTOM LINE: Brooklyn aims to break its six-game slide with a victory over Boston.
The Celtics are 7-5 against division opponents. Boston is ninth in the NBA with 33.1 defensive rebounds per game led by Nikola Vucevic averaging 6.7.
The Nets are 3-9 against the rest of their division. Brooklyn averages 14.8 turnovers per game and is 4-14 when winning the turnover battle.
The Celtics average 15.3 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.9 more made shots on average than the 12.4 per game the Nets give up. The Nets average 13.6 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.4 fewer makes per game than the Celtics allow.
The two teams play for the fourth time this season. The Celtics defeated the Nets 130-126 in overtime in their last matchup on Jan. 24. Payton Pritchard led the Celtics with 32 points, and Michael Porter Jr. led the Nets with 30 points.
TOP PERFORMERS: Jaylen Brown is averaging 29.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.8 assists for the Celtics. Pritchard is averaging 2.9 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
Day'Ron Sharpe is scoring 8.6 points per game and averaging 6.7 rebounds for the Nets. Porter is averaging 15.8 points and 5.3 rebounds over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Celtics: 8-2, averaging 105.5 points, 51.1 rebounds, 25.2 assists, 5.8 steals and 5.6 blocks per game while shooting 44.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 96.7 points per game.
Nets: 2-8, averaging 106.5 points, 41.1 rebounds, 26.7 assists, 8.4 steals and 3.4 blocks per game while shooting 45.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 116.7 points.
INJURIES: Celtics: Jayson Tatum: out (achilles).
Nets: None listed.
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
The Kings' (23-21-14) worst fears against their divisional rival came back to haunt them in a brutal fashion Thursday night. After entering this matchup following last night's embarrassing loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, Los Angeles followed up with an absolute meltdown on defense, losing 8-1 to the Edmonton Oilers (29-23-8).
Edmonton scored twice in the first period and added three more in the second and third to further bury the Kings in the coffin in a very lopsided performance that exposed the Kings' defensive breakdowns, puck battles, face-offs, and lollygagging on offense.
First Period: Early Damage
The warning signs appeared immediately. Edmonton opened the scoring at 12:05 of the first when Ty Emberson finished the clean 3-on-2 rush, beating Darcy Kuemper high glove side to make it 1-0.
EDM Goal - Another one in transition. Emberson from the right-hand circle, scores high glove side. 1-0 Oilers.
Just over a minute later, the Oilers notched in another goal, banking the shot off Kuemper's arm and in for a 2-0 lead. The Kings were handed a power-play opportunity a few minutes later after Darnell Nurse was assessed the double minor for high-sticking Brian Dumoulin, drawing blood. It was a prime chance to build off that physical play.
Instead, LA failed to convert on the power-play, finishing the night 0/2, while the Oilers went 2/3. Los Angeles still managed to score in the period, despite several defensive lapses, when Joel Edmundson's shot from the left side was deflected by Warren Foegle, which found its way through the net, cutting the deficit to 1 and ending the first period with the score 2-1.
LAK Goal - Whoa!
Edmundson's shot from the left point looked like it was deflected by Foegele on the way through, finds a way past Ingram! 2-1.
If the first period showed any hints of where this game was going, the second and third periods were even worse. In a span of six minutes, Edmonton scored three goals, extending their lead to 5-1 just like that. By the time the horn sounded and the second intermission ended, the boos were raining down in Crypto.com Arena.
Fans rightfully boo the Kings off the ice as the second period comes to an end.
The Kings defesnive zone coverage was disorganized, and breakouts were sloppy. Edmonton was taking advantage of all the defensive breakdowns by the Kings, outshooting LA 37-22 and controlling 66.7% of the faceoffs.
Darcy Kuemper, who hasn't played since Feb. 4, was awful tonight, the rust clearly evident, giving up four goals before being benched for Anton Forsberg, who also gave up four goals, both goaltenders combining to give up eight goals.
Third Period: Avalanche Continues
Any hope of ending the game with pride evaporated quickly. Leon Draisaitl scored 31 seconds into the third period, pushing the lead to 6-1, ending the night with his 30th goal of the season.
Jake Walman got on the action a few minutes later, striking twice in a span of two minutes to extend the lead to 8-1, further embarrassing the Kings in front of their home crowd.
Overall, the Oilers stars were dominant, continuing to prove why they're always going to be a problem against the Kings. Connor McDavid also had a great night, finishing with one goal, one assist, and two points, recording 100 points in just 60 games.
The Kings, meanwhile, unraveled and were already defeated by the time the second period ended. Los Angeles lost two players tonight to injury, including Joel Armia and Dew Doughty, but it didn't matter because the scoreboard was already out of control.
The Kings are now trailing 8-1, and the Oilers have stopped really celebrating their goals because it's even embarrassing for them at this point.
This is like when a football up by 35 points is just running the ball up the middle every play and the defense still can't stop them.
Los Angeles clearly has a big issue with their defense; no matter how many forwards they acquire, it's not gonna change a thing until they can improve their defensive line.
A Concering Loss
This has arguably been the worst stretch the Kings have been on this season, and that's saying a lot, considering how bad they've been this season. Coming out of the Olympic break, when they needed to build momentum against their divisional rivals, the Golden Knights and Oilers, playing both games at home, the Kings have so far given up 14 goals and are off to a terrible start to reach the playoffs.
Kings in the Artemi Panarin era:
- 6-4 loss to the heavily depleted Knights - 8-1 loss to the Oilers
If the Kings don't regroup and focus defensively, their season can already be over in a week because of how much separation they're now putting themselves into with these losses. Los Angeles will next play on Saturday at 7:00 pm EST against the Calgary Flames at Crypto.com Arena.
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It just seems fitting that Kon Knueppel has this record.
With a third quarter 3-pointer, Knueppel moved past the Kings' Keegan Murray and took over the record for the most 3-pointers by a rookie in NBA history.
KON MAKES HISTORY ‼️
With this three, Kon Knueppel has set the new NBA rookie record for 3-pointers made in a season! pic.twitter.com/CoaK09QIQY
Knueppel is in the mix for Rookie of the Year, averaging 19.3 points a game while shooting 43.6% from beyond the arc. His shooting was expected, but what has stood out has been his playmaking and offensive diversity, things he didn't get to show off as much at Duke next to Cooper Flagg (the guy he is in the race with for ROY). Knueppel's other advantage in the Rookie of the Year race: He's playing in meaningful games for a Hornets team that appears headed to the play-in in the East.
Knueppel finished with 28 points in Charlotte's win in Indiana on Thursday.
