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Florida rallies to beat Texas Tech

Walter Clayton Jr. rescued top-seeded Florida with two late 3-pointers, and the Gators rallied from nine points down late to reach the Final Four with an 84-79 victory over Texas Tech in the NCAA Tournament’s West Region final on Saturday. The Gators (34-4) trailed 75-66 with less than three minutes to play before staging a furious rally against the third-seeded Red Raiders (28-9), who had done the same in the Sweet 16 against Arkansas. Clayton, who began his college career at Iona, scored 30 points to lead the Gators.

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Blue Devils go wire-to-wire for Elite Eight win

Duke locked down Alabama and toughened up, making enough plays down the stretch to lead from the first possession to the final buzzer. It means the Blue Devils are headed back to the Final Four. Duke beat Alabama 85-65 in the Elite Eight on Saturday night at Prudential Center.

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Lakers bounce back from Chicago heartbreak to earn important win over Memphis

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) and forward LeBron James (23) greet each other.
Lakers stars Luka Doncic, left, and LeBron James celebrate during a 134-127 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday night. (Brandon Dill / Associated Press)

If Saturday felt like a big game, the crowd booming while the music thumped in the fourth quarter, it’s because the teams treated it like one with the final two weeks of the season on their doorstep.

Pushing to the finish line, both the Lakers and the Grizzlies needed some momentum. The Lakers were coming off a heartbreaking loss at the buzzer in Chicago and Memphis was playing its first game after firing longtime coach Taylor Jenkins in a surprise move.

And once the regular season ends, it's very possible the Lakers and the Grizzlies will meet in the first round of the playoffs for the second time in three years.

Read more:Lakers crumble in stunner, losing to Bulls on Josh Giddey's half-court shot at buzzer

An early lead didn’t matter much, the Grizzlies quickly catching up in a game where neither team could ever stop the other.

But in the fourth quarter, Dorian Finney-Smith fought off Zach Edey and Jaren Jackson Jr. for rebounds. Luka Doncic slid his feet to stay in front of Desmond Bane. LeBron James cleaned the glass and Austin Reaves crashed into the paint and put Memphis away with a three-point play, stamping it with an animated air punch.

If there was any emotional damage done by Josh Giddey’s half-court buzzer-beater or James’ late-game gaffes against the Bulls, it never showed, the Lakers fighting off the Grizzlies in a 134-127 win.

“I said before the game that we'll be ready to play. ... I'm not surprised at how hard we played and how well we played tonight,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “I made sure the group knew that I believed still, and that the coaching staff believed and they were resolute in their belief in this team.”

The Lakers’ three stars turned in high-impact games to end their road trip with a win. Reaves had 31 points, seven rebounds and eight assists. Doncic had 29 points, eight rebounds and nine assists, and James scored 25 to go with six rebounds and eight assists.

Redick met with his three stars Saturday morning in an effort to improve how his three stars work together. Against the Grizzlies, the trio dominated.

“I think the meeting was just still trying to build that chemistry amongst the three of us to help the team be successful,” Reaves said. “And I think tonight it just showed that when we play the right way and trust one another, especially offensively, we can have open looks on almost every possession.”

Read more:Team LeBron or Team Stephen A? Charles Barkley and others weigh in on the heated feud

Bane scored 29 points, Jackson had 24 points and Ja Morant, playing for the first time in two weeks, had 22 points for Memphis (44-30). The Lakers made stops when necessary and never got flustered by Memphis making shots.

“You're not gonna play a perfect game,” Reaves said. “But late game, you had to be really locked in to what you were trying to do and I felt like we did that tonight. Obviously, giving up, like you said, 127, it's not how many points we want to give up. So, obviously, we can do better. But when we needed it, we got stops.”

The Lakers got key contributions from their role players, Gabe Vincent making four threes and Rui Hachimura and Finney-Smith each making three as well.

“I think we can get all wide-open shots every time,” Hachimura said.

It’s the third time this season the Lakers (45-29) have beaten the Grizzlies, assuring them of any tiebreaker between the teams in the tight Western Conference playoff race.

And as far as the Grizzlies’ energy was after replacing their coach, Vincent said the Lakers couldn’t afford to concentrate on its impact.

“I feel like we were desperate for a win, so I didn't really give a damn about how they were,” he said.

Saturday’s win pushed the Lakers a game ahead of Memphis for the No. 4 seed in the West. The Lakers host No. 2 Houston on Monday.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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3 Takeaways: Golden Knights Complete Road Trip Sweep, Win Sixth Straight With 3-1 Win In Nashville

NASHVILLE -- The Golden Knights extended their win streak to six games by closing out their three-game road trip with a 3-1 win over the Nashville Predators.

Reilly Smith scored his 11th goal of the season, and first since returning to the Golden Knights just before the trade deadline, to break a 1-1 tie 6:25 into the third period.

"It's definitely nice to be able to help the team win, and a little bit of relief just to see it go in," Smith said. "I feel like I've gotten a lot of opportunities over the last few games and just hitting something and not going in. Sometimes your worst opportunities are the ones that go in and just find it fortunate it bounces in the crease. At the end of the day that it's a big win for us and a really good road trip."

Smith's goal was the team's 52nd power-play goal of the season, tying a franchise record.

Jack Eichel scored his 27th goal while Brett Howden celebrated his 27th birthday with his 22nd goal of the campaign.

Adin Hill made a spot start and made 23 saves for the Knights, one night after making 18 saves in a 5-3 win at Chicago.

Vegas now has 98 points with nine games left on the schedule, nine points ahead of the second-place Los Angeles Kings in the Pacific Division.

Ryan O'Reilly scored Nashville's lone goal while Justus Annunen made 27 stops for the Predators, who were eliminated from the playoffs last week.

Here are three takeaways from the game:

ON THE SPOT: Hill wasn't scheduled to start in Nashville, after playing the night before, but after taking warm-ups, coach Bruce Cassidy said Ilya Samsonov wasn't able to go.

"Sammy just wasn't able to go," he said. "Something tightened up. So that was that. It was not going to be Hilly. We tend not to play a guy back to back, especially this time of year. But that was the choice we were left with, and good on him.

Cassidy added he had "no idea ... because it's something we expected to play right up until 5:10, or something. So hopefully not. Once we get back, it'll be re-evaluated."

COMING TOGETHER: Vegas' third line of Smith, William Karlsson and Victor Olofsson continues to build chemistry. Smith's goal came on the heels of Olofsson's two he scored in Chicago on Friday. With Smith and Karlsson's built-in chemistry after playing together in Vegas from 2017-2023, and now Olofsson a part of the line, the trio becomes an integral combination in the bottom six.

"I think the last two games is a testament of us trying to work with each other more and trying to create more on the rush and in zone," Smith said. "I think our reads have been better over the last two games. We're playing a little bit quicker, a little bit more in sync, and we're getting more opportunities because of it."

PLAYOFF READY: With just nine games remaining and the Golden Knights playing well, Cassidy wasn't ready to concede that his team is in playoff form... yet.

"You never want to get ahead of yourself, but I said last week, I thought we're trending really well, so we're certainly closer to the top of the scale than the bottom, especially our overall game," Cassidy said. "We're not only winning because we're scoring. It's not one thing, it's not one line, it's not one special team. It's, I think, a little bit of everything."

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Nets end six-game losing streak with last-second win over Wizards, 115-112

WASHINGTON (AP) — Drew Timme scored the go-ahead basket on a cutting layup with 7.7 seconds left and the Brooklyn Nets beat the NBA-worst Washington Wizards 115-112 on Saturday night to end a six-game losing streak.

After Timme — playing his second NBA game after signing with the Nets on Friday — gave Brooklyn a 113-112 lead, Washington’s Colby Jones threw the ball out of bounds, and Jalen Wilson hit two free throws to finish the scoring.

Wilson and Tyrese Martin each scored 20 points to help the Nets — 2-9 in their last 11 and 3-16 in their last 19 — avoid a season sweep against the Wizards. Timme finished with 19 points, and Cam Johnson added 18.

Jones and AJ Johnson each had 20 points for Washington. The Wizards were coming off the most-lopsided loss in franchise history, a 162-109 drubbing against Indiana on Thursday night.

Takeaways

Nets: Timme was 9 for 14 from the field and had six rebounds and three assists in about 29 minutes. On Friday at home in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, he had 11 points and 10 rebounds in 25 minutes to become the fifth player in franchise history with a double-double in his NBA debut. The former Gonzaga player averaged 23.0 points in 29 games this season for Long Island in the NBA G League.

Wizards: Washington overcame terrible three-point shooting with 20 first-half free throws to take a 59-51 lead into the break. The Wizards were 1 of 13 on threes in the half, while the Nets went 10 of 30. Brooklyn had 14 fouls in the half.

Key moment

Timme scored the go-ahead basket, with JT Thor called for goaltending.

Key stat

Cam Johnson also had nine rebounds and seven assists.

Up next

Both teams play Monday night. The Nets are at Dallas, and the Wizards host Miami.

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Mets fall on wrong side of pitchers' duel in frustrating 2-1 loss to Astros

The Mets wrapped up their Opening Weekend series on a sour note, falling to the Houston Astros, 2-1, in a rubber game on Saturday night at Daikin Park.

Here are some takeaways...

-- In his first at-bat, Juan Soto benefited from Daikin Park's short left field wall and, well, the Astros’ short left fielder. A towering shot that struck the manual scoreboard resulted in a stand-up double, as Jose Altuve’s leaping attempt to catch the ball was futile. Soto tagged up and advanced to third on a flyout to right from Pete Alonso, but he was ultimately stranded on the corner bag after a Mark Vientos strikeout.

-- Griffin Canning, who earned a rotation spot in spring training, didn't look the least bit fazed by his starting assignment. The leadoff single he allowed to Altuve was a line drive snagged by Vientos deep in the hole, and the long throw to first didn't arrive in time. But the defense picked up Canning moments later, as catcher Luis Torrens gunned down Altuve trying to steal second after a strikeout of Isaac Paredes.

-- Astros starter Spencer Arrighetti locked in after Soto's one-out double in the first, retiring 13 straight batters with four strikeouts through five innings. Canning matched Arrighetti's efficiency with one hit allowed -- the single to Altuve -- and four punch-outs of his own entering the fifth inning, but Houston drew first blood when Jeremy Peña took the Mets' right-hander deep for a leadoff solo home run to left.

-- Jose Siri broke Arrighetti's streak with a leadoff walk in the sixth, and his speed helped put the Mets on the board. After stealing second base with ease and advancing to third on a Francisco Lindor flyout, Siri aggressively charged home on a comebacker to Arrighetti that caught the Astros' infield by surprise once the play was made at first. Siri's bold baserunning helped knot the score, 1-1.

-- Houston managed to get the last laugh against Canning in the sixth. With two outs and a runner on first, Yordan Alvarez crushed a 2-2 slider that dented the center-field wall and brought Paredes home. The mistake pitch was Canning's last, but his Mets debut was strong. He allowed two runs on four hits and two walks with four strikeouts (87 pitches).

-- Jose Butto entered in relief of Canning and prevented further damage by striking out Christian Walker. He returned for the seventh inning, retiring the Astros in order on just seven pitches.

-- New York squandered a prime opportunity to tie the game against reliever Bryan Abreu in the eighth. Torrens led off the inning with a walk, and then Luisangel Acuña entered as a pinch-runner, successfuly stealing second with nobody out. But luck quickly turned Abreu's way, as he punched out Brett Baty and Siri, and induced a Lindor groundout. The Mets' superstar shortstop is now 0-for-11 to start the season.

-- Butto ran into trouble in the eighth, allowing a walk and a single that set up runners on the corners with nobody out. While he induced a grounder to third that resulted in a fielder's choice tag out at home, he loaded the bases with a walk to Paredes. Max Kranick was asked to clean up the mess, and he delivered with a foul out and groundout on five pitches. It was Kranick's first MLB appearance since 2022.

-- The ninth inning began with an intense rematch between Soto and Astros star closer Josh Hader, and this time, Soto reached base by walking on six straight sliders. But there wasn't a rally in the Mets' bones. Alonso popped out to shallow right on one pitch. Brandon Nimmo grounded out, pushing Soto to second. The game ended on a line drive from Vientos that found Peña's glove at short.

-- The Mets recorded just one hit -- Soto's first-inning double -- and they've produced only two knocks since the third inning of Friday's game. Overall, New York hit 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left four on base.

Game MVP: Yordan Alvarez

The clutch hit of the night belonged to the Astros' star slugger, even though it was his only knock in four at-bats. Call it a confidence-booster for Alvarez, who's now hitting .125 through three games.

Highlights

Upcoming schedule

With an unsual Sunday off-day to begin the regular season, the Mets (1-2) will return to South Florida for a three-game set against the division-rival Miami Marlins that starts Monday at 6:40 p.m.

David Peterson is scheduled to take the mound and oppose Cal Quantrill on SNY.

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Ottawa Senators Expand Wild Card Lead With 3-2 Win Over Columbus Blue Jackets

Mar 29, 2025: Ottawa Senators winger Fabian Zetterlund (20) battles in a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. (Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images)

For the second straight game, the Ottawa Senators picked up a huge victory at the expense of an Eastern Conference wild-card hopeful.

Ridly Greig had a goal and an assist as the Senators defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2 at Canadian Tire Centre in front of 17,758 fans. Shane Pinto added two assists, while Linus Ullmark made 29 saves.

Sens headlines:

One On One: GM Steve Staios' Additions Help To Reset The Ottawa Senators

UND Fires Brad Berry, Unofficial Member of Ottawa's Player Development Team

Former Ottawa Senator Jakob Chychrun Gets Massive Deal In Washington

The victory leaves the Senators eight points above the Eastern Conference playoff cut line, ahead of Columbus, the idle Montreal Canadiens, and the New York Rangers. The Rangers will play later on Saturday night in San Jose.

Greig opened the scoring just over seven minutes into the first period, tipping in a low wrist shot from Thomas Chabot. However, the lead lasted only 31 seconds. Ullmark kicked out a big rebound into the slot, allowing Boone Jenner to fire a wrist shot past him to tie the game at 1.

With under six minutes left in the first, Drake Batherson corralled a loose puck in the slot and beat Daniil Tarasov between the legs, restoring Ottawa’s lead.

The Senators were even more dominant in the second period, but Tarasov stymied several great scoring chances. Jake Sanderson did manage to find the net on a two-on-one opportunity. Pinto directed the puck toward the net, and the rebound deflected off Sanderson’s body and in, making it 3-1. The whole play was set up by Greig's slick neutral zone chip pass off the boards that set Pinto free behind the defence.

Entering the third period down by two, Columbus was likely feeling the effects of an emotional game the night before against the Vancouver Canucks. But the Senators failed to finish their chances, letting the Blue Jackets hang around, and with under nine minutes to play, Kirill Marchenko cut the Ottawa lead to 3-2.

That gave the Blue Jackets some life, but despite a hard push, they couldn't find the equalizer. As it was in Thursday's win in Detroit, the third period for the Senators was a 'bend don't break' scenario. But the Sens were the better team and had enough chances to put the game out of reach a lot earlier.

"Yeah, top to bottom everybody was good, so it's good to see," Greig told the media. "I thought we were on top of them throughout the whole game. We were able to turn pucks over and kind of play fast."

Head coach Travis Green says he's pleased that his depth is coming through – all four lines are rolling and contributing at both ends of the rink.

"Yeah, and it's good when you have options as a coach," Green told the media. "You can make subtle changes to your lineup. You know, we've got Gauds and Highzy with Ammo on the fourth line right now (Adam Gaudette, Matthew Highmore, and Michael Amadio). And Ammo has played some really good hockey. The good teams have some depth they can play with and we're getting there for sure."

They'll need that depth on Sunday in a quick turnaround for a 5 pm game in Pittsburgh, where they'll face a Penguins team that's tracking to miss the playoffs for a third straight season.

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Can Missouri's Armand Membou play left tackle in NFL?

(This article was written with the assistance of Castmagic, an AI tool, and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy. Please reach out to us if you notice any mistakes.)

Missouri's Armand Membou has become increasingly prominent among scouts and draft analysts, standing at No. 16 on Yahoo Sports' consensus NFL Draft big board. He is drawing significant attention for his athleticism and potential versatility. Yahoo Sports' Nate Tice analyzed Membou's pros and cons on a podcast episode of "Football 301" with former NFL head coach Mike Tice.  

Membou primarily played right tackle for Missouri. That's where his athleticism truly shines. He plays with excellent change of direction and agility and possesses footwork that stands out, especially in the high-paced college football game. His ability to handle wide receiver screens and perform in open space positions him well for teams that value dynamic offensive line play. Membou's skills with arm extension enables him to keep defenders away effectively, a technique that is critical as linemen face increasingly sophisticated defensive maneuvers.

One crucial question surrounding Membou is his versatility — does he have the capability to transition to left tackle? 

While many believe he possesses the athleticism to make the switch, the spotlight remains on ensuring his technique and strength are where they need to be in the NFL. Membou's fit seems almost tailor-made for schemes that prioritize outside zone runs, thanks to his exceptional ability to get out in space quickly and manage blocking in motion.

Though Membou's agility is undeniable, there are areas for growth that the Missouri standout can focus on to elevate his game further. Improving his strength will be critical, ensuring he can hold his ground against more massive NFL defenders. Nevertheless, with his current trajectory and skills, Membou is set to meet and exceed these challenges through further development.

To hear more NFL discussions, tune into "Football 301" on Apple, Spotify or YouTube.