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"Game Of Inches": Oilers Pull Out Overtime Win In Close Contest vs. Flyers

The Edmonton Oilers started their seven-game road trip in Philadelphia, hoping to find some rhythm and consistency — and while the game was anything but perfect, they somehow found a way to walk out of Xfinity Mobile Arena with two points. Jack Roslovic played the hero for the second straight night, burying the overtime winner after Edmonton nearly let another one slip away.

It was a night that showed both the promise and the problems that continue to define the Oilers’ season — flashes of dominance, stretches of sloppiness, and just enough pushback to make up for both.

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A Strong Start That Looked Promising

The first period was one of the Oilers’ better opening frames in weeks. Both teams traded chances early — Owen Tippett had a dangerous look for the Flyers, while Vasily Podkolzin tested Dan Vladar at the other end. Despite the even shot count midway through the period, Philadelphia had the better scoring opportunities, capitalizing on a few careless Oilers turnovers during clearing attempts.

Momentum began to swing when Nick Seeler was called for a questionable hooking penalty. Edmonton’s power play didn’t convert, but the ice started to tilt. Connor McDavid, who missed the start of the man advantage to fix some equipment, jumped on late and gave the Oilers an energy boost.

Curtis Lazar drove the net hard, crashing into Vladar, who stayed in the game after being shaken up. That sequence seemed to flip a switch for Edmonton. Eventually, Evan Bouchard broke through. McDavid chased down a loose puck off a bank-shot attempt and found Bouchard creeping down from the blue line. The defenseman hammered home a one-timer to make it 1–0.

By the end of the first, the Oilers had completely taken control of the pace and the puck.

  © Eric Hartline Imagn Images  

Edmonton Dominates — Then Lets Up

The second period was more of the same — mostly. Edmonton continued to dictate play, spending long stretches in the Flyers’ zone. Vasily Podkolzin was noticeable again, throwing his weight around and driving the net. McDavid got dumped by Seeler at one point, and the Oilers made sure to let the Flyers know they didn’t appreciate it.

Roslovic looked sharp all night, moving with confidence and creating opportunities almost every shift. But for all that pressure, the Oilers couldn’t extend their lead — and that left the door open.

Late in the period, Philadelphia capitalized. Rookie Matvei Michkov tied it up on the power play, walking off the wall and firing through traffic. The game was tied, and the momentum started to turn.

At that point, you could feel the sense of déjà vu. Edmonton had dominated but failed to capitalize, and there was a real fear that all those missed chances would come back to haunt them.

Oilers’ GM Delivers Damning Update On Team’s Goaltending PlansOilers’ GM Delivers Damning Update On Team’s Goaltending PlansOilers' GM Stan Bowman dismisses goalie trade rumors, pinpointing team-wide issues. There is no relief coming, at least not imminently.

Flyers Push Back, Oilers Hang On

The third period was all Philadelphia. Edmonton’s energy disappeared, and the Flyers went to work, winning battles and outskating the Oilers in every zone. McDavid drew a high stick from Noah Cates — more like a cross-check to the face — but the ensuing power play came up empty.

The Oilers took an iffy penalty of their own when Ty Emberson got called for a hold, and the ice tilted even more in Philadelphia’s favor. By the time Frederic ran over Vladar and took a goaltender interference penalty, Edmonton looked gassed.

Then, disaster — or so it seemed.

With just 23.5 seconds left, Travis Sanheim threw a puck toward the net that was redirected by Travis Konecny to seemingly give the Flyers the win. But a video review saved Edmonton: the Oilers challenged for offside, and it turned out Owen Tippett had crossed the blue line just a split second early. The goal was waved off, and Edmonton lived to try to take a point, then earn the extra in overtime. 

Roslovic Delivers Again

In OT, the Oilers made good on the opportunity handed to them. Jake Walman forced a turnover at center ice with a good stick, which went to Roslovic. He tipped the puck to Savoie on a slick passing play —and Savoie gave it back to Roslovic, who ended it with his second straight overtime winner.

Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) on XEdmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) on XJACKpOT 🎰 #LetsGoOilers

Outside of the end of the first and the second period, the game wasn’t pretty, but it was a win. After the game, when asked about waiting to see if the Flyers were offside: "That's twice in a row, obviously we've got to sharpen up a little better. Obviously, we get the two points, which is big for us. Great challenge by the guys in our room." When asked about the assist by Savoie, "What a great pass, it was an easy bury." When asked about him dragging his skate to stay onside on the play, "PTSD from them," he responded. On scoring back-to-back overtime winners, "It's fun, anything to help the team."

A Game Of Inches

The Oilers were outplayed for most of the third period and nearly handed away a game they controlled for two. But good teams — or at least teams trying to become good again — find ways to win when they’re not at their best.

It may not have been the kind of performance head coach Kris Knoblauch drew up on the whiteboard, but there were positives from the win. He noted the Flyers don't give up very much, and the team remained patient, which was a positive.  "It's a game of inches. They got a goal taken away just being offside by a couple of inches. We were able to get the overtime goal just because we were just onside by a couple of inches."

Oilers will take the result — and the momentum — thanking Roslovic for being the difference-maker in the final moments of the past two games. 

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Jalen Brunson turns right ankle in Knicks loss to Magic, leaves MSG in walking boot

Jalen Brunson appeared to sustain a right ankle injury in Wednesday night's loss to the Orlando Magic and was later seen leaving Madison Square Garden in a walking boot.

Brunson, who turned his right ankle driving the lane late in the fourth quarter, was seen by SNY NBA Insider Ian Begley leaving the arena with a boot and using crutches.

After the 124-107 loss to Orlando, head coach MikeBrown said that the guard "turned his right ankle, but that's all I know."

Brunson, who led the Knicks with 31 points on 10-for-23 shooting, sustained the injury when he stepped on Magic big man Wendell Carter Jr.'s foot as he was driving the lane with 1:54 to play in the game.

He hobbled to the free-throw line and made one of two attempts, but then gingerly walked up to an Orlando player for an intentional foul to get himself out of the game. Brunson then immediately turned and walked to the Knicks locker room, having fouled out moments after Brown emptied the bench.

There was no further word on the possible severity of the injury.

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Houston routs Oakland 78-45 behind Flemings and Sharp

Kingston Flemings had 19 points and nine assists, Emanuel Sharp scored 19 points and top-ranked Houston routed Oakland 78-45 on Wednesday night. Flemings was 8 of 12 from the floor, and Sharp shot 7 of 13, including 5 of 9 on 3-pointers, for Houston (3-0). The Cougars shot 45% and were 9 of 31 on 3-pointers.

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UCLA baseball signs pitcher Fabio Bundi from Zurich, Switzerland

UCLA baseball coach John Savage doesn't care where you come from, as long as you have grades, skills and character. That's why he had no problem Wednesday signing a junior college player from Switzerland, right-handed pitcher Fabio Bundi, who has a 95-mph fastball. He was one of nine players to sign to grant-in-aids.

Bundi, 22, is in his second season playing for Monterey Peninsula College. In Switzerland, he said he got bored playing tennis and soccer, so he turned to baseball when he was 7.

"My life is baseball," he said.

The sport is so little known in Switzerland that Bundi said people ask, "What sport? Do you hit or do you throw?'"

He's 6 feet 2, 200 pounds and has been gaining velocity as he grew in his teenage years. Last season as a freshman, he was 8-2 with a 2.20 ERA and 101 strikeouts in 86 innings. Savage saw him pitch in a Northern California showcase.

Now the question is how good Bundi becomes as a pitcher. With his signing with UCLA, he's certain to attract additional interest from pro baseball scouts this spring. A good season will give him options.

He's been accepted as a student at UCLA but still needs to pass an English test. He's fluent in English, so that shouldn't be a problem.

He said he admires Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes of the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Dodgers' Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

No one would guess he's from Switzerland because his baseball knowledge is high. He does have a little bit of an accent. But when people see his fastball and 12-to-6 curveball, they can only conclude he's a pitcher to watch.

Sign up for UCLA Unlocked for big game takeaways, recruiting buzz and more UCLA sports insights.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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Will Cuylle, Vincent Trocheck score two goals each as Rangers beat Lightning 7-3

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Will Cuylle and Vincent Trocheck each had two goals, and the New York Rangers beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 7-3 on Wednesday night for their second straight win.

J.T. Miller, Alexis Lafrenière and Will Borgen also scored for the Rangers, and Artemi Panarin had four assists. Igor Shesterkin finished with 31 saves as New York improved to 8-1-1 on the road.

Scott Sabourin, Zemgus Girgensons and Jake Guentzel scored for the Lightning, who had won six of their previous seven games. Andrei Vasilevskiy gave up five goals on 13 shots through two periods and Jonas Johansson had six saves in the third.

The Rangers, coming off a 6-3 win against Nashville on Monday night for their first home win, finished with their highest scoring total of the season.

Trocheck pushed New York's lead to 5-3 with 1:41 remaining in the second period as he got a cross-ice pass from Panarin and fired it in from the right circle after Vasilevskiy fell while sliding from his right to his left.

Trocheck scored again at 5:03 of the third from the slot to give the Rangers a three-goal lead, and Cuylle added an empty-netter with 2:11 remaining to cap the scoring.

Cuylle got the Rangers on the scoreboard with a power-play goal at 1:08. Adam Fox's shot from above the inside edge of the left circle deflected off Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak and then the end boards right to Cuylle on the left doorstep for a quick goal.

The Rangers doubled the Lead at 3:31 when Mika Zibanejad's pass went off Miller's skate and in.

Sabourin pulled the Lightning to 2-1 as he beat Shesterkin from the left circle at 6:04 for his first, and Lafrenière scored from the right circle 1:04 later to restore New York's two-goal lead.

Girgensons pulled Tampa Bay back within one with 6:01 left in the first. Oliver Bjoristrand's shot from the slot hit Yanni Gourde in front and Girgensons put the loose puck in.

Borgen capped the Rangers' four-goal opening period with 3:40 remaining and Guentzel scored a short-handed goal 1:12 later to pull the Lightning to 4-3.

Up next

Rangers: Play at Columbus on Saturday.

Lightning: Visit Florida on Saturday.

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Magic overcome Paolo Banchero injury, hand Knicks their first home loss of the season, 124-107

This early in the NBA season, matchups can often be misleading on paper. Coming into Wednesday night, the New York Knicks were 7-3 on the season and 7-0 at home in Madison Square Garden. Meanwhile, the Orlando Magic were sitting at a disappointing 5-6 after being a playoff team for the last two seasons. Yet, that didn’t stop the Magic from coming into the Garden and controlling the game from start to finish, leading 62-42 at the half and withstanding a Knicks run to begin the fourth quarter that invigorated the crowd before ultimately pulling out a 124-107 victory.

“Obviously, them being undefeated at home is great for them,” said Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley before the game. “Our ability just to focus on what we need to do, to come out and just get the win. Not necessarily where it is, but just how we can come together and get that done.”

The Magic certainly got it done on Wednesday. At the center of their success was Franz Wagner. The 24-year-old, who was sporting a mask as he played through a broken nose, was all over the court from the tip, leading the Magic with 28 points on 10-22 from the field, while adding nine rebounds, four assists, two steals, and one block. Five additional Magic players scored in double figures, including 17 points, three rebounds, three assists, and two steals off the bench for Anthony Black, who was thrust into a larger role on offense after Paolo Banchero had to leave the game after just 12 minutes with a groin injury.

On the other side, Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 31 points on 10-23 from the field, while chipping in six assists and three rebounds before fouling out and limping off the court and into the locker room with just two minutes left in the game. Karl Anthony Towns also posted a double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds, but it was not a strong offensive night for the Knicks, who failed to get into any kind of rhythm against an aggressive Magic defense.

While some may be surprised by the emphatic nature of the Magic victory, their performance wouldn’t have caught Knicks’ head coach Mike Brown totally off guard. Perhaps the nature of it would have, but Brown knew before the game even started that the Magic’s early-season record was not indicative of their true talent.

“They're a lot better than what their record says,” he stated almost two hours before tip-off. “They're a big team. They're athletic, they're long, well-coached. Jahmal Mosley has done a fantastic job down there. I think their starting five might be top five in net rating in the NBA, so they can hurt you in a lot of different ways.”

That certainly proved to be true on Wednesday night.

"It's not a statement," said Coach Mosley after the game. "It's our process...We've got to continue to focus on our process, and it starts with the defensive end of the floor."

The Passing That Had Fueled the Knicks’ Offensive Success Vanished vs the Magic

The Knicks had been experiencing a bit of an offensive renaissance under Mike Brown. The new head coach had stressed pace and ball movement on offense, which had led to the Knicks being third in the NBA in offensive rating and sixth in points per game.

A big part of that was how often and effectively the Knicks were moving the ball. Coming into Wednesday's game, the Knicks were making 310.9 passes per game, good for 5th in the NBA. That had led to 28 assists per game (8th-best in the league) and also 75.8 assist-created points (6th in the league). That's a huge improvement from last year, where they made 281.2 passes per game (18th in the league) for 27.5 assists per game (11th) and 68.2 assists created points (15th).

Those passing opportunities were created by the Knicks aggressively attacking the paint and then looking for kickouts.

They had ranked 3rd in the NBA in pass rate off of paint touches at 34.5% and were 5th in the NBA in assist rate on paint touches at 6.6%. Last year, they were 22nd in the NBA in pass rate on paint touches at 26%, but were 4th in the league in assist rate on paint touches (6.3%) so it was a skill they always possessed but weren't using as much as they were capable.

Mike Brown stressed the need to unlock that.

“Are we touching the paint?" he said when asked about the keys to the Knicks' success. "That doesn't just mean on a dribble drive. Are we touching the paint the right way? Are the cuts timely? Not only are we cutting or driving the ball and touching the paint, but are we re-spacing after those cuts in the right timeframe? If we're doing that offensively while sharing the basketball, I'm feeling pretty good.”

However, few of those positive steps in development seemed to show up on Wednesday, and it was evident right from the start. The Knicks had two assists versus eight turnovers at the 9:37 mark of the second quarter. They would finish the half with nine turnovers to just five assists and finish the game with 14 turnovers and 20 assists, a far cry from their 28 a game.

It's most likely just an off night for a tired team, but it also serves as a reminder that this Knicks team is still only 11 games into Mike Brown's tenure, and learning a scheme is not a linear process. There will be setbacks and games where the new habits fail them. Tonight was one of those nights. The key is not to let it bleed into the next game on Friday against the Heat.

The Magic’s Defense is Beginning to Find Its Footing

Some of the Knicks’ struggles on offense could be attributed to them playing the second game of a back-to-back, but the Orlando Magic also need to be credited for playing the type of defense that was a big part of their success in 2024-25.

On Wednesday, the Magic had 10 steals and forced the Knicks into 14 turnovers. That type of performance hasn’t been the norm for Orlando this season. Coming into tonight, the Magic were 15th in the NBA in defensive rating, but they had been 2nd at the end of last season.

Part of that is due to Orlando being less active and effective in the passing lanes. This year, they’re 23rd in the NBA in steals with 7.8 per game, but they were 6th in the league last year with 8.9 steals per game. Last year, the Magic were also 6th in the league in deflections with 17.7 per game. This year, they’re 24th at 15.9 per game.

According to Coach Mosley, some of that was just due to preparation and execution: “We gotta do a better job of knowing personnel and then being able to keep them out of the lane, but also being able to get out to shooters at the same time.”

They certainly did that against the Knicks, holding New York to 11-36 from beyond the arc, good for 30.6%. The Knicks came into tonight tied with the Cavaliers for first in the NBA with 17 made three-pointers per night, and also ranked 6th in the NBA in three-point shooting percentage at 38.5%.

"This is a team that is averaging close to 130 a game," said Coach Mosley after the game. "The way our guys defended. We took that as the first priority. That's who we are, a defensive team that can get out and run and create opportunities because of our defense and just being physical without fouling."

The Magic executed last year’s defensive strategy of bringing a physical mentality to the defensive side of the ball. A few early fouls set the tone for a tough game with plenty of contact, and the referees wound up swallowing their whistles on some calls they may have otherwise made.

“I think we've got to be smart about [fouling],” said Coach Mosley before the game. “The difference in being physical before that ball breaks the three-point line. If we can be as physical there, out on the perimeter, versus when that ball gets in the lane - the swipe downs, the and-ones, the cheap fouls, if you want to say - we’ve got to be smarter there. I think that's a big portion of how we can continue to improve.”

Shooting Continues to be a Weakness for the Magic

The Knicks had been trending in the right direction defensively, but one area where opponents seemingly always have an advantage is from behind the three-point line. Coming into tonight's game, the Knicks are allowing opponents to shoot 37% shooting from three, which was the 2nd-worst mark in the league. That's exacerbated by the fact that they also allow the 2nd-highest three-point frequency in the league. To put it plainly, opponents shoot and make tons of three against the Knicks.

The Magic were obviously well aware of that since they launched 33 shots from beyond the arc on Wednesday. They came into the night 28th in the NBA with just 31.4 three-point attempts per game.

Of course, their infrequent shooting from three is partially by design.

The Magic have a physical team that loves to attack the basket. They came into the night 5th in the NBA in field goals made on drives with 11.5 per game. They were also 8th in the NBA in drives per game at 52.3 and 10th in the NBA in the percentage of points that come on drives at 61.7%. In fact, 72.7% of all Orlando's points come in the paint, which is 7th in the NBA.

A lot of that is a consequence of maximizing the skillset of the players on their roster, but another component of it is that the Magic are simply not a good shooting team.

Heading into their game against the Knicks, the Magic were 20th in the league in effective field goal rate. They were hitting just 33.3% of their three-point shots, which was 25th in the NBA. They take just 22.1 catch-and-shoot threes per game, which puts them 28th in the league, and they make 34.2% of those shots, which is 23rd in the league. In fact, if you include shots from inside the arc, the Magic shoot just 36.2% on all catch-and-shoot opportunities, which is 21st in the NBA.

That was a big reason why the Magic went out and traded for Desmond Bane this offseason. The 27-year-old is a career 40.7% shooter from beyond the arc and a 47.1% shooter overall. He was meant to provide the floor spacing and knockdown shooting that the Magic so desperately needed. Yet, so far this season, he is shooting just 27.7% from three and putting up just 4.3 three-point shots per game, well below his career mark of 6.3

Some of those struggles could simply be that Bane is adjusting to his new teammates, but it also seems like Orlando's offensive scheme is not one that leads to many three-point opportunities. On the season, the Magic are 26th in the NBA in percentage of threes that are deemed open (when the defender is within 4-6 feet). They attempt only 11.1 open threes a game, which is also 26th in raw amount too.

So the Magic aren't getting many open threes, and they're not knocking down many of the threes that they are getting. That sounds an awful lot like the offense we had seen from them in recent years, but this year was meant to be different. Perhaps it still can be.

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Sluggish Knicks can't survive ugly start, fall to Magic 124-107 to end home win streak

The Knicks, playing on the second night of a home back-to-back, looked like a team playing on a quick turnaround as they struggled out of the gate and had a horrendous second quarter that put them in a hole they couldn’t climb out of in a 124-107 loss to the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden.

Jalen Brunson led the Knicks with 31 points on 10-for-23 shooting, but left the game hobbling after turning his ankle while being fouled with two minutes to play. He was a minus-20 in 37 minutes, adding three rebounds, six assists, three turnovers, and six fouls. Karl-Anthony Towns really struggled for offense, as did the rest of the team. He had just 15 points on 6-for-15 shooting with 12 rebounds, four assists, and was a minus-2 in 35 minutes. The three other starters for he home team – OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and MitchellRobinson – combined for 16 points on 6-for-15 shooting. 

The loss snapped New York's five-game winning streak and seven-game home win streak to start the campaign.

The Magic, who lost All-Star Paolo Banchero after the first quarter, got 28 points from Franz Wagner (10-for-22 from the floor) with nine rebounds, four assists, and two steals for a plus-21 in 37 minutes. And 22 points from Desmond Bane (7-for-15) with eight assists and six rebounds and was a plus-13 in 34 minutes. Anthony Black, coming off the bench, helped withstand a little fourth-quarter surge by the Knicks, scoring 17 on 7-for-11 shooting in 24 minutes.

Here are the takeaways...

- Brunson was the Knicks’ offense in the game’s early goings with all four points, but he also had a turnover and a shot blocked that led to Orlando runouts for a Magic lead and an early Mike Brown timeout at the 9:44 mark in the first.

And transition defense was something Brown didn’t like from the Knicks’ second-half performance the night before against the Grizzlies: “We watched [the film], we talked about it, we didn’t do a good job of following our rules. And then we got a little lazy on the things we do in the half-court, too, defensively,” the head coach said pregame. The poor second half the night before had clearly carried over.

A Brunson three gave him 11 in the first, but New York sputtered thanks to six turnovers, including three from Josh Hart off the bench and two from Anunoby. However, Orlando, despite getting plenty of open looks from behind the arc early, but entered as just about the least proficient outside shooting team in the league, and missed seven of 10 in the opening quarter, and New York was down 30-23 after 12 minutes. The Magic were 10-for-24 (41.7 percent) from the floor, besting the Knicks' 7-for-19 (36.8 percent).

Brunson led the Knicks with 16 points, but was 4-for-10 shooting and was a minus-17 in 19 first-half minutes.

- Towns, who entered the night shooting 43.2 percent from the floor (a career low) and 33.3 percent from three (also a career low), got very frustrated with the referees early in the second after he thought he was fouled on a shot attempt and didn't get the call. In a rough first half he had six points on 3-for-7 from the floor (missing two three-point attempts) with seven rebounds, an assist, a steal, a turnover, and two fouls, one of which came out of his frustration over the no-call, and was a minus-16.

In the fourth, Towns finally hit double-digits and put in five quick ones to force a Magic timeout, cutting the lead to 12 with just under 10 to play. And he made it 11 straight games to start the season with 10+ rebounds, but the lead was still 11 with 6:28 to play when he picked up his fifth personal with two fouls in under 15 seconds, the first on a silly reach-in 30 feet from the basket and a loose ball foul fighting for a defensive rebound.

Brunson cut the lead to nine, but after Jalen Suggs drained a deep three and the Knicks guard grabbed his fifth foul on Wagner, who knocked down a pair at the line, with 5:21 to go. But he stayed in the game and hit two shots, but both were answered by Black, scoring five of his nine fourth-quarterpoints to force a timeout with the lead back at 15 at the 4:23 mark.

Brunson drew a pair of offensive fouls, sticking his nose in there, but after Bane knocked down a spot-up three to make it 16 with two to play, Brown emptied the bench as Brunson appeared to roll his ankle in his final act of the night.

- The second quarter was ugly at the start with the home side connecting on just 3 of their first nine (1-for-5 from deep), and an 11-2 Magic run pushed it to a 13-point deficit. A Hart old-fashioned three-point play put a stop to the bleeding, but his next attempt missed, and that sandwiched two more Orlando buckets, and it was 46-31 to the visitors. The Magic lead topped out at 21 before the game hit the half with Orlando ahead 62-42.

The Knicks scored just 19 points in the second, shooting 6-for-20 (30 percent) from the floor in the quarter (1-for-10 from three). And the 42 points and six assists in the first 24 minutes were both season lows for a first half.

- Robinson opened the third quarter by flushing an alley-oop from Brunson (his first bucket), and that began a 9-2 run, but the Knicks’ big man picked up two quick ones to give him four in the game. And he would hit the bench, a tough one to see sit as he had eight boards (five offensive) to that point.

Anunoby knocked down his first field goal of the game (a three at the 7:26 mark of the third), and the Knicks had clearly picked up the intensity on both ends, knocking down 10 of their first 15 and forcing a few turnovers, but five quick points by the Magic pushed their lead back to 16 with four minutes left in the period. And after all that good workgetting the lead down to 11, the Knicks missed their next seven field goal attempts, and the deficit was 18 at the end of the third.

Robinson finished with two points, eight rebounds, and four fouls and was a minus-11 in 17 minutes. Anunoby finished with eight points (2-for-4 shooting) with four rebounds, two blocks, an assist, a steal, and was a plus-1 in 34 minutes. Bridges had a very quiet six points (3-for-9 shooting) with two rebounds, two assists, two steals, and was a minus-19 in 28 minutes.

- Off the bench, Landry Shamet was the first man in for Robinson, who didn’t play Tuesday, just four minutes into the game and knocked down his first attempt (a corner three) a few moments later. He finished with 11 points and was a minus-3 in 27 minutes. 

Guerschon Yabusele knocked down a much-needed three in his first moments on the court to start the second as the Knicks' bench was looking to provide some kind of spark amid a rather listless first half. But didn’t spark anything as the bench had just 14 points in the first half (4-for-15 from the floor and 3-for-12 from deep) with five turnovers and four fouls. He finished with six points and was a minus-4 in just 5 minutes, seeing action again only in garbage time.

Miles McBride had nine points (3-for-8) and was a minus-9 in 21 minutes. Hart finished with 10 points (4-for-10), three rebounds, two assists, and was a minus-16 in 18 minutes.

Game MVP: Franz Wagner

The fifth-year player was the clear bright spot for an Orlando team that appears to have some pieces, but not a complete squad. He stood in stark contrast to a Knicks team that has shown they are a complete squad, but had no pieces on Wednesday night.

What's next

The Knicks conclude the seven-game homestand on Friday night when the Miami Heat come to town. Tip is set for 7:00 p.m.

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Mets announce LHP Nate Lavender's return to Triple-A roster after being outrighted by Rays

The Mets are getting a pitcher back without making a deal this offseason.

The Tampa Bay Rays DFA'd Nate Lavender earlier this month and since he was outrighted off the team's 40-man roster, he will return to the Mets' Triple-A roster.

Lavender was acquired via the Rule 5 Draft last winter, but he suffered an elbow injury that required an internal brace procedure.

The 25-year-old made five Triple-A appearances (one start) with Syracuse in 2024 before he suffered an injury. In that time, he pitched to a 3.86 ERA. Before that, however, Lavender had some buzz heading into the 2024 season after pitching to a 1.74 ERA in seven Double-A appearances and a 3.27 ERA in 35 Triple-A appearances in 2023. 

It's unclear how far along Lavender is in his rehab, but he could pitch for a spot in the bullpen as a depth piece this spring.

 

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David Stearns speaks, GM Meetings in full swing, and the free agent party begins | The Mets Pod

On the latest episode of The Mets Pod presented by Tri-State Cadillac, Connor Rogers and Joe DeMayo react to all the offseason noise coming out of the GM Meetings in Las Vegas.

Connor and Joe react to quotes from Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns about Carson Benge having a chance to make the team, the possible returns of Pete Alonso and Edwin Diaz, the future for Kodai Senga, and the search for a “Number One” starting pitcher. 

The guys go Down on the Farm to decode what Stearns said about Jett Williams, and also answer Mailbag questions about free agents Shota Imanaga, DustinMay, Alek Manoah, and Trent Grisham. 

Be sure to subscribe to The Mets Pod at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Tigers ace Tarik Skubal becomes the 12th pitcher to win consecutive Cy Young Awards

Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal won his second straight American League Cy Young Award on Wednesday, joining elite company after another spectacular season in which the left-hander helped propel Detroit to a playoff berth.

The 28-year-old Skubal became the 12th player to win baseball’s top pitching honor in consecutive years, joining a group that includes Hall of Famers Randy Johnson and Pedro Martinez.

Jacob deGrom was the previous pitcher to win consecutive Cy Youngs, pulling off the feat with the New York Mets in 2018 and 2019. Martinez was the last American League pitcher to do it, in 1999 and 2000.

Skubal posted a 13-6 record with an American League-leading 2.21 ERA and 240 strikeouts in 195 1/3 innings for the Tigers during the regular season, then went 1-0 with a 1.74 ERA in three playoff starts for Detroit, which was eliminated by Seattle in the Division Series.

Skubal received 26 of 30 first-place votes from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. The other four went to runner-up Garrett Crochet of the Boston Red Sox. Crochet led the American League in innings (205 1/3) and strikeouts (255). Hunter Brown of the Houston Astros came in third.

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A year after taking a massive step forward by winning the pitching Triple Crown in the American League on his way to being a unanimous Cy Young Award winner, Skubal backed it up by serving as the anchor for the Tigers during a volatile season in which Detroit squandered a 15 1/2-game lead in the AL Central and was caught by Cleveland down the stretch.

The Tigers got a bit of revenge in the wild-card round, beating the division-champion Guardians in three games thanks in large part to a 14-strikeout gem by Skubal in the series opener.

Skubal’s historic run comes with him set to enter free agency after the 2026 season. Considering the massive contract Skubal could command on the open market, it’s uncertain whether he’ll stay with the Tigers beyond next season.

The NL Cy Young Award winner will be announced later Wednesday, with Pittsburgh star Paul Skenes — whose 1.97 ERA was tops in baseball — heavily expected to become the first pitcher to win the Rookie of the Year one season and a Cy Young Award the next since Dwight Gooden did it with the New York Mets 40 years ago.

Philadelphia’s Cristopher Sanchez and World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto of the Los Angeles Dodgers are the other two finalists in the National League.

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Which Canucks Have Played In 500+ Career NHL Games?

Last night, during the Vancouver Canucks’ 5–3 loss to the Winnipeg Jets, forward Conor Garland played in his 500th career NHL game. Garland is the seventh current Canuck to play 500+ games in the NHL, with only one other reaching the 1000-game mark throughout their career. 

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The seven players who have played in 500+ NHL games throughout their career are Conor Garland (500), Marcus Pettersson (540), Derek Forbort (552), Jake DeBrusk (565), Brock Boeser (570), Evander Kane (948), and Tyler Myers (1084). The only player of these three who have spent every NHL game with the Canucks is Boeser, who has done so throughout a decade within the organization. 

With Myers having hit the 1000-game mark on October 19, 2024, the next Canuck to hit this milestone will be Kane. The forward has 52 games left until he gets to 1000, which is definitely achievable during the 2025–26 season if he stays healthy. If he were to play every game from now, Kane’s 1000th game would be March 26 against the Los Angeles Kings in Vancouver. 

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The Canuck who is most likely to hit the 500-game mark next is center Elias Pettersson, who is currently sitting on 489 NHL games played. If he remains healthy, he’ll complete this milestone during Vancouver’s home game against the Minnesota Wild on December 6. After Pettersson is Filip Hronek with 469 NHL games played, with Hronek’s projected 500th NHL game taking place on January 19 against the New York Islanders. Quinn Hughes (447) and Teddy Blueger (420) round out the rest of the Canucks who have played 400+ games in the NHL. 

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Filip Chytil is the only Canuck looking to reach the 400-game mark in the NHL this year, though whether he hits this milestone this season or not will depend on his injury status throughout the year. After him on the list of NHL games played is Nils Höglander, who has 293. Hitting 300 NHL games is very doable for Höglander this year, though this will also depend on his injury status. As he is expected to be back anywhere from late November to mid-December, it’s very likely that the forward will hit this milestone during the 2025–26 season.

Forwards Kiefer Sherwood (283) and Drew O’Connor (259) are also looking to hit the 300-game mark this season, with both doable depending on how injuries shake out during the remainder of the year. Pierre-Olivier Joseph rounds out the group of players with 200+ NHL games played with 202.  

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Three current members of the Canucks are currently sitting on 100+ games while waiting to play in their 200th. Lukas Reichel (184) is the most likely to hit this milestone first. Nils Åman (132) and MacKenzie MacEachern (126) follow him on the list, though the former is currently with the Abbotsford Canucks and the latter will likely join once more players start returning from injury. 

10 players who have played for the Canucks this season currently have less than 100 NHL games played. Of these 10, Aatu Räty leads the way with 64 games played, followed by defenceman Elias Pettersson (45), Max Sasson (44), Linus Karlsson (42), Arshdeep Bains (39), Victor Mancini (36), Jonathan Lekkerimäki (28), Joseph LaBate (20), Tom Willander (8), and Braeden Cootes (3). With 64 games remaining in the 2025–26 season, only Räty, Pettersson, Sasson, Karlsson, and Bains have a shot at playing in their 100th NHL game this year. Mancini could hypothetically do so as well, but would have to return to play on Thursday against the Carolina Hurricanes and take part in every game until the end of the season. 

Oct 25, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Conor Garland (8) and forward Jake DeBrusk (74) and forward Brock Boeser (6) and forward Elias Pettersson (40) celebrate DebRusk’s goal against the Montreal Canadiens in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images

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