Hawks' Jalen Johnson scores 30 in comeback from injury

Talk about a comeback.

Jalen Johnson scored 30 points in his return from an ankle injury and the Atlanta Hawks beat the Brooklyn Nets124-121 on Saturday, Nov. 7 at State Farm Arena. The Hawks were down by as many as 17 points in the first quarter.

Johnson, 24, had 12 points points in the fourth quarter to bring his team back on top for good. With 39 seconds left in the game, he raced past Julius Randle and drove to the basket to toss in a floater. He was fouled and made the free throw to help secure the victory. The forward also had seven rebounds and six assists.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Aaron Wiggins added 20 points for Atlanta in the Hawks' fourth straight win. Michael Porter Jr. had 25 points for Brooklyn.

Johnson hadn't played in a week, missing three games after spraining his left ankle in the Hawks' loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Halloween.

The day of the Nets matchup, he was listed as probable on the injury report and then was upgraded to available shortly before tipoff.

The Hawks took Johnson as the 20th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. He earned his first All-Star nod last season when he 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game.

He is averaging 18.3 points, 9.0 boards and 7.9 assists this season.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Hawks' Jalen Johnson scores 30 in comeback from injury

Blackhawks Blown Out On Road Again, This Time To Hurricanes 9-2

The Chicago Blackhawks were blown out again. This time, it was at the hands of the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh. Carolina scored the first 7 goals of the game and eventually skated off with a 9-2 victory. 

Before all of the fans were in their seats, the Hurricanes were out to a lead that already had the game out of reach for the Blackhawks. It was as disturbing a performance as you will find from an NHL team at any point this season. 

The Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup in June, and are now 14-3-2 with the NHL's best record in terms of wins and points, but that does not give the Blackhawks an excuse for this performance. 

The first of Chicago's two goals that they scored was off the stick of Roman Kantserov. He buried a Connor Bedard centering pass for his NHL rookie-leading 9th goal of the season. He is truly in a scoring groove now. This extends his point streak to 8 games. 

Connor Bedard made it a two-point night for himself shortly after with a goal of his own. All game, the Bedard line with Roman Kantserov and Tyler Bertuzzi played well, but the rest of the group had no chance against this Hurricanes powerhouse. 

Spencer Knight was pulled in favor of Arvid Soderblom after Carolina scored their 6th goal, but the blame will not be placed on Knight. Never judge a good goalie on a lousy team, which is the case here. The system that the Blackhawks play defensively leaks 2-on-1 chances at an extremely high rate, and no goalie would be able to mask that. 

A players-only meeting was held by the Blackhawks after this loss. Being soundly beaten from the opening whistle to the end for the third game in a row was enough to warrant that, but it probably should have happened a long time ago. 

You can't help but wonder what types of moves are made before their next game. Is there going to be some sort of front office, coaching, or player roster change? Everything is on the table at this point in time. 

Watch Every Chicago Goal

What’s Next For The Blackhawks?

The Chicago Blackhawks will be away from game action until Thursday. The Buffalo Sabres will be at the United Center to close out their season series. 

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Harley has a goal and 2 assists to lead the Stars past the struggling Sharks, 4-3

DALLAS (AP) — Defenseman Thomas Harley scored one of Dallas’ three power-play goals in his first three-point game of the season and the Stars beat the San Jose Sharks 4-3 on Saturday night.

Roope Hintz had a goal and an assist, and Jamie Benn and Jason Robertson also scored for the Stars, who are 3-0-1 in their last four games. Jake Oettinger made 20 saves.

Michael Misa, rookie Ivar Stenberg and Will Smith scored for the Sharks, who were swept in a road back-to-back after losing at Minnesota on Friday night and have dropped five straight, all in regulation.

Macklin Celebrini assisted on each Sharks goal for his fourth three-point game of the season. Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 26 shots.

The Stars are 10-0-1 against the Sharks dating to March 2024.

Harley’s goal put Dallas ahead 4-2 at 14:30 of the second period after the Stars followed Misa’s opening goal with three consecutive scores later in the first period. It was San Jose’s first 1-0 lead in nine games.

Smith pulled the Sharks within a goal with a 5-on-3 score about 2 1/2 minutes after Harley’s goal.

he Stars’ league-best home penalty kill went 5 for 6 and has allowed two goals this season on 34 opportunities, both being 5-on-3’s.

San Jose has allowed seven power-play goals in its last three games.

Dallas’ Wyatt Johnston and Mikko Rantanen had two assists each.

Sharks rookie Eric Pohlkamp had an assist for his first NHL point in his third game.

Benn, whose 18 NHL seasons have all been played with Dallas, has 999 career points.

Dallas is 9-0-0 when scoring at least three goals, 1-5-2 when not — the win coming in a 3-2 shootout.

The Stars began a four-game homestand.

Up next

Sharks: Host the New York Islanders on Monday night.

Stars: Host Winnipeg on Thursday night.

___

See AP’s full NHL coverage here

Knicks 109, Cavaliers 97: “ANOTHER GAME HOLDING THE BAD GUYS UNDER 100”

CLEVELAND, OH - NOVEMBER 7: Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks dunks the ball during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on November 7, 2026 at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Lauren Leigh Bacho/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

The Cavaliers (5-5) beat the Sixers at the Rocket Arena yesterday, so maybe you can blame their sulfurous, rotten-egg performance tonight on fatigue. In their first return to Ohio since sweeping the Eastern Conference Finals, the Knicks (5-4) picked up right where they left off. After piling on a 19-point lead in the third, our heroes let Donovan Mitchell (37 PTS, 13-22 FG) close the gap in the fourth, but he was outdueled yet again by Jalen Bruson (31 PTS, 12-25 FG), Karl-Anthony Towns (29 PTS, 13 RBS) was too strong, and the Knicks closed the door, 109-97.

Not only did our heroes knock off a rival, they played lock-down defense again. We share RJParrot’s enthusiasm: “ANOTHER GAME HOLDING THE BAD GUYS UNDER 100.”

Evan Mobley went right at Karl-Anthony Towns, who recorded his first foul with less than thirty seconds gone. Savvy strategy, Kenny Atkinson, but it wouldn’t work tonight. After that foul, Towns did a good job of avoiding his second infraction for the rest of the half while still playing aggressively and collecting 18 points on 12 shots. He finished the game with two fouls. KAT’s not just hungry for that second ring; I think he’s gunning for MVP.

Josh Hart is still mending a sore ankle, so Landry Shamet started for him again. Shamet has proven to be an offensive weapon, but he attempted two shots in his 13 first-half minutes.

The Cavs had three rotation players on their injury report. With Jarrett Allen out, Meleek Thomas, the 34th pick in this year’s draft, made his second start. The 20-year-old neophyte (9 PTS, 3-10 FG, 24 MIN) drilled back-to-back bombs to give his squad a 16-14 lead with five minutes left. Mike Brown used a timeout to regroup his squad and sub in Mohamed Diawara (2 PTS, 3 RBS, +16, 14 MIN) and Andre Drummond (8 RBS, 14 MIN). Soon after, Dalton Knecht (5 MIN) made his second appearance for the Knicks—and blundered by fouling Mitchell for what became a four-point play.

OAKAAKUYOAK Mario Hezonja is back in the league! He played nine minutes off the bench in the first half for the Ohio Players, scoring zero on two shots. Starter Peyton Watson (who was rumored to have a sore hammy) took six of Cleveland’s first 13 shots, while Mobley had attempted none, Donovan Mitchell one, and James Harden two.

At the other end, Mike Brown was featuring Jalen Brunson and Towns. The latter made all four freebies at the line, while the former missed five of his first six shots. A slow start for Detective Madison, but stick around for sparks. Tyler Kolek also checked in to play alongside Knecht, Shamet, Anunoby, and Towns for the final two minutes. The Knicks were trailing by four, so the move was a vote of confidence by the coach.

With Towns and Anunoby smashing to the rim, the visitors were able to close the gap. The Knicks missed eight three-pointers in the opening frame, were outrebounded by three, and attempted half as many free throws as the Cavs, but nonetheless trailed by a single point at the break, 27-26. Math!

New York’s awful long-range shooting persisted as they missed their first eight attempts of the second quarter. Mikal Bridges (9 PTS, 4-13 FG), in particular, had another woeful offensive half (during which he shot 0-5 from deep), but he redeemed himself with a few fine defensive efforts. Loved when he made the Beard look silly on a drive.

The ink still wet on his contract, Riley Minix provided eight points on 3-of-3 shooting off the bench tonight.

The scoreboard tilted back and forth. New York’s shooting improved. Thomas checked back in for the hosts, and he drilled his third triple in Diawara’s grill. The sophomore was +12 in the half, though, thanks to sharing the floor with Brunson, Jordan Clarkson, Bridges, and Drummond. Cap was cooking. He scored 18 straight Knicks points, outscoring the Cavs by seven himself and giving New York a 52–47 lead.

From there, McBride canned a jumper, Shamet drilled a dinger, and Anunoby hit consecutive triples to give the good guys a 63-53 advantage.

Through the half, both teams shot 44%, but the Knicks got 13 more shots, thanks to ten offensive boards. They also committed just three turnovers to the Cavs’ eight and won the points-off-turnovers battle 12-2. The home team shot 46% from deep to New York’s 32% and still trailed. Brunson topped the box score with 20 so far, while Spida led the Cavs with 11.

Cleveland opened the third with four straight points, both baskets set up by Donovan Mitchell, to cut the Knicks’ lead to 63–57. Jalen Brunson then found Mikal Bridges for a three, bringing him to 9-34 from deep this season. Karl-Anthony Towns cut for a layup to stretch the lead back to 12.

Evan Mobley kept Cleveland close with six points in the opening five minutes, including back-to-back buckets off James Harden feeds. Tyrese Proctor’s step-back three made it 72–65 after a Knicks possession that produced three misses, three offensive rebounds, and a shot-clock violation.

Brunson took over from there. He scored six straight on a floater, a running layup, and a fadeaway, then found Landry Shamet for a three to cap a 9–0 run. Mitchell broke it with a layup, but Brunson fed Mohamed Diawara for one of his own, sending Cleveland to timeout down 83–67. Very encouraging signs from Mo!

Towns chipped in four points, including a putback after Peyton Watson blocked his dunk attempt. OG Anunoby (15 PTS, 4-13 FG) had a block and two boards but missed all four of his shots and scored only at the line. Harden’s two assists to Mobley helped briefly, but he went scoreless in the stretch. When Shamet swished his third triple of the night, New York’s advantage was 19.

With the Knicks playing clean defense and the Cavs running on fumes, a 25-17 third quarter gave our heroes an 88-70 lead heading into the fourth.

The road got bumpy at the outset of the final frame. Kolek acquired his fourth foul; Shamet, Towns, and Anunoby missed multiple shots; and Mitchell and Mobley paired for eight points. Kolek’s been a reliable floor general to head the second unit, but his shooting this season stands at 5-of-19 after tonight’s 0-for-2. Seeing the need for heroics, Towns supplied them while Brunson sat. Smashing the boards and exploiting the false wall of Cleveland’s frontcourt, he reached 29 points, logged his ninth double-double of the season, and scored five straight to restore a 15-point lead.

KAT sat at the middle mark. From there Cap and Spida traded blows. The latter scored Cleveland’s next eight points, and with the score at 102-92, Mike Brown signaled for timeout with 3:15 remaining. Not ready to release his guys yet, Atkinson called for a timeout, too. Time for another Novig commercial.

Out of the break, Brunson and Mitchell traded contested jumpers. KAT was back, but Mobley boxed him out on a Brunson miss. Watson somehow corraled a slippery ball for a layup. Eight-point lead with 1:53 left.

The struggling Bridges came up with a clutch bucket. Shamet fouled Spida, who made one, missed one. Shamet missed from deep, but this time KAT got the board and pitched it to Cap, who was fouled. Just like Donovan, Jalen missed his first freebie. Mitchell tried a rushed trey with Shamet covering, which rimmed out. Anunoby grabbed the board; Spida swatted it out of bounds and got Kenny to contest it. Not only was the call confirmed, but a foul on the Cav was added to it. Insult to injury, you say? Indeed. Sweet victory!

Up Next

Our heroes get two nights off before hosting the Bucks on Tuesday. Safe travels, Knickerbockers.

Sharks Lose Fifth Straight, Fall to Stars 4-3

Macklin Celebrini had a three-point night as the San Jose Sharks nearly completed a comeback against the Dallas Stars, but they were unable to overcome their struggles, particularly on special teams as the Stars won 4-3.

The Sharks' top line had a phenomenal shift, that went on for quite a while as well. It was arguably one of the best shifts we've seen from the Sharks in weeks and fittingly, it ended with a goal as Michael Misa redirected a pass from Macklin Celebrini to give the team in teal a 1-0 lead for just the fifth time this season.

Shortly after the goal, Mikko Rantanen and Mason Marchment took penalties at the same time as Rantanen was called for tripping while Marchment took a controversial embellishment penalty. It then became a 4-on-3 in favor of Dallas, when Jacob Trouba interfered with Roope Hintz. During that unconventional power play, Hintz scored his seventh of the season to tie things up at a goal a piece. 

Stars captain Jamie Benn gave the Stars their first lead of the night, with his third goal of the season, at 15:17 in the first period. After Marchment took a holding penalty, Jason Robertson doubled the Stars' lead with just over three minutes remaining in the opening period. 

2:51 into the second period, Macklin Celebrini connected with Ivar Stenberg on the rush to bring the Sharks back within one. Eric Pohlkamp got the secondary assist, registering his first career NHL point.

Thomas Harley fired a one-timer from the point to make it 4-2 in favor of the Stars while Will Smith served a bench minor penalty for too many men on the ice. With that goal, the Stars' power play improved to three goals in four attempts on the night.

The Sharks' power play finally came through as Will Smith scored with a 5-on-3 advantage late in the middle frame to bring them back within a single goal.

Despite having significant sustained pressure late in the final frame, the Sharks were unable to find an equalizer and lost their fifth straight game.

Nets let another one slip away, fall to Hawks in heartbreaking fashion

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 07: Kingston Flemings #4 Julius Randle #30 of the Brooklyn Nets and Jalen Johnson #1 of the Atlanta Hawks anticipate the rebound during the first quarter at State Farm Arena on November 7, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. 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 Paras Griffin/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Well, that one will sting.

For nearly 47 minutes, the Brooklyn Nets controlled the game against the Atlanta Hawks Saturday night in Georgia. After building a 17-point lead in the first quarter — it wasn’t always pretty — but the Nets didn’t trail until the final two minutes.

However, they couldn’t put it away when it mattered most and fell to Atlanta, 124-121. There were some positives, most notably Nolan Traore’s fast start and the late-game heroics from Mikel Brown Jr. as well as Day’Ron Sharpe’s first triple-double. All of that kept them in the game but ultimately, none of it changes the result, and Brooklyn is now 2-7, still struggling to close out matchups down the stretch.

Brooklyn couldn’t have asked for a much better start. They came out firing, putting up 37 first-quarter points to take a 37-27 lead. The Nets shot 73.7% from the field (14-of-19), including 6-of-10 from three, led by the fast-rising French point guard…

The ball movement was also on full display early, dishing out 11 assists on 14 made baskets. Eight different players found the scoring column, with the Nets building a lead as large as 17 before Atlanta started to chip away at the end of the frame.

Of course, it wasn’t going to be that easy for the rest of the game. By the end of the first, you could already feel Atlanta gaining some ground after an ugly first few minutes. In the second quarter, they trimmed their deficit to just four, at 70-66 entering the break. Turnovers became a big issue for the Nets, allowing the Hawks to stay in the game.

The Nets committed 11 turnovers in the first half, which gave the Hawks 15 points. As Jordi Fernandez noted post-game, it was a game long issue.

“We were not consistent enough to do the right things,” said the head coach And it’s not about making shots. It’s about, you know, trying to do the right things. Obviously, the points off turnovers, like I said before, this is a team that you know will pressure you. And we had 22 turnovers for 28 points. And that’s not acceptable. That’s where you lose the game.”

Brooklyn also got dominated in the paint, allowing a whopping 42 points on the inside compared to their 22. Atlanta put up 39 paint points in the second quarter alone.

Despite the turnovers, the Nets still scored at a high level. Michael Porter Jr. had 18 in the first half, while Nolan Traoré continued his excellent start to the season with 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting. Day’Ron Sharpe also thrived as a facilitator, logging eight assists in the first half. He had set a career high with eight assists on Wednesday, and that number rose to 13 on Saturday, when he also came away with his first triple-double, logging 12 points and 10 rebounds. All positive, but…

The crazy part is that the Nets shot 65.7% from the field and 50% from three in the first half, yet still had just a four-point lead. When you turn the. ball over that many times, that’s what happens.

The Nets started to settle things down coming out of the locker room, though. They won the third quarter, 25-22, to take a 95-88 lead heading into the final frame. While the same level of offensive efficiency wasn’t there, Brooklyn’s defense became more consistent and prevented the Hawks from carrying their momentum into the second half.

The turnover issues remained prevalent for the Nets, as the total reached 16 through three quarters. However, they limited the damage on the defensive end. FernĂĄndez clearly made adjustments coming out of halftime, and those adjustments played a key role in Brooklyn retaining their lead.

Despite struggling offensively through the first three quarters and missing his first seven shots, Mikel Brown Jr. came up clutch in the fourth quarter with three huge shots from deep. After entering the final quarter with just five points, he finished with 18.

However, Fernandez decided against playing his two 20-year-olds together. While Brown Jr. was leading the charge, Traore sat on the bench for the entire fourth quarter. Was it defense or does the head coach have a problem playing the two together? Fernandez admitted he went with the hot hand — Brown Jr. — rather than play his two 20-year-olds together.

“I thought that Mikel had those five straight points, and I just let him roll. Because you cannot just keep taking them in and out.” he argued. “So I thought that that was the right thing to do. Was it right? I don’t know.”

No matter what the young Nets couldn’t finish.

While the game was back-and-forth throughout, the Nets didn’t give up their first lead until there was 1:26 left in the fourth quarter. The game hadn’t even been tied; Brooklyn led the entire time until then. After that, though, the Nets failed to score another point and fell 124-121. The Hawks, led by Jalen Johnson, closed the game with a 14-7 run.

Fernandez said that with such a young team, it’s a work in progress.

“I’m happy with what I’m seeing and the commitment and playing hard, and now the communication is way better,” he said. “It seems more like a connected group. We’re rebounding better, especially defensively. So, all those things are important. And it’s a testament to the work that the guys put in, the coaches, and getting one percent better every day.”

Saturday was a disappointing loss for the Nets. Going from up 17 and not down once to losing in the final two minutes is rough, and yet another example that Brooklyn’s young core is still developing and learning how to win games. The turnovers also continued to hurt them, as they committed six more in the final frame.

The encouraging element, of course, is Brown Jr.’s strong play, especially down the stretch. It’s the second time he’s really risen to the occasion in big moments, with last week’s loss to the Boston Celtics as another example before his rookie blunder cost them in overtime.

Final Score: Atlanta Hawks, 124, Brooklyn Nets, 121.

Milestone Watch

It was a big night for Day’Ron Sharpe. The 6’10” 25-year-old recorded his first career triple-double and the first triple-double ever by a Nets center. Sharpe finished with 12 points, 1o rebounds and 13 assists, the final figure also a record for Nets 5. It was also the Nets first triple-double in nearly a year. Nic Claxton who Sharpe replaced in the starting line up this season had a game of 14 points, 1o rebounds and 10 assists last December.

Next Up

The Nets will have a quick turnaround, heading to Dallas on Sunday to face the Mavericks in the second leg of their back-to-back. Dallas enters the matchup at 5-4, coming off a 112-100 victory over the Utah Jazz on Friday.

After letting a golden opportunity slip away against Atlanta, the Nets will look to get back in the win column on Sunday. The question becomes: can Brooklyn put together a complete 48-minute performance to secure the victory? That’s what they’ve struggled to do most consistently this season.

Messi claims second straight Golden Boot as Nashville sets points record on MLS Decision Day

  • Messi first to win consecutive MLS Golden Boots

  • Inter Miami surrender 3-0 lead in dramatic draw

  • Nashville set new league record with 77 points

Lionel Messi won his second consecutive MLS Golden Boot award on Saturday, but Inter Miami squandered a three-goal lead in a 3-3 draw with Charlotte on the final day of the regular season.

The Argentine superstar failed to score but set up Miami’s first two goals from corners at Nu Stadium as the defending champions secured second place in the Eastern Conference and home-field advantage for the first two rounds of the playoffs.

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Islanders blow late lead and fall to Devils on Jack Hughes’ OT goal

An image collage containing 1 images, Image 1 shows A smiling Jack Hughes (left front) is all smiles as he acknowledges the fans after scoring the game-winning goal in the Devils' 5-4 OT win over the Islanders on Nov. 7, 2026 at Prudential Center

The morning’s undertones told you that the Islanders’ lineup could look different awfully soon. The evening’s overtones told you that might be a good and necessary thing.

As much as the Islanders have every right to be livid with how this game was refereed — from the stripes seeming to miss an Adam Pelech high stick before calling it off the arena video board to Luke Hughes’ brazen trip of Matthew Schaefer that went uncalled seconds before Jack Hughes won it in overtime, not to mention the 4-0 power-play disparity — the fact staring them at the end of this 5-4 overtime defeat was that they were badly outplayed by the Devils.

“Did we deserve a win tonight? Probably not,” coach Pete DeBoer said.

A smiling Jack Hughes (left front) is all smiles as he acknowledges the fans after scoring the game-winning goal in the Devils’ 5-4 OT win over the Islanders on Nov. 7, 2026 at UBS Arena. Brad Penner-Imagn Images

That was the case not only Saturday but also in the first two games of this homestand, both of which ended in defeat.

There were feel-good spots in this subplot-rife game, namely Ilya Sorokin’s 45-save night and Schaefer’s beatdown of Luke Hughes in a gloves-on fight, but the best news the Islanders had all day happened hours before when Mathew Barzal and Matias Maccelli shed their non-contact jerseys at morning skate. Though DeBoer didn’t say whether the pair will travel to California on Sunday, their returns to the lineup are starting to look like a matter of when. They can’t make it back soon enough, and ditto for Ryan Pulock and Calum Ritchie.

As for the lineup DeBoer did have at his disposal, well, it’s never a good thing when pregame line changes get abandoned after one period, as happened here.

The decision to take Scott Mayfield out of the lineup and leave the Islanders short on penalty killers was a head-scratcher as well.

This, though, was much more about the Islanders struggling to get to their game than any coaching decision. The intensity was there and lent itself to the best atmosphere of the season at UBS Arena, but even in getting out to a 4-2 lead, the Islanders never had a forecheck and never put extended pressure on the Devils’ zone.

More than anything, the difference going into the third period was goaltending — one accentuated even more when Sorokin stretched out his right pad to deny Nico Hischier at the backdoor 1:01 into in the final period.

Matthew Schaefer scores a first period goal on Jake Allen during the Islanders’ OT loss to the Devils. Robert Sabo for New York Post

The goaltending from Sorokin, who stuck out the same pad to deny Hischier a second time a little more than five minutes later, was a sign of the chances the Islanders were bleeding. Luke Evangelista cut it to 4-3 on a shift that saw Sorokin make multiple acrobatic saves before the Devils finally stuck one by him at the 6:08 mark.

“It’s fun watching him, but we can’t make him stop those every night,” Schaefer said. “It’s not fair to him. We gotta help him out a little more.”

That wasn’t the only way the Islanders beat themselves Saturday. Their penalty kill held out admirably, but the decision to go one penalty killer short bit them late in the third, along with an in-arena replay that seemed to influence the (correct) high-sticking call on Pelech that put the Islanders at 5-on-3 at 12:35 of the third.

After killing off the two-man advantage, the Islanders — who had leaned heavily on Pelech at 4-on-5 all night along with Logan Stanley — let up a power-play goal on a Dougie Hamilton one-timer that tied the game.

That wasn’t the only way the Islanders beat themselves Saturday. Their penalty kill held out admirably, but the decision to go one penalty killer short bit them late in the third, along with an in-arena replay that seemed to influence the (correct) high-sticking call on Pelech that put the Islanders at 5-on-3 at 12:35 of the third.

After killing off the two-man advantage, the Islanders — who had leaned heavily on Pelech at 4-on-5 all night along with Logan Stanley — let up a power-play goal on a Dougie Hamilton one-timer that tied the game.

Declan Chisholm scores a goal on Ilya Sorokin during the Devils’ comeback win over the Islanders in OT. Robert Sabo for New York Post

The Islanders hung on for a point and felt the second was stolen from them on the uncalled trip of Schaefer. While the crowd was still screaming for a whistle, Jack Hughes had all the time in the world to pick his spot on a 2-on-0 break and score the overtime winner.

“I think it’s an obvious penalty,” Simon Holmstrom said. “If you compare them to the other ones, I think it’s pretty obvious. It is what it is.”

Schaefer was more diplomatic.

“It could’ve gone both ways, but I thought I did [get tripped],” he said. “But they could’ve seen otherwise. At the end of the day, it’s a good hockey game. They fought back. I thought we could’ve had a little bit of a better game leading up to it.”

Recap: Wizards lose to Thunder, 114-75

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - NOVEMBER 7: AJ Dybantsa #4 of the Washington Wizards drives to the basket during the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on November 7, 2026 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

…and that … was an ugly one.

The Washington Wizards lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder 114-75 on Saturday night at the Paycom Center. The Wizards are now 4-6 while the Thunder improve to 8-2.

Washington finished the first quarter down 25-19 shooting under 30 percent in the period. That was the warning sign and it persisted through the rest of the first half. The Wizards were down 57-36 at the end of the first half and … yeah. They shot just 28.8 percent for the half while the Thunder shot 50 percent.

If Alex Sarr didn’t have a double double in the first half with 13 points and 11 rebounds, there wouldn’t be much to root for. It also didn’t help that Anthony Davis missed his second straight game due to an ankle injury he suffered earlier in the week.

After the third quarter, Washington was down 90-59, so let’s just say that by then, I decided to start writing the recap. The Wizards ended up shooting under 30 percent from the field, and 7-of-43 from the three point line. It was ugly.

AJ Dybantsa led the Wizards with 19 points overall, while Sarr finished with 15 points and 14 rebounds. Trae Young only scored 4 points on 1-of-6 shooting.

For the Thunder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led with 30 points.

The Wizards’ next game is against the Detroit Pistons on the road Monday. Tip off is at 7 p.m. ET. See you then.

Cavs lose to Knicks 109-97 as Brunson and Towns combine for 60 points

CLEVELAND, OH - NOVEMBER 7: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks handles the ball during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on November 7, 2026 at the Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

The Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the New York Knicks 109-97. Donovan Mitchell finished with a season-high 37 points.

The Cavs started strong for the second night in a row, showing active hands defensively in the first quarter to force three Knicks turnovers. They also held the Knicks to just 3-of-11 three-point shooting in the opening quarter.

Karl-Anthony Towns kept New York attached. He scored 14 points in the first quarter while throwing down a pair of thunderous dunks. This was a much more difficult matchup for Mobley than the previous night, when he held Joel Embiid to 0-of-9 shooting.

A Knicks run led by Jalen Brunson put New York back in front going into halftime. Brunson hit tough shots en route to 16 points in a five-minute stretch. He finished the first half with 20 points.

Cleveland trailed 63-53 at halftime. Then the Knicks blew it open in the third quarter to extend an 18-point lead into the final frame.

New York’s quick-hitting offense, which thrives on off-ball movement and screening, had the Cavs perpetually lost throughout the night. James Harden struggled to navigate screens, while the rest of the Cavaliers (even Evan Mobley) weren’t able to communicate cleanly enough to avoid giving up opportunities at the rim.

This proved to be a bad combination for the Cavs in last year’s playoffs, and it looks like their personnel still isn’t able to keep up with New York’s offense.

Towns and Brunson ended with a combined 60 points. The Cavs ended this game needing far more from Evan Mobley and James Harden. The two combined for just 19 points. It felt like Mitchell was the only Cavalier who could find his shot for most of the night.

Of course, the Cavs were without some key players tonight. Jarrett Allen missed his third straight game, while Jaylon Tyson has been sidelined since before Halloween. Sam Merrill, who injured his elbow in Friday’s game, was also out tonight.

Still, there’s a larger trend of the Knicks simply outplaying the Cavs. Sometimes a team has your number, and it feels like the Knicks have held an advantage over Cleveland since 2023.

Hawks overcome early 17-point deficit to defeat Nets 124-121

ATLANTA, GA - NOVEMBER 7: Jalen Johnson #1 of the Atlanta Hawks handles the ball during the game against the Brooklyn Nets on November 7, 2026 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Joe Boatman/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

The Atlanta Hawks were in action on Saturday night to face the Brooklyn Nets. After coming off a big NBA Cup win against the Washington Wizards the night before, the Hawks were looking to make it four victories in a row for the week. The Nets came into this game after winning their previous game against the Charlotte Hornets.

The good news for the Hawks is that they got Jalen Johnson back after he missed the last three games with an ankle sprain.

As much as it was good news to get one of their frontcourt players back, they lost Onyeka Okongwu on the first play of the game after he was elbowed in the mouth (he returned later in the quarter). That must’ve had an effect on the entire team, because they went down early and fast in the first.

The Nets were making almost every shot they took, while the Hawks struggled to find a basket at times. Johnson was able to get some easy points on his return to the court.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker continued his hot shooting throughout the season, knocking down a pair of 3-pointers to keep the Hawks afloat.

Okongwu made a return after a short stint in the locker room and found Aaron Wiggins for this easy layup.

The Nets still managed to keep a double-digit lead heading into the second as the Hawks trailed 37-27.

The Hawks got into more of a rhythm in the second, and they turned defense into offense with the help of Dyson Daniels and Zuby Ejiofor.

It wasn’t long after that Wiggins and Johnson did the same thing, getting the Hawks easy points on the other end.

The Hawks were able to cut their deficit to single digits through the middle of the quarter, but the Nets ran up their lead again. Toward the end of the half, the Hawks started to make a strong run, and it helped them cut their deficit down tremendously.

Flemings use his speed to get this layup.

The Hawks got in transition a lot down the stretch, and Johnson led the way in that category to get them back into the game. Going into halftime, the Hawks trailed 70-66.

The start of the quarter was slow for the Hawks, and they weren’t able to capitalize much on bringing their deficit down before the half. The Nets continued to execute and get easy shots, but it was the second-chance opportunities they created that hurt the Hawks as well.

Johnson got out on the break again for an easy two points.

The Hawks had a lot of chances to cut their lead down, but the shots just weren’t going in. Most of the shots came up short, which may have something to do with playing the night before. Nonetheless, it was their defense that still kept them in the game.

Going into the fourth, the Hawks trailed 95-91.

It was the Wiggins show to start the fourth for the Hawks, as he scored eight straight points.

The Hawks got their deficit down to at least one point several times during their run, but they either weren’t able to score or get a stop to take the lead. That didn’t stop the Hawks from competing, even if they only had one shoe.

Wiggins continued knocking down big shots to keep the Hawks in it.

Alexander-Walker got mixey down the stretch and dropped a Nets defender, and then got this floater to go.

The Hawks kept fighting, and they were eventually able to take the lead with less than two minutes remaining. Seconds later, they were able to turn their defense into offense again to gain a 3-point lead.

It didn’t stop there, and Flemings got a huge block on Michael Porter Jr. that gave the Hawks the ball. On the next possession, Johnson was able to get downhill for an and-one to extend their lead.

The Nets tried to make a last-second effort to get their lead back, but the Hawks were able to execute and walk away with the win.

Johnson finished with 30 points, Wiggins and Alexander-Walker finished with 20 points, and Daniels finished with nine points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and six steals.

The Hawks will be back in action on Monday to face the Los Angeles Lakers.

Devils 5, Islanders 4 (O): No calls, Jersey onslaught undermines Sorokin’s Herculean night

Not getting a break. | NHLI via Getty Images

The Islanders were heavily outshot and often outplayed on a night where Ilya Sorokin faced 50 shots, but a nice balance of scoring provided enough of a cushion to get a regulation point after the Devils erased a 4-2 deficit to win in overtime on a controversial Jack Hughes breakaway.

Anthony Duclair, Victor Eklund and Simon Holmstrom each had goals to spread the scoring around. (Matthew Schaefer also scored, but come on he’s expected to.)

The teams traded quick goals in spurts through the first two periods. The Islanders got on the board thanks to alert play by Emil Heineman to set up Duclair when Jake Allen was unable-by-law to touch a dump in outside the trapezoid. The Devils tied it 17 seconds later, but the Isles answered two minutes after that with Matthew Schaefer’s fifth goal of the season.

Eklund’s goal to make it 4-2 midway through the second was mostly Tony DeAngelo’s shot after a good stretch of Isles pressure, but Eklund was in the paint to knock the rebound in, and Heineman was also there in case the Swede didn’t get to it first.

[NHL Gamecenter | Game Summary | Event Summary | Natural Stat Trick]

A thorough scrum late in the second created five penalties, with the Islanders somehow getting the extra, giving New Jersey a power play that carried over into the final period.

And trailing by two entering the third, the Devils started it with a relentless push that continued after that power play expired. Ilya Sorokin made a medley of saves before Luke Evangelista used a mix of hand-eye coordination and luck to corral an airborne rebound behind the net, then whiff but have it bounce in off Sorokin’s back.

Then the Islanders got into costly penalty trouble, which frustrated them since they hadn’t received a call all night, but the penalties they took were undeniable.

A 5-on-3 caused by a tough-luck Adam Pelech high stick was killed off well, but the Devils used the remaining 5-on-4 to get the equalizer that had appeared to be coming for a while.

Of course, had the Islanders received any makeup calls, it probably wouldn’t have mattered since their power play is terrible. But the lack of calls really stood out when Schaefer was taken down by Luke Hughes on a rush in overtime, leading to a 2-on-0 rush the other way where Jack Hughes scored the game winner.

Was it a penalty? Debatable, though you’ve certainly “seen it given” in the modern NHL where any arm-wrap risks getting called. Schaefer’s leg appeared to give out on its own, but Hughes’ arm was around him in a way that is sometimes whistled if it’s in the second period. It was an ironic turn, given the two young defensemen went at it, gloves on, during that scrum earlier in the game.

Anyway, the Devils went the other way and scored, and Sorokin took the L and five goals against on a night where he made 45 saves, a ton of them with a high degree of difficulty.

The Isles salvage one point to take with them on their way to California.

Shaquille O’Neal hits Angel Reese with all-time troll job at LSU vs Alabama game

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Angel Reese sits courtside at a game, wearing a zebra-print top and embellished sunglasses, Image 2 shows Shaquille O'Neal wearing a black t-shirt and holding a skateboard at New York Comic Con
Shaquille O'Neal trolls Angel Reese.

Angel Reese will never stop being trolled from her own celebration.

Just before LSU fell, 31-13 to Alabama at Tiger Stadium, Reese was seen hanging out with her fellow LSU alumni, Shaquille O’Neal, and that’s when he continued, what’s been a recent tradition of trolling the former National Champion.

Reese was filming O’Neal on the LSU sideline, and when she pointed the camera at him and told him to say something, he put his two fingers together and hit her with the “too small” celebration.

After he taunted her, Reese is heard in the video saying, “it’s okay, it’s okay,” and then jokingly forces her camera in his face, pretending to be taking a shot at the four-time NBA champion.

Shaquille O”Neal at Fanatics Fest over the summer. ZUMAPRESS.com

The “too small” celebration has been thrown at Reese’s way since she did it in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals.

During the series, the Valkyries ended up getting the last laugh after the two teams went a full seven games, resulting in Golden State Prevailing with a 68-63 victory.

In Game 7, Gabby Williams led the Valkyries with 30 points, where she scored 28 in the second half.


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Once the game was called, Warriors rookie sensation Yaxel Lendeborg, who was in attendance was seen running onto the court and started taunting Reese with her own celebration.

The trolling continued into this past week, during the Valkyries Championship Parade, when former Warriors big man, Festus Ezeli, was seen holding a shirt of Reese doing the gesture.

Ezeli later put on the shirt and was doing the “too small” taunt to the fans in attendance.

Shaquille O’Neal dunking as a member of the Lakers. NBAE via Getty Images

While O’Neal was taunting Reese, it comes from a place of love, as he’s grown to be a father figure to her.

O’Neal went to LSU from 1989-1992 and was the National Player of the Year winniner for the 1991 season.

After spending his first four seasons with the Orlando Magic, O’Neal signed a record-breaking deal with the Lakers in 1996 — that would be followed up with a second contract in 2003.

Angel Reese sitting courtside at an NBA game between the Timberwolves and Pelicans. AP Photo/Matthew Hinton

Reese played two seasons at LSU, from 2022-2024.

After her senior season ended, she was drafted with the No.7 overall pick by the Chicago Sky.

Newhook scores twice in the Canadiens’ 4-2 win over the Maple Leafs

TORONTO (AP) — Alex Newhook scored twice in the first period, Jacob Fowler made 26 saves and the Montreal Canadiens beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 on Saturday night.

Chris Kreider and Zachary Bolduc also scored for Montreal (11-3-3). The Canadiens have won seven of their last eight games.

William Nylander and Gavin McKenna scored for Toronto (8-8-2), and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 24 shots. The Maple Leafs have lost two straight and four of five in regulation.

The Canadiens opened the scoring at 5:56 of the first when Newhook’s pass in front of Bobrovsky pinballed into Toronto’s net after a giveaway by McKenna started the sequence. Newhook then tipped in Kaiden Guhle’s point shot with 6:54 left.

The Canadiens made it 3-0 on a breakaway with 7:03 to go in the second when Kreider intercepted McKenna's pass at Montreal’s blue line and beat Bobrovsky past his blocker. Toronto’s rookie winger was benched for the rest of the period.

Nylander blasted a one-timer on a power play at 6:19 of the third to get the Maple Leafs on the board before McKenna popped in a loose puck 55 seconds later, but Bolduc responded on a man advantage to make it 4-2 with 7:45 to go.

Up next

Canadiens: Host Minnesota on Tuesday night.

Maple Leafs: Host New Jersey on Sunday night.

___

See AP’s full NHL coverage here

Wife of NBA fan kicked out in viral moment by Luka Dončić responds to the incident

An image collage containing 3 images, Image 1 shows A smiling couple takes a selfie at an event, with text overlaid at the bottom that reads
A viral NBA fan speaks about an incident at a Lakers vs. Kings game.

Three days after a fan went viral because Luka Dončić had him removed from the game for passing the ball back to the referee with too much force, finally has an update on the incident.

Kellie DeMarco, who is a three-time Emmy Award-winning journalist and now works as a motivational speaker made a post on her Instagram on Saturday, where she wrote about her husband’s viral moment.

Wife of NBA fan kicked out from Lakers vs Kings game speaks about viral moment. Instagram / @Kelliedemarco

The post was highlighted by a photo of the two of them sitting court-side, with the caption reading, “When date night goes viral.”

“Yes, this is my sweet husband, and yes, he’s the guy who got ejected from an NBA game. �� I spent nearly 20 years in TV news, and he’s getting more airtime than me!” DeMarco wrote.

“He played basketball for years, and apparently the chest pass muscle memory never left. He meant no harm, he feels terrible that it came across the wrong way, and he has nothing but respect for the officials.”

DeMarco went on to write, “Thank you for all the kind messages. We love the Kings and this community. ��”

While DeMarco and her husband are remorseful for what happened, she also added that the moment hasn’t necessarily been all that bad, as she’s been receiving comments saying her husband draws a similar complexion to Steve Kerr.

Malik Monk blocked by Jarred Vanderbilt during the third quarter on Wednesday night. AP Photo/Scott Marshall

The interaction with the fan and the referee happened in the third quarter of the game, after Jarred Vanderbilt blocked a 10-foot floater from Malik Monk.

The ball rolled out of bounds and landed in DeMarco’s husband’s lap.

The former college basketball player handed the ball back to the referee and passed it back, but with too much force, leaving Dončić to question why he passed it like that.


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Luka Doncic during Wednesday night’s Lakers vs Kings game. AP Photo/Scott Marshall

“He just tossed – really strong – the ball towards the ref,” Dončić said, according to Khobi Price of The California Post. “I was just asking him what the hell is he doing?”

DeMarco’s husband was immediately escorted off the court after he made the pass, leaving 2:35 left in the quarter.