The Knicks announced encouraging news Tuesday about the recovery of Miles McBride, who is taking contact on the court and “progressing well,” the team said.
McBride has been out since late January and underwent sports hernia surgery, saying last month he hopes to return before the playoffs.
A smiling Miles McBride (center), who underwent a sports hernia surgery and has been out since late January, reacts from the bench during the Knicks’ 136-110 blowout win over the Pacers on March 17, 2026 at the Garden. Getty Images
“Anytime we can get healthy, yeah [I’m encouraged],” coach Mike Brown said before tipoff. “I try not to hear [the updates] though, because does that mean he’ll be back in two weeks, three weeks, a week, 10 days? I don’t know.
“Deuce was playing well for us when this happened. It’s part of the season, so keep fingers crossed, allow our medical crew who has done a fantastic job, and when he comes back we’ll all be excited.”
Before his injury — which was uncovered as the guard underwent tests on a sore ankle — McBride was the top bench scorer, averaging 12.9 points while shooting a career-best 42 percent from beyond the arc.
Armed with the knowledge McBride would miss an extended period, the Knicks successfully pushed to acquire point guard Jose Alvarado in a trade.
Alvarado, Landry Shamet and Jordan Clarkson have taken up the most minutes at backup guard.
Brown believes Jalen Brunson will play in the next game Friday at Brooklyn.
Brunson missed Tuesday’s win with a neck strain. It was his first DNP since mid-January, a stretch of 27 consecutive appearances. The Knicks are now 2-4 this season without him.
“I imagine [he’ll play in Brooklyn]. … There’s two days off before the next game,” Brown said. “There’s plenty of time to get himself right.”
Brunson needs just one more game to qualify for postseason awards. He’s projected to earn another All-NBA selection, his third straight.
Clarkson, who played 20 minutes Tuesday with 10 points, supplanted Mohamed Diawara (six minutes, zero points) in the rotation.
“Jordan went stretches without playing this season and kept himself ready. Offensively, he’s been good for us. So I decided to throw him out there before Mo,” Brown said. “We’ll see what happens going forward. … [Diawara] just has to keep himself ready like Jordan did.”
A slumping Mikal Bridges was left on the court in garbage time so he might regain confidence.
“He hit a couple shots down the stretch and to try to get anybody that hasn’t shot well from the 3-point line, to try to get him more looks, especially in a game like this, was a good thing,” Brown said. “To try to get him an extra look or two down the stretch is something we wanted to do.”
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 31.7 points per game this season [Reuters]
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander enjoyed another 40-point night as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Orlando Magic 113-108 to become the first NBA team to secure a play-off berth.
The 27-year-old Canadian went 14 from 27 from the field as he extended his record of most 20-point games in a row to 129.
Chet Holmgren added 20 points and 12 rebounds as the Western Conference leaders claimed a ninth straight win to improve to 54-15 for the season.
"We got off to a good start but then the car kind of came off the road for a little bit," reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Gilgeous-Alexander said.
"But that's what great teams do - they figure out a way to get the car back on the road, they figure out a way to go into a building and win a game when the chips are stacked against you, and we did that tonight."
San Antonio Spurs remain second in the West after a comfortable 132-104 win over the Sacramento Kings, while the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Phoenix Suns 116-104.
In the Eastern Conference, the Detroit Pistons handed the Washington Wizards a 13th straight loss to strengthen their position at the top.
But the 130-117 triumph was marred by an injury to star point guard Cade Cunningham, who had to leave the game in the first quarter with a back issue.
The New York Knicks stay third in the East after a thumping 136-110 win over the Indiana Pacers, a 14th consecutive loss leaving last year's NBA Finals runners-up 15-54 this term.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 17: Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs dunks on Maxime Raynaud #42 and DeMar DeRozan #10 of the Sacramento Kings during the first half at Golden 1 Center on March 17, 2026 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Following a rollercoaster win in LA on Monday, the Spurs extended their win streak against the lowly Kings on the second night of a back-to-back.
The start of this game was the opposite of what happened in LA. San Antonio caught fire from deep and made six triples in the first quarter alone, jumping out to a double-digit lead just minutes into the contest. Luke Kornet’s return allowed the good guys to have 48 minutes of reliable rim protection, letting Wemby sit without bleeding points. Sacramento shot an abysmal 7-17 from two in the opening frame, as the Spurs closed out the first up 39-22.
The dominance continued in the second. Wemby took over by scoring three consecutive buckets, including back-to-back dunks. San Antonio also set a new season high for threes in a half with 14, and the ball movement was pristine: the Spurs racked up 27 assists on 30 made field goals. At the other end, the Kings looked out of sorts, unable to generate any offense while losing assignments on defense. As a result, the Spurs went into halftime leading 78-47.
The entire second half was essentially garbage time. The closest Sacramento got was 25, and San Antonio began chucking up threes, ending with a franchise record 25 in a single game. All the starters were subbed out by the end of the third, and you know a game is out of hand when Big Biz sees minutes. The Spurs ran away with a 132-104 shellacking, and the quest for 60 is officially on.
Game Notes
Wemby didn’t look any worse for wear after tweaking his ankle Monday against the Clippers. He played 22:00 and put up 18 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists. It’s always nice to give him some extra rest, especially since the Spurs will play their third game in four nights when they face Phoenix at home on Thursday.
Dylan Harper returned from a brief two-game absence and picked up right where he left off. The rookie finished with 15 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists on nice 6-9 shooting and 3-5 from deep.
The quest for 8 (10-point scorers) lives on! Barnes (16 points) and Champagnie (17 points) combined to shoot 9-12 from deep, giving them some more cushion to maintain their 10+ point averages. Our very own Marilyn Dubinski floated a conspiracy theory about the Spurs holding out Barnes on purpose so that he stays at 10 points, but with the way he’s shooting now, he might be the next to drop 83!
Fox was actually cheered during the pre-game intros, which is an extremely rare sight for a player who asked for a trade. I guess Sacramento fans realize how poorly their team is run and knows that none of the blame can be put on the players. When you’re having a bad day, just remember that you cheer for the Spurs and not the Kangz.
MESA, ARIZONA - MARCH 8: Jacob Lopez #57 of the Athletics throws a pitch during a Spring Training game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at HoHoKam Stadium on March 8, 2026 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Fans have been wondering, with bated breath and bitten nails, whether Jacob Lopez is fully healthy following his season-ending IL stint from the dreaded “forearm tightness”. Turns out fans weren’t the only one expelling bricks though orifices.
I sat down with Lopez on Monday, March 16th, for what turned out to be an abbreviated interview because after 5 minutes I could see him looking out at the field anxiously even though he never said he needed to go. Clearly he did and so I did a shorter interview than usual — but still was able to cover the key topics that had made him one of my requested targets this spring.
Nico: So first of all, you’re coming off a great outing on Saturday. You’ve been through injuries and rehabs before, and then you had a scare at the end of last year, or maybe more than a scare, because you were on the IL. But can you talk a bit first about what happened at the end of last year, what it felt like, how it felt compared to what you had been through before (TJS)?
Lopez: Yeah, it was pretty scary that day in Seattle, because I felt a little bit of tightness in the bullpen, but I didn’t think much of it because you know, later in the year you feel a lot of things. But I think once I started doing arm care after my outing, I really flared up and I was like, “Oh no, this feels worse than when I did have TJ” and it was, it was in that scary spot, you know? So I was just thinking all the worst things, but luckily it ended up just being like some kind of soft tissue thing where my ulnar nerve used to be before they moved it back in 2021. So it ended up being something that could heal on its own. So that’s what it did this off season and I feel pretty good.
Nico: I feel like pitchers have this constant difficult decision to make where they do feel something — they feel soreness, they feel tightness, they feel something that’s kind of like pain or that reminds them of an injury that was serious. And then they have to decide, do I go out and throw anyway? Do I say something? What do I do? So can you kind of walk us through that experience as a pitcher trying to figure out like what to make of something?
Lopez: Yeah, I think once I went through the TJ process, I really learned what’s actual pain and what is something that you can kind of toughen out and push through. So for me personally, there’s probably only three or four starts last year where I felt 100%, probably June through July, my whole, I don’t know, I had some upper back problems that wouldn’t go away. And I think adrenaline helps take over, but in between starts, it’s like, “All right, what can we do every day in the training room and the strength room to really figure it out and get back out there in five days?” So I think that’s the most important thing for the starting pitcher.
Nico: Now, that outing in Seattle, fans are watching, and you’ve had such a great year. And obviously, you’re having a rough outing. What are you feeling out on the mound? Do you think you should have gone out there?
Lopez: Yeah, there is no doubt. If you tell the coaches you’re good, you’ve got to be fully confident. And it’s one of those things like, I can’t just stop in the middle of the first inning or something and leave the rest of my team out to dry. So no, when I’m out there I don’t think anything. I just believe in the full confidence and compete as best as I can.
Nico: There was a moment in Saturday’s start where you threw a pitch, you thought it was a strike. It was called a ball and you challenged and I saw you walk off to the back of the mound and the way that you got into it and you kind of let out a grunt I thought “Oh no he’s hurt,” you know, but it was all over a ball-strike call and it was a called third strike so it sounds to me like even in a spring training game the competitive juices are really flowing.
Lopez: Oh, no, I mean, yeah I’m just a really competitive guy. I mean, when I was younger, I was way more emotional, so hopefully it doesn’t show too much. That Shea challenge nailed it for the strikeout, so that was huge. I think it’s kind of fun. I loved it in AAA, the ABS, so it just helps keep the game smooth. But yeah, I’m an emotional guy, so I try to be as professional as I can out there. You know, my first live ABs this spring training, over at Fitch on the backfield felt the same as my MLB debut. So I guess that’s a good thing. I get a bunch of butterflies, so I just kind of learned how to control those.
Nico: So I guess the question that’s probably on every fan’s mind right now is how you’re feeling physically and where you are in terms of injury and health at this very moment going forward.
Lopez: Yeah, I just feel 100 % and I felt like that really the whole off season. So yeah, I feel really confident to help this team. We have some pretty high goals and we’re gonna do our best as a team to fulfill those goals.
Nico: Now, you have an unusual motion. You know, you have a very deceptive delivery. {Here Jacob starts looking antsy and keeps monitoring the field} Can you just talk about that and then I’ll let you go. How did you develop that?
Lopez: I just, that’s how I’ve always thrown. It was worse in college and stuff, then my pitching coach in college is really the first person to really help control that. But no, I haven’t really worked ever, even in pro ball with pitching coaches, too much with my mechanics. Which has been a good thing to be as natural as I can.
And with that Lopez, who was apparently due on the field with a pre-game group, exhaled and sprinted out to the infield even quicker than his best fastball.
Next up: Pitching coach Scott Emerson discusses the “kick change,” Jack Perkins’ role, and how he feels about Trainman (well, maybe only 2 of those 3)…
BOTTOM LINE: Utah is looking to end its three-game losing streak with a victory against Minnesota.
The Timberwolves are 8-6 against division opponents. Minnesota is fifth in the Western Conference with 33.3 defensive rebounds per game led by Rudy Gobert averaging 7.5.
The Jazz are 1-11 against Northwest Division opponents. Utah ranks seventh in the Western Conference with 31.9 defensive rebounds per game led by Jusuf Nurkic averaging 7.8.
The Timberwolves average 13.8 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.6 fewer makes per game than the Jazz give up (15.4). The Jazz average 12.9 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.4 more makes per game than the Timberwolves give up.
The teams meet for the fourth time this season. The Jazz won 127-122 in the last matchup on Jan. 21.
TOP PERFORMERS: Naz Reid is scoring 13.7 points per game and averaging 6.2 rebounds for the Timberwolves. Julius Randle is averaging 17.1 points and 7.1 rebounds over the last 10 games.
Keyonte George is averaging 23.6 points and 6.1 assists for the Jazz. Brice Sensabaugh is averaging 2.9 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Timberwolves: 6-4, averaging 111.5 points, 42.3 rebounds, 24.1 assists, 7.5 steals and 4.9 blocks per game while shooting 49.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 114.2 points per game.
Jazz: 2-8, averaging 113.2 points, 41.4 rebounds, 26.1 assists, 10.4 steals and 4.3 blocks per game while shooting 45.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 119.3 points.
INJURIES: Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards: out (knee).
Jazz: Lauri Markkanen: out (ankle), Ace Bailey: day to day (concussion), Kyle Filipowski: day to day (rest), Keyonte George: day to day (leg), Isaiah Collier: day to day (knee), Walker Kessler: out for season (shoulder), Jusuf Nurkic: out for season (nose), Jaren Jackson Jr.: out for season (knee), John Konchar: day to day (calf).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Phoenix Suns (39-30, seventh in the Western Conference) vs. San Antonio Spurs (51-18, second in the Western Conference)
San Antonio; Thursday, 8 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: Phoenix visits San Antonio looking to end its three-game road slide.
The Spurs are 30-14 in Western Conference games. San Antonio is 7-4 in games decided by 3 points or fewer.
The Suns are 25-19 in Western Conference play. Phoenix is third in the Western Conference allowing only 111.4 points while holding opponents to 47.0% shooting.
The Spurs are shooting 48.0% from the field this season, 1.0 percentage point higher than the 47.0% the Suns allow to opponents. The Suns average 112.4 points per game, 0.7 more than the 111.7 the Spurs allow.
The teams square off for the fourth time this season. The Spurs won the last matchup 121-94 on Feb. 20, with Stephon Castle scoring 20 points in the win.
TOP PERFORMERS: Castle is scoring 16.4 points per game and averaging 5.0 rebounds for the Spurs. Victor Wembanyama is averaging 23.9 points and 9.9 rebounds over the last 10 games.
Royce O'Neale is scoring 9.9 points per game and averaging 4.8 rebounds for the Suns. Devin Booker is averaging 28.1 points and 4.1 rebounds over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Spurs: 8-2, averaging 122.4 points, 47.6 rebounds, 30.8 assists, 6.0 steals and 6.3 blocks per game while shooting 49.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.6 points per game.
Suns: 6-4, averaging 114.2 points, 41.1 rebounds, 25.3 assists, 8.4 steals and 4.3 blocks per game while shooting 45.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.3 points.
INJURIES: Spurs: Devin Vassell: day to day (ankle), David Jones Garcia: out for season (ankle).
Suns: Grayson Allen: day to day (knee), Dillon Brooks: out (hand), Mark Williams: out (foot).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Detroit Pistons (49-19, first in the Eastern Conference) vs. Washington Wizards (16-52, 14th in the Eastern Conference)
Washington; Thursday, 7 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: Washington takes on Detroit looking to end its six-game home losing streak.
The Wizards are 11-32 against Eastern Conference opponents. Washington allows 123.8 points to opponents and has been outscored by 11.0 points per game.
The Pistons are 33-11 in conference games. Detroit ranks seventh in the Eastern Conference with 27.0 assists per game led by Cade Cunningham averaging 9.9.
The Wizards' 13.0 made 3-pointers per game this season are only 0.3 more made shots on average than the 12.7 per game the Pistons give up. The Pistons average 11.0 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.7 fewer made shots on average than the 13.7 per game the Wizards give up.
The teams meet for the fourth time this season. In the last matchup on March 17 the Pistons won 130-117 led by 36 points from Jalen Duren, while Bub Carrington scored 30 points for the Wizards.
TOP PERFORMERS: Carrington is averaging 10 points and 4.5 assists for the Wizards. Tre Johnson is averaging 1.9 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
Duren is averaging 19 points and 10.6 rebounds for the Pistons. Cunningham is averaging 17.6 points and 3.8 rebounds while shooting 46.8% over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Wizards: 0-10, averaging 117.6 points, 38.1 rebounds, 23.8 assists, 6.8 steals and 4.6 blocks per game while shooting 48.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 129.5 points per game.
Pistons: 5-5, averaging 116.9 points, 44.1 rebounds, 28.3 assists, 9.4 steals and 6.0 blocks per game while shooting 48.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 110.9 points.
INJURIES: Wizards: Anthony Davis: out (finger), Cam Whitmore: out for season (shoulder), Alex Sarr: day to day (hamstring), Leaky Black: day to day (ankle), Kyshawn George: out (elbow), D'Angelo Russell: day to day (not injury related), Trae Young: day to day (quad), Bilal Coulibaly: day to day (heel).
Pistons: Cade Cunningham: day to day (back), Isaiah Stewart: out (calf).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
BOTTOM LINE: Indiana plays Portland looking to end its eight-game home skid.
The Pacers are 10-24 in home games. Indiana has a 7-35 record against teams over .500.
The Trail Blazers are 15-20 on the road. Portland has a 6-5 record in one-possession games.
The Pacers average 111.2 points per game, 6.0 fewer points than the 117.2 the Trail Blazers allow. The Pacers average 115.1 points per game, 5.0 fewer points than the 120.1 the Pacers allow to opponents.
The teams square off for the second time this season. The Trail Blazers won the last meeting 131-111 on March 9, with Scoot Henderson scoring 28 points in the victory.
TOP PERFORMERS: Ivica Zubac is averaging 14 points and 10.7 rebounds for the Pacers. Jarace Walker is averaging 14.6 points over the last 10 games.
Deni Avdija is scoring 24.0 points per game and averaging 6.9 rebounds for the Trail Blazers. Jerami Grant is averaging 2.9 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Pacers: 0-10, averaging 109.2 points, 39.0 rebounds, 28.2 assists, 6.5 steals and 4.7 blocks per game while shooting 45.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 125.5 points per game.
Trail Blazers: 5-5, averaging 110.9 points, 45.5 rebounds, 26.3 assists, 9.0 steals and 7.4 blocks per game while shooting 45.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 110.8 points.
INJURIES: Pacers: Pascal Siakam: day to day (knee), Micah Potter: day to day (triceps), Johnny Furphy: out for season (knee), Andrew Nembhard: day to day (calf), Tyrese Haliburton: out for season (achilles).
Trail Blazers: Robert Williams III: day to day (injury management), Shaedon Sharpe: out (calf), Vit Krejci: day to day (calf), Damian Lillard: out for season (achilles).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Philadelphia 76ers (37-32, ninth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Sacramento Kings (18-52, 15th in the Western Conference)
Sacramento, California; Thursday, 10 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: Philadelphia will try to end its five-game road skid when the 76ers take on Sacramento.
The Kings have gone 12-24 in home games. Sacramento ranks last in the NBA shooting 33.7% from 3-point range.
The 76ers have gone 17-16 away from home. Philadelphia is 14-25 against opponents over .500.
The Kings average 10.1 made 3-pointers per game this season, 3.3 fewer makes per game than the 76ers allow (13.4). The 76ers' 45.9% shooting percentage from the field this season is 3.4 percentage points lower than the Kings have allowed to their opponents (49.3%).
The teams meet for the second time this season. The 76ers won 113-111 in the last meeting on Jan. 30. Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with 40 points, and DeMar DeRozan led the Kings with 25 points.
TOP PERFORMERS: DeRozan is scoring 18.6 points per game with 3.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists for the Kings. Maxime Raynaud is averaging 18.1 points and 8.8 rebounds while shooting 61.4% over the past 10 games.
Quentin Grimes is averaging 13.5 points and 3.4 assists for the 76ers. VJ Edgecombe is averaging 10.3 points and 3.8 rebounds while shooting 36.3% over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Kings: 5-5, averaging 114.7 points, 46.1 rebounds, 28.1 assists, 7.4 steals and 4.5 blocks per game while shooting 48.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 118.4 points per game.
76ers: 4-6, averaging 106.9 points, 41.3 rebounds, 22.8 assists, 9.5 steals and 6.1 blocks per game while shooting 44.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 117.1 points.
INJURIES: Kings: Malik Monk: day to day (ankle), Domantas Sabonis: out for season (back), Devin Carter: day to day (calf), De'Andre Hunter: out for season (eye), Zach LaVine: out for season (finger), Drew Eubanks: out for season (thumb), Keegan Murray: out (ankle).
76ers: Tyrese Maxey: out (finger), Johni Broome: out (knee), Jabari Walker: day to day (illness), Joel Embiid: day to day (oblique), Kelly Oubre Jr.: out (elbow).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Orlando Magic (38-30, sixth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Charlotte Hornets (35-34, 10th in the Eastern Conference)
Charlotte, North Carolina; Thursday, 7 p.m. EDT
BOTTOM LINE: Charlotte faces Orlando in a matchup of Eastern Conference teams.
The Hornets are 21-22 in conference games. Charlotte is third in the Eastern Conference with 12.7 offensive rebounds per game led by Moussa Diabate averaging 3.8.
The Magic are 9-6 against opponents from the Southeast Division. Orlando has a 15-16 record in games decided by 10 points or more.
The Hornets are shooting 45.8% from the field this season, 1.5 percentage points lower than the 47.3% the Magic allow to opponents. The Magic average 11.8 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.0 fewer made shot on average than the 12.8 per game the Hornets give up.
The teams meet for the fourth time this season. The Hornets won 124-97 in the last matchup on Jan. 23.
TOP PERFORMERS: LaMelo Ball is averaging 19.5 points and 7.2 assists for the Hornets. Kon Knueppel is averaging 19.4 points over the past 10 games.
Desmond Bane is averaging 20.5 points and 4.2 assists for the Magic. Paolo Banchero is averaging 25.5 points over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Hornets: 7-3, averaging 115.4 points, 46.2 rebounds, 26.5 assists, 8.6 steals and 4.8 blocks per game while shooting 45.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 105.1 points per game.
Magic: 7-3, averaging 118.7 points, 45.7 rebounds, 26.9 assists, 8.1 steals and 3.4 blocks per game while shooting 46.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.9 points.
INJURIES: Hornets: Tidjane Salaun: day to day (calf).
Magic: Franz Wagner: out (ankle), Anthony Black: out (back), Jonathan Isaac: out (knee).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
After opening their four-game homestand on an offensive tear with 10 goals in two wins, the Golden Knights ran into a buzzsaw Tuesday night.
Buffalo, the league's hottest team since Dec. 9, stayed red hot with its 10th win in 11 games since the Olympic Break, winning 2-0.
It was Vegas' third shutout loss of the season and its first at home.
While Buffalo goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 27 saves to keep his stat line clean, the Golden Knights misfired on 22 shots
"I thought we got lots of pucks there, some rebounds," Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. "We just misfired on them. I thought Mitch (Marner) had a chance late. (Nic) Dowd had a rebound with an open net that ended up off net. (Mark) Stoney had a rebound on the power play.
"There were some rebounds there that we just didn't finish."
KEY MOMENT
With 16:35 left in the game, Pavel Dorofeyev took a pass from Marner and fired a wicked wrist shot from the bottom of the left circle, but was stymied by Luukkonen, setting the tone for a resilient finish by Buffalo's netminder, who improved to 6-1 since Jan. 22.
KEY STAT
0 for 3 ... For the fourth time in five games the Golden Knights couldn't score a power-play goal. From Jan. 31 through March 6, the Golden Knights ranked tied for fifth in the NHL with their 33.3% power-play clip. Since then, the Knights rank 26th with a 13.3% conversion rate.
WHAT A KNIGHT
Goalie Adin Hill allowed one goal after turning in another strong performance, outside of the lone goal he let in. After Hill failed to clear the puck behind the net, Buffalo's Josh Doan fired his shot off the back of the Knights' netminder's right pad and the puck ricocheted into the net. Otherwise, Hill was the best Knight on the ice, stopping 23 shots.
The Golden Knights conclude their four-game homestand against the Utah Mammoth on Thursday.
PHOTO CAPTION: Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill (33) makes a save against Buffalo Sabres center Noah Ostlund (86) during the first period at T-Mobile Arena.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen turned aside 27 shots to record his first shutout of the season and eighth in his NHL career, leading the Buffalo Sabres to a 2-0 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday.
Josh Doan and Josh Norris scored for Buffalo (42-20-6), who have surged to a 10-1-0 record since returning from the Olympic break. With the win, the Sabres are now tied with the Carolina Hurricanes for first place in the Eastern Conference. Carolina, however, holds a game in hand after a 5-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday.
Adin Hill stopped 23 shots in the loss for Vegas (31-23-14), snapping a two-game winning streak. The Golden Knights fell to third place in the Pacific Division, trailing the Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks by a single point. Edmonton, which has played one more game, defeated the San Jose Sharks 5-3 on Tuesday.
Josh Doan scores for the Sabers.
The game's opening goal came late in the first period. At 18:02, Doan capitalized on a miscue behind the net by Hill, banking a shot off the goaltender’s right pad to give Buffalo a 1-0 lead. Norris sealed the victory with an empty-net goal at 19:02 of the third period, finalizing the 2-0 scoreline.
With Luukkonen’s standout performance and the Sabres’ continued dominance post-Olympics, Buffalo is asserting itself as a legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference heading down the stretch.
The Sabers were coming off a 3-2 shootout victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.
Jack Quinn was the hero for the Buffalo Sabres in that game, scoring the game-tying goal in the second period and delivering another crucial goal in the shootout.
In the shootout, Quinn started wide on the right wing before cutting to the middle and firing a precise wrist shot under Joseph Woll’s blocker to open the scoring for Buffalo.
Owen Power also contributed a goal in regulation, while Alex Lyon made 16 saves to secure the win for the Sabres.
Alex Tuch added a goal in the shootout, with Lyon coming up big by stopping one attempt and forcing another to miss the net, sealing the victory for Buffalo.
The Golden Knights, however, have been struggling as of late as they've dropped seven of their last 10 games.
The Vancouver Canucks have their second win in their past three games, having taken a 5–2 win against the Florida Panthers tonight. Elias Pettersson led the way with two power play goals, Marco Rossi scored in his third-straight game, and Aatu Räty and Drew O’Connor also found the back of the net. In goal, Kevin Lankinen recorded his first win since January 21, stopping 21 shots on 23 faced.
One of a few positive outcomes from tonight’s game was the fact that the Canucks broke a four-game goalless streak on the power play by scoring two on the man-advantage thanks to Pettersson. Both of the forward’s goals came as a result of hard shots fired from the faceoff dot, with the first flying powerfully past Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and the second trickling behind him on a similar shot.
“It was nice to get a bounce to go the right way, but I’m trying to play the right way. I know I still have a lot to do to be where I want to be, but definitely nice to see it go in tonight,” Pettersson said after the win.
Even Vancouver’s second-unit power play got some good looks. During the Canucks’ third man-advantage of the game, Linus Karlsson got some good tip-attempts off on Bobrovsky. While the goal didn’t technically take place on the power play, as it had just expired prior to it, O’Connor scored Vancouver’s fifth of the game to tie a career-high in goals with 16 on the season.
Vancouver’s third goal of the first period came off a lapse in defensive coverage for the Panthers. An ill-timed pinch left Rossi all alone in the slot in front of Bobrovsky, with the Canucks centre making a quick move before flicking the puck past the goaltender’s blocker. Rossi and his line of Brock Boeser and Liam Öhgren had yet another solid game, with the former two each registering three points and all three putting up at least one.
Despite having a solid response to Vancouver’s performance in the first period, Florida’s defensive lapses took place yet again on Vancouver’s fourth goal of the game. This time it was Räty who managed to work his way into Florida’s slot, not giving his shot a second thought as he put it past Bobrovsky to put the Canucks up 4–2.
When Vancouver needed him most in order to secure the win, Lankinen shut things down excellently. He made a flurry of saves with the Panthers fighting to invade the crease and made some big stops on Florida during their third-period power play. Even within the final minute, with the Panthers crowding him in an attempt to score their third, Lankinen stood tall.
“I was just happy to keep the puck out of the net,” Lankinen said after the game. “Obviously, I thought our team as a whole played a great game. Petey, Brock, Marco — they stepped up in a big way and led the way, and it was fun to watch.”
One other aspect of tonight’s game that should be noted is the team’s willingness to stand up for one-another. On multiple occasions, such as when Florida prodded at Lankinen after whistles or Zeev Buium was tripped up, the Canucks — particularly young players like Räty, Nils Höglander, and defenceman Elias Pettersson — weren’t afraid to go after the Panthers. Canucks Head Coach Adam Foote spoke on the change in energy around his team's room through the past few games.
“The last four or five games, we’ve been right there [...] I’d say we are consistent the last four or five, you feel the momentum change, you feel in the locker room, it’s different. The energy on the ice at practice is different."
Mar 17, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks goalie Kevin Lankinen (32), defenseman Filip Hronek (17) and forward Elias Pettersson (40) battle for the loose puck with Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk (19) in the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Stats and Facts:
Kevin Lankinen takes part in his 200th career NHL game
Canucks’ record on March 17 increases to 10–4–0
Elias Pettersson scores his 200th career NHL goal
Marco Rossi increases his goal-streak to three-straight games
Scoring Summary:
1st Period:
3:49 - VAN: Elias Pettersson (14) from Marco Rossi and Brock Boeser (PPG)
11:41 - FLA: Matthew Tkachuk (9) from Carter Verhaeghe
13:40 - VAN: Elias Pettersson (15) from Brock Boeser and Marco Rossi (PPG)
17:46 - VAN: Marco Rossi (9) from Brock Boeser and Liam Öhgren
2nd Period:
11:28 - FLA: Sam Bennett (25) from Matthew Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe
14:27 - VAN: Aatu Räty (4) from Evander Kane and Elias Pettersson (D)
3rd Period:
14:25 - VAN: Drew O’Connor (16) from Linus Karlsson and Tom Willander
Up Next:
With the Canucks now halfway through their eight-game home stand, their next match will take place on Thursday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 pm PT.
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By his own admission, Josh Hart has been ‘kind of in my head with a lot of stuff’ since the All-Star break.
He’d missed 28 of his 38 three-point attempts since the break. And he was part of a Knicks starting lineup that was struggling early in games.
As is usually the case, there were calls in some corners of social media to pull Hart from the starting lineup.
But he showed those fans – and anyone else watching – why he should stay put on Tuesday night.
Hart scored a Knicks career high 33 points in a win over Indiana. He went 12-for-13 from the floor and hit all five of his three-point attempts.
“I just like that he took the right shots and he didn’t hesitate,” Mike Brown said after the game.
Brown said earlier in the week that he wouldn’t hesitate to change his starting lineup if the group continued to struggle. But it doesn’t sound like he would consider taking Hart out of the lineup.
“I think the main thing…is him connecting the group. I’m not saying he is Andre Iguodala or his game is like Andre Iguodala’s, but there are a lot of similarities where you watch him…he’s really good in a lot of different areas,” Brown said Tuesday. “But more importantly, he connects the group and having a guy like that, especially to start games, is huge…. He’s been fantastic giving us that energy, giving us the connectivity we needed with that starting group and then doing the little things. Offensive glass, pushing the pace, getting off in transition. He’s a switchable guy, he’s a physical guy and (he does) a lot of things that don’t necessarily show up in the stat sheet that … help with connectivity as well.”
Hart did plenty that showed up in the stat sheet on Tuesday. In addition to hitting all of his three-point attempts, he had seven rebounds and five assists. But anyone who watches this team knows that they are at a different level when Hart is hitting his shots.
After the Knicks’ win over Indiana, Hart was asked if he could gain confidence from his strong shooting.
“I think since All-Star I was struggling in terms of shooting,” he said. “I think I’m kind of in my head with a lot of stuff. So I just got to trust my work and go out there and shoot my shots.”
New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) celebrates center Mitchell Robinson (23) in the third quarter at Madison Square Garden / Wendell Cruz - Imagn Images
MIKAL CONNECTS LATE
Speaking of hitting shots, Mikal Bridges knocked down two threes in the fourth quarter after missing his first four attempts against Indiana. He hit those two threes with under seven minutes to play and the Knicks up by 22. Normally, a coach would rest his veteran starter in this circumstance. But Brown wanted Bridges to knock some shots down. The veteran wing had made just 29 percent of his threes in the past 15 games.
“To try to get anybody that hadn’t shot it well from the three-point line to get another look, especially in a game like this, was a good thing,” Brown said Tuesday. “You talk about Mikal’s streak and his durability – when he turned his ankle (in the first quarter), I was like, ‘Whoa.’ So for him to be able to somehow someway fight through that was good to see. So to try to get him an extra look or two down the stretch was something that we wanted to do.”
Brown said he played Jordan Clarkson over Mohamed Diawara because Clarkson had been scoring the ball at a high clip over the past four games.
“We’ll continue to see what happens going forward,” Brown said. “We’ve all had the pleasure of being able to see Mo at a young age contribute a lot. He just has to keep himself ready like Jordan did. Go out there when your number’s called, don’t do too much but do what you can do and perform at the highest level in terms of your work ethic, focus and attention to detail and just go from there.”
CARLISLE SUPPORTS KERR CAUSE
Steve Kerr has said several times this season that he thinks the NBA should shorten its schedule. Rick Carlisle was asked about it on Tuesday.
“It’d be great if it was possible to do that. There would be a lot involved with it. An obvious big revenue shift,” Carlisle said. “You’re talking about 10-12 percent of the games being eliminated... the question is, would everyone be willing to do that if it was deemed that it would really help the game. It's a lively conversation. I’ve heard Adam talk about the possibility of shortening the season slightly, going back a few years. The game has changed. One of the compelling aspects of it to me is that when the effort was made to eliminate back-to-backs, in order to have the space to do that, you needed to shorten training camp. So training camp essentially became three weeks instead of four. That extra week to build a base in terms of strength, many layers of protection that you can get for the body, I’ve always wondered if the effort to have less back-to-backs was really worth it. Essentially, you’re playing every other day. But these are all questions. There are a lot of great things about today’s game (and) schedule. The longer All-Star break has been a real positive…. To get to the heart of the matter, you’re going to have to talk about the finances of it. I certainly am in agreement that it’s conversation worth having…. (The exact solution) is hard to say… but the nature of the game has changed significantly. Steve is right on point with that. The speed and everything is quite different than it was 5-6 years ago, 3-4 years ago.”
DENVER, COLORADO - MARCH 17: Quentin Grimes #5 of the Philadelphia 76ers drives against Jamal Murray #27 of the Denver Nuggets in the second quarter at Ball Arena on March 17, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. 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 Tanner Pearson/Clarkson Creative/Getty Images) | Getty Images
2025-26 Sixers Bell Ringer season standings:
Tyrese Maxey – 22 Joel Embiid – 9 VJ Edgecombe – 9 Paul George – 6 Justin Edwards – 4 Kelly Oubre Jr. – 4 Quentin Grimes – 3 Jared McCain :’( – 3 Dominick Barlow – 2 Andre Drummond – 2 MarJon Beauchamp – 1 Adem Bona – 1 Cam Payne – 1 Jabari Walker – 1 Trendon Watford – 1 15th roster spot – 1
The Sixers looked to continue their winning ways as they traveled to Denver on Tuesday night for a cross-conference clash. The Sixers came into the night tied for ninth place in the Eastern Conference. They were once again without all three of their stars while the Nuggets had their full complement of players available, save for Peyton Watson.
The Nuggets jumped all over the Sixers from the jump in this one and took a 38-22 lead at the conclusion of the first quarter. Quentin Grimes and VJ Edgecombe struggled to get into any kind of flow as the Nuggets made it a priority to make life hard on them. Edgecombe and Grimes went a combined 4-for-13 from the field in the first quarter while the Sixers struggled to provide any resistance to the Nuggets’ offensive attack.
Things got worse for the Sixers in the second quarter as Denver continued to get whatever it wanted offensively. The Nuggets hit 9-of-17 from beyond the three-point line in the first half to go along with 25-for-44 from the floor overall. Denver held a 72-40 lead at the halftime break.
The Sixers won a quarter! The Nuggets headed to the fourth quarter with a 100-71 lead. The Sixers went to the final period a robust 37% from the field and 24% from three.
Denver went on to close this one out with no drama in the fourth. Nuggets win, 124-96.
Time for tonight’s Bell Ringer.
Marjon Beauchamp: 16 points, 6-for-11 from the field, 4-for-8 from three
The Bell Ringer for tonight goes to Marjon Beauchamp. Beauchamp got it going late in this one when the game was well out of reach. The Sixers’ athletic two-way swingman took advantage of his opportunity in an otherwise very forgettable game. Beauchamp knocked down a team- and game-high four threes in his 18 minutes of action.
