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Braves News: Spencer Strider has an interesting start, John Gil shines, more

ATLANTA, GA - SEPTEMBER 23: Atlanta starting pitcher Spencer Strider (99) looks on from the dugout during the MLB game between the Washington Nationals and the Atlanta Braves on September 23rd, 2025 at Truist Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Spencer Strider looked pretty good on Saturday, even if he didn’t necessarily look like the Spencer Strider that we have been used to. His pitches looked good in terms of shape and he threw them for strikes. His velocity was sitting lower-90s though, so it will be worth monitoring whether that is a new normal or just a first start of spring trend.

In the bullpen. James Karinchak continues to be impressive on the mound. He had his third one-inning appearance of spring today and had his third inning of two strikeouts, which is promising for the former star reliever. He earned 3 whiffs in his inning of work and continues to make a compelling case for a spot on the Opening Day roster.

Braves News

Spencer Strider had an interesting start against the Orioles’ starters, in which he was fairly effective but with low-90s velocity and good pitch shape. Meanwhile, a few infield prospects showed promise at the plate, with John Gil homering and Alex Lodise absolutely lacing a double.

Mark Bowman wrote up thoughts and stats on Spencer Strider after his first start of spring.

MLB News

Astros’ star Josh Hader’s availability is in question for Opening Day, as he continues to deal with a bicep issue.

The Royals agreed to a one year deal with former star outfielder Starling Marte.

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5 Centers Penguins Should Target In Trade Market

The most chaotic time of the NHL regular season has finally arrived, as the trade deadline is just one week away on Mar. 6.

And even though the Pittsburgh Penguins have already made several moves this season, they figure to have a bit more up their sleeve. 

After their 3-2 shootout loss to the New York Rangers on Saturday, the Penguins remain in second in the Metropolitan Division, nine points behind the Carolina Hurricanes and tied points-wise with the New York Islanders at 73. Even if the team is in a good position now, they have the league's toughest strength of schedule remaining for the regular season, and they will be forced to make it through most of it without their best player in center Sidney Crosby, who is expected to miss three more weeks with a lower-body injury. 

So, given their predicament - and their apparent reluctance to shift Evgeni Malkin back to the center position - it may be in their best interest to either call up a center from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (WBS), such as Tristan Broz or Filip Hallander, or explore the trade market for some viable options.

Here are five possible center options for the Penguins to target via trade:

Shane Wright

Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

The young center for the Seattle Kraken has failed to establish consistency at the NHL level so far, and it seems that his value has decreased a bit.

Even though the Kraken may not be keen to sell lower on Wright, they do have some up-and-coming center depth in their organization - namely Jake O'Brien - and they may be able to get some value in return. As of January, the Kraken were, apparently, looking for a scorer in return, so this might be a situation where a an established NHL player could go the other way - someone like a Justin Brazeau or an Anthony Mantha, even a Rickard Rakell for the right return package.

Seattle is currently in the West's second wild card spot, so they, too, are fighting for a playoff position. It remains to be seen how the team approaches the deadline or if Wright is even on their trade board. 

NHL's Top Four Center Trade Candidates Ahead Of DeadlineNHL's Top Four Center Trade Candidates Ahead Of DeadlineThe 2026 NHL trade deadline is rapidly approaching. These are the top centers in the rumor mill right now, for the March 6 deadline.

Brayden Schenn

Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Schenn, 34, doesn't really fit the mold of "younger players with term" that Dubas and the Penguins would want to acquire. He is also 34, owed $6.5 million for two more seasons, and has seen a steep drop in production this season, registering just 12 goals and 24 points in 59 games so far this season. 

But, this could be a situation where the Penguins might be able to buy low on Schenn from the struggling St. Louis Blues, and, potentially, even add to their draft cupboard. Of course, they wouldn't be able to get Schenn for nothing, and there is some inherent risk attached.

However, his playoff experience, two-way prowess, and knack for not shying away from physicality could suit the Penguins well down the stretch, especially without Crosby. Plus, it provides an opportunity for rookie Ben Kindel to get elevated in the lineup without repercussion, as Schenn is a good, reliable  third-line center option.

Four Blues Players Feature On The Hockey News' NHL Trade Deadline BoardFour Blues Players Feature On The Hockey News' NHL Trade Deadline BoardFour St. Louis Blues players appeared on The Hockey News' first edition of their NHL Trade Deadline Board.

Dawson Mercer

David Kirouac-Imagn Images
David Kirouac-Imagn Images

Mercer could be an intriguing name to keep an eye on, as the New Jersey Devils are, unexpectedly, in legitimate contention for a lottery spot this season.

The 24-year-old center has 13 goals and 30 points in 60 games this season, and he, like Wright, is the exact kind of player the Penguins and Dubas would be interested in, if available. In fact, he probably would fit the mold of the player archetype Dubas tends to gravitate toward as well, as he is a high-IQ playmaker with excellent vision, a 200-ft game, positional versatility, and a potential higher ceiling in terms of production. 

The cost would likely be fairly high, and there's no guarantee that the Devils' 18th overall pick in 2020 is even on the market for sure - even if GM Tom Fitzegerald expressed that he is ready to shake things up with the roster. But, if he is, the Penguins should be calling on the forward who is signed at $4 million through the end of next season. 

NHL Trade Deadline Board: 25 Players To Keep An Eye OnNHL Trade Deadline Board: 25 Players To Keep An Eye OnHere are 25 NHL players to watch as we get closer to the March 6 trade deadline. Each of them has been mentioned in trade speculation and rumors, and we rank them based on a combination of impact and likelihood of being moved.

Vincent Trocheck

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Ah, the Pittsburgh kid. It's no secret that the New York Rangers are shifting to a rebuild, and they will surely be looking to shed some of their veteran players, making Trocheck one of the top options on the trade market.

Trocheck, 32, is signed through the end of the 2028-29 season at $5.625 million average annual value, which makes his contract a bit hefty to take on. Still, the veteran center is just about as good a third-line center option out there, and his 12 goals and 38 points in 45 games would certainly help with the Penguins' offensive attack.

However, even if he could help the Penguins this season, his lengthy contract and age don't really fit into the Penguins' future plans, and his is likely to come at a premium. There are probably options that make better sense on the market, but if - for whatever reason - he can be had at a low cost, it may be worth it. 

Where Do The Rangers Go From Here?Where Do The Rangers Go From Here?The two Gold-Bearing Rangers – captain J.T. Miller and Vin Trocheck – are home but how long they will remain Blueshirts only MSG owner James Dolan and his hockey orchestrator Chris Drury really know.

Elias Pettersson

Simon Fearn-Imagn Images
Simon Fearn-Imagn Images

Yep, Pettersson's name is here yet again, and - at this point - it should come as no surprise. But with the Vancouver Canucks in the basement of the league by a longshot, it's likely that GM Patrick Allvin will be in a position to sell. 

The 27-year-old center - not long ago, one of the league's very best - has fallen off a bit the last two seasons, with only 13 goals and 35 points in 51 games so far in 2025-26. His $11.6 million cap hit through 2029-30 seems daunting, but the Penguins certainly have the cap space, and he might be the perfect example of an underperforming elite player who is long overdue for a change of scenery. 

Because of his cap hit and his decline in production for two consecutive seasons, the Penguins may be able to buy low here. If the price is right, Pettersson should absolutely be considered - especially since when, at his best, the fifth overall pick in 2017 is one of the elite playmaking centers in the NHL and has a pretty nasty weapon in his shot, too, as a three-time 30-goal scorer.

Could Egor Chinakhov Help Extend Malkin's Career?Could Egor Chinakhov Help Extend Malkin's Career?There has been a whole lot going right for the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/pittsburgh-penguins">Pittsburgh Penguins</a> during the 2025-26 season, and much of it can be credited to the work of general manager and president of hockey operations Kyle Dubas.&nbsp;

Bookmark THN - Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!      

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Thomas Müller, Brian White, Yohei Takaoka lead Whitecaps to 3-0 victory over Toronto

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Thomas Müller scored twice and Brian White added a goal in a 22-minute span of the first half and Yohei Takaoka finished with a second straight clean sheet in the Vancouver Whitecaps' 3-0 victory over Toronto FC on Saturday night.

Müller ignited the Whitecaps with a penalty-kick goal in the 25th minute, then made it 2-0 with a goal 12 minutes later. White capped the scoring two minutes into stoppage time with an unassisted netter. It was White's 80th career goal for Vancouver in all competitions.

Müller's PK came after Toronto's Walker Zimmerman fouled Aziel Jackson. His second goal came with assists from Mathias Laborda and Sebastian Berhalter in the 37th minute.

Takaoka finished with three saves for the Whitecaps (2-0-0) — one-week after a two-save effort led to a 1-0 victory over visiting Real Salt Lake to begin the season. Jackson scored the lone goal.

Luka Gavran saved two shots for Toronto in his 18th career start. Toronto lost 3-2 to FC Dallas in its opener, beginning with two road matches for a fourth straight season.

The Whitecaps are 5-0-4 in their last nine matchups with Toronto, which hasn't won in Vancouver since March 2017.

Up next

Vancouver: At Portland Timbers on Saturday.

Toronto: At FC Cincinnati on Sunday.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer

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Yankees news: Cashman says Bombers capable of greatness

TAMPA, FL - FEBRUARY 25: Manager Aaron Boone and general manager Brian Cashman of the New York Yankees talk during spring training at George M. Steinbrenner Field on February 25, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: Brian Cashman spoke to reporters before yesterday’s game against the Blue Jays, and he reiterated his belief in this team, stating that they’re “capable of great things.” He pointed to the electrifying stuff many of their pitchers have shown early in camp, from Ryan Weathers touching 99.8 mph, to young prospects Carlos Langrage and Elmer Rodríguez demonstrating their immense potential. And of course, Cashman pointed to Gerrit Cole, who’s already run his fastball up to 97 mph against live hitters, 11 months removed from Tommy John surgery.

MLB.com | Jason Foster: Speaking of reasons for optimism, Carlos Langrage authored another great spring outing, this time fanning four batters in three scoreless innings on Friday against Minnesota. Langrage pushed his fastball a hair above 102 mph, and according to MLB Pipeline, he’s thrown the three fastest pitches across spring training thus far:

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: Cody Bellinger is dealing with a back issue again, seemingly a similar ailment to one that bothered him early last season. “He’ll probably, I’m guessing, (miss) a couple of days,” Boone said Saturday. “He’s quite a bit better today. So we don’t think it’s anything.” Boone noted that Bellinger could be back in the lineup by Tuesday.

New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: There aren’t many positional battles to follow in camp for the Yankees this year, with the main competition coming down to the underbelly of the bullpen and the end of the bench. As far as the bench goes, Amed Rosario and Paul Goldschmidt are locks as right-handed platoon bats, but the last two spots are still up for grabs. J.C. Escarra has a leg up as the likely backup catcher, but Ben Rice’s ability to catch gives the Yankees flexibility to break camp without a backup backstop. Oswaldo Cabrera would also figure to be a favorite, but Phillips writes the Yankees are “easing him along” and that the utility player may not be ready for Opening Day. That may open things up for Randal Grichuk, who just made it to camp and could be another right-handed bench option for New York.

New York Post | Greg Joyce: ($) The Yankees have two lefty relievers in camp who are likely to make their bullpen, Tim Hill and Ryan Yarbrough. If they want a more powerful lefty option, though, there seems to be a clear choice: Brent Headrick. The left-hander showed flashes in brief spurts in the Bronx last year, running his fastball up to 95 mph by the summer, while also posting a 2.63 ERA in Triple-A. With the team’s low-leverage bullpen slots unspoken for, Headrick has every chance to make the team with a solid spring.

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Warriors enter March fighting for their play-in seeding

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 09: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors hugs head coach Steve Kerr before the game against the Indiana Pacers at Chase Center on November 09, 2025 in San Francisco, 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 Eakin Howard/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Tonight’s loss to the Lakers was a reminder, a 129-101 reminder, that the Golden State Warriors are a team that lives and dies by Stephen Curry’s presence in a way that should genuinely sober every fan trying to stay optimistic right now.

There’s no moral victory hiding in that defeat anywhere. And now look at the standings the Warriors sit at 31-29, eighth in the West, 14.5 games behind the top seed. The Suns are at 34-26, sitting comfortably at seventh. Golden State is trending in the wrong direction at the exact wrong time.

March is going to decide a lot. The remaining slate is not here to show the Warriors any mercy. They open March 2nd hosting the Clippers, which is winnable, but then they head out on a road stretch that would humble a healthy team. Houston on March 5th. Oklahoma City on March 7th on national television. That’s back-to-back road games against two of the most dangerous young rosters in the Western Conference.

OKC especially cannot be taken lightly. If the Warriors are still missing pieces by then, that game in particular could get ugly in a way that makes Friday night look like a warmup.

The road-heavy March schedule is the real story here. Look at what’s coming: New York on March 15th, Boston on March 18th, a trip through Detroit and Atlanta before a stop in Dallas on March 23rd. That’s a gauntlet. AND YOU KNOW KUMINGA HAS THAT ATLANTA-GSW GAME CIRCLED. The Warriors are 19-12 at home and 12-17 on the road. Those splits are not small, nor are they something you can strategize your way around. Curry’s presence matters everywhere, but it matters especially much when the environment is hostile and the margin for error disappears.

The home games offer some relief. Chicago on March 10th, Minnesota on March 13th, Brooklyn and Washington in late March. Those are games a full Warriors roster should handle. The problem is the Warriors haven’t been a full roster consistently enough this season to bank on that assumption.

Here’s the cold math. The Warriors have 22 games left after today. They’re 14.5 out of the top spot, which at this point is just a number. What actually matters is the play-in. Eighth place is not safe. The teams behind Golden State are not going away, and the teams ahead, specifically the Suns at seventh, are not going to just roll over and give the Dubs a shot.

I’d bet the Warriors need to go somewhere in the range of 13-9 or better over this final stretch to feel genuinely secure. That’s a .590 clip from a team that’s playing .517 ball right now against a schedule that punishes road weakness, without clarity on when their full roster returns.

There’s a version of this where Curry comes back healthy and the Warriors rattle off wins in bunches like they have before. He has a way of making the math work that defies what the spreadsheet says. The Warriors’ swag with him on the floor is a completely different team. His presence doesn’t just change the offense, it changes the shot quality the defense surrenders, it changes how opponents have to allocate defensive attention, it changes everything.

But time doesn’t wait for anybody’s injury timeline. The calendar flips whether Curry’s knee cooperates or not.

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Senators Dominate Leafs In Toronto, Move To Within Five Points Of Playoff Spot

The Ottawa Senators got back on the winning track in Toronto on Saturday night, crushing the Maple Leafs 5–2 in a game that was not as close as the score would appear.

Drake Batherson and Dylan Cozens each scored twice for the Senators, who moved to within five points of the Boston Bruins for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Leafs, meanwhile, were dominated for most of the night and remain nine points off the pace. Ottawa set the tone early, outshooting Toronto 16–2 in the first period and never let up.

Linus Ullmark made 21 saves for the Senators, who outshot Toronto 40–23 overall. Joseph Woll was chased from the game after allowing five goals on 28 shots, while Anthony Stolarz made 12 saves after replacing him late in the second period.

Morgan Rielly opened the scoring for the Leafs, beating Ullmark between the legs with a wrist shot on the power play less than three minutes into the game.

Ottawa answered midway through the first when Thomas Chabot took a nice pass from Brady Tkachuk in the high slot and beat Woll with a wrist shot that may have deflected off a stick in front.

Early in the second period, Cozens gave Ottawa a 2–1 lead, tapping in a room-service rebound that landed right on his stick blade.

Ten minutes later, Batherson buried a snapshot off the post and in to make it 3–1, but William Nylander quickly responded to cut the deficit to 3–2.

That was as close as the Leafs would get.

After a neutral-zone turnover by Matthew Knies, Batherson scored his second of the night to give the Senators a 4–2 advantage. It appeared Knies had knocked the puck into his own zone, but Toronto challenged the play for offside. The challenge was unsuccessful, resulting in a delay-of-game penalty.

Cozens made them pay, scoring on a wrist shot on the power play to complete the scoring and send Woll to the showers. The third period was uneventful, save for a weird little line brawl that started when Anthony Stolarz and Ridly Greig got into it as they did last season.

The Senators will continue their road trip in Edmonton on Tuesday, then in Calgary on Thursday. After that comes the NHL trade deadline on Friday, when decisions will have to be made about whether to bolster the roster for the stretch run or stand pat.

Steve Warne
The Hockey News

This article was first published by The Hockey News. More headlines here:

Senators At Leafs: NHL's Battle Of Ontario Takes An Unexpected Step Back
After Clearing Waivers, Former Ottawa Senator Mathieu Joseph Sent To AHL
Tkachuk Fields Questions on USA Celebrations and Desire To Remain In Ottawa
20 Years Later: The Rise And Fall Of One Of The Greatest Teams In Senators History
Senators Goalie Prospect Thriving After Trade To QMJHL's Top-Ranked Club

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76ers vs. Celtics predictions: Odds, recent stats, trends and best bets for March 1

Sunday Night Basketball on NBC/Peacock is in Boston this week as Jaylen Brown and the Celtics (39-20) host Tyrese Maxey and the Philadelphia 76ers (33-26).

For the past couple of weeks, the question has been “Will he or won’t he?” Will Jayson Tatum take the court for the Celtics Sunday against the 76ers? While Tatum is making miraculous progress rehabbing his torn Achilles, the All-NBA former Duke Blue Devil is not yet ready to help the Celtics and their run for another championship.

Without Tatum, Boston has enjoyed surprising success this season. The leaders in the Atlantic Division, the Celtics currently hold the second seed overall in the Eastern Conference. Sitting sixth in the East, the Sixers have won three straight to pull to within one game of the fifth place Toronto Raptors.

The Celtics have won five of their last six including an historic 148-111 rout of the Brooklyn Nets Friday night. Boston recorded an 80.8% effective field goal percentage (eFG%) in the game, setting a new record for the highest in NBA history. This historic shooting performance by the Celtics included going 52-of-78 (66.7%) from the field and 22-of-34 (64.7%) from three-point range.

At the foundation of Philly’s success this season has been the All-NBA caliber season of Tyrese Maxey and the resurgence of Joel Embiid. The 76ers’ ability to keep Embiid healthy the rest of the regular season will determine how deep a run they can make this Spring. To that end, the former MVP is not expected to play Sunday due to an oblique issue.

This is the fourth of four regular season meetings between these rivals. Philadelphia has taken two of the first three.

Lets take a closer look at tonight’s matchup and take into consideration lineups, injuries, and other factors affecting the line and total.

We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds courtesy of DraftKings recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.

After 24 years, the NBA is back on NBC and Peacock, combining the nostalgia of an iconic era with the innovative future of basketball coverage. The NBA on NBC YouTube channel delivers fans must-see highlights, analysis, and exclusive and unique content. 

Game Details and How to Watch Live: 76ers at Celtics

  • Date: Sunday, March 1, 2026
  • Time: 8PM EST
  • Site: TD Garden
  • City: Boston, MA
  • Network/Streaming: NBC/Peacock

Rotoworld has you covered with all the latest NBA Player News for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!

Game Odds: 76ers at Celtics

The latest odds as of Saturday Night courtesy of DraftKings:

  • Moneyline: Philadelphia 76ers (+270), Boston Celtics (-340)
  • Spread: Celtics -8.5
  • Total: 221.5 points

This game opened Celtics -4.5 with the Total set at 223.5.

Be sure to check out DraftKings for all the latest game odds & player props for every matchup this week on the NBA schedule! 

Expected Starting Lineups: 76ers at Celtics

Philadelphia 76ers

  • PG Tyrese Maxey
  • SG VJ Edgecombe
  • SF Dominick Barlow
  • PF Andre Drummond
  • C Kelly Oubre Jr.

Boston Celtics

  • PG Derrick White
  • SG Baylor Scheierman
  • SF Jaylen Brown
  • PF Sam Hauser
  • C Neemias Queta

Injury Report: 76ers at Celtics

Philadelphia 76ers

  • Joel Embiid (oblique) has been ruled OUT of Sunday’s game
  • Johni Broome (knee) has been ruled OUT of Sunday’s game
  • Paul George (suspension) has been ruled OUT of Sunday’s game

Boston Celtics

  • Jayson Tatum (Achilles) has been ruled OUT for Sunday’s game
  • Baylor Scheierman (thumb) is listed as questionable for Sunday’s game

Important stats, trends and insights: 76ers at Celtics

  • The Celtics are 19-9 at home this season
  • The 76ers are 17-11 on the road this season
  • The Celtics are 34-25 ATS this season / 14-14 at home
  • The 76ers are 33-26 ATS this season / 19-9 on the road (No. 1 in the NBA)
  • The OVER has cashed in 32 of the 76ers’ 59 games this season (32-27)
  • The OVER has cashed in a league-low 22 of the Celtics’ 59 games this season (22-37)
  • IN his last 8 games, Jaylen Brown is averaging 27.3 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game
  • In 3 games against Philadelphia this season, Brown is averaging 27 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists per game
  • In 3 games against Boston this season, Tyrese Maxey is averaging 29 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game
  • These two teams have not met since November 11th but have played 3 times with the 76ers winning 2 of the 3 games.

Rotoworld Best Bet

Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
 
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.

Here are the best bets our model is projecting for tonight’s 76ers and Celtics’ game:

  • Moneyline: Rotoworld Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline
  • Spread: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the 76ers +8.5 ATS
  • Total: Rotoworld Bet is leaning towards a play on the Game Total OVER 221.5

Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions page from NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar! 

If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!

Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff: 

  • Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
  • Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper) 
  • Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) 
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Game Preview: Knicks vs Spurs, March 1, 2026

The Knicks (38*-22) host the San Antonio Spurs (43-16) for lunch at Madison Square Garden on Sunday. This will be a significant test for New York against the Western Conference’s second seed. The Knicks have won six of their last ten games, while the Spurs have won 11 straight.

The teams met most recently on December 31, 2025, when the Spurs edged the Knicks 134-132 in Texas. Julian Champagnie beheld the face of God and dropped a career-high 36 points, setting a Spurs franchise record with 11 three-pointers. (Because, the Knicks.) Victor Wembanyama added 31 points and 13 rebounds before exiting with a leg injury. For the Knicks, Jalen Brunson scored 29 points. Karl-Anthony Towns and Jordan Clarkson each added 20, and the team shot 42% from yard.

Prior to that, the Knicks beat the Spurs to win the NBA Cup, which is such an important achievement that it doesn’t even count in the record books. Trophies are cool, though.

The Spurs are one of the league’s most interesting stories this season—not quite as interesting as that betting ring that Chauncey Billups roped me into, but still up there. San Antonio ranks eighth in offensive rating at 118 and third in defensive rating at 111.3. They average 118.5 points per game while shooting 48% from the field, and rank 17th in three-point percentage at 35%. Their defensive rebounding and rim protection have been elite, anchored by that fine French specimen.

Wemby leads the way with 23.7 points and 11.2 rebounds per game while blocking 2.8 shots. De’Aaron Fox averages 19 points and 6.2 assists, and Stephon Castle contributes 16.6 points and 6.8 assists in his second season. Devin Vassell puts up 18 PPG as a reliable perimeter scorer, and veteran Harrison Barnes provides 10.3 PPG.

The Spurs’ probable starting five, based on their most recent game, should be Wembanyama, Castle, Fox, Champagnie, and Vassell. The injury report mentions nothing of note: some guy named David Jones Garcia is out for the Spurs, while McBride remains sidelined for the Knicks.

Prediction

ESPN analytics gives New York a 52% chance to win. Kee-yah! The sizzlin’ Spurs are 22-10 on the road this season, while the Knicks are 22-8 at home. New York’s best answer to Wemby’s presence in the paint is Mitchell Robinson, presumably off the bench. A lively effort from Karl-Anthony Towns would be appreciated, too. If the home team plays defense, controls the pace, limits turnovers, and shoots wells (just basically everything), the sky’s the limit. As for today’s lunch menu, I hear the host plans to serve their guests a fresh hot L with spicy mustard. Knicks by 5.

Game Details

Date: Sunday, March 1, 2026
Time: 1 PM ET
Place: Madison Square Garden, NYC
TV: ABC
Follow: @ptknicksblog and bsky

* Should be one more, but the Cup Final doesn’t count.

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Gostisbehere sparks Hurricanes’ 5th straight win, 5-2 over Red Wings

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Shayne Gostisbehere had a goal and two assists to lead the Carolina Hurricanes to their fifth straight win, 5-2 over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night.

Jackson Blake, Taylor Hall, Sebastian Aho and Eric Robinson also scored for the Hurricanes, who have used a 12-game point streak (10-0-2) to surge to the top of the Eastern Conference with 82 points.

Carolina goalie Frederik Andersen made 27 saves to improve to 14-1-2 in his career against the Red Wings.

Simon Edvinsson and Patrick Kane scored and Cam Talbot stopped 31 shots for the Red Wings, who lost for the fifth time in seven games (2-4-1).

The Hurricanes built a 3-0 lead to continue their recent hot play at home. They lost their first two home games in January but have gone 10-0-1 at home since a 5-3 loss to Colorado on Jan. 3.

Gostisbehere scored at 2:18 in the third period to give the Hurricanes some breathing room after Detroit cut the margin to 3-2 at the end of the second period.

Blake, with assists from Gostisbehere and Hall, extended the Hurricanes’ margin to 5-2 with a goal at 5:30 in the third.

RANGERS 3, PENGUINS 2, SO

NEW YORK (AP) — Vincent Trocheck scored the shootout winner and Igor Shesterkin made 31 saves and the New York Rangers rallied to defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins.

After an overtime in which each team had several good scoring chances, Trocheck beat Penguins goaltender Stuart Skinner with the only goal of the shootout as the Rangers snapped a five-game losing streak. Shesterkin made five saves in overtime.

Mika Zibanejad and Taylor Raddysh also scored for the Rangers. The last-place Rangers are 7-15-5 at home this season.

Anthony Mantha and defenseman Ryan Shea scored for the Penguins, who had their two-game winning streak stopped. Pittsburgh is 8-1-2 since Jan. 17.

FLYERS 3, BRUINS 1

PHIALDELPHIA (AP) — Travis Konecny opened the scoring in the third period and set up Jaime Drysdale’s goal, Dan Vladar made 26 saves and Philadelphia beat Boston.

Konecny scored his team-leading 23rd goal of the season, sliding the puck past Jeremy Swayman off a drop pass from Christian Dvorak at 3:41 of the third. Konency then set up Drysdale for a wrister that made it 2-0 with 8:05 left.

Charlie McAvoy scored for Boston on a deflection with 6:57 to go. Flyers captain Sean Couturier had an empty-netter to snap a 31-game goal drought.

Philadelphia won back-to-back games for the first time since Jan. 3-6 to move within six points of Boston for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Bruins are 5-1-3 in their last nine.

Swayman made 14 saves.

SHARKS 5, OILERS 4

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Shakir Mukhamadullin broke a tie midway through the third period and San Jose snapped a five-game winless streak by beating Edmonton.

Mukhamadullin beat Connor Ingram with a slap shot from the point with 10:39 to play to give the Sharks their first victory since Jan. 27 at Vancouver. San Jose had been 0-4-1 since then, starting when the Sharks blew a 3-0 lead in the third period to Edmonton before losing in overtime.

Olympic star Macklin Celebrini opened the scoring for San Jose as he got the best of his matchup against his linemate from Canada in the Olympics, Connor McDavid.

Michael Misa, Barclay Goodrow and Alexander Wennberg also scored for San Jose. Yaroslav Askarov made 20 saves.

Leon Draisaitl, Evan Bouchard, Trent Frederic and Jake Walman scored for Edmonton, while McDavid chipped in with three assists to give him an NHL-leading 103 points on the season.

Ingram made 28 saves.

DEVILS 3, BLUES 1

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jacob Markstrom made 25 saves, Timo Meier and Dougie Hamilton had second-period goals and New Jersey beat St. Louis to end a five-game losing streak.

Markstrom lost his shutout bid with 1:18 left when Pavel Buchnevich scored with goalie Jordan Binnington off for an extra attacker.

Nico Hischier scored into an empty net in the final seconds.

Binnington made 30 saves in his first game since backstopping Canada to the Olympic final.

Meier scored his 16th goal of the season at 5:37 of the second, firing in a wrist shot from the right circle. He has three goals in his last six NHL games. For Switzerland in the Olympics, Meier had three goals and four assists in five games.

AVALANCHE 3, BLACKHAWKS 1

DENVER (AP) — Cale Makar scored two goals, Gavin Brindley had the go-ahead score early in the third period and Colorado beat Chicago.

Mackenzie Blackwood made 14 saves for Colorado, which killed off two penalties early in the third period to bounce back from a disappointing loss to Minnesota on Thursday night.

Colorado has an NHL-best 87 points and leads Dallas in the Western Conference by six points and Minnesota by seven. The Stars have played one more game than the Avalanche and the Wild have played two more.

Connor Bedard scored for Chicago, which has lost eight of nine and continues to struggle to score. The Blackhawks have just 12 goals in their eight losses.

Spencer Knight made 32 saves for Chicago, which had just nine shots through the first two periods.

ISLANDERS 4, BLUE JACKETS 3, OT

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Simon Holmstrom scored 1:50 into overtime as New York beat Columbus for its fourth straight win.

Holmstrom got the feed from Tony DeAngelo and had a clear path up the right side of the ice before cutting toward the net with a wrist shot to beat Columbus’ Jet Greaves.

It was Holmstrom’s 14th goal of the season and his second in overtime. The Islanders are 8-0 in overtime games this season, the only team in the league that hasn’t lost in the extra period.

Scott Mayfield had a goal and assist for the Islanders. Anders Lee and Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored 22 seconds apart in the second period to erase a two-goal deficit. Ilya Sorokin stopped 27 shots.

Columbus’ Zach Wereneki, who had the assist on Jack Hughes’ goal in the United States’ gold-medal victory over Canada at the Olympics, had a pair of assists and extended his points streak to a nine games, the longest run by a defenseman in franchise history.

Werenski, second among NHL defensemen with 65 points, has 13 in his last nine games (two goals, 11 assists). It was Werenski’s 21st multipoint game this season and the 100th of his 10-year career. With 621 games played, he’s the fifth-fastest active defenseman to reach the mark.

Isac Lundeström, Mason Marchment, Adam Fantilli had Columbus’ goals. Greaves made 22 saves.

KINGS 2, FLAMES 0

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Anton Forsberg made 29 saves, Alex Laferriere scored in the second period and Los Angeles beat Calgary to end a five-game losing streak.

Forsberg had his second shutout of the season and 10th of his NHL career, two nights after coming on in relief of Darcy Kuemper in the second period of an 8-1 home loss to Edmonton.

Laferriere scored with 4:24 left in second, putting his own rebound past goalie Dustin Wolf for his 14th goal of the season. Adrian Kempe added his 22nd into an empty net in the final minute.

Wolf made 35 saves. He spent seven years in the Los Angeles Junior Kings youth program before playing major junior for Everett in the Western Hockey League.

SABRES 6, LIGHTNING 2

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Josh Norris scored twice, Rasmus Dahlin had a goal and two assists and Buffalo beat Tampa Bay for its third straight victory.

Zach Metsa had a goal and an assist, Alex Tuch and Tage Thompson also scored and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 36 saves to help Buffalo move within four points of the Atlantic Division-leading Lightning.

The Sabres improved to 16-2-1 in their past 19 on the road, ending Tampa Bay’s 10-game home winning streak.

Dominic James and Victor Hedman scored for Tampa Bay. The Lightning have lost consecutive games for the first time since Dec. 15-18.

Andrei Vasilevksiy, who was 17-0-1 in his previous starts, was pulled after allowing five goals on 14 shots in his first regulation loss since Dec. 18. Jonas Johansson came on in relief and stopped 20 shots.

SENATORS 5, MAPLE LEAFS 2

TORONTO (AP) — Drake Batherson and Dylan Cozens each scored twice and Ottawa beat Toronto.

Thomas Chabot also scored, Cozens added an assist and Linus Ullmark made 21 saves.

Morgan Rielly and William Nylander scored for Toronto in its third straight loss.

Rielly got the scoring started less than three minutes into the first period, but it was all Senators from there. Ottawa had the next 19 shots on goal and scored three straight to take a two-goal lead midway through the second period.

Nylander cut it to 3-2, but Batherson struck back with his second of the period less than two minutes later on a play Toronto unsuccessfully challenged for offside.

Cozens scored his second goal on the ensuing penalty, chasing goalie Joseph Woll after 23 saves on 28 shots. Anthony Stolarz stopped all 12 shots he faced.

CANADIENS 6, CAPITALS 2

MONTREAL (AP) — Cole Caufield scored two first-period goals to help propel Montreal to a win over Washington.

Mike Matheson and Kirby Dach scored goals in the second period for Montreal, which has recorded at least a point in seven consecutive games (5-0-2).

Nick Suzuki and Jake Evans added empty-net goals in the third and Suzuki had two assists. Jakub Dobes made 27 saves as he improved his record to 9-0-2 over his last 11 games.

Caufield now has a team-high 35 goals this season. It took all of 30 seconds for the Canadiens to find the back of the net, marking the fastest game-opening goal scored by Montreal this season. Jakob Chychrun’s point shot was blocked by Caufield, resulting in a breakaway for the forward. His snap shot beat Charlie Lindgren to the glove side.

Alex Ovechkin scored twice for the Capitals, who had their three-game win streak snapped. The Capitals captain has scored 44 goals and recorded 76 points in just 63 career matchups against the Canadiens.

Lindgren stopped 19 shots in his first start since Jan. 29.

STARS 3, PREDATORS 2

DALLAS (AP) — Jason Robertson scored 1:47 into overtime, lifting Dallas to a comeback victory over Nashville for its eighth straight win.

Nathan Bastian and Wyatt Johnston scored in regulation for the Stars, who trailed 2-0 after one period. Dallas has rallied from deficits to win each of its three games against Nashville this season — two after trailing 2-0.

Jake Oettinger stopped 25 shots in his first start since returning from the Milan-Cortina Olympics, where he was the backup for the gold medal-winning U.S. team. He’s 7-0 in his last seven starts.

Dallas tied the team’s longest winning streak, set March 16 to April 3, 2024. The Stars have won their last six home games and improved to 20-4-9 in one-goal games this season. They have the second-most wins in the NHL in one-goal games, behind only the New York Islanders (22-5-5).

Michael Bunting and Steven Stamkos each scored for the Predators in the opening period. Juuse Saros made 22 saves.

KRAKEN 5, CANUCKS 1

SEATTLE (AP) — Jordan Eberle scored twice and added an assist as Seattle beat Vancouver.

Vince Dunn, Chandler Stephenson and Matty Beniers also scored for the Kraken, who snapped a two-game skid during which they were outscored 9-2 following the Olympic break. Joey Daccord made 27 saves.

The Canucks, who dropped their fifth straight, got a goal from Liam Ohgren. Kevin Lankinen made 20 stops but has now allowed 15 goals over his last three starts.

Dunn — playing in his 600th career game — scored at 7:36 of the first period from the top of the left circle to give Seattle a 1-0 lead.

Stephenson scored on a rebound with 9:40 remaining in the first period to make it 2-0. Adam Larsson recorded his 200th career assist on the goal.

Ohgren’s slap shot beat Daccord at 8:28 of the second period to cut the lead 2-1.

Eberle made it 3-1 with 6:13 left in the second, scoring his team-leading 21st goal of the season. He outskated his defender and finished the breakaway with a backhand.

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No. 16 Texas Tech beats No. 4 Iowa State 82-73, handing Cyclones their first home loss

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Donovan Atwell scored 18 points to lead No. 16 Texas Tech to an 82-73 victory over No. 4 Iowa State on Saturday that sent the Cyclones to their first home loss of the season.

Iowa State (24-5, 11-5 Big 12) was 15-0 at Hilton Coliseum before the Red Raiders (22-7, 12-4) came in and ended the streak, building a 20-point first-half run and fighting off a second-half surge by the Cyclones.

Texas Tech, playing the rest of the season without JT Toppin, the reigning Big 12 player of the year, stayed in a second-place tie with Houston, two games behind leader Arizona, heading into the final week of the regular season. Iowa State dropped into a tie for fourth with Kansas.

Atwell, who ranks second nationally in 3-pointers per game and third in 3-pointers made, was 6 of 10 from behind the arc.

Atwell was one of six Red Raiders who scored in double figures. Christian Anderson had 14 points, Luke Bamgboye had 13 points, Jaylen Petty had 12 and Tyeree Bryan and Josiah Moseley each had 10.

Joshua Jefferson led the Cyclones with 22 points. Milan Momcilovic had 20 points and Tamin Lipsey added 13.

NO. 1 DUKE 77, NO. 11 VIRGINIA 51

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Isaiah Evans scored 19 points to help Duke beat Virginia, clinching the top seed for the upcoming Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament.

The sophomore hit five 3-pointers, three coming in the opening 4-plus minutes as the Blue Devils quickly found their long-distance range. Duke made 8 of 13 3s in the opening half and finished 12 for 24 — seven Blue Devils made at least one 3 — while shooting 49.1% overall.

Star freshman Cameron Boozer finished with 18 points despite going just 3 for 9 from the field. But the 6-foot-9, 250-pound top NBA prospect nonetheless made a huge impact by commanding double teams, passing out to set up teammates and drawing fouls.

Boozer finished with nine rebounds and four assists. He also made 11 of 12 free throws, all by halftime. And that helped the Blue Devils take a 41-26 halftime lead with a margin that would only grow.

As a result, the Blue Devils (27-2, 15-1) have at least a two-game lead on every ACC team and must win one of their last two games to clinch the outright regular-season title.

NO. 2 ARIZONA 84, NO. 14 KANSAS 61

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Brayden Burries had 20 points and 12 rebounds, Motiejus Krivas added 13 points and Arizona clinched a share of the Big 12 regular-season title with a win over Kansas.

The Wildcats (27-2, 14-2 Big 12) used a 19-0 run to build an 18-point lead, allowed Kansas to whittle it to two midway through the second half, then pulled away with another big run to earn a share of the Big 12 title in their second season in the league.

Jaden Bradley scored eight straight points during the decisive 19-2 second-half run and Koa Peat had 12 points after missing the previous three games with a lower-leg injury.

The Jayhawks (21-8, 11-5) handed Arizona its first loss of the season on Feb. 9 and rallied behind star freshman Darryn Peterson after being overwhelmed early in the rematch.

Peterson finished with 24 points, but Kansas had no answer during the Wildcats’ big run and lost for the third time in five games.

NO. 5 HOUSTON 102, COLORADO, 62

HOUSTON (AP) — Milos Uzan had 26 points and six assists, Joseph Tugler scored 14 and Houston snapped its three-game losing streak with a win over Colorado.

Uzan had 16 points on 5-of-7 shooting in the first half as the Cougars (24-5, 12-4 Big 12) built a 55-29 lead at the break. Houston shot 56%, including 6 of 11 on 3-pointers, in the first half.

Chris Cenac Jr. scored 12 points, Kingston Flemings had 11 points, six rebound and eight assists and Chase McCarty, Emanuel Sharp and Mercy Miller finished with 10 points each for Houston, which shot 60% for the game and 10 of 17 on 3-pointers.

The Cougars forced Colorado into 15 turnovers and converted them into 21 points. They outrebounded the Buffaloes 34-22.

NO. 6 UCONN 71, SETON HALL 67

STORRS, Conn. (AP) — Alex Karaban scored 23 points after being added to the Huskies of Honor before his final home game, and UConn rallied for a victory over Seton Hall.

Solo Ball had 12 of his 14 points in the second half for UConn (27-3, 17-2 Big East). Karaban and Ball combined to go 7 for 8 from the foul line in the final minute.

Karaban became the first active UConn men’s basketball player to join the Huskies of Honor in a pregame ceremony at Gampel Pavilion. The two-time national champion who is the men’s career leader in victories moved into 10th on the career scoring list with a 3-pointer during the game.

Karaban, also second in career 3-pointers, was honored along with Tarris Reed Jr., Dwayne Koroma, Alec Millender and Malachi Smith in the final home game of the season for the Huskies.

Braylon Mullins had 11 points and Reed finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Huskies, who crushed No. 15. St. John’s 72-40 on Wednesday but had to work hard to get past the Pirates.

NO. 7 FLORIDA 111, NO. 20 ARKANSAS 77

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Thomas Haugh scored 22 points, Rueben Chinyelu had his 17th double-double of the season and Florida earned at least a share of the Southeastern Conference title with a win over Arkansas.

It tied the worst loss of Arkansas coach John Calipari’s career, a 34-pointer against Duke in 2018. Calipari was with Kentucky at the time.

The Gators (23-6, 14-2 SEC) closed out an unbeaten February with their ninth consecutive win and locked up their first regular-season championship since 2014. They remained two games ahead of No. 17 Alabama with two to play and can wrap up the outright title Tuesday night at home.

But they didn’t wait to celebrate.

With a sold-out crowd and ESPN’s College GameDay on hand, Florida turned Billy Donovan Court into a party spot. Coach Todd Golden was front and center as the team doled out hats and T-shirts and cut down nets. It wasn’t Golden’s first time in the spotlight Saturday night, either.

Golden and Calipari got double technicals early in the second half after screaming at each other near midcourt. Calipari’s assistants pulled him away. Golden turned and riled up the 11,000-plus in attendance.

It was one of the few highlights in a game that was pretty much over early.

NO. 12 NEBRASKA 84, SOUTHERN CAL 67

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Pryce Sandfort scored 32 points — one off his career high — and Nebraska pulled away in the second half to beat Southern California for its school-record 14th Big Ten victory and third straight overall.

The Cornhuskers (25-4, 14-4) improved to 7-2 on the road in league play with one away game remaining. They began the season 20-0 and are 5-4 since then.

Sanfort hit five 3-pointers, leaving him five away from equaling Shawn Respert’s Big Ten single-season record of 80.

Braden Frager added 17 points and tied his career high with eight rebounds for the Huskers, who got plenty of support in Galen Center. Their fans chanted “Go Big Red!” during a decisive 15-0 run midway through the second half. Sandfort had seven points and Frager seven as Nebraska extended its lead to 66-46.

The Trojans (18-11, 7-11) further damaged their NCAA Tournament hopes with their fifth straight loss and 10th in 16 games.

NO. 15 ST. JOHN'S 89, VILLANOVA 57

NEW YORK (AP) — Zuby Ejiofor had 16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists for his first career triple-double, and St. John’s bounced back from an embarrassing loss by blitzing Villanova at Madison Square Garden.

Ian Jackson added 19 points and a career-high five steals off the bench for the Red Storm (23-6, 16-2 Big East), who sprinted out to a 30-point lead in the first half and remained a half-game behind No. 6 UConn atop the conference standings.

Oziyah Sellers scored 14 in the Johnnies’ most lopsided victory over Villanova, their most frequent opponent. St. John’s leads 68-67 in a series that dates to the 1909-1910 season.

Ejiofor, who also blocked three shots, delivered the fourth known triple-double in school history and second in the past 26 years, after Kadary Richmond had one in the regular-season finale last year against Marquette.

NO. 17 ALABAMA 71, NO. 22 TENNESSEE 69

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Labaron Philon Jr. hit a jumper with 22.8 seconds left to lead Alabama to a win over No. 22 Tennessee on Saturday night.

Latrell Wrightsell scored 25 points to lead the Crimson Tide (22-7, 12-4 Southeastern Conference), and Philon came off the bench to score 15 of his 23 points in the second half. Aden Holloway added 12.

Ja’Kobi Gillespie scored 26 points and had eight steals and seven assists to lead the Volunteers (20-9, 10-6), who lost their fourth SEC game after having a double-digit first-half lead.

J.P. Estrella had 12 points and Jaylen Carey had 10 points and nine rebounds.

The Vols missed three shots within five feet of the basket in the final seconds.

NO. 18 NORTH CAROLINA 89, VIRGINIA TECH 82

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Henri Veesaar matched a season-high with 26 points, Seth Trimble scored 20 points, and North Carolina pulled away in the second half to beat Virginia Tech.

Jonathan Powell got 15 points off the bench, 13 of which came before halftime.

The Tar Heels (23-6, 11-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) opened their first double-digit lead at 73-63 with 6:59 left on a hook shot by Veesaar, who added seven rebounds and was 11 of 20 from the floor. It was his third time with 26 points this season, most recently in a 95-90 loss to Stanford on Jan. 14.

The Hokies pulled within five with 2:45 remaining, but North Carolina closed it out despite making just one field goal over the final 6:22.

Neoklis Avdalas finished with 19 points for the Hokies (18-11, 7-9), who lost for the third time in four games. Tobi Lawal and Ben Hammond had 16 points apiece.

WEST VIRGINIA 79, NO. 19 BYU 71

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — Honor Huff scored 19 points, Brenen Lorient added 18 and West Virginia led the entire second half and beat BYU .

DJ Thomas added 13 points and Jasper Floyd and Chance Moore had 11 apiece for the Mountaineers (17-12, 8-8 Big 12).

Robert Wright III scored 23 points and AJ Dybantsa added 20 for BYU (20-9, 8-8), which couldn’t make up a double-digit halftime deficit for the second straight game. The Cougars have lost two straight and eight of 12.

Keba Keita’s steal and layup brought BYU to 74-71 with 1:11 left. But the Cougars didn’t score again. BYU had two chances to tie it following steals, but turned the ball over on consecutive possessions.

West Virginia made 5 of 6 free throws the final 26 seconds. The Mountaineers broke a three-game losing streak and improved to 2-4 against AP Top 25 opponents.

West Virginia forced nine BYU turnovers in the first half and used a 20-5 run, including 11 points from Moore, to take a 40-26 halftime lead.

NO. 23 SAINT LOUIS 91, DUQUESNE 76

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Robbie Avila scored 21 of his 23 points in the second half, Quentin Jones added 17 and Saint Louis beat Duquesne.

Trey Green had 14 points, and Paul Otieno added 13 points off the bench to help Saint Louis (26-3, 14-2 Atlantic 10) win its 21st consecutive home game.

Tarence Guinyard scored 27 points, and Jimmie Williams had 16 for Duquesne (16-13, 8-8). It has lost three in a row after winning five straight contests.

Saint Louis converted 27 of 50 shots from the field and hit 16 of 28 shots from 3-point range.

Duquesne went on a 7-0 run after Avila picked up his fourth personal foul with 5:52 remaining to cut Saint Louis’ lead to 76-74, but Green answered by scoring eight straight points for the Billikens. They closed with a 15-2 run.

CLEMSON 80, NO. 24 LOUISVILLE 75

CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Jestin Porter scored all 16 of his points in the second half as Clemson snapped a four-game losing streak with a victory over Louisville.

The Tigers, once comfortably in the NCAA Tournament field with 10 wins in their first 11 Atlantic Coast Conference games, had raised questions the past two weeks with their late-season slide. But Clemson (21-8, 11-5 ACC) held off the Cardinals (20-9, 9-7) with defense and Porter’s timely baskets.

Up 55-49, Porter drove through the right side of Louisville’s defense for a basket off the glass. Moments later, Nick Davidson stole the ball from Adrian Wooley, fed a perfect pass to a wide-open Porter who hit a 3-pointer for a double-digit lead.

The Tigers led by 15 with 1:08 to play when Louisville used a 17-6 run for the final score.

KENTUCKY 91, NO. 25 VANDERBILT 77

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Collin Chandler scored a career-high 23 points to lead Kentucky to a win over Vanderbilt.

Otega Oweh also had 23 points for Kentucky (19-10, 10-6 Southeastern Conference), which split the regular-season series after losing to the Commodores 80-55 on Jan. 27 in Nashville. The Wildcats notched their second straight victory after dropping three straight to Florida, Georgia and Auburn earlier this month.

Tyler Tanner led the Commodores (22-9, 9-7) with 19 points, followed by Jalen Washington with 16. Tyler Nickel had 13, AK Okereke scored 12 and Duke Miles had 11.

Chandler tied a career high with six 3-pointers and Kentucky which finished with 11 in the game. He had five of the Wildcats’ seven in the first half for 15 points.

Chandler connected on back-to-back 3s and scored six of the first eight points for the Wildcats. Kentucky used a 7-0 run to build a double-digit lead, which it maintained throughout the game.

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Mark Delgado, Son Heung-min, Hugo Lloris lead LAFC to 2-0 victory over Dynamo

HOUSTON (AP) — Mark Delgado had a goal and an assist, Son Heung-min had two assists and Hugo Lloris posted a second straight clean sheet to help Los Angeles FC beat Houston 2-0 on Saturday night after the Dynamo lost two players to red cards.

Houston defender Antônio Carlos was tagged with a red card in the second minute of stoppage time in a scoreless first half, forcing the Dynamo to play a man down from there.

LAFC (2-0-0) took advantage in the 56th minute when Delgado used assists from Son and Denis Bouanga to score. Delgado scored for the 26th time in 345 career appearances. Bouanga's second assist in as many matches gives him 22 in 103 career appearances. None of Bouanga's 66 goals have come against Houston — the only team he has not scored on.

Stephen Eustáquio scored for the first time in his second league appearance to give LAFC an insurance goal in the 82nd minute — six minutes after Agustín Bouzat was hit with a red card that left Houston two men down. Son notched his third assist this season, giving him six in 12 career appearances. Delgado picked up his first assist this season and the 44th of his career.

Hugo Lloris totaled two saves in his second straight clean sheet to begin the season for LAFC. Lloris and LAFC opened with a 3-0 victory over defending MLS Cup champion Inter Miami at home.

Jonathan Bond stopped four shots for the Dynamo (1-1-0), who were coming off a season-opening 2-1 victory over the visiting Chicago Fire.

LAFC earns its first victory in Houston since July 12, 2019 and leads the all-time series 8-5-5. Coach Marc Dos Santos has the club off to a 4-0 start — over a 12-day span — in all competitions for the first time after posting a pair of CONCACAF Champions Cup victories over Real España by a combined score of 7-1 to reach the Round of 16.

Up next

LAFC: Hosts FC Dallas on Saturday.

Houston: At New England Revolution on Saturday.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer

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Robertson’s overtime goal caps Stars’ 3-2 comeback over Predators for 8th straight win

DALLAS (AP) — Jason Robertson scored 1:47 into overtime, lifting the Dallas Stars to a 3-2 comeback victory over the Nashville Predators on Saturday night for their eighth straight win.

Nathan Bastian and Wyatt Johnston scored in regulation for the Stars, who trailed 2-0 after one period. Dallas has rallied from deficits to win each of its three games against Nashville this season — two after trailing 2-0.

Jake Oettinger stopped 25 shots in his first start since returning from the Milan-Cortina Olympics, where he was the backup for the gold medal-winning U.S. team. He's 7-0 in his last seven starts.

Dallas tied the team's longest winning streak, set March 16 to April 3, 2024. The Stars have won their last six home games and improved to 20-4-9 in one-goal games this season. They have the second-most wins in the NHL in one-goal games, behind only the New York Islanders (22-5-5).

Michael Bunting and Steven Stamkos each scored for the Predators in the opening period. Juuse Saros made 22 saves.

With the Predators leading 2-1, Bastian scored on a wrist shot 5:31 into the third period to tie it.

In overtime, Brady Skjei nearly gave Nashville the win but hit the post. Seconds later, Johnston circled the net and missed, but Miro Heiskanen got the loose puck in the left circle. He sent a pass through the crease to an open Robertson, who got enough of the puck to direct it in for the win.

Johnston got the Predators on the scoreboard in the second period with his 32nd goal and 20th on the power play — extending his single-season record since the franchise relocated to Dallas in 1993-94. He’s also two power-play goals shy of tying the overall franchise record set by Dino Ciccarelli in 1986-87.

Up next

Predators: Host Detroit on Monday.

Stars: Play at Vancouver on Monday night.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

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Lakers rout short-handed Warriors 129-101

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Luka Doncic had 26 points, eight assists and six rebounds, LeBron James added 22 points, nine assists and seven rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers ran away from the short-handed Golden State Warriors for a 129-101 win Saturday night.

The Warriors struggled to produce enough offensive power as Stephen Curry missed his 10th straight game for Golden State still nursing a right knee injury and newly acquired center Kristaps Porzingis sat out with an illness.

Gui Santos scored 14 points to lead the Warriors in his fifth straight double-digit game and 12th in the last 13 — and this one came after he received a multi-year contract extension earlier in the day.

Gary Payton II contributed 12 points for Golden State, his seventh game out of the last nine in double digits.

James went 7 for 13 from the floor with four 3-pointers after he shot around with 11-year-old daughter Zhuri before the game after completing his own warmup in a sweet moment.

The Lakers snapped a three-game losing streak overall and a three-game skid on the road with just their third win in the last eight — and also third in eight on the road against the Pacific Division this season.

Austin Reaves scored 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting for Los Angeles, Luke Kennard had 16 points with four 3s off the bench and Deandre Ayton grabbed 10 rebounds.

HORNETS 109, TRAIL BLAZERS 93

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Brandon Miller had 26 points and eight rebounds, and the Charlotte Hornets beat the Portland Trail Blazers for their fourth consecutive victory.

Miller made six 3-pointers and the Hornets finished 16 for 42 behind the arc after totaling 72 in the previous three victories, equaling the NBA record for most in a three-game span.

Coby White added 20 points off the bench and LaMelo Ball had 15 points and eight assists. Moussa Diabate finished with 13 points, 11 rebounds and five assists as Charlotte pulled within a game of .500 at 30-31.

Jrue Holiday scored 25 points and Jerami Grant had 21 for the Trail Blazers, who played without All-Star Deni Avdija for a third straight game because of a back injury.

HEAT 115, ROCKETS 105

MIAMI (AP) — Bam Adebayo had 24 points and 11 rebounds, Pelle Larsson scored 10 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter and Miami beat Houston.

Tyler Herro scored 18, Jaime Jaquez Jr. added 14 and Kel’el Ware had a 13-point, 15-rebound game for the Heat. Andrew Wiggins — who needed eight stitches to close a laceration inside his mouth — had 12 points for Miami.

Kevin Durant finished with 32 points, eight assists and six rebounds for the Rockets, who got 20 points from Amen Thompson and 14 from Reed Sheppard.

Both teams had double-digit leads early; the Rockets ran out to a quick 14-4 edge, the Heat answered with a 37-14 run to take a 41-28 lead. And then things settled down, with the sides staying relatively close the rest of the way.

Neither team had a double-digit lead in the second half until Larsson hit a pair of free throws with 1:52 left for a 113-103 lead.

RAPTORS 134, WIZARDS 125

WASHINGTON (AP) — Immanuel Quickley had 27 points and 11 assists to lift Toronto to a victory over Washington.

Brandon Ingram added 24 points for the Raptors, who rebounded from back-to-back home losses to Western Conference contenders Oklahoma and San Antonio earlier in the week. Toronto is in fifth place in the East, now three games clear of the play-in group.

Will Riley scored 19 points for Washington, which lost its fourth straight game after beating Indiana twice in a row coming out of the All-Star break.

The Wizards remain without newly acquired Anthony Davis (finger) and Trae Young (knee, quad), and 7-footer Alex Sarr (hamstring) didn’t play either. Collin Murray-Boyles (thumb) did not play for Toronto.

Washington led by three in the middle of the third quarter before an 11-2 Toronto run capped by Ingram’s 3-pointer. The Raptors were up 98-92 after three and pushed the lead into double digits early in the fourth.

All five Toronto starters scored at least 18 points. RJ Barrett contributed 21, and Scottie Barnes scored 18 and Jakob Poeltl had 18 with 10 rebounds.

Bilal Coulibaly and Kyshawn George scored 14 points each for the Wizards. Washington shot 16 of 34 from 3-point range, but Toronto countered by going 42 of 63 inside the arc.

PELICANS 115, JAZZ 105

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Saddiq Bey scored 24 points as New Orleans won to complete a two-game sweep in Utah after Pelicans star Zion Williamson left the game with an ankle injury.

Williamson left early in the second quarter with a right ankle injury and didn’t return. He had four points, two assists and a rebound in 11 minutes.

Pelicans interim coach James Borrego said only that Williams “tweaked” his ankle. He said he would get more information and hoped it was nothing serious.

Bey, coming off a 42-point performance in Thursday’s 129-118 win of the Pelicans, shot 7 for 16 from the field and 3 for 8 from long distance, and was helped by 7-for-10 shooting from the line.

Jeremiah Fears and Bryce McGowens each scored 18 points, Herbert Jones scored 10 of his 17 points in the first half and Jordan Poole added 11. Fears chipped in 11 rebounds and five assists as New Orleans won its fourth straight and for the sixth time in eight games.

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Lakers get back on track, defeat Warriors to end losing streak

Lakers star LeBron James

SAN FRANCISCO — The Lakers needed Saturday night.

Even with the Warriors being without two of their best players in star guard Steph Curry and big man Kristaps Porzingis, Thursday’s gut-wrenching loss to the Suns was the latest example of why the Lakers can’t take an opponent lightly despite who it has available.

And from the start of their 129-101 blowout win over the Warriors at Chase Center, the Lakers’ business-like approach was evident. 

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) shoots over Golden State Warriors guard Gary Payton II (0) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez) AP

They were urgent.

Focused. 

Crisp.

And they were these things for nearly all of Saturday, unlike the games leading into the matchup against the Warriors.

Even after leading 65-47 at halftime, the Lakers didn’t let up, leading by as many as 32 points multiple times in the fourth quarter.

“The consistency of just playing the right way was great,” coach JJ Redick said. “I thought anytime we got a little disorganized, we were able to get back to just some go-to stuff to calm the group.”

The Lakers’ three best players set the tone. 

Luka Doncic (26 points, eight assists, six rebounds), who turned 27 years old on Saturday, and LeBron James (22 points, nine assists and seven rebounds) pressured the Warriors’ defense the entire game with their shot-making and play-making.

They combined to make eight of the Lakers’ 19 3-pointers, with the team shooting 46.3% (19 of 41) from beyond the arc.

Austin Reaves was back to being uber-efficient, scoring 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting in 28 minutes. 

“It was just making the right play in front of us,” Redick said. “I thought our starters really set the tone with that.”

Luke Kennard had his highest-scoring game as a Laker with 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting (4 of 7 on 3s), while Jake LaRavia added 15 points (6-of-10 shooting, 3 of 6 on 3s).

What it means

The Lakers’ three-game losing streak ended, with the team avoiding a season-worst drought with the victory over the Warriors.

They moved to 35-24 to stay at least 10 games above .500. 

“We responded exactly how we were supposed to,” LaRavia said. “Anyone that talked to me and asked me a question about what the mindset was coming to this game was: win the game. At all costs, we have to come out and we just have to win and get back on the right track. And I think we did everything to make that happen.”

Turning point 

The moment the Lakers arrived at Chase Center. 

They took control of the game early, jumping to a 23-11 lead and didn’t look back. 

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) reacts after making a 3-point basket during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Golden State Warriors, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez) AP

MVP: LeBron James

James made his first four 3s, finding a rhythm from beyond the arc that eluded him for most of February, before missing his final two.

The four-time league MVP entered Saturday shooting 21.3% (10 of 47) on 3s in February entering the matchup against the Warriors. 

“I’m comfortable in every shot I take,” James said. “I can shoot 0.0% from the 3-point line and I believe I’ll make the next one.”

Stat of the game: Seven

The biggest sign of how seriously the Lakers took Saturday’s game was the fact their Big 3 took great care of the ball. 

Doncic, James and Reaves combined for just seven turnovers, lower than the 10.4 they combined to average entering Saturday. 

James had most of those giveaways Saturday with four. 

Up next

The Lakers will fly back to Southern California on Saturday night for the second leg of their back-to-back. 

They’ll host the Kings at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday night. 

Rui Hachimura’s status wasn’t known as of Saturday night, with coach JJ Redick saying pregame that the forward was still under the weather with the illness that held him out of the matchup against the Warriors for his second straight absence. 

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Red Wings' Comeback Effort Dashed In 5-2 Loss To Stingy Hurricanes

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The Detroit Red Wings dug themselves into a three-goal hole against the Carolina Hurricanes, and despite showing signs of life with a brief comeback effort, a familiar face ultimately delivered the decisive blow.

Former Detroit defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, who skated one season with the club in 2023–24 and recorded 56 points, struck early in the third period to restore Carolina’s multi-goal lead en route to a 5–2 victory for the Hurricanes at Lenovo Center.

The loss dropped the Red Wings back into a Wild Card position in the tightly-packed Eastern Conference standings due to wins by the Buffalo Sabres, who have been one of the NHL's hottest clubs since mid-December, and the Montreal Canadiens. 

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Detroit trailed by two goals at the end of the opening 20 minutes of play thanks to goals from Carolina forwards Taylor Hall and Sebastian Aho. 

Hall broke in alone on and beat goaltender Cam Talbot, making his first start since late January, after he blocked defenseman Simon Edvinsson's shot at the opposite blue line. Aho scored on the power-play in the waning seconds of the period.

Carolina then bolstered their lead to 3-0 thanks to a tally from Eric Robinson at the 2:52 mark, but the Red Wings gave their fans hope of a comeback effort thanks to a pair of goals in quick fashion from Edvinsson and Patrick Kane. 

However, those hopes were dashed by Gostisbehere, who scored at 2:18 of the third period. Jackson Blake then put Carolina back up by three goals just over three minutes later. 

Talbot finished with 31 saves, while his Carolina counterpart Frederik Andersen made 27 saves. 

The Red Wings faltered on their only power-play chance of the game, while the Hurricanes finished at 25 percent efficiency by going 1-for-4 with the man advantage. 

Red Wings Announce Dominik Shine Has Been Recalled From Griffins Red Wings Announce Dominik Shine Has Been Recalled From Griffins Grand Rapids Griffins team captain Dominik Shine has been called back up to the Red Wings ahead of Saturday evening's game against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Detroit's three-game road swing will conclude on Monday afternoon at Bridgestone Arena with a matchup against the Nashville Predators. 

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