LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 8: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks is guarded by Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the game on March 8, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, 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. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
LOS ANGELES — It’s hard to ever get a fanbase to all agree on something, but one thing about the Lakers everyone seems to acknowledge is their struggle to beat good teams.
They are 15-19 against teams with more wins than losses and entering Sunday’s matinee against the Knicks, they had just four victories in 16 attempts against opponents that had a winning percentage above .600.
The Lakers finally flipped the script on Sunday, though, picking up not just a win over a “good” team, but a Knicks side that has the second-best record in the Eastern Conference and defeated them just last month, making the victory all the sweeter.
It wasn’t just the fact that they beat a good team that made this the best result of the year, it was how they did it.
Even with LeBron James out, the Lakers established dominance from the jump. This was a vintage Reaves performance as he wasted no time getting going offensively, scoring the team’s first five points.
He was attacking the paint with positive results — he ended the game going 8-10 from the foul line — and his 3-point shot was back as he knocked down half of his attempts.
“We just kept telling him, ‘touch the paint, touch the paint, touch the paint,’” Lakers head coach JJ Redick said postgame. “He was really strong today. We always talk about physicality on defense, but you need physicality on offense and I thought he was very physical offensively and that allowed him to squirt the basket, allowed him to draw fouls. They’ve got a lot of size and they’re a big team and he did a great job.”
Even with Reaves playing well, it takes a total team effort to defeat the Knicks.
LA was offensively aggressive, taking 44 3-point attempts, well above their season average of 33.5. Rui Hachimura re-entered the starting lineup, replacing LeBron, and scored on his first four shot attempts, ending the game with 13 points. Jaxson Hayes led the bench with 12 points and once again closed out the game.
However, the team’s most impressive feat was also its most shocking. The Lakers won this game largely thanks to their defense.
They held the Knicks to just 97 points, this was only the fourth time this season that LA held a team to under 100.
Not only did New York fail to crack the century mark, but the Lakers ended many of their offensive possessions with turnovers, forcing 19 and scoring 21 points off them. Add in five blocks and holding Mikal Bridges scoreless and it becomes clear why LA earned its second straight win and fifth victory in six games.
“You go down the stretch, I think we had three or four possessions where we end up with either a deflection or steal and all of that was on multiple efforts,” Redick said. “We were able to sustain that for all four quarters.”
Not only did LA win the game easily, but they remained in control during the second half.
With 4:35 left in the third quarter, the Knicks were down by just nine points. The Lakers responded, shutting down the New York, who failed to make a shot for over four minutes. By the time they did, Los Angeles was up by 19.
In the fourth, the Knicks tried to go on a run and got within 13 points thanks to a Jalen Brunson three with 8:23 left in the game. Redick called a timeout and LA’s guards in Dončić, Reaves, and Luke Kennard responded by knocking down shots, never allowing New York to even get within single digits.
The purple and gold did everything to win this game. Marcus Smart was diving on the floor. Luka was sacrificing his body to draw charges. Jarred Vanderbilt was bumping into courtside fans.
This late into the season, every win is needed. The Lakers earning this kind of victory during a nationally televised game against an elite team makes it clear that while LA’s 2025-26 story has completed multiple chapters, how the tale ends has yet to be told.
Inside the Lakers locker room, the win was business as usual. The goal is to never get too high or too low. They passed this test, but plenty more are on the way, with Minnesota next and games against the Nuggets, Rockets and Thunder looming.
“My job is not to overreact,” Redick said. “We’re 15-9 in our last 24 [games]. We’re a top-10 offense and a top-15 defense. That’s what we wanted to be coming into this season with this group, and that’s where our group is right now.”
LOS ANGELES — Like a few of his teammates, Mikal Bridges was saddled with foul trouble Sunday.
And he never recovered.
The guard went scoreless for the first time this season in an ugly 110-97 loss to the Lakers, missing all six of his attempts — including four from behind the arc.
Mikal Bridges went scoreless during the Knicks-Lakers game on March 8, 2026. NBAE via Getty Images
It was the third time Bridges failed to score since joining the Knicks before last season, although one occurred as he logged just a few seconds in a meaningless finale to maintain his consecutive games played streak.
On Sunday, Bridges started by fouling Los Angeles’ Austin Reaves on a 3-point attempt just 15 seconds after tipoff. It set the tone. Bridges picked up his fourth foul about 1 ½ minutes into the second half and was benched for the remainder of the third quarter.
“Just not being out there. I think that’s the biggest thing. Being in foul trouble takes me away from being out there to try to help my team win,” Bridges said. “I’ve got to be better, starting off the game fouling a shooter from 3.”
Mikal Bridges defends during the Knicks-Lakers game on March 8, 2026. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Knicks coach Mike Brown blasted his team for lazy defending, saying it was the driver of the foul problems. The Lakers took 30 free throws compared to New York’s 21.
“We got beat off the dribble often,” Brown said. “We got beat to the middle. And being lazy about it we reached at the last second and sent them to the free-throw line.”
Luka Doncic, who finished with 35 points, attempted a game-high 10 free throws for the Lakers. Reaves took seven.
“When we guarded the ball, we tried to make up for it with a crazy reach,” Brown said. “Thirty free-throw attempts is crazy.”
Josh Hart was also foul-happy with four personals in just 22 minutes. He was benched for the entire fourth quarter, which was more about the coach rolling with Jordan Clarkson.
“Yeah, it’s tough. Especially some of the fouls that they called they cause you — your physicality is not there and it’s tough, you’re not able to play the way you want to play,” Hart said. “You get taken out and you don’t have the flow of the game. Obviously that’s a frustrating thing. You’ve got to figure out and not put them on the free-throw line. It’s tough.”
But nobody had a tougher afternoon than Bridges, who was looking forward to redemption Monday against the Clippers.
“Just bouncing back. We have an opportunity to show that tomorrow off a back-to-back,” Bridges said. “Not playing as we wanted to, we get another chance to bounce back. It’s a game of life. You know what I’m saying? You’re hit and you’ve just got to get back up. So what are you going to do? We’ve got another opportunity tomorrow.”
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — John Gibson and Cam Talbot combined to make 31 saves, Dominik Shine scored his first NHL goal and the Detroit Red Wings beat the New Jersey Devils 3-0 on Sunday night.
Opening a four-game trip, Detroit ended a two-game losing streak and stopped the Devils' winning streak at four.
Gibson made 21 saves in first two periods, but was injured late in the second on a collision in the crease. Cam Talbot stopped 10 shots in the third. They became the first Detroit goalies to combine for a shutout since Jonas Gustavsson and Jimmy Howard in 2014.
Moritz Seider and James van Riemsdyk also scored, and each assisted on Shine's third-period goal. Seider scored on a wrist shot at 3:20 of the first. Van Riemsdyk tipped in a shot from the point on a power play at 6:37 of second.
Shine broke through on a snap shot with 9:36 left. The 32-year-old forward was playing his fifth NHL game of the season and the 14th of his career.
Defenseman Justin Faulk made his Red Wings debut after being acquired from St. Louis on Friday.
Jacob Markstrom made 27 saves for New Jersey in the fourth game of seven-game homestand. The Devils were coming off a 6-3 victory over the New York Rangers on Saturday. Jack Hughes had a hat trick in that game.
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 24: Dairon Blanco #44 of the Kansas City Royals jogs to the dugout during the eighth inning against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on September 24, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jess Rapfogel/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Texas Rangers have claimed outfielder Dairon Blanco off waivers from the Royals. Blanco had been designated for assignment earlier this week to make room for the signing of free agent Starling Marte.
The 32-year-old Blanco was the sixth-oldest player on the 40-man roster, despite not yet being arbitration-eligible. He had a late start to his career after defecting from Cuba and was acquired by the Royals in 2019 in a mid-season trade with the Athletics for pitcher Jake Diekman. In parts of four seasons with the Royals, he hit .257/.312/.416 with seven home runs. Speed was his calling card, and he was frequently called on as a pinch-runner, stealing 59 bases, despite just 66 career hits. Blanco appeared in just nine games with the Royals last season, and hit .253/.332/.405 with eight home runs and 32 steals in 77 games for Triple-A Omaha.
Blanco had blazing speed, but for one day, he hit like Babe Ruth. On August 17, 2024, against the Reds, Blanco had a career night with two home runs and 7 RBI, tying a club record. He used a yellow crayon bat for Players’ Weekend, choosing yellow because it was his mom’s favorite color.
Blanco could be erratic at times in the outfield despite his speed. But he wasn’t totally bereft of power like many speedsters, and could be a threat offensively at times. The decision to part ways with a potential base-stealing weapon instead of an outfielder like Drew Waters probably won’t matter much, but it is a bit curious.
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - MARCH 08: Tre Johnson #12 of the Washington Wizards takes a shot over Jeremiah Fears #0 of the New Orleans Pelicans during the first half of a game at Smoothie King Center on March 08, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana. 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 Tyler Kaufman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In an all-too-familiar line, the Washington Wizards lost to the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday, 138-118. Then again, the Wizards’ front office is thinking long term if you know what I mean.
Trae Young got his second game in for Washington and put up solid numbers: 17 points and 8 assists in just 17 minutes. In fact, Young was the only Wizards player with a positive plus/minus ratio tonight. But after Washington led the first quarter 35-32, Washington gradually let the lead slip away until the fourth quarter when New Orleans ran it up. It didn’t hurt that the Pelicans were shooting really well in the fourth quarter while Washington? Not so much. One Wizard, Bilal Coulibaly had an especially not-so-awesome night with shooting efficiency.
For the Pelicans, Trey Murphy led with 24 points. Tre Johnson led the Wizards with 20.
If you were hoping that Juju Reese would pick up right where he left off last Thursday, he played but didn’t start tonight with Alex Sarr returning to the starting lineup. Reese still had 9 rebounds along with 5 points however.
The Wizards’ next game is on Tuesday on the road against the Miami Heat. Tip off is at 7:30 p.m. ET. See you then.
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Tommy Novak scored 17 seconds into overtime to complete a wild comeback in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 5-4 victory over the Boston Bruins on Sunday.
Anthony Mantha scored two third-period goals to help Pittsburgh — playing without franchise cornerstones Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin — snap a three-game losing streak. Second in the Metropolitan Division, Pittsburgh has points in 16 of its last 19 games.
Crosby is out a minimum of four weeks because of a lower-body injury and Malkin served the second of a five-game suspension for slashing Buffalo’s Rasmus Dahlin in the head.
Egor Chinakhov added a power-play goal, Connor Dewar also scored and Arturs Silovs stopped 22 shots. Chinakhov has 14 goals this season and 11 goals in 25 games with Pittsburgh.
Pavel Zacha had his second career hat trick, and David Pastrnak also scored for Boston. The Bruins have lost five of their last eight. They have a three-point lead for the final wild-card spot in the East.
AVALANCHE 3, WILD 2, SO
DENVER (AP) — Nathan MacKinnon scored his NHL-leading 43rd goal and scored the winning goal in a shootout, lifting Colorado to a victory over Minnesota in a matchup between two of the NHL’s top four teams in points.
MacKinnon has 70 points in 55 career games against Minnesota, his most against any opponent.
Both teams converted on one of their first three shootout opportunities before Vladimir Tarasenko was stonewalled by Scott Wedgewood, giving MacKinnon the opportunity to deliver his team a win.
Wedgewood, who leads the NHL in goals against average and is second in save percentage, had 32 saves on 34 Minnesota shots.
Trailing 1-0 entering the third period, the Wild scored two goals in a stretch of 2:44, one on a power play and one short-handed, to take the lead. The Avalanche countered with a Nicolas Roy tip-in goal with 7:21 remaining to send the game into overtime.
STARS 4, BLACKHAWKS 3, OT
DALLAS (AP) — Defenseman Miro Heiskanen scored 22 seconds into overtime to give Dallas a victory over Chicago.
Second in the Western Conference, the Stars are 11-0-1 in their last 12.
Young Chicago star Connor Bedard forced the extra period by scoring with 1:20 left in regulation with the Blackhawks playing with an extra skater.
Mavrik Bourque had a goal and an assist for Dallas. Nathan Bastian and Justin Hryckowian also scored, and Casey DeSmith made 12 saves.
Tyler Bertuzzi and rookie defenseman Sam Rinzel also scored for Chicago, and Arvid Soderblom stopped 28 shots. The Blackhawks are 2-7-4 in their last 13.
The Stars turned a 2-1 deficit going into the third period into a 3-2 lead on Bourque’s goal 42 seconds in and Hryckowian’s power-play goal at 9:40.
The Blackhawks took a 2-0 lead in the first period on a deflection by Bertuzzi at 6:59 and Rinzel’s blast from the slot fewer than two minutes later. Bastian scored Dallas’ first goal late in the period.
Soderblom made consecutive starts for the first time this season with No. 1 Blackhawks goalie Spencer Knight sidelined with an illness.
SABRES 8, LIGHTNING 7
Buffalo, N.Y. (AP) — Josh Doan opened and closed the scoring with power-play goals and Buffalo outlasted Tampa Bay in a wild and feisty showdown for the Atlantic Division lead.
Doan broke a tie with 4:17 left with his 21st goal of the season, helping the Sabres win their seventh straight and move two points ahead of the Lighting.
The teams combined for 100 penalty minutes in a game that included five fights and a postgame scrum. They’ll meet one more time in the regular season on April 6 in Buffalo.
Doan capped a two-goal, third-period comeback for Buffalo in a game the Sabres led by three goals.
Alex Tuch and Jason Zucker also scored twice for the Sabres. Sam Carrick and Rasmus Dahlin added goals, Tage Thompson had four assists and Bo Byram three. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 21 saves.
RED WINGS 3, DEVILS 0
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — John Gibson and Cam Talbot combined to make 31 saves, Dominik Shine scored his first NHL goal and Detroit beat New Jersey.
Opening a four-game trip, Detroit ended a two-game losing streak and stopped the Devils’ winning streak at four.
Gibson made 21 saves in first two periods, but was injured at the end the second. Cam Talbot stopped 10 shots in the third. They became the first Detroit goalies to combine for a shutout since Jonas Gustavsson and Jimmy Howard in 2014.
Moritz Seider and James van Riemsdyk also scored, and each assisted on Shine’s third-period goal. Seider scored on a wrist shot at 3:20 of the first. Van Riemsdyk tipped in a shot from the point on a power play at 6:37 of second.
Shine broke through on a snap shot with 9:36 left. The 32-year-old forward was playing his fifth NHL game of the season and the 14th of his career.
Defenseman Justin Faulk made his Red Wings debut after being acquired from St. Louis on Friday.
BLUES 4, DUCKS 0
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Joel Hofer made 22 saves for his fifth shutout of the season, Jonathan Drouin scored in his Blues debut and St. Louis beat Anaheim to sweep a four-game trip.
Jordan Kyrou, Jimmy Snuggerud and Pius Suter also scored to help St. Louis win for the fifth time in six games since the Olympic break.
Drouin was acquired from the Islanders on Friday at the trade deadline in the deal that sent Blues captain Brayden Schenn to New York. The left wing scored the second of three second-period goals, firing a slap shot past Ville Husso on a power play with 9:53 left.
Kyrou opened the scoring at 4:22, snapping a shot from the right side to the far post on a 3-on-1 break. After helping set up Drouin’s goal, Snuggerud added one of his own on a one-timer with 7:49 to go.
St. Louis failed to add to the lead on an extended power play that spilled into the third when Ross Johnston received a major penalty for boarding Justin Holl, the defenseman who also made his Blues debut after coming over from Detroit.
After Anaheim successfully challenged Snuggerud’s apparent goal midway through the third for offsides, Suter scored into an empty net with 4:02 to go.
OILERS 4, GOLDEN NIGHTS 2
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Vasily Podkolzin, Leon Draisaitl and Kasperi Kapanen scored in the third period and Edmonton beat Vegas to tighten the Pacific Division race.
The Golden Knights, with 72 points, missed a chance to go back in front of Anaheim, which remained at 73 after the Ducks lost 4-0 at home to St. Louis. Third-place Edmonton has 70.
Vegas has lost five of six games, and the Oilers had dropped six of eight going into this meeting.
Trent Frederic also scored for the Oilers, and Connor Ingram made 24 saves. Connor McDavid had two assists and Evan Bouchard had one to extended their points streak to seven games.
Noah Hanifin and Jack Eichel scored for Golden Knights. Mitch Marner had two assists and Adin Hill stopped 15 shots.
Vegas winger Brett Howden played for the first time in two months. He had been out with a lower-body injury.
The teams traded goals in the second period, but a goal from Golden Knights winger Keegan Kolesar was successfully challenged by the Oilers.
Then in the third, Podkolzin scored an unassisted goal on a breakaway off a faceoff to put the Oilers ahead 2-1 just 2:34 into period. Draisaitl’s goal with 8:07 remaining came after Eichel failed to clear the puck out of his zone because teammate Rasmus Andersson’s broken stick was in the way.
CINCINNATI (AP) — Dániel Sallói scored late in the second half behind a clean sheet from Luka Gavran and Toronto FC defeated FC Cincinnati 1-0 on Sunday night.
Sallói used an assist from Richie Laryea to score the lone goal in the 86th minute and Gavran made two saves to finish off the shutout for Toronto (1-2-0).
Sallói's goal was his first for Toronto after spending his previous nine seasons with Sporting Kansas City. It was his 54th goal in 245 appearances. Laryea's first assist this season gives him 15 in 160 career appearances.
Gavran notched his first shutout this season and his third in 19 career starts with Toronto.
Roman Celentano turned away six shots in goal for Cincinnati (1-2-0).
Toronto entered the match with a 0-4-1 record in Cincinnati and had never scored a goal at TQL Stadium.
Cincinnati coach Pat Noonan suffered his first loss to Toronto after going 7-0-1 through the first eight matchups.
Cincinnati leads the series 9-5-1 with the nine victories its most against any opponent.
Cincinnati swept Toronto last season with Kévin Denkey scoring a goal in both wins.
Up next
Toronto: Hosts New York Red Bulls on Saturday in home opener.
Midway through the second period on Sunday against the Boston Bruins, it appeared as the though the Pittsburgh Penguins were headed for their fourth consecutive loss.
They were trailing, 3-0, and goaltender Arturs Silovs had just misplayed a puck behind the goal line to David Pastrnak, who made him pay. And it was a shame, too, because the Penguins were largely controlling play throughout the game up to that point.
But instead of throwing in the towel, they showed fight. They drew a late power play - and then, a five-on-three - that ultimately turned the tide of the game and gave them the momentum to roar all the way back from a three-goal deficit and, ultimately, take an important two points in a 5-4 overtime win.
"That's kind of been our M.O. the whole year," Novak said. "All four lines contribute, and we roll them all. [The fourth line] played unbelievable tonight, they were buzzing around from the start.
"I think it just speaks to the amount of good players we have in here, too, and how we can come wave after wave."
Boston opened the scoring midway through the first period on a Pavel Zacha power play goal, and Zacha added his second tally of the game just before the midway point of the second despite the Penguins getting the larger share of chances. The Pastrnak goal happened less than four minutes later, and it seemed like the Penguins were done for - especially considering that they had scored just two goals in their prior eight periods against the Bruins.
But the five-on-three changed everything. Egor Chinakhov - who is now part of the first power play unit - walked in and absolutely rifled a wrister past Boston goaltender Joonas Korpisalo to cut the Bruins' lead to 3-1. The goal gave them much-needed scoring momentum heading into the third period - arguably, their most impressive period of the season.
EGOORRR! 💪
Since his Pittsburgh debut on Jan. 1, no Penguin has more goals than Egor Chinakhov (11). pic.twitter.com/ZHGBf4FQ2t
After posting 15 shots in the second period, the Penguins put up 14 in the third - and three found the back of the net. It all started when Connor Dewar took a long pass from Ryan Shea that banked off the end wall, and he gathered the puck and fired a backhander toward the net that beat Korpisalo to cut the deficit to one.
Then, just 33 seconds later, defenseman Ilya Solovyov - playing in his first game since Feb. 5 - made an outlet pass to Tommy Novak at the left wall in the neutral zone. Novak found Anthony Mantha breaking down the right side, and in all alone, Mantha found the five-hole and tied the game at 3-3.
Unfortunately, Zacha responded with a hat trick goal less than two minutes later to give Boston back the lead. But the Penguins didn't quit. They just kept coming, and they were rewarded two and a half minutes after when Mantha put home his second of the game - and 23rd of the season - with a garbage goal at the net-front to tie things back up at 4-4.
The Penguins killed off a late power play for the Bruins and fended off a late push by Boston to force OT, where Novak was, ultimately, able to play hero after a nice individual effort from Chinakhov at the net-front.
"When you have a game where things haven't gone your way, and you just dig in during the third period and you keep staying with it, I think it's something that you - you want to carry that with you," Muse said. "You own it now. Like, you know you can be in these situations where you're down three at one point, and then there's hockey left.
"So, just focusing on that next shift, and stay with it. This was a great example of the guys, in the third period especially - even though there was still some back and forth - just the response that they continued to have. As a coach, you kind of feel it coming. There was a lot of belief on that bench and a lot of belief on our staff that, we didn't know how, but we were going to find a way tonight. And that's what the guys did."
- Chinakhov has completely changed the complexion of the first line. He, Rakell, and Rust have some very real chemistry.
Something that Chinakhov does so well is that he always knows where to be situationally and in relation to the play unfolding. He knows when to offer puck support. He knows when to position himself for a feed. He knows when to engage in puck battles along the walls. He anticipates where others are going to be and sets himself up to make a play.
His offensive instincts remind me so much of Jake Guentzel's. He's just a smart player. Playing alongside Rakell and Rust has brought out the playmaking side of his game, as he's not always relied upon to be the trigger man on that line. And he's darn good at switching between both.
Mar 8, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins right wing Egor Chinakhov (59) celebrates his power play goal with the Penguins bench against the Boston Bruins during the second period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
"I think he's continuing to do a lot of what he's been doing since he got here," Muse said. "He's doing it now with some different linemates. He's made some nice plays here, too, you know, the shot's obvious - I think anybody that watches any of our games or any of our practices, it's pretty clear that release is pretty special, and you saw it again there tonight - but he's also making some plays with these guys, and they continue to play hard there at both ends.
"Anytime you get new linemates, it might look look a little bit different in terms of how those plays develop and where they're going. But, the guys, they've done a good job in these games."
Oh, and I'll never, ever tire of watching Chinakhov shoot a vulcanized piece of rubber into the back of the net only to watch it bounce back out as fast as it went in. What a snipe. Not sure why plugging him on the first power play unit took so long.
Not only is he a big body - a VERY big one - he's good on the forecheck, he uses his reach to make plays, get shots off, and knock pucks out of danger. He seems to have pretty decent offensive instincts.
"I felt good. I feel like I was trying to not think too much," Soderblom said. "You know, it's new systems and stuff like that. But I tried to just play my game, and I just don't think too much and just play."
His line struggled a bit defensively - Kindel had another rough game in his own zone, particularly - but for a first game with his new team, I thought he was solid.
- Another guy who played an excellent game? Ville Koivunen.
I think the biggest difference between Koivunen's earlier stints with the NHL club this season and now is that he looks comfortable. He looks a bit more up-to-speed. And he's not trying to force plays, instead being himself and playing to his strengths.
- What a resurgent season this has been for Mantha. And, can we just talk about how impressive it is that he's doing what he's doing this season?
This guy had ACL surgery last season and played in just 13 games. That is not an easy injury to come back from, especially for a player north of 30. But his 23 goals and 47 points are just two and one shy of his career-highs, respectively, and he figures to shatter those numbers by the end of the season.
Kyle Dubas was right not to deal this guy at the deadline. He is, essentially, the Penguins' own rental, and taking him out of the picture would have been a huge detriment to their playoff chances.
What's he's doing is impressive, and it's fun to watch how well he's fit in with this group.
- The Sam Girard - Ilya Solovyov pairing was very good tonight. Solovyov was credited with a team-high three blocked shots, and I think there could have been a few more added to that total. Girard looked far more comfortable alongside a blueliner who plays a more stay-at-home style, even if Solovyov isn't exactly a classic stay-at-home defenseman.
They played some minutes together during their time with the Colorado Avalanche, and Muse thinks that familiarity was good for both players in this game. I would tend to agree. They were both good in this one, but I thought Solovyov was particularly good.
- There have been a lot of good wins for the Penguins. Big wins, too.
This one takes the cake, though, as their biggest and most character win of the season.
A loss would have extended their losing streak to four games, putting them in a precarious position ahead of their upcoming five-game road trip - all of which are games against current playoff teams. They took advantage of one of their two games in hand to the New York Islanders and leapfrogged them to go back into second place in the Metro. They're eight points back of the Carolina Hurricanes, who they play twice on this road trip and one more time at the end of the month.
Most of all, they did it without their two best players. They did it despite a large segment of fans lacking belief because of their predicament and because of the grind of their schedule.
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - MARCH 4: Josue de Paula #95 of the Los Angeles Dodgers at bat during a World Baseball Classic exhibition game against Team Mexico at Camelback Ranch on March 4, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dodgers on Sunday afternoon made their second round of roster cuts in spring training, sending a dozen players to minor league camp, including top prospect Josue De Paula.
Ryan Ward and pitcher Ronan Kopp, each of whom were added to the 40-man roster in November, were optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City. The other 10 players cut were non-roster invitees sent to the minor league side of camp — pitchers Carlos Duran, Carson Hobbs, Garrett McDaniels, Jackson Ferris, Wyatt Mills, Jordan Weems, and Lucas Wepf; catcher Griffin Lockwood-Powell, plus outfielders De Paula and Kendall George.
De Paula is tied for the Dodgers’ lead this spring with 15 games played, playing every day but once since the Cactus League schedule started on February 21, including the exhibition against Team Mexico last Wednesday. He had nine hits, including a double, in 27 at-bats this spring, with four walks and eight strikeouts.
Wepf is the only player sent down on Sunday who has yet to play in a game yet this spring.
After these roster moves, the Dodgers have 51 players remaining in minor league camp, including 26 pitchers and 25 position players.
DALLAS (AP) — Defenseman Miro Heiskanen scored 22 seconds into overtime to give the Dallas Stars a 4-3 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday.
Second in the Western Conference, the Stars are 11-0-1 in their last 12.
Young Chicago star Connor Bedard forced the extra period by scoring with 1:20 left in regulation with the Blackhawks playing with an extra skater.
Mavrik Bourque had a goal and an assist for Dallas. Nathan Bastian and Justin Hryckowian also scored, and Casey DeSmith made 12 saves.
Tyler Bertuzzi and rookie defenseman Sam Rinzel also scored for Chicago, and Arvid Soderblom stopped 28 shots. The Blackhawks are 2-7-4 in their last 13.
The Stars turned a 2-1 deficit going into the third period into a 3-2 lead on Bourque’s goal 42 seconds in and Hryckowian’s power-play goal at 9:40.
The Blackhawks took a 2-0 lead in the first period on a deflection by Bertuzzi at 6:59 and Rinzel’s blast from the slot fewer than two minutes later. Bastian scored Dallas’ first goal late in the period.
Soderblom made consecutive starts for the first time this season with No. 1 Blackhawks goalie Spencer Knight sidelined with an illness.
Blackhawks rookie forward Oliver Moore left midway through the first period after three shifts with an undisclosed injury when sliding into the end boards seconds after assisting on Rinzel’s goal.
Dallas improved to 6-12-4 when trailing after two periods, while Chicago dropped to 15-3-2 when leading after two.
Up next
Blackhawks: Complete a back-to-back hosting Utah on Monday night to begin a home-and-home with the Mammoth.
Stars: Host Vegas on Tuesday night in the third game of a six-game homestand.
Lately, Austin Reaves had been a muted version of himself.
He opened the season playing All-Star-caliber basketball, looking like a breakout star. But after suffering a left calf strain that sidelined him for 19 games, the volume on his incredible start has been dialed down.
Austin Reaves drives to the basket against the New York Knicks. NBAE via Getty Images
Reaves had 25 points on 50% shooting, including going 3 of 6 from beyond the arc. He was aggressive. He was hunting for the ball. He was looking for his shot. It led to arguably the best Lakers win this season and their fifth victory in their last six contests.
The Lakers needed Reaves in peak form against a team with the third-best record in the East, especially with LeBron James sidelined for his second straight game because of a left elbow contusion and left foot arthritis.
Before Reaves’ extended absence, he was averaging 26.6 points on 50.7% shooting from the field, 6.3 assists and 5.2 rebounds a game. He was one of the NBA’s top 10 scorers.
But since he returned Feb. 3, he has only scored 20-plus points three times over 15 contests.
One of the biggest issues has clearly been that Reaves is trying to find his place in a crowded offense alongside superstars James and Luka Doncic. Before the All-Star break, the trio had only played 11 games together.
Since then, they’ve been trying to find a rhythm after James missed the first 14 games of the season because of sciatica, Reaves missed every game in January and Doncic was sidelined four games at the beginning of February because of a hamstring injury.
As the Big 3 has tried to learn how to effectively share the court, Reaves has looked a little less like Reaves.
Heading into Sunday’s game, Lakers coach JJ Redick wanted to change that.
“I think the messaging to him has just been to be himself,” Redick said. “And I think sometimes when you miss time and there’s circumstances going on with the team that you can kind of be a little passive. … We want him to be aggressive. Every time he gets the ball, we want him to be aggressive and have a mentality to touch the paint.”
Reaves played as though he internalized those words Sunday.
He dazzled with fadeaway 3-pointers. He aggressively drove through the lane. He made sure he was a threat every time he touched the ball.
“We just kept telling him, ‘Touch the paint, touch the paint, touch the paint,'” Redick said. “He was really strong today. … When people talk about physicality, we always talk about physicality on defense, but you need physicality on offense. And I thought he was very physical offensively and that allowed him to score the basket, allowed him to draw fouls. And they’ve got a lot of size and they’re a big team, and he did a great job.”
It was a great reminder of the player who dazzled at the start of the season. You know, the one who had a 51-point, 11-rebound, nine-assist performance in the Lakers’ third game of the season, followed by a 41-point performance on 59% shooting in their fourth contest.
“Hillbilly Kobe” was living up to his nickname. Reaves, who is eligible for a five-year, $241 million maximum contract extension with the Lakers this summer, was playing as though he was hungry to earn every penny of that deal. When he didn’t make the All-Star team, it was considered one of the biggest snubs in the West.
Austin Reaves shoots a free throw against the New York Knicks. NBAE via Getty Images
But since then, things have slowed down.
As for Reaves’ mentality entering Sunday’s game?
“Have fun,” he said. “Woke up, early game, I was tired when I got here. I just told myself to have fun. I don’t feel like I’ve played bad, I just haven’t made a lot of shots. I feel like I’ve done a lot of other things well. Just continuing to play the game the right way, and I feel like good will come to good.”
But Reaves took things to another level Sunday. In addition to being the second-leading scorer behind Doncic (35 points), Reaves had four rebounds, five assists, three steals and one blocked shot. He was everywhere. Now, he just needs to figure how to play at that level alongside both of the team’s superstars.
“Playing with him, it makes my life easy,” Doncic said.
Reaves’ amplified aggression helped the Lakers (39-25) secure a win of which they can be proud. The whole team was gritty. They were swarming. Entering Sunday’s game, the Lakers were 4-12 against opponents with a record better than .600, according to ESPN. They never even trailed the Knicks (41-24).
When Reaves plays to his potential, things dramatically shift for the Lakers. That was evident in the team’s 15-4 start. And it was obvious Sunday.
Rui Hachimura summed things up concisely.
“When he’s aggressive, good things are going to happen,” he said.
TORONTO, CANADA - MARCH 8: Klay Thompson #31 of the Dallas Mavericks drives against RJ Barrett #9 of the Toronto Raptors during the second half of their NBA game at Scotiabank Arena on March 8, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 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 Cole Burston/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With 20 games left in the regular season, the Toronto Raptors are in an interesting position. Currently 5th in the Eastern Conference standings, the idea that they will be playing in the postseason is pretty much confirmed. Whether or not they have to endure the NBA Play-In tournament, though, isn’t decided one way or another. They would have to drop lower than sixth in the standings to have to compete in the Play-In, but with a tough schedule still ahead of them, their 5th-place spot isn’t as cushioned as they’d like it to be.
That adds a little bit of pressure onto the team in March and April — a concept the Raptors haven’t had to deal with in a few years. They haven’t played in a playoff series since the 2022 season (Scottie’s rookie year), and one other time since then, in a pretty entertaining but still ultimately bad play-in game that resulted in a loss. Since then, this time of year has felt more like a slow descent into lottery odds than a buildup to the postseason for the team. This year changes things, as it looks like the Toronto Raptors will be competing past the regular season.
At the Raptors’ practice on Saturday, the idea that the pressure was building instead of waning was literally giving Darko Rajakovic goosebumps. “Pressure is a privilege,” he said, quoting the great Billie Jean King (apt for International Women’s Day). Yet, that also means that the Raptors have higher expectations, and their recent play since the All-Star Break has not been very indicative of a team looking to rise above their station. They came into this game on Sunday having lost four of their last five games.
Rajakovic was very vocal about Saturday’s practice being particularly good. When asked what was so good about it, Scottie Barnes told the media that their team was really communicating and holding each other accountable for their recent slump. They didn’t like how they had performed in their last games, and knew they could do better. That’s the beauty of having more than a day off in between games, especially so deep into the season, you have more time to address slumps or mistakes.
Sunday’s home game proved that whatever they did on Saturday worked. The Raptors acheived a wire-to-wire win over the Dallas Mavericks, which was expected, but obviously still needed to be earned. Every win is important this time of the year, as the conversation now shifts into playoff placement and more importantly, avoiding the Play-In. Home court advantage would also be fun, but let’s not get too ahead of ourselves in the first year back into the postseason picture. Making the postseason alone is enough progress for this year.
Toronto took Sunday’s game 122-92 over Dallas, with RJ Barrett scoring a game-high 31 points in the game. Darko though, was more impressed with Barrett’s defence, saying that the more Barrett locks in defensively, the more energy he has on the other end. Barrett agreed with him, saying the more energetic he is on defense, the more focused on the game he feels. Darko also stated the emphasis he put on his team to take care of the basketball, after turnovers have been an issue over the past week.
Barrett confirmed that their good practice from Saturday was a huge reason why they competed the way that they did today. He himself hit a milestone today, scoring his 8,000th career point, which he reflected on after the game. As one of only a select group of Canadians to achieve that milestone, he added “doing it for the Raptors is more special.”
Whatever energy Saturday’s practice held — whether it be the closeness of the postseason, the crisp spring air coming into Toronto this weekend, or just a desire to be better — they need to hold onto that. The Raptors will head out onto the road to play Houston and New Orleans this week before comign back home Friday night.
Emma Raducanu suffered a heavy defeat in just 52 minutes to Amanda Anisimova in the third round at Indian Wells. The British No 1 was well below par in a 6-1 6-1 loss to the American world No 6.
Raducanu, seeded 25, may have been struggling with a fitness issue as she repeatedly refused to chase down drop shots. The 23-year-old’s first serve misfired badly and she hit just two winners to her opponent’s 21.
MIAMI, FL - MARCH 8: Cade Cunningham #2 of the Detroit Pistons handles the ball during the game against the Miami Heat on March 8, 2026 at Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Detroit Pistons have cemented themselves at the top of the Eastern Conference by delivering suffocating defense, getting to every lose ball, locking down the paint, and wanting it more than their opponent night in and night out. On Sunday in Miami, the Heat out-Pistons the Pistons. Detroit was outhustled and outmuscled, falling behind by 20 points early and never recovering, eventually falling 121-110.
On Saturday, you could blame the terrible effort as a team scrambling without its star Cade Cunningham. On Sunday, Cade was back, and he delivered. Cunningham scored 26 points, hit six of his nine three-point attempts, and added 10 assists. They still struggled to stay within 30 points most of the game. Jalen Duren (24 points) was 10-of-12 from the field, but the Pistons couldn’t come close to Miami because he wasn’t delivering on defense or on the boards.
Detroit lost this game because Miami did everything Detroit hangs its hat on better than it did. The Pistons are one of the premier teams in the paint, on both offense and defense, but Miami outscored them 58-56. The Pistons thrive when their locked-in defense creates turnovers that lead to transition opportunities. The Heat outscored Detroit on the fast break 22-6. They lost the board war 58-48. It seemed like Miami was forcing every deflection, getting to every loose ball, and was the one dictating everything on the floor. Detroit could do nothing but react, and they were two steps slow in every reaction.
The Heat were led by Tyler Herro with 25 points, including four three-pointers, and Bam Adebayo, who hit four from deep as well. The two also got themselves to the free-throw line, and went a collective 11-of-12. Detroit’s two stars, Duren and Cunningham, were just 6-of-7.
The biggest issue is the team’s tissue paper defense in the past few games, which is true enough, but the most worrying thing to me is that the team is letting its completely limp offensive production leak into its effort on defense. They are so devoid of trust in their ability to put the ball in the basket that they are not playing loose and aggressive on the defensive end.
Losing Ausar Thompson to an ankle injury certainly doesn’t help. Nor does replacing his production with a completely invisible Marcus Sasser (two points and bad defense in 20 minutes of action). Javonte Green isn’t providing a spark on either end of the floor like he was in the season’s first 50 games, and when multiple spots on the floor are sputtering, it means the limitation of a player like Ron Holland really begins to show.
The Pistons, quite simply, have no answers right now. They need to figure out how to rediscover their identity as a defense-first team, and let that lead to some offensive creation. No more shooters and ball handlers in the lineup who aren’t providing any of either alongside Cunningham. I’d put Isaiah Stewart, one of the only players who seemed like he gave a damn tonight, into the starting lineup and shift Tobias Harris to small forward.
Stewart provides just as much spacing as Sasser, but also actually provides rebounding and defense. It also opens up an opportunity for minutes for Paul Reed, who you’re never sad is getting minutes.
Until the team remembers that it is one of the best defensive teams in the league, it is going to keep losing. And it’s not a stellar offensive night that is going to ignite this defense. It’s the opposite. They need to impose their will on an opponent, and the rest will become much easier.
Their next chance is a bit of redemption against the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday. It is starting to feel like a must-win game.
TORONTO, CANADA - MARCH 8: Daniel Gafford #21 of the Dallas Mavericks dunks the ball during the game against the Toronto Raptors on March 8, 2026 at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Dallas Mavericks (21-43) continued the northeastern portion of their current road swing on Sunday against the Toronto Raptors (36-27). Coming in having lost 16 of their last 18 games, the Mavs dropped yet another with a 122-92 loss.
The game started with the Raptors missing a 3-point attempt, only for Brandon Ingram to grab an offensive rebound for a put-back dunk. With how frequently Dallas allows 3-point attempts and with recent struggles on the boards, the sequence was not ideal. Dallas forced an early Raptors’ timeout less than four minutes into the game after Daniel Gafford put on a dunk clinic with six quick points on 3-for-3 from the floor. Dallas once again gave up 30-plus first-quarter points, trailing 36-29 after 12 minutes.
The Mavericks were out of sorts at the beginning of the second, committing multiple turnovers while playing a lineup that did not have many reps together. A timeout at the 7:44 mark brought starters Cooper Flagg and Max Christie back, but it did little to help as the Mavs went scoreless until P.J. Washington hit a free throw with 5:13 remaining in the half to end a 14-2 Raptor’s run. Down by 15 points, Dallas stopped a four-minute field goal drought with a Gafford layup, but couldn’t make any real headway from there, closing the half down 57-44.
Dallas started the second half with the ball, scoring on their first two possessions, with both buckets coming by way of offensive rebounds. Slowly but surely, Dallas was making small inroads by outscoring Toronto for the first five minutes, but those efforts fell apart quickly. The Raptors responded with a 10-0 run in just under a span of two minutes to put the Mavs behind by 21. Dallas spent the remainder of the quarter trying to catch up, only to end up further behind as they trailed 88-66 heading into the fourth quarter.
Flagg opened the fourth quarter with a made 3-pointer then converted an and-one, but his personal six-point burst was not enough to prevent a necessary timeout when Dallas fell behind by 26. Flagg then registered his first-ever technical foul, which was starting to feel like a long time coming. Of late, Flagg has not been getting calls that seem obvious to the naked eye. With just over five minutes remaining in the game, Jason Kidd called it a day and gave Ryan Nembhard, AJ Johnson and Dwight Powell some burn, alongside Brandon Williams and Caleb Martin. Even garbage time did nothing to make the final score any more palatable.
Let’s take a look at three key factors from Sunday night’s game.
Turnovers tell the tale
The Mavericks average 14.7 turnovers per game, but had 11 in the first half alone Sunday night. Meanwhile, the Raptors had only four across the first 24 minutes, contributing heavily to the 13-point halftime deficit Dallas faced. Dallas added six more turnovers to Toronto’s two in the third quarter. When it was all said and done, the Mavs tallied 20 turnovers against the Raptors’ 8. Giving the opponent that many extra possessions while creating so few the other way is a big part of a 30-point beatdown.
Shooting woes for Dallas
The Raptors’ defense stymied Dallas, however the Mavericks did not do themselves any favors with some wide-open misses. They shockingly fell short of 40% shooting overall, converting just 35-for-88 on the night. Some of this was also due to strange lineup combinations and only a single player logging more than 30 minutes (P.J. Washington; 31 minutes), but this was a disasterclass in shooting. Max Christie was an improbable 1-for-11 and 0-for-7 from deep to lead the woefulness.
Gafford’s return to form
Gafford had a season-high 21 points to go along with 11 rebounds (six offensive), 3 assists and shot a perfect 10-for-10 from the floor. This was Gafford at his best, and there is really no obvious explanation why he feasted like this, other than perhaps being healthy. This game was largely uncompetitive, but it’s almost frightening to think how bad it would have been without Gafford’s contributions. With fewer than 20 games remaining in the season, it will be important for Gafford to re-establish this level of play. The stats may not always look this nice, but it was obvious he was in the right position and making smart decisions throughout the night as he simply played aggressively.
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