NEW YORK (AP) — Matvei Michkov scored his second goal of the game 2:10 into overtime and Samuel Ersson made 23 saves as the Philadelphia Flyers rallied to beat the New York Rangers 3-2 on Thursday night.
Michkov beat Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin for his 15th goal of the season after the Rangers failed to score on a power play to start the extra period.
Trevor Zegras also scored for the Flyers, who trailed 2-0 early in the second period before rallying for their second win since Jan. 23.
Sam Carrick and Alexis Lafreniere scored for New York, which lost its fifth straight game. Shesterkin, who suffered a lower-body injury in a home loss to Utah on Jan. 5, made 21 saves in his return. The Rangers are 6-15-5 at home this season.
Carrick opened the scoring at 9:56 of the first, beating Ersson with a shot from long range for his fourth goal. Lafreniere’s 13th of the season made it 2-0 at 1:23 of the second.
Michkov scored on the power play at 10:25 of the second, cutting the Flyers’ deficit to 2-1. Zegras scored 39 seconds into the third to tie the game at 2.
Defenseman Adam Fox returned to the lineup for the Rangers.
New York traded top scorer Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings on Feb. 4 and additional trades could come ahead of the March 6 trade deadline. The Rangers are 2-11-2 since winning the Winter Classic on Jan. 2 in Miami.
The Flyers, who lost 3-1 at Washington on Wednesday, have also tumbled in the standings. Philadelphia is 4-9-4 since Jan. 6.
Before the game, the Rangers honored Olympic gold medal-winning players J.T. Miller and Vincent Trocheck, along with head coach Mike Sullivan, assistant coach David Quinn and general manager Chris Drury, the assistant GM of the U.S. Olympic team in Milan.
Drury was loudly booed by the Madison Square Garden crowd.
For 40 minutes, it looked like a reprieve for the Rangers, the rare night when they could temporarily escape their reality — the cellar of the Eastern Conference — of a lost season, encounter some glimmers of hope and snag a rare home win in regulation.
Even when they blew a two-goal lead, the Blueshirts still started overtime with nearly a full power play.
But with this edition of the Blueshirts, not even that can go right. They watched as Matvei Michkov scored the winner 2:10 into overtime with a gassed power-play unit stuck on the ice, falling 3-2 to the Flyers on Thursday to spoil the returns of defenseman Adam Fox and goaltender Igor Shesterkin from injuries and the returns of J.T. Miller and Vincent Trocheck from Team USA’s gold medal trip.
The resumption of their season following the Olympic break ended with the Blueshirts (22-29-7) opening a four-game homestand on a sour note.
Igor Shesterkin skates off after allowing a game-winning goal to Matvei Michkov (39) during overtime of the Rangers’ 3-2 loss to the Flyers on Feb. 26, 2026 at the Garden. Robert Sabo for NY Post
“They just didn’t have any juice,” Sullivan said of Fox, Mika Zibanejad, J.T. Miller and Vincent Trocheck, who were all on the ice for the entire extra frame.
But until it all fell apart, just about everything went right for the Rangers. The night all started with the returns of Shesterkin and Fox, who both took their spots in the lineup for the first time since Jan. 5.
Trocheck and Miller were honored pregame for their gold medal, along with head coach Mike Sullivan (USA head coach), assistant coach David Quinn (USA assistant) and president and general manager Chris Drury (assistant GM) — who was greeted with nothing but boos given the current state of the Rangers team he’s directly responsible for.
Shesterkin, at times, looked like his vintage self. Fox manned his spot on the power play and with the top defensive pairing, though Sullivan said they’re still “capable of another level.”
For Fox, it marked just his fourth game since Nov. 29, as his brief return from a shoulder injury was followed almost immediately by a stint on long-term injured reserve for a lower-body injury. He felt “a little helpless” just watching as The Letter 2.0 — when Drury signaled a retool — dropped and he couldn’t do anything.
“[Fox has] missed a lot of hockey, so it’s gonna take him some time to get into the game speed, the game timing, things of that nature,” Sullivan said. “He’s missed so much time. I would anticipate Foxy getting better with each game that he plays.”
Igor Shesterkin makes a save during the Rangers’ 3-2 overtime loss at the Garden on Feb. 26, 2026. Robert Sabo for New York Post
Even with the Rangers’ stars acclimating, they still took a 2-0 lead behind unlikely contributors. Fourth-line center Sam Carrick flung a puck from the boards that somehow got past Samuel Ersson for the Blueshirts’ first goal — and his fourth of the season — midway through the third period.
Alexis Lafrenière, in the middle of another disappointing season with his name swirling in trade rumors, scored 1:23 into the second period too.
Shesterkin, until allowing the trio of goals across the final two-plus frames, turned aside shot after shot, including some tricky rebounds.
Three minutes into the second, Carl Grundstrom and Jamie Drysdale had chances that Shesterkin stopped, and another Flyers shot went wide. When Owen Tippett’s shot gave Noah Cates an open lane from the right side, Shesterkin managed to knock the puck away with his glove.
Sam Carrick, who scored a first period goal, gets into a fight with Garnet Hathaway during the first period of the Rangers’ overtime loss to the Flyers at the Garden. Robert Sabo for New York Post
Eventually, Michkov scored his first tally on the power play later in the frame, Trevor Zegras tied it just 39 seconds into the third and Michkov won it with his second after the Blueshirts failed to capitalize with the man-advantage for the third time Thursday.
The Rangers had a chance to push all of their pressing issues aside for another day.
They had a chance to make sure a celebratory night at the Garden ended that way when fans spilled out the exits and onto the streets.
They had a chance to forget that their roster might look entirely different a week from now when the March 6 trade deadline arrives, to still emerge with a win even as young players — such as Noah Laba and Brennan Othmann — received extra chances with the penalty kill because Sullivan wanted “to see what they’re capable of” while using Zibanejad, Miller and Trocheck less in those spots.
That, as much as the Artemi Panarin trade and The Letter 2.0, is a clear sign of a retool.
Instead, by the time overtime ended, their season-long problems had come right back into focus.
CHICAGO (AP) — Jerami Grant scored 27 points and the Portland Trail Blazers held on for a 121-112 victory over Chicago on Thursday night, sending the Bulls to their 11th straight loss.
Toumani Camara scored 16 points, Robert Williams III had 14 points and 14 rebounds and Vit Krejci also scored 14 points for the Trail Blazers, who were without All-Star Deni Avdija (back) for the second straight game.
Matas Buzelis scored 20 points to lead the Bulls, who matched the third-longest losing streak in franchise history. Chicago has dropped 11 straight games in February since last winning against Miami on Jan. 31.
Tre Jones had 19 points as the Bulls fell to 0-5 on their seven-game homestand. Josh Giddey scored 15 points and had nine assists and Nick Richards had 14 points and 10 rebounds.
In a game that featured 17 lead changes and 13 ties, Portland pulled away in the fourth quarter to take a 15-point advantage — its biggest of the game — at 105-90 on two free throws by Blake Wesley with 9:02 remaining.
But Chicago scored the next seven points before Camara broke the Bulls' run with two free throws that made it 107-97 with 5:16 left. The Bulls kept coming, though, and cut their deficit to three at 108-105 on a cutting dunk by Leonard Miller.
Grant made a 3-pointer to open a 13-7 closing run by the Trail Blazers, who got a pair of free throws from Camara, Jrue Holiday and Grant to seal the win.
DALLAS (AP) — Precious Achiuwa had a career-high 29 points and added 12 rebounds, Maxime Raynaud scored 22 points and the Sacramento Kings beat the Dallas Mavericks 130-121 on Thursday night.
The Kings (14-47) have won two of their last three following a franchise-record 16-game losing streak. Averaging an NBA-low 110.1 points per game, they fell short of a season high by five points.
Naji Marshall scored a season-high 36 points, one short of his career best, and had 10 rebounds and six assists for the Mavericks (21-37), who have lost 11 of their last 13 games and six consecutive at home.
Dallas cut a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit to 123-121 with 1:56, but Sacramento scored the final seven points beginning with Achiuwa’s putback off his miss with the shot clock about to expire.
The four Mavericks who were acquired on Feb. 5 in the three-team trade that sent Anthony Davis to Washington made their Dallas debuts. They were led by Khris Middleton with 17 points.
With Sacramento completing a back-to-back and Dallas beginning one, the teams had lengthy unavailable lists. The Kings’ included Russell Westbrook and Keegan Murray, the latter having reinjured an ankle Wednesday in a loss at Houston. Dallas’ list included rookie Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 overall draft pick, who missed his fifth consecutive game with a left midfoot sprain.
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - FEBRUARY 22: Jarace Walker #5 of the Indiana Pacers and Khris Middleton #20 of the Dallas Mavericks chase down a loose ball during the first halfat Gainbridge Fieldhouse on February 22, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. 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 Michael Hickey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Dallas Mavericks (21-37) were beaten early and late by the Sacramento Kings (14-47) at home on Thursday, falling 130-121 in their first home game in over a month. Precious Achiuwa scored a career high 29 points against Dallas, leading the Kings. He also chipped in 12 rebounds and four assists. Naji Marshall was the best Dallas player, scoring 36 to go along with 10 rebounds and six helpers.
The first quarter of Mavericks-Kings really proved that in the NBA, anything is possible. With a couple of wonky lineups, largely due to neither team having anything resembling their normal roster, there wasn’t much defense to be played on either side of the ball. And while Marshall had himself a quarter, scoring 13, every other Maverick was some variation of bad. The Kings, meanwhile, put up baskets with ease. Dallas left quarter one down 42-28.
The Kings stopped scoring at will in the second quarter, and the two teams settled into a bit of a slog. Sacramento did grow the lead to as many as 18 in the frame before Dallas found some dignity and made a push. But they weren’t able to make it a close game in one quarter. Sacramento finally committed a few turnovers in the latter minutes of the half to give Dallas a chance to cut it to single digits, only for a last-second turnover, which led to a Kings basket. Dallas trailed 68-56 at the half.
The third quarter was something special. The Mavericks cut the Kings lead down to three very quickly to start the half, only to get walloped on a huge Kings run. The game then teetered back and forth between single and double digits. Marvin Bagley went down with a head injury, which slowed the Dallas momentum. The Mavericks found themselves down 12 as the quarter ended, which was the same amount they were down when the second half began. Dallas trailed 100-88 with 12 minutes to go.
The Dallas Mavericks made things interesting, you have to give them that. The fourth quarter was a slow collapse by the Kings, a theme we’ve seen all season as Dallas shocks people simply by playing hard. The 12 point lead whittled down to 2 points with two minutes remaining, only for the Kings to wake up and close out the contest. Dallas falls, somehow, 130-121. A masterful tank.
That was a genuinely shocking game
Perhaps it’s me. Maybe I’m the problem. Maybe I don’t believe enough, in Jason Kidd, in this Dallas Mavericks team.
When I noticed this four game slate in mid-December, when the Dallas season was already over and no one knew it, I marked it down as a stretch which would cause the fandom to go NUTS. Four straight wins, even against the Grizzlies, who weren’t yet tanking either. The Kings were bad. They should be beatable every day of the week and twice on Sunday.
But no, not for our Dallas Mavericks. With PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford out, with Cooper Flagg out, this was a game Dallas wanted to lose institutionally. Don’t let the players hear that, of course. Kidd played Marshall 42 freaking minutes, and the dude battled his butt off. But Caleb Martin exists, and he’s one of the players on this team who probably shouldn’t be in the NBA at this point. He played a mere 20 minutes but was outscored 25 points while he was on the floor. That’s so hard to do!
But Dallas did it. And they lost.
Now, they’ll win some games they shouldn’t. They have too much veteran talent to actually TANK, like the Kings, Jazz, and other moribund franchies. But for now, enjoy how ridiculous a loss this was. Go Mavs.
Longtime MLB umpire Bruce Froemming, who worked the third-most games in league history and a record 11 no-hitters, died Wednesday in Milwaukee, his son Steven confirmed to the Associated Press.
He was 86.
Froemming struck his head during a fall at his Mequon, Wisc., home on Tuesday night, and doctors failed to stop the bleeding in his brain due to blood thinners he was taking, according to his son.
Known for his loud, distinctive strike call, Froemming umpired 37 consecutive seasons from 1971-2007 in the majors, working a total of 5,163 games, trailing only Bill Klem (5,373) and Joe West (5,460).
Longtime MLB umpire Bruce Froemming has died at the age of 86. UPI
Froemming briefly pursued a semi-professional playing career, but ultimately started umpiring at age 18, working his way through the minor leagues, at times making $250 a month, before reaching the National League in 1971.
“Every game to me is important,” Froemming told NPR after he umpired his 5,000th career contest in 2006. “You know and I learned early on it’s not the level of play that you’re umpiring or officiating, it’s how you attack the sport as an official. And every game is important. It’s important to somebody. It’s important to the people that are playing, no matter at what level.
“You may think you’ve got a B game or a game that’s not important. To those kids or people that are playing it, it is important. So every game that you work you have to work at a high level.”
Alex Rodriguez yells at Boston Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek while home plate Umpire Bruce Froemming tries to separate them. EPA
During his nearly four-decade career, Froemming often found himself at the forefront of some of the most memorable moments and skirmishes in MLB history.
On Sept. 2, 1972, Froemming was behind the plate for an afternoon Cubs-Padres game at Wrigley Field as three-time All-Star pitcher Milt Pappas closed in on a perfect game. With pinch-hitter Larry Stahl representing the final out, Froemming called a close 3-2 pitch ball four, ending Pappas’ bid for perfection.
While Pappas retired the next hitter to complete a no-hitter, the right-handed pitcher was upset by Froemming’s call, which remained a source of controversy.
“The word ‘close’ came in,” Froemming told MLB.com in 2016 about the call, shortly after Pappas’ passing. “The pitches were ‘close.’ I said: ‘To me, this is my perception about umpiring. It’s a ball or a strike; it’s not “close.” I’ve got it a ball or a strike.’
“When that came up the next day — ‘You could have given it to him, it was close’ — I said, ‘I’m an umpire, not a fan. I called what I saw.'”
Froemming worked 10 more no-hitters during his career, and was behind home plate for three of them: Ed Halicki (1975), Nolan Ryan (1981) and José Jiménez (1999).
Umpire Bruce Froemming has words with Jorge Posada after the Yankees catcher was called out on strikes. New York Post
The Milwaukee native was involved in a bevy of melees during his career, including working as the second base umpire during Game 3 of the 1973 National League Championship series at Shea Stadium when Bud Harrelson and Pete Rose fought near the bag.
More than three decades later, Froemming was working the plate at Fenway Park on July 24, 2004, when Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek shoved his glove into Yankees’ third baseman Alex Rodriguez’s face, inciting a brawl.
Not shy about giving anyone the hook, Froemming also recorded 125 career ejections, good for the 13th most all-time. Perhaps none were as memorable as him ejecting Yankees manager Billy Martin in Game 4 of the 1976 World Series.
The Yankees skipper chucked a baseball toward home plate in the ninth inning with Froemming at first base during first of five Fall Classics he’d work in his career.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Froemming asked Martin, according to a 1985 Los Angeles Times story.
“None of your f–king business!” Martin reportedly shot back before his ejection.
Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella, center, kicks his hat as he argues with third base umpire Mark Wegner, left, and home plate umpire Bruce Froemming watches during the eighth inning of a baseball game against Atlanta Braves, Saturday, June 2, 2007. AP
“The umpire was full of [expletive],” Steinbrenner said of Froemming, who served as the crew chief. “He won’t umpire our games anymore.”
MLB stood by Froemming, who said Steinbrenner was “entitled” to his opinion, as the Yankees dropped the series to Cleveland in four games.
“He loved the fact that baseball was like a fraternity,” his son Steven told The Athletic. “You argued like hell on the field, and after the game was over, you left it at the stadium, and it was a new day tomorrow.”
After his retirement, Froemming worked as a special assistant to MLB’s vice president on umpiring.
Froemming is survived by his wife, Rosemarie, whom he married in 1957; two sons, Steven and Kevin; sister Cathy Seizer; half-brother Johnny Froemming; and two grandchildren, Nicolas and Christopher.
Ryan O'Reilly's 21st goal of the season in the final five minutes of the game elevated the Nashville Predators to a 4-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday at Bridgestone Arena.
It was the Predators' first game since the pause for the Winter Olympics and their first since Feb. 5. The win also puts Nashville just two points outside the final Wild Card spot in the West.
With 3:15 left in the third period, O'Reilly got a feed from Roman Josi from behind the net and put a soft, quick wrist shot on net that beat goalie Spencer Knight five-hole.
Steven Stamkos added an empty net goal in the final minute to ice the game.
Filip Forsberg opened up the scoring, finding the back of the net off a steal along the boards and a wrist shot from the right face-off dot to make it 1-0 in the first period.
It was the first time the Predators had scored the first goal of a game since Jan. 24 against the Utah Mammoth.
Connor Bedard responded for Chicago early in the second to tie things up. In the early third, Adam Wilsby was called for a delay of the game, and Tyler Bertuzzi scored to give the Blackhawks their first lead of the night.
Later in the period, Nick Foligno was called for interference to put Nashville on the power play. Matthew Wood found the back of the net from the left side of the slot to tie the game up at two.
Justus Annunen picked up the win, making 21 saves on 23 shots for his fifth win of the season.
The Predators struggled to stay out of the box, logging 12 penalty minutes to the Blackhawks' four, but went 4-of-5 on the penalty kill.
Nashville heads on the road on Saturday to face the Dallas Stars at 7 p.m. CST. The Stars defeated the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday, 4-1, in their first game since the pause and have won seven straight.
The 2026 NHL Trade Deadline is only a little more than a week away. Despite the NHL just returning to play on Wednesday, the Vancouver Canucks have made themselves a large presence in the trade market, namely due to rumours surrounding defenceman Tyler Myers’ future with the team.
Last night, during a 3–2 overtime loss to the Winnipeg Jets, Myers was made a healthy-scratch due to roster management reasons. As today has progressed, more has come out about the situation with the veteran defenceman, with Canucks President of Hockey Operations Jim Rutherford speaking on it during an interview with the 100% Hockey podcast.
“We do have an offer for him. We’re working through that process now, and we’ll see where it goes. Nothing’s final at this point,” Rutherford told podcast hosts John Shannon and Daren Millard. “It was just being cautious last night. You don’t want a player to play in a game and get injured when potentially something might happen.”
The thing that has complicated a potential Myers trade is the fact that the defenceman’s contract currently has a no-movement clause, meaning he controls whether he’s traded or not and where-to if that’s the case. This clause shifts to a 12-team no-trade list next year, which would give Vancouver more control over where the defenceman goes if he remains with the team and if they still want to trade him.
“It’s a little bit of everything. It’s just the process. Patrik’s the one that’s doing this, and I got an update earlier this morning, and everybody’s trying to work together to see if something works.”
The course of the current season has been difficult for the Canucks and their fans, as Vancouver has sat comfortably at the bottom of the NHL’s standings for at least a couple of months now. They’ve already made two big moves throughout the season, trading captain Quinn Hughes and Kiefer Sherwood, and while many expect that they’ll be busy in the lead-up to the deadline, Rutherford warned that there’s a chance this may not be the case.
“We’ll be as active as possible if, in fact, something makes sense for our return. We’re not out looking to just give away players. I don’t know how many younger players, mid 20s to younger, that are going to be available that we could acquire, but we’re going to look at all possibilities, sticking to that plan of staying younger, getting a group together that can come together over the next couple of years as a team and start to get in a position that we should be in, but at this point in time, the market is very slow. Patrik does the deals, he talks to the GMs, but talking to a couple of other people that hold the same position as me, they are surprised too, how slow the market’s moving. So it may end up that it’s a slower deadline because of some of the rule changes and how teams have to approach things going forward for the playoffs, or maybe it’s just going to open up here next week, getting closer to the deadline.”
Jan 21, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson (40) and forward Evander Kane (91) and defenseman Tyler Myers (57) during a stop in play against the Washington Capitals in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
Regardless of what happens in the next couple of weeks, the trade deadline will play a big role in how Vancouver approaches their future moving forward. This includes the 2026 NHL Draft, in which the Canucks are expected to make their first selection relatively high-up.
“I think it starts here with the next week, and I can give you that answer a lot better after we get past the trade deadline, but we’re going to acquire as many young assets as possible, and that’s probably more in line with being draft picks, position ourselves as strong as we can going into the draft and going into the off-season of free agency, and continue to let the young players play, live with them adjusting to a very tough league. I think that the young guys we have now are doing a really good job, especially young defencemen that are playing as much as they are and doing as well as they are, and they’ll just get better and better, and we’ll look forward to the draft and free agency to see the changes that need to be made so we can start to progress in the right direction next year and build this team up over the next couple of years.”
With the things that have occurred with the Canucks throughout the season, it’s likely felt as though every player’s name has been mentioned in some sort of trade rumour. While things have shifted throughout the season, Rutherford did clarify that there are some members of the team that they won’t field calls on regarding trade interest. However, he also added that “the list is relatively short” and would not give an inkling of which players could be on it.
Something that may make acquiring players hard, particularly in free agency, is the desire to play in Vancouver, according to Rutherford. The President of Hockey Operations spoke on what the demographic of players who have typically wanted to play in Vancouver look like, with the focus primarily being on those who are from western Canada in particular.
“I think you’re seeing a trend where the majority of players want to play in the US, but there are players who want to come to Vancouver, and they like the organization. We treat players extremely well here. They like the passion of the market, and they like the city. So we will have a chance to get free agents. It may not be the top guy that everybody will want us to get, that we would probably try to get, but what we need to do now is get as many young players in here and get established that this is a young group that’s going to grow together and want to be here for a long time — that’s our priority right now.
“We would love to have more Canadian players. So make that very clear. But if there’s a player from whatever country in the world [who] can come and contribute to the Vancouver Canucks, we’re going after that player. But at this point in time, when I look at our team, I’d like to see us have more Canadian players on it.”
The NHL Trade Deadline takes place on March 6 at 12:00 pm PT.
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SCOTTSDALE, AZ - FEBRUARY 20: Charlie Condon #66 of the Colorado Rockies looks on from first base in a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields on Friday, February 20, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Kyle Cooper)
On Tuesday, I asked which pitching prospect you thought would make a name for himself in 2026.
Tonight, let’s look to the position player side of the roster.
Which Rockies prospect do you see stepping up this season?
And if you need a refresher, the most-recent PuRPs rankings are here.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - FEBRUARY 26: De'aaron Fox #4 of the San Antonio Spurs drives with the ball against Nolan Traore #88 of the Brooklyn Nets during the third quarter at Barclays Center on February 26, 2026 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. 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 Ishika Samant/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Spurs extended their winning streak to 11 and secured a perfect record in February. They dominated from start to finish on their visit to Brooklyn, often playing amazing team ball, with seven players reaching double digits on their way to a 126-110 victory.
After a disaster of a game at times in terms of execution against the Raptors the prior night, the Spurs looked like a completely different team in the early minutes against the Nets. The ball was moving crisply and finding the open men, who connected on three pointers. The Silver and Black guarded with intensity and pushed the pace off turnovers for easy looks. Brooklyn constantly tried to touch the paint, with Nolan Traore leading the way, but they were running into Wembanyama and failing to score. The home team found more success when Wemby rested and Day’Ron Sharpe attacked Luke Kornet, but the perimeter defense remained active even with some starters getting extra rest on the second game of a back-to-back.
Understandably, considering the opponent and the quick double-digit lead after one, San Antonio relaxed a little on both ends in the second. The ball movement stalled out at times, especially when there were three non-shooters on the floor. Wembanyama started to get more involved on offense, but wasn’t the force he can be. When they could push the pace, the opportunities for easy buckets were there, but the half-court execution wasn’t as sharp for the Spurs. The Nets, meanwhile, hit a couple of threes, dominated the offensive glass to create second chances, and continued to drive whenever possible. Brooklyn didn’t shine on either end, but managed to just trade buckets and keep the Spurs’ lead from getting insurmountable. At the break, the Silver and Black were up 15.
The Spurs have played with their food in the past, and it looked like they would again on Thursday to start the second half. The ball movement completely stopped as ball handlers dribbled and made passes without much purpose that didn’t create an advantage. By itself, the issues on offense wouldn’t have been too worrisome, but the Nets continued to dominate the offensive glass, San Antonio’s ball pressure and intensity disappeared, and Michael Porter Jr. started to heat up. The Silver and Black looked tired and complacent for a while. Fortunately, they snapped out of it in time to regain a double-digit lead, and the second unit closed the third frame strong. A lead that Brooklyn fought hard to cut to six ballooned back to 20 heading into the final period.
There wasn’t much to the game after that. The Spurs kept growing their lead early, which allowed Mitch Johnson to rest some of his starters and then empty his bench with over six minutes to go. The Nets’ deep bench had some interesting moments, but the win was never in question. After prevailing in back-to-back games and finishing February with a perfect record, San Antonio will get some rest and try to extend the longest winning streak in the league to 12.
Game notes:
Victor Wembanyama has mentioned that he’s tired after All-Star weekend and that he’s had trouble sleeping. He played like someone who had to manage his effort level. He was still dominant on defense for long stretches and finished with a decent stat line, but he definitely needs rest, which he should be able to get now that the SEGABABA is over.
Devin Vassell and Julian Champagnie once again provided scorching hot shooting. The duo combined for 10 three-pointers in 16 attempts. The equal-opportunity, ball-movement-oriented style San Antonio has adopted recently plays to their strenghts. They didn’t just shoot, though. Champagnie finished with three steals and two blocks, and Vassell had seven rebounds and four assists.
The three-headed monster of De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper was a nightmare for the Nets for the entire game. They pressured ball handlers to create turnovers and pushed the pace to get easy buckets. All three scored in double digits, with Castle leading the way with 18, and they combined for 18 assists to four turnovers.
Whenever the Spurs were starting to play with less energy, Keldon Johnson provided a jolt. He attacked the paint as usual, but also defended well and talked to his teammates to wake them up. After some rocky years, KJ has found his place in the league, and it’s been great to watch.
Luke Kornet has such a thankless job. Because Wembanyama is so dominant, whoever backs him up is going to look bad in comparison. Teams attack more when Kornet is out there, and he’s forced to be a part of some shooting-challenged lineups that don’t do him any favors. It’s easy to take him for granted or just wonder when Wemby will check back in whenever he’s resting, but the truth is having Kornet, limitations and all, is a luxury for the Spurs, even if his stat lines are rarely impressive.
Carter Bryant had a horrendous game, a throwback to the early-season ones in which he looked lost and too green to be on the floor. It’s nothing to worry about, long term, but a matchup against a young, tanking team seemed like a good chance for him to get some big minutes. Instead, he had a bad first stint, got called out by Mitch Johnson after going under on Egor Demin and allowing an open three, and finished the game 0-for-6. A missed opportunity to overtake Harrison Barnes in the rotation, as Barnes struggled with his shot but looked like the more reliable option by far.
Play of the game
Dylan Harper is known for being a smooth player more than an explosive one, but he will occasionally showcase his impressive hops.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Ryan O'Reilly scored with 3:16 remaining and the Nashville Predators scored three times in the third period in a 4-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night in the teams’ first game following the Olympic break.
Filip Forsberg and Matthew Wood also scored for Nashville. Steven Stamkos scored his 29th of the season into an empty net in the final minute for the Predators, who had lost two in a row and five of their last seven games heading into the break. Justus Annunen stopped 21 of 23 shots.
Connor Bedard and Tyler Bertuzzi scored for the Blackhawks, who have one victory in their last eight games. Spencer Knight made 22 saves.
Forsberg scored unassisted with just over six minutes remaining in the first period. Forsberg, who played for fourth-place finisher Sweden at the Olympics, scored his 25th of the season.
Bedard scored his career-best 25th goal just over four minutes into the second period to tie the game at 1. Ryan Greene had his 14th assist. Bedard had 22 goals in 68 games in 2023-24 and 24 goals in 82 games last season.
Bertuzzi scored his team-leading 26th goal of the season on a power play at 3:16 of the third to give the Blackhawks the lead. San Rinzel and Teuvo Teravainen, won a bronze medal with Finland at the Milan Cortina Olympics, assisted.
The Blackhawks' lead was short-lived as Wood tied it at 2, also with a power-play goal, just under four minutes later. The assists went to Erik Haula and Luke Evangelista.
Haula and Juuse Saros were considered game-time decisions after they returned to Nashville on Wednesday after playing for bronze medal-winning Finland at the Olympics.
Up next
Blackhawks: At the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday.
While the Detroit Red Wings didn’t get off to the start that they wanted on Thursday evening against the Ottawa Senators, all’s well that ends well.
Fresh off a gold medal victory with Team USA, Dylan Larkin scored both goals for the Red Wings, including the overtime game-winner, in Detroit’s 2-1 victory at Canadian Tire Place.
In doing so, they vaulted past the idle Buffalo Sabres and the Montreal Canadiens (who lost in OT to the New York Islanders) and into the second overall spot in the Atlantic Division.
The Red Wings thought they’d struck first in the opening 20 minutes of play, as Michael Rasmussen broke in on a two-on-one rush with Elmer Soderblom and beat Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark under the glove with a quick wrist shot.
However, the Senators successfully challenged for the play being offside, which video replay confirmed.
The Senators then took a 1-0 lead thanks to Larkin’s Team USA teammate Brady Tkachuk, who scored on the man-advantage.
Not to be outdone, Larkin notched a power-play goal of his own early in the second period, knotting the score at 1-1.
Neither team found the back of the net from that point on through the rest of regulation, setting up overtime.
After winning a face-off in the defensive zone, Larkin maneuvered his way down the ice and took a feed from Lucas Raymond, broke in alone and beat Ullmark with a backhand shot, securing the win for Detroit.
Red Wings goaltender John Gibson was impressive, stopping 26 shots. Ullmark countered with 18 saves.
The Red Wings’ three game road swing will continue on Saturday night in North Carolina against the Hurricanes.
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DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Toby Fournier scored 22 points and grabbed 13 rebounds and 12th-ranked Duke broke it open after halftime to beat Florida State 80-52 on Thursday night for at least a share of the ACC regular-season title.
Duke secured the top seed in next week's ACC Tournament with the win.
Delaney Thomas added 13 points and a career-high 20 rebounds and Taina Mair also had a double-double for the Blue Devils (21-7, 16-1) with 11 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Ashlon Jackson scored 15 points and Riley Nelson had 11.
Jasmine Shavers scored 21 points and Sole Williams 12 for Florida State (9-19, 4-12), which was outrebounded 54-30.
Duke, which led 33-29 at halftime, used a 13-2 run to start the third quarter to take control and the Blue Devils outscored the Seminoles 47-23 in the second half.
Duke was coming off its first loss since Dec. 4, falling at Clemson 53-51 on Sunday.
The Blue Devil’s 16 ACC victories are the most in a season under head coach Kara Lawson.
Up next
Florida State: Ends the regular season on Sunday playing at Wake Forest.
Duke: Travels to Chapel Hill to face 21st-ranked North Carolina on Sunday to also conclude the regular season.
BOSTON, MA - FEBRUARY 26: Joonas Korpisalo #70 of the Boston Bruins covers the puck on the penalty kill during a game between the Boston Bruins and the Columbus Blue Jackets on February 26, 2026, at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
With Jeremy Swayman given an extra night off to acclimate to post-Olympic life, Joonas Korpisalo filled in more than admirably.
The former Columbus netminder made 36 saves, including several big ones, to lead the Bruins to a 4-2 win over the Blue Jackets at TD Garden.
Viktor Arvidsson led the way on offense with two goals, one an empty-netter to seal it. Sean Kuraly (also a former Blue Jacket) and Morgan Geekie scored the other goals.
Kirill Marchenko got the scoring started in this one, making it 1-0 Columbus with a breakaway goal less than five minutes into the first period.
Arvidsson would seal it with an empty-netter with 33 seconds left in the third.
Bruins win, 4-2.
Game notes
Korpisalo left the game for a little more than six minutes in the second period after being bowled over by Miles Wood. With Swayman not dressing, Michael DiPietro, who has had a terrific season in Providence, stepped in as the back-up and made two saves on two shots. A nice 1.000 save percentage for six minutes of work. NOT BAD.
20 of Korpisalo’s 36 saves came in the first period, as Columbus fired plenty of rubber on net early.
The B’s took just a single penalty on the night, a holding call on Mikey Eyssimont late in the first period. Maybe they left their penalty woes in the pre-Olympic portion of the season?
The B’s celebrated Charlie Coyle during a break in play, as the Weymouth native made his first return to TD Garden since getting dealt to Colorado.
Charlie McAvoy showed little rust in his return from Olympic duty, leading the B’s in TOI at 23:55 and registering an assist.
Per NESN, the Bruins have won ten homes games in a row and are 12-2-3 since the calendar turned to 2026. They have points in eight straight games as well.
It’s probably too early for intense standings watching, but this was a pretty big win for the B’s based on other results: Florida and Detroit won, while both Ottawa and Montreal picked up points in losses.
That Florida win was a 5-1 decision over Toronto, which also lost on Wednesday night. Auston Matthews was a -4 in tonight’s loss, which should inspire some nuclear-level takes up in the Great White North. That game included this comedy of errors goal.
The Bruins will be back in action on Saturday afternoon in Philadelphia. That game will be a 3 PM start, broadcast nationally on ABC.
MONTREAL (AP) — Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored 3:14 into overtime, rookie Matthew Schaefer had two goals in a 55-second span in the second period and the New York Islanders rallied to beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 on Thursday night.
Schaefer has 18 goals to surpass Denis Potvin for the most by a rookie defenseman in team history. Schaefer, selected first overall in last year’s draft, also moved past Phil Housley for the most goals in NHL history by an 18-year-old defenseman.
Islanders captain Anders Lee, skating in his 900th game, also scored and Ilya Sorokin made 21 saves to help New York win its third straight. Sorokin improved to 7-0-2 in his career against Montreal.
The Canadiens’ Noah Dobson scored two goals in his first game against his former team. Cole Caufield scored his team-leading 33rd goal for Montreal in the third period and Samuel Montembeault made 23 saves.
Dobson, who scored at even strength and on the power play, spent his first six NHL seasons with the Islanders before being traded last June to Montreal for Emil Heineman and two 2025 first-round draft picks.
It was the first game back for both teams following the NHL’s 19-day pause for the Milan Cortina Olympic Games.
Dobson took advantage of a poor line change by the Islanders to open the scoring for Montreal in the first period. The Canadiens defenseman took a stretch pass from Lane Hutson before firing a wrist shot from the left circle that beat Sorokin to the glove side.
Dobson has 12 goals, one shy of his single-season high set with the Islanders in both the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons.
Up next
Islanders: At the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday.
Canadiens: Host the Washington Capitals on Saturday.
