Sports
Knicks bid to bounce back in clash with Bulls
Jan 3, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA;New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) shoots against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images Every New York starter played at least 40 minutes Friday night as the Knicks battled the host Oklahoma City Thunder.
New York lost 117-107 to end its winning streak at nine games, so the Knicks must recharge and regroup quickly.
A visit to the Chicago Bulls awaits on Saturday night.
Can New York get a boost from the bench? Any improvement would be welcome after the Thunder’s reserves outscored their Knicks’ counterparts 44-5.
“You gotta read the game,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “We had an eight-point lead going into the fourth. Intensity of the fourth’s different. We gotta be ready for that. We fell short. … Our bench is more than capable. … We win together, we lose together.”
Each Knicks starter scored in double figures against Oklahoma City, which pushed its winning streak to 14 games. Mikal Bridges led the Knicks with 24 points, and Karl-Anthony Towns had a double-double of 17 points and 22 rebounds.
New York was outscored 37-19 in the fourth quarter.
“A couple big plays … didn’t go our way,” the Knicks’ Josh Hart said.
Chicago, meanwhile, will pivot from facing an organization fighting to stay out of the NBA cellar to hosting one of the league’s hottest teams over the past month.
Aiming for their second three-game winning streak in three weeks, the Bulls sputtered in their most recent game, at Washington on Wednesday night. The Wizards overcame a game-high 32 points from Chicago’s Zach LaVine to net only their sixth victory of the season, winning 125-107.
“We’ve shown we can compete with anybody on any night, but we’ve also shown anybody can beat us on any night,” the Bulls’ Josh Giddey said. “We’ve got to be more consistent.”
Chicago had 20 turnovers and shot just 29.8 percent from long range against the Wizards. To Bulls coach Billy Donovan, the issue with reliability relates to struggles with both execution and preparation.
“We quite honestly had no right or didn’t even have the right to win, in my opinion,” Donovan said. “In terms of a coaching perspective, from a playing perspective, we did not play to a level or to an identity that we’ve tried to do. That was the discouraging part because I felt like we weren’t making shots, and then it bled into some other things.”
Chicago can secure the three-game season series against New York with a victory on Saturday. The Bulls edged the visiting Knicks 124-123 on Nov. 13 as Coby White swished three free throws with three seconds left to give Chicago the victory.
Towns posted a double-double of 46 points and 10 rebounds to lead New York, and Zach LaVine paced Chicago with 31 points and eight assists.
The Bulls lead the all-time series 129-118, but the Knicks have won six of the past 10 meetings.
LaVine has averaged 23 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 20 career games against the Knicks, and Nikola Vucevic has five double-doubles in his past 10 games vs. them.
Towns has at least 30 points in three of his past four games overall.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Evander's hat trick, late PK boost Cincinnati over Fire
May 2, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; FC Cincinnati midfielder Evander (10) scores a goal during the first half against the Chicago Fire FC at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Talia Sprague-Imagn Images Evander converted a penalty kick seven minutes into second-half stoppage time to secure a hat trick and lift FC Cincinnati to a 3-2 road win over the Chicago Fire on Saturday.
Evander collected a brace in the first half and then added his third goal for the late winner. A yellow card was issued to Chicago’s Dje D’Avilla for a foul in the box on Pavel Bucha, leading to the deciding penalty kick.
The winning goal came six minutes after Chicago striker Hugo Cuypers missed his own chance to complete a hat trick with a penalty-kick strike. Goalkeeper Roman Celentano (eight saves) made a huge save to deny Cuypers and preserve the 2-2 score.
FC Cincinnati (4-4-3, 15 points) won despite playing with only 10 men for most of the second half. Defender Kyle Smith was issued a straight red card in the 56th minute for an accidental kick to the face of the Fire’s Robin Lod.
Cincinnati is unbeaten in its last five (2-0-3) matches, including a 3-3 draw with the Fire two weeks prior.
The victory was Cincinnati’s first win in six road matches this season (1-3-2). FC Cincinnati are 5-0-1 in their last six trips to Chicago.
The Fire (5-3-2, 17 points) have held leads in all three of their losses this season. Saturday’s defeat ended a five-match (4-0-1) unbeaten streak for the home side.
After going scoreless in his first six regular-season matches, Evander now has five goals in his last four matches.
Cuypers has 10 goals in seven league matches this season, scoring at least once in every appearance. Cuypers’ three straight matches with multiple goals ties the second-longest brace streak in MLS history.
The forward started early Saturday, as Cuypers converted a shot that deflected off Smith and into the net in the 16th minute.
Shaky defending also aided in Evander’s equalizer in the 24th minute. During a scramble in front of the Fire’s net, Chicago center back Mbekezeli Mbokazi made a poor touch on a clearance attempt that put the ball right at Evander’s feet for the finish.
Cuypers completed the brace four minutes later, but Evander provided another quick response in the 31st minute.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Royals' Maikel Garcia's sacrifice fly beats Mariners in 10th
May 2, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Kansas City Royals third baseman Maikel Garcia (11) hits an RBI-sacrifice fly against the Seattle Mariners during the tenth inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images Maikel Garcia’s sacrifice fly scored the go-ahead run in the 10th inning as the Kansas City Royals rallied to defeat the host Seattle Mariners 3-2 Saturday night.
Automatic runner Michael Massey stole third base in the top of the 10th and scored an out later as Garcia flew out to center field off Cooper Criswell (1-1).
Royals reliever Matt Strahm (1-0) got the victory and Lucas Erceg retired the side in order in the 10th to earn his ninth save of the season.
The Royals tied it at 2-2 in the ninth off Mariners closer Andres Munoz. Salvador Perez lined a leadoff single to right and was replaced by pinch runner Lane Thomas, who advanced to second on a balk. With one out, Jac Caglianone lined a single to left-center, with the ball bouncing between the legs of outfielder Julio Rodriguez and rolling all the way to the wall, allowing Thomas to score and Caglianone to take third.
Seattle starter Emerson Hancock didn’t get a decision despite striking out a career-high 14 batters on the night the Mariners retired former ace Randy Johnson’s jersey No. 51.
Hancock went seven innings and allowed one run on six hits. The right-hander didn’t walk a batter and eclipsed his previous best of nine strikeouts set March 29 against Cleveland in his first start of the season.
Kansas City right-hander Seth Lugo also put up a quality start. Lugo pitched six innings and gave up two runs on seven hits, with two walks and six strikeouts.
The Mariners took the lead in the first inning as, with one out, Rodriguez hit a ground-rule double to right-center and Josh Naylor followed by lining a run-scoring single to center.
The Royals tied it in the third as Kyle Isbel doubled to right with one out and Garcia doubled to left.
The Mariners broke a 1-all tie in the fifth inning. With one out, No. 9 hitter Leo Rivas lined a single to right field, J.P. Crawford grounded a single to left and Rodriguez reached on an infield single up the middle to load the bases.
Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. made a diving stop on Rodriguez’s hit but had trouble getting the ball out of his mitt and was unable to get a forceout at second. With Naylor at the plate, Lugo threw a breaking pitch in the dirt that got away from catcher Carter Jensen, allowing Rivas to score standing up. Lugo struck out Naylor before walking Randy Arozarena to reload the bases. Cole Young worked the count to 2-2 before Lugo threw a slider that was way outside. Arozarena apparently thought it was ball four and was picked off first base to end the inning.
Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh was a late scratch due to undisclosed reasons.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Angels walk off Mets in 10th, halt 7-game skid
May 2, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels second baseman Vaughn Grissom (5) forces out New York Mets designated hitter Juan Soto (22) at second base in the sixth inning at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Oswald Peraza hit an RBI single with two outs and the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th inning as the Los Angeles Angels snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 4-3 victory over the New York Mets on Saturday night in Anaheim, Calif.
Pereza, who finished with three hits, lined an 0-2 curveball from New York reliever Austin Warren (0-1) into the gap in left-center to easily drive in automatic runner Adam Frazier from third base.
Jo Adell went 3-for-5 with a run and an RBI, Mike Trout had two hits and a walk and Vaughn Grissom drove in two runs for Los Angeles, which won for just the second time in 13 games. Ryan Zeferjahn (2-1) threw two innings of hitless relief.
Austin Slater doubled among his two hits and scored and Mark Vientos doubled and scored for New York, which lost for the 18th time in its last 22 games. Rookie starter Nolan McLean left after four innings, the shortest start of his major league career, after allowing three runs on six hits and a walk while striking out six on 78 pitches.
Los Angeles took a 1-0 lead in the first inning with three consecutive two-out singles by Nolan Schanuel, Jorge Soler and Adell, the final one a single to right that drove in Schanuel. Slater threw out Soler attempting to advance to third for the final out, and replays showed Soler was tagged out before Schanuel crossed home plate, but the Mets didn’t challenge the play.
New York tied it in the third on an RBI single by Bo Bichette, driving in Slater, who had doubled down the left field line.
The Angels took a 3-1 lead in the fourth on a two-run single by Grissom with two outs. The Mets rallied to tie it in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Andy Ibanez and an RBI single by Tyrone Taylor, then loaded the bases with one out. Replacing starter Reid Detmers, Sam Bachman escaped the jam by getting Bichette on a force play at the plate and striking out Juan Soto.
Detmers gave up three runs on nine hits in 6 1/3 innings, with eight strikeouts and no walks.
–Field Level Media
Evander's hat trick, late PK boost Cincinnati over Fire
Royals' Maikel Garcia's sacrifice fly beats Mariners in 10th
