Sports
Thunder aim to keep offense clicking in clash vs. Rockets
Mar 2, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Ousmane Dieng (13) dunks in front of San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) in the second half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images The Oklahoma City Thunder have been led for much of this season by their defense.
The Thunder have been atop the NBA in defensive rating but are just 22nd in the category since the All-Star Break.
Oklahoma City, however, has won five of its six games since the break due in large part to its offense heading into Monday night’s contest against the visiting Houston Rockets.
The Thunder are averaging 133 points over the last six games.
“You’ve got to execute in such a way that good shots present themselves on a possession,” coach Mark Daigneault said. “That’s what’s really happening right now is we’re executing on a high level, which is a cumulative effect of all of our fundamentals.”
Oklahoma City is coming off a 146-132 win at San Antonio on Sunday night.
The Thunder’s previous season high in points scored was 144, and the 132 points allowed was a season high as well.
Oklahoma City has won three consecutive games since its last home contest, a meltdown of a loss Feb. 24 against Minnesota. The Thunder led big early in that game and then fell in overtime.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams have led Oklahoma City all season and are coming off their best combined game of the season.
Williams scored a career-high 41 points while Gilgeous-Alexander added 31, with neither committing a turnover.
Monday’s game figures to be a challenge for the Thunder’s offense; the Rockets are fourth in the NBA in defensive rating at 109.4.
Houston coach Ime Udoka was frustrated with his defense in Saturday’s 113-103 loss to Sacramento, however, particularly at his team biting on pump fake and pick-and-roll coverage.
Oklahoma City figures to attack both of those areas Monday, particularly with the way Gilgeous-Alexander has attacked the basket of late.
“Can’t show it any more than we did,” Udoka said. “Lack of discipline.”
While the Thunder could be somewhat shorthanded — Chet Holmgren missed Sunday’s game with a left ankle sprain and Isaiah Joe was out with lower back soreness — Houston could be even thinner Monday.
The Rockets’ Fred VanVleet returned in Saturday’s loss after missing a month with an ankle injury. He is out for Monday’s game, however, after tweaking the injury against the Kings.
Five other players who played in Saturday’s game — Steven Adams (left ankle), Dillon Brooks (right knee), Tari Eason (left lower leg), Alperen Sengun (lower back) and Amen Thompson (right shoulder) — are listed as questionable for Monday’s game.
The Rockets made a roster move Sunday, waiving Cody Zeller and signing Nate Williams to a four-year, $8.2 million standard contract.
Monday’s contest will be the opener of a three-game road trip for the Rockets, who are in fifth place in the Western Conference.
For Oklahoma City, the game will begin a stretch in which the team will play four of five contests at home after playing six of seven on the road.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Kelvin Yeboah nets brace as Minnesota rallies past Crew
Columbus Crew midfielder Sean Zawadzki (25) attempts to block the shot of Minnesota United FC forward Tomás Chancalay (8) in the first half of the MLS match at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field on Saturday, May 2, 2026 in Columbus, Ohio. Kelvin Yeboah’s brace and a goal and an assist by Anthony Markanich keyed a 15-minute second-half comeback as Minnesota United defeated the host Columbus Crew 3-2 on Saturday.
Markanich broke a 2-2 tie in the 74th minute off a throw-in when he scored on a header off a cross by Nectarios Triantis.
After Taha Habroune in the 31st and Hugo Picard in the 56th staked the Crew to a 2-0 lead, Yeboah scored from corner-kick setups in the 59th and 66th minutes as Minnesota (6-3-2, 20 points) moved to 5-1-1 in their past seven matches.
The Crew (3-5-3, 12 points) had won two straight and looked to be cruising until their collapse, falling to 2-2-2 at home.
Habroune, the 20-year-old Homegrown player, worked a give-and-go in tight space with Max Arfsten at the top right corner of the box for his second career goal in 33 matches.
Arfsten heeled the ball to Habroune, who rocketed a shot to the upper right corner. Arfsten has three goals and four assists in the past seven matches.
Picard scored his first career goal in his 19th MLS match after having scored four goals in two U.S. Open Cup matches this season, including two vs. USL One club One Knoxville on Wednesday.
He scored on a rebound of his own shot that was blocked by Loons defender Jefferson Diaz.
The Minnesota rally started when Yeboah slid between two defenders and right-footed a flick by Markanich.
Yeboah made it 2-2 when he had an open header from a corner kick by Joaquin Pereyra. Of Yeboah’s seven goals, five have come on the road where the Loons are 4-2-1.
Minnesota’s Colombian international midfielder James Rodriguez did not play due to “a previously scheduled routine medical procedure — not related to any injury,” according to the club. He practiced Friday morning and will rejoin the team next week.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Nashville SC stays atop East with draw against Union
May 2, 2026; Chester, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Union defender Olwethu Makhanya (29) dives against Nashville SC midfielder Patrick Yazbek (8) in the first half at Subaru Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images Nashville SC and the Philadelphia Union played to a scoreless draw on Saturday night in Chester, Pa.
Nashville (7-1-2, 23 points) stayed atop the Eastern Conference table while extending its MLS unbeaten streak to four matches. Keeper Brian Schwake made five saves for the clean sheet as Nashville moved to 3-1-2 on the road.
Philadelphia (1-7-3, 6 points) remained last in the Eastern Conference while pushing its home record to 0-3-2. The Union only lost once at home last season (12-1-4) when they won the Supporters’ Shield. Philadelphia is winless in four straight (0-1-3). Keeper Andre Blake stopped two shots to preserve the clean sheet.
Both teams hit the post early in the second half.
In the 52nd minute, Nashville defender Josh Bauer redirected Warren Madrigal’s free kick off the post.
A minute later, Union midfielder Indiana Vassilev hit the right post with his strike from outside the box.
Philadelphia hit the post a second time in the 72nd minute as Agustin Anello curled his right-footed strike off the far post.
Blake made a glorious save in the 74th minute to keep the match scoreless, diving to get his hand on Ahmed Qasem’s left-footed strike.
Nashville controlled first-half possession, but it was Philadelphia with the lone two shots on target.
The Union’s first quality chance came in the 11th minute as Jovan Lukic put his strike from the middle of the box over the woodwork.
In the 29th minute, Cavan Sullivan forced Schwake to make a save on his left-footed shot from the left side of the area.
Philadelphia defender Japhet Sery Larsen left the match in the 15th minute with an apparent injury and was replaced by Geiner Martinez.
Sam Surridge, who leads Nashville with nine goals through seven MLS appearances this season, missed the match with a back injury.
Saturday was the first of two meetings this season between the two clubs. Nashville hosts Philadelphia on Oct. 28 to conclude the season series.
Up next, Nashville hosts D.C. United next Saturday, while Philadelphia travels to New England.
–Field Level Media
Sports
FC Dallas finally win against host Red Bulls after 20-year drought
May 2, 2026; Harrison, New Jersey, USA; Red Bull New York forward Cade Cowell (7) and FC Dallas midfielder Ran Binyamin (6) battle for the ball during the first half at Sports Illustrated Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Peter Musa scored in the 54th minute and FC Dallas snapped an 11-game road winless skid in all competitions against the New York Red Bulls with a 2-0 victory on Saturday night in Harrison, N.J.
Dallas (4-3-4, 16 points) earned its first road win in the series since its 2-1 win on May 24, 2006, in a game that was played at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. Dallas had been 0-9-2 in the previous 11 visits to the Red Bulls, including a loss in penalty kicks during U.S. Open Cup competition on May 21, 2025.
Musa scored his league-leading 10th goal by capitalizing on a breakdown by New York’s defense.
Left unattended near the left side of the net by Red Bulls defender Matthew Dos Santos, Musa waited for a pass from Ran Binyamin and put a right-footed shot past goalie Ethan Horvath.
Musa scored after missing last week’s 2-1 loss at the Seattle Sounders due to injury. His goal also helped Dallas end a four-game winless skid.
Samuel Sarver scored on a header in the 88th minute on an assist from Logan Farrington. The goal came two minutes after midfielder Ramiro Benetti blocked an attempt by New York’s Rafael Mosquera.
Besides getting another goal from Musa, FC Dallas clamped down defensively. Despite allowing New York to hold possession for 61.2% of the contest, Dallas allowed only seven shot attempts, and Michael Collodi earned the shutout without facing a shot.
New York (3-5-2, 12 points) was blanked for the second straight league game and third time overall as its winless skid reached four games (0-3-1). The Red Bulls also fell to 1-5-2 after winning their first two contests.
Horvath finished with four saves and kept the Red Bulls in it by denying Musa’s header in the 11th minute along with a pair of shots by Binyamin in the opening half.
–Field Level Media
