Sports
Jets aim to clinch series in St. Louis with Mark Scheifele sidelined
Apr 21, 2025; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN;Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele (55) gets set to block shot by St. Louis Blues defenseman Philip Broberg (6) in the second period in game two of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Canada Life Centre. Mandatory Credit: James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images The visiting Winnipeg Jets will take the ice without one of their best players when they try to close out their Western Conference first-round series against the St. Louis Blues with a victory in Game 6 on Friday night.
Mark Scheifele was injured in the first period of a 5-3 win by Winnipeg in Game 5 on Wednesday. He took a thunderous hit from Blues center Brayden Schenn about six minutes into the game, resulting in an interference penalty on Schenn, followed by matching roughing penalties on Schenn and Brandon Tanev of the Jets.
Scheifele finished out the first period but did not return for the second. He is considered day-to-day.
The top-line center was second on the Jets in goals (39) and points (87) during the regular season and has six points (two goals, four assists) in five playoff games.
Teams are especially guarded with their injury information during the postseason, and Jets coach Scott Arniel was no exception. When asked Thursday if Scheifele was in concussion protocol, Arniel said, “I’m not going down that road.”
Vladislav Namestnikov took Scheifele’s place on the top line in Game 5 and produced a goal and an assist in the second period.
“It’s not one guy that needs to fill the shoes of Mark. It needs to be everybody,” Jets forward Kyle Connor said. “Vladdy, he’s been great for the whole series, and a couple chances here or there and he could have some better results. You see it (in Game 5). He drives hard to the net, plays all hard areas very well, defends well and, obviously, is a key contributor on two of those goals.”
The Blues are hoping a return to St. Louis will provide the same boost it did for Games 3 and 4.
St. Louis dropped two close games in Winnipeg to start the series, then erupted for 7-2 and 5-1 wins back home.
“They got the better of us (in Game 5), but we’ve got Game 6 at home and a job to do,” St. Louis defenseman Justin Faulk said.
The Blues will undoubtedly attempt to put more pucks on net. They had just nine shots on goal through the first two periods of Game 5, hurting their odds of getting one past Connor Hellebuyck, the likely Vezina Trophy winner this season.
St. Louis coach Jim Montgomery said the team also needs to play more connected, support the puck better, get back on defense quicker and forecheck harder.
“It’s every facet, but you know what, it’s a series. It’s going to happen,” Montgomery said. “Unfortunately, we’re not happy about it, but we’re onto the next one. It’s as simple as that. We’ve got to forget about it. We’re in a series.”
The Jets hope to continue defending well, forechecking with intent and getting in the eye line of St. Louis goalie Jordan Binnington.
“Obviously, now we put ourselves in the driver’s seat to go to St. Louis,” Jets forward Mason Appleton said. “Hopefully, we close this series out, but we know how good they are at home and what we have to do. That was our best game of the series (in Game 5), and we’ve got to duplicate that.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Tre Carroll helps Xavier continue success over Georgetown
Feb 28, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Xavier Musketeers guard Roddie Anderson III (0) battles for the loose ball against the Georgetown Hoyas in the first half at the Cintas Center. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images Tre Carroll scored 18 of his 22 points in the second half, Roddie Anderson III added 21 points and Xavier powered past Georgetown 91-84 on Saturday in a Big East Conference game at Cincinnati.
Filip Borovicanin added 18 for Xavier (14-15, 6-12 Big East), which beat Georgetown for the eighth time in nine meetings while winning for just the third time in 11 games overall.
Georgetown (13-16, 5-13) dropped its sixth straight while playing its first game without its starting point guard and leading scorer KJ Lewis, who is out for the season with a left ankle injury that occurred in a loss to Marquette earlier in the week.
Kayvaun Mulready led the Hoyas with 19 points while Malik Mack added 17.
Jeremiah Williams replaced Lewis in the starting lineup and scored 10 points while making his second start of the season, and first since the Big East opener. Williams scored seven points and dished out four assists in the first half as Georgetown took a 39-38 lead into the break.
Xavier withstood a five-minute scoring drought in the first half and ended the first half on a 12-5 run that cut Georgetown’s eight-point advantage to one.
Borovicanin opened the second half with a 3-pointer and then a steal and a breakaway dunk on the next possession to cap off Xavier’s 10-0 run bridging the end of the first half and the end of the second half while putting the Musketeers up 43-39.
Following a Julius Halaifonua layup to bring Georgetown within one at 45-44, Carroll scored Xavier’s next 12 points. Isaiah Walker’s mid-range jumper broke the run but put Xavier ahead 59-53 with 11:34 remaining.
Anderson knocked down a 3-pointer with 8:08 left to put Xavier ahead 70-61 prompting a timeout from Georgetown head coach Ed Cooley.
Xavier led 73-63 on a Borovicanin three-point play with 6:58 left before Georgetown closed within 75-72 on a Vince Iwuchukwu three-point play with 4:38 left. Xavier built the lead back to 10 on a Borovicanin 3-pointer with 3:23 remaining.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Wolves, Nuggets each bring an edge into finale of season series
Jan 31, 2026; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) reacts during the fourth quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images The Minnesota Timberwolves wrap up a three-game road trip at the Denver Nuggets on Sunday afternoon with a chance to improve their seeding in the Western Conference playoff picture.
Minnesota has won the first two games of its trip and now faces a tough task against its Northwest Division rival.
Denver already secured the tiebreaker in the season series by winning the first three matchups. With both teams holding identical 37-23 records, the winner of Sunday’s game will have sole possession of fourth in the Western Conference standings.
The Nuggets have lost three of their first five games out of the All-Star break, including a 127-121 overtime setback at Oklahoma City on Friday night. Sunday’s game gives them a chance to get back some momentum.
The Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic appears to already have a postseason mindset after mixing it up with the Thunder during the loss.
Jokic was knocked down when Luguentz Dort hit him with his hip in the fourth quarter and then confronted the Oklahoma City forward. There was pushing and shoving before Dort was assessed a flagrant-2 foul and ejected.
Jokic, who leads Denver in points (28.7), rebounds (12.6) and assists (10.5), has a casual and deliberate demeanor on the court that belies his competitive nature.
“I think he was reacting to what was being done to him,” Denver head coach David Adelman said. “And his reaction’s not going to be to cower away. He’s competitive.”
Playing Minnesota again should keep that fiery spirit alive for Jokic and the rest of the Nuggets. The teams have forged a rivalry over the last four seasons, including two playoff series.
There is no question about the fiery nature and competitive spirit of Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards.
Edwards missed the first game against the Nuggets this season but is averaging 35.0 points in the two games between the teams. That includes a 44-point performance on Christmas night before he was ejected in overtime for arguing foul calls.
Edwards, who leads the Timberwolves in scoring at 29.6 points a game, doesn’t confine his arguments to opponents and officials. He got into a verbal exchange with head coach Chris Finch after hitting a 3-pointer to seal a 94-88 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday.
It is a feature of their relationship, according to teammates.
“They go at it. Honestly, they do,” Timberwolves guard Mike Conley said. “They go at it… They have days where they’re getting ready to fight, and then after the game they hug each other.”
Finch confirmed that in an interview on Fox Sports Radio.
“We’re both fiery competitors. It’s been part of our relationship since Day 1. … We say these things to each other and we move on,” Finch said. “We don’t take it personally.”
The task of stopping Jokic will fall mainly on Rudy Gobert, who leads Minnesota in rebounds (11.4) and blocks (1.7). Nobody could stop Jokic when the teams met on Christmas, with the three-time MVP recording a 56-point triple-double, including 18 points in overtime.
Jokic has averaged 36.0 points 15.7 rebounds and 12.0 assists in the three games against the Timberwolves.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Cincinnati cruises past Oklahoma State with 3-point barrage
Cincinnati Bearcats forward Baba Miller (18) makes a basket from the two point line in the first half of a NCAA men’s basketball game between the Cincinnati Bearcats and Oklahoma State Cowboys, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati. Day Day Thomas heated up from long range, draining seven 3-pointers en route to a 26-point performance, Moustapha Thiam added 24 points and grabbed 15 rebounds and host Cincinnati rolled to a 91-68 home victory over Oklahoma State on Saturday afternoon.
The Bearcats (16-13, 8-8 Big 12), which entered No. 54 in the NET rankings, have won five of their last six. Jizzle James and Baba Miller each finished with 11 points for Cincinnati.
Oklahoma State (17-12, 5-11), playing its first game since losing big man Parsa Fallah to a torn ACL, was overwhelmed throughout. Vyctorius Miller led the team with 15 points, while Jaylen Curry and Kanye Clary both added 11 points. The Cowboys have lost six of their last seven games.
The Bearcats seized control early, going on an 11-2 run highlighted by 3-pointers from Thomas and Thiam to lead 12-4 less than four minutes into the game.
Those early minutes foreshadowed the rest of the game.
Cincinnati dominated from the start, leading 51-33 at halftime. The Bearcats shot 53.1% from the floor, made seven three-pointers and won the rebounding battle 20-15 in the first half. They finished with a two-handed dunk by Thiam. Miller was credited with an assist on the play as he found Thiam open underneath.
In the second half, the Bearcats pulled away. They went on an 11-2 run, capped by a 3-pointer from Thomas to lead 65-37 with just under 15 minutes remaining. Cincinnati continued to extend the lead, reaching as many as 32 points, with an 81-49 advantage after another 3 from Thomas at the 8:22 mark.
Cincinnati finished with 14 made 3s, dished out 24 assists, and had a 24-7 edge in second-chance points. The Bearcats also led for 39:24 of the 40 minutes and improved to 14-3 at home.
Both teams return to action on Tuesday. Cincinnati hosts No. 19 BYU, while Oklahoma State travels to UCF.
–Field Level Media
Tre Carroll helps Xavier continue success over Georgetown
Wolves, Nuggets each bring an edge into finale of season series
