Sports
Julian Champagnie enjoys Brooklyn homecoming as Spurs' streak hits 11
Feb 26, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle (5) is fouled by Brooklyn Nets forward Noah Clowney (21) as he drives to the basket during the first quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Julian Champagnie scored 26 points in a successful homecoming and the San Antonio Spurs extended their longest winning streak since the 2015-16 season to 11 with a 126-110 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night in New York.
A Brooklyn native who played at nearby Bishop Loughlin High School and at St. John’s in Queens, Champagnie made 6 of 9 3s and 10 of 14 shots overall after the Spurs arrived in the area from Toronto at about 4 a.m. Eastern time.
In front of many San Antonio fans, Champagnie led seven Spurs players in double figures to help the club keep its longest winning streak since a 13-game run Dec. 26, 2015-Jan. 22, 2016, going.
Champagnie’s big night helped offset a second straight quiet showing from Victor Wembanyama, who was held to 12 points and had eight rebounds.
Stephon Castle added 13 of his 18 in the opening quarter when he sank seven of his career high-tying 10 free throws. Devin Vassell added 14 and De’Aaron Fox contributed 10 of his 14 in the third.
Keldon Johnson contributed 13 and rookie Dylan Harper chipped in 12 and seven assists as San Antonio’s reserves totaled 42 points.
The Spurs shot 49%, hit 17 3s, handed out 36 assists and collected 13 steals en route to their fifth straight win over the Nets.
Michael Porter Jr. scored 17 of his 25 in the third when the Nets made a comeback attempt before taking their sixth straight loss. Day’Ron Sharpe contributed 14 points and 11 rebounds off the bench and rookie Danny Wolf also scored 14.
Rookie Nolan Traore chipped in 13 and Nic Claxton finished with 12 points before fouling out early in the fourth.
The Nets shot 46% and made 38% from 3-point range but never led and trailed by as many as 26.
The Spurs made 13 of 14 free throws for a 36-22 lead through the opening quarter. Champagnie hit 3s on consecutive possessions to give the Spurs a 48-26 lead 2:20 into the second quarter and San Antonio held a 71-56 at halftime.
Porter scored 11 points early in the third and the Nets cut the lead to 75-69 on his 3 with 8:19 left in the quarter. The Spurs gradually pulled away again and held a 104-84 lead into the fourth.
San Antonio took a 26-point lead early in the fourth and pulled its starters a few minutes later.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Wings' Dylan Larkin ties it, then wins it in OT vs. Sens
Feb 26, 2026; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Detroit Red Wings right wing Alex DeBrincat (93) reacts after a goal from center Dylan Larkin (71) during the second period against the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Keito Newman-Imagn Images Dylan Larkin scored his second goal of the game at 1:50 of overtime and the Detroit Red Wings beat the Senators 2-1 in Ottawa.
Larkin, an Olympic gold medalist for Team USA, started the winning rush with a pass to Lucas Raymond at center ice. Larkin then got behind Ottawa’s Shane Pinto, took the return pass, deked and slid a backhand shot between the pads of Linus Ullmark for his 28th goal of the season.
Each team was playing its first game following the break for the Milan-Cortina Olympics and looking to get off to a fast start in the final sprint for a spot in
the Eastern Conference playoffs.
John Gibson made 26 saves for the Red Wings, who had lost four of five before the break. Raymond had two assists.
Gold medalist Brady Tkachuk scored for the Senators, who had won five of six before the break. Ullmark made 18 saves.
The Red Wings have won the first three meetings of the season, including two in overtime.
Tkachuk gave the Senators a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal at 18:44 of the first period. Jake Sanderson’s point shot deflected off the skate of Detroit’s Michael Rasmussen to Tkachuk, who scored on a wrist shot from the high slot.
Larkin answered with a power-play goal at 5:24 of the second period. Raymond skated along the goal line and slid a back-hand pass to Larkin, who one-timed it past Ullmark from the bottom of the left circle.
Gibson maintained the tie early in the third period when a shot by Pinto got behind him but he knocked the puck away with his left skate before it crossed the goal line.
Pinto had a good opportunity on the rush in the final seconds of regulation but Gibson made a blocker save.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Sebastian Aho goal helps Hurricanes edge Lightning
Feb 26, 2026; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Hurricanes center Jordan Staal (11) shoots past Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (77) during the first period at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images Carolina’s Sebastian Aho broke a third-period tie with a power-play goal after the Hurricanes had a three-goal lead vanish in Thursday night’s 5-4 victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning in a matchup of the Eastern Conference’s top two teams in Raleigh, N.C.
Logan Stankoven and Taylor Hall both had a goal and an assist and Nikolaj Ehlers also scored — all in the opening seven minutes — for the Hurricanes., who were in their first game since the Olympic layoff. Seth Jarvis also supplied a goal and an assist and Andrei Svechnikov assisted on two goals for Carolina. Brandon Bussi made 24 saves.
Brandon Point posted a goal and an assist for the Lightning, who opened their post-break schedule a night earlier by defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs. Brandon Hagel, Nikita Kucherov and Dominic James also scored for the Lightning. Jake Guentzel provided three assists. Jonas Johansson stopped 28 shots.
Carolina has a four-game winning streak as part of an 11-game points string. The Lightning’s six-game winning streak ended, with Tampa Bay limited to six shots on goal in the third period.
Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper missed a game for the second night in a row following the death of his father. Assistant coach Rob Zettler filled in.
Aho, a member of Finland’s bronze-medal team, notched his 21st goal of the season with the Hurricanes on their second power play of the game.
The goals from Ehlers, Stankoven and Hall gave the Hurricanes a 3-0 lead, but Hagel and Kucherov countered in a 35-second stretch later in the first period. James’ goal 1:58 into the second period evened the score.
Jarvis, a member of Canada’s silver-medal Olympic team, put Carolina back on top before Point’s power-play tally with 5:58 left in the second period.
After being out since Jan. 12 with an injury, Point has played in both Tampa Bay games this week and has compiled three goals and two assists.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Penguins stay hot, take down free-falling Devils
Feb 26, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; New Jersey Devils left wing Jesper Bratt (63) moves the puck against Pittsburgh Penguins center Connor Dewar (19) during the second period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Connor Clifton and Egor Chinakhov scored 50 seconds apart during a three-goal third period to help the Pittsburgh Penguins, minus superstar Sidney Crosby, break open a tight contest and beat the visiting New Jersey Devils 4-1 on Thursday night.
Tommy Novak opened the scoring, Evgeni Malkin recorded two assists and Blake Lizotte added an empty-netter for the Penguins, who returned from the Olympic break to improve to 15-3-3 since Dec. 28.
Arturs Silovs was stout in making 28 saves for Pittsburgh,
which didn’t seem phased playing without Crosby, who will miss at least four weeks with a lower-body injury suffered while playing for Canada at the Milan Cortina Games earlier this month.
With the game knotted 1-1, Pittsburgh was amid a barrage on New Jersey goaltender Jacob Markstrom (31 saves) when Clifton’s drive from the top of the circle, courtesy of Ryan Shea’s shot that caromed off the iron, put the Penguins ahead with 13:30 left in regulation. Less than a minute later, Malkin sent the puck through the neutral zone for Chinakhov to collect, then break free and eventually go forehand-backhand to beat Markstrom.
Paul Cotter scored for the Devils, who are second-to-last in the Eastern Conference standings and matched a season high with their fifth consecutive loss, which is part of a 1-7-0 rut. New Jersey, which failed to convert any of its five power-play chances — four in the second period– has been outscored 15-4 in the last five contests.
The Penguins opened the scoring with 1:09 left in the first period. Thanks to some precision passing on a power play, Novak redirected Kris Letang’s one-timer off a Malkin pass by Markstrom.
New Jersey, though, answered at 4:56 into the second period. On a delayed penalty, and in somewhat similar fashion to Pittsburgh’s opening tally, Dougie Hamilton’s drive glanced in off the leg of Cotter, who snapped a 23-game goal drought in the process.
United States Olympic hero Jack Hughes had an assist for the Devils.
–Field Level Media
