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Nikola Vucevic ready for Celtics debut against Heat

NBA: Chicago Bulls at Miami HeatFeb 1, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) drives to the basket as Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic (9) defends during the second half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Nikola Vucevic could make his debut with the Boston Celtics when they take on the visiting Miami Heat on Friday night.

Boston acquired Vucevic, 35, in a trade with the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday. The Celtics gave up guard Anfernee Simons and a 2026 second-round draft pick in the deal. Boston also received a future second-round pick.

Vucevic, a 6-foot-9 center, is averaging 16.9 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game in 48 games this season, but he hasn’t been as effective at the defensive end of the court.

“I know some of the limitations I have,” Vucevic told The Athletic. “I’m aware of them.”

Neemias Queta has been Boston’s starting center this season. The Celtics have also used center Luka Garza, whose skillset is similar to what Vucevic brings.

Queta and Garza both started in Wednesday’s 114-93 road victory over Houston. Queta finished with 10 points, 19 rebounds and five blocks in the win. Garza, who made his second start of the season, added 19 points and six rebounds.

“It just helped us on multiple fronts,” Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said when he was asked about the double-big lineup. “It helped us defensively. It helped us offensively with matchup recognition. We were able to kind of be in our matchups because of that. I thought those guys did a great job. I thought Luka and Neemi were great. Neemi was kind of the best version of him.”

The Celtics also reportedly made two minor moves Thursday. Boston sent Chris Boucher to Utah, and traded Josh Minott to Brooklyn. Like Vucevic, Boucher is in the final year of his contract.

The Heat will be looking to end Boston’s four-game winning streak Friday.

“We’re just going to forge ahead until we conquer it,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. “It’s disappointing. I see the potential with our team. I really do.

“That ability to sustain — get a quality win and then do it again. Then rinse and repeat. That’s what all the very good teams are able to do. They’re just more consistent.”

The Heat didn’t have Andrew Wiggins (left hamstring tightness) for Tuesday’s 127-115 home loss to Atlanta. Norman Powell (personal reasons) and Tyler Herro (ribs) also did not play against the Hawks. Powell has missed Miami’s last three games and Herro hasn’t played in the last 11.

Herro didn’t make the two-game trip that includes Sunday’s game against the Washington Wizards. Wiggins and Powell will likely be back against the Celtics.

“Whoever we got out there, we take the approach we always have what it takes to win,” Miami’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. said. “Obviously, guys are dealing with things. We want them to get better, get all the rest they can so they’re healthy when they come back to us. Until then, we’re gonna try to hold it down as best we can.”

Atlanta made 21 of 50 3-point attempts Tuesday. Chicago also made 20 of 40 shots from beyond the 3-point arc in a 125-118 win over Miami on Saturday, one day before the Bulls shot 14.6% on 3-point attempts (6 of 41) in a 134-91 loss to the Heat.

“We just couldn’t get it done defensively (against Atlanta),” Jaquez said. “They lit us up from 3 — something that’s kind of been a theme for us the last couple (losses).”

–Field Level Media

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Igor Chernyshov scores late winner as Sharks edge Blue Jackets

NHL: San Jose Sharks at Columbus Blue JacketsMar 28, 2026; Columbus, Ohio, USA; San Jose Sharks left wing Igor Chernyshov (92) celebrates his goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets during the first period at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russell LaBounty-Imagn Images

Igor Chernyshov scored his second goal of the game with 1:25 left in the third period to lift the San Jose Sharks to a 3-2 win against the Blue Jackets in Columbus.

Macklin Celebrini entered the zone on the rush and passed to the middle for Will Smith, who fed Chernyshov for a one-timer from the left face-off dot.

Celebrini had a goal and an assist for the Sharks (33-31-7, 73 points), who snapped a six-game losing streak (0-5-1) and remain in contention for a Western Conference wild card spot. Will Smith had two assists, and Alex Nedeljkovic made 22 saves.

Denton Mateychuk and Cole Sillinger scored for the Blue Jackets (38-24-11, 87 points), who have lost three of four but remain strong contenders for an Eastern Conference wild-card spot. Elvis Merzlikins made 33 saves.

Celebrini, who had gone six games without a goal, tied the score 2-2 with a power-play goal 57 seconds into the third period. Alexander Wennberg won the faceoff back to Dmitry Orlov at the point, and he passed across to Celebrini for the one-timer.

The Blue Jackets took a 1-0 lead just 31 seconds into the game. Mateychuk took a pass at the left point from Adam Fantilli, skated down into the left circle and beat Nedeljkovic with a wrist shot.

Chernyshov tied it 1-1 at 17:17. Chernyshov stole the puck at center ice, entered the offensive zone, passed to Smith and scored on a one-timer from the right circle off the return pass from Smith.

Sillinger gave the Blue Jackets a 2-1 lead at 12:09 of the second period. Ivan Provorov intercepted a San Jose clearing attempt, skated down into the left circle and fed across to Sillinger, who scored on a one-timer from the right circle.

Nedeljkovic made a right pad save to rob Kirill Marchenko in the slot at 13:03 of the third period.

–Field Level Media

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Luis Robert Jr. belts three-run HR as Mets down Pirates in 11

MLB: Pittsburgh Pirates at New York MetsMar 28, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets center fielder Luis Robert Jr. (88) hits a three run walk off home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the eleventh inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Luis Robert Jr. hit a walk-off three-run homer in the 11th inning Saturday for the New York Mets, who overcame a pair of deficits in extras to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4-2.

Bryan Reynolds had an RBI infield single in the top of the 11th for the Pirates before the Mets rallied against Hunter Barco (0-1). Jorge Polanco worked a five-pitch walk, after which Robert hit a 1-0 pitch beyond the left-centerfield wall for his first homer with New York and his second career walk-off shot.

Robert, who was acquired from the Chicago White Sox in January, hit his other walk-off homer on Aug. 30, 2020.

The Mets are 2-0 for the first time since 2022.

Richard Lovelady (1-0) allowed an unearned run in the top of the 11th before earning his first big league win since 2024.

Luis Torrens had a game-tying RBI single in the 10th for the Mets, who loaded the bases with none out but didn’t score the winning run.

Nick Gonzales had an RBI single in the top of the 10th for the Pirates, who are 0-2 for the first time since 2022. Gonzales, Reynolds and Jake Mangum had two hits apiece.

Mangum’s ninth-inning double was the only extra-base hit of the game prior to Robert’s homer.

The Mets and Pirates were a combined 0-for-19 with runners in scoring position through the first nine innings.

Mets left-hander David Peterson allowed six hits and two walks while striking out three over 5 1/3 innings. Pirates right-hander Mitch Keller gave up three hits and walked none with three strikeouts over six innings.

The Mets got only two runners as far as second base against Keller. The Pirates built their biggest threat against Peterson in the fifth, when Jared Triolo and Ryan O’Hearn delivered two-out singles before Bryan Reynolds walked. But Marcell Ozuna, swinging on a 2-0 pitch, popped out.

–Field Level Media

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Miko Rantanen, Stars double-up Penguins

NHL: Dallas Stars at Pittsburgh PenguinsMar 28, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Dallas Stars center Wyatt Johnston (53) and Pittsburgh Penguins center Ben Kindel (81) fight for the puck during the second period at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Miko Rantanen scored in his first game in nearly two months, and the Dallas Stars tallied three unanswered second-period goals to end a four-game skid and defeat the host Pittsburgh Penguins 6-3 on Saturday.

Rantanen and Jason Robertson each had a goal and an assist for Dallas (44-18-11, 99 points), which had gone 0-3-1 in its last four. The Stars trailed 1-0 and 2-1 in this contest before exploding for three goals, two on the power play, in the second.

Rookie Justin Hryckowian, Lian Bichsel and Mavrik Bourque also scored for the Stars, who swept the two-game season series with Pittsburgh after winning in Dallas in December.

Erik Karlsson had a goal and two assists for Pittsburgh (36-21-16, 88 points), which was playing without both Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby due to lower-body injuries.

Anthony Mantha and Noel Acciari also scored for Pittsburgh, which lost its third game at PPG Paints Arena in the past week. The Penguins were outscored 17-6 in those three home contests.

Mantha redirected a Karlsson slapshot to put Pittsburgh in front on a power-play goal just over two minutes into the game.

Hryckowian evened the score for Dallas early in the second period, capitalizing on a broken play that left him wide open in front of the net with the puck.

Karlsson answered for the Penguins 48 seconds later with a wrister for his 13th goal of the season. In the process, he broke two franchise records for defensemen.

The goal was his ninth in March, the most in a single month by a Penguins blueliner. This was also his ninth multi-point game in March, which broke Randy Carlyle’s mark, set in December 1980, for most multi-point games in a single month by a defenseman.

The Stars responded over the next few minutes. Robertson scored on the power play 7:12 into the period to even the game. It was Robertson’s 40th goal, tying him with Wyatt Johnston for the team lead.

Three minutes later, Rantanen, who had missed 15 games in a row with a lower-body injury, tallied his 21st of the season on another power-play opportunity.

Bichsel doubled the Stars’ advantage less than 90 seconds later on a strange sequence. He went behind the goal, stapled to Karlsson, proceeded to throw the Swede’s stick to the floor with no whistle, and then scored what turned out to be the game-winner.

Jake Oettinger improved to 7-1-0 in his career against Pittsburgh. He allowed three goals on only 12 shots, as Pittsburgh posted four, five and three shots over the three periods. Stuart Skinner made 20 stops for the Penguins.

Dallas, which entered with the fourth-best road record in the league, improved to 22-8-7 away from home.

–Field Level Media

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