Sports
Plenty at stake as No. 8 Purdue sets sights on Ohio State
Feb 26, 2026; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3) looks at a referee during the first half of a game against the Michigan State Spartans at Mackey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images While No. 8 Purdue and Ohio State are coming off losses, they still have goals in front of them when they convene on Sunday in Columbus, Ohio.
The Boilermakers (22-6, 12-5 Big Ten) have their eyes on a top-four finish going into the conference tournament. However, they find themselves in fifth place after a 76-74 home loss to No. 13 Michigan State on Thursday.
Nebraska and Michigan State are tied for second with 13-4 conference records with Illinois (13-5) a half-game back. The top four teams receive triple byes into the tourney.
“Most disappointing for us is you’re trying to jockey for that triple bye. Now you’re playing fewer games,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said. “Last year was the first time in 10 years that we didn’t get there.
“That’s important leading up to the NCAA Tournament because you want to be a little more pristine, like three games in three days instead of four games in four days. It’s not the end of the world but that’s what you’re jockeying for.”
Purdue likely will need to win out beginning with its game versus the Buckeyes (17-11, 9-8 Big Ten) who are in a more dire situation. While Painter can talk about the NCAA Tournament with certainty, Ohio State is wobbling on the bubble.
A 74-57 setback at Iowa on Wednesday marked the first time the Buckeyes lost two straight games this season. It also left them with a 1-10 record against Quad 1 opponents.
Ohio State is in ninth place in the Big Ten, one game back of Iowa (10-7) for the double bye which goes to teams seeded five through eight.
In order for the Buckeyes to upset Purdue, they must get a full team effort. Playing without center Christoph Tilly (ankle) against Iowa — his status for Sunday’s game is unknown — the Buckeyes did not get much out of Bruce Thornton.
Thornton did not score in the first half, during which Ohio State found itself trailing 37-23 at intermission. His first points came with just over 12 minutes left in the game. He had 10 points, half his season average.
“He’s got to be aggressive, stay aggressive,” Ohio State coach Jake Diebler said. “We moved him around a little bit. I thought he passed up some opportunities in the first half to attack. Did a much better job getting the ball in the paint in the second half.”
The Buckeyes are looking for consistency but Diebler said that has been difficult because players have been in and out of the lineup due to injuries.
“We’ve got a little time now to have some great prep heading into our next game and hopefully we can get healthier and get some time to practice some of these lineups that we’re having to play,” he said.
Purdue’s Braden Smith, who has totaled 1,004 assists, needs four more to pass Long Island’s Jason Brickman for fourth on the NCAA all-time list.
“(Smith’s) a fabulous player. He’s great,” Painter said. “He’s put a lot of time into it and sacrificed a lot. Basketball’s an important piece in his life. I’m honored to coach him and he’s been great for us, fabulous, and done a lot for this university.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Lionel Messi, Miami score four in second half to upend Orlando
Mar 1, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi (10) controls the ball from Orlando City SC defender Tahir Reid-Brown (29) in the first half at Inter&Co Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images Lionel Messi recorded a brace, Telasco Sevogia scored the tiebreaking goal in the 85th minute and assisted on two others and Inter Miami dominated the second half to record a 4-2 comeback victory over host Orlando City on Sunday night.
Mateo Silvetti added a goal and an assist in Inter Miami’s four-goal second half that erased a 2-0 deficit. The Herons (1-1-0, 3 points) bounced back from a 3-0 season-opening loss to Los Angeles FC.
Messi, who scored in the 57th and 90th minutes, has eight goals in five meetings against the Lions across all competitions.
Marco Pasalic and Martin Ojeda scored goals for Orlando City (0-2-0, 0 points).
Orlando was unable to clear the ball out of its zone on the tiebreaking sequence.
Miami’s German Berterame came up with the ball to begin the sequence. Sevogia eventually received it and booted a right-footed shot into the net.
Three minutes later, Orlando City’s Colin Guske pulled Messi down and was given his second yellow card. The automatic upgrade to red led to Guske’s ejection, leaving the Lions with just 10 men for the rest of the match that included 10 minutes of stoppage time.
Messi then took a free kick from close range in the 90th minute and sent a left-footed shot past the wall and inside the left post to give the Herons a two-goal lead.
Dayne St. Clair made three saves for Miami, which outshot Orlando City 16-12 and placed eight shots on target to the Lions’ five.
Maxime Crepeau had four stops for Orlando City.
Orlando City won both regular-season meetings last season, prevailing by scores of 4-0 and 3-1.
Miami woke up fast after the halftime break.
Silvetti was beyond the box when he ripped a right-footed shot into the left corner of the net in the 49th minute.
Messi scored the equalizer eight minutes later by lining a left-footed shot inside the right post.
Ojeda had a big opportunity to put Orlando City back ahead in the 70th minute but St. Clair made a leg save on Ojeda’s close-ranged left-footed shot.
Orlando struck in the 18th minute when Ivan Angulo fed Pasalic, who sent a left-footed grounder that caromed off the arms of St. Clair and into the net.
Six minutes later, the Lions made it 2-0 when Ojeda performed a give-and-go with Griffin Dorsey. Upon receiving the ball back, Ojeda sent a right-footed shot into the right corner.
Crepeau made three first-half saves, including one of Messi in the 28th minute. Messi also sent a free kick wide left of the net late in the half.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Stars aim for franchise-best winning streak on trip to Canucks
Nov 20, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Dallas Stars forward Colin Blackwell (15) drives past Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes (43) in the third period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images Confidence is riding high in Dallas as the Stars take their franchise-tying eight-game winning streak on the road to face the Vancouver Canucks on Monday night.
Wyatt Johnston and Nathan Bastian scored in regulation, and Jason Robertson added the overtime winner as the Stars erased a 2-0 deficit to top the Nashville Predators 3-2 on Saturday.
Jake Oettinger, making his first start since winning gold with Team USA at the Olympics, made 25 saves as the Stars matched their franchise record for consecutive wins. Dallas has won nine of 10 overall.
With the win, the Stars recorded their sixth multigoal comeback.
“I feel like with the win streak, the confidence goes higher and higher, and lately the simple things have been better, and the physical play — it sounds quite simple, but it has been effective,” Stars defenseman Esa Lindell said. “I feel like we just stuck with it and just kept working.
“Especially in the second period, I thought it started to turn for us, and I felt like we just kept pushing, and then got rewarded in the third and got the win in OT.”
Missing Mikko Rantanen, Roope Hintz and Radek Faksa, the Stars, second in the Western Conference, continue to find ways to win games. Dallas has not lost since Jan. 22.
“When you are missing such key guys, and you are able to still win hockey games, I think it shows positive signs of a good hockey team,” said Bastian, who snapped a nine-game goalless drought. “Guys like us maybe can’t bring all the skill, but we can make up for it in other areas.
“Maybe a little more physicality, and with a little more ice time, you get a little more confidence, and then all of a sudden you can string together some good games.”
Monday is the third and final meeting between the Canucks and Stars. Vancouver topped Dallas 5-3 on Oct. 16, while the Stars doubled up the Canucks 4-2 on Nov. 20.
The Canucks, on the opposite end of the Western Conference standings, open a brief two-game homestand following a 5-1 loss in Seattle on Saturday.
Liam Ohgren scored the lone Canucks goal, and Kevin Lankinen made 20 saves for Vancouver, which has lost five in a row and has just two wins over their past 21 (2-15-4).
“We had a couple mistakes early that they capitalized on. We know we can’t do that, but we did,” Canucks coach Adam Foote said. “We were around and it was closer than the score.”
Forward Elias Pettersson, who paces the Canucks with 35 points in 51 games this season, was benched for the final 10 minutes of the third period on Saturday with Foote trying to send a message to the veteran.
“He’s got to be better and he knows that. He’s aware of that,” Foote said. “He’s got to play with more zip, like with more pace to his game, more engaged, and good things will happen when he gets his motor going, and he’s aware of it. So, I’m sure we’ll see it next game.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
D.J. Smith hopes to kickstart Kings vs. NHL-best Avalanche
Feb 28, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Kings celebrate after the goal scored by Los Angeles Kings right wing Adrian Kempe (9) during the third period against the Calgary Flames at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Griffin Hooper-Imagn Images The Los Angeles Kings will have a new coach behind the bench when they host the Colorado Avalanche on Monday night.
Jim Hiller was fired Sunday morning and replaced by D.J. Smith, who will try to kickstart a team that’s just three points out of a playoff spot in the Western Conference with 23 games remaining.
“At this point in the season, we believe a change in leadership is necessary to give our group the best opportunity to reach its potential and compete at the level we expect,” Kings general manager Ken Holland said. “These decisions are never made lightly, but our responsibility is to position this team for success now and moving forward.”
Los Angeles may have sealed Hiller’s fate in the two games coming out of the three-week pause in the schedule for the Milan Cortina Olympics.
In the first game back, the Kings hosted the Vegas Golden Knights, who were without five key players still resetting after participating in the Olympic gold-medal game, and lost 6-4.
The following night, Los Angeles hosted another team playing the second game of a back-to-back set and were blown out 8-1 by the Edmonton Oilers, its most one-sided loss of the season.
The Kings managed a 2-0 win against the visiting Calgary Flames on Saturday afternoon, but it appears the decision was already made.
“Sometimes, when losses pile up like that, you feel like you can’t get out of it,” Kings forward Alex Laferriere said after the Calgary game. “But, there’s so many games in the year that you know you’re going to get a win, eventually.”
Smith, who was head coach of the Ottawa Senators from May 23, 2019 to Dec. 18, 2023, will have a tough task in his first game back as a head coach, going up against the No. 1 team in the NHL.
The Avalanche have won two of three coming out of the break and have shown little difficulty beating the Kings in their first two meetings this season. The Kings lost 4-1 to the Avalanche in the season opener in Los Angeles, and 5-2 on Dec. 29 in Denver.
Colorado most recently toppled the visiting Chicago Blackhawks 3-1 on Saturday night.
“I think out of the first three games, like, that’s the tightest we’ve been defensively,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said after the win. “I think that that was a really good sort of first step coming out of the break on how we’d like to get in attack mode.”
Gavin Brindley broke a 1-1 tie with a goal at 7:31 of the third period, ending a 25-game goal drought. Cale Makar then sealed it with an empty-netter, his second goal of the game.
“That was just a big one, confidence-wise,” said Brindley, who played just five shifts in the game totaling 3:26. “Hopefully, keep going.”
Nathan MacKinnon continues to lead the Avalanche with 40 goals, but he’s been piling up the assists coming out of the break, tallying two in each of the first three games back.
The Avalanche are 1-for-10 on the power play in the three games after the break, including 0-for-7 in the past two games, although Makar did score his first goal on Saturday night four seconds after a power play expired.
“They got us a huge goal and it took 2:04 to get it,” Bednar joked.
–Field Level Media
Lionel Messi, Miami score four in second half to upend Orlando
Stars aim for franchise-best winning streak on trip to Canucks
