Sports
Stingy Sabres finally permit a goal, but topple Kings
Mar 21, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Kings goaltender Anton Forsberg (31) blocks a shot against Buffalo Sabres right wing Josh Doan (91) during the first period at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images Tage Thompson and Zach Benson each had a goal and an assist for the visiting Buffalo Sabres in a 4-1 win against the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday afternoon.
Sam Carrick and Rasmus Dahlin scored 59 seconds apart midway through the third period, Josh Norris had two assists, and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 26 saves for the Sabres (44-20-6, 94 points), who have won four in a row, seven straight on the road, and 12 of 13 since the Olympic break.
Buffalo has allowed one goal in the past three games.
Artemi Panarin scored and Anton Forsberg made 28 saves for the Kings (28-25-16, 72 points), who had earned points in five of the previous six games (3-1-2).
Carrick retrieved the puck along the wall after two Kings players converged on Benson. He carried it above the goal line before lifting a backhand over the right shoulder of Forsberg to give the Sabres a 2-1 lead at 11:12 of the third period.
The Kings challenged for a missed game stoppage on a high stick by Benson just prior to the goal, but it was determined there was no high sticking and Buffalo went on a power play for delay of game on the failed challenge.
Dahlin was then credited with a power play goal after a rebound went off Kings defenseman Cody Ceci, between Forsberg’s pads and across the goal line to make it 3-1 at 12:11.
Benson scored into an empty net to make it 4-1 with 2:25 left.
The Kings took a 1-0 lead on the first of their three power plays in the game.
Anze Kopitar had the puck in the right face-off circle when he made a backhand pass to Panarin in the left circle and he scored with a one-timer at 10:48 of the first period.
It was the fourth straight game the Kings scored a power-play goal and ended Buffalo’s shutout streak at 174:55.
It was also Panarin’s fifth goal and 14th point in 12 games since he was acquired from the New York Rangers on Feb. 4, although his first game in black and silver did not occur until Feb. 26.
The Sabres tied it 1-1 at 4:05 of the second.
Forsberg made a save on a wrist shot by Peyton Krebs, but the rebound came to Thompson alone in front of the crease. Forsberg lunged at Thompson to try and poke the puck away, but Thompson dragged the puck around Forsberg and slid it into the open net for his team-leading 36th goal of the season.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Grayson Rodriguez and surging Angels shut down Tigers
May 28, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Los Angeles Angels pitcher Grayson Rodriguez (21) pitches in the first inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images Grayson Rodriguez allowed one run and two hits over five innings to help the visiting Los Angeles Angels to a 7-1 win against the Detroit Tigers in the rubber game of their three-game series on Thursday afternoon.
Rodriguez (2-1) struck out five and walked two in his third start of the season since being activated from the injured list on May 17 because of shoulder inflammation and soreness that developed during spring training.
The 26-year-old right-hander was acquired from the Baltimore Orioles in November for outfielder Taylor Ward.
Donovan Walton had three hits and scored two runs, Mike Trout had two hits, two RBIs and a run scored, and Zach Neto had two hits, an RBI and scored a run for the Angels, who have won five of six, including back-to-back series for the first time this season.
Detroit right-hander Jack Flaherty (0-7) went 5 2/3 innings, allowing three runs and six hits with nine strikeouts and a walk.
Wenceel Perez doubled and homered for the Tigers, who have lost 10 of 12.
With two outs in the second, Perez homered into the first row in right-center field to give Detroit a 1-0 lead.
Angels right fielder Jo Adell led off the fifth with a 110-mph line drive into the left-center field gap for a double. He moved to third on a wild pitch with one out and came home on a single through the left side of the drawn-in infield by Sebastian Rivero to tie it 1-1.
Following a single by Walton, Neto doubled down the third-base line to give Los Angeles a 2-1 lead. Trout was intentionally walked to load the bases, and Vaughn Grissom delivered a sacrifice fly to center to extend the lead to 3-1.
Trout walked to lead off the eighth and Grissom hit a line drive into the gap in left center, scoring Trout from first for a 4-1 lead. Jorge Soler then singled home Grissom to make it 5-1.
Trout drove in two more in the ninth with a double to deep center field to make it 7-1.
After surrendering the home run to Perez, Rodriguez retired the next nine in a row.
Angels reliever Drew Pomeranz came off the 15-day injured list on Thursday and threw a scoreless sixth. Jose Fermin got a double play to end the seventh. Sam Bachman struck out Riley Greene with the bases loaded to end the eighth, and Ryan Zeferjahn stranded two more in the ninth.
–Field Level Media
Sports
NBA owners ratify anti-tanking lottery system
Feb 15, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks to media after the 75th NBA All Star Game at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images The NBA owners voted on Thursday to approve anti-tanking measures that will go into effect with the 2027 draft.
By a reported 29-1 margin, the NBA ratified a new lottery system that disincentivizes teams from trying to finish last in the league. Here’s how the “3-2-1” plan endorsed by commissioner Adam Silver will work:
The teams that post the worst three records during the regular season each will receive two ping-pong balls for the lottery drawing. That’s the same number that will be allocated to the four teams that finish ninth and 10th in the conference standings.
The two teams that lose the play-in tournament games between the No. 7 and 8 seeds will receive one ball.
The seven teams that neither take part in the play-in tournament nor finish among the bottom three will earn three lottery balls apiece.
All told, there will be 37 balls in the hopper. That gives the teams finishing 21st through 27th during the regular season an 8.1% chance to secure the No. 1 pick, while the bottom three only have a 5.4% chance.
Under the system being replaced, the bottom three teams enjoyed a 14% chance to win the top pick while the next seven teams’ chances varied from 3 to 11.5%.
With the new system that will be in effect for at least the 2027-29 draft, no team can win the No. 1 pick in back-to-back lotteries and no team can collect a top-five pick in three straight lotteries.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Aryna Sabalenka, Coco Gauff charge into French Open 3rd round
May 26, 2026; Paris, France; Aryna Sabalenka returns a shot during her match against Jessica Boozes Maneiro of Spain on day three at Stade Roland Garros. Mandatory Credit: Susan Mullane-Imagn Images A pair of top seeds advanced to the third round of the French Open with No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus and No. 4 Coco Gauff earning straight-set victories Thursday at Paris.
No. 6 Amanda Anisimova also advanced along with No. 16 Naomi Osaka of Japan, No. 17 Iva Jovic, No. 19 Madison Keys, No. 22 Anna Kalinskaya of Russia and No. 25 Diana Shnaider of Russia.
Sabalenka got through France’s Elsa Jacquemot, earning a 7-5, 6-2 victory over the local favorite. The win set up a third-round match with unseeded Daria Kasatkina of Australia, who claimed a 7-5, 7-6 (11) victory over Susan Bandecchi of Switzerland.
Sabalenka won 68% of her first-service points and saved 5 of 7 break points while converting half of the 10 break points she earned. After trading breaks of serve early in the first set, Sabalenka broke serve again to finish off the first set.
“That was a very tough opponent. Tricky match,” Sabalenka said. “I’m happy that I closed it in straight sets.”
The second set was a breeze with Sabalenka breaking serve twice to take a 5-1 lead and again breaking serve to finish off the match.
“She played really incredible tennis and forced me to step in and play on another level,” Sabalenka said. “I am happy I could handle it and win.”
Gauff, the defending champion, earned a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Mayar Sherif of Egypt. It was the 80th grand-slam main-draw win in Gauff’s career.
Gauff lost serve twice in a tight first set that lasted more than a hour before closing out the match to earn a matchup against No. 28 seed Anastasia Potapova of Austria in the third round.
“It was a physical, tough match. I was really tested today. It took a lot of strength today,” Gauff said of the 1-hour, 51-minute match. “I will be focusing on getting more my rhythm back because I did not have it today.”
Anisimova handed Austria’s Julia Grabher a 6-0 defeat in their opening set before Grabher retired. Anisimova, who lost just six points in that set, will meet France’s Diane Parry in the third round.
Osaka collected a 7-6 (1), 6-4 victory over Dona Vekic of Croatia by winning 71% of her first-service points and converting 5 of 11 break-point chances.
Jovic moved on with an easy 6-0, 6-3 victory over fellow American Emma Navarro, while Keys registered a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Antonia Ruzic of Croatia. Kalinskaya advanced with a 7-6 (2), 6-4 victory over fellow Russian Alina Korneeva while Shnaider knocked off McCartney Kessler 7-6 (3), 6-1.
Potapova was the only seeded player who needed three sets to advance. After dropping the first set 7-5 to Great Britain’s Katie Boulter, Potapova responded by taking the next two sets 6-4, 6-2.
Two seeded players could not rally like Potapova. No. 23 seed Elise Mertens of Germany was eliminated 6-4, 6-0 by Maja Chwalinska of Poland while No. 30 Ann Li was sent home 6-3, 6-4 by Parry.
Unseeded players to advance included Maria Sakkari of Greece, Camila Osorio of Colombia and Oleksandra Oliynykova of Ukraine.
–Field Level Media
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Grayson Rodriguez and surging Angels shut down Tigers
