Sports
Thunder put home mastery vs. Magic on the line
Feb 1, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) in the fourth quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images In his eighth NBA season and after earning his first Most Valuable Player award, Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s game continues to evolve.
Heading into Tuesday’s home game against the Orlando Magic, Gilgeous-Alexander is shooting a career-high 55.8% from the field and averaging 6.4 assists per game, which would tie his career high set last season.
“As I go through my career and go through seasons and games and see more coverages and different type of bodies, I just try to grow,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “The better you get at individually scoring, the more they make you pass. … I’d be doing myself a disservice if I didn’t.”
The biggest change, Gilgeous-Alexander said, is reacting possession by possession to how he’s played defensively instead of trying to assert himself as a scorer or force passes that aren’t there.
“I used to try to balance the two and I think I just got to the conclusion that me trying to decide before they show what they’re going to do is pointless,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It just becomes now, taking what they give me every time down and just trusting the guys that I’m out there with to make the right plays.
“The only way the double teams stop is I make them pay by passing the ball and if my teammates are comfortable in those positions.”
The Thunder come into the game having won two of their last three, including Sunday’s 121-111 win in Denver.
The Magic have also won two of their last three, but are coming off a 112-103 loss Sunday in San Antonio.
In that game, Orlando trailed by 18 in the first quarter before battling back to take the lead, but ultimately fell.
“Just the initial fight, I think that’s what needs to start in our game,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. “You’ve got to start the game in an aggressive manner, a focused manner, understanding exactly how we’re guarding, what we’re trying to do, what we’re trying to take away, and be disciplined in that regard.
“They’re the best team in the West for a reason.”
Tuesday’s meeting is the first of two between the teams this season.
The Thunder have swept the Magic each of the last two seasons, and Orlando has not won in Oklahoma City since Dec. 29, 2020. The Magic haven’t beaten the Thunder on the road with fans in attendance since November 2016.
Oklahoma City and Orlando are both among the top five teams in the league at limiting points off turnovers, with the Thunder second, allowing 15.0 points per game. The Magic are fourth, with opponents scoring 16.1 points off turnovers.
The Thunder remain without Jalen Williams, who has missed the last seven games with a hamstring strain. Ajay Mitchell has missed the last five games with an abdominal strain, while Alex Caruso has missed the last six games with an adductor strain.
Orlando has been without forward Franz Wagner, who has missed the last six games due to a high ankle sprain.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Amen Thompson's tip-in at buzzer lifts Rockets over Heat
Mar 21, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) catches a pass against Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro (14) in the first quarter at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images Amen Thompson tipped in a Kevin Durant missed jumper at the buzzer, and the Houston Rockets escaped with a wild 123-122 victory over the visiting Miami Heat on Saturday night.
Durant had passed Michael Jordan’s career 32,292 points for fifth on the scoring list with a corner 3-pointer at the 3:35 mark of the fourth quarter. The Heat (38-33) moved ahead on a goaltending call against Jabari Smith Jr. when he attempted to block Simone Fontecchio’s layup after the Rockets committed a turnover on an inbounds pass by Tari Eason.
Thompson saved the Rockets (43-27) with his career-best 18th rebound, redirecting the Durant miss just before the buzzer sounded. Thompson finished with 24 points and was one of three Rockets to record double-doubles along with Reed Sheppard (23 points, 14 assists) and Alperen Sengun (19 points, 12 rebounds). Durant finished with 27 points to lead the Rockets and has 32,294 for his career.
Bam Adebayo paired 32 points with a career-high-tying 21 rebounds to pace the Heat. Tyler Herro scored 25 points but shot 0-for-5 in the fourth quarter. Fontecchio had 21 points and five 3-pointers. Pelle Larsson tallied 19 points, while Davion Mitchell had 15 points and nine assists.
Fontecchio drilled a 3 that gave the Heat an 83-80 lead at the 7:11 mark of the third quarter, the seventh lead change by that point in the period. Miami extended that margin, boosted by two Myron Gardner 3s late in the third, and the Heat extended to an 11-point cushion in the fourth.
But Smith nailed back-to-back 3s to spark the Houston comeback in the final period, and when Thompson scored on a transition dunk, the Rockets led 103-102. Sheppard made a floater with 12.7 seconds left for a 121-118 lead, only for Miami to reclaim the lead before Thompson won it.
The Heat answered the Rockets’ 8-0 start to the game with a 23-3 run that yielded a 12-point cushion. Houston responded quickly, boosted by three Sheppard 3-pointers, and when Smith made two free throws with 45 seconds left in the first quarter, Houston reclaimed a 30-29 lead.
The Rockets led 55-48 late in the second quarter before Mitchell nailed two 3s that helped Miami shave the deficit to 64-63 at the half.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Bruins surge in third, down Red Wings in race for playoff berth
Mar 21, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Boston Bruins left wing Viktor Arvidsson (71) handles the puck against Detroit Red Wings defenseman Albert Johansson (20) during the first period at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bradshaw Sevald-Imagn Images The visiting Boston Bruins scored twice in a 3:20 span in the third period to turn around a one-goal deficit en route to a 4-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings in a crucial matchup between Atlantic Division rivals on Saturday night.
Nikita Zadorov scored the eventual game-winner with 10:18 remaining to lift Boston (39-23-8, 86 points), which improved to 3-0-2 in its last five.
David Pastrnak and Elias Lindholm each registered a goal and an assist, Marat Khusnutdinov also scored, Morgan Geekie had three assists and Charlie McAvoy two.
Jeremy Swayman backstopped the victory, making 41 saves.
Lucas Raymond and Alex DeBrincat lit the lamp and John Gibson made 23 saves for Detroit (38-24-8, 84 points), which had been on a 2-0-1 run.
The teams entered Saturday’s game in a tie for the two Eastern Conference wild-card playoff positions, while the Montreal Canadiens held the No. 3 slot in the division by virtue of a better points percentage.
Lindholm netted the game-tying goal for 2-2 at 6:22 of the third period. After Mason Lohrei kept the puck in at the blue line, Geekie fired a cross-ice pass to Lindholm to slot home five-hole on Gibson from the bottom of the left circle.
Aided by another Geekie pass, Zadorov’s winner followed on an off-angle wrister coming down the left wing.
Gibson kick-saved Lukas Reichel’s penalty shot with 6:08 left in regulation to give Detroit some life, but Swayman stood tall in the final minutes and Khusnutdinov scored an empty-netter with 1:52 to go to preserve the win.
Detroit was held without a shot for more than 12 minutes to begin the game, but finished at 10-10 advantage following a scoreless first period. J.T. Compher narrowly missed making it a 1-0 lead before intermission, as his rebound bid slid past Swayman just after the final tenth of a second expired off the clock before intermission.
The hosts officially drew first blood 3:35 into the middle frame. Raymond cashed in on another man-up sequence, burying a one-time goal from the bottom of the left circle off Andrew Copp’s cross-ice feed.
Pastrnak responded with a game-tying, power-play goal at 5:07. The star winger blasted a one-timer from the left side after receiving McAvoy’s feed from the top of the formation.
DeBrincat put the Wings back in front at 4:06 of the second, slipping down to the top of the left circle to slot a high wrister past Swayman.
–Field Level Media
Sports
FC Dallas outlast Houston with late winner in Texas tussle
Mar 21, 2026; Frisco, Texas, USA; Houston Dynamo forward Ezequiel Ponce (10) attempts a bicycle kick as FC Dallas midfielder Ramiro (17) defends during the first half at Toyota Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images Logan Farrington scored twice in the opening 14 minutes, Petar Musa scored a late winner in the 86th minute in a rare appearance off the bench, and FC Dallas earned a 4-3 victory over the 10-man Houston Dynamo on Saturday night in Frisco, Texas.
Musa also helped create the second-half equalizer — an own goal off Houston’s Duane Holmes — after his halftime entrance for Dallas (2-1-2, 8 points), which earned its first win since its season opener on Feb. 21.
Guilherme scored his fourth goal and assisted tallies from Erik Sviatchenko and Lawrence Ennali for Houston (2-2-0, 6 points) in its first road match of the season.
But Sviatchenko was dismissed in the 68th minute for his second booking, becoming the fourth Dynamo player to receive his marching orders this season.
After scoring five times in Dallas’ first four matches, Musa was not listed on the league’s availability report for the weekend yet began the night unexpectedly outside the starting lineup.
And while it worked out well early, by halftime Dallas manager Eric Quill found his side trailing 3-2 and summoned his Croatian striker.
He immediately provided an impact, helping Dallas pull level in the 54th minute.
Herman Johansson took down a bouncing ball on the right flank, then played the ball up the side for Musa to run onto. Musa dribbled into the box and then tried to drag a cross toward the penalty spot, one that caromed off Holmes and over the line.
The goal was originally ruled offside, but was overturned following a video review.
Just under a half-hour later, Musa showed up again on the same right side, this time to finish off Joaquine Valiente’s tantalizing inswinging service at the back post with a one-touch volley after outmuscling his defender.
Guilherme helped turn Houston’s two-goal deficit into a one-goal advantage in the space of four minutes.
In the 29th minute, he intercepted Dallas goalkeeper Michael Collodi’s wayward pass and turned it into a simple finish before the goalkeeper could recover.
In the 31st, his outswinging corner found Sviatchenko at the back post for a clear header Collodi had little chance of saving.
He capped off the remarkable individual stretch in the 33rd when he found Ennali running in behind around the edge of the Dallas back line with a perfect throughball.
–Field Level Media
