Sports
Thunder set to take on injury-depleted Mavericks
Feb 25, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jared McCain (3) dribbles in the second half against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has only played one game with Jared McCain but the recently acquired guard has made a big impression for the Oklahoma City Thunder, both during Gilgeous-Alexander’s absence with an abdominal strain and during Friday’s overtime win over Denver.
Gilgeous-Alexander, McCain, and the Thunder take on the Dallas Mavericks on the road Sunday.
“He has great shooting touch, as we all see,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “He’s going to continue to get better as he plays in our system and learns our system more. Yeah, kid’s good. Really talented at basketball. He can grow as much as he wants to. Sky’s the limit.”
McCain was acquired in a Feb. 4 trade with Philadelphia, the day after Gilgeous-Alexander suffered the injury that kept him out nine games before his return Friday.
The sample size remains relatively small, but McCain’s production has turned upward significantly during his nine games with Oklahoma City.
After averaging 6.6 points and shooting 38.5% overall and 37.8% on 3-pointers in 37 games with the 76ers, McCain is averaging 11.9 points while shooting 48.1% from the field and 45.9% from deep since the trade.
Where McCain said he’s experienced the most growth, though, is on the defensive end as he acclimates to the Thunder’s system.
“Being able to have such elite defenders and just watch it every day, it helps me,” McCain said. “… I think when you focus on the defensive side, offense comes.”
McCain hit some big shots, including a fourth-quarter 3-pointer, in Friday’s come-from-behind win that gave Oklahoma City its sixth win in eight games.
McCain figures to continue to have a significant role, especially with Jalen Williams remaining out with a hamstring strain and Ajay Mitchell out with an abdominal strain.
Dallas comes into Sunday’s game having dropped back-to-back games and 12 of its last 14.
Sunday’s matchup is the last of three between the teams this season.
Oklahoma City has won the previous two, including 21-point win over the Mavericks on Dec. 5 in their most recent meeting.
While the Thunder got a big boost Friday with the return of Gilgeous-Alexander, Dallas is still without Cooper Flagg.
Flagg hasn’t played since Feb. 10 with a left foot sprain and figures to miss at least two more games.
The Mavericks were more short-handed than just missing Flagg in Friday’s 19-point home loss to Memphis, playing without Marvin Bagley III, Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington and Caleb Martin among others.
“The continuity is definitely not there right now with the injuries,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. “I think as we go forward, hopefully we’ll get some bodies back.”
While Oklahoma City has integrated McCain in quickly, the Mavericks are still working through things with their new-look lineup after the deadline deal that was centered around trading Anthony Davis to Washington.
“We’re learning on the fly,” Brandon Williams said. “… It’s pretty tough just trying to gel with each other in a short amount of time, and it’s on us point guards to try to take on that responsibility.”
Dallas made a roster move Saturday, waiving Tyus Jones. The Mavericks will sign Ryan Nembhard, who had been on a two-way contract, to a two-year deal, according to reports.
For the Mavericks, Sunday’s game is the last at home before a six-game road trip.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Sharks beat Oilers to halt five-game slide
Feb 28, 2026; San Jose, California, USA; Edmonton Oilers left wing Zach Hyman (18) scores a goal against San Jose Sharks goaltender Yaroslav Askarov (30) during the first period at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Neville E. Guard-Imagn Images Shakir Mukhamadullin scored the game-winner on a slap shot midway through the third period as the San Jose Sharks defeated the visiting Edmonton Oilers 5-4 on Saturday.
Michael Misa had a goal and an assist, and 12 different players recorded points for the Sharks, who ended a five-game losing streak, their second longest of the season.
Connor McDavid, the NHL’s leading scorer, led Edmonton with three assists, while Evan Bouchard had a goal and two assists.
Macklin Celebrini opened the scoring 8:34 into the first period for San Jose. Oilers goaltender Connor Ingam, who made 28 saves, lost his stick on the previous sequence. He thought the puck had been cleared far enough away from his zone to retrieve it, but the Sharks’ Will Smith retrieved it and sent it over to Celebrini for his team-leading 29th of the season.
Misa and Barclay Goodrow also scored in the first period as the Sharks recorded three goals in the opening 20 minutes for the second straight time against Edmonton this season.
Last time, on Jan. 29th, the Oilers would score four unanswered goals, including an equalizer with 59 seconds left by Bouchard and the winner with 1:06 remaining in overtime by Zach Hyman.
Leon Draisaitl scored off an assist from McDavid on the Oilers’ league-leading power play in the first as Edmonton trailed by two goals heading into the second period.
Bouchard tallied his 17th goal of the season to get Edmonton within one in the second period, scoring off assists from McDavid and Mattias Ekholm.
The goal gave Bouchard 20 points in his last 10 games. The last defenseman to do that for the Oilers was legendary Paul Coffey in 1986.
Trent Frederic evened the game at 3 at 2:54 into the third on a wrister from Matt Savoie, who drove the puck all the way up the ice past Sharks goaltender Yaroslav Askarov before feeding the former Boston Bruin for the easy finish.
Askarov made 20 saves for San Jose.
The teams then traded goals, with San Jose first retaking the lead as Alexander Wennberg scored on a wrister less than three minutes after Frederic’s equalizer, with Jake Walman evening the game again for the Oilers less than two minutes after that.
The scoring frenzy concluded with Mukhamadullin’s winner at the 9:27 mark of the third period, after William Eklund found him at the point for the powerful slap shot.
The Oilers have scored 17 goals in three games since coming back from the Olympics but have now lost two of those contests.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Minnesota United holds off FC Cincinnati in historically cold matchup
Feb 21, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; Minnesota United forward Kelvin Yeboah (9) stops during the first half against Austin FC at Q2 Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images Kelvin Yeboah scored in the 66th minute and Drake Callender made four saves as Minnesota United presented Cameron Knowles his first victory as head coach with a 1-0 shutout of FC Cincinnati on Saturday afternoon in Saint Paul, Minn.
Roman Celentano finished with four saves for FC Cincinnati (1-1-0, 3 points).
Yeboah, who scored the tying goal in the 90th minute in Minnesota’s season opening 2-2 draw at Austin FC, headed in a rebound of a Tomas Chancalay free kick from the top left edge of the box for the game-winner. Chancalay’s shot caromed off the far right post into the middle of the box where Yeboah drilled in a hard header.
The score was set up when a free kick was awarded after Cincinnati’s Gerardo Valenzuela tripped Joaquin Pereyra just inches outside the penalty box.
Cincinnati, which opened the season with a 2-0 victory over Atlanta United, nearly tied it five minutes later on a curling left-footed shot from the middle of the box by Obinna Nwobodo that was heading for the right corner of the goal, but Callender made a diving one-arm save to knock it wide of the post.
Chancalay had a chance to extend the lead in the 83rd minute when he went in on a breakaway, but Celentano made a leaping two-hand deflection of his left-footed shot from the left side of the box that was ticketed for the top right corner of the goal.
Minnesota United (1-1-0, 4 points) moved into first place in the Western Conference with the win. Star striker James Rodriguez, who won the Golden Boot playing for Colombia in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, dressed but did not make his debut for the Loons.
The temperature at kickoff was 20 degrees with a wind-chill of 11 making it the coldest game played in team history for Cincinnati.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Shane van Gisbergen charges to victory in NASCAR O'Reilly Series race at COTA
Feb 28, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; O’Reilly NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series driver Shane Van Gisbergen (9) with the trophy after winning the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Focused Health 250 at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images AUSTIN, Texas — With a bold, brilliant move moments after the final restart of Saturday’s Focused Health 250 at Circuit of the Americas, Shane van Gisbergen once again exhibited his road course supremacy.
Taking the inside line into Turn 1 after the restart with five laps left, van Gisbergen made a four-wide pass for the lead from the sixth position and pulled away to win the fifth NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts race of his career, this time by 0.780 seconds over runner-up Austin Hill.
In a rough-and-tumble event with more than its share of contact, van Gisbergen led five times for 31 laps, including the last five after the decisive move, as then-leader and Stage 2 winner Sam Mayer ran wide in the first corner, clearing the inside lane for the winning pass.
“I was a bit unsure there, starting sixth on the outside,” van Gisbergen said. “I kind of got to the inside, which was good, and nosed in on the 41 (Mayer), and he reacted. When he reacted, I thought no way he’s stopping that, and he kind of pushed everyone wide, which was awesome, and it worked out for us.”
The win was SVG’s first at COTA in his second O’Reilly Auto Parts Series race at the track. He is winless in two NASCAR Cup Series starts at the Texas road course.
“I’ve always been fast here but never managed to win,” van Gisbergen said. “So I’m pretty stoked to finally get it done–pretty flawless day.”
Van Gisbergen’s victory was the 10th straight on road courses for JR Motorsports and the 106th for the organization overall.
Austin Hill’s runner-up finish was his third in five starts at the 2.4-mile track.
“I made a lot of mistakes out there today, but that’s going to happen on these road courses,” said Hill, the series points leader through three races. “Stage 2, I was struggling a little bit, just trying to figure out what I needed to be better.”
In a race billed as a matchup between van Gisbergen and pole winner Connor Zilisch, Sammy Smith finished third, followed by Jesse Love and Corey Day, as Zilisch suffered a litany of issues that dropped him to 21st at the end.
After Zilisch led 12 laps during the first stage, the left-rear brake rotor on his No. 1 Chevrolet sheared, and the 19-year-old prodigy quickly dropped through the field. After stopping for repairs to the rear brakes, Zilisch started the final stage in 29th but just as rapidly worked his way forward.
With fewer than three laps left, he had just cleared Day’s No. 17 Chevrolet for fourth, when contact from Day’s car sent Zilisch spinning and damaged his Camaro.
Seventeen-year-old Brent Crews finished sixth in his series debut after taking the lead on the Stage 2 restart. Crews is the first driver under 18 to lead laps in the series since Casey Atwood accomplished the feat in 1998.
William Sawalich, Justin Allgaier, Ross Chastain and Brennan Poole completed the top 10.
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Race — Focused Health 250
Circuit of The Americas
Austin, Texas
Saturday, February 28, 2026
1. (2) Shane van Gisbergen(i), Chevrolet, 65.
2. (3) Austin Hill, Chevrolet, 65.
3. (10) Sammy Smith, Chevrolet, 65.
4. (11) Jesse Love, Chevrolet, 65.
5. (12) Corey Day, Chevrolet, 65.
6. (7) Brent Crews, Toyota, 65.
7. (15) William Sawalich, Toyota, 65.
8. (5) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 65.
9. (21) Ross Chastain(i), Chevrolet, 65.
10. (26) Brennan Poole, Chevrolet, 65.
11. (9) Sheldon Creed, Chevrolet, 65.
12. (14) Taylor Gray, Toyota, 65.
13. (28) Alex Labbe, Chevrolet, 65.
14. (8) Sam Mayer, Chevrolet, 65.
15. (4) Brandon Jones, Toyota, 65.
16. (18) Ryan Sieg, Chevrolet, 65.
17. (24) Blaine Perkins, Chevrolet, 65.
18. (34) Jeb Burton, Chevrolet, 65.
19. (6) Carson Kvapil, Chevrolet, 65.
20. (32) Patrick Staropoli, Chevrolet, 65.
21. (1) Connor Zilisch(i), Chevrolet, 65.
22. (31) Lavar Scott #, Chevrolet, 65.
23. (16) Anthony Alfredo, Chevrolet, 65.
24. (35) Kyle Sieg, Chevrolet, 65.
25. (20) Nick Sanchez, Ford, 65.
26. (27) Dean Thompson, Toyota, 65.
27. (17) Preston Pardus, Chevrolet, 65.
28. (36) J.J. Yeley, Chevrolet, 65.
29. (23) Harrison Burton, Toyota, 65.
30. (29) Parker Retzlaff, Chevrolet, 65.
31. (19) Rajah Caruth, Chevrolet, 65.
32. (30) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 65.
33. (13) Austin Green, Chevrolet, 65.
34. (33) Ryan Ellis, Chevrolet, 64.
35. (22) Sage Karam, Toyota, Suspension, 53.
36. (25) Josh Bilicki, Chevrolet, Suspension, 35.
37. (37) Baltazar Leguizamon, Chevrolet, Accident, 33.
38. (38) Austin J Hill, Chevrolet, Suspension, 7.
Average Speed of Race Winner: 70.411 mph.
Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 12 Mins, 56 Secs. Margin of Victory: .780 Seconds.
Caution Flags: 4 for 12 laps.
Lead Changes: 16 among 8 drivers.
Lap Leaders: S. Gisbergen(i) 1-5;C. Zilisch(i) 6-17;A. Hill 18-21;S. Mayer 22;S. Gisbergen(i) 23;C. Zilisch(i) 24;B. Crews 25-28;S. Gisbergen(i) 29-35;S. Mayer 36;C. Kvapil 37-38;S. Mayer 39-44;S. Gisbergen(i) 45-57;B. Crews 58;N. Sanchez 59;J. Allgaier 60;S. Gisbergen(i) 61-65.
Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): Shane Van Gisbergen(i) 5 times for 31 laps; Connor Zilisch(i) 2 times for 13 laps; Sam Mayer 3 times for 8 laps; Brent Crews 2 times for 5 laps; Austin Hill 1 time for 4 laps; Carson Kvapil 1 time for 2 laps; Justin Allgaier 1 time for 1 lap; Nick Sanchez 1 time for 1 lap.
Stage #1 Top Ten: 21,41,7,20,2,91,17,87,88,9
Stage #2 Top Ten: 41,7,91,2,9,21,8,20,32,39
–By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service. Special to Field Level Media.
Sharks beat Oilers to halt five-game slide
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