The Anaheim Ducks were taught big lessons last outing.

Now the Ducks must show how quickly they can put them to good use when they host the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday for Game 4 of their Western Conference semifinal series.

The Golden Knights claimed a thorough 6-2 victory on Friday to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. The game was an example of a veteran squad showing its savvy and elevating its play against a young squad.

“We’re still learning, still got things like that we’ve got to be better at doing because we know they’re going to respond,” Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe said. “They’re an experienced team. … Win or lose, we have to play our best game the next game.”

Anaheim controlled the tempo of the first two games with its team speed. On Friday, though, the Golden Knights opened the scoring just over a minute into the clash, doubled the lead midway through the opening frame with a short-handed marker and never relinquished control.

“It wasn’t a great start,” Anaheim forward Alex Killorn said. “They score in the first five minutes and then they get a PK goal. … It’s tough to win a game when you put yourself in spots like that.”

Another issue for the Ducks is their flickering power play. After a 50 percent success rate against Edmonton (8-for-16) in the opening round, the Ducks have been blanked on their 11 chances against Vegas.

That is just part of finding their form.

“They played well, but I don’t think we brought our best,” Killorn said. “They’re a great team, we just have to have a little bit of a better start and effort throughout the game.”

Coach Joel Quenneville said on Saturday that goalie Lukas Dostal will open in net. Dostal, who has started every game this postseason, was pulled after the first period in Game 3.

The Golden Knights definitely took their game to another level, but they’re well aware how easily momentum could be regained by the Ducks.

The onus will be on Vegas not to be complacent.

“Not all problems are solved because you win a game,” said Golden Knights coach John Tortorella. “You’ve got to keep on trying to get better. I just thought we entered the series (Friday) playing our game a little bit more than we have, but we’re going to have to keep improving.”

Tortorella had no update on Saturday regarding the status of captain Mark Stone, who left Friday’s game near the end of the first period.

“I’m not going to give you any updates on injuries, so you might as well stop asking that question,” Tortorella said.

Fortunately for Vegas, Mitch Marner delivered his first career playoff hat trick which put him atop the league’s postseason scoring list with 13 points (six goals, seven assists).

“I try to always be an energizer guy, a guy that goes out there and brings a lot of passion and energy to games,” Marner said. “Obviously, I always want the puck on my tape. I want to try to make the plays.”

With or without Stone, the Golden Knights could still use more contributors. For example, Tomas Hertl has not scored a goal in 29 games. He last lit the lamp on March 4 for his 24th of the year.

“There’s some areas that we still need to be more consistent at,” Tortorella said. “There’s a few players we’re hoping get going also. … We know it’s Game 4, and as the series ratchets up into these later games, the momentum swings, and it’s more desperate hockey. So, we’re just going to get ready to play and try to play the right way.”

–Field Level Media

Rookie Jovana Nogic made an immediate splash in her WNBA debut, scoring all 19 of her points in the first half of the Phoenix Mercury’s 99-66 rout of the host Las Vegas Aces on Saturday.

The 28-year-old Serbia native connected on her first four 3-point attempts to lead Phoenix (1-0) to a dominant start in a rematch of last season’s WNBA finals.

All five starters for Phoenix scored in double figures, led by Alyssa Thomas’ game-high 20 points. Kahleah Copper and DeWanna Bonner scored 13 points apiece while Natasha Mack grabbed 15 rebounds to go with her 10 points.

Las Vegas (0-1) sputtered offensively with little scoring support behind reigning Most Valuable Player A’ja Wilson and veteran guard Jackie Young.

The duo combined for 26 of the Aces’ 35 first-half points. Wilson finished with 19 points while Young added 12. No other Las Vegas scorer reached double figures until NaLyssa Smith hit 11 and Chennedy Carter netted 10 in garbage time.

The Mercury jumped to a 21-point lead by intermission, spoiling Saturday’s celebration of the Aces’ 2025 championship. The first-half blitz was punctuated by Nogic’s fourth 3-pointer just before halftime — and the deficit only swelled from there.

Nogic knocked down a pair of her triples as part of a pivotal 14-2 run spanning the first 4:08 of the second quarter. In one sequence, she buried a 3-pointer on one end, intercepted a pass on the other and fed Bonner for the assist in transition.

The crescendo pushed the Mercury lead to 41-23 with 5:52 left in the first half. It never dropped below 15 the rest of the way.

Thomas and Bonner ignited a 19-2 run to close out the third quarter. The deluge snuffed any hope of a Las Vegas rally.

Thomas dished nine assists and grabbed six rebounds to complement her scoring high. Kianna Williams came off the bench to knock down three 3-pointers on the way to 11 points.

Williams was also one of four Mercury with multiple steals, joining Mack and Nogic with two apiece. Thomas swiped three as Phoenix forced Las Vegas into 17 turnovers that turned into 19 points.

–Field Level Media

Donovan Mitchell had 35 points and 10 rebounds, as the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the visiting Detroit Pistons 116-109 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Saturday afternoon.

The fourth-seeded Cavaliers lost the first two games of the series in Detroit but ended the contest on a 12-5 run to remain unbeaten at home this postseason. James Harden came through in the clutch, scoring seven of his 19 points in the final 90 seconds.

Game 4 is Monday in Cleveland, where the Cavaliers are 10-1 all-time in the playoffs against the Pistons.

Cade Cunningham posted the second triple-double of his playoff career with 27 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the top-seeded Pistons, but committed eight turnovers. Two of his miscues occurred in the final 2:32 — the first when Max Strus stole his inbounds pass and scored to put the Cavaliers ahead for good at 106-104.

Harden took over from there making a jumper, tough pull-up and a 3-pointer, the latter making it 113-109 Cleveland. Cunningham had buried a 3-pointer to pull the Pistons within one before Harden’s 26-footer. Mitchell then iced the win at the foul line with three makes in the last 20 seconds.

Jarrett Allen had 18 points, and Evan Mobley added 13 points and eight rebounds for the Cavaliers. Mitchell scored his 1,000th career playoff point in the first quarter.

Tobias Harris scored 21 points and gave Detroit its final lead at 100-98 with a 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter. Duncan Robinson scored 15 points, and Paul Reed had 11 points in 10 minutes off the bench, all in the second half.

Reed made a layup to complete a 28-10 run to begin the third for the Pistons, who grabbed a 76-74 lead behind 10 points from Cunningham. Mitchell answered with consecutive hoops as Cleveland moved back in front 83-81 going into the fourth.

The Cavaliers outscored Detroit 32-18 in the second, fueled by 11 points from Mitchell and seven from Mobley to extend their advantage to 64-48. Mitchell scored 20 points, and Allen added 13 in the first half, while Cunningham and Harris had 10 apiece.

The second featured a five-point Cleveland possession that saw Harden make a 3-pointer and miss the attached free throw, but Mobley grabbed its first offensive rebound for a slam. The Pistons were called for three offensive fouls in the period.

Allen and Mitchell each scored nine points in the first as Cleveland went up 32-30 on the seventh lead change. Cunningham had six points, five rebounds and four assists for the Pistons, who jumped ahead 12-5 with Mitchell picking up two fouls in the first 2:45.

–Field Level Media