NFL
Garrett Wilson made a dazzling one-handed 26-yard go-ahead touchdown catch early in the fourth quarter and the New York Jets snapped a five-game losing streak by beating the Houston Texans 21-13. Aaron Rodgers had three touchdown passes, including another earlier one-handed score by Wilson and a 37-yard throw to recently acquired Davante Adams, and the Jets won for the first time in four games under interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich. It also helped make up for a Jets touchdown that wasn’t when rookie Malachi Corley made a mental mistake that negated his first NFL score. Rodgers finished 22 of 32 for 211 yards. C.J. Stroud was 11 of 30 for 191 yards for the Texans.
Garrett Wilson made a dazzling acrobatic, one-handed 26-yard touchdown catch that gave the New York Jets the lead against the Houston Texans in the fourth quarter and sent the MetLife Stadium crowd into a frenzy. With the Jets facing third-and-19 from the Texans 26, Aaron Rodgers tossed the ball up toward Wilson in the end zone. Wilson snared the pass in the air with both legs spread out and got his feet inside the end zone. The play was initially called an incomplete pass, but a video replay review confirmed the touchdown.
Malachi Corley thought he scored his first NFL touchdown for the New York Jets, but the rookie wide receiver dropped the ball before he crossed the goal line. And it rolled out of the end zone. So, no touchdown, a turnover for the Jets and one huge rookie mistake. With the Jets at the Texans 19 early in the second quarter, Corley took the pitch from Aaron Rodgers and zipped down the right sideline and dropped the ball out of his right hand to celebrate. A video review showed he had not gotten into the end zone before he dropped it. So, Corley was credited with an 18-yard run and a fumble.
NHL
Jack Roslovic and Andrei Svechnikov each scored twice and the Carolina Hurricanes returned home for the first time in more than two weeks to rout the Boston Bruins 8-2 on Thursday night for their fifth straight victory. Carolina scored three times in a 52-second span in its four-goal first period. Martin Necas had a goal and an assist, Dmitry Orlov, Sean Walker and Jesperi Kotkaniemi also scored, and Seth Jarvis had two assists. Pyotr Kochetkov made 13 saves. Brad Marchand and Humpus Lindholm scored, but the Bruins fell to 1-4-1 in their last six games. Jeremy Swayman was pulled after allowing six goals on 22 shots before the midway mark.
Bobby Brink redirected Joel Farabee’s feed past goalie Jordan Binnington with 3:01 left in the Philadelphia Flyers’ 2-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night. Garnet Hathaway also scored and Sam Ersson made 20 saves to help Philadelphia win consecutive games for the first time this season. St. Louis has lost three straight and four of five. Hathaway opened the scoring midway through the first period on a nice feed from Ryan Poehlinfgm who weaved through the defense and slid a backhand pass to his linemate. Ersson followed up his shutout Tuesday night at Boston with another strong performance. His only blemish came midway through the third period when Nathan Walker snapped a shot past him.
Sidney Crosby scored his second goal of the game 2:35 into overtime as the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Anaheim Ducks 2-1 to end a six-game losing streak. Crosby found himself in alone on Lukas Dostal and hit the brakes before roofing the puck over the Ducks’ goaltender for the 93rd game-winning goal of his career. Alex Nedeljkovic made 22 saves for Pittsburgh, which outshot Anaheim 46-23. Dostal stopped 44 shots to keep the Ducks in it, but it still wasn’t enough. Alex Killorn scored for the Ducks. Crosby tied it at 1 in the third period.
William Nylander scored twice, Joseph Woll made 24 saves and the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Seattle Kraken 4-1 on Thursday night. Matthew Knies and Auston Matthews, with a bank-shot empty-netter, also scored to help Toronto improve to 6-4-1. Matthews also had an assist. Eeli Tolvanen scored for Seattle (5-5-1). Joey Daccord stopped 26 shots. Knies opened the scoring late in the first period, and Nylander scored twice in the second. Tolvanen spoiled Woll’s bid for his second career shutout with 3:28 left in regulation and Daccord on the bench for an extra attacker.
Alex Ovechkin scored his 858th career goal and had two assists, and the Washington Capitals beat the Montreal Canadiens 6-3 to continue their strong start. Ovechkin is now 37 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record. He also set up goals by Tom Wilson and Aliaksei Protas. Wilson ended an 0-for-22 power-play drought with his team-leading sixth goal of the season. The Capitals have won seven of their first nine games for the first time since 2015-16. Montreal's Cole Caufield scored his 10th goal to tie for the league lead.
Alex Ovechkin is now on track to break Wayne Gretzky's NHL career goals record this season. Ovechkin scored his 858th goal in the Washington Capitals' ninth game to move into a 45-goal pace. If he keeps this up, the Russian superstar would get to 895 and possibly beyond this spring. Ovechkin entered the season 42 away from breaking Gretzky's mark of 894 that long seemed unapproachable. He has five already at age 39 and is well on his way to the 19th 30-goal season. Ovechkin and the Capitals are off to their best start in nearly a decade.
Leon Draisaitl scored two goals and assisted on another to lead the Edmonton Oilers to a 5-1 victory over the Nashville Predators. Viktor Arvidsson, Corey Perry and Zach Hyman also scored and Calvin Pickard made 26 saves for the Oilers, winners of three of four. The Oilers played their first game since losing team captain Connor McDavid to an ankle injury in the first period of Monday night’s 6-1 loss to the Blue Jackets. Filip Forsberg scored, and Juuse Saros made 24 saves for the Predators.
Will Smith scored twice for his first NHL goals, and the San Jose Sharks beat the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2. The Sharks have won three straight after going winless in their first nine games, while the Blackhawks have dropped five of their last six. On a power play midway through the second period, Smith – the fourth overall pick in the 2023 draft – scored the winning goal with a wrist shot off the crossbar. Mackenzie Blackwood and Petr Mrazek each stopped 26 shots, but Blackwood will be credited with the win.
NBA
Ja Morant had 26 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds and helped the Memphis Grizzlies build a 31-point second-half cushion and beat the Milwaukee Bucks 122-99. Santi Aldama added 19 points and nine rebounds, while Scotty Pippen Jr. and Jaylen Wells finished with 16 points each as the Grizzlies snapped a two-game skid. Memphis ended the night shooting 52%, including Morant going 9 for 16. Seven Grizzlies players finished in double figures. Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 37 points and 11 rebounds, connecting on 17 of 22 shots.
Jalen Green had 23 points and 12 rebounds, Alperen Sengun added 17 points and 12 rebounds, and the Houston Rockets held off a fourth-quarter Dallas rally to beat the Mavericks 108-102. The Rockets led by 23 points late in the third quarter before the defending Western Conference champions cut Houston’s lead to 103-100 with a minute to play. Dillon Brooks also had 17 for the Rockets. Tari Eason scored 15 off the bench for the Rockets, whose reserves outscored the Mavericks’ 33-21. Luka Doncic led Dallas with 29 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter.
Victor Wembanyama had 25 points and nine rebounds to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a 106-88 victory over the Utah Jazz. Wembanyama also had seven assists, five steals, and five blocks, getting at least five in five categories for the second time in his career. Chris Paul added 19 points, 10 assists, and six rebounds for the Spurs. Collin Sexton led the Jazz with 16 points, and John Collins added 14 points and 11 rebounds. Utah played without starting forward Lauri Markkanen who was out with back spasms.
Devin Booker scored 40 points, Kevin Durant added 18, and the Phoenix Suns rallied from a 21-point deficit to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 125-119. Booker made a corner 3-pointer to put Phoenix ahead 108-105 with 5:15 remaining as the Suns scored 73 points in the second half to take their second win in eight days at the Clippers’ new arena. James Harden had 25 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists, but Los Angeles faltered again one night after giving away a late lead in a one-point loss at Portland.
Orlando Magic star Paolo Banchero has a torn right oblique, the team said Thursday night after he had further testing in Cleveland. President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman said Banchero will be out indefinitely and be re-evaluated in four-to-six weeks. Banchero was injured Wednesday night in the fourth quarter of Orlando’s victory at Chicago. He scored a career-high 50 points against Indiana on Monday night and is averaging 29 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists in five games this season. Banchero was the first overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft. Orlando is at Cleveland on Friday night.
MLB
The Los Angeles Dodgers spent big bucks to beef up their roster with the additions of Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto this season. The hard part was surviving a multitude of injuries, a gambling scandal involving Ohtani's former interpreter and challenges from their rivals. In the end, the Dodgers proved a resilient bunch and beat the New York Yankees in five games to win their eighth World Series title. Next season, Ohtani will return to being a two-way player when he takes the mound to pitch. The team has eight free agents heading into the offseason, including Clayton Kershaw who has already said he plans to return after missing the playoffs with a toe injury.
Instead of a World Series championship film, the New York Yankees season ended in a comedy of errors that left them to pursue Juan Soto without a title glow. Soto was the last player lingering in the dugout after Wednesday night’s 7-6 loss in Game 5, watching the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate after New York frittered away a five-run lead. The 26-year-old free agent outfielder is likely to command a contract of at least $500 million. His market is likely to include the Yankees, Mets and Dodgers along with perhaps the Blue Jays, Cubs, Giants, Padres, Phillies and Red Sox.
After 42 seasons, Bob Costas is retiring from baseball play-by-play. Costas had done games the past couple seasons for MLB Network and TBS Sports. His final games were the American League Division Series between the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals. Costas’ contract with TBS expired at the end of the season, but his plans to retire from baseball play-by-play had been in the works for over a year. The Athletic was the first to report on Costas’ baseball play-by-play retirement. Costas plans to address his decision at a future date.
Outfielder Juan Soto, pitchers Corbin Burnes, Walker Buehler and Max Fried, first baseman Pete Alonso, third baseman Alex Bregman, outfielder Anthony Santander and shortstop Willy Adames were among 136 players who became free agents. There were 64 more players with pending option decisions who could become free agents by Monday, the fifth day after the World Series. Teams and players can start discussing contract terms at 5:01 p.m. EST on Monday, after the deadline for teams to make $21.05 million qualifying offers to eligible free agents.
The Los Angeles Angels have acquired outfielder Jorge Soler from the Atlanta Braves in a trade for right-hander Griffin Canning. Soler has been a productive power hitter for five teams over the previous 11 major league seasons. The Cuban slugger was the MVP of the 2021 World Series with the Braves, and he also won a ring with the Chicago Cubs in 2016. He led the AL in homers with the Kansas City Royals in 2019. Canning is an Orange County native and a former second-round pick who has been part of the Angels’ starting rotation for the past six years when healthy.
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