Associated Press

Alec Burks scored a season-high 30 points in his return from a three-game absence and the New York Knicks kept up their chase of home-court advantage in the playoffs by rallying to beat the San Antonio Spurs 102-98.

The New York Mets made it seven straight wins by roughing up an ex-Met in a 7-1 thumping of the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday. Matt Harvey gave up the seven runs on eight hits in 4 1/3 innings, giving up hits to the first four batters in the second inning to fall behind 3-0. Fans were more polite to Harvey than the Mets as he received three standing ovations.

Kevin Durant's 21 points and eight assists carried the Nets to a 115-107 win over the Bulls. Joe Harris added 17 points and Bruce Brown had 15 as Brooklyn won its second straight after a four-game slide. Chicago wasted Zach LaVine's 41 points, ended a three-game winning streak and fell three games behind idle Washington for the final spot in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament.

Taylor Hall scored his second goal of the game 2:53 into overtime and the Boston Bruins beat the New York Islanders 3-2 in their home finale to clinch third place in the East Division.

The New York Mets completed a three-game sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks with a 4-2 victory, but they finished the game without their ace. Two-time Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom took himself out before the sixth inning due to tightness in his right side.

The New York Rangers have been fined $250,000 by the NHL for criticizing head of player safety George Parros. The team made its comments after the league fined but did not suspend Washington's Tom Wilson for his role in a scrum that injured Rangers star Artemi Panarin on Monday.

The New York Rangers have stunningly fired president John Davidson and general manager Jeff Gorton with three games left in the season.

Boos and bad words streamed loudly from the seats in the Houston Astros' return to Yankee Stadium, and New York got a homer and four hits from Giancarlo Stanton to sate those spiteful fans with a 7-3 victory. In Houston's first visit to the Bronx since their sign-stealing scam was exposed, an error by Astros third baseman Alex Bregman in the sixth inning let New York blow the game open.

The Philadelphia 76ers have stretched their lead in the NBA's Eastern Conference to one game over Brooklyn by knocking off the Bulls in Chicago. Tobias Harris scored 21 points and Seth Curry added 20 as the Sixers earned their fifth win in a row, 106-94.

Pete Alonso capped a six-run eighth inning with a three-run double, and the Mets used a defensive meltdown by Philadelphia and a replay reversal to beat the Phillies 8-7 on Sunday night. Michael Conforto snapped a tie with a bases-loaded walk against José Alvarado.

The worst-kept secret in the NFL is now public. The Jacksonville Jaguars have used the first overall pick in the draft to select Trevor Lawrence.

The Knicks won for the 10th time in 11 games as Julius Randle scored 34 points in a 113-94 romp over the Bulls. RJ Barrett added 22 points as New York bounced back from its loss to Phoenix. Immanuel Quickley and Reggie Bullock each scored 13 points to help New York gain sole possession of fourth in the East.

The Brooklyn Nets are the first Eastern Conference team to clinch an NBA playoff berth. Kevin Durant scored seven of his 17 points in the fourth quarter of the Nets' 116-103 win over the Raptors. Durant added 10 rebounds in 33 minutes for his eighth double-double of the season. He was playing his second straight game since returning from a thigh injury. Jeff Green delivered a team-high 22 points as the Nets moved 1 1/2 games ahead of the 76ers for the conference lead.

Devin Booker scored 33 points and the Phoenix Suns capped a grueling road trip with a 118-110 victory that snapped the New York Knicks' nine-game winning streak.

The Brooklyn Nets were able to widen their lead in the NBA's Eastern Conference following the return of one of their stars. Kevin Durant poured in 33 points on 12 of 21 shooting in 28 minutes off the bench, helping the Nets earn a 128-119 win over the Suns.

The Washington Capitals are back in sole possession of first place in the NHL's East Division, one point ahead of the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins. Evgeny Kuznetsov scored the deciding goal of the shootout to give the Caps a 1-0 triumph over the Islanders.

Ian Anderson took a shutout into the seventh inning, Austin Riley homered and the Atlanta Braves scraped by with just four hits to beat the punchless New York Yankees 4-1. Corey Kluber kept New York in it with his best start yet in pinstripes, but the Yankees lost for the sixth time in seven games due to a star-studded lineup that has almost entirely spaced out.

The New York Knicks continue to climb the NBA's Eastern Conference standings with their longest winning streak since 2013. RJ Barrett scored 18 of his 24 points in the third quarter to lead the Knicks to their seventh win in a row, 109-97 over the Hornets.

There was no Boston Marathon on Patriots' Day, but there was plenty of base-running at Fenway Park Monday. The Red Sox erupted for six runs in the first inning of an 11-4 rout of the White Sox. Kiké Hernández led off with a replay-aided home run, and Bobby Dalbec worked a 14-pitch walk during the big rally. J.D. Martinez and Alex Verdugo each had three hits, including a solo homer.

The Knicks picked up their sixth straight win as Julius Randle had 33 points and 10 assists in a 122-112 overtime decision over the Pelicans. Derrick Rose added 23 points and came up with big plays down the stretch. Rose had the assist on Reggie Bullock's 3-pointer with 2.3 seconds left in regulation, blocked the Pelicans' last shot and then opened overtime with a steal and layup to give New York the lead for good.

The Celtics squandered most of a 27-point lead in the fourth quarter before Jaylen Brown scored four of his 40 points in the final minute to help them secure a 121-113 victory over the Lakers. Brown made 13 of his first 14 shots and hit three 3-pointers in Boston's fifth win in a row. Talen Horton-Tucker led a 24-2 run by the Lakers that forced Brown and the Boston starters back into the game.

The Philadelphia 76ers are sole owners of the NBA's Eastern Conference after defeating the short-handed Brooklyn Nets. Joel Embiid had 39 points and 13 rebounds in leading the Sixers to their third straight win, 123-117.

Back on the mound two days after an abbreviated start, Marcus Stroman tossed six spotless innings and the New York Mets beat the Philadelphia Phillies 4-0 for a doubleheader sweep. In the first game, Pete Alonso and Jonathan Villar hit RBI singles in the eighth to give New York a 4-3 victory in extra innings.

Minnesota's Twins, Wild and Timberwolves all postponed their games scheduled for Monday because of safety concerns following the fatal police shooting of a Black man in a nearby suburb. Daunte Wright was killed Sunday by a police officer in Brooklyn Center after a traffic stop. The Red Sox and Twins were scheduled for a four-game series beginning Monday afternoon at Target Field.

Hideki Matsuyama has become the first Japanese male to win a major championship. Matsuyama has captured the Masters by closing with a 1-over 73, good enough for a one-stroke win over Will Zalatoris.

The New York Mets received a gift in their home opener. Michael Conforto was credited with a hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded by plate umpire Ron Kulpa, bringing home the winning run in the Mets' 3-2 decision over the Marlins.