Category: Sports

New York Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said pulling star goaltender Igor Shesterkin after the first period in Game 3 against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night was meant to spark the team and give the netminder some rest.

The Rangers would go on to lose the game in Pittsburgh 7-4 and now trail the Penguins 2-1 in their Eastern Conference first-round series.

Gallant decided to pull Shesterkin with the Rangers down 4-1 after he stopped 11 of 15 shots.

“Two of them were lucky bounces. It’s 4-1 and you want to change momentum. Igor has been outstanding — and really, if you look at it right now, he’s played 10 periods, more or less, in basically 4½, five days. I thought it was a good time to jump-start it,” the coach said.

The Rangers responded with three goals in the second period to tie the game before eventually faltering.

“It was 4-1. It was totally tilted. Sometimes you spark your team with a goalie change. Igor was our MVP all season. I thought we’d give him a little rest tonight and hopefully spark our team. And it worked,” Gallant said. Backup Alexandar Georgiev made 19 saves in relief but gave up a stoppable goal to Penguins forward Danton Heinen at 11:02 of the third period that gave Pittsburgh a lead it would not relinquish.

But Gallant and the Rangers players said the key to Game 3 wasn’t how they finished but how they started.

“I don’t think we’re playing together,” Rangers forward Chris Kreider said. “Especially at this point in the season, it’s not something you question. It’s a matter of working smart, not just hard. It’s a good learning experience for our group. First round period for us in the playoff.”

Gallant said his message after the first period was one of pride.

“Let’s man up and be men about this. We’re not gonna die. We’re not gonna sit back and let them continue to play like that against us,” he said. “We came out and we battled back in that hockey game.”

The Rangers and Penguins play Game 4 on Monday night.

PHILADELPHIA — The NBA announced Saturday night that the 76ers have been fined $50,000 for violating league injury reporting rules for their handling of Joel Embiid in the lead-up to the club’s 99-79 Game 3 victory over the Miami Heat Friday.

The NBA said the 76ers “failed to disclose center-forward Joel Embiid’s participation status in an accurate and timely manner.”

Embiid was listed as out for Friday’s game as late as noon Friday — even after being cleared from the NBA’s concussion protocol and participating in the 76ers’ morning shootaround.

Then, at 12:30 p.m., Embiid was upgraded to doubtful — which he remained until he was named as part of the starting lineup about a half-hour before the game tipped off.

Embiid, who had missed the first two games of the series with a facial fracture and concussion he suffered when he was hit in the face with a Pascal Siakam elbow in Game 6 of the team’s first-round series with the Toronto Raptors, finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds in 36 minutes in Philadelphia’s win, which saw the Sixers climb back to within 2-1 in the best-of-seven series.

Last week, the league hit the Phoenix Suns with a $25,000 fine after they listed Devin Booker as out before he played in Game 6 against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Miami and Philadelphia will meet again in Game 4 on Sunday night. Embiid is listed as questionable to play with his facial fracture and the right thumb ligament injury he also suffered in the first round against Toronto.

PHILADELPHIA — The NBA announced Saturday night that the 76ers have been fined $50,000 for violating league injury reporting rules for their handling of Joel Embiid in the lead-up to the club’s 99-79 Game 3 victory over the Miami Heat Friday.

The NBA said the 76ers “failed to disclose center-forward Joel Embiid’s participation status in an accurate and timely manner.”

Embiid was listed as out for Friday’s game as late as noon Friday — even after being cleared from the NBA’s concussion protocol and participating in the 76ers’ morning shootaround.

Then, at 12:30 p.m., Embiid was upgraded to doubtful — which he remained until he was named as part of the starting lineup about a half-hour before the game tipped off.

Embiid, who had missed the first two games of the series with a facial fracture and concussion he suffered when he was hit in the face with a Pascal Siakam elbow in Game 6 of the team’s first-round series with the Toronto Raptors, finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds in 36 minutes in Philadelphia’s win, which saw the Sixers climb back to within 2-1 in the best-of-seven series.

Last week, the league hit the Phoenix Suns with a $25,000 fine after they listed Devin Booker as out before he played in Game 6 against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Miami and Philadelphia will meet again in Game 4 on Sunday night. Embiid is listed as questionable to play with his facial fracture and the right thumb ligament injury he also suffered in the first round against Toronto.

New York Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said pulling star goaltender Igor Shesterkin after the first period in Game 3 against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday night was meant to spark the team and give the netminder some rest.

The Rangers would go on to lose the game in Pittsburgh 7-4 and now trail the Penguins 2-1 in their Eastern Conference first-round series.

Gallant decided to pull Shesterkin with the Rangers down 4-1 after he stopped 11 of 15 shots.

“Two of them were lucky bounces. It’s 4-1 and you want to change momentum. Igor has been outstanding — and really, if you look at it right now, he’s played 10 periods, more or less, in basically 4½, five days. I thought it was a good time to jump-start it,” the coach said.

The Rangers responded with three goals in the second period to tie the game before eventually faltering.

“It was 4-1. It was totally tilted. Sometimes you spark your team with a goalie change. Igor was our MVP all season. I thought we’d give him a little rest tonight and hopefully spark our team. And it worked,” Gallant said. Backup Alexandar Georgiev made 19 saves in relief but gave up a stoppable goal to Penguins forward Danton Heinen at 11:02 of the third period that gave Pittsburgh a lead it would not relinquish.

But Gallant and the Rangers players said the key to Game 3 wasn’t how they finished but how they started.

“I don’t think we’re playing together,” Rangers forward Chris Kreider said. “Especially at this point in the season, it’s not something you question. It’s a matter of working smart, not just hard. It’s a good learning experience for our group. First round period for us in the playoff.”

Gallant said his message after the first period was one of pride.

“Let’s man up and be men about this. We’re not gonna die. We’re not gonna sit back and let them continue to play like that against us,” he said. “We came out and we battled back in that hockey game.”

The Rangers and Penguins play Game 4 on Monday night.

PHOENIX — Charles Oliveira isn’t the official champion. But he’s the champion.

Oliveira, under extremely difficult circumstances, submitted Justin Gaethje via rear-naked choke just 3:22 into the first round of their lightweight battle at UFC 274 inside Footprint Center.

Oliveira (33-8) was scheduled to defend his title against Gaethje (23-4) at UFC 274 but was stripped of the belt instead after missing weight by half a pound on Friday. It meant that going into Saturday’s fight, only Gaethje could win the belt; if Oliveira won, it would remain vacant.

If that had an impact on Oliveira’s mindset, it was only a positive one. The Brazilian fighter was ultra-aggressive from the opening bell. He staggered Gaethje, who is from Arizona, immediately with a right hand and threw kicks to the body. Gaethje responded in kind. He dropped Oliveira twice in the very short fight, once with a left hook and again with a right. Both times Gaethje stepped back and allowed Oliveira to get up.

Oliveira, 32, even pulled guard at one point, but Gaethje, 33, backed off. However, it was a right hand down the middle by Oliveira that dropped Gaethje again and was the beginning of the end. Oliveira followed him to the floor and set up a triangle then a rear-naked choke. Gaethje refused to tap and went unconscious.

It’s unclear what will happen in the immediate aftermath. This situation has never happened in UFC history, a defending champion missing weight and losing the belt on the scale. UFC president Dana White told Oliveira immediately after the fight he is a No. 1 contender and not a champion, although the sport will certainly continue to see him as such.

Also during the fight, a young woman ran from the stands and leaped onto the stage a few seconds after Oliveira submitted Gaethje. She started to climb the side of the cage, but was immediately slammed to the concrete several feet below by a security guard.

After seeming dazed for a few seconds, she tried to run toward a tunnel but stopped and sat in a chair. Security immediately swarmed and took her away right before Gaethje left the arena floor.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

PHOENIX — Charles Oliveira isn’t the official champion. But he’s the champion.

Oliveira, under extremely difficult circumstances, submitted Justin Gaethje via rear-naked choke just 3:22 into the first round of their lightweight battle at UFC 274 inside Footprint Center.

Oliveira (33-8) was scheduled to defend his title against Gaethje (23-4) at UFC 274 but was stripped of the belt instead after missing weight by half a pound on Friday. It meant that going into Saturday’s fight, only Gaethje could win the belt; if Oliveira won, it would remain vacant.

If that had an impact on Oliveira’s mindset, it was only a positive one. The Brazilian fighter was ultra-aggressive from the opening bell. He staggered Gaethje, who is from Arizona, immediately with a right hand and threw kicks to the body. Gaethje responded in kind. He dropped Oliveira twice in the very short fight, once with a left hook and again with a right. Both times Gaethje stepped back and allowed Oliveira to get up.

Oliveira, 32, even pulled guard at one point, but Gaethje, 33, backed off. However, it was a right hand down the middle by Oliveira that dropped Gaethje again and was the beginning of the end. Oliveira followed him to the floor and set up a triangle then a rear-naked choke. Gaethje refused to tap and went unconscious.

It’s unclear what will happen in the immediate aftermath. This situation has never happened in UFC history, a defending champion missing weight and losing the belt on the scale. UFC president Dana White told Oliveira immediately after the fight he is a No. 1 contender and not a champion, although the sport will certainly continue to see him as such.

Also during the fight, a young woman ran from the stands and leaped onto the stage a few seconds after Oliveira submitted Gaethje. She started to climb the side of the cage, but was immediately slammed to the concrete several feet below by a security guard.

After seeming dazed for a few seconds, she tried to run toward a tunnel but stopped and sat in a chair. Security immediately swarmed and took her away right before Gaethje left the arena floor.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

PHOENIX — Rose Namajunas lost her UFC strawweight championship Saturday. Carla Esparza didn’t exactly take it, though.

In one of the most bizarre title fights in UFC history, Esparza (19-6) upset Namajunas (11-5) via split decision in the co-main event of UFC 274 inside Footprint Center. Two judges scored the fight for Esparza 49-46 and 48-47. A third had it for Namajunas 48-47.

According to UFC Stats, Namajunas landed just 38 strikes in the five-round fight. Esparza landed 30. It was a fight in which neither woman appeared to have any confidence in her skill set. Neither was willing to take risks. Namajunas defended Esparza’s takedowns but still refused to open up with her striking. Esparza marched forward at times with caution. She was mostly ineffective.

“You never want to be a part of a fight like that,” Esparza said. “I went out there and did my best and tried to come forward. I got the win, that’s what counts.”

One of Namajunas’ coaches, Trevor Wittman, begged her to be more active from the third round on, but her other coach and partner Pat Barry appeared to be happy with the game plan. It was obvious that all three wished to avoid Esparza’s takedowns. That was a key difference when they fought the first time back in 2014, in a fight in which Esparza took Namajunas down and submitted her.

Ultimately, Esparza, 34, moved to 2-0 over Namajunas — and it’s unclear whether the sport would even allow a third matchup to happen. This 115-pound contest will be remembered as one of the worst title fights in UFC history. After the first round, each fighter was credited with a total of three strikes landed, and the action never picked up.

Esparza, whose wedding is scheduled in seven days, improves her win streak to six. Namajunas, 29, loses for the first time since 2019. It’s the second time she has seen a title reign end.