TAMPA, Fla. — Auston Matthews fired 12 shots on net and chimed another off the crossbar. The Maple Leafs sniper desperately chasing history had another chance at a yawning cage blocked by a defender completely unaware the puck was headed his way. Looking to become the first NHL player to score 70 goals in more than three decades, Matthews came up just short. Toronto's brightest star can now turn the page — and his attention — to the playoffs. Matthews was held in check for the second straight ni
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Tyrese Maxey sat on his locker room chair and yelled loud enough after Philadelphia beat Miami in a play-in tournament game to welcome one of the newest 76ers to the postseason club. “Buddy Hield! Welcome to the playoffs!” Maxey said. Indeed, Hield is set to make his NBA postseason debut — and all it took was 632 regular-season games plus one more bonus game Wednesday night in the 76ers' 105-104 win over the Heat. The 31-year-old Hield held the dubious distinction of most NBA
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Auston Matthews came up empty in his bid to become the ninth player in NHL history to score 70 goals in a season, but Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov became the fifth player to have a 100-assist season as the Lightning beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-4 on Wednesday night. Matthews was denied on all seven first-period shots by 29-year-old rookie goalie Matt Tomkins, then rocketed a shot off the post midway through the second period. Tomkins finished with 34 saves, including 12 on Ma