Barrett, Ingram help Raptors take down Bulls 139-109 - The Globe and …

The Lakers extend their winning streak to seven with a Luka Dončić second-half masterclass for a second-straight win over the Houston Rockets, 124-116, on Wednesday night. 

The game began with LeBron James draining a 3-pointer for LA. Amen Thompson responded on the other end with a dunk. LeBron knocked down another triple, making him the leading scorer for Los Angeles with six. Deandre Ayton was off to a strong start with four points. 

At the 6:30 mark, the purple and gold were up by two. 

Luka Dončić had a slow start to the game, missing his first shot attempts and going 0-3 from the charity stripe after he was fouled from behind the arc. He finally saw the ball go through the hoop at the 4:57 mark on a 3-pointer. Rui Hachimura came in and drained a triple as well. 

The Lakers were shooting 60% from behind the arc. 

Luka and Luke Kennard combined for a quick eight points, extending LA’s lead. Dončić closed Los Angeles’ strong first quarter with a 3-pointer that gave them a nine-point lead.

The second period began with Thompson being fouled and converting on both free throw attempts. After both teams had consecutively turned the ball over, Marcus Smart had the ball and threw an alley-oop to LeBron for the emphatic dunk. Jake LaRavia knocked down a triple for LA. 

LeBron then dunked again, for what felt like the 15th time in the first half.

Houston called a timeout as Los Angeles’ lead grew to double figures. Out of the break, the Rockets scored four in a row. Ayton continued his dominant play, pouring in four more points. Kevin Durant only had two shot attempts so far in the half. 

At the 2:23 mark, the Lakers were up by seven. 

Los Angeles closed the half fantastically, on the shoulders of LeBron, who was now a perfect eight for eight from the field. Luka converted on a three-point play that put the purple and gold up by 12 at halftime. 

The second half started with Durant scoring five in a row for the Rockets. Houston had a great start to the quarter with a 9-2 scoring run that cut the deficit down to one. 

After a dunk by Durant, the Rockets were up by one. Thompson was now at 18 points. Jabari Smith Jr. was also cooking for Houston with 13 points.

Austin Reaves’ night was rough, scoring just five points so far. 

LA called a timeout, and after the break, Los Angeles turned the ball over. On the other end, Alperen Sengun scored on a jumpshot. Smart converted on a midrange jumper to stop some of the bleeding for the Lakers.

Durant was now in double figures with 11 points.

The Rockets jumped ahead by four. LA did end up tying the game thanks to LeBron converting on a three-point play, but Houston responded by extending their lead to four again. The rest of the quarter saw Luka trying to keep Los Angeles within striking distance. Going into the fourth, the Lakers were down by three. 

https://x.com/LakersReporter/status/2034471989130256417?s=20

The final frame began with Reaves draining a much-needed triple for him and the team. LaRavia then stole the ball and dunked, giving LA the lead. LeBron then blocked Smith Jr., leading to a layup by Reaves. Sengun stopped the 9-0 run with a pair of free throws. 

Houston tied the game with a dunk by Thompson.

Los Angeles then scored six in a row for a six-point lead. The Rockets were forced to call a timeout. Out of the break, Smith Jr. scored on a midrange jumper. Houston then jumped into the lead by one with 6:57 left.

The Rockets were on a 9-0 scoring run with a three-point lead. LeBron converted on a jumper to make it a one-point game. Bothteams exchanged the lead and tied it back and forth. Luka and Rui Hachimura drained triples, helping put LA up by four. 

After the Rockets made it a two-point game, Los Angeles erupted to make it a nine-point lead. Luka orchestrated this massive clutch run, connecting with Hachimura and LeBron for dunks. He also drained a ridiculous 3-pointer that sealed the win. 

Key Player Stats

Luka finished with 40 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists. LeBron James ended with 30 points and five rebounds. Austin Reaves had 14 points with eight assists. 

Ayton pitched in with 16 points, four rebounds and two assists. Kennard had five points off the bench. Smart grabbed three rebounds, dished four dimes and had two steals. LaRavia logged five points with three rebounds and two assists. Hachimura notched eight points with three rebounds. 

The Lakers’ next matchup will be against the Miami Heat on Thursday at 5:00 PM PT.

You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.

HAMDEN - The Fairfield Prep boys hockey team has found many different ways to win this season. The Jesuits added a new one to the list Tuesday.

Behind a Connor Driscoll goal five seconds after Darien had evened the contest with just over a minute to play in regulation, third-seeded Fairfield Prep stunned the No. 2 Blue Wave 2-1 in the Division I semifinals at M&T Bank Arena at Quinnipiac University.

The Jesuits will play top-seeded New Canaan, a 4-0 winner over Simsbury in the earlier semifinal, in the D-I championship game Monday at Quinnipiac. 

Fairfield Prep returned to the final for the second time in three years, beating Notre Dame-West Haven in 2023.

"We made it that far in the game," Driscoll said. "We maintained the 1-0 lead. We knew it was going to come down to a one-goal game. This is a good team. I'm just grateful the outcome happened the way it did."

After falling to Darien twice in the regular season, the Jesuits pulled out a dramatic victory on Driscoll's goal with 59 seconds remaining in regulation.

Darien, which won the D-I crown last season, had finally got on the scoreboard just five seconds earlier, with 1:04 left, on a rebound goal by Teddy Baum, tying the score at 1-1.

Fairfield Prep coach Vin O'Hara immediately turned to Driscoll for a quick pep talk. Driscoll responded instantly by breaking through the Darien defense off the faceoff and beating Darien goaltender Schafer Repsher to the top corner.

"We put him right back out there," O'Hara said after his team improved to 16-8. "We said, 'you ready to have the shift of your life?' I think that qualifies."

Baum's goal finally solved Fairfield Prep goaltender Chris Carr, who was magnificent with 27 saves. The senior was peppered throughout the third period, but never flinched until Baum's late tally. 

"Earlier in the season, my grandfather (William) passed away in December," Carr said. "He has gone to every one of my games. He sat behind the glass. Before the game, I just kept saying it was for him. It's kind of the reason I played the way I did. I just kept it together. I had something bigger in mind."

Fairfield Prep goalie Chris Carr made 27 saves in a Semifinal win over Darien #cthkpic.twitter.com/joa80cacem

- Mike Madera (@MikeMadera2) March 19, 2026

The Jesuits, ranked third in the GametimeCT poll, took a 1-0 lead in the opening period when Luca Bosco banked a shot off the Darien defense into the net 6:25 into the contest.

That was the only scoring of the period as both Repsher and Carr came up big.

Carr denied Darien's Jack Marisca on a 2-on-1 break with a pad save, then stopped Marisca and Jack Konzerowsky on another rush, before turning aside Marisca in front with six minutes remaining.

Repsher also came up big in the opening period as he denied Liam Pulie from in close, then stopped Driscoll on a partial break with 1:10 left in the first.  

Carr continued his masterpiece in the second period by turning away Marisca with a pad save five minutes in, before stopping a rocket by Ryan Thurlow from the right faceoff circle with 2:42 left in the period.

"The guys battled hard," Darien coach Mac Budd said after his team finished the season 18-6. "Once again, it's a tight game. You're looking around at various games, and a lot of these games are just tight-structured, defensive games. It's playoff hockey. That's what you saw tonight. You're feeling great and feeling like we're going to overtime, and we get careless on a faceoff. Right away, we're back under the gun. Certainly, a tough way to lose."

In the opening semifinal, New Canaan looked comfortable throughout and dominated fourth-seeded Simsbury. The Rams were making their fifth straight semifinal appearance.

New Canaan's defensive effort was on display throughout as the Rams held Simsbury to just five shots on goal in the contest.

"It was a tremendous effort," New Canaan coach Clark Jones said after his team improved to 21-2. "It was a five-man unit playing that whole game together, taking away time and space. When we do that, we're tough to play against. Giving up that few shots was just a total team effort. Group of five out there together, connected, taking away time and space. They did a great job."  

With the victory, the Rams advanced to their third straight Division I final, having been the runner-up the last two years.

New Canaan, which has won 14 straight games, will be searching for its first state title since 1972, when the Rams topped Hamden. The Rams have been the runner-up in their last 10 finals appearances.  

Entering the second period with a one-goal lead, the Rams made sure to put some distance between themselves and the Trojans. New Canaan, which held Simsbury to just one shot in the middle period, got all the insurance it needed with a pair of goals for a 3-0 lead.

Rogan Lowe was positioned perfectly in front to knock in a rebound off assists from Andrew Harmon and Jack Vincent 4:07 into the period for a 2-0 advantage.

The Rams took a 3-0 lead with 4:55 remaining in the second period as Owen Robie took a feed from Cameron Lyden and rifled a shot from the right boards past Simsbury goaltender William Hansen.

"We always play from the back up," Lowe said. "We obviously have a great goalie in net. It's a team defense, team play. No one is out there trying to score all the goals. We play as a unit and it works."

New Canaan, the top-ranked team in the GameTimeCT poll, controlled play in the opening period with an 8-2 shot advantage, and more importantly, the lone goal. After Lowe was denied, he set up Anthony Delcarmine in the slot for a 1-0 lead with 5:57 remaining in the opening period.

"It was tough," Simsbury coach Dave Olechna said after his team fell to 17-7. "First period, we established our forecheck pretty late. We really couldn't get possession of the puck. A lot of our zone entries, we had a couple of two-on-one opportunities and three-on-twos, but we couldn't get pucks to the net. In the third period, I think we were just a little gassed. We lived in our end the second half of the game."

The Rams had the better of the play, and it was Hansen who kept the Trojans in the game as he denied Henry Choi after Choi made a nice move through the defense, and he snuffed Lowe with a glove save off a partial break 3:21 into the contest.

Simsbury's best scoring opportunity came when William Vincent ripped a shot off the crossbar 4:25 in.

The Trojans were playing in their third straight semifinals. 

NEW CANAAN-SIMSBURY

Player of the Game

Rogan Lowe, New Canaan: The senior finished with a goal and an assist, helping the Rams to a 2-0 lead.

Quotable

"I'm obviously excited. It's my last game ever. I'm going to treat it like any other game. I've had so much fun on this team. I'm just so excited for the moment."

- New Canaan's Rogan Lowe on playing in the state championship game.

New Canaan 4, Simsbury 0

SIMSBURY            0 0 0-0
NEW CANAAN     1 2 1-4

NC-Anthony Delcarmine (Rogan Lowe) 5:57
NC-Lowe (Andrew Harmon, Jack Vincent) 10:53
NC-Owen Robie (Cameron Lyden) 4:55
NC – Cody Jones (Vincent) 3:05
Shots:S 5, N 25.
Saves: S-William Hansen 21, NC-Blake Pozatek 5.
Team records: S 17-7, NC 21-2.

FAIRFIELD PREP-DARIEN

Players of the Game

Chris Carr and Connor Driscoll, Fairfield Prep:Carr made 27 saves for the Jesuits, many in spectacular fashion, while Driscoll scored the game-winner with 59 seconds left in regulation.

Quotable

"It was a team effort, but when things broke down, it's got to get by five guys to get to Carr. When we needed him, he really rose to the occasion. It was a pretty spectacular effort all around, and highlighted by him in net."

- Fairfield Prep coach Vin O'Hara on goalie Chris Carr

Fairfield Prep 2, Darien 1

FAIRFIELD PREP    1 0 1-2
DARIEN                     0 0 1-1

FP-Luca Bosco (Henry Schwartz) 8:35
D-Teddy Baum 1:04
FP-Connor Driscoll (Graydon Bryson) 0:59
Shots: F 17, D 28.
Saves: F-Chris Carr 27, D-Schafer Repsher 15
Team records: FP 16-8, D 18-6.

This article originally published at Connor Driscoll's late goal sends Fairfield Prep to D-I boys hockey final against New Canaan.

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The Borderland has a proud tradition of having basketball talent that goes on to make an impact at the college level. From former UTEP stars like Souley Boum, to former New Mexico State coach Chris Jans, to high school standouts like KJ Lewis and Tristen Newton, players with ties to the region have moved on to bigger programs and played key roles in helping teams reach the NCAA Tournament.

This year, Jayden Leverett is the latest local star heading to the Big Dance.

A graduate of Chapin High School, Leverett will take part in the NCAA Tournament with Vanderbilt, one of the nation’s top teams.

“We have a great team. Our coaching staff is great. So I knew we were going to make it here,” Jayden Leverett said in an interview with KTSM on Wednesday. “It’s crazy because I just used to watch this on TV, and now I’m in it.”

Before heading to Nashville for his freshman season, Leverett spent his entire high school career at Chapin, helping the program reach three consecutive Elite Eight appearances in the state playoffs.

“Freshman year, I wasn’t the best,” Leverett said. “I had a skinny frame, I was a quiet, nice guy, and Coach Lewis was always on me. I thought, ‘Does he hate me?’ But over the next two years, I took it more seriously, and my progress was just crazy.”

Now in the midst of his true freshman season, the 6-foot-11 center is gaining valuable experience, developing his game, and excited to be on an NCAA Tournament team in his very first year of college basketball.

“I’m used to playing a lot of minutes at Chapin, so not seeing as much time was hard at first. I got frustrated, but then I realized it’s my freshman year—my role is to rebound, hit, and help as much as I can. I’m embracing that,”Leverett said. “I never expected to be here. People thought I’d go JuCo or D2 at most. Being on a team that’s been amazing these past two years, with everyone rooting for us, we have a chance to make the Final Four. It’s a great experience, a great learning experience also, I am going to learn a lot this trip.”

Leverett and Vanderbilt will take on McNeese in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday at 1:15 p.m. MT.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTSM 9 News.