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Today — 11 May 2026Main stream

Killorn, Sennecke get big goals in Ducks' series-evening, 4-3 win over Golden Knights in Game 4

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Alex Killorn and rookie Beckett Sennecke had a goal and an assist apiece, and the Anaheim Ducks beat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 in Game 4 on Sunday night to even their second-round series at two games apiece.

Ian Moore got his first career playoff goal, Cutter Gauthier contributed three assists and Mikael Granlund also scored for the upstart Ducks, who responded to their 6-2 blowout loss in Game 3 with a mature two-way performance in their first playoff run since 2018.

Lukas Dostal made 18 saves in a strong bounce-back effort after getting pulled from Game 3 for allowing three goals in his latest shaky first period, and his teammates provided more than enough offense to even the series.

Game 5 is Tuesday night in Las Vegas, with Game 6 back in Anaheim on Thursday night.

Pavel Dorofeyev and Brett Howden scored for the Golden Knights, whose three-game road winning streak ended.

Carter Hart stopped 19 shots despite some shaky moments, while Mitch Marner had three assists in Game 4 following his hat trick in Game 3, giving him an NHL-leading and career-best 16 points in the postseason.

Anaheim scored two power-play goals in Game 4, ending the unit’s 0-for-11 skid and finally denting a Vegas penalty kill that allowed just one power-play goal in its first nine postseason games.

After Killorn scored a tiebreaking power-play goal late in the second period, Moore added one early in the third with his first playoff point.

Tomas Hertl scored for Vegas with 1:04 left while Hart was pulled for an extra attacker, but Anaheim held on.

Sennecke, the Ducks’ 20-year-old Calder Trophy finalist, opened the scoring with just the second power-play goal allowed by the Golden Knights in the entire postseason, ending a streak of 21 straight kills and the Ducks’ 0-for-11 start to the series on the power play.

Sennecke scored a goal in his third consecutive game, joining Sidney Crosby (2007) as the only players under 21 with a three-game postseason goal streak in the 21st century.

Howden scored his seventh goal of the postseason early in the second period off a slick setup from former Ducks draft pick William Karlsson.

But Killorn put the Ducks back ahead when his shot trickled through Hart late in the second period for his fourth goal of the postseason.

Vegas played without captain Mark Stone, who incurred an undisclosed injury in Game 3.

Anaheim shook up its lineup, inserting puck-moving defenseman Olen Zellweger for his playoff debut and his first game action since April 7. Moore and forward Mason McTavish also returned after healthy scratches.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL

Yesterday — 10 May 2026Main stream

Ajay Mitchell is the Thunder's latest emergent star after his best career playoff game vs Lakers

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Everybody knows the Oklahoma City Thunder's depth is the envy of the league and the backbone of their aspirations for a second straight NBA championship.

The next impressive player to rise from the Thunder's bottomless depth and onto the national stage is Ajay Mitchell, who has seized the spotlight while replacing injured teammate Jalen Williams during these playoffs.

After delivering career playoff highs of 24 points and 10 assists with no turnovers in the Thunder’s 131-108 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night, the Belgian guard is the latest cog in general manager Sam Presti's formidable machine to prove he's ready to contribute to Oklahoma City's aspiring dynasty.

Perhaps only his teammates aren't surprised.

“Yeah, he’s a gamer,” MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Works super hard. He’s never shaken by the moment. It might be a shock to the world, but it’s no shock to us. We knew who Ajay Mitchell was the day he stepped foot in our building, and he’s just showing it to the world.”

The Thunder are unbeaten in the postseason after taking a 3-0 series lead in the second round, seemingly making their advancement to the Western Conference finals a mere formality.

That's largely thanks to Mitchell, who swiftly stepped up to shoulder an increased offensive load five games ago following Williams' hamstring injury. In the second round, Mitchell has also stepped up to make up for the Lakers' strong defensive effort against Gilgeous-Alexander, who has been limited and erratic by his formidable standard.

“I know what I can do, and when I go out there, I just want to compete and help this team win and play freely,” Mitchell said. “Every time I step on the court, I want to be a winning player and help my team. That’s really what’s been on my mind every time I play.”

Mitchell did that impressively in the second half of Game 3, with 18 points and seven assists in the half while largely taking charge of the game at the start of both quarters. He led the Thunder's 21-6 run out of halftime on the way to a third straight blowout.

Mitchell is averaging 20.7 points per game against the Lakers while hitting 53.3% of his shots and committing only three total turnovers. He has 20 assists while also playing strong defense.

After Williams went down in Game 2 of the first round against Phoenix, Mitchell moved into the starting lineup for Game 3 and promptly went 5 for 20. His teammates remained solidly behind him — and Mitchell has been outstanding ever since.

“He’s just finding his footing,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. "It’s his first run in the playoffs, and it’s obviously a different ballgame. He’s just getting more and more comfortable as the game goes on, as the series goes on. ... I was never worried that he wasn’t going to figure it out, and he’s shown that.”

After growing up in Europe, Mitchell spent three collegiate seasons about an hour away from downtown Los Angeles at UC Santa Barbara, and he was a second-round pick in 2024.

Mitchell played as a rookie last season, albeit sparingly: He contributed 6.5 points per game in 36 regular-season contests, earning an early role in the Thunder's rotation before missing nearly the entire second half of the regular season with turf toe.

He averaged just 8 minutes per game during the postseason title run, but Presti and coach Mark Daigneault saw enough to re-sign Mitchell to a three-year, $9 million contract — a deal that looked like a ridiculous steal even before this playoff emergence.

Mitchell has proved he can be a creator and a scorer, but he earned Daigneault's trust by contributing on defense. Daigneault recognizes Mitchell's inexperience in the postseason, but it hasn't stopped the coach from putting Mitchell at the center of their effort.

“He doesn't have a ton of basketball (playing time) in the NBA,” Daigneault said. “The growth curve of players young in their career is steep, and he’s a guy that’s hungry, (but) he’s also humble. So he grows from all of his experiences. He's been great in the postseason so far, but he hasn't been wholly efficient yet. I think that's a little bit the intensity of the games, the physicality, the length. ... And yet he stays aggressive and he just keeps playing.”

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

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