Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone left Saturday’s Game 3 win against the Edmonton Oilers and did not return.

The team announced during the second period that Stone had an upper-body injury. He had left the game with about six minutes remaining in the first period.

The Golden Knights rallied to win 4-3 with a Reilly Smith buzzer-beating goal with 0.4 seconds left. They trail the series 2-1.

The nature of Stone’s injury is not clear but video showed him losing his balance in the first period and falling into Oilers forward Corey Perry. He played three shifts after that incident.

Heading into Game 3, Stone led the Golden Knights with four playoff goals and was second with nine points.

Vegas’ Pavel Dorofeyev was back in the lineup after returning from an injury and defenseman Brayden McNabb was a surprising addition after being hurt in Game 2 and missing the morning skate.

The Oilers started goalie Stuart Skinner in Game 3 because Calvin Pickard is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. Pickard had won six consecutive games after Skinner was pulled in Game 2 of the first round.

NEW YORK – The Boston Celtics had a few days to think about blowing another 20-point lead to the New York Knicks. There was plenty of blame to go around for the meltdowns, which put the defending NBA champions down 2-0 in their Eastern Conference semifinal series heading to Madison Square Garden.

Star Jayson Tatum said poor execution at the end of games was one reason for the collapses, but his play in particular needed to get better — and he emphatically said it would.

His words clearly made their mark. He and his teammates ensured there would be no Knicks comeback in Game 3.

Payton Pritchard hit five 3-pointers and scored 23 points off the bench, leading five players in double figures as Boston built another big lead, up 16 points after one quarter, and went on to dismantle the listless Knicks 115-93. The Celtics cut their deficit in the best-of-seven series to 2-1.

Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said his team had to ‘tap into your darkness’ in the days leading up to Game 3 to secure its first victory of the series.

‘I’ve said it 1,000 times. There’s no one way of how it’s supposed to go,’ Mazzulla said. ‘There are no expectations here. We’re on a path, trying to go after greatness. You just always stick to the process of what you think gives you the best chance to win on that possession and to win in that game.’

Game 4 is Monday night in New York (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). The Knicks are seeking their first conference finals appearance since 2000. Last year, they blew a 2-0 series lead in this round to the Indiana Pacers.

Tatum scored 22 points, with nine rebounds and seven assists, Jaylen Brown had 19 points, and Derrick White added 17 points for Boston, which led wire-to-wire.

For the Knicks, any energy and momentum coming off two historic road victories went away as the sellout Madison Square Garden crowd had little to cheer about. The Celtics played like the team in control of the series, building a 25-point halftime lead, with a mix of 3-point shooting and forcing the Knicks into ill-advised shot attempts while they were trying to get back into the game.        

The Celtics returned to the identity that carried them throughout their 61-win regular season. Boston set an NBA record with 1,457 3-pointers and 3,955 attempts. The approach cost them, though, in Game 1 of the series, when they missed 45 shots from beyond the arc in a three-point overtime loss.

Boston got back to its sharpshooting ways in Game 3, hitting 20 of 40 shots from 3-point land, a far cry from the mind-blowing 75 missed 3s in the first two games in Boston.

White and Jrue Holiday continued the onslaught with 3-pointers at the start of the second half for the Celtics, who led by as many as 31 before sitting most of their starters in the fourth quarter.

They also fouled Knicks center Mitchell Robinson, the team’s worst free-throw shooter, in the third quarter. Robinson only hit four of his 12 free-throw attempts, including an airball, encapsulating the day for the Knicks. New York got no closer than 20 points the rest of the way.

Jalen Brunson, the NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year, had 27 points and seven assists, and Karl-Anthony Towns added 21 points and 15 rebounds. New York shot 40% and made five of its 23 3-point shot attempts.

Edmonton Oilers goalie Calvin Pickard, who has won six games in a row, is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury so Stuart Skinner will start in net for Game 3 against the Vegas Golden Knights.

Skinner was pulled in Game 2 of the opening series against the Los Angeles Kings and has a 6.11 goals-against average and .810 save percentage. Pickard is 6-0 with a 2.84 GAA and .888 save percentage.

But Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch noted that Skinner came back in last season’s playoffs after taking time off during the second round and helped carry Edmonton to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.

‘We expect (Skinner) to come in and deliver what he’s done before,’ Knoblauch said, adding, ‘I think he’s ready and we’re going to go from that.’

Said Skinner: ‘I’m excited to go back into the net. I’ve had some time to work on some things and I’m ready to go.’

The Oilers lead the Golden Knights 2-0 in the second-round series heading into Game 3 in Edmonton (9, TNT, truTV). Follow along with live updates:

Golden Knights on power play

Zach Hyman loses his balance and falls into Adin Hill, knocking off his mask. Connor McDavid has the best chances with a couple shorthanded rushes.

Oilers-Golden Knights score: Vegas takes lead

William Karlsson takes advantage of an Oilers line change and gives the Golden Knights the lead on a give-and-go with Noah Hanifin. Golden Knights 3, Oilers 2

Big save by Stuart Skinner

Skinner dives across to stop a wraparound attempt by Tomas Hertl.

Mark Stone ruled out

The Golden Knights say Mark Stone won’t return to the game because of an upper-body injury.

Second period underway

Still no Mark Stone.

Mark Stone injury update

Golden Knights captain Mark Stone didn’t play the last six-plus minutes of the first period.

End of first period: Oilers 2, Golden Knights 2

Corey Perry gave the Oilers a 2-0 lead, his second goal coming on a power play. But the Golden Knights roared back to tie. On the first Vegas goal, Stuart Skinner couldn’t control a Nicolas Hague shot and Nicolas Roy put in the rebound. The second goal was a great individual rush by Reilly Smith.

Brayden McNabb injury update

Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb, who went hard into the boards after an unpenalized trip in Game 2, is in the Game 3 lineup.

He didn’t take part in the morning skate but skated in warmups and played.

The Golden Knights also got back injured forward Pavel Dorofeyev, their leading goal scorer during the regular season. He replaced Brandon Saad, who’s day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

Forward Nicolas Roy is available after the NHL Player Safety department fined him after a hearing instead of issuing a suspension for his cross-check to Trent Frederic’s face in Game 2.

The former Colorado starter and son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders was expected by many to be a first-round pick. He instead slid to Day 3 of the draft and eventually landed with the Cleveland Browns, who took him with the No. 144 overall pick.

In the aftermath of that fall, he does have one strong supporter: future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady.

The seven-time Super Bowl champion texted Sanders after the draft and Sanders told media today about the exchange with Brady.

‘That was it, that my story’s going to be similar,’ Sanders said. ‘I was a late-round draft pick, but we’re here now, so none of that stuff matters. That just mattered on the day, and I’m just excited to be here, ready to work.’

Brady spoke on an episode of the IMPAULSIVE podcast about texting Sanders.

‘I was [drafted] No. 199 overall,’ he said. ‘So who can speak on it better than me? Like what that really means. Use it as motivation, you’re going to get your chances and go take advantage of it.’

Brady also brought up numerous examples from his playing career of high-performing players who were late-round picks like Sanders.

‘I was around some of the best players who were undrafted free agents,’ Brady said. ‘They was Rodney Harrison. Rodney Harrison wasn’t a high pick. Julian Edelman wasn’t a high pick. Wes Welker wasn’t a high pick. Danny Amendola. All those guys were phenomenal players.’

Sanders will be wearing No. 12 in the NFL as a rookie with the Browns, just like Brady with the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Some NFL team executives told USA TODAY Sports that off-field factors played a role in Sanders’ fall.

“I think his dad’s involvement hurt him,” another one stated. “Some of the things his dad said, I think that weighed on people’s minds.”

“We liked Shedeur,” one executive from a quarterback-needy team said. “But you can’t separate the other stuff from the physical abilities.”

Browns QB depth chart

Sanders is one of multiple quarterbacks competing for the starting job in Cleveland this season. Here’s a look at the full depth chart:

Kenny Pickett
Joe Flacco
Dillon Gabriel
Shedeur Sanders
Deshaun Watson

Pickett is currently the favorite to start Week 1 for Cleveland with Flacco and Sanders close behind.

Frederik Andersen recorded his first postseason shutout in five years as the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Washington Capitals 4-0 on Saturday in Raleigh, North Carolina, to take Game 3 of their Eastern Conference semifinals series.

Andersen stopped 21 shots for the Hurricanes, who took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Jack Roslovic scored a goal and assisted on another while Andrei Svechnikov got his sixth goal of the playoffs. Eric Robinson and Jackson Blake also scored.

Logan Thompson made 24 saves for the Capitals, who could not take advantage of several early scoring opportunities.

Much like the first two games in Washington, Game 3 was tightly contested with few shot attempts. On Saturday, the Capitals enjoyed an early edge in higher-quality chances. Both teams owned 29 shot attempts midway through the second period, but the Capitals held a 10-3 edge in high-danger scoring chances.

Andersen, though, was up to the task as he notched his fourth playoff shutout. He stopped Alex Ovechkin right in front of the crease with 5:52 left in the first period. Over the next 22 seconds, Andersen stopped two Ovechkin tip-ins. That included one on a faceoff where the Capitals captain skated through the circle and was by himself in the slot.

Carolina, however, did score off a faceoff.

While Washington’s Nic Dowd won the draw in Carolina’s attack zone, Svechnikov managed to beat John Carlson to the puck and his quick snapshot from the right circle made it 1-0 at 12:34 of the second period.

Roslovic scored on a power play with 1:03 to go before the second intermission. Roslovic then assisted on Robinson’s goal with 16:46 left in the game.

Blake finished the scoring with 3:16 remaining.

The Capitals had only six shots on goal in the final period. They also mustered just three high-danger chances after the midway point of the second period.

Andersen’s last postseason shutout came as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2020 qualifying round against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

WASHINGTON — Erick Fedde pitched the game of his life Friday night, but unlike last season, there was no higher power — namely, an eventual pope — in his corner. 

Fedde returned to Nationals Park for the first time since the Washington Nationals let him go after the 2022 season and quieted his old franchise, pitching the first complete game and shutout of his career in a 10-0 trouncing by his St. Louis Cardinals.

It marked another checkpoint in Fedde’s rapid rise since the Nationals released him. He found a new version of himself pitching in South Korea and now is a stalwart major league starting pitcher.

Last year, that progression included a stop on Chicago’s South Side, where the White Sox signed him to a two-year deal after his breakout showing in the KBO. 

Despite pitching for the worst team in modern Major League history, Fedde posted a 3.11 ERA in 21 starts, earning a trade to St. Louis. 

Perhaps one day Fedde will learn whether a Chicagoland native named Robert Francis Prevost closely followed his exploits. 

Prevost now answers to Pope Leo XIV, and his family members confirmed that the first American pope is a relatively fired up White Sox fan. 

That fandom was confirmed in almost Zelig-like fashion in recent days, including a shot of the eventual pontiff in the Comiskey Park stands during Game 1 of the 2005 World Series. 

Fedde, locked in on his assignment in Washington, was keen to hear the details.

“Is he officially a White Sox fan?” Fedde asked when the topic was raised after his shutout.

“Well, maybe he had to pray a few times watching us.” 

Indeed, those White Sox would go on to lose 121 games, though Fedde was a few hours down I-55 in St. Louis once those Sox sealed their ignominious fate. 

Things are still grim for the Sox, now 11-28 in 2025, but they’re still looking up for Fedde. He struck out eight on Friday, lowered his ERA to 3.86 and pushed the Cardinals (20-19) over the .500 mark. 

Thursday, it was a different group of cardinals who smiled upon ol’ Robert Prevost, now the leader of the Catholic Church. And given Fedde’s performance Friday, perhaps the pontiff still says a prayer or two on his behalf. 

Chicago Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III has a message for all the teams who passed on him during the 2025 NFL Draft.

‘That’s staying with me forever,’ Burden told the media on Friday. ‘Everybody who passed up on me got to pay.’

The Bears selected Burden in the second round with the 39th overall pick.

For what it’s worth, the Bears also passed on Burden in the first round when they used the 10th overall pick on tight end Colston Loveland.

Four other wide receivers were drafted ahead of Burden. Going into his final college football season, Burden was considered a top NFL prospect after he tallied 86 catches and 1,212 receiving yards in 2023. However, subpar quarterback play contributed to a decline in production (61 catches, 676 yards).

“All I need is me to believe in myself. I don’t need everybody else to believe in me. As long as I believe in myself, I’m gonna handle business,” Burden said. “I had this attitude since I’ve been playing sports. It’s just in me.”

Burden has a chance to be an immediate contributor in Chicago as a slot receiver. He played 462 snaps in the slot during his final season at Missouri. The Bears have a hole at slot receiver after letting veteran wideout Keenan Allen walk in free agency.

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X: @TheTylerDragon.

Derek Carr is walking away from football.

The New Orleans Saints quarterback announced his retirement from the NFL on Saturday. Carr cited effects from a right shoulder injury played a significant factor in his decision.

Carr experienced shoulder pain in March while ramping up for the 2025 season. After being evaluated by doctors it was revealed Carr had labral tear and also had significant degenerative changes to his rotator cuff. Carr said in a statement on the Saints official website he consulted with doctors and surgery was an option but it would jeopardize the 2025 season and it wouldn’t guarantee a full recovery in strength and function, ultimately leading the quarterback to retirement.

“Upon reflection of prayer, and in discussion with (my wife) Heather, I’ve decided to retire from the National Football League,” Carr said. “For more than 11 years, we have been incredibly blessed, and we are forever grateful and humbled by this experience.

‘It’s difficult to find the right words to express our thanks to all the teammates, coaches, management, ownership, team officials and especially the fans who made this journey so special. Your unwavering support has meant the world to us.”

The 34-year-old quarterback played 11 seasons in the NFL, spending his final two with the Saints. He passed for 6,023 yards, 40 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in 27 regular season games, resulting in a 14-13 record as a starter in the Big Easy.

New Orleans selected quarterback Tyler Shough in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft and the rookie now becomes the favorite to win the starting job. The Saints also have quarterbacks Spencer Rattler and Jake Haener on their depth chart.

Carr was originally selected in the second round by the then-Oakland Raiders in the 2014 NFL Draft out of Fresno State, 12 years after his brother David was drafted first overall by the Houston Texans.

Derek Carr played his first nine seasons with the Raiders and helped usher the franchise to Las Vegas in 2020. He holds many Raiders passing records, including most passing yards and touchdown passes.

The four-time Pro Bowl quarterback compiled 41,245 yards, 257 touchdowns and 112 interceptions in 169 career regular-season games. He had a 77-92 career record as a starter.

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.

The SEC’s bid to secure its automatic berth in the NCAA softball tournament was impacted by Mother Nature.

Due to inclement weather in Athens, Georgia, Saturday’s SEC softball championship game between Oklahoma and Texas A&M at Jack Turner Stadium was deemed a no-contest.

As a result of the no-contest, the Sooners and Aggies will be declared as 2025 SEC Softball Tournament Co-Champions.

‘Due to inclement weather now and predicted for the rest of the day, today’s championship game will not be played. Both Oklahoma and Texas A&M are declared co-champions for the 2025 SEC Softball Tournament,’ SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said in a statement. ‘Congratulations to the Sooners and the Aggies, and best of luck to both teams in the postseason!’

To make the championship game, Oklahoma crawled all the way back from an early 6-1 deficit against Arkansas in Friday’s semifinals, thanks to a three-run, walk-off home run from Gabbie Garcia. Meanwhile, Texas A&M has looked like the team to beat in the tournament, as it run ruled both Texas 14-2 on Friday and South Carolina 12-4 on Thursday.

Saturday’s game between the Sooners and Aggies had already been impacted by adverse weather, as the SEC moved up the first pitch for the game from 5 p.m. to 1 p.m. ET. Both teams now will shift their focus to the NCAA Tournament, where they will likely be the top two overall seeds in Sunday’s bracket reveal show.

USA TODAY Sports provided updates on the weather delay. Follow below for a recap:

SEC softball championship weather delay updates

This section will be updated. All times Eastern.

2:40 p.m.: The SEC announces that Saturday’s championship game between Oklahoma and Texas A&M will not be played due to weather, nor will it be postponed until Sunday. As a result, the Sooners and Aggies will be named co-SEC tournament champions.

2:30 p.m.: No update yet from the SEC as to when Saturday’s championship game might start. A live radar from The Weather Channel shows there is a big patch of rain still moving through the Athens area, and isn’t expected to be completely out of the area until 3:53 p.m. ET.

2 p.m.: According to The Oklahoman’s Ryan Aber, coaches from both teams and SEC officials just met on the field, but rain has started to come down again at Jack Turner Stadium. Tarp remains on the field as well.

1:52 p.m.: No official word yet from the SEC on the start of Saturday’s game between Oklahoma and Texas A&M. Tarp remains on the field, though the rain seems to be done for the moment.

1:26 p.m.: The tarp is on the field at Jack Turner Stadium, where fans still look to be in the stands waiting out the weather delay.

1:25 p.m.: According to The Weather Channel, rain is expected in the area throughout the entire afternoon in Athens, Georgia. However, there looks to be a window starting at 3 p.m. ET where the rain slows down a bit.

1:05 p.m.: The SEC announced on its official X account (formerly Twitter) that due to inclement weather in the area, the first pitch between Oklahoma and Texas A&M in the conference championship game will be delayed.

Oklahoma-Texas A&M hour-by-hour weather

2 p.m.: Rain (79% chance of rain)
3 p.m.: Rain (74% chance of rain)
4 p.m.: Cloudy (19% chance of rain)
5 p.m.: Cloudy (19% chance of rain)
6 p.m.: Showers (47% chance of rain)
7 p.m.: Rain (99% chance of rain)
8 p.m.: Heavy Rain (99% chance of rain)
9 p.m.: Rain (69% chance of rain)

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.