ST. LOUIS -- St. Louis forward Dylan Holloway left the Blues' 5-4 overtime win over the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first period on Thursday night because of a lower-body injury.

The team announced the injury during the first intermission and said he would not return to the game. It was not clear when Holloway was injured.

Holloway had eight shifts in the first period.

Holloway has been a driving force in the Blues' 10-game winning streak. He has 26 goals and 37 assists in 76 games this season.

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Avalanche star Cale Makar scored against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night to become the ninth defenseman in the NHL, and the first with Colorado, to score 30 goals in a season.

The sixth-year player is the NHL's first defenseman to reach the 30-goal mark since Mike Green of the Washington Capitals had 31 in 2008-09.

Makar put the Avalanche up 5-2 by scoring a power-play goal with 38 seconds left in the second period. He was set up in the left circle for a one-timer by a pass from Nathan MacKinnon. He also had two assists as the Avalanche won, 7-3, to clinch their eighth consecutive playoff appearance.

Overall, NHL blue liners have now combined to reach 30 goals 18 times, led by Bobby Orr, who had five 30-goal seasons. Paul Coffey (four) and Denis Potvin (three) are the only others to have had multiple 30-goal seasons. The list is rounded out by Ray Bourque, Kevin Hatcher, Phil Housley and Doug Wilson.

With the goal and two assists, the 26-year-old Makar also increased his point total to 90, matching the franchise record for defenseman he set last season. In doing so, he became the NHL's fifth defenseman to produce consecutive 90-point seasons, and first since Coffey (1988-89 to 1990-91) and Al MacInnis (1989-90 to 1990-91).

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

LSU star guard Flau'Jae Johnson is opting to skip the 2025 WNBA draft and will return to college basketball for her senior season, a source confirmed to ESPN on Thursday.

Johnson could either return to LSU for the 2025-26 season or enter the transfer portal before it closes on April 23 and weigh offseason NIL offers, the source said.

The news was first reported by The Athletic.

The 5-foot-10 guard has spent her entire college career in Baton Rouge and is intent on returning for her final year of college eligibility rather than enter the draft, which takes place in New York on April 14. In 2025, players had until Monday night to declare for the WNBA draft unless their teams were still active in postseason play as of Sunday, in which case they were granted 48 hours after their season ended to decide.

LSU's season ended with a 72-65 loss to the UCLA Bruins in Sunday's regional final, so Johnson had to tell the league if she would enter this year's draft by midnight Tuesday.

Because Johnson will turn 22 in November, she was eligible to enter this year's WNBA draft despite not having completed a full four college seasons. In addition to the WNBA, Unrivaled is in Johnson's professional future.

Unrivaled signed Johnson, as well as UConn's Paige Bueckers -- who has announced her intention to enter the WNBA draft -- to NIL deals that include equity in the new 3-on-3 league and set the stage for them to join once their college careers are concluded.

The 2024-25 season was the best of Johnson's three in Baton Rouge thus far, which began with her starting for the Tigers team that won the 2023 national championship as a freshman. This season, Johnson averaged a career-high 18.6 points and was named a third-team All-American by the Associated Press and the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.

Johnson is one of the most marketable players in her sport, appearing during seemingly every other commercial break for women's and men's March Madness telecasts. She led the No. 3 seed Tigers (31-6) with 28 points on 10-of-17 shooting during their Elite Eight loss to top seed UCLA.

Information from ESPN's Kevin Pelton and The Associated Press was used in this report.

PHILADELPHIA -- Giannis Antetokounmpo became the first player in NBA history to have 35 points, 17 rebounds and 20 assists as the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Philadelphia 76ers 126-113 Thursday night.

Antetokounmpo helped the Bucks shoot 51.6% from 3-point range. The Bucks are coming off a win Tuesday against Phoenix in which they shot 68.9% from the field, the highest in an NBA game since 1998, and 58.6% from 3-point range.

Antetokounmpo is the third player this season to have 30 points and 20 assists in a game, according to ESPN Research. Nikola Jokic and Trae Young are the others. Antetokounmpo is also the third player in Bucks history to have at least 20 assists in a game, joining Ramon Sessions, who had 24 in 2008, and Guy Rodgers, who had 21 in 1968. His 20 assists were also a career high.

Bucks coach Doc Rivers left the bench in the first half, citing an illness, and watched from the locker room as assistant Darvin Ham took over. Ham said Antetokounmpo had to be more of a distributor without Damian Lillard, who is sidelined with deep vein thrombosis.

"Giannis has to think more like a point forward," Ham said. "And he's already built like that. So, it's not too much of a challenge for him. It's just now, you know, him understanding the organization, making sure we're in the right spots, making sure our timing is on point and the ball is moving when it's supposed to move on time or target."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant risked further action from the NBA after mimicking shooting a gun with his finger during Thursday night's 110-108 win at the Miami Heat despite being issued a warning by the league for making the same gesture earlier in the week.

After making a 25-foot 3-pointer with 7:51 left in the first quarter, Morant ran back on defense, his right arm fully extended and his left hand in a gun pose.

Sources told ESPN's Shams Charania earlier Thursday that Morant and Golden State Warriors guard Buddy Hield were both issued warnings for mimicking shooting a gun during Golden State's 134-125 road win Tuesday.

Sources said the NBA ruled that the celebrations were not intended to be violent in nature but were inappropriate. Both teams were also issued warnings.

On Tuesday, the game officials issued double technical fouls to Morant and Hield. Morant was not issued a technical foul by referees for his gesture Thursday.

Morant secured the win over the Heat with his 9-foot 2-point shot at the buzzer.

Morant, 25, a two-time All-Star, has twice been suspended by the NBA for brandishing a firearm on social media.

The first incident occurred in March 2023 during an Instagram livestream while Morant was at a suburban Denver nightclub after a loss to the Nuggets. The NBA issued an indefinite suspension that ended up spanning eight games.

Morant was suspended for the first 25 games of the 2023-24 season for conduct detrimental to the league after he brandished a firearm during an Instagram livestream on a friend's account in May 2023.

ESPN's Tim MacMahon and Reuters contributed to this report.

The Los Angeles Lakers are hosting the Golden State Warriors in a high-stakes Western Conference clash at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday. Just two games separate the teams in the standings, with playoff positioning very much up for grabs.

Stephen Curry is coming off a 52-point outburst in a 134-125 win over the Memphis Grizzlies, while the Lakers -- led by LeBron James, Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic -- are riding momentum from a 104-98 victory over the Houston Rockets.

Los Angeles has dominated division opponents (12-3), while Golden State has struggled (3-10), though the addition of Jimmy Butler III has helped spark a late-season surge. And when games go down to the wire, the Warriors (6-5 in games decided by fewer than 4 points) have outperformed the Lakers (4-6 in games decided by 3 or fewer).

Expect fireworks, deep threes and plenty of drama in this late-night battle. Follow along for all the big plays and best moments from player arrivals to the final buzzer.

MILWAUKEE -- The Cincinnati Reds lost 1-0 to the Milwaukee Brewers on Thursday night to become only the second team in the live-ball era (since 1920) to lose three consecutive 1-0 games.

The Reds joined the Philadelphia Phillies, who lost three straight in the same fashion in 1960, according to ESPN Research.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, the Reds sustained back-to-back 1-0 losses to the Texas Rangers.

On Thursday, it was Milwaukee's Nestor Cortes' turn to shut down Cincinnati; he struck out six and walked two over six innings.

The Reds' only hit off Cortes was a one-out double by Jose Trevino in the third.

The Reds are now 0-13 with runners in scoring position over their past three games.

Joel Payamps retired the side in order in the ninth for his first save.

Cincinnati's Nick Lodolo (1-1) allowed one unearned run and four hits in 6 innings.

Lodolo didn't allow a baserunner for the first three innings. In the fourth, Jackson Chourio led off with a ground-rule double, and a fielding error by Lodolo allowed William Contreras to reach with one out. Sal Frelick drove in Chourio with a two-out single.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Stuck on 399 career goals for nearly a month, Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn sat out against the Nashville Predators on Thursday night, with coach Pete DeBoer saying it was for "maintenance."

The 35-year-old Benn had played 371 consecutive games. He scored his 399th goal against Edmonton on March 8.

Benn has 16 goals and 29 assists in 74 games this season.

The U.S. men's national team remained 16th in the latest FIFA rankings released Thursday, while Canada climbed to a new all-time high and Mexico moved up two spots following last month's Concacaf Nations League finals.

The U.S. lost both its games at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, falling to Panama in the semifinals before going down to Canada in the third-place match. It is now just one place ahead of rivals Mexico, which received a boost after beating Canada and Panama to claim its first Nations League title.

Panama's reward for its shock victory over the U.S. is a three-place bump up to No. 33.

Despite falling to Mexico in the semifinals, Canada moved up one spot to new best of No. 30, continuing a staggering rise for the men's team. A little more than a decade ago, in October 2014, the team was ranked a lowly 122.

But after qualifying for its first World Cup in 36 years in 2022, the Canadians have continued their upward trajectory under American coach Jesse Marsch.

Canada, the U.S. and Mexico have automatically qualified for the next World Cup in 2026 as co-hosts. Their next competitive matches will come at the Concacaf Gold Cup, beginning June 14.

At the top of the FIFA rankings, world champions Argentina remains at No. 1 after sealing its qualification for the next World Cup with wins over Uruguay and Brazil last month.

European champions Spain moves up one spot to second, swapping places with France, while England and Brazil round out the top five.

Get ready to see the very best on the biggest stage. ESPN has ranked the top players in women's college basketball throughout the season. Now it's time for the women's Final Four, and we're down to the top 15 players who will compete in Tampa, Florida, from UCLA, South Carolina, Texas and UConn.

There's no surprise at the top: UConn guard Paige Bueckers, who scored a combined 71 points in the Huskies' two previous victories, leads the way. The presumptive No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft on April 14, Bueckers is in her fourth Final Four and seeking her first national championship. She is one of four Huskies on this list. UConn will face UCLA in the nightcap of Friday's national semifinals (9 p.m. ET, ESPN). The Bruins, the No. 1 seed in the women's NCAA tournament, also have four players in the rankings.

Four Gamecocks also made the cut, though freshman Joyce Edwards -- who has struggled the past two games as defenses keyed on her -- dropped off the list after being included in our Sweet 16 top 25 player rankings.

The Gamecocks meet SEC rival Texas on Friday (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN). The Longhorns are represented by three players on the list, led by SEC player of the year Madison Booker.

They'll all be vying to advance to Sunday's NCAA title game (3 p.m. ET, ABC). Before the games tip, ESPN's Kendra Andrews, Charlie Creme, Alexa Philippou and Michael Voepel ranked their top 15.

1. Paige Bueckers, UConn

Guard | 6-foot | redshirt senior
Stats: 20.1 PPG, 4.8 APG, 2.1 SPG

Bueckers has been on a heater for most of March. She arrives in Tampa having scored 105 points over her past three games, the most in a three-game stretch for any player in UConn history. On Monday, she passed Napheesa Collier for third on the program's all-time scoring list. And in that span, she has shot 59.1% from the field and 61.9% from 3. And Bueckers is plenty motivated to win a national title in her final weekend in a UConn uniform. -- Philippou

2. Lauren Betts, UCLA

Center | 6-foot-7 | junior
Stats: 20.0 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 3.0 BPG

What hasn't Betts done for the Bruins in this tournament? Between her second-round performance and the Sweet 16, she became the first Division I player over the past 20 years to have 30 points, 10 rebounds and 80% field goal shooting in back-to-back games. On the other end of the court, Betts held opponents to 17% shooting when she contested the shot, including 2-of-17 from inside the paint through the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight. -- Andrews

3. Sarah Strong, UConn

Forward | 6-foot-2 | freshman
Stats: 16.1 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 2.3 SPG

Strong was spectacular in the Huskies' Elite Eight game Monday, keeping them afloat with 10 first-quarter points when scoring was hard to come by. She also showed off her versatility, coming away with a game-high 17 rebounds while also registering four assists and hitting 4-of-6 3-point attempts. Coach Geno Auriemma has described Strong as a level-headed player who treats every game the same, a quality that should serve her well in her first Final Four. -- Philippou

4. Madison Booker, Texas

Forward/guard | 6-foot-1 | sophomore
Stats: 16.5 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 2.8 APG

Booker stands out for consistency and versatility. Her numbers in the Longhorns' two regional wins were nearly identical: 17 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists vs. Tennessee, and 18, 6 and 2 against TCU. Texas hopes for similar stats vs. South Carolina. In the Longhorns' three previous meetings this season against the Gamecocks, her best performance was 20 points and 11 rebounds in a 66-62 win on Feb. 9. She was held to 10 and seven points in Texas' two losses to South Carolina. Booker didn't shoot well in any of those games: a combined 25.9% (14 of 54). Booker doesn't hesitate to do the dirty work on defense: guarding players of all sizes, fighting through screens, rebounding against bigger players. She is as comfortable starting the fast break as she is finishing it. Booker has a sweet jump shot that is hard to guard, and she can create something out of nothing. -- Voepel

5. Chloe Kitts, South Carolina

Guard | 6-foot-2 | junior
Stats: 10.4 PPG, 7.9 RPG, 52.5% FG

In the deep South Carolina rotation, Kitts has emerged as the steadiest and most reliable player. She has scored in double figures in nine straight games, with five double-doubles in that stretch. Getting the ball to Kitts and Sania Feagin was the Gamecocks' most successful offense tactic against Duke in the Elite Eight, and Kitts led the way with 14 points. The SEC tournament MVP has also been South Carolina's leading scorer and rebounder in the NCAA tournament (12.3 PPG, 8.0 RPG). -- Creme

6. Kiki Rice, UCLA

Forward | 5-foot-11 | junior
Stats: 12.9 PPG, 5.1 APG, 49.0% FG

Through the first four games of the tournament, UCLA is shooting 69% off of Rice's passes -- the third-highest mark in the tournament so far -- including 60% on 3-pointers. She has had a role in 39 of UCLA's 80 3-point attempts, either as the passer or the shooter. She's also averaging 13.5 points on 40% shooting from the field, including 50% from beyond the arc. -- Andrews

7. Azzi Fudd, UConn

Guard | 5-foot-11 | graduate
Stats: 13.1 PPG, 44.1 3FG%, 1.3 SPG

Fudd has had some ups and downs in this NCAA tournament, her first since 2023 after sitting out last season because of an ACL tear. She hit six 3-pointers for 22 points in the first round but struggled more in Spokane, where she averaged 9.0 points on 3-for-11 shooting from beyond the arc. But she ended the Elite Eight with an impactful fourth quarter (eight points) that helped put the game away for the Huskies, and hopes to use that momentum for a strong showing in Tampa. -- Philippou

8. Rori Harmon, Texas

Guard | 5-foot-6 | senior
Stats: 9.3 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 5.9 APG

Harmon sustained an ACL injury in December 2023 that cost her the rest of last season, but she worked hard to return for 2024-25. No guard works harder on defense: She is a premier on-ball defender but also provides great help to her teammates. Along with leading Texas in assists, she's tops in steals (2.2). She isn't averaging quite as many points this season, but that's more a function of the Longhorns not needing as much scoring from her. That said, she's still capable of taking over games, or getting the big basket at just the right time. In the Longhorns' regional wins, Harmon had 8 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists against Tennessee, and 13, 2 and 5 against TCU. -- Voepel

9. Gabriela Jaquez, UCLA

Guard | 6-foot | junior
Stats: 9.9 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 53.5 FG%

Not only did Jaquez hit the dagger shot that lifted the Bruins into the Final Four, but her five 3-pointers that game against LSU is the most for a player off the bench in the Elite Eight or later since Baylor's Emily Niemann in the championship game in 2005. -- Andrews

10. Taylor Jones, Texas

Forward | 6-foot-4 | senior
Stats: 12.1 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 1.9 BPG

Jones is a Texas native who started her college career at Oregon State but has spent the past three seasons with the Longhorns. She is Texas' second-leading scorer and is tops in rebounds and blocks. Her experience showed big-time in the regional, as she did exactly what Texas needed her to do in both games. Against Tennessee, she had 12 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocks while being able to get up and down the court well against the Lady Vols' fast pace. Then against TCU, she had 7 points, 6 rebounds and 4 blocks while battling 6-7 Sedona Prince inside, holding her to four points on 1-of-4 shooting. -- Voepel

11. MiLaysia Fulwiley, South Carolina

Guard | 5-foot-10 | sophomore
Stats: 11.9 PPG, 1.9 APG, 42.0% FG

The NCAA tournament has been a roller coaster for Fulwiley. She played only 10 minutes in the second round against Indiana. Then she saved the Gamecocks with a brilliant 23-point performance in the Sweet 16 win over Maryland. Then it was back to 11 minutes of playing time two days later against Duke. Despite the fluctuating role, Fulwiley remains South Carolina's only true threat to take over a game. -- Creme

12. Sania Feagin, South Carolina

Forward | 6-foot-3 | senior
Stats: 8.1 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 60.5% FG

Generally a third or fourth scoring option for the Gamecocks, Feagin has played some of the best basketball of her career late in her final season. Her scoring average has jumped to 10.4 points in the SEC and NCAA tournaments. Feagin even became a go-to player against Duke in the regional final and delivered with reliable post moves that she turned into 12 points and eight rebounds. The Gamecocks wouldn't have survived the Blue Devils without Feagin's contributions. -- Creme

13. Timea Gardiner, UCLA

Forward | 6-foot-3 | junior
Stats: 7.7 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 42.3 FG%

Gardiner is shooting 11-of-20 in the tournament, including a career-high four 3-pointers in the Elite Eight, giving UCLA a major scoring boost. When Betts had to sit the second quarter against LSU because of foul trouble, Gardiner's shooting was the main reason the Bruins were able to win the period. -- Andrews

14. Kaitlyn Chen, UConn

Guard | 5-foot-9 | senior
Stats: 7.1 PPG, 3.3 APG, 1.2 SPG

After running out of eligibility at Princeton, Chen -- the 2023 Ivy League Player of the Year -- chose to finish her career at UConn in hopes of making it to her first and only Final Four. Not only is she able to enjoy that accomplishment, she is a big reason why the Huskies made it to Tampa. With USC hanging around Monday in the Elite Eight, Chen came through with 15 points, including six in the pivotal fourth quarter, to help the Huskies pull away for good. -- Philippou

15. Te-Hina Paopao, South Carolina

Guard | 5-foot-9 | senior
Stats: 9.5 PPG, 2.9 APG, 36.1% 3FG

Despite her recent struggles, Paopao remains the Gamecocks' biggest perimeter shooting threat with a team-leading 56 3-pointers made this season. But she has only one in the past three games and has yet to score in double figures in the NCAA tournament. Paopao scored nine points against Duke, including the layup that gave South Carolina the lead for good. Her shooting and leadership will be key if the Gamecocks are to win a second straight national title. -- Creme