WASHINGTON -- Alex Ovechkin fired a perfect wrist shot past Calvin Pickard for his first goal of the game, scored from his office on the power play for his second and sailed a shot into an empty net from his own zone to complete the hat trick.

"I have pretty good chances to score more," Ovechkin said, "but I'll take three."

Scoring three goals in the Washington Capitals' 7-3 rout of the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday put Ovechkin 13 away from breaking Wayne Gretzky's NHL career record of 894 that long seemed unapproachable. Even after missing 16 games earlier this season because of a broken leg, the 39-year-old is on pace to pass Gretzky this spring.

"He amazes me night in, night out," Capitals goaltender Charlie Lindgren said. "He truly is the best."

Linemate Dylan Strome, who has assisted on 16 of Ovechkin's 29 goals this season, acknowledged "it's going to be tough still" to set the record in March or April. Asked whether scoring 13 in Washington's final 25 games was doable, Ovechkin said he's taking it "game by game."

If there are more games like Sunday's against the Oilers, it's a matter of when, not if, Ovechkin reaches 895 and beyond.

"I've never seen a guy so hungry," longtime teammate Tom Wilson said. "Some guys score and they [think], 'OK, I had a good night.' He comes back to the bench, he's asking if he can go out again like right away. It's pretty fun, and it's been an amazing journey watching him do what he can do."

The effort marked Ovechkin's second hat trick this season, after posting one on Nov. 17 on the road against the Vegas Golden Knights. According to ESPN Research, Ovechkin is the third player in NHL history to record multiple hat tricks at age 39 or older, joining Gordie Howe (four) and Johnny Bucyk (two).

Watching from the other side, grizzled veteran Corey Perry lamented the Oilers letting Ovechkin get open enough to do damage.

"You give the best goal scorer in the world that kind of time, he's going to put it in the back of the net," Perry said.

After scoring 10 minutes apart in the second period, Ovechkin almost beat Pickard a third time in the third but was denied. He got eight shots on Edmonton's goaltender and had four more attempts.

It took an empty net for the hats to fly from the juiced-up crowd of 18,573 fans who chanted "Ovi! Ovi!" throughout. Ovechkin conceded he was a little surprised Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch pulled Pickard for an extra attacker while trailing by three, but it turned out to be good for the Capitals when Ovechkin scored from 139 feet out.

"They got an elite team with elite offensive players and 17,000 people in the stands were hoping they pull the goalie," Strome said. "We'll take it. Obviously he'll take it, and it was a lucky, fortunate bounce. But I guess when you have 882 goals, you get those bounces."

Ovechkin tied Jaromir Jagr's record with 135 game-winning goals, and the 32nd hat trick of his 20-year NHL career moved him into a tie for fifth on that list with Hall of Famer Phil Esposito. His next goal will be No. 30, reaching that mark for an 18th season.

"You cannot write a story and a book of what he's doing right now at 39," Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said. "The goals he's scoring, he could've had six."

Lindgren counts himself fortunate not to have to face Ovechkin, and playing with him the past two-plus seasons has kept him from being one of the 181 goaltenders the Russian superstar has scored on. He felt for Pickard getting beaten on shots that are incredibly difficult to stop, and from the other end of the rink, he has an appreciation for Ovechkin lighting up the league and chasing history.

"It's just insane, honestly," Lindgren said. "He just scores in so many different ways. Best hockey player in the world."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

University of Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, considered to be one of the top two players at the position available in April's NFL draft, will not work out at scouting combine in Indianapolis this week, sources confirmed to ESPN.

Though Sanders won't work out at Lucas Oil Stadium, he will meet with teams in Indianapolis, the sources said. Quarterbacks are scheduled to arrive Tuesday at the combine, which formally opens Monday. Their on-field workouts are slated for Saturday.

It is not known if Sanders will also go through the medical exams prospects are scheduled to do each year at the combine.

Sanders is expected to throw on campus next month at Colorado's pro day. Often, some of the top prospects at each position choose not to work out at the combine, instead waiting for the more familiar campus settings.

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams, who was the No. 1 pick last April, did not throw at the 2024 combine. Neither did Jayden Daniels, who went on to win NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year Award with the Washington Commanders this past season, nor New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye.

Williams, Daniels and Maye were selected 1-2-3 as a record six quarterbacks were selected in the first round of the draft. In an appearance this month on ESPN's "Get Up,'' Colorado coach Deion Sanders, Shedeur's father, made the case for his son to be this year's top pick.

Deion Sanders said his son had seven different offensive coordinators in four years combined at Jackson State and Colorado and continued to perform at a high level.

On ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr.'s latest Big Board, Shedeur Sanders is the No. 4-rated prospect overall and the No. 1 quarterback, just ahead of Miami's Cam Ward. Sanders and Ward have trained together in the Dallas area with quarterbacks coach Darrell Colbert since the end of the season.

Sanders led the nation with a 74% completion rate for the Buffaloes in 2024. He also led the Big 12 in passing yards (4,134), touchdowns (37), passing yards per game (318.0), completions (353) and attempts (477).

His 71.8% completion rate over his two seasons at Colorado are an FBS record.

NFL Network was first to report that Sanders would not work out at the combine.

BOSTON -- The New York Knicks entered this weekend hoping to show they'd made strides in matching up with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics, the cream of the crop in the Eastern Conference this season.

Instead, after a 37-point shellacking at the hands of the Cavaliers in Cleveland Friday, followed by a 118-105 loss to the Celtics here at TD Garden on Sunday afternoon -- a game Boston led by 27 and had total control of for the vast majority of the action -- New York admitted it has a long way to go to catch its rivals after falling to 0-5 against Boston and Cleveland this season.

"Where I said from the beginning of the season: We're a work in progress," Karl-Anthony Towns said of where he thinks the Knicks stand in comparison to their elite competition in the East. "We're going to be a work in progress all year until the day we step into the postseason.

"Every team in the NBA will tell you the same thing. We're all a work in progress until the postseason, when you put all the chips and cards and see what the season taught you."

It's good for the Knicks (37-20) that they still have another 25 games to go, because what this one against Boston (41-16) showed is that there remains a Grand Canyon-sized gap between New York and its historic rival. The Celtics have won the three matchups with the Knicks by a combined 63 points and spent most of this game threatening to win by another 20-plus-point margin after jumping out to a 38-19 lead after the first quarter.

"Because we have good defenders," said Kristaps Porzingis, who finished with 15 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocked shots, on what has allowed Boston to dominate its matchup with New York this season. "We make it difficult on them. Obviously they have really talented offensive players, but our versatility and the guys we have on the team can make it really difficult for them.

"Obviously it's a dangerous team anyway, but we respect them and we came out the right way in the first and we set the tone for the game."

The Celtics set the tone with that first quarter, and the Knicks -- once again -- found themselves floundering against an elite team. With more than two-thirds of the season in the books, the numbers across the board are beyond concerning.

New York is 26-6 against teams with losing records, and 11-14 against teams with winning records. The Knicks are now 20th overall in defensive rating -- a shocking number for a Tom Thibodeau-coached team. Against top-10 offenses this season, the number is even worse -- dipping all the way down to 29th in the NBA, ahead of only the Toronto Raptors, per ESPN Research.

"It's probably a combination of things," Thibodeau said of New York's struggles defensively against elite teams. "One, they're elite, and I think the volume 3- shooting teams, you can do a good job, but it just takes two or three minutes of not getting it right and they can go on a run on you. So it's something that we got to continue to work on and that's the test of the league. So learn from each game, get ready for the next one. And that's where we want to focus on."

What's become clear across the first three games this season against Boston -- even though this was the first time Porzingis had played against his former team this year -- is that it's a difficult matchup for Towns, in particular, to handle. New York has run more drop coverage against Boston -- 48% of the time against ball screens, per ESPN Research -- than any team in the league.

And, across those possessions, the Celtics have averaged 1.34 points per direct pick, per ESPN Research -- their best rate against any team playing drop coverage against them this season.

While Towns playing center has, as expected, juiced New York's offense -- the Knicks are more than nine points per 100 possessions better offensively with Towns on the floor than on the bench -- the other end, against all opponents, has been a concern.

Going back to those games against top-10 offenses, Towns has allowed opponents in those games to shoot 63% from the field -- ranking 346th out of 346 players to contest at least 50 shots against those teams, per ESPN Research.

On layups and dunks in those games, Towns is allowing 70% shooting -- and opponents are shooting 60% overall on layups and dunks against him, which is the worst mark of any player to contest at least 300 of them.

While Towns eventually got going in the second half, finishing with 24 points and 18 rebounds in 41 minutes as he played a significant part in New York cutting into the lead, Boston gave him and the rest of the Knicks' defense a ton of trouble throughout the game.

"Just mistakes we made that we can't make," Towns said of New York's defensive issues. "We've just got to clean it up."

Towns also briefly left the game in the fourth quarter after limping following an attempted dunk. He walked back to the locker room after checking out of the game during an ensuing timeout, only to eventually return for the final few minutes.

Asked about it afterward, Towns said, "We'll just see how the next couple days go. Time will tell.

"It's a long season. It has peaks and valleys. It is what it is."

The same could be said for these two games. Instead of a statement of intent for the Knicks' hopes of breaking a 52-year championship drought and a 26-year NBA Finals drought, the losses to the Cavaliers and Celtics -- making New York 0-7 this season against them and the Oklahoma City Thunder -- instead made a very different kind of statement about where the Knicks sit right now in comparison to their championship rivals. And while the Knicks did their best to point to an impressive 23-5 third-quarter run as a tangible sign of improvement, that could only be taken so far.

"You've got to take something positive out of something," Jalen Brunson said. "I think the positive from this game is that third quarter and how we played. But I mean, I can keep saying all this stuff, but we've got to go out there and do it.

"That's all."

The Philadelphia 76ers and Joel Embiid are consulting doctors and considering alternative options, such as surgery, for his injured left knee, sources told ESPN on Sunday.

Both sides have hoped for progress in Embiid's condition, but his determination to play and current treatments -- including regular injections, sources said -- have not led to any improvement.

Embiid is scheduled to undergo tests on his knee early this week, at which point both parties will collaborate with specialists on the best route forward, sources said.

Embiid has publicly and privately said in recent weeks that he might eventually need surgery or an extended rest period for his knee to heal, but he has been determined to find ways to continue playing and be available for the 76ers.

He played just 39 games last season after tearing the meniscus in his knee. He underwent surgery in early February, came back in early April, was part of the 76ers' playoff run and then won a gold medal with the U.S. Olympic team over the summer. He acknowledged earlier this month that he didn't have enough time to fully recover after surgery.

This season, the lingering knee issues, combined with a foot sprain, have caused him to play in just 19 of 56 games.

Embiid is questionable to play Monday against the Chicago Bulls, after experiencing swelling in his knee after Saturday's loss to the Brooklyn Nets, sources said.

He was slow to get up late in the third quarter against the Nets when he lost the ball and hit the court, then was benched late, sitting out the fourth after scoring just 14 points in 31 minutes and missing all six of his 3-point attempts. He has scored 15 or fewer points in consecutive games for the first time since May 2021.

Saturday's loss was significant for the 76ers in a potentially good way; the franchise has broken a tie with the Nets and now has sole possession of the sixth-worst record in the NBA. The 76ers' first-round pick in this draft is top-six protected, otherwise it goes to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The 76ers, who opened with championship hopes, have lost seven straight games and fallen to 20-36 amid an injury-marred, disappointing season. Even when Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey all play, Philadelphia is just 7-8.

George also has been dealing with a left pinkie tendon injury and a groin strain, and received injections in order to play in the last four or five games before the All-Star break.

Information from ESPN's Tim Bontemps and The Associated Press was used in this report.

PHOENIX -- Manuel Margot has signed a minor league deal with Milwaukee that includes an invitation to major league camp, giving the Brewers some more outfield depth as they deal with an injury to Blake Perkins.

Margot's signing was announced Sunday, a day after Brewers manager Pat Murphy revealed that Perkins has a fractured shin that likely will keep him out until May.

Margot, 30, batted .238 with a .289 on-base percentage, four homers, 31 RBIs and five steals in 129 games with the Minnesota Twins last season. He has batted .254 with a .307 on-base percentage, 56 homers, 314 RBIs and 96 steals in 917 career regular-season games with San Diego (2016-19), Tampa Bay (2020-23) and Minnesota.

Perkins hit .240 with a .316 on-base percentage, six homers, 43 RBIs and 23 steals in 121 games last season. He was a National League Gold Glove finalist in center field.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- New York Mets infielder Nick Madrigal dislocated his non-throwing shoulder Sunday in a spring training game against the Washington Nationals.

Madrigal is fighting for a roster spot with the Mets, and it's unclear how much time he'll miss after the injury to his left shoulder. Madrigal, 27, was playing shortstop and charged a grounder up the middle, firing to first base before falling to the grass.

He'll undergo an MRI to determine the extent of the injury, according to MLB.com.

Madrigal was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2018 amateur draft and has played five seasons in the big leagues with the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs. He signed a one-year deal with the Mets in January after being non-tendered by the Cubs.

Former Major League Baseball star Alex Rodriguez showed his skill on the hardwood Sunday, making a half-court shot to win a Bucknell student $10,000.

The 14-time All-Star was invited to take the shot during halftime of Bucknell's 84-53 win over Army. The 49-year-old tossed a high-arching shot that banked off the backboard and through the hoop, setting off a celebration with students.

The three-time MVP was at Bucknell to speak about his company Jump Platforms, which he founded with two other entrepreneurs, Jordy Leiser and Marc Lore. Leiser is a Bucknell trustee.

Rodriguez hit 696 career homers with the Seattle Mariners, Texas Rangers and New York Yankees. He is trying to purchase a majority stake in the Minnesota Timberwolves with Lore.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Alex Bregman hit a two-run homer as part of a three-hit day in his spring training debut with the Boston Red Sox, launching a drive over the left-field wall in the second inning against the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday.

Bregman also had a single in the first inning and a double off the fence in the fourth. The two-time All-Star signed a three-year, $120 million deal with Boston this month after spending the first nine years of his career with the Houston Astros.

The Blue Jays won the game, 8-7.

The 30-year-old slugger hit .260 with 26 homers last season and won his first Gold Glove at third base. His defensive position is in question with the Red Sox, but he was at the hot corner Sunday against the Blue Jays.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Mirra Andreeva made history by becoming the youngest player to claim a WTA 1000 title after the 17-year-old won the Dubai Tennis Championships.

The Russian beat Clara Tauson 7-6 (7-1) 6-1 and her victory means she will next week climb into the top 10 for the first time.

Andreeva defeated Grand Slam winners Marketa Vondrousova, Iga Swiatek and Elena Rybakina on her way to the final.

"I'd set a goal for myself to be in top 10 by the end of the year," she said.

"Now it's the end of February and I've already made it, so this is something incredible for me."

Denmark's Tauson, 22, had gone 2-0 up early on but Andreeva soon settled into her game to break back and level the match at 2-2.

There was little to separate the two as the first set went to a tiebreak, where Andreeva won the first six points before Tauson sent a return long.

Andreeva then dominated the second set, breezing into a 5-1 lead before world number 38 Tauson's return went long again to seal the title for the teenager.

"I'm just super happy with the way I was playing," added Andreeva. "I was nervous. I think you could see it during the match with all those double faults, some mistakes.

"So I'm just really happy that I could manage and deal with the pressure. And now it just feels amazing.

"This is something I dreamt of and now my dream came true so I'm just, I'm speechless right now."

Jack Draper has withdrawn from the Dubai Tennis Championships to "manage" his workload.

Draper, 23, announced the decision to miss the tournament, which starts on Monday, a day after losing to Andrey Rublev in three sets in the final of the Qatar Open in Doha.

Britain's number one, who is set to rise to 12th in the world rankings, has said he will return for the BNP Paribas Open and Miami Open next month.

Draper posted on X: "Unfortunately, I have made the decision to withdraw from Dubai Duty Free.

"After a great week at Qatar Open Tennis, I'm taking on board advice to prioritise my recovery and manage my body after a number of long matches, and give myself the best chance of competing consistently throughout the year.

"I'm gutted not to compete at such an amazing event but will look forward to returning to competition at BNP Paribas Open and Miami Open."

Britain's number five Dan Evans has been given a wildcard entry into the singles competition and will face Karen Khachanov in Monday's first round.