CHICAGO -- Josh Giddey could feel it as soon as the ball left his fingertips. In a flash, teammates were mobbing him.

Giddey's buzzer-beating half-court heave capped what might be the wildest finish in the NBA this season and gave the surging Chicago Bulls a 119-117 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night.

"Special moment to do it with these guys, this team," Giddey said.

The Lakers, meanwhile, went from winning at Indiana on a tip-in by LeBron James at the buzzer on Wednesday to losing in gut-wrenching fashion. They are just the fifth team in NBA history to win and lose on a buzzer-beater on consecutive days, according to Basketball-Reference.com. They also took it on the chin again from Chicago after getting blown out by the Bulls in Los Angeles on Saturday.

"Devastation," Lakers coach JJ Redick said. "It's a hell of a way to lose a basketball game."

The Lakers led by 13 midway through the fourth quarter and appeared to be in good shape up 115-110 after Austin Reaves made two free throws with 12.6 seconds left, only to lose for the eighth time in 12 games. They have a day to shake it off before closing out a four-game trip at Memphis.

"We put ourselves in position to win, gave up a lot of 3s in the fourth quarter, still put ourselves in position to win," James said. "Horrible turnover by myself, miscommunication the play before that. AR tried to save us. Tip your hats."

The Bulls made 11 of 14 3-pointers in the fourth. They nailed three in the final 10 seconds, starting with one by Patrick Williams with 9.8 seconds left.

Giddey then stole a pass from James and fed Coby White for a 3 to put the Bulls on top with 6.1 seconds remaining.

Reaves drove for a layup to give the Lakers a 117-116 lead with 3.3 seconds left, Chicago had just enough time to pull out the win.

Giddey inbounded to Williams, got the ball back and pulled up near the Bulls' logo. He held his follow-through right until the shot fell through the net, giving the Bulls their ninth win in 11 games. And this one was easily their wildest in recent memory.

A sentiment shared by guard Kevin Huerter on X after the game.

"Just wow," he wrote. "Craziest game of my life probably."

Just wow. Craziest game of my life probably

Kevin Huerter (@KevinHuerter) March 28, 2025

"We've shown over the last month to six weeks that we can beat anybody," Giddey said. "The way we play the game, I think it wears people down. We get up and down. We run. We put heat on them to get back. A lot of veteran teams don't particularly want to get back and play in transition."

The Bulls looked like a lifeless team a month ago. They traded Zach LaVine to Sacramento before the deadline and seemed to be packing it in after six straight losses left them with a 22-35 record. They're 11-5 since then, and they haven't just been picking on weak teams. They've beaten the Lakers twice and Denver in the past three games and also have a win over Indiana during this stretch.

Giddey and White have been at their best lately.

Giddey delivered his fifth triple-double Thursday with 25 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists. The only Bulls player with more in a season was Michael Jordan with 15 in 1988-89. His feat also makes him the first player with a triple-double and a winning buzzer-beater against the Lakers in NBA history, according to Basketball-Reference.

White finished with 26 points after scoring 35 or more in a career-high three straight games, and the Bulls simply didn't quit. Coach Billy Donovan said that took hold in September, during the players' workouts at the team's facility before the start of training camp.

"We've got to be in great shape to play this way," he said. "They've got to push themselves. I think a lot of that stemmed before training camp started, when they all came back in September. They played most of their pickup games with a 14-second shot clock just to kind of get that mentality down. We tried to go through training camp like that. I think there's advantages by really trying to play in a way that forces these guys to be in great shape."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Boston Red Sox outfielder Wilyer Abreu dedicated his two-homer game to his newborn twin boys.

Abreu, 25, went deep twice in Boston's season-opening 5-2 win at Texas, including a tiebreaking three-run shot in the ninth inning Thursday. It came nearly eight months after Abreu's only other multihomer game -- in the same stadium, the day after his grandmother died.

"The two that I hit last year, they were for my grandmother, but these two, they were for my twins," Abreu said through an interpreter.

This two-homer game came 10 days after his sons were born, and after a spring training during which he lost 8 to 10 pounds while dealing with a gastrointestinal virus and doing much of his work on the back fields and in minor league games.

"I knew that I was going to be ready for Opening Day, and I worked very hard to be able to do that," he said.

Abreu, who last year as a rookie was a Gold Glove-winning right fielder, had a part in every run for Boston. He singled and scored on a fielder's choice grounder in the third. He homered in the fifth off Texas starter Nathan Eovaldi and his winner was a 394-foot liner to right-center off Rangers reliever Luke Jackson.

"To be honest, I didn't expect that," Abreu said. "But when I hit the second one, I figured it was one for each [son]."

In that game last Aug. 4 in Texas, after his ailing grandmother had died in his native Venezuela, Abreu wiped his face with a towel while looking at the dugout wall after a tying solo homer in the fourth. He still had tears in his eyes when returning to right field in the bottom of that inning.

Abreu said after that game "it obviously was a difficult situation."

Two innings later, his three-run shot broke open a 7-2 win for the Red Sox.

Manager Alex Cora that night stuck with the left-handed hitter in a tight game after Walter Pennington came out of the Texas bullpen. Abreu won that lefty-lefty matchup by going deep for the second time.

Cora kept Abreu in again Thursday when left-hander Robert Garcia came out of the bullpen in the seventh. Abreu walked then, and was still in the game to face the right-hander Jackson in the ninth.

"Very special moment for me," Abreu said. "Even better when you can start a season with a big win like this."

TORONTO -- Baltimore Orioles outfielder Tyler O'Neill hit a three-run home run off the Toronto Blue Jays' Jose Berrios in the third inning of Thursday's game, extending his major league record by homering for a sixth straight Opening Day.

Playing a season-opening game in his home country of Canada for the first time, O'Neill connected on a two-out, 2-1 sinker, driving in Colton Cowser and Adley Rutschman and putting Baltimore up 4-0.

"When he hit it, I think everyone was just going crazy because that's just such an amazing feat," Rutschman said. "It was just so cool to see."

O'Neill went 3 for 3 with two walks and scored three runs in the 12-2 victory. He said it was meaningful to have a strong performance with several of his family in the crowd.

"Very special," O'Neill said. "I've had a great day so far. Playing in Toronto is always special for me."

The Orioles hit a franchise record six Opening Day home runs in the rout.

O'Neill's Opening Day home run streak began with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2020 and continued for four seasons, matching a mark held by Todd Hundley (1994 to 1997), Gary Carter (1977 to 1980) and Yogi Berra (1955 to 1958).

O'Neill took sole possession of the mark when he connected in his lone Opening Day with the Boston Red Sox in 2024.

Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde called O'Neill's streak "mind-boggling," adding that he has quickly learned to appreciate everything his new outfielder brings to the clubhouse.

"Awesome personality," Hyde said of O'Neill. "I love how hard-nosed he is. He's a team guy."

O'Neill arrived at the stadium carrying two boxes of donuts from the Canadian chain Tim Hortons to share with his Baltimore teammates. He did the same thing on a visit to Toronto with the Red Sox last season.

Hyde said he would have no problem with O'Neill repeating the donut delivery Friday.

"Whatever works," Hyde said. "Wear the same clothes. Whatever he did today, do it tomorrow."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

ST. LOUIS -- Nolan Arenado's eighth-inning blast didn't give the St. Louis Cardinals the lead -- they were already in front at the time -- nor did it complete a big day for him at the plate.

But it had plenty of extra meaning, and the crowd knew it. It's why they asked for and received a curtain call from the 12-year veteran, who was on the trade block all winter.

"I wasn't expecting the curtain call," Arenado said after the Cardinals' 5-3 win Thursday over the Minnesota Twins on Opening Day. "I'm actually surprised I got it. I don't think I got one last year."

Arenado took Twins right-hander Griffin Jax deep to left to pad the Cardinals' lead, giving him two hits, but it was before the game that he really began to feel the emotion of the afternoon. Arenado received a huge ovation from the sold-out crowd during player introductions, giving him a reason to take things in more than usual.

"I usually don't, but today I did, and the way they cheered for me, it meant a lot to me and it got me motivated, and I was just fortunate to give them something to cheer about again," Arenado said. "Usually, they don't do curtain calls if you hit one homer, but it was a big homer."

The emotions from Arenado's blast and the ensuing curtain call stemmed from the uncertainty that loomed over his future in a Cardinals uniform after an unproductive 2024 season in which he hit only 16 home runs. Over the winter, he invoked his no-trade clause, turning down a deal to Houston, though many observers thought he would eventually be moved.

Another trade never materialized, but that doesn't mean one won't happen this summer. Arenado said he understands that.

"I don't know," he said. "There's different things going through your head, so you just think of all the uncertainty. I was like, I don't know if this is going to be my last time."

His teammates also recognized the meaning of the moment.

"Significant to him," outfielder Lars Nootbaar said. "Significant to us. Cool for the fans to bring him out like that."

The Cardinals are going through a transition as longtime executive John Mozeliak has already announced this will be his last season. Unless the team is in the playoff race, there is an expectation they will move some veterans later this summer.

But that wasn't the narrative Thursday when St. Louis played a solid opening game, led by veterans such as Arenado and starter Sonny Gray. It's possible that Gray eventually will be moved, as well, along with closer Ryan Helsley, who locked down the save against the Twins.

But those discussions are for later. The present was about a fan favorite getting his due after a rough 2024.

"That was a pretty nice bow on it," manager Oliver Marmol said of the home run. "This is a guy that's worked really hard this offseason to come back and show what he's capable of doing. That's a big homer. It's probably more meaningful than people think."

WASHINGTON -- The jeers greeted the announcement of Bryce Harper's name during pregame introductions at Nationals Park on Thursday. And when he stepped to the plate in the top of the first inning. Again in the fourth.

And, once more, when it was his turn to bat in the seventh, with his current team, the Philadelphia Phillies, trailing his first club in the majors, the Washington Nationals, 1-0 on Opening Day. As Harper does so well, and so often, he lived up to the moment, hammering a first-pitch fastball to the deepest part of the stadium, getting Philadelphia's offense going in what became a 7-3 victory over Washington in 10 innings.

"I love coming in here and playing in this stadium," Harper said when asked about the booing. "I've got a lot of great memories in here, as well. Everywhere I go, it's exactly like this. Some places are louder than others. It's all the same."

He also pivoted on the topic, saying about his returns to the ballpark in the nation's capital: "All the workers, really -- I love my relationship with them a lot. Going through the tunnel and talking to everybody, they still tell me they love me. All the workers in [the visitor's clubhouse], as well. They know who I am. They know exactly what type of person I am and player and all that kind of stuff. Fans -- it's part of it."

His long ball Thursday was the sixth of his career in his team's first game of a season, tied for the most among active players. The first five Opening Day homers for him came while playing for Washington, where he was the 2012 NL Rookie of the Year and the 2015 NL MVP before leaving for Philly as a free agent after the 2018 season.

"I love hitting in this ballpark," Harper said. "Always have."

The eight-time NL All-Star connected off reliever Lucas Sims after striking out twice against Nationals starter MacKenzie Gore as shadows crept across the field on account of the 4:06 p.m. start on a sunny day.

Gore finished with 13 Ks; Nationals pitchers accumulated a total of 19 strikeouts.

"We couldn't see," said Alec Bohm, whose two-run double broke a 3-all tie in the 10th. "[That's] part of it."

Harper's take?

"Obviously we don't want to punch [out] 19 times. That's comical, right? It's not fun to do that," Harper said. "And we can't do that as a team. But today, made it happen, made it work."

He hadn't homered in a spring training game and said his "timing was just a little off" heading into the regular season.

The first baseman chuckled when he mentioned that hitting coach Kevin Long joked with him that there was, actually, a home run off Harper's bat down in Florida -- but it came during live batting practice on a back field.

The 415-foot solo shot off a 96 mph fastball Thursday was a good sign.

"Definitely felt good on that swing," Harper said. "Felt like it all came together right there."

HOUSTON -- Five times Juan Soto stepped into the batter's box during his debut with the New York Mets against the Houston Astros on Thursday. And five times baseball's $765 million man received steady boos from the Daikin Park crowd, none louder than in the ninth inning, with the game on the line.

Soto, fittingly, represented the game-winning run when he walked to the plate to face left-hander Josh Hader with runners on the corners and two outs. Hader, one of the best closers in the sport, quickly fell behind 3-0, then recovered with two strikes before unleashing a slider that darted away from Soto and out of the strike zone.

Soto waved and whiffed. He was, shockingly, fooled to end the Astros' 3-1 win.

"His best pitch is the fastball," Soto said, "so I was sitting on the fastball."

Thursday's Opening Day game, matching two clubs that expect to play in October, had a few pregame storylines. Future Hall of Famer Jose Altuve's first game as a left fielder in his age-35 season. Cam Smith, a 22-year-old slugger, making his major league debut less than a year after he was drafted. Clay Holmes, the former New York Yankees All-Star closer, starting his first game since 2018.

But it was, above all, about Soto.

A year ago, Soto also made his debut as the right fielder for a New York club in Houston to launch a pressure-packed season. But that team was the Yankees, the stadium was called Minute Maid Park and the pressure stemmed from the desire to impress with free agency waiting in November.

This time, he's a member of the Mets, an air conditioning company owns this ballpark's naming rights and the pressure stems from looking to prove he's worth the largest contract in professional sports history.

Batting second, Soto cracked a single in his first plate appearance as a Met against veteran left-hander Framber Valdez. He walked in the third inning, flied out in the sixth and walked again -- on four pitches -- in the eighth. It was a typical Soto showing, skillfully patient but willing and able to pounce on mistakes.

And yet the Mets did not score for eight innings. Valdez began his platform season by holding the Mets' potent lineup scoreless over seven innings on 90 pitches. New York showed signs of life against right-hander Bryan Abreu but still didn't manage to score. It wasn't until the ninth inning, when Hader clearly wasn't in peak form, that the Mets finally pushed a run across.

Starling Marte singled, Tyrone Taylor singled and Luisangel Acuna worked a 12-pitch walk to load the bases to begin the inning. After Hayden Senger struck out in his first career at-bat, Francisco Lindor delivered a sacrifice fly to pull the Mets within a run, bringing Soto to the plate.

"You feel it. I think everybody's like, man, let's get Juan up and see what happens," said Holmes, who surrendered three runs (two earned) over 4 innings in his Mets debut. "And we're able to do it. More times than not, we feel really good about it. And they made him work, and we were right there close. At the end of the day, if we got Juan up with a chance to win the game, anybody likes those chances."

What followed was a one-on-one battle between two players elite in their respective crafts. Soto said he saw Hader, a five-time All-Star, "really well" even though he presented a difficult lefty-lefty matchup with a three-quarters delivery.

"We all want to do something in a big spot," Soto said. "We all try to get the knock and try to bring the runs in and try to help the day in any way. But, for me, I don't mind taking a walk right there. I have Pete [Alonso] behind me, and he's a really good power hitter."

Soto would have walked if he had laid off the 3-2 slider. But he didn't, and his first signature Mets moment will have to wait at least another day.

Said Soto: "He just got me in that situation."

Bristol Bears forward Santiago Grondona has been given a three-match ban by the Rugby Football Union after being sent off during their Premiership win against Exeter.

The Argentina international was shown the red card in the 29th minute of the match last Saturday for a head-on-head tackle on Chiefs' back row Martin Moloney.

The 26-year-old admitted the charge at an independent panel hearing this week and was given the ban, which will be reduced to two games if he completes a World Rugby coaching intervention programme.

Grondona, who has made 11 appearances for Bristol this season, will miss their Premiership match away to Gloucester this Saturday, at home to Leicester on 20 April and potentially the trip to Northampton Saints on 26 April.

Moloney suffered a broken nose as a result of the tackle but a medical report detailed there was no signs of concussion.

There could be debuts for prop Molly Poolman and second row Becky Boyd who are among the replacements.

Leah Bartlett remains on the bench after her try against Wales.

France also started with a win last weekend, beating Ireland 27-15 in Belfast, and will have a sell-out crowd cheering them on in La Rochelle for Scotland's visit.

"La Rochelle is some place and I believe it's sold out," Easson said. "The whole town will come out - they'll be there for warm up.

"We have made it very clear to the group of players who have not been in France before what to expect because I think it's important they understand."

Scotland came close to an upset in last year's clash against France, leading 5-3 at half-time before ultimately falling to a 15-5 defeat in Edinburgh.

"France are a good side, but I thought our performance against France last year was excellent," Easson said. "We've got to take confidence in that.

"We've got to take confidence from how tight the game was up until the last minute. We've got to take confidence from our performance against Wales as well and go in with belief.

"We've won 13 out of the past 17 and that's how we've got to look at it. We've got to look at you know every game as being a good opportunity.

"It will be tough. We've been very, very clear on that, but we're going there with confidence."

Wales: Jasmine Joyce; Lisa Neumann, Hannah Jones (capt), Kayleigh Powell, Carys Cox, Lleucu George, Keira Bevan; Gwenllian Pyrs, Carys Phillips, Jenni Scoble, Abbie Fleming, Gwen Crabb, Kate Williams, Bethan Lewis, Georgia Evans.

Replacements: Kelsey Jones, Maisie Davies, Donna Rose, Alaw Pyrs, Bryonie King, Meg Davies, Courtney Keight, Nel Metcalfe.

Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé was pleasantly surprised by how "handsome" his wax statue is that will soon stand at London's Madame Tussauds.

The France captain recently traveled to London to see for the first time the sculpture that will be on display from Easter at one of London's major tourist attractions.

"Oh wow," a smiling Mbappé said in English in a video when closely inspecting the wax figure.

"The new [France] jersey. Even the new [soccer] boots. That is me. I love it. Amazing. Handsome. Oh my God, you got everything guys ... Yes, that's me ... It's a perfect job."

The 2018 World Cup winner already has a wax statue at the Grevin museum in Paris, but says being on display at London's Madame Tussauds is "a big honour."

"It's a big achievement for me, a big honour to be part of the big Madame Tussauds family," Mbappé, 26, said. "I am really happy and even more when you see the results. It is amazing. I'm really proud to be here. It is a big day for me."

Mbappé, who joined Real Madrid last summer as a free agent after his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expired, said he is a fan of London.

"I love to visit the city, to go to the restaurants, to see a little bit of the culture of the country." he said. "London is one of the best cities in the world."