MINNEAPOLIS -- Breanna Stewart sat on the bench in the fourth quarter of Game 3 in the WNBA Finals on Wednesday, her team down two points. The New York Liberty had clawed back from a 15-point first-quarter deficit, largely thanks to a superb 30-point night from Stewart.

Before the Liberty returned to the floor against the home team Lynx and their 19,521 fans eager to see Minnesota return to its championship glory, Stewart emphatically delivered a simple message before the timeout ended.

"We are not going to f---ing lose this game."

"I could feel it," Stewart said of the moment. "You could feel the momentum was shifting to our side. It [was] like, if we are going to be this close, we are not leaving here without this win."

The Liberty brought Stewart's plea into fruition.

Behind 11 points in the final 2:10 from Sabrina Ionescu and Jonquel Jones -- capped by Ionescu's 28-foot 3-pointer to win the game -- New York secured a 80-77 comeback victory to move within one win of clinching the 2024 WNBA title.

And while Ionescu's final shot might be the lasting image from the game, the Liberty -- who are chasing the franchise's first championship -- would have been on life support without Stewart's monster night on both ends of the floor.

The two-time WNBA, four-time NCAA champion and two-time WNBA MVP finished with 30 points, 11 rebounds and 4 blocks, making her the only player in league history with multiple 30-10 Finals performances. She is also the only player to have a 30-point Finals game for two different franchises, her previous one coming with the Seattle Storm.

"We don't win this game without Stewie," Ionescu said. "What she was able to do, just continued to chip away ... that [game-winning] shot's nice but that doesn't go against what she's been able to do for us tonight and how she was able to just will us back into that game."

"She carried us," Jones added of Stewart. "Without her, we wouldn't be in a position to make those big plays."

This year's WNBA Finals have been a roller coaster for Stewart and the Liberty. In Game 1, New York blew a 15-point edge with five minutes to go before losing in overtime. Stewart missed what would have been the game-winning free throw with 0.8 left in regulation, as well as a layup in overtime that would have tied the score right before the final buzzer.

Behind Stewart's 21-point, 5-steal outing, the Liberty bounced back in Game 2. But in Minnesota's first home game of the series, New York got punched first, struggling early against the Lynx's defensive pressure and committing 8 first-quarter turnovers. Minnesota turned those into 14 points to help build a double-digit advantage.

Stewart started heating up in the second period with six points, helping New York cut the deficit to a manageable eight going into the break. But she put her foot on the gas after halftime: With a pair of 3-pointers, some tough jump shots and multiple and-1s, Stewart scored 13 straight points for the Liberty across the third and fourth periods, tying the score and marking the most consecutive team points scored by a single player in the WNBA Finals.

Her 22 points in the second half were the fourth most by a player in either half in Finals history.

"She made big, big plays and had a big stretch," Liberty guard Courtney Vandersloot said. "When we couldn't really score, she got a few big buckets, kind of got our offense going. ... That's what you expect your superstars to do."

Stewart's effort on the defensive end was just as impactful. In addition to her rim protection -- three of her four blocks came in the second half -- Stewart held the Lynx to 4-for-15 shooting as a primary defender and forced four turnovers. Over the past two games, Lynx star Napheesa Collier has shot 4-for-12 and committed six turnovers against Stewart.

"You just see her experience, right? She's an amazing player," New York guard Leonie Fiebich said. "Just on offense and defense she made such big plays for us. Never gave up. She was always coming in, flying from somewhere on the defensive end. It was great to watch her perform like that."

Game 3 mirrored Game 1: The road team erased a big deficit -- New York trailed by as many as 18 last Thursday -- to come away with the victory. Since that heartbreaking defeat, Stewart and the Liberty "were all kind of just waiting for our moment, waiting for the script to flip a little bit," she said.

"I was motivated," Stewart said about Wednesday's contest. "I was mad [that New York was losing]. And I liked my matchups that I had, and really kind of attacking them to make sure that we could get this back into where we needed to be for it to be a ballgame."

With one more win, Stewart can bring the Liberty the championship she envisioned when she signed with the team in free agency ahead of the 2023 season. She can fully exorcise any demons remaining from how 2023 ended -- a 3-for-17 Game 4 performance as the Las Vegas Aces celebrated the WNBA title on the Liberty's home floor. And if New York wins Friday (8 p.m. ET, ESPN) or in a decisive Game 5 on Sunday, Stewart could become only the second WNBA player, and first since Cynthia Cooper, to win at least three Finals MVPs.

But the glory of what could lie ahead was of no concern to Stewart after Wednesday's game. The job isn't done yet, she reiterated.

"We know we're one game away from winning the championship, and I think that they are going to give us their best shot," Stewart said. "They are going to give everything they have got, and you know what, so are we."

PITTSBURGH -- Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby have shared many milestones and memories throughout the past two decades as icons with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

They both enjoyed milestones Wednesday night against the Buffalo Sabres when Malkin became the 48th player in NHL history to score 500 career goals and Crosby became the 10th player in NHL history with 1,600 regular-season points in a career.

Crosby's overtime goal capped a 6-5 victory against Buffalo.

"I really wanted to score [the 500th goal] last year," Malkin said. "All summer, I was probably thinking too much about it. It was a long way to 500 and I'm glad to finally do it."

When Crosby scored his 500th NHL goal in 2022, Malkin provided the assist. Crosby returned the favor at 3:26 of the third period Wednesday.

Crosby sent a between-the-legs pass from behind the net in front to Malkin, who was sitting on the ice when he flipped the puck past Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen. The bench emptied to congratulate Malkin, and the crowd gave him a standing ovation.

"It was a pretty awesome goal," Crosby said. "I had a front-row seat watching him do that. I'll have a great memory of that one."

Malkin, who has the third-most goals in Penguins' history with 500 in 1,150 games, is the 20th player in NHL history to score 500 goals with one team. The Penguins selected the 38-year-old Malkin No. 2 overall in the 2004 draft, and he has teamed with Crosby to bring three Stanley Cup championships to Pittsburgh.

"When you look at the championships the Penguins have won while they've been here, their fingerprints are all over it," Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. "When you win Stanley Cups, it has a way of galvanizing relationships."

Malkin joined Crosby (592), Washington's Alex Ovechkin (853) and Nashville's Steven Stamkos (555) as the only active players with 500 goals. Stamkos achieved it with Tampa Bay. Malkin also joins Ovechkin as the only Russian-born players in NHL history to reach the mark.

Pittsburgh is the second team in NHL history, behind Montreal, with three 500-goal scorers.

The Penguins' superstars combined for a seven-point night against Buffalo. Crosby had a goal and two assists. Malkin, with a goal and three assists, has 11 points in five games and shows no signs of slowing down.

"I think [Malkin] has had a really strong start to the season," Sullivan said. "When he's at his best, the puck seems to follow him around and that's what he's doing right now."

Crosby recorded his 1,600th regular-season point with the secondary assist on Bryan Rust's power-play goal at 11:01 of the first period. The 37-year-old Crosby is the first player to reach the milestone since Jaromir Jagr on Oct. 6, 2011.

Crosby needed 1,277 games to reach 1,600 points, the fifth fewest to reach the milestone. Crosby, who is in his 20th NHL season, is seven goals shy of reaching 600. He's 39 points short of tying Hall of Famer Joe Sakic for ninth place in NHL history.

Crosby, selected No. 1 overall by Pittsburgh in the 2005 NHL draft, is 121 points behind Hall of Famer and Penguins' legend Mario Lemieux for eighth place in league history. Lemieux's 1,723 points is also the franchise record.

For one more night, Malkin and Crosby took center stage.

"We probably deserved to share this night together," Malkin said. "It's a great story."

That felt familiar. Nearly a week ago, the Minnesota Lynx erased a 18-point deficit to win Game 1 of the WNBA Finals on the road.

On Wednesday, the New York Liberty rallied from 15 down in Minneapolis to win Game 3.

And now, New York is one victory away from its first WNBA championship.

Breanna Stewart nearly willed the Liberty to win, tallying 30 points, 11 rebounds and 4 blocks. She scored 13 straight Liberty points across the third and fourth quarters.

But Sabrina Ionescu hit the game winner, a 28-foot 3-pointer with 1.0 seconds remaining. It's the second-longest basket in WNBA Finals history, behind Teresa Weatherspoon's 47-foot heave for New York in Game 2 of the 1999 Finals.

In the loss, Minnesota's Napheesa Collier scored 22 points and has 249 in the 2024 playoffs, breaking Diana Taurasi's 15-year-old record for most points in a single postseason (245).

The WNBA Finals -- the first series in WNBA playoff history to feature multiple 15-point comeback wins -- continues with Game 4 on Friday (8 p.m. ET, ESPN).

Before then, ESPN breaks down how the Liberty won Game 3.

What changed for Ionescu?

Throughout the game Wednesday, it was tough to tell if Ionescu was biding her time or being taken out of the game by Kayla McBride's defense. Ionescu didn't attempt a field goal until 5:17 remained in the second quarter. Her first made field goal came on the last possession of the first half.

Then -- perhaps propelled by the learning experiences of last year's Finals loss, her poor shooting in Game 1 and her minimal contribution in Game 2 -- she became the best player on the floor for what might be the biggest minute and a half in Liberty history.

First came a brilliant pass to Jonquel Jones, who hit a layup with 1:31 left to give New York its first lead, 74-73, since 5-4. Then came Ionescu's 24-foot 3-pointer with 55 seconds left, which was only outdone by the 28-foot game winner -- a shot that will never be forgotten in Liberty lore if they win their first title.

How much did Alanna Smith's back injury impact the game?

The Lynx led 41-28 when Smith, who was averaging 9.6 PPG and shooting 56.1% in the playoffs, went down hard in the lane after fouling Jones with 2:52 left in the first half. While the Lynx forward was able to start both the third and fourth quarters, Smith played only a total of 6:37 after halftime.

Minnesota turned to Myisha Hines-Allen, who has averaged 4.0 points per game in the postseason. New York adjusted and left Hines-Allen open on the perimeter. That allowed Stewart to roam defensively, and the strategy worked. Minnesota made only two field goals in the final 6:39, giving New York just enough room to complete the third-largest comeback in Finals history.

What was different in the fourth quarter?

Stewart became a dominant force once again, and New York rode its superstar to the comeback. She ignited the Liberty's rally with a brilliant third quarter, and the break between periods didn't stop Stewart's momentum. After missing a tip-in early in the quarter, Stewart made three straight field goals, single-handedly answering everything Minnesota did as a team.

By the time she was done, Steward had scored 13 straight Liberty points from the end of the third until the 6:18 mark of the fourth to tie the score at 69. That's the most consecutive team points scored by a single player in WNBA Finals history, per ESPN Research. Her 30-point, 11-rebound night was her second career 30-10 Finals game. Jones, as a member of the Connecticut Sun in 2019, is the only other player to do it.

Stewart's defense, whether it was guarding Collier -- who shot 9-for-22 in the game and was 0-for-3 with just two free throws in the final 8:46 -- or roaming the lane when Hines-Allen was in the game, was at an MVP level, too. She had 4 blocks one game after her Finals-record 7 steals in Game 2.

Did Minnesota get tight or tired down the stretch?

In many ways Wednesday was a flip of Game 1. This time Minnesota got out to the big early lead at home and New York made the comeback late. While Stewart and then Ionescu seemed to get energized in the second half, the Lynx might have started to feel the effects of going five games against Connecticut in the semifinals and having a shorter bench with Smith's injury.

McBride, who has done such a good job guarding Ionescu in the series, lost her twice in the final minute for that pair of 3-pointers. Collier had a tough fourth quarter offensively, and the Lynx shot 5-for-18 in the final 10 minutes. The largest Lynx crowd ever of 19,521 wasn't enough to lift Minnesota to the kind of play late that won Game 1.

CHICAGO -- As Lonzo Ball checked into his first NBA game in more than 2 years on Wednesday night, the United Center crowd serenaded him with a standing ovation. He threw his hands in the air and tapped his heart, acknowledging the crowd before playing for the first time since Jan. 14, 2022.

Ball was restricted to 15 minutes, but finished with 10 points on 4 of 6 shooting in Chicago's preseason victory against Minnesota.

"Felt a lot better playing then watching," Ball said after the game. "I couldn't even put it into words how it felt being out there.... It was definitely a moment I'll never forget."

Since playing in his last NBA game more than 1,000 days ago, Ball has undergone three arthroscopic procedures on his left knee, including a rare double cartilage transplant in March 2023.

"Long. Really long," Ball said with a laugh when looking back at his recovery process. "But looking back on it, it went a lot faster than I thought. ... Them telling me 18 more months recovery [after the third surgery], it sounds crazy in the moment, but now I'm here. It's all behind me now."

Earlier on Wednesday, Ball said he was "full of joy" to be preparing for a game again but also acknowledged that he would not be the same player he was when he last took the court in January 2022.

"It's not the same body I started off with," Ball said after Wednesday's shootaround. "But I think I can still be productive and effective on the court. That's why I'm still trying to play."

And on Wednesday night, Ball made an impact every time he stepped on the floor. He knocked down his first shot of the game, a corner 3-pointer, and then threw up three fingers as he ran up the floor. He stole the ball from Julius Randle on another possession and dove into the Bulls bench to save it from going out of bounds.

It was a vintage performance from Ball. In his first season in Chicago in 2021-22, Ball averaged 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists on 42% shooting in 35 games. And in his first game back, he did a little bit of everything on the court: collecting one block, one steal, one assist and one rebound.

"I thought he looked great," Bulls coach Billy Donovan said. "There's a lot of things he does in the game that he doesn't really require anything with his knee or his body, he uses his brain so much. He moved really, really well."

And most importantly for both he and the Bulls, he wasn't thinking about his knee while playing.

"That's a positive thing," Ball said. "I didn't feel it at all. I felt like I was moving great. So now it's just about building, just continue to do it night and night out."

Donovan said the Bulls will monitor Ball's knee to see how it reacts to his first game action and he is almost certain to have a light day in practice Thursday. Then, Ball said he also plans to play in Friday's preseason finale against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

"I think he's going to need to play," Donovan said. "That's kind of the normal NBA rhythm, playing every other day."

Throughout the recovery process, Ball, who will turn 27 later this month, remained confident he'd return to the court, seeking opinions from multiple knee specialists until he found a path to recovery.

"I think it's the belief in myself -- knowing what I was feeling, knowing that I was a good age to come back from it," Ball said. "I'm just trusting in the doctors and people around me."

By August, Ball was cleared to play in 5-on-5 scrimmages. He arrived at the Bulls' facility a few weeks ahead of training camp to begin working out with the rest of the team. He had expected to make his preseason debut earlier in the schedule, but he was set back a few days after testing positive for COVID-19.

Ball has also had bouts of soreness throughout the preseason, which he said is to be expected. He emphasized both he and the team will have to manage his workload and playing time this season.

"We have a good handle right now, but I think it's going to change throughout the year," Ball said. "Every day is going to be a different challenge we just have to overcome."

NEW YORK -- Shohei Ohtani launched a three-run homer and the Los Angeles Dodgers pitching staff threw another shutout, this time in an 8-0 victory over the New York Mets in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series on Wednesday night.

Kiké Hernández hit a two-run shot to make it 4-0 in the sixth inning and waved to the Citi Field crowd he quieted. Los Angeles rebounded from a loss at home and grabbed a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series by pitching its fourth shutout in the past five playoff games.

Ohtani connected in the eighth, a 410-foot drive that soared into the second deck in right field and barely stayed fair above the foul pole.

Max Muncy went deep in the ninth for his 13th career postseason homer, tying Corey Seager and Justin Turner for the franchise record. Muncy also connected in Game 2.

A fired up Walker Buehler struck out Francisco Lindor to leave the bases loaded in the second inning, and the Dodgers got five stingy innings from their hard-throwing bullpen. Buehler combined with four relievers on a four-hitter.

"I said earlier I like pitching in the cold," Buehler said. "The ball was moving around pretty good for me today. Will [Smith] did a really good job. Shutouts in playoffs don't come easy, and Will did a really good job."

The Dodgers became the first team in major league history with three eight-run shutouts in a single postseason; they've all happened in their past five games. They're also the third team all time with multiple eight-run shutouts in a single postseason series, having blanked New York 9-0 in Game 1.

For Buehler, it was his second scoreless start all season and his first since May 18. Entering Game 3, he had allowed a run in 14 straight starts, the longest streak of his career.

"He's Walker," Muncy said of Buehler. "There's a phrase for what that was tonight, and I'm obviously not going to say it. But that was Walker Buehler.

"That was what I expected. He's not going to back down in the moment. If anything it's going to make him tougher."

Buehler induced 18 swings-and-misses, his most in any game since 2021. It was also tied for his most ever in a playoff game.

Game 4 is Thursday night in Queens, with $325 million rookie Yoshinobu Yamamoto scheduled to start for Los Angeles against veteran left-hander Jose Quintana.

Michael Kopech worked a hitless fifth for the win, and Dodgers pitchers finished with 13 strikeouts.

Mets starter Luis Severino fell behind 2-0 in the second, partly due to some shoddy fielding. He did not permit an earned run but threw 95 pitches and walked four in 4 innings, taking the loss.

Smith knocked in a run with an infield single, and Tommy Edman had a sacrifice fly that could have been more if not for a sensational catch on the right-center warning track by Tyrone Taylor.

Information from ESPN Research and The Associated Press was used in this report.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Sabrina Ionescu hit a tiebreaking 28-foot 3-pointer with 1 second left and Breanna Stewart scored 30 points to help the New York Liberty beat the Minnesota Lynx 80-77 on Wednesday night, taking a 2-1 lead in the WNBA Finals.

The Liberty -- who came back from 15 down for the third-largest comeback in WNBA Finals history -- are one victory away from winning their first title. Game 4 is Friday night in Minnesota with a deciding fifth game in New York on Sunday if necessary.

With the game tied at 77, Ionescu had the ball and dribbled around before pulling up a few steps behind the arc and and hitting the 3-pointer that broke the tie.

Minnesota didn't get a real shot to tie at the buzzer.

The Liberty have appeared in the finals five times before, including last season, and lost each one.

Trailing 73-69 with 2:26 left in the fourth quarter, the Liberty scored eight straight points, including the first five by Jonquel Jones. Ionescu, who had a relatively quiet game, then hit another 3-pointer after a Lynx miss to make it 77-73 with 55.5 left.

Bridget Carleton got the Lynx within 77-75 with a layup 21 seconds later. On New York's next possession Ionescu had a 3-pointer go halfway through the basket before popping out and Minnesota got the rebound. Napheesa Collier was then fouled with 16 seconds left and hit both free throws to tie it setting up the exciting finish.

Collier finished with 22 points and Kayla McBride 19 for Minnesota. Collier now has 249 points in the 2024 playoffs, passing Diana Taurasi (245) in 2009 for the most in a single postseason in WNBA history.

With her game-winning 3, Ionescu passed Crystal Robinson (62) for the most career 3-point makes in the playoffs in Liberty history. She also brought her total 3-point total this postseason up to 28, tying her franchise-record 28 in last year's playoffs. That's tied for the fifth most in a single postseason in WNBA playoff history.

ESPN Research and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

PHILADELPHIA -- After a hard fall late in Wednesday's preseason victory over the Brooklyn Nets, 76ers first-round pick Jared McCain was taken to a hospital to be evaluated for a concussion, among other things, after appearing to struggle to catch his breath on the court.

"It was rough," 76ers coach Nick Nurse said. "He's going to the hospital to get checked out. Obviously, he was having trouble breathing there, maybe got the wind knocked out of him, not sure what was going on there, but never quite seen one like that before, so let's hope he's OK and see what the report is from the hospital."

McCain, who finished with 9 points and 7 rebounds in 23 minutes, drove to the basket in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter and, after colliding with a Nets defender, fell back and appeared to smack his head and back sharply on the floor at Wells Fargo Center.

He remained down for several minutes, coughing and appearing to really struggle to catch his breath, before eventually getting to his feet and being helped off the court.

The 76ers said he was being evaluated by the team's medical staff, including for a concussion, and wouldn't be available postgame.

McCain, 20, was the 16th pick in June's NBA draft out of Duke and has averaged 12.8 points and 4.6 rebounds across five preseason games for the 76ers this month.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- As the San Francisco 49ers began preparation for this week's game against the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs, they had no choice but to turn on and relive their devastating loss in Super Bowl LVIII.

The simple act of watching the tape from the 25-22 defeat in Las Vegas brought plenty of feelings back to the surface, but the two losses to the Chiefs on the game's grandest stage are something this season's Niners are trying to set aside as they head toward Sunday's clash at Levi's Stadium.