Alex Ovechkin broke one NHL record and in the process moved a step closer to another Thursday night.

The Washington Capitals star broke the mark for the most goaltenders scored on, beating Leevi Merilainen in overtime to give the Capitals a 1-0 victory over the Senators in Ottawa, Ontario.

Merilainen became the 179th goalie Ovechkin has scored against, breaking a tie with Jaromir Jagr atop the career list.

Ovechkin's goal came on his third shot on net and fifth attempt. He took a pass from Rasmus Sandin on a 2-on-1 breakaway and fired it past Merilainen.

Ovechkin raised his arms and pumped his fist before he was mobbed by teammates. It was his 27th career overtime goal, extending his record. Sidney Crosby is second with 22.

"I knew I should take a shot as soon as I can because I thought he may be thinking maybe I will pass it back to Sandy," Ovechkin said.

"It was a good one, and it went in, so I'll take it."

Merilainen, a 22-year-old rookie from Finland, was appearing in his eighth game in the league.

"You have to know when he's on the ice he's going to shoot everything like he did today," Merilainen said.

Of course, Ovechkin is chasing an even bigger record -- Wayne Gretzky's career goals mark. With No. 874, he moved 21 away from passing Gretzky's mark of 894 that long seemed unapproachable.

The 39-year-old winger is on pace to get to 895 and beyond this spring.

Earlier in January, Ovechkin scored for a 28th time on Marc-Andre Fleury, tops among all the netminders he has faced since arriving in North America in 2005.

Thursday's goal marked the first time Ovechkin has scored in overtime during a 1-0 game in his career. It was also his 13th career overtime goal on the road, surpassing Jagr and John Tavares for the most in NHL history.

It was Ovechkin's 21st goal of the season in just his 29th game -- he missed 16 games because of a broken left leg. He has gotten to 20 in all 20 of his seasons in the league, including 2013 when a lockout shortened the season to 48 games and 2021 when the COVID-19 pandemic cut the schedule to 56 games.

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

INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- LA Clippers owner Steve Ballmer and his wife, Connie, are donating an initial $15 million in emergency funding for people affected by the deadly Los Angeles wildfires.

The Ballmer Group announced the donation Thursday on its website, saying it will go toward addressing immediate food and shelter needs in the community and supporting first responders.

"We love L.A. and are committed to supporting the communities affected by the devastating wildfires," the couple said, adding the donation would help "particularly in the historic, racially diverse community of Altadena."

The Ballmer Group also is behind FireAid, a benefit concert to be held Jan. 30 at Intuit Dome and the Kia Forum, which is also owned by Ballmer.

"We understand there will be a long road to recovery for the LA region and remain committed to supporting the community," the couple said.

Their donation covers four wildfire relief funds, two emergency shelters and emergency housing funds, two food and basic needs groups, two first responder groups, and nine groups that support basic needs for students and families.

MIAMI -- Jimmy Butler could be returning to action for the Miami Heat when they host the Denver Nuggets, as he isn't listed on the Heat's injury report for Friday's game.

If Butler does play, it would be his first game since the Heat confirmed he wants a trade and that they are trying to accommodate that request. He was suspended by the Heat for their most recent seven games, the club citing conduct that it deemed detrimental to the team. Miami went 3-4 in those contests.

When the suspension was issued, it wasn't clear whether Butler would ever play for the Heat again. But with no trade in place -- and evidently without one in the foreseeable future, either -- the Heat did not list Butler on their injury report for the game with the Nuggets.

In short, if he's not on that list, it would indicate the Heat expect Butler to play.

Butler was not with the team on its six-game road trip to Sacramento, Golden State, Utah, Portland and then Los Angeles for games against the Clippers and Lakers. The Heat did not practice Thursday and were planning a walk-through Friday afternoon before the Denver game.

Butler was expected to meet with some team officials Thursday and Friday. It's likely that he will also meet with coach Erik Spoelstra, given comments Butler made in his most recent session with reporters after a loss to Indiana on Jan. 2. He expressed frustration with his role and said he's lost his on-court "joy" in Miami.

"What do I want to see happen? I want to see me get my joy back from playing basketball, wherever that may be -- we'll find out here pretty soon," Butler said. "I want to get my joy back. I'm happy here, off the court, but I want to be back to somewhere dominant. I want to hoop and I want to help this team win. Right now, I'm not doing that."

The relationship between Butler and the Heat -- a talking point for weeks -- has degraded to the point where Butler reiterated to team president Pat Riley in a face-to-face meeting last week that he wants to be traded, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania.

The Heat lost to Indiana 128-115 on Jan. 2, with Butler scoring exactly nine points and playing exactly zero seconds in the fourth quarter for the second consecutive game. The next day, the Heat issued the suspension and reversed course from a statement Riley made in December vowing that Butler would not be traded. The team has been engaging in trade talks since.

But trading Butler is complicated, with new rules in the collective bargaining agreement putting more issues in place for teams to address when acquiring big contracts -- and he's making nearly $49 million this season, with an option to make $52 million next season.

He's 35 years old and is averaging 17.6 points this season. On the one hand, that's his lowest average since his third season in the NBA more than a decade ago. On the other, he's shooting a career-best 55% this season.

Butler was the best player on two Heat teams that went to the NBA Finals. His relationship with the Heat has been tense since last spring, when Riley announced the team would not extend Butler's contract before the 2024-25 season. Butler could have gotten an extension for as much as $113 million over two years.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The rematch between the NBA's top two heavyweights ended with an early knockout.

The final score of the Oklahoma City Thunder's 134-114 home win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night only hinted at how dominant the Thunder were in avenging a loss in the Jan. 8 thriller between the teams with the NBA's best records.

In the previous matchup, the Cavaliers pulled out a 129-122 win in a game that featured 30 lead changes and wasn't decided until the final minute. The Thunder put this game out of reach by halftime, when Oklahoma City had a 26-point lead, the largest deficit of the season for Cleveland.

The lead swelled to 42 points in the third quarter before the benches emptied.

"They imposed their will in every sense," Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson said after the Cavaliers dropped to 34-6, matching the Thunder's record. "We knew it was coming. We knew their force was coming. That's their identity. They imposed their identity. It was an avalanche, and we never responded."

Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander single-handedly outscored the Cavaliers by a 15-14 margin in the first quarter en route to finishing with 40 points in only 29 minutes. He became the first player in Thunder/SuperSonics history to score 40 in fewer than 30 minutes, according to ESPN Research, going 17-of-26 from the floor and also dishing out eight assists.

"I was just playing basketball, the game I love," Gilgeous-Alexander said, playing down the notion that the recent loss to the Cavaliers provided extra motivation. "I work hard. Try to give the game my all and see what it gives back to me."

Oklahoma City's top-ranked defense gave very little to the league's most efficient offense, only eight days after Cleveland had the highest-scoring outing of any Thunder opponent this season.

"It felt like seven pit bulls out there. Not five," Atkinson said. "They were scratching, reaching -- in a good sense. Their speed and athleticism, they kind of toppled us over. It was that simple. That's their calling card. They've done it to a lot of teams. They dominated in every aspect."

The Thunder held the Cavaliers to 49 points in the first half and forced 13 turnovers that Oklahoma City converted into 22 points, almost matching the Thunder's league-leading average of 23.2 points per game scored off turnovers by halftime.

"That's our DNA," said Thunder star forward Jalen Williams, who finished with 19 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks in 30 minutes. "We just try and play hard the whole time. When we can get our communication and just our core principles in the game -- and we didn't do a good job of that the first time we played them and were able to do that tonight -- and I think that makes it hard for teams."

Cavaliers star guard Donovan Mitchell had a poor performance while being harassed by Thunder defensive stopper Lu Dort, scoring a season-low eight points on 3-of-15 shooting. Mitchell credited the Thunder for being the "more mentally and physically tough team" and said blame for the Cavaliers' abysmal performance should begin with him.

Dort also played a major role on the offensive end, scoring a season-high 22 points and going 6-of-9 from 3-point range.

"They just set the tone," said Mitchell, who was held to 11 points on 3-of-16 shooting in the recent win over the Thunder. "We didn't come ready to play. Put this one on me. As a leader, you've got to set the tone. That's twice now against this team that I haven't been that. When your leader's not doing it, it trickles down."

The Cavaliers' big tandem of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley were nonfactors in Oklahoma City despite the Thunder missing their 7-foot duo of Isaiah Hartenstein (calf strain) and Chet Holmgren (fractured pelvis).

Allen and Mobley combined for 18 points, 10 rebounds and 1 assist, compared with their production of 46 points, 21 rebounds and 13 assists in the previous meeting between the contenders. The Cavaliers played significant stretches before garbage time without either of the big men on the floor in an attempt to match up with Oklahoma City's speed.

"The obvious is they're bigger than us, and our whole goal was to just be so good playing small that they'd try to play small and can't have both of them out there on the court at the same time," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "And I think we did a really good job of that tonight. Being grimy when the bigs brought the ball down, getting the loose balls, helping each other out, scrambling. We obviously got on a run, and they had to make some changes, and then once the game goes small it's pretty much our game, our style."

LOS ANGELES -- Tommy Brown, the youngest player to hit a home run in a major league game and the last living member of the landmark 1947 Brooklyn Dodgers team that included rookie Jackie Robinson, has died. He was 97.

Brown died Wednesday at a rehabilitation center in Altamonte Springs, Florida, his oldest daughter, Paula Brown Caplice, said Thursday. He had broken his hip and arm in a fall.

"He had a nice life and he loved his sports," she told The Associated Press by phone.

Born Thomas Michael Brown on Dec. 6, 1927, in Brooklyn, he signed with his hometown Dodgers after a 1943 tryout and spent the first four months of the 1944 season in the minors.

Nicknamed "Buckshot," the 6-foot-1 Brown was 16 years, 241 days old when he started at shortstop at Ebbets Field against the Chicago Cubs on Aug. 3, 1944, during the World War II manpower shortage.

That made Brown the youngest non-pitcher to play in a major league game, and the second-youngest player after left-hander Joe Nuxhall, who was 15 years, 316 days old when he debuted for the Cincinnati Reds on June 10, 1944.

Brown doubled for his first big league hit in the Dodgers' loss.

On Aug. 20, 1945, Brown homered against Preacher Roe and the Pittsburgh Pirates at 17 years, 257 days old, a major league record that still stands. It was the Dodgers' lone run in an 11-1 defeat.

"It probably won't be broken, either," said Brown Caplice, who would call her father every Aug. 20 and ask him what had happened that day.

"He said, 'Ah, yes, I hit my first home run,'" she said. "The Dodgers signed Preacher Roe a few years later. My dad joked his home run ability went down when Preacher Roe signed. They became good friends."

Five days later, Brown homered again, this time off New York Giants pitcher Adrián Zabala in an 8-6 Brooklyn win. That made Brown the second-youngest player to hit a homer -- behind himself. They were his only homers in 1945, when he batted .245 and had 19 RBIs.

Brown spent the 1946 season serving in the U.S. Army.

He returned to the Dodgers in 1947, joining a roster that included future Hall of Fame shortstop Pee Wee Reese and Robinson, whose debut that season broke baseball's color barrier.

Brown's daughter recalled her father telling her about a petition that circulated among several white players on the Dodgers protesting the addition of Robinson, who was Black.

"He said, 'I'm not signing anything like that,'" she said. "I thought that was pretty standup for a 20-year-old on a club with a lot of senior players trying to bully. That told me who he really was."

She said her mother, Ann, and Robinson's wife, Rachel, became friends.

Brown appeared as a pinch hitter in the 1949 World Series and was hitless in two at-bats as Brooklyn lost to the New York Yankees in five games.

"We didn't like the Yankees in our house," Brown Caplice said, laughing.

Brown became a utility player for the rest of his career, appearing in 166 games at shortstop, 94 in the outfield, 50 at third base, 24 at second base and 21 at first base.

The Dodgers traded him to the Philadelphia Phillies in June 1951, and they sold his contract to the Cubs the following year.

Brown's major league career ended at age 25 in 1953. He played in the minors until 1959 and then retired.

He had a .241 career batting average with 31 home runs and 159 RBIs.

Brown's death leaves Bobby Shantz, who is 99, as the last living major league player who was active during the 1940s.

Besides his oldest daughter, Brown is survived by wife Charlene, daughters Michele and Pamela, and son Bill. His first marriage ended in divorce and his second wife preceded him in death.

LOS ANGELES -- Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani is donating $500,000 to help firefighters and animals forced to flee the deadly wildfires around the region.

Ohtani announced his intention on Instagram, with LA Strong in white lettering against a black background.

"We'll be donating $500,000 to help those firefighters and those forced to live in shelter to help animals in need," he wrote.

The Dodgers and other Los Angeles sports teams are partnering in selling an "LA Strong" collection of T-shirts and sweatshirts, with all proceeds benefiting the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation and American Red Cross.

"I hope you all will consider this," Ohtani wrote.

Sale winger Tom Roebuck has signed a new two-year contract.

The 24-year-old England international came through the club's academy and has scored 39 tries.

He is the second Sale player to extend his stay at the club this week after fellow England international Asher Opoku-Fordjour signed a three-year deal on Wednesday.

"I'm playing every week with a group of close mates who I've played with for a long time and that's what makes this club so special," he told the club website., external

"I'm loving it here but I can't say we're living the dream because we haven't won anything yet. We've been close twice and it still hurts that we didn't manage to convert our chances."

As an Ulsterman who moved to England at a young age and became an Exeter Chiefs legend, Friday's Investec Champions Cup match between the sides at Kingspan Stadium is especially significant for Gareth Steenson.

Having failed to land a contract at Ulster, Steenson - who played for Ireland's under-19 and under-21 sides - joined then-Division One side Rotherham Titans in 2006 in a bid to revive his career.

After a year there and another with Cornish Pirates, he signed for Exeter Chiefs in 2008. It would become his home for 16 years.

During a 12-year playing career at Sandy Park, the fly-half was a key protagonist in the Chiefs' odyssey from second-tier obscurity to the Premiership summit, twice lifting the title in 2017 and 2020.

He was also part of the squad that won the Champions Cup in 2020 and retired that year as the club's all-time leading points scorer.

Having spent four years on the Chiefs' coaching staff, Steenson is back home working as a backs coach with City of Armagh.

"This is my home club, this is where I first started playing rugby all those years ago," he tells BBC Sport NI.

"I was a wee soccer lad but then I was brought along here when I was in primary school and that's where I learnt the game. And to come back now after all these years, it just feels sort of right, it's kind of coming full circle."

As a boyhood Ulster fan who was granted the Freedom of the City of Exeter a few years ago, Steenson admits Friday's game will be "strange" for him, like it was when he captained the Chiefs to a European Cup pool win over his home province in January 2017.

"I have a lot of friends who are going to be turning out for the Chiefs this weekend," said Steenson, who has been a regular Sportsound contributor on Ulster matches this season.

On the 2017 game, he added: "It was probably one of the proudest nights I've ever had, to captain Exeter Chiefs against Ulster on a Saturday night in the Heineken Cup...albeit I never expected myself not to be wearing a white jersey that night."

As for Friday's game, Steenson believes Ulster and Exeter are in a "similar place" with both sides having lost all three pool games this season.

"They're struggling for confidence, really, aren't they?," he said of the Chiefs.

"It's been a difficult campaign. The group they actually have, there's only one fellow in that squad who didn't play in the quarter-final of Europe last year against Toulouse.

"So, as much as they talk about them learning, there's still some experienced guys in there. The group that'll come across here, they'll get excited at the opportunity.

"They've got an opportunity this weekend to create history. Never has an Exeter Chiefs team won in a European Cup on Irish soil."