HOUSTON -- Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander reached 20 points Friday night against the Houston Rockets for the 70th straight game, moving past Michael Jordan for the fourth-longest single-season streak in NBA history.

Gilgeous-Alexander made 1 of 2 free throws at the end of the third quarter to give him 20 points and eclipse the 69-game streak Jordan had in 1990-91 and become the first player to have a 70-game streak since the 1960s.

He finished with 22 points in the Thunder's 125-111 loss to the Rockets, the No. 2 team behind OKC in the Western Conference, as Oklahoma City's win streak ended at 11.

Wilt Chamberlain tops the list with 80-game streaks in both the 1961-62 and 1963-64 seasons. Oscar Robertson is third with a 76-game streak in 1963-64.

Gilgeous-Alexander's streak began Nov. 1 when he scored 30 points against the Trail Blazers. It came a game after he managed just 18 points in a win over the Spurs, which was the only time this season when he didn't score at least 20 points.

Houston, which is second in the Western Conference, improved to 2-3 against the top-seeded Thunder with the win. Oklahoma City lost for the first time since March 10.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

TORONTO -- One year after finishing with the worst record in the NBA, the Detroit Pistons are going to the playoffs for the first time since 2018-19.

The Pistons punched their postseason ticket with a 117-105 victory over Toronto on Friday night.

No NBA team has ever gone from a worse record than Detroit's 14 wins last season to earning a playoff berth the following year.

"It's a big deal," first-year Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. "We typically don't take time to reflect on where we are, but this is an opportunity for this group to reflect on where it is, where it's come from and what it's been able to accomplish together. To turn it around the way they have and put themselves in this position to play in the postseason, it's a big deal."

Detroit's Jalen Duren, who had 21 points and 18 rebounds Friday, said it felt good to reach the playoffs after not winning more than 17 games in either of his first two NBA seasons. Detroit is 43-34 with five games remaining.

"People doubted us," Duren said. "They didn't believe. They thought it would take longer for us to turn this thing around but we're here.

"We're not done yet. We're going to take a moment to enjoy what we've accomplished, but it's only milestones. The real goal, obviously, is to bring championships back to our city."

The Pistons finished eighth in the Eastern Conference and were swept by Milwaukee in the first round of the 2019 playoffs. Before that, Detroit's previous two playoff appearances were also eighth-place finishes and first-round sweeps, both to Cleveland, in 2016 and 2009.

The Pistons haven't won a playoff series since finishing second in the East in 2007-08, winning series over Philadelphia and Orlando before losing to Boston in the conference finals.

Duren said the Pistons won't be satisfied with simply reaching the playoffs.

"We're happy, but everybody's mindset is that this isn't the championship," Duren said. "We haven't done anything yet."

MILWAUKEE -- The Cincinnati Reds ended a 35-inning scoreless streak on Friday night when Christian Encarnacion-Strand hit a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning to drive in TJ Friedl in a 3-2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers.

Jeimer Candelario followed with an RBI double.

The 35-inning scoreless streak is tied for the fourth most in team history, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. The record is 45 innings in 1941.

The Reds played Friday night's game without first-year manager Terry Francona and several players who were sent back to the team hotel sick, although most key players were in the lineup. Bench coach Freddie Benavides took over managing duties.

"We're not really sure what the sickness is so we sent some staff members to the hotel, some players as well. Hopefully they're going to be better tomorrow," president of baseball operations Nick Krall said before the game.

Krall said source of the illness remains unclear.

The last time the Reds had at least 35 consecutive scoreless innings was from Sept. 8 to Sept. 12, 1946 when they went 37 innings without a run, according to Sportradar,

The major league record for consecutive scoreless innings is 48, by the Chicago Cubs from June 15 to June 21, 1968 and the Philadelphia Athletics from Sept. 22 to Sept. 26, 1906.

The Reds had lost three consecutive 1-0 three games had not happened since May 1960 when the Philadelphia Phillies did it.

Cincinnati appeared to be in danger of a fourth consecutive shutout, especially after being held without a hit through six innings against the Brewers before Gavin Lux hit a seventh-inning single.

The last team to get shut out in four consecutive games was the Kansas City Royals from Aug. 25 to Aug. 28, 2017.

Losing three straight 1-0 games has only occurred six times in MLB history, and four of those instances were over a century ago. Nobody has ever lost 1-0 in four straight games. The last time the Reds were shut out in four straight was in 1931.

The other teams to lose 1-0 in three consecutive games were the Brooklyn Superbas in 1908, the St. Louis Browns and Washington Senators in 1909 and the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1917.

Edinburgh held off the Lions to book their place in the quarter-finals of the European Challenge Cup.

The home side took control from the off and crossed for first-half tries from Wes Goosen, Ben Vellacott and Jamie Ritchie.

Frencke Horn and Jaco Visagie hit back for the South African side after the break either side of a try from Ali Price for the home side, but it was not enough as Edinburgh ensured their passage to the last eight.

Sean Everitt's side will face either Bayonne or Vodacom Bulls at home in next weekend's quarter-finals.

The low point of Edinburgh's season was a grisly 55-21 URC hammering by the Lions in Johannesburg in October.

The South African side are a different proposition away from home, however, and it took Edinburgh just 80 seconds to carve them open, Goosen marking his 50th appearance for the club by finishing off a slick attack.

The home side started at a high tempo, aided by the sharp service of Vellacott, and the scrum-half darted through a gap around the fringes to score Edinburgh's second try.

An electric break from deep from Darcy Graham took Edinburgh into back into the red zone before Ritchie powered over to give the hosts a 17-0 lead at the break.

The capital side looked to be cruising to victory after a dominant first-half performance, but the Lions took the initiative after the break and a try from captain Horn gave them hope.

The match lost its fluency through a succession of stoppages and replacements, with neither side able to exert any meaningful pressure near their opponent's line.

That was until Matt Currie sliced through the Lions defence on a terrific line and found substitute Price on his shoulder for the score.

Lions were not done yet and substitute hooker Visagie stretched brilliantly for the line to bring the visitors back within 12, but it was too little and too late as Edinburgh saw it out to progress to the quarter-finals.

"The guys put in a tremendous amount of effort in the first half and played some scintillating rugby," Everitt said.

"Probably could have scored some more tries if we're being picky, but pleased with how we defended. It was a good performance all-round.

"It's a massive opportunity [in the quarter-finals]. For us, it's back to work on Monday and trying to improve on this performance."

Pau: Luc; Roudil (c), Klemenczak, Brau-Boirie, Grandidier Nkanang; Desperes, Souverbie; Calles, Dehommel, Williams, Jolmes, Tagitagivalu, Kpoku, Hamonou, C Tuipulotu.

Replacements: Ruffenach, Parrou, Tokolahi, Picquette, Maximin, Hewat, Robson, Manu.

Bath: McConnochie; Cokanasiga, Ojomoh, Butt, Muir; Donoghue, Spencer (c); Obano, Dunn, Griffin Roux, Molony, Bayliss, Underhill, Red.

Replacements: K Tuipulotu, Van Wyk, Verden, Richards, Hill, Carr-Smith, Bailey, Coetzee.

Red card: Underhill (55 mins).

Referee: Hollie Davidson.

LOS ANGELES -- Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl is "out short term" but should return "well before" the playoffs begin after suffering a lower-body injury against the San Jose Sharks the previous night, coach Kris Knoblauch said Friday.

Draisaitl, who leads the NHL with 52 goals this season, didn't practice Friday and won't play against the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday. He missed the second half of the second period and all of the third period in a 3-2 win over the Sharks.

Knoblauch expects Draisaitl back before the postseason begins on April 19, when the Oilers are likely to face the Kings in the first round for the fourth straight year.

"We think it's going to be back well before that, so we're not too concerned, especially with Leon's pain tolerance and things that he's played through before, but he will be missing some time," Knoblauch said.

Draisaitl missed four games in late March because of an undisclosed injury. Knoblauch said this new ailment is unrelated.

Draisaitl was on pace to set a career high in scoring after reaching the 50-goal mark for the third time in four seasons, and his 106 points are third in the league.

The one-two punch of Draisaitl and fellow superstar center Connor McDavid powered the Oilers to the Stanley Cup finals last year, but Edmonton is currently without both players as they try to chase down the Kings for second place in the Pacific Division and home-ice advantage for the first round.

McDavid has not played since suffering a lower-body injury in a collision with Winnipeg defenseman Josh Morrissey on March 20.

In spite of those absences, Edmonton has won three straight and is 7-2-1 in its past 10 games.

"It's impressive," forward Trent Frederic said. "Even last night, it's a big win there. ... No, the team's looked unreal."

Frederic was acquired from the Boston Bruins in a three-team trade on March 4 but has yet to play for the Oilers because of an ankle injury. He took part in practice Friday and could make his Edmonton debut on Saturday.

Alex Ovechkin continues his chase to break Wayne Gretzky's all-time regular season NHL goals scoring record of 894. Ovechkin has been on a scoring tear this season, with 39 goals in 59 games to give him a total of 892, despite missing time with a broken leg. Both Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals have been surprisingly hot this season, with Ovechkin logging his best goals per game ratio in years and the Capitals at the top of the Eastern Conference.

Ovechkin is one of the most distinguished players to step on the NHL ice, winning three Hart Trophies for most valuable player, nine Rocket Richard Trophies for most goals scored in a season and the 2017 Stanley Cup, the first championship in franchise history. Here are the remaining games for Ovechkin and the Capitals. Next up is a home game Friday against the Chicago Blackhawks at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

For sports bettors, Ovechkin has been one of the NHL's most popular bets as he continues to get closer to the Great One's mark. Here are the special markets on ESPN BET Sportsbook to bet on Ovechkin's record chase.

Latest odds as of publication. For odds movement, go to ESPN BET.

Relevant links: Ovechkin goals tracker | Odds to win conference, Stanley Cup | Fantasy hockey | How to watch the NHL on ESPN

Ovechkin's odds vs. Chicago on Friday (Watch live on ESPN+):

• First goal-scorer: +650

• To score 2-plus goals: +450

• To score 3-plus goals: 19-1

• Over/Under 0.5 total goals: -165/+120

• O/U 3.5 shots on goal: +115/-160

• O/U 1.5 total points: +145/-190

• O/U 0.5 assists: +110/-145

• O/U 0.5 power play points: +170/-230

For more from ESPN:

• Ovechkin's pursuit of record creates betting frenzy

• Fantasy hockey rankings

• Beginner's guide to sports betting

LOS ANGELES -- U.S. Soccer CEO JT Batson said the federation would strongly support expansion of the Women's World Cup to 48 teams in 2031.

U.S. Soccer submitted the only "valid bid" for the 2031 tournament prior to FIFA's deadline, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said on Thursday.

"Forty-eight teams is something that we've been passionate supporters for," Batson told a small group of reporters Friday. "We think it would be incredible for growing the women's game."

Infantino has previously proposed the idea of expanding the competition to 48 teams. Batson said that "all signs are positive" for expansion to 48 teams, and that U.S. Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone would use her new seat on the FIFA Council to voice that support.

The United States is expected to co-host the 2031 Women's World Cup with other Concacaf nations. Batson said that the number of teams participating in the tournament will dictate which other countries join the U.S. as hosts.

Mexico previously joined the U.S. in a 2027 Women's World Cup joint bid that was ultimately abandoned to allow the U.S. to focus on 2031. Brazil will host the 32-team 2027 tournament.

The UK submitted the only "valid bid" to host the 2035 Women's World Cup. FIFA had previously set geographic restrictions on which continents could host each event.

The Women's World Cup expanded from 16 to 24 teams in 2015, then expanded to 32 teams in 2023.

The 2026 Men's World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the U.S., will feature 48 teams for the first time.

"One of the things we hear from folks who lead federations around the world is they view the Women's World Cup as an opportunity for them to, one, make a World Cup and, two, really go compete in a way that conceivably they wouldn't be able to on the men's side," Batson said. "So, what this would lead to in terms of spurring investment all around the world in women's and girls' soccer, we think would be incredible."

The U.S. hosted the 1999 and 2003 editions of the Women's World Cup, the latter by emergency due the SARS epidemic in China, the original host for that year. Canada hosted the 2015 Women's World Cup.

Both Batson and NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman used the term "catalyst" in describing the opportunity to host the 2031 tournament.

"I think to the extent people see the Men's World Cup as a catalyst for the growth of men's soccer here, the Women's World Cup being here in 2031 is directly a catalyst for growth," Berman told ESPN, referencing 1999 as an inflection point.

"The idea that we actually will have a thriving league going into it and coming out of it, no doubt should create and incredible amount of excitement for the future of the NWSL and we absolutely will capitalize on it."

USWNT head coach Emma Hayes described a 2031 World Cup in the U.S. as "dreamland," citing the existing infrastructure for next year's Men's World Cup, which will also take place in Mexico and Canada.

Hayes, who grew up in England but started her professional coaching career in the U.S., expressed excitement for both 2031 and 2035.

"It's fair to say, in whatever capacity -- fan or coaching -- I will for sure be at those World Cups," Hayes said.

LOS ANGELES -- National Women's Soccer League commissioner Jessica Berman said Friday that she believes the league could grow as big as the NFL, which has 32 teams.

"We have very ambitious plans for expansion," Berman said on stage at U.S. Soccer's SheBelieves Summit.

"Our board believes that we can be the size of the NFL, there is nothing that stands in the way of us doing that, other than having access to top talent. There's certainly not a problem with the supply, given the size of our country and the level of talent that exists, we just need to figure out how to develop them strategically and intentionally."

Berman said in January that she saw "no reason" why the NWSL could not eventually become a 30-team league. There are currently 14 teams in the league, with teams from Boston and Denver set to begin play in 2026 to bring the league to 16 clubs.

In a separate interview with ESPN on Friday, Berman said her vision is "a product of the size of our country and how many cities we believe could support a successful NWSL team."

The league is not actively running an expansion process now but has "continued active conversations with interested groups," she told ESPN. Berman said there is not currently a timeline for the next round of expansion beyond 16 teams.

Boston was approved to enter the league in 2023 for a $53 million expansion fee. Denver was officially announced in January for a $110 million expansion fee. They will be the first expansion teams to join the NWSL since the league's new collective bargaining agreement eliminated all drafts, including expansion drafts.

Several NWSL sources ranging from technical staff executives to team owners have expressed concerns to ESPN about the NWSL expanding too rapidly. Only one out of 14 general managers surveyed anonymously by ESPN last year felt that 30 teams was a good number for the league to eventually reach. Nine of 14 felt the league should stick to 24 teams or fewer.

Among the concerns expressed by various league sources are the thinning out of the available player pool as well as available coaches and technical staff support.

Berman told ESPN on Friday that she thinks the depth of the player pool "is the right question to ask," but she does not view it as a concern.

"The reason I think it shouldn't rise to the level of concern is that there is no country in the world that has the access to the number, the sheer volume of actual and potential players that we have in this country," Berman said.

"The challenge and the opportunity that we have, which needs to be part of the strategy of future expansion, is how we're going to cultivate that pool of players in a wider base than has historically been the case because there hasn't been a need for it -- because the league was 10 teams."

SAN ANTONIO -- Texas A&M is set to hire Samford coach Bucky McMillan as the school's next men's basketball coach, sources told ESPN on Friday. The sides are finalizing a five-year deal, according to sources.

McMillan is the head coach at Samford, which he led to a pair of Southern Conference championships and one NCAA tournament in his five seasons there. His overall record there was 99-52, and he led Samford to four-consecutive 20-win seasons.

His teams play at a hyper tempo in a style known as "Bucky Ball," which translated immediately to success at Samford. Three times, he has been named the Southern Conference Coach of the Year at a place that struggled to win for a generation.

McMillan takes over for Buzz Williams, who left for Maryland in the wake of three consecutive NCAA tournaments for the Aggies. Texas A&M earned a No. 4 seed in the NCAA tournament this year.

McMillan has a track record of consistent results at every level. The NCAA tournament bid at Samford in 2024 was the school's first since 2000. Samford took No. 4 seed Kansas to the brink in the 2024 tournament, cutting a 22-point deficit to one point with less than a minute remaining. It lost 93-89 after a controversial foul call in the final minute.

McMillan, 41, profiles as one of the country's most intriguing and promising young coaches. He won five state high school titles at Mountain Brook High school in Alabama and, in a rare move, took the head college job at Samford directly from high school. In a 12-year run at Mountain Brook, he won 333 games, averaged nearly 28 wins per season and turned the local program into a household name nationally.

He defined a style that includes a heavy emphasis on pressing and disruption. It is one that not only plays fast on offense, but it attempts to speed up the opposition. In each of the past two seasons, Samford's opponents turned the ball over at a rate that put the team in the top 20 in the country for opponent turnover percentage.

The energy and style should help engage an A&M fan base that isn't organically a basketball group. A&M is expected to have nearly $7 million available in NIL and revenue share this season, a competitive number for the SEC that should give Texas A&M a chance to be competitive in the conference.