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Wake / BC Ready for Snowed Out Game

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CHESTNUT HILL – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Not much has gone well for Boston College in the second half of the season. The Eagles are 2-12 since the calendar flipped to 2026.

They will attempt to end an eight-game losing streak when they face Wake Forest on Wednesday evening in Chestnut Hill, Mass. The game originally was scheduled for Tuesday before it was moved due to inclement weather.

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Boston College (9-18, 2-12 ACC) is at the bottom of the conference in several offensive categories, including scoring (67.7 points per game), field goal percentage (40.8) and 3-point field goals (30.3%). The Eagles shot 33.3% from the field (23 of 69) during Saturday’s 94-70 loss to SMU, getting outscored 54-34 after halftime.

“I thought their zone at the start of the second half stymied us,” Boston College head coach Earl Grant said. “We usually get excited when we see a zone, but we didn’t (against SMU). … We didn’t probe it good enough.”

Boston College’s Donald Hand Jr. (leg) did not play against SMU, missing his third straight contest. Hand has averaged 13.8 points, second on the team behind Fred Payne (15.4).

Wake Forest (14-13, 5-9) is coming off an 82-63 setback Saturday at Virginia Tech which snapped a three-game winning streak. Juke Harris led Wake Forest with 16 points in the loss. He has scored in double figures in all 27 games this season and is the No. 3 scorer in the ACC (21.1 points).

The Demon Deacons rank last among ACC teams in rebounding (32.8 per game).

“I thought we were doing a good job rebounding the ball on the glass,” Wake Forest coach Steve Forbes said. “Then I think they got four offensive rebounds in the last three possessions of the first half. They kind of smelled blood in the water, and then they got 13 offensive rebounds. They had great balance and six guys in double figures in scoring. I thought they came up with the majority of the 50-50 balls that led to easy baskets.”

Eight of Boston College’s nine victories this season have come at home. Wake Forest is 2-5 on the road.

–Field Level Media

Winter Olympics Score Ratings Gold

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STAMFORD – (Wire Service Report) – NBC Sports struck ratings gold this month with its coverage of the Milan Cortina Olympics on NBC stations and the streaming platform Peacock. The network averaged 23.5 million viewers to become the most watched Winter Olympics since Sochi in 2014, while marking a 96% ratings improvement over the 2022 Beijing Games.

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Highlight moments across the two weeks of Olympic coverage included the opening and closing ceremonies, Alysa Liu’s gold medal in women’s figure skating and gold medals for both the women’s and men’s ice hockey teams, each with victories over Canada.

“The Milan Cortina Olympics proved once again that the American audience will gather in large numbers over 17 days to experience this unmatched global competition,” NBC Olympics president Gary Zenkel said in a statement.

The viewership data, through Nielsen, is through Thursday and subject to revision.

NBC reported that all 15 days when competition took place saw at least 20 million viewers per day. Peacock and NBCU digital platforms averaged 3.3 million viewers daily.

According to Nielsen, Milwaukee led all markets with a 13.7 rating and a 49 share. That was followed by Minneapolis, Fort Myers, Fla., Pittsburgh and Dayton, Ohio.

The Milan Cortina Olympics were part of a busy sports month for NBC, which included Super Bowl LX, the most-watched show in the 100-year history of NBC and the second-most watched show of all-time across any network. The month also included the most-watched NBA All-Star Game since 2011.

–Field Level Media

Jaylen Brown is Hearing MVP Talk

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PHOENIX – (Wire Service Report) – While the Phoenix Suns search for offense, the Boston Celtics are thriving behind Jaylen Brown, who belongs in the MVP conversation, according to one four-time MVP.

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“This whole MVP thing, I don’t understand why his name is not getting talked about some as well,” LeBron James said after Brown stuffed the stat sheet in the Celtics’ 111-89 victory at the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.

“They’re playing great basketball, and it’s because of him and the rest of those guys. He’s taken that next step.”

Brown had 32 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals against the Lakers, and he brings averages of 29.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.9 assists — all career highs — into a back-to-back against the host Phoenix Suns on Tuesday, the third game of the Celtics’ four-game road trip.

The Suns, who have struggled to find offense in large part because of injuries to top scorers Devin Booker (24.7) and Dillon Brooks (20.9), have lost six of nine and enter after a 92-77 home loss to Portland on Sunday, their lowest point total since 2017 which was also a loss to the Blazers.

“We can’t get to the free throw line, can’t get to the rim,” Ott said. “Got to shoot jump shots. The way you shoot jump shots is to set screens. But we’re going to continue to find ways we want to play in transition. We want to get more shots up.”

Boston has won eight of nine and is a season-high 18 games above .500 in a season that was thought to be compromised by the loss of Jayson Tatum to a torn Achilles.

Brown, who is fourth in the league in scoring, made his case in support of James’ praise.

“I feel like I’m the best two-way player in the world,” Brown said. “I play both ends on the court. Night to night, I’m available, which is hard to do.

“I’m a leader. I help lead my team, empower my team to come out and play confidently, stuff that doesn’t always show up on the analytics. And I’m a winner. I come out and try to win every single night. So I’m grateful.”

The Celtics have compensated for the loss of Tatum and 2024 title team members Al Horford, Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis with a career year from reigning Sixth Man of the Year Payton Pritchard and veteran Derrick White.

Pritchard scored 30 points against the Lakers and is 15 of 28 from distance in the last three games, all wins. He is averaging a career-high 17.6 points with increased playing time. White’s 17.0 scoring average is also a career high.

“The story’s not done,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzula said. “We haven’t done anything. All we’ve done is stick to the process of winning on both ends of the floor.”

–Field Level Media

Celtics Dominate LA Lakers

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LOS ANGELES – (Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Jaylen Brown scored 32 points with eight rebounds and seven assists, while his teammate Payton Pritchard added 30 points with eight assists and the visiting Celtics continued their February surge with a 111-89 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.

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Boston’s Derrick White scored 12 points with eight assists as the Celtics’ defense held the Lakers to 39.1% from the floor, while improving to 8-1 since Jan. 30. Boston shot 48.2% while opening 2-0 on a four-game road trip against Western Conference teams.

Neemias Queta had 10 points and 12 rebounds for the Celtics

Luka Doncic scored 25 points and LeBron James added 20 for the Lakers, who lost for the third time in their past five games. Austin Reaves had 15 points as the Los Angeles star trio fell to 8-4 when all three were on the court this season.

James, the NBA’s all-time points leader, moved past the 43,000-point mark in his record 23rd season.

The Lakers were held to their second lowest scoring game of the season behind an 88-point effort in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Dec. 20.

The Celtics led by as many as 14 points in the third quarter and never allowed the Lakers to make a run in the fourth. Boston pushed the lead to 94-79 after a step-back jumper from Brown with 6:58 left.

Brown capped an 8-0 run on a 3-pointer that gave the Celtics a 102-81 lead with 4:11 remaining. Pritchard sealed the victory on a 3-pointer with 3:24 left for a 105-83 victory that prompted the Lakers to remove their starters the rest of the way.

The Celtics took charge in the second quarter, turning a first-period tie into a 60-50 halftime lead on 52.4% shooting as Brown scored 13 points and Pritchard added 11. Doncic had 18 points in the first half for the Lakers, who shot 41.9% over the first two quarters.

Boston won the season series 2-0 that includes a 126-105 victory at home on Dec. 5. The Celtics are 6-2 against the Lakers since the 2022-23 season.

–Field Level Media

Ciao Bella: Milan-Cortino Magic

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VERONA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) Italy said a fond farewell to the Winter Olympics on Sunday with an open-air ceremony in the ancient Verona Arena that celebrated art and sporting achievement at a Games lauded as a model for how to stage such events.

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The Games, formally co-hosted by Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, have been spread across a large area of northern Italy and passed off smoothly, with Italy also bagging a record haul of 30 medals.

The baton now passes to the French Alps, which are expected to follow a similar blueprint of using multiple existing winter sports venues in 2030 to reduce the environmental impact.

“Grazie Italia per questi Giochi magici! (Thank you, Italy, for these magical Games),” said International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry.

“You delivered a new kind of Winter Games and you set a very high standard for the future,” added Coventry, overseeing her first Olympics.

The next Summer Olympics will be in Los Angeles in two years’ time when the IOC will seek to develop a new business model, and its efforts to separate sport and politics are likely to face a daunting challenge.

MELONI PRAISES ITALIAN ACHIEVEMENTS

The closing ceremony was entitled “Beauty in Action” and featured leading Italian ballet dancer Roberto Bolle who performed an aerial routine, as well as a tribute to opera and dance music from DJ/producer Gabry Ponte.

“The Olympics have given us unforgettable emotions and a sense of pride that will remain with Italy for a long time to come,” Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wrote on X, adding that the organization had “brought prestige to the entire nation.”

Meloni was among the crowd in the Roman amphitheater renowned for staging opera and pop concerts in the heart of the northern Italian city made famous as the setting for William Shakespeare’s play “Romeo and Juliet.”

Security was tight around the 2,000-year-old arena, with barriers set up to limit access and a helicopter circling overhead. Some tourists were surprised to find access to the main Piazza Bra restricted.

Hundreds of people marched through Verona a few hours before the Olympics closing ceremony to protest against housing costs and environmental concerns linked to the Winter Games.

The “Olympics? No thanks” rally was organized by university groups and associations that oppose hosting an event they say disrupts forests, pours concrete onto fragile land and deepens social inequality.

ATHLETES LET THEIR HAIR DOWN

However, with the Olympic medals won and lost, the tone of the closing ceremony in the arena was relaxed and free-wheeling.

Tickets were priced from 950 euros ($1,120) to a top level of 2,900 euros. Many of the athletes were in attendance but some seats appeared to remain empty on a chilly but clear evening.

Damiano Tommasi, mayor of Verona, and a former Hellas Verona and AS Roma soccer player, said staging the ceremony in such a historic location was “something unprecedented in Olympic history.”

“Personally, it motivates me to work towards planning a bid for the Summer Games in Italy, which have been missing for far too long,” he added

Rome hosted the Olympics in 1960 and the Italian capital dropped a bid for the 2024 Games, which were held in Paris.

–Reuters, special to Field Level Media

Golden Hour

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MILAN – (Wire Service Report) – USA forward Jack Hughes scored at 1:41 of overtime to lift the United States to a 2-1 victory against Canada in the gold medal game on Sunday at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.

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Hughes scored with a sweeping wrist shot from the inside edge of the left circle off a feed from defenseman Zach Werenski. The goal gave the Americans their first Olympic gold medal since the Miracle on Ice in 1980. Matt Boldy scored on the first shot of the game for the U.S. and Connor Hellebuyck made 41 saves.

Defenseman Cale Makar scored and Jordan Binnington made 26 saves for the Canadians, who were trying for their 10th Olympic gold medal. Canada was outshooting the U.S. 4-0 when Boldy split between Makar and Colorado Avalanche teammate Devon Toews at the Canadian blue line.

Toews had the best chance at snuffing out the play, but he whiffed on his clearing attempt. Boldy continued skating in on Binnington before sliding a backhand between his pads for a 1-0 lead at the six-minute mark of the first period.

Hellebuyck stopped Connor McDavid on a breakaway just before the midway point of the second period, and the Canadians failed to capitalize on a 5-on-3 power play for 93 seconds.

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The penalty kill for the U.S. went 18-for-18 in the tournament.

The Canadians avoided trailing at the start of the third period for the third straight game when Makar received a pass from Toews above the right circle and fired a wrist shot into the net to tie it 1-1 at 18:16.

Canada outshot the U.S. 19-8 in the second period to take a 27-16 advantage into the third.

Hellebuyck continued to make a string of miraculous saves early in the third, reaching back with his stick to tip a shot by Toews and then stopping Macklin Celebrini twice on a breakaway.

Canada was leveled by a four-minute double-minor high-sticking on Sam Bennett at 13:26 of the third, but the U.S. couldn’t capitalize for the first three minutes. The rest of the power play was negated by a high-sticking penalty on Hughes.

Canada played its second straight game without star captain Sidney Crosby, who was injured in the 4-3 overtime win against Czechia in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. Crosby scored the overtime winner for Canada in a 3-2 win against the U.S. in the gold medal game at the Vancouver Olympics in 2010.

–Field Level Media

Duke Beats Michigan; Top 20 Round-Up

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WASH DC – (Wire Service Report) – Duke’s Cameron Boozer scored 18 points and No. 3 Duke held on to beat No. 1 Michigan 68-63 in a much-anticipated non-conference showdown Saturday night.

The Duke victory will likely vault them to the No. 1 ranking in the country.

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Isaiah Evans racked up 14 points, Caleb Foster provided 12 points and Patrick Ngongba II turned in 11 points for Duke (25-2). Boozer grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds, part of the Blue Devils 13-rebound advantage on the boards (41-28), and also distributed a game-high seven assists.

Yaxel Lendeborg posted 16 of his 21 points in the first half for Michigan (25-2), which had an 11-game win streak snapped. Morez Johnson Jr. finished with 13 points and Aday Mara notched 10 points on 4-of-4 shooting through foul trouble, but the Wolverines ended at 40% from the field, including 6-for-25 from 3-point range (24%).

Earlier in the day, the NCAA Tournament selection committee’s bracket preview listed Michigan and Duke, respectively, as the top two overall seeds. Attendance was announced at 20,537, making it the largest turnout for a neutral-site game this season.

No. 4 Arizona 73, No. 2 Houston 66

Reserve Anthony Dell’Orso matched his season high of 22 points to lead the Wildcats, handing the Cougars their first home loss of the season and second since they joined the Big 12 in 2023-24.

Arizona (25-2, 12-2 Big 12) took sole possession of the conference lead with the win over Houston (23-4, 11-3), which has lost two straight after a six-game winning streak.

Jaden Bradley had 17 points and four assists for the Wildcats, while Ivan Kharchenkov added 16 points and nine rebounds. Kingston Flemings led Houston with 17 points, eight rebounds and four assists.

No. 5 UConn 73, Villanova 63

Alex Karaban scored eight of his 12 points in the second half as the Huskies posted a win over the Wildcats in Philadelphia.

All five starters scored between nine and 12 points for the Huskies (25-3, 15-2 Big East), who bounced back nicely from a 91-84 loss to Creighton. Tarris Reed Jr. was 5-of-5 from the field for 11 points, while Braylon Mullins pitched in 10 points.

Tyler Perkins scored 15 points to pace the Wildcats (21-6, 12-4), who had won six straight games since losing to UConn last month. Matt Hodge chipped in with 13 points for the Wildcats, while Acaden Lewis scored 11 points — all in the first half.

No. 23 BYU 79, No. 6 Iowa State 69

AJ Dybantsa recorded 29 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists to lead the Cougars to an upset of the Cyclones in Provo, Utah.

Kennard Davis Jr. scored 17 points for the Cougars (20-7, 8-6 Big 12), who improved to 11-2 at home. Mihailo Boskovic added a career-best 13 points for BYU.

Tamin Lipsey scored 19 points and Jamarion Batemon added 14 off the bench for Iowa State (23-4, 10-4), which was coming off consecutive Top-10 wins over then-No. 9 Kansas and No. 2 Houston.

Cincinnati 84, No. 8 Kansas 68

Moustapha Thiam collected 28 points and eight rebounds to lead the Bearcats over the Jayhawks in a Big 12 Conference showdown in Lawrence, Kan.

Baba Miller contributed 18 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, and Jalen Celestine added 14 points and eight boards for Cincinnati (15-12, 7-7 Big 12).

Flory Bidunga led Kansas (20-7, 10-4) with a double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds but couldn’t prevent the Jayhawks from taking their most lopsided loss to an unranked team in Bill Self’s 23-year coaching tenure.

No. 9 Nebraska 87, Penn State 64

Pryce Sandfort scored a career-high 33 points and the Cornhuskers got back on track with a win over the Nittany Lions in Big Ten play in Lincoln, Neb.

Sandfort was 11-of-17 from the field, making a career-best 8 of 14 threes to add to the school record for 3s in a season with 98. Braden Frager had 15 points and Sam Hoiberg added 11 points and a career-high 10 assists for the Cornhuskers (23-4, 12-4 Big Ten), who earlier Saturday were projected as a No. 3 seed by the NCAA Tournament selection committee.

The Nittany Lions (11-17, 2-15) got 13 points apiece from Kayden Mingo and Ivan Juric, with Juric adding 10 rebounds. The Nittany Lions shot 42.1% but made only 4 of 20 3-pointers, taking their ninth double-digit loss in conference play.

UCLA 95, No. 10 Illinois 94 (OT)

Donovan Dent drove the length of court for the game-winning layup with no time remaining to give the Bruins an electric overtime victory over the Illini in Los Angeles.

Dent had 14 points and a career-high 15 assists in helping the Bruins (18-9, 10-6 Big Ten) halt a two-game slide. Eric Dailey Jr. scored 20 points before fouling out for UCLA. Tyler Bilodeau scored 18 points, Trent Perry had 17 and Xavier Booker tallied 16 on 7-of-8 shooting off the bench for UCLA. Skyy Clark had 10 points.

Keaton Wagler had 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists, and Tomislav Ivisic scored 16 points for the Illini (22-6, 13-4), who lost for the third time in their past five games. Ben Humrichous had 15 on five 3-point baskets off the bench for Illinois. Kylan Boswell added 13 points and backup Zvonimir Ivisic had 11.

No. 11 Gonzaga 71, Pacific 62

Graham Ike scored 20 points to break a school record as the Bulldogs held off the pesky Tigers in Spokane, Wash.

Davis Fogle added 18 points off the bench, Emmanuel Innocenti scored 13 and reserve Tyon Grant-Foster had 10 for the Bulldogs (27-2, 15-1). Ike scored 20 or more points for a ninth consecutive game, eclipsing the mark of eight set by both Adam Morrison and Derek Raivio in 2006.

Justin Rochelin and Elias Ralph scored 12 points apiece for Pacific (17-13, 8-9). TJ Wainwright added 10 while Rochelin grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds.

No. 12 Florida 94, Ole Miss 75

Alex Condon scored 24 points as the Gators won their seventh consecutive game by defeating the Rebels in Oxford, Miss.

Thomas Haugh added 20, and Xaivian Lee collected 11 points and 10 assists. Florida (21-6, 12-2 Southeastern Conference) won for the 12th time in 13 games, shooting 57.1% from the floor and holding a 39-24 rebounding edge.

Malik Dia scored 24 points and Ilias Kamardine added 14 to lead Ole Miss (11-16, 3-11), which lost its ninth consecutive game.

No. 13 Texas Tech 100, Kansas State 72

Donovan Atwell scored 21 of his game-high 26 points in the first half as the Red Raiders overcame a Tuesday loss and a season-ending injury to star forward JT Toppin to dust the Wildcats in Lubbock, Texas.

Christian Anderson added 21 points and nine assists for Texas Tech (20-7, 10-4 Big 12), while LeJuan Watts hit for 19 points. Luke Bamgboye contributed 12 as the Red Raiders shot 54.8% from the field, including 13-of-28 (46.4%) from 3-point range.

PJ Haggerty scored 17 points for the Wildcats (11-16, 2-12) and Nate Johnson added 15 but it wasn’t nearly enough to earn Kansas state a second straight win under interim coach Matthew Driscoll. He took over last Sunday after the university fired coach Jerome Tang for criticizing players after a recent loss to Cincinnati.

No. 14 Virginia 86, Miami 83

Chance Mallory made three free throws with 3.6 seconds left and the Cavaliers extended their winning streak to eight with a win over the Hurricanes in Charlottesville, Va.

Reserve Jacari White led six players in double figures with 17 points for Virginia (24-3, 12-2 Atlantic Coast Conference), which improved to 13-1 at home.

Sam Lewis had 15 points, De Ridder scored 14, Mallory and Johann Grunloh each tallied 12 and Malik Thomas had 10 points for Virginia. Tre Donaldson and Shelton Henderson led Miami (21-6, 10-4) with 18 points apiece.

No. 16 North Carolina 77, Syracuse 64

Henri Veesaar scored 19 points in his return to the lineup the Tar Heels notched a road win over the Orange.

North Carolina (21-6, 9-5 ACC) improved to 2-1 since star freshman Caleb Wilson fractured his hand. The team’s first two games without Wilson coincided with a two-game absence by Veesaar (lower-body injury and illness), but the center returned in this one to shoot 9 of 13 from the field to go with three blocks.

Syracuse (15-13, 6-9) had only two double-digit scorers — JJ Starling with 22 points and Tyler Betsey with 10.

No. 17 St. John’s 81, Creighton 52

Dylan Darling scored 17 points as the Red Storm extended their winning streak to 13 with a wire-to-wire victory over the Bluejays in New York.

St. John’s (22-5, 15-1 Big East) moved a game ahead of UConn for the conference lead. St. John’s is on its longest winning streak since 1985. The Red Storm also are also on a 13-game winning streak in conference games.

Bryce Hopkins notched a double-double for the second straight game by collecting 15 and 10 rebounds. Fedor Zugic led Creighton with nine points.

Tennessee 69, No. 19 Vanderbilt 65

The Volunteers, behind 17 points from Ja’Kobi Gillespie and 13 from Nate Ament, scored a road upset of the Commodores in SEC play before a sellout crowd in Nashville.

The Volunteers (20-7, 10-4) shot 43.1% from the floor and outrebounded the smaller Commodores 39-30 in winning their fourth consecutive game and handing Vanderbilt its second straight loss. Ament’s contested, mid-range jumper with 54 seconds left gave Tennessee the lead for good, and Gillespie canned two free-throw attempts in the final 13.2 seconds.

Tyler Tanner led Vanderbilt with 16 points, and the Vols held Tyler Nickel — who entered the game averaging 14.7 points — to three.

No. 20 Arkansas 94, Missouri 86

Billy Richmond III scored 21 points, Darius Acuff Jr. added 20 and the Razorbacks overcame an early eight-point deficit for a victory over the Tigers in Fayetteville, Ark.

Reserve Malique Ewin had 16 points and eight rebounds while Meleek Thomas had 14 points and eight rebounds for Arkansas (20-7, 10-4 SEC).

Mark Mitchell scored 26 points, Trent Pierce had 22 and Shawn Phillips Jr. added 11 points for Missouri (18-9, 8-6), which had won four of five.

No. 21 Louisville 87, Georgia Tech 70

After a rough loss at SMU earlier this week, the Cardinals scorched the Yellow Jackets in a wire-to-wire home victory.

Mikel Brown Jr. scored 19 points, including three made 3-pointers, to lead Louisville(20-7, 9-5 ACC). J’Vonne Hadley had 17 points, Ryan Conwell scored 15 points and four assists and Isaac McKneely added 14.

Georgia Tech (11-17, 2-13) dropped its ninth straight. Baye Ndongo led the way for the Yellow Jackets with 17 points and a game-high seven rebounds.

No. 25 Alabama 90, LSU 83

Aden Holloway had 17 points and four assists while Aiden Sherrell posted his second straight double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds as the Crimson Tide defeated the Tigers in Baton Rouge, La.

Amari Allen added 16 points and six rebounds for the Crimson Tide (20-7, 10-4 SEC), who won their sixth straight game. Latrell Wrightsell Jr. went 9-for-10 from the free-throw line and scored 14 points off the bench, while London Jemison contributed 12 points and six rebounds.

Marquel Sutton, who came in averaging 18 points in his last three outings, had 21 points for the second consecutive game to lead the Tigers (14-13, 2-12), who dropped their fifth straight to fall to 1-6 at home in SEC play.

–Field Level Media

USA Routs Slovakia; Canada is Up Next

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MILAN  – (Wire Service Report) – The United States made light work of Slovakia with a 6-2 victory on Friday to set up the eagerly awaited Olympic men’s ice hockey final with Canada. Team U.S. was on cruise control heading into the final period, up 5-0 through Dylan Larkin, Tage Thompson, Jack Eichel and a double from Jack Hughes, before Brady Tkachuk scored between a pair of Slovakian consolation goals.

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NHL players returned to the Olympic Games following a 12-year absence and expectations had been high that the North American rivals would reap the benefits and face off in the decider.

The U.S. obliged with ease after Canada’s tense 3-2 semifinal win over defending champions Finland, and the sides will meet in Sunday’s gold-medal decider at Santagiulia Arena.

Slovakia will take on Finland in Saturday’s bronze-medal game at the same venue.

–Reuters, special to Field Level Media and Digital Sports Desk

Canada’s Crosby Might Play vs. USA

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MILAN – (Wire Service Report) – Captain Sidney Crosby missed Canada’s semifinal victory over Finland on Friday but has a chance to play in Sunday’s gold-medal game of the Milan Cortina Olympics, according to head coach Jon Cooper. Crosby, who is nursing an apparent right leg injury, watched from the wings as Canada scored a late winner to overcome a two-goal deficit and down the Finns 3-2 in Friday’s early semifinal at the Milan Cortina Olympics.

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“We have 48 hours to decide that, but I will tell you he’s got a better chance of playing in the gold-medal game than he had playing in tonight’s game,” Cooper told reporters postgame Friday.

The United States faced Slovakia in Friday’s second semifinal. The losing team will oppose Finland in the bronze-medal game Saturday.

Connor McDavid served as captain in Crosby’s absence for the semifinal and assisted Nathan MacKinnon’s game-winning power-play goal with 36 seconds remaining.

Sam Reinhart tipped in an earlier power-play goal and defenseman Shea Theodore tied the score midway through the third, helping Canada remain perfect in the tournament.

“We’re putting our country through it. A lot of stressful mornings for everyone back home,” McDavid said in a postgame interview with CBC. “But you know what? It’s been fun. It’s a best-on-best tournament. I keep on saying that. We’re playing the best teams in the world, the best players in the world, and they’re going at it and giving everything they have. The margins are razor thin.”

McDavid added he was “keeping the ‘C’ warm” for Crosby, who spoke to teammates in the locker room between periods. MacKinnon and Cale Makar were alternate captains against Finland.

Crosby was injured in Wednesday’s quarterfinal round as Canada rallied to defeat Czechia 4-3 in overtime.

“With what he’s done for the game, for our team, for all of Canada, we want to show up for him,” forward Brad Marchand said.

With six points in four appearances, Crosby is Canada’s fourth-leading scorer in Milan, trailing McDavid (13 points), Macklin Celebrini (10) and MacKinnon (seven).

One of the NHL’s most decorated players, the 38-year-old Crosby has 1,746 career points in 1,408 games over 21 seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He is a three-time Stanley Cup champion and led Canada to Olympic gold at Vancouver in 2010 and Sochi in 2014.

–Field Level Media

Canada to Go for the Gold

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MILAN –  (Wire Service Report) – NHL All-Star Nathan MacKinnon capped Canada’s extraordinary fightback to beat defending champions Finland 3-2 in a men’s Olympic ice hockey semifinal, firing in the kill shot with 35.2 seconds left on the clock in another nerve-searing game on Friday.

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The NHL’s leading goal-scorer, MacKinnon made magic happen at Santagiulia Arena with just one second left on a power play after Canada clawed its way back from a two-goal deficit in the second period.

Forward Sam Reinhart scored to spark the comeback, while defenseman Shea Theodore got the third-period equalizer for Canada.

Canada will face the United States for the gold, as the USA was significant winners over Slovakia on Friday. Finland will play in Saturday’s bronze-medal game. The gold-medal game is set for Sunday.

‘IT’S A CHESS MATCH’

The favored Canadians, with their roster packed with top-flight National Hockey League talent, had looked nearly untouchable early in the tournament, but have been made to work in their last two games. Canada needed an overtime nail-biter to get past the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.

Their charismatic captain and former Olympic hero Sidney Crosby left that game injured and Canada were lacking some of their usual firepower as he sat out Friday’s game.

Canada had just three shots on goal through the first half of the opening period, and Finland got the chance it was waiting for when Sam Bennett was sent to the penalty box for goalie interference.

Mikko Rantanen scored three seconds into the power play and Finland piled on more pain early in the second period, when Erik Haula sent in a short-handed goal with a backhand shot.

“The start of the game, everybody’s so excited to play, and so amped up, so much adrenaline, it’s just kind of natural, you get a little bit of a feel out process,” said Canada forward Brad Marchand. “Some of these teams you haven’t played before. It’s kind of a chess match.”

The Canadians moved the right pieces around on the next power play, with defenseman Cale Makar blasting the puck through traffic toward the net, where Reinhart deflected it in to trim the lead. Theodore rocketed in a slapshot from the point to tie it midway through the third.

The Canadian joy overflowed with MacKinnon’s mighty shot in the waning moments of the game off an assist from Connor McDavid to avoid overtime. But the fans were made to hold their breath as officials weighed a challenge from the Finland bench for offside that ultimately proved unsuccessful.

The win kept alive North American fans’ hopes for a gold-medal showdown between the two preeminent ice hockey powerhouse nations, with the NHL allowing their players to compete at the Games for the first time since 2014.

–Reuters, special to Field Level Media