Coming off a Hail Mary win, the Commanders will try to sweep the Giants and improve to 7-2

Washington (6-2) at New York Giants (2-6)

Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, FOX

BetMGM NFL Odds: Commanders by 4

Series record: Giants lead 108-72-5.

Against the spread: Giants 3-5; Commanders 6-2.

Last meeting: Commanders beat Giants 21-18 on Sept. 15 in Landover, Maryland.

Last week: Commanders beat Bears 18-15 at home. The Giants lost to the Steelers 26-18 in Pittsburgh Monday night.

Commanders offense: overall (3), rush (3), pass (10), scoring (3)

Commanders defense: overall (13), rush (25) pass (6), scoring (10)

Giants offense: overall (26), rush (24), pass (23), scoring (31)

Giants defense: overall (13), rush (25), pass (6), scoring (10)

Turnover differential: Commanders plus-4; Giants minus-3.

RB Brian Robinson Jr. A national audience has seen (twice) what QB Jayden Daniels can do, and he's the offensive rookie of the year favorite for a reason. But Washington's offense has been so effective because of balance, and it's not just Daniels taking off and running. Robinson has rushed for 461 yards and six touchdowns this season, the Commanders' game without him is the only one they've lost since the season opener. He ran for a career-best 133 yards on 17 carries against New York in September.

CB Deonte Banks. The 2023 first-round draft pick was benched for the second half of the nationally televised game against the Steelers. It has been a bad year for him. He was lifted after missing a tackle Monday. Banks started the season as the Giants' projected shut-down cornerback. Coach Brian Daboll said he will start Sunday.

The Giants defense versus Daniels. In the first game, the Commanders gained 425 yards, held the ball for 37:32, were 8 of 15 on third and fourth down attempts and did not punt. New York stayed close because Washington was 0 for 6 in the red zone and it had 10 penalties for 69 yards.

Daniels has sore ribs that limited him in practice, but he is expected to play. ... Rookie LT Brandon Coleman could return from a concussion, while veteran LT Cornelius Lucas is out with a left ankle injury. ... The Giants won't have K Greg Joseph (abdomen) or P Jamie Gillan (hamstring) available. With Graham Gano still out after being injured against Washington in Week 2, rookie Jude McAtamney may be elevated off the practice squad to kick. ... RB Tyrone Tracy cleared concussion protocol and is expected to play, as is CB Cor’Dale Flott, who missed the Steelers game with a groin injury. ... LB Ty Summers (ankle) is questionable.

Washington looking for its first sweep since 2021. Giants have won three of the past four meetings.

Washington is 4-0 at home for the first time since 1978 and is 2-2 on the road. ... Washington has not started 7-2 since 1996. ... The Commanders are the fourth team since 1950 and first since the 2016 Cowboys to win six of their first eight games starting a rookie QB. ... Daniels had a career-high 326 yards passing against Chicago. He has completed 71.8% of his passes, ranking second to Detroit's Jared Goff among players with at least 100 attempts. ... Last week was the first time Washington won a game with a TD on the last play in regulation since at least 1970. ... Robinson has five TDs in his past five games. ... WR Terry McLaurin had a season-high 125 yards receiving last week. ... TE Zach Ertz has had 50-plus yards receiving in four consecutive games against New York. ... DT Daron Payne picked up his first full sack of the season against the Bears. ... Giants have lost three straight. They are 0-4 at home and have not scored a first-half touchdown in any of those games. ... QB Daniel Jones threw for 264 yards against the Steelers. He had two TD passes and no interceptions against Washington in September. ... Tracy's 145 yards rushing was the highest total by a Giants rookie since Saquon Barkley ran for 179 yards at Washington on Dec. 9, 2018. His 45-yard TD run was the Giants’ longest offensive play of the season. ... WR Darius Slayton had four catches for 108 yards Monday. ... The Giants have an NFL-high 35 sacks, one more than last season. ... OLB Azeez Ojulari has two sacks last week and five in the past three games. DT Dexter Lawrence leads the NFL with nine sacks. ... The Giants haven’t intercepted a pass in seven straight. ... ILB Bobby Okereke had 14 tackles and forced and recovered a fumble Monday.

This is the LSU matchup: Daniels and Malik Nabers on the same field again. In his second game after missing two with a concussion, he caught seven passes for 71 yards. He has 46 catches for 498 yards in six games. He is the third player in the Super Bowl era with 40-plus receptions through his first six career games, joining Barkley (40 in 2018) and the Rams’ Puka Nacua (50 in 2023).

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Washington Commanders linebacker Frankie Luvu (4) celebrates after tackling Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones (8) throws a pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Monday, Oct. 28, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn watches from the sideline in the first half of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll answers questions after an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Monday, Oct. 28, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

New York Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. (29) runs for a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Monday, Oct. 28, 2024, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Matt Freed)

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) leaves the field after an 18-15 win over the Chicago Bears in an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Commanders wide receiver Noah Brown (85) catches a 52-yard touchdown pass in the end zone as time expires to give the Commanders an 18-15 win over the Chicago Bears in an NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander isn't scoring the way he usually does, but the Oklahoma City Thunder are still winning the way they normally do.

Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning NBA MVP, averaged 31.1 points during the regular season. In the Western Conference semifinals against the Los Angeles Lakers, he is averaging 20 points and taking only 14 shots per game.

Oklahoma City has still won the first two games by an average of 18 points. Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren each scored 22 points, and the defending champion Thunder beat the Lakers 125-107 on Thursday night.

Ajay Mitchell, starting in place of injured Jalen Williams, is averaging 19 points on 50% shooting in the series for Oklahoma City.

“I think the coaching staff does a good job at just getting all of us ready,” said Mitchell, a second-year guard. "And we have a lot of competitors. Like, everyone’s a competitor on our team. So every time the lights are bright, everyone’s ready to go.”

Holmgren is the leading scorer for the Thunder in the best-of-seven series with 23 points per game. The 2026 All-Star also is averaging 10.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks.

Jared McCain, a midseason acquisition from the Philadelphia 76ers, barely played in the first round against Phoenix but has averaged 15 points and made 8 of 10 3-pointers in the series.

“He goes in there, stays in character, stays aggressive," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "He’s going to shoot the next shot. He makes the right plays, plays inside the team. He competes defensively, has had good defensive possessions for us. And he was huge tonight. You need that in a playoff series.”

The Lakers again were without scoring champion Luka Doncic, who is out indefinitely with a strained left hamstring. They also were missing forward Jarred Vanderbilt, the reserve forward who dislocated the pinkie on his right hand during the second quarter of Game 1. The Lakers had three players finish with five fouls, limiting their aggressiveness late in the game.

Los Angeles guard Austin Reaves, who struggled with his shot in Game 1, scored 31 points on 10-for-16 shooting in Game 2. LeBron James, coming off a 27-point effort in Game 1, followed that up with 23.

With the Lakers up 63-61 early in the third quarter, Gilgeous-Alexander got tied up with Reaves and was called for his fourth foul. Upon review, it was upgraded to a flagrant 1 for Gilgeous-Alexander's follow through. Oklahoma City's Alex Caruso was called for a technical foul as the situation was being sorted out.

Gilgeous-Alexander left the game with the Lakers up 65-61, but the Thunder rallied and took control without him. On a fast break, Holmgren found a trailing Jaylin Williams, who hit a 3-pointer and was fouled. His free throw put the Thunder up 85-74.

The Thunder outscored the Lakers 32-15 while Gilgeous-Alexander was out in the third quarter to take a 93-80 lead into the fourth.

“It was amazing," Gilgeous-Alexander said. “They strung together stops, they’re playing the right way offensively and things are going their way. Full confidence in those guys. They know how to win basketball games. And we've proven that. They’ve proven that no matter who’s on the floor, they know how to get the job done. And they just did it again tonight."

The Lakers cut Oklahoma City's lead to five in the fourth quarter before the Thunder pulled away again.

Los Angeles will host Game 3 on Saturday.

“We just stuck with it,” Holmgren said. “It’s the game of basketball. It’s not always going to go your way. It’s about how you respond. And this team has proven many times that we know how to respond. And we did so tonight.”

This story has been corrected to show that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 20, not 19, points per game against the Lakers.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Oklahoma City Thunder's Chet Holmgren (7) shoots over Los Angeles Lakers' Austin Reaves (15) in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell, front, works for a shot as Los Angeles Lakers' Austin Reaves, rear, defends in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

Los Angeles Lakers' LeBron James stands on the court in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series against the Oklahoma City Thunder Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives to the basket past Los Angeles Lakers' Deandre Ayton (5) and LeBron James, rear, in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (7) works to the basket against Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura (28) in the second half of Game 2 in a second-round NBA basketball playoffs series Thursday, May 7, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)