Kagiyama and Yoshida win despite errors at Finlandia Trophy

HELSINKI (AP) — Yuma Kagiyama skated what he thought might be his “worst program” of the season and still won the Finlandia Trophy on Saturday, securing his place at next month's Grand Prix Final.

The Olympic silver medalist from Japan had a big lead from Friday's short program. He needed it. Kagiyama bailed out of his opening quadruple flip and had to put a foot down to steady himself on the landing of his second quad jump.

Kagiyama credited the crowd with helping him stabilize the skate, landing two more quads and finishing with a points total of 263.09 to win by less than four points from France’s Kevin Aymoz, who had been nearly 19 adrift following the short program.

“More than the feeling of being happy, I have regrets of how I skated in the free skate and I think it may have been the worst program that I’ve done this season,” Kagiyama said through an interpreter. “I regret not having been able to bring my best to you all here today.”

Kagiyama joins Ilia Malinin of the United States on two Grand Prix wins. Kagiyama won his titles back-to-back on opposite sides of the world after victory at the NHK Trophy in Japan last week.

Aymoz picked up his fourth career Grand Prix silver medal and second of the season — he has yet to win a gold in the series — after some problems of his own. Aymoz fell on his opening quad toeloop but recovered for a total 259.15, narrowly beating Italy's Daniel Grassl on 258.55.

Grassl was sixth in the short program and rose to a podium place in the free skate for the second week running after improving from fifth to second at the NHK Trophy.

The 2023 world championship silver medalist Cha Jun-hwan of South Korea withdrew from the event overnight with an unspecified injury after placing seventh in the short program.

Hana Yoshida shrugged off a fall on her opening triple axel to become the third Japanese skater to win a women's Grand Prix this season. She won by the tightest of margins.

Yoshida's score of 199.46 was ahead of fellow Japanese skater Rino Matsuike on 199.20 only because Matsuike was given a one-point deduction for a time violation.

“I’m really happy that I got to win a gold medal but I wanted to land the triple axel, so I think I could do better," Yoshida said. “But I’m happy because I didn’t give up until the last second.”

The field for the competition was depleted by the withdrawals last week of world silver medalist Isabeau Levito of the United States and European champion Loena Hendrickx of Belgium.

Italy's Lara Naki Gutmann wasn't even meant to be in the competition, but those withdrawals handed her a spot and she turned it into her first career Grand Prix medal with bronze on 198.49, denying American skater Sarah Everhardt a podium spot.

Gutmann is the only skater not from the U.S. or Japan to win a women's medal in a Grand Prix this season.

Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier of Canada took the lead in ice dance with a score of 84.65 in the rhythm dance, ahead of Britain's Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson on 82.03 and Finland's Juulia Turkkila and Matthias Versluis on 78.31.

The ice dance and pairs competitions conclude on Sunday.

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

Lara Naki Gutmann of Italy competes during women's free skating at the international figure skating competition Finlandia Trophy in Helsinki, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (Vesa Moilanen/Lehtikuva via AP)

Rino Matsuike of Japan competes during women's free skating at the international figure skating competition Finlandia Trophy in Helsinki, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (Vesa Moilanen/Lehtikuva via AP)

Hana Yoshida of Japan competes during women's free skating at the international figure skating competition Finlandia Trophy in Helsinki, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (Vesa Moilanen/Lehtikuva via AP)

Daniel Grassl of Italy performs during the men's free skating at the international figure skating competition Finlandia Trophy in Helsinki, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (Vesa Moilanen/Lehtikuva via AP)

Kevin Aymoz of France performs during the men's free skating at the international figure skating competition Finlandia Trophy in Helsinki, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (Vesa Moilanen/Lehtikuva via AP)

Kevin Aymoz of France performs during the men's free skating at the international figure skating competition Finlandia Trophy in Helsinki, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (Vesa Moilanen/Lehtikuva via AP)

Yuma Kagiyama of Japan performs during the men's free skating at the international figure skating competition Finlandia Trophy in Helsinki, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (Vesa Moilanen/Lehtikuva via AP)

Yuma Kagiyama of Japan performs during the men's free skating at the international figure skating competition Finlandia Trophy in Helsinki, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (Vesa Moilanen/Lehtikuva via AP)

Yuma Kagiyama of Japan during the men's free skating at the international figure skating competition Finlandia Trophy in Helsinki, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024. (Vesa Moilanen/Lehtikuva via AP)

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)