Marner scores 2 as Golden Knights get 5 in 1st period and beat Sharks 7-2

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Mitch Marner scored two goals, Reilly Smith had a goal and an assist, and the Vegas Golden Knights tied a franchise record with five goals in the first period and beat the San Jose Sharks 7-2 on Tuesday night.

Mark Stone also had a goal and an assist, and Brett Howden, Colton Sissons and Tomas Hertl also scored for Vegas. Pavel Dorofeyev, Kaeden Korczak, Braeden Bowman and Ivan Barbashev each had two assists, and Carter Hart had 21 saves to help the Golden Knights snap a three-game skid (0-2-1).

Macklin Celebrini and Colin Graf scored, and Tyler Toffoli had two assists for San Jose in its third straight loss. Yaroslav Askarov gave up four goals on 16 shots before he was pulled with 5:03 left in the first period. Alex Nedeljkovic had seven saves the rest of the way.

The Golden Knights had a season-high scoring output, topping the previous high of six reached three times in October.

The five-goal first tied the Golden Knights' franchise record for a period, accomplished four times previously. Vegas had 13 players record at least a point in the period, breaking the previous mark of 11 accomplished three times.

Howden scored on a 2-on-1 with Bowman to get Vegas on the scoreboard 1:46 into the game.

Marner made it 2-0 with a power-play goal at 9:07 as his cross-ice pass for Dorofeyev deflected off Sharks center Alexander Wennberg and past Askarov.

Sissons scored with 8:23 remaining in the first on a 2-on-1 with Keegan Kolesar. Kolesar sent a backhand pass past sliding defenseman Mario Ferraro and off Askarov's left pad to Sissons for the tap-in on the right side.

Hertl converted from the inside edge of the right circle with 5:03 to go in the period for a four-goal lead, chasing Askarov. Stone put a backhander past Nedeljkovic from the left side with 1:26 remaining to cap the big opening period.

Celebrini got San Jose on the scoreboard at 6:49 of the second for the 19-year-old's 19th of the season.

Smith made it 6-1 with 1:10 remaining in the middle period, and Marner's second of the night made it a six-goal lead at 5:22 of the third.

Sharks: At Vancouver on Saturday.

Golden Knights: Host Colorado on Saturday.

AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/NHL

Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mark Stone (61) celebrates after scoring against the San Jose Sharks during the first period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Steve Marcus)

Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Ben Hutton (17) reaches for the puck between San Jose Sharks right wing Ryan Reaves (75) and center Barclay Goodrow (23) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Steve Marcus)

Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mark Stone (61) takes a shot against San Jose Sharks goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic (33) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Steve Marcus)

Vegas Golden Knights right wing Reilly Smith (19) celebrates with, from left, defenseman Brayden McNabb (3), defenseman Kaedan Korczak (6), and right wing Braeden Bowman (42) after his goal against the San Jose Sharks during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Steve Marcus)

San Jose Sharks defenseman John Klingberg (3) and Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mitch Marner (93) fight for the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Steve Marcus)

DALLAS (AP) — Cooper Flagg had 33 points, nine rebounds and nine assists, and Anthony Davis had 31 points and nine rebounds as the Dallas Mavericks beat the Denver Nuggets 131-130 on Tuesday night.

Flagg’s career-high fourth 3-pointer gave Dallas a 126-121 lead with 3:17 left, and he assisted on Naji Marshall’s left-corner 3 that put the Mavericks ahead 131-125 with 1:12 left.

The Nuggets, who trailed 50-29 early in the second quarter, got their first lead early in the fourth quarter and pulled within a point in the final minute, having a shot to win after forcing the Mavericks into a 24-second violation with 7.8 seconds left. However, Peyton Watson’s 3-point attempt from the left corner at the buzzer rimmed out.

The Mavericks snapped a two-game losing streak, during which they blew fourth-quarter leads, and have taken the first two games from the Nuggets this season. They won 131-121 at Denver on Dec. 1.

Jamal Murray had 31 points and 14 assists, and Nikola Jokic had 29 points and 14 assists for the Nuggets, who had an 11-game road winning streak snapped. Jokic, the NBA leader averaging 12.1 rebounds, had seven to match his season low.

Denver’s Tim Hardaway Jr., a former Maverick, matched season highs with 23 points and seven 3-pointers.

Both teams completed back-to-backs. The Nuggets won 135-112 over Utah at home on Monday while the Mavericks lost 119-113 at New Orleans.

The Nuggets took their first lead 106-103 in the first minute of the fourth quarter.

Flagg, who has four double-doubles but no triple-doubles, tied his career high for points in a quarter with 14 in the first – hitting all seven field-goal attempts, two from downtown.

Nuggets forward Cam Johnson left the game with an apparent knee injury early in the fourth quarter. Denver coach David Adelman said the extent of the injury won't be known until Johnson has an MRI.

Nuggets host Minnesota on Thursday, and Mavericks visit Golden State.

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

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) shoots over Dallas Mavericks forward Daniel Gafford (21) during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Sam Hodde)

Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray (27) makes a move to the basket between guard Ryan Nembhard (9) and Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Sam Hodde)

Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis (3) dunks during the third quarter of an NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Sam Hodde)

Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) brings the ball up the court during the third quarter of an NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Sam Hodde)