Lehkonen scores 2 goals and MacKinnon reaches 700 assists as Avalanche sink Sharks, 4-2

DENVER (AP) — Josh Manson scored the tiebreaking goal in the third period and the NHL-leading Colorado Avalanche beat the San Jose Sharks 4-2 in their final game before the Olympic break Wednesday night.

Artturi Lehkonen scored twice and Nathan MacKinnon had two assists for Colorado to reach another career milestone.

MacKinnon joined Joe Sakic as the only players in franchise history with 700 assists. Sakic, the team president, finished his career with 1,016.

Brock Nelson scored an empty-net goal, Valeri Nichushkin had three assists and Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 23 shots for the Avalanche.

Timothy Liljegren and Philippe Kurashev scored 2:51 apart early in the third to tie it for the Sharks. Yaroslav Askarov made 38 saves, but San Jose enters the three-week break on a four-game skid.

Manson broke the tie when his one-timer from the point got by a screened Askarov at 12:44. Askarov later went off for an extra skater, and Nelson scored his 29th goal at 18:43.

Colorado has stumbled since starting the season with just two regulation losses through the first 39 games. The Avs had gone 5-7-2 since Jan. 4 before beating San Jose and had their 11-point lead over Minnesota in the Central Division reduced to five.

Colorado, which has played three fewer games than the Wild, has 83 points heading into the Olympic break.

Lehkonen, who will play for Finland in Italy, gave the Avs a 1-0 lead early in the second after a battle in San Jose’s crease. The goal was upheld upon review, but his second and 19th of the season was a clean wrister from the right circle on MacKinnon's 700th assist.

Liljegren scored his first goal of the season 43 seconds into the third period and Kurashev tied it at 3:34 when he scored his seventh.

Sharks: Host the Calgary Flames on Feb. 26.

Avalanche: Host the Minnesota Wild on Feb. 26.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

San Jose Sharks center Zack Ostapchuk, left, checks Colorado Avalanche right wing Valeri Nichushkin in the first period of an NHL hockey game, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

San Jose Sharks defenseman Dmitry Orlov, front, pursues the puck with Colorado Avalanche center Brock Nelson in the first period of an NHL hockey game, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Colorado Avalanche center Ross Colton, fornt, collects a loose puck as left wing Victor Olofsson trails in the first period of an NHL hockey game against the San Jose Sharks, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

San Jose Sharks left wing William Eklund, left, puts a shot on Colorado Avalanche goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood in the second period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Colorado Avalanche left wing Artturi Lehkonen, right, is congratulated after scoring a goal as he passes the team box in the second period of an NHL hockey game against the San Jose Sharks Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be out of action until after the All-Star break due to an abdominal strain, the team announced Wednesday.

The reigning MVP suffered the injury during Oklahoma City's 128-92 win over the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night. The Canadian guard will sit out the All-Star games on Feb. 15. Commissioner Adam Silver will choose his replacement for the World team in the round-robin competition.

Gilgeous-Alexander missed Wednesday night 116-106 loss at San Antonio. The Thunder have four more games before All-Star Weekend, including a home game against Houston on Saturday and a visit to the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday. The team said it will re-evaluate him after the break.

It's a huge loss for the defending NBA champion Thunder, who have a league-best 40-12 record. Gilgeous-Alexander is the league's No. 2 scorer with 31.8 points per game, and he is having perhaps his best all-around season. He ranks among the league leaders in field-goal percentage at 55.4% (14th) and in assists, with 6.4 per contest (15th).

“He’s certainly a high-usage, high-impact player for us," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said before the game at San Antonio. “So we’ve got to do it as a group and collectively, which is what we do when he’s on the bench and he’s not on the court.”

Gilgeous-Alexander is on a streak of 121 consecutive games with at least 20 points scored — the second longest in NBA history, trailing only Wilt Chamberlain's run of 126 straight. He scored 20 points on Tuesday night.

His injury is the latest in a string of health setbacks for the Thunder.

In the win over Orlando, Oklahoma City played without Jalen Williams, who missed his eighth straight game with a hamstring injury, and Ajay Mitchell, who sat out his sixth game in a row with an abdominal strain. Williams was an All-Star in 2025 and Mitchell has been one of the league's most improved players in his second year.

The Thunder sat much of their team on Wednesday. Williams and Mitchell remained out. All-Star Chet Holmgren (lower back spasms), starting guard Lu Dort (knee inflammation), starting center Isaiah Hartenstein (eye abrasion) and reserve Alex Caruso (right adductor) were sidelined.

It was a busy Wednesday for the Thunder. They acquired guard Jared McCain from the Philadelphia 76ers for draft picks and traded away reserve forward Ousmane Dieng, who ended up with Charlotte.

As usual, Daigneault saw potential in the situation. He has built a reputation for developing young players, and those that remain will get more opportunities in the coming weeks.

“We’ve played a lot of games like this over the last couple of years, and we’ve gotten something out of them, usually,” he said.

AP freelance writer Raul Dominguez in San Antonio contributed to this report.

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

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) handles the ball against Orlando Magic guard Desmond Bane, left, during the second half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander looks back after making a basket during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Orlando Magic, Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) looks for an outlet against Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black, left, during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Nate Billings)