Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews out for season with a torn MCL after kneeing by Radko Gudas

TORONTO (AP) — Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews has a torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee and will miss the rest of the NHL season.

The team provided an injury update Friday night, a little under 24 hours since Matthews was knocked out of a game against Anaheim on a knee-on-knee hit from Radko Gudas.

The Leafs said Matthews has a Grade 3 MCL tear and a bruised quadriceps muscle and would be evaluated again in two weeks. Gudas was suspended five games for kneeing, the maximum the league's Department of Safety could levy because his hearing was by phone.

Matthews' agent, Judd Moldaver said in a statement that “in light of the obvious severity of the play, I am very disappointed and shocked that the league would allow for such a ruling.” Moldaver took issue with the decision to limit the suspension to five games.

In game, Gudas was given a major penalty and ejected.

“Dirty play,” Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube said Thursday night. “League’s going to obviously look at it and see what the suspension will be or whatever happens.”

Trying to make a move around Gudas in the slot in the second period of Toronto’s 6-4 victory, Matthews stook a direct blow to his left leg and crashed to the ice. The U.S. Olympic captain stayed down before being helped to the locker room.

Gudas is the bruising Czech defender who ended Canadian captain Sidney Crosby’s Olympics in the quarterfinals with a hit.

“He’s done a few of those before in his career,” Toronto winger Matthew Knies said.

Gudas was asked following Anaheim’s morning skate about trying to contain Matthews.

“We go to be on top of him,” Gudas said. “We got to make sure that he doesn’t get space in the middle of the ice … make his night’s not enjoyable.”

Ducks coach Joel Quenneville defended his player.

“There’s no premeditation,” Quenneville said. “Reflexes did it.”

Matthews snapped a 12-game goal drought earlier in the period on a power play. He had 27 goals and 26 assists in 60 games this season.

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

Toronto Maple Leafs Auston Matthews, center, is helped off the ice after being injured by Anaheim Ducks Radko Gudas during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto, Thursday, March 12, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs Auston Matthews (34) and Anaheim Ducks Radko Gudas (7) lay on the ice after colliding during second period NHL hockey action in Toronto on Thursday, March 12, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs Auston Matthews (34) is helped off the ice after being injured by Anaheim Ducks Radko Gudas during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto, Thursday, March 12, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs Auston Matthews, left, is injured by Anaheim Ducks Radko Gudas during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto, Thursday, March 12, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Toronto Maple Leafs Auston Matthews (34) is injured by Anaheim Ducks Radko Gudas (7) during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto, Thursday, March 12, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

HOUSTON (AP) — LeBron James had 28 points and the Los Angeles Lakers eliminated Houston with a 98-78 win in Game 6 of their Western Conference first-round playoff series on Friday night by holding the Rockets to a season low in points.

The No. 4 seed Lakers move on to meet the top-seeded Thunder with Game 1 Tuesday in Oklahoma City.

Los Angeles has advanced to the second round for the first time since 2023 when it lost to Denver in the West finals despite missing top scorer Luka Doncic for the entire series.

The Lakers used a 27-3 run in the first half to take an 18-point lead at halftime. They led by 22 with about three minutes left in the third quarter before Houston went on an 8-2 run to cut the lead to 71-55 entering the fourth.

But Los Angeles opened the quarter with a 10-3 spurt, with five points from Rui Hachimura, to make it 81-58 with about seven minutes left.

Hachimura added 21 points with five 3-pointers.

Amen Thompson had 18 points and Alperen Sengun added 17 for Houston, which is heading home after a first-round playoff loss for a second straight season after losing to the Warriors in seven games last year.

The fifth-seeded Rockets had won two straight after falling into an 0-3 hole. They forced Game 6 despite missing superstar Kevin Durant for all but one game of this series because of a knee injury followed by an ankle issue.

But they were felled by poor shooting Friday, making just 35% overall and were particularly bad from long range. After making 26 3-pointers combined in the last two games, the Rockets made just 5 of 28 3-pointers Friday with Reed Sheppard going 1 for 10.

The Lakers trailed by 5 with five minutes left in the first before using a 27-3 run to take a 38-19 lead with about seven minutes left in the second quarter. Hachimura, Jake LaRavia and James all made 3-pointers in that stretch to help Los Angeles build the lead on a night the Lakers made 12 3s.

The Rockets couldn’t get anything going early in the second quarter. They got one free throw from Sheppard but missed 11 shots before he made the team’s first field goal in the period with 6:55 left before halftime.

That didn't spark anything for Houston and the Lakers led 48-31 at halftime.

Austin Reaves added 15 points for the Lakers in his second game back after missing more than three weeks with an oblique injury and Deandre Ayton had seven points and 16 rebounds.

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

Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun (28) fouls Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) during the first half of Game 6 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series in Houston, Friday, May 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun, left, and Los Angeles Lakers guard Marcus Smart (36) dive for a loose ball during the first half of Game 6 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series in Houston, Friday, May 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura (28) controls the ball against Houston Rockets guard Reed Sheppard (15) during the first half of Game 6 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series in Houston, Friday, May 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) shoots against Houston Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. (10) during the first half of Game 6 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series in Houston, Friday, May 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) shoots during the first half of Game 6 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series against the Houston Rockets in Houston, Friday, May 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)