LOS ANGELES (AP) — Zach Benson had a goal and an assist and the Buffalo Sabres continued their white-hot play with a 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.
Tage Thompson, Sam Carrick and Rasmus Dahlin also scored for the Sabres.
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Los Angeles Kings goaltender Anton Forsberg (31) blocks a shot by Buffalo Sabres right wing Josh Doan during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/William Liang)
Los Angeles Kings left wing Artemi Panarin (10) greets teammates after scoring during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Buffalo Sabres, Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/William Liang)
Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson (72) greets teammates after scoring during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Los Angeles Kings, Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/William Liang)
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram (4) shoots the puck past Los Angeles Kings defenseman Joel Edmundson (6) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/William Liang)
Carrick and Dahlin scored 59 seconds apart midway through the third period, and Benson added an empty-netter to give the Sabres their fourth straight win and 12th in the past 13 outings. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 26 saves.
Buoyed by significant and vocal support despite being the visitors, the Sabres continued their push for an Atlantic Division title as they are on their way to ending a 14-year playoff drought, the longest in the NHL.
Artemi Panarin scored, picking up a point for the fifth straight game. Anze Kopitar tied Marcel Dionne for the Kings franchise record for points on home ice, and Anton Forsberg made 28 saves.
Los Angeles came into the day as the second wild card in the Western Conference but dropped behind the Nashville Predators, who won 4-1 over the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Kings started off strong. Panarin continued the productive start to his Kings tenure by opening the scoring with a power-play goal midway through the first period. He has five goals and 11 assists in 13 games for Los Angeles. It was the first goal the Sabres had allowed on the road in 176 minutes of game action, including consecutive shutouts at Vegas and San Jose.
But Buffalo came back to control the final two periods, with a failed coach's challenge by Los Angeles for a high stick in the build up before Carrick's slick backhand leading to Dahlin's power-play goal.
Sabres: Visit Anaheim on Sunday.
Kings: Visit Utah on Sunday.
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Los Angeles Kings goaltender Anton Forsberg (31) blocks a shot by Buffalo Sabres right wing Josh Doan during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/William Liang)
Los Angeles Kings left wing Artemi Panarin (10) greets teammates after scoring during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Buffalo Sabres, Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/William Liang)
Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson (72) greets teammates after scoring during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Los Angeles Kings, Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/William Liang)
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram (4) shoots the puck past Los Angeles Kings defenseman Joel Edmundson (6) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/William Liang)
MILWAUKEE (AP) — An NBA investigation into the dispute between the Milwaukee Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo regarding the two-time MVP’s injury status is ongoing.
The NBA issued a statement offering an update on the investigation Saturday, a day after Antetokounmpo told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and The Athletic that he’s healthy and he wants to play.
Antetokounmpo hasn’t played since leaving a March 15 victory over the Indiana Pacers after landing awkwardly on a dunk. The Bucks released an injury report Saturday ruling him out for Sunday’s matchup with the Memphis Grizzlies, which will mark the 11th straight game he has missed.
“The NBA’s Player Participation Policy investigation into the Milwaukee Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo is ongoing and certain facts remain in dispute,” an NBA spokesman said. “The investigation has found that the Bucks scheduled Giannis to work out last week in three-on-three scrimmages as part of his return-to-play process, but he declined to participate. There is a disagreement as to whether the team requested that Giannis participate in a group workout earlier this week, and the league is continuing to monitor the situation.”
ESPN first reported that an investigation was taking place.
Since that Indiana game, the Bucks have ruled Antetokounmpo out due to left knee hyperextension and a bone bruise. Antetokounmpo has been participating in pregame warmups lately with no apparent limits.
“I’m healthy,” Antetokounmpo told reporters before the Bucks’ 133-101 loss to the Boston Celtics on Friday. “I hate it when people force me to do things against my nature. I’m a player. I get paid to play.”
The Bucks were eliminated from postseason contention on March 28, snapping their string of nine straight playoff appearances.
Sunday will mark the career-high 42nd game Antetokounmpo has missed this season. He had two extended absences earlier this season due to right calf strains. He also sat out four games early this season with a left adductor strain.
The 31-year-old Antetokounmpo says he’s feeling better now and wants to get back on the floor. He has played his entire 13-year career with Milwaukee, which selected him with the 15th overall pick in the 2013 draft.
Given his long history with the team, Antetokounmpo said the Bucks should have known he wouldn’t want to be shut down for the season just because their playoff hopes have vanished.
“You know who you’re dealing with,” Antetokounmpo said Friday. “So, for somebody to come and tell me to not play or to not compete, it’s like a slap in my face.”
This dispute comes amid much speculation regarding Antetokounmpo’s future with the Bucks.
Antetokounmpo becomes eligible to sign a four-year contract extension worth up to $275 million in October. If he doesn’t sign the extension, Antetokounmpo could become a free agent after the 2026-27 season, or the Bucks could decide to trade him beforehand.
Bucks coach Doc Rivers said after Monday’s game that he wishes this disagreement had been kept between the two parties. Rivers added that “this is a grown man’s game, and it should be handled that way by everybody.”
“I just don’t like that this is so public,” Rivers said. “This is where grown men get in a room and they talk it out. Whether they agree or disagree, that doesn’t matter. But this should not be public, and I don’t like that.”
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo looks on during player introductions before an NBA basketball game against the Dallas Mavericks, Tuesday, March 31, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)
Injured Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo, center right, talks with an official, center left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics, Friday, April 3, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, right, talks to the Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd before an NBA basketball game Tuesday, March 31, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, right, talks to the Dallas Mavericks' Khris Middleton before an NBA basketball game Tuesday, March 31, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)
Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, right, talks to the Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd before an NBA basketball game Tuesday, March 31, 2026, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)
