CHICAGO -- Most players are happy to be done facing the Los Angeles Dodgers, but Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong might not be one of them.

The Los Angeles native has torched his childhood team this season, including Wednesday night at Wrigley Field when he went 3-for-4 with a home run, two stolen bases and a career-high four RBIs, helping the Cubs to a 7-6 win. It came one night after Chicago beat L.A. 11-10, with Crow-Armstrong contributing another home run.

He was asked Wednesday whether his production has special meaning coming against the team he used to root for.

"Absolutely," he said. "I mean, they are regarded as the best, and I think we've enjoyed being able to show that we're right there with them, and yeah, it's always a little extra special for me getting to do it against the team I grew up going to see."

Crow-Armstrong erased a 2-0 Cubs deficit with an opposite-field, three-run homer in the fourth inning, then added a run-scoring single an inning later, which turned out to be the final run of the night for the Cubs.

Overall, he had four home runs and nine RBIs in the seven-game season series against the Dodgers, which the Cubs won 4-3 after losing the first two games in Japan in mid-March. But that was before the Cubs' offense took off. They're averaging an MLB-high 6.3 runs per game.

Crow-Armstrong's season took off as well, starting over a week ago when the teams met in Los Angeles. In the 10 games since, the 23-year-old is hitting .400 with five home runs.

"He needs to send me a bottle of wine or some golf balls with all the success he's had," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts quipped before Wednesday's game.

Roberts and Crow-Armstrong exchanged pleasantries before the first game of the series, as the second-year player is friends with Roberts' son, Cole. The two played against each other growing up.

"I got a couple different connections to Doc," Crow-Armstrong said. "He's so great."

That's the same word Crow-Armstrong's teammates are using about him as he continues to impress both at the plate and in the field. According to ESPN Research, he's the fastest player in Cubs history to reach five home runs and 10 stolen bases, doing it in 26 games.

Plus, his pitchers love seeing him patrol center field.

"Defensively, I got to say he's probably the best," Wednesday's starter, Matthew Boyd, said. "And what he's doing at the plate is no surprise."

Crow-Armstrong showed signs of breaking out late last year but then struggled early this season before locking in during the Cubs' most recent road trip. He said he got "on-time" with his swing while learning how to deal with failure better. He was asked how satisfied he is with his game right now.

"If it comes out in a win, it's very satisfactory," he said. "It makes me feel very content. I love being able to impact it in any way I can."

So does his manager, who called Wednesday a "wonderful game" for Crow-Armstrong.

"He made his presence felt in a big way for sure," Craig Counsell said.

Crow-Armstrong is quickly becoming a fan favorite, as the Cubs faithful are taking to his aggressive style of play. He was asked what it's like to hear his name chanted when he comes to the plate after producing in previous at-bats.

"I've tried to tune that out," he said with a laugh. "I was actually thinking about it yesterday and I was like, I got to be 0-for-20 when they've chanted my name. But they continue to chant and they get behind every one of us and it's the coolest thing."

LOS ANGELES -- Veteran forward Evander Kane made his season debut for the Edmonton Oilers in Game 2 of their first-round Stanley Cup playoff series with the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday night.

Defenseman John Klingberg also returned from a lengthy injury absence as the Oilers attempted to even the series.

Kane is a 15-year NHL veteran who hasn't played for the Oilers since Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final last June. He had surgery last September to repair a sports hernia, and he underwent knee surgery in January.

Kane was slotted on to the Oilers' second line alongside Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Zach Hyman.

Klingberg hasn't played since suffering a lower-body injury while blocking a shot March 27 in Seattle. The Swedish veteran signed with Edmonton in January after going unsigned early in the season, but he played in only 11 games while dealing with multiple injuries.

The Oilers are hoping Klingberg can help their blue line, which frequently struggled in the Kings' 6-5 victory in Game 1.

Jeff Skinner was scratched by the Oilers to make room for Kane. The 15-year NHL veteran forward made his Stanley Cup playoff debut in Game 1, recording an assist.

WASHINGTON -- The highlight-reel, diving save that it looked like Logan Thompson made to rob Jake Evans was not actually a save at all, and he wants to make sure everyone knows that.

"I didn't save it," Thompson said. "It went off the post. I think I almost knocked it in."

Sure, Thompson and the Washington Capitals got a little lucky on that one. But his goaltending in the third period, when he made some spectacular stops, is the biggest reason they lead the Montreal Canadiens two games to none in their first-round playoff series.

"He was the difference tonight in the third: He wins us that game in the third period," coach Spencer Carbery said after a 3-1 victory in Game 2, after which Thompson was selected the first star. "You could feel the building with the energy with each save. It felt like he just got bigger and bigger and bigger. He was tested. He made some huge saves in that third period to keep us in front."

The Canadiens had multiple opportunities to tie the score, trailing 2-1 and pressing Thompson.

They got a 2-on-0 rush with 11 minutes left, but Thompson stopped Josh Anderson. With 4:22 on the clock, he got his stick in front of a textbook deflection by Christian Dvorak, who beat him earlier for a goal. And on the next shift, he denied Juraj Slafkovsky.

Fans rose to their feet to give Thompson a standing ovation and chanted "LT! LT!" after each of the saves.

"Extraordinary," rookie Ryan Leonard said. "A lot of trust back there with that guy. He's a gamer."

Making it an even better tale is this was just Thompson's second game back after getting injured when a shot dislodged his mask April 2 at Carolina.

"I knew I wasn't going to get a game before playoffs," Thompson said. "Just staying ready in practice, working as hard as I can and just waiting to see if I get my name called. It did. It's playoffs. It's not the start of the year: You can't take your time to get into it. You just have to hit it sprinting. That's kind of what I've done, and it's worked out."

Thompson and Charlie Lindgren alternated starts for the first half of the season. Then it became evident Thompson was Washington's No. 1 netminder, something solidified when he got a six-year, $35.1 million extension in late January and Lindgren signed for three years and $9 million in early March.

Lindgren shouldered the load down the stretch, a year after carrying the Capitals into the playoffs, but there was no doubt about Carbery and goaltending coach Scott Murray going to Thompson to start the series as long as the 28-year-old was healthy.

"These games, this is where he wants to play," Carbery said. "He wanted to play in the playoffs. He said: 'I'm ready to go. I want to be in the net in Game 1.' No disrespect to Charlie Lindgren. He wants these moments, and that's an important part of it."

Thompson made an important save early in the second period to keep his team's deficit at one goal. He was at his best in the third, making 14 of his 25 saves to keep Montreal from evening things up.

"We knew they were going to come out in the third just like they did last game, Thompson said. "It's easy to get into it when you make those saves. You're definitely right back in the game. It could easily swing the other way if a couple of those go in and you're fighting it, right? Luckily things went my way."

Free agent wide receiver Tyler Lockett is headed to the Tennessee Titans, he announced Wednesday night.

Lockett is signing with Tennessee on a one-year, $4 million deal worth up to $6 million, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Lockett brings a veteran presence to a Titans receiver room that is unproven other than Calvin Ridley, who is coming off a 1,000-yard season. The Titans also signed veteran Van Jefferson in March.

Tennessee is likely to select former Miami quarterback Cam Ward with the No. 1 pick in Thursday's draft. Lockett's veteran presence should help the rookie quarterback as he gets acclimated to the NFL.

The Seattle Seahawks released Lockett, 32, on March 5, ending the 10-year run in Seattle of the second-most prolific pass catcher in franchise history. By releasing Lockett, Seattle saved $17 million in cash and cap space but took on $13.895 million in dead money.

Lockett had publicly expressed his gratitude for Seahawks general manager John Schneider bringing him back last offseason, when his future in Seattle was unclear on the heels of his slight downturn in production and Pete Carroll's ouster as head coach. As part of a restructured contract the two sides agreed to before free agency, Lockett took a $4 million pay cut.

Then he took a backseat in Seattle's receiver corps, with Jaxon Smith-Njigba breaking out in his second season. Lockett started strong, putting him on pace to replicate his 894-yard, five-touchdown season from 2023. But with Smith-Njigba becoming the focal point of the passing game over the second half, Lockett finished with 600 receiving yards and two scores, his lowest totals since 2017. His 74 targets were his fewest since 2018.

Seattle drafted Lockett in the third round out of Kansas State in 2015. He made an immediate impact as a kick returner, making the Pro Bowl and being selected first-team All-Pro as a rookie. His breakout as a receiver came in 2018 with 965 yards and 10 touchdowns. He topped 1,000 yards in each of the next four seasons, and his 45 touchdowns over that five-year span ranked tied for fourth most among wide receivers.

Lockett, who has sat out only two games because of injury over his career and another with COVID-19, ranks second in franchise history to Hall of Famer Steve Largent in catches (661), receiving yards (8,594) and receiving touchdowns (61). In December, he became a three-time winner of the team's annual Steve Largent Award, voted on by players in recognition of on- and off-the-field excellence.

ESPN's Brady Henderson and Turron Davenport contributed to this report.

CLEVELAND -- A portion of the Cleveland Cavaliers' success this season came from Donovan Mitchell taking a step back, taking fewer shots and nurturing younger teammates into bigger roles.

But he's still the team's superstar and he took a turn in that calling Wednesday night, scoring 17 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter to hold off a vigorous Miami Heat comeback attempt as the Cavs took a 121-112 Game 2 victory. They'll carry a 2-0 series lead to Miami heading into Saturday's Game 3.

The Heat melted a 19-point Cavs lead down to just two with four minutes remaining. Mitchell entered the game and hit a floater and then back-to-back 3-pointers -- the second a 32-foot bomb -- to give the top-seeded Cavs a vital boost.

"I've worked really hard to be in those moments," Mitchell said. "You're fatigued or whatever, but you put your head down and get to the spots."

Mitchell averaged 24 points during the regular season, his fewest in five seasons. He averaged his fewest shots per game since he was a rookie in 2017-18. But in the two playoff games so far, he's verified his importance to the franchise with back-to-back 30-point games.

"I feel like when we need him he gives it, he knows the moment," Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson said. "He doesn't do it when we're up 10 or 15 (points). He'll wait and wait. I think that's the maturity level he's gotten to where he is in his career, understanding what the situation is, what the moment is."

It didn't look like such a moment would be required as the Cavs had a historic-shooting first half. They made 14 of their first 21 3-point tries and set an NBA playoff record by making 11 triples in the second quarter. Eight different Cavs made a 3 in the first half, with Mitchell assisting on five 3s in the second quarter alone.

But after being the No. 1 3-point percentage team over the first four-plus months of the season, the Cavs ranked just 17th after March 1, and that inconsistency showed in the second half. They made just 4-of-15 in the third quarter as the team tried a collective heat check. That dry spell opened the door for the Heat, the first No. 10 seed in the play-in tournament to make the playoffs, to show their relentlessness attributes.

Coach Erik Spoelstra moved guard Davion Mitchell into the starting lineup, and he backed up that decision by scoring 14 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter, when he was a catalyst at both ends. All-Star Tyler Herro scored 33 points, and Haywood Highsmith tried to balance out the Cavs' 3-point assault by making 5-of-6 3s on his way to 17 points.

But Mitchell made all four of his 3-pointers in the fourth quarter and the Heat were outscored 12-6 to close out the game.

"I love the fact that the game happened like this; I'd much rather this than win by 20," Mitchell said. "Especially going into an environment like we are in a few days (in Miami). We had to really find a way as a group."

Cavs forward Evan Mobley had 20 points and six rebounds and played key defense on Heat star Bam Adebayo, who had 14 rebounds but finished just 3-of-9 shooting. Thursday is potentially a huge day for Mobley, a finalist for the Defensive Player of the Year Award that will be announced that night. As part of the maximum contract extension he signed last fall, Mobley will collected a $45 million bonus over the next five years if he wins the award and triggers escalators in his contract that will take the guarantee from $224 million to $269 million.

"I mean it definitely was a goal of mine coming into this year, I put all the work in, so it's a big day," Mobley said. "But I'm trying to be as focused as I can on the playoffs."

HOUSTON -- Golden State Warriors star Jimmy Butler took a scary fall late in the first quarter and suffered a pelvis contusion that forced him out of the team's 109-94 Game 2 loss to the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night.

Butler will undergo an MRI on Thursday, the team said.

Butler went up to grab a defensive rebound off Amen Thompson's missed shot, and Thompson flew into him. Butler came crashing down on his tailbone area and immediately looked to be in pain. Thompson, who was jostling with Draymond Green prior to colliding with Butler, was down for a short moment before getting up.

Butler remained in the game briefly, making 1 of 2 free throws, but called to come out with 1:51 left in the first quarter. He clearly was struggling to move.

Butler moved gingerly as he went to the locker room. The Warriors ruled Butler out for the game in the second quarter.

If Butler has to miss any more time, that would be a huge blow to Golden State. Entering Game 2, the Warriors were 25-8 (including regular-season, play-in and postseason games) since Butler made his debut with the team Feb. 8 in Chicago.

He had 25 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 5 steals to help the Warriors win Game 1 in Houston on Sunday.

Butler played eight minutes Wednesday, leaving with three points and two rebounds.

Warriors starting guard Brandin Podziemski also played only eight minutes in the first half because of illness. He came into the game feeling ill from something he ate, coach Steve Kerr said. The team said in the first half that Podziemski was questionable to return. That forced Kerr to play Jonathan Kuminga, who had not played since the regular-season finale against the LA Clippers. Little-used point guard Pat Spencer also saw action in the second quarter.

Podziemski returned in the third quarter and finished with zero points in 14 minutes.

The series now shifts to San Francisco tied at 1-1. Game 3 is Saturday.

BOSTON -- As soon as his 7-foot-3-inch frame plummeted to the parquet court Wednesday night in Boston, Kristaps Porzingis immediately placed both hands on the gnarly gash across his split-open forehead, seemingly trying to plug a wound that would soon require five stitches.

Then, the Boston Celtics center wanted to survey the damage. Porzingis lifted his hands, now wet from the wound, and as blood began pooling on his face and rushing in fast-moving streaks down the back of his skull, he looked up at the red gore that coated his palms and fingers.

It was late in the third quarter of the Celtics' 109-100 Game 2 win over the Orlando Magic at TD Garden, and, moments before, Porzingis had received a vicious elbow to the face from Magic center Goga Bitadze when the two were fighting for a loose ball.

But quickly, as he lay bleeding on the court, Porzingis thought back to a moment a few weeks prior, to a home game in early April, when he took an opponent's elbow to the nose.

Blood streaked down his face then, too, and Porzingis, an avid wrestling fan, reveled in the moment, rising to his feet and pumping up Celtics fans at TD Garden.

"I love my WWE moments," Porzingis said after tallying 20 points and 10 rebounds to help the Celtics take a 2-0 lead in the first-round series. "And then you know me. I always love engaging with the crowd. And I already knew, getting hit again, blood again -- the crowd was going to go with it."

After taking the blow, Porzingis rose to his feet and started toward the locker room, with a towel atop his head as blood poured down his nose. He then broadcast an ear-to-ear smile and pointed to the crowd as Celtics fans rose to their feet and erupted in deafening cheers.

"He loves UFC, so I was like, this is perfect," Celtics guard Payton Pritchard said. "It was fitting for him."

After an official review, Bitadze was called for a flagrant foul, and, soon after, Porzingis emerged from the tunnel to shoot the free throws, with dried blood streaks across his head and a large bandage covering his forehead. The Celtics crowd roared and began chanting "K-P! K-P! K-P!" Porzingis pointed to the fans, beaming a wide grin.

"Honestly, how can I not come [back] out?" Porzingis said. "Like, 'Oh, I have five stitches, I can't play anymore.' My legs work, everything works, so of course I'm going to be out there. And you know me. I like these moments. Coming back out again, getting a little love from the crowd. It just happens within the game and this is not going to stop me. So I'm going to keep going."

Said Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla, "I like watching him bleed on the court. I think it's important, and then he comes back in and does his job. So I do like that about him."

The moment encapsulated a series that has quickly become defined by physical play. In Game 1 Sunday, Orlando's Wendell Carter Jr. and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope collided mid-air with Celtics star Jayson Tatum, sending him crashing to the ground and injuring his right wrist, which sidelined him in Wednesday's game. Celtics center Al Horford took issue with the play in the moment, saying the Magic -- and especially Caldwell-Pope -- stepped over the line.

In Wednesday's game, Horford and Caldwell-Pope became tangled up in the first half while running up the court. Both players hit the floor, and Horford quickly rose to his feet, appearing ready to charge Caldwell-Pope. But Mazzula and Celtics guard Jrue Holiday held Horford back.

"We're not going to let anybody punk us," Porzingis said. "And we expect teams to be doing this kind of stuff, to get in our heads, to try to provoke us, to try to maybe get some reaction out of us, some technical [foul] maybe, something. It's an emotional game, obviously, so we weren't surprised, but we're just not going to take it. So we're going to hit them right back."

Said Pritchard, "It's the playoffs, baby. That's what it is, so we knew what they were going to do. That's what I told Al after. I'm like, 'It's just fun. This is basketball now.'

With Tatum sidelined for the first time in his postseason career, the Celtics were lifted by All-Star Jaylen Brown, who scored a game-high 36 points and added 10 rebounds and 5 assists.

"At the end of the day, he's willing to do whatever it takes for us to win," Mazzulla said. "And he didn't come in saying he had to get 36 and 10. He came in and said, 'I'm going to do whatever it takes to win.' And that's what he told me yesterday. That's just the mindset that he has."

Said Brown, "I think in my first interview [in] Boston, I said I was going to go to war for this city, and I don't think nothing has changed. So whatever it takes, every single night."

After the game, Porzingis addressed reporters with the fresh stitches across his forehead, offering a smile and many light-hearted remarks.

Mazulla praised the center's perspective.

"I think he has an ability, an innate ability, to take things very serious, and at the same time have great perspective," Mazulla said. "You see how, I think, he can control his environment really well with how he handles the crowd and how he handles the physicality of it, and he can maintain his poise, and he just has a great way about him. I think that that helps us."

When Mazzulla's quote was shared with him, Porzingis became reflective.

"In my career, I've had a lot of ups, but I've had a lot of downs," he said. "I've been out with injuries, so when I have the actual moment to play basketball, I try to enjoy it to the fullest. I'm smiling, I'm having fun, I'm trying to engage with the fans. It comes pretty naturally to me and especially playing here in Boston, getting this love.

"For me, there is no better place to do it, on the biggest stage and getting all of this love. This is what I dreamed of, and especially with my history, I enjoy every moment on the floor to the fullest."

MINNEAPOLIS -- Two Minnesota Twins greats are recovering from strokes suffered days apart, the team confirmed Wednesday.

Former right fielder and designated hitter Tony Oliva had what the team called "a series of mini strokes" over the past month but is expected to make a full recovery. Former first baseman Kent Hrbek also suffered a minor stroke following knee surgery in early April and is recovering at home.

The 86-year-old Oliva spent his entire 15-year career with the Twins. He was the American League Rookie of the Year in 1964 and won the batting title three times. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2022 by the Golden Days Era Committee.

Hrbek, 64, grew up in the area in Bloomington and played his entire 14-year career with his hometown team. He was an integral part of the Twins teams that won the World Series in 1987 and 1991.

Both Oliva and Hrbek have remained around the team and have been regular fixtures at Target Field since the stadium opened in 2010. Their numbers have been retired by the Twins -- Oliva's No. 6 and Hrbek's No. 14 -- and the former players are represented by bronze statues outside the venue.

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The Texas Rangers placed shortstop Corey Seager on the 10-day injured list Wednesday because of a strained right hamstring.

Seager, 30, pulled up while running to first base in the sixth inning Tuesday at the Athletics and left the game. He started 21 of Texas' first 23 games this season and is hitting .286 with four home runs and six RBIs. Seager has a team-high 17 hits since April 8.

The Rangers also called up infielder Nick Ahmed and designated left-handed pitcher Walter Pennington for assignment. Ahmed, 35, is seeking to appear in a major league game for the 12th consecutive season. He has played for Arizona (2014-23), San Francisco (2024), the Los Angeles Dodgers (2024) and San Diego (2024).