WASHINGTON -- Alex Ovechkin is five goals from breaking Wayne Gretzky's NHL record after scoring the 890th of his career in the Washington Capitals' 8-5 loss Sunday to the Buffalo Sabres.

Ovechkin, Washington's captain who has sparked a renaissance season that has the Capitals in the first place in the Eastern Conference, got to the front of the net and deflected Rasmus Sandin's shot past James Reimer to pull the Capitals to within two at 9:11 of the third period.

He wasn't in the best of spirits, however, after the game. As comfortable as their 11-point lead is in the Metropolitan Division, the Capitals have lost three in a row as the postseason nears.

"Right now," Ovechkin told reporters, after being asked about No. 890, "we lost three in a row. It's a good thing it happens right now and not in the playoffs, but we just have to bounce back and find a way to win the games."

Washington coach Spencer Carbery was also not overflowing with reaction after the loss.

"We got what we deserved tonight," he said. "That's not who we are."

Ovechkin, 39, remains on pace to pass Gretzky's mark of 894 this spring, a record that seemed unapproachable. He has 37 goals this season and is on track to reach 40 for a 14th time, also the most in league history, despite sitting out 16 games because of a broken left fibula.

"Again, it's an insane number," Washington forward Aliaksei Protas said. "I don't think I'd ever get that, even in NHL 25 [the video game] ... he's chasing something special."

But, in the end, the day belonged to the Sabres. Alex Tuch and Tage Thompson each scored two goals as Buffalo won for just the 31st time this season.

"We were fighting to stay in that game, I didn't like any of our top-six again tonight," Carbery said. "It just hasn't looked great. Their underlying numbers haven't been great the last two games from our top-six."

Ovechkin continues his pursuit of Gretzky on Tuesday when the Capitals visit the Boston Bruins.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Bernardo Silva has said he believes even winning the FA Cup won't redeem Manchester City's season.

City secured their spot in the FA Cup semifinals on Sunday after a comeback 2-1 win at Bournemouth. In an eventful game at the Vitality Stadium, the hosts took the lead through Evanlison after Erling Haaland had missed a penalty earlier in the half.

The Norway international made amends after the break with a finish at the far post but had to go off near the hour mark because of injury. His replacement, Omar Marmoush, scored moments after coming on to book City a Wembley showdown against Nottingham Forest.

The FA Cup remains City's only chance at winning silverware this season. They faced early exits in the Carabao Cup and Champions League and are fifth in the Premier League, 22 points behind leaders Liverpool.

When asked by ESPN post-match on Sunday if winning the FA Cup would make the season a successful one, Silva said: "No, our standards are much higher than this.

"So of course we would be happy [to win the FA Cup] but it doesn't make the season good."

City's season cratered towards the end of 2024, when they went on a run of five successive defeats in all competitions. Their last game of the year -- a 2-0 win over Leicester City -- was their first league win in 14 matches.

City's form improved at the turn of the year with the arrival of new signings like Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez and Abdukodir Khusanov, all of whom were involved at the Vitality on Sunday.

When asked if their additions have helped the squad return to full-strength, Silva said: "Unfortunately, we had all the injuries, all the problems in the squad, which didn't help. But yeah, that's still no excuse.

"We own the bad months that we have. We don't make excuses. We should have done much better than that. And from now on, what we can control is our performances, and today was a good performance for the team."

Barcelona remain unbeaten in 2025, having gone 20 games without recording a loss this year under Hansi Flick. Can either Real Madrid or Atlético Madrid dent the Blaugrana's lead in the LaLiga title race?

In the FA Cup, Manchester City will look to find solace in their disappointing season as they are now two games away from winning the oldest competition in the world. Will Pep Guardiola win himself another trophy, or will there be another surprise in the competition's long and coveted history?

Meanwhile, in the Bundesliga, Marco Rose is out of a job at RB Leipzig with Zsolt Lőw coming in to replace him. Can the Hungarian manager save Die Roten Bullen's season with significant matches left to play?

Sam Tighe, Sam Marsden and Constantin Eckner make observations from across Europe to bring you up to speed on what you might have missed this weekend.

English FA Cup

Top takeaway: Pep's super subs save the day

Eyebrows were raised when the teamsheets dropped at Bournemouth's Vitality Stadium, as Manchester City's XI looked curious for the wrong reasons. With Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden, Mateo Kovačić, Ilkay Gündoğan, and Bernardo Silva all starting, no one could doubt the quality of the Citizens' midfield -- but you could question where the natural width might come from.

Those concerns proved fair as the visitors struggled in the first half, going into the break 1-0 down. It's not that they didn't create chances -- Erling Haaland missed a trio of good ones, including a penalty -- but they played into Bournemouth's hands by congesting the middle of the pitch and then losing the physical battle.

Guardiola wasted little time in addressing this. For the second half, he sent Nico O'Reilly -- a central midfielder -- on at left-back, asked him to raid up and down the flank, and he immediately changed the game. His first driving run was promising, then his second teed up Haaland for the equalizer. Fourteen minutes later, his clever flicked pass found fellow substitute Omar Marmoush, whose strike found a way through Kepa Arrizabalaga's frame.

In a season where Guardiola has been firmly questioned from a tactical perspective, this served as a nice reminder that he can still flip the script of a game with a clever move.

Best match: AFC Bournemouth 1-2 Manchester City

City's comeback victory was the pick of the bunch this weekend, as it was the closest match that actually featured a goal! The Cherries had the reigning champions on the ropes in the first half, but a combination of Guardiola's tweaks and sheer squad depth turned things around in the second. Some of the interplay in the box between De Bruyne, Gündoğan, and Jack Grealish was a sight to behold.

Best goal: Eberechi Eze, Crystal Palace vs. Fulham

Eze opened the scoring for Crystal Palace at Craven Cottage with a beautiful goal. The combination of control and power on a strike that stayed low, and the way it whistled past Bernd Leno's outstretched arm, was a sight to behold.

MVP of the weekend: Marcus Rashford, Aston Villa

This could quite easily be Eze or O'Reilly, too, but in the interests of variety, it's worth giving Rashford his flowers. The 27-year-old has been a hugely positive presence for Aston Villa since joining on loan in January, but after bagging his first goals for the club, we can now say he has truly arrived. -- Tighe

LaLiga

Top takeaway: Barça's momentum continues to skyrocket

Barcelona's free-scoring attack continues to entertain and, more importantly, drive them towards the LaLiga title. Robert Lewandowski scored twice on Sunday as they beat Girona 4-1 to take his tally for the season to 38 in all competitions and reestablish Barça's three-point lead at the top of the table.

There was also another goal for Ferran Torres, the 15th of the campaign for a player most often used off the bench -- as he was here -- and another dazzling performance from Lamine Yamal. The 17-year-old's free kick was deflected in by Girona defender Ladislav Krejčí for the opener, and only the crossbar, still shaking now, prevented him from adding a fifth later on.

It was the 20th time this season Barça have scored four or more goals in a competitive game. They have played 45. They have scored 139 goals: over three on average per match. Sunday's win came without Raphinha, too, who was afforded a rest after back-to-back games with Brazil last week.

The numbers are remarkable. Hansi Flick's side are now unbeaten in 20 games in all competitions in 2025. They have won nine in a row in LaLiga. There is still work to be done -- a second leg in the Copa del Rey semifinal against Atlético Madrid on Wednesday, nine more matches in LaLiga, and a UEFA Champions League quarterfinal tie against Borussia Dortmund -- but the momentum is good and truly with them right now.

Best match: Real Madrid 3-2 Leganés

Barça's lead at the top remains only three points after Madrid fought back to beat Leganés on Saturday. Leganés led at the break after goals from Diego García and Dani Raba cancelled out Kylian Mbappé's penalty. But Madrid fought back in the second half to seal another Santiago Bernabeú comeback, with goals from Jude Bellingham and a second for Mbappé.

Best goal: César Azpilicueta, Atlético Madrid vs. Espanyol

It was a memorable weekend for Azpilicueta as he scored his first goal since 2022. And what a goal: a volley from over 20 yards which opened the scoring against Espanyol. Unfortunately for Atlético, this may have been the weekend when their title hopes disappeared. The game ended 1-1 and they are now nine points adrift of Barça.

MVP of the weekend: Lamine Yamal, Barcelona

The fight between Mbappé (22 league goals) and Lewandowski (25) for LaLiga's Golden Boot is heating up after both players netted braces, but no one was more fun to watch than Yamal this weekend. There were so many moments of brilliance: The early chance he created for Lewandowski, the dribble past three Girona players which just lacked a finish, the back-heeled pass to Jules Koundé and his late, rifled effort off the bar were just some of the moments that brought the crowd at the Olympic Stadium to their feet. -- Marsden

Bundesliga

Top takeaway: Leipzig make managerial change to save their season

Another manager bites the dust. What has long been rumored has finally come true, as RB Leipzig sacked Marco Rose following a 1-0 loss to Borussia Mönchengladbach. Leipzig had a great start to the season but have essentially been in a slump since November, which included disastrous results in the UEFA Champions League stage. They have now only won two of their past 11 Bundesliga games.

"In light of the development and the lack of results, we are convinced that we need a new impetus for the remaining games to meet our season goals," sporting director Marcel Schäfer said. Zsolt Löw, a former assistant of Thomas Tuchel, was announced as the new manager, although he has only signed a contract until the end of the season.

For a while, it looked like circumstances could save Rose's job. The 48-year-old is a Leipzig native, with both his dad and grandfather also being former footballers from the area. Plus, when Jürgen Klopp took over as Global Head of Soccer at Red Bull at the beginning of the year, the feeling was that he could help his former player as Rose played left-back at Mainz under Klopp between 2002 and 2008.

But in the end, the fact that Leipzig are in danger of missing out on qualifying for next season's Champions League and are currently behind the likes of Eintracht Frankfurt and Mainz in the Bundesliga standings was reason enough for Leipzig's higher-ups to part ways with Rose.

Best match: Bayern Munich 3-2 St. Pauli

Bayern have suffered two setbacks during the international break, with both center-back Dayot Upamecano and left-back Alphonso Davies being out for the next couple of months due to knee injuries. The home game against St. Pauli was the first test for a reorganized back line and it went a bit reasonable. It was 1-1 at half-time before Bayern pulled away following the interval thanks to two goals by Leroy Sané.

Best goal: Felix Agu, Werder Bremen vs. Holstein Kiel

Werder Bremen beat Kiel 3-0 in style, with both Marvin Ducksch and Agu scoring beautiful goals. Agu's screamer for the 2-0 came shortly before the hour mark following a Bremen counterattack where Ducksch sprinted down the right wing before crossing, which a Kiel defender flicked to the far corner of the box in an attempt to clear the situation. However, Agu was right there to take a touch inside and then curl the ball into the top corner.

MVP of the weekend: Borussia Dortmund's Nico Schlotterbeck

Schlotterbeck's defensive abilities have at times been called into question, even though the 25-year-old has become a competent tackler over time. But what nobody could seriously deny is that the left-footer is a talented ball-playing center-back, to the point that he is now even considered as a set-piece taker.

He hadn't taken a corner in the Bundesliga until Sunday, when Schlotterbeck assisted two goals en route to Dortmund's 3-1 win over Mainz through corner kicks. Apart from that, he played a great game alongside Emre Can and Waldemar Anton in Dortmund's back three. -- Eckner

What else you missed this weekend

Beşiktaş ruin Galatasaray's unbeaten season quest

Galatasaray suffered their first league defeat of the season on Saturday at the hands of archrivals Beşiktaş. It's a result that not only snaps their 28-game unbeaten streak, but also ruins their quest for an unbeaten league campaign.

Portuguese duo Rafa Silva and Gedson Fernandes scored either side of a Lucas Torreira strike to win it 2-1 for the Black Eagles. Gala right-back Przemyslaw Frankowski was sent off after a VAR review in the first half, which understandably shaped the game.

It opens up the prospect of a genuine title race to close out the season, as Galatasaray's nine-point lead at the top has now shrunk to six. Crucially, second-placed Fenerbahçe -- who are led by José Mourinho -- have a game in hand to play, so that lead could conceivably shrink again to just three. -- Tighe

Game over for PSV?

PSV Eindhoven's title defense may well be over after they were beaten 2-0 at home by Eredivisie leaders Ajax on Sunday. The Dutch champions have been in terrible form since December, but a win against Ajax would have injected life back into the battle for top spot.

Instead, goals from Davy Klaassen and Bertrand Traoré sealed a victory that took Ajax nine points clear of PSV, who have now won only four of their past 12 league games. Ajax have taken full advantage of PSV's collapse. Francesco Farioli's side have won 11 of their past 12 games, and few would bet against them winning the league for the first time since 2022. -- Marsden

Decent start for Tudor under difficult circumstances

The Italian Serie A saw another manager being sacked a week ago, as Juventus parted ways with Thiago Motta after devastating losses to Atalanta and Fiorentina. While Juventus would seemingly like to bring current Napoli manager Antonio Conte back to Turin, they had to opt for a different solution, hiring former player Igor Tudor as temporary manager.

Tudor has the chance to keep his job if he qualifies for the Champions League. He has taken one step in that direction, with Juventus beating Genoa 1-0 on Saturday. Kenan Yıldız scored the deciding goal, assisted by Dušan Vlahović, who is reportedly set to stay with the club beyond the summer.

But a simple win might not bring Juventus back into navigable waters, because the club are seemingly troubled by financial woes. Managerial changes won't help that situation given the extra costs involved. Motta is still under contract until 2027 and continues to receive a yearly salary in the range of 5 million.

However, qualifying for the most lucrative European competitions would certainly help the bottom line and might almost be a necessity for the proud club to keep competing with the likes of Internazionale and Napoli. Tudor knows his assignment. -- Eckner

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- Novak Djokovic faced a series of obstacles Sunday in the Miami Open final: a delay of more than 5 hours before the match, an eye infection and a slippery court due to high levels of humidity following the rain.

But the largest roadblock was the youth and power of 6-foot-4, 19-year-old phenom Jakub Mensik, who outdueled the 37-year-old Serbian in two tiebreakers 7-6 (4), 7-6 (4) to win his first ATP title.

Ranked 54th entering the tournament, the Czech Republic teenager plowed through Djokovic with poise and a stellar 130 mph serve. He collected 14 aces and was broken only once. Mensik bashed a service winner on match point and fell on his back.

"You're the one I idolized when I was young, Mensik said to Djokovic during the ceremony after the match that lasted 2 hours, 3 minutes. "I started playing tennis because of you.

Mensik's victory spoiled the party for Djokovic, who was seeking his 100th career title and a record seventh in the Miami Open. Djokovic will have to wait, while the teenager looks ready to join the elite.

"This is a joyous moment for him and his family -- an unbelievable tournament, first of many, Djokovic said. "It hurts me to admit it, you were better. In the clutch moments, you delivered the goods. For a young player like yourself, this is a great feature.

The crowd pulled hard for Djokovic, who hadn't played in Miami since 2019. More than three-quarters of the fans stuck around despite the massive delay, chanting "No-vak!'' and singing his name across critical parts of the match.

Djokovic, far from a fan favorite here earlier in his career, saluted the fans, saying it was one of the warmest crowds he has ever had.

But the men's leader with 24 Grand Slam titles seemed compromised by his eye issue, with redness seen under the eyelid. Djokovic applied eyedrops during two changeovers in the first set. It was unclear if it affected his vision.

Afterward, Djokovic said he "really prefers not to talk about" his eye, but said "I didn't feel my greatest on the court."

Djokovic called it "a weird day."

"It's the same for both players," he added. "You have to accept the circumstances. I tried to make the most out of what I had or was facing but, yeah, it was quite different from any other day of the tournament for me."

During the first set, he also slipped twice on the court. The humidity reached 90% after hours of rain disrupted the card. Sweating profusely, Djokovic asked the umpire for a bucket of sawdust to sprinkle on his wet grip.

Mensik had lost to Djokovic in a three-setter in October at the Shanghai Masters, but the youngster said before the match he had played too nervously.

Mensik was playing his first ATP 1000 final. He was not quite 2 years old when Djokovic won his first Miami Open title in 2007.

Djokovic knew Mensik's potential after inviting him to his camp in Belgrade to train when the prodigy was 16.

"He has the complete game. His serve is incredible, powerful, precise," Djokovic said.

There was more fearlessness this time than in Shanghai. Mensik went up 3-0 with an early break, but Djokovic broke back at 4-3 then held for 4-4 after fans chanted his name.

Mensik held for a 6-5 lead in a game that saw Djokovic take a tumble in the doubles alley chasing a drop shot. Mensik served it out with his seventh ace.

In the first-set tiebreak, Mensik charged ahead 5-0. Mensik executed a leaping backhand volley winner and Djokovic muffed a routine forehand drop shot into the net to fall behind 5-0. On set point, Mensik slugged an overhead smash for a winner.

The match was scheduled for 3 p.m. ET, but the players didn't take the court until 8:37 p.m. because of the rain and organizers deciding on completing the women's doubles final.

The South Florida rain began at 12:50 p.m. during the women's doubles final pitting Mirra Andreeva and Diana Shnaider against Cristina Bucsa and Miyu Kato, with Andreeva and Shnaider leading 3-0 in the first set.

The women's players returned to the court at 5:30 p.m. after the rain stopped and the courts were readied by court-drying machinery. But rain began minutes later before warmups and the umbrella-toting players left the court again.

The women returned to the court an hour later and resumed play at 6:50 p.m. Andreeva and Schnaider went the distance, prevailing in a third-set match tiebreaker 6-3, 6-7 (5), 10-2.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The Green Bay Packers' proposal to ban the push sneak, popularly known as the tush push, has support within the competition committee, a source with direct knowledge told ESPN on Sunday.

Another source with direct knowledge of competition committee thinking said the proposal would be "hotly contested" among the coaches, general managers and owners as they gather for league meetings this week.

The league office staff presented the rules proposals during the football operations meeting Sunday afternoon, and two sources in the meeting described the back and forth as "heated" regarding the proposal to "prohibit an offensive player from pushing a teammate who was lined up directly behind the snapper and receives the snap, immediately at the snap."

During the Sunday afternoon session, Philadelphia Eagles general manager Howie Roseman, assistant general manager Jon Ferrari and two head coaches on the competition committee, Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams and Sean McDermott of the Buffalo Bills, gathered in a hallway outside of the ballroom to have a private and animated side conversation about the Packers' proposal.

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has not spoken publicly about the team's proposal, and declined to comment on it when approached by ESPN on Sunday afternoon. Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst also declined a question from ESPN on Sunday. "I'll leave that for someone else to talk about," he said.

Teams putting forth a proposal will often save their argument for the day of voting, which in this case, will be Tuesday morning.

Green Bay listed two reasons within its proposal to prohibit the play the Eagles have made famous: player safety and pace of play. Multiple sources who have been in competition committee meetings about the play told ESPN there was no injury data to support the ban, but rather a hypothetical conversation centered on potential injuries.

The league presented the injury risk of the push sneak based on data modeling, saying defensive players are at risk while launching head-first, and offensive linemen at risk because of their bent posture operating in a narrow window, which could lead to neck injuries.

"It's not backed by data," one club executive said. "It was all subjective."

Another source in the competition committee meetings said that "it's not about player safety. It's just a different play and it just looks different."

The tush push has had critics around the league since the Eagles debuted the play during the 2022 season. Coaches, executives and players have argued it's not a football play, with some comparing it to a rugby play.

This is the third offseason that the competition committee has reviewed the play, but the first time a club has submitted a rules proposal aimed at eliminating or restricting it. The first source with knowledge of competition committee thinking said a "s--- show" series in the NFC Championship Game between the Washington Commanders and Eagles helped build momentum toward the current rules proposal.

During the fourth quarter of that game, the Commanders committed four defensive penalties (one offsides, three encroachment) on six consecutive push sneak plays that started at their 1-yard line, preferring to take the yardage penalty at such a short distance (half the distance) to surrendering a touchdown. The Eagles replayed second down four times, in a sequence that took a minute off the game clock and prompted referee Shawn Hochuli to make an official warning to the Commanders that if they committed another "palpably unfair act," he would award the Eagles a touchdown. The Eagles scored a touchdown on the sixth tush push attempt.

"That's more because of the look of the play," said the source who was in competition committee meetings. "To the folks that know how they want football to look on Sundays to the [fans]. Do [fans] want that play run 50 times down the field?"

But only two teams, Philadelphia and Buffalo, ran the push sneak more than five times last season. And of the 35,415 total plays last season, the push sneak accounted for only 101 of those plays, 0.28%.

"The thing that nobody likes about the discussion we are having and the question you just asked, is that the rule is directed towards two teams," Atlanta Falcons CEO and competition committee chairman Rich McKay said. "We have rules that come in about some play or some tactic or something that was never contemplated and all of a sudden was introduced, and there is a rule put up to say maybe we shouldn't have that tactic or that play, so I don't think any of us like the fact that there are teams associated with this rule proposal."

The competition committee doesn't screen or limit the number of rules proposals before they are raised for conversation at owners meetings.

"There's no lens that we look at, or filter, for any club proposal," McKay added. "Any club is allowed to propose whatever they want and then we [competition committee] will take a position, but we are only individual votes by our clubs, and then they have to get to 24 to pass."

One club source told ESPN that their team would be voting against the proposal because they don't believe the proposal is "honest about the reason."

An NFL head coach told ESPN he thinks the proposal is motivated by pettiness because some clubs don't have quarterbacks capable of running a push sneak.

"It's weak," the club executive said. "It's punishing a team who became excellent at executing the play. In 2022, when Philadelphia was the only team doing it, there was a concern that it made the game less compelling because fourth-and-short was no longer in doubt. Then other teams copied it, and they can't do it as well.

"It reeks of jealousy."

After the competition committee session ended Sunday, Dallas Cowboys co-owner Stephen Jones explained the committee's view on examining the play, and the Packers proposal.

"We're looking for consistency as a committee, and we don't allow pushing," Jones said. "We don't allow the linebackers to push the defensive linemen on extra points and we're just trying to be consistent. These quarterbacks, I'm sure they would be wildly successful whether you're pushed or not. I'm sure [Jalen Hurts] he'll make first downs at a high rate, whether someone's pushing him or not, because he's an inordinately strong special athlete. So we're just trying to be consistent with the rule. Green Bay really brought something to our attention that we felt like certainly needs to be vetted in the meeting room and amongst the owners and see where we come out on it."

Jones and New York Giants owner John Mara, two division-opponent owners of the Eagles, both sit on the competition committee.

Does Jones think it's fair that this proposal appears to target one team, the most recent Super Bowl champion?

"I think it's just being consistent with our rules, and I think Green Bay brought this to our attention, and that's what we're looking at as a committee, and certainly membership will weigh in on it," he said.

There is plenty of gray area as the rules proposal is written now:

"No offensive player may immediately at the snap, push or throw his body against a teammate, who was lined up directly behind the snapper and received the snap, to aid him in an attempt to gain yardage."

Said one NFL general manager: "They can't regulate every successful play that a team comes up with. If it passes, it'll be rewritten about six times. How do you determine what 'immediately' is? You're allowed to push a running back on the perimeter?"

Another club executive said he needed more information on what such details meant before his club decided on how it would vote.

NFL Network reported the Eagles expect to have allies in former Philadelphia coordinators who are now head coaches for other clubs, Kellen Moore with the New Orleans Saints, Shane Steichen with the Indianapolis Colts and Jonathan Gannon with the Arizona Cardinals.

"All I will say about it is Gannon, Steichen and Moore better vote for it," coach Nick Sirianni told NFL Network. "They are in the [head coach] position right now because of that play. So all three, I better have those three votes right there and the Eagles' vote. I at least know we have four."

The owners of all 32 clubs are expected to vote on all proposals Tuesday morning.

The men's Final Four is set -- and it's all No. 1 seeds for the first time since 2008.

The Florida Gators and Auburn Tigers will open the semifinal action at 6:09 p.m. ET on Saturday, followed by the Houston Cougars and Duke Blue Devils at 8:49 p.m. ET (both on CBS).

With all chalk on the San Antonio River Walk, who do our college basketball experts see facing off in the national championship on April 7?

They break down how each team reached the NCAA tournament national semifinals and its keys to advancing to the title game and also predict the winners. (Hint: They agree on one matchup, but not the other.)

Jump to: Auburn vs. Florida | Duke vs. Houston

Final Four preview

(1) Florida vs.
(1) Auburn

What to know about Florida

The No. 1 factor that helped Florida reach the Final Four: No team in America has been able to turn games in their favor with devastating runs the way the Gators have.

Down nine points with 3:14 to play against Texas Tech, they ended the game on an 18-4 run akin to ones we have seen from them multiple times this season. Just in this tournament, they outscored Maryland 47-33 in the second half of their Sweet 16 win and had 53 points in less than 17 minutes against Norfolk State in the opening round.

They have launched those same knockout punches against other elite teams, too. In the SEC tournament championship, Florida was tied with Tennessee at 16 with 11:30 to play in the first half. Eight minutes later, the Gators had a 12-point lead.

Florida is college basketball's equivalent of a home run hitter in the bottom of the ninth inning. It's never over with the Gators because of the way they can seize control of games, even when they seem out of reach.

Florida's key against Auburn: Walter Clayton Jr.'s brilliance.

The Final Four is all about stars. The teams that have players who shine under the brightest lights are the teams that ultimately cut down the nets and win national championships. There is a reason we mention Anthony Davis, Carmelo Anthony, Kemba Walker, Mateen Cleaves and Jay Williams when we discuss the greatest NCAA tournament runs. Star power reigns. And next to Cooper Flagg, Florida might have the biggest star of them all in Clayton Jr. His sheer will and talent could be the deciding factors in whether the Gators win the title. -- Myron Medcalf

What to know about Auburn

The No. 1 factor that helped Auburn reach the Final Four: Tightening up defensively.

When Auburn had its struggles down the stretch of the season, losing three of four games, the Tigers basically fell apart defensively. They allowed at least 1.13 points per possession in all three of the defeats, committing too many fouls and struggling to defend the rim. Since the NCAA tournament tipped, though, they have looked much more like the team that started the season 27-2. Bruce Pearl's team has done a much better job limiting easy opportunities, allowing only Creighton to reach one point per possession.

Denver Jones is one of the elite perimeter defenders in the country, the Tigers defend the 3-point arc incredibly well and Johni Broome and Dylan Cardwell protect the paint. Limiting fouls will be key, though.

Auburn's key against Florida: Johni Broome.

Broome took an awkward fall midway through the second half of Sunday's Elite Eight win over Michigan State and immediately went to the locker room, offering words of encouragement to Chaney Johnson and giving his parents an update on the way. It looked like his night -- and perhaps more -- was over. But Broome came out of the locker room after only five minutes of game action and checked back in then quickly buried a 3-pointer to give Auburn a boost.

He seemed healthy enough to perform at a high level this Saturday, but he will need to be at 100 percent to compete with Florida's deep and talented frontcourt. -- Jeff Borzello

Florida vs. Auburn prediction

Jeff Borzello: Florida wins, 82-79
Joe Lunardi: Florida wins, 85-80
Myron Medcalf: Florida wins, 88-84

Florida led the first meeting between these teams by as many as 21 points before winning 90-81 on the road. The Gators made 13 3s against the Tigers' SEC-best 3-point defense, and Florida's Walter Clayton Jr. cemented his case as the best guard in the country. Florida hasn't slowed down since then, and neither has Clayton, who has put on one of the all-time late-game shot-making performances in this NCAA tournament. Can Denver Jones limit Clayton's clean looks?

The Gators have the size and depth inside to make life difficult for Johni Broome and can win in more ways than the Tigers can. -- Jeff Borzello

(1) Houston vs.
(1) Duke

What to know about Houston

The No. 1 factor that helped Houston reach the Final Four: 3-point shooting.

The easy answer would be D -- and we will get to the Cougars' elite defensive unit. But the biggest difference between this year's team and previous iterations of Kelvin Sampson's program is the Cougars' ability to consistently make shots from the perimeter. They lead the country in 3-point shooting, making nearly 40% of their shots from behind the arc, with three starters shooting 42% or better.

Houston has averaged nine made 3s per game in the NCAA tournament, and it was able to take all the life out of Tennessee in the Elite Eight with dagger 3 after dagger 3 late in the game. The Cougars hit five treys in the final 5:30 on Sunday, ruining any chance of a Volunteers comeback.

Houston's key against Duke: Defense > offense.

Saturday's Final Four showdown against Duke will feature the most efficient offense in the KenPom era (since 1996-97) against the nation's best defense. Can the Cougars slow down the Blue Devils? Duke has been torching teams all season, capable of beating opponents in a variety of ways, whether it's via Cooper Flagg, 3-point shooting or using its superior size to finish around the rim.

Houston will need to muck up the game, make sure it stays mostly in a half-court setting and then try to lean on its experience and physicality to get Duke's young stars out of their rhythm. Will the best defense be better than the best offense? Houston has to hope that's the case. -- Jeff Borzello

What to know about Duke

The No. 1 factor that helped Duke reach the Final Four: Duke is simply more talented than any other team.

Cooper Flagg and fellow NBA prospects Khaman Maluach and Kon Knueppel deserve most of the credit, but the fleet of talent down the roster has enhanced everything that coach Jon Scheyer has done with it.

It has made practices more competitive. It has allowed the team to overcome adversity (see: winning the ACC tournament title with Flagg injured). And it means that in the final stage of the season, the players coming off the bench would be starters for many other teams -- Caleb Foster was a top-30 recruit in high school, Isaiah Evans could be selected early in the second round of this summer's NBA draft, Mason Gillis helped Purdue reach the national title game a year ago and Patrick Ngongba II was 26th in ESPN's ranking of the 2024 recruiting class. How many teams are bringing players of that pedigree off the bench?

Top to bottom, there just isn't a team in the field that can assemble a comparable collection of elite players.

Duke's key against Houston: The Blue Devils' ability to protect the rim and defend the paint.

This Duke team has one of the top defensive units in recent program history. Against an Alabama squad that made 25 3-pointers in the Sweet 16, the Blue Devils forced the Crimson Tide into awkward, off-balance shots. Alabama plays at the fastest pace in America, but Duke turned that tempo into chaos, limiting Alabama's options around the rim.

The Blue Devils are assertive with their interior defense, whether it's Khaman Maluach altering and blocking shots, Cooper Flagg guarding players for 90 feet or others challenging opponents on the perimeter then feeding them to the Blue Devils' big men. Alabama was outscored in the paint by double digits Saturday, in part because Duke does not give opposing teams space to get comfortable in the post. -- Myron Medcalf

Houston vs. Duke predictions

Jeff Borzello: Duke wins, 70-68
Myron Medcalf: Duke wins, 74-70

This is going to be an incredible contrast of elite offense versus elite defense, featuring one of the youngest teams in the country versus one of the oldest teams. The problem for the Cougars is that the Blue Devils also have an elite defense to go with their historically good offense.

Duke can switch everything and is able to run good shooters off the 3-point line with Khaman Maluach in the paint to protect the rim. Houston will try to disrupt Duke, but the Blue Devils' offense has been unfazed by pretty much anything all season. That will continue in San Antonio. -- Jeff Borzello

Joe Lunardi: Houston wins, 75-70

Duke freshmen Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, Khaman Maluach and Patrick Ngongba II make up as good a frontcourt as any college coach could want. They are also 18, 19, 18 and 19 years old, respectively. Houston will counter with J'Wan Roberts (age 23, 170 career games), Ja'Vier Francis (22, 128 games), Terrance Arceneaux (22, 83 games) and Joseph Tugler (20, 66 games). It is a massive difference in experience and basketball maturity.

Generally, I would still pick talent over experience, but it's not like the Houston guys are unaccomplished. The Cougars have won 159 games in the J'Wan Roberts-Kelvin Sampson era. This is their second Final Four together. The Cougars, at 17 victories in a row, can also claim the nation's longest current winning streak. They have lost just once since November and have lost only once in regulation all season.

This is a fabulous matchup in every way, but I'm taking the experienced veterans over the most talented freshmen in the tournament. -- Joe Lunardi