Reilly Smith scores his 2nd goal of the game in OT to lift the Golden Knights past the Flames, 3-2

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Reilly Smith scored his second goal of the game at 4:31 of overtime to give the Vegas Golden Knights a 3-2 victory over the Calgary Flames on Saturday night, a result that gave the Los Angeles Kings a playoff spot.

Akira Schmid made 21 saves for the victory in his first start of the season.

Pavel Dorofeyev opened the scoring for Vegas late in the first period with his team-leading 33rd of the season, and Smith made it 2-0 midway through the second.

Joel Hanley got one back for Calgary with eight seconds left in the second, and Matt Coronato tied it 43 seconds into the third.

Dustin Wolf stopped 31 shots for the Flames.

Golden Knights: Pacific Division-leading Vegas remained three points ahead of the Kings.

Flames: Calgary moved within four points of idle Minnesota for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference. The Flames have a game in hand and the teams meet at the Saddledome on Friday night.

In overtime, Smith curled behind the net with the puck and flung a backhander that bounced off of Wolf and went behind him.

Vegas is 16-4-1 against the Pacific Division.

The Golden Knights are at Vancouver on Sunday night. The Flames are San Jose on Monday night.

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

Vegas Golden Knights' Mark Stone, right, is tripped by Calgary Flames' Nazem Kadri during first period NHL hockey action in Calgary on Saturday, April 5, 2025. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vegas Golden Knights goalie Akira Schmid, right, looks on as Calgary Flames' Nazem Kadri tires to deflect the puck into the net during first period NHL hockey action in Calgary on Saturday, April 5, 2025. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vegas Golden Knights goalie Akira Schmid, right, grabs the puck as Calgary Flames' Martin Pospisil, centre, is checked by Alex Pietrangelo during second period NHL hockey action in Calgary on Saturday, April 5, 2025. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vegas Golden Knights' Victor Olofsson, left, is checked by Calgary Flames' Rasmus Andersson during first period NHL hockey action in Calgary on Saturday, April 5, 2025. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vegas Golden Knights' Reilly Smith (19) celebrates his game-winning goal with teammates during overtime in an NHL hockey game against the Calgary Flames in Calgary, Alberta, Saturday, April 5, 2025. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vegas Golden Knights' Shea Theodore, top, celebrates his team's winning goal as Calgary Flames goalie Dustin Wolf reacts during overtime in an NHL hockey game in Calgary, Alberta, Saturday, April 5, 2025. (Jeff McIntosh/The Canadian Press via AP)

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Ja Morant got in trouble again for aiming an imaginary gun to celebrate 3-pointers, so he has gone to a different make-believe violent way to mark a long-distance shot.

The Memphis Grizzlies leading scorer, who was fined $75,000 recently for mimicking pointing a long gun after a basket from outside the arc, acted like he was pulling the pin and tossing a grenade in Thursday night's 141-125 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Morant, who was 5 of 13 from 3-point range, in some cases even covered his ears after the windmill-like hurl of the invisible explosive.

"That's my celebration now until somebody else has a problem with it, and I'll find another one," Morant said after Thursday's shootaround.

The league handed down the $75,000 fine on April 4 after Morant twice made what was considered an “inappropriate” imaginary gun-aiming gesture on the court. He was previously warned by the league office that this gesture could be interpreted in a negative light.

The gestures that drew the fine were made by Morant during the Grizzlies’ 110-108 victory over the Miami Heat on April 3, but it first drew the league's attention in an April 1 home game against the Golden State Warriors.

That led to the investigation and the warning before Morant did it again against Miami.

The fine was the culmination of several questionable incidents involving firearms. Morant was suspended for 25 games at the start of the 2023-24 season after he was seen on video waving a gun in a car. He previously was suspended eight games after he was seen with a gun in a Denver-area nightspot.

“I wasn't surprised,” Morant said of the latest fine, “just for showing people what's pretty much been evident for the last two years.”

Teammate Vince Williams Jr. wasn't really surprised by the change in celebration, adding “I would have went to that too.”

“It's good for him,” Williams said. “He gets to save his money. Anything that benefits him saving his money, I'm all for it, honestly.”

But the grenade celebration drew criticism from the TNT studio crew on Thursday night. Kenny Smith noted that Morant “has a history that maybe he shouldn't be doing that.”

Shaquille O'Neal added: “He knows what he's doing because y'all are going to keep talking about it.”

As for Charles Barkley, he said the happiest person may be former Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins, fired March 28 because “he ain't got to deal with this immature stuff.”

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

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant, front right, drives ahead of Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, back right, in the second half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, April 10, 2025, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) handles the ball against Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert, right, in the second half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, April 10, 2025, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)

Memphis Grizzlies interim head coach Tuomas Iisalo, left, talks with guard Ja Morant, right, in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Thursday, April 10, 2025, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)