Category: Sports News

Look, you probably watched this game on a Monday afternoon because of the four-day gap between March Madness’ Round of 32 and the Sweet 16. I don’t blame you — probably scrolling between the mediocre options on League Pass and settling for a tranquil Jazz-Raptors experience.

Utah’s swift 126-116 loss against Philadelphia two nights ago was only to uphold the parity going on in the Eastern Conference. Toronto, Atlanta and Philly all stood with 39 wins each between the 5th-7th seed. 8th-9th seeded Orlando and Miami weren’t too far behind with 38 wins of their own. The point is, the Utah Jazz would pretty much dominate the Eastern Conference if teams were judged based on how good they look on the eye test.

And Utah tyrannizes that field so much that they had to send Cody Williams to a sunny beach—I mean, to rehab because of his cruel sore shoulder. Totally. Can’t have him pulling anything. That meant the Jazz only had eight active players on the floor, minus Svi Mykhailiuk and Kevin Love. who can’t seem to find playing time because they might infect their teammates with oldness. Toronto faired off much better, listing Ingram, Quickley and Poeltl out, considering they just finished a 22-point lashing against Phoenix last night it’s probably for the best.

And spoiler alert: they maintained their end of the bargain with a plain and simple 143-125 blowout loss at home — nothin’ too fancy. An unorthodox, but welcome sight. Sometimes you need one of these if you want to compete with the big dogs like Sacramento, Indiana or Washington.

Will I ever get sick of the overachieving first quarter Jazz? No. No I will not. Known volume shooter, John Konchar, opened the gates with 8 points on a perfect 2-2 for the Jazz, which is ,fun fact, is a first quarter career-high for Jitty! No? Just me celebrating? That was apart of Utah’s highest 5-point lead before Toronto erased the deficit on an 8-0 run — Jazz missing all their shots and turning over the ball. The Raptors closed Q1 ahead 31-25 after shooting 57% from the field and logging 11 assists on 12 made shots. Kennedy Chandler chipped in 3 points, 2 assists and 2 steals with 5 minutes he recorded in that quarter.

Utah endured a gruelling shooting drought through the second quarter. They were a flat 0-4 from beyond the arc and shot 6-14 from the field. Though Ace Bailey did pour in 7 points in the second quarter, adding to his 13-point total, Toronto was outmatching them on nearly every aspect on the floor. Probably the best news Jazz fans have had all month after having to hold their breath until the final moments against supposedly legitimate Playoff teams. The Jazz did have an edge on the glass with a 27-21 advantage, including 4 offensive rebounds, but weren’t able to generate a single second-chance point. Ace wrapped things up with a highlight I can only describe as a grown man’s jam.

Nasty stuff.

Jazz couldn’t put a stop to the apparent real Greek Freak, Sandro Mamukelashvili. The Jazz were punished by his 15 halftime points, a career-high 4 steals and 1 block in 15 minutes. Jamal Shead was by far the best passer on the floor with 8 assists, who should count himself lucky he never had to run into Isaiah Collier.

The third quarter was pretty much what put the final nail in the coffin. Toronto outscored Utah 18-3 through four minutes, and left the Jazz in a 24-point hole. Maybe a possible comeback if you were any middling team against the 2022 Quin Snyder Jazz, but impossible for anyone else. They finished the quarter with 117 team points, which would probably send anyone circa-1992 into a coma. That was, in fact, a franchise-high for the Raptors for points up to the end of the third quarter, along with a record 38 assists. On Utah’s end, that tallied to giving up 49 points in a single quarter. Woof.

Toronto put the Jazz to sleep by outscoring them 13-13 in the final 12 minutes. The Raptors had four players finish with over 20 points, and six players with double-digits. Utah gave up 25 fastbreak points, and the 15 turnovers they had generated into 25 points off turnovers. It was by far one of the worst defensive lapses the Jazz have had all year. Though Utah did have an unorthodox 16-3 advantage near the end, which made this game a tad more appetizing. You should take this game for what it was, which was filler that will become lost media a year from now.

A swift glance suggests it’s a typical tank loss. A punishing double-digit deficit, half of the rotation sitting on the sidelines…an Ace Bailey 37-ball?!

I’m no longer going to sit here as Ace Bailey remains nicknameless. No, Ace doesn’t count. Neither does ‘SGA’. Or ‘JT’. From now on, he needs something more fitting — ‘His Airiousness’ shall suffice. All rights and revenue belong to the Kato Parina Corporation. The rookie has been going off on a March heater, and tonight was no different. He finished with 37 points, 6 boards, 3 assists, 2 blocks on 11-19 shooting. Though most of his performances beforehand came along with efficient shooting performances, this one was an outlier.

I have to say it: whoever’s in charge of Utah’s 10-day contract scouting department should be given a raise. Kennedy Chandler, in just 26 minutes, recorded 13 points, 5 rebounds, 9 assists, 3 steals on 4-10 shooting. I know who I’d rather have compared to 10-day Markelle Fultz’s 2 points and 5 assists debut for the Toronto Raptors. I’m leaving here with something.

Up Next

All of their suffering has led up to this: they’ll hold a marquee matchup against the Washington Wizards at the Delta Center, March 25th, at 6:00 PM MST.

Zion Williamson is slimmer and healthier for his trip to MSG.

The “freak of nature,” as Josh Hart called Williamson, appeared in 45 of the past 46 games before Tuesday night’s showdown against the Knicks. It’s a noteworthy accomplishment for a player whose path toward superstardom was derailed by injuries and DNPs.

“Extremely talented,” Hart, who was teammates with Williamson for 1 ½ seasons in New Orleans, told The Post. “When he’s locked in and he’s focused, he’s one of probably 15 or 20 top players in the league, if not better.”

After years of being hyped by the NBA and scheduled for national broadcasts, Williamson, the No. 1 pick in the 2019 draft, has largely been away from the spotlight this season.

He was also on a minutes restriction earlier this season and his per game averages — 21.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 59.8 percent shooting, 29.7 minutes — won’t garner any postseason awards.

But Williamson’s still a show and a problem the Knicks will have to deal with.

“He’s a freak of nature. I say that with all due respect,” Hart said. “He’s obviously extremely explosive, the way he’s able to maneuver and contort his body, and he has a great touch around the rim. That’s going to be a challenge for us. We got to make sure we’re just solid. Don’t swipe down. Don’t smack down. And try to make him finish.”

The Pelicans (25-47) are disappointing this season but are surging lately with 12 wins in their past 19 games. Unlike the Knicks’ past three opponents — the Pacers, Nets and Wizards — the Pelicans aren’t tanking. They have no incentive to lose after trading their 2026 first-round pick to the Hawks.

So the Knicks are facing a motivated team and a motivated athletic bulldozer in Williamson, who has only twice previously played at MSG as a pro — a win in 2024 and a loss in 2021.

“I think what’s really impressive is that first burst but also his second jump,” Hart said. “When I first saw him, the way he shoots the ball around the rim, you’d think he has no touch. But he has an amazing touch. And the ones where he doesn’t, he has a quick enough second jump where he’s able to get the rebound and sometimes before guys even get off the ground.”

Landry Shamet was ruled out for a second straight game and there’s now an official injury designation.

According to the Knicks, Shamet, who banged his knee in Friday’s victory over the Nets, has a tibial plateau contusion. The good news is the injury is nothing major, a league source said, and the guard is not expected to miss much time.

Shamet watched Sunday’s win over the Wizards in street clothes, when his injury designation was right knee soreness.

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Sahith Theegala picked the right time to find a fairway, setting up a two-putt birdie on the final hole Monday night to flip the match and give Los Angeles a 6-5 victory over Jupiter Links and a 1-0 lead in the TGL finals.

Match 2 is Tuesday night at the SoFi Center, followed immediately by Match 3, if necessary.

LA was without Collin Morikawa, who suffered a back injury at The Players Championship.

Tiger Woods heads the Jupiter team but has sat out all year as he recovers from back surgery last fall. Jupiter had been using Akshay Bhatia as an alternate, but Bhatia is playing the Hero Indian Open this week in New Delhi on the European tour.

That put Kevin Kisner — who has been in the broadcast booth for NBC during the Florida swing on the PGA Tour — in the lineup for Jupiter for only the second time since Feb. 2.

Theegala twice hit tee shots out of play, and hit another drive into a bunker that kept LA from reaching the green in two on a par 5. He also missed a 3-foot putt that cost his team a point. But he wound up hitting a winner.

Jupiter led 5-4 going to the par-5 closing hole and LA threw the hammer, meaning the hole was worth two points. Theegala ripped his drive into the fairway to set up a second shot to 35 feet. Kisner found the rough off the tee, the rough on his second shot and a wedge came up short of the green. His birdie chip from 20 feet to tie the hole — and win the match — narrowly missed.

Jupiter had taken a 3-2 lead after alternate shot involving all three players through nine holes.

LA won the first two holes of singles for the lead, only for Kisner to hit driver onto the green at No. 12 after Theegala had gone into a hazard. That tied the match at 4.

Jupiter regained the lead at 5-4 when Justin Rose three-putted from long range. Tom Kim hit his tee shot on a par 3 to 6 feet and Jupiter threw the hammer. LA accepted, meaning if it lost the hole it would lose the match. Tommy Fleetwood responded with a tee shot to 4 feet for matching birdies.

That sent it to the 15th and final hole, and Theegala's length — and accuracy — was the difference.

___

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Roki Sasaki had another rough spring training start Monday night.

Sasaki issued six walks while allowing five runs in two-plus innings against the Los Angeles Angels at Dodger Stadium. He threw 66 pitches, 32 for strikes.

The Japanese right-hander has a 15.58 ERA over four exhibition starts for the defending World Series champions. He has walked 15 in 8 2/3 innings, raising questions about his preparedness for the beginning of the regular season.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto starts for the Dodgers when they host Arizona in their opener on Thursday night.

Sasaki failed to get an out in the first. He hit Zach Neto with a 3-0 fastball before Mike Trout reached on a fielder's choice. Sasaki then walked three consecutive batters before he was replaced by Ronan Kopp.

The 24-year-old Sasaki returned for the start of the second. He hit Neto again and walked Trout before escaping the jam on a pair of grounders.

He issued a leadoff walk to Yoán Moncada in the third before striking out Jo Adell and Josh Lowe. Logan O'Hoppe then lined to second for the final out of the inning.

Sasaki was replaced by Ben Casparius after he walked Adam Frazier leading off the fourth. Frazier ended up scoring on Nolan Schanuel's sacrifice fly.

Sasaki signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers in January 2025, receiving a $6.5 million signing bonus because he was under age 25 and subject to international signing bonus pool rules. He had spent the previous four seasons in the Nippon Professional Baseball League in Japan.

Sidelined for much of last season because of a right shoulder impingement, Sasaki went 1-1 with a 4.46 ERA in eight starts and two relief appearances.

He returned in September and became a key piece of the bullpen during the postseason, giving up just one earned run over 10 2/3 innings and earning three saves to help the Dodgers win their second straight championship.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The mound visit Carter Baumler received from Texas Rangers manager Skip Schumaker wasn't to take the rookie right-hander out of his last spring training game, but rather to let him know he made the opening day roster.

Schumaker came out of the dugout after Baumler retired the first two Kansas City Royals batters in the fifth inning Monday night. Texas catcher Danny Jansen and all four infielders were also on the mound when the new Rangers manager told the 24-year-old reliever he will start the season in the Texas bullpen.

“I wasn’t expecting it. I was like, why is he coming out here? And he got on the mound and told me I made the team,” Baumler said during an in-game TV interview on the Rangers Sports Network. “I mean, honestly, I thought I was like getting taken out of the game. ... Obviously, whenever the manager comes out, you’re usually done.”

Jansen patted his catcher's mitt on Baumler's chest and the infielders offered their congratulations. Baumler, looking to make his major league debut after never pitching above Double-A, had a big smile on his face but composed himself to strike out Isaac Collins swinging on a 96.8 mph fastball to end the inning.

In his eight spring training games, Baumler allowed one earned run and struck out 10 over 9 1/3 innings.

Baumler hugged Schumaker when he got back to the dugout after the third out, then was greeted by high-fives from teammates.

Baumler was selected by Baltimore in the fifth round of the 2020 amateur draft out of high school in Iowa and had Tommy John surgery soon after that. He pitched in the Orioles organization from 2022-25, but was left off their 40-man roster last fall. He was scooped up by Pittsburgh in the first round of the Rule 5 draft at the winter meetings in December and traded to Texas the same day.

“A few years ago I never would have expected this,” Baumler said. “Looking back ... I’m glad I kept my head down and kept hammering away.”

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 22 points, Jalen Williams added 18 in his return to the lineup and the Oklahoma City Thunder won their 12th game in a row Monday night with a 123-103 victory over the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers.

Jared McCain had 13 points for the Thunder in his first game in Philadelphia since last month’s trade. The defending NBA champions improved to 57-15, the best record in the league.

VJ Edgecombe scored 35 points for the 76ers, who played without Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and Paul George. Philadelphia began the day as the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament but was just a half-game back of fifth-place Toronto.

Williams was back in the lineup after missing 16 games with a right hamstring strain.

PACERS 128, MAGIC 126

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Pascal Siakam scored 37 points and blocked Paolo Banchero’s attempted layup in the final seconds to help Indiana end their franchise-record 16-game losing streak with a win over Orlando.

Banchero scored 39 points for the Magic, who have lost five straight.

Banchero drove to the basket with a chance to tie the game after Orlando won a jump ball with 6.4 seconds left. But 7-foot-1 Jay Huff and the 6-9 Siakam were under the basket, and Banchero could not get the shot over them.

Jarace Walker had 20 points for the Pacers, and Aaron Nemith added 19. Andrew Nembhard, who hit a 3-pointer with 1:33 remaining for Indiana’s final points, finished with 13 points, 14 assists and seven rebounds.

PISTONS 113, LAKERS 110

DETROIT (AP) — Daniss Jenkins scored a career-high 30 points, including six in the final 34 seconds, and Detroit ended Los Angeles' nine-game winning streak.

The Pistons overcame 32 points from Luka Doncic and 24 from Austin Reaves to win their fourth straight and seventh in eight games. Jalen Duren added 20 points and 10 rebounds.

Doncic was cleared to play Sunday after the NBA rescinded his 16th technical foul of the season, which triggers a one-game suspension.

LeBron James went scoreless in the first half, but finished with 12 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds.

SPURS 136, HEAT 111

MIAMI (AP) — MIAMI (AP) — Victor Wembanyama scored 26 points as San Antonio beat Miami Heat for their sixth straight win.

Wembanyama added 15 rebounds and five blocks for the Spurs. Keldon Johnson scored 21 points while adding six rebounds. Dylan Harper went 9 of 14 from the field (3 for 5 from 3-point range) to finish with 21 points.

Norman Powell led the Heat with 21 points. Tyler Herro had 18 points.

HAWKS 146, GRIZZLIES 107

ATLANTA (AP) — Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 26 points and eight Atlanta players scored in double figures as the Hawks routed Memphis.

Atlanta outscored the Grizzlies in the first three quarters and had an insurmountable 41-point advantage at 116-75 after three periods. The Hawks led by 10 points (32-22) after one and 25 points (71-46) at halftime on the way to their 11th straight home win and 13th victory in 14 games. Atlanta kept its lead around 40 points through most of the final period, which was won by the Grizzlies 32-30.

Onyeka Okongwu and Jonathan Kuminga scored 16 points apiece, CJ McCollum had 15 and Dyson Daniels 12. Corey Kispert, Zaccharie Risacher and Jock Landale each added 11 as the Hawks shot 49 for 92 (53%) from the field overall and 25 of 54 (46%) from 3-point range.

Atlanta (40-32) had its highest point total of the season. The Hawks entered the game in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, a half-game behind Toronto, which was playing at Utah later Monday.

GG Jackson scored 26 points, Tyler Burton added 20, Ty Jerome finished with 17 and Walter Clayton Jr. 16 for Memphis, which shot 33% (14 for 43) from 3-point distance.

BULLS 132, ROCKETS 124

CHICAGO (AP) — Matas Buzelis’ layup in the final seconds put Chicago ahead to stay and Collin Sexton came off the bench to score 25 points as Chicago beat Houston Rockets.

Houston’s loss, combined with San Antonio’s 136-111 win over Miami, allowed the Spurs (54-18) to clinch the Southwest Division.

The Bulls (29-42) led by as many as 22 points after scoring a season-high 41 points in the first quarter. But, Chicago trailed by four points late and needed Buzelis’ basket with 10.2 seconds remaining to move ahead to stay and post their first win over Houston in the teams’ last five games.

Kevin Durant fueled the Rockets’ (43-28) comeback by scoring 15 of his game-high 40 points in the fourth quarter. Durant was 15 of 23 from the field, marking the ninth straight game he shot 50% or better, which is the third-longest streak of his career.

The Spurs are showing no signs of slowing down as the regular season nears its end. They went into Miami and dominated en route to an easy 136-111 win, their sixth victory in a row. Victor Wembanyama impacted the game on both ends in a way that few players have this season to help put the slumping Heat away early, finishing with an impressive stat line that somehow doesn’t represent how great his performance was.

Before the Spurs ran away with it, there was an entertaining opening quarter, in which both teams seemed to be sticking to their plan. Wembanyama walled off the paint, leading the Heat to rely on jumpers and their normal breakneck pace to avoid half-court offense, while the Spurs tried to get into the paint by using Wemby’s gravity to open up shots near the rim or open threes. The intensity was there from two squads that are known for playing hard. The differences were made at the edges. San Antonio dominated the glass, which helped them survive a zone defense that baffled them at times, and Miami got points in transition. It was a close, physical, occasionally sloppy but always entertaining first 12 minutes that ended with the Silver and Black up eight.

After that, the Spurs completely took over. While Wembanyama had a huge impact in the first quarter, mostly by deterring and changing shots and making the defense focus on him while his teammates feasted, he didn’t get the stats to show for it. It changed to start the second, as he blocked a couple of shots that allowed the Silver and Black to push the pace, finished a couple of dunks, and found Carter Bryant for an alley-oop dunk. Miami did its best to stick around, but the lead reached double digits, and there was no counter run. The Spurs did well to survive the minutes without Wembanyama and Fox on the floor, as the second unit vastly outplayed the Heat’s subs, and once Wemby returned, San Antonio found itself up 20 points. It was an impressive effort against a well-coached team that tried different lineup approaches to no avail.

The 18-point lead the Spurs had heading into the break was a nice buffer, but a slow start on offense opened the window for Miami to get back into it. The problem for the home team is that they had no way of scoring on an active San Antonio defense that had Wembanyama contesting everything close to him, and his teammates flying around to close out on jumpers. The Heat started the second half missing their first nine shots, the Silver and Black got their offense back on track, and the lead got to 30 midway through the third. The second unit wasn’t as good as it had been early, but it still found ways to get enough stops and buckets to prevent a run. The difference between the two teams was as big on Monday as the box score showed, as the visitors headed into the fourth up 27 and looking like they had an extra gear they could access if needed.

The Heat just didn’t have it in them to even attempt a fake comeback, which is understandable considering their recent struggles and San Antonio’s relentless play even while up big. There were some strange and sloppy moments in garbage time, mostly because Wembanyama seemed to be looking for new ways to torture Miami, but the Spurs largely took care of business, making sure the win was secured before emptying the bench.

Game notes

• Wembanyama is reaching a new level. Ever since he understood that he doesn’t need the ball to make an impact on offense, he’s been as good as anyone, considering his defensive dominance. Wemby had four assists, but his mere presence got others open consistently. The threes weren’t falling, he made some wild drives, and he was still the best player on the floor by a huge margin. A true superstar.
• The Spurs were at full strength and showed how deep they are. Devin Vassell and Julian Champagnie, two starters, had quiet scoring games, and it didn’t matter, as the team had scored over 100 points by the end of the third quarter. Miami is in a bad stretch, especially defensively, but that’s still impressive.
• De’Aaron Fox was solid, as usual, but the young guards were impressive. Stephon Castle had more free-throw attempts than field goal attempts, showing once again that it’s hard to keep him from getting to his spots without fouling. With Castle playing, Harper went back to the bench but scored over 20 for his second game in a row, bullying his way to the rim and hitting three three-pointers. All three guards had six assists. The three-headed monster is a problem.
• Keldon Johnson completely outplayed fellow Sixth Man of the Year candidate Jaime Jaquez Jr. Keldon finished with 21 points and six rebounds while Jaquez really struggled to score. The Heat’s forward did have six assists, but some of those came after drives in which he refused to challenge Wembanyama. One game shouldn’t determine who gets an award, but hopefully the voters were paying attention.
• Is Harrison Barnes slowly getting back to being a helpful player? The veteran forward is shooting 42 percent from three since the All-Star break, and the Spurs are outscoring opponents with him on the floor. He had 13 points after going 4-for-7 from beyond the arc and pitched in four rebounds. Carter Bryant, who had a highlight block, is there to step in for a few minutes if HB regresses, but having both as viable options would be ideal.

Play of the game

Some Wembanyama plays are demoralizing. Myron Gardner here runs back, reads that the alley-oop is coming, gets to Wemby to try to at least foul him and make him miss, but still ends up in a poster. Brutal.

Next game: at Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday

The three-game road trip continues with a visit to the Grizzlies, currently on a three-game losing streak and already thinking about next season. If the Spurs play with the appropriate fear, the win streak should reach seven.