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Lakers coach JJ Redick knew his team was taking better care of the ball.

Whether it was a trend was something he needed to discuss with Max Wiviott, the Lakers’ coaching analyst.

“Generally speaking, if you can’t catch it with the eye test, Wiv has a good answer,” Redick said. “Sometimes, when I think my eyes are correct, I’ll ask him a question, ‘Hey, can you see what’s this trend here? I feel like this is a trend. Is it a trend?’ Sometimes he says yes, sometimes he says no. So I don’t have a good answer for that.”

But the numbers are undeniable: The Lakers have gone from one of the NBA’s worst teams with ball security to one of the best entering Saturday’s prime-time matchup against the Nuggets at Crypto.com Arena.

The Lakers entered the All-Star break No. 23 in turnover percentage, according to Cleaning The Glass, with 15.3% of their offensive possessions ending in a giveaway.

But in the 12 games since the break entering Saturday, their turnover percentage dropped to 12.2 for the league’s third-best mark during that stretch.

It’s one of the biggest reasons, in addition to improved 3-point shooting, for their offense taking a step from borderline top 10 in offensive rating before the break (117.5) to inside of the top five post-break (122.2). 

The Lakers have been one of the league’s most efficient scoring teams the entire season.

But one of their issues before the break is they didn’t take a lot of shots. 

The Lakers’ 83.6 field-goal attempts per game entering the break was the league’s second-fewest mark — a number suppressed by their high free-throw rate but also their lack of offensive rebounding and ball security.

They still aren’t a good offensive rebounding team, but they entered Saturday averaging 86.8 shots per game since the break — which is still a low figure but more than three extra shots they were getting before the break.

“The word ‘physicality’ gets thrown around the defensive end, and it is just as important offensively, in terms of screening and being strong with the basketball and working to get open,” Redick said. “That’s a big piece of it.”

The record books 

With his career-high-tying nine 3-pointers in Thursday’s win over the Bulls, Lakers star Luka Doncic surpassed teammate Austin Reaves for the second-most 3s made in a season.

Doncic entered Saturday with 208 made 3s on a league-high 567 attempts across 54 games. 

Reaves made 200 3s last season.

D’Angelo Russell set the franchise record for most made 3s in a season in 2023-24, when he made 226. 

Doncic is on pace to surpass Russell’s record in the next four to six games he plays.

The Slovenian star guard entered Saturday shooting 39.7% on 3s on a league-high 10.5 attempts per game since Dec. 25.

Status update

Backup center Jaxson Hayes was upgraded to available for Saturday’s game after sitting out of Thursday’s win because of back soreness.

Starting guard Marcus Smart was also available after being sidelined for the matchup against the Bulls because of a hip contusion.

Maxi Kleber was the lone Laker unavailable because of injury. He missed his sixth game in the last seven because of a back injury that’s expected to sideline him for a “little bit,” Redick said. 

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With the Men's NCAA Tournamentbracket set to be revealed in one day, teams on the bubble are really starting to sweat if they’ll make it. On Saturday, March 14, there’s only one thing that could make it an even more stressful 24 hours: bid stealers.

In conferences where it’s clear who is going to the Big Dance, the whole picture can be flipped by teams not projected to be in, who battle their way to a conference tournament crown to earn an automatic spot in the field.

March Madness bracketology: NCAA tournament bubble picture gets shakeup

Hayes: Don't be fooled by Miami Ohio 31-1 record. It's built on cupcakes

It’s the worst thing a bubble team could see, and it was in effect on Saturday.

The Atlantic 10 was the first source when top-seeded Saint Louis was stunned by a last-second tip-in from Dayton in the semifinals. The Billikens are a tournament lock and there was uncertainty if another A-10 team would qualify, but now it’s a certainty, which will come at the expense of those on the fringe of the field. 

Now, the bubble conversation gets even more intriguing, and shows why it’s so important to get those critical wins in the final week. The picture is shifting, highlighting the winners and losers before Selection Sunday.

March Madness bubble winners

VCU and Atlantic 10

With Saint Louis falling, the Atlantic 10 will now get two teams in with the winner of Dayton vs. VCU earning the automatic bid.

There was uncertainty if the conference could get two teams in since VCU was on the bubble. Now it is the favorite since it will face a Dayton team it has beaten twice, paving the way for the Rams to win the tournament title for the second straight time.

Regardless of the result, it’s good news for the Atlantic 10 as its prestige in the sport has dwindled. There was a real chance it could’ve been back-to-back years as a one-bid league for the first time in more than 40 years. Now, the conference will get two teams similar to 2024, when Duquesne earned itself a spot by taking the tournament crown. 

And who knows, maybe VCU has done enough in the committee's eyes and the A-10 could get three teams in if Dayton wins Sunday.

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Every bubble team when Ole Miss lost

There won’t be a magical run to the NCAA Tournament with the SEC’s 15th-place team Ole Miss falling to Arkansas in the conference tournament semifinal.

It was a run that came out of nowhere considering Ole Miss entered the week 12-19 with four conference wins, but the Rebels had put together three wins in three days. The conference title was the only way it could get in, and it put up another strong fight against the Razorbacks to force overtime. However, Ole Miss couldn't keep the magic going and lost to end the March Madness hopes.

The Rebels stealing the automatic bid would have truly altered the bubble in the craziest of ways, but luckily every team hanging in the balance didn’t see a preposterous result happen.

March Madness bubble losers

SEC

The SEC has a good chance to send the most teams in the field with 10, but it’s getting harder to envision it getting any more in. 

The conference had teams in Oklahoma and Auburn on the bubble, with the Sooners making a late push and the Tigers collecting major wins over the season despite a questionable record.

To make matters worse, it also affects Texas; a bad end of the season has pushed the Longhorns toward the possibility of playing in the First Four. It’s not a comfortable position to be in as it could easily end up being left out of the field.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March Madness bubble winners, losers: Bid stealers changing tournament

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Rebecca Leslie scored 2:59 into overtime to lead the Ottawa Charge to a 3-2 win against the Vancouver Goldeneyes on Saturday.

Leslie’s snipe to win the game was her 11th of the season, tied for first in the PWHL.

The Charge moved past New York and into fourth place in the standings, with the Sirens having a game in hand.

Fanuza Kadirova and Sarah Wozniewicz, with the game-tying goal, also scored for Ottawa. Gwyneth Philips made 34 saves.

Sarah Nurse and Sophie Jaques scored for Vancouver, which lost its fourth straight game. Kristen Campbell stopped 14 shots.

The Goldeneyes threatened in the first two periods with three power-play opportunities and outshooting the Charge 21-8, but Ottawa’s defense kept the scoresheet blank.

Kadirova’s power-play goal with 35 seconds left in the second period opened the scoring to give the Charge their first and only lead of the game.

The goal was reviewed for possible goaltender interference, and after a lengthy review by the officials, the goal stood, giving Kadirova her seventh of the season.

The equalizer came from Nurse’s unassisted effort as she skated through the Charge defense and scored at 9:50 in the third period.

Jacques put the Goldeneyes ahead with 5:22 left in regulation as she shot the puck from the left center circle for her fifth goal of the season.

Wozniewicz knotted the game with 54 seconds remaining in regulation when she came flying in from the neutral zone, made a move to the middle and wired a shot past Campbell for her fourth of the year.

Up next

Charge: Visit Minnesota on Wednesday.

Goldeneyes: Host New York on Wednesday.

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AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey

PARIS (AP) — France won back-to-back Six Nations titles after beating England 48-46 on a last-second penalty kick by Thomas Ramos in a thriller for the ages on Saturday.

England scored its seventh try in the 77th minute and converted for 46-45. If the score held for a few more minutes Ireland would have been crowned the champion.

But France pressed yet again with 14 men, lost possession, regained it, and earned two simultaneous penalties after the fulltime siren. Captain Antoine Dupont debated with referee Nika Amashukeli where the penalty spots were. Ramos, who didn't miss a goalkick all night, finally lined up his seventh shot from more than 40 meters out.

He nailed it, seemingly without any nerves, in the 83rd and leaped into the arms of teammates, back-to-back champions for the first time in 19 years.

Of the title-winning goalkick, Ramos said, "It's in my top three, and not just third. I love moments like that. This title rewards our very strong start to the tournament. I’m very happy. It would have been so tough, when you think about the scenario, to lose it at home in the 76th minute.”

In a bewildering and breathless match including 13 tries and six lead changes, Ramos was the difference as France scored only six tries, four to wing Louis Bielle-Biarrey.

England put up its highest ever score against France on French soil on the 120th anniversary of Le Crunch, but suffered a fourth loss in a single championship for the first time in 50 years.

“We are disappointed to lose but we showed the spirit of this team,” England capain Maro Itoje said.

“You don't want to go through what we have in the last four games but I truly believe we are going places and will be better for it. We knew we had to attack the game more, our conversion of territory into points had to get better and it paid dividends.”

Ireland beat Scotland 43-21 to move to the top of the standings earlier Saturday, leaving the championship closer at the Stade de France as the title decider.

England came into the game under fire for its kick-heavy approach, but ran hard at France and was constantly rewarded. England scored four tries in the first half but suffered a major turning point right on halftime while leading 27-17.

Prop Ellis Genge was sin-binned for collapsing a maul — England's eighth yellow card in the tournament — and France was awarded a penalty try. While Genge was off the field, France rallied from 27-17 down to lead 38-27.

England came back with tries by standout lock Ollie Chessum from an intercept and replacement back Marcus Smith for 39-38.

Then Bielle-Biarrey scored his fourth try of the match, his ninth in the tournament breaking his own record of eight last year. They also extended his own record try-scoring streak in the championship to 10 matches.

But while leading 45-39, France prop Demba Bamba was sin-binned and the defense cracked when center Tommy Freeman finished a counterattack from a goalline dropout. Marcus Smith converted for 46-45 after replacing Fin Smith, who slotted only three of his six goalkicks.

Just over two minutes were left and France didn't hold back. Just as it didn't at the start.

Bielle-Biarrey connected with grubber kicks by Ramos and Matthieu Jalibert to get France away to 14-5. But England drew level on 17 after tries by its own wingers, Tom Roebuck and Cadan Murley, and Chessum's first of the match.

England then led after an Alex Coles try, converted with a drop kick by Fin Smith with players charging after the ball off the tee. England was bossing the game up front at 27-17 until Genge was sin-binned and France pounced.

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

MESA, Ariz. (AP) — Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers homered in all three of his three plate appearances in a spring training game Saturday against the Kansas City Royals.

Langeliers was subbed out after five innings. By then he'd hit three solo shots as the A's took a 5-0 lead. All three were off Royals starter Ryan Bergert.

The 28-year-old Langeliers homered to left in the first, hit one to center in the third and completed the trio with a drive to center in the fourth.

Langeliers hit a career-high 31 home runs last season for the Athletics in 123 games. He has had two three-homer games in the regular season — on April 9, 2024, at Texas and on Aug. 5, 2025, at Washington.

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

The Cleveland Cavaliers could be getting back some much-needed reinforcements for Sunday’s game against the Dallas Mavericks. Max Strus, who suffered a Jones fracture in his foot back in August, could be making his season debut. He is listed as probable for Sunday’s game.

Strus has been an integral part of the Cavaliers since coming over in a sign-and-trade from the Miami Heat in 2023. Strus has appeared in 120 games with the Cavaliers, starting in all but 13 of those outings. In that time, he’s averaged 11 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game on .426/.364/.802 shooting splits.

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Strus is known as an off-ball three-point shooter. He has a knack for creating havoc with his movement and screen setting away from the play. That has helped open up what could be a stagnant starting lineup before he came to Cleveland. But to limit his game to three-point shooting would be a disservice to how complete a basketball player he is.

The Cavaliers have benefited from Strus’s ability to initiate offense as a second-side playmaker, run pick-and-rolls, and do the dirty work on defense. Despite being just 6’5”, he’s held up well in matchups with bigger opposing wings, which is useful for a team that has been lacking wings during most of his tenure in Cleveland.

More than that, Strus plays with an edge that this team has oftentimes lacked. He’s not afraid to mix it up with opponents and is quick to hold players accountable. This has happened even when he’s been held out of games, as he’s often seen instructing players during timeouts.

Despite the good news, the Cavaliers will not be fully healthy on Sunday, even if Strus plays. They will still be without Jarrett Allen (knee), Sam Merrill (hamstring), Craig Porter Jr. (groin), and Tyrese Proctor (quad). Jaylon Tyson is questionable for the game with a hamstring injury.

Strus’s probable return on Sunday will undoubtedly help the Cavs, but it does present some good problems for head coach Kenny Atkinson to figure out.

The Cavaliers have been trying to work in new faces into the lineup after the trade deadline, and haven’t been able to nail down rotations. That task has been made more difficult due to recent injuries to Evan Mobley, Donovan Mitchell, and Allen. It’s not easy to gauge what units work best together with so many people out of the lineup. Trying to figure out where Strus fits in doesn’t make Atkinson’s job easier, even if it should help the Cavs in the long run.

PARIS (AP) — France wins back-to-back Six Nations titles are beating England 48-46.

DUNEDIN, Fla. (AP) — Tarik Skubal struck out seven in 4 2/3 innings for the Detroit Tigers in a 6-1 spring training game win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday rather than make a second start for the United States at the World Baseball Classic.

Winner of the last two AL Cy Young Awards, Skubal and the Tigers agreed in January that he would be limited to one WBC outing, and he allowed one run and two hits in a 9-1 group stage win over Britain on March 7.

He discussed making another start for the U.S. and decided not to after the 29-year-old left-hander consulted with Tigers manager A.J. Hinch, agent Scott Boras and teammates.

Skubal, eligible to become a free agent after the World Series, threw 44 of 61 pitches for strikes in his third spring training outing for the Tigers, matched up with three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer. He will likely have one more outing before Detroit's opener at San Diego on March 26.

Scherzer, a 41-year-old right-hander, allowed two hits in 4 2/3 scoreless innings with five strikeouts and two walks, throwing 42 of 65 pitches for strikes.

He agreed two weeks into spring training on a one-year contract guaranteeing $3 million and made his first exhibition appearance on March 7. Scherzer has allowed two hits over 8 2/3 scoreless innings.

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

SHANGHAI (AP) — Formula 1 and its governing body FIA said the Grand Prix races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia will not happen in April because of safety concerns related to the Iran war.

Both countries have been struck during Iran’s response after the United States and Israel launched a wave of attacks on Iran.

The announcement was made early Sunday morning in Shanghai ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix.

“Due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East region, the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix will not take place in April,” F1 said. “While several alternatives were considered, it was ultimately decided that no substitutions will be made in April.”

F1 was due to race in Bahrain on April 12 and in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah on April 19.

“While this was a difficult decision to take, it is unfortunately the right one at this stage considering the current situation in the Middle East," said Stefano Domenicali, president and CEO of F1.

The FIA said the two races “will not take place in April” and that no replacements would be organized.

“The FIA will always place the safety and well being of our community and colleagues first. After careful consideration, we have taken this decision with that responsibility firmly in mind,” FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem said.

The FIA didn’t explicitly rule out rescheduling the races and, along with F1, did not use the words "cancel" or "postpone" in announcing the series would not be in Bahrain or Saudi Arabia next month.

Ben Sulayem said: “Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are incredibly important to the ecosystem of our racing season, and I look forward to returning to both as soon as circumstances allow.”

The promoters of the races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia said they supported the decision.

F1’s packed schedule doesn’t have any obvious open dates for rescheduled races this year.

Calling off the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian races means there will be a five-week gap from the Japanese Grand Prix on March 29 and the next race, the Miami Grand Prix on May 3. Without any rescheduling, the 22-race schedule would be the shortest since 2023.

The two Middle East races weren’t until next month but F1 faced making a decision earlier because it typically flies in the first staff and cargo to tracks weeks in advance. F1 was also faced with the difficulty of selling tickets at short notice, which make it almost impossible to set up a replacement race in other countries.

Kimi Antonelli, the Mercedes driver who qualified on pole position for Sunday’s race in Shanghai, said his thoughts were “with the ones that are suffering from this situation” and that safety needed to be the priority, adding of the FIA and F1: “I’m sure they will do the right thing.”

The schedule is a joint matter for the FIA and for F1’s commercial rights holder and teams had signaled a willingness to follow their lead.

“I think we follow the guidance of the FIA and Formula 1, as we always do. They’ve always led us in the right direction,” Audi team principal Jonathan Wheatley said Friday. “Nobody’s going to compromise on anything that would put teams into an uncomfortable situation.”

Bahrain had already hosted two preseason F1 tests this season before Israel and the United States launched attacks on Iran. A smaller-scale test of wet-weather tires was called off in the immediate aftermath of those strikes.

A travel shutdown affecting major airports in the Middle East also caused disruption for Europe-based F1 and team staff heading to Melbourne for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

The last time a scheduled F1 race was canceled was in 2023, when the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in northern Italy was called off at short notice due to deadly floods in the area.

In 2022, F1 continued with its race weekend in Saudi Arabia even after Yemen’s Houthi rebels attacked an oil depot during a practice session, with black smoke visible from the Jeddah circuit.

The same year, F1 canceled the Russian Grand Prix’s contract after Russia invaded neighboring Ukraine.

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

ATLANTA (AP) — Emmanuel Latte Lath had a goal and an assist and Miguel Almirón had three assists to spark Atlanta United to a 3-1 victory over Philadelphia on Saturday, extending the Union's worst start in club history.

Latte Lath staked Atlanta United to a 1-0 lead in the 28th minute when he used assists from Almirón and defender Elías Báez to score. It was Latte Lath's first goal this year after scoring seven times last season — his first in the league. Báez, a 21-year-old rookie, notched his second assist.

Tomás Jacob made it 2-0 with a goal two minutes into the second half. It was the first goal for the 21-year-old rookie defender. Almirón and Matías Galarza had assists. Galarza contributed in his debut for the club after being signed on March 2 from Argentina's River Plate.

Alexey Miranchuk scored for the third time in the last two matches to make it 3-0 in the 68th minute. Latte Lath and Almirón had assists. Almirón set a club record with his 38th career assist in his 97th appearance, topping the 37 assists of Brooks Lennon.

Philadelphia spoiled rookie goalkeeper Lucas Hoyos' shot at his first clean sheet in the 87th minute when rookie midfielder Agustín Anello scored his first career goal. Defender Frankie Westfield earned his first assist this season after collecting five of them as a rookie last year. Alejandro Bedoya also assisted on the score, his first this season and his 34th in 271 career appearances — all with the Union.

Hoyos saved two shots for Atlanta United (1-3-0) in his fourth league start.

Andre Blake finished with two saves in his 270th career start for the Union (0-4-0) since 2014.

Atlanta United improves to 5-1-4 all time at home against the Union, outscoring them 18-8.

Coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino earns his first victory in his return to Atlanta United after coaching Inter Miami in 2023-24. He led Atlanta United to the MLS Cup in 2018.

Up next

Philadelphia: Hosts Chicago Fire on Saturday.

Atlanta United: Hosts D.C. United on Saturday.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer