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Colorado State women beat Air Force 56-42 to win first Mountain West Championship since 2016

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Brooke Carlson scored 17 points, Madelyn Bragg added 15 and Colorado State pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat Air Force 56-42 on Tuesday night for the Rams' first Mountain West Conference championship since 2016.

No. 3 seed Colorado State (27-7) took a 34-32 advantage into the final period and outscored Air Force 22-10. Carlson scored eight points, and Bragg and Kloe Froebe added five apiece in the fourth quarter.

Carlson shot just 4 of 15 from the floor but made 9 of 12 free throws. Bragg made 7 of 8 field goals. Froebe finished with nine points and 10 rebounds.

Milahnie Perry scored 14 points for No. 9 seed Air Force (16-18). Emily Adams added 12 points and Alexis Cortez chipped in with 11 points and nine rebounds.

The Rams shot 4 of 8 from the floor and made 14 of 18 free throws in the fourth quarter while the Falcons were 3-of-17 shooting overall.

The No. 9 seed Falcons entered as the lowest-seeded program to earn a spot in the title game. Air Force beat No. 8 seed Wyoming, top-seeded San Diego State and No. 5 seed Boise State.

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Anthony Roy sends No. 14 seed Oklahoma State to 92-83 win over Colorado in Big 12 tourney

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Anthony Roy scored 24 points, Christian Coleman had 17 points and 14 rebounds, and No. 14 seed Oklahoma State held on down the stretch for a 92-83 victory over No. 11 seed Colorado in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament on Tuesday night.

Jaylen Curry added 15 points for the Cowboys (19-13), who probably need to keep winning to make the NCAA Tournament field next week. Their next chance is Wednesday night against sixth-seeded TCU for a spot in the Big 12 quarterfinals.

Bangot Dak had 22 points and eight rebounds to lead Colorado (17-15), whose own NCAA hopes almost certainly vanished. Barrington Hargress added 18 points and nine assists, Isaiah Johnson had 14 points and Ian Inman finished with 11.

Colorado mostly controlled its game against Oklahoma State when the teams met earlier this season in Boulder.

The Cowboys mostly flipped that script in the Big 12 Tournament.

The Buffaloes had to make a couple of late buckets to get within 41-40 at halftime, and then had to keep fighting back from deficits throughout the second half. But every time Elijah Malone would bully his way for a bucket, or Johnson scored with a runner for the Buffs, Roy or Curry was there to answer with timely baskets for Oklahoma State.

The game was still tight until Vyctorius Miller made five consecutive free throws with about 6 minutes left. That turned a 68-62 lead into a 73-62 advantage, and allowed Oklahoma State to stay away from the Buffaloes the rest of the way.

Up next

Colorado: The Buffaloes wait to hear where they will be playing in the postseason.

Oklahoma State: The Cowboys face No. 6 seed TCU in a Wednesday quarterfinal. They lost both of their games to TCU in the regular season, including a 95-92 overtime thriller.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

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Yankees news: Gil excited to put injury behind him

Mar 4, 2026; Fort Myers, Florida, USA; New York Yankees catcher Payton Henry (79) congratulates pitcher Luis Gil (81) after the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at JetBlue Park at Fenway South. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: After winning the AL Rookie of the Year award in 2024, Luis Gil’s 2025 season was not what he wanted. Limited to just 11 starts last year due to injury, Gil’s looking forward to 2026 and so far the early returns of spring have been encouraging. Hoch also has some notes about Jasson Domínguez working to improve his hitting from the right side and the competition for the final spot on the bench with the rest of it mostly figured out.

NJ.com | Randy Miller: With a lot of hype surrounding the World Baseball Classic, it’s easy for players who aren’t participating to get some FOMO. Max Fried, recently announced as the Yankees’ Opening Day starter, spoke on this adding that anyone would want to play that type of competitive baseball, but he passed on the opportunity because he felt he wouldn’t be able to properly build up to that level of competition for March.

New York Post | Dan Kelly: A day after the news broke that Spencer Jones would start the year with Triple-A Scranton, he clobbered his fourth home run of the spring. Barring any significant injuries on the depth chart ahead of him, there was always almost no chance of him breaking camp with the big league club. Still though, his success this spring has given Jones a boost of confidence and he knows his task is not to focus on what he can’t control, but to focus on what he can. He wants to build off his breakout last year and work on being consistent.

NJ.com | Randy Miller: Speaking of the last bench spot, Randal Grichuk took some time to discuss his disappointing 2025 season which saw him garner almost no attention as a free agent. Supposedly the Yankees had initially offered him a major league contract towards the beginning of free agency, but he opted to see what his options were, and the Yankees went on to re-sign Trent Grisham and Cody Bellinger, which left him settling for a minor league deal with the club. He seems to think his down year was just a fluke and that he still hit the ball hard. He feels confident in having a path to that last bench spot with the team and definitely feels like he can be a contributor.

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From the Pocket: Docherty’s voice memo highlights impossible job facing modern AFL coaches

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There comes a point in every footy season where everyone involved begins to fray. It often starts just after the Anzac Day round, when Melbourne’s big wet sets in, the ladder begins to splinter, there’s debate about “the state of the game” and there’s often a public spat between two prominent media figures. For anyone trying to process it or avoid it, it’s good to consult someone from outside the footy bubble and be reminded that none of this stuff actually matters.

But it started early this year. This year’s soap opera began in the first week of March, with a 12-goal onslaught and a voice message. Sam Docherty, sounding like he was speaking from an F45 class while riding a lawnmower, unleashed an expletive filled, rather entertaining and fairly accurate depiction of his former club.

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Islanders 4, Blues 3 (OT): Barzal caps 3-goal comeback

The new guy had to say some goodbyes first. | NHLI via Getty Images

The Islanders’ incredible overtime magic continued with their 10th OT winner of the season, this time built off the foundation of a three-goal comeback and a rare double-power-play conversion from a team whose power play can rarely shoot straight.

Mat Barzal finished the 4-3 win in St. Louis, using his speed to wrongfoot forward Jordan Kyrou for the overtime tally at 2:11. But the Isles only got there thanks to some good fortune, good power play passing and a timely coach’s challenge that prevented a 4-0 deficit.

The Isles had outshot the Blues badly in the first period and to start the second, but they allowed too many golden chances and were behind 3-0 just over midway through the game. It looked like it was 4-0 when Robert Thomas put in another golden chance, but it was overturned by video review after the Isles challenged for offside. Before the challenge, it looked like the Isles were considering putting David Rittich in, but thankfully they didn’t, because Sorokin’s elite services later proved necessary.

That overturned goal was the fortune teller’s turning point if not the actual turning point; it wasn’t until much later in the second period (17:50) that J-G Pageau finally got the Isles on the board. With the way the Isles had generated chances prior to that point (still outshooting the Blues 29-14 through 40 minutes), it felt like that gave them a fighting chance going into the third.

[NHL Gamecenter | Game Summary | Event Summary | Natural Stat Trick]

But who would’ve expected that chance to be cashed in by not one, but two power play goals? Honestly, when Pavel Buchnevich was called for a very fortunate double-minor high-sticking on Calum Ritchie five minutes into the third, my first thought was, “Great, there goes four more minutes of comeback time wasted.”

Instead, the Isles power play moved the puck around and retained it along the boards decently enough — though not as well as the Blues, who just missed restoring their three-goal lead on a power play late in the second. Their persistence was rewarded when Jack Finley (son of former Islander and Blue Jeff Finley) accidentally pushed a loose puck over the line as he and another Blue battled with Bo Horvat and Cal Ritchie in the crease.

The goal was credited to Ritchie at 5:52, erasing the first minor and bringing the Isles to within one. They pulled off a proper power play sequence to get the next one, Horvat finishing a tic-tac-toe play in the slot from Ritchie and Barzal.

That left it tied 3-3, paving the way for some nervy moments but mostly two teams who were fine with tossing a coin for the extra point.

Overtime was your usual cagey affair, and Barzal wisely awaited the right moment to turn on the jets just after Kyrou came on the ice (and after receiving the puck from Brayden Schenn, who was shadowed by his trade counterpart Jonathan Drouin on the play). As Darren Pang said on the TNT broadcast with Butch Goring and Brendan Burke*, “Barzal going up against Kyrou, not exactly a Selke-nominated player.”

*At the game, staring into space as I waited for my daughter to use the restroom, I was startled to see Burke and Goring in line for the men’s room among the masses. I knew the game was on TNT but didn’t realize they had the call — didn’t even realize Butch does TNT games?! — so I was disoriented but happy, and take full credit for the comeback that ensued.

That burst of speed and 3-on-3 matchup allowed Barzal to bait Kyrou outside before cutting inside and firing upstairs from the slot. Game over.

Overall, it was a mostly well-earned two points for the Isles with the final shots tally 49-23. But many of their shots did not have the desired traffic or rebound presence, while they let up some inexcusable openings on the Blues goals. That included a 4-on-1 counterattack to open scoring for the Blues, and a wide open backdoor Jimmy Snuggerud after Scott Mayfield, Carson Sousy and Ritchie were all mesmerized watching Thomas in the left wing corner. Dylan Halloway’s goal to make it 2-0 was at least a fantastic shot that stunned Ilya Sorokin, but the Blues forward was allowed to much space to dance into the slot unimpeded.

Schenn’s Farewell

What a crazy, whirlwind week for new Islander Brayden Schenn! Switching teams without switching hotels in San Jose, getting one game in (an OT win, it’s how we do) before heading right back to his home for the past decade, then taking in a tribute and thank you after a parting that he did not request. With three kids, including a newborn, he’ll surely settle in on Long Island just fine, unless the former Drouin residence he’s renting is cursed.

On the ice, he looked a little more comfortable, logged five shots in 17:06 and won seven of 10 faceoffs. He had an early chance to get on the board that required a stretching stop from Joel Hofer. And for the record book, he gets the assist on the OT winner, even if all he did was hand it off to Barzal on his own way off for a change.

Up Next

That was huge, getting not one but two points from an 0-3 deficit in a game the hockey gods tried to steal from them. That pulls them even with Pittsburgh, which has a game in hand and picked up an OTL point tonight.

The Isles head home from the trip 2-2 thanks to some OT magic. They’ll have a home back-to-back vs. L.A., which beat them too easily last week, and Calgary, which lost 4-0 tonight in Manhattan.

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Bam Adebayo scores 83, passes Kobe Bryant for second most in a game in NBA history

Wilt. Bam. Kobe.

That is now the order for the top-scoring games in NBA history as — out of nowhere — Miami's Bam Adebayo dropped 83 points in Miami's blowout win over Washington Tuesday night.

"Wilt, me and Kobe, sounds crazy," Adebayo said (via Ira Winderman at the South Florida Sun Sentinel).

"Man, I wish I could relive it twice," Adebayo said in his walk-off interview.
"This was just an absolutely surreal night," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

Adebayo is not known as an elite scorer, but on Tuesday, he came out on fire — scoring 31 points in the first quarter — and he had 43 in the first half. Adebayo did his damage where he always does, in the paint (26 points) and at the free throw line, where he was a ridiculous 36-of-43. Bam also knocked down seven 3-pointers and shot 20-of-43 overall for the night.

Adebayo crushed the record for most points by a Heat player, which had belonged to LeBron James at 61. Coach Erik Spoelstra said he had kept the box score from that 61-point game but lost it when a fire burned down his house last year. He said he can laugh about that now because he will keep this one from Bam.

It was shocking to see because Adebayo is averaging 18.9 points a game this season, has averaged more than 20 points a game just once in his entire career, and his previous high for a game was 41 points. He more than doubled that Tuesday night.

Adebayo had set the Heat record with 62 points by the end of the third quarter, and by just over three minutes into the fourth quarter, the Heat were up by 22. Spoelstra kept Adebayo in the game and the Heat kept feeding him the ball, having him chase history. In the final couple of minutes, the Heat would foul a Wizards player quickly to stop the clock and force free throws, so the Heat would get the ball back. Washington started triple-teaming Adebayo to deny him the ball and the Heat kept finding ways to get him the rock and let him drive into fouls — when Adebayo was called for a charge, Spoelstra challenged it.

There will be pushback on Adebayo's night from the Kobe nation, which will call what the Heat did to get Bam to 83 unethical (or something similar). On the night Kobe dropped 81 on the Raptors, the Lakers trailed by 15 at one point in the first half, the Lakers' offense was off, and Kobe just put the team on his back.

Adebayo did that most of the way as well, even if the Heat were handling the Wizards, and anything that happened late was taken from Philadelphia's playbook on the night Wilt Chamberlain scored 100.

What matters most is that this was just fun — and a historic night for Adebayo, the Heat and their fans. Something none of them will ever forget.

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Highest scoring games in NBA history: Where Bam Adebayo's 83 points ranks

Bam Adebayo scored a career-high and toppled some Miami Heat and NBA records along the way Tuesday night.

Adebayo scored 83 points on March 10 against the Washington Wizards. Yes, 83. That's the second-most points scored in an NBA game, passing late Basketball Hall of Famer Kobe Bryant, who scored 81 on Jan. 22, 2006.

Adebayo shot 20-of-43 from the field, including 7-of-22 from 3-point distance. He went to the free throw line a lot, shooting 36-of-43, both NBA records for free throws made and attempted by a single player in a game.

He played 42 minutes as the Heat blew out the Wizards 150-129. He more than doubled his previous career-high of 41 points.

Wilt Chamberlain has the highest single game total with his 100-point game against the New York Knicks on March 2, 1962.

Here's are the best scoring nights in NBA history:

1. Wilt Chamberlain, 100, March 2, 1962

Chamberlain played all 48 minutes against the Knicks in a 169-147 win, hitting 36 of his 63 field goal attempts. The usually shaking free throw shooter (51.1% for his career) hit 28 of his 32 free throw attempts in this one, a record for makes that Adrian Dantley tied in 1984 but had not been surpassed until Adebayo knocked down 36 from the line on Tuesday night.

2. Bam Adebayo, 83, March 10, 2026

Adebayo hit 20 of his 43 field goal attempts, including going 7-for-22 from 3. He made a record 36 free throws on 43 attempts.

Bam Adebayo points tonight: Heat star scores second-most points in NBA history

3. Kobe Bryant, 81, Jan. 22, 2006

Bryant's best game stood No. 2 in NBA history for 20 years. He hit 28 of his 46 field goals in a 122-104 win against the Raptors, including a 7-for-13 mark from 3-point range.

4. Wilt Chamberlain, 78, Dec. 8, 1961

Chamberlain scored 70 points or more six times in his career. As a member of the Philadelphia Warriors, Chamberlain had this 78-point game in a 151-147 loss to the Lakers.

T-5. Luka Doncic, 73, Jan. 26, 2024

Doncic scored 73 a couple seasons ago as a member of the Dallas Mavericks. He notched the scoring feat, a career-high for him, against the Atlanta Hawks. Revenge game? Maybe. Doncic was originally drafted by the Hawks with the third pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, but was traded on Draft Day to Dallas.

Doncic and the Mavericks won that game 148-143. Doncic wasn't the only player in NBA history to finish a game with 73 points.

T-5. David Thompson, 73, April 9, 1978

David "Skywalker" Thompson was known for dunking on heads in highlights, but he was also one of the best scorers of his era. Do you homework, Gen-Z. On one particular night in April 1978, Thompson put up 73 points for the Denver Nuggets in a 139-137 loss to the Detroit Pistons.

T-5. Wilt Chamberlain, 73, twice

Chamberlain's basketball prowess was mythological. He had 73-point games in back-to-back seasons.

On Jan. 13, 1962, Chamberlain had 73 for the Philadelphia Warriors in a 135-117 win against the Chicago Packers. Same year, but the next season after the team relocated to San Francisco, Chamberlain did it again, scoring 73 on Nov. 16 against the Knicks in a 127-111, win.

9. Wilt Chamberlain, 72, Nov. 3, 1962

You get the picture about Chamberlain, but he's going to appear again in this list. On this particular date, he went for 72 in a 127-115 loss to the Lakers. Chamberlain shot 29-of-48 and went 14-of-18 at the free throw line. No 3s, of course.

T-10. Damian Lillard, 71, Feb. 26, 2023

Lillard showed the Houston Rockets what "Dame Time" meant, again. He's broken the hearts of Houstonians, whether in the regular season or postseason. This time it was a 71-point game that did it. Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers won 131-114.

Lillard made as many 3-point field goals, as 2s, with nine each. He added 14 free throws.

T-10. Donovan Mitchell, 71, Jan. 2, 2023

Mitchell scored 71 with the Cleveland Cavaliers a month and some change before Lillard's output. It also came with a win, as the Cavs downed the Chicago Bulls, 145-134. Mitchell shot 22-of-34, including 7-of-15 from distance. He shot 20-of-25 from free throw line, but the most surprising stat is that he still dished 11 assists.

Other 70-point scorers in NBA history

Although a rare feat, a few other players have hit the 70-point threshold in their careers ... and others were extremely close.

San Antonio Spurs big man David Robinson scored 71 points in the final regular season game to take the NBA scoring title on April 24, 1994 against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Another 71-point game in NBA history came from Lakers all-time great Elgin Baylor on Nov. 15, 1960 in a 123-108 win against the Knicks.

Joel Embiid scored 70 points during the 2024 season against the San Antonio Spurs and Victor Wembanyama. He hit his career-high a few days before Doncic scored his 73. Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers won 133-123 on Jan. 22. It was the 18-year anniversary of Bryant's 81-point game.

Devin Booker also scored 70 points in a game against the Boston Celtics, in a 130-120 loss on March 24, 2017. Chamberlain hit 70, again, on March 10, 1963 in a 163-148 loss to the Syracuse Nationals.

For what it's worth, Chicago Bulls great Michael Jordan has a career-high of 69 points.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Most points in an NBA game: Where Bam Adebayo 83 points ranks

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Quinn’s 3-goal night fuels Sabres’ 8th straight win in a 6-3 rout of the Sharks

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Jack Quinn capped his three-goal outing with an empty-netter, and the Buffalo Sabres won their eighth straight by beating the San Jose Sharks 6-3 on Tuesday night.

Jason Zucker and Beck Malenstyn broke the game open by scoring four minutes apart in the second period. Alex Tuch also scored, posting his 300th career point with Buffalo, in his 600th career NHL game, and captain Rasmus Dahlin and Ryan McLeod had three assists each.

Alex Lyon stopped 17 shots, improving to 15-2 in his past 17 starts.

Macklin Celebrini, Kiefer Sherwood and Alexander Wennberg scored for San Jose, which opened a five-game road trip a point behind eighth-place Seattle in the Western Conference standings. Yaroslav Askarov finished with 20 saves.

Celebrini’s goal was the 19-year-old Canadian Olympian’s 33rd and 90th point in his 62nd game of the season. The only NHL players in their teens to reach 90 points in fewer games are Sidney Crosby (54 games in 2006-07) and Wayne Gretzky (56, 1979-80).

The Atlantic Division-leading Sabres, coming off a thrilling 8-7 win over Tampa Bay, improved to 29-5-2 in their past 36 outings — a run that began with a 10-game win streak.

RANGERS 4, FLAMES 0

NEW YORK (AP) — Alexis Lafreniere got his second career hat trick and Jonathan Quick stopped 21 shots as New York defeated Calgary.

Conor Sheary scored his second goal of the season.

Mika Zibanejad and Gabe Perreault added two assists. Zibanejad’s assist on Lafreniere’s first goal gave him 800 career points. Adam Fox’s assist on the goal gave him 400 career points, becoming the fourth Rangers defenseman to hit that milestone.

Lafreniere has eight goals and five assists in his last nine games.

Quick earned his second shutout of the season and the 65th of his career. He passed Henrik Lundqvist for 17th most career shutouts in the NHL and sits one behind Patrick Roy.

Dustin Wolf made 25 saves for the Flames.

BRUINS 2, KINGS 1, OT

BOSTON (AP) — Charlie McAvoy scored 39 seconds into overtime and Jeremy Swayman stopped 14 shots to earn Boston's 13th straight victory at home, beating Los Angeles.

Mason Lohrei scored midway through the third period to snap a scoreless tie. But the Kings tied it five minutes later when Drew Doughty’s shot from the blue line deflected off the heel of Bruins forward Elias Lindholm and into the net.

It was the seventh straight time the teams had gone to overtime in Boston.

In the overtime, Mark Kastelic blocked a shot in the defensive zone and made a long pass to David Pastrnak, who waited for McAvoy to come into the zone. The Bruins defenseman and U.S. Olympian, who went to the locker room at the end of the second period after taking a puck off his mouth, skated in on Darcy Kuemper and went to his backhand for the winner.

Kuemper stopped 21 shots for the Kings, who entered the night one point out of the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference. The victory kept Boston in possession of the East’s second wild-card spot.

PANTHERS 4, RED WINGS 3

SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Carter Verhaeghe scored two goals in the final 90 seconds to rally Florida to a victory over Detroit.

With Florida goalie Daniil Tarasov on the bench, Verhaeghe scored with 1:30 remaining to make it 3-all.

Then, with 15 seconds left, Verhaeghe took a pass from Matthew Tkachuk and his shot went off the skate of Detroit defenseman Justin Faulk and past goalie Josh Gibson.

Vinnie Hinostroza had his first goal and assist for the Panthers, and Niko Mikkola also scored. Tarasov stopped 25 shots.

Faulk had a goal and an assist in his second game for the Red Wings, who also lost to the Panthers 3-1 at Detroit on Friday night. Faulk was acquired from St. Louis at Friday’s trade deadline.

Patrick Kane and Marco Kasper also scored for the Red Wings, and Gibson made 24 saves.

CANADIENS 3, MAPLE LEAFS 1

MONTREAL (AP) — Oliver Kapanen scored his 20th of the season as Montreal held on for a win and handed Toronto its eighth consecutive loss.

Phillip Danault also scored, and Jake Evans added an empty-net goal for Montreal. Jakub Dobes made 17 saves.

William Nylander scored for struggling Toronto, which is on track to miss the playoffs after nine consecutive trips to the postseason.

Joseph Woll stopped 30 shots in a solid outing.

The Maple Leafs entered the night 11 points outside the playoffs and 13 behind the Canadiens, who held the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

BLUE JACKETS 5, LIGHTNING 2

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Conor Garland scored two goals for the second consecutive game and Columbus defeated Tampa Bay.

Kiril Marchenko, Dante Fabbro and Ivan Provorov also scored for Columbus, who improved to 15-2-3 in the past 20 games. Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins made 15 saves and registered his second assist of the season.

Gage Goncalves and J.J. Moser scored for Tampa Bay, which fell to 2-6 since the Olympic break and has just one win in the past seven games. Andrei Vasilevskiy finished with 26 saves. The Lightning have allowed 34 goals in the past six games and six power-play goals in the past two games.

Garland, who was acquired from the Vancouver Canucks at the trade deadline, had not scored a goal in his previous 24 games with Vancouver. But after scoring twice on Monday against Los Angeles, Garland had two more on Tuesday, including an insurance power-play goal in the third period.

HURRICANES 5, PENGUINS 4, SO

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Jackson Blake converted on the decisive shootout goal and Carolina recovered after relinquishing a two-goal lead late in regulation to beat Pittsburgh.

Mark Jankowski and Seth Jarvis scored 59 seconds apart in Carolina’s three-goal third period and Logan Stankoven and Alexander Nikishin also scored for the Hurricanes, who extended their home-ice points streak to 12 games. Frederik Andersen made 24 saves in the matchup between the top two teams in the Metropolitan Division.

Bryan Rust scored two goals and Anthony Mantha and Noel Acciari had the other goals for the Penguins, who began a five-game road trip that also will end in Raleigh. Erik Karlsson and Egor Chinakhov had two assists. Stuart Skinner stopped 39 shots, but he’s without a victory in five outings since Jan. 31. The Penguins are 1-2-2 in their last five games.

Ben Kindel converted in the shootout for the Penguins and Andrei Svechnikov matched that for the Hurricanes before Blake’s tally.

ISLANDERS 4, BLUES 3, OT

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Mathew Barzal scored in overtime to cap New Yorks’ rally from a three-goal deficit for a win over St. Louis.

In addition to his goal at 2:11 of the extra period, Barzal had two assists. Calum Ritchie had a goal and an assist and Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Bo Horvat also scored for the Islanders. Ilya Sorokin made 20 saves.

Jimmy Snuggerud had a goal and two assists as the Blues had their season-high four-game winning streak snapped.

It was the third-straight multipoint game for Snuggerud. The 21-year-old has 17 points (6 goals, 11 assists) in his last 13 games.

Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway also scored for the Blues. Joel Hofer made 45 saves.

STARS 2, GOLDEN KNIGHTS 1

DALLAS (AP) — Jamie Benn scored the go-ahead goal on a power play in the second period and Jake Oettinger stopped 25 of 26 shots as Dallas beat Vegas.

Oskar Back also scored for the Stars, who extended their points streak to 13 games (12-0-1).

Jack Eichel scored for the Golden Knights, who have lost three consecutive games and six of their last seven. Adin Hill made 14 saves.

Benn, the Stars’ 36-year-old captain, has goals in three of the last four games and 10 points in the last eight.

Oettinger, whose 26 wins are good for third in the league, is 9-0-1 in his last 10 starts.

Benn batted the puck in from the edge of the crease with 5:44 left in the second period to break a 1-1 tie and give Dallas’ second-ranked power play a goal in 10 consecutive games.

WILD 5, MAMMOTH 0

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Kirill Kaprizov scored his 37th goal of the season, Matt Boldy notched his 36th, and Filip Gustavsson earned his fourth shutout of the season as Minnesota defeated Utah.

Bobby Brink scored his first goal since the Wild acquired him from the Flyers on Friday. Brink, a Minnesota native, put his new team up 3-0 early in the third period.

Danila Yurov and Ryan Hartman also scored in the third.

Gustavsson stopped all 25 shots he faced. Utah’s Karel Vejmelka made 25 saves in the loss.

Quinn Hughes extended his point streak with an assist, giving him one goal and five assists in his last five games.

DUCKS 4, JETS 1

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Ryan Poehling had a goal and an assist to lead Anaheim to a victory over Winnipeg.

Alex Killorn and Jackson LaCombe also registered a goal and an assist. Tim Washe also scored for Anaheim. Lukas Dostal made 12 saves for the Ducks, who rebounded from a 4-0 loss to St. Louis on Sunday.

Morgan Barron scored for Winnipeg. Connor Hellebuyck had 30 saves for the Jets, who saw their three-game win streak and six-game point streak halted.

After a scoreless first period in which Anaheim outshot Winnipeg 8-2, the Jets opened the scoring at 5:04 of the second when Barron notched his 10th of the season, assisted by Elias Salomonsson and Cole Perfetti.

The Ducks quickly flipped the script, scoring three times in less than two minutes. Washe tied the game at 6:24 and Poehling gave Anaheim the lead just 14 seconds later. Killorn added the insurance marker at 8:08 to give the visitors a two-goal lead.

OILERS 4, AVALANCHE 3

DENVER (AP) — Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored two goals, Connor McDavid had a goal and an assist, and Edmonton defeated Colorado.

McDavid’s goal, his 36th of the season, came on a snap shot on the power play with 10:57 remaining in the third period, breaking a 3-3 tie.

In a game featuring three of the NHL’s four points leaders, Leon Draisaitl had his 59th and 60th assists of the season, the second of which set up McDavid’s winner. Jack Roslovic also scored for the Oilers, who won for the fourth time in six games after a four-game losing streak. It was Nugent-Hopkins’ third multigoal game of the season and first since Dec. 21.

Edmonton had two goals on four power-play opportunities against an Avalanche team that had the NHL’s third-best penalty kill entering the night.

PREDATORS 4, KRAKEN 2

SEATTLE (AP) — Ryan Ufko scored his first NHL goal with 5:35 to play in the second period to put Nashville ahead to stay in a win over Seattle.

The rookie skated in from the right of the goal, dodged between two defenders and tucked the puck past Seattle goalie Joey Daccord to give the Predators a 3-2 lead and two critical points in their chase for a wild-card playoff spot. Right now the team is on the outside of the playoff picture.

Tyson Jost and Reid Schaefer also scored second-period goals to erase Seattle’s 2-0 first-period lead and Steve Stamkos added an empty-netter for his 31st goal of the season.

Jonathan Marchessault had a pair of assists for Nashville, which had lost four of its previous five, and Juuse Saros made 43 saves.

Kaapo Kakko scored just 2:14 into the game and Matty Beniers scored at 9:46 of the first period to give the Kraken a 2-0 lead. Beniers scored from a tough angle, firing from the bottom of the right circle and over the shoulder of Saros just inside the far post.

Daccord finished with 23 saves.

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Ducks’ second-period outburst helps to sink Jets 4-1

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Ryan Poehling had a goal and an assist to lead the Anaheim Ducks to a 4-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night.

Alex Killorn and Jackson LaCombe also registered a goal and an assist. Tim Washe also scored for Anaheim. Lukas Dostal made 12 saves for the Ducks, who rebounded from a 4-0 loss to St. Louis on Sunday.

Morgan Barron scored for Winnipeg. Connor Hellebuyck had 30 saves for the Jets, who saw their three-game win streak and six-game point streak halted.

After a scoreless first period in which Anaheim outshot Winnipeg 8-2, the Jets opened the scoring at 5:04 of the second when Barron notched his 10th of the season, assisted by Elias Salomonsson and Cole Perfetti.

The Ducks quickly flipped the script, scoring three times in less than two minutes. Washe tied the game at 6:24 and Poehling gave Anaheim the lead just 14 seconds later. Killorn added the insurance marker at 8:08 to give the visitors a two-goal lead.

The Ducks outscored the Jets 12-6 in three games this year. The win keeps the Ducks in first place in the Pacific Division, while continuing a hot run for goaltender Dostal, who has now won 13 of his last 15 games.

Up next

Ducks visit the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday.

Jets host the New York Rangers on Thursday.

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

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Bam Adebayo scores 83 as the Heat beat the Wizards 150-129

MIAMI (AP) — Bam Adebayo scored 83 points, the second-best scoring effort in NBA history, to carry the Miami Heat to a 150-129 win over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night.

Adebayo had 31 points in the first quarter, 43 by halftime and 62 by the end of the third quarter. He finished 20 for 43 from the field, 36 for 43 from the foul line and 7 for 22 from 3-point range.

Adebayo’s free throw makes and attempts both set NBA records for a game. The record for attempts was 39 by Dwight Howard — who got to the line that many times on two occasions. The record for free throws made in a game was 28, set by Wilt Chamberlain and Adrian Dantley.

Chamberlain got the 28 free throws on the night he scored 100 points in 1962 — the only game better than Adebayo in NBA history. Adebayo passed his basketball idol, Kobe Bryant, for the second-highest scoring game ever; Bryant’s career-best was 81.

LeBron James had the previous Heat single-game scoring mark; his 61-point effort against Charlotte happened on March 3, 2014. Denver’s Nikola Jokic had the previous season high in the NBA this season with 56.

Adebayo passed them both in the third quarter — and just kept going.

Simone Fontecchio scored 18 points for Miami (37-29), which has won six straight and moved a season-best eight games over .500. The Heat were without Norman Powell (groin), Tyler Herro (quadriceps), Nikola Jovic (back) and Andrew Wiggins (toe).

76ERS 139, GRIZZLIES 129

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Cam Payne scored 13 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter, rookie VJ Edgecombe added 21 points in his return to the lineup and Philadelphia rallied to beat Memphis.

Kelly Oubre Jr. had 31 points and 12 rebounds and Quentin Grimes scored 22 points for the 76ers, who were without All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid. Maxey will be sidelined for at least three weeks because of a tendon injury on the small finger of his right hand, the team announced before the game.

Edgecombe took over point guard duties for Maxey after missing three consecutive games with a lumbar contusion. He provided the game’s highlight, showing his back is OK, with a two-handed, leaping dunk midway through the second quarter.

Ty Jerome scored 26 points for the Grizzlies, who have lost five straight and 12 of 15.

HAWKS 124, MAVERICKS 112

ATLANTA (AP) — Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 29 points, Jalen Johnson had 27 and Atlanta won its seventh in a row, holding off the Dallas Mavericks 124-112 on Tuesday night.

The Hawks, who have the NBA’s longest active winning streak, led nearly the entire game but couldn’t pull away from the Mavericks until the final period.

Dallas tied the score at 97 on Khris Middleton’s step-back jumper with just over nine minutes remaining. Atlanta took control from there to hand Dallas its eighth straight loss.

Alexander-Walker hit two straight 3-pointers in the closing minutes to put the game away.

Dallas rookie Cooper Flagg was held to 14 points on 6-of-16 shooting, shadowed most of the night by the Hawks’ top defensive player, Dyson Daniels.

Daniels also had plenty of work at the offensive end with 14 points and 10 assists, reaching 1,000 field goals in his career. Onkeya Okongwu chipped in with 18 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks.

Klay Thompson led the Mavericks with 21 points.

PISTONS 138, NETS 100

NEW YORK (AP) — Jalen Duren scored 26 points, Cade Cunningham had 21 points and 15 assists, and Detroit snapped a season-worst four-game skid, beating Brooklyn.

Duren shot 9 of 10 from the field and Cunningham was 8 of 10, including 4 of 5 from 3-point range. Duncan Robinson added 15 points and Marcus Sasser finished with 14 for the Eastern Conference-leading Pistons, who never trailed.

Michael Porter Jr. had 19 points and Jalen Wilson added 14 for the Nets, who saw their two-game winning streak end.

Part of Detroit’s skid was an improbable loss to visiting Brooklyn on Saturday night in a game it led by 23 points midway through the third quarter. The Nets ended a 10-game skid with that victory.

SUNS 129, BUCKS 114

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Devin Booker scored 27 points, Jalen Green had 25 and Royce O’Neale 21 as Phoenix pulled away in the fourth quarter to win a shootout with Milwaukee.

Phoenix shot 53.9% and made a season-high 24 3-pointers on 51 attempts. Milwaukee shot 51.2% and went 16 of 38 from 3-point range.

In a game that featured 15 ties and 12 lead changes, O’Neale put the Suns ahead for good with a tiebreaking buzzer-beater from about 50 feet to end the third quarter. Phoenix then scored the first seven points of the final period to extend its lead to 107-97.

Phoenix stayed in front by at least seven points the rest of the way.

Milwaukee’s Kyle Kuzma scored a season-high 33 points. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Myles Turner each added 22 points. Ousmane Dieng 12 points and 10 rebounds.

ROCKETS 113, RAPTORS 99

HOUSTON (AP) — Kevin Durant scored 29 points and Amen Thompson scored 23 points as Houston beat Toronto.

Durant shot 12 of 16 from the field while adding seven rebounds. He scored 22 of his points in the first half.

Thompson eclipsed the 20-point mark for the fifth time in six games. He converted on 6 of his 10 field goal attempts while making 10 free throws.

Jabari Smith Jr. also added 23 points for the Rockets, who pulled into a tie for third place in the Western Conference standings. Alperen Sengun scored 14 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.

Houston shot 60% in the first quarter and outrebounded the Raptors 11-5, but with the help of six Rockets’ turnovers the game was tied at 29. The Rockets closed the first half on a 14-4 run to take a 58-49 halftime lead.

The Rockets shot 49% from the field for the game and outrebounded the Raptors 53-30, finishing with 22 second chance points to Toronto’s five.

RJ Barrett’s 25 points led the Raptors. Scottie Barnes scored 24 points, but Toronto made just 9 of 36 three-point attempts.

SPURS 125, CELTICS 116

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Victor Wembanyama had 39 points and 11 rebounds and San Antonio beat Boston to sweep a contentious two-game season series.

De’Aaron Fox had 25 points and Stephon Castle added 18 points in San Antonio’s fifth straight victory.

Derrick White had 34 points to lead Boston, which had won two straight. Jayson Tatum had 24 points in his third game since returning from a ruptured right Achilles tendon suffered May 12.

Tatum’s fourth and final 3-pointer cut the Celtics’ deficit to 118-113 with 1:43 remaining, but Spurs Castle followed 18 seconds later with his own 3 to secure the victory.

The battle between the No. 2 teams in each conference was physical and chippy.

Boston All-Star Jaylen Brown was ejected after becoming incensed when no foul was called after he lost the ball out of bounds with 3:42 remaining in the first half.

Brown had to be restrained by teammates after official Tyler Ford assessed the first technical. Official Suyash Mehta assessed a second technical seconds later, resulting in an automatic ejection.

HORNETS 103, TRAIL BLAIZERS 101

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Brandon Miller had 21 points and eight rebounds, LaMelo Ball had 12 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter and Charlotte overcame a 19-point deficit to beat Portland.

Kon Knueppel added 15 points and five rebounds for the Hornets, who got back to .500 at 33-33. Ryan Kalkbrenner added 13 points and six rebounds off the bench.

The Hornets trailed 43-24 in the second quarter but edged ahead late by holding the Trail Blazers to 19 points in the fourth quarter.

Jerami Grant scored 24 points on 7-of-10 shooting for Portland. Deni Avdija had 22 points and Scoot Henderson scored 14 off the bench. Toumani Camara and Donovan Clingan each had 11 points.

KINGS 114, PACERS 109

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Devin Carter scored 22 of his career-best 24 points in the fourth quarter to power Sacramento to a comeback win over Indiana.

Carter scored 13 straight points down the stretch for Sacramento, who trailed by as many as 20 points and were down by 10 heading into the final frame.

The Kings shot 46% from the field and 35% from deep, while the Pacers shot 41% and 30% respectively. Carter was 9 of 13 from the field and 3 for 4 from beyond the arc.

Maxime Raynaud’s and-1 jumper with 16 seconds remaining finished off the win.

Raynaud had an 18-point, 11-rebound double-double, the 15th of the season for the 7-foot-1 rookie. Russell Westbrook added 16 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds, and DeMar DeRozan and Nique Clifford each scored 12 points.

LAKERS 120, TIMBERWOLVES 106

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Luka Doncic had 31 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds in his seventh triple-double of the season, and Los Angeles overcame LeBron James’ latest injury absence to sweep its season series with Minnesota with a victory.

Austin Reaves scored 29 of his 31 points in a scorching second half for the Lakers, who pulled even with Minnesota for fourth place in the Western Conference standings after their third straight win over the team that knocked them out of the first round of last season’s playoffs.

Doncic secured the 89th triple-double of his career — seventh-most in NBA history — early in the fourth quarter. Deandre Ayton had 14 points and 12 rebounds in a strong effort with both of his backup big men sidelined.

James sat out for the third straight game with injuries for the Lakers, who have still won three straight and six of seven. He also missed the Lakers’ first two wins over Minnesota this season back in October.

The Lakers improved to 13-8 without the top scorer in NBA history in their lineup, including 10-2 when Doncic and Reaves both play without James.

Julius Randle scored 14 points and Anthony Edwards finished with 14 points on a 2-for-15 shooting night for Minnesota, which has lost two straight after a five-game winning streak. Four Timberwolves bench players scored in double figures in the opener of a four-game trip.

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Brooklyn Nets destroyed by Detroit Pistons, lose 138-100

Ishika Samant/Getty Images

Not that it needs repeating, but the six-month, 82-game NBA regular season feels impossibly long. For every national TV nail-biter, or the performance art of Bam Adebayo sloshing his way to 83 points, there are five forgettable games and a road trip where the days all blend together, for both good and bad teams.

There are levels, of course. Rooting for Victor Wembanyama to continue playing extraterrestrial ball in March is still more exciting than rooting for a tanking team on the first day of the season, but 4,000 minutes of regular-season basketball numbs us all. For the Brooklyn Nets, that means a 40-point blowout is rather routine.

The Detroit Pistons visited Barclays Center on Tuesday evening — the second game of a back-to-back for Brooklyn — and the game was decided almost immediately…

Plenty of stats to choose from, but here are just a couple: The Pistons outscored the Nets 64-24 in the paint. The Nets missed all 14 of their 3-point attempts in the first half.

It was inevitable that the East’s #1 seed would take revenge on Brooklyn, who, on Saturday, came back from 23 points down to secure a wild upset win. Particularly with Cade Cunningham, who put up 21/3/15 on 8-of-10 shooting with the ease of an offseason workout, back in the fold. The strange part was that this was the game Brooklyn tanked. Not Saturday’s visit to Detroit, not Monday’s smooth victory over a depleted Memphis Grizzlies squad, but a game against the best team in the conference.

Sure, Michael Porter Jr. played on Tuesday after resting the previous day, shooting 7-of-14 to score 19 points, but the two main heroes of Saturday’s comeback victory sat: Day’Ron Sharpe with a thumb injury, and Ziaire Williams with illness. But let’s not question the severity of those ailments; let’s instead look at the bench lineup Jordi Fernández deployed vs. Detroit…

The Nets are very bad, by design. Now 17-48, they will likely finish with the fourth-worst record in the league, if not higher. But do they know how to tank, and are they willing to get as shameless as some of the other bottom-dwellers? It appears the answer is no.

Anyway, the game. Despite the Pistons playing on cruise control for all 48 minutes, we did have some character in this one, some sign that the Nets were playing for something slightly more than fulfilling contractual obligations. Josh Minott played 21 minutes, his career-high as a Net, scoring nine points on eight shots, the most memorable of which was this poster…

In the span of 15 seconds in the second quarter, Nolan Traore committed a flagrant foul against Ron Holland, then Noah Clowney received a technical foul for another infraction against Holland…who in turn received a technical foul for flopping.

Among the real positives (of which, in a tanking season, there tend to be even as the blowout losses pile up) was Ben Saraf. The #26 overall pick put up 10/2/6 on 2-of-2 shooting and 6-of-6 from the line, and while Jordi Fernández admonished him for his two early turnovers, Saraf showed some of the ball-handling poise we’ve been waiting to see from him all season…

“Even though sometimes he’ll make a mistake, he’s got to go back, do it again, and learn,” said Fernández of the lefty point guard postgame.

Two-way player Chaney Johnson got his first extended run with the big-league club, playing 22 minutes and shooting 2-of-3, including a corner trey. Drake Powell, making his second consecutive start, hit a pair of triples in the third quarter as well as a nice floater off a drive. For a player just re-called from the G League, it certainly could have been worse, as he finished with 10/0/1 in his 23 minutes of play.

Jalen Wilson and Danny Wolf also reached double-digit points, while Nic Claxton shot just 0-of-2, overwhelmed by Jalen Duren and his game-high 26 points.

Postgame I projected my own feelings onto Wilson, who has been on three very bad Nets teams thus far in his career and experienced only a few stretches of sunlight, and asked him if he yearns for brighter days in the midst of such consistent losing.

The response: “I think my mindset and the team’s as well, from what we know, is just taking it game by game. Of course, we all want to win, but when we was starting out, you know, the next game we played, we had to start those habits. It’s not just going to come in the blink of an eye, and people aren’t just going to let us win the NBA. Everybody’s good. And we have to take advantage of the games we have now, this season. If we want to look forward, it has to start now.”

Now that’s a professional answer. Indeed, it does have to start now for the Brooklyn Nets. For the time being, that means continuing to rack up the losses.

It was 70º in Brooklyn today. Spring is almost here.

Final Score: Detroit Pistons 138, Brooklyn Nets 100

Milestone Watch

Were there any? Nope.

As for the standings and that rumor of tanking, nothing much changed: The Nets remain in fourth with the Wizards a half game ahead (behind?).

Injury Report

Three Nets made the injury report on Tuesday evening: Egor Dëmin, of course shut down with season-ending plantar fasciitis, Ziaire Williams, stricken with illness, and Day’Ron Sharpe, out with a left thumb sprain.

Pregame, Jordi Fernández said that there was no timeline for Sharpe to return from his thumb sprain, only “whatever time it takes for him to feel good to play again.”

Next Up

<p>Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images</p><br>

The Nets hit the road for two games against Eastern Conference opponents, beginning with the Atlanta Hawks. Tip-off is scheduled for Thursday evening at 7:30 p.m. ET.

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Colvin's 18 points leads Wake Forest scoring wave to 95-89 OT win over Virginia Tech in ACC opener

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Myles Colvin scored 18 points and led seven Wake Forest teammates in double-figures scoring and the Demon Deacons went to overtime to beat Virginia Tech 95-89 Tuesday night in a first-round ACC Tournament contest.

The 13th-seeded Demon Deacons advance to play fifth-seeded Clemson on Wednesday. Virginia Tech entered the tournament as the 12th seed.

Sebastian Akins scored 14 points, Tre'Von Spillers and reserve Mekhi Mason 13 each, and Juke Harris and reserves Nate Calmese and Cooper Schwieger all scored 10 apiece.

Wake Forest (17-15) shot 51% (30 of 59) overcoming 36%-shooting (8 of 22) from 3-point range.

Ben Hammond scored 23 points, Jailen Bedford 17, reserve Jaden Schutt 15 and Tobi Lawal 12 while grabbing a team-high nine rebounds for the Hokies.

The Hokies (19-13) shot 41% (29 of 70) and despite the loss had a 45-28 lead in rebounding.

Colvin made a jump shot and a 3-pointer to start overtime for an 80-75 lead and Wake Forest went on to lead for the rest of overtime.

Lawal threw down a dunk with 1:25 left to get the Hokies within 86-85 before Akins countered with a three-point play and Virginia Tech never got closer.

Hammond made two foul shots with 47 seconds left in regulation to force a 75-all tie and neither team scored until overtime. Wake Forest led 38-34 at halftime.

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Cubs BCB After Dark: How many home runs for Seiya Suzuki?

TOKYO, JAPAN - MARCH 07: Seiya Suzuki #51 of Team Japan hits a solo home run in the third inning during the 2026 World Baseball Classic Pool C game between South Korea and Japan at Tokyo Dome on March 7, 2026 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Toru Hanai/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Welcome back to BCB After Dark: the coolest spot for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in and sit with us. You’re always welcome here. There’s no cover charge. The dress code is casual. Bring your own beverage.

BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.

Last night I asked you what kind of a 2026 season you expect out of Shōta Imanaga. A majority of you are optimistic as 60 percent expect something more like his 2024 season and 40 percent think it will be more like his 2025 season.

On Tuesday nights, I don’t normally write about movies. But I always have time for jazz, so let’s get right to it. You can skip ahead if you want.

Here’s a new one from Chilean saxophonist Melissa Aldana from her brand new album Filin. Joining Aldana is Gonzalo Rubalcaba on piano, Peter Washington on bass and Kush Abadey on drums. This is “La Sentencia.”

This is a good one to relax to at the end of the day with a martini in hand.

Welcome back to everyone who skips all that jazz.

Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki is off to a strong start in the World Baseball Classic. So far, he’s 3 for 9 with two home runs, five walks and just one strikeout. He admittedly hasn’t faced the toughest pitching in the world, but it does seem like he’s locked in right now.

So that’s one reason for optimism on Suzuki. Another one is the introduction of the Automatic Ball-Strike (ABS) system. I can’t tell you if it’s true or not, but it is a general belief among Cubs fans that Suzuki has been the victim of far more than his fair share of bad strike calls. If he’s able to turn some of those strikes into balls, not only will he draw more walks, but he’ll get another chance to swing the bat. Some of those swings might be home runs.

Over his four seasons in MLB, Suzuki has hit:

2021: 14 HR in 446 plate appearances (3.1 HR percentage)

2022: 20 HR in 583 PA (3.4 HR%)

2023: 21 in 585 PA (3.6 HR%)

2024: 32 in 651 (4.9 HR%)

So Suzuki has improved every year in Chicago and he took a big leap forward last year. He had a much higher home run-to-fly ball ratio last year which might indicate that the power surge was just luck, except that he also had a massive increase in pull rate. Suzuki pulled the ball at a 41.7 percent rate last year as opposed to 33.7 percent in 2024.

So tonight’s question is how many home runs do you think that Suzuki will hit in 2026? Will he give back some of those gains he made last year? Maybe he’ll take advantage of the ABS system and build on his power. Or maybe he’ll just stay where he was in 2025, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Of course, there’s always the chance he gets injured and then he could be just as good as last year but still hit far fewer home runs.

So predict how many home runs Seiya Suzuki will hit in 2026?

Thanks for stopping by tonight. The place was better tonight for your presence. Please get home safely. We want to see you again later. Please recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again tomorrow evening for more BCB After Dark.

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Speedy Claxton gets emotional as Hofstra punches ticket to March Madness

The emotions of winning in March were on full display in the Coastal Athletic Association on March 10.

As time wound down inside Washington, DC's CareFirstArena, the CBS Sports Network broadcast caught Hofstra men's basketball coach Speedy Claxton crying into the shoulders of one of his assistant coaches, as the three-seeded Pride defeated No. 4 Monmouth 75-69 in the CAA tournament championship game to punch their ticket to March Madness.

It marked the first NCAA Tournament appearance in over two decades for Claxton's alma mater and the first time he's led them to it in his five years at the helm of the program.

REQUIRED READING: March Madness automatic bids: Who is in NCAA Tournament bracket?

The first time Hofstra was included in the NCAA Tournament bracket came in the 1999-2000 season, when Claxton was a player for the Pride and Jay Wright was in his sixth season as a college basketball coach, before he became a two-time national championship coach at Villanova. That was also the first of back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances for the Pride.

Claxton played for Hofstra from 1996 to 2000 under Wright and remains the program's all-time leader in assists and steals. He now has them in the Big Dance. Talk about an awesome full-circle moment in March.

"I'm excited they get to share this moment with each other because this is going to last a lifetime. I won championships on a high school level, college level and professional level, and my collegiate championship meant the most to me," Claxton said on CBS Sports Network on the significance of the Pride's win.

The Pride looked to be on their way to a potential NCAA Tournament berth in 2020 after they won the CAA regular-season and tournament crowns, but the COVID-19 pandemic took that opportunity away as the NCAA Tournament was canceled that season.

To win the 2025-26 season CAA tournament championship, Hofstra also defeated William & Mary 91-62 in the quarterfinals and Towson 68-65 in the semifinals.

The Pride will now have to wait a few more days until Selection Sunday to learn who they will open their March Madness run against and where. The NCAA Tournament bracket will be released at 6 p.m. ET on March 15.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Speedy Claxton leads alma mater, Hofstra, back to March Madness

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Stats Rundown: 5 numbers to know from the Mavericks’ 124-112 loss at the Atlanta Hawks

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - MARCH 10: Daniel Gafford #21 of the Dallas Mavericks sets up a shot during the first quarter against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena on March 10, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Another failed Dallas Mavericks (21-43) comeback attempt, another dollar. The Mavericks dropped their eighth straight game and their 18th in the team’s last 20, 124-112, against the Atlanta Hawks (33-31) at State Farm Arena on Tuesday.

Nickeal Alexander-Walker led all scorers with 29 points for the Hawks in the win, and Jalen Johnson added 25 more, including 10 points in the fourth quarter. Klay Thompson made five 3-pointers on his way to 21 points for the Mavs in the loss.

Here are five stats that tell the tale of Dallas’ latest comeback attempt that came up short in Atlanta.

40: First-quarter scoring by the Hawks

The Mavericks turned the ball over five times in the first quarter, with four of them coming in the game’s first 4:23. The Hawks sprinted out to an early 10-2 lead as a result and never looked back. They boat-raced the Mavericks throughout the rest of the first quarter, taking a 40-26 lead into the second. Atlanta shot 15-of-26 (57.7%) from the field in the first.

The Dallas defense was nonexistent on several Atlanta drives to the hoop, including one late in the first by Nickeal Alexander-Walker, who waltzed past all five Dallas defenders on his way to the hoop for an easy score that put the Hawks up 40-24 with 25 seconds left in the frame. Onyaka Okongwu led Atlanta with nine points on 2-of-3 shooting from 3-point range in the first quarter, while Brandon Williams matched him with nine off the bench for the Mavs on 3-of-3 shooting.

6-of-9: Dallas’ shooting start to second quarter

The Mavericks fought their way back to within four points of the lead in the first 5:30 of the second quarter. They shot 6-of-9 from the field to outscore Atlanta 13-5 to start the second. The Mavs extended that run to 17-5 before the Hawks responded.

The Hawks came into the game with the league’s No. 1 defensive rating (106.1) over the last month, but the Mavs bucked back to climb back in it after falling down by as many as 16 points in the first quarter. Max Christie finally nailed his first 3-pointer in five first-half attempts to cut the Hawks’ lead to four, 45-41, with 6:35 left in the second.

After Hawks head coach Quin Snyder called a timeout with 6:25 left in the second, Atlanta rattled off six straight quick points, including two transition baskets by Alexander-Walker, who seems to be a shoo-in for Most Improved Player this year. Alexander-Walker led all scorers with 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting as the Hawks took a 64-55 lead into the half.

1: Second-quarter shot attempt by Cooper Flagg

We thought we were done with this dilemma after Cooper Flagg’s explosive months of December and January, but the Mavs’ rookie star was nowhere to be found on the stat sheet in the second quarter. He got lost in an offense that more prominently featured the likes of Brandon Williams, Daniel Gafford and Marvin Bagley III.

Flagg grimaced a little on his way to the free-throw line after taking a foul from Jalen Johnson with 6:57 left in the second, but played through whatever ailed him after taking the contact. As noted above, the Hawks are a good defensive team, so maybe his second-quarter absence shouldn’t be that much of a concern, but Flagg needs to see the ball more in order to get out of the shooting funk he’s been in since returning to the lineup after missing eight games with a sprained left foot on Mar. 5 at the Orlando Magic. He came into the game shooting just 21-of-62 (33.9%) from the field in his three games back and shot 2-of-5 for six points in the first half on Tuesday.

Flagg’s funk continued in the second half as he missed his next five attempts, finishing with just 14 points on 6-of-16 shooting to go along with 12 rebounds in the loss. Nine of those 14 points came too little, too late in the game’s waning minutes.

20-6: Mavs’ late third-quarter run

The Mavericks made several runs at the Atlanta lead, but none of them were potent enough to take hold of the lead. Klay Thompson and Khris Middleton keyed a 20-9 Mavs’ spurt late in the third quarter to get to within 93-89, after the Hawks’ lead had ballooned to 15 points midway through the frame.

Thompson scored 10 points in the third quarter, all of which came during that 20-9 run. Atlanta survived the run to take a 95-91 lead into the fourth. Dallas outscored the Hawks 38-31 in the third to close the gap.

18: Second-half scoring from Klay Thompson

Thompson scored 18 of his 21 points in the second half, shooting the lights out from deep as the Mavs tried desperately to win just their third game in their last 20. But it just wasn’t enough as the Mavericks rack up their frequent flyer miles on their current road trip.

Thompson canned 4-of-7 from deep in the second half as Dallas clawed its way back, but Atlanta had an answer for every Mavericks run down the stretch. After a quiet start to the game, Jalen Johnson was the answer for the Hawks late in the game, as he scored 13 points in the fourth quarter to kill the Mavs’ momentum. Johnson finished with 24 points, seven assists and six rebounds in the win, while Thompson scored 21 for the Mavs in the loss.