Shohei Ohtani sparked a ninth-inning rally with a leadoff double, and Munetaka Murakami hit a walk-off, two-run double to lift Japan over Mexico 6-5 and into the World Baseball Classic final. Japan will face the defending champion United States in tonight’s championship game at 7 p.m. on FS1. Ohtani went 2 for 4. The Los Angeles Angels star scored in the seventh when Masataka Yoshida hit a tying, three-run homer off reliever JoJo Romero.
That matchup between Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani in the World Baseball Classic may not happen. Japan rallied in the ninth inning to beat Mexico and advance to Tuesday night’s championship game against the United States, but Shota Imanaga will start on the mound for the Samurai Warriors. If Trout is to bat against his Los Angeles Angels teammate, it would only be if Ohtani makes a rare relief appearance. Japan manager Hideki Kuriyama said he likely will use the same starting lineup as he did in the semifinal Monday night against Mexico, when Ohtani was the designated hitter and doubled to start the ninth-inning comeback.
NBA
Julius Randle scored 57 points, matching the third-highest total by a New York Knicks player, during a 140-134 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Randle tied Richie Guerin behind the only two 60-point games in Knicks history, Carmelo Anthony’s 62 on Jan. 24, 2014, and Bernard King’s 60 on Christmas Day in 1984. Randle had 52 through three quarters Monday, already surpassing his previous best of 46 points. The All-Star forward poured in a team-record 26 points in the third quarter, bringing the Knicks back into the game. The Wolves led 109-108 after being ahead by 17 in the first half. Randle was 19 for 29 from the field and 8 for 14 from 3-point range.
Zach LaVine scored 26 points, DeMar DeRozan had 25 and the Chicago Bulls defeated Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers 109-105 in double overtime to snap their eight-game winning streak. Nikola Vucevic added 21 points and 12 rebounds for the Bulls, who have won three games in a row and five of six. Chicago is fighting for the final playoff spot in the East. Embiid had 37 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks before fouling out with 3:54 left in the second overtime. It was the 10th straight game in which he has scored at least 30 points.
Ja Morant’s eight-game NBA suspension is over, and the two-time All-Star has rejoined the Memphis Grizzlies. He was on the bench for Memphis' home game against Dallas. It's unclear exactly when he'll play, with the earliest being Wednesday. The Grizzlies announced Morant would not play against the Mavericks because of needing to condition for his return. The Grizzlies know Morant has been working out to get ready. Coach Taylor Jenkins would like Morant to practice or at least participate in a shootaround before seeing game action, even with 12 games remaining in the regular season.
NHL
Dylan Ferguson stopped 48 shots in his first NHL start, and the Ottawa Senators topped the reeling Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1. Drake Batherson's power-play goal with 2:09 left in regulation helped the Senators end a five-game losing streak. Thomas Chabot scored his 10th goal for Ottawa, which won in Pittsburgh for the first time since 2014. Rickard Rakell scored his 21st of the season for the Penguins. Tristan Jarry made 19 saves but couldn't stop Pittsburgh from falling behind Florida for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference.
NCAA March Madness
Rick Pitino is back in the Big East Conference. St. John’s has hired the Hall of Fame coach to boost a storied program that's been mired in mediocrity for much of this century. The school posted the announcement on Twitter, and Pitino is expected to be formally introduced during a news conference today at Madison Square Garden. Following a successful run at nearby mid-major Iona, the 70-year-old Pitino was plucked away to replace Mike Anderson, who was fired March 10 after four seasons in charge of the Red Storm without making the NCAA Tournament. Pitino’s last game with Iona came Friday in the NCAA tournament, against UConn in Albany.
02109, :19, “group of kids.”
In a major Big East shakeup, Providence men’s basketball coach Ed Cooley is leaving after 12 seasons to take over Georgetown’s program, according to multiple reports. Cooley led Providence to seven NCAA tournaments, including this year. Cooley is also a former Fairfield coach. He replaces Hoyas great Patrick Ewing, who was fired after six seasons.
Charges against University at Albany men’s basketball coach Dwayne Killings will be dropped in a year if he completes a corrective thinking program, according to a report by the Albany Times Union. The newspaper reports Killings appeared in a Kentucky court Monday on a misdemeanor assault charge. It stems from a November 2021 incident that led to Killing’s five-game suspension this season and a $25,000 fine. The actions came after UAlbany investigated claims of inappropriate physical contact with a student athlete. Luke Fizulich has also filed a lawsuit against Killings and UAlbany, alleging Killings threw him against a locker and slapped his face before a game. Killings just completed his second season.
An event that would have been unthinkable not even a decade ago is coming to Las Vegas this week. That's March Madness. The NCAA Tournament avoided the city for many years because sports betting is legal in it. The governing body for collegiate athletics even had a policy in place of not allowing its championship events to be played in Nevada. But now, with sports betting abound, the NCAA has no qualms about playing in the state. The West Region games to be held this week at T-Mobile Arena are among the many championship events the NCAA has awarded to the city.
NCAA Women's March Madness
Destiny Harden made a shot in the lane with 3.5 seconds left to send ninth-seeded Miami past top-seeded Indiana 70-68, lifting the Hurricanes to their first Sweet 16 since 1992. The Hoosiers (28-4) became the second No. 1 seed to be eliminated in two nights. Stanford was upset Sunday on its home court. It’s the first time since 1998 that two No. 1 seeds did not advance to the regional semifinals. Harden finished with 18 points and Lola Pendade had 19 points and seven rebounds for the Hurricanes (21-12), who never trailed on the Hoosiers home court. Mackenzie Holmes led the Hoosiers with 22 points Grace Berger added 17 points, six rebounds and six assists in her final game. It was Indiana’s first loss of the season at Assembly Hall.
Elsewhere, No. 2 UConn 77, No. 7 Baylor 58
No. 3 Ohio State 71, No. 6 North Carolina 69
No. 4 Tennessee 94, No. 12 Toledo 47
No. 5 Louisville 73, No. 4 Texas 51
No. 4 Villanova 76, No. 12 Florida Gulf Coast 57
No. 6 Colorado 61, No. 3 Duke 53 (OT)
No. 4 UCLA 82, No. 5 Oklahoma 73
PARIS OLYMPICS
The Paris Olympics is going underground to find a way to keep athletes cool at the 2024 Games without air conditioners. Organizers are planning to install a water-cooling system under the Athletes Village like the one that has helped the Louvre Museum cope with the sweltering heat that broke records last year. The plan is in line with the Paris mayor's resolve to drastically reduce the French capital's greenhouse gas emissions and make the City of Lights carbon neutral by 2050. Two-time Olympic champion and marathon world record holder Eliud Kipchoge endorsed the Paris sustainability plan. He says “we all need to reduce our carbon.”
NFL
A person with knowledge of the situation tells The Associated Press that Magic Johnson has joined Josh Harris' bid to buy the NFL's Washington Commanders. Johnson is already involved in sports ownership with stakes in Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers, Major League Soccer's Los Angeles F.C. and the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks. Harris along with partner David Blitzer owns the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers and NHL's New Jersey Devils. Washington-area billionaire Mitchell Rales is also reportedly part of Harris' group. Longtime owner Dan Snyder and wife Tanya began exploring selling part or all of the team in the fall. Any sale would need to be approved by three-quarters of NFL owners.
WOMEN’S TENNIS
The women’s professional tennis tour is increasing efforts to protect players from predatory coaches and others. That is being led by the WTA’s new director of safeguarding. Her name is Lindsay Brandon. She is a lawyer whose past clients included at least one tennis player disputing a doping suspension. Brandon said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press that safeguarding is about physical or emotional abuse and is not just about shielding players from coaches. There are other relationships on tour that need to be kept safe. Brandon started in the new job late last year and her duties include overseeing investigations into accusations of abuse and drafting a new safeguarding code of conduct for the WTA.
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