NBA
Jalen Brunson scored 45 in his second straight 40-point game, and the New York Knicks beat the Chicago Bulls 128-117. Brunson delivered his 10th 40-point game this season after scoring 43 in a win at Milwaukee on Sunday. He nailed seven 3-pointers, helping New York win its second in a row after losing four of five. OG Anunoby scored 24. Donte DiVincenzo hit a heave from midcourt to end the first half and finished with 21 points. Josh Hart scored 17 and grabbed 13 rebound. DeMar DeRozan led the Bulls with 34 points.
Giannis Antetokounmpo left late in the third quarter with a calf injury, but the Milwaukee Bucks hung on to beat the Boston Celtics 104-91 on Tuesday night in a game that featured a total of two free-throw attempts. Milwaukee snapped a four-game skid as Patrick Beverley had 20 points and 10 rebounds after the Bucks shook up their lineup by having the veteran guard start ahead of Malik Beasley. Antetokounmpo was heading up the court late in the third quarter after a Celtics basket when he grabbed his left calf and took a seat.
Joel Embiid had 37 points and 11 rebounds and the Philadelphia 76ers extended their winning streak to six games with a 120-102 win over the Detroit Pistons. Buddy Hield scored 18 and Kelly Oubre Jr. added 17 as the 76ers (45-35) continued their push to avoid the Play-In Tournament and stayed in contention for the sixth spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Embiid added eight assists and played 36 minutes — his most in the four game since his return from a meniscus injury suffered on Jan. 30. Jaden Ivey scored 25 points and Evan Fournier added 21 for the Pistons, who fell to 13-66 and inched closer to clinching the worst record in the NBA this season.
Luka Doncic had 39 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists, and the playoff-bound Dallas Mavericks beat the Charlotte Hornets 130-104 for their 15th win in 17 games. Phoenix's loss to the visiting Los Angeles Clippers clinched Dallas' guaranteed playoff spot among the top six in the Western Conference. The Mavs are likely to end up as the fifth seed. Doncic made eight 3-pointers in his 21st triple-double of the season. He also set a franchise record with 2,341 points this season, surpassing Mark Aguirre’s 2,330 in 1983-84. Daniel Gafford scored 26 points and Kyrie Irving added 18 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. Miles Bridges scored 22 points and Brandon Miller 21 for the Hornets.
Tyrese Haliburton scored 30 points, Pascal Siakam added 16 points in 26 minutes in his second game back in Toronto and the Indiana Pacers pulled away early in the second half and beat the Raptors 140-123. Obi Toppin scored 23 points and T.J. McConnell added 17 as the Pacers won their third straight to remain in sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings. The Pacers are a game ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers in the race to avoid a spot in the Play-In Tournament. Both teams have two games remaining. RJ Barrett scored 23 points, Kelly Olynyk added 22 and rookie Javon Freeman-Liberty’s contributed a career-high 20 points for the Raptors, who had their two-game winning streak halted.
Victor Wembanyama had 18 points, seven blocks, seven rebounds and six assists, Julian Champagnie added 17 points, and the San Antonio Spurs rode a third-quarter burst to a 102-87 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. Sandro Mamukelashvili added a career-best 16 rebounds along with 11 points as the Spurs snapped a 13-game losing steak to the Grizzlies. San Antonio had not beaten Memphis since Dec. 23, 2020. Blake Wesley scored 13 points. Jordan Goodwin had a career-best 19 rebounds while scoring 10 points for the Grizzlies.
Tyler Herro scored four of his 33 points in the second overtime and the Miami Heat outlasted the Atlanta Hawks 117-111. Jimmy Butler had 25 points and nine assists and Nikola Jovic added 23 points and eight rebounds as the Heat won for the fifth time in seven games. With the win, Miami remained a half-game behind the Philadelphia 76ers, in eighth place in the Eastern Conference standings. Dejounte Murray had 29 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists in 49 minutes for the Hawks. De’Andre Hunter finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds. The Hawks are in 10th place in the conference, a game behind the Chicago Bulls.
Fred VanVleet scored a season-high 37 points and the Houston Rockets snapped a five-game skid with a 118-106 victory over the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night. The Magic fell into a tie for fourth place with Cleveland in the Eastern Conference. They came into the night with a chance to clinch the Southeast Division title with a win and a loss by the Miami Heat, but they couldn’t get it done against Houston and the Heat beat the Hawks 117-111 in double overtime. Paolo Banchero and Jalen Suggs scored 21 points apiece for the Magic.
Anthony Edwards scored a career-high 51 points and the Minnesota Timberwolves overcame an early 21-point deficit with a dominant second half to beat the Washington Wizards 130-121. Edwards had 30 points after halftime. Nickeil Alexander-Walker added 23 points and Rudy Gobert had 19 points and 16 rebounds for the Wolves, who have won four of five and eight of 10. Minnesota has clinched a top-three seed in the Western Conference and has a showdown at Denver on Wednesday with a potential No. 1 seed at stake.
Josh Giddey had 20 points, 13 assists and 13 rebounds for his 11th career triple-double, Isaiah Joe had two key 3-pointers in the final 1:30 and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Charlotte Hornets 121-118 on Sunday night to snap a three-game losing streak. Oklahoma City remained third in the Western Conference, a game behind Denver and Minnesota. The Thunder had lost their previous three games — their longest skid of the season — with stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams out with injuries. But Aaron Wiggins stepped up with 26 points and Chet Holmgren had 20 points and 10 rebounds and the Thunder escaped when Brandon Miller missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer that would have sent it to overtime.
Luka Doncic had 39 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists, and the playoff-bound Dallas Mavericks beat the Charlotte Hornets 130-104 for their 15th win in 17 games. Phoenix's loss to the visiting Los Angeles Clippers clinched Dallas' guaranteed playoff spot among the top six in the Western Conference. The Mavs are likely to end up as the fifth seed. Doncic made eight 3-pointers in his 21st triple-double of the season. He also set a franchise record with 2,341 points this season, surpassing Mark Aguirre’s 2,330 in 1983-84. Daniel Gafford scored 26 points and Kyrie Irving added 18 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. Miles Bridges scored 22 points and Brandon Miller 21 for the Hornets.
Zion Williamson, New Orleans’ leading scorer, missed the Pelicans’ game against the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night with a bruised left finger. Williamson, averaging 22.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.0 assists, injured his hand trying to block a shot in a 117-108 loss to Orlando on Wednesday. Williamson has remained relatively healthy this season, playing in 65 of the Pelicans’ 76 games. Williamson’s absence left the reeling Pelicans, losers of three straight at home, extremely short-handed. They have played the previous seven games without second-leading scorer, Brandon Ingram, who averages 20.9 points per game. New Orleans went 3-4 in Ingram’s absence.
Russell Westbrook had 16 points, 15 rebounds and 15 assists for his first triple-double of the season and the Los Angeles Clippers built a 31-point lead in the first quarter before holding on late for a 105-92 road win over the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night. It was an embarrassing early showing for the Suns, who are fighting to stay out of the Western Conference play-in tournament. They eventually rallied to cut the margin to 91-84 with 6:45 left on a Bradley Beal free throw, but couldn’t get closer. The Clippers have won four straight and seven of eight. Paul George led L.A. with 23 points while Ivica Zubac added 17 points and 13 rebounds.
Klay Thompson scored 27 points, Stephen Curry had 23 and the Golden State Warriors capitalized on Anthony Davis’ injury absence for a 134-120 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. Andrew Wiggins had 17 points for the 10th-place Warriors, who hit 26 of their 41 3-point attempts. The Warriors have won eight of nine down the stretch to move within a half-game of ninth-place Los Angeles. Golden State also won the head-to-head tiebreaker between the rivals. LeBron James had 33 points for the Lakers, who took back-to-back home losses. Davis sat out due to the aftereffects of being hit in the head by Minnesota’s Kyle Anderson in the Lakers’ loss to the Timberwolves last Sunday.
Giannis Antetokounmpo was undergoing testing after leaving the Milwaukee Bucks’ game with the Boston Celtics on Tuesday due to an injury to his left calf. Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers said after the Bucks’ 104-91 victory that Antetokounmpo was undergoing an MRI exam on his calf and also would have his Achilles tendon tested. Antetokounmpo was heading up the court after a 3-point basket by Boston’s Derrick White late in the third quarter when the two-time MVP grabbed his left calf and took a seat on the floor before being helped off the court.
NHL
Bo Horvat had a goal and an assist, Noah Dobson added two assists and the New York Islanders used a three-goal first period to propel them to a 4-2 win against the Eastern-Conference leading New York Rangers. Semyon Varlamov finished with 32 saves, Mike Reilly, Kyle Palmieri and Anders Lee also scored goals and the Islanders extended their winning streak to five games. Chris Kreider and Adam Fox scored power-play goals for the Rangers, and Igor Shesterkin made 25 saves, but the Rangers’ three-game winning streak ended. Mika Zibanejad left the game in the third period following a collision with Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech.
Auston Matthews scored his 66th goal and inched closer to becoming the ninth player in NHL history to tally 70 in a season in leading the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 5-2 victory over New Jersey, ending the disappointing Devils’ playoff hopes. Mark Giordano and Tyler Bertuzzi scored in a 9-second span late in the the second period to give the Maple Leafs a 3-2 lead en route to their sixth win in seven games. Nicholas Robertson also scored and Joseph Woll made 18 saves. Nico Hischier and Dawson Mercer scored for New Jersey, while Jake Allen made 32 saves.
Andrei Svechnikov opened the scoring with a lacrosse-style goal and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Boston Bruins 4-1. Svechnikov, who also had an assist, surprised goalie Jeremy Swayman by cradling the puck with his stick blade and flicking it into the net about midway through the second period on Tuesday night. It was his 19th goal of the season. Teuvo Teravainen, Jake Guentzel and Seth Jarvis also scored as the Hurricanes pulled away for their third straight win and fifth in their last six. Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 22 shots. Charlie McAvoy scored the only goal for the Bruins. Swayman finished with 22 saves.
Joe Pavelski scored the go-ahead goal by tipping the puck with his back to the net and the playoff-bound Dallas Stars got their 50th win of the season, 3-2 over the Buffalo Sabres. Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston also had goals for the Stars. They won for the 10th time in 11 games and have a Western Conference-high 109 points with three games to play. They moved within one point of the Rangers for the most in the NHL after New York lost its game. Alex Tuch and Rasmus Dahlin had goals for Buffalo, which will miss the playoffs for the 13th season in a row.
Juraj Slafkovsky scored his first career hat trick, and the Montreal Canadiens dealt the stumbling Philadelphia Flyers their eighth straight defeat with a 9-3 blowout win Tuesday night. Christian Dvorak and Brendan Gallagher both scored twice while Josh Anderson and Joel Armia also found the back of the net for Montreal. Sam Montembeault made 33 saves and Jordan Harris had three assists as the Canadiens snapped a three-game skid. Ryan Poehling had two goals and Joel Farabee also scored for Philadelphia. Samuel Ersson stopped 12 of 17 shots before getting the hook in the second period. Backup Ivan Fedotov turned away 9 of 13.
Alex Ovechkin and Dylan Strome scored a minute apart late in the second period, Charlie Lindgren finished with 42 saves and the Washington Capitals held on to beat the Detroit Red Wings 2-1 on Tuesday night in a matchup of teams vying for a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The Capitals moved a point past Detroit for the conference’s second wild card and snapped a season-long, six-game losing streak. The Red Wings have lost six of their last eight games. Ovechkin became the first NHL player with at least 30 goals in 18 seasons.
Anthony Stolarz stopped 25 shots and had an assist, and the Florida Panthers shut out the Ottawa Senators for the third time this season with a 2-0 victory. Anton Lundell and Nick Cousins scored for Florida. It was the second instance of Florida shutting out a team three times in one season, the other coming when the Panthers blanked Montreal three times in 2017-18. And it was a needed win for playoff-bound Florida, with the Panthers winning for just the fourth time in their last 13 games. Joonas Korpisalo stopped 28 shots for Ottawa.
Steven Stamkos had three goals and an assist, NHL points leader Nikita Kucherov picked up his fourth straight three-point game with three assists, and the playoff-bound Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-2. Anthony Cirelli and Stamkos scored 16 seconds apart to break an early third-period tie before Stamkos made it 5-2 on an empty-netter to complete his 13th hat trick. The Lightning hold the top Eastern Conference wild card and trail Toronto by six points for third place in the Atlantic Division. Both teams have four games left. Columbus got two goals from Kirill Marchenko. The Blue Jackets are last in the Eastern Conference.
Kyle Connor scored at 1:52 of overtime to give the Winnipeg Jets a 4-3 victory over the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night. Mark Scheifele had a goal and two assists, Gabriel Vilardi and Dylan DeMelo also scored and Connor Hellebuyck made 45 saves for Winnipeg, winners of four straight. Tommy Novak, Spencer Stastney and Ryan O’Reilly scored and Juuse Saros made 18 saves for Nashville, losers of five of seven. Kiefer Sherwood had two assists.
Nathan MacKinnon notched his seventh career hat trick as part of a four-point performance, and the Colorado Avalanche broke out of a two-game funk with a 5-2 win over the Minnesota Wild. Artturi Lehkonen and Cale Makar also scored for the Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev stopped 20 shots in a bounce-back performance after allowing 12 goals in his previous two games. The win kept Colorado in second place in the Central Division with 104 points. The team trails Dallas by five points with three games left. Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy had goals for a Wild team that was officially eliminated from the postseason.
Alex Killorn and Trevor Zegras scored in the third period, and the Anaheim Ducks prevented the Los Angeles Kings from securing a playoff spot with a 3-1 win. Frank Vatrano also scored, Lukas Dostal made 36 saves, and the Ducks beat their Freeway Faceoff foes for the first time in three meetings. The season series concludes in Los Angeles on Saturday. Akil Thomas scored and Cam Talbot made 24 saves for the Kings, who had won three straight games.
Shane Wright scored 68 seconds into the first period for his fourth goal in four games since being called up from the AHL, Philipp Grubauer made 39 saves in his second shutout of the season, and the Seattle Kraken beat the Arizona Coyotes 5-0. André Burakovsky, Justin Schultz, Brandon Tanev and Will Borgen also scored as the Kraken won for the fifth time in seven games. With the playoffs no longer possible for Seattle, most of the attention has shifted to its young players called up from Coachella Valley of the AHL and specifically Wright, the team's first-round pick in 2022.
Andrei Kuzmenko scored a power-play goal 2:58 into overtime and the Calgary Flames came back to beat the San Jose Sharks 3-2. Kuzmenko put in the puck off a scramble in front for the Flames, who had lost three straight and eight of nine. Rasmus Andersson and Nazem Kadri also scored for Calgary. William Eklund and Jacob MacDonald had goals for San Jose. The last-place Sharks have dropped four of five. San Jose would clinch the worst record in the NHL and have a 25.5% chance of winning the top pick in the draft lottery if Chicago wins at St. Louis on Wednesday. Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf, starting against his hometown team, made 20 saves. Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 38 shots for the Sharks.
MLB
Carlos Rodón allowed two unearned run in six-plus innings, Alex Verdugo homered and the New York Yankees beat the Miami Marlins 3-2 to match their best 12-game start. New York won its fourth straight and improved to a major league-best 10-2, equaling the starts of the Yankees in 1922, 1949 and 2003. Miami dropped to 1-11 for the first time since losing 11 in a row after an opening victory in 1998. The Marlins are the first team to lose 11 of its first 12 since Baltimore in 2010. Rodón allowed four hits in six-plus innings.
Colton Cowser drove in four runs, Corbin Burnes allowed two hits over seven innings and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Red Sox 7-1 in Boston’s home opener. Cowser had a pair of RBI doubles, the second driving in two runs in the fourth to break a 1-1 tie. He added a sacrifice fly in the eighth to help the Orioles stop a two-game skid. Burnes struck out six and walked two, giving up Tyler O’Neill’s sixth homer of the season in the first inning. O’Neill began the season by homering for his fifth straight opening day, a major league record.
Ronald Acuña Jr. scored three runs and stole three bases, Reynaldo López threw six scoreless innings and the Atlanta Braves held off the New York Mets 6-5. The Braves led 6-0 before Pete Alonso hit a three-run homer off Tyler Matzek in the eighth. The Mets scored twice in the ninth off closer Raisel Iglesias before he struck out Alonso with a runner on to end it. López earned the No. 5 spot in Atlanta’s rotation after signing a $30 million, three-year contract. He had six strikeouts while allowing three hits and three walks. Acuña had two hits, including the first of the Braves’ six straight singles to open a three-run third inning.
Sonny Gray tossed five innings in his St. Louis debut, and the Cardinals shut out the Philadelphia Phillies 3-0. Gray allowed five hits, struck out five and walked none. The 34-year-old right-hander threw 43 of his 64 pitches for strikes. Gray signed a $75 million, three-year contract with St. Louis in free agency. He missed the start of the season after he hurt his right hamstring in a spring training game against Washington on March 4. After Gray departed, Matthew Liberatore, Andrew Kittredge and JoJo Romero combined for three innings before Ryan Helsley handled the ninth for his fourth save in five chances this season.
Gio Urshela, Kerry Carpenter and Jake Rogers all delivered RBI singles in the ninth inning as the Detroit Tigers rallied past the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-3. Detroit won for just the second time in six games by getting to Pirates closer David Bednar (1-1). The two-time All-Star allowed four runs in the ninth to blow his third save opportunity in four tries. Edward Olivares homered twice for the Pirates. Martin Perez allowed just one run in eight innings.
Tyler Glasnow tied his career high with 14 strikeouts in seven scoreless innings, and the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Minnesota Twins 6-3. James Outman and Will Smith each hit a three-run homer as Los Angeles won for the third time in four games. Mookie Betts walked three times and scored a run. Glasnow struck out Matt Wallner looking to end the seventh inning, marking the third time in his career he picked up 14 strikeouts. Ryan Jeffers, Carlos Correa and Alex Kirilloff homered for Minnesota after Glasnow exited. Twins right-hander Louie Varland gave up six runs in five innings.
Dominic Fletcher hit a two-run double in the eighth inning as the Chicago White Sox snapped a five-game losing streak with their first road win, 7-5 over the Cleveland Guardians. Fletcher’s shot to right-center off Scott Barlow broke a 5-5 tie. Chicago scored five runs in the first and got the big hit when it needed one. The White Sox had scored just 16 runs in their first 10 games and was off to its worst start since 1968. Josh Naylor hit a two-run homer for the Guardians, who had their winning streak stopped at five straight. While they got their second win, the White Sox lost second baseman Yoán Moncada, who went down with a groin injury in the second inning.
Bo Bichette hit a two-run homer, Chris Bassitt pitched 6 2/3 sparkling innings to win for the first time in three starts this season and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Seattle Mariners 5-3. Isaiah Kiner-Falefa had three hits and an RBI, Cavan Biggio reached base three times and George Springer drove in a pair as Toronto won consecutive games for the first time. Mitch Haniger hit a two-run homer and Dominic Canzone added a solo shot for the Mariners. Seattle has lost three in a row and six of seven. Chad Green got four outs for his second save.
Shea Langeliers hit three home runs, including a two-run drive in the ninth inning that lifted the Oakland Athletics over the Texas Rangers 4-3. Langeliers, a 26-year-old who entered with 29 career big league homers, hit solo drives in the second off Nathan Eovaldi and in the seventh against David Robertson. Texas led 3-2 in the ninth when Seth Brown walked with one out off José Leclerc (0-2) and Langeliers sent a first-pitch fastball to left-center for his fourth home run this season.
Salvador Perez hit a game-ending single in the 10th inning, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Houston Astros 4-3 for their fifth consecutive victory. Garrett Hampson began the Kansas City 10th on second as the automatic runner, replacing Vinnie Pasquantino. Hampson raced home when Perez led off the inning with a single to center against Wander Suero. James McArthur pitched two scoreless innings for the win. Perez and Nelson Velázquez each had two hits for the Royals. Bobby Witt Jr. and Maikel Garcia each drove in a run.
José Caballero had three hits and two RBIs, Isaac Paredes homered and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Los Angeles Angels 6-4 despite Mike Trout’s sixth home run. Harold Ramírez also drove in a pair for the Rays, who have won three of four. Aaron Civale allowed only two more hits after Trout’s two-run shot in the first. The right-hander gave up three runs, two earned, in five innings with four strikeouts. Pete Fairbanks earned his first save despite giving up an RBI single to Luis Rengifo in the ninth. Trout has homered in three straight games for the 15th time in his career.
Christian Yelich and Blake Perkins each drove in three runs, helping Joe Ross and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Cincinnati Reds 9-5. Perkins and Sal Frelick each had three of Milwaukee’s 13 hits. Jake Bauers had two RBIs. Ross earned his first big league win since June 29, 2021, for Washington against Tampa Bay. The 30-year-old right-hander allowed three runs, two earned, and five hits in 6 1/3 innings in his second start of the season. Ross had his second Tommy John surgery in June 2022. He finalized a $1.75 million, one-year contract with the Brewers in December.
Corbin Carroll homered on the second pitch of the game, Merrill Kelly tossed six solid innings and the Arizona Diamondbacks gave manager Torey Lovullo his 500th career victory with a 3-2 win over the Colorado Rockies. Lovullo, who is in his eighth season and is the longest-serving manager in franchise history, reached the milestone after Arizona had dropped five in a row. Randal Grichuk also went deep and Gabriel Moreno had four hits — including two doubles — to back another quality outing from Kelly. He has pitched at least five innings in 32 straight starts, the second-longest active streak in the majors.
CJ Abrams homered and drove in three runs after missing three games with a bruised left pinkie and the Washington Nationals beat the San Francisco Giants 5-3 on Tuesday night. Riley Adams added an RBI double and Jacob Young had two hits and three stolen bases as Washington won its sixth in a row against San Francisco. Patrick Bailey and Nick Ahmed drove in runs for the Giants, who lost for the seventh time in their last nine games. Jordan Weems (1-0) earned his sixth career win despite giving up two runs (one earned) in one inning. Kyle Finnegan pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings for his fourth save.
Christopher Morel hit his first career grand slam and Yan Gomes also connected for the Chicago Cubs, who beat Joe Musgrove and the San Diego Padres 5-1. Unlike on Monday, the Cubs held this lead. A night earlier, they blew an 8-0 lead and lost 9-8. Right-hander Ben Brown pitched well in his first big league start but not long enough to get the win. He was pulled after 4 2/3 scoreless innings and 77 pitches, with the bases empty. He allowed three hits while striking out five and walking one.
The Baltimore Orioles are calling up top prospect Jackson Holliday, according to a person with knowledge of the decision. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday night because the move wasn't official yet. Holliday was the No. 1 pick in the 2022 amateur draft out of high school in Oklahoma and breezed through the minor leagues. He narrowly missed out on a spot on the Orioles’ opening-day roster last month. The 20-year-old infielder hit .333 with two home runs and five doubles in 42 at-bats during a short stint with Triple-A Norfolk this season. Holliday is the game’s top-ranked prospect according to MLB Pipeline.
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Tara VanDerveer, the winningest basketball coach in NCAA history, has announced her retirement after 38 seasons leading the Stanford women’s team and 45 years overall. The 70-year-old VanDerveer surpassed Mike Krzyzewski for the wins record earlier this year. The Hall of Famer departs with 1,216 victories at Idaho, Ohio State and Stanford. And as has been the plan for years, top Cardinal assistant Kate Paye is set to take over the program, and the school said negotiations with Paye are underway. Paye played for VanDerveer from 1991-95 and has coached on her staff for 17 years.
The women’s NCAA championship game drew a bigger television audience than the men’s title game for the first time, with an average of 18.9 million viewers watching undefeated South Carolina beat Iowa and superstar Caitlin Clark. The Sunday afternoon game on ABC and ESPN outdrew Monday’s men’s final between UConn and Purdue by four million. The Huskies’ 75-60 victory averaged 14.82 million on TBS and TNT. The women's final was the second most-watched non-Olympic women’s sporting event on U.S. television, trailing only the 2015 Women’s World Cup final between the United States and Japan.
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
John Calipari says he is stepping down as Kentucky's men’s basketball coach after 15 years. He say the “program probably needs to hear another voice” amid reports that he’s closing in on a deal with Arkansas. Calipari posted a video on X in which he said that after talking with his wife, Ellen, he decided a change was needed. He didn’t specifically mention the Arkansas opening. The Hall of Famer simply said, “There have been opportunities that have been presented to us, so we’re discussing them as a family.” Calipari leaves a Wildcats program he guided to the 2012 NCAA championship among four Final Four appearances.
OLYMPICS
Track and field is set to become the first sport to introduce prize money at the Olympics, with World Athletics saying Wednesday it would pay $50,000 to gold medalists in Paris. World Athletics said it was setting aside $2.4 million to pay the gold medalists across the 48 events on the program for this year’s Paris Olympics. Relay teams will split the $50,000 between their members. Payments for silver and bronze medalists are planned to start from the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Many other past Olympic hosts around the world have decided in recent years that bringing back the Games isn’t worth the money or hassle. But Salt Lake City remains one of the few places where Olympic fever still burns strong even more than two decades after it first hosted in 2002. The city’s enduring enthusiasm will be on full display Wednesday when members of the International Olympic Committee descend on northern Utah for their final site visits ahead of a formal announcement expected this July to name Salt Lake City the host for 2034. The state has spent millions to ensure its Olympic facilities didn’t fall into disrepair in anticipation of hosting again.
GOLF
Tiger Woods is 48 and coping with injuries that limit his practice and how often he can play. What he hasn't lost is hope. Woods says he still thinks he can win the Masters and match Jack Nicklaus with a sixth green jacket. The evidence is stacked against him, most notably that he has played only 24 holes in one tournament this year. Woods has a chance this week to set the Masters record by making his 24th consecutive cut. Fred Couples currently shares the record and he says Woods isn't thinking about that. Couples says Woods is playing to win.
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