TRANSGENDER ATHLETES
President Donald Trump is signing an executive order designed to prevent people who were biologically assigned male at birth from participating in women’s or girls' sporting events. Wednesday's order, which Trump is expected to sign at an afternoon ceremony, marks another aggressive shift by the president’s second administration in the way the federal government deals with transgender people and their rights. The president put out a sweeping order on his first day in office last month that called for the federal government to define sex as only male or female and for that to be reflected on official documents such as passports and in policies such as federal prison assignments.
NBA
Karl-Anthony Towns had 27 points and 20 rebounds, Jalen Brunson scored 28 points and the New York Knicks held on to beat the Toronto Raptors 121-115 for their eighth win in 10 games. Mikal Bridges and Precious Achiuwa each scored 17 points as the Knicks won their eighth straight meeting with the Raptors. Josh Hart added 15 points as all five Knicks starters reached double digits. Towns had nearly half of New York’s 43 total rebounds. Scottie Barnes scored 23 points and Jamal Shead had a career-high 16 for the short-handed Raptors.
Keon Johnson and D’Angelo Russell made 3-pointers in the final 10 seconds, and the Brooklyn Nets stunned the Houston Rockets 99-97 for their first home victory in two months. Brooklyn trailed 97-93 when Tosan Evbuomwan inbounded the ball to Johnson, who made a 3 from the wing with 8.1 seconds left. Evbuomwan then tipped a wayward inbounds pass to Russell, who buried a 3 to put the Nets ahead with 3.4 seconds remaining. Johnson scored 22 points for the Nets, who ended an 11-game skid at Barclays Center. Alperen Sengun had 24 points and 20 rebounds for the Rockets, who have lost four straight.
Jayson Tatum scored 22 points, Derrick White added 20 and the Boston Celtics showed their championship makeup down the stretch with a 112-105 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in a matchup of the Eastern Conference’s top teams. The defending NBA titlists executed in the final minutes and held off the Cavs, who lost for just the fourth time in 28 home games. Kristaps Porzingis added 19 points and Jaylen Brown 16 with nine rebounds as Boston won its fourth straight and improved to 2-1 against Cleveland this season. Donovan Mitchell scored 31 points and Darius Garland 25 for the Cavs, who cut a 15-point deficit to four in the fourth quarter.
Joel Embiid had 29 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in his first action in a month to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to a 118-116 victory over the Dallas Mavericks, who fell to 0-2 since trading star Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. Embiid recorded his first triple-double of an injury-plagued season in which he’s appeared in just 14 games. A left knee injury sidelined the seven-time All-Star for the previous 15 games, and he wore a large brace on the knee. Tyrese Maxey had 33 points and 13 assists for the Sixers. Kyrie Irving scored 34 points and Naji Marshall added 19 for the Mavs.
Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid showed no rust in his return from a left knee injury that sidelined him for a month, recording his first triple-double of the season in a victory over the Dallas Mavericks. Embiid had 29 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in the Sixers’ 118-116 win. He played 36 minutes and went 12 of 23 from the field and 4 of 9 from the free-throw line. The 30-year-old Embiid appeared in just his 14th game of an injury-plagued season. The Sixers are 8-6 with him and 20-29 overall, and they’ll need him on the floor to make a push toward the playoffs.
Rookie Matas Buzelis scored a career-best 24 points and Josh Giddey matched it to help the Chicago Bulls top the Miami Heat 133-124 on Tuesday night. Coby White scored 22 points and Ayo Dosunmu added 21 points and nine assists for the Bulls. Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo each scored 23 points for Miami. Nikola Jovic added 20 points and Kel’el Ware finished with 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Heat, which opened the game on a 12-2 run and led 70-60 at intermission.
Collin Sexton scored 22 points and John Collins added 19 to help the Utah Jazz snap an eight-game losing streak with a 113-99 victory over the Orlando Magic. Sexton also dished out seven assists for the Jazz, who won at home for just the fourth time this season. Walker Kessler had 15 rebounds while Lauri Markkanen added 12 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks. Franz Wagner led Orlando with 37 points, while making a career-high 18 free throws, and Cole Anthony added 23. The Magic have lost six straight away from home and eight of their last nine games overall.
LeBron James had 26 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, and Luka Doncic watched approvingly from the bench while the Los Angeles Lakers thrashed the Los Angeles Clippers 122-97. Doncic clapped and occasionally fist-pumped during the Lakers’ outstanding performance in their first game since they made the seismic trade to acquire the All-NBA scoring champion in exchange for star big man Anthony Davis. Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura scored 20 points apiece for the Lakers, who finished a six-game trip with five victories. Norman Powell scored 20 points for the Clippers.
Luka Doncic says he was just as shocked as the rest of the basketball world when the Dallas Mavericks traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers. The superstar scorer has begun to recover from the move after his first two days in LA, and he’s already excited about a new chapter with LeBron James and his famed new team. Doncic officially joined the Lakers on Tuesday, just over two days after the Mavericks sent him to Los Angeles in that seismic trade. He said he had to check to make sure it wasn't April 1.
The Los Angeles Lakers’ acquisition of Luka Doncic has altered the future of a franchise that had been trying to squeeze one more championship run out of 40-year-old LeBron James’ partnership with Anthony Davis. The Lakers’ next decade suddenly looks much brighter with Doncic at center stage, and they could even contend for a ring this year if Doncic makes a quick connection with James. Doncic is out with a strained left calf, but he is expected to be healthy fairly soon. He will practice with the Lakers this week before they make a firm plan for his debut.
Anthony Davis gave up a $6 million bonus as part of the seismic trade that brought him to the Dallas Mavericks and sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in a rare swap of superstars. Perhaps it was the first small step for the 10-time All-Star in trying to illustrate his understanding of the magnitude of a move that infuriated fans of his new team. Most of the ire has been directed at general manager Nico Harrison. Still, Davis is at risk of being viewed by Dallas fans as the guy in the deal that cost them their beloved Doncic. Davis seems well aware of it.
Fans booed the American national anthem before NHL and NBA games in Canada on Tuesday night, a sign that some Canadians were still upset despite President Donald Trump’s 30-day pause on tariff threats against Mexico and Canada. Boos echoed through Rogers Arena in Vancouver as singer Elizabeth Irving launched into the opening notes of “The Star-Spangled Banner” before the NHL’s Canucks hosted the Colorado Avalanche. Fans cheered as she finished the song and the applause grew louder as Irving began “O Canada.” It was one of three arenas where the U.S. national anthem was jeered. A few fans booed before the Toronto Raptors hosted the New York Knicks.
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Alex Tuch had two goals and an assist, and the Buffalo Sabres beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2 for their first four-game winning streak in more than two years. Bowen Byram had a goal and an assist, and James Reimer stopped 28 shots to get his second win of the season and snap a five-game skid (0-4-1). Buffalo had not won four straight since a five-game run spanning Jan. 19-26, 2023. Kent Johnson got his career-high-tying 16th goal, and Ivan Provorov also scored for Columbus. Elvis Merzlikins stopped 18 shots.
Brock Nelson snapped a tie midway through the third period and Ilya Sorokin made 34 saves, helping the New York Islanders beat the Vegas Golden Knights 2-1 for their eighth win in nine games. Nelson tipped a shot by defenseman Alexander Romanov past Ilya Samsonov at 10:43. Tony DeAngelo also assisted on Nelson’s 16th goal of the season. Bo Horvat also scored for the Islanders, who improved to 11-3-0 since Jan. 5. Brandon Saad scored for the Golden Knights, who lost their fourth straight.
Keon Johnson and D’Angelo Russell made 3-pointers in the final 10 seconds, and the Brooklyn Nets stunned the Houston Rockets 99-97 for their first home victory in two months. Brooklyn trailed 97-93 when Tosan Evbuomwan inbounded the ball to Johnson, who made a 3 from the wing with 8.1 seconds left. Evbuomwan then tipped a wayward inbounds pass to Russell, who buried a 3 to put the Nets ahead with 3.4 seconds remaining. Johnson scored 22 points for the Nets, who ended an 11-game skid at Barclays Center. Alperen Sengun had 24 points and 20 rebounds for the Rockets, who have lost four straight.
Timo Meier beat Alex Nedeljkovic in the seventh round of a shootout to lift the New Jersey Devils past the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2. Jack Hughes scored twice for the Devils. Nico Daws stopped 25 shots in overtime and regulation then turned away five of the seven Penguins he faced in the shootout as the Devils won for the sixth straight time in Pittsburgh. Rickard Rakell scored his 24th of the season for Pittsburgh and Kevin Hayes tied it with 12:07 to go in regulation.
Dylan Guenther scored with 1 second left in overtime, and Utah beat the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2. Guenther had two goals and an assist in his return to Utah’s lineup after missing 12 games with an injury. He tied it at 2 with his 17th goal 8:40 into the third period. Mikhail Sergachev had one goal and two assists for Utah, which had dropped five in a row. Karel Vejmelka made 18 saves. The Flyers were shut out in their previous three games. They have been outscored 13-2 during a four-game slide.
Alex Ovechkin scored his 878th career goal into an empty net with 0.1 seconds left on the clock to move closer to Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career record, and the Washington Capitals defeated the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers 6-3. Ovechkin’s goal puts him 17 away from breaking Gretzky’s mark of 894 that once seemed unapproachable. The Capitals have 29 games left for him to get to 895 or beyond this season, though he does have another year left on his contract. Andrew Mangiapane, Tom Wilson, Lars Eller and Nic Dowd scored on two-time Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, and Aliaksei Protas also had an empty-netter.
Brandon Hagel scored less than two minutes into the third period to give the Tampa Bay Lightning the lead for good in a 4-3 win that snapped the Ottawa Senators’ five-game winning streak. Luke Glendening, Nikita Kucherov and Ryan McDonagh also scored for Tampa Bay while Andrei Vasilevskiy finished with 25 saves. Michael Amadio, Claude Giroux and Drake Batherson scored for Ottawa. Linus Ullmark, making his first start in goal since Dec. 22, finished with 34 saves. Thomas Chabot had two assists in the game for Ottawa.
Connor Brown scored at 2:33 of overtime and the Edmonton Oilers beat the St. Louis Blues 3-2. Connor McDavid had a goal and two assists and Leon Draisaitl had a goal and an assist for Edmonton, which has won four of its last six games. Stuart Skinner made 20 saves. Jordan Kyrou and Colton Parayko scored and Jordan Binnington stopped 35 shots for the Blues, who lost for the fifth time in six games. In the extra period, Brown scored on a one-timer off a pass from McDavid for the win.
Eric Comrie made 29 saves and the Winnipeg Jets’ potent power play struck for a pair of goals in a 3-0 victory Tuesday night over the Carolina Hurricanes that extended their winning streak to seven games. Nino Niederreiter and Neal Pionk both scored with the man advantage, giving the Jets an NHL-best 51 power-play goals this season. Rasmus Kupari also scored and Niederreiter added an assist for Winnipeg. Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 27 shots for Carolina.
William Nylander had three goals for his second career hat trick, and the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Calgary Flames 6-3. John Tavares, Bobby McMann and Matthew Knies also scored for Toronto, which pulled one point behind first-place Florida in the Atlantic Division. Auston Matthews had three assists and Joseph Woll stopped 23 shots. Matt Coronato, Yegor Sharangovich, and Joel Farabee scored for Calgary, which began the night two points ahead of Vancouver for the second wild card in the Western Conference.Dustin Wolf had 24 saves. Nylander’s first hat trick was exactly eight years earlier at Boston. With nine goals in his last eight games, Nylander has reached the 33-goal mark, second in the NHL — four behind Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl.
Thatcher Demko stopped 25 shots for his ninth career shutout and the Vancouver Canucks beat the Colorado Avalanche 3-0. Jake DeBrusk had a goal and an assist, Brock Boeser and D rew O’Connor also scored and Filip had two assists to help the Canucks pull into a tie with Calgary for the second wild card in the Western Conference. Vancouver is 4-1-1 in its last six games. Mackenzie Blackwood had 28 saves for the Avalanche, who had won three of their previous four games.
Patrick Kane scored his NHL-record 53rd career shootout goal and the Detroit Red Wings beat the Seattle Kraken 5-4 on Tuesday night for their seventh straight win. Lucas Raymond, Moritz Seider, Jonatan Berggren and Elmer Soderblom scored in regulation for Detroit, and Cam Talbot had 23 saves. Shane Wright had two goals, and Chandler Stephenson and Matty Beniers also scored for Seattle, which has lost four of five. Joey Daccord finished with 36 saves.
Trevor Zegras scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period, John Gibson made 26 saves in his 500th career NHL game and the Anaheim Ducks defeated Dallas 2-1, snapping the Stars’ five-game winning streak. Cutter Gauthier also scored for Anaheim, which has won four straight at home. Dallas’ Colin Blackwell had a one-timer off a pass by Sam Steel 1:29 into the third period to tie it at 1-all. Jake Oettinger stopped 26 shots. Gibson became the first goaltender in franchise history to appear in 500 games. He is the 10th American-born netminder to reach that milestone.
Joel Armia scored a short-handed tiebreaking goal late in the third period and the Montreal Canadiens beat the San Jose Sharks 4-3 to snap a five-game losing streak. Alex Newhook had a goal and an assist, and Cole Caufield and Brendan Gallagher also scored for the Canadiens, who were 0-4-1 during their skid. Kirby Dach had two assists and Sam Montembault finished with 27 saves. Macklin Celebrini and Tyler Toffoli each had a goal and an assist, and Collin Graf also scored for the Sharks, who have lost two straight and eight of nine. Alexandar Georgiev had 16 saves. Armia scored his 10th goal with 4:04 left on a wrist shot off an assist from Jake Evans.
NFL
The head of the union representing NFL officials calls allegations that officiating crews are biased in favor of the Kansas City Chiefs or any other team “insulting and preposterous.” NFL Referees Association executive director Scott Green released a statement on Tuesday thanking Commissioner Roger Goodell for dismissing the allegations and responding to “conspiracy theories” on social media about favoritism to the Chiefs. A handful of high-profile calls in the playoffs that have gone in Kansas City’s favor have fueled the theories of favoritism. But a deeper look at all penalties shows no signs of systematic bias.
The NFL is stenciling “Choose Love” in the back of one of the end zones at the Superdome for the Super Bowl on Sunday in an effort to encourage the country after a series of tragedies over the first six weeks of the year. “It Takes All of Us” will be stenciled in the other end zone as it’s been since the league began using field stencils in 2020 for the NFL’s Inspire Change initiative. Teams this season have selected “Vote,” “End Racism,” “Stop Hate,” or “Choose Love” for the other end zone.
SOCCER
Cristiano Ronaldo started out as a skinny winger with floppy hair, quick feet and outrageous skills as he wowed the world at the age of 17 after moving to Manchester United. He developed at Real Madrid into perhaps the most famous athlete on the planet and one of soccer’s greatest ever goal-scorers. He is still going strong heading into his fifth decade. Cristiano Ronaldo has turned 40 and the goals are still flowing for the Portugal superstar in the twilight of his career for his national team and his Saudi club Al-Nassr. Ronaldo might yet stick around for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico when he’ll be 41½.
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
St. Louis 73 UMass 71
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