Kyrie Irving had 25 points and hit a pair of key late free throws to send the Celtics past the Heat, 110-105. Al Horford registered a triple-double of 19 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for Boston, which saw a 23-point, second-quarter lead shrink to three midway through the final period.
Justin Jackson scored 16 of his 24 points in the third quarter of the Mavericks' 122-102 trouncing of the 76ers. Philadelphia played without Joel Embiid and Jimmy Butler and went more than 10 minutes without a field goal spanning the second and third quarters.
Luke Kornet scored a career-high 24 points and the Knicks snapped a six-game losing streak with a 113-105 victory over the Bulls. Kevin Knox added 19 points, Damyean Dotson had 18 and Emmanuel Mudiay scored 17 for New York.
The Bucks need another victory or a Toronto loss to clinch home-court advantage in the East. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 28 points and 11 rebounds in his return to the lineup as the Bucks downed the Nets, 131-121. Eric Bledsoe added 29 points and backup guard George Hill chipped in 22 points for Milwaukee.
Checking out Monday's other NBA action, the Toronto Raptors have wrapped up their sixth Atlantic Division title and secured home-court advantage for at least the first two rounds of the NBA playoffs. Danny Green poured in a season-high 29 points as the Raptors whipped the Magic, 121-109. Kawhi Leonard and Serge Ibaka each had 15 points for Toronto, which kept the Magic a half-game behind Miami for the final Eastern Conference playoff berth.
The Trail Blazers have moved into a third-place tie with Houston in the West with a 132-122 victory at Minnesota. Evan Turner had 13 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists off the bench, while Rodney Hood led the Blazers with 21 points. Enes Kanter added 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Blazers, who joined the idle Rockets at 49-28.
Donovan Mitchell scored 23 points and the Jazz won for the 10th time in 11 games by topping the Hornets, 111-102. Rudy Gobert had 18 points and 18 rebounds to help Utah overcome Kemba Walker's 47 points.
The Pacers won for just the second time in nine games as Thaddeus Young scored 19 points and Domantas Sabonis added 18 with 12 rebounds to push Indiana past the Pistons, 111-102. The outcome keeps the Pacers in a fourth-place tie with Boston in the East and leaves Detroit a half-game ahead of Brooklyn for sixth place in the conference.
The Suns earned a 122-113 victory over the Cavaliers behind Devin Booker's 25 points. Josh Jackson had 19 points and 10 rebounds to help Phoenix end a six-game skid.
In NBA news, a New York City police official has confirmed that there is an investigation into a rape allegation against NBA star Kristaps Porzingis. An attorney for Porzingis acknowledged last week that a woman had accused the Dallas Mavericks forward of raping her in his Manhattan apartment last year while he was playing for the Knicks. But the lawyer said the allegation was false and was part of an extortion attempt.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
In the regionals of the women’s NCAA Tournament, No. 1 Notre Dame took down No. 2 Stanford, 84-68, and No. 1 Baylor ripped No. 2 Iowa, 85-53. The tournament’s semifinals are Friday, where No. 1 Notre Dame takes on No. 2 UConn, and No. 1 Baylor faces No. 2 Oregon.
In men's college basketball news, Kentucky has agreed to a long-term contract with basketball coach John Calipari that will allow him to finish his career with the Wildcats. The 60-year-old Calipari tweeted last month that his "plan and desire" was to retire at the school. He is 305-71 in 10 seasons with Kentucky, winning the 2012 NCAA championship in advancing to the Final Four on three other occasions.
North Carolina freshman Nassir Little is entering the NBA draft after averaging 9.8 points and 4.6 rebounds as the team's top reserve this season. Little came on late with a team-best 39 points through the first two tournament wins but was limited to 13 minutes due to illness in Friday's Sweet 16 loss to Auburn. Little is projected as a first-round pick, although it is unclear if he has signed with an agent.
NHL
The Florida Panthers prevented the Washington Capitals from clinching the NHL's Metropolitan Division title. The Capitals had won four straight until Vincent Trocheck scored twice, including his 100th NHL goal in the Panthers' 5-3 victory over Washington. Troy Brouwer, Jonathan Huberdeau and Frank Vatrano also scored for the Panthers. Aleksander Barkov had three assists to give him 94 points this season, tying Pavel Bure for the single-season franchise record. The loss keeps the Caps three points ahead of the second-place Islanders with two games to play. They will square off Saturday in Washington.
On Long Island, John Tavares scored the eventual game-winner against his former team as the Maple Leafs earned a 2-1 victory against New York. Calle Rosen opened the scoring with his first NHL goal and Frederik Andersen stopped 28 shots, blanking the Islanders until Jordan Eberle tallied on a power play with 5:05 remaining. The win allowed the Leafs to clinch a playoff berth. The Isles are just two points ahead of Pittsburgh as the teams battle for home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The Penguins have one game in hand.
Defenseman Connor Carrick scored the tiebreaking goal with 4:10 left before the Devils completed a 4-2 victory against the Rangers. Myles Wood and Travis Zajac also scored and Joey Anderson added an empty-net goal to help New Jersey avoid a season sweep.
Elsewhere on NHL ice, the Lightning are the third team in league history with a 60-win season after Yanni Gourde had two goals and an assist in their 5-2 win over the Senators. Mikhail Sergachev, Brayden Point and Steven Stamkos also scored for the Lightning, while Nikita Kucherov had two assists as Tampa Bay joined the 1977 Canadiens and 1996 Red Wings in the 60-win club.
Derek Ryan scored twice and Mark Jankowski had a goal and two assists for the Flames in a 7-2 rout of the Kings. Johnny Gaudreau snapped a 2-2 deadlock in the second period before Calgary reached the 50-win plateau for the second time in franchise history.
The Jets moved back atop the Central Division by downing the Blackhawks, 4-3 on Kevin Hayes' goal at 3:38 of overtime. Jack Roslovic scored two goals for Winnipeg to end a 22-game drought.
Jonathan Marchessault scored his sixth game-winning goal and the Golden Knights stopped an 0-3-2 skid by topping the Oilers, 3-1. Malcolm Subban stopped 18 shots while making his ninth straight start in place of Marc-Andre Fleury.
Ryan O'Reilly scored the lone shootout goal in the Blues' 3-2 verdict over the Avalanche. Jaden Schwartz and Vladimir Tarasenko scored in regulation as St. Louis won for the seventh time in eight games to get within three points of second-place Nashville in the Central Division with three games remaining.
MLB
Khris Davis hit his fifth home run in seven games this season as the Athletics blasted the Red Sox, 7-0. Chad Pinder and Ramon Laureano also went deep to back Aaron Brooks, who worked six strong innings.
Rookie slugger Pete Alonso hit his first major league homer, a three-run shot to cap a four-run ninth inning that send the Mets to their third win in four games, 7-3 at Miami. Juan Lagares hit his first homer since September 2017 and sparked the ninth-inning rally when he was hit by a two-strike pitch trying to bunt.
Gary Sanchez and Brett Gardner homered to support Domingo German in the Yankees' 3-1 win over the Tigers. German overcame five walks by limiting Detroit to an unearned run and one hit over five innings for his first victory since last June.
Elsewhere in major league baseball, the St. Louis Cardinals and Cleveland Indians earned victories by rallying in their final at-bats. Paul DeJong scored on a passed ball in the top of the 11th inning to give the Cards a 6-5 victory in the Pirates' home opener. Kolten Wong hit a two-run home run for the Redbirds, and Tyler O'Neill added an RBI double after Pirates starter Chris Archer pitched two-hit ball over five scoreless innings. Josh Bell drove in two runs for the Bucs, who were leading 4-0 when Archer exited.
Roberto Perez drew a tiebreaking bases-loaded walk on four pitches from Dylan Covey while the Indians were scoring four times in the eighth inning to beat the White Sox, 5-3. Cleveland starter Mike Clevinger had to settle for a no-decision after limiting Chicago to one hit while striking out 12 over seven innings. Jon Edwards picked up the win despite giving up a go-ahead, two-run homer to White Sox rookie Ryan Cordell in the eighth.
Brandon Belt laced a go-ahead, two-run double off Scott Alexander in the seventh inning of the Giants' 4-2 comeback win over the Dodgers. San Francisco trailed 2-0 until Belt homered on the first pitch from struggling reliever Joe Kelly leading off the sixth.
Merrill Kelly won his big league debut at age 30 by throwing six strong innings in the Diamondbacks' 10-3 pounding of the Padres. San Diego rookie shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. hit his first big league homer, a two-run shot in the sixth that landed at the base of the Western Metal Supply Co. building in left field.
Christian Yelich doubled in the ninth and scored on Ryan Braun's double as the Brewers rallied for a 4-3 victory over the Reds. Yelich failed to homer for the first time in four games this season, but he helped Milwaukee overcome Yasiel Puig's two-run double for Cincinnati.
Brian McCann made the most of his Atlanta homecoming by hitting a two-run single while the Braves scored four times in the first inning of their first win of the season, 8-0 over the Cubs. Ender Inciarte and Ronald Acuña hit home runs off Kyle Hendricks, who was tagged for seven runs - two earned - over 4 1/3 innings.
Brad Peacock allowed two hits while pitching into the seventh inning of the Astros' 2-1 victory against the Rangers. George Springer connected for his 25th career leadoff homer, but the game was tied 1-1 until Robinson Chirinos looped a go-ahead double in his first game against his former team.
The Mariners doubled up the Angels, 6-3 as Felix Hernandez allowed one earned run pitching into the sixth inning for his first victory since last June. Jay Bruce homered for the third straight game, giving Seattle 16 round-trippers in its first seven contests.
The Orioles are 3-1 after David Hess worked 6 1/3 hitless innings in a 6-5 verdict over the Blue Jays. Jonathan Villar and Trey Mancini homered to support Hess, who was lifted after throwing 82 pitches.
Tampa Bay won its fourth straight since opening day as Brandon Lowe belted a two-run homer and Kevin Kiermaier added a three-run blast in a 7-1 rout of the Rockies. Ryan Yarbrough gave up a run and three hits over 4 2/3 innings of relief to pick up the win and help the 4-1 Rays match the best five-game start in team history.
In MLB news, the New York Yankees have added Giancarlo Stanton and Miguel Andujar to their injured list, leaving half the team's starting lineup on the sidelines just three games into the season. Stanton could miss much of this month after straining his left biceps fouling off a pitch in the third inning of Sunday's loss to the Orioles. Andujar strained his right shoulder sliding headfirst into third base an inning later on a bases-loaded pickoff attempt
Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw will make a minor league rehab start in Oklahoma City on Thursday, the next step in his return from shoulder inflammation. Kershaw had been set to start the Dodgers' big league opener last week for a franchise-record ninth consecutive season, but that got scuttled after the left-hander's shoulder bothered him throughout spring training.
The Rays have placed infielder Joey Wendle on the 10-day injured list because of a strained left hamstring. Wendle was hurt during Sunday's game against the Astros.
Officials are searching for a man who punched another man during an argument following Friday night's marathon six-hour game between the Dodgers and the Arizona Diamondbacks. Christel Reyna says her husband Rafael sustained a skull fracture in a fall in the parking lot and is on life support. The incident recalled an attack on opening day at Dodger Stadium in 2011, which left Giants fan Bryan Stow permanently disabled.
NFL
The Kansas City Chiefs have acquired edge rusher Emmanuel Ogbah from Cleveland for safety Eric Murray. The 25-year-old Ogbah defensive end was picked 32nd overall in the 2016 draft and registered 12½ sacks while starting 40 games over the past three seasons. The Chiefs have been adding edge rushers that fit into new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's 4-3 scheme. Murray became expendable when the Chiefs signed free agent safety Tyrann Mathieu. He started nine games and appeared in 15 last season, making 43 tackles and an interception.
The Bears are bringing back linebacker Aaron Lynch on a one-year contract. The 6-foot-6, 270-pound Lynch made three starts and appeared in 13 games last season, recording three sacks, four tackles for loss, eight quarterback hits and one interception.
Morgan Burnett's injury-marred stay with the Steelers is over following his release on Monday, just one season into a three-year, $14.5 million contract Burnett signed last March. The 30-year-old finished with 30 tackles in 11 games for the Steelers after eight seasons in Green Bay.
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady pulled off an April Fools' Day joke by tweeting in his first-ever post that he had decided to retire. About an hour later, the 41-year-old Brady sent out a second tweet that said, "Was this a bad joke?"
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