The Heat beat the Thunder for the sixth straight time last night, 110-100 behind another eye-popping performance by LeBron James.
James had 39 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists. It's the eighth straight game James has scored at least 30.
In the final game before the NBA All-Star break, the L.A. Clippers mauled the Lakers 125-101. Chris Paul's 24 led five Clipper starters in double figures. The Lakers go into the All-Star break three and a-half games out of the final playoff berth in the West.
Checking the NHL now, John Tavares scored one of the New York Islanders' three-second period goals and then netted the shootout winner as the Islanders broke a five-game losing streak with a 4-3 victory over the New York Rangers.
Elsewhere, it was Carolina 3, Toronto 1. Montreal beat Florida 1-0. Washington beat Tampa Bay 4-3. Colorado won against Minnesota 4-3 and Nashville shut out Phoenix 3-0.
In top 25 college basketball, fifth-ranked Gonzaga beat Saint Mary’s 77-60. It was Colorado 71, No. 9 Arizona 58. No. 13 Ohio St. edged ahead of Northwestern 69-59 and Minnesota defeated 20th-ranked Wisconsin in overtime 58-53.
Matt Kuchar opened with three straight birdies and finished with back-to-back birdies, holing a 25-foot putt on the 18th hole for a 7-under 64 that gave him the first-round lead in the Northern Trust Open.
And in Major League Baseball, Kevin Youkilis has taken part in his first workout with the New York Yankees. The one-time Boston Red Sox third baseman was part of a pre-spring training session yesterday at the Yankees' minor league complex.
The college sports conference that’s home to schools like Binghamton, Hartford, New Hampshire, the University at Albany and Vermont will add a new member from the Bay State next year. UMass-Lowell is making the jump to Division 1 competition and joining the America East Conference. UMass-Lowell had been in Division II in all sports but hockey. The jump to the America East means the River Hawks will replace the departing Boston University.
For WAMC Sports news, I’m Jaired Crofut.