NBA-SCHEDULE
Rockets catch Spurs, Grizzlies fall back
UNDATED (AP) β There could have been a three-way tie for first in the NBA’s Southwest Division heading into the final day of the season tomorrow night. Instead, the Houston Rockets share the top spot with San Antonio, while the Memphis Grizzlies are one game back.
James Harden was 14 of 16 from the line while scoring 29 points in the Rockets’ 100-90 win at Charlotte. Josh Smith added 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Rockets, who have seen the Spurs rise from seventh seed in the West to division co-leaders.
The Grizzlies are sixth in the West after Klay Thompson scored 26 of his 42 points in the second quarter of Golden State’s 111-107 triumph against Memphis. Thompson finished 15 of 21 from the floor, including 8 of 10 from 3-point range in helping the Warriors pick up their league-high 66th victory.
Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger (YAY’-gur) rested most of his regulars after Memphis fell behind by 32 points in the third quarter.
Also in the NBA:
β The Los Angeles Clippers closed on a 20-7 run to pull out a 110-103 win over Denver, putting them in a three-way tie with the Rockets and Spurs for the second seed in the West. Blake Griffin was the top scorer for the Clippers with 22 points, while DeAndre Jordan delivered 20 points and 21 rebounds.
β Russell Westbrook scored 36 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder avoided playoff elimination by thumping Portland 101-90. Westbrook was allowed to play after his 16th technical foul of the season was rescinded, nullifying an automatic one-game suspension.
β Anthony Davis had 24 points, 11 rebounds and six blocks to carry New Orleans past Minnesota 100-88. The Pelicans will make the Western Conference playoffs with a win Wednesday against San Antonio or a Thunder loss at Minnesota.
β The Chicago Bulls clobbered Brooklyn 113-86 to clinch home-court advantage in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. Nikola Mirotic (MEER’-oh-tihch) scored 26 points and Pau Gasol (pow gah-SAHL’) delivered 22 points and 11 rebounds for the Bulls. The Nets fell into ninth place in the East and will need a win Wednesday and a loss by Indiana in one of its final two games to reach the postseason.
β Miami kept its faint playoff hopes alive as Hassan Whiteside tied a career high with 24 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to carry the Heat past Orlando 100-93. Dwyane (dwayn) Wade scored 22 points for the Heat, who need a win at Philadelphia and losses by Boston, Brooklyn and Indiana to make the postseason for the seventh consecutive year.
β Cleveland was a 109-97 winner against Detroit behind LeBron James’ 21 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. J.R. Smith nailed eight 3-pointers and scored 28 points as the Cavaliers improved to 33-9 since Jan. 15.
β Utah downed Dallas 109-92 as Rudy Gobert (goh-BEHR’) had 20 points, 17 rebounds and three blocks. Bryce Cotton scored a career-high 21 off the bench for the Jazz.
β Michael Carter-Williams matched his season-high with 30 points in his return to Philadelphia, leading Milwaukee past the 76ers 107-97. O.J. Mayo and Ersan Ilyasova (eel-yah-SOH’-vah) had 13 points apiece in the victory.
β Rookie Langston Galloway drained all six of his 3-point attempts and scored a career-high 26 points to shoot New York past Atlanta 112-108. The Knicks blew a 17-point lead before avoiding their 65th loss.
β Omri Casspi had 26 points, nine rebounds and six assists to help Sacramento down the Los Angeles Lakers 102-92.
NBA-THORN-RETIREMENT
Longtime exec to step down
NEW YORK (AP) β Rod Thorn says he will retire as NBA President of Basketball Operations in August, ending a lengthy and successful career at the league and team level.
As a team executive, Thorn drafted Michael Jordan in Chicago and built the Nets into two-time Eastern Conference champions. He said Monday he has no plans to work for a team again, at least on a full-time basis.
MLB-SCHEDULE
Royals still perfect, but Tigers finally fall
UNDATED (AP) β There’s just one unbeaten team at this stage of the young major league season, and it’s the defending American League champs.
The Kansas City Royals are 7-0 after Alcides (al-SEE’-dehs) Escobar, Eric Hosmer and Lorenzo Cain each collected two RBIs in a 12-3 romp over Minnesota. The Royals led just 5-3 before scoring six times on just two hits in the eighth inning. They benefited from two hit batters, an error, four walks and a sacrifice fly.
Kendrys (KEHN’-drihs) Morales was 2-for-4 with a solo homer and two runs scored to support Danny Duffy, who gave up three runs in 6 1/3 innings.
The Royals are off to their best start since the 2003 squad opened 9-0.
Kansas City became the lone unbeaten club when Detroit absorbed a 5-4 loss in Pittsburgh this afternoon. Josh Harrison, Pedro Alvarez and Corey Hart homered while the Pirates were building a 5-1 lead. Gerrit Cole shut down baseball’s top-hitting team, allowing just one run in six-plus innings for his first win of the year.
J.D. Martinez hit a two-run homer in the ninth for the Tigers, who were trying to match the 7-0 start set by the World Series winners of 1984.
In other MLB action:
β Alex Guerrero lined a walk-off single in the bottom of the 10th to give the Los Angeles Dodgers a 6-5 win over Seattle. Guerrero and Joc Pederson drove in two runs apiece and Yasiel Puig (YAH’-see-ul pweeg) hit a solo homer.
β Arizona doubled up San Diego 8-4 as Ender Inciarte (ihn-see-AHR’-tee) went 3-for-4 with four RBIs and two runs scored. Inciarte hit a two-run double in the second and put the Diamondbacks ahead 8-3 with a two-run triple in the eighth.
β Alberto Callaspo (ky-AS’-poh) hit a tiebreaking single during a two-run fifth that sent Atlanta past Florida 3-2. Shelby Miller allowed one run in five innings as the Braves bounced back from their first loss and handed the Marlins their sixth loss in seven games.
β Collin Cowgill and David Freese (freez) socked two-run homers in the fifth inning of the Angels’ 6-3 triumph at Texas. Matt Shoemaker struck out seven in 6 1/3 innings and settled down after The Rangers’ three-run first.
β The Chicago Cubs beat Cincinnati 7-6 on Arismendy Alcantara’s (al-KAN’-tah-rahz) RBI single in the bottom of the 10th. The Reds led 5-3 in the eighth until Jorge Soler (soh-LEHR’) crushed a two-run homer.
β Billy Butler belted a three-run homer after Marcus Semien and Brett Lawrie hit solo shots in Oakland’s 8-1 thrashing of Houston. A’s starter Scott Kazmir struck out eight while holding the Astros to a run and three hits in six innings.
β Pinch-hitter Stephen Drew launched a grand slam in the seventh inning to turn the New York Yankees’ 4-2 deficit into a 6-5 victory at Baltimore. Chris Young and Mark Teixeira (the-SHEHR’-uh) also homered for the Yanks, who have their first winning streak of the season.
β Tampa Bay beat Toronto 2-1 behind the pitching of Jake Odorizzi, who held the Blue Jays to a run and just two hits in eight innings. David DeJesus and Steve Souza (SOO’-zah) worked out bases-loaded walks against R.A. Dickey in the fourth inning to help the Rays win despite their three-hit attack.
β Boston ripped Washington 9-4 as Mookie Betts hit a three-run homer, stole two bases on the same pitch and made a leaping catch in right-center to rob Bryce Harper of a two-run homer. Winning pitcher Rick Porcello (pohr-SEH’-loh) gave up a pair of solo homers but just two other hits in eight innings.
β Eddie Butler put 11 runners on base in 5 1/3 innings yet came away with the victory in Colorado’s 2-0 shutout of San Francisco in the Giants’ home opener. Butler yielded five hits and six walks before the Rockies’ bullpen tossed perfect ball over 3 2/3.
β Matt Garza surrendered five walks but just one earned run over 5 2/3 to pitch Milwaukee past St. Louis 5-4. Carlos Gomez sparked the Brewers’ offense with two hits, an RBI and two runs scored.
β Reigning NL Rookie of the Year Jacob deGrom (deh-GRAHM’) scattered seven hits in 6 1/3 innings of the New York Mets’ 2-0 shutout of Philadelphia. Juan Lagares (lah-GAH’-rehs) drove in the Mets’ first run by beating out an infield single with two out in the fourth, helping New York improve to 4-3.
MLB-MARLINS-ALVAREZ
Marlins’ Alvarez goes on DL with shoulder inflammation
UNDATED (AP) β Miami Marlins opening day starter Henderson Alvarez has been put on the 15-day disabled list with right shoulder inflammation.
Alvarez is 0-2 after giving up four runs in five innings of Sunday’s loss to Tampa Bay. He went 12-7 with a 2.65 ERA last year and made the All-Star team.
In other major league news:
β Texas Rangers left fielder Ryan Rua (ROO’-ah) has a small fracture in his right heel and will wear a protective walking boot for three weeks. Rua got his diagnosis during an exam on Monday, three days after he came out of the team’s home opener with what was called a sprained ankle.
β LaTroy Hawkins is being moved out of Colorado’s closer role for the time being, though manager Walt Weiss isn’t ruling out the right-hander returning to ninth-inning duties. The 42-year-old blew a save in a 6-5 loss to the Cubs on Sunday at Coors Field, prompting Weiss to use Rafael Betencourt as the closer in Monday’s shutout of the Giants.
β Commissioner Rob Manfred says Major League Baseball is investigating the possibility of a link between four recent positive tests for the steroid Stanozolol. Pitchers Jenrry Mejia (HEHN’-ree meh-HEE’-uh) of the New York Mets, Ervin Santana of Minnesota, Seattle’s David Rollins and Atlanta’s Arodys Vizcaino (ah-ROH’-dihs vihz-ky-EE’-noh) were suspended within a 16-day span through April 11. Manfred compared the investigation to the sport’s 2013 Biogenesis probe.
NFL-PHILLIPS-MURDER SUSPECT
Former NFL player a suspect in prison murder
FRESNO, Calif. (AP) β Officials say former NFL running back Lawrence Phillips is suspected of killing his cellmate in a Central California prison.
A prison spokesman said in a statement that the cellmate at Kern Valley State Prison was found lifeless early Saturday and later pronounced dead. The cellmate is Damion Soward, who was serving 82 years to life for a first-degree murder conviction.
Phillips is serving a sentence of more than 31 years. He was convicted of twice choking his girlfriend in 2005 in San Diego and of driving his car into three teens after a pickup football game in Los Angeles later that year.
NFL-PACKERS-KUHN
Fullback Kuhn returns to Packers with 1-year deal
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) β The agent for John Kuhn says the All-Pro fullback is staying with Green Bay by inking a one-year deal for the minimum salary of $870,000. The package also includes workout and Pro Bowl bonuses.
Kuhn is a fan favorite in Green Bay and used primarily as a blocker for lead running back Eddie Lacy.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL-MEYER
Meyer gets extension, raise
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) β Ohio State’s Urban Meyer has received a hefty contract extension that will make him the second-highest paid coach in college football, behind only Alabama’s Nick Saban.
The new package runs through the 2020 and will average out to at least $6.5 million over each of the next six years. Meyer has led Ohio State to a 38-3 record and is 24-0 in Big Ten regular-season play. The Buckeyes defeated Oregon last season to win the first College Football Playoff.
NHL-RED WINGS-GOALIE
Mrazek will start in goal for Red Wings in playoff opener
DETROIT (AP) β Detroit Red Wings coach Mike Babcock has elected to start goaltender Petr Mrazek (muh-RAH’-zehk) over veteran Jimmy Howard for Game 1 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series with Tampa Bay.
Howard has been the Wings’ No. 1 netminder since the 2009-10 season but struggled after missing a month with a groin injury suffered Jan. 10. He has posted an .879 save percentage since March 12, while Mrazek is stopping more than 93 percent of opponents’ shots.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL-UNDERCLASSMEN
Anderson skipping senior season for draft…Jayhawks’ Ellis staying put
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) β Virginia guard Justin Anderson is forgoing his final season of eligibility and entering the NBA draft.
Anderson averaged 12.2 points this season and was leading Virginia in scoring when he broke the pinkie finger on his shooting hand against Louisville on Feb. 7.
Anderson has not hired an agent.
Meanwhile, Kansas forward Perry Ellis has announced that he will return to school for his senior season.
The 6-foot-8 Ellis averaged 13.8 points and 6.9 rebounds last season. He started 34 games and surpassed 1,000 career points while helping the Jayhawks to their 11th straight Big 12 Conference title.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL-CHATTANOOGA
New coach McCall wants to build on Wade’s momentum
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) β New Chattanooga coach Matt McCall has been introduced as the replacement for Will Wade, who went 40-25 at Chattanooga before leaving last week for VCU. McCall spent the last four seasons as an assistant on Billy Donovan’s staff at Florida.
