Show notes
NBA – National Basketball Association Last Night Portland Trailblazers 110, Detroit Pistons 104 Philadelphia 76ers 147, Indiana Pacers 143 Blazers 110, Pistons 104 – Lillard’s triple-double helps Blazers beat Pistons 110-104 Damian Lillard had 31 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists, securing his second triple-double of the season before the end of the third quarter, and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Detroit Pistons 110-104. The dynamic guard scored 16 points in the first quarter to give the Trail Blazers a 31-18 lead, and they had little trouble keeping a comfortable margin against a banged-up and slumping team for most of the night. Detroit pulled within six points with 1:39 left to fire up the previously quiet fans, and Jerami Grant quieted them with a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession. Grant finished with 26 points against his former team. Former Kalamazoo Central and University of Michigan player Isaiah Livers matched a career high with 17 points for the Pistons, who have lost a season-high eight straight games. The Pistons were without injured starters Bojan Bogdanovic, Isaiah Stewart and rookie center Jalen Duran, along with key reserve Killian Hayes. Sixers 147, Pacers 143 – Embiid scores 42, Sixers beat Pacers 147-143 without much D Joel Embiid scored 42 points, James Harden added 14 points, 20 assists and nine rebounds, and the Philadelphia 76ers pulled away late for a 147-143 victory over the Indiana Pacers in a game virtually devoid of defense. Embiid made 11 of 16 field goals and all 19 free-throw attempts. Tyrese Maxey scored 24 points and Jalen McDaniels added 20 for the 76ers, who have won two straight. Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers with 40 points and 16 assists. Neither team led by more than six points through the first three quarters. The Sixers finally took control with a late 10-0 run. Tonight Washington Wizards at Detroit Pistons, 7:00 p.m. NHL – National Hockey League Last Night Chicago Blackhawks 5, Ottawa Senators 0 Blackhawks 5, Senators 0 – Seth Jones scores twice as Blackhawks beat Senators 5-0 Seth Jones scored two of Chicago’s three second-period goals, and the Blackhawks stopped Ottawa’s five-game win streak with a 5-0 victory over the Senators. Anders Bjork had three primary assists, and Alex Stalock made 35 saves in his 11th career shutout. Lukas Reichel, Phillipp Kurashev and Jason Dickinson also scored as last-place Chicago snapped a four-game losing streak. Ottawa remained three points back of idle Pittsburgh for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference, wasting a prime opportunity to gain ground in the playoff race. MLB – Major League Baseball – Spring Training Yesterday Boston Red Sox 7, Detroit Tigers 1 Chicago Cubs 6, Seattle Mariners 2 White Sox were off Today St. Louis Cardinals at Detroit Tigers, 1:05 p.m. Chicago Cubs at Texas Rangers, 3:05 p.m. Milwaukee Brewers at Chicago White Sox, 3:05 p.m. MLB – Red Sox infielder Justin Turner hit in face by pitch Boston Red Sox infielder Justin Turner needed 16 stitches after he was hit in the face by a pitch during a spring training game against the Detroit Tigers. The 38-year-old Turner fell to the ground after getting drilled by right-hander Matt Manning. Turner’s wife, Kourtney, posted to Instagram that the infielder had “16 stitches and a lot of swelling but we are thanking God for no fractures & clear scans.” MLB – MLB shift limits raising batter spirits and averages so far Major League Baseball’s new limits on infield shifts are raising batter spirits this spring. They might be bosltering batting averages, too. Batting averages across the league are up slightly from last spring training, from .259 to .263. Left-handed hitters seem to be benefitting most, with their collected average up from .255 to .274. Sluggers like the New York Yankees’ Anthony Rizzo are enjoying taking at-bats without a wall of defenders in shallow right field. Rizzo says that “young left-handed hitters will be introduced to the 3-4 hole that’s been gone for about seven to eight years.” NFL – Ex-Raider Derek Carr agrees to 4-year contract with Saints The New Orleans Saints say former Raiders quarterback Derek Carr has agreed to a four-year contract. A person familiar with the situation said the deal could be worth up to $150 million. The person spoke to The Associated Press about the contract’s value on condition of anonymity because financial terms were not released. Carr turns 32 this month. He played nine seasons for the Raiders and holds team records for yards and touchdowns passing. Saints coach Dennis Allen was the Raiders’ coach when the team selected Carr in the second round of the 2014 draft. Las Vegas released Carr on Feb. 14 to avoid guaranteeing him $40.4 million of his contract over the next two years. NFL – Ex-Raider Ruggs’ felony DUI case stalled by fight over judge A Nevada judge will again be asked to decide which justice of the peace should handle a preliminary hearing in the case against former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs III, who is accused of killing a woman in drunken car crash in 2021. Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Harmony Letizia told Ruggs and his attorneys on Monday that she lacks the authority to decide whether she or another judge should preside over the hearing to decide if there is enough evidence to warrant that Ruggs stand trial on charges of reckless driving and driving under the influence causing death. Ruggs’ attorneys said they will again take the issue to Clark County District Court. NFL – NFL reinstates Jaguars WR Ridley after gambling suspension The NFL reinstated suspended receiver Calvin Ridley and cleared the way for him to join his new team in Jacksonville. The league says Ridley is eligible to participate in all team activities beginning immediately. He had been suspended indefinitely since March 2022 for violating the NFL’s gambling policy. He is expected to join the Jaguars for offseason workouts beginning April 17. The Jaguars traded a fifth-round pick in 2023 and a conditional fourth-rounder in 2024 to get Ridley from Atlanta at the trading deadline in November. NCAAMBKB – Houston, UCLA, Kansas top latest AP Top 25; Duke back in UCLA has climbed to No. 2 behind Houston in the latest Associated Press men’s college basketball poll. The Cougars earned 58 first-place votes to remain on top for a third straight weekl. The Bruins’ move to No. 2 represented their highest ranking this season. They received the other three first-place votes. Kansas, Alabama and Purdue rounded out the top five. Texas A&M climbed six spots to No. 18 for the week’s biggest jump. No. 21 Duke, No. 24 Creighton and No. 25 Missouri were this week’s new additions. Providence, Pittsburgh and Maryland fell out. NCAAWBKB – South Carolina No. 1 for 37th straight week, Iowa now No. 2 South Carolina remains No. 1 in The Associated Press women’s basketball poll for a 37th consecutive week. That breaks a second-place tie with Louisiana Tech for the longest streak all time. Only UConn has a longer run atop the poll with 51 consecutive weeks. Big Ten Tournament champion Iowa moved up five spots to No. 2, its highest ranking since 1994. Indiana, Virginia Tech and Stanford round out the top five. Washington State jumped in at No. 22 after winning the Pac-12 Tournament. Tennessee also joined the poll at No. 24. South Florida and Iowa State fell out. MCCAA – Junior College Athletics Yesterday Men’s Baseball Century College 16, Lake Michigan College 13 Today Women’s Softball Penn State of Greater Allegheny vs. Lake Michigan College, 11:30 p.m. Lake Michigan College vs. Minnesota North College of Itasca, 2:00 p.m. Men’s Baseball Lake Michigan College vs. Erie Community College, 12:00 p.m.. Women’s Basketball NJCAA Great Lakes District B Women’s Basketball Quarterfinals Lake Michigan College at Glen Oaks Community College, 5:30 p.m. Southwestern Michigan at Marian Ancilla, 7:00 p.m. Men’s Basketball NJCAA Great Lakes District A Men’s Basketball Quarterfinals Southwestern Michigan at Glen Oaks Community College, 7:30 p.m. MHSAA – High School Sports Last Night Boys Basketball – District Quarterfinals Division 1 at Kal. Loy Norrix (1st round at local sites) St. Joseph 66, Portage Northern 58 St. Joseph broke a four games losing streak with a 66-58 win in the opening round of the districts at Portage Northern. Chase Sanders had a team high 17 points for St. Joe and Matt Lanier had 16. St. Joe finished 30 of 36 at the free throw line. JR Scott added 10 points for the Bears who improve to 16-7 and will face Kalamazoo Central on Wednesday at 5:30 in the district semifinals at Loy Norrix, Wednesday at 5:30. Cane Mack led Portage Northern with a game high 21 points. Portage Central 53, Lakeshore 26 Portage Central jumped out to a 15-2 lead after the first quarter and never trailed in the Mustangs 53-26 win over Lakeshore in the district quarter-finals at Lakeshore. Alex Beachnau had a game high 22 points for PC and Nathan Long had 12. Jake Chellman and Jack Carlisle had 8 points each in the Lancers season ending loss. Lakeshore’s season ends with a record of 7-15. Mattawan 78, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix 73 Noah VanLaningham had 29 points and Ryan Kiesling had 20 as Mattawan beat Loy Norrix 78-73. Cedric Huntley had 21 to lead Loy Norrix. Mattawan will face Portage Central on Wednesday at 7:00 at Loy Norrix. Division 4 at Our Lady of the Lake Countryside Academy 59, New Buffalo 21 Isaiah Woods scored a game high 23 points as Countryside defeated New Buffalo 59-21 in the opening round game. Ja’Vrius Gordon added 11 points for Countryside. Nick Haskins led New Buffalo with 7. Michigan Lutheran 39, Our Lady of the Lake 30 Micah Herbst had a game high 17 points, including 5 three pointers as Michigan Lutheran advanced to Wednesday’s district semifinal against River Valley with a 39-30 win over Our Lady of the Lake. Owen McLoughlin had 11 points to lead the Lakers. Other Districts Division 1 at Battle Creek Central Harper Creek 44, Coldwater 39 Gull Lake 63, Sturgis 30 Division 2 at Niles Buchanan 45, Dowagiac 44 Niles 44, Edwardsburg 43 Division 2 at Paw Paw (1st round at local sites) Three Rivers 69, Paw Paw 61 Vicksburg 71, Constantine 61 Parchment 63, Battle Creek Pennfield 64 Division 2 at Hamilton Hamilton 62, Holland Christian 55 Division 2 at Plainwell Hastings 65, Kentwood Grand River 56 Wayland 74, Plainwell 56 Division 3 at Fennville Fennville 65, Holland Black River 60 Wyoming Potter’s House 78, Saugatuck 39 Division 3 at Watervliet Cassopolis 63, Coloma 42 Division 3 at Hartford Bloomingdale 67, Bangor 53 Hartford 50, Gobles 48 Division 3 at Galesburg-Augusta Comstock 69, Delton-Kellogg 51 Kal. Christian 58, Galesburg-Augusta 36 Division 3 at Union City Centreville 46, Quincy 26 Union City 45, White Pigeon 36 Division 4 at Lawrence Marcellus 56, Kalamazoo Heritage 32 Division 4 at Colon Burr Oak 58, Athens 39 Mendon 95, Coldwater Pansophia 11 Division 4 at Battle Creek St. Philip Calhoun Christian 60, Battle Creek Academy 42 Climax-Scotts 45, Battle Creek St. Philip 43 Division 4 at Martin Martin 46, Wyoming West Michigan Lutheran 35 Tonight Girls Basketball – Regionals Semifinals Division 1 at Coldwater Kalamazoo Central vs. DeWitt, 5:30 p.m. Holt vs. Coldwater, 7:00 p.m. Division 2 at Three Rivers Holland Christian vs. Edwardsburg, 5:30 p.m. Olivet vs. Plainwell, 7:00 p.m. Division 3 at Centreville Watervliet vs. Kalamazoo Christian, 5:30 p.m. Bronson vs. Buchanan, 7:00 p.m. Division 3 at Shelby Hart vs. Grand Rapids Northpointe Christian, 5:30 p.m. Saugatuck vs. Kent City, 7:00 p.m. Division 4 at New Buffalo Fruitport Calvary Christian vs. Kalamazoo Hackett, 5:45 p.m. River Valley vs. Colon, 7:30 p.m.Detroit Pistons forward Isaiah Livers (12) looks to pass as Portland Trail Blazers forward Trendon Watford (2) defends during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, March 6, 2023, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)Philadelphia 76ers’ Joel Embiid goes to the basket against Indiana Pacers’ Myles Turner during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, March 6, 2023, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)Chicago Blackhawks’ Seth Jones (4) scores in the second period of an NHL hockey game as Ottawa Senators goaltender Mads Sogaard (40) and Artem Zub defend Monday, March 6, 2023, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.