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UConn pulls away, advances to Elite Eight with 82-52 rout of San Diego State

Sports / Basketball /

BOSTON – Fueled by its backcourt, the UConn men’s basketball program is headed back to the Elite Eight after pulling away for an 82-52 win over 5-seed San Diego State in Boston’s sold-out TD Garden Thursday night.

Tristen Newton, Cam Spencer and Stephon Castle led the way in the national championship rematch, combining for 51 points as ...Read more

Steven M. Falk/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS

Marcus Hayes: Kelly Oubre Jr.'s Philly moment: It was lyrical, poignant, even poetic. Even if he gets punished for it.

Sports / Basketball /

PHILADELPHIA — Kelly Oubre Jr. became an unintentional legend Wednesday night, expressing the sentiments of 20,000 outraged Sixers fans after two horrible non-calls cemented a loss that should’ve been a win.

He used an emasculating term that defines a female dog and rhymes with “witch,” the word we’ll use hereafter as a substitute. ...Read more

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NC State has had all the answers in postseason play, but what about for Marquette?

Sports / Basketball /

DALLAS — Is this when N.C. State’s comes to the end of the road?

In Dallas? Against Marquette, in the semifinals of the NCAA South Region at American Airlines Center?

More specifically, is this the game the Wolfpack — after winning seven straight games, after winning an ACC championship, after emerging as a national story, after turning ...Read more

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Underdog Clemson topples Arizona to advance to Elite Eight

Sports / Basketball /

Clemson was sweet.

Now it’s elite.

An unforgettable NCAA Tournament run continued Thursday night for the Tigers as they upset Arizona, 77-72, in a thrilling, back-and-forth Sweet 16 game in Los Angeles. With the win, Clemson advances to only the second Elite Eight in program history and first in 44 years.

The Tigers qualify for their first ...Read more

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Hollywood said 'nobody cared' about women's sports. Luckily, Sue Bird didn't listen.

Sports / Basketball /

LOS ANGELES — Sue Bird is still not used to being described as a former basketball player.

It's not that the longtime Seattle Storm point guard, who called a wrap on her WNBA career in 2022 after more than two decades in the league, was worried about finding something to fill her time. Instead, she says, "the scariest part" of retiring was ...Read more

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Patrick Reusse: Glen Taylor on collapse of sale for Timberwolves, Lynx: 'It's business'

Sports / Basketball /

MINNEAPOLIS — Glen and Becky Taylor were spending a couple of weeks at their home in Naples, Fla., in mid-February, a quiet place on a narrow, passive river that leads into the Gulf of Mexico.

"We're going to miss five Timberwolves home games, which we don't want to do, but Becky likes it here,'' Glen said, and my immediate thought was, "And ...Read more

Carlos Gonzalez/Minneapolis Star Tribune/TNS

Taylor says Wolves, Lynx 'no longer for sale'; Rodriguez, Lore claim 'seller's remorse'

Sports / Basketball /

MINNEAPOLIS — In a significant development for the future of the Timberwolves and Lynx, Glen Taylor said he will remain the controlling owner of both franchises after Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez did not close on a $1.5 billion sale of a controlling interest in the franchises by a deadline that expired Wednesday.

But Lore and Rodriguez are ...Read more

Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel/TNS

Warriors' Draymond Green takes ownership for latest ejection on podcast

Sports / Basketball /

In a new podcast episode posted Thursday morning, Draymond Green took ownership of his latest on-court outburst, which earned him an ejection less than four minutes into a game the prior night against the Orlando Magic.

“Just can’t do it,” Green said on his show. “Regardless of what was said — I’m not going to get into what was said...Read more

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Scott Fowler: Alonzo Mourning trade changed Hornets. He would've stayed for 'a lot less money.'

Sports / Basketball /

MIAMI — Alonzo Mourning would have become the greatest player in Charlotte Hornets history — if he had only stuck around.

Mourning played his first three NBA seasons with Charlotte after the Hornets drafted him No. 2 overall in 1992. He quickly turned into an intimidating, 6-foot-10 star for a Charlotte team on the rise. His scowl could ...Read more

Silas Walker/Lexington Herald-Leader/TNS

There's no question what ruined this Kentucky basketball season. Can John Calipari fix it?

Sports / Basketball /

LEXINGTON, Ky. — There were serious questions about it before a single Kentucky basketball game was played this season. There were legitimate concerns about it soon after the Wildcats hit the court. A few months later, the NCAA Tournament began with trepidation that it might spell doom for one of the most exciting UK teams in memory.

“What ...Read more

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Mike Bianchi: If college athletes become employees, then a bunch of them are going to get laid off

Sports / Basketball /

ORLANDO, Fla. — To all of those “exploited” college athletes and to the many critics of the NCAA who are lauding the recent landmark decision by the Dartmouth basketball team to unionize so they can be considered employees of the university, just remember this:

Be careful what you wish for.

You may think you are fighting for the future ...Read more

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Can Anthony Edwards do for Adidas what Air Jordan did for Nike? Some believe so.

Sports / Basketball /

MINNEAPOLIS — Last week, Timberwolves All-Star Anthony Edwards produced one of the most viral sports moments of the year, a one-handed slam dunk over Utah forward John Collins that was instantly titled the best dunk of the season.

Edwards himself called the dunk — which has since been viewed tens of millions of times online — the best of ...Read more

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Sixers lose on controversial ending to Clippers in James Harden's return to Philly

Sports / Basketball /

PHILADELPHIA — As expected, James Harden was Public Enemy No. 1 during his return to the Wells Fargo Center in a Los Angeles Clippers uniform on Wednesday night. But the man who refused to play for the 76ers this season and his teammates celebrated at the end after a controversial 108-107 victory over the 76ers.

It was controversial because a...Read more

Hyosub Shin/The Atlanta Journal-Constitution/TNS

Hawks extend win streak to three by beating Trail Blazers, 120-106

Sports / Basketball /

ATLANTA — The Hawks hosted a young Trail Blazers team that had seven veteran players absent, and they took advantage en route to a 120-106 victory Wednesday night.

Here are five observations:

— 1. Though the Trail Blazers had so many veterans out due to various injuries, the Hawks had theirs to lean on. Dejounte Murray set the tone with an...Read more

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Cam Thomas scores 38 points as Nets defeat Wizards in overtime

Sports / Basketball /

WASHINGTON — Cam Thomas returned from a one-game absence on Wednesday against the Washington Wizards and his torrid scoring pace continued.

Dennis Schröder, Nic Claxton and Mikal Bridges each had decent offensive games in their own right, at least in terms of efficiency. But throughout certain stretches of the Nets’ 122-119 overtime defeat...Read more

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Knicks score their most points since 1980 in 145-101 rout of Raptors

Sports / Basketball /

Nothing to see here — just the high-powered New York Knickerbockers buzzsaw slaughtering opponents on the road.

Make it seven wins in eight games for the Knicks, whose 145-101 rout of the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night helps improve New York’s bid for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

The Knicks recorded 37 ...Read more

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Timberwolves overcome Anthony Edwards' off night to defeat NBA-worst Pistons, 106-91

Sports / Basketball /

MINNEAPOLIS — It's not every game that the man with the moniker "Slo-Mo" excites a crowd with his moves around the basket.

That happened Wednesday night in the Timberwolves' 106-91 victory over the Detroit Pistons during the fourth quarter when Kyle Anderson pulled off a couple of typically methodical, but sharp, changes of direction on his ...Read more

Elizabeth Robertson/The Philadelphia Inquirer/TNS

Joel Embiid 'on the court', Nick Nurse confirms. But Sixers coach doesn't reveal much else.

Sports / Basketball /

PHILADELPHIA — Anyone expecting a detailed update Wednesday on 76ers center Joel Embiid’s return-to-play process were out of luck.

”He’s on the court as you guys know, and we still don’t have a timeline for his return,” Sixers coach Nick Nurse said before facing the Los Angeles Clippers at the Wells Fargo Center.

Embiid has been ...Read more

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Rui Hachimura is bad luck for Grizzlies again as Lakers win, 136-124

Sports / Basketball /

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Maybe the Grizzlies haven’t learned?

Despite being ravaged by injuries and suspensions, their season largely a throwaway, Wednesday’s game with the Lakers was their first time this year to host the team that ousted them last spring.

But, somehow, Rui Hachimura was still open.

After Hachimura set the tone in the playoff ...Read more

Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel/TNS

Warriors shock Magic despite Draymond Green's ejection

Sports / Basketball /

ORLANDO, Fla. — Steph Curry keeled over with his hands on his knees. He tugged the neck of his jersey over his red face, visibly upset that his longtime teammate got himself tossed.

Draymond Green, the Warriors’ embattled defensive star, got ejected less than four minutes into Wednesday night’s game for arguing with official Ray Acosta.

...Read more