LeBron James has ‘not much concern’ after exiting loss to Celtics with late groin injury
BOSTON (AP) — LeBron James didn’t sound overly concerned about the strained groin that he suffered in the waning minutes of Los Angeles’ loss to Boston. He also wasn’t willing to put a timetable on how fast he could be back on the court as the Lakers look to maintain their recent surge in the standings. He said his first thoughts went to his first season in Los Angeles in 2018 when he suffered a groin injury during a Christmas Day matchup with Golden State. He missed the next 17 games and the injury bothered him for most of the remainder of the season. The good news is he doesn’t believe this latest injury is as severe as the 2018 one. For how he’s day-to-day as the Lakers enter pivotal upcoming stretch.
Tatum scores 40, Celtics beat Lakers 111-101 after James leaves late with groin injury
BOSTON (AP) — Jayson Tatum had 40 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists, and the Boston Celtics held off a late rally to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 111-101. Jaylen Brown added 31 points as the Celtics earned their fourth straight victory. With LeBron James in the locker room with a strained groin, the Lakers cut a 20-point, fourth-quarter deficit to single digits. But Tatum and Brown scored Boston’s final 12 points to preserve the win. The loss stopped Los Angeles’ win streak at eight games. Doncic had 34 points and eight rebounds in his first game in Boston since he and the Dallas Mavericks’ Game 5 loss to the Celtics in last season’s NBA Finals. James finished with 22 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists.
Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy released after Texas district attorney declines to pursue charges
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Xavier Worthy was released Saturday after a district attorney in Texas declined to pursue charges against the Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver following an arrest in which he had been accused of felony domestic violence. Williamson County District Attorney Shawn Dick told the Austin American-Statesman his office had spoken with witnesses and was not accepting the case. Dick also said Worthy and his lawyers were fully cooperating with the investigation. In a statement, Worthy’s attorneys said their client was innocent of the charge against him. Williamson County includes parts of Austin, where Worthy played college football at the University of Texas.
No. 6 St. John’s preps for March Madness with Pitino’s ‘favorite win of the season by far’
MILWAUKEE (AP) — St. John’s coach Rick Pitino wanted his Red Storm to close the regular season with the kind of challenge they could expect to face in the NCAA Tournament. They got all that and then some Saturday. And they responded by producing perhaps their most thrilling victory in a season full of memorable moments. Zuby Ejiofor hit a game-winning shot to beat the overtime buzzer as the sixth-ranked Red Storm beat No. 20 Marquette 86-84 for their sixth straight victory. Not a bad way to head into March Madness.
Bubble watch: Georgia is in position to end 10-year NCAA Tournament drought after beating Vanderbilt
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Georgia may have ended its 10-year NCAA Tournament drought by beating Vanderbilt 79-68. In one of several games on Saturday involving teams perceived to be on the NCAA bubble, the Bulldogs improved to 20-11 overall and may have ended any remaining doubt about their hopes to make the NCAA field for the first time since 2015. In another Southeastern Conference game with NCAA implications, Arkansas edged No. 25 Mississippi State 93-92. Also, Wake Forest improved its fading NCAA hopes by beating Georgia Tech 69-43. Indiana beat Ohio State 66-60 in a Big Ten matchup of two bubble teams.
Duke’s Maliq Brown stood out at UNC. It showed his importance to the No. 2 Blue Devils’ title hopes
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Maliq Brown stepped up in No. 2 Duke’s win at rival North Carolina that clinched the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title. The Syracuse transfer had missed nearly three weeks with a shoulder injury. His return proved vital in Duke’s decisive second-half surge. That included the versatile defender helping lock down on UNC’s offense. Brown also provided a pair of 3-pointers as Duke took control. The game illustrated Brown’s importance to the No. 2 Blue Devils’ hopes of winning a national title.
Collin Morikawa birdies final hole for a 1-shot lead at Bay Hill
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Collin Morikawa wound up on top after the third round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He made a 12-foot birdie putt on the final hole at tough Bay Hill for a 67. That gives him a one-shot lead over Russell Henley going into the final round, with Corey Conners of Canada another shot behind. Even without a lot of wind, Bay Hill was tough as ever with its baked-out conditions. Putts kept sliding by the hole. Pars were welcome. Shane Lowry went from a two-shot lead to trailing by six shots after a 76. Scottie Scheffler was eight shots behind.
Warriors star Stephen Curry reaches 25,000 career points
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Stephen Curry became the 26th player in NBA history to score 25,000 career points, reaching the milestone during the third quarter of the Golden State Warriors’ 115-110 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night. “BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!” Curry yelled while running back through the hallway to the locker room following a quick return to the court postgame — a tribute to Draymond Green’s signature celebration of making a 3. Curry surpassed 25,000 on a 3-pointer with 8:32 left in the third and received a warm ovation during a timeout with 5:42 to go. Curry has 25,017 career points.
No. 2 USC, No. 4 UCLA ready to square off in Round 3 with another Big Ten championship on the line
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — UCLA center Lauren Betts and her teammates used a five-day break to dissect their flaws, make a few fixes and recommit themselves to beating No. 2 Southern California. If they got a chance, that is. Now it’s all set. The league’s top two regular-season teams and Los Angeles rivals will meet in yet another winner-takes-all contest Sunday in what could be one of the top women’s basketball games of the season.
Brad Marchand plays for the Florida Panthers. It’s a move that the Panthers never saw coming
Aleksander Barkov looked across the Florida Panthers’ locker room on Saturday morning and noticed a new addition. A nameplate over a locker bearing the name Brad Marchand. A guy who always played like he hated Florida will soon be in uniform for Florida, after a stunning trade at the NHL’s deadline Friday brought Marchand — who was captain of the Boston Bruins — to the defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers. Marchand played 64 games against the Panthers including postseasons, fifth-most of all active players.