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Sweet 16: San Diego St vs UConn

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – San Diego State didn’t have to wait long for another shot at the University of Connecticut in the NCAA Tournament. Less than a year after falling to the Huskies in the national championship game, the Aztecs will have a chance to redeem themselves tonight when the East Region teams collide in the Sweet 16.

Fifth-seeded San Diego State (26-10) seemed eager to set up a rematch with the defending national champions, putting together an 85-57 drubbing of No. 13 seed Yale on Sunday in the second round of the tourney.

Jaedon LeDee poured in a game-high 26 points on 9-of-12 shooting to go along with nine rebounds for the Aztecs, while Darrion Trammell added 18 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals.

Trammell, who was on the San Diego State squad that came up just short of a title in 2023, believes the Aztecs now have what it takes to get past UConn (33-3) this time around.

“We’re just excited to get another crack at (the Huskies),” Trammell said. “Obviously they won a national championship last year, but I feel like we were right there. Just to get another chance at it, I think we’re up for the opportunity.

“We have the team to do it.”

However, Huskies coach Dan Hurley doesn’t think any team is capable of dethroning UConn.

“We are bulletproof,” Hurley said following the Huskies’ 75-58 victory over ninth-seeded Northwestern on Sunday. “Elite offense, elite defense.

“Didn’t love the offensive rebounding today and didn’t love the second-half defensive rebounding but, again, 20 assists, seven turnovers. … It’s tough to lose when you have that level of quality.”

Top-seeded UConn got 20 points and 10 assists from Tristen Newton against the Wildcats, while Donovan Clingan also recorded a double-double (14 points, 14 rebounds). The Huskies went just 3-for-22 from beyond the arc (13.6 percent) but still managed to shoot 53.7 percent from the field.

Even with that success, UConn doesn’t have all the odds in its favor, as no defending champion has reached the Elite Eight since Florida did so in 2007.

Hurley is determined to change that.

“We’ve been confident the whole year. I think last season changed how heavy we feel going into these games,” Hurley said. “Obviously you’re nervous and you know the history of NCAA champions not being able to get out of the first weekend.

“But we’re different.”

What the Huskies do have working for them on Thursday is a venue within driving distance of the UConn campus.

Boston’s TD Garden is about 90 minutes away from Storrs, Conn. With what is bound to be a primarily hostile crowd, San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher is hoping his guys stay loose.

“This is the time of year to be fearless and don’t worry about making a mistake. Play your best,” Dutcher said. “And we have experience in the tournament and I think some of that experience showed over the last two games.”

The Aztecs are playing in back-to-back Sweet 16s for the first time in program history. Prior to last season, the Huskies hadn’t reached the Sweet 16 since 2014, but they have twice made three straight (1994-96 and 2002-04).

Newton is one of five UConn players with a scoring average in double figures, posting a team-high 15.3 points per game. Cam Spencer (14.4 ppg) and Alex Karaban (13.7) trail close behind.

Clingan averages 12.8 points and a team-best 7.4 boards.

LeDee leads San Diego State with 21.5 points per contest. The Aztecs’ next best scorer is Reese Waters at 9.8 points per game.

The Huskies are seeking their 13th Elite Eight appearance, while San Diego State is looking for its second.

–Nick Galle, Field Level Media

Sweet 16: Odds Favor UConn

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – UConn’s quest to become the first team to repeat as the men’s national champion in nearly two decades has gotten off to a dominating start.

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Not only do the Huskies own the longest winning streak in the country at nine games, but UConn has now won eight consecutive NCAA Tournament games by double digits. After dispatching No. 16 Stetson and No. 9 Northwestern by an average of 28 points, next up for UConn in the East Regional is No. 5 seed San Diego State tonight at TD Garden.

The Huskies opened the tournament as the +360 favorite via Betting Hero, and those odds have shortened to +210 ahead of the Sweet 16. It helps that No. 4 Auburn and No. 6 BYU failed to make it out of the first round.

UConn is also the third-biggest liability at BetMGM, where the Huskies are the +200 title favorite and lead the field with 11.8 percent of the total bets and 20.3 percent of the money backing them.

Next is North Carolina with 11.7 and 12.0 percent of the action, respectively, as the Tar Heels have moved from +1300 to +1000 since the start of the tournament. DraftKings reported Monday they had received the most action in the title market in the past 24 hours, followed by UConn.

North Carolina has also cruised through its first two games, but if the Tar Heels get past No. 4 Alabama in the Sweet 16 an Elite Eight date against No. 2 Arizona could lie in wait.

Arizona owns double-digit victories over Long Beach State and Dayton to begin the tournament and will face No. 6 Clemson next. The Wildcats have been the biggest mover of the tournament at DraftKings, where their title odds have shifted 30 percent from +1200 to +900.

Next is Duke, which opened at +3500. The fourth-seeded Blue Devils are now +2200 at the book ahead of a Sweet 16 matchup against top-seeded Houston. After that is a potential matchup against No. 2 seed Marquette.

While UConn does face a difficult road with four of the top five seeds remaining in the East, No. 1 Purdue faces the same challenge in the Midwest. If the Boilermakers can get past No. 5 Gonzaga in the Sweet 16, they would face an Elite Eight duel against either No. 2 Tennessee or No. 3 Creighton.

Purdue has been a popular play at BetMGM, drawing the third most total bets (7.7 percent) on the title winner along with the third most money (9.1 percent).

However, the biggest liability remains North Carolina State, the 11th seed in the South. The surprise ACC Championship winner has kept the ride rolling with opening victories over No. 6 seed Texas Tech and an overtime win over No. 14 Oakland.

The only double-digit seed to reach the Sweet 16, the Wolfpack opened the tournament at +15000 to cut down the nets at the end. A third of the way toward that unlikely event, NC State is now +10000 while drawing 2.1 percent of the total title money wagered.

Now that a program that finished below .500 in conference play clinched its first Sweet 16 since 2015, NC State star DJ Burns Jr. was asked for his message to the Wolfpack’s doubters.

“I’m just saying welcome back,” he said. “They didn’t really believe in us. They probably still don’t, but that doesn’t matter to us. We’re just going to stay together.”

–Field Level Media

Celtics Look to Avenge Loss

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ATLANTA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Boston Celtics will get a chance to avenge their embarrassing Monday meltdown against the Hawks when the teams meet for the second time this week.

The host Hawks overcame a 30-point deficit and ended Boston’s nine-game winning streak with a 120-118 victory. It was the biggest comeback in Hawks history and the largest comeback in the NBA this season.

“We let our foot off the gas in the second half and they got a great rhythm,” Celtics star Jayson Tatum said. “It’s a tough pill to swallow.”

Boston’s Kristaps Porzingis added, “You give (hope) to that type of team, you relax too much and give them some open looks, those guys can make shots. They’re an offensive-minded team and they got it going and then it’s a tough battle to kind of bring it back to what we wanted. We just gave them too much life.”

Boston leads the season series 2-1, having won the first two games in Boston, 113-103 on Nov. 26 and 125-117 on Feb. 7.

The Celtics remained in Atlanta between games for the two-game series. But in a scheduling quirk, the Hawks hosted — and beat — the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday.

“It’s weird playing (Boston) on a back-to-back, but there’s no excuses in this league,” Atlanta’s Garrison Mathews said. “We’ve got to come ready to play. We know they’re going to try to get us back and we have to come ready to play.”

Atlanta (33-39) has won three in a row after its 120-106 win over Portland and remains 10th in the Eastern Conference standings. The Hawks were unable to pick up ground Wednesday on the ninth-place Chicago Bulls, who won to remain 1 1/2 games ahead, but also did not lose ground to the 11th-place Brooklyn Nets, who also won and trail Atlanta by 5 1/2 games.

The Hawks continue to ride the offense of Dejounte Murray. He scored 30 points against the Blazers and has put up 28-plus in three of his past four games.

Atlanta, playing without three starters and a key reserve, is getting contributions from different backups each night. Mathews scored a season-high 21 points against Portland. Vit Krejci matched his career high with 16 points vs. Boston.

“This team has been unselfish,” Atlanta coach Quin Snyder said.

Boston (57-15) has clinched the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, owns the best road record in the league (25-12), has the best offensive rating in the NBA (122.5) and ranks second in defensive rating (110.7). Last season, the Celtics became the third team in NBA history to finish in the top three in both offensive and defensive rating.

The Celtics logged their 17th 70-point first half of the season on Monday, a franchise record that matches the NBA record for a single season.

The Hawks announced Wednesday that All-Star Trae Young has made a positive recovery in his recovery from surgery to repair a ligament in the little finger of his left hand. Young has missed 16 games since being hurt in the Feb. 23 game against Toronto. The team has not provided a timetable for his return to play.

The Atlanta lineup also remains without Jalen Johnson (right ankle sprain), Saddiq Bey (torn left ACL) and key reserve Onyeka Okongwu (sprained left toe).

–Field Level Media

Sports Biz: Caps, Wizards to Stay in DC

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WASH DC – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – After exploring the possibility of relocation to Virginia, the Wizards and Capitals will be staying in Washington until 2050.

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Washington mayor Muriel E. Bowser and Ted Leonsis, who owns both franchises, signed a deal on Wednesday that would keep the Wizards and Capitals in town as long as the D.C. Council approves it.

Per the deal, the city will put $515 million into Capital One Arena — the home of both the Wizards and Capitals — over the next three years. Because of those renovations, Leonsis will sign a new lease that runs from 2025-50.

“We are the current home and the future home of the Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards,” Bowser said. “As Ted likes to say, we’re going to be together for a long time.”

Leonsis’ company, Monumental Sports & Entertainment, will also have the ability to expand throughout the city under the new deal.

Just three months ago, Leonsis had a handshake agreement with Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) in place for the construction of a new arena in Alexandria, Va. It would have been built in the Potomac Yard neighborhood of town as part of a $2.2 billion mixed-use development.

But Bowser and the DC Council then made moves that caught Leonsis’ eye, including the passage of a new crime bill and a plan to make downtown more vibrant, causing the owner to switch gears.

“It’s a great day, and I’m really relieved,” Leonsis said Wednesday. “This was not only the right thing for the community, the right thing for the city, the right thing for us, it’s a really smart business deal.”

–Field Level Media

Red Sox Open at Seattle

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SEATTLE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – For two teams trying to get back to the postseason, the Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners didn’t make any earth-shattering moves this offseason. Neither got more than a fleeting mention when it came to prized free agent Shohei Ohtani or trade candidate Juan Soto.

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Does either team have enough to compete in 2024?

That will be one of the top questions when they meet Thursday night in the season opener in Seattle.

The Mariners finished 88-74 last season, a game back of Toronto for the American League’s third and final wild-card berth.

Strikeout-prone sluggers Eugenio Suarez and Teoscar Hernandez are gone, via a trade and free agency, respectively. Suarez netted right-hander Carlos Vargas and backup catcher Seby Zavala from Arizona.

The Mariners sent injured left-hander Robbie Ray to San Francisco for outfielder Mitch Haniger and right-hander Anthony DeSclafani. Then they flipped DeSclafani, right-handed reliever Justin Topa and a pair of minor-leaguers to Minnesota for second baseman Jorge Polanco.

“This group is just hungry,” said Haniger, who spent one injury-prone season with the Giants following five productive years in Seattle.

“The guys in here want to win. Ultimately, being a loser is not fun. It’s really motivating just to try to get back into the playoffs and win a World Series — the No. 1 goal. It’s win the division first and get in the playoffs, and then make a run and win that last game of the season.”

The Mariners also sent right-handed reliever Isaiah Campbell to Boston for third baseman Luis Urias, and ditched the contracts of pitcher Marco Gonzales, first baseman Evan White and outfielder Jarred Kelenic to Atlanta for a pair of pitchers who won’t be available this season because of injuries.

Boston’s moves might have been even more underwhelming.

The Red Sox traded outfielder Alex Verdugo to the New York Yankees for three pitching prospects, acquired outfielder Tyler O’Neill from St. Louis, sent former ace left-hander Chris Sale to Atlanta for shortstop Marquis Grissom, and signed former All-Star closer Liam Hendriks, who is coming back from a cancer battle and Tommy John surgery.

Boston signed free agent right-hander Lucas Giolito to anchor its rotation, but he’ll miss the season with elbow surgery.

“It’s different compared to previous years,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of his youthful lineup. “This team is going to be fun to manage. We’re gonna do a lot of stuff that is probably different than in the past. We know what people think about us, but athleticism and youth helped (the Orioles) make it to the playoffs last year.

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“So hopefully we can accomplish that. We’re not shying away from our goals. We just have to keep going. It’s been fun. It’s refreshing. It’s good to see good athletes out there making plays and moving around and adjusting to everything that we’re throwing at them. And I think it’s been solid so far.”

Mariners right-hander Luis Castillo (14-9, 3.34 ERA last season) is scheduled to make his fourth Opening Day start and second with Seattle. Castillo is 1-1 with a 4.09 ERA in two previous starts against Boston.

The Red Sox will counter with right-hander Brayan Bello (12-11, 4.24), who will be making his first Opening Day start. Bello is 2-0 with a 4.09 ERA in two previous starts against Seattle.

–Field Level Media

Bruins Rally Past Florida, 4-3

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SUNRISE – Pavel Zacha’s go-ahead goal with 2:21 left in the third period helped the Boston Bruins rally past the Florida Panthers 4-3 on Tuesday night in Florida. Zacha’s goal went in off his right skate as teammate David Pastrnak fired the puck toward the net. Florida led 3-2 until Trent Frederic tied the game at 15:38 of the third period with the Bruins on a power play.

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Charlie McAvoy, Zacha and Pastrnak each had a goal and an assist for Boston. Pastrnak’s goal was his 45th of the season as he reached the 100-point mark for the second season in a row. His assist on the game-winner gave him 101 points.

Jeremy Swayman recorded the win, making 18 saves. He also earned his first assist of the season on Frederic’s goal.

Boston (42-16-15, 99 points) moved past Florida (46-21-5, 97 points) for first place in the Atlantic Division.

The Bruins, who are 3-0-0 against the Panthers this season, snapped a two-game losing streak.

Florida’s Carter Verhaeghe scored at 9:53 of the third, giving the Panthers a 3-2 lead. Of Verhaeghe’s 33 goals this season, 19 have come in the third period.

Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 17 shots in a losing effort.

Evan Rodrigues and Sam Reinhart also scored for the Panthers. Reinhart’s goal was his 51st of the season. Reinhart and Pastrnak are two of the top five goal-scorers in the NHL this season.

The Panthers got two key players back in the lineup, center Aleksander Barkov and defenseman Gustav Forsling, but it wasn’t enough.

Still, Florida needed just 27 seconds to open the scoring. Barkov earned the primary assist on his bad-angle shot that looked as if it were going in anyway before it was tapped home by Rodrigues.

Boston tied the score at 17:43 of the first as McAvoy ended a 15-game goal drought with his blast from the right circle. With most of Florida’s defenders scrapping for the puck on the left side, Matt Grzelcyk passed to McAvoy on the right to set up the goal.

Florida took a 2-1 lead at 18:56 of the first as Reinhart tapped in the puck. Eetu Luostarinen earned the primary assist.

Boston tied the score 2-2 at 15:59 of the second as McAvoy’s centering pass found Pastrnak alone in front of the net. Pastrnak did the rest, lifting the puck over a sprawled Bobrovsky.

Verhaeghe’s goal gave Florida a 3-2 lead as his shot from the left circle went between the legs of Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo.

However, Boston’s two goals in the final five minutes were too much for Florida to overcome.

–Field Level Media

Celtics Blow 30-Point Lead, Lose to ATL

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ATLANTA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Atlanta’s Dejounte Murray scored 19 points, dished 15 assists and made the go-ahead basket with one minute left to help the Hawks overcome a 30-point deficit and stun the visiting Boston Celtics 120-118 on Monday.

De’Andre Hunter followed with a 3-pointer to up Atlanta’s lead to four points with 10 seconds remaining. Jayson Tatum scored on a tip-in with one second left for Boston, but Atlanta was able to inbound the ball after a timeout to run out the clock.

It was only the ninth time in NBA history that a team has come back from a 30-point deficit to win a game, according to the Hawks’ radio network.

Boston (57-15) saw its nine-game winning streak end and failed in a chance to clinch the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Atlanta (32-39) improved to 1-2 against the Celtics this season and ended a six-game losing streak vs. Boston. The teams will meet again in Atlanta on Thursday.

The Celtics led 68-38 in the second quarter, but Atlanta went on an 18-6 run to cut the lead to 74-56 at halftime. The momentum carried over and the Hawks twice got as close as three points in the third quarter before Boston led 96-90 going into the fourth.

Atlanta took the lead for the first time on a 3-pointer by Wesley Matthews with 9:58 left.

Hunter led the Hawks with 24 points, and Bogdan Bogdanovic contributed 22. Vit Krejci matched his career high with 16 points, hitting four 3-pointers.

Boston got 37 points and eight rebounds from Tatum, 24 points from Jaylen Brown and 17 points from Kristaps Porzingis. Payton Pritchard finished with 15 points and six assists.

The Hawks were playing without three starters — Trae Young (finger), Jalen Johnson (ankle) and Saddiq Bey (knee) — and backup center Onyeka Okongwu (toe).

The Celtics jumped out quickly against the short-handed Hawks. Boston shot 66.7 percent (16-for-24) in the first quarter, didn’t commit a turnover and led 44-22. It was the most points Atlanta has allowed in a first quarter this season.

–Field Level Media

Sports Illustrated Back in Biz

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LONDON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Sports Illustrated will resume publishing after its owner reached a new rights deal with digital media company Minute Media.

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Monday’s announcement comes nearly two months after owner Authentic Brands terminated its publishing deal with The Arena Group, which led to mass layoffs at the venerable sports magazine.

Minute Media, best known for its sports sites The Players’ Tribune and FanSided, said it reached a long-term partnership with Authentic Brands to “usher in the future of the SI brand.”

“Sports Illustrated is the gold standard for sports journalism and has been for nearly 70 years across both print and digital media. The weight and power of that distinction cannot be understated. At Minute Media, our focus will be to take that legacy into new, emerging channels enhancing visibility, commercial viability and sustainable impact, all while ensuring that the SI team is inspired to flourish in this new era of media,” Minute Media founder and CEO Asaf Peled said in a statement.

Authentic split with The Arena Group in late January after the latter missed a payment for licensing rights.

As part of the deal, Authentic will also acquire an equity stake in Minute Media.

–Field Level Media

Celtics Can Clinch East #1 vs ATL

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ATLANTA – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Boston Celtics, winners of nine straight, could clinch the No. 1 spot in the Eastern Conference on Monday when they open a two-game series in Atlanta.

Boston (57-14) needs one victory — or a Milwaukee Bucks loss — to mathematically nail down first place for the playoffs. Another win would give the team its most victories since the 2008-09 team went 62-20.

“We’re just hungry for more,” Boston’s Sam Hauser said after Saturday’s 124-113 win over the Chicago Bulls. “It’s not in our character to just mail it in for the rest of the season.”

Boston continues to have the best record in the league, despite tip-toeing around injuries. Jaylen Brown (right ankle load management) did not play Saturday. Jayson Tatum (right ankle), Al Horford (left big toe sprain) and Kristaps Porzingis (right hamstring) have each been in and out of the lineup.

“Different people, different guys, are ready to step up when their number is called,” Horford said. “We all understand what we’re trying to do, how we’re trying to play. Guys are just staying ready and taking advantage of the opportunities.”

The Celtics won the first two games this season against Atlanta — 113-103 on Nov. 26 and 125-117 on Feb. 7, both played in Boston. The Celtics have a seven-game winning streak against the Hawks and have won the past two games played in Atlanta.

Atlanta (31-39) is currently No. 10 in the Eastern Conference. The Hawks are 5 1/2 games ahead of the Brooklyn Nets and only 2 1/2 games behind the No. 9 Bulls. But if Atlanta aspires to catch Chicago, it needs to overcome a difficult schedule. The Hawks play four home games over the next six days, with two against Boston and single games against the Portland Trail Blazers and the Bucks.

“We’re not going to take it for granted,” said Atlanta reserve Bruno Fernando, who scored a career-high 25 points and had six rebounds on Saturday in a 132-91 home win over the Charlotte Hornets.

“Every game is a special day so we’re going to try to take advantage of games that we can win, especially take advantage of our home floor. … We’ve seen it happen before with other people, so why not?”

Fernando’s effort was the latest in a series of nice games for the physical power forward. He has earned more minutes in the absence of Onyeka Okongwu, who missed 13 games with a toe injury and was held out of Saturday’s game for load management.

“It means a lot,” Fernando said. “Long time coming for me. This team is special to me. I’ve been through a lot here with this organization, so for me to be able to come in and have a game like that means a lot to me.”

The Hawks continue to be consumed by injuries. Starters Trae Young, Jalen Johnson and Saddiq Bey all missed Saturday’s game. The team has not said when it expects Young to return; he has missed 14 games.

“We miss Trae, but when you have a point guard like (Dejounte Murray), it makes the offense go,” said Atlanta reserve Garrison Mathews, who scored a season-high 20 points against Charlotte.

Murray has scored 29 and 28 points in his past two games. He was 7-of-9 shooting on 3-pointers against Charlotte and had 12 assists with seven rebounds.

–Field Level Media

Purdue, Edey Dominate Utah State

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INDIANAPOLIS  – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Purdue’s center Zach Edey once again dominated with 23 points, 14 rebounds, three blocks and two steals to lead the Midwest’s top-seeded Boilermakers to a 106-67 second-round rout of No. 8 seed Utah State on Sunday.

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Purdue (31-4) advances to play No. 5 seed Gonzaga on Friday in Detroit.

Lance Jones and Trey Kaufman-Renn sparked a 20-6 uprising to open the second half, turning a 16-point lead to 30. Purdue didn’t let its foot off the gas in the second half, building the lead as high as 41.

Kaufman-Renn finished with 18 points and eight rebounds, while Fletcher Loyer added 15 points for Purdue went 8-of-14 from 3-point range in the second half to put the game away.

Great Osobor had 14 points and Josh Uduje added 13 for Utah State (28-7), which fell to 7-25 all-time in NCAA Tournament play and fell a round shy of reaching the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1970.

Purdue thrilled the heavily-partisan crowd of 16,770 that turned out to watch them advance to the Sweet 16 for the second time in three years.

Utah State provided some resistance early on, taking leads of 14-10 and 20-17.

But after Uduje hit a 3-pointer with 9:21 left in the first half to put the Aggies ahead 23-21, Utah State missed its next 12 shots from the field while Purdue caught fire behind Edey, Jones and Kaufman-Renn.

Purdue went on a run of 18-1 to take a 39-24 lead. Jones ended the first-half scoring when he banked in a 3-pointer at the buzzer to put the Boilermakers up 49-33.

Jones opened the second half with a trey as well, just 13 seconds in.

After Purdue’s Braden Smith stole a pass from Ian Martinez, Smith found Kaufman-Renn cutting to the basket for a layup.

On the next possession, Kaufman-Renn’s two-handed slam ignited the Purdue fans, putting the Boilermakers up 56-33 and sparking a desperate timeout from Utah State head coach Danny Sprinkle just 73 seconds into the half.

–Field Level Media