Digital Sports Desk

Online Destination for the Best in Boston Sports

Digital Sports Desk

Knicks Put Celtics in Place

by

BOSTON – (Wire Service and Staff Report) – Jalen Brunson tossed in a game-high 39 points to help the visiting New York Knicks extend their winning streak to three games by beating the Boston Celtics 118-109 Thursday.

Brunson scored six points in the first quarter, 12 in the second and had 21 in the third. He made 15 of his 23 field goal attempts, including 6-of-11 3-point shots from behind the 3-point arc.

New York (48-32) remained in third place in the Eastern Conference standings, one game behind the Milwaukee Bucks (49-31). The Celtics (62-18), who have lost two straight, had previously secured the No. 1 seed in the East.

Donte DiVincenzo added 17 for the Knicks, who got 16 points and 16 rebounds from Josh Hart. Isaiah Hartenstein finished with 11 points, 13 rebounds and six assists.

Jayson Tatum led Boston with 18 points and seven assists. Boston received 15 points from Jaylen Brown and 14 points and eight rebounds from Kristaps Porzingis.

It was the fifth and final regular-season meeting this season. Boston won the first four.

The Knicks led 32-29 after one quarter and outscored the Celtics 37-19 in the second to take a 69-48 halftime lead. Boston trailed 47-45, but New York took control with a 17-0 run and was up 64-45 following a Brunson 3-pointer with 2:18 remaining in the half. The Knicks scored 25 of the final 30 points in the first half.

New York had a 32-17 rebounding advantage through the first two quarters, including a 12-3 edge at the offensive end. Brunson, who has scored at least 30 points in each of his last six games, led all scorers with 18 points in the half.

The Knicks were up 90-71 after the third quarter and had a 31-point lead in the fourth. Boston rested its starters in the final quarter.

New York held a 52-36 edge in rebounds.

–Field Level Media

Orioles Pound Sox in 10th Inning

by

BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Baltimore’s Gunnar Henderson and Colton Cowser each homered during the six-run 10th inning that lifted the Orioles to a 9-4 win over the host Boston Red Sox on Thursday night.

Embed from Getty Images

Cowser went 3-for-5 with two homers, a double, four RBIs and two runs scored. The Orioles hit four homers during their nine-hit attack. He drove in 10 runs in the three-game series sweep.

Henderson and Anthony Santander also drove in two runs apiece.

Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu each had two hits and an RBI for the Red Sox.

In the eighth inning with Boston clinging to a 2-1 lead, Red Sox shortstop David Hamilton missed touching second on a would-be double-play grounder by Adley Rutschman. The Orioles took advantage of the miscue as Santander hit a two-run, go-ahead homer down the right-field line.

Pinch-hitter Connor Wong hit a game-tying, two-out homer to deep left-center off Danny Coulombe in the bottom of the eighth.

Boston closer Kenley Jansen retired the final two batters in the ninth and Baltimore counterpart Craig Kimbrel (2-0) threw a scoreless ninth to force extra innings.

Henderson hit a two-run shot off Red Sox reliever Isaiah Campbell (0-1) to give the Orioles a 5-3 lead. Campbell retired the next two batters, but Ryan O’Hearn hit a double and Ryan Mountcastle walked. Cedric Mullins followed with an RBI single to center and Cowser cleared the bases with a three-run shot to center to give Baltimore a 9-3 lead.

Duran got Boston a run back on a leadoff double in the last of the 10th.

–Field Level Media

Orioles Come From Behind, Beat Sox 7-5

by

By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – Baltimore Orioles second baseman Jordan Westburg hit a 432-foot drive to center field to cap a four-run seventh inning and give the O’s a 7-5 come-from-behind victory over the Red Sox. Boston led 5-0 after the fifth inning but fell victim to a poor bullpen performances which cost the Red Sox the game.

Embed from Getty Images

RHP Chris Martin allowed the Westburg homer after walking a batter, throwing a wild pitch and falling victim to a catcher’s interference call on Connor Wong.

After providing Boston with the 5-0 lead, Baltimore cut down the lead by striking back with three runs in the visiting half of the six. Boston’s right-hander Isaiah Campbell relieved starter Kutter Crawford after Crawford pitched an impressive two-hitter with six strike-outs in five innings. Crawford left after throwing 86 pitches (50 strikes).

Boston made it 3-0 in the home half of the fourth inning when Wong stroked an opposite field base hit to right, scoring Tristan Casas from third and Romy Gonzalez from second base. Each player had singled to start the rally.

Crawford pitched himself into another jam in the fifth inning, hitting lead-off batter Westburg, walking Gunnar Henderson and allowing slugger Anthony Santander to reach base on an infield hit. Crawford retired DH Ryan O’Hearn on a ground out to first and the Orioles left three men on base for the second straight inning.

Casas had hit an opposite field two-run home run into the second row of the left field Green Monster seats at Fenway Park to open-up a five run lead for Boston in the bottom of the fifth inning. The Sox proceeded to let up seven unanswered runs in the sixth and seventh innings.

Earlier, Baltimore was able to load the bases  on two Crawford walks in the fourth inning, but a well thrown, off speed splitter to hot-hitting Baltimore LF Colton Cowser ended the fourth inning with the score 1-0, Boston.

Starting pitchers Cole Irvin of Baltimore and Crawford of Boston breezed through their first two innings, Irvin benefitting from two double plays executed nicely by the Orioles infield. The Red Sox, however, scratched out a run in the home half of the third inning when Tyler O’Neill’s bloop single landed safely over Baltimore rookie Jackson Holliday‘s outstretched glove in right-center field, scoring Sox speedy lead-off man  Jarren Duran all the way from first base.

Baltimore’s closer, former Red Sox bullpen star, Craig Kimbrel struck-out two Sox pinch hitters in the bottom of the ninth to secure the win for Baltimore with his second save of the young season.

The final game of the three-game of the series will be played Thursday night.

Injury Just Another Story

by

BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story will undergo season-ending surgery on his left shoulder, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said Tuesday.

Story initially was diagnosed with a dislocated left shoulder in an 8-6 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Friday after he dove to make a play.

Embed from Getty Images

Story was seen Monday by Dr. Evan O’Donnell, a shoulder specialist, in Boston, and manager Alex Cora said Tuesday before his team’s home opener against the Baltimore Orioles that the news wasn’t positive. He said there was “concern with the bone structure.”

Breslow told reporters Story had been diagnosed with a fractured glenoid in his left shoulder and would need surgery, with a recovery time of six months.

Also Tuesday, the Red Sox placed right-hander Nick Pivetta (right elbow flexor strain) on the 15-day injured list.

In 745 games with the Rockies, he hit .272 with 158 home runs, 450 RBIs and 100 stolen bases.

Pivetta’s placement on the injured list was retroactive to Saturday. He most recently pitched Wednesday against the Oakland Athletics, throwing five scoreless innings and getting the win. Pivetta, 31, is 1-1 with a 0.82 ERA.

In his career with the Philadelphia Phillies (2017-20) and Red Sox, Pivetta is 51-60 with a 4.81 ERA in 198 games (154 starts).

The Red Sox recalled left-hander Brennan Bernardino from Triple-A Worcester in a corresponding move.

Bernardino, 32, is 2-2 with a 3.23 ERA in 57 major league games (six starts) with the Seattle Mariners (2022) and Red Sox (2023).

–Field Level Media

Hoophall To Enshrine 13 for 2024

by

GLENDALE – (Staff report from Official News Release) – The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the 13 inductees in the Class of 2024 to be celebrated during this year’s Enshrinement festivities to be held on August 16-17. The Class Announcement was made at a press conference conducted at the site of the 2024 NCAA Men’s Final Four,

Without a shadow of doubt, the accomplishments of the 2024 class stand as a testament to unparalleled excellence,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. “From showcasing unrivaled prowess on the courts and sidelines, spanning the high school, collegiate and professional ranks, to steering the course of basketball across an entire continent and to orchestrating a pair of dynasties, we are honored to pay tribute to these remarkable individuals alongside our esteemed award recipients.”

The Class of 2024 will be enshrined during festivities in Springfield, Massachusetts, the Birthplace of Basketball, as well as the Mohegan Sun Resort/Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut, on August 16-17.

North American Committee Inductees:

CHAUNCEY BILLUPS [Player] – Nicknamed “Mr. Big Shot” for his ability to deliver crucial plays in pivotal moments, Billups was a five-time NBA All-Star and the 2004 Finals MVP after leading the Detroit Pistons to their third NBA championship. During his 17-year career, Billups’ averaged 15.2 points and 5.4 assists per game, while his  89.4  free throw percentage is sixth best in NBA/ABA history. Billups was drafted third overall in 1997 by the Boston Celtics after earning Second Team All-American honors at Colorado. He is the current head coach of the Portland Trail Blazers.

VINCE CARTER [Player] – Renowned for his high-flying dunks, the former North Carolina standout was an eight-time All-Star in his 22 NBA seasons (1998-2020). Carter, who won the 2000 Slam Dunk Contest, was named the 1998-99 Rookie of the Year and is the only player in NBA history to play in four different decades. Carter averaged 16.7 points per game (21.3 as a starter) and also played a pivotal role in the success of the 2000 Sydney Olympics, clinching a gold medal with the U.S. Men’s Basketball Team. He currently holds the single-season franchise scoring record for the New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets and Toronto Raptors.

MICHAEL COOPER [Player] – Cooper was named to eight NBA All-Defensive Teams, taking home First-Team accolades five times and winning Defensive Player of the Year honors in 1987. The former third-round draft pick (60th overall) out of the University of New Mexico spent his entire 12-year NBA career (1978-90) with the Los Angeles Lakers, winning five championships while routinely matching up with the opponent’s top shooter. Following his playing career, Cooper entered the coaching ranks and earned WNBA Coach of the Year accolades in 2000 with the Los Angeles Sparks before winning back-to-back WNBA titles in 2001-02.

WALTER DAVIS [Player] – The all-time leading scorer in Phoenix Suns’ history was a six-time All-Star (1978-81, ‘84, ‘87) during his 15-year NBA career with the Suns (1977-88), Denver Nuggets (1988-92) and Portland Trail Blazers (1991). Before Phoenix chose Davis with the fifth pick in the 1977 draft, the standout player from North Carolina won a gold medal in the 1976 Summer Olympics. He then averaged 24.2 points per game in his first NBA season and was named the 1978 Rookie of the Year. The late Davis had his No. 6 retired by the Suns, and in 2004, he was enshrined in the team’s Ring of Honor.

BO RYAN [Coach] – Ryan went 747-233 (.762) in 32 seasons as a collegiate head coach with the University of Wisconsin-Platteville (1984-89), University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (1999-2001) and University of Wisconsin (2001-15), including a 364-130 (.737) ledger in 14-plus seasons in Madison. Ryan, honored four times as the Big Ten Coach of the Year, led Wisconsin to unprecedented success, clinching four Big Ten regular-season titles, winning three Big Ten tournament championships, and making back-to-back Final Four appearances (2014-15). The four-time Division III champion (1991, ‘95, ‘98-99) was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.

CHARLES SMITH [Coach] – Smith is Louisiana’s all-time winningest high school head coach, surpassing the previous mark of 1,071 in 2020. With nine state championships to his name, Smith’s coaching tenure at Peabody Magnet High School began in 1985 after starting as a math teacher in 1975. He guided the Warhorses to a pair of perfect seasons, going 41-0 in 2004 and 2010 and earning national top-five rankings. Smith, ESPN’s National Coach of the Year in 2010, was inducted into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 2019 and the National High School Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2021. In addition, Smith served as head coach at the McDonald’s All-American game in 2020.

Women’s Committee Inductee:

SEIMONE AUGUSTUS [Player] – Augustus, who was selected first overall in the 2006 WNBA Draft, was a four-time champion and eight-time All-Star during her 15-year WNBA career (2006-20). The cornerstone player for the Minnesota Lynx, where she spent 14 of her 15 seasons, averaged 15.4 points per game and was named the 2006 Rookie of the Year and 2011 Finals MVP. At LSU, Augustus led the Tigers to three straight Final Four appearances and won the Naismith College Player of the Year and Wooden Awards in back-to-back campaigns (2005-06).

Men’s Veteran Committee Inductee:

DICK BARNETT [Player] – Barnett first gained prominence at Tennessee A&I University, where he led the Tigers to three straight NAIA national championships (1957-59), the first historically black school to claim a men’s basketball title. The “Skull” played 14 NBA seasons with the Syracuse Nationals (1959-61), Los Angeles Lakers (1962-65) and New York Knicks (1965-73), winning a pair of titles in the Big Apple (1970, ‘73) and making his lone All-Star team in 1968. The Knicks retired his No. 12, and the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame honored his 1957–59 Tigers squad in 2019.

Women’s Veteran Committee Inductee:

HARLEY REDIN [Coach] – Redin went 431-66 in 18 seasons leading Wayland Baptist’s women’s basketball program and captured six AAU National Championships. He coached the Flying Queens to two undefeated women’s seasons (1956, ‘57), 17 top-five finishes, and went 110-2 during his first four campaigns at Wayland Baptist. The late Redin also coached the Women’s U.S. National Team in 1959, the 1971 Pan-American Games, and the 1963 World Championship tournament in Peru. He was the recipient of the Jostens-Berenson Service Award by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association for his lifetime of service to women’s basketball in 1992, inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999, and honored with the Naismith Award for Outstanding Contribution to the game of women’s basketball in 2000.

International Committee Inductee:

MICHELE TIMMS [Player] – A trailblazer in Australian women’s basketball, Timms became one of the best point guards in the world, representing the Australian national team throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Timms won a pair of Olympic medals with the Opals, winning bronze in 1996 and silver in 2000, and was the first Australian, male or female, to play professional basketball internationally when she suited up for Lotus München in Germany. In addition, Timms spent five seasons with the Phoenix Mercury, guiding the team to a berth in the 1998 WNBA Finals and earning an All-Star selection in 1999. The Sport Australia Hall of Fame inducted her in 2003, the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008, and the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2016. The Mercury retired her No. 7 jersey in 2002.

Contributor Committee Inductees:

DOUG COLLINS – Collins’ versatile career in basketball is marked by significant achievements in roles ranging from player to coach to broadcaster, underscoring his wide-ranging impact on the sport. Following an NBA career where he was a four-time All-Star with the Philadelphia 76ers, he transitioned into coaching and accumulated over 400 wins with the Chicago Bulls (1986-89), Detroit Pistons (1995-98), Washington Wizards (2001-03) and 76ers (2010-13). Collins, who coached Hall of Famer Michael Jordan in both Chicago and Washington, also served as an analyst for various NBA-related broadcasts for CBS, NBC, TNT, TBS, and ABC/ESPN, along with working for NBC Sports at the Summer Olympics.

HERB SIMON – Simon, the longest-tenured governor in the history of the NBA, purchased the Indiana Pacers, along with his late brother Mel, back in 1983. Under Simon’s stewardship, the Pacers won numerous Central Division titles and made the franchise’s first NBA Finals in 2000. Throughout his ownership period, the Pacers have been home to legendary players like Jermaine O’Neal, Rik Smits, and Reggie Miller (Class of 2012). Beyond ownership, Simon’s influence extends deeply into the heart of the Pacers’ organization, shaping its identity and impact both on and off the court through his philanthropic endeavors and civic engagement.

JERRY WEST – Previously enshrined as a player and as a member of the 1960 U.S. Olympic Team, West also established himself off the court as one of the most successful executives in pro basketball history. West played a pivotal role as the architect of a pair of Los Angeles Lakers’ dynasties during the 1980s and 2000s, drafting key players like Magic Johnson and James Worthy, acquiring Kobe Bryant, signing free agent Shaquille O’Neal, and hiring head coach Phil Jackson. He totaled eight NBA championships in Los Angeles (1980, ‘82, ‘85, ‘87-88, 2000-02) and was named Executive of the Year twice (1995, 2004). Following his time in the Lakers’ front office (1979-2000), West served as GM of the Memphis Grizzlies from 2002-07 before earning two additional NBA championships as an executive with the Golden State Warriors (2015, ‘17). West is the first member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame to be inducted as both a player and a contributor.

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | Madness

by

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – Here we are right inside the belly of the BIG EAST, the NCAA East Regional where the University of Connecticut is playing NBA-style basketball while everyone else is trying out for the 5th Grade CYO team. This isn’t the “Chess vs Checkers” thing, it’s more like real NASA Rocket Science compared to Freshman Biology and first-time users of a Bunson Burner.

UConn doesn’t bring a machete to a knife fight, they bring vice grips. UConn is so good, Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown couldn’t find a flaw during a three-hour practice. If they’re down four points, they stay the course like a George W. Bush Rose Garden speech. The four point deficit soon becomes a two point lead, then six, then eight, then 12 – and here in Boston – then 30!

Dan Hurley, the son of a Hall of Fame coach (Bob Hurley, Sr. of St. Anthony’s High School in north Jersey), calls time out and applies the vice grip strategy, adjusts the after-burners and senior guard Cam Spencer takes it from there. If Spencer isn’t ready to score, or he’s closely guarded, the screens are set to perfection and the ball goes into 7-foot-2 sophomore center Donovan Clingan. If that doesn’t work or if the bigman is in foul trouble, UConn goes to their best scorer and shooter, in 6-foot-5 senior guard Tristan Newton.

Pick your poison. Fast.

“This is as dominant as a team can be,” said former NBA coach Stan Van Gundy after UConn went on a relentless second half run at TD Garden.

Let’s count the way: The score was tied at 23-all with 1:51 remaining in the first half. It was 26-23 in favor of UConn at the half.

The next time Illinois scored, the clock read 12:39 remaining in the game and the score was FIFTY THREE to 25. That was a 30-to-two run from that 1:51 mark for you math majors out there.

The final score was 77-52, after Hurley cleared the bench in the waning moments of the biggest ass-kicking we’ve seen since Mike Tyson knocked out Michael Spinks (91 seconds) in 1988.

Aside from the obvious talent and depth, and the fact UConn is very well coached and in condition, the Huskies don’t panic. In any game, never mind Saturday night’s clinic. Close game at the half? To start the second half, they adjust. Then, they play like champions – which they are, of course, as they try to become the first college basketball team to repeat since the Al Horford/Joakim Noah era Florida Gators, coached by another diminutive point guard in Billy Donovan, the Rick Pitino-schooled three-point maven from Providence College.

What did yet another Hall of Famer, Rudy T, say about champions?

“Don’t EVER underestimate the heart of a champion.”

Aside from Lew Alcindor/KAJ’s UCLA teams, Bill Walton’s UCLA teams and the last of the undefeated (30-0) Indiana team of Kent Benson-Quinn Buckner fame, college basketball hasn’t seen anything like this UConn team.

Since it’s Elite 8 time this weekend, it’s not prudent (again quoting a Bush family President?) to predict what will happen when the Final Four convenes in Glendale, Arizona with the exception that No. 1 overall seed Connecticut will be the team to beat, the favorites and the only school in the building with 13 pairs of vice grips, one for Coach Hurley and the others for 12 talented, disciplined players who rolled through the BIG EAST and should shine again when their shining moment comes in the Valley of the Sun.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: On the women’s side of NCAA Basketball Bracketville, there’s an equally talented UConn team but the incredible parity of the high-level women’s tournament makes it impossible to predict.

That’s good.

Call it the way you see it – Is coach Dawn Staley’s South Carolina team ready to accept another crown (adding to 2017 and 2022)? SC will play upstart Oregon State (today/Sunday) at 1:00pm EDT on ABC.

LSU will face Iowa State in a battle of the two most publicized women’s teams, with LSU defending their 2023 NCAA championship against a team they defeated in the Final Four (final game), 102-85, last April 2nd.

Texas will face NC State and a half-a-handful of others will compete this weekend for the right to survive and move on.

All good, right?

Nope.

We’ve got one coach – an odd one, bedazzled in her sequined Purple, Gold and whatever other colors are in the Louisiana State sky – who thinks she’s above the rest of us. She used the pulpit of an NCAA postgame interview room setting to call out a journalist from the Washington Post. In doing so, she called more attention to a story (posted Saturday) than anything published by any outlet that’s ever written a word about women’s basketball.

The coach (LSU’s Ms. Kim Mulkey) threatened lawsuits against a story she hadn’t yet seen/read because it hadn’t even been published at the time of her attempted preemptive strike – let’s call it a rant – in front of a captive audience of media trying to cover a simple basketball game.

Coach Mulkey is supposedly an educator of young minds. The administrators of Louisiana State University pay her good money and place a lot of athletes, basketball players and non-athlete students in her care and oversight.

?But, face facts, no Ph D, no administrator, no parent of a college student should allow Ms. Mulkey anywhere near their schools or kids. In addition, the Journalism Department at LSU should be calling for her dismissal. Mulkey’s actions were selfish and disruptive, and they show no respect for the Journalism Industry or the game of basketball.

Instead of wrapping a fish in a story she didn’t want to see written, Mulkey has taken the “Circle the Wagons” approach to attempt to galvanize her team in the “Us vs The World” style of B.S. coaching. After the Washington Post story dropped (in essence it sounded like a feather hitting a mattress), Mulkey decided to double-down and criticize the Los Angeles Times. The next thing you know, she’ll complain that one of her assistant coaches was booed at a “Hamilton the Musical” production or claim the final score of one of her games was rigged by machines.

It’s that bad.

Mulkey has ruined the 2024 Women’s NCAA Basketball season, a year that held such promise for the women’s game and the overall future of the sport.

IT’S BASEBALL SEASON: Next week’s column will dig-in deep before the Red Sox home opener (April 9) while we also get ready for the April 15th Boston Marathon, but today – How about some very basic MLB predictions?

In the National League, there are two very obvious favorites in the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves. In the American League, the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles and defending ‘23 MLB Champion Texas Rangers get the nod as the regular season begins.

It’s reasonable to wonder if the ‘23 World Series runner-up Arizona Diamondbacks can repeat their magic from last October.

LA Dodgers over the Houston Astros in the 2024 World Series is the call, here.

Can the column seek another opinion, please?

STRAT AGEE: Our friends at Strat-O-Matic made their annual simulation/prediction for the upcoming season and the Braves came out as MLB champions.

Strat-O-Matic, a longtime leader in sports simulation games, simulated the ‘24 MLB regular season and post season, predicting Atlanta as the winner of 99 regular season games and later celebrating the franchise’s third World Series title since relocating from Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Georgia. The Braves needed only five games to take down American League pennant winner Houston in the simulated baseball championship.

Strat-O-Matic’s overall simulation had the Braves winning the NL East by seven games over the Philadelphia Phillies, and joining Central champ Chicago Cubs (90-72) and West winner Los Angeles Dodgers (99-63) as division winners.

Arizona (97-65), Philadelphia (92-70) and San Diego (84-78) claimed the wild card spots, with the Braves taking out the Dodgers in a sweep in the NLCS after dispatching the Cubs in three straight in the NLDS.

In the AL, Houston (102-60) set the big league’s best mark, backing it up by edging wild card Tampa Bay (90-72) in the ALDS and sweeping Minnesota (96-66) in the ALCS. The Twins, Central Division winners, had upended No. 2 seeded New York (99-63) to advance through the ALDS. Texas (91-71) and Cleveland (86-76) were the other AL wild card winners.

MAJOR LEAGUE’S “MAJOR AWARD” WINNERS: Strat-O-Matic also took a crack at predicting the best players in the Big Leagues.

In the American League it was New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, whose 48 home runs and 113 RBI to go with a .962 OPS earned MVP honors, while Minnesota’s Pablo Lopez turned in an impressive 20-8 mark with 3.15 ERA and 235 strikeouts to win the Cy Young Award.

In the NL, Mookie Betts’ work in the LA infield made him an even more integral part of the Dodgers, enough to earn his second MVP with a .281 average, .945 OPS, 40 home runs and 118 RBI. To no one’s surprise, Atlanta’s Spencer Strider breaks through for his first Cy Young Award, posting a 20-5 record and stellar 2.79 ERA with 260 whiffs.

Sports Wagering Falls Short in GA

by

ATLANTA – Georgia remained one of 12 states not to have some form of sports wagering when the state’s Rules Committee declined to consider two bills this week.

Embed from Getty Images

The state’s House Higher Education Committee moved forward two amended sports betting bills on Thursday, one a state constitutional amendment and the other that would have enabled legislation, according to iGamingBusiness. But those bills never made it to the House.

This week’s action becomes the fourth time Georgia lawmakers considered legalizing sports wagering since 2021 without ultimately getting two-third approval in both the state House and Senate.

Georgia’s proposed constitutional amendment, named SR 579, was recently been amended to include up to $22.5 million to promote responsible gambling through tax revenue.

While Georgia appeared the closest to becoming the next state to legalize sports wagering, efforts continue in Minnesota, where multiple bills have been introduced. Missouri is moving toward placing a sports wagering on the November ballot.

Legal sports wagering in North Carolina began on March 11, in advance of NCAA conference basketball tournaments and the current NCAA Tournament, with a reported $200 wagered over the first week it was legal.

O’ Neill Blasts Way to Record

by

SEATTLE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Tyler O’Neill is unlikely to forget his debut in a Red Sox uniform. O’Neill set a major league record by homering for a fifth consecutive Opening Day as the Red Sox defeated the host Seattle Mariners 6-4 on Thursday.

The teams will continue their four-game series on tonight.

“I don’t know, it’s just something about the routine on Opening Day,” O’Neill said on the NESN postgame show. “You just want to kick-start the season.”

The moment was made more special because O’Neill is a native of Burnaby, British Columbia, and he estimated about 20 family members and friends made the three-hour drive south across the Canadian border for the game.

“We’ve got a lot of tickets this week,” O’Neill told the Boston Globe before the game. “So, yeah, I’m going to say a lot of ‘hellos.’

“It’s a good enough effort for them to get down here and I appreciate all the support and stuff. Having all my family here and some buddies who are from back home is always good.”

In 2013, O’Neill was drafted in the third round by the Mariners but never reached the majors with them. He was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals in July 2017 for left-hander Marco Gonzales.

Embed from Getty Images

He homered the previous four Opening Days for the Cardinals, matching the record set by Yogi Berra (1955-58) and equaled by Gary Carter (1977-80) and Todd Hundley (1994-97). O’Neill socked a solo shot for the Red Sox in the eighth inning on Thursday.

Boston’s Rafael Devers hit a two-run homer in the third to open the scoring.

“He was able to drive the ball to left-center, something that he wasn’t able to do last year,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of Devers. “That homer was impressive.”

Right-hander Brayan Bello, signed to a six-year, $55 million extension in the offseason after just 1 1/2 years in the majors, pitched five solid innings for the win.

“They got some hits with two outs, RBI hits, and those are huge. They’re difference-makers,” Seattle manager Scott Servais said. “Not the way we wanted to start. We have a lot of games to go. We have a good team.”

Mitch Haniger and Dylan Moore hit two-run homers for the Mariners.

Haniger, a former All-Star who had career highs of 39 homers and 100 RBIs with the Mariners in 2021, returned to Seattle in an offseason trade with San Francisco after one injury-plagued season with the Giants.

“I’ve been doing a lot of work on mechanics this offseason,” Haniger said. “It’s good to be back in a Mariners uniform. Really glad they brought me back. It felt like home.”

Servais was impressed by Haniger’s opposite-field homer.

“I think just having him with our uniform on is going to springboard him,” Servais said. “I haven’t seen him hit one to right like that for a while. Normally he’s pull side.”

Friday’s game will feature a matchup of right-handers, Boston’s Nick Pivetta (10-9, 4.04 last year) and Seattle’s George Kirby (13-10, 3.35).

Pivetta is 1-1 with a 4.34 ERA in three career starts against the M’s. Kirby is 1-1 with a 4.15 ERA in four starts vs. Boston.

–Field Level Media

NCAA March Madness: Sweet 16

by

LOS ANGELES – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Grant Nelson scored fourth-seeded Alabama’s final five points, including a three-point play with 38 seconds left that put the Crimson Tide ahead for good in a 89-87 win over top-seeded North Carolina on Thursday in an NCAA Tournament West Region semifinal in LA.

Alabama (24-11) rallied from an eight-point halftime deficit, holding North Carolina to seven points through the first 10 minutes of the second half. The Crimson Tide’s defensive effort to open the second half produced a back-and-forth final stretch in a contest that featured 13 ties and 12 lead changes.

Nelson put up a game-high 24 points for the Crimson Tide, who advance to face sixth-seeded Clemson on Saturday in the regional final. Aaron Estrada and Rylan Griffen each scored 19 points.

Armando Bacot led North Carolina (29-8) with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Cormac Ryan scored 17 points, and RJ Davis had 16 points and seven assists.

West Region

No. 6 Clemson 77, No. 2 Arizona 72

Chase Hunter’s and-one play with 25.7 seconds remaining capped his game-high-matching 18-point performance, and the Tigers held off the Wildcats to earn their first trip to the Elite Eight since 1980 in Los Angeles.

Clemson (24-11) led nearly wire-to-wire behind the play of Hunter — who also had seven rebounds and five assists — and PJ Hall, who scored 17 points and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds. Ian Schieffelin added 14 points, including some pivotal baskets in the second half, and snared seven rebounds.

Caleb Love, who scored 13 points, went 0-of-9 from beyond the arc for Arizona (27-9). He shot 5-of-18 from the floor overall. Oumar Ballo finished with 15 points and 15 rebounds but was just 1-of-7 at the foul line. Keshad Johnson grabbed 11 rebounds to go with six points.

East Region

No. 1 UConn 82, No. 5 San Diego State 52

Cam Spencer scored a team-high 18 points and the Huskies dominated the offensive glass to beat the Aztecs in a meeting of East Region teams in the Sweet 16.

Spencer added five rebounds for the Huskies (34-3), who grabbed 21 offensive boards that led to 12 second-chance points. Tristen Newton chipped in 17 points and seven rebounds, and Stephon Castle supplied 16 and 11, respectively, as UConn became the first defending champion to reach the Elite Eight since Florida in 2007.

The Huskies downed the Aztecs 76-59 in last year’s national championship game. Jaedon LeDee paced San Diego State (26-11) with 18 points and eight rebounds. Micah Parrish had 10 points as the Aztecs’ only other scorer in double figures. San Diego State was outshot 46.2 percent to 36.2 percent from the field.

No. 3 Illinois 72, No. 2 Iowa State 69

Terrence Shannon Jr. poured in 29 points and the Illini held off a second-half rally to earn a victory over the Cyclones.

The Fighting Illini will face No. 1 seed UConn in the Elite Eight on Saturday. Coleman Hawkins chipped in 12 points and six rebounds for the Fighting Illini (29-8), who outshot Iowa State 42.1 percent to 39.7 percent.

Curtis Jones paced Iowa State (29-8) with 26 points. Keshon Gilbert supplied 14, and Tre King had 12 to go along with seven boards.

–Field Level Media

UConn, Spencer Rip San Diego State

by

BOSTON – (Staff and wire Service Report) -Connecticut’s Cam Spencer scored a team-high 18 points and No. 1 UConn dominated the offensive glass to beat fifth-seeded San Diego State 82-52 on Thursday night in a meeting of East Region teams in the Sweet 16.

Embed from Getty Images

Spencer added five rebounds, three assists and three steals for the Huskies (34-3), who grabbed 21 offensive boards that led to 12 second-chance points.

Tristen Newton chipped in 17 points and seven rebounds, and Stephon Castle supplied 16 and 11, respectively, as UConn became the first defending champion to reach the Elite Eight since Florida did so in 2007.

The Huskies downed the Aztecs 76-59 in last year’s national championship game.

Jaedon LeDee paced San Diego State (26-11) with 18 points and eight rebounds. Micah Parrish had 10 points as the Aztecs’ only other scorer in double figures.

San Diego State was outshot 46.2 percent to 36.2 percent from the field.

Lamont Butler trimmed the Aztecs’ deficit to 42-33 with 18:48 left in the game, but that was the last time San Diego State would ever be within single digits.

Newton then dropped in a 3-pointer to spark a 9-2 burst, a rally that was capped with four points from Castle for a 51-35 cushion.

The Aztecs twice made it a 14-point game, but San Diego State’s season effectively came to an end when Castle sank two free throws with 4:30 remaining to widen the margin to 28 at 73-45.

Neither team could create any separation until Spencer took over. He accounted for nine points during a 14-4 run, lifting the Huskies to a 27-16 advantage with 10:55 left in the first half.

Elijah Saunders stopped the bleeding with a three-point play and Miles Byrd added a jumper to pull San Diego State within six.

After UConn pushed its lead back to double digits at 33-23, Parrish canned a 3-pointer and a jumper during an 8-2 Aztecs surge that made it 35-31 with 2:09 to go.

However, Spencer knocked down a trey with 21 seconds remaining, sending the Huskies into the break leading 40-31.

–Nick Galle, Field Level Media