NBA – National Basketball Association
Last Night
Denver Nuggets 118, Chicago Bulls 112
Philadelphia 76ers 130, Indiana Pacers 114
Nuggets 118, Bulls 112 – Jokic dominates with 39 points as Nuggets beat Bulls 118-112
Nikola Jokic dominated with 39 points and 14 rebounds, and the Denver Nuggets beat the Chicago Bulls 118-112. The three-time All-Star scored 17 in the fourth quarter to help the Nuggets come away with the win after blowing a 15-point lead. Jokic also finished with nine assists, just missing his 50th career triple-double. Jamal Murray scored 24. Michael Porter Jr. added 17 points and 15 rebounds, and the Nuggets won for the third time in four games. All-Star Zach LaVine led Chicago with 23 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Coby White added 20 points and 10 rebounds.
Sixers 130, Pacers 114 – Korkmaz, Milton come off bench, spark 76ers rout of Indiana
Joel Embiid had 24 points and 13 rebounds, and Shake Milton and Furkan Korkmaz came off the bench to help the Philadelphia 76ers to a 130-114 rout of the Indiana Pacers. Ben Simmons had 18 points and six rebounds. Milton led the Sixers with 26 points and Korkmaz hit six 3-pointers and scored 19 points. Malcolm Brogdon led the Pacers with 20 points.
Tonight
Detroit Pistons at Toronto Raptors, Postponed (at Tampa Bay)
NBA – Raptors-Pistons postponed, tentatively set for Wednesday
Toronto’s game against Detroit that was scheduled for Tuesday is being postponed until Wednesday, a move that the NBA hopes gives the Raptors time to get back onto the floor. The Raptors were scheduled to play Chicago on Sunday and that game was postponed indefinitely because of positive tests and contact tracing issues. The league cautioned that Wednesday is a tentative rescheduling date for the game against the Pistons, and is “pending additional test results.”
NCAAMBB – Men’s College Basketball
Tonight
Toledo at Central Michigan, 5:00 p.m.
(4) Illinois at (2) Michigan, 7:00 p.m. News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM 6:30
Ball State at Eastern Michigan, 7:00 p.m.
Western Michigan at Northern Illinois, 8:00 p.m.
Indiana at Michigan State, 8:00 p.m. Superhits 103.7 Cosy-FM 7:00 p.m.
NCAAMBB – Michigan takes number-2 spot
Michigan has finally broken the stranglehold of Gonzaga and Baylor atop The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll, taking advantage of the Bears’ loss at Kansas to leap into the No. 2 spot behind the Bulldogs. Illinois climbed one spot to fourth and Iowa gave the Big Ten three teams in the top five. West Virginia continued its steady climb, up four spots to No. 6 after its third straight win. Ohio State fell three spots to seventh after losing to the Hawkeyes. Alabama, Houston and Villanova rounded out the top 10. Oklahoma State, Purdue and Colorado joined the poll while Southern California, Tennessee and Missouri dropped out.
NCAAMBB – NIT – NIT moves 2021 event to Texas, interrupting 83-year NY run
The NIT is moving the entire 2021 event to Texas, taking the semifinals and championship game out of New York’s Madison Square Garden for the first time in the 83-year history of college basketball’s oldest postseason tournament. The pandemic is also reducing the field to 16 teams from the usual 32. All games are set for two venues in the Dallas area. First-round games will be played March 17-20, with the quarterfinals March 25. The semifinals are set for March 27, followed by the championship game the next day. Last year’s event was canceled because of COVID-19.
NHL – National Hockey League
Tonight
Detroit Red Wings at Columbus Blue Jackets, 7:00 p.m.
NHL – Fresh off No. 400, Blackhawks star Patrick Kane wants more
Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane is showing no sign of slowing down in his 14th season. It helps that the team is off to a surprising start. Led by Kane, still as dynamic as ever at age 32, the surprising Blackhawks head into a challenging stretch of their schedule with some momentum after a 9-3-1 February. Kane scored his 400th career regular-season goal during Sunday night’s 7-2 victory over Detroit. He has eight goals and 19 assists in his past 15 games, inserting himself into the conversation for a second Hart Trophy for NHL MVP.
MLB – Spring Training
Yesterday
New York Yankees 5, Detroit Tigers 4 – 7 Innings
Chicago White Sox 4, Los Angeles Angels 4 – TIE/5 Innings
Chicago Cubs 1, San Diego Padres 0 – 7 Innings
Today
Detroit Tigers at Pittsburgh Pirates, 1:05 p.m.
Kansas City Royals at Chicago Cubs, 3:05 p.m.
Texas Rangers at Chicago White Sox, 3:05 p.m.
MLB – In-game video returning to baseball for 2021
Major League Baseball has cleared the way for the return of in-game video on dugout iPads beginning on opening day, with catcher signals clipped when they are displayed on a computer. For decades, baseball players retreated to a clubhouse video room to check out their at-bats or take a closer look at a reliever coming into the game. But that practice was prohibited in 2020, contributing to a down year for offense during the pandemic-shortened season. Washington Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman, who opted out of last season because of COVID-19 concerns, calls video “a huge part of the game.”
NCAAFB – By opting out of video game, ND calls attention to NIL issue
The NCAA’s proposal to permit athletes to earn money from endorsements would stand in the way of players’ names, images and likenesses being used in EA Sports’ new college football video game. Until that changes, Notre Dame doesn’t want to be in the game. The Fighting Irish are among the major college football programs passing on inclusion in the rebooted game until players can get paid to be in it. Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick tells The Associated Press the school went public with its decision not to be included in the game last week to call attention to a major issue that hasn’t been thoroughly addressed.
NCAAFB – Questions surround death of former NFL player Louis Nix III
Former Notre Dame and NFL player Louis Nix III has died after being missing for several days, but many questions linger about the circumstances of his death. Nix’s mother Stephanie Wingfield told multiple news outlets in Jacksonville, Florida, that authorities said her son died but haven’t been able to tell her how. Family members say his car was pulled out of a pond near his home on Saturday. In December 2020, he was shot in an armed robbery. Nix had received high praise during his time with the Fighting Irish. He was then drafted by the Houston Texans in 2014 but struggled to make an impact in the NFL due to injuries.
NCAAFB – ESPN re-signs Rece Davis as ‘College GameDay’ host
ESPN has re-signed Rece Davis to a multiyear contract that will keep him in place as host of the network’s popular Saturday college football pregame show. The 55-year-old Davis is entering his seventh year as host of ESPN’s “College GameDay.” He tells The Associated Press this new deal will take him through his 10th season leading the show that includes Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard and Lee Corso. Terms of the deal were not disclosed by the network. Davis will also continue to host ”College GameDay" for basketball, along with the network’s coverage of the NFL draft on ABC and the men’s Final Four.
NFL – Watt signs with Cardinals
J.J. Watt has agreed to a two-year contract with the Arizona Cardinals. The team announced the deal with the free-agent edge rusher on Monday. Watt was released last month by the Houston Texans, for whom he won three NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards. The 31-year old Watt has been one of the NFL’s best players for a decade, but asked out in Houston, which is undergoing a roster upheaval. Watt joins another former Texans star, wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, in Arizona. Hopkins was acquired by the Cardinals in a one-sided trade a year ago.
NFL – Bears hire former Texas coach Herman to work on Nagy’s staff
The Chicago Bears have hired former Texas coach Tom Herman in an analyst role on Matt Nagy’s staff, his first NFL job after more than two decades of college coaching. Herman led Texas to a 32-18 record and four bowl victories the past four seasons. But he failed to deliver a Big 12 title or lead the Longhorns into national championship contention and got fired in January, with Steve Sarkisian replacing him. Herman had two successful seasons coaching Houston before taking the Texas job. The Bears also hired Anthony Hibbert as assistant strength coach. He spent six years as a strength and conditioning assistant at Oklahoma State.
NFL – Home of NFL’s Detroit Lions hosts COVID-19 vaccine clinic
The domed home of the Detroit Lions has welcomed educators and school staff from southeast Michigan for a COVID-19 vaccine clinic. Although Ford Field can accommodate tens of thousands of fans on NFL Sunday, it hosted considerably fewer during the event. Retailer Meijer and the Michigan Education Special Services Association worked together to identify and schedule 2,600 educational employees still needing the vaccine. The Ford Field event was pre-registration only and at capacity. The educators will return to Ford Field for their second shot in a few weeks.
NFL – Irv Cross, NFL player, pioneer Black analyst, dies at 81
Irv Cross, the former NFL defensive back who became the first Black man to work full-time as a sports analyst on national television, died Sunday. He was 81. The Philadelphia Eagles, the team Cross spent six of his nine NFL seasons with, said Cross’ son, Matthew, confirmed his father died near his home in Roseville, Minnesota. The cause of death was not provided. From Hammond, Indiana, Cross starred in football and track and field at Northwestern. He was drafted in the seventh round by Philadelphia in 1961, was traded to Los Angeles in 1966 and returned to the Eagles in 1969 as a player coach. Cross joined CBS in 1971, becoming the first Black network sports show anchor. He left CBS in 1994.
NCAABSB – B10 baseball momentum could slow with no nonconference games
The Big Ten’s decision to prohibit its teams from playing nonconference baseball games this season likely will cost the league when it comes to NCAA Tournament selections. The Big Ten season opens Friday with teams traveling to neutral sites where bad weather shouldn’t interfere. Of the 31 Division I baseball conferences, only the Big Ten and Metro Atlantic have barred nonconference games and the Ivy League is not playing. NCAA Division I Baseball Committee chair Jeff Altier said it will be difficult to evaluate Big Ten teams against those from other conferences. He said the Big Ten decision surprised him.
MHSAA – High School Sports
Last Night
Boys Basketball
Benton Harbor 83, St. Joseph 52
- The Tigers went on an early 20-0 run to eventually take a 24-8 lead after the first quarter and they extended it to a 22 point halftime advantage. Javaughn Kuykendoll led four Benton Harbor players in double figures with a game high 18 points. Brennen Kerns paced St. Joe with 15. The win lifts Benton Harbor to 8-1 on the season. With the loss, St. Joe falls to 5-4.
Lakeshore 50, Niles 26
Lake Michigan Catholic 37, Lawrence 23
Edwardsburg 48, Three Rivers 45
Otsego 50, Plainwell 47
Paw Paw 51, Vicksburg 42
Allegan 45, South Haven 34
Sturgis 73, Dowagiac 48
Comstock 71, Battle Creek Calhoun Christian 19
Girls Basketball
Niles 58, Lakeshore 48
Lake Michigan Catholic 34, Lawrence 18
Bridgman 50, Eau Claire 11
Brandywine 42, Coloma 16
Allegan 47, South Haven 32
Sturgis 23, Dowagiac 15
Plainwell 55, Otsego 48 – OT
Three Rivers 50, Edwardsburg 39
Vicksburg 52, Paw Paw 47
Gull Lake 65, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix 22
Battle Creek Calhoun Christian 59, Comstock 26
Tonight
Boys Basketball
Kalamazoo Loy Norrix at St. Joseph, 7:00 p.m.
Portage Northern at Lakeshore, 7:00 p.m.
Lawrence at Michigan Lutheran, 7:30 p.m.
River Valley at Countryside, 6:00 p.m.
Coloma at Constantine, 7:00 p.m.
Watervliet at Saugatuck, 7:00 p.m.
South Haven at Niles, 7:0 p.m.
Buchanan at Bridgman, 7:15 p.m.
Berrien Springs at Marcellus, 6:00 p.m.
Brandywine at Howardsville Christian, 7:30 p.m.
Mendon at Bangor, 7:30 p.m.
Fennville at Gobles, 7:00 p.m.
Kalamazoo Hackett at Kalamazoo Christian, 7:00 p.m.
Martin at Lawton, 7:00 p.m.
Galesburg-Augusta at Parchment, 7:00 p.m.
Hartford at Cassopolis, 7:30 p.m.
Centreville at Decatur, 7:30 p.m.
Battle Creek Lakeview at Kalamazoo Central, 7:00 p.m.
Hopkins at Gull Lake, 6:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball
St. Joseph at Kalamazoo Loy Norrix, 5:45 p.m.
Portage Northern at Lakeshore, 7:00 p.m.
Buchanan at Benton Harbor, 6:30 p.m.
Michigan Lutheran at Berrien Springs, 7:00 p.m.
Brandywine at Howardsville Christian, 6:00 p.m.
Constantine at Coloma, 6:00 p.m.
Saugatuck at Watervliet, 7:00 p.m.
South Haven at Niles, 5:30 p.m.
Marcellus at New Buffalo, 6:00 p.m.
Cassopolis at Hartford, 7:30 p.m.
Centreville at Decatur, 6:00 p.m.
Marcellus at New Buffalo, 6:00 p.m.
Gobles at Fennville, 5:30 p.m.
Parchment at Galesburg-Augusta, 5:30 p.m.
Kalamazoo Christian at Kalamazoo Hackett, 7:00 p.m.
Lawton at Martin, 7:00 p.m.
Kalamazoo Central at Battle Creek Lakeview, 7:15 p.m.
Battle Creek Central at Gull Lake, 5:00 p.m.
