Update on the latest sports
APCOLLEGE BASKETBALL- TOURNAMENTS
Ohio to face Illinois, LSU faces Alabama Sunday
UNDATED (AP) — Duane Washington Jr. scored 24 points and E.J. Liddell added 18 and No. 9 Ohio State fended off a frantic finish from No. 4 Michigan for a 68-67 victory and a chance to play for the Big Ten Tournament title.
The Buckeyes will play their fourth game in four days against No. 3 Illinois on Sunday. Ohio State has won four tourney crowns, its most recent coming in 2013.
Kofi Cockburn scored 18 of his 26 points in the first half, and No. 3 Illinois beat No. 5 Iowa 82-71 to advance to the Big Ten Tournament title game. The Fighting Illini have won six straight, with three coming against top-10 foes. If Illinois wins one more, against No. 9 Ohio State, it would claim its first tourney title since 2005.
Over in the SEC, Cameron Thomas scored 21 points and third-seeded LSU upset eighth-ranked Arkansas 78-71 to reach the Southeastern Conference Tournament championship for the first time since 1993.
The Tigers will play No. 6 Alabama, a 73-68 winner over Tennessee in the other semifinal, on Sunday looking to improve their NCAA Tournament seeding even more by knocking off the SEC’s regular-season champ. LSU has won this tournament only once — back in 1980.
NBA-SCHEDULE
Knicks cruise past Thunder 119-97 after shaky start
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — RJ Barrett scored 32 points and Julius Randle added 26 to lead the New York Knicks past the Oklahoma City Thunder 119-97. The Knicks trailed by nine after one quarter with the Thunder shooting 70.6% from the floor. The Knicks then outscored the Thunder 97-66 over the final 36 minutes.
The Thunder were missing leading scorer Shai Gilgeous (shay GIHL’-juhs) Alexander and couldn’t sustain their fast start. Barrett knocked down a 3-pointer with 10:19 left in the third quarter and the Knicks led the rest of the way. Al Horford led the Thunder with 16 points.
NBA-76ERS-EMBIID INJURED
AP source: Embiid sidelined with bone bruise in left knee
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia 76ers star center Joel Embiid (joh-EHL’ ehm-BEED’) has a bone bruise on his left knee and could miss at least two weeks, according to a person with knowledge of the injury.
Embiid apparently did not suffer structural damage to his knee and will be evaluated again in two weeks. Embiid was injured in the Sixers’ win Friday over Washington.
Embiid has emerged as an MVP candidate after helping the 76ers to the Eastern Conference lead. He’s averaging 29.9 points and 11.5 rebounds in 31 games.
NHL-SCHEDULE
Rangers beat Bruins 4-0 in Panarin’s first game back
UNDATED (AP) — The New York Rangers have ended a three-game losing streak with a 4-0 victory over the Boston Bruins.
Chris Kreider scored his team-leading 14th goal and Keith Kinkaid stopped 18 shots for his first shutout since 2018. Ryan Strome, Pavel Buchnevich and K’Andre Miller each had a goal for New York, which lost 4-0 in Boston on Thursday.
Artemi Panarin (ahr-TEH’-mee pah-NAH’-rihn) had an assist in his first game back. He left the Rangers last month after a Russian tabloid printed allegations that he attacked a woman in Latvia almost a decade ago, which he denies.
NHL-SABRES-EICHEL
Eichel out for `foreseeable future’
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Sabres will be without captain Jack Eichel (EYE’-kul) for what coach Ralph Krueger called “the foreseeable future,” delivering another blow to a team in the midst of a nine-game skid.
Under the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol rules, Eichel is required to spend seven days in quarantine as a result of the trip, meaning he will at least miss Buffalo’s next four games. He has already missed two games since he was checked into the end boards by Casey Cizikas (sih-ZEE’-kuhs) in the closing minutes of a 5-2 loss at the New York Islanders on Sunday.
MLB-ROCKIES-OBERG
Oberg progressing after blood clot sidelined reliever in ’20
UNDATED (AP) — Colorado Rockies right-handed reliever Scott Oberg is steadily making his way back to the mound after sitting out last season due to a blood clot in his pitching arm. It was the third time over his career a clot has surfaced.
Oberg underwent thoracic outlet surgery in September. He anticipates being on the opening day roster when the Rockies start the season on April 1 against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Coors Field.
Elsewhere in the majors:
— San Francisco Giants first baseman Brandon Belt got hit with quite a double-whammy that derailed his offseason. First, in January, he contracted the coronavirus. Then, he immediately became ill again with mononucleosis. Belt says he isn’t sure he will be ready for opening day which he had hoped to do after working back from surgery on his right heel in October to remove a bone spur.
NFL-NEWS
Normalcy inches back to NFL with draft room gatherings OK’d
UNDATED (AP) — The NFL has informed teams they can gather in person for the draft, unlike last year when they had to connect via videoconference from their homes because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Every team must submit their draft plan by March 26 for review and approval by the NFL’s chief medical officer, Dr. Allen Sills.
Clubs also will be permitted to use off-site facilities for their draft rooms if they choose.
In other NFL news:
— The New York Jets re-signed wide receiver Vyncint Smith. He was scheduled to become a restricted free agent next week. The 24-year-old Smith had just one catch for 13 yards in seven games after being sidelined for the start of the season following core muscle surgery during training camp.
— Casey Hayward Jr. was released by the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday which gives the team a salary cap savings of $9.5 million. The cornerback, who was a team captain, spent five seasons with the franchise after signing as a free agent in 2016. H
— The Detroit Lions have signed free agent tight end Josh Hill. He has 116 receptions for 1,071 yards and 15 touchdowns in 117 games. Hill has made 61 starts. Hill had eight catches last season.
