NBA News

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Shohei Ohtani reached back for the heater and found it, blazing a 99-mph fastball past Willy Adames for his first strikeout of the afternoon on Wednesday. For a guy who hasn’t spent much time on the mound over the past 2 1/2 years, he doesn’t seem remotely rusty. Advertisement The Japanese two-way …

BUFFALO, NY – South Florida’s NCAA Tournament opener against Louisville marks a homecoming for first-year coach Bryan Hodgson, who was born in western New York, went to college in western New York and started his coaching career in western New York, eventually working under current Alabama coach Nate Oats at Buffalo from 2015-19. An Olean, New York native who attended Jamestown …

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Jaylen Waddle and Pat Surtain II are gearing up for some fierce training camp competitions now that the former Alabama stars have been reunited in Denver. “He was one of the first calls that I made,” Waddle said on a conference call Wednesday after his trade to the Broncos from the Miami Dolphins was finalized. “We …

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — When Colin Dorgan takes the ice Wednesday to compete in the Rhode Island Division 2 boys’ state championship, three seats will be noticeably empty in the crowded arena. The high school senior’s mother, brother and grandfather should be there to celebrate one of the most exciting moments in his hockey career, but that opportunity was robbed …

A Division II men’s basketball coach removed from the court in handcuffs earlier this season is planning to file a lawsuit against Morehouse College and two of its campus police officers, according to the coach’s attorneys. Tuskegee University coach Benjy Taylor was never charged with a crime despite being escorted off the floor after a 77-69 loss at rival Morehouse …

Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden is the best pick-and-roll player of this generation. He’s developed seemingly instant chemistry with his various pick-and-roll partners throughout his career. The key to Harden’s success is two-fold. First, he’s incredibly skilled. Harden can make every pass on the court, creates space with his lateral quickness, has excellent touch, and has the strength to initiate …

MIAMI (AP) — Having set attendance and broadcast viewer records, the World Baseball Classic will return in 2029 or 2030 and at some future point could be moved to midseason, when clubs would be less likely to restrict players. Since the WBC’s inception in 2006, it has been played during spring training. Tournament rules include pitch count restrictions, and teams …

LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — Two months after the chaotic end to the Africa Cup of Nations final between Senegal and Morocco, the outcome of the game remains in dispute. Senegal was stripped of its title on Tuesday when African soccer’s governing body ruled it had forfeited the final in January by walking off the field. The Confederation of African Football’s …

NEW YORK (AP) — A landmark new WNBA collective bargaining agreement was reached in principle early Wednesday morning that will give the league its first million dollar players. There’s still a lot of work to do between now and the start of the regular season on May 8, however. Advertisement Lawyers on both sides are finalizing the term sheet for …

You probably already know about Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and AJ Dybantsa. But while the national media is tripping over themselves to tell you about the obvious lottery picks, there’s a second tier of players heading into this tournament that deserves your attention for dynasty. Yahoo Fantasy Bracket Mayhem: Make your picks for $50K in total prizes Advertisement Here are …

It’s playoff time in fantasy basketball, which means many fantasy managers are scrounging for any value to be had on the waiver wire. And it’s especially difficult to do when a star player has been sidelined due to injury. There are some key players on the mend during Week 21, with some likely missing Week 22 as well. NBA: Charlotte …

It was no secret, JJ Redick had been preaching it since Day 1: The Lakers didn’t need Deandre Ayton to be a star, they just needed him to thrive in his role. Set picks. Roll hard to the rim. Defend the rim. Rebound. Do that, and this team wins. It took a while for “I’m not Clint Capela” Ayton to …

Yahoo and Arena Club are teaming up to bring you weekly slab packs featuring top fantasy basketball players. We’re back hoops fans with another Yahoo Fantasy x Arena Club drop for Week 21. Yahoo Fantasy Basketball Slab Packs are a brand-new weekly drop featuring real, graded trading cards of the hottest fantasy performers in the NBA. Advertisement If you’re new …

Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd helped UConn to an undefeated season heading into March Madness. The pair became the first teammates in six years to make The Associated Press All-America team. It’s the 10th time that teammates have made the first team, seven of those involving UConn players. The last pair to achieve the feat was Oregon’s Sabrina Ionescu and …

Louisville basketball will be without star freshman Mikel Brown Jr. for its Men’s NCAA Tournament first round game against 11-seed South Florida on Thursday in Buffalo. If the Cardinals are to win, Brown will also miss Saturday’s second round game, the school announced Wednesday. The winner of Louisville/South Florida plays the winner of Michigan State/North Dakota State. Advertisement Upset alert: …

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here. The Oklahoma City Thunder are rolling, looking for their 10th win in a row as they visit the Brooklyn Nets. Despite a crushing 7-1 record against BK in the last eight, my Thunder vs Nets predictions have the home team taking advantage of …

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here. The Chicago Bulls enter tonight’s contest against the Toronto Raptors as underdogs, but Josh Giddey has been on fire of late for the hosts. Advertisement Find out why I’m backing Giddey to put up a ton of assists and boards in my Raptors …

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here. Nine games are on the slate tonight across the Association, and I’ve found the very best NBA player props for all the action. I’ll include big games from Jalen Johnson, Nikola Jokic, and Luka Doncic. Advertisement Read more in my NBA picks for …

NCAA history is set to made in March Madness. Purdue guard Braden Smith is about to be a new assists king. The senior is two assists away from breaking Bobby Hurley’s career record of 1,076 assists set in 1990-93. Advertisement Tthe record will likely be broken in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament, when the No. 2 seed Boilermakers …

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry remains out for Wednesday’s game against the Boston Celtics with a lingering right knee injury that has sidelined him for six weeks. Curry has averaged 27.2 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists on 46.8% field goal shooting this season, but missing the last 18 games for Golden State has been a huge blow for …

SYDNEY (AP) — Riko Ueki and Maika Hamano scored first-half goals to set Japan on course for a 4-1 victory over South Korea on Wednesday and a spot in the Women’s Asian Cup final against Australia. Japan dominated the semifinal at Sydney’s Stadium Australia against a South Korea lineup that edged the Australians on goal difference in the group stage …

Since March Madness became part of the sports vernacular, the NCAA Tournament bracket pool has become a familiar exercise. Broadly speaking, participants come from two main categories. There are the more casual fans who only pay attention to men’s college hoops around tourney time. They’ll do a modicum of research but will for the most part rely on name recognition …

The debate over which player is taken first overall in this year’s NBA draft has to include Duke freshman Cameron Boozer, the clubhouse leader for national player of the year. With his double-double consistency in leading the Blue Devils to the top of the USA TODAY Sports Men’s College Basketball Poll, Boozer has joined a pair of fellow freshmen who …

Following a rollercoaster win in LA on Monday, the Spurs extended their win streak against the lowly Kings on the second night of a back-to-back. The start of this game was the opposite of what happened in LA. San Antonio caught fire from deep and made six triples in the first quarter alone, jumping out to a double-digit lead just …

Orlando Magic (38-30, sixth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Charlotte Hornets (35-34, 10th in the Eastern Conference) Charlotte, North Carolina; Thursday, 7 p.m. EDT BOTTOM LINE: Charlotte faces Orlando in a matchup of Eastern Conference teams. Advertisement The Hornets are 21-22 in conference games. Charlotte is third in the Eastern Conference with 12.7 offensive rebounds per game led by Moussa …