AP Sports Summary for Friday, March 8th, 2024.
Nikola Jokic's triple-double helps Nuggets to season sweep of Celtics with 115-109 win
DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic had 32 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists in leading the Denver Nuggets to a 115-109 win over Boston and a season sweep of the Celtics. It was Jokic's 20th triple-double of the season. Jaylen Brown led Boston with a season-best 41 points but the NBA-best Celtics lost back-to-back games for the first time since early November. The Nuggets improved to 7-1 after the All-Star break. Jamal Murray added 19 points and eight assists for Denver. Boston's Kristaps Porzingis scored 24 points.
Stephen Curry injures right ankle late in loss to Bulls
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Warriors star Stephen Curry injured his troublesome right ankle again, though the severity wasn't immediately known. Coach Steve Kerr had yet to speak with Golden State's medical staff immediately after a 125-122 loss to the Chicago Bulls but said the two-time MVP had his ankle in a bucket of ice. Curry rolled the ankle driving to the basket then quickly limped off while exiting and headed to the locker room with 3:51 to play having scored 15 points.
Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns will have meniscus surgery, out at least 4 weeks
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota's Karl-Anthony Towns will have surgery next week to address a meniscus tear in his left knee. The team announced the injury Thursday night, saying Towns will miss at least four weeks. That means the All-Star will be sidelined for at least 13 more games. That's the majority of Minnesota's remaining regular-season schedule. The Wolves sit atop the Western Conference. Towns didn't play in the Wolves' win at Indiana on Thursday night. The team revealed after the game that an MRI exam, performed Wednesday, showed the meniscus tear.
Hurricanes make a big NHL trade deadline eve splash by getting Jake Guentzel from the Penguins
The Carolina Hurricanes made the biggest splash in the league on the eve of the NHL trade deadline. Carolina acquired two-time 40-goal scorer Jake Guentzel in a blockbuster deal finalized Thursday night with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Guentzel was considered the top player available at the deadline. The Hurricanes became the latest Stanley Cup contender to make a major acquisition prior to 3 p.m. Eastern Friday deadline. Colorado added two more forwards in Brandon Duhaime and Yakov Trenin, while the Oilers and Maple Leafs each acquired a defenseman with Troy Stecher going to Edmonton and Joel Edmundson to Toronto.
Las Vegas fans get first look at A's since stadium funding and relocation were approved
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The Oakland Athletics return to Las Vegas this weekend for exhibition games against Milwaukee, their first appearance since announcing the relocation to what the team envisions as its future home city. The games at Las Vegas Ballpark, home of the franchise's Triple-A Aviators, feature an A's team planning a new regular-season ballpark on the Strip it hopes will open in 2028. The Nevada Legislature enacted $380 million in funding for a $1.5 billion stadium and baseball owners unanimously approved the relocation in November. Close to a sellout crowd is expected in the 10,000 capacity ballpark for the Saturday afternoon game.
Some of the biggest deals in NFL free agency could actually be re-signings
Another NFL free agency period is about to begin but buyers should beware that signing other teams' veterans comes with plenty of risk. Some veterans will test the open market only to come back and re-sign with their old team. Every general manager in the league has a topflight player or two that he wants to keep from calling the moving trucks.
Shane Lowry shows good form is more valuable than a bad track record at Bay Hill
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Shane Lowry knows he's playing good golf. He also knows he has a horrible record at Bay Hill. Good golf mattered more in the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Lowry opened with a 66 on Thursday and has a one-shot lead. That not only is his best score at Bay Hill, he had never broken 70 the previous five times he played. Lowry had a share of the 54-hole lead last week, so he knows his form is good. He leads by one shot over Hideki Matsuyama and Justin Lower. Jordan Spieth had another wild day of bogeys and birdies and shot 69.
Venus Williams loses at Indian Wells in her first match since the US Open. Naomi Osaka advances
INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) — Venus Williams has played a match on tour for the first time in about six months. The 43-year-old owner of seven Grand Slam titles gave away the lead and the last 10 games in a 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 loss to qualifier Nao Hibino at the BNP Paribas Open. Thursday was Williams' first competition since a first-round exit at the U.S. Open on Aug. 29. When the defeat ended with Williams getting broken for the seventh time in 12 service games, she walked to the net to congratulate Hibino, then left the court with a smile and a wave as much of the sparse crowd stood to applaud. Thursday's winners included Naomi Osaka.
No. 5 Arizona thrashes UCLA 88-65 to clinch the Pac-12 regular-season title in final league season
LOS ANGELES (AP) — KJ Lewis scored 18 points, Caleb Love added 17 and No. 5 Arizona routed UCLA 88-65. The Wildcats clinched the Pac-12 regular-season title in their final season in the league. Arizona improved to 24-6 overall and 15-4 in conference games. The Wildcats got some help with Washington's win over second-place Washington State. The Wildcats had five players in double figures in their fourth straight victory. The Bruins were led by Lazar Stefanovic with 20 points. UCLA fell to 14-16 and 9-10 while losing its season-worst fifth in a row. Arizona is headed to the Big 12 next season, while the Bruins are bound for the Big Ten.
Luis Suárez, Lionel Messi rally Inter Miami for a 2-2 tie with Nashville
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Luis Suárez scored in stoppage time and Lionel Messi also scored after halftime to help Inter Miami tie Nashville 2-2 in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. The teams will meet Wednesday in Florida for the second leg of the home-and-home, total-goals series in the round of 16. Suárez tied it up by scoring in the fifth minute of stoppage time with a header off a cross from former Barcelona teammate Sergio Busquets. Messi got Inter Miami on the board with his first CONCACAF goal in the 52nd minute. Jacob Shaffelburg scored twice to put Nashville up 2-0.
AP-Scorecard
Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:
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INTERLEAGUE
Kansas City at Colorado 3:10 p.m. (Canceled)
Final Tampa Bay 3 Philadelphia 2
Final Atlanta 3 Boston 2
Final Houston 6 St. Louis 3
Final Milwaukee 8 Chicago White Sox 2
Final Texas 7 Arizona 5
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AMERICAN LEAGUE
Cleveland at Oakland 3:05 p.m. (Canceled)
Final Seattle 5 L.A. Angels 0
Final Toronto 5 Detroit 4
Final Detroit 11 N.Y. Yankees 5
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NATIONAL LEAGUE
L-A Dodgers at San Francisco 9:05 p.m. (Canceled)
Final N.Y. Mets 3 Washington 1
Final Chicago Cubs 2 Cincinnati 2
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NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final Detroit 118 Brooklyn 112
Final Minnesota 113 Indiana 111
Final Dallas 114 Miami 108
Final Phoenix 120 Toronto 113
Final Sacramento 131 San Antonio 129
Final Chicago 125 Golden State 122
Final Denver 115 Boston 109
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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final Philadelphia 2 Florida 1
Final Columbus 4 Edmonton 2
Final Washington 6 Pittsburgh 0
Final New Jersey 4 St. Louis 1
Final Calgary 6 Tampa Bay 3
Final Carolina 4 Montreal 1
Final Boston 4 Toronto 1
Final Nashville 4 Buffalo 2
Final Minnesota 5 Arizona 2
Final Vancouver 3 Vegas 1
Final N-Y Islanders 7 San Jose 2
Final OT Los Angeles 4 Ottawa 3
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TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final (5)Arizona 88 UCLA 65
Final Washington 74 (18)Washington St. 68
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TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE
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INTERLEAGUE
Houston at Philadelphia 1:05 p.m.
Minnesota at Pittsburgh 1:05 p.m.
Seattle at Chi Cubs 3:05 p.m.
Colorado at L-A Angels 3:10 p.m.
Oakland at Milwaukee 3:10 p.m.
Milwaukee at Oakland 9:05 p.m.
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AMERICAN LEAGUE
N-Y Yankees at Toronto 1:07 p.m.
Chi White Sox at Cleveland 3:05 p.m.
Kansas City at Texas 3:05 p.m.
Detroit at Baltimore 6:05 p.m.
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NATIONAL LEAGUE
Pittsburgh at Atlanta 1:05 p.m.
Chi Cubs at Arizona 3:10 p.m.
St. Louis at Washington 6:05 p.m.
N-Y Mets at Miami 6:40 p.m.
Cincinnati at L-A Dodgers 8:05 p.m.
San Francisco at San Diego 8:40 p.m.
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NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Charlotte at Washington 7 p.m.
New Orleans at Philadelphia 7 p.m.
Minnesota at Cleveland 7:30 p.m.
Orlando at New York 7:30 p.m.
Atlanta at Memphis 8 p.m.
Miami at Oklahoma City 8 p.m.
Houston at Portland 10 p.m.
Milwaukee at L.A. Lakers 10 p.m.
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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Detroit at Arizona 9 p.m.
Minnesota at Colorado 9 p.m.
Dallas at Anaheim 10 p.m.
Winnipeg at Seattle 10 p.m.
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TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Boise St. at (21)San Diego St. 10 p.m.
VCU at (25)Dayton 7 p.m.
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