Wayne Byers Show – Morning – Mar 17

NBA..

— LeBron James had 25 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists in his 99th career triple-double, leading the Lakers to a 137-121 victory over the Timberwolves. Montrezl Harrell scored 25 points as the defending NBA champions picked up their third straight victory on the second night of a back-to-back set. Dennis Schröder had 16 points and seven assists, while Kyle Kuzma and Talen Horton-Tucker also scored 16 apiece.

UNDATED (AP) — The Utah Jazz hope they’ve pulled out of their first tailspin of the season by winning in Boston.

Donovan Mitchell had eight of his 21 points in the fourth quarter to send the Jazz past the Celtics, 117-109. Jordan Clarkson added 20 points off the bench for Utah, which hit 19 3-pointers and won for just the third time in seven games since a 26-6 start.

Mike Conley had 17 points and Rudy Gobert finished with 16 points and 12 rebounds to help the Jazz sweep the season series between the teams.

Boston led by as many as 11 in the first half before fading down the stretch. Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 29 points and Jaylen Brown added 28.

Checking out Tuesday’s other NBA action:

— Tobias Harris scored 30 points, Seth Curry had 20 and the 76ers beat the Knicks, 99-96 for their sixth straight win. The Sixers lead the East and are a full game ahead of the Nets. Harris got hot in the final minutes and scored seven straight points, including the tying bucket from 3-feet out and a go-ahead layup that made it 96-92.

— The Heat won for the 11th time in 12 games as Jimmy Butler had 28 points and 12 rebounds in a 113-98 downing of the Cavaliers. Bam Adebayo returned from a knee issue and finished with 14 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Kelly Olynyk scored 17 points and Tyler Herro had 15 in just Miami’s third game in which it led the entire fourth quarter.

— Danilo Gallinari scored 20 of his 29 points in the first half of the Hawks’ sixth win in a row, 119-107 over the Rockets. Gallinari hit 5 of 8 from 3-point range and has scored at least 20 points in four of his last five games after reaching that mark just twice in his first 23 contests this season. John Collins scored 20 points, and Trae Young had 13 points and 14 assists. Houston lost its 17th straight game, tying the franchise record by the San Diego Rockets in the team’s inaugural 1967-68 season.

— Zach LaVine scored 40 points on 15-for-20 shooting, and Lauri Markkanen added 22 as the Bulls ripped the Thunder, 123-102. LaVine was unstoppable from in-close and long-range in stretches, and finished with seven 3-pointers on 12 attempts. Thaddeus Young had 17 points and nine rebounds as the Bulls shot at 51.1 %

NBA-PANDEMIC-RAPTORS

Raptors closer to full strength

UNDATED (AP) — Toronto Raptors Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, Malachi Flynn and Patrick McCaw were back with the team for practice Tuesday after missing more than two weeks for virus-related reasons.

Siakam, Flynn and McCaw are questionable to play Wednesday in Detroit. VanVleet and OG Anunoby are likely to remain out until at least Friday’s home game in Tampa, Florida against Utah.

VanVleet revealed that he tested positive for the virus, adding that the symptoms gave him some problems.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL-COVID-NCAA OFFICIALS

NCAA officials out of tourney due to pandemic

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — One referee scheduled to work the NCAA men’s basketball tournament has tested positive for COVID-19, forcing him and five others who went out to dinner with him out of the tournament.

Their excursion ran counter to a protocol that called on all players and staff to eat at their NCAA hotels, but because the refs’ rooms weren’t ready and there was no food available, they were given a pass. It resulted in a big shake-up of the officiating corps for the games, 52 of which take place Thursday through next Monday at different arenas in Indianapolis, Bloomington and Purdue.

NEW MEXICO-PITINO

Lobos hire Pitino

UNDATED (AP) — Richard Pitino is the new men’s basketball coach at New Mexico, hours after Minnesota finalized his firing following eight seasons on the job.

The 38-year-old Pitino succeeds Paul Weir, who went 58-63 in four seasons for the Lobos.

Pitino went just 54-96 in Big Ten Conference play with only three finishes in the rugged league higher than 10th place. He took the Gophers to the NCAA Tournament twice and went there five other times as an assistant at Louisville and Florida.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL-UTAH

Krystowiak fired by Utes

UNDATED (AP) — Utah has dismissed basketball coach Larry Krystkowiak after 10 seasons and a 183-139 record.

Krystkowiak took over the program in 2011 and led Utah to two NCAA Tournament appearances. The Utes won 27 games in 2015-16 with a squad that included Jakob Poeltl and Kyle Kuzma. The Utes finished 12-13 this season.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL-GEORGE MASON

George Mason fires hoops coach

FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) — George Mason has fired men’s basketball coach Dave Paulsen after six seasons in which the team never went to the NCAA or NIT tournaments. The Patriots had four winning seasons under Paulsen and went 95-91 with a 47-57 record in Atlantic 10 Conference play. The Patriots were 13-9 this past season and lost in the quarterfinals of the A10 tournament.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL-ALL AMERICA TEAM

Gonzaga, Baylor dominate AP All-America teams

UNDATED (AP) — The Associated Press has released its men’s All-America team and it is dominated by Gonzaga and Baylor.

Both teams were atop the rankings most of the season. Gonzaga’s Corey Kispert and Baylor’s Jared Butler are on the first team. They are joined by unanimous pick Luka Garza of Iowa, Ayo Dosunmu of Illinois and dynamic freshman Cade Cunningham of Oklahoma State. Gonzaga’s Drew Timme and Jalen Suggs are also second-team All-Americans. Baylor’s Davion Mitchell made the third team.

MLB-RED SOX-LEBRON JAMES

Report: James becomes partner in group that owns Red Sox

BOSTON (AP) — LeBron James reportedly owns a piece of Xander Bogaerts.

The Boston Globe first reported that the Los Angeles Lakers All-Star forward has reportedly become a partner in Fenway Sports Group, making him a part-owner of the Boston Red Sox. Fenway Sports Group is the parent company of the Red Sox as well as the Liverpool Football Club of the English Premier League and the Roush Fenway Racing NASCAR team. James has had a relationship with FSG since 2011, when he signed a marketing deal in exchange for an ownership stake in Liverpool.

Elsewhere in the majors:

— Rangers outfielder Willie Calhoun likely will start the regular season on the injured list because of a lingering groin injury. Calhoun was limited to 29 games during the shortened 2020 regular season because of a hamstring injury. That was after he had recovered from a broken jaw sustained when he was hit in the face by a fastball during a spring training game last March.

— Infielder Maikel Franco and the Baltimore Orioles have finalized an $800,000, one-year contract. Franco hit .278 with 16 doubles, eight homers and a team-high 38 RBIs for the Kansas City during last year’s pandemic-shortened season. Franco has a .253 average with 110 homers and 381 RBIs in seven major league seasons with Philadelphia and the Royals.

—The Seattle Mariners lost a potential arm out of the bullpen after Roenis Elias was scheduled to undergo surgery for an elbow injury suffered during spring training in Arizona. Manager Scott Servais says multiple doctors looked at the injury following an initial MRI and all seem to agree surgery will be the best course. Elias was a non-roster invitee to spring training. He did not pitch in the majors last year due to a flexor strain.

NFL

— The Denver Broncos have exercised their $7 million guaranteed option on superstar linebacker Von Miller. The move engages the final season of Miller’s six-year, $114.5 million contract he signed in the aftermath of his Super Bowl 50 MVP performance.

— The Chicago Bears and defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. have agreed to a three-year contract extension through 2023. Edwards had a career-high four sacks and seven quarterback hits after signing with Chicago prior to last season.

UNDATED (AP) — A person with direct knowledge of the move tells The Associated Press that Washington has agreed to sign veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.

The 38-year-old gives Washington more experience at football’s most important position after it released Alex Smith. The team now has Fitzpatrick, journeyman-turned-playoff standout Taylor Heinicke and Kyle Allen under contract at quarterback.

Washington also has the 19th pick in the draft and could use one of its first few selections on a QB of the future.

In other moves:

— Quarterback Jacoby Brissett agreed Tuesday to a $7.5 million, one-year contract with the Miami Dolphins, where he’ll replace Ryan Fitzpatrick as the backup to Tua Tagovailoa. The five-year veteran was the backup for the Indianapolis Colts last year. He went 7-8 as a starter with them in 2019, and was 4-11 as their starter in 2017.

— The New Orleans Saints are bringing back quarterback Jameis Winston on a one-year contract. The move comes after Drew Brees’ decision over the weekend to retire. It provides Winston a chance to compete with Taysom Hill to be New Orleans’ next starter under center. Winston entered the NFL with high expectations after winning the 2013 Heisman Trophy and being selected first overall by Tampa Bay in the 2015 NFL draft. But the Buccaneers replaced him last year with Tom Brady and Winston joined the Saints as a backup.

— The Baltimore Ravens agreed to a four-year contract with linebacker Tyus Bowser and a three-year deal with defensive lineman Derek Wolfe before they became free agents. A person familiar with the deal said that Wolfe’s new contract is worth $12 million. Bowser’s contract is worth a reported $22 million.

— The Dallas Cowboys are bringing back one of their special teams aces in cornerback C.J. Goodwin and adding veteran Ty Nsekhe as a backup tackle as their quiet opening to free agency continues. Agent Drew Rosenhaus says Goodwin has agreed on a $3.5 million, two-year contract. Nsekhe’s agency says the 35-year-old has accepted a one-year deal.

—The Carolina Panthers addressed their offensive line by agreeing to terms with free agent offensive linemen Pat Elflein and Cameron Erving. Elflein received a three-year, $13.5 million deal with $6 million guaranteed, while Erving agreed to a two-year, $10 million contract with $8 million guaranteed.

—The Tennessee Titans are releasing a pair of starters in cornerback Adoree Jackson and right tackle Dennis Kelly to clear salary cap space. Kelly signed a three-year, $21 million deal a year ago. A knee injury just before the start of the season limited Jackson to three games in 2020.

— The Tennessee Titans have agreed to terms with linebacker Bud Dupree and defensive lineman Denico Autry. The 6-foot-4, 269 Dupree has 39 1/2 career sacks, and he had eight in 11 games last season for Pittsburgh before an injured right knee ended his season. Autry has 30 1/2 career sacks, 7 1/2 sacks of those last season for Indianapolis.

— The Patriots have agreed to terms on a three-year, $22.5 million contract with free agent receiver Kendrick Bourne. His agent says the deal is for three years and $22.5 million. Bourne is coming off his best season in 2020, catching 49 passes for 667 yards for San Francisco.

— The Jacksonville Jaguars and former Seattle cornerback Shaquill Griffin have agreed to a three-year deal worth up to $44.5 million. The deal includes $29 million guaranteed. Griffin will be an immediate starter opposite CJ Henderson and could help the Jaguars have one of the league’s best coverage tandems.

— The Las Vegas Raiders are planning to release star center Rodney Hudson as part of a major overhaul of the team’s offensive line. A person familiar with the move says Hudson will be released with two years left on his current contract. The Raiders have also agreed to trade right tackle Trent Brown to New England and cut left guard Richie Incognito.

— The Cleveland Browns plan to sign free agent defensive end Takkarist McKinley. A first-round pick for Atlanta in 2017, McKinley has agreed to a one-year, $4 million contract.

NHL..

— Kaapo Kahkonen made 31 saves in his second shutout of the season as the Minnesota Wild topped the Arizona Coyotes 3-0. Ryan Hartman, Mats Zuccarello and Jared Spurgeon scored for the Wild. Kahkonen won his ninth straight start during a standout rookie season. Minnesota swept three consecutive home games against Arizona and extended its home winning streak to eight, the longest in the NHL this year.

— Dan Vladar (vlah-DAHR’) was a winner in his first NHL start as he made 34 saves in the Bruins’ 2-1 victory at Pittsburgh. The Bruins needed Trent Frederic’s goal 7:07 into the third period to win for just the second time in six games. Vladar blanked the Pens after Brandon Tanev beat him late in the first period. The Penguins ended a six-game winning streak and stayed five points off the East Division lead, with Boston another three points back.

UNDATED (AP) — Alex Ovechkin continues to climb up the NHL career scoring lists.

Ovechkin moved up to sixth on the all-time goals list while helping the Capitals beat the Islanders, 3-1. He climbed ahead of Phil Esposito with his 718th goal, a power-play tally that gave the Caps a 2-0 lead in the second period.

Ovechkin also set up TJ Oshie’s goal, and Nicklas Backstrom scored as Washington won its sixth in a row.

Oliver Wahlstrom netted a power-play goal for the Isles, who had won nine in a row and collected points in 12 straight games.

The outcome leaves the Caps and Isles tied atop the East Division, with Washington owning a game in hand.

Elsewhere on NHL ice:

— Brayden Point had a goal and an assist, then added the deciding shootout score as the Lightning knocked off the Stars, 4-3. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 24 saves in winning his ninth straight game. Mathieu Joseph and Steven Stamkos also scored in regulation for Tampa Bay, which vaulted from third place to first in the Central Division. Vasilevskiy finally allowed a goal after shutting out the Stars in his three previous outings against them.

— Adam Erne scored twice and Jonathan Bernier made 35 saves as the Red Wings earned a 4-2 victory and snapped the Hurricanes’ eight-game winning streak. Robby Fabbri broke a tie midway through the second period, sending rebuilding Detroit to just its ninth win in 30 games. The Hurricanes entered the game only one point shy of the NHL leaders.

— Nathan MacKinnon and Samuel Girard scored 2:23 apart early in the third period while the Avalanche rallied for six unanswered goals to beat the Anaheim Ducks 8-4. Nazem Kadri had two goals and two assists for Colorado. Philipp Grubauer stopped 15 shots after replacing Hunter Miska, who allowed four goals on seven shots.

— Miles Wood’s third-period power-play goal helped propel the Devils to a 3-2 win against the visiting Sabres. Yegor Sharangovich and Sami Vatanen also scored as the Devils ended an eleven-game home losing streak. Tobias Rieder and Jeff Skinner scored, but the Sabres extended a losing streak of their own to 12 games.

NHL-DEVILS-HISCHIER

Devils captain out about 3 weeks

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier is expected to miss three weeks following surgery Monday to repair a frontal sinus fracture.

Hischier was injured in a 5-2 loss to the Washington Capitals on Feb. 27, when he was struck in the visor by a deflected puck.

Hischier has scored two goals and three points in five games this season, missing the first 11 contests due to a foot injury.

GOLF-WOODS ACCIDENT

Woods home 3 weeks after surgery

UNDATED (AP) — Tiger Woods is back at home in Florida to resume his recovery from career-threatening leg injuries he suffered when his SUV ran off a road and down a hill in the Los Angeles suburbs last month.

Woods was injured Feb. 23, two days after the Genesis Invitational at Riviera. Authorities said his SUV crashed into a median, rolled over and ended up on its side near a steep road known for wrecks.

He had a lengthy surgery that day at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center for shattered tibia and fibula bones of his lower right leg in multiple locations.

NCAA TOURNAMENT-GRADUATION RATES STUDY

Study: NCAA Tourney teams still have racial graduation gap

UNDATED (AP) — A diversity report found that a significant graduation gap continues to exist between white and Black basketball players on teams competing in this year’s NCAA Tournament, particularly on the men’s side.

The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES) at Central Florida examined the Graduation Success Rate (GSR) for the teams competing in the upcoming NCAA Tournament and found that white male student-athletes graduated at a rate 13.5 percentage points higher than Black male student-athletes.

White players on average had a GSR of 93.8%, compared to 80.3% for Black players. The gap was slightly lower on the women’s side with white players recording a graduation rate of 97.9% compared to 91.8% for Black players.

In world and national news…

ATLANTA (AP) — Authorities say a 21-year-old man has been captured hours after eight people were killed in shootings at three Atlanta-area massage parlors. Cherokee County sheriff’s Capt. Jay Baker said Robert Aaron Long of Woodstock, Georgia, was taken into custody in Crisp County on Tuesday night. Crisp County is about 150 miles south of Atlanta. Four people were killed at a massage parlor in Acworth. Shortly after, three people were killed at a spa in northeast Atlanta, while a fourth person was killed at another spa across the street. The killings came amid a recent wave of attacks against Asian Americans that coincided with the spread of the coronavirus across the United States.

BEIJING (AP) — China says it has protested to the United States and Japan over a joint statement it says “maliciously attacked” its foreign policy and seriously interfered in China’s internal affairs. A Foreign Ministry spokesperson said China was “strongly dissatisfied and resolutely opposed” to the statement. The comments Wednesday came a day before U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is due to meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and a top foreign policy adviser in Alaska. The China-Japan statement expressed concern over threats to Taiwan, Beijing’s human rights violations in Xinjiang, activities in the South China Sea” and “unilateral action that seeks to change the status quo” over Japan-controlled East China Sea islands that China also claims.

NEW YORK (AP) — A new report from the Anti-Defamation League says white supremacist propaganda surged across the U.S. in 2020. The anti-hate organization provided the report Wednesday to The Associated Press. It says there were 5,125 cases of racist, anti-Semitic and other hateful messages spread through physical flyers, stickers, banners and posters. The group says that last year marked the highest level of white supremacist propaganda seen in at least a decade. A former far-right extremist who founded a deradicalization group says white supremacist and extremist recruiters see crises like the coronavirus pandemic, national reckoning over racism and heated election as opportunities.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is marking St. Patrick’s Day as he meets virtually with Ireland’s prime minister and recommits U.S. support for the Good Friday Agreement. That agreement was signed in 1998 and helped end sectarian violence that had raged for decades over the issue of Northern Ireland unifying with Ireland or remaining part of the United Kingdom. The agreement has come under increasing stress following the U.K.’s exit from the European Union. The White House calls the agreement “the bedrock of peace, stability, and prosperity.” Biden is expected to attend Mass near his Delaware home Wednesday before returning to the White House for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations toned down because of the coronavirus pandemic.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A surge of migrants on the Southwest border has the Biden administration on the defensive. The head of Homeland Security acknowledged the severity of the problem Tuesday but insisted it’s under control and said he won’t revive a Trump-era practice of immediately expelling teens and children. An official says U.S. authorities encountered nearly double the number children traveling alone across the Mexican border in one day this week than on an average day last month. The administration is rushing to open temporary child holding facilities, while Republicans say it’s all the Democrats’ fault for easing the child-expulsion rules and talking up other proposed changes.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A declassified intelligence assessment says Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized influence operations to help Donald Trump in last November’s presidential election. The assessment found broad efforts by the Kremlin and Iran to shape the outcome of the race but no evidence that any foreign actor changed votes or otherwise disrupted the voting process. The report was released Tuesday from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. It represents the most detailed assessment of the array of foreign threats to the 2020 election. These included efforts by Iran to undermine confidence in the vote and harm Trump’s reelection prospects and Moscow operations that used Trump’s allies to smear Joe Biden. Russia denies the allegations.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell is warning ominously of a “scorched earth” landscape if Democrats use their new majority to bring an end to the Senate filibuster process. Senators have been considering changes to the decades-old rules that typically require 60 votes to advance legislation. With Democrats controlling the chamber that’s evenly split 50-50, they’re facing a tough time approving their priorities and President Joe Biden’s agenda. McConnell unleashed the dire forecast Tuesday, implying that Republicans would grind business to a halt by refusing to give consent for routine operations. Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer dismissed the warnings as a “diversion.”