Sports

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez is expected to play for the first time since the season opener Monday night when the defending champions visit the Utah Jazz. Lopez has been out with a back injury that caused him to undergo surgery on Dec. 2. The 7-footer played 70 games for the Bucks

By PETE IACOBELLI AP Sports Writer COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark are back in the women’s basketball NCAA Tournament after taking center stage last year in one of the most anticipated women’s Sweet 16 games. Bueckers and UConn are a No. 2 seed in this year’s field. Clark has Iowa back

By MITCH STACY AP Sports Writer COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Eighteen-year-old rookie Cole Sillinger recorded the first hat trick of his NHL career, Elvis Merzlikins made 23 saves and the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Vegas Golden Knights 6-4. Sillinger scored once in the first period and twice in the second and Oliver Bjorkstrand assisted

By RONALD BLUM AP Baseball Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Yankees have acquired former AL MVP Josh Donaldson and shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa and backup catcher Ben Rortvedt from the Minnesota Twins for catcher Gary Sánchez and third baseman Gio Urshela. The trade remakes the left side of the Yankees infield and rids

By PAT GRAHAM AP Sports Writer DENVER (AP) — Nathan MacKinnon scored twice, Darcy Kuemper stopped a career-best 46 shots for his fourth shutout of the season and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Calgary Flames 3-0. MacKinnon scored on a power play in the first period and added another goal in the third. Mikko Rantanen

By The Associated Press Dayton, Oklahoma, SMU and Texas A&M have earned top seeds in the National Invitation Tournament. The field also includes Virginia, which won its first national title in 2019. The Cavaliers are hosting Mississippi State in what could be the last game for Bulldogs coach Ben Howland. He’s 134-97 in seven seasons

By ALLAN KREDA Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Kyle Palmieri scored twice, Ilya Sorokin made 39 saves and the New York Islanders capped a six-game homestand by beating the Anaheim Ducks 4-3 for their third straight win. Zach Parise had the other goal for the Islanders. Sorokin made 11 saves in the first period,

By DAVE CAMPBELL AP Sports Writer ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Roman Josi scored twice to establish a career high with 17 goals for Nashville. He led the Predators past Minnesota 6-2 to spoil the start of a franchise-record nine-game homestand for the Wild. Filip Forsberg had two goals and an assist, Philip Tomasino added

By DOUG FEINBERG AP Basketball Writer Dawn Staley and South Carolina are once again a No. 1 seed in the women’s basketball NCAA Tournament — a familiar role for the Gamecocks. South Carolina earned the the top overall seed in this year’s tournament field, which was announced Sunday night. The Gamecocks have been No. 1

By AARON BRACY Associated Press PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Cole Caufield scored 2:10 into overtime to give the Montreal Canadiens a 4-3 comeback victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday night in a matchup of last-place clubs. Rem Pitlick tied it for Montreal with 42.1 seconds left in regulation with a short-handed goal.  Montreal snapped a

By STEVE OVERBEY Associated Press ST. LOUIS (AP) — Pierre Luc-Dubois scored in overtime and Connor Hellebuyck made 28 saves in the Winnipeg Jets’ 4-3 victory over the St. Louis Blues on Sunday night. The Jets broke a two-game losing streak and have won 10 of their last 12 games in St. Louis. The Blues

Arizona earned the No. 1 seed in the South Region and will open against the winner of the play-in game between Wright State and Bryant. The second-ranked Wildcats have won 15 of 16. Villanova, Tennessee and Illinois round out the top four seedings. 

By NOAH TRISTER AP Sports Writer Last season’s NCAA Tournament ultimately unfolded in familiar fashion. Upsets early, then the powerhouses eventually took over. By the time the championship game rolled around, undefeated Gonzaga and twice-beaten Baylor were playing for the title. This year, it’s Gonzaga and Arizona who appear to be a cut above the

HARRISON, N.J. (AP) — Luis Amarilla scored an all-important goal while Dayne St. Clair stopped the six shots he faced as Minnesota United earned a 1-0 victory over the New York Red Bulls. United improved to 1-0-2 following the victory and the Red Bulls dropped to 2-1-0.

By GEORGE HENRY AP Sports Writer ATLANTA (AP) — Trae Young scored 33 of his 47 points in the first half, and the Atlanta Hawks beat the Indiana Pacers 131-128. Atlanta had seven players score in double figures and shot 54.8% from the field. Danilo Gallinari and De’Andre Hunter had 15 points apiece, and Kevin

By BRETT MARTEL AP Sports Writer NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Jonas Valanciunas had 32 points and 10 rebounds, and the New Orleans Pelicans emphatically snapped a four-game skid with a 130-105 victory over the Houston Rockets. Jaxson Hayes scored 21 points for New Orleans and mixed in a pair of 3-pointers with his usual inside

By JUSTIN MARTINEZ Associated Press OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Desmond Bane scored 21 points, and the Memphis Grizzlies fended off a late push by the Oklahoma City Thunder to earn a 125-118 win. Memphis trailed for a total of 25 seconds. Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 18 and Ja Morant had 17 for Memphis. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

By DAVE CAMPBELL AP Pro Football Writer The Minnesota Vikings and quarterback Kirk Cousins have agreed to a one-year contract extension. Cousins was scheduled to carry a salary cap charge of more than $45 million. That made it imperative for the Vikings to reduce that number either by trading him or extending him with a