🏀 Sweet Dreams

It’s already Thursday! Only 16 schools remain standing in the men’s NCAA Tournament, but the party is just getting started. Eight teams take the floor tonight as the Sweet 16 tips off with a trip to the Final Four in sight. We'll preview each game before madness ensues, and according to our sources, madness will indeed ensue. Speaking of which, Draymond Green is back! And by back, we mean unavailable, as the Warriors’ wildcard got tossed last night before he could break a sweat. Meanwhile, James Harden made his return to Philly, and no — the city that threw snowballs at Santa Claus did not treat the star who forced his way off their team kindly. On the ice, the B’s are on the struggle bus, while the Bolts are charging up for a playoff push. Last but not least, happy MLB Opening Day!

WTF Stat: San Diego State men’s basketball's all-time leader in assists is Baseball Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn with 590 - Gwynn went on to become a 15-time All-Star and eight-time batting champion with the San Diego Padres.

🏀🏒 Wizards and Capitals will remain at Capital One Arena in Washington DC instead of moving to Potomac Yard in Alexandria, VA - Wizards and Capitals principal owner Ted Leonsis originally announced plans in December to move the franchises to Alexandria in 2028

🏀 Louisville is hiring Charleston’s Pat Kelsey as their next men’s basketball coach on a five-year contract - Kelsey, 48, went 75-27 in his three years at Charleston, leading them to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments over the last two seasons

⚾️ Dodgers and C Will Smith have agreed to a 10-year, $140M contract extension - Smith, 29, made his first All-Star Game last year and was set to hit free agency following the 2025 season

🏈 Panthers and former Ravens DE Jadeveon Clowney have agreed to a 2-year, $20M contract, with a max value of $24M - Clowney, 31, was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 draft and recorded a career-high 9.5 sacks last season

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NBA - Top Games

• Golden State Warriors 111, Orlando Magic 93: Draymond Green (4 MIN, 0 PTS, 3 REB) is officially back! Draymond got tossed less than four minutes into the game after receiving two techs for arguing with the officials, leaving Steph Curry (17 PTS, 3-8 3PT, 10 AST) beside himself. However, Steph got help from Andrew Wiggins (23 PTS, 6 REB) to lead the shorthanded Warriors past Paolo Banchero (15 PTS, 5-17 FG, 8 REB, 5 AST) and the Magic for a massive road win - it’s Draymond’s first ejection since serving a 12-game suspension, which required him to attend therapy, for hitting Suns C Jusuf Nurkic in the face on Dec. 12

• LA Clippers 108, Philadelphia 76ers 107: In his first game back in Philadelphia since being traded, James Harden (16 PTS, 6-15 FG, 5 REB, 14 AST) heard boobirds every time he touched the ball, and Tyrese Maxey (26 PTS, 7 REB, 8 AST) and the Sixers controlled for much of the night, but Kawhi Leonard’s (17 PTS, 9 REB) and-1 gave the Clippers a 108-107 lead with 15 seconds to play, and Buddy Hield (17 PTS, 3 REB) failed to get a shot off before the buzzer, as LA escaped with a much-needed win - the Clips (45-27) hold the fifth seed in the West but are 4-6 in their last 10 games

• Phoenix Suns 104, Denver Nuggets 97: After a brutal loss to the Victor Wembanyama-less Spurs on Monday, Kevin Durant (30 PTS, 13 REB, 5 BLK), Devin Booker (17 PTS, 5 REB, 9 AST), and the Suns bounced back by knocking off Nikola Jokic (22 PTS, 9 REB, 10 AST) and the red-hot Nugs in Denver, shooting 16-of-33 (48.5%) from three-point land to help carve out an eight-point lead at the half that they never relinquished - Phoenix (43-30) jumped Sacramento (42-20) for the seventh seed in the West with the win, and it’s just Denver’s (51-22) third loss since the All-Star break

• New York Knicks 145, Toronto Raptors 101: Bing Bong! The Knicks’ defensive anchor Mitchell Robinson (12 MIN, 8 PTS, 2 REB, 2 BLK) made an impact in his return from a 50-game absence due to injury, Jalen Brunson (26 PTS, 7 AST) was operating, and Miles McBride (29 PTS, 9-14 3PT, 7 AST) was a flamethrower from downtown to help New York rout Gradey Dick (23 PTS, 10-19 FG) and the very-much-tanking Raptors in Toronto - it’s the Knicks’ (44-28) highest-scoring game since 2006, and they’ve now won seven of their last eight outings

• Los Angeles Lakers 136, Memphis Grizzlies 124: That’s five in a row for the Lake Show! LeBron James (23 PTS, 14 REB, 12 AST) posted a casual triple-double, Rui Hachimura (32 PTS, 7-8 3PT, 10 AST) couldn’t miss from three, and the Lakers outpaced Desmond Bane (26 PTS, 16 AST) and the Grizzlies for their fifth straight dub - Los Angeles (40-32) holds the ninth seed in the West with 10 regular season games remaining

See the full NBA scoreboard here and the current standings here.

NHL - All Games

• Tampa Bay Lightning 3, Boston Bruins 1: The Bolts are tingling! Tampa Bay picked up their seventh dub in eight games last night as Brayden Point (1 G) broke a 1-1 tie in the 2nd period before Nikita Kucherov (1 G) sealed it with an empty-netter to beat Danton Heinen (1 G) and the struggling B’s, who are 1-3 in their past four outings and only hold a two-point advantage over Carolina atop the Atlantic - Tampa Bay (40-25-7, 87 PTS) has a comfortable lead over Washington (36-26-9, 81 PTS) for the first wild-card spot in the East

• Ottawa Senators 6, Buffalo Sabres 2: The Sabs desperately needed a win with their season on life support but laid an egg on their home ice against a sub-.500 Senators team, as Shane Pinto (1 G, 3 A) and Ottawa jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the 1st period and cruised the rest of the way - Buffalo (34-34-5, 73 PTS) is eight points back of Washington for the final wild-card spot in the East

See the full box scores here and the current NHL standings here.

🏀 Sweet Dreams

NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament - Sweet 16 Preview

Two wins down, two more to go for a trip to Glendale, AZ — the home of the Final Four. Some were disappointed after a rather chalky first two rounds, but it leaves us with a mouth-watering slate in the Sweet 16. All four one-seeds are alive, all four two-seeds are alive, and a slew of other familiar faces remain in the fold. Welcome to the second weekend of March Madness…

Today’s Slate

West | #2 Arizona vs. #6 Clemson 7:10pm ET, CBS (Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles)

• Arizona handled business in the opening weekend to reach their second Sweet 16 in three seasons. Led by Pac-12 Player of the Year Caleb Love and 7-footer Oumar Ballo, the Wildcats are stout on both ends of the floor, ranking in KenPom’s top 10 in adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency. Their length and athleticism will be a tough test for the Tigers, but turnovers can be an issue. Now playing a team that’s beaten the top seed in their region (North Carolina), Arizona will have to bring its A-game.

• No. 11 New Mexico was favored against Clemson in the first round, and the Tigers took that personally. They proceeded to 20-piece the Lobos and then knocked off No. 3 Baylor, 72-64, in a second-round upset. Their offense revolves around first-team All-ACC center PJ Hall, but their defense has fueled the run, holding New Mexico to 29.7% from the field and Baylor to 38.9%. They’ll need a similar effort tonight to take down the Wildcats.

East | #1 UConn vs. #5 San Diego State 7:40pm ET, TBS (TD Garden, Boston)

• A rematch of last year’s national title game. UConn is looking to become the first back-to-back champions since 2006-07 Florida, and it’s starting to feel inevitable. The tournament’s No. 1 overall seed steamrolled through the first weekend without ever trailing. Seven-footer Donovan Clingan is league-bound, along with guards Tristen Newton and Stephon Castle, and Cam Spencer has the highest offensive rating in college basketball. They’re tough, talented, and can beat you in a multitude of ways. “We’re bulletproof,” said HC Dan Hurley after Sunday’s rout of Northwestern. He may be right.

• After squeaking by No. 12 UAB, 69-65, the Aztecs throttled No. 13 Yale to set the stage for a natty rematch. They lost some key pieces from last year’s team, but they’ve been here before and will be highly motivated. All-American big man Jaedon LeDee is their rock and will look to out-muscle the lengthier Clingan inside. San Diego State won’t back down from the Death Star that is Connecticut, but the odds aren’t in their favor - fun fact: the other three times SDSU has made the Sweet 16 (2011, 2014, 2023), UConn has gone on to win the national championship.

West | #1 North Carolina vs. #4 Alabama 9:40pm ET, CBS (Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles)

• North Carolina didn’t just survive a tough test against Tom Izzo’s Spartans on Saturday, they won emphatically. With first-team All-American RJ Davis at the point, All-ACC big man Armando Bacot at the five, and loads of experience in between, the Heels have all the ingredients for a national championship run. But Alabama can score in bunches and shouldn’t be taken lightly.

• Three-pointers are preferred and defense is optional for the Tide. If you saw their game against Grand Canyon, you know what I’m talking about. Bama likes to push the pace, sometimes too hard, and relies on their shot-making to win frenetic track meets. It’s worked so far. But when you live by the three, you eventually die by the three. However, they’re not a team you want to see in March.

East | #2 Iowa State vs. #3 Illinois 10:10pm ET, TBS (TD Garden, Boston)

• Strength versus strength. Illinois boasts the best adjusted offense in the country, while Iowa State boasts the best adjusted defense in the country. Terrence Shannon Jr. is the guy for the Illini, a future first-round draft pick who’s averaging 32.4 points over the past four games. He’s an active defender and a bonafide bucket-getter. When his teammates are also knocking down shots, as they have been recently, the Big Ten tournament champs can beat anybody.

• The Cyclones are the epitome of a Big 12 team: They’re ferocious defensively, make you work for every point, and they know how to grind out wins. They held Washington State 18 points below their season average in a 67-56 victory on Saturday and are now two wins away from their program’s first Final Four appearance since, wait for it, 1944! They say great offense beats great defense, but they also say defense wins championships in March. We can’t wait to see which force prevails. This one is gonna be good.

Blitz Prime - Sweet 16 Thursday Picks

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Sweet 16 - Friday Schedule

• South | #2 Marquette vs. #11 NC State 7:10pm ET, CBS

• Midwest | #1 Purdue vs. #5 Gonzaga 7:40pm ET, TBS

• South | #1 Houston vs. #4 Duke 9:40pm ET, CBS

• Midwest | #2 Tennessee vs. #3 Creighton 10:10pm ET, TBS

See the entire men’s NCAA Tournament bracket here.

On March 28, 1990, Michael Jordan scored a career-high 69 points to lead the Bulls to a 117-113 overtime win against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Eleven months earlier, Jordan hit “The Shot” in a deciding Game 5 to eliminate the Cavs in the first round of the 1989 playoffs — a moment that the Cleveland faithful had not forgotten. So, when MJ took a hard foul from John “Hot Rod” Williams early in the 1st quarter, Cavaliers fans applauded as the superstar laid on the floor in pain. Unsurprisingly, Jordan was displeased with the crowd's reaction, which sparked one of his most legendary performances: "When I had 69 against Cleveland, that was strictly off of anger and disappointment," Jordan said. "When I got a hard foul from Hot Rod, I fell the wrong way, and I was really in pain. And the whole crowd cheered. And that right there pissed me off because they were more in tune to winning than someone's health. That kind of got me fired up. That's when I went crazy." And Jordan indeed went crazy, going an incredible 23-of-37 from the floor (63%) and 21-of-23 from the free-throw line while also collecting 18 rebounds, six assists, and four steals. Horace Grant (16 PTS) was the only other Bulls player to score in double-figures, and Jordan logged 50 minutes to secure the win. Chicago ultimately won 55 games in their 1989-90 campaign but lost in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Pistons in a hard-fought series that went to seven games. The following year, MJ would lead the Bulls to their first NBA title.

NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament - Sweet 16

• West: #2 Arizona vs. #6 Clemson 7:10pm ET, CBS

• East: #1 UConn vs. #5 San Diego State 7:40pm ET, TBS / truTV

• West: #1 North Carolina vs. #4 Alabama 9:40pm ET, CBS

• East: #2 Iowa State vs. #3 Illinois 10:10pm ET, TBS / truTV

MLB - Opening Day

• New York Yankees @ Houston Astros 4:10pm ET, ESPN+

• Chicago Cubs @ Texas Rangers 7:35pm ET, ESPN

• Boston Red Sox @ Seattle Mariners 10:10pm ET, NESN

• Full Schedule

NBA

• Boston Celtics @ Atlanta Hawks 7:30pm ET, Local

• Milwaukee Bucks @ New Orleans Pelicans 8:00pm ET, NBA TV

NHL

• Washington Capitals @ Toronto Maple Leafs 7:00pm ET, NHLPP / ESPN+

• Vegas Golden Knights @ Winnipeg Jets 8:00pm ET, NHLPP / ESPN+

• New York Rangers @ Colorado Avalanche 9:00pm ET, NHLPP / ESPN+

• Full Schedule

PGA Tour - Texas Children’s Houston Open

• Round 1 8:00am-7:00pm ET, ESPN+

Trivia Time Answer

C. Mets. The Amazins have the best record on MLB Opening Day at 41-21 (.661). Surprisingly enough, the franchise lost its first eight Opening Day games from its inception in 1962. Since ending the drought, the Mets have won 41 of their 54 openers. They are trailed by the Mariners, who hold a record of 29-18 (.617), and the Orioles, who are 72-49-1 (.595). The Marlins have the worst Opening Day record at 12-19 (.387).

Prime Lock of the Day

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Rugby star Louis Rees-Zammit is signing with the Chiefs and will be used as an “offensive weapon.”

Happy Opening Day and happy Sweet 16! Enjoy a great afternoon of sports!!