Update on the latest in sports:
Associated Press,
NBA-SCHEDULE
Heat clobber Cavs
UNDATED (AP) — The Miami Heat got the better of LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday.
Dwyane (dwayn) Wade scored 21 of his 32 points in the first half of the Heat's 106-92 win over the Cavs. Goran Dragic (GOHR'-uhn DRAH'-gitch) added 20 points for the Heat, who led by as many as 25 in the third quarter and ended Cleveland's four-game winning streak.
James scored just 10 points in the first three quarters before finishing with 26. Kyrie Irving had 21 points as the Cavaliers saw their lead in the NBA's Central Division cut to 2 1/2 games over Chicago.
The Heat are in a three-way tie with Boston and Indiana for the final two Eastern Conference playoff berths, a half-game ahead of Charlotte.
In other NBA finals:
— Klay Thompson's 26 points led Golden State scorers in a 108-105 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. Stephen (STEH'-fehn) Curry contributed 19 points and nine assists in the Warriors' seventh victory in eight games. The Warriors became the first Western Conference team to wrap up a playoff berth.
— Jeff Teague (teeg) scored 23 points and Atlanta won for the 10th time in 12 games by topping the Kings 110-103 in Sacramento. Paul Millsap added 19 points and 10 rebounds to help the East-leading Hawks set a franchise record with their 23rd road win of the season.
— Zach Randolph had 21 points and 16 rebounds as Memphis downed Denver 92-81, giving the Southwest Division-leading Grizzlies a 2 1/2-game lead over Houston. Marc Gasol and Tony Allen each added 14 points for the Grizzlies, who went on a 13-2 run after the Nuggets tied the game at 79.
— Chandler Parsons scored 31 points and the Dallas Mavericks rallied from 15 down in the third quarter for a 119-115 victory against Oklahoma City. Dirk Nowitzki added 22 with some big 3-pointers to shoot the Mavs into fifth place in the West.
— John Wall fell one rebound shy of a triple-double, delivering 21 points, 11 assists and two blocks as the Wizards won their fourth in a row, downing Portland 105-97 in Washington. Bradley Beal finished with 23 points and seven assists for Washington, which saw a 25-point lead trimmed to just three points before Beal drained a 3-pointer with under nine minutes to play.
— Kyle Lowry recorded a triple-double of 20 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in Toronto's 117-98 triumph at Indiana. Lou Williams had 24 points in the Raptors' 40th victory in 67 games, the fastest they've reached 40 wins in team history.
— Boston has a five-game winning streak after Tyler Zeller scored a career-high 26 points and Avery Bradley had 20 in a 108-89 rout of Philadelphia. Bradley also had 10 rebounds and six assists to help the Celtics move into a tie for the final Eastern Conference playoff berth.
— Rookie Rodney Hood had a season-high 24 points and Utah ran its season-best win streak to six games by silencing Charlotte 94-66. The Jazz hit 12 of 15 3-pointers in the first half to set a franchise record.
— Brooklyn beat Minnesota 122-106 as Joe Johnson scored 22 points and rookie Bojan Bogdanovic (BOY'-ahn bahg-DAH'-noh-vihch) had 21. Thaddeus Young chipped in 19 for the Nets in his first game against Minnesota since being dealt to Brooklyn for Kevin Garnett at the trade deadline.
NBA-THUNDER
Thunder lose Ibaka
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka (ih-BAH'-kah) will be out indefinitely with lingering soreness in his right knee.
Ibaka has missed the past two games but was playing well before that, averaging 17.1 points and 9.4 rebounds in 11 games since the All-Star break. The Thunder are embroiled in a battle with New Orleans for a playoff spot and are already short-handed with reigning MVP Kevin Durant out with pain in his right foot.
NHL-SCHEDULE
Lightning catch Habs
UNDATED (AP) — The Tampa Bay Lightning have moved back into a first-place tie with Montreal in the NHL's Atlantic Division by improving to 4-0 against the Canadiens this season.
Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman each had a goal and an assist while the Lightning built a 3-0 lead in a 4-2 triumph over the Habs. The Canadiens closed within 3-2 on goals by Tomas Plekanec (pleh-KAH'-nehts) and P.A. Parenteau (PAR'-ehn-toh) before Stamkos capped his three-point night with an empty-netter.
Ben Bishop's 32 saves helped Tampa Bay end a two-game skid and pull within two points of the Eastern Conference-leading New York Rangers.
Elsewhere on NHL ice:
— Andy Andreoff's first NHL goal accounted for the only scoring as the Los Angeles Kings blanked Arizona 1-0 to move one point ahead of Winnipeg for the final Western Conference playoff berth. Jonathan Quick handled 25 shots in his sixth shutout of the season.
— Evgeny Kuznetsov (ehv-GEH'-nee kooz-NEHT'-sahf) scored once in regulation and provided the lone shootout tally in Washington's 4-3 verdict over Buffalo. Matt Niskanen (NIHS'-kah-nehn) had two assists and Braden Holtby stopped 30 shots as the Capitals moved four points ahead of eighth-place Boston in the East.
— Benoit Pouliot (BEHN'-wah POO'-lee-aht) scored twice and Ben Scrivens made 28 saves as Edmonton downed Toronto 4-1.
MLB-MANFRED
Commissioner hears from Rose, addresses Oakland ballpark matter
UNDATED (AP) — Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred confirms that Pete Rose has submitted a new request to be reinstated to baseball. Manfred says he intends to work with Rose's representatives on how to handle it.
The career hits leader agreed to a lifetime ban in August 1989 following an investigation by Major League Baseball that concluded he bet on the Cincinnati Reds to win while managing the team. He applied for reinstatement in September 1997 and met in November 2002 with Commissioner Bud Selig (SEE'-lig), who never ruled on the application.
Manfred also says addressing the Oakland Athletics' desire for a new ballpark is a top priority, though he's unsure what influence his office can have on the matter. Manfred says Major League Baseball will continue to be involved but prefers to let the A's and the city of Oakland find a solution.
MLB-SPRING TRAINING
Mets lose another pitcher
UNDATED (AP) — Mets right-hander Zack Wheeler has a torn elbow ligament and will likely need surgery that will cost him the upcoming season. The club says Wheeler will be in New York to "confirm the diagnosis" and discuss with team medical director Dr. David Altchek on how to proceed.
In other spring training news:
— Cliff Lee has been placed on the 60-day disabled list by the Philadelphia Phillies to attempt to rehabilitate an elbow injury without surgery. Lee has a torn common flexor tendon and was told last week to stop throwing in spring training. The Phillies say surgery has been recommended for the 2008 Cy Young Award winner.
— Cleveland pitcher Gavin Floyd will have surgery on a fractured bone in his right elbow today at the Cleveland Clinic. Floyd missed most of last season with Atlanta with the same injury. Indians manager Terry Francona says Floyd will miss most if not all of the coming season.
— Francona confirmed that reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber will start on opening day April 6 at Houston. Kluber went 18-9 with a 2.44 ERA and struck out 269 last season.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL-NCAA TOURNAMENT
UConn has top overall seed
UNDATED (AP) — Connecticut has received the first overall seed in the NCAA women's basketball tournament as the Huskies seek their third consecutive national championship.
The Huskies will open at home against St. Francis of New York in the Albany Region, continuing Geno Auriemma's (aw-ree-EH'-muhz) quest to tie John Wooden's all-time Division I basketball record of 10 NCAA titles.
Notre Dame is the top seed in the Oklahoma City Region and will begin its tournament schedule at home against Montana. The Irish have been to every Final Four since 2011 without winning the championship.
South Carolina heads the Greensboro Region and will be home for its opening-round game against Savannah State, a team the Gamecocks crushed by 62 points this season.
The top seed in the Spokane Region is Maryland, which ran the table in the Big Ten and will be home for its first-round game against New Mexico State.
T25-POLL
Final AP polls
UNDATED (AP) — Kentucky is the first team in 23 years to go wire to wire as No. 1 in The Associated Press men's basketball poll.
The Wildcats received all 65 first-place votes after winning the SEC tournament and running their record to 34-0.
Kentucky is followed in the poll by Villanova, Wisconsin, Duke and Arizona. The second five consists of Virginia, Gonzaga (gahn-ZAG'-uh), Notre Dame, Iowa State and Kansas.
Connecticut is No. 1 In the final women's AP poll of the season, followed by Notre Dame, South Carolina, Maryland and Baylor. UConn got all 35 first place votes to finish No. 1 in the final poll for the 12th time.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL-COACHES
Tide names interim
UNDATED (AP) — Alabama associate head basketball coach John Brannen will lead the team through the NIT after the firing of Anthony Grant. The Crimson Tide opens the tournament Tuesday night against Illinois, just two days after Grant's dismissal. Brannen is a 16-year coaching veteran who worked under Grant the past nine years at Alabama and VCU.
In other college basketball coaching news:
— George Mason has fired men's coach Paul Hewitt following a 9-22 season. Hewitt went 66-67 in four seasons with the Patriots.
— Bill Grier has been dismissed at San Diego after the Toreros finished 15-16 in his eighth season. Grier had an overall record of 117-144.
— Georgia Tech has decided to bring back Brian Gregory for another season. The Yellow Jackets just finished 12-19 overall and 3-15 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
— Andy Landers is retiring after 36 seasons as the only full-time coach in the history of the Georgia women's program.
NFL-TRANSACTIONS
Texans get Wilfork
UNDATED (AP) — Nose tackle Vince Wilfork has signed with the Houston Texans after playing his first 11 seasons and five Pro Bowl appearances with the New England Patriots. He joins a unit led by Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt and featuring last year's No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon (jah-DEH'-vee-ahn) Clowney. The 6-foot-2, 325-pound Wilfork had 53 tackles while starting all 16 games for the Patriots last year.
In other NFL moves:
— The San Francisco 49ers say linebacker Chris Borland tells ESPN he is retiring following his standout rookie season because of concerns about head trauma. The 24-year-old Borland had a team-leading 108 tackles, with one sack and two interceptions for the 2014 Niners.
— Cleveland has signed cornerback Tramon Williams and agreed to terms with lineman Randy Starks. Williams spent the past eight seasons with the Green Bay Packers and Starks is a two-time Pro Bowl selection who was released by Miami last week after seven seasons.
— Free agent safety Kurt Coleman has signed a two-year pact with Carolina. Coleman has started 32 games during his five-year NFL career, including three last season with the Chiefs.
— The Tennessee Titans have agreed to terms with cornerback Perrish Cox, who said in a text message to The Associated Press that he had accepted a three-year deal. Cox started 14 games with five interceptions for the San Francisco 49ers last season.
— Oakland has released Matt Schaub less than one year after acquiring him to be their starting quarterback. Schaub was beaten out for the starting job by rookie Derek Carr last year and was let go just days after Oakland signed Christian Ponder as a backup.
— The Cowboys have signed linebackers Jasper Brinkley and Andrew Gachkar. Brinkley's best season came in 2012, with 100 tackles while starting 15 of 16 games for Minnesota.
— Former Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow (TEE'-boh) has worked out for the Philadelphia Eagles and left their training facility without discussing a contract. That's according to two people familiar with the tryout. Tebow has not been on an NFL team since the 2012 season.
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