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PHOENIX -- Team USA manager Mark DeRosa admitted he's managing the needs of his pitchers and their parent clubs as much as he is each game -- all of which may have contributed to a stunning 11-5 loss to Mexico in Round 1 of the WBC on Sunday night. It was the second-worst loss by a U.S team in WBC history. A poorly pitched game by the U.S. was compounded by the fact that DeRosa didn't feel comfortable making moves solely for the sake of winning. "It's tough," he said afterward. "You're trying to massage innings. You're trying to protect these guys. You're trying to honor their parent clubs." DeRosa made several moves which were impacted by the needs of his pitchers. One of them led to leaving reliever Brady Singer in the game during a key moment in the fourth inning, when Mexico's first baseman, Joey Meneses, hit his second home run of the night. The three-run shot put Mexico up, 7-1. That came after Kendall Graveman threw only five pitches in the third...

LOS ANGELES -- The surging Los Angeles Lakers lost  112-108 to the New York Knicks on Sunday, and Anthony Davis blamed himself for the halt in momentum as his team squandered a chance to get back to .500 for the first time since opening the season schedule at 0-0. "My play," Davis said when asked for the reason for the defeat. "I played terrible. Couldn't find my shot: free throws, layups, everything. The guys did their job. I didn't do my job tonight." Davis finished with 17 points, 16 rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block, but he missed 10 of his 18 field goal attempts and also missed four out of five free throw attempts. In the fourth quarter, when New York outscored Los Angeles 27-22 to pull off the upset with Jalen Brunson sidelined due to a left foot injury, Davis was just 1-for-4 from the field in nine minutes. "It's on everybody," Lakers guard  Dennis Schroder said. "When we lose, we lose as a team. When we win, we...

The Stanford Cardinal and Virginia Tech Hokies earned the highly contested final two No. 1 seeds in the 2023 NCAA women's basketball tournament, the bracket for which was revealed exclusively on ESPN as part of Selection Sunday. On the No. 1 seed line, the Pac-12 regular-season co-champion Cardinal and the ACC tournament champion Hokies join the Big Ten regular-season champion Indiana Hoosiers as well as the top overall seed -- the undefeated, defending national champion South Carolina Gamecocks. Both Virginia Tech and Indiana earned 1-seeds for the first time in school history. No. 1 seeds have won the championship at 10 straight NCAA tournaments. With reigning national player of the year Aliyah Boston leading the way, South Carolina -- which hasn't lost a game in over a calendar year -- is six wins from becoming the fourth program to repeat as national champions (joining UConn, Tennessee and Southern California) as well as the fifth to...

North Carolina entered the season as the No. 1 team in America in the Associated Press preseason poll. After an improbable fall that ended without a spot in the NCAA tournament on Selection Sunday, UNC's campaign has ended. The Tar Heels, the first team to start No. 1 and miss the NCAA tournament since it expanded in 1985, announced they will not accept an invite to the NIT. "All season our focus and goal have been on being the best team we can possibly become and reaching our full potential to give us another opportunity to compete, play for and win an NCAA championship," coach Hubert Davis said in a statement. "Although we no longer have that opportunity and this season wasn't what we had hoped for, I want to thank our players and staff for their hard work and love for Carolina Basketball." A year ago, North Carolina marched through the NCAA tournament field and held a 12-point lead over  Kansas in the national title game, before eventually losing to the Jayhawks.  ...

INDIANAPOLIS -- Alabama is the overall top seed in the NCAA tournament after cruising through the end of a season clouded by a murder case over the past two months. The Crimson Tide were awarded the top spot Sunday over Kansas and Houston, each of whom exited their conference tournament without the title and missing key cogs. Purdue secured the final No. 1 seed. "It was an interesting process, and it took a little while," Chris Reynolds, the tournament committee chair, said on CBS after the bracket reveal was concluded. "However, what I will say is this: Those teams at the top, they performed consistently throughout the year. And so we considered about six or seven teams at the top. But at the end of the day, those four teams are the teams we selected." It was a day full of good news for Alabama, which defeated Texas A&M to win the SEC tournament before gathering to watch the selection show. "Ecstatic for our guys," Alabama coach Nate Oats said after the win over the Aggies....

Kansas coach Bill Self was discharged from the University of Kansas Health System on Sunday and returned home, the school announced. He is expected to rejoin the team this week in advance of the NCAA tournament. Self missed the Big 12 tournament after going to the hospital Wednesday night complaining of chest tightness and balance concerns. The University of Kansas Health System released a statement detailing its procedure. "KU coach Bill Self was discharged from the University of Kansas Health System today in good condition," the release read. "He arrived at the emergency department Wednesday evening March 8, complaining of chest tightness and balance concerns. Clinical service chief for cardiovascular medicine and interventional cardiologist Dr. Mark Wiley said coach Self underwent a standard heart catheterization and had two stents placed for the treatment of blocked arteries. Coach Self responded well to the procedure and is expected to make a full recovery." Self confirmed...

The  Washington Commanders and defensive tackle Daron Payne have reached agreement on a four-year, $90 million deal that includes $60 million guaranteed, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Sunday. The Commanders had placed the franchise tag on Payne earlier this month, but then quickly started negotiating with Payne's representatives. Several days ago, a source said talks were quickly progressing. The Commanders wanted to strike a deal before free agency to help them retain their other key players and to also be more active in free agency. The contract makes Payne the second-highest-paid defensive tackle in history behind the Los Angeles Rams' Aaron Donald. Payne becomes the fourth NFL defensive lineman to receive $60 million or more guaranteed, according to ESPN Stats & Information research, joining Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett ($100 million), Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones ($60...

Washington Commanders defensive tackle Daron Payne has reached agreement on a four-year, $90 million deal that includes $60 million guaranteed, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Sunday. Payne had received the franchise tag from the Commanders before reaching agreement on his new deal. Payne recorded a career-high 11.5 sacks last season -- three shy of his combined total over his first four seasons. His previous high in sacks was in his rookie season, when he finished with five. Only two defensive tackles posted higher sack totals in 2023: the Kansas City Chiefs' Chris Jones and the New York Jets' Quinnen Williams. Payne also finished tied for eighth in the NFL -- and second among interior linemen -- with 21 tackles for loss. Teammate Jon Allen recorded 19 tackles for loss along with 6.5 sacks, making this pair arguably the NFL's best defensive interior tandem.

TOKYO -- Shohei Ohtani hit a 448-foot, three-run home run in the first inning that landed just below his image on a video advertising board and had four RBIs to lead Japan over Australia 7-1 Sunday night at the World Baseball Classic. Japan, already assured of advancement, won its group with a 4-0 record and will play a quarterfinal on Wednesday against Italy, which advanced along with Cuba from Group A on tiebreakers. Matt Harvey got the win as Italy defeated the Netherlands 7-1, causing all five teams to finish 2-2. South Korea beat the Czech Republic 7-3 in the day's other Group B game, and Cuba defeated Chinese Taipei 7-1 in Group A. Ohtani turned on a hanging curveball from losing pitcher Will Sherriff, who didn't even watch the flight of the ball into the Tokyo Dome's right-field seats, bending and putting his hands on his knees. It was the first home run of the tournament for Ohtani, who is 6-for-12 with eight RBIs and seven walks. He walked with the bases loaded...

The New York Giants are expected to sign wide receiver Sterling Shepard to a one-year deal, sources told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler on Sunday. Shepard has dealt with injuries the past few years. He tore the ACL in his left knee in September, after tearing his Achilles the previous season. He's also dealt with knee, concussion, ankle, quad and hamstring injuries throughout his career. Overall, Shepard, who turned 30 in February, has missed 33 games in the past four seasons, but he said earlier this year there was zero doubt that he would be back for this upcoming season. His timeline encouraged him, with nine months post-surgery taking him into July and eventually the start of training camp.   The versatile receiver had 13 catches for 154 yards and a touchdown in three games last season. He looked as if he hadn't lost a step despite coming off the Achilles injury, before suffering the noncontact injury. Shepard, who was drafted in the second round out of Oklahoma...

The Los Angeles Rams have agreed to trade star cornerback Jalen Ramsey to the Miami Dolphins for a 2023 third-round pick (No. 77 overall) and tight end Hunter Long, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Sunday. The trade will be processed Wednesday, when the 2023 league year officially begins. Ramsey tweeted his excitement for the trade Sunday, writing: "I prayed for this specifically for about a month & now it's happening! @MiamiDolphins LETSGO!" Ramsey has three years remaining on that contract. As part of the trade, the Dolphins agreed to guarantee the next two seasons on Ramsey's deal, a source told ESPN, confirming a report by NFL Network. Ramsey, a three-time All-Pro and six-time Pro Bowler, is largely considered one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL and joins another former All-Pro in Dolphins cornerback  Xavien Howard. Miami has aggressively built its roster over the past year, also trading for All-Pro wide receiver ...

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Bills made a move for now and the future, locking down All-Pro linebacker Matt Milano with a two-year contract extension through the 2026 season, the team announced Sunday. The extension is worth $14 million per year, a source told ESPN. The move helps Buffalo by creating approximately $6 million in cap space, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter. The team entered the weekend more than $19 million over the 2023 cap. Defensive tackle Tim Settle's contract was restructured to open up $600,000 in space, ESPN's Field Yates reported, with more restructuring and moves to come. Milano, 28, was previously under contract through the 2024 season on a four-year extension worth $44 million with $24 million guaranteed that was signed just before the linebacker could reach free agency in 2021. Injuries had been a previous concern with Milano, who missed a career-high six games in 2020. Over the past two seasons, however, Milano has missed just one...

Former LSU coach Will Wade will be the next head coach at McNeese State, the school announced Sunday. A news conference to introduce Wade is scheduled for Monday. "I'm so excited to welcome Coach Wade, his wife Lauren and daughter Caroline to Southwest Louisiana and McNeese!" athletic director Heath Schroyer said. "This is a completely different job than it was three years ago. McNeese Basketball is one of the best jobs in the nation in regards to one-bid leagues. We are funded at the top of the league, have the best facility, a passionate fan base and many other built-in advantages. I will not make excuses for why we can't win and win big. Quite frankly, there is no excuse. "The days of us celebrating making conference tournaments or accepting mediocrity in all of our sports, let alone in basketball, are over." Wade had been eager to return to coaching, sources told ESPN, and McNeese State had been laying the groundwork to hire Wade for weeks.   Wade, 40,...

Philadelphia Flyers interim general manager Daniel Briere acknowledged the team needs a multiyear rebuild as he campaigns to earn the job on a permanent basis. Briere, 45, replaced GM Chuck Fletcher on Friday. Fletcher, who was fired after five seasons, was also the team's president of hockey operations. Briere said he would be honored to fill either job opening but was focused on the general manager's position. "I don't have a problem with the interim tag. I think [ownership is] going to take the proper time to evaluate who should be full-time in that position. I see myself staying here and being part of the future. I hope they believe in me as well. It feels that way," he said. Briere played with the Flyers for six seasons during his 17-year NHL career. He was hired as a special assistant to Fletcher last year and was involved in decisions such as the hiring of coach John Tortorella. Dave Scott, the chairman of Comcast Spectacor and governor of the Flyers, has called the...

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Preparing for free agency and the possible addition of quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the New York Jets have created $15.2 million in salary cap room by restructuring three veteran contracts. They reworked the contracts of three players from their 2022 free agent class: guard Laken Tomlinson, cornerback D.J. Reed and tight end Tyler Conklin, a source told ESPN's Field Yates on Saturday. Previously, the Jets restructured the contract of tight end C.J. Uzomah, another member of the 2022 class, and released wide receiver Braxton Berrios. All told, the cap savings total more than $23 million. The Jets had to make the moves because they were slightly over the $224.8 million cap. Teams must be cap compliant by Wednesday, the start of the new league year. And now they wait for Rodgers to make a decision on his future. He can request a trade to the Jets, retire or return to the Green Bay Packers, an option...

PHOENIX -- Playing for Team USA again in the World Baseball Classic was never a question for third baseman Nolan Arenado. After helping the U.S. win the tournament in 2017, he desperately wanted a chance to defend that title. He's off to a good start. Arenado, 31, had three hits and several highlight-reel defensive plays in the team's opening-round win, a 6-2 victory over Great Britain on Saturday night. He set the tone after the U.S. got down 1-0. "The intensity with which he works pregame is, honestly -- I'm not sugarcoating it -- like nothing I've ever seen," Team USA manager Mark DeRosa said after the game. "He's intense in ground balls. He's intense in his cage work." Arenado's pregame routine was actually thrown off because of the length of the previous contest Saturday between Colombia and Mexico. It's one of the things he learned while playing in the tournament in 2017. You have to be able to adjust on the fly. "We were taking ground balls in the outfield...

SAN FRANCISCO -- Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry brought the ball over midcourt with Jevon Carter of the Milwaukee Bucks right in his face. Curry accelerated and then quickly stopped at the top of the 3-point arc, making Carter skid a few feet away. Curry had just enough space to launch a 3. Bang. The shot tied the score of the Warriors' game against Milwaukee with 19 seconds left in regulation. And Curry was mean-mugged as he made his way to the bench -- the stoic look never leaving his face after it. "I was tired," Curry said. "Slow walk to the bench, take advantage of the full three-minute timeout. Don't yell because that requires oxygen. Conserve energy." Curry scored 36 points on Saturday, fueling the Warriors to their 125-116 overtime win. Twenty-two of his points were scored in the fourth quarter and overtime -- on 8-of-11 shooting, including 4-of-7 on 3-pointers. He scored 11 points in the final two minutes of regulation (all but...

LAS VEGAS -- They truly do not call Merab Dvalishvili "The Machine" for nothing. Dvalishvili (16-4) earned the biggest win of his career on Saturday, as he dominated former champion Petr Yan (16-5) in a five-round unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night inside The Theater at Virgin Hotels. All three judges scored the 135-pound bout a 50-45 shutout for Dvalishvili, who came in as a 2-1 betting underdog. The Georgian bantamweight turned in a historic performance in the victory. He attempted a UFC-record 49 takedowns, shattering the previous record of 33 set by former heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez in 2012, and was successful on 11 of them. According to UFC Stats, Dvalishvili also landed 202 of 401 total strikes compared with 87 of 155 by Yan. "I said before -- it was personal for me," Dvalishvili said. "I tried to keep it professional. My team was telling me that I was taking this fight different. Thank God, I did professional. He called me a zero. Who's...

The plate umpire who made an egregious third strike call to end a game between New Orleans and Mississippi Valley State on Friday night has been suspended indefinitely, the Southland Conference announced.  Mississippi Valley State left fielder Davon Mims was up with a 1-1 count with two outs in the ninth inning when plate umpire Reggie Drummer called two straight strikes on pitches outside the batter's box, the former of which appeared to cross the plate below Mims' knees -- low enough that UNO catcher Jorge Tejeda caught it just above the dirt behind the plate. Mims hopped out of the batter's box in protest and was subsequently called out on strikes on the next pitch, which broke low and away, well off the plate. "Oh, my gosh! Wow! He got rung up on ball two!" UNO radio play-by-play announcer Emmanuel Pepis exclaimed during the broadcast. "That is horrific! ... Drummer just wanted to go home." The game ended with New Orleans winning 7-3 and an enraged Mims trying to confront...

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Preparing for free agency and the possible addition of quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the New York Jets have created $15.2 million in salary cap room by restructuring three veteran contracts. They reworked the contracts of three players from their 2022 free agent class -- guard Laken Tomlinson, cornerback D.J. Reed and tight end Tyler Conklin, a source told ESPN's Field Yates on Saturday. Previously, the Jets restructured the contract of tight end C.J. Uzomah -- another member of the 2022 class -- and released wide receiver Braxton Berrios. All told, the cap savings total more than $23 million. The Jets had to make the moves because they were slightly over the $224.8 million cap. Teams must be cap compliant by Wednesday, the start of the new league year. And now they wait for Rodgers to make a decision on his future. He can request a trade to the Jets, retire or return to the Green Bay Packers, an...

BOSTON -- Garnet Hathaway broke a third-period tie to lead Boston to a 3-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday, giving the Bruins their 50th win of the season and making them the fastest team to reach the milestone in NHL history. The Bruins needed only 64 games to reach 50 wins, beating the record of 66 set by the 1995-96 Red Wings and matched by the 2018-19 Lightning. The Bruins could become the first team this season to clinch a playoff berth, depending on other games later Saturday. Hampus Lindholm and Patrice Bergeron scored 88 seconds apart to help Boston rally from a two-goal deficit, and Linus Ullmark stopped 30 shots. The Bruins won 10 straight games before losing to Edmonton on Thursday. "I said to the team, after the first [period], I said, 'If we start checking, I've seen you guys before -- when you guys are moving the puck like you are right now, we usually come back and win,'" Boston coach Jim Montgomery...

FORT WORTH, Texas -- When  Marcus Sasser crumbled awkwardly to the court after his feet slipped from under him while dribbling past midcourt, Houston coach Kelvin Sampson knew something was wrong even without really seeing what had happened. "Marcus goes down, it means he's hurt," Sampson said. "We always say pain is an opinion. Some kids have a high opinion. Some kids have a low opinion. But Marcus doesn't go down. He never misses practice, never misses a rep. He's always there." Sasser, the American Athletic Conference player of the year, suffered an apparent groin injury with about 6 1/2 minutes left in the first half of the top-ranked Cougars' 69-48 win over Cincinnati in their AAC tournament semifinal game Saturday. Houston (31-2), which led throughout, was up by eight when Sasser got hurt and expanded that to 15 by halftime. Sampson said Sasser would be re-evaluated, but indicated that the senior guard might not play when the two-time reigning regular-season...

NEW ORLEANS -- Saints quarterback Derek Carr is ready to reinvent himself. The Saints introduced Carr in a news conference that spanned 45 minutes on Saturday. Carr sat next to Saints coach Dennis Allen, with his family and the Saints front office in attendance. He talked about his nine-year tenure with the Las Vegas Raiders, how the Saints convinced him to join their team and what's next. What's next could include throwing passes to wide receiver Michael Thomas. Thomas and the Saints looked like they could be headed for a breakup after they restructured his deal in January. But Carr, who talked to Thomas extensively throughout the free agency process, spoke as if he expected to be teammates with the 2019 Offensive Player of the Year. Carr said he and Thomas got close due to their conversations on the phone. He even told Saints general manager Mickey Loomis after one of those conversations that he felt like the pair could "go out there and face the...

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Preparing for free agency and the possible addition of quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the New York Jets created $13.1 million in salary cap room by restructuring three veteran contracts. They reworked the contracts of three players from their 2022 free agent class -- guard Laken Tomlinson, cornerback D.J. Reed and tight end Tyler Conklin, a source told ESPN's Field Yates on Saturday. Previously, the Jets restructured tight end C.J. Uzomah -- another member of the 2022 class -- and released wide receiver Braxton Berrios. All told, the cap savings total more than $21 million. The Jets had to make the moves because they were slightly over the $224.8 million cap. Teams must be cap compliant by March 15, the start of the new league year. And now they wait for Rodgers to make a decision on his future. He can request a trade to the Jets, retire or return to the Green Bay Packers, which seems...

Katie Taylor's homecoming fight in Ireland on May 20 has a new opponent -- undisputed junior welterweight champion Chantelle Cameron.  Cameron, ESPN's No. 7 pound-for-pound fighter, will now fight Taylor, the undisputed lightweight champion from Bray, Ireland, and ESPN's No. 2 pound-for-pound fighter, at the 3Arena in Dublin, Matchroom Boxing announced on Saturday. The fight is for Cameron's undisputed junior welterweight titles, meaning Taylor will step up in weight. Taylor had won the WBO junior welterweight title once before, in 2019, when she beat Christina Linardatou. Now she's going up in weight again to fight Cameron after Amanda Serrano pulled out of the fight last month because of a hand injury. Taylor and Cameron -- who both are promoted by Matchroom Boxing -- each posted about the possibility on Instagram last week, saying they wanted to fight and get a deal done. A little over a week later, it has been announced. "Once Serrano pulled out this was the...

Outfielder Corbin Carroll and the Arizona Diamondbacks are in agreement on an eight-year, $111 million contract extension, sources familiar with the deal confirmed to ESPN, tying one of the top prospects in baseball to the team through his prime seasons. The deal includes a ninth-year club option that would bring the total to $134 million, sources said.  Carroll, 22, debuted last year and lived up to the hype that had built during his ascent to the big leagues. In 32 games, he hit .260/.330/.500 with four home runs, 14 RBIs and two stolen bases. Still Rookie of the Year-eligible, Carroll is regarded as the favorite by oddsmakers going into 2023. He arrived in Arizona after just 162 minor league games, storming through Double-A and Triple-A with an elite five-tool set. The 5-foot-10, 165-pound Carroll is not only the fastest player in the major leagues but stroked 24 home runs in 442 minor league plate appearances last season, slashed .307/.425/.610 and played a...

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill showed off his transcendent speed Saturday, winning the 60-meter sprint at the USA Track and Field Masters Indoor Championships. Hill, widely believed to be the fastest player in the NFL, donned a speed suit from his alma mater, Coffee High School, and won the race handily in 6.7 seconds. The four-time All-Pro was a track star in high school, winning two state championships. He was named an All-American by USA Today in 2012. Hill last ran for Oklahoma State in 2014. His time of 6.7 seconds is four-tenths of a second off the world record mark of 6.34 seconds set by Christian Coleman in 2018. Hill does, however, own the fastest recorded ball carrier speed by NFL Next Gen Stats -- clocking in at 23.24 mph on a kick return during his rookie season in 2016.

Katie Taylor's homecoming fight in Ireland on May 20 has a new opponent -- undisputed junior welterweight champion Chantelle Cameron, a source told ESPN on Saturday. Cameron, ESPN's No. 7 pound-for-pound fighter, will now fight Taylor, the undisputed lightweight champion from Bray, Ireland, and ESPN's No. 2 pound-for-pound fighter, at the 3Arena in Dublin. The fight is for Cameron's undisputed junior welterweight titles, meaning Taylor will step up in weight. Taylor had won the WBO junior welterweight title once before, in 2019, when she beat Christina Linardatou. Now she's going up in weight again to fight Cameron after Amanda Serrano pulled out of the fight last month because of a hand injury. Taylor and Cameron -- who both are promoted by Matchroom Boxing -- each posted about the possibility on Instagram last week, saying they wanted to fight and get a deal done. A little over a week later, it has been announced. "Once Serrano pulled out this was the natural...

Bud Grant, the Hall of Fame coach who led the Minnesota Vikings to four Super Bowl appearances, has died at the age of 95, the Vikings announced Saturday. In Grant's 28 seasons as a head coach in Canada and with the Vikings, his teams reached the playoffs 20 times, played in 10 championship games and won four titles. However, none of those titles came in the NFL, as he became the first coach to lose four Super Bowls. Grant was the first person to be inducted into both the CFL Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He had a career regular-season record of 158-96-5 in the NFL and 102-56-2 in the CFL and went a combined 26-20-1 in the postseason between the two leagues. "No single individual more defined the Minnesota Vikings than Bud Grant," Vikings owners Mark and Zygi Wilf and their family said in a statement. "A once-in-a lifetime man, Bud will forever be synonymous with success, toughness, the north and the Vikings." Pro Football Hall of Fame president Jim...

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- Rory McIlroy has emerged as one of the faces and most loyal supporters of the PGA Tour during its ongoing battle with LIV Golf. Whether it's organizing players' meetings, helping formulate new models for the tour or speaking with the media, McIlroy has been front and center for the past several months. After missing the cut at the Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass on Saturday, McIlroy admitted his off-course duties have taken a toll on his game.  "It's just the time management," McIlroy said. "The golf [at tournaments], that's fine, but it's just more the time at home to make sure you're getting prepared, to make sure that you're doing everything you can to be ready once you show up to these weeks. That's where I've maybe sacrificed a little bit of time with some of this other stuff. "As I said, I'm ready to get back to being purely a golfer." Before last week's Arnold Palmer Invitational, McIlroy attended a players' advisory committee...

COSTA MESA, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Chargers have solved their salary cap woes without having to release any formidable playmakers ahead of the new league year that starts on Wednesday, enabling them to keep together the pillars of a roster that the organization hopes can challenge in the AFC West and make a deep playoff run. The Chargers went into the offseason $20.5 million over the salary cap, causing uncertainty over whether their core group of players -- who earned their first playoff berth since 2018 before suffering a historic 31-30 wild-card loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars -- would remain intact. But the Bolts restructured the contracts of edge rushers Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack and receivers Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, a league source told ESPN's Field Yates, which created a combined $40.37 million in salary cap space and enables the team to become salary cap compliant with $19 million in cap space before Wednesday's...

LOS ANGELES -- It wouldn't be a stretch to describe D'Angelo Russell's return to the lineup in the Lakers' 122-112 win over the Toronto Raptors on Friday as perfect. Russell, who missed L.A.'s previous six games with a sprained right ankle, scored 16 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter -- on 5-for-5 shooting -- to seal the victory, helping keep the Lakers' momentum strong. The Lakers are now 6-2 since the All-Star break and No. 9 in the Western Conference standings with 15 games remaining. They are only 1½ games behind the LA Clippers in fifth. "I was just flowing, honestly," Russell said after the game, finishing 10-for-17 from the field with nine assists and five rebounds. "Obviously this is my first game back and just itching to get back on the floor, so to get back out there and perform and be back out there with those guys, they were playing at a high level, and to be able to contribute to that was just fun. "I couldn't help but smile." Russell...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Arkansas coach Eric Musselman made it very clear he wasn't happy with a loss to No. 18 Texas A&M and an early exit at the Southeastern Conference tournament. Razorbacks assistants had to restrain Musselman a couple times during a 67-61 loss Friday night in the quarterfinals in which the Aggies rallied from a 13-point deficit. After the game, a student journalist tweeted that his phone was grabbed and thrown to the ground by an Arkansas staffer who was walking behind Musselman as he left the court. The Kentucky Kernal, the independent student newspaper at the University of Kentucky, put out a statement after the incident that involved its journalist. "The Kentucky Kernal is appalled by the actions of the Arkansas men's basketball program. ... no journalist, especially a student journalist, should be subjected to violence for simply doing their job," the statement said. Musselman didn't mention any outbursts when he met with reporters...

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Arkansas coach Eric Musselman made it very clear he wasn't happy with a loss to No. 18 Texas A&M and an early exit at the Southeastern Conference Tournament. Razorbacks assistants had to restrain Musselman a couple times during a 67-61 loss Friday night in the quarterfinals in which the Aggies rallied from a 13-point deficit. After the game, a student journalist tweeted that his phone was grabbed and thrown to the ground by an Arkansas staffer who was walking behind Musselman as he left the court. The Kentucky Kernal, the independent student newspaper at the University of Kentucky, put out a statement after the incident that involved its journalist. "The Kentucky Kernal is appalled by the actions of the Arkansas men's basketball program. ... no journalist, especially a student journalist, should be subjected to violence for simply doing their job," the statement said. Musselman didn't mention any outbursts when he met with reporters...

PHILADELPHIA -- When Joel Embiid caught the ball with 7 seconds to go in Friday night's game at Wells Fargo Center between his Philadelphia 76ers and the Portland Trail Blazers, he had one thing on his mind: Get to his favorite spot on the floor -- the free throw line area -- and get off a clean shot. "Once I got there," Embiid would say later, "I just knew I had to make it." He didn't disappoint. Embiid drained a fallaway jumper with 1.1 seconds to go -- a bucket that gave Philadelphia its first lead of the entire contest -- and lifted the 76ers to a thrilling 120-119 win over Portland in front of a raucous sellout crowd of 21,001. The win, Philadelphia's fifth in six games since the calendar flipped to March, came after the 76ers (44-22) were dominated by the Trail Blazers (31-36), who led by as many as 21 and never were even tied with Philadelphia until midway through the fourth quarter. "It wasn't our night until 1.1 seconds, when you think...

HOUSTON -- The Houston Texans have agreed to a contract with wide receiver Robert Woods, sources confirmed to ESPN on Friday.  The Texans signed Woods to a two-year, $15.25 million deal with $10 million fully guaranteed, sources said. The contract's max potential is $17 million.  Last season, Woods caught 53 passes for 527 yards with two touchdowns for the Tennessee Titans. The Titans acquired him in March 2022 by trading a 2023 sixth-round pick to the Los Angeles Rams. Woods, 30, was released on Feb. 22 to help the Titans get under the salary cap, making him eligible to be signed by any team ahead of free agency next week.  Prior to playing for the Titans, Woods suffered an ACL tear in November 2021 and worked his way back from the injury to play in all 17 games last season. Woods is a 10-year veteran and has played for the Buffalo Bills, Rams and Titans. He has 623 catches for 7,604 yards and 37 touchdowns in his career. He has two...

CHICAGO -- The Bears are trading the No. 1 pick in the 2023 draft to the Panthers in exchange for four draft picks and wide receiver DJ Moore, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Friday. The Bears will receive Carolina's first-round selection at No. 9, a late-second-round pick (No. 61), a 2024 first-round selection and a 2025 second-round pick, according to Schefter. Talks for the No. 1 pick had intensified since last week's scouting combine, sources told Schefter, with multiple teams, including the Houston Texans, expressing interest in making a deal with Chicago. The Panthers initially reached out to the Bears, in addition to several other teams at the top of the draft, during the combine to inquire about the possibility of moving up, a league source said. Talks with the Bears picked up a couple of days ago and came to a head Friday because Panthers officials saw value in getting a deal done before free agency starts Monday, the source...

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- It sure sounds like the Green Bay Packers would prefer to move on from Aaron Rodgers and begin the Jordan Love era immediately. While Packers president Mark Murphy did not rule out the possibility that Rodgers could return as the team's starting quarterback, it apparently isn't the organization's first choice based on what Murphy said Friday during an interview at the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association girls' basketball tournament, which is taking place across the street from Lambeau Field at the Resch Center arena. "I mean unless, if things don't work out the way we would want them, yeah," Murphy said on the WIAA broadcast when asked if there's a scenario in which Rodgers could return. "He's obviously a great player and four-time MVP, but I think it's trying to find what he wants and what we want, and hopefully we can find a win-win situation." Murphy confirmed that the Packers gave Rodgers and the New York Jets...

Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are closing in on a deal for an undisputed heavyweight championship fight -- planned for April 29 at London's Wembley Stadium -- after both sides notified the WBA that they have agreed to terms, president Gilberto Mendoza told ESPN on Friday. Mendoza said he received confirmation from both fighters' promoters that a tentative agreement is in place ahead of the WBA's 5 p.m. ET deadline for Usyk to defend his title against mandatory challenger Daniel Dubois. Dubois holds the WBA's "regular" title, but the organization continues to consolidate belts. Fury, in an Instagram video posted Friday, called on Ukraine's Usyk to accept 30% to the Englishman's 70% of the cut for one of the biggest fights boxing can deliver. Fury holds the WBC title and is ESPN's No. 1 heavyweight (No. 7 pound-for-pound); Usyk owns the WBA, WBO and IBF belts and is ESPN's No. 2 heavyweight (No. 3 pound-for-pound).   As part of the deal, Usyk asked Fury to donate $1 million to...

Basketball coach Josh Pastner has been fired by  Georgia Tech after seven seasons, the school announced Friday. Pastner made just one NCAA tournament appearance in seven seasons at Georgia Tech, finishing with a record of 109-114. He went 51-78 in the ACC, with Tech's lone NCAA appearance in his time there coming after winning the conference tournament in 2021. "We have high expectations at Georgia Tech for all of our sports programs, and it is imperative that our storied men's basketball program achieves a greater level of success," first-year athletic director J Batt said. "Our men's basketball program is important to our department and to our institution. We will not shy away from expecting to consistently compete for ACC championships, NCAA tournament appearances and sustained success." Anthony Wilkins, who has been on Georgia Tech's staff since 2018, will serve as the interim coach while the school conducts a search for Pastner's successor. Tech's search will lean...

St. John's fired head coach Mike Anderson on Friday, and sources told ESPN that the Red Storm are expected to make Iona's Rick Pitino their top target.  Anderson failed to reach the NCAA tournament in any of his four seasons at St. John's, with the Red Storm going 68-56 under his watch. They finished their season on Thursday, losing to Marquette in the Big East tournament quarterfinals. The loss dropped them to 18-15 overall and 7-13 in Big East play. "After fully evaluating the men's basketball program, our University has decided a change is needed in both the leadership and direction of St. John's Basketball," athletic director Mike Cragg said in a statement. "We wish Coach Mike Anderson and his family the best in their future." The Red Storm hired Anderson in 2019, weeks after Arkansas parted ways with him. He reached the NCAA tournament three times in his final five seasons with the Razorbacks, but failed to replicate that success in the Big East. St....

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- Standing on the ninth tee box, his last hole of the second round at the Players on Friday, Jordan Spieth was 2 over par and probably needed a birdie to make the cut and stick around for the weekend. Spieth's tee shot sailed far right and was headed for the water along the fairway. Almost immediately, Spieth turned back to his caddie, Michael Greller, and asked, "Is that out of play?" Instead of getting wet, Spieth's ball bounced off a fan's knee on the fly. Then the ball hit a cart path curb and bounded forward into the fairway. On the second shot, Spieth hit a 3-wood from 277 yards. His ball landed in rough short of the green. Then, in typical Spieth fashion, he chipped in from 26 feet for an eagle on the par-5 hole. Spieth shot 3-over 75 in the round. His 36-hole total of even par should be good enough to make the cut at the Players, which saw second-round play suspended due to weather Friday afternoon.  "I got an extremely lucky break on 9,...

Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic will not play in Saturday night's road game against the Memphis Grizzlies because of his left thigh strain, and Kyrie Irving's status is in question after he missed Friday's practice for personal reasons. "Hopefully, he'll be able to join us in Memphis," Mavs coach Jason Kidd told reporters regarding Irving. Doncic's left thigh has been bothering him for several games and has gotten progressively more painful, leading the All-Star to exit Wednesday's 113-106 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans in the third quarter. An MRI on Doncic's thigh Thursday revealed no damage, and Doncic will return once the discomfort allows him, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The Mavs consider Doncic's status to be day-to-day, Kidd said. Dallas is 5-7 since Irving joined the team after a blockbuster trade with the Brooklyn Nets. That includes a 3-6 record in games Doncic and Irving have both played.

MIAMI -- The Dolphins will exercise the fifth-year option on Tua Tagovailoa, sources confirmed to ESPN on Friday, locking the quarterback in well ahead of the May 2 deadline. The NFL Network was first to report the team's decision. Tagovailoa set career highs in passing yards, touchdowns, completion percentage and passer rating last season, leading the league in that last one. He missed five games, including the team's wild-card loss to the Buffalo Bills, after sustaining two concussions. General manager Chris Grier and head coach Mike McDaniel have publicly committed to Tagovailoa starting for the Dolphins in 2023 on multiple occasions since the season ended. "I think it's important to recognize that we have a congruence of interest by the Dolphins and the player -- Tua -- that both parties really want him to play at a very high level for a long time for the Miami Dolphins," McDaniel said in February. Tagovailoa sustained his second concussion...

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots safety Devin McCourty announced his retirement from the NFL on Friday after 13 seasons, which included three Super Bowl championships. "I'm officially retiring from the NFL. It has been a great ride," McCourty said in a video posted to Instagram with his twin brother,  Jason. "I think it's always tough to come to the end. This whole offseason has been so much back-and-forth for me mentally, but ultimately I think this is the best decision for me, for my family, and my career." McCourty said he spoke with Patriots owner Robert Kraft, head coach Bill Belichick and members of the team's defensive coaching staff about his decision. "I got to say to Bill, 'Now I get the chance to reminisce and look back and not have to focus on how can I be better.'" McCourty, who turns 36 in August, entered the NFL as a first-round draft choice of the Patriots in 2010 out of Rutgers (No. 27 overall). He played in 205...

Georgia Tech is set to fire veteran basketball coach Josh Pastner on Friday, sources told ESPN. Pastner is expected to meet with Tech officials Friday afternoon to formalize the dismissal, sources told ESPN. He made just one NCAA tournament appearance in seven seasons at Georgia Tech, finishing with a record of 109-114. He went 51-78 in the ACC, with Tech's lone NCAA appearance in his time there coming after winning the conference tournament in 2021. Pastner built strong relationships and was well-liked in the university community, but the decision came because Tech has higher expectations for its program, sources told ESPN. This will be the second significant hire for first-year athletic director J Batt, who also promoted assistant Brent Key to head coach in football after the 2022 season. Batt, who came from Alabama, has a background in fundraising and plans to be aggressive with NIL (name, image and likeness). He watched Crimson Tide basketball coach Nate Oats arrive in...

Attorneys for  Tiger Woods said he never had an oral or written tenancy agreement with former girlfriend Erica Herman, who has sued a trust -- that she claims Woods controls -- for at least $30 million after he asked her to move out of his home following their breakup in October.  In the latest court filing in Herman's lawsuit against the Jupiter Island Irrevocable Homestead Trust, Woods asked to intervene as a defendant in the case in the 19th Judicial Circuit Court in Martin County, Florida. In a motion to intervene, Woods' attorneys wrote that Herman sued the trust to avoid an agreement she had made with the 15-time major champion to arbitrate all disputes. Herman, who worked as a general manager of Woods' restaurant before starting a personal relationship with him, is also asking a judge to remove her from a nondisclosure agreement she had signed with him on Aug. 9, 2017. Woods' attorneys claim the trust owns "only a limited remainder interest" in his home in...

FRISCO, Texas -- Needing to get under the salary cap by next week, the Dallas Cowboys created about $30 million in room on Friday by restructuring the contracts of quarterback Dak Prescott and right guard Zack Martin. The Cowboys were roughly pegged about $18 million over the cap, but these moves get them under and give them wiggle room to re-sign some of their own free agents to-be, if possible, before the market opens. The restructuring of the contracts does not preclude the Cowboys from working out extensions for either player later this offseason. Speaking at the NFL scouting combine last week, executive vice president Stephen Jones said the team would like to discuss an extension for Prescott. He is in the third year of a four-year, $160 million deal. He was set to make $31 million in base salary this year with a $49.13 salary cap figure, which was the second largest behind Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson. With the move,...

Tiger Woods said he never had an oral or written tenancy agreement with former girlfriend Erica Herman, who has sued a trust -- that she claims Woods controls -- for at least $30 million after he asked her to move out of his home following their breakup in October. In the latest court filing in Herman's lawsuit against the Jupiter Island Irrevocable Homestead Trust, Woods asked to intervene as a defendant in the case in the 19th Judicial Circuit Court in Martin County, Florida. In a motion to intervene, Woods' attorneys wrote that Herman sued the trust to avoid an agreement she had made with the 15-time major champion to arbitrate all disputes. Herman, who worked as a general manager of Woods' restaurant before starting a personal relationship with him, is also asking a judge to remove her from a non-disclosure agreement she had signed with him on Aug. 9, 2017. Woods' attorneys claim the trust owns "only a limited remainder interest" in his home in Jupiter,...

Former Alabama basketball player Darius Miles and his friend Michael Lynn Davis have been indicted on capital murder charges by a Tuscaloosa County grand jury on Friday, Chief Assistant District Attorney Paula Whitley told ESPN. Davis and Miles were arrested Jan. 15 and eventually charged with the capital murder of Jamea Jonae Harris. Miles was removed from the men's basketball team Jan. 15. Davis is alleged to have shot Harris while she was in a vehicle, which leads to a capital murder charge in Alabama. Miles acknowledged providing Davis the gun in the case and is charged with capital murder for "aiding and abetting" him in the shooting, according to Miles' deposition and charge sheet. The Miles and Davis cases were sent to the grand jury following a Feb. 21 preliminary hearing, where neither were given bond. "We are not surprised with the indictment," Davis' attorney, John Robbins, told ESPN's Elizabeth Merrill. "We were expecting it all along. We're happy that the...