Scoot Henderson scores 28 points as the Trail Blazers beat the reeling Pacers 131-111

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Scoot Henderson scored a season-high 28 points on 10-of-15 shooting and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the skidding Indiana Pacers 131-111 on Sunday night.

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Jerami Grant and Jrue Holiday added 21 points apiece for the Blazers, who handed Indiana its ninth straight defeat. Henderson also had six assists with no turnovers.

Deni Avdija, who leads Portland in scoring (24.4 points per game) and assists (6.6), returned from a six-game absence caused by a lower back injury. He finished with 18 points and eight assists.

Indiana has dropped its past six games by an average of 20 points. This marks the team's third losing streak of at least eight games this season.

Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 22 points and Jay Huff had 16 points and five blocks. Andrew Nembhard added 14 points and nine assists, and Jarace Walker also scored 14.

Huff has an NBA-leading 39 games this season with at least two blocks, two more than San Antonio center Victor Wenbanyama, who had four in a145-120win over Houston earlier Sunday and leads the NBA in blocks.

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Robert Williams III had his streak of 18 consecutive games with at least one block snapped. It had been the longest active streak in the league.

Henderson scored or assisted on 15 points in a 25-7 run over the final 5 1/2 minutes of the second quarter to help the Blazers take a 69-52 lead into halftime. The Pacers were 2-of-11 shooting with three turnovers during that stretch.

Henderson had 19 points and five assists while going 7 for 9 from the field, including 2 of 4 from 3-point range, before the break. Grant added 14 points, Holiday had 11 and Avdija scored 10.

Up next

Pacers: Wrap up a four-game trip Tuesday at Sacramento.

Trail Blazers: Host the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday night.

AP NBA:https://apnews.com/NBA

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March 08, 2026

Scoot Henderson scores 28 points as the Trail Blazers beat the reeling Pacers 131-111

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Scoot Henderson scored a season-high 28 points on 10-of-15 shooting and the Portland Trail Blazers ...

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Boston College fires coach Earl Grant after 5 seasons

Boston College has fired Earl Grant after five seasons, the school announced Sunday.

Grant, 49, posted a 72-92 record during his time with the Eagles, including 11-20 this season with a 4-14 mark in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

"We are grateful to Earl for his dedication to our student-athletes and to the Boston College community over the past five seasons," Boston College AD Blake James said in a statement. "Earl is a man of high character who represented our institution with class. However, we have greater expectations for our basketball program and I believe a change in leadership is necessary to change the trajectory of our program. We wish Earl and his family nothing but the best going forward."

Boston College notched a 77-69 victory over Notre Dame on Saturday to move into position to potentially seize the 15th and final seed in the ACC tournament. However, Pitt wrested it away by toppling Syracuse later in the day.

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"Our goal remains to compete at the highest level of college basketball and provide a world-class experience for our student-athletes," James continued. "We will begin a national search immediately for a new head coach who shares our vision of excellence, both on the court and in the classroom."

Grant was 127-89 during his seven seasons at the College of Charleston. He guided the Cougars to the NCAA Tournament in 2018. He is 199-181 in 12 overall seasons.

Sunday's news comes one week after Boston College parted ways with women's basketball head coach Joanna Bernabei-McNamee.

--Field Level Media

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March 08, 2026

Boston College fires coach Earl Grant after 5 seasons

Boston College has fired Earl Grant after five seasons, the school announced Sunday. Grant, 49, post...

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Luka Doncic scores 35, Lakers hold off cold-shooting Knicks 110-97 in LeBron's absence

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Luka Doncic had 35 points and eight rebounds, Austin Reaves added 25 points and the Los Angeles Lakers overcame LeBron James' injury absence to grind out a 110-97 victory over the New York Knicks on Sunday.

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Rui Hachimura scored 13 points for the Lakers, who never trailed the surging Knicks in their fourth consecutive victory even while Jamesmissed his second straight gamewith a bruised left elbow and a left foot injury.

The Lakers slumped in the fourth quarter, managing just one basket in a 6 1/2-minute span down the stretch while New York cut its 23-point deficit to 10. But the Knicks couldn't hit enough shots to capitalize and committed eight turnovers in the fourth.

Luke Kennard made a 3-pointer with 1:37 left before Doncic iced it on his fifth 3-pointer with 1:05 left.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 25 points and 16 rebounds for the Knicks, who lost for just the second time in six games.

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Jalen Brunson scored 10 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter, but New York couldn't overcome 8-of-34 shooting on 3-point attempts in the second stop on its five-game trip, which began withan impressive win at Denver. Mikal Bridges went scoreless in 27 minutes.

The Lakers took a 19-point lead into the fourth quarter after a 20-8 run. Doncic, who hit an absurd fallaway 3-pointer during the surge, had 28 points afterscoring 44 in three quarterswhile beating Indiana two nights earlier.

Up next

Knicks: At the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday.

Lakers: Host Minnesota on Tuesday.

AP NBA:https://apnews.com/NBA

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March 08, 2026

Luka Doncic scores 35, Lakers hold off cold-shooting Knicks 110-97 in LeBron's absence

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Luka Doncic had 35 points and eight rebounds, Austin Reaves added 25 points and the Los Angeles Lakers...

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World Baseball Classic: Team USA cruises to another win vs. Great Britain, with Mexico awaiting

So far in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, it's only been a matter of "when" for Team USA following a 9-1 win over Great Britain on Saturday.

The tournament favorite spent half of its second group play game trailing the British, courtesy of a dormant offense and a surprise leadoff homer allowed by the best pitcher on the planet, Tarik Skubal. Two pitchers, indy ball veteran Tyler Viza and Los Angeles Angels minor leaguer Najer Vector, shut down the Americans across four innings.

And then, carnage.

It took only one error from Great Britain to open the floodgates. Ernie Clement reached first on a bad throw from GB third baseman Ivan Johnson. He moved to third on a double from Pete Crow-Armstrong. He scored on a wild pitch.

Two pitches later, Kyle Schwarber hit the ball 427 feet, deep into the second deck.

More runs followed. Gunnar Henderson brought in two more with a bases-loaded single. Alex Bregman, Aaron Judge and Will Smith all notched RBI in a sixth-inning rally. Bregman got another sacrifice fly an inning later.

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The vaunted American lineup ground down Brazil in its first game with 17 walks. It was a bit more aggressive in this one, but maintained an identity of slowly breaking pitchers with little MLB experience.

[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for the 2026 MLB season]

On the pitching side, Skubal was on the mound for what will be his only start of the tournament. As few expected, he left the game facing a loss. The reason why: Boston Red Sox utility man Nate Eaton, who ambushed a fastball on the first pitch of the game for a double that evolved into a homer after replay review.

Skubal shook that off and put down nine of the 10 remaining batters.

From there, the American bullpen took over and maintained dominance. Skubal, Clay Holmes, David Bednar, Griffin Jax and Brad Keller combined for 17 strikeouts while walking none. The only British hitter who managed a hit was Eaton, who was 3-for-4 while his teammates were 0-for-25.

Now 2-0, Team USA is virtually guaranteed a spot in the knockout rounds. However, it will soon face its biggest test against Mexico on Monday, with first place in Pool B likely on the line. Mexico defeated Great Britain 8-2 on Friday.

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March 08, 2026

World Baseball Classic: Team USA cruises to another win vs. Great Britain, with Mexico awaiting

So far in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, it's only been a matter of "when" for Team USA following a 9-...

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Georgia Tech fires coach Damon Stoudamire following a 12-game losing streak to end his 3rd season

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Tech fired coach Damon Stoudamire on Sunday, one day after the Yellow Jackets' season ended with a 12-game losing streak.

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Georgia Tech athletic director Ryan Alpert announced the move after the Yellow Jackets finished 11-20 overall and 2-16 in the Atlantic Coast Conference following Saturday's79-76 lossat Clemson.

The Yellow Jackets finished last in the conference, failing to qualify for the ACC tournament as Stoudamire was unable to solve thelate-season losing streak.

Stoudamire was fired after posting a 42-55 record in three seasons, including a 19-39 ACC mark.

"On behalf of Georgia Tech, I want to thank Damon for his commitment to the Institute, our men's basketball program and, most importantly, our student-athletes," Alpert said in a statement released by the school. "He is highly respected and admired throughout the Georgia Tech community and has been a strong representative of the Institute. We wish him the very best.

"Georgia Tech men's basketball has a proud history and is an important part of our athletics department and community. We are committed to identifying an excellent basketball coach that will build a championship-level program, and fulfill our missions of academic excellence and preparing our student-athletes for life beyond basketball. Georgia Tech's commitment to men's basketball is unwavering, and we will invest the resources necessary to compete for championships at the highest levels."

Assistant coach Greg Gary, a former coach at Mercer, will serve as interim head coach.

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Alpert will launch a search for a new coach who will be asked to revive a program which once flourished, advancing to nine consecutive NCAA tournaments under Bobby Cremins from 1985-93. Georgia Tech reached the NCAA championship game under Paul Hewitt in 2004.

Georgia Tech's last NCAA tournament appearance came in its last winning season in 2020-21 under Josh Pastner. The Yellow Jackets lost in the first round that year and have not won a game in the tournament since 2010.

Stoudamire, a former NBA point guard,was hiredon March 14, 2023, only three days after Pastner was fired.

Stoudamire's only previous head coaching experience came at Pacific, a West Coast Conference school where he posted a 71-77 record over a five-year tenure. He never reached the postseason but was selected as the league's coach of the year in 2020.

Before being hired by Georgia Tech, Stoudamire had been a Boston Celtics assistant since 2021.

Stoudamire's 13-year playing career in the NBA began when he was named Rookie of the Year in the 1995-96 season with Toronto. Only 5-foot-10, he earned the nickname "Mighty Mouse" and also played with Portland, Memphis and San Antonio.

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign uphereandhere(AP News mobile app). AP college basketball:https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-pollandhttps://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

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March 08, 2026

Georgia Tech fires coach Damon Stoudamire following a 12-game losing streak to end his 3rd season

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Tech fired coach Damon Stoudamire on Sunday, one day after the Yellow Jackets' season ended wi...

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LeBron James injury update: Lakers star managing foot, elbow injuries

TheLos Angeles Lakerswill be without LeBron James for a second consecutive night.

James, who had been listed as a game-time decision after missing the second night of a back-to-back on Friday against theIndiana Pacers,has been ruled outof Sunday's matchup against theNew York Knickswith left elbow discomfort and left foot arthritis.

After surpassingyet another absurd NBA record, James took a hard fall in the fourth quarter of Thursday's loss to theDenver Nuggetsand landed on his left elbow.ESPN's Dave McMenaminlater reported that head coach J.J. Redick said James "was icing his left elbow after the game and that he was experiencing enough discomfort that it caused him to be unable to finish the game."

LeBron James, regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, entered the NBA straight out of high school as the number one pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003. Take a look back at the four-time NBA champ's career from high school to the Cavaliers, the Miami Heat, back to Cleveland, and most recently with the Los Angeles Lakers.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> May 30, 2021: LeBron James (23) dunks for a basket against the Phoenix Suns during the second half in game four of the first round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Dec. 15, 2021: LeBron James (6) celebrates the win over the Dallas Mavericks during overtime at the American Airlines Center.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Feb. 7, 2023: LeBron James celebrates with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar after breaking the record for all-time scoring in the NBA against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Oct. 22, 2024: LeBron James #23 and Bronny James #9 of the Los Angeles Lakers on defense during the second quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> April 4, 2025: LeBron James #23 and Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers shake hands against the New Orleans Pelicans during the second quarter at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

LeBron James: See his rise from high school basketball standout to NBA legend

LeBron James, regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, entered the NBA straight out of high school as the number one pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003. Take a look back at the four-time NBA champ's career from high school to the Cavaliers, the Miami Heat, back to Cleveland, and most recently with the Los Angeles Lakers.

LeBron James injury update

During the ESPN pregame show on Sunday, Malika Andrews reported that James sitting is "more the foot than the elbow," and that it'll be a day-to-day situation for him going forward.

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James has had to battle through a few different injuries throughout his 23rd NBA season. His season debut was delayed until Nov. 18 due to sciatica, and his streak of 21 straight All-NBA selections officially ended in February after he missed his 18th game of the season, making him ineligible under the league's 65 games played requirement.

Luka Doncic stepped up in James' absence -- and Deandre Ayton and Maxi Kleber -- on Friday, leading a shorthanded Lakers squad with 44 points to a 128-117 over the tanking Pacers. The Lakers will likely need a similar performance from Doncic again on Sunday to get past the Knicks, the East's No. 3 seed.

Kleber is available to play against the Knicks.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:LeBron James injury update: Lakers star ruled out vs. Knicks

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March 08, 2026

LeBron James injury update: Lakers star managing foot, elbow injuries

TheLos Angeles Lakerswill be without LeBron James for a second consecutive night. James, who had bee...

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