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Phoenix Suns coach Monty Williams gave just one answer before leaving his postgame news conference Wednesday night, his team furious with the large free-throw disparity that favored the Los Angeles Lakers in L.A.'s 122-111 victory. Williams ripped the game officials and described what he sees as a pattern of unfair officiating against his team in recent games. The Lakers shot 46 free throws to the Suns' 20, outscoring Phoenix by 21 points at the line. "Where do you see a game with 46 free throws for one team?" Williams said. "That's just not right. I don't care how you slice it. It is happening to us too much. Other teams are reaching, other teams are hitting, and we're not getting the same call, and I'm tired of it. It's old. Forty-six to 20 free throws with Devin Booker on our team. He gets 12. I mean, our bench had no free throws. It's just ... I'm over it. Been talking about the same thing for a while. Doesn't matter what team it is." Booker scored 25 of his 33...

MINNEAPOLIS -- Trailing by a point with 7.2 seconds left, Timberwolves coach Chris Finch looked at Karl-Anthony Towns in the huddle and told him he'd get the ball with a chance to put Minnesota ahead. It set up Towns for a memorable return from a right calf injury. Towns drove to his right against Atlanta's John Collins, drawing a foul. He converted both free throws with 3.6 seconds left to send Minnesota to a 125-124 win against the Hawks on Wednesday night. "Shoutout to Finch having that confidence in me after 51 games and all of the things I had to deal with," said Towns said, who scored 22 points. "I just knew in my bones I wasn't going to miss." But officials acknowledged after the game they missed on the game's final play. A foul wasn't called as Minnesota's Taurean Prince appeared to make contact with Atlanta's Saddiq Bey after Bey secured an offensive rebound. After reviewing it following the game, crew chief Ben...

Jake Paul, the YouTuber-turned-prizefighter, was among several celebrities who agreed to pay a total of $400,000 in disgorgement, interest and penalties to settle charges of touting a crypto asset without disclosing that they were being paid to do so, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced Wednesday. By settling, Paul did not admit to or deny the charges, the SEC said. An SEC filing on Wednesday charged eight celebrities including Paul. It cited Paul's tweet on Feb. 12, 2021, in which he promoted Tronix (TRX) tokens. The tokens are securities publicly offered by Tron Foundation Limited, which the filing indicated is owned by Yuchen "Justin" Sun, who was tagged in the tweet. The tweet was a reply to one from rapper Lil Yachty, who also was charged, and included a TRX hashtag and a rocket ship emoji. According to the SEC, Paul's promotion was in exchange for crypto assets valued at $25,019. Paul had 3.8 million Twitter followers at the time, the filing read. The SEC also...

The Mavericks will file a protest of their 127-125 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night in Dallas after confusion over which team had possession of the ball led to an uncontested dunk for the Warriors late in the third quarter, team governor Mark Cuban told ESPN. Coming out of a timeout, Warriors center Kevon Looney had a free dunk on an inbounds play with 1:56 left in the third quarter. The Mavericks, believing they had possession, were lined up on their offensive end of the court, which Cuban attributed to an officiating error. Cuban tweeted his account of the incident Wednesday night, saying the refs had initially said it was Mavs ball. A timeout was then called. "During the time out the official changed the call and never told us," Cuban said in his tweet. "Then when they saw us line up as if it were our ball, he just gave the ball to the warriors. Never said a word to us They got an easy basketball. Crazy that it would matter in a 2...

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The FedExForum crowd roared as soon as Ja Morant got off the bench and walked to the scorer's table several minutes into the first quarter on Wednesday, making sure the All-Star point guard felt at home in his first appearance since his eight-game suspension. The Memphis Grizzlies fans gave Morant a standing ovation when he checked into the game after a timeout with 3:05 remaining in the quarter and cheered loudly as he brought the ball up the court the first time. The crowd gave Morant another standing ovation after his first bucket, when he cut down the middle of the floor, received a pass from Desmond Bane and finished with an acrobatic and-1 layup. The message sent to Morant, who was away from the team for two weeks after brandishing a gun during an Instagram livestream from a Denver-area strip club on March 4, was that he remains beloved in Memphis. "It meant a lot, man," said Morant, who had 17 points, five assists and two steals in...

NFL tight end Foster Moreau has been diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma and is stepping away from football while he undergoes treatment, the 25-year-old announced Wednesday. The free agent was diagnosed following a physical conducted by the New Orleans Saints' medical staff. Moreau visited with the Saints in New Orleans and also visited the Cincinnati Bengals last week as part of the free agency process. "Through somewhat of a miraculous process, this Free Agency period has been life changing for me," Moreau wrote on Twitter. "During a routine physical conducted by the Saint's medical team down in New Orleans, I've come to learn that I have Hodgkin's Lymphoma and will be stepping away from football at this time to fight a new opponent: Cancer. I'm grateful for the support and thankful for the people who have stood firm with me. There hasn't been a single step I've taken without hundreds of people lighting the path before me and I will continue to seek...

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- All-Star point guard Ja Morant came off the bench for the first time in his career Wednesday night against the Houston Rockets, something he suggested to the  Memphis Grizzlies' coaching staff as he returned from an eight-game suspension. Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said Morant, who sat out Monday's win over the Dallas Mavericks because of conditioning concerns after being away from the team for two weeks, would be on a minutes restrictions in the low 20s. "This was something he brought to the table as well as had been on my mind," Jenkins said. "So we collectively thought this was the best strategy, at least for the first one or two games. And then we'll kind of reevaluate after that." Morant checked in for the first time with 3:05 remaining in the first quarter and received a standing ovation from the Memphis crowd. He made an immediate impact, recording three points, one rebound, two assists and one block in the...

Jake Paul, the YouTuber-turned-prizefighter, was among eight celebrities charged by the Securities and Exchange Commission for touting a crypto asset without disclosing that they were being paid to do so, according to a filing on Wednesday. The filing cited Paul's tweet on Feb. 12, 2021, in which he promoted Tronix (TRX) tokens. The tokens are securities publicly offered by Tron Foundation Limited, which the filing indicated is owned by Yuchen "Justin" Sun, who was tagged in the tweet. The tweet was a reply to one from rapper Lil Yachty, who also was charged, and included a TRX hashtag and a rocket ship emoji. According to the SEC, Paul's promotion was in exchange for crypto assets valued at $25,019. Paul had 3.8 million Twitter followers at the time, the filing read. The SEC also cited Section 17(b) of the Securities Act, which states in part that it's "unlawful for any person to: publish, give publicity to ... [a security] for consideration received or to be received." The...

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- All-Star point guard Ja Morant will come off the bench for the first time in his career Wednesday night against the Houston Rockets, a situation he suggested to the  Memphis Grizzlies' coaching staff as he returns from an eight-game suspension. Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said Morant, who sat out Monday's win over the Dallas Mavericks because of conditioning concerns after being away from the team for two weeks, would be on a minutes restrictions in the low 20s. "This was something he brought to the table as well as had been on my mind," Jenkins said. "So we collectively thought this was the best strategy, at least for the first one or two games. And then we'll kind of reevaluate after that." The Grizzlies went 6-3 in the nine games Morant missed, winning six of their past seven. Tyus Jones averaged 16.3 points and 8.2 assists while shooting 50.9% from the floor and 40% from 3-point range during that...

Memphis Grizzlies All-Star point guard Ja Morant will come off the bench in his return to the floor Wednesday night against the Houston Rockets, according to coach Taylor Jenkins. "That might be the case for a couple of games," Jenkins said. Morant on Tuesday participated in his first practice with the Grizzlies following an eight-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the NBA. Morant spent 11 days in a Florida counseling facility in the wake of him brandishing a handgun during an early-morning Instagram Live video stream from a Denver-area strip club on March 4. According to the statement from the league announcing the suspension, NBA commissioner Adam Silver determined Morant was in an "intoxicated state" during the Instagram Live session. Morant, however, was adamant that he does not consider alcohol abuse to be an issue for him. "I don't have an alcohol problem, never had an alcohol problem," Morant said Tuesday. "I went [to Florida] for counseling to...

Notre Dame is finalizing a deal to make Penn State's Micah Shrewsberry the school's next men's basketball head coach, sources told ESPN on Wednesday. Shrewsberry will sign a seven-year contract with the Fighting Irish, sources told ESPN. He turned down a lucrative long-term contract extension from Penn State, sources said, with the pull of going back home being a factor in his decision. This season, Shrewsberry helped lead the Nittany Lions to the program's first NCAA tournament appearance since 2011. They won five of their last six regular-season games before making a run to the Big Ten tournament championship game, where they lost to Purdue. Penn State received a 10-seed in the NCAA tournament, but upset 7-seed Texas A&M in the first round before falling to 2-seed Texas in the second round. The Nittany Lions finished 23-14 overall, 10-10 in the Big Ten. For Shrewsberry, 46, taking over at Notre Dame is a return home to the state where he grew up...

Houston Astros star second baseman Jose Altuve had surgery to repair a fractured right thumb and will not resume baseball activities for at least two months, general manager Dana Brown said Wednesday. Altuve, playing for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic, was injured Saturday when he was drilled by a 96 mph fastball by Team USA pitcher Daniel Bard of the Colorado Rockies. The Astros said in a statement that Altuve had the surgery in Houston, and he will remain there while the team finishes its final week of spring training in West Palm Beach, Florida. He might not be ready to return to the lineup until at least late May. Altuve, 32, was coming off another stellar season for the reigning champion Astros, having hit .300 with a .921 OPS in 2022. Utilityman Mauricio Dubon, who batted .208 games last season, is expected to move into the Astros' lineup to replace Altuve. In other team news, the Astros scratched right-hander ...

North Carolina big man Armando Bacot will return for a fifth season with the Tar Heels, he told Stadium on Wednesday. Bacot, who is among the 15 finalists for the Wooden Award, averaged 15.9 points and 10.4 rebounds this season. The Tar Heels (20-13) decided not to play in the NIT after failing to make the NCAA tournament field for the first time since 2010. "I'm using my last year of eligibility." Bacot told Stadium. "I felt it was the right decision for my future. ... The primary reason I am coming back is because I don't want to leave North Carolina this way. But I also know I need to improve and feel like this is the best place to do that." The 6-foot-11 Bacot is North Carolina's career leader in rebounds, double-doubles and double-figure rebounding games. He has averaged 13.7 points and 10.1 rebounds in his four seasons. He participated in North Carolina's Senior Night festivities this year. He has a fifth year of eligibility because of the waiver the NCAA...

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Adding draft capital for a potential Aaron Rodgers trade, the New York Jets traded wide receiver Elijah Moore to the Cleveland Browns on Wednesday. Almost simultaneously, they finalized a free agent contract with his replacement, former Kansas City Chiefs wideout Mecole Hardman. The Jets sent Moore and their 2023 third-round pick (No. 74 overall) to the Browns for their second-round pick (No. 42). The Jets now have two second-round picks (Nos. 42 and 43), which they can use as ammunition in their attempts to acquire Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers. One week ago, Rodgers expressed his intention to play for the Jets in 2023, but the two teams haven't been able to agree on compensation. Hardman agreed to a one-year contract, a source told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. It can be worth up to $6.5 million, a source said. Hardman can replace Moore as the Jets' slot receiver. Finding another deep threat for...

LA Clippers All-Star guard Paul George will miss at least the next two weeks with a sprained right knee, the team announced Wednesday. George will be reevaluated in two to three weeks and is expected to miss the remaining nine regular-season games the Clippers have left. George's timeline for a potential return in the playoffs will be clearer once he is reevaluated, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The Clippers guard was injured after he landed awkwardly after colliding knee-to-knee with Oklahoma City's Lu Dort late in the fourth quarter of the Clippers' 101-100 loss on Tuesday night. George's right knee appeared to bend backward and he needed help to walk off the court after several minutes down on the floor. George was later carried off by two staffers in the tunnel to the locker room. The All-Star guard left Crypto.com Arena late Tuesday night on the back of a cart with his right leg extended. He nodded on his way out. The Clippers and George had begun...

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Adding to an already crowded wide receiver room, the New York Jets agreed to a one-year contract Wednesday with former Kansas City Chiefs wideout Mecole Hardman, a source told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. Hardman joins newly signed Allen Lazard, Garrett Wilson and Elijah Moore as the Jets' top receivers. Veterans Corey Davis and Denzel Mims, both entering the final year of their contracts, could be released or traded in the coming weeks. Moving on from Davis would create $10.5 million in cap room, which could be needed for the Jets to complete a trade for Green Bay Packers quarterback  Aaron Rodgers. Moore, too, could be dangled in trade talks. He was the Jets' primary slot receiver, a position in which Hardman excelled for the Chiefs. In fact, 10 of Hardman's 16 receiving touchdowns came out of the slot, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. The recent additions should...

METAIRIE, La. -- New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson has returned to on-court activities but will still be reevaluated in two weeks from his right hamstring strain that has kept him out since Jan. 2. A two-week reevaluation would be April 5, with the Pelicans having just three regular-season games remaining from that point on -- vs. Memphis (April 5), New York (April 7) and Minnesota (April 9). Pelicans coach Willie Green said Williamson's return before the end of the regular season was definitely a possibility. "I can't confirm that he will be back or not, but we'll see," Green said Wednesday. "It's extremely positive for him and our team. It's been another one of those years that he starts off well, makes an All-Star Game, and it's been difficult navigating injuries. It's part of the game, but it's definitely been tough. "So I'm sure he's relieved to start to feel normal again, being on the floor." Green said Williamson wasn't...

Canadian billionaire Steve Apostolopoulos has become the newest potential bidder to tour the Washington Commanders' stadium and training facility as he seeks to buy the franchise, league sources told ESPN. There are only three known bidders for the Commanders -- groups led by Josh Harris, Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta and now Apostolopoulos -- although there has been speculation that Amazon founder Jeff Bezos could potentially join the mix. Apostolopoulos also recently had discussions to buy the NBA's Charlotte Hornets from Michael Jordan but has focused on the opportunity to purchase the Commanders, according to sources. Commanders owners Dan and Tanya Snyder announced their intention to sell the team in November. Forbes has listed the value of the franchise at $5.6 billion With the NFL league meeting starting Monday in Phoenix, there has been increased speculation over when a deal could be announced. Apostolopoulos is the founder of Six...

Major League Baseball is making slight changes to its new pitch clock rules but will not alter the most significant portions of the mandates that have shaved 25 minutes off game times this spring, according to a memo obtained by ESPN. The document -- the fifth of what a source called "clarification memos" sent by the league this spring -- was distributed Wednesday after players on the joint competition committee between the MLB Players Association and MLB requested various changes earlier in the week. MLB, which has control over on-field rules, will continue with the parameters of the pitch clock that players have been using all spring: 15 seconds with the bases empty and 20 seconds with runners on base, plus the hitter needing to be "alert" in the batter's box with 8 seconds remaining. "On one hand, we are prepared to make adjustments based on input," commissioner Rob Manfred said Tuesday. "On the other hand, we want to give it a chance to see how it plays out exactly over a...

Holly Holm's fight career is showing no signs of slowing down, as the former MMA and boxing champion has signed a new six-fight deal with UFC, her manager, Lenny Fresquez, told the Albuquerque Journal on Tuesday. Holm, 41, is scheduled to face Yana Santos at UFC Fight Night on Saturday in San Antonio. Holm (14-6) will be looking to defend her No. 3 ranking in UFC's bantamweight division. Santos (14-6) is ranked No. 6. "[UFC] knew Holly had lots of options out there," Fresquez told the Journal. "She was very sought after and probably could have earned more money elsewhere. They love Holly. They know she's one of the faces of the UFC, and they wanted her to stay." Holm is coming off a slightly controversial split-decision loss to Ketlen Vieira in May. Prior to that fight, Holm was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame and discussed a possible return to the professional boxing ring for the first time since her retirement from the sport in 2013....

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Patriots' plans to release starting cornerback Jalen Mills have changed, with the sides agreeing to a revised one-year deal worth up to $6.1 million, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Wednesday. Releasing Mills would have saved the Patriots about $5 million on the salary cap; he had two years remaining on the four-year, $24 million contract he had signed in March 2021. So as part of the agreement for Mills to stay with the Patriots, one year was reduced off the original contract. Mills had been scheduled to earn base salaries of $5 million apiece in 2023 and 2024, with the chance to earn an additional $1 million in per-game roster bonuses each year. Mills, 28, started every game in his first year with the team but missed the Patriots' playoff loss to the Buffalo Bills because of illness. This past season, he started 10 of the first 11 games before missing the remainder of the year with a groin injury. Over...

After missing nearly four months with a Grade 3 calf strain, Minnesota Timberwolves forward Karl-Anthony Towns plans to return for Wednesday's game against the Atlanta Hawks, he told ESPN. Towns will do a final check before the game, but he said he expects to play for the first time since Nov. 28. "I'm super excited to get back out on the court and help my team because these next nine games are super important," Towns said. Minnesota (36-37) is currently in ninth place in the Western Conference standings. Towns said he doesn't anticipate any restrictions once he's back despite the lengthy rehabilitation process he's been through over the past four months. "I'm just trying to pick up where I left off," Towns said. "I was telling my dad right before I got hurt, I felt the most complete as a player in my career. From defensive end, from offensive end, from a mental aspect, leadership aspect ... I felt very complete." Towns, who suffered the injury in a...

The proposed undisputed heavyweight championship fight next month between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury at Wembley Stadium in London is in jeopardy as the fighters continue to haggle over deal points beyond the 70-30 split in favor of Fury for the net revenue, sources told ESPN. Usyk has shut down his training camp, according to sources, and will regroup with his team to plot his next fight. The 36-year-old Ukrainian holds the WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight titles while Fury is the WBC champion. Fury's promoter, Frank Warren, and Usyk's promoter, Alexander Krassyuk, discussed the stalled negotiations during a joint radio interview Wednesday on Talksport. Warren said he received an email Tuesday from Usyk's manager, Egis Klimas, that stated "Team Usyk is out of further negotiations." "The fight is called off," Krassyuk said. "The reason for that is it went too far. There was a feeling that after Usyk accepted 70-30, Tyson Fury started thinking that he could put a saddle around his...

Proposals to limit the distance golf balls travel when struck by elite players have received the surprise backing of four-time major winner Rory McIlroy. Several players, including world No. 2 Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas, have criticized the model local rule (MLR) proposal outlined last week by golf's rules makers the R&A and USGA. However, McIlroy, one of the longest hitters in the world, said he supports the move. "For elite-level play, I really like it. I really do," Northern Ireland's world No. 3  told the "No Laying Up" podcast this week. "I'm glad in this new proposal that they haven't touched the recreational golfer. I know that's a really unpopular opinion amongst my peers, but I think it's going to help identify who the best players are a bit easier. "Especially in this era of parity that we've been living in these past couple of decades." Average driving distances are around 300 meters on the PGA Tour, but many players are well in...

Talks to finalize the undisputed heavyweight championship fight between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk on April 29 at London's Wembley Stadium have broken off, sources connected to both fighters told ESPN. The sides agreed on a 70-30 split in favor of Fury for the net revenue earlier this month, but Fury and Usyk couldn't agree on other material terms critical to the deal beyond the split, sources said. Usyk, a 35-year-old Ukrainian, has shut down his training camp, according to sources, and will regroup with his team to plot his next fight. "No matter how much Usyk compromised, he was pushed for more," Usyk's manager, Egis Klimas, told boxing reporter Steve Kim, who first reported that talks had fallen apart. Usyk holds the WBA, WBO and IBF heavyweight titles and is ranked No. 2 by ESPN at heavyweight. Fury, the WBC champion, is ESPN's No. 1 heavyweight. Three mandatory challengers are waiting for their shot at Usyk, but England's Daniel Dubois is up first in the rotation system...

LOS ANGELES -- LA Clippers All-Star guard Paul George left Tuesday night's 101-100 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder late in the fourth quarter after suffering an apparent right leg injury. George left Crypto.com Arena on a cart with his right leg extended. The Clippers did not offer an update on George, who nodded as he was carted toward the arena's loading dock. Clippers coach Ty Lue said he did not see George immediately after the game and was waiting to hear more on his star guard's status. "[George is] still being evaluated right now," Lue said. "But I did see [the replay of the injury]. I didn't even know it looked like that until [an assistant coach] just showed me, so I didn't even know [what happened]." As George went up for a rebound, his right knee seemed to collided with Thunder guard  Luguentz Dort's knee, before landing awkwardly. George crumpled immediately to the floor and stayed there for several minutes. When George got...

LOS ANGELES -- LA Clippers All-Star guard Paul George left Tuesday night's 101-100 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder late in the fourth quarter after appearing to suffer a right leg injury. As George went up for a rebound, his right knee appeared to bang with Thunder guard  Luguentz Dort's knee in the air, before landing awkwardly. George crumpled immediately to the floor and stayed there for several minutes. When George got up, he needed help to walk back to the locker room with 4:38 remaining in the game. The Clippers did not provide an immediate update on the injury.  Any serious injury to George would be a devastating blow for the Clippers, who entered Tuesday's game against the Thunder having won five of six games. Earlier in the third quarter, George threw down a spectacular 360-degree spinning baseline dunk. He had 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists before leaving the game.

MIAMI -- The two best baseball players in the world's eyes locked for a split second, long enough to acknowledge each other and the sheer improbability of what was happening. Top of the ninth. Two outs. A one-run game. In the batter's box stood Mike Trout, and on the pitcher's mound was  Shohei Ohtani. When this was over, they would again be  Los Angeles Angels teammates, but in this moment, this perfect moment, they were foes. Three minutes later, when the at-bat of a lifetime ended, Ohtani was mobbed by his Samurai Japan teammates, the new World Baseball Classic champions, and Trout was skulking back to the Team USA dugout, having swung through a frisbee slider on a full count that cemented Japan's 3-2 victory Tuesday night. In a tournament that had everything, a three-week sprint that brought the intensity and stakes of October baseball to March, it was only fitting that the dream scenario played out in the most dramatic of fashions. "I believe...

ABC News' Linsey Davis spoke with Mikaela Shiffrin, Olympic champion and most successful alpine skier of all time. She discussed her latest accomplishment and her support of youth sports initiatives.

Michigan tapped into the state of Ohio on the recruiting trail and got a commitment from ESPN 300 running back Jordan Marshall on Tuesday. Marshall is the No. 198 prospect overall and the No. 9 recruit in the state of Ohio. He was a big target for in-state Ohio State, and the Wolverines were able to beat out the Buckeyes for one of the best running backs in the class. Marshall is a 5-foot-11, 195-pound prospect out of Moeller High School in Cincinnati. He is the third commitment for Michigan from the state of Ohio in the 2024 class, along with ESPN 300 offensive tackle Luke Hamilton and defensive tackle Ted Hammond. It was only a few years back that Jim Harbaugh was fielding questions about why he wasn't targeting more recruits from the state of Ohio and why the Buckeye State wasn't a priority for the team. Harbaugh signed four recruits out of Ohio in 2023 after signing nine prospects from the state in the seven recruiting classes from 2016 to...

MIAMI -- The World Baseball Classic, which has produced a string of exhilarating games and enthusiastic crowds, will "100 percent" return in 2026, Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred said Tuesday, moments before Team USA and Japan squared off in the championship game from LoanDepot Park. Before then, Manfred said, he would like to see more stars playing in the tournament, particularly on the pitching side. "It's great the guys that we have," Manfred told a small scrum of reporters, "but I'd like to see pitching staffs that are of the same quality as our position players." A long list of star position players decorated rosters throughout the World Baseball Classic, but a lot of the sport's best pitchers either did not participate or faced tight restrictions regarding their usage, especially in the late stages of the tournament. The volatility of pitcher health, coupled by the timing of an event that is playing its most important games at a time when pitchers navigate...

Minnesota Timberwolves star  Karl-Anthony Towns has been upgraded to questionable for Wednesday's game against the Atlanta Hawks, the first time the big man's status has changed since he suffered a calf strain five months ago. Anthony Edwards, who has missed the past two games with a right ankle sprain, is also listed as questionable. Towns suffered the right calf strain Nov. 28 against Washington and has missed the past 52 games, but he recently started ramping up his on-court activity. Edwards' and Towns' potential returns come at an opportune time for the Timberwolves, as they are in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race with just nine games remaining. Minnesota entered Tuesday night one game back of the Golden State Warriors for the No. 6 seed and a chance to avoid the play-in.

MEMPHIS -- All-Star point guard Ja Morant, who participated Tuesday in his first practice with the Memphis Grizzlies following an eight-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the NBA, described his attempt to find better ways to manage stress through counseling as "an ongoing process." Morant, who the Grizzlies anticipate will make his return in Wednesday's home game against the Houston Rockets, spent 11 days in a Florida counseling facility in the wake of him brandishing a handgun during an early morning Instagram Live video stream from a Denver-area strip club on March 4. "Obviously took that time to better myself, get in a better space mentally," Morant said. "It's an ongoing process, a continued process for me. Obviously, I've been there for two weeks, but that doesn't mean I'm completely better. So that's an ongoing process for me that I've still been continuing since I've come out." Morant said that he had become...

Willis Reed, the legendary captain and star center for the New York Knicks who led the franchise to its only two championships and was the author of one of the signature moments in NBA history, has died. He was 80. "The Knicks organization is deeply saddened to announce the passing of our beloved Captain, Willis Reed," the Knicks said in a statement issued Tuesday afternoon. "As we mourn, we will always strive to uphold the standards he left behind -- the unmatched leadership, sacrifice and work ethic that personified him as a champion among champions. "His is a legacy that will live forever. We ask everyone to please respect the family's privacy during this difficult time." Reed, a burly, physical presence in the post across his 10 years in the NBA -- all with the Knicks -- was the NBA's Rookie of the Year in 1965 and its Most Valuable Player in 1970, as well as a seven-time All-Star and a five-time All-NBA selection. He was also eventually named to the NBA's 50th and...

FRISCO, Texas -- A week after releasing Ezekiel Elliott, the Dallas Cowboys have agreed to a one-year deal with free agent running back Ronald Jones, the team announced Tuesday.  It doesn't mean Jones, a former second-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, will be Elliott's sole replacement in 2023, but the Cowboys have provided depth as a complement to Tony Pollard, who is on the $10.091 million franchise tag. The Cowboys also agreed to a deal with defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. to become the third defender to re-sign with the team, along with safety Donovan Wilson and linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, a source told ESPN. Jones spent last season with the Kansas City Chiefs but appeared in just six games with 17 carries after a four-year stint with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His best year came in 2020 when Tampa Bay won the Super Bowl, and he finished with 978 yards on 192 carries with seven...

Naoya Inoue suffered an injury in training and his May 7 fight in Yokohama, Japan, vs. Stephen Fulton for the unified 122-pound championship has been postponed, sources tell ESPN. The fight, which was set to be streamed on ESPN+ stateside, is being rescheduled for the summer in Japan, sources said. The nature of the injury is unclear, per sources, but the severity isn't deemed serious. Inoue (24-0, 21 KOs) vacated his four 118-pound titles in January -- one month after he captured the undisputed bantamweight championship with an 11th-round KO of Paul Butler -- to chase titles in a fourth weight class. The Japanese star quickly closed a deal to fight ESPN's No. 1 boxer at 122 pounds: Fulton. The 28-year-old Philadelphian holds the WBC and WBO junior featherweight titles. Fulton (21-0, 8 KOs) isn't simply the top fighter at 122 pounds; he's also one of the best regardless of weight. A fight featuring Fulton and Inoue is among the best matchups the sport can...

FRISCO, Texas -- A week after releasing Ezekiel Elliott, the Dallas Cowboys have agreed to a one-year deal with free-agent running back Ronald Jones, according to a source. It doesn't mean Jones, a former second-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, will be Elliott's sole replacement in 2023, but the Cowboys have provided depth as a complement to Tony Pollard, who is on the $10.091 million franchise tag. Jones spent last season with the Kansas City Chiefs but appeared in just six games with 17 carries after a four-year stint with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. His best year came in 2020 when Tampa Bay won the Super Bowl, and he finished with 978 yards on 192 carries with seven touchdowns. Jones, who played not far from the Cowboys' practice facility, The Star, at McKinney North High School, signed a one-year deal with the Chiefs last year, but found himself behind Isiah Pacheco, Jerick McKinnon and Clyde...

Virginia running back Mike Hollins described his recovery a gunshot wound after being shot four months ago as a "miracle" on Tuesday, saying his return to the football field has allowed him to push past the pain and anguish he has felt since the tragedy that took the lives of three of his teammates. In his first comments since returning to practice last week, Hollins told reporters on a Zoom call that the physical recovery has been the easy part for him -- even though he suffered internal injuries that required surgery and had a weeklong hospital stay. He described practice as "freedom."  "It's freeing for me," he said. "I don't have to think, I just play." Hollins said the mental part, dealing with the deaths of Lavel Davis Jr., Devin Chandler and D'Sean Perry, has by far been the most difficult. "I expected to recover physically," Hollins said. "So it really wasn't on my mind. It was more, 'Man, How am I gonna even make it to practice without calling D'Sean?'...

Fairleigh Dickinson's Tobin Anderson, the breakout coaching star of the NCAA tournament, has agreed to a five-year deal to become the next coach at Iona, sources told ESPN. Anderson's hire was announced Tuesday, though contractual details were not disclosed. In a statement, Anderson said his goal is to "build upon the tremendous tradition of Iona basketball and elevate the program to greater heights." Anderson replaces Rick Pitino, who left Iona for St. John's on Monday after three seasons. In replacing Pitino, Iona has struck quickly and lands a coach who captured the country's attention with two NCAA tournament victories last week. Anderson will need to reload Iona's roster quickly, though, as the Gaels' two best players entered the transfer portal on Tuesday, sources told ESPN's Jeff Borzello. MAAC Player of the Year Walter Clayton Jr. entered in the afternoon, followed a couple hours later by Nelly Junior Joseph, a two-time first-team All-MAAC...

New York Mets star Francisco Lindor is all-in on the World Baseball Classic and disagrees with the stance that Major League Baseball players should avoid the event because of the risk of injury. Lindor addressed a wide range of WBC-related topics with reporters Monday night -- five days after teammate Edwin Diaz suffered a season-ending knee injury while celebrating a victory by Puerto Rico. The injuries to Diaz and Houston Astros star Jose Altuve have reignited the debate over MLB players participating in the WBC. Although he said Diaz's injury "broke my heart," Lindor told reporters he "100 percent" plans to play for Puerto Rico again in the next WBC and said "it's a blessing and an honor and a privilege" to represent his country. "We all care for each other and no one wants to get hurt," Lindor said. "But we all love our countries and want to represent our countries. ... We have an opportunity to represent our countries and learn...

Fairleigh Dickinson's Tobin Anderson, the breakout coaching star of the NCAA tournament, has emerged as the top target to be the next coach at Iona, sources told ESPN. Anderson would replace Rick Pitino, who left Iona for St. John's on Monday after three seasons. In replacing Pitino, Iona appears poised to strike quickly and land a coach within a short time frame. Pitino left Iona on Monday and is being introduced at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday. In his first year at FDU, Anderson led the team to what many consider the biggest upset in NCAA tournament history. The 16th-seeded Knights stunned No. 1 Purdue 63-58 for just the second upset of a No. 1 seed in the first round since the men's tournament expanded to 64 teams back in 1985. That propelled a small-school lifer to become a household name in college basketball in the course of a weekend. In the wake of the upset, FDU and Anderson emerged as the darlings of the NCAA tournament, including a Monday...

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Longtime New England Patriots linebacker Dont'a Hightower, who won three Super Bowl championships over his nine-year career, officially announced his retirement Tuesday. "I can't think of a better story than the one I wrote in New England," Hightower said in an essay posted on The Players' Tribune website. "So this is a happy day for me ... Today, I'm totally at peace knowing that I gave this franchise every ounce of sweat I had left." The 33-year-old, nicknamed "Mr. February" by coach Bill Belichick because of his knack for making clutch plays in Super Bowls, didn't play in 2020 as a COVID-19 opt-out, and he also sat out the 2022 season. Hightower played in 117 regular-season games (114 starts) and totaled 569 tackles and 27 sacks. He appeared in 17 playoff games, starting all of them, amassing 81 tackles and three sacks. He was one of the hardest-hitting linebackers in the NFL during his career, all spent in New England, and his...

Suspended Alabama defensive back Tony Mitchell was driving 141 mph as he attempted to flee police in Florida last week before being arrested, according to an arrest report obtained by AL.com. Mitchell and a passenger in his vehicle, Christophere Lewis, were arrested Wednesday by deputies from the Holmes County (Florida) Sheriff's Office and charged with possession of marijuana with intent to sell and/or deliver. Lewis also was charged with carrying a concealed firearm without a permit. Holmes County is located about 50 miles north of Panama City and shares its northern border with Alabama. Alabama coach Nick Saban said Monday that Mitchell was suspended from the team "and all team activities until we gather more information about the situation and what his legal circumstance is." According to the arrest report, which was published by AL.com after Saban's announcement Monday night, deputies recovered 226 grams of marijuana -- just under 8 ounces -- and...

Fanatics will replace Adidas as the NHL's outfitter of on-ice uniforms and authentic jerseys beginning with the 2024-25 season, the league announced Tuesday. The deal runs 10 years. Financial terms were not disclosed. This marks the first time Fanatics branding will be directly on an official player uniform for a professional sports property. Fanatics has been an NHL retail partner for nearly two decades. It will remain the official manufacturer of a broad range of NHL apparel, including the replica jerseys that it has produced since 2017. Fanatics will also make the uniforms for all NHL on-ice officials beginning in 2024-25. "This expansion of our partnership with Fanatics is a reflection of our shared commitment to innovation, performance, and serving our players and fans," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. "Fanatics is a sports industry market leader and with its proven track-record in e-commerce and retail operations, licensed fan merchandise and performance...

MIAMI -- The dream matchup of Shohei Ohtani pitching to Mike Trout could become reality Tuesday night. Ohtani plans to hit and pitch in the finals of the World Baseball Classic against Team USA, he said after spearheading Japan's rollicking 6-5 come-from-behind semifinal win against Mexico on Monday night, though his time on the mound will come in an unfamiliar role: as a relief pitcher. The last time Ohtani pitched out of the bullpen was in 2016, when he was 22 years old and in the postseason with the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters. Ohtani threw one blemish-free inning and unleashed a pair of fastballs clocked at 165 kilometers per hour -- approximately 102.5 mph, harder than any pitch he has thrown in his five seasons with the Los Angeles Angels. Ohtani last started five days ago, throwing 71 pitches in Samurai Japan's quarterfinal victory against Italy. Never since he arrived in Major League Baseball has Ohtani thrown on four or fewer days of rest,...

MEMPHIS -- For the second time this month,  Memphis Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks faces an automatic one-game suspension due to his technical fouls total for the season. In yet another eventful performance for the pesky defender known as Dillon "The Villain," Brooks picked up his 18th technical foul of the season for taunting the Dallas bench during the Grizzlies' 112-108 win Monday night.  In particular, Brooks taunted vocal Mavs reserve forward Theo Pinson after dunking in traffic with 7:31 remaining in the third quarter. Brooks pantomimed waving pom-poms, insinuating that Pinson earned paychecks as a cheerleader, not a player. "The dude was standing up on the bench. He should be sitting down," Brooks said, referencing the NBA's bench decorum rules added in the offseason in large part due to Pinson's antics during last year's playoffs. "We should be putting that on notice, but I just wanna let him know he's a cheerleader." Pinson ...

Coming into the 2023 women's NCAA basketball tournament, none of the No. 1 seeds had lost in the early rounds since 2009. Now, it's happened on back-to-back nights. The Indiana Hoosiers, the top seed in the Greenville 2 Regional, were upset on Monday by the No. 9 Miami Hurricanes 70-68 at Indiana's Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in the second round. That followed the Seattle 4 Regional No. 1 seed Stanford Cardinal's 54-49 loss to the No. 8 Ole Miss Rebels on Sunday at Stanford's Maples Pavilion. Like the men's tournament, which lost  Purdue and Kansas in the first weekend, the women's early rounds ended with just two No. 1 seeds moving on. The women's NCAA tournament, which began in 1982, has had two No. 1 seeds lose before the Sweet 16 in the same year just one previous time: in 1998, when Stanford lost in the first round and  Texas Tech in the second round. The four No. 1 seeds to lose across the men's and...

Tennis great Martina Navratilova said she is cancer-free nearly four months after announcing she had been diagnosed with throat and breast cancer. Navratilova, 66, who won a total of 59 Grand Slam titles across singles and doubles, had said in January that the cancer was in Stage 1. "As far as they know I'm cancer-free," Navratilova told Piers Morgan for TalkTV in an excerpt of an interview to be released later Tuesday. "I still need to do the right breast probably with radiation but only for a couple of weeks and that's more preventative than anything else." The cancer was discovered in November last year, and Navratilova made a statement, released by her representative, Jan. 3. At the time, the 18-time Grand Slam singles champion and member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame said her prognosis is good and she was to start treatment in January. "This double whammy is serious but still fixable, and I'm hoping for a favorable outcome," Navratilova said at the time....

MIAMI -- Munetaka Murakami, a Japanese Triple Crown winner who, at 23, is already among the best hitters in the world, thought about bunting. It was the ninth inning, two runners occupied first and second base with nobody out, and Japan trailed Mexico by a run in the World Baseball Classic semifinal, the type of moment that yearns for greatness. But Murakami didn't feel like himself. He had begun this tournament with four hits in 21 at-bats, striking out 11 times, including during his first three plate appearances Monday night. And so he pondered the possibility of simply moving the winning run into scoring position, allowing someone else his moment. "Bunting kind of crossed my mind," Murakami said through an interpreter, "but [Japanese manager Hideki] Kuriyama told me that I just have to hit." It was the best advice he could get. Murakami got a 94 mph, down-the-middle fastball from Team Mexico closer Giovanny Gallegos and sent the offering 400 feet to straightaway center field,...

MIAMI -- Munetaka Murakami, it turns out, was due. Murakami, the star Japanese third baseman who owns the nation's home run record and is coming off a Triple Crown, struck out in his first three plate appearances of Monday night's World Baseball Classic semifinal. But he came through when it mattered most, delivering a two-run double in the ninth inning that sent Japan to a thrilling, 6-5 walk-off victory against Mexico at a sold-out LoanDepot Park. Japan, which won the first two World Baseball Classics, in 2006 and 2009, will face reigning champion Team USA in the finale Tuesday night. Japan fell behind Mexico early when Roki Sasaki, the 21-year-old pitching sensation, left a splitter up to Luis Urias for a three-run homer in the fourth inning. Japan's hitters weren't able to muster much offense against Patrick Sandoval, the Los Angeles Angels left-hander who allowed only three baserunners in the first four innings. But Japan's offense finally...