NBA – National Basketball Association
Last Night
Detroit Pistons 127, Toronto Raptors 116
Pistons 127, Raptors 116 – Pistons, led by Jalen Duren’s 31 points and nine rebounds, clinch division title
Jalen Duren had 31 points and nine rebounds as the Detroit Pistons defeated the Toronto Raptors 127-116 to clinch the Central Division title. Duren is averaging 23.4 points and 10.5 rebounds in seven games since Cade Cunningham sustained a lung injury on March 17 in Washington. The Pistons are 6-2 without their star, including a 114-110 overtime loss in Oklahoma City on Monday – a game Duren sat out. Daniss Jenkins scored 21 for the Pistons, who have won seven of nine, and Duncan Robinson added 19 points. Detroit hadn’t won a division title since 2007-08.
Tonight
Indiana Pacers at Chicago Bulls, 8:00 p..m.
NBA – Pistons end long stretch of futility with first division title in 18 years
After nearly two decades, and stretches of futility, the Detroit Pistons have won the Central Division again. The Pistons defeated the Toronto Raptors 127-116 on Tuesday to finish a long climb back up the NBA ladder and clinch their first division title since the 2007-08 season. “You take pride in understanding how hard it is to do these things in this league,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said after the game. “You take pride in the fact that you have a group of young men who have grown and achieved certain milestones. It’s a part of the process, and we expect more.”
MLB – Major League Baseball
Last Night
Arizona Diamondbacks 7, Detroit Tigers 5
Miami Marlins 9, Chicago White Sox 2
Los Angeles Angels 2, Chicago Cubs 0
D’Backs 7, Tigers 5 – Jose Fernandez hits 2 home runs in MLB debut, leads Diamondbacks over Tigers 7-5
Jose Fernandez hit two home runs, including the go-ahead three-run homer in the eighth inning, in his MLB debut and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Detroit Tigers 7-5 on Tuesday night. Fernandez finished 3 for 4 with an infield single for the first of his career in the second and a solo home run in the fourth. James McCann hit a double along the third baseline and Jordan Lawlar singled before the Tigers swapped out relief pitcher Drew Anderson for Will Vest (0-1). Vest walked Ketel Marte to load the bases and Corbin Carroll hit a double to the wall in center field, sending two home. Vest walked the next batter and Marte scored on a groundout before Kenley Jensen replaced Vest with runners at the corners. Fernandez hit a 409-foot shot that capped the scoring.
Marlins 9, White Sox 2 – Conine hits a 2-run homer, Marlins score 4 runs in 4th inning in 9-2 win over White Sox
The Miami Marlins beat the Chicago White Sox 9-2 with Griffin Conine’s late homer. Miami went hitless through the first three innings, but broke through with four runs in the fourth. Xavier Edwards singled, Agustín Ramírez doubled, and Liam Hicks drove in two. Miami also scored on two throwing errors to the plate by Chicago center fielder Luisangel Acuña. The White Sox got both runs in the second on RBI singles by Munetaka Murakami and Andrew Benintendi.
Angels 2, Cubs 0 – José Soriano pitches 2-hit ball over 6 scoreless innings again as Angels blank Cubs 2-0
José Soriano pitched two-hit ball over six scoreless innings for the second time in two starts, and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Chicago Cubs 2-0. Logan O’Hoppe hit a two-run single with two outs in the sixth against reliever Phil Maton, and that was all Soriano needed on a cold and windy night at Wrigley Field. The 27-year-old right-hander threw 90 pitches, striking out four and walking two. He was coming off a terrific performance in the Angels’ 3-0 win at Houston on opening day. Los Angeles snapped a three-game skid.
Today
Chicago White Sox at Miami Marlins, 1:10 p.m.
Los Angeles Angels at Chicago Cubs, 1:20 p.m.
Detroit Tigers at Arizona Diamondbacks, 3:40 p.m. News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM 3:15p
NHL – National Hockey League
Last Night
Pittsburgh Penguins 5, Detroit Red Wings 1
Winnipeg Jets 4, Chicago Blackhawks 3 – OT
Penguins 5, Red Wings 1 – Malkin collects career point 1,399 in Pens 5-1 win
Rickard Rakell, Anthony Mantha and Egor Chinakov scored first-period goals as the Penguins raced past Detroit 5-1. Evgeni Malkin added an assist for his 1,399th career point in his return from an upper-body injury that forced him to miss four games. The Penguins remained in second place in the Metropolitan Division with the victory. Dylan Larkin scored his 30th of the season but Detroit’s postseason hopes took another hit following its fourth loss in five games.
Jets 4, Blackhawks 3 – OT – Connor scores OT goal as Jets defeat Blackhawks 4-3
Kyle Connor scored 33 seconds into overtime to lead the Winnipeg Jets to a 4-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday night. Josh Morrissey, Isak Rosen and Cole Perfetti also scored, and Mark Scheifele added three assists for the Jets. Tyler Bertuzzi scored twice and Anton Frondell also scored for Chicago, which has lost four in a row.
FIFA – World Cup qualifying marathon ends with Iraq securing the 48th and final spot
Italy is out again. The 4-time champion misses 3rd straight World Cup with shootout loss in Bosnia
One of soccer’s historic powers has reached a once-unfathomable low. Four-time champion Italy failed to qualify for a third straight World Cup after getting beat in a penalty shootout with 10 men at 66th-ranked Bosnia and Herzegovina in the European playoffs. Moise Kean scored early on for Italy but then Azzurri center back Alessandro Bastoni was sent off with a direct red card before the break and Bosnia substitute Haris Tabakovic equalized in the 79th to send the game into extra time. The defeat added more misery for Italy’s once-proud national team after being eliminated by Sweden and North Macedonia in the playoffs for the last two World Cups.
Golf – Tiger Woods says he’ll seek treatment after pleading not guilty to DUI
Tiger Woods says he’ll step away and seek treatment after his SUV crash in Florida. Woods made his comments Tuesday, four days after the crash that led to his arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence. Woods pleaded not guilty on Tuesday in his driving under the influence case. The plea came hours after a sheriff’s report said he had pain pills in his pocket and showed signs of impairment at the crash scene last week. I’s the second time Woods has taken a leave following a car crash. In 2009, he announced a leave after his SUV plowed into a fire hydrant and tree outside his home near Orlando.
NFL –Commissioner Goodell has no plans to scrap Rooney Rule
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says he has no plans to end the league’s Rooney Rule despite recent objections from Florida’s attorney general, who wrote that the league’s minority hiring guidelines violate Florida state law. Goodell was speaking on Tuesday at the end of the NFL league meetings. He acknowledged the changing political landscape for diversity initiatives in the U.S., but added that he didn’t believe there should be any legal issues with the league’s policy. Also on Tuesday, the NFL’s competition committee approved a one-year rule for the upcoming season that would allow the replay center in New York to correct “clear and obvious mistakes made by on-field officials that impact the game” in case of a work stoppage involving the NFL Referees Association.
MHSAA – Michigan High School Athletic Association
Tonight
Baseball
Wayland at Plainwell, 4:30 p.m.
Softball
Plainwell at Martin, 4:00 p.m. (DH)
Girls Tennis
Plainwell at Otsego, 4:00 p.m.
