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Bulls fall to Sacramento, drop 6 of last 8 games – Tuesday Morning Sports Update

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Sacramento Kings guard Davion Mitchell (15) drives to the basket as Chicago Bulls forward Derrick Jones Jr. (5) and guard Coby White defend during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game in Sacramento, Calif., Monday, March 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Randall Benton)

NBA – National Basketball Association
Last Night
Sacramento Kings 112, Chicago Bulls 103

Kings 112, Bulls 103 – Fox scores 34, Kings beat scuffling Bulls 112-103
De’Aaron Fox had 34 points, six assists and six rebounds as the Sacramento Kings beat the stumbling Chicago Bulls 112-103. Domontas Sabonis added 22 points and seven rebounds after missing two games, and Sacramento ended a four-game skid with its third victory in 10 games. Davion Mitchell scored 16 and Donte DiVincenzo had 15. Zach LaVine had 27 points and six assists for Chicago. Nikola Vucevic added 23 points and 10 rebounds, and DeMar DeRozan scored 21. The Bulls, who entered the night fourth in the East, have lost six of eight.

Tonight
Memphis Grizzlies at Indiana Pacers, 7:00 p.m.
Detroit Pistons at Miami Heat, 7:30 p.m.

NHL – National Hockey League
Tonight
Boston Bruins at Chicago Blackhawks, 8:30 p.m.
Detroit Red Wings at Edmonton Oilers, 9:00 p.m.

NCAAMBKB – Men’s College Basketball – NCAA First Four
UD Arena, Dayton, OH (Seeds in superscipt)
Tonight
16 Texas A&M Corpus Christi vs. 16 Texas Southern, 6:40 p.m.       Midwest Region – First Four
12 Indiana vs. 12 Wyoming, 9:10 p.m.                                            East Region – First Four

NFL – AP source: Steelers sign QB Mitchell Trubisky to 2-year deal
A person with knowledge of the deal tells The Associated Press that Mitchell Trubisky is going to get a shot at replacing Ben Roethlisberger. Trubisky and the Pittsburgh Steelers have agreed to terms on a two-year contract that will give Trubisky a chance to compete for the starting quarterback job following Roethlisberger’s retirement in January. The person spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity because the deal was not yet official. The terms were not disclosed.

NFL – AP source: Lions agree to terms with Tracy Walker, Tim Boyle
A person familiar with the situation says the Detroit Lions have agreed to terms with starting safety Tracy Walker and backup quarterback Tim Boyle. The person spoke Monday on condition of anonymity because the moves had not been announced. Detroit’s decision to keep Walker is significant, showing general manager Brad Holmes and coach Dan Campbell believe in one of the players drafted and developed by the franchise’s previous front office. The Lions say they signed four of their free agents, retaining linebackers Alex Anzalone and Shaun Dion Hamilton along with safeties C.J. Moore and Jalen Elliott.

NFL – Bears release nose tackle Goldman
The Chicago Bears have released nose tackle Eddie Goldman. Slowed by knee and ankle injuries as well as a stint on the COVID-19 list last season, Goldman set career lows with a half-sack and one tackle for loss. He sat out the 2020 season because of COVID-19 concerns and never regained the form he showed in 2019, when he was a Pro Bowl alternate. Goldman was drafted out of Florida State by Chicago in the second round in 2015. He has started 73 of the 81 games he has played and has 13 sacks and 18 tackles for loss.

NFL – Cap concerns limit Packers’ options heading into free agency
The Green Bay Packers can breathe a little easier heading into free agency now that MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers has said he plans to return. The Packers also placed a franchise tag on All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams to keep him from becoming an unrestricted free agent. But the Packers still have an unsettled situation at receiver because of the possibility Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Allen Lazard and Equanimeous St. Brown could depart. The Packers could have trouble keeping All-Pro linebacker De’Vondre Campbell and cornerback Rasul Douglas after both raised their stock with breakthrough seasons.

MLB – In hot MLB market, patience takes a backseat to action
Patience is often rewarded for both free agents and general managers during most Major League Baseball offseasons. But probably not this one. As expected, free agents are flying off the market and trades are getting done at a breakneck pace following MLB’s 99-day lockout that froze the league’s transactions for more than three months. The bargaining is intense with less than four weeks to go before opening day. Slugger Nelson Cruz has signed with the Nationals and All-Star first baseman Matt Olson was traded from the A’s to the Braves as rosters across the league are reshaped on the fly.

MLB – New shortstop Báez has Tigers excited as spring opens
Javier Báez is excited to get started with the Detroit Tigers. Báez participated in his first organized workout on Monday. The two-time All-Star shortstop signed a six-year, $140 million contract in November, just before the start of baseball’s 99-day lockout. Tigers manager A.J. Hinch says the team wanted an elite shortstop and got one who wanted to be with Detroit. Báez has averaged 31 homers over the past three full seasons. He doesn’t expect to hit as many homers in spacious Comerica Park, but he says he’s not worried about it.

MLB – Cubs’ Hoyer says team wants to ‘add a lot more players’
Chicago Cubs President of Baseball Operations Jed Hoyer and new general manager Carter Hawkins are working the phones as the team begins spring training. Gold Glove shortstop Andrelton Simmons and veteran reliever Jesse Chavez recently agreed to deals, and manager David Ross finalized a contract extension. Hoyer says the team is "going to add a lot more players.” Hoyer had no update on a potential contract extension for catcher Willson Contreras, a two-time All-Star who is eligible for free agency after the upcoming season.

MLB – White Sox add pitching depth by signing Kelly, Velasquez
The Chicago White Sox have added pitching depth, signing reliever Joe Kelly to a $17 million, two-year contract and Vince Velasquez to a , $3 million, one-year deal. The 33-year-old Kelly is due $7 million this season and $9 million in 2023. The White Sox hold a $9.5 million option for 2024 with a $1 million buyout. The hard-throwing right-hander went 2-0 with a 2.86 ERA and two saves in 48 appearances for the Los Angeles Dodgers last year. He played on World Series championship teams with Boston in 2014 and Dodgers in 2020. Velasquez is 31-44 with a 4.95 ERA in 156 games and 127 starts over seven seasons with Houston, Philadelphia and San Diego. He was 3-9 with a 6.30 ERA in 25 appearances and 21 starts for the Phillies and Padres last year.

MLB – MLB tests pitch clock, anti-shift, bigger bases in minors
Pitchers, catchers and batters will be able to appeal calls from human umpires to “robo umps” in the Low-A Southeast League this season, while pitch clocks, anti-shift rules and larger bases will be tried in the minors ahead of possible big league use in 2023. MLB announced a slate of rules trials, including updates to the Automated Ball-Strike System and a ban on infield shifts. The new rules will expand on several experiments from 2021. Some could be introduced to the majors as soon as 2023. The changes were first reported by Yahoo! Sports. The Automated Ball-Strike System will be used at Triple-A for the first time, as well as in Low-A Southeast for the second straight year.

Golf – PGA – Lahiri leads by 1 as Players Championship hits home stretch
Cameron Smith made the longest week at The Players Championship worth the wait. He won the richest tournament on the PGA Tour with a 66 in the final round. The Australian not only one-putted eight of the last nine greens, he delivered on the scariest hole on the course. Smith hit a 9-iron to 4 feet on the island-green 17th for his record-tying 10th birdie. Turns out he needed it. He went from the trees to the water on the 18th and saved bogey. That gave him a one-shot victory over Anirban Lahiri of India. Paul Casey finished third.

Golf – LPGA – Nelly Korda recovering from blood clot in her arm
Top-ranked American and Olympic gold medal-winning golfer 23-year-old Nelly Korda says she has a blood clot in her arm and is home seeking treatment. She did not say which arm or when she could return. The LPGA’s first major starts on March 31.

Tennis – Nadal now 17-0, No. 1 Medvedev crashes out at Indian Wells
Rafael Nadal is still perfect. The Spanish star defeated 27th-seeded Daniel Evans 7-5, 6-3 in the third round of the BNP Paribas Open and improved to 17-0 this year. Nadal tied Roger Federer in 2018 and Pete Sampras in 1997 for the third-best overall start to a season in the Open era that began in 1968.  World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev of Russia lost to Gael Monfils 4-6, 6-3, 6-1. Medvedev needed to reach the quarterfinals in the Southern California desert to stay at the top of the rankings. He replaced Novak Djokovic as No. 1, but Djokovic will regain the top spot next week.

Wrestling – Scott Hall, bad guy leader of wrestling’s NWO, dies at 63
Scott Hall, who was one of professional wrestling’s biggest stars in the 1990s, has died. He was 63.  WWE announced Hall’s death on Monday. His longtime friend and fellow NWO member Kevin Nash wrote on social media that Hall was taken off life support on Monday following complications from hip replacement surgery.  Hall was a founding member of the New World Order faction that led to a wrestling boom in the late 1990s. He teamed with fellow NWO members Nash and Hulk Hogan to lead World Championship Wrestling to ratings success over rival WWE.

Olympics – Russia invasion upends Olympic ‘neutrality’ — if it existed
The International Olympic Committee has always been political, from the sheikhs and royals in its membership to a seat at the United Nations to pushing for peace talks between the Koreas. But Russia’s invasion of Ukraine three weeks ago exposed its irreconcilable claims of “political neutrality.” Gaps exist between what the IOC has long insisted it is — “the very heart of world sport” — and a view that hews closer to reality; a nonprofit sports business that generates about 90% of its income from selling broadcast rights and sponsorships. Increasingly, the IOC must cater to rich sponsors that were barely a factor 30 years ago.

NBAGL – NBA “G” League
Tonight
Greensboro Swarm at Grand Rapids Gold, 7:00 p.m.

MCCAA – Junior College Athletics
Today
Baseball
Lake Michigan College at Davenport University, 3:00 p.m./5:00 p.m.      (Doubleheader)

MHSAA – High School Sports
Last Night
Boys Basketball – Regional Semifinals
Division 1 at Battle Creek Central
Kalamazoo Central 56, St. Joseph 33
Okemos 64, East Lansing 50

Division 2 at Three Rivers
Benton Harbor 70, Holland Christian 62
Edwardsburg 65, Parchment 55

Division 3 at Centreville
Schoolcraft 57, Lawton 52
Watervliet 67, Bronson 37

Division 4 at New Buffalo
Wyoming Tri-Unity Christian 53, Muskegon Heights Academy 44
New Buffalo 85, Gobles 46

Tonight
Girls Basketball – Quarterfinals
Division 2 at Wayland
Edwardsburg vs. Grand Rapids West Catholic, 7:00 p.m.

Division 3 at Otsego
Schoolcraft vs. Kent City, 7:00 p.m.