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Feeling the Love: Heat vet welcomed in Cleveland
CLEVELAND -- Kevin Love felt Cleveland's deep love once again.
Now with Miami, Love returned to face the Cavaliers on Wednesday night for the first time since signing with the Heat two years ago and was warmly received by fans who will never forget his impact in Cleveland.
Love, 36, spent nine seasons with the Cavs and was a major factor in the team winning the 2016 NBA championship -- the first major sports title for a Cleveland team since 1964. No longer in the rotation under coach J.B. Bickerstaff, Love accepted a buyout in 2023 to sign with Miami.
A five-time All-Star, Love received a roaring ovation during a video tribute in the first quarter. The montage of highlights included Love's defense on Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry in the closing seconds of Game 7 of the '16 Finals.
The Cavs rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the series to stun the Warriors, the first such comeback in NBA Finals history.
Love saluted the crowd by pointing to his ring finger.
Following Cleveland's 112-107 win, Love said his return was everything he could have hoped.
"It was certainly emotional," he said. "My wife and I had talked about it last night and today. Cleveland and Ohio and this organization will always mean a lot to me. I'll always come back. ... Just a lot of love for so many people here.
"All the way from the training staff to the players, to the organization, front office, ownership, fans, the locker room attendants, all the security guards, people that work the garage here. Just so much love for so many that'll just keep me coming back. I just can't say enough good things about overall the fans here, but the people here as well."
Before tipoff, Love caught up with former Cavs teammate Richard Jefferson, who was on ESPN's broadcast team for the game. He also spent time chatting with Cleveland general manager Koby Altman and Cavs guard Max Strus, whom he played with briefly in Miami.
"He's a special dude," Strus said. "I was lucky to cross paths with him in my career. It was cool to see them honor him like that. He deserves all of it."
Love said he has been told his jersey will one day be retired to hang in the rafters in Rocket Arena.
That magical summer of nearly 10 years ago remains vivid to Love, who texts regularly with his former Cleveland teammates.
"You say the word brotherhood, you win together," he said. "That's what it creates, especially in the fashion that we did it and against a team that was really a dynasty and coming back from 3-1 and what it meant to this city after 52 years and not having a major sports championship.
"It's tough to put into words what that means to all of us, and we're coming up on 10 years now, which is crazy to think. That's incredibly meaningful. It's something I think about every single day."
Although Love now is primarily a contributor off the bench, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra praised his selflessness and said he has been invaluable while serving as a mentor to rookie center Kel'el Ware and forward Nikola Jovic.
"A lot of vets don't really want to accept that kind of role and that kind of transition, and he has been able to do that gracefully," Spoelstra said. "Those kind of guys are really necessary in this league. I wish there were more vets that would embrace that because with a younger league I think you do need that kind of mentorship, guys that can still do it, that can still play but then have that emotional stability to also pave room for a guy like Ware and Jovic.
"He sacrificed his minutes for their development, and that speaks a lot to his character."
Giannis reaches 20K points, still has 'more to give'
MILWAUKEE -- As Giannis Antetokounmpo considered his latest career milestone, becoming the sixth-youngest player in NBA history to reach 20,000 career points during the Bucks' 137-107 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night, he reflected on all he has gone through to arrive to this point.
"I always look back at myself, and I don't want to say I get emotional, but it's a good feeling," Antetokounmpo said after the game. "I'm proud of the journey, but I have so much more to give."
Antetokounmpo reached the milestone in the third quarter Wednesday night while putting up 32 points and 15 rebounds in 25 minutes in Milwaukee's blowout victory.
The team played a tribute video to Antetokounmpo on the video board after the milestone, although Antetokounmpo joked that coach Doc Rivers kept distracting him during the timeout so he could not watch it.
"He kept saying, 'Giannis, Giannis, focus on the play,'" Antetokounmpo said with a laugh. "Like, Coach, you [don't] get a lot of 20,000-points moments in your career."
Wednesday's victory was the Bucks' fourth straight and the eighth in their past nine games. They improved to a season-best 11 games over .500, a stark turnaround following their 2-8 start to the season.
Antetokounmpo said he was proud of the habits his team was starting to build, especially since the All-Star break. Damian Lillard scored 34 points, the 15th time both he and Antetokounmpo have scored at least 30 points in a game since becoming teammates, the third most by a duo in their first two seasons in NBA history, according to ESPN Research.
When Antetokounmpo got back to the bench after reaching the milestone, which Lillard achieved last December, Lillard had a simple message: Welcome to the club.
"It is a select group of guys that for a decade-plus have just been putting it together every year getting better, performing against the scouting report, just showing up night in and night out and doing it over a long, long period of time," Lillard said after the game. "We all know the names. Obviously, to get to 20,000 points is not just being a guy that has opportunity. You got to keep getting better. You got to go against the best defenders, you got to go against the scouting reports, you got to take care of yourself and be available."
Antetokounmpo is also the seventh player born outside the U.S. to score 20,000 points, according to ESPN Research. He said he thought about all he sacrificed in order to get to this point, including his humble beginnings in Greece before he turned himself into an NBA superstar.
"I hope a lot of people see me, and I represent the people that might not have it all," Antetokounmpo said. "Might not be the most talented people, but they are disciplined. They show up every single night to do the right thing, no matter the outcome. They keep on coming back and keep on being disciplined in their craft. So I hope I can represent all those people."
Antetokounmpo said the milestone meant a lot to him, and he also appreciated how difficult it was for the people ahead of him on the list.
"It is a lot. It's a lot of points," he said. "I can't imagine people that score 30,000 like KD. Or LeBron, score [50,000] points. You got to recognize, that's greatness."
But Antetokounmpo, who turned 30 in December, also made it known he is not done. When asked if he planned to reach 30,000, he responded, "One thousand percent."
"I'll get there," he said. "I don't know how I'll do it, but I'm going to show up every single day and I'm going to do it. It's not a goal of mine. I don't think it counts in your legacy if you score 25,000 or 27 or 30,000. Winning counts more.
"I'm 30 years old. I have so much to give. I'm changing my game. I'm becoming more efficient, more effective. I have so much to learn, and I am just going to try to focus on that. So hopefully I can have another video without being interrupted."
SALT LAKE CITY -- The Utah Hockey Club signed forward Alexander Kerfoot and defenseman Ian Cole to a one-year, $3 million contract extensions Wednesday.
Kerfoot, 30, has seven goals and nine assists in 61 games this season. He was set to become an unrestricted free agent in July.
A former Harvard player and first-round pick of the New Jersey Devils in 2012, Kerfoot has been on some strong teams in his career -- the Colorado Avalanche and Toronto Maple Leafs -- and has taken advantage.
In 2021-22, with Toronto, he had 13 goals and 51 points, averaging 15:12 time on the ice along the way.
Kerfoot has 94 goals and 186 assists in 585 career NHL games with Colorado, Toronto, Arizona and Utah.
One of the team's rotating alternate captains, Kerfoot has played 406 consecutive games dating to Nov. 30, 2019, the fourth-longest active ironman streak in the NHL.
Cole has a goal and 12 assists in 61 games this season. The 36-year-old former Notre Dame player has 35 goals and 171 assists in 887 career games with St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Columbus, Colorado, Minnesota, Carolina, Tampa Bay, Vancouver and Utah. He has appeared in 129 playoff games, helping the Penguins win titles in 2016 and 2017.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
NEW YORK -- Alex Ovechkin scored his 885th career goal midway through the third period of the Washington Capitals' 3-2 overtime win over the New York Rangers on Wednesday night, moving nine away from tying Wayne Gretzky's NHL record.
The Capitals' captain scored as he knocked in a loose puck from the left side with 9:32 left in the third period to tie the score at 2-2.
"Great job on the faceoff. Great battle. Puck came to me and I put it in," said Ovechkin, who is on pace to break Gretzky's once seemingly unapproachable mark of 894 in early April, a few weeks before the regular season is over.
Ovechkin said it doesn't feel any different now that he is single digits away from tying Gretzky.
"I tried to do my best and do my job," he said.
Chants of "Ovi!" emanated from the Madison Square Garden crowd after Ovechkin's third-period goal. He now has 32 goals in 46 games this season.
"I think our bench jumps through the roof whenever he finds the back of the net, which is fitting because he's always the most excited guy on the ice when anybody else scores," said Capitals forward Tom Wilson, who scored the overtime winner. "Whenever he scores, obviously everybody in the hockey world is pretty excited right now."
Washington coach Spencer Carbery, whose team is tied with Winnipeg for the NHL lead in points (88), admitted that he feels "a little extra tension" on the bench as he witnesses Ovechkin closing in on Gretzky's all-time record.
"What do we need? Ten more?" he asked, before repeating the gap separating Ovechkin from breaking the record. "Ten more ... 10 more ... 10 more. We got this."
Ovechkin now has 46 goals in 76 career games against the Rangers. He had 15 goals in his first 18 games, then sat out 16 games because of a fractured left fibula. He returned Dec. 28 and has scored 17 in 28 games since.
"I think it's great to see him still as excited as ever and still having as big of an impact as he has," said Capitals defenseman John Carlson, who has played with Ovechkin for 16 seasons in Washington. "You're cheering for your friend and he seems to score every time on a big stage in a big moment. And he did that tonight, too."
ESPN's Greg Wyshynski and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Take a moment to appreciate Smith's ODI brilliance
In 2024, Cricket Australia held a fan poll to rename their One-Day domestic competition after one of it's greatest 50-over players.
It is appropriate, whether by design or otherwise, that Smith has bowed out of ODI cricket while still being committed to playing Tests. It allows people to both notice and appreciate how good his one-day career was, given his 50-over record lives in the shadows of one of the most extraordinary Test careers of the modern age. He was pivotal to two World Cup wins. He was twice Australia's ODI player of the year. His standing among Australia's best in the format is undersold.
His ODI career was only one year shorter in length than Ricky Ponting's yet he played 204 fewer ODIs, speaking to proliferation of T20I cricket post 2010 at the expense of the 50-over game and the format's lesser relevance outside of global events.
It was no surprise then to see the reactions of some of his team-mates on social media to his sudden exit from the 50-over game. David Warner, a fellow Australia ODI great, said Smith is the "best player I've played alongside in my career" without any format caveats.
Those two innings perhaps best encapsulate Smith's ODI batting. There is an assumption that his short-form method is just an extension of his Test match brilliance. He has long been the insurance policy to a poor start, using his technical skill and savant-like game awareness to sum up the conditions, accumulate with minimal risk and set up the innings for others to finish.
High-class No. 3 and 4 batters are like gold dust in ODI cricket. T20 specialists have time and again proven inadequate to handle the range of scenarios those batters face in the medium-length version of the game
But Smith's ability to move through the gears is underappreciated. He could step on the accelerator when needed and had a greater ability than most to go up the gears against the opposition's best bowlers.
His impact wasn't just with the bat. Smith's name does not come front of mind when a list of Australia's greatest ODI fielders is called for. You couldn't compile an hour-long highlights package of all his direct hits like former YouTuber Rob Moody once did for Ponting. But some of Smith's catching was otherworldly. He was Glenn Phillips before Glenn Phillips at backward point, taking one-handed grabs at full stretch like they were routine.
All this from a player who was initially selected as a legspinning-allrounder and did not bat in 11 of his first 36 ODIs before his first innings at No. 3. He only bowled 11 times in his last 134 matches thereafter.
As captain, his tactical nous was often on display, right up to his final match as he tried to marshal an inexperienced attack against India's batting behemoths but a defining moment eluded him. Smith led Australia in 64 ODIs from 2015 to 2025. Only Ponting, Allan Border, Steve Waugh, Mark Taylor and Michael Clarke have done so on more occasions. All five of those captained Australia to a World Cup final and four secured seven titles between them. Smith was the only one not to lead his country in a World Cup. The leadership ban imposed after the 2018 ball-tampering scandal meant he was ineligible for the 2019 edition and by 2023 Pat Cummins had taken over.
His ODI retirement can be viewed one of two ways. Optimists are hoping it will extend his Test career. Pessimists would suggest this an indicator that the end is closer than what Australia would hope. He referenced being committed to the home Ashes at the end of this year but nothing beyond that despite saying, "I feel I still have a lot to contribute on that stage."
The task of replacing him in the ODI side is hard enough without contemplating the cavernous hole he will leave in the Test side. Australia haven't been able to replace Warner adequately yet in any format. It took two years for Smith to emerge as Ponting's heir at No. 3 in ODI cricket. Australia only have two years to complete another such search before the next World Cup.
High-class No. 3 and 4 batters are like gold dust in ODI cricket. T20 specialists have time and again proven inadequate to handle the range of scenarios those batters face in the medium-length version of the game.
Smith was Australia's ODI Swiss-army knife. Reliable and adaptable. They never went anywhere or succeeded in anything without him. He might never have a 50-over trophy named after him, but it will be very difficult for Australia to win their next one without him.
Alex Malcolm is an associate editor at ESPNcricinfo
Down ruled out of remaining Sri Lanka ODIs with back injury; Sharp called in
"We're all really disappointed for Lauren to be ruled out of the series," New Zealand head coach Ben Sawyer said. "Unfortunately, injuries are part of the game and we wish her a speedy recovery. It does provide an exciting opportunity for Izzy to join the group in Nelson for these last two matches and we're looking forward to welcoming her."
New Zealand are also without Sophie Devine (break), Molly Penfold (injured) and Hayley Jensen (injured) for this series.
New Zealand Women's ODI squad
Suzie Bates (capt), Eden Carson, Izzy Gaze, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Bree Illing, Polly Inglis, Fran Jonas, Jess Kerr, Emma McLeod, Georgia Plimmer, Hannah Rowe, Izzy Sharp, Emma Black (game 3 only)
Philander: South Africa shouldn't be hasty with 'fantastic leader' Bavuma
South Africa fell short by 50 runs in a chase of 363 in Lahore. Bavuma made a half-century as he tried to anchor the innings, Rassie van der Dussen contributed 69 off 66 and David Miller scored a second successive semi-final hundred but it wasn't enough.
"I think he's a fantastic leader," Philander said of Bavuma on ESPNcricinfo's Match Day show. "I think what he has done over the last 24 months is that he has started to win that change room over. I think he's done phenomenally well in the Test match arena [where they will play the 2025 championship final] and I don't think we play near enough ODI cricket to play judgement down on it.
"But if you look at his numbers, you look at his records in ODI cricket, I think he has been a wonderful player for South Africa. I think he has led from the front with the bat.
"Of course, this evening he just couldn't get going, but yeah they were heavily reliant on his form to get South Africa to where they are this evening - obviously falling one hurdle short of another final.
"But I wouldn't make a call too early. It's still early days. I think Temba still has a couple of years left in him," Philander said. "I just think Cricket South Africa will need to have an overall look at the way they approach, the way they prepare [for ICC tournaments]."
"And that starts from the top - from your coaches, from your video analysis: 'What's going to make my players more effective?' and then you give the charge over to the captain and say 'off you go'. So yeah, I just think a lot more planning that needs to be taking place heading into these tournaments."
"I do feel it's a conversation that needs to happen at the top. I think we've got enough players playing in the IPL. They've got enough experience playing on these slower surfaces," Philander said. "So it is a conversation, and an open conversation. At the end of the day you also need to be honest sitting around the table when those kinds of chat do transpire.
"But I do feel from a talent point of view, South Africa have got plenty. But it's about making those right calls for the conditions at hand. I certainly feel we are not too far away from lifting silverware, but at the end of the day, those honest conversations will need to be had sooner or later.
"From a management point of view, for years we have stuck to our guns in terms of backing our seamers. But I think we need to go and reassess."
Philander expanded on that, saying the team may need to veer away from playing to their strengths to playing the conditions.
"This is not our first tour to the subcontinent," he said. "There have been generations that have been here before. It is certainly time, from a leadership point of view, we start taking accountability, and for generations to come, what's going to be effective touring the subcontinent? And certainly in the spin department, we also have to then make sure we produce the quality and calibre of spinners to win you games in the subcontinent.
"But if you look at conditions this evening again, [Shamsi] is definitely a much more effective option on those kind of surfaces given the fact that the seamers were really skidding on and the batters enjoy the ball coming onto the bat.
"I think it's a conversation that needs to start at the top, the management needs to be part of it. I think we need to be challenged differently. For far too long, we persist with 'seamers are going to win you the game' irrespective of whether it's at home or in the subcontinent.
Philander pointed out, as an example, that bringing spin on earlier could have helped slow down Rachin Ravindra, who took on South Africa's pacers to give New Zealand a strong start.
"Today it was illustrated again. Had we brought spin on earlier in the powerplay, we could have curbed Ravindra from getting off to an absolute flyer at the start. Those are little things that you have to put into play," he said. "You can't just play one brand of cricket and hope for results to go your way. Conditions these days play a massive factor in all outcomes of cricket matches and you have to factor in conditions. I don't think you can be naïve and say that we will go with our four seamers and boss a game in the subcontinent."
Tom Bruce makes 345, third-highest score in New Zealand history
Having been unbeaten on 212 after the first day, he brought up his triple-century with a dab into the leg side from his 379th delivery.
When Bruce went to 339, he surpassed Roger Blunt's 1931-32 score, also for Otago, having previously moved past Dean Brownlie (334 in 2014-15) and Devon Conway (327 not out in 2019-2020). Michael Papps and Peter Fulton also have triple-centuries in New Zealand's domestic cricket.
Bruce had come to the crease with his team 29 for 2, which became 75 for 3. He then added 292 with Dane Cleaver for the fourth wickets and 303 with Josh Clarkson for the fifth - both new records for Central Stags - before finally being caught down the leg side sweeping at Louis Delport. The Auckland players quickly made their way towards Bruce to congratulate him.
Overall, it was the 11th century of Bruce's first-class career. On the opening day, he went past 6000 first-class runs.
Four-day game part of Australia A-England A women's series
The series includes three T20s, three one-day games and a four-day match with all the games being played in Sydney.
Graham will lead the Australia A T20 side while Faltum, who has been called up for the T20I tour of New Zealand starting March 21, will captain the one-dayers and Queensland allrounder Knott will take charge of the four-day contest from April 12-15 at Cricket Central.
Faltum will captain the Green side while Gold will be led by Knott.
"These series make up a crucial part of the elite player pathway, providing some our best and most promising domestic players with additional development opportunities and the chance to show selectors what they can do against strong international opposition," national selector Shawn Flegler said.
"The National Selection Panel is always looking to the future as we've seen in recent years with Georgia Voll and Phoebe Litchfield transitioning into the Australian team with great success, so this is a great opportunity to get a look at a wide range of players.
"We've included some fresh faces across the squads and are excited to see the likes of Grace Dignam, Elsa Hunter, Gabby Sutcliffe, Sianna Ginger and Rhys McKenna in action.
"With a one-day World Cup in India this year and a T20 World Cup next year, the 'A' series in particular, will allow us to have a good look at players we think could push for selection."
The visit of England A comes after the senior side was whitewashed 16-0 in the Ashes earlier in the season.
Australia A squads vs England A
T20s
Lauren Cheatle, Hannah Darlington, Sophie Day, Amy Edgar, Tess Flintoff, Sianna Ginger, Heather Graham (capt), Charli Knott, Anika Learoyd, Rhys McKenna, Madeline Penna, Amy Smith, Courtney Webb, Tahlia Wilson
50-overs
Lauren Cheatle, Hannah Darlington, Sophie Day, Nicole Faltum (capt), Tess Flintoff, Sianna Ginger, Nicola Hancock, Ella Hayward, Charli Knott, Anika Learoyd, Amy Smith, Georgia Voll, Courtney Webb, Tahlia Wilson
Four-day
Maitlan Brown, Lauren Cheatle, Maddy Darke, Sophie Day, Nicole Faltum, Tess Flintoff, Sianna Ginger, Nicola Hancock, Ella Hayward, Charli Knott (capt), Anika Learoyd, Lilly Mills, Rachel Trenaman, Tahlia Wilson
Australia Green v Gold Squads
Green
Lauren Cheatle, Maddy Darke, Grace Dignam, Nicole Faltum (capt), Sianna Ginger, Ella Hayward, Elsa Hunter, Katie Mack, Lilly Mills, Georgia Prestwidge, Gabby Sutcliffe, Rachel Trenaman, Amanda-Jade Wellington
Gold
Maitlan Brown, Hannah Darlington, Sophie Day, Emma de Broughe, Amy Edgar, Tess Flintoff, Nicola Hancock, Charli Knott (capt), Anika Learoyd, Bridget Patterson, Amy Smith, Courtney Webb, Tahlia Wilson
Bosa released after 9-year run with Chargers
LOS ANGELES -- The Chargers released outside linebacker Joey Bosa on Wednesday night, cutting ties with their longest-tenured player and one of the best in franchise history.
The move saves them $25.36 million in cap space.
Bosa, 29, was selected by the Chargers with the No. 3 pick in the 2016 draft. His 72 career sacks in the regular season rank second in franchise history behind Leslie O'Neal (105.5).
Bosa was named NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2016, posting 10.5 sacks and 17 tackles for loss. He quickly emerged as one of the league's best edge rushers, making four Pro Bowls in his first six seasons. He set an NFL record with 19 sacks in his first 20 games.
The Chargers rewarded Bosa with a five-year, $135 million contract extension in 2020, a deal that at the time was the richest for a defensive player in NFL history. But injuries have plagued him since; he has played in just 28 games over the past three seasons.
Still, Bosa was selected to his fifth Pro Bowl in 2024, albeit as an alternate, and his 14 games played were his most since 2021. When healthy, he has remained an effective pass rusher; in the Chargers' playoff loss to the Houston Texans in January, he had a team-high six pressures and one sack.
Bosa made it clear throughout the season that he wanted to be a Charger for life, and he took a pay cut last offseason to stay with the team. Still, he was projected to have a $36.4 million cap hit this season, which always seemed untenable for the Chargers, who with his release now have $90.6 million in cap space.
Bosa will navigate free agency for the first time in his career. Earlier in the offseason, he discussed the potential of playing with his younger brother Nick, a five-time Pro Bowl edge rusher with the San Francisco 49ers.
"It'd be cool at some point," Bosa said then. "I always thought of myself being somebody that will play here and retire here, which I think not many people do on one team, and I think it would be a cool thing to accomplish, but you never know."
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