DETROIT (AP) — Anthony Edwards is ineligible for NBA postseason awards because he can’t reach the 65-game minimum after the Minnesota Timberwolves ruled out him out against the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night, listing his right knee injury and an illness.

He has played in 59 games, but just 58 count toward the league’s record of games and Minnesota has six games left in the regular season.

Edwards did not play in Detroit, one game after he scored 17 points in 23 minutes in a win over Dallas in his first game in two weeks. He returned against the Mavericks after missing six games due to his right knee ailment.

The four-time All-Star, and two-time all-league guard finished seventh in NBA MVP voting in each of the last two seasons.

Edwards is averaging a career high with 29.3 points per game, but won’t play 70-plus games as he did in each of his first five seasons in the league.

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

The Celtics will once again be without Nikola Vucevic when they face the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night. Vucevic is continuing to recover from a fractured right ring finger suffered almost four weeks ago (on March 6th), but seems to be progressing in the right direction.

“He’s getting better, as you saw in the workout today,” Joe Mazzulla said on Wednesday night before Celtics-Heat. “The most important thing is that he feels 100%. When he’s ready, he’ll come back, and we just want him back when he’s ready to go. He’s going to help us — we obviously see the impact that he has on us as a player.”

The Celtics have an otherwise clear injury report; Jaylen Brown, who missed two games due to left Achilles tendinopathy, is fresh off a 43-point, 7-assist game vs the Heat and dismissed long-term concerns regarding the injury.

And Jayson Tatum, who made his return to the lineup on March 6th, continues to be available for the Celtics without significant restriction. Tatum has only missed two games since making his return, and is averaging 21.3 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game.

The Bucks, meanwhile, will be without Giannis Antetokounmpo (left knee hyperextension), Kevin Porter Jr (right knee synovitis), and Bobby Portis (left wrist sprain). Thanasis Antetokounmpo is questionable with a left calf strain.

Good sign: Nikola Vucevic is doing some on-court work here at shootaround in Miami

It’s been 3.5 weeks since he fractured his right ring finger pic.twitter.com/dfRqbDx8oi

— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) April 1, 2026

How the Celtics, Bucks stack up

The Celtics are 51-25 and have the East’s second-best record, holding a 2.5 game lead over the New York Knicks. They’ve won 8 of their last 10 games, most recently an 18-point thrashing over the Miami Heat on Wednesday night.

The Bucks, meanwhile, have had an undeniably disappointing campaign. They’re 30-46 and officially out of play-in contention. Giannis Antetokounmpo is out for the season. And, they’ve dropped 7 of their last 10 games.

The Celtics are 2-1 against the Bucks this season; they dropped a December 11th game in Milwaukee when Kyle Kuzma exploded for 31 points. They went on to win their next two games against Milwaukee, both by almost 30 points.

Celtics-Bucks tips off at 8pm on Friday night in Milwaukee.

PHOENIX (AP) — This year’s Final Four at the women’s NCAA Tournament features a quartet of powerhouse programs, teams that have overwhelmed almost all of their opponents with superior talent and veteran coaching.

They have size. They are athletic. They have pedigree.

But they haven’t faced a ton of on-court adversity — particularly in March.

That could change on Friday night when UConn faces South Carolina and Texas meets UCLA in the national semifinals at Mortgage Matchup Center. After beating up on inferior adversaries for the majority of March, it’s time for the game’s elite to pick on someone their own size.

Here’s how they’re preparing for potential clutch moments this weekend.

South Carolina (35-3)

The Gamecocks have had a few tough losses this season, including two to Texas. They also dropped a road game against Oklahoma, blowing a seven-point halftime lead before losing in overtime.

South Carolina got its revenge last week, beating the Sooners in the Sweet 16.

The Gamecocks haven’t faced much friction in the NCAA Tournament, winning their four games by an average of 40.3 points.

Coach Dawn Staley said the way to stay fresh for late-game situations is to simulate them in practice so that players are comfortable when tense moments come. For instance, during last week’s regional in Sacramento, the coach said they made sure to go over sidelines inbounds plays since the benches were in a spot that was different than most of the games they had played.

Guard Raven Johnson said Staley did a good job of ramping up the intensity after the early-season setbacks, holding them to the program’s standard that has been built over the past two decades.

“When we took losses throughout the season, I think practices, they shifted,” Johnson said. “They were hard. She was on our butts. She was a different person.

“I think that made us come closer. That made us realize that people here, this is their first time ever experiencing things like this. We had to remind them that our standard here is very high. We had to remind them in practice, good habits are contagious. When you have good habits, they carry on into the game.”

UConn (38-0)

The Huskies’ dominance has been historic. They’ve won their 38 games by an average of 37.8 points, which is on track to rank third all-time behind its record 40.6 in 2015 and 39.7 in 2016.

On-court adversity hasn’t been common. The Huskies played a tight game against Michigan early in the year, pulling out a 72-69 win on Nov. 21. They also trailed by one point against North Carolina after one quarter in the Sweet 16 before pulling away for a 63-42 victory.

Other than that, it’s been pretty smooth sailing.

Azzi Fudd said she’s confident the Huskies will be ready to execute in a tight fourth quarter if needed.

“You simulate as much as you can in practice, which the coaches have done for us all year long,” Fudd said. “At the end of the day, the habits that we’ve built in practices and games will definitely help keep us settled, keep us calm, keep us together this weekend.”

Texas (35-3)

Texas played a difficult schedule, going 14-3 against nationally ranked teams before March Madness even started. The Longhorns are the one team in the Final Four that has had a two-game losing streak, dropping back-to-back games to LSU and South Carolina in mid-January.

In that regard, they might be the most battle-tested team remaining.

Texas also might be the hottest team in the nation at the moment. The Longhorns are on a 12-game winning streak, which includes a 78-61 win over South Carolina in the SEC Tournament and a 77-41 win over Michigan in the Elite Eight.

Coach Vic Schaefer said he’s not concerned about the lack of close games. He believes his team has proven its mettle thanks to the tough schedule.

“I’ve got a fifth-year point guard and I’ve got Madison Booker, who has been in those games and those wars,” Schaefer said. “I stopped worrying about this group about three or four weeks ago. What they’ve done and how they’ve done it — at some point you’ve got to step back and go ‘OK, they’re good.’”

Texas has won its games by an average of 29.1 points this season and by 35.5 in the tournament.

UCLA (35-1)

The Bruins are the only team remaining that has experienced a recent brush with a loss, trailing by eight points at halftime against Duke in the Elite Eight before rallying for a relatively comfortable 70-58 win.

Their lone loss came at the hands of their upcoming opponent — Texas.

Senior guard Gabriela Jaquez said the Duke game was a great learning moment heading into what she hopes are two more games.

“We never want to be down, but it’s really important to respond quickly,” Jaquez said. “In the Duke game, we should have responded quicker, but it’s OK, we responded at halftime. In the Final Four, all these teams are really good. They’ve worked hard all season, they’re going to be ready, they’re going to be prepared.”

UCLA has won its games by an average of 28 points this season, including 27 in the tournament.

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AP Sports Writer Eric Olson contributed to this report.

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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

J.P. Crawford is our shortstop… again… for now.

The Mariners activated Crawford from the injured list on Thursday. He will join the team in Anaheim as they begin their first road tip of 2026. Crawford missed the first week of the season with right shoulder inflammation, which bugged him throughout Spring Training.

It’s a precarious time for Crawford. The Mariners on Tuesday announced a record-breaking extension for shortstop prospect Colt Emerson. Jerry Dipoto said the team is in “no rush” to debut Emerson in the majors, but as Kate Preusser points out, his talent may be forcing the team’s hand. Emerson is clearly the Mariners’ long-term plan at shortstop, leaving Crawford somewhat in the way.

Crawford, 31, is the longest-tenured Mariner, having arrived in 2019. He’s had an eventful career, first appearing as an all-glove-no-bat shortstop before a swing change in 2023 made him one of the best players in the league. He battled injuries and poor luck in 2024 but turned it around in 2025, although inconsistency at the plate limited his season overall. Crawford in 2025 posted four months with a 115 wRC+ or better, and he posted two months with a wRC+ less than 100. This all worked out to a 113 wRC+, which ranked 10th among qualified shortstops.

The Mariners might be willing to accept that up-and-down performance, but Crawford struggles in every other aspect of the game. His -9 Fielding Run Value last year ranked second worst among shortstops, as part of a years-long slide in the field. He doesn’t have good range anymore, and he doesn’t have the arm strength to make up for it. He also struggles on the bases, as one of the slowest shortstops in the league. When he hits, as he did for two-thirds of 2025, he’s a more than solid option at a premium position. When he slumps, he’s a replacement level player.

And the Mariners now have their replacement. Exactly when and why they’ll make the call on Emerson is unclear, and it’s possible they slot him into the lineup at another position with Crawford still at short. It’s also possible Emerson struggles upon his debut, and I doubt the team would forgo contingency before giving him the full-time job. But the Mariners are in win-now mode, and they aren’t likely to give Crawford 600 plate appearances for the sake of loyalty if he’s struggling. For the first time as a Mariner, Crawford is no longer the future at shortstop, and he’ll have to earn his playing time to stick around.

While he may no longer be the future of the Mariners, it’s worth noting he is still very much the past. Crawford needs just 16 more games to pass Jose Lopez for 10th most games played by a batter in team history. With 610 plate appearances, he’ll pass Raul Ibanez for ninth. With 2.8 WAR, he’ll pass Bret Boone and Mike Cameron for 11th, and with 3.6 WAR he’ll pass Robinson Canó for 10th. Crawford is surely one of the best players in the history of the franchise, and it would nice to see him, at the very least, hang on to be commemorated at the Mariners 50th Season Spectacular in August.

The Mariners in a corresponding move Thursday optioned infielder Ryan Bliss to Tacoma. Bliss got two plate appearances as a pinch hitter on Saturday and struck out in both of them. He spent most of last year on the injured list after tearing his biceps while swinging. Bliss remains interesting org depth and has demonstrated the ability to draw walks and put the ball in play in the minors. He will likely find his way back to the majors at some point this season, although there’s no clear path to playing time around the infield at the moment. He has four in-season options remaining, according to Darren Gossler’s payroll tracker.

Leo Rivas remains on the team as the backup infielder. Rivas has a tremendous eye, or at least a historically low swing rate, allowing him to draw walks and get on base. He’s a passable bench bat, and as a switch hitter, the only Mariners’ infielder capable of standing in the righty batter’s box. This handedness dilemma is another branch in the team’s shortstop log jam, potentially delaying Emerson’s debut and threatening Crawford’s use as a role player.

The Mariners also placed reliever Ryan Loutos on unconditional release waivers. Loutos was designated for assignment Monday, removing him from the Mariners’ 40-man roster. Every team will get a chance to claim Loutos. If he goes unclaimed, he will become a free agent.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Lawyers for the family of an Oklahoma junior college basketball player who died after suffering a head injury during a game said Thursday the student had been struck by another player’s elbow and accused the team of not providing proper medical care before putting him back on the court.

Ethan Dietz, 20, died on Nov. 25 after being hit in the head during a basketball game in Texas three days earlier. He was a student at Connors State College in the small town of Warner, Oklahoma.

The school provided few details after Dietz’s death about how he was injured and what care was provided. A spokesperson for the junior college, which has roughly 3,000 students, did not address questions about what kind of medical care Dietz received after his injury in a statement released on Thursday.

“Connors State College’s top priority at this time remains caring for Ethan’s family, the team and the CSC community as they continue to mourn this heartbreaking loss,” the statement said. “The college is unaware of any active or pending litigation related to this matter and is unable to comment on any potential claim.”

Several weeks after Dietz’s death, the college announced that Bill Muse, CSC’s longtime men’s basketball coach and athletics director, was stepping down from the program for “personal reasons.”

Michael Holden, an attorney for the family, alleged in a statement that Dietz was denied immediate medical evaluation and was put back in the game after the injury.

Dietz joined his team on the two-hour bus ride home and was taken to a hospital after having seizures in his dorm room, according to Holden. The law firm said it was investigating the death but has not filed a lawsuit.

Telephone and email messages left Thursday with the Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s Office were not immediately returned. According to Holden’s statement, a coroner who examined Dietz’s body reported the cause of death as blunt force trauma to the head and a collection of blood between his skull and brain.

Dietz was a 6-foot-8 forward from Conway, Arkansas, who was averaging 11 points per game through eight games last season.

Krystal Dietz said in the statement provided by Holden that her son dreamed of becoming a Division I basketball player.

“He grinded year-round to better himself for the upcoming season,” Dietz said. “He had the discipline, dedication, and work ethic required to see that kind of dream through, had he only been given the time.”

Former Dodgers pitcher Trevor Bauer will pitch for a U.S. team for the first time since 2021 when he serves as the opening day starter for the Long Island Ducks of the independent Atlantic League later this month.

Since his last MLB start, on June 28, 2021, Bauer has been accused of sexual assault by four women. He denies all the allegations and has never been charged with a crime.

After Bauer served a 194-game suspension for violating the league’s sexual assault and domestic violence policy, the Dodgers severed ties with the 2020 National League Cy Young Award winner on Jan. 6, 2023, less than two years after signing him to a three-year, $102-million contract.

Read more:Shaikin: The signs say Uniqlo Field. You will continue to say Dodger Stadium

Bauer has said he wants to pitch for an MLB team again but until now has only received opportunities to play professionally in Mexico and Japan.

“We are excited to welcome Trevor to Long Island,” Michael Pfaff, Ducks president and chief business officer, said in a Thursday news release announcing Bauer’s signing. “His talent and knowledge will be important additions to our ballclub, and we are happy to offer him this opportunity to showcase his talents to MLB clubs while giving fans unprecedented access to Ducks baseball.”

According to the release, “Bauer will be ‘Mic’d Up’ for all games and practices for the purposes of content creation to be featured on his and the team’s social media and streaming outlets.”

Read more:Trevor Bauer wants back in majors: ‘I don’t believe that I was given a lifetime ban’

The Ducks did not immediately respond to further questions from The Times regarding Bauer’s signing.

Bauer is expected to start when the team opens the season at home April 21 against the Hagerstown Flying Boxcars.

“I’m looking forward to competing in front of U.S. fans again this season,” Bauer said in a statement released by his new team. “The Ducks have had some incredible players come through their organization, and I’m excited to be part of that tradition.”

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Anthony Edwards will not be playing Thursday. That also means he won’t be winning any NBA honors after the season.

The Minnesota Timberwolves guard became the latest NBA star to feel the bite of the league’s controversial awards eligibility rules on Thursday, when he was ruled out for the T-wolves’ game against the Detroit Pistons with right knee pain and an illness.

The absence will be his 17th of the season. Usually, a player needs to miss 18 games to lose awards eligibility, but he also played only three minutes in a game on Oct. 26, making it an absence in the NBA’s eyes. He is now ineligible for All-NBA and MVP voting.

Edwards received All-NBA second-team honors and a seventh-place finish in NBA MVP voting in each of the past two seasons. This season, he is averaging a career-29.3 points per game on a career-high 49.3% field goal shooting.

His critical mass of absences built gradually. He missed four games in the first month of the season with a hamstring issue, then another three games in December with a foot injury. That foot then caused him to miss another three games in January.

Edwards was still on track for eligibility entering March, but he was knocked out for six straight games with knee inflammation. He returned to action for a single game on Monday, but the combination of lingering knee issues and an unspecified illness supplied the knockout blow.

The NBA introduced its eligibility rules to combat the annoyance of stars taking rest and maintenance days despite fans paying to see them, but they have proven more and more unpopular with each star kicked out of awards consideration this season. The NBPA reached its breaking point last month, calling for the 65-game rule to be abolished after an injury to MVP candidate Cade Cunningham.

Among the other ineligible players are LeBron James and Stephen Curry, with Nikola Jokić, Kawhi Leonard and Devin Booker all perilously close to joining them.

Anthony Edwards will not be playing Thursday. That also means he won’t be winning any NBA honors after the season.

The Minnesota Timberwolves guard became the latest NBA star to feel the bite of the league’s controversial awards eligibility rules on Thursday, when he was ruled out for the T-wolves’ game against the Detroit Pistons with right knee pain and an illness.

The absence will be his 17th of the season. Usually, a player needs to miss 18 games to lose awards eligibility, but he also played only three minutes in a game on Oct. 26, making it an absence in the NBA’s eyes. He is now ineligible for All-NBA and MVP voting.

Edwards received All-NBA second-team honors and a seventh-place finish in NBA MVP voting in each of the past two seasons. This season, he is averaging a career-29.3 points per game on a career-high 49.3% field goal shooting.

His critical mass of absences built gradually. He missed four games in the first month of the season with a hamstring issue, then another three games in December with a foot injury. That foot then caused him to miss another three games in January.

Edwards was still on track for eligibility entering March, but he was knocked out for six straight games with knee inflammation. He returned to action for a single game on Monday, but the combination of lingering knee issues and an unspecified illness supplied the knockout blow.

The NBA introduced its eligibility rules to combat the annoyance of stars taking rest and maintenance days despite fans paying to see them, but they have proven more and more unpopular with each star kicked out of awards consideration this season. The NBPA reached its breaking point last month, calling for the 65-game rule to be abolished after an injury to MVP candidate Cade Cunningham.

Among the other ineligible players are LeBron James and Stephen Curry, with Nikola Jokić, Kawhi Leonard and Devin Booker all perilously close to joining them.