Bobby Wagner has returned to the Seattle Seahawks one year after he was cut from the team.
The eight-time Pro Bowl linebacker spent last season with the Los Angeles Rams but has now returned to the Pacific Northwest after mutually agreeing to end his five-year contract with the Rams earlier this year.
Wagner was one of the top defensive players available in free agency, with murmurs of a return to the Seahawks being ever present since the period began.
Quandre Diggs, who had campaigned on social media for a reunion, broke the news of Wagner's return before it was later confirmed by the franchise.
"According to my sources future hall of famer LB Bobby Wagner has agreed to terms to return home to the Seattle Seahawks," he posted on Twitter.
"Seahawks fill a huge need in the middle of their defense. 12's rejoice!"
A Super Bowl winner with the Seahawks in his second year in the NFL, Wagner amassed nearly 1400 tackles and 23.5 sacks over 10 seasons.
His return continues a strong free agency period for the Seahawks, who had already bolstered their defense with the additions of defensive ends Dre-Mont Jones and Jarran Reed, LB Devin Bush and safety Julian Love.
The Vegas Golden Knights remained one of the hottest teams in the NHL with Saturday's 4-3 overtime win on the road, despite dealing with a string of injuries.
Vegas' victory over the Edmonton Oilers was their eighth win in nine, pulling them clear atop the Pacific Division in the process.
The close-fought battle saw the Oilers equalise on three separate occasions after falling behind to goals from Jack Eichel, Pavel Dorofeyev and Jonathan Marchessault, before Nicholas Roy put home the winner 2:26 into overtime.
Vegas were missing goaltender Logan Thompson and veteran winger Reilly Smith through recent injuries, adding to a longer list of unavailable players, but they figured out how to keep getting it done, becoming the first team in NHL history to win four games in a row with four different goaltenders.
Head coach Bruce Cassidy pointed to his team's "next man up" mentality, calling it a "good road win", while veteran defenseman Brayden McNabb added it was even better to get it done against a close division rival.
"It's a big win, a big road trip. They were sneaking up on us [in the standings]," he said, with the Oilers having won their previous five games.
"It felt a little bit like a playoff game, for sure. They're a great team, they've got a lot of dangerous skill, for sure, but for the most part we played pretty well and buried some chances.
"We've had injuries throughout the year, but guys are prepared and ready to step in. We've got great depth and great goaltending, and it showed tonight."
The result leaves Vegas on 98 points for the season, also leading the Western Conference ahead of the Los Angeles Kings (94), the Minnesota Wild (93), the Dallas Stars (92) and the Oilers (91) with nine games remaining.
In a highly anticipated clash between winners of the past four MVPs it was Nikola Jokic's Denver Nuggets comfortably handling Giannis Antetokounmpo's Milwaukee Bucks 129-106.
Played in Denver, the reigning back-to-back MVP winner put on a show for his home fans with 31 points (10-of-20 shooting), 11 assists and six rebounds.
Jokic was supported in style by Jamal Murray, who chipped in 26 points (nine-of-19), nine assists and six rebounds, and kick-started the Nuggets with four triples in the first quarter.
Antetokounmpo, winner of the 2019 and 2020 MVP trophies, was far from the reason his side went down, posting a strong 31 points (13-of-22), nine rebounds, four assists and four steals. He led Milwaukee to a 66-63 half-time lead, before they put up just 40 points as a team in the second half.
After a mini-slump with four losses from of five games, the Nuggets have now rattled off three wins in a row, improving their home record to 31-6 in the process, which trails only the Memphis Grizzlies (32-5) for the league's best mark.
Despite the loss, Milwaukee (53-21) are still two games clear in the race for the league's best record, while the Nuggets are 3.5 games clear atop the West.
Hawks prevail despite Trae ejection
Atlanta Hawks franchise player Trae Young was ejected for throwing the ball at an official, but his side still came away with a 143-130 home win against the visiting Indiana Pacers.
Young was kicked out in the second quarter after the incident, but eight Hawks players ended up scoring double-figures to pick up the slack.
John Collins led the way with 21 points (nine-of-12 shooting), Dejounte Murray added 20 points (eight-of-20) and 12 assists, and Clint Capela snatched down 17 rebounds to go with his 17 points (five-of-five).
The win pulled the Hawks' record even at 37-37, now a game clear of the ninth-seeded Toronto Raptors (36-38) as they battle for play-in tournament positioning.
Pelicans muddy the waters in the West
The New Orleans Pelicans kept their season alive with a 131-110 road win over the Los Angeles Clippers, creating a logjam in the Western Conference's play-in placings.
Second-year Pelicans wing Trey Murphy was spectacular as he hit 10-of-12 three-pointers for an equal team-high 32 points. He was joined on 32 points by Brandon Ingram, and after Ingram's first career triple-double on Thursday, he followed it with a career-high 13 assists against the Clippers.
The win means the Pelicans are in a three-way tie for the seventh-best record in the West, joining the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Los Angeles Lakers at 37-37 with eight games to play.
Last week's Indian Wells Open champion Elena Rybakina has extended her winning streak to 10 matches after defeating Paula Badosa 3-6 7-5 6-3 in Saturday's Miami Open third round.
Kazakhstan's Rybakina, who is also the reigning Wimbledon Champion and Australian Open finalist, got the better of Badosa for the second time during her current run, also eliminating her from Indian Wells.
The 23-year-old has to be considered one of the favourites to go all the way, having knocked off world number one Iga Swiatek and world number two Aryna Sabalenka to lift the trophy in California.
Rybakina will meet Belgium's Elise Mertens in the fourth round after she beat Croatia's Petra Martic 6-4 6-3.
Meanwhile, the biggest upset of the day was delivered by Russia's Anastasia Potapova, bouncing sixth seed Coco Gauff 6-7 (8-10) 7-5 6-2.
Potapova, who has never won a tournament above the WTA 250 level, will face China's Zheng Qinwen for a spot in the quarter-finals after her three-hour 5-7 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 triumph over Liudmila Samsonova.
Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko, the 24th seed, eliminated Brazilian 13th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia 6-2 4-6 6-3, while 20th seed Magda Linette of Poland knocked out Belarusian 14th seed Victoria Azarenka 7-6 (7-3) 2-6 6-4.
Unseeded American Clare Liu went down 4-6 7-5 6-4 against Italy's Martina Trevisan, but third seed Jessica Pegula will continue to fly the flag for the United States after advancing 6-1 7-6 (7-0) in her all-American showdown with Danielle Collins.
Hubert Hurkacz prevailed 6-7 (10-12) 7-6 (9-7) 7-6 (8-6) in a thrilling three-and-a-half hour battle against Thanasi Kokkinakis during Saturday's second round of the Miami Open.
It was Hurkacz's first match of the tournament after the eighth seed received a bye through the first round, and he came up against a match-fit Kokkinakis after the Australian went three sets in his opening victory.
The world number nine had to save five Kokkinakis match points before sealing the win with his first chance, three hours and 34 minutes after the contest began.
Kokkinakis was not the only Australian on the day to go down in a gruelling three-setter as 15th seed Alex De Minaur fell 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (10-8) to Quentin Halys in three hours and 20 minutes.
It was far smoother sailing for fourth seed Daniil Medvedev in his 6-1 6-2 triumph over Roberto Carballes Baena, giving the Russian his first win since his 19-match unbeaten streak was ended at the hands of Carlos Alcaraz in the Indian Wells Open final.
The biggest upset of the day came from France's Gregoire Barrere as he eliminated 11th seed Cameron Norrie 6-3 6-2, before Adrian Mannarino ensured a great day for the French contingent with a 6-4 3-6 6-1 result against Ben Shelton in the late window.
Fifth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime needed a pair of tiebreakers to dispatch Brazil's Thiago Monteiro 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (10-8), while big-serving 19th seed Matteo Berrettini came out on the wrong side of some tiebreakers in his 7-6 (10-8) 7-6 (7-5) loss to Mackenzie McDonald.
The skid from 18th seed Lorenzo Musetti continued as the 21-year-old went down 6-4 6-4 to Jiri Lehecka, giving the Italian seven losses from his past eight matches.
Karen Khachanov fought off the challenge of recent Chile Open finalist Tomas Martin Etcheverry 6-1 3-6 6-3, and second seed Stefanos Tsisipas received a walkover as Richard Gasquet withdrew.
The unlikely March Madness run from the Florida Atlantic Owls continued on Saturday as they defeated the Kansas State Wildcats 79-76 to punch their ticket to the first Final Four in school history.
It is not just the first Final Four the Owls have ever reached, as they had never won a game in the NCAA Tournament prior to this season, with their only previous appearance being a first-round exit in 2002.
After knocking out eight-seed Memphis, 16-seed Fairleigh Dickinson and four-seed Tennessee, Florida Atlantic won the East region and cut down the nets by eliminating the third-seed Wildcats.
The Owls had to deal with another spectacular performance from Kansas State talisman Markquis Nowell as the five-foot-eight point guard put up 30 points (eight-of-21 shooting), 12 assists and five steals.
But while the Wildcats leaned on their star, Florida Atlantic spread it around, with four players scoring at least 13 points, led by Bryan Greenlee's 16 on four-of-seven shooting. Seven-foot-one Russian center Vladislav Goldin controlled the interior with 14 points (six-of-11), 13 rebounds and two blocks.
The win means Florida Atlantic will play the winner between Creighton and San Diego State for a spot in the National Championship game.
It was far smoother sailing on the other side of the bracket as the four-seed Connecticut Huskies pummelled the three-seed Gonzaga Bulldogs 82-54 in a statement-making effort.
UConn's top draft prospect Jordan Hawkins drained six triples for his 20 points and six rebounds, while do-it-all wing Andre Jackson Jr flirted with a triple-double, finishing with 10 assists, nine rebounds and eight points.
It is the first time in NCAA Tournament history a team seeded fourth or lower won four consecutive games by double digits.
With it, Connecticut earned their sixth Final Four trip in program history, and first since 2014. They will meet the winner between five-seed Miami and two-seed Texas for a spot in the final game of the season.
LeBron James is not yet ready to return from a right foot injury, but there are now signs that he is getting closer.
James has been upgraded from 'out' to 'doubtful' for Sunday's game against the Chicago Bulls, the Los Angeles Lakers announced Saturday.
The superstar has been sidelined since February 28 and has missed the Lakers' past 13 games, with Los Angeles going 8-5 during that span to reach .500 for the first time this season.
"Progressing as normal," Lakers coach Darvin Ham said Friday when asked about James’ rehabilitation process. "Just doing the work that needs to be done to get his foot all the way together."
While still unlikely that James suits up Sunday, there seems to be a chance that he could play Wednesday when the Lakers visit the Bulls in the opener of a five-game road trip.
The 38-year-old James, who has missed 27 games this season, is averaging 29.5 points per game and would rank among the league-leaders if he had enough games to qualify.
His return comes at a crucial point for the Lakers, who are currently tied for the seventh-best record in the Western Conference at 37-37 after their current three-game win streak. They still have the time to climb out of the play-in tournament spots, while they are also only one game ahead of the 11th-ranked Dallas Mavericks.
Nicolai Hojgaard and Sam Stevens are tied for the lead at 14 under after three rounds of the Corales Puntacana Championship, although it is wide open going into Sunday.
Only two players shot better than Hojgaard's six-under 66 on Saturday, and it came after a terrific 65 on Friday as the 22-year-old two-time European Tour winner looks to break through.
Stevens, 26, is also winless on the PGA Tour, and he blew an opportunity to head into the final round in the outright lead as he bogeyed the 18th.
There is a four-man chasing group on their tail at 13 under, with Americans Wyndham Clark and Tyler Duncan joined by Belgium's Thomas Detry and England's Matt Wallace.
Detry's seven-under 65 was tied for the round of the day with France's Martin Trainer, who used it to fly up into the top-10, now tied for seventh at 12 under.
The 2018 champion at this event Brice Garnett is alone in 10th at 10 under, and last year's runner-up Ben Martin is one further back at nine under.
Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy are one win away from meeting in the WGC Match Play final after both advancing into the last four on Saturday.
In the first of four elimination rounds among the 16 group winners, Scheffler was matched up with J.T. Poston, and after trailing throughout the back-nine he won both the 17th and 18th to sneak by with a 1up victory.
He would meet the in-form Jason Day for a spot in the semi-finals after Day took a 1up win over Matt Kuchar, and after Day went 3up on the front-nine, Scheffler won five of the next eight holes to secure a 2 and 1 win.
Meanwhile, McIlroy started his day with a 2up triumph over Lucas Herbert, leading all the way, and he followed it with a hard-fought 1up win against Xander Schauffele, where he did not take his first lead until the final hole.
Scheffler will meet Sam Burns in the final four after Burns upset Patrick Cantlay 2 and 1, and then proved too good for Mackenzie Hughes in a 3 and 2 result.
McIlroy will have to navigate the challenge of Cameron Young to reach the final after his dominant 5 and 4 win over 2021 champion Billy Horschel, following it up with a 1up result against recent Arnold Palmer Invitational champion Kurt Kitayama.
With one more win Scheffler can become the first player in the history of the event – dating back to 1999 – to reach the final in three consecutive seasons, after winning in 2022 and finishing runner-up in 2021.
Egan Bernal has escaped significant damage but will remain in hospital for treatment following a clash at the Volta a Catalunya.
Two-time Grand Tour champion Bernal was making his UCI World Tour return at this week's event in Spain, which is led by Primoz Roglic after six stages.
However, Bernal will not be finishing the race after he abandoned on Saturday following a crash.
Bernal had not raced in a World Tour event since 2021, having missed the majority of 2022 due to a serious training crash in his homeland of Colombia.
The 26-year-old required surgery on his spine, while he also suffered two collapsed lungs, fractures in his right leg and kneecap, a broken thumb and a lost tooth in a collision with a parked bus.
Fortunately, Bernal has avoided any such injuries on this occasion.
In an update on social media, INEOS Grenadiers explained Bernal had been taken to hospital following the crash, but "imaging showed no signs of fractures".
The statement added: "Further medical assessment will continue over the next few days and treatment for skin abrasions he sustained."
It is the second abandonment in as many races for Bernal, who suffered a knee injury during the Vuelta a San Juan.
Brazilian motor racing great Nelson Piquet has been fined around £780,000 for making racist and homophobic comments about seven-time Formula One drivers' champion Lewis Hamilton.
A judge in Brasilia imposed the punishment "for collective moral damages" and it was announced the money would go towards promoting racial equality and fighting LGBTQIA+ discrimination.
It was alleged by campaign groups behind the action that Piquet made comments in a November 2021 interview on YouTube that "violated the diffuse fundamental right to honour of the black population and the LGBTQIA+ community", and that those remarks, directed at Hamilton, went beyond the limits of freedom of expression.
In a statement confirming the punishment for 70-year-old Piquet, who won Formula One titles in 1981, 1983 and 1987, it was said that he denied intending "to harm Hamilton or anyone else's honour".
However, the judge said the discriminatory content was verifiable and determined Piquet's use of the term 'neguinho', which translates as 'little black man', was used when the former driver was being critical of Hamilton.
It was ruled that: "The nuances of language cannot go unnoticed, as subtlety is one of the characteristics of contemporary Brazilian racism: the subjugating element is present, the neguinho is not just any person, he is not a young black man, it is not an affectionate nickname, it is [saying] that the black person is doing something wrong, that he is an inferior race.
"In this context, it is easy to see that the use of the term neguinho by the defendant, a white person, to refer to the black English driver is a conduct that is discriminatory and with harmful meaning".
The judge determined Piquet had also used homophobic language when referring to Hamilton, implying that "being gay would be a negative characteristic, because it means incompetence".
The ruling and fine of five million Brazilian Reals is a punishment that Piquet is entitled to appeal against.
At the time of Piquet's remarks coming to light last June, former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone declared Hamilton should be "happy" he received an apology and ought to have "brushed aside" the Brazilian’s racist slur.
Hamilton responded by referencing Ecclestone and Piquet as "older voices", declaring they have "nothing positive" to contribute.
"We push for action. There needs to be some accountability," Hamilton said.
He added: "I have always tried to take the higher road and be respectful. It ties back to – why do we give them a platform? They are not with the times. They are not willing to change. Microaggression in today's world is not healthy."
The first-round of the three-day Jamaica Golf Association national junior golf trials took place at the Caymanas Golf Club on Friday.
Ten players in the Girls 18 & under, Boys and Girls 15 & under and Boys and Girls 13 & under age- groups began their journey for a place on Jamaica’s team to the Caribbean Amateur Junior Golf Championship in the Cayman Islands from July 3-8. The Boys 18 & under completed their trials two weeks ago.
The scores from Friday's action showed some very competitive match-ups.
Emily Mayne and Mattea Issa both scored five over par 77 to be joint leaders in the Girls 18 and under category. They each posted two birdies and seven bogeys on the day.
Aaron Ghosh and Davin Hogan scored 83 and 98 respectively in the Boys 15 and under age-group while Anoushka Khatri shot 89 and Samantha Azan shot 94 in their respective first-rounds in the Girls 15 & under age-group.
The three players in the boys 13 & under category, Kemari Morris, Shasha Redfelsen and Cameron Coe, are closely tracking each other after round one with scores of 85, 89 and 91, respectively.
The lone representative in the girls 13 & under category is Alessandra Coe who scored 91 for her first round.
Second round action begins with all golfers teeing off at 9:00 am on Saturday.
Francesco Bagnaia triumphed in MotoGP's first sprint race after Marc Marquez snatched pole position for Sunday's Portuguese Grand Prix.
Reigning series champion Bagnaia fended off Jorge Martin in the half-distance sprint, winning by 0.307 seconds, with Marquez taking third position and Jack Miller fourth.
That race came after Marquez rolled back the years by roaring to pole for the sprint and Sunday's main event at the season-opening race weekend.
Six-time MotoGP champion Marquez endured a miserable 2022 season and only achieved one podium, but he reasserted himself as a threat for the new campaign with a dazzling lap record.
He pipped Bagnaia to pole, with Martin starting third on the grid.
It was just Marquez's second pole since his 2019 championship-winning season, with his show-stealing lap coming late on in Q2 after Bagnaia had looked set to bag first position on the grid.
Spaniard Marquez, who turned 30 last month, surprised himself with his qualifying pace.
He said afterwards: "I don't know, I cannot explain because I don't understand, honestly speaking. I don't understand the situation.
"Yesterday we were struggling a lot and today it's true that I started to ride in a better way, I improved myself and the guys yesterday did an incredible job and improved some small details.
"Today in FP3 I already felt good and smooth to ride. I was alone and was consistent."
Marquez senses real limitations with his Repsol Honda RC213V, but he found a way to bypass those in qualifying.
Quoted on motorsport.com, Marquez said: "It's true that to do a very quick lap with the Honda, we need a slipstream. It's not the best way, it's not the most polite way to do a lap time. But it's one of my strongest points.
"So, if the strong point is there, I need to take profit of that. It's not easy to follow a guy, but at the moment it's the only way."
That factor meant Marquez was not likely to be a front-runner in the sprint itself, but third place represented a strong outcome all the same.
Bagnaia's Ducati team-mate Enea Bastianini crashed during the sprint and suffered a right scapula fracture, meaning he was taken to hospital in Portimao.
GRID CLASSIFICATION
1. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) 1 minute 37.226 seconds
2. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) + 0.064 secs
3. Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) + 0.228s
4. Miguel Oliveira (RNF) + 0.295
5. Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM) +0.323
6. Enea Bastianini (Ducati) + 0.358
7. Maverick Vinales (Aprilia) + 0.372
8. Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46) + 0.390
9. Luca Marini (Mooney VR46) + 0.396
10. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) + 0.654
SPRINT RESULT
1. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) 19:52.862
2. Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) +0.307
3. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) +1.517
4. Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM) +1.603
5. Maverick Vinales (Aprilia) +1.854
6. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia) +2.106
7. Miguel Oliveira (RNF) +2.940
8. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) +5.595
9. Alex Marquez (Gresini) +5.711
10. Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha) +5.924
CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
1. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati) 12 points
2. Jorge Martin (Pramac Racing) 9
3. Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) 7
4. Jack Miller (Red Bull KTM) 6
5. Maverick Vinales (Aprilia) 5
6. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia) 4
7. Miguel Oliveira (RNF) 3
8. Johann Zarco (Pramac Racing) 2
9. Alex Marquez (Gresini) 1
New York Yankees pitcher Luis Severino is set to miss the start of the MLB season due to a low-grade right lat strain.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone on Saturday revealed Severino will not throw for at least five days.
The two-time All-Star was due to start Yankees' second game of the season against the San Francisco Giants next Saturday, but looks likely to instead be on the injured list.
Clarke Schmidt is expected to get a start in the absence of Severino, with Gerrit Cole the man to open up in the first game of the season versus the Giants on Thursday.
Severino missed over two months with the same injury last season.
The 29-year-old has an ERA of 9.00 this spring, having allowed 15 runs in as many innings.
The Yankees are also without Carlos Rodon (forearm strain) and Frankie Montas (shoulder surgery) heading into the new season.
Guyana produced a massive upset win over The Dominican Republic to advance to the semi-finals of the men’s team category at the 2023 Caribbean Regional Table Tennis Federation Championships in Georgetown on Saturday.
The team of Shemar Britton, Elishaba Johnson, Paul David and Jonathan Van Lange combined to defeat Dom Rep 3-2 and guarantee the hosts at least a bronze medal.
Earlier, the hosts finished second in their group behind Cuba, who will take on Barbados in semi-final two after Guyana battle Puerto Rico on Saturday.
Guyana also advanced to the Women’s semi-finals after Chelsea Edgehill, Natalie Cummings, Thuraia Thomas and Jasmin Billingy combined to beat Barbados 3-0 on Friday. Cummings and Billingy won the doubles before Edgehill and Cummings both secured 3-0 singles wins. They will face Trinidad & Tobago in the semis while Barbados and Dominican Republic will contest the other semi-final.
Dennis Schroder said the Los Angeles Lakers were grateful to Lonnie Walker IV for inspiring the win that finally took them to .500 for the season and vowed "we're still not finished".
Walker contributed 20 points off the bench in Friday's 116-111 triumph over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Lakers, who started the season 2-10, consequently reached the .500 mark after 74 games, representing the first time in over 400 days (January 25, 2022) they have been at that mark.
According to ESPN, it marks the latest a team has reached .500 for the first time in a season since the 2003-04 Miami Heat, who did so after 78 games.
After the win, Schroder hailed Walker's impact, saying: "He's the guy who won us the game, it's that simple.
"Everybody thanked him for that tonight. This is his win."
Of reaching .500, he added: "Big accomplishment, but we're still not finished."
Those sentiments were echoed by Anthony Davis, who said now is the time to really push on.
"We got to .500, now it's time to get on the other side and have more wins than losses," said Davis, who had 37 points and 15 rebounds.
"So it starts Sunday. We got an opportunity to be a game above .500 against a good Bulls team."
Lakers coach Darvin Ham said: "Now it's time. Instead of constantly facing a deficit, we get to try to create a surplus, create a cushion between the wins and losses.
"So, the guys are excited about that."
San Diego State coach Brian Dutcher hailed his "fearless" team as they defeated Alabama to book his first trip to the Elite Eight at the NCAA Tournament.
Dutcher is one of six coaches set for an Elite Eight debut this year, the most in a single season since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985.
None of the other five reached this stage in as spectacular fashion as Dutcher, however, as SDSU upset the number one overall seed 71-64 on Friday.
And Dutcher had a sporting great on his mind as he inspired his players in their unlikely win.
"I just tell the guys: nothing is going to be easy, so just keep playing our brand of basketball, keep doing your best, stay competitive," the coach said.
"And I'm using Muhammad Ali quotes because we're Louisville.
"We talked about confidence, and the key to confidence is being fearless, and I thought we were fearless tonight."
Dutcher does not want this to be the end of SDSU's run, though, adding: "When we recruit, we say our goal is to win a national championship, so we can't act surprised when we have an opportunity to advance to the Final Four.
"It's not just words we use to get them to come here. It's words we believe in."
Despite the disappointment of defeat, Alabama coach Nate Oats attempted to focus on the positives of the past year.
"I'll say it's one of the most memorable seasons ever," he said. "It's not easy to win the regular season, the SEC tournament in the same year and make a Sweet 16 run.
"It's a great group that really loves each other.They're going to be close for life, most of them.
"I love the group, they love each other, and it's just really disappointing that it's ending early.
"But I think it's one of the most memorable seasons in Alabama history, and they can walk out of here with their heads up."
Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd slammed his side's performance as "awful" and "dogs***" and says they deserved to be booed during their 117-109 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Friday.
Despite having star duo Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic available, the Mavericks were brushed aside by the under-manned Hornets who are already out of playoff contention.
The defeat significantly hurts the Mavs' own playoff aspirations, slipping outside the play-in tournament spots to 11th in the Western Conference with a 36-38 record after three straight losses.
The home crowd at American Airlines Center made their feelings known, booing the team during a third-quarter timeout when they trailed by 18 points.
"We probably should have been booed in the first quarter," Kidd told reporters. "The effort in the play. They have a right, they paid to see a better show, it wasn’t there until the second half.
"It was awful, dogs***. Understanding the talk before the game with what we're playing for, playoffs or championship, to come out in that first quarter and give up 37, the interest level wasn't high. It was just disappointing."
The Mavs are 7-12 since Irving was traded in from the Brooklyn Nets in February to make them a championship contender. Dallas are 3-7 when Irving and Luka Doncic have played together.
Doncic scored a game-high 34 points with 10 rebounds and eight assists, while Irving added 18 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, but the Mavs were undone after their poor first-half showing.
Irving downplayed the significance of the fans booing the side, despite losing six of their past eight games.
"So what? Just the way I feel about it," Irving said. "I've been in New York City, so I know what that's like. You obviously want to play well, but it's only five people on the court that can play for the Dallas Mavericks.
"If the fans want to change places, then hey, be my guest. Got years of work ahead to be great enough to be on this level. But our focus isn't necessarily on the boos.
"It should be on our performance and just being there for each other."
The Golden State Warriors stormed home to rally back from an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to down the Philadelphia 76ers 120-112 despite Joel Embiid's 46 points on Friday.
Jordan Poole was clutch with 33 points off the bench including six three-pointers, while Stephen Curry added 29 points on 10-of-18 shooting from the field with eight rebounds at the Chase Center.
Poole made a pivotal three-pointer for a 115-110 lead with 1:18 remaining in the last as the Warriors improved to 39-36 to sit sixth in the Western Conference.
The 76ers had led by 11 points with 11:32 remaining in the fourth quarter after Shake Milton laid off for Paul Reed's alley oop layup, but the Warriors launched their comeback with Poole and Curry at the heart of it.
Poole scored 19 of his 33 points in the fourth period, while Curry stepped up with eight points in the final four minutes.
Klay Thompson added six triples in his 21 points, while Draymond Green had 10 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists in a busy display.
MVP candidate Embiid was huge with 46 points on 13-of-23 shooting from the field with nine rebounds and eight assists.
Tobias Harris added 23 points for the 76ers, with Tyrese Maxey contributing 21. James Harden was absent with Achilles soreness.
Embiid scored 13 straight points for the 76ers in the fourth quarter after checking back in with 8:26 left.
Mavericks slip out of play-in spots
The Dallas Mavericks suffered their third straight loss as their playoff hopes took another hit with a disappointing 117-109 loss to the short-handed Charlotte Hornets.
Luka Doncic scored a game-high 34 points with 10 rebounds and eight assists, while Kyrie Irving added 18 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, but the Mavs were undone after a slow first half, with Hornets forward P.J. Washington managing a team-high 28 points.
The loss leaves the Mavs outside the play-in tournament spots in 11th in the Western Conference with a 36-38 record.
Lakers up to .500 for first time this season
The Los Angeles Lakers squared their ledger at .500 and moved up to eighth in the West with a 116-111 triumph over the Oklahoma City Thunder securing three consecutive wins.
Anthony Davis had 37 points and 14 rebounds for the Lakers, while Lonnie Walker impressed in his return with 20 points and Denis Schroder added 13 of his 21 points in the second half.
The Lakers improved to 37-37 with the win, getting to .500 for the first time this season, with LeBron James' return form injury reportedly not far away. LA are 8-5 during James' latest absence.
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