HOW JOSH BELL CAN BOUNCE BACK FOR THE PITTSBURGH PIRATES IN 2019

After struggling at times in 2018, how can Josh Bell bounce back for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2019?

After a stellar 2017 campaign, Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Josh Bell looked to be a future star. He finished third in NL Rookie of the Year voting, clubbing 26 home runs, 90 RBI and a .800 OPS. Unfortunately, the 26-year-old took a step back in 2018 as he suffered from a large drop-off in power.

Bell’s 26 home runs came as a bit of a surprise in 2017. He wasn’t known as a home run slugger at any level of his career, as he was touted more as a gap-to-gap hitter. Bell launched just 44 homers in over 2,100 minor-league plate appearances but already has 41 at the MLB level with nearly 800 fewer plate appearances.

The biggest key for Bell to bounce back this season will be finding his power stroke once again. While he may not hit 25 or more home runs on a yearly basis, he has to improve on the 12 he totaled last season. He’s shown the signs for it, though, as he increased his walk percentage (10.6 to 13.2) and lowered his strikeout rate (18.9 to 17.8) between the 2017 and 2018 campaigns. Overall, his plate discipline numbers are nearly better across the board than the league average.

The 6-foot-4 first baseman looks to primarily bat in the middle of the order for the Pirates this season, likely starting out as the cleanup man. Of course, lineups will change based on pitching match ups, but Bell should be batting somewhere around Corey Dickerson, Francisco Cervelli, and Starling Marte. These batters should help Bell increase his runs scored and RBI numbers as well.

Unfortunately, things haven’t been clicking for Bell so far in 2019. Spring training performances should always be taken with a grain of salt, but his .172/.200/.310 slash line in 26 plate appearances entering play on Friday is pretty rough. On top of that, Bell has an 8:1 K-BB ratio and just two extra-base hits. However, he did blast his second home run of Grapefruit League play on Friday night.

Despite the early struggles this spring, Bell is still primed to have a wonderful season, or at least one better than 2018. He’ll turn 27 in August, so conventional wisdom suggests that he should be turning the corner and entering his prime, especially considering that this will be his third full MLB campaign. He may not be a classic, big-fly first baseman, but Bell will be a staple on this Pirates team for years to come.

MATT MURRAY IS THE DIFFERENCE MAKER FOR THE PENGUINS

Every team has a difference maker. For the Penguins, that’s Matt Murray. A lot of the talk around Pittsburgh right now is about how great Sidney Crosby has been playing, seemingly willing the Penguins to the postseason with a superhuman effort and the point totals to match. Beyond Crosby, the recent acquisitions of Jared McCann and Nick Bjugstad have begun paying dividends, while the defense, in the absence of star-defender Kris Letang has been noticeably not terrible.

While flashy saves displaying incredible reflexes have made the highlight reels, Matt Murray’s consistency is what’s propelling the Penguins to their successes of late. Only Martin Jones (San Jose Sharks), Andrei Vasilevskiy (Tampa Bay Lightning), and Frederik Andersen (Toronto Maple Leafs) have a higher win percentage for goalies that have started at least 35 games this season.

STATS DON’T LIE

Matt Murray has started the last eight games for the Penguins in a row, putting up a record of 5-1-0-2 in those contests. While the wins have been impressive, what’s even more so is the numbers he’s put up in those games. In those eight games, Murray has a save percentage of .930 and a goals against average of 2.25 while facing roughly 32 shots a night.

While Murray’s hot streak of late has been crucial to getting the Penguins on the path to locking in a playoff spot, his performance this season has placed him in the top-third of starting goaltenders around the league. With a save percentage of .917 for the season, good enough for 10th best in the league (for goalies with at least 30 starts) Matt Murray finds himself ahead of Carey Price, Pekka Rinne, Braden Holtby, and Marc Andre Fleury. With 4 shutouts in 38 games played this season, Murray finds himself tied for 6th place in the league. This season, Murray’s .928 even strength save percentage has him in 9th place league-wide, ahead of the likes of Holtby, Bobrovsky, Fleury, Rinne, and Price.

WHAT’S IN STORE FOR THE POSTSEASON

If Murray continues playing this way, or even comes back down to Earth a bit, the Penguins could have an opportunity to steal playoff games that eluded them last year. On pace to have a solid season of his career, Murray has already shown a considerably rebound from last year’s downward turn.

In the 2016-2017 season, which is the regular season most comparable to this year’s effort by Murray had an 2.41 goals against average and a .923 save percentage. That postseason, Murray stepped up to turn in a 1.70 goals against average, a save percentage of .937, and 3 shutouts in 10 starts on the way to the Penguins winning their fifth franchise title.

It’s impossible to know if Murray will continue to play at the level he has of recently, but based on his sample this entire season, the Penguins could have found their difference maker in net this postseason.

LE’VEON BELL CONTRACT DETAILS: RB GOT FAR LESS THAN HE WANTED

When Le’Veon Bell agreed to terms with the New York Jets on a four-year deal Tuesday night, we wrote that he lost his big gamble. Now that the contract details are out, there is no doubt about it — Bell got far less than he was hoping for. I for one am glad that Bell got far less than he wanted. Bell wanted out of Pittsburgh and I for one am glad that he’s out of Pittsburgh.

Le’Veon Bell’s 4 year $52.5M contract w/ the #Jets includes $25M guaranteed, all thru 2020. It’s a 2 for $26M deal in terms of guarantee structure, that includes a somewhat ironic $14.5M in 2019 (his tag price from 2018).

Remember, Bell wanted to get paid like a top receiver. He also turned down a deal in Pittsburgh that would have given him $33 million in the first two years before then turning down $14.4 million fully guaranteed by sitting out last season rather than signing the franchise tag.

So, while $25 million guaranteed is a lot of money, it’s nowhere near what he was hoping to land. Also, that figure ranks Bell No. 5 in the NFL among his peers, with Todd Gurley, David Johnson, Saquon Barkley and Leonard Fournette all getting more guaranteed cash.

This fact, combined with the reports that the Jets were really the only serious suitor for Bell until the very end, show that the league really did not like Bell’s decision to sit out the 2018 season.

Mike Freeman of Bleacher Report touched on that in his weekly 10-Point Stance column, writing, “above all, teams hated Bell’s decision to hold out, and because of it, they didn’t trust him.”

Bell wanted to shift the market. He wanted to be a catalyst for change. Those are noble aspirations. Unfortunately, in the end all he got was the fifth-most guaranteed money for his position in the NFL.

BELL PLANS TO JOIN JETS FOR 4 YEARS, $52.5 MILLION

Former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell plans to sign a four-year, $52.5 million contract with the New York Jets, a league source told Several Media Outlet

The deal includes $35 million guaranteed, with a maximum value of close to $61 million, including incentives, a source said.

Bell, who has been training in South Florida, confirmed he would be joining the Jets in an Instagram post late Tuesday night, shortly after he released an album:

Bell, who shocked the NFL by sitting out the entire 2018 season on the franchise tag after failing to agree on a new contract last summer, officially became a free agent when Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert opted not to place a franchise or transition tag on him for the 2019 season.

After gaining nearly 2,000 total yards during the 2017 season, Bell opted to eschew the $14.5 million franchise tag in 2018 -- forgoing about $855,000 per game -- so he could preserve his long-term viability for a big contract in free agency this offseason.

Several other teams were said to be interested in Bell, including the San Francisco 49ers, who made a strong offer and were engaged in a wild tug-of-war with the Jets over the past few hours, sources told Several Media Outlets

But the Jets emerged as the front-runner late Tuesday. Not wanting to bid against themselves, they held firm on their offer, a source told Several Media Outlets

Bell, a two-time All-Pro, had used social media to engage with potential suitors, using emails to make indirect contact with the Indianapolis Colts and Baltimore Ravens, among others. The Ravens never made him an offer, a source told Schefter.

Bell's average salary per year with the Jets, $13.25 million, would rank him second among running backs in the NFL, behind Todd Gurley's $14.37 million average.

The Jets expect Bell to instantly upgrade an offense that finished 29th in total yards and 26th in rushing yards. They also believe he will be the ideal backfield mate for quarterback Sam Darnold because of his dual-threat ability.

In finishing 4-12 last season, which resulted in Coach Todd Bowles' ouster, the Jets produced only two 100-yard rushing days, both by Isaiah Crowell. Crowell set the franchise single-game record with 219 yards in an October home game against the Denver Broncos but disappeared for the remainder of the season.

Crowell is likely to be released before Friday, when $2 million of his $4 million base salary becomes guaranteed. The backfield will consist of Bell, Elijah McGuire and Trenton Cannon.

The Jets haven't had a 1,000-yard rusher since Chris Ivory in 2015. They haven't had a runner with Bell's skill set since Curtis Martin, a big free-agent signing from 1998 to 2005. Bell has said that Martin, a Pro Football Hall of Famer, was his idol as a kid.

This has been a busy free-agency period for the Jets, who have reached agreements with four players on offense: Bell; wide receivers Jamison Crowder and Josh Bellamy; and guard Kelechi Osemele (via trade). On defense, they finalized a deal with Pro Bowl linebacker C.J. Mosley.

Bell's average of 128.9 total yards per game from 2013 to 2017 is the highest for an NFL back over the first five seasons of a career since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970. During that span, he rushed for 5,336 yards and 35 touchdowns and caught 312 passes for 2,660 yards and another seven scores.

Rocky franchise-tag negotiations over the past two years created distance between Bell and the Steelers. He missed training camp in 2017 when both sides couldn't agree on a contract, and he eventually played on a $12.12 million franchise tag -- rushing for 1,291 yards and nine touchdowns, while catching 85 passes for 655 yards and two more TDs.

After the 2017 season, Bell showed his conviction by turning down a five-year, $70 million offer because of what he called a low true guarantee of $17 million, and he was able to miss games because he was unsigned and thus not bound to the team.

The Steelers, who found success in the backfield last season with Pro Bowl selection James Conner and backup Jaylen Samuels, will receive a 2020 compensatory pick for losing Bell that could be worth as high as a third-round selection.

By sitting out the 2018 season, Bell, a three-time Pro Bowl selection, correctly bet the Steelers wouldn't place a third consecutive franchise tag on him.

Players were surprised when Bell didn't show for Week 1, and his own offensive line ripped him for the absence. Guard Ramon Foster and center Maurkice Pouncey both labeled the move selfish. One veteran player told ESPN anonymously: "He f---ed us." After tensions cooled, many players said they would welcome Bell back.

At one point last season, Bell, who turned 27 in February, planned to play for the Steelers. He told ESPN on Oct. 1, "I'll be fully committed and give you everything I have" upon returning, to "go out there and win a Super Bowl with the Steelers."

But the Steelers explored dealing Bell before the Oct. 30 trade deadline, which might have affected his plans. No trade was possible without Bell's signature.

Throughout this offseason, the Steelers seemed focused more on value than a hope Bell would play in Pittsburgh again. When asked in November what would happen if Bell never returns to the Steelers, coach Mike Tomlin said simply, "So be it."

The Jets host the Steelers next season, as well as former Pittsburgh star wideout Antonio Brown and the Oakland Raiders.

SPRING TRAINING BASEBALL SCOREBOARD FROM FRIDAY

New Phillies star Bryce Harper bruised his right foot when he was hit by a pitch during a spring training game Friday, but manager Gabe Kapler said the team wasn't overly worried.

Initial X-rays were negative, the club said, and Harper left the ballpark for more detailed X-rays.

Many in the crowd at Spectrum Field gasped when Harper was struck by a 96 mph fastball from Toronto rookie Trent Thornton in the sixth inning. The slugging outfielder went down to the dirt, clutched his ankle and stayed on the ground for a few moments.

Harper was checked by a trainer, limped toward the dugout with assistance and soon hobbled toward the clubhouse.

Recently signed to a record $330 million, 13-year contract, Harper was playing his fourth exhibition. He is 0 for 5 in 10 plate appearances.

Philadelphia begins the season March 28 at home against Atlanta.

SEVERINO

New York Yankees ace Luis Severino will miss all of April because of right shoulder inflammation.

Severino had been scheduled to start on opening day on March 28 but was scratched from his first planned spring training appearance on March 5. He felt discomfort after throwing his first slider in a pregame bullpen session.

Severino is set to resume playing catch next week.

Cashman also said center fielder Aaron Hicks, sidelined since hurting his back during batting practice on March 1, might not be ready for the opener against Baltimore.

PHILLIES 3, BLUE JAYS 2

Starter Nick Pivetta, who plans to rely more on his changeup, gave up one run and three hits in five innings.

Freddy Galvis and Kevin Pillar homered. Left-hander Ryan Borucki struck out five in 4 2/3 innings, allowing one run and just three hits. John Axford got one out in the ninth, allowing two runs, two hits and two walks.

YANKEES 14, RED SOX 1

Aaron Judge hit his fifth home run, and Domingo German allowed two hits over four shutout innings with six strikeouts.

Hector Velazquez gave up four runs -- one earned -- and three hits in 1 2/3 innings.

ANGELS (SS) 5, GIANTS 5, 9 INNINGS

Players and fans at Scottsdale Stadium were surprised when San Francisco and the Angels began the ninth inning with a runner on second -- it's an experiment Major League Baseball is trying in spring training, following a rule that all levels of the minors used last year. The confusion came because MLB announced Thursday that the new wrinkle would start in extra innings, but told teams they could try it in the ninth.

Despite the advantage, neither team scored. Pablo Sandoval flied out with runners on second and first to end it.

San Francisco starter Jeff Samardzija allowed three runs and five hits in five innings. Ambidextrous pitcher Pat Venditte was sent to the minors by the Giants.

ASTROS 5, CARDINALS 0

Houston manager A.J. Hinch was ejected by plate umpire Angel Hernandez one pitch into the bottom of the first inning. Hernandez called a strike on George Springer, and soon Hernandez and Hinch were arguing.

ASTROS (SS) 11, CARDINALS 2

Houston starter Wade Miley struck out five in four innings. Jake Marisnick homered off St. Louis starter Adam Wainwright.

PIRATES 6, RAYS (SS) 6, 9 INNINGS

Francisco Cervelli, Josh Bell, Starling Marte and Jung Ho Kang homered for Pittsburgh.

Austin Meadows had two hits for Tampa Bay and is batting .343 this spring.

RAYS (SS) 7, TIGERS 3

Yandy Diaz, the muscular corner infielder acquired from Cleveland in the Jake Bauers trade, hit a three-run homer and drove in four runs. Ryne Stanek gave up a hit and struck out three in a two-inning start. Spencer Turnbull allowed one run and five hits in four innings.

MARLINS 7, BRAVES 6

Wei-Yin Chen gave up three runs and seven hits in four innings, and 23-year-old Pablo Lopezgave up one run and five hits in five innings.

Atlanta's Sean Newcomb allowed four runs, seven hits and four walks in 4 1/3 innings. Jonny Venters struck out two in an inning but allowed a run and two hits.

TWINS 12, ORIOLES 9

Michael Pineda, returning from Tommy John surgery, allowed three runs and four hits in 3 1/3 innings. Ehire Adrianza hit a pair of two-run homers for the Twins, who went deep six times.

Baltimore starter David Hess gave up nine runs and nine hits -- four of them homers -- in 2 2/3 innings.

NATIONALS 11, METS 3

Yan Gomes and Anthony Rendon each hit a pair of home runs, and Adam Eaton, Ryan Zimmerman and Matt Adams each had one.

Washington outfielder Michael A. Taylor will be sidelined with a sprained left knee and sprained left hip. "I think he's going to miss a significant amount of time," manager Dave Martinez said.

Jeremy Hellickson gave up one run and five hits in five innings. Steven Matz allowed eight runs on seven hits -- four of them homers -- in two innings.

ANGELS (SS) 2, DIAMONDBACKS 1

Albert Pujols hit his second spring home run for Los Angeles. New closer Cody Allen started and worked two innings.

Arizona starter Merrill Kelly allowed two runs in 4 2/3 innings.

RANGERS 5, INDIANS 2

Texas starter Jason Hammel gave up two hits and struck out five in four scoreless innings.

Carlos Carrasco struck out six over 4 2/3 innings, giving up three runs and five hits. Trayce Thompson hit a solo home run for the Indians.

CUBS 11, WHITE SOX 9

Chicago starter Cole Hamels walked three and gave up five earned runs on five hits while striking out four in 3 2/3 innings. Albert Amora Jr. hit a solo home run in the first inning. Kyle Schwarber had two hits and stole his second base of the spring.

Lucas Giolito struck out seven over five innings. Yoan Moncada hit a three-run homer.

BREWERS 6, PADRES 2

Milwaukee starter Brandon Woodruff gave up two hits over five scoreless innings, striking out seven. Ryan Braun had two hits. Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield, who is a friend of star outfielder Christian Yelich, worked out with the Brewers.

Eric Lauer, San Diego's first-round draft pick in 2016, threw four innings of hitless relief, striking out six.

ROCKIES 2, ROYALS 1

Ryan McMahon hit a winning single in the ninth inning for Colorado.

Kansas City reliever Drew Storen didn't record an out, walking one and giving up McMahon's hit.

DODGERS 8, REDS 1

Paulo Orlando's pinch-hit grand slam off Cincinnati reliever Brandon Finnegan capped Los Angeles' eight-run eighth inning.

The Dodgers entered the inning trailing 1-0 before scoring four runs off Anthony Bass, including Alex Verdugo's two-run double.

NHL SCOREBOARD FROM FRIDAY

BLUE JACKETS 3, HURRICANES 0

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 46 shots -- including 22 in the second period -- to get his sixth shutout of the season, and the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Carolina Hurricanes 3-0 on Friday night.

Adam McQuaid, David Savard and Josh Anderson scored for the Blue Jackets, who pulled even with the Hurricanes for the two wild cards in the Eastern Conference. Both teams are four points behind third-place Pittsburgh in the Metropolitan Division.

Bobrovsky set a franchise record for saves in a shutout.

Petr Mrazek, who had won his last six starts, didn't have a whole lot to do after the Blue Jackets tallied twice in the first period, especially in the second when Carolina kept the puck mostly in its offensive zone. He finished with 17 saves.

MAPLE LEAFS 7, FLYERS 6

TORONTO -- Auston Matthews scored twice in the third period as Toronto held on after rallying from a three-goal deficit.

Jake Muzzin had two goals and an assist, and Patrick Marleau, Zach Hyman and Martin Marincinalso scored to for the Maple Leafs, who had five consecutive goals to take the lead after trailing 5-2. Toronto snapped a two-game skid and pulled two points behind Boston for second place in the Atlantic Division. Frederik Anderson finished with 23 saves.

James van Riemsdyk scored three goals, Shayne Gostisbehere and Radko Gudas each had a goal and an assist, and Jakub Voracek also scored for the Flyers. Claude Giroux had three assists, and Nolan Patrick and Sean Couturier each had two, and Brian Elliott had 44 saves.

Matthews got the tiebreaking goal with 5 minutes left, taking a one-handed pass from Nylander in front and burying it past Elliott. He then added his 34th of the season with 2:39 remaining off a rebound on a rush to put the Maple Leafs up 7-5.

GOLDEN KNIGHTS 2, STARS 1

DALLAS -- Ryan Reaves scored the tiebreaking goal early in the third period, and Vegas beat Dallas.

Max Pacioretty scored in the opening minute of the game for Vegas, and Marc-Andre Fleurystopped 40 shots -- including 16 in the third period -- for his 35th win. The Golden Knights have won seven of eight to remain third in the Pacific Division.

Roope Hintz scored for Dallas and Anton Khudobin finished with 35 saves and also stopped a penalty shot by William Karlsson in the second period. The Stars lost for just the second time in eight games but fell from third in the Central Division behind St. Louis. Each team has 79 points, but the Blues have a game in hand.

DUCKS 5, AVALANCHE 3

DENVER -- Corey Perry scored twice, including the go-ahead goal with 56.9 seconds remaining, to lead Anaheim.

Perry knocked in the winner shortly after Mikko Rantanen was whistled for a high-sticking penalty. Hampus Lindholm added an empty-netter to seal the victory.

Perry, Ryan Getzlaf and Daniel Sprong all scored in the second period as the Ducks erased a 2-0 deficit. Colorado's Sven Andrighetto tied the game at 3 with 11:18 remaining, setting the stage for Perry.

The Ducks were coming off a 6-1 loss in Arizona the night before, but were the more energetic team most of the night.

Gibson had 14 of his 41 saves in the third period. He's now 7-2 in his career against Colorado.

A three-day break energized the Avalanche early as they got goals from Nathan MacKinnon and Rantanen in the first period. Semyon Varlamov made 32 saves.

FLAMES 5, RANGERS 1

CALGARY, Alberta -- Matthew Tkachuk scored two goals and had a career-high five points to lead Calgary.

Johnny Gaudreau, Garnet Hathaway and Michael Frolik also scored for Calgary, which moved one point ahead of San Jose for the Pacific Division lead with 11 games to go. David Rittich had 24 saves.

Tkachuk had 10 points (six goals, four assists) on the Flames' 3-0-0 homestand. The hot streak comes after an extended cold stretch during which he had just six points in the previous 18 games.

Neal Pionk scored for the New York, which is winless in its last six on the road. Alexandar Georgiev made 27 saves to fall to 10-12-3.

DEVILS 3, CANUCKS 2, SO

VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Damon Severson scored in the seventh round of the shootout to give New Jersey a win after rallying from two goals down.

Kevin Rooney and Stefan Noesen scored 7:53 apart in the third period to tie the score. MacKenzie Blackwood stopped 25 shots as New Jersey won its second straight after a seven-game skid (0-6-1).

Elias Pettersson and Tanner Pearson scored for Vancouver, and Bo Horvat had two assists. Jacob Markstrom finished with 31 saves.

Petterson also scored on the opening attempt of the shootout, and Drew Stafford tied it for New Jersey in the second round.

NBA SCOREBOARD FROM FRIDAY

BUCKS 113, HEAT 98

MIAMI -- Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 33 points, and the Milwaukee Bucks rallied from a 20-point halftime deficit to beat the Miami Heat 113-98 on Friday night.

Antetokounmpo also had 16 rebounds and nine assists for the Bucks, who became the first team in NBA history to trail by at least 20 points at the half and win by more than 11. Khris Middleton scored 21 and Eric Bledsoe had 17 for the NBA-best Bucks, who improved to 52-17.

Milwaukee outscored Miami 71-36 in the second half.

Justise Winslow had all of his 20 points in the first half for Miami, which had its lead over Orlando and Charlotte for the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference trimmed to just one game.

ROCKETS 108, SUNS 102

HOUSTON -- James Harden had 41 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds, and Houston outlasted Phoenix.

The Rockets had trouble putting away the Suns, who have won just 16 games this season, and trailed for much of the night as they struggled from long-range, making just 11 of 40 3-pointers.

It's Houston's franchise-record 10th straight win over the Suns, and the Rockets have won 10 of their last 11 games overall.

Devin Booker had 29 points for the Suns, who lost their second in a row.

TRAIL BLAZERS 122, PELICANS 110

NEW ORLEANS -- Damian Lillard scored 24 points and became the second-leading scorer in Trail Blazers history as Portland beat New Orleans.

Lillard passed LaMarcus Aldridge (12,562) on the team's list, giving him 12,584 and leaving only Clyde Drexler ahead of him with 18,040.

C.J. McCollum added 23 points, and Enes Kanter and Rodney Hood each had 17 points for the Trail Blazers, who improved to 8-3 since the All-Star break. Zach Collins scored 12 points and Jusuf Nurkic had 11 points and 12 rebounds as Portland handed New Orleans its fifth consecutive loss despite impressive performances by a couple of Pelicans.

New Orleans' Julius Randle had a career-high 45 points and 11 rebounds.

CLIPPERS 128, BULLS 121

LOS ANGELES -- Danilo Gallinari scored 27 points, Montrezl Harrell added 26 and Los Angeles rallied in a third quarter that saw both coaches ejected for arguing to beat Chicago.

The Clippers trailed 63-57 at halftime, but took control in the third by scoring a season-high 45 points to go up 102-84 going into the fourth. Los Angeles shot 40.8 percent from the field in the first half but was 16 of 24 in the third quarter and 5 of 8 on 3-pointers. The Clippers also had six steals and forced seven turnovers.

Gallinari scored 12 points in the quarter and Landry Shamet made three 3s. Los Angeles opened the quarter with a 19-4 run and the lead reached 18 shortly before Clippers coach Doc Rivers and Bulls coach Jim Boylen were kicked out when they began arguing with 1:10 remaining after Boylen felt Harrell was too aggressive on an offensive foul.

HORNETS 116, WIZARDS 110

WASHINGTON -- Kemba Walker scored 28 points and Charlotte beat Washington in a matchup of teams chasing the final Eastern Conference playoff berth.

Jeremy Lamb added 18 points and eight rebounds, and Nicolas Batum and Tony Parker had 16 points apiece for Charlotte, which defeated Washington for the second time in eight days.

Bradley Beal, who had 15 points in a loss at Charlotte last Friday, had 23 by halftime Friday night and finished with 40 points on 15-of-29 shooting.

76ERS 123, KINGS 114

PHILADELPHIA -- Joel Embiid had 21 points and 17 rebounds and made some big plays on both ends of the court late in the fourth quarter, Jimmy Butler scored 22 points and Philadelphia beat Sacramento.

Tobias Harris and JJ Redick each added 19 points and Ben Simmons contributed 18 for the 76ers, who won their third in a row to pull even with idle Indiana for the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference. Philadelphia holds the tiebreaker with the Pacers and is trying to maintain hold of home court in a first-round playoff series, something Coach Brett Brown said he coveted before the contest. Fifth-seeded Boston is two games behind the 76ers and Pacers.

Harrison Barnes and De'Aaron Fox had 16 points apiece for Sacramento, which lost its third in a row and seventh in the last nine to further hurt its playoff push.

SPURS 109, KNICKS 83

SAN ANTONIO -- LaMarcus Aldridge had 18 points and 11 rebounds, and San Antonio beat New York to extend its season-best winning streak to seven games.

DeMar DeRozan and Bryn Forbes each had 13 points for San Antonio, whose previous season high was five straight victories.

New York, which was without injured point guard Dennis Smith Jr., lost its eighth straight.

PISTONS 111, LAKERS 97

DETROIT -- Andre Drummond had 19 points and 23 rebounds, and Detroit took advantage of LeBron James' absence, beating Los Angeles.

The Lakers, who have fallen well off the pace in the Western Conference playoff race, have been managing James' minutes, and he sat out this game entirely. Los Angeles played at Toronto the previous night.

The Lakers were also without Lonzo Ball (left ankle), Tyson Chandler (neck), Brandon Ingram (right arm) and Lance Stephenson (toe).

COLLEGE BASKETBALL TOP 25 SCOREBOARD FROM FRIDAY

NO. 5 DUKE 74, NO. 3 NORTH CAROLINA 73

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Zion Williamson had the go-ahead tip-in on his own miss with 30.3 seconds left and fifth-ranked Duke held off third-ranked North Carolina 74-73 on Friday night in the Atlantic Coast Conference semifinals.

Williamson had 31 points and 11 rebounds and the Blue Devils (28-5) survived a fight with their fierce rival in a classic that went down to the final play. Ultimately Duke hung on, but needed a final stop. After RJ Barrett missed two free throws with 12.4 seconds left, UNC pushed downcourt for Coby White to get a contested long jumper.

The shot rattled around the rim and out as Nassir Little crashed the glass for a desperate tip attempt, sending Duke's bench into celebration and leaving a disappointed White crouching at midcourt.

Cameron Johnson had 23 points for the Tar Heels (27-6). They shot 40 percent and led by four in the final three minutes but couldn't hold on.

Duke will face Florida State in the title game.

NO. 12 FLORIDA STATE 69, NO. 2 VIRGINIA 59

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- David Nichols scored 14 points and Florida State knocked off Virginia to advance to Atlantic Coast Conference championship game.

Phil Cofer had 11 points and 7-foot-3 center Christ Koumadje added nine points and nine rebounds for the Seminoles (27-6).

De'Andre Hunter had 13 points for Virginia (29-3). The Cavaliers had their nine-game winning streak snapped with their first loss to a team other than Duke.

Florida State was in control from the start. The Seminoles built a 35-31 at halftime behind the inside play of Koumadje, who had seven points and nine rebounds in the first half.

Florida State broke it open midway through the second half with a 13-1 run led by Nichols, a graduate transfer who scored on a drive, a low post move, and a turnaround jumper during the stretch.

NO. 4 KENTUCKY 73, ALABAMA 55

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Tyler Herro scored 20 points and Kentucky started its bid for a fifth straight Southeastern Conference Tournament title, beating Alabama in the quarterfinals.

The Wildcats (27-5) improved to 17-2 against Alabama in the tournament, and got a measure of revenge for opening SEC play with a 77-75 road loss to the Crimson Tide back on Jan. 5. Kentucky will play No. 8 Tennessee in the semifinals.

Tevin Mack scored 22 points for Alabama (18-15).

NO. 6 MICHIGAN STATE 77, OHIO STATE 70

CHICAGO -- Cassius Winston scored 18 points, Foster Loyer provided a lift off the bench with a career-high 14 points and Michigan State gave Hall of Fame coach Tom Izzo his 600th career victory, beating Ohio State in the Big Ten quarterfinals.

Seeking a sixth conference tournament title, the Spartans (26-6) pulled away in the second half for their third victory over the Buckeyes (19-14) this season. They will face No. 19 Wisconsin in the semifinals Saturday.

Izzo improved to 600-231 in 24 seasons.

Winston, the Big Ten Player of the Year, also had seven rebounds and five assists.

Keyshawn Woods scored 16 points for Ohio State.

NO. 8 TENNESSEE 83, MISSISSIPPI STATE 76

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Admiral Schofield scored 20 points and Tennessee beat Mississippi State the Southeastern Conference quarterfinals.

Kyle Alexander and Grant Williams each scored 16 points for Tennessee (28-4). Jordan Bone had 14 points and nine assists with only one turnover, and Jordan Bowden added 10 points.

Aric Holman scored 20 points, and Quinndary Weatherspoon had 17 for Mississippi State (23-10).

FLORIDA 76, NO. 9 LSU 73

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Andrew Nembhard hit a 3-pointer with a second left and Florida overcame a 13-point deficit in the second half to upset LSU in the Southeastern Conference quarterfinals.

Eighth-seeded Florida (19-14) will play No. 22 Auburn in the semifinals Saturday.

LSU (26-6) had won five straight without Coach Will Wade, who remains suspended indefinitely despite asking Thursday to rejoin the Tigers for the postseason. LSU quickly squashed that idea with a statement noting Wade will remain suspended until he speaks to school officials about the reports of an FBI wiretap that led to his suspension, noting Wade has yet to "deny any wrongdoing to us or publicly."

The regular-season champion Tigers did have freshman Javonte Smart back after saying before tipoff the guard has fully cooperated in a "joint inquiry" with the school and the NCAA.

Nembhard had 20 points. Naz Reid led LSU with 26 points and 14 rebounds, and Smart had 13 points.

NO. 10 MICHIGAN 74, IOWA 53

CHICAGO -- Zavier Simpson sparked Michigan's balanced attack with 10 points on perfect shooting and 11 assists, and the Wolverines picked apart Iowa in the Big Ten quarterfinals.

Michigan made 10 3-pointers, bouncing back nicely from Saturday's disappointing loss to rival Michigan State. Ignas Brazdeikis had 15 points, and Jon Teske had 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Seeking their third consecutive Big Ten Tournament title, the third-seeded Wolverines (27-5) advanced to the semifinals for the fourth straight year. They will go for their third win against Minnesota this season when they face the surprising Gophers on Saturday.

Luke Garza and Tyler Cook each scored 14 points for Iowa (22-11).

NO. 11 HOUSTON 84, UCONN 45

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Corey Davis Jr. scored 22 points and Houston routed UConn in the American Athletic quarterfinals.

Galen Robinson Jr. had 16 points, missing only one of his eight shots, and Nate Hinton added 15 points. The top-seeded Cougars (30-2) will face Memphis in the semifinals.

Jalen Adams led UConn (16-17) with 15 points and 10 rebounds.

MINNESOTA 75, NO. 13 PURDUE 73

CHICAGO -- Jordan Murphy scored 27 points, Amir Coffey added 21 points and Minnesota beat Purdue to advance to the Big Ten semifinals.

Murphy drove for a go-ahead three-point play and hit two free throws in the closing minutes, and the Gophers (21-12) beat the Boilermakers (23-9) for the second time in 10 days when Carsen Edwards missed a 3 as time expired.

Murphy finished three points shy of his season high. He also had eight rebounds.

Matt Haarms scored 16 points for Purdue.

SAN DIEGO STATE 66, NO. 14 NEVADA 56

LAS VEGAS -- Devin Watson had 20 points and five assists and San Diego State held Nevada scoreless for nearly seven minutes late in the Aztecs' victory in the Mountain West Conference semifinals.

Jalen McDaniels added 12 points and 10 rebounds for San Diego State (21-12). The Aztecs will play Utah State (27-6) in the championship game Saturday night after the Aggies beat Fresno State 85-60.

San Diego State also had a home victory over Nevada on Feb. 20.

Cody Martin led the top-seeded Wolf Pack (29-4) with 16 points and six rebounds. Jordan Caroline, averaging 17.3 points and 9.6 rebounds, did not play due to an injury.

IOWA STATE 63, NO. 15 KANSAS STATE 59

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Marial Shayok hit back-to-back 3-pointers right in front of his own bench to give Iowa State the lead in the final minute, and the Cyclones held to beat Kansas State in the Big 12 semifinals.

The Cyclones (22-11) trailed 55-52 when Shayok's first 3-point bounced off the rim, then off the glass and dropped through. Then, after the Wildcats' Cartier Diarra missed a 3 at the other end, the Cyclones' senior guard dropped a 3 that gave his team the lead.

Barry Brown's driving layup got Kansas State (25-8) to 59-57 with 20.3 seconds left, but Nick Weiler-Babb answered with a pair of free throws. Shayok answered by Kansas State's Xavier Sneed with two of his own, and the Cyclones began to celebrate another trip to the finals. Shayok finished with 21 points, and Weiler-Babb had 12, as Iowa State advanced to play Kansas.

Cartier had 15 points for the Wildcats, who shared the regular-season title with Texas Tech. The Red Raiders were knocked out in the quarterfinals.

The Wildcats once again played without All-Big 12 forward Dean Wade, who sat on the bench with a walking boot on his right foot. It remains unclear whether he'll be ready for the NCAA Tournament.

NO. 17 KANSAS 88, WEST VIRGINIA 74

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Dedric Lawson poured in 24 points, Quentin Grimes added 18 before leaving late with cramps and Kansas roared away from West Virginia om the Big 12 semifinals.

Devon Dotson added 13 points and Marcus Garrett had 11 for the third-seeded and reigning champion Jayhawks (25-8). Kansas has advanced to the championship game three of the past four years.

Lamont West led West Virginia (14-20) with 16 points.

NO. 18 BUFFALO 85, CENTRAL MICHIGAN 81

CLEVELAND -- C.J. Massinburg dropped a spinning layup and made four free throws in the final 32 seconds to help Buffalo advance to the Mid-American Conference title game.

The top-seeded Bulls (30-3) will play Bowling Green semifinal for the MAC's automatic NCAA bid.

Massinburg, the MAC Player of the Year and Buffalo's senior leader, scored 21 points, and Davonta Jordan added 16 for the Bulls, the defending champions trying to win the school's fourth tourney in five years. Massinburg scored Buffalo's last nine points.

Rob Montgomery scored 17 points for the Chippewas (23-11).

NO. 19 WISCONSIN 6, NEBRASKA 62

CHICAGO -- Nate Reuvers and Khalil Iverson each scored 14 points, D'Mitrik Trice hit a 3-pointer with 58 seconds left and Wisconsin beat pesky Nebraska to advance to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals.

The Badgers (23-9) won for the sixth time in seven games despite a shaky performance by Ethan Happ. The 6-foot-10 forward had a season-low four points and committed seven of the team's 17 turnovers.

Glynn Watson Jr. scored 23 points for Nebraska (18-16).

NO. 22 AUBURN 73, SOUTH CAROLINA 64

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Jared Harper scored 27 points to help Auburn beat South Carolina in the Southeastern Conference quarterfinals.

Auburn (24-9) went 13 of 34 from 3-point range and broke the SEC record for 3-pointer in a season with 368.

Bryce Brown had 19 points, and Samir Doughty added 10. Chris Silva led South Carolina with 27 points and 11 rebounds.

SETON HALL 81, NO. 23 MARQUETTE 79

NEW YORK -- Myles Powell sparked Seton Hall with 18 second-half points and Big East player of the year Markus Howard of Marquette came up short on a potential winning 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Pirates a chippy and foul-filled victory in the Big East Tournament semifinals.

The third-seeded Pirates (20-12) will face top-seed and defending champion Villanova in the final Saturday night at Madison Square Garden in a rematch of the 2016 title game won by Seton Hall.

The expected showdown between Howard and Powell, the top two scorers in the conference, never fully materialized. Howard scored 21 points, but finished 1 for 15 from the field. He also went to the locker room with 2:24 left in the first half, favoring his left wrist. He started the second half, but the 90 percent free-throw shooter was 18 for 24 from the line for Marquette (24-9).

NO. 24 CINCINNATI 82, SMU 74

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Jarron Cumberland had two late three-point plays and finished with 26 points to help Cincinnati beat SMU in the American Athletic Conference quarterfinals.

Justin Jenifer and Tre Scott added 17 points, with Jenifer making all six shots -- five from 3-point range -- for the second-seeded Bearcats. Cincinnati (26-6) will face Wichita State in the semifinals.

Jimmy Whitt Jr. led the Mustangs (15-17) with a career-high 24 points.

NO. 25 VILLANOVA 71, XAVIER 67, OT

NEW YORK -- Phil Booth scored 28 points, Jermaine Samuels hit a trio of critical 3-pointers and Villanova rallied past Xavier in overtime to reach its fifth consecutive Big East championship game.

The top-seeded Wildcats (24-9) are trying to become the first school in the 40-year history of the Big East to win three straight tournament titles.

Paul Scruggs scored a career-high 28 points for the Musketeers (18-15).