Sports
No. 1 Duke rolls by No. 17 UNC behind Cameron Boozer's double-double
Mar 7, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Zayden High (1) has his shot blocked by Duke Blue Devils forward Dame Sarr (7) during the first half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images Cameron Boozer scored 26 points and grabbed 15 rebounds as No. 1 Duke rolled over No. 17 North Carolina in the second half of a 76-61 home victory to avenge its only Atlantic Coast Conference loss Saturday night at Durham, N.C.
Maliq Brown racked up 15 points and Isaiah Evans had 11 for Duke (29-2, 17-1 ACC), which was saddled with some makeshift lineups because of some injuries that could be concerning in the coming weeks. The Blue Devils, who also received 10 points from Dame Sarr, head to the ACC tournament with the top seed and riding an eight-game winning streak.
Derek Dixon’s 17 points were tops for North Carolina (24-7, 12-6), which will be the No. 4 seed in the ACC tournament. Henri Veesaar had nine of his 11 points in the first half, and Jarin Stevenson and Seth Trimble both scored 10 points.
Duke played the second half without starting guard Caleb Foster, who left in the opening half with a right foot injury and was later sporting a knee-high walking boot. Center Patrick Ngongba II didn’t play at all and was on the bench in the second half in a walking boot.
The Tar Heels learned Friday that freshman sensation Caleb Wilson will be out for the rest of the season after suffering a broken thumb in practice. He was expected to be back for Saturday’s game after an injury on his other hand had him out since mid-February.
North Carolina closed within 41-40 in the first minute of the second half, and it was 47-44 shortly after, but the Blue Devils went on a 16-0 run. The outburst was sparked by 3-pointers from Cayden Boozer and Sarr.
North Carolina was stuck in a 10-minute span when it scored only two points as Duke’s advantage reached 69-46.
Duke led 39-34 at halftime, with Cameron Boozer at 12 points and Veesaar at nine. The Blue Devils, buoyed by Brown’s six early points, built a 12-point lead earlier in the half. The Tar Heels used an 8-0 run over less than 40 seconds to help get back in range.
Duke made 11 of 20 shots from 2-point range in the opening half, but the Blue Devils were 4-for-15 on threes.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Lakers add big-ticket courtside seats for playoffs
Mar 12, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Spike Lee (left) and Denzel Washington attend the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the New York Knicks at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images The Los Angeles Lakers are making room for more movers and shakers — and celebrities — this playoff season.
The team announced Thursday the availability of additional floor seats, where Jack Nicholson, Denzel Washington, Will Ferrell, Ice Cube, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kim Kardashian and fellow celebrities have sat for years. The Lakers said their floor seats have been sold out for more than 50 years.
“Courtside Reserve is second-row courtside seating that places fans in the heart of the action within the highly sought-after and exclusive floor section, offering an immersive experience,” the Lakers said in a news release. “The new on-floor seating features premium hospitality, including in-seat food and beverage service, VIP club access and a seamless, elevated experience from the moment guests enter the arena.”
To buy tickets, fans must request access through a dedicated page on the team website. The team said buying one of the limited Courtside Reserve seats now, which are being “offered in the smallest quantity to preserve the exclusivity of the courtside environment,” will move the purchaser to the front of the line to buy season tickets in the section.
That must mean Courtside Reserve won’t be one and done just for the postseason.
But how much will the seats cost per game? The Lakers did not reveal the number, but the New York Post reported Thursday that courtside seats in the regular season range from $4,000 to $10,000 per seat, depending on the day of week and the opponent. Playoff tickets can cost between $20,000 and $40,000 per seat, per game.
Since winning the NBA championship in the bubble in the 2019-20 pandemic season, the Lakers have failed to make the playoffs once, been eliminated in the first round three times and reached the conference finals once.
With three games left, the Lakers and Houston Rockets are tied with 50-29 records, but Los Angeles currently stands as the No. 4 seed based on tie-breakers. Being the No. 4 seeds guarantees home-court advantage in the first round.
If the standings remain the same, the Lakers would host the Rockets to open the playoffs.
–Field Level Media
Sports
A's OF Brent Rooker leaves game vs. Yankees with flank discomfort
Apr 8, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; Athletics designated hitter Brent Rooker (25) hits a run scoring sacrifice fly in the ninth inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images The visiting Athletics lost Brent Rooker to right flank discomfort when the right fielder felt pain on a swing in the first inning of Thursday’s game against the New York Yankees.
Rooker appeared to feel pain when he fouled off a changeup by New York starter Ryan Weathers for a 0-2 count. He winced after appearing to feel something near his back and was lifted from the game after being checked out by manager Mark Kotsay and a trainer.
The A’s announced the injury in the fourth inning.
Rooker was replaced by Lawrence Butler in the third spot in the Athletics’ lineup. Butler took a called third strike on the next pitch and the at-bat was charged to Rooker.
Rooker hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the ninth inning off David Bednar to give the A’s a 3-2 victory on Wednesday night.
Rooker entered the day hitting .146 this season with two homers and eight RBIs this season. He drove in six runs on a pair of homers in Sunday’s 12-10 10-inning win over Houston, which he ended with a walk-off three-run homer.
–Field Level Media
Sports
NBA fines Magic $25K for violating injury reporting rules
Apr 6, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black (0) is fouled by Detroit Pistons forward Paul Reed (7) during the second half at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images The Orlando Magic were fined $25,000 by the NBA on Thursday for violating the league’s injury reporting rules.
Per the NBA, the Magic failed to disclose the game availability status of guard Anthony Black prior to Monday’s contest against the Detroit Pistons. Black was listed as “out” in the initial injury report and later played in the game.
Black, 22, scored 14 points in 15 minutes during the Magic’s 123-107 victory over the Pistons.
The third-year player is averaging 15.1 points, 3.8 assists and 3.8 rebounds in 62 games (40 starts) this season.
–Field Level Media
Lakers add big-ticket courtside seats for playoffs
A's OF Brent Rooker leaves game vs. Yankees with flank discomfort
