Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry and forward Draymond Green missed Thursday night’s game against the Suns, with coach Steve Kerr calling it a “brutal back to back.”
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Kerr: ‘Very easy’ call to have Curry, Green sit out
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry and forward Draymond Green missed Thursday night’s game against the Suns, with coach Steve Kerr calling it a “brutal back to back.”
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Kerr: ‘Very easy’ call to have Curry, Green sit out
New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson sat out Thursday’s loss to the Miami Heat because of a right toe issue, but sources told ESPN he is still expected to play in Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game.
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Zion out Thursday; still on for ASG, sources say
CJ McCollum and Jusuf Nurkic are making progress in their recovery from injuries that have kept them sidelined for nearly seven weeks.
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McCollum cleared for practice, Nurkic progressing
LA Clippers star Paul George experienced dizziness during warm-ups and was ruled out just before Thursday’s tipoff against the Washington Wizards.
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Clips’ George scratched vs. Wiz due to dizziness
Blake Griffin and the Detroit Pistons have agreed to a buyout, sources tell ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The 31-year-old former All-Star will now become an unrestricted free agent.
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Sources: Griffin free agent as Pistons OK buyout
LeBron James took two-time reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo with the first pick of the All-Star Game draft. Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert of the league-leading Jazz went last.
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LeBron takes Giannis first in draft; Jazz stars last
A long-term QB might be hard to find this offseason, but Washington could sign a free agent, build its roster and revisit the position in 2022.
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With Alex Smith out, what is Washington’s next move at QB?
The picks are in. Check out the full rosters facing off during Sunday’s All-Star Game in Atlanta.
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Team LeBron or Team Durant? How the NBA All-Star captains drafted their rosters
HARTFORD, Conn. (CBSNewYork) — Connecticut is rolling back COVID-19 restrictions in the most significant reopening in the Tri-State Area since the pandemic began. Gov. Ned Lamont announced Thursday that in just two weeks, COVID capacity limits will be lifted for most businesses in the state, but the governor says masks, hand-washing and social distancing are still crucial. Starting March 19, all capacity limits will be lifted for restaurants, retail, gyms, officers, personal services, museums and houses of worship. The mask mandate and spacing requirements will remain in place. “I know what’s happening in Texas and Mississippi. I’ve heard the president. It’s probably the most important thing you can do,” Lamont said. CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC Ask CBS2’s Dr. Max Your Vaccine Questions COVID Vaccine FAQ From CDC Vaccination Sites In New York City | Call 877-VAX-4NYC Track NYC Vaccinations By Zip Code Find A New York City Testing Site Near You Check NYC Testing Wait Times Resources: Help With Unemployment, Hunger, Mental Health & More Remote Learning Tools For Students And Parents At Home Complete Coronavirus Coverage Restaurant manager Paul Murphy was elated to learn his Stamford seafood restaurant could soon be back in full swing. “It gives us hope,” he told CBS2’s Ali Bauman. “It’s gonna double the numbers that we’ve been doing lately and be able to get everyone back to work, bring some of the servers we didn’t have shifts for.” An 11 p.m. curfew for restaurants remains in effect, as well as an eight-person limit per table. “I’m just gonna keep the bars closed, if they’re just a drinking establishment, for a little bit longer,” Lamont said. Movie theaters and performing arts venues remain capped at 50% capacity. By April 2, outdoor amusement parks can open and outdoor venues will be allowed to operate at 50% capacity with a 10,000 person maximum. Indoor stadiums can reopen at 10%. All sports will be allowed to practice and compete with tournaments allowed, subject to health department guidance. COVID VACCINE New York State book online here or call 1-833-NYS-4-VAX New York City book online here or call 877-VAX-4NYC Track NYC Vaccinations By Zip Code Nassau County more info here Suffolk County more info here Westchester County more info here New Jersey book online here or call 1-855-568-0545 Connecticut book online here Connecticut residents reacted to the news Thursday night. “I think it’s awesome. Great idea. Get the economy going again and businesses going,” Stamford resident Lisa Gach said. “I think that we survived long enough that there is no point of rushing,” another person said. “I want everything to open up. I’d love to go back to the way it was, but we still have to be careful,” Stamford resident Katie Philippopoulos said. While there’s no official reopening date yet for summer camps or summer festivals, the governor says they can start planning for the upcoming season.
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Gov. Lamont Lifts Most COVID Capacity Limits In Connecticut, But Maintains Mask Mandate
NEW YORK (AP) — The All-Star Game is up next for Julius Randle. The playoffs might be there later for his team. Randle capped his breakout first half with 27 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists, sending the New York Knicks into the break with a winning record after a 114-104 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night. RJ Barrett added 21 points to help the Knicks improve to 19-18 in their first season under Tom Thibodeau. They have missed the playoffs for seven straight years but finished the first half in fifth place in the Eastern Conference. “As a group we’re not satisfied,” Randle said. “We haven’t accomplished what we want to accomplish.” It’s been an unexpected rise for the longtime losers fueled by Randle, the workhorse power forward who was rewarded with his first All-Star selection. “He’s a great worker and sets a great example for the team,” Thibodeau said. “So he’s been terrific and the impact on winning has been huge.” So has Thibodeau’s, the former Coach of the Year whose players have taken to his style of outworking the competition. “We still have a lot of things that we have to clean up, but I think hard work is always going to make up for it,” Barrett said. Elfrid Payton had 20 points after missing the last four games with a sore right hamstring. Wayne Ellington scored 17 points for the Pistons, who came nowhere near duplicating their play from a night earlier, when they routed Toronto 129-105. They had 43 points after one quarter in that game but barely surpassed that by halftime of this one, reaching the midpoint of their schedule at 10-27, worst in the East. Coach Dwane Casey pointed to the growth of the Pistons’ many young players and sees good things ahead for the franchise. “It’s just so many good things that are going on and unfortunately they’re not coming out as ‘Ws,’” Casey said. Mason Plumlee, one of two Pistons with triple-doubles against Toronto, followed that with 12 points and 13 rebounds. New York’s lead was 48-44 after Isaiah Stewart’s follow shot with 3:52 remaining in the half. The Knicks then ran off 11 straight points, most of the baskets at or near the rim, to open a 15-point cushion and took a 59-46 lead to the break. The Knicks made 15-of-23 shots (65%) in the third, opening a 20-point lead before taking a 93-74 advantage to the fourth. Detroit cut it to 10 in the fourth and was about to get closer when it got the ball underneath to an open Plumlee, but Randle swooped in to block the shot and the Knicks found Barrett alone on the other end to make it 103-91. The Pistons were the opponent in the last NBA game played at Madison Square Garden in front of a full crowd. The Knicks beat them 96-84 last March 8 before beginning a three-game road trip they never finished because the season was suspended three nights later because of the coronavirus. TIP-INS Pistons: Detroit has dropped four straight against New York after winning the previous eight meetings. … Former Knicks guard Dennis Smith Jr., who also had a triple-double Wednesday, scored 12 points but had just two assists and two rebounds. Knicks: Derrick Rose missed his second straight game for health and safety protocol reasons. … The Knicks showed highlights of some dunks by Obi Toppin on the overhead video screen during a timeout late in the first quarter and congratulated him on being chosen to compete in the All-Star slam dunk contest. They also wished a happy birthday to the rookie, who turned 23 Thursday. NOT ON SCHEDULE The Pistons closed the first half with a back-to-back, when originally they weren’t scheduled to play either night. Detroit was supposed to close its first half Tuesday with a road game against Toronto, before that game was pushed back a day because of the Raptors’ coronavirus issues. The game Thursday in New York was originally targeted for the second half before the NBA recently added it to Thursday’s schedule. UP NEXT Pistons: At Charlotte on March 11. Knicks: At Milwaukee on March 11. (© Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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Randle, Knicks Reach Break Over .500, Beat Pistons
UNIONDALE, N.Y. (AP) — Matt Martin scored twice and the New York Islanders beat the Buffalo Sabres 5-2 on Thursday night in the opener of a three-game series. Noah Dobson, Anthony Beauvillier and Jordan Eberle also scored for New York, and rookie Ilya Sorokin stopped 16 shots. The Islanders improved to 5-0-1 in their last six overall and 8-0-2 at the Nassau Coliseum to remain the only team without a regulation loss at home. “That’s when we’re at our best, when we have four lines rolling,” Martin said. “We’re a tough team to beat when we’re playing like that. This was a good one. We just got to keep it going.” Taylor Hall and Rasmus Ristolainen scored for Buffalo, which has lost five straight (0-5-1). The Sabres are 2-8-1 since taking a two-week break for a COVID outbreak. Jonas Johansson, making his second start of the season with starter Linus Ullmark injured, finished with a career-high 40 saves. “It was a very bad game,” Ristolainen said. “I feel like every time we were kind of getting back at it, getting the momentum in their zone, and getting some good shifts then we made a mistake. I made unfortunately a lot of mistakes today that cost us the game.” The teams continue the series with afternoon games at the Coliseum on Saturday and Sunday. Sorokin, coming off 20-save shutouts in his previous two games, had six saves in the first period, four in the second and six in the third to improve to 3-2-1. With Buffalo trailing 3-1, Jeff Skinner hit a goal post from the left circle in the opening minute of the third. Eberle then put the Islanders ahead 4-1 as he scored on a rebound of a shot by Anders Lee at 3:14, beating Johansson on the glove side. Ristolainen pulled the Sabres back within two at 7:23, jamming in the rebound of a shot by Jack Eichel for his third. Martin got his second of the night and fourth of the season as he converted the rebound of his own shot from the right doorstep with 5:32 left. It was Martin’s third career two-goal game, and first since March 25, 2014, at Carolina. The Islanders, in the midst of a stretch of 19 games in 33 days, got their seventh straight win against the Sabres, including four this season. “I think it’s important if we’re going to have success, the games where we have everybody contributing, being on the right side,” Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. “We’ve got a very busy stretch here, we’re going to have to manage it.” Hall got the Sabres on the scoreboard at 3:08 of the second. Sorokin made a save on Cody Eakin’s shot from the left side, but Hall put in the rebound from the right side to make it 2-1. Beauvillier restored the Islanders’ two-goal lead on a breakaway with 5:02 left in the middle period. Beauvillier, playing in his 300th career game, got a pass from Brock Nelson, sped ahead of Ristolainen and skated in and beat Johansson for his second. “Nelly put it in the space for me and yeah, it felt pretty good to score a goal,” said the 23-year-old Beauvillier, in his fifth NHL season. “Feels like yesterday I first started playing here. I wouldn’t call myself an older guy. I’m still young at heart, I guess. It’s been a fun ride so far and looking forward to the rest of it.” The Islanders outshot the Sabres 18-6 while scoring twice in a dominant first period. Dobson put the Islanders up 1-0 as he got a pass from Eberle in the middle and fired a shot past Johansson’s blocker for his second with 9:25 left. Martin doubled New York’s lead on a fortuitous deflection as he sent the puck from the left corner beyond the goal line off Johansson’s mask and in with 3:39 left. “Initially I was looking to find (Casey Cizikas) or (Cal Clutterbuck) around the net,” Martin said. “They weren’t really open. Everyone kind of gravitated to them and I took a look at the goalie and saw he was down and just tried to put it there. Luckily I was able to hit my spot and it went in.” Trotz said Martin has been working on that shot in practice and liked that it worked. “Well-placed shot and really timely goal for us,” Trotz said. FINISHING STRONG The Islanders are outscoring opponents 26-13 in the third period this season for a league-best plus-13 margin in the period. New York has a 17-5 margin in the third at home. SCORING DROUGHT Hall’s goal early in the second was only his second of the season and first since Buffalo’s season-opener against Washington on Jan. 14. He got the Sabres’ first goal of the season in his first game with the team after signing a one-year, $8 million deal in the offseason. THREE IN A ROW This is the second time in franchise history the Islanders are facing the same opponent in three straight games. New York previously did it March 4-10, 2012, against New Jersey. The Islanders will do it three more times this season: March 11-14 against New Jersey, March 18-22 against Philadelphia and April 22-27 against Washington. This is the only time all the games are in the same arena. The Sabres are playing three straight against the same team in the same season for the first time. (© Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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Martin Scores 2 To Help Islanders Beat Sabres
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — New York Rangers forward Chris Kreider is so hot these days, even shots that go off his body are finding their way into the net. The only spoiler in his second hat trick in five games was a scary leg injury that led to goaltender Igor Shesterkin being helped off the ice late in the third period. Kreider extended his goal-scoring binge to nine in the last six games and the Rangers beat the slumping New Jersey Devils 6-1 on Thursday night. “The numbers speak for themselves,” said Rangers coach David Quinn, who team has been without top forward Artemi Panarin for five games. “So, you know, he’s is a vocal leader. He’s playing physical. He’s playing hard at both ends and getting rewarded with some timely goals. It could not come at a better time for our team.” Kreider, who scored three in a loss to Philadelphia on Feb. 24, has 13 goals overall. He completed his natural hat trick 23 seconds into the final period after scoring twice in the second. His fourth career hat trick came on five shots. Shesterkin seemed to hurt his right leg with just under six minutes to play when he stretched to stop a 2-on-1 break and shot by Damon Severson. He went down without contact and had to helped off the ice, dragging the leg. Quinn didn’t have an update on the goaltender’s injury after the game, except to say it was lower body. Alexandar Georgiev finished the game. Shesterkin kept the Rangers in the game in the first period by stopping 13 of 14 shots. He finished with 32 saves in helping the Rangers win their second straight and their fifth in seven. Pavel Buchnevich, Brendan Smith and Alexis Lafreniere also scored for New York. Jack Hughes scored early for the Devils, who have lost four straight and seven of eight. It was his third goal against New York in as many games. Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 11 of 15 shots before being lifted. Aaron Dell finished up. Kreider tied the game at 8:58 on a great power-play rush. In quick succession. Adam Fox, Buchnevich and Ryan Strome connected on up-ice passes with Strome finding Kreider alone in front. “Listen, the guy is hot, you get them the puck, and he’s obviously feeling it,” Strome said. “He’s got timely goals, big goals. And, you know, there’s such a short season that these games are so important and moments like that and plays like that from a veteran player lift everyone up. He was great tonight.” Kreider didn’t even get his stick on his next goal. A point shot by Ryan Lindgren bounced off his body into the net. The big winger made it 3-1 with an shot into the top of the net on an odd man rush. Most of his goals lately have been scored from his office in front of the net. “I think that’s something that I was harped on early on in my career,” Kreider said. “A simple, simple job. Not always, not always super easy when you’re battling a front, but relatively simple. It takes a lot of hard work from the guys you’re playing with and a willingness to get pucks there. I’m just trying to stick around the front of the net and it’s working for us right now. ” After playing a great first period, the Devils were not the same team the final 40 minutes. “Right now we just have to find a way to get a win and we have to really bear down, we have to pay a price, we’re not going to get an easy goal or hope for bounces, we can’t hope for a play,” veteran Travis Zajac said. “We just have to go in and really earn it for 60 minutes.” RANGERS REINFORCEMENTS Forward Kaapo Kakko and defenseman Jacob Trouba took part in the morning skate and coach David Quinn said both are close to returning to the lineup. Including Thursday, Kakko has missed the last six games because of the COVID-19 protocol. Trouba has missed seven games with a broken thumb. Forward Artemi Panarin is also closer to returning, Quinn said. The Russian has missed five games while on a leave of absence after a Russian tabloid printed allegations from a former coach that he attacked an 18-year-old woman in Latvia in 2011. NOTES: Vatanen got his first point in nine games with assist on Hughes’ goal. … New Jersey had not given up a power-play goal in its last three games before Kreider connected. Lafreniere has goals in two straight. UP NEXT Rangers: This was the start of a six-game trip, which would be tied for the ninth-longest stretch of consecutive road games in franchise history. Devils: New Jersey is 0-4 on the current five-game homestand. It is 2-8-1 at home. (© Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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Kreider’s 2nd Hat Trick In 5 Games Lifts Rangers Past Devils
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Work is underway to turn an industrial pier on the Lower East Side into a public park. City officials and community leaders were on hand Thursday for the groundbreaking of the parkland at Pier 42. It’s located on Montgomery and South streets. The site, a former shipping pier, is approximately eight acres and will feature a playground, recreation deck and sports fields.
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Work Now Underway To Turn Pier 42 Into Public Park
Kobe vs. Shaq? Wade vs. Baby Jordan? Howard vs. Gordon? Who holds the all-time dunk crown for each NBA team?
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Our experts pick every NBA franchise’s most iconic dunker
Jennifer King was named assistant RB coach for Washington in January. The assignment made her the first Black female full-time coach in the NFL. Now King is focused on encouraging the next group of female coaches and getting her squad to the Super Bowl.
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Washington Football Team’s Jennifer King paves the way as the NFL’s first Black female full-time coach