MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Julius Randle had 28 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists to help the Minnesota Timberwolves hang on to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 131-122 for their fourth consecutive victory. Anthony Edwards added 25 points, nine assists and seven rebounds while becoming the third-youngest player in NBA history to reach 10,000 career points, following LeBron James and Kevin Durant. Randle scored 13 points in the third quarter as the Timberwolves built a 20-point lead while outscoring the Cavaliers 43-22 to match the team’s season high for points in any period. Donovan Mitchell had 30 points and eight assists for the Cavaliers.
(Chicago, IL) — The Packers are very slight favorites to win Saturday’s NFL Wild Card playoff game at Chicago. With the return of several injured players, they are listed as one-and-a-half-point favorites. Two starters – tackle Zach Tom and nickel defender Javon Bullard – have been limited participants in practice and are questionable, but both say they will be able to play. Also questionable for the 7:00 p-m game at Soldier Field are wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks, special teams standout Nick Niemann, defensive tackle Warren Brinson, and backup quarterback Malik Willis.
Pregame starts at 5pm on 96.1FM
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) — The Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers will add another chapter to the league’s longest rivalry when they meet in a wild-card playoff game at Soldier Field on Saturday night. It’ll be just the third time the franchises of Halas and Lombardi have faced off in the postseason. The Bears went from finishing last in the NFC North to winning the division for the first time since 2018 in coach Ben Johnson’s first season. They made the playoffs for the first time in five years and are the No. 2 seed in the NFC. The Packers are the 7 seed after losing four straight.
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Miami will head back home for a shot at its first national championship since 2001 after beating Mississippi 31-27 in an exhilarating College Football Playoff semifinal at the Fiesta Bowl. Carson Beck scrambled for a 3-yard touchdown with 18 seconds left for the go-ahead score. He threw for 268 yards and two touchdowns with an interception. Trinidad Chambliss had put Ole Miss ahead with a 24-yard touchdown pass to Dae’Quan Wright with 3:13 left. The 10th-ranked Hurricanes didn’t play in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game but proved they belong in the CFP. They will face either top-ranked Indiana or Oregon for the national title.
(Madison, WI) — Wisconsin and Marquette face big challenges when they return to the basketball court Saturday. Both are coming off victories last time out. The Badgers travel to Michigan to take on the undefeated Wolverines, who average scoring 95 points per game. The Golden Eagles complete their two-game homestand with Villanova tomorrow (Saturday) afternoon.
SEATTLE (AP) — Mats Zuccarello scored off a feed from Kirill Kaprizov on a rush at 2:09 of overtime, and the Minnesota Wild beat the Seattle Kraken 3-2 on Thursday night to finish a two-week, seven-game trip. Ryan Hartman and Brock Faber had first-period goals for Minnesota, and Jesper Wallstedt made 26 saves. The Wild hit the road for the long trip with the world junior championships being played at Grand Casino Arena. They were 4-1-2. Defenseman Quinn Hughes assisted on Faber’s goal, giving him 13 points in 13 games since coming over in the trade with Vancouver. Adam Larson and Matty Beniers had third-period goals for Seattle, with Berniers tying it on a power play at 9:07.
(Madison, WI) — The mid-season break is over for the Wisconsin men’s and women’s hockey teams. The men host Alaska Anchorage tonight (Friday) and Saturday. The number-three-ranked Badgers haven’t skated on the home ice for nearly eight weeks. The number-one-ranked women are on the road at Minnesota-Duluth, with games also scheduled for Friday and Saturday.
(Milwaukee, WI) — The Brewers have signed five of the six players on the 40-man roster who were eligible for arbitration. That list includes Brice Turang, Trevor Megill, Andrew Vaughn, Angel Zerpa, and Garrett Mitchell. Only catcher William Contreras is left. He has one year before he can become a free agent. Wisconsin Sports Heroics-dot-com reports Contreras is asking for nine-point-nine million dollars, and the Brewers are offering a little over eight-and-a-half.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Former Minnesota Twins general manager Thad Levine has joined the Milwaukee Brewers organization as a special adviser. Levine spent eight seasons with the Twins before leaving at the end of the 2024 campaign. The Twins reached the playoffs in four of his eight seasons with the organization. The 54-year-old joins a Brewers organization seeking its fourth consecutive NL Central title.
>>College Basketball
–Division I Women
Purdue 75, Wisconsin 67
Marquette 67, Creighton 49
UW-Green Bay 78, Oakland 63
UW-Milwaukee 74, Detroit Mercy 61
–Division II Men
UW-Parkside 90, Lake Superior State 60
HSBB
Chetek-Weyerhaeuser 63, Mondovi 40
Osceola 83, Amery 74
Prairie Farm 43, Luck 17
HSGB
Cameron 64, Barron 22
Colfax 64, Chetek-Weyerhaeuser 28
Hayward 43, Northwestern 33
McDonell Central 46, Elk Mound 44
Spooner 50, Ashland 17
St. Croix Falls 62, Unity 39
HS Hockey
River Falls 4, Rice Lake 1