New Zealand chose to bowl vs Bangladesh

On a sunny day in Christchurch, New Zealand captain Tom Latham opted to bowl after winning the toss in the second ODI, the first to be played under lights at the Hagley Oval.

After trouncing Bangladesh in the first game, New Zealand went with an unchanged XI. That meant Matt Henry got another outing with Tim Southee warming the bench once again. Despite no real grass on the pitch, Latham backed his bowlers to "make early inroads" and seal the three-match series.

Bangladesh were forced to make one change: Mohammad Saifuddin replaced the injured Hasan Mahmud. After being bowled out for 131 in the first ODI, their captain Tamim Iqbal said he expected better from his batsmen.

"We take a lot of pride in our batting," Iqbal said. "The way we batted in the last game was not on. Normally, the tracks in New Zealand for ODI cricket are good. Even in the last game, the ball swung only for the first 15 overs. After that, it got better. Flat track or moving attack, you need to bat well."

This will be the 300th ODI for Jeff Crowe as a match referee.

New Zealand: 1 Martin Guptill, 2 Henry Nicholls, 3 Devon Conway, 4 Will Young, 5 Tom Latham (capt & wk), 6 James Neesham, 7 Daryl Mitchell, 8 Mitchell Santner, 9 Kyle Jamieson, 10 Matt Henry, 11 Trent Boult

Bangladesh: 1 Tamim Iqbal (capt), 2 Liton Das, 3 Soumya Sarkar, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk) 5 Mohammad Mithun, 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Mehidy Hasan Miraz 8 Mahedi Hasan, 9 Taskin Ahmed, 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Mohammad Saifuddin

There was a moment of controversy in the 15th over of the second ODI between New Zealand and Bangladesh when Tamim Iqbal survived an appeal for caught-and-bowled off fast bowler Kyle Jamieson.

The incident happened when Iqbal was on 34, and he struck a full ball straight back. Jamieson, 6 feet 8 inches tall, then dived forward in his followthrough to take a low catch with both hands on the ball before momentum sent him to the floor. The on-field umpires asked Iqbal to wait as they asked the TV umpire Chris Gaffaney to adjudicate if the catch was clean with a soft-signal of out.

Replays then showed that Jamieson had grabbed the catch cleanly but the issue was with his followthrough thereafter. When Jamieson fell forward, part of the ball - held firmly in his right hand - was grazing the pitch before he got up again to celebrate.

Although Jamieson had no doubt he had dismissed Iqbal, celebrating with a big roar after the effort, it was Gaffaney's opinion that the bowler was still not in total control of the catch when the ball grazed the pitch, and therefore Iqbal was not out.

The key law was section 33.3 which states: "The act of making a catch shall start from the time when the ball first comes into contact with a fielder's person and shall end when a fielder obtains complete control over both the ball and his/her own movement."

It was the "complete control" over movement where Gaffaney ruled the catch would not count.

The law is further explained on the MCC's e-learning website. It says, "when players dive and catch the ball, they will not have complete control of their movement and the ball until they have landed and come to a complete stop."

When the screen at Hagley Oval displayed Gaffaney's decision, Jamieson was displeased with it, throwing his hands in the air in disbelief. Iqbal would go on to reach his sixth fifty against New Zealand in the 25th over before falling for 78.

Finn Allen has been handed his first New Zealand call-up for the T20I series against Bangladesh, in a squad missing six IPL-bound players, while Adam Milne is in line for a return to international cricket after more than two years out of the side with a variety of injuries.

Will Young, who has made his Test and ODI debuts this season, is also included in the T20I squad for the first time and Lockie Ferguson is set for his comeback following the back injury that has kept him sidelined since December.

The side will be captained by Tim Southee with Kane Williamson, who has sat out the ODI series with an elbow injury, given a break before heading to the IPL along with Trent Boult, Mitchell Santner, Kyle Jamieson, Jimmy Neesham and Tim Seifert.

Allen (Royal Challengers Bangalore), Milne (Mumbai Indians) and Ferguson (Kolkata Knight Riders) will head to India straight after the conclusion of the series against Bangladesh.

The 21-year-old Allen has been one of the breakout stars of the domestic season where he plundered 512 runs in the Super Smash for Wellington

"It's especially an exciting time for Finn, who will be getting his first taste of the Black Caps environment," selector Gavin Larsen said. "His Super Smash campaign with the Firebirds was nothing short of outstanding and we believe he has the skills to succeed at the next level.

"We're delighted to see Lockie and Adam return after working really hard to get back to this point. They are two of the premier fast bowlers in world cricket and it's fantastic to be able to call on their services, in what is shaping as a big year of T20 cricket.

In Seifert's absence, Devon Conway will take the wicketkeeping gloves. There are two legspinners in the squad with Todd Astle joining Ish Sodhi.

"It's certainly been a season like no other and once again we've had to be pragmatic in our approach," Larsen said. "The six guys who will miss this series are incumbents in our T20 side and the decision to give them some time at home with family before they embark on a long stint in India, was principally made with their welfare in mind.

"We're also very aware of the need to give others opportunities in a World Cup year and it's great to be able to introduce Finn and Will to the set-up, as well as welcome back Lockie and Adam.

"Tim's a great leader in any Black Caps side, we've seen how well he's slipped into the T20 captain's position in the past and we look forward to him continuing to grow in the role.

"Devon's wicketkeeping skills are a real asset to have in a squad and we're keen to ensure he has some international experience in this role to provide us with another option going forward."

Squad Tim Southee (capt), Finn Allen, Todd Astle, Hamish Bennett, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway (wk), Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Adam Milne, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Ish Sodhi, Will Young

Troy coach Chanda Rigby said a missed call late in Monday's 84-80 loss to No. 2 seed Texas A&M cost the No. 15 seed Trojans a shot at a historic upset in the NCAA women's basketball tournament.

Troy was making its fourth tournament appearance and looking for its first win. A No. 15 seed had never won in the NCAA women's basketball tournament.

Texas A&M led 82-80 with 4.5 seconds left and was inbounding the ball in the front court. Kayla Wells' pass bounced off the fingertips of teammate Destiny Pitts, who then chased after it, gained possession and dribbled into the backcourt. No over-and-back violation was called as the officials deemed Pitts didn't have possession in the frontcourt.

Instead, Pitts was fouled and hit both free throws with 2 seconds left to give the Aggies the winning margin.

No Troy player touched the ball on the disputed inbounds pass. Rigby said she thought it was a violation, which would have given Troy possession.

"It just looked like she touched it and it went backcourt. It just looked very evident that that happened," Rigby said. "We were seeing if we could get the call corrected, but that's just not the way it went. We had all the momentum at that point. If we would have gotten that call, I don't think there's any way we would have lost the game. I don't think the will of my players would have allowed us to lose."

Texas A&M coach Gary Blair said he hadn't seen a replay, but the issue was about control of the ball.

"I didn't know if we had control of it," he said. "I think that's why [the referee] didn't call it. But I cannot say for sure. If she did have control of it, it was an over-and-back. If she didn't have control of it, it was a good call."

Even if the call had gone Troy's way, though, the Trojans still would have had to inbound the ball and try to score in the closing seconds. But Rigby's frustration also came from two other calls in the final minute that went against the Trojans.

With 54 second left, Troy's Tyasia Moore made a shot after contact with defender Jordan Nixon, which would have tied the score at 79-79 and sent her to the line. Instead, Moore was called for a foul, her fifth. Then with 30 seconds left, Troy's Alexus Dye was called for her fifth foul as Nixon drove into the lane.

In all, the Trojans were called for 25 fouls to the Aggies' 13.

"As great of a team as Texas A&M is, the No. 15 seed had them on the ropes for a very long time," Rigby said. "Their burying us deep in the post hurt us. I knew if we put them on the free throw line in the fourth quarter, it was going to be hard to beat them. It seemed like we just kept getting called for foul, after foul, after foul. Our two most experienced players fouled out, and that made it tough. But we kept battling."

Blair said he thought second-half turnovers took a toll on Texas A&M, but they still moved on. They will face No. 7 seed Iowa State in the second round Wednesday.

"They had an open 3 to go ahead, and they didn't make it," he said of Troy's miss from behind the arc with 19 seconds left. "That's life sometimes. But the officials overall, I thought they did a pretty good job. It wasn't that, it was just a hard-nosed ball game."

INDIANAPOLIS -- Illinois big man Kofi Cockburn is the second player to say he faced racist comments on social media following a loss in the NCAA men's basketball tournament.

Cockburn shared on Instagram a racist social media post directed at him after the top-seeded Illini lost to No. 8 Loyola Chicago on Sunday.

Cockburn, who was born in Jamaica but later moved to New York, posted a screenshot of the post and responded by writing: "I blame his parents.''

An Illinois spokesman told ESPN's Adam Rittenberg that the school is looking into the situation and has spoken with Cockburn. The spokesman said the source of the comment was identified by others on social media.

Cockburn's post came a day after Ohio State's E.J. Liddell received threatening and insulting social media messages following the second-seeded Buckeyes' loss to No. 15 seed Oral Roberts. He posted images of the messages, including one that said, "I hope you die I really do." Other messages included racist insults.

"Honestly, what did I do to deserve this?'' Liddell posted on Twitter. "I'm human.''

Ohio State has contacted police about the language directed at Liddell.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Colorado men's basketball coach Tad Boyle opened his NCAA tournament postgame news conference Monday night by addressing the mass shooting that happened just a few miles from the school's campus in Boulder, saying the tragedy left "an emptiness" in his stomach win or lose.

"First of all, before we talk about this basketball game, I thought about this in the locker room before the game, how the events that took place in Boulder, Colorado, today -- and I don't have any details other than to know it was a tragic, tragic situation," Boyle said after the Buffaloes' 71-53 NCAA tournament second-round loss to Florida State. "It puts basketball in its proper place.

"And win or lose tonight, I just felt an emptiness in my stomach. Another senseless act of violence that we've experienced as a country many, many times. And so it puts this game in perspective. It certainly puts losing in perspective.

"But even if we would have won this game and celebrated going to the Sweet 16, it would have put a damper on it. So my heart goes out to the families that were affected and those that lost their lives."

The shooting at King Soopers supermarket left 10 people dead earlier Monday, including the police officer who was the first to respond to the scene, authorities said.

Police arrested a suspect but didn't reveal his name or any details about the shooting at an evening news conference.

Colorado has been away from Boulder and in Indianapolis for the NCAA men's basketball tournament since last week. Boyle said some members on the Buffaloes got alerts on their phones about the shooting about an hour before arriving at the arena, but he said he didn't talk to his team about the tragedy prior to tipoff.

"I talked about it with a couple of my assistants and we felt like it was probably better left -- we didn't have any details," he said. "There wasn't anything really to talk about, and I talked about it after the game, again, in the perspective standpoint.

"But your team's mental mindset as they prepare for a game, it's sometimes fragile. I didn't want to complicate their minds too much because we had to go play the game. We weren't going to not play the game. So I decided to wait 'til after the game to address it with them, and I did."

Boyle said he didn't think the shooting weighed on his team's mind during the game, but added, "I could be totally wrong and off base on that. The one thing I'm not going to do is sit here and make excuses for the way we played. I'm going to take responsibility for it."

Guard McKinley Wright acknowledged that what happened was on his mind.

"I thought about my life and growing up and what I've been through and seeing these people," he said after scoring 10 points in the loss. "And what they have to go through now, it sucks. I'm so sorry, and I'm going to pray for their families.

"Basketball is just a game; people lost their lives. That sucks. It's hard to kind of put that in words right now coming off of playing my last game here at CU and that tragedy that went on down in Boulder, it's just terrible."

Boyle called Boulder as "safe a place as I've ever felt and lived in my life."

"So if it can happen, it can happen there, it can happen anywhere," he said. "But we've got to figure out a way to stop this stuff. I don't know the answer, but we've just got to figure out a way."

The 2021 NCAA tournament provided more surprises and upsets in the second round on Sunday and Monday, as March Madness chaos continued to reign. But now we have a larger sample size with which to analyze the remaining field.

There is more movement on this list compared to our first-round reseeding because we're assigning more value to the way teams have played in the first two games and who they've beaten, while also considering the seed they had when they entered the NCAA tournament and whether they look like they can advance to the Elite Eight.

With that in mind, here is our reseeded Sweet 16 field:

Head to Tournament Challenge and check on your bracket!

1. Gonzaga Bulldogs (Original seed: No. 1. Reseed: No. 1)

When Indiana completed the most recent perfect season in 1976, the NCAA tournament was a 32-team event. Nine years later, the field had doubled, adding an extra round for anyone trying to match IU's feat. The first-weekend drama this year is evidence that this is the most difficult championship journey in major sports. The three teams with a shot at perfection since the expansion of the field in 1985 -- UNLV in 1991, Wichita State in 2014 and Kentucky in 2015 -- all fell short of their goal.

What's undeniable about Gonzaga's chances is its lopsided efforts against quality teams this season. Kansas? 12-point victory. Iowa? 11 points. Virginia? 23 points. Oklahoma is a quality Big 12 team but the Sooners just didn't have the juice to compete for 40 minutes with this stacked Gonzaga team on Monday. The 87-71 win by Mark Few's program on Monday was another sign that Gonzaga isn't just the best team in America. It's arguably one of the top four or five teams we've seen over the last decade in college basketball. Good teams don't seem to have a shot against them -- West Virginia's five-point loss on Dec. 2 was the closest. It will take a great one to take them down and hand the Bulldogs their first loss of the season.

2. Baylor Bears (Original seed: No. 1. Reseed: No. 1)

It's time for analysts and broadcasters to stop describing a team's offensive and defensive prowess solely on the raw numbers because sometimes the other metrics tell a better story. In its 76-63 win over Wisconsin in the second round, the Bears excelled against a Badgers team that was top-20 in adjusted defensive efficiency. Baylor's 119 points per 100 possessions in that game was comparable to the clip that the NBA-leading Brooklyn Nets offense has averaged this season. And Baylor achieved that mark against a strong defensive team. The Bears also found more pop off the bench. With Matthew Mayer on the floor, the Bears have made 42 percent of their 3-point attempts in the NCAA tournament (32 percent without him), per hooplens.com.

3. Michigan Wolverines (Original seed: No. 1. Reseed: No. 1)

Most teams would have significantly regressed if they'd lost a player like Isaiah Livers (13.1 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 2.0 APG) just before the NCAA tournament. And with Juwan Howard declaring that the standout is still "out indefinitely" following his team's 86-78 win over LSU in the second round on Monday, it's safe to assume Livers will probably be sidelined in the coming weeks, too. But Michigan's depth has allowed the top seed to advance and still look like a team that can chase a championship. Brandon Johns (11 points) gave Michigan a boost against Texas Southern in the first round. Eli Brooks (21 points) carried Michigan against a relentless LSU squad on Monday. The Wolverines are averaging 84.0 PPG through two matchups in the NCAA tournament. This stretch has been a reminder that Michigan is still a force.

4. Alabama Crimson Tide (Original seed: No. 2. Reseed: No. 1)

In a weekend full of wild outcomes, Nate Oats' squad put together one of the most impressive performances of the first and second rounds. Maryland is a solid Big Ten team but Alabama played at a different level in a 96-77 win over the Terps. It was the most points Maryland has ever allowed under Mark Turgeon and the most points the program has surrendered in regulation since 2009, per ESPN Stats & Info. It was Alabama's fourth time scoring at least 80 points during its current eight-game winning streak. The Crimson Tide play fast but not reckless. They're big and strong. They're playing top-three defense, too. Jahvon Quinerly, a former five-star recruit who began his career at Villanova, finished Monday's game with 14 points and 11 assists off the bench. John Petty Jr. and Jaden Shackelford combined to score 41 points. You won't find a team in the Sweet 16 that Alabama can't beat right now.

5. Loyola Chicago Ramblers (Original seed: No. 8. Reseed: No. 2)

The selection committee's seeding of Loyola Chicago isn't difficult to understand. The Ramblers lost to Wisconsin by double-digits in their only nonconference matchup against a Power 5 NCAA tournament team (the Ramblers also beat North Texas in January). They also had losses to Drake, Indiana State and Richmond, all without a signature win to offset those losses. More than anything, Porter Moser's squad represents the unfairness of a season that provided limited nonconference options for midmajors due to COVID-19.

But the committee considered the metrics that told us this was a very good team months ago. This squad justified its No. 1 adjusted defensive efficiency rating on KenPom by holding Illinois to 0.88 points per possession. A second Final Four run in three years does not seem impossible for this group after leading Illinois -- the best team not named Gonzaga for the last month -- start to finish. No team beneath Loyola Chicago on this list can match the weight of that victory. The Ramblers have played top-seed basketball since Jan. 10 (one loss).

6. Villanova Wildcats (Original seed: No. 5. Reseed: No. 2)

That trendy projection that Villanova would fall before the second weekend failed to acknowledge that Jay Wright was still coaching this team. The Wildcats seemed wounded beyond repair after losing Collin Gillespie suffered a torn MCL just over a week before Selection Sunday. They lost their first two full games without him (Providence, Georgetown). But they scored at a rate of 112 points per 100 possessions in the first round against Winthrop and recorded a clip of 142 points per 100 possessions against North Texas in the second round. Yes, they had one of the easier paths to the Sweet 16. But Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (averaging 20.0 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 6.0 APG) and Co. have regained the stride that made them the Big East's most efficient offense.

7. Florida State Seminoles (Original seed: No. 4. Reseed: No. 2)

Last year, after the ACC tournament had been canceled due to COVID-19, Leonard Hamilton took photos with his team at midcourt to celebrate its ACC regular season championship. That team had two NBA lottery picks (Devin Vassell, Patrick Williams) but Hamilton never had the chance to see how far it could go. Well, this season his team earned a trip to the Sweet 16 with a dominant 71-53 win over a good Colorado squad that made just 36 percent of its field goal attempts and committed 19 turnovers against Florida State's defensive pressure in the second round on Monday night. Last year's squad might have had a higher ceiling and more talent. But this year's group is balanced and capable of anchoring Hamilton's first Final Four run.

8. Syracuse Orange (Original seed: No. 11. Reseed: No. 2)

In six memorable games in the 2003 NCAA tournament, Carmelo Anthony averaged 20.1 PPG and made 48 percent of his 3-point attempts. We would never suggest that Buddy Boeheim is superior to Anthony, who led Syracuse on that national title run. But Boeheim's numbers, thus far, are better. He's averaging 27.5 PPG and connecting on 57 percent of his 3-point attempts for a Syracuse team that beat San Diego State and West Virginia to advance to the Sweet 16.

As a team, Syracuse has made 60 percent of its shots inside the arc and 49 percent of its 3-point attempts with Boeheim on the floor, per hooplens.com, in the NCAA tournament. It's Jim Boeheim's first Sweet 16 appearance since the 2017-18 season. None of this makes sense but Jim Boeheim's best work in the postseason rarely does.

9. Houston Cougars (Original seed: No. 2. Reseed: No. 3)

DeJon Jarreau fought through constant hip pain that forced him to take multiple breaks to work with a trainer in his team's 63-60 win over Rutgers in the second round on Sunday. It was a gritty victory that demanded a 22-point effort from Quentin Grimes. It was also a win that made you question Jarreau's long-term availability. It's fair to give Houston credit for its effort in a tight game while also acknowledging that its margin of victory in three wins against top-50 KenPom teams (two games against Memphis, Rutgers) this month is just 2.6 points per game. It has three other wins in March by 25 points or more, all against sub-100 KenPom squads. Houston is good. But the Cougars have been tested against the better teams on their schedule in recent weeks.

10. Arkansas Razorbacks (Original seed: No. 3. Reseed: No. 3)

Nothing pretty about the Razorbacks' 68-66 win over Texas Tech in the second round, two days after they went 5-for-16 from the 3-point line in a first-round win over Colgate. Arkansas players not named Moses Moody (4-for-5) and Justin Smith (9-for-11) made just 35 percent of their attempts inside the arc against a Texas Tech team ranked top-25 in adjusted defensive efficiency. But we've watched higher seeds lose tough games in the first weekend. Arkansas survived, which has been the habit for Eric Musselman's squad during its current 14-2 stretch. The postseason demands the late-game playmaking Arkansas employed to seal the win against a Texas Tech team that always seemed to be on the wrong end of a close game this season.

11. Oral Roberts Golden Eagles (Original seed: No. 15. Reseed: No. 3)

One game can be a fluke. But Oral Roberts is now the second team to ever reach the Sweet 16 as a 15-seed. How did this happen? The interesting thing is that Oral Roberts made its mark as a 3-point shooting team during the season (46 percent of its attempts are from beyond the arc, 38.2 percent accuracy). In NCAA tournament wins over Ohio State (11-for-35) and Florida (10-for-30), however, most of those shots didn't fall. But Oral Roberts played with a defensive edge that changed both of those games. The Golden Eagles forced 36 turnovers in those two victories. Plus, Max Abmas and Kevin Obanor have combined to average 56.5 points per game as a duo in the NCAA tournament. This feels like a midmajor squad that found itself -- seven consecutive wins -- late in the season. But it's also just a good squad with two of the best players in the Sweet 16 right now. That gives Paul Mills' squad a chance.

12. USC Trojans (Original seed: No. 6. Reseed: No. 3)

When he arrived, Evan Mobley was billed as the projected lottery pick who could lead USC on a deep run in the NCAA tournament. The presence of his brother, Isaiah Mobley, was largely viewed as another storyline more than a significant factor in USC's potential. But the Mobley brothers -- plural -- are the reason Andy Enfield is on his way to the Sweet 16 for the first time since he led Florida Gulf Coast there in 2013. Isaiah Mobley (17 points) and Evan Mobley (10 points, 13 rebounds) were too long and skilled for Kansas. The Trojans also made 61 percent of their 3-pointers and held Kansas under 30 percent from the field in their 85-51 victory in the second round. The Mobley brothers had 32 points in USC's first round win over Drake. Together, they're a complicated problem to solve.

13. Oregon Ducks (Original seed: No. 7. Reseed: No. 4)

It's not Dana Altman's fault Oregon advanced via "no contest" after positive COVID-19 tests forced VCU to withdraw from its first round matchup. The Ducks announced their arrival in the second round with a 95-80 win over an Iowa team that spent a portion of its season competing for a top seed and got 36 points from Wooden Award contender Luka Garza. The Pac-12's NCAA tournament resurgence is tied to the abundance of athleticism on each remaining roster.

Chris Duarte (23 points) led four Oregon scorers who finished with at least 17 points against the Hawkeyes. In their lone outing in the NCAA tournament thus far, the Ducks recorded 127 points per 100 possessions. This is a sleeper for the Final Four. Altman's team has lost just two games since Feb. 4. And Monday's win came against an Iowa squad that had been listed among the nation's top tier, a team with legitimate Final Four aspirations after playing its best basketball down the stretch. But Oregon toyed with the Hawkeyes at times. More than anything, the victory sent the message to the field that Oregon belongs even though it didn't have to play its way into the second round.

14. Oregon State Beavers ((Original seed: No. 12. Reseed: No. 4)

Per ESPN's BPI, Oregon State -- a team that had a 7-9 record after its first 16 Pac-12 games -- had a one-in-820 chance back then to reach the NCAA tournament second round. The ridiculous 3-point clip that fueled the run round of 32 was in contrast to the program's collective mark of 33 percent accuracy from beyond the arc during conference play. Against Oklahoma State, the 3-pointers weren't falling (6-for-20) but Ethan Thompson (26 points against Oklahoma State) and Co. held an opponent under 90 points per 100 possessions for the second consecutive game. If you're searching for a logical reason for Oregon State's wins over Tennessee and Oklahoma State, you'll never find one beyond this: a team got hot in the most thrilling run in the field right now.

15. UCLA Bruins (Original seed: No. 11. Reseed: No. 4)

Mick Cronin's squad entered the NCAA tournament on a four-game losing streak. Overall, the team was 4-5 in its nine games prior to the one-site affair in Indiana. Since then, the Bruins have defeated Michigan State (six points, overtime), BYU (11 points) and Abilene Christian (20 points). The latter opponent dismissed Texas to ease UCLA's path to the Sweet 16. But the Bruins have also made 43 percent of its 3-point attempts in the NCAA tournament. Johnny Juzang, a transfer from Kentucky, is averaging 22.3 PPG through three NCAA tournament games. All of this after the team lost Chris Smith (12.6 PPG, 6.4 RPG) to a season-ending injury midway through the season and had to regroup. No matter what happens in the Sweet 16, Cronin can take a bow.

16. Creighton Bluejays (Original seed: No. 5. Reseed: No. 4)

A deflating 73-48 loss to Georgetown in the Big East tournament title game seemed to suggest the Bluejays had lost a step after a turbulent stretch late in the season. Then, they beat UC Santa Barbara in the opening round of the NCAA tournament -- but only after the Gauchos ended the game with a series of mishaps in a one-point loss to Creighton. That game could have gone either way. Monday's 72-58 win over Ohio, which had defeated Virginia on Saturday to advance, was legit and a positive step. Marcus Zegarowski (20 points) led five players who registered double-figures. Jason Preston, Ohio's star point guard, finished 1-for-10 with four points, so it was a solid defensive effort for Greg McDermott's squad. Still, the best thing Creighton has done in the last month is beat UConn on March 12, in a game when James Bouknight couldn't make a shot.

The Sacramento Kings acquired LA Clippers forward Mfiondu Kabengele and cash for a heavily protected future second-round pick, the team announced Monday night.

With the deal, the Clippers created an open roster spot ahead of Thursday's NBA trade deadline and the eventual free-agent buyout market, dropping $2.6 million below the hard cap. Under the restrictions of the hard cap, the Clippers had to wait until March 30 to sign a player. Now, there are no restrictions on using the team's two open roster spots.

The Kings absorbed Kabengele into a trade exception that would've expired Monday.

Kabengele, a 6-foot-9 forward out of Florida State, was the 27th overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft. He played sparingly with the Clippers in two seasons, entering 35 games and averaging 4.5 minutes on a veteran-driven team.

The Kings now get an opportunity to take a closer inspection of Kabengele over the rest of the 2020-21 season. The Clippers declined his third-year option prior to the season.

ESPN front-office insider Bobby Marks contributed to this report.

The Milwaukee Bucks were without Giannis Antetokounmpo for Monday night's 140-133 win over the Indiana Pacers after the reigning two-time NBA MVP was ruled out before the game with a left knee sprain.

Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said he thinks Antetokounmpo got hurt during a 120-113 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday.

"We're hoping it's shorter rather than longer, but we'll see how these first 48 to 72 hours go and we'll know more then,'' Budenholzer said before Monday's game.

With Antetokounmpo out of the lineup, Pat Connaughton made his first start of the season and collected 20 points and nine rebounds while shooting 6-of-7 from 3-point range. Milwaukee made short work of the Pacers as Jrue Holiday recorded season highs in both points (28) and assists (14).

"When somebody like our best player is not playing that night, we kind of lock in,'' Holiday said. "Everybody has to do a little bit more. It's a testament to the team we have.''

The Bucks were also without reserve forward P.J. Tucker for part of Monday's game because of a sprained left ankle. Tucker played 12 minutes and was scoreless in his second game since he was acquired in a trade with Houston last week.

"We'll see how he does overnight and what he feels like and looks like tomorrow,'' Budenholzer said.

Budenholzer was unsure about Antetokounmpo's status for Wednesday's game against Boston.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

His mask could barely contain Houston Rockets coach Stephen Silas' smile Monday night following a 117-99 win over the Toronto Raptors that brought a franchise-record 20-game losing streak to a merciful end.

A day earlier, Silas was visibly distraught after the Rockets' 114-112 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Silas' postgame news conference opened with a question about whether the Rockets were feeling the weight of the losing streak. He stared down for several seconds, holding his head in his right hand, before softly muttering, "Yeah."

Several current and former NBA coaches reached out to Silas over the last 24 hours, offering encouragement and relating to him with tales of their own long losing streaks. Those conversations helped pick up Silas' spirits, which soared when the final buzzer sounded Monday night in the Toyota Center and the first-year coach embraced Houston point guard John Wall.

"It's like indescribable for a win in March of this crazy season," Silas said. "I'm just so proud of the guys. When you're like going through it and fighting so hard and you just see the disappointment in the players' faces after loss after loss after loss. Then to go into the locker room after today's game and everybody's just happy and joyous, I mean, it's super cool and great.

"Yeah, whatever, I was down and out yesterday. It seems like a week ago now. We regroup, we come together, and yeah, it feels a lot better just because I know it feels great for the players. Like, whatever for me, but I'm just so happy for those guys that they don't have to hear about it and deal with it."

The Rockets' last win before beating the Raptors, who now own the NBA's longest active losing streak at nine games, was Feb. 4 over the Memphis Grizzlies. Houston had won seven of eight games at that point, but star center Christian Wood severely sprained his ankle in that victory, sidelining him for the next 17 games.

Houston had several other key injuries during the losing streak, including guards Victor Oladipo, Eric Gordon and Wall missing extended stretches. The Rockets also reached a mutual decision with forward PJ Tucker to part ways after he opted not to play in the first game after the All-Star break, eventually trading him to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Houston fielded the NBA minimum of eight players in some games during the streak.

The Rockets lost 12 consecutive games by double digits before Sunday -- matching the 1992-93 Dallas Mavericks and the Minnesota Timberwolves, spanning the 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons, for the most consecutive losses by 10 or more points, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

"Losing 20 straight, we haven't been healthy, but that's not an excuse because everybody's been going through health and safety protocols and injuries," said Wall, who had a 19-point, 11-rebound, 10-assist triple-double. "We just went out there and competed, no matter what and what was going on."

The Rockets never relinquished the lead over the Raptors after going ahead late in the second quarter. Houston forward Danuel House Jr. hit a 51-foot shot to beat the halfcourt buzzer, bumping the Rockets' lead to five points, a sign that the basketball gods might finally give them a break.

"I was like, 'Whoa, well, maybe this is the night. Maybe,'" Silas said. "We've had games where we only hit four 3-pointers the whole game. Now we hit a halfcourt shot. It felt like something special could happen. For us, special is a win after so many losses in a row."

Not that it was easy for the Rockets the rest of the way. Houston built a 13-point lead in the third quarter, but the Raptors closed the quarter with a 13-2 run to pull within two points. The Rockets outscored the Raptors by a 29-13 margin in the fourth quarter to make sure their losing streak was put to rest.

"It's about damn time, man," said Wood, who scored all 19 of his points in the second half after getting in early foul trouble. "It's about damn time."