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Catch up on Thursday’s Sweet 16 showdowns in the men’s NCAA basketball tournament

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The final game of the night didn’t end until very early Friday morning on the East Coast, but it was a finish worth staying up for.

It was an evening with plenty to get excited about: Texas Tech and Arkansas went to overtime. Arizona gave Duke its first test of the tournament. Alabama made history. Florida dominated.

Here’s what to know from Thursday’s action-packed Sweet 16:

Texas Tech forward Darrion Williams shoots a three point basket to tie the game and help send it to overtime, against the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Texas Tech 85, Arkansas 83

The night’s final game deserves the top spot in the recap.

Texas Tech trailed by as much as 16 before using an incredible late run to tie the game with nine seconds to go, going on to win in overtime after getting one last defensive stop on Arkansas.

Darrion Williams made a twisting, driving layup with seven seconds to go in the extra period to put his team ahead for good, the last two of his 20 points. It put the finishing touches on a win that will go down in NCAA tournament history – the Red Raiders’ comeback was the second-biggest comeback in Sweet 16 history.

Arkansas, with one final possession, turned to DJ Wagner to force a second overtime, but his shot came up short for the No. 10 Razorbacks. It was a heartbreaking collapse for the Razorbacks, an unlikely team to be playing the role of this year’s Cinderella given the amount of talent on the team helmed by head coach John Calipari.

Christian Anderson led the way for Tech with 22 points and Big 12 player of the year JT Toppin added 20 points.

No. 3 Texas Tech goes on to play Florida at 6:09 p.m. ET on Saturday for a chance to go to the Final Four. That game will air on TBS/truTV.

The Florida Gators celebrate during during the second half of their game against the Maryland Terrapins.

Florida 87, Maryland 71

No. 1 Florida are through to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2017, after knocking off No. 4 Maryland 87-71 in San Francisco.

Four of Florida’s five starters, and six players total, finished in double figures in points, with Will Richard leading the way with 15 points.

“It’s who we are, it’s part of our DNA, it’s what makes us good,” Florida head coach Todd Golden said after the win on the team’s ability to shoot and rebound.

Florida faces the Red Raiders next.

Alabama guard Mark Sears puts up a shot against BYU.

Alabama 113, BYU 88

It was a historic night in Newark, New Jersey for the No. 2 seed Alabama squad.

With the 113-88 win over No. 6 seed BYU, the Crimson Tide will head to their second consecutive Elite Eight, where they will face Duke on Saturday at the Prudential Center.

The Tide knocked down a remarkable 25 3-pointers, including 21 combined from guards Mark Sears, Aden Holloway and Chris Youngblood – the most in men’s NCAA tournament history. Loyola Marymount made 21 3-pointers in 1990, setting the previous mark.

Alabama’s 51 3-point attempts are the most by any team in March Madness.

The senior Sears finished with 34 points while Holloway added 23 points.

Sears mentioned his struggles over the last few games on the CBS broadcast after the game.

“I knew this was the perfect example to go out there and let a couple go in,” he said.

Duke forward Cooper Flagg exits the court after defeating Arizona.

Duke 100, Arizona 93

Duke hung on to down Arizona 100-93 to advance to their second straight Elite Eight and 25th overall in program history.

Cooper Flagg showed why he is considered one of the best recruits in college basketball history, finishing with 30 points, seven assists and six rebounds in the win. He added three blocks too.

Flagg told the CBS broadcast after the game that the team knew it would be an “absolute battle” coming into the game.

“They can just compete really, really hard,” Flagg said. “It was just about staying strong and do what we do.”

Caleb Love’s effort kept the Wildcats in the game until the very end.

The senior guard scored a game-high 35 points.

The Blue Devils will face No. 2 seed Alabama on at 8:49 p.m. ET on Saturday with a chance to advance to their first Final Four appearance since 2022. That game will air on TBS/truTV.



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Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray end coaching partnership after six months

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CNN
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Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray have ended their coaching relationship after six months as the 24-time grand slam singles champion continues to struggle for form in 2025.

“Thank you, coach Andy, for all the hard work, fun & support over last six months on & off the court,” Djokovic wrote on his social media channels. “I really enjoyed deepening our friendship together.”

The longtime rivals, who faced off in several all-time classic encounters on the court, announced in November that Murray would be joining Djokovic’s coaching team.

The partnership got off to a promising start as Djokovic reached the semifinals of January’s Australian Open after beating Carlos Alcaraz in a four-set epic in the quarterfinals, only for an injury to cut his last-four match against Alexander Zverev short.

However, Djokovic and Murray have failed to rekindle anything close to that kind of form in the months since.

“Thanks to Novak for the unbelievable opportunity to work together and thanks to his team for all their hard work over the past six months,” Murray said in a statement. “I wish Novak all the best for the rest of the season.”

Djokovic’s best performance this year came in reaching the final of the Miami Open, where he lost to unseeded teenager Jakub Menšík. The 24-time grand slam champion lost in the first round at the Qatar Open and Indian Wells before Miami, and in the first round of the Monte-Carlo Masters and Madrid Open since.

As recently as March, Djokovic said he hoped Murray would be his coach through the French Open and Wimbledon.

The 37-year-old pulled out of the ongoing Italian Open at the end of April, and this week accepted a wildcard into the Geneva Open which begins on May 18.



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Jayson Tatum: Boston loses star to leg injury as Knicks come up huge at home to take 3-1 lead over Celtics

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CNN
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Jayson Tatum will have an MRI on the lower leg injury he suffered during the Boston Celtics’ 121-113 Game 4 defeat against the New York Knicks on Monday.

Late in the fourth quarter, the Celtics forward went down with an apparent non-contact injury as he tried to go after a loose ball. He quickly grabbed his right ankle and appeared to be in a lot of pain.

Tatum was helped off the court as he couldn’t put any pressure on his right leg and was taken through the tunnel in New York’s Madison Square Garden in a wheelchair.

Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said after the game Tatum suffered a “lower body injury” and will have the scan on Tuesday.

“You are always worried about someone’s health,” Mazzulla told reporters. “He’s the type of guy that gets right up. He didn’t and we’ll know tomorrow exactly what it is. It’s tough to watch a guy like him getting carried off like that.”

To make matters worse, Monday’s defeat means the Boston Celtics now trail 3-1 in the series and face elimination in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Trainers check on Boston Celtics' Jayson Tatum after he was injured late in the fourth quarter.

Down by as many as 14 points in the third quarter, New York ended the period on a 12-2 run to take an 88-85 lead into the fourth.

With less than six minutes remaining in regulation of a tied 102-102 game, OG Anunoby drained a three-pointer to give the Knicks a 105-102 lead, which New York would not relinquish.

Four Knicks players scored at least 20 points with Jalen Brunson leading the way with 39 points, 12 assists and five rebounds. Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns each had 23 points and Anunoby added 20.

After the victory, Brunson discussed the comeback win and extending the series lead.

“It means a lot. It’s a big game for us, just the way we responded, is what I’m most proud of, sticking together and making sure we are not quitting,” Brunson said at the postgame news conference.

“That’s a tough team over there. Obviously, we want to get off to better starts, but they got experience. They’re the defending champs for a reason.”

Tatum finished with a game-high 42 points, tying Celtics legends Larry Bird and John Havlicek for the most 40-point postseason games in franchise history. Tatum also had eight rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocks in 40 minutes.

“That’s our brother, hate to see him go down. We know the type of guy he is. It’s tough to see him go down,” Celtics guard Derrick White, who scored 23 points in the loss, said after the game. “We just have to find a way to win Game 5.”

Boston guard Jaylen Brown, who finished with 20 points and seven rebounds, said it was “tough” seeing Tatum go down.

Tatum is set to undergo an MRI Tuesday.

“Tonight is tough. I think everybody is kind of at a loss of words just because, one losing a game, but obviously, the concern with JT. But we pick our heads back up tomorrow and go from there,” Brown said.

Brunson said he’s “praying for the best” for Tatum.

“We want to go out there and compete, but when a player of his caliber goes down and he’s rolling in pain like that, you know something is wrong, so that why I gave my thoughts and prayers because you never want to see something like that ever. ”

The Knicks will look to eliminate the defending NBA champion Celtics on Wednesday in Boston.



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Coco Gauff makes history with dominant victory over Emma Raducanu to advance to Italian Open quarterfinals

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American tennis star Coco Gauff put on a dominant display as she eased past Emma Raducanu on Monday to book her spot in the Italian Open quarterfinals.

The No. 4 seed dropped just three games in her convincing 6-1, 6-2 win over her British opponent in Rome, needing just 79 minutes to secure victory.

In reaching the quarterfinals, the 21-year-old becomes the youngest player to reach four quarterfinals in WTA 1000 clay tournaments since the top-level events were introduced in 2009.

Gauff will face world No. 7 Mirra Andreeva in the final eight on Wednesday after the 18-year-old came back to beat Clara Tauson in three sets.

Gauff is showing impressive form on clay at the right time with the French Open just around the corner.

The American has won eight of her last nine matches on the surface, with her only loss coming in the final of the Madrid Open to world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.

Gauff revealed after her victory over Raducanu that she has been focusing on her footwork over the last two weeks in preparation for playing at Roland Garros, and highlighted her forehand – which has been inconsistent of late – as a key factor in her win on Monday.

“I think, today, (it) was the reason why I won the match,” Gauff told reporters. “Especially on this surface, I think I can do a lot with it.”

Gauff was in control from the outset against Raducanu on Campo Centrale and never let up. She won 39 of her 59 service points and broke Raducanu’s serve four times.

Gauff has now won both of her matches against Raducanu during her career.

She admitted that it has taken some time to get adjusted to playing on a different surface in Italy but feels good about where she is now.

“It still feels so slow compared to Madrid,” Gauff said, “but I’m getting used to it with each match. I feel really happy with how I played. I think I really was the one dictating the match for the most part.”

Elsewhere on Monday, Sabalenka held of a stiff challenge from Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk to book her spot in the quarterfinals, winning 6-1, 7-6 (8) in two hours and five minutes.



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