MLB POD rolling!…Diamondbacks 6, Royals 4…Chris Young came off the disabled list Friday night and provided a pair of RBIs. Joe Saunders kept Arizona in the game after a shaky start, and Miguel Montero drove in three runs against the Kansas City Royals, including the deciding two in the eighth inning for a 6-4 win. “Bringing CY back today was certainly uplifting to the team,” Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson said. “It was a big win for us, two in a row.”

MLB System wins 30th in a row!…Beachy stops Marlins, earns first shutout…Brandon Beachy improved his major-league best ERA with a couple of career milestones and the Atlanta Braves beat the Miami Marlins 7-0 on Thursday night. Beachy (5-1) threw a five-hit shutout, the first of his career, in the first complete game of his career. He has won five consecutive decisions since losing his first start. Beachy had no walks and six strikeouts and lowered his ERA from 1.60 to 1.33.

MLB POD keeps winning!…Royals capitalize on five unearned runs…Kyle Kendrick got less than a day to prepare for his first start in a couple weeks, and he thought that was plenty of time. Such is life for the long man on Philadelphia’s pitching staff. Kendrick threw six sparkling innings, Carlos Ruiz hit a tiebreaking solo homer and the Phillies used Hector Luna’s first career grand slam to pull away for a 9-2 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night.

MLB POD wins another!…Royals capitalize on five unearned runs…On the road against the American League’s best offense isn’t the most ideal way to make your season debut. Vin Mazzaro made the most of it. Mazzaro kept Texas’s potent lineup in check for five innings, and Billy Butler and Brayan Pena each drove in a pair of runs to lead the Kansas City Royals to their second straight win over the Rangers, 7-4 on Tuesday night.

NBA Expertz win in Boston!…Sixers withstand fourth-quarter rally, tie series up with Celtics…After letting another fourth-quarter lead slip away in Boston, Philadelphia took it right back and held on to it, fighting off every run the Celtics made down the stretch for an 82-81 victory Monday night to even the Eastern Conference second-round series at one game apiece. “We knew to expect the same type of game,” said Evan Turner, whose layup with 40.4 seconds to play put Philadelphia ahead to stay. “We did what we needed to do to win this game, just like we didn’t the first time around.”

MLB System now 34-1!…Red Sox on first win streak in May…Felix Doubront gave the Boston Red Sox a quality start and the bullpen took care of the rest. Perfectly, in fact. Doubront worked six innings, allowing one run on three hits, before relievers Andrew Miller, Vicente Padilla and Alfredo Aceves took over and didn’t allow even a baserunner to lead the Red Sox over the Cleveland Indians 4-1 on Saturday night.

MLB System an amazing 33-1!…Buchholz solid in Red Sox’s win…Clay Buchholz pitched effectively into the seventh inning and Dustin Pedroia had three hits and three RBI as the Red Sox beat the Cleveland Indians 7-5 to snap a three-game skid. Will Middlebrooks hit a two-run double off Ubaldo Jimenez and Daniel Nava, called up from the minors Thursday, made a pair of outstanding defensive plays to help the last-place Red Sox (13-19) win for only the second time this month.

NBA Expertz hit another!…Eighth-seeded 76ers knock out Bulls…Eight years of going home empty in April is over. The Sixers at last had a reason to go wild. Iguodala made the go-ahead free throws with 2.2 seconds left and Philadelphia rallied for a 79-78 victory against the top-seeded Chicago Bulls in Game 6 on Thursday night, advancing to the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs for the first time since 2003. The 76ers will face Boston, which beat Atlanta in six games, in the conference semifinals.

MLB System unstoppable!…Mets rally again, complete sweep of Phils…The New York Mets took advantage of every mistake the reeling Philadelphia Phillies made and finished off a surprising sweep. Ike Davis hit a three-run homer, Andres Torres also connected and the Mets beat the Phillies 10-6 on Wednesday night to complete their first three-game sweep in Philadelphia in six years.

NBA Expertz win in Indiana…Pacers outlast Magic, advance to Eastern Conference semifinals…After years of losing and players finding trouble, the Indiana Pacers finally gave their fans something to really cheer about. Danny Granger scored 25 points to help the Pacers defeat the Orlando Magic 105-87 on Tuesday night and clinch their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series 4-1.

MLB POD wins another!…Rookie Snyder (six RBI) powers Rangers…Brandon Snyder and the Texas Rangers put on an offensive show against the Baltimore Orioles, who looked very much like their former selves in this matchup of first-place teams. Snyder homered and had a career-high six RBI against his former team, and the Rangers beat Baltimore 14-3 on Monday night to end the Orioles’ five-game winning streak.

MLB System Pick does its thing yet again…Dunn leads White Sox past Tigers…A day after losing to Detroit on a ninth-inning homer, Adam Dunn and the Chicago White Sox returned the favor. Dunn hit a two-run shot deep into the right-field seats off Jose Valverde in the ninth Saturday and Chicago went on to beat the Tigers 3-2. Detroit defeated the White Sox 5-4 on Friday night when Jhonny Peralta hit a two-run shot with one out in the ninth. There was also one out when Dunn hit his 422-foot drive off Valverde (2-1).

NHL Expertz win in Nashville!…Doan nets lone goal, Smith stops 25; Coyotes grab 3-1 lead over Predators…The Phoenix Coyotes are on the brink of their first Western Conference finals thanks to their stingy goalie and the captain who traveled with the franchise from Winnipeg to the desert. Captain Shane Doan scored in the first period, Mike Smith made 25 saves and the Coyotes beat the Nashville Predators 1-0 on Friday to grab a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference semifinal series.

MLB System Pick keeps rolling!…Indians 7, White Sox 5…For Jason Kipnis, it was good to be home. Kipnis hit a three-run homer and had a career-high four RBIs, leading the Cleveland Indians to a 7-5 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Thursday night. Kipnis, a native of suburban Chicago, also tripled in a run, walked and scored twice. He’s had a hit in all five of his career games in his hometown, going 8 for 18 with three extra-base hits and five RBIs.

NBA Expertz back on track…Spurs pummel Jazz, go up 2-0…Pummeling the Jazz in a fashion not seen since Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls humiliated them in the 1998 NBA Finals, San Antonio handed Utah its second-worst playoff loss, winning 114-83 on Wednesday night to take 2-0 lead in the first-round series.

MLB System Pick Unstoppable!…Surging Rays ride Joyce past M’s…With Evan Longoria expected to be sidelined for up to two months, Matt Joyce may be heating up at the right time for the surging Tampa Bay Rays. A first-time All-Star a year ago when he led the major leagues in hitting as late as early June, Joyce delivered a solo home run and RBI triple to pace a 3-1 victory against the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night.

MLB POD on a roll!…Ortiz caps hot April with two HRs…David Ortiz turned a warmer than expected April into an incredibly hot start. Ortiz finished the best April of his career with a pair of solo homers, Mike Aviles hit a three-run shot and the Boston Red Sox beat the Oakland Athletics 11-6 on Monday night. His reason was a simple one. “With this weather, yes,” Ortiz said, without hesitation when asked if it’s the best he’s felt this early into a season. “You try to work on something you haven’t done in five months.”

NBA Expertz win in LA…Lakers take series opener vs. Nuggets…A day before Andrew Bynum produced one of the most eye-popping defensive performances in NBA playoff history, he spoke up to his Lakers teammates about the importance of getting off to a good start in their championship quest. With an NBA record-tying 10 blocked shots, the 7-foot All-Star center put the Lakers on the good foot — and the Denver Nuggets on their heels. Kobe Bryant scored 31 points, Bynum posted the Lakers’ first playoff triple-double in 21 years, and Los Angeles thoroughly controlled the tempo in a playoff-opening 103-88 victory Sunday.

MLB System soars to 22-1!…Mets bounce back to defeat Rockies…Dillon Gee didn’t let one tough inning get him down. Gee shook off the rough patch in an otherwise strong outing, Lucas Duda backed him with a homer and single to drive in four runs, and the New York Mets beat the Colorado Rockies 7-5 on Saturday night. “You can’t get caught up in the big inning here because they’re going to happen,” Mets manager Terry Collins said, referring to a three-run outburst against Gee in the fourth. “You’ve got to keep pitching. He just came back in the dugout and got ready for the next inning.”

MLB POD rolls with another!…Yanks’ Jeter manufactures winning run…Alex Rodriguez made the biggest play of the night with a simple wave of his hand. Rodriguez homered and drove in two runs, but didn’t have to lift his bat with one out in the ninth when Derek Jeter scored on a passed ball as the New York Yankees rallied to hand the Tigers their fifth straight loss, 7-6 on Friday, hours after Detroit left fielder Delmon Young was arraigned on a hate crime harassment charge.

NBA Expertz come up short…Grizzlies 88, Magic 76…Marc Gasol scored 22 points, Rudy Gay added 20 and the Memphis Grizzlies claimed the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference playoffs with an 88-76 win over the short-handed Orlando Magic on Thursday night. O.J. Mayo had 15 points and Zach Randolph, returning to the starting lineup, finished with 13 points and 12 rebounds for Memphis, which won its sixth straight and 11th in 13 games.

MLB POD wins again!…Red Sox fail to collapse, beat Twins…Seeing all the zeroes on the scoreboard the Boston bullpen put up on Wednesday night against the Minnesota Twins belied the tension and angst that hung on practically every pitch. In the end, the results were all that manager Bobby Valentine cared to focus on, and understandably so. Mike Aviles homered and the Red Sox bullpen just barely avoided another big collapse in a 7-6 victory over the Twins.

NBA Expertz grab a close win!…Late goaltending call helps Hornets win…Chris Wright chased down Marco Belinelli in the waning seconds, reached up and swatted a layup — with the ball clearly on the way down — off the glass for an easy goaltending call. In an odd scene, a stream of confetti flew up in the lower deck, apparently set off by some of Golden State’s home fans with the only thing left to cheer for: losses to improve position in the NBA draft lottery. Almost time to celebrate. Wright’s goaltending on Belinelli’s layup with 1.5 seconds remaining handed the New Orleans Hornets an 83-81 victory against the Warriors.

NBA Expertz PUSH in Indiana…George leads Pacers past Pistons…Indiana coach Frank Vogel couldn’t have asked for much more Monday night. Three starters rested, no one got hurt, and the Pacers won. Paul George scored 12 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter to help Indiana beat the Detroit Pistons 103-97. “It was a great team win,” Vogel said. “A lot of guys contributed, we got guys rest, we got the second unit a ton of work. I think we got a lot accomplished tonight.”

MLB System now 17-1!…D-Backs snap skid, defeat hot Braves…Ian Kennedy took advantage of Arizona’s early offensive outburst. Gerardo Parra hit his first career grand slam to cap a five-run second inning and the Diamondbacks beat the Atlanta Braves 6-4 Sunday, snapping a five-game losing streak. “It’s nice having a 5-1 lead going into the third inning,” Kennedy said. “You can be a little more aggressive with the guys in the middle of the lineup.”

MLB System continues dominance!…Indians 5, Athletics 1…Jason Kipnis is still adjusting to his role as Cleveland’s full-time second baseman. His comfort level at the plate is finally starting to come around, too. The Indians are also getting comfortable on the road after their own sluggish start at home. Kipnis drove in three runs and scored twice and Cleveland extended its best road trip in more than 20 years with a 5-1 victory over the Oakland Athletics on Saturday night.

MLB Expertz win another POD!…Giants recover, edge Mets in 10 innings…Jeremy Affeldt watched San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy walk from the dugout to the mound, over and over again. “He got his cardio in. He did a lot of trips,” the reliever said. With All-Star closer Brian Wilson out for the season following elbow surgery, Bochy used six relievers in a 10-inning thriller Friday night, with Clay Hensley coming in and escaping a two-on, none-out jam in the 10th inning to preserve a 4-3 victory over the New York Mets.

MLB Expertz System continues dominace, now 14-1!…Reds erupt behind Arroyo, avert sweep…It was a day of firsts for several Cincinnati Reds hitters. And another day to forget for Adam Wainwright. Brandon Phillips homered for his first RBI of the season and Drew Stubbs homered for his first extra-base hit Thursday as the Reds backed soft-tossing Bronson Arroyo’s eight innings and broke loose for a 6-3 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals that averted a three-game sweep.

MLB Expertz System pick triumphs again…Nicasio earns first win since scary injury…Juan Nicasio returned to form on the same mound where he nearly lost his career and possibly his life. The hard-throwing righty tossed 6 1/3 solid innings for his first win since coming back from a broken neck, lifting the Colorado Rockies over the San Diego Padres 8-4 on Wednesday night. Nicasio (1-0) gave up four runs and seven hits as he made his second start at Coors Field since Aug. 5, when he was hit in the right temple by a line drive and suffered a fractured skull along with the neck injury.

NHL Expertz Win #100!!…Predators put Red Wings on brink of elimination with Game 4 win…Pekka Rinne made the Detroit Red Wings’ dominant performance meaningless. Rinne made 40 saves, and Kevin Klein scored a go-ahead goal 6:25 into the third period, lifting the Nashville Predators to a 3-1 win over Detroit on Tuesday and a 3-1 lead in the first-round Western Conference playoff series. “Usually, the game gets easier when you face more pucks,” Rinne said.

NBA Expertz win another!…Hawks 109, Raptors 87…This was one night the Atlanta Hawks were happy to be playing back-to-back games. Jeff Teague had 19 points and 10 assists, Ivan Johnson scored a career-high 21 and the Hawks beat Toronto 109-87 on Monday to clinch their fifth consecutive playoff berth. Joe Johnson scored 18 points and Josh Smith had 15 points and nine rebounds as the Hawks avenged Sunday’s 102-86 home loss to Toronto, a game in which the Raptors never trailed.

MLB Expertz Pick of the Day wins another…Ortiz drives in winner for Red Sox…One of Bobby Valentine’s first acts as Red Sox manager was to visit David Ortiz in the Dominican Republic and let him know how important it was to keep him on the team. Now everybody is seeing that. Ortiz, a free agent in the offseason, is off to one of the best starts of his career. On Sunday, the slugging designated hitter doubled in the go-ahead run for his seventh consecutive hit and Boston won its third straight game over the Tampa Bay Rays, 6-4.

NBA Expertz hit Boston -6.5!…Surging Celtics cut down Nets…The days of Avery Bradley being just a defensive guard for the Boston Celtics are seemingly over. Bradley hit three straight 3-pointers and scored 11 of his 18 points in a game-deciding third quarter as the surging Celtics defeated the New Jersey Nets 94-82 Saturday night. “No one is talking about it but he is probably the most improved since he has been in the lineup, ” point guard Rajon Rondo said after the Celtics won for the 10th time in 13 games and the 20th in 28. “I know he hasn’t done it all year but the time he has been given, we haven’t had a lot of practice time, but once Doc [Rivers] threw him in he was ready to go.”

NHL Expertz Push in Nashville..Red Wings get revenge, even up opening series against Predators…Ian White and Cory Emmerton scored in the first period, and the Red Wings got the best revenge against the Predators with a 3-2 victory Friday night that evened the first-round series 1-1. Game 3 is Sunday in Detroit. “We’ll take the best-of-five and go back to our building and get out of here,” Babcock said. “We’ll be a better hockey club. This is a good win for our team. We’ll take a step now.”

MLB Expertz Pick of the Day Rolls again…Giants’ Bumgarner bests Moyer, Rockies…No win for the ages. Or, for that matter, the aged. At 49, Jamie Moyer failed in his second attempt to become the oldest pitcher to win a major league game when Madison Bumgarner took a no-hit bid into the sixth and scattered four hits over 7 1/3 innings in the San Francisco Giants’ 4-2 win over the Colorado Rockies on Thursday.

MLB Expertz win another POD!…Braves 6, Astros 3…he Atlanta Braves left Houston in a much better mood than when they arrived in Texas. Jason Heyward homered and drove in two runs, David Ross hit a two-run double in his 2012 debut and the Braves beat the Astros 6-3 on Wednesday night. Atlanta was swept in its opening series at New York, then lost to Houston on Monday to drop to 0-4. But it bounced back with two consecutive wins against the Astros to take the series and gain some momentum heading into Friday’s home opener.

NBA Expertz rolling!…Bulls drop Knicks; Rose sits again…The Chicago Bulls thought they were finally getting their whole team back together for the final stretch. Instead, Derrick Rose was out again. The Bulls came out on top, anyway. Richard Hamilton scored 20 points, Luol Deng added 19 and Chicago beat the New York Knicks 98-86 Tuesday night even though they were playing without their superstar point guard again.

MLB System still unbeaten!…BoSox rally past Jays, avoid 0-4 start…Ryan Sweeney singled home the go-ahead run and the Red Sox rallied for three runs in the ninth inning to beat the Blue Jays 4-2 on Monday, spoiling Toronto’s home opener and avoiding the first back-to-back 0-4 starts in team history.

NBA Expertz win with Celtics -3.5!…Celtics bury fading Sixers…he Boston Celtics turned consecutive games against teams they’re jockeying with for playoff positioning into a notice for the rest of the Eastern Conference: They have every intention of breaking off a postseason run. Kevin Garnett scored 20 points and Rajon Rondo dished out double-digit assists for his 17th consecutive game, finishing with 15 to help lead Boston to a 103-79 win over the struggling Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday night.

NHL Expertz finish Regular Season with 98 wins!..Canucks blank Oilers to win Presidents’ Trophy, clinch top seed in playoffs…Henrik Sedin broke out of a lenghty scoring slump at just the right time to help the Vancouver Canucks win their second straight Presidents’ Trophy. Sedin provided the only goal Vancouver would need and the Canucks clinched first place overall in the NHL with a 3-0 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night.

MLB Expertz win another!…Orioles 4, Twins 2…Jake Arrieta walked to the mound with one purpose: to let everyone know the Baltimore Orioles aren’t as bad as advertised. Arrieta pitched seven scoreless innings, Nick Markakis homered and drove in three runs, and the Orioles marked the 20th anniversary of the opening of Camden Yards by defeating the Minnesota Twins 4-2 Friday.

MLB Expertz win the Opener!!…Tigers recover to edge BoSox in opener…Justin Verlander was brilliant on the mound and Prince Fielder drove in a key run with his bat. Still, after a rare slip by Jose Valverde, the Detroit Tigers were all tied with Boston in the bottom of the ninth. Up stepped Austin Jackson — Detroit’s strikeout-prone leadoff man — needing only a little poke through the infield to win the game. Jackson delivered, hitting a sharp groundball past third with the bases loaded to give the Tigers a 3-2 victory against the Red Sox in Thursday’s opener.

NBA Expertz win again…Heat outslug Thunder in rematch…Lebron James had 34 points and 10 assists, Dwyane Wade scored 19 points and the Miami Heat rallied to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 98-93 on Wednesday night to extend the NBA’s longest home winning streak this season to 17 games. The Heat were down 11 in the second quarter before getting a boost from two hard Oklahoma City fouls, the second being Russell Westbrook pulling James down from behind on a fast break.

NBA Expertz back on track…Lakers survive Nets’ late rally…Kobe Bryant scored 24 points and rattled home that decisive 3-pointer with 6.8 seconds left, and Los Angeles blew every bit of a 17-point lead before holding on for a 91-87 victory over New Jersey on Tuesday night. The NBA’s leading scorer closed out yet another victory in memorable fashion, beating the shot clock with a 26-footer that bounced roughly a half-dozen times before falling.

NBA Expertz come up short…Rockets hands Bulls second straight loss…The Chicago Bulls went more than a year without dropping consecutive regular-season games, a run that ended with a rather disappointing effort. Goran Dragic scored 21 points, Luis Scola added 18 points and 12 rebounds, and the Houston Rockets rallied to beat Chicago 99-93 Monday night.

NHL Expertz PUSH..Kings take over Pacific Division lead …The Los Angeles Kings pushed aside the Edmonton Oilers to take the Pacific Division lead. Anze Kopitar had a goal and an assist in the Kings’ 4-1 victory Friday. “We came out strong right off the hop and kind of denied that loose game that they wanted to play,” Kopitar said. “We came out and played a good system game and it led to all of the breakdowns on their part. It was good for us to make it a little easier on Quick so he doesn’t have to bail us out every time.”

NHL Expertz Win #96!..Crosby struck in face by puck in Penguins’ loss to Islanders …AA home-and-home set with the also-ran Islanders seemed to be the perfect tonic to keep the Penguins rolling, but the Penguins failed to take advantage. After sustaining a rare loss to New York in Pittsburgh on Tuesday night, the Penguins did little to change their fortunes in the rematch and were beaten 5-3 on Thursday.

NHL Expertz hit another UNDER…Stars regain lead in Pacific Division …A win over the also-ran Edmonton Oilers turned into a huge upswing in the standings for the Dallas Stars. Michael Ryder scored two goals and added an assist to lift the Stars over the Oilers 3-1 on Wednesday. Mike Ribeiro also scored and had two assists for the Stars (42-30-5), who moved back atop the tight Pacific Division. Dallas has a one-point lead over Los Angeles and San Jose, and a two-point edge over Phoenix. Each team has five games remaining. The goal was reviewed, but stood to tie the game at 4-4. But Alfredsson scored his second goal of the game just 24 seconds later.

NBA Expertz win again…Nowitzki, Mavericks edge Rockets…Jason Terry scored seven consecutive points in a minute, starting a game-turning run for the Dallas Mavericks. And he wasn’t alone contributing off the bench. Like Terry, Roddy Beaubouis and Brandan Wright scored in double figures in a 90-81 victory over the Houston Rockets on Tuesday night. Even Lamar Odom resembled the player the defending NBA champions always thought they were getting.

NHL Expertz win another…Alfredsson scores twice in Sens’ win …Daniel Alfredsson scored two goals in the third period to send the Ottawa Senators to a 6-4 win over the Winnipeg Jets on Monday. Evander Kane gave the Jets hope at 17:03 of the third period after the puck went in off his arm as he was pushed into the net. The goal was reviewed, but stood to tie the game at 4-4. But Alfredsson scored his second goal of the game just 24 seconds later.

NBA Expertz PUSH…Short-handed Celtics get by Wizards…Down two guards, the Boston Celtics got a career-best from reserve Avery Bradley. Bradley scored 23 points, including 15 in the first quarter to get the Boston off to a quick start, and the short-handed Celtics held off the Washington Wizards 88-76 on Sunday. With Ray Allen (ankle) and Mickael Pietrus (head injury) out of the lineup, the Celtics may need more from Bradley as they try to catch Philadelphia in the Atlantic Division.

NBA Expertz are hot!…Knicks have way with Pistons…Tyson Chandler had 15 points and tied a season high with 17 rebounds, and the Knicks rebounded from their first loss under Mike Woodson by routing the Pistons for the third time this season, 101-79.

NHL Expertz win another…Oilers take care of Panthers in SO…Ryan Nugent-Hopkins guessed right against Jose Theodore in the fourth round of a shootout. Nugent-Hopkins beat Theodore with a backhander for the only shootout goal in the Oilers’ 2-1 victory over the Florida Panthers on Friday night. “Most of the guys went to his glove side,” Nugent-Hopkins said. “I just went down there and saw the backhand was going to possibly be open, so I just tried it.”

NBA Expertz hit another…Hornets spoil return of CP3 to N.O…Chris Paul wanted out of New Orleans for a better chance to win. In his first trip back, he received a mix of a cheers and boos, and left with a loss. Chris Kaman scored 20 points and the Hornets rallied for a 97-90 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday, spoiling Paul’s return. Jarrett Jack and Jason Smith each scored 17 as New Orleans snapped a five-game home losing streak.

NBA Expertz roll with Magic -8….Anderson, Howard help Magic rip Suns…Two nights after ambling through one of their worst offensive outputs of the season, almost anything would have been an improvement for the Orlando Magic. That sentiment was not lost on them. Ryan Anderson hit seven 3-pointers and scored 29 points, Dwight Howard added 28 points and 16 rebounds, and the Magic held off the Phoenix Suns 103-93 on Wednesday night.

NHL Expertz roll again….Panthers edge Flyers for fifth win in row …Ilya Bryzgalov has been the goalie of the month in the NHL. Scott Clemmensen was easily the goalie of the night, and that was all the Florida Panthers needed to stretch their lead in the Southeast Division. Stephen Weiss and Sean Bergenheim both scored, and Clemmensen stopped 35 shots to lead the Panthers to their fifth straight win, 2-1 over the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday.

NBA Expertz WIN….Love carries Timberwolves over Warriors…Kevin Love is on the cusp of becoming the greatest rebounder in Minnesota history. Getting the Timberwolves into the playoffs for the first time in eight years would be an even sweeter accomplishment for team’s veteran forward. Love banked in a 16-foot jumper with 4 minutes left, then added an insurance tip-in off a miss by J.J. Barea to help Minnesota keep its dimming postseason hopes alive with a 97-93 win over the Golden State Warriors on Monday night.

NHL Expertz WIN….Coyotes win, improve playoff standing…As the clock ticked down, it was obvious which team still has something to play for. Ray Whitney scored in regulation and in the shootout as the Phoenix Coyotes rallied to defeat the Edmonton Oilers 3-2 on Sunday night. Raffi Torres scored for the Coyotes (36-26-11) with less than three minutes left to play to force overtime. Goalie Mike Smith made 36 saves in the win.

Another Expertz win!! Nets struggles continue against New Orleans…Of all the 31 losses the Nets have had to endure this season, their 102-94 setback to the New Orleans Hornets Saturday night could very well be the toughest. After all, the struggling Nets, who dropped to 15-31 overall and just 5-16 at home, had a 12-point lead entering the fourth quarter, only to see the upstart and young Hornets outscore the Nets 32-12 in the final period, nailing every single clutch shot down the stretch.

Woodson-led Knicks cruise past Pacers…If Linsanity really is dead, Knicks fans may have already found its replacement. Jeremy Lin and Amare Stoudemire, getting a break during a blowout, spotted a sign at Madison Square Garden that read “Woodsanity.” “I told Jeremy, I said, `This is getting out of control,”‘ Stoudemire laughed. But whatever Mike Woodson has changed — and he insisted it wouldn’t be too much — sure is working for the Knicks.

NHL Expertz win EZ!!…Crosby’s return timely as Penguins beat Rangers for 10th straight win…Sidney Crosby was on the ice for three of Pittsburgh’s five goals, and defenseman Kris Letang was out there for all of them. The Penguins are suddenly the picture of health, and the NHL’s hottest team is making the Eastern Conference playoff race a fight to the finish.

NHL Expertz win #88…Stamkos gets to 50 goals for season as Lightning crush Bruins…Once Steven Stamkos scored, there was no stopping him from doing it again. The NHL goals leader scored twice to reach 50 in a season for the second time, and the Tampa Bay Lightning jumped out to a big early lead before coasting to a 6-1 victory over the Boston Bruins on Tuesday. The 22-year-old Stamkos, who moved into a tie for the league scoring lead with Evgeni Malkin with 84 points, also scored his 49th and 50th goals in the same game two seasons ago.

NHL Expertz PUSH in Buffalo…Sabres edge Canadiens in overtime…Given how poorly Buffalo was playing two months ago, defenseman Tyler Myers is certain it would have let this one slip away. It’s a much different story in March, now that the surging Sabres have climbed back in the hunt for a playoff spot. Buffalo allowed the tying goal with 5 seconds left in regulation, but Myers scored 2:01 into overtime to secure a 3-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Monday night.

NBA Expertz grab another..Cavaliers win third straight game…Kyrie Irving sees everything on the court — while also keeping an eye on the standings. Cleveland’s star rookie scored 16 of his 21 points in the final 4:14 of the fourth quarter Sunday night as the Cavaliers rallied for a 118-107 win over the Houston Rockets. The Cavaliers, coming off impressive road victories over Denver and Oklahoma City, have moved back into the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference with three straight wins. And Irving, the No. 1 pick in the draft, knows exactly what’s going on there.

NHL Expertz win another…Skinner’s two goals carry ‘Canes to win …Jeff Skinner kept up his fine play against the Tampa Bay Lightning, and gave a flicker of hope to the Carolina Hurricanes’ slim playoff chances. Skinner scored two goals, Cam Ward made 36 saves in his 199th NHL win, and Carolina beat the Lightning 4-2 on Saturday night. “[Tied] on the road going to the third, those are big games, especially down the stretch,” Skinner said. “Ward was huge for us. The whole team contributed.”

NBA Expertz win 3rd in a row!…Bucks hold off Knicks for victory…Ersan Ilyasova isn’t exactly a household name like Jeremy Lin. Lately, the Milwaukee Bucks forward’s game has been pretty impressive. Ilyasova had 26 points, including a critical putback in the final minute, and the Bucks held on to beat the New York Knicks 119-114 on Friday. “Ersan saved the day again,” Brandon Jennings said.

NHL Expertz roll again…Jackets’ Johnson scores against ex-team…Jack Johnson spent almost five full seasons with the Los Angeles Kings. Yet he’s found a home in just six games with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Mark Letestu scored twice and Johnson had a goal against his former teammates to lead the Blue Jackets to their fourth straight win Thursday night, a 3-1 victory that ended the Kings’ three-game winning streak.

NBA Expertz hit the UNDER…Irving layup lifts Cavs past Nuggets…Kyrie Irving reminded Ty Lawson and the Nuggets what it feels like to be on the other end of a big shot. Irving made a driving layup with four seconds left to cap a seesaw battle in the final minutes, and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat Denver 100-99 on Wednesday. Irving scored 10 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter, all in the last 2:36 of the game, and Antawn Jamison had 33 to help the Cavaliers snap a six-game losing streak.

NBA Expertz come up short…Heat obliterate Nets; Wade tweaks ankle…Chris Bosh saluted his grandmother. LeBron James made a halfcourt shot to end his easy night. Dwyane Wade stood with no pain afterward. After a two-game slide, the Miami Heat got rolling again. James scored 21 points, Bosh added 20 in his return to the lineup and the Heat led by as many as 40 points on the way to rolling past the New Jersey Nets 108-78 on Tuesday night.

NCAA Expertz win the OVER!…W. Michigan 69, Ball St. 63…Flenard Whitfield had 12 points to lead five Western Michigan players scoring in double figures in a 69-63 victory against Ball State in the first round of the Mid-American Conference tournament on Monday night. Demetrius Ward scored 11 points and Matt Stainbrook, Hayden Hoerdemann and Shayne Whittington 10 each for the eighth-seeded Broncos (12-19), who play No. 12 seed Northern Illinois in a second-round game in Cleveland on Wednesday.

NHL Expertz win #85!…Big second period carries Panthers …The Florida Panthers needed some time to get up to full speed against the Ottawa Senators. Marcel Goc, Krystofer Barch and Mikael Samuelsson scored second-period goals and the Panthers rallied to beat the Senators for the first time in 10 games, 4-2 on Sunday night. The Panthers were coming off a 7-0 loss at Winnipeg on Thursday night and a 3-1 loss to Nashville on Saturday night. They picked up an important two points as they try to maintain their Southeast Division lead.

NCAA Expertz hit another!…Iowa State rallies to beat No. 9 Baylor…Iowa State was already in decent shape to earn the NCAA tournament berth that’s eluded the program for seven long years. After knocking off ninth-ranked Baylor in the regular-season finale, the Cyclones know they won’t have to sweat out Selection Sunday. Scott Christopherson had 23 points in his final home game and Iowa State rallied to beat No. 9 Baylor 80-72 Saturday night for its second win over a top-10 opponent this season.

NCAA Expertz hit the OVER!…No. 20 Notre Dame tops Providence …ack Cooley waited three long days to get back on the court and make up for a miserable outing. What better time to do it than Notre Dame’s home finale when the Irish needed a victory to secure a double bye in the Big East tournament. Cooley had a career-high 27 points and 17 rebounds and the Irish built a big second-half lead and held to beat Providence 75-69 Friday night and wrap up the No. 3 seed in next week’s tournament in New York.

NHL Expertz rolling!…Jets light up Panthers for seven goals…Evander Kane thought a 7-0 rout of the Florida Panthers was a statement game for the Winnipeg Jets. Kane scored twice and added two assists Thursday as the Jets pounded the Panthers to move two points behind Florida for the Southeast Division lead, and one point ahead of Washington in the East for the final playoff spot.

NCAA rolls with NC…Tar Heels mash Terps in home finale…Tyler Zeller stood at midcourt with his fellow seniors and gave a wave to a roaring crowd after their final home game at North Carolina. It was a chance to say goodbye — and the moment the sixth-ranked Tar Heels could start thinking about Duke again. Zeller had 30 points to help North Carolina beat Maryland 88-64 on Wednesday night, setting up a matchup with the fourth-ranked Blue Devils to determine the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season championship.

NBA rolls with the OVER…Bucks 119, Wizards 118…When the Milwaukee Bucks needed a big play, Ersan Ilyasova was there to bail out Brandon Jennings. Ilyasova tipped in Jennings’ miss with 2.2 seconds left and the Bucks beat Washington 119-118 on Tuesday night, handing the Wizards their fifth consecutive loss. “That gave me a lot of relief knowing that Ersan was there to clean up the mess,” Jennings said, aptly describing his play in the final seconds.

NHL Expertz win 4th in a row!…Blues beat Flames, move into tie for first…Veteran center Jason Arnott was proud to be wearing the St. Louis wiener hat after Monday’s victory in Calgary. Arnott scored two power-play goals and the Blues defeated the Flames 3-1 to move into a tie with Detroit atop the Central Division, and within two points of Vancouver for first place overall. “It’s for the hardest worker or player of the game, which the guys vote for when we get in here,” explained Arnott, who at age 37 is the team’s oldest player. “It’s sure funny looking, but it’s an honor to wear it.”

NHL Expertz win #80!…Weiss, Panthers defeat struggling Habs…It was a special night for Stephen Weiss even before he scored twice. Weiss led the Florida Panthers to a 4-2 victory Sunday against the Montreal Canadiens after he was honored for becoming the franchise leader in games played. Sean Bergenheim and Brian Campbell also scored for Florida and Scott Clemmensen made 18 saves. Weiss and Bergenheim each had assists and Mikael Samuelsson had a pair of assists.

NHL Expertz win again!…Malkin burns Lightning, Pens roll to win…Once Evgeni Malkin got angry, the game really got out of hand. Malkin had his ninth career hat trick, Jordan Staal added two goals and the Pittsburgh Penguins won for the fifth time in seven games by routing the Tampa Bay Lightning 8-1 on Saturday. Chris Kunitz, Matt Cooke and Pascal Dupuis also scored and Marc-Andre Fleury made 34 saves for Pittsburgh, which has won eight of nine home games and leapfrogged the New Jersey Devils in the crowded middle of the Eastern Conference playoff-race pack.

NHL Expertz grab another…Islanders get past Rangers in SO…P.A. Parenteau scored two goals in regulation and linemate Matt Moulson netted the winner in the fourth round of a shootout as the New York Islanders outlasted the Rangers 4-3 on Friday night. The Rangers trailed 2-0 in the first period and 3-1 in the second before rallying. They couldn’t get over the top, losing for the third time in four games (1-2-1) and dropping two straight for the first time since mid-December.

NHL Pushes in Nashville…Blues 3, Predators 2…Close games are the norm whenever the Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues face off. The outcome of Thursday night’s game between the Central Division rivals was typical, with the Blues winning 3-2 in a shootout. T.J. Oshie scoring the deciding goal against goalie Pekka Rinne. The Predators picked up a point, but missed a chance to close the gap against the Blues, who are fourth in the Western Conference with 81 points. The Predators are fifth with 77.

NBA Expertz cover easily…Knicks warm up for Heat, handle Hawks…Not much heat from the Hawks for Jeremy Lin and the New York Knicks. That’s likely to change Thursday night when the show travels to Miami for Lin versus LeBron and some real Heat. Lin had 17 points and nine assists, sitting out most of the fourth quarter in a rare easy game during his remarkable run, and the Knicks tuned up for their trip by beating Atlanta 99-82 on Wednesday.

NCAA Expertz grab the OVER…Marshall sparkles, Heels top Wolfpack…For once, North Carolina’s offense wasn’t all about Kendall Marshall racking up assists by looking to his high-scoring teammates instead of for his own shot. Instead, the pass-first point guard turned in the best scoring day of his career to go with his latest masterful floor game. The sophomore had a career-high 22 points and 13 assists to help No. 7 North Carolina beat North Carolina State 86-74 on Tuesday night, extending the Tar Heels’ domination of their nearby rivals.

NBA Expertz win with the UNDER…D-Will outplays Lin in rematch, Nets win…Linsanity ran into reality: All-Star Deron Williams wasn’t getting embarrassed by the Harvard guy again. Williams scored a season-high 38 points, outplaying Jeremy Lin and leading the New Jersey Nets to a 100-92 victory against the New York Knicks on Monday night. Lin began his remarkable run against the Nets about two weeks ago, but Williams and the Nets were ready for him this time.

Another NHL Winner!…Hiller’s 31 saves key in Ducks win over Panthers…Teemu Selanne scored in the first period and Jonas Hiller made 31 saves in the Anaheim Ducks’ 2-0 victory over the Florida Panthers on Sunday night. Niklas Hagman added an empty-net goal with 14.3 seconds left and the Ducks earned at least a point for the ninth consecutive game. Jose Theodore made 26 saves for Florida. The Panthers lost for the third consecutive game

NBA Expertz back on track…Aldridge returns to lead Blazers in win…LaMarcus Aldridge had 19 points and 10 rebounds in his return from a left ankle injury and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Atlanta Hawks 97-77 on Saturday night to snap a four-game home losing streak. Nicolas Batum had 22 points, including a decisive dunk in the fourth quarter that made it 82-63. The Trail Blazers avoided losing five straight at home since the 2005-06 season. They also ended a six-game losing streak to the Hawks.

NBA Expertz come up short…Hornets end Knicks’ win streak at seven…Not the way Jeremy Lin handled the ball Friday night, and he put the blame for the loss that halted Linsanity squarely on himself. Lin committed nine turnovers, tied for the most in the NBA this season, and New York’s seven-game winning streak was stopped 89-85 by the New Orleans Hornets. Lin scored 26 points, but his turnovers nearly doubled his five assists and the Knicks lost for the first time with Lin as a starter