On Friday the La Pine boys and girls captured state titles. For the boys, that is now back-to-back top finishes for the Hawks.  The La Pine girls will go down as the first women’s team to win a state title in Oregon history as this weekend was the inaugural girls 4A-1A championship. Crook County placed third in the 4A tournament while Culver secured a runner-up finish in the 2A class. On Saturday, the Redmond boys earned the gold, and Mountain View finished 3rd in the 5A tournament.

The high school basketball postseason is now in full swing. Today Madras welcomes North Bend in a play-in matchup. The Lady Buffaloes host Hidden Valley tonight in their play-in game. On Saturday the Crook County girls beat Phoenix 53-38 to advance to the round of 16. Also, 17-seed Sisters boys lost top-seed Westside Christian 62-43.

The Oregon Ducks outlasted Oregon State on Saturday 69-67. The Beavs’ Dexter Akanno led all scorers with 17 points and N’Faly Dante led Oregon with 16. Elsewhere 12th ranked Gonzaga beat #15 St Mary’s 77-68. Portland fell to Pacific 81-77 while Portland State plays Sacramento State tonight. For the women, the Lady Ducks earned a 77-48 win over Arizona State while the Lady Beavs bested 14th ranked Arizona 78-70. The PAC 12 women's tournament begins on Wednesday.

Damian Lillard put together a historic performance with a franchise record 71 points and 13 three-pointers to lead the Trail Blazers past the Rockets 131-114 in Portland.  The 32-year-old knocked down 22-of-38 shots from the field and is now the oldest player to ever score 70-or-more points in a game.  Jerami Grant finished second in scoring for Portland with 13 points, while Nassir Little came off the bench to total 11.  The Blazers put an end to a two-game losing skid and improve to 29-and-31.  Portland visits the Golden State Warriors tomorrow night. 

On the ice, the Portland Winterhawks remain in the losers column. Portland dropped a pair of games this weekend to Spokane with two 4-1 losses. Those shortcomings bring the Winterhawks to seven straight losses and a 36-16-2 record. Portland is still in 3rd place in the West with 11 games to go. They’ll play Everett on Friday. 
 

After a day of postponement, Oregon’s best high school wrestlers are ready for the state tournament in Portland. Today the 1A-4A schools battle for glory. At the 2A level, Culver is the defending state champion and has claimed seven of the last eight titles. La Pine is the defending champ at the 3A level. Follow the brackets all weekend long on osaa.org.

In high school hoops Intermountain Conference play concludes this evening. Bend visits Redmond and Mountain View hosts Ridgeview. Also Caldera battles Summit. In the 4A postseason, the Madras boys entertain North Bend in a play-in matchup. The Lady-Buffaloes welcome Hidden Valley. 
 

On the college hardwood last night the Oregon Lady Ducks snapped a seven-game losing streak with an upset of #14 Arizona 73-59. Elsewhere Oregon State fell to Arizona State 75-73. For the men, tomorrow night the rivalry series between the Ducks and Beavers re-ignites when OSU welcomes Oregon to Gill Coliseum. Tipoff is at 7.

The Trail Blazers took a tough loss in their first game back from the All-Star break.  Portland fell 133-116 to the Kings in Sacramento.  Nassir Little scored a team-high 26 points for the Blazers, who were without Damian Lillard, Anfernee Simons and Jusuf Nurkic.  Cam Reddish also chipped in with 24 points in the setback.  Portland fell to 28-and-31.  The Trail Blazers return home to host the Rockets on Sunday night.  

The Mariners are kicking off their Spring Training games.  Seattle takes on the San Diego Padres in the opener this afternoon in Peoria.  Fans are hoping to see new additions such as outfielder Teoscar Hernandez and second baseman Kolten Wong.  Hernandez was acquired in an offseason trade with the Blue Jays, while Wong was acquired in a deal with the Brewers.  The Mariners also added outfielder AJ Pollock in free agency.  
 

On Friday Summit defeated Mountain View 64-60 while Redmond outlasted Caldera 71-68. Bend beat Ridgeview 57-52. We’ve got action in the Tri-Valley Conference tonight as Crook County visits Madras. The girls play at opposite sites with both contests beginning at 7.
 

The Ducks suffered a third straight loss.  Oregon fell 68-65 to Washington State in Pullman.  The Ducks were outscored 41-to-35 in the second half as they dropped to 15-and-13.  Elsewhere, 12th-ranked Gonzaga hosts San Diego on Thursday night in Spokane.  The Bulldogs sit at 23-and-5.  Washington hits the road to play Cal on Thursday night in Berkeley.  The Huskies come in at 15-and-13.  Washington State is also on the road to face off with Stanford on Thursday night at Maples Pavilion.  The Cougars sit at 12-and-15.  Oregon State returns to the hardwood on Saturday night when it hosts Oregon in Corvallis.  

The high school swimming state championships were held over the weekend and Central Oregon completed the sweep! The Bend girls team won its program’s fifth state title, finishing with two record-breaking relay teams. The Summit boys won their 11th title in program history and their first since 2015.

The Oregon Ducks swept their opening series against Xavier, taking all four games by a combined 20-8 score. Oregon plays UC Santa Barbara this weekend. Meantime the Beavers baseball club crushed New Mexico State yesterday 14-6. Oregon State wraps up its trip to Surprise, Arizona today when they battle Santa Barbara at noon.

Damian Lillard picked up another win at NBA All-Star weekend.  The Blazers guard won the three-point contest on Saturday after beating out Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield in the final round.  Lillard had 26 points in the opening round, then secured the win with another 26 points in the final round.  Lillard wore a Weber State jersey as he became the first player in Trail Blazers history to win the three-point contest.  

The Bulldogs collected a third straight win.  12th-ranked Gonzaga defeated Loyola Marymount 108-65 in Los Angeles.  Julian Strawther had 30 points as the Bulldogs improved to 23-and-5.  Washington State took down Oregon State 80-62 in Pullman.  Mouhamed Gueye scored a game-high 21 points as the Cougars improved to 12-and-15.  The Beavers slipped to 10-and-17.  Washington returns tomorrow night when it hosts Oregon State in Seattle.  The Huskies are 14-and-13 after beating Oregon 72-71 in overtime.  The Ducks hit the hardwood on Sunday night as they visit Washington State in Pullman.  Oregon sits at 15-and-12.  
 

Last night Crook County defeated Estacada in overtime. Meanwhile, Madras took down Molalla 63-48. Also Sisters beat La Pine 65-53. The action continues tonight when Bend hosts Ridgeview. Summit welcomes Mountain View and Caldera visits Redmond.

Portland Trail Blazers guard Anfernee Simons won't attend the All-Star weekend.  Simons was scheduled to take part in the 3-Point Competition.  Simons injured his ankle during Tuesday night's game against the Washington Wizards.  The Blazers say an MRI conducted today shows he suffered a grade 2 sprain.  His availability to return to play will be determined at a later date.

The XFL is back.  The league kicks off its ten-week regular season on Saturday with an agreement with ESPN/Disney to broadcast and stream all 43 games.  The XFL has spent two-and-a-half years in product development after it was purchased out of bankruptcy by a group that includes Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.  The original XFL played one season in 2001 with a decidedly pro-wrestling vibe, including a scramble for the ball rather than a coin toss and encouraging confrontations between coaches.  The 2023 version will be a lot more like traditional football and a calendar that will make players available to transition into NFL offseason program at the beginning of May.

Austin Cindric will try to defend his Daytona 500 crown when the drivers battle in the iconic race this weekend.  The field was set after the Duels at Daytona finished Thursday night with Joey Logano winning the first qualifier. Alex Bowman will take the pole position after earning the fastest qualifying time and is starting alongside Kyle Larson.  The green flag waves from Daytona Beach Sunday afternoon.

Sisters battles La Pine in a league playoff this evening. Tipoff is at 6 pm. Also, Crook County hosts Estacada and Madras welcomes Molalla. 

The Seahawks are losing their quarterbacks coach.  The NFL Network reports Tampa Bay is hiring Dave Canales as the team's new offensive coordinator.  Canales has spent the last 13 seasons as an assistant in Seattle, most recently working as the team's QBs coach.  The 41-year-old coach beat out a number of candidates who interviewed with the Bucs.  Canales replaces Byron Leftwich, who was fired after Tampa Bay's season ended.  
 

In the WHL the Portland Winterhawks were scorned by Spokane, losing 6-2. Portland has now lost five of their last seven games and dropped to third place in the West. Portland will take their 36-12 record to British Columbia to challenge the Kelowna Rockets on Saturday.

The Trail Blazers are getting the rest of the week off for the NBA All-Star break.  Portland returns on February 23rd when it visits the Kings in Sacramento.  The Blazers most recently lost to Wizards 126-101 and have dropped four of their last six heading into the break.  Portland sits at 28-and-30.  In other team news, Anfernee Simons underwent X-rays on his right ankle after spraining it in the loss to Washington.  Simons is slated to compete in the 3-Point competition on Saturday in Salt Lake City.  
 

The Mariners are beginning their Spring Training workouts.  The team's pitchers and catchers report today in Arizona and the rest of the team reports next week.  Seattle has its first Spring Training game on February 24th.  The Mariners face the Padres in the opener.  All position players participating in the World Baseball Classic will report today.  WBC pitchers and catchers reported on Monday.  In other team news, Seattle outfielder Taylor Trammell will miss 6-to-7 weeks due to a broken right hand.  

Sisters cruised past La Pine 67-42. For the girls, La Pine defeated Sisters 46-40 and Madras thumped The Dalles 61-27. There is more action tonight as Bend visits Mountain View and Caldera hosts Ridgeview. Also, Summit welcomes Redmond. Crook County visits Gladstone and Madras challenges The Dalles.

Damian Lillard exploded for 30 points in the first half as the Trail Blazers beat the Lakers 127-115 in Portland.  Lillard would go on to finish with 40 points and drilled 8-of-14 attempts from deep.  Rookie Shaedon Sharpe chipped in 15 points off the bench.  The Blazers combined to shoot 48.9-percent from three-point range.  Portland has won two of its last three to improve to 28-and-29.  The Trail Blazers host the Wizards tonight. 

The Raiders are moving on from their quarterback.  NFL Network reports the team will release Derek Carr in advance of his money becoming fully guaranteed.  The decision comes after Carr said over the weekend he was unwilling to accept a trade to the Saints or any other team.  The veteran quarterback has a full no-trade clause.  Carr would have made just over 40-million-dollars next season if Vegas wanted to keep him.  The 31-year-old threw for 3,522 yards with 24 touchdowns and 14 interceptions last season.  He was originally drafted by the Raiders in the second-round back in 2014.

MLB pitchers and catchers are reporting to Spring Training this week.  The Mariners are set to report in Arizona on Thursday with the team's full squad reporting next week.  Seattle has its first Spring Training game on February 24th.  The Mariners face the Padres in the opener.  

The Ducks are looking to bounce back as they hit the road.  Oregon visits Washington on Wednesday night in Seattle.  The Ducks come in at 15-and-11, while the Huskies sit at 13-and-13.  16th-ranked Gonzaga hits the hardwood on Thursday night when it visits Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles.  Oregon State and Washington State are set to face off on Thursday night in Pullman.  The Beavers come in at 10-and-16, while the Cougars sit at 11-and-15.

The Warriors aren't backing out of the four-team trade that reunites them with guard Gary Payton the Second.  ESPN reports Golden State went through with the multi-team trade, despite concerns surrounding Payton's physical.  The Warriors have reportedly been speaking with the NBA on how Payton's abdomen injury was not properly disclosed by the Trail Blazers.  That could lead to a formal inquiry, which could result in further compensation for Golden State.  ESPN reports Payton's injury could potentially sideline him for a significant part of the remaining season.  The Hawks and Pistons are also involved in the trade.  

The Trail Blazers are welcoming LeBron James and the Lakers to town.  Portland hosts Los Angeles tonight at the Moda Center.  The Blazers come off a 138-129 loss to the Thunder and have dropped three of their last four games.  Damian Lillard scored 38 points in the loss to Oklahoma City.  Jusuf Nurkic and Justise Winslow are both listed out for tonight's game, while Jerami Grant is listed as questionable.  Portland comes in at 27-and-29.  

The Kraken snapped their three-game losing skid.  Seattle defeated the Flyers 4-3 in Philadelphia.  Jaden Schwartz scored a pair of goals, with his first being the go-ahead score late in the second period.  Jordan Eberle and Eeli Tolvanen also lit the lamp in the victory.  Seattle improved to 30-18-and-5 and is tied for second in the Pacific Division with 65 points.  The Kraken visit the Winnipeg Jets tomorrow night.  

The Kansas City Chiefs are Super Bowl champions.  They came back from down ten points to beat the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 Sunday night in Arizona, notching their second title since 2020.  Kicker Harrison Butker nailed a game-winning field goal with eight seconds left.  Quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw for three touchdowns in the win despite an apparent injury.  Eagles' signal caller Jalen Hurts scored three rushing touchdowns, tying a Super Bowl record.

In the Intermountain Conference Redmond welcomes Mountain View and Bend hosts Caldera. Also, Summit visits Ridgeview. Meantime Madras challenges Gladstone and Sisters battles Creswell.
 

Oregon jumped out to a 15-point halftime lead as it went on to beat USC 78-60 in Eugene.  The Ducks improved to 15-10.  Oregon State had less luck, losing to seventh-ranked UCLA 62-47 in Corvallis. Elsewhere the UP Pilots downed Pacific 81-73 and Portland State fell to Northern Colorado 88-79. On the women’s ticket tonight the Lady Ducks visit USC while OSU challenges 18th-ranked UCLA.

The Trail Blazers made a few more moves before the NBA trade deadline.  Portland acquired guard Matisse Thybulle in a three-team trade with the 76ers and Hornets.  The Blazers sent newly acquired guard Svi Mykhailiuk to Charlotte in the deal.  Portland also traded guard Gary Payton the Second to the Warriors for forward Kevin Knox and five second-round draft picks.  Payton played just 15 games with Portland this season.  

The Kraken suffered a second straight loss on the road.  Seattle fell 3-1 to the New Jersey Devils in Newark.  Adam Larsson opened the game's scoring in the second period, but the Kraken weren't able to find the back of the net again.  Larsson tallied his fifth goal of the season.  Seattle has dropped three of four to fall to 29-17-and-5.  The team is tied for second in the Pacific Division with 63 points.  The Kraken visit the New York Rangers tonight. 

Last night at the NFL Honors, Seattle quarterback Geno Smith received the Comeback Player of the Year award. Geno led the NFL in completion percentage at 68% and threw 30 touchdowns.

The Ducks are losing one of their coaches to an NFL team.  Multiple reports say Oregon offensive line coach Adrian Klemm is leaving the team to become the offensive line coach for the New England Patriots.  Klemm also served as the program's associate head coach and run-game coordinator after being hired in December of 2021.  The 45-year-old had previously coached three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

The Trail Blazers are welcoming Klay Thompson and the Warriors to town.  Portland hosts Golden State tonight at the Moda Center.  The Blazers come off a 127-108 loss to the Bucks and have dropped two straight games.  Damian Lillard scored 28 points in the loss to Milwaukee.  Jusuf Nurkic and Justise Winslow are both listed out for tonight's game as they deal with injuries.  Portland comes in at 26-and-28.  The Warriors will be without Steph Curry as he deals with a leg injury. 

The Kraken got blanked in their first game back from the NHL All-Star break.  Seattle fell 4-0 to the Islanders in Elmont.  Martin Jones allowed four goals and made 24 saves in the losing effort.  New York scored twice in the first and second periods, before the teams battled to a scoreless third.  The Kraken fell to 29-16-and-5 and is tied for second in the Pacific Division with 63 points.  Seattle visits the New Jersey Devils tomorrow night.  

The 49ers are finding their replacement for DeMeco Ryans.  ESPN reports San Francisco is hiring Steve Wilks as the team's new defensive coordinator.  Wilks was most recently the interim head coach of the Carolina Panthers after Matt Rhule was fired five games into last season.  The 53-year-old Wilks had been hired as the Panthers' defensive passing game coordinator and secondary coach.  Wilks will replace Ryans, who left to take the head coaching position with the Houston Texans.  

LeBron James is now the NBA's all-time leading scorer.  The Lakers' star overtook Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the top spot during Tuesday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Los Angeles.  Abdul-Jabbar posted more than 38-thousand career points and previously held the record for nearly 40 years.  James is in his 20th NBA season and his resume includes four championships, four regular season MVP awards and 19 All-Star appearances.  Earlier this season, he moved into fourth place on the league's all-time assists list.
 

The Ducks escaped Tempe with a 75-70 win over Arizona State. Oregon was led in scoring by N’Faly Dante with 18 points and Keeshawn Barthelemy and Will Richardson each cracked double-digit scoring. Elsewhere the Beavers got trounced by 5th-ranked Arizona 84-52. Jordan Pope led Oregon State with a measly 11 points. Also, Gonzaga had their 3-game win streak snapped when the 12th-ranked Bulldogs lost to #18 Saint Mary’s 78-70. For the women last night, Oregon fell to #14 Utah 100-92. Endiya Rogers notched 35 points in the loss. Meantime OSU lost to Colorado 67-48.

The Trail Blazers are welcoming Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks to town.  Portland hosts Milwaukee tonight at the Moda Center.  The Blazers come off a 129-121 loss to the Bulls and had a three-game winning streak snapped.  Damian Lillard scored 40 points in the loss to Chicago.  Jusuf Nurkic and Justise Winslow are both listed out for tonight's game due to injuries. 

On the ice, the Portland Winterhawks collected a split against the Tri-City Americans. With the split, the Winterhawks secured their 12th consecutive WHL playoff berth. Portland continues the season tomorrow when they host the Red Deer Rebels.
 

Martin Truex Jr. is taking home the checkered flag in the first race of the NASCAR Cup Series' season.  The drivers battled in Los Angeles on Sunday for the second-ever Clash at the Coliseum.  Austin Dillon, Kyle Busch, Alex Bowman and Kyle Larson rounded out the top five finishers.  However, there was some obvious rust for many getting back behind the wheel.  A total of 16 caution flags were waved during the race as Truex Jr., Bowman, Larson, Aric Almirola and Ryan Preece were the only drivers who avoided accidents on the night.  NASCAR's 75th season continues next Thursday in Florida with Duels One and Two at Daytona.  The Daytona 500 takes place on February 19th.
 

Eli Manning and the NFC took down older brother Peyton and the AFC in the inaugural Pro Bowl Games.  The NFC knocked off the AFC 35-33 in the third and final flag football game to prevail at Allegiant Stadium.  The NFC players will take home 84-thousand dollars apiece for the win, while the AFC players will collect 42-thousand dollars.  Geno Smith totaled 239 yards and five touchdowns for the NFC while Tyler Huntley led the AFC with 192 yards and four scores.  Tom Pelissero is reporting that Browns defensive end Myles Garrett is believed to have sustained a dislocated toe during the Pro Bowl Games.

In college hoops, Oregon battled hard but fell to #7 Arizona 91-76 in Tucson.  The Ducks fell to 13-and-10.  Oregon State also came up short, losing to Arizona State 68-57 in Tempe.  The Beavers slipped to 9-and-14. On the women's side, the Lady Ducks welcome Colorado tonight at 7. Meantime OSU challenges 7th ranked Utah at 6.

The Trail Blazers are paying a visit to Bradley Beal and the Wizards.  Portland takes on Washington tonight at Capital One Arena.  The Blazers come off a 122-112 win over the Grizzlies and have won four of their last five games.  Damian Lillard tallied 42 points in the victory over Memphis.  Jusuf Nurkic and Justise Winslow are both listed out for tonight's game, while Jerami Grant is listed as questionable.  Portland comes in at 25-and-26

In local women’s soccer news, the Portland Thorns have opened their preseason training camp in Bend, and are practicing at the Bend FC Soccer Complex. The Thorns will hold a practice open to the public today from noon to 1 pm. A meet-and-greet and autograph session will follow in the afternoon. The 2023 NWSL regular season will kick off on March 25th.

On the ice, the Portland Winterhawks are slated for a pair of games this weekend. The Winterhawks are in Kennewick Washington tonight to challenge Tri-Cities. Then tomorrow Portland returns home to battle Tri-Cities. The Winterhawks are 34-9-2 and in first place in the West.

The green flag will wave once again as the NASCAR Cup Series returns to action this weekend for its 75th season.  The drivers are in Los Angeles for the Clash at the Coliseum.  Joey Logano was crowned Cup Series Champion last season and is looking to defend his title.  However, the last repeat winner was Jimmie Johnson back in 2010.  Chase Elliott is the favorite to hoist the cup this year while Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin follow closely behind.  The racers will square-off Sunday night on FOX.

The Crook County boys defeated Madras 72-61 and La Pine beat Elmira  45-32. On the girl’s ticket, Madras bested Crook County 44-43 while Elmira downed La Pine 59-52. 

The Portland Thorns have opened their preseason training camp in Bend, and are practicing at the Bend FC Soccer Complex. The Thorns will hold a practice open to the public on Friday at noon and a meet-and-greet and autograph session will follow in the afternoon. The 2023 NWSL regular season will kick off on March 25th.

The Trail Blazers are paying a visit to Ja Morant and the Grizzlies.  Portland takes on Memphis tonight at the FedEx Forum.  The Blazers come off a four-point win over the Hawks and have won three of their last four games.  Damian Lillard scored a team-high 42 points and was a perfect 17-of-17 from the free throw line in the victory over Atlanta.  Justise Winslow remains out with an ankle injury.  Portland comes in at 24-and-26.  
 

In college softball, Oregon opens the 2023 season ranked in both major polls. The Ducks are ranked 24th in the preseason NFCA poll which is two spots lower than their ranking in the USA Softball preseason poll. The Ducks open the 2023 season against Maryland on February 9th.

49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans is the new head coach of the Houston Texans.  Reports say it is a six-year contract for Ryans, who played linebacker for the Texans in six of his ten NFL seasons.  San Francisco has already requested to interview Commanders defensive backs coach Chris Harris for the open DC position, according to reports.  The Niners also requested to interview Panthers interim head coach Steve Wilks.  There are also reports San Francisco could pursue former defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, who coached with the team from 2011-to-2014.