ESPN deems Knicks worthy

The Knicks are better than expected and ESPN took notice.

The station is broadcasting six Knicks games in the second half of the season, or four more than it scheduled for the season’s first half (but the Knicks again have zero games scheduled for TNT or ABC).

The announcement was part of Wednesday’s release of the entire NBA second-half schedule. It was broken up this season to adjust for the inevitable COVID-related postponements.

The Knicks (15-17) are in a solid position for a playoff push, especially since the NBA adopted a play-in format for the 8th, 9th and 10th seeds. The schedule turns treacherous for the Knicks in the final two weeks, which include a six-game road trip against the Rockets, Grizzlies, Nuggets, Suns, Clippers and Lakers.

Here are some other noteworthy games for the Knicks:

March 15 and April 5: Two games at Barclays.

Because of the shortened schedule, the Nets visit MSG only once this season, and that already happened. So this will be the only time Knicks fans will get a chance to see their team face Brooklyn’s Big-3.

April 12: Lakers at MSG.

LeBron James’ only appearance this season at his favorite arena.

April 14: Pelicans at MSG

Zion Williamson never got to the Garden as a rookie, so this will be his first appearance as a pro.

April 2 and April 16: games against the Mavericks.

Beating Kristaps Porzingis twice was the highlight of last season for the Knicks, and there’s extra incentive this time because the Knicks own the Mavericks’ first-round pick in 2021.

The April 2 matchup is at the Garden.

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker was selected Wednesday to replace injured Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis in the NBA All-Star Game.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver choose Booker to take Davis’ spot a day after Booker was snubbed by the league’s head coaches for a reserve spot in the March 7 game in Atlanta.

“Devin Booker is the most disrespected player in our league!!! Simple as that,” Lakers star LeBron James tweeted after Booker was left out Tuesday.

Davis, voted in as a reserve, is sidelined by a strained right calf.

Booker received his second straight All-Star selection, both as an injury replacement. He’s averaging 24.7 points, 4.3 assists, 3.8 rebounds and shooting a career-high 50.1% from the field.

U.S. WOMEN WIN

Megan Rapinoe scored two firsthalf goals and the United States won the SheBelieves Cup title with a 6-0 victory over Argentina in Orlando.

The United States is undefeated in 37 games in a row overall and 53 on American soil.

Carli Lloyd, Kristie Mewis, Alex Morgan and Christen Press also scored, and the U.S. women also become the first team to have three straight shutouts in the SheBelieves Cup, which is in its sixth year.

PLAY BALL!

The Atlantic League plans to resume play with a 120-game schedule for each team starting May 27 after missing the 2020 season due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The eight-team league will be in its first season as a partner league of Major League Baseball, and its 23rd season overall.

SOX SIGN MARWIN

The Boston Red Sox finalized their $3 million, oneyear contract with switch-hitting utilityman Marwin Gonzalez on Wednesday, two weeks after reaching an agreement subject to a physical.

Gonzalez, 31, spent the last two seasons with the Minnesota Twins, hitting .248 with 20 homers and 77 RBIs over 167 games.

A’S & PIRATES DEAL

Two days after being designated for assignment by the Oakland

Athletics, outfielder Dustin Fowler was traded Wednesday to the Pittsburgh Pirates for cash.

Fowler had been considered a possible center fielder of the future for the A’s when Oakland acquired him from the Yankees at the 2017 trade deadline in a deal that sent right-hander Sonny Gray to the Yankees.

Fowler arrived shortly after a freak injury in his major league debut on June 29, 2017. He was injured in the first inning and never even got a big league atbat — he had been on deck when the top of the first inning ended.

Then, running at full speed, the right fielder crashed into the low corner wall at Chicago’s Guaranteed Rate Field while chasing Jose Abreu’s two-out foul. Fowler ruptured the patellar tendon in his knee when it hit a metal box used for Wi-Fi.

CHOO TO SOUTH KOREA

Free agent outfielder Shin-Soo Choo has agreed to a one-year contract to play for a baseball club in his native South Korea.

Choo, who spent the last seven seasons with the Texas Rangers, signed a 2.7 billion won ($2.4 million) deal with a Korean Baseball Organization team owned by an affiliate with the Shinsegae business group, the company said in a statement.

HALL FALLS TO BUTLER

Bryce Nze had 11 points and 13 rebounds to carry host Butler to a 61-52 win over Seton Hall.

Jared Rhoden had 14 points for the Pirates (13-10, 10-7). Sandro Mamukelashvili added 11 points.