Mavericks star Doncic avoids one-game suspension
Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic dodged a one-game suspension after the NBA rescinded his 16th technical foul Monday. The league’s decision cleared Doncic to play at Indiana Monday night as the fading Mavericks try to stay in the Western Conference playoff race. Doncic made the most of it, registering 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists in a 127-104 victory as the Mavericks snapped a four-game losing streak and moved within a half-game of the Lakers and Thunder in the race for the final two play-in spots in the Western Conference. Doncic got the technical that was rescinded Sunday in a 110104 loss to lowly Charlotte. It came in the third quarter when Doncic argued a no-call after missing a shot on a drive. Crew chief Kevin Scott said in a pool report after the game that Doncic used “a profanity directed at the officials in protest to a nocall that was correctly judged in postgame video review.”
76ers’ Embiid sits out against Jokic
The showdown between MVP front-runners fizzled Monday when 76ers big man Joel Embiid was ruled out against the Nuggets and star Nikola Jokic. Embiid, who has finished second to Jokic in Most Valuable Player voting each of the last two seasons, has made a late push to dethrone Jokic, although this marks the 14th game he's missed this season. Jokic had 25 points, 17 rebounds, and 12 assists in Denver’s 116-111 win. base after he was the team's regular shortstop in 2022. The Cubs signed All-Star shortstop Dansby Swanson to a $177 million, seven-year contract in December . . . The Orioles optioned righthander Grayson Rodriguez to Triple A Norfolk, sending one of the game's top pitching prospects to the minors as Opening Day approaches. The Orioles also released utilityman Franchy Cordero, a former Red Sox . . . The Rangers released veteran catcher Sandy León from his minor league contract after breaking camp from Arizona. León, 34, has played 533 games with five teams, including five seasons with the Red Sox, over the last 11 seasons.
Bizarre ejection in Phillies game
Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto was ejected in a spring training game against the Blue Jays at Dunedin, Fla., for an awkward ball exchange that followed a pitch-clock violation. Home plate umpire Randy Rosenberg had just finished calling a ball on Phillies pitcher Craig Kimbrel for taking too long on the mound when the at-bat in the fourth inning devolved into the bizarre ejection. Kimbrel asked for a fresh ball after the violation, and Rosenberg threw him one. Kimbrel then threw out that baseball and asked for another. Rosenberg tried handing that ball to Realmuto to throw, but the catcher blindly turned his glove away and the ball dropped to the ground. Rosenberg immediately ejected Realmuto.