LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani is donating $500,000 to help firefighters and animals forced to flee the deadly wildfires around the region. Ohtani announced his intention on Instagram, with LA Strong in white lettering against a black background. “We’ll be donating $500,000 to help those firefighters and those forced to live in shelter to help animals in need,” he wrote. The Dodgers and other Los Angeles sports teams are partnering in selling an “LA Strong” collection of T-shirts and sweatshirts, with all proceeds benefiting the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation and American Red Cross. “I hope you all will consider this,” Ohtani wrote.
The Miami Dolphins will be one of the teams to play in Madrid next season at Bernabéu Stadium, the NFL announced Friday. The Dolphins will be the designated “home” team for what will be the first-ever regular-season game in Spain. “We are thrilled to play the NFL’s inaugural game in Spain, a country of rich history, tradition and passion and home to a vibrant Dolphins fanbase,” said Tom Garfinkel, the Dolphins’ vice chairman, president and CEO. The newly renovated Bernabéu is home to Real Madrid and features a retractable field for American football. The date of the game and Miami’s opponent will be announced this spring.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made a loud statement in an MVP-worthy season with another 40-point performance Thursday night. He was more excited about the one his Oklahoma City Thunder made with a nationally televised blowout of the Cleveland Cavaliers in a matchup of the NBA’s best. “There’s obviously myself as the leading scorer of the team. I’m going to get most of the praise. But the world is seeing all of the -- we call them cockroaches in our locker room. Cockroaches and hyenas,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Those are the guys who do the little work, the guys that don’t get the most praise. They don’t average 30, but their part into our winning and our season is just as big, and I’m glad the world gets to see that.” The 6-foot-6 Gilgeous-Alexander had 40 points and eight assists in three quarters as the Western Conference-leading Thunder rolled past the East-leading Cavaliers 134-114. He made 17 of 26 shots, often breaking the Cavaliers down off the dribble and getting to the rim or hitting mid-range jumpers. The runner-up for the NBA MVP award last season is averaging 31.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 6.0 assists for a Thunder team that tied Cleveland for the league’s best record at 34-6. He’s already been named Western Conference player of the month twice.
DALLAS (AP) — Lexi Donarski had 15 points, Alyssa Ustby scored 12 and matched her career-high with 18 rebounds and No. 14 North Carolina rolled to a 64-33 victory over SMU on Thursday night. Donarski did her damage from 3-point range, sinking 5 of 6 attempts for the Tar Heels (16-3, 3-2 Atlantic Coast Conference). Ustby collected her seventh double-double of the season with five of them coming in the last six games. Indya Nivar had 11 points and Maria Gakdeng totaled 10 points and seven rebounds for North Carolina, which has won three in a row and 6 of 7. Kaysia Woods scored 12 to lead the Mustangs (10-8, 2-4). Nivar had nine points in the first half as North Carolina turned a 13-6 first-quarter lead into a 31-14 advantage at halftime. The Tar Heels shot just 39.4% from the floor before the break, but that looked red-hot compared to SMU, which shot 13.8% overall (4 for 29).
THURSDAY SCORES
NCAA WOMEN TOP 25
No. 2 South Carolina 76, No. 19 Alabama 58
No. 3 Notre Dame 81, No. 17 Georgia Tech 66
No. 7 Texas 74, Auburn 57
No. 9 Ohio State 80, Wisconsin 69
No. 11 Kansas State 62, Arizona 47
No. 13 Oklahoma 80, Missouri 63
No. 14 North Carolina 64, SMU 33
No. 15 Tennessee 86, Mississippi State 73
No. 16 Duke 72, No. 18 California 38
No. 21 NC State 83, Pittsburgh 67