Heat Defeat Hawks

     The Miami Heat topped the Atlanta Hawks 109-99 at American Airlines Arena on Sunday night. Miami increased their winning streak to six games and reached the .500 mark for the first time since January 9. The Heat, who finished 10-5 during the month of February, will face the Hawks again Tuesday in the second game of a two-game set.

     Miami(17-17) were up 26-21 after one quarter. The Heat began the second with a 9-2 spurt and stayed ahead 54-44 at halftime. Atlanta(14-20) chopped the lead down to 78-77 at the end of three quarters.  Both clubs were tied 95-95 with 3:38 left in the fourth and then Miami scored 10 unanswered points. 

     Kendrick Nunn led the Heat with a team-high 24 points and seven assists. Bam Adebayo completed a double-double of 16 points and 13 rebounds. Tyler Herro and Precious Achiuwa contributed 14 points each in the victory. 

     The Hawks had several players who complied double-double. John Collins put together 34 points and 10 rebounds while Clint Capela chalked up 20 points and 14 rebounds. Trae Young poured in 15 points with nine assists and eight rebounds. 

William Byron Victorious In Dixie Vodka 400

     William Byron captured the Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday. Byron won his second race in his 111th career start on the NASCAR Cup Series. It is the only time this year that the NASCAR Cup Series will appear in South Florida. 

     Chris Buescher shocked everybody as he finished first ahead of Brad Keselowski in Stage 1. It was only the second time in his NASCAR Cup Series career that Buescher has won a stage. 

     Stage 2 was taken by Byron in a one-lap restart as he went to the inside on the final turn. Denny Hamlin ended up in second during the stage. 

     Byron cruised by with an easy victory in the final stage and was way ahead on the final lap. He won the Dixie Vodka 400 by at least three seconds over Tyler Reddick.

Panthers Put Brett Connolly On Waivers

     The Florida Panthers have placed right wing Brett Connolly on waivers. He is in the second season of a four-year deal with the club that was worth $14 million. 

     Connolly was with the Washington Capitals when they won the Stanley Cup in 2018. He has one goal and two assists in 16 contests this season. Connolly compiled 19 goals and 14 assists in 69 games during the 2019-20 campaign with the Panthers. 

Myatt Snider Wins Contender Boats 250

     Myatt Snider was the surprise winner of the NASCAR Xfinity Racing Series Contender Boats 250 in double overtime at Homestead- Miami Speedway on Saturday. It was the first victory for Snider on the Xfinity Racing Series after 36 starts. 

     A.J. Allmendinger held off to take Stage 1. Xfinity Series defending champion Austin Cindric finished first in Stage 2. 

Hurricanes Hang On Over Panthers

     The Carolina Hurricanes held off the Florida Panthers 4-3 in a shootout on Saturday night at BB&T Center. Former Panther Vincent Trocheck made his first appearance in Sunrise since he was traded to the Hurricanes last season. 

     It was the 10th consecutive shootout victory for the Canes, who snapped a three-game losing streak. Both clubs will meet again on Monday night. 

     Carolina(13-6-1) moved in front 1-0 on the power play with 2:22 left in the first period. Andrei Svechnikov passed the puck from above the right circle to Dougie Hamilton at the top of the zone and he smashed a slap shot that was deflected in by Trocheck in the slot area. past Sergei Bobrovsky for his 10th goal of the season. Trocheck now has four goals in their last seven contests. 

     After a scoreless second period, the Hurricanes extended it to 2-0 with the man advantage at the 1:30 mark of the third. Martin Necas connected a pass from the right wing to Brett Pesce on the right wing. He made a cross-ice pass and Jake Bean scored on a snap shot from the left circle for his first NHL goal. 

     Florida(13-4-3) found the net on a power-play goal at 8:13 of the third period to make it 2-1. Jonathan Huberdeau tried several times to poke the puck by James Reimer. Patric Hornqvist eventually guided it in from inside the blue paint. Aleksander Barkov got the secondary assist on the play. 

     The Panthers evened it up 2-2 with 9:47 left in the period. Kevin Connauton made a lead pass in the neutral zone. Mason Marchment carried the puck into the Canes zone and passed to his right. Frank Vatrano snapped a shot from the low slot for his sixth goal of the campaign. It was Connauton's first point since he joined the Panthers and Vatrano scored in his second straight contest. 

     The Hurricanes stopped the momentum with 5:55 remaining to go ahead 3-2. Pesce released a wrist shot from the high slot and Warren Foegele redirected it from the left of the crease. 

     The Cats pulled their goalie with just over two minute to go and it worked. It became 3-3 with 1:54 left when MacKenzie Weegar centered the puck from the left goal line and Hornqvist backhanded it in from the top of the blue paint for his second tally and 10th goal this season. Weegar has three assists in his last four games. 

     Carolina won the contest in a long shootout. Barkov converted on the Panthers first attempt and Hornqvist made it on their third attempt. Hamilton matched it on the Hurricanes first attempt and Trocheck put in the second attempt. Necas scored on a wrist shot on Carolina's fifth attempt.

Heat Upset Jazz

     The Miami Heat surprised the Utah Jazz 124-116 at American Airlines Arena on Friday night. The Heat expanded their winning streak to five games. The Jazz have the best record in the National Basketball Association and lost for the third time in their last 25 contests. 

     Utah(26-7) had a 30-26 advantage at the end of one quarter. Miami(15-17) went in front 57-53 by halftime. The Heat stayed ahead 96-94 after three quarters. Miami went on a 13-5 run midway through the fourth and held off the Jazz in the final couple of minutes. 

     Jimmy Butler got a season-high 33 points along with 10 rebounds and eight assists for a double-double. Bam Adebayo also had a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds for Miami. Goran Dragic added 26 points and Duncan Robinson was able to contribute 15 points. 

     Donovan Mitchell  had a team-high 30 points for Utah. Rudy Gobert compiled a triple-double with 15 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. Bojan Bogdanovie poured in 17 points and Mike Conley scored 14 points.

West Palm Beach Ratings January 2021

     West Palm Beach sports format radio stations were issued their ratings. The time span happened between the first week of January to the first week of February. 

      ESPN West Palm 106.3 WUUB-FM did make several adjustments to begin the new year. The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz was no longer on their airwaves from ESPN Radio. Evan Cohen and his afternoon show added Chris Kokell and Ginette Javier as on-air associates. Josh Cohen and The Hometeam brought in Kristina Constanza as a co-host and producer. 

     The big surprise was that two Entercom Communications Miami-based radio stations appeared in the West Palm Beach ratings. The result was even more surprising with Sports Talk 790 The Ticket with a 0.7 and 560 The Joe WQAM-AM with a 0.4 for the month. 

     Fox Sports 640 South Florida WMEN-AM stayed at a 0.2 for the sixth time in the last eight months. The Florida Panthers rocketed out to a great start to begin the 2020-21 NHL season. Florida Atlantic University basketball also helped. 

     Sports Radio 1230 The Zone WBZT-AM ended a run of a 0.0 for the past ten months and finished with a 0.2 for the period. The station depended on Jeff DeForest in morning drive, CBS Sports Radio and University of Florida basketball broadcasts. 

Texans Release Duke Johnson

     The Houston Texans have let go running back Duke Johnson.  He was with the Texans for the past two seasons and had 77 carries for 235 rushing yards and one touchdown in 2020. Johnson was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the third round during the 2015 NFL Draft and stayed there for three four years. 

     Johnson played high school football with the Miami Norland Vikings and helped them win the FHSAA Class 5A state title in 2011. He then was with the University of Miami Hurricanes for three years and rushed for 3,519 yards on 526 carries with 26 touchdowns. 

Sid Rosenberg WABC Sports Show

     Former South Florida sports radio host Sid Rosenberg will launch a Sunday midday sports show on WABC-AM in New York City on February 28. He did broadcast a Sunday morning sports program on that station in 2018 and 2019. 

     He was the late morning co-host with Bernard McGuirk from January 2016 until April 2018. Rosenberg has co-hosted the WABC morning show with McGuirk for almost three years since they replaced Don Imus. 

     Rosenberg made several stops during his 10-year stay in South Florida. He joined Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM in late 2005 as a fill-in host and later co-hosted middays with former Miami Dolphins wide O.J. McDuffie. He was elevated to the morning host spot in 2007 and held that post until May 2009. 

     He moved on to Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM in August 2009 and became their midday host. Rosenberg was promoted to the afternoon shift in June 2010 and remained there until April 2012. 

     His final stop prior to WABC was at 640 Sports WMEN-AM. He was the morning host on that station from August 2012 to December 2015. 

     Rosenberg began his broadcasting career as a co-host with Scott Kaplan at CBS Sportsline in Fort Lauderdale during 1999 and 2000. The program was relocated to WNEW-FM in New York City and continued for one more year. 

     He was the morning sports anchor on the Imus In The Morning show at Sports Radio 66 WFAN-AM from 2000 until September 2005. Rosenberg co-hosted the midday program on WFAN with Jody McDonald and later Joe Benigno from 2001 to September 2005. He also was the studio host for New York Giants game broadcasts. 

     Rosenberg did have a position at 1010 WINS-AM while he worked at WQAM in Miami. He was a morning sports anchor from December 2010 until January 2012. 

Panthers Pull Comeback On Stars

     The Florida Panthers finished a three-game set of the Dallas Stars with a 3-2 comeback win at BB&T Center on Thursday night. Keith Yandle passed Steve Larmer for third all-time in NHL history as he played in his 885th consecutive game. 

     Kevin Connauton made his Panthers debut against his former team. Florida took two games of the three-game set in Sunrise against the defending Western Conference champion Stars. 

     After a scoreless first period, Dallas(6-5-4) scored a power-play goal at 2:10 of the second. Justin Dowling belted a slap shot from the right-circle dot which Sergei Bobrovsky saved. Joe Pavelski blasted in the rebound from the low left circle for his 10th goal of the season. It was his third goal in the last five contests. 

     The Stars made it 2-0 with 2:11 remaining in the period. Radek Faksa won the faceoff in the left circle and pushed it back to John Klingberg on the left point. His snap shot was deflected in by Jamie Benn in the low slot for his fourth goal of the campaign. It was Benn's first goal in the last seven games. 

     In the third period, Florida(13-4-2) ended their scoreless streak of 114 minutes and six seconds with 6:21 left. MacKenzie Weegar fired a slap shot from the top of the zone which was redirected by Jonathan Huberdeau at the top of the crease. The puck remained in the blue paint and Aleksander Barkov steered it into the Stars cage for his eighth goal this season.  

     The Panthers would tie it up 2-2 just 52 seconds later. Mason Marchment made a pass from the right wing and Anton Stralman ripped a wrist shot from above the right circle by Jake Oettinger for his second tally of the year with 5:28 to go. Marchment got his first point in a Panthers uniform. 

     The Cats took their first lead of the contest with 3:10 remaining. Alex Wennberg backhanded a pass in the left circle and Frank Vatrano snapped a shot for his fifth goal of the campaign. Patric Hornqvist was credited with a secondary assist on the play. 

Jeff Greer Remains At Louisville City FC

     Former local sportswriter Jeff Greer will continue to be the radio play-by-play announcer of Louisville City FC. The club captured the United Soccer League championship in 2017 and 2018. 

     Greer, a University of Pittsburgh grad, is best remembered in South Florida for his work with the Palm Beach Post. He shared duties as a high school sports reporter with Matt Porter from July 2010 to October 2013. Greer joined the the Louisville Courier-Journal as the University of Louisville beat reporter. 

ESPN West Palm Adjustments

     ESPN West Palm 106.3 WUUB-FM has made several adjustments to their weekday schedule in the last couple of months. They have made some changes recently which is a surprise considering their consistency and stability. 

     Chris Kokell was added to the Evan Cohen Show and Ginette Javier joined the program on January 4. Kokell began his second stint at ESPN West Palm in October. Javier has worked in the background at Good Karma Brands since February 2019. 

     Their mid-afternoon program Josh Cohen and The Hometeam also made an addition. Kristina Costanza became the producer and co-host of the show on January 4. She has been associated in the Good Karma Brands marketing department in West Palm Beach. 

Alex Collins Stays With Seahawks

     Former local high school football player Alex Collins has re-signed with the Seattle Seahawks. He had 18 carries for 77 yards and two touchdowns in three games last season.

     Collins played high school football as a running back with the South Plantation Paladins and went on to attend the University of Arkansas for three years. He had his first stint with Seattle in 2016 followed by several seasons with the Baltimore Ravens in 2017 and 2018. 

Heat Drop Raptors

     The Miami Heat came off their longest road trip of the regular season, which was seven games, and handled the Toronto Raptors 116-108 at American Airlines Arena on Wednesday night. The Heat, who extended their winning streak to four games, started a four-game homestand this week. 

     It was a high-scoring first quarter as Toronto(16-17) led 35-32. Miami(15-17) turned the tide and moved ahead 65-56 by halftime. The Heat stayed ahead 92-85 at the end of the third quarter. The closest the Raptors came to the Heat in the final quarter was two points with 5:24 left. 

     Jimmy Butler guided Miami with 27 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds for a double-double. Bam Adebayo, who became the youngest Heat player to get 2,000 career rebounds, put together a double-double with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Duncan Robinson dropped in 17 points and Goran Dragic contributed 15 points. 

     The Raptors were led by Kyle Lowry with 24 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. Fred VanVleet compiled 24 points and seven assists while Norman Powell added 17 points. 

Stars Blank Panthers

     The Florida Panthers were shut out by the Dallas Stars 3-0 on Wednesday night at BB&T Center. It was the second contest of a three-game set between both clubs. 

     The Panthers were blanked for the first time this season. Keith Yandle tied Steve Larmer with the third longest streak of consecutive games played in NHL history at 884.

     Dallas(6-4-4) get in front 1-0 just 53 seconds into the contest. John Klingberg rifled a slap shot from the right point past Chris Driedger following a pass from Joe Pavelski. It was the first goal for Klingberg in the last 10 games. 

     It became a 2-0 lead for the Stars on the power play at the 2:17 mark. Justin Dowling passed from the right wing to Radek Faksa to the right of the crease. His shot was saved, however Esa Lindell raced in and scored his second tally this season with a forehand shot from the top of the crease. It was Lindell's first goal since opening night against the Nashville Predators on January 22. 

     Florida(12-4-2) surrendered another goal after they pulled their goalie for an extra attacker during a power play. Pavelski sent a cross-ice pass in the neutral zone and Joel Kiviranta put the puck into the empty net from inside the Panthers blue line with 3:34 remaining in the third period. 

Cleveland Indians Claim Harold Ramirez

     The Cleveland Indians have claimed outfielder Harold Ramirez on waivers from the Miami Marlins. The Indians signed former Marlins catcher Ryan Lavarnway several days ago. 

     Ramirez had played with the Marlins for the past two seasons. He was limited to three contests in 2020 and had two base hits in 10 at-bats for a .200 batting average. Ramirez had 11 home runs, 50 runs bated and a .728 OBP during 119 games in 2019. 

Miami Ratings January 2021

     Miami/Fort Lauderdale sports format radio stations received their monthly ratings. The time span went from the first week of January until the first week of February. 

     560 The Joe WQAM-AM fell from a 0.7 to a 0.5 in the period. It was the first complete month that the radio station did not have the Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz in their weekday lineup. The Florida Panthers began their 2020-21 regular season and had a fantastic start in the realigned Central Division. 

     Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM went from a 0.4 to a 0.3 in the month. The defending Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat shockingly started off bad to begin their regular season campaign. 

     Miami Sports 940 WINZ-AM dropped from a 0.2 to a 0.1. They have depended on Fox Sports Radio syndicated shows with University of Florida basketball broadcasts. 

Florida Panthers Schedule Changes

     The National Hockey League has made changes to the regular season schedule. It was the second time this season that the Florida Panthers have been effected.

     The Panthers road game at the Tampa Bay Lightning has been shifted from March 16 to March 21. Florida was to host Tampa Bay on May 6 and that will be moved to another date which is to be announced in the future. The Cats will now host the Nashville Predators on March 20 at 2 PM instead of 7 PM. 

Tyree Smith At Good Karma Brands

     Tyree Smith has been working as a sports reporter at WPTV-TV Channel 5 and WFLX-TV Channel 29 in West Palm Beach since January 4. He is also part of the High School Hysteria weekend program on ESPN West Palm 106.3 WUUB-FM.

     Smith went to high school locally at Oxbridge Academy and graduated from Beloit College in 2019. He was the sports director and sports anchor at WBUP-TV in Ishpeming, Michigan before his return to South Florida. 

Heat Ride By Thunder

     The Miami Heat defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 108-94 on Monday night at Chesapeake Energy Center. The Heat finally completed their seven-game road trip against Western Conference opponents with a 4-3 record.  They have prevailed in three straight and seven of their last 10 contests. 

     Miami(14-17) had a slight 23-21 advantage at the end of the first quarter. Oklahoma City(12-19) outperformed the second quarter and were up 54-45 at halftime. The Heat erased the deficit and led 79-77 at the end of three quarters. 

     The Heat were led by Bam Adebayo with a double-double of 19 points and 13 rebounds. Jimmy Butler fell short of a double-double with 15 points and nine assists. Kendrick Nunn compiled 20 points and nine assists while Duncan Robinson poured in a team-high 22 points. 

     Shai Gildeous-Alexander had a game-high 27 points for the Thunder. Darius Bazley dropped in 13 points and Isaiah Roby scored 12 points. 

Panthers Eclipse Stars

     The Florida Panthers begin their second longest homestand of the 2020-21 regular season with a 3-1 win over the defending Western Conference champion Dallas Stars at BB&T Center on Monday night. The Panthers and the Stars will play three straight games in Sunrise. Florida has won six of their last eight games. 

     Jonathan Huberdeau passed Scott Mellanby for fifth all-time in Panthers franchise history as he participated in his 553rd NHL game. The Stars have not played a game in nine days since February 13 due to the inclement weather in Texas.    

     Dallas(5-4-4) got out to a 1-0 lead at the 4:29 mark of the first period. Jason Robertson released a wrist shot from the slot area that was saved by Chris Driedger, however Blake Comeau poked in the rebound from the edge of the blue paint for his first goal of the year. Robertson was able to extend his point streak up to five games. 

     In the second period, Florida(12-3-2) tied it up 1-1 at 8:41. Weegar passed to his left from the right point and Aaron Ekblad blasted a slap shot from the high slot by Anton Khudobin for his sixth goal of the campaign. Huberdeau was credited with the secondary assist for his team-leading 16th assist and 23rd point. It was Ekblad's second goal in the last three contests. 

     The Panthers make it 2-1 with 1:42 remaining in the second. The puck got sent around the left-wing boards to Keith Yandle on the left point. His slap shot went through traffic and into the cage for his third tally this season.

     The Cats set a franchise record with their most shots on goal in one period during the second frame with 29. They had an incredible 40 shots on goal at the end of two periods. 

     Dallas pulled their goalie from an extra attacker with over two minutes to go. Aleksander Barkov got to a loose puck at the red line and placed a backhand into an empty net for his seventh goal of the season with 27.8 seconds remaining to give Florida a 3-1 lead. 

Indians Sign Ryan Lavarnway

     The Cleveland Indians have signed catcher Ryan Lavarnway to a contract. It is a minor league deal and he will be invited to spring training camp in order to make their major league roster. 

     Lavarnway played with the Miami Marlins in 2020. He helped the Marlins reach the postseason for the first time since 2003. Lavarnway participated in five games and had a .364 batting average. 

Heat Hold Off Lakers

     In a rematch of the 2020 NBA Finals, the Miami Heat edged the Los Angeles Lakers 96-94 at Staples Center on Saturday night. The Lakers won the NBA title in six games over the Heat last season. The Heat have defeated the Lakers in 15 of the last 23 contests during the regular season. 

     Miami(12-17) sprinted out to a 36-23 lead at the end of one quarter. They were still up 59-52 by the halftime. Los Angeles(22-9) cut more into the deficit, had a slight lead midway through the frame and trailed 81-77 after three quarters. The Heat never let go of the lead throughout the final quarter. 

     Kendrick Nunn led Miami with a game-high 27 points. Jimmy Butler had his franchise record, three-game streak of triple-doubles snapped as he had 24 points along with eight rebounds. Two Heat did put together double-doubles. Bam Adebayo chalked up 16 points and 10 rebounds while Duncan Robinson marked down 11 points and 10 rebounds. 

     LeBron James fell short of a triple-double for the Lakers with 19 points, nine assists and nine rebounds. Kyle Kuzma dropped in a team-high 23 points and Montrezl Harrell compiled a double-double of 18 points with 10 rebounds. 

Red Wings Come Back On Panthers

     The Detroit Red Wings overcame the Florida Panthers 2-1 on Saturday night at Little Caesars Arena. It concluded a four-game road trip for the Panthers. 

     Florida(11-3-2) got the only goal in the first period on the power play with 5:17 left. Alex Wennberg got his fifth goal of the season on assists from Anthony Duclair and Frank Vatrano. Wennberg has compiled five goals and seven points over the last eight contests. 

     Detroit(5-12-3) mounted a comeback during the second period. Patrik Nemeth evened it up 1-1 at 10:09 of the frame. Mathias Brome scored his first NHL goal with 2:33 remaining in the second to give the Red Wings a 2-1 lead. 

Thomas Drance On Canucks Television

     Thomas Drance appeared as a Sportsnet studio analyst on the Vancouver Canucks home contest against the Winnipeg Jets on Friday night. Drance currently works as the Vancouver Canucks senior writer for The Athletic Vancouver since September 2019. 

     Drance once held the post of vice president of communications and public relations for the Florida Panthers. He held that position from January 2017 until July 2019. 

Panthers Dominate Red Wings

     The Florida Panthers bashed the Detroit Red Wings 7-2 at Little Caesars Arena on Friday night. It was the first game of a two-game set. The Panthers remain first in the Central Division. 

     Both teams combined for five goals during the first period. Juho Lummikko started it with his second tally this year at 6:09, followed by the first goal of the season by MacKenzie Weegar at the 7:58 and Patric Hornqvist added to it at 12:45 for a Florida(11-2-2) three-goal lead. 

     Detroit(4-12-3) broke the shutout with 5:54 left in the first on a goal by Bobby Ryan. It became 4-1 for the Panthers with 4:45 remaining when Aleksander Barkov scored. 

     There was just one goal in the second period. Aaron Ekblad put in his fifth goal of the campaign with 22 seconds to go for a four-goal margin. 

     Valtteri Fillpula struck for the Red Wings 2:49 into the third period to cut it down to 5-2. Hornqvist compiled his second goal of the contest and eight of the season at 5:50 with the man advantage. Anthony Duclair capped the victory for the Cats with a tally at 8:56 for a 7-2 lead. 

Heat Outhustle Kings

     Jimmy Butler set a franchise record with his third consecutive triple-double as the Miami Heat rebounded with a 118-110 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Thursday night at Golden 1 Center. Miami snapped a three-game losing streak while the Kings have fallen in their last five contests. The Heat will visit the NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday in a rematch of the 2020 NBA Finals. 

     Miami(12-17) broke out to a 31-20 lead at the end of the first quarter and were up by double figures 57-43 at halftime. Sacramento(12-16) trailed 89-79 after three quarters of play. The Heat, who led throughout the entire contest, had a 11-2 spurt at the beginning of the fourth quarter.    

     Butler got his fourth triple-double in the last five games with 13 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds. Bam Adebayo also put together a  triple-double of 16 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. The only time Miami had two players have triple-doubles in one game was in December 2019 by Butler and Adebayo. Tyler Herro launched 27 points, Kelly Olynyk had 22 points and Duncan Robinson dropped in 20 points. 

    Nemanja Bjelica led the Kings with 25 points with eight rebounds. Marcus Bagley III compiled a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds. De'Aaron Fox had 11 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double. 

Warriors Slip By Heat In Overtime

     The Miami Heat lost to the Golden State Warriors 120-112 in overtime at Chase Center on Wednesday night. Miami extended their losing streak to three games. It was the fourth contest for the Heat in their seven-game road trip. 

     Miami(11-17) rode out to a 36-24 advantage after one quarter. The Heat stayed in front and led 61-45 at halftime. 

     Golden State(16-13) still trailed 86-76 at the end of three quarters. The Warriors scored 11 straight points and were down 99-96 with 3:37 left in the fourth. They finished the frame on a 20-6 run to put it into overtime. 

     It was scoreless in the first two-and-a-half minutes of overtime. Golden State went on a 10-2 spurt and was the only time that they led the game. 

     Jimmy Butler had a triple-double for the second straight contest and third time in his last four games. He chalked up 13 points, 11 assists and 12 rebounds. Bam Adebayo powered in 24 points while Kendrick Nunn knocked in 19 points. Duncan Robinson and Precious Achiuwa were able to pour in 13 points each. 

     Stephen Curry showed up in overtime and ended up with a double-double of 26 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds for the Warriors. Andrew Wiggins and Kelly Oubre Jr. both had 23 points each. Kent Bazemore came off the bench with a game-high 26 points.

Panthers Storm By Hurricanes

     The Florida Panthers came back on the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 in overtime on Wednesday night at PNC Arena. The Panthers jumped to first place in the Central Division with the victory.  It was the first time during the 2020-21 regular season that the Panthers did not play a multiple-game set against a opponent. 

     Carolina(10-3-1) picked up two goals 22 seconds apart late in the first period. They moved ahead 1-0 with 1:32 remaining in the first period. Warren Foegele intercepted an Aaron Ekblad pass at the top of the Panthers zone. He made a lead pass and Jordan Staal roofed a snap shot from the left circle by Chris Driedger for his seventh goal of the season. 

     The Canes made it 2-0 with 1:10 remaining. Brock McGinn cycled the puck from the right corner. Brett Pesce released a wrist shot from the right point and Sebastian Aho deflected it from the slot area. 

     In the second period, Florida(10-2-2) closed it to 2-1 at the 9:48 mark on a power-play goal. Keith Yandle fired a long outlet pass and Jonathan Huberdeau snapped a shot from the left-circle dot past Alex Nedeljkovic for his sixth goal of the year.  

     The Panthers tied the contest at 3:11 of the third period. Alex Wennberg connected a pass from the red line to Huberdeau on right wing. Huberdeau returned it back on a no-look backhand pass from the right circle and Wennberg scored on a one-time shot from the left of the crease. Patric Hornqvist was credited with a secondary assist on the play. 

     Juho Lammikko compiled his first NHL goal with 7:54 to go in the third to give Florida their first lead of the contest 3-2. Ryan Lomberg got to the loose puck in the neutral zone and handed it off. Lammikko carried the puck down the right side of the Carolina zone and squeezed by a backhand shot from an acute angle in the lower right circle. 

     The Hurricanes responded back with a tally on the man advantage with 6:21 left to make it 3-3. Dougie Hamilton put across a pass to Andrei Svechnikov above the left circle. He send a hard pass to the left of the crease and former Panther Vincent Trocheck redirected it into the Florida cage for his seventh goal this season. 

     Florida got the winning goal in overtime at the 2:29 mark. Aleksander Barkov intercepted a cross-ice pass in the Panthers zone and forwarded a backhand pass. Huberdeau skated all the way down the ice on a breakaway, make a deke with a backhand and put in a forehand shot for his second goal of the game and seventh of the campaign. 

Rush Limbaugh Dead

      National syndicated talk radio show host Rush Limbaugh passed away on Wednesday at the age of 70. Limbaugh was a local resident in Palm Beach. 

     Limbaugh was first heard locally in Miami at 560 WQAM-AM in the early 1990s. The show stayed there while WQAM had a sports talk format during the mid 1990s. His program eventually shifted to News Radio 610 WIOD-AM in 1997 and replaced Neil Rogers. 

     Limbaugh's midday spot on WQAM was taken over by Jon Sciambi and Chris Moore. Rogers joined WQAM near the end of 1997 and became their midday host. 

     Rush Limbaugh was also broadcast in West Palm Beach. He was on the WBZT-AM in the 1990s and began on WJNO-AM when both radio stations switched frequencies in January 2000. 

Marlins Acquire John Curtiss

     The Miami Marlins have acquired pitcher John Curtiss from the Tampa Bay Rays for first baseman Evan Edwards. Curtiss has some experience in the majors while Edwards remains in the minor leagues. 

     Curtiss spent last season with the Rays following stints with the Minnesota Twins and Los Angeles Angels. He had a 3-0 record with a 1.80 earned-run-average in 17 games. 

Jason Sanders Signs Contract Extension

     The Miami Dolphins have signed kicker Jason Sanders to a contract extension. It will be for an extra five seasons through the 2028 season worth $22 million. 

     Sanders was drafted by Miami during the seventh round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He received an All-Pro selection for the 2020 season. Sanders went 36 for 39 on field goals and had an over 90% field goal accuracy rate for the second straight year. He converted on all 36 extra-point attempts last season. 

Lindsay Czarniak Launches New Podcast

     Former Miami television sportscaster Lindsay Czarniak has started a new podcast for Sony Music Entertainment. It is called The Artist And The Athlete With Lindsay Czarniak. The podcast will have music performers and sports athletes interacting with each other. 

     Czarniak previously announced on the Players podcast with country music artists taking about sports. It was a part of the Cadence13 organization from November 2018 until 2020. 

     She once was a sportscaster at WTVJ-TV Channel 6 in Miami. Czarniak then joined WRC-TV in Washington D.C. as a sports anchor and co-hosted the George Michael Sports Machine. She worked at ESPN as a sports anchor from 2011 to 2017. 

Mike Inglis Returns To Broadcast Booth

     Miami Heat radio play-by-play announcer Mike Inglis returned to radio airwaves on Monday night as the Heat took on the Los Angeles Clippers. Inglis missed the last three Heat games because of the marriage of his daughter. Miami Heat Radio Network studio host Jonathan Zaslow filled in as radio play-by-play announcer for the last three Miami Heat contests. 

     Inglis has been the Miami Heat radio voice since 1998. He had missed only two games during his long reign until last week. 

Clippers Hang On Against Heat

     The Los Angeles Clippers fended off the Miami Heat 125-118 at Staples Center on Monday night. The Heat will remain in California for the next five days with road games against the Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Lakers. 

     Miami(11-16) started ahead 35-33 after one quarter, however Los Angeles(21-8) responded and led 67-62 at halftime. The Clippers had a slight 92-91 lead at the end of three quarters. Los Angeles had a 25-14 spurt to begin the fourth quarter. The Heat cut it down to 117-111 with 1:52 remaining.

     Jimmy Butler picked up his second triple-double of the season with 30 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds for Miami. He had a triple-double earlier on the road trip at Houston. Bam Adebayo created a double-double with 27 points and 12 rebounds. Tyler Herro was able to score 27 points and Duncan Robinson added 13. 

     The Clippers were led by Marcus Morris Sr. with 32 points. Lou Williams contributed a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds. Ivica Zubac dropped in 22 points while Terance Mann and Amir Coffey both had 15 points each. 

Panthers Pay Back Lightning

     The Florida Panthers outscored the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-4 at Amalie Arena on Monday night. It concluded a three-game set between both teams in which the Panthers were victorious in two of the three games against the defending Stanley Cup Champions. 

     The Panthers won in Tampa for the first time since March 6, 2016. They were winless in their last eight games at Amalie Arena going 0-5-3. 

     Tampa Bay(10-3-1) jumped out to a 1-0 lead at the 6:24 mark of the first period. Ondrej Palat centered it from the end wall to Erik Cernak in the right circle. He made a cross-ice pass and Steven Stamkos drilled a one-time slap shot from the right circle past Chris Driedger for his eighth goal of the season. 

     Florida(9-2-2) quickly came back to tie it 1-1 at 7:56. Patric Hornqvist dumped the puck around the left-corner boards and got to it first before Curtis McElhinney. He sent it to the top of the crease and Jonathan Huberdeau put in a forehand shot into an open net. Huberdeau passed Pavel Bure for fourth all-time in franchise history with his 153rd career goal. 

     In the second period, the Panthers took the lead 2-1 almost five minutes in. Owen Tippett got his first goal of the year on an assist by Eetu Luostarinen. It resulted in Luostrarinen to increase his point streak to three games. 

     The Cats were awarded a penalty shot at the 8:27 mark. Frank Vatrano went through the slot and snapped a shot by the stick side of McElhinney for his third straight contest with a goal. 

     Anthony Duclair finally got his first goal with his new team with 9:37 remaining in the second for a Panthers 4-1 lead. Aleksander Barkov poked the puck out of his defensive zone to the red line. Duclair raced down the left wing, behind the Lightning cage and scored a wraparound shot. Barkov passed Olli Jokinen with his 420th NHL point for fourth all-time in Florida Panthers franchise history. 

     The Bolts cut it down to 4-2 with 8:18 to go. Alexander Volkov picked up the puck at his own blue line and sprinted down the left side. He reached the left circle and put in a snap shot. 

     It became a three-goal margin for Florida again with 7:24 left. Vatrano sent a diagonal pass into the Tampa Bay zone. Barkov cut through the right circle, got to the left of the crease and lifted a wrist shot for his fifth goal of the campaign. 

     The Lightning compiled two goals in less than a minute and trailed 5-4. Volkov made a high wrist shot from the crease area with 4:10 to go and Tyler Johnson got a tally on a 2-on-1 breakaway with 3:22 remaining. 

     The Cats expanded it to 6-4 just 59 seconds into the third period. Anton Stralman got the goal on assists by Huberdeau and Radko Gudas. 

Olli Jokinen To Coach In Finland

     Former Florida Panthers center Olli Jokinen is heading off to Finland. He will become the head coach for Jukurit in the Liiga as of May 1. 

     Jokinen is the founder and head coach of the South Florida Hockey Academy. He played for the Panthers for seven seasons from 2000 to 2008 and was their captain for four seasons. Jokinen is currently first all-time in franchise history with 188 goals, fourth with 231 assists and tied for second with Aleksander Barkov at 419 points. 

Onside Radio Shifts Shows

     Onside Radio has made a slight change in their weekday morning lineup. 4th & 20 shifts from a 6-8AM spot to two hours later from 8-10AM. The Morning Juice will no longer be heard during that time period. 

     Toast and Marsh have hosted 4th & 20 at Onside Radio since late November. The Morning Juice hosted by the Lemon City Live crew began when the organization launched in October. 

Brad Boxberger Signs With Brewers

     Relief pitcher Brad Boxberger has signed a minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers. He will be invited to their spring training camp to land a spot on the Brewers major league roster. 

     Boxberger was with the Miami Marlins during the 2020 season. He participated in 23 games last year and had a 1-0 record with a 3.00 earned-run-average. 

Jazz Goes By Heat

     The Miami Heat lost to the Utah Jazz 112-94 on Saturday night at Vivent Arena The Heat continued their seven-game road swing. 

     Miami(11-15) had a slight 21-18 lead at the end of one quarter. Utah(22-5) scored 14 unanswered points and led 47-42 at halftime. The Jazz put in 16 consecutive points to begin the second half and were up by at least 20 points 78-57 after three quarters. 

     Kendrick Nunn had a team-high 23 points for the Heat while Bam Adebayo compiled a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Jimmy Butler and Max Strus both put in 15 points each. 

     Utah was led by Donovan Mitchell with a game-high 26 points. Bojan Bogdanovic dropped in 19 points in the win. Rudy Gobert had a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds. 

Lightning Rout Panthers

     The Tampa Bay Lightning got revenge with a 6-1 victory over the Florida Panthers at BB&T Center on Saturday night. The Lightning have won seven of their last eight games. Both clubs will face each other for a third straight time on Monday night in Tampa. 

     Florida(8-2-2) wore their new retro jerseys for the first time this season. It was the first time the Panthers had the leaping cat logo since the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs and primary navy blue uniforms since 2011. They will wear the retro jerseys in four more home games this year. 

     The Panthers finished off their longest homestand of the 2020-21 regular season which was six games. Their record during the long homestand was 3-2-1. 

     After no scoring during the first period, Tampa Bay(10-2-1) got up 1-0 on a power-play goal at the 4:11 mark of the second period. Mikhail Sergachev made a pass from the left circle to Victor Hedman at the top of the zone. He angled a pass to the top right circle and Ondrej Palat powered a slap shot by Sergei Bobrovsky for his sixth goal of the season. Sergachev now has five assists in the last three games and Sergachev has five assists in the last four. 

     It became 2-0  for the Lightning a little over a minute later at 5:32.  Mathieu Joseph got the loose puck outside of the Panthers blue line and went on a breakaway. He skated in and scored on a backhand shot. Joseph has compiled three goals in the last three contests. 

     The Bolts expanded their lead to 3-0 with 7:02 remaining in the second. Gemel Smith carried the puck down into the right corner, centered it and Tyler Johnson released a snap shot from the slot area. Smith was making his season debut with the Lightning.   

     Tampa Bay increased it to a four-goal gap with 10.4 seconds left in the frame. Jan Rutta took a shot from the right wing that went off the skate of Palat in the top of the crease. It caromed to Johnson at the right of the crease and he backhanded it into the cage for his second goal of the game and third tally of the campaign. 

     Florida broke the shutout with 10:13 to go in the third period. Brett Connolly sent a diagonal pass from the right point and Frank Vatrano rifled a slap shot from the left circle for his second straight game with a goal. Eetu Luostarinen was credited with a secondary assist on the play. 

     The Lightning responded with 9:02 left to make it 5-1. Joseph connected a pass down the left wing to Smith. He made a cross-ice pass from the left circle and Alexander Volkov scored on a wrist shot from the low right circle for his first goal this season.  

     The rout continued for Tampa Bay with 4:15 remaining as they added another goal for a 6-1 lead. Yanni Gourde found Barclay Goodrow ahead on a lead pass. Goodrow skated through the slot and snapped a shot for a five-goal Lightning margin. 

Dylan Floro Headed For Marlins

     Relief pitcher Dylan Floro is about to join the Miami Marlins. He is expected to be shipped by the Los Angeles Dodgers to the Fish for pitcher Alex Vesia. 

     Floro has spent time with the Dodgers since the 2018 season. He won a World Series title in 2020 and two National League championships while with the club. Floro had an 11-4 and a 3.10 earned-run-average in 104 relief appearances with Los Angeles. 

Mike Pouncey Announces Retirement

     Former Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Mike Pouncey announced his retirement along with his twin brother Maurkice on Friday. He was drafted 15th overall by the Dolphins in 2011 and participated in 93 regular season games with them from 2011 until 2017. 

     Pouncey played high school football with the :Lakeland Dreadnaughts and they captured three straight FHSAA Class 5A state championships over the St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders from 2004 to 2006 along with two high school football national championships in 2005 and 2006. Pouncey attended the University of Florida where he helped the Gators win the 2008 BCS National Championship. 

Heat Outduel Rockets

     The Miami Heat handled the Houston Rockets 101-94 on Thursday night at Toyota Center. It was the beginning of a seven-game road trip for the Heat, who extended their winning streak to a season-high four games. 

     Houston(11-14) had a 29-19 lead after one quarter and were ahead 53-47 at halftime. Miami(11-14) outscored the Rockets 28-10 during the third quarter and entered the final quarter up 75-63. Houston cut the deficit down to 97-94 with 50 seconds left. 

     Miami was led by Jimmy Butler as he compiled a triple-double of 27 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds. Max Strus came off the bench with 21 points while Kendrick Nunn scored 16 points. Bam Adebayo had a double-double of 10 points along with 13 rebounds and Duncan Robinson poured in 15 points. 

     John Wall and Eric Gordon both shared a team-high for Houston with 17 points each. Demarcus Cousins dropped in 16 points and Jae'sean Tate drained in 16 points. 

Panthers Dethorne Lightning

     The defending Stanley Cup Champions made their first appearance at BB&T Center on Thursday night as the Tampa Bay Lightning lost to the Florida Panthers 5-2. The Lightning did not have to wait almost two years to show up as the defending champions in Sunrise like they did back in the 2005-06 season. 

     The Lightning had their six-game winning streak snapped by the Cats. The Panthers are playing the Lightning in their next three straight games. The first two contests will be in South Florida and the last one will happen in Tampa.  

     In the first period, Florida(8-1-2) took a 1-0 lead at 8:56. Owen Tippett had the puck behind the Lightning net and backhanded it to Frank Vatrano at the top of the crease. He snapped a shot for his second goal of the year and first goal in the last nine games. 

     The Panthers made it 2-0 at the 8:31 mark of the second period. Patric Hornqvist connected a long pass through the neutral zone for a 2-on-1 breakaway. Jonathan Huberdeau carried it to the right circle and made a cross-ice pass. Alex Wennberg smacked the puck past Andrei Vasilevskiy for his third consecutive contest with a goal. Huberdeau compiled his 300th career assist on the play. 

     Tampa Bay(9-2-1) was able to get a power-play goal with 9:05 remaining in the second. Ondrej Palat centered the puck to the high slot. Brayden Point muscled through the slot area and his wrist shot beat Sergei Bobrovsky for his fifth goal this season. Point expanded his point streak to up to seven games. 

     Florida matched it with their own goal on the man advantage with 7:06 left for a two-goal margin. Keith Yandle angled a pass from the top of the zone and Aaron Ekblad at the top left circle and he blasted a one-time slap shot. Aleksander Barkov picked up the secondary assist and tied Olli Jokinen for second all-time in franchise history with his 419th point. 

     The Cats continued the momentum and increased their lead to 4-1 with 5:05 to go. Carter Verhaeghe went into the right corner for the puck. He sent a rink-side pass and it went off the skate of a Lightning defender in the low slot and into the cage for his team-high seventh goal of the season. Wennberg and Ekblad were both credited with assists on the goal. 

     The Bolts responded on the power play just 54 seconds into the third period and trailed 4-2. Victor Hedman made a feed from center ice. Point raced down the right wing and and fired a high snap shot into the roof of the Panthers cage for his second tally of the contest and sixth of the campaign.  

     The Lightning decided to pull their goalie for an extra attacker with over three minutes remaining. It resulted in an empty-net goal by Brett Connolly with one minute left and a Panthers 5-2 lead.      

Former Marlins Signs Contracts

     Several former Miami Marlins will be playing elsewhere for the 2021 MLB season. Some of them signed minor league deals and will compete for a major league spot in spring training camp. 

     Relief pitcher Brandon Kintzler and outfielder Matt Joyce both agreed to deals with the Philadelphia Phillies. Relief pitcher Steve Cishek, who played for the Chicago White Sox in 2020, will attempt to make the Houston Astros roster.        

Marlins Signing Adam Duvall

     The Miami Marlins will be signing outfielder Adam Duvall to a contract. It is expected to be a two-year deal. 

     Duvall played the last three seasons with the Atlanta Braves and helped them to two straight National League East Division titles. He had his best numbers with them in the short 2020 season with 16 home runs, 33 runs batted in and an .833 OPS. 

     He was with the Cincinnati Reds from 2015 to 2018. Duvall had a career-high 33 homers and 103 runs batted in during the 2016 campaign. 

Heat Sweep Knicks

     The Miami Heat slipped by the New York Knicks 98-96 at American Airlines Arena on Tuesday night. It was the second game of a home-and-home series between both teams. 

     The Heat finally got their first three-game winning streak this season. Miami Heat radio play-by-play announcer Mike Inglis missed just his third game since 1998 and Jonathan Zaslow filled in. for him.

     Miami(10-14) jumped out to an 20-9 lead in the first seven minutes and were up 27-25 at the end of one quarter. New York(11-15) went on a 17-3 spurt to start the second quarter and had a 12=point margin, however the Heat came back and led 57-55 at halftime. 

     The Knicks controlled the third and led 82-76 at the end of the quarter. It came down to the final stretch of the fourth quarter. Tyler Herro nailed a three-point shot with 1:04 remaining to give the Heat a 97-96 advantage.

     Jimmy Butler put together a double-double for Miami with 26 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. Kelly Olynyk scored a season-high 20 points while Bam Adebayo drained in 19 points. 

     Elfrid Payton led New York with 18 points and Julius Randle added 12 points. Derrick Rose made his Knicks debut and had 14 points in 20 minutes. 

Panthers Defeat Red Wings

     The Florida Panthers edged the Detroit Red Wings 2-1 on Tuesday night at BB&T Center. The Panthers are now 10-1-1 in their last 12 contests against the Red Wings. It was the second game of a two-game set between both clubs. 

     Detroit(3-9-2) moved ahead 1-0 at the 3:31 mark of the first period. Dylan Larkin carried the puck through the high slot and passed to Filip Zadina in the low left circle. His wrist shot went by Sergei Bobrovsky for his first tally of the year. Larkin leads the Red Wings with a team-high 10 points. 

     Florida(7-1-2) tied it up 1-1 with 4:06 left in the first. Patric Hornqvist bounced a pass off the end wall to Jonathan Huberdeau on the left of the crease. He centered a backhand pass and Alex Wennberg one-timed a shot from the top of the crease past Thomas Greiss for his second straight game with a goal. Hubedeau compiled his 450th NHL point on the play. 

     In the second period, the Panthers got a 2-1 lead on a power-play goal. Huberdeau sent the puck from the top left circle to Aaron Ekblad on the right point. His slap shot was deflected in by Hornqvist in the crease area. Hornqvist tied Carter Verhaeghe with his club-high sixth goal this season while Huberdeau picked up his team-high 14th point of the campaign. 

Meadowlark Media On National Podcast List

     Meadowlark Media appeared on the Barrett Sports Media top 20 list of sports podcasts in the United States. Dan Le Batard and his organization of numerous podcasts were a part of ESPN Audio during 2020. He and his co-horts were employed at ESPN until January 4. 

     South Beach Sessions with Le Batard as the main interviewer finished 10th. Stupodity with Stugotz ended up in 18th place. 

Local Players Win Super Bowl

     Several local players who helped the Tampa Bay Buccaneers win Super Bowl LV against the Kansas City Chiefs had played high school football in South Florida. The Buccaneers defeated the Chiefs 31-9 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on Sunday. 

     Linebacker Jason Pierre-Paul was once with the Deerfield Beach Bucks and wide receiver Antonio Brown participated with the Miami Norland Vikings. Defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh was previously with the Miami Dolphins from 2015 to 2017. 

Panthers Surprised By Red Wings

     The Florida Panthers fell to the Detroit Red Wings 4-1 on Sunday at BB&T Center. The Panthers finally lost a game in regulation after eight games since the start of the 2020-21 regular season. The Red Wings were able to snap an eight-game winless streak. 

     Florida had won eight consecutive games against the Red Wings. The Cats were unbeaten versus Detroit in their last 10 contests. 

     After a scoreless first period, Detroit(3-8-2) scored at 2:58 of the second period. Troy Stecher fired a shot from the top of the zone that bounced off Sam Gagner in the crease. Marc Staal came in and flicked a backhand shot by Chris Driedger for his first goal in a Red Wings uniform. It was Sam Gagner's first point of the season after seven games. 

     The Red Wings added to their lead 2-0 with 2:58 remaining in the second. Keith Yandle lost the puck in front of his own cage. Bobby Ryan backhanded it through the crease and Givani Smith tapped it in from the blue paint for his first tally of the year. 

     In the third period, Florida(6-1-2) cut it to 2-1 at the 2:09 mark. Frank Vatrano make a pass from the right wing up to Anton Stralman on the right point. His slap shot was deflected in by Alex Wennberg from the low slot past Thomas Greiss for his first goal in the Panthers jersey. 

     It became a two-goal margin agin for Detroit at 9:11 of the third. Stecher connected a pass from the right side to Smith in the high slot area. His snap shot was saved, however Robby Fabbri smacked in the puck from the top of the crease. Vladislav Namestnikov scored an empty-net goal with 2:42 left after the Panthers pulled their goalie for an extra attacker. 

Heat Outlast Knicks

     The Miami Heat got by the New York Knicks 109-103 at Madison Square Garden on Sunday. Both teams will face each other on Tuesday night in Miami. The Heat now have a 6-2 record when playing on the day of the Super Bowl. 

     New York(11-14) begin the contest on a 13-4 spurt, however the Heat led 25-23 at the end of one quarter. The game stayed close during the second quarter as Miami(0-14) had a 60-59 lead at halftime. 

     Neither club could put some distance between them in the third quarter and the Knicks trailed 82-77 going into the fourth. The Heat went on a 15-9 run in the last five minutes of the contest to take the victory. 

     Miami was led by Bam Adebayo with 24 points along with 11 rebounds for a double-double. Jimmy Butler fell short of a triple-double with 17 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. Kendrick Nunn and Tyler Herro both dropped in 16 points each while Kelly Olynyk drained in 15 points. 

     Julius Randle had a double-double of 26 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists for New York. Reggie Bullock scored 21 points and Alec Burks had 13 points. 

Jonathan Zaslow Miami Heat Radio Voice

     Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM midday co-host Jonathan Zaslow will take the place of Miami Heat radio play-by-play voice Mike Inglis this week. He will fill in for Inglis on the Miami Heat Radio Network and announce play-by-play for the Heat home game against the New York Knicks on Tuesday night alongside game analyst Ruth Riley Hunter.

     Inglis has missed just two games since becoming the Miami Heat radio voice. He joined the Heat organization in 1998 and replaced  David Halberstam as their radio play-by-play announcer. 

     Zaslow has been a studio co-host with Tommy Tighe on the Miami Heat Radio Network since the 2010-11 season. He has been the midday co-host with Amber Wilson on The Ticket since August 2019. He joined that radio station in 2004 and was elevated to morning co-host in August 2012. 

Heat Pound Wizards

     The Miami Heat hosted the Washington Wizards in the second contest of a two-game set and easily handled them 122-95 at American Airlines Arena on Friday night. It completed a five-game homestand for the Heat. 

     Miami(8-14) started off with a 19-11 spurt and were up 40-27 at the end of the first quarter. The Heat continued to pull away and led 71-43 at halftime. Washington(5-14) could not come closer during the third quarter and trailed 106-70. 
     Kendrick Nunn chalked up 25 points along with eight rebounds for the Heat and Bam Adebayo added 21 points. Kelly Olynyk and Tyler Herro both scored 17 points each. 

     Russell Westbrook returned to the lineup and contributed 13 points for the Wizards. Alex Len had a team-high 18 points for them. 

Panthers Cut Off Predators

     The Florida Panthers continued their season-high, six-game homestand on Friday night and held off the Nashville Predators 2-1 at BB&T Center. The Panthers have accumulated at least one point in their first eight games of the 2020-21 regular season. 

     Nashville(5-6-0) drew first blood at the 4:04 mark of the first period. Ryan Ellis forwarded a pass to Roman Josi in the neutral zone. He carried the puck into the Panthers zone and angled a pass to his right. Colton Sissons raced through the slot and softly put a wrist shot by Chris Driedger for his second goal this year. Josi and Ellis both extended their point streak to four games each. 

     Florida(6-0-2) evened it up 1-1 at 5:58 of the second period. Owen Tippett moved the puck out from the right corner to Carter Verhaeghe in the right circle. He sent a diagonal pass to Aleksander Barkov to the left of the crease and he lifted a snap shot past Pekka Rinne. Barkov scored his third goal in the last four contests. It was the first NHL assist for Tippett. 

     It became 2-1 for the Panthers with 4:29 remaining in the second period. MacKenzie Weegar put forward a pass to Verhaeghe in the right circle. He sent a cross-ice pass to Barkov and he returned it to him for an open-net goal. Barkov got his seventh point in the last four games. 

Len Weiner Makes National Program Director List

     Len Weiner showed up in the Barrett Sports Media top 25 program director list for sports radio stations in the United States. He ended up in 21st place for 2020. Weiner finished 25th in 2018 and 21st in 2019.  

     Weiner is the program director for 560 The Joe WQAM-AM and Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM. He has been with The Ticket since March 2014 and The Ticket since February 2018. 

Paul Mason On Program Director List

     Former West Palm Beach program director Paul Mason appeared on the list of the Barrett Sports Media top 20 mid-market sports program directors in the country. He finished 13th in 2020 while at 104.3 The Zone WGFX-FM in Nashville. Mason has programmed there since May 2020.  

     Mason, a University of Cincinnati grad, was the program director at Fox Sports 640 South Florida WMEN-AM and 850 WFTL-AM from March 2017 to April 2020. He hired on-air talent for WMEN-AM which included Kevin Rolston, Andy Slater and Chris Kokell during his reign. That radio station also got the Florida Atlantic University radio broadcast rights in 2019 and wrestled it away from their local competitor ESPN West Palm 106.3 WUUB-FM. 

Predators Power By Huberdeau Hat Trick

     Jonathan Huberdeau scored his first career hat trick and compiled five points as the Florida Panthers were outscored by the Nashville Predators 6-5 in overtime on Thursday night at BB&T Center. The Panthers began a six-game homestand, their longest of the 2020-21 campaign. Both teams will meet again in Sunrise tomorrow night. 

     The Panthers extended their point streak to seven games since the beginning of the season. Sergei Bobrovsky made his 500th NHL start in net. 

     Florida(5-0-2) quickly got on the scoreboard at 1:28 of the first period to make it 1-0. Huberdeau raced down the ice into the offensive zone, through the slot area on a breakaway and placed a forehand shot by Juuse Saros for his second goal of the year. Huberdeau increased his point streak to three games. 

     Nashville(5-5-0) evened it up 1-1 on a power-play goal at the 9:02 mark. Filip Forsberg passed the puck from the right wing to Ryan Ellis on right point. He returned it and Forsberg put in a snap shot from the top right circle for his fifth goal of the season. 

     The Panthers reclaimed the lead 2-1 with 9:51 left in the first period. Patric Hornqvist sent it from the end wall to the left circle. Markus Nutivaara powered a one-time slap shot and Huberdeau deflected the puck from the crease area.. 

      The Predators responded with 4:12 remaining to tie it 2-2. Forsberg brought the puck to the slot area, angled a pass to his left and Calle Jarnkrok scored from the low slot past Bobrovsky. 

     In the second period, the Cats went up 3-2 with the man advantage just 54 seconds in. Aleksander Barkov avoided a check in the low left circle and sent a cross-ice pass through the crease. Aaron Ekblad released a wrist shot from the right of the crease for his third tally of the campaign. 

     It was matched by Nashville at the 6:50 mark. Forsberg carried the puck into the right circle and passed it to his left. Matt Duchene tapped the puck into the cage from the low slot. 

     Florida scored their second power-play goal at 8:01 for a 4-3 lead. Keith Yandle was at the top of the zone and moved it to Huberdeau above the left circle. He connected a diagonal pass to Barkov in the low right circle and he roofed a snap shot. Barkov passed Scott Mellanby for second place in Panthers franchise history with his 158th goal. 

     The Panthers expanded their lead to 5-3 with 4:06 to go in the second. There was loose puck in the high slot area. Huberdeau sprinted in and fired a slap shot for the hat trick and fourth goal of the season. Hornqvist and MacKenzie Weegar were credited with assists on the play. Huberdeau tied Pavel Bure with his 152nd goal for fourth all-time in Panthers history. 

     The Preds kept it close in the third period by pulling their goalie with 2:32 left. Mattias Ekholm fed a short pass from the blue line and Roman Josi blasted a one-slap shot from the right point with 2:06 remaining to trail 5-4. 

     The Panthers were given a penalty for delay of game after questioning a high stick on the scoring play and Nashville had another power play. They again pulled the goalie for an extra attacker and tied it 5-5 with 56.8 seconds left. A shot went through traffic in the slot area which Bobrovsky saved, however Duchene put in the rebound from the right of the crease for his second goal of the game. 

     Nashville got the 6-5 victory with 1:00 to go in overtime. Forsberg poked the puck from Alexander Wennberg in the neutral zone, went on a breakaway and slipped in a wrist shot from close range. It was the first five-point for Forsberg in his NHL career. 

Chris Russell Gets Afternoon Show

     Former local sportscaster Chris Russell has been added to The Team 980 WTEM-AM in Washington D.C. as an afternoon co-host with Pete Medhurst. Russell went by the name Chris Russo when he worked for CBS Sportsline.com in Fort Lauderdale as an executive producer and sports host. He had to change his name when he reached national status to not be confused with talk show host Chris Russo of WFAN-AM and later Sirius XM Radio. 

     Russell left South Florida and returned to Buffalo as a sports host, sports anchor and producer at WGR-AM. It led to him to become a sports host at several national sports radio networks which included Sportsfan Radio Network, One-On-One Sports and Sporting News Radio. 

     He moved on to Washington D.C. and settled working at two different radio stations. Russo was a sports reporter and fill-in host at WJFK-FM. He then joined WTEM-AM as the Washington Redskins Radio Network studio host and team reporter. Russo has continued to cover the Washington Football Team over the last several years with Monument Network, Locked On Washington Football Team Podcast and Sports Illustrated.com. 

Hochman And Crowder Make Afternoon Show List

     Marc Hochman and Channing Crowder made the Barrett Sports Media top 25 list for local afternoon sports shows in the United States. Hochman and Crowder, who are simulcast on 560 The Joe WQAM-AM and Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM, ended up in 25th place.

     The program did previously appear on the top 25 list for afternoon sports radio shows. They finished 19th in 2017.

     There were other former Miami on-air sports talent that showed up on the 2020 list. Scott Kaplan of XEPRS-AM in San Diego was in 20th place while Jorge Sedano of KSPN-AM in Los Angeles was in 21st place. 

Wizards Slip By Heat

     The Miami Heat continued their six-game homestand with and lost to the Washington Wizards 103-100 on Wednesday night at American Airlines Arena. The Heat have fallen in seven of their last eight games. Both clubs will meet each other in the same venue on Friday. 

     Miami(7-14) had a 34-31 advantage after one quarter and led 65-55 by halftime. Washington(5-13) cut into the deficit during the third quarter and trailed 82-77. The Wizards went on a 19-9 run at the start of the fourth quarter to get the lead. Both teams were tied 98-98 with 3:00 left and then Washington had a 5-2 spurt to conclude the contest. 

     Tyler Herro scored a team-high 20 points for the Heat. Bam Adebayo compiled a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Jimmy Butler had 19 points, nine assists and eight rebounds to fall short of a double-double. 

     The Wizards were led by Bradley Beal with a game-high 32 points along with nine rebounds. Deni Avdija contributed 13 points in the win. 

National Signing Day Dade County 2021

     It was national signing day for Dade County high school football players on Wednesday. They were fewer signings on Wednesday due to large amount of athletes throughout Dade County that made their decisions on early national signing day back in December. 

National Signing Day Broward County 2021

     Broward County high school students made their decisions for national signing day on Wednesday. Many high school football players had made their choices during early national signing day in December. 

     Charleston Southern loaded up with several Broward County players. They included American Heritage defensive back Boogsie Silvera along with American Heritage wide receiver/running back/quarterback Vinson Davis III. Both of them helped the Patriots win their first state title since 2017. Deerfield Beach defensive back Jared Moorer, who once played for Spanish River and Boca Raton, also selected Charleston Southern. 

     The FHSAA Class 7A state champion St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders also had a couple of players decide. Defensive back Isaiah Taylor will go across the country to Arizona. He is the son of former Miami Dolphins defensive end and current St. Thomas Aquinas defensive coach Jason Taylor. Raiders defensive back Kellen Madison choose Butler. STA defensive back Jarin Davis moves on to Yonngstown State and offensive lineman Marco Fugar decided on Notre Dame College. 

     Cardinal Gibbons, the FHSAA Class 4A state champions, had several players select a school. Quarterback Brody Palhegyi signed with Tusculum while wide receiver Bryson Williams and defensive lineman Jertavis Black went with Keiser University. Defensive back Corde St. Louis picked St. Thomas University.

     Chaminade-Madonna defensive back Michael Edwards choose Ferris State, Chaminade-Madonna quarterback Jaylon Tolbert went with Howard and former University School and eventual Tru Prep Academy kicker John Cannon decided on South Florida. Western had defensive lineman Anthony Coaxum go with Carson-Newman while Carter Davis headed for New Mexico Military. South Plantation wide receiver Evan Saifman committed to Warner. 

National Signing Day Palm Beach County 2021

     It was national signing day for Palm Beach County athletes on Wednesday. Students from Palm Beach County have usually waited to sign in February instead of early national signing day in December for the past two years. Six prominent Palm Beach County football players made their decisions back in December. 

     Glades Central had the largest amount of people sign. The Raiders going to St. Thomas University in Miami are Jaheim Humphries, Leslie Straker, Omarion Royes, Tyrone Miles, Reginald Baldwin, Ronathan Edwards, Other players signing included Desmond Washington(Iowa Central), Jacob Camacho(Keiser), Kevon'Tey Fowler(Iowa Central), Keon'Tey Fowler(Talerton) and Jose Garcia(Glenville State). 

     The South Florida Tri-County Class 7A  Champion (gold bracket) Atlantic Eagles also had a slew of individuals sign and go to the next level. Florida Atlantic University was able to ink Jeremiah McClendon and Jahbari Hill. Other Eagles who signed were Guenson Alexis(Wagner), Montahj Joseph(New Mexico Military), Tyler Burke(Tusculum), Zyin Thomas(Central Florida), Antoine Williams(New Mexico Military), Christian Thomas(Tennessee Tech) and Jaylin Hunter(Keiser) and Jabari Christie(Keiser). 

     The American Heritage Stallions had several players sign. They included Mathew Hall(Boldwin) Earl Miller(South Dakota), Bobby Salla(Temple) and Levi Johnson(Lake Erie). 

     Keiser University got several football players to stay in Palm Beach County. It included Chance Gagnon(Dwyer), Wyatt Brooks(Dwyer), Jordan Jean(John I. Leonard), Joey Schmidt(Benjamin) and Tanyan Richardson(Palm Beach Gardens), Yosbany Gonzalez(Seminole Ridge) and Paul Saget( Palm Beach Central). 

     There were several other students who signed to play college football. Christian Orth of Jupiter went with Morehead State while Kedon Davis of Palm Beach Gardens choose Concord. Two Palm Beach Lakers players make their decisions with Donovan Hoilette going to Richmond and Jaheim Shannon heading to Alabama State.

Jorge Sedano And Scott Kaplan Radio Show

     Two former Miami radio sportscasters will combine together and co-host a Los Angeles sports radio program. Jorge Sedano and Scott Kaplan will co-host the afternoon shift at 710 ESPN Los Angeles KSPN-AM as of February 8. LZ Granderson will be the third co-host on that show. 

     Kaplan, a Coral Springs High School and University of Pittsburgh grad, worked at 560 WQAM as a sports anchor back in the late 1990s. He joined CBS Sportsline.com in Fort Lauderdale to co-host a morning show with Sid Rosenberg. 

     After a short stint at WNEW-FM in New York City, Kaplan has spent the past 21 years on the San Diego radio airwaves. He has hosted afternoons with his pre-recorded podcast on XEPRS-AM in San Diego since August and will continue to hold that position. Kaplan showed up for a two-week trial with KSPN-AM in July and was given the evening shift at that station in August. 

     Sedano, a Florida International University grad, had on-air stints at several Miami radio stations from August 1999 to August 2013. His stops included 1700 The Fan WAFN-AM, Fox Sports Radio 940 WINZ-AM, News Radio 610 WIOD-AM, Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM and Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM. He also was an overnight host at Fox Sports Radio and studio host on the Miami Heat Radio Network. 

     He has worked at ESPN since September 2013 and had been at KSPN-AM for the past five years. Sedano began co-hosting the morning shift with Granderson and Keyshawn Johnson from September 2016 to September 2018. He was shifted to afternoon drive in September 2018 and moved to evenings in September 2019. Sedano was placed on the late morning show from February 2020 to August 2020. He has co-hosted the afternoon program with Granderson since August 2020. Sedano will continue his numerous broadcasting duties at ESPN. 

Roberto Luongo Hockey Canada Assistant General Manager

     Florida Panthers hockey executive Roberto Luongo has been named assistant general manager for Hockey Canada. They will participate in the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China. 

     Luongo was with the Canadian national team for three Olympic games in 2006, 2010 and 2014. He won two goal medals in 2010 and 2014. He is most known for being the starting goalie for Canada when they defeated the United States in overtime in the 2010 Winter Olympics gold-medal game at Vancouver.

     He did have two stints as a player with the Florida Panthers. Luongo is the club all-time leader in most goalie categories. 

Kevin Rogers Steps Into Panthers Play-By-Play Role

     Florida Panthers Radio Network studio host Kevin Rogers had to step in and call the third period of the Panthers game at the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday night. It was a tough situation for him to announce play-by-play of the game without any notice and preparation. 

     Panthers radio play-by-play announcer Doug Plagens and game analyst Bill Lindsay had broadcast most of the contest from the team broadcast booth at BB&T Center in Sunrise. There was a wifi issue at the arena that prevented the continuous transmission of the game broadcast. 

Marlins On Magazine Covers

     The annual baseball magazines were issued in the past week. Several Miami Marlins did appear on the cover of several magazines. 

     Pitcher Sandy Alcantara was on the cover of Lindy's Sports magazine. Athlon Sports ended up with pitcher Sixto Sanchez on their magazine cover. 

Dolphins Get Offensive Coordinators

     The Miami Dolphins will have two people in the position of offensive coordinator for the 2021 NFL season. The co-offensive coordinators will be George Godsey and Eric Studesville. They take over for Chan Gailey who was the Dolphins offensive coordinator over the last three years. 

     Godsey was promoted from being the Dolphins quarterbacks coach. He was the Houston Texans offensive coordinator in 2015 and 2016. Godsey joined the Dolphins organization as a tight ends coach.  

     Studesville was elevated from the Dolphins running backs coach. He has been an NFL offensive coach every NFL season since 1997. 

Craig Mish Joining Miami Herald

     The Miami Herald has added Craig Mish as a senior baseball contributor. He will co-host the Fish Bytes podcast with Miami Marlins beat writer Jordan McPherson and co-write a Marlins column with Barry Jackson. 

     He will still continue his other numerous positions. Mish hosts a two-hour midday show at SportsGrid Radio on SiriusXM Radio, announces the Swings and Mishes podcast and works as a Major League Baseball Network on-air contributor.

     Mish had been employed at several Miami media outlets for over the last 22 years. He was a producer, sports anchor and sports host at 1700 The Fan WAFN-AM from September 1999 to December 2000. Mish had a ten-year tenure as a reporter, fill-in host and executive producer of Miccosukee Sports Rap on Fox Sports Net Florida and Fox Sports Florida from 2000 until 2010. 

     He was a weekend host at Sports Radio 560 WQAM-AM for a couple of years during the mid 2000s. Mish moved on to Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM and became a weekend host from June 2008 to January 2016. 

Joe Rose Selected Among Local Morning Shows

     The Joe Rose Show on 560 The Joe WQAM-AM showed up among the Barrett Sports Media top 25 local morning sports talk programs in the United States. The show consists of Joe Rose, Zach Krantz and "Hollywood" Danny Rabinowitz.

     It ended up in 23rd place during 2020. Previous results had the Joe Rose Show 18th in 2016, 16th in 2017, 24th in 2018 and 22nd in 2019. 

Dan Le Batard On National Sports Show List

     The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz appeared fourth overall on the Barrett Sports Media top 20 list of national sports talk radio programs throughout the United States in 2020. It was their sixth straight time that they made the list. They finished fourth in 2016, third in 2017, third in 2018 and third in 2019. 

     It may be the last time that The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz will show up again in this specific category. Le Batard formed Meadowlark Media along with John Skipper last month. 

     His radio program, which started on ESPN Radio in September 2013, was shifted from the midday shift to the late morning shift in August 2020 and lost one hour of airtime. Le Batard finished his reign at ESPN Radio on January 4. 

     Some former South Florida radio talent also appeared again on the annual list. The Herd with Colin Cowherd and on-air sidekick/sports anchor Joy Taylor finished in first place again. Taylor once worked at 560 WQAM-AM and Sports Talk 790 The Ticket WAXY-AM prior to going to the national stage. 

     Former 560 WQAM-AM sports host Damon Amendolara was listed. His CBS Sports Radio morning program The D.A. Show rose from 12th place in 2019 to 10th place in 2020. 

     Current ESPN West Palm 106.3 WUUB-FM afternoon host Evan Cohen showed up again on the Barrett Sports Media list. His Morning Men Show with Mike Babchik at Mad Dog Radio on SiriusXM Radio ended up in 13th place and was an improvement from 19th place in 2019. 

Hornets Buzz By Heat

     The Miami Heat fell to the Charlotte Hornets 129-121 in overtime at American Airlines Arena on Monday night. The Heat have lost six of their last seven contests. 

     Miami(7-13) started on a 20-9 spurt and led by only 29-28 after one quarter. The Heat were able to stay in front 57-54 at halftime. Charlotte(10-11) overtook Miami in the final minutes of the third quarter and were up 88-82. The game would go into overtime with both teams tied at 113-113. The Hornets had a 10-2 run in the first four minutes of the extra session. 

     Two Miami players fell short of a double-double. Jimmy Butler had 25 points and nine rebounds while Bam Adebayo compiled 23 points and nine rebounds. Max Strus dropped in 19 points and Duncan Robinson poured in 14 points. 

     Malik Monk came off the bench for Charlotte and scored a game-high 36 points. Devonte' Graham had 24 points in the victory for the Hornets. Gordon Hayward and Cody Zellner both contributed 14 points each. 

Marlins Trade Jordan Yamamoto

     The Miami Marlins have traded pitcher Joran Yamamoto to the New York Mets for infielder Federico Polanco. Yamamoto was acquired by the Marlins for Christian Yelich in a five-player deal back in January 2018. 

     Yamamoto played in the last two seasons on the Marlin major league roster. He was 4-5 and pitched 78 2/3 innings in 15 starts with the Fish in 2019. Yamamoto only made four appearances during the 2020 campaign and finished 0-1 with an 18.26 earned-run-average.  

     Polanco can play three positions on the infield. He has participated in the Mets minor league system since the 2018 season. 

Michael Hill Joins Major League Baseball

     Former Miami Marlins baseball executive Michael Hill has been hired by Major League Baseball. He will hold the title of senior vice president of on-field operations. 

     Hill was the Miami Marlins president of baseball operations until October 2020. He joined the Florida Marlins in 2002 and was promoted to general manager of the franchise in September 2013. The club made two postseason appearances and won the 2003 World Series during his long tenure.