Adebayo scores 83 points and Italy stuns Team USA in WBC upset

[00:00] Noah Feldman: This is Neural Newscast for Thursday, March 12th, 2026. [00:05] Announcer: The day's essential stories reported with clarity and focus. [00:10] Noah Feldman: From Neural Newscast, I'm Noah Feldman. [00:13] Announcer: And I'm Isabel Marino. [00:15] Noah Feldman: Miami Heat Center, Bam Atabayo, made history Tuesday night by scoring 83 points in a 150-129 victory over the Washington Wizards. [00:27] Noah Feldman: This performance represents the second-highest single-game scoring total in NBA history, [00:33] Noah Feldman: surpassed only by Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game in 1962. [00:39] Announcer: Atabio surpassed Kobe Bryant's 81-point mark by setting new league records for both free-throw attempts and completions, [00:48] Announcer: hitting 36 of 43 shots from the line. [00:51] Announcer: The 28-year-old three-time all-star more than doubled his previous career high of 41 points during the historic performance. [01:00] Noah Feldman: The achievement is being viewed as a statistical anomaly for a player known primarily for defensive prowess and secondary scoring. [01:08] Noah Feldman: NBA players across the league have expressed disbelief at the scoring output, [01:14] Noah Feldman: which came during a standard mid-season game against a struggling wizard's defense. [01:19] Announcer: The Heat now move into a stronger position in the Eastern Conference standings [01:24] Announcer: as they approach the postseason. [01:27] Announcer: This performance resets the ceiling for modern individual scoring [01:31] Announcer: in an era where offensive efficiency continues to climb toward historic league-wide highs. [01:37] Noah Feldman: Turning now to international baseball, Italy stunned the United States with an 8-6 victory [01:44] Noah Feldman: Tuesday in the World Baseball Classic. [01:47] Noah Feldman: Despite home runs from Pete Crowe Armstrong and Gunner Henderson, the American rally fell [01:53] Noah Feldman: short when Greg Weissert struck out Aaron Judge to end the game. [01:57] Announcer: The loss leaves the United States needing specific outcomes to avoid elimination from [02:02] Announcer: pool play in Houston. [02:04] Announcer: For the American team to reach the quarterfinals, they now require Italy to defeat Mexico on Wednesday night. [02:11] Announcer: Otherwise, the advancement will be decided by a run-allowed tiebreaker. [02:16] Noah Feldman: Meanwhile, in Tokyo, defending champion Japan completed an unbeaten run through the group stage by defeating the Czech Republic 9-0. [02:25] Noah Feldman: Munataka Murakami captained nine-run eighth inning with a grand slam, securing Japan's spot in a Saturday quarterfinal match in Miami. [02:34] Announcer: The Czech team, comprised largely of part-time players, including a neurologist manager and [02:40] Announcer: an electrician pitcher, finished winless but gained international attention. [02:45] Announcer: Japan rested Shohei Otani for the contest as they prepare to fly to Miami for the knockout [02:51] Announcer: rounds. [02:52] Noah Feldman: In other news, Canada and Israel secured narrow victories in their respective groups as [02:59] Noah Feldman: opening round play continues. [03:01] Noah Feldman: Canada beat Puerto Rico 3-2 to remain in contention, [03:06] Noah Feldman: while Israel defeated the Netherlands 6-2 in a matchup of teams already eliminated from the tournament. [03:14] Announcer: Turning now to professional football, a major trade between the Las Vegas Raiders and the Baltimore Ravens has been cancelled. [03:23] Announcer: Superstar pass rusher Max Crosby failed his physical examination, [03:28] Announcer: nullifying the deal that would have sent him to Baltimore for the 2026 season. [03:34] Noah Feldman: Crosby's agent released a statement claiming the player is actually ahead of schedule [03:40] Noah Feldman: in his recovery from previous knee surgery. [03:44] Noah Feldman: Despite the failed physical, analysts expect the Raiders to continue exploring trade options for Crosby as the off-season progresses. [03:55] Announcer: Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers moved into fourth place in the Western Conference with a 120-106 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. [04:03] Announcer: Luca Donchich led the effort with a triple double, recording 31 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists in the victory. [04:11] Noah Feldman: Off the court, Donchich announced his separation from his fiancée and confirmed he will seek custody of his two daughters in Slovenia. [04:22] Noah Feldman: On the scoreboard, the Lakers now hold the tiebreaker over the Timberwolves as both teams sit at 40 wins and 25 losses. [04:32] Announcer: Still with the NBA, the league has canceled a planned promotion between the Atlanta Hawks and a local club. [04:40] Announcer: Celtics player Luke Cornett publicly argued that the partnership was inappropriate, leading [04:46] Announcer: the league office to scrap the event entirely. [04:49] Noah Feldman: Cornett, WHO has recently begun writing about league governance, stated that he believed [04:55] Noah Feldman: the decision was the appropriate course of action. [04:58] Noah Feldman: It marks a rare instance of a role player successfully influencing league-wide promotional policy through direct advocacy. [05:06] Announcer: In collegiate sports, Utah Valley State has resolved a legal dispute with the Western Athletic Conference that threatened their postseason play. [05:15] Announcer: The conflict centered on the school's planned departure for the Big West Conference next year. [05:21] Noah Feldman: Participation in the upcoming tournament was only secured after the school verified a $1 million escrow payment late Tuesday afternoon. [05:32] Noah Feldman: Both the men's and women's basketball teams are now cleared to compete for a spot in the NCAA tournament. [05:41] Announcer: Here is what else we're watching. [05:44] Announcer: In the World Baseball Classic, Italy faces Mexico tonight. [05:48] Announcer: The outcome determines whether the United States advances to the quarter-finals or faces an early exit from the tournament. [05:57] Noah Feldman: In European soccer, Manchester City travels to face Real Madrid in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16. [06:06] Noah Feldman: This high-profile matchup kicks off at 4 p.m. Eastern and features two of the favorites to win the title. [06:14] Announcer: Finally, we are tracking BYU Phenom AJ Danza in the Big 12 tournament. [06:19] Announcer: Following a 40-point performance on Tuesday, the young star looks to leave his team deeper into the bracket [06:26] Announcer: as the path to the national tournament narrows. [06:29] Noah Feldman: This has been Neural Newscast. I'm Noah Feldman. [06:32] Announcer: And I'm Isabel Marino. [06:35] Announcer: Neural Newscast is AI-assisted, human-reviewed. [06:39] Announcer: View our AI Transparency Policy at neuralnewscast.com. [06:44] Announcer: Thanks for listening.