Recapping All The Top Weekend Games

No. 10 Michigan State grabbed control of the Big Ten’s men’s basketball race on Sunday with a 77-70 victory over No. 7 Michigan.

The Spartans played smothering defense in the second half in winning for the fifth time this season on the road against a ranked team.

Cassius Winston, who hit 13 of 14 free throws, led all scorers with 27 for Michigan State, which will meet Michigan again in the final game of the regular season.

More college basketball:
No. 1 Duke played on Saturday without Zion Williamson (knee) but avenged its earlier loss to Syracuse by beating the Orange 75-65. Freshman R.J. Barrett scored 30 for the Blue Devils. The crowd at the Carrier Dome of 35,642 set an NCAA on-campus record.

No. 8 North Carolina ended No. 16 Florida State’s winning streak at eight games, pounding the Seminoles 77-59.

No. 13 LSU topped No. 5 Tennessee 82-80, handing the Volunteers their second loss in three games. No. 14 Texas Tech drilled No. 12 Kansas 91-62, practically putting an end to the Jayhawks’ pursuit of a 16th consecutive Big 12 regular-season title.

Golf:
Dustin Johnson shot a 5-under 66 on Sunday to win the WCG-Mexico Championship by five shots over Rory McIlroy. Johnson went in to the final round with a lead of four strokes and never faltered on a course that favored those who are long off the tee. He has won in each of his 12 seasons on the PGA Tour and earned his 20th Tour victory.

Elsewhere:
The NBA’s New York Knicks ended an 18-game home losing streak with a 130-118 victory on Sunday night over the San Antonio Spurs. The NBA record for consecutive defeats at home is 19.

The Denver Nuggets won their fourth straight, defeating the Los Angeles Clippers 123-96.

The Philadelphia Phillies were expected to sign free-agent outfielder Bryce Harper over the weekend, but now the Los Angeles Dodgers are back in the picture. Harper is seeking a 10-year deal worth more than $300 million.

Brad Keselowski fought off a stomach ailment that kept him from Saturday’s practice session and drove to victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday in the Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500. He finished .218 seconds ahead of Martin Truex Jr.

 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman