Blackhawks - Blue Jackets

The Chicago Blackhawks hope to continue their recent success over the Columbus Blue Jackets as they try to remain in the Western Conference playoff race.

The Blackhawks look for a third consecutive road victory over the struggling Blue Jackets as the teams meet Wednesday night.

Chicago (36-32-8) rallied for a 4-3 overtime victory at home over St. Louis on Sunday to keep its playoff hopes alive. The Blackhawks, 3-1-1 since losing four in a row, are six points out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the West with six games remaining.

On Sunday, James Wisniewski tied the game with 55 seconds left in regulation, then assisted on Patrick Kane’s winner for the Blackhawks, who haven’t been to the playoffs since 2002.

“They know what it takes to win, to battle,” Chicago coach Denis Savard said. “Whether we get there (the playoffs) or not, they’ll prove a lot of people wrong.”

Two of Chicago’s six games will be against Columbus (33-32-11), which has lost three straight contests and is three points behind the Blackhawks.

Though the teams have each won three games in the season series, Chicago has dominated in the two most recent contests between the teams—both in Columbus— outscoring the Blue Jackets 13-5.

Kane, who also added an assist Sunday for Chicago, has two goals and an assist in the last two games versus the Blue Jackets. Kane has 47 assists, and his next one will give him the team’s rookie single-season record.

Fellow rookie Dustin Byfuglien, who also had a goal Sunday, has three of his four goals against the Blue Jackets in the teams’ last two meetings.

Seattle snaps 11-game skid

During any lull in the action, the chant of “Save Our Sonics!” began its crescendo, until it seemed the entire building was chanting at times.

Timeouts, dead balls, it didn’t matter. Even during free throws, as Seattle’s Kevin Durant found out.

“Messed me up a little bit,” Durant said. “But I heard them and that’s something I love. The crowd was into it tonight and that shows they’re going to stick behind us.”

Durant scored 23 points and the SuperSonics snapped their 11-game losing streak with a 97-84 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night.

But the overwhelming tone of this night was the future of the Sonics and the potential end of the I-5 rivalry with the Blazers.

With Sonics owner Clay Bennett pressing to move his team to Oklahoma City as early as next season, Monday night may have been the final time the longtime rivals faced off just 180 miles apart. The series started in 1970 and the Sonics hold a 98-94 lead.

Beasley and rest of K-State Kiddie Corps beat O.J. Mayo and Southern California 80-67

Please meet the new Fab Five.You all know Michael Beasley. Now, let’s introduce his very capable supporting cast: Bill Walker, Jacob Pullen, Ron Anderson and Dominique Sutton.

Putting their own stamp on what was expected to be a two-man game, Kansas State’s Kiddie Corps carried the Wildcats to their first NCAA tournament win since 1988, beating O.J. Mayo and USC 80-67 in the opening round of the Midwest Regional on Thursday night.

“Everybody was so focused on the individual matchup,” Pullen said. “We just tried to make it into Kansas State winning the game. That’s what we were focused on.”

Beasley overcame early trouble to have another big game, scoring 23 points and grabbing 11 rebounds for the 27th double-double of his brilliant—and likely only—college season. The NBA beckons, after all.

But the 11th-seeded Wildcats (21-11) are used to big things from Beasley. It was his supporting cast that made the difference against No. 6 seed USC (21-12).

Golf analyst David Feherty struck on bike by truck, breaks 3 ribs

Golf analyst David Feherty broke three ribs and punctured his lung when he was hit by a truck while riding his bicycle near his home in Dallas. He expects to be fully recovered in time for the Masters.

Feherty said Friday he was returning from his morning bicycle ride a day earlier when a truck hauling irrigation equipment pinched him into the curb and he was struck by the side mirror.

“He didn’t want to hit the car on the left, so he ran over the cyclist on the right,” Feherty said. “I don’t remember a whole lot about it. There was a lady on the scene quickly, keeping me conscious. The next thing I know, I’m at Baylor Medical Center, the only hospital in the United States that doesn’t have The Golf Channel.”

He then asked who was leading the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Feherty is regarded as golf’s most comical TV analyst, a former European tour winner and Ryder Cup player from Northern Ireland who has been working for CBS Sports since 1997.