[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.