Category: Sports

San Diego Padres second baseman Jake Cronenworth has been sidelined on the seven-day injured list Tuesday after experiencing concussion symptoms.

To replace Cronenworth on the roster, the Padres brought up infielder Sung-Mun Song from their Triple-A affiliate in El Paso.

The organization has not disclosed details about when the 32-year-old Cronenworth may have suffered the potential head injury. The veteran player has faced challenges at the plate during the early portion of the 2026 season, posting a .144 batting average and .196 slugging percentage with just one home run and four RBIs across 32 games. Throughout his seven-year major league career spanning 813 games, he maintains a .244 batting average.

For the 29-year-old Song, this call-up marks his first opportunity in the major leagues. He joined the Padres organization this past offseason, signing a four-year contract after developing his skills in Korea’s KBO league. An oblique injury initially landed him on the injured list to begin the season, and following his recovery, he was assigned to El Paso where he has performed well, batting .293 with one home run and 15 RBIs over 25 games.

Song wasted no time making his mark, earning his inaugural major league start Tuesday against San Francisco, taking the field at second base while hitting ninth in the batting order.

The Padres made additional roster adjustments Tuesday, bringing back left-handed pitcher Yuki Matsui, 30, from the 15-day injured list where he had been recovering from a groin strain. To make room, they sent lefty Kyle Hart, 33, down to El Paso. Hart compiled a 0-1 record with a 5.40 ERA, issuing six walks while recording 10 strikeouts across 16 2/3 innings in 12 relief outings.

Texas Rangers management announced Tuesday that second baseman Josh Smith will be sidelined for at least 10 days due to a strained right glute muscle.

To fill the roster vacancy, the Rangers brought up infielder Justin Foscue from their Triple-A affiliate Round Rock.

The 28-year-old Smith has struggled at the plate this season, managing a .217 batting average with six RBIs across 31 appearances. He has primarily manned second base in 29 contests while serving as designated hitter twice, after previously rotating between infield and outfield positions in 2025. Throughout his five-year major league career spanning 487 games, Smith maintains a .235 batting average along with 31 home runs and 134 RBIs.

Foscue, age 27, brings limited big league experience with just 19 major league appearances over the past two seasons since Texas selected him 14th overall in the 2020 MLB Draft. His major league numbers show a .059 batting average with three RBIs. However, he has performed well at Round Rock this season, posting a .287 average with two home runs and 14 RBIs through 30 games.

The Chicago White Sox completed a trade Tuesday, bringing in veteran pitcher Trevor Richards from the Philadelphia Phillies for cash considerations.

To make room on their 40-man roster for Richards, the White Sox moved pitcher Drew Thorpe to the 60-day injured list.

The 32-year-old Richards posted impressive numbers during his brief stint with Philadelphia this season, recording a 2.08 ERA across 4 1/3 innings in two relief outings. At the Triple-A level with Lehigh Valley, he compiled a 1-0 record and 1.93 ERA through nine games.

Throughout his major league career, Richards has accumulated a 24-28 record with a 4.52 ERA spanning 297 games (including 61 starts) across eight different organizations. The White Sox represent his sixth team just since the beginning of the 2024 season.

Chicago must still make an additional roster adjustment to activate Richards for their 26-man active roster. The team faces the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday evening.

The 25-year-old Thorpe remains in recovery following Tommy John surgery that was performed in March 2025.

Tuesday’s baseball matchup between the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium was called off due to anticipated rainfall throughout the evening hours.

The National League Central division teams will make up the missed contest during a split doubleheader scheduled for July 7 when Milwaukee makes its return trip to St. Louis. The makeup game will begin at 1:15 p.m. local time, followed by the previously scheduled 6:45 p.m. contest.

Fans holding tickets for Tuesday’s canceled game can use them for admission to the July 7 afternoon makeup game, according to Cardinals officials.

The series will continue Wednesday with a 12:15 p.m. local start time, though the weather delay may force Milwaukee to adjust its pitching rotation. St. Louis plans to start right-hander Andre Pallante (3-2, 3.73 ERA), who was originally set to take the mound Tuesday. The Brewers had planned to counter with right-hander Brandon Sproat (0-2, 6.75 ERA) on Tuesday, while promising young pitcher Jacob Misiorowski (2-2, 2.84 ERA) was expected to start Wednesday’s game.

A Massachusetts jury cleared NFL wide receiver Stefon Diggs of all criminal charges Tuesday afternoon, finding him not guilty of felony strangulation and misdemeanor assault in Dedham District Court.

The six-member jury reached their decision after deliberating for an hour and a half.

The charges against the 32-year-old athlete originated from an alleged December 2nd incident at his Dedham residence, located about 20 minutes southwest of Boston. Diggs had entered a not guilty plea in February to both the felony strangulation count and the misdemeanor assault and battery charge.

At the time of the alleged incident, Diggs was playing for the New England Patriots before the team released him in March.

The accuser, Jamila Adams, who worked as Diggs’ live-in personal chef, testified on Monday that the football player struck and choked her during a disagreement about compensation. According to testimony, Adams had been preparing meals for Diggs since July 2025, earning $2,000 weekly.

Throughout the legal proceedings, Diggs maintained he was innocent of all accusations. His legal team argued that the allegations were driven by the monetary disagreement between the two parties. Defense lawyers also claimed Adams was angry about being excluded from a Miami vacation.

During final arguments, defense lawyer Andrew Kettlewell told the court that prosecutors failed to provide “a single shred of credible evidence” proving any assault took place.

Adams’ testimony revealed that she and Diggs had initially developed a friendship and intimate relationship before she began her employment with him in 2025.

If convicted, Diggs could have faced up to five years behind bars for the strangulation charge and two and a half years for the assault count.

The veteran receiver was cut by New England following his first year of a three-year deal worth $63.5 million. He contributed to the Patriots’ Super Bowl run, though they fell to the Seattle Seahawks 29-13 in the championship game.

Last season, Diggs recorded 85 receptions for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns across 17 regular season games, marking his seventh career 1,000-yard receiving season. However, his playoff performance was more limited, totaling 110 yards and one touchdown on 14 catches over four postseason contests.

The receiver earned Pro Bowl honors four times during his tenure with the Buffalo Bills from 2020 through 2023.

Before joining Buffalo, Diggs spent five seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. He also had a stint with the Houston Texans in 2024 prior to signing with New England. Over his career, he has accumulated 942 receptions for 11,504 yards and 74 touchdowns in 161 games, starting 153 of them.

GREENBURGH, N.Y. — Sportsbooks have installed the New York Knicks as Eastern Conference champions-to-be, and their recent playoff performance backs up those odds.

New York has achieved something unprecedented in NBA postseason history, becoming the first franchise to capture three consecutive playoff victories with margins of 25 points or greater. This remarkable streak positions them as potential contenders for the franchise’s first Finals berth since the 1990s ended.

The Knicks’ recent dominance features blowout victories reminiscent of college basketball rather than professional competition. After falling behind in their opening playoff round, New York has seized control of their Eastern Conference semifinal matchup against Philadelphia, with the second contest scheduled for Wednesday at Madison Square Garden.

“We’re playing well at the right time, but I think we have room to grow,” coach Mike Brown said.

Such improvement seems difficult to envision, given the unprecedented level his squad has reached during postseason play.

New York’s 126-97 triumph over Atlanta in their fifth meeting saw them ahead by 32 points, followed by a dominant 140-89 series-clinching performance where they established a commanding 61-point advantage. Taking advantage of Philadelphia’s exhaustion following their seven-game opening series, the Knicks jumped ahead by 40 points Monday during a 138-97 blowout.

Including their series-evening victory against the Hawks, New York has captured four consecutive contests by a combined 135 points.

Jalen Brunson leads the team with 27.6 points per contest, ranking third among all postseason performers. Karl-Anthony Towns has delivered arguably his finest complete basketball, recording his initial playoff triple-doubles while the Knicks utilize their All-Star big man to facilitate offense through distribution. Towns contributes 6.0 assists nightly alongside 10.6 rebounds.

Forward OG Anunoby, traditionally recognized for defensive prowess, has shot at levels exceeding Stephen Curry’s range, connecting on 59% of three-point attempts and 63.8% of overall field goals. The reserve unit performs so effectively that Josh Hart, who ranked second league-wide in minutes last season and typically demands floor time, now willingly requests substitutions when fatigued.

On defense, their aggressive approach disrupted Philadelphia so thoroughly that Brown noted the Knicks secured 14 of 16 loose ball opportunities.

“We were sitting here watching it like man, we can’t believe what we’re actually watching here,” former Knicks star Carmelo Anthony said of the defense during NBC’s studio coverage of the game.

Detroit posted the Eastern Conference’s top regular season record. Cleveland emerged as betting favorites after acquiring James Harden, before odds shifted toward Boston when Jayson Tatum’s strong comeback helped secure the second seed.

However, Boston has been eliminated, while Detroit and Cleveland endured grueling seven-game battles to reach their second-round confrontation. New York now holds solid favoritism to represent the East and trails only defending champion Oklahoma City and San Antonio in championship odds.

The Knicks haven’t appeared in the NBA Finals since 1999 and last captured a title in 1973. They dismissed outside expectations before the season and maintain that approach now.

“Boston was the favorite last series, and they came back 3-1,” Hart said, referring to the 76ers’ comeback. “So being the favorite means literally nothing. Every game you have to come in with a focus and attention to detail. And if you don’t do that, you can lose to anybody in this league. If you do that, you know, we feel like we can beat anybody.”

New York has steadily constructed this foundation, reaching the Eastern semifinals four consecutive seasons and advancing to the conference finals last year for the first time since 2000. They unexpectedly dismissed Tom Thibodeau afterward and hired Brown, who minimized discussion of advancement mandates while understanding those expectations.

The franchise finished 53-29 but displayed confusing stretches of poor performance, including a 2-9 slide shortly after capturing the NBA Cup in December, plus consecutive losses to Atlanta.

“That’s why you play a season. That’s why you go through the ups and downs of the season. That’s why you go through adversity,” Brunson said. “You find things to make you the best team as possible by the end of the year, and you continue to work. And even when you’re at this point, you continue to find ways to get better and improve.”

Recent evidence suggests the Knicks have accomplished exactly that.

“You hope that at this time we’re the best version of ourselves,” Towns said.

Perhaps even the East’s finest team.

Following their joint triumph at the Zurich Classic tournament two weeks prior, professional golfer Matt Fitzpatrick secured his younger brother Alex’s position on the PGA Tour through 2028.

At this week’s Truist Championship taking place in Charlotte, the siblings will compete side by side as full-time PGA Tour professionals for their inaugural appearance together at Quail Hollow Club.

The 31-year-old Matt, who brings significantly more PGA Tour expertise compared to Alex’s previous full-time participation on the DP World Tour before his Zurich triumph, recognizes his responsibility to mentor his brother, who is four years his junior.

“Definitely. I think it would be wrong of me not to (play practice rounds) with him and help him out as much as I can. He’s been thrown in the deep end straight away and it’s all happening very fast so I feel like I have an obligation to help him too,” Matt Fitzpatrick explained. “I’ve already said to him, ‘If you don’t want that, you can tell me to mind my own business.’ I don’t want to feel like I’m getting involved in all these decisions and stuff, that’s his thing. I just kind of want to offer my two cents, if you like, and see where it goes.”

Alex demonstrated his capabilities independently during the previous week’s Cadillac Championship, where he secured a ninth-place tie in his debut tournament following his card acquisition.

Matt chose to skip the previous week’s signature tournament after claiming back-to-back victories in the two preceding weeks at both the RBC Heritage and Zurich events. Despite taking time away from competition, his break wasn’t the celebratory vacation many might have anticipated given his remarkable recent performance.

“I spent last week at home in Florida with my wife and my parents. We had a little bit of off-course stuff to do with the house that I bought and stuff,” Fitzpatrick noted. “I think that kind of occupied me for most of the week, which was nice to not have to think about golf for a little bit.”

Matt’s initial tour victory occurred at the 2022 U.S. Open, followed by his 2023 triumph at the RBC Heritage. However, an extended period without championships ensued, as he remained winless until capturing this March’s Valspar Championship.

His trio of victories within a five-week period exceeds his total wins from his initial 11 seasons on tour, propelling him to fourth place in the Official World Golf Ranking.

“My DNA is definitely different. The makeup of my game at that point in time was pretty much great driving of the golf ball, like really, really, really good. I was long and straight at that point. I hit my irons pretty well at that point too,” Matt Fitzpatrick explained while considering how his playing style has evolved since his U.S. Open championship four years earlier. “I would say now I feel like I’m driving it probably just as well, maybe not quite as long, but I’m driving it just as straight if not straighter and my irons are another level above. So I feel like that combination alongside me putting well, which has always been a strength in the past, is obviously a nice mix.”

Matt also brings positive momentum from Quail Hollow, having achieved an eighth-place tie at the previous year’s PGA Championship held at the identical venue.

Minnesota Twins pitcher Joe Ryan appears to have dodged a serious injury scare and is likely to take the mound for his upcoming weekend assignment after medical tests came back clean.

The right-handed pitcher is set for a bullpen workout on Wednesday following encouraging results from an MRI that revealed no structural issues with his right elbow. Ryan also completed a throwing session on flat ground Tuesday in Washington without experiencing pain, prior to the team’s second matchup against the Nationals.

Ryan was forced to exit Sunday’s contest versus Toronto after facing just two hitters due to elbow soreness.

“He went out and threw today, which was a really good sign. Everything was normal,” manager Derek Shelton said. “If everything goes according to plan, then he’ll make (his) start on the regular day.”

The 29-year-old pitcher has remained with Minnesota during their current road series and is slated to face Cleveland over the weekend. Through eight appearances this season, Ryan holds a 2-3 record with 40 strikeouts and a 3.72 earned run average.

While Ryan dealt with back stiffness during spring training, team officials indicate those previous concerns are not connected to his current elbow situation.

During the 2025 campaign, Ryan compiled a 13-10 record with a 3.42 ERA while recording 194 strikeouts for Minnesota.

Tampa Bay has sidelined left-handed pitcher Steven Matz due to elbow inflammation, moving him to the 15-day injured list on Tuesday. The team simultaneously brought up right-handed pitcher Chase Solesky from their Triple-A Durham affiliate to take his place on the roster.

The 34-year-old Matz had delivered one of his strongest performances this season in his most recent outing, giving up just one run on four hits across six innings against San Francisco on Sunday. Through seven appearances in his debut campaign with Tampa Bay, he has compiled a 4-1 record with a 3.86 earned run average.

Team officials made the injured list designation effective as of Monday.

Throughout his dozen seasons in Major League Baseball, Matz has posted a 64-63 record with a 4.18 earned run average across 253 appearances, including 179 as a starter. His career has taken him through organizations including the New York Mets from 2015-2020, Toronto Blue Jays in 2021, St. Louis Cardinals from 2022-2025, Boston Red Sox in 2025, and now Tampa Bay.

Solesky, age 28, is poised to make his major league debut after spending seven seasons working his way through the minor league system. During his inaugural year within the Rays organization, he has recorded a 2-1 mark with a 6.57 earned run average through six starts at Durham.

Philadelphia 76ers head coach Nick Nurse temporarily stepped away from his coaching duties Tuesday to honor his late brother at funeral services in Iowa, missing team activities during the franchise’s playoff run.

The coach’s brother, Steve Nurse, passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday at age 62. Following Philadelphia’s disappointing 137-98 defeat in Monday’s playoff opener against New York, Nick Nurse departed for memorial services held Tuesday in Ankeny, Iowa.

The 76ers organization anticipates their head coach will return to lead the team for Wednesday evening’s second playoff matchup at Madison Square Garden.

New York’s coaching staff extended their sympathies during Tuesday’s media availability at the team’s training facility in Greenburgh. “I’d like to pass my condolences along to Nick Nurse and his family, his brother’s family and all their friends,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said. “Life is precious and you don’t wish that upon anybody, so I’d like to pass along my condolences to him and his family while they’re going through these times.”

The Atlanta Braves made roster moves Tuesday, bringing back their closer Raisel Iglesias from the injured list while parting ways with veteran pitcher Carlos Carrasco through designation for assignment.

The 36-year-old Iglesias had been sidelined since April 19 due to inflammation in his right shoulder. This season, the right-handed reliever has appeared in eight games, recording five saves while maintaining a perfect record with no earned runs allowed across 8 2/3 innings pitched.

Throughout his dozen seasons in Major League Baseball, Iglesias has compiled a record of 42 wins and 55 losses with a 2.86 earned run average. He has notched 258 saves during 608 career appearances, which includes 21 starts, while playing for Cincinnati (2015-20), the Los Angeles Angels (2021-22), and Atlanta.

Meanwhile, Carrasco, age 39, finds himself designated for assignment by Atlanta for the second occasion this year and third time since last August. Despite the roster move, the veteran has performed well in limited action this season, throwing 2 1/3 scoreless innings across two appearances.

The right-hander brings 17 years of major league experience, posting a career record of 112-105 with a 4.22 ERA through 337 games (286 as a starter). His career has taken him through Cleveland (2009-20, 2024), the New York Mets (2021-23), New York Yankees (2025), and the Braves.

Additionally, the Braves assigned left-handed pitcher Dylan Dodd to Triple-A Gwinnett for a rehabilitation stint due to a back injury. Shortstop Ha-Seong Kim, recovering from a finger injury, had his rehab assignment moved from Double-A Columbus up to Triple-A Gwinnett.

Professional golf star Phil Mickelson will not participate in the upcoming PGA Championship scheduled for next week, according to tournament officials who announced Tuesday that the decision stems from ongoing family health concerns.

This latest absence follows Mickelson’s statement from more than a month ago, made before the Masters tournament, when he indicated he would take an “extended” hiatus from competition while his family navigates personal health challenges. Tournament organizers have named Max Homa as the first alternate to fill Mickelson’s spot in the championship field.

The veteran golfer had already been absent from the opening four tournaments of LIV Golf’s 2026 season due to these same family health issues. He had only recently returned to competitive play on the LIV circuit, participating in a South African event where he tied for 48th place, before making this latest decision to step away from competition.

Mickelson made golf history in 2021 when he captured the PGA Championship at age 50, becoming the sport’s oldest major tournament winner in what many considered one of the game’s greatest upset victories. His first PGA Championship victory came in 2005.

The second major championship of the year is scheduled to take place May 14-17 at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania.

DENVER — Minnesota Wild head coach John Hynes has decided to change goalkeepers for Game 2 of their playoff series, turning to Filip Gustavsson after Jesper Wallstedt’s struggles in a devastating 9-6 opening loss to the Colorado Avalanche.

The coaching staff announced the goaltending change hours before Tuesday evening’s puck drop. Gustavsson has been sidelined since giving up five goals during Minnesota’s April 13 matchup against St. Louis. The netminder compiled a solid 28-15-6 record during regular season play, maintaining a 2.69 goals-against average.

Wallstedt’s postseason performance has been concerning, surrendering 14 goals across six contests during Minnesota’s first-round victory over Dallas. His Game 1 performance against Colorado’s potent offense was particularly troublesome, as he allowed eight goals while facing 42 shots. The two goaltenders alternated duties throughout the regular season.

“We have confidence in both of our goalies. They’re both excellent,” Hynes said. “They both played really good hockey. We believe either one of them can win us a game. It’s a good opportunity to get Gus in the net. He’s hungry to get in.”

The 27-year-old Gustavsson brings playoff experience to the crease, having appeared in 11 postseason contests for Minnesota with a 4-6 record, 2.54 goals-against average, and .917 save percentage. According to Hynes, Gustavsson has remained prepared while waiting for his opportunity and has been “very supportive” of the initial decision to start Wallstedt.

“But the thing I liked about it, too, was that he didn’t just concede it, either,” Hynes said. “He wants to play. He wants to get in the net. He was working for it. He’s making sure that he was prepared to do it.

“It could be a little bit of a negative response, but his was, ‘I understand the decision.’ As it went on, he wanted to get into the net. But his attitude toward the team and toward Wally was top shelf.”

Minnesota continues to deal with injury concerns, as forward Joel Eriksson Ek and defenseman Jonas Brodin remain unavailable due to lower-body injuries. Hynes indicated additional lineup adjustments are possible, though those decisions will depend on player health status closer to game time.

Skip the corner office dreams – the ultimate summer gig pays someone $50,000 just to watch soccer. Fox Sports has partnered with job platform Indeed to recruit a “Chief World Cup Watcher” for what they’re billing as the season’s most coveted position.

The selected individual will view all 104 tournament matches from within a specially constructed glass enclosure positioned in New York City’s bustling Times Square. This unique setup will transform each game into a public spectacle for the countless visitors and workers who pass through the area daily.

The role involves streaming every single minute of action via Fox One, the tournament’s official digital platform for 2026, while simultaneously producing and posting social media content throughout the viewing experience.

“It will be the best summer job on the market, but only for one wild fan who is up to the once-in-a-lifetime task,” the companies announced in their joint statement.

Soccer enthusiasts interested in this opportunity can submit applications directly through Indeed’s website. The selection will be announced on June 6 during Fox’s coverage of the Major League Baseball matchup featuring the Boston Red Sox versus the New York Yankees.

This year’s tournament represents the largest World Cup ever organized, expanding to include 48 participating nations. The competition will span multiple venues throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico, running from June 11 through July 19.

Major League Baseball issued disciplinary action against two Pittsburgh Pirates personnel on Tuesday following an intentional beaning incident during Saturday’s contest against the Cincinnati Reds.

Pirates relief pitcher Chris Devenski, 35, was initially given a three-game suspension and undisclosed monetary penalty for deliberately hitting Cincinnati’s Sal Stewart with a pitch. However, following an appeal and settlement agreement, multiple reports indicate Devenski’s ban was shortened to two games. Both his suspension and fine were announced by MLB officials on Tuesday.

Pittsburgh skipper Don Kelly also faced consequences, receiving a one-game suspension along with a fine. Kelly served his penalty during Tuesday night’s matchup against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix.

The incident occurred during the seventh inning of Pittsburgh’s commanding 17-7 home win over Cincinnati, when Devenski intentionally struck Stewart with a pitch.

The veteran reliever has struggled this season, posting a 7.71 earned run average across three appearances without recording a decision. Throughout his major league career spanning seven different clubs, Devenski holds a 27-22 record with a 3.93 ERA over 319 games, including eight starts. His career highlight came in 2017 when he earned All-Star recognition while playing for the Houston Astros.

Both suspensions took effect immediately, with Devenski expected to begin serving his reduced penalty on Tuesday.

NEW YORK — Major League Baseball officials announced Tuesday that Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Chris Devenski will serve a three-game suspension and pay a fine after deliberately targeting Cincinnati Reds rookie Sal Stewart with a pitch.

The incident occurred during the seventh inning of Saturday’s game at PNC Park, where Pittsburgh defeated Cincinnati 17-7. Devenski was immediately thrown out of the game following the pitch that targeted Stewart.

Michael Hill, MLB’s senior vice president for on-field operations, also announced that Pirates skipper Don Kelly will face a one-game suspension along with an undisclosed monetary penalty.

Both suspensions were scheduled to begin Tuesday evening as Pittsburgh started a road series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Devenski has the option to appeal his punishment, which would delay the suspension until the appeal process concludes. The amount of his fine was not revealed by league officials.

Kelly was also expected to begin serving his one-game ban on Tuesday night.

TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Bay Lightning team captain Victor Hedman disclosed on Tuesday that he took time away from the ice during the season’s closing stretch to prioritize his mental wellness.

Through an official team statement, Hedman chose not to elaborate on the specific challenges he faced. The veteran defenseman sat out the Lightning’s concluding 22 regular season contests and remained absent for all seven playoff games during their opening-round elimination by Montreal.

The 35-year-old player had been present around the team facility in recent weeks and participated in some practice sessions. However, his final appearance in a game occurred in mid-March.

“Over the past couple of months, I made the decision to step away and focus on my mental health,” Hedman said. “It was not an easy decision, but it was the right one.

“I’ve always believed that being a leader means doing what’s best for the team. In this case, it also meant doing what was necessary to take care of myself, so I can be the best player, teammate, husband and father I expect to be.”

Earlier in the campaign, Hedman was sidelined for an extended period due to an elbow ailment that necessitated December surgery. After his recovery, he competed for Sweden in the Olympics until suffering an injury during pre-game preparation before their quarterfinal match against Team USA, preventing his participation.

During Tampa Bay’s season-ending media availability, he shared that he relied on support from close friend and former Lightning captain Steven Stamkos, along with Ottawa netminder Linus Ullmark, who similarly took leave from the Senators for mental health reasons.

Selected second overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Hedman has spent his entire 17-year professional career with Tampa Bay, contributing to consecutive Stanley Cup championships in 2020 and 2021. He earned the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable playoff performer during the 2020 pandemic-shortened season.

This season marked a career-low with just 33 game appearances due to his injury and subsequent personal leave.

Hedman expressed gratitude toward his teammates, the Lightning organization, his family, and his mental health professional for their ongoing support, noting he is “in a much better place today.”

“This is something that exists in our game more than people see,” Hedman said. “If this moment helps make it easier for others to take care of themselves when they need to, that matters.”

The defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks are finalizing a one-year contract worth up to $5 million with experienced pass rusher Dante Fowler Jr., according to a source familiar with the negotiations who spoke to The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The source requested anonymity since the agreement has not yet been completed.

The 31-year-old Fowler spent last season with the Dallas Cowboys, recording three quarterback sacks across 17 appearances while making 11 starts.

The veteran defender is expected to help fill the gap left by Boye Mafe’s departure, as the former Seattle pass rusher signed a three-year, $60 million contract with the Cincinnati Bengals during free agency. Mafe accumulated 20 quarterback takedowns during his four-year tenure with the Seahawks.

Originally selected third overall by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the 2015 NFL draft, Fowler has compiled 58.5 career sacks over his decade-long professional career. Beyond Jacksonville and his two separate tenures in Dallas, the veteran has suited up for the Los Angeles Rams, Atlanta Falcons, and Washington Commanders.

During his 2024 campaign with Washington, Fowler tallied 10.5 sacks, marking his second-highest single-season total. His career-best performance came in 2019 with the Rams when he recorded 11.5 takedowns.

Following this year’s draft, Seahawks football operations president John Schneider indicated the team would explore adding a pass rusher through free agency after choosing not to draft one. Fowler matches Seattle’s desired profile for the position and will join a relatively inexperienced linebacker corps featuring Jared Ivey, Jamie Sheriff, Connor O’Toole, and Jalan Gaines.

NEW YORK — Philadelphia’s incredible comeback story hit a major roadblock Monday night as the 76ers were demolished by the New York Knicks 137-98 in the opening game of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The crushing defeat mirrored Philadelphia’s start against Boston in the previous round, where they also dropped the opener in spectacular fashion before mounting the NBA’s 14th comeback from a 3-1 series deficit.

Playing with minimal rest after their Game 7 victory in Boston just two nights earlier, the Sixers looked completely drained from their historic run against the Celtics.

“Same as last series. They don’t get any extra points for going up big tonight,” veteran Paul George stated. “We’ll be ready for Game 2.”

Star center Joel Embiid and his teammates clearly felt the effects of the compressed schedule, appearing to run on empty throughout the contest. Head coach Nick Nurse had expressed uncertainty before tipoff about how the quick turnaround might impact his squad, noting that momentum can sometimes carry winning teams forward.

However, it became apparent early that fatigue would be a significant factor.

“You can’t make excuses, that’s for sure,” Nurse explained. “We knew it might be difficult, but you’re never going to go into the game and say this is going to happen. You’ve got to see it play out.”

The margin of defeat nearly set a franchise record for worst playoff loss, falling just short of their 121-81 defeat to Boston in 1982. Ironically, Philadelphia rallied to win that series as well, potentially offering hope amid the disappointment.

Their recent Boston series had seemed impossible after dropping Game 1 by 32 points, then suffering another 32-point loss in Game 4 when Embiid returned following his late-season appendix surgery.

The Knicks wasted little time establishing dominance, building a commanding 74-51 halftime advantage while shooting an impressive 65.9% from the field. The lopsided score at least allowed Nurse to rest his weary starters for extended periods.

“Coming from the series we had and the physicality we displayed, I would like to think that maybe guys were tired,” Embiid acknowledged. “But it’s not an excuse, though. On to Game 2.”

Embiid managed just 14 points on 3-of-11 shooting in 24 minutes of action. Meanwhile, Tyrese Maxey, who had averaged 26.9 points in the first round, didn’t score his first basket until five minutes into the second quarter and finished with only 13 points on 3-for-9 shooting.

Philadelphia’s offensive struggles were compounded by defensive breakdowns. New York exploited Embiid’s limited mobility to generate open looks and capitalized on transition opportunities, outscoring the Sixers 16-3 in fast-break points.

“Yeah, we had breakdowns tonight, but they also shot the (heck) out of the ball,” George observed. “They were hot.”

While George refused to blame fatigue directly, he admitted the team faced what he described as a mental challenge.

“You go from a Game 7 and then one day off and then you’re right back into a matchup,” he said. “There was some carryover of us trying to get up and get prepared for this next matchup, but we should have came out and did a better job.”

Nearly 3,000 fencing athletes and coaches worldwide delivered a formal petition Tuesday to Olympic leadership demanding an independent investigation into what they describe as widespread corruption and mismanagement within the sport’s governing body.

The petition, addressed to IOC President Kirsty Coventry and International Fencing Federation officials, claims the sport has become unstable due to leadership conflicts, lack of transparency, and questionable decision-making at the highest levels.

Much of the controversy stems from the recent return of former federation chief Alisher Usmanov, a Russian-Uzbek billionaire who faces international sanctions. Athletes also cite concerns about unclear rule modifications, competition cancellations, and weakened screening procedures for neutral competitors.

“As athletes, we care deeply about the future of our sport,” the petition states. “The governance failures and corruption within International Fencing Federation are threatening the credibility and stability of the sport and must be formally addressed.”

The federation’s current interim leader, Abdelmoneim El Husseiny, has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the athletes’ demands.

The International Fencing Federation has faced intense criticism since Usmanov regained the presidency in November 2024. The wealthy businessman previously led the organization from 2008 through 2022, when he stepped down after European Union sanctions were imposed following Russia’s military action in Ukraine. Both Britain and the United States later added their own sanctions against him.

In December 2024, Usmanov voluntarily stepped back from his presidential responsibilities, stating he wanted to prevent his sanctions from negatively impacting the federation’s operations.

Despite this move, his re-election sparked strong opposition from Ukraine and other nations, who argued that a sanctioned Russian businessman should not hold leadership roles in international sports organizations.

The athlete petition specifically requests that Olympic officials support an external investigation to help rebuild trust in the federation’s leadership. The timing is significant, as IOC Executive Board members are scheduled to meet Wednesday and Thursday.

According to the petition, former interim president Emmanuel Katsiadakis resigned after refusing to sign correspondence to U.S. President Donald Trump requesting the removal of sanctions against the 72-year-old Usmanov. The document indicates Katsiadakis cited this incident as a factor in his decision to step down.

Beyond leadership issues, the athletes express frustration with several operational changes, including the elimination of thorough background screenings for Individual Neutral Athletes, new restrictions preventing athletes, journalists, and national federations from recording competitions, increased costs for equipment technicians, and last-minute cancellations of World Cup tournaments.

The petition outlines specific reforms the athletes want implemented: an independent probe into federation governance problems, increased transparency in competition organization, better communication regarding event changes or cancellations, athlete consultation before implementing new fees, and restoration of complete background checks for neutral competitors.

The athletes conclude their letter by expressing willingness to support reform efforts designed to strengthen fencing’s leadership structure, public trust, and long-term sustainability.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The heartland of America is positioning itself as a premier destination for World Cup action, with Kansas City, Missouri emerging as an unexpected soccer epicenter that goes far beyond its central geographic position.

Arrowhead Stadium, where the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs play, will welcome six World Cup matches, featuring both a round of 32 contest and a quarterfinal showdown. The region will serve as home base for some of soccer’s biggest names, with Lionel Messi’s Argentina squad, Harry Kane’s England team, and Virgil van Dijk’s Netherlands side all establishing operations in the Kansas City metro area. Meanwhile, Algeria will set up camp in nearby Lawrence, where the University of Kansas is located.

Visitors should note that two Kansas Cities exist — one in Missouri and another in Kansas — which often puzzles newcomers. The majority of World Cup events will occur on the Missouri side of the border.

The city offers numerous cultural destinations for international visitors, featuring attractions such as the National World War I Memorial and Museum, the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, the celebrated Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, the American Jazz Museum, and Union Station.

Kansas City has built its culinary reputation on barbecue cuisine, with burnt ends — the trimmed portions of smoked brisket — serving as the local specialty. Choosing where to dine presents the main challenge, given the abundance of exceptional BBQ establishments throughout the city. Options span from elegant venues like Fiorella’s Jack Stack to well-known spots such as Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que, acclaimed restaurants like Q39, iconic establishments including Arthur Bryant’s, and cherished neighborhood joints such as B.B.’s Lawnside BBQ. Soccer fans traveling between Kansas City, Texas, and Georgia should consider a barbecue sampling tour to experience different regional styles.

The complimentary fan celebration will take place at the World War I memorial site, featuring large screens broadcasting World Cup action and live performances from artists including the Chainsmokers, Flo Rida, and The All-American Rejects.

Navigating downtown proves simple using the Kansas City streetcar system. However, reaching the stadium presents different challenges. Arrowhead Stadium sits approximately 10 miles east of the city center, with most attendees typically driving to events. World Cup organizers will severely restrict parking availability, requiring more than 200 buses to operate ticketed shuttle routes from various locations throughout the metropolitan area.

The open-air design of Arrowhead Stadium, combined with summer temperatures that can exceed 100 degrees in Kansas City, has prompted organizers to schedule all matches during evening hours. The region sits within tornado alley, making weather monitoring essential for visitors. The venue ranks among the NFL’s most recognizable facilities and provides the Chiefs with a significant home-field advantage. A new $3 billion domed stadium will replace the current structure by 2031, with construction planned across the state line in Kansas City, Kansas.

BOSTON — The assault trial of NFL wide receiver Stefon Diggs continues Tuesday as his former live-in chef resumes her testimony, following opening statements that presented starkly different versions of events at the player’s residence.

The accuser, Jamila Adams who uses the name “Mila,” told the court Monday that Diggs struck her face with an open palm and placed his arm around her throat during an incident last December, making it hard for her to breathe. The defense maintains no such attack took place.

During her testimony, Adams recounted that Diggs “smacked me with an open hand” before putting his arm around her neck. She characterized her working arrangement as “complicated,” revealing that she and Diggs had previously been involved romantically, though not during the time of the alleged incident. Adams had been residing in his house, handling meal preparation and snacks, and had maintained a relationship with Diggs spanning more than four years when the alleged attack occurred.

Defense lawyer Andrew Kettlewell argued that no assault evidence exists, pointing out that other household members witnessed nothing suspicious and that no medical documentation, photographs, or video footage supports injury claims. Kettlewell also indicated that Adams may have had monetary motivations, telling jurors they would learn she requested financial compensation from Diggs following her report of the incident.

The prosecution contends the case revolves around events of Dec. 2, when they claim Diggs went into Adams’ room, struck her face, and applied a chokehold that restricted her breathing.

The 33-year-old Diggs has entered not guilty pleas to charges of felony strangulation and misdemeanor assault and battery. Jury selection concluded Monday at Norfolk County District Court in Dedham.

Hours after learning of beloved radio announcer John Sterling’s passing, the New York Yankees delivered a dominant 12-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Monday, completing a four-game sweep of their division rivals.

Aaron Judge powered the emotional win with four RBIs and reached base safely three times. The Yankees have now captured 14 victories in their last 16 contests following Sterling’s death, who served as the team’s radio voice for 36 seasons before stepping away after the 2024 campaign.

Before the first pitch, New York honored Sterling with a moment of silence and placed a commemorative wreath at home plate. Judge then set the tone immediately, launching a full-count curveball from Shane Baz (1-3) into the right-center field bullpen for a two-run blast that gave his team an early 2-0 advantage.

The home run marked Judge’s 14th of the season, tying him for the major league lead, and his 11th long ball in the past 21 games. Against Baltimore specifically, Judge has now connected for 53 home runs in 124 career matchups.

Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler (5-1) earned the victory by surrendering just one run on seven hits across 5 2/3 innings. Baz struggled for the Orioles, giving up six runs (five earned) on five hits in his 5 2/3-inning outing.

Dodgers 8, Astros 3

Alex Freeland and Kyle Tucker delivered home runs to support Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s six-inning performance as Los Angeles captured the opening game of their three-game series in Houston.

Freeland’s blast sparked a two-run second inning, while Tucker opened the third frame with his homer to ignite a four-run outburst. Both players did their damage against Ryan Weiss (0-3), who surrendered seven runs (six earned) on eight hits in 4 1/3 innings.

Yamamoto (3-2) permitted three runs on five hits for the victory. Will Smith collected three hits including two doubles, and Freeland also registered three hits in the win.

Cubs 5, Reds 4

Substitute hitter Michael Conforto delivered a walk-off solo home run to cap Chicago’s two-run ninth-inning comeback against Cincinnati at home.

Conforto connected on a 3-2 fastball from Cincinnati closer Emilio Pagan (2-1), sending it into the left-center field seats for the Cubs’ sixth consecutive victory.

Pete Crow-Armstrong began the bottom of the ninth with a triple. After Pagan struck out Dansby Swanson, Nico Hoerner lifted a sacrifice fly to left field that tied the game before Conforto’s heroics. Ryan Rolison (2-0) dominated in the top of the ninth, striking out all three batters he faced.

White Sox 6, Angels 0

Munetaka Murakami tallied three hits, crossed home plate three times and belted his 14th home run to support Davis Martin’s shutout performance as Chicago blanked Los Angeles in Anaheim.

Miguel Vargas also homered to help the White Sox defeat the Angels for the fourth time in eight days and claim their sixth victory in seven games. Martin (5-1) scattered five hits while striking out a career-best 10 batters in seven innings.

Angels starter Jose Soriano (5-2) allowed five runs and eight hits over four innings, suffering his second loss to Chicago in as many starts. Nolan Schanuel and Travis d’Arnaud each recorded two hits for Los Angeles, which has dropped 13 of its last 15 games.

Mets 4, Rockies 2

Carson Benge broke up Tomoyuki Sugano’s no-hit attempt with a sixth-inning home run, while five New York pitchers combined for 11 strikeouts in the Mets’ victory over Colorado in Denver.

David Peterson (1-4), the third New York hurler, struck out six batters in four innings of work. Devin Williams closed out the ninth inning without allowing a hit to secure his fourth save.

Mickey Moniak doubled and tripled to extend his hitting streak to 17 games, and Jordan Beck tripled for Colorado, which has lost the first four games of its six-game homestand.

Phillies 1, Marlins 0

Aaron Nola threw six scoreless innings and Bryce Harper homered to lead visiting Philadelphia past Miami in the conclusion of their four-game series. Nola (2-3) delivered his finest outing of 2026, scattering five hits with no walks while fanning five in an efficient 94-pitch performance.

Harper provided all the offense needed, going 3-for-4 with a third-inning home run. Brad Keller worked around two baserunners in the ninth to earn his second save as Philadelphia improved to 6-1 since Don Mattingly assumed interim managerial duties.

Miami starter Janson Junk (2-3) gave up one run and five hits across 5 1/3 innings. Jakob Marsee and Kyle Stowers each contributed two singles for the Marlins.

Rays 5, Blue Jays 1

Ryan Vilade launched his first home run as a member of Tampa Bay, a three-run shot in the opening inning, as the Rays defeated visiting Toronto in St. Petersburg for their fourth straight victory.

Jonathan Aranda went 3-for-4 and is now 9-for-13 over his last three contests for Tampa Bay, while Taylor Walls contributed a two-run single. Nick Martinez (3-1) pitched five innings of one-run ball, allowing five hits.

Toronto starter Eric Lauer (1-4) permitted three runs on five hits in 4 1/3 innings. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. produced Toronto’s only run with a third-inning single, and rookie Yohendrick Pinango recorded his second three-hit game in three outings.

Red Sox 5, Tigers 4

Jarren Duran crushed a go-ahead three-run home run, Payton Tolle earned his first major league victory and Boston held on to defeat host Detroit.

Duran’s blast, one of his three hits on the night, highlighted a five-run seventh inning. Marcelo Mayer added two hits and one RBI. Tolle (1-1) allowed two unearned runs and just one hit across seven innings while striking out eight batters. He walked only one in an economical 83-pitch effort. Aroldis Chapman recorded his seventh save.

Dillon Dingler produced a two-run double for Detroit, one of only three hits for the Tigers. Ricky Vanasco (0-1) was tagged with four runs after recording just two outs.

Royals 6, Guardians 2

Bobby Witt Jr.’s solo home run sparked a four-run fourth inning, Michael Wacha pitched seven innings of two-run ball and Kansas City captured its fourth consecutive game with a victory over visiting Cleveland.

Vinnie Pasquantino contributed two hits and an RBI for the Royals, who erased an early 2-0 deficit to win for the ninth time in 12 games after losing eight straight. Wacha (3-2) bounced back after allowing 10 runs over 10 1/3 innings in his previous two losing starts.

Cleveland starter Tanner Bibee (0-5), who entered with a 4-0 record in nine career starts against Kansas City, held the Royals hitless until the fourth but departed after that inning having surrendered four runs on five hits. He threw 39 of his 77 pitches in the fourth inning alone.

Cardinals 6, Brewers 3

Ivan Herrera smacked a three-run double, JJ Wetherholt drove in two runs and host St. Louis topped Milwaukee.

Herrera, Wetherholt, Victor Scott II and Nolan Gorman each collected two hits for the Cardinals, who have captured seven of their last eight games. Kyle Leahy (4-3) gave up one run and six hits in 5 1/3 innings, while Riley O’Brien secured the final two outs for his 10th save.

Brice Turang (3-for-5, two RBIs) homered and Jackson Chourio went 4-for-4 with two doubles and a walk in his first five plate appearances of 2026 for Milwaukee, which has lost two straight. Brewers starter Chad Patrick (2-2) surrendered four runs on seven hits in 3 1/3 innings.

Mariners 5, Braves 4

Luke Raley and J.P. Crawford homered during a five-run sixth inning as Seattle rallied to defeat visiting Atlanta in the opener of their three-game interleague series.

The Mariners ended a three-game losing streak and stopped Atlanta’s three-game winning streak on an evening when all nine runs came via home runs. The major-league-leading Braves suffered just their fourth loss in the past 19 games.

Seattle starter Logan Gilbert (2-3) earned the victory despite surrendering four solo home runs. The right-hander allowed four runs on six hits over six innings. Atlanta reliever Tyler Kinley (3-2) was charged with two runs in his only inning of work.

Giants 3, Padres 2

Minor league call-up Trevor McDonald scattered just two hits over seven innings, Casey Schmitt homered and San Francisco began a six-game homestand with a victory over San Diego.

Rafael Devers drove in Luis Arraez twice with a single and sacrifice fly, combining with Schmitt to account for all the Giants’ offense as they snapped a six-game losing streak. McDonald (1-0) allowed one run in his first major league appearance of the year.

After Jackson Merrill connected on McDonald’s sixth pitch for a solo home run, the Giants immediately responded with two runs in the bottom of the first inning to take a lead they maintained throughout. San Diego starter Randy Vasquez (3-1) allowed three runs on five hits across 5 2/3 innings.

The Seattle Mariners mounted a dramatic comeback Monday night, scoring five runs in the sixth inning to defeat the Atlanta Braves 5-4 in the opening game of their three-game interleague matchup.

Luke Raley and J.P. Crawford delivered crucial home runs during Seattle’s explosive sixth-inning rally, helping the Mariners end a three-game losing streak while snapping Atlanta’s three-game winning streak. The contest featured an unusual offensive display with all nine runs coming from home runs.

Despite surrendering four solo home runs, Seattle starter Logan Gilbert (2-3) earned the victory after pitching six innings. The right-handed pitcher allowed four runs on six hits while recording four strikeouts and issuing two walks.

The Mariners’ bullpen completed the victory as Jose A. Ferrer and Eduard Bazardo threw two scoreless innings in relief, followed by closer Andres Munoz who secured his seventh save of the season in the ninth inning.

Atlanta reliever Tyler Kinley (3-2) took the loss after giving up two runs during his single inning of work.

For the Braves, Matt Olson reached a career milestone by hitting his 300th home run, while Drake Baldwin, Ozzie Albies and Austin Riley also connected for solo shots.

Baldwin opened the scoring with a leadoff home run to center field in the first inning.

The score remained 1-0 until the sixth inning when Atlanta appeared to take control. Albies and Olson started the frame with back-to-back home runs to center field, and after one out, Riley blasted a shot to left-center field, giving the Braves a commanding 4-0 lead.

Atlanta rookie pitcher JR Ritchie, a Bainbridge Island native, dominated through five innings before encountering trouble in the sixth. After walking the first two batters he faced, Ritchie allowed Raley’s three-run homer to right-center field, cutting the deficit to 4-3 and ending his evening.

Kinley entered the game and walked Mitch Garver with one out. With two outs, Crawford delivered the game-winning blow with a home run to right field, giving Seattle a 5-4 advantage.

In his third major league start, Ritchie allowed three runs on four hits across five-plus innings, walking six batters while striking out two.

Braves catcher Sean Murphy made his season debut after recovering from hip surgery performed last September. He used up both of his team’s replay challenges in the first inning on ball-strike calls, losing both reviews. Murphy finished 0-for-3 at the plate.

Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh missed his third straight game due to discomfort in his right side.

The loss marked just the fourth defeat for the major league-leading Braves in their past 19 games.

A disputed officiating decision in the final minutes helped propel the Vegas Golden Knights to a 3-1 triumph over the Anaheim Ducks in Monday night’s opening game of their Western Conference second-round playoff matchup in Las Vegas.

Ivan Barbashev netted what proved to be the decisive score with 4:58 left on the clock, but the goal sparked heated controversy due to a waived-off icing call that preceded the play.

The sequence unfolded when Barbashev sent the puck deep from beyond center ice. Anaheim’s players, including defenseman Jackson LaCombe who was providing a screen on Jack Eichel, eased up expecting an icing whistle. Instead, officials allowed play to continue, enabling Pavel Dorofeyev to feed Barbashev, who buried a shot from close range on the left side.

Anaheim head coach Joel Quenneville expressed his frustration with the officiating. “Clearly I disagreed with the call,” Quenneville stated. “It was clearly icing, but their guy (Jack Eichel) stopped, which really made me annoyed.”

Vegas coach John Totorella offered a different perspective. “I didn’t see it,” Totorella explained. “I was blocked. I didn’t see it, so I don’t know what to tell you.”

Carter Hart delivered an outstanding performance between the pipes for Vegas, turning aside 33 of 34 shots. Mitch Marner contributed both a goal and an assist, while Brett Howden also found the back of the net for the Golden Knights, who now hold a commanding 28-8-3 all-time record against Anaheim, including 16-3-1 on home ice.

For the Ducks, Mikael Granlund managed their lone goal while goaltender Lukas Dostal made 19 stops in the losing effort.

The series continues Wednesday night in Las Vegas for Game 2 of the best-of-seven contest.

Vegas opened the scoring at 3:14 of the middle frame, shortly after Anaheim’s Troy Terry struck iron with a wrist shot from the right side. Howden, who managed just 12 goals during 58 regular season contests, recorded his fifth tally in seven playoff appearances by deflecting Marner’s cross-ice feed through traffic.

The Ducks missed a golden opportunity to level the score midway through the second period. Leo Carlsson created a spectacular spinning feed to LaCombe, who found himself alone near the right circle. However, LaCombe, despite leading Anaheim with nine points in their first-round victory over Edmonton, opted to pass rather than shoot at the vacant net, sending the puck to Terry in front. The opportunity slipped away when the puck eluded Terry’s stick.

“We had a great chance with (LaCombe),” Quenneville reflected. “I didn’t have to say anything to him. I think we all knew we’d like to have that one back.”

Anaheim managed to even things up with 6:03 remaining in regulation when LaCombe skated down the left side and set up Granlund, who fired home a wrist shot for his third playoff marker.

The tie lasted merely 65 seconds before Barbashev’s controversial winner sent the Ducks bench into an uproar over the missed icing call.

When asked about receiving any clarification from the officials, Quenneville was blunt. “No. I did not,” he said. “I was just upset at the call at the time, but that was the play for me. We had just scored. It was a huge call, and an easy call.”

Anaheim pulled Dostal for an extra skater with 1:55 on the clock, but Marner put the game away with an empty-net goal from end to end with just six seconds left.

The Minnesota Timberwolves pulled off a thrilling 104-102 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal matchup on Monday, getting a crucial boost from the unexpected return of star Anthony Edwards.

Edwards, who was expected to miss multiple weeks due to a bone bruise in his left knee suffered on April 25, came off the bench to contribute 18 points. Julius Randle paced Minnesota’s scoring effort with 21 points in the road victory.

The series continues Wednesday in San Antonio for Game 2, before shifting to Minneapolis for Games 3 and 4 on Friday and Sunday.

Minnesota head coach Chris Finch explained the decision to bring Edwards off the bench despite his return from injury.

“We talked yesterday that if he was able to go, he was going to come off the bench, and if that, you know, was fine with him,” Finch explained. “He was all in, and he did a really good job of, like, not like pushing and forcing things, even though he knew he was on a minutes restrictions. I thought he did a really good job of just staying in the flow.”

The Spurs held a three-point edge entering the final quarter, but Edwards took control early in the fourth period. He tallied 11 of Minnesota’s initial 19 points in the quarter, helping set up a decisive 7-0 stretch that Mike Conley finished with a three-pointer, giving the Timberwolves a commanding 95-86 lead with 4:42 remaining.

San Antonio fought back in the closing moments, with Victor Wembanyama’s slam cutting the deficit to four points with 43.6 seconds left. Dylan Harper then stole the ball and scored with 30.9 seconds remaining, bringing the Spurs within two points. After Randle missed a shot, San Antonio chose not to use a timeout and got the ball to Julian Champagnie, whose three-point attempt at the buzzer hit the front rim and bounced out.

Spurs coach Mitch Johnson defended the final shot selection.

“Dylan did a good job pushing the ball and kicking it ahead. Julian had a fly-by and had a shot in rhythm. No problem with the shot. That was a great shot. I hope he shoots it every time,” Johnson said.

Jaden McDaniels and Terrence Shannon Jr. each added 16 points for the Timberwolves, while Naz Reid and Conley chipped in 12 points apiece. Randle and Rudy Gobert each pulled down 10 rebounds.

Randle emphasized the significance of stealing the opening game on the road.

“(Winning this game was) extremely important,” Randle stated. “That’s kind of a tone-setter for the series, especially being a road team for us to come out the way we did with composure, just playing good basketball. We felt like we left a lot out there. Feel like we can play a lot better.”

For San Antonio, Harper topped all scorers with 18 points, while Stephon Castle and Champagnie each contributed 17 points. Devin Vassell added 14 points, and Wembanyama achieved a triple-double with 11 points, 15 rebounds, and 12 blocked shots, though he struggled from three-point range, missing all eight attempts. Keldon Johnson also scored 11 points for the Spurs.

Johnson acknowledged Minnesota’s defensive prowess after the defeat.

“(Minnesota) did what they do — they’re physical, they guard the basketball really well, especially direct action, where it’s kind of mano a mano situations, they got guys that are capable of doing it, and they take a lot of pride in it,” the Spurs coach noted.

Minnesota grabbed an early 24-22 advantage after the first quarter, highlighted by Randle’s dunk over Wembanyama at the buzzer.

The second quarter featured multiple momentum swings, with San Antonio building a 35-29 lead following Luke Kornet’s free throws at the 6:38 mark. Minnesota responded with a 7-0 run, capped by Reid’s layup for a 36-35 advantage. The teams battled evenly through the remainder of the half, heading to the locker room deadlocked at 45-45.

Harper led all first-half scorers with 11 points, while Castle added 10 for San Antonio. Edwards, Reid, and Randle each scored seven points to pace Minnesota’s offense before halftime.

OKLAHOMA CITY — Two star players will be absent when the Western Conference semifinals tip off Tuesday night, as both Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic and Oklahoma City Thunder guard/forward Jalen Williams have been sidelined due to left hamstring injuries.

Both franchises submitted their injury reports to the NBA on Monday, confirming the players’ unavailability for the crucial playoff opener.

Doncic sustained his injury during a game in Oklahoma City approximately one month ago and has remained out of action since. The NBA’s scoring leader posted impressive regular season numbers, recording 33.5 points per game along with 7.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists.

Lakers head coach JJ Redick has remained noncommittal about Doncic’s potential return timeline, noting that this type of injury can sideline players for up to two months. Despite his absence from game action, Doncic participated in three-point shooting drills with his teammates during Monday’s practice session before the team departed for Oklahoma City.

Williams, who earned All-Star recognition for 2025, sat out the final two contests of Oklahoma City’s first-round matchup against Phoenix due to his hamstring issue. Thunder coach Mark Daigneault stopped short of clearing Williams for action, stating Monday that the player continues to make progress in his recovery.

During a regular season marred by various injuries, Williams contributed 17.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game. His playoff performance was even more impressive, averaging 20.5 points while shooting 61.5% from the field in Oklahoma City’s opening two postseason games before suffering the injury in the third quarter of Game 2. Ajay Mitchell stepped into the starting role and contributed to the Thunder’s series sweep.

NEW YORK (AP) — Yankees captain Aaron Judge is advocating for a permanent tribute to honor the late John Sterling by playing the beloved broadcaster’s signature victory call throughout Yankee Stadium after each win, right before Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York” fills the air.

“I think it’d be a nice little tip of the cap to John and what he meant — so much to this franchise and this fan base. I think it would be pretty cool,” Judge commented following New York’s dominant 12-1 victory over Baltimore Monday evening, which completed a four-game series sweep on the same day the iconic announcer passed away.

The stadium’s public address system broadcasted Sterling’s distinctive “Ballgame over! Yankees win! Theee Yankees win!” call immediately after the game’s conclusion.

Judge contributed significantly to the victory with his league-leading 14th home run in the opening frame, plus a two-run hit in the eighth inning that gave him four RBIs total. This performance came after the team honored Sterling, who died at 87, with a pregame ceremony.

Sterling served as the Yankees’ radio voice for 35 years, from 1989 through 2024. As Judge rounded the bases following his two-run blast off Shane Baz, he recalled the personalized home run call Sterling created for him: “A Judgian blast! All rise! Here comes the Judge!”

“Definitely seeing that tribute hit home because he loved the Yankees,” Judge reflected. “He loved this team. He loved this franchise. He loved the fans. He loved everybody he talked to on a nightly basis. So to do that there in the first, just kind of was chuckling around the bases thinking what he was probably saying.”

Yankees skipper Aaron Boone disclosed before the contest that he’s been honoring Sterling in the dugout for several years by shouting “Ballgame over! Yankees win! Theee Yankees win!” prior to celebrating with handshakes.

During Monday’s game, supporters joined in loudly as Sterling’s deep voice echoed at amplified volume through the stadium speakers.

“It drowned me out a little bit, happily,” Boone remarked.

Similar to Judge, the manager supports making Sterling’s voice a permanent postgame fixture.

“Yeah, I’d love it,” the manager stated. “Right on into Frank.”

Judge currently tops Major League Baseball with six first-inning home runs this season and has accumulated 91 career first-inning homers, ranking behind only Babe Ruth’s 126 and Mickey Mantle’s 103 among Yankees players. His latest homer marked his 53rd in 124 career games against Baltimore.

“It’s a pretty good advantage to have that guy coming up in the first inning for you,” Boone noted.

Judge, who shared the major league home run lead with Munetaka Murakami of the Chicago White Sox after Monday’s games, is currently batting .272 with 27 RBIs.

Following his first batting championship last season, when he maintained a .427 average through April, Judge struggled initially this year and was hitting .212 with three homers and seven RBIs after 14 games. Since that slow start, the three-time American League MVP has posted a .329 average with 11 home runs and 20 RBIs across 21 contests.

“Even if I’m hitting .400 in April, I’m tinkering with something new every single day. It could be something subtle with hands or feet, the sights, approach,” Judge explained. “When you stink, you’re trying to get better. When you’re doing well, you’re also trying to get better.”

Every Yankees player wore caps featuring Sterling’s “JS” initials stitched on the back. A Bronx vendor quickly created the tribute at the team’s request.

“I thought it was a nice little touch for John,” Judge said.

The Oakland Athletics made a roster move Monday by trading for catcher Jonah Heim from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for cash, addressing their need behind the plate.

Oakland needed to fill a spot on their 26-man roster after putting regular starting catcher Shea Langeliers on the paternity list, and the switch-hitting Heim will step into that role.

The 30-year-old Heim had been released by Atlanta earlier on Monday. During his brief stint with the Braves this season, spanning 12 games, he posted a .231 batting average along with one home run and eight RBIs. His most recent performance came Sunday in Atlanta’s 11-6 victory over Colorado, where he contributed a home run and five RBIs.

The Buffalo, New York native had inked a one-year deal worth $1.5 million with Atlanta back in February, following his tenure as Texas’s main catcher beginning in 2022.

This marks a return to familiar territory for Heim, who began his major league journey with Oakland in 2020, participating in 13 contests. He subsequently joined Texas in 2021 before becoming their regular starter the following season.

Heim’s standout campaign came in 2023 when he received All-Star recognition, posting a .258 batting average with 18 home runs and 95 RBIs while recording a .755 OPS for the championship Rangers squad.

Throughout his major league tenure, Heim has accumulated 620 games of experience with a career batting average of .225, along with 69 home runs and 290 RBIs.

The Seattle Mariners have sidelined left-handed relief pitcher Gabe Speier for at least two weeks due to inflammation in his left shoulder, the team announced Monday. The injury designation dates back to May 3.

To fill the roster spot, Seattle brought up Jose Suarez, whom they acquired off waivers from the Atlanta Braves over the weekend. Suarez, also a left-handed pitcher who works primarily in relief, was cut loose by Atlanta on May 1.

The 31-year-old Speier has become a cornerstone of Seattle’s bullpen since joining the team in 2023. He took the mound 69 times during his first season with the Mariners and appeared in 76 games in 2025. His 76 appearances ranked fifth-highest across Major League Baseball, while he maintained a 2.61 earned run average and 0.87 WHIP.

Speier’s most recent outing came on April 29, when he gave up one run while recording just two outs during Seattle’s 5-3 victory over Minnesota.

The California native from Santa Barbara previously played for Kansas City from 2019 through 2022 but didn’t find his groove until arriving in Seattle the following year. Throughout his career, he has pitched in 230 games with one start, compiling a 6-11 record and 3.60 ERA. He has recorded 226 strikeouts against 56 walks across 192 2/3 innings.

Seattle’s bullpen has taken another hit recently, as right-handed reliever Matt Brash was also placed on the injured list May 1 with minor inflammation in his right lat muscle.

The 28-year-old Suarez pitched in eight games for Atlanta this season, including one start, going 0-1 with one save and a 6.61 ERA. Before his brief stint with the Braves, the Venezuelan spent six seasons with the Los Angeles Angels from 2019-2024, making 61 starts during that time.

Over his major league career, Suarez holds a 22-30 record with a 5.35 ERA, striking out 383 batters while issuing 258 walks in 412 1/3 innings.

Seattle also promoted left-handed pitcher Josh Simpson from their Triple-A affiliate in Tacoma while sending right-hander Cole Wilcox back to the minors.

The National Hockey League has scheduled an in-person disciplinary hearing for Boston Bruins defender Charlie McAvoy on May 11 at league offices in New York, stemming from a stick-swinging incident involving Buffalo Sabres player Zach Benson.

League officials announced the hearing date on Monday. The decision to conduct the meeting face-to-face signals that the NHL’s Department of Player Safety may impose a suspension exceeding five games.

Since Boston’s playoff run concluded Friday following a sixth-game defeat to Buffalo in the opening round, any disciplinary action against McAvoy would carry over to the start of the upcoming season.

The controversial play unfolded with 1 minute and 31 seconds remaining in the final period when Benson caused McAvoy to fall while both players pursued a loose puck. McAvoy then rose and rushed toward Benson, swinging his hockey stick in a baseball bat-like motion at his opponent.

This season marked a career-best performance for McAvoy, who recorded 61 points including 11 goals across 69 regular season contests. During the Buffalo series, he contributed two assists.

Throughout his nine-year tenure with Boston, McAvoy has accumulated 71 goals and 361 points over 573 regular season appearances. His postseason statistics include six goals and 50 points in 97 playoff contests.

The Los Angeles Lakers must begin their second-round playoff matchup against Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday without their top-scoring player, as the team officially declared Luka Doncic unavailable for the opening game on Monday.

Head coach JJ Redick had refused to give details about his star player’s condition earlier Monday before the Lakers released their injury report that evening showing Doncic would not play.

The injury keeping Doncic sidelined is a left hamstring strain he sustained during a crushing 139-96 defeat against these same Thunder players. The injury has prevented the player who averages 33.5 points per contest from participating in any postseason games. Even without their leading scorer, the fourth-seeded Lakers (53-29) managed to eliminate the fifth-seeded Houston Rockets with a 4-2 series victory in the opening round.

Oklahoma City dominated the regular season with the NBA’s finest record of 64-18 before starting their playoff campaign by sweeping the Phoenix Suns in four straight games.

The Lakers have struggled mightily against Oklahoma City this year, losing all four regular season meetings with only one defeat decided by single digits.

Recent reports about Doncic’s recovery timeline align with the team’s decision to hold him out. ESPN reported Sunday that the player remains on a “slow path” toward returning to action, having not yet resumed full-contact practice sessions while being listed as week-to-week.

The six-time All-Star selection and two-time scoring title winner also contributed 7.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists per game during the 2025-26 campaign, his first complete season wearing a Lakers uniform.

After enduring a crushing road trip that resulted in six losses out of eight games, the Arizona Diamondbacks find themselves one game under .500 and desperately seeking answers.

The struggling team returns to Phoenix Tuesday evening to kick off a six-game stretch at home, starting with the first of three matchups against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Arizona’s troubles started even before their recent road swing, dropping three of four contests on their home field. Their away games began with a split against San Diego in Mexico City, followed by dropping two of three to Milwaukee and getting completely shut out in a three-game series against Chicago.

The team’s final four road defeats were particularly painful, getting outscored by a devastating 29-10 margin. Milwaukee alone tagged them for 13 runs in two separate losses, with only a 6-2 win breaking up the carnage.

Shortstop Geraldo Perdomo didn’t mince words when describing the recent performance to media members. “Bad,” Perdomo said. “Really bad. Win two out of eight? That’s not us. It was really bad. It was a disaster.”

The current slide is especially concerning given Arizona’s promising 13-8 beginning to the season.

Since that strong start, the team has managed just three victories in 12 contests, surrendering double-digit runs four times while being held to two runs or fewer on four separate occasions.

Manager Torey Lovullo remains confident his squad will bounce back quickly.

“I stand before you guys every single day and tell you that we’re working hard and things are going to turn, and we’re going to have good days. And I’m going to continue to believe in that,” Lovullo stated. “Because I see how hard these guys work, and I think they just get frustrated when they don’t have results. We’ve got to get the tide to turn a little bit. … I’ll expect their absolute best on Tuesday.”

First baseman Ildemaro Vargas has been a bright spot during the team’s struggles, earning National League Player of the Month honors for March and April.

The 34-year-old veteran saw his impressive 27-game hitting streak come to an end Saturday. The switch-hitting player currently tops the National League with a .382 batting average and paces Arizona with six home runs and 21 RBIs.

The Pirates arrive in Phoenix fresh off a series sweep of Cincinnati at home. Pittsburgh exploded for 26 runs in their first two victories before capturing Sunday’s finale by a 1-0 score.

Rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin provided the game-winner with a clutch two-out double in the eighth inning.

Griffin expressed regret about the timing of his heroics. Right-hander Braxton Ashcraft had thrown 7⅔ shutout frames before departing, meaning reliever Gregory Soto got credit for the victory instead.

“He deserved it,” Griffin said regarding Ashcraft. “I wish we could have gotten it for him a little earlier, but he pitched his tail off and we tried to back him up the best we can.”

The 20-year-old Griffin, who celebrated his birthday on April 24, is hitting .262 with two homers and 16 RBIs across 29 major league games since his call-up. Pittsburgh selected him ninth overall in the 2024 draft.

Oneil Cruz paces the Pirates’ offense with nine home runs and 28 RBIs.

Left-handed pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez (2-0, 3.03 ERA) will take the mound for Arizona after receiving a no-decision versus Milwaukee last Wednesday. He surrendered two runs and five hits across 4⅔ innings in the Diamondbacks’ 6-2 victory.

The 33-year-old Rodriguez holds a 1-1 record with a 4.41 ERA in three previous starts against Pittsburgh. Brandon Lowe has connected for three homers in 20 at-bats against Rodriguez while striking out 11 times, and Bryan Reynolds has managed three hits in six attempts.

Pittsburgh will counter with rookie right-hander Bubba Chandler (1-3, 4.97), who has surrendered nine runs over nine innings while losing his last two starts.

In his most recent outing, Chandler allowed three runs and three hits over five innings during a 5-4 loss to St. Louis.

The 23-year-old Chandler has no previous experience against Arizona or any of their current hitters.

With eight teams remaining in the NBA postseason, one franchise has clearly separated itself from the competition in the eyes of oddsmakers.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have been installed as strong betting favorites to capture their second consecutive NBA championship as the conference semifinals kicked off Monday evening.

Both DraftKings Sportsbook and BetMGM have listed the Thunder at -145 odds to claim the NBA Finals crown. The San Antonio Spurs, who earned the Western Conference’s second seed behind Oklahoma City, hold the next-best championship odds at +370 (DraftKings) and +375 (BetMGM).

Oklahoma City’s dominant campaign began with an impressive 24-1 record to open the regular season, ultimately leading to the league’s top mark of 64-18. The Thunder continued their excellence into the playoffs, becoming the only team to complete a first-round sweep by defeating the eighth-seeded Phoenix Suns 4-0.

San Antonio could present the most significant challenge to Oklahoma City’s title aspirations should the regional foes meet in the Western Conference championship series. The two teams faced each other five times during the regular season due to their matchup in the NBA Cup semifinals, with the Spurs claiming victory in four of those encounters.

From the Eastern Conference, the New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons have emerged as the leading contenders, though third-seeded New York carries significantly better odds than top-seeded Detroit following the Pistons’ struggle against Orlando. Detroit was forced to overcome a 3-1 series deficit to eliminate the eighth-seeded Magic.

New York stands at +900 to win the championship at both major sportsbooks. The Knicks are also favored to represent the Eastern Conference in the Finals, with +135 odds at DraftKings and +150 at BetMGM.

Detroit’s championship odds sit at +1800 (DraftKings) and +1700 (BetMGM), while their Eastern Conference odds are listed at +260 and +250, respectively.

Complete DraftKings championship odds as of May 4, 8 p.m. ET: Oklahoma City (-145), San Antonio (+370), New York (+900), Detroit (+1800), Cleveland (+2200), L.A. Lakers (+2800), Philadelphia (+4000), Minnesota (+7000).

BetMGM championship odds as of May 4, 8 p.m. ET: Oklahoma City (-145), San Antonio (+375), New York (+900), Detroit (+1700), Cleveland (+2000), L.A. Lakers (+2500), Philadelphia (+3500), Minnesota (+8000).

SAN ANTONIO — Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards received medical clearance to take the court Monday evening for Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals against San Antonio, making his comeback just 10 days following a hyperextended left knee injury.

The All-Star guard was initially projected to sit out at least the opening two contests in San Antonio, but the 6-foot-4 player accelerated his recovery process to participate in the series opener.

“He’s in,” Minnesota coach Chris Finch said.

Finch indicated that Edwards will face playing time limitations.

Edwards received approval to rejoin team workouts on Saturday and his status was elevated to questionable on Sunday’s injury listing. He participated fully in Monday morning’s shootaround session and earned final approval following pre-game warmups.

The injury occurred on April 25 during Game 4 of Minnesota’s first-round matchup with Denver, when Edwards sustained both a bone bruise and hyperextension to his left knee.

Minnesota also suffered the loss of Donte DiVicenzo in that same Game 4 contest due to a torn right Achilles tendon, yet managed to capture the following two games against Denver to secure their advancement.

Edwards was absent from Game 6 while undergoing injury treatment.

During the regular season, Edwards posted averages of 28.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists across 61 contests. In three matchups against San Antonio this season, he averaged 36.7 points, 4.0 assists and 3.0 rebounds.

Minnesota held a 2-1 regular season record against the Spurs.

San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama, who received Defensive Player of the Year honors on April 20, was sidelined for the first regular season meeting with Minnesota due to a left calf strain. Wembanyama posted averages of 34 points and 8.0 rebounds in two contests against the Timberwolves, including a 39-point performance in a 126-123 victory on January 17 during the teams’ final regular season encounter.

Chicago Sky officials announced Monday they have released rookie guard Hailey Van Lith, who was selected 11th overall in the 2025 WNBA Draft.

The 24-year-old first-year player posted 3.5 points and 1.6 assists per game across 29 appearances without making a start during her inaugural professional season.

During preseason action, Van Lith contributed 12.5 points and 4.5 assists over two contests for Chicago, which begins regular season play Saturday against the Portland Fire.

Chicago selected the 5-foot-9 Van Lith as their top pick following her outstanding college basketball journey that included stops at Louisville, LSU and TCU. She earned All-American honors and claimed both Big 12 Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year awards after posting 17.9 points, 5.4 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game with the Horned Frogs during the 2024-25 campaign.

The Sky made additional roster moves Monday, releasing forwards Maddy Westbeld (16th overall pick) and Aicha Coulibaly (22nd selection), both 2025 draft choices. Westbeld contributed 4.1 points and 2.4 rebounds across 26 games as a rookie, while Coulibaly did not appear in any contests.

All WNBA franchises must finalize their rosters by Thursday at 5 p.m. ET ahead of Friday’s regular season opener.

The Dallas Wings also made significant cuts Monday, parting ways with six players including veteran guard Lindsay Allen.

Allen, 31, brings eight seasons of WNBA experience across 214 career games with six different teams, most recently appearing in 31 contests (nine starts) for the Connecticut Sun in 2025. The veteran guard holds career averages of 4.4 points and 3.1 assists but could not earn a roster position with Dallas after joining the organization last month.

Dallas also released Rayah Marshall, Dulcy Fankam Mendjiadeu, Amy Okonkwo, Grace Berger and Costanza Verona.

Berger joined the Wings mid-season through multiple seven-day contracts and finished with 3.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists over 18 games (13 starts). Okonkwo averaged 11.0 points per game but participated in only eight contests late in the season.

A sports journalism podcast has been awarded the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for audio reporting following its investigation into alleged financial misconduct by the Los Angeles Clippers basketball team.

Pablo Torre’s “Pablo Torre Finds Out” podcast received the prestigious honor Monday for its examination of the NBA team’s financial dealings with star player Kawhi Leonard. The investigation has sparked an ongoing league inquiry into potential salary cap violations.

“We are honored to have been named the winner of the 2026 Pulitzer Prize in Audio Reporting!” the podcast announced on its official social media account.

The award-winning investigation, published last September, focused on Leonard’s $28 million endorsement agreement with Aspiration Fund Adviser LLC, a California sustainability company that has since filed for bankruptcy. Torre’s reporting suggested the deal may have violated NBA financial regulations.

Pulitzer Prize judges praised the work as a “pioneering and entertaining form of live podcast journalism.”

Both Leonard and the Clippers organization have rejected allegations of wrongdoing. Leonard has stated he never received the full payment amount from the company, while the team has expressed confidence in the league’s investigation process, which involves an independent firm.

The financial connections run deeper than the endorsement deal. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer invested $50 million in Aspiration, and the organizations announced a $300 million business partnership in September 2021. This partnership was established roughly one month after Leonard agreed to a four-year contract extension worth $176 million with the team.

The Clippers terminated their business relationship with Aspiration after two years, citing contract violations. Meanwhile, Aspiration’s co-founder Joseph Sanberg entered a guilty plea in August on federal wire fraud charges. Federal prosecutors accused him of stealing $248 million from investors and lenders, stating that “Aspiration’s financial statements were inaccurate and reflected much higher revenue than the company in fact received.”

Torre’s show, which produces three episodes weekly, has tackled numerous high-profile investigations since launching in 2023. Past reporting has examined Jeffrey Epstein’s connections to Harvard University, Madison Square Garden’s facial recognition technology usage, and alleged coordination among NFL teams.

The 40-year-old journalist’s podcast operates under Meadowlark Media and holds licensing through The Athletic, a subsidiary of The New York Times Company. Torre previously worked at Sports Illustrated and ESPN.

DETROIT — The Detroit Pistons have rewarded head coach J.B. Bickerstaff with a new contract following the franchise’s breakthrough playoff performance this season.

The organization announced the extension Monday but did not disclose financial terms or the length of the new agreement.

Since taking control of the team at the beginning of the 2024-25 campaign, replacing Monty Williams, Bickerstaff has compiled a 104-60 record during regular season play while guiding Detroit to two postseason berths.

After falling in the opening round last year, the Pistons dominated this season with a conference-leading 60-22 mark. They capped off their remarkable turnaround Sunday with a 116-94 victory over Orlando, securing their first playoff series triumph since 2008.

When Bickerstaff inherited the franchise in autumn 2024, the Pistons were coming off back-to-back seasons as the league’s worst team, including a dismal 14-68 campaign in 2023-24.

The transformation has been dramatic for a Detroit squad that had endured consecutive years at the bottom of the NBA standings before Bickerstaff’s arrival.

The Pistons will face an intriguing matchup Tuesday evening when they host Cleveland in their second-round opener. Bickerstaff previously led the Cavaliers from late in the 2019-2020 season until the conclusion of the 2023-24 season.

Milwaukee has welcomed back two key offensive players as outfielder Jackson Chourio and first baseman Andrew Vaughn return from the 10-day injured list on Monday, just in time for their series against St. Louis.

To make room on the roster, the team sent outfielder Blake Perkins down to Triple-A Nashville while utility player Greg Jones was designated for assignment.

The 22-year-old Chourio is set to make his first appearance of the season after dealing with a hairline fracture in his left hand sustained during March’s World Baseball Classic.

During his rehabilitation stint in Nashville, Chourio appeared in three games, recording one hit in six at-bats while drawing three walks. Though he exited his final rehab game after fouling a pitch off his left ankle, X-rays showed no damage and won’t postpone his major league return.

The young outfielder has shown remarkable consistency in his brief MLB career, posting nearly identical numbers across his first two seasons: 21 home runs, 79 RBIs, 22 stolen bases and a .275 batting average in his 2024 rookie campaign, followed by 21 homers, 78 RBIs, 21 steals and a .270 average in 2025.

Vaughn provided a significant boost to Milwaukee’s lineup last season following his early-season acquisition from Chicago, but Opening Day brought misfortune when he fractured a hamate bone in his left hand, sidelining him since then.

The 28-year-old first baseman completed three rehabilitation games in Nashville, collecting two hits in 11 at-bats including one double. Throughout his major league career spanning 675 games since 2021, Vaughn maintains a .253 batting average with 86 home runs and 340 RBIs.

The players being moved out struggled offensively this season, with Perkins managing just a .109 average and five RBIs across 19 games. Jones performed even worse, hitting .095 with one RBI in 11 appearances. The utility player has now played for three different organizations in as many years, having brief tenures with Colorado in 2024 and Chicago in 2025 before joining Milwaukee.

DETROIT — Detroit Tigers ace pitcher Tarik Skubal, a two-time American League Cy Young Award recipient, will undergo a surgical procedure to extract loose bodies from his elbow following his removal from Monday’s scheduled start versus the Boston Red Sox.

Tigers skipper A.J. Hinch informed the media that the southpaw experienced discomfort in his elbow on Sunday, coming just days after a concerning moment during his outing against the Atlanta Braves. Medical examinations on the 29-year-old pitcher, who is slated to enter free agency following next season, revealed the presence of loose bodies requiring surgical removal. The procedure has not yet been scheduled.

No timeline has been established for Skubal’s return to action.

The initial elbow discomfort occurred during last week’s matchup with Atlanta, though Skubal remained in the contest. After delivering a 2-2 pitch to Matt Olson, he was seen massaging his left arm, prompting both the team trainer and Hinch to visit the mound. Following a single warmup throw, Skubal determined he could continue and proceeded to strike out three consecutive batters to conclude his outing.

In that performance, he surrendered five hits while recording seven strikeouts and issuing no walks.

Multiple media sources confirmed Monday that the Carolina Panthers have brought former NFL safety Mike Adams onto their coaching staff in an assistant role.

The 45-year-old Adams launched his professional football career in 2004 with San Francisco and spent two seasons (2017-18) playing for Carolina. Throughout his 16-year career spanning 228 games, he recorded 935 tackles and 30 interceptions while suiting up for San Francisco (2004-06), Cleveland (2007-11), Denver (2012-13), Indianapolis (2014-16), Carolina, and Houston (2019).

During his time with Indianapolis, Adams earned back-to-back Pro Bowl selections in 2014 and 2015.

Adams will start his coaching journey through the Bill Walsh coaching fellowship program, which aims to increase diversity among NFL coaching staffs. His responsibilities will include working with players during offseason training programs and throughout training camp.

DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks announced Monday they have brought aboard Masai Ujiri, the former Toronto Raptors executive, to serve as team president and alternate governor.

The 55-year-old Ujiri previously oversaw the Raptors organization during their championship run in 2018-19, when Toronto captured the NBA title with Kawhi Leonard after acquiring the star from San Antonio.

Ujiri steps into the role previously held by Nico Harrison, who was dismissed from his general manager position last November. Harrison’s tenure ended roughly nine months after orchestrating the controversial trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, a move that proved detrimental to Dallas.

The new president spent 13 years with Toronto’s organization before being let go as president and vice chairman this past June. He initially joined the Raptors as executive vice president and general manager.

According to the team’s announcement, Ujiri will oversee all basketball-related operations while collaborating with franchise leadership on strategic planning for the Mavericks’ future.

Michael Finley, a former Dallas player, and Matt Riccardi had been sharing general manager duties since Harrison’s departure. The duo orchestrated the February trade sending Anthony Davis to Washington. The injury-prone big man had been the primary asset Dallas received in the problematic Doncic transaction.

Ujiri takes charge of a franchise now built around Cooper Flagg, who earned Rookie of the Year honors after being selected first overall in last summer’s draft. Dallas secured Flagg despite having only a 1.8% probability of winning the top lottery selection. The team holds a 6.7% chance in the upcoming draft lottery.

Despite missing playoff action for two consecutive seasons, the Mavericks could return to postseason contention. The franchise reached the 2024 NBA Finals with Doncic and Kyrie Irving leading the way before falling to Boston in five games.

Should Ujiri retain Irving, Dallas would feature two former Duke standouts in Irving and Flagg. The rookie sensation guided the Blue Devils to the Final Four while becoming only the fourth first-year player to claim Associated Press men’s player of the year recognition.

Irving and Flagg have yet to share the court together, as Irving missed the entire campaign after suffering an ACL injury in March 2025.

The roster also includes another Duke product in center Dereck Lively II, though he has battled various injuries throughout his three-year career.

Additional core players include four-time champion Klay Thompson, who rebounded from early struggles to post strong three-point numbers and finish fourth in NBA history for made three-pointers. Forward P.J. Washington played a crucial role during the Finals run, while Naji Marshall emerged as a reliable scorer on an injury-riddled squad.

Chicago Sky management announced Monday they have released rookie guard Hailey Van Lith, who was selected as their first-round draft choice in 2025.

The 24-year-old guard struggled during her debut season, posting averages of 3.5 points and 1.6 assists across 29 appearances without earning a single start.

All WNBA franchises must finalize their rosters by Thursday at 5 p.m. ET, just one day before the regular season kicks off on Friday.

During Chicago’s preseason play, Van Lith showed promise with 12.5 points and 4.5 assists per game over two contests. The Sky begin their campaign Saturday against Portland in what marks the inaugural game for the expansion Portland Fire franchise.

Chicago selected Van Lith as the 11th overall selection in 2025 following her impressive college basketball journey that took her through Louisville, LSU, and TCU.

Standing 5-foot-9, Van Lith earned All-American honors and claimed both Big 12 Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year awards after posting 17.9 points, 5.4 assists, and 4.6 rebounds per game during her final collegiate season with the Horned Frogs in 2024-25.

Multiple sources confirm the Dallas Mavericks have selected Masai Ujiri, the former Toronto Raptors executive, to serve as their new team president and alternate governor, according to reports released Monday.

The 55-year-old Ujiri led the Raptors’ front office operations for 12 years from 2013 through 2025, playing a key role in building the team that captured the franchise’s inaugural NBA title during the 2018-19 season.

Prior to his tenure with Toronto, Ujiri served as general manager for the Denver Nuggets between 2010 and 2013, earning recognition as the NBA’s Executive of the Year during the 2012-13 campaign. Under his leadership across both organizations, the teams compiled a 690-504 record and secured 12 playoff berths over his 15-year executive career.

The appointment brings to a close Dallas’s six-month executive search that began when the organization terminated general manager Nico Harrison on November 11. Harrison’s dismissal followed the team’s disappointing 3-8 opening to the 2025-26 season and ongoing fan criticism surrounding the February 2025 decision to trade star player Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.

According to ESPN, team officials have scheduled a press conference featuring Ujiri and team governor Patrick Dumont for Tuesday in Dallas.

Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi served as co-interim general managers overseeing Dallas’s front office operations after Harrison’s departure.

The Mavericks concluded this season with a 26-56 record, marking their poorest performance since the 2017-18 campaign when they went 24-58. The team’s struggles persisted despite strong play from Cooper Flagg, the 19-year-old forward who was selected first overall in the draft and earned Rookie of the Year honors after averaging 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists across 70 games.

DENVER — What was supposed to be a defensive battle between two of the NHL’s top defensive teams turned into an offensive showcase Sunday night, as the Colorado Avalanche defeated the Minnesota Wild 9-6 in their second-round playoff opener.

The game featured an incredible 14 different goal scorers, completely defying expectations for a matchup between teams known for their defensive prowess and elite goaltending.

Colorado netminder Scott Wedgewood allowed six goals — exceeding his total from the entire first-round sweep of Los Angeles by one. Meanwhile, Minnesota’s Jesper Wallstedt surrendered eight goals before an empty-net tally sealed the wild finish.

“It was a weird one,” commented Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar, who was the lone player to net multiple goals in the contest. The series continues Tuesday night at Ball Arena, with both clubs vowing to improve their defensive play.

Wild defenseman Jake Middleton echoed those sentiments, saying, “Weird game for sure. I mean, it’s the playoffs, you can’t be too surprised with what transpires.”

Avalanche center Nazem Kadri expressed his amazement at the goal-scoring barrage. “It was downright shocking to see so many goals,” Kadri noted. “We did not expect that kind of game at all. In fact, quite the opposite.”

Colorado, which allowed the fewest goals during the regular season, raced to a 3-0 advantage in less than seven minutes. However, Minnesota responded by scoring five of the following six goals, forcing the Avalanche to mount their own comeback effort.

“It felt like the puck, the puck just had eyes today for them,” Wallstedt reflected on Colorado’s offensive success.

Each period produced exactly five goals, creating an unprecedented scoring pace for teams known for defensive excellence.

“Yeah, it’s nothing either of us wants,” Wedgewood acknowledged. “Obviously we want a couple of them back on both sides. But you’ve got to give credit offenses. It’s playoff hockey.”

The President’s Trophy-winning Avalanche had opened their playoff run with consecutive 2-1 victories over Los Angeles, leading fans to expect another low-scoring affair.

Kadri found positive aspects in the high-scoring contest, suggesting Colorado’s week-long break after sweeping LA while Minnesota needed six games to eliminate Dallas may have contributed to the defensive struggles.

“Versatility,” Kadri explained regarding his team’s approach. “That’s what we always talk about, whether we’ve got to go high-flying offense or lock-down defense, I certainly feel comfortable in both scenarios and I know this team does as well.”

He added, “You’ve got to win different ways come playoff time. I think we were a little loose and a little rusty defensively, but we’ll get that tightened up. I think it’s just being off for a little while and defensively trying to get engaged in the game took a little longer than expected for us. But at the end of the day, we found a way to win. On the flip side, the offensive side was going.”

Colorado captain Gabe Landeskog acknowledged that while both teams are recognized for defense, “we’ve got some really good shooters on both teams.” Once the game became a shootout, survival became the primary objective.

“You have to find ways to win,” Landeskog stated. “We took the lead and they tied it back up and then they took the lead and we tied it back up, it was just back and forth, you’re just trying to find a way to win the hockey game, you’re trying to find a way to stop the bleeding. And you’re just trying to settle into the game.”

“It’s nice to be able to win games like this, not necessarily a coach’s dream or a player’s dream. We don’t want to give up six goals. So, it’s good to win this one, but we’ve got lots of things to clean up.”

Makar broke a 5-5 deadlock with an unassisted goal to open the third period, then added a crucial wrist shot with 2:54 remaining to make it 8-6. This performance came despite missing 17 minutes of the opening period due to a lower-body injury. Colorado defensemen combined for five goals in the contest.

“That’s Cale Makar doing Cale Makar things,” Landeskog praised his teammate’s effort.

Wild coach John Hynes summarized the chaotic nature of the game, saying, “Yeah, I mean, there’s a lot to unpack in this one. Was a bit of a helter-skelter game. Obviously you can tell by the score. We’ll take a look at some things and take some lessons out of this one. Be ready for Game 2.”

Despite the lopsided score, Hynes never considered removing Wallstedt from the game. “No, I thought Wally played … look what the score was,” Hynes explained. “And their guy was in for a lot of goals against, too.”

Following three consecutive seasons with over 100 losses — culminating in a franchise-worst 121 defeats last year — the Chicago White Sox desperately needed some spark.

Japanese infielder Munetaka Murakami has delivered exactly that kind of energy.

The 26-year-old slugger currently shares the major league home run lead with Aaron Judge at 13 long balls. Remarkably, those homers represent almost half of Murakami’s total base hits this season. His remaining 14 hits have all been singles, with zero doubles or triples to his name.

Such extreme power-or-nothing offensive numbers would mark historic territory if maintained across a full campaign. Currently, 48.1% of Murakami’s hits have left the ballpark. The existing single-season record among batting title qualifiers belongs to Barry Bonds at 46.8%, achieved during his legendary 2001 campaign when he launched 73 homers among 156 total hits.

Mark McGwire holds the next two spots on this exclusive list. His 1998 season featured 70 home runs in 152 hits (46.1%), while 1999 saw him blast 65 homers in 145 hits (44.8%). Just nine players in baseball history have homered on at least 40% of their hits, though not all required massive power numbers to reach that threshold. Joey Gallo achieved a 43.6% rate in 2017 with 41 homers in 94 hits while batting just .209. That profile may better mirror Murakami’s current .223 batting average.

With Murakami leading the charge, Chicago ranks 28th league-wide in team batting average but ninth in home runs. Fellow young player Colson Montgomery contributes a .227 average with nine homers. The White Sox enjoyed an encouraging stretch recently, riding a five-game winning streak before falling to San Diego on Sunday, missing a chance to reach .500.

Murakami joined Chicago after signing a two-year, $34 million deal to leave Japan during the offseason. Montgomery, at 24, remains under team control for several years. On the mound, rookie left-hander Noah Schultz has posted a 2-1 record with a 2.53 ERA in his debut season.

The White Sox also hold the top selection in this year’s amateur draft.

Regarding the automated ball-strike challenge system, no clear pattern emerges between successful challenges and team performance. The clubs with the most successful ABS challenges include Minnesota (52), Colorado (50), Miami (46), Oakland (45) and Kansas City (44). Among that group, only Oakland maintains a winning record.

Looking at success rates, Arizona leads at 64.3%, followed by San Diego (62.3%), Kansas City (62%), Detroit (60.7%) and Cincinnati (59.6%). San Diego, Detroit and Cincinnati currently have winning records.

Boston’s Ranger Suarez dominated Toronto on Monday night, striking out 10 batters while allowing just one hit across eight innings in a 5-0 Red Sox victory. That marked Boston’s third consecutive win, though they’ve since dropped four of their last five games. Suarez exited his previous Sunday start after four innings due to hamstring concerns.

Atlanta mounted a spectacular comeback against Colorado on Friday night, overcoming a 6-1 deficit to win 8-6. The Braves scored once in the seventh inning, then exploded for four runs in the eighth, highlighted by Mauricio Dubón’s bases-clearing triple. Michael Harris II capped the rally with a two-run homer in the ninth inning.

According to Baseball Savant, Colorado’s win probability reached 97.7% at one point during the game.

After completing a three-game sweep in Colorado, Atlanta now holds an 8.5-game lead atop the National League East. The Braves also boast baseball’s best run differential at plus-81.

For historical context, Adam Dunn connected on 41 homers among 110 hits (37.3%) in 2012 while batting .204. That same season, Dunn established the American League record with 222 strikeouts.

NEW YORK (AP) — John Sterling, the legendary radio voice of the New York Yankees celebrated for his dramatic and personalized home run catchphrases, passed away Monday, according to announcements from the baseball team and radio station WFAN. He was 87 years old.

Sterling had received heart bypass surgery during the winter months and was recovering at his Edgewater, New Jersey residence with professional care assistance. The Yankees organization confirmed his death occurred at a New Jersey medical facility.

The veteran broadcaster had covered 5,631 total games — including 5,420 regular season contests and 211 playoff games — before stepping away in April 2024 shortly after the season began, saying he was experiencing exhaustion. Sterling maintained an incredible streak of 5,060 straight games from September 1989 through July 2019 after initially joining the Yankees organization as a pregame show host. He briefly returned from retirement to cover the team’s 2024 playoff run.

Sterling’s signature home run announcements became as iconic to Yankees culture as the team’s famous pinstripe uniforms or World Series trophies. When new players joined the roster through trades or call-ups, supporters eagerly anticipated what creative phrase he would craft for their first long ball.

His memorable calls included “Bernie goes boom! Bern, baby, Bern!” for Bernie Williams, “It’s a Jeter jolt!” for Derek Jeter, “It’s an A-bomb from A-Rod!” for Alex Rodriguez, “The Giambino!” for Jason Giambi, and “A thrilla from Godzilla!” for Hideki Matsui. These personalized signatures became beloved from the team’s locker room to the stadium’s upper deck.

“It wasn’t meant that way. I just happened to do something for Bernie Williams. He hit a home run and I said, ‘Bern, baby, Bern!’ And it kind of mushroomed from there,” Sterling explained during his retirement announcement. “But it never was intended for every player, because, frankly, I’m not smart enough to do something for every player. But I did the best I could, and it’s amazing what started out as — became so big.”

“I did say ‘A-bomb from A-Rod!’ when he hit a home run and I did say: ‘Robbie Canó, don’t you know,’ and I think those were pretty good,” Sterling reflected on his calls for Rodriguez and Robinson Canó.

Originally named Josh Sloss, Sterling was born on July 4, 1938, in Manhattan and left his college studies to pursue radio work. His broadcasting dreams began after listening to “The Eddie Bracken Show” during the 1940s.

“I didn’t want to be Eddie Bracken. I wanted to be the guy who says: ‘Live from Hollywood!’” Sterling recalled. “And I knew that maybe a year or two later, but before puberty I knew I was going to be on the air. And it really helped me because I didn’t worry about school, because I knew what I was going to do. And it was a good thing because I was a terrible student — terrible.”

His broadcasting journey began in 1960 at a radio station in Wellsville, New York.

“I was preparing this all my life. It was easy,” he said. “I could always open my mouth and talk.”

Sterling drew inspiration from broadcasting legends Mel Allen, Russ Hodges, and Jim Karvellas. He eventually earned his place alongside Allen in Yankees broadcasting history, joining the ranks of Red Barber, Phil Rizzuto, Bill White, and Frank Messer.

During his early career, Sterling called games for the NBA’s Washington Bullets and Morgan State football, gaining recognition for his enthusiastic “Islanders goal! Islanders goal!” calls during the hockey team’s broadcasts from 1975-78, as well as covering the NBA’s Nets from 1975-80.

Sterling’s initial Yankees connection came through WMCA pregame radio programs from 1971-78. He later relocated to Atlanta, working with the Braves from 1982-87 and Hawks from 1981-89, before returning to New York to join the Yankees, taking over from Hank Greenwald.

Sterling rarely visited the team’s clubhouse and maintained his professional appearance in Brooks Brothers suits despite working in radio.

Throughout his Yankees tenure, he worked alongside various broadcast partners including Jay Johnstone (1989-90), Joe Angel (1991), Michael Kay (1992-2001), Charley Steiner (2002-04), and Suzyn Waldman (since 2005). Sterling and Waldman received induction into the New York State Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 2016.

Sterling took pride in his distinctive broadcasting approach.

“Harry Caray told me some years ago,” he remembered in 2024, referencing the famous Chicago Cubs and White Sox announcer, “and he says, ‘John, all the guys are great. We just have different styles.’ And no one has a more different style than I have.”

Kansas City made several roster adjustments Monday, releasing quarterback Jake Haener along with two defensive players.

The Chiefs also let go of defensive end Ethan Hurkett and defensive tackle Zacch Pickens while bringing in three new free agents: wide receiver Xavier Loyd, defensive back Marlen Sewell, and offensive tackle Kahlil Benson.

The 27-year-old Haener had been Kansas City’s most significant free-agent acquisition of the offseason when they signed him February 2nd. The team brought him in to provide quarterback depth as two-time NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes recovers from ACL surgery. However, Kansas City later added veteran quarterback Justin Fields in March to serve as Mahomes’ primary backup.

New Orleans selected Haener in the fourth round of the 2023 draft. During the 2024 season with the Saints, he saw action in eight contests with one starting assignment, throwing for 226 yards on 18 completions out of 39 attempts, recording one touchdown pass and one interception. The Saints cut him loose in January.

The Chiefs selected LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier in last month’s seventh round and also have Chris Oladokun on their quarterback roster. When Mahomes went down with injury last season, Oladokun stepped in and threw for 235 yards while completing 35 of 55 pass attempts across three appearances, including two starts, with one touchdown and zero interceptions.

Formula One officials are reviewing policies around teams owning stakes in multiple racing operations after reports emerged linking Mercedes to a potential investment in Alpine, which is currently owned by Renault.

Speaking at the Miami Grand Prix, Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who leads the International Automobile Federation (FIA), revealed his personal opposition to such arrangements while acknowledging there could be valid justifications for allowing them.

The sport currently permits Red Bull to control both Red Bull Racing and Racing Bulls, making up two of Formula One’s 11 competing teams. While these organizations function as separate entities, their drivers work under centralized contracts and key personnel can transfer between them without the typical lengthy non-compete periods known as “gardening leave.”

Competitors have raised concerns about this structure, with McLaren’s Zak Brown particularly vocal about the challenges it creates when trying to hire top talent. Critics also worry about potential coordination between commonly-owned teams that could provide unfair advantages.

Ben Sulayem indicated that shared ownership might be permissible under certain circumstances.

“As long as you are not trying to take it (the stake) because you don’t want others to take it, or also get voting power when it comes to the regulations, then maybe it’s OK,” he stated.

“But then I do believe that owning two is not the right way, this is my personal point of view, but we are looking into that because it’s a complicated area,” Ben Sulayem added.

Red Bull’s acquisition of the struggling Minardi team in late 2005 prevented that organization’s collapse, preserving jobs and maintaining the sport’s full roster of competitors. The secondary team has since served as a development program for Red Bull’s main operation, nurturing future champions including Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel, along with numerous race winners.

Industry speculation has connected former Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, who was dismissed last July, to a 24% ownership stake in Alpine. This stake is currently held by investors led by Otro Capital, who are seeking buyers.

Flavio Briatore, who effectively runs Alpine, confirmed in March that Mercedes had also shown interest in acquiring the stake. Such a purchase would likely eliminate Horner’s involvement, given his contentious history with Mercedes team leader Toto Wolff.

Ben Sulayem expressed confidence that Horner would eventually return to Formula One in some capacity.

“Who can remove Christian Horner’s name from motorsport and Formula One?” he questioned. “You can’t. It was always successful. But success also has enemies, as we know.

“If you ask me, we miss him in this sport and I do. I keep in touch with him and he was good for the team, good for the sport.

“He wants to come back. I talk to him regularly and I feel he will be back. When he comes back, it’s like he went for a vacation … he’s been a character in the sport,” Ben Sulayem concluded.

The Orlando Magic dismissed head coach Jamahl Mosley on Monday following a crushing playoff defeat that saw his team surrender a commanding 3-1 series advantage to the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference’s opening round.

The dismissal marks the end of Mosley’s five-year tenure with Orlando, which concluded with the franchise’s third straight first-round playoff elimination. The eighth-seeded Magic’s collapse against the top-seeded Pistons proved particularly devastating, including a home defeat where Orlando surrendered a 24-point second-half advantage. The team’s offensive struggles reached a breaking point during Friday’s Game 6 loss, when they failed to score on 23 straight field goal attempts, prompting boos from their home crowd.

Many believe that Friday’s collapse sealed Mosley’s dismissal, even though Sunday’s Game 7 defeat in Detroit officially ended their season.

“We’re grateful to Jamahl for all he’s done for the Orlando Magic,” Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said. “We appreciate his leadership and the positive contributions he made as head coach. While this was a difficult decision, we feel it’s time for a new voice and fresh perspective. We wish Jamahl and his family nothing but the best.”

During his Orlando tenure, Mosley accumulated 189 victories, ranking third in franchise history behind Brian Hill’s 267 wins and Stan Van Gundy’s 259. He took control of a rebuilding roster that welcomed rookies Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs during his inaugural campaign, then added top draft pick Paolo Banchero the following year.

The Magic’s progression under Mosley showed steady improvement: from 22 victories in his debut season to a 34-48 record in year two, followed by three consecutive seasons at or above .500 — posting 47-35, 41-41, and 45-37 records respectively.

This achievement placed Orlando among just 10 NBA franchises — including Boston, Cleveland, Denver, Houston, both Los Angeles teams, Minnesota, New York, and Oklahoma City — to avoid sub-.500 records over the past three campaigns.

However, the organization determined that bringing in new leadership represented the optimal strategy for advancing their young core, which includes Banchero, Wagner, Suggs, and Desmond Bane, all secured under long-term contracts.

“It’s been absolutely amazing journey with these guys,” Mosley said. “Their ability to grow, communicate … we’re going to fight until the final horn goes off. And that’s what you’ve seen for a majority of the five years.”

Orlando’s roster requires improvements in several areas, particularly three-point shooting, where they ranked 27th among the league’s 30 teams this season. Injuries also plagued the franchise, including during their playoff run when Wagner missed the final three games — all defeats — against Detroit.

Questions about Mosley’s job security persisted throughout the season, particularly following reports of tension between him and star player Banchero. In March, Banchero acknowledged occasional conflicts but believed the team benefited from working through those challenges.

“We’re both competitors,” Banchero said when asked then about his relationship with Mosley. “There were times where I was frustrated and I wasn’t playing as well as I think I should be. But it never became me pointing the finger at him or being disrespectful. It was all constructive; he’s talking to me, I’m talking to him. And winning, it cures everything.”

Ultimately, the victories weren’t sufficient to save Mosley’s position.

The dismissed coach had two years remaining on a contract extension signed in March 2024. At that time, the organization praised his “preparation, work ethic, ability to connect with the players and passion he brings to the job every day brings positive results, both on the court and off.”

Less than two years later, both sides have agreed to part ways.

Mosley’s five-year tenure ranks among the longest current coaching assignments in the NBA, with only seven coaches serving longer in their current positions: Miami’s Erik Spoelstra (2008), Golden State’s Steve Kerr (2014), the Clippers’ Tyronn Lue (2020), Oklahoma City’s Mark Daigneault (2020), Minnesota’s Chris Finch (2021), Indiana’s Rick Carlisle (2021), and Dallas’ Jason Kidd (2021).

Before joining Orlando, Mosley served 15 seasons as an assistant coach with Denver, Cleveland, and Dallas, frequently appearing on candidate lists for head coaching positions throughout the league. His relationship with Weltman dates back to their time together with the Denver Nuggets.

Mosley becomes the 14th head coach in Magic franchise history, or 15th if counting Billy Donovan, who initially accepted the position in 2007 before reversing his decision to return to the University of Florida. Donovan’s recent departure from the Chicago Bulls after six seasons has sparked speculation about his potential candidacy for the Orlando opening.

Soccer fans across India and China may find themselves unable to watch the upcoming World Cup as FIFA encounters significant hurdles securing television broadcast agreements in both nations.

According to sources familiar with the negotiations, a joint venture between Reliance and Disney has presented FIFA with a $20 million bid for India’s 2026 World Cup broadcasting rights. However, this offer represents only a small portion of what FIFA considers acceptable compensation, leading to an ongoing standoff between the parties.

Sony, another major player in India’s media landscape, reportedly held discussions but ultimately chose not to submit any proposal for the FIFA broadcasting package, according to an industry insider with direct knowledge of the situation.

The situation in China remains equally uncertain, with no official broadcast deal announcement despite the country representing nearly half of all digital and social media viewing hours during the previous World Cup in 2022.

Neither FIFA, the Reliance-Disney partnership led by billionaire Mukesh Ambani, nor Sony provided responses to requests for comment regarding the ongoing negotiations.

This timing presents an unusual challenge for FIFA, as previous tournaments saw agreements finalized well ahead of kickoff. During both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, China’s state broadcaster CCTV had secured rights months in advance and was already running promotional materials and sponsor advertisements weeks before the events began.

The numbers highlight the significance of these markets for FIFA’s global reach. China represented 17.7% of worldwide linear television viewership for the 2022 tournament, while India accounted for 2.9%. Combined, both countries made up 22.6% of total global digital streaming audience for that World Cup.

With the 2026 tournament beginning June 11, FIFA has approximately five weeks remaining to finalize agreements, establish broadcast infrastructure, and allow partners to sell advertising space.

Sources indicate FIFA initially requested $100 million for combined broadcasting rights covering both the 2026 and 2030 World Cups in India. This represents a significant increase from the roughly $60 million that Reliance’s previous media division paid for 2022 rights, which were secured 14 months before that tournament in Qatar and ultimately attracted over 110 million digital viewers.

The merger between Reliance and Disney has created a media powerhouse in India’s entertainment and streaming sectors, potentially strengthening their negotiating position. While FIFA has reportedly reduced its initial $100 million asking price, the organization remains unsatisfied with Reliance’s $20 million counteroffer, according to one source.

The Reliance-Disney partnership, which has invested heavily in cricket broadcasting rights, believes World Cup viewership will be lower in India due to the tournament’s North American location across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Most matches will air after midnight in India, potentially limiting audience size.

China boasts approximately 200 million soccer enthusiasts, more than any other nation, though the country has struggled to develop competitive international teams due to structural issues in player development and selection processes.

An industry source noted that soccer lacks the commercial appeal of cricket, India’s most popular sport, and recent advertising market slowdowns related to regional conflicts have further dampened revenue projections.

“Football is a niche segment in India,” explained the source.

Sony, which operates television channels and streaming services in India, determined that purchasing FIFA’s broadcast rights would not provide adequate financial returns for the company, according to a third industry insider.

Rohit Potphode, managing partner for sports at advertising agency Dentsu India, offered an optimistic perspective on the timeline: “Not much time is left but I won’t call it a stalemate. It’s more like we are at the end of a chess game with a couple of moves left.”

Ten years following the NBA’s inaugural draft lottery featuring Patrick Ewing as the top prize, the NHL introduced its own version with much less publicity.

Gary Bettman, the NHL commissioner who previously worked in basketball, helped develop the league’s method for establishing draft order. The system debuted in 1995, when just one franchise was selected as the lottery “winner.” The Los Angeles Kings moved from seventh position to third overall, as teams were restricted from jumping more than four positions at that time.

The remaining draft order remained unchanged, with Ottawa securing the first pick after recording the league’s poorest season record.

“It wasn’t really suspenseful,” said Randy Sexton, who served as the Senators’ general manager then. “We had a list of the random numbers and everybody tried to pretend that they really didn’t care, but as the numbers started to pop up, everybody started to try and figure out which number fell in their realm.”

The NHL’s lottery system has never matched the unpredictability of the NBA version. Throughout most of its history, only one franchise was chosen to advance, meaning no team could fall more than a single spot. Before 2013, teams were limited to moving up just four positions maximum.

An exception occurred in 2005 following a lockout that canceled the entire season. Every franchise had an opportunity to win the lottery and select Sidney Crosby that year.

Today’s format operates differently. Two separate drawings determine the first and second picks, with teams able to jump as many as 10 positions. The lottery ball selection is broadcast live. With this year’s drawing scheduled for Tuesday, The Associated Press examined each franchise’s lottery performance, categorizing teams into six groups:

Several franchises have gained substantial advantages from the lottery system:

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

First-Overall Selections: 2007 (Patrick Kane), 2023 (Connor Bedard)

Lost First-Overall Position: Never

Summary: Beyond their two top picks, Chicago also advanced four positions to fourth in 1999 and jumped nine spots to third in 2019.

EDMONTON OILERS

First-Overall Selections: 2010 (Taylor Hall), 2011 (Ryan Nugent-Hopkins), 2012 (Neil Yakupov), 2015 (Connor McDavid)

Lost First-Overall Position: Never

Summary: No franchise has secured the top selection more frequently during the lottery period, achieving this feat four times within six years. Edmonton held the strongest odds twice and capitalized both times. The other occasions saw the Oilers move up, including when McDavid was available.

FLORIDA PANTHERS

First-Overall Selections: 2002 (traded selection — Rick Nash), 2003 (traded selection — Marc-Andre Fleury), 2014 (Aaron Ekblad)

Lost First-Overall Position: 2013 (Nathan MacKinnon)

Summary: Despite trading away consecutive top picks that allowed Columbus to select Nash and Pittsburgh to acquire Fleury, Florida benefited from three lottery-generated opportunities at the first position.

NEW JERSEY DEVILS

First-Overall Selections: 2017 (Nico Hischier), 2019 (Jack Hughes)

Lost First-Overall Position: Never

Summary: New Jersey has advanced four separate times, including for both top overall picks.

NEW YORK ISLANDERS

First-Overall Selections: 2000 (Rick DiPietro), 2009 (John Tavares), 2025 (Matthew Schaefer)

Lost First-Overall Position: 2001 (Ilya Kovalchuk)

Summary: The Islanders possessed only 3.5% odds for the first pick last season yet jumped from tenth position. Schaefer has already made an immediate impact.

NEW YORK RANGERS

First-Overall Selections: 2020 (Alexis Lafrenière)

Lost First-Overall Position: Never

Summary: New York surprisingly won the special 2020 lottery despite participating in that year’s COVID-delayed postseason play-in round. The previous season they moved from sixth to second.

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

First-Overall Selections: 1998 (Vincent Lecavalier), 1999 (traded selection — Patrik Stefan), 2008 (Steven Stamkos)

Lost First-Overall Position: Never

Summary: Tampa Bay has never actually moved up in the lottery but received three top picks. During their frequent lottery appearances in the late 1990s and early 2000s, only five teams could receive the first selection. Having the best odds, as Tampa Bay did in 1998 and 1999, provided strong positioning.

Some franchises have received minimal assistance despite occasionally favorable odds:

ANAHEIM DUCKS

First-Overall Selections: None

Lost First-Overall Position: 2023 (Connor Bedard)

Summary: Anaheim has held top-three lottery odds three times since 2021, making their continued misfortune increasingly painful.

COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS

First-Overall Selections: None

Lost First-Overall Position: 2012 (Neil Yakupov)

Summary: While Columbus traded for the top pick in 2002 to select Rick Nash, it’s surprising they’ve never won the first selection through the lottery given their frequent decent chances.

DETROIT RED WINGS

First-Overall Selections: None

Lost First-Overall Position: 2020 (Alexis Lafrenière)

Summary: Detroit followed a 25-season playoff streak with a decade-long drought that now represents the NHL’s longest. The Red Wings dropped in the lottery every year from 2017-2020.

UTAH MAMMOTH (formerly PHOENIX/ARIZONA COYOTES and WINNIPEG JETS)

First-Overall Selections: None

Lost First-Overall Position: Never

Summary: Utah jumped 10 positions to fourth last year, but the franchise has been poorly treated by the lottery overall. The original Jets, Coyotes, and Mammoth have had 13 different opportunities to win the top pick, more than any franchise that hasn’t received it.

VANCOUVER CANUCKS

First-Overall Selections: None

Lost First-Overall Position: Never

Summary: Vancouver has never moved up in the lottery. They held the third-best odds in 2016 and second-best in 2017 but received the fifth pick both times.

Several teams have each won the lottery once but selected impactful players:

COLORADO AVALANCHE

First-Overall Selections: 2013 (Nathan MacKinnon)

Lost First-Overall Position: 2017 (Nico Hischier), 2019 (Jack Hughes)

Summary: MacKinnon has delivered both a Stanley Cup championship and MVP award since joining Colorado.

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS

First-Overall Selections: 2005 (Sidney Crosby)

Lost First-Overall Position: 2004 (Alex Ovechkin)

Summary: The 2005 Crosby lottery included every team, with Pittsburgh prevailing. The Penguins also picked first in 2003 with Marc-Andre Fleury, but the lottery had placed them third before they traded for the top selection.

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS

First-Overall Selections: 2016 (Auston Matthews)

Lost First-Overall Position: Never

Summary: While Matthews hasn’t brought Toronto significant playoff success, his arrival helped the Maple Leafs escape lottery territory immediately. He averages nearly 43 goals per season. Toronto and St. Louis are the only franchises never to move up or down in the lottery.

WASHINGTON CAPITALS

First-Overall Selections: 2004 (Alex Ovechkin)

Lost First-Overall Position: Never

Summary: Washington fell from playoff contention in 2003 to near the bottom in 2004, then landed Ovechkin. He quickly transformed their fortunes while becoming the NHL’s career goal-scoring leader and bringing the franchise its only Stanley Cup title.

Some teams have extensive lottery experience with mixed results:

BUFFALO SABRES

First-Overall Selections: 2018 (Rasmus Dahlin), 2021 (Owen Power)

Lost First-Overall Position: 2014 (Aaron Ekblad), 2015 (Connor McDavid)

Summary: After missing McDavid, Buffalo’s fortune eventually changed. Both Dahlin and Power are on this year’s Sabres team, which finally reached the postseason for the first time since 2011.

OTTAWA SENATORS

First-Overall Selections: 1995 (Bryan Berard), 1996 (Chris Phillips)

Lost First-Overall Position: Never

Summary: Ottawa secured the first pick in the initial two lotteries, though they held the best odds both times. They’ve never actually moved up from their expected position.

SAN JOSE SHARKS

First-Overall Selections: 2024 (Macklin Celebrini)

Lost First-Overall Position: 2025 (Matthew Schaefer)

Summary: Without the Celebrini selection, San Jose would rank among the unluckier lottery teams, but he appears to be an excellent choice.

WINNIPEG JETS (formerly ATLANTA THRASHERS)

First-Overall Selections: 2001 (Ilya Kovalchuk)

Lost First-Overall Position: 2000 (Rick DiPietro), 2002 (Rick Nash)

Summary: Atlanta moved from third to first in 2001, but failed to capitalize when holding the best odds in 2000 and 2002. After relocating to Winnipeg, they moved from sixth to second in 2016.

Several franchises have minimal lottery history:

CALGARY FLAMES

First-Overall Selections: None

Lost First-Overall Position: Never

Summary: Calgary’s only lottery movement was dropping from fifth to sixth in 2016.

DALLAS STARS

First-Overall Selections: None

Lost First-Overall Position: Never

Summary: Dallas moved from eighth to third in 2017 to select defenseman Miro Heiskanen, their only significant lottery experience.

MINNESOTA WILD

First-Overall Selections: None

Lost First-Overall Position: Never

Summary: Minnesota has been eligible for the top pick just four times, including 2000 before beginning play and 2005 when every team could select Crosby.

NASHVILLE PREDATORS

First-Overall Selections: None

Lost First-Overall Position: Never

Summary: Like other teams in this category, Nashville is younger than the lottery system. After selecting second before their inaugural season, they’ve never picked higher than fourth.

SEATTLE KRAKEN

First-Overall Selections: None

Lost First-Overall Position: Never

Summary: Seattle moved up one spot to second in 2021 to select Matty Beniers in their first lottery.

ST. LOUIS BLUES

First-Overall Selections: 2006 (Erik Johnson)

Lost First-Overall Position: Never

Summary: St. Louis has been eligible for the top pick just four times in the lottery era, the fewest of any long-standing team. They held the best odds in 2006 when receiving the top selection, though Johnson spent most of his career in Colorado.

VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS

First-Overall Selections: None

Lost First-Overall Position: Never

Summary: Vegas dropped from third to sixth in 2017 before their inaugural season and hasn’t returned to the lottery since.

BOSTON BRUINS

First-Overall Selections: 1997 (Joe Thornton)

Lost First-Overall Position: Never

Summary: Acquiring Thornton was significant for Boston, but they held the best odds that year, making it unsurprising.

CAROLINA HURRICANES

First-Overall Selections: None

Lost First-Overall Position: 2003 (Marc-Andre Fleury)

Summary: Carolina’s only lottery advancement was substantial, moving from 11th to second in 2018 to select Andrei Svechnikov.

LOS ANGELES KINGS

First-Overall Selections: None

Lost First-Overall Position: Never

Summary: Los Angeles was chosen in the inaugural 1995 lottery, advancing from seventh to third. This represents one of only three instances where the top pick didn’t go to a lottery-selected team.

MONTREAL CANADIENS

First-Overall Selections: 2023 (Juraj Slafkovský)

Lost First-Overall Position: Never

Summary: Montreal may join the successful lottery teams in coming years. Slafkovský achieved his first 30-goal season this year.

PHILADELPHIA FLYERS

First-Overall Selections: None

Lost First-Overall Position: 2007 (Patrick Kane)

Summary: Philadelphia missed Kane, who later scored the goal that won Chicago the 2010 Stanley Cup Final against the Flyers.

BOSTON — The assault trial for former New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs is set to commence Monday with jury selection, following allegations of a violent confrontation with his former private chef.

The veteran NFL player entered not guilty pleas in February to charges including felony strangulation and misdemeanor assault and battery related to the alleged December incident.

Court documents reveal the chef informed police that she and Diggs had been disputing unpaid wages for her services. She alleges that during their December 2nd confrontation at his Dedham, Massachusetts residence, Diggs struck her face and attempted to strangle her by wrapping his arm around her throat, causing breathing difficulties. The woman reported to officers that she struggled to breathe and feared losing consciousness.

Defense counsel for Diggs has stated he “categorically denies these allegations,” describing them as baseless claims driven by monetary disagreements. Diggs remained silent when approached by media following his February court appearance.

The receiver inked a lucrative three-year, $69 million deal with New England last season, serving as a primary receiving option for quarterback Drake Maye as the Patriots captured the AFC East championship. His NFL journey began when Minnesota selected him in the 2015 draft, followed by stints with Buffalo and a brief period with Houston in 2024.

His 1,000-yard campaign with New England represented his seventh such season and marked a successful comeback following a career-threatening knee injury that cut short his single season with Houston in 2024.

Despite leading the Patriots with 85 catches for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns during his lone season in New England, the team released Diggs this past March. He acknowledged his departure through social media, expressing gratitude to the Patriots organization and stating: “We family forever.”

Diggs remains unsigned by any NFL franchise.

The world of Formula One racing is experiencing a technological revolution as artificial intelligence becomes increasingly central to how teams operate both on and off the racing circuit.

Research conducted by Ampere Analysis reveals that Formula One teams have established eight new artificial intelligence partnerships within the last six months, demonstrating the sport’s rapid embrace of cutting-edge technology.

Williams, a team that has claimed nine constructors’ championships, recently formed an alliance with AI firm Anthropic to utilize their Claude technology for operational support and race planning.

“It’s much more than a sticker on a car or a sticker in a billboard,” Williams board advisor Peter Kenyon explained to Reuters. “We see it as one of our differentiating points: how can this partner help us in that journey back to the top?”

The landscape of Formula One sponsorships has dramatically shifted from previous decades when tobacco companies dominated car branding. Today’s partnerships focus heavily on artificial intelligence and technology firms that assist teams in analyzing complex data while gaining valuable marketing exposure.

“What Anthropic and our tech team are doing are understanding the opportunities and then integrating those into our business to be able to demonstrate for ourselves and them, and showcase their technology in the pursuit of getting Williams back to the top,” Kenyon continued.

These AI tools have become essential for teams navigating current regulations and working within the $215 million cost cap restrictions now governing the sport.

“Efficiency is one of the ubiquitous benefits of AI products, meaning a natural synergy between teams and AI brands,” noted Adam Lewis, a senior analyst from Ampere Analysis.

According to intelligence platform SponsorUnited, technology spending among Formula One teams reached approximately $769 million during the previous season, representing a 41% increase from the year before.

The same SponsorUnited analysis indicates that AI and machine learning companies comprise four of the top 15 new sponsorship investors, including CoreWeave, a cloud infrastructure company valued at $65 billion that has partnered with Aston Martin’s racing team.

For the 2025 season, Formula One achieved $2.54 billion in total team sponsorship revenue, making it the second-highest earning sports property globally, trailing only the National Football League’s $2.7 billion.

Artificial intelligence has proven particularly valuable for handling administrative duties and interpreting complex sporting and technical regulations, enabling engineers to make quicker decisions during race situations that would have been impossible in earlier eras.

“So it’s gone from a sort of basic AI to more of an agentic approach where rather than just searching for something, it’s actually providing decisions for us,” explained Jack Harrington, group partnership lead for Red Bull Racing.

Red Bull, home to four-time champion Max Verstappen, maintains a partnership with Oracle, the software giant valued at $494 billion, and has integrated the company’s technology throughout their operations.

“So it’s really playing into the strength of AI as an enabler for our team. Allowing them (engineers) to focus on the core responsibilities they have and perform better at what they do,” Harrington added.

Major technology corporations like Google, owned by Alphabet, are also finding value in Formula One partnerships.

“These blue-chip companies are using Formula One as a launchpad and spotlight for their own AI products or re-brandings,” Lewis observed, pointing to Google’s partnership evolution with McLaren from Google Pixel to Google Gemini, their generative AI platform.

Formula One as an organization has also adopted AI technology, partnering with Amazon Web Services to use generative AI for live television broadcasts. In 2024, the organization even employed generative AI to design the Montreal trophy, which was then created by a silversmith in the United Kingdom.

“I think F1 has the never-ending, unquenchable thirst for the latest technology,” said Arthur Hu, Global Chief Information Officer for Lenovo.

Lenovo, the Hong Kong-based technology company, has served as one of Formula One’s global partners since 2022.

Hu explained that Lenovo supports Formula One by improving productivity, mobility and remote collaboration through their laptops and devices, including AI-powered computers, to help deliver races effectively.

“Formula One is at the sweet spot where it’s an intensely technical sport … And so I think that only opens up new possibilities,” Hu concluded.

Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown launched a scathing attack on NBA referees during a Sunday livestream, alleging officials deliberately targeted him with unfair calls throughout his team’s playoff elimination by the Philadelphia 76ers.

The five-time All-Star aired his grievances on Twitch one day after Boston’s stunning Game 7 defeat at home, where the second-seeded Celtics fell to seventh-seeded Philadelphia in their Eastern Conference first-round matchup. The 76ers rallied to win the final three contests of the series, eliminating Boston despite the absence of injured Celtics star Jayson Tatum in the decisive game.

Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid dominated the clinching 109-100 victory with 34 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, converting nine of 11 free throw attempts. Brown accused the 7-foot, 270-pound center of theatrical performances to draw favorable whistles from officials.

“I mean, this is my personal opinion on basketball,” Brown stated. “Some of y’all might disagree, you know what I mean? But argue with your grandma. Flopping has ruined our game.”

“Embiid is a great player, one of the best bigs in … basketball history, flops,” Brown continued. “He knows it. This ain’t breaking news.”

The 29-year-old shooting guard suggested his previous criticism of officiating during the regular season resulted in retaliatory treatment from referees throughout the playoff series, particularly regarding offensive foul calls against him.

“Why are you targeting me? They clearly had an agenda,” he said. “Maybe because I spoke, I was critical of the refs in the regular season. So you know how they responded? ‘We’re gonna call every — you’re gonna lead the playoffs in offensive fouls.’ That was the response from the officiating crew.”

“You could clearly tell,” he continued. “I’ve actually spoken to some refs and they said it was an agenda going into each game. ‘Any time Jaylen brings his arm up, just from reputation, just call it.’”

Brown pointed to inconsistent enforcement, noting that Philadelphia’s Paul George and New York’s Jalen Brunson execute similar push-off maneuvers while driving without receiving the same scrutiny from officials.

“It’s a basketball play, whether y’all believe it or not,” Brown said. “Everybody does that when you drive, especially if you’ve got bodies on you. But Philly took advantage of it, and they took advantage of the officiating. It cost us to some degree. I’ve been doing it all regular season, not a problem. Now, all of a sudden, it’s an offensive foul every time. Keep that same energy with everybody else. That’s all I’ve gotta say.”

Statistics support Brown’s frustration, as he accumulated 10 offensive fouls during the first round – more than double any other player. During the regular season, he ranked second league-wide with 40 offensive fouls, trailing only New York’s Karl-Anthony Towns who was flagged 65 times.

The 2024 NBA Finals MVP posted career-best numbers this season, averaging 28.7 points and 5.1 assists while matching his personal high with 6.9 rebounds per game across 71 regular-season appearances. In the seven playoff contests against Philadelphia, Brown contributed 25.7 points, 3.3 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game.

SEOUL, South Korea — In an uncommon display of athletic cooperation between the divided Korean nations, a women’s soccer club from North Korea will travel south to compete in a major tournament later this month.

South Korea’s Unification Ministry announced Monday that Naegohyang Women’s FC from Pyongyang will take on Suwon FC Women in the Asian Football Confederation Women’s Champions League semifinals on May 20 in Suwon, located south of Seoul.

According to the Korea Football Association, the AFC has received a roster submission from the North Korean team listing players and staff members who will make the journey to Suwon. Officials noted that North Korea faces financial penalties from the AFC should they fail to participate in the semifinal match.

North Korean state-controlled media outlets have remained silent about the soccer team’s planned visit to the South.

The last time North Korean athletes traveled to South Korea was in December 2018 for a table tennis competition. This came during a period of improved diplomatic relations that included North Korean participation in the Winter Olympics held in South Korea earlier that year. The North Korean women’s national soccer team previously competed in the South during the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon.

North Korea’s women’s soccer programs have achieved notable international success recently, currently holding both the Under-17 and Under-20 World Cup titles.

In this continental club competition, Naegohyang Women’s FC previously defeated their upcoming opponents Suwon FC Women by a score of 3-0 during group stage play in Myanmar last November. The North Korean team advanced by defeating a Vietnamese club in March’s quarterfinal round. The May 20 semifinal victor will advance to the championship match three days later in Suwon, while Melbourne City FC and Tokyo Verdy Beleza will compete in the other semifinal.

During previous periods of improved relations, athletes from both Korean nations have formed joint teams and participated together in Olympic opening ceremonies. However, such sporting collaborations have disappeared as diplomatic ties have deteriorated, with no inter-Korean activities occurring in recent years.

North Korea has rejected diplomatic overtures from both South Korea and the United States since leader Kim Jong Un’s nuclear negotiations with then-President Donald Trump fell apart in 2019 due to disputes over U.S.-imposed sanctions.

Regional tensions have escalated recently as Kim has expanded his nuclear weapons and missile development programs aimed at U.S. allies in Asia and the American mainland, while taking an increasingly hostile position toward South Korea. Kim has designated South Korea as his primary enemy and has demonstrated concern about South Korean cultural influence, aggressively working to prevent South Korean culture and language from spreading among North Koreans.

The Colorado Avalanche erupted for nine goals in a wild 9-6 victory over the Minnesota Wild during Sunday night’s opening game of their Western Conference semifinal matchup in Denver.

Cale Makar found the net twice during the final period, while Nazem Kadri also tallied a third-period score to help Colorado secure the dramatic Game 1 victory.

The second contest of the best-of-seven playoff series takes place Tuesday evening in Denver.

Makar contributed an assist along with his two goals, while Devon Toews recorded one goal and three helpers. Nathan MacKinnon chipped in with a goal and two assists, and Artturi Lehkonen plus Sam Malinski each posted a goal and an assist. Nick Blankenberg and Jack Drury rounded out Colorado’s scoring.

For Minnesota, Quinn Hughes tallied a goal and two assists, while Mats Zuccarello, Marcus Johansson, Vladimir Tarasenko, Ryan Hartman and Marcus Foligno all found the back of the net. The Wild mounted an impressive comeback from an early 3-0 deficit to briefly take the lead during the second period.

With the contest knotted at 5-5, Makar – who had recovered from an early injury – received a feed from MacKinnon in the right circle and fired a wrist shot high past goaltender Jesper Wallstedt at the 3:21 mark. Kadri extended the advantage at 5:43 of the third period with a breakaway tally.

“I feel like I was in a pretty good scoring area,” Kadri said. “Ross (Colton) made a nice pass to spring me on the half breakaway. Been watching a lot of this goaltender, so picked my spot, and definitely picked it properly.”

Wallstedt stopped 34 of 42 shots he faced during the contest.

Zuccarello brought the Wild back within striking distance when the puck deflected off his leg and crossed the goal line at 16:01, but Makar responded at 17:06. MacKinnon sealed the victory with an empty-net goal.

“Score (six) goals,” Wallstedt said. “We should win a lot of the games. There was a rare night where they got (nine). Yeah, that happens. Let that go and move on.”

Martin Necas recorded three assists while Valeri Nichushkin added two helpers for the Avalanche.

Colorado goaltender Scott Wedgewood made 10 of his 30 saves during the third period to preserve the lead for his team.

Malinski, Drury and Lehkonen scored within a 2:01 span during the middle portion of the opening period to stake the Avalanche to their 3-0 advantage. Johansson and Hartman responded with goals one minute apart to narrow the gap to 3-2.

“Not playing for a little while was a good way to get things going again,” Malinski said of Colorado’s extended rest following its first-round sweep of the Los Angeles Kings. “I’m sure my family is really excited.”

The second period maintained the offensive pace. Blankenburg scored 4:16 into the middle frame to make it 4-2, and Tarasenko answered at 6:45 to keep the Wild within reach.

Hughes evened the score when his shot through traffic beat Wedgewood at 12:43 of the second period, and Foligno netted a short-handed goal at 16:55 to give Minnesota a 5-4 advantage.

“I’m proud of the way we kind of battled back there,” Foligno said. “I mean, it’s 3-0, it’s a great barn. They have great fans, and they can get on you. But we battled back, got some goals and absolute snipes.”

Toews evened the score once again with his goal at 18:04, just moments after the Wild successfully killed off a power play.

The Detroit Pistons pulled off one of basketball’s most remarkable achievements Sunday night, rallying from a 3-1 series deficit to defeat the Orlando Magic 116-94 in a decisive Game 7 at home.

Leading the charge for Detroit were Cade Cunningham, who tallied 32 points and dished out 12 assists, and veteran Tobias Harris, who added 30 points and grabbed nine rebounds. The victory marked Detroit’s first playoff series win since 2008 and made them just the 15th franchise in NBA history to overcome a 3-1 series hole.

Bench contributor Daniss Jenkins chipped in 16 points while Jalen Duren dominated the paint with 15 points and 15 rebounds for the top-seeded Pistons, who will now face fourth-seeded Cleveland in the Eastern Conference semifinals starting Tuesday.

Despite a heroic 38-point performance from Paolo Banchero, who also collected nine rebounds and blocked five shots, the Magic couldn’t prevent their second blown 3-1 lead against Detroit, with the first occurring in 2003. Desmond Bane added 16 points in the losing effort.

Detroit coach J.B. Bickerstaff expressed unwavering confidence in his young squad throughout the series comeback.

“I mean, it’s expected, and that’s the amount of belief that we have in this group,” Bickerstaff explained. “This is a special group, and can’t count us out, no matter the circumstances, no matter the situation. I like our chances to fight our way back. I thought we did a hell of a job of that, obviously, in this series.”

The Pistons seized momentum early in the third quarter, outscoring Orlando 11-2 over the first few minutes, with Cunningham contributing six of those points to establish a commanding 71-51 advantage. While the Magic briefly cut the deficit to 13 points with a 7-0 run, Detroit quickly rebuilt their cushion to 20 points.

Detroit’s lead swelled to 25 points with just over eight minutes remaining before Orlando mounted one final charge, using a 15-4 run to close within 100-86 with 4:22 on the clock. However, the Pistons responded by outscoring the Magic 16-8 down the stretch to seal the historic comeback.

Harris delivered an exceptional shooting performance, connecting on 11 of 18 field goal attempts and 5 of 7 three-point tries. The 17-year veteran’s playoff experience proved invaluable for Detroit’s young roster.

“I think obviously, when we got down to 3-1 we looked at ourselves and just to see if we were going to step up to the moment,” Harris reflected. “We did a great job blocking out the noise and really just staying connected, understanding what our main goal was, really just taking one game at a time, in each and every game, taking one moment at a time every quarter, every possession. So I’m extremely proud of this group’s resilience all year long.”

The opening quarter featured defensive intensity from both teams, with five lead changes and three ties as physical play and contested shots limited scoring opportunities. Orlando held a slim 22-20 edge after the first 12 minutes.

Seven additional lead changes occurred in the second quarter before Detroit closed the first half with a dominant 20-6 surge to take a 60-49 halftime lead. The Pistons exploded for 40 second-quarter points, powered by Harris’ 17 points and Cunningham’s 10, while Banchero paced Orlando with 23 first-half points.

Detroit’s balanced offensive attack proved decisive, as they shot 51.2% from the field, 48.5% from three-point range, and 81.8% from the free-throw line. While Banchero and Bane combined to make 7 of 12 three-pointers for Orlando, their teammates struggled mightily from beyond the arc, missing 15 of 18 attempts.

A frustrated Banchero addressed Orlando’s recurring playoff disappointments after the loss.

“It’s frustrating being in the same spot three years in a row and getting the same result,” Banchero said. “We got to be better, and it doesn’t start in April when the playoffs start. It starts in September, October, when we get everybody in the building. You build habits. You create an environment where losing isn’t acceptable. Losing in the first round is not acceptable. It’s not good enough, and that should be the attitude.”

The 30-point performances by Cunningham and Harris marked the first time Detroit teammates reached that milestone in a playoff game since Bob Lanier scored 33 and Howard Porter added 30 against Golden State on April 17, 1977.

Coach Bickerstaff believes the challenging series will benefit his team moving forward.

“To do what we did this series only made us better for the next one,” Bickerstaff noted. “And I know a lot of people would have liked it to just be easier, but I think it was great for our guys to go through what they went through, to understand what it looks like and where they have to be in order to get it done. We understand that with it now we take that with us to the second round.”

The son of NFL legend Maurice Jones-Drew has made his college decision, announcing Sunday that he will attend UCLA to play football.

Duece Jones-Drew, currently a rising senior at De La Salle High School in Concord, California, will join the Bruins as part of their 2027 recruiting class. The three-star running back chose UCLA over several other programs that pursued him aggressively, including Arizona, Cal, SMU, and Utah.

His father, Maurice Jones-Drew, earned unanimous All-American honors while playing for UCLA in the early 2000s before launching a successful NFL career with the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Despite recent coaching changes at UCLA, the younger Jones-Drew decided to commit to new head coach Bob Chesney. A key factor in his decision was the university’s retention of running backs coach A.J. Steward, who served in the same position under previous head coach DeShaun Foster.

Chesney recently took control of the Bruins program after leading James Madison to a playoff appearance in 2025.

Maurice Jones-Drew, known throughout his career as “MJD,” enjoyed a distinguished professional career spanning eight seasons with Jacksonville before concluding with the Oakland Raiders in 2014. His achievements include three Pro Bowl selections, leading the NFL in rushing with 1,606 yards in 2011, and earning first-team All-Pro recognition that same year.

Tampa Bay completed the first portion of their six-game homestand in dramatic fashion Sunday, as Jonathan Aranda delivered a clutch walk-off hit in extra innings to defeat the San Francisco Giants 2-1 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Aranda, who collected four hits in five at-bats and accounted for half of Tampa Bay’s total hits, sent a fastball from Caleb Kilian (1-1) sailing over the infield to bring home automatic runner Chandler Simpson with the winning run. The performance helped the Rays improve to 16-5 over their past 21 contests.

Relief pitcher Ian Seymour (1-0) delivered a flawless 10th inning to earn his first victory of the season. Tampa Bay’s pitching staff held San Francisco to just two runs across 28 innings during the series, while the Giants extended their losing streak to six games. Starting pitcher Steven Matz contributed six solid innings, surrendering one run on four hits.

For San Francisco, Casey Schmitt managed two hits, drove in a run, and successfully stole a base, while Rafael Devers added a double and scored once. Giants starter Tyler Mahle pitched effectively through 5 1/3 scoreless frames, allowing only four hits before departing.

In other American League action, Minnesota overcame an early setback to defeat Toronto 4-3 despite losing starter Joe Ryan after just nine pitches due to right elbow discomfort. Luke Keaschall, Kody Clemens, and Matt Wallner each contributed run-scoring doubles for the Twins. Rookie Andrew Morris (1-1) stepped up from the bullpen to throw 3 2/3 shutout innings, while Justin Topa secured his second save despite a challenging ninth inning.

The New York Yankees pulled away from Baltimore with an 11-3 victory, highlighted by Jasson Dominguez’s outstanding performance. Dominguez broke a sixth-inning tie with his legs before adding a two-run homer and RBI double during a decisive seven-run eighth inning. Aaron Judge contributed a two-run blast, his 13th of the season, while Ben Rice added his 12th home run.

Pittsburgh completed a three-game sweep of Cincinnati with a 1-0 victory, decided by Oneil Cruz’s two-out RBI single in the eighth inning. The contest featured dominant pitching from both sides, with Pirates starter Braxton Ashcraft working a career-high 7 2/3 innings while allowing just four hits. Cincinnati’s Chase Burns matched him with seven shutout frames.

Houston edged Boston 3-1 in 10 innings behind Cam Smith’s three-hit performance, including the go-ahead two-run single in extra innings. The Red Sox struggled with runners in scoring position, going 0-for-11 and stranding 13 baserunners despite Jarren Duran’s solo home run.

Philadelphia defeated Miami 7-2 as Bryson Stott belted his second three-run homer of the series. Former Marlins pitcher Jesus Luzardo (3-3) dominated his former team with 10 strikeouts across 6 1/3 innings, allowing only a two-run homer to Esteury Ruiz in the seventh.

Other notable results included Washington avoiding a sweep with a 3-2 victory over Milwaukee behind Nasim Nunez’s pair of RBI singles, while Atlanta completed their own three-game sweep of Colorado with an 11-6 triumph powered by Jonah Heim’s career-high-tying five RBIs.

Australia celebrated a breakthrough performance at the World Athletics Relays, with their men’s relay squad demolishing a national record that had endured for more than four decades while earning a bronze medal.

The Australian team of Luke van Ratingen, Reece Holder, Thomas Reynolds and Aidan Murphy finished third in the men’s 4×400 metres with a time of 2:55.20 on Sunday at the Gaborone stadium. Their performance placed them behind host nation Botswana and South Africa, while elevating Australia to fourth place on the global all-time rankings.

The achievement surpassed their qualifying round time of 2:57.30, which had already demolished Australia’s previous national mark of 2:59.70 set during the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Reynolds replaced Matthew Hunt for the final race.

“It was so surreal and such a vibe out there,” Holder said of the atmosphere.

“To come out and win a medal and do a time like that is pretty incredible.”

Australia’s men’s 4×100 relay squad narrowly missed the podium, placing fourth with a time of exactly 38 seconds. The team of Lachlan Kennedy, Joshua Azzopardi, Christopher Ius and Rohan Browning finished behind the United States, South Africa and Germany.

The sprint relay competed without two of Australia’s fastest sprinters, as rising star Gout Gout and California-based Eddie Nketia were absent from the competition.

“We wanted to make the final and came wanting a medal, so to get so close is disappointing,” Ius said.

“But to show the rest of the world what we can do is such a good thing, and I think we are improving every year which is exciting.”

Jamaica dominated the headlines by setting a world record in the mixed 4x100m relay, posting a remarkable 39.62 seconds after becoming the first country to break the 40-second barrier during qualifying rounds.

Despite the less flashy results, Australian track officials expressed satisfaction with their team’s achievements, which included securing qualification spots for six relay teams at next year’s world championships in Beijing.

“To have them all qualify was the first part of it but to also have some phenomenal performances, especially the men’s 4×400, was incredible, really,” high-performance director Andrew Faichney told Reuters on Monday.

Australia plans to use the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, scheduled for July 23-August 2, as preparation for the Beijing championships.

While 18-year-old Gout will skip Glasgow to concentrate on the under-20 world championships, Australian Athletics hopes to secure Nketia’s participation in the Commonwealth Games.

Although top Commonwealth athletes frequently bypass the multi-sport event, Australia prioritizes the competition and led the track and field medal count at both the 2022 Birmingham Games and the 2018 Gold Coast Games.

“We’ve got some awesome athletes who are doing so, so well. Hopefully we’ll be able to exceed what we’ve done in the past,” said Faichney.

Swedish curling champion Niklas Edin has decided to step away from international competition after more than two decades representing his country on the world stage, the athlete revealed Monday.

At age 40, the accomplished skip leaves behind an extraordinary legacy that includes eight world championship victories, eight European championship titles, and three Olympic medals, including gold from the 2008 Beijing Games. Throughout his career, Edin battled through multiple injuries and required numerous surgical procedures.

“The years passed, the injuries kept coming but the titles also started coming. The relentless work had paid off and from that point there was no looking back,” Edin shared through his social media channels.

Edin made history as a five-time Olympian, establishing a new record for most Olympic curling appearances during this year’s Milano Cortina Games. He surpassed American John Shuster’s previous mark by competing in more than 51 Olympic matches.

While stepping back from international competition, Edin indicated he will continue his involvement in curling through different capacities and plans to keep playing in the Rock League, which recently wrapped up its first season.

The Detroit Pistons made franchise history Sunday night, completing a remarkable turnaround to capture their first playoff series victory in nearly two decades. Led by Cade Cunningham’s 32 points and 12 assists alongside Tobias Harris’s 30-point performance, Detroit dominated the Orlando Magic 116-94 in the decisive seventh game.

The victory marked Detroit’s first postseason series win since defeating Orlando in 2008’s second round. Cunningham maintained an impressive 32.4-point average throughout the series as the Pistons became just the 15th NBA franchise ever to rally from a 3-1 series deficit. They join Philadelphia, who accomplished the same feat against Boston just one night earlier. Detroit will now face either Cleveland or Toronto, who were set to play their own Game 7 Sunday evening.

Meanwhile in Minnesota, the Timberwolves received encouraging news about star guard Anthony Edwards, who may return for Monday’s series opener against San Antonio despite suffering what appeared to be a significant knee injury just one week ago. Team officials listed Edwards as questionable after clearing him for basketball activities. The All-Star averaged 36.7 points across three regular season matchups with the Spurs.

Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid is making a public appeal to 76ers supporters, urging them not to sell their playoff tickets to visiting New York fans. The concern stems from two years ago when Knicks supporters flooded Philadelphia during their six-game series victory. Despite the team’s website restricting sales to local residents, Knicks forward Josh Hart believes fans will still sell for the right price, and New York supporters will gladly travel the short distance.

In hockey action from Tampa Bay, the Montreal Canadiens advanced past the Lightning with a 2-1 Game 7 victory Sunday night. Alex Newhook provided the game-winner with 8:53 remaining, while rookie goaltender Jakub Dobes stopped 28 shots. The series featured remarkable parity, with every game decided by a single goal and four requiring overtime. Montreal will face Buffalo in the second round, with Game 1 scheduled for Wednesday.

Formula 1 saw 19-year-old Kimi Antonelli capture his third consecutive victory at the Miami Grand Prix. Starting from pole position at Miami International Autodrome, the Mercedes driver navigated early morning thunderstorms that forced race officials to move the start time up three hours. Antonelli continues to establish himself as a legitimate championship contender in his rookie season.

Manchester United secured their return to Champions League competition after a two-year absence, defeating Liverpool 3-2 at Old Trafford. Kobbie Mainoo delivered the decisive strike from outside the penalty area after Liverpool had rallied from a two-goal deficit to level the match. In other Premier League action, Tottenham climbed out of the relegation zone with a 2-1 victory over Aston Villa, marking their first back-to-back wins since the season’s opening games.

Inter Milan celebrated their 21st Serie A championship with a 2-0 home victory over Parma, creating an unassailable 12-point lead over defending champion Napoli with three matches remaining. Marcus Thuram scored just before halftime, while 37-year-old Henrikh Mkhitaryan added insurance in the 80th minute. The title represents Inter’s first championship celebration at San Siro since 1989, complete with fireworks and fan festivities. The club remains in contention for the Italian Cup final against Lazio in 10 days.

Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani extended his hitting drought to four games during Sunday’s 4-1 victory over St. Louis, going 0-for-3 to push his slump to 0-for-14. Manager Dave Roberts expressed confidence that his star player will break out of the skid, which represents Ohtani’s longest hitless stretch since a five-game span with the Angels in May 2022. The Dodgers have also struggled offensively as a team, failing to hit a home run in six straight contests.

At the Cadillac Championship in Doral, Cameron Young maintained his lead from start to finish, capturing the tournament by six strokes over world number one Scottie Scheffler. Young’s only challenge came from himself when he called a penalty on the second hole after moving his ball in the fairway, though he still managed par. His final-round 68 brought him to 19-under for the week, with President Donald Trump among the spectators watching the wire-to-wire victory.

NASCAR action at Texas Motor Speedway saw Chase Elliott hold off Denny Hamlin over the final four laps following a late restart. Elliott’s second victory of the season and 23rd career win came after leading 87 laps, joining Tyler Reddick as the only drivers with multiple Cup Series victories this year. Alex Bowman finished third while five-time winner Reddick placed fourth in the Fort Worth race.

Australian forward Sam Kerr etched her name into Chelsea’s history books Sunday, establishing a new milestone as the club’s all-time leading scorer in Women’s Super League competition with her 64th goal.

The 32-year-old striker found the back of the net with a header off a Niamh Charles delivery just 13 minutes into Chelsea’s 3-1 victory against Leicester City at King Power stadium. The goal moved Kerr past Fran Kirby’s previous mark for the eight-time WSL championship squad.

“I’m absolutely stoked to break … the record, it feels amazing to be in the same category as some of those players,” Kerr expressed to supporters through the club’s social media channels.

“But I’m absolutely honoured and it’s been amazing to score 64 goals in front of all of you – let’s finish off the season strong.”

Kerr holds the distinction as Australia’s top international goalscorer, having tallied 75 goals across 139 appearances for her national team. She previously captured WSL golden boot honors during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 campaigns, recording 21 and 20 goals respectively in those seasons.

Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards may make a surprisingly quick comeback as the team has upgraded his status to questionable for Monday’s Western Conference semifinal opener against the San Antonio Spurs.

The talented guard was initially expected to miss multiple weeks and was presumed unavailable for the series opener, but Sunday’s injury report revealed his potential availability for the crucial playoff matchup.

Edwards sustained a hyperextended left knee along with bone bruising after an awkward fall during Minnesota’s April 25 Game 4 win against the Denver Nuggets in their first-round series. Medical examinations revealed no ligament damage, though he was sidelined for the remainder of that playoff round.

Now, just over a week later, the Timberwolves have given Edwards the green light to resume basketball activities. According to ESPN, the organization originally planned for his return during Games 3 or 4 of the seven-game series versus San Antonio, but his recovery timeline appears accelerated.

The 24-year-old Edwards shared a YouTube video Sunday displaying his rehabilitation progress, including footage of him working out on an underwater treadmill alongside David Hines, Minnesota’s vice president of medical performance.

In the video, Hines explained, “I think he can return sooner if he can hit all his metrics for pain management, mobility, functional strength.”

The four-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA honoree achieved career-best numbers during the regular season, averaging 28.8 points per game while shooting 48.9% from the field and 39.9% from beyond the arc across 61 games. During the Denver series, he contributed 18.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game over four appearances.

Additionally, Ayo Dosunmu faces uncertainty for the opener due to right calf discomfort. Dosunmu, who topped Minnesota’s scoring during the Denver matchup with 21.8 points per game and exploded for 43 points in Game 4, sat out the series-clinching Game 6 victory because of the injury.

The New York Yankees have sent shortstop Anthony Volpe down to their Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre affiliate on Sunday, despite completing his rehabilitation assignment from shoulder surgery.

The 25-year-old infielder participated in 12 minor league games during his recovery – four at the Triple-A level and eight with Double-A Somerset – as he worked back from offseason surgery on his shoulder.

The decision comes as Jose Caballero has established himself as the team’s primary shortstop, leading the organization to avoid rushing Volpe back into action. This represents a shift from earlier statements by general manager Brian Cashman, who had indicated that “the plan” was for Volpe to reclaim his starting position.

Since breaking into the majors in 2023 following only 22 Triple-A appearances the previous year, Volpe earned the starting shortstop role during spring training and delivered an impressive rookie campaign with 21 home runs and a Gold Glove award. He appeared in 159 games that first season, followed by 160 in 2024 and 153 in 2025.

His 2025 performance showed decline in both offensive and defensive categories, and it was later disclosed that the Yankees had been playing him through a partial labrum tear in his left shoulder. The surgical procedure took place in October following the team’s playoff elimination.

Throughout his 472 major league appearances, Volpe has compiled a .222 batting average along with 52 home runs, 192 RBIs, 82 doubles and 70 stolen bases. During his recent rehab games, he posted a .275 average with one homer and six RBIs.

Defensively, he committed one error during his minor league stint, coming off a 2025 season where he tied for the American League lead with 19 errors.

Meanwhile, Caballero has solidified his position with the AL-leading Yankees (23-11), hitting .259 with four homers, 12 RBIs and 12 stolen bases across 32 games. His fielding percentage stands at .978.

Speaking before the Yankees’ series against Baltimore on Friday, manager Aaron Boone acknowledged that Caballero’s performance “complicates it a little bit, clearly” regarding Volpe’s potential return.

“Jose’s earned opportunities and been a key part of our club here and a part of the success here to start out the season,” Boone explained.

The 29-year-old Caballero joined the Yankees from division rival Tampa Bay in a trade deadline deal last summer and has demonstrated versatility by playing second base, third base and outfield positions.

Television viewership for the Kentucky Derby reached unprecedented heights Saturday as 24.4 million Americans witnessed Golden Tempo’s remarkable victory at Churchill Downs during the 152nd running of the prestigious horse race.

NBC announced these preliminary viewership numbers Sunday, drawing data from Nielsen and Adobe Analytics sources.

Saturday’s audience surpassed the previous record of 21.8 million viewers from 2025, representing a 12% increase. The dramatic race saw jockey Jose Ortiz masterfully guide Golden Tempo from the back of the pack around the final turn to capture first place.

The victory marked a historic moment as trainer Cherie DeVaux became the first woman to train a Kentucky Derby winner in the race’s long history.

NBC’s broadcast also achieved the highest average viewership on record with 19.6 million people, surpassing last year’s 17.7 million by approximately 11%.

Digital streaming platforms, primarily through Peacock, also broke records with an average minute audience of 1.3 million viewers, exceeding 2025’s streaming total of 959,000.

The Kentucky Oaks on Friday evening, broadcast in primetime for the first time, also achieved record-breaking numbers. Always A Runner’s decisive victory drew an average of 2.4 million viewers across NBC and Peacock, quadrupling the previous high of 593,000 viewers recorded in 1997 on ESPN.

What started as a promising playoff run turned into heartbreak for Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum.

Boston held a commanding 3-1 advantage against Philadelphia in their Eastern Conference first-round matchup. The six-time All-Star, who had returned from Achilles surgery ahead of schedule, was putting up 24.8 points per game through the opening four contests.

However, Philadelphia dominated Boston at home in Game 5, and Tatum limped off during the second half of Game 6 as the 76ers claimed another victory.

Whether head coach Joe Mazzulla kept Tatum on the bench in Game 6 due to injury concerns or because his squad was down 23 points in the final quarter remained unclear.

Tatum’s availability for Sunday’s decisive seventh game continued to deteriorate, and officials declared him unable to play two hours before the opening tip.

The four-time All-NBA first team selection watched from the sideline in civilian attire as Philadelphia completed their series comeback with a 109-100 victory.

Speaking with reporters Sunday, Tatum discussed his pride in returning to action and his disappointment with recent events.

“My recovery and comeback (from the Achilles injury) were going so well that how it ended, I didn’t think it was going to end that way,” said Tatum. “It was just unfortunate.”

“I worked really, really, really, really hard to come back in the fashion that I did and play at the level I was playing at. So for it to end the way it did was a tough pill to swallow.”

Tatum clarified that NBA return-to-play protocols required careful handling of his left knee stiffness. Both the Celtics medical staff and his personal trainer Nick Sang determined he couldn’t participate Saturday.

The Boston forward acknowledged Sunday that he hadn’t been at peak performance since returning March 6 against Dallas. He estimated his condition at roughly 80-85 percent and noted his right leg remains shorter than his left.

During 11 March contests, the star player logged 31.0 minutes nightly, increasing to 36.2 minutes across five April regular season games. While his scoring average (21.8) and shooting percentages (41.1% from the field, 32.9% from three-point range) fell slightly below career standards, he grabbed a career-high 10.0 rebounds per game entering the postseason.

Despite the disappointing conclusion, Tatum expressed no second thoughts about his aggressive 10-month recovery timeline to help this season’s squad.

“I’m happy and proud of the fact that I was able to do that,” Tatum said. “And, unfortunately, if somebody else has to deal with this, they can look at what I was able to do and have some hope and inspiration that it’s not what people used to think it was. And you can come back from this and be who you were and hopefully be better.”

A highly-touted basketball center has announced his commitment to the University of Louisville while also deciding to graduate from high school one year ahead of schedule, according to a Sunday announcement.

Obinna Ekezie Jr., standing at 7 feet tall, was ranked as the fourth-best prospect nationally in the Class of 2027 by 247Sports composite rankings before making the decision to move up to the 2026 graduating class.

The talented big man had narrowed his college choices down to Louisville, Arkansas, BYU, and Maryland. His father previously played basketball at Maryland before spending four seasons in the NBA.

“I have chosen to commit to University of Louisville as I feel it’s the best situation to develop, showcase my game and strive to win a national championship,” Ekezie stated to various media outlets.

Currently completing his junior season at Southeastern Prep in Orlando, Florida, Ekezie will become the lone true freshman addition to Louisville’s incoming recruiting class.

Head coach Pat Kelsey has been busy building his roster through the transfer portal this offseason, securing commitments from several high-profile transfers including Flory Bidunga from Kansas, Jackson Shelstad from Oregon, Karter Knox from Arkansas, and Alvaro Folgueiras from Iowa.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Salisbury University’s softball squad wrapped up their 2026 regular season with mixed results Sunday at Captains Field, trading wins with Christopher Newport University in a doubleheader.

The Sea Gulls, who now stand at 24-14 overall, suffered a narrow 5-4 defeat in the opening contest before responding with an explosive 14-7 triumph over the Captains (27-11) in the nightcap.

The season-ending doubleheader showcased both sides of Salisbury’s capabilities, from a hard-fought loss to an offensive outburst that secured the series split against their Virginia opponents.

SAN ANTONIO — Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards has a chance to take the court for Monday evening’s playoff opener against the San Antonio Spurs, just one week following what initially looked like a severe knee injury.

The Timberwolves announced that Edwards carries a questionable status for the first game of their playoff matchup on Monday night.

Team officials revealed Sunday that the All-Star shooting guard has received medical clearance to participate in basketball activities on the court. Edwards put up impressive numbers against San Antonio during the regular season, scoring an average of 36.7 points across their three matchups.

The injury occurred during Minnesota’s fourth game in their opening playoff round against Denver, where Edwards was diagnosed with a hyperextended left knee and accompanying bone bruise.

ST. LOUIS — Baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani is experiencing his worst offensive stretch in two years, failing to collect a hit across four consecutive games with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Following Sunday’s 4-1 victory against the St. Louis Cardinals, Dodgers skipper Dave Roberts expressed confidence that his standout player will break through the slump eventually.

“He certainly has high standards,” Roberts said. “We all do of him. I know he’s frustrated, but you can’t tell from his demeanor.”

The Japanese sensation finished 0-for-3 on Sunday, extending his hitless run to 14 at-bats across four contests. This marks Ohtani’s most prolonged offensive drought since recording no hits in 12 at-bats during a five-game span with the Los Angeles Angels between May 24-28, 2022.

The offensive woes aren’t limited to Ohtani alone. The entire Dodgers lineup has failed to launch a home run in six consecutive games, their longest power outage since an eight-game stretch without homers from July 10-21, 2014.

First baseman Freddie Freeman provided a bright spot with a 2-for-4 performance and one RBI in Sunday’s victory, which ended a four-game skid during which Los Angeles managed just two runs or fewer in each contest.

“Offensively, we just haven’t been very good the last week,” Freeman said. “Just call spade a spade sometimes. There’s no way to sugarcoat it. We just haven’t been very good, and we’ve got to be better.”

Ohtani managed to draw a walk during the third inning, breaking a string of ten consecutive plate appearances without reaching base safely. His 12 hitless at-bats against the Cardinals represent the most he’s gone without a hit in any single series throughout his major league career.

“There’s a little bit of a mechanics part that he’s been talking about, and I thought we kind of figured that out at home,” Roberts said. “This series, I don’t think he felt great, in between a little bit on the pulled grounders, getting beat with the fly balls to the big part of the field, so a little in between, I think. But, safe to say, fair to say that he’ll figure it out soon.”

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced Sunday they have selected John Chayka as their new general manager while bringing back franchise icon Mats Sundin to serve in an executive advisory capacity.

Both men will be formally presented to the media during a Monday afternoon press conference.

“Today is an important day for the Toronto Maple Leafs organization,” stated Keith Pelley, president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. “I’m thrilled to welcome John and Mats to their roles, two great hockey minds that will strengthen our entire hockey club. From the start of this process, it’s been about building a championship-caliber team for our fans and our city and today is an important step towards that goal.”

The 36-year-old Chayka previously served as Arizona Coyotes general manager from 2016 through 2020, becoming the NHL’s youngest GM when first appointed. The Ontario native has been absent from league operations since his sudden departure in July 2020, which later resulted in NHL disciplinary action.

League officials determined Chayka had “breached his obligation to the club” when he terminated his Arizona contract with three years left to seek employment elsewhere. The NHL subsequently penalized the Coyotes by removing two premium draft selections after discovering Chayka and the organization conducted an unauthorized private prospect evaluation session that violated league rules.

Under Chayka’s leadership, Arizona broke an eight-year postseason absence by qualifying for the playoffs during the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 campaign.

“I’m honored to join the Toronto Maple Leafs organization and excited to work alongside Mats and the entire organization,” Chayka stated. “This is one of hockey’s most historic franchises, with a passionate fan base who want to win. I’m focused on building a team that is competitive, driven and relentless — one that is in the best position to win for our fans and for the city of Toronto.”

The 55-year-old Sundin will come back to Toronto with the designation of senior executive adviser of hockey operations. According to the team’s announcement, Sundin will “provide support across hockey operations, with a focus on team culture, player development and leadership support.”

Sundin holds the franchise record for career points with 987, earned induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame, and remains beloved by supporters.

“This fan base deserves greatness and I am grateful for the opportunity to help this team, organization and city achieve that,” Sundin commented. “My love for the Maple Leafs and the city of Toronto is an important part of who I am and who I will always be. I look forward to working closely with John as we both recognize the incredible opportunity and responsibility to win here in Toronto.”

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – In a stunning display of resilience, Salisbury University’s fifth-ranked men’s lacrosse team mounted an incredible comeback from a 9-3 halftime deficit to capture their ninth straight Coastal Lacrosse Conference championship with a thrilling 10-9 overtime victory over third-ranked Christopher Newport on Sunday at Jennings Family Stadium.

Preston Huffman emerged as the hero for the Sea Gulls, first setting up teammate Bret Bergey for the equalizing goal with less than 30 seconds left in regulation, then scoring his first career overtime goal to seal the dramatic conference title win.

The championship marks another milestone for Salisbury’s dominant lacrosse program, extending their conference title streak to nearly a decade. The Sea Gulls showed tremendous character in overcoming the substantial six-goal halftime disadvantage against a highly-ranked Christopher Newport squad.

Sunday’s title game showcased the competitive nature of collegiate lacrosse, with Salisbury proving that no deficit is insurmountable when championship experience meets determination in crucial moments.

Minnesota Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek will be absent from the lineup for at least the opening pair of contests in their Western Conference second-round playoff matchup versus the Colorado Avalanche, head coach John Hynes announced before Sunday’s series opener.

The 29-year-old sustained his injury during the series-deciding sixth game against Dallas when his right leg collided with the boards. He remained behind and did not travel with the squad to Denver.

Coach Hynes expressed optimism about Eriksson Ek’s potential return, stating he was “hopeful” the center could rejoin the lineup for Saturday’s third game back in Minneapolis.

During the Dallas playoff series, Eriksson Ek contributed three goals and tallied five total points. Throughout the regular season, he recorded 19 goals and accumulated 51 points across 70 games played.

The Wild will also be without defenseman Jonas Brodin, who is dealing with a lower-body injury and likewise stayed home from the Denver trip. Team officials confirmed Saturday that the 32-year-old defender has been ruled out for the first two contests of the series.

MIAMI, May 3 – Italian racing sensation Kimi Antonelli made Formula One history Sunday, capturing his third consecutive victory at the Miami Grand Prix and becoming the first driver ever to win the race while starting from the front row.

The 19-year-old Mercedes driver extended his championship advantage to 20 points through four races this season, having also secured pole position for his third straight race. McLaren’s defending world champion Lando Norris, who had won Saturday’s sprint race, crossed the finish line in second place, while his Australian McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri rounded out the top three.

Race organizers moved the start time up by three hours due to weather forecasts calling for thunderstorms and lightning in the Miami area. Despite the predictions, the race at Hard Rock Stadium proceeded without any weather-related delays or interruptions.

The San Diego Padres have brought Griffin Canning back from the injured list, naming him as Sunday’s starting pitcher against the Chicago White Sox while simultaneously placing right-handed pitcher German Marquez on the 15-day injured list.

This marks Canning’s return to major league baseball following an Achilles tendon rupture he sustained last June while playing for the New York Mets. During his time with New York, he posted a 7-3 record with a 3.77 ERA across 16 starts.

The 30-year-old pitcher, who celebrates his birthday on May 11, completed his rehabilitation with a 1-1 record and 3.60 ERA over five starts at Triple-A El Paso.

To accommodate Canning’s return, San Diego has rescheduled Randy Vasquez’s start from Sunday to Monday’s matchup against the San Francisco Giants.

Padres manager Craig Stammen expressed confidence in the returning pitcher’s readiness. “He’s going to be great,” Stammen said. “He’s excited to get past that Achilles injury. He’s put in a ton of hard work. You guys saw it all through spring training, and now he’s had a bunch of rehab starts.”

Throughout his professional career, Canning holds a 32-37 record with a 4.65 ERA, having spent five seasons with the Los Angeles Angels between 2019-21 and 2023-24, plus one season with the Mets.

Meanwhile, Marquez has been sidelined due to forearm nerve inflammation. In his debut season with San Diego, he currently holds a 3-2 record with a 5.76 ERA through six starts.

DENVER (AP) — Minnesota’s hockey team faces a challenging start to their playoff series against Colorado, as they’ll compete without two crucial players during the opening matchups due to injury concerns.

Forward Joel Eriksson Ek and defenseman Jonas Brodin will both miss the initial two contests of the second-round playoff battle against the Avalanche after sustaining lower-body injuries. The pair remained behind instead of traveling with their teammates to Denver.

Wild head coach John Hynes indicated the team continues “making a couple decisions on the lineup” before Sunday night’s opening game.

Colorado also deals with roster challenges, as defenseman Josh Manson remains sidelined with an upper-body injury that kept him out of last Sunday’s series-ending victory over Los Angeles. Avalanche coach Jared Bednar announced that Nick Blankenburg will step into Manson’s role. Colorado obtained Blankenburg through a trade with Nashville on March 4.

“He’s played good in the time he’s been with us,” Bednar commented. “We got him for a reason — like the way he moves, like the way he moves the puck. He plays with a little bite. He’s got to stay within himself. It’s going to be a challenge for him tonight, because the thing we’ll miss with (Manson) is the size, the strength, the physicality.”

Eriksson Ek contributed significantly during Minnesota’s first-round victory over Dallas, recording three goals and two assists while achieving a 56.4% success rate on faceoffs. Potential replacements include Danila Yurov and Hunter Haight.

“Ekky’s a big part of the team,” Hynes explained. “When you lose a guy that plays that many situations, you have to do it collectively as a group, and it’s not all on one guy.”

Brodin was already absent for Game 6 against Dallas due to his injury.

Hynes noted that with the extended break between the second and third games — teams compete Tuesday before a Saturday restart — “both those guys will be reevaluated and see where it goes from there.”

Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid is making a desperate appeal to his team’s supporters: keep those playoff tickets in Philadelphia hands.

The Eastern Conference semifinals between the 76ers and New York Knicks kicks off Monday night at Madison Square Garden, but both franchises are already strategizing for when the action shifts to Philadelphia for Games 3 and 4.

Embiid’s concerns stem from their previous playoff encounter two seasons ago, when Knicks supporters flooded the Philadelphia arena, creating a hostile environment for the home team.

“Last time we played the Knicks it felt like this was Madison Square Garden East. So we’re going to need the support,” Embiid stated. “Don’t sell your tickets. This is bigger than you. We need you guys. The atmosphere we’ve had the last couple games in Philly, especially the last one pushing it to Game 7, I mean, we need all of it.”

The organization is taking proactive measures to prevent another invasion of opposing fans. Their official website now displays a warning that ticket purchases for Xfinity Mobile Arena will be limited to Greater Philadelphia area residents, with verification through credit card billing addresses. Any orders from outside the region face automatic cancellation.

However, these restrictions may prove futile against determined New York supporters willing to pay premium prices on the secondary market.

“Good thing about New Yorkers, man, they’re persistent. They don’t care, bro. They’re going to do it, man,” explained Knicks forward Josh Hart. “And for a lot of people, everything revolves around money. So, you know, if they get a good price for those tickets, they’re going to sell them.”

Hart, a Villanova alumnus familiar with the regional dynamics, pointed out that the journey from New York to Philadelphia takes under two hours by car and even less by train, while road game tickets typically cost significantly less than home venues.

The 76ers’ frustration reached a boiling point during their 2024 playoff series when visiting fans loudly chanted “MVP! MVP!” for Knicks guard Jalen Brunson during his 47-point performance in a Game 4 victory on Philadelphia’s home court.

“I don’t think that should happen. It’s not OK,” Embiid said following that disappointing loss.

Team ownership responded by purchasing and distributing over 2,000 complimentary tickets to Philadelphia community workers for Game 6 against New York.

Now, Embiid is personally offering to purchase tickets from any locals considering selling to visiting fans.

“Knicks fans, they travel,” he acknowledged. “There’s going to be some people that need the money and probably going to sell tickets, but don’t do it. We need you guys. We’ve got a pretty good chance. We’re going to need our support. We’re going to need them to be extremely loud and if you need money, I got you.”

The Los Angeles Angels have moved left-handed pitcher Yusei Kikuchi to the 15-day injured list and brought up reliever Tayler Saucedo from their Triple-A affiliate to fill the roster spot.

The injury designation dates back to April 30, as Kikuchi developed inflammation in his left shoulder during his outing against the Chicago White Sox on April 29. The pitcher completed two innings without allowing any runs but was pulled from the game while warming up for the third inning before facing another hitter.

This season, the 34-year-old pitcher has struggled with an 0-3 record and 5.81 ERA across seven starts. Despite striking out 33 batters in 31 innings of work, Kikuchi has given up 35 hits and issued 14 walks, resulting in a concerning 1.581 WHIP.

The Morioka, Japan native brings a career 48-61 record with a 4.50 ERA spanning more than seven MLB seasons.

Saucedo, who is 32 years old, rejoins the major leagues after pitching for Triple-A Salt Lake in the bullpen. During his time with the Bees, he compiled a 4.30 ERA across 12 outings but allowed 12 hits and 11 walks in 14 2/3 innings pitched.

Throughout five major league seasons with Toronto (2021-22) and Seattle (2023-25), Saucedo holds a 5-2 record with a 4.36 ERA. His entire 148-game major league experience has come as a relief pitcher.

The experienced reliever will aim to strengthen the Angels’ struggling bullpen, which currently ranks 29th league-wide with a 5.53 ERA.

The Chicago Cubs welcomed back relief pitcher Daniel Palencia to their active roster on Sunday, removing him from the 15-day injured list ahead of their home matchup with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Palencia had been sidelined since April 17 after suffering a strain to his left oblique muscle. The powerful right-handed pitcher prepared for his comeback by pitching for the Cubs’ Triple-A affiliate Iowa on Friday, delivering 19 pitches with nine reaching triple-digit speeds, topped by a 102 mph fastball.

Before his injury, the 26-year-old reliever appeared in five games for Chicago, recording one win and one save while maintaining a perfect earned run average. Over five innings of work, he surrendered just three hits and two walks while striking out five batters.

Earlier this year in March, Palencia contributed to Venezuela’s championship run in the World Baseball Classic. He delivered five consecutive scoreless outings and earned three saves during the tournament, including a crucial performance in the gold medal game against Team USA where he struck out Kyle Schwarber and Roman Anthony to secure Venezuela’s 3-2 victory.

The Cubs made roster space for Palencia’s return by removing veteran reliever Yacksel Rios from the 40-man roster. The 32-year-old Rios had made his first major league appearance since 2023 on April 26, pitching 1 2/3 perfect innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Minnesota Twins right-handed pitcher Joe Ryan was forced to exit Sunday’s matchup with the Toronto Blue Jays after delivering only nine pitches when he experienced discomfort in his right elbow.

Ryan struck out the game’s first batter, Yohendrick Pinango, with three consecutive pitches before issuing a walk to Kazuma Okamoto. Following a full-count fastball that sailed high to Okamoto, Ryan signaled for manager Derek Shelton and trainer Nick Paparesta to visit the mound.

Following a quick discussion, Ryan walked off the field toward the dugout.

The pitcher, who started on Opening Day for Minnesota, was making his eighth appearance of the current season. Ryan entered Sunday’s contest with a 2-3 win-loss record and a 3.76 earned run average, along with a 1.043 WHIP and 39 strikeouts across 38 1/3 innings pitched.

During spring training, Ryan experienced problems with his lower back that required an MRI scan, though he hasn’t missed any scheduled starts this year.

The Twins are already dealing with a depleted starting rotation, as three other pitchers remain on the injured list: Pablo Lopez (elbow), David Festa (shoulder) and Mick Abel (elbow). Lopez suffered an ACL tear during spring preparation and required Tommy John surgery that ended his season.

Abel compiled a 1-2 record with a 3.98 ERA across four outings, including three starts, before landing on the injured list in mid-April. However, his return is anticipated in the near future.

Since entering the major leagues in 2021, Ryan has accumulated a 48-39 career record with a 3.79 ERA over 123 total appearances, including 122 starts.

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Noah Dobson’s status for the decisive Game 7 matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning remains uncertain, with team officials listing him as a game-time decision for the crucial Eastern Conference first-round playoff clash.

The 26-year-old blueliner has been out of action with an upper-body injury sustained while blocking a shot during Montreal’s April 11 contest against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

“He’s been a big player for us this year,” Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis said. “I’m confident that if he plays, he’s going to bring something.”

During the regular season, Dobson contributed significantly to Montreal’s defensive corps, tallying 47 points through 12 goals and 35 assists while logging an average of 22:29 in ice time across 80 games.

Montreal obtained Dobson through a sign-and-trade deal with the New York Islanders on June 27, 2025, securing his services with an eight-year contract worth $76 million.

The transaction sent forward Emil Heineman along with Montreal’s pair of first-round draft selections (16th and 17th overall) in the 2025 NHL Draft to New York. The Islanders utilized those picks to select Swedish right winger Victor Eklund and Barrie OHL defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson.

Throughout his NHL career, Dobson has accumulated 277 points consisting of 62 goals and 215 assists over 348 games since the Islanders selected him 12th overall in the 2018 NHL Draft.

GREENBURGH, N.Y. — After wrapping up their series against Boston, the Philadelphia 76ers quickly shifted focus to New York, bringing back vivid recollections from their recent playoff history.

This Eastern Conference semifinals matchup recreates a competitive series between these Atlantic Division neighbors from the Northeast, where New York claimed victory in six games during 2024.

Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Maxey showcased incredible individual efforts. Each team mounted remarkable comeback attempts.

New York supporters created thunderous noise at Madison Square Garden — and even louder at Philadelphia’s home venue. (Joel Embiid certainly remembers this detail).

After the dust settled, New York had edged Philadelphia by a single point, 650-649. They resume competition Monday evening, with both sides anticipating an even more intense battle.

“I expect nothing less. Actually more,” Maxey stated. “That was a first-round matchup. This is a second-round matchup. So I think both teams are going to come out there and be extremely competitive. It’s going to be a dogfight, it’s going to be a chess match and I’m just ready to get started.”

New York enjoyed several days of rest following their dominant 140-89 Game 6 victory over Atlanta on Thursday, establishing an NBA postseason record with a 47-point halftime advantage. Philadelphia has just one complete day to recuperate after achieving the NBA’s 14th successful comeback from a 3-1 series deficit, defeating Boston 109-100 on Saturday.

Philadelphia became the first seventh-seeded team to eliminate a second seed since the opening round adopted the best-of-seven structure. This was the exact seeding matchup when these teams met two seasons ago.

The 76ers nearly forced a tie in that series during Game 2 before New York rallied from a five-point deficit with less than 30 seconds remaining. Brunson established a Knicks playoff scoring record with 47 points in Game 4, and New York appeared ready to close out the series at home in Game 5 before Maxey contributed seven points in regulation’s final 25 seconds, sending Philadelphia to an overtime victory.

“Man, that was a fun series. We were going punch for punch,” Josh Hart commented following Sunday’s practice session. “When you think about that, you always think of the good games, so you guys can guess what games those are. But you know that you’ve got to turn the page. Those are memories. They don’t affect tomorrow but they’re fun memories.”

Embiid rejoined his team during the middle of the Boston series following appendix surgery and was noticeably limping late in Game 7 after another player collided with his knee. His physical condition appeared more concerning during the 2024 series, as he dealt with ongoing issues from a surgically repaired left knee and a recent Bell’s palsy diagnosis, which causes facial paralysis.

“I had a lot going on at that time, so hopefully everything is good this time,” Embiid explained. “We’ve got a much better team than we had at that time, so it’s going to be a fun series.”

New York also looks improved, having added All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges to their roster. They’ve reached the second round for four consecutive seasons, and the third-seeded team surprisingly secured home-court advantage due to Philadelphia’s opening-round comeback.

Now New York must contend with the effective Embiid-Maxey partnership that’s finding its rhythm.

“If we expect to be who we are,” coach Mike Brown noted, “we’ll figure it out.”

Brunson heard roaring “MVP! MVP!” chants during the 2024 Game 4 triumph after Knicks supporters flooded into Philadelphia, prompting Embiid to voice his frustration with 76ers fans following that contest. He’s now urging them to prevent the vocal New Yorkers from dominating again.

“Last time we played the Knicks it felt like this was Madison Square Garden East. So we’re going to need the support,” Embiid declared. “Don’t sell your tickets. This is bigger than you. We need you guys. The atmosphere we’ve had the last couple games in Philly, especially the last one pushing it to Game 7, I mean, we need all of it.

“Knicks fans, they travel. There’s going to be some people that need the money and probably going to sell tickets, but don’t do it. We need you guys. We’ve got a pretty good chance. We’re going to need our support. We’re going to need them to be extremely loud and if you need money, I got you.”

Home-court advantage proved meaningless previously, as visiting teams captured all four regular season meetings. The initial two occurred at Madison Square Garden before New York won both Philadelphia contests, concluding with a 139-89 blowout on February 11.

Both star point guards appear prepared to continue their 2024 performances. Maxey posted 26.9 points per game during the opening round, ranking third league-wide, while Brunson followed closely at 26.3.

New York’s All-Star center represents the most significant addition to this rivalry since their last playoff encounter, displaying his complete offensive skillset during the first round by recording his first two career postseason triple-doubles against Atlanta.