The basketball world is mourning the loss of Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke, who passed away at the age of 29. The team, his representation agency, and the NBA have all confirmed his death.
According to sources close to the investigation, medical examiners will conduct an autopsy to establish the precise cause of Clarke’s passing. His representatives at Priority Sports expressed their grief on social media, stating they were “beyond devastated” by the tragic news. Clarke had faced legal troubles recently, having been taken into custody on April 1st in Arkansas on charges of speeding and controlled substance possession before posting bond the following day. The Gonzaga product was selected 21st overall by Oklahoma City in the 2019 draft and earned All-Rookie honors in 2020, though injuries restricted him to just 72 appearances over his final three seasons out of a possible 246 games.
In playoff action, Victor Wembanyama delivered a dominant performance to help the San Antonio Spurs defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves 126-97, putting San Antonio one win away from the Western Conference finals with a 3-2 series advantage. The young star recorded 27 points, 17 rebounds, and three blocks in what served as redemption following his first career ejection. Keldon Johnson contributed 21 points, while De’Aaron Fox added 18 and Stephon Castle chipped in 17 for the Spurs. San Antonio can secure their spot against Oklahoma City with a Game 6 victory this Friday in Minneapolis. Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards managed 20 points despite being held to just eight in the opening half.
Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani will sit out the next two games as the designated hitter while dealing with an offensive struggle. Despite breaking an 11-game home run drought with his second long ball in 24 contests during a 6-2 victory over San Francisco, manager Dave Roberts announced Ohtani won’t appear in Wednesday’s lineup when he takes the mound, nor Thursday’s game. Ohtani finished 2-for-4 with two runs, one RBI, and a walk, while his teammates managed just two hits in 25 at-bats. This marks Ohtani’s inaugural complete season as a dual-threat player with the Dodgers.
The Philadelphia 76ers have dismissed president Daryl Morey while retaining head coach Nick Nurse following their Eastern Conference semifinal sweep at the hands of the New York Knicks. Morey’s six-year tenure ended after another disappointing postseason, prompting the organization to seek new leadership for their basketball operations. Former Golden State Warriors executive Bob Myers will spearhead the search for Morey’s successor and oversee operations temporarily. Under Morey’s leadership, Philadelphia posted a 270-212 regular season record but struggled in playoff situations with a 28-26 mark, never advancing beyond the conference semifinals.
A Florida judge has ordered that Tiger Woods’ prescription medication records be released to prosecutors in connection with his March DUI arrest. The ruling came after a brief four-minute court session in Martin County, where an agreement was reached between Woods’ legal team and prosecutors. The subpoena requests all prescription drug documentation for the golf legend from January through March. Woods’ lawyer conceded that privacy rights have limitations and acknowledged prosecutors presented a strong case for accessing the records. In exchange, the defense secured a protective order restricting who may view the sensitive medical information.
World number one golfer Scottie Scheffler aims to break a pattern of second-place finishes as he defends his PGA Championship title. Despite his dominance on tour, Scheffler has recorded three straight runner-up results since the Masters. “It’s a little bittersweet but at least he knows he’s playing well,” Scheffler commented on his recent performances. Victory would place him alongside Brooks Koepka and Tiger Woods as the only players to capture consecutive PGA Championships in the stroke play era. Standing in his path are golf’s strongest major championship field and Aronimink’s challenging layout, which Xander Schauffele characterized as having “diabolical greens.”
Pavel Dorofeyev netted his second goal of the contest 4:10 into overtime, lifting the Vegas Golden Knights to a 3-2 triumph over the Anaheim Ducks and a 3-2 series lead. The Golden Knights need just one more victory to reach the Western Conference final, with Game 6 scheduled for Thursday in Anaheim. Vegas hasn’t appeared in a conference final since capturing the Stanley Cup in 2023. The Ducks, making their first postseason appearance in eight years, will attempt to force a decisive Game 7 back in Las Vegas this Saturday. Tomas Hertl ended a 29-game goalless streak dating to the regular season and now has two goals in two playoff games. Vegas goaltender Carter Hart made 34 saves in the victory.
Zach Benson celebrated his 21st birthday in style, scoring the game-winning goal on a third-period power play as the Buffalo Sabres defeated the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 in Game 4, evening their Eastern Conference semifinal series. Benson received a pass from Josh Doan in the slot, controlled the puck with his skate, and fired a backhand past goalie Jakub Dobes at the 4:41 mark of the final period. Game 5 returns to Buffalo on Thursday, with the series victor advancing to face Carolina in the conference final. Tage Thompson equalized for Buffalo in the second period with an unusual goal and also recorded an assist. Defenseman Mattias Samuelsson opened the scoring while Doan contributed two assists. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen replaced Alex Lyon in net and stopped 28 shots.
Major League Baseball players and team owners have commenced collective bargaining discussions more than six months before their current agreement expires on December 1st. The negotiations, expected to be lengthy and contentious, will likely feature management’s push for a salary cap system that the players’ union has consistently rejected. The initial two-hour meeting took place at the MLB Players Association offices, located just a short walk from league headquarters in Manhattan’s Rockefeller Center. Both sides used the session to present their perspectives on the sport’s current state and financial landscape, though no formal proposals were exchanged.
