NBA DRAFT
Victor Wembanyama’s towering shadow has hung over this NBA draft for months, blocking much of what is usually part of the process. There has been no debate about who the San Antonio Spurs should take with the No. 1 pick tonight. When a player like Wembanyama comes along — and maybe none ever has — there’s no real reason to drum up any drama. The Spurs are not going to pass up someone who is listed at 7-foot-4 but has the skills of a player much smaller. The 19-year-old from France has been called the best prospect since LeBron James came out of high school in 2003.
Victor Wembanyama’s NBA draft experience will be quite unlike last year’s No. 1 pick. Paolo Banchero could never be certain he would be taken first. There was too much speculation that Orlando was also considering Jabari Smith Jr. and Chet Holmgren, with some mock drafts listing Banchero below both. The eventual Rookie of the Year said he didn’t find out he was the Magic’s choice until less than a minute before Commissioner Adam Silver went on stage in Brooklyn. But Wembanyama has owned permanent residence atop mock draft boards, including all four versions of the AP’s, and could begin walking to the stage Thursday night before Silver finishes announcing the San Antonio Spurs’ selection.
The NBA-champion Denver Nuggets struck a deal with Indiana to acquire a first-round round pick in the draft on Thursday night. The teams agreed to a deal that also gives the Nuggets the 32nd overall pick, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. The Pacers will receive the 40th pick in this year’s draft from Denver and a first-round pick in 2024. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the trade has yet to be announced.
UConn’s Andre Jackson Jr is projected to be picked somewhere in between the 25th and 45th pick, according to CBS News. The 6-foot-6 wing, an Amsterdam New York native, averaged 6.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists while playing fewer than 30 minutes per game, helping to lead the Huskies to a 31-8 record and national championship this year.
NBA
Two people with knowledge of the deal say the Washington Wizards have agreed to trade center Kristaps Porzingis to the Boston Celtics as part of a three-team trade that also includes the Celtics trading Marcus Smart to the Memphis Grizzlies. The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the agreement hadn’t been announced. The trade comes with Porzingis accepting his player option for next season. The deal also includes the Grizzlies acquiring Smart from Boston in exchange for first-round draft picks in 2023 and 2024. ESPN also reports the Wizards are receiving guard Tyus Jones from Memphis, and forwards Mike Muscala and Danilo Gallinari and a second-round pick this year from Boston.
MLB
Jhony Brito pitched a career-high 5 2/3 scoreless innings in a successful return to the major leagues and the New York Yankees beat the Seattle Mariners 4-2. Fill-ins Jake Bauers and Billy McKinney homered off Luis Castillo as the Yankees won a series for the first time since placing Aaron Judge on the injured list. New York is 6-8 with Judge out of the lineup and had not won a series since taking two of three from the Dodgers in Los Angeles. Brito allowed two hits, struck out three, walked one and reached the sixth for the first time as a starting pitcher.
Alex Bregman had three hits and Yainer Diaz and Chas McCormick both hit two-run homers to help the Houston Astros outlast the New York Mets 10-8 to win the three-game series. Houston fell behind 4-2 early after a subpar start by Cristian Javier. McCormick’s home run came in a four-run third inning that put the Astros on top. The Mets tied it in the top of the fourth, but the Astros went ahead for good by scoring three runs in the bottom of the inning, highlighted by Diaz’s home run. Daniel Vogelbach had a season-high three hits with three RBIs and Pete Alonso hit his 23rd homer as the Mets dropped a second straight game after winning the series opener 11-1.
Kyle Farmer hit a game-winning single that scored automatic runner Willi Castro from third base and the Minnesota Twins beat the Boston Red Sox 5-4 in 10 innings. Farmer’s line drive fell in front of Jarren Duran, who was playing shallow in center field, scoring Castro and snapping Minnesota’s three-game losing streak. Michael A Taylor dropped a sacrifice bunt that moved Castro to third base, setting up the potential winning run. Max Kepler homered for the second straight game for the Twins and added an RBI single. Reliever Jovani Moran (1-2) earned the win for the Twins. Kaleb Ort (1-1) took the loss for the Red Sox.
The Atlanta Braves’ game against the Phillies was postponed by rain, it will be made up as a double-header on September 11.
Jake Fraley hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the eighth inning, and the Cincinnati Reds extended their majors-best winning streak to 11 games, rallying past the Colorado Rockies 5-3 for a three-game sweep. It is the Reds' longest winning streak since they won 12 in a row in 1957. Rookie sensation Elly De La Cruz hit a one-out bloop to left that fell for a double against Daniel Bard and Fraley hit the next pitch over the wall in right. That sent the Reds to their majors-best 12th comeback win of the season and the Rockies to their season-worst eighth straight loss.
Freddie Freeman hit his 14th homer off Shohei Ohtani in the fourth inning, and seven relievers combined on a two-hitter in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ second straight shutout victory over the Los Angeles Angels. The Dodgers won 2-0. Ohtani pitched seven innings of five-hit ball with two walks and 12 strikeouts, one off his career high. The two-way superstar was outstanding in his first career mound start against the Dodgers, who are likely to be one of his most ardent suitors in free agency this winter.
NHL
Henrik Lundqvist headlines the Hockey Hall of Fame's goaltender-heavy class of 2023. Fellow netminders Tom Barrasso and Mike Vernon were also among the five players elected. Former NHL forward Pierre Turgeon and Canadian women's hockey star Caroline Ouellette were also chosen. Stanley Cup-winning coach Ken Hitchcock and late executive Pierre Lacroix were picked in the builder category. Lundqvist is set to be inducted into the Hall in his first year of eligibility after winning Olympic gold for Sweden in 2006 and a pro career that included backstopping the New York Rangers to 11 playoff appearances in 12 seasons.
SOCCER
Nicolas Firmino scored in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time as Atlanta United and New York City FC played to a 2-2 tie. Tyler Wolff also scored for Atlanta, off an assist from 20-year-old rookie midfielder Ajani Fortune in the 11th minute to score his fourth goal this season. Gabriel Pereira scored in the first minute and early in the second half for New York City, which was looking to snap a nine-match winless streak.
Dante Vanzeir and Cameron Harper scored second-half goals to rally the New York Red Bulls from a two-goal halftime deficit to a 2-2 draw with Charlotte FC. Charlotte (6-8-5) grabbed an early lead when Benjamin Bender corraled a long pass from goalkeeper Kristijan Kahlina in the 13th minute to score a one-touch goal. Bender scored again when he took passes from Enzo Copetti and Justin Meram and found the net in the 19th minute for a 2-0 advantage. The Red Bulls (4-6-8) struck quickly in the second half to pull even. Vanzeir scored in the 53rd minute and Harper found the net in the 58th. Kyle Duncan had assists on both goals.
GOLF
A Senate subcommittee is asking executives from the PGA Tour, Saudi golf interests and LIV Golf to testify as Congress investigates the shocking business deal that upended the sport. Sen. Richard Blumenthal announced Wednesday that the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations would hold a hearing on July 11 to examine the stunning agreement the PGA Tour now has with Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund and the European tour. He invited PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan, Public Investment Fund Governor Yasir Al-Rumayyan and LIV CEO Greg Norman to testify. The PGA Tour said in a statement that it looked forward to appearing to answer questions about the “framework agreement.”
COLLEGE WORLD SERIES
Cade Beloso hit a go-ahead three-run homer, freshman Griffin Herring pitched 4 2/3 innings of shutout relief in his longest outing, and LSU defeated No. 1 national seed Wake Forest 5-2 to stay alive in the College World Series. The Tigers forced a second bracket final Thursday night. The winner will play Florida in the best-of-three championship series that starts Saturday. LSU erased a 2-0 deficit in the third inning when Dylan Crews scored on a wild pitch to tie it and Beloso launched Seth Keener’s 2-0 fastball into the right-field bullpen.
Cade Kurland’s ninth-inning infield single drove in the tiebreaking run and Florida claimed a spot in the College World Series finals with a 3-2 victory over TCU. The Gators will play No. 1 national seed Wake Forest or LSU in the best-of-three championship series starting Saturday. Florida is in the finals for the fourth time, and first since it won the national championship in 2017. The win wasn’t secure until Michael Robertson, who entered in the top of the ninth as a pinch runner, caught Brayden Taylor’s deep fly against the center-field wall to end the game.
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