NBA
Joel Embiid had 23 points, and 15 rebounds and one huge assist to Kelly Oubre Jr. on a late go-ahead three-point play that led the 76ers to a 105-104 win over the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament last night. The 76ers earned the seventh seed and advance to play the second-seeded New York Knicks in the opening round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Game 1 is Saturday at Madison Square Garden. The Heat - who went from the play-in tourney to the NBA Finals a year ago — host Chicago on Friday night. The winner gets the No. 8 seed.
Coby White scored a career-high 42 points, and the Chicago Bulls advanced in the play-in tournament, knocking out the Atlanta Hawks with a 131-116 victory. White, whose previous high was 37, went hard at the rim throughout the game and had fans chanting his name down the stretch as the Bulls rolled past the Hawks. Chicago visits Miami on Friday for a shot at the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs and a first-round matchup with Boston. The Heat lost 105-104 to Philadelphia on Wednesday. Dejounte Murray led Atlanta with 30 points. But the Hawks came up short again after dropping their final six regular-season games.
The NBA has banned Toronto player Jontay Porter after a league probe found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors and bet on games. Porter, the league said, gave a bettor information about his own health status prior to Toronto’s game on March 20. The league said another individual, known to be an NBA bettor, placed an $80,000 bet that Porter would not hit the numbers set for him in parlays through an online sports book. That bet would have won $1.1 million. Porter is the second person to be banned by Commissioner Adam Silver for violating league rules. The other was now-former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling in 2014.
Zion Williamson has been ruled out of the New Orleans Pelicans’ Western Conference play-in game against the Sacramento Kings on Friday night because of a left hamstring injury. And Williamson is expected to miss up to two weeks should New Orleans advance to the NBA playoffs. Williamson’s status is the latest in a series of untimely injuries during his first five NBA seasons and removes the Pelicans leading scorer from their lineup for a do-or-die, play-in tournament finale that will decide the eighth seed in the Western Conference Playoffs. Williamson missed most of his first four seasons because of a series of injuries but played in 70 games this season.
Golden State guard Stephen Curry knew he was running out of chances to play in what would be his first Olympics, so he and his wife Ayesha started planning many months ago about how to make the Paris Games work for their family. Their growing family, that is. Ayesha Curry revealed in March that she is pregnant with the couple’s fourth child and the baby is due in June. That’s not entirely by accident; the couple thought ahead with hopes of keeping the Olympic months of July and August clear. Just in case. And USA Basketball made it official Wednesday, saying Curry is on the roster picked for the Paris Games.
NHL
Simon Holmstrom scored the go-ahead goal in the third period, Ilya Sorokin stopped Sidney Crosby on a late penalty shot and the playoff-bound New York Islanders edged the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-4. Samuel Bolduc and Brock Nelson each had a goal and an assist, and Casey Cizikas and Kyle Palmieri also scored for the Islanders, who ended the regular season having won eight of their last nine (8-0-1). Sorokin finished with 39 saves. Pittsburgh’s Jeff Carter had a goal in what was likely his final NHL game. Rickard Rakell, Evgeni Malkin and Valtteri Puustinen also scored for the Penguins.
Auston Matthews came up empty in his bid to become the ninth player in NHL history to score 70 goals in a season, but Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov became the fifth player to have a 100-assist season as the Lightning beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-4 on Wednesday night. Matthews was denied on all 12 shots by Matt Tomkins, who finished with 34 saves. Brayden Point, Nicholas Paul, Anthony Duclair and Tanner Jeannot also scored for Tampa Bay. Ryan Reaves, TJ Brodie, Pontus Holmberg and John Tavares scored, and Martin Jones made 26 saves for Toronto.
The Dallas Stars will be the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs for the first time since 2016. Dallas earned the point it needed by getting to overtime against St. Louis, then added another one by beating the (St. Louis) Blues 2-1 in a shootout. The Stars finished with 113 points, the most since their franchise-record 114 on the way to winning their only Stanley Cup title in the 1998-99 season. Pacific Division champion Vancouver can only reach 111 points with a victory in its regular-season finale Thursday night. The Stars will play either reigning Stanley Cup champion Vegas or the Los Angeles Kings in the first round of the playoffs.
The Coyotes closed out their 28-year Arizona tenure as winners, getting a goal and an assist from Dylan Guenther in a 5-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. The Coyotes buzzed early at Mullett Arena and closed strong in their final game before moving to Salt Lake City. Liam O’Brien got the finale started with a goal less than three minutes into the game and Sean Durzi capped it with a empty-net goal to send Coyotes fans home happy at least for one last night. Matias Maccelli and Lawson Crouse also scored and Connor Ingram had 25 saves for Arizona. Sam Carrick and Warren Foegele scored for the playoff-bound Oilers. Calvin Pickard had 16 saves.
Mullett Arena buzzed like few times in the two years since the Arizona Coyotes moved in, the fans amped for one last desert hurrah. For 60 minutes, they got one last chance to watch the team they came to love before the franchise as they know it is no more. The Coyotes are moving to Salt Lake City in a deal that could be signed less than 24 hours after Wednesday night’s 5-2 win over Edmonton. Hockey could return, perhaps within five years, but the stark reality is this is the end for the foreseeable future. Not knowing if or when hockey will return, Coyotes fans treated the Mullett finale like one big party, even if it was a wake.
MLB
Starling Marte hit his 150th career homer, powering the New York Mets to a 9-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates and a sweep of a three-game series. Marte, who spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Pirates, hit the milestone two-run homer off the railing beyond the left-center field fence to give the Mets a 2-1 lead in the third inning. Tyrone Taylor hit a two-run single in the sixth and Harrison Bader homered on the next pitch for the Mets, who are 10-3 since an 0-5 start. Brandon Nimmo’s two-run single capped a three-run eighth.
Aaron Judge broke a 4-all tie with a two-run single in the ninth inning, Juan Soto and Giancarlo Stanton hit solo home runs and the New York Yankees rallied to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-4 to avoid their first sweep of the season. Daulton Varsho hit two home runs for the Blue Jays but Toronto’s four-game winning streak was snapped. Victor González got one out for the win and Clay Holmes finished for his seventh save in eight chances. Judge was 0 for 12 against Toronto pitching in the series before coming through on a full-count pitch from left-hander Tim Mayza with two outs and the bases loaded.
Tanner Houck pitched a three-hitter with nine strikeouts for Boston’s first complete-game shutout at Fenway Park in nearly seven years, and the Red Sox beat the Cleveland Guardians 2-0, Connor Wong homered in the fourth, one inning after Boston scored its first run on a balk by Cleveland starter Ben Lively. Houck walked none in his first career complete game, which took just 1 hour, 49 minutes. He finished one short of his season high for strikeouts. It was Boston’s first complete-game shutout since Michael Wacha tossed a three-hitter in a 1-0 win at the Los Angeles Angels on June 6, 2022. No pitcher had accomplished the feat at home for the Red Sox since Brian Johnson threw a five-hitter against Seattle on May 27, 2017.
Kyle Schwarber hit two home runs, including the 250th of his career, Cristopher Sánchez pitched six strong innings and the Philadelphia Phillies completed a three-game sweep with a 7-6 victory over the Colorado Rockies. Trea Turner homered, doubled and singled for the Phillies, who moved a season-best three games over .500. Philadelphia has won 13 of its last 15 against the Rockies. Ezequiel Tovar had three hits and drove in two runs for Colorado, which dropped to 4-15. The Rockies entered tied with Miami for the worst record in the NL.
Marcell Ozuna hit his major league-leading eighth homer and Orlando Arcia’s RBI single in the 10th inning lifted the Atlanta Braves to a 5-4 win over the Houston Astros on Wednesday. It completes a three-game sweep of the struggling Astros and is Atlanta’s fourth straight victory. The Braves scored two runs in the eighth inning to tie it at 4-4. Michael Harris II started the 10th as the automatic runner on second and there was one out in the inning when Seth Martinez intentionally walked Matt Olson. Ozuna lined out to right field to send Harris to third base. Arcia then singled on a ground ball to left field to score Harris and put the Braves on top.
Esteury Ruiz homered for the second time in three games since being recalled from Triple-A, and the Oakland Athletics beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-3 on Wednesday to avoid a three-game sweep. Iván Herrera drove in two runs for the Cardinals, who fell to 0-6 in series finales this season. Willson Contreras had two hits and an RBI, extending his hitting streak to a career-high 11 games. A’s starter Paul Blackburn allowed three runs in 5 2/3 innings, ending a scoreless streak of 22 1/3 innings. Blackburn earned his second win despite giving up six hits and five walks.
Bryce Miller and three relievers combined on a one-hitter, Cal Raleigh, Mitch Garver and Josh Rojas all hit solo home runs, and the Seattle Mariners beat the Cincinnati Reds 5-1 to complete a three-game sweep. Miller continued his brilliant stretch of pitching with the lone hit he allowed becoming the only earned run scored against him in his last three starts. Miller gave up a solo home run to Elly De La Cruz in the second inning when a slider stayed on the plate, but Miller was otherwise untouchable. Cincinnati starter Andrew Abbott matched Miller through the first five innings allowing only Raleigh's homer. But Garver's first homer with Seattle snapped the 1-1 tie.
Cedric Mullins hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Baltimore Orioles a 4-2 victory over Minnesota and a three-game sweep of the Twins. Gunnar Henderson and Anthony Santander also went deep Wednesday for the Orioles, their fifth straight game with at least three home runs. Baltimore had a streak that long only twice before in franchise history, in 1996 and 1987. Pablo López allowed a leadoff homer to Henderson in the first but was outstanding after that. He exited after six innings and 87 pitches, having allowed a run and two hits with seven strikeouts.
Josh Smith’s pinch-hit double in the top of the ninth drove home the winning run and the Texas Rangers beat the error-prone Detroit Tigers 5-4 on Wednesday. With one out, Ezequiel Duran singled, went to second on an error and scored on Smith’s clutch hit to right-center field. Kirby Yates (2-0) got the final four outs, striking out the side in the ninth, to get the win. Detroit’s Shelby Miller (3-1) took the loss as the Tigers committed three errors, leading to two unearned runs.
Gavin Sheets homered, Erick Fedde pitched scoreless ball into the sixth inning and the struggling Chicago White Sox edged the Kansas City Royals 2-1 for a doubleheader split that ended a six-game slide. Salvador Perez hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning of the opener to put the Royals ahead, and Kansas City went on to win 4-2. Paul DeJong had a five-hit day, adding two singles in the second game after going 3 for 3 in the first with a homer, double and walk. The White Sox are off to the worst start in franchise history at 3-15.
Anthony Rendon and Taylor Ward hit run-scoring singles off struggling closer Pete Fairbanks in the ninth inning and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4. Fairbanks has an ERA of 9.00 in eight games this season. Amed Rosario had put the Rays ahead 4-3 on a two-run homer in the eighth off Hunter Strickland. Tampa Bay scored twice with two outs in the ninth Tuesday night to tie it and won 7-6 on Rosario’s 13th-inning RBI single. Mike Trout hit his eighth homer for the Angels.
Ryan Weathers struck out a career-high 10 before departing because of cramps in his left hand, and the Miami Marlins beat the San Francisco Giants 6-3. Weathers allowed two runs and five hits in six innings. The left-hander warmed up for the seventh, but was replaced by Burch Smith. Luis Arraez had two hits and two RBIs for the Marlins, who improved to 4-14. Josh Bell also had two hits and scored a run. Miami can earn its first series win of the season with a victory on Tuesday night. Matt Chapman homered for San Francisco.
Blake Perkins hit a single in the eighth inning to crack a scoreless game and lead the Milwaukee Brewers to a 1-0 win over the San Diego Padres. The hit spoiled a stellar start Wednesday by Padres right-hander Michael King, who pitched a no-hitter through 6 2/3 innings. King didn’t allow a runner past first base until the eighth inning, when Brice Turang stole second after hitting a single. King was charged with a run when Turang scored on Perkins’ single off Wandy Peralta.
CJ Abrams homered in the first at-bat of the game and the Washington Nationals beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-0 to take the series. Nationals starter Jake Irvin threw six scoreless innings to get his first win of the season and gave up just four hits. Landon Knack took the loss in his major league debut for the Dodgers. After a five-hit game the day before, Mookie Betts was 0-for-4. Shohei Ohtani was 3-for-4 with three singles. Kyle Finnegan earned his seventh save of the season.
Cody Bellinger hit a go-ahead solo homer in the sixth inning, Mike Tauchman added an RBI double and the Chicago Cubs beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-3 on Wednesday. The Cubs took two of three in the hard-fought series, which included two extra-inning games. Cubs reliever Hayden Wesneski earned the win in his first game of the season after being called up from Triple-A Iowa. The right-hander threw 3 2/3 innings to save a tired bullpen and gave up just one hit while striking out two. Ketel Marte gave the D-backs a 1-0 lead with his third leadoff homer of the season and eighth of his career.
SOCCER
Joshua Kimmich’s header powered Bayern Munich to a 1-0 win over Arsenal to reach the Champions League semifinals with a 3-2 victory on aggregate. Kimmich’s header off Raphael Guerreiro’s pinpoint cross put Bayern ahead in the 63rd minute as Bayern largely neutralized the English team’s attack. Bayern kept alive its hopes of finishing the season with a trophy three days after Bayer Leverkusen ended Bayern’s 11-year reign as German champion. Arsenal’s Champions League exit follows a heavy blow to its Premier League title ambitions in a 2-0 loss to Aston Villa on Sunday.
Real Madrid has advanced to the semifinals of the Champions League after beating Manchester City 4-3 on penalties at Etihad Stadium. Antonio Rudiger struck the decisive spot kick after the game had finished 1-1 through extra time and 4-4 on aggregate. Rodrygo fired 14-time champion Madrid ahead in the 12th minute with a twice-taken effort from close range to beat City goalkeeper Ederson on the rebound. City dominated the game from then on with Kevin De Bruyne leveling in the 76th by lifting a shot high into the net from close range.
Vinícius Junior was taken off injured in the Champions League quarterfinals second leg between Manchester City and Real Madrid. The Brazil winger appeared to hurt his groin during a race to the ball with City defender Kyle Walker in extra time at Etihad Stadium. He was holding the inside of his thigh and dropped to the ground in pain before being replaced by Lucas Vazquez in the 103rd minute. The game had gone into extra time after finishing 1-1 in regulation. The match was tied 4-4 on aggregate after the first leg ended 3-3 in Madrid last week.
WNBA
Caitlin Clark walked to the dais in Indianapolis and looked like a natural. The former Iowa star and No. 1 overall draft pick discussed the WNBA's new television deal and the impact it could have on every player in the league. She talked about how she'd fit in with her new Indiana Fever teammates. She even explained the fear she had appearing on Saturday Night Live last weekend and teased Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton about playing at her rival school, Iowa State. But most of all, Clark talked about her desire to help the Fever win.
NCAA
A former University at Albany defensive end who was working to reach the NFL has died, according to the school. The football program says on social media that it learned Wednesday of the death of Amitral “AJ” Simon. Simon spent two seasons with the Great Danes after transferring from Bloomsburg University. A cause of death was not announced. Simon had been taking part in recent pro-day showcases.
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