Mavericks beat the Kings 120-106 to advance to face the Grizzlies in the Play-In Tournament
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Klay Thompson scored 16 of his 23 points in Dallas’ dominant second quarter to get redemption for his dud in Sacramento a year ago, helping the Mavericks beat the Kings 120-106 on Wednesday night to advance in the Play-In Tournament. One year to the day when Thompson missed all 10 shots in his final game for Golden State in a play-in loss in Sacramento, Thompson fueled the win with four 3-pointers in Dallas’ 44-point second quarter. That turned the game into a laugher and kept the Mavericks’ chaotic season alive for at least one more game. Dallas advanced to play at Memphis on Friday night for the chance to get into the playoffs as the eighth seed in the West. The winner of that game will open the playoffs on Sunday at top-seeded Oklahoma City.
Herro goes from raising eyebrows to turning heads as Heat knock out Bulls in Play-In Tournament
CHICAGO (AP) — Tyler Herro went from raising eyebrows with a shot he missed to turning heads one week later with all the baskets he made. Both times, he did it for Miami in Chicago. Herro had it going, scoring 38 points as the Heat pounded the Bulls 109-90 to advance in the Play-In Tournament. Herro came through in a big way one week after he made a questionable decision late in a loss at Chicago. He hit 13 of 19 shots as the Heat knocked the Bulls out of the Play-In Tournament for the third year in a row. One week earlier, Herro opted to pull up for a 3 with a chance to make it a one-possession game rather than go for a layup or dunk. He missed and Chicago won.
No comeback for Real Madrid as Arsenal is back in Champions League semifinals
MADRID (AP) — Arsenal has defeated defending champion Real Madrid 2-1 to reach the Champions League semifinals for the first time since 2009 in a match where VAR played a key role in two penalty decisions. Arsenal advanced 5-1 on aggregate after winning 3-0 in London last week, keeping alive its chances of winning Europe’s top club competition for the first time. It will face Paris Saint-Germain in the semifinals. Inter Milan advanced past Bayern Munich on Wednesday and will meet Barcelona in the semifinals.
Inter Milan reaches Champions League semifinals after eliminating Bayern Munich 4-3 on aggregate
Milan (AP) — Former Bayern Munich defender Benjamin Pavard scored against his old club to help Inter Milan to a 2-2 draw against the German team and sending the Nerazzurri through to the Champions League semifinals 4-3 on aggregate. It was Pavard’s first goal for Inter. Harry Kane had levelled the quarterfinal early in the second half but Inter swiftly turned the game around with goals from Lautaro Martínez and Pavard. Eric Dier headed in in the 76th minute to set up a nervy finale. Inter will face Barcelona in the semifinals. It beat the same opponent in the final four in 2010 on its way to winning the Champions League and securing the treble. It is in contention to repeat that feat this season.
NFL teams are no longer shying away from older prospects in the draft
Bo Nix has already turned 25. Michael Penix Jr. will get there in May. Both quarterbacks were first-round picks last year. They were among 56 players age 24 or older drafted in 2024. That number was up from 54 in 2023, 44 in 2022, 16 in 2021 and 19 in 2020. There have been more older prospects drafted in recent years because the COVID-19 pandemic gave players an option to stay in school an extra year. Even though the window is ending, the transfer portal and NIL deals might continue to keep some players in school longer. Teams used to shy away from older prospects.
Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo feeling grateful that he's healthy for the postseason this time around
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo compares himself to a certain action movie star as he discusses his excitement about finally being healthy for the start of a postseason run. Antetokounmpo says “I'm like Tom Cruise” as he discusses his love for delivering in pressure situations. Antetokounmpo missed all of Milwaukee's postseason run last year and part of it two years ago. The Bucks exited in the first round both times. The two-time MVP is feeling good this year and playing at a peak level just as Milwaukee prepares to open the playoffs Saturday at Indiana.
Umpire Hunter Wendelstedt goes to hospital after foul ball in Mets-Twins game hits him in head
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Veteran umpire Hunter Wendelstedt went to a hospital after he was struck in the face behind first base by a line drive foul ball. He was going through concussion protocol. Wendelstedt instantly hit the ground after a direct hit from the liner by New York's Tyrone Taylor in the seventh inning in Minnesota. Both Taylor and Twins pitcher Louis Varland winced immediately after seeing where the ball hit Wendelstedt. The 53-year-old ump was down for a couple of minutes. He was able to slowly walk off on his own with a towel pressed against the left side of his head.
Braves RHP Strider allows two runs and five hits against Blue Jays in return from elbow surgery
TORONTO (AP) — Atlanta Braves right-hander Spencer Strider allowed two runs and five hits in five-plus innings in his return to the mound against the Toronto Blue Jays. Making his first big league appearance in over a year because of surgery to repair the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow, Strider struck out five, walked one and hit a batter. He threw 97 pitches, 58 for strikes. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had two of the five hits off Strider, including an RBI single in the third inning and a solo home run in the sixth.
Justin Rose coping with the 'torment' of Masters close call
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — Justin Rose has been down this road before. He is trying to process another playoff loss at the Masters. Rose rallied from seven shots behind to catch mistake-filled Rory McIlroy. And then McIlroy beat him with a great shot in the playoff to win the green jacket and complete the career Grand Slam of majors. Rose says he received plenty of nice text messages. He was hoping to see one offering congratulations instead of commiserations. But he says he's playing great golf. Rose says he's motivated to keep working by the special moments that happen along the way.
Trump kept his promise to order a ban on transgender female athletes. Court fights have arrived
President Donald Trump's executive order to ban transgender female athletes from competition delivered on a promise he made on the campaign trail. Trump said the war on women's sports was over after signing the order, which empowers the federal government to take aggressive steps to go after federally-funded entities that do not comply. While some organizations like the NCAA moved quickly to align their participation rules to comply with the order, states that have currently have legislation in place that protects the rights of transgender people are likely to challenge the order in court. The Justice Department sued Maine over the issue this week.
