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UPCOMING

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BKN--NBA PLAYOFF COVERAGE

FORMATS: Text, Photo

1. WITH: BKN--TIPOFF

2. DESCRIPTION: A preview of Wednesday’s two games (Magic-Pistons; Suns-Thunder). By Larry Lage.

3. UPCOMING: By 04/21/2026 5:00 p.m. EDT

4. WITH: BKN--TIMBERWOLVES-GOBERT

5. DESCRIPTION: After finishing fourth in the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award voting released before Game 2 in Denver, Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert was as determined as ever on his favored end of the floor. By Dave Campbell. 500 words, photos.

6. UPCOMING: By 04/21/2026 5:00 p.m. EDT

7. WITH: BKN--76ERS-CELTICS

8. DESCRIPTION: BOSTON — Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 51 points in the Celtics’ blowout win over the 76ers Game 1. Philadelphia hopes to bounce back and even the series before heading back home for Game 3. By Kyle Hightower. 400 words, photos. Game starts at 7 p.m. EDT.

9. UPCOMING: By 04/21/2026 10:00 p.m. EDT

10. WITH: BKN--TRAIL BLAZERS-SPURS

11. DESCRIPTION: SAN ANTONIO — Victor Wembanyama, who put up 35 points in his playoff debut, and the San Antonio Spurs look to take a 2-0 lead over the Portland Trail Blazers in their first-round series. By Raul Dominguez. 400 words, photos. Game starts at 8 p.m. EDT.

12. UPCOMING: By 04/21/2026 11:00 p.m. EDT

13. WITH: BKN--ROCKETS-LAKERS

14. DESCRIPTION: LOS ANGELES — Kevin Durant hopes to return to the Rockets’ lineup when they attempt to even their first-round series with LeBron James and the Lakers. By Greg Beacham. 400 words, photos. Game starts at 10:30 p.m. EDT.

15. UPCOMING: By 04/21/2026 11:55 p.m. EDT

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SOC--FRENCH ROUNDUP

DESCRIPTION: Lens hosts Toulouse in the semifinals of the French Cup

UPCOMING: By 04/21/2026 6:30 p.m. EDT, Text

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BBO--TWINS-METS

DESCRIPTION: The staggering New York Mets try to stop an 11-game losing streak when they return home to host the Minnesota Twins at Citi Field in the opener of a three-game series. 300 words, photos.

UPCOMING: By 04/21/2026 10:10 p.m. EDT, Text

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HKN--NHL PLAYOFFS COVERAGE

FORMATS: Text, Photo

16. WITH: HKN--MAMMOTH-GOLDEN KNIGHTS

17. DESCRIPTION: The Vegas Golden Knights take a 1-0 lead into their first-round series against the visiting Utah Mammoth. By Mark Anderson. Text, photos. 9:30 p.m. EDT start.

18. UPCOMING: By 04/21/2026 11:55 p.m. EDT

19. WITH: HKN--BRUINS-SABRES

20. DESCRIPTION: David Pastrnak and the Boston Bruins seek to bounce back in of their first-round playoff series against Buffalo on Tuesday after the Sabres scored four times in the final eight minutes in a 4-3 win in Game 1. By Hockey Writer John Wawrow. Text, photos. Game starts 7:30 p.m. Eastern.

21. UPCOMING: By 04/21/2026 10:30 p.m. EDT

22. WITH: HKN--KINGS-AVALANCHE

23. DESCRIPTION: DENVER -- The Colorado Avalanche try to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round series against Los Angeles on Tuesday night. By Pat Graham. Text, photos. Game time is 10 p.m. ET.

24. UPCOMING: By 04/21/2026 11:55 p.m. EDT

25. WITH: HKN--CANADIENS-LIGHTNING

26. DESCRIPTION: TAMPA, Fla. — The Lightning try to avoid falling behind Montreal 0-2 and seek just their second home playoff win in their last 12 games. By Erik Erlendsson. Text, photos. 7 p.m. ET start.

27. UPCOMING: By 04/21/2026 11:00 p.m. EDT

28. WITH: HKN--FACEOFF

29. DESCRIPTION: Youth is being served early in the NHL playoffs, along with some relative newcomers pitching in. At the forefront is Philadelphia’s Porter Martone, who was playing college hockey six weeks ago and has two goals to send the Flyers home up two games to none on the Penguins. By Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno. Text, photos.

30. UPCOMING: By 04/21/2026 11:00 p.m. EDT

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NEW AND DEVELOPING

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BKL--WOMEN’S WORLD CUP DRAW

US women to face China, Italy and the Czech Republic in September FIBA World Cup group play

SUMMARY: The U.S. women’s basketball team will face China, Italy and the Czech Republic in the women’s FIBA World Cup in September, looking to win its fifth consecutive title. The World Cup will be held Sept. 4-13 in Berlin, with the WNBA taking a nearly three-week break in its season to accommodate the event. The U.S. squad could feature a lot of young talent, including Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese, to go along with veterans A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart. The young trio helped the Americans win a World Cup qualifying tournament in Puerto Rico last month.

WORDS: 338 - MOVED: 04/21/2026 1:23 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:ccae8c64df4994f4b7c32f324dd7f81b&mediaType=text

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FBN--PATRIOTS-VRABEL

Mike Vrabel says he’s had ‘difficult conversations’ after publication of photos with NFL reporter

SUMMARY: Mike Vrabel said Tuesday that he’s had “difficult conversations with people I care about,” including his family, his coaching staff and players, following the publication of photos of the Patriots coach and longtime NFL reporter Dianna Russini at an Arizona resort. The photos were of Vrabel and Russini at a Sedona resort and were taken before the annual NFL meetings that began in Phoenix on March 29, according to the New York Post, which published the photos. Vrabel and Russini, who are both married, released written statements to the Post after the publication of the story downplaying what the photos depict. But Russini resigned from The Athletic less than a week later after the Post’s report prompted an internal investigation at The New York Times-owned sports outlet.

WORDS: 621 - MOVED: 04/21/2026 1:52 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:f14287cb770c548420e33844a9a2c9f9&mediaType=text

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SOC--WCUP-TICKETS

FIFA to put more more World Cup tickets on sale after adding new, more expensive categories

SUMMARY: FIFA is putting more World Cup tickets on sale after angering some fans by adding new, more expensive categories. Soccer’s governing body announced it will make more tickets available at 11 a.m. Eastern Wednesday for all 104 games in Categories 1, 2 and 3 plus the new “front category” pricing it added this month. The new category sparked online complaints from fans who said they thought the better seats in the categories they had bought tickets for were withheld and they were assigned less favorable locations. FIFA in December put tickets on sale at prices ranging from $140 for Category 3 in the first round to $8,680 for the final, then raised prices to as much as $10,990 when sales reopened on April 1.

WORDS: 256 - MOVED: 04/21/2026 12:18 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:9a30d1103b59766e8046b63eb9545ab3&mediaType=text

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BKN--BULLS-DONOVAN

Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan resigns after 6 seasons

SUMMARY: Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan has resigned after six seasons, opting to step aside rather than work with a new front office. President and CEO Michael Reinsdorf made it clear after firing executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley near the end of the season that he wanted the 60-year-old Donovan to remain on the job. He said anyone who wanted to bring in a new coach was “probably not the right candidate for us.” Now, it looks like whoever the Bulls hire to run their organization will get that opportunity.

WORDS: 528 - MOVED: 04/21/2026 11:09 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:9f5dbf49d62028d6dd7d3b9099305844&mediaType=text

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SOC--WCUP-MEXICO-HOMOPHOBIC CHANT

Homophobic chant surfaces again in Mexico stadiums as issue looms for World Cup

WORDS: 954 - MOVED: 04/21/2026 10:51 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:b16ba646b1ae1d1a261b94343fe11785&mediaType=text

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GLF--ON THE FRINGE-LIV

Brooks Koepka appears to have left LIV Golf at just the right time

SUMMARY: Brooks Koepka had to wait some seven hours to see if he could get in as first alternate at a PGA Tour signature event. He didn’t. But it sure beats the waiting game so many players on LIV Golf are playing at the moment. The Saudi-funded league that once had a seemingly endless supply of cash is now facing questions about who will pay for it after this season is over. Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm are still under contract and the PGA Tour isn’t ready to contemplate a solution. Meanwhile, Koepka is playing in New Orleans this week.

WORDS: 958 - MOVED: 04/21/2026 9:59 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:3570a6a1c45d10fa35fff49ef455da86&mediaType=text

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SOC--HUNGARY-ORBAN SIDELINED

Soccer fan Orbán’s election loss could prompt rethink of Hungary’s sports ambitions

WORDS: 878 - MOVED: 04/21/2026 8:59 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:dc9f0204e04b6ec7ed189638f54f43a6&mediaType=text

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FBN--NFL DRAFT-LATINO PROSPECTS

Fernando Mendoza, Diego Pavia, KC Concepcion headline long list of Latino prospects in NFL draft

SUMMARY: Fernando Mendoza and Diego Pavia pulled off an unprecedented double at the Heisman Trophy ceremony in December. It marked the first time in the history of the prestigious award that two Latino players were finalists. Even more notable: Mendoza, of Indiana, joined Jim Plunkett and Bryce Young as just the third Latino to win the trophy while Pavia, of Vanderbilt, was the runner-up. Now with NFL draft weekend almost here, the two quarterbacks headline a group of Latino prospects hoping to hear their names called by Saturday. So are players such as former Texas A&M receiver KC Concepcion and former Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez.

WORDS: 1123 - MOVED: 04/21/2026 6:01 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:710d5277ffcc9066048e4ca2816c61d6&mediaType=text

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FBN--DRAFT-TRADING

Eagles, Buccaneers, Cowboys, Jets and Dolphins could be among the active teams in the first round

SUMMARY: Six teams enter the first round of the NFL draft without a pick. Six others have two picks apiece. Let’s make a deal. There have been 60 trades involving first-round picks over the past five years. Eighteen were traded in 2022. Last year, six first-round picks were dealt. That was tied for the fewest since 1985. The Bengals, Packers, Jaguars, Falcons, Colts and Broncos don’t have a first-round pick while the Giants, Jets, Dolphins, Cowboys, Browns and Chiefs each have two. The Eagles, Buccaneers, Cowboys, Jets and Dolphins are five teams that could be active on Thursday night.

WORDS: 872 - MOVED: 04/21/2026 6:00 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:7050fe0103884e7890d255b5630171ba&mediaType=text

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HKN--HURRICANES-OT DRAMA

Hurricanes edge Senators in double overtime after overturned goal, missed penalty shot in OT

SUMMARY: The Carolina Hurricanes earned a double-overtime win against the Ottawa Senators on a night when they had an apparent winning goal overturned and a missed penalty shot in OT. Mark Jankowski’s score off a rebound late in the first overtime was wiped out when officials reviewed replays and determined the Hurricanes were offside on the play. Jordan Martinook then got an immediate penalty shot for a delayed penalty on the same play. He didn’t score on what was the first OT penalty shot in the postseason since 2020. Martinook ultimately beat Linus Ullmark from the slot for the double-overtime winner.

WORDS: 766 - MOVED: 04/21/2026 5:00 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:936ba8824fc000736763a42d53f42b28&mediaType=text

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BKN--TIMBERWOLVES-MCDANIELS’ JAB

Jaden McDaniels calls Nuggets ‘all bad defenders’ after Timberwolves rally to win Game 2

SUMMARY: Jaden McDaniels took perhaps his most notable shot after Minnesota’s 119-114 playoff win at Denver in Game 2. The Timberwolves forward pretty much labeled all the Nuggets’ players bad defenders. Thrown in there were Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. McDaniels, who had 14 points, said to “go after Jokic, Jamal, all the bad defenders. Tim Hardaway, Cam Johnson, Aaron Gordon, the whole team, just go at them.” The Timberwolves overcame a 19-point deficit to even the first-round series as its shifts to Minnesota for Game 3 on Thursday night. Anthony Edwards led the way with 30 points for the Timberwolves despite playing on a sore knee.

WORDS: 364 - MOVED: 04/21/2026 3:15 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:b9df7d015f9e8d072e4d9ef1f5b2661c&mediaType=text

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MOVING TOMORROW

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Coverage of the NBA postseason.

Coverage of the NHL postseason.

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FBN--NFL DRAFT

The NFL draft descends on Pittsburgh on Thursday. While the football-mad city has pulled out all the stops, likely top overall pick Fernando Mendoza won’t take part in person. By National Writer Will Graves.

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FBN--INSIDE THE NUMBERS

Fernando Mendoza is set to be the No. 1 pick of the draft by the Las Vegas Raiders. Whether any Ty Simpson or other quarterback gets taken in the first round remains an open question. There have only been two drafts in the past 24 years that featured only one first-round quarterback. By Pro Football Writer Josh Dubow.

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FBN--NFL DRAFT-DIFFERENT PATHS

Tight end Marlin Klein left Germany as a teenager to pursue a career in American football and now he’s on the cusp of being selected in the NFL draft.