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Utah State transfer Great Osobor, the top available player in the NCAA transfer portal, has committed to Washington, he told ESPN. Osobor, the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year, has name, image and likeness agreements in place that will give him the highest-known valuation in college basketball this season, at $2 million, according to a document reviewed by ESPN. His NIL agreements, which include marketing assurances, were negotiated by agent George Langberg of GSL Sports. "I would like to thank God for putting me in this position," Osobor said. "Washington will allow me to maximize my potential as a player in my final year of college basketball. Coach [Danny] Sprinkle has been with me every step of the way since I came from England, and I cannot wait to help the Huskies get back to the NCAA tournament." Osobor committed to Washington over similar opportunities from Louisville and Texas Tech. He has one year of college eligibility...

CHICAGO -- In the aftermath of his cardiac arrest and a procedure to repair a congenital heart defect nine months ago, USC's Bronny James has been medically cleared to be drafted by the NBA's Fitness to Play Panel, sources told ESPN. The NBA plans to inform teams Monday that the panel's three physicians evaluated and approved James, sources said, allowing him to fully participate in this week's pre-draft combine -- an important step to make a case to team executives about his viability as a 2024 prospect. Sources said James -- the son of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James -- is expected to take part in the combine's 5-on-5 scrimmages beginning Tuesday, which will give NBA executives a closer look at James after a disappointing freshman season at USC. James was sidelined for several months after his heart issues, and that clearly took a toll on his readiness to make an impact as a Trojans freshman; he averaged 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.1...

The Kansas City Chiefs will open their attempt for a three-peat when they host the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL's annual prime-time season opener, the league announced Monday. The matchup, to be played Thursday, Sept. 5 at Arrowhead Stadium, is a rematch of last season's AFC Championship Game, which the Chiefs won 17-10 before defeating the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII. The season opener features two of the game's top quarterbacks in Patrick Mahomes, the Super Bowl MVP the past two years, and reigning NFL MVP Lamar Jackson. Mahomes has dominated the matchup against Jackson, going 4-1 against him, including the postseason. The last time Baltimore played in Kansas City was 2019, when the Chiefs won 33-28. The Ravens haven't won at Arrowhead Stadium since 2012. Following the game announcement, sportsbooks released the point spread and total. The Chiefs opened as a 2.5-point favorite at ESPN BET with an over/under of 47.5. The...

The attention starts building weeks, if not months, ahead of the one major keeping Rory McIlroy from the career Grand Slam, the most elite club in golf. It's like that every year, and it doesn't make it any easier when he gets to the Masters. Jordan Spieth should be able to appreciate the feeling. Except that he really doesn't. Now that McIlroy missed again at the Masters -- his 10th straight attempt to win the one major that has eluded him -- Spieth is next up with an opportunity to become only the sixth player in history to win all four majors. It feels like an afterthought going into the PGA Championship, which starts Thursday. But Spieth isn't surprised the attention is not that high, certainly not at the level McIlroy has faced the past decade each time he heads to Augusta National. One reason is his game, which has not been great. Spieth has gone just over two years since he last won a tournament and has come close only a few times since then. He comes into the PGA...

MINNEAPOLIS -- Nikola Jokic burned a double-team by finding Kentavious Caldwell-Pope open for a 3 then notched a steal and hit a streaking Michael Porter Jr. for a fast-break dunk before Jamal Murray collected another steal and swished a 55-foot heave at the buzzer. In the span of 20 dizzying seconds, the Denver Nuggets scored eight points to sprint into halftime of Sunday's Game 4 up by 15. The flurry left the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Target Center crowd stunned while propelling Denver to a 115-107 win to even the Western Conference semifinal series at 2-2. The Nuggets left Denver on Thursday down 2-0 and feeling as if many had counted them out against the upstart Timberwolves. They return to Colorado having reclaimed their championship swagger and with home-court advantage back in their pocket. Asked what his team found in Minneapolis during these two road games, Denver coach Michael Malone quoted former ...

CHICAGO -- The Atlanta Hawks rocketed up the board to grab the No. 1 pick in this year's NBA draft, winning the lottery for the first time in franchise history. The Hawks, 36-46 this season for a 10th-place finish in the Eastern Conference, had just a 3% chance to win the lottery, the fifth-lowest odds by a team to win the No. 1 pick since the lottery began in 1985. The Washington Wizards, Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs rounded out the top four. The Detroit Pistons, owners of the league's worst record this year, fell to No. 5. It's the second consecutive season the Pistons have had the worst record but fell to the fifth pick. The Rockets, 41-41 this season, moved up six spots to get into the top three. Washington and Detroit had the best chances to land the top pick at 14%. The draft is June 26-27 in Brooklyn. Atlanta jumped from the No. 10 position before the draft to the top overall selection, beating improbable odds. It's the...

MINNEAPOLIS -- With the clock winding down in the Minnesota Timberwolves' 115-107 Game 4 loss to the Denver Nuggets -- finishing a disastrous homestand during which the Wolves handed back the two-game Western Conference semifinals lead they had built on the defending champs -- Anthony Edwards looked defiant rather than defeated. As the 22-year-old star crossed directions with Denver's Jamal Murray near the sideline, Edwards clapped his hands, nodded his head and kept his gaze fixed on the Nuggets point guard while he delivered a message. "I just told his ass we love that," said Edwards, who scored a game-high 44 points in Sunday's outing. "'Keep talking [like] that. That's what we like.' Well, I loved it. He didn't say nothing back. But I'm pretty sure he heard me. They heard me. You live for that." Edwards made plenty of noise with his play before that, topping the 40-point plateau for the second time in the series and the third time this...

MINNEAPOLIS -- Nikola Jokic burned a double-team by finding Kentavious Caldwell-Pope open for a 3 then notched a steal and hit a streaking Michael Porter Jr. for a fast-break dunk before Jamal Murray collected another steal and swished a 55-foot heave at the buzzer. In the span of 20 dizzying seconds, the Denver Nuggets scored eight points to sprint into halftime of Sunday's Game 4 up by 15. The flurry left the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Target Center crowd stunned while propelling Denver to a 115-107 win to even the Western Conference semifinal series at 2-2. The Nuggets left Denver on Thursday down 2-0 and feeling as if many had counted them out against the upstart Wolves. The Nuggets return to Colorado having reclaimed their championship swagger and with home-court advantage back in their pocket. Asked what his team found in Minneapolis during these two road games, Denver coach Michael Malone quoted former ...

BOSTON -- The Boston Bruins disagreed with the officials' decision on a failed coach's challenge for goalie interference, one that let the game-tying goal stand in their Game 4 loss to the Florida Panthers on Sunday night. The Panthers, down 2-0 in the opening period, went on to win the game 3-2, scoring twice in the third to take a 3-1 series lead. At 3:41 of the third period, Florida's Sam Bennett scored to tie the game at 2. The goal was immediately challenged by the Boston bench. Replays showed Bennett had cross-checked Bruins forward Charlie Coyle onto goalie Jeremy Swayman before scoring into an open net. The on-ice officials reviewed the call and determined "there was no goaltender interference on the play." The official ruling from the NHL Situation Room was that "video review supported the referees' call on the ice that the shove by Florida's Sam Bennett on Charlie Coyle and the subsequent contact with Jeremy Swayman did not...

BOSTON -- Aleksander Barkov slipped through three Bruins defenders to score the go-ahead goal Sunday night, and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 16 shots to give the Florida Panthers a 3-2 victory over Boston and a 3-1 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal series. One year after Florida knocked out the record-setting Bruins in the first round on its way to the Stanley Cup Final, the Panthers won their third straight to send Boston to the brink of elimination. Sam Bennett and Anton Lundell also scored for the Panthers, who scored three times in a row to rally from a two-goal deficit. Florida can advance to the Eastern Conference finals with a victory in Game 5 at home on Tuesday night. One game after Bennett's hit -- or, as the Bruins believe, his sucker punch -- knocked Brad Marchand out of action for Game 4, Bennett scored a disputed goal to tie the game 2-all about four minutes into the third period. After Jeremy...

DARLINGTON, S.C. -- There were so many special parts of Brad Keselowski's first NASCAR victory in three years, it was difficult for him to say what meant the most. It was the 36th of his career and his second at Darlington Raceway, which he reveres as an ultimate test of drivers. It came in front of his young family with daughters Scarlett, who'll turn 9 later this month, and 4-year-old Autumn joining him on the podium. And it was his first since leaving the Penske organization to become co-owner at Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing in 2022. "There's a lot of things to be excited about, don't know which one means the most," Keselowski said with a smile. He moved to the front when leaders Chris Buescher and Tyler Reddick hit battling for first with nine laps left, and he held on to win the Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway on Sunday. "Hell of an effort by everyone," Keselowski said after crossing the finish line. It appeared Buescher, an employee of...

INDIANAPOLIS -- Blowing out a visiting team in a playoff game is commonplace. What mattered more in the wake of the Indiana Pacers' 121-89 lopsided defeat of the New York Knicks in Sunday's game is whether it was an aberration or a tipping point. The Pacers' game plan has become clear over their weekend sweep to even the second-round series 2-2: Do everything in their power to wear out the wounded and weary Knicks with giant emphasis on Jalen Brunson. That has meant pressuring him as soon as he gets the ball, no matter where it is on the court. It has meant putting a bigger and more rugged defender, Aaron Nesmith, on him and challenging the referees by playing Brunson with much more physically. And it has meant using their depth advantage to play at speed, trying to run the Knicks to exhaustion. A lot of things contributed to Sunday's result. The Pacers shot the ball brilliantly, making 57% of their shots and knocking down 14 3-pointers. The...

Oklahoma has won the past three Women's College World Series championships. But its Red River rival Texas on Sunday received the No. 1 overall seed in the 2024 NCAA softball tournament for the first time in program history. The Sooners (49-6) defeated the Longhorns 5-1 on Saturday night to win their ninth Big 12 tournament title. But Texas (47-7) captured the Big 12 regular-season crown in its final year as a member of the conference, highlighted by a series victory over Oklahoma in early April. Oklahoma is seeded second. SEC regular-season champion Tennessee got the No. 3 overall seed, followed by No. 4 Florida, which won the SEC tournament title. No. 5 Oklahoma State, No. 6 UCLA, No. 7 Missouri and No. 8 Stanford round out the top eight, all of which will host super regionals if they advance from the opening round next weekend. Texas ended the regular season with 16 straight victories, a streak that began with a pair of wins over Oklahoma. But the Sooners made a late push for...

Wyoming has hired former assistant Sundance Wicks as the Cowboys' new men's basketball coach, the school announced Sunday. His contract is for five seasons, sources told ESPN. Wicks spent last season as the coach for  Green Bay, where he led the Phoenix to an 18-14 record, 15 wins more than the previous season -- one of the biggest turnarounds in college basketball. The native of Gillette, Wyoming, was a former assistant with the Cowboys from 2020 to 2023. He also was the coach at Missouri Western from 2018 to 2020. "I am honored, humbled and immensely grateful for this opportunity at the University of Wyoming," Wicks said. "... You cannot put into words what it means for a kid from the country roads outside of Gillette to represent the State of Wyoming and the Cowboys as their new head basketball coach." He replaces Jeff Linder, who has been in the process of finalizing a deal in recent days to become the top assistant coach at Texas Tech after going...

CHARLOTTE, N.C. --  Rory McIlroy has a full head of steam heading into the PGA Championship. McIlroy won the Wells Fargo Championship for a record fourth time Sunday with another dominating performance at Quail Hollow, easily overcoming a two-stroke deficit to beat Xander Schauffele by five shots. No other player has won the event more than twice. McIlroy closed with a 6-under 65, playing the final 11 holes in 6 under even with a double bogey on the 18th hole. He finished at 17-under 267 after four straight rounds in the 60s and won his second straight PGA Tour event after teaming with Shane Lowry to take the Zurich Classic two weeks ago in New Orleans. That should give McIlroy plenty of momentum heading to Kentucky for the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club, the site of his last major win 10 years ago. "I really got some confidence," McIlroy said. "My golf swing feels a lot more comfortable than it has. So going to a venue next week where I've won,...

Former Chargers general manager A.J. Smith died Sunday at the age of 75, his family announced. Smith had been battling prostate cancer for the past seven years, his family said in the announcement, which was released by the Falcons. Smith's son, Kyle, is the Atlanta Falcons' assistant general manager. During a 35-year career in the NFL, A.J. Smith rose from a part-time scout to general manager of the San Diego Chargers, holding that role from 2003 to 2012. He became the winningest GM in franchise history, as the Chargers won 98 games (including playoffs) during his 10 seasons in the role. "Belying a tough, matter of fact and no nonsense persona -- one synonymous with that of a true football guy -- was AJ's softer side which included a tremendous love for his family, the NFL and the Chargers," Chargers owner Dean Spanos said in a statement. "The architect of one of the greatest chapters in franchise history, A.J. made everyone around him better with a singular...

CLIFTON, N.J. -- Great things have been expected from Rose Zhang from the moment the two-time NCAA champion won in her professional debut last year and joined the LPGA Tour the following week. The 20-year-old finally delivered Sunday, birdieing four of the final five holes to win the Cognizant Founders Cup. She beat Madelene Sagstrom by 2 strokes while putting an official end to Nelly Korda's record-tying LPGA Tour winning streak. "I was able to grow so much throughout the journey in this past year," Zhang said. "I don't know, it's crazy to come out here. Didn't have any expectation of having to win because I realize that it's all just noise, and I really just have to be able to work at it myself and try my best to put myself in positions like this. "But no matter what happened this week, I would've been very satisfied, and it reignited my passion for the game once again." Zhang, who was talking to her mom on Mother's Day coming into the media room, had a funny start to her...

Wyoming has agreed to a five-year deal to hire Sundance Wicks as the Cowboys' new men's basketball coach, sources told ESPN on Sunday. Wicks spent last season as the coach for  Green Bay, where he led the Phoenix to an 18-14 record -- 15 wins more than the previous season, which was one of the biggest turnarounds in college basketball. Wicks, a native of Gillette, Wyoming, was a former assistant with the Cowboys from 2020 to 2023. He also was the coach at Missouri Western from 2018 to 2020. He replaces Jeff Linder, who has been in the process of finalizing a deal in recent days to become the top assistant coach at Texas Tech after going 63-59 over four seasons with Wyoming. Wyoming's program has made 16 NCAA tournament appearances. Its most recent came under Linder in 2022, with Wicks as an assistant, when Wyoming lost in the First Four. Prior to that appearance, Wyoming last reached the NCAA tournament in 2015 under Larry Shyatt. Wicks' résumé includes...

Former Chargers general manager A.J. Smith died Sunday at the age of 75, his family announced. Smith had been battling prostate cancer for the past seven years, his family said in the announcement, which was released by the Falcons. Smith's son, Kyle, is the Atlanta Falcons' assistant general manager. During a 35-year career in the NFL, A.J. Smith rose from a part-time scout to general manager of the San Diego Chargers, holding that role from 2003 to 2012. He became the winningest GM in franchise history, as the Chargers won 98 games (including playoffs) during his 10 seasons in the role. "Belying a tough, matter of fact and no nonsense persona -- one synonymous with that of a true football guy -- was AJ's softer side which included a tremendous love for his family, the NFL and the Chargers," Chargers owner Dean Spanos said in a statement. "The architect of one of the greatest chapters in franchise history, A.J. made everyone around him better with a singular...

CHICAGO -- The Atlanta Hawks rocketed up the board to grab the No. 1 pick in this year's NBA draft, winning the lottery for the first time in franchise history. The Hawks, 36-46 this season for a 10th-place finish in the Eastern Conference, had just a 3% chance to win the lottery, the fifth-lowest odds by a team to win the No. 1 pick since the lottery began in 1985. The Washington Wizards, Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs rounded out the top four. The Detroit Pistons, owners of the league's worst record this year, fell to No. 5. It's the second consecutive season the Pistons have had the worst record but fell to the fifth pick. The Rockets, 41-41 this season, moved up six spots to get into the top three. Washington and Detroit had the best chances to land the top pick at 14%. The draft is June 26-27 in Brooklyn. Atlanta jumped from the No. 10 position before the draft to the top overall selection, beating improbable odds. It's the...

Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen crushed hosts VfL Bochum 5-0 on Sunday to stretch their remarkable unbeaten run across all competitions this season to 50 consecutive matches. On Thursday Xabi Alonso's team, aiming for a treble of titles, surpassed Benfica's long-standing European unbeaten record set from 1963 to 1965 with a 2-2 draw against AS Roma that sent them through to the Europa League final. - Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) On Saturday they did not ease off against lowly Bochum -- the last team to beat Leverkusen almost a year ago -- scoring twice late in the first half versus the last Bundesliga team to beat them in the previous season. Patrik Schick put Leverkusen in the driving seat in the 41st minute and Victor Boniface doubled their lead with a penalty in first-half added time, with Bochum down to 10 men following a straight red card for Felix Passlack in the 15th...

Erik ten Hag said managing Manchester United is like "swimming with your hands behind your back" after Arsenal's 1-0 win at Old Trafford inflicted a record ninth home defeat of the season and left United outsiders to secure European qualification. Leandro Trossard's first-half goal moved Arsenal to the top of the Premier League table going into the final week of the season, but FA Cup finalists United have now won just one of their last nine games in all competitions -- against relegated Sheffield United. - Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) Ten Hag was once again forced to deploy midfielder Casemiro at centre-half because of a defensive injury crisis, while Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford, Harry Maguire and Mason Mount were among a number of high-profile injury absentees. Having cited the team's injury problems for the club's miserable season, former Ajax coach Ten...

Arsenal forward Kai Havertz has said he will be "the biggest Tottenham fan ever" as Mikel Arteta warned "anyone can beat anyone" ahead of Manchester City's pivotal visit to Tottenham on Tuesday. Havertz's team won 1-0 at Manchester United on Sunday -- only their second win at Old Trafford in 17 visits -- as Leandro Trossard's 20th-minute strike moved Arsenal back to the top of the Premier League by one point, having played a match more than Pep Guardiola's side. - Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) City's game-in-hand comes at Spurs and Arsenal will need a favour from their fierce north London rivals if they are to land their first title since 2004. "I am going to be the biggest fan of Tottenham ever," Havertz told Sky Sports. "Let's hope for the best." Arsenal's final game is against Everton at Emirates Stadium on Sunday and Arteta added: "My experience in this league is that any team can...

Former Chargers general manager A.J. Smith died Sunday at the age of 75, his family announced. Smith had been battling prostate cancer for the past seven years, his family said in the announcement, which was released by the Falcons. Smith's son, Kyle, is the Atlanta Falcons' assistant general manager. During a 35-year career in the NFL, A.J. Smith rose from a part-time scout to general manager of the San Diego Chargers, holding that role from 2003 to 2012. He became the winningest GM in franchise history, as the Chargers won 98 games (including playoffs) during his 10 seasons in the role. "Belying a tough, matter of fact and no nonsense persona -- one synonymous with that of a true football guy -- was AJ's softer side which included a tremendous love for his family, the NFL and the Chargers," Chargers owner Dean Spanos said in a statement. "The architect of one of the greatest chapters in franchise history, A.J. made everyone around him better with a singular...

Arsenal's Leandro Trossard capitalised on dreadful Manchester United defending to secure a 1-0 win on Sunday that saw his side provisionally overtake Manchester City atop the Premier League and guaranteed the title race will go down to the final day. While Arsenal, who won for just the second time at Old Trafford in their past 17 visits, have 86 points with one game left in the tightest title race in years, holders City remain in the driving seat with 85 points and two matches to play. -  Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) City, who are aiming for an unprecedented fourth consecutive English top-flight title, can retake the lead when they play at Arsenal's London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday. "I am going to be the biggest fan of Tottenham ever," Arsenal's Kai Havertz told Sky Sports. "Let's hope for the best. "We didn't have our best game but we needed the three points and we have it now, so we...

BOSTON -- Bruins captain Brad Marchand is out for Game 4 of their series against the Florida Panthers on Sunday night, and his teammates are looking to avenge him. "I think it pissed off everyone. I think that whole team kind of ticks everyone off, to be honest," said Bruins center Trent Frederic. Marchand left Game 3 after two periods with an upper body injury. Coach Jim Montgomery said he's day-to-day and wouldn't disclose whether the Bruins star had suffered a concussion. Marchand is the Bruins' leading scorer in the playoffs with 10 points (3 goals, 7 assists) in 10 games. His injury may have resulted from a controversial play involving Panthers center Sam Bennett, who was making his first appearance since Game 2 of the opening round against the Tampa Bay Lightning. As Marchand went to hit Bennett near the benches, Bennett appeared to throw a gloved punch with his right hand as they made contact. Bennett wasn't penalized on the...

Novak Djokovic put on one of his worst performances at one of his favorite tournaments as he was upset by 29th-seeded Alejandro Tabilo in the third round of the Italian Open on Sunday. It was Djokovic's first match since accidentally getting knocked on the head by a water bottle while signing autographs after his opening win Friday, and he said the "unfortunate" incident affected him on court. "That has really impacted me a lot. After that I got medical care, been through half-an-hour, an hour of nausea, dizziness and blood," Djokovic said at a news conference, adding that he would go for scans later. "I managed to sleep OK. I had headaches. The next day, or yesterday, was pretty fine, so I thought it's OK. Maybe it is OK, maybe it's not. "The way I felt on the court today was just completely like a different player entered into my shoes. Just no rhythm, no tempo, no balance whatsoever on any shot. It's a bit concerning." Djokovic started off with a double-fault,...

Alejandro Tabilo claimed the biggest win of his career when he beat world No. 1 Novak Djokovic 6-2, 6-3 at the Italian Open on Sunday in a match that lasted just 67 minutes. Djokovic has won the Italian Open six times, with his last title coming in 2022, but Tabilo was almost flawless on Centre Court, breaking the top seed four times while not conceding a single break point. It was a short but eventful stay at the Italian Open for Djokovic, who was playing his first tournament since losing to Casper Ruud in the Monte Carlo Masters semifinals April 13.. After winning his opening match Friday, Djokovic was hit in the head by a water bottle that was dropped by a fan. Djokovic was cleared after receiving medical attention, and he made light of the situation Saturday, wearing a bicycle helmet to greet fans before his practice session. Sunday's loss means Djokovic remains without a title in 2024 -- the first time he has reached May without a trophy...

DENVER -- Peter DeBoer joked that coaches never really see perfect games, but he said the Dallas Stars' 4-1 win Saturday over the Colorado Avalanche was "as close to a perfect road game" that a team could have. DeBoer said the Stars' poise went a long way toward achieving that near perfection as they took a 2-1 series lead in the Western Conference semifinals. "Coming in this situation, we knew they were going to come out guns blazing in the first period," DeBoer said. "You knew their home record. You knew they had challenged their best players ... after last game. We knew we were going to get a lot thrown at us early in that game, and our composure throughout the night I thought was outstanding." DeBoer's prediction was accurate. The Avalanche broke through to finish with 11 shots on goal in an opening frame that saw them largely control possession with a 68.1% shot share, according to Natural Stat Trick. Yet it was the Stars who took a 1-0 lead because...

CLEVELAND -- Over the past few seasons, three things have been consistent about the Boston Celtics' deep playoff runs: They've played long series, they've struggled at home, and they've excelled on the road. It remains to be seen if the Celtics can change the first two. But in Saturday's Game 3 against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Celtics ensured the third would continue. Behind a clinical defensive effort and impressive performances from stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the Celtics beat the Cavaliers 106-93 to take a 2-1 lead in this best-of-seven series. "We were just trying to get a win, understanding that we didn't play as well as we wanted to in Game 2," Tatum said. "And it was a great test and opportunity for us to come out and respond and play better and play harder and all those things." Over the past three seasons, Boston is 14-14 in 28 home playoff games, the most played over a three-year span without posting a winning record...

CLEVELAND -- Green uniforms. Big shots. Championship-level intensity. The Boston Celtics looked much more like themselves in Game 3. Jayson Tatum scored 33 points, Jaylen Brown added 28 and the No. 1-seeded Celtics bounced back from a stumble at home, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 106-93 on Saturday night to take a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Celtics didn't mess around after dropping Game 2 on their home parquet floor by 24 on Thursday. They couldn't. "We don't come to Cleveland for the weather, so let's go," said Brown, who went 13 of 17 from the field. "There's nothing complicated about it: Play defense and the rest will take care of itself. We could have done better, but we kept them under 100." The lackluster performance -- Boston was favored by double digits -- in Game 2 was reminiscent of the first round, when the Celtics lost the second game against Miami before winning three in a row to eliminate the Heat. "Tonight was a...

Inter Miami's Lionel Messi expressed his anger over the new Major League Soccer rule that forces an injured player to the sideline for two minutes, saying, "These types of rules...it's going bad," after exiting the pitch during a  3-2 victory over host  Montréal on Saturday night.  In the 40th minute of the match, Montréal defender George Campbell fouled the Argentine forward, forcing him to go down immediately while holding his knee. Miami's medical staff rushed to the scene to attend to the player, but Campbell did not receive a yellow card for the incident. - Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) Because of new MLS regulations, "If the referee stops play due to a potential player injury in which the player remains on the ground for more than 15 seconds and the medical staff enters the field of play, the player may be required to leave the field of play for two minutes." Messi exited the pitch in a...

PITTSBURGH -- The Chicago Cubs drew six bases-loaded walks in the fifth inning against the  Pirates on Saturday, the most by a major league team in a single inning in 65 years. The last team to draw that many free passes with runners at every base in one inning was the Chicago White Sox, who had eight in the seventh inning on April 22, 1959. And in the expansion era (since 1961), there has only been one other instance of a team to have at least six bases-loaded walks in a game -- the Boston Red Sox, against the White Sox on May 7, 1992. Saturday's fifth inning began with prized Pirates rookie Paul Skenes giving up two hits, ending his big league debut. The Pirates wound up needing three more pitchers to get through the frame. Kyle Nicolas came on, struck out two batters and hit Ian Happ with a pitch. Then it got much worse. Nicolas threw 12 straight pitches outside the strike zone to Nico Hoerner, Michael...

PITTSBURGH -- Paul Skenes' stuff was as electric as advertised. A fastball that reached at least 100 mph 17 times. A slider that left major leaguers shaking their heads. An invention called a "splinker" that is a hybrid of a splitter and a sinker and dips and dives unlike any pitch anywhere in baseball. Yet even at age 21, the Pittsburgh Pirates rookie knows all the "oohs" and "ahs" and knee buckles a ball that at times seems to explode out of his right hand can produce won't matter if he can't control it. So while there were some positive takeaways from his major league debut Saturday -- seven strikeouts over four-plus innings and much, much later a 10-9 victory over the Chicago Cubs -- the top overall pick in last year's draft understands there is more work to be done. He needed 84 pitches to get 12 outs, issued a couple of walks, hit a batter and was charged with three runs. For a player whose workload will be closely monitored, that's not nearly as...

DALLAS -- Mavericks star Luka Doncic, already ailing with a sprained right knee and a sore left ankle, writhed on the American Airlines Center court in agony. He had landed flat on his back while wrestling in midair with Oklahoma City's Luguentz Dort for a loose ball with 1:28 remaining in a tight Game 3. "Everything," Doncic answered when asked what ached about Saturday's game. But the Mavs' 105-101 win, giving Dallas the series lead, helped ease the MVP finalist's pain. Doncic contributed more to the gritty facets of the game than the glamorous aspects. He had an off shooting night, finishing with 22 points on 7-of-17 shooting, but grabbed 15 rebounds as the Mavs got the upper hand on the glass. Doncic had the luxury of deferring to co-star Kyrie Irving with the game on the line. Irving, who scored eight of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, delivered the dagger by driving past Thunder forward Jalen Williams and hitting a southpaw...

LOS ANGELES -- Free agent outside linebacker Bud Dupree signed with the Los Angeles Chargers, the team announced Saturday. Dupree, 31, had a career renaissance last year, notching 6.5 sacks and 39 tackles with eight tackles for loss and eight quarterback hits for the Atlanta Falcons. He quickly emerged as the team's top stand-up edge rusher in Atlanta's defensive scheme, often playing on many vital snaps. He joins an outside linebacker group that features two of the league's best in Joey Bosa and Khalil Mack. Mack had the best season of his career last year, finishing fourth in the NFL with a career-high 17 sacks. The Chargers also have outside linebacker Tuli Tuipulotu, who emerged as one of the team's most consistent players with Bosa sidelined for eight games last season. Tuipulotu finished with 4.5 sacks last season, tied for seventh among rookies. The Chargers, who lack a dominant interior pass rusher, could feature Dupree and...

CLIFTON, N.J. -- Madelene Sagstrom and Rose Zhang left Nelly Korda and everyone else way behind Saturday in the Cognizant Founders Cup. Trying to win a record sixth straight LPGA Tour event, Korda was 11 shots behind Sagstrom and 10 back of two-time NCAA champion Zhang with one round remaining at Upper Montclair Country Club. After months of near-perfect play, Korda inexplicably hit bad drives, found bunkers from the fairway and missed short putts. She shot a 1-over 73. "I think I've played really good golf the past couple months," Korda said. "I'm human, so I'm going to have bad days. I'm not going to feel 100% out here mentally, physically, or whatever, but I'm going to give it my all. It was just one of those days where it felt like a constant battle and didn't really play too well." Sagstrom, who has played well on this course the past three years, had a 66 to get to 19-under 197. Zhang, who won in her professional debut in New Jersey state a year ago,...

DALLAS -- Luka Doncic already had a balky right knee and an achy left ankle when he fell hard on his back while battling his primary defender, Lu Dort, for a loose ball. Not only did Doncic win the ensuing jump ball, the NBA scoring champion tracked down the loose ball that followed with his Dallas Mavericks clinging to a late lead. "Everything," Doncic said when asked what hurt, a few minutes after walking gingerly to the locker room with Dallas having beaten Oklahoma City 105-101 on Saturday to secure a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference semifinals. "I'm just battling out there." The same could be said for plenty of others. Kyrie Irving scored 22 points, including a running left-hander in the lane in the final minute to help the Mavs hold on. Doncic also had 22 points to go with 15 rebounds, and P.J. Washington Jr. scored 27, just two shy of his playoff high from Dallas' Game 2 victory. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 31 points, 10 rebounds and four...

Veteran free-agent linebacker Bud Dupree is signing a contract with the Los Angeles Chargers, a source told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler on Saturday night. Dupree, 31, had his best season since 2020, notching 6.5 sacks and 39 tackles with 8 tackles for loss and 8 quarterback hits for the Falcons. He quickly emerged as the team's top standup edge rusher in Atlanta's defensive scheme, often playing on many key snaps. It was a nice rebound for Dupree after two seasons with the Tennessee Titans in which he missed 12 combined games and was a playing a little more than half the snaps. With the Falcons, he appeared in 68% of the team's defensive snaps while he was active. Dupree, a 2015 first-round pick, spent his first six seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He broke the 10-sack barrier once -- with the Steelers in 2019, when he played every game and had a career-high 68 tackles, 16 tackles for loss and 17 quarterback hits. He's played in 119 career games (99...

NEW YORK -- The Atlanta Braves were one out away from throwing their first no-hitter in 30 years Saturday at Citi Field. Max Fried had spearheaded the effort, overcoming uncharacteristic command trouble over seven innings. Joe Jimenez had played with fire in the eighth but kept the no-hitter intact. Finally, closer Raisel Iglesias had secured the first two outs of the ninth to bring up J.D. Martinez. One pitch later, the no-no was over. Martinez, the Mets' veteran designated hitter, jumped on a first-pitch fastball from Iglesias, launching it over the right-center-field wall for a solo home run to spoil the no-hit bid. The heroics marked Martinez's first home run as a Met and briefly sparked a comatose offense. But Iglesias, after allowing two runners to reach base, eventually recorded the 27th out to seal Atlanta's 4-1 win. The Braves have gone without a no-hitter since Kent Mercker pulled the feat against the Los Angeles...

A spokesperson for Madison Square Garden said Charles Oakley has not been invited back to the arena despite assertions from the former New York Knicks enforcer that he had received an offer to return. Oakley has not attended a Knicks game since his arrest in 2017 after an altercation with MSG security officials when they told him to leave his seat at the arena near owner James Dolan. Oakley was cleared of misdemeanor assault charges in 2018 and has since attempted to bring assault and battery claims against MSG and Dolan. An amended lawsuit was filed just last month. Oakley told The Associated Press on Friday that he believed there was an offer to join past Knicks players such as  Stephon Marbury and Latrell Sprewell, who have been attending playoff games, at MSG, but that he would not return until an apology was made.   "I guess their lawyer called my lawyer saying it's a good time for you to come back to the Garden," Oakley told the...

A spokesperson for Madison Square Garden said Charles Oakley has not been invited back to the arena despite assertions from the former New York Knicks enforcer that he had received an offer to return. Oakley has not attended a Knicks game since his arrest in 2017 after an altercation with MSG security officials when they told him to leave his seat at the arena near owner James Dolan. Oakley was cleared of misdemeanor assault charges in 2018 and has since attempted to bring assault and battery claims against MSG and Dolan. An amended lawsuit was filed just last month. Oakley told The Associated Press on Friday that he believed there was an offer to join past Knicks players such as  Stephon Marbury and Latrell Sprewell, who have been attending playoff games, at MSG, but that he would not return until an apology was made.   "I guess their lawyer called my lawyer saying it's a good time for you to come back to the Garden," Oakley told the...

SAN ANTONIO -- After teammate-led chants of "Wemby! Wemby!" a smiling Victor Wembanyama entered the theater at the Scobee Planetarium to a rousing ovation from the 50 or so children in attendance. This wasn't your normal Rookie of the Year award presentation -- fitting for someone who has been dubbed an alien. Wembanyama walked in and took his seat in the front row of the 100-seat theater with kids from local Boys & Girls Clubs, Big Brother/Big Sister programs and students from a nearby elementary school sitting amongst several of Wembanyama's San Antonio Spurs teammates and staffers. Before he walked in, Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan got the kids riled up and chanting as the Rookie of the Year entered the room. Wembanyama and company watched a video about his rookie season -- featuring clips from Wembanyama as young as seven years old -- before Spurs general manager Brian Wright presented him with his trophy. "This is one of the representations of our...

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- First-year New England Patriots coach Jerod Mayo might not be as hard-lined as Bill Belichick when answering questions from reporters, but he delivered a Belichick-type response when asked his first impressions of quarterback Drake Maye at rookie minicamp. "He has a lot to work on. A lot to work on," Mayo said Saturday, repeating himself. "But I have no doubt that he will put the time in. He was here all night trying to get on the same page as everyone else." Mayo has said that his legacy -- as well as that of  newly appointed executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf, who officially was named to the position Saturday -- will be tied to the team's selection of Maye third overall in last month's NFL draft. Friday and Saturday marked Maye's first practices as a Patriot, as he donned jersey No. 10, the same as former Patriots first-round pick Mac Jones. Reporters were present for Saturday's hourlong session, which...

ASHBURN, Va. --  Washington Commanders second-round pick  Johnny Newton will undergo surgery within a week to repair an injury to his left foot -- about four months after the defensive tackle had a procedure done for a similar injury on his right foot. Newton suffered a partial Jones fracture of his right foot sometime during the past season at Illinois and underwent surgery in January. During a recent checkup on the repaired foot -- it's uncertain when that occurred --  Commanders coach Dan Quinn said doctors determined he had a similar issue with his left foot. Newton did not participate in Washington's rookie minicamp practices this weekend, standing off to the side and wearing a walking boot on his left foot.   Newton was projected as a possible first-round pick; Washington selected him with the 36th pick. Quinn said he's glad that Newton will have the procedure now rather than "the end of August or in September where it sets you back." Quinn did...

BOSTON -- Brad Marchand is day-to-day with an upper-body injury after a collision with Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett in Game 3 that the Boston Bruins said might have crossed the line. The Bruins captain's status for Game 4 on Sunday is uncertain. He didn't practice with the team Saturday. Marchand is the Bruins' leading scorer in the playoffs with 10 points in 10 games (3 goals, 7 assists). The Panthers lead the series 2-1 after a 6-2 victory in Boston on Friday night. Some on social media said a slow-motion replay shows Bennett making contact with Marchand's head using his right glove as the Boston winger went for a check. Andrew Raycroft, a former NHL goaltender who covers the Bruins for NESN, called it "a sucker punch, not a reverse hit." A source told ESPN that the NHL department of player safety will not discipline Bennett for the play, which did not receive a penalty from on-ice officials. Bruins coach Jim Montgomery didn't...

Burnley were relegated from the Premier League after a 2-1 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday left Vincent Kompany's side five points from the safety zone with one game remaining. The result left 19th-placed Burnley with 25 points from 37 games, giving them no chance of moving out of the drop zone as they became the second team to go down after Sheffield United's relegation was confirmed last month. - Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) Burnley took the lead in the 25th minute on a counter-attack which Jacob Bruun Larsen finished expertly, but Pedro Porro equalised just after the half-hour mark with a fierce strike following a solo run. Burnley keeper Arijanet Muric made two crucial saves in the second half but he could do nothing to stop Micky van de Ven in the 82nd minute when the Dutch defender curled a shot into the bottom corner to consign the visitors to relegation. 

Two-time WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson is finally getting her Nike signature shoe. The long-anticipated news came Saturday morning as Wilson's two-time champion Las Vegas Aces prepared to face the Puerto Rican national team in a preseason game at South Carolina's Colonial Life Arena. The former Gamecocks national champion donned a sweatshirt for her arrival to the arena that said, "Of Course I Have A Shoe Dot Com," a URL that redirected to Nike's website with the announcement. Wilson's shoe will be called "A'One." Nike has named Wilson to the brand's roster of signature athletes -- a group featuring Serena Williams, Megan Rapinoe, Naomi Osaka and the New York Liberty's Sabrina Ionescu. The shoe and rest of Wilson's signature collection will arrive in 2025. "It's been incredible working with Nike toward a dream of having my collection, and it really is an honor to take this next step and become a Nike signature athlete," Wilson said...

Sheffield United have set an unwanted record for the number of goals conceded by a team in a single Premier League season. Abdoulaye Doucouré's first-half strike for Everton on Saturday took Sheffield's goals against total to 101, surpassing Swindon Town's mark of 100 goals conceded in the 1994-95 season, when the division contained 22 teams. - Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) Chris Wilder's side, whose relegation from the Premier League was confirmed last month in a 5-1 defeat to Newcastle, had already broken the record for most goals conceded in a 38-game Premier League season. The club have suffered a dizzying series of heavy defeats -- both at Bramall Lane and on their travels -- including an 8-0 home loss to Newcastle in September, the 5-0 loss away at Burnley in December and the 6-0 defeat at home to Arsenal in March, where they conceded five goals in the opening 40 minutes. They have already avoided the...

INDIANAPOLIS -- In a series being defined by bodies crashing to the court, gamesmanship with the referees and clutch shot-making, it was a miracle heave that now looms largest. Andrew Nembhard breathed life into his Indiana Pacers, making a 31-foot bomb as the shot clock buzzed. It happened with 16 seconds left in Game 3, snapping a tie in the Pacers' 111-106 victory over the  New York Knicks to pull the series to 2-1. It tied the longest shot of Nembhard's career and was hardly a thing of beauty. He rushed it as he was feverishly stepping back to find room and nearly fumbled the ball as he went up. But as the ball swished through, igniting the hometown crowd, it became series-altering. "I can't say that was a product of practicing," Nembhard said. "That was just an in-the-moment type of thing." To say it was unexpected was an understatement as Nembhard was having a tough night. After Knicks star Jalen Brunson had torched him repeatedly over the...