Sports News

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- ESPN NFL rules analyst John Parry is leaving the network to take a job with the Buffalo Bills, multiple sources confirmed. Parry will join the Bills in a new role as the officiating liaison. The Bills did not previously have someone on staff with that title. In this role as officiating liaison, Parry can consult from the perspective of a referee and help the coaching staff have all the proper information for decision making when it comes to reviews during games. He can also assist with rule interpretations. Parry told Football Zebras over the weekend that he was leaving the network to join an NFL team and shared that the Bills reached out during the offseason. Coach Sean McDermott joined the NFL competition committee this offseason, and a new kickoff rule was approved this spring that Buffalo has been preparing for by signing and drafting certain players who fit the new rules and by studying the play over the offseason. In his role with ESPN,...

CHICAGO -- The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to start contacting coaching candidates in the coming days, with an initial concentration on sitting assistants and ex-head coaches with whom they have less familiarity, sources told ESPN on Monday. Lakers VP of Basketball Operations and general manager Rob Pelinka has been gathering information on a number of head-coaching candidates, including ESPN analyst JJ Redick, sources said. The initial wave of requests for interview permission will be with those the organization hasn't met with in previous searches, or simply knows less than other candidates. In Pelinka's conversations with officials across the league, the term "grinder" keeps coming up in the general manager's description of an important characteristic for the next coach, sources said. The initial interview list is expected to include assistant candidates such as Miami's Chris Quinn and New Orleans' James Borrego, sources said. The search is expected to proceed in...

CHICAGO -- The Los Angeles Lakers are expected to start contacting coaching candidates in the coming days with an initial concentration on sitting assistants and ex-head coaches with whom they have less familiarity, sources told ESPN on Monday. Lakers VP of Basketball Operations and GM Rob Pelinka has been gathering information on a number of head coaching candidates, including ESPN analyst JJ Redick, but the initial wave of requests for interview permission will be with those candidates with whom the organization hadn't met with in precious searches, or simply know less than other candidates, sources said. In Pelinka's conversations with officials across the league, the term "grinder" keeps coming up in the GM's description of an important characteristic of the Lakers' coach, sources said. That initial interview list is expected to include assistant candidates such as Miami's Chris Quinn and New Orleans' James Borrego among multiple others, sources said. The search is...

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Antoine Winfield Jr. have reached agreement on a four-year, $84.1 million deal, agent David Mulugheta announced Monday. The deal makes Winfield the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history -- the first time in modern NFL history that a safety has set this mark. Winfield's deal includes $45 million guaranteed, the most ever given to a safety. Mulugheta posted to Instagram a screengrab of his call to Winfield and congratulated his client. "Couldn't be happier to make this call and let @antoinewinfieldjr know he just made HISTORY! The first time that a safety is the highest paid defensive back in the NFL. In a year where the value of safeties has been questioned, the Buccaneer Organization, the Glazer Family and GM Jason Licht have stepped up and taken care of one of their most valuable family members," he wrote in the post. "Congratulations Antoine, you have accomplished something that has never been done before. You will...

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Antoine Winfield Jr. have reached agreement on a four-year, $84.1 million deal, agent David Mulugheta told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Monday. The deal makes Winfield the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history -- the first time in modern NFL history that a safety has set this mark. Winfield's deal includes $45 million guaranteed, the most ever given to a safety. The Buccaneers have focused on re-signing their own star players this offseason. Quarterback Baker Mayfield (three years, $100 million), wide receiver Mike Evans (two years, $41 million) and linebacker  Lavonte David (one year, $8.5 million) have also re-signed with Tampa Bay. Winfield received the franchise tag from the Buccaneers in March. Nine players received the franchise or transition tag from their teams this offseason, and Winfield becomes the eighth to agree to a long-term contract. Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins is the...

NASCAR will introduce a five-race in-season tournament with a $1 million prize in 2025. Under the format, announced Monday, the top 32 drivers will be placed in an NCAA tournament-esque bracket in which the head-to-head result of each matchup will determine who advances to the next round in the following race. Seeding will be based on the highest result of each driver over the three races preceding the tournament. Ties will be broken by their second-best finish, then by their spot in the season standings. "The idea of an in-season tournament has been discussed within the NASCAR industry and as we started to focus on adding promotional elements that drive interest throughout the season, we were excited by the opportunity to leverage the marketing weight of Amazon and TNT Sports to bring this concept to life," NASCAR senior vice president of media and productions Brian Herbst said in a statement. The specific races that make up the in-season tournament were not announced. The new...

Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand, who is day-to-day after he was hit in the head in Game 3 of the team's playoff series against the Florida Panthers, skated Monday morning and will travel with the team to Florida. Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said Marchand, who missed the third period of Game 3 and all of Game 4 after getting punched by Panthers center Sam Bennett, is feeling better. Coach Jim Montgomery on Sunday wouldn't disclose whether Marchand had suffered a concussion. The Bruins trail 3-1 entering Game 5 of the Eastern Conference second-round series on Tuesday night. Marchand has two points in the series, both coming on assists, and is the team's leading scorer in the playoffs with 10 points in 10 games. Bennett wasn't called for a penalty and later was cleared by the NHL's Department of Player Safety. Field Level Media contributed to this report.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Antoine Winfield Jr. have reached agreement on a four-year, $84.1 million deal, agent David Mulugheta told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Monday. The deal makes Winfield the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history -- the first time in modern NFL history that a safety has set this mark. Winfield had received the franchise tag from the Buccaneers in March.

Caitlin Clark's regular-season debut will be a must-see event in the WNBA, but getting into the arena for Tuesday's game has become notably harder. The Connecticut Sun announced Monday that their home opener against Clark and the Indiana Fever is a sellout, with 8,910 tickets sold. The Sun said it was their first sellout for a home opener since their first game in Connecticut in 2003. This kind of interest is becoming the norm around Clark, the former University of Iowa phenom and No. 1 overall pick in this year's WNBA draft. She helped draw 13,000 fans to her first home game -- a preseason contest Thursday against the Atlanta Dream. Her first preseason game, at Dallas, was in front of a sellout crowd. The curiosity surrounding Clark has some opponents moving games to larger venues to accommodate ticket sales, and a Fever team that hasn't been to the playoffs since 2016 will now have 36 of its 40 regular-season games on...

Tyson Fury's father, John Fury, was involved in a head-butting incident during a media event ahead of Saturday's undisputed heavyweight championship bout with Oleksandr Usyk in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In a heated altercation, John Fury was standing head-to-head with a member of Usyk's team before being separated, after which he appeared to ram his head into another member of the Ukrainian fighter's entourage. John Fury came away with a wound on his forehead and blood dripping down his face, while security personnel then diffused the situation. Tyson Fury wasn't in the room when the incident took place and in the footage is heard asking his father: "How did you cut yourself like that?"  John Fury reportedly apologised for his actions later on Monday. "Sincere apologies to everybody involved. It's just the way we are. Emotions and tensions are running high. He was a very disrespectful fella. If you come close in a fighting man's space, you're gonna cop for something," he told...

Tyson Fury's father, John Fury, was involved in a headbutting incident during a media event ahead of Saturday's undisputed heavyweight championship bout with Oleksandr Usyk in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. In a heated altercation, John Fury was standing head-to-head with a member of Usyk's team before being separated, after which he appeared to ram his head into another member of the Ukrainain fighter's entourage. John Fury came away with a wound on his forehead and blood dripping down his face, while security personnel then diffused the situation. Tyson Fury wasn't in the room when the incident took place and in the footage is heard asking his father:"How did you cut yourself like that?"  John Fury reportedly apologised for his actions later on Monday. "Sincere apologies to everybody involved. It's just the way we are. Emotions and tensions are running high. He was a very disrespectful fella. If you come close in a fighting man's space, you're gonna cop for something," he told Seconds...

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 unanimously 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...

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...