Anthony, Magic claim 7th seed with 120-95 win over Hawks in Play-In Tournament
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Cole Anthony came off the Magic bench with 26 points and six assists to lead the Orlando Magic to a 120-95 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night in the first game of the Play-In Tournament. Paolo Banchero had 17 points, nine rebounds and seven assists for the Magic, and Wendell Carter Jr. added 19 points and seven rebounds. Anthony Black also came off the bench and scored 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting in the the Magic’s first appearance in a play-in game. Earning the Eastern Conference’s seventh seed after a 41-41 regular season, the Magic will start their first-round playoff series at Boston on Sunday.
Guirassy scores a hat trick in vain for Dortmund as Barcelona advances to Champions League semis
DORTMUND, Germany (AP) — Serhou Guirassy has scored a hat trick and still ended up on the losing side as Borussia Dortmund’s 3-1 win over Barcelona wasn’t enough to prevent a 5-3 aggregate loss to Barcelona in the Champions League quarterfinals. Guirassy scored a penalty and a header but an own goal by Ramy Bensebaini set Dortmund back. Guirassy’s third goal gave Dortmund fresh hope of a comeback but Barcelona held on to progress. Barcelona faces either Inter Milan or Bayern Munich in the semifinals.
Paris Saint-Germain staves off Villa comeback to reach Champions League semifinals
BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain has staved off a gallant fightback by Aston Villa to reach the Champions League semifinals despite a 3-2 loss to the English club. PSG held a 3-1 lead from last week’s quarterfinal first leg and built a four-goal cushion thanks to goals by full backs Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes inside 27 minutes at Villa Park. Villa was cheered on by Prince William and roared back thanks to a deflected shot before halftime by Youri Tielemans and then goals in a two-minute span from John McGinn and Ezri Konsa by the 57th. Only some fine saves from PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma denied Villa a fourth goal that would have taken the match to extra time. PSG advanced 5-4 on aggregate.
The NBA playoffs will, once again, be an international showcase of stars
They’ll be watching in Canada, not just because of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, though the NBA’s scoring champion and MVP favorite who plays for Oklahoma City surely helps lure in fans who are north of the border. They’ll be watching from Serbia and Greece, the homelands of Denver star Nikola Jokic and Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo. Alperen Sengun will have them watching Houston games in the middle of the night in Turkey, too. Defending champion Boston features, among others, Kristaps Porzingis of Latvia and Al Horford of the Dominican Republic. Once again, the NBA playoffs are setting up to be a showcase for international stars.
Dolphins pursuing trade options for All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The Miami Dolphins are pursuing trade options for All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey, general manager Chris Grier confirmed on Tuesday. Ramsey did not ask for a trade, and he didn’t ask for more money, Grier clarified, but after weeks of conversations with Ramsey’s representation, both sides agreed it would be best to potentially move on. Grier declined to go into detail about the contents of those discussions and did not give a clear reason for potentially parting ways with Ramsey, who was acquired from the Los Angeles Rams in 2023 and given a three-year, $72.3 million contract extension ahead of the 2024 season.
Canadian election debate advanced by 2 hours to avoid conflict with hockey game
MONTREAL (AP) — Politics is bowing to Canada’s most popular sport as the French-language leaders’ debate was abruptly rescheduled to minimize a conflict with a Montreal Canadiens hockey game. Two federal party leaders had called for the Wednesday evening debate to be moved, out of concern that the game could siphon off potential viewers. Five party leaders will debate each other twice this week, once in French and once in English, ahead of a national election set for April 28. The televised debate will now take place two hours earlier than planned, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET in Montreal. The NHL team will face off against the Carolina Hurricanes at 7 p.m. ET in a game that could clinch them a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Judge rejects defense that Gaudreau brothers contributed to their deaths by cycling while impaired
SALEM, N.J. (AP) — A judge has upheld all charges against the driver charged with killing hockey players Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau while they bicycled in New Jersey. The ruling comes after defense lawyers Tuesday argued that the brothers may have contributed to their deaths by cycling while intoxicated. Judge Michael Silvanio says that’s not relevant under New Jersey criminal law. And witnesses tell police they were riding single-file on the edge of the road when driver Sean Higgins swerved around another vehicle and hit them last August. Prosecutors say Higgins was impaired by alcohol and fueled by road rage.
Baseball celebrates Jackie Robinson’s legacy on 78th anniversary of breaking color barrier
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mookie Betts and his Los Angeles Dodgers teammates were joined by the Colorado Rockies in visiting Jackie Robinson’s statue at Dodger Stadium on the 78th anniversary of the infielder breaking baseball’s color barrier. Robinson was the first Black player of the modern era when he signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. They were joined by Basketball Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who grew up in New York and later starred at UCLA, Robinson’s alma mater. Robinson’s legacy was celebrated around baseball, with every player, manager and coach wearing his No. 42 in tribute. His 102-year-old widow, Rachel, appeared at her late husband’s museum in Brooklyn, New York.
Tyron Smith set to retire with Cowboys after final season with Jets, AP source says
A person with knowledge of Tyron Smith’s plans says the perennial Pro Bowl left tackle is set to retire with the Dallas Cowboys after spending his final season with the New York Jets. The 34-year-old Smith intends to sign a ceremonial one-day contract in order to retire with the franchise that drafted him in the first round 14 years ago. Smith’s retirement comes a little more than a month after right guard Zack Martin made the same announcement following an 11-season career spent entirely with the Cowboys. Martin and Smith were teammates for 10 years.
Who will win the Stanley Cup? The season, odds, math and probability collide on picking a favorite
The Winnipeg Jets and the Washington Capitals have been the top teams in the NHL much of the season, respectively finishing atop the Western and Eastern Conferences. The defending champion Florida Panthers are among the betting favorites to win the Stanley Cup again, at a slightly higher price than the Dallas Stars. Yet some other metrics favor the Carolina Hurricanes? What has played out on the ice this season, math, odds and probability collide in the debate of who hoists the trophy in June.