Warriors sideline Curry for at least a week with hamstring strain, putting rest of series in flux
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Golden State Warriors are planning to play without Stephen Curry for at least the next three games of their second-round series against Minnesota. An MRI on Wednesday confirmed a mild strain of the star guard’s left hamstring. The Warriors said Curry would be sidelined at least a week after the injury forced him out early in the second quarter of the Game 1 win. He had 13 points in 13 minutes to help Golden State take home-court advantage away from the Timberwolves. Game 2 is Thursday. The earliest return for Curry appears to be Game 5 on May 14.
NCAA settlement plan for roster limits gets do-over to save players who lost spots on teams
Attorneys handling the $2.8 billion NCAA settlement are proposing a massive do-over when it comes to roster limits. They want schools to offer athletes who lost their spots a chance to be on teams without counting against the new caps for as long as they have eligibility. Those players can be invited back to compete for roster spots or go to new schools. The proposal would also give this exemption to high school recruits who were promised spots that were later rescinded and would last for as long as those players are eligible in college.
Crosby and MacKinnon back together for Canada at the ice hockey worlds after 10 years
Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon are joining forces to play for Canada at the ice hockey world championship after 10 years. The two major stars are in Europe for the tournament opening on Friday across the Swedish capital of Stockholm and Denmark’s city of Herning. It is the final international test before the 2026 Winter Games in Italy where NHL players return to the Olympics after 12 years. The two friends and neighbours in Halifax, Nova Scotia, were on the team that Crosby captained to gold at the 2015 worlds. Canada, the 4 Nations Face-Off champion in February, is a favorite again.
The Steelers move on from George Pickens by trading mercurial receiver to Cowboys
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers have run out of patience with wide receiver George Pickens. The team has agreed on a trade that sends the talented but mercurial 24-year-old to the Dallas Cowboys. The Steelers will get a third-round pick in the 2026 draft and a fifth-rounder in 2027. The Cowboys get a sixth-round choice in two years. Pickens has spent his first three seasons in the NFL being equal parts productive and petulant, mixing highlight-reel catches with bouts of immaturity along the way. Pickens joins a Cowboys offense that could use another downfield threat to pair with star CeeDee Lamb.
Marner scores tiebreaking goal as Maple Leafs beat Panthers 4-3 for 2-0 series lead
TORONTO (AP) — Mitch Marner scored the tiebreaking goal in the third period and the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Florida Panthers 4-3 to take a 2-0 lead in their second-round playoff series. Max Pacioretty and Max Domi each had a goal and an assist, William Nylander also scored and Morgan Rielly added two assists for the Maple Leafs. Joseph Woll had 25 saves in place of the injured Anthony Stolarz. Anton Lundell had a goal and an assist, and Aleksander Barkov and Brad Marchand also scored for the defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky finished with 16 saves. The best-of-seven matchup between Atlantic Division heavyweights now shifts to South Florida, with Game 3 set for Friday.
Mikko Rantanen has second straight hat trick as Stars beat Jets 3-2 in series opener
WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Mikko Rantanen had a natural hat trick in the second period, Jake Oettinger stopped 30 shots and the Dallas Stars beat the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 on Wednesday night in Game 1 of the second-round series. Nino Niederreiter and Mark Scheifele scored for the Jets, who had won four in a row at Canada Life Centre. Connor Hellebuyck made 21 saves. Scheifele returned after sustaining an upper-body injury in Game 5 in the first round against St. Louis. Dallas forward Jason Robertson was back after injuring a knee in the final game of the regular season. Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is Friday night in Winnipeg.
Utah Mammoth is the permanent name of the NHL team in Salt Lake City
The NHL team in Salt Lake City is now known as the Utah Mammoth. Owners Ryan and Ashley Smith unveiled the franchise’s permanent name Wednesday after more than a year of fan input and voting. Mammoth replaces the inaugural season placeholder name Utah Hockey Club, which was also one of the three finalists, along with Outlaws. Yeti was taken out of consideration when the cooler company bearing that name could not come to a copyright agreement with Utah ownership. The Mammoth are maintaining the same black, light blue and white color scheme and the road jerseys with UTAH diagonally down the front.
Lawsuit accuses former Los Angeles Lakers star Byron Scott of sexually assaulting teen girl in 1987
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A woman is suing former Los Angeles Lakers player and coach Byron Scott, accusing him of sexually assaulting her during a team event at a high school in 1987, when he was 26 and she was 15. The lawsuit was first filed in December 2022 and amended May 1. The amended complaint names Scott publicly for the first time and accuses him of sexual battery and false imprisonment. It says the alleged victim was attending summer classes when she was assaulted by Scott in a janitor’s closet. Scott said through an attorney Wednesday that he doesn’t deny that sexual contact occurred, but maintains he thought she was of legal age.