
AP Sports Summary for April 30th, 2024.
Murray overcomes calf injury to score 32 and hit game-winner in Nuggets' 108-106 win over Lakers
DENVER (AP) — Jamal Murray scored a game-high 32 points Monday night despite a strained left calf and sank the game-winning shot with 3.6 seconds remaining as the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets again bounced LeBron James from the playoffs with a 108-106 win over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 5.James' two free throws tied it at 106 with 26 seconds left and the Nuggets, just as they did in Game 2, eschewed the timeout and Murray took the ball on a high screen and roll to his left, shaking Austin Reaves and he crossed through the lane and swished the 14-footer. It was Murray's buzzer beater that won Game 2.
James, Ham face uncertain futures with Lakers after being eliminated from playoffs by Nuggets again
DENVER (AP) — The futures of LeBron James and Darvin Ham with the Los Angeles Lakers remain murky. One might choose to leave and the other might not have a choice. For James, the decision is his on whether he wants to wear purple and gold again in his 22nd NBA season. For Ham, it's about whether the team brings him back for a third season as coach after back-to-back series losses to Denver. Big decisions loom after the defending champion Nuggets eliminated Los Angeles from the playoffs with a 108-106 win in Game 5 on Monday.
U.S. and Mexico drop bid to host 2027 World Cup, Brazil and joint German-Dutch-Belgian bids remain
NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. Soccer Federation and its Mexican counterpart dropped their joint bid to host the 2027 Women's World Cup and said they instead will focus on trying to host the 2031 tournament. The decision left a proposal from Brazil and a joint Germany-Netherlands-Belgium plan competing to be picked for 2027 by the FIFA Congress that meets May 17 in Bangkok. The USSF said the 2031 bid will call for FIFA to invest equally in the men's and women's World Cups. FIFA said last year it planned to spend $896 million in prize money for the 2026 World Cup after devoting $110 million for last year's women's tournament.
Chiefs sign star tight end Travis Kelce to new 2-year, $34.25 million deal, AP source says
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have signed Travis Kelce to a new two-year, $34.25 million contract. That's according to a person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition on anonymity because the terms of the deal had not been released. The new deal ensures Kansas City will have its star tight end as it tries to win an unprecedented third straight Super Bowl. Chiefs general manager Brett Veach says Kelce will remain the highest-paid tight end in the NFL. The 34-year-old Kelce is already the Chiefs' career leader in receiving yards. And his relationship with pop icon Taylor Swift has taken him to a new level of celebrity.
Derrick White scores 38, Celtics top Heat 102-88 to take a 3-1 East playoff series lead
MIAMI (AP) — Derrick White scored a career-high 38 points, Jayson Tatum added 20 points and 10 rebounds, and the Boston Celtics beat the Miami Heat 102-88 to take a 3-1 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round series. Jaylen Brown scored 17 points and Jrue Holiday had 11 for the top-seeded Celtics, who lost Kristaps Porzingis in the first half to what the team said was a right calf injury. Bam Adebayo finished with 25 points, 17 rebounds and five assists for Miami, which had a sellout crowd but played again without injured starters Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier.
Williams, Gilgeous-Alexander, lead OKC to a 97-89 Game 4 victory -- and sweep of the Pelicans
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Jalen Williams highlighted a 24-point performance with a back-breaking 3 with three minutes left, and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the New Orleans Pelicans 97-89 to complete a four-game sweep of their first-round playoff series. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 24 points and 10 rebounds for Oklahoma City, which trailed by five in the fourth quarter before suddenly seizing control with a combination of stifling defense and opportunistic shooting. Giddey and Holmgren each scored 14 points. Holmgren also had nine rebounds. CJ McCollum scored 20 for New Orleans. But the Pelicans hit just eight of 34 shots from 3-point range. New Orleans stayed close despite usual high-scoring wing Brandon Ingram missing 12 of 14 shots and finishing with just eight points.
Johnston scores again and Stars beat Golden Knights 4-2 in Game 4 to even series
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Wyatt Johnston scored his third goal in two games, and the Dallas Stars beat the defending champion Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 to even their first-round NHL playoffs series. Evgenii Dadonov, Ty Dellandrea and Roope Hintz also scored for the Stars, and Jake Oettinger made 33 saves. Michael Amadio and Jack Eichel had goals for the Golden Knights, and Logan Thompson stopped 28 shots. Eichel has scored goals in three consecutive games and has six points in this series. Game 5 is Wednesday night in Dallas. The road team has won every game.
Sergei Bobrovsky makes 31 saves, Panthers beat Lightning 6-1 to advance to 2nd round
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Sergei Bobrovsky made 31 saves, Aleksander Barkov and Carter Verhaege each had two goals and an assist, and the Florida Panthers beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-1 in Game 5 on Monday night to clinch their first-round series and advance in the NHL playoffs. Niko Mikkola had a goal and an assist, Evan Rodrigues also scored and Matthew Tkachuk had two assists for the Panthers, who won a playoff series against Tampa Bay for the first time in franchise history and clinched a postseason series at home for only the fourth time. Victor Hedman scored for the Lightning, which was eliminated in the first round for the second straight year after reaching the Final three straight years. Andrei Vasilevsky stopped 33 shots.
Celtics' Porzingis leaves playoff game in Miami with right calf tightness
MIAMI (AP) — Boston center Kristaps Porzingis left the Celtics' playoff game in Miami on Monday night late in the first half with what the team said was right calf tightness. The play happened with about 2:35 left in the second quarter. Porzingis took a dribble as he tried to move to his left, then pulled up — without any visible contact on the play — and immediately motioned to the Boston bench. He was subbed out eight seconds later and went directly to the Celtics' locker room, stopping along the way to pull the top of his jersey over his face.
Gunnar Henderson becomes youngest player to hit 10 homers before May 1 as Orioles defeat Yankees 2-0
BALTIMORE (AP) — Gunnar Henderson led off the first inning with a homer to become the youngest player in major league history with 10 home runs before May 1 and the Baltimore Orioles defeated the New York Yankees 2-0 in the opener of a four-game series. Grayson Rodriguez threw 5 2/3 shutout innings for Baltimore, which won the first meeting of the season between the top teams in the AL East. New York left 10 runners on base and was 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position. Henderson's home run off Clarke Schmidt tied him with the Los Angeles Angels' Mike Trout for the major league lead.
AP-Scorecard
Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:
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INTERLEAGUE
St. Louis at Detroit 6:40 p.m. (Postponed)
Final Tampa Bay 1 Milwaukee 0
Final Oakland 5 Pittsburgh 1
Final Seattle 2 Atlanta 1
Final L.A. Angels 6 Philadelphia 5
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AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final Baltimore 2 N.Y. Yankees 0
Final Toronto 6 Kansas City 5
Final Minnesota 3 Chicago White Sox 2
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NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final Washington 7 Miami 2
Final Chicago Cubs 3 N.Y. Mets 1
Final Cincinnati 5 San Diego 2
Final L.A. Dodgers 8 Arizona 4
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NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS
Final Boston 102 Miami 88
Final Oklahoma City 97 New Orleans 89
Final Denver 108 L.A. Lakers 106
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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
Final Florida 6 Tampa Bay 1
Final Dallas 4 Vegas 2
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TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE
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INTERLEAGUE
St. Louis at Detroit 3:40 p.m.
St. Louis at Detroit 6:40 p.m.
San Francisco at Boston 7:10 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Milwaukee 7:40 p.m.
Washington at Texas 8:05 p.m.
Philadelphia at L-A Angels 9:38 p.m.
Atlanta at Seattle 9:40 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Oakland 9:40 p.m.
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AMERICAN LEAGUE
N-Y Yankees at Baltimore 6:35 p.m.
Kansas City at Toronto 7:07 p.m.
Minnesota at Chi White Sox 7:40 p.m.
Cleveland at Houston 8:10 p.m.
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NATIONAL LEAGUE
Colorado at Miami 6:40 p.m.
Chi Cubs at N-Y Mets 7:10 p.m.
Cincinnati at San Diego 9:40 p.m.
L-A Dodgers at Arizona 9:40 p.m.
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NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS
Philadelphia at New York 7 p.m.
Orlando at Cleveland 8 p.m.
Indiana at Milwaukee 9:30 p.m.
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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
Toronto at Boston 7 p.m.
N-Y Islanders at Carolina 7:30 p.m.
Colorado at Winnipeg 9:30 p.m.
Nashville at Vancouver 10 p.m.
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