AP Sports Headlines for Sunday Morning, April 16th
Fox leads Kings past Warriors 126-123 in playoff return
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — De'Aaron Fox scored 38 points in his long-awaited playoff debut and the Sacramento Kings celebrated their return to the postseason after a record 16-year drought by beating the defending-champion Golden State Warriors 126-123. The first playoff meeting ever between the Northern California neighbors lived up to the hype and delighted the raucous crowd that had been waiting for a playoff game since 2006. The inexperienced Kings closed the game strong against a Warriors team that had won four titles in the previous eight seasons.
Warriors' Wiggins returns after 2-month absence, scores 17
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Andrew Wiggins gave the Golden State Warriors almost everything they wanted in his first game in more than two months. Then with a chance to win it at the end, Wiggins missed. The Warriors lost 126-123 to the Sacramento Kings in Game 1 of their first-round series. Wiggins returned after missing the final 25 games of the regular season to deal with an undisclosed family matter. He rejoined the team earlier this month. Wiggins brought needed energy and scoring in his 28 minutes off the bench. He had 17 points, three rebounds and four blocked shots.
Brunson, Randle push Knicks past Cavaliers 101-97 in Game 1
CLEVELAND (AP) — Jalen Brunson shook off foul trouble and scored 21 of his 27 in the second half, and Julius Randle returned from an ankle injury to add 19 as the New York Knicks welcomed Cleveland back to the NBA playoffs by holding off the Cavaliers 101-97 in Game 1. Brunson was limited to nine minutes in the first half, but hit several big shots down the stretch as the Knicks turned back Cleveland's late rally led by Donovan Mitchell. Randle was questionable up until pregame warmups, when he tested the left ankle he sprained two weeks ago. Mitchell finished with 38 for the Cavs, who returned to the playoff stage for the first time since the 2018 Finals. Josh Hart added 17 points off New York's bench, which outscored Cleveland's 37-14.
Brown scores 29, Celtics hold off late rally by Hawks 112-99
BOSTON (AP) — Jaylen Brown scored 29 points and had 12 rebounds, and the Boston Celtics capitalized on a woeful shooting performance by the Atlanta Hawks to hold on for 112-99 victory in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference first-round matchup. Jayson Tatum scored 25 points, 21 in the first half. Derrick White finished with 25 points and 11 rebounds for Boston, which hosts Game 2 on Tuesday. The No. 2-seeded Celtics led by as many as 32 points, pouncing on an Atlanta team that missed its first 10 3-point attempts and shot 5 of 29 from beyond the arc for the game. Dejounte Murray led the Hawks with 24 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Trae Young added 16 points.
Harden scores 23 as 76ers cruise past Nets 121-101 in Game 1
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — James Harden hit seven 3-pointers and had 23 points and 13 assists, NBA MVP finalist Joel Embiid scored 26 points and the Philadelphia 76ers pushed back Mikal Bridges and the Brooklyn Nets in a 121-101 Game 1 victory. Tobias Harris added 19 points and the 76ers hit 21 3s in the opener of this Eastern Conference playoff series. The Sixers are trying to win their first NBA championship since 1983 and advance past the second round for the first time since 2001. The No. 3-seeded 76ers host Game 2 on Monday. Bridges scored 30 points and helped the Nets at least hang around in the first half.
Brewers reliever Varland hit on jaw by Machado line drive
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Milwaukee Brewers reliever Gus Varland was hit on the jaw with a line drive by Manny Machado and came out of a game against the San Diego Padres. The scary moment came in the bottom of the eighth. Varland went to the ground after getting hit by the ball. He got to his feet a moment later but then went down on his knees as he was tended by the medical staff. He was replaced by Javy Guerra. The Padres led 8-3 at the time.
Pegula sends US past Austria to Billie Jean King Cup finals
Jessica Pegula sent the U.S. into the Billie Jean King Cup finals with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Julia Grabher of Austria. The victory gave the Americans a 3-0 lead and clinched the best-of-five tie in Delray Beach, Florida. The third-ranked Pegula also won her singles match Friday after No. 6 Coco Gauff, playing in her hometown, beat Grabher in the opener. France, Spain, the Czech Republic, Kazakhstan, Germany, Canada and Italy also secured berths in the finals, scheduled for Nov. 7-12 at a site to be determined. Those nations will join reigning champion Switzerland, 2022 runner-up Australia and one wild-card recipient at the finals, with a couple spots still be determined on the second day of the two-day qualifiers.
US Open champ Fitzpatrick holds 1-shot lead at RBC Heritage
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick shot his lowest round on the PGA Tour with a 63 to take a one-shot lead over Patrick Cantlay through three rounds at the RBC Heritage. Fitzpatrick had six birdies and a hole-out for eagle on the par-4 third hole and was at 14 under. Cantlay, who lost in a playoff to Jordan Spieth a year ago, shot 66 to put himself in position for another chance at victory. Masters champ Jon Rahm thrilled the gallery with three straight birdies to open the round, but could not sustain that momentum and was at 8 under.
Australian Grace Kim wins LOTTE Championship in playoff
HONOLULU (AP) — Australian rookie Grace Kim won the LOTTE Championship on Saturday at breezy Hoakalei for her first LPGA Tour title, beating Yu Liu and Yu Jin Sung with a birdie on the first hole of a playoff. While Liu and Sung scrambled after hitting their second shots to the left of the green on the par-5 18th, the 22-year-old Kim went over the water to the right, then chipped to 8 feet to set up her birdie. Liu made a par and Sung had a bogey. Playing alongside Sung in the final threesome, Kim shot a 4-under 68, rebounding from a bogey 14 to birdie the last two holes. She got up and down from the front-left bunker on 18 in regulation, making a 7-footer.
US to face rival Canada in gold medal game at women's worlds
BRAMPTON, Ontario (AP) — It'll be United States and Canada meeting in the women's world hockey gold medal game for the 21st time in 22 tournaments. Captain Hilary Knight, Amanda Kessel and Tessa Janecke each scored twice, and the United States secured its berth with a 9-1 rout of the Czech Republic. The two-time defending champion Canadians advanced with Sarah Fillier scoring three times in a 5-1 win over Switzerland in the other semifinal. Canada is undefeated through six games and clinched the top seed with a 4-3 shootout win over the U.S. on Monday. The Swiss and Czechs will meet in the bronze medal game in a rematch of last year's third-place game won by the Czech Republic.
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