AP Sports Headlines for Saturday Morning, April 15th.
Bostonians remember deadly marathon bombing 10 years later
BOSTON (AP) — The 10th anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombing will be marked with a wreath laying at the finish line to remember those who were killed, a day of community service and an event for the public to gather to reflect on the tragedy. The anniversary Saturday will happen two days before this year's marathon and marks a decade since two bombs exploded near the finish line of the race, killing three and wounding more than 250 people. The explosions plunged Boston and its suburbs into a week of chaos amid a manhunt for two brothers who carried out the attack.
Rays lose first game after 13-0 start, fall 6-3 to Blue Jays
TORONTO (AP) — The Tampa Bay Rays lost their first game following a record-tying 13-0 start as Colin Poche forced in two runs with bases-loaded walks and second baseman Brandon Lowe made a key error in a four-run fifth inning that lifted the Toronto Blue Jays to a 6-3 win. George Springer hit a leadoff home run and Bo Bichette had five hits and an RBI. Toronto's 13-0 record matched the 1982 Atlanta Braves and 1987 Milwaukee Brewers, trailing only the 20-0 start by the 1884 St. Louis Maroons of the Union Association.
Wolves go big to beat Thunder in play-in game, get 8th seed
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Karl-Anthony Towns had 28 points and 11 rebounds to lead Minnesota into the playoffs. The Timberwolves muscled and hustled their way past the Oklahoma City Thunder 120-95 to finish the play-in tournament. Rudy Gobert had 21 points and 10 rebounds in his return from exile for swinging at teammate Kyle Anderson. The Wolves seized the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference with a near-perfect performance. The Wolves had a 58-30 advantage in points in the paint. They will face No. 1 seed Denver in the first round. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 22 points.
Heat eliminate Bulls 102-91, will face Bucks in Round 1
MIAMI (AP) — Max Strus and Jimmy Butler scored 31 points apiece, and the Miami Heat got into the playoffs by rallying in the final minutes to beat the Chicago Bulls 102-91 in an Eastern Conference play-in game Friday night. Tyler Herro added 12 points and Bam Adebayo grabbed 17 rebounds for Miami, which trailed by six midway through the final quarter. DeMar DeRozan led the Bulls with 26 points and nine assists.
Jokic, Embiid, Antetokounmpo finalists for NBA MVP award
NEW YORK (AP) — Nikola Jokic is a finalist to win a third straight NBA MVP award, with Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo the players who can stop him. The three leading vote-getters for the league's individual awards were announced Friday and the marquee category featured familiar names. Jokic repeated as MVP last year, with Embiid the runner-up and Antetokounmpo third. The Denver Nuggets center could now become the first player to win three straight MVP awards since Hall of Famer Larry Bird from 1984-86. Antetokounmpo has also won consecutive MVP awards, in 2019 and 2020. Embiid, who won his second straight scoring title, has never won.
NBA playoff overview: Warriors seek 5th title in 9 years
For the Golden State Warriors, it's a drive for five, as in five championships in nine years. It's a similar thought for LeBron James, as the NBA's all-time points leader is set to resume his quest for a fifth ring. And for a bunch of other teams, just one ring would satisfy. The NBA playoffs start Saturday, with Milwaukee as the No. 1 team in the Eastern Conference and holder of home-court advantage throughout the postseason, and Denver as the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference for the first time.
What's next for sale of NFL's Washington Commanders?
Dan Snyder has an agreement in principle to sell the Washington Commanders to a group led by Josh Harris and Mitchell Rales that includes Magic Johnson for a North American professional sports record $6.05 billion. But there are steps to go through before new owners take over. The NFL's finance committee and three-quarters of owners must approve the sale. That could happen as soon as the next league meeting in Minnesota in late May. Then the group will be tasked with figuring out the team's next stadium and gets the chance to shape the football and business departments within the organization.
Column: Make room, Frazee and Sterling, here comes Snyder
Welcome, Dan Snyder, to the Owners Hall of Infamy. You'll feel right at home with this band of scoundrels, incompetents and reprobates — all of whom proved that being the richest guy in the room does not make you the wisest. Harry Frazee and Ted Stepien, make room for the soon-to-be-former owner of the Washington Commanders. After running the once-storied franchise into the ground over the last two-plus decades, Snyder will depart the NFL with a $6 billion consolation prize. He's hardly a loser in this whole affair, but he'll go down as one of the worst sports owners ever.
Silicon Valley councilman indicted in 49ers report leak
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A Silicon Valley city councilman has been charged with perjury after he allegedly lied about leaking a grand jury report to the San Francisco 49ers last year that detailed a purportedly unethical relationship between the team and the city council. That's according to the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office. Santa Clara City Councilmember Anthony Becker is accused of providing the secret report titled "Unsportsmanlike Conduct: Santa Clara City Council" to the team's former top spokesperson and a local media outlet in 2022, days ahead of its official release. Becker then allegedly lied about the leak. Becker did not immediately respond to requests for comment Friday. The team says it has cooperated with prosecutors.
With Boston Marathon win, Kipchoge would cap running resume
BOSTON (AP) — Eliud Kipchoge will make his Boston Marathon debut on Monday in the 127th edition of the world's longest-running long run. A victory would give him wins in an unprecedented five of the six major marathons. The 38-year-old Kenyan has already won Berlin, London, Chicago and Tokyo. He also has gold medals from the last two Olympics. And he holds the world record at the 26.2-mile distance. But he acknowledges that no marathoner's record is complete without running Boston at least once. Kipchoge's arrival in Boston has created an unprecedented buzz around this year's race. Even his competitors say they are excited to try to beat him.
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