AP Sports Headlines for Saturday.
Tatum, Brown spark Celtics past 76ers 114-102 in Game 3
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jayson Tatum scored 27 points, Jaylen Brown had 23 and the Boston Celtics spoiled Joel Embiid's MVP coronation, beating the Philadelphia 76ers 114-102 Friday night to take a 2-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal series. Game 4 is Sunday in Philadelphia. Embiid had 30 points and 13 rebounds in his second game back from a sprained right knee. Embiid accepted his MVP trophy before the game.
Booker scores 47, Durant adds 39, Suns beat Nuggets 121-114
PHOENIX (AP) — Devin Booker scored 47 points, Kevin Durant added 39 and the Phoenix Suns beat the Nuggets 121-114 to cut Denver's lead to 2-1 in their Western Conference semifinal series. Booker — who came into the game averaging 35.4 points in these playoffs — had another massive offensive effort, shooting 20 of 25 from the field, including 5 of 8 from 3-point range. Durant shot just 12 of 31 from the field, but made 14 of 16 free throws. Denver's Nikola Jokic finished with 30 points, 17 assists and 17 rebounds. The Suns will try to even the series in Game 4 on Sunday in Phoenix.
Hurricanes top Devils, go up 2-0 in 2nd-round playoff series
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored twice in a roughly 2 1/2-minute span during Carolina's four-goal second period that helped the Hurricanes beat the New Jersey Devils 6-1 on Friday night. That gave the Hurricanes a 2-0 lead in their second-round playoff series. Jordan Staal and Martin Necas also scored in the decisive second period. Jordan Martinook and Stefan Noesen added clinching third-period goals. Frederik Andersen finished with 28 saves for Carolina. Miles Wood scored for New Jersey, which saw goaltender Akira Schmid chased early for the second straight game. The Devils will host Game 3 in the best-of-seven series on Sunday.
Spectator tumbles over railing into bullpen in Philly
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A spectator fell over a protective railing and into the Red Sox bullpen in the first inning of Boston's game against Philadelphia at Citizens Bank Park. The fan was taken to the trauma center at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, according to medical personnel on the scene. He tumbled one level from an open concourse into the Boston bullpen in right-center field. Security personnel immediately cleared fans from the railing in Ashburn Alley, which sits close to the visiting bullpen, as medical personnel attended to the fan. The spectator was strapped to a backboard and taken from the bullpen and field on a stretcher and a cart.
19 horses to tangle in wide-open 149th Kentucky Derby
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The cast of characters for the 149th Kentucky Derby was rewritten in the days leading up to Saturday's race. What didn't change is Forte is the early 3-1 favorite in a seemingly wide-open field of 19 horses. Four horses were scratched and three moved into the field. A crowd of about 150,000 is expected to jam Churchill Downs to wager and watch the 1 1/4-mile Derby. Todd Pletcher trains Forte, and two other horses. Brad Cox has a leading four entries, including early 8-1 third choice Angel of Empire. Saturday's forecast calls for partly sunny skies and a high of 77 degrees Fahrenheit.
Column: Stench of death hangs over the Kentucky Derby
AP Sports Columnist Paul Newberry says the stench of death hangs over this year's Kentucky Derby and its magnificent athletes. Four horses perished in the past week at Churchill Downs. That raises troubling questions about the sport of kings ahead of the 149th run for the roses. Newberry asks: If this can happen at the world's most famous track, how safe can the sport be? And what is the interest in making changes to protect the horses?
A's broadcaster apologizes after apparent racial slur
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Oakland Athletics broadcaster Glen Kuiper has apologized after uttering what sounded like a racial slur while describing a trip to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. In a pregame segment on NBC Sports California before the A's played the Kansas City Royals. Kuiper talked about a trip to the museum with colleague Dallas Braden. Kuiper seemingly mispronounced the word "negro," making it sound instead like a slur. Later in the game, Kuiper apologized on the air without getting into specifics. The A's later issued a statement, calling the language used by Kuiper "unacceptable" and saying the team would "address the situation."
Heat, Lakers head home, seek 2-1 leads over Knicks, Warriors
MIAMI (AP) — Miami and New York are wondering who will be able to play. Golden State and the Los Angeles Lakers are wondering which team will land the next punch. A pair of Game 3s await as the NBA's conference semifinals continue Saturday. The Knicks visit the Heat. The Warriors visit the Lakers. Both series are knotted at a game apiece. Both have followed the same script. The road team stole home-court advantage by winning Game 1. Those victories went to Miami and the Lakers. The home team then answered with wins in Game 2 to even the series.
No place like road: Visiting teams thriving in NHL playoffs
The road is the place to be so far in the NHL playoffs. Visiting teams have matched their best start in league history with 34 wins in the first 56 games. That .607 winning percentage is by far the highest of any playoff year since 1966, not counting 2020 when games were played at neutral sites with no fans. Theories on the road success range from better preparation and more depth to the amount of parity around the league. Home-ice advantage still has its benefits because of crowd noise and matchups.
Will gambling case at Alabama ripple across college sports?
Alabama fired its baseball coach in what appears to be the first gambling-related scandal in college sports since a Supreme Court decision paved the way for state to legalize wagering five years ago. The NCAA still prohibits athletes and athletic department employees from gambling. And college conferences and schools have been monitoring for improprieties even before legal wagering became widespread. Is this an ominous sign for college sports or an example of the benefits of regulation?
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