Sports Headlines for Friday Morning, April 21st, 2023
AP Sports SummaryBrief at 4:48 a.m. EDT
Curry scores 36, Warriors beat Kings 114-97 without Green
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Stephen Curry scored 36 points, Kevon Looney matched his career high with 20 rebounds to go with nine assists, and the Golden State Warriors got right back in their first-round playoff series by thumping the Sacramento Kings 114-97 to pull to 2-1. As suspended star Draymond Green watched from home, the defending champions dominated without him as they have done so many times before. The fiery forward was suspended without pay for stepping on the chest of Domantas Sabonis in the fourth quarter of Monday's Game 2 at Golden 1 Center. The Warriors also were without key defensive stopper Gary Payton II after the guard became ill Wednesday.
Embiid gets late block as Maxey, 76ers take 3-0 lead on Nets
NEW YORK (AP) — Joel Embiid, limping throughout the game and perhaps lucky not to have been ejected for kicking a Nets player in the groin area, blocked a potential tying basket with 8.8 seconds left and the Philadelphia 76ers beat Brooklyn 102-97 to take a 3-0 lead in the first-round series. Tyrese Maxey made the tiebreaking 3-pointer with 44 seconds left for the 76ers, who can sweep their way into the second round with a victory Saturday in Brooklyn. Mikal Bridges scored 26 points and Spencer Dinwiddie had 20 for the Nets.
Harden ejected, but not Embiid for groin-area shots to Nets
NEW YORK (AP) — James Harden was thrown out for hitting a Brooklyn player in the groin area, after teammate Joel Embiid dodged an ejection for a kick near the same spot of another player Thursday night in Philadelphia's 102-97 victory in Game 3. Harden was dribbling while defended closely by Royce O'Neale when he swung out his arm and hit O'Neale, who fell to the court in pain. Referees reviewed the play and called Harden for a flagrant foul 2, an automatic ejection. Two quarters earlier, the 76ers were perhaps lucky the same penalty wasn't given to Embiid. He was given only a flagrant 1 after kicking his leg up toward Nets center Nic Claxton's groin.
Booker has 45 points, Suns top Leonard-less Clippers 129-124
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Devin Booker scored 45 points, Kevin Durant added 28 and the Phoenix Suns beat the Kawhi Leonard-less Los Angeles Clippers 129-124 to take a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference series. Leonard sat out because of a sprained right knee, the same injury that has sidelined fellow star Paul George since March 21. Leonard was hurt in Game 1, and played through it in Game 2, but afterward his condition didn't improve. Norman Powell led the Clippers, scoring a career playoff-high 42 points on 15-of-23 shooting. Russell Westbrook added 30 points and 11 assists. Game 4 is Saturday in Los Angeles.
Scherzer suspended 10 games for sticky substance ejection
NEW YORK (AP) — Mets pitcher Max Scherzer was suspended for 10 games by Major League Baseball on Thursday following his ejection for having a foreign substance on his hand during a game. Scherzer initially appealed the suspension but dropped his appeal hours later. In exchange, his fine was reduced from $10,000 to $5,000, according to a person familiar with negotiations between MLB and the players' union. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement hadn't been announced. Scherzer was ejected on Wednesday during the fourth inning of a game at Dodger Stadium. He claimed the stickiness was caused by rosin and sweat and not by a foreign substance.
Talor Gooch leads after 1st round of LIV Golf in Australia
ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) — Talor Gooch upstaged the more-fancied names on the LIV Golf tour by shooting a 10-under 62 to take a four-stroke lead after the first round of the inaugural Australian tournament in Adelaide. The 31-year-old American started with a par on his opening hole in the shotgun-start format but then had 10 birdies. That included five in a row. Richard Bland and Dean Burmester shot 66s and are tied for second. Danny Lee is among five players tied for fourth. He won the second LIV event in Arizona last month. British Open champion Cameron Smith and Brooks Koepka had 69s. Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson shot 70.
Oakland A's purchase land for new stadium in Las Vegas
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The Oakland Athletics have signed a binding agreement to purchase land for a new retractable roof ballpark in Las Vegas after being unable to build a new venue in the Bay Area. Team president Dave Kaval said Wednesday night that the team finalized the deal to buy the 49-acre site last week where the A's will plan to build the stadium that will seat between 30,000 and 35,000 fans close to the Las Vegas Strip. The A's will work with Nevada and Clark County on a public-private partnership to fund the stadium. Kaval said the A's hope to break ground on the stadium by next year and would look to hope to be able move into their new home by 2027.
A's break fans' hearts again with Vegas relocation news
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Many Oakland fans already were heartbroken about the state of their struggling team. The crowds have been small and the baseball has been bad. In the offseason, fans watch the team trade away top players or watch them walk in free agency year after year. Now, the greatest disappointment yet. The A's are leaving for Las Vegas. Longtime fan Ryan Thibodaux says he's "more saddened than I thought I would be." Jason Bressler says he was at Game 4 of the 1989 World Series and that the impending move feels like "a big piece of my childhood is going with them."
Grisham has 4 RBIs, Padres beat D-backs in Tatis' return
PHOENIX (AP) — Trent Grisham had two doubles and four RBIs, Xander Bogaerts added a two-run homer and the San Diego Padres beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 7-5 in Fernando Tatis Jr.'s return from a PED suspension. Tatis was 0 for 5 with two strikeouts in his first regular-season game since 2021. He batted leadoff and played right field. His highlight came on defense in the eighth, when he sprinted back and to his left before snagging a line drive and robbing Josh Rojas of an extra-base hit. The 24-year-old Tatis missed all of last season first because of a broken left wrist and then an 80-game PED suspension.
Chien leads Chevron after 1st round, Korda tied for 2nd
THE WOODLANDS, Texas (AP) — Peiyun Chien shot a 5-under 67 on a rainy Thursday in the transplanted Chevron Championship to take the first-round lead in the LPGA Tour's first major of the year. Unable to find a sponsor willing to add to the half-century run at Mission Hills, the tournament bolted the California desert for the woods of suburban Houston. The 32-year-old Chien, who is from Taiwan, had six birdies — including four in a five-hole span on Nos. 4-8 — at The Club at Carlton Woods. Second-ranked Nelly Korda was among six players and three Americans tied for second at 68. Korda is fully healthy after missing four months and a lot of momentum last year with a blood clot in her arm that required surgery.
Baseball Glance
All Times EDT
East Division
W L Pct GB
Tampa Bay 16 3 .842 _
New York 12 7 .632 4
Baltimore 11 7 .611 4½
Toronto 11 8 .579 5
Boston 10 10 .500 6½
Central Division
W L Pct GB
Minnesota 11 8 .579 _
Cleveland 10 9 .526 1
Detroit 7 10 .412 3
Chicago 7 12 .368 4
Kansas City 4 15 .211 7
West Division
W L Pct GB
Texas 12 6 .667 _
Houston 9 10 .474 3½
Los Angeles 9 10 .474 3½
Seattle 8 11 .421 4½
Oakland 3 16 .158 9½
___
East Division
W L Pct GB
Atlanta 14 5 .737 _
New York 13 7 .650 1½
Miami 10 9 .526 4
Philadelphia 8 12 .400 6½
Washington 5 13 .278 8½
Central Division
W L Pct GB
Milwaukee 14 5 .737 _
Pittsburgh 13 7 .650 1½
Chicago 11 7 .611 2½
St. Louis 8 11 .421 6
Cincinnati 7 12 .368 7
West Division
W L Pct GB
Arizona 11 9 .550 _
Los Angeles 10 10 .500 1
San Diego 10 11 .476 1½
San Francisco 6 12 .333 4
Colorado 6 14 .300 5
___
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Wednesday's Games
Tampa Bay 8, Cincinnati 0
Cleveland 3, Detroit 2
Philadelphia 5, Chicago White Sox 2
Texas 12, Kansas City 3
Chicago Cubs 12, Oakland 2
Milwaukee 5, Seattle 3
Baltimore 4, Washington 0
Minnesota 10, Boston 4
N.Y. Yankees 3, L.A. Angels 2, 10 innings
Houston 8, Toronto 1
Thursday's Games
Boston 11, Minnesota 5
N.Y. Yankees 9, L.A. Angels 3
Friday's Games
Chicago White Sox (Kopech 0-2) at Tampa Bay (Faucher 0-0), 6:40 p.m.
Detroit (Lorenzen 0-0) at Baltimore (Wells 0-1), 7:05 p.m.
Toronto (Kikuchi 2-0) at N.Y. Yankees (Germán 1-1), 7:05 p.m.
Miami (Garrett 0-0) at Cleveland (Plesac 1-0), 7:10 p.m.
Houston (Brown 2-0) at Atlanta (Elder 2-0), 7:20 p.m.
Oakland (Sears 0-1) at Texas (Gray 1-1), 8:05 p.m.
Boston (Pivetta 0-1) at Milwaukee (Peralta 2-1), 8:10 p.m.
Washington (Williams 1-1) at Minnesota (Mahle 1-2), 8:10 p.m.
Kansas City (Clarke 1-0) at L.A. Angels (Ohtani 2-0), 9:38 p.m.
St. Louis (Matz 0-2) at Seattle (Kirby 1-1), 10:10 p.m.
Saturday's Games
Toronto at N.Y. Yankees, 1:05 p.m.
Washington at Minnesota, 2:10 p.m.
Chicago White Sox at Tampa Bay, 4:05 p.m.
Miami at Cleveland, 6:10 p.m.
Detroit at Baltimore, 7:05 p.m.
Oakland at Texas, 7:05 p.m.
Boston at Milwaukee, 7:10 p.m.
Houston at Atlanta, 7:20 p.m.
Kansas City at L.A. Angels, 9:07 p.m.
St. Louis at Seattle, 9:40 p.m.
___
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Wednesday's Games
Tampa Bay 8, Cincinnati 0
St. Louis 14, Arizona 5
Philadelphia 5, Chicago White Sox 2
San Francisco 5, Miami 2, 11 innings
Pittsburgh 14, Colorado 3
N.Y. Mets 5, L.A. Dodgers 3
San Diego 1, Atlanta 0
Chicago Cubs 12, Oakland 2
Milwaukee 5, Seattle 3
Baltimore 4, Washington 0
Thursday's Games
Pittsburgh 4, Cincinnati 3
Colorado 5, Philadelphia 0
L.A. Dodgers 6, Chicago Cubs 2
N.Y. Mets 9, San Francisco 4
San Diego 7, Arizona 5
Friday's Games
L.A. Dodgers (UrÃas 3-1) at Chicago Cubs (Smyly 1-1), 2:20 p.m.
Cincinnati (Ashcraft 2-0) at Pittsburgh (Keller 1-0), 6:35 p.m.
Colorado (Davis 0-0) at Philadelphia (Nola 1-2), 7:05 p.m.
Miami (Garrett 0-0) at Cleveland (Plesac 1-0), 7:10 p.m.
Houston (Brown 2-0) at Atlanta (Elder 2-0), 7:20 p.m.
Boston (Pivetta 0-1) at Milwaukee (Peralta 2-1), 8:10 p.m.
Washington (Williams 1-1) at Minnesota (Mahle 1-2), 8:10 p.m.
San Diego (Lugo 2-0) at Arizona (Gallen 2-1), 9:40 p.m.
St. Louis (Matz 0-2) at Seattle (Kirby 1-1), 10:10 p.m.
N.Y. Mets (Lucchesi 0-0) at San Francisco (DeSclafani 1-0), 10:15 p.m.
Saturday's Games
Washington at Minnesota, 2:10 p.m.
L.A. Dodgers at Chicago Cubs, 2:20 p.m.
Colorado at Philadelphia, 4:05 p.m.
N.Y. Mets at San Francisco, 4:05 p.m.
Miami at Cleveland, 6:10 p.m.
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh, 6:35 p.m.
Boston at Milwaukee, 7:10 p.m.
Houston at Atlanta, 7:20 p.m.
San Diego at Arizona, 8:10 p.m.
St. Louis at Seattle, 9:40 p.m.
NBA GLANCE
Thursday, April 20
Philadelphia 102, Brooklyn 97, Philadelphia leads series 3 - 0
Golden State 114, Sacramento 97, Sacramento leads series 2 - 1
Phoenix 129, L.A. Clippers 124, Phoenix leads series 2 - 1
Friday, April 21
Boston at Atlanta, 7 p.m.
Cleveland at New York, 8:30 p.m.
Denver at Minnesota, 9:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 22
Philadelphia at Brooklyn, 1 p.m.
Phoenix at L.A. Clippers, 3:30 p.m.
Milwaukee at Miami, 7:30 p.m.
Memphis at L.A. Lakers, 10 p.m.
Sunday, April 23
Cleveland at New York, 1 p.m.
Sacramento at Golden State, 3:30 p.m.
Boston at Atlanta, 7 p.m.
Denver at Minnesota, 9:30 p.m.
Monday, April 24
x-Brooklyn at Philadelphia, TBA
Milwaukee at Miami, 7:30 p.m.
Memphis at L.A. Lakers, 10 p.m.
Tuesday, April 25
x-Atlanta at Boston, TBA
L.A. Clippers at Phoenix, TBA
x-Minnesota at Denver, TBA
Wednesday, April 26
New York at Cleveland, 7 p.m.
L.A. Lakers at Memphis, 7:30 p.m.
Miami at Milwaukee, 9:30 p.m.
Golden State at Sacramento, 10 p.m.
Thursday, April 27
x-Boston at Atlanta, TBA
x-Philadelphia at Brooklyn, TBA
x-Phoenix at L.A. Clippers, TBA
x-Denver at Minnesota, TBA
Friday, April 28
x-Milwaukee at Miami, TBA
x-Cleveland at New York, TBA
x-Sacramento at Golden State, TBA
x-Memphis at L.A. Lakers, TBA
Saturday, April 29
x-Atlanta at Boston, TBA
x-Brooklyn at Philadelphia, TBA
x-L.A. Clippers at Phoenix, TBA
x-Minnesota at Denver, TBA
Sunday, April 30
x-Miami at Milwaukee, TBA
x-New York at Cleveland, TBA
x-Golden State at Sacramento, TBA
x-L.A. Lakers at Memphis, TBA
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