SPORTS
FRIDAY, APRIL 25, 2025
YES Giants hold off Panthers, Net Riders top the Defenders
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
Your Essential Store Giants, still sluggish from winning the New Providence Basketball Association men’s division II championship title on Tuesday night, had to dig a little deep to hold off the pesky Harbour Island Panthers.
The Giants managed to prevail with a 74-64 win, while the Net Riders rose past the South Andros Defenders 93-65 in the first two games played last night at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium as the Bahamas Basketball Federation’s round robin got underway.
Giants 74, Panthers 64
It looked like an easy win for YES after they opened an 18-10 lead at the end of the first quarter and powered to a 36-24 margin at the half before they breezed to a 56-39 advantage at the end of the third.
But midway in the fourth quarter, the Giants got away with their huge inside presence and allowed the Panthers to reel off an 11-0
run to cut the deficit to 60-52. But when it counted the most down the stretch, the Giants regained their composure and went on to out-score the Panthers to seal the win.
Coach Mark Hanna admitted that it wasn’t Giants’ brand of basketball, but they will still take the win.
“It was a long championship that ended this week and three of our starters are not here, so the guys had to work extra hard,” Hanna said. “A win is a win. We just have to keep winning and keep the title here in Nassau.”
Matthew Saunders got the green light for YES as he connected on a game high 30 points with five steals, three rebounds and three assists.
Kirk Farrington was the only other player in double figures with 16 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals. But towering centre Jeriel Francoeur made his presence felt with eight points, 15 rebounds, three blocks and two assists.
Andrew ‘Tiny’ Pinder, coach of the Panthers, noted that they could have played better, but they still put up a good fight.
“We will be back tomorrow,” said Pinder, who declared that win, lose or draw in the tournament, when it’s done on Saturday, he will officially retire from coaching at this level after spending 45 years as a player/coach.
As he watched his team play with what he called “low energy,” Christopher Grant paced their attack with 14 points and seven rebounds. Rakeem Minnis had 13 points, eight rebounds, four steals and two assists and Jeremy Davis finished with 11 points.
The Panthers did win the battle on the boards 47-44 and got one more steal, 14-13, but the Giants controlled the tempo with a 17-20 difference in turnovers and 12-9 in assists.
Riders 93, Defenders 65: Abaco came to town and
made a statement in the first game of the tournament last night.
After taking a comfortable 21-15 lead at the end of the first quarter, they managed to hold on for a 42-36 margin at the half.
But coming out of the halftime break, the Riders continued to press the pedal as they surged ahead 62-38 at the end of the third.
Taking the ball inside on the fast break enabled
the Riders to out-run the Defenders, who didn’t have any answer to slow them down.
Coach Chancey Cooper, a former high school and night league player in New Providence, said their performance was just an indication of what to expect during the tournament.
“I feel good about the win, but I know we could do better,” Cooper said.
“The next game we have to
bring it all because we will be playing bigger teams.
“But we have one team we are worrying about right now and that is our main focus, the Giants.”
Rayme Rosemond led four players in double figures with 18 points and added 10 rebounds with a pair of steals.
Jamel Vil had 15 points with four rebounds and two assists, Eugene Ferguson had 14 points, three
rebounds and two assists and Reagan Roberts contributed 12 points and six rebounds.
For South Andros, Jeffrey Francis exploded for a game high 23 points with three rebounds and two steals, Juvenson Jilles had 11 points with two steals and Carmelo Rolle added 10 points with three rebounds and as many steals.
Coach Aaron Rolle said they came out a little lackadaisical. “We were in the game in the first half, but that was it,” he said. “That wasn’t the Andros ball that I was used to seeing us play. Moving forward, we should be good.”
The Defenders held a 15-9 advantage on steals, but the Net Riders outperformed them in every other category, including 49-34 in rebounds and 14-5 in assists. Both teams only had one block shot. There were two late games played last night, but no results were available up to press time.
Grand Bahama’s Dudley Boyz played Abaco Crusaders in a division one contest and the After Saints played the Defenders in the division II nightcap.
FRIDAY 6pm - Net Riders vs Panthers DII
7:30pm - Defenders vs YES Giants DII
9pm - Commonwealth Bank Giants vs Dudley Boyz D1
10:30pm - YES Giants vs Antic Saints DII
SATURDAY 9am - Net Riders vs Antic Saints DII 10:30am - Panthers vs Defenders DII
Noon - Commonwealth Bank Giants vs Crusaders D1
1:30pm - YES Giants vs Net Riders DII
3 pm Panthers vs Antic Saints DII
7pm - DII 3rd place 8:30pm - DII from DII semifinal 10pm - Division one championship
ALTHOUGH he was not officially on the coaching staff, newly elected Bahamas Athletic Associations of Coaches president Daron Lightbourne said he was impressed with the overall performances of Team Bahamas. Lightbourne, who assisted the team, was
referring to the second place finish by the 78-member team in Portof-Spain, Trinidad & Tobago at the 2025 CARIFTA Games over the Easter holiday weekend. Team Bahamas wrapped up the three days of competition at the Hasely Crawford Stadium with one of its best performances in more than a decade with 37 medals, including 16 gold, 13 silver and eight
bronze for second behind the continued dominance of Jamaica’s 30 gold, 27 silver and 21 bronze for their tally of 78 medals. Lightbourne, a former quarter-miler, said he was so impressed with the performances that he knows it will inspire the future generation of athletes wishing to compete for The Bahamas.
“I think they
CARIFTA swimmers bring home 74 medals - 27 gold, 23 silver, 24 bronze
THE Bahamas Basket-
ball Federation’s Round Robin Tournament began
yesterday and will be held until April 26 at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium.
It’s expected that teams will be in from Grand Bahama and the various Family Islands to play along with the champions from the New Providence Basketball Association in both the men’s division one and II. The entry fee is $5 for the preliminary games and $10 for the championship games.
RED-LINE YOUTH
CHAMPIONSHIPS
THE fourth annual Red-
Line Athletics’ Youth Track Classic is all set for the weekend of Saturday, May 3 from 10am to 6pm and
Sunday, May 4, from 1-6pm at the original Thomas A. Robinson Track and Field Stadium.
The categories include under-7 to under-15 in both the boys’ and girls’ divisions.
Medals will be awarded to the top three finishers in every event and MVP crystals will be given in each age group and divisional cups will be presented to the clubs. Interested persons can register at smnbutler@ yahoo.com or redlineathletics242@gmail.com
ROAD TO TOKYO
THE Silver Lightning Track Club is scheduled to hold its annual Track and Field Classic on Saturday,
May 10, at the original Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium, starting at 9am. The event, dubbed the “Road to Tokyo,” will be used as a qualifier for athletes wishing to make Team Bahamas that will compete at the World Championships from September 13-21 in Tokyo, Japan. Interested athletes can contact coach Rupert Gardiner at 821-2836 for more information.
SPRING FLING
INVITATIONAL THE Fast Track Athletics Club is scheduled to hold its 4th annual Spring Fling at the Grand Bahama Sports Complex May 16-17.
The event is open to competitors from throughout The Bahamas. The action is slated to begin at 5pm on Friday, May 16 and at 10am on Saturday, May 16. It promises to provide fast competition, perfect prep for championship season and an unmatched island atmosphere in Grand Bahama. For more information on the meet, persons can email fasttrackmanagement00@ gmail.com
PEACE ON DA STREET FAMILY NIGHT
PLANS are underway for the staging of the Peace on Da Streets’ Basketball Classics’ Road to 30 years of existence. The event, being organised by the Hope Center under the theme “Shooting hoops instead of guns,” will be held from July 14-19 at the Michael ‘Scooter’ Reid Basketball Center.
The highlight of the event will be the Family Night, scheduled for Sunday, July 20 at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium when the finals in all of the divisions will take place, starting at 3pm. There will also be the Mr Ship It Three-point shootout and the Joe’s Slam Dunk Contest. The night will conclude with the exciting Clergy versus Politicians match-up. Lots of prizes, including round trip tickets, will be up for grabs.
Photos: Chappell Whyms Jr
TEAM EFFORT: Elated swimmers on their arrival at the Lynden Pindling International Airport from Trinidad & Tobago on Wednesday night.
Daron Lightbourne pleased with CARIFTA performances
FROM PAGE E1
“I think this team will go back and tell their friends how competitive this was and how they managed to get through the competition.”
With the team producing one of its highest gold medal hauls ever, Lightbourne said they will only motivate those athletes who didn’t make the team and those who did to want to be back for the 2026 edition, whose location is yet to be officially announced by the North American, Central American and Caribbean organisation, headed by Bahamian president Mike Sands.
“Team Bahamas was awesome. We left Trinidad & Tobago with some awesome performances,” Lightbourne said. “I think the team did an excellent job and I know that next year, we will perform even better.”
Lightbourne also had some personal gratification because some of his athletes on his Bahamas Speed Dynamics Track Club made their presence felt, including Eagan Neely and Zion Miller, two of the top performers for Team Bahamas. Neely captured two individual gold medals in the under-17 boys’ 200 and 400m and was a part of both the boys’ victorious 4 x 100 and 4 x 400m relays. Miller, coming off his appearance at last year’s Olympic Games as an alternate on the mixed 4 x 400m relay team, won the under20 boys’ gold and ran on the open mixed 4 x 400m relay team that won the gold and the under-20 boys’ 4 x400m team that clinched the gold in a junior national record time of 3:06.18.
Lightbourne also worked with double individual under-17 boys hurdler Jahcario Wilson and sprinter Jonathan Higgs, along with
Alexandria Komolafe, LynDavion Storr and Terrin Beckles. “Their overall performance was stellar and golden. I am elated and ecstatic to coach and put them in this position to go
for gold,” Lightbourne said. “I trust and will continue to trust God to guide me on developing these young men. “My theme this year for Bahamas Speed Dynamics athletes is ‘there shall be a performance.’ We planned from the offseason for this moment and there was a performance. It shows that all is not lost with our young men, they have goals and
they are achieving
We are not done, we will continue to be humble, continue to work harder and continue to excellence in world-class performances,” he said.
TEAM BAHAMAS CLOSES OUT COMPETITION
ON A HIGH NOTE IN 4 X 400 METRE RELAYS
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor
JUST how they started with a bang, winning the introduction of the open mixed 4 x 400m relay to the CARIFTA Games, Team Bahamas closed out the competition on a high note in the 4 x 400 metre relays in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad & Tobago.
At the Hasely Crawford Stadium on Monday night, Team Bahamas captured a silver in the under-17 girls’ race, the under-17 boys established a new games’ record, the under-20 girls got the bronze and the under-20 boys put the icing on the cake with a junior national record with their final victory.
The team of Zion Davis, Aiden Kelly, Emmanuel Adams and Zion Miller put The Bahamas junior national record to three minutes, 06.18 seconds.
“I just went out there and executed a good race. I had faith in my team and I felt they had a lot of faith in me, so I felt I only had one choice and that was to execute,” Davis said.
For Grand Bahamian Kelly, he knew his second leg was going to be “tough,” but “God gave me the strength and I trusted my team.” Adams thanked “God” for allowing him to have an injury free meet and to perform with his teammates because “I was nervous” and “I gathered the strength from them” to push on. Miller, in completing his CARIFTA experience, said it was good to make up for the times he left the games empty handed as he clinched his third medal this year. “I know this was my season and I know we could have come out here and executed the relay,” he said. “So, seeing everyone run good, I know we would run well. We were shy of the record, but we got the junior national record.”
The under-20 girls’ team was comprised of KeiMahri, Makaih Hitchman, A’Karee Roberts and Darvinique Dean. They clocked 3:41.36 to trail gold medallists Jamaica in 3:37.75 and Barbados in 3:39.36.
“What I wanted to do was get out hard. I was in lane seven, which is a hard lane, especially with Jamaica behind you, but I tried to do my best for my team,” she said. As she passed it out in second place to Hitchman, also from Grand Bahama, who noted that she didn’t “panic,” but rather kept her “cool, even when Barbados passed me. I did my best.”
Coming off her ninth place in the 800m earlier in the day, Roberts said she knew her team was “counting on me and that was what I did.”
Dean, who missed out on a medal in both the 100 and 400m hurdles, said she was very “proud of each and every one of the girls. It starts from the first leg and it ends with me. I knew I had to bring it home for my country.”
The cheers from the Bahamian crowd and the junkanoo music could be heard loud and clear throughout the stadium as Jonathan Higgs, Jahcario Wilson, Jireh Woodside and Eagan Neely ran away from the field for a games’ record of 3:12.72.
“The first leg, I just got out and maintained, but I had to kick on the back stretch,” said Higgs as he got the team off to a blazing start.
Wilson said he was only concerned about getting the team a “good lead” as he passed the baton on to Woodside.
“I’m very proud of my teammates,” said Wilson, who also captured the gold in both the 110 and 400m hurdles.
Between Wilson and Neely, who doubled up in the 200 and 400m, they produced eight medals, adding the 4 x 400 to their triumph in the 4 x 100m. Neely said he was just happy that they were as “successful” in winning another gold medal “for The Bahamas.”
And although they fell short of the gold, the quartet of Syrmiah Crawley,
Keyezra Thomas, Brion Ward and Denika Gittens were not prepared to let the fans down without getting a medal. “I knew I was the first leg, so I had to go out there and run my hardest, even though I was suffering from a little bit of pain, but I knew we wanted a medal and I did what I had to do,” said Crawley. Crawley, the Grand Bahamian double silver medallist in the 200 and 400m, said it was a good race, but she wanted to thank “God for giving me the team that we had. I just know that when Syrmiah gave it to me, I just had to run to give my team a chance.” Ward, well rested after winning her bronze in the 100m and joining Thomas for the silver in the 4 x 100m relay, said she had an excellent leg because once she got the baton, “I just had to put my best foot forward and bring it home for my
team. I want to thank God for allowing us to come out here and get another medal.”
And Gittens, in getting her only medal for the games, thanked “God for allowing us to be here tonight. I was thankful that Brion gave me the baton. As soon as she gave me the baton, I just knew I had to go.”
The Bahamas ended up winning a medal in each of the mixed 4 x 400m, 4 x 100m and 4 x 400m relays, except for the 4 x 100m for the under-20 boys where they didn’t finish, failing to make the connection on the final leg.
COACH Daron Lightbourne with Eagan Neely.
ZION Miller with coach Daron Lightbourne.
BAHAMAS under-17 girls’ 4 x 400m relay team of Syrmiah Crawley, Keyezra Thomas, Brion Ward and Denika Gittens.
BAHAMAS under-20 boys’ 4 x 400m relay team of Zion Davis, Aiden Kelly, Emmanuel Adams and Zion Miller.
Knicks beat Pistons 118-116
for a 2-1 lead in the series
By LARRY LAGE AP Sports Writer
DETROIT (AP) — Karl-Anthony Towns was aggressive early and Jalen Brunson was effective late.
Towns scored 11 of his 31 points in the first quarter and Brunson had 12 of his 30 in the fourth to help the New York Knicks hold on for a 118-116 win over the Detroit Pistons last night to take a 2-1 lead in the firstround series.
“I thought the way we started the game was much better,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said. “And, we made timely plays down the stretch.” Game 4 is on Sunday in Detroit.
The Pistons have lost eight straight home playoff games since 2008, pulling within one of an NBA record set by Philadelphia from 1968 to 1971.
When Detroit won at New York in Game 2, the franchise ended a leaguerecord, 15-playoff game losing streak to take homecourt advantage, but the Knicks snatched it back.
Brunson, who won the NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year award on Wednesday, made consecutive layups late in the game to give the Knicks a seven-point lead.
Brunson made one of two free throws with 3.5 seconds left for a fourpoint lead after Detroit’s coaches, players and fans were screaming for an
over-and-back violation to be called.
“If you catch the ball, have possession and put it down, to me, that’s possession in the front court,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said.
Brunson made another free throw with 0.5 seconds left and after missing the second intentionally, the Pistons were given the ball
in front of their bench after the buzzer sounded prematurely. “It doesn’t seem right to me,” Thibodeau said. “It’s unfortunate. That should never happen in a playoff game.”
Detroit, though, didn’t get a final shot off because Jalen Duren’s pass from in front of his team’s bench went out of bounds on the other side of the court.
Towns, a 7-foot centre, made 4-of-8 3-pointers after combining to shoot 1 of 5 beyond the arc over the first two games.
“He bounced back,” Thibodeau said. “He can score a lot of different ways and he used his versatility to his strength.”
Detroit’s Cade Cunningham scored 24 points and had 11 assists, but missed
15 of 25 shots and had six turnovers.
Tim Hardaway Jr. had 24 points, making a career playoff-high seven 3-pointers. Dennis Schroder scored 18 points and Duren had 16 for the Pistons. OG Anunoby scored 22 points and Mikal Bridges added 20 points for the Knicks.
New York led 33-27 after an emotionally charged opening quarter and was ahead 66-53 at halftime. The Pistons pulled within one point twice in the third, but the Knicks went on another surge to take a 10-point lead into the final quarter and the cushion was comfortable enough to hold off Detroit’s attempts to rally.
MOBLEY WINS NBA DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR AWARD
By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer
EVAN Mobley said his goal coming into the season with the Cleveland Cavaliers was to win the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award.
He got it done.
The Cavs consider Mobley to be their best defensive player, and the league thought even more highly of him. Mobley held off fellow finalists
Dyson Daniels of Atlanta and Draymond Green of Golden State for the award, the results being announced last night in a broadcast on TNT.
“It just feels great to finally get this award,” Mobley said.
Saying “finally” might be a bit of a stretch. Mobley is only 23 — the fifth-youngest player to win the award, joining fellow 23-year-olds Dwight Howard, Jaren Jackson Jr., Alvin Robertson and Kawhi Leonard as winners of the Hakeem Olajuwon Trophy.
Mobley won the award in a season where he was an All-Star for the first time and set a career high for scoring.
“That was going hand-inhand all year,” Mobley said. “I was trying to figure out how I could be more offensively productive and still maintain my defensive style and prowess. So, I feel like I did a good job this year and it clearly shows.”
But the case Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson made for Mobley was how different the Cavaliers’ defensive numbers were with Mobley on the court
and without. Put simply, with him on the court, they were airtight. “It’s a huge dip, like 12 places or something,” Atkinson said. “That really screams out, to me. Probably the No. 1 stat that I look at.” It was a wide-open race with seven players getting at least one first-place vote and Mobley getting the top spot on only 35% of the ballots. There was a consensus, however, that he was a topthree player — Mobley was listed somewhere on 85% of ballots, by far the most of anyone in the DPOY chase.
Green won the award in 2017, was a top-three finisher for the fifth time, and was bidding to become the 11th player in NBA history to win it at least twice. Mobley won it for the first time, after finishing third in the voting in 2023. Daniels was a finalist for the first time. Daniels was second in the voting, with Green third. Daniels had 229 steals this season, the most in the NBA since Gary Payton had 231 for the Seattle SuperSonics in 1995-96. Daniels was also the first
player to average more than 3.00 steals per game since Robertson for the Milwaukee Bucks in 1990-91.
Nate McMillan averaged 2.959 in 1993-94 for Seattle; John Stockton averaged 2.976 in 1991-92 for the Utah Jazz.
“Clearly, in my mind, he’s the defensive player of the year,” Hawks coach Quin Snyder told reporters last month.
“I think in a lot of people’s minds, the things that he’s doing, even offensively the double-doubles. I think maybe the conversation
should go to his character, because, as I’ve thought about and answered those questions about his balance, his anticipation, a lot of the attributes that allow him to do are usually focused on what he does on the court. And I think the correlation between who he is as a player and who he is as a person is very high.”
Based on Daniels, Green and Mobley all being finalists, it’s reasonable to think that they will be on the AllDefensive team when it is released by the NBA later this spring. It would be the
ninth All-Defensive selection for Green, the second for Mobley and the first for Daniels.
Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert won the award last season, his record-tying fourth DPOY trophy. The award was voted on earlier this month by a global panel of 100 writers and broadcasters who cover the league. The NBA releases a list of three finalists for its seven major individual awards — MVP, Most Improved Player, Coach of the Year, Clutch Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year — after the votes are counted but keeps the order of finish a secret until the results are broadcast.
Daniels got 25 first-place votes and Green received 15. Oklahoma City’s Lu Dort got 11 to finish fourth, Houston’s Amen Thompson was fifth and had nine first-place votes, and Ivica Zubac of the Los Angeles Clippers got four first-place votes and was sixth. Jackson was seventh, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo got a first-place vote and was eighth, Portland’s Toumani Camara was ninth, and three players — Miami’s Bam Adebayo, Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Boston’s Derrick White — tied for 10th.
Gobert got one thirdplace vote and was 13th. Earlier this week, Boston’s Payton Pritchard won sixth man of the year and New York’s Jalen Brunson won clutch player of the year.
CLEVELAND Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) reaches for a rebound between Miami Heat forward Andrew Wiggins, left, and centre Bam Adebayo (13) in the first half in Game 2 of an NBA first-round playoff series, Wednesday, April 23, 2025, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
NEW York Knicks centre Karl-Anthony Towns (32) pushes Detroit Pistons forward Paul Reed (7) away from Pistons centre Mitchell Robinson, centre, during a scuffle during the first half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series last night.
(AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
Chippiness heating up in the NBA playoffs
By MICHAEL MAROT AP Sports Writer
INDIANAPOLIS (AP)
— The usually goodnatured Indiana Pacers star, Tyrese Haliburton, has shown he refuses to back down from his Milwaukee Bucks rival and fellow AllStar, Damian Lillard.
It’s been part of the chippiness and chirping that is beginning to heat up as it usually does during the NBA playoffs. Haliburton has a succinct explanation for what fans have seen in Pacers’ series with the Bucks, saying the teams simply don’t like one another.
It doesn’t seem there is much love lost between Golden State and Houston, or the Los Angeles Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves.
But for Milwaukee and Indiana, the animosity is
By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer
THE Orlando Magic have been here before.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has been here before. And LeBron James, well, he’s been basically everywhere before.
As the first full week of the NBA playoffs draws to a close, the matchups start to shift locations — with three Game 3s on tap for tonight serving as the first home games for Orlando, Milwaukee and Minnesota.
The Magic trail the Boston Celtics 2-0, Antetokounmpo and the Bucks trail the Indiana Pacers 2-0, while the Timberwolves are tied with James and the Los Angeles Lakers at a game apiece.
“We need to be even better on Friday going into Minnesota,” James said after the Lakers won Game 2 in Los Angeles. “That’s what the playoffs are all about. You need to stay even-keeled, no matter what’s going on.”
It will be difficult for the Magic to stay that way, knowing what the stakes are. Same goes for the Bucks.
The good news is, they’re at home. The bad news is, a loss on Friday puts them in a 3-0 hole and that has never successfully been escaped from in NBA history. Orlando was in this
about more than just one series.
Haliburton responded when Lillard started chattering during a timeout in Game 1 of this first-round playoff series. He did it again when the players were jawing at one another late in Game 2. And if it happens again when the series resumes in Milwaukee, just a short drive from Haliburton’s hometown of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, it will likely be more of the same.
“He wants to win, I want to win and we’re in the highest level, the most contentious moment here in the playoffs,” Haliburton said after the Pacers took a 2-0 series lead. “So it’s just competition at the end of the day. But we don’t have to sit here and act like there’s any secret. We don’t like them, they don’t like us — that’s just what it is.”
same spot last year and fought back to 2-2, then 3-3 even, before falling in a first-round Game 7 at Cleveland.
“We’ve done it before,” Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley said. “Take it one game at a time. Boston, they did exactly what they were supposed to do. They took care of home. And, you know, it doesn’t become a series until the home team loses.”
The Bucks got a lift in Game 2 from the return of Damian Lillard, who had been out with deep vein thrombosis in his leg.
Lillard will get to be welcomed back by his home fans tonight, which surely will provide another lift.
“He actually came through great,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said when asked yesterday about Lillard’s status.
“Felt great. A little sore. ... I felt there were times, I don’t know if exhaustion is the word, but there were times he was clearly tired. I thought it showed on the other more than on the offensive end.” Boston Celtics at Orlando Magic
When/Where to Watch: Game 3, 7 p.m. EDT (ESPN)
Series: Celtics lead, 2-0. BetMGM Sportsbook: Celtics by 5.5. What to Know: Celtics star Jayson Tatum is listed
It’s easy to understand how the Pacers-Bucks matchup reached this intensity — Game 3 will be their 18th matchup since the start of last season and Milwaukee desperately wants to avoid a third straight first-round exit, the second straight to Indiana.
A year ago, Indiana won four of the five regularseason matchups and then ousted the Bucks 4-2 by winning three of the last four playoff games. This year, Milwaukee won three of four during the regular season but has lost the first two in the postseason, where chippiness is the norm. It is happening around the league.
— In Boston, an inadvertent elbow from Orlando centre Goga Bitadze, a former Pacer, left the Celtics’ Kristaps Porzingis bloodied.
— In Houston, there has been a lot of trash-talking and stare-downs with Dillon Brooks and Draymond Green among the participants. It didn’t help that Jimmy Butler had to leave the game after a hard fall in Game 2 of that series.
— In Los Angeles, Anthony Edwards and Luka Doncic have helped fan the flames.
That’s just playoff basketball, which comes with heightened physicality.
But for the two All-NBA guards in the Indiana-Milwaukee series, the stakes may have first ratcheted up when Haliburton celebrated a decisive 3-pointer in the final minute of Indiana’s 128-119 victory over Milwaukee in the 2023 NBA Cup semifinals — stealing Lillard’s signature Dame Time move by looking at his wrist. He’s done it since then, too.
And then, of course, there was last season’s dispute over a ball, which sent twotime league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo racing into the Pacers locker room after he’d scored a career high 64 points.
Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers believes the flareups that were so common during his NBA playing career, one of the most physical eras in league history, are more of a sideshow.
“When you give a tech to two guys who don’t do anything — they were staring at each other, they weren’t going to fight — there’s no tech needed,” he said, referring to an initial scuffle between Gary Trent Jr. and Pascal Siakam. “Like, sometimes, can we just get on with the damn game? Like, it’s ridiculous. That took like 25 minutes to sort out and nothing was there.”
as doubtful — meaning he likely won’t play — after a bone bruise in his right wrist kept him out of Game 2. With a 2-0 series lead, Boston probably isn’t feeling a slew of pressure to rush Tatum back into the lineup. Orlando has played Boston relatively even in the first halves of games so far (Celtics 98, Magic 96 is the combined score there) but it’s been Celtics runaways after halftime (114-90 combined score). Coming home could swing that in Orlando’s favour, but it’s hardly going to be automatic. The Celtics were exceptional on the road this season and it’s clear that
Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner will need a third scoring option to help take some of the pressure off their shoulders. Watch the fouling situation — Boston took the fewest free throws in the league this season, but has gotten 51 attempts to Orlando’s 35 in the first two games. Indiana Pacers at Milwaukee Bucks When/Where to Watch: Game 3, 8 p.m. EDT (ESPNU, NBA TV) Series: Pacers lead, 2-0. BetMGM Sportsbook: Bucks by 5.5. What to Know: This will be the 18th game between
the teams since November 2023 — Indiana is 11-6 in the previous 17 — and no two NBA franchises have faced off more often since the start of last season than the Bucks and Pacers. Expect offence, since teams that have scored 120 or more points in a BucksPacers game have gone 13-3 over the last two seasons. This will be desperation time for Milwaukee, which is seeking to avoid a third consecutive first-round exit.
Siakam doesn’t seem terribly fazed by any of it.
“I mean if you need an edge in the playoffs,” said Siakam, who joined the Pacers in a trade in January 2024, “we have problems.” Haliburton, who has been a part of all the recent Milwaukee-Indiana showdowns, says playing the Bucks is different.
“Everybody says league rivalries aren’t here anymore. It’s right here,” the Pacers guard said. “We’ve played like a million times over the last two years. I’ve seen every coverage they could throw at us, and I think those guys probably feel the same way about us. But there are still a lot of games to play, so I’m sure there will be more heated moments, more competitive moments.
“The extracurricular stuff is extracurricular, but it’s fun.”
Those Bucks fans seeking a crazy reason for optimism can find one in that last time Milwaukee trailed a series 2-0 was the 2021 NBA Finals, which it won in six games (one of two 0-2 comebacks the Bucks had that season). Indiana has
What to Know: The Lakers scored 95 points in Game 1 and lost by 22, then scored 94 points in Game 2 and won because the defence was just that much better. The Timberwolves connected on 21 3-pointers in the opener, then made only five in Game 2 — a
GOLDEN State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) is escorted back to the bench by a coach and guard Buddy Hield (7) after a brief scuffle with the Houston Rockets during the second half of Game
2 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets in Houston on Wednesday, April 23, 2025.
(AP Photo/Karen Warren)
MILWAUKEE Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) and forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) walk to the bench during the second half of a first-round NBA basketball playoff game against the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis, Tuesday, April 22, 2025.
(AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
SAC Big Red Machine ready for the Penn Relays
PENN RELAYS PRESTIGE: THE St Augustine’s College Big Red Machine, the reigning national high school champions, are in Philadelphia this weekend for the prestigious Penn Relays. Head coach Jason Edwards and his coaching staff will be travelling with 21 athletes, including Eagan Neely, Jahcario Wilson, Jireh Woodside, Dillion Simon, who will compete in the 4 x 400m relay. There will also be
a 4 x 100m relay team. On the girls’ side are Alexis Roberts, Darvinique Dean, Bailey Major and Kailee Wallace and javelin thrower Dior-Rae Scott. Most of the athletes were a part of The Bahamas’ team at the CARIFTA Games over the weekend in Trinidad & Tobago.
Intriguing Colorado Duo
Cam Ward goes to the Titans at No. 1, Travis Hunter picked 2nd by Jaguars
By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football Writer
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP)
— Cam Ward has gone from zero-star recruit to No. 1 pick in the NFL draft.
Travis Hunter is taking his versatility to Jacksonville following a blockbuster deal.
After the Tennessee Titans selected Ward first overall, the Jaguars moved up from No. 5 to select the Heisman Trophy winner with the second pick. Hunter, a playmaking wide receiver and cornerback at Colorado, wants to become the first full-time, two-way player in the NFL since Chuck Bednarik did it with the Philadelphia Eagles more than 60 years ago.
The Jaguars gave the Cleveland Browns a ton to give Hunter that opportunity. The Browns got Jacksonville’s first-round pick (No. 5), picks Nos. 36 and 126, and a first-rounder in 2026.
The Jaguars also received fourth- and sixth-round picks in this draft.
“I’m super excited to go home,” said Hunter, whose hometown is Boynton Beach, Florida.
The New York Giants chose Penn State edge
rusher Abdul Carter with the No. 3 pick, bolstering an already strong pass rush. Carter led the country with 23 1/2 tackles for loss and had 12 sacks last season.
The New England Patriots took LSU left tackle Will Campbell with the fourth pick, giving quarterback Drake Maye more protection.
Campbell broke down in tears on stage, saying: “I’m gonna fight and die to protect him.”
Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham went fifth to Cleveland. Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty was picked at No. 6 by the Las Vegas Raiders.
The Titans explored their options with the first pick before it became clear a few weeks ago that Ward would be their man.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced Ward’s name to kick off the draft, which for the first time was held next to historic Lambeau Field.
The NFL’s smallest market is hosting the league’s biggest offseason event as thousands of fans from across the country travelled to Titletown for the festivities.
Goodell rode a bicycle onto the draft stage and was
followed by former Packers stars Clay Matthews, Jordy Nelson, Mason Crosby, Ahman Green and James Jones, as well as rap megastar and Green Bay superfan Lil Wayne.
As usual, fans booed Goodell when he opened the extravaganza.
Titans fans cheered inside the draft theatre after hearing Ward’s name was called. An overlooked high school player out of Texas, Ward began his college career at
Incarnate Word, an FCS school in San Antonio. He played two seasons at Washington State after transferring there in 2022 and then set school records in his only season at Miami, finishing fourth in Heisman Trophy voting.
The Titans are coming off a three-win season and have missed the playoffs three straight years.
Ward is the fourth quarterback Tennessee has drafted in the first round
over the past two decades, joining Marcus Mariota (No. 2, 2015), Jake Locker (No. 8, 2011) and Vince Young (No. 3, 2006).
Mariota is the only QB drafted by Tennessee in that span who led the team to a playoff win. That was back in 2017. Will Levis, the 33rd overall pick in 2023, is 5-16 as a starter in his two seasons with the Titans. Ward led the country with 39 touchdown passes
and finished second with 4,313 yards passing while leading the Hurricanes to a 10-3 record. Ward also had only seven interceptions and completed 67.2% of his passes.
Hunter wore a neon pink blazer and flashed a big smile after the Jaguars selected him. He caught 96 passes for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns while making 35 tackles, breaking up 11 passes and picking off four.
GIANTS TAKE PENN STATE PASS RUSHER ABDUL CARTER WITH NO. 3 OVERALL PICK
By DENNIS WASZAK JR AP Pro Football Writer
THE New York Giants selected Penn State defensive end Abdul Carter with the No. 3 overall pick in the NFL draft last night. Carter, who led the country with 23 1/2 tackles for loss and had 12 sacks last season, bolsters a Giants defence that already has solid pass rushers in Kayvon Thibodeaux and Brian Burns and a strong D-line that includes Pro Bowler Dexter Lawrence.
The speedy and explosive Carter was the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and a unanimous AllAmerican pick last season and steadily saw his draft stock soar while also drawing comparisons to former Penn State star and current
Dallas Cowboys standout Micah Parsons.
Carter, a native of Philadelphia, was originally a traditional linebacker during his first two seasons at Penn State before moving to defensive end last year.
The move paid off as the 6-foot-3, 250-pound Carter’s athleticism and elite first step off the ball immediately made him one of college football’s most dominant pass rushers.
The Giants, along with many other teams, envision Carter as a dominant force in the NFL, too. And with New York having signed Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston in free agency, quarterback wasn’t a pressing need for general manager Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll.
So, with Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders available and at times during the past few months rumoured to be a target of the Giants, New York instead chose to add another key piece to its defence with Carter. He didn’t participate in on-field drills at the NFL combine in Indianapolis in February because of a shoulder injury he suffered in Penn State’s win over Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl. Carter also was diagnosed with a stress reaction in his right foot during the combine. He’s expected to be fine for the NFL season, and teams weren’t scared off by the injuries. And Carter certainly doesn’t lack confidence.
During the combine, he left no doubts as to who he thought was No. 1 among
the draft’s prospects. “I feel like I’m the best player in the country and the best player should be picked first,” he said. “It’s the work I put in with my dad, who trained me, and all the sacrifices I made, I know I’m the best.”
On April 11, Carter met with Giants coaches at the team’s facility for one of New York’s in-person visits with top prospects. Carter, in a bit of foreshadowing less than two weeks before the draft, posted a picture of Hall of Fame linebacker Lawrence Taylor, who’s widely regarded as one of the greatest and most dominant defensive players in NFL history.
Carter will now get his chance to make his mark on the NFL and create his own legacy with the Giants.
By KYLE HIGHTOWER AP Sports Writer
THE New England Patriots selected LSU left tackle Will Campbell with the fourth overall pick in the NFL draft last night. At 6-foot-6 and 320 pounds, Campbell was a three-year starter for the Tigers and a first-team All-America selection as a junior last season. He was a three-time AllSoutheastern Conference selection. Campbell played 37 of his 38 college games at left tackle and logged 2,451 snaps. He allowed just two sacks over the past two seasons, and now his job will be to protect the blind side of Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, who’s entering his second season. He would form a beefy combination with 6-3, 350pound Mike Onwenu, the Patriots’ starter on the right side. Campbell said previously that he had numerous chances to talk with the Patriots ahead of the draft and developed a rapport with the coaching staff. New England finished 4-13 and missed the playoffs for third straight time last season, leading owner
Kraft to fire
Jerod Mayo after one season and hire
Patriots player and Tennessee Titans coach Mike Vrabel. The Patriots’ offensive line ranked near the bottom of the NFL last season in pass-block win rate (51%) and was 31st in run-block win rate (67%). That should improve with Campbell, who has said his favourite thing about football is the
offensive tackle Will Campbell walks on the carpet before first round of the NFL football draft,
in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)
PENN State defensive end Abdul Carter poses on the carpet before first round of the NFL football draft last night in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
(AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)
MIAMI quarterback Cam Ward, right, poses with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after being chosen by Tennessee Titans with the first overall pick in the first round of NFL draft last night. (AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)
COLORADO wide receiver Travis Hunter, right, poses with Roger Goodell after being chosen by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the second overall pick last night. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)