SPORTS
THURSDAY, MAY 1, 2025
‘These
are the plans we have for 2025’
By BRENT STUBBS
In a comprehensive plan that will cater to its players from the youth to the senior league, the Bahamas Baseball Association is confident that The Bahamas will gain enough points to be able to compete on its own at the major international competition.
Newly elected president Clarence McKenzie, secretary general Theodore Sweeting, Shane Albury and umpire-in-chief Martin “Pork” Burrows, representing the National Sports Authority, revealed the plans at a press conference yesterday. It was the first official press briefing by the newly elected board, which was voted into office in December, but has already made significant strides with some of its member associations in the Family Islands.
McKenzie, who has been island hopping staging mini clinics and tournaments in Eleuthera and with another one set for Long Island this weekend, said this is one of the most active sporting calendars
in the history of the BBA.
“These are the plans we have for 2025,” he said.
“We have been working since the moment we were elected and trusted by the membership. This is a snapshot of what we are looking for.”
Some of the plans, according to McKenzie, are ongoing activities and others are new ones they hope to initiate during the course of the year for not just baseball, but softball as well.
Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium Burrows, the manager of the Andre Rodgers
Baseball Stadium, said they are in contact with Major League Baseball to get the stadium ready to host some major international competition.
“Once that is done, then we are open to invite some major leagues and college teams to come and host their training camps and/ or hold tournaments,” he said. “That would be a plus for the NSA. We welcome that.”
Sweeting revealed that Murray Cook, one of MLB’s officials, should have already been in town, but his trip has been postponed to May 28-29
when he will be in town to inspect the stadium for MLB. Mini Island Tournaments With no baseball played in some of the Family Islands, McKenzie said it was the mandate of his executive team to introduce the sport and also to strengthen those islands that played before.
“We are having a series of mini tournaments on the islands, as directed by the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture for the development of the sport in the Family Islands,” McKenzie said.
By BRENT STUBBS
AFTER watching so many players leave the island for high school, college and the professional ranks, the New Providence Amateur Baseball League has decided to revitalise the senior league programme.
The NPABL, headed by Jeff “Sangy” Francis, reintroduced the league with a pre-season tournament over the weekend at the Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium.
And while only four teams participated, Francis said it was a step in the right direction.
“All the guys who came out were very excited about playing senior league baseball,” Francis said. “We had some very exciting games.” Francis’ Sharks won the tournament with a 14-0 shutout over the Reapers, managed by AJ Ferguson. A 15-year-old from Freedom Farm was the winning pitcher.
The Blue Power, managed by Ken Adderley, won third place over the Da Boyz, managed by Winston Seymour Jr.
With the pre-tournament over and done with, Francis said the focus will now switch to the formation of the league, which should start in about two weeks.
COLLEGIATE GOLFER TYESHA TYNES LEADS HASTINGS COLLEGE
BAHAMIAN rising golfer Tyesha Tynes couldn’t ask for a better way to end her sophomore season for the Hastings College Lady Broncos women’s golf team. At the CPAC Championships at the Centura Hills Golf Course in Cairo, Nebraska, from Monday to Tuesday, Tynes and teammate Kya Shatzer led the Lady Broncos with an overall score of +36 through three rounds. Both of their best scores were 81 after
round three for 23rd overall as they helped Hastings College to finish 10th out of the 12 teams participating as they wrapped up their spring season.
“For the spring season, my season has improved from the fall season,” said Tynes in an interview with The Tribune.
“I think that was impressive for me, considering that the weather in the spring is a little more harsh than the fall. I adjusted to that so that was a big accomplishment for me in that condition. I ended up
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.
Olympics Bahamas has announced that its National Bocce
SEE PAGE E2
THE NPABL reintroduced the senior baseball league with a pre-season tournament at the Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium over the weekend.
Photo: Chappell Whyms Jr
ACTION PLAN: THE Bahamas Baseball Association has a comprehensive plan that will cater to its players from the youth to the senior league. Shown, from left to right, are Shane Albury, Clarence McKenzie, Theodore Sweeting and Martin “Pork” Burrows. Photos: Nikia Charlton
69TH NATIONAL FAMILY ISLAND REGATTA HIGHLIGHTS
scheduled for this weekend at Stapledon School. The championships is slated to get started 2:30pm Friday until 5:30pm and continue 9:15am Saturday to 3pm. The official opening ceremonies is set for 11am Saturday. Teams from Abaco, Grand Bahama and Nassau will be battling it out for supremacy. It’s free entry for all spectators. For more information, contact 359-3558 or 422-3184.
RED-LINE YOUTH CHAMPIONSHIPS THE Red-Line Athletics Track Club has announced
that there has been a slight change in the events and schedule for its fourth annual Youth Track Classic. The classic, open to competitors from ages under-seven to under-16, is scheduled for Saturday, starting at 10am and Sunday, starting at 1pm, at the Thomas A Robinson Track and Field Stadium. The registration deadline is set for 5pm today. Athletes still interested in participating are urged to register at redlineathletics242@gmail and smnbutler@yahoo.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.
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,
Photos by Patrick Hanna/BIS
THE 69TH National Family Island Regatta was held in George Town, Exuma.
ZANE LIGHTBOURNE, Minister of State for Environment, skipper on the King and Knights was 4th. WAYNE MUNROE, Minister of National Security, skipper on the Irene Goodnight DNF.
CLAY SWEETING, Minister of Works and Family Affairs, skipper on the H20 finish 2nd.
CHESTER COOPER, Deputy Prime Minister, skipper on the Miss Rouie finish 3rd.
JOHN PINDER, parliamentary secretary, skipper on the Crazy Partner won the race.
Excitement builds over revitalisation of senior baseball league in NPABL
FROM PAGE E1
“We know that some of these teams may have to make some space on their rosters because once the players come home from school and they hear about the league, they will want to play,” Francis said.
“Other than that, we are encouraging the players to see if they can form at least another team or two. We would like to have at least six teams participate. But
if we don’t get the extra teams, we will go with the four we have now.” Francis said some people were sceptical about the pre-tournament getting off the ground, but they went to all lengths to make sure that it did. Now he’s encouraging those still sceptical to come out and view the games when the league officially starts. He anticipates that there will be some fierce competition between the teams participating.
BALTIMORE (AP) — New York Yankees second baseman Jasrado “Jazz” Chisholm Jr. left Tuesday night’s game against Baltimore in the top of the first
THE Sharks won the tournament with a 14-0 shutout over the Reapers, managed by AJ Ferguson. A 15-year-old from Freedom Farm was the winning pitcher. The Blue Power, managed by Ken Adderley, won third place over the Da Boyz, managed by Winston Seymour Jr.
THE New Providence Amateur Baseball League reintroduced the senior baseball league with a pre-season tournament at the Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium over the weekend.
Photos: Chappell Whyms Jr
Collegiate golfer Tyesha Tynes leads Hastings College
FROM PAGE E1
playing some really good golf for Hastings College.”
The 19-year-old former junior national champion, said her season was one of the best she had since she started playing collegiate golf and so she was really proud of herself as the Lady Broncos’ number two seeded player.
Now that the season is over, Tynes said she’s wrapping up her classes as a major in Fine/Studio art and a minor in construction management as she prepares to return home for the summer in about two weeks once school is closed.
“I’m an art major and right now I am painting ceramics and doing figure drawings,” she pointed out.
“I love my art classes and I’ve really been improving in that area in my college career.”
With aspirations of becoming a high school art teacher and an artist on the side, if she doesn’t make it to the professional ranks of golf, Tynes said she hopes to remain focused on her goal ahead of her.
“I’m excited about the fall season coming up when we return to school in August, seeing that I’ve been improving in the spring season,” she reflected.
“I just want to make myself proud and to ensure
that my family is proud of my achievements, both in the classroom and on the golf course.”
Tynes, the daughter of Nathalee and Tyrone Tynes, said she can’t wait for next month to be back home
with her family and friends, especially her former classmates at St John’s College.
“I miss a lot of Bahamian food, so I guess I’m going to eat a lot,” said Tynes, who is already craving the delicious macaroni and cheese made by her grandmother Ruby Munroe.
At the same time, she intends to go out on the golf course as much as she can to sharpen her game and to get ready to play on her first Caribbean Amateur Golf Championship team in the ladies’ division.
“I’m done as a junior, so I’m looking forward to playing on the senior team,” said Tynes, who was one of the top performers at the junior level. “I hope that I can make a contribution this time to the senior team.”
During the last tournament on the last day, Tynes said she learned a valuable lesson that she hopes to carry through to the rest of her career.
“I didn’t start off strong, but I didn’t give up,” she stated. “I had to really keep a good mindset and that helped me to shoot a lower score than if I had just given up.
“I didn’t give up. I kept a good attitude and that helped to finish with a really good low score.”
Hopefully it will be a lesson she carries with her for the rest of her life.
11th Annual Sands Golf Tournament set for May 4 at the Reef Golf Course
FREEPORT, Grand
Bahama – The 11th Annual Sands Golf Tournament is scheduled for Sunday, May 4, at the Reef Golf Course.
The tournament, which began over a decade ago and resumed last year after a four-year hiatus, continues to attract both experienced and casual golfers from across the island.
Last year’s event drew 52 players, with notable wins going to Dave Storoschuk and Paul Bowe, who clinched the net title with a final score of 56.9. Anthony Sam took closest to the pin, while Glen Volkes and Sue Urban earned lowest net. Hop Sing and Lorna Taylor walked away with the lowest gross score.
The tournament will follow the same blind draw, team scramble format, with a 9am shotgun start. Prizes will be awarded in several categories, including Men’s Net (1st, 2nd, 3rd), Ladies Net, Men’s Low Gross (1st, 2nd), Longest Drive, and Closest to the Pin.
Robbie Butler, Grand Bahama purchasing manager for Bahamian Brewery and Beverage Co., said the brewery is proud to continue the tradition of hosting the tournament.
“The Sands Tournament has become a staple event that our regulars look forward to year after year,” said Butler. “It’s not just about the competition – it’s the camaraderie, the laughter, the familiar faces. We’re proud to continue this tradition and invite new golfers to come out and enjoy the experience.” Entry fee is $95, and registration will take place at the Reef Clubhouse on Friday, May 2, from 12pm to 5pm.
Golfers are asked to call the Reef in advance to have their name added to the reserve list, as participation is limited to 48 players. Certified handicaps are required, and team pairings will be based on a blind draw between low and high handicap entrants. Each team must contribute a
minimum of six drives per player. Teams will only be eligible to win either a gross or a net prize. Final preparations are being made for the event,
which culminates in a Sands Beer afterparty and awards ceremony.
“It’s a great time for us to give back to our faithful customers, and Mr. James
“Jimmy” Sands will be joining in on the fun,” noted Buler. “We have been successful because of so many in this community, and as we
know sport really brings us all together.” For more information, contact the Reef Golf Course directly to participate and play.
TYESHA Tynes lining up her shot.
COLLEGIATE golfer Tyesha Tynes.
Intriguing Colorado Duo
Haliburton and Pacers eliminate Bucks, closing OT with 8-0 run to win 119-118
ABy MICHAEL MAROT AP Sports Writer
year a er quarterbacks dominated the top dozen picks, Miami s Cam Ward is the only sure re high pick among premier passers this year Bringing the intrigue into the dra are Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders and two-way star Travis Hunter who aims to play both cornerback and wide receiver in the NFL like he did in B oulder
INDIANAPOLIS (AP)
— Tyrese Haliburton thought he let the Indiana Pacers down in the fourth quarter.
in overtime, but he also committed the two gamechanging turnovers late in OT, and his full-court heave at the buzzer was nowhere close.
Where will Shedeur Sanders land when teams gather in the land of Vince Lombardi to restock their rosters? at’s the biggest stor yline of the NFL dra in Green Bay Wisconsin, with mocks all over the map
Turns out, he was just warming up for one of the most memorable finishes in franchise history.
Bypassing Colorado s precision passer could lead to deep regrets among talent evaluators, suggested longtime ESPN dra analyst Mel Kiper Jr Sanders overcame a substandard ground game and at times poor pass protection to throw for 37 touchdowns and more than 4,000 yards last season while completing more than 74% of his throws.
Indiana forced two turnovers in the final 29 seconds of overtime, and Haliburton blew past Giannis Antetokounmpo for the go-ahead layup with 1.3 seconds left to close an 8-0 run that sent the Pacers past the Milwaukee Bucks 119-118 on Tuesday night for a 4-1 series victory.
“This one will go down as one of the all-time great Pacers wins because of the circumstances, because of what was on the line,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “Ty, obviously, authored a big part of this ending. So congratulations to him.”
The Pacers will face topseeded Cleveland in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Game 1 is Sunday.
The Bucks have lost three consecutive first-round playoff series, the last two to Indiana, and this increasingly chippy rivalry ended fittingly with a shoving match between the teams at midcourt. Haliburton’s
Although Cam Ward, the consensus pick to go No 1 overall to the Tennessee Titans, arguably brings more electricity to the position, Sanders’ skillset merits no sco ng “He’s not creat have the mobilit rocket arm of Ca certainly Shedeu the right personn Shedeur Sande swag that his fat Jackson State an football eld in Coach Prime or Prime Time Some of that, a er touchdown
Bypassing on-the- eld workouts at the NFL Scouting Combine and the Big 12 pro day only added to the doubts that suddenly swirled around the son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, who dr yly wondered how his son s stock could have slipped when he hasn t thrown an interception since the Alamo B owl At the conclusion of the year, a er 4,000-some yards, all of a sudden his arm is weak ” Deion Sanders cracked “I don’t know when his arm got weak. But he protects the ball He had the highest completion percentage in college football this past year He’s the pillar of consistency
“But you ’ ve got to understand when that last name is on your back, you re going to be attacked and ridiculed But we re built for that. He was raised for this moment
Haliburton finished with 26 points and 10 assists as he improved to 9-0 in home playoff games. But after missing some open shots and a layup late in regulation, Haliburton needed his teammates’ support to help the Pacers steal another series from Milwaukee.
Antetokounmpo tried to will his short-handed Bucks to victory, finishing with 30 points, 20 rebounds and 13 assists. Gary Trent Jr. had 33 points and made four of his eight 3-pointers
Kiper concurred, saying Shedeur Sanders is “accurate he’s precise –everything ever ybody wants. Decisionmaking accuracy toughness he has Now he s 6-foot-and-a-half can t change that right? But six-foot-and-a-half is more than good enough now in this day and age
exit, Rivers plugged guards AJ Green and Kevin Porter Jr. and forward Bobby Portis Jr. into the starting
The Bucks were missing 10-time All-Star Damian Lillard, who tore his left Achilles tendon in Game 4
By BRIAN MAHONEY AP Basketball Writer
NEW YORK (AP) —
The players the Pistons put together to turn a 14-win team into a playoff squad aren’t ready to split up for the summer.
Instead, they’re going back to Detroit together — and maybe back to New York after that.
Cade Cunningham had 24 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, and the Pistons stayed alive in their first postseason appearance since 2019 by beating the Knicks 106-103 on Tuesday night in Game 5 of their first-round series.
The Pistons insisted they felt no extra pressure when they talked Tuesday morning on what could have been their last shootaround of a season in which they went 44-38 in one of the biggest turnarounds from
one season to the next in NBA history.
“Everybody’s got a back’s-against-the-wall type of mentality, but the group really loves being around each other and I think that was one of the biggest things,” forward Tobias Harris said. “Like, we don’t want this thing to stop. Like, we’ve got to keep on fighting.”
Ausar Thompson added 22 points and Harris had 17 for the Pistons, who will have a chance to even things up tonight at home in Game 6.
If they win that, the deciding game would be back at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.
Detroit, though, has lost an NBA record-tying nine straight home games since 2008.
But the Pistons seem comfortable in New York, where they were 2-0 in the
All five starters scored in double figures for Milwaukee. “I’m not going to do this,” Antetokounmpo said when asked if he thought he could win a second NBA title in Milwaukee.
“Whatever I say, I know how it’s going to translate. I wish I was still playing. I wish I was still like competing and going back out there.”
PISTONS BEAT KNICKS 106-103 IN GAME 5 TO STAY ALIVE IN THE FIRST-ROUND SERIES
regular season and now 2-1 in this series, including their Game 2 victory that snapped their 15-game postseason losing streak, the longest in NBA history.
Not surprisingly, they still like their chances in the series.
“Confident,” Cunningham said. “We’ll be back.”
OG Anunoby scored 19 points for the Knicks, who were trying to reach the Eastern Conference semifinals for the third straight season but never fully recovered from a poor start.
Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges each had 17, but Jalen Brunson had his worst game of the postseason with 16 points on 4-for-16 shooting.
“We just put ourselves in a deficit early,” Towns said. “All series we’ve been fighting back.”
The game was tied at 95 before Jalen Duren made
consecutive baskets and Cunningham scored for a six-point lead. The Pistons got a good break when Brunson and Josh Hart both left the game with injuries with 2:57 remaining and play went on for a while without a stoppage when they were ready to return. By the time they could, there were only 27 seconds left.
Brunson had scored 30 or more points in every game of the series and was averaging 33.3 through four games before not even getting halfway there Tuesday, when the Knicks were trying to win a series on their home floor for the first time since the 1999 Eastern Conference finals.
Now they will try to do it in Detroit, where they won Games 3 and 4. Duren finished with nine points, 14 rebounds and six assists.
Nuggets get 131-115 win over the Clippers
By ARNIE STAPLETON AP Sports Writer
(AP) — Nuggets interim
coach David Adelman sensed one of Jamal Murray’s patented playoff performances coming, and he was right on the money — just like his point guard.
Murray’s 43-point outburst powered Denver’s 131-115 win over the Clippers on Tuesday night that handed the Clippers its first back-to-back losses since March 4 and put the Nuggets one win away from a Round 2 matchup with OKC.
Murray was 17-of-26 shooting, including 8 for 14 from long range.
“Tonight, he played great,” Kawhi Leonard said.
“He came out, made shots, got hot, found his teammates and we pretty much couldn’t stop him.
He played amazing. Russ (Westbrook) came in and played great, as well.” Westbrook scored 21 points in his return from a left foot injury, including 16 of them in 12 first-half minutes as Denver led wire-to-wire. Adelman, the Nuggets’ interim coach, said some of Murray’s shots “were absolutely ridiculous. And I said before the game it’s coming with him. You know it is, in these big moments, these situations. He was born for this.”
This marked Murray’s best scoring game outside the Disney World bubble during the pandemic.
“When he’s aggressive, we’re a different team,” Westbrook said.
“When he’s got that swagger and he’s going out and competing at the level he did tonight, we’re a tough team to beat.”
Murray got plenty of help, including 23 points from Game 4 hero Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokic’s 21st career playoff triple-double (13 points, 10 rebounds, 12 assists) to go with Christian Braun’s double-double (11 points and 12 rebounds).
Braun also provided stellar defence of James Harden, who scored 11 points on 3-of-9 shooting with four turnovers. For the second straight game, he didn’t speak with reporters afterward.
And for the second consecutive game, Denver took a 22-point lead early in the fourth quarter only to watch the Clippers go on a furious run.
In Game 4, L.A. erased its entire deficit only to lose 101-99 when Gordon’s buzzer-beater provided the first walk-off dunk in NBA playoff history.
This time, the Clippers went on a 17-4 run to cut their deficit to single digits at 116-107, but the Nuggets fended off another frenetic finish by going on an 11-0 run with Murray scoring six and Gordon five to compel Clippers coach Tyronn Lue to empty his bench. Game 6 is tonight at the Intuit Dome and another
win by Denver would set up a second-round series against top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, which swept its first-round series with the Memphis Grizzlies. Ivaca Zubac led the Clippers with a playoff career-high 27 points. Leonard added 20 and Bogdan Bogdanovic added 18.
Westbrook’s return allowed Adelman to use his bench more after all five starters logged at least 42 minutes in Game 4.
Only Murray logged more than 40 minutes Tuesday night.
Murray “came out being aggressive, which we knew we would,” Lue said.
“That’s why we started off with a blitz against him, just trying to slow him down. We knew in Game 5 he would come out aggressive, and he made every shot — pull-up 3s, mid-range. We blitzed him, we dropped, we switched, we did a lot of different coverages, but he had a hell of a game.”
“Holding Joker to 13 points and losing the game is tough. But that’s how they beat you. If you worry about him too much, other guys can beat you. But I just thought Jamal Murray was excellent tonight.”
Shedeur Sanders Travis Hunter
INDIANA Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, center, celebrates a defensive play with teammates Andrew Nembhard, left, and center
Myles Turner (33) during the second half in Game 5 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Indiana Pacers, in
Indianapolis, Tuesday, April 29, 2025.
(AP Photo/ Michael Conroy)
PISTONS forward Ausar Thompson (9) dunks the ball in the second half during Game 5 in their first-round playoff series against the New York Knicks on Tuesday in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
CLIPPERS centre Ivica Zubac, left, dunks the ball for a basket as Nuggets centre Nikola Jokic defends in the first half of Game 5 of their playoff series Tuesday in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Barcelona and Inter Milan
of their Champions League semifinal
By JOSEPH WILSON Associated Press
BARCELONA, Spain
(AP) — Barcelona and Inter Milan delivered a thrilling 3-3 draw in the first leg of their Champions League semifinal yesterday.
The game featured gorgeous goals from both sides and sets up a must-see sequel next week in Milan.
Marcus Thuram was a doubt for the starting 11 after missing Inter’s previous three matches — all losses without a goal.
But the striker used the back of his heel to turn in a cross by Denzel Dumfries to stun the hosts just seconds after kickoff.
Dumfries scored his first of two goals with a bicycle kick to double Inter’s lead in the 21st.
Lamine Yamal sparked Barcelona into action in the 24th when he dribbled past
two defenders and sliced a shot in off the far post.
He went close to an equaliser moments later after gliding down the endline and firing a shot with just a sliver off an angle off the crossbar.
Ferran Torres rammed in a headed pass by Raphinha to equalise for Barcelona in the 38th.
Inter suffered another blow when Lautaro Martínez had to be substituted at halftime, but Dumfries charged in to head home a corner kick to put Inter back ahead in the 63rd.
Raphinha needed two minutes to pull Barcelona level again when his blistering shot from outside the top of the box struck the crossbar, ricocheted off the back of goalkeeper Yann Sommer and found the net.
“Playing at home, we had the obligation to win,” Raphinha said. “But the
result is not that bad and we will prepare for the second game so we come out on top.”
Barcelona is trying to reach its first final since 2015, when it collected its fifth title.
In its first season under Hansi Flick, the Spanish club is also trying to repeat the treble of major trophies it won a decade ago.
Simone Inzaghi’s Inter is aiming for its second final in three years, after losing to Manchester City in the trophy match in 2023.
The last time three-time winner Inter lifted the European Cup it beat Barcelona at the same stage in 2010.
The winner will face either Paris Saint-Germain or Arsenal in Munich on May 31.
PSG beat Arsenal 1-0 in London on Tuesday in their first match.
MARINE FORECAST
INTER Milan’s Denzel Dumfries, centre, scores during the Champions League semifinal first leg soccer match between Barcelona and Inter Milan in Barcelona, Spain, yesterday. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)
Intriguing Colorado Duo
Ayear a er quarterbacks dominated the top dozen picks, Miami s Cam Ward is the only sure re high pick among premier passers this year Bringing the intrigue into the dra are Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders and two-way star Travis Hunter, who aims to play both cornerback and wide receiver in the NFL like he did in B oulder
Defending champion Celtics close out Magic 120-89 for 4-1 playoff series victory
By JIMMY GOLEN AP Sports Writer
Where will Shedeur Sanders land when teams gather in the land of Vince Lombardi to restock their rosters? at s the biggest stor yline of the NFL dra in Green Bay, Wisconsin, with mocks all over the map
BOSTON (AP) — When
Magic star Paolo Banchero went to the bench with five fouls, the Boston Celtics pulled away and cruised into the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Bypassing Colorado’s precision passer could lead to deep regrets among talent evaluators, suggested longtime ESPN dra analyst Mel Kiper Jr Sanders overcame a substandard ground game and at times poor pass protection to throw for 37 touchdowns and more than 4,000 yards last season while completing more than 74% of his throws.
Jayson Tatum had 35 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds, and the Celtics abandoned their usual 3-point barrage to beat Orlando 120-89 in Game 5 of their first-round playoff series on Tuesday night.
Although Cam Ward the consensus pick to go No 1 overall to the Tennessee Titans, arguably brings more electricity to the position, Sanders skillset merits no sco ng He s not creative like Cam He doesn
Franz Wagner scored 25 points, Banchero had 19 and Wendell Carter Jr. had 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Magic, who have not won a playoff series since Dwight Howard, Vince Carter and coach Stan Van Gundy led them to the Eastern Conference finals in 2010.
Bypassing on-the- eld workouts at the NFL Scouting Combine and the Big 12 pro day only added to the doubts that suddenly swirled around the son of Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, who dr yly wondered how his son ’ s stock could have slipped when he hasn’t thrown an interception since the Alamo B owl
The defending NBA champions will play either the New York Knicks or Detroit Pistons in the second round.
At the conclusion of the year
The Knicks lead their series 3-2 despite falling 106-103 earlier Tuesday in New York.
a er 4,000-some yards, all of a sudden his arm is weak, Deion Sanders cracked I don t know when his arm got weak. But he protects the ball He had the highest completion percentage in college football this past year He s the pillar of consistency
“You just have to find different ways,” said Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla, whose team set NBA records in the regular season for the most 3-point baskets but made none at all in the first half — a first in almost four years.
Boston fell behind by nine in the first half, and Orlando still led 51-47 early in the third quarter when Banchero picked up his fourth foul; just 79 seconds later, he picked up his fifth, a call that sent an apoplectic coach Jamahl Mosley to the officials, demanding a review.
The replay showed Banchero stepped into Jaylen Brown as he shot, and the Magic forward went to the bench, where he stayed for the rest of the quarter.
In that time, Boston scored 31 of the next 40 points to open an 83-62 lead.
“It definitely swung the series. It definitely swung the game,” Mosley said.
But you ve got to understand when that last name is on your back you ’ re going to be attacked and ridiculed But we ’ re built for that. He was raised for this moment ”
“That’s what this series called for. Every series calls for different things,” Mazzulla said.
“You have to be able to win in different ways on both sides of the ball,” he stated.
Kiper concurred saying Shedeur Sanders is accurate, he s precise –everything ever ybody wants. Decisionmaking, accuracy, toughness, he has Now, he’s 6-foot-and-a-half, can’t change that, right? But six-foot-and-a-half is more than good enough now in this day and age ”
Shedeur Sanders
“All I saw is Paolo getting an elbow to the face or back into the face — and he got the foul. That was a gamechanger right there. Your best player picks up his fifth foul in the third quarter. It’s tough to come back from that moment.”
Brown scored 23 points for Boston. Tatum, who injured his wrist on a hard foul in Game 1 and missed Game 2, returned with three straight games of at least 35 points.
He was 11 for 11 from the free-throw line — he has not missed a foul shot since Game 1 — and 10 for 16 from the field, making four of five 3-point attempts. The Celtics attempted only
six 3-pointers in the first half and made none. It was the first time they went into halftime without a 3 since 2021. Tatum made their first 3-pointer early in the
third quarter, but it would be another seven minutes before he made their second. During the regular season, they made one, on average, every 2 minutes, 42 seconds.
ROCKETS AVOID ELIMINATION, ROUTING CURRY AND WARRIORS 131-116 IN GAME 5
By KRISTIE RIEKEN AP Sports Writer
HOUSTON (AP) —
Fred VanVleet scored 26 points, Amen Thompson added 25 and the Houston Rockets avoided elimination with a 131-116 rout of the Golden State Warriors in Game 5 of a first-round playoff series last night.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr threw in the towel early in this one with the game out of hand.
A layup by VanVleet midway through the third quarter made it 93-64, and Kerr called timeout and cleared his bench.
Houston coach Ime Udoka followed suit with about a minute to go in the third and his team up 10576. He put all his starters back in with about eight minutes left after Golden State cut the lead to 109-92.
Dillon Brooks added 24 points on a night when all five Houston scored in double figures.
A 9-5 run by the Warriors got them within 114-101 before a fracas broke out with about four minutes to go. Pat Spencer pushed Brooks and then was ejected after headbutting Alperen Sengun in the ensuing scuffle.
Houston went on a 7-2 run after that to put the game away.
The Rockets put together their best game this postseason to extend the series after losing both games in California.
The Rockets also fell in Game 3, which Jimmy Butler sat out with an injury.
They raced to a 14-point lead after one quarter and by the time Stephen Curry
made his first basket on a 3-pointer midway through the second, they led 55-32. They had a 27-point lead at halftime behind 19 points from VanVleet.
Butler managed just eight points in 25 minutes on 2-of-10 shooting after combining for 52 points in the two full games he’d played in this series.
Curry was 4 of 12 for 13 points after scoring more than 30 points in two of the first four games to move the Warriors within a game of clinching the series.
The Warriors made 15 of 44 3-pointers and shot 41.7% overall.
The Rockets made 13 of 30 3s and shot 55.1%. By extending the series, the Rockets have a chance to become the 14th team in NBA history to overcome a 3-1 deficit in a best-of-seven series.
Houston has done it twice, most recently in the 2015 Western Conference semifinals against the Clippers.
The Warriors were on the wrong end of such a comeback, losing the 2016 NBA
FROM left; Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III, guard Brandin Podziemski and guard Stephen Curry (30) sit on the bench during the second half of Game 5 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets last night in Houston. (AP Photos/David J Phillip)
BOSTON Celtics centre Kristaps Porzingis celebrates with fans after eliminating the Orlando Magic in game 5 of a first-round NBA playoff basketball series on Tuesday night in Boston.
(AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
HOUSTON Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (5) shoots against the Golden State Warriors during the first half.