SPORTS
THURSDAY, MAY 15, 2025
Police handcuff John
Brown for 81-78 win
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
Dion McPhee came through with the clutch putback with 4.3 seconds left on the clock as the Police Crimestoppers handcuffed the visiting John Brown University Golden Eagles men’s basketball team 81-78.
Last night’s game at the AF Adderley Gymnasium concluded the Golden Eagles’ week-long trip to The Bahamas from Arkansas, but the Crimestoppers were determined not to allow them to go home with the winning hardware.
McPhee, who had four points in the fourth as the Crimestoppers made a gallant comeback, finished
the game with 15 points. He said he almost blew the play, but was happy to get the job done.
“I saw my big man (Richard Lowe) going down for a lay-up, but in this game, anything is liable to happen, so I just stuck with it and I was able to stick with it, got the offensive rebound and put it back up to put my team ahead,” he said.
“This was a good exhibition win for us to get ready for the government league. We need to get sharp and tighten up on some things for the government league.”
Garvin Clarke Jr, back home from school, scored a game high 18 points to lead the Police and was named the most valuable player.
Lowe, also home from school, had 12 and Adam Johnson added 11. Dastyn Baker contributed nine.
With the combination he had to work with, Police’s head coach Vernon Stubbs said the Crimestoppers just wanted it more down the stretch with the home court advantage and the crowd cheering for them.
“This was a good team we played, but our guys came ready. We thank God for the victory,” he said. “When you come prepared, you are ready for anything. Defence wins the game and my guys were resilient. That was what won the game.”
For the Golden Eagles, Trae Getting scored 16 points to lead three other players in double figures. Carter Carbonell had 14, LePra George 13 and Jack Ullom chipped in with 10.
Despite the loss, John Brown’s head coach Jason Beschta said he knew it was going to be a battle right to the end.
“After watching the earlier games and seeing so much talent on this island, we knew that we will have to fight hard for this one,” he said. “But what a better way for us to end this trip than for the game to go right down to the wire.”
As the game got underway, Johnson got a couple of block shots and Lowe powered inside for a few baskets, while Clarke Jr
came in and knocked some shots to put the Police up at the end of the first quarter.
After trailing in the first quarter, the Golden Eagles connected on the three ball to cut the deficit to one, 28-27. But the Crimestoppers knocked down a couple three-pointers to stay ahead 36-32.
John Brown University went inside and tied the score at 36-36 and a
three-pointer to go up 39-36. Despite a threepointer and a pass from Clarke Jr for a lay-up at the buzzer, the Crimestoppers still trailed 48-47 at the half. In the first two minutes of the third, Johnson got two consecutive dunks for a 52-52 tie for the Police. The score remained tied
SYDNEY Clarke returned to Germany and continued to make her presence felt, winning both her opening singles and doubles matches in her first tournament in the Herren Tennis-Turnier um den St Elizabeth-Cup.
In her return to Herne, Germany for the second straight year for the Summer League, Clarke helped her team TC GrunWeiss Herne win 7-2 on Sunday in the first of seven matches they will play during the course of the season.
Clarke, the top seeded player on the team, won 6-3 6-1 in singles over Lissan Grote and she paired up with Michelle Rosemeyes as they won 6-4 6-3 over the pair of Seiferth/Grubke from the TC NeheimHuesten team.
“So far the season is off to a good start. We are a young team, but I feel that we all have the skill set and the talent and good chemistry,” Clarke said. “That is what has helped to push us during our last match.
“We had a few players who were negative in the singles, but they were able to turn it around in the doubles, which resulted in us winning 7-2. So I think that shows true character and that it proves that the girls are willing to learn as a young team.”
With everyone open to learning, Clarke said they are improving on their strongest aspects as a team and, as they are bonding well together, she has high hopes for the team this season and the “magic” continues to “happen” as they “progress” in each
BREANNA Stewart will start her ninth WNBA season in a few days. The New York Liberty All-Star and WNBA champ has been around the league long enough to watch her peers fight for visibility. She’s seen only a small uptick in player salaries over the years amid the WNBA’s meteoric rise in popularity. Stewart has been a part of negotiations for two collective bargaining agreements as a member of the WNBA’s players union.
FLING
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
For
By ALANIS THAMES AP Sports Writer
player Jonquel Jones.
Corrington Maycock at 395-6381, coach Quell Harris at 818-2095 and or coach Acaci at 445-3915 for more information.
BASKETBALL
announced that its 6th Aquathlon/Triathlon National Championships is scheduled for from May 24-25 in Jaws Beach.
The event is open to all athletic levels. For more information, interested persons can visit bahamastriathlon.org.
TRACK OPEN HOUSE
THE Blue Chip Athletics is slated to hold its Open House Invitation on Saturday, May 31 from 9-11:30am at the Queen’s College campus.
The competitors will get a chance to show off their skills in discus, shot put, javelin and the hammer throws.
Interested persons are urged to contact coach
THE Freedom Farm Baseball League hosted its 2025 Lionel Ferguson Sr All-Star Classic on Saturday with a series of exciting activities at the park in Yamacraw.
The day was dubbed a success with the following results posted for the winners:
Fastest Players - Joshua Munroe - 3/4; Shaheim Bowe - 5/6; Khari Bowe - 7/8; Zahmir Rolle- 9/10; Lakanz Stirrup - 11/12; Makai Forbes - 13/14.
Golden Arm - Chozen Darville 5/6; Ignacio Carey 7/8; Jermaine Clarke 9/10; Elisha Sands 11/12; Zachary Dean 13/14.
Pass The Bat On - Hawks 3/4; Sea Grapes 5/6; Termites 7/8; Lionfish 9/10; Wild dogs 11/12; Silverjacks 13/14.
Home Run DerbyChristian King -9/10; Elliott Clarke & George Ramsaran -11/12. Around The Horn - Octopus -9/10; Scrappers- 11/12.
All-Star Game Winners
- 3-4 Aqua; 5-6 Gold; 7-8 Aqua; 9-10 Aqua; 11-12 Gold; 13-14 Aqua; 15-20 Gold.
of guns,” will be held from July 14-19 at the Michael ‘Scooter’ Reid Basketball Center.
DARRELL SEARS
SHOWCASE GRAND Bahamian basketball coach Darrell Sears is scheduled to host a basketball showcase May 16-18 at the St George’s Gymnasium.
The showcase will run from 6-10pm on day one, 8am to 5pm on day two and 10am to 1pm on the final day. Registration is opened to players in grades 7-12 and unattached with college eligibility. A number of visiting coaches from high school and colleges will be in town from the United States and possibly Canada to conduct the showcase. For more information, persons can call 242-6469557 or 242-533-6374.
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
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 matchup. Lots of prizes, including round trip tickets, will be up for grabs.
GSSSA SOCCER
THE Government Secondary Schools Sports Association is currently playing its soccer regular season action at the Roscoe Davies Developmental Center.
Junior girls and boys games are being played on Tuesday and Thursdays and the senior boys and girls are playing on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays. Games start at 4pm every day. The sudden death playoffs for the senior girls and boys was yesterday with the third place and championship game on Friday, May 16. The sudden death playoffs for the junior girls and
boys will be played today (Thursday, May 15.) And the championship games played on Monday, May 19.
BASKETBALL
12th BOWLES CAMP
The International Basketball Association Bahamas will host its 12th annual Denykco Bowles Elite Skills Basketball Camp at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium. Under the theme “Developing Champions on all levels,” the co-ed camp for boys and girls will run from June 23 to July 19. For more info, interested persons can contact 466-0049 or email ibabahamaspamthers@gmail. com or log into info info. ibsbsshamas.
SOFTBALL
SKILL LEVEL
OPENING
THE New Providence Softball Association, under the presidency of Addie Finley, will hold a softball tournament for all skill levels opening on Saturday, May 17 at the Bankers Field at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex. The tournament, which is free of charge, will afford players to come out and participate on any team to either develop their skills or to get back into the game
after not playing since high school or have retired from the sport.
Interested players are urged to call 817-6307 or email alf13861883@ gmail.com for further information.
SOCCER MEN’S LEAGUE
THE Bahamas Football Association continued its men’s league play over the weekend at the Roscoe Davies Developmental Center at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex. Here’s a look at the results posted: Western Warriors Titan blanked Inter Nassau 3-0 in an away walkover.
Renegades blanked United 3-0 with N Johnson, N Wilson and M Wood booting in a goal each. Dynamos defeated University of the Bahamas Mingoes 7-1 as B Adderley, C Edouard and V Hanna went on a scoring spree with two goals each. P Wilson added another one. P Pilgrim scored the lone goal in the loss.
YOUTH SOCCER LEAGUE
THE Bahamas Football Association continued its Youth League over the weekend at the Roscoe Davies Developmental Center at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex.
Dynamos def. Baha Juniors 2-1. J Jones and D Ferguon both scored a goal in the win. C Heastie scored the lone goal in the loss. Renegades Defenders def. Western Warriors 2-1 s T Bannister booted in the two goals for the winners. Renegades Chargers def. Renegades Sharks 5-2, highlighted by the three goals from S Wright and one each from R hipman and T Fox respectively.
Baha Juniors won 3-0 over United in a walkover.
WOMEN’S GOLF DAY
THE Flamingo Women’s Golf Association is scheduled to hold its second annual Women’s Golf Invitational Tournament at the Bahamas Golf Federation’s Nine-Hole Golf Range at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex. The event is scheduled for May 30-31. Interested golfers can call 422-3744 or email flamingowomensgolfclub@gmail.com
CYCLING NATIONALS THE Bahamas Cycling Federation has announced that its
championships
Photos by Chappell Whyms Jr
UNITING BASEBALL: Members of Ultimate Champion Sports Academy baseball team, made up of players from Freedom Farm,
Ultimate Champion Sports Academy team earns USSSA 10AA ranking
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor
bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
THE Ultimate Champion Sports Academy team, made up of players from Freedom Farm, the Junior Baseball League of Nassau and the Grand Bahama Little League, was so impressive in their recent performances that they have now earned a ranking in the United States Specialty Sports Association 10AA Division.
The team, led by Bahamas Baseball Association president Clarence ‘CJ’ McKenzie, is now pegged at number six in the USSSA 10AA Division in the United States out of 1,872 teams after their back-toback tournament wins.
The team recently returned from the Central Florida USSSA Battle of the Lakes Tournament that was held from April 26-27 in Umatilla, Florida.
Prior to that trip, the Ultimate Champion Sports
Academy’s 10U team won last month’s USSSA War on I-4 in the 10U AA Division against 15 teams from the state of Florida.
McKenzie managed the team and was assisted by Sean Adderley and SeDale McKenzie.
The players were Elisha Thompson, Ace Adderley, Caleb Munroe, Jermaine Clarke, Chaz Cunningham, Myles Culmer, Jason Cartwright Jr., Michael Wilson, Zahmir Monehal-Rolle and Bruce Russell.
In their last outing, the team went undefeated, winning all five games with four being stopped by the mercy rule.
According to McKenzie, the team was tested early in games but was able to pull away from the competition as the games went on.
“We scored the most runs in the tournament at 63 giving up just 14,” McKenzie stated.
“In the playoffs our pitching was phenomenal as we had great starts from Chaz
Cunningham, who won the quarter-finals for us.
“Ace Adderley pitched the semi-finals game and was our winning pitcher.
“And Elisha Thompson was the winning pitcher in the championship game,” he added.
McKenzie could only sing the praises of the performances of the players.
“I was very pleased with the team’s performance as we made spectacular plays on defence and had a hitting parade on offence
game after game,” McKenzie said.
“This team knows how to win tournaments.
“I was delighted to see the team’s ranking improve from 28th to 6th out of 1,751 teams throughout the United States as a result of their back-to-back championships.”
The next tournament will be in June for the USSSA Dallas Fort Worth World Series in Texas as they will face teams from all over the US.
POPE MEETS SINNER: NO. 1 PLAYER GIVES TENNIS FAN POPE LEO XIV RACQUET ON ITALIAN OPEN OFF DAY
By NICOLE WINFIELD and ANDREW DAMPF Associated Press
VATICAN CITY (AP)
— Pope Leo XIV has made peace with Jannik Sinner.
The top-ranked tennis player visited the new pope yesterday, gave him a tennis racquet and offered to play, during an off day for Sinner at the Italian Open.
Leo, the first American pope, is an avid tennis player and fan and had said earlier this week that he would be up for a charity match when it was suggested by a journalist.
But at the time, Leo joked “we can’t invite Sinner,” an apparent reference to the English meaning of Sinner’s last name. By Wednesday, all seemed forgotten.
“It’s an honour,” Sinner said in Italian as he and his parents arrived in a reception room of the Vatican’s auditorium.
Holding one of his racquets and giving Leo another and a ball, the three-time Grand Slam champion suggested a quick volley. But the pope looked
around at the antiques and said, “Better not.” Leo, a 69-year-old from Chicago, then appeared to joke about his white cassock and its appropriateness for Wimbledon, perhaps a reference to the All England Club’s allwhite clothing rule.
He asked how the Italian Open was going. “Now I’m in the game,” Sinner said. “At the beginning of the tournament, it was a bit difficult.”
Sinner has a quarterfinal match today in his first tournament back after a three-month ban for doping that was judged to be an accidental contamination.
He will next face freshly crowned Madrid champion Casper Ruud.
Sinner is attempting to become the first Italian man to win the Rome title since Adriano Panatta in 1976.
During the audience, Angelo Binaghi, the head of the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation, gave Leo an honorary federation card.
“We all felt the passion that Leo XIV has for our sport and this filled us with
ITALY’S JANNIK SINNER, left, shares a light moment with Pope Leo XIV on the occasion of their meeting at the Vatican yesterday. (Vatican Media via AP)
pride,” Binaghi said in a statement.
“We hope to embrace the Holy Father again soon, maybe on a tennis court,” he said.
The pope and Sinner posed for photos in front of the Davis Cup trophy that Sinner helped Italy win for the second consecutive time last year.
Also on display in the room was the Billie Jean King Cup trophy won by Italy in 2024, the biggest
women’s team event in tennis.
Earlier in the week, after Leo’s first quip about not wanting to invite him, Sinner said it was “a good thing for us tennis players” that the new pope likes to play the sport.
In addition to tennis, Leo is an avid Chicago White Sox baseball fan.
His predecessor, Pope Francis, was a lifelong fan of Buenos Aires soccer club San Lorenzo.
Police handcuff John Brown for 81-78 win
FROM PAGE E2
for the majority of the period before the Golden Eagles pulled ahead 69-65 at the end of the final break. First minute and half in the fourth, the Police went inside for a 71-70 deficit. With 3:16 left, Lowe drove inside for a 78-76 Crimestoppers lead. At the two-minute mark, Boaz Camp got a reverse layup for a 78-78 tie. With 1:00 left, Golden Eagles’ Battle fouled out, but Johnson missed both free throws for the Crimestoppers.
After a couple of missed opportunities on both sides, McPhee got the putback with 4.3 seconds to put the Crimestoppers up 80-78. Clarke Jr then sealed the deal by converting the last of his two charity shots for the final score.
A few other games between local teams were played prior to the nightcap, but those scores were unavailable up to press time.
AS WNBA POPULARITY SOARS, PLAYER SALARIES REMAIN A BIG HURDLE FOR THE LEAGUE TO ADDRESS
FROM PAGE E1
“It’s been going up incrementally,” Stewart said.
“But hopefully with the new TV deal that’s coming, it’ll really kind of boost itself into a category of its own.”
That’s what WNBA players were hoping for when they opted out of the current CBA two years before its expiration.
The WNBA is bringing in more money than ever from sponsors and ticket sales, and will bring in much more from its 11-year media rights deal, worth around $200 million per year starting in 2026.
With its expanding reach, the WNBA’s progress has come in a few areas: More teams are being added to the league, meaning more roster spots.
Full-time charter flights were added last season after years of players lobbying for better travel.
But as the league booms, players are looking for a larger share in that growth. WNBA players currently earn only a small fraction of the league’s revenue share.
Player salaries have been a longstanding point of contention between the NBA — which owns about 60% of the WNBA and leads CBA negotiations — and
women’s basketball players. It’s one of the biggest financial hurdles the league still faces, and players have said they’re willing to sit out games if negotiations don’t lead to a pay structure they feel is fair.
“The talent is there, the product is there,” Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale said.
“Now we need to be compensated for it.”
The current WNBA CBA, which was signed before the 2020 season, boosted the maximum salaries for star players from $117,500 in 2019 to $215,000 in 2020.
But that was long before the league’s recent popularity burst, before star players like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese brought in record numbers of fans.
“The league has only soared since” 2020, said Risa Isard, an assistant sports management professor at UConn. “And so this is the chance for the players to kind of recoup all of the value that they’ve produced in the last five years that they hadn’t gotten to see themselves so directly.”
What WNBA players are paid compared to NBA players Paige Bueckers, the No. 1 pick in last month’s WNBA draft, signed a rookie deal
that will be worth just over $78,000 in base salary, which is around what Clark received as the No. 1 pick a year ago. They’ll make much more in marketing deals and performance bonuses.
Both are considered generational talents. Both are regarded as franchise-altering players.
Both will make significantly less in base salary than most players in other leagues who have been just as hyped for their potential to change the trajectory of their teams.
That’s true for established stars like Stewart and threetime MVP A’ja Wilson, too.
Players of their calibre can make at most around $240,000.
The minimum salary for NBA players is $1,157,153. Victor Wembanyama, the superstar San Antonio Spurs centre drafted No. 1 in 2023, earned $12.2 million as part of his $55 million rookie contract.
The NBA’s numbers are much bigger in part because of the huge difference in profit margins of both leagues.
The NBA generated around $11 billion in revenue last season. The WNBA does not publicly release its revenue numbers, though Bloomberg reported the
league made around $200 million in 2023.
WNBA player salaries are also significantly less than what the NBA paid its players when it last generated around $30 million — $200 million today, when adjusted for inflation — in the early 1970s, said David Berri, an economics professor at Southern Utah University. It’s top players then were making around $300,000, which today would be roughly $2 million, he said.
“They’re paying the women today so very, very little relative to what they were paying the men 50 years ago,” Berri added, “and the explanation of that to me, (is) you’re obviously just treating the women differently than the men.”
How much WNBA player salaries could increase
How much of a salary increase players receive remains to be seen. Berri said a 50% share of $200 million revenue earnings would equal an average player salary of at least $1 million, with max salaries going anywhere from $3 million to $5 million.
That’s easier said than done, he added.
“Is the NBA going to acknowledge how little they were paying them?” Berri said, “and suddenly just
come out with an agreement and say, ‘Oh, we’re going to pay you $5 million now?”
No WNBA player has ever earned close to $1 million in salary, but Stewart said reaching that number could set an important precedent.
“There are players in this league that are valued at more than $1 million,” Stewart said.
“That’s just the reality of what it is. But for everyone else, seeing that number and realising that, OK — now by that point, the league will be probably 30 years into it — and look what we’ve done.”
Pros and cons of WNBA players sitting out games
CBA negotiations have never led to WNBA players sitting out games, and many are hoping that it doesn’t come to that point.
Though the WNBA, which is only 29 years old, has experienced a financial boom, it is still very small in terms of revenue compared to the NBA, which has been around for 80 years. That means WNBA players’ leverage is limited if they decide to sit out games, Berri said.
“Because if you walk off the job and don’t show up, the owners, the NBA owners are like, you’re
actually not costing me much money,” he added.
Berri pointed to the U.S. women’s national soccer team’s fight for equal pay as a blueprint for potential success.
Many of those players constantly brought attention to the gender pay gap in soccer through the media and their own online accounts. It ended in the U.S. House passing an equal pay bill in 2022, and Berri expects WNBA players could use similar methods.
If players do decide to sit out games, Isard, the UConn professor, said it wouldn’t be surprising given their history of standing up for causes they believe in.
“Often, they’re really selfless in what those causes are,” Isard said, “and they’re looking out for everyone and anyone else and the community, and what is happening in the Senate race, and what’s happening in reproductive justice and what’s happening in gun legislation — so many ways that they stand up for so many populations across this country. “And I guess when I hear them say, ‘We would consider that,’ What I hear them say is, ‘Why wouldn’t we stand up for ourselves? We stand up for everyone. So us, too.’”
POLICE Crimestoppers and John Brown University Golden Eagles basketball teams pose together with Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture Mario Bowleg and event organisers.
PLAY ACTION: Police Crimestoppers beat the visiting John Brown University Golden Eagles men’s basketball team 81-78 last night at AF Adderley Gymnasium.
Photo: Chappell Whyms Jr
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 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
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.
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 ridi ra Sa ev m he rig go
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’t have the mobility of Cam He doesn t have the rocket arm of Cam Ward, Kiper said But certainly Shedeur, in the right o ense, with the right personnel around him, can be great Shedeur Sanders brings some of the same swag that his father who coached him at Jackson State and Colorado brought to the football eld in the 1980s and ‘90s when Coach Prime was known as Neon Deion” or Prime Time Some of that, like his ashy watch pose a er touchdowns, may turn o opposing players and fans – and even some NFL scouts -but it shows a bravado that pro teams want, and
need, in their quarterback. e Cleveland Browns own the second overall pick followed by the New York Giants. e Browns still need a franchise quarterback and the Giants could select their future signal-caller despite signing free agents Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston this o season. Other wise, LSU o ensive lineman Will Campbell and Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter are two blue-chippers worthy of high dra picks. Cleveland would be hard-pressed to pass on Sanders’ teammate Travis Hunter the
By PAT GRAHAM AP Sports Writer
DENVER (AP) — Jamal Murray didn’t quite guarantee a Game 7. He alluded to it, though, in between sips of his blueberry-coloured postgame recovery smoothie.
“Very confident,” the Denver Nuggets guard said of a return to Oklahoma City. Before then, there’s the matter of Game 6, which is tonight in Denver.
For the Nuggets, there’s also the matter of finding a way to protect a fourthquarter lead after the Thunder won the last two with late surges to take a 3-2 advantage in the second-round series.
The young Thunder are gaining experience by the moment in their quest to make the franchise’s first appearance in the Western Conference finals since 2016. The Nuggets have shown that depth remains a concern as they brace for a win-or-stay-home scenario at Ball Arena.
“We’re going to go play the game in Denver, and then we get to come back,” Murray said after Tuesday’s 112-105 loss in Oklahoma City, hinting at a Game 7 that would take place Sunday. “We’ve just got to keep a good mindset. It’s not like we’re playing a bad
brand of basketball. It’s not like we’re playing selfish. It comes down to getting a couple stops to win the game.”
The Thunder may be youthful, but they’re also composed — no matter the fourth-quarter deficit.
In Game 4, they rallied after being down eight in the final quarter. In Game 6, they were trailing by nine before Lu Dort came to the rescue. Dort hit three critical 3-pointers in a twominute stretch to help propel the Thunder.
“We always say the answer is never a hero play or anything out of the ordinary,” said Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 31 points in Game 5. “It’s being who we are. It’s trusting each other.”
All the time on the court may be adding up for Denver’s starting five, which has played roughly 951 minutes in the series — 138 more than Oklahoma City’s starters. Denver doesn’t have much bench depth outside of Russell Westbrook, Peyton Watson and occasionally Julian Strawther. What’s more, the Nuggets are a combined 12 of 44 from the field — 2 of 24 from 3-point range — in the fourth quarter during their last two losses.
Scoring-wise, three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic was the only thing the
Nuggets had going for them in the fourth quarter Tuesday as he hit 4 of 6 shots from the field. The rest of the team was a combined 1 of 15 in the final quarter, including 0 of 10 from 3-point range. “If it is fatigue, that’s on me,” Nuggets interim head coach David Adelman said.
“If guys are tired or had
tired legs, that’s the decisions I’m making.”
Meanwhile, the Thunder had nine players see at least 10 minutes of action in Game 5. That versatility up and down the bench is simply the identity of the Thunder, who are the West’s top seed after a 68-win regular season. “Nothing’s been unexpected or wowed
us in our performances. It’s been what we know all year,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “All year, we’ve been building those habits to make sure that we are ready for these moments and ready for these games. We have one more to go get.”
Standing in the way is Jokic, who’s rediscovered his shooting touch. He finished with 44 points on 17 of 25 shooting in Game 5. This after shooting 31.9% over the previous two games. “I don’t think ‘Joke’ should be going through any type of slander when he’s still playing all-NBA-, MVP-, Hall of Fame-type of level,” Murray explained. “He’s been playing amazing. He does everything he can to win every single night.”
The Nuggets are searching for ways to ignite a banged-up Michael Porter Jr., who’s wearing a pad on his sprained left shoulder. Porter was held to two points on Tuesday. He was 0 for 5 from 3-point range, including two misses in the final 68 seconds.
“When he’s open, he needs to take it, and we want him to take a shot,” Jokic said.
Their confidence level heading into a game where the Thunder could wrap up the series?
“We’re not going to go and just give them Game
6,” Jokic said. “We will play our best.”
Oklahoma City Thunder at Denver Nuggets When/where to watch: Game 6, 8:30 p.m. EDT (ESPN).
Series: Thunder lead 3-2.
BetMGM Sportsbook: Thunder by 4.5. What to know: The last time Oklahoma City made the conference finals was 2016, when they lost to Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors in seven games. It was a Thunder team that featured Kevin Durant and Westbrook. This version of the Thunder has what coach Mark Daigneault called “unbelievable spirit” after Tuesday’s win.
“That’s why they’ve accomplished what they’ve accomplished to this point,” Daigneault said. “For a lot of that game we didn’t have our fastball. But we hung around long enough and showed great will and connectedness down the stretch.”
Tennis ace Sydney Clarke
‘making
her mark’ in Germany
FROM PAGE E1
match. Clarke, a 2024 graduate of University of Alabama at Arlington, was invited to play in the tournament last year by one of her team-mates. As the shortest member of the team, Clarke’s impressive performance last year enabled her to get an invitation to return this year.
“My expectations going forward in regards to my performance, I feel I’m very much prepared. I’ve been training very hard at home,” she said.
“I played in two ITF tournaments so far this year in March. Although I didn’t do as well as I anticipated, those tournaments prepared me for this. So I think my performance from last year will be so much better. I’m more knowledgeable and I’m going to adapt to the clay courts, even though I prefer the hard courts.”
Clarke, 23, will have sufficient time to make any adjustments as they only play on Sundays during the tournament, which runs from May to June.
Off the court, she admits that she’s enjoying the hospitality afforded to her.
“I am having a great experience once again. The people are the reason I came back,” she insisted. “Everyone is treating me very well, especially the host family I’m staying with the entire trip. I consider them my second parents.”
With their week off during the opening of the tournament on May 4, Cllarke and her team will be back in action this Sunday.
They won’t have another day off until sometime in June before they wrap up on June 29.
“We got off to a great start. We have our momentum going,” she pointed out. “We have good team chemistry. The practices on Wednesdays and Thursdays during the week have been great.
“The other days, we have our individual training sessions, working on things that we need to make sure we’re good to go and ready for the matches on Sundays.
On her return from Germany, Clarke will then prepare to represent the country once again as a member of the women’s team that will participate in the Billie Jean King Fed Cup.
No date or venue has been confirmed yet for this year’s competition, but Clarke is expected to be joined by Simone Pratt, Jalisa Clarke and Saphirre Ferguson. Clarke, the daughter of Shayvon and Bernard Clarke and the older sister to Sarai Clarke, is now playing on the pro circuit after completing her studentathlete career that included CR Walker and Windsor School before she ended up at UAB where she earned her degree in Mass Com - Broadcasting.
MAKING HER PRESENCE FELT IN GERMANY: In her return to Herne, Germany for the second straight year for the Summer League, tennis ace Sydney Clarke helped her team TC Grun-Weiss Herne win 7-2 on Sunday in the first of seven matches they will play during the course of the season.
Global Sun shines on the UB Mingoes’ inaugural golf tourney
GLOBAL Sun Integration Management is supporting The University of The Bahamas Mingoes programme’s inaugural Golf Invitational set for this Sunday at The Royal Blue Golf Course at Baha Mar as a bronze-level sponsor.
Global Sun is one of many sponsors assisting in making the inaugural event a success, including title sponsor Leno Corporate Services and gold sponsors Fidelity Bank (Bahamas) Limited (Fidelity), Lightbourn Trading, Blue Marlin, and Tyreflex Star Motors.
The aim of the invitational is to raise funds for the golf programme at the university while also getting community support for the growing programme.
In addition to the multitude of prizes up for grabs, the golfer with a hole-inone on hole 12 wins a 2024 Mercedes-Benz C-200 sponsored by Tyreflex Star
Blue course and
out to
Athletics, Gina Gonzales-Rolle, tournament organiser or Fred Taylor, UB golf coach.
GLOBAL Sun Integration Management is sponsoring The University of The Bahamas Mingoes programme’s inaugural Golf Invitational set for May 18 at The Royal Blue Golf Course at Baha Mar. Pictured at the cheque presentation are UB golfer Payton Haye, UB golfer Rachel Quant, Mingoes mascot Blu, Global Sun Integration Management representative Jamero Clarke, UB golfer Darius Thompson and UB golfer Travis Cartwright.
Photo: UB Athletics
Intriguing Colorado Duo
Boston Celtics stay alive
ADERRICK WHITE SCORES 34 TO HELP CELTICS STAVE OFF ELIMINATION WITH 127-102 GAME 5 WIN OVER KNICKS
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
By KYLE HIGHTOWER
AP Sports Writer
Where will Shedeur Sanders land when teams gather in the land of Vin to restock their rosters?
BOSTON (AP) —
Bypassing Colorado’s precisi could lead to deep regrets amon evaluators, suggested longtime analyst Mel Kiper Jr Sanders overcame a substand game and at times poor pass
Before the Boston Celtics took the floor without their biggest star on a night they had to win, Joe Mazzulla implored his players to just pour everything they had into winning one game.
They did, and the defending NBA champions earned another chance to extend their season.
Derrick White had 34 points, including seven 3-pointers, to lead the Celtics to a 127-102 Game 5 win over the New York Knicks last night that kept them alive in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
“We did what was necessary to do what we needed to do to get it back to New York,” Mazzulla said. “You don’t get to pick the test that you have, you pick how you respond to them.”
throw for 37 touchdowns and m 4,000 yards last season while co more than 74% of his throws. Bypassing on-the- eld work the NFL Scouting Combine an Big 12 pro day only added to th that suddenly swirled around t Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, w wondered how his son ’ s stock c slipped when he hasn’t thrown interception since the Alamo B 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
The Celtics connected on 22 3-pointers to post their first home victory of the series and first without Jayson Tatum following his season-ending Achilles tendon injury.
“Losing JT is tough,” White said. “But we’ve got a lot of guys that are highly competitive, and we didn’t want the season to end tonight.”
“But you ’ ve got to understand when that last name is on your back you re going to be attacked a ridiculed But we re built for tha raised for this moment Kiper concurred, saying Shed Sanders is “accurate, he s precise everything ever ybody wants. Dec sio making 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
The Knicks will try again to win the series Friday in New York. If the Celtics win, Game 7 would be in Boston on Monday.
Jaylen Brown added 26 points and 12 assists. Payton Pritchard had 17 points and five 3-pointers. Luke Kornet finished with 10 points, nine rebounds and seven blocks.
He started the second half for Kristaps Porzingis, who played just 12 minutes. Mazzulla said Porzingis was having trouble breathing as he continues to deal with a lingering viral illness. The Celtics are looking to become just the 14th team in NBA history to come back from a 3-1 deficit in 294 attempts. Josh Hart led the Knicks with 24 points despite briefly leaving the game late in the first quarter to close a bloody gash over his eye after he took an inadvertent elbow. Jalen Brunson added 22 points before fouling out with 7:19 to play in the game. Boston closed the third quarter on a 23-9 run and took a 91-76 lead to the fourth. Brunson spent the final 2:45 of the third on the
bench after picking up his fifth foul.
“They came out with a sense of urgency that we need,” Brunson said.
That energy carried over offensively.
The Celtics came out hot, getting five 3s from White and 12 total in the opening 24 minutes.
“We’ve got to play desperate. I don’t think we did that,” Knicks guard Mikal Bridges said.
The Celtics kept it going in the final period, pushing their lead as high as 28 points. The game was highly physical throughout and included a brief face-to-face skirmish between Hart and Brown.
CAVS GO INTO OFFSEASON DISAPPOINTED
By JOE REEDY AP Sports Writer
INDEPENDENCE,
Ohio (AP) — Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers won 64 games during the regular season, captured the top seed in the Eastern Conference and had two winning streaks of at least 15 games. Mitchell, though, goes into the offseason feeling one thing. Embarrassed.
That’s because, despite all the good things the Cavaliers did in the regular season, most people will remember Cleveland’s exit
in the conference semifinals after being worn down by Indiana in five games.
Of the 28 times a team has won at least 64 regularseason games, the Cavs are only the fourth to not have reached at least the conference finals.
“I hope we all feel it, and I think we do. We lost 4-1. We were the one seed. It’s not like we were the eighth seed trying to beat the one seed,” Mitchell said Wednesday morning. “Don’t run from this. It’s gonna be a loud summer and a lot of voices about what the Cavs are and what they should do. I’ve been
through a few of those. Use it as fuel. It’s the only thing we can do.”
Mitchell’s comments came after not getting any sleep and watching replays of the Cavs’ 114-105 loss twice. Cleveland had a 19-point lead in the second quarter but couldn’t sustain it as Indiana pulled within four at halftime and took control in the third quarter.
It was the second time in the series the Cavaliers squandered a big lead. They had a 20-point lead late in the third quarter of Game 2 before losing 120119 on Tyrese Halliburton’s 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds left.
The biggest thing players pointed to that needs improvement is being mentally tougher in the playoffs. After dominating Miami in a first-round sweep, the Cavaliers were outplayed on both ends of the court by the Pacers. Indiana dictated the pace and was more physical in the paint. “We have to do it for longer. I feel like that was the name of the game for every game that we played during the series. I feel like we could have been more locked in mentally for longer, been more physical for longer,” center Jarrett Allen said.
It also didn’t help that Cleveland went into the Indiana series hampered by injuries. Darius Garland missed the first two games due to an injury to his left big toe, while Evan Mobley and De’Andre Hunter were out for Game 2.
Coach Kenny Atkinson and his group prided
But the Knicks held as much as a nine-point lead, connecting on eight 3s of their own and getting 10 second-chance points. Mitchell Robinson also converted on all four of his free throw attempts in the first half, nullifying the series-long intentional foul strategy Boston employed on him.
themselves on their defensive intensity throughout the season. Still, Indiana averaged 117.6 points as its five-out offense created a lot of open shots.
Cleveland was one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the league during the regular season, but had a 29.4% accuracy rate against the Pacers.
“Quite honestly, I expected more coming off the Miami series. Now, we’ve got to figure out the next piece,” Atkinson said Tuesday night. The good news for the Cavaliers is that the core of their roster is under contract.
The bad news is that they are over both salary cap aprons, which would hamper them if they wanted
to add another forward or center to the roster.
Before beginning his preparations for next season, Mitchell will take some time off where he said he’s “going on tour” with “good music.”
This is Mitchell’s fourth time on a team that advanced to the second round of the playoffs but not further. He was part of Utah’s top-seeded run in 2021, which ended with the Jazz being eliminated by the Los Angeles Clippers in six games. Mitchell pointed to Mobley, the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year, who averaged 18.5 points and 9.3 rebounds in the regular season, when asked if this team has more staying power.
“He’s continuing to grow. He’s a guy that next year coming in is going to be even more important, even more crucial.
“Trying to get him to be even more aggressive,” Mitchell said.
Center Tristan Thompson — part of the Cavs’ 2016 NBA championship team — thinks the Cavs will be in the right frame of mind when training camp begins in September.
“You got to starve before you eat. We understand that. Guys across the board have that feeling,” he said.
“We’ve got some hungry (expletive), so I know they’re going to do whatever they can this summer to get themselves right because we have some work to do.”
BOSTON Celtics centre Al Horford (42) dunks against the New York Knicks during the first half of Game 5 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series, Wednesday, May 14, 2025, in Boston.
(AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
CLEVELAND Cavaliers guard Darius Garland, left, and guard Donovan Mitchell hug each other after the Indiana Pacers defeated the Cavaliers 114-105 in Game 5 of an Eastern Conference semifinal NBA basketball playoff on May 13, 2025, in Cleveland.
(AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)