All posts tagged: Sports News

Wembanyama, Spurs Win the West, Topple Thunder 111-103 in Game 7 to Head to NBA Finals

Wembanyama, Spurs Win the West, Topple Thunder 111-103 in Game 7 to Head to NBA Finals

Published by Sam Flores

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs started the Western Conference finals with a win in Oklahoma City, then ended the series the same way. The champions are dethroned. Wembanyama and the Spurs are headed to the NBA Finals. Wembanyama scored 22 points, Julian Champagnie got 18 of his 20 off of 3-pointers and the Spurs beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 111-103 on Saturday night — bucking heavy odds to win a Game 7 on the road. “This feeling, I can’t explain it,” Wembanyama said. “It’s so powerful.” Stephon Castle scored 16 points and De’Aaron Fox had 15. Dylan Harper added 12 and Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell each finished with 11 for the Spurs, who are headed to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2014. They will host the New York Knicks in Game 1 on Wednesday night. “Back in October, we knew we had a chance to be pretty good,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. Correction — the Spurs have a chance to be great. Championship-level great. …

`One Will Bounce off Your Knee and Go In’ and Then `Everything Goes in After That’

`One Will Bounce off Your Knee and Go In’ and Then `Everything Goes in After That’

Published by Sam Flores

FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. (AP) — In a career-worst scoreless slump, Christian Pulisic is confident goals will come for him at the World Cup. “I’ve had this happen before in my career,” he said Saturday, a day before the U.S. faces Senegal in the Americans’ next-to-last warmup match. “There’s difficult times and then sometimes one will bounce off your knee and go in and then it seems like everything goes in after that.” “He is going to score in World Cup. Yes, I really trust in that,” coach Mauricio Pochettino said. “He has very good attitude, very good commitment. He’s trying so hard to get his best level and I think he will achieve it for sure.” A 27-year-old attacker from Hershey, Pennsylvania, Pulisic has 32 goals in 84 international appearances. His goal in the 1-0 win over Iran at the 2022 World Cup advanced the Americans to the round of 16. He has the most international experience among the 26 players on the U.S. roster and is the lone holdover from group that played in the …

Tim Ream Will Be the Captain of the US National Team at the World Cup

Tim Ream Will Be the Captain of the US National Team at the World Cup

Published by Sam Flores

FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. (AP) — Tim Ream was surprised, his voice filled with emotion. On the verge of becoming the oldest U.S. player to appear in a World Cup, the 38-year-old defender was picked by coach Mauricio Pochettino to captain the Americans next month. “Wow,” Ream said during a news conference Saturday, seated alongside Pochettino. “This is more than a dream come true. I’ve done everything possible to be a part of this group, to help this group along. I’m just really, really grateful to be sitting here, to have this honor.” Ream was not aware he was going to be appointed captain until Pochettino made the announcement during a news conference on an indoor field at the new U.S. National Soccer Training Center. “It’s the highest honor for me in this group,” he said, his voice echoing in the gym-like room. “I’m not going to take that for granted.” A St. Louis native who plays for Charlotte in Major League Soccer, Ream will be 38 years, 250 days on the day the U.S. plays its …

Bobby Valentine, in Disguise Again, Revels in His Most Famous Moment With Mets

Bobby Valentine, in Disguise Again, Revels in His Most Famous Moment With Mets

Published by Sam Flores

NEW YORK (AP) — Bobby Valentine was just trying to keep things loose — and perhaps save his job — when he donned a makeshift disguise and returned to the New York Mets’ dugout after being ejected from a game against the Toronto Blue Jays on June 9, 1999. It turned into a defining moment, maybe even the most memorable of his 40-plus years in baseball. On the eve of his induction into the Mets Hall of Fame, Valentine reveled in that clandestine act Friday night when the former manager again wore sunglasses and a fake mustache while throwing out the ceremonial first pitch to a similarly disguised Mr. Met. The 76-year-old Valentine, who will be honored Saturday alongside ex-Mets teammate Lee Mazzilli, emerged from the New York dugout and received a warm hand from a Citi Field crowd that included fans already adorned in the ballpark giveaway — sunglasses and a fake mustache. Valentine moved a few steps in front of the mound and tossed a pitch to the team mascot, whose hat read: …

J.J. Spaun Is Contending at Colonial and Believing Things Are Aligning for His U.S. Open Defense

J.J. Spaun Is Contending at Colonial and Believing Things Are Aligning for His U.S. Open Defense

Published by Sam Flores

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — J.J. Spaun is thinking a little bit about his schedule and a lot about his putting while in contention at the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial. The reigning U.S. Open champion believes he’s getting both lined up just about right three weeks before he tries to defend his first major title. Spaun surged with four birdies on his front nine before a couple of late bogeys in a 2-under 68 that put him at 8 under Friday, two shots behind Englishman Jordan Smith and one back of Hideki Matsuyama and three others after 36 holes at Colonial. Smith took the lead by himself with a 31-foot birdie putt at the par-3 16th, saved par from a bunker on 17 and missed a 9-footer for birdie on 18 to finish at 10 under with a second consecutive 65. “It’s going to be a new experience for us out here leading for the first time,” said Smith, a 33-year-old PGA Tour rookie who qualified through the DP World Tour and had his …

Spurs-Thunder Will Be Record-Tying 5th Game 7 in the NBA So Far in These Playoffs

Spurs-Thunder Will Be Record-Tying 5th Game 7 in the NBA So Far in These Playoffs

Published by Sam Flores

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — It is the year of Game 7. For the fifth time in this year’s playoffs, a series is coming down to the ultimate game. San Antonio will visit Oklahoma City on Saturday night in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals. The others this season: Philadelphia beat Boston on the road in Round 1, Cleveland beat Toronto in Round 1, Detroit beat Orlando in Round 1 and Cleveland beat Detroit on the road in Round 2. The five Game 7s this season tie the most in a single postseason. There also were that many in 1994, 2014 and 2016. And there have never been three instances of Game 7 road winners in the same season; the Spurs will aim to change that on Saturday. Home teams have gone 117-42 in the previous 159 instances of Game 7s in the NBA playoffs. A look at the histories in Game 7 for Oklahoma City and San Antonio, two franchises that have never before gone head-to-head in such a game: — Thunder, since moving …

IIHF Says It Will Determine Russia’s Eligibility on a Tournament-By-Tournament Basis in 2026-27

IIHF Says It Will Determine Russia’s Eligibility on a Tournament-By-Tournament Basis in 2026-27

Published by Sam Flores

ZURICH (AP) — The International Ice Hockey Federation said Friday it will determine the status of Russia’s participation on an event-by-event basis for the 2026-27 season. The decision to evaluate eligibility on a case-by-case basis comes after a January decision to bar Russian teams, including at the youth level, was annulled following an appeal from the Russian Ice Hockey Federation. But that was not a reversal of course, as the IIHF said its disciplinary board “explicitly confirmed that this does not mean that Russia has automatically been reintegrated.” Earlier this week, the IIHF announced it would reintegrate Belarus at the under-18 men’s and women’s events and the women’s Division IV world championship beginning this year. Belarus had also not been allowed to play since aiding Russia in its war in Ukraine. The IIHF Council said the decision to bring back some teams from Belarus was not taken lightly. “Based on the assessments conducted and ongoing consultations with relevant stakeholders, we believe this can be done in a safe, responsible, and controlled manner,” the council said …

Djokovic’s French Open Loss to Teenager Fonseca Ensures a New Men’s Grand Slam Winner

Djokovic’s French Open Loss to Teenager Fonseca Ensures a New Men’s Grand Slam Winner

Published by Sam Flores

PARIS (AP) — There will be a new men’s champion at the French Open after Novak Djokovic followed Jannik Sinner out of Roland Garros in a five-set stunner on Friday. Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca beat 24-time major winner Djokovic 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 7-5 in the third round to follow Thursday’s huge upset, when No. 1 Sinner — last year’s runner-up lost to 56th-ranked Juan Manuel Cerundolo. “Ten minutes after the match I could realize a little bit what I did, what I achieved,” the 19-year-old Fonseca said. “How difficult it was and how amazing it was for me.” Djokovic’s latest quest for a record 25th Grand Slam was ended and it was just the second time he lost from two sets up, the other also coming in Paris in 2010. Along with veterans Marin Cilic and Stan Wawrinka, all the men’s major winners are out, thus guaranteeing that a new pair of hands will raise the Coupe des Mousquetaires trophy aloft on June 7 on Court Philippe-Chatrier. “Of course, Jannik and Djokovic out, there’s …

NBA Player Terry Rozier Hit With New Bribery Charges in Sports Gambling Sting

NBA Player Terry Rozier Hit With New Bribery Charges in Sports Gambling Sting

Published by Sam Flores

Federal prosecutors have indicted ex-Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier on additional charges in connection with a sports gambling sting, alleging he took a hefty bribe to exit a game early in March 2023. Rozier, 32, was charged Thursday in a superseding indictment in Brooklyn federal court with bribery in sporting contests and honest services wire fraud conspiracy. Superseding indictments are used when prosecutors want to change or add new charges to an existing criminal case. Rozier has denied participating in the gambling scheme, and has been fighting to have the case dismissed after pleading not guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy charges in December. His attorneys argue in part that the government’s theory of the case — that he prevented sportsbooks from making informed decisions about accepting certain bets — runs afoul of a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that narrowed the federal wire fraud statute. The new indictment “just confirms that our motion to dismiss was righteous — new charges, new theories, but all just an effort to make something stick,” …

Pochettino Says Agent Spoke With AC Milan, Others, No Decision on Future Until After World Cup

Pochettino Says Agent Spoke With AC Milan, Others, No Decision on Future Until After World Cup

Published by Sam Flores

FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. (AP) — U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino said his agent may have spoken with AC Milan and he also may have had a casual conversation with the Italian club but he remains open to staying with the American national team after the World Cup. Speaking after training Thursday, Pochettino said he and U.S. Soccer Federation CEO JT Batson discussed the possibility of staying on during dinner Sunday at Jean-Georges, a highly rated and pricey restaurant in New York. “He asked if we are open to listen (to) the project of the federation for the next four years,” Pochettino said. “And we said: Of course that we are open. Do you think that if we have a commitment with another people, we are going to waste time to listen?” Pochettino agreed in September 2024 to a contract through the World Cup. He said until Sunday “we didn’t have (any) idea about if the federation was happy with us or not happy, wanted us for the future.” Pochettino said it was good that his name was …