Luke Kennard scored a career playoff-high 27 points, LeBron James had 19 points and 13 assists, and the short-handed Los Angeles Lakers capitalized on Kevin Durant’s injury absence for a 107-98 victory over the Houston Rockets in the opener of their first-round playoff series.

Jalen Brunson scored 28 points, Karl-Anthony Towns had 19 of his 25 in the second half and the New York Knicks beat the Atlanta Hawks 113-102 in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference playoff series.

Jamal Murray shot and made 16 free throws.

Two people with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press that the Cincinnati Bengals acquired three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence from the New York Giants for the 10th overall pick in next week’s NFL draft.

Matt Boldy had two goals with an assist, Joel Ericksson Ek scored two power-play goals and rookie goalie Jesper Wallstedt stopped 27 shots in his postseason debut to help the Minnesota Wild beat the Dallas Stars 6-1 in Game 1 of their Western Conference playoff series.

Lionel Messi had two goals, Germán Berterame scored a goal for the second consecutive game, and Inter Miami beat the Colorado Rapids 3-2 to extend their unbeaten streak to seven games.

Matt Fitzpatrick had a slow start that let Scottie Scheffler back into the mix at the RBC Heritage.

Donovan Mitchell has more support on the Cleveland Cavaliers roster going into this year’s postseason run.

Jamal Murray scored 30 points, going 16 of 16 from the free-throw line and Nikola Jokic had a triple-double as the Denver Nuggets shook off a sluggish start to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-105 in the opener of their first-round playoff series.

Real Sociedad has beaten Atletico Madrid on penalties to win the Copa del Rey title.

Imagine Division I college football returning to the 904. It’s not happening yet - but it’s no longer out of the question for the University of North Florida and Jacksonville University. Their home conference, the Atlantic Sun (ASUN), is set to launch a first-of-its-kind strategic alliance with the United Athletic Conference (UAC) - formerly known as the Western Athletic Conference - beginning in July.

Donovan Mitchell scored 32 points, Max Strus had 24 off the bench and the Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Toronto Raptors 126-113 in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.

Marie-Louise Eta was in little mood for celebrating after making her debut as the first female coach in the Bundesliga on Saturday.

Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro wanted to find out if Will Warren was committing a balk in the first inning when he was ejected by second base umpire Nestor Ceja in Saturday’s 13-4 loss to the New York Yankees.

Bayern Munich can clinch another Bundesliga title this weekend thanks to Hoffenheim’s 2-1 win over second-place Borussia Dortmund.

The NFL is not investigating Mike Vrabel’s behavior after published photos of the New England Patriots coach and former Athletic reporter Dianna Russini at an Arizona resort prompted her resignation and an internal investigation at The New York Times-owned sports outlet.

Tottenham remains rooted inside the relegation zone and Chelsea is stuck outside the Champions League spots.

This NBA season has been unusual, with three teams finishing over.

In just five starts, José Soriano’s season with the Los Angeles Angels has gone from good to great to historic.

Golden State coach Steve Kerr isn’t sure about his future, saying after the Warriors saw their season end Friday night that he’ll take some time to decompress before gathering with the team’s leadership and figuring out what’s next.

Jalen Green scored 36 points, Devin Booker added 20 and the Phoenix Suns locked down Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors, winning 111-96 in the NBA’s play-in tournament Friday night.

The Orlando Magic found their winning formula.

Paolo Banchero scored 25 points and the Orlando Magic built a 35-point lead in the first half on the way to a 121-90 rout of Charlotte Hornets in a play-in tournament game on Friday night and advanced to a first-round playoff matchup against the Detroit Pistons.

The Los Angeles Dodgers and Colorado Rockies faced an unusual challenge in April as snow blanketed Coors Field.

Matt Fitzpatrick has a one-shot lead over Viktor Hovland going into the weekend at the RBC Heritage.

The Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild are getting ready to start a first-round playoff series that has been expected for months.

LeBron James and Kevin Durant have faced each other in the playoffs three times, and the superstar with the superior supporting cast won a championship every time.

Inter Milan has moved a step closer to a 21st Serie A title after beating Cagliari 3-0.

Angel Reese is excited about the talent she'll be surrounded with in Atlanta.

Moisés Ballesteros, Nico Hoerner and Ian Happ homered, and the Chicago Cubs handed the Mets their ninth straight loss, pounding New York 12-4.

Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe are splitting up.

Oscar Schmidt, the Basketball Hall of Famer known to his Brazilian compatriots as the “Holy Hand,” died Friday.

Houston Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. has agreed to a three-year, $150 million contract extension making him the highest paid non-quarterback in NFL history.

The family of late San Diego Padres owner Peter Seidler is nearing a sale of the team, a person with knowledge of the negotiations tells The Associated Press.

A former defensive tackle at the University of Alabama is accused of wearing makeup and wigs to impersonate NFL players in a fraud scheme that bilked investors of $20 million.

Fernando Mendoza will get a chance to learn from Kirk Cousins before the Las Vegas Raiders give him an opportunity to start.

A West Virginia transgender girl who competes on her high school girls' track team says she's focused on having fun with her friends.

Sky-high ticket prices won’t be the only thing emptying the wallets of soccer fans attending World Cup matches at some U.S. venues this spring.

Former Angels outfielder Garret Anderson has died.

Kevin Durant is back in the playoffs after missing out last season.

Nebraska’s Memorial Stadium will undergo a $600 million renovation that will make the 103-year-old venue more fan-friendly and greatly increase revenue for the athletic department, according to a plan expected to be approved next week.

George Russell says he doesn’t want Formula 1 to “lose” Max Verstappen as the four-time champion vents his unhappiness with the new cars.

Victor Wembanyama has met every expectation since joining the San Antonio Spurs three years ago.

Two men have been disqualified from one of South Africa’s flagship marathon races after they finished in the top 10 of the women’s race.

Jon Rahm says he isn't worried about the future of LIV Golf despite uncertainty about its funding.

The Madrid Open is losing some star power with Carlos Alcaraz joining Novak Djokovic in pulling out of the upcoming clay-court tournament.

The president of the German soccer club where a pioneering female coach will take charge of her first top-division men’s game Saturday has ruled out giving her the job on a permanent basis.

Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara have announced their retirement from figure skating, two months after winning the Olympic gold medal with a record-breaking skate.

The Lakers spent six months building and working toward the opportunity to make some noise in the playoffs.

The Minnesota Lynx have re-signed five-time All-Star forward Napheesa Collier.

Rookie left-hander Parker Messick came within three outs of ending Cleveland’s 45-year drought without a no-hitter.

The New Jersey Devils have hired Sunny Mehta as their general manager.

LeBron James and Bronny James seem likely to play postseason minutes together this month when the Los Angeles Lakers face the Houston Rockets in the first round.

A rash of drone sightings during the Colorado Rockies’ first homestand of the season against the Philadelphia Phillies sent law enforcement scrambling to track down the operators.

Oklahoma linebacker Owen Heinecke has been cleared to return to the Sooners for another season.

Ludvig Aberg has the lead at the RBC Heritage with a bogey-free 63 at Harbour Town.

Mike Trout homered for the fifth time in four games on Thursday afternoon when he hit a 446-foot drive in the seventh inning for the Los Angeles Angels.

Ex-NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones is expected to become the first person to plead guilty in a gambling sweep that led to the arrests of more than 30 people, including reputed mobsters and other basketball figures.

In Miami, the NBA’s decision that LaMelo Ball grabbing Bam Adebayo was an ejection-worthy flagrant foul didn’t register much of a reaction.

Tiger Woods' attorney plans to fight prosecutors' attempts to subpoena the golfer's prescription drug records.

The Los Angeles Lakers’ Luka Doncic and Detroit’s Cade Cunningham will be eligible for awards such as MVP and All-NBA this season despite falling short of the 65-game minimum.

Nothing about Alex Ovechkin’s future is all that clear right now after the NHL’s career goal-scoring leader finished his 21st season.

Bryson Tiller is leaving Kansas for bitter rival Missouri.

Union Berlin's Marie-Louise Eta says she understands the commotion over becoming the first female head coach in the Bundesliga.

The Dodgers shattered Major League Baseball’s spending record with a combined $515 million in payroll and luxury tax last year en route to their second straight World Series title, according to final figures compiled by the commissioner’s office, and Los Angeles is projected for the highest total again in 2026.

It’s been almost two years since Kylian Mbappé left Paris Saint-Germain to join Real Madrid, in part to try and win the Champions League.

French Open prize money has increased by about 10% for an overall pot of 61.7 million euros ($72.1 million).

Freiburg has advanced to the Europa League semifinals by beating Celta Vigo 3-1.

Stephen Curry and Draymond Green have already done it all and won it all during their 14 years and four championships together.

Shohei Ohtani pitched six strong innings, striking out 10, as the Los Angeles Dodgers routed the New York Mets 8-2.

Stephen Curry scored 27 of his 35 points in the second half, Al Horford hit four 3-pointers during Golden State’s electrifying fourth-quarter comeback and the Warriors advanced in the NBA’s play-in tournament with a 126-121 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.

Joel Embiid provided an emotional boost for the 76ers by showing up for Philadelphia's play-in victory over Orlando.

Tyrese Maxey scored 31 points, V.

The NBA says Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball should have been ejected for an uncalled flagrant foul when he reached out and tugged on the ankle of Miami’s Bam Adebayo.

Carlos Ulberg fought through an injured right knee to capture the light heavyweight title in UCF 327.

The CEO of LIV Golf is seeking to quell speculation about the Saudi-funded league's financial status by saying the rest of the season will go on interrupted.

Ronda Rousey remembers once hearing that Gina Carano was being paid six figures to fight, amazed that a woman could earn that kind of coin in mixed martial arts.

The NFL’s process of hiring replacement referees has reached another stage, according to a memo sent to teams.

Shohei Ohtani was the starting pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers Wednesday night but he was held out of the lineup as designated hitter.

A singer leading the “Jackie Robinson Day” festivities before the Chicago White Sox’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays collapsed and was taken to a hospital.

The chair of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee answered a question about Casey Wasserman’s future as the head of the LA Olympics organizing committee by saying the committee has shared its concerns with LA’s board.

Texas quarterback Arch Manning is doing light workouts so far in spring practice following offseason foot surgery.

The NCAA confirmed it is exploring a move to an age-based eligibility model that would give athletes a window of five years for Division I competition starting immediately after their high school graduation or 19th birthday, whichever comes first.

The New York Islanders are facing criticism for promoting a fundraiser for a former New York City police sergeant who was convicted of manslaughter.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said Wednesday that Iran will participate in the World Cup “for sure” despite its war with the United States.

The Masters is over and it's time to move on.

Lionel Messi is being sued by a Miami-based event promoter, saying the international soccer icon violated terms of a $7 million contract by missing an exhibition match last year.

The defending champion Las Vegas Aces have completed the process of bringing back their core group by re-signing four-time MVP A’ja Wilson on Wednesday.

The Minnesota Twins and Major League Baseball are investigating Jarren Duran’s allegation that a fan he pointed his middle finger at during a game had told the Boston Red Sox outfielder to kill himself.

Major League Baseball is celebrating Jackie Robinson Day with every player, coach and umpire wearing his No. 42 to mark the 79th anniversary of the infielder breaking the sport’s color barrier.

Cecile Landi has revitalized Georgia's gymnastics program since leaving elite coaching two years ago.

Detroit Tigers rookie Kevin McGonigle has agreed to a $150 million, eight-year contract starting in 2027.

Lehigh set an NCAA Division I baseball record by scoring 20 runs in the first inning of a 38-6 victory over Coppin State.

LaMelo Ball was so excited after delivering a knockout blow to the Miami Heat in the play-in tournament that he carried it over to his victory celebration, delivering two jabs to the oversized head of Charlotte Hornets mascot Hugo.

Luis Díaz and Michael Olise scored late for the Bavarian powerhouse to beat Madrid 4-3 and advance to the Champions League semifinals.

A Jacksonville Jaguars safety is proving his commitment to service extends far beyond the football field. Rayuan Lane, a Marine Corps second lieutenant and NFL defensive back, recently swore in a group of local recruits headed to Parris Island, South Carolina, for boot camp.

It’s back-to-back Champions League semifinals for Arsenal.

The New York Mets' bats have gone silent during a seven-game losing streak.

Flyers fans are buzzing with excitement as the team clinches its first playoff berth since 2020.

Deni Avdija scored 41 points — including a go-ahead 3-point play with 16.1 seconds left — and the Portland Trail Blazers clawed back from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the Phoenix Suns 114-110 in the NBA’s play-in tournament.