AP Sports

Booker scores 47, leads Suns past Clippers to win series

PHOENIX (AP) — Devin Booker scored 47 points, including 25 in a spectacular third quarter, to lead the Phoenix Suns past the Los Angeles Clippers 136-130 and win the Western Conference first-round playoff series. The Clippers didn’t go quietly, nearly coming back from a 20-point deficit early in the fourth. Los Angeles had multiple chances to tie in the final three minutes, but could never convert. Durant made a layup to push Phoenix’s lead to 134-130 and then made two free throws to put the Suns up six with 31.3 seconds left. The Suns play the Denver Nuggets in the second round. Game 1 is on Saturday in Denver.

Back to health, Porter and Murray help Nuggets to next round

DENVER (AP) — The trio of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. are paired again in the playoffs for the Denver Nuggets. They helped the Nuggets make short work of Minnesota as the Nuggets closed out the Timberwolves with a 112-109 win in Game 5 of their first-round series. Denver, the No. 1 seed in the West, now faces the Phoenix Suns. Murray, Porter and Jokic haven’t been together at the same time for the playoffs since NBA bubble in 2020. It seems so long ago, with Murray missing the last two versions of the playoffs as he recovered from a torn ACL and Porter sitting out last season’s postseason due to a balky back.

Young? Stroud? Panthers reach consensus on No. 1 draft pick

CHARLOTTE. N.C. (AP) — Carolina Panthers coach Frank Reich says he and general manager Scott Fitterer have reached an agreement on which quarterback the team will take with the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft. But Reich says the team won’t say who that is until Thursday night, when the draft begins. The Panthers are choosing between Alabama’s Bryce Young, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, Kentucky’s Will Levis and Florida’s Anthony Richardson in an effort to upgrade a quarterback position that has been in transition for the last five seasons. Fitterer said last week he had waited to ask Reich who he preferred at No. 1 so that nothing would cloud either decision maker’s judgement.

From Sanders to Sauce, NFL draft fashion evolves over time

HOUSTON (AP) — Deion Sanders became the NFL draft’s first fashion icon by accessorizing a black and white track suit with loads of sparkling gold jewelry when he took the call from the Atlanta Falcons before they selected him fifth overall in the 1989 draft. As memorable as Sanders’ draft swag remains, wearing a track suit on draft night or the jean shorts that Brett Favre wore would be scoffed at today with top players gathering for the televised event.

A look at sports gambling rules among Big 4 pro leagues

The Supreme Court’s 2018 ruling in Murphy vs. NCAA ushered in a new era of legalized sports betting in the U.S., allowing states to establish their own sports wagering laws and operations. The high court overturned the federal Professional Amateur Sports Protection Act that had barred betting on football, basketball, baseball and other sports in most states. With it came a new approach to how the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL associate with the industry. Each league prohibits its employees and players from betting on their own games. But there are variations in how they operate in this new world.

NHL players shrug off concerns after Barron’s skate to face

Winnipeg’s Morgan Barron is still recovering after a skate blade cut his face during a game against Vegas. He needed 75 stiches but has continued to play with a full cage mask on his helmet. The NHL requires helmets and half-visors to provide some protection for the eyes. Players say they don’t want any more protections on the helmets. They say they prefer to be able to see. They called Barron’s incident unfortunate but also very unusual.

Protest over disabled access in France before Paris Olympics

PARIS (AP) — An influential disabled rights group in France is boycotting a conference with French President Emmanuel Macron, in protest at the failure to make Paris more accessible ahead of the 2024 Olympics. The group, Collectif Handicaps, had hoped to speak in front of Macron at the conference Wednesday. Campaigners cite years of unmet promises to make things better ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The group worries that measures Macron is expected to announce will fall short of what is needed. Even getting to the conference at the Elysee Palace is an ordeal for many people it’s designed to help because public transport isn’t very accessible.

Jets GM: Getting Rodgers is ‘historic’ trade for franchise

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — The Jets’ deal to acquire Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers is a franchise-altering move that brings the four-time NFL MVP to a team that has the league’s longest postseason drought at 12 years. General manager Joe Douglas called it an “honor” to have a player of Rodgers’ caliber to want to play for the franchise and credited the culture coach Robert Saleh has cultivated during his two-plus seasons with the team. Douglas said there are still details that need to be finalized before the deal is completed. But Douglas said it is a “historic trade for this franchise.”

Nuggets eliminate Wolves 112-109 behind Murray, Jokic

DENVER (AP) — The top-seeded Denver Nuggets eliminated the Minnesota Timberwolves with a 112-109 win in Game 5 of their playoff series at Ball Arena on Tuesday night. The Nuggets got a triple-double from Nikola Jokic and 35 points from Jamal Murray to hand Michael Malone his 25th playoff win as Denver’s head coach. That surpasses the 24 wins Doug Moe won in the playoffs with the Nuggets. The Wolves were led by Anthony Edwards’ 29 points, but his 3-pointer at the buzzer that would have sent the game into overtime hit the back of the iron.

Wild, Red Wings, Maple Leafs and Senators going to Sweden

The NHL is sending four teams to Sweden next season as part of its annual Global Series. The Minnesota Wild, Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators will each play two games among them in Stockholm in November. It’s one of two trips outside North America the league has planned for 2023. The Los Angeles Kings and Arizona Coyotes are set to play two exhibition games in Melbourne, Australia, in September. The NHL is trying to significantly expand hockey interest Down Under while also cultivating and growing an already fervent fanbase in Scandinavia and across Europe.