AP Sports

 

 

 

Update on the latest sports

 

NBA-PLAYOFFS-SCHEDULE

 

New Orleans, Houston host Game 3s

 

UNDATED (AP) – There’s a pair of Game 3s on the Friday night NBA playoff schedule, both in the West.

 

Golden State takes a 2-0 lead into New Orleans. It’s the 11th time in the Warriors’ last 14 series that they’ve opened with a pair of victories.

 

Utah heads home to Salt Lake City after splitting the first two games in Houston.

 

NHL-STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS-SCHEDULE

 

Game 4 in Boston, Game 5 in Las Vegas

 

UNDATED (AP) – The NHL conference semifinals continue Friday night with a Game 4 in Boston and a Game 5 in Las Vegas.

 

The Bruins head home down 2-1 to Tampa Bay. Since winning the opener, Boston has dropped two in a row.

 

Vegas and San Jose are even at 2-2. The Sharks have bounced back from a 7-0 pounding in Game 1. Each team has had a home shutout and a road overtime win.

 

MLB-SCHEDULE

 

Baseball returns to Mexico

 

UNDATED (AP) – Major League Baseball returns to Mexico in the regular season for the first time in nearly two decades when the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego begin a three-game series in Monterrey. It’ll be a matchup of promising rookies when Joey Lucchesi starts for the Padres against Walker Buehler.

 

The previous visit was opening day in 1999 when Mexican native Vinny Castilla helped Colorado top the Padres. The first trip was in 1996, with Mexican star Fernando Valenzuela leading San Diego over the Mets to start a three-game series.

 

Elsewhere in the majors:

 

– Albert Pujols (POO’-hohlz) has 2,999 hits as the Angels open a series at Seattle. The 38-year-old slugger got three shots at 3,000 Thursday at home as Los Angeles pounded the Orioles 12-3. Pujols reached striking distance with a two-run double in the second inning, but he couldn’t get the hit before the Angels began a five-game road trip.

 

– Pirates rookie Nick Kingham makes his second career start when Pittsburgh visits Milwaukee. In his major league debut last weekend, the 26-year-old right-hander took a perfect game into the seventh inning against St. Louis before it was broken up.

 

– The NL East-leading Atlanta Braves return to SunTrust Park to host San Francisco. Atlanta has won five in a row, fueled by the three youngest players in the majors, Ronald Acuna Jr., Ozzie Albies and Mike Soroka. This is the latest in a season the Braves have been in first place since July 20, 2014. Mike Foltynewicz (fohl-tih-NAY’-vihch) starts against the Giants.

 

– Kris Medlen is set to start for Arizona at Minute Maid Park against the Astros. The 32-year-old righty last pitched in the majors in 2016 with Kansas City. He’s been beset by injuries, including a pair of Tommy John surgeries, since coming up with Atlanta in 2009. Gerrit Cole starts for Houston. Cole set the AL record for strikeouts in April with 61.

 

NHL-VIKINGS-LIGHTS

 

Vikings bow to neighbors, to turn off lights at night

 

EAGAN, Minn. (AP) – The Minnesota Vikings are turning off the lights at the team’s new practice facility in Eagan after neighbors complained about the glow.

 

Spokesman Jeff Anderson says the NFL team will turn off the lights between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. The shut-off time will be moved to about midnight when the team hosts night events such as high school games.

 

The team moved into the new building in March. The building’s north side is nearly 100 feet high and is lit up with the team’s Norseman logo and the words “Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center – Home of the Minnesota Vikings.”

 

Mendota Heights residents complained about the lights last month. Anderson says the team is “listening to the community.”

 

The team expects the change to occur this weekend.

 

FORMER PACKERS PLAYER KILLED

 

4 charged in slaying linked to killing of ex-Packers player

 

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) – Four men are charged with murder and kidnapping in a slaying that police in Alabama say is linked to the killing of a former Green Bay Packers player.

 

Former Packers defensive lineman Carlos Gray was shot to death Monday in a killing sheriff’s officials believe was linked to the drug trade. They say 21-year-old Darryl Thomas was found dead of bullet wounds the next day.

 

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department says friends of the 25-year-old Gray believe Thomas killed him, and Thomas was killed in retaliation.

 

Capital murder charges were filed in Thomas’ death Thursday against 27-year-old Aeriol Lasean Barbee of Hoover; 24-year-old Cortez Clark-Johnson of Center Point; 22-year-old Myzel Contest Arbuckle of Birmingham; and 21-year-old Jalen McIntyre of Pinson.