Sports

Shedeur Sanders snubbed in NFL draft’s Round 1 but leads list of top available players for Day 2

Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders is still waiting to hear his name called in the NFL draft after getting snubbed in Round 1. The son of Hall of Famer and Colorado coach Deion Sanders says he’s surprised but says this will only fuel him to succeed in the pros for whichever team takes a chance on him Friday. Sanders leads the list of best available players heading into the second day of the draft.

Memphis guard Ja Morant’s status for Game 4 against Thunder remains unclear

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — The status of Memphis guard Ja Morant remained unknown as the team faces a possible elimination game in the Western Conference series against Oklahoma City. Morant was injured when he crashed to the floor in Game 3, an incident that contributed to the team’s 114-108 loss. Despite reports that Morant would be out for Game 4 on Saturday, interim coach Tuomas Iisalo declined to confirm that. He also didn’t provide any information regarding tests or evaluation on Morant. Morant was on fast break when he was struck at the feet by a stumbling Luguentz Dort. The contact led to Morant hitting the court without breaking his fall.

USC basketball recruit Alijah Arenas is out of an induced coma after vehicle crash in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The family of Southern California basketball recruit Alijah Arenas says he is out of an induced coma after a vehicle crash in Los Angeles. The family says in a statement to ESPN that the 18-year-old Arenas remains intubated but has “shown significant signs of progress within the last 24 hours.” The LA Police Department says officers responded shortly before 5 a.m. Thursday to a single-vehicle crash in the Reseda section of the San Fernando Valley. The LA Fire Department says the vehicle was a Tesla Cybertruck that struck a tree and a fire hydrant with fire involved. No cause of the crash has been announced.

Jimmy Butler questionable for Game 3 of Warriors’ first-round series against Rockets

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Warriors forward Jimmy Butler is listed as questionable for Game 3 of Golden State’s first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets after he sustained a pelvic contusion in a frightening fall during Game 2. Butler flew home from Houston and underwent an MRI exam Thursday in the Bay Area that revealed he injured his pelvis and has a deep gluteal muscle contusion. The team announced the update Friday, with the best-of-seven series tied at one game apiece as it shifts to Chase Center in San Francisco for Game 3 on Saturday night. Game 4 is Monday.

WNBA training camps set to open this weekend with Caitlin Clark preparing for Year 2

A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier are returning to court to begin the chase for a coveted WNBA championship with the opening of training camps and last year’s rookie sensation Caitlin Clark begins Year 2 in the league. Stewart and the New York Liberty are seeking a second straight WNBA title, something Wilson and the Aces did in 2022 and 2023. There has been a lot of player movement in the offseason with the Aces adding Jewell Loyd in a three-team trade that sent Kelsey Plum to Los Angeles. Las Vegas still has a solid core with Wilson, Loyd, Chelsea Gray and Jackie Young.

Excellent start for baseball’s NL West foreshadows a potentially historic 4-team summer race

PHOENIX (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers seem like they have nearly unlimited amounts of money, three former MVPs in their starting lineup and a pitching staff that never runs out of overpowering arms. So far, that’s good for third place in their division. Welcome to the National League West, which has been far from a one-team show four weeks into the season. Going into Friday night’s games, the San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks are all off to a good start, foreshadowing a potentially fascinating summer race.

Saturday’s NBA games: Cavaliers-Heat, Thunder-Grizzlies, Nuggets-Clippers and Rockets-Warriors

Oklahoma City has a chance to secure its spot in Round 2. Cleveland and the Los Angeles Clippers can get to the doorstep of the second round. And the Houston-Golden State winner is going to have control of their matchup. Those are the headlines going into a quadruple-header of NBA playoff games on Saturday: Oklahoma City can sweep its series with a win at Memphis, Cleveland can take a 3-0 lead over Miami, the Clippers will aim for a 3-1 edge when it plays host to Memphis and the nightcap is a Rockets-Warriors matchup in San Francisco with those teams tied at a game apiece.

Roger Goodell says he believes owners will reach a consensus on the tush push

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell believes team owners will come to a consensus in May on whether rule changes will be needed to eliminate the tush push play that’s helped the Philadelphia Eagles win one Super Bowl and reach another. A proposal by the Green Bay Packers to eliminate the play was tabled at the league meetings this month but will be brought back up for a vote when the owners meet again in May. Some proponents of eliminating the play point to player safety even though there’s no evidence of an increased injury risk, as well as the fact that the NFL prohibited pushing a ball carrier until a rule change that was put in place in 2005.

Adrian Peterson faces DWI charge in Minnesota after arrest following Vikings draft party

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Former star running back Adrian Peterson has been arrested on suspicion of drunken driving in Minnesota after appearing at an NFL draft party for Vikings fans. Peterson was booked in the Hennepin County jail and released on a $4,000 bond. The 40-year-old faces a fourth-degree misdemeanor charge of driving while impaired. State Patrol Lt. Mike Lee told the Minnesota Star Tribune that a trooper observed Peterson driving 83 mph in a 55-mph zone and administered a preliminary breath test that measured his blood alcohol content at 0.14%. The legal driving limit in Minnesota is 0.08%.

Wrexham has another promotion in sight and Ryan Reynolds can hardly stand the tension

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Another promotion is within touching distance for Wrexham. The Welsh soccer team has been propelled to worldwide fame by co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. It has also been propelled up the league in double-quick time, having been a down-on-its-luck minor league team when the Hollywood pair completed their unlikely buyout in 2021. At this rate, Wrexham could be playing in the Premier League by 2026. One step at a time but if results go its way on Saturday, Wrexham will seal promotion to the Championship, the second tier of English soccer.