Sports

Timberwolves beat Curry-less Warriors 117-93 in Game 2 to even series

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Julius Randle had 24 points and 11 assists to lead the Minnesota Timberwolves through another uneven performance, this time capitalizing on Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry’s absence in a 117-93 victory that tied the second-round series at one game apiece. Anthony Edwards finished with 20 points after an injury scare as the Wolves more than tripled their 3-point output from their Game 1 loss when Curry suffered the left hamstring strain. The injury will likely sideline Curry at least until next week. Jonathan Kuminga had 18 points and Trayce Jackson-Davis had 15 points for the Warriors off the bench.

Stephen Curry says he knows patience will be required when dealing with hamstring injury

Stephen Curry sat down after the Golden State Warriors went through their gameday shootaround practice in Minneapolis and quickly announced that he’s feeling great. He was not telling the truth. “Sarcasm,” the four-time NBA champion with the Warriors clarified, just in case anyone missed the joke. Curry is going to be a postseason spectator for at least a few games, his Grade 1 hamstring strain bad enough that it took him out of most of Game 1 of the Warriors’ Western Conference semifinal series on Tuesday — and will sideline him not only for Game 2 on Thursday but likely Games 3 and 4 in San Francisco.

Anthony Edwards scares the Timberwolves with a sprained ankle before returning in strong finish

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Timberwolves have seen Anthony Edwards writhing in pain on the floor several times throughout his career before eventually welcoming their star guard back to the game. This sprained left ankle that forced Edwards out in the second quarter of Game 2 gave the Timberwolves a scare. Edwards made it back yet again. He delighted the crowd when he walked back onto the court for warmups before the start of the second half. Edwards finished with 20 points, nine rebounds, five assists and three steals for the Timberwolves in the 117-93 victory over Golden State that tied the series.

India suspends its top cricket tournament, the IPL, for a week amid military tensions with Pakistan

MUMBAI, India (AP) — India’s biggest domestic cricket tournament has been suspended for one week following the escalating military tensions with Pakistan. The Indian Premier League, which features top players from around the world and attracts hundreds of millions of TV viewers, was halted with immediate effect, the Board of Control for Cricket in India said. The decision comes after a night of artillery exchanges between Indian and Pakistani soldiers across their frontier in Kashmir, amid a growing military standoff that erupted following an attack on tourists in the India-controlled portion of the disputed region. The IPL is the most popular cricket tournament in the world and runs between March and May.

Rafael Devers tells Red Sox he won’t move to 1B, tells front office to ‘do their jobs’ finding one

BOSTON (AP) — Rafael Devers is the Boston Red Sox’s designated hitter. And he’s not interested in another position switch. Speaking with reporters for the first time since Triston Casas was ruled out for the season after rupturing his left knee tendon and undergoing surgery, Devers said on Thursday that Red Sox management approached him about the idea of filling in as Boston’s first baseman. The three-time All-Star doesn’t see it in his best interest to make another position switch after being asked to move from third base to DH during spring training after the Red Sox signed Alex Bregman to play third.

Bucs rookie Desmond Watson, at 464 pounds, tops list of the NFL’s heaviest players

Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie Desmond Watson already has made NFL history — as the league’s heaviest player. The 6-foot-6, 464-pound defensive tackle from Florida signed with his hometown Bucs after going undrafted and will begin his NFL journey during Tampa Bay’s three-day rookie minicamp this weekend. He’s sure to get plenty of attention. While no current NFL player tops 400 pounds — Baltimore Ravens guard Daniel Faalele is the heaviest at 380 — there have been a few who have played at or near four bills. The list includes Aaron Gibson, Nate Newton, Bryant McKinnie and William “The Refrigerator” Perry.

Chris Buescher is back at Kansas Speedway, reliving the closest Cup Series finish in NASCAR history

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Chris Buescher is back at Kansas Speedway this week, and he’s being forced to relive the closest finish in NASCAR Cup Series history. He thought he had won the spring race a year ago, only to learn on the cool-down lap that Kyle Larson had edged him at the finish line by 0.001 seconds. Buescher is pragmatic when he’s asked about the race, pointing out that “if it was 1,000th of a second for fifth and sixth, it wouldn’t have stung.” But on that day, it happened to be for the win. And it did sting.

Man United and Tottenham reach Europa League final and are one win away from Champions League

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — For Manchester United or Tottenham, a miserable campaign will end in Europa League glory. Despite both teams languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League, the Champions League is now just one game away. That’s the reward on offer after the two troubled English clubs advanced to the final of Europe’s second tier competition on Thursday. United beat Athletic Bilbao 4-1 in the semifinal second leg at Old Trafford and won 7-1 on aggregate. Tottenham won 2-0 away at Bodø/Glimt to seal a 5-1 aggregate victory.

Pope Leo XIV brings hope to Chicago sports fans, and the Knicks for their Villanova ties

The sports loyalties of Pope Leo XIV became a topic of conversation almost as soon as the white smoke emerged from the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel. Robert Prevost is the first pope from the United States in the history of the Catholic Church. The Chicago-born missionary, who took the name Leo XIV, also attended Villanova University near Philadelphia, where he received a Bachelor of Science in 1977. Chicago’s two baseball teams were front and center as sports fans reacted to the news. It was initially reported that the new pope was a Cubs fan. But his brother, John Prevost, set the record straight in an interview with WGN-TV. The pope is a White Sox fan.

Draisaitl scores in OT to give Oilers a 5-4 win over Golden Knights and a 2-0 series lead

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Leon Draisaitl took a pass from Connor McDavid and scored off the rush at 15:20 of overtime to give the Edmonton Oilers a 5-4 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday night and a 2-0 lead in the second-round series. After failing to capitalize on a five-minute power play when Vegas defenseman Nicolas Roy was assessed a major penalty for cross-checking 5:37 into overtime, the Oilers didn’t waste the opportunity later when the NHL’s most dynamic offensive duo combined for the winner. Vasily Podkolzin, Jake Walman, Darnell Nurse and Evander Kane also scored for the Oilers, and Viktor Arvidsson and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins each had two assists. Calvin Pickard made 28 saves. Game 3 is Saturday night in Edmonton.