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WASHINGTON -- Not playing their best hockey against an opponent full of desperation, the New York Rangers relied on a familiar recipe to move on in the NHL playoffs. Artemi Panarin scored the go-ahead goal on the power play early in the third period, Igor Shesterkin made 23 saves and the Presidents' Trophy-winning Rangers finished off a sweep of the Washington Capitals with a 4-2 victory in Game 4 on Sunday night to advance to the second round. "The things that we've done in the regular season over 82 games is something that we continue to do," center Mika Zibanejad said. "We've been building toward this, and I still think we can be better, but a great, hard-fought series, and it's nice [to get] a win." Trade deadline pickup Jack Roslovic sealed it with an empty-netter with 51 seconds left, and the Rangers next will face either the Carolina Hurricanes or crosstown rival New York Islanders with a spot in the Eastern...

Major League Baseball plans to address its uniform fiasco after changes this spring to the standard jerseys and pants led to widespread complaints from players and fans, according to a memo obtained Sunday night by ESPN. The prominent modifications include a return to larger lettering on the back of jerseys, remedying mismatched gray tops and bottoms and addressing the new Nike jerseys' propensity to collect sweat, according to the memo distributed to players by the MLB Players Association on Sunday. The changes, which will happen at the latest by the beginning of the 2025 season, will also include fixes to the pants, widely panned this spring for being see-through. The union informed players of the coming changes in a letter that placed the blame on Nike and the debut of its Vapor Premier uniform, which was advertised for its superior performance but remains disliked by players. "This has been entirely a Nike issue," the memo to players read. "At its core, what has happened here...

DALLAS --  Kyrie Irving's scoring brilliance allowed the Mavericks to rally from a 31-point deficit in Sunday's Game 4, but Luka Doncic blamed himself for the Clippers escaping with a series-evening 116-111 victory. Irving scored all 40 of his points after Los Angeles went up 31 midway through the second quarter, including an acrobatic layup over three Clippers defenders to give the Mavs the lead with 2:15 remaining. But Doncic struggled by his MVP-candidate standards while dealing with soreness in his right knee that caused him to be listed as questionable before the game. He finished with 29 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, but he shot poorly (10-of-24 from the floor, 1-of-8 from 3-point range) and was frequently exploited on the defensive end. "I just got to help him more," Doncic said of Irving. "I feel like I'm letting him down, so I got to be there. I got to help him more. He's given everything that he has, and he's been amazing for us the...

WASHINGTON -- Not playing their best hockey against an opponent full of desperation, the New York Rangers relied on a familiar recipe to move on in the NHL playoffs. Artemi Panarin scored the go-ahead goal on the power play early in the third period, Igor Shesterkin made 23 saves and the Presidents' Trophy-winning Rangers finished off a sweep of the Washington Capitals with a 4-2 victory in Game 4 on Sunday night to advance to the second round. "The things that we've done in the regular season over 82 games is something that we continue to do," center Mika Zibanejad said. "We've been building toward this, and I still think we can be better, but a great, hard-fought series, and it's nice (to get) a win." Trade deadline pickup Jack Roslovic sealed it with an empty-netter with 51 seconds left, and the Rangers next will face either the Carolina Hurricanes or crosstown rival New York Islanders with a spot in the Eastern...

DALLAS --  Kyrie Irving's scoring brilliance allowed the Mavericks to rally from a 31-point deficit in Sunday's Game 4, but Luka Doncic blamed himself for the Clippers escaping with a series-evening 116-111 victory. Irving scored all 40 of his points after Los Angeles went up 31 midway through the second quarter, including an acrobatic layup over three Clippers defenders to give the Mavs the lead with 2:15 remaining. But Doncic struggled by his MVP-candidate standards while dealing with soreness in his right knee that caused him to be listed as questionable. He finished with 29 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, but he shot poorly (10-of-24 from the floor, 1-of-8 from 3-point range) and was frequently exploited on the defensive end. "I just got to help him more," Doncic said of Irving. "I feel like I'm letting him down, so I got to be there. I got to help him more. He's given everything that he has, and he's been amazing for us the whole...

DALLAS -- The Mavericks furiously cut a 31-point Clippers lead to four entering the fourth quarter Sunday night when the Game 4 fireworks truly got underway. In a back-and-forth classic duel between the Mavericks' Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving and the Clippers' Paul George and James Harden, LA somehow managed to escape Dallas with a thrilling 116-111 win to even this best-of-seven series at 2 despite not having the injured Kawhi Leonard. In the last 5:03, Doncic, Irving, Harden and George combined to score the final 34 points of the game. "It was a show," Harden said. "Like elite, skilled, Hall of Fame basketball players going at it. And it's only so much you can do defensively, you know what I mean?" Harden delivered his most crucial performance as a Clipper, scoring 33 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter, to go with seven assists and six rebounds. He made 6 of 8 shots in the final quarter, five coming on floaters in...

Major League Baseball plans to address its uniform fiasco after changes this spring to the standard jerseys and pants led to widespread complaints from players and fans, according to a memo obtained Sunday night by ESPN. The most prominent modifications include a return to larger lettering on the back of jerseys, remedying mismatched gray tops and bottoms and addressing the new Nike jerseys' propensity to collect sweat, according to the memo distributed to players by the MLB Players Association on Sunday. The changes, which will happen at the latest by the beginning of the 2025 season, will also include fixes to the pants, widely panned this spring for being see-through. The union informed players of the coming changes in a letter that placed the blame on Nike and the debut of its Vapor Premier uniform, which was advertised for its superior performance but remains disliked by players. "This has been entirely a Nike issue," the memo to players read. "At its core, what has happened...

PHILADELPHIA -- After seeing a sea of  Knicks fans invade Wells Fargo Center on Sunday afternoon to watch New York take a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series against his  76ers with a 97-92 win, superstar center  Joel Embiid expressed disappointment at hearing so many Knicks fans inside his home arena. "Disappointing," Embiid said, when asked about the Knicks' fan support Sunday. "I love our fans. Think it's unfortunate, and I'm not calling them out, but it is disappointing. Obviously, you got a lot of Knicks fans, and they're down the road. "[But] I've never seen it, and I've been here for 10 years. Yeah, it kind of pisses me off, especially because Philly is considered a sports town. They've always shown up, and I don't think that should happen. Yeah, it's not OK." Throughout the game, there were cheers whenever either team did anything successful, and the Knicks and 76ers fans went back and forth trying to drown the other side...

Offensive tackle Mekhi Becton, a former first-round draft pick of the New York Jets, plans to sign a one-year deal worth up to $5.5 million with the Philadelphia Eagles, agents Alan Herman and Jared Fox told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Sunday. The signing, which was encouraged by Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland, is pending a physical, the agents said. The 6-foot-7 Becton started 16 games last season, which he considered an accomplishment given his injury history. Becton missed 33 out of 34 games in 2021 and 2022 due to two surgeries on his right knee. The Eagles needed to bolster their offensive line depth after losing Jack Driscoll and Sua Opeta in free agency. Given that need, and the fact that stalwart right tackle Lane Johnson will turn 34 in May, there was talk that the Eagles would take a tackle as high as the first round in the draft, but the board didn't fall that way for Philadelphia. Stoutland has earned a high...

Oklahoma City Thunder coach Mark Daigneault was named the NBA's Coach of the Year on Sunday night, finishing ahead of Orlando Magic coach Jamahl Mosley and Minnesota Timberwolves coach Chris Finch. Daigneault, in his fourth season on Oklahoma City's sideline, piloted the Thunder to the top seed in the Western Conference standings despite having one of the NBA's youngest teams this season. "I've used the word uncommon with this team all year, and the reason I think they're so uncommon is they have incredible ambition," Daigneault said in an interview with TNT on Sunday. "They care about their individual careers, they work hard individually, but they also really appreciate each other's success and they root for each other, they're behind each other and we've done everything together all year." Daigneault finished as a runaway winner, claiming 89 of the 100 first-place votes and 473 total points, with Mosley -- who led Orlando back into the playoffs for the first...

PHILADELPHIA -- Fresh off setting multiple New York Knicks playoff records and powering his team to a thrilling 97-92 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 4 of their first-round series behind a 47-point, 10-assist performance, Jalen Brunson was asked if his accomplishments are something he'll bask in now or save for later. "I'll look back when I retire," Brunson said. "Seriously. It's great right now, it helped us get a win. "But it's not going to do anything for us going forward." Knicks fans, however, will be doing plenty of basking, particularly the thousands of them who traveled down Interstate 95 to invade Wells Fargo Center on Sunday afternoon. They watched Brunson put up his latest incredible performance in a season full of them to give New York a 3-1 advantage in this best-of-seven affair. Game 5 is Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, where New York will try to advance to the second round and face either the Milwaukee...

Houston Texans wide receiver Tank Dell was shot in Sanford, Florida, shortly after midnight Sunday morning, according to the Texans. Dell was a bystander during a shooting at a private event in Sanford where authorities say a teenage gunman wounded 10 people after an altercation. A Texans spokesperson said Dell isn't seriously injured and was released from the hospital and is traveling back to Houston on Sunday. In a statement, the team said Dell has a "minor wound." "[Dell] has been released from the hospital and he is in good spirits," the Texans said. "We are in contact with him and his family and will provide more updates when appropriate but ask that you please respect his privacy at this time. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone involved in the incident." None of the victims in the shooting at Cabana Live in Sanford suffered life-threatening injuries, the Seminole County Sheriff's Office said in a statement. It said the 10 people were treated at a local...

DALLAS --   LA Clippers star  Kawhi Leonard missed Game 4 against the  Dallas Mavericks on Sunday because of the troublesome inflammation in his surgically repaired right knee. Leonard, who gutted out 25 minutes but did not look like his normal self in a Game 3 loss Friday, will not return to action until he is able to show that he can move the way he needs to, Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said Sunday. "It was very obvious that is not Kawhi Leonard," Frank said of Leonard's movements. With two days before Game 5 on Wednesday and then only one day of rest before Games 6 and 7, Leonard's return in this series is unknown. Dallas leads the best-of-seven series 2-1 entering Sunday's game. "He's extremely disappointed and frustrated," Frank said nearly two hours before the game. "It was obvious in Game 3 that his mobility was severely restricted. Organizationally, we made a decision that he's out. "The obvious question is, 'When's...

Paris Saint-Germain have clinched the Ligue 1 title after AS Monaco's away loss to Lyon on Sunday, putting them on 12 league wins in the club's history. PSG were held to a surprise 3-3 draw against Le Havre on Saturday, meaning they had to rely on second-placed Monaco not winning if they were to be crowned champions this weekend. - Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) Despite the draw on Saturday for PSG, Monaco's loss left them on 59 points -- 11 behind the total of 70 PSG have in the bag -- putting the title out of reach for the chasers with only three games left in the season. The French giants remain on track to win all four of the trophies available to them this season in what is likely to be star forward Kylian Mbappé's final term at the club. The Parisian club have now won 10 of the past 13 championships since their takeover by the state-backed Qatari Sports Investment in 2011. It means defending...

TORONTO -- Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews is still feeling the effects of an illness that forced him from the third period of Toronto's 3-1 loss in Game 4 of Toronto's first-round Stanley Cup playoff series against the Bruins on Saturday. Matthews had played through the sickness in Game 3 -- which the Leafs lost 4-2 -- and battled it again in Game 4 until Toronto's team doctors pulled him out of action for the final frame. The Leafs now face elimination from the postseason in Game 5 on Tuesday, and there's no guarantee Matthews will be well enough to dress for the crucial contest. "We thought the last couple of days would help us," coach Sheldon Keefe said after Toronto's team meeting Sunday. "But, for whatever reason, it's not one of those run-of-the-mill type of illnesses that sort of comes and goes. This one has lingered, and the effects have lingered and gotten worse when he's got on the ice and is asserting himself." Keefe said he hoped the extra...

Kansas State football landed Colorado's leading rusher from last season, as running back Dylan Edwards committed to the Wildcats on Sunday, a source confirmed to ESPN. Edwards also appeared to confirm the news, posting a photo of himself in a Kansas State uniform on X. As a true freshman, Edwards rushed for 321 yards for the Buffaloes in 2023. He also caught 36 passes for 299 yards and four touchdowns. Three of those receiving touchdowns came in his Colorado debut, when the Buffaloes knocked off TCU 45-42 in the season opener. Edwards was ranked the No. 140 overall recruit in last year's class. The Derby, Kansas, native committed to play for both Kansas State and Notre Dame before signing with new Colorado coach Deion Sanders. Edwards will likely play behind Kansas State running back DJ Giddens, who rushed for 1,226 yards and 10 touchdowns last season, while also giving the Wildcats a proven receiving threat out of the backfield. Kansas State...

Mikel Arteta said that  Arsenal are ready to push Manchester City to the final day of the season but warned his players not to get carried away by Sunday's 3-2 win at Tottenham. Arsenal raced to a 3-0 lead through a Pierre-Emile Højbjerg own goal in addition to strikes from Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz before Spurs mounted a second-half comeback that cut the lead to one. - Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) Asked before City beat Nottingham Forest later in the day whether the victory was evidence his squad is ready to fight until the very end, Arteta, who registered his 100th league win as a manager, said: "Yeah, 100%. I've seen that the whole season. "They give me the reason to believe that every single day. We are right on it. The motivation for what is ahead is beautiful. We are all expecting that they're going to have a real go." Arsenal fell away when leading the title...

DALLAS -- The LA Clippers have ruled out Kawhi Leonard for Game 4 on Sunday because of the troublesome inflammation in his surgically repaired right knee. Leonard, who gutted out 25 minutes but did not look like his normal self in a Game 3 loss Friday, will not return to action until he is able to show that he can move the way he needs to, Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said Sunday. "It was very obvious that is not Kawhi Leonard," Frank said of Leonard's movements. With two days before Game 5 on Wednesday and then only one day of rest before Games 6 and 7, Leonard's return in this series is unknown. Dallas leads the best-of-seven series 2-1 entering Sunday's game. "He's extremely disappointed and frustrated," Frank said nearly two hours before the game. "It was obvious in Game 3 that his mobility was severely restricted. Organizationally, we made a decision that he's out. "The obvious question is, 'When's he coming back?' I can't tell...

All-time women's basketball great Candace Parker announced her retirement on social media Sunday, marking the end of a career for one of the sport's best players and, for nearly two decades, one of the faces of the game. "I promised I'd never cheat the game & that I'd leave it in a better place than I came into it," Parker posted to Instagram. "The competitor in me always wants 1 more, but it's time. My HEART & body knew, but I needed to give my mind time to accept it." Parker, 38, dealt with a left foot injury during the 2023 season -- her first with the Las Vegas Aces -- before ultimately being sidelined for the rest of the campaign and undergoing surgery. The final game of her Hall of Fame career was July 7. Parker, who had initially re-signed with the Aces on Feb. 7 to a one-year deal, said in her Instagram post Sunday that her foot "isn't cooperating." "It's no fun playing in pain (10 surgeries in my career) it's no fun knowing what you could do, if...

Manchester City took another step in their bid to win a fourth consecutive Premier League title with a 2-0 victory over relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest on Sunday, with Josko Gvardiol and Erling Haaland on target. Pep Guardiola's men kept the pressure on leaders Arsenal, pulling to within a point of Arsenal -- who held on to win 3-2 at Tottenham Hotspur earlier in the day -- in the table with a game in hand. - Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) Gvardiol got City on the scoreboard when he headed in Kevin De Bruyne's corner kick in the 32nd minute in a nervous first half that saw Forest miss a couple of terrific chances. Haaland made a quick impact when he entered the game as a substitute in his first action since missing two matches with a muscle injury. The Norwegian took a pass from De Bruyne in the 71st minute and launched it into the far corner for a league-leading 21st goal of the...

Lyon grabbed a superb 2-1 win at Paris Saint-Germain in their all-French women's Champions League semifinal second leg on Sunday to complete a 5-3 aggregate win that secured them a final showdown against Barcelona in Bilbao on May 25. With Lyon having overturned a 2-0 deficit to win the first leg 3-2 after a thrilling comeback, fullback Selma Bacha netted their first goal in the third minute, catching the PSG keeper unawares and drilling a low shot into the bottom right corner. - Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) The home side struck back four minutes before the break through striker Tabitha Chawinga, who picked up the ball outside the box before advancing and lashing a left-footed effort across the goal and in at the far post for her fifth Champions League goal of the season. Eight-time champions Lyon wasted a number of good second-half chances before Melchie Dumornay finally slotted home...

Former Ivy League Player of the Year Kaitlyn Chen has committed to UConn as a transfer out of Princeton, she announced on social media Sunday. Chen spent the past three seasons under former UConn player Carla Berube, earning first-team all-Ivy honors in 2023 and 2024. The senior, whose freshman season in 2020-21 was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was unable to use her final year of eligibility at Princeton, as Ivy League rules stipulate graduate students cannot participate in athletics. The 5-foot-9 guard from San Marino, California, averaged 15.8 points, 4.9 assists and 1.3 steals per game last season on her way to earning a nod as a WBCA honorable mention All-American. The season prior, in her Ivy League Player of the Year campaign, she averaged 16.2 points per game. Chen helped the Tigers to three Ivy League tournament championships, earning Most Outstanding Player each time, and three NCAA tournament appearances. The Tigers have won at...

Milwaukee Bucks stars  Giannis Antetokounmpo and  Damian Lillard have been ruled out for Game 4 of their Eastern Conference first-round series against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday in Indianapolis. Lillard aggravated an Achilles tendon injury late in the fourth quarter of Friday's 121-118 overtime loss to the Pacers, which gave Indiana a 2-1 lead in the series. A source told ESPN the injury is a strained right Achilles tendon, as first reported by The Athletic. An eight-time All-Star, Lillard was seen with a walking boot on his right foot Saturday. Lillard's Achilles has been bothering him for a few weeks. He revealed he had been feeling some discomfort following Milwaukee's regular-season finale in Orlando and then sat out the first few days of practice before the start of the playoffs to recover, a break Lillard said helped him feel fresh entering the series. Lillard, 33, is averaging 32.3 points, 5.3 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals in three...

After falling behind 3-0, Tottenham Hotspur closed the gap with two second-half goals, ensuring a nervy finale in Sunday's North London derby, but Arsenal held on to secure a crucial 3-2 victory and maintain their push for the Premier League title. An own goal from Spurs' Pierre-Emile Højbjerg was the first of Arsenal's three first-half goals, with Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz netting the other two. - Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) - Olley:  Arsenal shrug off derby pressure to send Man City title warning However, Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya gifted Spurs a goal on 64 minutes after a dreadfully executed chipped pass landed to Cristian Romeo, who found the bottom-left corner. Arsenal were made to sweat late when Declan Rice fouled Ben Davies, prompting the Video Assistant Referee to award a penalty that was converted by Son...

LOS ANGELES -- All series, Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone has been telling his team it needed to get out to better starts. That just because the Nuggets had been able to come back from double-digit deficits in each of the first three games of their first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers, it didn't mean they could always turn things around in the second half. On Saturday, the Nuggets got off on the wrong foot once again. Or rather, a few players actually took the court before Denver's 119-108 loss to Los Angeles in Game 4 of the Western Conference playoffs without any shoes at all because of a mix-up in getting several players' insoles onto the early bus to the arena, according to a team spokesperson. "Is it ideal? No," Malone said. "But hopefully we can figure that out and make sure it never happens again. "If you want to dig into stuff and say, well, we lost because for some strange reason our players didn't have their shoes when...

LOS ANGELES -- Shiny purple and gold streamers fluttered down from the Crypto.com Arena ceiling Saturday, not only signifying the Lakers' 119-108 win over the Nuggets to stay alive in their first-round series, but also Los Angeles' first win over Denver in nearly 500 days. Snapping an 11-game losing streak against the defending champions was certainly a better alternative than heading into the offseason being swept out of the playoffs by the Nuggets for a second straight year. However, down 3-1 in the series, the Lakers will still enter Monday's Game 5 on the edge of elimination. "The only opportunity for us is just to play the next game," LeBron James said after scoring 14 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter to seal the victory. "And we've given ourselves another life. We've given ourselves another lifeline, and it's a one-game series for us." No team in NBA history has come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a best-of-seven playoff series. Then...

TORONTO -- Star center Auston Matthews did not finish Saturday night's Game 4 because of an illness, as the Toronto Maple Leafs fell 3-1 to the Boston Bruins. Toronto now finds itself on the brink of elimination in its first-round playoff series, with a must-win Game 5 on Tuesday in Boston. Coach Sheldon Keefe previously confirmed Matthews played through an illness in Game 3, and Matthews had been absent from multiple team sessions while recovering. It was more of the same in Game 4 when Matthews logged 14:16 in ice time before not returning after the second intermission. "It is all related to the illness he's dealing with," Keefe said, responding to a reporter's question on why Matthews didn't return for the third period. "The doctors pulled him." Matthews was Toronto's hero in Game 2, scoring the game-winning goal and notching two assists to lift the Maple Leafs to a 3-2 victory. It was the Bruins again taking it to Toronto early Saturday....

MIAMI -- After perhaps the most surprising result of the postseason thus far -- the short-handed, No. 8-seeded Miami Heat beating the No. 1-seeded  Boston Celtics in Game 2 to tie their first-round series -- it was natural to wonder how things would play out in the pivotal Game 3. Would Boston, after the head-scratching loss, rebound and again resemble the club that won the East by 14 games in the regular season? Or had coach Erik Spoelstra and his scrappy group found a formula it could repeat to play spoiler in the series for a second straight postseason? The answer, emphatically, was the former. After surrendering 23 3-pointers in their Game 2 loss, the Celtics were far more active and physical defensively Saturday night and smothered the Heat in a 104-84 Game 3 win to take a 2-1 series edge. Game 4 is Monday in Miami. Boston stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown said coach Joe Mazzulla challenged them to play with more defensive...

PHILADELPHIA -- The Eagles tied an NFL record for most trades in a seven-round draft with eight, joining the 2023 Houston Texans and 2018 New England Patriots for most draft-day trades since 1990. The wheeling and dealing by general manager Howie Roseman kicked into overdrive Saturday, as Philadelphia executed five trades on Day 3. The goal was twofold, per Roseman: "To get as many of the guys that we targeted on Day 3 as we possibly can and at the same time see if we can accumulate picks for the future." To that end, the Eagles acquired 2025 third-, fourth- and fifth-round picks via three separate trades, believing they were a little light on selections for next year.   And they were still able to land some of the prospects they had zeroed in on, including a pair of Clemson players in running back  Will Shipley and linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. The Eagles entered the day with seven draft picks and exited with six...

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami continued their imperious form in MLS, as the Argentine superstar scored twice in his team's 4-1 win over the New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Saturday night. Messi netted coolly from close range in the 32nd and 67th minutes as Miami overcame a first-minute Revs goal to cruise to victory in front of a record home crowd for New England of 65,612. The Revolution's previous highest attendance was the 61,316 who watched the team take on the LA Galaxy in the 2002 MLS Cup final. - Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, NWSL more (U.S.) Messi now has a league-leading nine goals this season in just seven MLS games. Along with the goals, Messi also provided his seventh assist of the year, setting up former Barcelona teammate Luis Suárez for Miami's fourth goal in the 88th minute. Suárez's delightful pinpoint finish came five minutes after fellow...

Mikhail Sergachev's return sparked the host  Tampa Bay Lightning, who avoided elimination with a 6-3 victory over the Florida Panthers in Game 4 of their first-round series on Saturday. One of the Lightning's top defenseman had been out since fracturing the tibia and fibula in his left leg on Feb. 7. Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper had predicted the Lightning would need to "go far" in the playoffs to see Sergachev dress for another game. Sergachev surpassed all expectations by suiting up just 80 days following that break to be a last-minute addition to the Lightning's starters. "I felt like a hockey player again. It was unbelievable," Sergachev said. "I found out yesterday the [doctors] cleared me, and it was Coach [Cooper's] decision [if I played]. I stayed at the rink a little longer waiting for the coach to say yes or no. And he said yes. I got very excited." Sergachev had hoped he'd be able to come back for Game 1 of the series but that didn't pan out....

BOULDER, Colo. -- Colorado coach Deion Sanders reiterated his commitment to the Buffaloes program after the spring game Saturday, saying he had no plans to leave to follow his sons to the NFL. Sanders made his comments after his second spring game as Colorado head coach, in which his sons, Shedeur and Shilo, played a handful of series during a one-hour scrimmage on a cold, wet day. Shedeur and Shilo are set to play their final collegiate seasons, with Shedeur projected to be one of the top quarterbacks available in the 2025 NFL draft. Colorado has picked up multiple commitments from prospects in the class of 2025, including two on Saturday. Sanders was asked what he tells players and parents in future classes about questions regarding his long-term future at Colorado. "I tell them the truth," Sanders said. "I tell them I'm a father, not a baby daddy. I don't follow my kids. I pave roads for my kids. I build generational wealth for my kids. I lead my kids. I...

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Alabama safety Jaylen Key said it was "pretty nerve-wracking" waiting seven hours Saturday to hear his name called on Day 3 of the NFL draft. When he learned he had been picked by the New York Jets, he knew exactly what that meant. He was Mr. Irrelevant. "It means everything; that's part of the title," Key said on a video conference with New York-area reporters. "You just have to take it and lean into it. For me, I'm definitely going to lean into every bit of it. I'm Mr. Irrelevant this year, and we're going to make something shake, for sure." The Jets selected Key with the final pick in the seventh round, No. 257 overall -- the franchise's first Mr. Irrelevant choice since 1969. That year, they picked last after winning Super Bowl III. This time, it was a compensatory selection. The Mr. Irrelevant title has grown in stature in recent years, thanks, in large part, to San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, who...

NEW ORLEANS -- The youngest No. 1 seed in the history of the NBA playoffs certainly isn't being hindered by its lack of playoff experience. The Oklahoma City Thunder rolled to another dominant victory over the eighth-seeded New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday afternoon, winning 106-85 to take a 3-0 series lead. "We just try to clear the hurdle in front of us," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "That's how we've been through time, not just this season. "And the word I've used with the team is 'uncommon' all year. I think they just have an uncommon maturity and uncommon poise, uncommon competitiveness and togetherness. And with that competitiveness, they're not just siloed competitors. They compete together. And I think that gives you confidence in stressful situations or on the road when you're doing it as part of a unit, and I really think they feel like that." Only twice in NBA history has all of a team's points in a playoff game come from players under 25 years...

ELMONT, N.Y. -- Instead of sweeping the New York Islanders out of the playoffs, Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour watched his team give its opponents new life on Saturday afternoon. Forward Mathew Barzal's double-overtime deflection goal won Game 4 for the Islanders 3-2, sending the series back to Raleigh, North Carolina. "They're back in it. We gave them some hope here now," Brind'Amour said. "We've talked about how tough it is to win four games in a row, especially with the game being as even as they are. It could have gone either way in the previous three. We expected it to be a long series and now we've just got to focus on the next one." Barzal powered the Islanders with his first two goals of the playoffs, tying the game in the second period and then winning it by deflecting home a shot from the point by defenseman Robert Bortuzzo at 1:24 of the second overtime. "We weren't going to go down without a fight, and now we're in a...

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Kirk Cousins' position as the Atlanta Falcons' starting quarterback of the foreseeable future has not changed after the team's stunning first-round NFL draft decision, according to new coach Raheem Morris. The Falcons selected quarterback Michael Penix Jr. of Washington with the No. 8 pick Thursday night. The choice sent shockwaves across the NFL since Atlanta had just signed Cousins as a free agent last month to a four-year contract worth up to $180 million, with $100 million of that guaranteed. At the Falcons' post-draft media availability Saturday, Morris halted any quarterback controversy. "We came up with a decision, this is what we plan to do," said Morris, who was hired in January after the firing of former coach Arthur Smith. "And Kirk does not have to look over his shoulder every time he throws a bad pass. Like, that is not the case. "So I know I'm going to have to tell you guys once or twice that that is not the...

BOULDER, Colo. -- Colorado coach Deion Sanders reiterated his commitment to the Buffaloes' program following the spring game Saturday, saying he had no plans to leave to follow his sons to the NFL. Sanders made his comments after his second spring game as head coach, in which his sons, Shedeur and Shilo, played a handful of series during a one-hour scrimmage on a cold, wet day. Shedeur and Shilo are set to play their final collegiate seasons, with Shedeur projected to be one of the top quarterbacks available in the 2025 NFL draft. Colorado has picked up multiple commitments from prospects in the class of 2025 -- including two on Saturday. Sanders was asked what he tells players and parents in future classes about questions regarding his long-term future at Colorado. "I tell them the truth," Sanders said. "I tell them I'm a father, not a baby daddy. I don't follow my kids. I pave roads for my kids. I build generational wealth for my kids. I lead my kids. I don't follow my kids. So...

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Kirk Cousins' position as the Atlanta Falcons starting quarterback of the foreseeable future has not changed after the team's stunning first-round NFL draft decision, according to new coach Raheem Morris. The Falcons selected quarterback Michael Penix Jr. of Washington with the No. 8 pick Thursday night. The choice sent shockwaves across the NFL since Atlanta had just signed Cousins as a free agent last month to a four-year contract worth up to $180 million, with $100 million of that guaranteed. At the Falcons' post-draft media availability Saturday, Morris nipped any kind of quarterback controversy in the bud. "We came up with a decision, this is what we plan to do," said Morris, who was hired in January after the firing of former coach Arthur Smith. "And Kirk does not have to look over his shoulder every time he throws a bad pass. Like, that is not the case. "So, I know I'm going to have to tell you guys once or twice that that is...

BOULDER, Colo. -- Colorado coach Deion Sanders reiterated his commitment to the Buffaloes' program following the spring game Saturday, saying he had no plans to leave to follow his sons to the NFL. Sanders made his comments after his second spring game as head coach, in which his sons, Shedeur and Shilo, played a handful of series during a one-hour scrimmage on a cold, wet day. Shedeur and Shilo are set to play their final collegiate seasons, with Shedeur projected to be one of the top quarterbacks available in the 2025 NFL draft. Colorado has picked up multiple commitments from prospects in the class of 2025 -- including two on Saturday. Sanders was asked what he tells players and parents in future classes about questions regarding his long-term future at Colorado. "I tell them the truth," Sanders said. "I tell them I'm a father, not a baby daddy. I don't follow my kids. I pave roads for my kids. I build generational wealth for my kids. I lead my kids. I don't follow my kids. So...

INDIANAPOLIS --  Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard is doubtful for Game 4 of the team's first-round series Sunday against the Indiana Pacers because of an Achilles injury.  Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has not played in this series because of a calf strain, also is doubtful, according to the team.  Lillard was wearing a walking boot following the Bucks' film session Saturday afternoon after agitating the injury near the end of the fourth quarter in Game 3 on Friday. He was grabbing at his leg after a foul on Aaron Nesmith with 6.2 seconds remaining in regulation. He stayed on the floor as Game 3 went into overtime, but he went scoreless and did not attempt a shot. A source said the injury is a strained right Achilles tendon, as first reported by The Athletic. Lillard's Achilles has been bothering him for a few weeks. He revealed he had been feeling some discomfort following Milwaukee's regular-season finale in Orlando and then sat out the first...

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Patriots selected Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton III in the sixth round of the NFL draft Saturday, double-dipping at the position after picking North Carolina's Drake Maye third overall. Milton acknowledged he was somewhat surprised to hear from the Patriots at pick No. 193 but said it was nonetheless special to receive word from the team given the adversity he said he has faced over his career. "I had all the [NFL] hats laid out. You just never know where you're going to end up. I was just waiting on any phone call," Milton told reporters on a videoconference. "It's a blessing, for sure." The 6-foot-5, 246-pound Milton said all his conversations with the Patriots have been about playing quarterback. Some draft analysts wondered if teams might consider him as a tight end, but Milton said bluntly: "That will never happen." The Patriots now have five quarterbacks on their roster, led by veteran ...

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Former Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis wiped away a tear at the start of his video conference with reporters, overcome with emotion after being selected in the fifth round by the New York Jets on Saturday. "This is a freaking dream come true," Travis said. "I mean, it still hasn't hit me yet. My emotions are kind of everywhere right now." Travis, whose promising 2023 season ended with a gruesome left ankle fracture last November, can restart his career on a quarterback depth chart that includes future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers and seasoned backup Tyrod Taylor. Travis was the eighth quarterback selected, the first Florida State quarterback since Jameis Winston went No. 1 overall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2015. The Jets were looking for a developmental quarterback after trading Zach Wilson, the No. 2 pick in 2021, to the Denver Broncos on Monday. General manager Joe Douglas...

PHILADELPHIA -- Jeremiah Trotter to the Eagles. Again. With the 20th pick in the fifth round, the Eagles selected Clemson linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. -- the son of one of the most beloved players to wear the midnight green. Trotter Sr., a third-round pick of the Eagles in 1998, patrolled the middle of the defense for eight seasons, racking up four Pro Bowls and a Super Bowl appearance during that time. "It means a lot. I know the type of legacy he left with this organization and the fans, just how they treat him. It definitely means a lot to come in and continue that legacy," Trotter said of his father and joining his team. "I'm trying to help out the team any way I can. I'm a hometown kid and the Eagles were always my favorite team growing up, so it's definitely great to be able to play for them and just have the opportunity that I have." Trotter Jr. was born in New Jersey and played high school football at St. Joseph's Prep in Philadelphia. He went on to star at...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. --  Kansas City Chiefs chairman Clark Hunt said the team would look at options beyond renovating Arrowhead Stadium as it searches for a home beyond the expiration of its lease following the 2030 season. "We will approach it from a broader perspective going forward because time is short for us at this point and so we need to see what other options are out there for us,'' Hunt said. "When we started on this process three years ago, it felt like we had a very long time, a long runway with about 9½ [years] left on our lease. We're now down to 6½ and so I do feel very much of a sense of urgency. "Arrowhead is a special place for our family and our fan base. That was one of the reasons that we focused on it with the last effort, but going forward it may make more sense for us to be in a new stadium.'' Voters in Jackson County, Missouri, rejected a sales tax measure earlier this month that would have helped fund major renovations to Arrowhead as well as build a...

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- It turned out all of those conversations the Denver Broncos had in recent weeks with the New York Jets weren't just about quarterback Zach Wilson. The Broncos stayed busy on Day 3 of the draft Saturday as they acquired defensive end John Franklin-Myers from the Jets, sources told ESPN. The Broncos sent the Jets a 2026 sixth-round pick. Franklin-Myers, who was the Los Angeles Rams' fourth-round selection in the 2018 draft and joined the Jets in 2019 after the Rams had waived him, will quickly be in the mix to start at defensive end in the Broncos' 3-4 look, opposite of Zach Allen. Franklin-Myers was slated to be in the third year of a four-year, $55 million extension he signed in 2021. He was scheduled to make $29 million over the next two years.  The Jets decided to move on from Franklin-Myers after acquiring pass-rusher Haason Reddick in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles. Three weeks ago, the...

METAIRIE, La. -- The New Orleans Saints selected South Carolina quarterback Spencer Rattler with the first of three fifth-round picks Saturday. Rattler was the first quarterback to come off the board since Day 1, when six quarterbacks were selected in the first round. "At the end of the day it's a blessing to get picked wherever," Rattler said Saturday. "I knew we were waiting around a day or two but I had faith that I would be picked today. ... I was very happy the Saints came and picked me, what a great feeling." Rattler said that he took a pre-draft visit to New Orleans and had dinner with Saints quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko. Rattler said the visit went great and he had a feeling the Saints could be in the mix to select him. Rattler joins a quarterback room that includes starting quarterback Derek Carr, who signed an four-year deal worth up to $150 million in free agency in 2023, veterans Kellen Mond and Nathan Peterman and...

Barcelona booked their spot in May's Women's Champions League final as they overcame a 1-0 deficit from the first leg to beat 10-woman  Chelsea 2-0 in front of a sold-out Stamford Bridge on Saturday. Chelsea's defeat ensures that the Champions League will remain the one trophy that eludes Emma Hayes as she leaves the club after 14 years in charge to coach the United States women's national team at the end of the season. - Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) Under Hayes, Chelsea have reached the final only once, in 2021 when they were thrashed 4-0 -- again by Barça. The Catalan side, who have won the Champions League twice in the last three years, went ahead in the 26th minute when Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmatí found space on the edge of the box and sidestepped Niamh Charles. Her shot took a deflection off Kadeisha Buchanan into the net. The goal, after sustained pressure at high tempo from the visitors, cancelled...

INDIANAPOLIS --  Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard has a strained right Achilles tendon, sources confirmed to ESPN, putting his availability for Game 4 of the team's first-round series against the Indiana Pacers in jeopardy. Lillard was wearing a walking boot following the team's film session Saturday afternoon after agitating the injury near the end of the fourth quarter in Game 3 on Friday night. Lillard was grabbing at his leg after a foul on Aaron Nesmith with 6.2 seconds remaining in regulation. He stayed on the floor as Game 3 went into overtime, but he went scoreless and did not attempt a shot. Lillard's Achilles has been bothering him for a few weeks. He revealed he had been feeling some discomfort following Milwaukee's regular-season finale in Orlando and then sat out the first few days of practice before the start of the playoffs in order to recover, a break Lillard said helped him feel fresh entering the series. After Lillard agitated...

INDIANAPOLIS - Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard has a strained right Achilles tendon, sources confirmed to ESPN, putting his availability for Game 4 of the team's first-round series against the Indian Pacers in jeopardy. Lillard was wearing a walking boot following the team's film session on Saturday afternoon after agitating the injury near the end of the fourth quarter in Game 3 on Friday night. Lillard was grabbing at his leg after a foul on Aaron Nesmith with 6.2 seconds remaining in regulation. He stayed on the floor as Game 3 went into overtime, but he went scoreless and did not attempt a shot. Lillard's Achilles has been bothering him for a few weeks. He revealed he had been feeling some discomfort following Milwaukee's regular-season finale in Orlando and then sat out the first few days of practice before the start of the playoffs in order to recover, a break Lillard said helped him feel fresh entering the series. After he agitated the injury...

Stanford transfer Andrej Stojakovic, the son of former NBA All-Star Peja Stojakovic and one of the best available wings in the portal, has committed to Cal, he told ESPN. Stojakovic visited the Golden Bears' campus last weekend and came away impressed by coach Mark Madsen's program. The Sacramento, California, native was pursued by Kentucky, North Carolina and Michigan, among others, but opted to stay close to home. "It was just the overall transparency from Coach Madsen and his staff," Stojakovic said. "We had many conversations about a development plan, what me at Cal could look like. Just overall, the consistency with them recruiting me, spending time with myself and my family." Madsen made Stojakovic a priority in the portal from the time he entered in mid-March, conducting an in-home visit with the freshman wing and his family early in the process. "I didn't know him at all. My dad didn't know him personally. He came to the house that...