Kryptonite for 10 NBA title contenders: Which weaknesses could sink playoff teams?
We evaluated every playoff contender’s biggest weaknesses, how it will impact the postseason and which team is best positioned to exploit them.
Jayson Tatum, Nikola Jokic Named NBA’s Players Of Week 23
Jayson Tatum, Nikola Jokic Named NBA’s Players Of Week 23
Jayson Tatum and Nikola Jokic have been named the NBA’s Players of the Week for Week 23.
Tatum averaged 25.7 points, 9.7 rebounds and 6.7 assists as the Boston Celtics went 3-0. Over 11 games since his return from an Achilles injury, Tatum is averaging 20.9 points, 9.1 rebounds and 4.2 assists with a PER of 18.7.
Jokic averaged 26.0 points, 17.0 rebounds and 14.0 assists as the Denver Nuggets went 4-0.
Falcons GM Ian Cunningham says 'work to be done' in NFL minority hiring, despite Florida AG pushback
Falcons GM Ian Cunningham says 'work to be done' in NFL minority hiring, despite Florida AG pushback
PHOENIX (AP) — First-year Atlanta Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham said he’ll continue to push for more diversity in the NFL’s leadership positions, even after Florida’s attorney general wrote that the league’s minority hiring guidelines violate Florida state law.
Attorney General James Uthmeier sent a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell saying the league’s 23-year-old Rooney Rule amounts to “blatant race and sex discrimination.”
“Just from my position, especially being a Black man, there’s still work to be done,” Cunningham told The Associated Press on Monday at the NFL’s league meetings. “Now that I’m in this position and have this platform, I’m going to be intentional about what we do from a grassroots effort to a director level.
“I do think it’s important to give people of all races and sexes a chance to be in a position to further their career.”
The Rooney Rule requires teams to interview at least two minority candidates for head coach, general manager and coordinator positions. At least one minority candidate must be interviewed for the quarterbacks coach position.
The 40-year-old Cunningham was hired as the Falcons general manger in January after four seasons as an assistant GM with the Chicago Bears. He’s also spent time in the front office for the Baltimore Ravens and Philadelphia Eagles.
Cunningham said he didn’t have a comment on Uthmeier’s specific concerns, saying he didn’t have all the details.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles — who is one of just three Black head coaches in the league — also said he needed more information before deciding if Uthmeier’s complaint had any merit.
“The political part of it, if he wants it out, and he has reasons why, I got to hear cases and all that,” Bowles said. “If I were the judge sitting behind a bench, I would probably have more info right now what he thinks, but I don’t.”
Uthmeier asked Goodell to confirm by May 1 that the NFL was no longer enforcing the Rooney Rule in Florida, or the league could face civil rights action. There are three NFL teams in Florida — the Buccaneers, Miami Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars.
“NFL fans in Florida don’t care what color their coach’s skin is,” the letter said. “They care what colors their coach is wearing — and that those colors are winning on the football field. The Rooney Rule and its offshoots are illegal in Florida.”
The NFL will have only three head coaches and four general managers who are Black next season. There were 10 head coach openings this season and none of them were filled by a Black coach.
Robert Saleh, who is of Lebanese descent, was the only minority to get a job during the most recent head coach hiring cycle when he was hired by Tennessee.
This was just the fifth time since the start of the Rooney Rule in 2003 that no Black head coaches were hired during an offseason coaching cycle. The only other time it happened in a year with more than five changes was 2013, when there were eight openings.
Goodell isn’t scheduled to speak at the NFL’s annual meetings until Tuesday, but said in February that increasing diversity is still one of the league’s goals.
“We need to continue to make progress,” Goodell said. “I believe that and I believe diversity is good for us. … I think we have to become a more diverse league across every platform, including coaching. But we still have more work to do.”
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AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi contributed to this story.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Tom Dundon Group’s $4.25 Billion Purchase Of Blazers Unanimously Approved By Board Of Governors
Tom Dundon Group’s $4.25 Billion Purchase Of Blazers Unanimously Approved By Board Of Governors
The NBA Board of Governors has unanimously approved the sale of the Portland Trail Blazers to a group led by Dallas businessman Tom Dundon, a league source told The Athletic. The deal is structured at an approximate total value of $4.25 billion.
The transaction ends the Allen family’s ownership era dating to 1988. It is structured in two stages: an 80.1 percent stake closes March 31 at a $4 billion valuation, with the remaining 19.9 percent closing no later than September 1, 2028, at a $4.5 billion valuation. During the interim period, former Blazers chairman Bert Kolde will observe board meetings without governance authority.
Dundon’s purchasing group includes Portland’s Sheel Tyle of investment firm Collective Global, Chicago’s Marc Zahr of Blue Owl, the Cherng family of Las Vegas, founders of Panda Express, and Freedom Mortgage CEO Stanley Middleman, who also holds a partial stake in the Philadelphia Phillies.
Dundon currently serves as majority owner of the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes, which he acquired in 2018 for $420 million. He recently sold 12.5 percent of that stake at a $2.66 billion valuation while retaining majority control. Carolina has reached the playoffs in eight straight seasons under his stewardship.
The Blazers are seeking $600 million to renovate the Moda Center. Oregon’s Legislature has already committed $365 million, funded through income tax revenues from team-related activity. Additional contributions from Multnomah County and the city of Portland remain pending council votes.
Paul Allen purchased the franchise in 1988 for $70 million. Following his death in 2018, his sister Jody assumed governance. The Allen estate listed the team for sale in May 2025, with all proceeds designated for charitable distribution.
Shesterkin makes 27 saves in Rangers' 3-1 victory over Panthers
Shesterkin makes 27 saves in Rangers' 3-1 victory over Panthers
NEW YORK (AP) — Adam Sykora broke a scoreless tie early in the third period and Igor Shesterkin made 27 saves and the New York Rangers defeated the Florida Panthers 3-1 on Sunday.
Sykora, a rookie who was a second-round pick in 2022, scored his second goal of the season at 5:10, tipping Adam Fox’s shot past Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky.
Conor Sheary then scored his fifth of the season — on a short-handed breakaway — at 11:14 before Fox added an empty-netter at 16:06.
Sykora also scored in the Rangers’ 6-1 win against Chicago on Friday. The Rangers are just 11-18-7 at home this season.
Florida’s Mackie Samoskevich scored with 40.2 seconds left to end Shesterkin’s shutout bid.
New York nearly scored late in the second when Mika Zibanejad’s shot with 1:35 left skittered along the goal line before Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling cleared it out.
Florida appeared to take the lead at 3:22 of the third when Matthew Tkachuk scored on a breakaway, but the Rangers challenged and the play was ruled offside.
Florida was coming off a 5-2 loss at the New York Islanders on Saturday in which Tkachuk scored both goals.
Up next
Panthers: host Ottawa on Tuesday.
Rangers: host New Jersey on Tuesday.
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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Seth Lugo throws 6 1/3 scoreless innings and Royals beat Braves 4-1 for their 1st win of the season
Seth Lugo throws 6 1/3 scoreless innings and Royals beat Braves 4-1 for their 1st win of the season
ATLANTA (AP) — Seth Lugo pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings and Carter Jensen homered to lead the Kansas City Royals to a 4-1 win over the Atlanta Braves on Sunday.
Bobby Witt Jr. and Vinnie Pasquantino had RBI singles for the Royals, who blew a ninth-inning lead a day earlier and avoided a season-opening sweep. Witt had five hits in the series.
Jensen was 1 for 3 with two RBIs, adding a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning to his solo home run in the fourth.
Lugo (1-0) gave up five hits, struck out three and walked none while throwing 55 of his 77 pitches for strikes. He did survive three deep fly balls with exit velocities all over 105 mph from Ronald Acuña Jr., Matt Olson and Michael Harris II that were caught up against the outfield wall.
Drake Baldwin hit a solo home run to right field with the Braves trailing 4-0 in the eighth inning.
Lucas Erceg picked up the save for the Royals with a scoreless ninth inning.
Royals closer Carlos Estévez was hit in the ankle during Saturday night’s blown save and was in a walking boot Sunday morning. X-rays were negative, although Royals manager Matt Quatraro said it was the ankle that would keep Estévez out Sunday — not his shaky spring performance or because he surrendered six runs in 1/3 of an inning Saturday.
Braves starter Grant Holmes (0-1) gave up three runs in five innings with two walks and four strikeouts. Rookie Didier Fuentes, 20, gave up one run in four innings in relief of Holmes.
Up next
Royals: LHP Kris Bubic (8-7, 2.55 ERA in 2025) will face the Minnesota Twins in the Royals’ 2026 home opener at Kauffman Stadium on Monday.
Braves: RHP Bryce Elder (8-11, 5.30) will oppose Athletics RHP Aaron Civale (4-9, 4.85) in the opener of a three-game series in Atlanta on Monday.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB
Springer, Okamoto and Sánchez homer, Blue Jays beat Athletics 5-2 to complete three-game sweep
Springer, Okamoto and Sánchez homer, Blue Jays beat Athletics 5-2 to complete three-game sweep
TORONTO (AP) — George Springer hit the 64th leadoff home run of his career, Kazuma Okamoto went deep for the first time in the majors and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Athletics 5-2 on Sunday to complete a three-game sweep.
Jesús Sánchez added a two-run homer, his first with Toronto. The defending American League champions swept 11 series last season, one fewer than Milwaukee and Seattle, which led the majors.
Max Muncy hit a two-run home run for the Athletics, one of five hits for the visitors.
Toronto’s Eric Lauer (1-0) allowed two runs and three hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked one and struck out nine.
Jeff Hoffman finished for his first save. Hoffman blew the save in Friday’s season opener when he allowed a game-tying home run to Shea Langeliers in the ninth inning.
Toronto pitchers combined to strike out 50 A’s batters over the weekend, matching the team record for a three-game series. Blue Jays pitchers fanned 50 batters in a four-game series against Detroit in 2019.
Springer homered on the first pitch he saw from Luis Morales. Only Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson (81) has hit more career leadoff homers.
Sánchez homered off Morales in the third, and Okamoto connected for an opposite-field drive in the fourth.
Morales (0-1) allowed five runs and five hits in 4 1/3 innings.
Muncy’s blast cut the gap in half in the top of the fifth, but the Blue Jays added another run on Addison Barger’s bases-loaded walk in the bottom half.
Up next
Athletics: LHP Jacob Lopez is scheduled to start at Atlanta on Monday against Braves RHP Bryce Elder.
Blue Jays: RHP Cody Ponce is scheduled to make his Toronto debut Monday at home against Colorado, which counters with Rockies RHP Tomoyuki Sugano.
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
NBA playoff watch: 76ers, Hornets clash in key seeding matchup
NBA playoff watch: 76ers, Hornets clash in key seeding matchup
Can Philadelphia or Charlotte move into the top six? Plus, updated playoff projections, draft lottery standings after Thursday.
The balancing act facing Jayson Tatum and the Celtics
The balancing act facing Jayson Tatum and the Celtics
Boston and its superstar wing represent perhaps the biggest wild card of the 2026 NBA playoffs.
Dubois scores twice in final period to rally Victoire past Sirens 3-1 in Takeover Tour stop
Dubois scores twice in final period to rally Victoire past Sirens 3-1 in Takeover Tour stop
DETROIT (AP) — Catherine Dubois scored twice in a three-goal third period to rally the Montreal Victoire to a 3-1 victory over the New York Sirens on Saturday in a Takeover Tour stop at Little Caesars Arena.
Montreal (12-4-2-5) pulled within two points of the front-running Boston Fleet with three weeks left in the regular season.
New York (8-0-3-12) took a 1-0 lead when Casey O’Brien was in the right spot to knock in a rebound on a shot by Jaime Bourbonnais that goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens blocked but couldn’t corral at 9:09.
Bourbonnais notched her ninth assist and Anne Cherkowski collected her sixth O’Brien’s sixth goal of the season.
Dubois pulled Montreal even 1:54 into the third period and gave the Victoire a 2-1 lead less than five minutes later with her fourth goal of the campaign. Natálie Mlýnková earned her fifth assist on Dubois’ first netter. Shiann Darkangelo and Kaitlin Willoughby both notched their third assists on the go-ahead score.
Laura Stacey scored for the sixth time this season, adding an insurance goal at 7:29. Kati Tabin tallied her ninth assist and Hayley Scamurra collected her eighth.
Desbiens had 23 saves for Montreal.
Kayle Osborne stopped 26 shots in goal for New York.
Montreal outshot New York 29-24 after the Sirens had an 11-2 advantage in the first period.
New York had not shut out an opponent through the first two periods since Jan. 6 in a 2-0 victory over the Toronto Sceptres.
Up next
New York: Hosts the Minnesota Frost on Wednesday.
Montreal: Hosts the Vancouver Goldeneyes on Wednesday.
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AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey