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Lakers play spoiler, steal game 1 from Grizzlies in NBA Playoffs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:00 GMT

The Los Angeles Lakers continued their winning ways on Sunday, stealing the first game from the Memphis Grizzlies in the opening round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs.The road team-Lakers defeated Ja Morant and the Grizzlies by a score of 128-112 Sunday afternoon.The 7-seed Lakers went into the FedExForum to open their postseason run after securing a spot in the playoffs after defeating the short-handed Minnesota Timberwolves last week.While the headliner of the matchup was the postseason return of LeBron James, the league's all-time leading scorer, two unheralded rotation players led the way in the victory.Guard/forward Austin Reaves, who assumed a larger role when LeBron James went down for several weeks toward the end of the regular season, led the starters with 23 points, four assists and three rebounds in his first NBA playoff game."Everybody's playing every possession like it's their last," Reaves said. The leading scorer for the Lakers came in the form of a mid-season ...

Reggie Jackson on Oakland and the A’s: “They’re not going to have a team here.”

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:00 GMT

OAKLAND – The A’s days in Oakland are numbered, as far as Reggie Jackson is concerned.Jackson, who at one point wanted to purchase the A’s from former owners Steve Schott and Ken Hofmann, believes the team will have no choice but to vacate the East Bay in the coming years because of low revenue issues created by their decaying 55-year-old stadium.“No, they’re not going to have a team here. You can’t play with three, four, five six thousand people in the stands,” Jackson said Sunday at the Coliseum before the A’s held a celebration for the 1973 World Series championship team. “You have no revenues here. What’s the signage look like? You’ve got to have revenue.”The A’s, prior to their series finale with the New York Mets, had an average home attendance of 11,580 in eight home games, the lowest in Major League Baseball.The A’s averaged 9,973 per game last season after the organization hiked season ticket prices and gutted the roster, trading or letti...

McClanahan gets fourth win, Rays rout Manoah, Blue Jays 8-1

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:00 GMT

TORONTO (AP) — Shane McClanahan pitched six effective innings in his fourth straight win, and the Tampa Bay Rays avoided a three-game sweep by topping the Toronto Blue Jays 8-1 on Sunday.Christian Bethancourt hit a three-run homer as the Rays rebounded from their first two losses of the season. Yandy Díaz reached four times, and Josh Lowe had two hits and three RBIs.“You never want to leave a series not getting a win,” Lowe said. “For us to do that today and head off to Cincinnati on a good note, that’s good for all of us.”The Rays have homered at least once in all 16 games this season. Only Seattle (20 games in 2019) has started a season with a longer streak.McClanahan (4-0) allowed one run and four hits. He struck out six and walked two.“He got stronger as the outing got deeper,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “Really impressed with his work.”Colin Poche, Garrett Cleavinger and Jason Adam each worked one scoreless inning. Adam closed it out by making a behind-the-back catch on Kevi...

Dodgers put Will Smith on IR with concussion, sign Wynns

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:00 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Dodgers placed catcher Will Smith on the injured list because of a concussion and signed catcher Austin Wynns on Sunday.Smith, who was put on the seven-day IL retroactive to Thursday, missed the past two games because he hadn’t been feeling well. The Dodgers initially believed Smith was dealing with an illness before further testing led to the diagnosis of a head injury, manager Dave Roberts said.Roberts believes the concussion happened on a foul tip either Tuesday or Wednesday at San Francisco.Smith is third on the team with 12 RBIs and started behind the plate for 10 of Los Angeles’ first 13 games.“It’s a big loss,” Roberts said. “We’re putting a lot of workload on Austin Barnes right now, which he’s accepting. But to not have Will in the lineup, it’s a big blow.”Wynns started the season with the Giants and was designated for assignment on Monday. He hit .259 with three homers and 21 RBIs for San Francisco last season and also spent three years w...

Edman hits game-ending single as Cardinals beat Pirates 5-4

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:00 GMT

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Tommy Edman hit an RBI single in the 10th inning, sending the St. Louis Cardinals to a 5-4 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday.With runners on first and second and one out, Nolan Gorman drove in Paul Goldschmidt with a tying double. Lars Nootbaar was walked intentionally by Wil Crowe (0-1) and rookie Jordan Walker struck out before Edman singled back up the middle.It was Edman’s third career game-ending hit. He went 2 for 5 on the day as St. Louis salvaged a split of the four-game series.Nootbaar hit a two-run homer for the Cardinals, and Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras and Gorman each had two hits.Drew VerHagen (1-0) got three outs for the win, allowing an unearned run in the top of the 10th on Canaan Smith-Njigba’s groundout to first. Pittsburgh right-hander Mitch Keller allowed three runs and seven hits in six innings. The starting pitchers for the Pirates have gone at least six innings in the last six games for the franchise’s longest such str...

Kraken need Grubauer at top of his game in 1st playoff run

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:00 GMT

SEATTLE (AP) — Two years ago, Phillip Grubauer headed into the postseason as one of the NHL’s top goaltenders, on a team that won the Presidents’ Trophy and was considered one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup. His return to the postseason comes under far different circumstances. While Seattle coach Dave Hakstol was reticent to give details, the expectation is Grubauer will be in net for the Kraken for Game 1 against Colorado on Tuesday night. It’s a series where Seattle is heavy underdogs, facing the defending Stanley Cup champions and with Grubauer taking on his former team. Grubauer said he felt back in training camp the Kraken had a roster capable of making the playoffs in Year 2 even if most were discounting Seattle’s chances.“There was a feeling in that room that this group can do something special. You have to play 82 games in order to get here and we did that and we did it in a great way compared to last year,” Grubauer said. “Now the work starts.”Grubauer was th...

Kings’ Doughty eager to battle McDavid, Oilers in playoffs

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:00 GMT

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Although Drew Doughty has raised the Stanley Cup twice in his long career with the Los Angeles Kings, it’s been five years since he skated in the playoffs.The star defenseman and his Kings are both ready to get back on the NHL’s biggest stage when they open their first-round playoff series against the powerhouse Edmonton Oilers on Monday night.“I’m just so excited to play in the playoffs again,” said Doughty, who has 51 points in 84 career postseason games. “They beat us last year, so we want to try and get them back. I’m super excited and just can’t wait.”Because of a wrist injury, Doughty had to watch from the press box last season while the Oilers and Connor McDavid spoiled Los Angeles’ return to the postseason after a three-year absence. Edmonton then advanced to the Western Conference finals in McDavid’s long-awaited postseason breakthrough. The Kings haven’t won a playoff round since their second Stanley Cup champion...

Roma consolidates 3rd place in Serie A, beats Udinese 3-0

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:00 GMT

MILAN (AP) — Roma consolidated third place in Serie A with a 3-0 win over Udinese, which also had a penalty saved on Sunday.Edoardo Bove, Lorenzo Pellegrini and substitute Tammy Abraham scored for the home team, while Udinese forward Roberto Pereyra had a nightmare match as he conceded a penalty and also had a spot-kick saved.Roma moved three points above AC Milan and five points above fifth-place Inter Milan after they both dropped points on Saturday. The top four in Serie A qualify for next season’s Champions League.Serie A leader Napoli drew on Saturday and Juventus lost 1-0 at Sassuolo earlier Sunday, meaning Roma was the only team to win after being involved in European action midweek.Roma won its previous two Serie A matches without conceding a goal but had lost at Feyenoord midweek in the Europa League.Paulo Dybala had come off injured during that loss — as had Abraham — and was ruled out of the game at the Stadio Olimpico. It was thought Abraham would be ruled out as well bu...

Beloved athlete among 4 people killed, at least 28 injured at Sweet 16 birthday party in Alabama

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:00 GMT

(CNN) — A Sweet 16 party turned into a scene of carnage when four people were killed and at least 28 others were injured on Saturday night, officials said.The deadly rampage happened in downtown Dadeville around 10:34 p.m. Saturday, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency said Sunday.“There were four lives tragically lost in this incident, and there’s been a multitude of injuries,” Sgt. Jeremy J. Burkett said.There was a “wide variety of injuries that were sustained” during the incident and some of the victims remain in critical condition, Burkett said during a Sunday afternoon news conference.“Please understand this is also a very fluid situation. We have been getting continuous updates throughout the day and we are absolutely trying to confirm and understand everyone that was in the venue there,” Burkett said.Burkett said they are still speaking with witnesses and trying to gather information about last night’s shooting. Police did ...

‘Phantom of the Opera’ superfans say goodbye to Broadway’s longest-running show

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 18:14:00 GMT

(CNN) — “Phantom of the Opera” isn’t just a Broadway icon — it’s a cultural behemoth.There’s Andrew Lloyd Webber’s organ-heavy score, sumptuous sets and elaborate costumes. There’s a melodramatic love triangle between the beautiful soprano, her hunky beau and a misunderstood sewer dweller, composer and voice teacher. Then there’s the chandelier, of course. There are few moments in musical theater more thrilling than the one before the massive light fixture roars back to life.After 35 years and nearly 14,000 performances, “Phantom of the Opera” takes its final bow Sunday on Broadway. Soon, posters advertising the show with nothing but the iconic Phantom mask and a single rose will be scrubbed from Times Square, and the Majestic Theater will sit empty for the first time since “Phantom” opened in 1988.News of its closure stunned musical theater fans — the longest-running show on Broadway always se...