Chicago Bears great Steve McMichael dies at 67 after battle with ALS
CHICAGO (AP) — Steve McMichael, a star defensive tackle on the Chicago Bears’ famed 1985 Super Bowl championship team, has died following a battle with ALS. He was 67. McMichael's publicist, Betsy Shepherd, told The Associated Press that he died Wednesday afternoon. McMichael had a larger-than-life personality that made him a fixture in the Windy City for decades and a natural for professional wrestling. He was a two-time All-Pro and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2024. He ranks second to Richard Dent on the Bears' career sacks list. McMichael revealed in April 2021 that he was battling ALS.
Golden State's Butler ruled out with pelvis contusion after fall on foul by Rockets' Thompson
HOUSTON (AP) — Golden State’s Jimmy Butler has a pelvis contusion and won’t return after taking a hard fall on a foul by Amen Thompson late in the first quarter against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night. Butler was injured when Thompson was pushed into his legs as he jumped to try and grab a rebound. Both players crashed to the court in the collision, but Butler stayed down longer than Thompson. He eventually got up and slowly walked to the other end of the court to shoot free throws. Butler made 1 of 2 and was soon taken out of the game and immediately headed to the locker room.
Judge delays $2.8 billion NCAA settlement to address roster limit concerns. Attorneys warn of chaos
The judge overseeing the sprawling $2.8 billion antitrust lawsuit settlement involving the NCAA and the nation’s five largest conferences has delayed final approval of the plan until it is modified to address concerns about roster limits. U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken signaled she is ready to approve the rest of the settlement but wants both sides to come up with a way to not harm current athletes who will lose their spots on teams. The settlement calls for scholarship limits to be replaced by roster limits. Some attorneys argued that Wilken's order could throw college sports into chaos.
Jalen Green makes eight 3s with 38 points to help Rockets even series with 109-94 win over Warriors
HOUSTON (AP) — Jalen Green made eight 3-pointers and scored 38 points to lead the Houston Rockets to a 109-94 win over the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night in a testy matchup to even the first-round Western Conference series at one game apiece. The seventh-seeded Warriors never led and played short-handed for most of the night after Jimmy Butler left with a pelvis contusion after a hard fall on a foul late in the first quarter. Green, the No. 2 pick in the 2021 draft, rebounded from a flop in his playoff debut, when he scored just seven points on 3-of-15 shooting, with a dominant Game 2.
Mitchell scores 30 points, Cavaliers hold off Heat 121-112 to take 2-0 lead in NBA playoff series
CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points, including 17 in the fourth quarter, and the Cleveland Cavaliers held on for a 121-112 victory over the Miami Heat on Wednesday night for a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round series. The top-seeded Cavaliers set an NBA playoff record with 11 3-pointers in the second quarter and had 22 for the game. However, Cleveland had to hold off a second-half charge by Miami. Tyler Herro scored 33 points for Miami, which hosts Game 3 on Saturday afternoon.
Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis elbowed in forehead, gushes blood, returns to finish win over Magic
BOSTON (AP) — Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis went to the locker room with a gash on his forehead but returned to shoot a pair of free throws and to the game after taking an elbow from Goga Bitadze of the Magic. Porzingis took the blow in the third quarter of Boston's 109-100 victory over Orlando in Game 2 of the teams' first-round playoff series. He needed five stitches to close the wound. Porzingis called it one of his “WWE moments” and said there was no chance he would sit out the rest of the game.
Avalanche captain Gabe Landeskog returns to lineup for Game 3 after missing 3 years with knee injury
DENVER (AP) — Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog returned to the lineup and played his first NHL game in nearly three years on Wednesday night against the Dallas Stars. He strongly hinted he was suiting up in Game 3 in a video posted by the team on social media about an hour before puck drop. The team also posted a picture of his jersey hanging in his locker. This is Landeskog’s first NHL appearance since June 26, 2022, when he and the Avalanche beat Tampa Bay to capture the Stanley Cup. He’s been sidelined because of a chronically injured right knee. Colorado’s first-round series with Dallas is tied at 1-1.
Kings serenaded by another national anthem by harmonica chorus from Koreatown senior citizen center
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Kings have brought back the harmonica-playing senior citizens whose rendition of the national anthem caused a sensation before their playoff opener. The Kings welcomed back the Harmonica Class from the Koreatown Senior and Community Center before Game 2 of their first-round Stanley Cup playoff series against the Edmonton Oilers. The harmonica players became a viral sensation two days earlier when they played the anthem before Game 1. Fans in the Kings’ downtown arena loved the surprising performance and loudly sang along to the plaintive harmonica rendition.
On the brink of the NFL draft, the biggest question surrounds Shedeur Sanders and where he's going
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — The main question everyone is asking ahead of the first round of the NFL draft on Thursday night is where Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders going. They’re not just debating it on television and sports radio. Even casual football fans in town for other business are wondering which team is going to pick “Prime Time’s” son. That was a discussion among a group sitting at a restaurant near Lambeau Field on Wednesday. In a draft loaded with talented players, Sanders has dominated the conversation in the days leading up to it.
Thompson dazzles late as the Capitals beat the Canadiens in Game 2 to take a 2-0 series lead
WASHINGTON (AP) — Connor McMichael and Dylan Strome scored a minute apart early in the second period, Logan Thompson made some spectacular stops among his 25 saves and the Washington Capitals beat the Montreal Canadiens 3-1 to take a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven first-round series. Thompson was at his best in the third, robbing Josh Anderson of what would have been the tying goal on a 2-on-0 breakaway with 10:59 left, then later getting his stick on a deflection by Christian Dvorak. McMichael added his second into an empty net with 1.1 seconds left to seal it. Game 3 is Friday night in Montreal.
