Lindsey Vonn tells the AP she is not yet in position emotionally to decide if she will race again
NEW YORK (AP) — Lindsey Vonn is still recovering physically and emotionally from her frightening crash at the Winter Olympics. She has undergone eight surgeries after suffering a complex left leg fracture — one that nearly led to amputation — in the women’s downhill skiing race on Feb. 8. And there is at least one more ahead to repair a torn ACL in that same knee. The 41-year-old Vonn tells The Associated Press that if she races again — and she’s not ready to make that decision — she thinks a return is at least a year and a half away. Vonn says she doesn't want to rush into any decisions.
Knicks crush Hawks in record-setting 140-89 Game 6 rout to end Atlanta’s season
ATLANTA (AP) — The New York Knicks ended the Atlanta Hawks' season in dominant fashion with a 140-89 win for their biggest postseason win. The Knicks' 40-15 lead at the end of the first quarter was the largest of the shot clock era. Their 47-point halftime lead was the biggest in playoff history. Dyson Daniels and Mitchell Robinson were ejected after a fight in the second quarter. The Knicks exceed 100 points with 8:21 remaining in the third quarter. Jalen Johnson led the Hawks with 21 points. The Knicks will face the winner of the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers series in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Wild beat Stars 5-2 for first playoff series win in 11 years
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Quinn Hughes led Minnesota to its first playoff series victory in 11 years, scoring twice in the Wild’s 5-2 victory over the Dallas Stars in Game 6 on Thursday night. Minnesota will face Presidents' Trophy winner Colorado in the second round. The Avalanche have not played since sweeping Los Angeles on Sunday. The Wild won a playoff series for the first time in 10 tries since 2015. They lost to Dallas in the first round in 2016 and 2023. After Hughes broke a tie midway through the third period, Matt Boldy scored his team-leading fifth and sixth goals of the series into empty nets to seal it. Vladimir Tarasenko also scored and Jesper Wallstedt made 22 saves. Wyatt Johnston and Mavrik Bourque scored for Dallas.
LIV Golf has a new chairman and seeks new funding without Saudi backing
LIV Golf has a new chairman and a new strategy to move forward after Saudi Arabian funding ends after this year. That Saudi funding is what allowed the rival league to launch four years ago by offering nine-figure contracts to top stars and $30 million prize funds. Yasir Al-Rumayyan is no longer chairman of LIV Golf. He's the Public Investment Fund governor who was behind the creation of LIV Golf. The league is turning to Gene Davis and Jon Zinman to lead the new direction. The development comes during a week when LIV Golf postponed next month's even in New Orleans.
LIV Golf isn't the only sports property being reconsidered in Saudi reboot of investment strategy
The billionaires in Saudi Arabia are pulling the plug on LIV Golf. It won’t be the first mega sports project they’ve given up on recently. Over the last several weeks, the Saudis have bailed on a Winter Olympics-style sports festival and sold one of their best soccer teams, all while shifting the strategy of their multibillion-dollar investment fund that bankrolls it all. It follows an era in which the fund poured staggering sums of money into various sports ventures around the world. Soccer has been a centerpiece — the country is hosting the 2034 World Cup, while PIF owns a majority stake in Newcastle of the Premier League and bolsters the Saudi Pro League. The fund has also spent big on men’s and women’s pro tennis, Formula 1, boxing and more.
A 47-point halftime lead! Knicks enjoy a rout for the ages over Hawks in Game 6
The biggest halftime lead in NBA playoff history. The most points and most lopsided win in New York Knicks postseason history, too. By any measure, what the Knicks did to the Atlanta Hawks was a historic blowout. The final score: Knicks 140, Hawks 89 on Thursday night in Game 6 of the teams’ Eastern Conference first-round series. New York won the series 4-2, after losing Games 2 and 3 by exactly one point apiece — and then winning the next three games by 16, 29 and 51 points, respectively.
Daniels, Robinson ejected after fight, part of one-sided series-clinching win for Knicks over Hawks
ATLANTA (AP) — Dyson Daniels and Mitchell Robinson have been ejected from Game 6 of the Hawks vs. Knicks playoff series after a fight led to offsetting technical fouls. The incident happened Thursday night. OG Anunoby extended the Knicks' lead to 50 points with a pair of free throws and 4:39 remaining in the first half. Robinson boxed out Daniels, sparking a scuffle that sent an official to the floor. Players from both teams got involved. Hawks' Onyeka Okongwu and Knicks' Jalen Brunson held Robinson back as the fight moved toward courtside fans. Atlanta’s 83-36 deficit was the largest at halftime in NBA playoff history.
Gianni Infantino affirms at the FIFA Congress that Iran will participate in the World Cup
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — FIFA President Gianni Infantino opened his address at the FIFA Congress by affirming that Iran will participate in the World Cup and that the team will play in the United States despite the conflict between the two nations. In an indication of how fraught the situation is with Iran’s participation in the tournament, representatives from the Iranian soccer federation were denied entry into Canada this week. Infantino also addressed ticket prices while Canadian officials basked in their role as hosts of the World Cup alongside the United States and Mexico. The World Cup starts on June 11 and the final is scheduled for July 19.
Cameron Young makes big putts to take early lead at Cadillac Championship in tour's Doral return
DORAL, Fla. (AP) — Cameron Young made, by his own count, about a billion feet worth of putts. Jordan Spieth was, to use his own word, a nerd. Both approaches were optimal in the opening round of the Cadillac Championship. Young shot a bogey-free round of 8-under 64 on Thursday, taking a one-shot lead over Spieth and Alex Smalley at Trump International Doral to open the $20 million signature event. It's the first PGA Tour event at the course in 10 years. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler shot an opening round 71.
Caitlin Clark scores 21 points, gives the Fever a brief scare in her 1st home game in 9 months
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Caitlin Clark’s first home game in more than nine months was supposed to be a celebration. Instead, she gave the Indiana Fever and fans a scare. Clark crumpled to the ground early in the third quarter when Dallas forward Alanna Smith collided with her leg on a shot attempt, and then limped toward the bench as she walked off the injury during a replay review that resulted in a Flagrant 1 call. The two-time All-Star then made two free throws before departing and watching the rest of the game from the bench. She finished with 21 points in a 95-80 loss to the Dallas Wings. Paige Bueckers scored 20 points in 20 minutes in a game featuring the WNBA's last two Rookie of the Year Award winners.
