Rory McIlroy pulls away with birdie binge and sets Masters record with 6-shot lead at halfway mark
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Rory McIlroy is turning the Masters into a victory lap. The defending champion birdied six of the last seven holes for a tournament-best 65. He also set a Masters record for the largest 36-hole lead by putting six shots between him and his closest challengers. Sam Burns and Patrick Reed are tied for second. But this is looking like a one-man show. McIlroy chipped in from 30 yards on the 17th hole for the clearest sign everything was going his way. He now has 36 holes to become the fourth player to win back-to-back at the Masters.
Lots of players rest and lots of playoff seeds are locked up on a 15-game Friday in the NBA
Plenty of players sat out as NBA teams played their second-to-last games of the season. Among them were all the regular starters for the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Denver Nuggets. Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic needs to play one more game to be eligible for postseason awards, so he'll probably play Sunday for the Thunder. San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama also reached the 65-game threshold on Friday night. The Boston Celtics secured the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference while matching an NBA record with 29 3-pointers. And the Atlanta Hawks clinched a playoff spot in the East.
Ichiro Suzuki's statue unveiling has a mishap as bat snaps during ceremony
SEATTLE (AP) — A statue has been unveiled of Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki at the Seattle Mariners' T-Mobile Park. There was just one problem at the ceremony Friday — a broken bat. As the club pulled the curtain off the statue, the bat in bronze snapped and flopped down as confetti sprouted up. Suzuki joked through an interpreter that Mariano Rivera got the best of him again. It did not take long for the Mariners to fix the statue. Suzuki’s bat was soon turned upright and reconnected at the handle. Suzuki last year became the third Mariners player to have his number retired by the franchise.
MLB's percentage of Black players increases in consecutive years for the 1st time in 2 decades
NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball says the percentage of Black players on opening day rosters increased in consecutive years for the first time in at least two decades. MLB says 6.8% of players on opening day rosters, injured lists and the restricted list were Black, up from 6.2% at the start of the 2025 season and 6.0% at the beginning of 2024. This year’s 0.6% increase was the most in a season since a 0.7% rise from 2017 to 2018. The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at Central Florida issued annual studies that showed the percentage was 18% when its reports started in 1991.
Brittney Griner to sign with Connecticut Sun, AP source says
Brittney Griner is finalizing a deal to join the Connecticut Sun, according to a person familiar with the negotiations. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Friday night because contracts can’t be signed until Saturday. The 10-time All-Star spent last season with the Atlanta Dream after playing the first 11 years of her career for Phoenix, which drafted her No. 1 in 2013. The 35-year-old Griner is from Houston and the Connecticut franchise is moving there in 2027. The 6-foot-9 forward won a WNBA title in 2014 with Phoenix and was the league’s leading scorer in 2017 and 2019.
Robert MacIntyre has awkward Masters exit after a middle-finger moment, missed cut and no interviews
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Robert MacIntyre made headlines for all the wrong reasons at the Masters. He flashed some fiery behavior amid rounds of 80 and 71 that caused him to miss the cut. He finished at 7 over while the cut came at 4 over. MacIntyre flashed the middle finger during his round on Thursday, and more than once he was caught by cameras slamming clubs. Bryson DeChambeau also struggled, finishing at 6 over after a triple bogey on the 18th to miss the cut. Brian Harman, Rasmus Hojgaard and Jon Rahm managed rallied Friday to make the cut, but all of them have a long way to go.
Fewer players from outside the Power Four are being selected in the NFL draft
The NFL draft is seeing fewer longshots from small schools. The rise of NIL deals and the crowded transfer portal have concentrated talent in power conferences. The shift is impacting the draft, with fewer players from nonpower conferences being taken during the three-day event. Only 24 of 257 NFL draftees last year came from nonpower conferences. The NCAA's policy changes on name, image, and likeness, along with transfer rules, have altered scouting strategies, focusing more on traditional football powerhouses.
Heat waive Terry Rozier, the last official act of a season derailed by federal gambling charges
MIAMI (AP) — Terry Rozier, who is facing federal charges related to a gambling operation, has been waived by the Miami Heat in an expected and procedural move that allows the team to sign another player to its roster before the postseason. Rozier was with the Heat for one game this season, that being the opener at Orlando on Oct. 22. He did not play in that game. He was arrested by federal officials at the team hotel the following morning on charges that he offered information to help people win bets on his stat totals in a 2023 game when was with the Charlotte Hornets.
The NFL faces increased federal scrutiny as more games shift to streaming
The NFL is facing increased scrutiny from the federal government over the league’s moves to put more games on streaming services. The Justice Department is investigating the NFL for potential anticompetitive practices. A government official, who was not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation by name and spoke on condition of anonymity, said the investigation is “about affordability for consumers and creating an even playing field for providers.” The investigation comes as the Federal Communications Commission is seeking public comment on the ongoing shift of live sports to streaming services. The NFL is not alone in creating packages for streamers. Its standing as the most popular league and the revenue it receives from media rights, however, put it front and center.
Conference bragging rights on the line as Wisconsin faces Denver for the NCAA hockey title
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Wisconsin and Denver are set to clash for college hockey's national championship on Saturday. Wisconsin is aiming for its first title since 2006. The Badgers represent the Big Ten, which already holds national titles in football, men's basketball, and women's basketball. A win would mark an unprecedented achievement for the conference. Denver seeks its third title in five years. The game also highlights a rivalry between the Big Ten and the National Collegiate Hockey Conference.
