Local Sports for April 18th, 2024 with Rob Dreher:
AP Sports Summary for April 18th, 2024:
Joel Embiid scores 23 points, has the big assist as 76ers beat Heat in play-in to earn No. 7 seed
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid had 23 points, 15 rebounds and one huge assist to Kelly Oubre Jr. on a late go-ahead three-point play that led the 76ers to a 105-104 win over the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament on Wednesday night. The 76ers earned the seventh seed and advance to play the second-seeded New York Knicks in the opening round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Game 1 is Saturday at Madison Square Garden. The Heat - who went from the play-in tourney to the NBA Finals a year ago — host Chicago on Friday night. The winner gets the No. 8 seed.
NBA bans Jontay Porter after gambling probe shows he shared information, bet on games
The NBA has banned Toronto player Jontay Porter after a league probe found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors and bet on games. Porter, the league said, gave a bettor information about his own health status prior to Toronto's game on March 20. The league said another individual, known to be an NBA bettor, placed an $80,000 bet that Porter would not hit the numbers set for him in parlays through an online sports book. That bet would have won $1.1 million. Porter is the second person to be banned by Commissioner Adam Silver for violating league rules. The other was now-former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling in 2014.
Kimmich heads Bayern Munich past Arsenal and into Champions League semifinals
MUNICH (AP) — Joshua Kimmich's header powered Bayern Munich to a 1-0 win over Arsenal to reach the Champions League semifinals with a 3-2 victory on aggregate. Kimmich's header off Raphael Guerreiro's pinpoint cross put Bayern ahead in the 63rd minute as Bayern largely neutralized the English team's attack. Bayern kept alive its hopes of finishing the season with a trophy three days after Bayer Leverkusen ended Bayern's 11-year reign as German champion. Arsenal's Champions League exit follows a heavy blow to its Premier League title ambitions in a 2-0 loss to Aston Villa on Sunday.
Real Madrid beats Man City 4-3 on penalties to advance to the Champions League semifinals
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Real Madrid has advanced to the semifinals of the Champions League after beating Manchester City 4-3 on penalties at Etihad Stadium. Antonio Rudiger struck the decisive spot kick after the game had finished 1-1 through extra time and 4-4 on aggregate. Rodrygo fired 14-time champion Madrid ahead in the 12th minute with a twice-taken effort from close range to beat City goalkeeper Ederson on the rebound. City dominated the game from then on with Kevin De Bruyne leveling in the 76th by lifting a shot high into the net from close range.
VinÃcius Junior injured in Real Madrid's Champions League quarterfinals match against Man City
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — VinÃcius Junior was taken off injured in the Champions League quarterfinals second leg between Manchester City and Real Madrid. The Brazil winger appeared to hurt his groin during a race to the ball with City defender Kyle Walker in extra time at Etihad Stadium. He was holding the inside of his thigh and dropped to the ground in pain before being replaced by Lucas Vazquez in the 103rd minute. The game had gone into extra time after finishing 1-1 in regulation. The match was tied 4-4 on aggregate after the first leg ended 3-3 in Madrid last week.
Stephen Curry tells the AP why 2024 is the right time to make his Olympic debut
Golden State guard Stephen Curry knew he was running out of chances to play in what would be his first Olympics, so he and his wife Ayesha started planning many months ago about how to make the Paris Games work for their family. Their growing family, that is. Ayesha Curry revealed in March that she is pregnant with the couple's fourth child and the baby is due in June. That's not entirely by accident; the couple thought ahead with hopes of keeping the Olympic months of July and August clear. Just in case. And USA Basketball made it official Wednesday, saying Curry is on the roster picked for the Paris Games.
Zion Williamson out for playoff play-in game vs. Kings; out 2 weeks if Pelicans advance
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Zion Williamson has been ruled out of the New Orleans Pelicans' Western Conference play-in game against the Sacramento Kings on Friday night because of a left hamstring injury. And Williamson is expected to miss up to two weeks should New Orleans advance to the NBA playoffs. Williamson's status is the latest in a series of untimely injuries during his first five NBA seasons and removes the Pelicans leading scorer from their lineup for a do-or-die, play-in tournament finale that will decide the eighth seed in the Western Conference Playoffs. Williamson missed most of his first four seasons because of a series of injuries but played in 70 games this season.
Party's over: Coyotes end tenure in the desert with raucous atmosphere before move
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Mullett Arena buzzed like few times in the two years since the Arizona Coyotes moved in, the fans amped for one last desert hurrah. For 60 minutes, they got one last chance to watch the team they came to love before the franchise as they know it is no more. The Coyotes are moving to Salt Lake City in a deal that could be signed less than 24 hours after Wednesday night's 5-2 win over Edmonton. Hockey could return, perhaps within five years, but the stark reality is this is the end for the foreseeable future. Not knowing if or when hockey will return, Coyotes fans treated the Mullett finale like one big party, even if it was a wake.
Dallas Stars clinch top seed in Western Conference by getting to overtime against Blues
DALLAS (AP) — The Dallas Stars will be the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs for the first time since 2016. Dallas earned the point it needed by getting to overtime against St. Louis, then added another one by beating the Blues 2-1 in a shootout. The Stars finished with 113 points, the most since their franchise-record 114 on the way to winning their only Stanley Cup title in the 1998-99 season. Pacific Division champion Vancouver can only reach 111 points with a victory in its regular-season finale Thursday night. The Stars will play either reigning Stanley Cup champion Vegas or the Los Angeles Kings in the first round of the playoffs.
Caitlin Clark looks like a natural as Indiana Fever introduce WNBA's top draft pick
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Caitlin Clark walked to the dais in Indianapolis and looked like a natural. The former Iowa star and No. 1 overall draft pick discussed the WNBA's new television deal and the impact it could have on every player in the league. She talked about how she'd fit in with her new Indiana Fever teammates. She even explained the fear she had appearing on Saturday Night Live last weekend and teased Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton about playing at her rival school, Iowa State. But most of all, Clark talked about her desire to help the Fever win.
AP-Scorecard
Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:
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INTERLEAGUE
Final Atlanta 5 Houston 4
Final Oakland 6 St. Louis 3
Final Seattle 5 Cincinnati 1
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AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final Baltimore 4 Minnesota 2
Final Texas 5 Detroit 4
Final Kansas City 4 Chicago White Sox 2
Final N.Y. Yankees 6 Toronto 4
Final Chicago White Sox 2 Kansas City 1
Final Boston 2 Cleveland 0
Final L.A. Angels 5 Tampa Bay 4
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NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final San Francisco 3 Miami 1
Final Milwaukee 1 San Diego 0
Final N.Y. Mets 9 Pittsburgh 1
Final Washington 2 L.A. Dodgers 0
Final Chicago Cubs 5 Arizona 3
Final Philadelphia 7 Colorado 6
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NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS
Final Philadelphia 105 Miami 104
Final Chicago 131 Atlanta 116
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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final Tampa Bay 6 Toronto 4
Final N-Y Islanders 5 Pittsburgh 4
Final SO Dallas 2 St. Louis 1
Final Arizona 5 Edmonton 2
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TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE
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AMERICAN LEAGUE
L-A Angels at Tampa Bay 1:10 p.m.
Texas at Detroit 1:10 p.m.
Cleveland at Boston 1:35 p.m.
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NATIONAL LEAGUE
Miami at Chi Cubs 7:40 p.m.
Arizona at San Francisco 9:45 p.m.
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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Seattle at Minnesota 7 p.m.
Vancouver at Winnipeg 8 p.m.
San Jose at Calgary 9 p.m.
Edmonton at Colorado 9:30 p.m.
Anaheim at Vegas 10 p.m.
Chicago at Los Angeles 10:30 p.m.
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