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NEW YORK -- New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole threw off a mound Saturday morning for the first time since being shut down in mid-March, checking off another box in his road back from an elbow injury. Cole took the mound in the Yankees' bullpen at 10:40 a.m., hours before the Yankees took on the Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium. He said he threw 15 pitches, 13 for strikes and all fastballs. He said the pitches averaged 89 mph. "It was exciting," Cole said. "This was a good day for me. I was fired up." Cole, 33, started the season on the 60-day injured list after being diagnosed with nerve irritation and edema in his pitching elbow after one spring training outing. The reigning American League Cy Young Award winner is eligible to come off the injured list on May 27, but the Yankees have declined to share a timetable for Cole's return. On a scale from one to 10 -- 10 being game ready -- Cole reported he is "somewhere between one and five." He said how his...

The San Diego Padres have acquired second baseman Luis Arraez in a trade with the Miami Marlins for reliever Woo-Suk Go and prospects Dillon Head, Jakob Marsee and Nathan Martorella, the teams announced Saturday. The Padres also received nearly $7.9 million in cash considerations, leaving them responsible only for the major league minimum salary for Arraez. The transaction represents the first significant move for the Marlins since Peter Bendix took over as the team's president of baseball operations in November after Kim Ng departed. It marks the beginning of the Marlins' teardown of an underachieving roster that has produced the third-worst record in the majors at 9-25 with a minus-61 run differential after reaching the postseason in 2023. On the other side, it's another aggressive deal for A.J. Preller, the leader of the Padres' front office since 2014. Arraez, one of the sport's best contact hitters, will give the Padres...

LOS ANGELES -- The Lakers fired coach Darvin Ham on Friday after two seasons, and the team now will open a job search in hopes of finding the right person to maximize what figures to be the final chapter of LeBron James' storied career while returning to championship contention. Ham, who had two years remaining on his contract, went 90-74 (.549) during the regular season and 9-12 (.429) in the postseason -- plus two play-in tournament wins -- since being hired to replace Frank Vogel in 2022. Ham also guided the Lakers to the inaugural in-season tournament title in Las Vegas in December. The decision came just days after the Lakers were eliminated by the Nuggets for the second straight season, this time in five games in the first round after being swept by Denver in the conference finals a year ago. "We greatly appreciate Darvin Ham's efforts on behalf of the Lakers and recognize the many accomplishments achieved over the past two seasons including last...

Birmingham City have been relegated from the Championship, ending a difficult first season for the club's American ownership group, which includes NFL legend Tom Brady. Birmingham endured a roller-coaster campaign that saw them use three different head coaches -- including Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney -- but ultimately ends in relegation despite a final-day victory over Norwich City. - Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) Brady became a minority investor in Birmingham in August, entering into a partnership with the club's new owners, Knighthead Capital Management LLC. He also holds a position as advisory board chairman. Birmingham enjoyed a promising start under John Eustace with five wins from their opening 11 games. However, the club opted to replace Eustace with Rooney, a decision that would prove disastrous and resulted in nine defeats in their next 15 games. The club sacked Rooney in January with the club on the brink...

ARLINGTON, Texas -- In front of a sold-out crowd of 6,251 at UT Arlington's College Park Center, 2024 No. 1 pick Caitlin Clark made her WNBA preseason debut Friday evening, scoring 21 points in the Indiana Fever's  79-76 loss to the Dallas Wings. The NCAA's all-time leading scorer scored 11 of Indiana's first 19 points before finishing with 16 in the first half, highlighted by a step-back 3-pointer against veteran Natasha Howard. Clark went scoreless in the third quarter and sat on the bench for much of the frame after picking up her third and fourth fouls in quick succession. Upon reentering the game in the fourth, Clark hit another 3-pointer, her fifth of the night, and found Aliyah Boston for an assist on the pick-and-roll. A "welcome to the WNBA" moment came with the game tied and less than 30 seconds to play when Howard blocked Clark's layup attempt with the shot clock dwindling. Clark's 21 points (6-for-15 shooting, 5-for-13...

DALLAS -- After losing in the first round with Kawhi Leonard injured for the second straight postseason, the LA Clippers head into the offseason with uncertainty surrounding the futures of Paul George and James Harden. George has a player option for next season worth $48.8 million and can become a free agent if he and the Clippers are unable to agree on an extension before June 30. Harden will be an unrestricted free agent and might wait to see what happens with George before figuring out his own future with the Clippers. After their 114-101 loss in Game 6 at Dallas, George was asked whether he sees himself with the Clippers long term alongside Leonard and Harden. "Yeah," George said. "If it works that way, absolutely." As the Clippers' season came to an end, George and Harden said they haven't really thought about their contracts yet. "I don't even know," said Harden, who finished with 16 points, 13 assists and 7 rebounds Friday...

DALLAS -- Kyrie Irving danced with his dribble, crossing over a few times in front of Clippers forward P.J. Tucker, before sidestepping and launching a 3-pointer from the corner in front of the Mavericks' bench. The Mavericks were up 20 midway through the fourth quarter, putting the Clippers on the brink of elimination, and Irving was putting the exclamation point on his spectacular closeout performance. He got fouled by Tucker as he launched the jumper and was mobbed by his teammates when the shot splashed through the net. It was an instantly iconic moment, the most memorable highlight of Irving's scorching second half in the Mavericks' series-clinching 114-101 win Friday night at the American Airlines Center. "I was on the floor looking, kind of squinting and seeing if it went in," Irving said after improving his record to 13-0 when his team can clinch a series during his career, the best record in closeout games in NBA history. "Just...

DALLAS -- Luka Doncic struggled with his shot again thanks to his ailing right knee, and Kyrie Irving spent a bunch of energy playing defense. Through all that, the co-stars of the Mavericks tag-teamed for a second-half surge that sent Dallas to the second round in their first postseason together. Doncic had 28 points and 13 assists, Irving scored 28 of his 30 points after halftime and the Mavericks finished off the LA Clippers with a 114-101 victory Friday night. With Irving alongside him this time, Doncic did what the Slovenian superstar couldn't three years earlier -- close out the Clippers in Dallas in Game 6 of a first-round playoff series. The fifth-seeded Mavericks beat the Clippers for the the first time in three first-round tries over the past five seasons and will open the Western Conference semifinals at the top seed, Oklahoma City, on Tuesday night. "We're pushing each other off the court to be better, and then when we get on the court it's...

ARLINGTON, Texas -- In front of a sold-out crowd of 6,251 at UT Arlington's College Park Center, 2024 No. 1 WNBA pick Caitlin Clark made her unofficial professional debut Friday evening, scoring 21 points in the Fever's narrow 79-76 defeat at the hands of the Dallas Wings. The NCAA's all-time leading scorer scored 11 of Indiana's first 19 points before finishing with 16 in the first half, highlighted by a stepback 3-pointer against veteran Natasha Howard. She went scoreless in the third quarter and sat on the bench for much of the frame after picking up her third and fourth fouls in quick succession. Upon re-entering the game in the fourth, Clark hit another 3-pointer, her fifth of the night and found Aliyah Boston for an assist on the pick-and-roll. A "welcome to the WNBA" moment came with the game tied and less than 30 seconds to play when Howard blocked Clark's layup attempt with the shot clock dwindling. Clark's 21 points (6 for...

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Magic huddled up four minutes into the third quarter of Game 6 against the Cavaliers. Coach Jamahl Mosley called a timeout amid a 13-4 Cavaliers run that propelled Cleveland from down four at halftime to up seven. His message to his young team was simple: "Stay the course. This is a long game. We have to understand it's a game of runs." It was still a five-point game heading into the fourth quarter, but the Magic took the lead within the first two minutes.  Paolo Banchero scored 10 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter as the Magic overcame a 50-point performance from  Donovan Mitchell to hold off the Cavaliers 103-96 and force a Game 7 on Sunday in Cleveland. Franz Wagner finished with 26 points while  Jalen Suggs had 22 points and six 3-pointers.  "Anything they have done to try and throw us off our game, knock us off balance, we've responded to it," Suggs said. "We didn't want to end it here, and I think we...

PITTSBURGH -- Ryan McMahon homered into the Allegheny River, Cal Quantrill pitched into the eighth inning and the Colorado Rockies finally held onto a lead during a 3-2 win over the struggling Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday night. Colorado trailed in each of its first 31 games this season, a modern-era record. But not this time. "I'll sleep a little better because I haven't been sleeping well at all," Rockies manager Bud Black said with a laugh after he was reminded that the streak was over. "Really, it's been awful." McMahon put the Rockies in front when he opened the sixth inning with a drive over the right-field stands against Martín Pérez for his fifth homer. The ball splashed into the Allegheny 445 feet from home plate, the 71st time a home run has reached the water since PNC Park opened in 2001. "It's kind of like the goal of every hitter when you come in here to really juice one because you want to see it go in there," McMahon...

ARLINGTON, Texas -- In front of a sold-out crowd of 7,000 at UT Arlington's College Park Center, 2024 No. 1 WNBA pick Caitlin Clark made her unofficial professional debut Friday evening, scoring 21 points in the Fever's narrow 79-76 defeat at the hands of the Dallas Wings. The NCAA's all-time leading scorer scored 11 of Indiana's first 19 points before finishing with 16 in the first half, highlighted by a stepback 3-pointer against veteran Natasha Howard. She went scoreless in the third quarter and sat on the bench for much of the frame after picking up her third and fourth fouls in quick succession. Upon re-entering the game in the fourth, Clark hit another 3-pointer, her fifth of the night and found Boston for an assist on the pick-and-roll. Her "welcome to the WNBA" moment came with the game tied and less than 30 seconds to play. Howard blocked her layup attempt -- her final shot at the buzzer in an effort to tie the game fell...

ORLANDO, Fla. --  Paolo Banchero and the rapidly maturing Orlando Magic are growing up fast in the NBA playoffs. The 21-year-old All-Star forward scored 10 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter Friday night, helping one of the NBA's youngest teams overcome Donovan Mitchell's 50 points and hold off the Cleveland Cavaliers 103-96 to force a decisive Game 7 in their first-round playoff series. Three nights after scoring a career postseason-best 39 on 14-of-24 shooting in a one-point road loss that left the Magic on the brink of elimination, Banchero put his team on his back and carried them to their biggest win in years. Franz Wagner had 26 points and Jalen Suggs made six 3-pointers and finished with 22 for the Magic, who pulled away in the closing minutes, with Banchero hitting a 3-pointer that put Orlando ahead for good at 92-89. "We've definitely learned a lot through this series, seeing what works and what doesn't work," Banchero said....

Kris Kim, a 16-year-old English amateur playing on a sponsor exemption at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, became the youngest player in 11 years to make the cut in a PGA Tour event. Kim finished his second round Friday with a birdie for a 4-under 67. At 7-under 135, he was among 66 players who made the cut, which was 6 under. Jake Knapp was the leader at 14-under 128. Guan Tianlang was 14 when he made the cut at both the Masters and Zurich Classic of New Orleans in 2013, according to ESPN Stats & Information. At 16 years, 7 months old, Kim is the fifth-youngest player ever to make a PGA Tour cut, according to the Tour. His feat also comes just two weeks after Miles Russell, 15, became the youngest to make the cut in the 35-year history of the Korn Ferry Tour. Kim, who is the son of former LPGA Tour player and South Korea native Ji-Hyun Suh, is making his PGA Tour debut. He is the first amateur sponsored by South Korean company CJ Group, which is the title sponsor of the Nelson...

The San Diego Padres are nearing a deal to acquire second baseman Luis Arraez from the Miami Marlins for reliever Woo-Suk Go and prospects Dillon Head, Jakob Marsee and Nathan Martorella, a source told ESPN's Jeff Passan on Friday night. The trade is pending medical review but is expected to be finalized soon. The transaction represents the first significant move for the Marlins since Peter Bendix took over as the team's president of baseball operations in November after Kim Ng departed. It marks the beginning of the Marlins' teardown of an underachieving roster that has produced the third-worst record in the majors at 9-25 with a minus-61 run differential after reaching the postseason in 2023. On the other side, it's another aggressive deal for A.J. Preller, the leader of the Padres' front office since 2014. Arraez, one of the sport's best contact hitters, will give the Padres a needed left-handed-hitting weapon after Juan Soto was sent to the ...

Artur Beterbiev suffered a ruptured meniscus and his undisputed light heavyweight championship fight vs. Dmitry Bivol on June 1 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, has been postponed, it was announced Friday. Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, told ESPN a replacement opponent is being sought for Bivol on the June 1 card. Beterbiev (20-0, 20 KOs) will undergo knee surgery and is expected to be sidelined until at least September, sources said. The hope is for Beterbiev-Bivol to be rescheduled later this year. Alalshikh announced that the stacked undercard that features five boxers promoted by Matchroom vs. five Queensberry fighters will proceed June 1 as planned. The series of fights is highlighted by a bout between former heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder vs. Zhilei Zhang. Both boxers are coming off losses to Joseph Parker. Wilder needs an impressive performance to move on to a planned Aug. 3 bout with Jared Anderson in Los...

The NBA sent invites to 78 players -- including projected lottery picks Zaccharie Risacher, Alex Sarr and Donovan Clingan, as well as USC's Bronny James -- to the 2024 NBA draft combine, which will be held May 12-19 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. For the first time, all invited players will be required to attend and participate in the event or will be ineligible to be drafted, as part of an agreement the National Basketball Players Association reached with the league in the most recent collective bargaining agreement. Participation will include medical examinations, sharing of medical history, biomechanical and functional movement testing, as well as strength and agility testing, performance testing and anthropometric measurements. Players also will be required to conduct team interviews and participate in media circuits, player development sessions and more. Players will not be compelled to compete in 5-on-5 scrimmaging and other live-action drills, but will be...

The LA Clippers are planning to pursue a contract extension with coach Tyronn Lue that will allow him to avoid entering the final year of his deal in 2025-26, sources told ESPN on Friday. Lue is expected to be a target in the Los Angeles Lakers' coaching search and perhaps other looming vacancies. The Clippers' season ended Friday night with a Game 6 loss to the  Mavericks in Dallas in the teams' Western Conference first-round playoff series. However, that outcome has no bearing on the Clippers' desire to keep Lue as the franchise's long-term coach, sources said. LA was 51-31 and the fourth seed in the Western Conference this season. The Clippers were without All-NBA forward Kawhi Leonard for most of the series because of right knee inflammation, but the organization's goal remains to re-sign free agents Paul George and James Harden alongside Leonard, sources said. The Lakers offered Lue their head-coaching job in 2019, but he...

MILWAUKEE -- Despite trying to push himself to be available to the Bucks for the playoffs, Giannis Antetokounmpo acknowledged he was "not close" to returning from his strained left calf, adding he only could run at about 30-40%. "I tried my best to come back to help my teammates," Antetokounmpo said Friday, a day after the Bucks dropped their first-round series to the Indiana Pacers. "It's kind of hard to see them being out there and not being able to help them, but I just couldn't. "I did all the tests I had to do, these like protocols you have to follow and have to check the boxes. I wasn't even close at checking the boxes." Antetokounmpo last played April 9. He ended up missing three weeks with his left calf strain, sitting out the final three regular-season games and the Bucks' six-game postseason. This was the second consecutive postseason when Antetokounmpo has missed games with an injury, with a back issue having sidelined him for multiple games of...

LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Lakers fired coach Darvin Ham on Friday after two seasons, and the team now will open a job search in hopes of finding the right person to maximize what figures to be the final chapter of LeBron James' storied career while returning to championship contention. Ham, who had two years remaining on his contract, went 90-74 (.549) during the regular season and 9-12 (.429) in the postseason -- which does not include his two play-in tournament wins -- since being hired to replace Frank Vogel in 2022. He also guided the Lakers to the inaugural in-season tournament title in Las Vegas in December. The decision came just days after the Lakers were eliminated by the Denver Nuggets for the second straight season, this time in five games in the first round after being swept by Denver in the conference finals a year ago. "We greatly appreciate Darvin Ham's efforts on behalf of the Lakers and recognize the many accomplishments achieved over...

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers will be ready to go when the New York Jets begin OTA practices on May 20. The four-time MVP, eight months removed from surgery to repair a torn left Achilles, will have "no restrictions," according to coach Robert Saleh. "Once phase three hits, we're not anticipating any restrictions from what we can and can't do with him," Saleh said Friday at the start of a two-day rookie minicamp. Phase three, which lasts four weeks and covers 10 practices, is when teams are allowed to do noncontact, 11-on-11 work. That Rodgers will participate shouldn't come as a surprise; he was practicing on a limited basis over the final month of last season. Still, it's noteworthy, considering the severity of his injury. "The guy can still sling it," Saleh said. "Obviously, he's still working through his rehab, but there are no issues on the trajectory on which he's going." Even with Rodgers' return, the Jets won't be at full strength at quarterback until...

In the aftermath of the Jontay Porter betting scandal, the NBA and its partner sportsbooks are discussing changes to betting menus to combat similar occurrences in the future, sources familiar with the talks confirmed to ESPN. Among the changes that have been discussed is prohibiting betting on players on two-way contracts between the G League and the NBA, sources said. More extreme measures such as not allowing bets on the "under" on a player prop have been considered, sources said, but there are concerns that restricting wager types could push bettors into the unregulated betting market. The NBA has commercial contracts with sportsbooks such as BetMGM, DraftKings and FanDuel that give the league some influence on what types of wagers are offered. Gambling industry site Legal Sports Report first reported the talks between the NBA and sportsbooks. "Since states began legalizing sports betting in 2018, we have worked closely with betting operators as well as integrity monitoring...

Rick Bowness, Andrew Brunette and Rick Tocchet are the finalists for this year's Jack Adams Award, the NHL announced Friday. The award is given annually to the coach who is "adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success." Bowness spent his second season in Winnipeg guiding the Jets to a 52-24-6 record, good for second in the Central Division and fourth in the NHL with 114 points. The Jets dominated defensively, tying for the fewest goals against in the league (2.41 per game) while sitting 15th in offense (3.16 goals per game). Winnipeg also posted an eight-game win streak for the first time, as part of a larger 14-game run when the Jets earned at least one point. Bowness balanced his coaching responsibilities with handling personal matters, including when he stepped away from the team to care for his wife following a seizure. Brunette took on his first full-time head-coaching job with Nashville this season, after previously being the interim bench...

MIAMI -- The Dolphins have agreed to terms on a contract with wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., a source confirmed to ESPN, adding a veteran presence to a position group looking for a third option. The source said it's a one-year deal worth $3 million, with incentives that can push its max value to $8.25 million. Beckham visited with the Dolphins in March, but the sides were unable to reach an agreement then. General manager Chris Grier said before the NFL draft that there was "nothing imminent" on a deal with the three-time Pro Bowler; despite taking two wide receivers in the draft, Grier didn't downplay the possibility of signing Beckham after its conclusion. "We always look at opportunities and work through it," Grier said. "We're always looking to add to the roster and have the most competitive roster we can to make the team better; as we've always talked, competition is what breeds excellence. For us, we'll keep looking, like we've said, post-draft, like we've...

Rick Bowness, Andrew Brunette and Rick Tocchet are finalists for this year's Jack Adams Award, the NHL announced on Friday. The distinction is given annually to the coach who is "adjudged to have contributed the most to his team's success." Bowness spent his second season in Winnipeg guiding the Jets to a 52-24-6 record good for second in the Central Division and fourth overall in the league standings with 114 points. The Jets dominated defensively, tying for the fewest goals-against in the league (2.41 per game) while sitting 15th overall in offense (averaging 3.16 goals per game). Winnipeg also posted an eight-game win streak for the first time ever, as part of a larger 14-game run when the Jets earned at least one point. Bowness balanced his coaching responsibilities with handling personal matters as well, including when he stepped away from the team to care for his wife following a seizure. Brunette took on his first full-time head-coaching job with ...

Former Oregon State and Nebraska coach Mike Riley has been named to the College Football Playoff selection committee. He replaces athletic director Pat Chun, who was appointed to the 13-member committee when he was at Washington State but stepped down when he was hired for the same position at Washington. "We are pleased to have Mike join the committee," Bill Hancock, executive director of the CFP, said in a statement Friday. "He has significant experience as a player and coach, and he loves college football. He will bring a unique perspective to the committee. Plus, he is a delightful human being." Riley, who will serve a three-year term on the committee, was the head coach at Oregon State from 1997 to 1998 and again from 2003 to 2014 before leaving for Nebraska. Riley was fired from Nebraska by former athletic director Bill Moos in November 2017, just hours after the Cornhuskers lost to Iowa 56-14 to close a 4-8 season in Lincoln, the worst at the...

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Bills continued to add to their wide receiver room after the draft, signing Chase Claypool to a one-year deal, the team announced Friday morning. The 6-foot-4, 238-pound receiver brings veteran depth to a receiver room that is being reconstructed after Stefon Diggs was traded, Gabe Davis left in free agency, and Keon Coleman was drafted 33rd overall. Claypool ran a 4.42 40-yard dash at the NFL combine in 2020. Claypool, 25, has been with three teams over the past two years, most recently with the Miami Dolphins after the Chicago Bears traded him in October. Early in the 2023 season, Claypool expressed frustration with how he was being used in the Bears' offense, and he was then inactive for multiple games before being traded to Miami, where he caught four passes in nine games. He was acquired by the Bears in a trade from the Pittsburgh Steelers the previous year. Claypool spent the first two full...

Milwaukee Bucks guard Pat Beverley indicated that a video showing him throwing a ball at a spectator Thursday was misleading but later added that "I have to be better." Cameras showed Beverley sitting on the bench and tossing a ball into the stands. The ball hit a fan with about 2½ minutes left in Milwaukee's 120-98 Game 6 loss at Indiana that knocked the Bucks out of the playoffs. After a different fan threw the ball back to Beverley, who was holding his arm out for it, the Bucks guard fired it back at that spectator. Beverley declined to answer a question about it while speaking to reporters after the game. But he replied to an X post that showed the video by saying, "Not Fair at all. Exchanged between a fan and our ball club all night. We warned and asked for help all night. Not fair." Six hours later, Beverley issued another X post saying, "But I have to be better. And I will." Also during his postgame media session, Beverley wouldn't...

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said on Friday the club has no intention of allowing striker Gabriel Jesus to leave the club this summer. Reports earlier this week suggested that Arsenal would be willing to listen to offers for the 27-year-old, who will have three years remaining on his contract at the end of the season. - Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) Jesus has scored eight goals in 33 appearances this season playing primarily as a striker but also out wide. The Brazil international has struggled with knee problems since undergoing surgery for an injury sustained at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. He underwent a second minor operation in January and admitted last month he couldn't "remember the last day I played football without pain." Kai Havertz has assumed a key role in leading Arsenal's attack at the expense of Jesus of late but when asked on Friday about speculation that the Brazil international could leave the club, Arteta...

LAS VEGAS -- Oscar De La Hoya issued a cease-and-desist letter Thursday to Canelo Alvarez over what he says are "defamatory allegations" that the Golden Boy Promotions founder stole money from former champion Gennadiy Golovkin, among other fighters. The legal letter, a copy of which was obtained by ESPN, demands that Alvarez issue a retraction and refrain from making further defamatory comments. The action comes one day after tensions erupted between Alvarez and his former longtime promoter at a news conference ahead of Alvarez's undisputed super middleweight championship defense against Jaime Munguia on Saturday. De La Hoya jabbed Alvarez by referencing his positive test for the banned substance clenbuterol ahead of his 2018 rematch with Golovkin. Alvarez countered by warning fighters to "contact your lawyers because he is surely stealing from you. It's the only thing he comes to do in boxing. ... If I hadn't involved my lawyers, you would steal from me." In the letter, De La...

TORONTO -- Boston Bruins coach Jim Montgomery called out star forward David Pastrnak after a 2-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night sent this first-round series to a Game 7.  Montgomery was asked if the Bruins needed more from their top skaters to avoid elimination Saturday in Boston (8 p.m. ET, ABC), and he identified Pastrnak in particular as needing to provide more to the group. "Your best players need to be your best players this time of year," Montgomery said. "I think the effort is tremendous. They need to come through with some big-time plays in big-time moments. [ Brad] Marchand has done this throughout the series. [Pastrnak] needs to step up." Pastrnak has two goals and four points this postseason for a Boston team that once held a 3-1 lead in the series.  Boston got off to another sluggish start in Game 6 and was outshot 12-1 in a scoreless first period. The Bruins had opportunities in the second period to take a...

Dallas police will not pursue sexual assault charges against Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, with a police spokesperson saying Thursday that detectives determined there was insufficient evidence an offense was committed. The case stemmed from an alleged incident that occurred in 2017 in which a woman said Prescott assaulted her in the back of an SUV in a strip club parking lot. In March, Prescott filed a suit seeking monetary relief in excess of $1 million after receiving a letter in January from attorneys Bethel and Yoel Zehaie on behalf of the woman stating they would "forego pursuing criminal charges, along with disclosing this information to the public, in exchange for compensating her for the mental anguish she has suffered. [The woman's] damages are valued at the sum of $100,000,000.00." The woman filed a countersuit and criminal charges after Prescott's initial filing. "I want to thank the Dallas Police Department and Dallas County District...

The NCAA's national office might be footing the bill for a settlement expected to be more than $2.7 billion in the landmark House v. NCAA lawsuit and other related antitrust cases, in hopes of reshaping and stabilizing the college sports industry, sources told ESPN on Thursday. Sources told ESPN this week that parties have proposed the NCAA's national office -- rather than its individual member schools or conferences -- would pay for the settlement of past damages over a period of 10 years. The NCAA payments would be paid to former college athletes who say they were illegally prevented from making money by selling the rights to their name, image and likeness. The settlement would come with a corresponding commitment from conferences and schools to share revenue with athletes moving forward, sources said. The settlement would establish a framework for power conferences to share revenue with their athletes in the future. Sources have told ESPN that schools are anticipating a ceiling...

LOS ANGELES -- The Chargers agreed to terms with wide receiver DJ Chark Jr. on Thursday, a source confirmed to ESPN. NFL Network was first to report the news. Chark, who has played six seasons in the NFL, brings experience to an unproven Chargers receiving room. Prior to the agreement, the Chargers had no receiver with more than three years in the NFL or a season with over 800 yards. Chark, at 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, played for the Carolina Panthers last season, where he had 35 catches for 525 yards and five touchdowns. Chark's best season came when he played for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2019, when he had 73 receptions for 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns, all career highs that earned him his first and only Pro Bowl selection. The Chargers will hope that Chark can regain that form in Los Angeles after they traded wide receiver Keenan Allen, released wide receiver  Mike Williams and let tight end Gerald Everett and running...

Dallas police will not pursue sexual assault charges against Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, with a police spokesperson saying Thursday detectives determined there was insufficient evidence an offense was committed. The case stemmed from an alleged incident that occurred in 2017 in which a woman said Prescott assaulted her in the back of an SUV in a strip club parking lot. In March, Prescott filed a suit seeking monetary relief in excess of $1 million after receiving a letter in January from attorneys Bethel and Yoel Zehaie on behalf of the woman stating they would "forego pursuing criminal charges, along with disclosing this information to the public, in exchange for compensating her for the mental anguish she has suffered. [The woman's] damages are valued at the sum of $100,000,000.00." The woman filed a countersuit and criminal charges after Prescott's initial filing. "I want to thank the Dallas Police Department and Dallas County District Attorneys'...

Katie Ledecky, the most decorated women's swimmer in history, and Jim Thorpe, the first Native American to win an Olympic gold medal for the United States, will be among 19 people to be honored Friday by President Joe Biden with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. Ledecky is a seven-time Olympic gold medalist in swimming, taking home at least one gold in each of the past three Olympics. And she will compete at the Paris Olympics this summer. Her 16 individual gold medals at the world championships are the most by any swimmer, man or woman. Thorpe, who died in 1953, is among a list of recipients that pays special homage to firsts in their field. Thorpe became the first Native American to earn an Olympic gold medal in 1912 when he won the decathlon and pentathlon. Others being honored for breakthrough achievements are "Everything Everywhere All at Once" actress Michelle Yeoh, who was the first Asian woman to win the Academy Award for...

INDIANAPOLIS -- After spending the hours leading up to Game 6 getting around-the-clock treatment on his injured right Achilles, Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard said he decided he wouldn't be able to enter the summer without knowing he did all he could to be on the floor. Lillard returned after missing Games 4 and 5 of the series, but the short-handed Bucks did not have enough against the Indiana Pacers, dropping Thursday's game 120-98 and losing the series in six games. "I don't think I would've went into the summer feeling good about much if I felt like I let the team go out there and me not at least try," said Lillard, who finished with 28 points. The Bucks could not overcome the loss of Giannis Antetokounmpo, who missed the entire playoff series because of a left calf strain. He didn't appear in another game after sustaining the injury April 9. "It's definitely disappointing because you know how much better of a team we are...

TORONTO -- Boston Bruins coach Jim Montgomery called out star forward David Pastrnak after a 2-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night sent this first-round series to a Game 7.  Montgomery was asked if the Bruins needed more from their top skaters to avoid elimination come Saturday in Boston, and he identified Pastrnak in particular as needing to provide more to the group. "Your best players need to be your best players this time of year," Montgomery said. "I think the effort is tremendous. They need to come through with some big-time plays in big-time moments. [ Brad] Marchand has done this throughout the series. [Pastrnak] needs to step up." Pastrnak has two goals and four points this postseason for a Boston team that once held a 3-1 lead in the series.  Boston got off to another sluggish start in Game 6 and was outshot 12-1 in a scoreless first period. The Bruins had opportunities in the second period to take a lead, but it was...

LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Chargers agreed to terms with wide receiver DJ Chark Jr. on Thursday, a source confirmed to ESPN. NFL Network was first to report the news. Chark, who has played six seasons in the NFL, brings the most experience to an unproven Chargers receiving room. The Chargers have no receiver with more than three years in the NFL, and none of whom has had a season with over 800 yards. Chark, 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, played for the Carolina Panthers last season, where he had 35 catches for 525 yards and five touchdowns. Chark's best season came when he played for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2019, where he had 73 receptions for 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns, all career highs that earned him his first and only Pro Bowl selection. The Chargers will hope that Chark can regain that form in L.A. after the Chargers traded wide receiver Keenan Allen, released wide receiver  Mike Williams and let tight end Gerald...

INDIANAPOLIS -- After spending the hours leading up to Game 6 getting around-the-clock treatment on his injured right Achilles, Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard said he decided he wouldn't be able to enter the summer without knowing he did all he could to be on the floor. Lillard returned after missing Games 4 and 5 of the series, but the shorthanded Bucks did not have enough against the Indiana Pacers, dropping Thursday's game  120-98 and losing the series in six games. "I don't think I would've went into the summer feeling good about much if I felt like I let the team go out there and me not at least try," said Lillard, who finished with 28 points. The Bucks could not overcome the loss of Giannis Antetokounmpo, who missed the entire playoff series because of a left calf strain. He didn't appear in another game after sustaining the injury April 9. "It's definitely disappointing because you know how much better of a team we are...

LAS VEGAS -- Oscar De La Hoya issued a cease-and-desist letter Thursday to Canelo Alvarez over what he says are "defamatory allegations" that the Golden Boy Promotions founder stole money from former champion Gennadiy Golovkin, among other fighters. The legal letter, a copy of which was obtained by ESPN, demands that Alvarez issue a retraction and refrain from making further defamatory comments. The action comes one day after tensions erupted between Alvarez and his former longtime promoter at a news conference ahead of Alvarez's undisputed super middleweight championship defense vs. Jaime Munguia on Saturday. De La Hoya jabbed Alvarez by referencing his positive test for the banned substance clenbuterol ahead of his 2018 rematch with Golovkin. Alvarez countered by warning fighters to "contact your lawyers because he is surely stealing from you. It's the only thing he comes to do in boxing. ... If I hadn't involved my lawyers you would steal from me." In the letter to Alvarez,...

Dallas police will not pursue sexual assault charges against Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, with a police spokesperson saying Thursday detectives determined there was insufficient evidence an offense was committed. The case stemmed from an alleged incident that occurred in 2017 in which a woman said Prescott assaulted her in the back of an SUV in a strip club parking lot. In March, Prescott filed a suit seeking monetary relief in excess of $1 million after receiving a letter in January from attorneys Bethel and Yoel Zehaie on behalf of the woman stating they would "forego pursuing criminal charges, along with disclosing this information to the public, in exchange for compensating her for the mental anguish she has suffered. [The woman's] damages are valued at the sum of $100,000,000.00." The woman filed a countersuit and criminal charges after Prescott's initial filing. "I want to thank the Dallas Police Department and Dallas County District Attorneys'...

INDIANAPOLIS -- T.J. McConnell and Obi Toppin complemented one another's play perfectly Thursday night. They were still trading fist bumps long after the Indiana Pacers celebrated a rare series-clinching victory. Toppin scored 21 points, McConnell added 20 points and nine assists and they led the Pacers to a 120-98 rout over the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 6, sending them to their first Eastern Conference semifinal in a decade. "It means a lot," McConnell said. "Not getting into the playoffs since the bubble, not being able to advance since 2014, we take great pride in being able to advance and extend our season. Milwaukee has a great team and, if I can be honest with you, I think our bench has taken a couple steps back competitive wise and I think tonight all of us went out there with the mentality we're going to take it to another level." Did they ever. Nobody was better than McConnell. He finished with a playoff career best scoring total...

Dallas police will not pursue sexual assault charges against Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, with a police spokesperson saying detectives determined there was insufficient evidence an offense was committed. The case stemmed from an accusation from an alleged incident that occurred in 2017 in which a woman said Prescott assaulted her in the back of an SUV in a strip club parking lot. In March, Prescott filed a suit seeking monetary relief in excess of $1 million after receiving a letter in January from attorneys Bethel and Yoel Zehaie on behalf of the woman stating they would "forego pursuing criminal charges, along with disclosing this information to the public, in exchange for compensating her for the mental anguish she has suffered. [The woman's] damages are valued at the sum of $100,000,000.00." The woman filed a countersuit and filed criminal charges after Prescott's initial filing. "I want to thank the Dallas Police Department and Dallas County...

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Chiefs declined Thursday to exercise the fifth-year option for the 2025 season on the contract of wide receiver Kadarius Toney, a source told ESPN, giving him one more season remaining on the deal he signed with the New York Giants as a first-round draft pick in 2021. Toney was traded to the Chiefs the next year. Both general manager Brett Veach and coach Andy Reid recently indicated Toney was in the Chiefs' plans this season. "I don't think we ever stopped believing in him,'' Veach said shortly before the draft. "I think people around the building like him. It's the injury bug. Hopefully, he gets some luck on his side and can stay healthy and can be the player that he was at Florida and the player that we've seen in spurts here. I'm just hoping he has a good offseason and has a little luck on his side and can stay healthy.'' With the Chiefs counting on him for big production, Toney had a disappointing 2023 season. He tore a...

The NCAA's national office might be footing the bill for a settlement expected to be more than $2.7 billion in the landmark House v. NCAA lawsuit and other related antitrust cases, in hopes of reshaping and stabilizing the college sports industry, according to multiple sources on Thursday. Sources told ESPN this week that parties have proposed the NCAA's national office -- rather than its individual member schools or conferences -- would pay for the settlement of past damages over a period of 10 years. The NCAA payments would be paid to former college athletes who say they were illegally prevented from making money by selling the rights to their name, image and likeness. The settlement would come with a corresponding commitment from conferences and schools to share revenue with athletes moving forward, per sources. The settlement would establish a framework for power conferences to share revenue with their athletes in the future. Sources have told ESPN that schools are anticipating...

The NCAA's national office might be footing the bill for a settlement expected to be more than $2.7 billion in the landmark House v. NCAA lawsuit and other related antitrust cases, in hopes of reshaping and stabilizing the college sports industry, according to multiple sources on Thursday. Sources told ESPN this week that parties have proposed the NCAA's national office -- rather than its individual member schools or conferences -- would pay for the settlement of past damages over a period of 10 years. The NCAA payments would be paid to former college athletes who say they were illegally prevented from making money by selling the rights to their name, image and likeness. The settlement would come with a corresponding commitment from conferences and schools to share revenue with athletes moving forward, per sources. The settlement would establish a framework for power conferences to share revenue with their athletes in the future. Sources have told ESPN that schools are anticipating...

The NCAA's national office might be footing the bill for a settlement expected to be more than $2.7 billion in the landmark House v. NCAA antitrust lawsuit in hopes of reshaping and stabilizing the college sports industry, according to multiple sources on Thursday. Sources told ESPN this week that parties have proposed the NCAA's national office -- rather than its individual member schools or conferences -- would pay for the settlement of past damages over a period of 10 years. The NCAA payments would be paid to former college athletes who say they were illegally prevented from making money by selling the rights to their name, image and likeness. The settlement would come with a corresponding commitment from conferences and schools to share revenue with athletes moving forward, per sources. The settlement would establish a framework for power conferences to share revenue with their athletes in the future. Sources have told ESPN that schools are anticipating a ceiling of nearly $20...

Milwaukee Bucks star guard  Damian Lillard is available and will play in Thursday's must-win Game 6 vs. the Indiana Pacers, while Giannis Antetokounmpo has been ruled out. Lillard, who was doing his pregame warmups, earlier had been upgraded from doubtful to questionable as the Eastern Conference first-round series continues in Indianapolis. Bucks coach Doc Rivers said both players had "great workouts" on Thursday afternoon, prior to Antetokounmpo, the two-time MVP, being ruled out on the official injury report. Antetokounmpo had previously been listed as doubtful because of the calf injury that has kept him out of the series and off the court since April 9. Lillard has sat out the past two games with a right Achilles injury. The eight-time All-Star averaged 32.3 points in the first three games of the series for the Bucks, who trail 3-2 in the best-of-seven series. On Tuesday, Rivers described Lillard and Antetokounmpo as "very, very, very close" to...

Georgia's Kirby Smart has received a new 10-year, $130 million deal that was approved by university officials Thursday in its annual athletics board of directors meeting. The deal makes Smart the highest-paid college football coach in the country and its first $13 million coach. Smart, who was scheduled to earn $10.75 million this year under his old contract, will see his salary increase to $13 million annually, and that money is guaranteed for at least the first half of his contract. His new deal runs through the 2033 season. Smart could also earn up to $1.55 million in bonuses. He is entering his ninth season as Georgia's coach. His Bulldogs captured back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022 and won an SEC-record 29 straight games before losing to Alabama last season in the SEC championship game. "I continue to be grateful and humbled by our administration's commitment to our football program," Smart said in a statement. "The current culture in collegiate athletics is...