AP National Sports

By IAN HARRISON Associated Press TORONTO (AP) — Pascal Siakam matched his season-high with 35 points, Chris Boucher scored 17, and the Toronto Raptors tightened the Eastern Conference playoff race by beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 117-104. OG Anunoby returned from injury to score 14 points, Scottie Barnes had 11, and Fred VanVleet and Precious Achiuwa

By JIM VERTUNO AP Sports Writer SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Jermaine Samuels scored 22 points and Villanova controlled Michigan in a 63-55 Sweet 16 victory in the NCAA Tournament. Much of Samuels’ scoring effort came on tough drives through Michigan defenders and around Wolverines center Hunter Dickinson. Dickinson had 15 points and 15 rebounds for

By JIMMY GOLEN AP Sports Writer BOSTON (AP) — David Pastrnak had his 12th career hat trick to lead Boston to a 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Bruins moved ahead of the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Pastrnak scoring the tiebreaking goal with 4:10 left. Boston

CARLSBAD, Calif. (AP) — Jin Young Ko picked up where she left off three weeks ago in Singapore on Thursday in the first round of the JTBC Classic. The top-ranked Ko shot a bogey-free 7-under 65 at Aviara Golf Club to take a one-stroke leader over Nanna Koerstz Madsen. The victory in Singapore in her

By MAURICIO SAVARESE AP Sports Writer SAO PAULO (AP) — Ecuador and Uruguay have qualified for soccer’s World Cup in Qatar. The Ecuadorians lost 3-1 at Paraguay but qualified after the Uruguayans beat Peru 1-0. Ecuador and Uruguay reached 25 points and can no longer be overtaken in the standings. Brazil and Argentina had already

By ARNIE STAPLETON AP Sports Writer DENVER (AP) — Chris Paul returned from a broken thumb sooner than expected when the NBA-leading Phoenix Suns played the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night. “It’s good to have him back,” Suns coach Monty Williams said about an hour before tip-off. “He’s been working diligently to not just get

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Catcher Max Stassi has agreed to a $17.5 million, three-year deal to stay with the Los Angeles Angels. The new deal supersedes the one-year agreement reached Tuesday between the Angels and Stassi, who was eligible for arbitration this year. Stassi will make $3 million in 2022, $7 million in 2023 and

ATLANTA (AP) — Matthew Sates of Georgia and fellow freshman Leon Marchand of Arizona State each won individual events on Thursday night in the NCAA Division I men’s swimming and diving championships. Sates gave Georgia back-to-back titles in the 500-yard freestyle. Sates set a school record with a time of 4:06.61. Fellow Bulldog Jake Magahey

By PETE IACOBELLI AP Sports Writer South Carolina has hired Chattanooga’s Lamont Paris as its men’s basketball coach. The school’s board of trustees on Thursday approved a five-year deal that will pay Paris $12 million through March 2027. Paris takes over for Frank Martin, who was fired after 10 seasons earlier this month. Paris led

By JACK THOMPSON Associated Press PHOENIX (AP) — Milwaukee star Christian Yelich has seen his production decline since his 2018 MVP season and arguably better performance in 2019 with 44 homers in 130 games. But since suffering a broken right kneecap near the end of 2019 the 30-year-old left fielder has hit just 21 homers

By The Associated Press The Saint Peter’s Peacocks look to keep their surprise run in the NCAA Tournament going when they play Purdue in the East Region semifinal in Philadelphia. The Peacocks are the third No. 15 seed to make the Sweet 16 and are trying to become the first to get to the Elite

By TIM BOOTH AP Sports Writer SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — It’s been nearly 30 years since Ohio State last advanced past the Sweet 16 in the women’s NCAA Tournament. The sixth-seeded Buckeyes will get a chance to end that drought when they face No. 2 seed Texas in the Spokane Regional on Friday. The Buckeyes

By CHUCK KING Associated Press WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The Washington Nationals are willing to wait for whatever Stephen Strasburg can deliver this season. That’s the approach Dave Martinez is taking with the former World Series MVP, who is recovering from thoracic outlet syndrome surgery and has pitched a total of only 26

By THOMAS PEIPERT Associated Press DENVER (AP) — Firefighters have extinguished a blaze that torched several rows of seats and a suite area at the Denver Broncos’ stadium. The fire broke out on the fourth level at Empower Field at Mile High on Thursday afternoon and spread to the third level, where it burned at

DENVER (AP) — Chris Paul could be back from a broken thumb sooner than expected when the NBA-leading Phoenix Suns face the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night. Paul was listed as “probable” on the team’s injury report for the game against the Nuggets, roughly five weeks after he broke his right thumb in a game

PORTO, Portugal (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal moved a big step closer to the World Cup with a hard-fought 3-1 home win over Turkey in the playoffs of European qualifying. Portugal opened a two-goal lead in the first half but only salvaged the victory after Turkey missed an 85th-minute penalty kick at the Estádio