Sports

By JANIE McCAULEY AP Sports Writer SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Stephen Curry says he’s optimistic about his chances of being on the court for Golden State’s playoff opener Saturday against Denver. He also expects to be in the starting lineup if he plays in Game 1. Curry took a key step in his recovery from

By PETE IACOBELLI AP Sports Writer HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — Cameron Young showed it doesn’t always take years of practice to go low at Harbour Town Golf Links, shooting an 8-under 63 on Thursday to take the first-round lead in his RBC Heritage debut. The 24-year-old PGA Tour rookie had eight birdies in

By KAREL JANICEK Associated Press Eintracht Frankfurt has eliminated Barcelona from the second-tier Europa League. The German team stunned Barcelona 3-2 at the Camp Nou to advance to the semifinals on a 4-3 aggregate score. Barcelona was the title favorite after being knocked out of the Champions League. Frankfurt will next face West Ham after

By TOM WITHERS AP Sports Writer CLEVELAND (AP) — Guardians All-Star third baseman Jose Ramírez has officially signed his 7-year, $141 million contract. The team announced the deal the day before Cleveland’s first home opener since its name change.  Securing Ramirez to a long-term deal has been a priority for Cleveland’s front office, which hasn’t

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Ryan Hartman sure has plenty of support in Minnesota. The Wild center was fined $4,250 by the NHL for unsportsmanlike conduct in a recent game against Edmonton. He fought with Oilers left wing Evander Kane. Then Hartman made a profane gesture with his middle finger toward Kane as they continued

NEW YORK (AP) — Quarterbacks Malik Willis and Matt Corral are among 21 prospects who will attend the NFL Draft in Las Vegas later this month. Ohio State wide receivers Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson will be there along with two more wideouts. Alabama is also sending two players: wide receiver Jameson Williams and offensive

By STEVE REED AP Sports Writer CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — While the Charlotte Hornets improved their win total by 10 games over last year’s abbreviated 72-game season, the end result was ultimately the same: a blowout loss in the play-in tournament. For the second straight year the Hornets finished in 10th place in the Eastern

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina guard Saniya Rivers is entering the NCAA transfer portal. She announced her decision on social media Thursday, a day after the Gamecocks celebrated their women’s national basketball championship with a downtown parade. Rivers is a 6-foot-1 guard from Wilmington, North Carolina. She played in 27 games this season, all

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina coach Lamont Paris has added UNLV assistant Tim Buckley to complete his men’s basketball staff. Buckley’s one-year contract worth $350,000 was approved by the school’s Board of Trustees on Thursday. Buckley was a longtime assistant coach for Tom Crean, first at Marquette and then at Indiana. He joined the

By TOM WITHERS AP Sports Writer CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cavaliers are getting a second shot at getting into the playoffs. So is Trae Young. Atlanta’s high-scoring All-Star guard will be THE defensive focal point for Cleveland on Friday night as the Cavs host the Hawks in a win-or-start-vacation game. The winner advances to play

MORRISTOWN, N.J. (AP) — A jury in New Jersey has found a former Olympian equestrian competitor not guilty by reason of insanity in the shooting of a woman at his training center. Michael Barisone had faced attempted murder and other charges for the 2019 shooting of Lauren Kanarek. Kanarek and her fiancé had been living

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Mets are naming the Citi Field press box in honor of Jay Horwitz, the team’s media relations director from 1980 to 2018. The team will hold a ceremony before Sunday’s game against Arizona to dedicate the press box in honor of Horwitz. Mets President Sandy Alderson planned to

ALLEN PARK, Mich. (AP) — The Detroit Lions have signed safety DeShon Elliott to a one-year contract. Detroit announced the move Thursday, potentially adding a starter in the secondary. The Lions are hoping Elliott’s injuries are behind him. He missed 10 games last season with a torn biceps’pectoral injury and also missed his entire rookie

CLEVELAND (AP) — All-Star third baseman José Ramírez is guaranteed $141 million under his seven-year contract with the Cleveland Guardians. Ramirez agreed in March 2017 to a $26 million, five-year contract, a deal that included an $11 million team option for 2022 with a $2 million buyout and a $13 million option for 2023. The

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Sammy Watkins is heading to Green Bay as the Packers attempt to rebuild their receiving corps after trading All-Pro Davante Adams. General manager Brian Gutekunst announced Thursday that the team has signed Watkins. The Packers have needed to upgrade at receiver since shipping Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders for

By REBECCA BOONE Associated Press BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A lawsuit challenging Idaho’s ban on transgender athletes in women’s sports will likely move forward after both sides agreed the woman who sued is again enrolled at Boise State University. Idaho in 2020 became the first state in the nation to ban transgender women and girls

By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — The Oklahoma women’s gymnastics team is heading back to a familiar spot thanks in small part to a little pep talk from Baker Mayfield. The Sooners posted the top score of 198.112 during the first session of the NCAA semifinals, moving the four-time national

By EDDIE PELLS AP National Writer DENVER (AP) — When former members of the U.S. snowboarding team sought help reporting sexual-abuse allegations against a longtime coach, they were met with conflicting information that left them unsure of where to turn. A social media post during the Olympics by a former U.S. team member led to