ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons say defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich’s son was responsible for a prank call made to Cleveland Browns draft pick Shedeur Sanders. The Falcons released a statement saying 21-year-old Jax Ulbrich “unintentionally” found Sanders’ phone number on an open iPad while visiting his parent’s home and later made the prank call. The Falcons say Jeff Ulbrich was unaware of the data exposure or the prank call until after the fact. Sanders, a standout quarterback from Colorado, is the son of Colorado coach and NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, who began his NFL career with the Falcons.
Brunson scores 32, Towns adds 27 and Knicks beat Pistons 94-93 to take 3-1 series lead
DETROIT (AP) — Karl-Anthony Towns made a go-ahead 3-pointer with 46.6 seconds left and finished with 27 points, Jalen Brunson had 32 points and 11 assists and New York Knicks beat the Detroit Pistons 94-93 to take a 3-1 lead in their first-round playoff series. Detroit’s Cade Cunningham had 25 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds for a triple-double but missed two shots and turned the ball over in the final 1:07. Tim Hardaway Jr. shot a 3-pointer just before the buzzer, drawing some contact from New York’s Josh Hart that wasn’t called a foul. Game 5 is Tuesday night in New York.
NBA acknowledges a foul that wasn’t called at end of Pistons-Knicks game
The NBA acknowledged shortly after the game ended that referees missed Detroit’s Tim Hardaway Jr. getting fouled by New York’s Josh Hart on the final play of the Pistons’ Game 4 matchup against the Knicks. It was a critical missed call: Detroit lost the game by a single point, 94-93. Hardaway’s 3-point shot officially came with 0.3 seconds remaining. Had the foul been called, he would have gone to the foul line for three free throws that could have given Detroit the lead.
Party time at Anfield as Liverpool wins Premier League for record-equaling 20th top-flight title
LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Liverpool has been crowned Premier League champion after a 5-1 win against Tottenham. The Merseyside club’s record-equaling 20th English league title matched the achievement of its great rival Manchester United. Liverpool fans partied inside and outside its famous Anfield Stadium as coach Arne Slot sealed a remarkable first year in charge of the club. Liverpool only needed a point to be crowned champion and a packed Anfield expected nothing less than to see the job get done on home turf.
Shedeur Sanders’ dramatic fall to Day 3 of the NFL draft is still baffling
Shedeur Sanders’ dramatic fall to Day 3 of the NFL draft baffled fans, analysts and some general managers and coaches. Sanders was considered a top-five overall pick after finishing his career at Colorado but he wasn’t even among the first five quarterbacks selected. He slipped all the way to the fifth round without any obvious explanation, leaving everyone to speculate about his shortcomings and question whether Hall of Fame father Deion Sanders somehow scared teams away. Shedeur Sanders was never involved in any off-field incidents yet his criticized was assailed by various media outlets who cited unidentified sources in the weeks leading up the draft.
Devin Williams loses his job as Yankees closer after just 10 games with New York
NEW YORK (AP) — Devin Williams lost his job as Yankees closer after stumbling repeatedly during his first 10 games with New York. Manager Aaron Boone made the announcement before a doubleheader against Toronto, two days after the two-time All-Star wasted a ninth-inning lead in a 4-2 loss to the Blue Jays. Acquired from Milwaukee in December, Williams has an 11.25 ERA. He was booed just 18 pitches into his Yankees career when he allowed the Brewers to load with the bases with no outs before preserving a 4-2 opening day win. Luke Weaver, who took over as closer last September when Clay Holmes faltered, will get most of the closing opportunities.
Duke freshman big man Khaman Maluach is headed to the NBA draft
Duke freshman big man Khaman Maluach is jumping to the NBA. The program announced Sunday in a social media post that the 7-foot-2, 250-pound Maluach would go the one-and-done route after helping the Blue Devils reach the Final Four. Underclassmen had until 11:59 p.m. Saturday to meet the NBA deadline to declare themselves as eligible for the June draft. Maluach is an elite rim-runner who used his length to finish off lobs for easy scores or to block shots. He is the fourth Duke player to become an early draft entrant, including AP national player of the year Cooper Flagg.
New York Liberty open up camp ready to defend their first WNBA championship
NEW YORK (AP) — Breanna Stewart and her New York Liberty teammates are focused on the present and that includes defending the WNBA championship. The Liberty opened camp Sunday along with the other 12 teams in the league. Stewart knows exactly how hard it is to repeat as champion, having won two titles in Seattle and failing to repeat each time. The only repeat champion in the past two decades in the WNBA was the Las Vegas Aces in 2022 and 2023. The Liberty have most of the core back from last season’s title run that was the first in franchise history. They also added Natasha Cloud and Isabelle Harrison.
Wrexham is one step from the Premier League. How will it make the biggest leap yet?
The next step is the biggest one yet for Wrexham. The Premier League is in sight for the Welsh soccer team transformed by Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney after successive promotions from non-league to playing in the second tier of English soccer next season. But making a further leap from the Championship to the top flight will be another challenge entirely. From next season Wrexham will face the likes of Leicester – a Premier League champion in 2016, Champions League quarterfinalist in 2017 and FA Cup winner in 2021 – and Southampton and Ipswich. Wrexham’s transfer business in the off-season will likely be key.
Salah poses for celebration selfie with Liverpool fans during title-winning Tottenham match
LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Mohamed Salah posed for a selfie with Liverpool fans as the Merseyside club headed toward securing the Premier League title. Salah had just fired Liverpool into a 4-1 lead against Tottenham at Anfield when he took a phone from a fan sitting in the stadium’s famous Kop stand. He then turned his back to crowd and smiled for the camera before handing it back with chants of “Mo Salah” ringing in the air. Liverpool only need a point to be confirmed English champion for a record-equaling 20th time.
