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New York Rangers hire Mike Sullivan as coach days after he and the Pittsburgh Penguins parted ways

The New York Rangers have hired Mike Sullivan as coach. Sullivan was out of a job for less than a week after he and the Pittsburgh Penguins agreed Monday to part ways. Sullivan replaces Peter Laviolette, who was fired after the Rangers missed the playoffs following a trip to the Eastern Conference final last year. Sullivan, who coached Pittsburgh to the Stanley Cup back to back in 2016 and ’17, is tasked with trying to turn the Rangers back into an immediate contender. General manager Chris Drury made the move to get Sullivan not long after receiving a multiyear contract extension of his own.

Brunson scores 40, Knicks top Pistons 116-113 in Game 6, advance to 2nd-round series with Celtics

DETROIT (AP) — Jalen Brunson scored 40 points, Mikal Bridges had 25 points and OG Anunoby added 22 to lead the New York Knicks to a 116-113 win over the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night and into the second round of the NBA playoffs. The third-seeded Knicks will face second-seeded Boston, shooting to advance to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2000. Detroit’s Cade Cunningham had 23 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. Cunningham was 0 for 8 on 3-pointers and his backcourt mate Tim Hardaway Jr. was 1 of 6 beyond the arc and scored seven points.

Mike Trout is going on the injured list again with a bone bruise in his left knee

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Los Angeles Angels star Mike Trout is headed back to the 10-day injured list because of a bone bruise in his surgically repaired left knee. Angels manager Ron Washington made the announcement Thursday night following a 10-4 loss to the Detroit Tigers. The team said there is no structural damage to Trout’s knee, but Washington said the three-time AL MVP needs rest. The oft-injured Trout missed his first game of the season Thursday night after being removed from Wednesday’s loss in Seattle with left knee soreness. He got hurt on a sprint to first base when his left foot hit the bag as he tried to beat out a third-inning groundout. Trout is hitting .179 this year with nine home runs and 18 RBIs.

The man who fell over a railing at PNC Park is in critical condition. Police say it was an accident

PITTSBURGH (AP) — A man who fell from the 21-foot-high Clemente Wall in right field at PNC Park during a game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs remains in critical condition. Pittsburgh Public Safety, which includes Pittsburgh Police and EMS, posted on X says that the “incident is being treated as accidental in nature.” The man appeared to fall while celebrating as Pittsburgh star Andrew McCutchen delivered a go-ahead two-run single. McCutchen said the team is focusing on the man’s health. The fan was tended to for approximately five minutes by members of both the Pirates and Cubs training staffs as well as PNC personnel. The Southern Alleghany School District identified the man as 2022 graduate Kavan Markwood.

Max Verstappen delighted at birth of his first child with partner Kelly Piquet

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Four-time defending Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen and partner Kelly Piquet have announced the arrival of their first child. “Welcome to the world, sweet Lily,” Verstappen and Piquet wrote Friday on Instagram. Verstappen had skipped Thursday activities at this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix to be with his partner. The announcement gave no further details about the birth. Verstappen and Piquet, the daughter of three-time F1 champion Nelson Piquet, went public with their relationship in 2021. She has a daughter, Penelope, with driver Daniil Kvyat that Verstappen is very close with but this was the first child for Verstappen.

Back to school: WNBA teams open preseason in college arenas as star alums return to campus

Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Sabrina Ionescu and Arike Ogunbowale will all get a chance to play one more game at their college arenas as their WNBA teams are playing preseason games on campus. It’s a trend, started by the Las Vegas Aces last season when they played at South Carolina in a return for A’ja Wilson to her alma mater. It gives WNBA teams a chance to capitalize on the popularity of star players. On Friday, Ogunbowale and the Dallas Wings take on Wilson and the Aces at Notre Dame, while Reese headlines the Chicago Sky’s trip to LSU to face the Brazilian national team. On Sunday, Clark leads the Indiana Fever to Iowa for an exhibition game against Brazil.

Kentucky Derby field reduced to 19 with scratch of Grande, leaving owner Mike Repole ‘shocked’

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Grande has been scratched from the Kentucky Derby, reducing the field for Saturday’s 151st edition to 19 horses. He joins Rodriguez on the sidelines after that colt was scratched on Thursday. Mike Repole, the owner of Grande, says Kentucky state veterinarians decided to scratch his colt, who has a “slight cracked heel which has been improving.” Repole says diagnostic tests on Grande came back clean so he’s “shocked and confused” as to why the decision was made to scratch. Grande was the only horse in the race for two-time Derby-winning trainer Todd Pletcher. Rodriguez, one of trainer Bob Baffert’s two horses, was scratched Thursday was for the same reason.

NBC’s coverage of Kentucky Derby has grown and evolved as it gears up for its 25th Run for the Roses

When NBC carried the Kentucky Derby for the first time in 2001, the broadcast lasted only 90 minutes. On Saturday, when it carries the Run for the Roses for the 25th time, 90 minutes wouldn’t be enough for all the feature stories that will run leading up to post time. NBC Sports will present 12 1/2 hours of coverage across two days on NBC, USA Network and Peacock. There will be five hours for Friday’s Kentucky Oaks on USA Network and Peacock. Saturday’s coverage begins on USA Network at 12 p.m. ET before moving to NBC at 2:30 p.m. while Peacock will stream all 7 1/2 hours.

Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. put on injured list because of strained right oblique

NEW YORK (AP) — Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. has been placed on the 15-day injured list because of a strained right oblique, three days after getting hurt during a swing in a game at the Baltimore Orioles. Chisholm grabbed at his side after fouling off a first-pitch from Kyle Gibson during the first inning, took a ball and then stepped out of the batter’s box to stretch the side, prompting manager Aaron Boone and and athletic trainer to come out and speak with him. Chisholm doubled on the next pitch and immediately left the game.

James Harden scores 28 points and Clippers force Game 7 with a gritty 111-105 win over Nuggets

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — James Harden had 28 points and eight assists in an outstanding bounce-back performance, Kawhi Leonard added 27 points and the Los Angeles Clippers forced a seventh game in their first-round NBA playoff series with a 111-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets in Game 6 on Thursday night. Norman Powell scored 24 points for the Clippers, who rebounded from back-to-back losses with an impressive effort at new Intuit Dome. Los Angeles took control in the second half while playing tenacious defense on Nikola Jokic, who scored 20 of his 25 points in the first half. Game 7 is Saturday in Denver.