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College Football Playoff shifts to straight seeding model, no automatic byes for top league champs

The College Football Playoff will go to a more straightforward way of filling the bracket next season. The CFP will place teams strictly on where they are ranked instead of moving pieces around to reward conference champions. The new format was widely expected after last season’s jumbled bracket gave byes to Big 12 champion Arizona State and Mountain West champion Boise State, even though those teams were ranked ninth and 12th by the playoff selection committee.

Gilgeous-Alexander and Thunder overwhelm Timberwolves again, win 118-103 for 2-0 West finals lead

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 38 points a day after being named the NBA’s MVP, and the Oklahoma City Thunder overwhelmed the Minnesota Timberwolves again, winning 118-103 to take a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference finals. Gilgeous-Alexander made 12 of 21 field goals and 13 of 15 free throws after receiving his MVP trophy from Commissioner Adam Silver before the game. He also had eight assists and three steals. Jalen Williams had 26 points and 10 rebounds and Chet Holmgren added 22 points for the Thunder. Anthony Edwards scored 32 points for the Wolves but it took him 26 shots to get them.

Bennett, Verhaeghe help Panthers roll past Hurricanes 5-0, take 2-0 lead in Eastern final

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Sam Bennett scored one of his two goals in Florida’s three-goal first period, Sergei Bobrovsky made 17 saves and the Panthers beat the Carolina Hurricanes 5-0 on Thursday night to take a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference final. Gustav Forsling and Matthew Tkachuk also scored in another tone-setting opening 20 minutes for the reigning Stanley Cup champions, while Carter Verhaeghe had three assists. Bennett scored a second time by skating in to clean up an attempt at the right post in the final minute of the second period to make it 4-0, ending a long shift in Carolina’s end prolonged by Hurricanes defenseman Brent Burns being stuck on the ice after breaking his stick. Aleksander Barkov scored midway through the third as punctuation.

Trump’s Harvard visa threat could wipe out several of the school’s sports teams

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — Some of Harvard’s sports teams would be virtually wiped out by a Trump administration decision that would make the Ivy League school ineligible for international student visas. Large portions of the men’s rowing and squash and women’s soccer and golf rosters list international hometowns on the school’s website. Sportico reported last month that 21% of the players on Harvard athletic rosters for the 2024-25 seasons had international hometowns. The Department of Homeland Security on Thursday revoked Harvard’s ability to enroll international students, saying the school has not adequately protected Jewish students from antisemitism on campus.

Stars get some secondary scoring and power-play goals, now seek 2-0 series lead over Oilers

DALLAS (AP) — It’s really not as bad as it sounds for the Dallas Stars that Mikko Rantanen has gone four playoff games in a row without scoring a goal. That just means they are starting to get more points from other players. Dallas won three of those games, the latest 6-3 on Wednesday night in the opener of the Western Conference final rematch against Edmonton. Game 2 is Friday night in Dallas. The Stars scored a franchise playoff-record five goals in the third period, with three of those coming. on power plays. They are the only team in NHL history to twice overcome a multigoal deficit in the third period and win in regulation in the same postseason.

Team Penske focused on moving forward after shock firings following Indy 500 cheating scandal

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Roger Penske personally told Will Power about the firings of Team Penske’s top three executives and the decision came after a sleepless night of contemplating how to handle a cheating scandal ahead of the Indianapolis 500. Penske cleaned house after the cars for both Power and two-time defending Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden failed inspection ahead of Sunday’s final round of qualifying. The cars were found to have modified a spec part. IndyCar said it has found no evidence the modification provided a competitive advantage. But it was the second major technical violation for Team Penske in just over a year.

Tyrese Haliburton’s father cuts loose at Indy bar as son hits tying shot to help Pacers beat Knicks

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Tyrese Haliburton’s father cut loose at an Indianapolis bar when his son hit the tying jumper at the end of regulation to cap a furious comeback and the Pacers beat the New York Knicks in overtime in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals. John Haliburton watched from Tom’s Bar as Tyrese helped the Pacers rally in New York, three weeks after the team announced he would not be attending his son’s games for the foreseeable future following a confrontation with Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo. John Haliburton was seen pointing at a large screen as a replay showed Tyrese’s jumper at the end of regulation fell through the net.

Scottie Scheffler opens Colonial with an eagle and trails tour rookie John Pak by 5 shots

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Scottie Scheffler and John Pak enjoyed the same start to the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial with eagles on their respective first holes. The world No. 1 couldn’t keep up with the PGA Tour rookie from there. A week after winning his third major at the PGA Championship, Scheffler opened his attempt at three consecutive victories with a 2-under 68. Pak shot 63 for a three-shot lead over nine players, J.J. Spaun the highest-ranked among them at 27th. Tommy Fleetwood and 2023 British Open champion Brian Harman were among nine players four back of Pak. Another nine players, headlined by Scheffler, are five strokes back.

Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr. to return Friday from left knee injury

WASHINGTON (AP) — Ronald Acuña Jr. is ready to make his season debut for the Atlanta Braves on Friday night. The Braves announced after Thursday night’s loss at Washington that Acuña will return from a left knee injury that has sidelined him for nearly a year when Atlanta opens a three-game series at home against San Diego. The 2023 NL MVP tore the ACL in his left knee last May 26 and had surgery on June 6. Acuña played six games in the minors on a rehab assignment, going 6 for 15 with two home runs.

All-Defensive 1st team: Evan Mobley, Draymond Green, Dyson Daniels, Luguentz Dort and Amen Thompson

Cleveland’s Evan Mobley, the defensive player of the year this season, was also the top vote-getter for the NBA’s All-Defensive team that was revealed on Thursday. Mobley got 99 first-team votes from a global panel of 100 writers and broadcasters who cover the NBA and cast ballots to determine award winners. He was a second-team pick on the lone other ballot. Atlanta’s Dyson Daniels, Oklahoma City’s Luguentz Dort, Golden State’s Draymond Green and Houston’s Amen Thompson rounded out the first team. Daniels joined Mobley as the only players to appear on all 100 ballots; Daniels got 91 first-team nods and nine second-team votes.