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Jalen Brunson scores 33 points and helps Knicks take 3-0 lead over 76ers with 108-94 Game 3 win

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jalen Brunson scored 33 points and sealed the game with big buckets late to the delight of roaring Knicks fans, leading New York to a 108-94 win over the Philadelphia 76ers for a 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Game 4 is Sunday in Philadelphia. Josh Hart had 12 points and 11 rebounds and Mikal Bridges added 23 points, pushing the Knicks and first-year coach Mike Brown within one victory of their second straight conference finals appearance. Joel Embiid scored 18 points for the Sixers in his return after he missed Game 2 with injuries.

NFL and referees agree on a 7-year collective bargaining agreement, avoiding potential work stoppage

The NFL and the NFL Referees Association have agreed on a new seven-year collective bargaining agreement that avoids a potential work stoppage and use of replacement officials. The deal runs through the 2032 NFL season. The league began the onboarding process for replacement officials last month because negotiations weren’t progressing. But they won’t be necessary. A stalemate in 2012 resulted in a 110-day lockout and replacement referees were used.

Jets, running back Breece Hall agree to a 3-year, $45.75 million contract extension, AP source says

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — A person familiar with the deal says the New York Jets and running back Breece Hall have agreed on a three-year contract extension worth $45.75 million. The deal Friday makes Hall the third-highest paid running back in the NFL. The Jets had used the franchise tag on Hall and the new contract pays him $15.25 million per year. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Jets didn’t announce the extension. Hall rushed for a career-high 1,065 yards last season, despite missing the final game because of a knee issue.

Rory McIlroy says LIV players should be able to return to PGA Tour, but he’s not sure they want to

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Rory McIlroy is no longer opposed to LIV Golf players returning to the PGA Tour. But he says the question is whether players want to come back. McIlroy says the answer will likely depend on what happens with LIV’s financial situation in the coming months. Last month, Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund pulled the plug on future funding for LIV. The breakaway tour lured away stars including Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau with lucrative, guaranteed contracts, but now it’s not clear how long they will stay. McIlroy says it’s “good business practice” for the PGA Tour to welcome back players who will make the tour stronger.

Spike Lee, Timothée Chalamet and non-famous Knicks fans enjoy a Game 3 win in Philly

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Spike Lee and Timothée Chalamet joined Knicks fans for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the 76ers. The game took place Friday night, and despite efforts to keep Knicks fans out, many made it to Philadelphia. The 76ers had tried to restrict ticket sales to local fans, but some, like Lenny Rakhmanov from Brooklyn, found ways around it. The 76ers also donated tickets to community groups to maintain a home crowd presence. The Knicks won 108-94 to take a 3-0 lead in the series.

Basketball gets more beer money, while tennis and other small college sports worry over their future

The expansion of March Madness and the $300 million in extra revenue that comes with it through opening sponsorships to beer, wine and liquor companies offered a brief reprieve from the steady drip of headlines this spring that underscore the problems confronting college sports. Among them are the disbanding of tennis teams at Arkansas, new efforts to generate revenue in the Big 12 and at Duke and the ongoing issues surrounding the industry’s new regulator, the College Sports Commission. Odds are those issues won’t be close to sorted out once the buzz over the new 76-team hoops brackets, which debut next year, subsides.

Snell to make season debut for Dodgers on Saturday. Glasnow placed on injured list

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Blake Snell will make his season debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday against the Atlanta Braves. The two-time Cy Young Award winner is set to rejoin the rotation sooner than anticipated after teammate Tyler Glasnow left a start early this week because of back trouble. Glasnow was placed on the 15-day injured list Friday with low back spasms, and Los Angeles recalled right-hander Paul Gervase from Triple-A Oklahoma City. Snell has been on the IL since late March with left shoulder fatigue. He had been scheduled to make one more minor league rehabilitation start for Class A Ontario on Saturday, but instead will face the Braves at Dodger Stadium.

Robby Snelling makes his MLB debut for the Marlins in a 3-2 loss to the Nationals

MIAMI (AP) — Robby Snelling was already receiving autograph requests from young Marlins fans 24 hours before his first Major League Baseball start. The Marlins sure hope that will become a new norm for their No. 2 pitching prospect, who made his MLB debut Friday against the Washington Nationals after being called up this week from Triple-A Jacksonville. The left-handed Snelling, selected 39th by San Diego in the 2022 amateur draft, was dealt to Miami in a 2024 package that sent Tanner Scott and Bryan Hoeing to the Padres.

Orioles hold Tupac Skakur bobblehead promotion, and his sister throws out the ceremonial first pitch

BALTIMORE (AP) — Fans lined up well before the gates opened at Camden Yards in anticipation of a Tupac Shakur bobblehead giveaway at the ballpark. Shakur was raised in New York and Baltimore before moving to the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 1980s. He lived in Oakland, California, in the early 1990s. That made Friday’s matchup between the Orioles and Athletics an appropriate time to honor the rap icon, who was killed in 1996. The familiar riff from “California Love” was played while the starting lineup for the A’s — who left Oakland before last season — was being announced. The Athletics beat Baltimore 4-3 on Friday night.

Rory McIlroy shoots 67 to move into contention at Truist Championship, 4 shots back of Sungjae Im

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Rory McIlroy has returned to his Masters form. The No. 2 player in the world heated up on the back nine Friday at Quail Hollow and finished with a 4-under 67 to climb into contention at the Truist Championship, four shots behind 36-hole leader Sungjae Im. Playing his first tournament since winning the green jacket for a second time on April 12 at Augusta National, McIlroy was 1 under and buried on the leaderboard eight shots back when he made the turn. But he shot 32 on the back nine to give himself a chance to win at Quail Hollow for a fifth time.