The NCAA will expand its March Madness tournaments by eight teams each next season. It will add more early-round games in the first week without altering the overall format. The new 76-team brackets for men and women will feature 12 games involving 24 teams. The winners will join the main 64-team bracket starting Thursday for men and Friday for women. Most new slots are expected to go to power conference teams.
ROSARIO, Argentina (AP) — In a few weeks, 38-year-old Lionel Messi is expected to play in his sixth World Cup for Argentina, though he hasn’t officially confirmed it. His story began in a lower-middle-class district of Rosario, Argentina’s third-largest city. It was in 1992 when his maternal grandmother took 5-year-old Lionel to watch his older brother play for the Grandoli youth team. How Messi ended up on the pitch to began his storied career has become part of the club’s lore and they will be watching him again on soccer's biggest stage.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Chet Holmgren and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander each scored 22 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 125-107 to take a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series. Ajay Mitchell scored 20 points and Jared McCain had 18 for the defending champion Thunder, who improved to 6-0 in the playoffs. The Lakers, missing Luka Doncic and Jarred Vanderbilt, struggled despite Austin Reaves scoring 31 points. The Thunder outscored the Lakers 32-15 in the third quarter while Gilgeous-Alexander was out with foul trouble to take control. Game 3 is Saturday in Los Angeles.
DETROIT (AP) — Cade Cunningham had 25 points and 10 assists, Tobias Harris scored 21 and the Detroit Pistons beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 107-97 on Thursday night to take a 2-0 lead in their second-round series. Game 3 is in Cleveland, where the Cavs were 4-0 in the first round against Toronto. The top-seeded Pistons have won five straight games since Orlando put them on the brink of elimination in the first round. Donovan Mitchell scored 31 points and Jarrett Allen had 22 points and seven rebounds, bouncing back from a poor performance in Game 1 for the fourth-seeded Cavs.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid has urged 76ers fans not to sell their playoff tickets to Knicks supporters. The Sixers need Embiid, the 2023 NBA MVP, who missed Game 2 against the Knicks due to injuries. The Knicks lead the series 2-0, with Games 3 and 4 in Philadelphia on Friday and Sunday. The Sixers tried to limit ticket sales to local fans through geo-fencing, but resale platforms make it easy for Knicks fans to buy tickets. This strategy isn't new; other teams have tried it. The effectiveness will be seen in the crowd's colors on Friday night.
FIFA tripled the price of its best available tickets to the World Cup final, making $32,970 seats available for the July 19 match at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Soccer’s governing body listed seats as front category one as it added new inventory to its sales site. It previously had a high price of $10,990 for category one. That price category for the final was available Thursday night only as wheelchair and easy access amenity category one.
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Anaheim Ducks are the latest young team growing and thriving under the weight of its first taste of postseason pressure. Although they ended their franchise’s seven-year playoff drought, the Ducks were not a good defensive team during the regular season, allowing the fourth-most goals in the NHL. But when the Ducks had to protect a 2-0 lead with less than seven minutes left against the Golden Knights in Game 2 of the second round, they went all-out on a penalty-kill that had their teammates standing in excitement at the bench. The series is even heading to Game 3.
NEW YORK (AP) — A person with knowledge of the details tells The Associated Press that OG Anunoby has a strained right hamstring. Anunoby will be listed as questionable to play in Game 3 at Philadelphia on Friday, the person says. Anunoby will be considered day to day and appears to have avoided a serious injury after leaving late in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, a 108-102 New York victory for a 2-0 lead in the series. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because there had been no announcement about Anunoby.
WEST CALDWELL, N.J. (AP) — Andrea Lee was expecting major conditions at the Mizuho Americas Open. What she didn't see coming was four birdies on her last five holes for a 66. That gives her a one-shot lead over Jeeno Thitikul and Lydia Open at tough Mountain Ridge. Only nine players broke 70 in the opening round under a moderate breeze and slightly rain-softened greens. Lee says she was trying to keep it in play and avoid bogeys and it worked well. The tournament is hosted by Michelle Wie-West who played for the first time in three years. It didn't go well. She shot 82.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Matt McCarty shot an 8-under 63 with nine birdies at Quail Hollow to take a one-shot lead over Sungjae Im. Im, was on his final hole when rain halted play until Friday. Rory McIlroy, playing for the first time since his Masters win, finished with a 1-under 70 after starting his round with 17 pars. He finally made a birdie on his final hole. Five players, including defending champion Sepp Straka, are three shots back. Cameron Young is four shots behind.
Finals
INTERLEAGUE
Final Washington 7 Minnesota 5
Final Athletics 12 Philadelphia 1
Final Miami 4 Baltimore 3
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final N.Y. Yankees 9 Texas 2
Final Cleveland 8 Kansas City 5
Final Tampa Bay 8 Boston 4
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final Chicago Cubs 8 Cincinnati 3
Final Colorado 6 N.Y. Mets 2
Final Pittsburgh 4 Arizona 2
Final St. Louis 2 San Diego 1
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
Final Carolina 4 Philadelphia 1