PITTSBURGH (AP) — Fernando Mendoza’s journey from overlooked two-star recruit to the top of the NFL draft is complete after the Las Vegas Raiders took him with the first pick on Thursday night. Turning the Raiders into a contender is the next challenge for the Heisman Trophy winner who led Indiana to its first national championship. The 22-year-old quarterback wasn’t in the Steel City for the festivities, choosing instead to celebrate with family and friends at home in Miami. Mendoza’s selection was expected for months. The intrigue began at No. 2 with the New York Jets, who selected Texas Tech edge rusher David Bailey over Ohio State edge Arvell Reese. Arizona took Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love with the third pick.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said he is taking accountability for actions that have created a distraction for New England without addressing specifics about photos published recently of him with longtime NFL reporter Dianna Russini at an Arizona resort. Vrabel spoke for just over seven minutes prior to the start of Thursday’s NFL draft. He vowed to prioritize his family by beginning counseling this weekend and stepping away from the team for draft’s final day Saturday. Vrabel said at a news conference earlier this week that he’s had “difficult conversations with people I care about,” including his family, his coaching staff, team officials and players following the publication of the photos by the New York Post.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Jaden McDaniels and the Minnesota Timberwolves flexed even more of their defensive muscle against the flagging Denver Nuggets and seized a 2-1 lead in the first-round NBA playoff series with a dominant 113-96 victory. McDaniels had 20 points and 10 rebounds, Ayo Dosunmu scored 25 points with nine assists off the bench, and Donte DiVincenzo had 15 points and four steals. Rudy Gobert followed his inspired Game 2 effort against Nikola Jokic by stifling the three-time MVP again. The Timberwolves established a postseason franchise record by allowing the Nuggets just 11 points in the tone-setting first quarter.
ATLANTA (AP) — CJ McCollum hit a jumper with 12.5 seconds left to ruin New York’s night again, leading the Atlanta Hawks to a 109-108 victory and a 2-1 lead over the Knicks in their first-round playoff series. After starring in a Game 2 stunner at Madison Square Garden, McCollum got the ball with his team trailing by a point. He came through again, finishing with 23 points. The Hawks led nearly the entire game, building an 18-point lead in the first half. But New York rallied behind OG Anunoby with 29 points. Jalen Brunson had 26. Game 4 is Saturday in Atlanta.
OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs assistant coach Dave Merritt has been charged with misdemeanor domestic battery. The district attorney in Johnson County, Kansas, accused him of causing bodily harm to a daughter. Merritt pleaded not guilty in court on Thursday. The judge set a $2,500 bond with conditions including no alcohol, drugs, firearms or contact with the victim. Merritt, 54, has been with the Chiefs since 2019 and has helped teams win three Super Bowls. He also won two with the Giants. Chiefs coach Andy Reid said the team is aware of the situation and that Merritt was back home with his family Thursday night.
BOSTON (AP) — Bowen Byram scored a minute after Boston missed a penalty shot, and Alex Tuch broke a third-period tie to help Buffalo come from behind and beat the Bruins 3-1. The Sabres lead the series two games to one. Alex Lyon stopped 24 shots in his first start of the postseason. The Sabres, who snapped an NHL-record 14-year playoff drought by winning the Atlantic Division, regained home-ice advantage in the best-of-seven series. Game 4 is Sunday in Boston, with the Bruins needing a win to assure themselves of another home game. Jeremy Swayman made 25 saves for Boston.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Cale Makar scored the tiebreaking goal, Scott Wedgewood made 24 saves and the top-seeded Colorado Avalanche moved to the brink of the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs with a 4-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings in Game 3 of their first-round series. Gabriel Landeskog and Artturi Lehkonen scored on fortunate deflections for the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Avalanche, who went up 3-0 in the series with another narrow win over the persistent Kings. Trevor Moore and Adrian Kempe scored for the Kings. They are a loss away from being eliminated in the first round for the fifth consecutive season.
BOSTON (AP) — One of two men who helped carry a fellow runner across the finish line of the Boston Marathon said he had been struggling earlier himself but drew strength from the supportive crowd. Aaron Beggs, of Northern Ireland, and Robson De Olivera, of Brazil, sprang into action Monday when Ajay Haridasse collapsed about 1,000 feet from the end of the course. Beggs also had been feeling sick and exhausted, but was reminding himself of all the people in his running club who might never get to experience such an iconic race. Beggs said he has been in touch with Haridasse and hopes to reconnect with Robson as well.
HOUSTON (AP) — Nelly Korda is back to playing great golf and the first LPGA major is no exception. Korda shot a 65 to build a two-shot lead in The Chevron Championship. She was bogey-free at Memorial Park with some early par saves helping her out. She poured it on after that with five birdies on her second none. That included two exquisite iron shots on the par 3s. She leads by two over Patty Tavatanakit and Somi Lee. Farah O'Keefe opened with a 68. O'Keefe is a junior at Texas who was two off the lead until a bogey on her last hole.
OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Jackson Blake broke a tie late in the second period, Frederik Andersen made 21 saves and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Ottawa Senators 2-1 on Thursday night to take a 3-0 lead in the first-round series. The top team in the Eastern Conference in the regular season, the Hurricanes can wrap up the series Saturday in Ottawa. Logan Stankoven also scored for Carolina, and Taylor Hall had two assists. Drake Batherson scored for Ottawa, and Linus Ullmark stopped 25 shots. Batherson tied it with 3:54 left in the second, taking a pass from Nick Cousins in the slot, moving left and flipping a backhander past Andersen. Blake countered 1:23 later, putting the puck in the open right side off a feed from defenseman K’Andre Miller.
Finals
INTERLEAGUE
Final Detroit 5 Milwaukee 4
Final Chicago White Sox 4 Arizona 1
Final N.Y. Mets 10 Minnesota 8
Final Texas 6 Pittsburgh 1
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final N.Y. Yankees 4 Boston 2
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final Atlanta 7 Washington 2
Final Chicago Cubs 8 Philadelphia 7
Final L.A. Dodgers 3 San Francisco 0
Final San Diego 10 Colorado 8
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS
Final Atlanta 109 New York 108
Final Toronto 126 Cleveland 104
Final Minnesota 113 Denver 96
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
Final Buffalo 3 Boston 1
Final Carolina 2 Ottawa 1
Final Colorado 4 Los Angeles 2