NEW YORK (AP) — Ex-NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones is expected to become the first person to plead guilty in a gambling sweep that led to the arrests of more than 30 people, including reputed mobsters and other basketball figures. A change of plea hearing for Jones is scheduled for April 28 in Brooklyn federal court. That's according to court filings on Thursday. The 49-year-old Jones had previously pleaded not guilty to separate indictments charging him with profiting from rigged poker games and providing sports bettors with non-public information about injuries to stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis. A message seeking comment was left for his lawyer, Kenneth Montgomery.
The Los Angeles Lakers’ Luka Doncic and Detroit’s Cade Cunningham will be eligible for awards such as MVP and All-NBA this season despite falling short of the 65-game minimum. The league and the National Basketball Players Association announced the ruling on Thursday. Doncic played in 64 games and Cunningham played in 63. But the league and the union both agreed that each should be on the ballot based on the “extraordinary circumstances provision” in the collective bargaining agreement. An appeal to get Minnesota's Anthony Edwards on the ballot failed.
NEW YORK (AP) — The Dodgers shattered Major League Baseball’s spending record with a combined $515 million in payroll and luxury tax last year en route to their second straight World Series title, according to final figures compiled by the commissioner’s office, and Los Angeles is projected for the highest total again in 2026. Los Angeles’ 2025 spending included records for payroll at $345.3 million and tax of $169.4 million. Despite having several contracts discounted to reflect deferred payments, the Dodgers’ total was seven times the $68.7 million payroll of the Miami Marlins, the lowest-spending team, and more than the payrolls of the bottom six clubs combined.
A rash of drone sightings during the Colorado Rockies’ first homestand of the season against the Philadelphia Phillies sent law enforcement scrambling to track down the operators. No one was arrested after more than a half dozen drone sightings around Coors Field earlier this month, but it is possible the drone pilots could still face fines up to $75,000. Still officials issued a warning Thursday to try to keep drones away from the stadium during the Rockies’ next home games because they are concerned about the potential threat they pose. Even if the drones aren't attacking, their presence distracts law enforcement from other potential threats that could be more serious, officials say.
The United States heads into the World Cup hoping for its first knockout-stage victory since 2002. While the Americans enter with their weakest goalkeepers in four decades and few central defenders playing in a top league, they benefit from being seeded as a co-host in the expanded tournament, which could keep them from playing an elite opponent until the round of 16. The U.S. hopes to advance far in the tournament and show it is making progress in a sport that trails the NFL, MLB and NBA in popularity at home. The Americans face Paraguay, Australia and Turkey in Group D.
The New Jersey Devils have hired Sunny Mehta as their general manager. Owner David Blitzer announced the hire Thursday night, less than 48 hours after the team’s regular season ended without a playoff appearance. Mehta was an assistant when the Florida Panthers won the Stanley Cup each of the past two years. Mehta returns to New Jersey, where he served as director of hockey analytics from 2014-18.
NEW YORK (AP) — Mike Trout homered for the fifth time in four games on Thursday afternoon when he hit a 446-foot drive in the seventh inning for the Los Angeles Angels. The three-time MVP joined Jimmie Foxx (1933), Darrell Evans (1985) and George Bell (1990) as the fourth player with five homers in a series against the Yankees, according to MLB research. Trout homered twice Monday before going deep again in the previous two games. In the finale of a four-game series, Trout homered again when he sent a 2-2 slider from New York reliever Angel Chivilli about halfway up the left field bleachers to give the Angels a 7-4 lead.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Lynx have re-signed five-time All-Star forward Napheesa Collier. The team announced the move Thursday night but didn't provide contract details. ESPN reported that Collier signed a one-year, $1.4 million supermax deal. This comes a day after the Las Vegas Aces re-signed A’ja Wilson to a three-year, $5 million supermax contract, the most lucrative in WNBA history. The 29-year-old Collier averaged a career-high 22.9 points per game last season. She became the first WNBA player to achieve 50/40/90 shooting splits while averaging 20 or more points per game.
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — Ludvig Aberg has the lead at the RBC Heritage with a bogey-free 63 at Harbour Town. The Swede is coming off a disappointing week at the Masters by his standards. He tied for 21st after two previous years in the top 10. Aberg says he wasn't worried because his swing felt good. He just made some silly mistakes. That wasn't the case on a warm day along the Calibogue Sound. He was one shot ahead of Harris English and Viktor Hovland. Scottie Scheffler hit his first tee shot out-of-bounds and recovered in plenty of time for a 68.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Tiger Woods' attorney plans to fight prosecutors' attempts to subpoena the golfer's prescription drug records. The attorney argues that Woods has a constitutional right to privacy regarding his medications. He asked a judge in Florida this week to hold a hearing to determine if the records are necessary for the investigation. Woods has pleaded not guilty to driving under the influence. Authorities say he showed signs of impairment after an accident last month. Prosecutors are seeking his prescription records from a pharmacy in Palm Beach. Prosecutors also demanded the names and locations of any witnesses Woods plans to present in his defense.
Finals
INTERLEAGUE
Final Milwaukee 2 Toronto 1
Final Colorado 3 Houston 2
Final San Diego 5 Seattle 2
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final Detroit 10 Kansas City 9
Final L.A. Angels 11 N.Y. Yankees 4
Final Tampa Bay 5 Chicago White Sox 3
Final Texas 9 Athletics 6
Final Cleveland 4 Baltimore 2
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final San Francisco 3 Cincinnati 0
Final Washington 8 Pittsburgh 7