ASSOCIATED PRESS

The San Antonio Spurs nearly let a 28-point lead slip away, but they got it done.

Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs, after a very dominant start, held on late to grab a convincing 114-95 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. That gave San Antonio the 4-1 win in the playoff series and then them into the next round.

This is now the first time since the 2016-17 campaign that the Spurs have made it out of the opening round of the playoffs. They had gone six straight seasons without even making the playoffs before ending that drought this spring. It was also the first playoff series of Wembanyama’s NBA career after the team missed the postseason in his first two seasons in the league.

The Spurs will now take on either the Denver Nuggets or Minnesota Timberwolves in the next round. The Timberwolves hold a 3-2 lead in that series entering Game 6 on Thursday night.

Spurs jump out in front immediately

The Spurs wasted no time on Tuesday night. They opened the game on a 15-4 tear, and took a 12-point lead into the second quarter after shooting 60% from the field in the first 12 minutes. Wembanyama was limited to just two points and a single shot attempt — an easy dunk he threw down — and the Spurs still cruised. 

The second quarter was more of the same. San Antonio started the period outscoring Portland 18-4 to help build up a 20-point advantage by the time the two teams entered the locker room. Julian Champagnie had 14 points in the opening half, and San Antonio held Portland to just four made 3-pointers. Everything was working for the Spurs. Devin Vassell, a 6-foot-5 guard, even found a way to stuff 7-foot-2 center Donovan Clingan at the rim. 

Wembanyama turned it on a bit in the second half, and converted a wild and-one layup through Robert Williams after a ridiculous spin move.

While the Trail Blazers opened the fourth quarter with a run of their own, and even cut the game to single digits briefly after a big stretch from Sidy Cissoko, the run just came too late. De’Aaron Fox took over late and scored 11 of the team’s first 18 points in the fourth to help keep the Trail Blazers at bay and secure the 19-point win.

Deni Avdija led Portland with 21 points, and Jerami Grant added 12 points off the bench. Fox finished with 21 points and nine assists for San Antonio, and was one of six Spurs players to hit double figures. Julian Champagnie added 19 points and seven rebounds, and Stephon Castle had 15 points. They shot 55% from the field.

Wembanyama had 17 points and 14 rebounds with six blocks on the night, which was just one shy of matching the amount of field goals he attempted throughout the contest. Wembanyama ended up missing just a single game in the series after he went down with a scary concussion in Game 2. He returned for the team’s 21-point win in Portland on Sunday, and dropped 27 points with seven blocks in the process. 

Though Portland isn’t the opponent that either the Nuggets or Timberwolves would be at full strength — both teams are dealing with their respective injury issues in that series — the Spurs clearly look like a team that is very balanced and ready to make a real run in the playoffs this spring.

Matthew Stockman via Getty Images

Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets aren’t done just yet. 

The Nuggets picked up a commanding 125-113 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 5 of their opening-round playoff series on Monday night to keep their postseason hopes alive. Jokić has his 23rd career triple-double, which is the third-most all-time behind only Magic Johnson adn LeBron James.

While they can’t lose the rest of the way and trail 3-2 headed into Game 6 later this week on the road, Monday night’s win was easily the biggest of the series so far — and it came on the heels of a contentious finish on Saturday night that capped a three-game losing skid.

Nuggets surge in second half

The Nuggets took a nine-point lead into the locker room at halftime. They forced 14 turnovers and led the entire way in the second quarter while staying a step ahead of the Timberwolves despite them drilling nine 3-pointers in the opening 24 minutes. Jokic hit a huge 3-pointer of his own from deep over Rudy Gobert without a second thought right before the buzzer, too.

That momentum more than carried over into the second half. The Nuggets opened the third quarter on an 18-8 tear to break open a 19-point lead almost instantly. Nothing was falling for Minnesota anymore, either. It missed seven of its first 10 field goals as the Nuggets started running away with the contest. The points came from everyone too, including a fastbreak dunk from Spencer Jones that lit up Ball Arena and forced a timeout.

The Nuggets ended up closing the quarter on a 12-6 run, interrupted only by a Gobert and-one slam. Christian Braun and Cameron Johnson each picked up huge dunks during that stretch, which pushed Denver to a 22-point lead by the end of the period. Minnesota had 20 turnovers by that point.

By then, the fourth quarter was merely a formality. The Nuggets cruised the rest of the way, and survived one last Minnesota push that briefly saw the game get back to just 10 points, to grab the win.

Julisu Randle led the Timberwolves with 27 points and nine rebounds. Ayo Dosunmo added 18 points, and Jaden McDaniels had 13 points. The Timberwolves are without star Anthony Edwards, who is considered week-to-week with a hyperextended knee and bone bruise, and starting guard Donte DiVincenzo, who went down with a torn Achilles in Game 4.

Jokić finished with a triple-double with 27 points, 16 assists and 12 rebounds in the win. Jamal Murray added 24 points, and Jones finished with 20 points. The Nuggets shot 57% from the field. The Nuggets did all of that without star Aaron Gordon, too. He was ruled out after pregame warmups due to calf tightness.

Now Monday night’s result aside, the Nuggets still aren’t in the best position. Losing three games in a row in the middle of the series put them in a hole where they now have to be absolutely perfect the rest of the way, starting with Thursday night at the Target Center. A loss would hand the Nuggets their first opening-round playoff exit since 2022.

But clearly, Jokić and the Nuggets aren’t ready to just roll over. Monday’s outing was a perfect reminder of what they’re capable of. Whether it’s enough to carry them to two more wins, however, remains to be seen.

Bob Rosato via Getty Images

Former Alabama defensive lineman Luther Davis pleaded guilty to a pair of charges after he defrauded three NFL players and received millions in loans in their names. 

Davis pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft on Monday in Atlanta, according to the Associated Press. CJ Evins, who was accused of committing the same crimes alongside Davis, also pleaded guilty to the two charges. 

The two men are facing up to seven years in prison. Davis is due in court again in October for sentencing. Prosecutors have agreed to recommend a lower sentence as part of their plea deals on Monday. 

Prosecutors said in court on Monday that the two men used fake bank and email accounts to try to convince lenders that they were either the players themselves or acting on behalf of the players. Davis even went as far as wearing disguises on video calls with investors, including wigs and makeup, and used fake driver’s licenses.

The three players they impersonated were not named, but were reported to be Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr., Green Bay Packers safety Xavier McKinney and free agent tight end David Njoku. They had not authorized the men to obtain loans and had no knowledge of the schemes as they were happening. 

In total, the plan brought in about $20 million from at least 13 fraudulent loans. The two men then reportedly used the money to buy real estate, jewelry, cars and more.

Davis was a member of Alabama’s national championship team in 2009, which was the first title head coach Nick Saban won with the Crimson Tide. Davis appeared in 45 games across four seasons with the school. Davis was involved in another scandal in 2013, when he engaged in $40,000 worth of transactions with NFL agents and financial advisers while working as an intermediary between them and five college players. That was against NCAA rules at the time. 

Longtime New York Giants linebacker and Pro Football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor has been in the hospital for a week due to a stomach issue, his attorney told The Athletic on Monday. 

While specifics are not yet known, Taylor is dealing with a “stomach-related issue.” The 67-year-old has been in the hospital since April 20, and does not yet have a discharge date.

“At this time, the condition does not appear to be life-threatening,” attorney Mark Eiglarsh said, via The Athletic. “He remains under medical observation and is showing signs of improvement … Lawrence asks that I convey his sincere gratitude to everyone who has been thinking of him and keeping him in their prayers during this challenging time.”

Taylor spent his entire NFL career with the Giants, who selected him with the No. 2 overall pick in the 1981 draft. He helped the franchise to a pair of Super Bowl wins over his 13 seasons in the league, and he was named the league’s MVP in 1986. Taylor had a league-high 20.5 sacks that season. 

In total, Taylor finished with 142 career sacks and nine interceptions by the time he retired after the 1993 campaign. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999, and his jersey was later retired by the Giants. 

Taylor was arrested in 2011 and pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges of sexual misconduct and patronizing an underage prostitute. He faced charges both in 2021 and 2024 for failing to update his address on the state’s sex offender registry. Taylor also joined several other notable athletes and President Donald Trump at the White House last year as Trump signed an executive order to establish a council on sports, fitness and nutrition. 

Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Just a few weeks after significant questions were raised about LIV Golf’s financial status and future, the league’s June event in New Orleans will be postponed, according to multiple reports.

LIV Golf Louisiana, which was set to kick off June 25, will be postponed, according to both WDSU in Louisiana and The Athletic’s Brody Miller. It’s unclear when the tournament is being pushed to, though an official announcement is expected Tuesday. 

The reported postponement comes just weeks after reports surfaced about LIV Golf’s financial future. Multiple media outlets reported earlier this month that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which backs LIV Golf, was set to withdraw its investment in the league. Despite landing several big names in the sport — including Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Phil Mickelson, among others — LIV Golf has struggled to gain traction since it started in 2022 and has lost a significant amount of money. 

LIV Golf CEO Scott O’Neil countered the reports, writing in an email to his staff on April 15 that the league was fully funded and continuing on “exactly as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle.” LIV Golf held its Mexico City event earlier this month as scheduled, too. 

In the wake of the reports questioning LIV’s financial future, secretary of Louisiana economic development Susan Bourgeois publicly reached out to O’Neil to talk about the New Orleans event. They spoke on Friday, according to The Athletic, and agreed to postpone the event “due to LIV Golf’s changing business model.”

The state of Louisiana was set to spend about $7 million to bring the LIV Golf event to New Orleans. It reportedly spent about $2 million to improve Bayou Oaks at City Park, and agreed to spend another $5 million in hosting fees. Only a little more than $3 million had been spent. LIV Golf is reportedly set to return $1.2 million to Louisiana. 

The New Orleans tournament was one of five LIV Golf events scheduled to be held in the United States this season. LIV Golf will hold an event at President Donald Trump’s Virginia golf course next on May 7. The LIV Golf season is set to end with its team championship event in Michigan from Aug. 27-30.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

The Houston Rockets aren’t done just yet.

The Rockets, even without Kevin Durant available, picked up a solid 115-96 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night in Game 4 of their opening-round playoff series. The win kept their postseason run alive after they dropped the first three games of the series.

While a 3-0 deficit is something that no team has successfully rallied back from —  very few in that spot have even forced a Game 7 — the Rockets have officially avoided the series sweep. It’s a start.

The Rockets took control of the game in the first half, and even briefly took an 11-point lead late in the second quarter — which marked their largest lead of the series up until that point. The Lakers struggled to get their offense going, went just 1-of-6 from behind the arc and committed 13 turnovers in the first 12 minutes. 

Deandre Ayton ejected in the third quarter

Deandre Ayton was perhaps the best part of the Lakers’ offense early on Sunday night. 

So when he picked up the first ejection of his career midway through the third quarter, it marked a major blow to the Lakers’ chances. 

Ayton was trying to stop Alperen Sengun from driving to the rim when his left elbow came up high and drilled Sengun right in his jaw. Sengun recoiled immediately, clearly shaken up by the hit. 

Officials reviewed the incident and quickly determined that Ayton’s elbow was “unnecessary and excessive.” While it didn’t appear to be intentional by any means, Ayton was assessed a flagrant 2 foul and was thrown out of the game. He finished the night with 19 points and 10 rebounds. 

The Rockets were up by 19 points at the time. They ended up outscoring the Lakers 34-18 in the third period alone and took a 25-point lead into the fourth quarter. By that point, the Lakers were just about out of it. Houston powered through the rest of the way to grab the 19-point win easily.

Aaron Holiday and Adou Thiero got into a very small scuffle under the rim with a little more than a minute left too, which earned them both quick ejections. Officials, however, got the dustup settled without much issue. The two teams met for a third scuffle after the final buzzer sounded, too, though not much came of it.

Amen Thompson led the Rockets with 23 points and seven assists after he went 10-of-16 from the field. Tari Eason added 20 points and eight rebounds, and Sengun finished with 19 points.

The Rockets were without Durant on Sunday night. He was ruled out of the game earlier in the day with a bone bruise in his sprained left ankle, which marked his third missed game of the series. He missed Game 3 due to the ankle injury, and he missed the opening game due to a knee injury. His status in Game 5 is still absolutely in doubt.

Rui Hachimura added 13 points to go with Ayton’s 19 for the Lakers. LeBron James had 10 points and nine assists, but also had eight of the Lakers’ 23 turnovers. They went just 5-of-20 from behind the arc, too, which marked their fewest made 3-pointers in a single game all season.

The Lakers also ruled out Austin Reaves due to an oblique strain. He’s missed the entire series so far, but has reportedly been close to making a return and was considered questionable entering Sunday’s contest. Luka Dončić is still out, too.

Reaves’ presence on Wednesday night in Game 5 would undoubtedly provide a significant boost for the Lakers as they attempt to close the Rockets out. While the Lakers are still in a great position to make it out of the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2023, it’s going to take at least one more night to officially pull that off.

Longtime Washington linebacker and former Arkansas Pine Bluff head coach Monte Coleman died on Sunday, the university announced. 

He was 68. 

Coleman spent his entire 16 year NFL career with Washington, which first selected him in the 11th round of the 1979 draft. He quickly became a fixture in the franchise’s defense, and even led the league with 118 total tackles during his second season in 1980. In total, Coleman finished with 1,002 combined tackles and 49.5 sacks by the time he retired after the 1994 campaign. He had 17 interceptions, too, including three that he ran back for touchdowns. 

Coleman helped Washington win three Super Bowl titles during his time there, too, first in 1982 and then again in 1987 and 1991. He played in 215 career games, which is the second-most in Washington franchise history behind only Darrell Green. He was inducted into the team’s Ring of Fame in 2015.

Coleman played at the University of Central Arkansas, and was the first player from that NAIA program to be selected in the NFL Draft. He set a then-school record with 22 interceptions during his time there, too.

Coleman then returned to Arkansas after his playing career ended and joined the coaching staff at Arkansas Pine Bluff. He was promoted to head coach ahead of the 2008 season, and ended up posting a 40-71 overall record while leading the Golden Lions to the SWAC title in 2012. He split with the university in 2017 after his contract expired. 

"Coach Coleman represented everything we strive for at UAPB excellence, integrity, and a relentless commitment to developing our student-athletes," UAPB athletic director Chris Robinson said in a statement. "His legacy is not only written in championships and honors, but in the lives he changed every single day."

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Coco Gauff got sick mid-match Sunday in Madrid. 

But remarkably, vomiting on the court didn’t slow her down. 

Gauff still beat Romania’s Sorana Cirstea 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 in the third round of the Madrid Open. But during the second set, Gauff needed to take a medical timeout and sprinted off to the side of the court to throw up. She was checked by medical staff on the sidelines, too, before entering the match again. 

"I don't know how I got it done," Gauff said after her match, via Sky Sports. "Just dealing with a lot of like, trying to keep my food down. But once I threw up, and I was able to throw up after the first set and then throw up again, I felt a little better.”

Gauff is just the latest star to get sick so far in Madrid. Iga Swiatek withdrew from the tournament on Saturday in the middle of her third-round match with Ann Li and said a stomach virus was going through the field. 

"It was just a tough match. I think I got the Madrid stomach virus that's going around,” Gauff said. “I'm usually someone who doesn't get sick, so, I don’t know. My luck today just wasn't good."

Gauff is set to take on Linda Noskova in the fourth round on Monday. Gauff, who is currently ranked No. 3 in the world, reached the quarterfinals at the Australian Open earlier this season. She made it to the final at the Miami Open last month, too, but ended up falling to Aryna Sabalenka.