Rafael Nadal’s Madrid Open run ended with an emotional straight-sets defeat to Czech youngster Jiri Lehecka under the roof on Caja Magica.
In front of a passionate home crown hoping to see the five-time champion conjure a fairy-tale run deep into the second week in what is expected to be his last appearance at the event, 30th seed Lehecka spoiled the party with a 7-5 6-4 victory in just over two hours.
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Immediately after the match Nadal said farewell to fans in an on-court interview as the tournament unfurled five banners marking each of his five victories in 2008, 2010, 2013, 2014 and 2017.
“This is one of those days that when it arrives, it’s very tough, but life and my body have been sending me signals for a long time,” he said. “The dream was to finish here on court. I have been fortunate in my life to turn my passion into my job, I am privileged.”
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In an emotional goodbye, Nadal described the memories from playing in Madrid as a ‘gift’
The 22-time Grand Slam champion arrived in Madrid saying he wasn’t fully fit and was worried about his condition, but in the end was celebrating having won three consecutive matches without showing significant physical limitations.
Nadal had only one break opportunity against the big-serving Lehecka who has now won all his three matches in straight sets.
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“It’s amazing to share a court with such a legendary player. It’s a dream come true; I always wished for this to happen,” Lehecka said.
“I’m very grateful to achieve such a big moment and all the best to Rafa. It’s kind of bittersweet to have such a nice win in front of all these people who were cheering for him. The energy was amazing.”
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Highlights of Carlos Alcaraz’s victory against Jan-Lennard Struff at the Madrid Open
Carlos Alcaraz was pushed to the limit, but found the answers when needed to overcome a gutsy Jan-Lennard Struff 6-3 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (7-4) in a repeat of last year’s final.
The 20-year-old is aiming to become the first player in history to win three straight titles at the ATP Masters 1000 event.
“Honestly this match reminds me of last year’s match,” Alcaraz said. “It was pretty difficult from the first point until the last one. It was a great fight and it was difficult. It was difficult for me to deal with my emotions, to handle certain moments, difficult moments in the match.
“Serving for the match, it was really difficult for me after that 40-0 up, but really happy that at the end it didn’t affect me with my game, with my mentality. I kept fighting. That’s all that matters and I’m really happy to get the win at the end.”
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“What a great battle,” Andy Murray’s former coach Miles Maclagan said on Sky Sports Tennis. “The style of game they play and the contest – nothing but respect for Jan-Lennard Struff.
“For all that effort there’s no reward in the end but perhaps he’ll take a lot of heart in the way he’s played, the way he’s pushed Alcaraz, the way he’s continued to show resilience and character when I’m sure most would have been writing Alcaraz’s name into the next round.
“He kept coming and kept coming and never got down on himself. That is one of his big attributes. This guy’s bag of tricks is a large one.
“The power he brings, the athleticism, the punch as well.”
Steamroller
Carlos Alcaraz has equalled Rafael Nadal’s 14-match winning streak at the Madrid Masters, the longest of any player since the inception of the tournament in 2002
‘How I missed this, quarters next’
Tale of the Tape
Swiatek roars back to reach Madrid semi-finals
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Highlights of Iga Swiatek against Beatriz Haddad Maia
World No 1 Iga Swiatek recovered from losing the opening set to beat Brazilian 11th seed Beatriz Haddad Maia 4-6 6-0 6-2 and move into the semi-finals.
Swiatek, bidding for her third title this year, broke to lead 3-1 in the first set, but Haddad Maia bounced back to break twice, saving three break points in between to level at 4-4, and took the opening set.
That was the first set the Pole had dropped in the tournament, but she had an emphatic response, completing a bagel in the second set, where the Brazilian failed to force a single break point and Swiatek won two service games to love.
Swiatek continued in the same vein in the deciding set, breaking at the first opportunity to lead 2-0, and although Haddad Maia broke back immediately, the top seed won four of the next five games to complete her comeback.
Having lost their first meeting in 2022, Swiatek has now won the last three matches against the Brazilian.
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Highlights of Madison Keys’ victory against Ons Jabeur
Swiatek, who has won titles in Indian Wells and at the Qatar Open in 2024, will face Madison Keys in Thursday’s semi-final, after the 18th seed beat Tunisian Ons Jabeur 0-6 7-5 6-1.
The 2022 champion and eighth seed appeared to be cruising towards an effortless win, taking the first set in only 24 minutes.
However, the American world No 20 fought back in the second and forced a decider where she broke twice to reach the semi-finals in Madrid for the first time.
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Find out all the ways to watch tennis on Sky Sports, including the US Open, ATP and WTA tours
In the run-up to the second Grand Slam of 2024 – the French Open at Roland Garros from May 26 – you can watch all of the biggest tennis stars in action live on Sky Sports as they compete across the clay-court season.
Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome (ATP and WTA Masters 1000) – May 7-19
Geneva Open (ATP 250) – May 20-26
Lyon Open (ATP 250) – May 20-26
Internationaux de Strasbourg (WTA 500 with Emma Raducanu in action) – May 20-26
Morocco Open (WTA 250) – May 20-26
How to watch play on Sky Sports Tennis
Image: The stars of tennis will appear on the new Sky Sports Tennis channel every day
Sky Sports has confirmed a new home for tennis in the UK and Ireland, with Sky Sports Tennis on Sky and NOW, making tennis content available all day, every day for fans.
Sky Sports will broadcast more live tennis than anywhere else, bringing over 4,000 matches from more than 80 tournaments a year on the ATP and WTA Tours, as well as full coverage of the US Open, all exclusively live.
For further access, fans will also be able to follow their favourite players and gain deeper insights from both Tours via Sky Sports News, the Sky Sports app, on SkySports.com and via Sky Sports social channels.
Stream Sky Sports live with no contract on a Month or Day membership on NOW. Instant access to live action from the Premier League, EFL, F1, England Cricket, Tennis and so much more.
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Mike Reiss is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the New England Patriots. Reiss has covered the Patriots since 1997 and joined ESPN in 2009. In 2019, he was named Massachusetts Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. You can follow Reiss on Twitter at @MikeReiss.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Tom Brady sparked headlines when he said he wasn’t opposed to making a late-season NFL return, mentioning the New England Patriots as one option, but head coach Jerod Mayo said Monday that he could only envision Brady’s return in a different job description.
The Patriots selected North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye third overall in the NFL draft and also drafted Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton III in the sixth round (No. 193). They currently have five quarterbacks on the roster, with veteran Jacoby Brissett, 2022 fourth-round pick Bailey Zappe and former Canadian Football League standout Nathan Rourke.
Mayo said the team’s plan is to let the quarterbacks compete and see who emerges as the Day 1 starter, a point he repeated when asked about the possibility of Brady as a player.
“If [Brady] comes in here, going back to the ‘best player will play,’ you have to come here and compete. He loves competition. But I doubt he’s going to be walking through these doors any time soon,” Mayo said.
When Brady commented on a possible return, as part of his appearance on the “Deep Cut” podcast, he noted that the NFL might not allow it if he becomes a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders. In May 2023, Brady reached an agreement with Raiders owner Mark Davis to join the organization’s ownership group, which is still pending NFL approval.
Brady, 46, also has plans to begin work as a sports broadcaster at Fox Sports this summer, which he said he was looking forward to.
At one point in the podcast, Brady said: “My career and all that, that’s a thing of the past in my mind. I was a gladiator out there, and now my time has moved on. Now it’s, ‘OK, how can I deliver for my next group of teammates?’”
Chris Herring, ESPN Senior WriterApr 29, 2024, 09:07 PM ET
MIAMI — The Boston Celtics took one more step toward eliminating the rival Miami Heat with a convincing 102-88 Game 4 victory Monday to take a commanding 3-1 series lead.
But the win might have come with a cost, as Kristaps Porzingis, the team’s starting center, hobbled off the court with a calf injury just before halftime and didn’t return. Porzingis will undergo imaging Tuesday, but early indications are that he didn’t sustain an Achilles tendon injury, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Following the game, Porzingis slowly walked out of the visiting locker room area wearing a gray walking boot on his right foot.
Porzingis appeared to tweak something after catching a pass from Jaylen Brown late in the second period. Upon getting the ball, Porzingis started driving toward his left, then grimaced before quickly giving the ball back to Brown and coming up lame in the middle of the play. Porzingis didn’t appear to be touched by anyone on the play during which he was hurt.
As he walked to the locker room with a support staffer, Porzingis briefly held his jersey over his face in apparent frustration.
Minutes after he sustained the injury, the Celtics issued an update, saying Porzingis was suffering from right calf tightness. Following the game, Porzingis posted on social media, making note of the team’s victory and adding, “Thanks for all the support, will be good” with a biceps emoji at the end of the message.
Celtics players held out hope that Porzingis’ injury wasn’t serious but also acknowledged that his presence as a floor spacer and rim-protector meant things would change if he is forced to miss time.
“All of us, our mindset has to shift,” said veteran center Al Horford, who started the second half in Porzingis’ place. “I talked to Luke [Kornet] and Xavier [Tillman], and let them know that all of us have to be ready to step up and do a little more, because KP was playing so well defensively.”
Said Jayson Tatum: “We’re going to have to play different, but it’s a next-man-up mentality for however long [he’s out]. Obviously I don’t know anything [yet] — but it’s next man up. We just have to find a way to win each game.”
The 7-foot-3 Porzingis, who joined the Celtics last offseason via trade with the Washington Wizards, fit his new team almost perfectly, averaging 20 points and seven rebounds per contest on career-best efficiency while giving Boston an even more dangerous five-out offense. But the Celtics, who went 21-4 in the regular season when Porzingis was out, looked just fine Monday in his absence.
Much of that stemmed from the Heat having no answer for Derrick White. The guard caught fire from deep in the first half, in which he shot 6-for-9 from 3, and went on to finish with a career-high 38 points.
“It’s unreal. You hit a couple, and then after a while, you feel like you can’t miss — the basket’s just huge,” said the 6-4 White, who also managed to throw down a pair of uncharacteristic dunks. White’s scoring outburst made for an even steeper climb for the short-handed, scoring-challenged Heat, who haven’t been able to replicate their hot shooting from Game 2, when they hit a franchise playoff-record 23 triples.
Including Monday’s 9-for-33 performance from deep, Miami has shot just 29.5% (18-for-61) since then. Games 3 and 4 marked the first time since 2022 that Miami has been held under 90 points in back-to-back contests, be it regular season or the playoffs. The Celtics were the opponent last time it happened, too, back in the 2022 Eastern Conference finals.
Boston will seek to close out the best-of-seven series when it hosts Game 5 Wednesday night.
NEW ORLEANS — The Oklahoma City Thunder entered the playoffs facing questions about their relative youth and playoff inexperience.
Four games later, the Thunder is on to the second round after a convincing sweep of the New Orleans Pelicans.
“That’s another thing for us to not think about,” Thunder forward Jalen Williams said. “We’re coming in to compete — no matter how old we are.”
The average age on the Thunder roster was less than 24 years old when the playoffs began. But coach Mark Daigneault, named NBA coach of the year this week, has been quick to point out that youth and maturity are not mutually exclusive.
“We have a mature team. We have a committed team,” Daigneault said. “We’ve got an uncommon group of people and players.”
That maturity was on full display in the way the Thunder have committed to defense, holding the Pelicans to 92 or fewer points in each game of the first round.
“Just a great defensive series by everybody that stepped on the court,” Daigneault said. “I was curious to see what version of ourselves we’d bring into the series and we were very much in character.”
The Thunder earned the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference by winning 57 games and edging out defending champion Denver in a tie-breaker.
In the first round, Oklahoma City dispatched the 49-win Pelicans, albeit with New Orleans’ leading scorer, star power forward Zion Williamson, sidelined by a hamstring injury that occurred during the Western Conference play-in tournament.
“Obviously, with the injury to Williamson, that changed the complexion of their team coming into the series,” Daigneault said. “I thought they really competed, played hard and tested us in a lot of different ways.”
Thunder shooting guard Lu Dort further bolstered his reputation as a physical defender, holding Pelicans’ high scoring wing Brandon Ingram well below his usual scoring average of nearly 21 points per game.
Ingram averaged 14.3 points in the series, topping out at 19 points in Game 3.
Meanwhile, Thunder offensive leaders Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams each averaged better than 20 points per game and saw their performances complemented by steady production from Josh Giddey and rookie center Chet Holmgren.
Game 1 was a relative struggle for Oklahoma City, which escaped with a 94-92 victory. But the Thunder won Games 2 and 3 by 32 and 21 points before closing out the series with an tougher, eight-point victory on the road against a Pelicans squad that looked unwilling to capitulate in front of its own fans.
In the middle of the fourth quarter, the Pelicans led by five and the New Orleans crowd was engaged. That’s when Oklahoma City turned the game on its head with an 18-2 run fueled as much by stifling defense as clutch shooting.
As the final minutes ticked off the game clock, Pelicans fans filed out while Thunder fans who were clustered not far from the Oklahoma City bench could be heard barking, as they’ve been known to do recently as a way to honor their team’s effort.
Now the Thunder will have time to rest before learning of their second-round opponent — either the Los Angeles Clippers or Dallas Mavericks, whose series is tied 2-2.
“We were never worried about the media or the narratives around our team,” Thunder guard Josh Giddey said. “We knew the talent we have in our locker room is good enough to go with anyone around the league.”
Yarmouth and Brighton are the venues for Tuesday’s live action – with every race live on Sky Sports Racing…
3.15 Yarmouth – Well-bred newcomers clash
Cat Ninja is an exciting daughter of Cotai Glory who is a half-sister to 1000 Guineas heroine Cachet. Unlike her relative, she was kept off the track until now and is stable jockey Kieran Shoemark’s first choice in the race. Stable companion Running Spirit isn’t too badly bred either – being related to French Group One winner Jannah Rose.
The daughter of Invincible Spirit will be ridden in this Download The QuinnBet App Maiden Fillies’ Stakes by Oisin Murphy as she makes her racecourse debut. Sir Michael Stoute has had a slow start to the season and looks to start it of with a daughter of a mare he used to train in Red Pixie. She made an interesting racecourse debut at Kempton when catching the eye to finish fourth under an educational ride. She travelled well that day but found little under pressure. With the benefit of experience, she should go well here.
4.10 Brighton – The African Queen makes seasonal reappearance
New Heights got her act together the later in the season, especially at Epsom when winning her last two starts for Jonathan Portman. She seems to be a specialist at undulating tracks – and Brighton is certainly one of them – however her record fresh isn’t something to shout about.
The least exposed in this British Stallion Studs EBF Fillies’ Handicap is The African Queen who made all on her final start when in novice company. She is into Handicap company here for a yard who travel down from North Yorkshire in hope that the 500-mile round trip is worthwhile. Course and distance winner Wisper is lurking on a nice mark and drops in class after some disappointing runs towards the end of last season. She won at this course on debut last year and will go well here too.
5.00 Yarmouth – In-form Nighteyes headlines a talented field
Nighteyes finally got her head in front on her final start of last season when winning at Ripon over six furlongs. The David O’Meara-trained daughter of Night Of Thunder had been admirably consistent in her five starts, finishing second three times. A mark of 80 looks harsh enough and she will have to improve on her seasonal debut to land the QuinnBet Fillies’ Handicap.
Royal Elysian made her seasonal re-appearance at Southwell and travelled well despite tiring late on. If improved for that then she will go well again here. Shin Jidai ran well in a hot Newmarket Nursery and makes her re-appearance here. If stepping up on that showing she will have a great chance.
Covered Chiefs for 20 seasons for Kansas City Star
Joined ESPN in 2013
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Chiefs gave tight end Travis Kelce a significant raise with a new two-year contract Monday.
A source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that the deal is worth $34.25 million with $17 million fully guaranteed for this season and most of the rest to be guaranteed on the third day of the 2025 league year.
“Hard to put in words what Travis means to this organization, this city, and he was certainly a priority to adjust his contract for us and it was something that was important for Clark [Hunt]. So very fitting that Travis [is] now the highest-paid tight end in these two years,” general manager Brett Veach said Monday.
In a video posted to X by the Chiefs, Kelce said it was “an honor and a pleasure and I can’t wait to get after it these next two years … Chiefs forever.”
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes celebrated the extension for his favorite target by posting to X, “I told yall I’ll never let him leave!! Congrats my guy! @tkelce”
“Every now and then you have one of these guys that are outliers and certainly Travis is one of those players,” Veach said when asked how much longer Kelce, 34, can play. “Today we had a chance to get out there in Phase 2 [of the offseason program] and guys were out there running around, and Travis was the first guy in line, and I mean he looked like he was 28 years old.
“The odds of someone playing this far into the thirties are very low, but it does happen, and it happens with just unicorns in the profession, and Travis is one of those and we’ll certainly celebrate this with him and hopefully we can ride this thing even longer. So, we’ll just have to wait and see. But I’ve seen no signs of [Kelce] slowing down and everyone notices the kind of postseason he had, and he just found that extra gear and these special ones, these special players are always able to find that extra gear.
“If anybody could do it, Travis can.”
Kelce in 2023 fell 16 yards short of his eighth straight 1,000-yard season. He missed the first game of the season with a knee injury and sat out the last game to rest for the playoffs. Seven straight 1,000-yard seasons is a record for his position.
Kelce, who has been selected to nine consecutive Pro Bowls and is a four-time first-team All-Pro, had 93 receptions for 984 yards and five touchdowns last season.
In the postseason, he added 32 catches for 355 yards and four touchdowns as he helped the Chiefs win a second consecutive Super Bowl and third in five seasons.
Kelce has 907 receptions for 11,328 yards and 74 touchdowns in 11 NFL seasons. In 22 postseason games, he has an NFL-record 165 catches for 1,903 yards and 19 touchdowns.
Kelce has also become a crossover star, thanks in part to his relationship with pop icon Taylor Swift and his appearances on shows such as “Saturday Night Live.” The podcast he hosts with his brother and former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce has become one of the most popular across several genres, and he will soon host a quiz show on Amazon Prime.
Jason Kelce’s post-NFL broadcasting career will start with ESPN’s “Monday Night Countdown.”
Kelce, who retired from the Philadelphia Eagles after a 13-year career, is in line to sign a deal with ESPN in time for next season.
ESPN has yet to officially announce the hiring.
Kelce participated in last year’s NFL Broadcasting and Media Workshop, which used to be known as the Broadcast Bootcamp. He has also appeared on numerous NFL broadcasts, including a stint with Amazon’s “Thursday Night Football” during an off week in 2023.
“This is all new territory for me,” Kelce said at the time. “I have even more respect for it now. It’s very hard to do something live, reactive of stimulus that just happened and having something clever and meaningful to say.”
Kelce is expected to continue doing his “New Heights” podcast with his brother, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. Travis Kelce signed a two-year deal to remain with the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday.
Also on Monday, CBS announced that Matt Ryan is joining “The NFL Today” after splitting time last season in the studio and being a game analyst. Ryan officially retired last week after a 15-year career with the Atlanta Falcons and Indianapolis Colts from 2008 to ’22.
The network also announced Phil Simms and Boomer Esiason will leave after long runs on the show. Simms came to CBS in 1998 after the network won the rights to the AFC. He was the lead game analyst until he moved to the studio in 2017.
Esiason had been on “The NFL Today” since 2002.
The Athletic was the first to report on Jason Kelce’s choice.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
NEW YORK — Perhaps neither Milwaukee nor Philadelphia would’ve been good enough to beat a Boston team that ran away to the NBA’s best record.
The Bucks and 76ers surely never thought about going out in the first round of the playoffs, though.
Both teams will be facing that possibility Tuesday on a night of Game 5s in the Eastern Conference, with the New York Knicks able to eliminate the 76ers and the Indiana Pacers in position to knock out the Bucks.
Cleveland and Orlando are tied 2-2 in the only series that can’t end Tuesday.
With both clubs being led by a former MVP, the Bucks and 76ers expected to at least contend for a spot in the East finals. Milwaukee even added All-Star help for Giannis Antetokounmpo by acquiring Damian Lillard from Portland in last summer’s biggest trade.
But with both players hurt, the No. 3-seeded Bucks have dropped three straight games to fall into their 3-1 hole against the No. 6 Pacers.
“We have to play as hard as we can. We have to execute our game plan. We have to keep guys in check. Even though we’ve been down before, we’re down two guys now, we’ve still got all the confidence in the world that we can get back here,” Bucks veteran Khris Middleton said Sunday after a 126-113 loss at Indiana.
At least the Bucks will be playing at home. The 76ers aim to stave off elimination on the road, though they certainly didn’t have much of a home-court advantage Sunday, when a large and loud contingent of Knicks fans watched Jalen Brunson score a franchise playoff-record 47 points in New York’s 97-92 victory.
Joel Embiid played the whole second half but didn’t have a basket in the fourth quarter.
The 76ers were 29-13, just a half-game out of second place, after the reigning MVP scored a franchise-record 70 points in a victory at San Antonio on Jan. 22. But he needed left knee surgery in early February, with Philadelphia tumbling down the standings in his absence and needing to win a play-in game just to make the playoffs as a No. 7 seed.
That left the Sixers with a much more difficult first-round matchup than they would have faced had Embiid stayed healthy, but he still thinks they can solve it.
“We know we’re good enough,” he said.
Unlike the Bucks’ All-Stars, Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell supposedly isn’t hurt anymore, though it’s hard to tell by his play. He was scoreless in the second half of a 23-point loss in Game 4, attempting just four shots. The Cavaliers were outscored 37-10 in the third quarter of that one, after losing by a franchise playoff-record 38 in Game 3.
But he and his teammates remain unshaken.
“We’re very confident,” Mitchell said following Monday’s practice. “We had two games that didn’t go our way. At the end of the day, they handled home court. We have things we can improve on, obviously, but it’s our job to do the same.”
New York leads 3-1. Game 5, 7 p.m. EDT, TNT
— NEED TO KNOW: The Knicks need one victory to reach the Eastern Conference semifinals in consecutive years. They haven’t done that since going that far nine straight times from 1992-2000.
— KEEP AN EYE ON: Brunson, who only two games ago seemed to be held relatively in check after shooting 8 for 26 and 8 for 29 in the two victories in New York. He followed with 39 points and 13 assists in Game 3, and through four games was the second-leading scorer in the playoffs with 33 points per game (Embiid is averaging 35) and third with 9.0 assists.
— INJURY REPORT: Bojan Bogdanovic is out with his ankle injury sustained in Game 4 and Mitchell Robinson is questionable after he was hurt in Game 3. The 76ers got back De’Anthony Melton after he missed much of the second half of the season with back problems.
— PRESSURE IS ON: Not the 76ers, according to Embiid.
“We’re the 7 seed, down 3-1. A lot of guys are hurt. I don’t know why we would feel the pressure, so we should just go out there, play our best basketball and one at a time,” he said. “Win one, come back home, win another one, and then Game 7 over there. So I’m looking forward to it. No pressure.”
Series tied 2-2, Game 5, 8 p.m. EDT, NBA TV
— NEED TO KNOW: The series has gone as expected: physical, defensive-minded, tense and tight with both teams holding serve at home. However, Orlando’s decisive wins in Games 3 and 4 were a surprise given the team’s offensive challenges most of the season. For the Magic to win at Cleveland, they’ll have to shoot better than in Games 1 and 2, when they were a combined 17 of 72 on 3-pointers.
— KEEP AN EYE ON: Cleveland’s bench. The Cavs reserves were outscored 44-15 in Game 4, and coach J.B. Bickerstaff needs more production from his second unit. Bickerstaff prefers a tight rotation, but may have to go deeper if his team needs an offensive spark (Sam Merrill) or some attitude (Tristan Thompson, Marcus Morris Sr.).
— INJURY WATCH: Mitchell keeps saying he’s 100 percent, but it’s clear that he’s still dealing with the effects of a bone bruise in his left knee that sidelined him for weeks after the All-Star break. … Orlando guard Jalen Suggs seems to have gotten past any concerns after spraining his knee in the opener.
— PRESSURE IS ON: The Cavaliers. Big time. This Game 5 has added meaning since a loss would put Cleveland on the brink of a first-round exit for a second straight year. Anything short of advancing could lead to a franchise overhaul.
Indiana leads 3-1. Game 5, 9:30 p.m. EDT, TNT
— NEED TO KNOW: The Pacers are one win away from advancing beyond the first round of the playoffs for the first time since 2014, when they reached the East finals. Milwaukee is staring at the possibility of losing 4-1 to a lower-seeded team in the opening round of the playoffs for a second consecutive season. Last year, the Bucks had the NBA’s top seed but lost to Miami in the opening round. The Bucks have never won a playoff series in which they trailed 3-1.
— KEEP AN EYE ON: Indiana’s 3-point shooting. After shooting just 8 of 38 from beyond the arc in Game 1 — Milwaukee’s lone victory in the series — the Pacers have made 39.8% of their 3-pointers (51 of 128) over their last three games. The Pacers were 22 of 43 and set a playoff franchise record for 3-point baskets Sunday. Myles Turner has gone 14 of 25 on 3-point attempts over his last three games and was 7 of 9 in Game 4.
— INJURY WATCH: Antetokounmpo hasn’t played the entire series due to a left calf strain and Lillard missed Game 4 with an Achilles tendon injury. Bucks coach Doc Rivers said before Game 4 that he couldn’t rule out either player for the series and indicated Antetokounmpo had a promising workout on Sunday. Middleton has hurt each of his ankles during this series and Patrick Beverley got banged up in Game 4 with what Rivers said was a rib issue. Both Middleton and Beverley said after the game they were fine.
— PRESSURE IS ON: Bucks forward Bobby Portis. The Bucks needed a huge effort from Portis in Game 4 as they tried to win a road game without Antetokounmpo or Lillard. The NBA Sixth Man of the Year finalist instead got ejected seven minutes into the game.
___
AP Sports Writers Steve Megargee in Milwaukee and Tom Withers in Cleveland contributed to this report.
As one of the most recruited prospects in America, Taz Williams Jr. is routinely is on the road for visits. This spring, Williams has been on campus at a number of programs which includes SMU, Texa…
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One of the standouts of the Rivals Camp Series stop in Dallas was St. George (UT) Pine View tight end Brock Harris. Harris’ MVP award winning performance was not a surprise for many given his ranki…
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Alex Walmsley has told The Bench Podcast it remains unclear when he will be able to return to action from a hamstring injury.
The St Helens prop has missed his side’s last two matches, last featuring against Warrington Wolves in the Challenge Cup on April 14.
The 34-year-old hopes a possible return date will become clearer after further tests in the coming days.
“At the minute there’s a lot of cloud around it,” Walmsley said.
“There’s a few other checks that we need to line up and hopefully we’ll get an answer in the next few days to see where we end up.”
Earlier in April Walmsley signed a contract to extend his stay at the club to 14 years with a deal that runs until the end of the 2026 Super League season. The forward has made 280 appearances and scored 52 tries during his time with the Merseyside outfit.
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Walmsley explains why he turned down opportunities to move to the NRL, insisting he’s always been happy at the club
Reflecting on his journey, Walmsley admitted his career had not taken a traditional route but it is a path he takes pride from nonetheless.
“I was a bit different,” he said. “More often than not I’d like to think that players who come through the Championship have done a scholarship or academy at some point,
“I stopped playing rugby at 16. I just didn’t enjoy it, I was quite an overweight kid and it was something I just didn’t enjoy doing. I came back at 18 and got back playing at amateur (level) and at university and like anything I just loved it so much.
“I’ve been fortunate, I’ve had such a great career at Saints, I’ve won so much silverware at the club but so often my fondest memories were of the amateur days playing for Dewsbury Celtic.”
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Watch the full episode of The Bench
Walmsley has been with St Helens since he joined in 2012 from Batley Bulldogs. Despite offers in the past to move to play in the NRL, he’s happy with his decision to stay in Super League.
“It boils down to being happy,” he said. “The first real opportunity came as early as 2015 when I was going into my third year at St Helens.
“At that point, I’d only left part-time rugby 18 months ago, so I was still learning the game. I was cementing myself as a first-team starter at Saints, it just didn’t feel like the right time to go and I’d just recently lost my mum and my dad was a big part of my rugby.
“I didn’t want to take that away from him so that was part of the decision.
“I’ve always been happy at St Helens. Being successful brings happiness and I’ve been fortunate these past six, seven years to be a part of a side that’s been successful in bringing in silverware and we’ve had some unbelievable moments.”
NEW ORLEANS — Rory McIlroy is on the TPC Louisiana 19th green stage with a beer in one hand and a microphone in the other. He’s got Mardi Gras beads around his neck standing next to one of his best friends, Shane Lowry, and the drunken New Orleans crowd keeps chanting.
“Rory! Rory! Rory!”
“Do you know any songs from the 80s?” the bandleader asks.
And then Journey starts playing.
The four-time major champ belted out “Don’t Stop Believing” early Sunday evening, tossing his head back to put his chest into the notes. Lowry just laughed and drank his beer watching his buddy make a fool of himself. As he walked off moments later, Lowry answered why he didn’t join — “I would have sung much better.”
McIlroy just won a golf tournament. And he needed to win a golf tournament. But far, far more than he needed anything on a scorecard, he needed this week. McIlroy needed to have fun.
This all began with a “really drunken lunch” after their Ryder Cup win last fall. McIlroy asked Lowry if they could team up for the Zurich Classic — the PGA Tour’s only team event. Lowry has played this event before but, fearful of rejection, never asked McIlroy to team up. McIlroy sent Lowry a Christmastime text confirming. He was coming to New Orleans.
Fast forward to Saturday night, and just off Bourbon Street in the French Quarter at a classic white tablecloth Creole joint called Arnaud’s, McIlroy and Lowry received a standing ovation from the other diners. This isn’t even some casual weekend in Louisiana. It’s Jazz Fest. It’s NFL Draft week. The Pelicans are in the playoffs. Yet the people were so psyched to have the No. 2 player in the world they filled TPC Louisiana with the largest galleries anyone can recall and applauded them at restaurants. One TV reporter joked the last athlete to receive that was Reggie Bush nearly two decades ago.
“It was weird for me,” Lowry said. “That stuff doesn’t happen to me.”
“It doesn’t happen to me, either!” McIlroy joked.
“He’s getting old,” Lowry said with a cheeky grin. “But he can still move the needle a little bit. Rory brings a crowd, and people love him.”
A little context. McIlroy isn’t having a very good season. It became a running gag last week that Scottie Scheffler’s caddie, Ted Scott, is outearning McIlroy in 2024. And McIlroy has been having a stressful few years. He was the face of the PGA Tour in its war with LIV and the most public-facing policy board member. Then, he got blindsided by the PGA Tour entering into a framework agreement with the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia (LIV’s owners), calling himself a “sacrificial lamb” as they sent him to speak to the media the next day.
He then reportedly lost a power battle over the future of the tour to Patrick Cantlay and decided to leave the board, with Sports Illustrated reporting Cantlay and others like Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth focused more on catering to the tour’s elites. McIlroy then changed his tune and campaigned for unification with LIV. He rubbed people the wrong way, criticizing Spieth publicly for saying the PGA Tour didn’t “need” the Saudis. He consistently made comments about the desire for money ruining the sport. He got in an awkward incident at the Players Championship with playing partners Spieth and Viktor Hovland.
Oh, and the golf has suffered. It’s all relative. He’s still top 30 nearly every week, but has just one PGA Tour finish better than 19th all season. When he finished T22 at the Masters two weeks ago, he got questions about whether he needed to blow up his swing and do a full reset.
Then, he went to New Orleans.
McIlroy was not locked in this week, at least not for most of the week. This week was about having fun with his old buddy Shane. They didn’t even practice when they got in Tuesday because the course was too busy, so they messed around at the chipping green instead. During the Wednesday Pro-Am, they hardly even played every other shot. They seemed to hit when they felt like it while walking and talking the rest. They crushed chargrilled oysters from Drago’s on the 10th hole and teased each other.
Who knows how worried they even were as they entered the seventh hole Sunday five back of the leaders. Yes, they’re competitors and want to win, but they were just going with the flow.
Then, McIlroy got hot. Playing alternate shot, they birdied four of the next five holes to get one back. McIlroy dropped a saucy little club twirl that he hasn’t shown in years on a perfect iron shot on 14. And right around that time, he clearly started to want it a bit more. When he put his drive on 16 into a bunker, he bent over and held his head down for a full minute in frustration.
But no worries. Lowry hit a perfect wedge from the bunker to the center of the green, and McIlroy hit a wide-breaking putt to take a share of the lead.
On the par-3 17th, Lowry’s tee shot flew into the crowd and he later missed a tough par putt. He was visibly disappointed with himself, but McIlroy speedily chased him off the green to say, “Hey, Shane. That was a good putt.”
“Rory is there backing me up this week,” Lowry said, “and he was a great teammate, and he made me believe in myself. It was good to have him there to do that.”
They then birdied 18 to send it to a playoff, and thanks to a missed putt by Martin Trainer in the playoff, McIlroy won his 25th PGA Tour tournament and Lowry earned himself a spot in the remaining PGA Tour signature events. Teamwork.
Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry chased down Chad Ramey and Martin Trainer on Sunday in the Zurich Classic. (Stephen Lew / USA Today)
Yeah, maybe McIlroy was the key to the win this week, but there’s a chance Lowry was the key to a much-needed week for McIlroy. Because he admitted this week was about getting away from the stress.
“Absolutely,” he said. “The reason that Shane and I both started to play golf is because we thought it was fun at some stage in our life. I think sort of reinjecting a little bit of that fun back into it in a week like this week, it can always help.”
And as the event finished, tournament organizers could be seen celebrating the coup of one of the game’s biggest stars winning and possibly coming back next year to defend his title. This isn’t exactly one of the tour’s bigger events. They’d kill for McIlroy in the field again. So he was asked, “Has anyone started trying to sell you on returning?”
“I don’t think they need to try,” McIlroy said. “I think we’re coming back.”
PHOENIX — Fresh off, arguably, the most important performance of his young career, Anthony Edwards sat in front of the world with a white tank top and an all-black Atlanta Braves fitted cap that sat loose, hovering just above his crisp hairline — making him look more like an extra in Outkast’s “Player’s Ball” video than the future face of the NBA.
Edwards is who he is. Silly. Lovable. Intelligent. Country. He wears it all, loudly and proudly. He’s also a competitor. A trash-talker. He wears all of those things just as loud, just as proud.
You add all of that up and you have a star. You add all of those things up plus a 40-point performance in a playoff-sweeping 122-116 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday night, and you start to enter superstardom.
Yet, Edwards, for one reason or another, is afraid to go there. For as honest, brash and confident as he is and can be, there lives a bashfulness inside the 22-year-old when it comes to talking about his stature within the sport’s most prestigious club.
A year ago, before a first-round loss to the eventual-champion Denver Nuggets, Edwards said he couldn’t consider himself a young star until he “wins in the playoffs.”
A year later, he did it. Edwards not only won in the playoffs, but he was the alpha in a series that featured the likes of Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, his all-time favorite player. Edwards led his organization to heights it hadn’t seen in 20 years, the second round of the NBA playoffs. He did it with rim-twisting dunks. He did it with a sweet shooting stroke. He did it with gnaw-your-arm-off defense. He did it with leadership. He did it with WWE “Suck It!” extracurriculars. He did it while giving an earful to the player he has looked up to since he was 5.
These are the things that make stars. This is what stardom looks like.
“Nah, not yet, man,” Edwards said Sunday after reaching the benchmark he placed on himself a year ago. “Not yet.”
Edwards, unbeknownst to him, lost the privilege to decide what he is and isn’t in this league.
Kevin Durant congratulates Anthony Edwards after Minnesota swept Phoenix in the first round of the NBA playoffs. (Christian Petersen / Getty Images)
When you score 40 points in a series-clinching victory — on the road at that — you’re a star. When you played 79 regular-season games and were the best player for a team that was one game short of having the top record in your conference, you’re a star. When you’re one of 12 players, at the age of 22, picked to represent your country in the Olympics, you’re a star. When you make everyone laugh every time you’re in front of a microphone, order McDonald’s off Uber Eats immediately after a game, like he did in Detroit last season, you’re a star.
“He’s the face of the league,” said teammate Karl-Anthony Towns, who sat next to Edwards as his reserved side took center stage when talking about his status in the NBA. “He hates when I say it, but it’s true. Like I said, ‘Future so bright, got to put the sunglasses on.’ ”
Regular players don’t decide to dominate when they have a chance to end their opponent for good. They don’t have that ability. Stars shoot 11 of 15 from the floor for 31 points in the second half when their team is trailing at halftime like Edwards did on Sunday. Stars muster up their last bit of energy late in the fourth quarter to throw down a “Night, night!” dunk — like he did with just over two minutes to play when he crossed up Bradley Beal on the wing, took a gather dribble, launched from outside of the paint and forced his childhood hero out of the way as he punished the rim like it hit his sister.
Stars get on their other star teammate amid all the chaos when they do something wrong like Edwards did when Towns committed another unnecessary foul with the game in the balance.
Edwards can’t run from it anymore. No matter how hard he tries. If he doesn’t want to be a star, then stop playing like one.
“He rises to the occasion,” Wolves forward Kyle Anderson told The Athletic.
Stars also make their teammates better. That’s the point of having a star. The gravity of one person makes the existence of others more meaningful.
Edwards picked apart the Suns’ defense as a playmaker. The 40 points will make the headlines, but he also had six assists with only two turnovers in 41 minutes of play. He should have had 10-plus assists, but the Wolves couldn’t buy a bucket in the game’s first 24 minutes.
There were signs throughout the season, but it was this series where Edwards blossomed as a creator for others. There were times early on in his career when it felt like he passed because he had to. There was nowhere else for him to go.
As the season went on, and this playoff series played out, Edwards was welcoming blitzes so that he could create advantages to make the pass to an open man, so that he could get his teammates involved in the flow of the game, so that this Timberwolves team could potentially do something only one team before has accomplished in the franchise’s 35-year history.
But, yeah, Edwards is not a star.
“He is a good person,” said Minnesota assistant coach Micah Nori, who filled in for coach Chris Finch after a collision on the sideline in the fourth quarter left him with a serious leg injury. “And what I mean by that is, they trust him. He’s got some self-humor. You’ve seen all of his interviews. He’s the first one to congratulate and move all of his glory over to his teammates. They all love him.
“When he plays, makes the right play, and they know he cares, not only about himself but the team, he’s done a good job of stepping up in that regard.”
Edwards can keep running from the label all he wants, but if he doesn’t want to embrace it out of fear of being content, then it will never go away. His mindset is correct. His intentions are good. But it’s impossible for anyone with two eyes and a pinch of sense not to see a star when they look at Edwards.
From this point on, there’s no point in even asking Edwards about it. He has spoken — with his play and his personality. He never needs to say it out loud. We’ll all keep saying it for him.
“He’s my favorite player to watch,” Durant said of his star pupil after Sunday’s game. “He’s just grown so much since coming in the league. At 22, his love for the game shines so bright. That’s one of the reasons why I like him the most because he just loves basketball and is grateful to be in this position.
“He’s going to be someone I follow for the rest of his career.”
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Can ‘assurances’ on player safety in Saudi Arabia ever be enough?
Daria Kasatkina, the highest ranked openly gay player in women’s tennis, was asked Sunday how she felt about the WTA opting to hold its Tour Finals for the next three years in Saudi Arabia, a country, where homosexuality is a crime that can be punished by death.
Only the top eight players qualify for the Tour Finals. Kasatkina is currently world No 11.
“Look, if I qualify, it means that I’m top eight in the world,” Kasatkina said after advancing to the round of 16 in Madrid. “It’s great news for me.”
Kasatkina has been one of the most prominent voices on Saudi Arabia’s incursion into the sport (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Then she took a deep breath. “We see that the Saudis, now they are very into the sport. They want to develop the sport, and as long as it gives the opportunity to the people there and the young kids and the women, too, you know, we see that sport and specifically tennis, it’s actually so close so that they can watch it. They can play, they can participate in this, I think it’s great.”
Asked how she thinks the environment would be for gay players and those in same sex relationships as she is, and whether she has received assurances about being able to perhaps, share a room with a partner, Ksatkina once more paused pensively.“I’ve been given assurances that I’m going to be fine,” she said.
Does it matter if Aryna Sabalenka wants to watch men’s tennis?
Sabalenka caused a bit of a stir last week when she told a Spanish media outlet that she doesn’t watch much women’s tennis and prefers the men’s game, saying it was more interesting. That wasn’t the kind of buzz the women’s tour is looking for from its top players.
Sabalenka clarified those comments after winning her first match in Madrid, explaining that sitting down to watch her opponents isn’t how she prefers to spend her free time.
“I play against all of them, and I just want to change the picture, and because I watch lots of women’s tennis before I go to the match, I watch my opponents, I watch lots of women’s tennis,” she said. “It’s not like I don’t like it or I try to offend what I do. I was trying to say that because I’m playing there and it’s too much for me, I’m trying to watch men’s tennis. It’s more fun than watching probably my future opponents in the tournament.”
A perfectly understandable explanation. Tennis, and watching it, is work for the top players in the world, men and women. Baseball players don’t watch much baseball in their free time.
(Full disclosure, this can be true for tennis writers, as well.)
It’s a sensitive topic around the tour, especially because it wasn’t long ago that Amelie Mauresmo, the French Open tournament director and a former world No 1, described men’s tennis as more appealing to justify her decision to let men dominate the tournament’s nightly featured match.
Expecting women’s tennis players to be sole defenders of their sport is not realistic (Martin Keep/AFP via Getty Images)
Women have enough of a problem with men degrading their sport. Fairly or unfairly — probably the latter — that forces them to be extra careful when talking about their favorite versions of the sport. No one gets on Daniil Medvedev or any other male player when they fess up to not watching their sport unless they are in the middle of a tournament.
GO DEEPER
Listening to women: The slow rise of female tennis coaches
Has an arm injury actually helped Carlos Alcaraz?
Few things worry the tennis world more than the health and wellbeing of Carlos Alcaraz. His magical play and dynamic style have captivated tennis fans and the rest of the sports-consuming public. He is one of those players who comes along not so often and transcends the game, providing an opportunity for tennis to break through the morass.
He also gets hurt a lot, and has missed some medium-sized chunks of his early seasons as a professional that have cost him a chance to play in important tournaments — the ATP Tour Finals in 2022 and the Australian Open in 2023 top that list.
GO DEEPER
Carlos Alcaraz is making magic again. Watch out.
So it was a little alarming when Alcaraz pulled out of Monte Carlo and Barcelona this month with an injury to his forearm. Competing in Madrid was touch-and-go until his final practice the day before his first match, which he played wearing a sleeve. His performance, a near-flawless 6-2, 6-1 win over Alexander Shevchenko of Kazakhstan, eased a lot of worries, but it also showcased another side of Alcaraz, who said he never went for broke on his cannon forehand to protect his arm.
“I hit it softer than I used to, but it helped me stay relaxed,” he said. “I think more.”
The data (below) shows that Alcaraz is hitting it softer (a three-mile-per-hour difference might not seem like much, but over 78 feet, it’s a lot) and with “less quality,” but he’s still winning.
Far be it for anyone to criticize the play of a two-time Grand Slam champion at 20 years old, but if there has been a weak spot for Alcaraz, it’s his tendency to sometimes play shots rather than points — especially when under pressure — and put together a highlight reel rather than simply win by playing solid, unspectacular tennis. If there is a silver lining to this latest injury, it could be that it forces Alcaraz to become a more restrained but more effective player, still with plenty of highlights to boot.
Two bagels for you Coco, you go Coco!
Coco Gauff has done many impressive things in her tennis career, but the so-called ‘double-bagels’ are generally not her thing. She’s come close before, most recently last year in the WTA Finals against a hobbled Ons Jabeur. With Gauff, though, there’s usually a time in every match when the forehand gets wobbly or the serve goes on the skids.
Then came Madrid, and an opening-round match against Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands. Fifty-one minutes and a 51-18 point differential later, and Gauff had her first double-bagel. In her second match, against Dayana Yastremska, Gauff sprinted to a 4-0 lead and looked like she might get three in a row, but settled for a 6-4, 6-1. Breadsticks are good fuel, too.
Gauff breezed through her match (Oscar Del Pozo/AFP via Getty Images)
Gauff is as good an athlete as there is in the game and can play all night if she needs to, but every player likes to be as clinical as she can be wherever possible. If Gauff can figure out how to do that, especially in the early rounds of tournaments, the rest of the field better watch out.
Is the Billie Jean King Cup and Davis Cup crossover a good idea?
The International Tennis Federation (ITF) this week announced changes to the schedule and format of the annual event, creating a week of cross-over between the BJK Cup and the men’s equivalent, the Davis Cup, with the second semi-final and final of the women’s tournament overlapping the first two days of the men’s tournament in late November this year.
The women’s tournament has also moved to emulate the knock-out structure of its counterpart, replacing a round-robin finals with a straight shoot-out between eight of the final twelve teams. The four seeded nations — who, on current form, would be the Czech Republic and Australia, alongside 2023 winners and runners-up Canada and Italy — will receive a bye straight to the quarter-finals.
During his unnecessarily up-and-down victory over rising Argentinian Mariano Navone, he came over to the umpire at 5-3 in his favor (although, a few minutes previously, it was 5-1).
“The tournament is trying to cheat me,” he said. “They missed a string on my racket.” He then pushed away a camera before repeating his complaint. It looked more like a cross-string had been mis-weaved, rather than missing an entire line.
Rune had been 5-6, 15-30 down on Navone’s serve in the second set, on the verge of exiting the tournament, before Navone tightened up to hit two yomping double faults and a backhand error that barely landed in the tramlines to give up a tiebreak. Rune surged away with it, and the next six games to go 5-1, but the racket incident destabilised him completely and he ended up needing five match points before prevailing 6-4 in a final service game that swung like a pendulum.
Stringing Navone along, perhaps.
Shots (fired) of the week
Alexander Bublik will do Alexander Bublik things whenever he wants. Roberto Carballes Baena isn’t a fan.
Lo que hace aquí Carballes Baena 🇪🇸 es para que le metan una buena sanción y no pueda pisar un torneo un buen tiempo.
Se pica porque Bublik hace el tonto ( lo hace siempre ) y a continuación busca darle un pelotazo con su saque dos veces seguidas.
📍Madrid, Mutua Madrid Open (1000) second week, ft. Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Rafael Nadal, Daniil Medvedev. 📺 UK: Sky Sports; US: Tennis Channel 💻 Tennis TV
🎾 WTA:
📍Madrid, Mutua Madrid Open (1000) second week, ft. Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff. 📺 UK: Sky Sports; US: Tennis Channel 💻 Tennis TV
Tell us what you noticed this week in the comments as the tours continue.
Mike Reiss is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the New England Patriots. Reiss has covered the Patriots since 1997 and joined ESPN in 2009. In 2019, he was named Massachusetts Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. You can follow Reiss on Twitter at @MikeReiss.
Milton acknowledged he was somewhat surprised to hear from the Patriots at pick No. 193 but said it was nonetheless special to receive word from the team given the adversity he said he has faced over his career.
“I had all the [NFL] hats laid out. You just never know where you’re going to end up. I was just waiting on any phone call,” Milton told reporters on a videoconference. “It’s a blessing, for sure.”
The 6-foot-5, 246-pound Milton said all his conversations with the Patriots have been about playing quarterback. Some draft analysts wondered if teams might consider him as a tight end, but Milton said bluntly: “That will never happen.”
The Patriots now have five quarterbacks on their roster, led by veteran Jacoby Brissett, who signed a one-year contract worth $8 million in March. Maye is the hopeful quarterback of the future, with Milton, 2022 fourth-round pick Bailey Zappe and second-year player Nathan Rourke also on the depth chart.
“Just the opportunity. I feel like everywhere you go, no matter what quarterback got selected in this draft, you’re going to have to compete,” said Milton, who relayed that he had developed a connection with Maye well before the draft, as they first met at a Peyton Manning-run camp before the season. “Nothing is just given to you no matter who you are. That’s what I’m looking forward to do.”
The pick used to select Milton had been acquired from the Jacksonville Jaguars in March in exchange for former starter and first-round pick Mac Jones.
This marks the second time in team history that the Patriots selected two quarterbacks in a draft. The other time came in 1983 with Tony Eason and Tom Ramsey.
In addition, New England became just the fourth team since 2000 to draft a quarterback after also taking one in the first round. The others are Pittsburgh with Kenny Pickett and Chris Oladokun in 2022, Washington with Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins in 2012, and Indianapolis with Andrew Luck and Chandler Harnish in 2012.
“We’re in the business of trying to get good football players through the door, and Milton happens to be one of them,” Patriots first-year coach Jerod Mayo said. “Obviously, he understands we took a quarterback at 3, with Drake. One thing we preach is competition. Nothing is given. All of it is earned. That’s how we thought about the process.”
Asked if the Patriots would consider using Milton in spots other than quarterback, Mayo said: “We’ll have to see how that kind of plays out once we put the pads on, but we drafted him as a quarterback.”
Milton, 24, spent three seasons at Michigan, mostly sitting behind starter Shea Patterson before starting five games in 2020 and then being replaced by Cade McNamara. He transferred to Tennessee in 2021, starting the first two games in his initial season before injuring his ankle. Hendon Hooker took the quarterback reins for the rest of the year and into 2022.
Milton didn’t reemerge until the final two games of 2022, when Hooker suffered a knee injury. The strong-armed Milton was named MVP of the Orange Bowl after going 19-of-28 for 251 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Clemson. He then returned as the starter in 2023, taking advantage of an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 12 starts last season, he was 229-of-354 for 2,813 yards with 20 touchdowns and five interceptions. He added 78 rushes for 299 yards and seven touchdowns.
His 20 touchdown passes traveled an average of 21.2 yards downfield, the second highest in FBS among quarterbacks with 20 touchdown passes, trailing only Alabama‘s Jalen Milroe (25.4).
From 2021 to 2023, Milton had 17 pass attempts of at least 50 air yards. No other FBS player had more than nine over that span.
Summing up his journey on Saturday, Milton said: “It’s a wonderful moment. I’m pretty much speechless at this point.”
Milton became the first Tennessee player selected by the Patriots since Mayo, their former linebacker and now coach, in 2008 (No. 10 overall).
“It’s great to always have two ‘VFLs’ in the building, especially when you’re somewhere else other than Knoxville,” Milton said, referencing the motto “Volunteer for Life.” “Just for us to reconnect, get to know each other, it’s going to be great.”
PHOENIX — Minnesota star Anthony Edwards noticed early in the third quarter that the Phoenix Suns switched up their defense, playing him one-on-one most of the time instead of using the double teams from the first half.
The budding superstar took that as a challenge.
“It was like — you’ve got to beat us,” Edwards said. “And I showed them.”
Edwards scored 31 of his 40 points in the second half, Karl-Anthony Towns added 28 and the Timberwolves pulled away late to beat the Suns 122-116 on Sunday night and sweep the first-round playoff series.
The franchise’s first playoff series win in 20 years came after coach Chris Finch left the game late in the fourth after an inadvertent collision with Wolves guard Mike Conley. The team said he had a ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee.
Edwards finished 13 of 23 from the field, including 7 of 13 from 3-point range. The 22-year-old threw down a powerful, one-handed jam to give Minnesota a 115-111 lead with 2:14 left.
“We’ve watched him grow, evolve as a leader, as a player, as a man,” Wolves center Rudy Gobert said. “It’s been fun.”
Phoenix would never recover.
The Wolves finished off the Suns despite Devin Booker’s 49 points on 13 of 21 shooting. He also made 20 of 21 free throws. Kevin Durant added 33, but the rest of the team struggled.
Assistant coach Micah Nori took over for Finch for the final 1:41 and the Wolves closed with relative ease.
“Everybody has their role, everybody has each other’s back,” Nori said. “I know it sounds corny, but it’s just next man up, even with the coaching staff.”
Minnesota’s Jaden McDaniels scored 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting and the Wolves had a 44-33 rebounding advantage.
It was a tight fourth quarter and the Suns tied it at 107 on Royce O’Neale’s 3-pointer with 4:30 remaining. Edwards and Jaden McDaniels hit back-to-back corner 3s to put the Wolves up 113-109 with 3:20 left.
The Wolves now wait to see if they will face the Denver Nuggets or Los Angeles Lakers in the second round.
“Their whole team created a lot of problems for us,” Suns coach Frank Vogel said. “The role players, the stars. Anthony Edwards is a special, special talent. And their bigs played really well.”
Edwards hit back-to-back 3-pointers early in the third and McDaniels followed with a powerful dunk, helping Minnesota turn a six-point deficit into a 68-66 lead. It was part of a big third for Edwards, who hit four 3-pointers and had 15 points.
Booker responded, scoring 18 points during the quarter and the Suns took a 92-90 lead into the fourth. It was a tough game for three-time All-Star Bradley Beal, who scored just nine points on 4-of-13 shooting before fouling out.
“They were executing late and we didn’t,” Booker said.
The Suns threw various looks at the Wolves in the first half, using five perimeter players at various times to try to pull big men Gobert and Towns away from the basket.
Booker hit a fallaway jumper at the buzzer to give the Suns a 61-56 halftime lead. Durant led Phoenix with 20 points before the break, while Booker had 17. Towns had 15 for the Wolves.
Suns guard Grayson Allen missed his second straight game because of a sprained ankle suffered in Game 1 that he aggravated in Game 2. He averaged 13.5 points per game and led the NBA in 3-point percentage during the regular season.
Baxter Holmes (@Baxter) is a senior writer for ESPN Digital and Print, focusing on the NBA. He has covered the Lakers, the Celtics and previously worked for The Boston Globe and Los Angeles Times.
PHOENIX — Minnesota Timberwolves coach Chris Finch was helped off the court late in his team’s series-clinching 122-116 win over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday night with a ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee after one of his players collided with him on the sideline.
Conley collided with Finch, who went down holding his right knee. Finch was surrounded by Timberwolves players and staff before being helped up and off the court. The team later confirmed he ruptured his patellar tendon.
Finch left the arena on a cart and did not speak to the media postgame, with assistant coach Micah Nori assuming those duties.
Nori said Finch was in the medical room getting checked out and that the team went down to see him after the game.
“He’s obviously in good spirits and so are the guys,” Nori said.
Nori took over for the final 1:41 of the game as the Wolves closed with relative ease.
“Everybody has their role, everybody has each other’s back,” Nori said. “I know it sounds corny, but it’s just next man up, even with the coaching staff.”
Earlier Sunday, Finch was announced as the third-place vote-getter behind winner Mark Daigneault of the Oklahoma City Thunder and second-place Jamahl Mosley of the Orlando Magic for NBA Coach of the Year. Finch led Minnesota to the second-most wins in franchise history.
COPPELL, Texas – Prospects from 10 different states were in attendance for the Rivals Camp Series‘ stop in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex on Sunday, making for a more competitive setting in Coppell High School’s spacious indoor facility.
The morning started with the trench talents and the skill prospects carried the event into the afternoon. Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Marshall Levenson shares five quick takeaways after the latest stop.
JAHKEEM STEWART DOES IT AGAIN
Jahkeem Stewart
There are no surprises with what Jahkeem Stewart is and what he is capable of doing. The five-star visited Oregon on Saturday but made it a priority to get to Dallas to compete at the Rivals Camp. He got into the Metroplex at 2:30 a.m. Sunday morning and showed up to compete less than six hours later. What he did next, while repeatedly head turning, was by no means a shock to anyone.
There were numerous people in attendance who hurried to ask who he was. When receiving the answer, the common reply was simply “wow.” In his first several one-on-one reps, his opponents simply had no answer. Stewart makes it difficult to get your hands on him with his speed and hand fighting. When you are able to square up with him and make contact, his size and strength overpowers.
The No. 1 prospect in the country in the 2026 Rivals250 took home the Defensive Line MVP honors, his third in three separate Rivals Camp Series events, going back to 2022.
*****
THE 2027 STARS
Ethan Feaster
If there is one primary takeaway from Sunday’s camp, it is that the 2027 class is already showing elite talent in the Mid-South. Potentially one of the best wide receivers in the country, regardless of class, Ethan “Boobie” Feaster continues to dominate camp settings following a 634-yard, nine touchdown freshman campaign at powerhouse Desoto. He already holds more than 30 offers. While Feaster was catching the ball, one of the top prospects delivering the ball was Peyton Houston, who has offers from Texas A&M, TCU, Ole Miss, Houston, SMU, and others. He delivers a beautiful ball and is sound mechanically.
Alongside him at quarterback was Kingston Johnson, who does not yet hold any offers. A muscled up frame helps him put velocity behind his throws. He will receive interest rather soon. Weston Nielson is yet another signal caller already getting national attention with offers from Miami,Nebraska, and more. Nielson looks the part at 6-foot-2, 170 pounds.
One of the most physically impressive 2027 prospects is new Oklahoma commit, Zane Rowe. A multi-position, and multi-sport athlete, Rowe has a bright future at defensive end.
Class of 2026 offensive tackle John Turntine entered the day as a four-star prospect outside the Rivals250. That will change though with time. Turntine was dominant on Sunday and was absolutely in discussion for the Offensive Line MVP award. While he did not finish on top, he did get awarded a Gold Ball for his efforts.
He fits the mold at 6-foot-5, 300 pounds and he is technically sound. He keeps everything in front of him. He also showed he can finish blocks, putting defenders in the dirt often.
Turntine proved today he is one of the premier offensive line prospects in the state of Texas.
*****
THE BROCK HARRIS SHOW
Brock Harris
The lone prospect from the state of Utah to make an appearance at the camp on Sunday, Brock Harris showed why he is the No. 35 overall prospect in the nation in the 2026 Rivals250. The 6-foot-6, 225 pound tight end looks the part with a great frame for the position. But it’s when he gets into his routes and shows off his hands that heads turn.
For a prospect his size, he is smooth in his route-running and uses his size well to shield off defenders and attack the ball. I was pleasantly surprised at his ability to separate in his routes and give quarterbacks a big target. He gets in and out of cuts, can change direction, is a natural catcher of the football. He had a near perfect pass through the gauntlet, reeling each ball in while essentially sticking step for step on the line across the field.
While the tight ends were heavily outnumbered by the wide receiver position, Harris showed he was the cream of the crop of the group in attendance. Harris took home the WR/TE MVP award of Sunday’s camp.
*****
THE OFFENSIVE LINE WINS THE DAY
Mario Nash
In the morning session, we saw the trenches active early and often. With a fantastic group of prospects in attendance to compete, we knew there would be some intriguing matchups of offensive and defensive lineman. While some of the defenders had some highlight-worthy plays, I am giving the nod to the offensive line for winning the day.
The group was headlined by a group of tackles, with a pair of 2025 interior prospects earning their own respect.
Mario Nash Jr., the Offensive Line MVP, was more than impressive throughout the day. The 6-foot-5, 285-pound four-star was getting reps all day long, and was making sure they came against some of the top performing defensive lineman. As mentioned before Turntine was rock-solid all day and gave himself a good shot at a rankings boost. Nicolas Roberston, a three-star prospect in the 2026 class, did about everything he could to make his presence known. He shut down some of the toughest rushers, leaving his mark. To go along with this group 2026 offensive tackle Drew Evers, the No. 1 prospect in Texas, had limited reps due to injury rehab, but he shined when he was on the field.
Two of the strongest performances on the interior of the day belonged to 2026 three-star Pupungatoa Katoa and unranked 2025 standout Michael Musquiz. Katoa used all 360-pounds to deal with defensive lineman however he liked. Musquiz, a bit undersized at 6-foot-2, 300-pounds, was absolutely dominant from the center position on Sunday. It did not matter what pass rush move defenders attempted, he stifled them. Strong hands and an anchor that stops guys in their tracks. Holds zero offers to date, but that needs to change.
Our ESPN Fantasy Football trio of Liz Loza, Matt Bowen and Mike Clay offer their analysis of each skill position player selected in the first three rounds of the 2024 NFL draft, as well as projections for their rookie season.
A natural creator with the ability to produce difference-making plays, Williams has the dual-threat traits to log viable fantasy numbers as a rookie. Keeping him on schedule as a pocket thrower will be a priority in Chicago, but with a proven pair of veteran pass-catchers (DJ Moore and Keenan Allen) and dynamic rookie Rome Odunze (taken ninth overall), Williams has the highest ceiling of any quarterback in 2024 class. He should be drafted as a high-end QB2, providing immediate returns in superflex formats. — Bowen
Not dissimilar in playing style to Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, Daniels’ throwing traits are a keen fit for Kliff Kingsbury’s offense. Expect the Commanders’ new offensive coordinator to employ plenty of spread passing elements, which should help the 23-year-old’s transition to the pros. With Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson leading the receiving corps as well as a solid run game available to establish a rhythm, Daniels slides into a sneaky-productive situation. Add in his elite rushing instincts, and the rookie could potentially thrive as a QB2 in superflex formats as early as Year 1. — Loza
With a 6-foot-4, 223-pound frame, Maye has the physical tools to create fantasy production in his rookie season. He’s a high-velocity thrower who can attack all three levels of the field, and he has the ability to post rushing totals on designed carries and scramble attempts. The Patriots signed veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett this offseason, so a camp battle looms this summer. If Maye wins the starting job, however, he brings value to superflex formats as an upside QB2. — Bowen
A polished playmaker with a Hall of Fame father, Harrison is arguably the most pro-ready player in this year’s draft class, regardless of position. Kyler Murray might not be the most consistent passer in the NFL, but he has proven capable of supporting a top-15 fantasy producer at the position (DeAndre Hopkins was a top-15 WR in fantasy points per game in all three of his seasons as a Cardinal). Harrison should easily emerge as Murray’s primary option, likely flirting with double-digit targets on a weekly basis and making him a priority rookie in redraft and dynasty formats. — Loza
Nabers is an explosive receiver. He can stretch defenses vertically from slot or boundary alignments, with the physical catch-and-run traits to create in open grass. In New York under Brian Daboll, Nabers will be schemed as a three-level, big-play target. The Giants will need to see a higher level of play from quarterback Daniel Jones this season, but there’s no question about Nabers’ ability to elevate the pass game. He should be drafted as a WR3, with the potential to produce lower-end WR2 numbers as a rookie. — Bowen
Penix is a rhythm pocket passer who is accurate at the second and third levels of the field. He can also drive the ball with velocity. Just check out the tape from the Sugar Bowl win over Texas. He was dialed in. Penix is a strong fit for an Atlanta offense that features more play-action elements. He has the pocket mobility to reset his throwing window or attack the edges on bootlegs. With the Falcons signing veteran Kirk Cousins this offseason, however, Penix’s fantasy value is limited to dynasty formats only. — Bowen
A former track standout with a 6-foot-3 and 212-pound frame, Odunze has the size and speed to win on the outside at the next level. Utilizing route savvy and a catch radius in the 97th percentile, the Washington product figures to round out the Bears’ receiving corps, working opposite DJ Moore and as a complement to Keenan Allen in the slot. Given the crowded WR room and the presence of a rookie QB, Odunze is likely to start slow but could flirt with 60 grabs by the close of his first pro campaign. — Loza
McCarthy fits in Kevin O’Connell’s offense as a ball distributor who can produce off defined, play-action throws. McCarthy possesses high-end pocket movement to work in tight quarters and has the ability to make second-reaction throws, He can create for himself as a runner or thrower. With the Vikings signing veteran Sam Darnold this offseason, McCarthy will have to earn that No. 1 job in camp. If he is the starter this season, McCarthy has lower-end QB2 value in deeper, superflex formats. — Bowen
Nix broke out after transferring from Auburn to Oregon. As a Duck, he demonstrated stunning improvisational instincts, often delivering off platform. His playing style is exciting, but the pace of the NFL could lead to questionable decision-making, particularly when throwing deep, an area in which Nix struggled in college. He has a real shot of winning the starting gig in Denver, and his ability to extend plays with his legs could pad fantasy stats, but he’s likely no more than a streaming option in 2QB and superflex leagues heading into 2024. — Loza
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Fantasy projections for the 2024 rookie NFL QBs
Check out Mike Clay’s fantasy projections for Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, Michael Penix Jr., J.J. McCarthy and Bo Nix.
Bowers is the unquestioned top tight end prospect in the 2024 class. He has the route-running traits to uncover versus safeties and linebackers and the ability to stretch the seams. Plus, he’s a skilled and rugged mover after the catch. While the Raiders drafted TE Michael Mayer in the second round last year, Bowers is the Raiders tight end you want to roster in fantasy. He’ll be a fringe TE1 as a rookie with the ability to produce breakout games. — Bowen
Thomas thrived as a consistent downfield playmaker at LSU and led the FBS with 17 receiving TDs in 2023. Thomas uses his speed (4.33-second 40-yard dash) and length (6-foot-3) to shine as a fluid route runner with an incredible catch radius (98th percentile). His arrival in Jacksonville signals a departure for Zay Jones. Assuming Thomas replaces Jones as the Jaguars’ primary vertical threat, the rookie could post boom weeks for fantasy managers, particularly as a flex option. — Loza
An electric mover with ridiculous 4.21 speed, Worthy can stretch defenses vertically or run away from coverage on crossers and over routes. And in Andy Reid’s heavily schemed pass game, Worthy can operate as a multilevel target for quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs have some depth at wide receiver now, and tight end Travis Kelce remains Mahomes’ top target. However, given Worthy’s speed and big-play chops, he should be drafted as a WR3, with potentially more upside in non-PPR formats. — Bowen
Pearsall is a favorite among metrics mavens, presenting with elite testing numbers that include burst and agility scores above the 95th percentile. Pearsall gives off Christian Kirk vibes, likely best deployed in the slot but with the route savvy, strength and catch radius to successfully work all levels of the field. With Brandon Aiyuk rumors swirling, Pearsall could find himself in a starting role sooner rather than later. He’s a wonderful fit for Kyle Shanahan’s offense and is worth a flier for upside-seeking fantasy managers. — Loza
Legette plays with speed (4.39-second 40-yard dash) and power. He’s unafraid in traffic, using an impressive blend of balance and body control to regularly win in contested situations. The 23-year-old will join Diontae Johnson and Adam Thielen, likely working opposite Johnson on the outside. He’s a solid catch-and-run target for second-year quarterback Bryce Young, but given volume restrictions and questions about Young’s development, Legette presents as an unlikely starter for fantasy managers. — Loza
Coleman, a former basketball player who played for Tom Izzo at Michigan State, has size (6-foot-3, 213 pounds) and hops. The Florida State product uses incredible ball skills to regularly climb the ladder to make circus catches. His routes lack polish, but he’ll be thrown into action with Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis no longer in Buffalo. An X receiver with downfield ability, Coleman figures to emerge as a primary red zone option for Josh Allen. His stat lines might be boom or bust, but he’s deserving of top-40 consideration at the position for fantasy purposes. — Loza
The Chargers needed to add a receiving target in Jim Harbaugh’s offense, and McConkey can uncover at multiple levels of the field, with the juice to create after the catch. There’s detail to his game in the route tree. And given the depth chart in Los Angeles, McConkey could emerge quickly as a prime target for quarterback Justin Herbert. He should be drafted as a WR3 this season. — Bowen
Polk is a wonderfully well-rounded receiver. His routes are precise and his hands are sticky. New England had a need at the position and, clearly, the Patriots’ overhauled coaching regime valued Polk’s consistency over a lack of elite testing numbers. Between questionable volume and the likely presence of a rookie quarterback, however, Polk doesn’t figure to make an immediate impact in redraft formats. His rapport with Drake Maye will be something to keep an eye on, though. — Loza
Brooks suffered an ACL injury in November, and he joins a crowded running back room in Carolina with Chuba Hubbard and Miles Sanders. However, Brooks has the traits of a three-down back in a pro offense. He’s a slasher who has the vision to find daylight and second-level elusiveness to create big plays. Plus, Brooks has the receiving skills to produce out of the backfield. If he’s ready to roll at the start of camp, look for Brooks to emerge as the lead back in the Panthers’ offense. He’s a flex/RB2 target in redraft leagues. — Bowen
A field stretcher with electric speed (4.34-second 40-yard dash) and dizzying change-of-direction skills, “AD” Mitchell projects to work primarily as an outside vertical threat. He figures to leapfrog Alec Pierce upon arriving in Indianapolis, working opposite Michael Pittman Jr., while Josh Downs mans the slot. Mitchell’s explosive skill set is a fantastic complement to the corps. His yards per reception could be massive, assuming Anthony Richardson can stay healthy. That said, volume could be scarce, which would make him a better bet in best ball than redraft formats heading into 2024. — Loza
With the route traits to work the middle of the field or stretch defenses at the third level, Sinnott is an easy mover from multiple alignments. He can rumble after the catch, too. Washington signed 33-year-old tight end Zach Ertz, so that impacts Sinnott’s fantasy value as a rookie. However, new offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury will deploy two-tight end sets in his game plan, which keeps Sinnott on the radar this season as a potential streaming option. — Bowen
Aptly nicknamed the “YAC King,” Corley racked up a jaw-dropping 694 yards after the catch (WR5) in 2023. At 5-foot-11 and 205 pounds, the Western Kentucky product moves more like a running back than a wide receiver after the catch. He’s been compared to Deebo Samuel throughout the draft process, though that’s generous (and largely discounts Samuel’s receiving skills). Still, the 22-year-old brings a physical element to the Jets’ receiving corps. He could emerge as a top-35 fantasy player at the position given Mike Williams‘ injury history, and is worth a late-round flier in redraft formats. However, fantasy managers should temper immediate expectations. — Loza
Benson has the pro frame (6-foot, 216 pounds), contact balance and home run ability to thrive in a gap scheme. Get him on a north/south track to attack the second level, and he has the 4.39 speed to burst into the open field. Benson can log numbers as a receiver, too, on screens and underneath throws. In Arizona, James Conner is still No. 1 in the Cardinals’ backfield, so Benson will play a rotational role as a rookie. He’s worth a late-round pick as an insurance option in redraft leagues. — Bowen
Burton has the strength to work through contact at multiple levels of the field and the ability to separate at the third level to get loose over the top. He’s a strong, hands catcher who can work on the boundary. Burton joins a highly talented (and crowded) wide receiver room in Cincinnati. He will be in a position to compete for the No. 3 role in the Bengals’ offense, and has plenty of upside in dynasty formats with Tee Higgins slated to play this season on the franchise tag. — Bowen
Reiman was a track and field standout who played defense in high school in South Dakota before converting to tight end as a senior. That versatility shows in his ability as a receiver and blocker. Reiman is a better blocker than he is a receiver, though he does have potential as a pass-catcher in the short-to-intermediate levels of the field. He will be behind Trey McBride on the depth chart, which suggests the Illinois product will work as an inline option. Reiman offers little value to fantasy football managers, barring an injury to McBride. — Loza
Corum led the Wolverines’ run-centric offense all the way to the national championship, regularly shimmying his way past defenders and through holes. While he proved he can handle a large volume of touches (he rushed for 1,245 yards and 27 touchdowns on 258 attempts in 2023), he likely won’t emerge as the Rams’ primary ball carrier, since Kyren Williams holds that honor. However, Corum could flirt with double-digit touches on a per-game basis and is likely to eat into Williams’ snap count. Corum is worth a late-round pick in redraft leagues with deep benches, but his value would experience a sizable bump if Williams were to be sidelined. — Loza
Wilson is an inside target who has 4.39 speed in the 40 to stress defenses on deep over routes and vertical concepts. He should man the slot for the Steelers in their three-wide receiver sets. He’ll work the underneath levels, too, but I really like the idea of Pittsburgh offensive coordinator Arthur Smith scheming up play-action targets for Wilson to create big-play opportunities. Considering the expected volume for George Pickens and Smith’s run-heavy approach, Wilson can be targeted as a late-round flier in deeper redraft leagues, but he has much more upside in dynasty formats. — Bowen
Lloyd is a polarizing prospect. When he booms, he booms hard, as evidenced by his ability to regularly rip off long runs. Nearly 21% of his carries went for 10 yards or more in 2023. Unfortunately, ball security has been an issue for the Trojan, who committed eight fumbles on 289 career carries. But his diverse skill set — which includes pass-catching potential — is abundant with upside. He has an opportunity to learn (and bring the juice) behind Josh Jacobs in Green Bay. The landing spot, however, stunts Lloyd’s ability to make an immediate impact in redraft leagues. — Loza
McMillan has playmaking ability from the slot. He can get vertical, create in space and turn underneath throws into big gains. The route running is pro-ready, too. He faces strong competition for targets in Tampa with established veterans Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, which lowers his projected totals. While McMillan has more value in dynasty formats, Baker Mayfield’s aggressive throwing mentality opens the door for fantasy managers to use a late-round flier on him. — Bowen
The younger brother of Christian McCaffrey boosted his draft profile by running a 4.46 40-yard dash at the combine. He’s a taller slot target (6-foot-2), who is willing to work the dirty areas of the field, and he has the savvy route traits to manipulate coverage and get open. McCaffrey will have a shot to win the starting slot role in Kliff Kingsbury’s offense as a rookie. However, with Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson commanding a large share of the targets, McCaffrey is more of a dynasty play. — Bowen
Irish pair Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry came through a play-off to win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
At the end of the fourth round, Lowry made the most of a superb chip onto the 18th green by McIlroy by sinking a birdie putt, extending the contest as they joined Martin Trainer and Chad Ramey on 25 under at TPC Louisiana.
The American pair had been among the early starters, powering 26 places up the leaderboard with a round of 63 that included seven birdies on the back nine, but the near three-hour wait to see if their score would hold up saw them come into the play-off looking rusty.
And after Ramey pulled his second shot left and onto a road, Trainer came up short in his effort to reach the green.
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That gave Ryder Cup team-mates McIlroy and Lowry the advantage despite the latter having found sand with his second shot, but after Lowry missed a putt for birdie, they needed Trainer to narrowly miss his own par putt to confirm their win – McIlroy’s 25th career PGA Tour win.
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Both McIlroy and Lowry said they will return next year to defend their title.
“It’s absolutely amazing,” McIlroy said on CBS Sports. “We’ve had an awesome week here in New Orleans. The crowds have been absolutely amazing, to get the support we’ve had out there. We’ve had so much fun while doing it and it’s just a bonus to win at the end.
“It couldn’t be better than to do it with this man alongside me.”
Image: USA’s Martin Trainer pushed his putt in the play-off to hand Lowry and McIlroy victory
Lowry added: “It’s great. It felt much needed. Coming into the week we felt we could do with a big jump for the FedEx Cup, let’s get 400 points each and that’s what we’ve done.
“I feel a little bit bad taking them because Rory carried me, but I’m taking them.”
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