AP Sports Digest
The highlights of Tuesday's AP Sports report. An up-to-the minute listing of all stories planned, including games and events, is available in Coverage Plan on AP Newsroom, https://newsroom.ap.org/coverageplan. You can also find a link to Coverage Plan on the left navigation of the Newsroom home page, https://newsroom.ap.org. Sports content can be found at http://newsroom.ap.org/page/APSports.
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US and Mexico drop bid to host 2027 World Cup, Brazil and joint German-Dutch-Belgian bids remain
All times EDT
TOP STORIES
HKN--FACEOFF
The Dallas Stars come back home, where they lost the first two games against Vegas, after taking two on the road to tie the best-of-seven series. There is only one other game in the NHL playoffs Wednesday, and the Edmonton Oilers could wrap their series and advance with a Game 5 win at home over the Los Angeles Kings. By Stephen Hawkins. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos by 6 p.m.
HKN--MAPLE LEAFS-BRUINS
BOSTON — The Boston Bruins hold a 3-1 lead and look to close out the Toronto Maple Leafs when they meet in Game 5 of their first-round series. Toronto could be without star Auston Matthews, who is dealing with an illness. By Kyle Hightower. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos. Game scheduled at 7 p.m.
HKN--ISLANDERS-HURRICANES
RALEIGH, N.C. — The Carolina Hurricanes look to close out their first-round playoff series by beating the New York Islanders in Tuesday's Game 5. The Hurricanes lead 3-1 in the best-of-seven series. By Aaron Beard. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos. Game scheduled at 7:30 p.m.
HKN—AVALANCHE-JETS
WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche have a chance to close out their first-round series against Winnipeg on Tuesday night in Game 5. The Avalanche have scored 19 goals on Vezina Trophy-finalist Connor Hellebuyck in the series. UPCOMING: 500 words, photos. Game scheduled at 9:30 p.m.
HKN--PREDATORS-CANUCKS
VANCOUVER, British Columbia — The Vancouver Canucks have won each game with a different starting goalie, and Tuesday night they need one more win no matter who's in net up 3-1 against the Nashville Predators to advance to the second round of the Western Conference playoffs. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos. Game scheduled at 10 p.m.
BKN--TIPOFF
LOS ANGELES — The Clippers and the Mavericks are all tied up heading into Game 5 of a series that has been a thriller. The Celtics know they should really try to finish off the Heat before their series edges toward classic status as well. By Greg Beacham. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos by 7 p.m.
AND:
BKN--LAKERS-JAMES' FUTURE
DENVER — The futures of LeBron James and Darvin Ham with the Los Angeles Lakers remain murky. One might choose to leave and the other might not have a choice. For James, the decision is his on whether he wants to wear purple and gold again in his 22nd NBA season. For Ham, it’s about whether the team brings him back for a third season as coach after back-to-back series losses to Denver. By Pat Graham. SENT: 700 words, photos.
BKN—EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR
Brad Stevens was announced Tuesday as the NBA’s executive of the year. It’s the first such award for Stevens, who is in his third season as president of basketball operations for the Boston Celtics after serving as their coach for eight seasons. The Celtics were an NBA-best 64-18 in the regular season. SENT: 250 words, photos.
BKN--76ERS-KNICKS
NEW YORK — The New York Knicks can advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals for the second straight season with a victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 5 of their series. By AP Basketball Writer Brian Mahoney. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos. Game scheduled at 7 p.m.
BKN--MAGIC-CAVALIERS
CLEVELAND -- Blown out twice in Orlando, the Cavaliers return home to face the upstart Magic in Game 5 of an Eastern Conference playoff series tied at two games apiece. By Tom Withers. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos. Game scheduled at 8 p.m.
BKN--PACERS-BUCKS
MILWAUKEE — The Indiana Pacers attempt to clinch their first playoff series victory since 2014 as they visit the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 5. The Pacers lead the best-of-seven series 3-1 after winning three straight games. By Steve Megargee. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos. Game scheduled at 9:30 p.m.
SOC--BAYERN-REAL MADRID
Bayern Munich hosts Real Madrid for the first leg of their Champions League semifinal. By Ciaran Fahey. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos. Match scheduled at 3 p.m.
RAC--KENTUCKY DERBY-SAFETY
Many in the crowd that packed Churchill Downs for last year’s Kentucky Derby left in tears and questioning the safety of the sport after two horses died that day and 10 others before them. As a result, the historic Louisville track made several changes to its safety program ahead of Saturday’s 150th Derby. By Racing Writer Beth Harris. UPCOMING: 950 words, photos by 5 p.m.
AND
RAC--KENTUCKY DERBY-BROWN’S CHANCE
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Trainer Chad Brown has the Kentucky Derby points leader and 3-1 second choice with Blue Grass stakes winner Sierra Leone and another contender in Domestic Product. This could be his best chance to end a 0-for-7 drought in the Derby, though Good Magic gave him a second in 2018 behind Triple Crown winner Justify. Mindful of how luck is needed as much as a strong horse, Brown shrugs off the favorite’s tag but embraces the prospects with a colt that has shown impressive resilience as a 3-year-old. By Gary B. Graves. UPCOMING. 600 words, photos by 5 p.m.
COMMENTARY
GLF--ON THE FRINGE-MCILROY
Winning the Ryder Cup might have been more valuable than Rory McIlroy realized. It was in the aftermath of that euphoria that he asked Shane Lowry to play in the PGA Tour's only team event in New Orleans. That turned out to be a week McIlroy sorely needed. By Golf Writer Doug Ferguson. SENT: 850 words, photos. With GLF--Golf Notes and GLF--Golf Glance (both sent).
NOTABLE
TEN--MADRID OPEN
MADRID -- Carlos Alcaraz was put to the test at the Madrid Open and needed nearly three hours to defeat 24th-ranked Jan-Lennard Struff in three sets in a rematch of last year’s final in the Spanish capital. The world No. 3 will next face seventh-seeded Andrey Rublev. Iga Swiatek came from a set down to defeat Beatriz Haddad Maia in three sets and reach the Madrid Open semifinals for a second straight year. By Tales Azzoni. SENT: 500 words, photos.
SOC--ACL INJURIES
MANCHESTER, England — A study into the causes of ACL injuries to women soccer players has been launched. Project ACL will focus on players in the Women’s Super League in England as part of a three-year study into an injury that is suffered by a disproportionate number of female players compared to their male counterparts. By AP Soccer Writer James Robson. SENT: 350 words, photos.
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Tuesday’s Time Schedule
NBA PLAYOFFS
Philadelphia at New York, 7 p.m.
Orlando at Cleveland, 8 p.m.
Indiana at Milwaukee, 9:30 p.m.
NHL PLAYOFFS
Toronto at Boston, 7 p.m.
NY Islanders at Carolina, 7:30 p.m.
Colorado at Winnipeg, 9:30 p.m.
Nashville at Vancouver, 10 p.m.
MLB
St. Louis at Detroit, 3:40 p.m. (1)
NY Yankees at Baltimore, 6:35 p.m.
Colorado at Miami, 6:40 p.m.
Kansas City at Toronto, 7:07 p.m.
Chicago Cubs at NY Mets, 7:10 p.m.
San Francisco at Boston, 7:10 p.m.
St. Louis at Detroit, 7:10 p.m. (2)
Minnesota at Chicago White Sox, 7:40 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Milwaukee, 7:40 p.m.
Washington at Texas, 8:05 p.m.
Cleveland at Houston, 8:10 p.m.
Philadelphia at LA Angels, 9:38 p.m.
Atlanta at Seattle, 9:40 p.m.
Cincinnati at San Diego, 9:40 p.m.
LA Dodgers at Arizona, 9:40 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Oakland, 9:40 p.m.
MLS
Seattle Sounders FC at Philadelphia Union, 7:30 p.m.
PWHL
Ottawa at New York, 7 p.m.
