BASKETBALL
LeBron passes Malone tally
LeBron James on Saturday moved into second place on the NBA’s all-time regular season points scoring rankings, but could not prevent the Washington Wizards from defeating his Los Angeles Lakers 127-119. James produced a typically virtuoso performance to finish with 38 points and 10 rebounds at the Wizards’ Capital One Arena, giving him enough to power past Karl Malone into second place in the regular season scorers rankings with 36,947 points. “Just to be a part of this league for as many years as I’ve been a part of it, to be linked with some of the greatest to ever play this game, guys I’ve watched or studied, or read about, or inspired to be like, I’m just lost for words for it,” James said of his scoring achievement. The Washington crowd gave James an ovation after he reached the milestone, with the Lakers star saluting fans as he basked in the applause. James’ points haul leaves him within range of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s all-time record of 38,387 points.
MOTORSPORTS
Masi made error: FIA
The International Automobile Federation (FIA) on Saturday concluded that ex-Formula One race director Michael Masi made a “human error,” but acted in “good faith and to the best of his knowledge given the difficult circumstances,” after his controversial restart call at the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last year led to Red Bull driver Max Verstappen beating Mercedes star Lewis Hamilton. After a crash brought out safety cars with five laps remaining, Verstappen entered the pit for new tires, but Masi then flipped his decision and let five drivers separating Verstappen from Hamilton pass the safety car under yellow, but not all eight, which would have taken longer. On fresh tires, Verstappen overtook Hamilton on the final lap. Despite the call’s influence on the outcome of the race, the FIA ruled that the result was “valid and final.”
Masi has since been removed from his post and race control restructured.
TRACK AND FIELD
Jacobs wins 60m gold
Italy’s Olympic 100m champion Lamont Marcell Jacobs on Saturday trumped US rival Christian Coleman for the 60m gold on the second day of the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade, while Yaroslava Mahuchikh claimed a memorable high jump title for war-ravaged Ukraine. Jacobs timed a winning 6.41 seconds as he produced a savage, perfectly timed dip at the line to nudge ahead of defending champion and world 100m title holder Coleman, making his comeback from an 18-month ban for breaking anti-doping rules. Coleman’s teammate Marvin Bracy claimed bronze in 6.44 seconds. “I always have the same target: to be in best shape at the most important moment,” said Jacobs after backing up his Olympic performances. Earlier, Mahuchikh won a dramatic high jump gold, having fled her war-torn nation after the Russian invasion and making it to Belgrade after a tortuous three-day trip. After holding her nerve amid “explosions, fires, and air raid sirens” the 20-year-old replicated her sangfroid in the Stark Arena, triumphing with a best of 2.02m, in what she said was a “defense of Ukraine colors on the track in the international arena, to show that we are the strongest in the world.”
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
Noelvi Marte on Sunday had seven RBIs and hit his first career grand slam with a drive off infielder Jorge Mateo, while Austin Wynn had a career-high six RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds scored their most runs in 26 years in a 24-2 rout of the Baltimore Orioles. Marte finished with five hits, including his eighth-inning homer off Mateo. Wynn hit a three-run homer in the ninth off catcher Gary Sanchez. Cincinnati scored its most runs since a 24-12 win against the Colorado Rockies on May 19, 1999, and finished with 25 hits. Baltimore allowed its most runs since a 30-3 loss to
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