The big story heading into Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinal series between the Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves was Steph Curry’s absence.

With the Timberwolves’ 117-93 victory in Game 2, the series is now tied 1-1.

Julius Randle produced a double-double with 24 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds. Nickeil Alexander-Walker contributed 20 points off the bench.

Jonathan Kuminga did not start for the Warriors but finished with a team-high 18 points.

The Warriors managed to secure a 99-88 Game 1 victory. This was largely thanks to the outstanding performances of Jimmy Butler and Buddy Hield. Hield led the team in scoring with 24 points and eight rebounds, while Butler had 20 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists.

Curry will still be sidelined for at least the next two games of the series – Game 3 on Saturday and Game 4 on Monday – after an MRI revealed a grade 1 hamstring strain. In the Warriors’ announcement, Golden State said that Curry would be re-evaluated in one week.

Warriors vs. Timberwolves highlights

Final: Timberwolves 117, Warriors 93

End of 3Q: Timberwolves 85, Warriors 65

The Timberwolves continue to run away with the game, leading the Warriors by as many as 22 points. Minnesota went on a 20-5 scoring run in the final minutes of the third quarter to maintain its lead.

Julius Randle leads the game with 20 points for the Timberwolves. He also has 10 assists and six rebounds. Jaden McDaniels has added 16 points.

Jonathan Kuminga leads the Warriors with 18 points after shooting 8-of-9 from the field. Jimmy Butler has scored 14 points.

Anthony Edwards returns

Anthony Edwards is back in the game after suffering an ankle injury in the second quarter.

Halftime: Timberwolves 56, Warriors 39

Without Stephen Curry in the lineup, the Warriors are struggling to generate enough offense to keep up with the Timberwolves through the first two quarters of play.

Julius Randle scored a game-high 16 points for the Timberwolves in the first half. Anthony Edwards had seven points, four rebounds and three assists before leaving the game with 5:56 left in the second quarter due to an injury.

Jonathan Kuminga came off the bench to score a team-high 10 points for the Warriors. Golden State did not have a starter score more than six points in the first half.

Anthony Edwards’ injury update

Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards went to the locker room after an apparent ankle injury. He is questionable to return, according to the Timberwolves.

End of 1Q: Timberwolves 29, Warriors 15

The Timberwolves grabbed the early momentum with a 13-0 lead to start the game. Minnesota showed confidence from long range, starting the scoring attack with a pair of 3-pointers.

Julius Randle and Anthony Edwards each had seven points for the Timberwolves.

Jimmy Butler was the Warriors’ leading scorer with five points.

Timberwolves’ starting lineup vs. Warriors

Mike Conley, Anthony Edwards, Jaden McDaniels, Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert make up the starting five for the Timberwolves. It’s the same starting five from Game 1.

Warriors’ starting lineup vs. Timberwolves

Brandin Podziemski, Buddy Hield, Jimmy Butler III, Draymond Green and Quinten Post for the Warriors tonight in Game 2.

It’s the second playoff start for Post, after serving as a two-way player during the regular season.

Stephen Curry will miss the game after suffering a left hamstring strain in Game 1.

What time is Warriors vs. Timberwolves?

Game 2 in the NBA playoff series between the Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves is set to be played at 8:30 p.m., ET on Thursday, May 8.

How to watch Warriors vs. Timberwolves NBA playoff game: TV, stream

Time: 8:30 p.m. ET (5:30 p.m. PT)
Location: Target Center (Minneapolis)
TV: TNT, truTV
Stream: Sling TV, YouTube TV

Watch Timberwolves vs. Warriors Game 2 on Sling

The Anaheim Ducks introduced Joel Quenneville as the franchise’s 12th coach on Thursday and before they could get to the three-time Stanley Cup winner’s attributes, they addressed the Chicago Blackhawks scandal.

Quenneville had been out of hockey since he resigned as Florida Panthers coach in October 2021 after an outside law firm’s investigation determined several Blackhawks team leaders failed to respond promptly to allegations that video coach Brad Aldrich sexually assaulted player Kyle Beach in 2010.

The league had barred Al MacIsaac, Stan Bowman and Quenneville because of their ‘inadequate response’ and cleared them to return in July.

‘What happened to Kyle Beach was horrific and inexcusable,’ Quenneville said Thursday. ‘I was sick to my stomach when I learned what had taken place. Had I known what had happened, I would have taken swift action. I own my mistakes. … I take full responsibility for not following up and asking more questions.’

General manager Pat Verbeek detailed the ‘comprehensive review’ he had done, including talking to Beach. Quenneville said he talked to Beach, too, including Thursday morning.

‘I apologized to him and expressed my regret for not following up and taking action,’ he said.

He said he understands people saying he doesn’t deserve a second chance, but he said he has talked to experts about abuse prevention — he read a long list — and will show doubters that the Ducks organization will be a safe place for players.

Quenneville, 66, will replace Greg Cronin, who was fired after two seasons. The Ducks improved by 21 points last season but still finished 16 points out of the playoffs. They finished last in the league on the power play and in the bottom five in goals, penalty killing and 5-on-5 play. 

Verbeek says he sees a similarity to where the Ducks are and where the Blackhawks were when Quenneville took over and led them to three championships, starting in 2010. He said he became convinced Quenneville would be his coach after they watched and discussed video during their second meeting.

“I was impressed with the little details on how to play better defense, how to control the puck, how to become a puck-possession team,’ said Verbeek, who was Quenneville’s teammate in New Jersey and Hartford.

Quenneville has 969 wins with St. Louis, Colorado, Chicago and Florida, ranking second in NHL history.

Verbeek said he could have gone with a different coach to avoid backlash but once he was satisfied with the team’s review, it came down to a hockey decision.

“It’s my job to find the best coach for our team, and I believe that I have found the best coach for this team,” he said.

The Cleveland Cavaliers ended the NBA regular season as the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 seed, but despite breezing through their first-round matchup against the Miami Heat, they’ve hit a bit of a road bump in the conference semifinals.

The team dropped Game 1 against the Indiana Pacers and injuries have started ramping up. All-Stars Darius Garland and Evan Mobley, as well as key reserve De’Andre Hunter are all questionable on the team’s injury report. Without them, the Cavs will have a much tougher road to earning a split before the series shifts to Indianapolis.

Here’s the latest on the availability of Cleveland’s stars as we approach Game 3 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Garland gets unfortunate update for Game 3

During an appearance on ESPN Cleveland’s ‘5 Good Minutes With Windy’, insider Brian Windhorst claimed that Garland was ‘truly hurt.’ Windhorst claims that Garland’s injury from the end of the regular season was re-aggravated during the playoffs and could keep him out of action or at least limited for quite some time.

Windhorst believes fans will see the ‘questionable’ tag on the team’s injury report and think Garland is close to returning. He emphasizes that does not appear to be the case. He reiterated, ‘It’s a terrible break. It stinks that this would happen to the Cavs right now, but you can’t focus on injury and pain management and say that’s the reason why the Cavs are struggling right now.’

Cavs head coach believes all three players will be questionable for Game 3

Cavs’ head coach Kenny Atkinson said he expects Garland, Mobley and Hunter to be listed as questionable to play in Game 3 in Indianapolis.

He emphasized that there have been positive developments in Garland, Mobley, and Hunter’s respective injuries noting that all three participated in a shootaround Thursday morning, per The Akron Beacon Journal reports.

‘They all got some reps up, but we didn’t do anything live. They kind of participated in the walk through, and [we’re] hoping for the best,’ said Atkinson.

Garland, Mobley, Hunter ruled out for Game 2

Cavaliers fans got the worst news possible moments before tip-off in Game 2, as several sources revealed that Garland, Mobley, and Hunter had all been rule out for tonight’s contest.

In place of Garland and Mobley, the Cavs announced Ty Jerome and Dean Wade will slot into the starting lineup for a crucial Game 2.

Latest injury news on Cavs stars

Coach Kenny Atkinson confirmed before the game none of Darius Garland, Evan Mobley or De’Andre Hunter participated in Tuesday’s morning shootaround. All three remain questionable and appear to be game-time decisions.

‘We have to be ready for Plans A, B and C,’ Atkinson said.

Darius Garland

Darius Garland was not seen at the Cavs’ shootaround Tuesday morning, per NBA reporter Chris Fedor.

Garland was seen jogging on a treadmill in a room beside the court though.

Garland injured his toe during the Cavs’ first-round matchup against Miami and has missed each of the team’s past three games.

Garland is labeled as questionable on ESPN’s injury report.

Evan Mobley

Like Garland, Mobley (sprained ankle) was also not seen at the team’s shootaround Tuesday morning. Mobley’s injury occurred during Cleveland’s Game 1 loss against Indiana.

De’Andre Hunter

Hunter was also not seen during the portion of the shootaround open to the public. Hunter did, however, express intent to play in Game 2 after he suffered a sprained right thumb when it dislocated during a hard fall in Game 1.

Hunter is also listed as questionable.

How to watch Pacers vs. Cavs, Game 2:

Time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: Rocket Arena in Cleveland
TV: TNT, truTV
Stream: Max, Sling TV

Stream Pacers-Cavs with Sling TV

Fantasy baseball managers may have to look a little deeper this week for players who can help improve their rosters.

Perhaps the most help could come from some injury returnees who are just starting to get back in full swing. (Or … full pitch??)

While veterans such as Trent Grisham and J.P. Crawford have been enjoying a resurgence lately, the window to pick them up has probably closed. So it’s on to the next group of hitters and pitchers on the rise.

Hopefully, your team has room for a few of these players whose fantasy stock is on the rise for any number of different reasons.

Fantasy baseball waiver wire targets: Week 7

Due to the wide variance in types of leagues and individual team needs, the players listed here are in the highest to lowest roster rates in Fantrax leagues, which may or not match rates on other platforms. (Suggested bid values for standard 5×5 Mixed Roto leagues in parentheses based on $100 free agent acquisition budget for the season.)

SP A.J. Smith-Shawver, Atlanta Braves

65% rostered (FAAB bid: $8)

Coming off the best start of his career, Smith-Shawver was snapped up by many fantasy managers over the weekend. But how long will he remain in the Braves rotation? Taking a no-hitter into the eighth inning will certainly give him a longer leash. Control issues (13 walks in 27 innings) remain a concern, but — as we saw — the upside is considerable.

SS/3B/OF Javier Báez, Detroit Tigers

64% rostered (FAAB bid: $7)

This isn’t the same Javier Báez we’ve been watching since his arrival in Detroit. Something seems to have clicked in the early going as he’s hitting the ball with authority and slugging .475 through 29 games. Sure, the plate discipline (23.8% strikeout rate, 3.8% walk rate) is still awful and his .394 average on balls in play is sure to regress, but his excellent defense after being unexpectedly moved to center field will keep him in the lineup on a regular basis. Ride him while he’s hot.

C Tyler Stephenson, Cincinnati Reds

64% rostered (FAAB bid: $5)

Making his season debut last Friday after being sidelined by a strained oblique this spring, Stephenson hit his first homer over the weekend and will get the majority of starts behind the place in hitter-friendly Cincinnati. He has 20-homer and top-12 catcher potential. He’s even more valuable in leagues that use on-base percentage or start two catchers.

SP Gunnar Hoglund, Athletics

57% rostered (FAAB bid: $3)

A first-round pick in 2021, Hoglund made his MLB debut on May 2 against the Marlins, allowing just one run in six innings, striking out seven and earning the win. His follow-up wasn’t quite that good, but he seems to have earned a place in the A’s rotation. He’s displayed excellent control in those two starts (10 strikeouts, one walk in 11 innings), but the A’s home park will be a concern as the weather gets warmer. Stream him if possible.

2B Hyeseong Kim, Los Angeles Dodgers

57% rostered (FAAB bid: $2)

Just called up from the minors after posting a .798 OPS at Class AAA Oklahoma City, Kim started all three games at Miami this week and went 5-for-12 (.417) with a pair of stolen bases. Look for him to deliver more speed than power while Tommy Edman is on the injured list. His stay could be short.

SP Lance McCullers, Houston Astros

52% rostered (FAAB bid $3)

Making his first big-league appearance since the 2022 World Series, McCullers is hoping to put a long line of injuries behind him. So far, so good. He tossed 3 ⅔ scoreless innings and fanned four in a May 4 start against the White Sox and will get another turn in the rotation on Saturday vs. Cincinnati. He’s still building up arm strength, but could be useful as the Astros move to a six-man rotation.

Deeper league waiver wire targets

OF Dane Myers, MIami Marlins

33% rostered (FAAB bid: $5)

Displaying both power and speed, Myers has earned regular playing time in center field. He’s slashing .381/.435/.619 with five stolen bases over his last 14 games (46 plate appearances). The Marlins offense isn’t terribly exciting, but Myers is doing his best to change that.

OF/SS/2B/3B Daniel Schneeman, Cleveland Guardians

29% rostered (FAAB bid: $4)

Another relative unknown who’s scorching the ball, Schneeman is playing somewhere almost every day. And why not? In his last 20 games, the utilityman is hitting .373/.439/.706 with four homers, 11 runs and 10 RBI. He’s played mostly second base this season, but has seen action at all three outfield spots as well. He’s an excellent pickup in deep leagues with a premium on position flexibility.

OF/1B Zach Dezenzo, Houston Astros

24% rostered (FAAB bid: $2)

Getting more playing time with Yordan Alvarez on the injured list, Dezenzo he hit his first home run of the season on Sunday. He put up a .998 OPS in 25 games after being promoted to Triple-A last season and got his first taste of the majors in August.

RP Zach Agnos, Colorado Rockies

15% rostered (FAAB bid: $4)

Saves are saves. And a 0.00 ERA over his first seven MLB appearances will certainly play. But how much stock do you want to put in a closer on a team that’s on pace to break the White Sox’s record for most losses in a single season?

Prospect watch

SP Cade Horton, Chicago Cubs

With Shota Imanaga going on the injured list, could it be time for the Cubs to promote their top pitching prospect? Sounds like his MLB debut could come this weekend. Horton has posted a sparkling 1.24 ERA in six starts at Class AAA Iowa. He’s a power pitcher with 55 strikeouts in 47 innings at Iowa spanning the 2024 and 2025 seasons.

C Dalton Rushing, Los Angeles Dodgers

The Dodgers’ top prospect is off to a blistering start at Class AAA Oklahoma City, slashing .323/.435/.527 with four homers, 14 RBI and 19 runs scored in 27 games. There’s no room behind the plate in Los Angeles with Will Smith playing so well, but the injury to OF Teoscar Hernandez could create a need for more offensive punch. Rushing has already seen action at first base and in the outfield at OKC this season. He’ll need to offer some position flexibility since the DH spot appears to be occupied for the time being.

With the NFL draft firmly in the rear view, teams are looking ahead to roster moves for the 2025 season.

The Carolina Panthers are in year two of a rebuild under coach Dave Canales. They announced multiple moves on May 8, notably placing running back Jonathon Brooks on the PUP list – ending his season – and releasing edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney.

Clowney signed with the Panthers in 2024 as a free agent and was one of the most productive players on defense for Carolina. He led the team in tackles for loss with nine and tied for the team lead with 5.5 sacks despite missing three games.

The Panthers are the sixth team Clowney’s played for in the last seven seasons. He had his final season with the Houston Texans in 2018 before stints with the Seattle Seahawks (2019), Tennessee Titans (2020), Cleveland Browns (2021-22) and Baltimore Ravens (2023) before signing with Carolina.

He’s entering his age-32 season but hasn’t seen a drop-off in production. Clowney’s played at least 12 games in each of the last four seasons and has 26 sacks in that span.

Carolina selected edge rushers Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen with their Day 2 picks of the 2025 draft. Releasing Clowney means they’ll be relying on those rookies more than before.

Another team will likely come calling for Clowney’s services in 2025 given his production and pedigree as a former No. 1 overall draft pick. Here are five potential landing spots:

Jadeveon Clowney landing spots

Washington Commanders

The Commanders’ defense outperformed its talent in 2024 as the team made its first NFC championship game in decades. Washington spent in free agency and the draft to get upgrades at multiple levels of the defense but could use more reinforcements as it looks to build on a surprising 2024 season.

The Commanders didn’t use any draft picks at edge and are slated to start Dorance Armstrong and Deatrich Wise at that position at time of publishing. Both are in a similar physical mold to Clowney and he’d make for more depth at a potential weak spot for a team with playoff aspirations.

Detroit Lions

Detroit was hit hard by injuries on defense in 2024 during the season and lost coordinator Aaron Glenn after a loss to Washington in the playoffs. The Lions should get top edge rushers Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport back healthy after season-ending injuries last season.

Detroit is making another push for a championship in 2025 and spent their top draft pick on the interior defensive line by selecting Tyleik Williams in Round 1. They know the trenches lead the way on both sides of the ball so getting another veteran presence in the rotation could be a good safeguard against injury.

Like in Washington, Clowney fits the mold of a Lions edge rusher at 6-foot-5 and 266 pounds with a penchant for good run defense.

Baltimore Ravens

This one almost makes too much sense. There’s plenty of familiarity for the two parties as Clowney tied a career-high with 9.5 sacks with Baltimore in 2023. Baltimore spent a second-round pick at edge in the draft with Mike Green but that shouldn’t preclude them from looking for more depth in an ultra-competitive AFC.

Top conference foes Buffalo and Kansas City used the draft and free agent additions to bolster the defensive line both on the interior and at edge.

Clowney’s versatility against the run could be useful for Baltimore against both teams in the playoffs. If he’s looking for an elusive championship, there are few Super Bowl contenders ranked ahead of Baltimore.

Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati fielded its worst defense by yards and points allowed since 2019 last year. That led to a change in coordinator as former Bengals defensive assistant Al Golden took over for Lou Anarumo, now in Indianapolis.

The Bengals spent their first-round pick on edge Shemar Stewart but he’s viewed as one of the more raw prospects at the position with elite athletic tools. He could use a veteran like Clowney in the building to learn from with similar size and athletic abilities.

Cincinnati has a championship-caliber offense and needs to turn the tide on defense to make the most of it. Clowney could at least be a rotational piece who sets the edge in run defense well and provides enough pass rush opposite reigning NFL sack leader Trey Hendrickson.

New York Giants

Giants head coach Brian Daboll has more riding on the 2025 season than most coaches in the league. The same goes for general manager Joe Schoen.

New York’s quarterback options include Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston, Tommy DeVito and first-round pick Jaxson Dart, who may need time adjusting to the NFL. None appear to be above-average options at this point of the offseason.

That means it will fall on the defense to carry the Giants to an improved or winning season in 2025. The team selected Abdul Carter in Round 1, the top edge rusher in the class, and signed multiple free agents along the defensive line.

For a team looking to make a push in 2025, Clowney could be a good rotational piece who helps raise the floor of the defense. That may be enough to help both Daboll and Schoen stick around for another year.

Former NBA player and coach Byron Scott is facing a lawsuit from a woman who says he sexually assaulted her in 1987 during an event at her high school.

The accuser was 15 at the time, and Scott was 26.

According to court documents obtained by USA TODAY Sports, the woman accuses the now 64-year-old Scott of sexual battery and false imprisonment. The original lawsuit was filed in 2022 under the California Child Victim’s Act, which extended the statute of limitations for childhood sexual abuse survivors to file civil claims. Scott sought to keep his name out of the documents and requested to use ‘John Doe.’

The lawsuit says the Lakers were visiting the accuser’s high school, Campbell Hall High in Los Angeles, where she was taking summer classes, after which she ‘was sexually assaulted by Byron Scott in a locked janitor’s closet in the high school gymnasium.’ The team was at the school filming instructional basketball videos in the gym and met with the parents, students and teachers.

‘Our client is devastated by this complaint,’ Scott’s attorney Linda Bauermeister said in a statement. ‘Our client believed the plaintiff to be over 18 and had no idea she would claim otherwise until 35 years later. He respects girls and women, and the claims have blindsided him and his family.’

Bauermeister says her client thought the girl was of legal age and doesn’t deny that the sexual activity occurred.

Campbell Hall High School is also named as a defendant, and the lawsuit accuses the institution of negligence for not protecting the accuser. The lawsuit demands a jury trial and $25,000 for damages, payment of attorney fees, and loss of wages to be paid by Scott and the high school.

Scott played for the Lakers from 1983 to 1993, winning three NBA championships during the ‘Showtime’ era, and finished his career with the team in 1996-97. He was married to his first wife, Anita, with whom he had three children, at the time of the incident. He has since divorced and remarried.

He also played for the Indiana Pacers and then Vancouver Grizzlies, and after his playing days were over, coached with the New Jersey Nets, New Orleans Hornets, Cleveland Cavaliers and Lakers.

After winning just 12 of their first 38 games, the Pittsburgh Pirates have fired manager Derek Shelton.

Shelton, who was in his sixth year as the Pirates’ skipper, is the first manager to be fired this season.

The move comes as the Pirates began the year as a fringe playoff contender, thanks to a talented young starting rotation headed by 2024 NL Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes.

However, the offense has been the worst in the majors in the early going – averaging an MLB-low 3.11 runs per game. And the pitching staff has posted a collective 4.31 ERA, ranking 21st out of 30 teams.

“The first quarter of the season has been frustrating and painful for all of us. We have to do better,’ said Pirates chairman Bob Nutting. ‘There is a lot of baseball left to be played. We need to act with a sense of urgency and take the steps necessary to fix this now to get back on track as a team and organization.”

Bench coach Don Kelly – a Pittsburgh native who spent nine seasons in the majors with the Pirates, Tigers and Marlins – will take over as interim manager.

“Derek worked incredibly hard and sacrificed a lot over five-plus years,” general manager Ben Cherington said in a statement. “His family became a big part of the Pirates family, and we will miss that. He’s an incredibly smart, curious and driven baseball leader. I believe he was the right person for the job when he was hired. I also believe that a change is now necessary. I wish Derek and his family all the best in their next chapter.”

Shelton was hired prior to the 2020 season and went 306-440 as Pittsburgh’s manager, losing 101 games in 2021 and 100 in 2022, finishing 76-86 each of the past two years.

The Pittsburgh Pirates fan who fell 21 feet onto the warning track at PNC Park during an April 30 game against the Chicago Cubs gave an update on his condition for the first time on Wednesday.

In an interview with the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, 20-year-old Kavan Markwood described his injuries as ‘broken everything’ after he tumbled over the railing in right field while celebrating Andrew McCutchen’s go-ahead double.

“I’m all right,” he told TribLive.com. “I can’t really sleep. I have a lot of back pain.”

Markwood has been hospitalized for over a week as he recovers from injuries to his back and neck suffered in the fall. He took his first steps on Monday.

Markwood said he is grateful for the support he has received through a GoFundMe campaign to help with his medical bills. It has raised more than $53,000 as of Thursday morning.

“I’m happy to say that he’s progressed well; he’s at a point now where he’s off the breathing machine, he’s out of the intensive care unit and is preparing to move on to the next step, which will be physical therapy, rehab,” Philp said.