Update on the latest sports
APNBA-FINAL DAY
Play-in or playoffs? Lakers won’t know until the final day
UNDATED (AP) — It’s the final day of the NBA’s regular season, with a lot still left to be determined.
LeBron James and the defending champion Lakers may be one game away from the playoffs. Or they may be one game away from the play-in tournament, and a possible high-stakes showdown against Stephen Curry. Either way, the NBA wins Sunday — with what’s certain to be a dramatic end to the regular season.
If the Lakers beat New Orleans on Sunday, and Portland loses to Denver, the Lakers will go straight to the playoffs as a top-six seed. But if they lose to the Pelicans, or if Portland wins, they’ll be in a play-in game against Golden State or Memphis on Wednesday.
BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME-2021 CLASS
The Hall calls: Bosh, Webber, Wright among the 2021 class
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) — Chris Bosh, Ben Wallace, Chris Webber and Jay Wright are among 16 new members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
The class of 2021 announced Sunday also includes Paul Pierce and WNBA stars Yolanda Griffith and Lauren Jackson. And it includes someone who has been a Hall of Famer for 46 years: Bill Russell. The 11-time NBA champion was enshrined in 1975 as a player and has now been selected again as a coach.
Russell becomes the fifth Hall of Famer who will be inducted as both a player and a coach, joining John Wooden, Lenny Wilkens, Bill Sharman and Tommy Heinsohn.
MLB-YANKEES-COVID-19
Yankees staffer tests positive for COVID; Hicks goes on IL
BALTIMORE (AP) — The New York Yankees have had another positive COVID-19 test, this one involving a staff member. Manager Aaron Boone made the announcement before the Yankees’ game against the Orioles at Camden Yards on Sunday.
Boone didn’t identify the staff member, saying only that he was part of the team’s support staff. Another staff member was unavailable because of contact tracing.
The Yankees have had nine total positives within the traveling party since Monday — three coaches, five staffers and shortstop Gleyber Torres.
NFL-GIANTS MOVES
Giants sign veterans Kelvin Benjamin, Corey Clement
UNDATED (AP) — The New York Giants have signed wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin and running back Corey Clement.
Benjamin, who was a first-round pick of the Carolina Panthers in 2014, has not played in the NFL since 2018 when he split time between the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs.
In four seasons with the Panthers, Bills and Chiefs, Benjamin played in 61 regular-season games. He had 209 receptions for 3,021 yards and 20 touchdowns.
Clement, who joined the Eagles as a rookie free agent, spent the past four seasons with the Philadelphia and won the Super Bowl in his rookie season. He caught four passes for 100 yards, including a 22-yard touchdown pass from Nick Foles as the Eagles beat the New England Patriots 41-33 for their first Super Bowl title.
For his career, Clement has played in 46 regular-season games with 655 yards rushing and seven touchdowns and added 37 receptions for 340 yards.
The Giants waived running back Jordan Chunn and tight end Nate Wieting.
WTA-ITALIAN OPEN
Nadal beats a tired Djokovic for 10th Italian Open title
ROME (AP) — Rafael Nadal has beaten a tired Novak Djokovic (NOH’-vak JOH’-kuh-vich) 7-5, 1-6, 6-3 for a record-extending 10th Italian Open title.
The Spaniard recovered from a potentially dangerous fall after tripping over a raised line to take the latest installment of the most-played rivalry in modern men’s tennis. It was the 57th meeting between Nadal and Djokovic, which is the most matches between two men in the Open era. It was also their ninth meeting in Rome, where they have played more than anywhere else.
Nadal is the overwhelming favorite for the French Open, where he will be aiming for an even harder-to-believe 14th title starting in two weeks. Nadal beat Djokovic in straight sets in last year’s Roland Garros final.
In the women’s final, reigning French Open champion Iga Swiatek routed Karolina Pliskova 6-0, 6-0.
