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DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets were facing some questions going into their first NBA Finals, and their answers came in resounding fashion.
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Warnings about the potential dangers of gambling could soon join education about drugs and alcohol in the nation's classrooms. Virginia recently passed a law requiring gambling risk education in the schools, and New Jersey and Michigan are considering similar measures. West Virginia and Maryland tried but failed recently, but both are expected to try again. The classes would educate students about its risks, warning signs of a problem, and consequences to personal finances and relationships. The head of the National Council on Problem Gambling says such classes could do as much good as anti-drunk driving campaigns did decades ago.
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A federal bankruptcy judge has ordered Diamond Sports to pay the full value of its media contracts to the Arizona Diamondbacks, Cleveland Guardians, Minnesota Twins and Texas Rangers. Judge Christopher Lopez made the ruling on Thursday in Houston. Diamond Sports, which owns 19 networks under the Bally Sports banner, has been in Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings in the Southern District of Texas since it filed in March. Diamond said in a financial filing last fall that it had debt of $8.67 billion. In April, the judge ruled Diamond to pay half of what the teams were owed in rights fees.
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Corbin Carroll had a two-out, two-run single in the ninth inning and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Colorado Rockies 6-5 on Thursday to tie the idle Los Angeles Dodgers for a share of the NL West lead. Gabriel Moreno walked with one out against Pierce Johnson (0-2), and Ketel Marte doubled with two outs, moving Moreno to third. With first base open and Christian Walker on deck, the Rockies decided to pitch to Carroll, and he came through with a liner for his first career walk-off hit. Kevin Ginkel (2-0) pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to help Arizona win its fifth straight and improve to 34-23 to match the Dodgers for the best record in the National League. Walker had three hits.
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The New College of Florida trustees dominated by conservatives appointed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis chose a new mascot Thursday for the Sarasota school: The Mighty Banyans.
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Republicans haven't won a U.S. Senate race in heavily Democratic California since 1988. But this time the party might get an MVP on the ballot. Baseball legend Steve Garvey is seriously considering entering the state's 2024 Senate race as a Republican. His candidacy would reorder a growing field that already includes several prominent Democratic members of Congress. Republicans are outnumbered 2-to-1 by Democratic voters in the state, and they have struggled for years to find candidates for top elected offices. Garvey was a star first baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres, and he was the National League MVP in 1974.
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PARIS (AP) — Coco Gauff thought she was about to head out on the court to play her second-round match at the French Open.
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Lionel Messi is leaving Paris Saint-Germain at the end of the season after two years at the club. PSG coach Christophe Galtier says ahead of their game against Clermont on Saturday that it will be Messi’s last match at the Parc des Princes. Galtier says “I had the privilege of coaching the best player in the history of soccer. ... and I hope that he will receive the warmest of welcomes.” PSG recruited Messi in August 2021 with the ambition to finally win the Champions League. The team is still waiting. PSG won its record-extending 11th French league title last weekend but it again exited Europe’s top tournament in the round of 16.
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Christian Walker hit his 100th career home run, Tommy Henry threw seven strong innings and the Arizona Diamondbacks won their fourth straight game, beating the Colorado Rockies 6-0 on Wednesday night. Arizona improved to 33-23, the first time it has has been 10 games over .500 since 2018. The D-backs go for the four-game sweep over the Rockies on Thursday. The 32-year-old Walker smashed No. 100 on a changeup from Peter Lambert in the fifth inning, hitting it high off the batter’s eye above the 407-foot sign in center. It was Walker’s 12th homer of the season and made it 6-0. The Diamondbacks built a 5-0 lead by the end of the second, scoring three runs in the first and two in the second.
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Individual NCAA champion Fred Biondi beat Hiroshi Tai 1 up with a par on the 18th hole and Florida won its fifth men’s national golf title with a 3-1 victory over Georgia Tech on Wednesday. Florida’s Yuxin Lin won the opener 4 and 3 over Christo Lamprecht, but the remaining matches went down to the wire in the strongest wind of the week at Grayhawk Golf Club. John DuBois closed out Connor Howe 1 up to put Florida up 2-0. Georgia Tech’s Bartley Forrester then beat Matthew Kress on the second extra hole after blowing a 2-up lead with two holes left. Biondi became the first player to win individual and team championships in the same season since Oregon’s Aaron Wise in 2016.
