Sports
Bucks searching for their old selves on visit to Raptors
Jan 4, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) takes a shot against Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija (8) in the third quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images The Milwaukee Bucks’ NBA Cup-winning form seems to have stayed in Las Vegas, but they aim to change that Monday night when they visit the Toronto Raptors.
The Bucks are 3-5 since defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder 97-81 to win the in-season tournament on Dec. 17, including a 105-102 home loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday. That followed a 113-110 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday.
“We’re not playing well,” said Giannis Antetokounmpo, who scored 31 points on Saturday. “Two close games, we weren’t able to get them. It definitely hurts. We’re not playing well. I feel like before Vegas we figured some things out, had a great rhythm, playing very well as a team.
“After Vegas I think we kind of took a dip, digging ourselves again into a hole. … We’ve got to lock in as a team, play harder, compete, try to get the next one.”
The Raptors are having their own problems. Their 106-97 home loss to the Orlando Magic on Friday was their 12th in their past 13 games.
The Bucks won the first meeting of the season with the Raptors 99-85 in Milwaukee on Nov. 12, starting them on a 12-3 run to get to the NBA Cup final. They were 2-8 entering the game against Toronto.
During their recent stretch, they have lost twice to the Nets, the team that the Raptors defeated on Wednesday 130-113 to end an 11-game losing streak.
“It’s frustrating watching us play,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers said. “I just think where we had them a week or two before Vegas and then going into Vegas we haven’t returned, we’re not playing right. And it’s on both ends.
“Defensively we’re getting beat off the dribble over and over again. Getting beat off the glass. Offensively I don’t see us playing with much pace. We’re not getting in the paint much.”
The Raptors followed up their win over Brooklyn with a dull defensive effort against Orlando. They allowed the Magic to make 19 3-point shots on 44 attempts (43.2 percent), including 9-for-14 in the first quarter (64.3 percent).
“We just did not get close enough to shooters that we identified as shooters,” Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said. “We allowed rhythm shots and they caught fire. … The first quarter was really the biggest difference there.”
“We just had a couple possessions in a row where we made undisciplined mistakes, where we messed up some scouting report stuff,” added Jakob Poeltl, who led Toronto with 25 points on Friday. “There were a couple times where we just didn’t close aggressively enough, and they got 3 out of it.”
The Raptors have been dealing with injuries all season, but they’ve gotten Immanuel Quickley back for the past two games after he missed 22 games with an elbow injury. Quickley returned against Brooklyn and had 21 points and 15 assists before adding 11 points and 11 assists against Orlando.
The Bucks are 6-9 on the road and the Raptors are 7-12 at home.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Cherie DeVaux Makes History with Kentucky Derby Win at Churchill Downs
Cherie DeVaux made history on Saturday by becoming the first female trainer to win the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. However, with a horde of media surrounding her at her backside stable Sunday morning, she was quick to give the credit to jockey Jose Ortiz.
“It’s almost as if he could script it,” she said.
With an entry that’s known for being a closer, DeVaux said she did not mind Golden Tempo drawing an outside post. He got the 19th gate in the draw, but after scratches, he moved into the 16th. While a ways away from the rail, it helped the colt avoid much of the bumping between horses at the start as they work to get inside position.
DeVaux said she’s not one to give her riders many instructions before a race. She kept it simple: “Don’t overthink it. If you can get out, just get a clear path and make a run.”
Mission accomplished, even if the horse doesn’t quite live up to his name.
“Golden Tempo doesn’t really give Jose any help by just falling back so far,” she added.
While the early front-runners posted blazing quarter times, Golden Tempo ran last in the field for the first three-quarters of a mile. However, as the speed faded, Ortiz had an easy route to the outside, and down the final stretch, he chased down Renegade, the bettors’ second choice, to win by a neck.
Another issue that may have been in Golden Tempo’s favor was not having to load into the gate a second time. That’s something several horses had to do after racing officials scratched Great White at the last minute for dumping jockey Alex Achard and falling over backward while being led to the gate.
“It was a rough trip, everybody was all over the place,” said Luis Saez, who rode seventh-place finisher Commandment. “He ran pretty well and made a nice move, but it was just a tough race.”
Commandment, one of two Derby horses trained by Brad Cox, was the co-second choice in the morning line. At post time, he ended up being the fourth choice at 6-1. Cox’s other horse, Further Ado, ended up the slight favorite over Renegade, with both breaking at 5-1.
Renegade was the morning-line favorite, despite drawing the inside post – a position that had not produced a winner in 40 years. However, the Todd Pletcher-trained colt and Irad Ortiz Jr., Jose’s brother, did everything they could to make some history of their own.
“He got a little roughed and got pushed out of his position,” Pletcher said. “But he kept on going and made his run. He just didn’t get there today.”
With the Kentucky Derby having the largest field of any U.S. thoroughbred race, longshots often find their way to the winner’s circle. Since 2019, the lowest payout for a $2 win ticket was Sovereignty last year, and his bettors still won $17.96.
One of the other big surprises Saturday was the bettors’ interest in So Happy. While he and jockey Mike Smith won the Santa Anita Derby, the colt was given morning line odds of 15-1. That was due primarily to his being sired by Runhappy, who was an excellent sprinter.
Bettors made him the third choice at 5-1.
So Happy stayed among the front pack for the first mile but faded down the stretch to finish ninth.
“He just did too much early on, and we went too fast,” Smith said.
Sports
Wild D Jonas Brodin out for Game 1, F Joel Eriksson Ek also ailing
Apr 7, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Blackhawks center Tyler Johnson (90) moves the puck away from Minnesota Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin (25) and center Joel Eriksson Ek (14) during the second period at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images Minnesota Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin didn’t travel with the team to Denver and will miss Sunday night’s playoff series opener against the Colorado Avalanche.
Forward Joel Eriksson Ek is listed as questionable to play in Game 1 of the Western Conference second-round series.
Brodin, 32, sustained a lower-body injury during Game 5 of Minnesota’s first-round series against the Dallas Stars. He was hurt while blocking a shot by Dallas’ Mikko Rantanen during the second period.
Brodin missed the clinching Game 6 victory on Thursday. He had one assist in the series.
In the regular season, Brodin had four goals and 18 points in 62 games.
Eriksson Ek was hurt in Game 6 when his right leg smacked into the wall. He didn’t practice on Saturday.
Minnesota coach John Hynes was debating what to do about Ek’s spot with his status unclear.
“I’m kind of going through that a little bit right now,” Hynes said. “So, now you kind of go down that decision-making process of what would we do if he’s not ready.”
Ek, 29, had three goals and five points in the Dallas series. In the regular season, he had 19 goals and 51 points in 70 games.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Cameron Young holds six-shot lead after three rounds in Miami
May 2, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Cameron Young makes his par putt on the 18th hole during the third round of the Cadillac Championship golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Romance-Imagn Images Cameron Young shot 2-under-par 70 on Saturday to remain in control through three rounds of Cadillac Championship at Miami.
Young is up six strokes on a group of three golfers, including world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, at windy Trump National Doral’s Blue Monster Course.
Young, who’s at 15-under 201, will be looking for his second victory of the season and the third of his career on the PGA Tour during Sunday’s final round.
Scheffler shot 69 to move to second place by the time he finished the round. He’s joined in that position by South Korea’s Si Woo Kim (69) and Norway’s Kristoffer Reitan (69).
Young began the round with a bogey on the par-5 first hole but played the next 11 in 3 under.
Scheffler’s round was defined by birdies on three of the four par-5 layouts.
Matt McCarty (69), Ben Griffin (68) and Canada’s Nick Taylor (72) are at 8 under and tied for fifth place. Taylor bogeyed the final hole.
Jordan Spieth took a significant dive, shooting 75 and falling to a tie for 12th at 5 under. He was hurt by two double-bogeys — first on the par-3 fourth hole when he didn’t get into putting position until his fourth stroke and then on the 18th when his approach shot went into the water and he was forced to take a penalty.
Australia’s Adam Scott had the day’s best score with a bogey-free 6-under 66, leaving him at 3 under.
–Field Level Media
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