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Utah's Josh Eilert faces familiar foe as West Virginia visits

NCAA Basketball: Utah at West VirginiaFeb 8, 2025; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Utah assistant coach Josh Eilert, now the Utes’ interim head coach, talks with West Virginia University Athletic Director Wren Baker before their game at WVU Coliseum. Baker hired Eilert in June 2023 to serve as WVU interim head coach after Bob Huggins resigned. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images

As the interim coach at Utah, Josh Eilert finds himself in the unusual position of facing the team he guided on an interim basis last year.

Tuesday night in Salt Lake City, Eilert leads Utah (16-13, 8-10 Big 12) against West Virginia (17-12, 8-10), the team he coached under difficult circumstances last year after the resignation of Bob Huggins.

Last week, Eilert was tabbed for interim duty again after Utah fired Craig Smith.

Upon his promotion from an assistant role, Eilert said that stepping into the West Virginia job last year was much more challenging given the timing of Huggins’ departure in the summer.

The result was a 9-23 record as the Mountaineers lost more games than any season in program history.

On Saturday, Utah ran away from Arizona State, 99-73, as Ezra Ausar powered inside for 25 points and Keanu Dawes added 15 points and 11 rebounds off the bench.

Afterward, Eilert praised his players’ positivity.

“They’re not a bunch of guys who are out there for themselves,” he said. “The fact that they are still locking in on their teammates shows the character of the guys that Coach Smith brought into this program.”

The Utes and Mountaineers are among a jumble of teams vying to finish among the top eight in the Big 12 and earn a first-round bye in next week’s conference tournament.

West Virginia has lost eight of its last 12, including a humbling 77-56 defeat Saturday night at then-No. 25 BYU.

Several Big 12 teams have discovered the difficulty of the Utah two-step — playing the Cougars and the Utes on the same road trip. Kansas, Kansas State, Cincinnati and Oklahoma State each were swept making the two-game swing.

To avoid the same fate, West Virginia will turn to senior guard Javon Small (18.2 ppg, 5.5 apg) and hope that Eduardo Andre and Amani Hansberry can limit the Utes’ interior strength, which includes the 6-foot-9 Dawes, 6-8 Ausar and 7-1 Lawson Lovering.

The Mountaineers struggled to stop BYU’s reserve center Fousseyni Traore, who had 20 points and 10 rebounds. He helped the Cougars dominate the glass 43-32 and gain a 46-22 edge in points in the paint.

“It’s kind of one of those, you have to pick something,” West Virginia coach Darian DeVries said of his team’s focus on limiting the Cougars’ 3-point opportunities.

–Field Level Media

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Cameron Young holds six-shot lead after three rounds in Miami

PGA: Cadillac Championship - Third RoundMay 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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RJ Barrett, Raptors clash with Cavaliers in unexpected Game 7

NBA: Playoffs-Cleveland Cavaliers at Toronto RaptorsMay 1, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward RJ Barrett (9) reacts after scoring the winning basket against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the overtime period in game six of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

RJ Barrett kept the Toronto Raptors’ season alive with one of the most clutch shots in franchise history, but he isn’t ready to reminisce about the moment yet.

Not with a win-or-go-home Game 7 of their Eastern Conference first round series taking place Sunday night at the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“Forget everything that’s happened,” said Barrett, who is averaging a series-high 24.3 points per game. “Now, it’s one game to win it all.”

The fifth-seeded Raptors earned that opportunity when Barrett’s 3-pointer with 1.2 seconds left in overtime bounced off the heel of the rim, high in the air and through the hoop to give them a 112-110 victory Friday.

As a result, upstart Toronto has pushed the team with the highest payroll in the NBA to the brink of a devastating end to a season that began with championship dreams.

“Glory to God, that was a fun one, right?” Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic said. “It was a heck of a fight. We just talked about how much fun this is and how much we loved the challenge.”

Fourth-seeded Cleveland got a clean look at the buzzer, but Evan Mobley’s 29-footer was off the mark, keeping both teams unbeaten at home in the series.

“If I continue to sulk about that (Barrett) shot, it’s over,” Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell said. “Unfortunately, but fortunately, half of the locker room has been through this before. It’s going to test us.

“Protect home court, that’s all you can do. We’ve got to protect home court.”

History is on Cleveland’s side as it has never lost a Game 7 at home, beating the Washington Bullets in 1976, Boston Celtics in 1992, Indiana Pacers in 2018 and Orlando Magic in 2024.

Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, Max Strus, Dean Wade and Sam Merrill remain on the roster from the latter, which featured the Cavaliers and Magic winning every game in their respective arenas.

“We’re at home and the ball is in our court,” said Mobley, who is averaging 19.0 points and 8.8 rebounds while shooting 56.8 percent from the field. “We’ve just got to come together and get a win.

“Don’t get too involved in the magnitude of everything, just protect home court.”

Toronto has only played one Game 7 on the road, losing to the Philadelphia 76ers in 2001. Barrett was about to celebrate his first birthday at the time, while Scottie Barnes and breakout performer Ja’Kobe Walter hadn’t been born yet.

Barrett, Barnes and Walter combined to score 73 of the Raptors’ 112 points in Game 6.

“I’ve watched so many Game 7s, you see the intensity on the court,” said Walter, who averaged 22.0 points and made 10 3-pointers in the last two contests. “I’m so excited to be in this moment.”

Barnes has been the most consistent performer in the series, averaging 24.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 9.0 assists. In a surprising development, he and Barrett have outplayed Cleveland’s star backcourt of James Harden and Mitchell.

Mitchell is shooting just 43.7% on field goal attempts, including 35.3% on 3-point tries; he has only attempted 14 total free throws. He has only taken over in brief stretches of two games, marking a complete turnaround from his brilliant 2025 postseason.

Trade-deadline acquisition Harden has been plagued by careless passes and poor decision-making, averaging 21.0 points, 6.7 assists and 5.7 turnovers.

“I’m a little frustrated, but there’s nothing you can do about it,” Harden said. “We can’t dwell on it too long. Just go back home, play one game and win.”

Both squads took Saturday off but will hold shootarounds on Sunday morning.

Raptors small forward Brandon Ingram (right heel) missed Game 6 and will be evaluated after working out with the team. Point guard Immanuel Quickley (right hamstring) continues to undergo treatment but will sit out the entire series.

The Cavaliers have no injuries and, should they lose, no legitimate excuses.

“This is typical NBA basketball with a four and a five seed going at it,” Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson said. “Now, we’ve got to go out and get Game 7.”

–Field Level Media

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Max Meyer, two relievers hold Phillies to one hit

MLB: Philadelphia Phillies at Miami MarlinsMay 2, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Marlins starting pitcher Max Meyer (23) throws against the Philadelphia Phillies during the first inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

Max Meyer only allowed a hit in seven shutout innings and Xavier Edwards homered in the host Miami Marlins’ 4-0 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Saturday

Meyer (2-0) faced one over the minimum amount of batters with a walk and seven strikeouts in the longest start of his career. He threw 55 strikes in 83 pitches.

Anthony Bender and Andrew Nardi each retired the side in order in the combined one-hitter.

Otto Lopez and Edwards were had two hits with a run and an RBI and Connor Norby was 2-for-3 with a run batted in for the Marlins, who evened the four-game series at one game each.

Garrett Stubbs got the lone hit for the Phillies, who had their four-game winning streak under interim manager Don Mattingly snapped. Kyle Schwarber was 0-for-3 with three strikeouts and has struck out in all eight at bats over his last two games, tying a career high for consecutive strikeouts.

Philadelphia starter Andrew Painter (1-3) gave up three runs on seven hits in five innings with three walks and seven strikeouts.

The Marlins took a 2-0 lead in the third on consecutive bases-loaded, two-out walks to Agustin Ramirez and Norby.

It was the second straight inning Miami loaded the bases with one out with three consecutive singles. In the second Painter got Graham Pauley on a foul out and struck out Esteury Ruiz swinging to end the inning.

Edwards one-out solo homer in the fifth made it 3-0. He drove Painter’s 1-1 four-seam fastball into the right-field stands for Edwards’ second home run.

Lopez’s infield RBI single with two out in the sixth increased the Marlins’ advantage to 4-0.

Stubbs singled in the third with one out and was erased on an inning-ending double play.

Justin Crawford was scratched from the Phillies’ lineup because of a migraine.

Philadelphia also activated catcher J.T, Realmuto from the 10-day injured list (back spasms) earlier Saturday and designated Dylan Moore for assignment. Realmuto was hitless in three at-bats.

–Field Level Media

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