NBA – Victor Wembanyama is the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, with expectations of stardom

Victor Wembanyama is the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, headed to San Antonio with enormous expectations to become basketball’s newest sensation. The selection of the 19-year-old from France that had been a foregone conclusion for months was announced by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on Thursday night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Wembanyama arrives with far more height and hype than most No. 1 picks. Listed at 7-foot-4, he dominated his French league in his final season there, leading all players in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots. Brandon Miller of Alabama was the No. 2 pick by the Charlotte Hornets and Scoot Henderson went third to the Portland Trail Blazers.

NBA – Pistons, Pacers banking on lottery selections to provide immediate help on defense

The Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers used lottery picks on players who should make their biggest early impact on defense while the rest of the Central Division teams sat out the first round of Thursday’s draft. Detroit selected wing Ausar Thompson of the Overtime Elite developmental program with the fifth overall selection. Indiana took Houston forward Jarace Walker, who went eighth. Both the Pistons and Pacers ended up with two first-round picks. The Pistons added Houston guard Marcus Sasser and the Pacers landed Belmont forward Ben Sheppard later in the first round.   The Pistons received some tough luck in the lottery when they got stuck with the fifth pick despite having the NBA’s worst record at 17-65. But they believe they found a keeper in Thompson.  The Bulls traded into the second round with Washington to acquire Tennessee forward Julian Phillips at No. 35.

NBA – Jett Howard follows his father Juwan’s path from Michigan to NBA lottery pick

Jett Howard can only hope he keeps following in his father’s footsteps as he goes from Michigan to the NBA. He joined his father Juwan as an NBA draft lottery pick Thursday night. Juwan still has bragging rights as the fifth pick overall in the 1994 draft out of Michigan. His son went at No. 11 overall to Orlando after playing his lone college season for his father at Michigan. Jett credited all the time spent learning from his father on and off the court for preparing him. The two-time NBA champ played 1,208 games over 19 years with eight different teams.

NBA – Bulls expect Lonzo Ball to miss another season because of left knee injury

The Chicago Bulls expect point guard Lonzo Ball to miss another season because of his left knee injury. Executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas says the Bulls do not expect him back next season. He says it “would be great” if Ball does return in 2023-24. Ball hasn’t played since Jan. 14, 2022. He had a cartilage transplant in March, his third operation on the knee in a little more than a year. Karnisovas said Ball stopped using crutches last month.

NBA – Chris Paul traded to Warriors, Jordan Poole sent to Wizards, source tells AP

Chris Paul’s pursuit of an NBA championship is taking him to the Golden State Warriors, after they agreed to the framework of a trade on Thursday that will send Jordan Poole to the Washington Wizards, according to a person with knowledge of the matter. The trade also includes a package of draft capital, said the person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the trade has not been finalized and approved by the NBA.

MLB – Major League Baseball
Yesterday

Tigers, Cubs, and White Sox were off

Tonight

Minnesota (Maeda 0-4) at Detroit (Wentz 1-7), 6:40 p.m.

Boston (Bello 4-4) at Chicago White Sox (Giolito 5-4), 8:10 p.m.

Cubs are off

MLB – Overturned outs prompting confusion, frustration over blocking-the-plate rule

The rules have changed since Bob Melvin and Bruce Bochy were big league catchers when big collisions with runners trying to score were just part of the game. The rules are intended to protect catchers. But runners are now sometimes safe even after being tagged out and without any collision. San Diego manager Melvin and Texas manager Bochy both had outs recorded by their teams this week become runs after replay viewed that their catchers obstructed the runner. Both managers were irate because their catchers were standing when they made sweeping tags.

WNBA – Women’s National Basketball Association
Last Night

Washington Mystics 80, Chicago Sky 59

Indiana Fever 80, Seattle Storm 68

Mystics 80, Sky 59 – Elena Delle Donne scores 18 points to help Mystics beat Sky 80-59

Elena Delle Donne had 18 points and eight rebounds, Natasha Cloud added 16 points and the Washington Mystics beat Chicago 80-59 on Thursday night for the Sky’s fifth straight loss. Washington (8-4) beat Chicago for the second time in four days, winning 77-69 on Sunday. The Mystics also beat the Sky 71-69 on May 26. Cloud became the fourth player in team history to make 200 career 3-pointers. Alanna Smith had 13 points for Chicago (5-8). Kahleah Copper was 2 of 13 from the field and Marina Mabrey went 2 of 11 as the Sky shot 30%.

Fever 80, Storm 68 – Mitchell hits 7-3s, scores a season-high 25 points to help the Fever beat the Storm 80-68

Kelsey Mitchell made seven 3-pointers and scored a season-high 25 points and the Indiana Fever used a 17-0 run in the second half to beat the Seattle Storm 80-68 on Thursday night. NaLyssa Smith had 12 points and 14 rebounds for Indiana (5-7). Emma Cannon and Erica Wheeler each scored 10 points, and rookie Aliyah Boston had nine points and 11 rebounds. WNBA scoring leader Jewell Loyd was held to 19 points on 5-of-21 shooting for Seattle (3-9). Ezi Magbegor added 18 points and Ivana Dojkic had 11.

NHL – Theme-night jerseys banned after players’ Pride refusals caused distractions

NHL teams won’t have players wear themed jerseys during pregame warmups next season. That decision was made after the league’s Board of Governors agreed with Commissioner Gary Bettman that a handful of players refusing to wear Pride jerseys distracted from teams’ efforts. Seven players citing various reasons declined to take part in warmups when their team donned rainbow-colored Pride jerseys for warmups. Teams will still host Pride and other theme nights and are expected to continue making and auctioning off jerseys even though players won’t wear them. A group that has worked with the NHL on inclusivity said it was “concerned and disappointed” by the decision.

NCAABSB – White’s homer in 11th sends LSU to College World Series finals

Tommy White hit Camden Minacci’s first pitch into the left-field seats for a two-run homer in the 11th inning, giving LSU a 2-0 walk-off victory over No. 1 national seed Wake Forest and clinching a spot in the College World Series finals. The win sends the Tigers to the best-of-three CWS championship series against Florida beginning Saturday night. It will be a rematch of the 2017 All-SEC College World Series final the Gators won for their first national title. LSU became the first team to hand Wake Forest consecutive losses this season. The game was a classic pitcher’s duel between LSU’s Paul Skenes and Wake Forest’s Rhett Lowder.

Golf – PGA –McCarthy shoots 60, McIlroy has his first ace on PGA Tour in the Travelers

Denny McCarthy came inches from shooting a 59, settling for a 10-under 60 for the lowest round of his PGA Tour career, and Rory McIlroy made his first ace on tour on a day of low numbers at the Travelers Championship. Keegan Bradley and Adam Scott also made runs at golf’s magic number but faltered late. Each shot 62 at the TPC River Highlands, where Jim Furyk set the PGA Tour record with a 58 in 2016. Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the world, finished with a 7-under 63. McCarthy started on the back nine. He had 5 birdies on his first six holes and five more coming in.

Golf – LPGA – Lee-Anne Pace shoots 66 for the first-round lead in the KPMG Women’s PGA

Lee-Anne Pace of South Africa made a two-putt birdie on the final hole in fading daylight for a 5-under 66 and the first-round lead Thursday in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Baltusrol. Two-time major winner Brooke Henderson of Canada and Ruoning Yin and Xiyi Lin of China were a shot back as Baltusrol’s historic Lower Course yielded 16 under-par rounds to the field of 156 players. The 42-year-old Pace won her lone LPGA Tour title in 2014 in China. Rose Zhang, the two-time NCAA individual champion at Stanford who became the first player in 72 years to win an LPGA Tour event in her pro debut this month at nearby Liberty National, opened with a 70.

MWL – Midwest League Baseball
Last Night

Great Lakes 9, West Michigan 4

South Bend 5, Fort Wayne 1

Lansing 4, Wisconsin 3

Tonight

Great Lakes Loons at West Michigan Whitecaps, 6:35 p.m.

Fort Wayne Tin Caps at South Bend Cubs, 7:05 p.m.

Lansing Lugnuts at Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, 7:40 p.m.