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Messi returns to PSG lineup but Mbappé grabs spotlight as Ajaccio routed

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:18:56 GMT

PARIS (AP) — Lionel Messi returned to the Paris Saint-Germain lineup after a brief suspension and Kylian Mbappé grabbed the spotlight with two goals as Ajaccio was routed 5-0 on Saturday.PSG moved closer to a record 11th French league title by leading second-placed Lens by six points with three games left.Defeat relegated 18th-placed Ajaccio.Mbappé’s second-half brace moved him onto a league-leading 26 goals and two ahead of Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette, whose side plays on Sunday.World Cup winner Messi missed PSG’s previous game because the club suspended him for traveling to Saudi Arabia for commercial reasons without authorization. He apologized and the suspension was lifted this week.Messi received a mixed reception. Some fans jeered the superstar, but the absence of PSG’s hardcore “ultra” fans made for a largely subdued atmosphere at Parc des Princes. The Paris Ultras Collective — who usually stand behind one of the goals — are boycotting matches until further n...

Cup champ Larson rallies from 30th to win Darlington Xfinity race

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:18:56 GMT

DARLINGTON, S.C. (AP) — Kyle Larson was already excited about what the weekend at Darlington Raceway would mean. He added an even larger moment for him to remember with his first career win at the track “Too Tough To Tame.” Larson rallied from 30th starting the final stage, bumping John Hunter Nemechek coming out of the final turn as the two raced to the finish line to win the Xfinity Series race on Saturday.Larson, the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion, was named one of stock-car racing’s 75 greatest drivers who’ve been honored during the celebration at Darlington’s annual throwback weekend. Now, he’s got a checkered flag after so many close calls at Darlington, where he’s had three seconds and two thirds in 10 career Cup races and never finished worse than seventh in his five previous Xfinity events here. “Every time you get to come to Darlington, it’s special,” Larson said. But this weekend’s festivities are very different as Larson c...

Regions Tradition Tour Scores

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:18:56 GMT

SaturdayAt Greystone GCBirmingham, Ala.Purse: $2.5 millionYardage: 7,249; Par: 72Third RoundRobert Karlsson71-66-63—200Steve Stricker68-68-64—200Padraig Harrington68-69-65—202Paul Broadhurst67-68-68—203Alex Cejka69-68-67—204Jerry Kelly69-68-67—204Timothy O’Neal67-69-68—204Marco Dawson71-68-66—205Miguel Angel Jimenez70-68-67—205Ken Duke68-71-67—206Ernie Els68-66-72—206Stephen Ames70-70-67—207Richard Green70-72-65—207Steve Jones73-69-65—207Scott Parel71-69-68—208Dicky Pride71-68-69—208Vijay Singh72-68-68—208Bob Estes69-70-70—209Billy Mayfair71-71-67—209Kevin Sutherland71-70-68—209Mike Weir70-68-71—209Darren Clarke71-69-70—210Thongchai Jaidee70-71-69—210Colin Montgomerie72-69-69—210Paul Goydos69-71-71—211Bernhard Langer69-72-70—211Joe Durant70-67-75—212Harrison Frazar70-74-68—212Tim Petrovic71-69-72—212Michael Allen70-71-72—213Billy Andrade67-74-72—213Stuart Appleby74-70-69—213Woody Austin72-73-68—213David McKenzie70-71-72—213Shane Bertsch69-72-73—214Steve Flesch72-73-69—214Tom L...

Regions Tradition Par Scores

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:18:56 GMT

SaturdayAt Greystone GCBirmingham, Ala.Purse: $2.5 millionYardage: 7,249; Par: 72Third RoundRobert Karlsson71-66-63—200-16Steve Stricker68-68-64—200-16Padraig Harrington68-69-65—202-14Paul Broadhurst67-68-68—203-13Alex Cejka69-68-67—204-12Jerry Kelly69-68-67—204-12Timothy O’Neal67-69-68—204-12Marco Dawson71-68-66—205-11Miguel Angel Jimenez70-68-67—205-11Ken Duke68-71-67—206-10Ernie Els68-66-72—206-10Stephen Ames70-70-67—207-9Richard Green70-72-65—207-9Steve Jones73-69-65—207-9Scott Parel71-69-68—208-8Dicky Pride71-68-69—208-8Vijay Singh72-68-68—208-8Bob Estes69-70-70—209-7Billy Mayfair71-71-67—209-7Kevin Sutherland71-70-68—209-7Mike Weir70-68-71—209-7Darren Clarke71-69-70—210-6Thongchai Jaidee70-71-69—210-6Colin Montgomerie72-69-69—210-6Paul Goydos69-71-71—211-5Bernhard Langer69-72-70—211-5Joe Durant70-67-75—212-4Harrison Frazar70-74-68—212-4Tim Petrovic71-69-72—212-4Michael Allen70-71-72—213-3Billy Andrade67-74-72—213-3Stuart Appleby74-70-69—213-3Woody Austin72-73-68—213-3Dav...

Inter still in better form than AC Milan in between legs of Champions League semifinal

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:18:56 GMT

ROME (AP) — Three days after they met in the first leg of the Champions League semifinals and three days before they meet again, Inter Milan is still in better form than AC Milan.Romelu Lukaku celebrated his 30th birthday with two goals as Inter beat Sassuolo 4-2 in Serie A on Saturday, shortly after AC Milan lost at relegation-threatened Spezia 2-0.Inter also beat Milan 2-0 in the opening leg of the semifinal — and has won seven straight across all competitions.Lukaku put Inter ahead before the break with a demonstration of his strength; taking a pass with his back to the goal, turning around his defender and smashing a shot into the top corner.Lukaku closed out the scoring by finishing off a counterattack from a difficult angle.An own goal from Ruan Tressoldi doubled Inter’s advantage by deflecting in a shot from Raoul Bellanova and Lautaro Martinez scored with another shot deflected in by Tressoldi.Matheus Henrique and Davide Frattesi scored late for Sassuolo.In Spezia, Przemysła...

Celtics, 76ers ready for Game 7 at TD Garden for spot in East finals vs. Heat

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:18:56 GMT

BOSTON (AP) — Joe Mazzulla’s Game 7 experience has been as an assistant coach, including last year when the Celtics won two of them on their way to the NBA Finals.One of them was a 28-point blowout.The other was a one-possession game in the final seconds.“We know how to win easy and we know how to battle to the death,” the rookie head coach said Saturday as he prepared for his first winner-take-all game as the No. 1 guy. “Definitely looking forward to Game 7.”The Celtics will meet the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday for the last remaining spot in the NBA’s final four. It’s just the second series to reach a seventh game so far this postseason.“We know what we have to do,” said Sixers center Joel Embiid, who was crowned as the NBA MVP during the series. “It’s going to be fun. Game 7. That’s what we play, for these types of games.”The Celtics earned the home-court advantage by finishing three games ahead of Philadelphia in the standings; Boston also won three...

Boston fitness guru hosts workout to benefit nonprofit supporting girls who lost their moms

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:18:56 GMT

A workout class in Boston is giving back to help girls across the world who lost their mothers.A fitness class for a cause was held in the Seaport on Saturday by local fitness guru Kelly Brabants as she led dozens of area women in a workout ahead of Mother’s Day.All the proceeds from Saturday’s workout benefit Empower Her, a Massachusetts nonprofit that connects girls who have lost their mothers with mentors who have experienced that same loss.The Brabants workout team has raised more than $350,000 for charity through events like these.For more information visit: https://www.empoweringher.org/

Lack of command hurting Nestor Cortes at the end of outings

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:18:56 GMT

The Bronx has always been kind to Nestor Cortes, but that was not the case on Saturday.The Yankees’ southpaw entered the game against the Rays having allowed no more than three runs in each of his last 26 starts at Yankee Stadium, the longest such streak in franchise history. But Tampa Bay put a forceful end to that.The Rays, facing a lefty for the first time since April 18 — a remarkable stretch in its own right — charged Cortes with six earned runs. Taylor Walls started the scoring with an RBI single in the second inning before a five-run fifth sent Cortes to the showers.The frame included walks to Nos. 7 and 8 hitters Manuel Margot and Jose Siri — the latter of which came on pitch clock violation – and a single from No. 9 hitter Francisco Mejia. Leadoff man Yandy Diaz then ripped the first grand slam of his career.While the Yankees were able to come back and win, 9-8, Cortes totaled seven hits, two walks, three strikeouts and 10 hard-hit balls over 4...

Ticker: Tennessee company won’t recall 67 million potentially dangerous air bag inflators

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:18:56 GMT

A Tennessee company could be heading for a legal battle with U.S. auto safety regulators after refusing a request to recall millions of potentially dangerous air bag inflators. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is demanding that ARC Automotive of Knoxville recall 67 million inflators because they could explode and hurl shrapnel.The agency says at least two people have been killed in the U.S. and Canada, and six others have been hurt as a result of defective ARC inflators. The recall would cover about one-quarter of the vehicles now on U.S. roadways. In a letter posted late Friday, the agency told ARC that it has tentatively concluded a that the inflators have a safety defect. But ARC responded that no defect exists.Scabby the Rat gives bite to union protests, but is he at the tail end of his relevancy?NEW YORK (AP) — For decades, a giant, inflatable rat with beady eyes, sharp teeth and a pustule-covered belly has been looming over union protests, drawing attention t...

Chicago Sky beat Minnesota Lynx as WNBA tests expansion waters in Canada

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:18:56 GMT

Kahleah Copper had 18 points and nine rebounds in leading the Chicago Sky to a 82-74 win over the Minnesota Lynx on Saturday in the WNBA’s first-ever game in Canada.Kayana Traylor and Robyn Parks combined for 25 points off the bench and Morgan Bertsch added 12 for Chicago.Tiffany Mitchell had 19 points and six assists for Minnesota. Rachel Banham and Kayla McBride contributed 13 points apiece, respectively.Bridget Carleton of Chatham, Ont., had three points and two rebounds in 12 minutes for the Lynx. She received standing ovations when starting lineups were announced and in speaking to the sold-out Scotiabank Arena crowd pre-game.It was the final pre-season game for both teams as they look ahead to the start of the regular season on May 19.RELATED: Players, coaches excited for historic WNBA game in CanadaThe two sides will meet that day in Minneapolis, Minn., for their season opener.Courtney Williams put Chicago on the board first as the Sky jumped out to an early 7-0 lead. H...