DENVER (AP) — Los Angeles interim coach D.J. Smith quickly ducked when shattered glass fell on him after a pane broke behind the Kings bench Tuesday night in Game 3 against Colorado.

It happened right after Quinton Byfield was stopped on a penalty shot by Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood with 16:48 remaining in the second period. The glass began to sway as fans pounded on it in excitement and then gave way, with pieces raining on Smith. He covered his head and then brushed the glass off his suit before heading down the tunnel to the locker room. He returned a few minutes later.

The Avalanche cleanup crew brought out shovels and buckets to clean up the fragments from the LA bench. The Kings players mingled on the ice as they waited for a new pane to be brought in and installed.

Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog told ESPN hockey analyst Erik Johnson he’s never seen something like that happen before. Landeskog added: “It was loud there when ‘Wedgy’ made that save and fans got a little too excited.”

The delay took more than 15 minutes. The score was 0-0 when play was halted.

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AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

NEW YORK (AP) — The flailing Mets returned home Tuesday to a quieter reception than manager Carlos Mendoza and his players anticipated with the club trying to snap an 11-game losing streak.

The tone changed once it became clear the skid was going to last at least another night.

Embattled closer Devin Williams allowed a tiebreaking RBI single to Luke Keaschall in the ninth inning and New York lost its 12th straight, falling 5-3 to the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night.

With an opening-day payroll of $352.2 million that tops the majors, the Mets have baseball’s worst record at 7-16. The skid is their longest since they dropped 12 straight from Aug. 10-23, 2002. No team has made the playoffs after a season in which it lost 12 in a row.

New York is hitting .194 during the losing streak while being outscored 67-22. The Mets didn’t have slugger Juan Soto for any of that stretch, but he is expected to come off the injured list Wednesday after missing the last 16 games with a strained left quad.

“I’ve never been a part of something like this,” Williams said. “I think we just need to get the one win out of the way and I think everything else will take care of itself. But it’s obviously proving pretty difficult right now.”

Williams, who failed to record an out, was booed off the mound by what was left of the announced crowd of 32,798. The actual crowd appeared far smaller on a night when the temperature at first pitch was 46 degrees Fahrenheit (8 Celsius).

At least a few spectators showed their displeasure with the time-honored tradition of wearing paper bags over their heads.

Fans began chanting “Fire Mendy!” as Williams loaded the bases. Austin Warren relieved Williams and received an ovation when he struck out Royce Lewis. The crowd then chanted his name after he struck out the next two batters, Brooks Lee and Byron Buxton.

The mood was far lighter a few hours earlier.

Patrick Heaney, the only person in section 524 at Citi Field shortly before the start of the game, grinned as he gazed at a sea of empty seats.

“You wouldn’t be here tonight if you weren’t a Met fan,” Heaney said.

Shortstop Francisco Lindor said following Sunday’s 2-1, 10-inning loss to the Chicago Cubs that he expected it to “get very loud” Tuesday night. But the fans didn’t make much noise until the third inning, when Lindor hit a three-run homer to open the scoring and give the Mets their biggest lead since a 5-2 win over the San Francisco Giants on April 5.

“I think if they can get it going today, I think the fans will rally around them,” said Josh Hudson, a Tennessee resident in town for business who was sitting in section 509 with a $15 ticket he bought on the secondary market.

Heaney, a resident of Malverne on Long Island who wore a Mets hat and 2022 playoff sweatshirt, grinned as he recalled how he ended up buying a $12 ticket and heading to the game alone.

“I couldn’t get my wife to come,” Heaney said. “I couldn’t get my kids to come. I couldn’t get my friends to come. I bought one ticket, the cheapest one I could find, and I’m going to see if I can help them turn it around.”

Mendoza, in his third season as manager after six seasons on the Yankees’ coaching staff, said before the game he wouldn’t mind a frosty reception because he knows how fans will react if the team fares better.

“They’re also going to be right behind you when we flip it around,” Mendoza said. “We’ve seen that before, too, so it’s nothing new for us that have been here. We expect those guys to continue to support us, but we’ve got to do better for them, too.

“It’s all part of it. It comes with the territory. Wouldn’t want it any other way.”

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama was placed in the NBA’s concussion protocol after tumbling face-first to the court in the second quarter of Tuesday night’s playoff loss to Portland.

“He has a concussion. He’s in the protocol,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said after San Antonio fell 106-103 to even the Western Conference first-round series at one game apiece. “We’ll take the proper and appropriate steps.”

Any extended absence by Wembanyama would be a massive blow to San Antonio, which finished with the league’s second-best record behind the versatile 7-foot-4 center from France.

Under league guidelines, a player in the concussion protocol must have at least 48 hours of inactivity and recovery and then hit several benchmarks without symptoms before being cleared to play. A player must undergo neurological testing and receive a final clearance from a team doctor in consultation with the league’s concussion protocol director.

Game 3 is Friday in Portland. It seems improbable that Wembanyama would be cleared by then, but Johnson wouldn’t speculate about his status.

“The protocol is the protocol,” Johnson said. “We’ll just follow it as everyone else does and plan accordingly.”

The Spurs went 12-6 during the regular season without Wembanyama.

“We’ve all got to step up,” Spurs guard Devin Vassell said. “We know what Vic brings to the table. We’ve played without him for a couple games this year. It’s going to be next man up. Everybody’s going to have to step up. That’s a huge void to fill. We can’t get bogged down by it.”

Wembanyama was fouled by Jrue Holiday after he spun around the Trail Blazers point guard in the paint. He was not able to brace himself on the fall, and his jaw hit the court with 8:57 remaining in the second quarter.

Wembanyama remained on the court for about 30 seconds before rising to a seated position for about a minute and speaking to teammate Stephon Castle. Johnson called timeout to check on Wembanyama, who immediately ran through the tunnel after getting to his feet.

Wembanyama had five points, four rebounds, one blocked shot and one assist in 12 minutes. Veteran Luke Kornet replaced Wembanyama and started the second half at center, finishing with 10 points and nine rebounds in 28 minutes.

“It was scary. I saw the images. It was not good,” Trail Blazers coach Tiago Splitter said of the play where Wembanyama got hurt. “With him out, Kornet, I think he did a tremendous job. We still have to figure out how to play better when Kornet is on the court.”

San Antonio is in the playoffs for the first time since 2019 and beat Portland in Game 1 of the Western Conference first-round series behind 35 points from Wembanyama. Without him, the Spurs blew a 14-point fourth-quarter lead in the playoffs for the first time since 2003, a span of 76 games.

On Monday, Wembanyama became the unanimous winner of the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award. He averaged 25 points, 11.5 rebounds and a league-best 3.1 blocks this season.

Vassell said he didn’t have a chance to talk with Wembanyama immediately after the game.

“We’ll definitely check in on him. Our prayers are with him,” Vassell said. “We just want him to be good.”

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

San Antonio star center Victor Wembanyama was forced from Game 2 of the Spurs’ first-round playoff series with the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday with an apparent concussion after hitting his face on the floor early in the second quarter.

The Spurs later announced that Wembanyama had entered concussion protocol and would not return to the game.

Wembanyama hit his face on in the floor at near-full speed after being knocked off his feet during a drive to the basket at the 8:57 mark of the second period, with the contact leaving him dazed enough to struggle standing up before jogging off the floor to the locker room.

San Antonio trailed 34-32 at the time of Wembanyama’s exit and he had amassed five points, four rebounds, an assist and a blocked shot in 11:41 of court time when he was injured. The game was tied 57-57 by halftime.

The Spurs have had plenty of success without their star this season. Wembanyama missed 18 games this season with various injuries, with San Antonio going 12-6 in those games.

–Field Level Media

Just two weeks after revealing that he was signing with Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing, IBF super lightweight champion Richardson Hitchins is relinquishing his title to pursue welterweight competition instead, Hitchins announced on social media this week.

“I’ve outgrown 140 and my days at the weight is done,” he wrote on X. “Let’s go!!!”

The IBF confirmed the move via an issued statement on Tuesday.

“On the evening of April 20, 2026, the IBF received notification from Richardson Hitchins that he was relinquishing his IBF Jr. Welterweight World title,” the IBF wrote. “Hitchins expressed his pride in fighting for, winning and holding the title. Likewise, the IBF was proud to have Hitchins as a world champion.

“We recognized his talent, included him in the rankings and he took that path to the championship. The IBF extends its best wishes to Richardson Hitchins for his continued success.”

Hitchins, 28, originally won his title in 2024 after a unanimous decision against Liam Paro in Puerto Rico. The Brooklyn native is 20-0 with eight wins by knockout.

The move now ends the possibility of a reworked bout between Hitchins and Lindolfo Delgado, originally scheduled in replacement of Hitchins’ canceled February fight with Oscar Duarte due to Hitchins’ illness.

Delgado is in line to challenge for the vacated super lightweight title in his next fight. As the highest remaining fighters in the division, Delgado and Duarte would now seem likely opponents for one another, though both are trained by the same individual, Robert Garcia, which could complicate a potential pairing.

Hitchins followed Jai Opetaia in joining Zuffa, with the latter actually being stripped of his IBF cruiserweight title following his victory at the Zuffa World Cruiserweight Championship in March. For Hitchins, reclassifying could be a preemptive move to avoid having his own title stripped.

Hitchins is scheduled to make his Zuffa debut this summer.

–Field Level Media

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s trophy haul keeps growing.

Gilgeous-Alexander, the Oklahoma City guard who is the reigning MVP and NBA Finals MVP, was the overwhelming and nearly unanimous pick as the Clutch Player of the Year for this season, the NBA announced Tuesday.

It’s the first of what could be several awards for Gilgeous-Alexander in the coming weeks. He’s the heavy favorite to win a second straight MVP trophy — and because he’s a finalist there, he’s also a lock to make the All-NBA team for a fourth straight year.

“This award means a lot,” Gilgeous-Alexander said on NBC Sports, which aired the award announcement. “To get this award, you have to help your team win games late and what I’m about more than anything is winning games.”

Gilgeous-Alexander got 96 of a possible 100 first-place votes. Jamal Murray of Denver was second, one point ahead of Anthony Edwards of Minnesota.

Edwards didn’t reach the 65-game eligibility standard for most league awards like MVP and the All-NBA team — and unsuccessfully appealed for a waiver that would have put him on those ballots — but his candidacy for the clutch award wasn’t affected by that rule.

Instead, the finalists for the clutch award were decided by a survey of the league’s coaches. That whittled the group down to 14 names, which were then placed onto the ballot that a panel of 100 reporters and broadcasters who cover the league filled out last week to decide the various awards.

Gilgeous-Alexander has been a contender for the clutch award since it was added to the league’s slate of trophies; he was third last season, eighth in 2024 and seventh in 2023.

And now, it’s his.

“I’m proud I get to hoist it,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It means I’m effective out there.”

Gilgeous-Alexander becomes the fourth player to win the clutch award, which was added in tribute to Jerry West — the inspiration for the NBA’s logo and the player long known as “Mr. Clutch” as a nod to his exploits when the outcome of games was on the line.

De’Aaron Fox (then of Sacramento, now of San Antonio) was the first clutch award recipient in 2023, followed by Golden State’s Stephen Curry in 2024 and New York’s Jalen Brunson last season. Brunson was a nominee again this year, finishing fifth.

Detroit’s Cade Cunningham was fourth, followed by Brunson, Denver’s Nikola Jokic, Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey, the Los Angeles Lakers’ Luka Doncic, Houston’s Kevin Durant and the Los Angeles Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard.

Gilgeous-Alexander, Brunson and Jokic are now the only players to get votes in the clutch balloting in all four seasons of the award’s existence.

Curry, Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Dallas’ Kyrie Irving saw their three-year streaks as clutch vote-getters end because of injuries; Curry missed about half the season, Tatum missed most of the season and Irving was sidelined for the entire season.

For a play to be considered clutch, by the NBA’s definition, these are the criteria: The score differential has to be five points or less, and the game has to be in either the final five minutes of the fourth quarter or in overtime.

All three of the leading vote-getters had compelling statistical arguments for the award:

— Gilgeous-Alexander led the league with 175 points in clutch times, plus was ninth with 21 assists in those situations. The Thunder went 20-7 in the 27 clutch games in which he played, and outscored opponents by 93 points in those clutch situations with him on the floor.

— Edwards shot 56.5% from the field in clutch moments, the best of any of the league’s 19 players that had at least 85 clutch-time points this season.

— Murray was second in clutch points with 166 plus led the league with 30 clutch-time assists.

The clutch award was the second to be handed out this season. San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama was the unanimous winner of Defensive Player of the Year, which was announced Monday.

“It’s just very meaningful to me,” Wembanyama said Tuesday about being the first unanimous winner of the DPOY trophy. “It means that’s there no place for debate. It means that everybody agrees upon something.”

On Wednesday, the Sixth Man of the Year winner — either the Spurs’ Keldon Johnson, the Nuggets’ Tim Hardaway Jr. or Miami’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. — will be revealed. The league’s Sportsmanship Award winner will be announced Thursday, followed by Most Improved Player on Friday.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/nba

The Atlanta Braves placed closer Raisel Iglesias on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with discomfort in his right (throwing) shoulder.

Iglesias has said he’s felt the discomfort since sleeping on his shoulder wrong Friday night. But the Braves conducted an MRI that found no structural damage.

“There’s some inflammation there,” Braves manager Walt Weiss told reporters. “We feel like we’re getting out in front of this thing a little bit.”

Iglesias, 36, has amassed a 42-55 record, 258 saves and a 2.86 ERA in his 12 major league seasons, including four-plus years in Atlanta. He was off to a perfect start to the season, with five saves and no runs allowed over eight games (8 2/3 innings). He’s tossed 11 strikeouts to only one walk.

While Iglesias is sidelined, Robert Suarez will take over closing duties. Suarez led the National League with 40 saves while serving as the San Diego Padres’ closer last season; then he signed a three-year, $45 million deal to join the Braves and their bullpen.

The right-handed Suarez has gone 2-0 with one save and an 0.93 ERA for Atlanta in 10 appearances, used mostly as a setup man. He was an All-Star in 2024 and 2025 for the Padres.

–Field Level Media

The Los Angeles Dodgers activated star first baseman Freddie Freeman from the paternity list on Tuesday and optioned outfielder/infielder Ryan Ward to Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Also, left-hander Blake Snell will begin his rehab stint Wednesday by pitching for Class A Ontario. He has been sidelined with fatigue in his pitching shoulder.

Freeman, 36, missed two games while away for Sunday’s birth of his fourth child and first daughter. Freddie and wife Chelsea announced the birth of London Rosemary Joy Freeman on Tuesday.

Freeman is batting .296 with three home runs and 14 RBIs over 20 games this season. The nine-time All-Star is in his 17th season, fifth with the Dodgers after 12 with the Atlanta Braves.

Snell, 33, will start for the Tower Buzzers when they visit San Jose. He was bothered by left shoulder issues last season as well when he went 5-4 with a 2.35 ERA in 11 starts in his first season with the Dodgers.

Ward, 28, made his big-league debut on Sunday and went 2-for-6 with an RBI in two games for the Dodgers. He has played in 696 minor league games and was Pacific Coast League MVP last season when he hit 36 home runs with 122 RBIs in 143 games.

–Field Level Media

Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the runaway winner in the Clutch Player of the Year award balloting, revealed Tuesday night.

Gilgeous-Alexander received 96 of 100 first-place votes in balloting for the Jerry West Trophy. He had 484 total points, well ahead of Denver Nuggets standout Jamal Murray (117) and Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards (116).

Gilgeous-Alexander is the reigning league MVP and is favored to win the award again this season.

But he liked receiving the Jerry West Trophy too.

“This award means a lot,” Gilgeous-Alexander said of the Clutch Player award on NBC Sports. “To get this award, you have to help your team win games late and what I’m about more than anything is winning games.”

Gilgeous-Alexander led the NBA with 175 points that occurred in clutch time, defined as games that were within five points in the final five minutes of regulation or overtime.

He shot 60.9% from the field (39 of 64) during clutch time and made a league-best 16 go-ahead field goals.

Fourth-place Cade Cunningham (50 points) of the Detroit Pistons received one first-place vote, fifth-place Jalen Brunson (42 points) of the New York Knicks landed two and sixth-place Nikola Jokic (37 points) of Denver received one.

This was the fourth season in which the award was given out. De’Aaron Fox (then with the Sacramento Kings) won the 2023 award, followed by Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors in 2024 and Brunson last season. Fox now plays for the San Antonio Spurs.

West was known as “Mr. Clutch” during his stellar career (1960-74) with the Los Angeles Lakers due to his many late-game exploits. He died in 2024.

–Field Level Media

The Minnesota Lynx said Tuesday that star forward Napheesa Collier’s rehab from left ankle surgery is “progressing as expected,” and she could resume on-court activities in early June.

The team plans to release updates on Collier’s progress when available.

The timeline means Collier will miss, at minimum, the first month of the WNBA season, which begins May 10 for the Lynx.

Collier underwent surgery on her ankle on March 24 after sustaining a severe injury during the 2025 playoffs. Per reports at the time, she sustained a Grade 2 tear of three ligaments in the ankle and a muscle in her left shin on a collision during Game 3 of the playoff semifinal series vs. Phoenix.

Collier, 29, averaged a career-high 22.9 points and shot 40.3% from 3-point range to go with 7.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.5 blocks per game last year. The back-to-back WNBA Most Valuable Player runner-up, Collier is a five-time All-Star and earned MVP honors in the 2024 Commissioner’s Cup final and the 2025 All-Star Game.

–Field Level Media