AP Sports SummaryBrief at 6:14 p.m. EDT

Memphis Grizzlies fire Taylor Jenkins, franchise's winningest coach The Memphis Grizzlies have fired coach Taylor Jenkins with the team struggling down the stretch and at risk of losing home-court advantage for the postseason.

Still sitting at No.

5 in the Western Conference standings, the Grizzlies decided Friday to dump Jenkins anyway without immediately announcing an interim coach.

Jenkins led the Grizzlies for six seasons.

He was let go with the team on the verge of playing three home games in a four-day span.

That starts a stretch where eight of Memphis final nine opponents are either playoff clubs or contending for a play-in spot.

Spanish court overturns soccer player Dani Alves' rape conviction on appeal BARCELONA, Spain (AP) Dani Alves has won his appeal against a sexual assault conviction as a Spanish court overturned the ruling.

Alves was found guilty in February 2024 of raping a woman in a nightclub in December 2022 and sentenced to four years, six months in prison.

He denied wrongdoing during the three-day trial.

The former Brazil and Barcelona star was released from prison in in March 2024 while waiting for his appeal to be heard by a higher court.

That court ruled Friday that there was insufficient evidence to rule out Alves presumption of innocence.

JuJu Watkins season-ending knee injury leaves a big void in womens NCAA Tournament BIRMINGHAM, Ala.

(AP) Dawn Staley sent JuJu Watkins a text as soon as she saw the star Southern California sophomore suffer a season-ending knee injury earlier this week.

The South Carolina coach said it was tough to see Watkins writhing on the court in pain because of how beloved she is.

Watkins, the dominant USC guard and Associated Press All-America first-teamer, will likely miss significant time, leaving the womens basketball world without one of its most transcendent stars.

Staley said there is a big void with Watkins not being a part of the womens tourney.

Brazil fires coach Dorival Junior after worst defeat in World Cup qualifying SAO PAULO (AP) Brazils soccer confederation has fired coach Dorival Junior after 14 months amid poor results and disappointing performances from the national team.

Juniors sacking on Friday comes three days after a 4-1 defeat at Argentina, Brazils worst defeat in a World Cup qualifier.

His replacement has yet to be picked.

Brazil is fifth in South American qualifying for the 2026 World Cup.

The top six qualify automatically.

Deion Sanders' contract at Colorado extended through the 2029 season Colorado coach Deion Sanders has received a contract extension through the 2029 season after turning around a downtrodden program in just two seasons.

The school said the extension increases Sanders yearly base salary to $10 million in 2025, making him the highest-paid football coach in the Big 12.

The deal was reached with three years remaining on Sanders existing five-year, $29.5 million deal he signed when he was brought in from Jackson State.

Sanders and the Buffaloes are coming off a 9-4 season in which they earned a spot in the Alamo Bowl.

A look inside the Tampa Bay Rays' 120-hour makeover of the Yankees' Steinbrenner Field TAMPA, Fla.

(AP) Left homeless after Hurricane Milton destroyed the Tropicana Field roof on Oct.

9, the Tampa Bay Rays began their season as renters at Steinbrenner Field, the spring training headquarters for the Yankees, playing the Colorado Rockies in the final major league opener.

The Rays replaced more than 3,000 images in the 11,000-capacity ballpark during a 120-hour makeover after the Yankees final home spring training game ended Sunday at 3:33 p.m.

By the time of Fridays first pitch shortly after 4 p.m., banners spelling R-A-Y-S covered the Y-A-N-K-E-E-S signs above the first- and third-base stands.

New Patriots receiver Stefon Diggs says he's ahead of schedule with rehab, eager to produce The years of Stefon Diggs being one of the most prolific receivers in the NFL have probably passed.

But the 31-year-old believes he still has plenty to offer as he prepares to embark on his latest stop with the New England Patriots.

After posting six straight 1,000-yard seasons with Minnesota and Buffalo, he was traded to Houston last offseason.

He had 47 receptions for 496 yards and three touchdowns in eight games before having his season truncated when he tore the ACL in his right knee.

But he says he's ahead of schedule with his rehab and is eager to prove he can still be a No.

1 receiving option.

3s please, and wide-open offense on display when Duke plays Alabama with Final Four trip at stake NEWARK, N.J.

(AP) When Alabama faces Duke for a trip to the Final Four on Saturday, hoops fans will witness what some say is the future of college basketball.

Others might call it a byproduct of nobody putting up a fight on defense.

The meeting pitting Associated Press All-Americans Cooper Flagg of Duke and Mark Sears of Alabama is also a showdown between teams that love to shoot 3-pointers.

Each hit the 100-point mark in the contests that vaulted them into the Elite Eight.

Duke coach Jon Scheyer explains why the teams shoot so many 3s by saying It's just math.

March Maddening? Timing of transfer portal opening can be tough on coaches still in the tourney BIRMINGHAM, Ala.

(AP) Dawn Staley, like nearly every coach still playing in the NCAA Tournament, has been splitting her time this week between preparing for South Carolinas Sweet 16 game against Maryland and talking to potential transfers who have entered the portal.

Such is life in college basketball.

The portal opened Tuesday and 595 womens basketball players entered in the first 24 hours, according to the NCAA.

Thats 2 1/2 times more than the 233 players that entered in the same time frame last year.

There were 757 mens basketball players in the portal in the opening 24 hours this year which also was more than double last season.

Gronk-a-Mania set to run wild over WrestleMania weekend Rob Gronkowski grew up emulating his sports heroes in school, never shy about unleashing a Stone Cold Stunner or dropping a Peoples Elbow on his roughhousing friends.

So it was of little surprise that the fun-loving, fearless Gronkowskis charisma and hulking muscles made him a natural fit as a WWE star.

He hosted WrestleMania in 2020.

He was provoked into jumping the rail and hit the ring at another WrestleMania after bad guy Jinder Mahal tossed a drink in his face.

Gronkowski is tag-team partners again with WWE, this year bringing the Gronk Beach parties he threw at the Super Bowl to WrestleMania next month in Las Vegas..

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