MORNING ROUNDUP
Harkless leaving Sooners for UNLV
One of the biggest hits to Oklahoma's basketball rotation came April 11 when Elijah Harkless entered the transfer portal as a graduate transfer. A week later, Harkless has a new home — UNLV, where he'll play Kevin Kruger, the son of former Sooners head coach Lon Kruger. Harkless, a 6-foot-3 guard, averaged 10 points and 4.1 rebounds in 29 minutes per game before suffering a seasonending injury Feb. 18. In addition to being a two-way player, Harkless was a crucial piece for the Sooners because of his ability to move around the lineup.
Smart is NBA's Defensive Player of the Year
Boston Celtics guard and former Oklahoma State star Marcus Smart has been named NBA Defensive Player of the Year.
It is the first time Smart has won the award and is the first guard to earn the honor since Gary Payton in the 1995-96 season. Smart is also the second player to win the award with the Celtics, joining Kevin Garnett (2007-08).
A starter in all 71 of his games played in the 2021-22 regular season, the 6foot-4 Smart ranked seventh in the NBA in steals per game (1.68) and tied for sixth in total steals (119). He had 19 games with three or more steals, including two games with a season-high five steals.
SUNS 110, PELICANS 99: Chris Paul scored 19 of his 30 points during a brilliant fourth-quarter shooting display and the Phoenix Suns beat the New Orleans Pelicans late Sunday night in Game 1 of the first-round playoff series. The top-seeded Suns needed Paul's big finish despite dominating most of the game. Paul hit three 3-pointers and a layup in 2 1/2 minutes in a flurry that kept the Pelicans chasing. Game 2 is Tuesday night in Phoenix.
BUCKS 93, BULLS 86: Giannis Antetokounmpo had 27 points and 16 rebounds and the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks recovered after blowing a 16-point lead to beat the Chicago Bulls in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series Sunday.
ETC. Nikola Jokic is a finalist to win a second straight NBA MVP award, along with two-time winner Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid. The NBA unveiled the top-three finishers in voting for its individual awards, with the expected names in the running for the marquee award. The award winner will be announced during the postseason.
Olympic champion wins Boston Marathon women's division
Reigning Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Boston Marathon women's division by winning a see-saw sprint down Boylston Street.
She crossed the finish line in 2 hours, 21 minutes and 1 second.
Evans Chebet of Kenya won the men's division in 2:06:51 as the race returned to its traditional Patriots' Day spot in the schedule for the first time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. More than 28,000 runners returned to the streets from Hopkinton to Copley Square six months after a smaller and socially distanced event that was the only fall race in its 126-year history.
Kyle Busch wins Bristol dirt race
Kyle Busch slipped past the spinning cars of Tyler Reddick and Chase Briscoe to steal his first Cup win of the season Sunday night on slick, wet, dirt-covered Bristol Motor Speedway. Reddick was chasing the first Cup win of his career but lapped traffic allowed Briscoe to close in on Reddick. Briscoe timed his move for the win for the third turn of the final lap, when Briscoe tried to slide his way past Reddick on the inside. The move backfired and both cars spun out of control and Busch, who was running third, simply skirted through for his first win.
Extra points
MLB: Boston Red Sox catcher Kevin Plawecki tested positive for COVID-19 along with two staff members, manager Alex Cora said before Boston faced the Minnesota Twins in its annual Patriots' Day game. Cora said the 31-year-old Plawecki is vaccinated. Cora didn't want to elaborate whom the staff members were, but said it wasn't any coaches. Cora also said Boston expects to be without multiple unvaccinated players for an upcoming series at Toronto.