UNDATED (AP) — The Washington Wizards and Los Angeles Clippers opened their respective conference semifinal series with road victories. The Wizards had dropped 13 straight in Indianapolis until Trevor Ariza (ah-REE’-zah) shot 6-for-6 from 3-point range and scored 22 points in a 102-96 triumph over the Pacers. Chris Paul hit a career-best eight 3-pointers and finished with 32 points and 10 assists in the Clippers’ 122-105 rout of Oklahoma City.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia 76ers guard Michael Carter-Williams has been named the NBA’s Rookie of the Year. He received 104 of the 124 first place votes cast by a nationwide panel of sports reporters after averaging 16.7 points, 6.3 assists and 6.2 rebounds a game. He joined the Sixers out of Syracuse as the 11th overall pick in the draft.
UNDATED (AP) — Pittsburgh has a 2-1 series lead in the NHL’s conference semifinals, while Los Angeles is up 2-0 in its series. Marc-Andre Fleury posted his second consecutive shutout and Sidney Crosby scored his first goal in 14 postseason games as the Pens downed the New York Rangers 2-0. Jonathan Quick turned back 36 shots and Alec Martinez provided the game-winner in the Kings’ 3-1 triumph at Anaheim.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Kirk Muller (MUL’-ur) and most of his coaching staff have been fired by the Carolina Hurricanes, one week into Ron Francis’ tenure as general manager. Rod Brind’Amour (BRIHN’-dah-mohr), a third-year assistant who was the captain of Carolina’s Cup-winning team, will remain part of the coaching staff, Francis said. Muller was 80-80-27 in three seasons with the Hurricanes, who haven’t made the playoffs since 2009.
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Tiger Woods says his recovery from back surgery is going slowly and the world’s top-ranked player says he’s not sure when he’ll be able to return to golf. In a wide-ranging blog on his website, Woods says he remains sore from the incision during the March 31 operation for a pinched nerve. The surgery forced him to miss the Masters for the first time.
