JQJO — Your world, one story at a time · Page 832

ATLANTA — C.J. McCollum hit a fadeaway jumper with 12.5 seconds left to lift the Atlanta Hawks to a 109-108 victory over the New York Knicks in Game 3, giving Atlanta a 2-1 lead in the first-round series. McCollum finished with 23 points and Jalen Johnson led the Hawks with 24; Jonathan Kuminga added 21 off the bench. New York had rallied to a 108-105 edge on Jalen Brunson's three-point play with 1:03 remaining, but after a late sequence that included a missed Josh Hart 3 and an offensive rebound the Knicks could not get a timely shot and Brunson turned the ball over as the horn sounded.

ATLANTA — Hawks coach Quin Snyder called McCollum's shot "a great shot" and stressed the team effort, saying, "They work, they share." Atlanta led nearly the entire game, building an 18-point advantage in the first half after outscoring New York 27-12 in the final seven minutes of the opening quarter, an early surge that included an 11-0 run and three straight 3-pointers by Mouhamed Gueye and Jonathan Kuminga. Knicks coach Mike Brown lamented missed calls around the basket and said his team must make better decisions going forward. Game 4 is Saturday in Atlanta.

Arlington, Texas. The Texas Rangers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-1 Thursday at Globe Life Field, with Jacob deGrom striking out 10 over 5 2/3 innings and Evan Carter hitting an inside-the-park, two-run home run; Pirates rookie Bubba Chandler allowed six earned runs in four innings, surrendering two home runs in the series finale on April 23, 2026.

Pittsburgh dropped to 14-11 following the loss, marking one of the Pirates’ three series defeats this season; Chandler’s ERA rose to 4.88 after his worst outing, while deGrom recorded his 62nd career 10-strikeout game and improved to 2-0 for the season, and Corey Seager added a three-run homer in the fourth inning.

Charlotte, N.C. Monroe Freeling, a 6-foot-7, 315-pound offensive tackle from Georgia, was selected by the Carolina Panthers with the 19th overall pick of the NFL Draft on April 23, 2026. The pick followed his three-year college tenure that included multiple starts and combine testing in February, and it adds a first-round lineman to Carolina’s depth chart.

The Panthers say the selection addresses instability at tackle as veteran Ickey Ekwonu recovers from patellar tendon surgery and creates competition with free-agent Rasheed Walker; general manager Dan Morgan called Freeling the best player on the board. This week the team will integrate Freeling into minicamp plans and evaluate his fit at left and right tackle during OTAs.

Chicago selected Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman with the 25th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Thursday night. Thieneman, a Westfield, Indiana native who spent two seasons at Purdue before transferring to Oregon, entered the draft after earning All-American honors and posting standout combine metrics.

The pick immediately bolsters a Bears secondary that lost multiple safeties in free agency this offseason; GM Ryan Poles described Thieneman as a violent tackler. This week the club added experienced depth via free agency and now adds a first-round rookie with a 4.35 40-yard dash and 41-inch vertical to compete in offseason programs.

HOUSTON. On Thursday night the Houston Texans traded up in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft to select Georgia Tech offensive guard Keylan Rutledge with the 26th overall pick, acquiring the slot from the Buffalo Bills and making Rutledge the Texans' first first-round interior lineman pick since 2023.

The selection followed Rutledge's 13-start season in which Pro Football Focus credited him with zero sacks allowed and six hurries in 872 snaps; he is a first‑team All‑ACC and third‑team All‑American honoree and winner of the ACC Brian Piccolo Award. The Texans now hold additional draft assets after the trade and will integrate Rutledge into offseason workouts this spring.

Boston. On Thursday at Fenway Park, New York Yankees starting pitcher Cam Schlittler limited the Boston Red Sox to four hits and two runs across eight innings and struck out the final batter, leading the Yankees to a 4-2 victory that completed a three-game sweep and extended their winning streak to six games.

The outing came after Schlittler and his family reported receiving online death threats this offseason; he said this week that Fenway fans in person were largely respectful. Family and friends reacted when he struck out Jarren Duran with his 96th pitch, and the Yankees carry momentum from the sweep into their upcoming schedule.

Washington, United States – President Donald Trump has abruptly dismissed U.S. Navy Secretary John Phelan from his post at the Pentagon, effective immediately, at a moment of heightened military tension with Iran. The move comes as the U.S. Navy maintains an active naval blockade of Iranian ports and continues to intercept commercial tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow chokepoint that serves as a vital transit route for global oil shipments. Undersecretary Hung Cao has been named as Phelan’s replacement, taking over civilian leadership of the Navy while these operations are under way.

The removal of Phelan during ongoing naval enforcement operations highlights a significant internal rift within the Trump administration’s national security team and its war cabinet. The abrupt command change raises immediate questions about how U.S. naval strategy in the region will be managed as the blockade continues, and how decision-making will be coordinated within the Pentagon. Officials have not publicly detailed the reasons for Phelan’s firing, but the timing amid an active confrontation with Iran places added scrutiny on the administration’s handling of military leadership and operational continuity in the Gulf.

Jacksonville, Fla. — The Jacksonville Jaguars navigated heavy draft-day speculation this week as reports linked them to a possible trade-up into the first round and named wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. as potential trade bait. The first round concluded Thursday without the Jaguars making a selection because they previously traded that pick in last year’s Travis Hunter deal.

On Thursday night the Cleveland Browns used the final pick obtained in the Hunter trade to select Texas A&M receiver KC Concepcion at No. 24, while the Jaguars retained pick No. 56 for Day 2. General manager James Gladstone confirmed conversations occurred but said no trade materialized; evaluators noted the Seahawks’ selection of Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price at No. 32.

CINCINNATI — City Manager Sheryl Long dismissed Police Chief Teresa Theetge on Thursday after a months-long investigation into her leadership that followed a suspension in October. Theetge, who served more than 30 years and was the city's first woman police chief, was removed effective immediately and replaced by Interim Chief Adam Hennie.

On Friday Theetge's attorney, Stephen Imm, announced an appeal and plans to sue and released audio from a pre-disciplinary hearing; the city cited insubordination, inefficiency, unsatisfactory performance and dishonesty in its dismissal letter. Fraternal Order of Police leaders expressed concern about department morale, while officials cited the 2025 Summer Safety Plan and October Fountain Square shootings.

Enid, Okla. — A confirmed large tornado struck southeast Enid on Thursday night, April 23, 2026, ripping roofs off homes, damaging structures near Vance Air Force Base, and tossing vehicles; the National Weather Service reported an EF3-rated twister touching down near 8:21 p.m. local time and remaining on the ground for roughly 40 minutes.

Fresno, Calif. — Earlier, on Tuesday, April 21, a separate EF0 tornado was confirmed in Terra Bella in Tulare County with peak winds near 80 mph, marking the fourth tornado that day in the NWS Hanford area and tying a daily record; officials in Oklahoma reported multiple injuries, search-and-rescue operations, and urged residents to avoid Grayridge while crews work to clear roads and restore utilities.