AP Sports SummaryBrief at 11:36 a.m. EDT

Joel Embiid scores 23 points, has the big assist as 76ers beat Heat in play-in to earn No. 7 seed

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid had 23 points, 15 rebounds and one huge assist to Kelly Oubre Jr. on a late go-ahead three-point play that led the 76ers to a 105-104 win over the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament on Wednesday night. The 76ers earned the seventh seed and advance to play the second-seeded New York Knicks in the opening round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Game 1 is Saturday at Madison Square Garden. The Heat - who went from the play-in tourney to the NBA Finals a year ago — host Chicago on Friday night. The winner gets the No. 8 seed.

NBA bans Jontay Porter after gambling probe shows he shared information, bet on games

The NBA has banned Toronto player Jontay Porter after a league probe found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors and bet on games. Porter, the league said, gave a bettor information about his own health status prior to Toronto’s game on March 20. The league said another individual, known to be an NBA bettor, placed an $80,000 bet that Porter would not hit the numbers set for him in parlays through an online sports book. That bet would have won $1.1 million. Porter is the second person to be banned by Commissioner Adam Silver for violating league rules. The other was now-former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling in 2014.

Lawyers for Nassar assault survivors have reached $100M deal with Justice Department, AP source says

The U.S. Justice Department has agreed to pay approximately $100 million to settle claims with about 100 people who say they were sexually assaulted by sports doctor Larry Nassar. A source with direct knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press about the deal on Wednesday. The deal has not been finalized and no money has been paid. The source spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak before a formal announcement. An internal investigation found that FBI agents mishandled abuse allegations before Nassar was arrested in 2016. The settlement was first reported by The Wall Street Journal. A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment.

Palestinian soccer renews call for sanctions against Israel at FIFA congress amid Hamas conflict

GENEVA (AP) — Calls for action against Israel in international soccer because of the conflict with Hamas will be stepped up by Palestinian officials at the annual FIFA congress next month. The Palestine Football Association proposal to 211 member federations meeting in Thailand calls for “appropriate sanctions, with immediate effect, against Israeli teams.” FIFA has released documents ahead of the May 17 meeting. The Palestinian motion notes “international law violations committed by the Israeli occupation” and cites FIFA statutory commitments on human rights and against discrimination. The latest call to punish Israel soccer won't be supported by FIFA and likely won't make progress.

NFL draft has potential to set a record for most players on offense selected in the first round

The 2024 NFL draft has the potential to set a record for most players on offense selected in the first round. No draft has seen more than 19 players on offense chosen in the first round. That happened three times, most recently in 2009. Many draft experts are predicting more than 20 offensive players will go in the first round and some have up to 25. The AP’s final mock draft had 22 going in the first round, including 10 offensive linemen, six wide receivers, five quarterbacks and one tight end. Only once in the past 57 years have the first seven picks all been offensive players. That happened in 2021.

NBA Playoffs 2024: Before Game 1s on Saturday, a pair of Game 7-type matchups on Friday

The Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder are about to find out who they will face in Round 1 of the NBA playoffs. The final two play-in games — and final two berths in the playoffs — will be decided Friday night, when Chicago visits Miami in an Eastern Conference matchup and Sacramento goes to New Orleans in a Western Conference matchup. Winners move on, losers are done.

The ideal Champions League final is within reach if Mbappé and Real Madrid can deliver

The tantalizing prospect of Kylian Mbappé squaring up to Real Madrid in the Champions League final looms large. Mbappé becomes a free agent after the season when Madrid is favorite to finally land the forward it has coveted for so long. Before that there are trophies to be won and none are bigger in European club soccer than the Champions League. Madrid has a record 14 wins. Paris Saint-Germain and Mbappé are still waiting for their first. Mbappé’s imminent departure has partly been attributed to PSG’s failure to transfer its domestic dominance to the continent. How ironic it would be if the France forward triumphed in his final year at the club against the team he looks likeliest to join.

Fernando Tatis Jr. has 50 custom cleats planned this year, including odes to Gwynn, Curry and more

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Fernando Tatis Jr. plans to unveil 50 pairs of custom cleats this season, including odes to Padres great Tony Gwynn, basketball star Stephen Curry and military veterans. Adidas ended its shoe deal with Tatis days after MLB suspended him for 80 games for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs in August 2022. Being a shoe free agent has allowed the dreadlocked Dominican to be creative and use different brands, although he favors Jordan 1 Mid cleats by Nike. The 25-year-old has already worn shoes honoring late Padres owner Peter Seidler, ones playing off the classic Tiffany Blue and a pair showing gratitude to his big league father.

China-born Zhou Guanyu will be a star regardless of who wins the F1 race in Shanghai

SHANGHAI (AP) — Formula 1 returns to China this weekend after a five-year absence. And no matter who wins on Sunday, the star locally will be China-born driver Zhou Guanyu. Despite his so-so results, Zhou is on the verge of stardom in China. He’s the subject of a new film as the first Chinese driver to compete in F1. He’s a favorite of sponsors who want a Chinese connection. Zhou has never won a F1 race or even reached the podium. He's driven in 48 races since his 2022 debut. Ahead of the first grand prix weekend in Shanghai since 2019, Zhou describes it as more than a race for him, saying “With a Chinese driver on the grid, we will write history.”

PSG star Tabitha Chawinga of Malawi overcomes obstacles en route to Champions League success

Paris Saint-Germain forward Tabitha Chawinga faced challenges as a young soccer player growing up in Malawi. Her parents disapproved and wanted her to stop playing. As a teenager, Chawinga was once forced to remove her clothes on the field to prove to the other team that she’s female. The 27-year-old Chawinga’s confidence and positive attitude have helped her excel on three continents. She left Malawi for Sweden at age 17 and later played in China before joining Inter Milan for a season and now PSG. She’s filled up the scoresheet at each stop and this season has helped PSG reach the Women’s Champions League semifinals, facing Lyon on Saturday.

The Associated Press