SHEFFIELD, England (AP) — The world snooker championship opened with a huge shock when defending champion Kyren Wilson was beaten by tournament debutant Lei Peifan of China 10-9 at the Crucible Theatre on Saturday.
It meant the so-called “Crucible Curse” continued — no first-time champion has ever gone on to retain the title since the world championship moved to the storied venue in Sheffield, northern England, in 1977.
Wilson has been one of the best players in the world this season and arrived at the Crucible as the top seed and one of the favorites.
He looked in control when taking a 6-3 lead after the first session but Lei, a 21-year-old qualifier and the world No. 39, won a nervy final frame in the evening session to claim a famous victory.
AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports
Lei Peifan lines up a shot during his match against Kyren Wilson during day one of the Halo World Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England, Saturday April 19, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)
Kyren Wilson lines up a shot during his match against Lei Peifan during day one of the Halo World Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England, Saturday April 19, 2025. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Stephen Curry has been cleared for shooting drills and light on-court workouts despite a strained left hamstring, giving him a chance to play for the Golden State Warriors if they force a Game 6 against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Warriors reevaluated Curry on Wednesday before playing their must-win Game 5 without him and announced he was “making good progress” in his recovery from the injury suffered in the opener of the second-round series.
If the Warriors beat the Timberwolves, Curry will undergo his next medical evaluation on Saturday, ahead of Game 6 in San Francisco on Sunday. There's a three-day break scheduled between Games 5 and 6, affording Curry extra time to heal.
“He's on the court. He's doing more stuff, more work, and it's a possibility that he could play,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said shortly before tipoff at Target Center on Wednesday.
Curry traveled with the team to Minneapolis, but he already had been ruled out for the fourth consecutive game when the official injury report was released on Tuesday.
Curry’s first career hamstring strain, one of several injuries that have waylaid star players during these NBA playoffs, has made it predictably harder for the Warriors to space their offense and generate scoring. They are averaging 17 turnovers per game in the series and shooting only 36% from 3-point range.
Brandin Podziemski shot 9 for 40 from the field over the first four games, including 3 for 17 from beyond the arc. He has just 30 points in the series. Jimmy Butler, playing through an illness, had a minus-30 rating in Game 4 on Monday.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30), left, gestures after making a 3-point shot as Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch, right, reacts during the first half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series, Tuesday, May 6, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, center, reacts from the bench during the first half of Game 4 in the Western Conference semifinals of the NBA basketball playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Monday, May 12, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry, center right, gestures to teammate Draymond Green that he is subbing in the first half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves in San Francisco, Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Carlos Avila Gonzalez/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)
