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NASCAR has fined Daniel Suarez $50,000 for hitting another vehicle on pit road following the race at Circuit of the Americas. The fine was classified as a behavioral penalty and NASCAR cited “contact with another vehicle on pit road after the race.” Suarez hit both his Trackhouse Racing teammate Ross Chastain from behind and then Alex Bowman as the cars returned to pit road following Sunday’s race on the road course. He spoke with Bowman on pit road after, and leaned into Chastain's window to talk to his teammate. Suarez finished 27th in a race that ended in triple overtime.

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NASCAR has fined Daniel Suarez $50,000 for hitting another vehicle on pit road following the race at Circuit of the Americas. The fine was classified as a behavioral penalty and NASCAR cited “contact with another vehicle on pit road after the race.” Suarez hit both his Trackhouse Racing teammate Ross Chastain from behind and then Alex Bowman as the cars returned to pit road following Sunday’s race on the road course. He spoke with Bowman on pit road after, and leaned into Chastain's window to talk to his teammate. Suarez finished 27th in a race that ended in triple overtime.

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A NASCAR appeals panel has rescinded hefty points penalties levied against Hendrick Motorsports drivers Kyle Larson, William Byron and Alex Bowman. The three-person panel restored 100 points to each of the three drivers following a hearing but upheld fines and suspensions for four Hendrick crew chiefs. With the points returned, Bowman moves to the No. 1 spot in the Cup Series standings. Byron is now third and Larson is ninth. Hendrick Motorsports applauded the decision. NASCAR, meanwhile, expressed disappointment in part of the result, saying “a points penalty is a strong deterrent that is necessary to govern the garage following rule book violations.”

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Legislation authorizing sports gambling in North Carolina has received final approval in the state's House annd now heads to the Senate. The bill spells out how gambling operators would be licensed, wagers made and revenue taxed. The measure passed Wednesday, a day after it received tentative House approval following nearly two hours of debate. A similar initiative failed in the House in 2022, but pro-gambling forces redoubled their efforts and this year's measure had over 50 sponsors. The Senate approved a sports wagering bill in 2021. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper also supports the idea.

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North Carolina State sophomore guard Terquavion Smith says he’s entering the NBA draft. Smith announced his decision in a social-media post, saying he was eager to pursue “a lifelong dream of mine.” The 6-foot-4 guard was a first-team all-Atlantic Coast Conference pick for The Associated Press after averaging a team-best 17.9 points, which was second in the ACC. He also made 187 3-pointers over his two seasons. He helped the Wolfpack return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018.

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Duke freshman Dariq Whitehead says he’s entering the NBA draft. The 6-foot-7 wing announced his decision Wednesday. He averaged 8.3 points and shot a team-best 42.4% from 3-point range in 28 games. Whitehead missed time to start the season and then during the Atlantic Coast Conference schedule due to injuries. Coach Jon Scheyer says he's “just scratching the surface on who he's going to be.” Whitehead scored 16 points in a win against eventual Final Four team Miami in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament,

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Brayden Point had two goals and an assist and the Tampa Bay Lightning snapped a four-game losing streak by defeating the Carolina Hurricanes 4-0. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 29 saves, including 12 in the third period, for his third shutout of the season. Steven Stamkos added a goal and an assist as the Lightning wrapped up a four-game road stretch with a much-needed result to stay in good position to reach the playoffs. Alex Killorn scored an empty-net goal with 4:21 remaining. Pyotr Kochetkov made 17 saves as the Hurricanes lost for the third time in four games.

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Brayden Point had two goals and an assist and the Tampa Bay Lightning snapped a four-game losing streak by defeating the Carolina Hurricanes 4-0. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 29 saves, including 12 in the third period, for his third shutout of the season. Steven Stamkos added a goal and an assist as the Lightning wrapped up a four-game road stretch with a much-needed result to stay in good position to reach the playoffs. Alex Killorn scored an empty-net goal with 4:21 remaining. Pyotr Kochetkov made 17 saves as the Hurricanes lost for the third time in four games.

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The NCAA has taken a seat on the bench in the political game. The organization that governs college athletics was once at the forefront of hot-button issues such as the Confederate flag and transgender rights. But that stance evolved quickly as one Republican-controlled state after another rushed to pass laws that cover everything from abortion to transgender rights to drag shows. The NCAA’s new approach came into sharper focus this week as Texas prepares to host both the men’s and women’s Final Four. Not a word has been spoken about moving these events out of Houston and Dallas.

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P.J. Washington scored a career-high 43 points, and the Charlotte Hornets stunned the Oklahoma City Thunder 137-134. Washington scored 29 points in the second half. Oklahoma City guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who entered the day fourth in the league averaging 31.3 points per game, sat out with a sprained left ankle. Three Thunder players scored career highs — Isaiah Joe with 33 points and Josh Giddey and Jalen Williams with 31 each. But Williams and Giddey each missed one of two free throws in the final 16 seconds and Williams missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer that would have forced overtime.

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Sports gambling in North Carolina has soared over a major hurdle as the House voted for legislation to permit, regulate and tax wagering activities. The 66-45 vote on Tuesday came less than a year after the chamber scuttled a similar effort. One more House vote is needed Wednesday before the legislation can move to the Senate, which voted for sports betting in 2021. Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper also supports sports wagering legislation. A coalition of Christian conservatives and liberal Democrats turned back a measure in 2022 but this year gambling proponents have brought together nearly half of the House as bill sponsors.

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North Carolina guard Caleb Love says he will enter his name into the transfer portal after three seasons with the Tar Heels. Love announced his decision with a social media post Monday. The 6-foot-4 Love had big moments during an unexpected run to last year’s national championship game though he also wrestled with inconsistency for most of his college career. The highs included a huge game to beat Duke in last year's Final Four in the first NCAA Tournament meeting between the rivals. But his shooting numbers all regressed this season even as he averaged a team-best 16.7 points.

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Kimi Raikkonen couldn’t get over how many restarts there were in the waning laps of NASCAR’s first road course race of the season. Jordan Taylor called his NASCAR debut “a race of survival” and Jenson Button found much of it “a bit silly.” That was the verdict from three of the most experienced road racers in the world after a mess of a NASCAR race that took three overtimes to be decided. Tyler Reddick finally won it Sunday when the race at Circuit of the Americas went seven laps past the scheduled distance of 68 laps to reach a conclusion.

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The Boston Marathon has agreed to a 10-year sponsorship deal with Bank of America that organizers hope will allow the world’s oldest 26.2-mile road race to grow over the next decade while maintaining its historic character. Financial terms of the deal announced Monday weren't disclosed. But the deal doesn't include the naming rights that typically allow the sponsor to boost its profile and an event to boost its coffers. Bank of America already had a foot in the distance-running world as the sponsor of the Chicago Marathon for the last decade. Insurance giant John Hancock sponsored the Boston Marathon for the last 38 years.

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Oklahoma City will try to keep its five-game home win streak alive when the Thunder face Charlotte. Tuesday's meeting will be the second of the season between the two teams. Oklahoma City is 22-15 at home, and Charlotte is 12-27 on the road.

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David Pastrnak eclipsed the 50-goal mark by scoring twice and the Boston Bruins won their seventh game in a row by defeating the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 in a shootout. Charlie Coyle and Jake DeBrusk converted in the shootout in a matchup of Eastern Conference division leaders. Jakub Lauko also scored for the Bruins who earned their 57th victory and are five wins shy of matching the all-time NHL record with nine regular-season games to play. Charlie McAvoy provided two assists. Boston's Jeremy Swayman made 34 saves. Jack Drury, Brady Skjei and Sebastian Aho scored for the Hurricanes.