TMZ Sports - Page 37

Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns led the Knicks to their biggest playoff win in decades Monday night ... but celebration aside, the star hoopers expressed concern for Jayson Tatum, after suffering a devastating injury in the game's closing minutes.

The heartwrenching injury happened during the final minutes of the pivotal game at Madison Square Garden ... after 27-year-old Tatum appeared to suffer a non-contact injury to his lower right leg/foot area, with many fearing he tore his Achilles.

Tatum immediately fell to the floor, clutching the area, clearly in a great deal of pain.

Sports Illustrated just announced its four cover models for the 2025 edition of the iconic swimsuit magazine ... and 58-year-old actress Salma Hayek and superstar gymnasts Livvy Dunne and Jordan Chiles lead the charge!!

S.I. Swim editor MJ Day dropped the big news just minutes ago ... revealing Hayek, the social media sensation, Olympic gold medalist and model/entrepreneur Lauren Chan earned the honor for perfectly embodying what the brand is all about.

"These women are why we do what we do," Day said. "These stories we share here and on our platforms are about so much more than what meets the eye. They are about the power of authenticity, the strength of vulnerability and the beauty of living a life that’s unapologetically yours."

Kylie Jenner and Timothee Chalamet were in basketball mode Monday night, showing up at the Knicks-Celtics matchup in NYC — with Kylie's sister, Kendall, in tow.

The trio sat courtside watching the Knicks do battle with the Celtics during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals series at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan. And what a game it was with the Knicks beating the Celtics 121-113, which made Timothee's night.

During each quarter, the actor - who's also a Knicks superfan — was all about rooting on his team, jumping out of his seat at one point and clapping wildly after a Knicks player sank a basket.

Cardi B and Stefon Diggs looked cute and coupley while making their first official public appearance together amid dating rumors ... strolling up to Monday's Knicks vs. Celtics game at New York City's Madison Square Garden hand in hand.

They looked just as smitten inside the famous venue -- the "Wap" hitmaker at one point placed a hand on her rumored beau's thigh ... and was later photographed sweetly caressing his face.

In another pic, Stefon looked cool and confident with his arm wrapped around Cardi ... possibly confirming what fans have been speculating for months -- that she's all his.

Former NBA star Zach Randolph is currently at the center of a police investigation ... after cops say a woman told them he roughed her up during a 2024 incident.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Sports ... the woman alleged the attack went down in September -- after the two had gotten into an argument at a Los Angeles-area home.

It's not yet clear why the woman waited multiple months to report the claims -- though we're told she did present authorities with photographs of the injuries she said she suffered at the hands of Randolph.

Adarius Taylor -- a seven-year NFL veteran -- was arrested for child abuse in Florida ... TMZ Sports has learned.

According to jail records, 34-year-old Taylor was booked on two charges -- one count of negligent child abuse without bodily harm and one count of soliciting another for prostitution, lewdness or assignation.

He was released on Sunday after posting bond, which was set at $6,000. We've reached out to officials for more information.

While Josh Allen's slated to wed Hailee Steinfeld in just a few weeks, the NFL superstar's ex has clearly been married to an amazing fitness routine -- check out some bikini pics Brittany Williams shared Monday, she looks goooood!!!

Allen's former girlfriend threw up the photos on her Instagram page ... showing off a taut physique to her nearly 150,000 followers.

Williams, wearing a small blue bikini, posed in front of the Pacific Ocean and a few mirrors ... while out in Pismo Beach with the dog she and Josh once owned together.

More details surrounding former Major League Baseball player Scott Sauerbeck's death have been revealed -- the 53-year-old passed away of complications from the flu.

TMZ Sports obtained the autopsy report from the District 12 Medical Examiner's Office in Florida ... which listed "sequela of acute influenza A, including streptococcal pharyngitis" as the official cause of death.

Hypertensive heart disease was listed as a contributory factor ... and his manner of death was natural.

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah's 2025 season is over -- and it seems entirely possible his NFL days as a whole might done as well.

The Cleveland Browns just placed their star linebacker on reserve/physically unable to perform -- formally ending his '25 before it even began ... and in announcing the move, general manager Andrew Berry made it pretty clear JOK's future beyond that is very much in question.

"Jeremiah's health is of the utmost importance to us and although he has made progress towards recovery, we've made the decision to place him on Reserve/PUP, which means he will not play football during the 2025 season," Berry said.

Butch McRae's Western University uniform -- rocked by Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway in the movie Blue Chips -- just hit the auction block ... over 30 years after the iconic basketball film hit theatres!

The white with blue and gold trimmed jersey and shorts, Champion size 46 top and size 38 shorts, is available for sale to the highest bidder at Grey Flannel Auctions ... with a starting price of $2,500.

The uni was photomatched to scenes from the movie ... with experts comparing the unique mesh pattern on the jersey to confirm the authenticity.

Of course, if you're a hoops fan older than your late-30s, you're likely very familiar with the cult classic ... which also starred Nick Nolte, who played Pete Bell, and Shaquille O'Neal, who portrayed Neon Boudeaux.

In the movie, Coach Bell, a principled man who is facing pressure to win, agrees to bend the rules in order to bring in young star players like Butch and Neon.

Despite having success on the court with the stud hoopers, the pay-to-play scandal is ultimately uncovered ... with Bell admitting what they'd done and resigning his position, ending his career as a top college coach.

As for McRae, he ends up leaving college early and playing professional ball in the NBA ... much like Penny in real life.

The auction will remain open until June 2.

Wrestling superstar Kyle Snyder -- who won gold at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games -- was arrested last week as part of a prostitution sting, police said Monday.

According to the Columbus Police Dept. in Ohio, Snyder responded at around 8:15 PM on May 9 to a fake internet ad that law enforcement had posted in an effort to catch people looking to illegally pay for sex.

Cops allege Snyder set up a date with an undercover agent at a nearby hotel ... and when he showed up less than half an hour later, he forked over cash and requested oral sex.

Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen still can't see eye to eye in the year 2025 ... something one of their former Bulls teammates thinks is quite ridiculous -- with Bill Cartwright telling TMZ Sports their ongoing feud is "nonsense."

The friction between MJ and Pippen became public after the release of the Jordan-produced documentary, "The Last Dance," in 2020 -- when Scottie took issue with how he was portrayed in the project.

Pippen's been sneak-dissing Jordan ever since ... even going as far as saying LeBron James is his NBA GOAT over His Airness.

His Airness is now His Airwaves -- Michael Jordan has joined NBC's NBA coverage team as a special contributor, the network announced Monday.

The Peacock is returning to pro basketball as part of the 11-year, $76 billion broadcasting deal with Disney and Amazon ... and it's clear they're not messing around by bringing in the NBA GOAT to its roster.

Unclear what exactly this means for No. 23 -- he doesn't really have much experience in TV ... so the announcement is pretty surprising to say the least.

Mother's Day had an extra special meaning at Puka Nacua's house ... 'cause the star wide receiver's girlfriend revealed the couple is expecting their first child!

Hallie Aiono shared the exciting news on Instagram, posting that the two are preparing to welcome a baby boy into the world.

While they didn't reveal the due date ... with the two already confirming the gender, it's fair to assume Aiono's at least halfway through the pregnancy.

The M in MLB might as well have stood for Mother on Sunday -- 'cause a bunch of players, including Phillies star Jose Alvarado, put their love for their moms on full display during their afternoons on the big league diamonds.

Take a look at Alvarado's cap as he came out of the bullpen during Philadelphia's 3-0 win over the Guardians at Progressive Field ... he had an adorable note written to his mom in silver ink.

"Happy Mother's Day," the message read. "I love Mom."

Start molding the bronze bust and measuring lengths for the gold jacket ... according to Quentin Lake, Matthew Stafford will "easily" be a Hall of Famer whenever he decides to retire from the NFL.

Lake -- who's been the L.A. quarterback's teammate since 2022 -- made no bones about it during a sit-down with TMZ Sports this week ... saying straight up Stafford is "100 percent" an HOFer.

The 26-year-old defensive back explained he's gotten to see Stafford up-close at practices weekly for the last three years ... and he just knows there aren't many who have ever played the game at a higher-level.