UR MAG

With their eyes on returning to contention after a season off for Tyrese Haliburton, the Indiana Pacers had a shot at adding a top 4 pick in this year’s NBA Draft, one of the deepest in draft history.

Instead, they won’t have a first-round draft pick at all.

The Pacers fell out of the top of Sunday’s NBA Draft lottery, and their pick that wasn’t protected outside of the top four will now fall to the Los Angeles Clippers via the Ivica Zubac trade.

Advertisement

This prompted an apology from Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard on social media.

“I’m really sorry to all our fans,” Pritchard wrote on social media. “I won taking this risk. Surprised it came up 5th after this year.

“I thought we were due some luck. But please remember — this team deserved a starting cner to compete with the best teams next year. We have always been resilient.”

A state record fell and history was made at the 2026 AIA Divisional State Track and Field Championships, held at Red Mountain and Shadow Mountain High from May 7-9.

Tempe Corona del Sol junior Kelson Hogan continued his record-breaking season in the javelin, besting his official state record with a throw of 214 feet, 9 inches to win the Division I title. Hogan,a former baseball player, broke the record earlier this season and has now moved to No. 6 in the United States for the event.

“To be honest, I wanted 220 (feet),” Hogan said. “But my coach told me that might not be possible on the grass. I’m happy with what I had, but I wish it could have been a little farther. It means a lot. Just really grateful.”

On the girls side, Queen Creek senior Nicole Ripperdan and Chandler Hamilton junior Aliyah Morrow produced the fastest 400-meter race in Arizona high school history.

Ripperdan ran 53.54 seconds to win it, with Morrow second at 53.64. Ripperdan, a Utah State commit, moves up to No. 2 all-time in Arizona for the 400 and Morrow is No. 3. What makes this race historic is that before the race, only two girls from Arizona (Safford’s Eureka Hall and Gilbert Highland’s Gabby Taylor) had ever run under 54 seconds in the event.

Now, two girls did so in one race.

“It shows how competitive Arizona can be and really is,” Ripperdan said. “Especially in the 400. I think it really represents Arizona. We are, as a whole, getting faster over the years. That’s really exciting to think about.”

Ripperdan also unknowingly played a role in the Division I team championship being decided. She passed a Chandler athlete in the final meters of the 4x400-meter relay to finish second overall, taking away two critical points from Chandler.

The AIA State Track and Field Championships are May 15-16 at Mesa Community College.

Hamilton won the relay, giving the Huskies the team title – 92-91 over Chandler. The Battle of Arizona Avenue carries over to the track.

The Huskies were led by Morrow (200, 400), senior Kyana Williams (high jump), senior Taleya Freeman (200, 400) and senior Peyton Taylor (pole vault). It is the second title for Hamilton under coach E.J. Martin after winning the Open in 2024.

“It’s all about the hard work and dedication,” Martin said. “When I did take over, building the culture here, where not being surprised — you expect to be there, to compete for championships. Don’t be shocked. Just getting the kids to buy into the culture here. It’s been coming and it’s showing in the results.”

For the boys, Mesa Red Mountain dominated on its way to the team title, beating Hamilton 97-64.66. The Mountain Lions were led by junior Crew Comish (800, 1,600 and 3,200), junior Dameon Brender (200), senior Amare Holley (200, long jump), senior Joshua Lee (shot put) and senior Matthew Heitz (300-meter hurdles).

Advertisement

Red Mountain has won two state titles in the past four seasons after taking the Open in 2023.

“We’ve had a really good run the last few years,” coach Josh Barge said. “It goes to our kids, the culture. All these kids grew up in Red Mountain. They bleed Red Mountain. They’re all in it together. We’ve built it through culture and trusting the process. Ten years ago, when we started this program, we were excited for 10 points at this meet.”

In Division II, Gilbert Campo Verde repeated as boys state champions for the second year in a row, beating Arizona College Prep 116.5 to 88.5. It is the fourth state title in school history. The Coyotes were led by senior Ryker Montgomery (shot put, discus), senior Drew Pollard (javelin), senior Brigham Burnham (hurdles, long jump) and senior Luke Ahles (800, 1,600).

The Waddell Canyon View girls have officially established themselves as a dynasty, winning their third consecutive state championship under coach Muhammad Oliver. Canyon View beat Phoenix North Canyon 131.5 to 107. The Jaguars were led by senior Ryane Ast (100, 400, 800), sophomore Taelyn Janssen (3,200) and senior Rylee Fields (shot put, discus).

In Division V, it came down to the wire for the boys. Glendale Prep just edged out St. Johns 74 to 73, winning in the final stretch of the 4x400-relay to secure the title. It is the first boys state title in school history for Glendale Prep. The Griffins were led by senior Julian Henao (100, 200), senior Zack Rich (400, 800) and senior Logan Hartman (1,600).

For the girls, Phoenix Country Day School ran away with it, beating Scottsdale Christian Academy 81.5-57. It is the first-ever state title in school history for Phoenix Country Day. The Eagles were led by junior Abby Roth (100, 200, 400), sophomore Emerson Butler (1,600, 3,200) and sophomore Jacey-Mae Sellers (pole vault).

Over at Shadow Mountain, where Division III and IV were competing, Flagstaff star junior Yohanes van Meerten showed why he’s one of the best distance runners in state history. The Oregon commit won with ease in the Division III 1,600 with a 4:15.29 and jogged his way to a 9:02.92 in the 3,200.

ALA Queen Creek swept the team championships for boys and girls, a huge sign of the growth of the program under coach Duerk Brewer, who wasThe Republic’s cross-country coach of the yearin 2025.

The Patriots were led by seniors Beckham Goodman (100, 200), Troy Haymore (400, 800) and sophomore Jeremy Smith (1,600) on the boys side, beating Tucson Salpointe Catholic 74-71.

For the girls, junior Tally Call (800, 1,600, 3,200), senior Brailyn Clouse (shot put, discus) and senior Alyson Small (pole vault) led the way, beating Gilbert Mesquite 80.5-59.

In Division IV, Snowflake put on a display of dominance for another year. Snowflake swept both titles to add to its legendary run of titles.

The boys were led by senior decathlete Ryder Hall (110-meter hurdles, long jump, triple jump, high jump), junior Jacob LaDuke (100, 200), senior Conovor Pitts (300-hurdles) and junior Cody Potter (javelin), beating Chandler Valley Christian 112-80. It is the sixth consecutive title and 13th overall for Snowflake, just one from tying the state record held by Phoenix Union and Tucson for most consecutive titles.

The girls were led by seniors Jayci Ballard (100, 300-hurdles, long jump), Hailey Jones (400, 300-hurdles) and Ranell West (discus) and junior Bryn Kupfer (100-hurdles, high jump, javelin), beating Waddell ALA West Foothills 153-102. It is the fourth consecutive title for Snowflake.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic:State record, historic 400m race at AIA Divisional State Track Finals

Kirill Kaprizov and Brock Faber each finished with a goal and two assists as the Minnesota Wild pulled away for a 5-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche in Game 3 of their Western Conference semifinals series on Saturday night in Saint Paul, Minn.

Quinn Hughes tallied a goal and an assist for Minnesota, which pulled within 2-1 in the best-of-seven series. Ryan Hartman and Matt Boldy also scored for the Wild.

Nathan MacKinnon scored the only goal for Colorado, which lost for the first time in the postseason after entering with a 6-0 record.

Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt turned aside 34 of 35 shots to earn the victory.

Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood allowed three goals on 12 shots before he was replaced in the second period. Mackenzie Blackwood saw his first action of the postseason and stopped 12 of 13 shots in backup duty.

The teams will reconvene for Game 4 on Monday night in Minnesota.

Advertisement

Minnesota grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first period. Kaprizov opened the scoring with 4:49 remaining in the first period. He raced toward the net, took a pass from Faber and finished with a wrist shot from the left side of the crease.

Hughes scored less than two minutes later to give the Wild a two-goal advantage. He handled the puck from the left circle to the top of the slot and fired a wrist shot through traffic for the power-play goal.

Another power-play goal gave Minnesota a 3-0 lead with 15:37 left in the second period. Hartman parked in front of the crease and knocked in a shot from the point by Mats Zuccarello.

The Avalanche got on the scoreboard with 6:49 remaining in the second period. Wallstedt stopped Colorado's initial shot, but MacKinnon spotted the rebound and punched it in for the power-play goal.

The Wild needed only 20 seconds to respond. Faber scored on a deflection to increase the Wild's lead to 4-1 with 6:29 to go in the second period.

Boldy capped the scoring with an empty-net goal with 3.3 seconds remaining.

-Field Level Media

Since May isNational Burger Month, we wanted to join in the celebration.

South Jersey has plenty of options for a good old hamburger for your tasting pleasure.

From Burlington County down to Cumberland County, there are some spots you might want to try. Here are seven of those places:

Blue Monkey Tavern, Merchantville

Blue Monkey Tavern is an iconic neighborhood restaurant and bar, which is known for its craft beer, craft cocktails and vivacious atmosphere.

The tavern is nestled in the heart of Merchantville, a small borough of approximately 3,820 people located in Camden County.

It's located in the historic Collins House. The building has been a theater, lumberyard, ice cream parlor, Freemasons lounge and restaurant.

There are televisions for watching sports, and there's a mahogany bar as well, which adds to the ambiance.

Blue Monkey Tavern’s burgers and mussels are popular items.

Some of the burger choices sound heavenly: Blue Monkey burger (a house blend of short rib brisket and chuck, topped with portabella mushrooms, caramelized onions and blue cheese), Centre smash burger, G.O.A.T Burger, Au Poivre Burger (a house blend of short rib, brisket and chucker burger beef) and chipotle black bean burger. Or you can build your own burger.

There's also cheesesteaks, flatbread, tacos, salads, chicken sandwiches and more on the menu.

Go:2 S. Centre St.; 856-661-8008;bluemonkeytavern.com.

Burger Barr, Sewell

Beef burgers, Impossible burgers, chicken burgers, grilled cheese, truffle fries, onion strings, mac and cheese bites, and handmade milkshakes are on the menu here.

Burger Barr opened in August of 2018 and is known for some of its limited-time offerings.

Last June, for example, they had a special Southwest Black Bean Burger, which was a chuck burger and smashed black bean patty on Texas toast with habanero cheddar, lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado and bacon, plus their house-made chipotle ranch.

In addition to offering a variety of cheese types, it’s the same with the bun types. Offerings include: Texas toast, brioche, pretzel, golden wheat yogurt, gluten-free white, seed or seedless white.

Go: #13, 508 Hurffville - Cross Keys Road; 856-218-5830;burgerbarr.com.

B-UNOS, Willingboro, Mount Holly, Florence

Customers have an option for a Willingboro location now.

B-UNOS shut down the flagship location in Burlington City location and moved that a few miles over to Willingboro at the Willingboro Town Center.

B-UNOS burgers, birria tacos, tacos and burritos are all crowd pleasers.

Known for its Mexican street food and breakfast classics, B-UNOS is also popular because of its burgers.

There’s the Mack Daddy, which is a crowd favorite, owners say. It includes twin patties, sesame seeded bun, shrettuce (shredded lettuce), cheddar cheese, pickles and B-UNOS Mack Daddy sauce. It’ll make you jump, jump.

The Seafood Drippin’ Monsta — crab cake, blackened shrimp, Provolone, mango aioli and hand-smashed patty on brioche — is an eye-opener.

The website calls the Lowrider burger their “most wanted." That has twin hand-smashed patties, cheddar and pepperjack cheese, bacon, spicy barbecue and fried jalapenos topped with crispy onion rings on brioche.

Go: 4 Mill St., Mount Holly; 609 -261-1500; 2043 Route130 South, Florence; 609 -447-0349; 4376 US-130, Willingboro; 609-386-0060;bunosbbb.com.

Cousin’s Burger, Cinnaminson

Some would call it gas station food because it is, well, located inside the market at the Pilot Travel Center and gas station.

Their food is made-to-order. They have a classic smashburger (single), double and even a triple, which features three beef patties, melted cheese and caramelized onions on a soft bun.

Cousin’s Burger features wings and milkshakes and cheesesteaks as well as fried chicken sandwiches. There are also classic chicken-loaded fries and beef-loaded cheese fries.

The Cousin’s Burger website calls it the fastest-growing burger restaurant in Philadelphia.

In addition to the Cinnaminson location, there are currently four locations in Pennsylvania (two of those in Philadelphia) and one in Newark, Delaware.

Advertisement

Go: 2601 US-130; 856-543-4234;cousinsburger.com.

Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburger, Burlington Township, Cinnaminson

This retro-themed, fast-casual restaurant has more than 550 locations across the country, including two in South Jersey.

The Burlington Township location opened in March 2024, while the Cinnaminson location opened in December 2024.

Steakburgers are made-to-order with premium beef. They come in varieties such as the original double with cheese, mustard, onion and pickles, and the prime rib with two steakburger patties, prime rib, melted Swiss cheese, grilled onions, sauteed portobello mushrooms and garlic aioli.

They're all embellished with a house seasoning and hand-smashed.

The restaurant also offers chicken sandwiches and hot dogs, and the custard menu offers sundaes, shakes, cones and more. The shakes are another go-to for many customers.

Go: 2325 Mount Holly Road, Burlington Township; 1107 Route 130, Cinnaminson;freddys.com.

Gouldsburger’s, Haddonfield, Medford, Bordentown, Sicklerville, Marlton

Founded by Walter Gouldsbury, a trained chef and attorney, and chef David Murray, the brand has grown quite a bit over the last few years and offers franchising now, which has sped up its growth.

Gouldsburger’s opened its flagship location in Haddonfield in 2023 and has developed quite a reputation for its burgers and cheesesteaks.

There are also South Jersey locations in Sicklerville, Marlton, Medford and Bordentown, and one is soon to open in Glassboro.

Their smokehouse burger includes house made onion rings, cheddar, barbecue sauce and applewood smoked bacon. The Pocketful of Sunshine comes with roasted tomatoes, avocado and a sunny-side up egg.

They also offer vegan options and have crispy chicken sandwiches and strips, hot dogs, truffle fries, waffle fries, cheesesteak fries, loaded fries, fried pickles and onion rings. Some locations have slaw and mac and cheese on the menu as well.

Go:109 Kings Highway East, Haddonfield; 609-301-5293; 2 S. Main St., Medford; 609-257-4342; 1 1/2 Crosswicks St., Bordentown; 973-864-3210; 685 Berlin-Cross Keys Road, Sicklerville; 27 N. Maple Ave., Marlton; 856-405-7719;gouldsburgers.com.

Outlaw’s Burger Barn & Creamery, Vineland

A top location for gourmet smashburgers in the state, the family-owned Outlaw’s Burger Barn & Creamery also offers cheesesteaks, fried chicken sandwiches and homemade ice cream as well.

Some of the burger options include: Shroomin, The Works, Smoke house, farm fresh, bacon jam smash, avocado ranch, sweet onion smash, bacon butter and more.

Chicken wings and milkshakes are popular go-to items for customers.

A kids’ menu and outdoor seating are also options at this Cumberland County mainstay.

The restaurant was born in 2016. Owner Ryan Briggs said he wanted to create a place for families to gather “over fresh, local food and leave feeling part of the Outlaw’s family.”

It started as a small mom-and-pop shop, the website says, but grew into a hometown favorite, which sponsors local programs and is an important part of the Vineland community.

The menu offers fresh, local ingredients and the spot is also known for its gourmet ice cream cakes.

Go: 1370 S. Main Road; 856-691-5438;outlawsburgerbarn.com.

The Raging Bull, Pennsauken

This smashburger and cheesesteak spot, which also offers hand-spun milkshakes, opened in 2025 in Pennsauken where Royal Indian Cuisine once was.

Owner Eric Adili grew up in the restaurant business, working with his late father at Palombo’s in Cinnaminson and later at The Fat Tomato in Berlin, a press release from the company has stated.

Adili took over The Fat Tomato in 2018 when his father retired because of an illness. His father died a few years later.

Some of the “notable menu items” on The Raging Bull menu include: Buffalo cheesesteak with brined and shaved chicken, The Raging Bull cheesesteak with Cooper Sharp Whiz, Chipotle mayo and roasted long hots, and The Oklahoma smash burger, with smashed thin sliced Vidalia onions, Bully burger sauce and yellow Cooper sharp American.

Other burger choices include The Classic, which has yellow Cooper sharp American, mustard, diced onion and dill pickles, and The Deluxe, which has Bibb lettuce, tomato, bacon, Bully burger sauce, dill pickles, yellow Cooper sharp American.

“Our goal is simple: Use the highest quality ingredients, prepare everything fresh, and never cut corners,” Adili said in the release.

Go:6007 Mansion Blvd.; 856-324-0725;theragingbullnj.com.

Celeste E. Whittaker joined the Courier-Post in 1998. The South Jersey native has covered the Philadelphia 76ers, college and high school sports in her tenure and now covers food, dining, events, arts and culture and more for the Courier Post, Burlington County Times and Daily Journal. She has won numerous writing awards for her work.Please consider a digital subscription to help support our journalism.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post:Some of the best burgers in South Jersey may be found at these spots

Victor Wembanyama scored 39 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and blocked five shots as the San Antonio Spurs held on for a 115-108 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 3 of their Western Conference semifinal series on Friday in Minneapolis.

Wembanyama made 13 of 18 shots, including 3 of 5 from beyond the arc, while lifting the Spurs to a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

"I've really been waiting since I've been in the league to live those moments, those high-stakes games," Wembanyama said postgame on Prime Video. That's what I love. ... I'm built for this. I love this more than anything else."

San Antonio's De'Aaron Fox added 17 points, and Stephon Castle notched 13 points and 12 assists.

Fox did not hesitate when asked what the basketball world was witnessing from Wembanyama in his first postseason.

"Greatness," Fox said. "We all know that. We see him every day. We see the work and the time that he puts into his game and his body, knowing that teams are going to come out here and try to be physical with him.

"He fights through that. He doesn't complain. He knows what he's going to endure, and he comes out here and he produces."

Anthony Edwards scored 32 points and pulled down 14 rebounds to lead Minnesota. Naz Reid finished with 18 points and nine rebounds off the bench, and Jaden McDaniels scored 17.

Timberwolves guard Ayo Dosunmu said he and his teammates let the Spurs dictate the tempo too much on offense.

"I don't think our point-of-attack (defense) was where it needed to be," Dosunmu said. "There were too many times that we made a shot and then they came right back and got a good look. So we've got to do a better job of matching up and do a better job of controlling the point of attack and not letting them just live off attacking us."

Advertisement

The teams will reconvene in Game 4 on Sunday evening in Minneapolis.

The Timberwolves, who trailed by 15 points in the first quarter, pulled within 106-103 with 3:27 remaining when Reid knocked down a 3-pointer.

On the next possession, Wembanyama drained his third 3-pointer of the evening. Wembanyama and Dylan Harper made two free throws each in the final minute to help seal the victory for the Spurs.

San Antonio led 86-79 at the end of the third quarter.

Emotions spiked in the third quarter after Harper got tangled up with McDaniels and hit his head as he fell to the court. As Harper stayed down, Castle stepped toward McDaniels to start a brief altercation, and officials moved in to calm the tensions.

Castle and McDaniels each received a technical foul. Harper returned to the game.

The score was tied at 51-all at the half.

San Antonio sprinted to an 18-3 lead to start the game thanks in large part to Wembanyama, who scored nine of the Spurs' first 11 points. The Timberwolves struggled to keep pace as they missed their first 13 shots from the field.

Edwards heated up as Minnesota finished the first quarter on a 19-5 run to cut the deficit to one point. The Timberwolves' early comeback culminated with a buzzer-beater from Edwards, who drained a 31-foot shot to pull Minnesota within 23-22.

--Field Level Media