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On a warm and breezy April morning, Colton Boomer is back where he wants to be — a football field.

It’s midway through UCF’s spring camp, and Boomer is moments away from nailing another field-goal attempt, something he’s done hundreds if not thousands of times starting at Lake Mary High School.

For the first time in more than a year, Boomer is healthy, physically and mentally.

After a phenomenal freshman season in which he connected on 14 of 15 field goals (94%) and 42 of 43 extra points (97%), health issues contributed to a sophomore slump. Boomer’s accuracy dipped to 13 of 21 on field goals (62%) last season, making just 2 of his final 6.

Family atmosphere helps fortify UCF’s offensive line as it continues to evolve

Boomer spent much of last spring camp and summer break in a boot as he worked to get healthy for the fall. He admits he wasn’t 100% when the season started.

“It wasn’t ideal,” said Boomer, who initially hesitated to discuss it and didn’t go into specifics of the injury. “The week before fall camp, I was still in a boot. I just taped it up and said, ‘Let’s go.’ That’s just the type of guy that I am. I won’t sit on the sideline because I’m a little hurt. I wanted to be out there helping the team.”

Boomer connected on his first seven field goals, including a winning 40-yarder against Boise State in Week 2.

Yet, he continued to struggle with his health.

“I didn’t do a good job of knowing my body,” he said. “I feel sorry for what I did to the team for being selfish and putting myself out on the field when I should have said, ‘Hey, this is not good, and I’m not at my best.’

“I was just young and dumb.”

Boomer would miss his next three attempts, including a pair of kicks (32 and 59 yards) against Baylor. This setback, though disappointing, served as a valuable learning experience.

UCF receivers want to demonstrate physicality, swagger

“I definitely tried to play the tough guy,” said Boomer. “It was humbling, and I’m grateful, but I regret how it affected the team.”

Things had gotten so bad that Boomer could hardly walk during the bye week leading up to the Oklahoma game on Oct. 21. Yet he managed to connect on all three field goals (21, 48, 46) against the sixth-ranked Sooners, who held off a late rally to down the Knights, 31-29.

“Advil and Tylenol got me through it,” Boomer said of leading up to the game.

“We knew what he was going through,” said long snapper Gage King. “He did a great job of trying to go to a bunch of specialists to get treatment and rehab and tape it up.”

King, punter Mitch McCarthy and fellow kicker Grant Reddick supported their struggling teammate.

“On game day, he wanted to be out there so it was like, ‘Alright, you’ve got to go,’” added King, “especially when he had a couple of misses. We just tried to pick him up and tell him, ‘You’re good, you know how to do this and you just have to keep it rolling.’”

Said Reddick: “I remember having a one-on-one with each other before the Georgia Tech game, talking about going out there and doing what we could do.”

Eventually, the physical pain and the on-field struggles created mental stress for Boomer.

Energy, effort please Gus Malzahn in UCF’s first spring scrimmage

He readily admits that the pressure he felt at times was self-induced.

Boomer sought help and consulted several coaches before meeting Gio Valiante, a renowned sports psychologist who worked with golfer Tiger Woods.

“With everything I’ve learned now, I feel like a different person,” said Boomer. “It’s cool to see all the things I’ve learned being applied in practice. Going from a result-oriented mindset to a process-oriented mindset is game-changing.”

Now healthy, Boomer believes he’s the best he’s ever been. While his football story isn’t over, his experience this past season reminded him of the song “Hold on Loosely” by the rock band .38 Special.

“Just hold on loosely, but don’t let go. If you cling too tightly, you’re gonna lose control.”

“If you hold on too tight, it’s going to evaporate in front of your eyes,” said Boomer. “Having respect for the game, I thought I could control it. But now I understand it is its own beast. I’m going to try and tame it as much as I can, but I can’t do everything.”

Matt Murschel can be reached at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com

BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — A man was charged Sunday with setting a fire outside the Vermont office of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, federal prosecutors said.

Shant Soghomonian, 35, who was previously of Northridge, California, entered the building on Friday and went to Sanders’ third-floor office where security video showed him spraying a liquid on the door and setting it afire, officials said.

The building’s interior suffered some damage from the fire and sprinklers that doused the area with water, but no one was hurt. Sanders, an independent, was not in the office at the time.

Soghomonian was arrested Sunday on a charge of using fire to damage a building used in interstate commerce, according to a statement from Nikolas Kerest, the U.S. attorney for Vermont.

The motive remained unclear. Soghomonian was detained Sunday and could not be reached for comment. It was not immediately known if had a lawyer, and an initial court appearance had not been set, officials said.

The crime carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

The case was investigated by police departments in Burlington, Shelburne and Williston; Vermont State Police; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and U.S. Capitol Police, officials said.

INDIANAPOLIS — Tyler Herro did not want to stop, did not want to appear that he was giving up or giving in to the medial tendinitis in his right foot.

But only when things came to a standstill did Herro regain his footing. Now back in the Miami Heat mix, the fifth-year guard appreciates how stepping back allowed him to step into this playoff race.

“It was just frustrating to just sit down and not be able to be active and traveling and doing my routine,” he said ahead of the middle stop of the Heat’s three-game trip on Sunday against the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. “I’m a big workout guy. I love to work out and stay on top of my game, and it’s tough to do that when I just had to rest.”

So after being sidelined during the Heat’s Feb. 23 road victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, Herro first attempted what he thought would be a path of least resistance.

“I took a week off when we got back from the West Coast trip,” Herro said of the trip that started in New Orleans, “hoping that that was going to be enough for me to come back, and it wasn’t.

“I ramped up and then ultimately that’s what made us decide to get the PRP shot, because the rest wasn’t cutting it.”

As in a platelet-rich plasma injection.

“So the PRP shot was kind of bringing it some extra reinforcement, to kind of hopefully release some pressure on the tendon,” he said. “And I was able to do that with some weeks of rest after the PRP shot. And, ultimately, that’s what got me back on the floor.”

So, no, he neither planned nor opted for 20 games off. Instead, the initial haste might have proven counterproductive.

“I think trying to ramp up and get back every week, and then there’s like a setback and then eventually I just had to sit down and rest,” he said.

Teammate Bam Adebayo said Herro’s frustrations were apparent.

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“He was like a sad puppy when he couldn’t play,” Adebayo said with a smile. “So it’s good to have him over there smiling.”

And again in uniform.

“He stayed ready,” Heat forward Jimmy Butler said. “He stayed engaged and was still around the guys as often as he could be. And he came in and took off right where he left off.”

While there is not a specific minutes restriction in place, playing Herro off the bench in Friday’s return against the Houston Rockets provided the means to have Herro available when needed late.

Friday’s bench appearance was the first for Herro in 103 games, since being named the NBA’s 2022 Sixth Man of the Year.

“I can contribute in five minutes or 35 minutes. I just need to be on the court,” he said. “Just an excitement to be back on the floor doing what I love with my guys.

“It’s hard to just implement me into the starting lineup at this point.”

Coach Erik Spoelsta, of course, rarely tips his hand when it comes to lineups, rotations or certainly postseason plans.

“Whatever Spo decides to do is ultimately up to him,” Herro said. “It’s not an easy decision.

“Obviously, everyone knows I’m a starter in the league. But like I said, to come back with six games left, it’s tough to just implement me into the lineup like that.”

That said, Herro sees a compromise.

“Ultimately, I’m going to get starter minutes, and that’s all that matters,” he said “I’m a starter, but I’ll come off the bench for now.”

Sometimes, elected officials must make hard business decisions that are not necessarily embraced by their constituents but would serve well the taxpayers and voters who elected them.

Case in point: the Broward County school district’s declining enrollment. The county has lost 24,000 students in the last decade alone — amounting to a loss of more than $200 million in annual revenue.

School closures and consolidations must occur in order to be fiscally responsible. The School Board would be wise to engage the services of real estate professionals who can make sound business suggestions on closures and the sale of facilities, leases with charter schools and other unique real estate transactions.

No doubt, parents and children will be impacted by these decisions. But, like it or not, a school operating at below 70% of capacity simply makes no sense.

Transfer teachers to other schools, improve teacher-student ratios and use cost savings to enhance the education of the children who remain in our public schools.

Howard A. Tescher, Fort Lauderdale

Force Trump to tell the truth

Although Donald Trump eschewed primary debates in seeking his party’s nomination, he now says he wants to debate President Joe Biden during the upcoming campaign.

Biden should debate on one condition: that Trump unequivocally and publicly, including on FOX and Truth Social, acknowledge that the 2020 election was not stolen and that Joe Biden is the duly elected and legitimate President of the United States.

Margery O’C. Resnick, Boca Raton

Enjoy vegan meats

As a Sarasota resident and longtime vegan, I’m relieved that the Sun Sentinel printed Dr. Neal Barnard’s essay (“A ban on lab-grown meat is no benefit to your health,” March 27). His Another Viewpoint column warned readers that Florida won’t benefit anyone by banning laboratory-grown meat.

I stopped eating meat and other animal-derived foods for ethical reasons, but I’m excited about the development of cultivated meat, or “clean meat,” as it’s also called. It would spare billions of animals from pain and suffering, and it requires only 1% of the land and 4% of the water that’s currently used for conventional meat production. It may also reduce greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 96%.

Eating meat that’s humanely created in a sterile laboratory would surely be an appetizing option for everyone who insists on eating the flesh of animals who are confined to filthy farms and slaughtered on killing floors with vomit, feces and other bodily fluids.

Thankfully, Floridians can always enjoy the tasty and affordable vegan meats and other plant foods that are in supermarkets and restaurants today!

Heather Moore, Sarasota

A tribute to Joe Lieberman

We need for more of our Jewish lawmakers to speak out against the surge of antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiments within our own government as the late former Sen. Joe Lieberman recently did after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer spoke out against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (Schumer suggested that Israel should hold a special election and vote Netanyahu out of office.)

Today’s Democrats don’t sufficiently recognize the rational thinking of Lieberman, who put America first. The former senator from Connecticut will be sorely missed.

JoAnn Lee Frank, Clearwater

Help those who help Ukraine

We need to support those in Congress, Rep. Don Bacon, Republican of Nebraska, and others, who have proposed legislation supporting military aid to our allies, including Ukraine.

We need to keep Russia from overwhelming Ukraine. If Germany had not been “allowed” to overwhelm Poland, and Japan had not been “allowed” to overwhelm China, we would not have experienced World War II.

What happened on Oct. 7, 2023, with the raping and murdering of innocent civilians, the elderly, women, children and babies, must never happen again.

Margie Rubin, Deerfield Beach

 

By MARIA SHERMAN (AP Music Writer)

The CMT Music Awards, celebrating the best in country music videos, are set to return on Sunday night live from Austin, Texas.

Hosted by Kelsea Ballerini, the fan-voted show begins at 8 p.m. Eastern and will be broadcast from the Moody Center on CBS and Paramount+.

This year, the awards are expected to feature a tribute to the late Toby Keith performed by Brooks & Dunn, Lainey Wilson and Sammy Hagar and backed by Keith’s longtime band.

Keith, a hit country crafter of pro-American anthems who riled up critics and was loved by millions of fans, died in February at 62 after being diagnosed with stomach cancer.

Ballerini, Wilson, Jelly Roll, Megan Moroney and Cody Johnson lead the nominations with three each.

All those artists, except for Moroney, are up for the night’s biggest honor: video of the year.

Scheduled performers include Bailey Zimmerman, Jelly Roll, Keith Urban, Dasha, Jason Aldean, Johnson and Moroney.

There are expected to be a few collaborative sets, as well: Little Big Town will perform with Sugarland, marking the first time the latter’s Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush will reunite on the CMT stage since 2011. Other scheduled joint performances include NEEDTOBREATHE and Jordan Davis and Sam Hunt and Trisha Yearwood.

Yearwood will receive the inaugural June Carter Cash Humanitarian Award, which honors musicians or industry veterans who demonstrate “an exceptional dedication to community and their fellow artists, embodying June’s spirit as a fierce advocate and initiator in paying it forward,” a statement said.

Yearwood also is expected to debut a new track, “Put It in a Song,” the first from a forthcoming album.

By TIM REYNOLDS (AP Sports Writer)

FORT LAUDERDALE — Lionel Messi returned and helped salvage a tie for Inter Miami.

Messi scored shortly after checking in to begin the second half and helped set up Leo Afonso’s go-ahead score two minutes later. But Cole Bassett scored in the 88th minute for the Colorado Rapids and the game ended in a 2-2 tie on Saturday night.

It was Messi’s first appearance for Inter Miami since a hamstring issue led to him getting subbed out early in the second half of a CONCACAF Champions Cup match against Nashville on March 13. He had missed four Inter Miami games since, plus two games with Argentina.

He wasted little time announcing his return Saturday. Messi’s fourth goal in as many MLS matches this season came in the 58th minute, beating Colorado keeper Zach Steffen with a low shot that hit the left goalpost, then skidded back across the goal mouth before settling into the next just inside of the right post.

Not long after play resumed, Messi sent a pass to David Ruiz, who found Afonso all alone in front. Afonso put it home for his first MLS goal, giving Inter Miami the lead.

It didn’t last. Bassett knotted things late in regulation and Inter Miami (3-2-3) had to settle for just one point instead of three. Rafael Navarro got the first goal for Colorado (2-2-3), scoring late in the first half on a penalty kick.

A pair of fans got onto the field in the final minutes in separate incidents, presumably to try to get a selfie with Messi. They were both quickly escorted off by security, and time expired shortly after the second fan got onto the pitch.

It was a costly night for Inter Miami, which has been besieged by injuries — going back all the way to the team’s seven-match, around-the-world preseason tour — and now has more of those to deal with. The team was without seven players Saturday, plus lost Leo Campana late in the first half with what appeared to be a hamstring issue and Afonso a few minutes after his second-half goal.

Messi and his three former standout Barcelona teammates — Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba — were all available Saturday, though none started. It’s a clear sign that Inter Miami is trying to be cautious with workloads for its four oldest players, all of them age 35 or older. Alba and Busquets entered in the second half.

Inter Miami is in a stretch where it will play five matches in a span of 15 days. The team had a 1-1 draw with New York City FC on March 30, lost the first leg of a CONCACAF Champions Cup matchup 2-1 to Monterrey at home on Wednesday and hosted the Rapids on Saturday. It then goes to Mexico for the second leg of the CONCACAF series this coming Wednesday before finishing the stretch at Kansas City on April 13.

Messi emerged from the bench area in the 35th minute to start warming up behind one of the end lines, the mere sight of him sending fans into a frenzy.

They almost missed a Miami goal at the other end.

Simultaneous to the initial Messi sighting, Julian Gressel found a bit of room and fired a 30-yarder from straightaway. The ball curled just left, keeping the match scoreless.

It didn’t stay that way. Colorado’s Kevin Cabral got taken down in the box — a few yards from where Messi was going through his warmup routine — and Navarro beat Inter Miami goalie Drake Callender with the penalty kick for a 1-0 lead.

___

AP MLS: https://apnews.com/hub/major-league-soccer

GAINESVILLE — Florida’s defense dominated the 2023 spring game, led a September upset of Tennessee and then fell off a cliff, dragging down the Gators with it.

Amid the offseason talk of Billy Napier maintaining play-calling duties, quarterback Graham Mertz’s improvement in attacking down the field and tailback Trevor Etienne’s transfer to Georgia, the Gators set out to fix the team’s biggest problem during a 5-7 finish.

Napier is confident the Gators’ retooled defense has the talent, experience and staff to chart a new course after two seasons of historically poor play during consecutive losing seasons.

One thing is certain: Florida’s embattled D has a lot to prove.

UF head coach Billy Napier gets pumped up before the start of the Gators’ spring game April 14, 2022 in the Swamp. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)

The Gators’ second spring scrimmage Saturday in the Swamp was another encouraging step. Defense won the day during the team’s final tuneup for the spring game, scheduled for 1 p.m. April 13 in the Swamp.

Florida’s offense needed time to get its bearings before putting up a fight.

“The defense started extremely fast,” Napier said. “We tackled extremely well; the coverage was tighter; the rush was effective. I think that affected the quarterback play. We had a couple of turnovers. We had some tipped balls.”

While the Gators’ attack certainly has work to do itself, Mertz and Co. were on point during Thursday’s practice  in instilling a sense of urgency on the other side of the ball.

“Today was a little bit of a reset button, ‘Hey look, let’s get our act together,’” Napier said. “They showed up and did that.”

Reason for optimism exists, given all the influx of talent and returners with plenty of mental scar tissue and chips on their shoulders.

Florida’s 5-star signee LJ McCray, the top nation’s top-rated defensive line prospect in the 2024 class, could step in and contribute during his first season with the Gators. (UF’s University Athletic Association Communications/Mallory Peak)

Napier also hired three new assistant coaches — defensive line coach Gerald Chatman, secondary coach Will Harris and veteran Ron Roberts to coach inside linebackers and lend a hand coordinating the unit with 30-year-old Austin Armstrong.

“I’m confident the staff changes have been a positive and, overall, you’ve got a bunch of veteran players,” Napier said.

The transfer portal yielded, among others, two safeties in their sixth college seasons (Asa Turner of Washington and DJ Douglas of Tulane), high-motor defensive tackle Joey Slackman (the 2023 Ivy League Player of the Year at Penn), and sophomore linebacker Grayson “Pup” Howard (a former UF recruit who signed with South Carolina).

The 6-foot-4, 235-pound Howard has the combination of size and range the Gators have lacked at the second level for some time. The Jacksonville native has stood out while veterans Shemar James (knee) and Derek Wingo (shoulder) recover from offseason surgery.

“He certainly looks the part,” Napier said. “He’s still a somewhat inexperienced player but he’s a mature young man and he’s taken advantage of the reps.”

Third-year cornerback Devin Moore looks like a different player following an injury-riddled season. The 6-foot-3, 197 pound native of Naples is a sure tackler after playing high school safety and could suffocate receivers on the opposite side from four-year starter Jason Marshall.

“He’s got presence out there,” Napier said of Moore.

Redshirt junior end Justus Boone is another looming presence back in the picture after he missed the entire 2023 season with a torn ACL suffered in fall camp. The 6-foot-3¾, 267-pound Boone’s loss was among many factors in last season’s defensive struggles.

Florida redshirt junior defensive end Justus Boone returns to solidify the Gators’ front after tearing his ACL during 2023 fall camp. (UF’s University Athletic Association Communications/ Tim Casey)

Another was an overreliance on youth, out of necessity but also with an eye on the future.

Sophomore linemen Kelby Collins, who moved inside to tackle, and TJ Searcy, who flashed coming off the edge, will have major roles in 2024. Meanwhile, sophomore safeties Jordan Castell and Bryce Thornton combined for 94 tackles as true freshmen, including a team-high 60 by Castell.

“A lot of players that played last year for the first time in their career are kind of going through that benefit of being a vet,” Napier said. “That’s the theme here. We’ve finally got a group that has some experience.”

Among first-year players, 6-foot-6, 274-pound freshmen LJ McCray, the nation’s top-rated defensive line prospect in 2024 out of Daytona Beach, is likely to be in the mix.

Whoever plays in 2024 needs to produce.

The Gators’ defensive collapse culminated with a five-game losing to close the season, with opponents averaging 38.2 points. Without significant improvement, Napier’s third season at Florida could be a long one.

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

By KEN POWTAK (Associated Press)

BOSTON (AP) — Jesper Boqvist scored 2:05 into overtime, Linus Ullmark stopped 28 shots and the Boston Bruins beat the Florida Panthers 3-2 on Saturday in a matchup of the top two teams in the Atlantic Division.

First-place Boston moved five points ahead of second-place Florida. Both teams have four games left in the regular season — with the Panthers’ all at home.

“It’s another big game, another playoff-type game against a team that’s going to be there and those games aren’t hard to get up for,” said Boston center Charlie Coyle, who had a power-play goal in the second period. “It makes you feel good. It gives you confidence to win those ones, first off, but just to do it and play the way we want to play and know how to play.”

Charlie McAvoy also scored for the Bruins, who improved to 5-1 since coach Jim Montgomery blasted the team during practice on March 25 for their lack of attention to details and not being prepared for the playoffs.

“I just think that was a wake-up call that our group needed that day,” Montgomery said. “I think why we’re 5-1 is because our team is growing and maturing, and we have great leaders.”

Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov scored for the Panthers, who lost for the fifth time in seven games. Sergei Bobrovsky made 26 saves.

The Bruins swept the four-game season series between the teams and moved a point behind the New York Rangers for the NHL’s best overall record.

The Panthers knocked out Boston in the opening-round of the Stanley Cup playoffs last spring after the Bruins set NHL records for wins (65) and points (135).

In the extra period, Boqvist skated down the left wing on a partial breakaway after taking a loose puck near center ice and fired a wrister inside the left post for the win.

With the Panthers trailing 2-1 and the teams skating 4-on-4 due to matching minor penalties, Barkov snapped a rebound past Ullmark 5:24 into the third period.

“I thought we got better in the third period,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “We had nothing in the tank to do it. They pushed through it. I was happy with the effort. I wasn’t happy with the result, but happy with the effort.”

With Tkachuk in the penalty box for interference, Brad Marchand sent a pass from the left wing to Coyle, who was hustling down the slot. He redirected it inside the left post for his 25th goal, making it 2-1 with 4:15 remaining in the second to end Boston’s 0-for-13 power-play drought.

Bobrovsky made a sprawling left-pad save on Marchand’s bid from in close with just under a minute left in regulation.

Florida outshot Boston 13-5 in the third period.

Ullmark made a glove stop on Evan Rodrigues at the end of a 2-on-1 break with just over six minutes left in the third.

“Linus was again really good,” Montgomery said. “He just continues a lot of impressive starts in a row here, making real desperation saves look easy.”

Tkachuk took advantage of a crazy bounce when Vladimir Tarasenko’s entry pass hit high off the back glass and directly to him in the slot, where he slipped a wrister past Ullmark to make it 1-0 just 37 seconds into the opening period.

McAvoy tied it at 5:42 of the first when he collected Danton Heinen’s backhand pass in the high slot before firing a wrister past Bobrovsky’s glove.

The teams showed a bit more intensity than a normal regular-season game, with tussles and scrums after whistles numerous times.

“It’s fun, it’s emotional,” McAvoy said. “I thought both teams played hard today and it was a really good hockey game.”

UP NEXT Panthers: Host Ottawa on Tuesday night to open a season-closing four-game homestand.

Bruins: Host Carolina on Tuesday night.

___

AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL

Two people have died in car crashes on the same stretch of road in West Palm Beach within a week, according to police.

On Friday night, a 35-year-old man was killed after being hit by a Corvette while running across South Australian Avenue in between Worthington and Belvedere roads, according to West Palm Beach Police.  Earlier that same week, a 51-year-old man was hit and killed by a Hummer that ran a red light at the intersection of South Australian Avenue and Belvedere Road.

James Christopher, the first victim, was not in the crosswalk when he crossed the six-lane road just before 11 p.m. Friday, police said in a news release. Upon impact, he hit the Corvette’s windshield and landed in the grassy median in the 2400 block of Australian Avenue, where he was pronounced dead.

The 25-year-old driver of the Corvette stopped a few hundred feet away. He and a 21-year-old woman riding with him were not injured but taken to Good Samaritan Medical Center as a precaution, the release states. Police are still investigating, though currently no substances are believed to be involved and no charges are pending.

Three days earlier, about 11 p.m. Tuesday, Charlie Gilbert was driving his Mustang south on Australian Avenue towards the intersection at Belvedere Road, where he had a green light, police said in another news release. As he approached, Susan Elman, 64, ran a red turn light and crashed her Hummer into the driver’s side of the Mustang. Gilbert was pronounced dead on scene, while West Palm Beach Fire Department paramedics took Elman to St. Mary’s Medical Center.

“Investigators suspect the driver of the Hummer was impaired, and the investigation is ongoing,” the release states. “Criminal charges are pending.”

As UCF wrapped up its second football scrimmage of spring camp on Saturday, the Knights have a better idea of how the roster could shake out over the offseason and into fall camp.

Additional depth this spring has provided coaches with plenty of opportunities to mix and match, allowing everyone to showcase their talents.

“What we’ve done, on both sides of the football, is mixed and matched with our ones [first team] and twos [second team],” said coach Gus Malzahn. “We want to see how some of the guys going with the twos go with the ones and how they respond and vice versa. We put the young guys working with threes [third team] with the twos and ones and it’s been really good.

“The biggest difference this year from last year is probably the quality of depth right now. That’s what stands out.”

Family atmosphere helps fortify UCF’s offensive line as it continues to evolve

“We have better depth, and that’s much of what spring is about,” added receiver Trent Whittemore. “Everybody is getting reps and trying to put themselves in situations that could happen in the fall.”

Malzahn said Saturday’s scrimmage was more situational and took place in front of a larger crowd featuring recruits and boosters. The offense focused heavily on the run game, which allowed the defense more opportunities to focus on stopping the run. According to the fourth-year coach, both units had their share of bright spots.

“[Tight end] Randy Pittman [Jr.] and Whittemore had touchdown catches from [quarterback] KJ Jefferson,” said Malzahn. “[Defensive tackle] Ricky Barber stood out with his work. He had two sacks and played in the backfield.”

It may only be his second spring camp, but Pittman has already seen an improvement from last time.

“We’ve got a lot more leaders,” said the sophomore. “There are a lot of guys encouraging each other from the sidelines, motivating, and trying to push guys to the standard. That’s been big for us.”

One of the units that’s drawn praise this spring is the linebackers.

UCF receivers want to demonstrate physicality, swagger

The group consists almost entirely of new faces, led by transfers Ethan Barr (Vanderbilt), Xe’ree Alexander (Idaho), and Jesiah Pierre (Texas Tech).

“We have quality depth at linebacker,” said Malzahn. “That group stands out in a good way.”

“Jesiah made a big TFL [tackle for loss] and started doing the Ray Lewis dance,” said Barber. “I was on the sideline, excited for him and it turned me up.”

For Barber, this spring has been about proving to himself and others that he can return to form and play at a high level after the fifth-year senior missed time last season with various injuries.

“I am a playmaker, a disruptive d-lineman, and one of the best d-tackles in the country,” he said. “I’ve taken those steps every day and am taking this spring seriously because this is my last spring. I’m reaping the benefits of it.”

UCF has three more practices before hosting its annual spring game next Friday at 7 p.m.

Matt Murschel can be reached at mmurschel@orlandosentinel.com

By WARREN MAYES (Associated Press)

ST. LOUIS — The winless Miami Marlins, who are off to the worst start in the franchise’s 33-year history, dropped their ninth consecutive game on Saturday, losing 3-1 to Steve Matz and the St. Louis Cardinals.

Iván Herrera and Brendan Donovan each had two hits for St. Louis. Jordan Walker contributed an RBI double.

Matz (2-0) surrendered four hits in five scoreless innings. Ryan Helsley pitched the ninth for his third save.

“I thought my fastball was working really well,” said Matz, who threw 85 pitches. “I’d definitely like to go deeper into the game. Bullpen did a great job. It was a good win.”

The Cardinals turned two double plays. Through nine games, St. Louis has not committed an error.

“Guys are continuing to play really good defense,” manager Oliver Marmol said. “Details matter. They’re making it important.”

Miami’s Trevor Rogers (0-1) was charged with three runs, two earned, and five hits in five innings. He struck out three and walked three.

“They’re finding holes and they’re finding grass. … My stuff feels good. It just didn’t go my way,” Rogers said.

The 0-9 Marlins are the only winless team in baseball. The New York Mets, who dropped their first seven games, beat the Detroit Tigers 2-1 on Thursday for their first win.

Baltimore holds the big league record with 21 losses to start the 1988 season.

“It always starts with starting pitching,” Miami manager Skip Schumaker said. “No one ever has lost from a shutout before but that’s asking a lot. I think collectively all together, we have to figure it out. I’m not telling people to do more than they can do. I don’t need one guy to carry the team. We’ve talked. We don’t need any more talking.”

Miami has lost 10 consecutive games dating to last season. It has dropped 13 of its last 16 at Busch Stadium.

“We’ve got to find ways to win,” Schumaker said. “That’s the tough part. We have to figure it out pretty soon.”

The Cardinals scored two runs in the fourth. After Herrera singled and Nolan Gorman walked, Walker doubled down the left-field line. Walker was called out at second, but the call was overturned after it was challenged by St. Louis.

Gorman was thrown out at home on a grounder to third, but Walker scored on an errant pickoff throw to first by Rogers.

“That mental error — the pickoff move — can’t happen,” Rogers said. “Got to make that play. It’s something I’ve done since I was a little kid.”

The Marlins have allowed 10 unearned runs season.

St. Louis added a run in the fifth. Herrera singled home Donovan, who led off with a double.

“Little things add up to big things,” Donovan said. “Everybody’s showing up and pulling on the right end of the rope.”

Miami scored in the eighth against Andrew Kittredge. Luis Arraez doubled and scored on a single by Josh Bell, who had two hits.

“Other than that, we just couldn’t get anything going,” Schumaker said.

No team has started 0-10 since the 2002 Detroit Tigers.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Marlins: RHP Eury Pérez will undergo Tommy John surgery on Monday. He has been transferred to the 60-day IL.

Cardinals: C Willson Contreras (left hand) was scratched as the designed hitter 45 minutes before the game as a precautionary measure. He did not play in Thursday’s home opener. He was hit by a pitch Wednesday at San Diego.

UP NEXT

Marlins: RHP Max Meyer (0-0, 3.60 ERA) will make his second start of the season on Sunday. It also is his fourth career major league start.

Cardinals: RHP Kyle Gibson (1-0, 2.57 ERA) starts the series finale for St. Louis.

Two people are dead and three were hospitalized after a multi-vehicle crash in West Park Saturday afternoon, deputies say. Two of those hospitalized are minors.

A little after 2 p.m., Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to the crash near South State Road 7 and Southwest 25th Street in West Park, spokesperson Gerdy St. Louis said in an email.

Two people were pronounced dead at the scene. Miramar Fire Rescue took an adult and two minors to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, St. Louis said. She did not provide their conditions or say how many cars were involved.

BSO Traffic Homicide Unit detectives are investigating, St. Louis said. The north and southbound lanes of State Road 7 between Hallandale Beach Boulevard and Southwest 21st Street in West Park were shut down as of 4 p.m.

This is a developing story, so check back for updates. Click here to have breaking news alerts sent directly to your inbox.

Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis responded Saturday to the dramatic crane incident that killed a worker, injured three others and damaged a bridge in the city’s downtown two days before, describing it as “unusual” but adding that the city could potentially do more to oversee construction projects.

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• Local News | ‘Do something before someone gets killed’: OSHA had received complaints about Fort Lauderdale construction site where crane part fell

A large, blue piece of steel from a tower crane at the Gables Riverwalk construction site at 333 N. New River Drive E. had smashed into two cars on the Southeast Third Avenue drawbridge about 4:30 p.m. Thursday afternoon, landing on top of a van and crushing the passenger side of the vehicle. The front of a Tesla was also severely damaged.

“We all realize this was a terrible accident and it’s clear that the city perhaps needs to be more hands-on in terms of ensuring the best practices are observed in constructing these buildings,” Trantalis told the South Florida Sun Sentinel Saturday afternoon. “At our next commission meeting we will discuss this. But keep in mind there have been dozens of buildings built in the city over last 20 years and we’ve never had an accident like this.”

The accident killed 27-year-old Jorge De La Torre, a traveling construction worker from Atlanta with a young son, according to his family. Officials, including Trantalis, said it was lucky that more people were not injured or killed considering that the crash happened during rush hour in the congested downtown area.

In the days since, some residents pointed to the accident as the consequence of over-development and lack of oversight. One neighboring resident had complained about safety issues at the same construction site to both OSHA and the city. The same construction company he complained about had received multiple OSHA violations last year for failing to protect against falls.

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• Local News | ‘Do something before someone gets killed’: OSHA had received complaints about Fort Lauderdale construction site where crane part fell
• Local News | Part of crane falls on Fort Lauderdale bridge killing a construction worker, two hospitalized | PHOTOS

A construction worker was killed and two people were taken to the hospital after a portion of a crane dropped onto the Southeast Third Avenue bridge over the New River in downtown Fort Lauderdale on Thursday afternoon, April 4, 2024. (Scott Luxor/Contributor)

Trantalis acknowledged that nearby residents had complained about the project but said that their complaints largely had to do with the building blocking their views, not safety.

“This is an urban setting, and these kinds of situations will continue to evolve as buildings are built next to one another,” he said. “But there was never a concern about safety or risk during these public meetings and for good reason, because we don’t have a history of that.”

Gary Grayson, the resident who had complained to OSHA, said he had also complained to the city commission about the construction for several years. According to minutes from a February 2021 commission meeting, he gave a video presentation “illustrating his opposition to the Project due to the small lot size, setbacks and wind studies,” with which other residents had voiced agreement. In a June 2023 presentation, he spoke about code enforcement violations and mentioned a lack of netting to protect people from falling objects.

Responding to critics who cited over-development as a cause, Trantalis said he had “anticipated voices against development would become sharpened as a result of this incident.”

“However, we are continuing to follow the path of the downtown master plan,” he said. “These buildings are consistent with what the community had agreed to many years ago. The commission is just following those guidelines, and nothing has changed.”

Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue Chief Stephen Gollan told reporters Thursday that the workers were in the process of “stepping” the crane, where sections are added to the tower crane to elevate it as the under-construction building grows taller. A platform holding equipment failed, he said, not the crane itself. De La Torre’s brother, Brandon, said that a cable had snapped, causing the piece to fall.

While the city wants to get to the bottom of what caused the accident, Trantalis said he did not want to “pre-judge” what happened or how it could have been prevented.

“We like to think it was an unusual situation,” he said. “Our hearts go out to the family members of the deceased, their friends, their coworkers. We want to continue to be able to build our city in a safe and proportionate way, and we’re prepared to listen to experts on next best steps as the construction process continues.”

Commissioner Warren Sturman, who represents the district where the accident took place, did not return voicemails Friday or Saturday.

Immediately after the incident, two people were hospitalized, one with only minor injuries. A third person who was injured refused to be taken to the hospital. No additional information was available Saturday.

Fort Lauderdale Police identified four people “directly involved” in the accident as Gemmalyn Castillo, 37; Carol Zinser, 69; Gregory Garcia, 43; and Mark Cerezin, 56, the driver whose Tesla was struck by the chunk of crane as he was driving across the bridge. Zinser did not return a voicemail Saturday. Castillo and Garcia could not be reached.

Staff writer Angie DiMichele contributed to this report.

Every professional wrestling fan has heard some variation of it in their lives.

“You know it’s fake, right?” they’ll say.

Predetermined? OK. But fake? Not even a little bit.

The intersection of sports and entertainment that is professional wrestling is meeting in a marquee way this weekend in Philadelphia with WrestleMania 40 and its surrounding events.

The days of a couple of oafs working headlocks and arm bars for 80 percent of the match as part of their four-move skillset are long gone.

The modern day WWE “Superstar” routinely blends acrobatics, athletics, daredevilry and bouts of brutality into a physical brand of storytelling that is worthy of the designation of professional athlete.

The increased athleticism has changed the game in WWE.

WWE has held tryouts in recent years predominantly featuring current and former college athletes to find their next stars. That trend continued during WrestleMania week at Drexel University on April 2-5.

The NXT developmental brand was previously stewarded by Paul “Triple H” Levesque, who now oversees all creative in WWE after the exit of former owner Vince McMahon. It’s now in the hands of fellow legendary wrestler Shawn Michaels, who continues to be impressed by the next generation.

“I really enjoy the fact that we’re out there recruiting out of these colleges and going after these young men and women. We had (a tryout Thursday) and it’s staggering,” Michaels said.

“They’re unbelievable athletes and the great many that we end up choosing are getting it so fast. I think that speaks very positively to the future of this industry.”

WWE legend and NXT head of creative Shawn Michaels speaks during a news conference at WrestleMania Media Day on April 5 in Philadelphia. (Austin Hertzog – MediaNews Group)

Among the prospects were Lehigh wrestling alum Karam Chakif, two-time U23 World wrestling medalist Jacob Cardenas, a large group of Division I football players on the men’s side; past NCAA volleyball players made up a large swath of the women’s hopefuls.

There’s a history of elite athletes finding professional wrestling. Arguably the greatest athletic bona fides that have come to WWE were wrestlers-turned-wrestlers: Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar.

After winning an Olympic gold medal in freestyle wrestling in 1996, Angle was a natural and went on to become four-time WWE Champion and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2017. Lesnar was an NCAA heavyweight champion before becoming the youngest person to win the WWE Championship, which he won seven times, and headline WrestleMania five times.

Current talent Chad Gable competed for the U.S. in Greco-Roman wrestling at the 2012 Olympics in London.

Football has served as a breeding ground for WWE, too.

Look no further than the main event of WrestleMania Night 1. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Roman Reigns were Division I defensive tackles at Miami and Georgia Tech, respectively, before joining the family business.

WWE wrestler Bianca Belair, center, poses with fans during a Make-A-Wish event on April 4 in Philadelphia. (Courtesy Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau)

The pathway hasn’t entirely changed. But the hit rate has.

The new generation arrived with Bianca Belair, who has gone from Tennessee track and field to women’s champion and WrestleMania main-eventer. She’ll compete alongside Jade Cargill (Jacksonville Univ. basketball) in a 3-on-3 tag team match Saturday.

Rising talents include Trick Williams (South Carolina football), who is the headliner of Saturday’s NXT Stand and Deliver event at Wells Fargo Center; the Creed Brothers, Julius (Duke wrestling) and Brutus (Otterbein wrestling); and Tiffany Stratton (USA Gymnastics).

Former NCAA and Olympic wrestling champion Gable Steveson has been on a developmental contract since 2022.

The makeup of top college athletes segues perfectly into the performance art of pro wrestling.

“The recruiting system that we have with these athletes coming in, they’ve been taught from a very young age and their normal is to perform, to get better, to achieve goals,” Michaels said. “That’s why what we’ve done in the last couple of years is so amazing to me because that’s all they know. We’re not taking them out of their normal, except teaching them a new craft. They’re born and bred to look at a goal and make it happen.”

It’s not exactly professional athletics, but a blend of it in the eyes of veteran Tomasso Ciampo, who will wrestle in his first WrestleMania match during Saturday’s Night 1 as part of the 6-Pack Ladder Match for the Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championship.

“I don’t think so. It’s improv, right?” Ciampa said Friday at WrestleMania 40 Media Day when asked if he and his colleagues are professional athletes. “There’s some acting involved, there’s a pro-athlete element to it.

“I think there are wrestlers who are capable of it, like a Ricochet, or Montez Ford, whose vertical is there, whose sprint is there, who can probably put up good numbers in a combine. The rest of us, it would be embarrassing, because we’re not training for the same thing.”

WWE wrestler Tomasso Ciampa (Courtesy Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau)

Professional wrestling is instead a unique blend of fitness, physical improvisation, endurance, appearance, acting and showmanship.

“There’s explosive elements, but there’s also aesthetics,” Ciampa said. “A quarterback doesn’t have to worry about taking his shirt off, no matter how he looks. They don’t have to worry about their physical appearance in the same way. I think there’s elements of pro-athlete to it, but I think it’s more, in a sense. It’s a whole different skill set.”

Other sporting pursuits carry a component of physical punishment, but elsewhere the goal is to avoid that, not embrace it.

Ciampa knows that experience as much as any. His wrestling career began in 2005 before joining WWE in its developmental brand NXT in 2015. His NXT run included a tag team title run with Johnny Gargano – his DIY partner in Saturday’s title match – time as the NXT champion and an iconic feud with Gargano that ranks among the best rivalries in recent WWE history.

The road to his first WrestleMania required endurance through countless injuries, torn ACLs, neck surgery in 2019, hip surgery in 2022, among them.

“I don’t think there’s a way for people to understand it,” he said. “The matches are one thing. They’re short sprints with a lot of heavy impact. But then it’s get in a car, drive a few hours, get on a flight that’s early with lack of sleep. Your cortisol levels and inflammation’s through the roof.

That’s the hardest part. And there’s no off-season. So the grind just continues.”

Philadelphia hasn’t been kind to Ciampa in his earlier years with some failed tryouts on the independent scene and matches in Ring of Honor that ‘didn’t live up to the hype for me.’

A ladder match is uniquely brutal in pro wrestling where getting hit, rammed into and jumping off ladders comes with the territory.

Yet it will hold a special place for him after WrestleMania 40, regardless of the physical toll that comes his way.

“This ladder match should top the chart for me,” Ciampa said. “This will be my biggest moment in wrestling ever.”

A competitive runner is fighting for her life in the hospital after a hit-and-run in Miramar early Saturday morning, police say.

Onyxia Delinois, 26, was jogging eastbound in the 18300 block of Miramar Parkway sometime between 6:30 and 7:15 a.m., Miramar Police spokeswoman Tania Ordaz said in a release, when she was hit by a vehicle that fled the scene. Paramedics took her to the hospital in critical condition.

“An avid jogger, Onyxia is fighting for her life,” Ordaz said in the release.

Pictures on social media show Delinois on early-morning runs, competing in 5Ks and the Miami Half Marathon.

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A post shared by Onyxia (@_onyxia)

Outside of running, she founded her own insurance broker business, according to her Instagram page.

The run Delinois took Saturday morning was not in a residential area and police need help finding witnesses who may have seen the driver, Ordaz told the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

“We are desperately seeking the public’s assistance in this one,” she said.

Anyone with information should contact Miramar Police immediately at 954-602-4000.

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HOUSTON — Observations and other notes of interest from Friday night’s 119-104 victory over the Houston Rockets:

– For now, Erik Spoelstra can buy time.

– No one would be surprised if he continues in the short term with Tyler Herro off the bench.

– With Herro missing 20 games prior to Friday, building back up the minutes makes sense.

– And with Nikola Jovic a spark in Friday’s third period, starting each half likely will continue to make regular-season sense.

– But changes are coming.

– They have to, with Josh Richardson now the lone Heat player out due to injury.

– With Richardson done for the season following shoulder surgery.

– There were some hints Friday, with Jaime Jaquez Jr. last off the bench in the 10-man rotation.

– And with Haywood Highsmith less featured than recent games.

– Eventually Herro gets back in the starting lineup.

– Eventually Martin could move in there too, as a means to also give more time off the bench to Highsmith.

– Caught in the vortex could be Jaquez.

– With Friday offering that hint.

– When Jaquez entered in the third period, he was at seven minutes played, with everyone else in the Heat rotation at at least 14.

– With Jaquez promptly making an impact with a 3-pointer.

– Considering the stakes Sunday in Indiana, it will be interesting to see if the changes come sooner rather than later.

– Ten deep was the way Friday.

– It won’t necessarily be that way when the games mean most.

– Even with Herro back, the Heat continued with an opening lineup of Bam Adebayo, Jovic, Jimmy Butler, Duncan Robinson and Terry Rozier.

– That unit entered 6-6 as the starting lineup.

– Martin entered first off the Heat bench.

– Followed by Kevin Love.

– And then Herro entering for Rozier.

– With Highsmith following by playing ahead of Jaquez.

– Robinson’s first assist was the 600th of his career.

– Jovic extended his career-best streak of games with at least one 3-pointer to 13, with a conversion midway through the third period.

– Highsmith’s second offensive rebound tied his season high of 57 last season.

– Adebayo now has a career-high 41 double-doubles this season.

– While the Heat got Herro back, the Rockets were without Amen Thompson (ankle, finger) and Jae’Sean Tate (ankle), as well as previously out Alperen Sengun (ankle) and Tori Eason (tibia).

– Heat two-way guard Alondes Williams (Sioux Falls Skyforce) on Friday was named G League Most Improved Player. He averaged 20.3 points on .498 shooting, 5.3 rebounds. 7.1 assists, 1.3 steals and 0.6 blocks at 37.4 minutes a game in his 43 regular-season appearances.

– Williams also finished as runner-up to Osceola Magic guard Mac McClung for G League 2024 Most Valuable Player, with that announcement also coming Friday. Unlike Williams, McClung is not under NBA contract.

– In addition, Heat Vice President of Player Personnel and Skyforce General Manager Eric Amsler on Friday was named G League Basketball Executive of the Year, becoming the second in franchise history (Heat Vice President of Basketball Operations/Assistant General Manager Adam Simon took the honor in 2016) .

– Friday night’s game completed the 12th of the Heat’s 13 back-to-back sets this season. Still remaining is Tuesday night in Atlanta and Wednesday night at home against Dallas.

– The Heat entered with seven consecutive victories over the Rockets, one shy of the franchise record against Houston.

HOUSTON – It was a back-to-back set that could have been a backbreaker for the Miami Heat. And it certainly felt that way at the start of the pairing, with Thursday night’s home loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.

Instead, a night after blowing a late lead, the Heat built on a late lead to push past the Houston Rockets 119-104 Friday night at Toyota Center.

“For us,” center Bam Adebayo said, “it was just about moving forward.”

Mission accomplished.

“It was a good response,” coach Erik Spoelstra said.

While the stakes weren’t as high as a night earlier, the victory put the Heat in a better frame of mind heading into Sunday’s showdown against the Indiana Pacers on the second stop of this three-game trip. The winner of that game will secure the inside track on the No. 6 seed in the East, with the Heat-Pacers three-game season series tied 1-1.

“You don’t have to be a mind reader to figure out how we felt climbing on that plane last night,” Spoelstra said of his team’s overnight flight to Houston. “Obviously we now have a big one in Indiana.”

With Jimmy Butler and  Adebayo setting the tone, and with Tyler Herro returning from a 20-game absence with a flourish, the Heat made it eight wins in their last 12 games.

“As we’ve said all year,” Butler said, “we always control our destiny. And that’s now more than ever.”

Afforded the opportunity to take the fourth quarter off, Butler closed with 22 points. The Heat also got 18 points and 12 rebounds from Adebayo, as well as 17 points from Herro in his return.

“Just excitement to be back on the court,” Herro said, “doing what I love doing with my guys.”

With Friday night’s victory, the Heat clinched no worse than eighth place in the East, meaning if they wind up in the play-in round, they get two chances for the one win needed to advance to the best-of-seven first round.

Five Degrees of Heat from Friday night’s game:

1. Closing time: It was tied 27-27 after the first period, with the Heat then taking a 64-59 lead into halftime.

The Heat then went up 13 points in the third period and took a 93-83 lead into the fourth.

With Butler on the bench, the Rockets then got within four early in the final period, before Herro helped push the Heat to a 110-96 lead with 6:09 to play.

Eventually the Heat pushed the lead to 18.

“They felt us more in the second half,” Spoelstra said of his defense limiting the Rockets to 45 points over the final two periods.

2. Herro time: Herro was back in action for the first time since Feb. 23 when he entered for Rozier with 3:42 to play in the opening period. Herro could have entered earlier, but there was confusion whether he was entering for Butler, who was at the line at the time.

Herro converted his first shot, a 13-foot jumper with 1:05 left in the opening period, and appeared comfortable being on the ball as the de facto backup point guard, with a team-high four first-half assists.

He closed 7 of 14 from the field, with six assists and five rebounds.

“Just good to have him back overall,” Adebayo said. “He was looking like a sad puppy over there, when he couldn’t play.”

It was the first time Herro played off the bench since the 2022 playoffs.

“It’s hard to just implement me into the starting lineup at this point.” Herro said of the reserve role.

3. Rotation alteration: With Herro back and with the Heat playing on the second night of a back-to-back, coach Erik Spoelstra went 10 deep in the first quarter.

After Butler, Adebayo, Terry Rozier, Duncan Robinson and Nikola Jovic started, the first five off the bench, in order, were Caleb Martin, Kevin Love, Herro, Haywood Highsmth and Jaime Jaquez Jr.

The approach had Jovic back to a role of starting each half and then stepping aside, until a cameo during mop-up time.

“It’s great,” Spoelstra said of being able to go 10 deep with such quality. “It really is, especially for this stretch run. Our depth, we always felt was one of the greatest strengths of this roster.”

4. Attack mode: Surprisingly passive Thursday night against the 76ers and the defense of former Heat teammate Kyle Lowry, Butler this time was demanding from the outset.

He closed the first period with 10 points, at 3 of 6 from the field and 4 of 4 from the line.

He was up to 15 points at the intermission and at his 22 through three quarters.

“That was the most important thing,” Spoelsta said, “for Jimmy to set the tone for us early on.”

Butler closed 6 of 14 from the field, including 2 of 6 on 3-pointers, as well as 8 of 8 from the line.

“We streaking,” Butler said of now moving on to Indiana. “I love what this game means for them. I love what it means for us.”

5. The playoff race: With the Indiana Pacers (44-34) defeating the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night, the Heat (43-34) ended the night where they started, at No. 7 in the East, now a game ahead of the No. 8 76ers (42-35).

The Heat have five games remaining: Sunday at Indiana, Tuesday at Atlanta, Wednesday at home against Dallas, and then a pair of games against Toronto at home to close out the regular season, on April 12 and 14.

By TIM REYNOLDS (AP Sports Writer)

FORT LAUDERDALE — Lionel Messi is coming back to Inter Miami’s lineup, with the team saying his absence for a hamstring injury will end Saturday at home in an MLS match against the Colorado Rapids.

“He’s back,” the team wrote in a social media post Friday.

Messi has missed Inter Miami’s last four games, including one Wednesday when the club wasted a 1-0 lead and lost 2-1 to Mexico’s Monterrey in the first leg of a CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinal. Tensions boiled over after that physical game, with members of both teams — Messi included — involved in a postgame shouting match near the locker room area at Chase Stadium.

Inter Miami finished that game a man down, leading to Monterrey’s comeback.

“We know what those matches represent. They are played with intensity,” Inter Miami assistant coach Javi Morales said Friday. “But the truth is, the most important thing happened on the field. We played against a great rival. Yes, unfortunately when we went down to 10 players we did not maintain the result. But now we have to go to Monterrey and try to do it in the best way to be able to advance.”

The second leg of the Miami-Monterrey series is Wednesday. And Messi would figure to be available for that, given that he will be in the lineup on Saturday.

Messi hasn’t played since March 13, and also missed Argentina’s exhibitions last month against El Salvador and Costa Rica. He trained with Miami on Friday.

“He’s getting better every day,” Morales said.

___

AP MLS: https://apnews.com/hub/major-league-soccer

The 2024 edition of Tortuga Music Festival took off at Fort Lauderdale Beach Park on Friday in an atmosphere that came close to perfect, with blue skies, mid-70s temps and sunny dispositions all around. Priscilla Block was sassy, Boyz II Men crooned, Warren Zeiders rocked and the evening crowd was surprisingly manageable. Another surprise: Ashley McBryde’s secret set on a small stage outside a Jersey Mike’s booth. She did a half-dozen songs and signed a few autographs. The 100 or so fans that caught her were giddy. Something to look out for as Tortuga continues on Saturday and Sunday.