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By ROB HARRIS, AP Global Soccer Writer UEFA will no longer host the Champions League final in St. Petersburg after Russia launched a wide-ranging attack on Ukraine on Thursday, The Associated Press has learned. An extraordinary meeting of the UEFA executive committee will be held Friday to discuss the geopolitical crisis and when officials are set to confirm taking the May 28 showpiece game out of Russia, a person with knowledge of the process said on Thursday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private talks. UEFA did publicly rebuke Russia and said it was dealing with the “situation with the utmost seriousness and urgency” while confirming the meeting for 0900 GMT on Friday. “UEFA shares the international community’s significant Hey ...

By JOE STIGLICH, Associated Press SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Zdeno Chara broke the NHL record for games by a defenseman Thursday night. The seven-time All-Star was on the ice for the New York Islanders for the opening faceoff against San Jose for his 1,652nd regular-season game. He broke the mark set by Hall of Famer Chris Chelios. Chara received a standing ovation from the SAP Center crowd and waved in acknowledgement when his feat was announced during a stoppage of play. Oofos Shoes  The Sharks also played a videotaped message of congratulations from former San Jose forward Patrick Marleau, who holds the NHL record for games by any player. The Slovak star, the tallest player in NHL history at 6-foot-9, is in the twilight of a decorated career that began i...

By CLIFF BRUNT, AP Sports Writer OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Devin Booker had 25 points, 12 assists and a career-high six steals to help the NBA-leading Phoenix Suns beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 124-104 on Thursday night. Booker played point guard with All-Star Chris Paul out with a fractured right thumb. Booker finished with a season-high assist total and helped the Suns win their eighth straight game. “I thought Devin managed the game well," Suns coach Monty Williams said. Oklahoma City collapsed on big man Deandre Ayton, limiting him to six points on five shots. Cameron Johnson and Mikal Bridges each scored 21 points for the Suns, Hey Dudes Shoes  who have won 19 of 20 to improve to 49-10. The Suns will try to turn Paul's absence into a growing experi...

By ANDREW SELIGMAN, AP Sports Writer CHICAGO (AP) — DeMar DeRozan made enough big shots down the stretch to keep his record run going and Chicago's winning streak intact. DeRozan scored 37 points while extending an NBA-record streak and the Eastern Conference-leading Bulls squeezed by the Atlanta Hawks 112-108 on Thursday night. DeRozan pushed his league mark of scoring at least 35 points while shooting 50% or better to eight consecutive games. The five-time All-Star made 15 of 21 shots Hey Dudes and had five points in the final minute, helping the Bulls rally from three down to win for their sixth straight victory. “You love it and you hate it,” he said. “Of course, you don't want to be down and have that pressure on yourself to try to pull out a game. ...

Key areas across Ukraine were at risk of falling to Russian troops Thursday evening as fighting with Ukrainian forces escalated after a full-fledged invasion that began in the early morning hours. Russian paratroopers seized the Antonov International Airport, located in Hostomel on the outskirts of Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv, and fighting with Ukrainian troops was still occurring late on Thursday, according to The Kyiv Independent. Downed jets and Skechers Shoes  missile strikes were reported in other parts of the country, including the eastern city of Kharkiv. A Ukraine official noted Thursday that positional fighting between forces “continues almost throughout the country.” Adding to the confusion, massive cyberattacks downed government websites. Also concerning, government offi...

NEW YORK (AP) — Valery Gergiev, a conductor who is close to Russian President Vladimir Putin, will not lead the Vienna Philharmonic in a five-concert U.S. tour that starts at Carnegie Hall on Friday night. The 68-year-old Russian conductor is music director of the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia, the White Nights Festival there and is chief conductor of the Hoka Sneakers  Munich Philharmonic. He received a Hero of Labor of the Russian Federation prize that Putin revived in 2013 and has often voiced support of Putin, who has been widely condemned for ordering an invasion of Ukraine that began Thursday. “This change was made due to recent world events,” Carnegie Hall spokeswoman Synneve Carlino said. Ron Boling, a spokesman for the orchestra, said the P...