Thunder-Suns takeaways: Phoenix is proving to be no match for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Oklahoma City
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shines as Thunder beat Suns 121-109, leading series 3-0

Lackawanna Track Conference athletes excelled at the Wyalusing Lasagna Invitational, with Abington Heights girls and Riverside boys winning championships. Several records were broken, and individual athletes improved their state rankings.
Athletes from the Lackawanna Track Conference continued to have outstanding performances at weekend invitational meets this spring as the Abington Heights girls team and the Riverside boys team captured championships at the Wyalusing Lasagna event Friday.
There were several individual-event winners, and performers set school records while also moving up the state rankings compiled by pa.milesplit.com. Track and field athletes can only be ranked in the state using sanctioned, fully automatic timing.
In the girls’ meet, Abington Heights, the LTC Division I champion, scored 112 points to run away with the team title. Montrose, the winner of the LTC Division IV crown, finished second with 82 points, and Lakeland, the LTC Division III winner, was third, tied with Athens, a District 4 team, with 55 points.
Riverside earned 79 points to finish ahead of Dallas, a Wyoming Valley Conference power, which had 75 points. Elk Lake, the LTC Division IV champion, was third with 67 points, and Montrose was fourth with 51 points.
Elk Lake senior Kendel Jones raced to gold medals in the 1,600-meter run and the 3,200 in highly competitive races that landed him a pair of state rankings.
Jones, last season’s Times-Tribune Boys Track and Field Performer of the Year, clocked in at 4 minutes, 13.77 seconds. He finished ahead of Northwest Area’s Michael Fritz (4:18.35). Elk Lake teammate Cody Adams was third in 4:22.60, with West Scranton’s Seamus Wallace (4:27.43) and Lackawanna Trail’s Avery Ronchi (4:27.93) setting school records in their sixth- and seventh-place finishes. Lakeland’s Henry Decker was sixth in 4:28.23.
“I thought it was a really good night; the weather was great, and I knew that I had competition in the mile (1,600),” Jones said. “I knew Michael and Cody would be right there. Going into the race, I was hoping to have a good drop in time because of that competition.”
With his time of 4:13.77, Jones broke his school record of 4:18.39 and is the second-fastest 1,600 time run in LTC history. Only Wallenpaupack’s Tyler Wirth has run faster, with his school record of 4:09.42 set in 2019. It is also the fastest time run among Class 2A runners in the state this season. Regina Luminis Academy’s Gabe Simkiss is second with a 4:14.60, and Fritz is third. Adams is also in the top eight at No. 7.
In the 3,200, Jones held off Adams with a winning time of 9:32.50. Adams finished second in 9:35.51. Riverside’s Mikey Schimefenig, who set a school record in the 1,600 (4:31.56), was fourth (9:39.23), Ronchi was fifth (9:41.17), Wallace finished sixth, shattering his school record with a 9:41.37, and Decker finished eighth (9:44.51).
Jones ended his night helping the 1,600 relay team that included Adams, Trevor Upright and Brent Drost to a win in 3:28.56. That team is ranked fifth in the state with its time of 3:28.07 from the Godek Invitational.
The Abington Heights girls team and the Riverside boys team won championships at the Wyalusing Lasagna Invitational.
Abington Heights scored 112 points, while Riverside earned 79 points to secure their titles.
Elk Lake senior Kendel Jones won gold medals in both the 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter runs.
LTC teams performed well, with multiple individual-event winners and several athletes setting school records.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shines as Thunder beat Suns 121-109, leading series 3-0

Neville says Arsenal will need a wheelbarrow to win the PL title after edging past Newcastle.
Spencer Torkelson hits three home runs in three games, showing power after a slow start.
Chicago Bears add seven rookies in 2026 NFL Draft, focusing on speed and impact.
Raiders' 2026 draft highlights trades and player movements.
Arizona Cardinals make history by not trading in the 2026 NFL draft
See every story in Sports — including breaking news and analysis.
“I feel good,” Jones said. “I have to keep doing my workouts and recovering. I have to trust the process and do the little things like going to bed early and being smart. We have been racing a lot lately, so we are hoping to get a few good workouts in to prepare for districts and states.”
Abington Heights girls had two individual champions and won two relays en route to the team title.
Anna Pucilowski won the 1,600 (5:07.30), coming across ahead of Elk Lake sophomore Kendyl Weisgold (5:09.16).
Weisgold moved up to No. 5 on the Class 2A state ranking list for the 1,600. She also won the 800 in 2:18.42, which is ranked seventh. Montrose’s Avery Kerr set a school record with her second-place finish in the 800 in 2:20.42.
“It was a really good night,” Weisgold said. “There was a lot of good competition and great girls to run against. I was honestly just trying to get through the race. I wasn’t expecting that time (in the 800) coming out of the mile. Avery was there and really pushed me to reach the time I wanted. It was a really good race.”
Pucilowski also joined Giada Lovecchio, Marley Gilboy and Addyson Mummert for a win in the 3,200 relay (9:48.35). Kiana Seid won the pole vault with a height of 11-3, and the 400 relay team of Elsianna Phillips, Bergan Price, Aliya Lucarelli and Julia Schuster won in 50.84 to lead the Lady Comets.
Riverside’s 3,200 relay team of Schimelfenig, Michael Connor, Andrew Connor and Jack Davies won in 8:17.52, and junior Carmelo Barnett captured the 110 hurdles (15.06) for the Vikings in their team championship effort.
Girls notes
At the Lasagna Invitational, Montrose junior Sadie Jones won the long (17-3.5) and triple (36-11.5) jumps.
Lakeland’s Kaylyn Davis won the 100 hurdles (15.64) and the 300 hurdles (46.42). The Slippery Rock commit is ranked seventh in the state for the 300 hurdles in Class 2A.
Bria Hill added a win in the 400 (58.79) for Lakeland.
Wilkes-Barre Area’s Jaida Underwood won the high jump (5-2), and Holy Redeemer’s team of Gianna Altavilla, Emily Werner, Kira Millard, and Kyra Chepolis won the 1,600 relay (4:16.66).
At the East Stroudsburg South Cavalier Invitational, Delaware Valley’s Emma Simmons set a school record with her second-place finish in the 100 hurdles (15.16). Simmons also finished sixth in the 300 hurdles (52.52).
Grace Holderith won the 1,600 (5:15.45), Hailee Walzer won the pole vault (10-6), and the team of Lily Stovken, Ava Troup, Addison Yadanza, and Holderith won the 3,200 relay (10:18.32) for Delaware Valley.
Wyoming Area’s Jenesa Sancho won the 300 hurdles (45.88).
Boys notes
At the Lasagna Invitational, Montrose senior Nico Christian won the 200 in a school record 22.16, which ranks him seventh in the Class 2A state rankings. He also won the 400 in 50.42 and was part of the 400 relay team that finished second to Dallas. Christian, Max Kuwaye, Carl Nolt, and Gabe Blasi set a school record in 43.93.
Kuwaye added a win in the 100 (11.06) for the Meteors.
Western Wayne senior Robbie Carrelle won the 300 hurdles (39.63) and the pole vault (13-6). His time in the 300 hurdles ranks him sixth in the state in Class 2A. Barnett, who finished second, is ranked eighth in the event with his time of 40.18 from the Walter Godek, and Dunmore’s Weston Yannone is fourth (39.26).
Susquehanna’s Maxx Kelly won the 800 in a school-record 1:57.18, edging Holy Redeemer’s Joshua Cackowski (1:57.54) and Riverside’s Michael Connor, who set a school record in 1:59.67. Kelly is ranked eighth in the state.
Holy Cross senior Branden Fadl set a school record with his winning put of 52-9.5 in the shot. Scranton Prep’s Anthony De Los Santos won the discus (148-10). Tunkhannock’s Forrest Paxton won the javelin (175-10).
At the Cavalier Invitational, Wyoming Area’s Ben Gravine won the discus (156-8), and teammates Nicholas Kondrosky won the long jump (22-3), and Josh Mruk won the shot put (51-3).
Look ahead
The regular season concludes in the LTC this week.
Seven teams have clinched ties for division titles with one meet remaining. The conference does not break ties.
Abington Heights girls and boys are unbeaten in Division I. The programs have dual meets Monday against Scranton at home with a special under-the-lights start time of 6 p.m.
Lakeland girls are 4-0 in Division III and finish the season at home against Holy Cross at 4:15 p.m. on Monday.
Montrose girls are undefeated overall and have won 39 straight dual meets. The Lady Meteors are at Mountain View on Monday at 4:15 p.m.
Elk Lake, which is 4-0 in Division IV boys, completes its season on Monday at Blue Ridge at 4:15 p.m.
Wallenpaupack has clinched a tie for the boys’ Division II crown.
The only division that will be decided on the track on the final meet day is the girls’ Division II. North Pocono is at Wallenpaupack on Tuesday at 4:15 p.m., with both teams at 3-0 in the division.