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LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers held off a furious late rally to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 110-106 on Tuesday and book a first-round NBA playoff clash with the defending champion Denver Nuggets.

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Caitlin Clark's recent transition to the WNBA has dominated headlines this week, sparking widespread discussion not only among sports enthusiasts but also drawing attention from notable figures like President Joe Biden, who,took to X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, April 16, to express concern over the disparity in wages between male and female athletes. The focus on women's salaries, particularly in the WNBA, intensified after revelations that Clark, aged 22, is slated to earn a total of $338,056 over her initial four-year tenure in the league.

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In a stunning turn of events, the Golden State Warriors' season came to an abrupt end at the hands of the Sacramento Kings during the NBA Play-In Tournament. The game, which took place on April 17, 2024, at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, saw the Kings triumph with a decisive 118-94 victory, propelling them forward in the tournament.

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The National Basketball Association (NBA) has recently banned Jontay Porter, a Toronto Raptors player, from the league following an investigation that found him guilty of violating the league's betting rules. The investigation was opened in March after the NBA detected unusual betting patterns regarding Porter. The NBA's investigation revealed that Porter had disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, manipulated his participation in games for betting purposes, and placed bets on NBA games, thereby violating league rules.

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The disparity in salaries between WNBA and NBA rookies has been a point of contention among sports fans, particularly when comparing the earnings of top draft picks. Caitlin Clark, the first overall pick in the WNBA, is set to earn a starting salary of $76,535, while Victor Wembanyama, her NBA counterpart, is projected to earn $10,133,900 in his first year. When expressed as a fraction, Clark's salary is approximately 1/132 of Wembanyama's, or less than 0.76%.

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The NBA has banned  Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter following an investigation into his violation of betting regulations. The league's inquiry, initiated in March due to suspicious betting activities surrounding Porter, concluded with findings of multiple infractions.

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The Chicago Sky made the most of their two first-round picks in the WNBA Draft, selecting Kamilla Cardoso, a center from South Carolina, and Angel Reese, a forward from LSU. Chicago fans, teams, and city officials enthusiastically welcomed the new additions.