Reuters Sports News Summary

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Soccer: Messi fires Barca to Cup final win over Athletic Bilbao

Lionel Messi scored twice as Barcelona thrashed Athletic Bilbao 4-0 in the Copa del Rey final on Saturday to win the trophy for a record-extending 31st time with all the goals coming in the last half an hour. Antoine Griezmann put a dominant Barca side ahead on the hour when he turned in a cross from Frenkie de Jong, who doubled the Catalans' lead three minutes later.

Federer confirms French Open participation

Roger Federer will kickstart his claycourt campaign at next month's Geneva Open as he steps up his preparations for the French Open, the 39-year-old Swiss wrote on Twitter on Sunday. After missing more than a year following two knee operations, Federer returned on Tour at last month's Qatar Open, where he suffered a quarter-final defeat by Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili.

Report: NBA bracing for impact of Derek Chauvin verdict

The NBA has told teams league-wide to prepare for the potential impact of a verdict in the Derek Chauvin trial in Minneapolis, according to ESPN. The trial heads into final arguments on Monday.

MLB roundup: BoSox score late to knock off ChiSox

Marwin Gonzalez led off what turned into a four-run eighth with a home run to lead the host Boston Red Sox to a 7-4 win over the Chicago White Sox Saturday at Fenway Park. The win was Boston's 10th in its past 11 games. After an 0-3 start, the Red Sox rattled off nine consecutive wins before losing to Minnesota on Thursday.

Looking to snap nine-game skid, Thunder visit Raptors

When the Oklahoma City Thunder visit the Toronto Raptors at Tampa, Fla., on Sunday night, the Thunder will be playing the last team they defeated before going on a nine-game losing streak. That 113-103 win by the host Thunder on March 31 concluded a 1-13 March for the Raptors. Since then, while the Thunder have done nothing but lose, the Raptors have won five of nine.

NHL roundup: Panthers come out on top of rival Lightning

Frank Vatrano tallied his team-leading sixth game-winning goal as the Florida Panthers beat the host Tampa Bay Lightning and league top goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy 5-3 on Saturday night in St. Petersburg, Fla. Vatrano raced in and beat Vasilevskiy -- the NHL's leader with 26 wins -- with a backhander in the second period as the Lightning netminder ultimately suffered a loss on home ice for the first time in 15 games this season.

Yankees 1B Jay Bruce retiring after 14 seasons

Following a slow start to his 14th season, New York Yankees first baseman and outfielder Jay Bruce announced his retirement on Sunday. The three-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger award winner is batting .118 (4-for-34) with one homer and three RBIs through 10 games while filling in for injured first baseman Luke Voit.

Catlin beats Kieffer in playoff to win Austrian Open

American John Catlin claimed his third European Tour title in eight months after defeating Germany's Maximilian Kieffer in a thrilling playoff battle at the Austrian Open on Sunday. Catlin finished with a round of seven-under-par 65 at Diamond Country Club, near Vienna, to tie for the top spot at 14-under alongside Kieffer, who survived a mid-round slump to card a 66.

Soccer-Statement from breakaway Super League clubs

The 12 clubs planning a breakaway European Super League issued the following joint statement on Sunday: Twelve of Europe’s leading football clubs have today come together to announce they have agreed to establish a new mid-week competition, the Super League, governed by its

NBA roundup: Celtics win thriller despite Stephen’s Curry’s 47

Jayson Tatum lost his personal duel with Stephen Curry but the Boston Celtics won their battle with the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night, outfinishing the visitors for a 119-114 win in a nationally televised duel of streaking teams. Tatum scored a driving hoop to break a tie with 48.8 seconds left, and Kemba Walker delivered the dagger with a 3-pointer 24 seconds later, allowing the Celtics to record their sixth straight win.