Reuters Sports Schedule at 0001 GMT on Saturday, April 18
Reuters sports schedule at 0001 GMT on Saturday: - - - - NBA Stage is set for NBA playoffs We look ahead to the National Basketball Association's post-season with a six-part package consisting of an overall preview, a look at LeBron James' quest to deliver a title to Cleveland, profiles on the Eastern Conference teams, Western Conference teams, a factbox and schedule of first-round games. (NBA-PLAYOFFS/ (PREVIEW), moved, by Jahmal Corner, 600 words) SEE ALSO: (NBA-PLAYOFFS/JAMES, moved, by Frank Pingue, 450 words) (NBA-PLAYOFFS/PENPIX-EASTERN, moved, 400 words) (NBA-PLAYOFFS/PENPIX-WESTERN, moved, 400 words) (NBA-PLAYOFFS/FACTBOX, moved, 400 words) (NBA-PLAYOFFS/SCHEDULE, moved, 475 words) - - - - BASEBALL Dodgers ace Kershaw in action Atlanta Braves right-hander Julio Teheran look to improve to 3-0 when he faces the Toronto Blue Jays while the Los Angeles Dodgers send reigning Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw to the mound versus the Colorado Rockies in two of the 15 games on the Major League Baseball schedule. (BASEBALL-HIGHLIGHTS/, expect by 0330 GMT/11:30 PM ET, 800 words) - - - - NHL Canadiens look to double series lead The Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders, Chicago Blackhawks and Calgary Flames all look to take 2-0 leads in their respective best-of-seven first round playoff series. (NHL- PLAYOFFS/HIGHLIGHTS, expect by 0230 GMT/10:30 PM ET, by The Sports Xchange, 450 words) - - - - GOLF PGA Tour: RBC Heritage (to 19) Hilton Head Island, South Carolina Spieth bounces back but Merritt stays ahead at Heritage Jordan Spieth bounced back from a Masters hangover by firing a nine-under 62 on Friday, but fellow American Troy Merritt went one better with a record-tying 61 to take a four-shot lead at the RBC Heritage in South Carolina. (GOLF-PGA, moved, 400 words). - - LPGA: LOTTE Championship, Hawaii, (to 18) Third round action from the Ko Olina Golf Club in Kapolei on the island of Oahu. (GOLF-LPGA/, expect by 0430 GMT/12:30 AM ET, 300 words) - - - - SOCCER Premier League (1400) Crystal Palace v West Bromwich Albion Everton v Burnley Leicester City v Swansea City Stoke City v Southampton Chelsea v Manchester United (1630) Big incentive for runaway leaders Chelsea LONDON - Chelsea will open a 10-point advantage over Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table if they beat third-placed Manchester United in a mouth-watering clash at Stamford Bridge. (SOCCER-ENGLAND/ (PIX), expect first lead by 1615 GMT/12:15 PM ET, by Michael Hann, 650 words) - - FA Cup semi-final Reading(II) v Arsenal (1620) Arsenal face second-tier strugglers Reading in Cup semi LONDON - Championship strugglers Reading will need a perfect performance to produce one of the great FA Cup shocks by beating holders Arsenal at Wembley to reach the final for the first time. (SOCCER-ENGLAND/CUP (PIX), expect by 1820 GMT/2:20 PM ET, by Toby Davis, 400 words plus sidebars on merit) - - La Liga Barcelona v Valencia (1400) Deportivo Coruna v Atletico Madrid (1600) Real Madrid v Malaga (1800) Athletic Club v Getafe (2000) Leaders Barca host Valencia, Real at home to Malaga BARCELONA - Barcelona can pull five points clear at the top of La Liga with a win at home to Valencia before second-placed Real Madrid host Malaga and champions Atletico Madrid, in third, play at Deportivo La Coruna. (SOCCER-SPAIN/ (PIX), expect by 1600 GMT/12 PM ET, by Tim Hanlon, 500 words) - - Bundesliga (1330) Bayer Leverkusen v Hanover 96 Borussia Dortmund v SC Paderborn Hertha Berlin v Cologne Hoffenheim v Bayern Munich Freiburg v Mainz FC Augsburg v VfB Stuttgart (1630) Bayern look to beat Hoffenhein as they close in on title BERLIN - Bayern Munich bid for a victory at seventh-placed Hoffenheim to bounce back from their midweek Champions League defeat at Porto and get the first of three wins in the last six games to retain their Bundesliga title. (SOCCER-GERMANY/ (PIX), expect by 1530 GMT/11:30 AM ET, by Karolos Grohmann, 400 words) - - Serie A Sampdoria v Cesena (1600) Juventus v Lazio (1845) Lazio aim to turn up the heat on leaders Juventus Second-placed Lazio visit Juventus for a top-of-the-table clash knowing a ninth straight Serie A win would move them within nine points of the leaders with seven games left. (SOCCER-ITALY/ (PIX), expect by 2045 GMT/4:45 PM ET, 400 words) - - Ligue 1 (1800) Nice v Paris St Germain (1500) Monaco v Stade Rennes En Avant Guingamp v Evian Thonon Gaillard FC FC Lorient v Toulouse Metz v Racing Lens Bastia v Stade de Reims PSG look to regain top spot at Nice PARIS - Paris St Germain can reclaim top spot from Olympique Lyonnais by a point if they win at Nice, while third-placed Monaco can move within three points of the current pacesetters, albeit having played a game more, with a home win over Stade Rennes. (SOCCER-FRANCE/ (PIX), by 1700 GMT/1 PM ET, by Julien Pretot, 300 words) - - Dutch championship (1745) AZ Alkmaar v ADO Den Haag (1630) PSV Eindhoven v Heerenveen Vitesse Arnhem v FC Dordrecht Willem II Tilburg v Groningen (1845) Home win will ensure PSV claim title AMSTERDAM - Victory for PSV Eindhoven at home to Heerenveen will deliver them the Dutch league title for the first time in six seasons. (SOCCER-DUTCH/, expect by 2000 GMT/4 PM ET, 300 words) - - Rugby Union Super Rugby round 10 (to 18) Hurricanes v Waratahs (0430) Highlanders v Blues (0735) Brumbies v Melbourne Rebels (0940) Western Force v Stormers (1145) Sharks v Bulls (1505) Cheetahs v Reds (1710) - - Sharks and Bulls tussle for top spot DURBAN - Only four points separate the Sharks and Bulls in the battle for leadership of the South African conference. (RUGBY-SUPER/SHARKS, expect by 1700 GMT/1 PM ET, 200 words) - - Cheetahs looking for rare home success BLOEMFONTEIN - The Cheetahs will seek only their second home win of the season when they face Australia's Reds, who lost in Pretoria last week. (RUGBY-SUPER/CHEETAHS, expect by 1900 GMT/3 PM ET, 200 words) - - Champions Cup semi-final ASM Clermont Auvergne v Saracens (1415) Clermont face Saracens in first Champions Cup semi-final PARIS - Clermont Auvergne meet old foes Saracens in the first semi-final of the Champions Cup in St Etienne. (RUGBY UNION-CHAMPIONS/CLERMONT, expect by 1600 GMT/12 PM ET, 400 words) - - - - MOTOR RACING Formula One: Bahrain Grand Prix, Sakhir (to 19) Rosberg seeks to end Hamilton's pole run MANAMA - Nico Rosberg will bid to take his first pole position of the season and deny Mercedes team mate and double world champion Lewis Hamilton a fourth in a row. (MOTOR RACING-PRIX/ (PIX), by Alan Baldwin, expect by 1615 GMT/12:15 PM ET) - - - - TENNIS ATP: Monte Carlo Masters, Monaco (to 19) Nadal faces Djokovic in mouth-watering Monte Carlo clash MONTE CARLO - Eight-times champion Rafa Nadal takes on world number one Novak Djokovic in a much-awaited semi-final clash at the Monte Carlo Masters in their 43rd meeting. (TENNIS-MEN/MONTE CARLO (PIX), expect from 1330 GMT/9:30 AM ET, 400 words) - - WTA: Bogota Cup, Colombia (to 19) Copy on merit - - - - CRICKET West Indies v England, Antigua, first test (to 17) King of swing Anderson passes Botham's record James Anderson became England's highest wicket-taker in test cricket when he claimed his 384th victim in the drawn first test against West Indies in Antigua on Friday. (CRICKET-WINDIES/, moved, 400 words) - - - - SWIMMING Phelps set for Arizona backstroke, freestyle Michael Phelps, back in action after serving a ban for a drunk driving conviction, takes another step in his quest to qualify for the Rio Olympics when he competes in the 100 metres backstroke and 400m freestyle at the Arena Pro Swim Series in Mesa, Arizona. (SWIMMING-PHELPS/, expect by 0430 GMT/12:30 AM ET, 350 words) - - - - MOTORCYCLING MotoGP: Argentina (to 19) Copy on merit (Asia desk editor: Patrick Johnston)
