U.S./World Sports category, Page 16
British rider Simon Yates wins elusive Giro d’Italia title
ROME — British rider Simon Yates cruised to overall victory in the Giro d’Italia on Sunday — finally winning the race that had eluded him so often. After attacking on the gravel-road climb to take the pink jersey in the penultimate stage on Saturday, Yates finished nearly four minutes ahead...
Pacers beat Knicks 125-108 in Game 6 to reach NBA Finals for the second time in franchise historyVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — Pascal Siakam scored 31 points, Tyrese Haliburton had 21 points and 13 assists and the Indiana Pacers pulled away for a 125-108 victory over the New York Knicks in Game 6 on Saturday night to reach the NBA Finals for the second time in franchise history. Obi Toppin...
Ross Chastain returns to Nashville after a thrilling Coca-Cola 600 victoryVideo
LEBANON, Tenn. — Ross Chastain is ready to get back behind the wheel of a race car after a busy week celebrating going from worst to Victory Lane at the Coca-Cola 600 for the first time in his career. He also knows only too well how humbling racing can be....
Pacers eye another bounce-back in Eastern Conference final against KnicksVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Pacers wasted one chance to wrap up the Eastern Conference finals. They don’t intend to let it happen again. On Saturday, two nights after an uncharacteristically poor performance on the road, the Pacers will get their second shot to clinch the franchise’s second NBA Finals appearance,...
Iga Swiatek, Aryna Sabalenka reach 4th round of French Open without dropping a setVideo
PARIS — Defending champion Iga Swiatek joined No. 1-ranked Aryna Sabalenka in the fourth round of the French Open on Friday, and neither player has dropped a set. Sabalenka, a three-time Grand Slam winner who has only once reached the semifinals at Roland-Garros, beat Olga Danilovic, 6-2, 6-3, on Court...
NBA star Zion Williamson accused of raping ex-girlfriend while living in Beverly Hills
LOS ANGELES — New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson has been accused of raping and abusing a woman who says she dated the former Duke standout and No. 1 overall draft pick from 2018-23. In a civil lawsuit filed Thursday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, a woman identified as...
Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns carry Knicks past Pacers, trim series lead to 3-2Video
NEW YORK — Jalen Brunson scored 32 points, Karl-Anthony Towns added 24 points and 13 rebounds despite a bruised left knee and the New York Knicks stayed alive in the Eastern Conference finals by beating the Indiana Pacers, 111-94, on Thursday night in Game 5. The Knicks won on their...
Thunder’s week-long gap between games: Help or hurt NBA Finals chances?
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma City Thunder have a week off before playing again in the NBA Finals. How the Thunder — who defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves, 4-1, in the Western Conference finals — handle that stretch could set the tone for the championship series against either the Indiana Pacers...
French Open 2025: Coco Gauff’s serve is not at its best but she gets the breaks for a win
PARIS — Coco Gauff kept getting herself in some trouble with shaky serving in the French Open’s second round, and she kept putting herself back in position to win by breaking right back Thursday. The second-seeded Gauff, pursuing her first title at Roland-Garros, eliminated 172nd-ranked qualifier Tereza Valentova of the...
March Madness bracket expansion would add value and could be decided in next few months, Baker says
ORLANDO — NCAA President Charlie Baker sees value in expanding the NCAA Tournament by a handful of teams and wants to reach a decision on the matter in the next few months, he said Thursday. Baker spoke during Big 12 spring meetings, where conference leaders are discussing everything from the...
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scores 34 as Thunder top Timberwolves 124-94 to clinch spot in NBA FinalsVideo
OKLAHOMA CITY — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 points, and the Oklahoma City Thunder routed the Minnesota Timberwolves, 124-94, on Wednesday night to win the Western Conference finals series 4-1 and advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2012. Chet Holmgren had 22 points, seven rebounds and three...
From disappointment to triumph: Giro leader Isaac Del Toro claims statement win on stage 17
BORMIO, Italy — Not content with being the first Mexican cyclist to lead the Giro d’Italia, Isaac Del Toro claimed a statement win on one of the race’s trickiest stages to add some precious seconds to his slender advantage. The 21-year-old Del Toro had time to raise his arms over...
Belmont Park will host the Breeders’ Cup in 2027 after $455M renovation. Keeneland gets 2026 event
The Breeders’ Cup world championships are returning to New York in 2027 at the rebuilt Belmont Park, following a massive renovation project to revitalize one of the most important horse racing tracks in the country. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, along with officials from the Breeders’ Cup and the New...
Iga Swiatek beats Emma Raducanu to extend her bid for a 4th straight French Open title
PARIS — Iga Swiatek is always quite good against Emma Raducanu. Always quite good at the French Open, too, of course. So it made sense that the latest matchup between these two Grand Slam champions, which came in the second round at Court Philippe-Chatrier on Wednesday, would end up with...
Patrick Schulte to miss U.S. matches because of oblique injury
FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. — Columbus goalkeeper Patrick Schulte will miss the United States’ friendlies against Turkey and Switzerland ahead of the CONCACAF Gold Cup because of an oblique injury and was replaced on the roster Wednesday by Chicago’s Chris Brady. Schulte was hurt during warmups ahead of Saturday’s Major League Soccer...
Novak Djokovic is bothered by the weather more than anything in French Open 1st-round win
PARIS — Novak Djokovic experienced the lowest of lows — pulling out of the French Open after tearing the meniscus in his right knee — and the highest of highs — winning a long-sought Olympic gold medal for Serbia — at Roland-Garros last year. This trip to the site went...
Berlin presents bid to rehost Olympics with 100th anniversary of 1936 Games looming
BERLIN — Berlin has formally presented its bid to rehost the Olympics in the same stadium where Jesse Owens starred during the 1936 Games under the Nazis. Berlin sports minister Iris Spranger on Tuesday said the city wants to put on a sustainable Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2036, 2040...
Novak Djokovic thought about retirement at Rafael Nadal’s farewell ceremony at French Open
PARIS — As Novak Djokovic chatted at Court Philippe-Chatrier with his greatest rivals in tennis — Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray, all of whom have retired — he couldn’t help but think about when his day to walk away might arrive. “Well, I mean, honestly, I was thinking...
Liz Schepers’ OT goal gives Minnesota Frost their 2nd straight PWHL championshipVideo
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Liz Schepers scored 12 minutes into overtime, and the Minnesota Frost won their second straight PWHL Walter Cup with a 2-1 win over the Ottawa Charge on Monday night in Game 4. Each game in the best-of-five series went to at least one overtime and finished...
Tyrese Haliburton, Pacers look to make corrections vs. Knicks
INDIANAPOLIS — Two-time All-Star Tyrese Haliburton blamed himself for the Indiana Pacers’ second-half collapse in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals. Coach Rick Carlisle figured Haliburton’s teammates played their part, too. Less than 24 hours after blowing a 16-point lead in the final 20 minutes Sunday night and allowing...
Trackhouse Racing’s victory in Coca-Cola 600 provides win for the ‘little guys’Video
CONCORD, N.C. — Trackhouse Racing has won nine Cup Series races since opening in 2021. None as big as Sunday night’s race. Ross Chastain became the first driver since Bobby Allison 56 years ago to win a race from an official starting position of last when he passed William Byron...
Carlos Alcaraz, Iga Swiatek off to good starts at French Open
PARIS — Iga Swiatek, who has struggled lately, and Carlos Alcaraz, who has not, got off to good starts in their French Open title defenses Monday, recording straight-set victories to reach the second round. Swiatek was up first in Court Philippe-Chatrier and defeated 42nd-ranked Rebecca Sramkova, 6-3, 6-3. Swiatek compiled...
Driver arrested after his minivan plows through soccer fans celebrating in Liverpool
LONDON — A 53-year-old British man plowed his minivan into a crowd of Liverpool soccer fans who had been celebrating the city team’s Premier League championship on Monday and was arrested, police said. There was no immediate word from authorities on how many people were injured. An air ambulance and...
Chip Ganassi calls Alex Palou ‘the best driver’ after historic Indy 500 winVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — There’s a long list of racing greats who have passed through Chip Ganassi Racing over its 35 years in existence — but not so lengthy that Ganassi can’t rattle them off the top of his head. Jimmy Vasser, Alex Zanardi and Juan Pablo Montoya gave Ganassi four consecutive...
Fever star Caitlin Clark out at least 2 weeks with left quad strainVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark will be out at least two weeks with a left quad strain, the team announced Monday. The Fever did not say when Clark suffered the injury. The team said further updates will be provided after she gets another evaluation. Clark played 37 minutes,...
