U.S./World Sports category, Page 31
Joel Embiid strikes, shoves columnist during locker room altercation
PHILADELPHIA — Joel Embiid struck and shoved Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Marcus Hayes during a profanity-laced altercation in the 76ers’ locker room after a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday. Embiid, whose open hand made contact with Hayes’ neck and collarbone area, was angry about the columnist’s recent work criticizing...
Blaney races way into NASCAR championship finale to attempt to defend his Cup Series title
Ryan Blaney earned a chance to defend his NASCAR championship with a victory Sunday at Martinsville Speedway that pushed the Team Penske driver into the winner-take-all season finale. Blaney passed Chase Elliott with 15 laps to go to win at the Virginia track for a second consecutive year and take...
Ryan Blaney needs big Martinsville showing to defend NASCAR title
Ryan Blaney had the checkered flag in sight and a spot in NASCAR’s title-deciding race within his grasp last week on the last lap of a contentious battle. Then out of nowhere, Tyler Reddick slid past Blaney in the final turn and snatched the victory away. Reddick now will race...
Iowa begins post-Caitlin Clark era with lower expectations and a new coach
IOWA CITY, Iowa — The Caitlin Clark era at Iowa ended with her as the NCAA Division I overall scoring leader and the Hawkeyes playing in two straight national championship games and being the hottest ticket in women’s basketball. Clark recently finished her first pro season as the WNBA rookie...
Oregon State and Washington State hoops cozy up to WCC for now ahead of Pac-12 rebuild
The Pac-12 Conference will never be what it once was even after the efforts to rebuild it. “I never thought I’d see the Pac-12 fall apart,” Oregon State coach Wayne Tinkle said. “I mean, what a freakin’ shame that is, but we are where we are.” That could be taken...
Tyler Reddick wins at Homestead, giving Michael Jordan a chance at the NASCAR titleVideo
HOMESTEAD, Fla. — Michael Jordan won a championship in Phoenix in 1993. Tyler Reddick ensured that his car owner will have a chance to win another title there this year. Reddick went high and overtook Ryan Blaney on the final turn to win at Homestead-Miami on Sunday to secure a...
Carlos Sainz wins Mexico City Grand Prix as Norris tightens championship fightVideo
MEXICO CITY — Carlos Sainz Jr. won the Mexico City Grand Prix on Sunday and Lando Norris closed the gap in the Formula 1 championship race after another contentious battle with Max Verstappen. Sianz not only won but finished on the podium for the first time in Mexico City. It...
Maria Sharapova, Bryan brothers elected to International Tennis Hall of FameVideo
Maria Sharapova, a five-time Grand Slam singles champion known for plenty of on-court grit and off-court attention, and Bob and Mike Bryan, twins who won a record 16 major titles in men’s doubles together, are first-ballot selections for the International Tennis Hall of Fame. The Rhode Island-based Hall announced the...
LeBron and Bronny James make NBA history by playing together in Lakers’ win over Minnesota
LOS ANGELES — LeBron James and Bronny James became the first father and son to play in the NBA together Tuesday night during the Los Angeles Lakers’ 110-103 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. The 39-year-old superstar and his 20-year-old son played almost 2½ minutes together late in the first half...
NBA season set to begin with the Celtics seeking a 19th title and several challengers looming
Jayson Tatum was already a proven winner before last season. In Tatum’s first six seasons, no NBA player won more games with one team than he did. Tatum played in 334 wins with the Boston Celtics over that span, including playoffs. He was a perennial All-Star, a legitimate MVP candidate,...
New York Liberty win their 1st WNBA championship, beating Minnesota 67-62Video
NEW YORK — The New York Liberty finally have a WNBA championship after beating the Minnesota Lynx, 67-62, in overtime of a decisive Game 5 on Sunday night. Jonquel Jones scored 17 points to lead New York, which was one of the original franchises in the league. The Liberty made...
Joey Logano seizes fresh chance in NASCAR playoffs, wins in Vegas
LAS VEGAS — Knocked out of the playoffs this time last week, Joey Logano seized on his reversal of fortune to become the first driver locked into NASCAR’s championship finale. Logano was below the cutline and eliminated from the eight-driver field when he left Charlotte Motor Speedway last Sunday. But...
Trevor Etienne runs for 3 touchdowns as No. 5 Georgia knocks off No. 1 Texas
AUSTIN, Texas — Trevor Etienne ran for three touchdowns, the first two set up by cornerback Daylen Everette’s takeaways, and fifth-ranked Georgia went on to beat Quinn Ewers and No. 1 Texas, 30-15, on Saturday night. Etienne’s last score was a 1-yard plunge on fourth down with 12:04 left. That...
Kyle Larson opens 3rd round of NASCAR playoffs as favorite
LAS VEGAS — Kyle Larson has been lucky of late in Las Vegas, where he opens the third round of NASCAR’s playoffs on top of the Cup Series standings and the favorite to win Sunday’s race. Larson heads into the race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway as both the defending...
Lynx force Game 5 of WNBA Finals on late free throws to beat LibertyVideo
MINNEAPOLIS — With their season on the line, the Minnesota Lynx did just enough to stave off elimination and force a decisive Game 5 of the WNBA Finals. Bridget Carleton made two free throws with 2 seconds left, and the Lynx beat the New York Liberty, 82-80, on Friday night....
Virginia men’s basketball coach Tony Bennett is retiring effective immediately
Virginia men’s basketball coach Tony Bennett never chased the spotlight. That included with his stunning and abrupt decision to retire effective immediately, announced on the eve of the start of the season. The program said Thursday the 55-year-old Bennett will announce his retirement at a news conference on Friday at...
Liberty hope last-second shot provides WNBA title, rather than 1999’s letdown
MINNEAPOLIS — It’s been 25 years since the New York Liberty had a chance to close out a WNBA championship. Just like in 1999, a last-second shot gave them the opportunity to play for a title. This time around, the Liberty are hoping for a different outcome. Twenty-five years after...
Sabrina Ionescu’s 3 with 1 second left gives Liberty win over Lynx, 2-1 lead in WNBA FinalsVideo
MINNEAPOLIS — Sabrina Ionescu hit a tiebreaking 3-pointer from the top of the key with 1 second left, and Breanna Stewart scored 30 points to help the New York Liberty beat the Minnesota Lynx, 80-77, on Wednesday night, taking a 2-1 lead in the WNBA Finals. With the score tied...
Former boxing world champion Paul Spadafora hospitalized in Las Vegas after dog attack
Former IBF lightweight world champion Paul Spadafora is hospitalized in Las Vegas after being attacked by his dog, his wife confirmed to TribLive. Nadine (Russo) Spadafora said the McKees Rocks-based boxer severed an artery in his left arm when his pit bull bit him Sunday night, which required a two-hour...
With WNBA Finals even, Lynx will need to keep leaning on Courtney Williams to beat LibertyVideo
MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Lynx had just beaten the New York Liberty to win the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup earlier this season, and their next game was a noon start in Dallas. Courtney Williams just wasn’t into it. The ninth-year veteran went through the motions in that loss to a Wings...
Logano gets back into playoffs following Bowman disqualification and has sights set on 3rd Cup titleVideo
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Joey Logano hoped he had done enough to advance in NASCAR’s playoffs with an eighth-place finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway. But when he left the track Sunday night, he was four points below the cutline and eliminated from any shot at winning a third Cup Series title....
South Carolina ranked No. 1 in women’s AP Top 25 preseason poll with UConn, USC, Texas and UCLA next
South Carolina is starting the season where it finished last year — ranked No. 1 in the AP Top 25 women’s college basketball poll. The Gamecocks received 27 of the 30 first-place votes in the preseason rankings from a national media panel Tuesday. South Carolina returns four starters from the...
Valley grad B.J. Flenory inducted into New Hampshire’s Diversity Hall of Fame
Baron “B.B.” Flenory’s namesake is following his father’s legacy. But in a different sort of way. B.B. Flenory, the former Duquesne University basketball star whose life experiences continue to amaze, is himself amazed at the path his son, Baron “B.J.” Flenory, a former University of New Hampshire football star, has...
Larson dominates at The Roval to lead all 4 Hendrick cars into next round of NASCAR playoffsVideo
CONCORD, N.C. — Kyle Larson raced to his Cup Series-high sixth victory of the season Sunday to easily advance to the third round of NASCAR’s playoffs, winning on The Roval, the hybrid road course/oval at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Larson led a race-high 62 laps in the No. 5 Chevrolet for...
AP Top 25: Oregon, Penn State move behind No. 1 Texas. Army, Navy both ranked for 1st time since ’60
Oregon and Penn State each moved up a spot in The Associated Press college football poll on Sunday following thrilling wins in high-profile games, and Top 25 newcomers Navy and Army are in the rankings together for the first time since 1960. Texas strengthened its hold on No. 1 with...
