U.S./World Sports category, Page 359
Warriors’ new NBA Finals road goes to Canada to face RaptorsVideo
TORONTO — Dynasty versus dinosaurs. The Golden State Warriors’ road to a fifth straight NBA Finals has detoured to a new destination, and this one requires a passport. The Toronto Raptors, a team that arrived in the NBA 24 years ago as the dinosaur-logoed basketball franchise in a hockey-loving country,...
Defending champ Ariya Jutanugarn learns from last U.S. Women’s OpenVideo
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Ariya Jutanugarn isn’t concerned about making history with a second straight U.S. Women’s Open. She is more focused on the lessons learned from last year’s back-nine collapse that nearly kept her from the championship. Jutanugarn held a seven-shot lead through 63 holes at Shoal Creek in what...
Eden Hazard scores 2 as Chelsea beats Arsenal in Europa League finalVideo
BAKU, Azerbaijan — If this was goodbye for Eden Hazard and Maurizio Sarri, then it was a stylish farewell. For Petr Cech, it was the worst way to retire. Hazard scored twice past his former teammate as Chelsea sliced through Arsenal in the second half of the Europa League final...
‘Super old’ Roger Federer to face ex-contemporary’s son at French Open
PARIS — Roger Federer, 37, joked to a stadium filled with screaming kids that he’s “so super old.” Stan Wawrinka, 34, pulled a crying boy out of a crush of autograph-seekers in the stands. Rafael Nadal, about to turn 33, offered this advice to youngsters at his match who might...
Analysis: Title of ‘best player in the league’ at stake in NBA Finals
TORONTO — There was a time, in the not-too-distant past, when Masai Ujiri would have been labeled a heretic, a lunatic or both. In the moments after the Toronto Raptors advanced to the NBA Finals with Saturday’s Game 6 win, the franchise’s president, with a piece of confetti still resting...
Naomi Osaka avoids French Open upset; Simona Halep wins, too
PARIS — Naomi Osaka’s body language made her plight plain. For all she’s already accomplished, the internal pressure stemming from aiming to do even more was ruining her debut as the No. 1 seed at a Grand Slam tournament. Fed up with her poor play in a first-round match at...
50th annual World Series of Poker opens in Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS — The annual World Series of Poker opened Tuesday in Las Vegas with dozens of scheduled card tournaments and a special event to celebrate the 50th run of a series known for minting millionaires each year. The seven-week poker festival is expected to again draw tens of thousands...
Sports Illustrated magazine sold for $110 million
NEW YORK — Sports Illustrated magazine has been sold for $110 million to a company that specializes in managing fashion, entertainment and sports brands, including marketing rights to Shaquille O’Neal and Muhammad Ali. The seller, Meredith Corp., will continue running the print edition and the website SI.com for at least...
Warriors vs. Raptors: A first look at the NBA Finals
We’re four wins away from one team to know the thing we’ve tried to figure out since the very first game of this NBA season. The whole point of the 82-game marathon and the month-plus of playoffs is to figure out the best team in the league this season. It’s...
Analysis: Indy 500 delivers spectacular show, brilliant racing
INDIANAPOLIS — The forecast called for a potential washout of the Indianapolis 500, yet the fans still packed the Snake Pit, crowded the Midway and roamed Gasoline Alley hoping rain wouldn’t ruin one of the most revered events in the world. IndyCar, slowly trying to race its way back into...
Santa Anita checking if rules followed before horse’s death
ARCADIA, Calif. — The owner of Santa Anita is investigating whether new rules were followed before the 26th horse death at the Southern California racetrack. Kochees, a 9-year-old gelding, was euthanized Sunday after injuring his left front leg in a race a day earlier. It was the third horse death...
NASCAR 2nd-half preview: Teams chasing Joe Gibbs
CONCORD, N.C. — Martin Truex Jr. left no doubt at the Coca-Cola 600 that Joe Gibbs Racing remains the powerhouse team. Still, those chasing JGR have reason to be encouraged for the second half of the NASCAR season. Truex overcame a flat tire after hitting the wall early, then won...
Serena Williams roars to 1st-round win at French Open
PARIS — This was one mistake too far for Serena Williams. Sure, the bad backhand put her behind only 15-30 at the outset of the second set of her opening match at Roland Garros on Monday. What made the miscue so bothersome? She already had dropped the first set against...
96-year-old WWII veteran performs national anthem on harmonica for excited crowd
Pete DuPre, a 96-year-old World War II veteran known as “Harmonica Pete,” performed the national anthem on a harmonica in a fitting tribute to mark Memorial Day. DuPre performed before the start of a friendly soccer match between the U.S. women’s national team and Mexico on Sunday at Red Bull...
Gus Frerotte huddles up with former AOL Sports executive Jimmy Lynn
Former Ford City High School standout and NFL quarterback Gus Frerotte sits down with Jimmy Lynn, a former AOL vice president who oversaw AOL Sports’ strategic partnerships, in the latest edition of the podcast “Huddle Up with Gus.” In each episode, Frerotte discusses with guests how sports has shaped their...
Martin Truex overcomes early problems to win Coca-Cola 600Video
CONCORD, N.C. — Martin Truex Jr. overcame an early flat tire after hitting the wall, then survived a wild restart five laps from the end Sunday night to win the Coca-Cola 600 for the second time in four seasons. Truex slid into the Turn 4 wall during the first stage...
Conor Daly hopes strong Indy 500 performance leads to more racing
INDIANAPOLIS — Conor Daly needed a solid Indianapolis 500 result to help jump-start his IndyCar career. A top-10 finish can’t hurt — and it might even lead to more work this season. The 27-year-old American stayed near the lead pack through most of Sunday’s race before a surprise ruling and...
Kevin Na breezes to Colonial win with final-round 66
FORT WORTH, Texas — Kevin Na always believed he could win at Colonial, so he paused to visualize his name on the wall of champions at the first tee before making another run at it. The South Korean-born American will get to read his name on that wall next year....
Toronto ready for its NBA close-up in Finals vs. WarriorsVideo
The first NBA game was in Toronto. And now, the NBA Finals are headed there. Finally. The NBA Finals are set after the Toronto Raptors won the Eastern Conference championship Saturday night and earned the right to play the Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors. For the Raptors, it’ll be...
Finland defeats Canada for gold at hockey world championship
BRATISLAVA, Slovakia — Marko Anttila helped lead Finland to its third world hockey title, scoring the tying and go-ahead goals in a 3-1 victory over Canada on Sunday. Anttila tied it at 1 on a power play early in the second period and the Finnish captain made it 2-1 early...
Roger Federer cruises in 1st French Open match since 2015
PARIS — Roger Federer entered a refurbished Court Philippe Chatrier for his first French Open match since 2015, greeted by the sun peeking through the clouds and the full-throated support of spectators in their designer sunglasses, straw hats and sweaters tied over their shoulders. Were it permitted, perhaps some ticket-holders...
Simon Pagenaud uses bold, late pass to win 1st Indianapolis 500
INDIANAPOLIS — Simon Pagenaud gave Roger Penske a golden victory at the Indianapolis 500. He may have saved his job doing it. Pagenaud outdueled Alexander Rossi in a breathtaking, 13-lap sprint to the finish Sunday that delivered an 18th victory in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing” to the venerable team...
Raptors rally to beat Bucks, qualify for franchise’s 1st NBA Finals
TORONTO — Kawhi Leonard had 27 points and 17 rebounds to lead the Toronto Raptors into the NBA Finals for the first time with a 100-94 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night. The Raptors overcame a 15-point deficit in Game 6 to win the series and will host...
Kevin Na settles for 2-shot Colonial lead over Jordan Spieth, Jim Furyk
FORT WORTH, Texas — If Jordan Spieth thinks a winless streak approaching two years seems like forever, he might want to check with fellow major winner Jim Furyk. Both have a chance to end droughts at Colonial — if they can overtake third-round leader Kevin Na. Na settled for a...
Roger Penske celebrates 50 years at Indianapolis 500
INDIANAPOLIS — His hair was jet black and his shirt starched white when Roger Penske rolled into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the first time as a team owner with Mark Donohue behind the wheel. He was young and ambitious and ready to conquer the racing world. Much has changed...
