U.S./World Sports category, Page 17
Team Penske focused on moving forward after shock firings following Indy 500 cheating scandalVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — Roger Penske personally told Will Power about the firings of Team Penske’s top three executives, a decision, Power said, his boss made after a sleepless night contemplating how to handle a cheating scandal ahead of the Indianapolis 500. “I know it was very tough for him. He said...
French Open 2025: The certainty Rafael Nadal and Iga Swiatek brought to Paris is missing now
PARIS — For quite some time, there’s usually been a sense of certainty at the French Open. That was particularly so on the men’s side, with Rafael Nadal ruling over the red clay of Roland-Garros the way no one has dominated any tournament in tennis history. He would go there,...
Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander voted as NBA’s MVP; Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic 2ndVideo
The case for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was simple. He’s the best player on an Oklahoma City Thunder team that had the best record this season and set a league mark for margin of victory. If that wasn’t enough, he also won the scoring title. That’s an MVP year. Gilgeous-Alexander was announced...
Anthony Edwards, Timberwolves seek answers to Thunder’s ‘AAU’ defense in West finalsVideo
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Minnesota Timberwolves must solve Oklahoma City’s ‘AAU’ defense to avoid a 2-0 deficit in the Western Conference finals. Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards used the term to describe Oklahoma City’s young, aggressive unit after the Thunder held the Timberwolves to 34.9% shooting in a 114-88 victory in Game...
Penske fires top 3, including Tim Cindric, from IndyCar organization after cheating scandalVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — Roger Penske attempted to close the latest cheating scandal engulfing his race team — this one at his beloved Indianapolis 500 — by firing his top three executives at Team Penske after two of the Penske cars were found to be illegal. Penske fired team president Tim Cindric,...
Tyrese Halburton ties it at buzzer, Pacers beat Knicks in OT
NEW YORK — Tyrese Haliburton tied the score with a long jumper that bounced high off the back of the rim and in as time expired in regulation, then the Indiana Pacers went on to finish off their stunning rally by beating the New York Knicks, 138-135, on Wednesday night...
Pagenaud easing back into motorsports after serious injury in 2023. Finding a new career outside carVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — Simon Pagenaud’s career was cut short eight races into the 2023 season when he was badly injured in a crash that caused concussion-related symptoms he still is battling nearly two years later. He wants no sympathy, no pity, and looks back fondly on a career in which he...
Thunder, Timberwolves set to meet in Western Conference final featuring young starsVideo
OKLAHOMA CITY — Two years ago, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves met in the play-in tournament to determine which would get the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference playoffs. Now, they’ll face off for a trip to the NBA Finals. Minnesota won that play-in game in 2023,...
Analysis: Indy 500 rocked by another cheating scandal by Team PenskeVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — As the latest round of Team Penske cheating allegations swirled through Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the president of the IndyCar team stood outside the garage to address the illegal modifications discovered on two of its cars. Lurking over Tim Cindric’s shoulder was a random race fan wearing what appeared...
Christopher Bell beats Joey Logano in action-packed NASCAR All-Star Race
Christopher Bell loves North Wilkesboro Speedway, and Joey Logano hates the “Promoter’s Caution.” Those were the main takeaways from the top two finishers in an action-packed NASCAR All-Star Race at the 0.625-mile oval in North Wilkesboro, N.C. In a slam-bang affair that set a record for lead changes, Bell beat...
Robert Shwartzman shocks field, becomes 1st Indy 500 rookie since 1983 to win poleVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — A rookie driver for a brand-new team won the pole for the Indianapolis 500 on a strange day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where Team Penske was disqualified before the final two rounds of qualifying. Prema Racing’s Robert Shwartzman, a 25-year-old with dual nationality in Israel and Russia, became...
Team Penske has miserable Indy 500 qualifying day with 1 crashed car, 2 failed inspectionsVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — The only laps two-time defending Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden turned during qualifying Sunday were on foot after Team Penske was disqualified from making a run at the pole. Scott McLaughlin crashed, Newgarden and Will Power failed inspection, and the three Penske drivers who swept the front row...
Marco Andretti makes Indy 500 field in last-chance qualifyingVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — Marco Andretti made the field for the Indianapolis 500 in last-chance qualifying Sunday, while Rinus Veekay sweated out a last-minute run by Dale Coyne Racing teammate Jacob Abel to earn the final spot on the 33-car starting grid. Marcus Armstrong, who wrecked during practice a day earlier, also...
NBA’s final 4 set: Thunder, Knicks, Wolves, Pacers remain as parity reigns againVideo
The parity era continues in the NBA. The New York Knicks haven’t won an NBA championship since 1973. The Indiana Pacers won their most recent title that year — in the ABA. The Oklahoma City Thunder franchise has one title in its history, that coming in 1979 when the team...
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Thunder roll into West finals with 125-93 rout of Nuggets in Game 7Video
OKLAHOMA CITY — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 points, Jalen Williams added 24 and the Oklahoma City Thunder rolled into the Western Conference finals, beating the Denver Nuggets, 125-93, in Game 7 on Sunday. The top-seeded Thunder will host the sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves starting Tuesday. It’s Oklahoma City’s first trip to...
Scott McLaughlin destroys car in huge crash ahead of Indianapolis 500 qualifyingVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — Scott McLaughlin crashed his Team Penske car in Sunday afternoon practice and ruined his chance to repeat last year’s Indianapolis 500 pole-winning run. McLaughlin qualified Saturday inside the top 12 and was eligible to run for the pole later Sunday. But he spun at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and...
Caitlin Clark has triple-double to lead Fever past Sky as tempers flare after hard foulVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — Caitlin Clark opened the season with the third triple-double of her career, and the new-look Indiana Fever dominated the final 16 1/2 minutes Saturday to pull away from the revamped Chicago Sky, 93-58. Last season’s WNBA Rookie of the Year finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10...
Journalism wins Preakness 2 weeks after finishing 2nd in Kentucky DerbyVideo
BALTIMORE — Journalism jostled with horses down the stretch, burst through after the contact and came from behind to win the 150th running of the Preakness Stakes on Saturday. The odds-on favorite was bumped by Goal Oriented near the quarter pole, and it looked like another second-place finish was coming...
Palou and Penske set pace in 1st stage of Indy 500 qualifying. Andretti in danger of missing raceVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — Three familiar faces were at the top of the Indianapolis 500 qualifying board after the first round of time trials, with two-time defending IndyCar series champion Alex Palou holding the provisional pole. Palou, winner of four of the first five races this season, qualified at 233.043 mph in...
Promoter’s Caution could add random layer of chaos in NASCAR All-Star RaceVideo
The fate of the NASCAR All-Star Race largely rests on the whims of Marcus Smith, who is giving few hints about how he will deploy a new “Promoter’s Caution.” It’s the latest goofy gimmick in an event defined by annual format changes designed to goose the competition in the name...
Finally back in Eastern Conference finals, Knicks face Pacers team that eliminated them last yearVideo
NEW YORK — The New York Knicks nearly ended their lengthy Eastern Conference finals drought last year, only to lose on their home floor to the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the second round. With two new starters and much better health, the Knicks finally made it this season...
Journalism horse to beat in Preakness, but recent trends show it won’t be easyVideo
BALTIMORE — Leave it to two seasoned, Hall of Fame trainers with 15 combined Preakness Stakes victories to turn up the heat on a competitor a few days before the big race. D. Wayne Lukas said to Michael McCarthy, “I think, Mike, it’s your race to lose.” Bob Baffert jokingly...
WNBA set to tip off season with host of teams looking to challenge for titleVideo
There are no shortages of challengers to the reigning WNBA champion New York Liberty or star power across the league. A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier are some of the veterans who will share the spotlight with Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers as the league, in its...
Another Kentucky Derby winner not in the Preakness reignites debate about Triple Crown changesVideo
BALTIMORE — Sovereignty is not running out of that starting gate in the Preakness Stakes on Saturday, two weeks after winning the Kentucky Derby. Yet he is still the talk of Pimlico Race Course this week. That is because owners and trainer Bill Mott opted to skip the Preakness and...
Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers go into offseason disappointed
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers won 64 games during the regular season, captured the top seed in the Eastern Conference and had two winning streaks of at least 15 games. Mitchell, though, goes into the offseason feeling one thing. Embarrassed. That’s because, despite all the good...
