U.S./World Sports category, Page 46
Celtics have followed ‘craziness’ of Joe Mazzulla’s coaching style straight to the NBA FinalsVideo
BOSTON — When Celtics guard Derrick White stood in the corner behind the 3-point line late in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals as teammate Jaylen Brown drove into the lane, drew defenders and flipped a pass toward him, White felt prepared for the moment. That’s because Celtics coach...
Seize the Grey draws inside post for the Belmont. Derby runner-up Sierra Leone is favoredVideo
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Preakness winner Seize the Grey drew post position No. 1 on Monday, and Kentucky Derby champion Mystik Dan will start in post No. 3 for the Belmont Stakes on Saturday at Saratoga Race Course. Kenny McPeek-trained Mystik Dan, who finished second in the Preakness, is the...
Mark Madden: How the WNBA is failing Caitlin Clark
I knew the WNBA was going to blow it with Caitlin Clark and said so in this space. But I didn’t think they would butcher it this bad, this quick. The groundwork for killing Clark’s buzz got laid when she went to a lousy team that’s not in a big...
Simone Biles continues Olympic prep by cruising to her 9th U.S. Championships titleVideo
FORT WORTH, Texas — Gymnastics superstar Simone Biles won her ninth U.S. Championship on Sunday, leaving little doubt that at 27 and a decade-plus into her run atop the sport, she is as good as ever. Biles posted a two-day all-around total of 119.750, nearly six points clear of runner-up...
WNBA upgrades foul on Caitlin Clark by Chennedy Carter, fines Angel Reese for no postgame interview
NEW YORK — The WNBA on Sunday upgraded Chicago Sky guard Chennedy Carter’s foul against Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark to a flagrant-1 violation after reviewing the play. Carter gave a shoulder shot to Clark that knocked her to the floor before an inbound pass during the third quarter of...
Cindric claims victory in NASCAR Cup series after Blaney slows on final lap
MADISON, Ill. — Austin Cindric emerged as the surprise winner of the NASCAR Cup series race Sunday at World Wide Technology Raceway when teammate Ryan Blaney apparently ran out of gas while leading on the final lap. Blaney, the reigning NASCAR Cup series champion, appeared to be on his way...
Injured Kristaps Porzingis on track for return as Celtics prepare for NBA Finals against MavericksVideo
BOSTON — Whether injured Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis will be ready in time for the start of the NBA Finals this week is still to be determined. But signs are pointing to him being able to return to the court sooner rather than later during Boston’s matchup with the Dallas...
No marathons as Swiatek, Gauff sprint into French Open quarterfinals, Alcaraz, Tsitsipas also win
PARIS — After the French Open marathon came the sprints. Defending champion Iga Swiatek swept into the quarterfinals at Roland Garros in just 40 minutes after a crushing 6-0, 6-0 win against Anastasia Potapova. U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff took only 60 minutes to rout unseeded Italian Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-1,...
No one at the French Open loves it when matches go past 3 a.m. And no one can agree on a solution
PARIS — Iga Swiatek provided a simple explanation for why she requested that the French Open not put her on the schedule during one of its night sessions, which often turn into way-past-midnight sessions. “I just like to sleep normally,” the No. 1-ranked player explained. Catching the right amount of...
Sabalenka, Rybakina reach French Open 4th round
PARIS — Grand Slam winners Elena Rybakina and Aryna Sabalenka reached the fourth round of the French Open in straight sets Saturday. Former Wimbledon champion Rybakina, seeded fourth, beat Elise Mertens of Belgium, 6-4, 6-2. Two-time Australian Open champion Sabalenka, seeded second, followed her on Court Philippe Chatrier and won...
Coach Emma Hayes makes successful debut with U.S. women’s national team in 4-0 win over South KoreaVideo
COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — The new coach had one overriding instruction for her new players: Pay attention to the little things. It’s a message taken to heart. Emma Hayes made a successful debut with the U.S. women’s national team, watching Mallory Swanson and Tierna Davidson score twice each in a...
Champions League final: Real Madrid seals 15th European Cup after 2-0 win over Borussia DortmundVideo
LONDON — In an explosion of gold and silver confetti, Real Madrid held aloft the Champions League trophy for a record-extending 15th time Saturday. The most familiar sight in the history of European club soccer’s greatest competition felt as fresh as ever after a 2-0 win against Borussia Dortmund in...
Kyrie Irving said Mavericks were just getting started — He was right
Kyrie Irving was not making a threat, nor was he boasting, nor was he saying anything that would be considered outlandish. It was the final week of the regular season. He and the Dallas Mavericks had just clinched a division title, and Irving was asked to talk about what it...
Stewart-Haas drivers adjusting to uncertain future with NASCAR team planning to foldVideo
MADISON, Ill. — As he’s trying to race his way into the NASCAR Cup series playoffs, Chase Briscoe now faces a fresh challenge with the potential for his Stewart-Haas Racing team to deteriorate around him. Owners Tony Stewart and Gene Haas announced this week that the four-team garage would cease...
Mike Tyson’s fight with Jake Paul postponed after Tyson’s health episode
Mike Tyson’s fight with Jake Paul has been postponed after the 57-year-old Tyson fell ill on a flight last weekend. Tyson and Paul said Friday that they will announce a new fight date next week. They were scheduled to meet July 20 in Arlington, Texas. Tyson became nauseous and dizzy...
NBA’s Mavericks and NHL’s Stars chase Dallas double
DALLAS — Dereck Lively II of the Dallas Mavericks tossed the question back at the reporter when the rookie center was asked if he knew why so many fans shouted “Stars” during the national anthem at his home games. “You tell me why,” Lively said, prompting the explanation that supporters...
Stefanos Tsitsipas eases into French Open 4th round
PARIS — Stefanos Tsitsipas was in a reflective mood after beating Zhang Zhizhen, 6-3, 6-3, 6-1, to reach the fourth round of the French Open on Friday. The 2021 runner-up says tennis plays a fundamental part in shaping his thinking. “I get the feeling that without tennis my life would...
The NBA Finals are set, with Boston set to face Dallas for the Larry O’Brien Trophy
Kyrie Irving returning to Boston. Luka Doncic’s first trip to the title round. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, getting another chance at a ring. Kristaps Porzingis facing his former team, too. Pick a storyline. There are many in these NBA Finals. The matchup is now set: It’ll be Boston against...
Luka Doncic’s 36 points spur Mavericks to NBA Finals
MINNEAPOLIS — Luka Doncic had a 20-point first quarter on his way to 36 points for his high this postseason, and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Minnesota Timberwolves, 124-103, on Thursday night to breeze through the Western Conference finals in five games. Kyrie Irving also scored 36 points for the...
NBA media negotiations enter 4th quarter with outcome in doubt
The conference finals and Bronny James’ decision to remain in the draft are far from the only things dominating NBA conversations lately. In fact, both have been trumped by the drama surrounding where fans will be able to watch games for at least the next decade. The NBA media rights...
Front Row buys NASCAR charter to expand to 3 Cup Series cars in ’25, does not disclose seller, price
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Front Row Motorsports said Wednesday it has purchased a charter that will expand the NASCAR team to three cars in the Cup Series in 2025. Front Row did not reveal the seller, but the announcement comes one day after Stewart-Haas Racing said it was shuttering its four-car...
Minnesota beats Boston for inaugural Walter Cup as Professional Women’s Hockey League champs
LOWELL, Mass. — Minnesota won the inaugural championship of the Professional Women’s Hockey League on Wednesday night, getting 17 saves from Nicole Hensley to beat Boston, 3-0, in a winner-take-all Game 5 and claim the Walter Cup. Three nights after prematurely celebrating a would-be winner in double overtime that was...
Iga Swiatek saves a match point and comes back to beat Naomi Osaka at the French Open
PARIS — Iga Swiatek played like the current No. 1 and the two-time defending champion at the French Open. No surprise there. That Naomi Osaka looked like the former No. 1 that she is — and on clay, no less — amounted to an announcement that she is still quite...
Bronny James is staying in the NBA draft, agent Rich Paul announces
Bronny James is keeping his name in the NBA draft, with the hopes of joining his father in the league next season. “He’s a really good prospect who has a lot of room for growth,” Rich Paul, the CEO of Klutch Sports Group, told ESPN, which first reported the decision....
Djokovic begins his bid for a 25th Grand Slam title with a first-round French Open winVideo
PARIS — Ignore the straight-set score: Novak Djokovic was not quite at his impervious best in the first round of the French Open on Tuesday night, and his 6-4, 7-6 (3), 6-4 win over Pierre-Hugues Herbert might not have been enough to alter the defending champion’s “low expectations” at this...
