Update on the latest sports
APNBA-NEWS
Embiid, Simmons to miss All-Star Game over contact tracing
UNDATED (AP) — Philadelphia 76ers standouts Joel Embiid (joh-EHL’ ehm-BEED’) and Ben Simmons were ruled out of Sunday’s NBA All-Star Game in Atlanta because of a coronavirus contact tracing issue.
The NBA made the announcement about eight hours before tipoff. The league said the two had contact with an individual who later tested positive for the coronavirus.
A person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press that the contact was with a barber who is regularly tested for COVID-19 and often works with Embiid and Simmons. The person said both Embiid and Simmons saw the barber in recent days before traveling to Atlanta and have continued to test negative.
The league said participation for other All-Stars and members of the 76ers coaching staff in Atlanta is not affected because they were not exposed to the individual.
Embiid would have been a starter for Team Durant, which will be coached by Philadelphia’s Doc Rivers. New Orleans’ Zion Williamson will start in Embiid’s place. Simmons would have been a reserve for Team LeBron.
In other NBA news:
— Kawhi Leonard is planning to play for Gregg Popovich again and chase a gold medal. Leonard said Sunday at the All-Star Game in Atlanta that he is planning to compete with USA Basketball this summer at the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics — which would reunite him with Popovich. Leonard spent his first seven seasons in the NBA with Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs before moving on to the Toronto Raptors and now the Los Angeles Clippers. Popovich will serve as head coach at the Olympics for the first time. Leonard helped Popovich and the Spurs win the 2014 NBA championship and was MVP of that season’s finals.
T25 MEN’S BASKETBALL-SCHEDULE
Garza gets 21 points, No. 5 Iowa tops No. 25 Wisconsin 77-73
UNDATED (AP) — Luka Garza scored 21 points and had 16 rebounds as No. 5 Iowa defeated No. 25 Wisconsin 77-73. It was the 12th double-double of the season for Garza, who leads the Big Ten in scoring and is third in the nation.
Iowa has won seven of eight and is 20-7 overall. The Hawkeyes will be the third seed in the Big Ten Tournament. Micah Potter shot 9 for 12 and scored 23 points for Wisconsin, which has lost five of six.
In other top 25 games Sunday:
— Tramon Mark hit a long 3-pointer as time expired to give No. 9 Houston a 67-64 win over Memphis. After Memphis had tied it with 1.7 seconds left, Marcus Sasser threw the ball to midcourt where Mark picked it up. He dribbled through two Memphis defenders and launched a 35-footer off the backboard and in. DeJon Jarreau had 19 points and eight rebounds, Quentin Grimes added 17 points and eight rebounds and Justin Gorham had 10 points and 12 rebounds for the Cougars, who won their fourth straight game. Landers Nolley II scored 14 points for Memphis, which had its six-game winning streak snapped.
NHL-SCHEDULE
Islanders cruise past Sabres 5-2 for 5th straight win
UNDATED (AP) — Anders Lee and Brock Nelson scored 62 seconds apart early in the second period and rookie Ilya Sorokin made 24 saves as the New York Islanders defeated the Buffalo Sabres 5-2 for their fifth straight win.
The victory was the Islanders’ sixth straight over the Sabres this season. Sorokin earned his fourth win of the season as the Islanders improved to 10-0-2 at Nassau Coliseum.
Last-place Buffalo lost for the seventh straight time.
NHL-BRUINS-CARLO
Bruins coach: Carlo ‘feeling better,’ week-to-week after hit
BOSTON (AP) — Boston Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy says defenseman Brandon Carlo “is feeling better” but remains week-to-week from the hit that earned Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson a seven-game suspension.
Although no diagnosis has been released, Carlo was woozy leaving the ice after Wilson smashed his head into the glass.
The NHL suspended Wilson for the fifth time in his career on Saturday, the day after his hit in the first period of Friday night’s game sent Carlo to the hospital in an ambulance. The Capitals wing will also lose $311,781.61 in pay.
The Bruins return to the ice Sunday night against the New Jersey Devils.
MLB-NEWS
Pirates acquire RHP Underwood in trade with Cubs
UNDATED (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates have acquired right-hander Duane Underwood Jr. in a trade with the Chicago Cubs.
Underwood went 1-0 with a 5.66 ERA in 17 games with Chicago during the pandemic-shortened season. He was designated for assignment on Tuesday. Underwood, a second-round pick in the 2012 amateur draft, is 1-1 with a 5.20 ERA in 30 career games.
The Cubs received minor league first baseman Shendrik Apostel in the deal. The 20-year-old Apostel was signed by the Pirates out of Curaçao in July 2017.
In other MLB news:
— The Washington Nationals have released reliever Jeremy Jeffress for what general manager Mike Rizzo called unspecified “personnel reasons.” The move comes less than two weeks after Jeffress agreed to terms on a minor league deal. The team sent out a six-word tweet announcing the move. Jeffress was expected to add to a a Nationals bullpen that already included Brad Hand, Daniel Hudson, Will Harris and Tanner Rainey. The 33-year-old Jeffress pitched for the Cubs last season.
— Cleveland Indians third baseman José Ramírez and slugger Franmil Reyes have been isolated from their teammates at spring training after breaking COVID-19 protocols. Manager Terry Francona said Sunday that the two players have been sent to their temporary homes in Arizona as the Indians await word from the league as to when they can rejoin the team. Francona said Reyes drove to the Indians’ exhibition game on Friday in Mesa and went to get a haircut following the 10-4 win. Reyes told the Indians that he and Ramirez then went out to dinner and were indoors, which violates COVID-19 guidelines established by Major League Baseball and the players’ union. Francona said Reyes and Ramirez did not have contact with any other players or team personnel.
— Chicago Cubs reliever Pedro Strop is away from the team after he violated baseball’s COVID-19 protocols. The 35-year-old is in camp on a minor league deal. The Cubs said Major League Baseball will decide when Strop is allowed to rejoin the team. Strop had 2.90 ERA in 411 appearances with the Cubs over seven years, mostly in a setup role. He was a key member of the 2016 team that won the franchise’s first World Series title since 1908.
