Update on the latest sports
APNBA-NETS-ALDRIDGE RETIRES
Nets’ Aldridge retires at 35 due to irregular heartbeat
NEW YORK (AP) — LaMarcus Aldridge has retired from the NBA after saying he experienced an irregular heartbeat during his final game with the Brooklyn Nets.
The 35-year-old Aldridge posted a statement on social media saying the heart concerns he had during and after Brooklyn’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday were one of the “scariest things” he’s experienced. He says he feels better now after getting it checked out but decided to end his 15-year career.
The seven-time All-Star signed with the Nets on March 28 and became their starting center. He previously played for San Antonio and Portland.
NBA-INJURIES
NBA says injury rate this season down slightly from normal
UNDATED (AP) — The NBA says the rate of players needing to miss games because of injuries is down from last season and within the normal range for what the league has seen over the last five seasons.
League data shows the player injury rate this season is down about 6%. That’s hardly abnormal even after several marquee players— including LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid, James Harden and most recently Jamal Murray — have dealt with injuries in recent weeks.
NBA teams are playing 3.6 games per week, up 5% from last year. This year’s schedule compressed 72 games into 146 days, as opposed to the usual 82 games into 170 days.
MLB-SCHEDULE
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Manny Machado hit his third home run of the season, Eric Hosmer added two hits and two RBIs and the San Diego Padres jumped on the Pittsburgh Pirates early in an 8-3 win.
Machado took Mitch Keller deep with a two-run shot down the left-field line during San Diego’s four-run first. Hosmer added a two-run single in the second. San Diego finished a seven-game eastern road trip 5-2.
Keller struggled, giving up seven runs in 3 1/3 innings, a step back after pitching well in a victory over the Cubs last weekend.
In other action:
— Dansby Swanson’s RBI single with the bases loaded capped Atlanta’s two-run rally in the ninth inning and the Braves beat the Miami Marlins 7-6 to snap a four-game losing streak. The Braves recovered after blowing a 5-4 lead in the top of the ninth. Ozzie Albies drew a walk that forced home the tying run for the Braves and Swanson followed with a single. The Marlins were trying for their first four-game sweep over the Braves. Pablo Sandoval connected for his third pinch-hit homer this season for Atlanta.
— J.P. Crawford hit a go-ahead double with two outs in the sixth inning, Marco Gonzales overcame a rough start for his first victory of the season and the Seattle Mariners beat the Baltimore Orioles 4-2 in a doubleheader opener. Seattle tied the score on Mitch Hanigar’s two-run homer in the fifth off Matt Harvey. The Mariners went ahead when Tanner Scott walked José Marmolejos leading off the sixth, pinch-runner Braden Bishop advanced on Dylan Moore’s two-out single and Crawford stayed back on a slider and hooked the ball down the right-field line.
— The finale of the four-game series between the Mets and Phillies was postponed because of rain Thursday. It was New York’s third washout in five days.
MLB-DIVERSITY STUDY
Diversity study: MLB earns bonuses for hiring milestones
UNDATED (AP) — A diversity study finds Major League Baseball with slightly lower scores for racial and gender hiring but earning bonuses for social-justice initiatives and hiring milestones.
Thursday’s report card from The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport issued an overall grade of C-plus for MLB. That included a B-plus for racial hiring and a C for gender hiring for the 2021 season.
MLB earned bonus points for milestones such as the Miami Marlins hiring Kim Ng as MLB’s first female general manager and the decision to reclassify the Negro Leagues as major leagues.
NFL-NEWS
Safety Harmon, return specialist Patterson sign with Falcons
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons have signed safety Duron Harmon and four-time All-Pro return specialist Cordarrelle Patterson to one-year contracts. Harmon started all 16 games for Detroit in 2020 and set a career high with 73 tackles. Harmon addresses a glaring void on the Falcons’ depth chart after the team lost starting safeties Ricardo Allen and Keanu Neal to free agency. Patterson earned first-team All-Pro honors as a kick returner in 2013, 2016 and 2019-20 with Minnesota and Chicago.
Elsewhere in the NFL: — Vince Williams isn’t going anywhere after all. The Pittsburgh Steelers have re-signed the veteran inside linebacker to a one-year deal. The signing comes a month after the Steelers cut Williams in a cost-cutting measure. Financial terms were not disclosed but the salary comes at a significant discount against what Williams was scheduled to make in 2021 before being released in March.
— Toronto Maple Leafs star center Auston Matthews will miss Thursday night’s game against the visiting Winnipeg Jets with an injury and is listed day to day. Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said the injury is not expected to keep Matthews out for long. Matthews leads the NHL with 32 goals and is tied for fourth in league scoring with 53 points.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL-USC-NCAA VIOLATIONS
NCAA hits USC basketball with 2 years’ probation, fine
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The NCAA has hit the Southern California men’s basketball program with two years’ probation because of a former assistant who violated NCAA ethical conduct rules when he accepted a bribe to steer players to a business management company. The Division I Committee on Infractions announced the penalties, which include a $5,000 fine and a 1% loss of the school’s basketball budget.
Tony Bland, the former associate head coach under coach Andy Enfield, was fired in January 2018. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery and received two years’ probation.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL-CINCINNATI-MILLER
Cincinnati hires UNC Greensboro basketball coach Wes Miller
CINCINNATI (AP) — The University of Cincinnati has hired UNC Greensboro coach Wes Miller to be the new head basketball coach. Miller replaces John Brannen, who was fired after six players decided to transfer after the season ended.
Miller is regarded as one of the top young coaches in college basketball. He won 185 games in 10 seasons at UNC Greensboro.
The Spartans have five-straight 20-win seasons, two NCAA Tournament appearances, two NIT appearances and two Southern Conference Tournament championships over the last five years.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL-OBIT-LEROY KEYES
Leroy Keyes, gold standard of Purdue football, dies at 74
WEST LAFAYETTE, Indiana (AP) — Purdue football star Leroy Keyes has died. His family says he died at his home Thursday in Indiana.
Keyes was a two-time All-American and one of the greatest players in school history. He finished his career as the school record-holder for touchdowns, points and all-purpose yards. He was named the Boilermakers’ greatest player in 1987, as the program celebrated its 100th year of football. The Philadelphia Eagles drafted Keyes with the third overall pick in 1969, and Keyes was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1990.
Leroy Keyes was 74 years old.
TENNIS-MONTE CARLO MASTERS
Top-ranked Djokovic loses, No. 3 Nadal eases into quarters
MONACO (AP) — Top-ranked Novak Djokovic lost 6-4, 7-5 to Dan Evans in a chilly third round of the Monte Carlo Masters for his first defeat this year.
No. 3 Rafael Nadal followed up by breezing into the quarterfinals of a tournament he has won a record 11 times. No. 4 Stefanos Tsitsipas advanced but No. 5 Alexander Zverev went out.
NHL-ISLANDERS-TICKET SALES
Islanders close to selling out inaugural season at UBS Arena
EAST MEADOW, N.Y. (AP) — Nearly six months before the opening of their new arena, the New York Islanders are reporting they have nearly sold out of season tickets for the first season in their new home.
The Islanders say UBS Arena, being built next to the racetrack at Belmont Park with an expected capacity of around 17,000 for hockey, has sold more than 90% of its season tickets. The upper level and terrace is sold out, as well as eight sections in the lower bowl. About 1,000 seats remain available, and after those are sold the Islanders will start a waiting list.
TOKYO OLYMPICS-VIRUS WORRIES
Officials say Olympic cancellation or barring fans are still options
TOKYO (AP) — Two officials in Japan’s ruling party have suggested separately that the Tokyo Olympics could be in for some radical changes. One says they could be canceled. The other says they could proceed without any fans.
The speculation comes a day after Tokyo reached the 100-days-to-go mark.
Liberal Democratic Party secretary general Toshihiro Nikai says cancellation is still an option with coronavirus cases rising. Taro Kono is the minister in charge of the vaccine rollout in Japan. He says that even if the games go on it may be without any fans. Organizers have already banned fans from other countries.
COVID-19 cases have been rising across Japan. On Thursday, Japan’s second-largest metropolitan area of Osaka recorded 1,208 new cases. It was the third straight day that new cases surpassed 1,000. Tokyo hit 729, its highest total in more than two months. Japan has attributed 9,500 death to COVID-19, good by world standards but poor by results in Asia.
Tokyo and Osaka have been under an alert status since earlier this month, but officials are concerned there is little sense of urgency.
