Update on the latest sports
APNBA-SCHEDULE
Heat hold off Celtics 130-124
UNDATED (AP) — Jimmy Butler had 26 points and 11 assists to help the Miami Heat hold off the Boston Celtics 130-124 Sunday as the teams fight for position in the tight Eastern Conference playoff race.
Duncan Robinson added 22 points and Bam Adebayo finished with 20 for Miami, which increased its lead over Boston to two games for sixth place in the standings. The 37-31 Heat now have the same record as fifth-place Atlanta, but the Hawks own the head-to-head tiebreaker.
It’s the first of two straight games between Miami and Boston, which meet for the final time during the regular season on Tuesday.
Evan Fournier scored 30 points to lead the Celtics, who have lost three out of four as they try to avoid the play-in round of the playoffs. Jayson Tatum added 29 points and Kemba Walker finished with 18.
Elsewhere in the NBA:
— Derrick Rose scored 25 points off the bench, Reggie Bullock added 24 and the New York Knicks beat the Los Angeles Clippers 106-100 to snap an eight-game skid at Staples Center. Bullock made five 3-pointers against his former team and RJ Barrett had four on his way to 18 points. The Clippers are the NBA’s best 3-point shooting squad, but they were just 12-of-35. Kawhi Leonard led the Clippers with 29 points. Paul George added 18 and Reggie Jackson had 12 as the playoff-bound team’s two-game winning streak ended in their home finale of the regular season.
NBA-PELICANS-GRIFFIN FINED
NBA fines Pelicans’ Griffin $50,000 for detrimental comments
NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA has fined New Orleans Pelicans executive David Griffin $50,000 for publicly criticizing officiating and making comments the league considered detrimental.
The decision came two days after Griffin, the Pelicans’ executive vice president of basketball operations, spoke out strongly about his concerns over the amount of contact NBA referees allow New Orleans forward Zion Williamson to endure.
Williamson is out indefinitely with a broken left index finger. Griffin said Friday that the Pelicans have told league officials many times that they feared Williamson was being exposed to injury because of the way defenders are allowed to play against him. He called it “open season” on the 6-foot-7, 284-pound forward.
Williamson is averaging 27.0 points and 7.2 rebounds per game this season.
NHL-NEWS
Blue Jackets and Coyotes part with their coaches
UNDATED (AP) — Rick Tocchet is out as coach of the Arizona Coyotes after four seasons. The announcement comes after the Coyotes missed the playoffs for the seventh time in eight seasons. They reached the postseason last year when the format was rejiggered due to the coronavirus pandemic and beat Nashville in four games before losing to Colorado in five.
Arizona was in playoff position heading into the final month of this season, holding the fourth spot in the West Division before losing 12 of 15 games to get eliminated.
The Coyotes closed a 24-26-6 season with a pair of wins over San Jose to finish 3 points behind St. Louis for the West’s final playoff spot. Tocchet played 18 NHL seasons and previously coached Tampa Bay.
MLB-SCHEDULE
DeGrom’s injury scare continues, Mets win 5th straight
UNDATED (AP) — Mets ace Jacob deGrom was pulled after five innings with right side tightness in his return from an injury to a similar area, but the bullpen closed out a four-hitter as New York beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 4-2 for its fifth straight win. DeGrom was sent for an MRI after the game.
He was perfect through four innings but labored in the fifth, then called for the trainer after throwing two warm-up pitches ahead of the sixth. DeGrom exited and went straight to the clubhouse.
The two-time Cy Young Award winner was coming off a 10-day layoff, skipping his previous turn in the rotation because of a right lat issue. Arizona has lost six in a row.
Elsewhere in the majors:
— Giancarlo Stanton hit a game-ending single off Brad Hand in the ninth inning, and the New York Yankees beat Washington 3-2 for their second straight walk-off win over the Nationals. Hand walked Tyler Wade and pinch-hitter Aaron Judge starting the ninth, a day after walking his first batter and blowing ninth- and 10th-inning leads in a game New York won 4-3 in 11 innings. DJ LeMahieu hit into a forceout that left runners at the corners, and Stanton lined a slider for his 24th RBI. New York went 7-2 on its longest homestand of the season, improving to 18-16.
— Rafael Devers (DEH’-vurz) and Hunter Renfroe homered, Nick Pivetta won his third consecutive start and the Boston Red Sox defeated the Baltimore Orioles 4-3. Boston has won five of six, and at 22-13 owns the best record in baseball. The Orioles fell to a majors-worst 4-13 at home, including 0-6 against the Red Sox.
— Tyler Anderson pitched eight solid innings and the Pittsburgh Pirates held off the Cubs in ninth 6-5, ending Chicago’s five-game winning streak. Wilmer Difo had three hits and drove in three runs as the Pirates won for just the third time in their last 20 games at Wrigley Field. Held to two runs and four hits by Anderson, the Cubs made it close in the ninth. Chicago scored three times before pinch-hitter Javier Báez grounded out with a runner on second to end it.
— Kyle Tucker hit a three-run homer and tied a career high with four RBIs as the Houston Astros built a big lead early and held on for a 7-4 win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday. Jose Altuve added a solo homer for the Astros to help them win the series 2-1. Tucker’s homer highlighted a four-run fourth inning that extended the lead to 7-0. The Blue Jays scored four runs in the fifth, but Houston’s bullpen shut them down the rest of the way to secure the victory.
— Tyrone Taylor hit a two-out, tiebreaking single in the 10th inning, and seven Milwaukee Brewers pitchers combined on a six-hitter to beat the Miami Marlins 2-1. Marlins reliever Anthony Bass retired the first two batters in the 10th, but after an intentional walk, Taylor’s hit brought home automatic runner Pablo Reyes from second. Josh Hader pitched a perfect ninth with two strikeouts, lowering his ERA to 0.71. Drew Rasmussen pitched the 10th and earned his first career save by working around a two-out walk and stranding automatic runner Lewis Brinson at third.
— Nolan Arenado homered against his former team, Adam Wainwright pitched three-hit ball into the ninth inning and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Colorado Rockies 2-0. Yadier Molina hit an RBI double and Ryan Helsley got Josh Fuentes to ground into a game-ending double play with the bases loaded. St. Louis completed a three-game sweep and has won nine of 11 overall. Colorado dropped to a major league-worst 2-14 on the road.
— Adolis García homered and drove in a career-high five runs, Dane Dunning struck out 10 in five innings and the Texas Rangers beat the Seattle Mariners 10-2. The past seven victories for the Rangers have come after falling behind. This time they answered Seattle’s two-run fifth for a 2-1 lead with six runs in the bottom of the inning. Nick Solak snapped a tie with a two-run double. Shortstop J.P. Crawford’s first error in 27 games was part of the Texas rally and among three miscues for the Mariners.
— Yermin Mercedes and Jose Abreu had three RBI’s each to help the Chicago White Sox beat Kansas City 9-3, finishing off a three-game sweep and handing the Royals their eight consecutive loss. The White Sox have beaten the Royals 10 straight times on the road. The last team to do that was Oakland from 2003-2006 when they beat Kansas City 12 consecutive times in Kauffman Stadium.
MLB-NEWS
Rains postpones Reds, Indians and Twins, Tigers games
UNDATED (AP) — The three-game series finale between the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Indians set for Sunday was postponed because of a forecast of wet weather in Cleveland. It was rescheduled for Aug. 9.
Rain /’postponed the Minnesota Twins’ series finale against the Detroit Tigers. The game will be made up as part of a day-night doubleheader on July 16.
In other MLB news:
— Relief pitcher Shane Greene has signed a one-year contract to rejoin the Atlanta Braves. Greene was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett and will need some time to get ready before he returns to the majors. The right-hander went 1-0 with a 2.60 ERA and 21 strikeouts in 27 2/3 innings last season. Braves relievers began Sunday with a 4.56 ERA that ranked 22nd in the majors. It’s a considerable slip from last year when the bullpen ranked fourth with a 3.50 ERA.
— The Pittsburgh Pirates put infielder Colin Moran on the 10-day injured list with a strained left groin in the bottom of the first inning. Infielder Ke’Bryan Hayes was transferred from the 10-day IL to the 60-day list. The Pirates claimed outfielder Ben Gamel off waivers from the Cleveland Indians.
HORSE RACING-MEDINA SPIRIT-BAFFERT
Churchill Downs suspends Baffert after Derby winner tests positive
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Medina Spirit’s victory in the Kentucky Derby is in serious jeopardy because of a failed postrace drug test. Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert called a news conference to announce that Medina Spirit tested positive for an excessive amount of the steroid betamethasone that is sometimes used to treat pain and inflammation in horses. Churchill Downs immediately suspended Baffert and said Medina Spirit would be disqualified if the drug findings were upheld. Baffert denied all wrongdoing and promised to be fully transparent with the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission during its investigation.
Medina Spirit is Baffert’s fifth horse known to have failed a drug test in just over a year.
If he is disqualified from the Derby, second-place finisher Mandaloun will be declared the winner.
F1-SPANISH GP
Hamilton wins Spanish GP ahead of Verstappen
MONTMELÓ, Spain (AP) — Lewis Hamilton beat Max Verstappen in a thrilling duel to win the Spanish Grand Prix and increase his championship lead over his top rival.
Hamilton’s 98th career win came a day after taking his 100th career pole. Hamilton increased his lead to 14 points over Verstappen, who grabbed a bonus point for the fastest lap. Hamilton’s teammate Valtteri Bottas steered his Mercedes to a third-place finish.
GOLF-WELLS FARGO
McIlroy ends 18 months without winning at Quail Hollow
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Rory McIlroy is a winner again after 18 long months. And he picked the perfect place at Quail Hollow. McIlroy closed with a 68 for a one-shot victory in the Wells Fargo Championship.
He had a two-shot lead going to the 18th hole when he put his tee shot in the hazard. After choosing to take a penalty drop, hit 8-iron to the green and two-putted for a victory he badly needed.
It was his third victory at Quail Hollow and the 19th of his career on the PGA Tour. Abraham Ancer closed with a 66 and was runner-up.
LPGA THAILAND
Home favorite Jutanugarn shoots 63 to win LPGA Thailand
PATTAYA, Thailand (AP) — Ariya Jutanugarn (ahr-EE’-uh juh-TAN’-uh-garn) shot a 9-under-par 63 in the final round to win the LPGA Thailand by one stroke on Sunday and become the first home winner of the tournament in 14 years.
Jutanugarn’s overall total of 22 under 266 just edged out her fellow Thai Atthaya Thitikul, who missed a four-foot birdie putt to force a playoff.
