Update on the latest sports
APNBA PLAYOFFS-SUNS/CLIPPERS
Clippers’ cool-hand Lue is NBA’s best in elimination games
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Clippers have been unflappable amid high stakes throughout these NBA playoffs. Down 0-2 to the Phoenix Suns, they’ve rallied within a victory of tying the Western Conference finals and forcing Game 7.
Much of their resilience can be credited to Tyronn Lue. He’s the NBA’s best coach in elimination games, with a 10-2 record.
The Clippers will be in that situation again Wednesday for Game 6 at Staples Center. They need a win to keep their hopes alive of reaching the NBA Finals for the first time.
NBA PLAYOFFS-HAWKS/BUCKS INJURIES
Hawks dealing with injuries to Young, Capela in East final
ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Hawks are dealing with another injury that could affect their preparations for Game 5 of the Eastern Conference final. Center Clint Capela took an inadvertent elbow to the face in the closing minutes of a Game 4 win over the Bucks.
Capela appeared to be struck around his nose and right eye by Bucks guard Sam Merrill on a play under the basket. Capela left the court with a towel over his face.
Hawks coach Nate McMillan says he expects to receive an update on Capela’s condition while the Hawks are en route to Milwaukee for Game 5.
STANLEY CUP FINAL-LIGHTNING/CANADIENS
Canadiens need bounce-back from best players in Cup Final
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The Montreal Canadiens will need more from their best offensive line in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning if they are going to return home with a split.
The trio of Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki and Tyler Toffoli were on the ice for three goals against in Montreal’s Game 1 loss.
Tampa Bay gets the last line change again in Game 2 on Wednesday night. That gives coach Jon Cooper the chance to put his dominant line of Ondrej Palat, Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov on the ice against Caufield, Suzuki and Toffoli as much as possible.
The Canadiens have shown an ability to bounce back this postseason. They looked outclassed in the semifinal opener against Vegas before roaring back and winning in six games. They also erased a 3-1 series deficit to beat Toronto in the first round.
The Canadiens are expecting to get coach Dominique Ducharme back behind the bench for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on Friday when the series shifts to Montreal. Ducharme was required by provincial protocol in Quebec to isolate for 14 days after testing positive for the virus.
Canadiens players say Ducharme has actively been involved in meetings virtually and look forward to seeing him in person after returning home.
NHL NEWS
Toews back skating after chronic immune response syndrome
CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews says he missed this past season while dealing with what he says is chronic immune response syndrome.
Toews revealed his diagnosis for the first time in a video released on social media. He says his body just kind of “fell apart” when he stepped away in December, about a month before the delayed season began.
Toews has played for Chicago since 2007 and helped the team win three Stanley Cup championships. He is under contract with Chicago for two more years.
Elsewhere in the NHL:
— The Detroit Red Wings have hired assistant coach Alex Tanguay filling an opening that was created when the team and Dan Bylsma decided he would not return next season. Tanguay was an assistant coach the last two years for the Iowa Wild in the American Hockey League. He had 863 points during a 16-year NHL career, which included two stints with the Colorado Avalanche.
MLB SCHEDULE
Angels slugger to take the mound in the Bronx
UNDATED (AP) — Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani (HOH’-hay oh-TAH’-nee) is expected to become the second player and first since Babe Ruth to start on the mound and hit in the top half of the batting order in the Bronx.
Ohtani has looked plenty comfortable at the plate in New York this week, hitting a home run Monday night and then connecting for two more homers in last night’s 11-5 loss, giving him a major league-leading 28.
This will be Ohtani’s first pitching appearance at Yankee Stadium and his career-high 12th pitching start this season. He’ll oppose Yankees righty Domingo Germán.
Ruth batted third in his final game on the mound on Oct. 1, 1933, to end that season. The Bambino homered and threw a 12-hit complete game with three walks and no strikeouts, leading the Yankees over the Boston Red Sox 6-5.
Ohtani will become the fifth player to homer twice and start the next game as a pitcher after John Montgomery Ward in 1883, Bob Caruthers in 1886, John Clarkson in 1887 and Ruth in 1930, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
Kyle Schwarber tries to extend his amazing string of long balls after launching another leadoff shot in Washington. Schwarber hit his 12th home run in 10 games last night, connecting on the first pitch of the game from Tampa Bay’s Rich Hill. Schwarber hit his major league-leading seventh leadoff home run, all in June. He has 16 home runs in 18 games since being moved into the leadoff spot in the Nationals’ batting order on June 8. That’s the second most homers in any June behind Sammy Sosa’s 20 in 1998. Schwarber has 25 home runs overall in his first season with the Nationals.
MLB NEWS
Fired Mets GM Porter suspended by MLB through 2022 season
NEW YORK (AP) — Fired New York Mets general manager Jared Porter has been suspended by Major League Baseball baseball through at least the end of the 2022 regular season following an investigation that began after a report that he sent sexually explicit text messages and images to a female reporter in 2016 while he was working for the Chicago Cubs.
Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred announced the discipline without saying specifically what the investigation had found.
Porter is eligible to apply for reinstatement after the final game of the 2022 regular season, a timetable that could allow him to apply for front-office openings that October.
NFL NEWS
AP source: Saints’ Ramczyk agrees to extension
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A person with knowledge of the situation says Saints right tackle Ryan Ramczyk has agreed to a five-year extension worth up to $96 million.
The person said the contract guarantees the 2019 All-Pro offensive lineman $60 million.
The 6-foot-6, 314-pound Ramczyk was a late first-round draft choice out of Wisconsin in 2017. The 27-year-old has started 63 regular-season games in his four NFL seasons and was named an All-Pro in 2019. Ramczyk says the extension won’t change him or how he approaches the game.
In other NFL news:
— Two men who ran onto the field during the final quarter of the Super Bowl in February have pleaded no contest to trespassing and agreed to a year of probation. Under the terms of their probation, the men must perform 100 hours of community service, pay a $500 fine and write letters of apology to the National Football League. One man scampered onto the field wearing shorts and a pink leotard or swimsuit. The other ran onto the field first, distracting security officers.
TENNIS-WIMBLEDON
More slipping and sliding at Wimbledon as Djokovic wins, Venus Williams eliminated
WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Novak Djokovic slid, slipped, skidded and stumbled into the third round on Wimbledon’s slick grass Wednesday by beating Kevin Anderson in straight sets.
Djokovic didn’t face a break point and committed just six unforced errors, including one with his forehand. But footing continued to be an issue on the third day of the tournament, and Djokovic went sprawling several times, as did players in other matches and at least one ball kid.
Seven-time champion Serena Williams retired Tuesday with a leg injury after she slipped. Roger Federer’s opponent had to call it quits after he fell and twisted his knee.
Venus Williams lost to No. 21 Ons Jabeur 7-5, 6-0 in a second round match. Playing for the second day in a row, the 41-year-old Williams seemed to tire. She had only 15 winners and 36 unforced errors. Her Wimbledon isn’t over yet. She’s also playing mixed doubles with Nick Kyrgios.
John Isner played another five-setter on Wimbledon’s Court 18 but couldn’t quite create another epic this time. Isner was broken in the final game to lose 7-6 (5), 2-6, 6-3, 6-7 (3), 6-4 to Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan in the first round.
Among the notable outcomes on the women’s side, former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin was eliminated in a second round match by American Madison Brengle ranked 82nd, 6-2, 6-4.
American Sebastian Korda is into the third round at his first Wimbledon. The 20-year-old Korda advanced by beating Antoine Hoang of France in straight sets. Korda is the brother of golfers Nelly and Jessica Korda. Nelly won her first major title last week and is the first American in seven years to reach No. 1 in the women’s world rankings.
OLYMPICS
Breastfeeding Olympians allowed to bring babies to Tokyo
TORONTO (AP) — A Canadian basketball player who is breastfeeding her infant daughter has won in her quest to bring the baby to the Tokyo Olympics.
The International Olympic Committee says nursing mothers will now be allowed to bring their babies to Tokyo.
The move comes after Kim Gaucher made an emotional plea via Instagram to have 3-month-old daughter Sophie travel with her to the Games. The 37-year-old said the IOC was forcing her to decide whether to skip the Olympics or spend 28 days in Tokyo without her daughter.
The IOC had stipulated that no family could travel to Tokyo due to COVID-19 restrictions. It announced Wednesday that the stance had been reversed.
Gaucher called it “the right decision for women in sports.”
RACING-NASCAR
Chip Ganassi sells entire NASCAR team to Trackhouse Racing
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Chip Ganassi is pulling out of NASCAR at the end of the season and has sold his entire organization to Trackhouse Racing.
Ganassi tells The Associated Press that Trackhouse owner Justin Marks made him an offer he had to consider.
Ganassi will still run his IndyCar, IMSA sports car and Formula E programs, all out of Indianapolis.
The entire NASCAR operation, including its North Carolina race shop, will transfer to Trackhouse at the end of the season. Terms of the deal were not released.
CYCLING-TOUR DE FRANC
Tadej Pogacar routs rivals in Tour de France time trial
LAVAL, France (AP) — Defending champion Tadej Pogacar has powered to victory in the first time trial of the Tour de France to assert himself as the odds-on favorite at the three-week race.
Pogacar lagged 39 seconds behind leader Mathieu van der Poel at the start of Stage 5 in the western Mayenne region and erased a big chunk of the deficit to move into second place in the general classification.
The 22-year-old Slovenian mastered the technical 27.2-kilometer loop from Change to Laval to gain time on other main contenders in an impressive display of power and technical skills.
In other Tour de France news, France Bleu Finistere radio station reports gendarmes in Brittany have arrested a fan involved in a massive pileup at the Tour de France during the opening stage at cycling’s biggest event. The fan brandished a large cardboard sign while leaning into the path of oncoming riders on Saturday. She appeared to be looking in the other direction. The woman has not been publicly identified. The sign read “Allez Opi-Omi,” a mix of French and German-language terms of endearment for grandparents — “Go Grandpa-Grandma.”
