Update on the latest sports
APNBA-HAWKS-KNICKS
Randle scores 44 points, Knicks beat slumping Hawks 123-112
UNDATED (AP) — Julius Randle scored a season-high 44 points, making a career-best seven 3-pointers and leading the New York Knicks to their third straight victory, 123-112 over the slumping Atlanta Hawks. Randle added nine rebounds and five assists in perhaps the best performance of a season that should merit All-Star consideration. The seventh-year forward scored 17 points on 7-for-8 shooting in the first quarter to send the Knicks to a fast start and ended up one point shy of his career high. RJ Barrett added 21 points and rookie Immanuel Quickley had 16 for the Knicks, who improved to 14-15 and can reach .500 with a victory over Orlando on Wednesday.
In other action:
—Zach LaVine scored 12 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter to help Chicago force overtime, and the Bulls then pulled away from the Indiana Pacers for a 120-112 victory. Chicago had lost 10 straight against Indiana and eight straight on the road in the series. Domantas Sabonis scored 25 points and Malcolm Brogdon had 23 for the Pacers, who had won two in a row.
—Bradley Beal scored 37 points in an entertaining duel with ex-teammate John Wall, and the Wizards beat the undermanned Houston Rockets 131-119 in Wall’s return to Washington. Wall was traded in December for Russell Westbrook and a future first-round pick. He had season highs of 29 points and 11 assists for the Rockets.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-NBA
Spurs-Pistons game postponed by coronavirus-related issues
UNDATED (AP) — Tuesday’s game between the San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons has been postponed, marking the second time this month that the NBA has called off a game because of coronavirus-related issues.
The NBA announced Monday that the Spurs have someone who tested positive. That, combined with contact tracing, meant they would not have the league minimum of eight players available to begin a game.
The Spurs were without guard Quinndary Weatherspoon for Sunday’s game against Charlotte because of the league’s COVID-19 protocols. Weatherspoon had played 10 minutes on Friday in Atlanta, then was flagged by the protocols over the weekend.
NBA-CAVALIERS-DRUMMOND
AP source: Cavs to sit Andre Drummond while pursuing trade
CLEVELAND (AP) — A person familiar with the situation tells The Associated Press that the Cleveland Cavaliers will make center Andre Drummond inactive for upcoming games as they pursue a trade for him.
Drummond did not dress for Sunday night’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers and will continue to stay on the sideline. The person who spoke to the AP says there is “nothing imminent” on the trade front. The Cavs said Sunday that Drummond was out for “rest.” The Cavs have lost seven straight games and 11 of 13.
Drummond was a two-time All-Star with Detroit before he traded to Cleveland last year.
Elsewhere in the NBA:
— The Detroit Pistons say Blake Griffin will be out of the lineup while he and the organization work out a resolution on his future, a sign that the star forward’s days with the team could be numbered. Griffin, who turns 32 next month, came to Detroit in a trade during the 2017-18 season. The Pistons have made just one postseason appearance with him and have spent much of the last year overhauling their roster in earnest. Detroit is 8-19 this season, and Griffin has already missed seven games.
—Forward Anthony Davis’ injured Achilles tendon is not ruptured, and he will be reevaluated when the Los Angeles Lakers return from their road trip. Davis had an MRI exam on Monday, and he is out indefinitely. The All-NBA first-teamer left the Lakers’ game at Denver in the second quarter Sunday night with an apparent aggravation of the tendonosis that has bothered his right heel for at least two weeks.
—Parties may be part of NBA All-Star weekend next month. They just won’t include NBA All-Stars. Players taking part in All-Star weekend in Atlanta will largely have to remain in their hotels when not at the arena, the league told teams on Monday, and all players and coaches — whether part of All-Star events or not — will have to continue getting tested daily for COVID-19. The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association agreed on those rules.
NHL-SCHEDULE-BLUES-COYOTES
Coyotes close out 7-game series with 1-0 win over Blues
UNDATED (AP) — Darcy Kuemper stopped 24 shots, Clayton Keller scored and the Arizona Coyotes closed out seven-game series against the St. Louis Blues with a 1-0 win. The teams split the first six games and the Coyotes were at their shutdown best in Game 7. Keller scored in the second period and Kuemper, making his fifth start in the series, earned his 19th career shutout. Jordan Binnington had 18 saves for the Blues.
In other Monday action:
—Brock McGinn and Teuvo Teravainen scored 26 seconds apart in the second period as the Carolina Hurricanes erased an early deficit and beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 7-3. Sebastian Aho, Jordan Staal, Nino Niederreiter and Vincent Trocheck also scored for the Hurricanes, who’ve won three in a row. Cam Atkinson, Boone Jenner and Kevin Stenlund scored for the Blue Jackets, who had a three-game points streak halted.
—Evgenii Dadonov scored his second goal of the game in overtime and the Ottawa Senators overcame a four-goal deficit to win for the first time in franchise history, stunning the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-5 on Monday night. Ottawa trailed 5-1 late in the second period before charging back, improving to 1-237-3 when trailing by at least four goals. Conor Brown and Nick Paul had a goal and an assist each, Drake Batherson and Artem Zub also scored, and Marcus Hogberg stopped 33 shots. Auston Matthews had two goals — giving him an NHL-leading 12 — and an assist for Toronto.
Jonathan Huberdeau scored and led a balanced attack that included goals from six players, and the Florida Panthers gained on Central Division-leading Tampa Bay with a 6-4 victory over the Lightning. Aleksander Barkov, Anton Stralman, Owen Tipppett, Anthony Duclair and Frank Vatrano also scored for Florida, which recorded its first win in Tampa Bay since March 26. 2016, a span of eight games. Chris Driedger finished with 27 saves. Alex Volkov scored twice for Tampa Bay, which had its six-game home winning streak halted. Steven Stamkos and Tyler Johnson also scored for the Lightning. Curtis McElhinney made 15 saves in his second start of the season.
—Dominik Kubalik scored his second goal of the game 4:43 into overtime, and the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Detroit Red Wings 3-2. Kubalik and Mattias Janmark staked the Blackhawks to a two-goal lead in the first period that they slowly lost before stepping up in the extra session. Kubalik slipped a shot between Thomas Greiss’ pads, finishing a 2-on-1 rush with Pius Suter late in overtime. The surprising Blackhawks won for the fifth time in six games in the opener of a six-game trip. Malcolm Subban finished with 27 stops in his fourth start of the season.
—The Dallas Stars have postponed their home game against the Nashville Predators after a request from city officials to not play because of the impact extreme winter weather has had on the area. The announcement came only about a half-hour before Monday’s game was scheduled to begin. There are significant power outages throughout the state. The NHL says the decision to postpone was made by the teams, on-ice officials and the league upon the advice of Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson. No makeup date was announced.
NFL-OBIT-VINCENT JACKSON
Former NFL receiver Vincent Jackson found dead in hotel room
BRANDON, Fla. (AP)— Former NFL wide receiver Vincent Jackson has been found dead at a Florida hotel room, days after authorities spoke with him as part of a welfare check. There were no signs of trauma and the medical examiner’s office was looking into a cause of death. Sheriff’s officials said his family initially reported Jackson missing on Wednesday. Deputies tracked him down to a hotel in Brandon two days later, spoke with him and canceled the missing persons case. Jackson was then found dead Monday morning in his hotel room by a housekeeper. Jackson played for the San Diego Chargers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was selected to the Pro Bowl three times.
MLB-MARLINS
Marlins to allow small crowds
MIAMI (AP) — Small crowds at Marlins Park will be back this season. The attendance-challenged Marlins plan to allow fans at home games, although crowds will initially be limited to about 25% of capacity. That would mean a maximum of about 9,300 spectators in the 37,446-seat ballpark.
The Marlins, like the rest of MLB, didn’t allow fans during the 2020 regular season because of the coronavirus pandemic. Limited crowds were permitted for the postseason. In Derek Jeter’s first two years as CEO, the Marlins averaged about 10,000 fans in 2018 and 2019, worst in the majors.
MLB-INDIANS-HAMILTON
Indians finalize Billy Hamilton’s minor league contract
CLEVELAND (AP) — Billy Hamilton has joined the Indians’ cluttered outfield competition. The free agent signed Monday with Cleveland, which will give Hamilton a chance to win a roster spot during training camp.
Hamilton agreed to terms on a minor league deal with a spring invitation last week. The contract was finalized after he completed medical tests.
Hamilton spent last season with the Cubs and Mets. He gives the Indians another option as they try to fix an outfield that hasn’t produced much in recent seasons. The 30-year-old Hamilton has 305 career steals over eight seasons with Cincinnati, Kansas City, Atlanta, Chicago and New York.
Elsewhere in the majors:
— Catcher Austin Barnes and the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers avoided a salary arbitration hearing when they agreed to a $4.3 million, two-year contract. Barnes gets a $300,000 signing bonus and salaries of $1.5 million this year and $2.5 million in 2022. The 31-year-old hit .244 with one homer and nine RBIs in 86 bats over 29 games during the pandemic-shortened season and batted .325 in the postseason with one homer and three RBIs.
— The Colorado Rockies will be taking a look at another first baseman after signing C.J. Cron to a minor-league deal with an invite to major league spring training. Cron, 31, hit .190 with four homers and eight RBIs in 13 games with Detroit last season. He was the 17th overall pick by the Los Angeles Angels in 2011 and has appeared in 686 career games with the Angels, Minnesota, Tampa Bay and the Tigers.
AUSTRALIAN OPEN
Osaka advances to Australian Open semis
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Naomi Osaka has advanced to a potential semifinal showdown against Serena Williams at the Australian Open. Osaka earned her 19th victory in a row by overpowering Hsieh Su-wei 6-2, 6-2, and will next meet the winner of the later quarterfinal match between Williams and No. 2-seeded Simona Halep. Seeded third, Osaka reached 122 mph on her serve and pounded her forehand. She hit seven aces, lost only two points on her first serve and was never broken. At 35, Hsieh was the oldest woman to make her Grand Slam quarterfinal debut in the professional era.
MICHAEL JORDAN-CLINIC-DONATION
Michael Jordan gives $10M for North Carolina health clinics
WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) — A health care system announced Monday that basketball legend Michael Jordan is donating $10 million to launch two medical clinics in underserved communities near his North Carolina hometown.
Novant Health says the clinics are set to open in New Hanover County in early 2022. News outlets report that the gift marks one of the largest ever from the Basketball Hall of Fame athlete. Jordan previously gave $7 million to open clinics in Charlotte in 2019 and 2020.
Jordan grew up in Wilmington before going on to play at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill then later winning six championships with the Chicago Bulls.
