Update on the latest sports
APNBA-COACH OF THE YEAR
New York’s Tom Thibodeau picked as NBA’s coach of the year
NEW YORK (AP) — Tom Thibodeau got the New York Knicks back to the playoffs, guiding the team to its second-best record in 20 years.
And in the eyes of the voters, that coaching job was the best in the NBA. Thibodeau was revealed Monday as the NBA’s Coach of the Year for 2020-21, as determined by a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters who cover the league. The Knicks went 41-31 this season, then fell to Atlanta in five games in the first round of the playoffs.
In other NBA news:
The Philadelphia 76ers and their president of basketball operations, Daryl Morey, have each been fined $75,000 for a tweet Morey sent about Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry. The NBA says Morey and the team were fined for violating the league’s anti-tampering rule. On Thursday, Morey tweeted “join ’em” with a screenshot of a social media post by Stephen Curry praising his brother, Seth. Seth Curry had scored 30 points for the Sixers the night before in a playoff series-ending win over Washington. Morey replied to the tweet to clarify he only meant “we are all thrilled” Seth Curry is on the Philadelphia roster.
FRENCH OPEN
US teen Gauff reaches French Open quarterfinals
PARIS (AP) — American teenager Coco Gauff served superbly to reach her first Grand Slam quarterfinal with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Ons Jabeur at the French Open.
The 17-year-old Gauff lost only nine points on her serve. Gauff also had a quick match in the previous round. Jennifer Brady retired with an injured left foot after Gauff won the opening set.
Gauff will next face Barbora Krejcikova (kreh-jih-KOH’-vah). She also reached reached her first quarterfinal at a major by beating 2018 French Open runner-up Sloane Stephens 6-2, 6-0.
In other Monday action:
— Defending champion Rafael Nadal beat Jannik Sinner 7-5, 6-3, 6-0 to reach the quarterfinals and extend his streak of sets won at Roland Garros to 35. The 18th-seeded Sinner had a chance to become the first player since Dominic Thiem in the 2019 final to take a set off Nadal at the event. But when serving for the first set at 5-4, the Italian was broken at love. He then lost the next six games. The third-seeded Spaniard faces No. 10 Diego Schwartzman in the quarterfinals, having beaten the Argentine in the semifinals last year.
— Diego Schwartzman posted a fourth straight-set win to reach the quarterfinals at the French Open. The 10th-seeded Argentine beat Jan-Lennard Struff of Germany 7-6 (9), 6-4, 7-5. Schwartzman has yet to drop a set in Paris.
— Novak Djokovic has rallied from a two-set deficit to win for the fifth time in his career. He beat 19-year-old Lorenzo Musetti of Italy, who retired with an injury two games from defeat in the fourth round at the French Open. The Serb advanced to the Roland Garros quarterfinals for the 15th time. He’ll next play another Italian, No. 9-seeded Matteo Berrettini, who advanced when Roger Federer withdrew.
— American Sofia Kenin has lost in the fourth round at the French Open to Maria Sakkari of Greece, 6-1, 6-3. At No. 4, Kenin was the highest-seeded player left. She was the runner-up at Roland Garros last October, and was seeking her second major title. Sakkari, seeded 17th, advanced to her first career Grand Slam quarterfinal and earned her sixth win against a top-20 player this year.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL-ALABAMA-SABAN CONTRACT
Alabama, Saban agree to new 8-year deal through 2029 season
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Alabama coach Nick Saban has agreed to a three-year contract extension running through the 2029 season.
Alabama announced the extension on Monday. The extension includes $8.425 million in base salary and talent fee for the current contract year with annual raises of unspecified amounts.
The 69-year-old Saban, who has led the Crimson Tide to six national championships since taking over in 2007, will receive an $800,000 “contract completion benefit” after each contract year from 2022-25.
NFL-49ERS
49ers sign safety Tony Jefferson to 1-year deal
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers have signed safety Tony Jefferson to a one-year deal. The 49ers released cornerback Briean Boddy-Calhoun to make room for Jefferson on the roster. Jefferson played seven seasons with Arizona and Baltimore but sat out last season after tearing his ACL with Baltimore in 2019.
Elsewhere in the NFL:
— The Buffalo Bills are staying home for training camp again. The Bills cited the NFL’s COVID-19 health protocols in their decision to not travel to their traditional training camp site at St. John Fisher College outside of Rochester, New York. The team instead will hold camp at its headquarters in Orchard Park.
—The Baltimore Ravens have signed running back Gus Edwards to a two-year contract extension. The deal announced Monday goes through the 2023 season. Edwards ran for 723 yards last season and helped the Ravens rank first in the NFL in rushing for a second consecutive year. Edwards, J.K. Dobbins and quarterback Lamar Jackson all ran for more than 700 yards for Baltimore last season. In three years with the Ravens, Edwards has rushed for 2,152 yards and 10 touchdowns and averaged 5.2 yards per carry.
—The San Francisco 49ers have signed safety Tony Jefferson to a one-year deal. The 49ers released cornerback Briean Boddy-Calhoun to make room for Jefferson on the roster. Jefferson played seven seasons with Arizona and Baltimore but sat out last season after tearing his ACL with Baltimore in 2019.
WATER POLO-SEX ABUSE
Water polo players get $14 million in sex abuse settlement
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A dozen female water polo players who accused their former coach of sexual misconduct will split nearly $14 million to settle a lawsuit against USA Water Polo and a California club.
The settlement agreement was filed Friday in Orange County Superior Court. The athletes sued the sport’s governing board and the International Water Polo Club over alleged abuse by Bahram Hojreh. The coach has been banned from the sport and faces criminal sexual abuse charges. The settlement follows a California State Supreme court ruling in April that found sports governing organizations have a duty to protect athletes. Hojreh has pleaded not guilty to charges filed by the Orange County district attorney.
APPLING-FATAL SHOOTING
Former Michigan State basketball star charged with murder
DETROIT (AP) — A former captain of the Michigan State University basketball team has been charged with murder in the fatal shooting of a man in Detroit.
Keith Appling is accused of killing 66-year-old Clyde Edmonds on May 22. The Wayne County prosecutor’s office says Appling and Edmonds had an argument over a gun. Appling has been in custody since his arrest on May 24. He played for Michigan State from 2010 to 2014. Appling also played basketball overseas and had two brief contracts with the NBA’s Orlando Magic.
OLYMPICS-VOLLEYBALL-US ROSTER
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (AP) — Two-time medalists Foluke Akinradewo Gunderson and Jordan Larson headline the 12-player U.S. women’s volleyball team picked to compete at the Olympics in Tokyo. Akinradewo Gunderson and Larson were part of the U.S. team that won a silver medal in 2012 in London and a bronze in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro.
Coach Karch Kiraly also announced he will be bringing back outside hitters Kim Hill and Kelsey Robinson for a second straight Olympics. The other eight members of the team will be making their first Olympic appearance when the Americans seek their first gold medal ever.
