Update on the latest sports
APNBA FINALS
Bucks could wrap up championship at home
MILWAUKEE (AP) — The NBA Finals could end tonight. After rallying from a two-games-to-none deficit, the Milwaukee Bucks return home with a three-to-two lead, and a chance to wrap up the NBA title against the Phoenix Suns. A win tonight would give the Bucks their first championship in a half century.
The Bucks took the finals lead with a 123-119 Game 5 victory in Phoenix that showcased their impressive balance. Milwaukee averaged 120.1 points per game in the regular season to become the NBA’s highest-scoring team in nearly 40 years. But they’ve pulled ahead in this series by delivering memorable defensive plays.
OLYMPICS-OLDER OLYMPIANS
For Carli Loyd, other older Olympians, age is just a number
TOKYO (AP) — Older Olympians will be proving that age is just a number in Tokyo.
Carli Lloyd is going to be 39 when she plays for the U.S. women’s soccer team, but she’s not even the oldest soccer player competing this summer. Brazil star Formiga is 43. Beach volleyball player Jake Gibb is 45.
The average age of the U.S. gymnastics team in Tokyo is the oldest its been since 1952. But those are just the Americans: At this point, it looks as though Australian equestrian Mary Hanna, a grandmother at 66, will be the oldest competitor in Japan.
The oldest member of the United States team headed to Tokyo is Phillip Dutton, a 57-year-old equestrian who competes in eventing, a combination of dressage, cross-country and jumping. This is Dutton’s seventh Olympics.
NFL-NEWS
Jets assistant badly injured in accident
UNDATED (AP) — New York Jets assistant coach Greg Knapp was in what’s described as a “horrific” bicycle accident over the weekend and is in critical condition.
A Denver TV station (9News) reported Monday night that Knapp was hit by a vehicle while riding his bike in California. The nature of Knapp’s injuries was not immediately known. ESPN says the accident happened Saturday near his home in Danville, California.
The 58-year-old Knapp was hired by Jets coach Robert Saleh in January as the pass game specialist. His focus is on the development of quarterback Zach Wilson, the No. 2 overall draft pick.
In other NFL news:
—Veteran defensive end Alex Okafor has signed a one-year deal to return to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs did not disclose financial terms in announcing the deal. The 30-year-old Okafor has 30 sacks and 183 tackles in eight NFL seasons, including the past two with the Chiefs. He joined the club as a free agent from New Orleans in March 2019, signing a three-year, $18 million contract.
— Tom Brady and the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers visited President Joe Biden at the White House on Tuesday. Brady had skipped visits by the New England Patriots to the White House in 2015 and 2017. It was the first post-Super Bowl White House trip for the record-setting quarterback since 2005, when George W. Bush was president. Biden also used the occasion to tell Buccaneers players to get vaccinated against the coronavirus if they hadn’t already.
— Los Angeles Rams running back Cam Akers is out indefinitely after tearing his Achilles tendon in an offseason training session. The Rams confirmed the injury one week before veterans report to training camp. Akers was expected to be the Rams’ starter after coming on late in his outstanding rookie season. Akers had 272 yards from scrimmage in the Rams’ two playoff games last season,.
— The Pittsburgh Steelers added depth at outside linebacker and offensive line on the eve of training camp, signing free agents Melvin Ingram and Chaz Green. Both players agreed to one-year deals with the defending AFC North champions. The 32-year-old Ingram was a three-time Pro Bowler during his nine seasons with the Chargers. Ingram had 49 sacks with Los Angeles.
— Running back Travis Etienne, cornerback Tyson Campbell and left tackle Walker Little signed four-year rookie deals with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars now have their entire 2021 draft class, including quarterback and No. 1 pick Trevor Lawrence, under contract.
— The Buffalo Bills have their entire eight-member draft class under contract after signing offensive tackle Spencer Brown to a four-year contract. Brown was selected in the third round out of Northern Iowa, where he started 32 games.
—The Miami Dolphins have held a grand opening for their $135 million training complex one week before the start of training camp. The site is next to the Dolphins’ stadium, and eight miles south of Davie, where they have trained since 1993. The complex includes two outdoor practice fields — one grass and the other an artificial surface — and one indoor field. Covered seating will hold up to 2,200 fans during training camp.
—Roger Staubach and Drew Pearson have connected again with their Hail Mary. They are creating a digital collectible of the 50-yard touchdown pass in the final seconds of a 17-14 victory over Minnesota in the 1975 playoffs. The single item will be up for auction in August with a starting bid of $20,000. The winning bidder gets to join Staubach and Pearson on the field to re-enact the famous play.
MLB-NEWS
Andy Pettitte’s son agrees to terms with Jeter’s Marlins
UNDATED (AP) — Left-hander Jared Pettitte, son of three-time All-Star lefty Andy Pettitte, has agreed to terms with the Miami Marlins as an undrafted free agent.
Marlins CEO Derek Jeter and Andy Pettitte were New York Yankees teammates for 15 seasons. The younger Pettitte pitched for Dallas Baptist University this year and had a 5.81 ERA in 13 games. He helped lead his Houston high school team to a state title in 2016, when he had a 12-1 record and a 1.20 ERA.
INDYCAR-NBC
IndyCar inks new NBC Sports deal, 2 races to run on Peacock
UNDATED (AP) — IndyCar has signed a multi-year extension with NBC Sports that guarantees a majority of the racing schedule will air on its main NBC channel. The other races will air on USA Network. Two events will be exclusively streamed on Peacock, which is already the home for IndyCar qualifying and practice.
NBC is having its highest-rated season yet for IndyCar. The Indianapolis 500 drew its best rating since 2016. The deal includes a major online presence as all races on NBC and USA will be simultaneously streamed on Peacock. IndyCar officials say that is a key part of future growth.
