U.S./World Sports category, Page 110
Nadal’s absence changes complexion of Roland Garros
There’s a reason a statue of Rafael Nadal stands outside Court Philippe Chatrier on the southwest outskirts of Paris. No player ever lorded over any Grand Slam tennis tournament the way Nadal has ruled the French Open, winning it year after year after year for a read-it-again-to-make-sure total of 14...
Lakers hoping LeBron James decides to continue career after playoff eliminationVideo
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers hope LeBron James will decide to continue his career after he recovers from the difficult end to their season. James didn’t meet with the media on the day after the top scorer in NBA history said he needed time to think about his...
Indy 500 win could rocket popular driver Pato O’Ward to the top of IndyCar on and off the trackVideo
INDIANAPOLIS — Pato O’Ward was supposed to arrive in front of the hotel at 8:15 a.m. the first day he could get his car on the track for Indianapolis 500 practice. He texted he was 15 minutes late but would try to make up time on the road. He did,...
Column: Masters showed golf can get along, even in Ryder CupVideo
PITTSFORD, N.Y. — Unless Brooks Koepka goes on to win the U.S. Open and British Open — it’s hard to bet against him at this rate — the Masters should be remembered as the most meaningful major this year. Jon Rahm in a green jacket was special on its own....
Fans need to pre-register for free tickets to Paris’ 2024 Olympic opening ceremony
PARIS — To pull off the most audacious opening ceremony in Olympic history, French organizers are now — literally — on the same page. France’s government, the organizing committee president for the 2024 Paris Games and the French capital’s mayor signed an 11-page security protocol Tuesday that for the first...
Golden State’s Stephen Curry wins Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice awardVideo
NEW YORK — Golden State’s Stephen Curry was selected as this season’s Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion, the NBA announced Tuesday. The league will donate $100,000 on Curry’s behalf to the University of San Francisco Institute for Nonviolence and Social Justice. He is the third winner of the award, after...
LeBron James questions retirement after Lakers are eliminated from playoffs
LOS ANGELES — LeBron James questioned retirement after his Lakers were swept by the Denver Nuggets despite the highest-scoring postseason half of James’ matchless NBA career. James set a personal record with 31 points in the first half of Game 4 on Monday night, but he missed two potential tying...
Jockey suicides bring attention to stress and mental health of the job
BALTIMORE — Eurico Rosa da Silva was in a dark place. On the track, the jockey in his early 30s was winning races and making money. At home, he was fighting suicidal thoughts every day. “I got to the point where I have no more choice but to go for...
Jokic leads Denver Nuggets past LeBron’s Lakers, into their first NBA FinalsVideo
LOS ANGELES — Nikola Jokic had 30 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists, and the Denver Nuggets advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time in team history Monday night, sweeping the Western Conference finals with a 113-111 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. Jamal Murray scored 25 points...
LSU’s Dylan Crews top SEC player, teammate Paul Skenes top pitcher
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — LSU junior outfielder Dylan Crews is the first consecutive winner of the Southeastern Conference player of the year award while Tigers junior right-hander Paul Skenes is pitcher of the year. The teammates, projected as the top two picks in Major League Baseball’s amateur draft, were honored Monday...
Alex Palou’s record run earns Chip Ganassi 3rd straight Indy 500 pole
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Alex Palou will lead the field to green in the Indianapolis 500 after the young Spaniard put together the fastest four-lap pole run in history Sunday, edging Rinus VeeKay and Felix Rosenqvist to give Chip Ganassi Racing its third consecutive pole in “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”...
PGA Championship becomes a ‘Block party’ celebrating club pro finishing tied for 15th
PITTSFORD, N.Y. — Michael Block recalled how only a week ago he was having drinks at the Pittsford Pub — a few par-5s away from where the PGA Championship was being held at Oak Hill in suburban Rochester, N.Y. — and no one knew who he was. On Sunday, the...
Carmelo Anthony retires from NBA, after 19-year career, NCAA title, 3 Olympic gold medals
Carmelo Anthony, the star forward who led Syracuse to an NCAA championship in his lone college season and went on to spend 19 years in the NBA, announced his retirement on Monday. Anthony, who was not in the NBA this season, retires as the No. 9 scorer in league history....
Mark Madden: Attendance doesn’t lie when it comes to Brittney Griner’s return to WNBA
Brittney Griner made her return to the WNBA on Friday when her Phoenix team visited Los Angeles. Griner missed the 2022 season while she was imprisoned 10 months in Russia for carrying a controlled substance (cannabis vape cartridges) through a Moscow airport. Vice President Kamala Harris attended. So did tennis...
Kyle Larson dominates NASCAR All-Star race, takes home $1 million
NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. — Kyle Larson turned in a dominating effort to win his third All-Star race and earn $1 million Sunday night in the Cup Series’ return to North Wilkesboro Speedway following a 27-year absence. Larson became only the fourth driver to win the All-Star race at least three...
Hovland endures another near miss at a major at PGA, believes his time is comingVideo
PITTSFORD, N.Y. — Viktor Hovland knows his moment on golf’s biggest stage is coming. Of course, he would be fine if it would just hurry up and get here already. For the third straight major, the 25-year-old Norwegian with the incandescent wardrobe and the even more vibrant game found his...
Brooks Koepka delivers another major performance to win PGA Championship
PITTSFORD, N.Y. — All those injuries that made Brooks Koepka wonder if he was still among golf’s elite were put to rest Sunday at Oak Hill when he beat the strongest field of the year and won the PGA Championship for his fifth major title. Determined as ever to restore...
Murrysville’s Jared Smith takes bronze at World Karate Federation event
Pennsylvania Shotokan Karate Club athlete Jared Smith earned a bronze medal in April at the World Karate Federation K1 Series A event in Vancouver, Canada. A Franklin Regional grad and current student at Carnegie Mellon, Smith finished third in the 75-kilogram division for kumite fighting. He competed against martial artists...
Mage’s Triple Crown bid ends after finishing third in PreaknessVideo
BALTIMORE — A half-mile into the Preakness, Mage’s Triple Crown chances were already in serious jeopardy. The Kentucky Derby-winning colt was racing comfortably — and wasn’t that far behind — but the pace was a fairly easy one, and that made the leaders tough to catch. “Not much speed in...
Finally paired at a major, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau play nice and play well at PGA
PITTSFORD, N.Y. — Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau insist they ended their beef long ago. They’ve hugged it out. They’ve made their money. They’ve moved on. They’re at different points in their careers now. Different parts of their lives. As if to prove it once and for all, Koepka and...
Koepka again in position for major title after stellar 66 at soggy PGA ChampionshipVideo
PITTSFORD, N.Y. — Brooks Koepka says he thrives in majors because they’re the toughest tests. The PGA Championship was every bit of that on a rainy Saturday at Oak Hill, and so was Koepka. Koepka was at his best even during occasional downpours, and he surged into the 54-hole lead...
National Treasure wins Preakness, ending Triple Crown possibility
BALTIMORE — Bob Baffert choked back tears, and his voice cracked while trying to juggle the feelings of one of his horses winning the Preakness Stakes and another being euthanized on the same track. “This business is twists and turns, the ups and downs,” he said. “To win this —...
NASCAR drivers facing unfamiliar venue with All-Star race at North Wilkesboro Speedway
NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. — William Byron has driven past North Wilkesboro Speedway on his way to the Blue Ridge Mountains. So has Brad Keselowski and many other North Carolina-based NASCAR drivers. Like most, they’d never been inside the track before this week. And none of the drivers on the NASCAR...
Horse trained by Bob Baffert euthanized on track after racing injury on Preakness undercard
BALTIMORE — A horse trained by Bob Baffert was euthanized on the track after going down with a left front leg injury and unseating his jockey during a race on the Preakness undercard Saturday. Hours before the second leg of the Triple Crown, favorite Havnameltdown buckled forward and threw jockey...
‘One of us’: Club pro Michael Block scores one for working man at PGA Championship
PITTSFORD, N.Y. — Michael Block is supposed to work on Monday, just like nearly every other PGA club professional this time of year. The 46-year-old’s daily routine at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club in Southern California is a mixture of lessons and paperwork. It’s typically followed by an early-evening visit from...
