U.S./World Sports category, Page 361
Indy 500 takes spotlight for IndyCar Series on an uptick
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis 500 once was considered one of the top sporting events of the year, an iconic, milk-drenched staple of Memorial Day weekend filled with patriotism and nostalgia, triumph and disappointment. It is nearly impossible to maintain reverential status for 103 years, and the Indy 500, like almost...
NASCAR driver William Byron seeks elusive 1st win at home track
CONCORD, N.C. — William Byron knows how to qualify. Now, he is looking to prove he can win at NASCAR’s highest level. The Charlotte native would love nothing more than to win his first Cup Series race at his home track of Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday in the Coca-Cola...
Kawhi Leonard, Raptors get road win to take 3-2 series lead
MILWAUKEE — Kawhi Leonard scored 35 points, and the Toronto Raptors beat the Milwaukee Bucks, 105-99, on Thursday night to take a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference finals. Leonard showed no obvious signs of the leg soreness that bothered him the previous two games, hitting the 30-point mark for...
Free-agent DT Gerald McCoy to visit Browns
CLEVELAND — The Browns will get to show Gerald McCoy how far they’ve come. The free-agent defensive tackle, released earlier this week by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, will visit Cleveland on Friday. General manager John Dorsey said the meeting will be an opportunity for both sides to see if they...
Joe Gibbs comes long way from nervous beginnings in racing
CONCORD, N.C. — When Joe Gibbs decided to venture from the NFL and form a race team in 1992, he was scared. Petrified, in fact. Gibbs won three Super Bowls as coach of the Washington Redskins, but he was an outsider starting from scratch when it came to stock car...
Obama plays ball with kids during surprise visit to Nats’ Academy
Former President Barack Obama surprised some ‘D.C.-area students Wednesday when he visited the Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy. In addition to touring the Nationals facility, the 44th American president actively played with the children when he tossed a football around, took some swings in the batter’s box and delivered a...
Indianapolis 500 officials to offer measles vaccine at race
INDIANAPOLIS — Some fans attending Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 can get measles vaccines at the track’s infield medical center. IndyCar medical director Geoffrey Billows said Thursday a “very limited supply” of vaccines will be available at the medical building near the Indianapolis Motor Speedway museum. He says most insurance companies will...
Bucks need better bench play to regain control vs RaptorsVideo
MILWAUKEE — The Bucks are back in Milwaukee looking to regain momentum in the Eastern Conference finals. Coach Mike Budenholzer believes his bench will be a major factor in what happens in Game 5 on Thursday. The Bucks reserves played so well in the first two games of the series...
One-off drivers hope to use Indy 500 as launching pad
INDIANAPOLIS — Sage Karam carried the burden of an entire team into his final four-lap qualifying attempt last weekend. He could extend his season by putting Dennis Reinbold’s No. 24 car into the Indianapolis 500 starting grid. Or he could go home and wait 12 months for another chance. Karam...
Fans who spent thousands on Women’s World Cup tickets irate to learn seats are not together
Victoria Amira convinced three friends to take what they’re calling the trip of a lifetime by promising that if they attended a match at the FIFA Women’s World Cup next month, she’d drive them to every vineyard in the south of France for the following two weeks. Amira, a government...
Check out the best hidden-ball trick in sports history
Get ready to see the best hidden-ball trick of all time. A tip of the cap to the crew at Deadspin for referencing the inspiration for the maneuver. Do you remember the baseball movie “Little Big League?” Pfft! That was nothing. First of all, it was the middle of a...
Balanced Raptors even Eastern Conference Finals versus Bucks
TORONTO — Kyle Lowry scored 25 points, Kawhi Leonard had 19 and the Toronto Raptors beat the Milwaukee Bucks, 120-102, on Tuesday night to even the Eastern Conference finals at two games apiece. Serge Ibaka had 17 points and 13 rebounds for the Raptors, who improved to 7-2 at home...
ACC seeks to bolster mental health treatment for athletes
DURHAM, N.C. — Several times during his speech on Tuesday, Mark Hilinski paused a few moments to compose himself. He always cries, his wife said later, when he addresses an audience and tells the story of his son, Tyler, the former Washington State quarterback who died by suicide in 2018....
Mario Andretti savoring golden anniversary of only Indy 500 win
INDIANAPOLIS — Mario Andretti sees the reminders of 1969 everywhere these days. His face, his race car number, that familiar STP logo. They all appear on an endless array of shirts and jackets, clocks and flags, posters and coasters. Mario Andretti Drive has temporarily replaced the Washington Street sign in...
Brooks Koepka finally gets due after four majors
FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — Majors matter more than any other golf tournament. They are not the sole measure of greatness. And that might be one reason it took Brooks Koepka winning four majors — as many as Rory McIlroy, one more than Jordan Spieth among his contemporaries — for the 29-year-old...
Triple-doubles from Stephen Curry, Draymond Green help Warriors sweepVideo
PORTLAND, Ore. — Draymond Green had 18 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists, and made a key 3-pointer in overtime as the Golden State Warriors advanced to the NBA Finals for the fifth straight year with a 119-117 victory Monday night to sweep the Portland Trail Blazers. Stephen Curry added...
2-time Indy 500 winner Al Unser Jr. charged with driving while intoxicated
AVON, Ind. — Retired two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Al Unser Jr. was arrested early Monday in central Indiana and charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Unser, 57, was stopped in Avon, just west of Indianapolis, the Indianapolis Star reported from police records. He was jailed about 3:20 a.m. in...
Raptors beat Bucks in double OT, draw closer in Eastern Conference finals
TORONTO — Kawhi Leonard scored 36 points, including eight in the second overtime, and the Toronto Raptors beat Milwaukee, 118-112, on Sunday night to cut the Bucks’ lead to 2-1 in the Eastern Conference finals. Pascal Siakam had 25 points and 11 rebounds, Norman Powell scored 19 points before fouling...
Deontay Wilder gains respect in defending his heavyweight title
Deontay Wilder complained about not getting any respect before defending his heavyweight title on Saturday night. After a one-punch knockout of Dominic Breazeale in the first round, he got that respect apace. If you speak it...And if you believe it...You shall receive it. #WilderBreazeale pic.twitter.com/JlfuZVI6YK— SHOWTIME Boxing (@ShowtimeBoxing) May 19,...
Rules changes contribute to excitement of NASCAR All-Star race
CONCORD, N.C. — Side-by-side racing, a dramatic, decisive pass near the end for the win and even an old-style, on-track fight: NASCAR couldn’t be happier with what it saw at the All-Star Race. “As an official, but also as a race fan, it was super exciting to watch,” said Scott...
Brooks Koepka holds off Dustin Johnson for 2nd straight PGA Championship
FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — Brooks Koepka took his place in PGA Championship history with a wire-to-wire victory, minus the style points. In a raging wind that turned Bethpage Black into a beast, Koepka lost all but one shot of his record seven-shot lead Sunday. He lost the brutal Long Island crowd,...
Dustin Johnson’s rally gone with the wind at PGA Championship
FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — Brooks Koepka’s coronation in this PGA Championship nearly got blown off the golf course. It didn’t because his main competition, Dustin Johnson, had just as much trouble keeping his ball in play down the stretch. Johnson was within one stroke of his close friend after a birdie...
Draymond Green leads Warriors to 3-0 series lead over Trail Blazers
PORTLAND, Ore. — Draymond Green had 20 points, 13 rebounds and 12 assists, and the Golden State Warriors beat the Portland Trail Blazers, 110-99, on Saturday night for a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference finals. Green had his seventh career postseason triple-double, and Stephen Curry scored 36 points for...
Kevin Harvick’s push leads Kyle Larson to NASCAR All-Star win
CONCORD, N.C. — Kyle Larson got a push to the front from Kevin Harvick in the final stage, then held off the defending champion to win the NASCAR All-Star Race on Saturday night. Larson wasn’t part of the elite field when the day began, racing his way in by winning...
Horsing around: Riderless colt races to Preakness finish
BALTIMORE — Unencumbered by a jockey and suddenly free to run wherever he darn pleased, Bodexpress decided to take a shot at winning the Preakness. Taking one of the most memorable trips in the 149-year history of Pimlico Race Course, Bodexpress followed the leaders without a rider on board and...
