Sports

By KRISTIE RIEKEN AP Sports Writer HOUSTON (AP) — Jalen Green scored 28 points and rookie Jabari Smith Jr. added 24 as the Houston Rockets withstood a late charge to beat the Boston Celtics 111-109. The Rockets, who are tied with Detroit for the NBA’s fewest wins with 16, snapped a three-game skid. Jaylen Brown

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer MIAMI (AP) — Jimmy Butler scored 24 points to lead seven Miami players in double figures, Tyler Herro and Gabe Vincent each scored 18 and the Heat held off the Utah Jazz 119-115 on Monday night. Bam Adebayo scored 16 for Miami, while Victor Oladipo and Kevin Love each

TOKYO (AP) — José De León and three relievers combined to pitch a perfect game as Puerto Rico routed Israel 10-0 in a World Baseball Classic game called after eight innings because of the tournament’s 10-run mercy rule. De León tied a WBC record with 10 strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. The right-hander was lifted

MONTREAL (AP) — Artturi Lehkonen scored twice in Colorado’s four-goal first period, and the Avalanche beat the Montreal Canadiens 8-4. Valeri Nichushkin had a goal and two assists, Mikko Rantanen had a goal and an assist, and Nathan MacKinnon, J.T. Compher, Matt Nieto and Bowen Byram also scored for the Avalanche, who won for the

By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football Writer The NFL’s competition committee will consider making roughing-the-passer penalties and personal-foul penalties subject to video review. The two potential rule changes were among nine the league announced Monday in its 2023 playing rules, bylaw and resolution proposals submitted by clubs. The Los Angeles Rams proposed the change that

By The Associated Press TOKYO (AP) — Trevor Bauer has agreed to a contract with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars of Japan’s Central League. The 2020 NL Cy Young Award winner was released by the Los Angeles Dodgers on Jan. 12, three weeks after an arbitrator reduced his suspension imposed by baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred from

By BRUCE SCHREINER Associated Press FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A bill to legalize sports betting in Kentucky won House passage on Monday, setting up a Senate showdown on a proposal that creates divisions among the Republican supermajorities. Past efforts to legalize sports wagering in the Bluegrass State garnered House support but died in the Senate.

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) — Defending champion Taylor Fritz routed Sebastian Baez 6-1, 6-2 in the third round of the BNP Paribas Open. The fourth-seeded Fritz served four aces and won 88% of his first-serve points against the 30th-seeded Baez from Argentina. Also advancing was Stan Wawrinka, who defeated No. 7 seed Holger Rune, 2-6,

By RONALD BLUM AP Baseball Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Toronto All-Star pitcher Alek Manoah was among 15 players whose contracts were renewed by their teams rather than reach negotiated agreements. Manoah, who finished third in AL Cy Young Award voting, was given a $745,650 salary while in the major leagues and $353,100 should he

BALTIMORE (AP) — A minor league pitcher who was in the Baltimore Orioles organization has died after battling cancer. Luis Ortiz was 20. The Orioles announced his death in a statement. The team said Ortiz was an inspiration to all who knew him. Ortiz was born Sept. 17, 2002, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. He

By RONALD BLUM AP Baseball Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Joe Pepitone, an All-Star and Gold Glove first baseman on the 1960s New York Yankees who gained renown for his flamboyant personality, hairpieces and penchant for nightlife, has died at age 82.  Born in Brooklyn, Pepitone helped the Yankees to their second straight World Series

By RONALD BLUM AP Sports Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. Soccer Federation says Gregg Berhalter remains a candidate to stay on as men’s national team coach after a report by a law firm concluded he did not improperly withhold information about a 1992 domestic violence allegation involving the woman who later became his

By DENNIS WASZAK Jr. AP Pro Football Writer A person with knowledge of the deal says the New York Jets are re-signing kicker Greg Zuerlein. Zuerlein won a training camp competition last summer with Eddy Pineiro and had a solid first season with the Jets, including kicking a franchise-record 60-yard field goal. After years of

By TALES AZZONI AP Sports Writer MADRID (AP) — It took Álvaro Morata and his Atletico Madrid teammates more than three minutes to be able to celebrate the striker’s important winner against Girona in the Spanish league. Morata’s goal early in second half stoppage time was confirmed only after a lengthy video review. It finally

By ALANIS THAMES AP Sports Writer MIAMI (AP) — Duque Hebbert signed a minor league deal with the Detroit Tigers after striking out Juan Soto, Julio Rodríguez and Rafael Devers in the ninth inning of Nicaragua’s game against the Dominican Republic. After striking our Soto and Rodríguez to start the inning, Hebbert gave up a

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Suzy Merchant has stepped down as Michigan State’s women’s basketball coach, citing health concerns. The 53-year-old Merchant had not coached the Spartans since she was in a one-car crash after a medical incident in late January. Six seasons ago, she fainted and collapsed onto the court during a game and

NEW YORK (AP) — Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart has been fined $25,000 by the NBA for pulling Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young to the floor and initiating an on-court altercation late in Boston’s 134-125 win over Atlanta. With 1:25 remaining and Boston leading 129-121, Young and Smart had to be separated after they were