Rafael Nadal says his hip was injured during a second-round loss at the Australian Open to Mackenzie McDonald. The 6-4, 6-4, 7-5 defeat abruptly ended Nadal's title defense and bid for a record-extending 23rd Grand Slam trophy. Nadal pulled up awkwardly at the end of a point late in the second set against the 65th-ranked McDonald. The No. 1-seeded Nadal was visited by a trainer on the sideline and then left the court for a medical timeout. His wife wiped away tears up in the stands. Nadal returned to play but was physically compromised and not his usual chase-every-ball self.
Tennis player Jessica Pegula has Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin on her mind at the Australian Open — and his No. 3 on her outfit. Pegula's parents own the NFL’s Bills and the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres. She is wearing a white screen-printed patch with Hamlin’s uniform number on her black skirt while she competes at the year’s first Grand Slam tournament. Hamlin went into cardiac arrest and was resuscitated on the field when he collapsed after making a tackle during a game between the Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals on Jan. 2. He spent more than a week in the hospital, part of that time in critical condition. Pegula reached the third round at Melbourne Park with a 6-2, 7-6 (5) victory over Aliaksandra Sasnovich on Wednesday.
NBA
Keldon Johnson had a career-high 36 points and 11 rebounds and the San Antonio Spurs snapped a five-game skid with a 106-98 win over the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets were without the injured Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving and dropped their third straight game. Jeremy Sochan added 16 point for San Antonio. Brooklyn has lost every game since Durant suffered a sprained MCL in his right knee. Irving was a late scratch due to a sore right calf. Ben Simmons had a triple-double of 10 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists as Brooklyn opened a five-game trip.
Joel Embiid scored 41 points and the Philadelphia 76ers recovered after blowing a 14-point, first-half lead to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 120-110 for their third straight win. Embiid had nine rebounds and made 15 of 18 free throws before leaving the game with 2:53 remaining. Philadelphia fans chanted “MVP! MVP!” as he raised both arms to encourage the cheers. Tyrese Maxey added 22 points off the bench for the Sixers, who swept their two games in Los Angeles. Kawhi Leonard led the Clippers with 27 points.
President Joe Biden has hosted the Golden State Warriors, who won the 2022 NBA championship, at the White House. Biden says the team reflects America through its style of play, showcasing “constant motion, with individual freedom and personality that comes together as one team, a team that plays with joy, with drive to be their best.” Biden also expressed support Tuesday for Californians who have suffered through waves of destructive weather, including storms and floods. He plans to visit the state Thursday. The Warriors have won four championships in eight years, but they didn’t visit the White House while Donald Trump was president.
NHL
Seth Jones scored two goals, including the game-winner 2:24 into overtime, and the Chicago Blackhawks rallied for a 4-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Philipp Kurashev had a goal and two assists for Chicago, which was coming off an ugly 8-5 loss to Seattle. Connor Murphy also scored, and Petr Mrazek made 30 saves. Buffalo lost for the fifth time in six games. Tage Thompson, Victor Olofsson and Peyton Krebs scored for the Sabres, and Craig Anderson stopped 22 shots.
Kevin Hayes had his first career hat trick, and Rasmus Ristolainen and Morgan Frost also scored to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to a 5-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks. The Flyers lost 6-0 at Boston a day earlier for their worst loss of the season. They rebounded with two goals in the second period to take a 3-1 lead against Anaheim. Adam Henrique and Kevin Shattenkirk scored the Ducks. The Flyers are 8-2 since an overtime win Dec. 29 at San Jose.
Elsewhere, Montreal beat Winnipeg 4-1.
Toronto defeated Florida in overtime 5-4.
Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov cited his Russian Orthodox religion as the reason he did not participate in pregame warmups when the team wore Pride-themed jerseys and used sticks wrapped in rainbow Pride tape. The 26-year-old Provorov did not skate with his teammates before Tuesday night’s game against Anaheim as the Flyers celebrated their annual Pride night in celebration and support of the LGBTQ+ community. Provorov said his choice was to stay true to himself and his religion. He played nearly 23 minutes in Philadelphia’s 5-2 victory.
NFL
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers believes he can still produce at an MVP level in the right situation if he opts to play next season. Rodgers discussed the uncertainty of his future plans Tuesday during his weekly appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show” on SiriusXM and YouTube. The four-time MVP hasn’t decided whether to return to the Packers, retire or request a trade. Rodgers said he didn't know whether Green Bay would represent the ideal situation for him and expressed hope the Packers would keep several of their veteran free agents.
Brandon Staley will be back for a third season as the Los Angeles Chargers head coach. The same can not be said for some of his offensive staff. The team on Tuesday announced that offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi and quarterbacks coach Shane Day have been fired after two years. Criticism about Lombardi’s play-calling increased throughout the season. The Chargers were ranked ninth in total offense, but 20th in scrimmage yards per play along with the third-worst rushing attack in the league.
A person familiar with the decision says the Tennessee Titans are hiring San Francisco director of player personnel Ran Carthon as their new general manager. The Titans interviewed their seventh candidate Tuesday morning in Buffalo senior director of pro scouting Malik Boyd. But the search committee headed by controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk picked Carthon who interviewed first last Friday. That’s according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Titans have not commented on the hiring. Carthon will be the franchise’s first minority general manager. That brings the NFL to nine minority GMs overall.
GEORGIA FOOTBALL
Police say Georgia football player Devin Willock wasn't wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the vehicle in a weekend crash that killed him and a recruiting staff member. Athens-Clarke County police list excessive speed on a road with a 40 mph limit as a primary cause of the crash early Sunday. The wreck occurred in Athens a few hours after a parade and ceremony honoring the team's second straight national championship. The 20-year-old Willock, an offensive lineman from New Jersey, was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the vehicle, 24-year-old recruiting analyst Chandler LeCroy, died shortly after at a hospital.
Alabama basketball player charged with capital murder provided
Authorities say a University of Alabama basketball player charged with capital murder provided the gun used in the fatal shooting. Investigators wrote in a court document that Darius Miles admitted to providing the handgun immediately before the shooting. Another man is accused of firing the gun and killing a young woman near the university’s campus, according to court documents filed in Tuscaloosa. Miles and Michael Davis are charged with capital murder in the shooting death of Jamea Harris early Sunday. The University of Alabama said in a statement that Miles is no longer on the team. Defense lawyers for Miles released a statement saying Miles maintains his innocence and that he and his family “are heartbroken” over Harris’ death.
NCAA
The NCAA hopes a federal appeals court will soon block a lawsuit that seeks to treat athletes as employees who are paid for their time. It is the latest test of amateurism in college sports. The Division I athletes who filed the suit being argued next month want hourly wages similar to those earned in work-study programs. They say the nation’s colleges are violating fair labor practices by failing to pay them for the time they put into their sports. Baylor University President Linda Livingston, chairperson of the NCAA's Board of Governors, says the idea would have a "potentially catastrophic impact on college sports.”
