NBA:
Today marks the start of the NBA’s All-Star weekend. On Sunday at 8 p.m. the West sees the East in Toronto.
In the NBA, Oklahoma City beat New Orleans 121-95 and Milwaukee topped Washington 99-92.
NHL:
In the NHL, the Islanders topped Los Angeles 5-2, Boston tripled up Winnipeg 6-2, Philadelphia crushed Buffalo 5-1, Columbus edged Anaheim in a shootout 4-3, Washington skated by Minnesota 4-3, Dallas doubled up Chicago 4-2, Edmonton beat Toronto 5-2, and it was Calgary over San Jose in a shootout 6-5.
Washington's Alex Ovechkin notched his 14th career hat trick with three goals in the second period of the Capitals' 4-3 win over Minnesota. Ovechkin leads the NHL with 34 goals, including 13 in his past 13 games.
MLB:
The New York Yankees will dedicate a plaque for retired relief pitcher Mariano Rivera in Monument Park at Yankee Stadium on August 14th before a game against Tampa Bay. Rivera helped New York win five World Series. He retired after the 2013 season.
The World Series champion Kansas City Royals and third baseman Mike Moustakas have agreed to a $14.3 million, two-year contract that not only avoids arbitration this year but also next year. Moustakas is coming off his first All-Star appearance when he hit .284 last year with 34 doubles, 22 homers and 82 RBIs.
Meanwhile spring training starts on Monday.
NFL:
The New York Giants have hired former Detroit Lions general manager Martin Mayhew as their director of football operations/special projects. The Giants say Mayhew will help assistant general manager Kevin Abrams on all aspects of the salary cap, CBA compliance and player contract negotiations. He will also handle special projects as assigned by general manager Jerry Reese.
NCAA:
The University of Vermont sailing team usually has to wait for the ice to thaw on Lake Champlain during the last days of winter before getting their boats into the water for practice. Not this year. An unusual winter on pace to be the warmest one on record in Burlington has prevented the open lake from freezing, giving them more practice time before competition, which starts next month.
UConn senior Breanna Stewart is taking a break from her season to participate in a three-day training camp for the U.S. women's national basketball team. Stewart has guided the Number 1 Huskies to an undefeated season. She's the only college athlete among the 16 players competing at the camp. She helped the U.S. win gold at the 2014 World Championship.
In college men's basketball, Temple rallied to beat UConn 63-58 last night for its fourth straight win. Quenton DeCosey scored 23 points, including his team's final nine points. Daniel Dingle scored 12 of his career-high 15 points in the second half for the Owls, who overcome a late 12-point deficit by closing the game on a 21-4 run. Shonn Miller scored 15 points and Rodney Purvis had 12 for UConn, which had its three-game winning streak snapped.
Manhattan converted 7 of 9 shots from the line in the final minute to hold off Quinnipiac, 84-77 in a Metro Atlantic battle last night. Zane Waterman scored 19 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for Manhattan. Daniel Harris paced Quinnipiac with 16 points.
Junior Robinson pushed Mount St. Mary's ahead with five of his career-high 26 points in the final minute and the Mountaineers beat Sacred Heart 66-61 last night. Robinson's 3-point play with gave the Mount a 62-61 lead with 53 seconds left. He made a pair of free throws with 19 seconds and BK Ashe added two more with 6 seconds left to cap the Mount's 7-0 run.
Yunus Hopkinson scored 27 points and St. Francis Brooklyn held Central Connecticut State scoreless over the final 2:10 to come away with a 74-67 Northeastern Conference victory last night. The Terriers now have won back-to-back games after knocking off conference-leading Fairleigh Dickinson last Saturday.
Willie Rodriguez tied a career high with 27 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and Binghamton dumped Hartford 68-54 last night. Thomas Bruce added 12 points for Binghamton. The Bearcats shot 24 for 55 from the field. Jalen Ross led Hartford with 16 points and Pancake Thomas had 14.
NASCAR:
NASCAR has announced that it is shifting to an unlimited green-white-checkered finish format when late-race cautions come out. It's establishing an "overtime line" to determine the winner.
The line will vary by track. If the race leader passes the line on the first lap under green before a caution comes out, it will be considered a valid green-white-checkered attempt. If a caution comes out before the leader passes the overtime line on the first lap under green, it will not be a valid attempt. The race continues until a valid attempt. NASCAR previously had a limit of three tries to complete the race.
Olympics:
The medical director for the International Olympic Committee has told The Associated Press that "everything that can be done is being done" to combat the Zika virus in Brazil and provide safe conditions for athletes at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Dr. Richard Budgett says the IOC is "absolutely not complacent" about the mosquito-borne virus, which has been linked to birth defects. He says there has been no consideration of postponing or canceling the Olympics, which are scheduled from Aug. 5-21.
PGA:
Chez Reavie (chehz REE'-vee) is off to a fast start at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He went 7-under over the closing nine holes to finish up an 8-under 63. That's good for the first round lead.
Jordan Spieth (SPEETH) struggled with his short game and opened with a 71 at Spyglass Hill. Jason Day also had a 71 at Spyglass, while Bubba Watson opened with a 73.
Freddie Jacobson (YAH'-kih-sihn) made five birdies in a six-hole stretch at Pebble Beach for a 7-under 65. Cameron Smith and Bronson Burgoon were at 7-under 64 at Monterey Peninsula.
Justin Rose had a 66 to join J.B. Holmes with the best score at Spyglass.
Phil Mickelson shot a 4-under 68 at Spyglass.
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