AP Sports Report for June 7th, 2024:
Can tennis, pickleball and padel co-exist? The folks in charge of the French Open think so
PARIS (AP) — Let other folks fret about whether tennis might lose athletes and audiences to pickleball or padel. The people in charge of tennis in France are embracing those other racket-adjacent sports, figuring, essentially: The more, the merrier. The French tennis federation (FFT) officially brought pickleball under its umbrella and is seeking government approval to hold a sanctioned national championship. French Open tournament director Amélie Mauresmo, a former No. 1-ranked tennis player, and FFT president Gilles Moretton took part in a pickleball demonstration on one of the Grand Slam tournament's courts on Thursday as part of an effort to promote the sport.
Celtics rout Mavericks 107-89 in Game 1 of NBA Finals behind Brown, returning Porzingis
BOSTON (AP) — Jaylen Brown scored 22 points, Kristaps Porzingis added 20 in his first game in more than a month and the Boston Celtics powered past the Dallas Mavericks 107-89 on Thursday night in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Derrick White finished with 15 points for Boston, which led by 29 points in the first half and connected on 16 3-pointers in a powerful start to its quest for an 18th NBA title. Porzingis, who had been sidelined since April 29 with a strained right calf, came off the bench and provided an immediate spark, adding six rebounds and three blocks in 21 minutes. Six Celtics finished in double figures.
Paris Olympics organizers unveil a display of the five Olympic rings mounted on the Eiffel Tower
PARIS (AP) — The Paris Olympics organizers have unveiled a display of the five Olympic rings mounted on the Eiffel Tower as the French capital marks 50 days until the start of the Summer Games. The structure of rings, made of recycled French steel, will be displayed on the south side of the 135-year-old landmark in central Paris, overlooking the Seine River. The hugely popular tower in central Paris has seen soaring visitor numbers in the leadup to the Games in the French capital.
Lakers conduct a public coaching search, considering Hurley and Redick, in hopes of pleasing LeBron
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers' reported plan to offer a massive contract to UConn coach Dan Hurley is the latest twist in the monthlong race to replace Darvin Ham. Former NBA player J.J. Redick and ex-Charlotte coach James Borrego are also reported candidates. The 17-time NBA champion franchise was knocked out of the first round of the current playoffs, but the Lakers have nicely filled the void of hoops drama during the week before the NBA Finals with steady leaks about the progress of their quest for a coach who can entice LeBron James to finish his career in purple and gold.
Oklahoma wins record fourth straight NCAA softball title, beating Texas 8-4 for 2-game sweep
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma slugged its way to a record fourth straight NCAA softball title, getting a go-ahead, bases-clearing double from Cydney Sanders and beating Texas 8-4 for a two-game sweep of the Women's College World Series championship. The Sooners won their eighth title overall, all under coach Patty Gasso, and moved into a tie with Arizona for the second-most national championships behind UCLA's 12. Second-seeded Oklahoma scored eight runs in each of the two games and pounded 21 hits total against a top-seeded Texas team that came in having thrown three consecutive one-hit shutouts in the World Series.
Yankees slugger Juan Soto exits game with left forearm discomfort, will undergo imaging Friday
NEW YORK (AP) — Yankees slugger Juan Soto was removed from a game against the Minnesota Twins with left forearm discomfort. Soto will undergo imaging Friday. New York manager Aaron Boone said it's too early to tell if the right fielder will need to miss time. Soto was lifted to start the top of the sixth inning when play resumed following a 56-minute rain delay. Soto, who throws and bats left-handed, was 0 for 1 with two walks. He has started all 64 games in his first season with New York after being acquired from the San Diego Padres in a blockbuster trade last December. The three-time All-Star is batting .318 with 17 home runs and 53 RBIs, a big reason the Yankees have the best record in baseball.
Iga Swiatek defeats Coco Gauff at the French Open and will face Jasmine Paolini in the final
PARIS (AP) — Iga Swiatek has eliminated Coco Gauff 6-2, 6-4 in the French Open semifinals and will face Jasmine Paolini for the championship. The top-ranked Swiatek stretched her winning streak at Roland Garros to 20 matches with Thursday's victory as she tries to become the first woman with three consecutive titles in Paris since Justine Henin from 2005 to 2007. Paolini reached her first Grand Slam final with a 6-3, 6-1 victory against unseeded 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva. Swiatek improved to 11-1 against Gauff overall and has defeated her at the clay-court Grand Slam tournament three years in a row. That includes in the 2022 final and last year's quarterfinals. in Saturday's title match. Swiatek is 4-0 in major finals so far.
Connor McDavid, hockey's best player, finally gets a chance to win a Stanley Cup championship
For the first time in his nine-year NHL career, Connor McDavid is playing for the biggest prize in hockey with the chance to lift the Stanley Cup for the first time. He and the Edmonton Oilers are facing the Florida Panthers in the final starting Saturday. It's a chance for hockey's biggest star to finally win a championship. The spotlight is on the face of the sport to get the job done as an underdog against an opponent at this stage for a second consecutive season and is seeking the first title in franchise history.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver says finalizing the new media rights deals is 'complex' process
BOSTON (AP) — Getting the NBA's next round of media rights deals completed is an extremely complex proposition, Commissioner Adam Silver said Thursday, especially because nobody can say with any certainty what the viewing landscape will look like in the future. Silver, speaking in his annual pre-NBA Finals news conference, did not offer any hints on when the next series of deals will be completed, other than saying "in the relative near term." The current deals with ABC-ESPN and Turner Sports expire after next season and the NBA has been talking with NBC, ESPN and Amazon, among other networks and platforms, about what comes next.
Dallas guard Irving has rough NBA Finals opener in response to boos (and worse) from Boston crowd
BOSTON (AP) — If Mavericks point guard Kyrie Irving was hoping to quiet the Boston fans with a big game in the opener of the NBA Finals, it didn't quite go that way. Irving scored 12 points on 6 for 19 shooting and missed all five 3-point attempts. He turned the ball over three times as Boston beat Dallas 107-89 in Game 1 of the best-of-seven series. Irving had two assists, and Dallas had just nine in all. Boston fans booed Irving at every opportunity. They haven't forgiven him for opting out of his Celtics contract after the 2019 season.
AP-Scorecard
Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:
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AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final Toronto 6 Baltimore 5
Final Kansas City 4 Cleveland 3
Final Seattle 3 Oakland 0
Final N.Y. Yankees 8 Minnesota 5
Final Boston 14 Chicago White Sox 2
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NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final Atlanta 5 Washington 2
Final Cincinnati 8 Chicago Cubs 4
Final L.A. Dodgers 11 Pittsburgh 7
Final Colorado 3 St. Louis 2
Final Arizona 4 San Diego 3
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NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION PLAYOFFS
Final Boston 107 Dallas 89
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WOMEN'S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final Chicago 79 Washington 71
Final New York 78 Atlanta 61
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TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE
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INTERLEAGUE
Milwaukee at Detroit 6:40 p.m.
Minnesota at Pittsburgh 6:40 p.m.
L-A Dodgers at N-Y Yankees 7:05 p.m.
Cleveland at Miami 7:10 p.m.
San Francisco at Texas 8:05 p.m.
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AMERICAN LEAGUE
Baltimore at Tampa Bay 6:50 p.m.
Boston at Chi White Sox 8:10 p.m.
Seattle at Kansas City 8:10 p.m.
Houston at L-A Angels 9:38 p.m.
Toronto at Oakland 9:40 p.m.
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NATIONAL LEAGUE
Atlanta at Washington 6:45 p.m.
Chi Cubs at Cincinnati 7:10 p.m.
Colorado at St. Louis 8:15 p.m.
Arizona at San Diego 9:40 p.m.
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WOMEN'S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Indiana at Washington 7:30 p.m.
Dallas at Los Angeles 10 p.m.
Minnesota at Phoenix 10 p.m.
Seattle at Las Vegas 10 p.m.
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