AP Sports Report for June 5th, 2024:
The NBA Finals were too late for Dallas' Luka Doncic to watch as a kid. Now, he's in them
BOSTON (AP) — Luka Doncic didn't stay up all night to watch NBA Finals games as a kid. They usually started at something like 3 a.m. in his native Slovenia. He had school to get to a few hours later. He'd wake up and find out who won. Make no mistake, though: Doncic was paying attention. The 25-year-old makes his NBA Finals debut for the Dallas Mavericks when they take on the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of this year's title series on Thursday night. He could become the first player to win a scoring title and a championship in the same season since Shaquille O'Neal in 2000.
Analysis: Novak Djokovic's bad knee follows Rafael Nadal's injuries and Roger Federer's retirement
PARIS (AP) — It would be foolish to count Novak Djokovic out of any match, no matter how dire the circumstances or how big the deficit. He's shown that, over and over again, as recently as his last two wins at the French Open. It also would be a mistake to write off Djokovic after a torn meniscus in his right knee forced him to withdraw from the clay-court tournament where he was the defending champion and was supposed to play in the quarterfinals on Wednesday. And it would not make much sense at all to begin pondering whether this could presage the real and true end of the Big Three era.
MLB bans Tucupita Marcano for life for betting on baseball, four others get one-year suspensions
NEW YORK (AP) — San Diego Padres infielder Tucupita Marcano was banned from baseball for life for betting on the sport and four others were suspended for one year by Major League Baseball in the game's biggest gambling scandal in decades. MLB said Marcano placed 387 baseball bets totaling more than $150,000 in October 2022 and from last July through November with a legal sportsbook. He became the first active player in a century banned for life because of gambling. Oakland Athletics pitcher Michael Kelly was suspended for one year for betting on baseball while in the minor leagues and a three minor leaguers also were banned for one year for betting on big league games: pitchers Jay Groome of San Diego and Andrew Saalfrank of Arizona, and infielder José Rodríguez of Philadelphia.
Ippei Mizuhara spoke for baseball star Shohei Ohtani. He also stole nearly $17M from him
SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — Baseball star Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter has pleaded guilty to bank and tax fraud in a gambling case that stunned the sports community. Ippei Mizuhara entered his guilty plea Tuesday in federal court in Santa Ana, California. Prosecutors say he exploited the Japanese-English language barrier to isolate Ohtani and profit from his proximity to the two-way player's power. He admitted to stealing nearly $17 million from Ohtani's Arizona bank account to cover his growing gambling bets and debts with an illegal bookmaker, plus $325,000 worth of baseball cards and his own medical bills. Ohtani says the plea has given him closure.
Caitlin Clark, physical play and questions about fouls dominating discussions around the WNBA
Caitlin Clark has been involved in several physical plays to start her WNBA career and Indiana Fever coach Christie Sides believes some of the fouls against the high-profile rookie have crossed the line. There are no shortage of opinions about what's happening, ranging from Clark is being targeted because of all the attention accompanying her transition into the league to race being a factor in the physical play. The conversations exploded following the latest non-basketball foul involving Clark. Chicago's Chennedy Carter sent the top-pick to the floor with a shoulder hit on Saturday. Clark says she now expects to be on the receiving end of a couple of hard fouls a game.
The NBA betting scandal that ended Jontay Porter's career yields a criminal case against an NYC man
NEW YORK (AP) — A New York man has been charged in a sports betting scandal that spurred the NBA to ban Jontay Porter for life. The charges Tuesday against Long Phi Pham mark the first known criminal fallout from the matter. Pham is accused of conspiring to defraud a sports betting company. He is being detained after an initial court appearance. A message seeking comment was left for his attorney. Porter is not named in the court complaint, but its specifics about "Player 1" match the details of the former Toronto Raptors player's downfall this spring. Federal prosecutors declined to comment on whether Porter is under investigation. Contact information for him could not immediately be found.
Kansas leaders and new group ramp up efforts to lure the Kansas City Chiefs from Missouri
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Top Kansas legislators have intensified efforts to woo the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs by offering to let the professional football franchise shape a plan for using state bonds to finance a new stadium in Kansas. State House Speaker Dan Hawkins and Senate President Ty Masterson said Tuesday that the Legislature would consider the proposal during a special session set to convene June 18. The two leaders invited the Chiefs to weigh in on the plan in a May 23 letter to the team's chairman and CEO. Meanwhile, a new nonprofit group called Scoop and Score has launched a campaign for the proposal and registered 20 lobbyists.
Stewart has 33 points and 14 rebounds, Angel Reese ejected as the Liberty beat the Sky 88-75
CHICAGO (AP) — Breanna Stewart scored a season-high 33 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to lead the New York Liberty to an 88-75 victory Tuesday night over the Chicago Sky, who lost rookie Angel Reese to an ejection in the fourth quarter. Reese was thrown out with 2:31 remaining after receiving two technical fouls following a brief interaction with an official. Sabrina Ionescu added 24 points for the Liberty, who won their fourth straight. Betnijah Laney-Hamilton added 14 points for New York (8-2), which avenged a 90-81 loss to Chicago on May 23. Chennedy Carter scored 16 points and Reese had 13 points and 10 rebounds for Chicago.
Analysis: A year after PGA Tour's surprise deal with Saudis, still no clarity on where golf is going
DUBLIN, Ohio (AP) — One year after the PGA Tour announced a proposed deal with the backers of LIV Golf, there still aren't many answers about where golf is headed and how to repair the fractured landscape with great players on two tours. It remains one of the most stunning developments in golf. Not just making the deal with the Saudis, but keeping the entire membership in the dark. Perhaps the biggest change from a year ago is players now have a majority voice on the board. But what exactly do they want? Where is golf headed, and how does it get put back together?
Coco Gauff and defending champion Iga Swiatek will meet in the French Open semifinals
PARIS (AP) — Coco Gauff and defending champion Iga Swiatek have set up a showdown in the French Open semifinals. Gauff came back to defeat Ons Jabeur 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 in Tuesday's first quarterfinal. Swiatek followed with a 6-0, 6-2 victory over Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova to stretch her Roland Garros winning streak to 19 matches as she seeks a fourth title in five years in Paris. Swiatek is ranked No. 1 and Gauff is No. 3. Gauff is the reigning U.S. Open champion and made it to the final four at the Australian Open in January. Swiatek has won 10 of their 11 previous meetings.
AP-Scorecard
Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:
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INTERLEAGUE
Final Atlanta 8 Boston 3
Final Tampa Bay 9 Miami 5
Final Chicago Cubs 7 Chicago White Sox 6
Final Houston 8 St. Louis 5
Final L.A. Angels 4 San Diego 2
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AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final Cleveland 8 Kansas City 5
Final N.Y. Yankees 5 Minnesota 1
Final Baltimore 10 Toronto 1
Final Detroit 3 Texas 1
Final Seattle 4 Oakland 3
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NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final Pittsburgh 1 L.A. Dodgers 0
Final N.Y. Mets 6 Washington 3
Final Philadelphia 2 Milwaukee 1
Final Cincinnati 4 Colorado 1
Final Arizona 8 San Francisco 5
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WOMEN'S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final Connecticut 76 Washington 59
Final New York 88 Chicago 75
Final Seattle 80 Phoenix 62
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TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE
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INTERLEAGUE
Atlanta at Boston 1:35 p.m.
St. Louis at Houston 2:10 p.m.
Tampa Bay at Miami 6:40 p.m.
Chi White Sox at Chi Cubs 8:05 p.m.
San Diego at L-A Angels 9:38 p.m.
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AMERICAN LEAGUE
Kansas City at Cleveland 6:40 p.m.
Minnesota at N-Y Yankees 7:05 p.m.
Baltimore at Toronto 7:07 p.m.
Detroit at Texas 8:05 p.m.
Seattle at Oakland 9:40 p.m.
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NATIONAL LEAGUE
Cincinnati at Colorado 3:10 p.m.
San Francisco at Arizona 3:40 p.m.
Milwaukee at Philadelphia 4:05 p.m.
N-Y Mets at Washington 4:05 p.m.
L-A Dodgers at Pittsburgh 6:40 p.m.
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WOMEN'S NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Las Vegas at Dallas 8 p.m.
Minnesota at Los Angeles 10 p.m.
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