Westbrook gets $205M
Russell Westbrook is staying with the Thunder.
The superstar point guard and reigning NBA MVP signed a contract extension to remain in Oklahoma City, the team announced yesterday.
ESPN reported it would be for five years and worth $205 million.
Westbrook said this week that Oklahoma City is where he wanted to be. He was thrilled with the offseason additions of four-time All-Star Paul George and 10-time All-Star Carmelo Anthony. Both have player options on their deals after this season.
Westbrook averaged a triple-double last season and was the league scoring champion. He averaged 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists and broke Oscar Robertson’s season record for triple-doubles with 42 . . . .
Hawks guard Dennis Schroder has been charged in Atlanta with battery after a fight at a late-night restaurant. The Hawks were aware of the incident but declined further comment.
Colleges: Interim at Louisville
Louisville named assistant David Padgett as the interim replacement for men’s basketball coach Rick Pitino, staying in-house to maintain continuity in the wake of a nationwide federal investigation of the sport.
University interim president Greg Postel made the announcement two days after Pitino was placed on unpaid administrative leave after the school acknowledged its involvement in the federal investigation. Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich was placed on paid administrative leave.
Ten people have been arrested in the corruption case, including four college assistant coaches and an Adidas executive. When Padgett was asked how he could not know what was going on, he declined to comment, instead saying he is taking the interim position for “the team.”
Padgett, 32, is coming off his first season as an assistant after two years as Louisville’s director of basketball operations . . . .
Jared Gerbino scored on a fourthand-inches play as time ran out and Dartmouth shocked defending cochampion Penn, 16-13, in the Ivy League opener last night in Philadelphia. Jack Heneghan and Gerbino led the Big Green (3-0) on the 15-play, 80-yard winning drive, opting to use Gerbino on the final play rather than attempt a tying field goal against the Quakers (2-1).
NASCAR: Truex grabs pole
Martin Truex Jr. will try to win his sixth race of the season from the pole at Dover International Speedway in NASCAR’s third playoff race tomorrow in Dover, Del.
Truex turned a lap of 160.664 mph to win his second pole of the season. Truex has been the driver to beat all season and won the playoff opener at Chicagoland Speedway. He was the dominant car last week at New Hampshire Motor Speedway until he was caught up in a wreck and finished fifth.
Truex ended Kyle Busch’s bid at three straight poles. Busch started first in the first two playoff races and will start second tomorrow for the all-Toyota front row.
Playoff drivers Kyle Larson and Matt Kenseth start third and fourth.
Misc.: Sens extend Anderson
Ottawa Senators goalie Craig Anderson agreed to a two-year, $9.5 million contract extension that will pay him $5.5 million in 2018-19 and $4 million in 2019-20. Anderson, 36, went 25-11-4 with a 2.28 goals-against average in 40 games last season . . . .
Sam Saunders followed his opening 12-under 59 with a 66 to take a 2-stroke lead in the Web.com Tour Championship yesterday in Atlantic Beach, Fla . . . .
Tyrrell Hatton shot a 5-under 65 in miserable conditions to lead by 3 strokes at the British Masters in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England.