Nets buoy frontline by adding Aldridge
LaMarcus Aldridge, a seventime All-Star forward-center, on Saturday reportedly agreed to sign with the Nets for the rest of the season.
Aldridge, 35, agreed to a contract buyout with the Spurs on Thursday. He will join a roster loaded with talent as it pursues the franchise’s first NBA championship.
The Heat had been a strong contender for Aldridge, but reportedly he decided to accept the Nets’ offer of one of the franchise’s two remaining roster spots. Aldridge bolsters a team with current All-Stars Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving. Former All-Star Blake Griffin also was signed off the league’s contract buyout market, added as a frontline reinforcement.
GOLF
Sizzling Scheffler into semis
Scottie Scheffler delivered all the right shots and moved into the semifinals of the Dell Technologies Match Play in Austin, Texas, by taking down Ian Poulter and Jon Rahm. The 24-year-old Texan made 15 birdies in the 31 holes required to get through his two matches.
Victor Perez of France made short work of Sergio Garcia in their quarterfinal match. Matt Kuchar and Scheffler will meet in one semifinal. Perez will face Billy Horschel, who never led in his quarterfinal until Tommy Fleetwood sent his tee shot out of bounds on their 19th hole.
† Rafael Campos holed out with a putt from off the front of the 18th green for birdie and a share of the lead with Joel Dahmen in the PGA Tour’s Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship in the Dominican Republic.
FIGURE SKATING
Three-peat in worlds for Chen
A third consecutive men’s title in the World Figure Skating Championships lifted Nathan Chen, 21, into the company of history’s best worldwide. In outskating two-time Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan in Stockholm, Chen
became the first American since Scott Hamilton to string three world titles together.
HORSE RACING
Fla. Derby to Known Agenda
Known Agenda ran away from the field in the Grade 1 Florida Derby in Hallandale Beach and might keep on going all the way to Churchill Downs. Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. guided Known Agenda to the victory at Gulfstream Park, picking up 100 Kentucky Derby standings points — more than enough to qualify him for that race in five weeks.
MISCELLANEOUS
Wolves start fast, win big
David Cotton and Max Lajoie scored in the opening 44 seconds to set the tone in the host Wolves’ 6-3 victory over the Rockford IceHogs. Cotton had two goals, and Lajoie, Tanner Jeannot and Tommy Novak recorded three points apiece.
† Boris Sekuli gave the Fire the lead in the 15th minute, but they allowed a goal in each half to fall to FC Cincinnati 2-1 in a preseason game at ChampionsGate Sports Complex in Davenport, Florida. The Fire (21) will close out the Florida portion of the preseason next Saturday against Orlando City SC.