Cheeks returns to hometown as assistant to Bulls’ Donovan

CHICAGO » Hall of Famer Maurice Cheeks is returning to his hometown to serve as an assistant under new coach Billy Donovan, the Chicago Bulls announced Saturday.

Cheeks, who grew up on Chicago’s South Side, was on Donovan’s staff in Oklahoma City the past five seasons. The Bulls hired Donovan in September to replace the fired Jim Boylen.

A steady point guard who won a championship playing alongside Julius Erving and Moses Malone, Cheeks spent most of his 15-year playing career with the 76ers. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018.

Cheeks compiled a record of 305-315 as the head coach of the Pistons, the Sixers and Trail Blazers.

Stroll takes pole

ISTANBUL » Lance Stroll took the first pole position of his Formula One career at a rain-soaked and chaotic qualifying session for the Turkish Grand Prix on Saturday.

The Canadian driver placed .3 seconds ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who looked certain to take pole after topping the first two sections of qualifying and had the leading time in Q3 when his team aborted the lap to switch him from wet tires to intermediate tires.

The move backfired and Verstappen was left feeling bitter and angry at the call, using an expletive over the team radio to describe the tires.

On a strong day for Racing Point, Stroll’s teammate Sergio Perez was third, while Red

Bull’s Alexander Albon finished fourth ahead of Renault’s Daniel Ricciardo.

It was a miserable day for Mercedes, with championship leader Lewis Hamilton qualifying sixth and teammate Valtteri Bottas only ninth.

Both Ferraris failed to make it into Q3, with Sebastian Vettel in 12th place and Charles Leclerc 14th. Embarrassingly for Ferrari, Alfa Romeo drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Giovinazzi both made it into Q3 — using Ferrari engines.

Hamilton only needs to finish ahead of Bottas on Sunday to clinch his seventh F1 title and equal Michael Schumacher’s record.

Earlier, Verstappen was again fastest in a cold and rain-soaked final practice on a slippery track that Hamilton compared to an “ice rink” after Friday’s two practice runs.