Weather impacts sports in Texas
The wintry blast causing misery across Texas has prompted the postponement of an NBA game in Dallas, a second consecutive NHL game and disrupted the college basketball schedule for a number of teams.
The Mavericks and Pistons were supposed to play Wednesday night. NHL games scheduled for Monday and Tuesday between the Stars and Predators had already been scrapped. No makeup dates were announced.
The shuffling of pro events came amid adjustments for several men’s and women’s college basketball games in Texas because of frigid temperatures and icy conditions for traveling.
The NBA said the Pistons-Mavericks postponement was because of a “government shutdown” of American Airlines Center, home of the Mavs and Stars. The league didn’t elaborate.
A flurry of adjustments for Big 12 Conference men’s and women’s games continued Tuesday because of the extreme cold.
The No. 12 Texas men’s visit to No. 9 Oklahoma was moved back a day to Thursday after originally getting bumped from Tuesday to Wednesday because of the weather. The league also postponed the Longhorns’ road game against Iowa State that was scheduled for Thursday night.
No. 15 Texas Tech was supposed to play consecutive games against TCU this week, one of those a rescheduled game from last month because of COVID-19 issues in the TCU program. The game originally scheduled for Monday in Fort Worth was pushed to Thursday. The game in Lubbock was moved up a day to Tuesday, but that was called off amid plunging temperatures.
NBA: Timberwolves G D’Angelo Russell will undergo arthroscopic surgery to remove a loose body in his left knee and is expected to miss four to six weeks, ESPN reported. Russell, who’s averaging 19.3 points and 5.1 assist per game, had missed the previous three games . ... G Kyrie Irving sat out the Nets’ road game against the Suns with a sore lower back. The Nets already were without Kevin Durant (hamstring).
NFL: Former Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence had surgery to repair damage to the labrum in his left (non-throwing) shoulder. ESPN reported that Lawrence, widely expected to be the No. 1 overall pick by the Jaguars in the upcoming draft, can start throwing in four to six weeks and is expected to be ready for training camp. Lawrence threw for teams Friday, moving up his pro day because of the surgery . ... The Dolphins signed All-Pro K Jason Sanders, 25, to a five-year extension through the 2026 season. ESPN reported that the deal is worth $22 million and includes $10 million guaranteed . ... The Panthers released former Pro Bowl DT Kawann Short, who had season-ending shoulder surgeries in both 2019 and 2020 and played in just five total games.
Also: Former Olympic swimmer Scott Miller was charged with drug trafficking after Australian police seized methamphetamine valued at $1.6 million and accused him of directing a criminal syndicate. Police arrested 45-year-old Miller and a 47-year-old man, who hadn’t been named, at their Sydney homes after finding methamphetamine concealed in eight candles in January. Miller won a silver medal in the 100-meter butterfly at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996.