Bulls ravaged by COVID-19
Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine and backup forward Troy Brown Jr. have entered the NBA’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols, giving the team nine players on the list.
The team confirmed Sunday that LaVine and Brown joined leading scorer DeMar DeRozan, Matt Thomas, Coby White, Javonte Green, Derrick Jones Jr., Ayo Dosunmu and recently signed Stanley Johnson. That left the Bulls with nine available players. Teams need eight in order to play.
Chicago’s next game is against Detroit at home on Tuesday. LaVine and Brown both played in Saturday’s loss at Miami.
The resurgent Bulls were third in the Eastern Conference behind Brooklyn and Milwaukee at 1710.
LaVine, a first-time all-star last season and goldmedal winner with the U.S. Olympic team, was seventh in the NBA in scoring at 26 points per game. He is averaging 5.3 rebounds and 4.2 assists. Brown is averaging 4.3 points in 18 games. Players in the health and safety protocols must be sidelined at least 10 days or record two negative tests in a 24-hour period before they can resume basketball activities.
NBA
Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant has been fined $25,000 by the NBA for directing obscene language toward a fan during a game in Atlanta.
The fine was announced Sunday by Byron Spruell, the president of league operations.
It stems from an incident Friday night when a fan heckled at Durant with 28 seconds to go in the second quarter of the Nets’ 113-105 victory over Hawks. In video taken courtside that was posted on social media, an off-camera fan can be heard yelling, “Durant, stop crying!” before Durant responds using multiple expletives.
GOLF
Jason Kokrak and Kevin Na birdied 12 of their last 13 holes Sunday in fourballs and closed with a 12-under 60 to rally from at three-shot deficit and win the QBE Shootout on Sunday in Naples, Florida.
Billy Horschel chipped in for birdie from near the water hazard as he and Sam Burns shot 61 to finish one shot behind. Horschel and Burns did not have a score worse than 62 all week.
Marc Leishman and Jason Day, who opened with a 56 and led all week, couldn’t keep pace. They shot 65 and tied for third with defending champions Harris English and Matt Kuchar, who closed with a 62.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
To more accurately reflect the evolution of college football’s offenses and defenses, The Associated Press will increase the number of players honored on its All-America teams to include a third wide receiver and fifth defensive back.
The AP has named an All-America teams since 1925 based on voting by a national media panel that covers college football. The 2021 teams will be nnounced Monday.
The change in structure this year is the first since 2006, when the generic categories of “linemen” on both sides of the ball and “defensive backs” were broken down by specific positions.
SOCCER
Isaiah Reid scored twice, including a goal just 27 seconds into the match, and Clemson defeated Washington, 2-0, to win the NCAA College Cup championship on Sunday in Cary, North Carolina.
It was Clemson’s third national championship. The Tigers also won in 1984 and 1987.
Washington goalkeeper Sam Fowler was caught out of position and Reid easily scored his first just moments into the match.
Reid scored again on a header in the 15th minute.
SKIING
Clément Noël of France dominated the first slalom of the World Cup season Sunday in Val d’Isere, France, for his ninth career win as many other prerace favourites faltered, defending overall champion, Alexis Pinturault.
Noël defied challenging course conditions on the Face de Bellevarde as he posted the fastest time in both runs, finishing 1.40 seconds ahead of Kristoffer Jakobsen for the Swedish skier’s first career podium.
Filip Zubcic of Croatia was 1.85 behind in third. “It’s amazing. Winning at home is something really different,” said Noël, who used to live in Val d’Isère.
Brignone wins women’s super-G: Federica Brignone set an Italian record in the Alpine skiing World Cup by winning a wind-swept super-G Sunday in St. Mortiz, Switzerland, that saw pre-race favorite Lara Gut-Behrami crash out through the safety fences.
Brignone was 0.11 seconds faster than her teammate Elena Curtoni down a fast course shortened to less than one minute. The start was brought lower down the exposed Corviglia hill by strong crosswinds higher up.
A 17th career World Cup win for Brignone is the most by an Italian woman in the 55-year history of the World Cup.