SPORTS SHORTS
BASEBALL: P.R. perfect vs. Israel
Jose De Leon and three relievers combined to pitch a perfect game as Puerto Rico routed Israel 10-0 in a World Baseball Classic game called after eight innings Monday night in Miami because of the tournament’s 10-run mercy rule. • The Tigers were so impressed with Duque Hebbert’s one inning of work in the World Baseball Classic that they offered him a minor-league contract after the game. The 21-year-old pitcher for Nicaragua entered Monday’s game against the Dominican Republic in the ninth inning and struck out Juan Soto, Julio Rodríguez and Rafael Devers. The Dominican Republic won, 6-1. • In Tokyo, Brewers prospect Alex Hall had four RBIs as Australia advanced past the first round for the first time in five WBC appearances, beating fourthplace Czech Republic 8-3 and finishing second in the group behind Japan. • In Phoenix, Jaden Rudd hit a goahead, two-run double in the fifth inning, Harry Ford added a solo homer and Britain won a WBC game for the first time, 7-5 over Colombia. • Luis Ortiz, a minor league pitcher who was in the Orioles organization, has died after battling cancer, the team announced. He was 20.
NBA: Lowly Rockets fend off Celts
Jalen Green scored 28 points and rookie Jabari Smith Jr. added 24 as the Rockets withstood a late charge to beat the Celtics, 111-109, in Houston.
The Rockets, tied with Detroit for the NBA’s fewest wins with 16, snapped a three-game skid despite allowing the Celtics’ Jaylen Brown to score a season-high 43 points.
In Miami, Jimmy Butler scored 24 points to lead seven Miami players in double figures, Tyler Herro and Gabe Vincent each scored 18 and the Heat held off the Jazz, 119-115. In Dallas, Desmond Bane scored 23 points as the Grizzlies won a second consecutive game against the Mavericks with all three All-Stars from the two teams out, winning 104-88.
NCAA: Ga. Tech hires Stoudamire
Georgia Tech moved quickly to put a new leader in charge of its struggling men’s basketball program, hiring longtime NBA guard Damon Stoudamire as the new Yellow Jackets coach.
The 49-year-old Stoudamire comes to the ACC school from the Celtics, where he had been an assistant coach since 2021. His only previous head coaching experience was at Pacific, where he compiled a 71-77 record over five seasons. He was the West Coast Conference coach of the year in 2020. Temple coach Aaron McKie is out after four years and no NCAA Tournament appearances and will become a special advisor to the athletic department, the school announced.
ETC.: Burglars hit Salah property
The luxury Cairo villa of Liverpool and Egyptian star Mohamed Salah was burgled over the weekend.
Two police officials told the AP the burglars stole only cable TV receivers from the winger’s villa in the upmarket Tagamoa area, some 30 miles east of Cairo city center. Dick Fosbury, the lanky leaper who revamped the technical discipline of high jump and won an Olympic gold medal with his “Fosbury Flop,” has died. He was 76. Fosbury died Sunday after a recurrence with lymphoma, according to his publicist.