Off the wire

BASKETBALL

Simmons, Embiid out

Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid will both be unable to start the second half of the season with the Philadelphia 76ers, though neither All-Star will be missing from the Eastern Conference leaders’ lineup for long. Both will miss Philadelphia’s game Thursday in Chicago, and Simmons will also miss the 76ers’ contest on Friday against Washington. Provided both continue to test negative for covid-19, they would be cleared after those games, the 76ers said. Simmons and Embiid both traveled to Atlanta for Sunday’s All-Star Game, only to learn the night before that they were flagged by contact tracing data. The barber that both visited prior to their private flights to Atlanta tested positive for covid-19, and even though neither Embiid nor Simmons tested positive the league’s health and safety protocols for navigating through a pandemic this season meant they had to be sidelined for a week.

Leonard: Sorry for slur

Meyers Leonard of the Miami Heat apologized Tuesday night for using an anti-Semitic slur while playing a video game that was being live-streamed. Leonard acknowledged that he used the term Monday, and said he did not know what it meant at that time. In his apology, posted on social media, he said “my ignorance about its history and how offensive it is to the Jewish community is absolutely not an excuse and I was just wrong.” The video began circulating widely on social media Tuesday afternoon. The Heat, who were in the final day of their AllStar break and are not formally resuming practice until today, had no immediate comment. It is possible that Leonard may face sanctions from the NBA, which said it was “in the process of gathering more information.”

FOOTBALL

Titans release Butler

The Tennessee Titans released cornerback Malcolm Butler on Tuesday three years into the fiveyear deal he signed in March 2018, according to his agent. Butler signed for more than $60 million in March 2018 after leaving New England as a free agent. He was due $11 million in base salary this season and $11.2 million in 2022. Releasing Butler is expected to save the Titans more than $10 million against the salary cap as they try to create space for free agency. The seven-year veteran started all 16 games last season and tied for the team lead with four interceptions. That tied his career high of four interceptions in 2016 with New England, and his most famous interception clinched the 2015 Super Bowl for the Patriots over Seattle.

Browns cut DE Clayborn

The Cleveland Browns released veteran defensive end Adrian Clayborn after one season Tuesday, clearing out a little more salary cap space. Clayborn appeared in 15 games for the Browns last season after signing a two-year, $5.75 million contract as a free agent in March. The 32-year-old had 3 1/2 sacks, 12 tackles and forced a fumble while in Cleveland’s defensive line rotation. The team will save $3 million under the cap with Clayborn off the books. Clayborn spent three seasons with the Atlanta Falcons and four in Tampa Bay before signing with the Browns.

Lions sign WR Williams

The Detroit Lions signed Tyrell Williams on Tuesday, adding much-needed depth at wide receiver. Detroit’s top receivers from last season, including Kenny Golladay, are free agents. First-year General Manager Brad Holmes potentially had the option of using the franchise tag to retain Golladay if the team could not agree on a long-term contract with the standout receiver. The NFL Network and ESPN reported that the team does not plan to use the franchise tag to keep Golladay, putting him on the freeagent market. The Las Vegas Raiders released Williams two weeks ago after he had two injury-filed seasons. Williams has 197 catches for 3,181 yards and 23 touchdowns in 69 games.

TENNIS Gauff advances

American teen Coco Gauff led a day of upsets in the second round of the Dubai Championships on Tuesday, when top-seeded Elina Svitolina lost and Petra Kvitova dropped out with a hip problem. The 16-year-old Gauff fought back to defeat 12th-seeded Marketa Vondrousova 3-6, 6-0, 6-4 to set up a third-round clash with

Tereza Martincova, who upset the fifth-seeded Kiki Bertens 6-1, 6-4. Svetlana Kuznetsova upset two-time champion Svitolina 2-6, 6-4, 6-1, completing her comeback win in just under two hours and will face Barbora Krejcikova in the third round. The Czech defeated Jelena Ostapenko 6-3, 6-1. Another teenager, 19-year-old

Anastasia Potapova, defeated 11th-seeded Madison Keys 6-4, 6-3. Kvitova, who defeated Garbine Muguruza to win the Qatar Open on Saturday, retired Tuesday with Jil Teichmann leading 6-2, 3-4. French Open champion Iga Swiatek eased past Misaki Doi, 6-2, 6-4 for a third-round clash with Muguruza, who defeated American teenager Amanda Anisimova, 6-4, 6-2.