Basketball players kicked off team for carousal with women

Four Japanese basketball players were kicked off their Asian Games team and sent home Monday after delegation head Yasuhiro Yamashita said they “spent the night in a hotel with women.”

Takuya Hashimoto, Keita Imamura, Yuya Nagayoshi and Takuma Sato had to pay for their own flights home from Jakarta, Indonesia. The Japanese Olympic Committee described the players’ behavior as a “clear breach of the team’s conduct code, which specifies athletes are to be role models.”

The incident took place Thursday after Japan’s 82-71 win over Qatar. Yamashita said the four players hooked up with the women after drinking in an entertainment district and were identified by their Japan-emblazoned shirts.

Horse racing: Accelerate, coming off his third Grade 1 win of the year in Saturday’s Pacific Classic at Del Mar, knocked Triple Crown winner Justify out of the lead spot in this week’s National Thoroughbred Racing Association poll.

NHL: Defenseman Ty Smith, 18, the 17th pick of this year’s draft, who had 14 goals, 59 assists and a plus-44 rating in his second season with Spokane of the Western Hockey League, signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the New Jersey Devils.

NBA: The Atlanta Hawks signed freeagent forwards Daniel Hamilton, 23, and Alex Poythress, 24, who spent last season with Oklahoma City and Indiana, respectively.

College baseball: Joe Landrum, Clemson’s first baseball All-american, whose son Bill pitched eight major league seasons with four teams, died Sunday. He was 89.