Rockets’ GM upsets China
China’s official basketball association says it will suspend cooperation with the Houston Rockets following a tweet by the team’s general manager in support of pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong.
The Chinese Basketball Association said Sunday on its official Twitter-like Weibo account that Daryl Morey had made “improper remarks regarding Hong Kong” to which it expressed its “strong opposition.”
That underscores Beijing’s extreme sensitivity about foreign attitudes toward the ongoing protests in the semi-autonomous territory that have lately grown in violence. China accuses foreign parties in the U.S. and elsewhere of encouraging the demonstrations.
Morey’s now-deleted tweet read: “Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong.”
Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta denounced Morey’s tweet with a Twitter post of his own: “Listen.@darylmorey does NOT speak for the @HoustonRockets. Our presence in Tokyo is all about the promotion of the @NBA internationally and we are NOT a political organization.”
TRACK AND FIELD
The United States showed off the speed and depth of its squad to win three gold medals on the final day of the world track championships.
U.S. runners won the men’s and women’s 1,600meter relays, and U.S. women finished first and second in the 100-meter hurdles. The U.S. finished with 14 gold medals – its best result at a world championships for 12 years – in the last major global competition before next year’s Olympics in Tokyo.
Neither of the relays was a close contest, with the U.S. finishing more than a second clear of Jamaica in the men’s event and three seconds ahead of Poland in the women’s race.
Allyson Felix won a record 13th world championship gold as part of the relay team, though she only ran in the heats.
WNBA
Elena Delle Donne put forth a gutsy effort, playing through a back injury, and Washington beat the Connecticut Sun, 94-81, and moved within a victory of winning the franchise’s first title.
The league’s MVP has a herniated disk that is pinching a nerve in her back and was questionable to play in Game 3. She finished with 13 points, hitting 5 of her 6 shots and played 26 minutes.
Delle Donne provided an emotional lift for her team and Emma Meesseman and Kristi Toliver carried the offense. Meesseman had 21 points, including nine to start the fourth quarter, and Toliver added 20 points and 10 assists. Washington will try and close out the series on Tuesday night in Connecticut.
GYMNASTICS
European champion Nikita Nagornyy set the pace in the all-round standings as Russia topped the team event on the first day of the men’s qualification at the Gymnastics World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany.
Nagornyy, part of the Russia squad which secured Olympic silver medals at the 2016 Games in Rio, scored a total of 87.333 points across six disciplines.
Compatriot Dalaloyan Artur was second with 86.531 while Lee Chih-kai led a great team effort from Taiwan, which sits second in the overall rankings.
Russia leads with 259.928 points, ahead of Taiwan (250.093) and Brazil (247.236).
HOCKEY
Gerald Mayhew had a goal and two assists as the Iowa Wild turned back the Milwaukee Admirals, 5-2, at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa.
The loss snapped a three-game opening night winning streak for the Admirals, dating back to the 2015-16 campaign.
SOCCER
Despite a goal by captain Carli Lloyd, the U.S. women’s national team was held to a 1-1 draw with South Korea in Chicago in the final game for retiring coach Jill Ellis.
Lloyd’s goal tied the game in the 37th minute, matching the score by South Korea’s Ji So-yun three minutes earlier. The draw, which gave the U.S. an 18-1-3 record under Ellis this year, came in front of 33,027 fans at Soldier Field, the third-largest crowd on the American team’s post-World Cup victory tour.
GOLF
Alexandre Fuchs of Liberty fired a 4-under par 68 and held a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Marquette Intercollegiate at Erin Hills.
Georgia State’s Ashton Poole was second after a 69 and Marquette junior Hunter Eichorn fired a 70.
MU freshman Aidan Lafferty was tied for 19th after he carded a 74.
The Golden Eagles sit 11th on the team leader board with a 14-over 302 after a windy opening round. UCLA leads the field at 4-over 292.