AP names Leonard male athlete of year

Kawhi Leonard is The Associated Press’ male athlete of the year for 2019, comfortably winning a vote by AP member sports editors and AP beat writers. He becomes the fifth NBA player to win the award, joining Larry Bird (1986), three-time recipient Michael Jordan (1991 through 1993), three-time recipient LeBron James (2013, 2016, 2018) and Stephen Curry (2015).

Leonard was the NBA Finals MVP for the second time, leading the Raptors to their first championship — five years after he first smudged his fingerprints on both trophies with the Spurs. He wound up leaving the Raptors in the summer for the Clippers, returning to his native

Southern California and turning the historically woeful franchise into one of the top teams in the league.

Young sprains ankle: Guard Trae Young was helped off the floor after spraining his right ankle during the second quarter of the Hawks’ 112-86 loss to the visiting Bucks on Friday night.

Giannis Antetokounmpo sat out the game for the Bucks. The reigning league MVP rested because of back soreness.

Celtics win again: Jaylen Brown matched his career high with 34 points and Jayson Tatum scored 24 of his 30 points in the first half to help the host Celtics beat the Cavaliers 129-117 for their fifth straight win.