Inside: Warriors assistant Brown interviews for Clippers opening, News+Notes,
Warriors assistant coach Mike Brown recently interviewed for the LA Clippers’ head- coaching opening, a league source confirmed with the Bay Area News Group.
Brown joins Bucks assistant Darvin Ham and Clippers assistant Tyron Lue as other reported candidates. ESPN was first to report the news. Lue, who won a championship as the Cavaliers head coach in 2016, is considered the front-runner
efore joining Golden State in 2016, Brown accumulated a 347-216 record as a head coach of the Cavaliers (2005-10, 2013-14) and Lakers (2011-12).
For the past four seasons, Brown has been head coach Steve Kerr’s top assistant. Kerr relies on Brown for his attention to detail and trusts him with substitution patterns during games. When Kerr missed part of the 2017 playoffs with back problems, Brown led the Warriors to an 11- 0 record.
NFL
49ERS RELEASE VETERAN RECEIVER MOHAMED SANU >> Mohamed Sanu’s 49ers career is over before it really got started. Barely three weeks after signing the 31-year- old wide receiver, the 49ers announced he’s been released.
Sanu, who was brought aboard as an insurance policy for an injury ravaged receiving corps, wound up playing just 40 snaps in three games with San Francisco, including seven on Sunday night. His only catch was a 9-yarder in a win over the Giants a week ago.
The nine-year veteran became expendable this week with the impending return of both Deebo Samuel and Richie James Jr. off injured reserve. Samuel, who had off- season foot sur
gery, returned to practice last week. In addition, firstround pick Brandon Aiyuk’s emergence the past two weeks lessened the need for Sanu, whose resume — now 404 catches for 4,516 yards and 26 touchdowns in nine years — has been more impressive than his production the past couple of seasons.
PACKERS 30, FALCONS 16 >> Aaron Rodgers connected with tight end Robert Tonyan on three of his four touchdown passes and Green Bay remained unbeaten with a victory over winless Atlanta on Monday night.
The Packers (4- 0) opened a season by scoring at least 30 points in four straight games for the first time in franchise history. Todd Gurley’s two touchdown runs couldn’t stop the Falcons from their first 0- 4 start since 1999, when they followed a Super Bowl season by going 5-11.
CHIEFS 26, PATRIOTS 10 >> Tyreek Hill and Mecole Hardman had short touchdown catches, the Kansas City defense shut down a Patriots offense missing quarterback Cam Newton and running back Sony Michel, and the Chiefs beat New England on Monday in
a game postponed by positive COVID-19 tests on each team.
Tyrann Mathieu returned a late interception for the clinching touchdown, and Patrick Mahomes added 236 yards passing in a somewhat shaky performance — at least, by his standards — as the Chiefs overcame an uncharacteristically slow start offensively to win their 13th straight game dating to Week 10 of last season.
MLB
BRAVES 9, MARLINS 5 >> Ronald Acuña Jr. made history with his leadoff homer, Travis d’Arnaud hit a tiebreaking shot in Atlanta’s huge seventh inning and the Braves beat Miami in Game 1 of the NL Division Series.
D’A r naud a lso doubled and singled in driving in four runs and Dansby Swanson homered during a six-run seventh to help power Atlanta.
After shutting out Cincinnati for 22 innings during a two-game sweep in the wild- card round, the Braves relied on their bats in this opener.
YA N K E E S 9, RAYS 3 >> Giancarlo Stanton hit a grand slam in the ninth inning for New York’s fourth home run of the game, and the Yankees beat Tampa Bay on Monday night in the opener of their AL Division Series at Petco Park.
Stanton homered to straightaway center field on a 2-2 pitch from John Curtiss with one out. The slugger took several steps with his bat still in his hands as he watched the ball sail through the warm San Diego night before beginning his trot.
NHL
OILERS SAY MCDAVID TESTS POSITIVE . FOR COVID-19 >> Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid has tested positive for COVID-19.
McDavid, a 23-year- old forward, is self- quarantining at home and experiencing mild symptoms, according to the Oilers.
“He will continue to be monitored and will follow all associated health protocols,” the team said Monday night in a statement.
McDavid, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 draft, is widely considered the best player in the NHL. The captain of the Oilers had 34 goals and 63 assists in 64 games during the pandemic-shortened season.
Motor sports
ALEX BOWMANSHUFFLED TO THE NO. 48 TO REPLACE JIMMIE JOHNSON >> The most coveted seat in NASCAR belongs to Alex Bowman in a Hendrick Motorsports lineup shuff le to replace seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson in the iconic No. 48 Chevrolet.
Bowman and crew chief Greg Ives, who won five championships with Johnson as his engineer, will move from the No. 88 into Johnson’s ride at the end of the season. The swap announced Tuesday makes Bowman just the second driver of the team created in 2001 specifically for Johnson.