L.A.’S GORDON ENDS HOLDOUT, NOT LIKELY TO PLAY SUNDAY

» Melvin Gordon

C O STA MESA , CALIF . called Los Angeles Chargers coach Anthony Lynn on Wednesday night to let him know he was ending his holdout.

The fifth-year running back arrived at the team’s complex Thursday morning and took part in his first practice since the final day of minicamp on June 13. Gordon missed training camp and LA’s first three games as he held out for 65 days in the hopes of getting a new contract.

Lynn said he wasn’t concerned about Gordon’s frame of mind after their long conversation.

“That was the biggest concern, but I’m telling you that he’s in a good place right now. He just wanted to play football,” Lynn said.

Lynn said he doubts Gordon would bereadytoplaySundaywhenthe Chargers (1-2) visit Miami.

Ga Tech hit with postseason ban.

Georgia Tech’s basketball team was banned from postseason play for the upcoming season and slapped Thursday with four years of probation for major recruiting violations committed by a former assistant coach and an ex-friend of head coach Josh Pastner.

The sanctions handed down by the NCAA also included a reduction in scholarships, limits on recruiting and a fine of $5,000 plus 2% of the program’s budget — a major blow to Pastner’s efforts to rebuild the struggling ACC program.

The NCAA said former assistant coach Darryl LaBarrie gave $300 to a highly touted prospect for a visit to an Atlanta strip club and arranged for him to meet with a former Georgia Tech athlete who played for the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks.

» The New Orleans Pelicans have hired Teresa Weatherspoon and AJ Diggs as assistant coaches with a focus on player development.

The club says the two new assistants have been assigned to work closely with the Pelicans’ two-way players and will travel with them to and from their assignments with New Orleans’ G League affiliate, the Erie BayHawks.

Weatherspoon, who this year was inducted in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, has spent the previous four seasons as the Director of Player and Franchise Development with the WNBA’s New York Liberty. Before that, she coached at Louisiana Tech.

With the hiring of Weatherspoon, the Pelicans now have women holding positions of ownership, management and assistant coach.

Scott, Landry share first-round lead at Safeway Open.

N APA , CALIF .

Slow starts plagued Adam Scott last season, a prime reason the former No. 1 player in the world was winless despite solid overall numbers. After taking a brief break, the 39-year-old Australian is back and emphasizing quicker, more aggressive starts.

Andrew Landry is just looking for a jump-start after missing the cuts in the first two events of the PGA Tour this season.

Scott and Landry shot 7-under 65 on Thursday to share the first-round lead at the Safeway Open.

Fox network, sports channels go dark for Dish customers.

N EW

YORK» Fox’s cable sports networks and some local Fox stations have gone dark for customers of satellite TV provider Dish because of a dispute over the networks’ cost.

Dish says the broadcast network was pulled in 17 markets, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston. Fox News remains on Dish.

G League going to 1 free throw for most fouls.

N E WYO

The NBA says most two- and three-shot fouls in the G League this season will be settled by taking just one free throw.

A made shot will count for the two or three points. Multiple free throws will be taken in the last 2 minutes of regulation or in overtime.