BASKETBALL
Butler out with knee injury
Dallas Mavericks forward Caron Butler underwent right knee surgery on Tuesday to repair a ruptured right patellar tendon and is expected to miss the rest of the NBA season, the team announced. Losing the 30-year-old playmaker will be a major blow for the Mavericks, who are 25-8 and second in the Western Conference to Southwest division rival and overall NBA leader San Antonio. Butler, who suffered the injury in a loss on Saturday in Milwaukee, has averaged 15 points to rank third in team scoring and also contributed 4.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists in almost 30 minutes a game for Dallas this season. In messages posted on his Twitter account from the hospital, Butler was optimistic about the Mavericks’ chances for success even without him. “Championship! Remember that fans that’s what its about and we have what it take in that lockeroom to get it done,” Butler posted on Twitter.
BASEBALL
Price wins Spahn award
Tampa Bay’s David Price was on Tuesday named the winner of the Warren Spahn Award as the top left-handed pitcher in the major leagues last season. The award is based on a pitcher’s wins, strikeouts and earned run average. Price had 19 victories, 188 strikeouts and a 2.72 ERA last year. “I am honored,” Price (19-6) told major league baseball’s official Web site (www.mlb.com). “To be included in a group with the past winners — CC Sabathia, Randy Johnson and others — is very exciting.” Hall of Famer Spahn, who died in 2003, holds the major league record for victories by a left-hander with 363.
BASEBALL
Scout charged with fraud
Authorities in the Dominican Republic have accused a scout of fraud and of falsifying documents to obtain professional contracts for talented players. Police said in a statement on Tuesday that the arrest of Victor Baez is part of a new push to investigate scouts they say are selling false hopes to young players. Baez has for many years run a well-known development program for local standouts that have gone on to play in the US.
RUGBY UNION
Dafydd Jones retires
Wales flanker Dafydd Jones has retired from rugby union after failing to recover from a shoulder injury, the Scarlets, the back-row’s club, announced on Tuesday. Jones was injured during Wales’ international against New Zealand in November 2009 and subsequently underwent two operations. However, the 31-year-old, capped 42 times by his country, has now decided to retire from rugby after consulting specialists following 13 seasons with the Llanelli-based Scarlets. “This has been a really tough time for me and my family,” Jones said in a statement issued by his club. “It’s a very hard decision to retire from rugby, which has been the sport and career I’ve known and loved since I was a teenager. All my efforts have gone into playing rugby for the Scarlets and for Wales, and I am very proud of and enjoyed everything I have done. It has taken a while to sink in that I’m not actually going to be playing any more, but the decision was really made for me as the medics said there was no way back from the damage caused by the injury.” Scarlets coach Nigel Davies added: “Dafydd has been a trusted, committed and respected senior member of this Scarlets squad and a loyal servant to our team for over a decade.”
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
One of Malaysia’s top soccer clubs has pulled out of today’s season-opening Charity Shield after a spate of assaults, including an acid attack, on players in the country. It leaves the kickoff of Malaysia’s season this weekend under a cloud following the unprecedented acts of violence against players, which have left the country shocked and angry. Authorities said they have imposed tighter security, but Selangor said that they would not play in the showpiece curtain-raiser against Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) citing “a series of criminal incidents and recent threats.” Selangor and Malaysia winger Faisal Halim is in intensive care