■BASEBALL
Kendall, Putz seal deals
Jason Kendall got a US$6 million, two-year contract from the Kansas City Royals and J.J. Putz agreed to a US$3 million, one-year deal with the Chicago White Sox on Friday. The Tampa Bay Rays finalized their trade with the Atlanta Braves, acquiring pitcher Rafael Soriano and agreeing to a US$7.25 million, one-year contract with the reliever. And the Washington Nationals completed their US$6 million, two-year contract with 14-time All-Star catcher Ivan Rodriguez. Soriano became a free agent after the season, then surprised the Braves this week when he accepted salary arbitration.
■ICE HOCKEY
Fetisov returns for a game
Slava Fetisov took to the ice for CSKA Moscow on Friday, then the 51-year-old said it was his last game. More than 11 years after ending his professional career and 21 years after his last appearance for CSKA, Fetisov became the oldest Russian to play in the Continental Hockey League. But after his team lost 3-2 to SKA St Petersburg, Fetisov said he did not intend to keep playing. “I think that was the only game for me to take part,” he said, according to the RIA Novosti news agency. “We have plenty of young guys.” He admitted it was physically challenging, adding: “I tried to hold on, I tried to play to the maximum.” However, CSKA coach Sergei Nemchinov said Fetisov may join the team again. “He did it well today,” he told RIA Novosti.
■FOOTBALL
Police arrest Pats mascot
A man who acts as a mascot for the New England Patriots is among 14 people who have been arrested for prostitution-related crimes in Rhode Island since a new law went into effect that banned indoor prostitution. The bill signed into law last month made prostitution a misdemeanor crime regardless of where it occurs. Previously, indoor prostitution was allowed because of a legal loophole. State police say Robert Sormanti was among those arrested in an undercover sting at a hotel. The Providence Journal reported Sormanti is among the NFL team’s mascots. The Patriots said in a statement that multiple people wear the mascot costume and that the “individual in question” has been suspended. A phone message left at Sormanti’s home on Friday was not immediately returned.
■SWIMMING
Cseh breaks own record
Laszlo Cseh of Hungary beat his own world record in the men’s 400m individual medley at the European short-course swimming championships on Friday, while the Netherlands broke the world record in the women’s 4x50m freestyle. The wins brought the number of world records set at the championships to five. The event ends on Sunday. Cseh won in 3 minutes, 57.27 seconds to better his previous world record of 3:59.33, set two years ago in Debrecen, Hungary.
■BOXING
Zaveck wins title with TKO
Jan Zaveck of Slovenia relieved Isaac Hlatshwayo of his IBF welterweight title with a third-round technical knockout at Wembley Indoor Arena in Johannesburg on Friday. Hlatshwayo was knocked down once in the second round and twice in the third before US referee Kenny Chevalier halted the fight with 42 seconds left in the third. Asked when he took control of his first world title bout, Zaveck (28-1, 16 KOs) said: “With my first punch.” It was the first defense for South Africa’s Hlatshwayo (29-2-1, 10 KOs), who won the vacant belt with a split decision win over Delvin Rodriguez in August.
‘AWFUL PERFORMANCE’: Golden State were always chasing the game after failing to threaten from long range, making just eight of 33 three-point attempts Aaron Gordon on Monday scored 38 points as the Denver Nuggets shrugged off the absence of Nikola Jokic to halt the Golden State Warriors’ seven-game winning streak with a 114-105 victory over their Western Conference rivals. A dazzling display from Gordon inspired what was ultimately a comfortable win for Denver, who were missing regular starters Jokic and Jamal Murray from their lineup. The absentees were barely felt by Denver, who startled the Warriors early at San Francisco’s Chase Center and led for most of the game. The Warriors threatened to stage a late rally after slashing the Nuggets’ fourth-quarter lead from 15 points
Barcelona’s Ferran Torres scored twice on Sunday to help secure a late 4-2 comeback win at Atletico Madrid in a pulsating La Liga clash that took the Catalan side back to the top of the table. Barca have 60 points and a game in hand after last week’s postponement of their home game with CA Osasuna. They are level on points with Real Madrid, who won 2-1 at Villarreal on Saturday. “I am happy and proud of this team,” Barcelona head coach Hansi Flick told a news conference. “They never give up... It’s a great three points and we are happy to
Chris Wood has fired Nottingham Forest into surprise UEFA Champions League contention and now the striker wants to score the goals to help New Zealand make history at the FIFA World Cup. New Zealand are strong favorites to qualify out of the Oceania region over the next week and reach the World Cup for only the third time. At the country’s two previous appearances at the finals, in 1982 and 2010, they have failed to win a match in six attempts. With Wood captaining the side and leading from the front, he told local media yesterday that the current squad can finally deliver
Paolo Banchero on Sunday scored 24 points as the Orlando Magic overturned a 13-point deficit to end the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 16-game unbeaten streak with a gutsy 108-103 road victory. Cleveland, the runaway Eastern Conference leaders, had looked poised to extend their franchise-record winning run after surging clear of Orlando early in the third quarter, but after a season where they have staged hefty winning comebacks of their own, the tables turned on Cleveland in the face of a furious burst of Orlando scoring. The Magic outscored Cleveland 35-23 in the third quarter, with Franz Wagner leading the charge with nine points and
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