BASKETBALL
Cavaliers snap up Luol Deng
The Cleveland Cavaliers have acquired All Star forward Luol Deng in a trade with the Chicago Bulls, the team announced on Monday. Cleveland will receive Deng in exchange for center Andrew Bynum and three future draft picks sent to the Bulls. Chicago will also have the right to swap 2015 first-round picks with the Cavaliers. “We are very excited for Luol to join the Cavaliers organization,” Cavaliers general manager Chris Grant said in a statement. “He’s a tremendous defensive player that can impact the game on both ends of the court with a team first mentality and is a high character leader.” The Bulls are expected to release Bynum in a move that will give them financial flexibility and help them build for the future once franchise player Derrick Rose returns from his lengthy injury absence. Cleveland will add the 28-year-old Deng to a young roster that is currently outside of the Eastern Conference playoff race. The Briton, who has missed time recently with a sore Achilles, has averaged 19 points and 6.9 rebounds for the Bulls this season.
ALPINE SKIING
Neureuther wins slalom
Germany’s Felix Neureuther used a blistering second run to edge first-leg leader Marcel Hirscher and win a World Cup night slalom on Monday. Trailing by just 0.01 after the opening run, Neureuther attacked from start to finish in his second trip down the Stelvio course for a two-leg combined time of 1 minute, 59.75 seconds. Hirscher, the two-time defending overall World Cup winner from Austria, finished second, 0.36 seconds behind, and Manfred Moelgg of Italy moved up from sixth after the opening run to place third, 0.65 back. Naoki Yuasa of Japan had the fastest second run and jumped from 21st to fourth.
FOOTBALL
Compensation plans unveiled
Lawyers representing former NFL players in the proposed US$765 million settlement of concussion-related claims have detailed how the money would be distributed. The awards could reach US$5 million for athletes with Lou Gehrig’s disease, US$4 million for suicides, and US$3 million for dementia cases. Senior US District Judge Anita Brody of Philadelphia must still approve the plan. Under the formula, men under 45 would get the most money because of their lifetime needs. The money decreases with age and the severity of the cognitive problem. A 60-year-old with Alzheimer’s disease would get US$950,000; an 80-year-old with early dementia US$25,000. The former players include Kevin Turner of the Philadelphia Eagles, who is battling Lou Gehrig’s disease.
ICE HOCKEY
Jagr to lead at Sochi
New Jersey Devils veteran star Jaromir Jagr will lead the Czech Republic ice-hockey team at the Sochi Winter Olympics, head coach Alois Hadamczik told reporters on Monday. Nominated for his fifth Olympics, the 41-year-old Jagr is the only player on the 25-man roster who won the surprise Olympic gold at Nagano 1998. “I am convinced we have tried to pick the best team which will stick together and be determined to achieve the best result possible,” Hadamczik said. “Our goal at Sochi is a medal. Looking at the tradition, ambitions and reputation of our hockey, it can’t be otherwise,” Czech Ice Hockey Association head Tomas Kral added. The Czechs begin the Olympic tournament against Sweden on Feb. 12.
The NHL postponed the Los Angeles Kings’ home game against the Calgary Flames on Wednesday with several massive wildfires burning across the greater Los Angeles area. The Kings and Flames were scheduled to play on Wednesday night at the Kings’ downtown arena. The NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers were scheduled to host the Charlotte Hornets in the same arena last night. “Our hearts are with our entire Los Angeles community,” the Kings said in a statement. “We appreciate the hard working first responders who are diligently working to contain the fire and protect our community. We appreciate the league’s support in keeping our
Doping fears prevented former US Open champion Emma Raducanu from treating insect bites on the eve of the Australian Open, she said, with players increasingly wary about ingesting contaminated substances. The British player was speaking in the wake of high-profile doping cases involving Iga Swiatak and Jannik Sinner. “I would say all of us are probably quite sensitive to what we take on board, what we use,” the 22-year-old said, recalling an incident on Friday. “I got really badly bitten by, I don’t know what, like ants, mosquitoes, something. I’m allergic, I guess,” she added. The bites “flared up and swelled up really a
TWO IN A WEEK: Despite an undefeated start to the year playing alongside Jiang Xinyu of China, Wu Fang-hsien is to play the Australian Open with a Russian partner Taiwan’s Wu Fang-hsien yesterday triumphed at the Hobart International, winning the women’s doubles title at the US$275,094 outdoor hard-court tournament, while McCartney Kessler lifted the trophy in the women’s singles. Fourth-ranked Wu and partner Jiang Xinyu of China took 1 hour, 15 minutes to defeat Romania’s Monica Niculescu and Fanny Stollar of Hungary, 6-1, 7-6 (8/6) at the Hobart International Tennis Centre, their second title in a week. Wu and Jiang on Sunday won the women’s doubles title at the ASB Classic in Auckland, beating Serbia’s Aleksandra Krunic and Sabrina Santamaria of the US. Their winning ways continued in Australia as they stretched
EL CLASSICO: La Liga champions Real Madrid would face Barcelona in the Super Cup final tomorrow. Barca secured their final spot after a 2-0 win over Bilbao on Wednesday Real Madrid would chase a record-equaling 14th Spanish Super Cup title in the final against Barcelona after second-half goals by Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo helped them to a 3-0 win over Mallorca in the semi-finals on Thursday. England midfielder Bellingham broke the deadlock after the hour mark with a low shot into the middle of the goal before Mallorca defender Martin Valjent’s own goal doubled the lead in stoppage time followed by a Rodrygo strike from close range. Spanish champions Real are to play Barcelona for the trophy tomorrow after goals by Gavi and Lamine Yamal earned Barca a 2-0 win over
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