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VIRUS OUTBREAK-SANTA CLARA
County ban of large gatherings could impact Sharks, Stanford
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — The status of three San Jose Sharks hockey games, the NCAA women's basketball tournament at Stanford and one MLS game are in doubt after officials in California’s Santa Clara County announced a ban of all large gatherings of at least 1,000 people for the rest of the month in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
Monday’s announcement came hours after the public health department announced the first death in the county from COVID-19. A woman in her 60s had been hospitalized for several weeks with the virus before dying.
Six more cases of the coronavirus were confirmed in Santa Clara County on Monday, bringing the total number of cases to 43.
In other sports outbreak news:
— The NBA, NHL, Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer are closing access to locker rooms and clubhouses to all non-essential personnel in response to the coronavirus crisis. The changes will be temporary and that media will still have access to players.
Elsewhere:
— All upcoming soccer games in Spain and some in Germany will be played in empty stadiums because of the coronavirus outbreak. The Spanish league says matches in the first and second divisions will be played without fans. The announcement comes after the league was told by the government that a series of preventive measures were being implemented to help contain the spread of the virus.
— All sports in Italy will be halted because of the virus outbreak. Premier Giuseppe Conte announces that games and travel will be banned nationwide through April 3. That includes games in the country’s top soccer division and preparatory events for the Tokyo Olympics. Serie A has not been canceled since World War II.
— The BNP Paribas Open, set to begin this week in the California desert, won't be played as scheduled after a case of the virus was confirmed in the Coachella Valley. The announcement to cancel the tennis tournament in Indian Wells, California, came after many players were already in the desert practicing.
—French police say the Champions League match between Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund at Parc des Princes will be played without fans.
—The virus also forced the postponement of the Six Nations rugby match between France and Ireland.
NBA-SCHEDULE
Nuggets beat short-handed Bucks, Hawks outlast Hornets
UNDATED (AP) — The Denver Nuggets sent the short-handed Milwaukee Bucks to their third straight loss and fourth in five games with a 109-95 victory.
Jamal Murray scored 21 points, Paul Millsap had 20 and Jerami Grant added 19 as Murray led six Nuggets in double figures and Denver swept the two-game season series from the NBA-leading Bucks.
Milwaukee was without reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAH'-nihs an-teh-toh-KOON'-poh) as well as its next five leading scorers. Kyle Korver led a valiant effort by the backups with 23 points.
Elsewhere in the NBA:
— Serge Ibaka and Pascal Siakam each scored 27 points, and the Toronto Raptors beat the Utah Jazz 101-92 for their fourth straight victory. Kyle Lowry added 21 points and seven assists as Toronto used a 52-33 advantage on the glass to improve to 21-4 since Jan. 15. Ibaka grabbed 13 rebounds, and Siakam finished with 11 boards and eight assists.
— De'Andre Hunter broke a tie by sinking three free throws with 13.3 seconds remaining in the second overtime and the Hawks beat the Charlotte Hornets 143-138. Trae Young led Atlanta with 31 points and 16 assists for Atlanta and Hunter finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Two officials' review at the end of the first overtime produced different results. Following their first review, officials ruled Terry Rozier was fouled by Atlanta's Treveon Graham with 0.8 seconds remaining. A second review following a protest by Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce produced a reversal.
NBA-CLIPPERS-NOAH
Clippers sign free-agent Noah
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Clippers have signed free-agent center Joakim Noah.
The 35-year-old two-time All-Star played 42 games with Memphis last season after agreeing to a buyout with the New York Knicks. Noah averaged 7.1 points, 2.1 assists and 5.7 rebounds for the Grizzlies.
He's been limited to 124 games since the end of the 2014-15 season in Chicago, which selected him with the ninth overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft.
Noah was the NBA defensive player of the year in 2014.
NHL-SCHEDULE
Caps salvage point, lose to Sabres in shootout
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Dominik Kahun scored the decisive goal in the seventh round of a shootout and the Buffalo Sabres snapped a six-game skid with a 3-2 win over the Washington Capitals.
Linus Ullmark stopped 33 shots through overtime and six of seven shootout attempts in his first game in six weeks. Jack Eichel snapped a career-worst seven-game point drought and rookie Victor Olofsson also scored for Buffalo.
Alex Ovechkin had a goal and an assist, and Dmitry Orlov also scored as Washington erased a 2-0 deficit in the third period. Ovechkin’s goal was his 48th of the season, tying him with Boston’s David Pastrnak for the NHL lead.
Despite the loss, the Capitals earned a point to move one ahead of idle Philadelphia atop the Metropolitan Division.
In other NHL action:
— Shea Theodore scored 2:13 into overtime and the Vegas Golden Knights increased their Pacific Division lead to three points by beating the second-place Edmonton Oilers 3-2. The Golden Knights improved to 11-2-0 in their past 13 games.
— Brett Connolly scored early in the third period and Chris Driedger stopped 26 shots, leading the Florida Panthers to a 2-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Florida moved within one point of the idle Carolina Hurricanes for the final playoff spot in the East.
— The Winnipeg Jets over the Arizona Coyotes 4-2 in a matchup critical to the crowded Western Conference playoff race. Cody Eakin broke a 2-all tie for the Jets at 11:33 of the third period with his first goal since being acquired from Vegas on Feb. 21..
NHL-NEWS
Sharks, Red Wings extend defensemen
UNDATED (AP) — The San Jose Sharks have signed defenseman Radim Simek to a four-year contract extension.
Simek was set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer before the Sharks locked him up with the new deal worth a reported $9 million. The 27-year-old Simek made his debut with the Sharks last season. He has three goals and 15 assists in 88 career games.
In other NHL news:
The Detroit Red Wings have signed defenseman Alex Biega to a one-year contract extension. Biega was acquired by the Red Wings in an Oct. 6 trade with Vancouver. He has three points — all assists — in 48 games with Detroit this season.
T25 MEN’S BASKETBALL-SCHEDULE
No. 2 Gonzaga outlasts San Francisco in WCC semi
UNDATED (AP) — No. 2 Gonzaga survived a scare to beat San Francisco 81-77 in the West Coast Conference tournament semifinals.
Joel Ayayi scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half to lead the Bulldogs. Killian Tillie had 19 points and Ryan Woolrdige had 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting to pace Gonzaga, which will play in its 26th WCC final and seeking its 17th championship.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL POLL
Kansas retains top spot
UNDATED (AP) — Kansas maintained its grip on the No. 1 ranking in The Associated Press men's college basketball poll.
The Jayhawks received all 65 first-place votes to remain at the top for a third straight week. The past two weeks they have been the unanimous choice ahead of Gonzaga and Dayton.
Florida State climbed three spots to No. 4 after winning its first Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title. This is FSU's highest ranking since sitting at No. 2 in December 1972. West Virginia and Butler were the week's new additions. Michigan and Penn State fell out of the poll.
MLB-NEWS
Verlander doesn’t expect to be ready for opening day
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Houston ace Justin Verlander has a mild strain of a back muscle and said it would “probably take a miracle” for him to pitch on opening day at home against the Angels on March 26.
The reigning AL Cy Young Award winner was hurt on his second-to-last pitch in Sunday's exhibition game against the New York Mets. He had an MRI on Monday and was diagnosed with a strained latissimus dorsi muscle. There is not a timetable for his return.
Verlander had a similar injury during spring training in 2015 and did not make his season debut until June 13
Elsewhere around major league training camps:
— Clayton Kershaw will start the Los Angeles Dodgers' opener against the visiting San Francisco Giants on March 26. Kershaw will extend his franchise record for opening day starts to nine.
— The Milwaukee Brewers will be paying Christian Yelich until 2042, when the All-Star outfielder is 50 years old. Yelich's $215 million, nine-year contract with the team calls for Brewers to defer $4 million each year from his $26 million annual salary from 2022-28. The 28-year-old outfielder is a two-time All-Star and a one-time Gold Glove winner.
— The Cleveland Indians and All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor have stopped talking about a contract extension. Lindor told The Athletic that the sides suspended talks so he can focus on the upcoming season. Lindor will make $17.5 million this season and he's under the team's control through 2021.
NFL-NEWS
Norman reportedly agrees to deal with Bills
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Two people with knowledge of the decision tell The Associated Press that veteran cornerback Josh Norman has agreed to sign a one-year contract with the Buffalo Bills.
NFL Network first reported the deal. Norman is an eighth-year player who spent the past four seasons in Washington before being released last month. He struggled to play to high expectations and was cut with one season left on a five-year $75 million contract he signed in free agency in 2016.
In other NFL news:
— New York Giants tight end Rhett Ellison has retired after eight seasons in the NFL. Ellison played at Southern California before being selected in the fourth-round of the 2012 draft by the Vikings. He spent five years in Minnesota before joining the Giants as a free agent in 2017. His 2019 season was cut short due to a concussion suffered against the Jets on Nov. 10.
— The Las Vegas Raiders have released linebacker Tahir Whitehead after two seasons as a starter. Whitehead was originally signed to a three-year, $19 million deal as a free agent in 2018 and started all 32 games with the Raiders the past two seasons.
— The Atlanta Falcons have bolstered a position of need by agreeing to a one-year contract extension with defensive end Steven Means. The 29-year-old Means started four games in 2018 and had 14 tackles and one sack. He missed the 2019 season after suffering an Achilles tendon injury.
— The NFL players' union has extended the deadline for its members to vote on a new labor agreement with the league to Saturday night. The 32 NFL owners approved the deal last month. The NFL Players Association executive board then rejected it 6-5, but the player reps voted 17-14 in favor.
HORSE RACING-DRUGS
Trainers, vets among more than two dozen charged
NEW YORK (AP) — The trainer of champion Maximum Security is among more than two dozen people charged in what authorities describe as a widespread international scheme to drug horses to make them race faster.
The charges against horse trainers, veterinarians and others were detailed in four indictments unveiled Monday in Manhattan federal court. Authorities say the drugs can cause horses to overexert themselves, leading to heart issues or death.
Maximum Security crossed the finish line first at the 2019 Kentucky Derby before being disqualified for interference and has since won four of his five high-profile races.
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