The three finalists for the NBA Most Valuable Player award -- Giannis Antetokounmpo, James Harden and Paul George -- led the balloting for the All-NBA teams, which were announced by the league Thursday afternoon.
Milwaukee's Antetokounmpo and Oklahoma City's George were named to the two forward spots on the first team; Stephen Curry of Golden State joined Houston's Harden as the guards. Rounding out the first team was Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic. Antetokounmpo and Harden were unanimous selections.
By making a second consecutive All-NBA team, Antetokounmpo put himself in line to receive the largest contract in NBA history next summer: a five-year deal from the Bucks worth $247.3 million, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks. Antetokounmpo will be one year away from free agency next July.
LeBron James was not a first team All-NBA selection for the first time since 2007, when he was named to the second team.
James did, however, extend his streak of consecutive All-NBA selections to 15 -- tying him with Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most in NBA history -- by earning a third-team nod in his first year with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Thursday was a hugely important player for several players and teams, as it determined whether or not they would be eligible for a designated veteran extension this summer -- better known as a "supermax" -- by making it onto one of the three All-NBA teams. Specifically, Lilllard and Walker qualified, while Bradley Beal and Klay Thompson did not.
Now, the Portland Trail Blazers have a decision to make regarding whether to extend an extension to Lillard worth four years and $191 million this summer, while the Charlotte Hornets must decide if he should give a five-year, $221 contract to Walker as a free agent on July 1, with both numbers according to Marks.
Lillard is expected to sign the extension in July, per sources, while it is unclear, after the Hornets missed the playoffs, what Walker will decide to do as an unrestricted free agent.
With runners on first and second, speedy Jake Marisnick hit a grounder down the third-base line to Yoan Moncada. He stepped on the bag for the first out and threw to Yolmer Sanchez at second. Sanchez relayed to first, where the ball just beat Marisnick.
It was the first triple play in the majors this season and Chicago's first since July 8, 2016, against the Atlanta Braves. Houston last hit into a triple play on April 19, 2018, against the Seattle Mariners.
"It takes a perfect alignment of the stars,'' Astros manager AJ Hinch said. "It was not our night.''
Because he was in the perfect spot to grab Marisnick's grounder, Moncada thought the White Sox might be able to get three outs as soon as he touched third.
"Honestly, yes,'' he said through an interpreter. "I just reacted and from there the play was easy.''
Cano, a second baseman, has a quadriceps strain. McNeil has a left hamstring strain.
Cano has struggled in his first season with the Mets and was criticized for not hustling in two games when the Mets were swept by the Miami Marlins last weekend. He is hitting .241 with three home runs and 13 RBIs.
He suffered the injury hustling to first base on a grounder in the third inning of Wednesday night's 6-1 victory over the Washington Nationals. He had an MRI during the game, which showed a low-grade strain.
McNeil, who has started games in the outfield, at third base and at second base this season, is third in the National League with a .333 average. He also has two home runs and 15 RBIs.
McNeil has a tight left hamstring, which he thinks occurred while trying to steal second base in the ninth inning of a 6-5 win Tuesday. New York hasn't sent him for any image testing, and manager Mickey Callaway and McNeil both described the IL move as precautionary.
With its top two second base options out, the Mets expect to shuffle through options at the keystone. Adeiny Hechavarria started there Thursday, but Callaway described it as a "day-by-day'' decision.
The Mets now have four starters sidelined, as outfielders Michael Conforto (concussion) and Brandon Nimmo (neck) also are on the injured list.
Conforto is eligible to return from the seven-day concussion list Friday, but Callaway said he is unsure if the outfielder would be cleared. Conforto has been participating in baseball activities and was set to do so again Thursday, but he will need to be evaluated Friday before a decision can be made.
Despite the health woes, New York has won three straight over the Nationals, getting key contributions from backups such as J.D. Davis, Carlos Gomez and Hechavarria. Rajai Davis was called up from Triple-A late Wednesday, arriving via Uber from Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the third inning, and hit a key three-run homer as a pinch hitter in the eighth.
"The guys aren't giving up,'' said Callaway, who got a front office endorsement Monday amid speculation about his job security. "Our depth is really stepping up.''
Infielder Luis Guillorme and left-handed reliever Ryan O'Rourke were recalled from Triple-A Syracuse to take the injured players' places on the roster.
In other moves, the Mets claimed outfielder Aaron Altherr off waivers from the San Francisco Giants and designated Tim Peterson for assignment
Trio help to launch British Athletics’ Festival of Athletics at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
European 100m silver medallist Reece Prescod, World Para Athletics long jump champion Stef Reid and two-time Paralympic T44 100m champion Jonnie Peacock have been announced for the Müller Anniversary Games.
The three athletes were confirmed as part of the line-up for the event at the London Stadium on July 20-21 as they helped to launch British Athletics’ Festival of Athletics, which will be taking place this summer at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, focused around the Anniversary Games.
As part of the launch event, Prescod, Reid and Peacock led a session with local schoolchildren at the Olympic Park as they took on an Anniversary Games-themed Tumbleator.
“The Müller Anniversary Games provides the chance for fans to see the best athletes in the world compete on the same stage, in a stadium with such great memories for the nation,” said Peacock.
“The event is vitally important for athletes ahead of a busy end to the year with the World Para Athletics Championships and I can’t wait to race again in front of what is always an outstanding British crowd.
“We’ve had so much fun today showing these young people how much fun athletics can be, and what a setting to do it next to the London Stadium.”
The Festival of Athletics will see a host of activity taking place across Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, including a Couch to 5K event, a London Boroughs: Connect Relays competition and fundraising for Track Academy, which has recently been confirmed as the official charity partner to the 2019 Anniversary Games.
The Couch to 5K event will take place on July 21, with the all-female mass run beginning at 9:45 and ending on the track inside the London Stadium. All entrants will receive a ticket to the second day of the Anniversary Games.
The Connect Relays competition will involve the 32 London boroughs, with the top teams lining up to compete in the Anniversary Games, while the partnership between British Athletics and Track Academy will see the charity receive donations from ticket purchasers who will have the opportunity to donate £0.25, £0.50 or £1.00 at point of ticket confirmation for the Anniversary Games.
Former British athlete and current equality, diversity and engagement lead at British Athletics, Donna Fraser, said: “The Festival Athletics will see the ultimate celebration of athletics for communities in London this summer, with the pinnacle being the Müller Anniversary Games in July.
“Athletics is the perfect family sport for spectators and participants. This is one of the many reasons athletes enjoy competing at the Müller Anniversary Games so much because as well as having world-class athletics on show, we see first-hand how accessible and inclusive the sport is. With so much going on across the weekend of 20-21 July, it’s a great chance for the public to enjoy the sport in different ways.”
A 10-strong GB team has been selected for the event on June 1-2
Commonwealth hammer champion Nick Miller and British indoor shot put champion Sophie McKinna are among the British athletes to have been selected for the Halle Throws International.
A 10-strong GB team has been named for the event on June 1-2.
Miller opened his season with victory at the IAAF Hammer Throw Challenge in Brazil last month and is one of five British throwers chosen to return to Halle for the second year running, having finished third in 2018.
McKinna will once again take to the shot put circle in Germany after a great start to 2019 that has seen her hit the qualification standard for the IAAF World Championships in Doha later this year. She has fond memories of Halle, setting a still-standing British junior record there in 2013.
Taylor Campbell makes the step up to the senior competition after finishing third in the under-23 hammer event last year while Welsh athletes James Tomlinson in the discus and Sarah Omoregie in the shot put both return for the under-20 competition.
Omoregie’s selection comes after she achieved the qualifying standard for the European U20 Championships with a personal best of 15.37m at the Loughborough International.
Javelin thrower Harry Hughes was also in career best form at the Loughborough International, becoming the first Brit to throw over 80m in seven years with his 80.32m personal best, and he earns selection for the under-23 event in Halle.
Reigning indoor and outdoor British shot put champion Scott Lincoln and discus thrower George Armstrong, who broke the 60m barrier for the first time in his career last month, will compete as a senior and under-23 respectively and complete a quartet of British men.
Charlotte Payne and Charlotte Williams have both been chosen for the under-20 hammer competition having achieved the European U20 Championships qualifying standard this year. Payne will make her British debut in Halle.
“It is a pleasure that each and every year we are able to take a team to such a highly-rated and world-renowned event in Halle,” said Peter Stanley, head of field and combined events at British Athletics.
“We have once again selected a strong team of British throwers, many of whom have started the season in career best form.
“Halle is a perfect opportunity for both senior and age-group athletes to test themselves against the best in the world as an important year for all involved continues.”
British team
Senior men
Taylor Campbell – Hammer
Scott Lincoln – Shot put
Nick Miller – Hammer
Under-23 men
George Armstrong – Discus
Harry Hughes – Javelin
Under-20 men
James Tomlinson – Discus
Senior women
Sophie McKinna – Shot put
Under-20 women
Sarah Omoregie – Shot put
Charlotte Payne – Hammer
Charlotte Williams – Hammer
SALISBURY, N.C. – Kyle Larson became the first repeat winner of the QRC Open presented by HMS Motorsport on Wednesday night, driving to victory and a $5,151 payday at Millbridge Speedway.
Larson started fourth and passed polesitter Max McLaughlin with a turn-one slide job on lap two, never looking back after that. He led 50 of the 51 laps in his No. 1k Factory QRC/Chevrolet Accessories mount.
Including lap money, Larson’s total haul was $6,401 at the one-sixth mile dirt oval.
While he may have made winning the feature look easy, Larson’s night was anything but. He struggled with the handling of his outlaw kart during his heat race and then had to use a borrowed top wing from Brent Crews for the main event, after a side panel sheared off his primary wing during the pole shuffle.
If that wasn’t enough, Larson lost the muffler off his kart with 15 to go, but even that couldn’t keep him from parking in victory lane at the end of the night.
“Sorry for everyone’s ears,” Larson said in victory lane. “We pinched a pipe in the heat race and had to put a new one on for the feature, and it broke there before the finish. I just couldn’t believe that the kart kept falling apart but we were still able to stay up there with some pretty good power.
“From the heat race to now, we didn’t stop working on it the whole way,” he continued. “This was a night where we had a fast car, but all the issues and gremlins we battled made it so tough. Getting to the lead early helped, but the handling went away quick and we had to hold on. It worked out, though, and it feels good to get the job done and cash in with a lot of money.”
Kyle Larson in victory lane Wednesday night at Millbridge Speedway. (Blake Harris photo)
After taking the $25,000 Back Row Challenge the last two years and crashing out before halfway both times, Larson knew this time, track position was more important than another shot at the extra cash.
“Starting closer to the front definitely helped; it’s so difficult in a race like this to fight your way through all the traffic,” Larson noted. “I honestly felt like (Carson) Kvapil was better than me the whole race, even with his wing coming apart, but we were able to catch cautions at the right times and do what we needed to do to stay out front in the end.”
While Larson won the feature, the star of the show was Tuesday night preliminary winner Chase Majdic, who was scheduled to start second on the grid but elected to take the Phantom Racing Chassis Back Row Challenge for a shot at the five-figure payday and a potential $31,000-plus haul for the week.
He nearly made the decision pay off, too.
Majdic ripped through the field with his No. 42x Mittry Construction-backed outlaw kart, going from 24th to eighth by the competition break at halfway and utilizing a sequence of restarts during the second half of the race to pick off the frontrunning karts one by one.
A flip by Majdic’s teammate, Demo Mittry, brought out the final caution flag of the night with nine laps to go and set up the pivotal restart of the race.
At that point, Majdic was running fourth behind Larson, Carson Kvapil and Brent Crews, but he didn’t stay there long. The Redding, Calif., native slid Crews for third on the restart and took only one more circuit to dispatch Kvapil for second place in the same manner.
Majdic then charged from eight car lengths adrift of Larson in seven laps to end up right on Larson’s tail tank in turn three on the final lap.
He ducked to the bottom in an attempt to make the pass, but the slide job didn’t stick and Majdic ended up one car length short at the checkered flag.
Though dejected at coming up one spot short, Majdic still carried a smile after the race thanks to what he called “a fun run up through there.
“That was freaking exciting out there. I’ve never done anything like that in my life,” said Majdic. “Finishing second in a big race like this, you should be proud, but after coming so close it’s a little bit of a disappointment. I just needed a couple more laps.
“We had the car, we had the speed, we just needed Larson to get caught up a little more in traffic in those final couple laps to really have a shot at him.”
Eleven-year-old Brent Crews completed the podium, followed by Kvapil and McLaughlin, who started from the point after winning the pole shuffle earlier in the night.
The finish:
Kyle Larson, Chase Majdic, Brent Crews, Carson Kvapil, Max McLaughlin, Tom Hubert, Jesse Colwell, Caden Kvapil, Nick Hoffman, Maria Cofer, Demo Mittry, Anissa Curtice, Nick O’Dell, Colby Copeland, Tanner Holmes, Carson Sousa, Dillon Latour, Joey Robinson, Tyler Letarte, Max Mittry, Daniel Whitley, Chase Johnson, Zach Daum, Logan Seavey.
Joe Gibbs Racing and Jeffrey Earnhardt will honor fallen Officer Jordan Sheldon, who died in the line of duty earlier this month, at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. – iK9 and Joe Gibbs Racing will pay tribute to Officer Jordan Sheldon of the Mooresville (N.C.) Police Department this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
The No. 18 iK9 Toyota Supra of driver Jeffrey Earnhardt will carry a special memorial paint scheme in the May 25 Alsco 300 NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Officer Sheldon lost his life in the line of duty May 4 while conducting a routine traffic stop. The six-year veteran of the Mooresville Police Department spent the last four years as member of the K9 unit. He and his dog, Ramon, were trained at the iK9 facility in Anniston, Ala. The duo made a lasting impression on the iK9 staff, as Officer Sheldon was a standout in his training class who had a remarkable bond with Ramon and his comrades.
“It’s terrible anytime we lose someone who has given their life to serve and protect our communities or country, but it’s extremely personal for us anytime we lose someone who has completed our program,” said Landon Ash, founder of Birmingham, Alabama-based Xtreme Concepts, the parent company of iK9. “Spending weeks together training, we develop bonds with those who work hard and excel through the training programs we offer. Officer Sheldon’s class from Mooresville was one of those exceptional classes that we’re often reminded of, and his passing has left our organization deeply saddened. Our hearts and condolences go out to his family, friends and co-workers at the Mooresville Police Department. We’re proud to honor his memory and service.”
Officer Sheldon was a Charlotte native who grew up focused on sports. His passion for helping and protecting others led him to pursue a career in law enforcement. A 2010 graduate of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Officer Sheldon put his degree in criminal justice to good use, joining the Mooresville Police Department in 2013. Officer Sheldon was appointed to the K9 unit in 2015 alongside his K9 partner, Loki. When Loki retired, Officer Sheldon began working with a new K9 partner, Ramon, and that partnership began at iK9.
“Charlotte race weekend is always special, but this race will have a different feeling to it,” said Earnhardt. “There are no words to describe how thankful I am for the opportunity to pay tribute to Officer Sheldon and Ramon. As a Mooresville native, it means so much to honor a man who put his life on the line to protect our community and I appreciate everything that iK9, Xtreme Concepts and Toyota have done to make this possible. Hopefully we can give Officer Sheldon’s friends and family a weekend to remember.”
“The loss of Officer Sheldon hits close to home as he was an outstanding K9 officer who will forever be a member of the iK9 family. The bond between an Officer and his K9 is indescribable and it’s important to highlight the work both do to protect us. We are honored to have Officer Sheldon and K9 Officer Ramon riding along on the 18 and appreciate Toyota bringing us all together to celebrate the legacy of a true hero,” added Jennifer Yohe, president, Xtreme Concepts Racing.
NEW EGYPT, N.J. – With rain in the area throughout the morning and predicted severe weather in the evening hours, Thursday night’s Dirty Jersey 6 at New Egypt Speedway has been postponed to Aug. 20.
Rain formed over the Central Jersey facility during the morning hours and forecasters called for another wave in the late afternoon and evening, forcing the Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series Fueled By Sunoco to shift the date to the 20th of August.
The program in its entirety will go to August with the STSS Velocita-USA South Region presented by Design for Vision and Sunglass Central big-block/small-block Modifieds offering $6,000 to win for 40 laps, Capitol Renegade United Racing Club (URC) Sprint Cars ($2,000 to win) and STSS Crate 602 Sportsman.
MOORESVILLE, N.C. – LS Tractor USA will be joining JR Motorsports as a primary partner for the No. 8 Chevrolet and driver Jeb Burton in two NASCAR Xfinity Series events.
LS Tractor USA will back JR Motorsports and Burton at Michigan Int’l Speedway (June 8) and Bristol Motor Speedway (Aug. 16).
Founded in 2009 in Battleboro, N.C., LS Tractor offers sub-compact, compact and utility tractors made from steel that provide the greatest loader lift capacity of any tractors in their class. To date, there are roughly 400 LS Tractor dealers in the United States and Canada that have sold close to 50,000 tractors across North America.
“LS Tractor has done a great job expanding its brand presence and we’re pleased to give them additional market exposure this season,” said Joe Mattes, JRM vice president of marketing. “They’re a company from right here in North Carolina that we’re proud to represent. They have a good relationship with the Burton family and I know Jeb will give it his all in the No. 8 car. It’s only a matter of time until we see that group in victory lane.”
In addition to the two primary events, LS Tractor will be featured as an associate partner on Burton’s Chevrolet Camaro beginning this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, as well as in races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (Sept. 7), Texas Motor Speedway (Nov. 2) and Homestead-Miami Speedway (Nov. 16).
“Everyone here at LS Tractor is excited to support Jeb and JRM this race season,” said Amanda Clark, LS Tractor marketing manager. “The Burtons are such avid supporters of LS Tractor that this is not just a partnership for us – it’s the kind of mutual support that builds great futures. We look forward to seeing Jeb in Victory Lane and in the fields on his LS Tractor, many times over.”
Burton has been one of six drivers to wheel the No. 8 Chevrolet for JRM in 2019. In his only Xfinity Series start to date this season, Burton drove the No. 8 entry to a top-five finish at Texas Motor Speedway. Overall, the team has recorded two top-five and seven top-10s through the first 10 races of the season.
“I can’t say thank you enough to LS Tractor for coming on board our No. 8 Chevrolet,” said Burton. “It means a lot to have the support of a company as strong as LS Tractor and I can’t wait to get to the racetrack and contend for victories with them on our Camaro. We are going to give it everything we have.”
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