BASKETBALL
Jackson talks to Blatt
New York Knicks President Phil Jackson met with former Cleveland Cavaliers coach David Blatt about the team’s coaching position earlier this week, a source confirmed. Blatt was fired by Cleveland midway through the regular season with the Cavaliers atop the Eastern Conference with a 30-11 mark. He was 83-43 with the Cavaliers and guided them to the NBA Finals last season. It’s not immediately clear how serious Jackson is considering Blatt for the Knicks job. Interim coach Kurt Rambis also is a candidate. Two days after the Knicks’ season ended, Jackson said he would interview “only people I probably know” and he wanted “someone who has compatibility with what I do as a leader and would have to be in sync with what we do.” Jackson also spoke to his former player and current Warriors assistant coach Luke Walton shortly after the season ended. But it wasn’t a formal interview, Walton told reporters.
Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird and Tamika Catchings will play in their fourth Olympics, anchoring the U.S. women’s basketball team heading to the Rio Games in August. The trio was among 12 players named to the team that was announced Wednesday morning, a group that included first-time Olympians Elena Delle Donne, Brittney Griner and Breanna Stewart. Maya Moore, Seimone Augustus, Lindsay Whalen, Angel McCoughtry, Tina Charles and Sylvia Fowles round out the American squad that will be trying for a sixth consecutive U.S. gold medal. The U.S. hasn’t lost an Olympic game since the semifinals of the 1992 Games.
FOOTBALL
Manziel court date set
Former Texas A&M star and Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel won’t appear in court until next month in his domestic violence case. Dallas County criminal court Judge Roberto Canas set bail for the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner at $1,500, which is typical for a misdemeanor domestic violence case. Prosecutors and Manziel’s attorneys agreed on the amount, and there will be no formal bail hearing. Manziel must appear in court on May 5 for Canas to tell him the conditions of his bail. He will turn himself in next week. Manziel is accused of kidnapping, hitting and threatening to kill Colleen Crowley earlier this year. The indictment accuses Manziel of “intentionally and knowingly causing bodily harm” to Crowley “by striking complainant with a hand and by forcing complainant into a vehicle and against a vehicle dashboard.” His lawyers have said Manziel will plead not guilty.
TENNIS
Kuznetsova advances
Top-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova advanced to the quarterfinals of the Prague Open by beating unseeded Madison Brengle 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 on Wednesday. Kuznetsova will next play Monica Puig, who beat lucky loser Barbora Krejcikova 6-4, 6-4. Second-seeded Lucie Safarova also won, advancing after Lucie Hradecka retired with an injury while trailing 6-4, 2-0. Safarova will next face Hsieh Su-Wei, who defeated Ana Konjuh 6-4, 2-6, 6-1. Also, defending champion Karolina Pliskova, fourth-seeded Sam Stosur, fifth-seeded Barbora Strycova and Camila Giorgi advanced.
Juan Martin del Potro made a successful clay-court comeback after three years away when he beat Dustin Brown 7-6 (2), 6-4 to advance to the second round of the BMW Open on Wednesday in Munich. Del Potro won the U.S. Open in 2009 and was ranked as high as No. 4 in the world until a long-lasting wrist injury hindered his career. Earlier, second-seeded Gael Monfils pulled out of the event with a groin injury sustained in practice. It was the third consecutive year that Monfils had to withdraw from the clay-court event because of injury. Also, fifth-seeded Fabio Fognini advanced to the second round by beating Maximilian Marterer 6-3, 6-1, eight-seeded Alexander Zverev outlasted Malek Jaziri 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, and Jan-Lennard Struff eliminated seventh-seeded Vasek Pospisil 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-2.
Second-seeded Grigor Dimitrov had to overcome some tough resistance from qualifier Adrian Ungur before coming through 7-5, 4-6, 7-5 for a place in the quarterfinals of the Istanbul Open on Wednesday. Dimitrov, who reached the semifinals in Istanbul last year, next faces sixth-seed Jiri Vesely, who rallied to beat Roberto Carballes Baena 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-2. Fourth-seeded Federico Delbonis defeated Dudi Sela 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 in the second round to also make the quarters, while eighth-seeded Albert Ramos-Vinolas beat Karen Khachanov 4-6, 6-1, 6-0 to advance. In the remaining first round match on Wednesday, Illya Marchenko defeated Maximo Gonzalez 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.
Fifth-seeded Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain beat Stephane Robert of France 6-3, 7-6 (3) to advance to the quarterfinals of the clay court Estoril Open on Wednesday in Estoril, Portugal. The 47thranked Spaniard will next face the winner of a late match between France’s Benoit Paire and Kyle Edmund of Britain. Sixth-seeded Borna Coric of Croatia also made it to the quarterfinals by beating Rogerio Dutra Silva of Brazil 6-3, 4-6, 6-1.
HORSE RACING
Commissioners replaced
Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin has revamped the state Horse Racing Commission with 11 new members that include Hall of Fame jockey Pat Day and the son of former Gov. Brereton Jones. The only member of the old board who was reappointed Wednesday was David Richardson, a horse industry veteran. Among former members who were removed before their terms expired was Tom Conway, the father of Jack Conway, who lost to Bevin in last year’s gubernatorial election. In his executive order revamping the commission, Bevin said Kentucky’s global leadership in the horse industry could diminish without quick action to improve the industry. Bevin’s order states the new commission should follow a more “focused vision” to promote safety, improve fans’ experience and attract tourism and investment in the industry. Bevin’s move comes 10 days before the Kentucky Derby.
New Mexico regulators say they are expanding efforts to catch cheaters at the state’s horse tracks. The New Mexico Racing Commission announced Tuesday that enhanced out-of-competition testing is beginning immediately at SunRay Park, where live racing started earlier this month. The random testing applies to horses being kept at licensed tracks or training centers, those under the care of licensed trainers or owners and any horse whose papers are filed in the racing office or has been nominated to a stakes race. The penalty for a positive out-of-competition test could include a suspension of up to 120 days. The trainer also may be fined a maximum of $1,500.
MOTOR SPORTS
Crew chief suspended
The crew chief for Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has been suspended for Sunday’s race at Talladega Superspeedway for a technical violation found last weekend. Nick Sandler was also fined $20,000 on Wednesday for the violation NASCAR discovered in pre-qualifying inspection at Richmond International Raceway. NASCAR this year has stopped commenting on penalties besides citing the broken rule. Sandler’s violation, according to the matching citation number in the rulebook, was that the steering wheel coupling “must meet the SFI 42.1 specification and display a valid SFI 42.1 label on the outside surface.” Sandler was also placed on probation for the rest of the season.