BASKETBALL
Grizzlies' coach fined
The NBA fined first-year Memphis Grizzlies Coach David Fizdavund playoff series. Game 3 is tonight in Memphis. "Players in general and coaches pull this card a lot," Fizdale said Wednesday. "I'm not sitting here acting like I'm any more original than any other coach. But you're fighting for your team and you're fighting for your life in the playoffs, and you just don't have room to let things go into the next year. The series can be over, so you're always going to fight for your guys." Fizdale blasted the officiating in a nearly two-minute tirade during his postgame press conference Monday night. Fizdale called the work of the veteran crew of Danny Crawford, Rodney Mott and Bill Spooner "unprofessional" and "unacceptable" in a postgame interview that grew increasingly louder before he slammed his fist on a table and stormed off. The trio of Crawford, Spooner and Mott have officiated more than 400 playoff games over careers that span more than two decades for each, but Fizdale was irate with their performance with Kawhi Leonard taking more free throws (19) than all his Grizzlies (15) despite Memphis attempting 17 more shots in the paint than San Antonio. ESPN reported Wednesday that several of the players said they would pay Fizdale's fine.
'Madness' to remain
March Madness will continue its start in Dayton, as the NCAA said the Ohio city will host the pair of play-in games known as the First Four through 2022. The University of Dayton beat Detroit, Hershey, Pa., and Evansville, Ind., to retain the opening games of the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. The university has played host to the First Four since 2011. Prior to that, the opening-round game of the NCAA men's basketball tournament, or play-in game, was played at UD Arena every season from 2001-10. Dayton's athletic director, Neil Sullivan, said stadium upgrades are planned. Nationwide Arena in Columbus will host the game's first and second rounds in 2019. U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati hosts the first two rounds in 2022.
BASEBALL
Jeter, Bush to make offer
fDerek Jeter and Jeb Bush have formed a team in their attempt to buy a team. The former New York Yankees star and former Florida governor have joined forces in their pursuit of the Miami Marlins, a person familiar with the situation said Wednesday. The person confirmed the partnership to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because Jeter and Bush have not commented. They initially had competing interests in efforts to buy the team. Jeter has long talked about owning a franchise. Bush's brother, former President George W. Bush, was part-owner of the Texas Rangers from 1989 to 1998. Last week, Marlins President David Samson said talks with multiple parties interested in buying the team were in the "fourth inning." He said owner Jeffrey Loria, 76, might sell before the end of the season -- or not at all. Price and financing could be major hurdles. Joshua Kushner, whose older brother is an adviser to President Donald Trump, had a preliminary agreement to buy the Marlins for $1.6 billion before breaking off negotiations. Loria bought the team in 2002 for $158.5 million. Spokesmen for Jeter and Bush didn't respond to requests for comment.
Nats use 'mix, match' plan
The Washington Nationals have removed Blake Treinen from the closer's role and will use what Manager Dusty Baker said is a "mix and match" plan with right-handers Shawn Kelley and Koda Glover sharing the job. Kelley earned his first save of the season in Tuesday night's 3-1 victory over Atlanta after Treinen gave up 1 run, 2 hits and 2 walks while recording only 1 out in the ninth. Treinen has a 7.11 ERA with 3 saves in 8 games. Baker said Wednesday that Treinen will return to the set-up role "he had success in." Baker said during spring training he wanted to use one closer instead of a committee approach.
FOOTBALL
Bucs get TV time
Coming off their first winning season in nearly a decade, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be featured on HBO's Hard Knocks sports reality series during training camp -- an opportunity coaches and players are embracing but hardly sought. The team was selected from among eight clubs meeting NFL criteria for consideration for the popular five-episode series that takes viewers behind the scenes of a club's preparation for the regular season. Coach Dirk Koetter and General Manager Jason Licht said Wednesday they don't think the constant presence of a 30-person film crew -- on or off the field -- will become a distraction for one of the youngest teams in the league. Tampa Bay, which hasn't made the playoffs since 2007, finished 9-7 a year ago in its first season under Koetter.
TENNIS
Nadal, Murray advance
Defending champion Rafael Nadal withstood a determined comeback from Britain’s Kyle Edmund to win 6-0, 5-7, 6-3 in the second round of the Monte Carlo Masters on Wednesday. He was joined in the third round by top-ranked Andy Murray, who returned from an elbow injury to beat Gilles Muller of Luxembourg 7-5, 7-5. Nadal looked to be coasting until Edmund found his range with huge forehands. He faces No. 14 Alexander Zverev, the 19-year-old German who pushed him to five sets in the third round at this year’s Australian Open. Former champion Stan Wawrinka, who won here in 2014, broke Czech player Jiri Vesely’s serve five times in a 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 victory, while No. 9 Tomas Berdych, the runner-up in 2015, rallied to beat 39-year-old German Tommy Haas 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.
SWIMMING
Phelps: May get itch to dive in again
Michael Phelps hasn’t gotten the urge to return to swimming.
Not yet anyway.
The winningest athlete in Olympic history is clearly enjoying marriage, fatherhood and a newfound willingness to speak out on contentious issues such as doping.
But, in a tantalizing concession that he hasn’t totally closed the door on another comeback, Phelps told The Associated Press that it might be tough to stay away from the pool — especially if he attends the upcoming world championships in Budapest.
“The true test will be, if I do end up going over to the worlds this summer, do I have that itch again?” Phelps said Tuesday during a telephone interview.
He was already strongly considering his first comeback when he attended the 2013 championships in Barcelona, and there was no doubt he’d be back for his fifth Olympics when that meet ended.
“I was just like, ‘This is a joke. How can these guys be swimming this slow?’ ” recalled Phelps, who was especially motivated by a disappointing performance from the men’s relay team. “We’ll see if I get that itch again.”
While Phelps still travels extensively, tending to various sponsors and business interests, he gets a lot more quality time with wife Nicole and their son, Boomer, who will celebrate his first birthday in a few weeks.
If Phelps returns to competitive swimming, the demands of training would surely cut heavily into his family time. That’s why, if he tries to predict what the future might hold, it doesn’t include a sixth Olympics at Tokyo in 2020.
“I’m having so many amazing experience, so many cool experiences, with my family,” he said. “I don’t see myself making a comeback. I have no desire right now to do it. I’m in the second chapter of my life. I have a lot of things I now want to accomplish. I’m realizing that more and more. This is a really cool opportunity for me to do some things I was not able to do when I was swimming.”
Sports on 04/20/2017