BASKETBALL
Whiteside 'probable'
NBA rebounding leader Hassan Whiteside is listed as probable for Miami's game against Toronto today, despite a laceration on his right hand that needed 13 stitches to repair. Whiteside was hurt late in Miami's victory over Phoenix on Tuesday. He had a bandage around his hand Wednesday, and said his hope is that he can play against the Raptors. Whiteside will be evaluated again today before a final decision is made. It's a critical time for the Heat, who have overcome an 11-30 start and are trying to hold on to an Eastern Conference playoff spot with 11 games left. Whiteside had a similar cut, also on his right hand, two seasons ago and missed three games. He's averaging 16.8 points and a league-best 14.2 rebounds per game this season.
Pair suspended
Chicago's Robin Lopez and Toronto's Serge Ibaka have both been suspended one game without pay by the NBA for fighting. Lopez and Ibaka threw punches at one another during the Bulls-Raptors game on Tuesday. Lopez was barred from Chicago's home game with Detroit on Wednesday, and Ibaka will not play when Toronto visits Miami today. Also, Raptors assistant coach Jamaal Magloire was fined $15,000 for his role in the altercation. He pushed Bulls forward Nikola Mirotic and the league said he acted "as other than a peacemaker." Lopez and Ibaka were both ejected and issued technical fouls after Tuesday's incident. The Raptors and Bulls do not play again this season.
HORSE RACING
Late Derby nominees
Thunder Snow, winner of the UAE 2000 Guineas, is among six 3-year-olds made eligible to compete in the Triple Crown series during the late nomination period. The late nominees, which required a payment of $6,000 each, raise the total nominations to 425 for the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont stakes. The late nomination period closed Monday. The early nomination window closed in January and required a payment of $600. Ireland-bred Thunder Snow, owned by Godolphin Racing, is set to run Saturday in the $2 million UAE Derby in Dubai. The colt has three wins in seven career starts for trainer Saeed bin Suroor. The other late nominees are Hollywood Handsome, trained by Dallas Stewart; More Than Words, trained by Charlie LoPresti; Parlor, trained by Eddie Kenneally; Rapid Dial, trained by Ingrid Mason; and Stretch's Stone, trained by Bruce Levine. Thoroughbreds that weren't nominated to the Triple Crown have one final chance by paying a supplemental fee. The fee for the Derby is $200,000; $150,000 for the Preakness; and $75,000 for the Belmont.
NCAA
No claims needed
About 40,000 college football and basketball players will not need to submit a claim to receive a portion of the $208.7 million the NCAA will pay to settle a federal class-action lawsuit that claimed the value of their athletic scholarships was illegally capped. U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken in California gave preliminary approval Tuesday to the settlement that was agreed upon by the NCAA and plaintiffs in February. Hagens Berman, the law firm representing plaintiffs, said each eligible person will receive approximately $6,500 and it can begin mailing notices to class members by July. Final approval of the settlement from Wilken is scheduled for November. The original antitrust lawsuit was filed in 2014 by former West Virginia football player Shawne Alston. The case was later combined with other lawsuits and covers Division I men's and women's basketball players and FBS football players who competed from 2009-2017 and did not receive a cost-of-attendance stipend. Cost of attendance includes expenses beyond tuition, room and board, books and fees. The settlement will be fully funded by NCAA reserves, the association has said. No school or conference will be required to contribute.
MOTOR SPORTS
Daytona winner dies
Pete Hamilton, winner of consecutive Daytona 500s, died Wednesday. He was 74. Richard Petty Motorsports and NASCAR both announced Hamilton's death. Hamilton won four career Cup races, including the Daytona 500 in 1970 and 1971. He also won twice at Talladega Superspeedway in 1971. Hamilton's 1970 Daytona victory was in the No. 40 Plymouth Superbird fielded by Petty Enterprises. His teammate was Hall of Famer Richard Petty. Hamilton was teamed with Hall of Fame mechanic Maurice Petty, and Richard Petty said that tandem was the difference. "Pete and 'Chief' won the race, and it was a big deal," Petty said. "It was great to have Pete as part of the team. He was a great teammate." Maurice Petty said Hamilton was "as fast as anyone on the superspeedways in 1970." Hamilton had 26 top-five finishes in 64 career starts from 1968-73.
Instructor: Track unsafe
An employee driving instructor is balking at declaring that a tourist-oriented exotic auto racing track near Las Vegas is safe, and is suing in state court to try to close the course so it can be redesigned. Francisco Durban's attorney, Dominic Gentile, said Wednesday his client won't lie, and that several track safety experts back his belief that the SpeedVegas attraction is deadly dangerous. Representatives of the track, owner-operator Scott Gragson and his company didn't immediately respond Tuesday or Wednesday to messages about the lawsuit. It was filed Monday. A tourist and a driving instructor died Feb. 12 when a Lamborghini crashed into a wall at the end of a straightaway and burst into flames. The crash was being investigated by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
GOLF
Rough day for top seeds at Match Play
AUSTIN, Texas — Defending champion Jason Day lasted only six holes at the Dell Technologies Match Play until a heavy heart forced an early departure.
Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth might not be far behind.
The opening round of golf’s most unpredictable tournament took an unusual turn Wednesday when the third-seeded Day abruptly conceded his match to Pat Perez, then wiped away tears as he revealed his mother has lung cancer. Day withdrew to be with her in Ohio for surgery on Friday.
Dustin Johnson had no trouble in his debut as the No. 1 seed. He had five birdies in his opening eight holes at Austin Country Club and there wasn’t much Webb Simpson could do but try to extend the match as long as he could. It lasted 15 holes in a 5-and-3 victory.
McIlroy, the 2015 champion and a semifinalist last year, appeared to seize control against Soren Kjeldsen when he won three consecutive holes to take the lead. Kjeldsen, crisp as ever with his short irons, ran off four consecutive birdies to end the match. Kjeldsen was 6 under on the round.
Spieth didn’t up put much of a fight against Hideto Tanihara of Japan, making his debut in Match Play.
With the Texas crowd on his side, Spieth missed a short birdie attempt that would have given him the lead on No. 5. Two holes later, Tanihara poured in an 18-foot birdie putt. Spieth couldn’t match him and never caught up.
Spieth and McIlroy are not done yet, though they need some help.
The best record from the 16 four-man groups advance to the knockout stage on Saturday. Ties are determined by a sudden-death playoff, and head-to-head matchups do not count.
“I obviously have to take care of my end of the bargain tomorrow,” said Spieth, who next faces Yuta Ikeda.
Only nine of the 32 matches went the distance. Charl Schwartzel had the shortest day, ending his match against Byeong Hun on the 13th hole.
Sports on 03/23/2017