BASKETBALL
Curry to return today
Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors agree that he is expected to return to action in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets today. Curry practiced on the eve of the game and tested his right ankle. "I like where I'm at right now," Curry said Saturday. "As long as it continues to feel like it does right now and not have any setbacks after practice today, I should be good." Warriors Coach Steve Kerr said Curry participated in full-court 5-on-5 scrimmaging. "He didn't have any pain this morning or after the workout," Kerr said. "So we're expecting him to play, but we'll see how he is tomorrow morning." Kerr said he expected to monitor Curry's minutes given that his conditioning level had changed after having gone eight days between games. Curry was injured in Game 1, and after missing the next two games, the Warriors have a 2-1 lead in the series.
• The NBA has fined Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart $5,000 for violating its anti-flopping rules during Game 3 of the Celtics' first-round playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks. The NBA announced the fine on Saturday. The league says the flop occurred with 4:32 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Celtics' 111-103 victory on Friday night. Smart was going for an offensive rebound and made contact with Hawks guard Kyle Korver.
• Mike Conley of the Memphis Grizzlies is the winner of the Joe Dumars Trophy for sportsmanship. The NBA made the announcement Saturday. Conley previously won the award in 2013-14. He joins Grant Hill (3) and Jason Kidd (2) as the only multiple winners since the award's inception in the 1995-96 season. The NBA will make a $10,000 donation on behalf of Conley to his charity of choice, Methodist Healthcare Foundation. The money is earmarked for the sickle cell center. Conley received 58 of 327 first-place votes and 2,209 total points from NBA players, who voted among six finalists. The annual award for ethical behavior and fair play is named for former Detroit Pistons guard and Hall of Famer Joe Dumars.
BASEBALL
Injured ump replaced
Umpire Jeff Kellogg, who left Friday night's game between the New York Mets and Atlanta Braves with an undisclosed injury, has been replaced for the remainder of the weekend series. Greg Gibson, who had been in Cincinnati for the Cubs-Reds series, served as acting crew chief Saturday and will work today. Kellogg was home-plate umpire when he was hit by a foul tip in the first inning. He left the game after the inning. Braves assistant trainer Jeff Lovell appeared to look at Kellogg's head before the umpire walked off the field. The game resumed with a three-man crew. In an email to The Associated Press, MLB spokesman Mike Teevan said Kellogg is considered day-to-day and will remain under evaluation. Teevan did not disclose the nature of Kellogg's injury.
• Yankees reliever Branden Pinder has a partial ligament tear in his right elbow and must decide whether to have Tommy John surgery. New York Manager Joe Girardi confirmed the diagnosis Saturday and said Pinder probably will choose in the next couple of days whether to have ligament-replacement surgery, which would likely sideline him at least a year, or try a rehabilitation program and pitch with the partial tear. Also, outfielder Aaron Hicks was sent for an MRI on his sore left shoulder, keeping him out of the lineup Saturday against Tampa Bay. Hicks left Friday night's game with a jammed shoulder soon after diving for Brandon Guyer's bloop single. Pinder struggled in his lone big league appearance this year and was placed on the 15-day disabled list Friday with a strained elbow. The right-hander was 0-2 with a 2.93 ERA in 25 relief outings for the Yankees last season, his first in the majors. New York reliever Nick Rumbelow already is out for the season with a torn elbow ligament, reducing the number of middle-relief options available to Girardi. "It's frustrating because it's two guys that we thought would help us during the course of the year, so it does affect what we could possibly do," Girardi said.
• The Baltimore Orioles placed pitcher Yovani Gallardo on the 15-day disabled list Saturday with tendinitis in the shoulder of his pitching arm. Gallardo complained of a sore right shoulder in his start Friday against the Kansas City Royals and was pulled after two innings and 45 pitches. The Orioles flew him back to Baltimore to be examined. While Gallardo has made 30-plus starts the past seven years, the Orioles were concerned about his shoulder after a February physical before signing him and reconstructed his contract, cutting their original offer from three years to two with an option. The 30-year-old is guaranteed $22 million over two years, including a $2 million buyout for 2018. Gallardo has been on the disabled four times in his career, but never for an arm issue. The last time was 2010 with an oblique strain. The Orioles activated left-hander Brian Matusz, who had been on the disabled list with a left side strain.
TENNIS
All-German final set
Qualifier Laura Siegemund upset top-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4, 6-2 on Saturday to set up an all-German Porsche Grand Prix final with defending champion Angelique Kerber. The 71st-ranked Siegemund caused her biggest upset yet at the indoor clay-court tournament at Stuttgart, Germany, by defeating the second-ranked Radwanska in 1 hour, 23 minutes. She had already seen off the fourth-seeded Simona Halep and sixth-seeded Roberta Vinci to reach her first semifinal. Siegemund converted five of her 13 break opportunities to make today's final in her hometown. Kerber earlier defeated Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 to reach her second successive final. Second-seeded Kerber saved 10 of the 13 break points she faced and converted five of her 10 opportunities to beat the fifth-seeded Czech on her first match point.
HORSE RACING
Stanford takes Classic
Stanford, ridden by Javier Castellano, scored a 2-length victory over Page McKenney on Saturday in the Grade II $1.25 million Charles Town Classic at Charles Town Races in Charlestown, W.Va. It was the first graded-stakes victory for the 4-year-old son of Malibu Moon, who led the 10-horse field from start to finish. Stanford finished second in the 2015 Louisiana Derby and was entered in the Kentucky Derby before being scratched by his trainer Todd Pletcher. Stanford’s winning time at 1 1/8 miles was 1:50.55 and he paid $9.40 to win as the third betting choice. Page McKenney was 1¾ lengths ahead of third-place finisher Donworth, who finished a neck ahead of Imperative.
• Luis Saez rode the winners of both $100,000 stakes for 3-year-olds on Saturday at Aqueduct. Saez started his stakes double aboard Highland Sky in the Woodhaven on the turf with the colt trained by Barclay Tagg. He paid $4.40 to win. The time was 1:43.69 for 1 1/16 miles. One race later, Saez guided Libreta to a 13-1 upset over She's All Ready in the New York Stallion Stakes for fillies. Trained by Tom Albertrani, Libreta paid $28.40 to win. She ran the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:18.58. Both Highland Sky and Libreta earned their first stakes victories, improving their records to 2 for 5.
• Unbeaten juvenile champion Nyquist put in a solid maintenance move in preparation for his expected start in the Kentucky Derby on May 7, covering 5 furlongs in 1:01.80 in company with stablemate Ralis at Keeneland on Saturday morning. With trainer Doug O'Neill watching from the stands, Nyquist broke off a handful of lengths behind Ralis to his inside as they began to two-minute lick -- open gallop -- around the first turn before getting more serious in the final five-eighths. Nyquist clocked splits of :12, :23.80 and :35.80 under exercise rider Jonny Garcia, rolling up to stick a head in front coming off the final turn and finishing up about a half-length in front with a gallop out in 1:18. O'Neill clocked Nyquist going a mile in 1:51 on his watch and has made longer, steadier works a regular part of the routine for the son of Uncle Mo. He added that Nyquist is slated to have his final pre-Kentucky Derby move at Keeneland next Saturday and would likely go through similar paces. Owned by Reddam Racing, Nyquist is unbeaten in seven career starts and most recently captured the Grade I, $1 million Florida Derby by 3 1/4 lengths on April 2. His career earnings of $3,322,600 will make the reigning Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner the richest horse to ever start in the Kentucky Derby.
Sports on 04/24/2016