BASKETBALL
NCAA: Wade offered 'benefits'
NCAA enforcement officials say LSU Coach Will Wade is suspected of offering or providing "impermissible benefits" to 11 prospective recruits or people associated with them. The allegation is detailed in documents made public Wednesday by LSU. The documents include NCAA vice president of enforcement Jonathan Duncan's request on July 15 that a probe into Wade's recruiting tactics be referred to the NCAA's Independent Accountability Resolution Process. That process, which is set up to handle complicated infractions cases, has been known to take six or more months to play out, making it likely that Wade will remain LSU's coach through the 2020-21 season -- unless the coach chooses to step down. In Wade's case, NCAA enforcement officials allege that the LSU coach and his attorneys have engaged in uncooperative behavior that has "delayed resolution dramatically." NCAA officials also contend that even LSU athletics officials have struggled to get Wade to cooperate in a forthcoming and timely manner.
Pacers fire McMillan
The Indiana Pacers fired Coach Nate McMillan on Wednesday less than three weeks after announcing he would keep the job for two more years. Team officials made the announcement 48 hours after the Pacers suffered their second consecutive first-round sweep. McMillan went 183-136 in four seasons with the Pacers, going to the playoffs each season. But Indiana never reached the second round and endured the first three four-game sweeps in the franchise's NBA history. His playoff record with the team was just 3-16. McMillan finished his tenure with Indiana ranked No. 3 in victories in the team's NBA history.
HOCKEY
Lightning cruise by Bruins
Ondrej Palat, Mikhail Sergachez and Alex Killorn scored power-play goals Wednesday night to lead the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 7-1 rout of the Boston Bruins in Game 3 of their second-round NHL playoff series. Killorn added a second goal and Yanni Gourde, Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov also scored for the Lightning, which won for the second consecutive night to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven matchup. ... Phillippe Myers scored 2:40 into overtime to give the Philadelphia Flyers a 4-3 victory over the New York Islanders on Wednesday, tying the second-round playoff series at a game apiece.
TENNIS
Djokovic advances
Top-ranked Novak Djokovic had all parts of his game working Wednesday while advancing to the semifinals of the Western & Southern Open. Djokovic had no problems with his creaky neck or the swirling winds during a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Jan-Lennard Struff that was by far his best showing of the week. Djokovic tested positive for covid-19 after exhibition matches he organized in Serbia and Croatia in June with no social distancing. In his match Monday against Ricardas Berankis, Djokovic had his sore neck massaged twice by a trainer during a 7-6 (2), 6-4 victory that included seven double faults. In the semifinals, he'll face Roberto Bautista Agut, who knocked out defending champion Daniil Medvedev earlier in the day.
FOOTBALL
Bengals cornerback arrested
Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Mackensie Alexander was jailed Wednesday on a charge of misdemeanor battery after deputies say he beat up a man shortly after returning to Florida to help search for his missing father. Alexander, 26, and another man, 28-year-old Evins Clement, were arrested by Collier County sheriff's deputies Tuesday night, not long after Alexander arrived back in southwest Florida where he grew up and his family still lives in the small farming community of Immokalee. Bail for the men was set at $2,000 each at a Wednesday afternoon court hearing, and they were released later that day. Alexander had left Bengals training camp earlier Tuesday to assist in the search for his 65-year-old father, Jean Alexandre, a Haitian immigrant who uses a French spelling of the family's surname. Investigators say Mauricet Etienne told them he, Alexandre and others drove about 80 miles to pick palmetto berries in Okeechobee County on Monday. According to Alexander's arrest report, he and Clement had gone to the home of the man he's accused of assaulting "to discuss a previous incident." The report says Alexander tried to convince Etienne to go with them, but he refused, saying he was scared of retaliation. Etienne told deputies that Alexander then threatened to get a gun from his car. When Etienne still refused to go with them, he said Clement grabbed him and Alexander began punching him in the face. Clement and Alexander fled when they heard sirens approaching but were arrested a short time later.
Bears RB suffers injury
Bears running back David Montgomery limped off the field at practice Wednesday after injuring his groin when making a cut on a running play. Montgomery, a second-year pro who is expected to carry much of the load in the running game, went down in a noncontact drill. After he took a handoff from Mitch Trubisky and ran to his left, Montgomery fell as he cut. He later was carted to Halas Hall to be examined by the medical staff. Montgomery had a solid rookie season, rushing for 889 yards and six touchdowns. He also made 25 receptions for 185 yards and a touchdown. Veteran Tarik Cohen is the Bears' other main running back. They did not draft any other running backs this year.
Giants rookie needs surgery
The New York Giants secondary has taken a hit with second-round draft pick Xavier McKinney scheduled for surgery after breaking his left foot. The Giants announced the injury Wednesday, just minutes before the team was to start a training camp practice at MetLife Stadium. The club also said linebacker David Mayo will have knee surgery. The team did not say when the injuries happened but the players were at practice on Tuesday. A play-making safety from Alabama, McKinney was seemingly going to get a lot of playing time opposite safety Jabrill Peppers. Julian Love, who started five games late last season, will probably take over the starting job. Sean Chandler also has some experience at safety and there several free agents who will be given a shot to play.
