NBA
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Denver’s dynamic duo of Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic led another stunning turnaround as the Nuggets advanced to the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2009.
Murray scored 40 points, Jokic had a triple-double by the third quarter and Denver again overcame a double-digit deficit to shock the Los Angeles Clippers 104-89 in Game 7 on Tuesday night.
Denver became the first team in NBA history to rally from a 3-1 series deficit twice in the same postseason.
Denver will face LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in the conference finals.
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Rookie of the Year Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies was the lone unanimous selection to the NBA’s All-Rookie Team that was announced Tuesday.
Morant was a first-team pick on all 100 ballots. Joining him on the first team were Miami guard Kendrick Nunn, Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke, New Orleans forward Zion Williamson and Golden State forward Eric Paschall.
The second-team picks were Heat guard Tyler Herro, Toronto guard Terence Davis II, Chicago guard Coby White, Charlotte forward P.J. Washington and Washington forward Rui Hachimura.
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Nick Nurse would have been in the final year of his contract next season. The Toronto Raptors weren’t about to let that happen with their coach.
Nurse and the Raptors announced a multiyear extension Tuesday, without divulging the terms. In his two seasons with Toronto, Nurse won the 2019 NBA championship and led the Raptors to more wins than any team in the league over that span.
Nurse was originally signed to a three-year deal in June 2018 to lead the club.
MLB
NEW YORK (AP) — The World Series will be played entirely at the Texas Rangers’ new ballpark in Arlington, Texas, as part of a bubble agreement between Major League Baseball and the players’ association, the first time the sport’s championship will be played entirely at one site since 1944.
As part of an agreement finalized Tuesday, the Division Series, League Championship Series and World Series will be part of a bubble designed to minimize exposure to the coronavirus, which decimated the regular season and limited it to a 60-game schedule for each club. The best-of-three first round of the postseason — expanded from 10 to 16 teams this year — will be at the top-seeded teams.
The World Series will be at Globe Life Park in Arlington, a retractable roof stadium with artificial turf that opened this year adjacent to the Rangers’ old ballpark. The American League Championship Series will be at San Diego’s Petco Park, and the National League at Globe Life Park.
The AL Division Series will be at San Diego and Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium, and the NL Division Series at Globe Life and Houston’s Minute Maid Park.
NHL
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Assistant coach Mike Kitchen will not return to the Florida Panthers next season among a series of staffing changes announced Tuesday.
Canada’s TSN reported Kitchen kicked a Panthers player on the bench during a game in January and the team held an internal investigation. A team spokeswoman did not immediately respond to an email seeking confirmation.
Kitchen oped out of coaching in the NHL’s postseason for personal reasons.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Hall of Fame running back Thurman Thomas will be the first inductee into the Oklahoma State football Ring of Honor.
The school announced Tuesday that Thomas will be honored on Sept. 26, when the Cowboys host West Virginia. His name and number will be unveiled atop the west end zone of Boone Pickens Stadium at halftime.
During the game, the Cowboys will wear replicas of the white uniforms they wore in their 1987 Sun Bowl victory over West Virginia. Thomas was the MVP in his final college game.
Thomas is Oklahoma State’s career rushing leader. He ran for 5,001 yards and scored 50 touchdowns over his four-year career in Stillwater. He was the team’s leading rusher in each of his four seasons and was the Big Eight leader in both 1985 and 1987.
GOLF
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The LPGA Tour’s Portland Classic set for this weekend has been reduced to 54 holes because of poor air quality caused by wildfires that have been burning across the West.
The course and practice facilities at Columbia Edgewater Country Club remained closed Tuesday and Wednesday’s Pro-AM has been canceled. The air quality in Portland has been at dangerous levels because of the wildfires in Oregon, Washington and California.
BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — The Australian PGA tournament has been postponed to February because of uncertainties over coronavirus-enforced restrictions.
The PGA of Australia on Wednesday said the European Tour co-sanctioned golf tournament, scheduled for early December at Royal Queensland in Brisbane, is now tentatively scheduled for Feb. 18-21, but the status of the event will be reviewed again in December.
It follows the postponement of November’s Australian Open at Melbourne’s Kingston Heath to sometime next year. Victoria state is experiencing a second wave of COVID-19 infections and deaths, and the city of Melbourne is in lockdown with nightly curfews.
OBITUARY
DUBLIN, Ireland (AP) — Nine-time Irish champion jockey and 2016 Epsom Derby winner Pat Smullen has died. He was 43.
Horse Racing Ireland said Smullen, who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in March 2018, died in a Dublin hospital on Tuesday. Britain’s Press Association said Smullen’s initial treatment had been positive, but he suffered a relapse.
___
More AP sports: https://apnews.com/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
