NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Knicks have hired Mike Brown, turning to the two-time NBA Coach of the Year after firing Tom Thibodeau. The Knicks offered the job to Brown last week and announced Monday that he would be taking over the team that reached the Eastern Conference finals last season for the first time in 25 years. They decided to fire Thibodeau despite that and eventually picked Brown, who wasn’t out of work long after getting fired by the Sacramento Kings during last season. Brown had led the Kings to the postseason in 2023 and was voted the Coach of the Year.
Paolo Banchero has agreed to the richest contract in Orlando Magic history. According to a person with knowledge of the agreement, his five-year extension is worth $239 million and could reach about $287 million should he become eligible for a supermax deal. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the terms were not revealed by Banchero or the Magic. Banchero was the rookie of the year in 2022-23 and an All-Star the following season. He has led the Magic to two straight playoff appearances.
Minnesota Twins outfielder and Georgia native Byron Buxton has been announced as the fourth participant in the Home Run Derby. It will take place next Monday, the night before the All-Star Game, at Truist Park in Atlanta. Buxton joins Nationals outfielder James Wood, Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. and Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh in the competition. Buxton has 20 homers this season. He's from Baxley, Georgia, and was the second overall pick by the Twins in the 2012 draft. New York Mets slugger and two-time winner Pete Alonso joined Philadelphia designated hitter Kyle Schwarber in electing to skip the event.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indiana Pacers won’t be rushing guard Tyrese Haliburton back to the court next season as he recovers from a torn right Achilles tendon. Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard said Monday in a news conference that Haliburton "will not play next year." Haliburton suffered his Achilles injury early in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. He had surgery June 23 at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. It was a historic postseason for Haliburton, who turned in an array of buzzer-beating winners, incredible plays and some unprecedented stat lines. The Oklahoma City Thunder were crowned champions after beating the Pacers 103-91.
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Manny Machado of the San Diego Padres got his 2,000th career hit Monday night against the Arizona Diamondbacks with a sharp single off the glove of diving shortstop Geraldo Perdomo. The milestone hit came against starter Zac Gallen leading off the fourth inning. Machado received a standing ovation from the crowd at Petco Park, where he’s been a fan favorite since joining the Padres as a free agent in 2019. The All-Star third baseman singled to left field in the first for his 1,999th hit and homered in the eighth, but San Diego lost 6-3.
LONDON (AP) — Jannik Sinner has advanced to the Wimbledon quarterfinals despite hurting his right elbow on a fall and dropping the first two sets. That's because Sinner's opponent, Grigor Dimitrov, had to quit with an injured pectoral muscle. Sinner hadn’t dropped a set in the tournament until falling behind No. 19 seed Dimitrov 6-3, 7-5 Monday night. But at 2-all in the third set, Dimitrov stopped playing. It’s the third time Dimitrov failed to complete a Grand Slam match this season. He also did it at the Australian Open in January and the French Open in May.
LONDON (AP) — Novak Djokovic has overcame an uncharacteristically unsteady start to avoid what would have been his earliest exit at Wimbledon since 2016. Djokovic took the last five games and 14 of the final 15 points to come through for a 1-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 victory over 11th-seeded Alex de Minaur in the fourth round Monday. Djokovic's bid for an eighth Wimbledon title and 25th Grand Slam trophy will continue against No. 22 Flavio Cobolli. No. 1 Jannik Sinner, No. 10 Ben Shelton, 18-year-old Mirra Andreev, Iga Swiatek and Belinda Bencic also won their fourth-round matches on Monday, when Roger Federer sat in the Royal Box at Centre Court.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Byron Buxton has had an All-Star season for the Minnesota Twins highlighted by his consistent presence in the lineup. He has started 73 games in his healthiest season in years. Buxton’s all-around performance includes 20 home runs, 15 steals and his usual Gold Glove-caliber defense. He is also savoring his selection to the All-Star Game that will be held next week in his home state of Georgia. Buxton's only setback this season was a concussion that cost him 11 games in May. He's on pace to play in the second-most games of his injury-altered career.
SAGAMIHARA, Japan (AP) — One is known as “The Monster,” the other “Big Bang.” The bout between champion boxers Naoya Inoue and Junto Nakatani is already being billed as Japan’s “fight of the century.” And the date hasn’t even been set. Sports pundits are hailing what’s happening these days as the golden age of Japanese boxing. For a period last year, all four division bantamweight champions were Japanese. The Ring magazine’s latest Top Ten pound-for-pound ranking has three Japanese fighters, including Inoue and Nakatani.
Finals
INTERLEAGUE
Final Kansas City 9 Pittsburgh 3
Final Boston 9 Colorado 3
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final Detroit 5 Tampa Bay 1
Final Toronto 8 Chicago White Sox 4
Final Cleveland 7 Houston 5
Final L.A. Angels 6 Texas 5
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final Miami 5 Cincinnati 1
Final Milwaukee 9 L.A. Dodgers 1
Final San Francisco 3 Philadelphia 1
Final Arizona 6 San Diego 3