Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lewis Hamilton are among the sports stars whose schedules are in doubt because of the spreading war in the Middle East. Cancellations and travel shutdowns are already affecting events since the United States and Israel launched a wave of strikes on Iran on Saturday. Organizers of Formula 1 and major soccer games face deciding within weeks whether they can go ahead as scheduled. Middle Eastern nations have become crucial to the world sports landscape over the last decade as event hosts, financial backers and employers for some of the world’s top athletes.
GENEVA (AP) — Iran’s place at the men’s soccer World Cup in three months has been put in doubt amid an escalating Middle East conflict sparked by tournament co-host the United States. Iran is due to play three group-stage games in the U.S. from June 15-26. Two are in Inglewood, California and one in Seattle. It is unclear if the state-backed Iranian soccer federation could refuse to send its team to the 48-nation tournament that Canada and Mexico will co-host. Or if the U.S. government could effectively block the team. If Iran doesn't play, Iraq is next in line from Asia.
NEW YORK (AP) — Jimmy Fallon made fun of Jack Hughes for getting a tooth knocked out before scoring his Olympic-final overtime goal and praised Hilary Knight for winning at her fifth Games as the U.S. gold medal-winning hockey players made another late-night television appearance. Knight, Jack Hughes and his brother Quinn Hughes shared the stage on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” on Monday night, 48 hours after their memorable cameo alongside women’s golden goal scorer Megan Keller on “Saturday Night Live.”
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Duke star freshman Cameron Boozer had a pair of long, thick and inflamed scatches wrapped around his right shoulder after a lopsided win at N.C. State. The victory secured the outright Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title for the Blue Devils. Boozer finished with 26 points in the 93-64 win. He joked that “the Wolfpack got me” afterward with “long claws.” Boozer says the scratches came from one of the Wolfpack's big men after halftime.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Cadillac brings a new American team to the Formula 1 grid as the season opens in Australia. The team makes its racing debut this weekend at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne. The project started with Michael Andretti’s bid, but it now belongs to TWG Motorsports and General Motors. The group kept building the car and engine even after F1 first said no. Cadillac signed Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas to lead the effort. The team leases Ferrari engines until its General Motors engines are ready. Many expect early struggles, but Cadillac says it has come to win.
Luke Kornet has called on the Atlanta Hawks to cancel their upcoming collaboration with Magic City. Kornet says he and other NBA players were surprised by the team’s decision to promote the adult entertainment club. The San Antonio Spurs center wrote Monday that allowing the March 16 event during the Hawks’ game against the Orlando Magic “would reflect poorly on us as an NBA community, specifically in being complicit in the potential objectification and mistreatment of women in our society.” The Hawks announced the promotion last week. Kornet noted that the team failed to acknowledge that Magic City is a strip club.
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Jaden Bradley scored 17 points, Motiejus Krivas added 13 and No. 2 Arizona clinched the outright Big 12 regular-season title with a 73-57 win over No. 6 Iowa State. The Wildcats secured at least a share of the conference crown by using big runs in each half to beat No. 14 Kansas 84-61 on Saturday. Arizona earned it outright by smothering Iowa State defensively to give Tommy Lloyd his 140th victory, most in NCAA history in a coach’s first five seasons. Coming off their first home loss of the season, the Cyclones labored against Arizona’s physical defense, shooting 29% from the floor, including 7 of 30 from 3-point range. Tamin Lipsey led Iowa State with 17 points.
PHOENIX (AP) — San Francisco Giants ace Logan Webb will start on the mound for Team USA in its first World Baseball Classic game Friday night against Brazil, manager Mark DeRosa said Monday. DeRosa added that two-time defending AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal is expected to start Saturday against Britain, followed by NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes versus Mexico on Monday. New York Mets right-hander Nolan McLean is tentatively scheduled to start Tuesday in the final pool-play game against Italy, though he’s dealing with an illness and wasn’t with the U.S. team for Monday’s practice.
The Detroit Lions traded running back David Montgomery to the Houston Texans for offensive lineman Juice Scruggs along with fourth and seventh-round picks, according to a person familiar with the situation. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced. Detroit dealt a veteran running back who wanted more carries for much-needed depth on the offensive line and extra selections in next month’s draft. The Lions later released 33-year-old offensive lineman Graham Glasgow, who started 14 games last season and has started 136 games in his 10-year career.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Trae Young was thrown out of a Washington game and he isn’t even set to play for the Wizards for a few more nights. Young was ejected Monday night from the Wizards’ game against the Houston Rockets when he left the bench and walked onto the court to complain to a referee. Young was then kicked out during a confrontation between Houston’s Tari Eason and Washington’s Jamir Watkins. Young made an Instagram post of himself working out in Wizards gear earlier Monday and ended it with “3/5.” The Wizards are set to host Utah that night. Coach Brian Keefe said the point guard was trending toward being ready to play against the Jazz.
Finals
MLB SPRING TRAINING
INTERLEAGUE
Final Atlanta 5 Detroit 2
Final Pittsburgh 4 Tampa Bay 1
Final San Francisco 6 Chicago White Sox 5
Final Athletics 7 San Diego 2
Final Washington 3 Houston 3
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final Boston 7 Toronto 6
Final Texas 3 Cleveland 1
Final L.A. Angels 5 Kansas City 4
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final St. Louis 3 Miami 2
Final L.A. Dodgers 7 Colorado 5
Final Cincinnati 17 Chicago Cubs 9
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final Detroit 4 Nashville 2
Final OT Columbus 5 N-Y Rangers 4
Final SO Philadelphia 3 Toronto 2
Final Seattle 2 Carolina 1
Final Dallas 6 Vancouver 1
Final Colorado 4 Los Angeles 2
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final (1)Duke 93 North Carolina State 64
Final (2)Arizona 73 (6)Iowa State 57