Brooks set to become coach of Wizards
Scott Brooks is on his way to Washington, the latest move made by the Wizards that could have the benefit of enticing Kevin Durant to return home this summer.
The Wizards reached agreement with Brooks to become the team’s new coach Thursday, said two people familiar with the deal. The people spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because no announcement had been made.
The sides agreed on a five-year deal, one of the people told the AP.
Brooks had a 338-207 record in seven years with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He helped develop Durant and Russell Westbrook into perennial All-Stars and led the Thunder to the NBA Finals in 2012.
He replaces Randy Wittman, who was not retained after Washington went 41-41 this season.
Commissioner Adam Silver believes the NBA has been “crystal clear” that the 2017 All-Star game stays in Charlotte only if a North Carolina law goes. Political and business leaders he’s spoken with in the state believe it will, so he’s holding off on setting any deadlines for when the NBA might act.
Former Clippers owner Donald Sterling filed notice that he’ll appeal last month’s dismissal of his federal antitrust lawsuit against the league.
His wife, Shelly Sterling, and Commissioner Silver are among the defendants in the lawsuit stemming from the $2-billion sale of the Clippers in 2014.
— Nathan Fenno
Charlotte Hornets forward Nicolas Batum has been ruled out for Saturday night’s Game 3 of their first-round series against the Miami Heat with a sprained left foot.
So Yeon Ryu of South Korea shot a tournament-record nineunder 63 to take the first-round lead in the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic in Daly City, Calif.
Taiwan’s Candie Kung and Japan’s Haru Nomura were two strokes back. Two-time defending champion Lydia Ko shot a 68.
Conor McGregor, in a stirring response to his Ultimate Fighting Championship superiors who pulled him off the UFC 200 main event, announced on Facebook on Thursday that, “I AM NOT RETIRED,” and detailed why he sought a break from a promotional event Friday in Las Vegas.
“I am just trying to do my job and fight here,” McGregor wrote. “I am paid to fight. I am not yet paid to promote. I have become lost in the game of promotion and forgot about the art of fighting . ... ”
He continued: “I am still ready to go for UFC 200. I will offer, like I already did, to fly to New York for the big press conference that was scheduled, and then I will go back into training. With no distractions.”
There was no immediate public response from UFC.
— Lance Pugmire
The Dallas Stars will again be without All-Star center Tyler Seguin for Game 5 of their first-round playoff series against Minnesota . ... The Philadelphia Flyers said forward Scott Laughton was released from the hospital and was doing well a day after being taken off the ice on a stretcher in Game 4.
Pepperdine’s men’s basketball team has signed Kaijae Yee-Stephens, a 6-foot-2 guard from Santa Cruz High. Yee-Stephens averaged 26.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists last season, and scored more than 2,000 points in his four-year varsity career.