Knicks dump Noah after two seasons
Joakim Noah’s disappointing Knicks career is over after just two seasons.
Unable to find a trade, the Knicks waived the 33-year-old center Saturday with two years and $37.8 million remaining on his contract. Noah had been away from the team since clashing with former coach Jeff Hornacek last season, when he appeared in just seven games.
The Chicago Bulls selected him with the ninth overall pick in the 2007 draft. He had great years with the Bulls, highlighted by being voted Defensive Player of the Year and firstteam All-NBA in 2014. PELICANS CUT VETERAN JACK >> The New Orleans Pelicans waived guard Jarrett Jack. Jack has played 13 years in the NBA, including with a stint with the Warriors.
Boxing
CRAWFORD STOPS BENAVIDEZ LATE >> Terence Crawford stopped Jose Benavidez with 18 seconds left in the 12th and final round to retain his WBO welterweight championship. Crawford had knocked Benavidez to the canvas with a powerful right hand with 46 seconds left, and then Crawford finished him off with consecutive right hands in Omaha, Nebraska.
Golf
THREE TIED AT CIMB CLASSIC >> Gary Woodland birdied the 18th hole for a 5-under 67 to move into a three-way tie for the lead with Marc Leishman and Shubhankar Sharma after three rounds of the CIMB Classic.
Woodland just missed an eagle putt, while Sharma (66) and Leishman (67) had to settle for pars on the parfive final hole. Playing in the last threesome of the day, the leading trio had 54-hole totals of 19-under 197 on the TPC Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) West course.
They had a two-stroke lead over Louis Oosthuizen, who moved up the leader board with a 65, and firstround leader Bronson Burgoon (67).
Stewart Cink shot 63 for the low round of the day. Justin Thomas, trying to win the tournament for the third time in four years, had a 69 and seven behind. LANGER, SAUERS SHARE
LEAD IN SAS CHAMPIONSHIP >> Bernhard Langer birdied three of the final four holes for a 5-under 67 and a share of the SAS Championship lead at 15-under 129 with Gene Sauers at Prestonwood Country Club in Cary, North Carolina. KANG, HULL KEEP ONE-SHOT LEAD IN KOREA >> Danielle Kang and Charley Hull shot
4-under 68s to retain the lead after three rounds of the KEB Hana Bank Championship in Incheon, South Korea. Ariya Jutanugarn was one stroke behind after a 69.
Local favorite In Gee Chun shot a 66 and was two back and tied for fourth with Minjee Lee (67) and Lydia Ko (68) at 10 under. PEPPERELL SEEKS FIRST EUROPEAN TOUR TITLE, TRIP AUGUSTA >> Eddie Pepperell will take a three-shot lead into the final round of the British Masters after a 1-under 71 as he looked for his second European Tour title and a likely place in next year’s Masters. Pepperell was on 9-under 207 at England’s Walton Heath GC with fellow Englishman Jordan Smith (70), Sweden’s Alexander Bjork (68), American Julian Suri (69) and France’s Julien Guerrier (70) tied for second.
A victory would take Pepperell into the world’s top 35 and almost certainly secure a Masters debut in 2019. The top 50 at the end of the year are guaranteed a place in the first major of the year at Augusta National in April.
Motorsports
KURT BUSCH LEADS STEWART-HAAS RACING SWEEP >> Kurt Busch led a Stewart-Haas Racing sweep to put all four of the company cars up front at Talladega (Alabama) Superspeedway.
Busch turned a lap at 195.804 mph to qualify in the top spot for today’s race. He edged teammate Clint Bowyer, who qualified second, ahead of Kevin Harvick and Aric Almirola as the Ford horsepower built by Doug Yates’ engine shop proved superior in qualifying. It is Busch’s first career pole at either Daytona or Talladega, the two biggest and fastest tracks in NASCAR.
PETERS WRECKS GRAGSON TO WIN TRUCKS RACE >> Timothy Peters bumped leader Noah Gragson out of his way on the final lap at Talladega Superspeedway, then blocked traffic for the final mile to win the Truck Series race.
It was the 11th victory of Peters’ career and third at Talladega, the most wins at the Alabama track among Truck Series drivers.
College basketball
TEXAS GUARD OUT WITH TOE
INJURY FOLLOWING LEUKEMIA TREATMENT >> Texas guard Andrew Jones has fractured a toe in practice, and the school says there is no timetable for his return. Jones had rejoined the team following his diagnosis of leukemia, which occurred in January. He sat out most of last season while undergoing treatment.