BASKETBALL
The first required step at the Basketball World Cup for the Americans is now complete. They’re going to the tournament’s second round.
An achievement, technically — but one barely worth acknowledging.
Winning gold is the only goal for the Americans on this end-of-summer trip to Manila, and Monday was just another step, they hope, toward getting there.
Austin Reaves led a balanced scoring effort with 15 points and the U.S. topped Greece 109-81 to clinch a spot in the second round that starts Friday.
“There’s only really one thing that gets us excited out here,” U.S. guard Tyrese Haliburton said. “We’ve got to take care of business every night to be able to do that.”
Jalen Brunson and Anthony Edwards each scored 13 for the Americans (2-0), who haven’t lost in seven games overall this summer. Brunson made all five of his shots, Bobby Portis had 10 points and Josh Hart grabbed 11 rebounds for the winners.
The win, combined with New Zealand’s 95-87 overtime victory over Jordan earlier, ensured that the U.S. is moving on. The Americans will finish group play against Jordan on Wednesday, then play Lithuania and Montenegro — in some order — on Friday and Sunday in Round 2.
COLLEGES: Bronny James, the 18-year-old son of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, is doing well and attending classes after the highly regarded freshman guard went into cardiac arrest during a workout last month, Southern California basketball coach Andy Enfield said.
“The good thing is he’s doing extremely well and he’s in class right now. And we all love him,” Enfield said. “I think everybody is hopeful that Bronny will return to the court. We just have to be patient and take it step by step.”
The James family released a statement Friday saying a congenital heart defect was the probable cause of James’ cardiac arrest. The statement said the heart defect can be treated and that the family is confident in James’ ability to make a full recovery and return to the court in the near future.
James was hospitalized at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and released three days after being stricken on July 24.
WNBA: Sabrina Ionescu scored 25 points and Breanna Stewart added 20 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists to help the New York Liberty beat the visiting Las Vegas Aces 94-85 in the final regular-season meeting between the teams.
The Liberty cut the Aces’ lead in the race for the top overall seed in the playoffs to 1 1/2 games, with only a handful left to play. The teams potentially wouldn’t meet again until the WNBA Finals. They split their four regular-season games.
New York (28-7) has won four straight since losing in Las Vegas (30-6) on Aug. 17.
SOCCER
MLS: John Herdman quit as coach of Canada’s men’s national team to move behind the bench at Toronto FC of Major League Soccer starting Oct. 1.
The 48-year-old Briton took over as men’s coach in 2018 after seven years leading Canada’s women and helped the men qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1986. Canada lost to Belgium, Croatia and Morocco at the tournament in Qatar.
Herdman said then he hoped to stay through the 2026 World Cup, which Canada will co-host, but in June he said the Canada Soccer Association needed to increase the team’s funding.
Toronto fired Bob Bradley on June 26 and made Terry Dunfield its interim coach. Toronto has 19 points, tied for the lowest in the 29-team league, and has three wins, 13 losses and 10 ties.
COLLEGES
FOOTBALL: Michigan offensive coordinator Sherrone Moore will be suspended for this week’s season-opening game as part of the school’s self-imposed penalties for violating NCAA rules that also led to Coach Jim Harbaugh’s punishment.
Harbaugh said an analyst will be elevated to fill Moore’s spot on the staff Saturday against East Carolina.
The school announced last week that it decided Harbaugh would serve a three-game suspension to start this season because of NCAA recruiting infractions.
• Conner Weigman has been named No. 23 Texas A&M’s starter for the opener against New Mexico on Saturday night.
Coach Jimbo Fisher made the announcement after Weigman and Max Johnson had competed for the job throughout camp.
• UCLA will go with three quarterbacks during Saturday’s opener against Coastal Carolina.
Coach Chip Kelly said Ethan Garbers will get the start but that Collin Schlee and Dante Moore will see playing time during the game.
• Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels, the preseason Big 12 offensive player of the year, is expected to start the Jayhawks’ opener against Missouri State on Friday night after dealing with a back injury that limited him in fall camp.
HORSE RACING
OBIT: Sarava, the upset winner of the 2002 Belmont Stakes at 70-1 odds, died at his retirement farm in Kentucky.
The 24-year-old horse was euthanized due to complications from a leg fracture, according to a preliminary veterinarian report from Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital. His death was announced by Old Friends farm in Georgetown.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
