Celtics clinch playoff berth
The Boston Celtics clinched an NBA playoff berth without playing a game Monday night when the Chicago Bulls defeated the Brooklyn Nets 113-85.
The loss by the Nets means they cannot pass the Celtics in the standings as Boston owns the tiebreaker.
The playoff berth has occurred for the Celtics after they surged forward despite a 13-26 start and trading top players Rajon Rondo and Jeff Green.
The Celtics are now 38-42 and are seventh in the Eastern Conference standings. Their playoff opponent is still uncertain depending on the outcome of their next two games and two games by the Pacers.
A seventh seed means a series against the Cleveland Cavaliers and an eight seed means a series against the No. 1 Atlanta Hawks.
Boston’s Ramirez to play with bruised foot
Boston Red Sox left fielder Hanley Ramirez is not expected to miss any games despite leaving the game Monday with a foot injury.
Ramirez fouled a ball off his right foot in the eighth inning of Boston’s 9-4 win over the Washington Nationals.
X-rays were negative — it was determined to be merely a bruise — and manager John Farrell said he expected Ramirez to start Tuesday against Washington.
Red Wings goalie Mrazek gets start in Game 1
The Detroit Red Wings will start goaltender Petr Mrazek for Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday.
Red Wings coach Mike Babcock announced Monday that Mrazek gets the nod over former University of Maine star Jimmy Howard.
“I just watch the guys and I thought that (Mrazek starting) gave us the best way to start the series,” Babcock said.
The 23-year-old Mrazek went 16-9-2 with a 2.38 goals-against average and .918 save percentage in 29 games this season.
Howard has been the Red Wings goalie in the Stanley Cup playoffs each of the past five seasons. The 31-year-old Howard went 23-13-11 with a 2.44 goals-against average and .910 save percentage in 53 games.
Rockies’ Axford takes leave to be with ailing son
DENVER — Reliever John Axford did not accompany the Rockies on their flight to San Francisco after Sunday’s game. He will be absent from the team, perhaps for as long as a week, to be with his 2-year-old son, Jameson, who was bitten twice on the top of his right foot by a rattlesnake near the end of spring training.
The Rockies placed Axford on the family medical emergency list, meaning he will be off the 25-man roster for at least three and no more than seven days.
Jameson underwent surgery Monday in Arizona but needs additional surgery because of complications in the foot. Before the Rockies’ 6-5 loss to the Cubs, Axford explained the situation that resulted from the initial surgery.
“We found out some tougher news than we were expecting,” Axford said. “The necrotic tissue on his foot ended up being worse than we thought. There was a lot of infection in there, and it was a staph infection. The tissue they thought was going to be good turned out to not be great. The necrotic tissue was all the way down to the base. They had to cut all the tissue out to the bone and tendon.”
Axford said doctors in Arizona, whom he praised, are unable to do anything more for Jameson, who was bitten outside a house north of Scottsdale, Ariz., that Axford was renting with his wife and two sons for spring training.
League president Thorn to retire
The NBA’s main disciplinarian is stepping down.
Rod Thorn, president of basketball operations, said Monday he will step down in August.
Thorn, who is in his second stint in the league office, said senior vice president Kike Vandeweghe likely will take over for him.
The 73-year-old Thorn is a former player and general manager with the Chicago Bulls, Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets.
While with the Bulls, he drafted Michael Jordan. In 2001-02, he was NBA Executive of the Year with the Nets.
Ohio State extends Meyer’s contract
Fresh off a national title, Ohio State has extended coach Urban Meyer’s contract through the 2020 season.
Meyer’s salary will increase from $4.9 million to $5.8 million in 2015 and will average $6.5 million, which matches Alabama’s Nick Saban for highest in college football.
In three seasons at Ohio State, Meyer is 38-3, including 24-0 against Big Ten teams — not counting a loss to Michigan State in the 2013 conference championship game.