Clippers lose Paul, Griffin for rest of playoffs
The Los Angeles Clippers were hit with a double whammy on Tuesday.
Point guard Chris Paul underwent surgery on his broken hand in Los Angeles and will miss the rest of the NBA playoffs. The team also announced that forward Blake Griffin will be out for the remainder of the postseason with a quad injury.
In one day, the Clippers went from a team that saw a golden opportunity open in front of them when Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry went down with a knee injury to one that likely will have to fight just to reach the next round of the playoffs.
Paul left Monday night’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers in the third quarter and did not return. X-rays showed a fractured third metacarpal bone.
Clippers coach Doc Rivers said all the team can do at this point is to move on and prepare for Game 5 in the Western Conference first-round series on Wednesday night in Los Angeles. The series is tied 2-2.
Tigers’ Collins could face suspension after flipping off fans
Major League Baseball is investigating the actions of Detroit Tigers center fielder Tyler Collins after he flipped off jeering fans during Monday night’s game against the Oakland Athletics.
Collins made the gesture after a ball dropped in front of him in center field, causing the Detroit fans to roundly boo him.
Collins could face a suspension for his antics.
After the contest, Collins apologized for his actions and said he was embarrassed.
“To hear boos after that play hit a trigger inside of me and I lashed out, completely inappropriately,” Collins told reporters. “I’m absolutely embarrassed, and I’m very sorry to everyone in Detroit.”
Manager Brad Ausmus sternly admonished Collins after the contest.
Manziel formally indicted for assault
Johnny Manziel was formally indicted by a Dallas County grand jury on Tuesday.
The misdemeanor domestic violence charge carries a maximum of one year incarceration and a $4,000 fine.
The alleged incident took place in January, when Manziel is accused of striking his longtime girlfriend Colleen Crowley several times. One of the blows to Crowley’s left ear caused a ruptured ear drum, she said in an affidavit.
The charge was expected by Manziel’s attorneys after a new grand jury was seated for the case Thursday. Formal notice of the charges appears on the Dallas County District Court records website.
“Johnny will certainly plead ‘not guilty’ and we believe the evidence will support that plea,” Jim Darnell, the lead attorney for Manziel said in a statement.
Manziel allegedly threatened to kill Crowley and himself after the two left a Dallas bar on Jan. 30, Crowley told Dallas police in her protection order application. A protective order was granted in Tarrant County on Feb. 3.
Athletics farmhand Murphy dies at 27
Oakland Athletics minor-league pitcher Sean Murphy unexpectedly died, the team announced. He was 27.
The Athletics said Murphy died Monday in Arizona. No cause of death was immediately revealed.
Murphy had yet to pitch this season after being suspended for 50 games for his second positive test for a drug of abuse.
He also missed the entire 2015 season while recovering from Tommy John elbow surgery he underwent in Sept. 2014.
Murphy was a 33rd round draft pick by the Athletics in 2010 and reached the Triple-A level in 2014.
Kerr named NBA Coach of the Year
Steve Kerr joined the Warriors’ record run on a full-time basis in January, and after Golden State set the NBA single-season record with 73 wins, he was voted the 2015-16 Coach of the Year.
Kerr is expected to be given the award Wednesday before Game 5 of the first-round playoff series with the Houston Rockets.
Terry Stotts of the Portland Trail Blazers finished second. Portland has four new starters but is back in the playoffs. Stotts finished second with 37 first-place votes and 335 total points. Three-time winner Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs was third with 10 first-place votes and 166 total points.