Reuters Sports News Summary
Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.
NHL roundup: Bruins clip 'Canes without Rask
Jaroslav Halak made 29 saves in a surprise appearance, while Charlie Coyle and Brad Marchand each had a goal and an assist as the Boston Bruins overcame a roster change to win 3-1 in Game 3 against the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday afternoon in Toronto. Sean Kuraly supplied Boston's other goal as the Bruins took a 2-1 series lead. David Krejci posted two assists. Game 4 in the best-of-seven series is Monday night.
Basketball: Stojakovic steps down as Kings assistant GM
Sacramento Kings assistant general manager Peja Stojakovic has stepped down from his role, the NBA franchise said on Saturday, a day after Vlade Divac resigned as general manager following their failure to reach the 2019-20 season's playoffs. Stojakovic, who held the job for the past two seasons, played for the Kings from 1998–2006, guiding them to the Western Conference Finals in 2002.
Brady defeats Gauff in straight sets to reach first WTA final
American Jennifer Brady defeated compatriot Coco Gauff 6-2 6-4 at the Top Seed Open on Saturday, earning a spot in her first WTA final. The outdoor, hard court tournament in Lexington, Kentucky, marks the first WTA event in the United States since the coronavirus outbreak forced a hiatus and upended the professional sports calendar.
Bencic latest to withdraw from U.S. Open
World number eight Belinda Bencic has withdrawn from this year's U.S. Open, joining a growing list of players who have decided to skip the tournament amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Bencic on Saturday announced her decision on Twitter where she also said she would skip the Western & Southern Open which is being held in New York this year instead of Cincinnati as a lead-up to the Aug. 31-Sept. 13 U.S. Open.
Nine football players at University of Oklahoma test positive for COVID-19
Nine football student-athletes from the University of Oklahoma tested positive for COVID-19, head coach Lincoln Riley said on Saturday, amid fierce national debate over the viability of a fall college football season. Oklahoma's Big 12 Conference said this week it would move forward with the fall football season, a cultural ritual for millions of Americans, after two of its fellow "Power Five" conferences said they would postpone play.
MLB roundup: Cardinals sweep DH vs. White Sox in return
Playing for the first time since July 29 because of a COVID-19 outbreak that ravaged the roster, the St. Louis Cardinals swept the host Chicago White Sox in a doubleheader on Saturday. Taking the field with 10 players on the COVID-19 list, including catcher Yadier Molina and shortstop Paul DeJong, the Cardinals got a five-inning start from Adam Wainwright (2-0), who earned his 164th victory to move past Bob Forsch for third in franchise history, in beating the White Sox 5-1 in the opener.
Trail Blazers beat Grizzlies, advance to playoffs
CJ McCollum scored 12 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter Saturday afternoon, helping the Portland Trail Blazers rally from a late deficit to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 126-122 in the Western Conference play-in game near Orlando. The win allowed the Trail Blazers to secure the eighth and final Western playoff berth and move on to a best-of-seven first-round series against the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers beginning Tuesday night at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.
Yale's COVID-19 saliva test used in NBA gets FDA OK for emergency use
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Saturday granted emergency use authorization to Yale School of Public Health's saliva test to detect COVID-19, after a trial on National Basketball Association players and staff. SalivaDirect, the fifth saliva test approved by the FDA for the disease, requires no swab or collection device and uses spit from people suspected of having the coronavirus, the agency said. (https://bit.ly/3fZyX30)
Dillon tests positive, out for Daytona road race
Austin Dillon tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday morning and will miss Sunday's road race at Daytona due to self-quarantine. The Richard Childress Racing driver will be replaced by Kaz Grala in the No. 3 Chevrolet. Grala, 21, will be making his Cup Series debut.
Bruins' goalie Rask opts out of season, says needs to be with family
Boston Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask opted out of the National Hockey League (NHL) season on Saturday, saying he needed to be with his family. The announcement came hours before Game 3 of the Bruins' Eastern Conference first-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes in Toronto, one of two Canadian "hub cities" where the NHL is completing the remainder of its coronavirus-delayed season.
