Auto Racing
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Dale Earnhardt Jr. took another step toward making last year a “distant memory.”
NASCAR’s most popular driver made his official return to racing Saturday by taking part in the first Daytona 500 practice of Speedweeks.
Earnhardt turned nine laps at Daytona International Speedway during a four-hour session and ranked 11th on the speed chart. He averaged 192.670 mph during his fastest lap in the No. 88 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports.
The practice was Earnhardt’s first stint in the car since a test in Phoenix last month. Earnhardt missed the final 18 races of last season because of a concussion, fueling speculation about his future.
Golf
LOS ANGELES – Dustin Johnson is closing in on that elusive victory at Riviera, and a shot to reach No. 1 in the world. And he still has a long way to go.
Johnson made two tough pars around the turn and poured it on late with three birdies over his last four holes for another 5-under 66 and a one-shot lead in the Genesis Open. It was a good place to be Saturday afternoon, except he was only halfway home at rainy Riviera.
The tournament lost an hour to fog Thursday, then seven hours when heavy rain and wind arrived in southern California on Friday, and two more hours Saturday morning to get the course cleaned up for play.
Mixed Martial Arts
Former UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre says he is ending his three-year absence from mixed martial arts.
St. Pierre confirmed his plans Saturday with a video posted on his Facebook page and official Twitter feed.
The Canadian star was among the UFC’s biggest pay-per-view draws during his nearly six-year reign as its 170-pound champion.
NBA
NEW ORLEANS – Glenn Robinson III is the NBA’s new dunk king, with an assist to Indiana teammate Paul George, the Pacers’ mascot and a cheerleader.
Robinson leaped over all three, snagging the ball from George along the way before finishing with an emphatic, two-hand, reverse jam, giving him a perfect score and the title on his final dunk.
In the 3-point contest, Houston’s Eric Gordon dethroned Golden State splash brother Klay Thompson. Kristaps Porzingis of the New York Knicks won the Skills Challenge.
NEW ORLEANS – Chris Webber and Rollie Massimino are one step from the Hall of Fame.
The career 20-point-per-game NBA scorer and the coach who led Villanova to a stunning upset of Georgetown in the 1985 NCAA championship game were among the 14 finalists unveiled Saturday for this year’s Hall of Fame induction class.
Other first-time Hall of Fame finalists include longtime NBA referee Hugh Evans, Connecticut women’s star Rebecca Lobo, two-time NBA scoring champion Tracy McGrady, five-time All-Star Sidney Moncrief, Baylor women’s coach Kim Mulkey, Kansas coach Bill Self, and two-time NBA champion coach Rudy Tomjanovich.
Previous finalists returning to the ballot include star point guard Tim Hardaway, winningest all-time boys high school coach Robert Hughes, Notre Dame women’s coach Muffet McGraw, former Wisconsin coach and four-time Division III national champion Bo Ryan and 10-time AAU women’s national champion team Wayland Baptist University.
Associated Press
