Auto Racing
CONCORD, N.C. – NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt Jr., who missed the final 18 races of last season because of a concussion, is medically cleared to return next year.
Hendrick Motorsports announced Thursday that Earnhardt will take part in the season-opening Daytona 500.
Golf
Golf’s governing bodies responded to Dustin Johnson’s penalty at the U.S. Open by introducing a local rule that will waive the one-shot penalty if a ball moves on the putting green by accident.
The local rule, effective in January, applies only to accidental movement on the putting green of the golf ball and a ball marker.
Johnson was lining up a par putt on the fifth hole of the final round at Oakmont when his ball moved slightly and he backed away. He said he didn’t make it move, but after the USGA studied video and consulted the rule book, he eventually was given a one-shot penalty because it was ruled that his actions caused the ball to move. Even with the penalty, he closed with a 69 and won by three shots.
The local rule was not a reaction to that one incident at Oakmont. Golf’s leading experts have been meeting the last five years on a rules modernization project. Thomas Pagel, the USGA’s senior rules director, said they had determined even before the U.S. Open that the rule for such accidental movement needed to be changed.
NBA
WASHINGTON – Overcoming a sluggish start in front of a sparse, silent crowd and with a malfunctioning scoreboard, the Washington Wizards came back to beat the Nuggets 92-85 on Thursday night, thanks mainly to Bradley Beal’s 26 points and Denver’s season-high 29 turnovers.
John Wall scored only 15 points one game after a career-best 52, but nine came in the fourth quarter for Washington, which trailed by as many as 14 in the first half.
With starting point guard Emmanuel Mudiay inactive because of what the team said was a sprained right ankle, the Nuggets went 5½ 2 minutes without a point in the fourth quarter.
In that final period, they had 10 of their turnovers and shot 1-for-14 on 3-pointers – including 0 for 4 in one last-minute possession.
NFL
BEREA, Ohio – RG3’s getting his second shot with the Browns.
Robert Griffin III, who hasn’t played since injuring his shoulder in the Sept. 11 season opener at Philadelphia, will start Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals as the winless Browns (0-12) try to avoid becoming the second team in NFL history to go 0-16.
Griffin hasn’t played since breaking a bone in his left shoulder in Cleveland’s 29-10 loss to the Eagles nearly three months ago.
NHL
BOSTON – Matt Duchene scored his 10th goal and John Mitchell got his first, lifting the Colorado Avalanche over the Boston Bruins 4-2 on Thursday night.
The Avalanche won for the 10th time in 11 visits to Boston, where they haven’t lost since 1998.
Duchene’s goal 5:30 into the game was the first of three unassisted tallies for Colorado, which shut down Boston in the third period after David Pastrnak scored twice in the second to pull the Bruins within 3-2.
Former Bruin Carl Soderberg added a goal for Colorado in the third and Nathan MacKinnon also scored for the Avs.
Associated Press
