Cycling
Contador extends lead; Gilbert wins 18th stage
VERBANIA, Italy – Alberto Contador increased his lead on the 18th stage of the Giro d’Italia on Thursday with a well-timed attack on the leg’s big climb, while former world champion Philippe Gilbert posted his second victory in this year’s race.
A member of an early breakaway, Gilbert required just over four hours to complete the 106-mile leg from Melide, Switzerland, to Verbania, which included one top-category climb shortly before the finish.
Contador extended his lead over to 5 minutes, 15 seconds.
Golf
Spieth, McIlroy behind at their home tournaments
IRVING, Texas – Steven Bowditch matched his career best with an 8-under 62 on Thursday in the AT&T Byron Nelson, leaving Jordan Spieth seven strokes back in the Masters champion’s hometown event.
Bowditch, the Australian also playing close to his home in the Dallas suburbs, made three putts of at least 24 feet while shooting 30 on the front nine. He had a two-stroke lead over another Texan, Jimmy Walker.
A large gallery cheering him all day, Spieth opened with a birdie but missed two short chances late and settled for a 69.
NEWCASTLE, Northern Ireland – Rory McIlroy can’t seem to perform in front of a home crowd.
The Northern Ireland star looked bewildered as he shot a 9-over-par 80 – his worst score of the season – in Thursday’s opening round of the Irish Open. He finished the morning at the bottom of the leaderboard.
NBA
Bulls seek new direction, fire successful coach
CHICAGO – The Chicago Bulls fired head coach Tom Thibodeau.
Thibodeau led the Bulls to a 255-139 record and playoff appearances in each of his five seasons. But friction with management led to the change.
General manager Gar Forman said Thibodeau was the right fit for the Bulls when he was hired in 2010, but a “change in approach was needed” to improve.
Thibodeau’s .647 winning percentage ranks seventh in NBA history among coaches with at least 200 games.
NHL
Two head coaches are welcomed to new teams
BUFFALO, N.Y. – The Buffalo Sabres reached an agreement in principle to hire former Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma.
The Penguins received a third-round pick from the Sabres for hiring a coach who still is under contract with Pittsburgh.
Though the Penguins relieved Bylsma of his duties a year ago, he is still under contract through June 2016.
Bylsma, who coached the Sidney Crosby-led Penguins to the 2009 Stanley Cup championship, takes over a franchise coming off consecutive last-place finishes and attempting to rebuild through youth. He will become Buffalo’s third head coach since Lindy Ruff was fired in February 2013.
SAN JOSE, Calif. – The San Jose Sharks officially hired former New Jersey and Florida head coach Peter DeBoer to replace the departed Todd McLellan.
The decision to hire DeBoer ends a lengthy search that started April 20 when the team and McLellan announced that he would not be back for an eighth season in San Jose. The departure was announced as a mutual agreement and McLellan later was hired as head coach in Edmonton.
General manager Doug Wilson interviewed numerous candidates before deciding on DeBoer, who has coached seven seasons in the NHL with the Panthers and Devils. His best season came in 2011-12 when he led New Jersey to the Stanley Cup finals, where the Devils lost to Los Angeles.
Associated Press
