college basketball
Kentucky, Michigan State hang on to top two spots
Kentucky and Michigan State held the top spots in The Associated Press’ first regular-season college basketball poll, setting up the first No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup in five years.
The Wildcats held the same three-point advantage over the Spartans from the preseason Top 25 on Monday, and they will meet Tuesday night in Chicago. The last 1-2 matchup was No. 2 Tennessee’s 66-62 victory over Memphis on Feb. 24, 2008.
Kentucky received 28 first-place votes and 1,552 points from the 65-member national media panel. Michigan State had 22 No. 1 votes. Defending champion Louisville remained third and was No. 1 on 12 ballots.
Duke, which got the other three first-place votes, and Kansas stayed fourth and fifth. They will meet in the other game of the Chicago doubleheader.
tennis
Djokovic makes quick work of Nadal at ATP Finals
LONDON – Novak Djokovic remains the man to beat on indoor courts.
The defending champion made quick work of top-ranked Rafael Nadal 6-3, 6-4 to win the ATP World Tour Finals on Monday, extending his winning streak to 22 matches and claiming the elite season-ending title for the third time.
Djokovic, who has not lost a match since his defeat to Nadal in the U.S. Open final, returned superbly from the start to move his Spanish rival around the court and prevent him from dictating the points.
Nadal hit only nine winners and was broken three times.
Mlb
Braves set to move from Turner Field to the suburbs
ATLANTA – The Braves announced Monday they are leaving Turner Field and moving into a new 42,000-seat, $672 million stadium about 10 miles from downtown Atlanta in 2017. It’s not clear how much it will cost taxpayers.
Braves executives John Schuerholz, Mike Plant and Derek Schiller said the team decided not to seek another lease at 17-year-old Turner Field and began talks with the Cobb Marietta Coliseum and Exhibit Hall Authority in July.
Plant, the executive vice president of business operations, said the team has not signed a contract with Cobb County, but he’s “100 percent certain it will happen.” He said talks broke down with the Atlanta Fulton County Recreational Authority earlier this year over an extension of the team’s 20-year lease, which will expire after the 2016 season.
Owners likely to approve money to expand replay
ORLANDO, Fla. – Baseball owners are likely to give the go-ahead this week to spend the money for expanding instant replay next season.
A baseball official familiar with the deliberations, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Monday, said management probably would approve the additional video review by umpires in phases. The go-ahead to spend the funds probably will occur Thursday. Approval of the rules likely would be put off until the January owners’ meeting.
For expanded replay to start next season, agreements with the World Umpires Association and Major League Baseball Players Association would have to be reached.
NHL
Tampa Bay’s Stamkos leaves ice on stretcher with leg injury
BOSTON – Tampa Bay Lightning star center Steven Stamkos was taken off the ice on a stretcher with a right leg injury after crashing into the post against Boston on Monday.
Coach Jon Cooper didn’t have an update on his star player, who was taken to Massachusetts General Hospital.
A Tampa Bay spokesman said the team hoped to have an update before the Lightning left town. On TV replays, Stamkos appeared to tell a teammate, “It’s broken,” before the trainer got out to him.
Associated Press
