U.S. roster capped by adding Griffin, Harden, Iguodala
Basketball: Blake Griffin, Andre Iguodala and James Harden were chosen Saturday to complete the roster for the U.S. Olympic basketball team.
They earned the final three spots that opened after a rash of injuries knocked out at least four players who would have been on the team. They beat out Eric Gordon, Rudy Gay and No. 1 draft pick Anthony Davis of New Orleans, who couldn’t scrimmage this week because of a sprained ankle.
Also heading to London for the defending gold medalists are: LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Tyson Chandler and Kevin Love.
Griffin showed he was healthy again after being slowed by a knee injury during the playoffs, putting on an impressive dunking display following practice Saturday. Harden, the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year with Oklahoma City, gives the Americans more scoring punch off the bench, and Iguodala is a defensive specialist who can guard multiple positions.
Vikings’ Peterson arrested in Houston
Miscellany: Minnesota Vikings star running back Adrian Peterson was arrested in Houston on a charge of resisting arrest after an early-morning incident where police say it took three officers to subdue him.
Houston Police Department spokesman Kese Smith said Peterson was at a downtown nightclub early Saturday morning when an off-duty Houston police officer working security asked Peterson and a group of people he was with to leave because it was closed. The man, who Kese said identified himself as a police officer, left to tell other patrons to leave the club before returning to Peterson’s group to tell them to leave again.
Kese said Peterson turned around and told the officer that he heard him the first time and pushed him in the shoulder, causing him to stumble. The officer told Peterson he was under arrest and to put his hands behind his back. Peterson began yelling, pulled away and “assumed an aggressive stance” so another off-duty officer came to help. Peterson continued to struggle with them both.
The 27-year-old player was finally handcuffed with the help of a third off-duty officer. Peterson complained of shortness of breath after he was taken to a Houston jail and was examined by Houston Fire Department personnel, who said that he was OK.
Peterson, who is from Palestine, Texas, was released from jail Saturday on a $1,000 bond. The charge is a misdemeanor.
Choi takes control with 7-under-par 65
Golf: Na Yeon Choi shot a 7-under-par 65 in the third round of the U.S. Women’s Open at Blackwolf Run in Kohler, Wis.
The fifth-ranked South Korean star’s remarkable round put her at 8 under for the tournament, giving her a six-stroke lead over fellow South Korean Amy Yang. Only four players have posted a lower round in the Open, and the 65 tied the lowest third-round score in the event’s history.
As Choi surged despite windy conditions, Michelle Wie faded, shooting a 6-over 78 to fall to 2 over. Wie shot a 66 in the second round and came into the day a stroke behind second-round leader Suzann Pettersen.
• Simpson leads Greenbrier Classic: U.S. Open champion Webb Simpson shot a 5-under 65 in the third round of the Greenbrier Classic in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va., to take a two-stroke lead into the final round. Simpson had his second straight bogey-free round to reach 14 under on The Greenbrier Resort’s Old White TPC Course.
Troy Kelly was second after a 62. Rookie Charlie Beljan, J.B. Holmes and Ken Duke were 11 under. Beljan had a 67, Holmes a 66, and Duke a 65.
Simpson has been in this position before. He briefly led entering the final nine holes last year, but faded to a tie for ninth.
• Kite, Bryant lead First Tee Open: Tom Kite shot a 3-under 69 at Pebble Beach for a share of the lead with Brad Bryant after the second round of the First Tee Open in Pebble Beach, Calif.
The 62-year-old Kite won the 1983 Bing Crosby National Pro-Am and 1992 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, the site of the final round Sunday in the Champions Tour event.
Bryant, winless since the 2007 U.S. Senior Open, had a 67 at Del Monte to match Kite at 8 under.
Kirk Triplett (former Pullman resident) shot a 2 under and is tied for sixth at four under.
Klitschko retains heavyweight belts
Boxing: Wladimir Klitschko stopped Tony Thompson in the sixth round in Bern, Switzerland, to keep a comfortable hold on his WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight titles.
The 36-year-old champion Klitschko, 58-3 with 51 knockouts, floored Thompson with a big right hand near the end of the fifth round at Stade de Suisse, and the 40-year-old American never recovered.
The Ukrainian champion dropped Thompson again in the sixth, and referee Sam Williams gave the challenger a standing count before stopping the fight at 2:56.
Cathings, Fever edge Sky in overtime
WNBA: Tamika Catchings had 18 points, nine rebounds and six assists to lead the Indiana Fever to an 88-86 overtime win over the Chicago Sky in Indianapolis.
Catchings, who is set for her third Olympics later this month, became the first player in WNBA history to score 1,500 career free throws on 6-of-8 free throw shooting.
Gonzaga graduate Courtney Vandersloot dished out six assists in 24 minutes for the Sky and Briann January (Lewis and Clark HS) scored 13 points for the Fever.
Mucho Macho Man wins at Belmont
Horse racing: Mucho Macho Man won the $350,000 Suburban Handicap at Belmont Park in New York, beating Hymn Book by 2 1/2 lengths.
After sitting second behind the pacesetting Trickmeister, Mucho Macho Man took charge turning for home and was under a hand ride from Mike Smith approaching the finish wire. The time was 1:46.58 for 1 1/8 miles. The 4-year-old, trained by Kathy Ritvo, has six victories in 16 starts.
• Sutherland is first female jockey to win Gold Cup: Game On Dude carried Chantel Sutherland to victory in the $500,000 Hollywood Gold Cup in Inglewood, Calif., making her the first female jockey to win the 73-year-old race. They teamed to win by 1 1/2 lengths at Betfair Hollywood Park after losing the Grade 1 race by a nose last year.