MONDAY | 08.04.2014 | EXPRESS | 13
sports
GOLF
JOHN LOCHER (AP)
Back pain forces Woods to withdraw
Paul George is taken off the court after he was injured during Friday’s USA Basketball scrimmage in Las Vegas.
George’s injury leaves Pacers, U.S. team reeling BASKETBALL Paul George’s broken right leg has left two teams reeling. The U.S. men’s national team, too emotional to finish the exhibition game it was playing when George suffered the gruesome injury Friday night, had to shift its focus away from the World Cup of Basketball to thinking about an injured teammate. The Indiana Pacers, a round short of the NBA Finals the past two years, were left pondering a season without their best player. “This is a tough blow for not only USA Basketball, but for the Indiana Pacers,” USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo said.
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Both were thinking only of George, who remained at Sunrise Hospital in Las Vegas after surgery to repair an open tibiafibula fracture. He was expected to remain hospitalized for about three days and the Pacers hope he can return to Indianapolis next week, though it will be months, perhaps a year, before he can return to the court. “Any discussion regarding the future of our team would be inappropriate at this time,” Pacers President Larry Bird said in a statement. “Our focus is solely on Paul and doing whatever we can to help.” George’s loss comes on the
heels of Lance Stephenson’s departure to Charlotte, N.C., in free agency, leaving Indiana without its two most versatile players. The Pacers had the Eastern Conference’s best record last season at 56-26 and could have been the favorite to reach the NBA Finals after LeBron James’ departure from Miami if they could have brought their core back. Now, they could struggle just to stay in the playoff picture in the toughened-up East. “There is no question about the impact on our team but our goal is to be as strong-willed and determined as Paul will be in coming back,” Bird said. BRIAN MAHONEY (AP)
Tiger Woods suffered more back pain Sunday and withdrew after eight holes at the Bridgestone Invitational, struggling to even take off his golf shoes before being driven away to an uncertain future. In his third tournament since returning from back surgery, Woods injured himself playing a shot from the lip of a bunker on the par-5 second hole. “I just jarred it, and it’s been spasming ever since,” Woods told a PGA Tour official before leaving. At his car, Woods could barely switch out of his golf shoes. His caddie, Joe La Cava, drove him away. “It’s just the whole lower back,” Woods said. “I don’t know what happened.” DOUG FERGUSON (AP)
BY THE NUMBERS
The number of career titles for Milos Raonic, who easily won the first all-Canadian tournament final in ATP history. He erased the only break point he faced and beat Vasek Pospisil 6-1, 6-4 on Sunday at the Citi Open in D.C. The second-seeded Raonic, a semifinalist at Wimbledon last month, produced serves at more than 140 mph and broke Pospisil four times at the hard-court tuneup for the U.S. Open. (AP) Dale Earnhardt Jr. completes season sweep at Pocono
Diamondbacks’ Paul Goldschmidt out for year with broken hand
NATS 4, PHILLIES 0
Strasburg strikes out 10 Stephen Strasburg, above, pitched three-hit ball for seven innings and the NL East-leading Nationals split the four-game series after dropping the first two to the last-place Phillies. It’s been a while: Strasburg (8-9) got his first win since July 1, a stretch of seven games. He walked one and didn’t permit a runner past second base. Nats’ pitching dominates again: The Phillies were shut out for the second straight day and haven’t scored in 21 innings. Span stays hot: Nationals leadoff hitter Denard Span had two hits, two steals, an RBI and scored a run in Sunday’s win. In the four-game series against the Phillies, Span went 7-for-15 with three runs and four RBIs. He entered Sunday hitting an NL-best .424 since the All-Star break (minimum 50 at-bats). From the manager: “Stephen was the guy we went to the first day of the season, he’s the guy we went to after the [All-Star] break, and he’s proven why he’s a really good pitcher,” Nats manager Matt Williams said, reinforcing that Strasburg’s still the ace on the pitching staff. On deck: Washington welcomes Baltimore today in a makeup of their July 8 rainout. Tanner Roark (11-6, 2.74 ERA) will make his first career start against the Orioles. (AP/EXPRESS)
Chris Tillman, Orioles blank Mariners in 1-0 win