Just as the Golden State Warriors had hoped, Stephen Curry is poised to return from a left knee injury to play in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals Tuesday night against New Orleans. Coach Steve Kerr listed the two-time MVP as probable Monday with the idea that he will play as long as no issues arise with Curry’s sprained left knee in the morning shootaround or before the game. Kerr didn’t say whether Curry would start or come off the bench but he won’t have a minutes restriction. Curry participated in his first full-contact practice in more than a month last Thursday.
College football
UMass extends Whipple
The University of Massachusetts extended the contract of football coach Mark Whipple through the 2020 season. Whipple, the school’s all-time leader in wins (61), is in his fifth season coaching the independent FBS program, and 11th year overall as the leader of the team. “I am excited about the future of this University of Massachusetts football program and especially the young men we have in our program,’’ said Whipple, who began his UMass tenure in 1998, leading the Minutemen to the Division 1-AA national championship in his first year.
“We are pleased to extend Coach Whipple’s contract at UMass and look forward to his leadership of our program in 2018 and beyond,’’ said UMass athletic director Ryan Bamford. “Mark is a true Minuteman having served our program as head coach in two different eras, for a combined 10 years. He has guided our young FBS program through some challenging times the last four years, but has positioned us well for our future.’’
Minnesota settles suit
Newly released documents showed the University of Minnesota paid nearly $300,000 to settle sexual harassment complaints related to its former athletic director Norwood Teague, who resigned in 2015 after two high-ranking administrators said he sexually harassed them at a senior leadership retreat . . . Craig Carter, a former University of Arizona assistant track and field coach who was convicted last month of assaulting a female student-athlete in 2015, has pleaded guilty to felony counts of stalking and violating a restraining order . . . Colgate men’s basketball coach Matt Langel, who earned Patriot League coach of the year honoers after guiding the Raiders to a 19-14 record in his seventh year at the helm, was given a five-year contract extension.
NFLMillen has ailing heart
Former NFL player and general manager Matt Millen, 60, said he was being treated for amyloidosis, a rare disease that has left his heart functioning at just 30 percent. Millen told the Morning Call in Allentown, Pa., the life-threatening illness, for which he has received chemotherapy, may force him to seek a heart transplant . . . . The Vikings re-signed cornerback Terence Newman, the NFL’s oldest active defensive player whose 42 career interceptions are most among active players in the league. He will return for a 16th season five days after he turns 40 . . . The Steelers released safety J.J. Wilcoxjust days after selecting a pair of safeties in the NFL Draft: Virginia Tech’s Terrell Edmunds in the first round and Penn State’s Marcus Allen in the fifth . . . The Texans re-signed running back Alfred Blue, a sixth-round pick in 2014, to a one-year deal . . . Elissa Ennis, the ex-girlfriend of 49ers linebacker Reuben Foster, submitted a video to prosecutors to support her statement that she lied when she told authorities Foster had hit her.
NHLLeafs GM Lamoriello out
Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Lou Lamoriello, 75, will not return to the role next season. Team president Brendan Shanahan said he does not have a timeline for filling the GM position . . . The Carolina Hurricanes terminated the contract of demoted GM and Hall of Fame player Ron Francis. The move came two months after Francis, 55, was reassigned to president of hockey operations . . . Evgeni Malkin, who missed the first two games of Pittsburgh’s semifinal series against the Capitals with an apparent leg injury, could return for Game 3 after he practiced fully Monday in Pittsburgh.
Baseball
Rangers LHP Perez on DL
The Rangers placed lefthander Martin Perez on the disabled list because of right elbow discomfort. Perez had arthroscopic surgery on his non-throwing elbow in December after breaking a bone. He fell on his ranch in Venezuela after being spooked by a bull. Perez has a 9.67 ERA in his five starts . . . The Diamondbacks placed lefthander Robbie Ray (strained oblique) on the 10-day DL.
OlympicsWhistleblower files suit
Grigory Rodchenkov, the whistleblower who exposed Russia’s scheme to cheat at the 2014 Olympics, filed a motion to dismiss a libel lawsuit brought on behalf of three Russian biathletes whose medals were stripped from the Sochi Games for doping. Rodchenkov also filed suit against Brooklyn Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov, claiming Prokhorov’s support of the biathletes was little more than a ruse to reveal Rodchenkov’s whereabouts in the US, where he has been living in hiding.
MiscellanyTrump lobbies for Cup
President Donald Trump called on African countries to get behind the joint North American bid to host the 2026 World Cup. Trump made the appeal during a press conference with Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari . . . Martin Klizan rallied to surprise Germany’s Florian Mayer, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, in the first round of the Munich Open . . . Top-seeded Karolina Pliskova withdrew from her home country’s Prague Open because of a right thigh injury.
