The Phoenix Suns have parted ways with veteran coach Mike Budenholzer following one dismal season that featured a fast start before a maddening slide out of postseason contention for a high-priced roster that included Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.

The Suns made the unsurprising announcement on Monday, one day after the franchise finished with a 36-46 record which put them 11th in the Western Conference.

They lost nine of their last 10 games, failing to qualify for the play-in tournament.

Pelicans fire Griffin >> The New Orleans Pelicans fired basketball operations chief David Griffin, ending a six-year chapter during which the club drafted former Duke superstar Zion Williamson but still struggled to win consistently with three different coaches.

Griffin, whose title was executive vice president of basketball operations, leaves his post one day after a 115-100 loss to Oklahoma City that extended the injury-plagued club’s season-ending skid to seven games.

The Pelicans’ 21-61 record — fourth worst in the NBA this season — was the franchise’s second-worst mark since arriving in New Orleans in 2002 and worst since the 2004-05 season.

NFL

Three-time All-Pro Peterson retires >> Three-time All-Pro Patrick Peterson announced his retirement on Monday as a member of the Arizona Cardinals, where he spent the first 10 of his 13 NFL seasons as one of the league’s elite cornerbacks.

The 34-year-old Peterson was honored at the team’s practice facility with a highlight video and tributes from several former teammates, including receiver Larry Fitzgerald and quarterback Carson Palmer.

The No. 5 overall pick in the 2011 draft out of LSU, Peterson made an immediate impact as a rookie and was a Pro Bowl selection in each of his first eight seasons. He would be a key part to the team’s “No Fly Zone” of the mid-2010s that included Tyrann Mathieu, Tony Jefferson, Jerraud Powers, Rashad Johnson, Justin Bethel and Deone Bucannon.

Baseball

Judge selected as US Captain for WBC >> Appointed U.S. captain for next year’s World Baseball Classic, Aaron Judge will be playing for more than himself and his teammates.

“It’s something special getting a chance to represent our country,” the New York Yankees star said after manager Mark DeRosa’s announcement. “Just thinking about all the brave men and women that have fought for this country and laid their lives down for us to get a chance to go out here, and especially me, to get a change to go out here and play a game, it’s a pretty humbling experience.”

DeRosa announced the appointment of the two-time American League Most Valuable Player four days after he was named U.S. manager for the second straight WBC.

Judge takes over from the Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout, the U.S. captain at the 2023 tournament. The U.S. lost the 2023 championship game to Japan 3-2 as Shohei Ohtani struck out Trout, his then-Angels teammate, to end the game.

Former Reds second-baseman Helms dies at 83 >> Tommy Helms, the slick-fielding infielder for the Cincinnati Reds who was the 1966 NL Rookie of the Year and had two short stints as the team’s manager, has died. He was 83.

The Reds Hall of Fame and Museum said Helms’ wife, Cathy, told the organization that her husband died in Cincinnati. The cause of death was not provided.

Hockey

Devils’ Cotter suspended final 2 games >> New Jersey Devils forward Paul Cotter has been suspended for his team’s final two games of the regular season for his illegal check to the head that injured New York Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech.

The NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced the suspension after a disciplinary hearing with him. Cotter, who had no prior history of supplemental discipline, will forfeit $8,073 in salary but not miss any of the first round of the playoffs.

Pelech was bloodied and angry after the left shoulder-to-head hit by Cotter six minutes into the second period of the teams’ game Sunday. After officials looked at the play on video review, they assessed a match penalty, ejecting Cotter and giving New York a 5-minute power play.

College football

Bears’ running back ott enters portal >> Senior running back Jaydn Ott, who rushed for more than 1,300 yards in 2023 but was injured most of last season, was reported to be entering the transfer portal. ESPN first reported the news on Monday evening.

Women’s hockey

Canada beats Cezchs at Worlds >> Captain Marie-Philip Poulin struck twice to lead defending champion Canada past the host Czech Republic 7-1 at the women’s ice hockey world championship.

Responding to the 2-1 loss to the archrival United States, Kristin O’Neill also had two goals and Daryl Watts, Jennifer Gardiner and Sophie Jacques added a goal each, all in the five-goal final period.