Latrell Sprewell finally offered a feeble explanation Sunday for missing the first week of training camp, and New York Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy fined him and benched him for their first exhibition game.
Sprewell said he drove from Oakland instead of flying because he wanted to pick up some things in Milwaukee and wanted to be sure his Mercedes-Benz made it to New York. He also admitted ignoring calls from the Knicks.
Auto racing: For the first time in the 40-year history of the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, a steady rain forced NASCAR officials to postpone the UAW-GM Quality 500 to Monday morning.
Baseball: The Detroit Tigers reportedly interviewed former Milwaukee manager Phil Garner about the possibility of replacing Larry Parrish.
Hockey: Matching their output for the season’s first three games, the Wolves scored a season-high five goals to beat host Long Beach 5-2. The victory was the third straight for the Wolves (3-1-0).
Cycling: Lightly regarded Spaniard Oscar Freire Gomez shot away with a perfectly timed sprint to win the men’s road race at the world championships in Verona, Italy.
Wrestling: Stephen Neal won the gold medal at 286 pounds in his first world competition, defeating Russia’s Andrei Shumilin 4-3 at Ankara, Turkey, as the U.S. finished second in the world freestyle championships.
