BASKETBALL
The Long Island Nets held the Maine Celtics scoreless in overtime until a last-second 3-pointer by Sam Hauser and ended Maine’s seven-game winning streak with a 97-95 victory Thursday night at the Expo.
Brodric Thomas led the Celtics with 26 points, including a 3-pointer that tied the game with 11.7 seconds left in regulation. Hauser finished with 15 points and nine rebounds.
AUTO RACING
FORMULA ONE: Mercedes ended the dispute over the Formula One season finale when it withdrew its appeal of the controversial finish that cost Lewis Hamilton a record eighth championship.
Mercedes had filed a pair of protests following Sunday’s race, in which a late crash at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix helped Max Verstappen beat Hamilton for the title. Both protests were dismissed and Mercedes then asked for reconsideration at the International Court of Appeal, a process that could have dragged into next year.
Mercedes was protesting the use of the safety car following a crash with five laps remaining. Hamilton had a nearly 12-second lead over Verstappen when the crash brought out the yellow flag.
Verstappen pitted for fresh tires while Hamilton stayed on track. The race director initially said lapped drivers could not pass the safety car, then reversed the call in a decision that allowed Verstappen to restart directly behind Hamilton with a lap remaining. Verstappen then passed Hamilton to win his first world championship.
COLLEGES
UMAINE: The University of Maine System has updated its COVID-19 safety protocols for indoor events to include children who are at least 5 years old.
Starting Jan. 4, anyone 5 or older must show proof of vaccination or a negative test taken within 72 hours to attend any event with more than 250 people. The policy applies to all indoor sporting events held at schools within the UMaine system, as well as UMaine games played at Cross Insurance Center in Bangor.
The updated guidance reflects a recent recommendation from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that children ages 5–11 receive COVID-19 vaccines.
SOCCER
MLS: Midfielder Sebastian Lletget was acquired by the New England Revolution from the LA Galaxy for $500,000 in 2022 and 2023 general allocation money.
A regular on the U.S. national team, the 29-year-old had spent the last seven seasons with the Galaxy and will reunite with New England Coach Bruce Arena, the former Galaxy coach.
ENGLAND: This weekend’s Premier League schedule was decimated as coronavirus outbreaks at clubs forced the postponement of five matches, taking the total amount of games wiped out over the past week to nine.
Adding to the postponement of the Manchester United-Brighton game on Saturday, the league said the following matches are also off: Southampton-Brentford, Watford-Crystal Palace, West Ham-Norwich (all Saturday) and Everton-Leicester (Sunday).
Only five league games remain to be played this weekend, with the growing number of infections among squads reflecting the worsening health emergency in Britain as the omicron variant spreads.
Two matches were played Thursday night. Liverpool won at home against Newcastle, 3-1, but said three players – Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho and Curtis Jones – were missing because of suspected positive tests for the virus.
Chelsea Manager Thomas Tuchel said Romelu Lukaku, Timo Werner and Callum Hudson-Odoi were all unavailable for a 1-1 draw at home against Everton after positive tests. Ben Chilwell, who is out injured, also tested positive, and Kai Havertz was missing beacuse he felt unwell.
SPAIN: Real Madrid may have run into its toughest opponent of the season: COVID-19.
An outbreak of the virus has infected six Madrid players. The club said Thursday that Gareth Bale, Marco Asensio, Rodrygo, and backup goalkeeper Andriy Lunin were infected, a day after both midfielder Luka Modric and Marcelo tested positive.
The club did not mention the health status of any of those infected.
While Madrid made the outbreak public, the Spanish soccer federation said it was putting back into place a ban on shaking hands and other greetings as well as any tributes held before kickoff “as additional preventative measures given the rise in cases.”
The infections come with Madrid breezing toward the winter break with a commanding lead in the Spanish league.
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
