HOCKEY
Trois-Rivieres scored three times in the second period on its way to a 6-2 win over the Maine Mariners an ECHL game Saturday night at Cross Insurance Arena.
Julien Nantel scored twice for the Lions, while Cedric Montminy, Olivier Archambault, Nicolas Lariviere and Olivier Galipeau also scored.
Brendan Soucie and Cameron Askew scored in the third period for Maine.
The Mariners and the Lions face off again at 3 p.m. Sunday.
BASKETBALL
NBA: Chris Paul isn’t sure if his injured right hand will be healthy enough for him to play when the Phoenix Suns return from the All-Star break.
He believes his Suns will be fine, even if his hand isn’t.
Paul was injured Wednesday in a victory over Houston in the final game before the break and his hand was in a cast Saturday when he held his All-Star press conference. He said he was frustrated but also sounded optimistic.
“I’ve had four hand surgeries in my career. It’s like my hand surgeon is part of my family, but things could be a lot worse,” Paul said. “I’m still blessed, grateful that we’re 48-10 and if I do miss some time, I know the guys will hold it down.”
AUTO RACING
XFINITY: Austin Hill won the Xfinity Series opener at Daytona International Speedway following Myatt Snider’s airborne crash that shredded a chunk of catchfence directly in front of where Michael Jordan was watching.
Jordan was on the backside of the catchfence with driver Bubba Wallace, an amateur photographer who often takes pictures during NASCAR’s lower-series events. The field soared past them on the final lap when Snider was hit from behind, causing Snider to turn right into the wall.
Snider was then hit again by another car and that contact caused Snider’s car to sail up into the fence and then bounce back onto the track. The shredded carcass was stripped to a heap of battered steel and even the engine block was ripped from the car.
GOLF
PGA TOUR: Joaquin Niemann couldn’t find a fairway over the final two hours at Riviera and it didn’t matter. He still pieced together a 3-under 68 to set the 54-hole record and build a three-shot lead in the Genesis Invitational.
Cameron Young, the 24-year-old PGA Tour rookie, tried to keep it closer until taking two shots to get out of a plugged lie in the bunker in front of the par-3 16th green and making double bogey. He had a 69 and was three behind.
Joining them in the final group will be 24-year-old Viktor Hovland, who had eight birdies in his round of 65. That only got the Norwegian within six shots of Niemann.
SOCCER
PREMIER LEAGUE: Harry Kane scored twice to help Tottenham hand Manchester City its first loss in nearly four months, a dramatic 3-2 victory.
His second – the winning goal – came in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
• Sadio Mane scored a brilliant overhead kick and Mohamed Salah added his 150th goal for the team as Liverpool came from behind to beat Norwich 3-1 and keep the pressure on Manchester City in the Premier League title race.
• Newcastle showed further evidence of its gradual improvement under Eddie Howe by drawing 1-1 at top four-chasing West Ham to extend its unbeaten run in the Premier League to six games on Saturday.
SERIE A: Investors led by the co-owner of the NBA’s Boston Celtics have bought into Atalanta, the soccer team that has gatecrashed the Italian elite in recent years.
Stephen Pagliuca is heading the group that has bought 55% of the shares of the Percassi family company that owned 86% of the Serie A club.
The Percassis through La Dea Srl will remain the single biggest shareholder, Atalanta said. Antonio Percassi will remain president of the club with son Luca still the CEO, while Pagliuca becomes co-chairman.
Atalanta has finished third in each of the last three seasons and reached the quarterfinals of the lucrative Champions League in 2020.
TENNIS
RIO OPEN: Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman and countryman Francisco Cerundolo will meet in the semifinals of the clay-court tournament in Rio De Janeiro.
Third-seeded Schwartzman beat Spain’s Pablo Andujar 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-4 in the delayed quarterfinals. Hours earlier, Cerundolo topped Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic 5-7, 6-2, 6-4.
Quarterfinals and semifinals are being played on Saturday due to heavy rain falling in Rio de Janeiro during the week. The semifinals are scheduled for the evening.
Schwartzman said after the almost four-hour match that he is not sure whether he will be fit to play in the semifinals and asked organizers for more rest.
“We have to take care of players. Entering the court within two hours to play a semifinal would be an embarrassment,” Schwartzman said. “I don’t know whether I will be able to play. If ATP gives me time to rest it will be a good match.”
Fabio Fognini advanced to the last four with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Argentina’s Federico Coria. The Italian next plays top-seeded Matteo Berrettini or 18-year-old Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz.
BASEBALL
MAINE BASEBALL HALL OF FAME: Nominations for 2022 inductees to the Maine Baseball Hall of Fame are being accepted through March 15.
Include a resume and supporting documentation and send it to: Don Douglas, 38 Merganser Way, Freeport, ME 04032 or email : ddoug1950@icloud.com
Send questions/comments to the editors.
