BASKETBALL
Maine Celtics guard Jaysean Paige signed a 10-day contract with the Detroit Pistons under the NBA’s COVID-related hardship allowance.
Paige is the fifth Maine player in the last two weeks to sign with an NBA team, joining Theo Pinson, Luke Kornet, Juwan Morgan and Chris Clemons.
Paige averaged 16.9 points in 14 games with the Celtics during the Showcase Cup portion of the G League schedule.
Maine opens its regular season on Jan. 9 at home against the Wisconsin Herd.
WNBA: Becky Hammon is returning to the WNBA as a head coach.
The veteran San Antonio Spurs assistant took the lead spot with the Las Vegas Aces on Friday.
She will be the highest paid coach in the league, potentially earning three or four times more than the highest paid player according to a person familiar with the deal. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because terms of her contract haven’t be released.
Hammon, who played 16 seasons in the WNBA, has been an assistant for the Spurs for eight seasons. She has interviewed for several NBA head coach openings in the past, but hasn’t gotten an offer to be the first woman to lead a team.
Bill Laimbeer, the Aces’ current coach, will continue to work for the team, focusing initially on assisting with roster construction for 2022. The league’s free agency signing period begins next week.
HOCKEY
ECHL: Mathew Santos broke a tie with 3:11 remaining and the Maine Mariners overcame a two-goal deficit Friday against the Trois-Rivières Lions, rallying for a 5-3 win at Cross Insurance Arena.
Metis Roelens started Maine’s comeback late in the second period, and the Mariners added three goals in the third. Alex Kile tied it with 9:53 left, and after Santos gave the Mariners a 4-3 lead, Keltie Jeri-Leon clinched the win with an empty-net goal.
Nate Kallen also scored for Maine, and Jeremy Brodeur made 29 saves.
The Mariners are at home again Saturday at 6 p.m. against the Adirondack Thunder.
HIGH SCHOOLS
BOYS’ BASKETBALL: Zach McMurty scored 14 points and Justin Kennedy added 12 to lead Sanford to a 47-38 win over Massabesic (1-2) in Waterboro.
The Mustangs got 11 points from James Saccuzzo and 10 from Alex Graffam.
SOCCER
ENGLAND: A continuing coronavirus outbreak at Newcastle has led to Sunday’s game at Southampton being postponed, the Premier League said.
Newcastle’s previous game against Everton scheduled for Thursday had also been called off.
The Premier League said a combination of COVID-19 cases and injuries meant 19th-place Newcastle does not have the required 13 outfield players and one goalkeeper available.
Meanwhile, Liverpool Manager Juergen Klopp said three of his players have tested positive ahead of Sunday’s game at title rival Chelsea.
He did not name the trio and remains hopeful the game in London will go ahead.
n Chelsea Manager Thomas Tuchel plans to hold talks with Romelo Lukaku after the striker said he was unhappy at the London club and expressed a wish to rejoin Inter Milan.
SKELETON
WORLD CUP: Tomass Dukurs held off his brother, 59-time World Cup race winner Martins Dukurs, for a victory on his home track in Sigulda, Latvia, earning his second career victory and first in 18 years.
Tomass Dukurs finished his two runs in 1 minute, 41.36 seconds. Martins Dukurs crossed the line in 1:41.42.
South Korea’s Seunggi Jung got his first World Cup medal, finishing third in 1:41.73.
In the women’s race, Austria’s Janine Flock got the win in 1:44.64. Russia’s Yulia Kanakina was second in 1:44.81 and World Cup leader Kimberley Bos of the Netherlands was third in 1:44.98.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
