Report: NBA to discuss role in probe

Basketball
NBA commissioner David Stern is expected to hold a news conference this week to discuss the league's involvement in the FBI's gambling investigation of the referee Tim Donaghy, the New York Times reported. According to two people briefed on the investigation who spoke on condition of anonymity, the NBA had no knowledge of Donaghy's betting, and questions as to whether he influenced the outcomes of games, until after the season, the Times reported. Yesterday, a law enforcement official said that Donaghy was expected to surrender to the FBI tomorrow or Wednesday and that two low-level bookmakers would be arrested after that, the Times reported.

Asjha Jones hit an 11-foot jumper with 2.9 seconds remaining to give the Connecticut Sun an 81-79 win over the Houston Comets in Uncasville, Conn., for coach Mike Thibault's 100th career WNBA victory. Jones finished with 22 points for Connecticut (12-11), which won its sixth straight game and edged above .500 for the first time in six weeks. Katie Douglas led the Sun with 25 points . . . Sue Bird hit a 3-pointer with 10.6 seconds left, lifting the visiting Seattle Storm to a 77-75 victory over the New York Liberty . . . Dominique Canty's jumper with six seconds left in overtime lifted the host Chicago Sky to an 84-82 victory over the San Antonio Silver Stars . . . Penny Taylor had 28 points and nine rebounds to lead the host Phoenix Mercury to a 106-93 victory over the Minnesota Lynx . . . Thirteen missed free throws hurt the United States, which fell to host Serbia, 74-60, in Novi Sad in the men's Under-19 world championship gold-medal game.

Tennis

Aiming for his first tournament victory since winning in Sydney in the first tournament of 2007, second-seeded James Blake was broken twice in the final set and upset by unseeded Radek Stepanek, 7-6, 5-7, 6-2, in the final of the Countrywide Classic in Los Angeles. Out of action for six months last year because of a neck injury, the Czech won his only other title in Rotterdam last year. Stepanek gained a walkover into the final when Nicolas Kiefer withdrew because of a knee injury . . . Rafael Nadal dropped serve three times and had to sweep five straight games to win the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart, Germany, with a 6-4, 7-5 win over Stanislas Wawrinka . . . Top seed Anna Chakvetadze won her third WTA Tour title of the year as she breezed past Akiko Morigami, 6-1, 6-3, in the final of the Cincinnati Open in Mason, Ohio . . . Jarmila Gajdosova beat Julie Ditty, 5-4, in women's singles, enabling the host Kansas City Explorers (8-4) to earn a 20-19 World TeamTennis victory over the Boston Lobsters.

Auto racing

Scott Dixon escaped a first-lap accident and moved in front late to win the inaugural Honda Indy 200 in Lexington, Ohio. It proved to be a happy birthday for the 27-year-old Dixon, who won his third straight Indy Racing League race and tightened the drivers standings. He began the day trailing Dario Franchitti, who finished second, by 34 points and trails by 24 now with five races left . . . Sebastien Bourdais regained control of the Champ Car title chase, running away with the Rexall Grand Prix of Edmonton. He heads for next week's race in San Jose, Calif., 21 points ahead of Robert Doornbos with eight races remaining . . . Fernando Alonso passed Felipe Massa on a slippery track late in the race to win the European Grand Prix in Nuerburg, Germany, and move within two points of leader Lewis Hamilton in the Formula One standings.

Baseball
First base coach killed by line drive
Former major league infielder Mike Coolbaugh died last night after being struck on the head by a line drive as he stood in the first base coach’s box during a Texas League game in North Little Rock, Ark. The game was suspended in the ninth inning after Coolbaugh, 35, coaching for the Tulsa Drillers, Double A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies, was hit by a ball off the bat of Tino Sanchez and taken to Baptist Medical Center-North Little Rock, where he was pronounced dead ..... The Minnesota Twins activated Rondell White, who had been out since he strained a calf muscle jogging out of the dugout April 4 ..... The Yankees signed righthander Scott Williamson to a minor league contract ..... Clay Buchholz (0-1) struck out 10 and allowed two runs over five innings, but Barry Hertzler allowed six runs in the sixth and the Louisville Bats crushed the host Pawtucket Red Sox, 11-1 ..... Jeff Natale’s RBI single with two out in the ninth lifted the visiting Portland Sea Dogs to a 7-6 victory over the Binghamton Mets ..... Wheaton’s Adam LaPlante of Harwich hit a solo home run for the Division 2 and 3 team in its 2-0 victory over the Division 1 squad in the New England College All-Star Game at Fenway Park.

Miscellany

Oscar De La Hoya, 34, who lost a split decision to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in May, plans to continue fighting and has targeted Britain's Ricky Hatton for a possible clash next year . . . Outside linebacker Lawrence Timmons, the No. 15 pick in the NFL draft, agreed with the Pittsburgh Steelers on a five-year contract that could be worth as much as $15 million and guarantees him $8,053,000 in bonus money . . . Defensive end Victor Abiamiri and running back Nate Ilaoa agreed to four-year contracts with the Philadelphia Eagles . . . Led by Julia Smit (gold in swimming the backstroke leg in the 400-meter medley relay and silver behind Teresa Crippen in the 200 backstroke), US swimmers won five gold, two silver, and a bronze to bring their medals total to an astounding 38 (19-14-5) as swimming concluded at the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro. The US men's field hockey team lost any chance of qualifying for the Beijing Olympics when it fell, 4-1, to Cuba. In a boxing quarterfinal, Providence welterweight Demetrius Andrade stopped Venezuela's Jean Prada. Cuba bantamweight Guillermo Rigondeaux, a two-time Olympic champion, and teammate Erislandy Lara did not show up for scheduled fights and were disqualified.