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Sports in brief

 
Published June 27, 2017

SAILING

KIWIS COMPLETE CUP BLOWOUT

HAMILTON, Bermuda — Redemption for a gutty crew of five New Zealanders and one Australian came on the turquoise waters of Bermuda's Great Sound, four years and 3,000 miles removed from one of the most brutal collapses in sports.

With a mixture of ingenuity and national pride, Emirates Team New Zealand got back up after a gut punch for the ages and came to the Bermuda Triangle and ripped the America's Cup right out of tech tycoon Larry Ellison's hands.

"We're on top of the world," helmsman Peter Burling said Monday after steering the Kiwis' incredibly fast 50-foot foiling catamaran to the clinching victory in the 7-1 rout of two-time defending champion Oracle Team USA.

As soon as the red-and-black Kiwi cat crossed the finish line, the crew began whooping and jumped onto the trampoline netting and into a joyful group hug.

NBA

Westbrook captures first league MVP

Thunder G Russell Westbrook was rewarded for a season's worth of record-breaking performances, winning the MVP at the NBA awards show in New York City. Westbrook edged the Rockets' James Harden and Spurs' Kawhi Leonard to win his first MVP. Westbrook became the first player since Oscar Robertson to average a triple double on the season, averaging 31.6 points, 10.6 rebounds and 10.4 assists. Warriors F Draymond Green won defensive player of the year, Bucks G Malcolm Brogdon rookie of the year and Houston's Mike D'Antoni coach of the year.

Tennis

Serena fires back at McEnroe

Serena Williams has no interest in John McEnroe's thoughts on what would happen if she tried to play on the men's tour. Williams responded via Twitter to McEnroe's comments during a weekend interview with NPR to promote his book. Williams told McEnroe, "I adore and respect you," but asked him to "please please keep me out of your statements that are not factually based."

EASTBOURNE INTERNATIONAL: The tournament in England lost Petra Kvitova to injury and Dominika Cibulkova to a surprise defeat in a Wimbledon warmup. Kvitova pulled out because of an abdominal injury. Cibulkova, the fourth seed, lost to Heather Watson 7-5, 6-4.

NFL

Saints DT Fairley to sit out season

Saints DT Nick Fairley, coming off one of his best seasons, was placed on the injured reserve list with a non-football illness designation, meaning the 2016 starter is out for this season. Fairley had a career-best 6½ sacks last season, but symptoms related to an enlarged heart caused him to miss offseason practices and minicamp.

NEWTON HEALING: Panthers QB Cam Newton threw his first passes since March surgery for a partially torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder.

ET CETERA

GOLF: So Yeon Ryu became the third LPGA player this year to rise to No. 1 in the Rolex World Golf Ranking with her victory in the NW Arkansas Championship. … Two-time major champion John Daly withdrew from this week's U.S. Senior Open with a shoulder injury.

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SOCCER: Refereeing at the Confederations Cup in Russia may have been chaotic at times, but Video Assistant Referees have prevented major mistakes from being made, FIFA head of refereeing Massimo Busacca said. … Former Netherlands defender Frank de Boer was hired as manager of Crystal Palace seven months after getting fired by Inter Milan.

Times wires