Sports News Roundup: Avs swamp Coyotes for 3-1 series lead; Halep withdraws from U.S. Open over COVID-19 concerns and more

NBA roundup: Despite Mitchell's 57, Nuggets beat Jazz in OT Jamal Murray scored 10 of his 36 points in overtime, Nikola Jokic had 29 points and 10 rebounds, and the Denver Nuggets overcame 57 points from Donovan Mitchell to beat the Utah Jazz 135-125 in Game 1 of their first-round Western Conference playoff series near Orlando on Monday.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

NHL roundup: Avs swamp Coyotes for 3-1 series lead

Nazem Kadri scored a pair of power-play goals and had an assist as the Colorado Avalanche defeated the Arizona Coyotes 7-1 Monday in a Western Conference first-round playoff series in Edmonton, Alberta. Matt Nieto, Joonas Donskoi, Cale Makar, Matt Calvert, and Mikko Rantanen also scored, and goaltender Philipp Grubauer made 14 saves for the second-seeded Avalanche, who have a 3-1 advantage in the best-of-seven series.

Magic first up as Bucks begin title run

Giannis Antetokounmpo slightly raised his eyebrows when asked how he is handling entering the NBA playoffs with his Milwaukee Bucks as the favorites to win the championship. "We're the favorites to win?" Antetokounmpo asked. "I'm not following media as much."

Halep withdraws from U.S. Open over COVID-19 concerns

World number two Simona Halep of Romania will not travel to New York to play in the U.S. Open due to COVID-19 concerns, she said on Monday, leaving the women's draw at the Grand Slam tournament without six of the world's top-10 players. Romanian Halep joined world number one Ash Barty, defending champion Bianca Andreescu, Elina Svitolina, Kiki Bertens, and Belinda Bencic in skipping the event at Flushing Meadows.

MLB roundup: Dodgers outslug M's as Seagers each homer

Corey Seager got the best of Kyle Seager on Monday as the Los Angeles Dodgers pounded out 13 hits in an 11-9 victory over the visiting Seattle Mariners in the opener of a four-game, home-and-home series. Corey Seager had a home run and reached base three times as the Seagers played against each other like professionals for the first time. It was Corey Seager's sixth home run of the season.

Washington names former player Wright as NFL's first Black team president

The Washington Football Team on Monday named former NFL running back Jason Wright as its president, making him the first Black person to be hired for such a role in National Football League history. Wright, who following his retirement in 2011 earned his MBA from the University of Chicago, will be responsible for leading the team's business divisions, including operations, finance, sales and marketing.

Kansas City Chiefs plan to have fans at season-opener

Reigning Super Bowl champions the Kansas City Chiefs have announced plans to allow some spectators to attend their NFL season-opener against Houston Texans at Arrowhead Stadium next month. The Chiefs said Arrowhead would operate at a reduced capacity of about 22%, meaning about 17,000 fans would be allowed in instead of the usual 76,000, and that the plans had been approved by public health officials.

Penguins' Malkin undergoes elbow surgery

Pittsburgh Penguins star Evgeni Malkin had surgery on his left elbow Monday and will need three to four weeks of recovery time, the team announced Monday. The 34-year-old forward should return in time for training camp before the 2020-21 season, which is scheduled to begin in December.

NBA roundup: Despite Mitchell's 57, Nuggets beat Jazz in OT

Jamal Murray scored 10 of his 36 points in overtime, Nikola Jokic had 29 points and 10 rebounds, and the Denver Nuggets overcame 57 points from Donovan Mitchell to beat the Utah Jazz 135-125 in Game 1 of their first-round Western Conference playoff series near Orlando on Monday. Mitchell set a franchise postseason scoring record -- and scored the third-most points in NBA playoff history -- but had just six points in the overtime when Denver outscored Utah 20-10.

Report: WR Bryant to work out for Ravens

Wide receiver Dez Bryant, who hasn't played in an NFL game since 2017, is expected to work out this week for the Baltimore Ravens, NFL Network reported Monday. The Ravens are looking to add a veteran wide receiver to their young corps and reportedly considered bringing in another free agent, Antonio Brown, for a tryout.

No 'Andretti Curse' in August, says Marco

After more than five decades of Brickyard frustration, the "Andretti Curse" has become as much a part of the Indianapolis 500 as the command for drivers to "start your engines". American motor racing royalty, the Andrettis have ruled over open-wheel racing in the United States with a string of victories that have connected generations -- father (Mario), to son (Michael), to grandson (Marco).