Sports News Roundup: Kings open long homestand with win over Bulls; Last-second put-back lifts Celtics past Heat and more

Kings open long homestand with win over Bulls Richaun Holmes scored 24 points and Marvin Bagley III added 21 as the Sacramento Kings showed how good it felt to be home by ending a three-game losing streak with a 128-124 victory Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls.

Moderna Inc's COVID-19 vaccine is unlikely to win approval in Japan until May due to requirements for local clinical trials, the distributor said, casting doubt over a nationwide vaccination rollout before the summer Tokyo Olympics. With an eye on the Olympics due to start in late July, Japan has secured rights to at least 540 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines from several Western developers, the biggest quantity in Asia and more than enough for its 126 million population.

Kings open long homestand with win over Bulls

Richaun Holmes scored 24 points and Marvin Bagley III added 21 as the Sacramento Kings showed how good it felt to be home by ending a three-game losing streak with a 128-124 victory Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls. Harrison Barnes added 20 for the Kings, who dropped all three games on a just-completed road trip. The victory came in the opener of a seven-game homestand.

NBA roundup: Last-second put-back lifts Celtics past Heat

Rookie guard Payton Pritchard scored on a put-back with two-tenths of a second left to give the Boston Celtics a 107-105 win over the host Miami Heat on Wednesday night. The 6-foot-2 Pritchard followed up on a missed drive by Marcus Smart.

Top 25 roundup: Louisville upends No. 19 Virginia Tech

Carlik Jones scored 13 of his 17 points in the second half and David Johnson added 17 as host Louisville overcame No. 19 Virginia Tech scoring the game's first 11 points to upset the Hokies 73-71 on Wednesday night. Virginia Tech rallied late, getting a chance for the win on the game's final possession, but Hunter Cattoor missed a deep 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Belgian Mertens pulls out of Abu Dhabi with shoulder injury

Belgian Elise Mertens withdrew from the WTA 500 event in Abu Dhabi on Thursday with a right shoulder injury hours before her opening match of the 2021 tennis season, the women's governing body said. The world number 20 was drawn to meet Frenchwoman Alize Cornet in her first round match in the season-opening event in the United Arab Emirates and will be replaced by Greek lucky loser Valentini Grammatikopoulou.

Tennis-Yastremska provisionally suspended for doping, denies using drugs

Ukraine's Dayana Yastremska has been provisionally suspended after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) found a banned substance in an out-of-competition urine sample, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) said on Thursday. Yastremska, 20, provided the sample in November and a WADA lab in Montreal found the presence of mesterolone metabolite, an anabolic agent on its Prohibited List.

Texans officially name Nick Caserio as GM

Following two years without a general manager, the Houston Texans began reshaping their management structure in naming Nick Caserio as general manager on Thursday. Caserio signed a six-year deal and faces immediate pressure to turn the franchise's fortunes. The Texans went 4-12 last season and the assets to actively reload for the 2021 season are limited.

NFL-Seahawks' Wilson calls for calm amid U.S. Capitol violence

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson has called for calm after supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday in a bid to overturn the results of the Nov. 3 election won by Joe Biden. Protesters forced their way past metal security barricades, broke windows and scaled walls to fight their way into the Capitol. NBA plays on with 'heavy heart' after U.S.

Capitol violence, Blake decision

The NBA went ahead with its slate of games on Wednesday even as players said they were disturbed by images of chaos at the U.S. Capitol and the decision not to bring charges against a Wisconsin police officer for an August shooting. Hundreds of supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday in a bid to overturn his election defeat, forcing Congress to postpone a session that would have certified President-elect Joe Biden's victory.

Thunder pull out last-minute win over Pelicans

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 21 points and George Hill made two free throws with 12.1 seconds remaining to lift the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder to a 111-110 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night. Darius Bazley had 20 points and 12 rebounds, Mike Muscala scored 18 and Hill finished with 13.