Sports News Roundup: Royals score 7 runs in 3rd to beat Astros; Nuggets get past Wolves, sit alone atop West and more

Jokic added 11 rebounds, seven assists and three steals for the Nuggets, who can secure the West's No. 1 seed for the second straight season by winning road games against the San Antonio Spurs on Friday and the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday. MLB roundup: Royals score 7 runs in 3rd to beat Astros Vinnie Pasquantino homered and drove in a career-high five runs, leading the Kansas City Royals to an 11-2 win over the visiting Houston Astros on Wednesday night.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

NBA roundup: Nuggets get past Wolves, sit alone atop West

Nikola Jokic scored 24 of his game-high 41 points in the second half as the host Denver Nuggets took sole possession of first place in the Western Conference with a 116-107 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday. Jokic added 11 rebounds, seven assists and three steals for the Nuggets, who can secure the West's No. 1 seed for the second straight season by winning road games against the San Antonio Spurs on Friday and the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday.

MLB roundup: Royals score 7 runs in 3rd to beat Astros

Vinnie Pasquantino homered and drove in a career-high five runs, leading the Kansas City Royals to an 11-2 win over the visiting Houston Astros on Wednesday night. Pasquantino's two-run double in the third opened the floodgates as the Royals sent 11 batters to the plate, scoring seven times to snap a scoreless tie.

Pirates look to shake bullpen struggles vs. Phils

The Pittsburgh Pirates are off to a superb 9-3 start, yet it's easy to identify their main weakness so far. They are struggling to close out games. After David Bednar blew his third save in four chances during the Pirates' latest contest, Pittsburgh will look to regroup when it visits the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday to begin a four-game series.

Nike pins hopes on Olympics to win back market share

Nike unveiled Olympic kits for the teams it sponsors on Thursday alongside athletes including Kenyan marathon star Eliud Kipchoge and British sprinter Dina Asher-Smith, betting that top athletes can help it win more everyday consumers. After a long stretch of lacklustre sales, this summer's Olympic Games in Paris offer a fresh chance for Nike, to direct the world's attention to its performance products like the Alphafly 3 marathon shoe which retails at $285.

Tennis-Rome win gives Medvedev confidence for claycourt swing

Daniil Medvedev got his claycourt season off to a winning start by beating Gael Monfils 6-2 6-4 at the Monte Carlo Masters on Wednesday and the Russian said his victory in Rome last year has given him belief he can win any tournament on the surface. Hardcourt specialist Medvedev won his first title on clay by beating Holger Rune in the Rome final, though that victory was immediately followed by a first-round exit at the French Open.

Baseball-Ohtani's former interpreter is negotiating a guilty plea, New York Times reports

Japanese baseball star Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter, who was fired by the Los Angeles Dodgers amid allegations that he stole from Ohtani to cover gambling debts, is in negotiations with federal prosecutors to plead guilty, the New York Times reported. Ippei Mizuhara has been linked to at least $4.5 million in payments that were transferred from Ohtani's account to an illegal Southern California gambling operation, ESPN reported.

Iowa to retire Caitlin Clark's No. 22

Iowa will retire the No. 22 jersey of Caitlin Clark, college basketball's all-time leading scorer in Division I. The school made the announcement Wednesday at a celebration of Iowa's trip to the national championship game of the NCAA Tournament, won by South Carolina 87-75, and the record-setting achievements of Clark.

Tigers, Twins postponed in rainy Detroit

Rain and chilly weather Thursday pushed the opener of a four-game series in Detroit between the Tigers and defending AL Central champion Minnesota Twins back one day. There is more rain in the forecast on Friday, which could further dent plans for Detroit kickstarting a four-game homestand that includes four games with the Texas Rangers.

Adam Silver: NBA players manipulating wagers face life ban

With the NBA investigating a player for possibly conspiring to affect gambling results regarding in-game performance, league commissioner Adam Silver said Wednesday that such actions could result in a lifetime ban. Toronto Raptors reserve Jontay Porter is accused of exiting two games to ensure that "under" bets on his performance were winners. He hasn't played since the NBA launched its probe in late March.

NHL roundup: Coyotes edge Canucks in OT

Dylan Guenther celebrated his 21st birthday by scoring once in a career-best, four-point performance and Logan Cooley scored the overtime winner in a two-point outing to lead the visiting Arizona Coyotes to a 4-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday. On a day when reports circulated of a potential plan that would see the Coyotes sold and relocated to Salt Lake City, Vladislav Kolyachonok collected one goal and one assist and Josh Brown also scored for Arizona. Goaltender Connor Ingram made 23 saves.

(With inputs from agencies.)