Reuters Sports News Summary

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs. Alpine skiing: Frenchman Pinturault wins combined World Cup title

Frenchman Alexis Pinturault added the World Cup combined title to his gold medal in the combined event at this month's Alpine skiing world championships in Are when he topped the podium in Bansko on Friday. The 27-year-old Pinturault won the discipline's season-ending race by 0.68 seconds with seven-time overall champion Marcel Hirscher of Austria, who made a rare appearance in a combined event, coming second. Mixed martial arts-Bellator set to go toe-to-toe with UFC in Europe

A new TV deal in Britain and a focus on the European market from American mixed martial arts promotion Bellator will open more opportunities for fighters outside of the dominance of the UFC, Conor McGregor's coach John Kavanagh has told Reuters. The Irish MMA pioneer says that Saturday's event in his hometown of Dublin, which will be broadcast on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland, will mark the start of a new era in the sport. IOC urges India isolation after Pakistani athletes denied visas

The International Olympic Committee have suspended all Indian applications to host future events and urged international sports federations not to stage competitions in the country after two Pakistanis were denied visas to compete in New Delhi. The denial of entry visas for two shooters due to take part in a World Cup event this weekend followed last week's attack by a Pakistan-based militant group in the disputed region of Kashmir, which killed at least 40 paramilitary police. Murray could make return after hip surgery, says mother Judy

Andy Murray could return to competitive tennis after undergoing hip resurfacing surgery last month but the former world number one also knows his career might already be over, his mother Judy has said. Three-times Grand Slam champion Murray said before his first round exit at the Australian Open last month that the tournament could be his last as a professional due to severe hip pain. Report: NBA proposing to lower draft age to 18

Lowering the draft-eligible age requirement in the NBA from 19 to 18 is one step closer to reality after the league submitted a proposal to the National Basketball Players Association, USA Today reported Thursday. The report, citing a source, also indicated the union and executive director Michele Roberts plan to review the proposal Monday. The timing, according to USA Today, does not coincide with the knee injury suffered Wednesday night by Duke freshman Zion Williamson, the expected No. 1 pick on the 2019 NBA draft. College basketball notebook: Nike under fire for shoe blowout

Nike's stock price slid 1.05 percent Thursday as the company faced a social media backlash after Duke freshman star forward Zion Williamson sustained a knee injury when his shoe split apart Wednesday night. Shares in Nike Inc. were down as much as 1.7 percent before rebounding a bit. NHL roundup: Stars snap Blues' winning streak

Jamie Benn recorded his second two-goal game of the season, and the Dallas Stars ended the visiting St. Louis Blues' franchise-record, 11-game winning streak with a 5-2 decision Thursday. The Blues had not dropped a game since a 4-3 loss at Los Angeles on Jan. 21. NBA roundup: Lakers rally past Rockets

The Los Angeles Lakers rallied from 19 points down in the third quarter to defeat the visiting Houston Rockets 111-106 on Thursday night. LeBron James had 29 points and 11 rebounds for the Lakers, who avoided their second-ever season sweep against the Rockets. Brandon Ingram finished with 27 points and 13 rebounds, Kyle Kuzma scored 18 points, Reggie Bullock had 14 points and JaVale McGee finished with 11 as all five starters scored in double figures for Los Angeles. Tennis: Kvitova downs Taiwan's Hsieh to reach Dubai final

Second seed Petra Kvitova recovered from a set down against Hsieh Su-wei to end the unseeded Taiwanese's run at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Friday with a 3-6 6-2 6-4 victory that saw the Czech reach her third final of the year. Kvitova, who made an astute tactical adjustment midway through the match that changed the course of the contest, will face either defending champion Elina Svitolina or unseeded Swiss Belinda Bencic in Saturday's final. MLB notebook: Padres make Machado's $300 million deal official

The San Diego Padres made their 10-year commitment to infielder Manny Machado official Thursday, revealing that the $300 million contract has an opt-out clause in five years. The contract, which runs through the 2028 season, would be the most lucrative in major league history if it plays out to its completion. The opt-out is available after the 2023 season.