Reuters Sports News Summary

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Blake Griffin, Doc Rivers among Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame finalists

First-time candidates Blake Griffin and Candace Parker, ​as well as returning candidate Doc Rivers, are among the 21 finalists for election to the Naismith Basketball ​Hall of Fame as part of the 2026 class. The organization announced its ‌list of ​finalists, reduced from a larger candidate pool, on Wednesday.

Women's Top 25 roundup: Lauren Betts, No. 2 UCLA down Michigan St.

Lauren Betts went 10-for-14 from the floor, scoring 22 points, leading No. 2 UCLA to an 86-63 blowout of No. 13 Michigan State on Wednesday in East Lansing, Mich. Kiki Rice added 18 points, Gabriela Jaquez recorded 13 and ‌Gianna Kneepkens had 12 for the Bruins (24-1, 14-0 Big Ten), who extended their winning streak to 18 games. Rice and Betts each posted seven rebounds and five assists.

NBA roundup: Kawhi Leonard, Clippers nip Rockets in final seconds

Kawhi Leonard completed a tiebreaking three-point play with two seconds remaining to lift the visiting Los Angeles Clippers to a 105-102 comeback victory over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday. Leonard scored 19 of his game-high 27 points in the fourth quarter to lead the rally from a ‌15-point deficit. His spinning fadeaway came despite a foul from Jae'Sean Tate and gave the Clippers their final lead in a back-and-forth closing period. Tari Eason missed a corner 3-point attempt at the buzzer for the Rockets.

Olympics-Speed skating-American Stolz ‌lives up to the hype to take 1,000m gold

Jordan Stolz lived up to expectations as he charged to the men's 1,000 metres gold on Wednesday, delivering the United States' first speed skating title of the Milano Cortina Olympics, as Joep Wennemars' re-skate injected late drama into the event. The 21-year-old Stolz blazed to an Olympic-record time of one minute 6.28 seconds, finishing 0.50 seconds clear of Dutchman Jenning de Boo, with China's Ning Zhongyan taking bronze.

RHP Chris Bassitt reportedly leaving Jays, signing with O's

Following three seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, right-hander Chris Bassitt is joining an American East ⁠rival, agreeing to a ​one-year, $18.5 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles, multiple media outlets ⁠reported Wednesday night. Bassitt, who will be 37 on Feb. 22, reportedly will receive a $3 million signing bonus once he passes a physical. If he starts 27 games, which he has done each of the past five seasons, he will receive an extra $500,000, per the reports.

ATP roundup: Taylor ⁠Fritz, Sebastian Korda set for Dallas clash

Top-seeded Taylor Fritz and Sebastian Korda both won all-U.S. matchups on Wednesday, putting them in line for a quarterfinal clash at the Nexo Dallas Open. Fritz downed Brandon Nakashima 6-3, 6-4 in second-round action, and Korda topped eighth-seeded Frances Tiafoe ​7-5, 6-1. Fritz owns a 3-1 career edge in meetings with Korda, including a win in their most recent matchup last year in Tokyo.

BYU receiver Parker Kingston faces rape charge

BYU receiver Parker Kingston was arrested ⁠and will be charged with first-degree felony rape, according to a news release from the Washington County (Utah) Attorney's Office on Wednesday. Kingston was being held without bail pending a court appearance on Friday, multiple media outlets reported.

Olympics-Figure skating-Tearful Chock and Bates say they felt like they skated a winning performance

American ice ⁠dancers ​Madison Chock and Evan Bates said they believed they had delivered an Olympic gold-medal performance on Wednesday despite having to settle for silver behind France's Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron.

Chock and Bates entered the decisive free dance in a virtual tie for the lead and drew loud applause at the Milano Ice Skating Arena with a matador-and-bull themed routine, then wiped away tears as the final scores put them second.

Top 25 roundup: No. 2 Michigan rallies ⁠from 16-point deficit to beat Northwestern

L.J. Cason scored 18 points and Yaxel Lendeborg notched a double-double of 15 points and 12 rebounds to help No. 2 Michigan rally for an 87-75 victory against host Northwestern on Wednesday in Evanston, ⁠Ill. Michigan faced its largest halftime deficit, nine points, and trailed ⁠by a season-high 16 when the Wildcats' Angelo Ciaravino hit a jumper in the paint to cap an 8-2 run with 14:22 left.

Olympics-Wasserman to remain LA28 chairman after Epstein review

Casey Wasserman will remain chairman of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics after organisers conducted a review of his past interactions with convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell and late financier Jeffrey Epstein, ‌LA28 said on Wednesday. Files published by ‌the U.S. Justice Department late last month included email exchanges from 2003 between Wasserman, who was married at the time, ​and Maxwell, the former girlfriend of convicted sex offender Epstein.