Kings nullify Sharks bite to take 3-2 series lead

(Reuters) - The Los Angeles Kings regained control of their Western Conference semi-final against the San Jose Sharks with a convincing 3-0 Game Five victory on Thursday to move one win away from claiming a series triumph.

Red Wings push Blackhawks to the brink with Game Four win

(Reuters) - The Detroit Red Wings are on the verge of causing another postseason upset after their 2-0 victory over the top seeded Chicago Blackhawks in Game Four on Thursday put them one win away from the Western Conference Finals.

Haas, Waldorf set pace at Senior PGA Championship

(Reuters) - American Jay Haas charged into early contention for a third Senior PGA Championship title by shooting a flawless five-under-par 66 in Thursday's opening round at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis, Missouri.

Palmer takes control with a 62 at Colonial

(Reuters) - American Ryan Palmer took advantage of ideal scoring conditions and local knowledge with a birdie fest as he charged into a one-shot lead in Thursday's opening round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational in Fort Worth, Texas.

Foyt and Sato form sweet and sour Indy partnership

INDIANAPOLIS (Reuters) - They are the Indianapolis 500's odd couple.

Avalanche name Hall of Fame goalie Roy as head coach

(Reuters) - Hall of Fame goalie and four-times Stanley Cup champion Patrick Roy has been named head coach of the Colorado Avalanche, the National Hockey League (NHL) team said on Thursday.

Richards-Ross to make comeback after injury layoff

NEW YORK (Reuters) - For most of her life, Sanya Richards-Ross has done everything at full speed. As an Olympic sprinter, it is an occupational hazard she has learned to live with.

Palmer takes early control with birdie fest at Colonial

(Reuters) - American Ryan Palmer took advantage of ideal scoring conditions and local knowledge with a birdie fest as he charged into an early two-shot lead in Thursday's opening round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational in Fort Worth, Texas.

U.S. basketball team driven by international talent

(Reuters) - The star-studded U.S. national basketball team cannot afford to get complacent about being the sport's superpower given the pace of emerging talent around the globe, head coach Mike Krzyzewski said on Thursday.

Garcia signs off with eagle as Kingston leads PGA

VIRGINIA WATER, England (Reuters) - Sergio Garcia, embroiled in a racism row with Tiger Woods this week, got by with a little help from his friends on Thursday as he battled to a level-par 72 in the PGA Championship first round.

James and Bryant headline All-NBA selections

(Reuters) - Most Valuable Player LeBron James of the Miami Heat and veteran Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers headlined the list of players selected for the All-NBA team, the league said on Thursday.

Holden thrilled at U.S. return after injury woes

MIAMI (Reuters) - Midfielder Stuart Holden will return to the United States national team next week, ending over two years of injury nightmares and with the World Cup finals in Brazil as his goal.

Euro Tour chief sorry for 'colored athletes' gaffe

VIRGINIA WATER (Reuters) - European Tour chief executive George O'Grady was forced to issue an apology on Thursday after re-opening the Tiger Woods-Sergio Garcia racism row by making an unfortunate comment about "colored athletes".

Nibali tightens grip on overall lead after stage victory

POLSA, Italy (Reuters) - Italy's Vincenzo Nibali took a major step towards overall victory in the Giro d'Italia on Thursday after powering to his first stage win during this year's race in an individual uphill time trial.

Ecclestone warns about 2014 engine costs

MONACO (Reuters) - Formula One has taken a big gamble with its radically different 2014 engine and manufacturers who get it wrong will pay a heavy price, commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone warned on Thursday.

Pacers, Heat bring playoffs to life with overtime thriller

MIAMI (Reuters) - The Indiana Pacers fell just short in the Eastern Conference finals opener but their gritty display pumped life into the NBA playoffs and let the defending champion Miami Heat know they have a battle on their hands.

Rosberg puts Mercedes on top in Monaco

MONACO (Reuters) - Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton gave Mercedes a dream start to the Monaco Grand Prix weekend with the fastest times in practice for Formula One's most glamorous race on Thursday.

Pirelli warn they could quit F1

MONACO (Reuters) - Formula One tire supplier Pirelli warned teams on Thursday that they will quit the sport at the end of the season if a new contract from 2014 is not agreed soon.

Krzyzewski to stay as U.S. basketball coach

(Reuters) - Mike Krzyzewski said on Thursday he is returning for another term as the U.S. men's national basketball team coach with the aim of leading the squad to a third successive Olympic title at the 2016 Games in Rio.

McIlroy slumps to 74 after late Wentworth collapse

VIRGINIA WATER, England (Reuters) - World number two Rory McIlroy was blown off course by unseasonally cold weather at Wentworth on Thursday, bogeying five of the last six holes to sink to a two-over 74 in the PGA Championship first round.

Raikkonen would rather be left alone

MONACO (Reuters) - Kimi Raikkonen would much rather be left alone but he is happy to admit that sometimes he does not know what he is doing.

McIlroy slumps as Ilonen shines at wintry Wentworth

VIRGINIA WATER (Reuters) - World number two Rory McIlroy suffered a late first-round meltdown in almost wintry conditions at Wentworth as he ballooned to a two-over-par 74 in the PGA Championship on Thursday.

Dominant Williams fearful of enemy within

LONDON (Reuters) - Based on form, Serena Williams is a stand-out favorite to win a second French Open title but her record at Roland Garros means she approaches the tournament with a touch of apprehension and fearful of the "lady in the mirror".

Olazabal urges Woods and Garcia to settle row

VIRGINIA WATER, England (Reuters) - Former European Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal drew on the memory of his 2003 spat with Padraig Harrington as he urged fellow Spaniard Sergio Garcia and Tiger Woods to settle their differences.

Nadal back in old routine and looking invincible

LONDON (Reuters) - Watching Rafa Nadal churn his way through the claycourt season over the past few weeks, it seems nothing much has changed since his French Open triumph a year ago despite a lengthy injury layoff.

French slam drought set to drag on at Roland Garros

PARIS (Reuters) - After 30 years without a male grand-slam winner, France's tennis establishment is beginning to question whether the absence of success is purely down to a lack of natural-born winners.

Boxing chief Wu confirms IOC presidency bid

(Reuters) - Taiwan's world boxing chief (AIBA) President Ching-kuo Wu announced his intention to run for International Olympic Committee president on Thursday, saying the Olympic movement should be bigger than just the Games.

Analysis - Has the anchor ban come too late?

(Reuters) - The royal and ancient game of golf, renowned for its etiquette and self-imposed penalties, has undergone many changes to the rules over its 600-year history but few issues have triggered as much debate as the proposal to outlaw the anchoring of putters.

Dodgers find spark to whip Brewers, rookie Ryu wins

(Reuters) - If Don Mattingly's comments and lineup change were aimed at shaking up his struggling Los Angeles team, he certainly got his wish as the Dodgers hammered Milwaukee 9-2 on Wednesday.

Penguins thrash Senators, on brink of East final

(Reuters) - The Pittsburgh Penguins came from a goal down to thrash the Ottawa Senators 7-3 on Wednesday and move to the brink of the Eastern Conference finals.