Basketball, NBA: The Portland Trail Blazers clinched a berth in the NBA play-offs for the first time in three years on Sunday with a 100-94 home court win over the New Orleans Pelicans. LaMarcus Aldridge had 25 points and 18 rebounds, and Wesley Matthews added 21 for the Blazers, who had not reached the play-offs since 2011. Portland, who are fifth in the Western Conference with a 50-28 record, finished near the bottom of the standings the previous two campaigns before breaking out this season.
Rugby Union: New Zealand and Waikato Chiefs flyhalf Aaron Cruden faces a race to be fit for June’s test series against England after breaking a thumb in Super Rugby action against the Cheetahs on Saturday. An X-ray following the 43-43 draw in Bloemfontein confirmed the 25-year-old had fractured his left thumb and would be sidelined for six to eight weeks, the Chiefs said. The Chiefs co-captain was the leading candidate to succeed long-serving flyhalf Dan Carter, who will miss the three matches against England while taking a sabbatical from the game.
Golf: Matt Jones chipped in from 42 yards in a play-off to earn a ticket to the Masters as Matt Kuchar let victory slip through his fingers at the Shell Houston Open on Sunday. Jones’ remarkable shot on the first play-off hole came after Kuchar bogeyed two of the final three holes on his final round to throw away the lead he had held overnight. In contrast Jones carded a final-round 66, highlighted by a 46-yard putt on the final hole, to claim his first PGA Tour title, more than a million US dollars in prize money, and a ticket to Augusta.
Tennis: Former world number one Ana Ivanovic claimed the WTA Monterrey Open title as she defeated Jovana Jaksic 6-2, 6-1 in an all-Serbian final. Second seed Ivanovic, who knocked out Caroline Wozniacki 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 in the semi-finals, came back after a slow start and moved past the unseeded Jaksic, 20, in an hour in Mexico for her 13th career title. “I had some tough matches this week but I feel so happy to get through each of them, and this title is definitely one of my favourites,” Ivanovic said.
Horse Racing: Last year’s Melbourne Cup hero Fiorente has been retired due to a tendon injury. The six-year-old presented trainer Gai Waterhouse with a famous victory in the Flemington feature last November but suffered a surprise defeat in a Group One event at Rosehill on Saturday. A release from Racing NSW stewards read: “Licensed trainer Gai Waterhouse has reported that Fiorente has suffered a near-fore tendon injury and has been retired from racing.”