LOS ANGELES -- The Thunder’s discussions to trade newly acquired Chris Paul have stalled, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Wednesday, increasing the odds that the point guard begins the season in Oklahoma City.

It was evident from the outset that the Rockets didn’t simply want to claim another marquee name when they spread the welcome mat for Russell Westbrook last week. Even as speculation on their interest rose as soon as it became clear that he was on the trading block, their penchant for chasing superstars wasn’t the sole driving force for his arrival. In fact, the benefit of more information and hindsight figures to definitively prove that, above all else, they were angling for addition by subtraction. Erstwhile starter Chris Paul needed to be unloaded after their disappointing showing in the 2019 Playoffs highlighted a deteriorating relationship with top dog James Harden.

THE MERALCO BOLTS kept their Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup campaign alive by beating the San Miguel Beermen, 95-91, on the final day of the elimination round on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

KANSAS CITY -- Glenn Sparkman pitched the first shutout of his career as the host Kansas City Royals defeated the Chicago White Sox 11-0 Tuesday. He became the first Royals right-hander to throw a shutout since Johnny Cueto did it in his Kansas City home debut in 2015.

PORTRUSH, NORTHERN IRELAND -- Tiger Woods has shrugged off concerns about his lack of golf heading into this week’s British Open, saying he needs to carefully manage the remaining years of his career.

NO LONGER under radar like in the 2017 edition of the Southeast Asian Games, the Philippine national men’s hockey team said it is expecting the road to be tougher as it tries to win back-to-back gold medals in the regional meet happening later this year in the country.

WHAT IS ALREADY an anticipated match between American mixed martial arts star Eddie “The Underground King” Alvarez and Filipino icon Eduard “Landslide” Folayang on Aug. 2 here in Manila has become more significant after it was elevated to be part of ONE Championship’s Grand Prix offering at its “Dawn of Heroes” event.

After winning the Croatia leg of the Grand Chess Tour, Magnus Carlsen’s rating is at 2882 which ties the highest-ever rating he (or anyone else in the world for that matter) has ever achieved. He won the world title from Vishy Anand in 2013 and retained it in 2014. He was also the world champion in rapid and blitz, the first player to simultaneously hold all these titles.

There was a time when press conferences featuring Tiger Woods yielded nothing by way of information. He was being reticent by design, to be sure. He didn’t want those on the outside looking in to know more about his private life, and, just as importantly, his peers from getting a better grasp of how he went about his business on the course. As far as he was concerned, winning wasn’t everything; it was the only thing. And for a long, long while, his steely demeanor served to underscore his dominance and singular stature; he was on a pedestal by his lonesome, with all and sundry looking up from a distance -- exactly the way he wanted things to be.

THE elimination round of the Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup ends today and it still carries much pack with the final positioning and playoff berth at stake.

NEW YORK -- Tampa Bay leadoff man Travis d’Arnaud hit three homers, including a go-ahead three-run shot with two outs in the ninth inning off Aroldis Chapman, and the Rays stunned the host New York Yankees 5-4 Monday night in the opener of a four-game series.

THE San Sebastian Stags remained unscathed in Season 95 of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, racing to their second straight win with a rout of the Mapua Cardinals, 92-68, on Tuesday at the FilOil Flying V Arena in San Juan City.