AVONDALE, Ariz. (AP) β NASCAR’s Chase for the championship has come down to Kevin Harvick, Ryan Newman, Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano following Sunday’s racing at Phoenix International Raceway. Harvick dominated the Quicken Loans Race for Heroes 500, leading for 264 laps to earn an automatic spot in the four-man Chase field in the finale next weekend at Homestead. Jeff Gordon finished second but lost his bid for a fifth Sprint Cup championship when Newman knocked Kyle Larson into the wall on the final lap to finish 11th, a point ahead of Gordon.
UNDATED (AP) β The Golden State Warriors have become the last NBA team to suffer a loss. Isaiah Thomas scored 13 of his 22 points from the line as the Phoenix Suns handed the Warriors their first loss in six games, 107-95. Goran Dragic (DRAH’-gihch) and Gerald Green each had 19 points for the Suns, who trailed by eight before outscoring Golden State 36-16 in the fourth quarter.
UNDATED (AP) β Mississippi State and Florida State remain 1-2 in The Associated Press college football poll for the fifth straight week, but the rest of the top-10 has been altered following yesterday’s losses by Auburn, Michigan St. and Notre Dame. Oregon is third, followed by Alabama, TCU, Baylor, Arizona State, Ohio State, Auburn and Mississippi. Ohio State climbed five spots after beating Michigan State, TCU and Baylor moved up four notches and Auburn fell six places following its loss to Texas A&M.
DETROIT (AP) β The Tampa Bay Lightning lead the NHL’s Eastern Conference standings at 11-3-1 after picking up their sixth consecutive victory. Steven Stamkos scored twice and Ryan Callahan had the lone shootout goal to lift the Lightning past the Red Wings 4-3 in Detroit. Ben Bishop stopped all three shots he faced during the shootout and made 17 saves to secure his ninth victory of the season.
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) β Nick Taylor overcame a four-shot deficit to win the Sanderson Farms Championship by two strokes over Boo Weekley and Jason Bohn. Taylor the first Canadian-born winner on the PGA Tour since Mike Weir in 2007, firing a 6-under 66 for a 16-under total in Jackson, Miss. John Rollins had a two-shot lead coming into the final round before fading with a 73 to tie for fourth.
