Digest

Basketball

Smith rockets to Clippers

The Clippers have signed free agent forward Josh Smith, who helped eliminate them in the playoffs as a member of the Houston Rockets.

Smith averaged 12.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.4 blocks while playing 55 regular-season games for Houston, which picked him up when he was waived by Detroit after 28 games last season.

The 29-year-old forward is the 25th player in NBA history with over 10,000 points, 5,000 rebounds, 2,000 assists and 1,000 blocked shots. He reportedly signed a one-year deal with the Clippers for the veteran minimum of $1.5 million.

Barea lands new deal with Mavs

Point guard J.J. Barea re-signed with the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday. He averaged 7.5 points, 3.4 assists and 17.7 minutes in 77 games with the Mavs last season.

Barea signed a four-year deal worth $16 million - a major increase from the two-year, $5.7 million contract the sides agreed on two weeks ago.

Dallas worked out a new deal with Barea after center DeAndre Jordan reneged on an agreement, instead opting to rejoin the Los Angeles Clippers.

Ice Hockey

Rucinsky hangs up skates at 44

Czech forward Martin Rucinsky on Thursday ended a career that included almost 1,000 games in 16 NHL seasons.

The 44-year-old forward, who left the NHL in 2009 to return to the Czech elite league, announced his retirement on the website of Verva Litvinov, the team he led to its first title last season.

Rucinsky scored 250 goals and had 376 assists in 998 NHL games for Edmonton, Quebec, Colorado, Montreal, Dallas, the New York Rangers, Vancouver and St Louis from 1991-2008.

Tennis

Aching elbow sidelines Serena

Wimbledon champion Serena Williams said a right elbow injury forced her to pull out of the Swedish Open on Thursday.

Williams said she felt pain in the elbow in the first game of her first-round match on Wednesday, four days after winning her sixth Wimbledon championship and fourth successive Grand Slam title, but went on to whip Belgian qualifier Yasline Bonaventure 6-2, 6-1.

"I was having some pain in my elbow, and I felt a little bit in my match," Williams said. "But this morning it really exploded (in practice) ... I really couldn't hit serves."

Tomic admits party 'mistake'

Troubled Australian tennis player Bernard Tomic has admitted he made a mistake after being arrested in Miami for refusing to turn down the music at a hotel penthouse party.

The fiery 22-year-old, already at odds with Tennis Australia, was taken into custody early Wednesday morning after police were called to the chic W Hotel after multiple reports of a raucous party in his rooms.

According to the arrest affidavit, witnesses said Tomic slammed the door on security guards.

"For sure it was my mistake and I guess I have to pay the price for it," he said.

Agencies

(China Daily 07/18/2015 page11)