NASCAR suspends Kurt Busch
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., June 4 (UPI) -- NASCAR has suspended Kurt Busch for violating his probation in a confrontation with a reporter and extended his probation through the rest of 2012.
Busch -- who in May was fined $50,000 and placed on probation through July 25 for "reckless driving on pit road during a race," and for "being involved in an altercation with another competitor after the completion of the race [a member of driver Ryan Newman's crew at Darlington Raceway] -- will not be allowed to drive this weekend at Pocono Raceway, NASCAR announced Monday.
His suspension is effective through June 13.
The 2004 Sprint Cup Series champion got into an altercation Saturday at Dover International Speedway with Bob Pockrass, a writer for The Sporting News. During the encounter, Busch was guilty of "actions detrimental to stock car racing; violation of probation; verbal abuse to a media member," NASCAR said in a release.
Sunday's incident occurred after Pockrass asked Busch whether the probation imposed May 15 had any effect on his driving in the May 26 200-mile Nationwide Series race at Dover. The two exchanged words and made physical contact during the encounter.
Kings beat Devils, go up 3-0
LOS ANGELES, June 4 (UPI) -- Jonathan Quick logged his third post-season shutout Monday and the Los Angeles Kings took a 3-0 lead in the Stanley Cup Finals with a 4-0 win over New Jersey.
Quick set a club record for most playoff shutouts in a single season, turning aside all 22 shots he saw as the Kings improved to 15-2 in their 2012 Stanley Cup run and moved to within one victory of their first NHL championship.
Anze Kopitar and Justin Williams each notched a goal and an assist while Jeff Carter and Alec Martinez each scored a goal for Los Angeles, which jumped out to a 2-0 first-period lead and never looked back.
The Kings played a physical game, delivering 54 hits to the Devils' 32, and killed off all five New Jersey power plays, including a 5-on-3 advantage late in the first period.
Martin Brodeur made 17 stops for New Jersey, which will try to avoid elimination in Wednesday's Game 4 at Staples Center.
Jaguars draftee Blackmon pleads not guilty
STILLWATER, Okla., June 4 (UPI) -- Ex-Oklahoma State wide receiver and Jacksonville Jaguars draftee Justin Blackmon pleaded not guilty to aggravated drunken driving charges Monday.
Blackmon, a two-time unanimous All-American and No. 2 on OSU's all-time receiving yards list with 3,564 yards, had a hearing date of July 24 set for his case.
The receiver was arrested early Sunday in Stillwater, Okla., after a test indicated he had a blood-alcohol contest of 0.24 percent, three times the legal limit.
State law defines aggravated DUI as a charge in which the driver's blood-alcohol content is measured at 0.15 percent or higher.
Blackmon was the fifth overall pick by the Jaguars in April's NFL draft.
He was also arrested on a DUI charge in October 2010 in Carrollton, Texas, and was suspended for a game by Cowboys Coach Mike Gundy.
Blackmon is expected to land a deal worth $20 million overall from the Jaguars, the Tulsa World reported.
Lakers pick up option on Bynum
LOS ANGELES, June 4 (UPI) -- The Los Angeles Lakers exercised an option on the contract of all-star center Andrew Bynum Monday, locking him up for the 2012-13 season.
The team didn't release the terms of the contract, but the Los Angeles Times reported it was for $16.1 million.
Bynum, a first-round pick in the 2005 draft, posted career-best averages of 18.7 points and 11.8 rebounds per game while playing in all 60 games in the lockout-shortened regular season.
The 25-year-old then averaged 16.7 points, 11.1 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game in the playoffs.
In seven years with the Lakers, Bynum has averaged 11.7 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.6 blocks over 392 games.
