SPORTS NEWS

On a course where no lead is safe, Chris Kirk (-10) holds a narrow one-shot advantage heading into Sunday's final round of the Players Championship. A tournament-record 30 golfers are within five shots of the lead, including past winners Sergio Garcia (-8) and Adam Scott (-6), despite both players fighting through some serious putting issues. MORE: Ishikawa back in the spotlight | Must-see round three photos | Tiger's 'record' day Garcia started the week with a conventional grip with his putter, but quickly changed to the claw grip we've become accustomed to seeing him with on shorter putts. The combo grips may look odd, but they seem to be doing the trick. Scott, on the other hand, continues to use the anchored putter that will soon be outlawed, even though his results haven't been stellar. Both players could use a high finish in what's been a relatively slow start to the season. Kirk was very steady en route to a second-consecutive 68 on Saturday. He hold...

Paul Pierce may not be a superstar anymore, but he's still "The Truth." His Wizards were playing without their star player, John Wall, and had watched a 21-point lead over the Hawks evaporate in a matter of minutes. MORE: Pierce 'I Called Game' t-shirts on sale | Hawks petition to end bank shot winners PHOTOS: Must-see Round 2 pictures Enter Pierce, the grizzled veteran who has had more playoff success as an individual than the Washington franchise has had in the last 35 years.  The 37-year-old may no longer be an All-Star, but you'd have a hard time convincing him of that.  Guarded by 6-1 Dennis Schroder in the waning seconds of Saturday night's Game 3, Pierce called for the ball, maneuvered past the Hawks guard and hit a fadeaway jumper that swished through the net as he fell to the ground.  "I had a small guy on me, I had it at the elbow...what more can you ask for," Pierce told ESPN's Chris Broussard after the game. "You got Truth a...

Sprint Cup drivers had to wait through a two-hour, 17-minute rain delay, but when the 1.5-mile track at Kansas Speedway finally dried, Jimmie Johnson made a gutsy call late in the race to capture his third win of the season.  Ricky Stenhouse Jr. brought out the caution with 11 laps to go. While nearly a third of the field entered pit road, Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr., among others, decided to stay out. Johnson was able to hold off Kevin Harvick, who took two tires during the caution after leading the previous 43 laps, to win the SpongeBob SquarePants 400. MORE: Results |  Stenhouse on Mother's Day | Allmendinger's big night | PHOTOS: SpongeBob SquarePants 400 gallery “I think experience helps," Johnson told FOX Sports 1 after the race. "You just shrug it off. We are trying so hard to get our qualifying under control. We put a huge effort into it again. To be 19th (in qualifying) was just … really stunk it wasn’t any fun. These guys just work so hard. ... Just a lo...