Thursday's Sports In Brief
NBA
NEW YORK (AP) The Minnesota Timberwolves got their man in the middle. The Lakers got a playmaking partner for Kobe Bryant.
Knicks fans just got mad - though not for long.
Minnesota selected Kentucky's Karl-Anthony Towns with the first pick in the NBA draft on Thursday night, the first of three straight freshmen chosen before New York chose Latvian forward Kristaps Porzingis, triggering loud, long boos from their fans inside Barclays Center.
They were cheering later in the first round when the Knicks acquired the rights to Notre Dame guard Jerian Grant from Atlanta for Tim Hardaway Jr.
Before that, the Timberwolves went for a center in their first time owning the No. 1 pick. They can add him to a young roster featuring Rookie of the Year Andrew Wiggins, who was picked first last year by Cleveland and later dealt to Minnesota in the Kevin Love trade.
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NFL
NEW YORK (AP) - The NFL Players Association has complained to the league about whether the Patriots improperly disciplined cornerback Malcolm Butler during voluntary workouts.
NFLPA spokesman George Atallah said Thursday that the union has a responsibility to pursue all violations of the collective bargaining agreement consistently.
The Patriots are accused of holding Butler out of voluntary workouts because he was late for the first of the team activities. The Patriots and Butler have not publicly acknowledged the discipline, though Butler did tell reporters when he turned up at workouts that he had to deal with someone taking something away from him.
Butler became a Super Bowl hero last season when he intercepted Russell Wilson on the goal-line in the final minute. Since then, he's appeared on talk shows, got a parade in his hometown and even presented at the Grammys.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The Tennessee Titans' home field is changing its name from LP Field to Nissan Stadium.
Officials from the Titans and Nissan announced Thursday a 20-year partnership that renames Nashville's downtown stadium. The naming rights are subject to approval by the NFL and Metro Government Authority.
The Titans' home stadium had been known as LP Field since 2006. The stadium opened in 1999 and was named Adelphia Coliseum at the time.
The city-owned stadium also is the home field for Tennessee State football and the Music City Bowl.
The naming rights agreement includes the opportunity for Nissan branding on the facility's exterior as well as signage and other displays inside the stadium.
Nissan's Tennessee presence includes its North American headquarters in Franklin and manufacturing facilities in Smyrna and Decherd.
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BASEBALL
WASHINGTON (AP) - Atlanta right fielder Nick Markakis saw his record streak of 398 consecutive games without an error end in the first inning of Thursday's game against the Washington Nationals.
Denard Span singled to right field leading off and Markakis bobbled the ball, allowing Span to take second.
Markakis, who signed with Atlanta in the offseason, established the all-time MLB record for consecutive errorless games by a non-pitcher on June 18 - breaking the previous mark of 392, set by Darren Lewis from 1990-94.
Markakis had not made an error since on Aug. 10, 2012, while with the Orioles.
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COLLEGE
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) - Syracuse men's basketball assistant Mike Hopkins has been formally given the title of head coach designate to succeed Hall of Famer Jim Boeheim after the 2017-18 season.
A former Orange captain, Hopkins has served on Boeheim's staff for 19 seasons. Syracuse won the NCAA title in 2003.
Hopkins said in a statement Thursday that ''I'm honored, humbled and grateful for this special opportunity. Very few people are afforded the privilege to coach at their alma mater.''
In March, Boeheim announced that he will retire in three years and said he wanted Hopkins to take over for him.
Boeheim says Hopkins ''has truly earned this honor through his hard work, dedication and commitment to our program for more than 20 years'' and that ''there is no one more ready or prepared to carry on the success of Syracuse basketball.''
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - The 15 home runs hit in 16 College World Series games are the most since the tournament moved to TD Ameritrade Park in 2011 and mirrored the increases in offense across Division I this season.
The NCAA put a new flat-seam ball into play this year to counter severe drops in offense since bat specifications changed in 2011. The new ball replaced the more wind-resistant raised-seam ball.
College baseball officials were especially interested in how the ball would play in Omaha's expansive stadium. NCAA manager director of championships and alliances Damani Leech said he hoped for 10 home runs and is ''thrilled'' there were 15.
For the season, home runs increased 42 percent in Division I.
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TRACK
KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) - Usain Bolt has been removed from the list of entries for the 100 meters at the Jamaica trials, apparently the latest setback for the world record-holder.
Jamaican athletics officials said on Thursday that Bolt was expected to compete in the 100 in Kingston to sharpen his sprinting form against speedsters such as Asafa Powell and Yohan Blake. Bolt was already assured of a spot in the world championships in August in Beijing to defend his 100 and 200 titles.
But Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association officials said Bolt's name was withdrawn late Wednesday, without elaborating. The heats were on Thursday, and the 100 final is scheduled for Friday.
However, Bolt's agent, Ricky Simms, said his client was never ''confirmed'' to run at the Jamaica trials, and put his name in only ''to have the option'' to compete against his countrymen.