SPORTS digest

USOC is committed to going to Olympics

The leader of the U.S. Olympic Committee says the plan is to take a team to the Pyeongchang Games “unless it’s legally or physically impossible.”

CEO Scott Blackmun spoke Friday after a board meeting, and a day after members of the Trump administration cast doubt over whether the U.S. would field a team at the Olympics in February.

Blackmun said comments from U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders took the USOC leadership by surprise, but chalked it up to a miscommunication.

Shortly after Haley called U.S. participation an open question and Sanders followed up by saying “no official decision has been made,” Sanders clarified in a tweet, saying the U.S. looks forward to participating in the games.

Tensions have been high in South Korea after a series of missile tests in North Korea and inflammatory rhetoric between its leader, Kim Jong Un, and President Donald Trump.

Japanese star Ohtani chooses LA Angels

ANAHEIM, Calif.

Japanese star Shohei Ohtani is bringing his arm and bat to the Los Angeles Angels, pairing him with two-time MVP Mike Trout.

Ohtani’s agent put out a statement Friday saying the prized two-way player had decided to sign with the Angels, a surprise winner over Seattle, Texas and several other teams.

Agent Nez Balelo said the 2016 Japanese MVP “felt a true bond with the Angels.”

The Angels will have to pay the $20 million posting fee Nippon Ham Fighters, but not a huge salary. Ohtani will sign a minor league contact and can receive up to $2,315,000 in international bonus money.

Ohtani was 3-2 with a 3.20 ERA this year, and was slowed by thigh and ankle injuries. He hit .332 in 65 games with eight homers and 31 RBIs.

The Angels went 80-82 this year and missed the playoffs.

Former Ryder Cup golfer Horton dies at 76

GROUVILLE, Jersey

Tommy Horton, the Englishman who played in two Ryder Cups and won four times on European Tour, died Thursday. He was 76.

Horton became ill at the Annual General Meeting at the Royal Jersey Golf Club on Thursday night and died soon after at a hospital.

Horton was born on Merseyside and grew up and lived in Jersey.

Panarin sets record in Blue Jackets’ win

NEWARK, N.J.

Artemi Panarin had five primary assists, setting up the Columbus Blue Jackets for a 5-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils on Friday night and a split of their home-and-home series.

Pierre-Luc Dubois, Lukas Sedlak, Scott Harrington, Alexander Wennberg and Zach Werenski scored for Columbus. Sergei Bobrovsky made 21 saves.

The five assists for Panarin tied a Blue Jackets record set by Espen Knutsen against Calgary on March 24, 2001.

Brian Boyle, Marcus Johansson and Blake Coleman had the New Jersey goals. Cory Schneider stopped 23 shots.

Panarin set up Wennberg for a power-play goal 1:32 into the third period to snap a 3-all tie.

Chris Bosh’s mother questioned in drug raid

DESOTO, Texas

The mother professional basketball free agent Chris Bosh is among several people questioned by police during a drug raid in a Dallas suburb.

A DeSoto police spokesman said Frieda Bosh was one of several people found about 6:30 a.m. Friday in the house in a posh gated community in DeSoto. Police Sgt. Nick Bristow said no arrests were made, but enough drug paraphernalia was found to indicate they were used in narcotics trafficking. He said the investigation was continuing.

Bristow said Chris Bosh is listed as the owner of the house but was not among those there Friday.

Associated Press