SPORTS digest

Porter will speak to Curbstone

BEAVER TOWNSHIP

Mark Porter, Scouting Ohio.com founder and operator, will be the guest speaker at Monday’s luncheon meeting of The Curbstone Coaches at the Avion Banquet Center.

The event begins at noon and the public is welcome to attend.

Applications are being accepted for nominations for the 2018 Hall of Fame Class that will be inducted on May 6. For an application to nominate, call 330-506-6774 or 330-792-2272. The application deadline is Nov. 18.

Bulls forward Portis apologizes to teammate

CHICAGO

Suspended Bulls forward Bobby Portis offered an apology to injured teammate Niko Mirotic on Saturday in his first public comments since punching Mirotic in the face in practice on Tuesday.

The fight cost the Bulls their top two power forwards. Mirotic suffered two fractured bones and a concussion and is expected to miss 4-to-6 weeks. Portis was suspended eight games.

Portis said before Chicago’s home opener against the Spurs that he has reached out to Mirotic but has not received a response.

“I’m wrong for what I did,” Portis said. “I want to publicly apologize to Niko. I feel like I let my fans, the Bulls organization and most importantly my teammates down. This is not who Bobby Portis is.

“Going forward, I want to make sure that me and Niko are cool and that we can be teammates again. I’m pretty sure we can. We just have to repair the relationship.”

Rockets say Paul is ‘week-to-week’

HOUSTON

The Houston Rockets may be without All-Star point guard Chris Paul for weeks because of an injured left knee.

Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni told reporters in Houston on Saturday that the team will hold Paul out until the knee is completely healed. The team has not offered any specifics on the injury, other than the knee is bruised.

D’Antoni said Paul’s status is “more week-to-week” than day-to-day, and that there’s no firm timetable for a return.

Paul labored through Houston’s season-opening win at Golden State on Tuesday. He didn’t play when the Rockets faced Sacramento on Wednesday. Houston plays its home opener Saturday night against Dallas.

Paul was traded to the Rockets by the Los Angeles Clippers over the summer.

Cubs fire Bosio as pitching coach

CHICAGO

Chris Bosio is out as the Chicago Cubs’ pitching coach after six seasons.

A person familiar with the situation says the team said the team will not pick up his contract option for next season. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the move has not been announced.

USA Today first reported the decision.

Bosio’s dismissal comes after the Cubs we’re eliminated by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Championship Series.

Bosio worked under three managers in Chicago and helped oversee a transformation of the pitching staff that contributed to a drought-busting World Series Championship last year and three straight trips to the NLCS.

He helped Jake Arrieta develop into a Cy Young Award winner and built up mid-level pitchers such as Scott Feldman and Jason Hammel that the Cubs traded for key players.

But the bullpen faltered in the playoffs this year.

Cousins fined $25,000

NEW YORK

The NBA has fined New Orleans Pelicans center DeMarcus Cousins $25,000 for directing inappropriate language toward a fan.

The league says Saturday that Cousins was penalized for his actions that came with 50 seconds remaining in the Pelicans’ 103-91 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night. Cousins was also called for a technical foul as part of the incident, and the NBA says that has been rescinded.

Staff/wire report