[naviga:h3]Leonard hurt again in Spurs’ defeat[/naviga:h3]

OAKLAND, Calif. — Kawhi Leonard didn’t think Warriors cevnter Zaza Pachulia intentionally tried to injure him in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.

Leonard left the game after re-injuring his tender left ankle in the third quarter when Pachulia’s foot slid under Leonard’s following a jumper by the All-Star forward. Now, Leonard’s status for the remainder of the best-of-seven series is in question.

“Did he step under it? Like on purpose? No,” Leonard said afterward. “He was contesting a shot. The shot clock was coming down. I’ll have to see the play.”

[naviga:h3]Former MLB umpire Palermo dead at 67[/naviga:h3]

UNDATED — Former big league umpire Steve Palermo, whose accomplished career ended when he was shot trying to break up a robbery in 1991, has died. He was 67.

Major League Baseball announced that Palermo had died, without providing details. Palermo, who lived in the Kansas City area, had been in poor health.

Palermo broke into the majors late in the 1976 season and joined the American League staff the next year. He worked the 1983 World Series, several playoff series and the All-Star Game. He consistently drew praise from players, managers and fellow umpires for his work.

[naviga:h3]NASCAR’s Amirola out of hospital[/naviga:h3]

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — NASCAR driver Aric Almirola was released from the University of Kansas Medical Center on Sunday, a day after he fractured a vertebra during a fiery wreck at Kansas Speedway.

Almirola was trailing Joey Logano and Danica Patrick when a broken brake rotor on Logano’s car sent him and Patrick into the wall entering the first turn. Almirola had no time to check up and plowed into Logano’s car, the force of the impact lifting his No. 43 car into the air and nearly flipping it over.

Safety crews removed the top of Almirola’s car so they could pull him out, and he was placed on a backboard and taken to the infield care center. He was then airlifted to the hospital, conscious and alert, and doctors there diagnosed a compression fracture of his T5 vertebra.