National Sports

LAS VEGAS — Russell Westbrook and James Harden are together again, and Chris Paul is leaving Houston to make that reunion happen.

Toronto FC said goodbye to one of its own Thursday, dealing homegrown product Jordan Hamilton to Columbus Crew SC for American striker Patrick Mullins.

SYLVANIA, Ohio — Alena Sharp of Canada and Youngin Chun of South Korea shared the Marathon Classic lead at 7-under 64 on Thursday, a stroke ahead of Stacy Lewis and three others at Highland Meadows Golf Club.

TORONTO — When it was James Hinchcliffe's turn to speak among the panel of IndyCar drivers at Thursday's opening news conference, emcee Michael Young jokingly skipped right past the Canadian. "James Hinchcliffe, thanks for joining us.

NEW YORK — Baseball's All-Star Game had a record low television rating. The American League's 4-3 victory over the National League on Tuesday night in Cleveland had a 5.0 rating and 11 share on Fox, according to Nielsen Media Research.

TORONTO — Veteran Canadian lightweight John (The Bull) Makdessi will face American Devonte (King Kage) Smith next month at UFC 241 in Anaheim. It will be 17th UFC fight for Makdessi, who has won 10 and lost six.

BIRMINGHAM, England — The first flew over long-on. The second went straight down the ground, too, off the very next ball. Jason Roy made it a hat trick of sixes with the best of the lot, almost sending the white ball out of Edgbaston.

CHAMPAGNEY, France — Two Tour de France rookies stole the show on the first mountain stage, with Dylan Teuns of Belgium winning Stage 6 and Giulio Ciccone of Italy taking the overall race lead on Thursday.

MONTREAL — The Montreal Canadiens have signed Finnish forwards Joel Armia and Artturi Lehkonen to two-year contracts. Armia's contract has an average annual value of US$2.6 million, while Lehkonen's has an AAV of $2.4 million.

WINNIPEG — Brandon Alexander hasn't forgotten the criticism heaped on the Blue Bombers' defence the past few seasons, but he's glad this year has started off different.