NEW YORK -- The NBA charged Donald Sterling on Monday with damaging the league and its teams with his racist comments, setting up a June 3 hearing after which owners could vote to terminate his ownership of the Los Angeles Clippers. The league also said the banned owner has engaged in other conduct that has impaired its relationship with fans and merchandising partners. "All of these acts provide grounds for termination under several provisions of the NBA constitution and related agreements," the league said in a statement. Sterling was banned for life and fined $2.5 million by Commissioner Adam Silver after the release of a recording in which he made racist remarks. He has until May 27 to respond to the charge, and the right to appear at the hearing and make a presentation before the board of governors. He has the right to a lawyer at the hearing, but strict courtroom rules of evidence would not apply. Sterlings attorney, Maxwell Blecher, asked for a three-month delay in response to the charge, a person with knowledge of the situation said, confirming a report by SI.com. The league will not grant it, the person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because no official comments were authorized. Minnesota Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor, the board chairman, will preside over the hearing in New York, which is planned for two days before the start of the NBA Finals. If three-fourths of the other 29 owners vote to sustain the charge, Sterling will be forced to sell the team he has owned since 1981. Silver has said he is confident he has the 23 votes that are necessary. Sterling told a female friend, V. Stiviano, not to bring blacks to Clippers games during their conversation that was recorded. Sterling specifically mentioned Magic Johnson, then criticized the NBA Hall of Famer again as a poor role model during a recent interview with CNN. "Among other things, Mr. Sterling disparaged African-Americans and minorities; directed a female acquaintance not to associate publicly with African-Americans or to bring African-Americans to Clippers games; and criticized African-Americans for not supporting their communities," the NBA said. The league also charged Sterling with destroying evidence and providing false and misleading evidence to the NBA investigator, and said the Clippers issued a false and misleading media statement about the matter. It also cited "a failure to use best efforts to see to it that the sport of professional basketball is conducted according to the highest moral and ethical standards." Article 13 of the NBAs constitution, which deals with termination of ownership, states that one condition is if an owner fails or refuses "to fulfil its contractual obligations to the Association, its members, players, or any other third party in such a way as to affect the Association or its members adversely." A number of sponsors suspended their deals with the Clippers in the wake of Sterlings remarks, potentially hurting league revenues, and players have said they would consider refusing to play next season if he still owned the team. "Mr. Sterlings actions and positions significantly undermine the NBAs efforts to promote diversity and inclusion; damage the NBAs relationship with its fans; harm NBA owners, players and Clippers team personnel; and impair the NBAs relationship with marketing and merchandising partners, as well as with government and community leaders," the league said. If Sterling did not respond to the charge within five business days, or does not appear at the hearing, it would be deemed an admission of the "total validity of the charges as presented," according to the constitution. But even the players who want him out believe Sterling will fight, and his attorney sent a letter to the league last week informing it that Sterling wouldnt be paying the fine. A message on the office voicemail of Blecher said he would have no comment now. Sterlings estranged wife, Shelly, has said she will fight to keep her 50 per cent share of the team even if Donald Sterling is forced to sell, but the league said in its statement that "all ownership interests in the Clippers will be terminated" if the charge is upheld. Shelly Sterlings attorney, Pierce ODonnell, said he was reviewing the charges. "Based on our initial assessment, we continue to believe there is no lawful basis for stripping Shelly Sterling of her 50 per cent ownership interest in the Clippers," ODonnell said in a statement Monday. "She is the innocent estranged spouse. We also continue to hope that we can resolve this dispute with the NBA for the good of all constituencies." https://www.kansascityfootballshop.com/8-Jersey . -- Zach Johnson asked his short-iron approach on the par-4 18th to "Do something right, baby. https://www.kansascityfootballshop.com/95-Jersey .C. -- Steve Spurrier was much happier about South Carolinas improved performance than about his lastest career milestone. https://www.kansascityfootballshop.com/4-Jersey. -- Kael Mouillierat scored three times and set up one more as the St. https://www.kansascityfootballshop.com/56-Jersey . -- Novak Djokovic benefited from an erroneous call and claimed he didnt realize he had broken the rules. https://www.kansascityfootballshop.com/97-Jersey . Durant had 33 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, hit the tying 3-pointer late in regulation and made the go-ahead foul shots in overtime to lift the Thunder past the Wizards 106-105. John Wall missed a driving layup attempt at the buzzer for Washington, which was seeking its third straight win.TORONTO – James van Riemsdyk wouldnt quite go so far as to admit relief at returning to his natural left wing position on Saturday, but it was evident in his actions. The 24-year-olds four-game experiment at centre came to an end with the early morning trade for Peter Holland. Back on the wing alongside Holland and Phil Kessel, van Riemsdyk scored twice in the opening 14 minutes of an eventual 4-2 Leafs win. “Im probably a little more comfortable playing there,” said van Riemsdyk of returning to the wing, his team hanging on to beat the Sabres at the Air Canada Centre, losing just a night earlier in Buffalo. “Maybe allows me to do some different things as far as being in front of the net a little more often. Thats a big part of my game obviously.” The two goals he scored – his eighth and ninth this season – were almost carbon copies. Instinctively traveling to the front of the net off a pair of faceoff wins – one at even-strength and one on the power-play – van Riemsdyk redirected a pair of Cody Franson point shots behind Sabres goaltender Jhonas Enroth. He had been pointless in the previous five games, four of those during an unlikely return to centre. Dinged badly by injuries to Tyler Bozak (hamstring) and Dave Bolland (ankle) in the past couple weeks – and then without a suspended Nazem Kadri – the Leafs had little choice but to try the former New Hampshire Wildcat down the middle. Though he accepted the role under dire circumstances – he hadnt played there in the NHL – it was evident that he rarely felt comfortable in the position, especially in the offensive end. Following a 3-1 loss in Buffalo on Friday evening, van Riemsdyk was asked if his struggles to produce offence had anything to do with the shift to centre. “Thats not for me to decide,” he said sharply. Questioned himself, Randy Carlyle said he had no other choice but to position van Riemsdyk down the middle with his top three centres all out. “I dont have anybody else,” said Carlyle with some frustration. Early on Saturday morning another option arrived. A Toronto native – Caledon more specifically – Holland joined the Leafs from Anaheim, flipped alongside Brad Staubitz in exchange for Jesse Blacker and a pair of draft picks. Acquired in the summer of 2012 from Philadelphia, van Riemsdyk had 18 goals in his first season with the Leafs, emerging as a dynamic partner for Kessel. Off to another fine start this winter, he posted seven goals and 13 points in his first 12 games. Thrust into the middle when Bolland went down with injury in Vancouver, van Riemsdyk failed to muster a point in the next four games. “I wasnt exactly disappointed in how I played at centre,” he said, noting proficiency in the defensive end. “I thought I definitely gave it my all there.” And, though he refused to rule his brief stopover at centre a failure, it was quite clear on Saturday that he was right back where he belonged. Five Points 1. Holland trade Looking to stem the void at centre and add depth additionally to their organizational ranks, the Leafs acquired the 22-year-old Holland from Anaheim on Saturday morning. He raced to join the club in time for an evening affair against the Sabres. Holland had been in Providence, Rhode Island on Friday evening, where he scored a goal and had two assists for Norfolk in a 4-3 win. On to Manchester, New Hampshire, he received word of the trade from Ducks general manager Bob Murray the next morning at around 10 a.m. A phone call followed from his new boss Dave Nonis shortly thereafter; Nonis offered a welcome and all the pertinent flight information for the trip home. Holland then drove from Manchester to Boston, landing in Toronto at 3 p.m. He then checked into a local hotel and arrived at the ACC shortly after 4 p.m. Suffice to say it was a hectic day. “Thats one word that could describe it,” he said, “but at the same time its also really exciting. Coming back to my hometown I was fortunate enough to get a lot of my friends and family to the game tonight, my first one ever in Toronto.” Returning home, Holland predictably received an avalanche of text messages. “My phone was on the two-hour battery life,” he said. “I had to plug it in as soon as I got to the Boston airport. It was exploding pretty much all day.” A first round pick of the Ducks in 2009, Holland had 29 games of NHL experience before joining the Leafs, totaling five goals and seven points. Skilled offensively, he had yet to establish himself as a consistent force in Anaheim, playing for their AHL affiliate at the time of the trade. 2. Hollands debut Placed in a prominent position alongside van Riemsdyk and Kessel, Holland played just under 12 minutes against the Sabres, winning 7 of 11 faceoffs. “I thought he did okay,” said Carlyle, slightly familiar with Holland from the Ducks organization. “Its hard when a young guy comes in. And its not like we hid him in the lineup. We put him in a position to play with Kessel and van Riemsdyk. Thats what we believe in. We believe that if you acquire players or have young players it wouldnt be right to put them in a non-offensive situation.” “I was impressed with him,” van Riemssdyk said.dddddddddddd “I think hes definitely a very heady player, thinks the game well, really responsible player.” Holland will get at least one more prominent opportunity. Nazem Kadris three-game suspension will conclude when the Islanders come to town on Tuesday. Bozak meanwhile, is expected to join his teammates at practice early next week and could be in line to return early the following week. The 27-year-old has been out since Oct. 25. 3. The mysterious case of Kulemins disappearing offence Over the course of his first three seasons in the NHL, a stretch of 233 games, Nik Kulemin scored 61 goals – a formidable rate of one goal every 3.82 games. Since that point, the offence has slowed considerably for the now 27-year-old winger. Though he remains an effective defensive player – employed mostly in a defensive role – and reliable penalty killer for the Leafs, his gradual disappearance as an offensive threat is rather mysterious. “Its hard to say,” Kulemin told the Leaf Report. “Sometimes it happens, sometimes that the puck didnt go in. Some years, you get so many opportunities that you just didnt score. Sometimes you just dont have a chance to shoot or [get] scoring chances.” Kulemin finally scored his first goal of the season against the Sabres on Saturday, what proved to be the game-winner. He has totaled a mild 15 goals over the past two-plus seasons (126 games) – slowing to a rate of one goal every 8.4 games or more than double his earlier pace. Games Goals Goals Per Game Shots Per Game 2008-2011 233 61 0.26 1.92 2011-Present 126 15 0.12 1.44 Never a high volume shooter – his 30 goals in 2010-2011 came on 173 shots – Kulemin is hardly shooting the puck at all these days. His lone shot of the game Saturday, one that beat Enroth on a feed from Mason Raymond, was just third all season. “Its not enough for me,” said Kulemin, who played 18 minutes. “I [need to] keep looking for more shot opportunities and more shots on goal every game.” 4. Hanging on for victory On the ropes until the very end, the Leafs were outshot 17-5 in the final 20 minutes. Buffalo scored twice in the opening six minutes of the third frame to cut a 3-0 Toronto lead down to one. “Its tough to keep any team stifled for the whole game,” van Riemsdyk said. “They made some plays and then, that being said, I think we also got away from the way we want to play too.” A source of success in the opening period, the Leafs aggressive forecheck diminished as Saturdays action wore on. The Sabres forcefully asserted their presence in the second – they outshot the Leafs 12-7 – and right on into the third. Only a power-play marker from Mason Raymond that increased the lead back to two seemed to stem their momentum. “This one wasnt high on artistic value, but its two points and well move on,” Carlyle said. Having dropped four of the previous five games with an increasingly stagnant offence, a victory was certainly needed. 5. Fraser injury Yet to dress a full lineup this season, the Leafs lost Mark Fraser to a lower-body injury against the Sabres. The 27-year-old, who had recently returned from a lengthy stint on injured reserve, was forced to remove himself after just five shifts in the opening period. “We thought that it would be something that would go away, subside through the course of the second period,” said Carlyle. “Just didnt feel right.” Carlyle didnt think the injury was serious. “I hope not,” he said. “When you take yourself out of a game its serious enough. I dont think its something thats going to be weeks. I hope its day-to-day right now.” Fraser missed 13 games earlier this season with an MCL tear in his left knee. Stat-Pack 3 – Shots on goal for Nik Kulemin this season. 10 – Games without a goal for David Clarkson this season. 11:43 – Ice-time for Peter Holland in his Leafs debut. 2 – Multi-goal games for James van Riemsdyk this season. 1 – Point in the last seven games for Phil Kessel. Kessel played a season-low 15 minutes against the Sabres. 26:14 – Ice-time for Carl Gunnarsson on Saturday, a season-high. 60 per cent – Leafs success rate on the draw against the Sabres. Special Teams Capsule PP: 2-2Season: 23.5% PK: 1-2Season: 83.5% Quote of the Night “This one wasnt high on artistic value, but its two points and well move on.” -Randy Carlyle on the victory over Buffalo on Saturday. Up Next The Leafs play host to the New York Islanders on Tuesday night. ' ' '