Ron Artest and Trevor Ariza traded elbows, trash talk and last-minute 3-pointers in regulation. In the end, Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers got in the last word. Bryant scored 41 points, Andrew Bynum added 17 points and 17 rebounds and the Lakers beat the Houston Rockets 103-102 Wednesday night for their second overtime win in two nights.
The unbeaten Colts have lost starting linebacker Tyjuan Hagler for the rest of the season with a ruptured biceps. Coach Jim Caldwell said Hagler was placed on injured reserve Wednesday. Second-year linebacker Philip Wheeler and undrafted rookie Ramon Humber are expected to replace Hagler. Indy also will promote rookie linebacker Cody Glenn to the active roster from the practice squad.
Seven years in the NBA has taught LeBron James the importance of patience. It is being tested after Cleveland started its new season with two straight losses. Andrea Bargnani scored 28 points, Chris Bosh had 21 points and 16 rebounds, and the Toronto Raptors overcame James' 25th career triple-double to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 101-91 on Wednesday night.
Kansas City Chiefs running back Larry Johnson, who made two gay slurs within a 24-hour period, was given what amounts to a one-game suspension Wednesday night, but Johnson's agent said he would appeal. Agent Peter Schaffer said the game check and other lost revenue would amount to about a penalty of about $600,000 for the former two-time Pro Bowl player.
The Orlando Magic didn't spend much time hoisting their Eastern Conference championship banner. They didn't take long to adjust to a revamped roster, either. Dwight Howard had 21 points and 15 rebounds, Vince Carter scored 15 points and the new-look Magic rolled to a 120-106 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night in the season opener for both teams.
Jeff Fisher knows he can't keep the identity of his starting quarterback secret until kickoff Sunday even if he wants to. So the Tennessee coach is trying to keep it quiet for another 24 hours. Fisher said Wednesday he will announce his starter Thursday, trying to carve out another day of competitive advantage for the winless Titans against Jacksonville (3-3).
Kevin Garnett scored 21 points, Ray Allen added 20 and the Boston Celtics won their fifth straight, beating the Toronto Raptors 101-82 on Sunday. Eddie House scored 10 of his 13 points in the fourth, while Rasheed Wallace, who sat out Boston's 106-90 victory over Toronto on Wednesday night because of a sore right ankle, returned to score five points.
Larry Brown became the first major target in the NBA's zero-tolerance policy toward criticizing its replacement referees. The Bobcats coach was hit with $60,000 in fines on Wednesday and the Charlotte organization was fined another $60,000 after Brown's ejection from an exhibition game. Memphis Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins was also fined $25,000 for criticism after a game Monday, as the…
John Lackey will start Friday night's Game 1 of the AL championship series against CC Sabathia and the Yankees, getting the nod from manager Mike Scioscia before the Angels traveled to New York on Wednesday. Lackey pitched 7 1-3 innings to lead Los Angeles to a 5-0 win over the Boston Red Sox in Game 1 of the division series.
Scoring early against St. Louis ace Chris Carpenter gave the Los Angeles Dodgers the shot of confidence they needed. Then their bullpen came in and closed out the Cardinals. Randy Wolf survived a shaky first inning before five relievers combined to give up one run in the Dodgers' 5-3 victory on Wednesday night in an NL playoff opener full of missed chances for both teams.
Kevin Garnett went down. Luckily for Boston, it was only for a second. Garnett hit the floor after missing on an attempted alley-oop just over five minutes into the preseason opener against Houston on Wednesday night. To the Celtics' relief, he quickly got back up and hit two free throws. Garnett scored six points and grabbed five rebounds in the Rockets' 96-90 victory.
Braylon Edwards' arrival was picture-perfect for the New York Jets. The talented but troubled wide receiver was acquired from Cleveland on Wednesday and showed up at the team's facility shortly after practice ended — just in time to try on his new green and white threads and be included in the team picture.
Michael Crabtree is confident he can play a big role for the San Francisco 49ers as a rookie even though he's months behind. He will get his chances in an offense that could really use him. Crabtree signed a six-year contract early Wednesday after a drawn-out negotiation process that had some wondering whether the star wide receiver would ever show up this season.
Magglio Ordonez is supposed to help the Detroit Tigers win titles. Eddie Bonine is a bit of a surprise. Ordonez hit a three-run double, Bonine lasted five innings after a shaky start and the Tigers beat the Minnesota Twins 7-2 on Wednesday night to move closer to the AL Central title. "You need everyone on your team to step up right now, and that's what happened tonight," Detroit…
The NBA is instituting a policy regarding Twitter and other social media sites, banning players from using them during games. The league sent a memo to teams on Wednesday telling them that cell phones and other communication devices can't be used from 45 minutes before game time until after players have finished their responsibilities after games.
A Nevada judge denied motions by lawyers for Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to dismiss a civil lawsuit alleging he raped a Lake Tahoe casino worker, according to court documents released Wednesday. Washoe District Judge Brent Adams rejected arguments that the suit should be dismissed, saying the woman's allegations make a "sufficient" claim that if proven, would…
Encouraged by progress in his recovery from major foot surgery, Yao Ming said Wednesday he will return to action — just not next season. "The (X-ray) picture looks good. The bones heal well," he said in an interview with Houston television station KRIV. He also said, however, that there is no chance that he will play in the 2009-10 NBA season.
After 50 years in baseball, Bobby Cox figured the only way he would ever give up managing was to pick a specific time and announce it publicly. So that's what he did Wednesday, revealing his plans to retire as manager of the Atlanta Braves after next season. Now comes the hard part: sticking to it.
Could the New Jersey Nets become the Nyets? The basketball team once known as the New Jersey Americans is a step closer to being owned by Russia's richest man, Mikhail Prokhorov, who on Wednesday said he has a deal to buy 80 percent of the NBA team and nearly half of a project to build a new arena in Brooklyn.
Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson was limited in practice Wednesday with a back injury. The NFL's leading rusher was listed on the team's injury report, three days after rushing for 92 yards and a touchdown against the Lions. The team hosts San Francisco this Sunday. Vikings middle linebacker E.J.
Curt Schilling, the former major league pitcher who won the allegiance of Bostonians by leading the Red Sox to the 2004 World Series, said Wednesday that he has "some interest" in running for the seat held for nearly 50 years by Democratic Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. Schilling, a registered independent and longtime Republican supporter, wrote on his blog that while his family and video game…
Moving to quell rumors, Denver coach Josh McDaniels said Wednesday the team had not held any talks involving a trade of suspended Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall. "We're looking forward to having Brandon back on Sept. 6 and starting our preparations for Cincinnati with him," McDaniels said.
The Memphis Grizzlies general manager refuses to confirm whether the team has made a formal offer to Allen Iverson. Iverson tweeted Wednesday that Memphis had made him an offer, and ESPN.com reported general manager Chris Wallace confirmed the Grizzlies had made a formal offer. But Wallace Thursday through a team spokesman would only say he did not confirm an offer to ESPN.com.