NBA-SCHEDULE
Pacers deal Sixers another loss
UNDATED (AP) β Another night, another loss for the Philadelphia 76ers, who haven’t recorded a victory since Jan. 29.
The Sixers absorbed their team-record 21st consecutive loss as Lance Stephenson scored 25 points to lead Indiana’s 99-90 victory in Philadelphia. Paul George added 24 points for the Pacers, who earned their fourth straight win and stretched their lead in the NBA’s Eastern Conference to 3 1/2 games over Miami.
The 76ers actually had an early nine-point lead before breaking the previous club mark for consecutive losses set by the 1972-73 team. The league record is 26 straight losses held by the 2010-11 Cavaliers.
Oklahoma City has climbed within 1 Β½ games of the Western Conference-leading San Antonio Spurs.
Kevin Durant poured in 35 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in the Thunder’s 97-85 victory at Chicago. Russell Westbrook had 17 points, nine boards and nine assists after missing the Oklahoma City’s previous game to rest his surgically-repaired knee.
In other NBA action:
β The Los Angeles Clippers’ 11-game winning streak is over after J.J. Hickson contributed 21 points and 11 rebounds off the bench to lead the Nuggets to a 110-100 triumph at Denver. Kenneth Faried had 18 points and 16 boards for the Nuggets, who held the Clippers to 39 percent shooting and outrebounded them 55-43. Chris Paul had a game-high 29 points and Blake Griffin added 26, but the rest of L.A.’s starters combined for just 25.
β Houston ripped Utah 124-86 as Terrence Jones poured in 30 points and Patrick Beverley added 19. The Rockets hit 13 3-pointers, shot 58 percent from the field and ended a three-game losing streak.
β Dirk Nowitzki contributed 19 points and Dallas opened a franchise-record eight-game homestand by edging Boston 94-89. Monta Ellis had 17 points and Devin Harris added 12 as the Mavericks moved a season-high 14 games over .500.
β Deron Williams scored 28 points and Brooklyn picked up its ninth straight win by downing Phoenix 108-95. Joe Johnson added 19 points for the Nets, who’ve lost just twice in nine games since Kevin Garnett left the lineup due to back spasms.
β Atlanta has a four-game winning streak after Paul Millsap scored 28 points in a 97-83 win at Charlotte. The Hawks ended the Bobcats’ eight-game home winning streak and beat Charlotte for the 11th straight time.
NHL-SCHEDULE
Blues break 100…Nine straight for B’s
UNDATED (AP) β The NHL’s conference leaders both put a little more distance between themselves and the second-place teams.
The St. Louis Blues are the league’s first team to eclipse 100 points this season, doing it with a 3-1 victory over Winnipeg. David Backes (BAK’-ehs) scored twice and Jay Bouwmeester (BOH’-mees-tur) had two assists to back Ryan Miller, who needed to make just 16 saves to improve to 7-0-1 since joining the Blues from Buffalo earlier this month.
The Western Conference-leading Blues have won three straight and eight of nine to move four points ahead of Anaheim and San Jose.
The Boston Bruins have increased their lead in the East to five points over idle second-place Pittsburgh by posting their longest winning streak since a 10-game run in November 2011.
Jarome Iginla (ih-GIHN’-luh) scored twice and Tuukka (TOO’-kah) Rask stopped 33 shots in the Bruins’ ninth consecutive victory, 4-1 over Vancouver. Loui (LOO’-ee) Eriksson and Reilly Smith also tallied as Boston improved to 12-1-2 in its last 15 games while dropping the Wild to 1-2-3 in their last six contests.
Also on ice:
β Phoenix blew a 2-0 lead before third-period goals by Keith Yandle and Jeff Halpern sent the Coyotes to a 4-3 win at Los Angeles. The Coyotes handed the Kings their third straight loss and moved two points ahead of Dallas in the race for the final Western Conference playoff berth.
β Steven Stamkos scored a power-play goal and had an assist while Tampa Bay was building a 3-0 lead in a 4-3 win against Vancouver. Ondrej Palat (AHN’-dray pah-LAHT’) also had a goal and an assist as the Lightning earned their third straight victory since a 0-3-2 skid.
MLB-SPRING TRAINING
Braves’ elbows ailing…Tigers need to fill a hole at short…Athletics’ Parker out for season
UNDATED (AP) β You can never have too much pitching, as the Atlanta Braves will attest.
Braves pitcher Kris Medlen will undergo season-ending surgery today, while teammate Brandon Beachy is getting another opinion on his ailing elbow.
Medlen will undergo the second Tommy John surgery of his career after having the elbow ligament replaced in 2010. Beachy underwent the same procedure in 2012 and has endured multiple setbacks since then.
Medlen and Beachy were expected to be stalwarts of the Braves’ rotation.
In other spring training developments:
β Detroit Tigers shortstop Jose Iglesias says he has stress fractures in both legs and isn’t sure when he’ll be able to play again. Iglesias says he’s felt pain in both of his shins since spring training last year. The Tigers acquired Iglesias during last season from Boston in a three-team trade.
β Oakland Athletics right-hander Jarrod Parker needs elbow ligament-replacement surgery and will miss the season. Parker’s surgery clears the way for Jesse Chavez and Tommy Milone (mih-LOHN’) to join Oakland’s starting rotation.
β Right-hander Chris Tillman will be the Baltimore Orioles’ opening-day starter against the World Series-champion Boston Red Sox. Tillman went 16-7 with a 3.71 ERA last season and made the AL All-Star team for the first time last season.
β New York Mets pitcher Jonathon Niese (NEES) received a cortisone injection in the back of his left elbow and was cleared to resume throwing later this week.
β Chicago Cubs pitcher James McDonald left Monday’s game against Oakland after two pitches because of a sore right shoulder.
NCAA WOMEN’S TOURNAMENT
UConn has top overall seed in tourney
UNDATED (AP) β Connecticut is the top seed in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament as the 34-0 Huskies try for a record ninth NCAA title breaking a tie with Tennessee for most all-time. Notre Dame, Tennessee and South Carolina have received the other No. 1 seeds.
T25 BASKETBALL POLLS
Gators and Huskies finish on top
UNDATED (AP) β Florida is on top of the AP’s final men’s college basketball poll of the season. The 32-2 Gators are spending their fourth consecutive week atop the poll after capping the regular season with the Southeastern Conference tournament title. Florida received 50 first-place votes from the 65-member national media panel.
Unbeaten Wichita State remains No. 2, followed by Virginia, Arizona and Louisville. Villanova, Michigan, Duke, Iowa State and Kansas round out the top 10.
Connecticut is No. 1 in the final women’s poll, marking the fifth time the Huskies have been the top team the entire season. Fellow unbeaten Notre Dame is No. 2, ahead of Tennessee, Louisville and Baylor.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL-VIRGINIA TECH
Hokies can coach
BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) β Virginia Tech has fired men’s basketball coach James Johnson. He held the Hokies’ position for two years and saw his team rack up a 9-22 record this season, finishing last in the 15-team Atlantic Coast Conference.
NHL-CAPS/LAICH
Caps lose Laich for season
ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) β The Washington Capitals have another hurdle to climb on their uphill fight for an NHL wild-card playoff berth. Forward Brooks Laich (lyk) is expected to miss the rest of the regular season after having an operation on a groin muscle.
The team said a full recovery usually takes four to six weeks. Washington’s last regular-season game is April 13. Laich has eight goals and seven assists this season.
NFL-COLTS
Colts owner arrested
CARMEL, Ind. (AP) β Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay was released from jail Monday after being held overnight following a traffic stop in which police said he failed sobriety tests and had multiple prescription drugs inside his vehicle.
Irsay was pulled over late Sunday after he was spotted driving slowly near his home in suburban Carmel, stopping in the roadway and failing to use a turn signal. Police say Irsay failed several roadside field sobriety tests before he was arrested, though details were not released.
Carmel police said the drugs found in Irsay’s vehicle weren’t associated with any of the prescription bottles found inside.
Irsay faces a preliminary misdemeanor charge of driving while intoxicated and four felony counts of possession of a controlled substance, Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Bryant Orem said. A hearing is scheduled for March 26.
Also in the NFL:
β The New York Giants continued to revamp their secondary by signing free-agent cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. The deal comes just a day after the Giants confirmed the signing of former Seahawks cornerback Walter Thurmond and Chiefs safety Quintin Demps.
β The Oakland Raiders have signed free agent James Jones to a three-year contract. Jones had 310 career catches for 4,305 yards and 37 touchdowns in 104 games over seven seasons in Green Bay.
β The New Orleans Saints and right tackle Zach Strief (streef) have agreed to a five-year contract extension. Strief has spent his entire eight-year career in New Orleans and became a starter in 2011.
β The Dallas Cowboys have signed quarterback Brandon Weeden, even though they expect Kyle Orton to return behind Tony Romo next season. A person with direct knowledge of the deal said Weeden has signed a two-year contract. Weeden was a first-round pick by Cleveland in 2012 but fell out of favor after throwing 26 interceptions in 23 games, including 20 starts, over two seasons.
β The Bengals have re-signed safety Taylor Mays, a week after he became an unrestricted free agent. Mays is a four-year veteran who played in the first eight games last season before dislocating his shoulder, ending his season.
β The New England Patriots have announced the signing of Darrelle Revis (dah-REHL’ REE’-vihs). The cornerback was released last Tuesday by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before he was due a $1.5 million signing bonus after his only season with them.
β Safety Nate Allen has come to terms on a one-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles. Allen had a career-high 94 tackles and started every game last season.
β The Seattle Seahawks and kicker Steven Hauschka have agreed to terms on a new multi-year contract after the best season of his career. Hauschka made 33 of 35 field-goal kicks overall, was perfect from beyond 50 yards, and made all of his extra point attempts.
OBIT-BETTENHAUSEN
Veteran driver dies
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) β Officials with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway say former race car driver Gary Bettenhausen has died at the age of 72. Bettenhausen was a member of a famous racing family and a veteran of open-wheel competition who drove in 21 Indianapolis 500s between 1968 and 1993. His best finish was third in 1980.
Bettenhausen’s father, Tony, also was an Indianapolis 500 veteran who was killed in a practice crash at the speedway in 1961.
