NBA-SCHEDULE
Milestone night for Pop…40 for Durant
UNDATED (AP) β Gregg Popovich joined the NBA’s 1,000 Club. Popovich is the ninth NBA coach to record 1,000 victories after his San Antonio Spurs rallied for a 95-93 win over Indiana. Tony Parker led the Spurs with 19 points. Tim Duncan had 15. Marco Belinelli’s baseline jumper with 2.1 seconds left was the winning basket.
Popovich became the third-fastest to achieve the feat. He also joined former Utah coach Jerry Sloan as the only coaches in NBA history to win 1,000 games with one team.
In other NBA:
β Kevin Durant poured in 40 points in leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 124-114 road victory at Denver. Russell Westbrook added 26 points and nine assists. That’s the second straight win for the Thunder, who moved within two and a-half games of the final playoff spot in the West.
β Stephen (STEH’-fihn) Curry scored 20 points, Leandro Barbosa had 16 off the bench and the Golden State Warriors snapped Philadelphia’s four-game home winning streak, 89-84.
β John Wall fell one point shy of his first triple-double of the season, Marcin Gortat (MAHR’-chin GOHR’-tot) had 14 points and 14 rebounds, and the Washington Wizards beat the Orlando Magic 96-80. Wall had nine points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds.
β DeAndre Jordan had 22 points and a career-high 27 rebounds, and the Los Angeles Clippers won without Blake Griffin, beating Dallas 115-98. Griffin is out at least three weeks with a staph infection in his elbow.
β Khris Middleton scored 12 of his 18 points in the third quarter, and the Milwaukee Bucks rallied from a 17-point deficit to beat the Brooklyn Nets 103-97.
β Gordon Hayward scored 25 of his 32 points in the second half, and the Utah Jazz overcame a 14-point, third-quarter deficit to beat the New Orleans Pelicans, 100-96.
β Al Horford scored a season-high 28 points and grabbed eight rebounds, and DeMarre (duh-MAH’-ray) Carroll added a career-best 26 points to lift the Atlanta Hawks to a 117-105 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
β Chris Bosh scored 32 points, Mario Chalmers added 18 and the Miami Heat beat the New York Knicks 109-95.
NBA-KINGS
AP source: Kings and Karl in negotiations
UNDATED (AP) β A person with knowledge of the talks says the Sacramento Kings and George Karl are discussing a deal for him to take over as coach. If hired, Karl could coach the Kings in their first game back after the All-Star break on Feb. 20 at home against Boston.
Tyrone Corbin is the Kings’ interim coach. Corbin has been told he will coach the Kings in their final two games before the All-Star break: Tuesday at Chicago and Wednesday at Milwaukee.
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
No. 2 trounces No. 1
STORRS, Conn. (AP) β The much-ballyhooed No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup in women’s college basketball wasn’t all that great a matchup. Second-ranked UConn toyed with No. 1 and previously undefeated South Carolina 87-62. Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis led the UConn scoring parade with 23. Breanna Stewart added 22 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists.
Assuming the Huskies can beat Tulane on Saturday, they will reclaim the No. 1 position in the poll.
That leaves 16th-ranked Princeton as the only undefeated Division I women’s team.
T25-SCHEDULE
Duke holds off Seminoles…Cowboys knock off another Top-25 team
UNDATED (AP) β Quinn Cook scored a season-high 25 points and Jahlil Okafor (OH’-kah-fohr) made all five shots from the field in the second half as the fourth-ranked Duke Blue Devils beat Florida State 73-70 for their fourth straight victory. Okafor finished with 13 points, the 24th straight time he’s been in double figures, breaking Johnny Dawkins’ record for the longest scoring streak by a Blue Devils freshman.
In other AP men’s top-25:
β TaShawn Thomas had 22 points and 11 rebounds, and No. 17 Oklahoma defeated No. 14 Iowa State 94-83 to move into sole possession of second place in the Big 12.
β Le’Bryan Nash scored 22 points and Phil Forte had 16 of his 18 after halftime as No. 21 Oklahoma State rallied for a 74-65 win at No. 16 Baylor. That’s the Cowboys’ third consecutive win over a Top 25 team, the first time in Oklahoma State history that has occurred.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL-BYU-ROSE
Cougars extend Coach Rose’s contract through 2019-20 season
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) β BYU basketball coach Dave Rose has received a five-year extension to keep him at the head of the program through the 2019-20 season. In announcing the new deal, BYU Athletic director Tom Holmoe called Rose “one of the best coaches in the country.”
Rose, who’s in his 10th season, has gone 250-86 and has taken the Cougars to seven NCAA tournaments. He also took the team to two NITs.
NHL-SCHEDULE
Big road win for Kings…Six straight for the Wild
UNDATED (AP) β On NHL ice, Jeff Carter and Dwight King each had a goal and an assist, and Jonathan Quick stopped 23 shots to lead the Los Angeles Kings past the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3. Scott Hartnell, playing in his 1,000th NHL game, notched his 263rd goal.
Los Angeles improved to 7-12-6 on the road.
In other hockey:
β Jason Pominville (PAHM’-in-vihl) and Ryan Suter (SOO’-tur) scored power-play goals, and Devan Dubnyk (DOOB’-nihk) earned another victory in the net, guiding Minnesota past Vancouver 5-3 for its sixth straight win in regulation.
β The Arizona Coyotes went into United Center and earned their 20th victory, a 3-2 shootout victory the Chicago Blackhawks. The Coyotes have earned points in four of their last five games.
β Nail Yakupov (NAY’-uhl YAH’-kuh-pawv) shook off an early mid-ice collision and scored a game-winning power-play goal in the second period to lead the Edmonton Oilers to a 2-1 victory over New Jersey.
β Calgary went on the road and beat San Jose 4-1. Jiri Hudler (YEER’-ee HOOD’-lur) scored his 16th goal on a power play for the Flames. The Flames won the season series against the Sharks 4-1.
MLB-NEWS
Padres land Shields…Rangers gung-ho on Fielder
UNDATED (AP) β The San Diego Padres have landed free agent pitcher James Shields. The right-hander has agreed to a four-year, $75 million contract with the Padres. Shields helped Kansas City reach the World Series last season, going 14-8. The Royals made an attempt to retain Shields but their $15.3 million qualifying offer was rejected by the former All-Star.
Shields is the latest addition by first-year general manager A.J. Preller. In December the Padres added sluggers Matt Kemp, Justin Upton and Wil Myers, as well as Derek Norris and Will Middlebrooks.
In other baseball news:
βThe Texas Rangers say slugger Prince Fielder is “full speed ahead” for spring training after neck surgery last summer. General manager Jon Daniels said Fielder got “a green light” during an examination with Dr. Drew Dossett, who performed the cervical fusion of two disks in Fielder’s neck. Fielder was limited to 42 games last season.
β The Los Angeles Angels and outfielder Matt Joyce have agreed to a $4.75 million, one-year contract, avoiding arbitration. Joyce hit .254 with nine homers and 52 RBIs in 140 games with the Rays last year.
β Florida left-hander Mike Dunn has avoided salary arbitration with the Marlins by agreeing to a $5.8 million, two-year contract. Dunn went 10-6 with a 3.16 earned run average in 57 innings for Miami last year, all in relief.
β Outfielder Jon Jay and the St. Louis Cardinals have avoided salary arbitration by agreeing to a two-year contract worth $10.95 million. He hit .303 last year with three homers and 46 RBIs. Jay, who had asked for $5 million when the two sides exchanged proposals last month, turns 30 on March 15.
NFL-RAMS
NFL formalizes plan for L.A.
LOS ANGELES (AP) β NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has established an internal committee to review stadium options in Los Angeles and coordinate any possible move to Southern California. The move was outlined in a league memo obtained Monday by The Associated Press. The memo emphasizes that the league, not a single team, controls when and where a move can take place.
It comes about a month after a development group that includes a company controlled by St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke (KRAHN’-kee) announced plans to build an 80,000-seat stadium in the Los Angeles suburbs.
The proposal that envisions a stadium rising on the site of a former horse track in Inglewood once again raises the possibility that Los Angeles could get another NFL team after a two-decade drought.
NFL-BILLS
Buffalo inks Incognito
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) β The Buffalo Bills have signed guard Richie Incognito. A nine-year veteran, Incognito had been out of football since being suspended and missing the final eight games of 2013. The discipline came after an NFL investigation determined Incognito and two other Dolphins offensive linemen persistently harassed teammate Jonathan Martin, who left the team. Martin spent last season with San Francisco.
This will be Incognito’s second stint with Buffalo; he started three games with the Bills in 2009.
SKIING-WORLDS-WOMEN’S ALPINE COMBINED
Maze wins again, Vonn doesn’t finish
BEAVER CREEK, Colo. (AP) β Tina Maze (MAH’-zeh) of Slovenia has captured gold in the Alpine combined, earning her third medal of the world championships. Lindsey Vonn failed to finish the slalom.
Leading after the downhill portion, Maze used a clean slalom run to finish in a combined time of 2 minutes, 33.37 seconds Monday. Nicole Hosp of Austria was second, 0.22 seconds behind, and fellow Austrian Michaela Kirchgasser earned third.
Vonn struggled in the downhill with the icy surface bothering her surgically repaired right knee and then straddled a gate, ending her day. She was in tears after the race.
NASCAR-HELTON
Helton moves up
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) β NASCAR has elevated Mike Helton from president to vice chairman. Helton had been president of NASCAR since 2000.
The move means Helton will be the senior NASCAR official at all national series racing events overseeing competition. He’ll also work closely with chairman Brian France on long-term strategic planning, and will represent NASCAR in various roles to help grow the sport.
NASCAR said Helton will remain a member of the board.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL-DEAN SMITH
Public memorial set for arena on Feb. 22
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) β North Carolina will hold a public memorial service for Dean Smith on Feb. 22. The school says the service will take place in the campus arena bearing the name of the Hall of Fame coach, who died Saturday at the age of 83.
In a statement released by the school, Smith’s family said it is “comforted by the countless gestures and words” from well-wishers.
The family also asked people to donate to the Chapel Hill-based Inter-Faith Council for Social Service, the Dean E. Smith Opening Doors Fund or a charity of their choice in lieu of flowers.
