NBA-ALL STAR GAME
Westbrook takes MVP honors as West beats East
NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA All-Stars were at Madison Square Garden on Sunday night, and no star shone brighter than Russell Westbrook.
The Oklahoma City Thunder guard poured in 41 points to take MVP honors and lead the Western Conference to a 163-158 win over the East. Westbrook’s point total was one off the All-Star game record of 42 set by Wilt Chamberlain in 1962. Westbrook broke records with 11 first-half field goals and 27 points by intermission, doing it in just 11 minutes.
James Harden added 29 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the West, which blew a 20-point, first-half lead before winning.
LeBron James finished with 30 points but couldn’t lead the East to the victory in his favorite NBA arena.
T25-SCHEDULE BASKETBALL
Badgers get win No. 23
UNDATED (AP) — Wisconsin likely will remain among the top-5 when The Associated Press men’s basketball poll comes out on Monday.
The fifth-ranked Badgers are 23-2 overall and 11-1 in the Big Ten following an easy 68-49 win against visiting Illinois. Frank Kaminsky hit eight of his first nine shots while scoring 17 of his 23 points in the first half. Kaminsky also had 11 rebounds for the Badgers, who received a combined 23 points from Bronson Koenig and Nigel Hayes in the second half.
In other top-25 action:
— Kaleb Tarczewski, Brandon Ashley and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson scored 17 points apiece as seventh-ranked Arizona clobbered Washington State 86-59. T.J. McConnell had 14 points and eight assists for the Wildcats, who reeled off 15 straight points in building a 53-19 halftime lead.
— Utah picked up its 17th consecutive home victory as Jakob Poeltl had 18 points and eight rebounds to lead the 11th-ranked Utes past California 76-61. Delon Wright had 16 points for the 20-4 Utes, who trailed by five before closing the first half on a 14-2 run.
— Seth Tuttle scored 22 points and No. 13 Iowa State matched its season-high by draining 12 3-pointers in a 68-57 win at Missouri State. Jeremy Morgan and Deon Mitchell each added 11 points as the Panthers improved to 24-2 overall, 13-1 in the Missouri Valley Conference.
NHL-SCHEDULE
Blackhawks win on home ice
UNDATED (AP) — The Chicago Blackhawks picked up two big points as they try to grab home-ice advantage for the first round of the NHL’s Western Conference playoffs.
Jonathan Toews (tayvz), Patrick Kane and Patrick Sharp scored on the Hawks’ three shootout attempts to lead a 2-1 triumph over Pittsburgh. Niklas Hjalmarsson (SHAHL’-mur-suhn) scored for Chicago early in the second period, and the lead held up until Nick Spaling’s (SPAH’-lihngz) goal four minutes into the third.
The two teams combined to score on five of their six shootout attempts after scoring just twice on 69 shots during regulation and OT.
The outcome keeps Chicago four points behind St. Louis for second in the Central Division. The Penguins are two points behind the Metropolitan Division-leading New York Islanders.
Also in the NHL:
— Brian Elliott made 40 saves before stopping four of Florida’s five shootout attempts to secure the Blues’ 2-1 triumph over the Panthers. Vladimir Tarasenko and Jori Lehtera (YOHR’-ee leh-TEHR’-ah) scored in the shootout as the Blues improved to 15-2-1 in their last 18 games, leaving them four points behind West-leading Nashville.
— Washington is within five points of the Metropolitan Division lead after Alex Ovechkin (oh-VEHCH’-kihn) and Andre Burakovsky scored two goals apiece in the Capitals’ 5-3 triumph at Anaheim. Ovechkin now leads the NHL with 36 goals after helping the Caps keep the Ducks five points behind the Western Conference-leading Nashville Predators.
— Tampa Bay shares the Eastern Conference lead with Montreal after Steven Stamkos and Ryan Callahan each provided a goal and an assist in the Lightning’s 5-2 verdict over San Jose. Ben Bishop stopped 33 shots as the Lightning won for only the second time in five games.
— Philadelphia beat Buffalo 2-1 on Michael Raffl’s (RAF’-ulz) goal with 7:15 remaining. Matt Read also scored and Ray Emery stopped 21 shots to help the Flyers improve to 6-0-3 in their last nine games.
NHL-TRADE
Preds and Leafs work out multi-player trade
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Nashville Predators have added depth as they try to wrap up the President’s Trophy and home-ice advantage throughout the Stanley Cup playoffs.
GM David Poile (poyl) has acquired defenseman Cody Franson and forward Mike Santorelli from the struggling Toronto Maple Leafs for Nashville’s first-round pick in June’s draft and forwards Brendan Leipsic and Olli Jokinen (OH’-lee YOH’-kih-nehn). Santorelli was sixth on the Leafs with 29 points and third with a +7. Franson was tied for the team lead with 26 assists and third with 32 points.
The 36-year-old Jokinen had just six points in 48 games, and was a healthy scratch for all but one Predators game since Jan. 29.
Nashville owns the NHL’s best record at 38-12-6. Toronto’s management was told by ownership last week to scorch the club as it sees fit and rebuild through the draft.
OBIT-MONTADOR
Former NHL veteran found dead
TORONTO (AP) — Former NHL defenseman Steve Montador has died at age 35. Police say Montador was found unconscious in his home and was later pronounced dead. No foul play was suspected.
Montador made his NHL debut in 2001 with Calgary and played for six teams in parts of 10 seasons, registering 131 points and 807 penalty minutes in 571 games.
MLB-YANKEES-PETTITTE
Pettitte to have jersey No. 46 retired
NEW YORK (AP) — A person familiar with the decision confirms the New York Yankees plan to retire Andy Pettitte’s jersey No. 46 and give the pitcher a plaque in Monument Park.
Pettitte’s son, Josh, posted the news on Twitter earlier Sunday and said Andy Pettitte day at Yankee Stadium will be Aug. 23, when New York plays the Cleveland Indians.
Pettitte helped the Yankees win five World Series championships. He ranks third in team history with 219 wins and first in strikeouts with 2,020.
DAYTONA 500
Gordon grabs pole
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Jeff Gordon will start from the pole in the final Daytona 500 of his career next Sunday.
Gordon announced that this will be his final full-time season as a NASCAR driver, and he’s been adamant that next Sunday’s Daytona 500 will be his last. The four-time NASCAR champ and three-time Daytona 500 winner secured the pole with Hendrick teammate Jimmie Johnson locking down the other front row spot.
For the first time in 57 years knockout rounds were used to determine the pole sitter and not all the drivers liked it. Clint Bowyer called it a “cute show” after he wrecked in the first round. Reigning champion Kevin Harvick grumbled Daytona’s tradition had been ruined, while three-time champion Tony Stewart called it “a complete embarrassment for our series.”
Not long after qualifying was over, the cars of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Denny Hamlin failed post-qualifying inspection for the Daytona 500 pole. Earnhardt and Hamlin will have to start at the rear of their respective qualifying races Thursday.
Earnhardt posted the 10th-fastest time in the final qualifying round. Hamlin was third fastest in the session.
GOLF-PEBBLE BEACH PRO-AM
Snedeker posts record-setting win
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Brandt Snedeker has won the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am for the second time in three years by breaking his own scoring record.
Snedeker played bogey-free in closing with a 5-under-par 67 for a three-shot win over Nick Watney. He was 22-under for the tournament, topping the scoring mark of minus-20 set in 2013. He had just one bogey in 72 holes and assured himself a spot in the Masters and PGA Championship after falling out of the top 50 at the end of last season.
CHAMPIONS TOUR
A playoff win for Janzen
NAPLES, Fla. (AP) — Lee Janzen edged Bart Bryant in a playoff to win the Champions Tour Ace Group Classic. Each finished regulation tied at 16-under-par before Janzen parred the first playoff hole while Bryant bogeyed. Esteban (san ES’-tih-bahn) Toledo finished third while second-round leader Colin (KAH’-lihn) Montgomerie finished four shots off the pace.
Janzen forced the playoff with an 8-foot birdie putt on No. 18.
