NEW YORK (AP) — The Western Conference beat the East 163-158 in the 65th NBA All-Star game as Russell Westbrook poured in 41 points to take MVP honors. Westbrook set All-Star game halftime records with 11 field goals and 27 points, and he fell one shy of Wilt Chamberlain’s record of 42 points set in 1962. James Harden added 29 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the West, which blew a 20-point, first-half lead before winning.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Jeff Gordon nosed out Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson to win the pole for Sunday’s Daytona 500. 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. For the first time in 57 years knockout rounds were used to determine the pole sitter.
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Brandt Snedeker closed with a 5-under-par 67 to win the Pebble Beach Pro-Am for the second time in three years, beating Nick Watney by three strokes. 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.
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.
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).
