NBA-SCHEDULE
Grizzlies end slide
UNDATED (AP) β The Memphis Grizzlies were able to end a four-game losing streak on Saturday, but the Miami Heat made them work for it.
Mike Conley scored 24 points and Marc Gasol added 22 and 10 rebounds to lead the Grizzlies past the Heat 103-95 in Miami. The Grizzlies never trailed, although they saw a 19-point lead reduced to one before hanging on.
Dwyane (dwayn) Wade scored 25 points for the Heat, who fell to 6-11 at home.
Also in the NBA:
β Golden State’s two-game skid has ended as Stephen (STEH’-fehn) Curry hit four 3-pointers and scored a game-high 25 points in the Warriors’ 110-97 win against Minnesota. Klay Thompson’s 21 points helped the Warriors improve to a league-best 24-5.
β Kyle Lowry scored 25 points to lead Eastern Conference-leading Toronto to a 110-98 victory over the Clippers. Jonas Valanciunas (val-ehn-CHOO’-nihs) had 22 points and 11 rebounds as the Raptors ended the Clippers’ eight-game home winning streak.
β Jeff Teague (teeg) scored 10 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter as Atlanta knocked off Milwaukee 90-85 to gain a split of their home-and-home matchup. Paul Millsap had 17 points and eight rebounds in the Hawks’ 15th victory in 17 games.
β Jimmy Butler scored 33 points and Chicago earned its sixth straight win by downing New Orleans 107-100. Derrick Rose finished with 19 points to help the Bulls overcome an outstanding performance by Anthony Davis, who finished with 29 points, 11 boards and six blocks.
β Washington won for the eighth time in 10 games as Kris Humphries scored 18 points and Paul Pierce chipped in 17 to carry the Wizards past Boston 101-88. The Wizards went on a 13-0 run in the first quarter and led 30-12 by the end of the period.
β Rodney Stuckey scored 20 points and David West delivered 17 in Indiana’s 110-85 laugher against Brooklyn, ending the Nets’ three-game winning streak. The Pacers’ bench outscored the Nets’ reserves 50-16.
β Sacramento blew a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter before DeMarcus Cousins scored nine of his 39 points in overtime to carry the Kings past New York 135-129. Rudy Gay had 29 points for the Kings, who won for the second time in nine games while sending the Knicks to their 17th loss in 18 contests.
β Nikola Vucevic (voo-SEH’-vihch) had 22 points and 11 rebounds as Orlando downed Charlotte 102-94. Kemba Walker set a Hornets record with 35 points in the second half to finish with a game-high 42.
β Utah’s Derrick Favors had 17 points, 15 rebounds and five blocked shots in an 88-71 victory against Philadelphia. The Jazz held Michael Carter-Williams to 2-for-20 shooting.
T25 BASKETBALL-SCHEDULE
Wildcats top Louisville
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) β It wasn’t pretty, but it was effective.
Top-ranked Kentucky is 13-0 after Tyler Ulis scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half of a 58-50 win over No. 4 Louisville.
Fellow freshmen Karl-Anthony Towns and Devin Booker also contributed to help stake Kentucky to a 50-38 lead with 4:43 left. Towns had 10 points and nine rebounds, while Booker added nine points.
Towns had 10 points and nine rebounds, while Booker added nine points for Kentucky, which held the 11-1 Cardinals to 26 percent shooting.
The outcome leaves coach John Calipari 7-1 lifetime against Rick Pitino.
In other top 25 play:
β Kyle Wiltjer scored 24 points and Kevin Pangos had 21 points and seven assists to lead No. 8 Gonzaga to an 87-80 win over Brigham Young. Byron Wesley had 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Bulldogs in the West Coast Conference opener for both teams.
β Maryland has its fifth straight win after Jake Layman had 15 points and 12 rebounds to help the 15th-ranked Terrapins beat Oakland 72-56. Dez Wells came off the bench and finished with 10 points after missing the Terps’ previous seven games with a fractured right wrist.
β Marcus Paige scored 16 points to lead No. 20 North Carolina past UAB 89-58. The 9-3 Tar Heels shot 50 percent and never trailed and led by as many as 36 points.
β D’Angelo Russell shot 6-for-6 from 3-point range to finish with 24 points as 21st-rated Ohio State hammered Wright State 100-55. Amir Williams added a career-high 21 points for the 11-2 Buckeyes.
β J.J. Avila’s 19 points and nine boards pushed 24th-rated Colorado State past New Mexico State 58-57 in overtime. Avila scored five of the Rams’ seven points during the extra session.
NFL-BROWNS/GORDON SUSPENDED
Browns suspend Gordon
CLEVELAND (AP) β The Browns have suspended troubled wide receiver Josh Gordon for a violation of team rules one day before the season finale at Baltimore.
A person familiar with the situation said Gordon was suspended for missing a morning walk-through before the team flew to Baltimore.
Gordon served a 10-game league suspension for repeated drug violations earlier this season. He had 24 receptions for 303 yards in five games this season after leading the NFL with 1,646 yards in 14 games last year.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL-BOWLS
Trojans, Sun Devils blow leads before winning
UNDATED (AP) β Southern California earned a bowl victory despite blowing a 45-27 lead.
The Trojans won the Holiday Bowl as Cody Kessler threw for 321 yards and three touchdowns in a 45-42 triumph over 25th-rated Nebraska. Kessler tossed a 71-yard TD pass to Adoree’ Jackson, who also scored on a 98-yard kickoff return.
The Trojans secured the victory by stopping De’Mornay Pierson on fourth-and-3 from the USC 31 with 2 1/2 minutes left.
Checking out the rest of Saturday’s bowl games:
No. 15 Arizona State was a 36-31 winner over Duke in the Sun Bowl as Kalen Ballage returned a kickoff 95 yards to set up Demario Richard’s fourth touchdown of the game with under five minutes to go. Ballage’s big return came after 9-4 Duke took a 31-30 lead on receiver Jamison Crowder’s 12-yard touchdown pass to Isaac Blakeney with 5:03 left. Richard tied a Sun Bowl record with 24 points for the 10-3 Sun Devils.
J.C. Coleman ran for 157 yards and a touchdown to help Virginia Tech beat Cincinnati 33-17 in the Military Bowl, giving the Hokies their 22nd consecutive winning season. Michael Brewer went 14 for 24 for 94 yards and a touchdown to guide the Hokies to their highest point total since a 34-17 win at North Carolina on Oct. 4. The 9-4 Bearcats ended a seven-game winning streak.
In a battle of 6-6 teams, South Carolina beat Miami 24-21 in the Independence Bowl. Dylan Thompson threw for 294 yards and two touchdowns and ran for another score. Pharoh Cooper was Thompson’s favorite target, catching nine passes for 170 yards.
Christian Hackenberg hit Kyle Carter for a 10-yard touchdown pass in overtime before Sam Ficken hit an extra point to give Penn State a 31-30 victory over Boston College in the Pinstripe Bowl. The Nittany Lions managed to win after Eagles kicker Mike Knoll shanked an extra point in OT. Both teams finished 7-6.
NHL-SCHEDULE
Eight straight for Rangers
UNDATED (AP) β An eight-game winning streak has pushed the New York Rangers into the mix for the Metropolitan Division lead.
Derek Stepan (STEP’-ahn) registered his third career hat trick and Henrik Lundqvist stopped 19 shots as the Rangers downed New Jersey 3-1. Stepan opened the scoring with a short-handed tally, netted the game-winner on a power play and secured the outcome with an empty-netter. Lundqvist was a winner in his 600th regular-season game, blanking the Devils after Steve Bernier (BURN’-yay) scored midway through the second period.
The win leaves the Rangers tied with Washington for third in their division, seven points behind Pittsburgh.
The Devils lost in their first game under a coaching triumvirate of Adam Oates, Scott Stevens and Lou Lamoriello (lam-uh-REH’-loh). Oates ran the team alongside Lamoriello, who as president and GM fired Peter DeBoer (deh-BOHR’) on Friday.
The Capitals picked up their eighth victory in 11 games as Eric Fehr (fehr) scored twice in a 3-0 shutout of the Penguins. Braden Holtby stopped 31 shots in his second shutout in four games.
The Penguins are 0-2-1 since a three-game winning streak.
Elsewhere on ice:
β Tampa Bay stayed atop the Atlantic Division as Nikita Kucherov (koo-CHEHR’-ahv) and Alex Killorn scored in the Lightning’s 2-1 win over Carolina. Ben Bishop made 25 saves in his first game since missing four straight with a lower body injury.
β Detroit is one point behind Tampa Bay after Gustav Nyquist scored at 4:12 of overtime to lift the Red Wings past Ottawa 3-2. Henrik Zetterberg scored the equalizer in the third period after assisting on Justin Abdelkader’s (AB’-dul-kay-durz) goal.
β Shane Doan scored the lone shootout goal as Arizona beat Anaheim 2-1. Devan Dubnyk (DOOB’-nihk) made 36 saves and was perfect on the Ducks’ four shootout attempts.
β Chicago beat Colorado 5-2, with Patrick Kane providing two goals and an assist in the Blackhawks’ 12th victory in 15 games. Brent Seabrook and Patrick Sharp each added a power-play goal in the victory.
β Nashville got power-play goals from Filip Forsberg, Mike Fisher and Colin Wilson before Wilson added an empty-netter in a 4-1 triumph against Philadelphia. Pekka Rinne (PEK’-uh REE’-nay) stopped 27 shots in his league-high 23rd win.
β Buffalo erased a 3-0 deficit in the third period before Tyler Ennis scored the lone shootout goal to lift the Sabres past the New York Islanders 4-3. Nicolas Deslauriers (deh-LOHR’-ee-ay), Zemgus Girgensons and Chris Stewart scored 5:11 apart in the third to help the Sabres end a four-game skid.
β Winnipeg beat Minnesota 4-3 on Andrew Ladd’s goal at 2:47 of overtime. Ladd and Bryan Little each finished with a goal and an assist in the Jets’ fourth victory in five games.
β Trevor Daley and Jason Demers (deh-MEHRZ’) scored power-play goals in the second period to put Dallas ahead 4-2 in a 4-3 triumph at St. Louis. The Stars have won five of six to move over .500 for the first time since early November.
β Scott Hartnell scored twice and Columbus put together a four-goal second period to beat Boston 6-2. Kevin Connauton had a goal and two assists in the Blue Jackets’ ninth victory in 11 games.
β Anze Kopitar (AHN’-zhay KOH’-pih-tahr) scored the game-winner and had an assist as Los Angeles downed San Jose 3-1. Jonathan Quick handled 21 shots and blanked the Sharks after Joe Pavelski tallied 2:39 into the game.
β Johnny Gaudreau scored twice in a 16-second span of the first period of Calgary’s 4-1 triumph against Edmonton, Curtis Glencross added a goal and an assist as the Flames dealt the Oilers their ninth straight loss and 20th in their last 21 games.
MLB-DOMINICAN REPUBLIC/STARLIN CASTRO
Cubs Castro questioned in shooting
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (AP) β Authorities in the Dominican Republic say they have questioned Chicago Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro after a nightclub shooting in which several people were injured.
A police spokesman says Castro was one of six people initially detained and has been released. He says police searched Castro’s house and that the investigation is ongoing.
Police are investigating allegations that the early Saturday shooting occurred after an argument between Castro’s brother and the assistant of a government official.
