Rotoworld: Oregon RB LaMichael James and Oklahoma State WR Justin Blackmon among top 10 players who are being overhyped for the 2012 draft.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
The Detroit Red Wings equaled an NHL record with their 20th straight win at home, beating the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 Sunday night on the strength of Johan Franzen's tiebreaking goal early in the third period.
PBT: Boston's Rajon Rondo continues to be named in trade talks, which is madness. The Celtics guard creates offense and makes everyone around him better, which was evident in Sunday's win over the Bulls.
Arc: Syracuse is among a solid group of No. 1 seeds in our latest tournament projections, but the middle of the pack is much more murky.
Miami coach Al Golden says the worst is behind him, but his headaches figure to continue now that former booster Nevin Shapiro, now in jail, says his involvement with the Hurricanes program will result in stiff penalties.
Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods greeted their Sunday pairing at Pebble Beach with optimism. But the day would end happily only for one.
The United States completed a 5-0 rout of Switzerland in the Davis Cup on Sunday, with 19-year-old Ryan Harrison and John Isner winning closing singles matches.
Zambia has won the African Cup of Nations, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final at Stade de l'Amitie.
Tessa Worley of France fought off gusting winds to win a second consecutive World Cup giant slalom Sunday in the Andorran Pyrenees. Overall leader Lindsey Vonn was more than a second behind and finished eighth.
Robins: It’s the Year of the Dragon on the Lunar calendar, and this Chinese influence could extend to it also being the year of the Pekingese on the green carpet at the 136th Westminster Dog Show on Tuesday.
NEW YORK - Though Ron Artest should make the Sacramento Kings better, there was nothing he could do to help them Wednesday.
Mike Bibby and Brad Miller did plenty.
Bibby scored eight of his 35 points in overtime and added 10 assists, and Miller had 25 points and 15 rebounds to lead the short-handed Kings over the New York Knicks 106-102 on Wednesday night.
That capped a big day for Sacramento, which acquired the volatile Artest from the Indiana Pacers for Peja Stojakovic in a trade shortly before the game.
“I talked to Ron a couple of times,” Bibby said. “He comes to play and he plays hard every night. That’s what we need, regardless of what he does off the court.”
The Kings hope Artest, a superb all-around player who is one of the league’s best defenders, will join them in time for their game at Boston on Friday night.
In the meantime, the Kings — playing for the second straight night — used only eight players and got just three points from their bench while winning for the first time on their six-game eastern road trip.
“We needed this win and we definitely thought it was a win we could get, so we just had to come out and get it,” Bibby said.
Bibby got it for them with another outstanding game. He scored a career-high 44 points in a loss to Philadelphia on Tuesday night. Miller bounced back from a dismal showing in that game, when he was 0-for-8 from the field for two points.
“Mike was really terrific again tonight and Brad was good tonight,” Kings coach Rick Adelman said. “We really, really needed this win after the last three on the road.”
Stephon Marbury scored 22 points in his return to the lineup after missing three straight games with a sprained left shoulder for the Knicks, who lost their sixth straight game following a six-game winning streak.
“It’s a humbling game,” guard Jamal Crawford said. “You never really figure it out.”
New York was dealing with its own distractions.
The Knicks began the day by having to deal with questions about a former team executive’s federal sexual harassment lawsuit filed against team president Isiah Thomas on Tuesday. Thomas defended himself Wednesday and said Anucha Browne Sanders, the Knicks’ former senior vice president of marketing and business operations, was trying to use him for financial gain.
Maurice Taylor had 21 points and 12 rebounds for New York, and Eddy Curry contributed 17 points and 10 boards.
Taylor’s two free throws gave the Knicks an 87-86 lead with 1:20 left in regulation, and he followed with a basket for a three-point lead. Miller made two free throws, then had a chance to give the Kings the lead when he was fouled by Marbury with 1.3 seconds left. But his first free throw somehow went in and out, and the second one bounced in to tie it at 89.
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The Knicks’ Qyntel Woods made a 3-pointer to open overtime, but Bibby scored the next four points to give the Kings the lead for good. Neither team scored again until Kenny Thomas converted a three-point play, and Miller then added two free throws to make it 98-92.
Thomas finished with 13 points and 13 rebounds and Kevin Martin scored 21 points for the Kings.
The Knicks led 45-36 with 4 minutes left in the second quarter before the Kings closed the half with a 12-2 run. Bibby’s 3-pointer with 38 seconds left gave Sacramento a 48-47 lead at the break.
Bibby sank three straight jumpers to end the third, extending the Kings’ lead to 69-64.
Notes: Knicks F Antonio Davis served the third game of his five-game suspension for climbing into the stands last week in Chicago. He is expected to rejoin the team this weekend in Philadelphia and will be eligible to play Monday night in Atlanta. ... Marbury, Jamal Crawford, Quentin Richardson, Taylor and Curry comprised the Knicks’ 23rd different starting lineup this season.
PBT: Boston's Rajon Rondo continues to be named in trade talks, which is madness. The Celtics guard creates offense and makes everyone around him better, which was evident in Sunday's win over the Bulls.
Paul Pierce has been around long enough to know what Rajon Rondo's performance can mean for the aging Boston Celtics.
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Zambia has won the African Cup of Nations, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final at Stade de l'Amitie.
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