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Ryan Callahan scored for the fifth time in four days and defenseman Ryan McDonagh snapped a second-period tie to lift the New York Rangers to a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Sunday.
Kobe Bryant hit a baseline jump shot with 4.2 seconds left and the Los Angeles Lakers wrapped up a six-game road trip by holding on to beat the Raptors 94-92 on Sunday, their eighth victory in nine meetings with Toronto
Arc's five up, five down: After No. 11 Michigan State's 58-48 upset of No. 3 Ohio State, you'd be a fool to discount the Spartans' national title chances now.
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Euro Roundup: First-place Manchester City won 1-0 at Aston Villa on Sunday on Joleon Lescott's goal in the 63rd minute, maintaining its two-point lead over Manchester United in the Premier League.
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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.
AP file
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The New Orleans Hornets’ emotions upon learning of Chris Andersen’s dismissal from the NBA for violating the league’s drug policy ranged from anger to dismay to compassion.
The Hornets were in Memphis to play the Grizzlies on Saturday night, without the reserve forward known to teammates as “Birdman,” whose dismissal was announced by the league Friday.
“You’re a little shocked. You’re a little disappointed. I even got angry at first,” Hornets coach Byron Scott said. “But then you have to start thinking about the person. Bird obviously needs some help in dealing with this situation, so then you start having compassion for him as a person. You stop thinking about the basketball part of it.”
The 27-year-old Andersen averaged 5.0 points and 4.8 rebounds in 32 games this season, his fifth in the NBA. He played three seasons for the Denver Nuggets before joining the Hornets.
According to the league’s collective bargaining agreement, a player only can be disqualified for a fourth positive test for performance-enhancing drugs, or a first positive test for “drugs of abuse.” Andersen has never been suspended for performance-enhancing drugs.
The drugs on the “abuse” list are amphetamine and its analogs, which include methamphetamine; cocaine; LSD; opiates, including heroin, codeine and morphine; and PCP.
Andersen must wait two years before he can apply for reinstatement, the league said. Neither the NBA nor the players association is allowed to comment on specifics of a player’s drug test. Union representatives already have said they plan to file a grievance.
Teammates said that besides Andersen’s shot-blocking ability, rebounding and high-flying dunks that earned him his nickname, they also will miss his spirit.
“He’s a fun-loving guy and just a great teammate,” veteran P.J. Brown said. “He was one of those guys if things aren’t going well, he can liven up a practice faster than anybody I’ve ever seen. He is just a joy to be around. To see a friend in trouble and going through a tough situation, it really hurts.”
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Andersen is the first player kicked out of the NBA because of drugs since Stanley Roberts in 1999.
“He still has a love for the game,” Scott said. “He just took a slight detour, and it cost him. Everybody makes mistakes, and he’ll hopefully learn from this and be able to get back.”
Kobe Bryant hit a baseline jump shot with 4.2 seconds left and the Los Angeles Lakers wrapped up a six-game road trip by holding on to beat the Raptors 94-92 on Sunday, their eighth victory in nine meetings with Toronto
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Wesseling: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for AFC teams.
Ryan Callahan scored for the fifth time in four days and defenseman Ryan McDonagh snapped a second-period tie to lift the New York Rangers to a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Sunday.
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