Silva: 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 NFC teams.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
Ryan Callahan scored three goals as the New York Rangers beat Philadelphia 5-2 on Saturday for their seventh straight win over the Flyers.
Jeremy Lin hit a free throw with 4.9 seconds left to overcome a dreadful second half and lift the New York Knicks to their fifth straight victory, 100-98, over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
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.
CFT: Jordan Jefferson makes it clear he wasn't happy with LSU's game plan in the Tigers' BCS Championship Game loss to Alabama.
Move over, Hollywood and NFL types, golf's two real A-listers take center stage Sunday at Pebble Beach, both in need of a win.
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.
Luis Suarez's refusal to shake hands with Patrice Evra overshadowed Manchester United's 2-1 win over rival Liverpool that lifted the defending champions to first place in the Premier League on Saturday.
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.
AP
HOUSTON - Dirk Nowitzki barely escaped the first round. A few minutes later, he was finally the 3-point champion.
Nowitzki won the title Saturday night after coming close twice before, beating Gilbert Arenas and Ray Allen at All-Star weekend.
With Dallas teammate Jason Terry and Mavericks owner Mark Cuban looking on from the sideline, the 7-foot German finished with 18 points. Arenas had 16 points and Allen, the 2001 champion, had 15.
Nowitzki finished second in the 3-point contest in 2000 and third the next year. He got off to a quick start in the finals Saturday night, making eight of his first 10 shots and going 15-of-25 in the final round.
“That’s kind of my game,” Nowitzki said. “I’m going to shoot it first and everything else is second.”
Terry failed to advance with his first-round total of 13. Defending champion Quentin Richardson of New York and Detroit’s Chauncey Billups each finished with 12.
Nowitzki almost missed the cut himself. His final make of the first round barely counted, tying him with Arenas for second with 14 points. Replays showed the ball was still in his hands when time expired, but there is no review in the contest.
“I looked at the clock, I tried to hoist them up there as quick as I can,” Nowitzki said. “I don’t know if it should have counted.”
He got some help in the finals from Terry, who did his best to influence the outcome from his courtside seat.
“He was rooting for me all the way,” Nowitzki said. “When the guys were shooting in the final round and he was out, he was heckling them from behind.”
Allen made all five balls on his fourth rack in the first round and finished with 19 points but struggled in the middle of the finals, missing all five shots on his fourth rack.
Arenas was only selected Friday into the field. He replaced Phoenix’s Raja Bell, who was excused because of a family illness.
It was the second time Arenas was a replacement for this All-Star weekend: He replaced injured Indiana forward Jermaine O’Neal on the Eastern Conference roster.
Nowitzki won $35,000 — and according to two of the competitors, the title of the NBA’s best outside shooter.
Terry said Friday the winner had the right to that boast, and Arenas agreed Saturday afternoon.
“You got a whole year to brag that you’re the best shooter, no matter what happens,” he said.
Jeremy Lin hit a free throw with 4.9 seconds left to overcome a dreadful second half and lift the New York Knicks to their fifth straight victory, 100-98, over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
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Jeremy Lin hit a free throw with 4.9 seconds left to overcome a dreadful second half and lift the New York Knicks to their fifth straight victory, 100-98, over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.
Doron Lamb hit a 3-pointer with 3:18 left to put No. 1 Kentucky ahead to stay, and the Wildcats took a big step toward a Southeastern Conference regular-season title by beating Vanderbilt 69-63 Saturday night for their 17th straight win.
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.