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 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.
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.
Golf's dream pairing - Woods and Mickelson - is on the course in the final round at Pebble Beach. Jason Sobel has hole-by-hole reports.
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.
ASSOCIATED PRESSMikan and the Globetrotters’ Goose Tatum took their spots in the center circle, crouching for the tip-off. Fans got ready to laugh, knowing Tatum started games with gags like pulling down the opposing center’s pants.
Instead, the game started as any other — a sign the Globetrotters were serious about this game and opponent.
The Lakers took a 13-4 lead, but the game was tied at 15 by the end of the first quarter.
The Trotters did slip into a comedy routine, what Tatum called a “reem,” with the referees ignoring his blatant traveling at one point. Laughter filled the stadium as Tatum, the ball safe in hands described as big as toilet seats, teased the Lakers, showing them the ball and pulling it back when they get too close.
Until, Christgau recalled, Tatum suddenly fired a pass past Mikan’s head to a cutting Robinson for an easy layup. The Lakers got the message and later, when Haynes put on a dribbling exhibition, they simply stood and watched along with everyone else. At halftime, the Lakers led 32-23.
The pace quickened in the second half as the Globetrotters pushed the ball to wear out the Lakers.
The Globetrotters cut the lead to six, then two, and then tied the game at 38. Then it was back and forth, the Globetrotters up by two, the Lakers by 3, tied again, Globetrotters by one.
Late in the increasingly physical game, the largest player on the court and the smallest slammed into each other. Mikan crumpled to the ground. Haynes slammed to the court hard enough that he later learned he had broken a vertebrae. Robinson angrily pointed a finger at Mikan.
If there was to be violence, this was the time.
Instead, Haynes rose and the fans started to clap.
“And the cheering, which continues to rise, is in celebration now of the fact that the game will continue as high drama, not as low street fight,” Christgau wrote.
Mikan hit a foul shot with 90 seconds to play to tie the game at 59. After a timeout, the Globetrotters inbounded the ball. Haynes dribbled, waiting for a last-second shot that would either win the game or send it to overtime.
With 2 seconds to go, Haynes found Robinson near half court and whipped him a bounce pass. By the time Robinson shot from 30 feet out, the Lakers will say, the game was over. But the referee ruled the ball was in the air when the horn sounded.
“The ball didn’t even touch the rim,” Gerald Saperstein said.
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
Rajon Rondo recorded a triple-double with 32 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds to lead the Boston Celtics to a 95-91 win Sunday over the Chicago Bulls, who were without star guard Derrick Rose.
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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.
After leading by 18 points in the first half, the Los Angeles Lakers were staring at a four-point deficit with less than two minutes to play.
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.