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.
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.
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.
APJordan Farmar’s 3-pointer with 6:09 left pulled the Lakers to 86-84, but Battier drove for a layup 25 seconds later.
Battier and Jackson sank 3s as Houston surged to a 96-86 lead with 3:20 to play. With McGrady occupying the defense on one side of the floor, Alston drove for a layup and Jackson swished a jumper from the wing that made it 100-86, putting the game out of reach.
Lamar Odom scored 17 and Ronny Turiaf added 13 for the Lakers, who play at Dallas on Tuesday, the next leg on a rugged four-game road trip. Gasol is expected to sit out at least the next two games.
“Teams obviously can crowd the lane and go back to playing the type of defense against us that we’ve seen in the past,” Bryant said. “What we have to do is focus on the defensive end a lot more. And I’ll obviously have to shoulder more of the load.”
With the Lakers’ defense keying on McGrady from the start, Alston sank three 3-pointers in the first 7 minutes as the Rockets built a quick six-point lead.
Alston and McGrady started the second quarter on the sideline, but the Rockets’ reserves stretched the lead. Jackson hit a jumper, drove for a reverse layup, then found Luther Head open for a breakaway dunk to start a 15-6 spurt.
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Bryant started the third with a basket from the free-throw line, triggering a 12-0 Lakers spurt. The Rockets missed their first 12 shots out of the break, including two by McGrady.
Alston snapped Houston’s drought with a 3-pointer and added two more 3s in the final 1:44 of the quarter to keep the Rockets on top.
Notes: Former Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy was a television analyst for the game and sat one seat from team owner Les Alexander, who fired him after last season. Former center Hakeem Olajuwon also had a courtside seat near Alexander. ... Rockets rookie forward Carl Landry sat out for the fifth straight game with a bruised right knee. ... The Lakers outscored Houston 48-32 in the paint.
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.
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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.
