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 swept favored Switzerland out of the Davis Cup on Saturday when Mardy Fish and Mike Bryan beat Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
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.
Marlies Schild of Austria won her sixth World Cup slalom of the season Saturday after overall leader Lindsey Vonn and defending champion Maria Hoefl-Riesch crashed out in the opening run on the windy Pyrenees course.
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
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. - Lakers fans can rest easy. Kobe Bryant’s right knee was a bit sore Wednesday, but the injury isn’t serious and it’s possible he won’t miss any playing time.
“I’m all right, a little bit better today, a better mood, anyway,” Bryant said after sitting out practice due to the hyperextended right knee he suffered Tuesday night in the second quarter of the Lakers’ 102-98 preseason victory over the Charlotte Bobcats in San Diego.
Wearing an ice bag on his knee, Bryant said he felt a lot better about his injury Wednesday morning.
“There was no swelling,” he said. “At that point, I knew I was OK. Some injuries can go either way. You’ve got to get lucky. I didn’t sleep much, to be honest with you. Just moving it around, seeing if it was all right. These type of injuries kind of sneak up on you.”
Bryant, the reigning NBA MVP, was injured under the Lakers’ basket when he banged knees with teammate Josh Powell while going for a rebound. He immediately signaled to the bench that he was hurt, and a timeout was called. Bryant then sat at the end of the bench before walking to the locker room, and didn’t return for the second half.
“I saw the ring flash before my eyes,” Bryant said. “I was pretty worried. That’s the scariest part, sitting there for five or 10 minutes, seeing what’s going to develop.”
Powell said he didn’t feel anything.
“I didn’t see him until I turned around. I turned around, saw him jumping up and down. I thought he rolled his ankle,” Powell said.
“It was all his fault,” Bryant said with a smile. “We just happened to run into each other.”
The 30-year-old Bryant, examined Wednesday by trainer Gary Vitti, won’t see a doctor or have an MRI. He said he hopes to play Thursday night when the Lakers face the Bobcats again, this time in Anaheim.
“If I can go, I can go,” Bryant said. “It’s all good.”
Lakers coach Phil Jackson said he wouldn’t talk Bryant out of playing.
“We always like players to go out and play,” the coach said. “That’s what they do. It gives us a chance to go out and function on the floor.”
While Jackson said he wasn’t too concerned, he added: “Seeing this injury over the course of my career, it’s an injury you can’t minimize at all. It could have some lingering effects. We’ll see how it is tomorrow. We kind of go day-to-day in this business.”
Notes: The Lakers requested waivers on Joe Crawford and forward CJ Giles, reducing their roster to the opening-day maximum of 15. Crawford, the 58th overall pick in the NBA draft last June after playing four seasons at Kentucky, averaged 2.8 points in six preseason games. Giles, a free agent who played for Oregon State last season, averaged 2.0 points and 2.5 rebounds in four preseason games.
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.
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.