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.
APConsider then having to promote Game 1 of the NBA Finals with Shannon Brown cast in the role of Bryant and Marcin Gortat standing in for Howard. For some reason, Spike Lee decided to bypass Brown for his latest documentary and Gortat never has been deemed worthy by Nate Robinson of being a dunk-competition prop.
"When you get calls like that," Van Gundy said of Howard's since-rescinded technical, "you do start to feel that the guy is a marked man a little bit.
"You start to feel like they're looking for it."
The irony is that Van Gundy expressed great pride just one game earlier that his team does not play the political game, appeal such on-court rulings.
"We've gotta be the only team in the league that never, ever, ever calls the league," he had boasted. "I'll voice my displeasure during the game and that's it. We don't call into the league; we just show up and play every night."
This time he voiced his displeasure. This time one of Van Gundy's superiors made the call.
It is one thing for Denver's Jones to stand one flagrant foul from a suspension. Dangerous play should result in dangerous consequences.
But Howard preening at Sideshow Varejao a game after evoking the ire of Joey Crawford? How does that change the balance of competition?
The ultimate nightmare sequence would have been Howard losing his cool on Tuesday's final play of regulation, when he was bodied out of position for a potential alley-oop dunk by Varejao.
Think about that scenario: A technical foul would have led to his expulsion from Tuesday's game as well as, failing Wednesday's reversal, a revoked ticket to Cleveland (in the NBA, at this time of year, that is actually considered punishment).
To his credit, Howard played it stoic the rest of the way Tuesday, scoring 10 of the Magic's 16 overtime points, closing with 27 points and 14 rebounds.
While the Magic was able to finish off the 76ers in the opening round amid Howard's one-game suspension for a violent elbow, an absence against these brittle Cavaliers might be a different story.
And if Howard's technical meter reaches seven in Orlando's series finale against Cleveland? Well, that would make Andrew Bynum or Nene very, very happy.
So to recap: One of the league most charismatic young players flexes his passion instead of his prodigious muscle, delivers his team to the brink of the league's ultimate series -- and briefly is placed on double-not-so-secret probation.
"I hope he understands," Magic Game 4 shooting star Rafer Alston said, "that this is a crucial time not only for him, but for the team."
When his technical meter reached five, when he received his letter of warning from the league, Howard joked about taping his mouth closed.
Now it's not such a laughing matter.
"I might," he said, "have to really use some duct tape."
Next time, it might not be as easy an overrule.
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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Magic (3) def. Cavaliers (1) 4-2 |
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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.