UPDATE 1-NBA-Thunder let big lead slip but hold on for win

* Thunder win without injured Ibaka, Sefolosha
* Blazers' nine-game home win streak ends
Jan 13 (Reuters) - The Oklahoma City Thunder almost blew a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter but dug deep to turn back the Portland Trail Blazers 87-83 on Sunday.
Kevin Durant, who had 42 points against the Lakers on Friday, stepped up with 33 against the Trail Blazers but his team saw their 10-point advantage with 3 1/2 minutes remaining shrink to just one.
Portland ran off nine straight points to pull within 84-83 with 21 seconds left, capped by Nicolas Batum's three-pointer, but LaMarcus Aldridge missed a potential game-tying shot and Oklahoma City clinched the game at the free throw line.
"It was inspired defensive basketball," Thunder coach Scott Brooks told reporters. "Which was surprising, because we didn't have two of our best defensive players in the lineup."
Oklahoma City played without injured Serge Ibaka (chest) and Thabo Sefolosha (neck).
Despite his late miss, Aldridge had a massive game with a season-high 33 points and 11 rebounds, bouncing back from his season-low seven-point output one game earlier. Batum finished with 21.
The Thunder's 87 points was their lowest scoring total since they put up 84 in a season-opening loss to San Antonio.
Oklahoma City (29-8) grabbed their fifth win in six games to stay top of the Western Conference while the Blazers (20-17) dropped their second straight.
Portland, who had been going for a 10th successive home win, led by one at halftime before falling behind after the Thunder pulled out a 26-16 third quarter.
Russell Westbrook made just five of 21 shots but finished with 18 points, nine assists and eight rebounds.
Little-used DeAndre Liggins got his first career start and added 11 and nine rebounds for the visiting Thunder.
"The best part of this league is when guys get opportunities, they step up and produce," Durant said. "He was everywhere tonight." (Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

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Thunder let big lead slip but hold on for win

(35) defends, during the first quarter of their NBA basketball game in Portland, …more
(Reuters) - The Oklahoma City Thunder almost blew a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter but dug deep to turn back the Portland Trail Blazers 87-83 on Sunday.
Kevin Durant, who had 42 points against the Lakers on Friday, stepped up with 33 against the Trail Blazers but his team saw their 10-point advantage with 3 1/2 minutes remaining shrink to just one.
Portland ran off nine straight points to pull within 84-83 with 21 seconds left, capped by Nicolas Batum's three-pointer, but LaMarcus Aldridge missed a potential game-tying shot and Oklahoma City clinched the game at the free throw line.
"It was inspired defensive basketball," Thunder coach Scott Brooks told reporters. "Which was surprising, because we didn't have two of our best defensive players in the lineup."
Oklahoma City played without injured Serge Ibaka (chest) and Thabo Sefolosha (neck).
Despite his late miss, Aldridge had a massive game with a season-high 33 points and 11 rebounds, bouncing back from his season-low seven-point output one game earlier. Batum finished with 21.
The Thunder's 87 points was their lowest scoring total since they put up 84 in a season-opening loss to San Antonio.
Oklahoma City (29-8) grabbed their fifth win in six games to stay top of the Western Conference while the Blazers (20-17) dropped their second straight.
Portland, who had been going for a 10th successive home win, led by one at halftime before falling behind after the Thunder pulled out a 26-16 third quarter.
Russell Westbrook made just five of 21 shots but finished with 18 points, nine assists and eight rebounds.
Little-used DeAndre Liggins got his first career start and added 11 and nine rebounds for the visiting Thunder.
"The best part of this league is when guys get opportunities, they step up and produce," Durant said. "He was everywhere tonight."

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NBA-Spurs guard Ginobili out 10-14 days with injury

Jan 14 (Reuters) - San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili is expected to miss 10-14 days due to a strained left hamstring, the National Basketball Association team said on Monday.
The third-leading scorer on the Southwest division-leading Spurs was injured in the final minute of the first half of San Antonio's 106-88 victory over Minnesota on Sunday.
Ginobili, 35, who has already dealt with back spasms, a left quadriceps bruise and a thigh bruise this season, is second on the Spurs with an average of 4.6 assists per game. (Reporting by Larry Fine in New York; Editing by Frank Pingue)

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Record earnings for South Korean league

(Reuters) - South Korean baseball underlined its continuing growth by posting a record $33 million in revenue last year, local media reported on Wednesday.
Winning gold at the Beijing Olympics and finishing runners-up at the 2009 World Baseball Classic boosted baseball's popularity and attendances crossed the 7 million-mark for the first time last year, Yonhap News agency reported.
The league pocketed 35 billion won ($32.9 million) in 2012, bettering the 34 billion it earned a year earlier, the report said citing figures from the marketing wing of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO).
The league received 25 billion won from its television broadcasting contract and 8 billion from corporate sponsorship, while 2 billion came from merchandise sales.
Each of the eight KBO clubs, having collectively drawn 7.15 million fans, took home 3.8 billion won after the league broke its attendance record for the fourth straight year.
The KBO will welcome a ninth club this year in what would be the league's first expansion since 1991 while another team could be included in 2015.

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Column: No suspense for Bonds, Clemens in HOF vote

Barry Bonds can go for a bike ride. Roger Clemens might want to head to the gym for one of those famous workouts that used to make him pitch like he was 22 when he was 42.
If the polls are right — and my guess is they're pretty spot on — there's no need for either to wait by the phone Wednesday when baseball writers weigh in with their first verdict on what is arguably the greatest class of Hall of Fame candidates since Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth were among the inaugural inductees 77 years ago.
Bonds and Clemens won't get in, and no one else may either. In a fitting twist, the player who is most likely the leading candidate to make it is known almost as much for getting hit by pitches as hitting them himself.
Actually, Craig Biggio had 3,060 hits to go with the 285 times he got hit, and being a member of the 3,000-hit club usually guarantees a spot in Cooperstown. But in any other time the greatest home run hitter ever and only pitcher to win seven Cy Young awards would be absolute locks, too.
This, however, is as much a referendum on the Steroids Era as it is on the numbers that are so sacrosanct in baseball. This is about what people suspect players did while they were off the field, not what they accomplished while on it.
And this may be the last chance anyone has of somehow trying to make it right.
No, denying Bonds a spot in the Hall of Fame won't wipe away the bloated numbers that will almost surely scar the record books for generations to come. But it does put a giant asterisk that Bud Selig and the rest of baseball refuse to attach next to the 73 home runs he hit in one season, or the 762 he slugged through his career.
And while Clemens will keep his Cy Young awards, keeping him out of Cooperstown at least sends a message that maybe next time we won't be so easily hoodwinked again.
It shouldn't be the job of baseball writers to make the final statement about the Steroids Era; indeed some of the voters I know are quite uncomfortable with trying to sort out who did what and when. They're not the steroid police, as they often point out, and don't know any better than the guy next to them in the locker room who did what and when.
But Selig and his minions failed time and time again to confront the epidemic that swept through the game the last few decades. They used the power surge — four of the top 10 all-time home run hitters are either admitted steroid users or associated with them — to bring fans back to the ballparks who were disillusioned with baseball after a bitter strike wiped out the playoffs and the World Series in 1994.
They sat back and watched the cash registers heat up, knowing all along that much of it was built on a giant fraud. And they certainly didn't follow criteria that is spelled out for Hall of Fame voters, who are pledged to look at not only a player's numbers but the "integrity, sportsmanship, character and contributions to the team(s)" on which he played.
Under those guidelines, Bonds and Clemens don't qualify. Neither does Sammy Sosa, who thankfully will receive only a handful of votes in his first year of eligibility.
Unlike Sosa and Mark McGwire — who at least admitted he used steroids — the odds are that Bonds and Clemens will one day be enshrined in the hall. As the years go by and the stigma of the steroid era fades, they'll gain support among voters and probably make the 75 percent threshold required for admittance.
Unfortunately for some of those on the ballot with them, they may have to wait, too. That includes Mike Piazza and Jeff Bagwell, whose numbers have to be looked at twice not because they've been accused of wrongdoing but because they were put up in the heart of the Steroids Era.
That may not be fair to them, but the Hall of Fame is an exclusive place where fairness does not always carry the day. How else to explain why the late Roger Maris was never voted in, despite breaking Ruth's home run record with 61, a mark that stood for 37 years before McGwire and Sosa obliterated it in the home run orgy of 1998.
We may never know exactly what Bonds did to hit home runs unlike any human being before him. He's not talking, though a look at the newly svelte slugger today suggests that the change in his body size isn't completely due to his new love of cycling.
Don't expect Clemens to be any more forthcoming, either. Not after a jury in Washington, D.C., sided with him over accusations by former trainer Brian McNamee that he injected the pitcher with human growth hormone to salvage what was left of his good name.
They hurt baseball more than the banned and disgraced Pete Rose ever did by betting on games. Maybe, like Rose, they need some more time before explaining what really happened.
Meanwhile, they'll continue to keep us all hanging, including the sport and fans that made them rich.
Fortunately, baseball writers are in a position to return the favor.

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Soccer-41 players get life bans for South Korea match-fixing

Jan 9 (Reuters) - Forty one South Korean players have been handed worldwide lifetime bans following a match-fixing scandal in the country's K-League, world governing body FIFA said on Wednesday.
The 41, charged after a domestic match-fixing investigation dating back to 2011, received lifetime bans from all football activity by the K-League and the Korea Football Association's disciplinary committee with FIFA's Disciplinary Committee extended the sanctions to have worldwide effect.
South Korean sport has been marred by match-fixing allegations in professional soccer, volleyball and baseball, forcing the government to declare war on the issue.
In February soccer officials scrapped the K-League Cup competition as part of sweeping changes brought in to avoid a repeat of last year's match-fixing scandal.
Ten other players involved in match-fixing were given worldwide bans by FIFA in June while in March, South Korea's volleyball association banned 11 players for life in a bid to curb corruption in domestic sport. (Reporting by Martyn Herman)

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UPDATE 1-Golf-U.S. PGA Tour Tournament of Champions scores

Jan 8 (Infostrada Sports) - Scores from the U.S. PGA Tour Tournament of Champions at the par-73 course on Tuesday in Kapalua, Hawaii
203 Dustin Johnson (U.S.) 69 66 68
207 Steve Stricker (U.S.) 71 67 69
209 Brandt Snedeker (U.S.) 70 70 69
210 Bubba Watson (U.S.) 70 69 71
Keegan Bradley (U.S.) 71 69 70
211 Rickie Fowler (U.S.) 70 74 67
Tommy Gainey (U.S.) 72 69 70
212 Carl Pettersson (Sweden) 70 72 70
214 Ian Poulter (Britain) 71 74 69
Matt Kuchar (U.S.) 74 71 69
215 Mark Wilson (U.S.) 69 76 70
Webb Simpson (U.S.) 72 72 71
216 J.J. Henry (U.S.) 71 74 71
Johnson Wagner (U.S.) 72 72 72
Scott Stallings (U.S.) 72 74 70
Scott Piercy (U.S.) 72 71 73
Nick Watney (U.S.) 69 73 74
218 Jonas Blixt (Sweden) 72 74 72
Ben Curtis (U.S.) 70 76 72
John Huh (U.S.) 73 71 74
Zach Johnson (U.S.) 74 72 72
Jason Dufner (U.S.) 72 77 69
221 Charlie Beljan (U.S.) 71 75 75
Bill Haas (U.S.) 71 75 75
Marc Leishman (Australia) 75 75 71
223 Hunter Mahan (U.S.) 72 77 74
Ted Potter Jr. (U.S.) 75 75 73
225 Ryan Moore (U.S.) 72 77 76
George McNeill (U.S.) 79 73 73
230 Kyle Stanley (U.S.) 78 80 72

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Golf-Johnson wins windswept PGA season-opener at Kapalua

Jan 8 (Reuters) - It required a lot patience and overtime but American Dustin Johnson opened the PGA Tour season with a comfortable victory at the windswept Tournament of Champions in Hawaii on Tuesday.
Johnson fired a five-under 68 on another blustery day at the Kapalua Resort to finish four shots clear of defending champion Steve Stricker (69).
With the win, Johnson becomes the first player since Tiger Woods to win at least one tournament in six consecutive years straight out of college.
Johnson posted a 16-under 203 total at the weather-hit event that was trimmed to three rounds and forced to a rare Tuesday finish because of relentless howling winds that did not allow the first round to be played until Monday.
Stricker got to within a shot of his U.S. Ryder Cup team mate with five holes to play but could not keep up the rally as Johnson went on to collect his seventh career win.
American Brandt Snedeker, last season's FedExCup champion, had a solid start to his 2013 campaign, also closing with a 69, to finish alone in third, six shots back of Johnson.

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Rose, Sugar will host 1st semifinals in playoff

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP) — The first semifinal games in the new college football playoff system will be played in the Rose Bowl and the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1, 2015.
The BCS conference commissioners announced the dates and rotation for all 12 years of the upcoming postseason format after a meeting in Key Biscayne on Monday, the day after the BCS championship game in Miami.
"It was not a one-year decision, it had to be a 12-year decision," BCS executive director Bill Hancock said. "Calendar issues, days of rest. Sugar and Rose were paired together because of the days of rest since they are playing the same day."
Whether they are hosting a semifinal or just a marquee bowl game, the Rose Bowl and the Sugar Bowl will always be played on Jan. 1, or Jan. 2 in years in which New Year's Day falls on a Sunday. In the eight years in which the Rose and Sugar do not host the semifinals, the four playoff teams will kick off on New Year's Eve or Saturday, Dec. 30.
Either way there will be a triple-header of major college football games, two semifinals and four other marquee bowl games, on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day starting from the 2014 season to the 2025 season.
"Those days will belong to college football," Hancock said.
The Rose Bowl will also be the site of the last BCS championship game on Jan. 1, 2014.
The site of the first championship game in the new system is still to be picked, though Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, seems to be the front-runner. The title games will always be played on Mondays, at least seven days after the semifinals. The first one will be played Jan. 12, 2015.
The earliest the championship game will be played is Monday, Jan. 7, 2019. The latest the championship game will be played is Jan. 13, and that will happen twice, in 2020 and 2025.
In the second year of the playoff, the Orange Bowl will host a semifinal on Dec. 31, 2015, along with one of three other sites still to be determined.
The preference is to have three more sites in three times zones, and they are expected to be Atlanta (Chick-fil-A Bowl), Arlington, Texas (Cotton Bowl) and Glendale, Ariz. (Fiesta).
Hancock said the commissioners are on track to have those sites locked in by the end of their late April meetings in Pasadena. The site for the first championship game is expected to be chosen sooner.
"This was really a basic meeting," Hancock said. "The balls that are still in the air are the (selection) committee, protocol and structure, what we're going to call it."
It was a year ago in New Orleans that the commissioners had what was the first meeting that led to the end of the BCS as we know it and the implementation of the four-team playoff.
"When we met this date last year in New Orleans we all knew that we were going to embark on a very significant review and potential restructuring," Southeastern Conference Commissioner Mike Slive said.
With the calendar set, the sites coming into focus, the next big issue left is the selection committee.
"I think April will be the action month in a lot of respects," Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany said.
The concept the commissioners are working with is about 18 people, mostly current college sports administrators, such as conference commissioners and athletic directors. Every conference and independent in major college football would be represented.
Delany said he hopes that by requiring the committee to emphasize strength of schedule it will force programs to rethink some of those cupcake games that inflate records. And that a couple of losses against good teams won't necessarily eliminate a team from playing in the four-team playoff
"It certainly has evolved in men's basketball," he said. "Everybody who is 20-10 doesn't get to the tournament. I think the new committee is sort of important to reinforce that. What they do in the first two, three, four years is going to really determine the messages that are being sent. The basketball committee has consistently sent the message that who you play and who you beat is more important than the record."

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AP source: Swisher, Tribe reach $56M, 4-year deal

 The Indians' pitch to bring Nick Swisher "home" worked.
Two people familiar with the negotiations said Swisher has agreed to a $56 million, four-year contract with the Indians, who used the free agent outfielder's deep Ohio connections to convince him to join the club. The people spoke on condition of anonymity Sunday because Swisher must take a physical before the deal can be finalized. The Indians are expected to announce Swisher's signing after Christmas, one of the people said.
The Indians will not comment until Swisher completes his physical.
"Wow! What a crazy few weeks," Swisher said on Twitter. "Hey Cleveland! Are you ready? Because I'm coming home!"
Swisher's deal includes a $14 million option for 2017 that could become guaranteed based on plate appearances the previous year.
Indians second baseman Jason Kipnis was excited about the club's newest addition.
"Welcome to the Tribe (at)nickswisher, pumped to get ya," Kipnis tweeted.
The 32-year-old Swisher spent the last four seasons with the New York Yankees, taking advantage of the short right-field porch at Yankee Stadium. A switch-hitter, Swisher hit .272 this season with 24 homers and 93 RBIs.
Swisher will fill an outfield hole for the Indians, who traded Shin-Soo Choo to Cincinnati. Swisher will play right, with recently acquired Drew Stubbs likely taking over in center with Michael Brantley shifting from center to left field.
Swisher, who was born in Columbus and played at Ohio State, visited the Indians earlier in the week. The club used Swisher's ties with the Buckeyes to convince him to join a team that won just 68 games last season following an historic collapse in August.
During his tour of Progressive Field, Swisher watched a video presentation on the stadium's giant scoreboard that featured messages from current Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer and basketball coach Thad Matta, who urged him to sign with the Indians. Later, Swisher and his wife, actress JoAnna Garcia, had lunch with former Ohio State coach Jim Tressel, who was at the school when Swisher played there.
Swisher's signing is a significant win for the Indians, who have been in the market for an outfielder throughout the offseason. During the winter meetings in Nashville, Tenn., they offered Shane Victorino a $44 million, four-year contract before he agreed to a $39 million, three-year deal with Boston.
Seattle, Texas and Boston were believed to be interested in Swisher, an All-Star in 2010 who was regarded as the second-best free agent hitter this offseason behind Josh Hamilton. The Indians have been desperate to add power and Swisher, who has hit at least 22 homers in each of the past seven seasons, will bolster the middle of new manager Terry Francona's lineup.
Swisher's value may have been damaged by several poor postseasons with the Yankees. He batted .162 in the postseason for New York with seven RBIs and 38 strikeouts in 130 at-bats.
Swisher spent four seasons with Oakland and one with the Chicago White Sox before joining the Yankees.
The Indians will lose their second-round pick in next year's amateur draft as compensation for signing Swisher, and the Yankees will get an extra selection following the first round.
It's been a busy offseason for Indians general manager Chris Antonetti, who is trying to fix a team that has lost at least 93 games in three of the past four seasons.
Antonetti fired manager Manny Acta and replaced him with Francona, the former Boston manager who has spent the past few weeks meeting with his new players. Antonetti also signed free agent first baseman Mark Reynolds and was part of a three-team, nine-player deal that sent Choo to the Reds for Stubbs and brought Cleveland prized pitching prospect Trevor Bauer from Arizona.
The signing of Swisher will take some pressure of Antonetti, who has been criticized by fans for several moves in recent years.
His agreement was first reported by the New York Daily News.
Now that they've landed Swisher, the Indians are expected to focus on improving their starting pitching. The club agreed to terms with left-hander Scott Kazmir to a minor league deal this week, pending a physical. The Indians still need to add a designated hitter and there remains interest in Travis Hafner, who was limited to just 66 games last season because of injuries and remains an unsigned free agent.

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Baseball: Indians sign Swisher to four-year, $56 million deal

 Free agent outfielder Nick Swisher has agreed to a four-year, $56 million contract with the Cleveland Indians, Major League Baseball's website said on Sunday.
The deal, which is pending a physical, makes the 32-year-old Swisher the highest paid free agent ever signed by the Indians, who are trying to recover from a 94-loss season in 2012.
Swisher, who spent the past four seasons with the New York Yankees, hit .272 with 93 runs batted in and 24 home runs while playing in 148 games last season.
"Hey Cleveland! Are you ready? Because I'm coming home!" Swisher, an Ohio native, wrote on his Twitter account.
Cleveland had the second worst record in the American League last season at 68-94 and hired former Red Sox skipper Terry Francona to manage the club and signed slugger Mark Reynolds to play first base earlier this postseason.

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NFL: Bengals book playoff spot with win over Steelers

 Josh Brown booted a 43-yard field goal with four seconds left to play to earn the Cincinnati Bengals a 13-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers and a ticket to the National Football League playoffs on Sunday.
The victory was the Bengals' (9-6) first over their bitter AFC North rivals in six meetings and left a capacity crowd at Heinz Field stunned with the loss that eliminated the Steelers (7-8) from post-season contention.
As is typical when the Steelers and Bengals clash, the meeting was a bruising defensive battle, the Cincinnati defense accounting for the Bengals' only touchdown when Leon Hall intercepted Ben Roethlisberger in the opening quarter and returned it 17 yards for the score.
Roethlisberger connected with Antonio Brown on a 60-yard touchdown in the third quarter to get Pittsburgh back into the contest but made a fatal mistake with 14 seconds to play, throwing his second interception that was returned to the Steelers 46 to set up Brown's game-winning kick.

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Lions WR Johnson living up to $132 million deal

 The Detroit Lions have gotten quite a return on the $132 million, eight-year investment they made in Calvin Johnson nine months ago.
"He's not trying to live up to a contract," Detroit coach Jim Schwartz said Sunday. "Personal records are great, and we certainly celebrate the season Calvin that has had, but it hasn't translated to enough wins.
"We need more help around him."
That's a fact.
The Lions (4-11) have lost seven straight, the league's longest active skid, after reaching .500 at the midway mark of a disappointing season.
During the losing streak, Johnson has been perhaps Detroit's only bright spot.
He broke Jerry Rice's single-season yards receiving record of 1,848 in Saturday night's 31-18 loss to Atlanta.
"It's an accomplishment that took a lot of work," Johnson said. "You can't take that thing away."
Schwartz said Johnson hasn't racked up yards in blowouts because Detroit hasn't had many of them in a season filled with closely contested losses. He does acknowledge that the team's record doesn't let Johnson's accomplishment ring as true as anyone would like.
"It's hollow in the fact that we only have four wins," he said. "You'd like for that production to translate to wins and you'd like to be able to celebrate that production with wins."
In the win, the Falcons tried to take Johnson away as an option for Matthew Stafford in the passing game and couldn't do it.
With 11 receptions for 225 yards against Atlanta, he also became the only player in NFL history with 100 yards receiving in eight straight games and with 10-plus receptions in four games in a row. He had seven receptions of 20-plus yards for the second time in his career, a feat no other player in the league has done since at least 1991, according to STATS LLC.
Johnson, who has tied another league single-season mark with 100 yards receiving in 11 games, can add to his record total of 1,892 yards receiving in Detroit's finale Dec. 30 at home against Chicago and could reach the 2,000-yard mark.
Johnson's 10th catch Sunday night was for a 26-yard gain with 2:57 left in the game. After breaking the record with that catch, he jogged over to the sideline to give the football to his father, Calvin Johnson Sr., and told him not to let it go.
Not even if someone from the Pro Football Hall of Fame wants it?
"Oh no," he said. "That's my ball."
Stafford has done a good job of getting the ball to Johnson despite every team trying to stunt their connections and not having to worry about other playmakers because of Detroit's injury-depleted receiving corps.
Stafford threw for 443 yards against the Falcons, setting an NFL record for the most yards passing in a game without a touchdown. With 4,695 yards passing and a game to go against the Bears, he and New Orleans' Drew Brees could become the first two NFL players to throw for 5,000-plus yards in consecutive seasons.
"I'd love to be able to be able to do it again," Stafford said. "But I'd love for it to come with a win."
Stafford, who thrown the ball 685 times this season, is seven attempts away from breaking the NFL single-season record for attempts set by Drew Bledsoe with New England in 1994.
Johnson and Stafford have not been able to overcome the team's minus-12 turnover ratio this season that ranks among the NFL's worst in perhaps the statistical category that is tied most to winning and losing.
Against Atlanta, the Lions turned the ball over three times and their defense didn't recover a fumble or make an interception.
"We lose by 13 and 17 points come off turnovers," Schwartz said. "We need to do a better job of taking care of the football. And also on defense, we need to come up with some."
Detroit's comeback hopes were definitely dashed after getting a safety with 1:21 left to pull within 13 points only to have Stefan Logan take a knee at his 4 on a free kick.
"That's probably the first time I've seen somebody concede a punt in the field of play," Schwartz said. "It was a poor decision. Part of a returner's job is to know where he is on the field. Saying, 'I didn't know where I was. I thought I was in the end zone,' is not a valid excuse.
"When that error was made," Schwartz added, "it made it very, very difficult for the team to come back."
NOTES: The Lions are hopeful TE Brandon Pettigrew will play against Chicago after missing the last previous two games with a sprained left ankle. ... Lions DT Sammie Hill was scheduled to have a foot injury examined, Schwartz said.

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NFL: Bengals and Colts claim playoff berths

The Cincinnati Bengals edged the Pittsburgh Steelers to reach the NFL playoffs, and the Indianapolis Colts joined the postseason party by capping their remarkable turnaround in pressure-packed action on Sunday.
The advancement of Cincinnati (9-6), 13-10 winners over their bitter AFC North rivals, and Indianapolis (10-5), who beat the Kansas City Chiefs 20-13, completed the playoff list in the American Football Conference, though seeding issues remained.
The Houston Texans (12-3) failed to capitalize on a chance to clinch top seeding in the AFC by losing 23-6 to the Minnesota Vikings (9-6), who stayed alive for an NFC playoff berth.
The NFC still had several playoff berths up for grabs.
The Washington Redskins (9-6) maintained the upper hand in their quest for the NFC East title by hanging on for a 27-20 win against the Philadelphia Eagles (4-11), while the Dallas Cowboys (8-7) suffered a 34-31 overtime loss to the New Orleans Saints.
DOUBLY SATISFYING
In Pittsburgh, it was a doubly satisfying result for the Bengals whose three-point victory on Josh Brown's 43-yard field goal with four seconds left to play not only put them in the playoffs but also knocked the Steelers (7-8) out of contention.
It was the first victory for the visiting Bengals over their bitter AFC North rivals in six meetings.
For the Colts, victory over the Chiefs gave them their 10th playoff trip in 11 years but first in that span without Peyton Manning as quarterback.
This postseason berth came one season after a woeful 2-14 record that put them in position to take quarterback Andrew Luck from Stanford with the first pick of the 2012 NFL Draft.
Luck led the Colts to victory over the Chiefs (2-13) by hitting a leaping Reggie Wayne in the back of the end zone for the winning touchdown with 4:08 left in the game.
During the game, Luck set the league record for passing yards in a season for a rookie, eclipsing the mark of 4,051 yards last season by Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers and he still has next week's regular season-ending game against AFC South champion Houston. Luck has 4,185 yards this season.
Houston slowed down league-leading rusher Adrian Peterson, but the Minnesota Vikings held the Texans to just a pair of field goals in their road victory.
Peterson was held to 86 yards, but quarterback Christian Ponder threw a touchdown pass, Toby Gerhart rushed for a score and Blair Walsh kicked three field goals to give the Vikings an upset win.
Peterson, who had a streak of eight 100-yard games snapped, finished the game with 1,898 yards this season and still needs 208 yards to break the NFL single-season rushing record set by Eric Dickerson in 1984.
GUT-WRENCHER
Washington, who welcomed rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III back to the lineup after being sidelined a week with a knee injury, escaped a scare when Philadelphia had a first-and-goal at the five-yard line with 11 seconds left but failed to score a touchdown that would have sent the game to overtime.
"Winning always cures all ills. It was just good to be back out there with the guys," said Griffin.
"We're playing the best ball we've played all year at the right time. We're rolling. We know that we can win any kind of game we have to, whether it's a high-scoring game or a low-scoring game or a gut-wrencher at the end."
Dallas rallied with 14 points in the last four minutes to send their game against the Saints into overtime, but they failed to mount a threat with their first possession in extra time and New Orleans (7-8) won on a 20-yard field goal.
The Cowboys and Redskins meet next week in Washington with the division title on the line.
NFC North champion Green Bay Packers (11-4) maintained their strong form with a 55-7 thrashing of the Tennessee Titans as Aaron Rodgers threw for three touchdowns and 342 yards.
Tom Brady threw a pair of interceptions in the first quarter but recovered to lead the AFC East champion New England Patriots (11-4) to a 23-16 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars (2-13).

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Clippers beat Hornets 93-77 for 11th straight win

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Clippers' franchise record-tying 11th consecutive victory had owner Donald Sterling leading a "hip, hip hooray" chant in the locker room.
Sterling grabbed the hand of coach Vinny Del Negro and held it up, exhorting his team, "Let's hear it for the coach." Then he told Del Negro, "Vinny, give me a hug" and the two men embraced.
"Eleven in a row. Not bad, is it?" Sterling said.
Blake Griffin scored 18 points and Jamal Crawford added 17 in the Clippers' 93-77 win over the New Orleans Hornets on Wednesday night that tied the franchise mark set by the 1974-75 Buffalo Braves.
"That's pretty special, especially to do it at home," said Chris Paul, who had 10 points and 12 assists, giving him 5,003 in his career.
"The food tastes better, the music sounds better, you sleep a little better," Paul said. "Everything seems better when you're winning."
DeAndre Jordan added 12 points for the Clippers, whose 19-6 record is tied with New York for second-best in the NBA.
Robin Lopez scored 14 of his 22 points in the first quarter and rookie Anthony Davis added 16 for the Hornets. They lost their ninth in a row and 11th in 12 games while falling to 2-10 on the road. They were the last team to beat the Clippers on Nov. 26.
"We knew they were going to come out with a lot of energy. They made shots that they didn't make the last time we played them, and they got a lot of easy buckets," Davis said. "They've got a great team. They're all capable of scoring the ball, from the starters to the bench."
Four of the Clippers' five starters took the fourth quarter off, with only Willie Green coming back in after having helped build a 19-point lead to start the final period. But the Hornets couldn't get anything going against the second unit that has played a significant role in the Clippers' current run.
"We've been getting off to good starts and not putting so much pressure on our bench," Paul said.
The Hornets staged a brief rally to open the third. Davis scored five in a row in their 12-9 run that drew them within seven. The Clippers took over from there, outscoring New Orleans 18-6 to end the third leading 75-56. They made 8 of 10 free throws, while Paul's fast-break dunk highlighted the spurt. Griffin grabbed his teammate as Paul swung wildly from the basket.
"Oh, did I dunk tonight?'" said Paul, the least likely to dunk on a Clippers team nicknamed "Lob City."
Blake drew laughs when he said, "You saw I had to help him down."
"They really feed off their fast break," Ryan Anderson said. "They're a team that runs, and when they get turnovers they break out and find open guys at the other end. They did that the whole second half and they took advantage of our mistakes."
Paul fed Griffin for a layup late in the second quarter to notch his 5,000th assist, triggering a standing ovation. Griffin got fouled on the play and made the free throw. It came during an 11-0 run that provided the Clippers' largest lead to that point, 46-30. Paul's alley-oop pass to Griffin led to a fast-break dunk for the Clippers' final basket of the half, with them leading 48-38.
"I didn't know what everyone was cheering for," Paul said.
Griffin said, "It's cool to be part of that. It's definitely not the last. I'm looking forward to 10,000."
The Hornets kept it close in the opening quarter, when they trailed 22-16 after Lopez scored 14 points. He was scoreless in the second quarter when he picked up his third foul.
NOTES: Del Negro said Jordan turned his ankle during the game. ... At 27 years, 228 days, Paul is the third-youngest player in NBA history to reach 5,000 assists, trailing Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas. He is the fifth-fastest to reach the milestone, needing 510 games. ... New Orleans hasn't won since Dec. 3 against Milwaukee. ... Hornets G Eric Gordon missed the game against his former team because of a sore right knee. He smiled when Clippers fans chanted his name in the final 2½ minutes. ... Returning home from a four-game trip, the Clippers had a moment of silence for the victims of last week's school shootings in Connecticut.

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Durant scores 41 as streaking Thunder top Hawks

ATLANTA (AP) — Oklahoma City's biggest stars displayed a unique version of balanced scoring against Atlanta: Russell Westbrook led the Thunder in the first half and Kevin Durant dominated the Hawks over the final two quarters.
Durant set a season high with 41 points and Oklahoma City held off Atlanta 100-92 on Wednesday night for its 12th straight win.
Westbrook had 27 points — 21 in the first half — and 11 assists. Durant scored 28 points in the second half, including 18 in the fourth, and also had 13 rebounds.
No other Oklahoma City player scored in double figures.
"There's going to be nights where one has the hot hand and there's going to be other nights the other does," said Thunder coach Scott Brooks.
Both top scorers were hot against the Hawks. Durant made six of nine shots in the final period, including three 3-pointers, and the Hawks couldn't find a way to slow the 6-foot-9 forward.
"We double-teamed him, we zoned him," said Hawks coach Larry Drew. "He still made shots. You can't stop him when he's hot like that."
Durant said Westbrook's strong first half helped open more opportunities for him after the break.
"He was aggressive and they were giving him jump shots," Durant said. "We just played off of that. He was very good and it opened up for me in the second half."
Durant acknowledged he launched some "questionable" shots. "But my teammates wanted me to do it," he said.
Jeff Teague led Atlanta with 19 points, Josh Smith had 17 points and 12 rebounds, and Al Horford and Lou Williams scored 13 apiece.
Durant was especially strong after Atlanta cut a 16-point deficit midway through the third quarter to 73-69.
Durant slowed Atlanta's comeback attempt when he dominated a sequence on both ends of the floor, blocking a shot by Smith before throwing down a jam. Smith drew a foul and Durant sank the free throw to push the lead to 85-75.
With about 3 minutes remaining, Durant hit a fallaway jumper. Less than a minute late, he made a spin move and then sank a 3-pointer over the 6-foot-7 Kyle Korver, who was left shaking his head.
"He's just one of those players," Korver said. "People don't understand how tall he is and how long his arms are."
The fallaway jumper and spinning 3-pointer would have been unlikely attempts for most players.
"That's him, though," Horford said. "He can do it. He's that good of a player, unfortunately for us."
Oklahoma City (21-4) improved the NBA's best record and atoned for a 104-95 home loss to the Hawks on Nov. 4. That loss left Oklahoma City 1-2; it is 20-2 since then and hasn't lost since Nov. 23 at Boston.
The 12 straight wins matches the longest streak for the franchise since 1996, when it had a 14-game winning streak as the Seattle SuperSonics.
The Hawks took their last lead at 19-17 on a follow shot by Anthony Morrow. The Thunder then went ahead with a 10-1 run that overlapped the end of the first period and the start of the second. Martin opened and closed the run with jumpers.
Oklahoma City stretched the lead to 17 on four straight free throws by Durant following fouls by Morrow late in the half.
"You can't have a second quarter like we did," Horford said. "We had a lapse and they took a big lead. You can't do that against a team like them."
The Thunder led 68-52 midway through the third quarter, but a technical foul against Smith with 3:12 remaining in the period seemed to spark the Hawks.
Smith sank a 3-pointer as part of Atlanta's 8-0 run to close the period. Anthony Tolliver scored the first three points of the fourth quarter on a free throw and jam to cut the Thunder's lead to 73-69.
Westbrook ended Atlanta's 11-0 run with a jam following an offensive rebound by Nick Collison.
Serge Ibaka had 4 points and 14 rebounds for the Thunder.
NOTES: The Thunder assigned F Perry Jones and G DeAndre Liggins to the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League. Jones, the first-round pick from Baylor, has appeared in 10 games, averaging 1.2 points and 1.4 rebounds. ... The Hawks were without G Devin Harris, who left Tuesday night's game at Washington after injuring his left foot. He wore a walking boot on Wednesday. ... Morrow returned after missing two games with a sore back. ... Brian McCann, Jason Heyward, Dan Uggla, Kris Medlen and Freddie Freeman of the Atlanta Braves attended the game and sat with former teammate Tommy Hanson, who was recently traded to the Angels.

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AP source: Polanco reaches agreement with Marlins

MIAMI (AP) — A person familiar with the negotiations says third baseman Placido Polanco has agreed to terms with the Miami Marlins.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Thursday because the Marlins hadn't announced a deal.
Polanco, 37, battled injuries this year and hit .257 with two home runs and 19 RBIs in 90 games with Philadelphia. The 15-year veteran is a career .299 hitter with 103 homers.
The deal solidifies the Marlins' lineup following an offseason payroll purge. Other projected starters include Logan Morrison at first base, Donovan Solano at second, Adeiny Hechavarria at shortstop, Jeff Brantly at catcher, Giancarlo Stanton in right field, Justin Ruggiano in center field and Juan Pierre in left field.

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AP Source: Jets will consider options with Sanchez

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) — Mark Sanchez is the former face of the franchise. He could soon be a former member of the New York Jets.
The team will consider all their options regarding the beleaguered and benched quarterback in the offseason, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Thursday.
The person, who requested anonymity because the team's personnel plans are private, told the AP that the Jets have not made any determinations involving Sanchez.
That means his status is in limbo and a trade cannot be ruled out.
He's not alone. The futures of Tim Tebow, coach Rex Ryan, general manager Mike Tannenbaum and offensive coordinator Tony Sparano with the Jets also are uncertain.
Parting ways with Tebow, the immensely popular but little-used backup, appears a certainty after he came to New York amid lots of hype but had little impact in his one season with the Jets.
But the Jets could be hard-pressed to trade or cut Sanchez, who is due $8.25 million in guarantees next season.
"Anything dealing with the future past Buffalo (the regular-season finale) will be handled after that," Ryan said Thursday.
There are several complications that could lead to Sanchez actually sticking around in New York — whether it's as a backup or starter. Sanchez, who received a contract extension in March, would cost the Jets a $17.1 million salary cap hit next season. They could, however, spread that amount over the next two seasons if he is cut after June 1.
New York could also find it difficult to find a trading partner to unload Sanchez, who isn't likely a very attractive option at the moment after turning the ball over 50 times since the start of last season. With Tannenbaum's status unclear, teams might not be willing to even talk to him at this point about possible trades. Teams can't make trades until March.
When asked about possible Sanchez trade rumors, Ryan said: "That's news to me."
If the Jets did wind up trading Sanchez, the salary cap hit would still be $8.9 million.
The Daily News reported Thursday, according to sources, that the Jets would be interested in Michael Vick and that the Eagles quarterback would come to New York if it was clear he would be the starter. The newspaper also said Ryan "loves" Vick.
"I'll just focus on the players we have on this roster," Ryan said while laughing.
Sanchez, whom the Jets drafted fifth overall in 2009, was benched in favor of third-stringer Greg McElroy for at least the home finale Sunday against San Diego. Sanchez threw four interceptions and fumbled away the final offensive snap — and the Jets' playoff chances — in New York's 14-10 loss at Tennessee on Monday night.
He once drew comparisons to Joe Namath after helping the Jets to consecutive AFC title games in his first two seasons, but his lack of improvement the last two years have caused him to fall out of favor. Ryan was non-committal Thursday when asked about Sanchez's long-term future.
"Whether it's not a ringing endorsement or whatever, I have absolutely zero focus on that right now," he said. "Everybody knows I've been supportive of Mark Sanchez. I think he still has the skill set to be a good quarterback in this league and we've won a lot of games with him."
Tebow was supposed to be the spark that got the offense going, but instead he spent most of his time on the sideline. His numbers are far from special: He has rushed for 102 yards on 32 carries and is 6 of 8 for 39 yards, and has a stunning zero touchdowns.
Tebow repeatedly said he was "excited" to be a member of the Jets when he first came from Denver in a trade in March, and he reiterated that throughout the season. But he acknowledged that he was "a little bit disappointed" that Ryan chose McElroy to start over him — at least for Sunday.
Now, Tebow could be an ex-Jet less than a year after he came to New York with lots of expectations.

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Michael Phelps voted AP male athlete of year

Now that he's away from the pool, Michael Phelps can reflect — really reflect — on what he accomplished.
Pretty amazing stuff.
"It's kind of nuts to think about everything I've gone through," Phelps said. "I've finally had time to myself, to sit back and say, '... that really happened?' It's kind of shocking at times."
Not that his career needed a capper, but Phelps added one more honor to his staggering list of accomplishments Thursday — The Associated Press male athlete of the year.
Phelps edged out LeBron James to win the award for the second time, not only a fitting payoff for another brilliant Olympics (four gold medals and two silvers in swimming at the London Games) but recognition for one of the greatest careers in any sport.
Phelps finished with 40 votes in balloting by U.S. editors and broadcasters, while James was next with 37. Track star Usain Bolt, who won three gold medals in London, was third with 23.
Carl Lewis is the only other Olympic-related star to be named AP male athlete of the year more than once, taking the award for his track and field exploits in 1983 and '84. The only men honored more than twice are golf's Tiger Woods and cyclist Lance Armstrong (four times each), and basketball's Michael Jordan (three times).
"Obviously, it's a big accomplishment," Phelps said. "There's so many amazing male athletes all over the world and all over our country. To be able to win this is something that just sort of tops off my career."
Phelps retired at age 27 as soon as he finished his final race in London, having won more gold medals (18) and overall medals (22) than any other Olympian.
No one else is even close.
"That's what I wanted to do," Phelps said. "Now that it's over, it's something I can look back on and say, 'That was a pretty amazing ride.'"
The current ride isn't so bad either.
Set for life financially, he has turned his fierce competitive drive to golf, working on his links game with renowned coach Hank Haney as part of a television series on the Golf Channel. In fact, after being informed of winning the AP award, Phelps called in from the famed El Dorado Golf & Beach Club in Los Cabos, Mexico, where he was heading out with Haney to play a few more holes before nightfall.
"I can't really complain," Phelps quipped over the phone.
Certainly, he has no complaints about his swimming career, which helped turn a sport that most Americans only paid attention to every four years into more of a mainstream pursuit.
More kids took up swimming. More advertisers jumped on board. More viewers tuned in to watch.
While swimming is unlikely to ever match the appeal of football or baseball, it has carved out a nice little niche for itself amid all the other athletic options in the United States — largely due to Phelps' amazing accomplishments and aw-shucks appeal.
Just the fact that he won over James shows just how much pull Phelps still has. James had an amazing year by any measure: The league MVP won his first NBA title with the Miami Heat, picking up finals MVP honors along the way, and then starred on the gold medal-winning U.S. basketball team in London.
Phelps already had won the AP award in 2008 after his eight gold medals in Beijing, which broke Mark Spitz's record. Phelps got it again with a performance that didn't quite match up to the Great Haul of China, but was amazing in its own right.
After the embarrassment of being photographed taking a hit from a marijuana pipe and questioning whether he still had the desire to go on, Phelps returned with a vengeance as the London Games approached. Never mind that he was already the winningest Olympian ever. Never mind that he could've eclipsed the record for overall medals just by swimming on the relays.
He wanted to be one of those rare athletes who went out on top.
"That's just who he is," said Bob Bowman, his longtime coach. "He just couldn't live with himself if knew he didn't go out there and give it good shot and really know he's competitive. He doesn't know anything else but to give that kind of effort and have those kind of expectations."
Phelps got off to a rocky start in London, finishing fourth in the 400-meter individual medley, blown out of the water by his friend and rival, Ryan Lochte. It was only the second time that Phelps had not at least finished in the top three of an Olympic race, the first coming way back in 2000 when he was fifth in his only event of the Sydney Games as a 15-year-old.
To everyone looking in, Lochte seemed poised to become the new Phelps — while the real Phelps appeared all washed up.
But he wasn't going out like that.
No way.
Phelps rebounded to become the biggest star at the pool, edging Lochte in the 200 IM, contributing to a pair of relay victories, and winning his final individual race, the 100 butterfly. There were two silvers, as well, leaving Phelps with a staggering resume that will be awfully difficult for anyone to eclipse.
His 18 golds are twice as many as anyone else in Olympic history. His 22 medals are four clear of Larisa Latynina, a Soviet-era gymnast, and seven more than the next athlete on the list. Heck, if Phelps was a nation, he'd be 58th in the medal standings, just one behind India (population: 1.2 billion).
"When I'm flying all over the place, I write a lot in my journal," Phelps said. "I kind of relive all the memories, all the moments I had throughout my career. That's pretty special. I've never done that before. It's amazing when you see it all on paper."
Four months into retirement, Phelps has no desire to get back in the pool. Oh, he'll swim every now and then for relaxation, using the water to unwind rather than putting in one of his famously grueling practices. Golf is his passion at the moment, but he's also found time to cheer on his hometown NFL team, the Baltimore Ravens, and start looking around for a racehorse that he and Bowman can buy together.
Phelps hasn't turned his back on swimming, either. He's got his name attached to a line of schools that he wants to take worldwide. He's also devoting more time to his foundation, which is dedicated to teaching kids to swim and funding programs that will grow the sport even more.
He's already done so much.
"His contribution to the way the world thinks about swimming is so powerful," Bowman said. "I don't think any other athlete has transformed his sport the way he's transformed swimming."
Phelps still receives regular texts from old friends and teammates, asking when he's going to give up on this retirement thing and come back the pool as a competitor.
He scoffs at the notion, sounding more sure of himself now than he did in London.
And if there's anything we've learned: Don't doubt Michael Phelps when he sets his mind on something.

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