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 endsJan 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...

Read More..

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...

Read More..

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,...

Read More..

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...

Read More..

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...

Read More..

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...

Read More..

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, Hawaii203 Dustin Johnson (U.S.) 69 66 68207 Steve Stricker (U.S.) 71 67 69209 Brandt Snedeker (U.S.) 70 70 69210 Bubba Watson (U.S.) 70 69 71Keegan Bradley (U.S.) 71 69 70211 Rickie Fowler (U.S.) 70 74 67Tommy Gainey (U.S.) 72 69 70212 Carl Pettersson (Sweden) 70 72 70214...

Read More..

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...

Read More..

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,...

Read More..

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...

Read More..

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...

Read More..

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)...

Read More..

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...

Read More..

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...

Read More..

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...

Read More..

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...

Read More..

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...

Read More..

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,...

Read More..

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...

Read More..