NBA:
In the NBA, New York beat Minnesota 107-102, Miami defeated Brooklyn 104-98, Atlanta bested Philadelphia 127-106, Oklahoma City trumped Portland 106-90, San Antonio topped Washington 114-95, New Orleans won against Utah 104-94, the Clippers defeated Milwaukee 103-90, Orlando beat Charlotte 113-98, Indiana bested Dallas 107-81, and it was Chicago over Memphis 98-85.
NHL:
In the NHL, Boston blanked Pittsburgh 3-0, and it was Washington over Ottawa 2-1.
NCAA:
A federal appeals court in San Francisco has decided not to reconsider its ruling striking down a plan to pay college football and basketball players. The payment plan emerged from a lawsuit against the NCAA by former UCLA basketball star Ed O'Bannon.
In college men's basketball, UMass beat New Orleans 103-95 in overtime last night to end its three-game skid. Trey Davis scored 40, and Donte Clark added 30 points, both career highs. Davis made 18 of 20 free throws, while Clark made 9 of 14 field goals, including 4 of 6 from 3-point range, and grabbed eight rebounds for UMass.
Vermont beat UC Santa Barbara 75-68 last night. Kurt Steidl scored 19 points on 5-of-12 shooting from the field. Darren Payen finished with 12 points, and Cam Ward added 11 for the Catamounts, who got to the free throw line 36 times while moving to a perfect 3-0 at home this season.
MLB:
A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press on condition of anonymity that 42-year-old pitcher Bartolo Colon has agreed to a $7.25 million, one-year contract to remain with the New York Mets. Colon was 14-13 with a 4.16 ERA in 31 starts and two relief appearances, and then had a 2.08 ERA in seven relief appearances during the postseason.
Meanwhile Dick Scott is succeeding Bob Geren as the New York Mets' bench coach. Scott was the Mets' minor league field coordinator from 2011-12, and had been the team's director of player development since then.
NFL:
On Thursday Night Football, Tampa Bay is in St. Louis at 8:25 p.m.
The New York Giants have released veteran safety Brandon Meriweather. The eight-year veteran was cut yesterday, leaving the team with only three safeties on the roster: rookie Landon Collins, Craig Dahl and Cooper Taylor.
Former New England Patriots cornerback Alfonzo Dennard is jailed in Nebraska for violating terms of the probation he was sentenced to for punching a Lincoln police officer a week before the 2012 NFL draft. According to court documents, Dennard was sentenced last week to five days in Lancaster County Jail in Lincoln for testing positive for alcohol three times in the past month and skipping a drug test. He reported to jail on Tuesday.
Injuries and Changeups:
The unbeaten Carolina Panthers won't have running back Jonathan Stewart for Sunday's game against the Giants in New Jersey. The leading rusher on the team with 989 yards has a sprained left foot. The Panthers are 13-0 while the Giants, at 6-7, are tied for first in the NFC East.
— The Houston Texans won't have quarterback Brian Hoyer this Sunday when they face the Colts. He is out with his second concussion in a month. T.J. Yates, who started the last time Hoyer was out and led them to a win, will get the start with Brandon Weeden backing him up. The Texans and Colts enter the game tied for first in the AFC South.
— Peyton Manning has returned to practice after missing more than a month with an injured left foot. However, he will not start Sunday's game at Pittsburgh. Brock Osweiler will. He's 3-1 filling in for Manning.
— Jacksonville middle linebacker Paul Posluszny has been cleared to practice with a broken hand. He had surgery last Wednesday to repair his right hand, which he broke in three places against Tennessee on Nov. 19. Posluszny ranks second on the team with 104 tackles this season.
— The Buffalo Bills have placed starting cornerback Stephon Gilmore on season-ending injured reserve with a dislocated shoulder. Gilmore was hurt in a win over Houston on Dec. 6.
— The New York Giants have released veteran safety Brandon Meriweather. He started the season's first 11 games before missing the last two with a knee injury.
The NFL will have game referees in the playoffs consult with its director of officiating about the application of rules in situations not currently covered in instant replay reviews. Those situations will include the appropriate assessment of penalty yardage; proper administration of the game clock; correct downs; and any other administrative matter not currently reviewable.
But Dean Blandino, the vice president of officiating, will not be able to call a foul or change a call, "or otherwise become involved in on-field judgment calls that are not subject to the current instant replay system." Communication on administration matters can be initiated by Blandino or the referee, the league said Wednesday. The NFL has had a rough season with its officiating, including notifying teams several times that calls had been missed or incorrectly made.
FIFA:
Sepp Blatter is trying to save his FIFA presidency on Thursday at the ethics committee he helped create and whose authority he does not recognize.
The suspended FIFA leader will tell four judges he is innocent of wrongdoing when he enters the headquarters of soccer's world governing body for the first time since October. Blatter was key in 2012 to empowering a tougher and more independent FIFA ethics committee that he now insists cannot remove an elected president.
"Now it has come back to haunt him," Mark Pieth, a former anti-corruption adviser to FIFA, told The Associated Press this week. Blatter risks a life ban if the judges' verdict — due early next week — is guilty of allegations of bribery when he approved a $2 million payment from FIFA to Michel Platini in 2011.
COPA America:
MetLife Stadium at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, New Jersey, will be the site of the 2016 Centennial Copa America final June 26.
The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football made the announcement Wednesday. Grass will be installed over the artificial turf.
The special 16-team tournament marks the 100th anniversary of the first Copa America, South America's national-team championship. Play starts June 3 and the tournament includes 10 teams from South America and six from the CONCACAF region.
Games will be played in Chicago; Foxborough, Massachusetts; Glendale, Arizona; Houston; Orlando, Florida; Pasadena, California; Philadelphia; Santa Clara, California; and Seattle.
USWNT:
Abby Wambach threatened to score several times in the final game of her extraordinary career, but China shut out the World Cup champion United States 1-0. That's the Americans' first loss on home soil in more than a decade.
Wambach played 72 minutes, managing two threatening headers and a shot from inside the penalty area before subbing out of a match for the final time. Wambach is the career leader in international play — for men and women -- with 184 goals.
WNBA:
The WNBA and several angry players fired back at former NBA guard Gilbert Arenas, who suggested that they play in undergarments to improve the popularity of the league. Spokesman Mike Bass responded to the comments in a statement on behalf of the NBA and the WNBA, saying, "Gilbert Arenas' comments are repugnant, utterly disrespectful and flat-out wrong."
MLB – Transactions:
The Reds, White Sox, and Dodgers have pulled off a seven-player deal. The centerpiece of the trade is All-Star third baseman Todd Frazier who goes from the Reds to Chicago. The Dodgers are getting second baseman Micah Johnson, right-hander Frankie Montas and outfielder Trayce Thompson from the White Sox, while the Reds get infielders Brandon Dixon and Jose Peraza and outfielder Scott Schebler from the Dodgers.
The 29-year-old Frazier was an All-Star in each of the last two seasons and hit .255 this year with 43 doubles, 35 homers and 89 RBIs. He has a $7.5 million salary next year and can become a free agent after the 2017 season.
In other major league news:
— Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina may not be available to the team on opening day. He has undergone a second operation on his injured left thumb because of discomfort and will be in a cast for 4-5 weeks. The first operation came in mid-October.
— A person familiar with the negotiations says 42-year-old pitcher Bartolo Colon has agreed to a $7.25 million, one-year contract to remain with the New York Mets. Colon was 14-13 with a 4.16 ERA in 31 starts and two relief appearances, then had a 2.08 ERA in seven relief appearances during the postseason.
— The Colorado Rockies have finalized a one-year, $2.6 million deal with veteran infielder Mark Reynolds. The 32-year-old figures to compete for time at first base with Ben Paulsen.
— Catcher Tyler Flowers and the Atlanta Braves have completed a $5.3 million, two-year contract, a deal agreed to last week at the winter meetings. The 29-year-old hit .239 with nine homers and 39 RBIs this year, his seventh season with the Chicago White Sox.
— A person familiar with the deal says the Indians have an agreement with free agent first baseman Mike Napoli on a $7 million, one-year contract. Napoli hit .224 with 18 home runs and 50 RBIs with Boston and Texas last season.
— Outfielder Daniel Nava has agreed to a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Angels. Nava batted .152 in 29 games with Boston last season before the Red Sox waived him.
— Will Middlebrooks became the latest candidate for the Milwaukee Brewers' third base job, agreeing to a minor league contract with an invite to spring training. The 27-year-old Middlebrooks spent last season with the San Diego Padres, hitting .212 with nine homers and 29 RBIs.
Boxing:
The late Hector "Macho" Camacho, a three-division champion, flamboyant showman and one of boxing's most colorful characters, has been elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
Also selected were Lupe Pintor of Mexico and Hilario Zapata of Panama, each a two-division champion.
Picked in the non-participant and observer categories were: Harold Lederman, a judge for over 30 years; sports columnist Jerry Izenberg of the Newark Star-Ledger; Marc Ratner, executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission for 14 years; and Col. Bob Sheridan, an international television broadcaster since 1973.
Camacho died in November 2012 at age 50 after being shot in his native Puerto Rico. Inductees were selected by the Boxing Writers Association and a panel of international boxing historians.
©2015 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
