NBA:
The Clippers beat Indiana 91-89 without star forward Blake Griffin, who is out four to six more weeks following an embarrassing incident.
He's undergone surgery for a fractured finger on his shooting hand sustained after he threw a punch at equipment manager Matias Testi in Toronto Saturday.
The hand fracture comes just as Griffin was nearing a return from another injury. He has been out since Dec. 26 with a partially torn left quadriceps tendon.
In a statement, the Clippers say Griffin's conduct has no place in the organization.
In the NBA, Oklahoma City beat New York in overtime 128-122, Miami toppe dBrooklyn 102-98, Philadelphia won against Phoenix 113-103, Toronto bested Washington 106-89, Milwaukee beat Orlando 107-100, Portland trumped Sacramento 112-97, and it was Dallas over the Lakers 92-90.
NFL:
Peyton Manning isn't saying that Super Bowl 50 is his grand finale. He's just saying that it could be. NFL Network cameras caught the exchange between Manning and New England coach Bill Belichick after Denver's 20-18 win over the Patriots in the AFC championship game on Sunday. Manning told Belichick, "Hey listen, this might be my last rodeo. So, it sure has been a pleasure." Belichick responded, "You're a great competitor ...
Meanwhile the NFL says it is conducting a comprehensive review of allegations that Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning had human growth hormone delivered to his house. There's no timetable to complete the investigation, but it's not expected before Denver plays Carolina in the Super Bowl on Feb. 7. League spokesman Brian McCarthy says the inquiry, which began weeks ago, involves reviews of records, interviews and coordination with other agencies.
Al Jazeera reported last month that an intern at an Indianapolis anti-aging clinic was secretly recorded suggesting that Manning's wife received deliveries of HGH, which is banned by the league. Manning, then with the Colts, was rehabbing from shoulder surgeries. The intern, Charles Sly, has since recanted his story. Manning angrily denied using performance-enhancing substances and called the report "complete garbage.""
New York Jets defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson will avoid jail time after pleading guilty to reduced charges connected to a high-speed police chase in suburban St. Louis. A St. Charles County judge sentenced the former University of Missouri star yesterday to two years of probation and 100 hours of community service after his July arrest for driving a Bentley Silver Spur at speeds up to 143 mph on an interstate highway near his offseason home.
New York Giants placekicker Josh Brown and cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie are going to the Pro Bowl. The Giants say Brown and Rodgers-Cromartie will replace a pair of injured New England Patriots. Brown will replace Stephen Gostkowski and Rodgers-Cromartie will take over for Malcolm Butler. They will join teammates Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr. in Sunday's game in Honolulu.
NHL:
In the NHL, Anaheim tripled up Boston 6-2, Carolina blanked Chicago 5-0, Pittsburgh shut out New Jersey 2-0, Buffalo edged Ottawa 3-2, Columbus beat Montreal 5-2, Florida topped Toronto 5-1, Winnipeg defeated Arizona 5-2, Nashville skated past Vancouver 2-1, and it was San Jose over Colorado 6-1.
Anaheim forward Shawn Horcoff has been suspended for 20 games for violating the terms of the NHL's performance-enhancing substances program. The 37-year-old claims he tried an unspecified treatment to speed up his recovery from an injury last fall, but didn't know it was prohibited by the league.
MLB:
Yoenis Cespedes and the New York Mets have completed their $75 million, three-year contract, which gives the slugging outfielder a chance to terminate the deal after one season. The Mets announced the move last night, four days after the sides agreed to terms — pending a physical.
In other baseball:
— Right-hander Bronson Arroyo will go to spring training with the Washington Nationals after missing all of last season because of Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery. Arroyo, who turns 39 next month, and the Nationals agreed to a minor league contract Tuesday with an invitation to major league spring training.
NYRA:
Authorities say a former jockey agent has been charged with illegally accessing the New York Racing Association's computers. Law enforcers alleged Tuesday that Manuel "Mike" Gonzalez, of Oceanport, New Jersey, accessed the computer system 170 times over 15 months. They say he paid a NYRA employee $100 a month for use of his logon and password.
Authorities say Gonzalez got information about track conditions, racehorses' health and horses in need of a jockey. They say he used the information to secure horses for his jockey. Gonzalez is charged with 170 counts each of computer trespass and tampering with a sports contest. If convicted, he could face up to four years in prison. Prosecutors say they don't know if Gonzalez has an attorney.
NCAA:
The University of Texas says former NFL and Longhorns quarterback Vince Young will keep his job after his drunken driving arrest late Sunday. The 32-year-old Young, who led Texas to the national championship in the 2005 season and played six seasons in the NFL, was hired by Texas in 2014 to promote diversity and community engagement. He earns about $100,000 per year.
Tennis:
Tennis' governing bodies have announced they will commission an independent review of their anti-corruption unit to restore "public confidence in our sport" following media reports that possible evidence of match-fixing was not properly investigated. The creation of the review, previously reported by The Associated Press, was announced at the Australian Open on Wednesday.
Last week, the BBC and BuzzFeed News published reports saying tennis authorities failed to thoroughly investigate evidence of match-fixing involving a core group of 16 players who have ranked in the top 50 over the past decade. No players were named.
ATP Chairman Chris Kermode said the reports contained "very, very serious allegations" that have "caused damage to the sport, which is why we've acted so quickly and made decisions."
SPORTS-MEDIA:
Paul Azinger has been selected as the lead golf analyst for Fox Sports as it enters the second year of televising the U.S. Open and other USGA championships. He replaces Greg Norman. Fox signed a 12-year deal with the USGA that started last year.
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