NBA:
In the NBA, Washington beat Utah 103-89, Cleveland won against Chicago 106-95, and it was the Clippers over San Antonio 105-86.
The Brooklyn Nets have turned to the Spurs for a new general manager. The Nets have hired San Antonio assistant GM Sean Marks, who spent five years with the Spurs.
The NBA trade deadline has come and gone, but the biggest news concerned those who stayed put rather than those who were jettisoned. Dwight Howard remains with the Houston Rockets, Kevin Love is staying with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Pau Gasol continues to play for Chicago and Al Horford is staying in Atlanta. They were among a number of players who were reportedly discussed as possible trading chips.
Instead of blockbusters, Thursday's trading activity revolved around minor deals:
— The Wizards have acquired Markieff Morris from the Phoenix Suns in a multi-player deal. A person familiar with the trade says the Suns received a first-round draft pick and forwards Kris Humphries and DeJuan Blair in exchange for the 6-foot-10, 245-pound forward. Morris was third on the Suns in scoring at 11.6 points per game and also was averaging 5.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists.
— Memphis has traded forward Jeff Green to the Los Angeles Clippers for guard Lance Stephenson. Green has played 53 games with the Grizzlies this season and is averaging 12.2 points per game with 4.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists. Stephenson started 10 of his 43 games with the Clippers this season but is averaging just 4.7 points.
— The Utah Jazz have acquired point guard Shelvin Mack from Atlanta in a three-team deal with the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls receive a second-round pick from the Jazz and guard Justin Holliday from the Hawks. Atlanta gets guard Kirk Hinrich from the Bulls.
— The Denver Nuggets have agreed to send shooting guard Randy Foye to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Novak and D.J. Augustin.
— The Cavaliers have acquired forward Channing Frye from Orlando and dealt center Anderson Varejao in a three-team trade with Portland. The deal sent Varejao and a protected future first-round draft pick to the Trail Blazers for a second-round pick. The Cavs then traded that pick and guard Jared Cunningham to the Magic for Frye.
— The New Orleans Pelicans have acquired forward Jarnell Stokes and cash from the Miami Heat for a future second round draft pick.
US Basketball:
USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo expects Mike Krzyzewski to lead the Americans this summer, and the coach says he has "every intention" of being in Brazil. Krzyzewski plans to have left knee replacement surgery following the completion of Duke's season. But Colangelo says that "at no time" has he and Krzyzewski discussed him not coaching this summer. Coach K has been the U.S. coach since 2005, leading the Americans to consecutive Olympic gold medals and two straight world championships.
NHL:
In the NHL the Rangers doubled up Toronto 4-2, Washington topped the Islanders in overtime 3-2, Nashville blanked Boston 2-0, Tampa Bay beat Winnipeg in a shootout 6-5, St. Louis skated past Los Angeles in overtime 2-1, Arizona doubled up Dallas 6-3, Minnesota won against Edmonton 5-2, Anaheim defeated Vancouver 5-2, San Jose edged Florida in a shootout 2-1, and it was Ottawa over Carolina 4-2.
NFL:
Charles Woodson has a new role in pro football: NFL analyst for ESPN. The recently retired defensive back has been hired to work on Sunday NFL Countdown and Monday Night Countdown. The 18-year veteran retired after a final season with the Oakland Raiders. The 39-year-old three-time All-Pro is expected to begin in new job in July.
A federal judge has rejected a plea deal in the rape case against former NFL player Darren Sharper, saying the nine-year sentence doesn't reflect the seriousness of the alleged assaults against as many as 16 women. The judge gave Sharper and his lawyers until March 3 to decide whether to withdraw a guilty plea he entered last year. Sharper had pleaded guilty as part of a deal involving charges in four states. He also has pleaded guilty or no contest to similar charges in state courts in California, Arizona, Nevada and Louisiana.
Panthers defensive end Jared Allen has announced on Twitter that he has retired. The four-time All-Pro played 12 seasons in the NFL and finished with 136 career sacks. Allen led the league in sacks in 2007 and 2011.
NCAA:
In college men's basketball, UConn improved its NCAA Tournament resume with a 68-62 victory over Number 21 SMU last night. Amida Brimah had 16 points, eight rebounds and five blocks. Brimah was playing in his sixth game since returning from a broken finger.
UConn's men's basketball team did not report a third consecutive perfect academic progress rate to the NCAA, but the numbers for the last academic year are well within the national guidelines, which measure a school's ability to keep athletes on track to graduate. The APR for the 2014-15 school year does not become official until the NCAA releases its national report in the spring.
Chaise Daniels had what would prove to be the game-winning block with 0.4 seconds left in Quinnipiac's 56-55 win over Saint Peter's last night. Daniels held his ground and swatted Trevis Wyche's driving attempt out of bounds. Quadir Welton made a shot for Saint Peter's from the ensuing inbounds pass but it was ruled too late after an official review.
In college women’s basketball, Memphis and Temple have matched the longest game in NCAA Division I women's basketball history, with the Tigers outlasting the Owls 100-97 in five overtimes. Brianna Wright scored a career-high 35 points for Memphis, including the tiebreaking basket with 6.2 seconds left. Drexel beat Northeastern 98-80 on Feb. 22, 2007, in the only other five-overtime game.
In men’s college hockey, No. 17 RPI will go head to head with No. 1 Quinnipiac tonight in Troy.
MLB:
New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman says he would appeal if he's suspended by Major League Baseball under the sport's new domestic violence policy. Florida prosecutors have decided not to file charges against Chapman, whose girlfriend told officers that he pushed her, put his hands around her neck and choked her during an argument in October.
Some would say Texas Rangers outfielder Josh Hamilton is ahead of schedule - he's hurt already. Hamilton he is dealing with soreness in his left knee after a second surgery. Hamilton is running bases, stretching and shagging balls in the outfield.
Kansas City Royals general manager Dayton Moore and manager Ned Yost have been rewarded with new contracts after leading the team to its second World Series title. Yost was entering the final year of his contract and his deal runs through the 2018 season.
Elsewhere in the cactus and grapefruit leagues:
— The Detroit Tigers have signed former New York Mets reliever Bobby Parnell to a minor league contract with an invite to major league camp.
— The Royals have agreed to minor league contracts with veterans Clint Barmes, Brian Duensing and Ross Ohlendorf, giving each an opportunity to compete for a roster spot during spring training.
— Reliever Ryan Webb has agreed to a one-year contract with Tampa Bay.
— The Arizona Diamondbacks have picked up manager Chip Hale's contract option for next season. Hale is entering his second season at the helm after going 79-83 in 2015.
NASCAR:
Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kyle Busch were the winners of Thursday's two qualifying races for the Daytona 500, putting them in the second row for Sunday's season-opening race. Earnhardt dominated the first 150-mile race and zipped around leader Denny Hamlin with six laps remaining to cruise to victory. It was Earnhardt's 17th career win at Daytona and came on the 15th anniversary of his father's death.
The second race featured a multi-car wreck on the final lap, which could put several drivers in their backup cars for NASCAR's biggest showcase. Jamie McMurray sent Jimmie Johnson into the wall, trigger a collision that also involved Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth and Martin Truex Jr. It wasn't clear how much damage Kurt Busch and McMurray sustained.
PGA:
Jordan Spieth usually loves playing at Riviera Country Club, but he struggled there in the opening round of the Northern Trust Open. The world's No. 1 player shot an 8-over 79 that included a three-putt double bogey from 8 feet on his final hole, leaving him next-to-last. It was his worst score since an 80 in the third round of the 2014 Tour Championship. Spieth is 16 shots behind Camilo Villegas and needs something in the low 60s to make the cut. Villegas fired a 63 for a three-stroke edge over Bubba Watson, Chez Reavie and Luke List.
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