NBA:
In the NBA, Boston topped Portland 116-93, Charlotte won against Philadelphia 119-99, Orlando bested Chicago 102-89, Toronto beat Utah 104-94, San Antonio defeated Detroit 97-81, Indiana trumped Milwaukee 104-99, Houston bested New Orleans 100-95, Memphis topped Sacramento 104-98, Washington beat Minnesota 104-98, Denver won against the Lakers 117-107, and it was the Clippers over Oklahoma City 103-98.
The New York Knicks won't re-sign Jimmer Fredette to a second 10-day contract. The former college player of the year appeared in two games with the Knicks, making a 3-pointer on his lone shot attempt. His deal expired on Wednesday and the team elected not to give him another.
Former NBA All-Star guard Baron Davis is attempting a comeback after signing with the Philadelphia 76ers' developmental league team, the Delaware 87ers. The third overall pick in the 1999 draft hasn't played since the 2011-12 season because of a variety of injuries. Davis made two All-Star teams, one All-NBA selection and averaged 16.1 points and 7.2 assists over 835 career games.
NHL:
In the NHL, Washington edged Toronto 3-2, Chicago won against Detroit 5-2, and it was Anaheim over Montreal in a shootout 3-2.
NCAA:
In the America East tournament quarterfinals, Hartford upset UAlbany 68-59, Stony Brook topped UMBC 86-76, Vermont won against Maine 99-82, and it was New Hampshire over Binghamton 56-51. Stony Brook will see Hartford on Monday and Vermont will go head to head with New Hampshire.
Today marks the start of the MAAC Tournament. No. 3 Siena will take on the winner of the Manhattan vs. Marist game. No.2 Iona will take on the winner of the Canisus vs. Niagara game. No. 1 Monmouth will take on the winner of the Quinnipiac vs. Rider game.
NASCAR:
NASCAR has suspended the crew chief for driver Martin Truex Jr. for one Sprint Cup race and fined him $50,000 for a rules violation at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Cole Pearn will sit out this weekend's race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for a roof flap violation on the No. 78 found during pre-race technical inspection.
NFL:
A person familiar with the decision has told The Associated Press that three-time Pro Bowl center Alex Mack has voided the final three years of his Cleveland Browns contract and will become a free agent. Mack was set to make $24 million over the next three years on the deal he signed with the Browns in 2014. He could command a $10-million-per-year contract on the open market.
The Atlanta Falcons have released Roddy White after he had just 43 receptions last season, his fewest since 2006. The 34-year-old White set Falcons records with 808 catches for 10,863 yards and 63 touchdowns. He was a first-team All-Pro selection in 2010 and a four-time Pro Bowler.
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco is now signed through 2021 after agreeing to a reworked contract that includes a three-year extension and gives the team additional cap space. Flacco received an NFL-record $40 million signing bonus to extend the six-year, $120.6 million contract he received in 2013 after earning Super Bowl MVP honors. The pact includes $44 million in guaranteed money, including the signing bonus and his $4 million base salary in 2016.
The New England Patriots are parting ways with tight end Scott Chandler and wide receiver Brandon LaFell. Chandler signed with the Patriots last March. The 30-year-old made 23 receptions for 259 yards and seven touchdowns while appearing in 15 games with four starts during the regular season. The 29-year-old LaFell signed with the Patriots as a free agent from Carolina in 2014. After a foot injury limited him in 2015, his role diminished.
NFL union lawyers who want New England quarterback Tom Brady to put "Deflategate" behind him for good are ready to make their pitch to a New York appeals court. NFL lawyers are asking the court today to reinstate the league's four-game suspension of Brady. If the league wins, Brady may have to sit out the start of the upcoming season. If the union wins, it's likely he will play.
In other NFL doings:
— The Atlanta Falcons have released Roddy White after he had just 43 receptions last season, his fewest since 2006. The 34-year-old White set Falcons records with 808 catches for 10,863 yards and 63 touchdowns. He was a first-team All-Pro selection in 2010 and a four-time Pro Bowler.
—A person familiar with the decision tells The Associated Press that Browns Pro Bowl center Alex Mack is voiding the final three years of his contract and will become a free agent. The person said Mack was set to make $24 million over the next three years before choosing to opt out of the deal.
— The San Francisco 49ers have re-signed running back Shaun Draughn to a one-year contract, preventing him from becoming an unrestricted free agent next week. Draughn originally signed with San Francisco in November and started six games last season. He rushed 76 times for 263 yards and a touchdown.
— Former NFL star Darren Sharper has made a new plea deal with federal prosecutors in New Orleans in a drug and sexual assault case, although court documents don't reveal details on the new agreement. That filing comes two weeks after a federal judge rejected an earlier deal that would have meant a nine-year sentence for Sharper. He was set for sentencing tomorrow, but attorneys on both sides have agreed to a delay in that hearing.
MLB:
Second baseman Kolten Wong has agreed to a five-year $25.5 million dollar deal with the Cardinals. He hit .262 with 11 homers and 61 RBIs last year while playing in a career-high 150 games, but his stolen bases dropped to 15.
Also in the majors:
— Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman has apologized for discharging a gun following a domestic dispute and insisted he never hurt his girlfriend. Chapman agreed yesterday to a 30-day suspension assessed by Major League Baseball under its new domestic violence policy. Prosecutors declined to file charges, citing conflicting accounts.
PGA:
Tiger Woods has released a statement saying he continues to feel better after back surgery but adds he is not sure when he'll be able to return to competitive golf. The winner of 14 major tournaments says he has been chipping and putting at home in Florida as his recovery progresses. Woods has not played in a tournament since August and has not won since August 2013. He has battled injuries for the past several years, and he underwent the second and third surgeries on his back late last year.
Meanwhile Tiger Woods opened a children's golf course yesterday where the inaugural opening shot by an 11-year-old was the ever-elusive hole-in-one. Taylor Crozier took the first swing, shot, and hole-in-one on the course in front of a crowd and Woods. Watch the whole thing below:
Rory McIlroy says he is changing his putting technique by going to a cross-handed grip for this week's Cadillac Championship. In making the announcement he said he typically practices that way to make sure he keeps the right hand from influencing the putting stroke. After missing the cut in the Honda Classic, McIlroy says he felt his drills were actually better than his tournament stroke and he decided to change.
Olympics:
With five months to go before the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazilian organizers are struggling to sell tickets for South America's first games. Rio organizing committee spokesman Mario Andrada said only about 47 percent of the 7.5 million tickets on offer have been sold so far. For the 2012 London Olympics, British organizers sold 8.2 million out of 8.5 million tickets.
Skiing:
Four-time overall World Cup champion Lindsey Vonn has been forced to end her 2016 season because of injury.
It turns out Vonn took part in a World Cup race on Sunday with not one but three hairline fractures in her left knee. The overall World Cup leader suffered the injuries on Saturday in a super-G race but still took part in a race on Sunday wearing knee braces.
This is just the latest setback for the dominating Vonn. She won nine races this season after a hampered preparation. She missed the season-opening race in October after a 10-week layoff because of a broken ankle bone, a year after coming back from the injuries that kept her away from the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
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