NBA:
In the NBA, the Knicks beat Portland 107-103, New Orleans won against Atlanta 112-94, Denver bested Chicago 110-107, and it was the Lakers over Oklahoma City 111-109.
The Detroit Pistons have officially announced their move from the Auburn Hills suburb to downtown starting next season. The NBA team will play in the new Little Caesars Arena, which will also be home to the NHL Red Wings. The move by the Pistons now puts all four of Detroit's major pro teams within a few blocks of each other. The Pistons have played at The Palace of Auburn Hills since 1988.
NHL:
In the NHL, the Islanders skated by Anaheim in a shootout 3-2, St. Louis doubled up Boston 4-2, Carolina defeated Toronto 2-1, Ottawa edged Montreal 4-3, and it was Philadelphia over Florida 3-1.
The NHL's newest team has a nickname. Owner Bill Foley and commissioner Gary Bettman have announced that the Las Vegas expansion franchise will be called the Golden Knights. The team logo is a simple front view of a fighting helmet with a conspicuous "V'' in the middle. Their colors are steel grey, gold, red and black.
NCAA:
Vermont beat Hofstra 87-73 at the Gulf Coast Showcase yesterday. Syracuse blasted South Carolina State 101-59. Binghamton beat Ave Maria 95-77.
In women’s college basketball, UConn topped Dayton 98-65 and Siena won against Colgate 71-63.
IFPW has pulled off the biggest upset in school history, doing it against a neighbor as Bryson Scott scored 18 points and John Konchar drained a go-ahead free throw with 1:19 left in overtime in a stunning 71-68 win over third-ranked Indiana. Konchar also picked off an inbounds pass with less than three seconds left to secure the victory. IFPW had lost all nine previous games against ranked teams since making the move to Division I in 2001-02.
Fourth-ranked North Carolina and No. 5 Kansas picked up victories on Tuesday. The Tar Heels moved into the Maui Invitational title game as Joel Berry III scored 24 points and Justin Jackson added 22 in a 107-75 rout of Oklahoma State. Frank Mason III had 19 points and Josh Jackson added 15 and 11 rebounds in the Jayhawks' 65-54 triumph over Georgia in the CBE Classic final.
The NCAA has ordered Notre Dame to vacate all 21 victories from the 2012-13 seasons because of academic misconduct. A former trainer was found to have done substantial course work for two players and impermissibly helped six others. Among the forfeited wins are a 12-0 run that vaulted the Fighting Irish into the national title game against Alabama. Notre Dame says it will appeal. University president Rev. John Jenkins says the NCAA has never before vacated the records of a school that had no involvement in the underlying academic misconduct. The Division I Committee on Infractions panel put Notre Dame on probation for a year and ordered a $5,000 fine, penalties the school agreed with. The team will not lose scholarships or be barred from a future bowl appearance.
Meanwhile, Missouri says it is reviewing allegations of possible academic rules violations made by a former tutor in the athletic department. The university says it has notified the NCAA, which is working with the school on the investigation. The release did not reveal what the allegations are or which teams might be involved.
Skiing:
A nice holiday surprise is on tap for skiers and snowboarders — Whiteface Mountain is opening on Thanksgiving Day, one day ahead of schedule. The Lake Placid area near Whiteface was hit with about 15 inches of snow in the weekend storm, and that allowed crews to start preparing.
Seventy snowguns are operating on the hill at Whiteface, which will offer more than 2.5 miles of terrain and summit-to-base skiing on Little Whiteface. Trails for all levels and abilities, from beginner to expert, are being groomed, and two lifts and the Cloudsplitter Gondola will be in service.
State ski areas at Gore and Belleayre are slated to open Friday. Belleayre received more than 10 inches of snow and Gore got about six inches.
Boxing:
Former heavyweight boxer Alex Stewart has died at 52. A close friend said Stewart died last week after being rushed to a Mount Vernon, N.Y., hospital with a blood clot in his lung. Stewart lost twice to Evander Holyfield, and was knocked out in the first round of his December 1990 fight with Mike Tyson.
Medal of Freedom:
Saying they had touched him in a powerful and personal way, President Barack Obama awarded the nation's highest civilian honor to 21 groundbreaking actors, musicians, athletes and others during a ceremony Tuesday at the White House. Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, two of the best basketball players ever, were among the honorees. Obama said the people receiving the medal helped push America forward and inspired millions around the world.
Gymnastics:
A former USA Gymnastics team doctor has pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in his Michigan home with a girl aged 6 to 12. Larry Nassar was arraigned by video from jail. He was arrested Monday while running an errand. The alleged assaults occurred between 1998 and 2005 with the girl, who was not a gymnast. The 53-year-old doctor has been under scrutiny since two gymnasts, including a member of the 2000 U.S. women's Olympic team, accused him of sexual abuse during what were supposed to be medical treatments.
U.S. Soccer:
Bruce Arena is getting another chance to run the U.S. men's soccer program. His return as head coach comes a decade after he was fired from the job, and one day after Jurgen Klinsmann suffered a similar fate.
Arena first took over as national team coach after the 1998 World Cup and led the U.S. to a 71-30-29 record. He's the winningest coach in American national team history. The 65-year-old Arena starts work Dec. 1.
He takes over a team that is in a big 0-2 hole in the final round of World Cup qualifying. The playoffs resume March 24 with a home game against Honduras. Arena takes over as coach on Dec. 1.
The Asian Football Confederation has postponed elections to choose FIFA Council delegates for a second time. The AFC says it canceled a Feb. 28 meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which was to replace an election congress cut short in India in September. That was amid an apparent protest against the FIFA ethics committee excluding a Qatari candidate. The three vacant FIFA seats, including one for women, and the position held by Olympic powerbroker Sheik Ahmad of Kuwait will now be voted on the sidelines of the FIFA Congress on May 11 in Manama, Bahrain.
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