NBA:
In the NBA, Charlotte beat Brooklyn 111-107, Houston topped Orlando 128-104, and it was Portland over Dallas 114-113.
DeMarcus Cousins will serve an automatic one-game suspension when the Sacramento Kings host the Boston Celtics tomorrow. Cousins received the punishment after picking up his 16th technical of the season during Monday's loss to Chicago. He also was fined $25,000 by the NBA for his gesture and inappropriate words at Bill Spooner during Saturday's overtime win against Golden State.
NHL:
In the NHL, the Rangers topped Anaheim 4-1, Buffalo won against San Jose in overtime 5-4, Washington blanked Carolina 5-0, Calgary beat Pittsburgh in a shootout 3-2, St. Louis shut out Ottawa 6-0, Toronto defeated Dallas 3-1, Columbus beat Detroit in overtime 3-2, Tampa Bay blanked Los Angeles 5-0, Minnesota doubled up Winnipeg 4-2, Nashville bested Vancouver 4-2, and it was Colorado over Montreal 4-0.
The Boston Bruins fired Stanley Cup-winning coach Claude Julien yesterday as the team was in danger of missing the playoffs for a third straight season. He was the longest-tenured coach in the NHL. Julien was 419-246-94 in 10 seasons that included two trips to the NHL finals and a Stanley Cup title in 2011.
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy is proposing the state spend $250 million to renovate the XL Center, Hartford's downtown sports arena. Malloy's office tells the Hartford Courant that the governor will include $125 million for the first two years of the project in the state budget he will unveil on Wednesday. The renovation plans call for upgrading seating capacity in the arena from 16,000 to about 19,000 and adding a second concourse. The facility serves as an off-campus home to UConn basketball and hockey and the home arena of the American Hockey League's Hartford Wolf Pack. Malloy's office and Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin last week sent a letter to the New York Islanders, asking the NHL team to consider moving to Connecticut's capital city. The state has been without am NHL franchise since the Hartford Whalers left for North Carolina in 1997.
NFL:
Snow, rain and chilly temperatures didn't dampen the joy of New England Patriots fans exulting in their team's latest championship. The five-time Super Bowl winning team received a heroes' welcome yesterday with a parade and rally in downtown Boston. Quarterback Tom Brady said Patriots players and their unwavering fans were going to savor the win for the rest of their lives. Fan chanted back "We Want Six" and "MVP."
Bill Belichick says his Super Bowl-winning New England Patriots worked harder than any other team he's coached. Belichick repeatedly shouted to a spillover crowd in Boston's City Hall Plaza yesterday: "No days off! No days off! No days off! No days off!"
The Atlanta Falcons have replaced outgoing offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan with former University of Washington and Southern California head coach Steve Sarkisian. The Falcons announced the hiring just a day after Shanahan left to become head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. Sarkisian took over as Alabama's offensive coordinator for last month's national championship game, but his tenure with the Crimson Tide stunningly lasted only one contest.
First-year Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott has hired Gill Byrd to oversee the team's defensive backs. Byrd has 12 years of NFL coaching experience, and was a four-time All-Pro defensive back during a 10-year playing career with the San Diego Chargers (1983-92). He most recently spent the 2014-15 seasons coaching cornerbacks with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and held similar roles in Chicago (2006-12) and St. Louis (2003-05).
The Cleveland Browns have released veteran quarterback Josh McCown, who was 1-10 as a starter in his two seasons with the team. The 37-year-old McCown passed for 3,209 yards and 18 touchdowns with the Browns, missing extended periods due to a concussion and two broken collarbones. The Browns also released cornerback Tramon Williams.
MLB:
The New York Yankees have acquired a power bat by working out a one-year, $3.5 million package with free-agent Chris Carter, pending a physical. Carter was the National League co-leader in home runs last year with a career-high 41 for Milwaukee. He also batted .222 with a career-best 94 RBIs, one year after hitting just .199 for Houston.
The Washington Nationals have acquired lefty reliever Enny Romero from Tampa Bay for minor league right-hander Jeffrey Rosa. The 26-year-old Romero struck out 50 in 45 2/3 innings for the Rays last season but compiled a 5.91 ERA while going 2-0 with one save in 52 appearances. Rosa hasn't pitched above the Gulf Coast League level in his two pro seasons.
It appears that Mike Napoli is coming back to Texas. A person with knowledge of the situation says the slugger and the Rangers are working on a deal. Napoli would replace Gold Glove first baseman Mitch Moreland, who signed a free-agent deal with Boston after last season. Napoli was with the Rangers from 2011-12, hitting .277 with 59 home runs and 141 RBIs. He set career highs with 34 homers and 101 RBIs while helping the Cleveland Indians win the American League pennant last season.
In other baseball moves:
— The Indians have finalized a one-year, $6.5 million contract with lefty Boone Logan, who was 2-5 with a 3.69 ERA in 46 appearances for Colorado in 2016. The 32-year-old Logan put up his best numbers during a four-year stay with the Yankees, going 19-7 with a 3.38 ERA in 256 appearances from 2010-13.
— Utility infielder Daniel Descalso has agreed to a $1.5 million, one-year contract with the Diamondbacks. The lefty-hitting Descalso hit .264 with 12 doubles and 38 RBIs in 99 games with Colorado last season.
MLS:
Howard Webb, the retired English referee who worked the 2010 World Cup and Champions League finals, will move to New York and manage Major League Soccer's development of video technology for on-field officials.
Webb will start March 1 as manager of video assistant referee operations of the Professional Referee Organization, which supplies MLS officials. MLS, which announced the hiring Tuesday, will test video assistant referees during preseason matches and hopes to extend the test to regular-season games during the season's second half.
Now 45, Webb was a Premier League referee from 2000-14 and a FIFA referee from 2005-14. Since his retirement, he had been technical director of Professional Game Match Officials Limited, which supervises referees for the English Premier League, Football League and Football Association. He also is director of referees for the Saudi Arabian Football Federation. PRO's general manager is Peter Walton, also a former Premier League referee.
NCAA:
In college men’s basketball, Syracuse edged Clemson 82-81, Siena rallied from 13 points down to beat Iona 81-79, Rhode Island defeated UMass 70-62,
In college women's basketball, top-ranked UConn rolled to a 96-49 victory over Cincinnati last night that moved the Huskies within arm's reach of the NCAA's first triple-digit winning streak.
Army has suspended defensive coordinator Jay Bateman for two weeks for mishandling information about the Wake Forest football team. West Point also fined Bateman $25,000 for his role in the so-called WakeyLeaks scandal and ordered him to attend ethics training. The academy said it will use the forfeited money for such training for the athletics staff. Wake Forest said a former assistant coach-turned-broadcaster leaked or attempted to leak plays to opponents. Army, Louisville and Virginia Tech said they were tipped off to game information by Wake radio announcer Tommy Elrod.
Sports Media:
Mark Teixeira will work as an ESPN analyst following his retirement as a player. ESPN said Tuesday it had reached a multiyear agreement with the three-time All-Star first baseman. Teixeira will appear on baseball studio coverage, anchor show "SportsCenter" and ESPN radio. The 36-year-old Teixeira hit 409 home runs for Texas (2003-07), Atlanta (2007-08), the Los Angeles Angels (2008) and the New York Yankees (2009-16).
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