- Associated Press - Saturday, May 24, 2014

DONALD STERLING

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Donald Sterling is turning his ownership stake in the Los Angeles Clippers over to his estranged wife, and she is in talks with the NBA to sell the team, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press.

The individual, who wasn’t authorized to speak publicly about the deal, said the couple reached the agreement after weeks of discussion. Neither Shelly Sterling nor her attorney had any comment. They have been in talks with NBA lawyers for the last couple weeks.

Donald Sterling was banned for life and fined $2.5 million by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after the release of a recording last month in which Sterling made racist remarks involving blacks, which comprise the majority of players in the league.

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PRO BASKETBALL

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Pacers star Paul George was cleared to play after being diagnosed with a concussion.

George said at practice that he feels like he is 100 percent after he was injured Tuesday night during the Game 2 loss to Miami that evened the Eastern Conference finals at 1-1.

The Pacers announced several hours later that he is expected to play in Game 3 on Saturday night.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - The San Antonio Spurs never believed Serge Ibaka was out for the Western Conference finals, even after the Thunder said they expected him to miss the rest of the playoffs with a calf injury.

Looks like the Spurs might have been on to something. The Thunder said that their defensive standout now is day-to-day after his strained left calf showed improved movement and stability and a significant decrease in swelling. The Thunder have missed Ibaka badly as San Antonio has raced to a 2-0 lead in the series, and his possible return gives the Thunder hope as they prepare for Game 3 on Sunday in Oklahoma City.

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PRO HOCKEY

NEW YORK (AP) - The New York Rangers’ smooth ride to the Stanley Cup finals has suddenly become much rougher. Not only did the Broadway Blueshirts let the Montreal Canadiens back into the Eastern Conference finals with a 3-2 overtime victory Thursday at Madison Square Garden, they might have to play without top forward Derek Stepan, whose broken jaw required surgery.

The Rangers will carry a 2-1 series lead into Sunday’s Game 4, but finishing off the Canadiens could be more difficult if Stepan is sidelined long term. The center was injured 2:48 in when he was struck by a hard, blindside hit from Montreal’s Brandon Prust, who wasn’t penalized for the shot that left Stepan sprawled on the ice for several moments. Prust was given a two-game suspension for interference by the league’s department of player safety.

The NHL also gave Rangers forward Daniel Carcillo an automatic 10-game suspension after he was ejected for physical abuse of officials during the first period of Game 3.

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PRO FOOTBALL

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) - His voice cracking with emotion, Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice acknowledged that he “failed miserably” and apologized for the actions that led to his arrest on assault charges.

Rice was arrested following a Feb. 15 altercation in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in which he allegedly struck fiancee Janay Palmer. The couple married in late February, and both went to the stage at the team training complex for their first public comment since the arrest.

Wearing a light gray suit and striped tie, Rice spoke for just over six minutes and didn’t take questions. His speech was not prepared, but he often referred to notes on his cellphone. Rice was accepted Tuesday into a diversion program, which upon completion could lead to the charges being expunged.

NOBLESVILLE, Ind. (AP) - Prosecutors charged Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay with two misdemeanor counts stemming from his intoxicated driving arrest near his home in March.

Hamilton County prosecutors said Irsay was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated and operating a vehicle with a schedule I or II controlled substance or its metabolite in the body, which carry maximum penalties of 60 days in jail and $500 fines for each count. A probable cause affidavit said Irsay was driving under the influence of oxycodone and/or hydrocodone, both powerful painkillers.

Irsay was arrested near his home at about 3 a.m. on March 16 with $29,000 in cash and bottles of prescription drugs in his vehicle.

DENVER (AP) - Broncos safety T.J. Ward was charged with misdemeanor assault and disturbing the peace for allegedly throwing a glass mug at a female bartender at a Denver strip club earlier this month.

Ward, 27, appeared in court to face the charges stemming from the incident at 2:40 a.m. on May 10 at PT’s All Nude club. According to court documents, Ward was seen on video surveillance picking up the mug from the bar and throwing it at the bartender after being told he couldn’t bring a drink into the club. A court date was set for June 23.

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SOCCER

STANFORD, Calif. (AP) - A day after announcing his momentous decision to drop the most accomplished player in American men’s soccer, U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann hinted at answers without ever saying specifically why Landon Donovan was among the final seven cuts.

“As a coach, you have to make a decision based on what you want to execute in Brazil, what you want to see, how do you want to build those components into the entire group. And then I felt - we coaches felt - the guys that we chose, they’re a little step ahead of Landon in certain areas,” Klinsmann said.

The 32-year-old Donovan, the American record holder with 57 international goals and second with 156 appearances, was trying to make his fourth World Cup roster.

Klinsmann also said his son should apologize to Donovan for a “disrespectful” tweet after the U.S. star was cut from the World Cup roster. Jonathan Klinsmann, a goalkeeper on the U.S. Under-18 roster announced last month, followed Thursday’s roster announcement by tweeting: “HAHAHAHAHAHAH DONOVAN HAHAHAHAA I DIDNT EVEN NOTICE UNTIL MY PHONE NOTIFIED ME” followed by four emoticons with tears and another “HAHA.” The account was quickly deleted.

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NCAA

A federal judge denied motions by the NCAA that would delay trial on an antitrust suit by former UCLA basketball player Ed O’Bannon and others, ordering the trial to go forward next month in California.

Judge Claudia Wilken ordered a June 9 trial in Oakland on the antitrust lawsuit. The plaintiffs are seeking an injunction that would allow Division I players the right to band together to sell their services in an open market. If successful, the lawsuit could upend the NCAA’s current model built upon the concept college athletes are amateurs and shouldn’t be compensated beyond tuition and basic room and board.

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BASEBALL

DETROIT (AP) - Prince Fielder was placed on the disabled list, days before he is scheduled to have season-ending neck surgery.

The move by the Texas Rangers came a day after the team said Fielder would have cervical fusion surgery Tuesday for the herniated disk in his neck. General manager Jon Daniels said he expected a second opinion to confirm the initial recommendation for the operation.

ATLANTA (AP) - Nolan Arenado’s ill-fated head-first slide into second base left the Rockies without a key bat in the middle of their lineup.

Arenado appears bound for the disabled list after breaking his left middle finger in Colorado’s 3-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves. Arenado is hitting .305 with six homers and 28 RBIs. He led off the second with a double to left field. Justin Upton’s throw was caught by Dan Uggla, who flipped the ball to shortstop Andrelton Simmons at second base. Simmons kept the glove down as Arenado slid past the bag.

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