PRO BASKETBALL
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Kevin Durant became the 44th player in NBA history to score 20,000 career points, finishing with 40 as the Golden State Warriors had their five-game winning streak snapped along with a 12-game unbeaten stretch in the Clippers rivalry with a 125-106 loss.
Durant reached the milestone on a pull-up jumper from the left wing at the 1:41 mark of the second quarter. The Warriors announced his accomplishment on the main scoreboard and Durant received a standing ovation, shaking his head in acknowledgment while still very much in game mode.
By late in the fourth quarter, that crowd was making its way for the exits with the game out of reach.
The NBA Finals MVP returned from a three-game absence due to a strained right calf and scored 25 points in the first half against the Clippers - KD’s biggest half of the season and the exact number he needed for 20,000.
Durant, who had a four-point play during the second quarter on the way to 14 points in the period, is at 29 the second-youngest player behind LeBron James and first to reach the 20,000 mark as a member of the Warriors.
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Golden State star Stephen Curry was out for the Warriors’ home game against the Clippers after he slipped during the shootaround and re-sprained his troublesome right ankle.
The Warriors updated their injury report to include Curry’s status. It’s the same injury that recently sidelined him for 11 games, though coach Steve Kerr said “I don’t think it’s serious.” No MRI or X-rays were scheduled for now though Curry was sore and the Warriors won’t take any chances.
NEW YORK (AP) - The NBA has suspended Miami Heat forward James Johnson and Toronto Raptors forward Serge Ibaka one game apiece for throwing punches at each other.
The punishment was announced by Kiki VanDeWeghe, the league’s executive vice president for basketball operations.
The fight began with 7:50 remaining in the third quarter of the Heat’s 90-89 victory over the Raptors on Tuesday night in Toronto. Ibaka and Johnson started shoving each other while waiting for the ball to be inbounded under the Miami basket. Both received technical fouls and ejections.
PRO FOOTBALL
ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) - The Fritz Pollard Alliance called for the NFL to investigate whether the Oakland Raiders violated the “Rooney Rule” when they hired Jon Gruden as coach.
Fritz Pollard Alliance counsel Cyrus Mehri and N. Jeremi Duru said they were concerned that Raiders owner Mark Davis came to an agreement with Gruden before the team interviewed any minority candidates as required by the NFL since 2003.
“As soon as we learned of the reports, we formally requested that the NFL thoroughly investigate the matter to conclusively determine whether the Rooney Rule was violated - and if it was violated, to impose an appropriate punishment,” they said.
The Fritz Pollard Alliance is dedicated to promoting diversity and equality of job opportunity in the coaching, front office and scouting staffs of NFL teams.
Davis said Tuesday at the news conference introducing Gruden as the team’s new coach that he had been trying to make the move for six years and finally believed it would happen after a meeting in Philadelphia on Christmas Eve, the day before Gruden worked a game between the Raiders and Eagles on ESPN.
RENTON, Wash. (AP) - What’s expected to be an offseason makeover for the Seattle Seahawks is starting with its coaching staff.
The Seahawks fired offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and offensive line coach Tom Cable. Bevell was in charge of calling plays, while Cable was responsible for a run game and offensive line that failed to meet expectations.
It was a stunning sweep for head coach Pete Carroll, who has been immensely loyal to his assistants during his tenure.
Carroll’s only other significant firing was offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates following the 2010 season, Carroll’s first in Seattle. Most times when assistants have left, it’s because they’ve received promotions elsewhere.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
HOUSTON (AP) - Scott Frost has one final award to share with the University of Central Florida.
The former UCF coach and new Nebraska boss received the Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year Award on Wednesday night.
Frost is first since former Boise State coach Chris Petersen in 2009 with a non-Power 5 program.
This completes the awards season for Frost. In the past few weeks, Frost also claimed the Home Depot Coach of the Year, American Football Coaches Association Coach of the Year, AP Coach of the Year and Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year awards.
UCF rolled past Memphis 62-55 in the American Athletic Conference Championship game, and beat Auburn 34-27 in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl to finish 13-0. UCF finished ranked No. 6 in the final AP Poll of the season, receiving four first place votes.
BASEBALL
NEW YORK (AP) - Jay Bruce and his proven bat are headed back to the New York Mets.
The free-agent outfielder is set to return to the Big Apple after agreeing to a $39 million, three-year contract, according to two people familiar with the negotiations. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal is pending a physical and no announcement had been made.
A three-time All-Star, Bruce hit a combined .254 with 36 home runs and 101 RBIs for the Mets and Cleveland Indians last season. After falling out of playoff contention, New York traded him to the AL Central champions on Aug. 9 for minor league pitcher Ryder Ryan.
Bruce, who turns 31 on April 3, fills a hole in the outfield and brings back some much-needed power to a Mets team trying to rebound from an injury-ravaged 70-92 season. His return in right field would likely mean Michael Conforto is ticketed for center once he recovers from shoulder surgery.
NEW YORK (AP) - The New York Yankees are expanding netting to protect seats behind each dugout and for five sections past down both foul lines, a decision announced after several fans were injured last year.
A boy was struck on the head by a portion of Chris Carter’s broken bat at Yankee Stadium on May 25, and a fan sitting beyond the first-base dugout was hit by a 105 mph foul ball off the bat of Aaron Judge on July 25. A young girl was injured by a 105 mph foul ball off the bat of Todd Frazier on Sept. 20 and was taken to a hospital.
Team officials said that green netting, designed to minimize visual impact, will rise 9 feet above each dugout, but the bottom 3 feet will be retractable and pulled up during batting practice to allow fan interaction with players. Beyond the dugouts, nets will rise to about 5½ feet above the wall, which is 8 feet above the field surface.
ATLANTA (AP) - A baseball agent has been fired after an accusation he used a camera to surreptitiously record clients in a shower.
CSE Talent, the agency headed by Lonnie Cooper, said in a statement Wednesday that it had fired Jason Wood, who had headed its baseball division since last April.
FanRag Sports reported a player, whom it did not identify, discovered the camera while using a shower at Wood’s home.
Wood was suspended Wednesday by the Major League Baseball Players Association, which was informed of the allegation earlier in the day by CSE. The union, which certifies agents, said it will give Wood a chance to respond.
TENNIS
Serena Williams tells Vogue that she dealt with a medical scare right after the birth of her daughter.
In a story in the magazine’s February issue and posted Wednesday on Vogue.com , Williams discusses developing several small blood clots in her lungs while in the hospital after Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. was born in September.
According to the article, the tennis superstar “spent the first six weeks of motherhood unable to get out of bed.”
When Williams originally announced her baby’s arrival, via social media postings in September, she said in a video, “We had a lot of complications, but look what we’ve got.”
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Texas announced sophomore guard Andrew Jones has leukemia and has started treatment.
Jones was the Longhorns leading scorer before he was sidelined by a broken wrist. He played sparingly in his return after complaining of low energy and was sent for tests.
Jones considered leaving Texas for the NBA draft after his freshman season but opted to return to school.
HOCKEY
Winger Nikita Kucherov, defenseman Victor Hedman and Andrei Vasilevskiy will join Lightning captain Steven Stamkos at NHL All-Star Weekend in Tampa, Florida.
The league announced the full All-Star rosters as selected by the NHL’s hockey operations department. With four players on the Atlantic Division team, host and league-leading Tampa Bay has the most representatives for the skills competition and 3-on-3 tournament Jan. 27-28 at Amalie Arena.
Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang of the defending Stanley Cup-champion Pittsburgh Penguins were added to the Metropolitan Division team that also includes Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin and goaltender Braden Holtby.
The surprise Vegas Golden Knights got two All-Stars: goalie Marc-Andre Fleury and winger James Neal. Reigning Hart Trophy winner Connor McDavid is also on the Pacific Division roster.
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