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NBA-SCHEDULE
Raptors pad lead
UNDATED (AP) — The Toronto Raptors are on the verge of wrapping up the second division title in their 19-year team history, and their first in seven years.
Jonas Valanciunas had 26 points and 12 rebounds to lift the Raptors to their fourth straight win, 125-114 over Philadelphia. Kyle Lowry led the Atlantic Division leaders with 29 points in his first game back after missing three with a bruised kneecap.
Orlando helped out the Raptors as Arron Afflalo (af-LAH'-loh) scored 25 points and E'Twaun (EE'-twahn) Moore added 17 in a 115-111 win over Brooklyn, ending the Nets' three-game winning streak. The Nets got 31 points from Joe Johnson and still fell three games behind Toronto with four to play.
Also in the NBA:
— Kemba Walker made the only overtime basket for either team and scored five of his 17 points in the extra session as Charlotte downed Washington 94-88. Al Jefferson had 20 points and 18 rebounds, while Walker finished with 12 assists to help the Bobcats move into sixth place in the East with their fifth straight win.
— Chicago knocked off Minnesota 102-87 as Joakim (JOH'-keem) Noah posted his league-high fourth triple-double of the season, finishing with 15 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists. D.J. Augustin (AW'-guhs-teen) had a team-high 21 points and Kirk Hinrich (HYN'-rihk) added 16 on 7 of 9 shooting.
— Gerald Green scored 21 points and Phoenix picked up its third straight win by defeating New Orleans 94-88. Goran Dragic had 20 points and nine assists for the Suns, who are clinging to the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
— Jeff Teague (teeg) scored 19 points and Kyle Korver added 17 as Atlanta topped Boston 105-97 to get closer to a playoff spot. The Hawks eliminated Cleveland and moved two games ahead of New York for the final Eastern Conference postseason berth with four games remaining.
— Dion Waiters scored 22 points and Tyler Zeller added 18 in the Cavaliers' 122-100 rout of Detroit.
NBA-LAKERS
New deal for Kupchak
The Los Angeles Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak has agreed to a multiyear contract extension. He had one year left on his current contract.
The Lakers' latest defeat was their 53rd of the season, matching the franchise record set in 1958.
Kupchak has been in the Lakers' front office since the three-time NBA champion center's playing career ended in 1986. He took charge of the basketball operations when Jerry West departed in 2000.
MLB-SCHEDULE
Big blast for Big Papi...Reds blank Redbirds...Indians, Padres split
UNDATED (AP) — David Ortiz allowed the Boston Red Sox to take the rubber match of their three-game series with Texas this afternoon. Ortiz smacked a three-run homer that wrapped around the Pesky Pole in right field during the bottom of the eighth, giving Boston a 4-2 win over the Rangers.
Jake Peavy had a two-hit shutout until Mitch Moreland homered leading off the seventh. Alex Rios put Texas ahead with a sacrifice fly, but the Red Sox pulled out the victory on Big Papi's second hit of the day.
In other MLB action:
— Nick Markakis had an RBI single while Baltimore scored twice in the ninth to beat the New York Yankees 5-4. Jonathan Schoop (skohp) hit a three-run homer off Masahiro Tanaka (mah-sah-HEER'-oh tah-NAH'-kah) in the second inning of his first start at Yankee Stadium, but Carlos Beltran and Kelly Johnson connected against Miguel Gonzalez in the bottom of the inning.
— Toronto was a 7-3 winner over Houston behind Brandon Morrow, who allowed three runs in six innings for his first victory in almost 11 months. Brett Lawrie hit a two-run homer as the Blue Jays dealt the Astros their sixth loss in seven games following a 2-0 start.
— Billy Hamilton had three hits and had two stolen bases in Cincinnati's 4-0 shutout of St. Louis. Devin Mesoraco (mehz-uh-RAH'-koh) hit a two-run home run to back Mike Leake, who was tagged for just four hits in eight innings.
— The Indians and Padres split a doubleheader in Cleveland. Zach McAllister pitched 7 2/3 scoreless innings and Jason Kipnis hit a two-run homer as the Indians beat the Padres 2-0 in the opener. San Diego took the second game 2-1 as Robbie Erlin allowed one run in six innings and Chase Headley singled home the tiebreaking run.
— Alex Gordon hit a three-run homer and matched a career high with four RBIs in Kansas City's 7-3 spanking of Tampa Bay. Jeremy Guthrie held the Rays to a run and four hits over seven innings, blanking Tampa Bay after Desmond Jennings homered in the fourth.
— Oakland's bullpen blew a 4-2 lead in the ninth before Derek Norris hit a three-run homer in the 11th to give the A's a 7-4 triumph at Minnesota. Brandon Moss drove in a pair with a single during the Athletics' four-run first.
— Ervin Santana was terrific in the Braves' 4-3 win over the New York Mets, allowing just three hits and no walks while striking out six in eight innings. Justin Heyward went 3-for-4 with a leadoff homer, two RBIs and two runs scored to help Santana win his Atlanta debut.
— The Colorado Rockies erupted for six runs in the eighth inning to beat the Chicago White Sox 10-4 in the rubber match of the three-game series. D.J. LeMahieu's (lah-MAY'-hyoo) two-run single broke a tie in the eighth, two innings after he knotted the score with an RBI double.
MLB-INJURIES
Hamilton out 6-8 weeks...Infante may be back this weekend
UNDATED (AP) — Los Angeles Angels outfielder Josh Hamilton will be out 6 to 8 weeks after tearing a ligament in his left thumb during Tuesday's game against Seattle.
The 2010 AL MVP was injured during a headfirst slide into first base in the seventh inning. Hamilton was placed on the disabled list and could require surgery.
Checking out other major league news on Wednesday:
— Nationals third baseman Ryan Zimmerman was back in the starting lineup tonight against Miami after working on a lower throwing motion to try to help his sore right shoulder. Zimmerman hasn't played in the field since Saturday, when a throwing error led to a pair of unearned runs in a loss to Atlanta.
— Royals manager Ned Yost says he hopes to have second baseman Omar Infante (in-fahn-TAY') back in the lineup this weekend. Infante suffered a sprained jaw and needed six stitches to close a cut when he was hit by a pitch earlier in the week by Tampa's Heath Bell.
— Mariners left-hander James Paxton has landed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained muscle on the left side of his back.
NHL-SCHEDULE
Hawks rally to get first OT win
CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago Blackhawks were 0-7 in overtime games this season before Patrick Sharp led them to a comeback victory.
Sharp set up Marian Hossa's (HOH'-sahz) tying goal and then scored the game-winner 43 seconds into overtime to lift the Hawks past Montreal 3-2. The Canadiens had a 2-1 lead until Hossa tipped a feed from Sharp past Peter Budaj (BOO'-dy) with 47.7 seconds left in regulation, allowing the Blackhawks to get their fourth consecutive win.
The outcome puts Chicago two points behind second-place Colorado in the Central Division with two games remaining. The Avalanche have one game in hand.
The Canadiens are three points ahead of Tampa Bay for second place in the Atlantic Division. The Habs have two more games, one fewer than the Lightning.
NHL-BLACKHAWKS
Kane to return for postseason
CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane says he will rejoin the team for the NHL playoffs next week, despite wearing a brace on his injured left knee. Kane was hurt in a game on March 19 and went to the sidelines as the team's leading scorer.
NFL-PRO BOWLS
Pro Bowl headed to Arizona
NEW YORK (AP) — The NFL has announced that the Pro Bowl in 2015 will take place on Jan. 25 at the University of Phoenix Stadium. The game in 2016, on Jan. 31, will be back in Hawaii at Aloha Stadium.
The game will remain a week before the Super Bowl as it has the last five years. The new format introduced after last season, which scrapped the traditional AFC vs NFC matchup, will be retained.
NFL-PANTHERS
Carolina inks Cole
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Unrestricted free agent Colin Cole has signed a one-year contract with the Charlotte Panthers. Cole started 13 games for the Panthers last season and helped the team win the NFC South championship.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL-UNION
Northwestern quarterback doesn't like idea of a union, Peterson disagrees
UNDATED (AP) — Former Northwestern quarterback Kain Colter has been a guiding force behind the idea of a players union. Current Wildcats signal-caller Trevor Siemian doesn't agree.
Speaking with reporters during a conference call, Siemian said if players had problems they should have first gone to coach Pat Fitzgerald and athletic director James Phillips.
Said the senior quarterback, "I am treated far better than I deserve here."
Conversely, former NFL MVP Adrian Peterson advocated for college athletes today, saying they deserved to be paid for the millions of dollars they bring to school coffers. The Minnesota Vikings running back also took aim at NBA commissioner Adam Silver's stated desire to require college players to spend two years in school before declaring for the draft. Peterson said he felt a kinship with Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel (man-ZEHL') as a fellow high-profile athlete who generated significant revenues while he was in school at Oklahoma.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
UMass player comes out
AMHERST, Mass. (AP) — University of Massachusetts guard Derrick Gordon has become the first openly gay player in Division I men's basketball. Gordon made the announcement in interviews with ESPN and Outsports. The sophomore was the Minutemen's fourth-leading scorer with 9.4 points per game last season, when UMass reached the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1998.
Gordon said he felt more confident to come out after seeing an NBA team sign Jason Collins, who became the league's first openly gay player when he joined the Brooklyn Nets this season.
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