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NBA-SCHEDULE
Spurs roll to 18th straight...Miami percentage points ahead of Indiana in the East
UNDATED (AP) — The San Antonio Spurs set a franchise record with their 18th straight victory, and did it breezing. Tony Parker scored 22 points in the Spurs' 103-77 rout of Indiana on the Pacers home court.
Boris Diaw (DEE'-ow) added 14 points for the Spurs, who bettered their previous longest winning streak that was set in 1996.
Paul George scored 16 points for the Pacers, who've lost five of six and fell six percentage points behind Miami for best record in the Eastern Conference.
In other NBA action:
— LeBron James scored 32 points, Chris Bosh added 18 and the Miami Heat moved into the top spot in the Eastern Conference with a 93-83 win over the Toronto Raptors. Chris Andersen scored 13 points on 5-for-5 shooting and Mario Chalmers added 12 for Miami, which was again without Dwyane (dwayn) Wade, Greg Oden and Ray Allen.
— Darren Collison had 28 points and seven assists, and the Los Angeles Clippers didn't miss a beat with Blake Griffin out with a back injury in a 114-104 victory over Minnesota.
— Zach Randolph had 20 points and 11 rebounds, Mike Conley added 19 points and the Memphis Grizzlies kept pace in the playoff race with a 94-92 win over the Denver Nuggets. The Grizzlies moved into a three-way tie with Dallas and Phoenix for seventh in the Western Conference
— Carmelo Anthony scored 34 points on 11-of-19 shooting, and the New York Knicks pulled away for a 92-83 victory over the Utah Jazz. The Knicks are one game back of the final Eastern Conference playoff berth.
— Paul Millsap scored 28 points and Lou Williams added 22 off the bench in rallying the Atlanta Hawks to a 103-95 victory that denied the Philadelphia 76ers their first winning streak in nearly three months. The Sixers were coming off Saturday night's victory over Detroit that ended their 26-game losing streak.
— Greg Monroe had 28 points and 14 rebounds and the Detroit Pistons ended a three-game skid with a 116-111 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.
— DeMarcus Cousins had 35 points and 14 rebounds, and the Sacramento Kings snapped a three-game skid with a 102-97 victory over New Orleans.
— Mike Dunleavy had 22 points to lead five Bulls in double figures and Chicago broke open a close game with 13 straight points at the start of the fourth quarter to beat the Boston Celtics 94-80.
— Charlotte went on a 19-4 run to end the game and rallied for a 100-94 win over Washington. Kemba Walker led the Bobcats with 21.
NHL-SCHEDULE
Four-goal comeback for the Ducks
UNDATED (AP) — On NHL ice, Anaheim edged Winnipeg in overtime, 5-4. The Ducks top the idle San Jose Sharks by three points in the Pacific Division. Stephane Robidas (ROH'-bih-dah) scored the game-winner 16 seconds into overtime.
The Ducks staged the biggest comeback in team history by rallying from four goals down. The Ducks' 49th victory set a franchise record for most wins in a season.
In other hockey action:
— Minnesota snapped the L.A. Kings' six-game winning streak, 3-2. Matt Moulson and Mikko Koivu (MEE'-koh KOY'-voo) scored 62 seconds apart in the third period.
— Travis Zajac (ZAY'-jahk) had his first career hat trick in the New Jersey Devils' 6-3 victory over the Florida Panthers after nearly blowing an early three-goal lead.
— Ottawa nipped Carolina 2-1 in a shootout. With 78 points, the Senators are four points out of the final playoff spot in the East with seven games left.
NHL-NEWS
Extended deal for Nolan...Avs lose top scorer
UNDATED. (AP) — The Buffalo Sabres have signed interim coach Ted Nolan to a three-year contract extension. Nolan returned for a second stint in Buffalo in mid-November, when he was hired to replace the fired Ron Rolston. The Sabres have gone 16-30-8 under Nolan and remain in last place in the NHL.
In other hockey news:
— The Colorado Avalanche will be without leading scorer Matt Duchene (doo-SHAYN') for about four weeks after he hurt his left knee over the weekend. The loss of Duchene is a blow for the Avalanche, who just clinched their first postseason spot since 2010. He likely will miss the first round of the postseason.
MLB-REPLAY
MLB enters full-blown replay era
UNDATED (AP) — Major League Baseball launched the expanded replay era Monday, and saw instant results — a pair of missed calls by umpires got fixed fast, without any arguments.
Opening day showed off the game's newest nod to modern technology in a sport that long relied on the eyes of its umps.
In Pittsburgh, Cubs manager Rick Renteria (rehn-ter-EE'-uh) was the first skipper to challenge a play under the new expanded replay system. After review, which took about two minutes, the decision by the umpires was upheld.
The first overturned call came in Milwaukee. Atlanta Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez challenged the sixth-inning play at Miller Park in the season opener won by Milwaukee, 2-0. Brewers star Ryan Braun was originally called safe at first base by umpire Greg Gibson on a leadoff infield single fielded by third baseman Chris Johnson. The call was reversed to out after a review that lasted 58 seconds, and Braun ran back to the dugout.
From now on, most every call can be challenged by a manager. When that happens, the final decision will come from a replay booth in New York, rather than the field. And instead of out or safe, fair or foul, disputes will be settled with two words new to baseball's lingo: confirmed or overturned.
MLB-SCHEDULE
Play Ball!
UNDATED (AP) — On the first nearly full schedule of major league games, Yadier Molina's (YAH'-dee-eer moh-LEE'-nahz) homer broke a seventh-inning scoreless tie in the St. Louis Cardinals' 1-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds were blanked on opening day for the first time since 1953.
That ended the second-longest streak of scoring at least one run in season openers in major league history. The Phillies went 62 years without being blanked in an opener from 1911-72.
Adam Wainwright and four Cards relievers combined on the three-hit shutout.
Here's are other NL results:
— Neil Walker homered leading off the bottom of the tenth to give Pittsburgh a 1-0 win over the Cubs. It was the first opening-day walkoff homer for the Pirates since Bob Bailey's off San Francisco's Juan Marichal in a 1-0 victory in 1965.
— Yovani Gallardo (yoh-VAH'-nee gy-AR'-doh) scattered four hits in six innings to lead the Brewers to a 2-0 win over Atlanta. Ryan Braun returned to the Milwaukee line-up for the first time since serving a 65-game drug suspension last season. He got a standing ovation.
— Anthony Rendon (rehn-DOHN') hit a three-run homer to cap a fourth-run tenth to give Washington a 9-7 win over the Mets. The Nationals' Stephen Strasburg struck out 10 while allowing five runs on four hits in six innings.
— Miami routed Colorado 10-1. Marlins ace Jose Fernandez struck out nine and allowed one run in six innings. Marlins newcomer Casey McGehee (mih-GEE') drove in four runs with two doubles.
— San Francisco beat Arizona 9-8. Buster Posey hit a two-run homer off new Arizona closer Addison Reed in the ninth inning and the Giants rallied from four runs down.
— In an interleague game, Jimmy Rollins hit a grand slam to power Philadelphia to a 14-10 win at Texas. Starter Cliff Lee got the win for the Phillies despite giving up eight runs on 11 hits in five innings.
Over in the AL:
— David Price took a shutout into the eighth inning and Matt Joyce drove in three runs to help the Tampa Bay Rays begin the season with a 9-2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.
— Alex Gonzalez made his Tigers debut memorable with the game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth of a 4-3 win over Kansas City. He also tied the game in the seventh with an RBI triple. Gonzalez was acquired by Detroit last week after starting shortstop Jose Iglesias went down with an injury. Gonzalez's hitting heroics made up for a costly error he made in a three-run Kansas City fourth.
— Alejandro De Aza hit two homers, and Jose Abreu had two hits in his major league debut to back Chris Sale and lead the Chicago White Sox to a 5-3 season-opening victory over the Minnesota Twins. Paul Konerko, the White Sox' 38-year-old first baseman, didn't get into the game but got a loud ovation before what was likely his final opener.
— Justin Smoak broke open a close game with a three-run home run in the top of the ninth to help Seattle beat the L.A. Angels 10-3.
— Cleveland broke a scoreless deadlock with a couple of runs in the top of the ninth to beat Oakland 2-0. Justin Masterson and three relievers combined on the five-hit shutout.
— Nelson Cruz celebrated his Orioles debut with a tie-breaking home run in a season-opening 2-1 win over World Series champ Boston.
NCAA WOMEN'S TOURNAMENT
UConn, Irish in Final Four
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis continued her splendid run through the NCAA tournament with 17 points, and Connecticut advanced to the women's Final Four for the seventh straight year with a 69-54 victory against Texas A&M.
The defending national champion Huskies (38-0) won their 44th straight game and will be going for their record ninth national championship in Nashville. Their semifinal opponent Sunday will be either Stanford or North Carolina.
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Jewell Loyd scored 30 points and unbeaten Notre Dame advance to the Final Four for a fourth straight season with an 88-69 win over Baylor.
Natalie Achonwa added 19 points and 15 rebounds for the top-seeded Irish (36-0), who will face either Louisville or Maryland in the national semifinals on Sunday night in Nashville.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL-ALL AMERICA
AP All America team announced
UNDATED (AP) — Doug McDermott of Creighton (KRAY'-tuhn) is a unanimous choice for The Associated Press All-America team, the first three-time selection in 29 years. McDermott is the nation's leading scorer at 26.9 points a game. The senior is joined on the team by freshman Jabari (JUH'-bar-ee) Parker of Duke and seniors Russ Smith of Louisville, Shabazz (shuh-BAHZ') Napier of Connecticut and Sean Kilpatrick of Cincinnati.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL-KANSAS
Wiggins to turn pro
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas freshman Andrew Wiggins has announced that he will leave school for the NBA. The 6-foot-8 forward is expected to go in the top three picks in the June draft. Some believe he could go first overall.
MLB-ODD INJURY
Angels hitting coach Baylor breaks leg catching ceremonial first pitch
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Los Angeles Angels hitting coach Don Baylor broke his right leg while catching Vladimir Guerrero's ceremonial first pitch last night. The 64-year-old Baylor had to be helped off the field after squatting to catch Guerrero's throw.
Baylor will have surgery today on his right femur.
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