Richardson' s describes back has states been an issue for much of his pro career. O' Neal was scratched about 20 minutes before the tip- off of Thursday night' s Game 3 between the Heat and the Washington Wizards. With Jason Collier still limited by bronchitis, 42- year- old Kevin Willis started at center for Atlanta and scored six points in 19 minutes. Former LSU star Brandon Bass, a rookie, entered the game in the fourth quarter and had four points, three rebounds and a dunk that brought the crowd to its feet Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press. Griffin' s emotional issues, addictions and a short fuse that betrayed his youthful appearance, soft- spoken nature and philanthropic achievements eventually forced him out of the league The 6- foot- 10 Griffin averaged 7 2 points, 5 8 rebounds and 1.

Downs' father, Steve, told a Seattle area newspaper that he was forced to move his son from school to school because of his occupation as a carpenter . BYU fans haven' t had the opportunity to travel after the season since the Cougars went 12- 2 in 2001 and are expected to make the trip south to Las Vegas " They are a national program with tremendous fan interest not only in their own area but in southern Nevada as well " said Tina Kunzer- Murphy, the Las Vegas Bowl' s executive director Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press . Updated: July 1, 2008, 10: 19 PM ET Alfonzo serves drug suspension, gets recalled by Giants Comment Email Print Share Associated Press SAN FRANCISCO- The Giants recalled former backup catcher Eliezer Alfonzo from Triple- A Fresno on Tuesday, nine days after he completed a 50- game suspension for testing positive for a performance- enhancing substance . Updated: September 3, 2009, 7: 21 PM ET Report: Dimensions same for 2010 Comment Email Print Share ESPN news services Sluggers hoping that the dimensions at cavernous Citi Field will be more home run friendly in 2010 reportedly are going to be disappointed . Y " I wanted to be here, no matter what type of game it was, to be able to say I was here for the first one " Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. Strasburg needs some time to become acclimated to the MLB lifestyle, Phillips says More Podcasts# 187; Teams have until Aug.

But talking about that, a Venezuelan scout told me in the offseason that it looks like I was having more fun and smiling when I hit than when I pitch . We gave them a lot of airspace and they drained them " Detroit isn' t a team that heavily relies on the outside shot The Pistons averaged 4 4 3- pointers per game in the regular season, and made 5 3 per game- on 33 7 percent shooting- in their first 12 playoff games . In March 2002, Bryant had to sit two games for throwing a punch and fighting with Indiana' s Reggie Miller at the conclusion of a Lakers- Pacers game . Information from ESPN senior NBA writers Marc Stein and Chris Sheridan, and The Associated Press, was used in this report . Updated: March 8, 2007, 7: 38 PM ET Holland won' t return as San Diego' s coach Comment Email Print Share Associated Press SAN DIEGO- Brad Holland won' t return as basketball coach at San Diego, where he went 200- 176 and made one NCAA Tournament appearance in 13 seasons " Brad has represented the university well, and we appreciate his contributions over the years " athletic director Ky Snyder said in a statement Thursday.

Albuquerque had a reported record of nearly a foot of snow Friday and into Saturday, with the forecast calling for snow into Sunday . Arkansas running back Darren McFadden, Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn, West Virginia running back Steve Slaton and Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan were also were named finalists Wednesday The winner will be announced Dec . 5 was Auburn and Florida was sixth, the Southeastern Conference rivals separated by six points Southern California was No 7, right in front of Pac- 10 rival California Notre Dame and West Virginia finished off the top 10 . To make room for Hernandez, the Mets designated infielder Angel Berroa for assignment Right- handed pitcher J J . His favorite occurred against Buffalo, when he jumped over a defender who was standing straight up. Really, the only thing my Universal Theory has done is help me find a little inner peace And, potentially, some for my friends.

At the end of the first overtime, Robert Morris' Reggie George rebounded Da Silva' s errant 3- pointer and was immediately fouled . Carter probably should have been called for an offensive foul, but he took a pass from Kidd and, with his back to the basket, threw a shot over his shoulder that banked in . Updated: October 29, 2007, 7: 11 PM ET Howard cleared to practice, remains suspended for two games Comment Email Print Share Associated Press DALLAS- Dallas Mavericks forward Josh Howard was cleared to practice Monday, six days after he sprained his left wrist in a preseason game against the Chicago Bulls Doctors removed the cast from his wrist He now wears a removable splint . We' re going to miss that, big- time " Mourning' s injury was tinged by irony: It came on the fourth anniversary of the kidney transplant that saved his life . Henry Blanco led off with a double, moved to third on Ford' s single and scored on Jason Kubel' s sacrifice fly. Hours before the game, the media swarmed through the clubhouse to get his take on becoming a major leaguer less than two years after being drafted out of Georgia Tech " I' m pretty excited to get playing tonight " Wieters said " This debut has been a dream of mine ever since I was little. Game notesCarter was 5- of- 8 for 10 points in the first seven minutes of the opening period.

Updated: November 10, 2005, 5: 58 PM ET Arizona State put on two years' probation by NCAA Email Print Share Associated Press TEMPE, Ariz- Arizona State was placed on two years' probation by the NCAA on Thursday for providing improper benefits to former football player Loren Wade and other irregularities in the athletic department' s operations . We always deal with it and we have a security representative in every city . But Kansas State' s staff contended for months that Walker was committed to playing at Kansas State for at least two seasons . INDIANAPOLIS( AP- Using a makeshift roster a night after brawling with fans, the Indiana Pacers pressed the Orlando Magic until the very end . I hope Rudy' s back tomorrow " Hamblen said when asked about Tomjanovich' s future. Leonard learned humility from his parents, Mark and Laurie, growing up in Gouverneur, N.

Dinwiddie' s dad coached Riley and the other linebackers at Elk Grove, and Riley worked for Dinwiddie' s mom in the student store " They' ve been on me ever since I committed to Fresno State that I should have went to Boise " Riley said . Christensen was one of the nation' s most highly touted players coming out of high school, and after spending his freshman year as Drew Tate' s backup, he seemed like a lock to be a three- year starter . Raef LaFrentz added 18 points for the Celtics, who outrebounded the Raptors 41- 33 . The life- sized portrait, measuring 60 by 50 inches, is part of the tribute to Lasorda' s 60 years with the Dodgers and his life in baseball . He exchanged pleasantries with Tennessee coach Philip Fulmer, who sat beside him on the podium.

BCS coordinator Kevin Weiberg spoke to Nokia Sugar Bowl president Mark Romig, but no decision had been made about whether the game would be played in the Superdome, BCS spokesman Bob Burda said . When the Wolverines( 0- 2) and Fighting Irish( 0- 2) play Saturday, the question to be answered really isn' t which team is better but which is worse . He currently is on crutches and says his recovery time could take between five and six months, meaning he could be fully recovered in time for April' s draft " I should be 100 percent or even stronger " Bush said " To me I' m glad it' s not a knee or an ACL or that I messed up my ankle To me it' s just a broken leg . The Cardinals have nine days off the rest of the season after a heavy early schedule and La Russa plans on going with four starters whenever possible Chris Carpenter( 9- 3, 2 19, Adam Wainwright( 11- 6, 2 95, Joel Pineiro( 9- 9, 2 95) and Kyle Lohse( 4- 6, 4 35) all are having much stronger years than Wellemeyer . 17 news conference Sucart' s life, like his role with Rodriguez, is cloaked in mystery. To see the dedication that these men and women have that have served our country and continue to serve our country, it makes you feel pretty small " Compared to what they have done and what they do for us. Washington manager Manny Acta said Milledge underwent surgery Tuesday to insert a pin and a screw into his finger He won' t be able to throw for at least six weeks Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press.

We have a really good team and I think we' ll be good for a long time " Ariza stressed that the sense of belonging he feels among his teammates is a critical factor in where he plays next season " The most important thing for me is to feel like I' m part of something " he said " Throughout this process, I' m going to take into consideration a lot of different things, but that' s probably the most important thing " With veterans Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Derek Fisher leading the way, Ariza said " They made me feel as equally important as they are " He was acquired by the Lakers in a trade from Orlando in November 2007 " I didn' t really get a chance to play or I was too young or I didn' t fit into other people' s systems the way they would like me to " he said . But on Monday night the love was flowing in McKenzie Arena as the pro- Chattanooga crowd basked in the Mocs' 80- 69 win over College of Charleston, another reminder that March has a way of both defining and deflating a team' s season in the realm of college hoops . Dirk Nowitzki( stomach flu, Michael Finley( sore right hamstring) and Jerry Stackhouse( right thigh contusion) were out for the Mavericks . Wedge The Indians, who came one win away from the World Series last year, got off to a disappointing start in 2008 as injuries mounted and the team fell 16 games out of first . Updated: August 21, 2008, 5: 49 PM ET Francona may or may not start Beckett on Tuesday against Yanks Comment Email Print Share Associated Press BALTIMORE- Josh Beckett remains on course to start for the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday, although manager Terry Francona won' t be overly disappointed if the right- hander gets pushed back again. Updated: May 31, 2009, 3: 03 PM ET Twins giving Liriano more chances Comment Email Print Share Associated Press ST. Philadelphia 76ers: The 76ers signed second- round draft pick Louis Williams to a multiyear contract.

But this was Toledo, a team that owned NIU( 11 consecutive wins) and had haunted Wolfe for an entirely different reason . I' d be disappointed if I had to talk to guys on the team about looking ahead, but I don' t have to . He signed a one- year contract with Arizona last winter and will be a free agent in 2010 Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press . I don' t even know the guy' s name, but whoever coaches Nevada' Thank you' Kelly actually made the field goal twice, but Ault had called a time out just before the first one wobbled over the crossbar . He put his team in position to win the ballgame " Game notesThe loss ended New Jersey' s bid to tie the franchise record for most consecutive road victories( six Carter scored 11 points in the first quarter. Originally, Ratner' s company was to pay$ 100 million for the rights to build over the rail yard. Mark Hawkins/ Icon SMIPitt QB Tyler Palko has thrown 17 touchdown passes in 2006.