NBA refuses Paul’s trade to Los Angeles
NBA: The NBA, owners of the New Orleans Hornets, refused Thursday to approve a three-team trade that would have sent All-Star guard Chris Paul from the league-owned Hornets to the star-studded Los Angeles Lakers.
“It’s not true that the owners killed the deal, the deal was never discussed at the Board of Governors meeting and the league office declined to make the trade for basketball reasons,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said.
Yahoo Sports reported that NBA Commissioner David Stern killed the trade after several owners complained. Citing anonymous sources, Yahoo reported Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was one of the most vocal owners upset about the deal, done the same day as the end of the lockout, which was supposed to restore competitive balance in the league.
The proposed deal would have sent Lamar Odom from the Lakers to New Orleans and Pau Gasol from the Lakers to Houston. The Rockets also had agreed to send forward Louis Scola, shooting guard Kevin Martin, point guard Goran Dragic and a first-round draft choice to New Orleans.
• Stern announces ratification, predicts better league: NBA basketball is back, and Commissioner David Stern insists better than before.
Maybe it won’t be noticed right away, but Stern said the “tortured journey” of this 161-day lockout will prove to be worth it.
Stern announced that owners and players ratified a new collective bargaining agreement, the final step to ending the five-month lockout and paving the way for training camps and free agency to open today.
Together with an expanded revenue-sharing program, Stern said teams and fans will see an improved league in coming years.
• Oden accepts Blazers’ offer: Center Greg Oden, Portland’s often-injured former No. 1 draft pick, will sign the Trail Blazers’ $8.9 million one-year qualifying offer today, Oden’s agent said.
It’s not clear when Oden, who is coming off left knee surgery, might be available to play for the Blazers.
No. 9 UConn spoils Harvard’s big debut
Men’s baskeball: Jeremy Lamb had 18 points and Andre Drummond added 12 on 6-for-7 shooting and No. 9 Connecticut (8-1) beat No. 25 Harvard 67-53 at Storrs, Conn., spoiling the Crimson’s first game as a ranked team.
Kyle Casey had 12 points to lead the Crimson (8-1), who were trying to start a season with nine straight wins for the time since the 1904-05 team opened 10-0.
• West Virginia beats K-State in 2OT: Kevin Jones hit a tying 3-point shot in regulation and scored 30 points to lead West Virginia to an 85-80, double-overtime victory over Kansas State in Wichita, Kan.
Darryl Bryant had 25 points for West Virginia (5-2). Rodney McGruder scored 20 and Will Spradling had 16 for Kansas State (5-1).
Kentucky thrills record home crowd
Women’s basketball: A’dia Mathies scored 23 points and No. 10 Kentucky (9-0) beat No. 6 Duke (6-2) 72-65 at Lexington, Ky., in front of the largest home crowd for a women’s game in Wildcats history.
Freshman Azia Bishop added 11 rebounds as Kentucky (9-0) shook off a slow start with a second-half rally in front of 14,508 fans at Rupp Arena for its 29th straight nonconference home win.
Panthers hand Thomas first loss
NHL: Tomas Kopecky broke a scoreless tie with 2:32 left and Jose Theodore stopped 40 shots as the visiting Florida Panthers beat the Boston Bruins 2-0 and sent Tim Thomas to his first loss in 11 games.
• Moore’s late heroics lift Lightning: Dominic Moore scored the tying short-handed goal with 1:57 left in regulation and netted the only goal in the shootout to help the Tampa Bay Lightning snap a five-game losing streak with a 3-2 victory over the host New York Rangers.
• NHL punishes Porter, Sutton: The NHL suspended Colorado Avalanche forward Kevin Porter for four games because of a kneeing infraction, and issued an indefinite ban to Edmonton Oilers defenseman Andy Sutton.
Prosecutors want Bonds sent to prison
Baseball: Federal prosecutors are urging a judge to send former baseball slugger Barry Bonds to prison.
In court documents filed late Thursday, prosecutors objected to a recommendation by a federal probation officer that Bonds get only probation when he’s sentenced for obstruction of justice on Dec. 16.
In the documents, prosecutors are asking that Bonds be sentenced to 15 months in prison.
Kostelic tops Deville to open season
Men’s skiing: Ivica Kostelic of Croatia turned in a flawless final run to make up valuable time and capture a season-opening World Cup slalom at Beaver Creek, Colo.
Kostelic finished in a combined time of 1 minute, 50.20 seconds to hold off Cristian Deville of Italy by 0.14 seconds. Nolan Kasper, who was battling a virus, wound up fourth for the U.S.