Heat sends Marion to Raptors for J. O'Neal
basketball
Hours after Shawn Marion made a last-second dunk to lift the Miami Heat past the Chicago Bulls, he was traded yesterday to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Jermaine O'Neal, ending a weeks-long saga involving the expected deal. NBA officials approved the swap yesterday afternoon by conference call, the Heat said. Toronto also gets guard Marcus Banks and cash considerations, and Miami will receive forward Jamario Moon and a first-round draft pick, to come between 2010 and 2015. If Miami does not get that first-round pick in 2010, it will get an additional second-round pick that year. Marion was a key part of Miami's 28-24 start, averaging 12 points and a team-best 8.7 rebounds. Miami gets a true center in O'Neal. The 30-year-old averaged 13.5 points and seven rebounds for Toronto but has been slowed by injuries. Banks averaged 2.6 points in 16 games with Miami. Moon averaged 7.3 points in 54 games with Toronto.
Hall of Fame: : Michael Jordan, John Stockton and David Robinson are among the 16 finalists for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. NBA coaches Don Nelson and Jerry Sloan and Rutgers women's coach C. Vivian Stringer also made the cut from a field of 164 nominees, as did former NBA stars Dennis Johnson, Chris Mullin and Bernard King, and two-time WNBA Most Valuable Player Cynthia Cooper. The election announcement will be made April 6 at the NCAA Final Four in Detroit, with enshrinement in September at the Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. All 16 finalists can be elected.
Rookie Challenge: : Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant scored an event-record 46 points to lead the NBA's sophomores to a 122-116 victory over the rookies in Phoenix. Miami's Michael Beasley led the rookies with 29 points. Portland center Greg Oden (sore left knee) was a late scratch.
Falcons will try to trade Vick's contract rights
nfl
The Atlanta Falcons will try to trade the contract rights to Michael Vick to another team, general manager Thomas Dimitroff said in an interview on the team's Web site. Vick is in federal prison on felony charges related to dogfighting and is scheduled to be released in July. Vick has a contract that runs through 2013 and calls for him to receive a base salary of $9 million and a bonus of $6.43 million in 2009. The rest of the contract is worth $45.11 million, with a possible additional $3 million in Pro Bowl bonuses. "We feel a trade is the best move for the Falcons, and it's also in the best interest for Michael," Dimitroff said. He said the Falcons have had no discussions with other teams because Vick is under suspension by the NFL, "but we think some teams might be interested in exploring a trade." NFL spokesman Greg Aiello reiterated commissioner Roger Goodell's statement when he suspended Vick on Aug. 24, 2007, that he will review Vick's status when legal proceedings are done.
Giants: : New York designated running back Brandon Jacobs its franchise player. Jacobs led the team in rushing last season with 1,089 yards on 219 carries for a 5.0 average. He also led the team with 15 rushing touchdowns. As a franchise player, he is guaranteed $6.6 million.
Goodell: : As part of a salary freeze for all NFL employees, the commissioner is freezing his current annual compensation of $11 million for fiscal 2009 even though his contract entitles him to an automatic pay raise, USA Today reported. Goodell, 49, will also take a 20 percent to 25 percent cut in his salary and bonuses for fiscal 2008, which ends March 31.
Union: : Former presidents Troy Vincent and Trace Armstrong and lawyer DeMaurice Smith are the finalists to succeed Gene Upshaw as executive director of the NFL Players Association, a person familiar with the search told the Associated Press. The new executive director will be chosen March 13-15 in Hawaii.
Et cetera: : Former Pro Bowl linebacker Dan Morgan filed paperwork with the NFL to come out of retirement and will rejoin the Saints for offseason workouts next month. ... The Redskins re-signed veteran long snapper Ethan Albright to a one-year contract and claimed running back Anthony Alridge off waivers from the Broncos. ... The Bears released wide receiver Marty Booker.
In opener, Maryland men cruise past Presbyterian
col. lacrosse
Grant Catalino, Dan Groot and Travis Reed each scored twice and added a pair of assists to lead the third-ranked Maryland men's lacrosse team to an 18-3, season-opening victory over Presbyterian in Ponte Vedra, Fla. Jeff Reynolds, who finished with two goals and an assist, scored the game's first goal 13 seconds into the contest. Maryland then scored nine straight goals to take a 10-0 lead five minutes into the second quarter. Junior Will Yeatman led the charge with a goal and two assists during the run. He finished his Terrapins debut with a goal and three assists.
Navy women 21, Presbyterian 4: : Erin Rawlick (C. Milton Wright) produced a school-record 10 points with five goals and five assists to lead the host Midshipmen (1-0) past Presbyterian (0-1) for coach Cindy Timchal's 350th career win. Caitlin Mandrin Hill (St. Mary's) added four goals and three assists for Navy.
No. 3 Duke women 17, No. 19 Denver 8:: Carolyn Davis and Lindsay Gilbride each scored four goals to lead the visiting Blue Devils (1-0) past the host Pioneers (0-1). Denver's Ali Flury (Broadneck) scored twice.
Beckham to return to L.A.; Wie shares lead
et cetera
David Beckham is coming back to the Los Angeles Galaxy. The English midfielder will return to the Major League Soccer team next month as scheduled after his loan agreement with AC Milan ends despite his wish to stay in Italy. Tim Leiweke, president of Galaxy parent AEG, said the Italian club didn't make a second offer to keep Beckham, so the team will adhere to MLS commissioner Don Garber's Friday deadline to resolve the situation. The Galaxy rejected Milan's only offer.
Golf: : Michelle Wie put herself into contention for her first LPGA Tour victory, shooting a 2-under-par 70 in difficult conditions in the second round of the season-opening SBS Open in Kahuku, Hawaii. Wie, 19, used a three-birdie run to take a share of the lead at 8-under 136. First-round leader Angela Stanford (71) was also at 8-under. Angela Park (68) was at 7-under. ... Retief Goosen shot an 8-under 64 for a two-shot lead over Dustin Johnson (69) after the second round of the AT&T; Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in California. Goosen was at 12-under 132. ... Jerry Pate and Bernhard Langer were in the lead at 8-under 64 after the opening round of the Champions Allianz Championships in Boca Raton, Fla.
College football: : Coach Charlie Weis will take over offensive coordinator duties for Notre Dame next season. ... Tennessee is reporting a third secondary recruiting violation involving new coach Lane Kiffin. In a radio interview yesterday morning, Kiffin mentioned recruit Bryce Brown by name and called him "a great player." According to The Knoxville News Sentinel, NCAA rules prohibit a coach from making such comments before the prospect has signed a letter of intent.
NHL: : The Columbus Blue Jackets activated goaltender Steve Mason (mononucleosis) off injured reserve. ... Forward Sean Avery is expected to play his first game with the American Hockey League's Hartford Wolf Pack today.
Skiing: : Lindsey Vonn will compete in today's slalom at the world championships in Val d'Isere, France, after slicing her thumb on a broken champagne bottle Monday and needing surgery. ... Ted Ligety took the bronze medal in a giant slalom won by Carlo Janka of Switzerland. Ligety's medal was the first by a U.S. man at the worlds.
Auto racing: : Kevin Harvick (180.799 mph) won the pole for the Nationwide Series Camping World 300 at Daytona International Speedway.