Cavaliers top Hawks; Suns rout Wizards
nba
Any ideas the Atlanta Hawks had of extending their seven-game winning streak ended quickly yesterday. LeBron James and the host Cleveland Cavaliers took a 24-point lead early in the second quarter in winning their eighth straight game, 102-96 over the Hawks. "That's what we wanted to do," said James, who scored 22 points as the Cavaliers (56-13) improved to 32-1 at home. "We wanted to first protect home court like we've been able to do." The Hawks were hoping to prove a point against the team with the best record in the NBA. Instead, it turned into a day of frustration for Atlanta (41-29). Hawks coach Mike Woodson picked up technical fouls in the second and third quarters and was ejected. Mo Williams led the Cavaliers with 24 points.
Suns 128, Wizards 96: : Antwan Jamison had 25 points and eight rebounds and reserve JaVale McGee added 16 points, but visiting Washington lost its fourth straight game, to Phoenix. The Wizards (16-55) have lost six of seven. Jason Richardson scored 35 for the Suns (38-31).
Other games: : Glen Davis scored a career-high 24 points and the visiting Celtics (53-18) pulled away in the second half for a 105-87 victory over the Grizzlies (17-52). Kevin Garnett, in his second game back from a right knee injury, had 10 points in 17 minutes. Rudy Gay (Archbishop Spalding) scored 15 points but shot just 5-for-15 for Memphis. ... Kobe Bryant scored 28 points and the Lakers (55-14) rallied for a 117-109 victory over the Bulls (32-38) in the opener of a seven-game road trip. ... Brandon Roy had 30 points to lead the Trail Blazers (44-26) to a 96-84 win over the host Bucks (31-40). Steve Blake (Maryland) added 21 for Portland.
V. Klitschko stops Gomez, retains belt
boxing
Vitali Klitschko retained the World Boxing Council heavyweight title by stopping Juan Carlos Gomez in the ninth round in Stuttgart, Germany. Klitschko, 37, twice put down the Germany-based Cuban defector, in the seventh and ninth rounds, before referee Daniel Van de Wiele stopped the fight with 1 minute, 11 seconds remaining in the round. Klitschko, 6 feet 7, improved his career record to 37-2 (36 KOs), his last loss coming to Lennox Lewis in June 2003. The Ukrainian was making the first defense of the WBC title he reclaimed by stopping Samuel Peter in October, which followed a four-year retirement. Gomez, 35, was the mandatory challenger.
In own car, Harvick wins Nationwide race
nascar
Kevin Harvick proved just how strong his organization is by winning the Scotts Turf Builder 300, a Nationwide Series event, at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway in his own racecar. Harvick led 44 laps in the NASCAR second-tier series race in his Kevin Harvick Inc.-owned Chevrolet, his first victory in a car fielded by the race team he built with his wife, Delana. Although Harvick has won three times in a KHI-owned Truck - in 2002, '03 and '08 - he had yet to win a race in the more prestigious Nationwide Series. Harvick had a clear shot at the win after Kyle Busch was taken out of contention by a penalty on the final pit stop.
Stallworth's attorney: Tests not released
nfl
According to his attorney, authorities have yet to release blood tests for Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte' Stallworth, who authorities say fatally struck a pedestrian in Miami Beach, Fla., last weekend. Meanwhile, his attorney, Christopher Lyons, denied media reports that the tests show Stallworth was driving drunk. Lyons told the Associated Press that neither police nor the state attorney's office have released the results of toxicology tests and have not said when they will be released. The Miami Herald and Miami TV news stations, citing unnamed sources, have reported that Stallworth's blood-alcohol level was above Florida's legal limit. Stallworth hasn't been charged.
Lions: : The team is retiring the No. 93 jersey for the coming season in memory of defensive lineman Corey Smith, who disappeared when a boat capsized off the Florida coast. Smith, a free agent who played the past three seasons with Detroit, is one of three men who went missing off the Gulf Coast after their 21-foot fishing boat capsized in rough seas three weeks ago. The Lions announced the one-year retirement of Smith's jersey number at a memorial service in Smith's hometown of Richmond, Va.
Hold Me Back takes Lane's End Stakes
et cetera
Hold Me Back roared to the lead in the stretch and won the $500,000 Lane's End Stakes at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky. Co-favorites Bittel Road and West Side Bernie did not hit the board in a race that has produced numerous Kentucky Derby contenders. But this one didn't appear to boost any into the top echelon of Derby prospects and might have left a few on a lesser route. Officials of WinStar Farm seemed well satisfied with Hold Me Back's modest final time of 1 minute, 49.63 seconds over the 1 1/8 miles on Polytrack. Hold Me Back, with Kent Desormeaux aboard, crossed the line 1 3/4 lengths ahead of Flying Private. Proceed Bee was four more lengths back.
More horse racing:: St John's Gospel took on the overwhelming favorite, Not for Silver, and beat him to the finish line in the $50,000 Private Terms Stakes for 3-year-olds at Laurel Park. St John's Gospel, ridden by Hector Ramos, produced a front-running victory over the 1-2 favorite. St John's Gospel won by a head in 1:37.62. Hehasnosay rallied for third.
College wrestling:: Maryland's Hudson Taylor took third place in the NCAA championships in St. Louis. Taylor, the No. 10 seed, scored an 11-4 win over No. 4 seed Tyrell Todd of Michigan in the 197-pound class to take top honors in the consolation bracket. Teammate Alex Krom (141) defeated Arizona State's Chris Drouin, 4-0, to capture fifth place, and the Terps' Steven Bell (133) finished sixth. Navy's Bryce Saddoris finished sixth at 149 pounds, and teammate Joe Baker placed eighth at 133.
Golf:: Two weeks after turning 50, Tom Lehman looked like his old self in the PGA Transitions Championship in Palm Harbor, Fla., with a 3-under-par 68 for his first 54-hole lead in more than four years. Lehman is at 8-under 205, one stroke better than Retief Goosen (69).
More golf: : Taiwan's Yani Tseng shot a 3-under 69 for a share of the second-round lead at 7-under 137 with South Korea's Na Yeon Choi (73) in the LPGA MasterCard Classic in Huixquilucan, Mexico, leaving top-ranked Mexican star Lorena Ochoa (73) a stroke back.
Tennis: : Rafael Nadal edged Andy Roddick, 6-4, 7-6 (4), to move into today's BNP Paribas final in Indian Wells, Calif. Nadal, ranked No. 1 and the 2007 champion, improved to 5-2 against No. 7 Roddick. Nadal will next play No. 4 Andy Murray, who picked up his fourth straight win over No. 2 Roger Federer, 6-3, 4-6, 6-1.
College basketball: : Tyler Nading scored 20 points as Washington University (Mo.) won its second consecutive NCAA Division III men's title with a 61-52 win over Richard Stockton (30-3) in Salem, Va. The champions finished the season 29-2. ... George Fox (32-0) captured its first NCAA Division III women's championship, winning, 60-53, over Washington University behind Kristen Shielee's 17 points in Holland, Mich. Washington finished 26-5.
Cycling: : Mark Cavendish won the Milan-San Remo (Italy) race, beating Heinrich Haussler in a photo finish. Lance Armstrong, riding the first European race in his comeback, dropped out of contention shortly before the finish. Cavendish covered the 185-mile course in 6 hours, 42 minutes, 32 seconds. Armstrong finished 125th - 8:19 behind Cavendish.