The Boston Celtics' Jermaine O'Neal weighs knee surgery options

WALTHAM, Mass. -- Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers said that center Jermaine O'Neal underwent an MRI on Wednesday on his ailing left knee and, while he hadn't seen the results yet, he indicated that in-season surgery is a likely possibility as Boston looks to cure what's nagged at O'Neal his first three months with the team.

O'Neal sat out Wednesday's game against the Sacramento Kings, the 21st game he's missed this season because of lingering soreness in a knee that's bothered him throughout the latter stages of his career. O'Neal met with the team brass Thursday morning to discuss options and admitted surgery is inevitable -- it simply comes down to whether it will come during the season or after.

"[In-season surgery] was definitely something we talked about the first time I was out for the extended period of time," O'Neal told Boston sports radio WEEI (850 AM) on Thursday during a weekly Celtics call-in segment. "We wanted to try a couple of other options. We may be looking at that situation now. [Surgery] is something that I will eventually need, at some point -- at the end of the season or if it's in-season -- but you want to be around. You don't want to miss extended periods of time ... I already did that. So you make your decisions as a player and you listen to the staff, and, if they have a certain way, then you try that out and if it doesn't work you have to go with the next-best scenario.

"I'm going to run in to see the doctor again in just a second with the team trainers and [Celtics president of basketball operations] Danny [Ainge] and those guys and we're going to make a decision on ultimately what's best for me to get better and be done with the ailment and be back on the court full time."

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Rivers hinted that in-season surgery was the likely option after a two-month rest didn't work. After missing 20 games due to the knee, O'Neal returned for 10 games starting on Christmas, but sat out the second half of Friday's win over the Toronto Raptors while admitting to soreness from the renewed activity.

The knee swelled up Wednesday morning, forcing him back to the bench before Boston's lopsided win over the Kings.

"My guess is he's going to have to do something; I don't know that, but I'm using my doctorate," joked Rivers, who has always been fond of noting that 'Doc' is merely his nickname. "My guess is that he'll probably have to do something."

And what happens if O'Neal does need in-season surgery?

"It puts more pressure on all of us," said Rivers, before revealing that reserve center Semih Erden, who filled in nicely for O'Neal on Wednesday, posting career highs with 10 points and eight rebounds, missed Thursday's practice due to an aggravated groin pull.

Shrugged Rivers: "Hey, it's who we are."

Chris Forsberg is the Celtics reporter for ESPNBoston.com. Follow him on Twitter.

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Phil Kessel?s hot streak helps Leafs

Toronto Maple Leafs Phil Kessel (3rd L) and Tyler Bozak (4th L) try to get a shot past Los Angeles Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick during the first period of their NHL hockey game in Los Angeles, California, January 10, 2011.

LUCY NICHOLSON/REUTERS

SAN JOSE, CALIF.?Phil Kessel, named to the NHL all-star game for the first time in his career, was asked to sum up the first half of his season.

?It?s been hot and cold,? said Kessel. ?It?s not terrible. I?ve been scoring lately.?

It?s a sentiment that might sum up the Maple Leafs? season so far too.

Lately, the Leafs have been hot. The offence, terrible at times, has come around nicely.

?I see little plays out there where guys are starting to come closer to the puck and make little plays,? said forward Clarke MacArthur. ?It?s a way easier game than being spread out all over the ice.

?When we get going forward with the puck, we?re a lot more dangerous out there.?

The Leafs went into Tuesday night?s game in San Jose on as good a roll as they?ve had all season.

It may well be that scoring is contagious.

There was no ?aha? moment that could help explain the five-game stretch between Jan. 1 in Ottawa and Monday night in Los Angeles in which the Leafs went 4-1-0 and outscored their opponents 22-13.

But there might have been tell-tale signs that the team was about to awaken from its offensive slumber.

In the six final games of 2010, the Leafs went 1-5-0 and were outscored 23-15, but top players had started to pick up the pace. Mikhail Grabovski got going on Dec. 6. Heading into Tuesday night?s game, he?d potted 17 points since then.

But perhaps more importantly, Kessel woke up too. Kessel, who?d twice gone seven games without scoring, is scoring in bunches these days. He had four in his last three games heading into San Jose, and was named to the all-star game with a team-leading 18 goals.

Kessel, who is reluctant to open up to the media about anything, was lured out of his hotel before Tuesday?s game to talk about his sudden burst of offence.

?We?re playing pretty good hockey now,? said Kessel, quick to deflect praise to the team. ?We?re doing the little things, going after pucks, playing really hard and getting results.

?We?re fighting, we?re battling.?

Kessel is on track for 36 goals, which would match his career high but still fall short of expectations. He?s supposed to be on an upward trajectory towards 40, 45, maybe 50, according to some prognosticators.

But, like so many of his teammates, he has underachieved for stretches this season. Yet he insists he doesn?t feel the pressure of expectations, choosing instead to believe in himself.

?It doesn?t (bother me),? Kessel said of the pressure. ?You just stick with what you know. Goals are going to come eventually, if you?re getting your chances. If you?re playing well out there, things will work themselves out.?

So it is gratifying to an extent that a team whose major shortcoming is offence, had not one, but two players named to all-star teams: Kessel to the NHL squad and his new linemate, Joey Crabb, to the AHL team. It?s doubtful Crabb will be allowed to play in the AHL game in Hershey, Pa., given how well he?s playing in the NHL.

It perhaps may not be a coincidence that Kessel and centre Tyler Bozak emerged from their offensive slumbers around the time Crabb got his chance. Crabb?s a physical player, able to dig pucks out of the corner, stand in front of the net and, apparently, do a reverse spinarama backhander to feed the puck through traffic to Kessel at the side of the net, as he did Monday in L.A. to set up Kessel?s fourth goal in three games.

?That?s not an easy play to make,? Kessel said.

But it?s more than one line that woke up and lifted the Leafs ? if only for one day ? to the lofty perch of a tie for 11th overall in the East.

?We?ve been playing good hockey as a group the last 10 days,? said captain Dion Phaneuf. ?We weren?t getting results for a bit. We started to come together to play a full 200-foot game with every guy going.

?I think the reason why we?re having success right now and giving ourselves a chance is the consistency of our team and playing for a full 60 minutes.

?We lost a couple of tough one-goal games and those aren?t easy to handle, by any means. We played well in a lot of those games and we?re losing them. But we stuck with it.?

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Raymond, Kesler score in shootout as Canucks beat Islanders 4-3

Canuck Kevin Bieksa and John Tavares of the Islanders battle for the puck during their game on Tuesday. Both Tavares and Bieksa scored in the third period.

Kathy Kmonicek/Associated Press

UNIONDALE, N.Y.?The Vancouver Canucks left Long Island with two more points and an appreciation for the way the Islanders play.

Mason Raymond and Ryan Kesler scored in a shootout, and the surging Canucks beat New York 4-3 on Tuesday night.

The Canucks were happy to get the two points, but they weren?t so happy about the way they played.

?We had a tough time the whole game,? Daniel Sedin said. ?They had a lot of energy.?

Alex Burrows, Kesler and Kevin Bieksa scored for the Canucks in regulation. Roberto Luongo made 38 saves, helping Vancouver improve to 14-0-3 in its last 17 games.

?They played well,? Luongo said. ?It was a tougher game than it looked to be.?

The Canucks (28-8-6) lead the NHL with 62 points.

Jack Hillen, John Tavares and Blake Comeau had goals for the Islanders. Kevin Poulin turned aside 48 shots.

?Kevin was excellent,? Islanders coach Jack Capuano said. ?He faced a good team, and turned in a very good performance.?

Raymond scored in the shootout on a spin-o-rama move.

?I tried it a few times in practice,? Raymond said. ?The two points we got may make a big difference.?

Kesler?s was the last shot taken.

?It was a nice ending,? Kesler said. ?But I?ll tell you, they work really hard.?

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Brock Lesnar, Junior Dos Santos named coaches for 'The Ultimate Fighter'

The suspense is over. On multiple fronts.

The 13th season of the reality series 'The Ultimate Fighter' finally has its coaches, as UFC president Dana White announced Tuesday that heavyweights Brock Lesnar and Junior Dos Santos have agreed to fill the roles.

The news also effectively killed any speculation on Lesnar's future in the UFC. Following a first-round TKO loss to current champion Cain Velasquez last October, there had been reports that Lesnar wanted out of his contract.

Not so, said White.

"I liked all the rumors that were going around that Brock didn't want to do this anymore," said White, on a national media conference call. "None of that was true. I was in communication with Brock the whole time."

According to White, an injury to Velasquez had an impact on the promotion's decision to match up the two heavyweights. Velasquez is expected to be out of action for six-to-eight months due to a torn rotator cuff he suffered in the win over Lesnar.

With Dos Santos (12-1) waiting in the wings for a title shot of his own, the UFC decided to let he and Lesnar (5-2) battle it out for the position of No. 1 contender. Although no official date is in place, White said the two will definitely meet in June.

"There is no interim title," White said. "These two will coach, then fight. The winner of that fight will fight Cain Velasquez when he's healthy."

Dos Santos is undefeated since joining the UFC in 2008. He's recorded six straight victories in that span, including four first-round finishes.

For Lesnar, the loss to Velasquez was his first since dropping a first-round submission to Frank Mir at UFC 81 in Feb. 2008. His agreement to appear on the show is surprising, as the former pro-wrestling figure is known for dodging media and cameras whenever possible.

White acknowledged as much Tuesday.

"Yeah, it was," answered White, when asked if it had been difficult to sign Lesnar on to the show. "It's going to be a tough season. I deal with Brock in very short spurts. The guy only fights two-to-three times a year and it's always tough. It's going to be a very interesting six weeks of filming."

Taping of the show is set to begin later this month. It debuts March 30 on Spike TV.

The season will feature welterweight fighters and follow the same format as recent seasons. A field of 28 fighters is reduced to 14 official cast members by elimination fights usually aired on the first episode.

It will be the first time since the show focused on the 170-pound division since its ninth season, which saw coaches Dan Henderson and Michael Bisping coach opposite one another in a U.S. vs. U.K. contest.

Brett Okamoto covers MMA for ESPN.com. Follow him on Twitter at bokamotoESPN.

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Rain ruins day at Hobart International

Posted January 12, 2011 18:00:00

Rain played havoc with the schedule at the Hobart International women's tennis tournament for a second consecutive day, raising the prospect of a delayed final the day before the Australian Open.

Australia's Alicia Molik was still waiting to play her second round match against Italian seventh seed Sara Errani after persistent rain washed out Wednesday's day session.

Countrywoman Jarmila Groth remained the only player through the quarter-finals, after winning the only completed game on Tuesday.

With more rain forecast, tournament director Michael Roberts said organisers had three contingency plans ready ahead of the final scheduled for Saturday afternoon.

"The first is extending the hours of play on Thursday and Friday," he said.

"The second option is to have the semi-finals and final on the Saturday.

"The third and worst case scenario, if we just can't get out there, is to move the final to Sunday."

The Australian Open begins next Monday, which would make for a tight turnaround for the finalists in Hobart.

Roberts said Australian Jessica Moore had missed qualifying for the Australian Open because she was committed to playing doubles in Hobart.

"Players risk a pretty hefty fine if they pull out of WTA tournaments," he said.

"There's no real point running out of here when it's raining in Melbourne."

Paul Fox-Hughes, the senior severe weather forecaster at the Bureau of Meteorology in Hobart, said rain would hit Tasmania for the next two days.

"We are expecting to get periods of rain over the next couple of days as part of this broader system that's affecting most of the state and most of the eastern seaboard," he said.

"It will ease a little during Thursday... and further rain on Friday, which will tend to ease. Into the weekend it should start to fine up."

- AAP

Tags: sport, tennis, australia, tas, hobart-7000

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SA hockey captain in World All Stars team

---

Midfielder Marsha Marescia, the captain of the Investec South Africa women's hockey team, has been named in the World All Stars team for the third time in four years.

The silky-skilled Marescia (27) was also selected for the International Hockey Federation (FIH) All Stars in 2007 and 2009.

"What more can one say about Marsha," SA head coach Giles Bonnet said on Monday. "She is the complete professional, blessed with skill, fighting spirit and a strong attachment to the team's cause."

The All Stars selection is based on the recommendations and opinions of hockey experts from across the globe including officials, coaches, journalists and players.

Marescia, who is just short of 220 caps, said on Monday that while she felt honoured, the recognition is as much a tribute to her teammates.

"Hockey is a team game and I must thank my teammates, for without their talent and commitment, recognition of this nature wouldn't be possible for an individual," she said.

During the SA training camp at the University of Free State Hockey Centre in Bloemfontein earlier this month, Argentine coach Adel Fuentes described Marescia as "a special one".

It is an acknowledgement that has followed Marescia's career since her SA debut at the tender age of 18.

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Legends unsure of Hewitt return to top 10

Updated January 10, 2011 20:16:00

Still got what it takes? Messrs McEnroe and Lendle don't believe Lleyton Hewitt can make it back to the top 10. (Getty Images: Paul Kane)

Tennis legends Ivan Lendl and John McEnroe say Lleyton Hewitt has scant chance of returning to the world top 10.

Former world number one Hewitt, on a comeback from a four month lay-off after a second bout of hip surgery, is ranked 54 ahead of next week's Australian Open.

And Lendl and McEnroe do not like the Australian's chances of breaking back into the top 10 at age 29 under such circumstances.

"Certainly, it's not easy for anyone," Lendl said.

"There are so many good players, and younger players, and the game is moving on.

"And every time you have an injury like he did, and you are out for extended period of time, you have to catch up.

"And then he can only start improving again and the other guys kept improving the entire time, so it makes it much harder."

McEnroe agrees it will be a tall order.

"He has got a lot to be proud of ... but players are hungry and younger and it's tough," said McEnroe, who is in Adelaide with Lendl to contest this week's World Tennis Challenge.

"On a given day I think he could beat anybody.

"But to go all the way back, that means you have to be healthy for an extended period of time, I hope he's healthy to have that chance.

"It's going to be very difficult to get back to that level but he certainly is one of the greatest competitors I have seen on a tennis court."

- AAP

Tags: sport, tennis, adelaide-5000

First posted January 10, 2011 19:45:00

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Jonathan Byrd ousts Robert Garrigus in playoff to win PGA Tour opener

KAPALUA, Hawaii -- Jonathan Byrd had a silver trophy at his side and a lei draped around his neck, a winner Sunday in the Tournament of Champions, even if the playoff didn't end the way anyone imagined.

"Pretty overwhelmed," he said.

The emotions went beyond his victory in the PGA Tour's season opener when Robert Garrigus, the biggest hitter on tour, missed a 3-foot par putt on the second extra hole at Kapalua.

Sobel: For Openers

From Jonathan Byrd's playoff victory at the PGA Tour's opener to Graeme McDowell's 62 on Sunday, Jason Sobel delves into all things golf. Weekly 18

Just over three months ago, Byrd thought he might lose his card for the first time in his career. He was outside the top 125 on the money list, and not much was going his way.

Then came a hole-in-one in near darkness to win Las Vegas in a playoff, getting him to Maui for the Tournament of Champions. He made it two straight wins by closing with a 6-under 67, and winning despite the length advantage for Garrigus in the playoff.

"I can't sit here and not think about where I was toward the end of the season last year, fighting for my card," he said. "I'm just thankful, I'm overwhelmed, I'm grateful, all of the above."

Garrigus -- his name might as well be "gregarious" -- was thankful, too, despite a tough way to lose. He had a 12-foot eagle putt on the last hole in regulation that would have been enough to win. He failed to take advantage of his length on the par-5 18th in the playoff, hitting a poor chip that fooled him. And with a 9-iron to the green on No. 1 in the playoff -- Byrd used his 3-iron -- he couldn't get it closer than 40 feet.

Garrigus ran it 3 feet by the hole, and tried to jam it in from there and caught the right lip.

"If you had told me this -- I'd have been in a playoff with one of the best players in the world -- I'd have said, 'Hey, bring it on and we'll get 'em next week,' " said Garrigus, who also shot 67. "It was a great week. I've lost about 133 golf tournaments, and it's not that big a deal. I get a nice check, and I get to go next week and relax and have fun."

They finished at 24-under 268.

Byrd had an 18-foot birdie putt in regulation to win. He had a 10-foot birdie on the 18th in the playoff to win. No putt came closer than his 50-foot effort on No. 1 in the playoff, the ball just touching the high side of the hole. He tapped in for par, and standing to the side of the green, began planning his next shot in the playoff at the par-3 second.

Garrigus put a sad end to it all.

"He just gave it a little too much gas, and missed the next putt coming back," Byrd said.

Byrd won for the fifth time in his career, and this was the biggest. He had never won on tour earlier than July. He had never beaten a field this strong, with only PGA Tour winners from last year. And this one came with some perks. Byrd earned an automatic invitation to the Masters, and with his second win in the last two months, he is exempt for the U.S. Open.

Graeme McDowell nearly joined them in the playoff. The U.S. Open champion, coming off a dream season, matched the Plantation Course record with an 11-under 62 and finished one shot behind. McDowell had a 10-foot birdie putt on the last hole that just missed.

Steve Stricker, tied with Byrd and Garrigus going into the final round, shot 71 and tied for fourth with Carl Pettersson (68).

McDowell started the final round six shots out of the lead, and he told one of the locker room attendants that he probably would need a 59 to have any kind of chance.

He gave it quite a ride. He ran off four straight birdies early in the round to make the turn in 30 and get within range. After scolding himself for missing an 8-foot birdie try on the 12th, McDowell responded with four straight birdies, including a 20-footer down the slope on the 15th after playing a safe pitch.

Hyundai Tournament of Champions Leaderboard

1. Byrd (-24)*
2. Garrigus (-24)
3. McDowell (-23)
T-4. Pettersson (-20)
T-4. Stricker (-20)

* Won in playoff
?�Complete scores

"I never looked at the leaderboard," McDowell said. "I knew the guys were going to go low. I just kept my head down. When I birdied, 13, 14, 15, 16 ... I said, 'Hold on.' "

But with another dose of Kona wind -- that's when Kapalua is at its longest -- the 17th and 18th are not easy. McDowell can't reach the par-5 18th in two, but hit a risky pitch that flew toward the pin and checked up 8 feet short. His firm putt didn't catch all the break, and he had to settle for par for the fourth straight round.

"It was just a fun day out there," McDowell said. "This golf course is just 'green light' all day. You can see from the scoring, there's a lot of birdies, and it's a lot of fun."

It wasn't much fun for Stricker, who didn't stay in the lead very long.

Stricker chipped poorly on the first hole and made bogey, three-putted for par on the fifth, then hit two very tentative putts on the seventh hole for another three-putt bogey that left him four shots behind.

Ian Poulter closed with a 66 to tie for sixth -- he hasn't finished worse than that in his last five tournaments. He was joined by Matt Kuchar, who shot a 69.

The tournament ended with a bizarre twist, much like the rest of the week went.

It started with two-time defending champion Geoff Ogilvy having to pull out with 12 stitches in his finger from a freak injury in the ocean. The next day, Camilo Villegas was disqualified because of a rules violation that was reported through Twitter.

It ended with the first American winner at Kapalua in 10 years, something Byrd was made aware of earlier in the week.

"I said it was about time for an American to win," Byrd said. "I just didn't know it would be me."

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

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Millsap rallies Jazz to another comeback victory

HOUSTON -- The Utah Jazz understand how to finish games. It's the starts that need some work.

Paul Millsap scored 12 of his 27 points in overtime and the Jazz rallied from another double-digit deficit in a 103-99 win over the slumping Houston Rockets on Saturday night.

Al Jefferson had 24 points and 13 rebounds and C.J. Miles added 16 points for the Jazz, who have come back to win 12 times this season after trailing by at least 10 points.

"It shows we've got a lot of heart, and we've got a lot of guys who don't want to lose on this team," said Millsap, who scored 11 in the fourth quarter. "But we've got to focus in and get off to better starts if we want to progress through this season."

Deron Williams went 5 for 16 from the field but dished out 15 assists.

The Jazz mustered only 19 points in each of the first two quarters and trailed by 14 at halftime. Utah then held Houston to 13 field goals the rest of the way to close the gap.

"We played a lot harder defensively in the second half," Williams said. "We took a step forward as a team. In the second half, we got after them more and didn't let them get easy baskets."

Luis Scola had 24 points and 10 rebounds and Kevin Martin scored 20 for the Rockets, who have lost five in a row, their longest skid since an 0-5 start.

"Same problems we were having early in the season, we have now," Scola said. "It's frustrating. We deserved to win this game, but we didn't know how to close it out."

Millsap scored only four points through the first three quarters, then led Utah's final push in the fourth. He hit two free throws and scored three baskets inside to tie it 86-all with 1:29 left. He was fouled by Brad Miller on a layup and made the free throw to give the Jazz their first lead.

Millsap hit nine of his last 12 shots after starting 2 for 8.

"They were leaving me open and Deron was getting me the ball," Millsap said. "We all get a feeling like that every now and then, where you feel like you're not going to miss."

Utah led 89-87 when Martin hit a pair of free throws with 27 seconds left to tie it again. Millsap missed an off-balance jumper and Shane Battier rebounded with 2.8 seconds remaining.

The Jazz knocked the ball away from Martin and out of bounds with 0.2 showing on the clock. Kyle Lowry missed a desperation shot as regulation time expired.

Millsap swished three straight jumpers from the free throw line in the extra period to give Utah control. Scola flipped in a hook shot with 34 seconds to go, but Millsap sneaked inside for a layup to put the game away.

"I don't want to be disrespectful to them," Scola said of Utah. "I really, really respect their team. But I believe today's game, it was all on us."

The Rockets went 3 for 25 from 3-point range and shot 38 percent (34 of 90) overall.

At the start, the Jazz sputtered offensively, missing 13 of their first 18 shots. Utah came in averaging 22.9 points in the first quarter, 28th in the NBA.

Scola scored 10 points in the opening quarter and the Rockets went up 27-19.

Utah continued to miss shots in the second quarter, starting 2 for 7 from the field and giving away two turnovers in the first 5 minutes.

Courtney Lee followed Patrick Patterson's miss from the baseline with a one-handed dunk to put the Rockets ahead 35-24. Miller sank a 3-pointer with 4:07 left in the half to stretch the lead to 16.

Utah shot 41 percent (16 of 39) from the field and went 1 for 9 from 3-point range in the first half to trail 52-38 at the break.

Jefferson scored the first five points of the second half while the Rockets came out cold, missing six of their first seven shots.

Jefferson scored 14 points in the third quarter and the Jazz trailed only 67-64 heading to the fourth. Houston went 4 for 20 from the field in the third.

Williams sank his first 3-pointer with 6:47 left to cut Houston's lead to 78-73. Scola scored twice in the next minute to push the lead back to nine, but the Rockets scored only seven points over the final 5 minutes of regulation.

Game notes
The Jazz trailed by at least 10 points at halftime for the 12th time this season. ... Utah improved to 18-1 this season when scoring 100 points. ... Rockets point guard Aaron Brooks sat out for the third straight game with a left ankle sprain. ... Martin has scored at least 20 points in 14 of his last 17 games.

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Garrigus on top in Hawaii

Robert Garrigus shot a sizzling 63 to rocket to the top of the leaderboard after round two of the Hyundai Tournament of Champions.

Garrigus - who was four-under after day one - finished Friday on 14-under after his bogey-free round, one clear of overnight leader Carl Pettersson.

The American opened with a couple of pars before picking up four successive birdies between the third and sixth holes.

After turning for home he picked up further strokes at 10 and 12 and then produced a stunning eagle at the par-four 16th.

He followed with two more birdies on the final two holes to cap a quite spectacular effort.

Pettersson backed up his opening 66 with an impressive 67 to keep himself right in the hunt just one off the pace.

The Swede signed for five birdies as well as an eagle at the fifth, only for a bogey at the ninth to deny him parity with pacesetter Garrigus.

Pettersson's co-leader in the first round, Jonathan Byrd, shot 68 to sit third.

Rocket

The second best performance of the day came from Ernie Els, whose nine-under-par 64 saw him rocket up 18 positions on the day into a four-way share of fourth.

Alongside the South African on 10-under are American duo Steve Stricker and Jim Furyk and Italian Francesco Molinari.

Molinari's Ryder Cup team-mate Ian Poulter improved his opening 70 by two strokes on Friday, but remains six off the lead, one ahead of US Open champion Graeme McDowell.

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Roy Hodgson, English Premier League's Liverpool part ways

LONDON -- Roy Hodgson's six-month reign as Liverpool manager ended Saturday with former title-winning player and boss Kenny Dalglish put in charge until the end of the season.

Since taking over from Rafa Benitez in the offseason, Hodgson presided over Liverpool's worst start to a season in more than 50 years -- a dismal run of results that coincided with financial instability and a bitter court battle to oust unpopular American owners.

But even the arrival of Boston Red Sox owner John Henry in October couldn't halt Liverpool's slide.

The club finally lost patience with the 63-year-old Hodgson after Wednesday's 3-1 loss at Blackburn, which left Liverpool languishing in 12th place, with star players such as Spain striker Fernando Torres underperforming this season.

Hodgson went to Liverpool from 2010 Europa League finalist Fulham in July on a three-year contract. He left by mutual consent, a Liverpool club statement said Saturday on the eve of an FA Cup match at rival Manchester United.

"We are grateful for Roy's efforts over the past six months, but both parties thought it in the best interests of the club that he stand down from his position as team manager," Henry said.

Now Dalglish, who left Liverpool due to stress less than a year after delivering the team's 18th -- and most recent -- top-flight title triumph in 1990, shoulders the burden of pulling the team out of its doldrums.

Dalglish, 59, who was described in Saturday's statement as a "club legend," has watched the struggle from the directors' box in his position as a club ambassador.

"We are delighted that Kenny Dalglish has agreed to step in and manage the team for Sunday's FA Cup tie at Old Trafford and for the remainder of the season," Henry said. "Kenny was not just a legendary footballer, he was the third of our three most successful managers -- three giants. We are extraordinarily fortunate and grateful that he has decided to step in during the middle of this season."

Hodgson arrived at Liverpool fresh from having guided Fulham to the Europa League final, where the London club lost to Atletico Madrid.

Despite victories in the early stages of the Europa League at Liverpool, domestic results failed to live up to expectations, with an early embarrassing League Cup loss at home to fourth-tier club Northampton.

The team even found itself in the relegation zone of the league with a 2-1 home defeat to promoted Blackpool in October, the first time since September 1964 the Reds had ended a round of top-flight fixtures in such a position.

A run of three straight league wins, including over Chelsea at Anfield, eased some of the pressure, but Hodgson angered fans last week by saying he "had never had the famous Anfield support" since taking over.

"I have, however, found the last few months some of the most challenging of my career," Hodgson said Saturday in a statement released by Liverpool. "I am very sad not to have been able to put my stamp on the squad, to be given the time to bring new players into the club in this transfer window and to have been able to be part of the rebuilding process at Liverpool.

"The club has some great, world-class players, with whom it has been a pleasure to work and I wish the entire squad well for the rest of the season."

Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press

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Blues happy with no-import decision

Posted January 8, 2011 11:42:00

New South Wales captain Stuart Clark says the success of his state's decision not to recruit a big-name import for this summer's domestic Twenty20 competition will be judged by their results.

The Blues, who made a winning start to the tournament against South Australia on Tuesday, take on Western Australia in their first home encounter of the competition at Sydney's Olympic stadium on Sunday.

But while the Warriors will go into the match with West Indian superstar Chris Gayle and England quick Sajid Mahmood, the Blues have opted against recruiting an overseas star.

"I think we've got a depth of cricketer, there's some guys missing out that could easily play for a few other states," Clark said.

"That's not to say that we wouldn't have gone for the right import but we made a decision that we wanted to go for the right import and he had to be a world-class player and someone who would add to our team.

"Whether we're right or wrong, we'll know shortly.

"(But) unless he was going to add, or do, something that was completely different like a Keiron Pollard then we weren't going to do that, we were going to back our youth.

"I suppose we saw with South Australia, they signed Adil Rashid who's a fine county player but there's got to be a question mark over whether he's adding to their team or not."

The Warriors opened their campaign with a 63-run loss to Tasmania, continuing a disappointing domestic season for the team coached by former South African boss Mickey Arthur.

"Obviously Chris Gayle is a world class player, especially at this form of the game," Clark said of WA's drawcard.

"Big guy, hits the ball a long way.

"They're a good team, they've obviously struggled but Mickey Arthur's a good coach and they're trying to move forward in the right direction.

"Like most things it takes time but if we don't play good cricket they'll teach us how to play the game."

Sunday's match begins at 7:00pm (AEDT).

- AAP

Tags: sport, cricket, twenty20, australia, nsw, sydney-2000

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Maple Leafs hope Simple Life pays off vs. Thrashers

Not so simple: Mikhail Grabovski's spin move to beat the St. Louis Blues Thursday. The Leafs centre was one of the NHL's best scorers in December.

Darren Calabrese/THE CANADIAN PRESS

ATLANTA?The Leafs battle this season to keep their game ?simple? is beginning to turn the corner towards something the coaching staff wants to see.

And the best approach for tonight?s opponent looks like it would be a simple one against an Atlanta Thrashers team that is among the league leaders in scoring by defenceman.

The Thrashers are ranked sixth in the Eastern Conference and have become one of the better stories in the NHL this season. They?ve turned a team that struggles to make the playoffs into an emerging powerhouse?and a lot of it comes from the blueline.

Atlanta?s defence has combined for 108 points, second in the NHL to Detroit. The big man is Dustin Byfuglien, a forward who has returned to defence this season for the first time since 2007-08, and is leading the league in defenceman scoring with 41 points.

?We have to have five guys in all three zones on the ice before they do,? Leafs assistant coach Tim Hunter said Friday ahead of the 7:30 p.m. start.

?They are very good at getting a fourth guy into the rush (a defenceman), and with Byfuglien, you have to get into the shooting lanes because he has a tremendous shot. He?s a former forward too so he has that vision of the ice that can cause trouble for the opposition.?

The Leafs are trying to get their centres to replicate what Hunter said, knowing where the puck is at all times.

One big improvement the Leafs are seeing is with Mikhail Grabovski. After spending much of last season trying to get the quick skating centre to improve his game in all three zones of the ice, the Leafs are now seeing some solid work from him.

Grabovski now has 10 goals in his last 13 games and has arguably been one of the NHL?s most dangerous forwards since the beginning of December.

The Leafs showed some benefits of simplifying their game in Thursday?s 6-5 shootout win over St. Louis, but the team also continued its season-long struggles with turnovers and inconsistent play in the defensive zone.

?We?re trying to simplify things, getting pucks going quickly out of our zone, getting them going north in a hurry to the offensive zone,? Hunter said.

?We?ve done a good job lately, but we?re still not winning battles to pucks in our own zone, and getting those pucks to our forwards.?

The Leafs, meanwhile, took the morning off. The club has begun a four-game road trip that will see them play three games in Los Angeles, San Jose, and then Phoenix, before returning home for a game against Calgary the following Saturday.

While there is no official announcement, it?s expected James Reimer will get the start in goal tonight.

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England end years of hurt

England ended 24 years of hurt as they finally sealed an Ashes series win on Australian soil with an innings and 83-run win in Sydney.

The result was never really in doubt after England's attack had ripped through the Australia innings on day four at the SCG to put them on the brink of a first series win Down Under since the 1986/87 series.

The hosts managed to hang on overnight at 213-7, with Peter Siddle and Steve Smith ensuring England would have to wait until the final day to complete the 3-1 series rout.

However Australia started the day 151 runs away from making England bat again - and although rain hampered play, it was never going to be enough to save them.

Smith and Siddle had threatened to spoil the party as they put on 50 for the eighth wicket, while the rain forced the players off the field after little more than 20 minutes of play.

When play got back under way, the Australian duo continued to thwart the tourists, taking their stand on to 86.

But England finally got the breakthrough when Siddle's attempted slog sweep off Graeme Swann could only find James Anderson in the deep.

Siddle's 43 came off 65 balls and included four boundaries - with the fast bowler having scored more runs in the series than Ricky Ponting, Simon Katich and Phil Hughes.

Ben Hilfenhaus quickly followed in the second over with the new ball as he edged Anderson behind to Matt Prior.

Smith attempted to keep playing his shots and he deservedly reached his second Test half-century off 85 balls.

But he was left stranded as Michael Beer edged the ball onto his own stumps to see Australia all out for 281.

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Southern Stars overcome England

Updated January 5, 2011 22:36:00

England's Lydia Greenway (pictured left) and Charlotte Edwards hit a 66-run partnership but came up short in the run chase. (Getty Images: Stefan Gosatti)

The Australian women's cricket team has beaten England by 33 runs under the Duckworth-Lewis method in a rain-effected opening match at the WACA.

The Southern Stars made 7 for 194 from 44 overs, with Alex Blackwell (42 from 69) and Lea Poulton (39 from 57) top scoring for the hosts.

England's Jennifer Gunn (3 for 28) and Danielle Hazell (1 for 25) helped restrict the run rate, but their efforts were not backed up by the visitors' other bowlers, who leaked runs freely.

Chasing a revised target of 185 from 39.3 overs, Charlotte Edwards (50 from 85) and Lydia Greenway (26 from 53) shared in a well-paced 66 run partnership for the third wicket.

But no wag in the tail followed as England's run chase petered out to 9 for 151 before rain started again in the 40th over.

Australia responded with a more disciplined team bowling effort, with Lisa Sthalekar (2 for 28) and Shelley Nitschke (2 for 30) pegging the run rate down to see off England's chase.

After the match, Nitschke - who also scored 26 in Australia's innings - said her team were pleased to start the three-match series so well.

"It was first of all nice to get the series started and then to have a win was excellent for us and hopefully we can continue this form and this momentum through the rest of the series," she said.

"We would have liked a few more runs but we had a lot of contributors with the bat which was really good and hopefully that's a good sign moving forward.

"We'll take some confidence out of this win. We were in England a couple of years ago and had a pretty ordinary series against them, so hopefully we can keep this momentum and continue to improve.

"[Rene] Farrell and [Ellyse] Perry bowled really well at the start, especially Rene, she moves the ball quite a bit and it was quite humid out there and those conditions really assisted her.

"Our girls did a really good job and used the conditions extremely well early, they probably just needed a bit more luck."

Tags: sport, cricket, australia, wa, perth-6000, england

First posted January 5, 2011 22:28:00

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Wade Phillips hired as Houston Texans' defensive coordinator

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HOUSTON -- The Houston Texans hired Wade Phillips as their new defensive coordinator Wednesday, hoping the fired head coach of the Cowboys can turn around a unit that sank toward the bottom of the league last season.

Phillips was the head coach in Dallas but was fired in midseason after a 1-7 start. He joins Gary Kubiak's staff two days after the Texans fired defensive coordinator Frank Bush, secondary coach David Gibbs, linebackers coach Johnny Holland and assistant linebackers coach Robert Saleh.

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A source told ESPN.com senior NFL writer John Clayton that Phillips' deal is worth $2.1 million over three years. The contract makes Phillips the highest-paid defensive coordinator in the NFL.

The Texans (6-10) lost eight of their last 10 games, mostly due to a defense that ranked as one of the NFL's worst. Houston finished 30th in yards allowed (386.6 per game) and last against the pass (267.5 yards per game).

Phillips becomes the third defensive coordinator in Kubiak's tenure, which began in 2006 and was on tenuous ground until owner Bob McNair said this week that he was sticking with his head coach. Bush and his predecessor, Richard Smith, had no previous experience at the position, and McNair and Kubiak both said they needed someone with a more proven track record this time.

The 63-year-old Phillips, a defensive coordinator most of his career, ran the defense in Denver from 1986-92, overlapping Kubiak's playing career as John Elway's backup for the Broncos.

The connection between the two goes back to the late 1970s, when Kubiak was a ball boy for the Oilers, who were coached by Wade's father, Bum. The elder Phillips showed up at Texans practice a week ago and chatted with McNair, sparking speculation that his son was in line to join the team.

The Texans' defense was bad from the start this season, yielding 410.5 yards through the first six games. The Texans only started 4-2 because the offense topped 30 points in each of the victories.

Pro Bowl middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans ruptured his Achilles tendon in the sixth game, and the defense never improved.

Kubiak also paid for his gamble to start rookie Kareem Jackson and second-year pro Glover Quin at cornerback. Houston gave up a league-high 33 touchdown passes and the secondary was beaten repeatedly on long receptions late in games.

The slide in the standings started after the bye week, in a 30-17 loss to Indianapolis. The unit seemed to show improvement in a 20-0 win over Tennessee, but the deficiencies in the secondary emerged again in losses to Philadelphia, Baltimore, Tennessee and Denver.

The pass rush was also an issue. Defensive end Mario Williams had 8� sacks through the first 13 games, but then went on injured reserve with a sports hernia. Houston had 30 sacks this season to rank 23rd overall.

Phillips likes a 3-4 defensive alignment, which would be a change from the 4-3 that the Texans have played the last two seasons. Kubiak said Monday that he didn't care what scheme his new coordinator runs as long as it works.

A 3-4 scheme would require Williams and fellow defensive end Antonio Smith to adjust their techniques and attack more to the inside of the line than the outside.

"If it doesn't suit you, it doesn't suit you," Smith said. "I think that sometimes players get a bad rap in making a decision that best suits them and the longevity of their career, and half the time they're looked at and seen in a bad light because they want to keep their career going on the same course that it was going on. And with a change of defense that doesn't suit you, you're going right on the road to ending your career, if you don't perform at that position.

"Now, if it suits, it suits," Smith said. "And if it's feasible, I can do it. But if it's not, it's just not."

Williams also said the Texans will need to get a massive nose tackle to clog the middle to make a 3-4 alignment work.

"We've got big guys, but it's just a totally different animal," he said.

Information from ESPN.com's John Clayton and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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SA hockey captain in World All Stars team

---

Midfielder Marsha Marescia, the captain of the Investec South Africa women's hockey team, has been named in the World All Stars team for the third time in four years.

The silky-skilled Marescia (27) was also selected for the International Hockey Federation (FIH) All Stars in 2007 and 2009.

"What more can one say about Marsha," SA head coach Giles Bonnet said on Monday. "She is the complete professional, blessed with skill, fighting spirit and a strong attachment to the team's cause."

The All Stars selection is based on the recommendations and opinions of hockey experts from across the globe including officials, coaches, journalists and players.

Marescia, who is just short of 220 caps, said on Monday that while she felt honoured, the recognition is as much a tribute to her teammates.

"Hockey is a team game and I must thank my teammates, for without their talent and commitment, recognition of this nature wouldn't be possible for an individual," she said.

During the SA training camp at the University of Free State Hockey Centre in Bloemfontein earlier this month, Argentine coach Adel Fuentes described Marescia as "a special one".

It is an acknowledgement that has followed Marescia's career since her SA debut at the tender age of 18.

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Mark Cuban jabs Phil Jackson as 'Jeanie Buss' boy-toy'

DALLAS -- Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban apparently didn't appreciate Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson offering his opinion about the impact of Caron Butler's season-ending knee injury.

"He just leaves a vacuum that's going to be very hard for them to fill," Jackson said, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Cuban scoffed Tuesday evening at reporters' questions about whether this affected the Mavs' approach in the trade market. He kept his answers brief, saying they'd be "opportunistic," as always.

But Cuban was a bit more talkative while jabbing at Jackson, poking fun at the legendary coach's romantic relationship with Lakers owner Jerry Buss' daughter and team executive vice president of business operations, Jeanie, in the process.

"I love that Jeanie Buss' boy-toy had something to say about us," Cuban said while sweating on the stair-stepping machine in the Mavs' workout room. "I don't know if it was his thought or Jeanie's thought, but it's nice to know that she lets him speak in public about other teams."

When asked about Cuban's comments, Jackson said, "Mark must be really worried. If he's got to comment on that, he must be really worried."

At age 65, Jackson took Cuban's jab as a compliment.

"I love it," Jackson said. "I consider myself an old man, to hear that I'm a boy-toy? That's terrific."

Buss, meanwhile, told reporters there could have been a better comeback by Cuban.

Jackson then tried to clarify his original comment about Dallas.

"I feel badly for [the Mavericks], that's what I was saying. It's hard to replace a player that good," Jackson said. "They do have a good player that's sitting behind him. Shawn [Marion] is a fine player, but it's not Caron Butler, so it's hard to replace a player like that."

Cuban declined to offer his opinion on the two-time defending champion Lakers, who have hit a rough patch with four losses in six games.

"I don't have a take on his team," Cuban said with a smirk. "I like Jeanie."

Tim MacMahon covers the Mavericks for ESPN Dallas. You can follow him on Twitter or leave a question for his weekly mailbag. Information from ESPNLosAngeles.com's Dave McMenamin was used in this report.

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Magic get rolling in second half to rout Warriors

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Hedo Turkoglu gave Magic fans a glowing demonstration of why the team made him a key figure in its massive reorganization two weeks ago.

Turkoglu, part of two trades involving eight players that Orlando engineered to reload its roster, had 10 points, 10 assists and 14 rebounds in the Magic's 110-90 rout over Golden State on Monday night.

"I'm glad I finally did something to help this team win," said Turkoglu, who has been steady in nearly every game since his return to the Magic. "When I have the ball in my hands, I'm able to do the things I'm good at. My strength is to be the guy who is a facilitator, get my shot or find one for my teammates."

It was the third triple-double of his career and helped the Magic run their winning streak to six games. Dwight Howard scored 22 points and grabbed 17 rebounds.

Jason Richardson, who came to Orlando from Phoenix with Turkoglu and Earl Clark, said the Magic are taking better advantage of Turkoglu's ball-handling skills than the Suns did. Much of that was evident in the second half when Orlando outscored Golden State 66-37 to erase a nine-point halftime deficit. Turkoglu for seven assists in the final two periods.

"It's great to see Hedo come back alive and play the kind of basketball he's capable of playing," Richardson said. "It was a different situation in Phoenix. Steve [Nash] was so great with the ball out there and we couldn't really figure a way to play them together out there.

"But [Turkoglu] is like having another point guard here. He knows the system and he's really taking advantage of it," Richardson said.

Howard played a key role in opening up the floor for Turkoglu and his teammates. Orlando made 15 3-pointers, 12 in the second half when the Warriors couldn't decide whether to smother Howard inside or stay with Orlando's shooters out on the perimeter. Turns out, they did neither.

"When you've got to deal with Dwight Howard, it's going to force your team to help in ways you don't really want to help," Golden State Coach Keith Smart said. "Unfortunately, we don't have anyone who can guard him one-on-one."

The Warriors had things going their way in the first half when they outrebounded Orlando 25-17 and slipped away to a 53-44 halftime advantage. Dorell Wright had 12 of his 17 points, but neither Wright nor his teammates could keep up with the Magic after the break.

"Maybe we can just play a half and go home," said Smart, whose team blew a 14-point halftime lead in Miami two nights earlier. "We played very, very good basketball against two elite teams and for whatever reason, didn't come out in the second half and play at the level necessary to win."

Monta Ellis led Golden State with 20 points. The Warriors played without starting center David Lee, who bruised his back in a loss at Miami and is day to day.

The Magic, who were just 3 of 11 on 3-pointers in the first half, hit a flurry of 3s in the third quarter and early in the fourth to easily erase the nine-point halftime deficit. Orlando was 12 of 21 on 3-pointers in the second half.

Richardson started the second half with a 3-pointer and Jameer Nelson followed with two more 3s, the second one giving Orlando a 64-62 lead with 5:21 left in the third period. Gilbert Arenas nailed the final 3-pointer of the period just before the buzzer, pushing the Magic lead to 79-71.

Ryan Anderson drained two more 3s early in the fourth quarter, the second one giving Orlando an 89-75 lead with 9:33 left in the game. Golden State never got closer than 10 the rest of the game.

Anderson and J.J. Redick each had 13 points, Nelson and Arenas had 11 apiece and Brandon Bass added 10 points.

Game notes
Redick is 44 for 80 from behind the 3-point line in his last 20 games. Wright is averaging 22.4 points and shooting 48 percent (25 of 52) from behind the 3-point line in his last seven games.

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Cincinnati Bearcats fortify Big East's control in ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll

Connecticut dropped five spots to ninth in the ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll Monday after the Huskies' first loss of the season.

But Cincinnati's addition at No. 25 helped the Big East fortify its dominance in the Top 25.

Duke remained atop the poll with all 31 first-place votes and also had all 65 No. 1 votes in The Associated Press' Top 25 poll.

The Blue Devils (13-0) on Monday were among seven undefeated NCAA Division I teams, all of which are represented in the coaches' poll with the appearance of the Bearcats (14-0), who entered after beating Seton Hall 70-53 at home on Friday.

Duke remained the unanimous No. 1 for the sixth straight week and has been the nation's top team all nine weeks since the preseason poll was released Nov. 8. Ohio State (14-0) and Kansas (13-0) remained second and third behind Duke.

Connecticut (11-1) and Cincinnati are among eight ranked Big East teams, including No. 4 Syracuse (15-0), No. 5 Pittsburgh (13-1), No. 7 Villanova (12-1), No. 13 Georgetown (12-2), No. 15 Notre Dame (12-2) and No. 23 Louisville (11-2).

The Hoyas look to bounce back Monday night against St. John's (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2), having fallen four spots after a loss to Notre Dame in their Big East opener.

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New York Giants owner: Tom Coughlin to return as coach in '11

LANDOVER, Md. -- New York Giants president and CEO John Mara didn't take long to decide the fate of Tom Coughlin.

In fact, not long after the Giants were eliminated from playoff contention for the second straight year, a defiant Mara announced that his head coach was coming back for another season.

"I'm obviously disappointed we didn't make the playoffs but that doesn't mean you blow the whole thing up," Mara said after the Giants beat the Redskins 17-14 in the regular-season finale that proved meaningless after the Packers clinched a playoff berth with a 10-3 win over the Bears. "I think we have a good solid organization and there are some things we can improve on but he's still the guy that we want as our head coach."

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Mara met with Coughlin during the middle of last week to express that ownership supported the head coach. Mara said he did not need to see what happened on Sunday to bring the 64-year-old head coach back.

The Giants (10-6) needed to beat the Redskins and have the Packers lose to the Bears in order to make the playoffs. Their slim playoff hopes were dashed with Green Bay's win.

Of course, the Giants let their playoff chances slip through their hands like one of their 42 maddening turnovers this season. They had the NFC East title within their grasp but blew a 31-10 lead over the Eagles in the last eight minutes of a 38-31 defeat to their division rival two weeks ago.

The Giants were trounced in Green Bay the following week, 45-17, with a playoff berth at stake.

Despite that, Mara felt players still believed in Coughlin and played for the head coach, who is only three seasons removed from one of the greatest Super Bowl victories of all time. Coughlin has had just one losing season (6-10 in 2004) with the Giants since taking over in 2004.

"I'm proud of how the players battled through the injuries," Mara said of a team that had to use six different starting combinations on the offensive line and had five wide receivers land on injured reserve. "I think that is a testament to the coach."

"In this society, everybody wants to fire the coach all the time," Mara said. "The Yankees get knocked off in the playoffs, everybody wants to fire the manager. Well, we don't do that here. He's going to be our coach. Because I believe in the guy, I believe in stability, you can't build anything if you are constantly making changes and firing people. That is not our culture and it is just not what we believe in. We know this guy is a good coach and we want him to lead us into next season."

With head coaches like Bill Cowher, Jon Gruden and John Fox among those potentially looking for new jobs, the Giants would have been an attractive destination for a high-profile coach had they decided to make a change.

But Mara said he and chairman Steve Tisch wanted Coughlin back. Coughlin has one year remaining on his contract and the Giants will have to figure out whether they want to extend his contract and for how long.

"That is a discussion for a later date," said Mara, who could always add on another year to Coughlin's deal.

Coughlin said he understood why the team waited until the season was over to announce that he was returning.

"I'm very, very appreciative for the support of the Mara and Tisch family and Mr. Mara coming out at this point in time and making that very clear to everyone is greatly appreciated by me and my family and hopefully our team," Coughlin said. "Again, I was appreciative that he did come by [last week to talk]. It did mean a lot because it was a big game for us."

Last year, Mara was fuming after the Giants opened the season 5-0 only to finish 8-8. The Giants may still make some changes this offseason to the coaching staff and player personnel but the head coach is staying.

"It really came down to one bad half of a quarter for us but I don't think when that happens that means you have to blow the whole thing up," Mara said. "Stability is something we strive for here and I think the only time you make a change is if it appears like the players are not responding to the head coach and that is just not the case."

"I didn't feel like I needed to [talk to any players] this year," Mara added. "There have been times where I have done that in the past but just watching their body language in practice and in the locker room, I knew that they wanted him back."

Ohm Youngmisuk covers the Giants for ESPNNewYork.com. Follow him on Twitter.

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