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In brief: McGrady leaves Rockets for Big Apple

Guard Tracy McGrady, right, will get a shot at resurrecting his career after a deadline-day trade to the New York Knicks. (Associated Press)
From Staff And Wire Reports
Guard Tracy McGrady, right, will get a shot at resurrecting his career after a deadline-day trade to the New York Knicks. (Associated Press)

NBA: On a whirlwind trade deadline day in the NBA, the New York Knicks acquired former scoring champion Tracy McGrady on Thursday in a three-team swap with the Houston Rockets and the Sacramento Kings. The deal left the Knicks on the verge of being able to offer two maximum salary contracts to the 2010 free-agent class that could be headlined by LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh.

Amare Stoudemire could be in the market for one if he decides to leave Phoenix – where he’ll again finish the season after spending the weeks before the deadline atop the trade rumor mill.

Chicago, Washington and Sacramento all cleared enough salary in moves before the noon PST deadline to be able to afford a max player, and the Los Angeles Clippers got close.

To get McGrady, the Knicks sent Jared Jeffries and rookie Jordan Hill to Houston along with a protected first-round pick in 2012, and gave the Rockets the right to exchange first-round picks in 2011. The Rockets will get guard Kevin Martin and forward Hilton Armstrong from Sacramento, while the Kings received Larry Hughes from the Knicks, Carl Landry and Joey Dorsey from Houston and sent guard Sergio Rodriguez to New York.

The Knicks also dealt former University of Washington guard Nate Robinson to Boston along with Marcus Landry for Eddie House, J.R. Giddens, Bill Walker and a future conditional second-round pick.

The Bulls traded forward Tyrus Thomas to Charlotte for a future, protected first-round pick and guards Flip Murray and Acie Law. Chicago also dealt guard John Salmons to Milwaukee for Hakim Warrick and Joe Alexander.

•Nets reach deal with Newark: The New Jersey Nets reached a deal with the state to move their regular-season games to Newark’s Prudential Center until their new arena is built in Brooklyn.

Under the deal, the Nets will pay a $4 million penalty over two years to get out of their lease at the Izod Center in the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, their home since 1981.

The team will continue to practice and be headquartered in an East Rutherford, N.J., office about a mile from the Izod Center until they move to Brooklyn for the 2012-13 season.

•Nuggets end Cavs’ hot streak: Carmelo Anthony scored 40 points, including the winning basket, and the Denver Nuggets overcame LeBron James’ triple-double and ended the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 13-game streak with a 118-116 victory in overtime at Cleveland.

James finished with 43 points, 13 rebounds and 15 assists, but Anthony hit the winner on a deep jumper over James with 1.9 seconds left.

Westwood, Furyk toppled at Match Play

Golf: The unpredictable Match Play Championship more than lived up to its reputation in a topsy-turvy second round at Dove Mountain in Marana, Ariz.

Lee Westwood, Jim Furyk, Martin Kaymer and Rory McIlroy – seeded second through fifth – were among the losers. Defending champion Geoff Ogilvy was beaten by Camilo Villegas, 2 and 1. Top-seeded Steve Stricker lost Wednesday in the first round.

The highest remaining seed is England’s Paul Casey at No. 6. Casey, the runner-up a year ago who won the World Match Play Championship in England in 2006, swiftly dispatched Canadian Mike Weir, 5 and 4.

•Pettersen, Hur snatch early lead: Norway’s Suzann Pettersen made a tap-in eagle on the par-5 18th for a 6-under-par 66 and a share of the first-round lead with South Korea’s M.J. Hur in the season-opening Honda PTT LPGA Thailand in Pattaya.

Wendy Ward of Edwall, Wash., shot a first-round 76.

•Durant takes control: Joe Durant birdied five of the final eight holes for a 7-under 64 and a one-stroke lead in the PGA Tour’s Mayakoba Golf Classic in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

The 45-year-old Durant, a four-time tour winner, played the front nine in 2 under, then birdied Nos. 11-13 and 16-17 for a back-nine 30 on the Greg Norman-designed El Camaleon course.

Hoffarber, Minnesota bury Badgers

Men’s basketball: Blake Hoffarber had 16 points and nine rebounds to lead inspired Minnesota to a 68-52 victory over No. 14 Wisconsin in Minneapolis, putting a big dent in the Badgers’ Big Ten title bid.

Trevon Hughes scored 19 points and Jason Bohannon added 18 for Wisconsin, which went almost 8 minutes without scoring down the stretch and was outrebounded 41-28 for the game.

Lady Vols sidestep Bama’s upset bid

Women’s basketball: Alyssia Brewer had 20 points and 10 rebounds, and Angie Bjorklund (University High) scored 13 to help No. 5 Tennessee beat Alabama 74-67 in Tuscaloosa, Ala., surviving a scare against the Southeastern Conference’s last-place team.

The Lady Vols struggled to shake a team that hadn’t beaten them since 1984. Alabama closed to within 54-49 midway through the second half.

Vikings’ suspension dispute heads to trial

NFL: The labor fight between the NFL and two members of the Minnesota Vikings who challenged their drug-related suspensions will go to trial next month.

A Minnesota judge ruled that a lawsuit over the NFL’s suspensions of Vikings defensive tackles Kevin Williams and Pat Williams will go to trial March 8 to settle some employment issues, including whether the NFL, the Vikings – or both – are the players’ employer for purposes of drug testing.