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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Newsmakers

From Staff And Wire Reports

Scheduled Cavaliers center Shaquille O’Neal will undergo surgery today to repair his injured right thumb. O’Neal was examined Sunday by Dr. Thomas Graham at the National Hand Center in Baltimore. He will perform the surgery. An MRI exam Saturday confirmed the injury was a significant sprain. O’Neal was hurt during a win at Boston on Thursday. Anderson Varejao will continue to start at center. Former backup Zydrunas Ilgauskas, traded to Washington for Antawn Jamison, is now a free agent following a buyout from the Wizards. Ilgauskas is free to sign with any team, but will have to wait until March 21 under NBA rules should he elect to re-sign with the Cavaliers. Cleveland also recalled rookie Danny Green from Erie of the NBA D-League.

Missed All-Star forward Chris Bosh did not travel with the Toronto Raptors and missed his fifth straight game due to a sprained left ankle. Bosh is listed as day-to-day for the Raptors, who lost at Oklahoma City 119-99 on Sunday night and are scheduled to play at Houston tonight. Bosh ranks eighth in the NBA with a 24.5-point average and he’s also fifth in the league with 11.4 rebounds per game. Toronto has gone 2-3 without Bosh.

Suspended The Minnesota Timberwolves have suspended center Al Jefferson for the next two games without pay after his arrest on suspicion of DWI. The Minnesota State Patrol says a trooper stopped the 25-year-old Jefferson on Interstate 394 early Sunday for speeding and changing lanes without signaling. Jefferson was taken to a hospital for a blood test, then to Hennepin County Jail on suspicion of fourth-degree driving while impaired.

Honored Harness racehorse Muscle Hill overpowered the competition and ran away with harness racing’s Horse of the Year honors. A perfect 12-0 record last year earned the 3-year-old trotter 164 of 173 votes from the U.S. Harness Writers Association, easily defeating fellow trotter Lucky Jim and pacer Well Said for the sport’s top award. Well Said was voted Pacer of the Year and Muscle Hill also earned Trotter of the Year.