In brief: Wade injury overshadows Heat victory

NBA: The Big 3 were together for merely 3 minutes. LeBron James and Chris Bosh more than picked up the slack after Dwyane Wade’s preseason debut came to a quick end.

And with that, this era for the Miami Heat got off to a promising, but not perfect, start.

James and Bosh combined for 38 points in their exhibition debuts, and the Heat easily beat the Detroit Pistons 105-89 in the preseason opener for both teams Tuesday night in Miami.

Still, the meaningless game may have major significance for Miami, after Wade limped off just 3:17 into the game with a strained right hamstring. He went into the locker room shortly afterward and did not return.

“A couple weeks, I’ll be back and running,” Wade said.

• Pistons will sell to Ilitch: The Detroit Pistons found a new owner – and he knows Motor City sports.

The Pistons decided to sell the team to Detroit Tigers and Detroit Red Wings owner Mike Ilitch, a person involved with the process said. The person, who spoke to the Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because of a confidentiality agreement, said both sides were negotiating financial terms.

• Boozer will miss two months: Chicago forward Carlos Boozer – the Bulls’ major offseason acquisition – had surgery on his fractured right hand and is expected to miss two months.

Baseball: The Seattle Mariners asked for and received permission to interview Kansas City Royals bench coach John Gibbons for their managerial position.

Gibbons, 48, has been the Royals’ bench coach the past two seasons. He was the Toronto Blue Jays’ manager from 2004 until he was fired in June 2008.

Sounders win U.S. Open Cup again

Soccer: Sanna Nyassi broke a 1-all tie in the 66th minute by cleaning up Steve Zakuani’s header with a left-footed shot into an open net – his second goal of the night – and the Seattle Sounders FC repeated as U.S. Open Cup champions with a 2-1 win over the Columbus Crew in Seattle.

It took Nyassi nearly two full seasons to score his first goal in America, getting his first mark last Saturday in a MLS match against Toronto.

Contador sample showed residues

Cycling: A urine sample taken from three-time Tour de France winner Alberto Contador showed abnormally high levels of plastic residues that could indicate he received a transfusion of his own blood during this year’s race, a person with knowledge of the test results told the AP.

College football: Four lawmakers are urging the Internal Revenue Service to “thoroughly examine” a tax complaint filed against three premier college football bowls.

Playoff PAC, a political action committee that wants the bowls replaced with a championship playoff system, recently filed the IRS complaint against the operators of the Fiesta, Sugar and Orange Bowls.

The complaint accuses the three bowls of violating their tax-exempt status by paying excessive salaries and perks, providing “sweetheart loans” and doing undisclosed lobbying.

NASCAR officer turns down RCR bid

Miscellany: Richard Childress Racing lost its last bid to overturn Clint Bowyer’s championship-ending penalty.

NASCAR chief appellate officer John Middlebrook ruled Bowyer will not get back the 150 points he was docked after his winning car at New Hampshire on Sept. 19 failed inspection.

• Germany leads equestrian event: Germany took the lead after the team jumping competition at the World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Ky.

Germany had a combined score of 17.8 to take the top spot heading to today’s final round. The U.S. was third with 18.69.

• Italians defeat U.S. men’s team: Italy rallied from a set down to beat the United States 3-1 at the men’s volleyball world championships in Rome.