Prugh tied for second; Woods five shots back

Golf: Looking for a new start after a disastrous year on and off the golf course, Tiger Woods opened the Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego with a 3-under-par 69 on the North Course that left him five shots behind South Korean rookie Sunghoon Kang.

Kang, a 24-year-old rookie, finished with back-to-back birdies on the North Course for an 8-under 64, giving him a one-shot lead over fellow rookie Chris Kirk, Alex Prugh (Ferris) and Rickie Fowler.

“When it came down to it, I birdied my last four holes,” said Prugh, who played the North Course. “Which, if you make some long puts, that’s about the round.

“But I’m feeling good about my game. Whenever you start rolling the putter pretty well, it feels good. So it makes the cup look a lot bigger.”

Phil Mickelson shot 32 on the back nine for a 5-under 67 to match the best score on the tougher South Course. Also at 67 on the South was John Daly, whose last win came in 2004 at this tournament.

Nagasu takes lead at U.S. championships

Figure skating: Mirai Nagasu edged out fellow previous winners Alissa Czisny and Rachael Flatt in the short program at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Greensboro, N.C., with a beguiling routine to “Witches of Eastwick.”

But with the margin between the three so small – just a point – and only two spots on the world team available, Saturday night’s free skate should be quite the show.

Nagasu, the 2008 U.S. champion, scored 63.35 points while Czisny, the 2009 winner, had 62.50 points. Flatt, the defending champion, scored 62.32.

Gallinari, Stoudemire lead Knicks past Heat

NBA: Danilo Gallinari and Landry Fields made consecutive 3-pointers in the final 1:18, and the New York Knicks stormed back to beat the visiting Miami Heat 93-88.

Amare Stoudemire scored 24 points for the Knicks. Gallinari was huge in the fourth quarter, when New York finally contained Dwyane Wade after he was nearly perfect through 36 minutes.

Gallinari finished with 20 points and Fields added 19 to help the Knicks win their second straight after a six-game skid.

Wade, fighting migraines that forced him to wear goggles, had 34 points and 16 rebounds, but missed all seven shots in the fourth quarter after he was 14 of 15 through three. James was just 7 of 24 for his 24 points.

• Allen, Celtics open road trip with win over Blazers: Ray Allen scored 18 points, Paul Pierce added 17 and the Boston Celtics opened their West Coast road swing with an 88-78 win over the host Portland Trail Blazers.

LaMarcus Aldridge had 17 points and 16 rebounds to lead the Trail Blazers, and Andre Miller added 14 points and seven assists. Wesley Matthews had 12 points but shot just 4 of 15.

• Chandler, Barea power Mavericks past Rockets: Tyson Chandler matched his season high with 21 points and had 15 rebounds, reserve J.J. Barea added 19 points and the host Dallas Mavericks hung on after wasting most of a 25-point first-half lead in a 111-106 win over the Houston Rockets.

Luis Scola led Houston with 30 points, and Kevin Martin had 27.

• League announces All-Star starters: LeBron James and Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat are headed to the All-Star game Feb. 20 in Los Angeles. They will be joined in the Eastern Conference starting lineup by Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose, New York Knicks forward Amare Stoudemire and Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard.

The Lakers’ Kobe Bryant headlines the Western Conference’s starters, and he will be joined by Hornets guard Chris Paul, forwards Kevin Durant of Oklahoma City and Carmelo Anthony of Denver, and Houston center Yao Ming, who is injured and will be replaced on the roster by a player to be named later.

Hulls helps Indiana upset No. 20 Illinois

Men’s basketball: Jordan Hulls scored 12 of his 18 points in the second half, and Tom Pritchard’s tip-in with 44.2 seconds left helped Indiana upset No. 20 Illinois 52-49 in Bloomington, Ind.

The Hoosiers (11-10, 2-6 Big Ten) ended a 19-game losing streak against ranked opponents. Mike Davis had 14 points for the Illini (14-7, 4-4), who lost four of five.

• Michigan stops No. 25 Michigan State: Zack Novak scored 19 points and Stu Douglass made a big 3-pointer with 20 seconds left, lifting Michigan to a 61-57 victory over No. 25 Michigan State in East Lansing, Mich.

The Wolverines (12-9, 2-6 Big Ten) had lost six straight games this season and 11 in a row at Michigan State. Kalin Lucas scored 27 points to lead the Spartans (12-8, 4-4).

• No. 19 Vandy rallies to bead Mississippi St.: Jeffery Taylor scored 25 points and John Jenkins added 21 as No. 19 Vanderbilt rallied for an 81-74 victory over Mississippi State in Starkville, Miss.

The Commodores (15-4, 3-2 Southeastern Conference) won at Humphrey Coliseum for the first time since 1993. Ravern Johnson scored 19 points and Dee Bost added 18 for the Bulldogs (10-9, 2-3).