Bulls rout Hawks, move back into first

NBA: Derrick Rose had 30 points and 10 assists, helping the Chicago Bulls move back into the Eastern Conference lead with a runaway 114-81 win over the Hawks in Atlanta.

Chicago’s starters sat out the final period after the Bulls set season highs with 41 points in the second period and 72 points in the first half. Luol Deng finished with 27 points.

The Hawks, who have lost seven of 10, were denied an opportunity to clinch a playoff spot and absorbed their first home loss to Chicago in four years.

The Bulls, who have won 10 of 11 since losing in Atlanta on March 2, began the night tied with idle Boston for the best record in the East.

• Bryant scores 42 in triple-OT win: Kobe Bryant scored 42 points, Ron Artest got five of his 18 points in the final 2 minutes of the third overtime, and the Los Angeles Lakers outlasted the visiting Phoenix Suns 139-137.

Lamar Odom had a season-high 29 points and 16 rebounds in the Lakers’ 13th win in 14 games since the All-Star break. Pau Gasol added 24 points, including two tying free throws with 2.5 seconds left in the second overtime.

• Blazers blow out Wizards: Gerald Wallace had 28 points, his most with the Trail Blazers, and Portland routed the visiting Washington Wizards 111-76.

LaMarcus Aldridge had 22 points before sitting for the fourth quarter, and Nicolas Batum added 22 points and 12 rebounds for the Blazers, who are jockeying for playoff position in the Western Conference as the season winds to a close. Portland moved within a game of Denver for the sixth spot, and a game up on seventh-place New Orleans.

• Mayor believes Kings will relocate: Sacramento mayor and former NBA player Kevin Johnson says the Kings’ possible relocation to Anaheim “feels like a slow death” and this “will likely be the Kings’ final weeks in Sacramento after 26 years.”

Capitals close in on lead in East

NHL: Alexander Semin’s shootout goal lifted the Washington Capitals to a 5-4 victory over the Flyers in Philadelphia, and pulled them within one point of first place in the Eastern Conference.

Playing without star forward Alex Ovechkin for the first time this season, the Capitals took an early three-goal lead and seemed on their way to tying Philadelphia for the top spot.

• Rangers extend winning streak: Brandon Dubinsky broke up a scoreless game 7:49 into the third period and Henrik Lundqvist made 22 saves as the Rangers used defense to beat the visiting Florida Panthers 1-0 and stretch their winning streak to a season-high five games.

NFL moves kickoffs up to improve safety

NFL: The NFL will move kickoffs up 5 yards to the 35-yard line, keep touchbacks coming out to the 20 and allow the number of players in a blocking wedge to remain at two.

Kick coverage players will be limited to lining up 5 yards or fewer from the spot of the kickoff.

Team owners also voted to make all scoring plays reviewable by the replay official and referee. But they tabled a proposal to ban players launching themselves to make a tackle, and will reconsider it in May.

• Owners deny talk of replacement players: Owners haven’t talked about using replacement players if the NFL’s first work stoppage since 1987 stretches on, commissioner Roger Goodell said, and the league might not keep its last contract offer on the table if bargaining doesn’t resume soon.

“We have not had any discussions or consideration of replacement players,” Goodell said at a news conference closing the annual owners meetings.

Owners made a proposal on March 11 that included an increase in their 2011 salary cap offer from $131 million to $141 million; the players had been seeking a $151 million cap for that year, plus a chance to earn a percentage of any higher-than-projected revenues above a certain threshold.

“Every day that goes by, makes it harder and harder to keep the elements in that proposal,” Goodell said.

• Taylor sentenced to six years’ probation: Former football star Lawrence Taylor was sentenced to six years on probation for an encounter with an underage prostitute, but the girl told the media afterward that he should have gone to jail.

The New York Giants ex-linebacker pleaded guilty in January to sexual misconduct and having sex with an underage prostitute.

• Cowboys’ Bryant kicked out of mall: Dallas Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant was ejected from an upscale Dallas shopping mall after a dispute over the sagging pants worn by him and some companions.

According to the statement, when the officers asked the four to pull up their trousers, Bryant launched into a profanity-laced tirade that prompted the officers to escort them from the mall.

No charge was filed. Bryant’s agent, Eugene Parker, declined to comment. The Dallas Cowboys did not respond to requests for comment.

Pikeville College wins men’s NAIA title

College Basketball: Trevor Setty scored 32 points and grabbed 17 rebounds to lead unseeded Pikeville College to an 83-76 overtime victory over Mountain State for the men’s NAIA Division I championship in Kansas City, Mo.

Pikeville (30-7) of Kentucky became the fifth unseeded team to win the national title.

Tay Spann led the Cougars (33-4) from West Virginia with 16 points.

• Azusa Pacific wins women’s NAIA: Eboni Sadler scored 17 points and had a late steal and two free throws to help seal Azusa Pacific’s 65-59 victory against Union University in the women’s NAIA Division I championship game at Jackson, Tenn.

Union (35-2) was on its home court playing for its third consecutive national title, but Azusa Pacific (33-5) won the rematch of last season’s championship game.

Countries bid to host skating worlds

Figure skating: Six countries have put in bids to replace Japan as host of the world figure skating championships following the earthquake and tsunami that killed an estimated 18,000 people.

International Skating Union president Ottavio Cinquanta told The Associated Press that the bids are from Russia (Moscow), Canada (Vancouver, British Columbia), the United States (Colorado Springs, Colo., or Lake Placid, N.Y.), Finland (Turku), Croatia and Austria.

The ISU council will vote today or Thursday on the site and determine the dates in late April or early May.