In brief: Bosh and ill James lead Wade-less Miami past Phoenix
NBA: Chris Bosh scored 24 points on 9-of-11 shooting, ailing LeBron James added 21 and the Miami Heat closed a six-game road trip with a 97-88 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Saturday.
The Heat, playing without Dwyane Wade for the second game in a row because of a left foot injury, led by as many as 15 in the third quarter and were up by nine with 5 1/2 minutes to play.
James, who missed the morning shootaround with flu-like symptoms, made only 8 of 20 shots but still reached 20 points for the 11th time in 11 games this season.
• Clippers rout Bulls: Blake Griffin scored 12 of his 26 points in the final six minutes and grabbed 10 rebounds, helping the Los Angeles Clippers rout the visiting Chicago Bulls 101-80 for their fifth straight victory.
Stenhouse Jr. wins Nationwide
Auto Racing: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. became the sixth driver to win consecutive championships in NASCAR’s Nationwide Series. He finished sixth in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Fla., edging Elliott Sadler for the title.
Regan Smith won the 300-mile race. • Vettel wins pole position at US Grand Prix: Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel secured the pole position for the U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, putting him in the perfect spot to chase his third consecutive world championship.
Streb on top at Pebble Beach
Golf: Robert Streb shot a 3-under-par 69 in rainy conditions at Del Monte to take a one-stroke lead over Billy Horschel after the third round in the Pebble Beach Invitational.
Pullman high grad Kirk Triplett shot a 3-over 75 and sits in seventh.
• Choi takes one-shot lead: U.S. Women’s Open champion Na Yeon Choi was steady after a careless three-putt bogey early in her third round at the Titleholders in Pebble Beach, Calif., and finished with a 3-under 69 to take a one-shot lead into the final round of the LPGA Tour season.
Maryland, Rutgers to Big Ten?
Miscellany: Maryland and Rutgers are in discussions with the Big Ten to possibly join the conference in 2014. If Maryland were to leave the ACC for the Big Ten, Connecticut of the Big East would seem to be the most logical replacement with the ACC.
• NHL Labor talks to resume Monday: Just over a week since the last set of failed negotiations, the NHL and the locked-out players’ association will return to the bargaining table Monday.
• Czechs take lead in Davis Cup: The Czech Republic won the doubles 3-6, 7-5, 7-5, 6-3 to take a 2-1 lead over defending champion Spain in the Davis Cup final in Prague, moving one win away from its first title as an independent nation.