Short-handed Spurs handle Warriors
NBA: Tiago Splitter tipped in a rebound with 2.1 seconds left, lifting the short-handed San Antonio Spurs to a 104-102 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night in Oakland, Calif.
Stephen Curry hit a tying 3-pointer on the previous possession for the Warriors. After two misses by teammates, Splitter elevated around the rim to tap in the winning score.
San Antonio gave Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili the night off to rest, and Tony Parker also sat out for the second straight game with a bruised right shin.
• Thunder stay perfect at home: Kevin Durant scored 32 points and the Thunder beat the Chicago Bulls 107-95 in Oklahoma City for their eighth straight win.
Russell Westbrook had 20 points to help the Thunder improve to 13-0 at home, becoming the only NBA team with a perfect home record.
Maple Leafs top Coyotes in shootout
NHL: James van Riemsdyk and Joffrey Lupul scored in the shootout to lift the Toronto Maple Leafs over the visiting Phoenix Coyotes 2-1.
Troy Bodie tallied a goal in regulation, and James Reimer made 34 saves for Toronto. It was the Maple Leafs’ second victory in seven games.
Martin Hanzal scored for the Coyotes, who got 26 saves from goalie Mike Smith.
• Red Wings extinguish Flames in OT: Daniel Alfredsson scored two goals, including a power-play score at 1:03 of overtime, and the Detroit Red Wings held on to beat the Calgary Flames 3-2 at home.
Alfredsson’s winner came on a slap shot from the inside edge of the left circle for his ninth goal of the season. He also earned his 700th career assist.
• Penguins keep rolling: Chris Kunitz scored his 19th goal of the season, Sidney Crosby had two assists and Pittsburgh jumped out to a four-goal lead before beating visiting Minnesota, 5-2, for its season-high sixth straight win.
Crosby had two assists to extend his season-best point streak to nine games. He leads the NHL with 51 points.
Parker leads Duke over UCLA at MSG
Men’s basketball: Jabari Parker had 23 points and 10 rebounds and No. 8 Duke (9-2) used a patient offensive attack to earn an 80-63 win over the UCLA Bruins (9-2) at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
The Blue Devils made 11 3-pointers in a season-high 32 attempts from beyond the arc. Parker made 4 of 8 3-pointers while eclipsing 20 points for the ninth time in 11 college games.
• Top-ranked Arizona defeats Southern: Aaron Gordon scored 21 points, Nick Johnson added 17 and the top-ranked Arizona Wildcats raced to an early 15-point halftime lead before earning a 69-43 rout over the Southern Jaguars (3-8) in Tucson, Ariz.
No. 13 Cowgirls hold off Spartans
Women’s basketball: Tiffany Bias hit all of her free throws in the final seconds and No. 13 Oklahoma State (9-0) held on for a 63-57 win over Michigan State (6-5) in the Puerto Rico Classic in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Bias shot 4 of 4 from the free-throw line in the remaining seconds, and the Cowgirls clinched the win after rallying back from a five-point deficit (42-37) with 11:05 to play.
Yankees finalize deal with OF Beltran
Baseball: Outfielder Carlos Beltran and the New York Yankees have finalized a $45 million, three-year contract.
The eight-time All-Star is to be introduced at a Yankee Stadium news conference today.
The 36-year-old played for the Mets from 2005-11, when he was dealt to the San Francisco Giants. He signed a $26 million, two-year contract with St. Louis before the 2012 season and reached the World Series for the first time this year.
To open a roster spot, the Yankees designated right-hander Brett Marshall for assignment.
• Indians reach deal with closer Axford: The Cleveland Indians have completed a $4.5 million, one-year contract with free-agent closer John Axford.
Axford, who saved 46 games for Milwaukee in 2011, agreed to the contract earlier this week, pending a physical.
Axford has a 22-19 career record with a 3.29 ERA and 106 saves in 281 relief appearances.
• White Sox, Belisario agree to deal: The White Sox have agreed to a $3 million, one-year contract with right-hander Ronald Belisario and are closing in on a $4 million, one-year deal with pitcher Scott Downs.
The talks with Downs were revealed by a person familiar with the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced.
• A’s acquire Brown from Nationals: Oakland acquired outfielder Corey Brown from the Washington Nationals for cash.
Brown has played in 36 major league games in parts of three seasons, batting .175 with two homers and four RBIs.