Knicks snap Spurs’ 7-game winning streak
NBA: Carmelo Anthony scored 23 points, J.R. Smith kept up his surge with 20 and the New York Knicks snapped the visiting San Antonio Spurs’ seven-game winning streak with a 100-83 victory Thursday.
Steve Novak added 15 points and Tyson Chandler had 10 points and 14 rebounds to help the Knicks bounce back from consecutive losses by dominating the final period.
Tim Duncan and Tony Parker each had just 11 points for the Spurs, who lost Stephen Jackson to an unusual injury, then lost what had been the NBA’s longest winning streak.
Jackson played just three minutes off the bench before spraining his right ankle when he took a shot then fell back into a waitress working the sideline in front of Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Criminal cases made AG hand over suit
Colleges: Pennsylvania Attorney General Linda Kelly said she granted Gov. Tom Corbett the authority to file a federal antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA because the litigation could present a conflict of interest as her office prosecutes three Penn State administrators.
Her office is prosecuting Graham Spanier, Gary Schultz and Tim Curley on charges of endangering the welfare of children, obstruction, conspiracy, failure to report suspected child abuse and perjury.
Corbett sued the NCAA in federal court Wednesday, saying a set of penalties imposed against Penn State over its handling of the matter should be thrown out on antitrust grounds.
League, union stay apart much of day
NHL: Any momentum gained from a long Wednesday night of negotiations between the NHL and the players’ association seems to have been lost when the sides stayed mostly apart.
The key issues still threatening the hockey season weren’t addressed during about an hour of talks centering on reporting of revenues at the end of the fiscal year.
A small group of players and other union staff returned to the NHL office in New York to hold another private meeting regarding the contentious pension plan, but federal mediator Scot Beckenbaugh said they would not get back to the bargaining table before this morning.
Rountree, Tar Heels sneak past Maryland
Women’s basketball: Brittany Rountree scored 13 points and No. 15 North Carolina held on to beat No. 8 Maryland 60-57 in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Tierra Ruffin-Pratt also had 13 points and Waltiea Rolle added 12 for the Tar Heels (14-1, 2-0 Atlantic Coast Conference).
Alyssa Thomas scored 11 of her 15 points in the final 51/2 minutes for Maryland (10-3, 1-1), and her drive with 14 seconds left pulled the Terrapins to 59-57.
• No. 9 Penn St. tops Northwestern: Dara Taylor had a layup with 1:26 left and No. 9 Penn State converted a late turnover into another key bucket to beat Northwestern 73-69 in State College, Pa.
The Nittany Lions (11-2, 1-0 Big Ten) went ahead for good when Taylor skipped around a defender for the bucket and a 66-65 lead.
The Wildcats (8-6, 0-1) played the final six minutes without two of their top players after Danielle Diamant and Kendall Hackney fouled out.
Swisher signs 4-year contract with Indians
MLB: Nick Swisher passed his physical and signed a four-year, $56 million, free-agent contract he agreed to last month with the Cleveland Indians. Swisher, 32, who spent the past four seasons with the New York Yankees, was introduced at a news conference in Cleveland. His deal includes a vesting option based on plate appearances for 2017.
U.S. to face Sweden in junior worlds final
Miscellany: Jake McCabe and John Gaudreau scored two goals each to lead the United States to the final of the world junior hockey championships with a 5-1 win over Canada in Ufa, Russia. In the final, the Americans will face defending champion Sweden. The Swedes beat Russia 3-2 in a penalty shootout, with Sebastian Collberg scoring the winner.
• FIU hires Turner as football coach: Florida International has hired former Illinois coach Ron Turner to take over its football program. FIU director of sports and entertainment Pete Garcia said Turner signed a five-year contract with a base salary of $500,000 annually. Turner replaces Mario Cristobal, who was fired last month.
FIU director of sports and entertainment Pete Garcia says Turner signed a five-year contract Thursday night, with a base salary of $500,000 annually. A news conference with Turner was being scheduled for this afternoon.
Turner most recently was the quarterbacks coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is a past offensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears and was Peyton Manning’s position coach with the Indianapolis Colts.
• Michigan State RB Bell leaving for NFL: Michigan State running back Le’Veon Bell will skip his senior season and enter the NFL draft. Bell rushed for 1,793 yards on 382 carries this season, shouldering a heavy workload in his first year as the clear focal point of the Spartans’ offense.
• Williams to meet Azarenka in Brisbane semis : Serena Williams seized her opportunities in a 6-4, 6-3 win over Sloane Stephens to set up a semifinal against top-ranked Victoria Azarenka at the Brisbane (Australia) International tennis tournament. No. 36-ranked Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia will play Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine in the other semifinal.