In brief: Celtics extend streak, end Spurs’ run
Kevin Garnett scored 20 points and the Boston Celtics won their sixth straight game, 90-83 over the host San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night.
Ray Allen added 15 points to help the Celtics improve to an NBA-best 8-1 away from home.
San Antonio had won five in a row. Of the nine teams San Antonio has beaten this season, only four had winning records entering the day.
•Donaghy says mob threatened family: Disgraced ex-NBA referee Tim Donaghy tells “60 Minutes” the mob threatened his family to ensure he provided his insider picks to inform betting on games.
“They basically told me that I needed to give them the picks and if I didn’t, that it’s a possibility that somebody would go down and visit my wife and kids in Florida,” Donaghy says in his first interview since his arrest in the betting scandal, which airs Sunday night on CBS.
Donaghy says he bet on games based on his knowledge of other officials’ biases for and against certain players and teams. Donaghy says he was winning 75 percent of the time, which drew the attention of the mob.
Donaghy again denies that he influenced any games he called to win a bet.
NBA officials declined to participate in the piece but have denied similar allegations from Donaghy in the past, saying he is an untrustworthy source.
Duke defeats No. 3 Ohio State
Women’s basketball: Jasmine Thomas scored 24 of her career-high 29 points during the second half and No. 11 Duke (6-1) routed No. 3 Ohio State 83-67 in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge in Durham, N.C. The Buckeyes dropped to 8-1.
•MSU upsets UNC: Allyssa DeHaan scored all of her 14 points in the second half to help No. 22 Michigan State (5-2) hold off No. 4 North Carolina (5-1) 72-66 in an ACC/Big Ten challenge game at East Lansing, Mich.
Erickson fires former Cougar quarterback
College football: Arizona State head coach Dennis Erickson fired third-year offensive coordinator Rich Olson, who played quarterback at Washington State, the Arizona Republic reported.
Olson has coached in college and pro football for 32 years, nine of those with Erickson at ASU, University of Miami, and the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks.
Olson graduated from WSU in 1971.
•Hofstra drops program: Hofstra University dropped football because of costs and fading interest and will use the $4.5 million spent annually on the team on scholarships and other priorities. The board of trustees voted unanimously Wednesday night to shut the program, which had been in existence since the school’s founding in 1937.
Poulter, Johnson lead Woods’ tournament
Golf: Ian Poulter and Zach Johnson are tied for the lead at 4-under-par 68 at the Chevron World Challenge at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, Calif.
The 18-man field is missing its host – Tiger Woods – who pulled out of the tournament Monday citing unspecified injuries from his car crash last week that has dominated talk at Sherwood. In the days since he withdrew, there was a magazine report alleging an affair and an apology from Woods for his “personal failings.”
Athletics, Cubs make 5-player deal
Baseball: The Oakland Athletics acquired third baseman Jake Fox, second baseman Aaron Miles and cash considerations from the Chicago Cubs for three players. The Cubs got right-handed pitcher Jeff Gray, minor league outfielder Matt Spencer and minor league righty Ronny Morla.
The trade gives Oakland added depth in an infield that has been injury plagued in recent seasons.
With the acquisitions, Oakland appears to have moved on without former A.L. Rookie of the Year shortstop Bobby Crosby and perhaps also free-agent second baseman Adam Kennedy.
•Enberg new Padres announcer: More than two decades after he last called big league baseball on a daily basis, Dick Enberg was introduced as the San Diego Padres’ new TV play-by-play announcer.
Enberg said he’s not being pushed out at CBS, although he said his contract expires after the NCAA basketball tournament. He said he’ll still do Wimbledon and the Australian Open for two years and would like to be able to keep doing the U.S. Open.
Earnhardt again most popular
Auto racing: Dale Earnhardt Jr. is NASCAR’s most popular driver for the seventh consecutive year.
The award, which is presented by the National Motorsports Press Association, is voted on by fans.
Americans win original dance
Miscellany: Ice dancers Meryl Davis and Charlie White of the United States finished first in the original dance on the opening day of the International Skating Union’s Grand Prix final in Tokyo.
The top six skaters in the regular-season Grand Prix standings qualify for the Grand Prix final.
•Workers fall from Cowboys Stadium roof: Two workers doing maintenance on the icy roof of towering Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, slipped and tumbled at least 50 feet before landing on a rain gutter.
The two were working on the top hatch of the retractable-roof venue in suburban when they fell, Assistant Fire Chief Don Crowson said. They were not using safety equipment, he said.
One worker lost consciousness after breaking a leg and suffering injuries to his head and chest, Dallas Cowboys spokesman Brett Daniels said. The other worker suffered a back injury.