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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Lakers erase Celtics’ 12-game winning streak

Trevor Ariza, center, fights for a basket in the latest Lakers-Celtics clash. (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)

Lamar Odom made a pair of free throws with 16 seconds left in overtime to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 110-109 victory over host Boston on Thursday night and snap the Celtics’ 12-game winning streak.

Kobe Bryant scored 26 points with 10 rebounds and Paul Gasol had 24 and 14 for the Lakers.

Paul Pierce scored 21 and Ray Allen had 22, but he missed a desperation, off-balance shot at the buzzer while Boston fans clamored for a foul call.

•Allen gets All-Star spot: Celtics guard Ray Allen will replace injured Orlando guard Jameer Nelson in the NBA All-Star game next week in Phoenix.

Magic deal Bogans: Orlando traded shooting guard Keith Bogans to Milwaukee for point guard Tyronn Lue after the Southeast Division-leading Magic lost All-Star Jameer Nelson to a serious shoulder injury.

•Brand a bust in season one: Elton Brand’s comeback from a separated right shoulder is over and the two-time All-Star power forward will have season-ending surgery Monday.

Brand was in the first year of a five-year, $80 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers.

•Bucks besieged by injuries: Milwaukee Bucks center Andrew Bogut said he will miss most or all of the season after tests finally revealed a stress fracture this week in his bothersome lower back.

Bucks guard Michael Redd is already out for the season with torn ligaments in his left knee.

College Basketball

Badgers upset Illini

Jason Bohannon was 6 of 7 from 3-point range, helping Wisconsin snap a six-game losing streak with a 63-50 victory over No. 23 Illinois (18-5, 6-4 Big Ten) in Madison, Wis. Bohannon’s 20 points and six 3s tied his career highs for the Badgers (13-9, 4-6 Big Ten). •Butler edges Detroit: Gordon Hayward scored 22 points and No. 11 Butler (20-2, 11-1 Horizon) earned a 66-61 win over host Detroit (6-16, 1-11).

NHL

Ovechkin nets No. 200

Anze Kopitar scored two goals and added an assist, and the Los Angeles Kings defeated the Washington Capitals 5-4 in Washington despite allowing Alex Ovechkin’s 200th NHL goal.

Ovechkin tallied unassisted with about 91/2 minutes left, pulling Washington within 4-3. It was Ovechkin’s league-high 37th goal this season and made him one of four NHL players to reach 200 career goals in four seasons, joining Wayne Gretzky, Mike Bossy and Mario Lemieux.

•Bruins win shootout: P.J. Axelsson scored on Boston’s fifth shootout attempt after Tim Thomas stopped all five Ottawa shooters in the NHL-leading Bruins’ 4-3 victory over the Senators in Ottawa.

•Oilers slip by Blues: Robert Nilsson and Sam Gagner scored in a shootout for Edmonton, and Dwayne Roloson stopped both St. Louis attempts in the Oilers’ 2-1 victory over the Blues in St. Louis.

Golf

Villegas’ 63 opens Buick

Camilo Villegas holed out for an eagle early in his round and made a string of birdies late for a 9-under-par 63 on the easier North Course at Torrey Pines, giving him a three-shot lead in the Buick Invitational in San Diego.

Davis Love III and Aaron Baddeley each shot 66 on the North while playing in the same group.

Football

Patriots tag Cassel

The New England Patriots placed the franchise tag on Matt Cassel, making it tougher for other teams to sign the free-agent quarterback.

The Patriots might keep him if they have doubts that Tom Brady will be ready for the start of next season after sustaining a serious knee injury in the 2008 opener. If they’re confident Brady will be ready, they could trade Cassel rather than pay him the $14.65 million offer for 2009 in the franchise designation.

Chiefs reportedly hire Haley: The Kanas City Chiefs hired Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Todd Haley as their new head coach, a source close to the situation told The Kansas City Star.

Falcons veteran retires: Atlanta Falcons offensive tackle Todd Weiner announced his retirement after an 11-year NFL career.

Miscellany

Mariners sign pitcher

The Seattle Mariners agreed to a minor league contract with left-hander Tyler Johnson and invited him to spring training to compete for a spot in their bullpen. The 27-year-old Johnson pitched in 116 games for the St. Louis Cardinals from 2005-07, but he missed all of last season because of a shoulder injury.

Sheets may have surgery: Free-agent right-hander Ben Sheets could be headed for elbow surgery after contract negotiations with the Texas Rangers fell through because of the injury.

•Regulators probe UFC bout: Mixed martial arts fighter Georges St. Pierre could be disciplined by Nevada athletic regulators after his corner illegally applied petroleum jelly to his body during last week’s Ultimate Fighting Championship title fight against B.J. Penn in Las Vegas.

•Chinese win at Four Continents: China’s Pang Qing and Tong Jian skated a near-flawless performance to win the pairs title at the Four Continents competition in Vancouver, British Columbia, with a score of 194.94.

Canada’s Jessica Dube and Bryce Davison took silver earning a total score of 185.62.

China’s Zhang Dan and Zhang Hao were third with 174.98.

Patrick Chan of Canada nearly set a record for the men’s short program. The 18-year-old Chan scored 88.90 points, the second highest since the new judging system was introduced in 2003