05/09/2008

Arizona's Webb goes to 8-0 with 8-3 victory over Phillies
Brandon Webb became the first pitcher to win his first eight starts in three years, tossing his 13th career complete game to help the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Philadelphia Phillies 8-3 on Thursday.

Notre Dame, Arizona State to play in Texas in 2013
Notre Dame and Arizona State will play in the new $1 billion home of the Dallas Cowboys in 2013.

Doctor pronounces Arizona's Davis cancer-free
Arizona Diamondbacks left-hander Doug Davis said he has been pronounced cancer free after a sophisticated test showed no spread of the disease.

05/07/2008

Drew's homer leads Arizona past Philadelphia 6-4
Stephen Drew knew he put a good swing on a 1-2 fastball from Adam Eaton. He didn't know how good.

Bryant named MVP after leading Lakers to best record in West
Finally, an MVP award for Kobe Bryant. Regarded as the NBA's best player for several years but never its most valuable, Bryant earned the honor at last on Tuesday after leading the Los Angeles Lakers to the best record in the Western Conference. He called the award a blessing and an honor and emphasized that he wants another trophy this year.

Celtics hold James to 12 points to edge Cavs 76-72 in Game 1
LeBron James couldn't make a basket down the stretch - or at virtually any other time - and the Boston Celtics eked out a 76-72 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night in the opener of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Hawks GM Knight to step down in July
Atlanta Hawks general manager Billy Knight is stepping down.

Diamondbacks' Hudson has MRI on hamstring
Arizona second baseman Orlando Hudson had an MRI on his sore right hamstring and is out of the lineup tonight against Philadelphia.

05/06/2008

Suns allow coach D'Antoni to talk to other teams
The Phoenix Suns granted permission for coach Mike D'Antoni to talk to other teams, with the Chicago Bulls and the New York Knicks apparently the leading suitors.

Moyer pitches Philadelphia past Arizona 11-4
Arizona's Max Scherzer threw 98 mph fastballs in his first career start.

Pistons, Hornets take 2-0 leads in the NBA playoff series
The Detroit Pistons took advantage of what seemed to be a little help from the hometown scorer's table and went on beat the Orlando Magic 100-93 for a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal.

Paul leads Hornets to another easy win over Spurs in Game 2
Shutting down David West only gave the San Antonio Spurs front-row seats for the Chris Paul show. With razzle-dazzle dribbles and a driving floater that couldn't miss, Paul had 30 points and 12 assists, leading the New Orleans Hornets to a 102-84 victory Monday night and a 2-0 lead over the Spurs in their second-round series.

Archers Johnson, Lorig headed back to Olympics
Butch Johnson is headed to the Olympics for the fifth time. Khatuna Lorig will represent her third country.

Arizona pitcher Doug Davis plans to return soon
Only 26 days after surgery for thyroid cancer, Arizona left-hander Doug Davis felt strong during a 65-pitch simulated game on Monday.

Jimmy Rollins goes 4-for-4 in minor league rehab game
Injured Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins went 4-for-4 with two RBIs in an extended spring training game on Monday.

05/05/2008

Arizona hires Russ Pennell as assistant coach
Former Arizona State assistant coach and radio analyst Russ Pennell is joining Lute Olson's staff at Arizona.

Stars beat Sharks in 4 OTs to clinch series
The Dallas Stars have finally made it back to the Western Conference finals. It took the eighth longest game in NHL history to do it. Brenden Morrow scored a power play goal 9:03 into the fourth overtime as the Stars eliminated the pesky San Jose Sharks 2-1 in a game that ended early Monday morning - the longest game in the NHL playoffs this season, and the longest in San Jose history.

Jackson's error helps Mets beat Arizona 5-2, win series
Two throws told the story of the New York Mets' 5-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday.

Kobe scores 38 as Lakers beat Jazz 109-98 in series opener
Kobe Bryant, celebrating what is expected to be his first NBA MVP award, did just enough to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to another postseason victory. Bryant had 38 points, six rebounds and seven assists Sunday, and the Lakers made it five straight playoff wins by beating the Utah Jazz 109-98 to begin the second round.

05/02/2008

Cardinals welcome Rodgers-Cromartie
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, the first-round pick of the Arizona Cardinals, plans to take a moment before he takes the field Friday for his first NFL practice.

Cannon selected to College Hall of Fame _ again
Billy Cannon was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame - "Again," LSU's 1959 Heisman Trophy winner said with a laugh.

05/01/2008

More of the same for BCS; playoff proposal rejected
As it turns out, the Big Ten and the Pac-10 weren't the only conferences standing in the way of a major college football playoff.

Butler's late basket helps Wizards win Game 5 in Cleveland
Caron Butler saved Washington's season. Butler made a layup with 3.9 seconds left and the Wizards held their breath as LeBron James missed a potential series-ending layup at the horn, giving Washington an 88-87 victory Wednesday night and adding at least one more game to this overheated NBA playoff series.

Mavericks fire Avery Johnson after another playoff flop
From the start, Avery Johnson was a perfect fit as coach of the Dallas Mavericks. At the end, it was pretty obvious he wasn't. Johnson lost his job Wednesday, a move the team referred to as "relieving him of his duties."

Pierce, Celtics top Hawks 110-85 and take 3-2 lead in series
Takedowns and menacing gestures. Double technicals and flagrant fouls. And the Boston Celtics are heading to Atlanta to try to deliver the knockout punch.

04/30/2008

Spurs win Game 5 to win first-round series against Suns
Tim Duncan was not all smiles after the San Antonio Spurs eliminated the Phoenix Suns yet again from the playoffs. Written on the big man's face was only one thing: relief.

Phoenix Suns Playoff History
1969 - 2008 Phoenix Suns Playoff History

Blum's 3-run double leads Astros to 6-4 win
The Houston Astros got six runs in a hurry, just in time before Arizona's young Max Scherzer made a perfect major league pitching debut.

04/29/2008

Pistons, Celtics still fighting, but Magic, Lakers advance
The Orlando Magic and the Los Angeles Lakers last night become first teams to advance in the NBA playoffs.

Dan Haren pitches Diamondbacks to 5-3 win over Astros
Dan Haren's flu is gone and he's back at full strength.

Arizona signs 13 undrafted rookie free agents
The Arizona Cardinals agreed to terms with 13 undrafted rookie free agents on Monday.

Moran elected to sports writer hall of fame
The late Bob Moran has been inducted as the fifth member of Arizona Sports Writer's Hall of Fame.

04/28/2008

Diaw's near triple-double leads Suns' 105-86 rout of Spurs
A Frenchman put Phoenix on the brink of elimination, another brought the Suns back to life.

Cardinals draft wide receiver, running back
The Arizona Cardinals need a third wide receiver behind stars Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, and they may have found him on the second day of the NFL draft.

NFL draft a swap meet with a record 33 trades
One thing about an NFL draft with this many trades: There were that many players that teams just simply had to have.

West's 3-pointer with 5.4 seconds left hands Cavs 3-1 lead
King James got his crown knocked off, was booed every time he touched the ball, went 0-for-3 in the fourth quarter and passed up a chance to take the winning shot. And his Cleveland Cavaliers still beat the Washington Wizards.

Wesley's Robinson signs with Arizona
Wesley College defensive lineman Bryan Robinson has agreed to terms with the Arizona Cardinals as an undrafted free agent.

04/25/2008

Salazar homers in D'Backs' 6-4 win over Dodgers
Jeff Salazar made the most of his second start this season. Jeff Kent was back in the Dodgers' lineup after a night off and wasn't around for the finish.

D'Antoni says Suns still confident down 0-2 to Spurs
Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni had some advice for despondent Suns fans ready to jump off buildings.

04/24/2008

Kobe's 49 points leads Lakers over Nuggets 122-107
Kobe Bryant scored big at the start and finish Wednesday night. In between, he set up his teammates for easy baskets. It turned out to be a winning formula. Bryant had 49 points and 10 assists, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Denver Nuggets 122-107 to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round playoff series.

Dodgers beat D'Backs 8-3, Haren has worst outing since '06
The Los Angeles Dodgers wanted to show the first-place Arizona Diamondbacks that they weren't intimidated by their fast start - or Dan Haren's.

04/23/2008

Arizona's Kevin O'Neill reassigned
Arizona assistant basketball coach Kevin O'Neill has been reassigned to duties within the athletic department.

Diamondbacks send Romero to Triple-A Tucson
The Arizona Diamondbacks optioned outfielder Alex Romero to Triple-A Tucson on Tuesday night to make room for catcher Miguel Montero.

Webb improves to 5-0 as Diamondbacks beat Giants 5-4
On a night he struggled with his command, Arizona's light-hitting ace had a two-run double and improved to 5-0 as the Arizona Diamondbacks defeated San Francisco 5-4 on Tuesday night.

Reds fire GM Wayne Krivsky after 9-12 start
The Cincinnati Reds have fired general manager Wayne Krivsky and replaced him with former St. Louis GM Walt Jocketty.

Parker scores 32 in Game 2 as Spurs take 2-0 lead
Speedy Tony Parker rushed toward the basket on the fast break, then slammed into the 320-pound wall known as Shaquille O'Neal and fell to the floor.

04/22/2008

3 D-Backs homer, Owings goes 4-0 in Arizona win
Eric Byrnes says this is no illusion in the desert: The Arizona Diamondbacks are this good.

LeBron scores 30 as Cavs beat up Wizards 116-86 in Game 2
Maybe Gilbert Arenas was talking about some other Cavaliers. The Cleveland team he and the Washington Wizards faced Monday night doesn't look so beatable.

Ovechkin scores twice in 3rd period to lift Caps into Game 7
Alex Ovechkin truly was "Alexander the Great" with the Washington Capitals' season on the line.

Spurs expect fight from Suns
After many of his teammates had left the court on Monday afternoon, Tim Duncan was still there, headphones on, taking jumper after jumper.

Spurs' Ginobili wins sixth man award
San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili has won the NBA's sixth man award given to the league's best reserve.

Carey Price's shutout advances Canadiens to Eastern semis
Carey Price got his second shutout and Andrei Kostitsyn scored twice to lead the Montreal Canadiens to a 5-0 win over the Boston Bruins on Monday night in the deciding game of their first-round playoff series.

Giants' Lowry has MRI after 'tingling' in injured forearm
San Francisco Giants left-hander Noah Lowry had an MRI on Monday after feeling a tingling sensation in his injured forearm.

04/21/2008

Runners vie for largest Boston marathon purse ever
The 112th Boston Marathon got started Monday with defending champion Robert Cheruiyot and a field of more than 25,000 runners leaving the starting line in Hopkinton for the 26.2-mile run to Copley Square.

Padres defeat Big Unit, Diamondbacks 9-4
Justin Huber connected for his first career home run off Randy Johnson, helping the San Diego Padres beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 9-4 on Sunday and snap a four-game losing streak.

Victory for Danica Patrick in Japan
Danica Patrick was always sure a woman could win a race. And now the questions about her will surely stop.

76ers rally for 1st-ever playoff win on Pistons' home court
Andre Miller scored 20 points and Willie Green had a career playoff-high 17, helping the Philadelphia 76ers stun the Detroit Pistons 90-86 Sunday in Game 1 of their first-round series.

04/18/2008

NBA owners vote to approve the SuperSonics' relocation
NBA owners approved the Seattle SuperSonics' move to Oklahoma City for the 2008-09 season Friday, provided the team can settle its lawsuit with the city. The Sonics could begin playing in owner Clay Bennett's hometown as early as next season if they can get out of the remaining two years of their lease at KeyArena.

Joseph Dion says he is the `Max' in Canseco book
A man named Joseph Dion says he is the person identified in Jose Canseco's book as "Max," the person Canseco claims was a steroids dealer he introduced to Alex Rodriguez, Sports Illustrated reported on its Web site Friday.

3B Evan Longoria, Rays agree to $17.5M, 6-year deal
Rookie third baseman Evan Longoria and the Tampa Bay Rays agreed Friday to a $17.5 million, six-year contract, a deal that could be worth up to $44.5 million over nine seasons.

04/17/2008

West playoffs finally settled with games in Texas
Three games in Texas on the last night of the regular season settled the final six spots in the Western Conference playoffs - and set up some intriguing first-round matchups.

Suns defeat Trail Blazers 100-91, finish with No. 6 seed
The Phoenix Suns were looking ahead to the playoffs long before they finished off their 100-91 victory over Portland.

Spurs wrap up third seed with win over Jazz
The San Antonio Spurs wrapped up the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference playoffs in dominant fashion, routing the Utah Jazz 109-80 on Wednesday night.

04/16/2008

West playoff picture clears up at top
The Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Hornets cleared up the top of the Western Conference playoff picture Tuesday night by winning.

Jackson homers again for Arizona
Micah Owings can forget about a frustrating spring thanks to his impressive results so far - and a Diamondbacks offense that is producing in every way.

Tiger Woods will miss a month after surgery on left knee
Tiger Woods had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Tuesday to repair cartilage damage, his second operation in five years on the same knee. He is expected to miss at least a month while he recovers.

04/15/2008

Black players drop to 8.2 percent of major leaguers
Major League Baseball received its best grade for racial diversity in hiring, even as the percentage of black players dropped again last year.

Johnson strikes out 7 in 2008 debut, but Giants beat Arizona 5-4
Randy Johnson had a hard time finding the strike zone in his season debut, eight months after back surgery.

Stoudemire, Nash lead Suns as they eliminate Warriors
The Phoenix Suns recovered from what nearly was an embarrassing stumble and eliminated Golden State from playoff contention.

04/14/2008

Coyotes sign Chad Kolarik to entry level contract
The Phoenix Coyotes signed forward Chad Kolarik, a former University of Michigan standout, to an entry level contract Sunday.

Campbell leads Rattlers past Storm, 63-62
Lang Campbell threw eight touchdown passes to help the Arizona Rattlers beat the Tampa Bay Storm 63-62 on Sunday in the Arena Football League.

Kobe Bryant, Lakers rout Spurs 106-85
The Los Angeles Lakers took sole possession of the Western Conference lead Sunday. One more win and they're assured of keeping it.

03/19/2008

Arizona relishes 24th straight NCAA appearance
One streak is intact. Now, Arizona is in position to extend another dazzling run. A victory by the underdog Wildcats (19-14) would enable Arizona to stretch to 21 its run of successive 20-win seasons, yet another streak unmatched in men's college basketball today.

Stoudemire, O'Neal lead Suns to 111-98 victory over Trail Blazers
Shaquille O'Neal never worried that he wouldn't fit in Phoenix. With the Suns rolling as they are, he certainly knows he belongs now.

Mount St. Mary's gets NCAA-opening win
The Mount finally got The Win. Jeremy Goode scored 21 points Tuesday night, and Mount St. Mary's got its first NCAA tournament victory, beating Coppin State 69-60 in an opening-round game with two teams that know a lot about losing.

Harden, Abbott lead Arizona State to 64-53 NIT victory
For most of the first half, Arizona State looked as if it deserved to be in the NCAA tournament.

Celtics snap Rockets' streak at 22
The shots stopped falling, Boston's stars took over and just like that, the Houston Rockets' 22-game winning streak was history.

Red Sox refuse to take field for game
The Boston Red Sox refused to take the field for their final spring training game in Florida on Wednesday and threatened to boycott their flight to Japan for their season openers unless their coaches and other staff are paid for the trip.

Sox offer to help Tucson secure youth baseball tournament
The Chicago White Sox want to leave Tucson behind and move their spring training base to the Phoenix suburb of Glendale.

Glencross scores two goals as Edmonton tops Phoenix 8-4
Out of the playoff picture a month ago, Edmonton has crawled back into the postseason chase.

03/18/2008

NCAA tourney starts tonight with play-in
The NCAA men's basketball tournament begins tonight with the play-in game between Coppin State and Mount St. Mary's.

UConn, UNC, Tennessee, Maryland No. 1s
Tennessee. Connecticut. Maryland. North Carolina. Those No. 1 seeds - all familiar powerhouses to college basketball fans and all previous winners- anchored the NCAA women's tournament bracket, with the Lady Vols opening defense of their championship in the Oklahoma City Regional.

Allen sits again as C's rally past Spurs
Paul Pierce scored 22 points, Kevin Garnett added 21 and the Boston Celtics rallied to beat the San Antonio Spurs 93-91 on Monday night.

Sedin scores twice in Canucks' 3-1 victory over Coyotes
Slumping and split up on different lines, twin brothers Daniel and Henrik Sedin were reunited just often enough to spark some of their old chemistry.

Sun Devils happy with No. 6 seed, face Temple
Arizona State coach Charli Turner Thorne says she could not have expected better than the No. 6 seed in the Oklahoma City region her team received in the NCAA tournament.

60 years later, Dodgertown days come to a close
His eyes red, his steps slow, Tom Lasorda waved to the fans for the final time at Dodgertown. Down in the right-field corner, his players and coaches silently gathered and formed two lines.

Sun Devils brush aside disappointment, prepare for Hornets
Arizona State has little time to wallow in the disappointment of not making the NCAA tournament.

03/17/2008

Bonvicini fired after 17 seasons with Wildcats
Joan Bonvicini was fired on Monday after 17 seasons as the women's' basketball coach at Arizona.

March Madness begins with Arizona State out and Arizona in
The inexact science of putting together the NCAA tournament bracket turned out to be pretty exact this time around.

Disappointed Arizona State thinks they deserved NCAA shot
Arizona State thought its resume was impressive enough to be included in the NCAA tournament.

A royal performance for Tiger
This victory came with so many spoils, none of which Tiger Woods cared about at the moment.

NCAA tourney field yields few complaints
The inexact science of putting together the NCAA tournament bracket turned out to be pretty exact this time around. No big beefs with the top seeds - North Carolina, Memphis, Kansas and UCLA.

Rockets atop West with 22nd straight win
The Houston Rockets did more than extend their winning streak on Sunday. They validated it. Rafer Alston scored 31 points and hit eight 3-pointers, both career highs, and the Rockets beat the Los Angeles Lakers 104-92 to extend their winning streak to 22 and claim sole possession of first place in the Western Conference.

Arizona State gets NIT top seed
The NIT, college basketball's consolation prize, is out with its pairings. Virginia Tech, Arizona State, Ohio State and Syracuse are top seeds in the 32-team event, the nation's oldest postseason tournament.

Virginia Tech, Arizona State get NIT top seeds
Virginia Tech and Arizona State are this year's Syracuse, and Hokies coach Seth Greenberg is suddenly sounding very much like Orange coach Jim Boeheim did last March.

03/14/2008

Brook Lopez leads No. 11 Stanford to tourney win over Arizona
Stanford kept sending one big guy after another to the boards, grabbing everything that missed.

Stoudemire's 36 points lead Suns to victory over Warriors
The Phoenix Suns can still run and shoot, too.

Bryzgalov shines as Coyotes beat Canucks 2-0
From the moment he arrived in the desert last fall, Ilya Bryzgalov has pledged to help lead the Phoenix Coyotes to the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Pitt drops Louisville 76-69 to advance
Sam Young had 21 points and 12 rebounds, and hit a pair of free throws with less than a minute left in overtime to help Pittsburgh beat No. 13 Louisville 76-69 Thursday night and advance to the semifinals of the Big East tournament.

UCLA routs California in Pac-10 tourney
No controversy, no contest. No. 3 UCLA buried California under a barrage of 3-pointers to start the second half on its way to an 88-66 victory in the Pac-10 tournament quarterfinals Thursday.

McNeal, Marquette beat No. 14 Notre Dame
Jerel McNeal scored a career-high 28 points and No. 25 Marquette beat No. 14 Notre Dame 89-79 on Thursday night in the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament.

Perry's late free throws lift Montana State to win over NAU
Krislyn Wallace and Rebecca Mercer scored 19 points each Thursday night to lead Montana State to an 84-78 win over Northern Arizona in the first round of the Big Sky Conference women's basketball tournament.

Diamondbacks shell Jeff Suppan but Brewers come back to win 8-6
A rough day against Arizona ended for Milwaukee starter Jeff Suppan when he was hit by a line drive in the fourth inning of the Brewers' 8-6 victory over the Diamondbacks on Thursday.

03/13/2008

Mayo scores 23 as USC beats ASU 59-55 in Pac-10 tournament
Southern California advanced to the semifinals of the Pac-10 tournament thanks to an exceptional defensive effort in the second half against Arizona State.

Hill leads Arizona's 87-56 rout of Oregon State
Jordan Hill led five players in double figures with 16 points and Arizona swamped Oregon State 87-56 in the first round of the Pac-10 tournament Wednesday night.

Portland State heads to an NCAA tournament berth
For the first time, Portland State is NCAA tournament bound.

Paul, West lead Hornets past Spurs
Chris Paul had 26 points and 17 assists to help the New Orleans Hornets take a convincing 100-75 victory over the Southwest Division leading San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night.

Roush won't appeal Edwards' penalty
Roush Fenway Racing won't appeal the penalties imposed by NASCAR against Carl Edwards after his winning No. 99 car failed post-race inspection at Las Vegas.

Rockets top Hawks for 20th straight win
The Houston Rockets became the third team in NBA history to win 20 consecutive games, tying for the league's second-longest winning streak with an 83-75 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night.

03/12/2008

Stoudemire, Suns rout Grizzlies 132-111
Nothing like a rout to pump up the growing confidence of the new-look Phoenix Suns.

Georgetown eyes Big East sweep
The Big East played an 18-game conference schedule for the first time. Despite all the griping from coaches last summer, it may turn out to be a good thing on Selection Sunday.

Lumberjacks advance to Big Sky Conference title game
Three was the lucky number for Northern Arizona on Tuesday night.

Daly misses pro-am
John Daly has missed his pro-am time at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and faces disqualification from the tournament.

Vrbata scores only goal of shootout, Coyotes rally to beat Ducks
Anaheim goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere knows why the Ducks lost to the Phoenix Coyotes.

Kobe leads Lakers past Raptors, 117-108
Kobe Bryant scored 10 of his 34 points in the final 8 1/2 minutes, Lamar Odom added 20 points and nine rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Toronto Raptors 117-108 on Tuesday night to regain the top spot in the Western Conference.

No. 3 UCLA tries to avoid letdown in Pac-10 tourney
UCLA won its third consecutive Pac-10 regular-season title by three games over Stanford. That virtually assured the third-ranked Bruins a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament and a berth near home in the West Region.

03/11/2008

Rockets beat Nets for 19th win in a row
LeBron James and the Boston Celtics added to their amazing seasons, and neither got much attention. For now, all eyes remain on the Houston Rockets.

Estes has rough outing as Padres lose 5-2 to Rangers
Shawn Estes is trying a comeback with San Diego nearly two years after elbow surgery. He had a rough outing Monday night.

Rangers' McCarthy likely to start season on DL
Texas Rangers pitcher Brandon McCarthy likely will start the season on the disabled list because of inflammation in his forearm.

Pain-free Randy Johnson roughed up in first spring training start
Randy Johnson was happy to pitch without pain. Still, he was disappointed with the results of his first outing since back surgery.

03/10/2008