Bulls stop Knicks streak at 13 with 118-111 win

CHICAGO (AFP) ― Nate Robinson led the way with 35 points as the Chicago Bulls used a balanced attack to beat New York 118-111 in overtime late Thursday, snapping the Knicks’ 13-game win streak.Robinson also drained five three pointers for the Bulls who spoiled another superb scoring performance by Knicks star forward Carmelo Anthony.A half dozen Bulls reached double figures in scoring, including Jimmy Butler and Carlos Boozer, who each recorded double-doubles with 22 points and 14 rebounds and 1

More SportsApril 12, 2013

Garcia, Leishman tied for lead

AUGUSTA, Georgia (AP) ― Sergio Garcia might have written himself off too quickly at the Masters. When last seen walking off the course at Augusta National, the impetuous Spaniard was moping about his bad luck at this tournament and said last year it was increasingly evident he would never be fitted for a green jacket. Garcia matched his best score at the Masters on Thursday, a 6-under 66 with no bogeys on his card, to share the lead with Marc Leishman of Australia. And he still wasn’t entirely

GolfApril 12, 2013

Chelsea leads quartet into Europa League semis

MANCHESTER, England (AP) ― Chelsea stumbled into the semifinals of the Europa League despite losing to Rubin Kazan on Thursday, while Basel beat Tottenham in a penalty shootout to also reach the last four. Fenerbahce and Benfica were the other teams to advance in Europe’s second-tier competition after holding on for 1-1 draws at Lazio and Newcastle, respectively, in their quarterfinal second legs. Chelsea lost 3-2 in Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium ― the scene of its defeat to Manchester United in t

SoccerApril 12, 2013

NC Dinos get monkey off their back, earn first KBO win

It took them eight games, and the NC Dinos finally have their first victory in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO).Behind a strong start by right-hander Lee Jae-hak, the expansion club defeated the LG Twins 4-1 in Seoul Thursday night.They're now 1-7 in their inaugural KBO season."(This game) made us all realize the importance of one win," said manager Kim Kyung-moon. "Every player concentrated hard and played good defense, and we had a strong desire to win."The Dinos had come close to beating

BaseballApril 12, 2013

Golf: China’s Guan fires 73 in historic Masters debut

Chinese 14-year-old schoolboy Guan Tianlang turned his historic first round at the 77th Masters on Thursday into one for the ages, firing a one-over par 73 to stand as the low amateur player.When he nervously teed off straight up the middle of the first fairway, Guan became the youngest player in Masters history, breaking the previous youth age mark set by Italy’s Matteo Manassero at 16 in 2010.“I was a little bit nervous on the first tee,” Guan said. “I had to hit a great tee shot and I did. An

GolfApril 12, 2013

Korean clubs go winless against rivals

Four South Korean soccer teams went winless against their Japanese rivals this week at the continent’s top club competition.FC Seoul, Pohang Steelers, Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and Suwon Bluewings of the K League Classic combined for one loss and three draws against J. League opponents in the group stage at the AFC Champions League.In Group E action Wednesday, FC Seoul lost to Vegalta Sendai 1-0 on the road. In Group G play, Pohang played Sanfrecce Hiroshima to a 1-1 draw at home.Earlier on Tuesday

SoccerApril 11, 2013

Golf body removes restrictions on foreign circuits

South Korean female golfers will no longer be forced to play on the domestic tour before joining an overseas circuit. The Korea Ladies Professional Golf Association announced Thursday that it has scrapped a rule that made it mandatory for its members to play at least two years in South Korea before trying to reach a foreign tour.The rule had been in place since 2003 to prevent an exodus of star players and to ensure that the local tour would have good young talent.Players who violated this claus

GolfApril 11, 2013

Suwon boasts largest payroll in top soccer league

Suwon Bluewings boast the largest payroll among the 14 clubs in South Korea’s first division professional soccer league, the league office said Thursday.According to the K League Classic, Suwon is paying its 31 players a total of 9.1 billion won ($7.9 million) this season, for an average of 292.5 million won per player. Both are the highest totals in the league.Based in one of the country’s most passionate football cities, Suwon has been one of the league’s most popular clubs since its foundatio

SoccerApril 11, 2013

Lynn overpowers Reds with 10 Ks

ST. LOUIS (AP) ― Mitchell Boggs watched TV with his wife and played with the dog, anything to get his mind off an inept outing in the St. Louis Cardinals’ home opener. It can’t be understated how happy the right-hander was to get right back on the mound.A day after the stand-in closer was the goat of the Reds’ nine-run ninth inning, Boggs retired Cincinnati in order to close out a 5-1 victory Tuesday night.“Anybody who’s gone through it knows how important it is to get back out there quick,” Bog

BaseballApril 10, 2013

Knicks clinch first division title since 1994

NEW YORK (AP) ― They hung nicely in the lockers, T-shirts that can only be won, not bought.“Can’t Stop NY Knicks,” they read. “2013 Division Champions.”A “long overdue” prize for the franchise, coach Mike Woodson called it, and one that players set as a top priority in training camp.“It’s a great thing to achieve one of your main goals, and now we’ve just got to go get that gold ball,” reserve J.R. Smith said.The Knicks romped to their first Atlantic Division title since 1994, getting 36 points

More SportsApril 10, 2013

KOC displeased with possible change to military exemption rule

The nation’s top sports body on Tuesday voiced its displeasure over the government’s plan to tighten rules on exempting athletes from mandatory military service, saying the move would have an adverse effect on athletes’ morale and motivation.Currently, male athletes who win a gold medal at the Asian Games or who win a medal of any color at the Summer and Winter Olympics earn exemption from the service. Such athletes only have to complete four weeks of basic training, whereas other healthy South

More SportsApril 9, 2013

KBO revives territorial draft

The nation’s top baseball league announced Tuesday it will revive an old draft system to let teams select local talent.Starting this year, teams in the Korea Baseball Organization will enter the territorial draft. This type of draft had been used from the start of the KBO in 1982 to 2008. It was replaced by an open draft with a reverse-record order, in which the team with the worst record in the previous season had the first overall pick and could select any player, regardless of his regional ba

BaseballApril 9, 2013

Louisville rolls to NCAA title

ATLANTA (AP) ― Rick Pitino capped the greatest week of his life with the prize he wanted most of all.Luke Hancock produced another huge game off the bench, scoring 22 points, and Pitino became the first coach to win national titles at two schools when relentless Louisville rallied from another 12-point deficit to beat Michigan 82-76 in the NCAA championship game Monday night.This title came on the same day Pitino was announced as a member of the latest Hall of Fame class, a couple of days after

BaseballApril 9, 2013