Off the wire

LITTLE ROCK — BASKETBALL

Bayless out for season

Toronto Raptors guard Jerryd Bayless is expected to miss the rest of the season after partially tearing a left oblique muscle. The Raptors made the announcement Tuesday. Bayless left Toronto’s game against Orlando on Monday night with 5:25 left in the second quarter and did not return. He underwent tests Tuesday at Toronto’s Mount Sinai Hospital. Bayless, in his second season with Toronto, is averaging 11.4 points and 3.8 assists in 22.7 minutes per game this season. He had stepped up his play lately, starting five games from March 11-17 and averaging 21.8 points and 7.6 assists.

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Daniel Gibson has a torn tendon in his left foot and ankle and will likely miss the remainder of the season. Gibson initially hurt his ankle March 19 against New Jersey. X-rays were negative, but the Cavs said Tuesday that Gibson’s ankle has not progressed as expected. He underwent a magnetic resonance imaging that revealed the torn tendon. Gibson is averaging 7.5 points and 2.2 assists in 26 minutesfor Cleveland.

Connecticut center Alex Oriakhi has been granted his release from the basketball program. The 6-9 junior, a key piece of UConn’s 2011 national championship run, informed coaches last week that he planned to transfer. His father told the Hearst Connecticut Media Group that Oriakhi made the decision because Connecticut is expected to be academically ineligible for next season’s NCAA Tournament. Oriakhi averaged 6.7 points and 4.8 rebounds this season after averaging almost 9.6 points and 8.7 as a sophomore.

Memphis has extended the contract of men’s coach Josh Pastner by one year, carrying him through the 2017 season. Financial terms were not released Tuesday when the school announced the extension. Pastner’s team went 26-9 this past season, won its second consecutive Conference USA Tournament title and played in the NCAA West Regional, losing in the second round to Saint Louis. The Tigers are 75-29 in his three seasons as head coach. The school announced that women’s coach Melissa McFerrin also received a one-year contract extension.

GYMNASTICS

Hamm retires

Paul Hamm, the only U.S. manto win a world or Olympic allaround title, is retiring. Hamm told The Associated Press on Tuesday he is abandoning his comeback for this summer’s London Olympics because his body can no longer handle the demands of training and competition. Hamm had surgery in January 2011 to repair a torn right labrum and rotator cuff. He retires with five medals from the world championships and three from the Olympics, including all-around titles at the 2003 worlds and 2004 Summer Games.

TENNIS

Roddick falls

Less than 24 hours after his upset victory over Roger Federer, Andy Roddick lost to 21st-seeded Juan Monaco 7-5, 6-0 on Tuesday in the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Fla. In other men’s fourth-round play, No. 2 Rafael Nadal swept five consecutive games midway through his match and beat No. 16-seeded Kei Nishikori 6-4, 6-4. Nadal, a three-time runner-up at Key Biscayne, lost in the final last year to Novak Djokovic, and they could meet again Sunday. The top-ranked Djokovic reached the final eight by beating No. 17-seeded Richard Gasquet 7-5, 6-3. Also, No. 8 Mardy Fish edged No. 12 Nicolas Almagro 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-3. In women’s play, No. 2-seeded Maria Sharapova became the first semifinalist when she defeated reigning French Open champion Li Na 6-3, 6-0. Sharapova had lost their previous four meetings. Serena Williams’ bid for a recordsixth Key Biscayne title ended when she lost to former No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki 6-4, 6-4.

HORSE RACING

Baffert out of ICU

Trainer Bob Baffert was moved out of intensive care in Dubai a day after having a heart attack and is expected to be released from the hospital by Thursday. Baffert was in the United Arab Emirates to train Game on Dude for the Dubai World Cup this week. Bernie Schiappa, co-owner of Game On Dude, called the 59-year-old trainer’s condition excellent Tuesday and said he was already “training from bed” ahead of Saturday’s race. He said Baffert was in good spirits, joking with friends and working closely on the preparations for Game on Dude, as well as The Factor, which is running in the $2 million Golden Shaheen. Baffert began feeling ill on Monday and was rushed to the hospital, where he had three stents inserted in two arteries.

MOTOR SPORTS

Five-segment all-star race

NASCAR’s annual all-star race will be split into five segments this year, with a mandatory pit stop before the final 10-lap sprint for the $1 million prize. The All-Star race at Charlotte Motor Speedway will be 90 laps and begin with four 20-lap segments. The winner of each segment will move to the front of the field right before the cars head down pit road for their mandatorystop. Drivers will then line up in the order they leave pit road to start the final segment. The new format is designed to place a premium on winning one of the first four segments, as well as showcase pit crews for the mandatory stop before the 10-lap shootout. There was little drama in last year’s race, with Carl Edwards winning three of the four segments what was then a 100-lap race. He went onto pit road as the leader for the mandatory pit stop, was the first car off pit road, and handily pulled away on the restart to lead all 10 laps of the final segment. The event is open to race winners from last season through the May 12 race at Darlington, and previous All-Star race winners from the past 10 years. The top-two finishers in the 40-lap preliminary race also advance into the main event, as does the winner of the Sprint Fan Vote.

HOCKEY

Lovejoy out 3-4 weeks

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Ben Lovejoy will miss 3-4 weeks after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Tuesday. Lovejoy injured the knee in the first period of a 5-2 victory over New Jersey on Sunday. The injury means Lovejoy would likely miss Pittsburgh’s firstround playoff series.

Edmonton Oilers forward Taylor Hall will undergo season-ending surgery on his left shoulder. General Manager Steve Tambellini said Hall will need five to six months of recovery time, and the team hopes he will be ready for the start of next season. Hall hasn’t played since he suffered a concussion during a 3-1 victory over the Calgary Flames on March 17. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 NHL draft has 27 goals and 26 assists in 61 games with Edmonton this season.

Philadelphia Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov will miss at least one game with a chipped fracture in his right foot. Bryzgalov will not make the trip for Thursday’s game at Toronto. Flyers General Manager Paul Holmgren said the injury is not serious and Bryzgalov should return to the net this weekend. He was injured in warm-ups when he was struck with a puck before Monday’s 5-3 loss against Tampa Bay and was limping around the locker room. Bryzgalov had a magnetic resonance imaging Tuesday that revealed the injury. Bryzgalov is 32-15-7 with six shutouts this season.