Off the wire

LITTLE ROCK — BASKETBALL

Knicks give Woodson deal

Mike Woodson will return as the New York Knicks’ coach after leading them to their first playoff victory in 11 years. The Knicks removed the interim tag Friday and announced they had given Woodson a multiyear contract extension, rewarding him for a finish to what had been a turbulent season. Woodson led the Knicks to an 18-6 record after replacing Mike D’Antoni on March 14. The Knicks lost 4-1 to Miami in the first round, ending an NBA-record, 13-game postseason losing streak by winning Game 4 for their first victory since 2001. “Mike has the respect of every person in this organization,” General Manager Glen Grunwald said in a statement. “He and his staff led the team in an impressive push into the playoffs over the last 24 games, and we believe he is the right man to lead the franchise as we move forward.” Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. A first-round draft pick of the Knicks in 1980, Woodson returned to the team last summer as an assistant coach, providing a defensive-minded voice to D’Antoni’s staff. Woodson’s influence, combined with Defensive Player of the Year Tyson Chandler, moved the Knicks into the top half of the league’s defensive rankings after they had been one the worst teams for years. D’Antoni resigned March 14 when the Knicks were 18-24 and in danger of missing the playoffs. Woodson won his first five games and was praised by players for holding them more accountable on defense. Woodson previously spent six seasons as coach of the Atlanta Hawks, improving his victory total in every season until they went 53-29 in 2009-2010. But he wasn’t retained after they were swept in the conference semifinals for the second consecutive year. Woodson has a career 224-292 record as an NBA coach. “I know expectations are high, and they should be high,” Woodson said during a conference call, “and I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

The NBA fined Miami Coach Erik Spoelstra $25,000 on Friday for “critical public comments” about officiating in the Eastern Conference series with Indiana. Spoelstra made the comments before Miami’s shoot around Thursday in Indianapolis, hours before the Heat beat the Pacers in Game 6 to win the series. Spoelstra was quoted by several media outlets as saying the NBA “does not have a problem” with Indiana committing hard fouls on Heat starters LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. Spoelstra told reporters he counted more than 12 instances where Heat players were struck in the face by the Pacers this season. Miami had two players suspended for Game 6 for flagrant fouls. Indiana’s Tyler Hansbrough was not suspended for a flagrant he committed against Wade, opening a cut over the Miami guard’s right eye.

Miami Beach police said a New York Knicks player has been arrested on a bench warrant for not having a valid driver’s license. Sgt. Bobby Hernandez said 26-year old J.R. Smith was stopped Thursday night on Washington Avenue in South Beach. A routine search revealed the bench warrant and he was arrested. Details were not immediately available on what led police to stop Smith around 8:30 p.m. Hernandez said Smith was taken to the Miami-Dade County jail, where officials said he bonded out early Friday. No attorney was listed on jail records for Smith. Smith was drafted by the New Orleans Hornets in 2004. Smith averaged 12.5 points per game for the Knicks this season.

FOOTBALL

Tennessee dismisses TE

Tennessee Coach Derek Dooley has dismissed sophomore tight end Cameron Clear from the team following his arrest on a theft charge. Dooley suspended Clear indefinitely Wednesday to collect information on the tight end’s arrest Tuesday on a charge of theft between $1,000 and $10,000. Dooley announced Clear’s dismissal Friday. The 6-6, 283-pound Clear, who is from Memphis, had one catch for 4 yards as a freshman, playing in 12 games. But Clear was arrested after a campus police officer found him using a stolen laptop in front of Neyland Stadium.

Miami said it will remain committed to the Atlantic Coast Conference. Hurricanes Athletic Director Shawn Eichorst released a statement Friday saying the school has not had any “formal or informal discussions” about switching affiliations. Speculation about schools like Florida State, Clemson and Miami in the ACC has increased recently, with reports linking all three to the Big 12. Florida State said it has not talked to the Big 12, and the chairman of Clemson’s board of trustees said Thursday the Tigers have not received any offers to move out of the ACC. Miami insisted Friday that it was staying put as well, with Eichorst saying “we are committed to the ACC.” Miami joined the ACC in 2004.

TENNIS

Baker, Almagro reach final

American qualifier Brian Baker outlasted Nikolay Davydenko 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-2 Friday to advance to the final of the Open de Nice in France. The 216th-ranked Baker will face Nicolas Almagro, who beat Gilles Simon 6-1, 6-3 in the other semifinal. Baker, who will play in his first ATP final, is on a 15-match winning streak. He broke Davydenko, a former No. 3, three times in the deciding set. Baker’s streak began with a challenger victory in the United States, which earned him a wild card into his first French Open. Almagro, who had lost his previous two matches against Simon, hit eight aces and saved all four break points he faced.

Top-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska beat Kaia Kanepi 7-6 (8) 6-3 on Friday to set up a championship match against Simona Halep in the Belgian Open in Brussels. The third-ranked Radwanska trailed 5-1 in the first set but saved two set points and fought back to win. Halep reached her first final in a premier tournament when she beat Sofia Arvidsson 6-4, 6-3.

Francesca Schiavone beat Sloane Stephens of the United States 7-5, 6-1 on Friday to reach the Strasbourg International final in France, where she will play Alize Cornet. The second-seeded Italian dropped her own serve three times but broke Stephens’ serve six times. Schiavone, the 2010 French Open champion bids for her fifth career title against Cornet, who rallied to beat Pauline Parmentier 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 in a long, error-filled match that featured 16 double faults and 13 service breaks.

HORSE RACING

Albarado allowed to ride

A Kentucky judge has issued a restraining order that prevents the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission from enforcing the suspension of jockey Robby Albarado. Franklin County Circuit Judge Thomas Wingate entered the order Friday. Albarado sought the judge’s intervention after a committee of the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission turned down a request to have his suspension lifted. The veteran jockey was suspended in Kentucky following his May 4 arrest on an assault charge. He also has been unable to ride in other states that are honoring the decision. Albarado is third on the all-time wins list at Churchill Downs. Police charged him with assault after a woman said he threw her to the floor.

TRACK AND FIELD

Bolt, Campbell-Brown win

Usain Bolt won the 100 meters in 10.04 seconds in the wind at the Golden Spike meet Friday in Ostrava, Czech Republic, his first victory in Europe leading to the London Olympics. The Jamaican had a slow start but pulled ahead in the final meters. He failed to improve his season best of 9.82 from a May meet in Jamaica. Kim Collins finished second in 10.19, followed by Darvis Patton of the United States in 10.22. Before the race, Bolt said he was working on his slow start in hopes of bettering his world records in the 100 and 200 in London. Bolt won three gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Games. “At the start I didn’t feel as explosive as I normally feel like,” he said. Veronica Campbell-Brown (Arkansas Razorbacks), a two-time Olympic gold medalist in the 200, eased to victory in her season-best 22.38, edging Americans Bianca Knight and Tiffany Townsend.