BASKETBALL
Rivers out 4-6 weeks
Los Angeles Clippers guard Austin Rivers is expected to miss four to six weeks with a broken left hand. Rivers was hurt during the Clippers' game at Minnesota on Wednesday, and the injury was originally diagnosed as a bruise. But when the pain persisted further exams were performed, and the break was found. Rivers, the son of Clippers Coach Doc Rivers, has averaged 8.1 points in about 22 minutes per game this season. The Clippers are still without forward Blake Griffin, first because of a torn left quad tendon and now also because of a broken right hand after he fought a team employee in January. The NBA is still investigating that circumstances surrounding that incident and Doc Rivers said Sunday he expects that probe to "be done pretty soon."
• The NBA is reviewing whether the act of jumping on a player's back to intentionally foul him should be interpreted as a flagrant foul. Dwight Howard and Andre Drummond have both been subjected to the act, when a player jumped on their backs to send the poor free throw shooters to the line. They are frequently fouled intentionally away from the ball, along with the Clippers' DeAndre Jordan, because they are among the league's worst free-throw shooters. Boston Celtics Coach Brad Stevens told reporters Sunday that a memo from the NBA said that act would now be ruled as a flagrant 1 foul. But a league spokesman said there has been no rule change, only that league officials are discussing how the play should be interpreted. If it became a flagrant 1, the team that was fouled would keep possession after the two free throws. "We'll do whatever's necessary, but I don't think anybody wants to see a free throw contest," said Miami Coach Erik Spoelstra, who has seen Heat center Hassan Whiteside challenged by the Hack-a-Somebody ploy several times in the last couple seasons. "But if it comes down to it, so be it."
• Glory Johnson said her twin daughters are out of the hospital and back home with her after they were born premature last fall. Johnson said she was 24 weeks pregnant when she gave birth to her twins -- Ava Simone and Solei Diem -- on Oct. 12. The former WNBA All-Star said Sunday that "they're both doing well" and noted that Ava Simone has been home for about two weeks and Solei Diem came home nearly a week ago. Solei Diem stayed in the hospital longer to undergo laser eye surgery. Johnson sat out this past WNBA season while pregnant but said she is working out again and intends to return this season. The Dallas Wings forward has a seven-game suspension to serve once she returns to the league for her domestic violence arrest.
HORSE RACING
Kobe's back rallies
Kobe's Back came from far back to catch Salutos Amigos in the final 50 yards and win the $200,000 Palos Verdes Stakes for older horses by a half-length Sunday at Santa Anita in Arcadia, Calif. Ridden by Gary Stevens, Kobe's Back ran six furlongs in 1:08.70 and paid $7, $3.40 and $2.40 as the 5-2 second choice. Salutos Amigos returned $2.80 and $2.20, while Cautious Giant was another 1½ lengths back in third and paid $3 to show. Kobe's Back, named for Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, has been idle since finishing seventh in the Breeders' Cup Sprint on Oct. 31. Trainer Peter Eurton put blinkers on the 5-year-old Kentucky-bred to restrict his vision. "Gary said the blinkers did make a difference," said Eurton, who has trained the horse in his last eight starts. The victory, worth $120,000, increased Kobe's Back's career earnings to $772,250, with four victories in 17 starts.
TENNIS
Gasquet defends title
Top-seeded Richard Gasquet defended his Open Sud de France title in Montpellier with a 7-5, 6-4 victory against Paul-Henri Mathieu in all-French final on Sunday. Gasquet dropped serve twice in the first set, rallying from 3-0 down by breaking Mathieu's serve three times on the way to a 13th career title and third at the Montpellier event. Mathieu, who won the last of his four titles back in 2007, continued to cause Gasquet problems in the second set, but failed to take his two break-point chances. Gasquet, now ranked 10th, also won the Montpellier title in 2013. The victory moved him to 13-12 in career finals and he is 6-2 up on Mathieu, 34, in their head-to-heads.
BASEBALL
Mexico wins Caribbean title
Jorge Vazquez hit a home run to lead off the bottom of the ninth inning Sunday, lifting Mexico’s Mazatlan Venados to a 5-4 comeback victory over Venezuela’s Aragua Tigres for the Caribbean Series championship. It was Mexico’s third title in four years. Mexico took an early 2-0 lead, but Venezuela came back with two runs in the fifth inning and two more in the seventh to grab the lead. In the bottom of the seventh, Venados’ Sebastien Valle drove in two runs to tie it. Mexico held Venezuela scoreless the next two innings, giving Vazquez the chance to win the game. Mexico reliever Steven Hensley was credited with the victory, while Renee Cortez took the loss for Venezuela. Hernan Perez went 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI for Venezuela.
FOOTBALL
Lynch’s tweet hints toward retirement
An ESPN report Sunday morning added to the indications that Seattle Seahawks running back SEATTLE — Leave it to Marshawn Lynch to be at the center of attention in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl.
Except this time, Lynch may have given the surest sign he’s on the verge of retirement.
Lynch, the mercurial Seattle Seahawks running back, sent a tweet during the fourth quarter of Sunday’s Super Bowl with a pair of cleats hanging from a power or telephone line, along with an emoji depicting a peace sign. It certainly wasn’t a definitive statement that Lynch is ready to call it a career, but it would fit with a mounting stack of evidence that the bruising running back is ready to move on from football.
Lynch’s teammates in Seattle were certainly taking his tweet as a statement of retirement. Doug Baldwin, Bruce Irvin, Paul Richardson and Richard Sherman were among the many teammates to pay tribute to Lynch on social media.
“Salute to my guy Money-Lynch … It was an honor sharing the field with you,” Sherman wrote on Twitter.
“To one of the greatest teammates I’ve ever had the pleasure of suiting up with. Salute. #Beastmode,” Baldwin posted on Instagram.
Messages left for Lynch’s representatives were not immediately returned.
The tweet from Lynch also backed statements from Jan. 22 by Seattle General Manager John Schneider in a pair of radio interviews that indicated Lynch was leaning toward retirement. Schneider said in separate interviews with two Seattle radio stations that he believes Lynch is leaning toward calling it a career after an injury-filled 2015 season.
Schneider first appeared on KIRO-AM, the team’s flagship station, saying the team was going to give Lynch time and leeway to decide what he wants to do, but added he was “under the impression” Lynch was leaning toward retirement.
Later on KJR-AM, Schneider hedged his comments slightly, but reiterated that he thought Lynch was considering stepping away.
Sports on 02/08/2016