Off the wire

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry before an NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls in Oakland, Calif., Friday, Nov. 24, 2017.
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry before an NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls in Oakland, Calif., Friday, Nov. 24, 2017.

BASKETBALL

Curry out 2 weeks

Stephen Curry will miss a minimum of two weeks after an MRI exam on his injured right ankle Tuesday revealed a sprain. The Golden State Warriors said their leading scorer and two-time league MVP will be re-evaluated in two weeks. That means Curry is out for today’s game in his hometown of Charlotte, where the MRI took place. Curry stepped on E’Twaun Moore’s foot and landed awkwardly on the ankle while going for a late steal in a 125-115 comeback victory Monday night at New Orleans and left the arena using crutches and wearing a walking boot. He scored 31 points before the injury. The defending NBA champions said the MRI indicated Curry’s ankle “is stable and structurally intact.” Curry is averaging 26.3 points, 6.6 assists and 5.1 rebounds this season.

Man charged with Wright slaying

Authorities charged a man Tuesday in connection with the slaying of former NBA player Lorenzen Wright, more than seven years after Wright’s bullet-riddled body was found decomposing in a Tennessee suburb. Billy Turner, 46, was indicted on a charge of first-degree murder, and was being held on $1 million bond, said Shelby County District Attorney General Amy Weirich. Court records did not list a lawyer for him or a date for a court hearing. Weirich and Police Director Michael Rallings declined to discuss any details of the arrest or investigation. Wright’s body was found in suburban Memphis on July 28, 2010, 10 days after the 34-year-old was reported missing. He was shot multiple times. The seven-year investigation into his death has been one of the Memphis Police Department’s most high-profile unsolved cases. Wright’s mother, Deborah Marion, had told news outlets recently that she was not giving up hope as the search for her son’s killer dragged on. She told WREG-TV in Memphis on Tuesday that she had been told an arrest was made. The 6-foot-11 Wright played for the Memphis Grizzlies and four other NBA teams as a forward and center over 13 seasons before retiring in 2009. He averaged 8 points per game and more than 6 rebounds per game during his career.

FOOTBALL

Manning, Spurrier to HOF

Former Florida coach Steve Spurrier and former Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning were inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame on Tuesday night at the National Football Foundation’s awards banquet in Manhattan. The rest of the players in Hall of Fame class included Marshall Faulk of San Diego State, 2004 Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart of Southern California, Bob Crable of Notre Dame, Kirk Gibson, the National League MVP in 1988 and former Michigan State receiver, Bob McKay of Texas, Dat Nguyen of Texas A&M, Mike Ruth of Boston College, Brian Urlacher of New Mexico, and Adrian Peterson of Georgia Southern. The other coaches inducted into the Hall of Fame were Larry Kehres, who led Division III Mount Union to 11 national titles and a .930 winning percentage in 27 seasons, and Danny Ford, who coached Clemson to its first national championship at the age of 33 in 1981 and guided Arkansas in 1993-1997, leading the Razorbacks to the SEC West title in 1995.

Love, Vea honored

Stanford running back Bryce Love was been named the Pac-12 offensive player of the year and Washington lineman Vita Vea the defensive player of the year. Stanford’s David Shaw was the coach of the year and Arizona linebacker Colin Schooler was the defensive freshman of the year in awards announced Tuesday. Arizona running back J.J. Taylor and Stanford lineman Walker Little shared offensive freshmen of the year. Love, a junior, ran for 1,973 yards and 17 touchdowns, finishing second nationally with 164.4 yards rushing per game. Vea, a junior, anchored a defense that was third nationally against the run at 92.3 yards allowed and was fifth in total defense at 277.4 yards allowed per game. Shaw helped the Cardinal bounce back from a 1-2 start to clinch the Pac-12 North.

Levitre to miss game

Atlanta Falcons guard Andy Levitre will miss a game for the first time in his NFL career. The nine-year veteran won’t play Thursday night against the New Orleans Saints because of a triceps injury. Levitre had started 140 consecutive games since entering the league with Buffalo in 2009. He also spent two seasons with Tennessee before being dealt to the Falcons in 2015. Coach Dan Quinn ruled out Levitre on Tuesday. It’s not known how long he will be sidelined. Levitre was injured in the first quarter of a 14-9 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. He was replaced by Ben Garland, who will start at left guard when the Falcons (7-5) host the Saints (9-3).

Suspension upheld

The NFL has denied New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski’s appeal of a one-game suspension for a late, gratuitous hit to the head of Buffalo Bills defensive back Tre’Davious White. The league announced the decision of appeals officer Derrick Brooks on Tuesday. White was face down on the sideline after intercepting a pass in Buffalo on Sunday when Gronkowski body-slammed him, driving his forearm into White’s back and head. Gronkowski was called for unnecessary roughness, but not kicked out of the game. White went into the concussion protocol. Gronkowski, who apologized for the hit, will serve his suspension against Miami next Monday night.

BASEBALL

Cardinals sign Mikolas

Right-hander Miles Mikolas is returning from Japan, agreeing to a $15.5 million, two-year contract with the St. Louis Cardinals. The 29-year-old’s agreement was announced Tuesday. He bolsters a Cardinals’ rotation that could lose Lance Lynn, who became a free agent. Mikolas spent the last three seasons with the Central League’s Yomiuri Giants, going 31-13 with a 2.18 ERA in 62 starts. He was 14-8 this year, setting career highs for innings (188) and strikeouts (187) while walking 23. Selected on the seventh round of the 2009 amateur draft by San Diego, he was 4-6 with a 5.32 ERA in 37 games for the Padres and Texas from 2012-2014. He was 2-5 with a 6.44 ERA for the Rangers in 2014, making 10 starts.

HOCKEY

Rangers top Forbes list

The New York Rangers are worth an NHL-high $1.5 billion as team values continue to rise, according to the latest estimate by Forbes. In its annual list of franchise valuations, Forbes said the average NHL team is now worth $594 million, up 15 percent from a year ago. It comes on the heels of Bill Foley’s group paying $500 million for the expansion Vegas Golden Knights, who come in 14th among 31 teams. The Rangers lead the NHL for the third consecutive year. After the Rangers, the Toronto Maple Leafs are second at $1.4 billion, the Montreal Canadiens third at $1.25 billion and the Chicago Blackhawks fourth at $1 billion. The back-to-back Stanley Cup-champion Pittsburgh Penguins come in 10th at $650 million. The Arizona Coyotes are last at $300 million.

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