FOOTBALL
LSU’s Guice to enter draft
LSU leading rusher Derrius Guice said he’s entering the 2018 NFL draft. Guice rushed for 1,251 yards and 11 touchdowns during the 2017 season, including a season-high 276 yards rushing in a victory at Mississippi. Guice also caught 18 passes for 124 yards and 2 scores. In 2016, Guice set an LSU single-game record with 285 yards rushing in a victory at Texas A&M, breaking the mark of 284 yards set earlier that season by Leonard Fournette. Guice leaves the Tigers having rushed for 3,074 yards and 29 touchdowns. Guice is among five LSU players to announce they’re leaving school early to turn pro this year, including edge pass rusher Arden Key, offensive tackle Toby Weathersby, and defensive backs Donte Jackson and Kevin Toliver.
Titans’ Murray out
Tennessee Coach Mike Mularkey said running back DeMarco Murray will not play against the New England Patriots in the AFC divisional round. Mularkey said Wednesday that Murray is not close enough to play Saturday night in New England. The coach had listed Murray as day to day after the Titans (10-7) beat Kansas City in the wild-card round. But Murray has yet to practice, and Mularkey said the veteran running back is close enough to play next week. Left guard Quinton Spain missed a second consecutive practice with his back. Mularkey said Spain is doing better. Mularkey said he gave linebacker Brian Orakpo the day off from practice. Cornerback Logan Ryan (ankle) was limited in his return to practice. Derrick Henry will start his third consecutive game at running back.
Jaguars’ LB Brown iffy
Jacksonville Jaguars backup linebacker Blair Brown sprained his left ankle during practice Wednesday, a potentially big loss considering starters Telvin Smith and Paul Posluszny already were dealing with injuries. Brown was wearing a walking boot and using crutches to get around the locker room, saying he “landed on it wrong” during a drill. Coach Doug Marrone praised Brown earlier in the day, saying he played well in a wild-card victory against Buffalo last week. Brown filled in for Posluszny, who left the game with an abdomen injury. Posluszny and Smith (ankle) did not practice Wednesday. Backup linebacker Donald Payne (quadriceps) also was on the injury report, leaving starter Myles Jack and backup Lerentee McCray as the team’s only fully healthy linebackers.
TENNIS
Sock, U.S. players out
Top-seeded and defending champion Jack Sock bowed out of the ATP Tour’s ASB Classic at Auckland, New Zealand, in its second round Wednesday, beaten 6-3, 6-3 by unseeded German Peter Gojowczyk on a bad day for American players. Sock’s compatriots, third-seeded Sam Querrey, fourth-seeded John Isner and unseeded Steve Johnson were also beaten in second-round matches. Querrey lost 6-4, 6-7 (10), 7-6 (5) to Czech Jiri Vesely, two-time champion Isner lost 7-6 (3), 5-7, 6-2 to Hyeon Chung of Korea and Johnson was beaten 2-6, 6-2, 6-1 by fifth-seeded former champion Roberto Bautista Agut of Spain.
Muguruza withdraws
Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza has withdrawn with an injury from her second consecutive tournament to start the new year. Muguruza, who retired in the third set from her first match at the Brisbane International last week with leg cramps, beat Kiki Bertens 6-3, 7-6 (6) on Wednesday at the Sydney International to advance to the quarterfinals. But Muguruza withdrew from her next match because of a right thigh injury, handing a walkover to her quarterfinal opponent Daria Gavrilova, who beat Sam Stosur 6-4, 6-2 later Wednesday. Agnieszka Radwanksa advanced to the quarterfinals with a 7-6 (4), 6-0 victory over American qualifier Catherine Bellis. Radwanska will play Camila Giorgi, who beat two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova 7-6 (7), 6-2. In men’s play, Paolo Lorenzi upset top-seeded Albert Ramos-Vinolas 6-3, 7-5, and Fabio Fognini defeated Alexandr Dolgopolov 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. In other second-round results, Daniil Medvedev beat Jared Donaldson 6-3, 4-6, 7-5, Benoit Paire defeated Leonardo Mayer 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 and fifth-seeded Adrian Mannarino beat Ricardas Berankis 6-2, 6-1.
Djokovic wins tune-up
Novak Djokovic stopped quickly, abruptly changed directions and stabbed at a full-stretch volley that whizzed past Dominic Thiem for a winner. Wearing a compression sleeve on his right arm to protect his troublesome elbow, Djokovic dominated the fifth-ranked Thiem 6-1, 6-4 on Wednesday in an exhibition match at the Kooyong Classic in Melbourne, Australia, a key tune-up event for next week’s Australian Open. Still smiling afterward, Djokovic said he’d had doubts whether he’d be ready to play the first Grand Slam of the year, but the victory over Thiem was a major confidence booster.
BASKETBALL
NBA suspends pair
The NBA has suspended Miami Heat forward James Johnson and Toronto Raptors forward Serge Ibaka one game apiece for throwing punches at each other. The punishment was announced Wednesday by Kiki VanDeWeghe, the league’s executive vice president for basketball operations. The fight began with 7:50 remaining in the third quarter of the Heat’s 90-89 victory over the Raptors on Tuesday night in Toronto. Ibaka and Johnson started shoving each other while waiting for the ball to be inbounded under the Miami basket. Both received technical fouls and ejections. Johnson served his suspension Wednesday night when the Heat visit the Indiana Pacers. Ibaka will serve his suspension tonight when the Rap-tors host the Cleveland Cavaliers. The NBA also fined the Raptors’ DeMar DeRozan $25,000 and the Heat’s Goran Dragic $10,000 for a separate altercation at the end of the game, during which DeRozan attempted to shove Dragic.
BASEBALL
Bruce back with Mets
Two people familiar with the negotiations said free-agent outfielder Jay Bruce is set to return to the New York Mets after agreeing to a $39 million, three-year contract. The people spoke on condition of anonymity Wednesday night because the deal is pending a physical and no announcement had been made. A three-time All-Star, Bruce batted a combined .254 with 36 home runs and 101 RBI for the Mets and Cleveland Indians last season. After falling out of playoff contention, New York traded him to the AL Central champions on Aug. 9 for minor league pitcher Ryder Ryan. Bruce, who turns 31 on April 3, fills a hole in the outfield and brings back some much-needed proven power to a Mets team trying to rebound from an injury-ravaged 70-92 season. His return in right field likely means Michael Conforto is ticketed for center field once he recovers from shoulder surgery. In another negotiation Wednesday, free-agent catcher Rene Rivera and the Los Angeles Angels have agreed to a $2.8 million, one-year contract. He split last season between the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs, batting .252 with 10 home runs and 35 RBI.
MOTOR SPORTS
Peterhansel in lead
Stephane Peterhansel extended his overall lead of the Dakar Rally after winning the fifth stage on Wednesday. The Frenchman, a 13-time Dakar champion in all categories, won the 165-mile stage between San Juan de Marcona and Arequipa in Peru in 2 hours, 51 minutes, 19 seconds. Peterhansel’s Peugeot teammate, Sebastien Loeb, was forced to abandon the race after an injury to co-pilot Daniel Elena. Dutch driver Bernhard ten Brinke of Toyota finished the stage 4:52 behind Peterhansel. In the overall classification, Peterhansel leads Peugeot’s Carlos Sainz, who ended fourth on Wednesday, by 31:16. Ten Brinke is 1:15:16 behind Peterhansel. In the motorbike race, Spain’s Joan Barreda Bort of Honda clocked 3:19:42 to win the stage, but Frenchman Adrien van Beveren of Yahama still leads the overall classification despite a disappointing fifth place on Wednesday. In the truck race, defending champion Eduard Nikolaev won the stage in 3:37:12. The Kamaz driver leads the overall classification by 58:05 over Federico Villagra of De Rooy. The rally leaves Peru and enters Bolivia today, bound to the country’s capital La Paz.