Lakers hire D’Antoni
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Lakers have hired Mike D’Antoni, signing the former coach of the Suns and Knicks to replace Mike Brown. D’Antoni got the high-profile job running the 16-time NBA champions only after the club’s top brass extensively discussed the job with former Lakers coach Phil Jackson.
The 11-time NBA champion coach met with Lakers owners Jerry and Jim Buss and general manager Mitch Kupchak on Saturday to weigh a return for a third stint on Los Angeles’ bench.
The Lakers instead went with D’Antoni, a respected offensive strategist who coached Lakers point guard Steve Nash in Phoenix during the best years of their respective careers. D’Antoni was less successful during four seasons in New York, but at least restored the once-moribund Knicks to competence before resigning last March.
D’Antoni agreed to a three-year deal worth $12 million, with a team option for a fourth season. His hiring comes two days after the Lakers fired Mike Brown just five games into the season.
Grizzlies beat the Heat…Lakers 2-0 for Bickerstaff
UNDATED (AP) — The Miami Heat’s early season four-game win streak is over. Reserve Wayne Ellington had career bests with seven 3-pointers and 25 points in the Memphis Grizzlies’ 104-86 win over the Heat. That’s the Grizzlies’ fifth straight win.
The Grizzlies have won 14 straight home games dating to last season.
Rudy Gay added 21 points and Zach Randolph had his sixth double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds for Memphis.
In other NBA Sunday action:
— While Lakers management is trying to lure Phil Jackson out of retirement to coach once again, the Lakers team is actually playing better since Mike Brown was fired after a 1-4 start. The Lakers improved to 2-0 under interim coach Bernie Bickerstaff by beating Sacramento 103-90. New Lakers center Dwight Howard had a monster game — 23 points and 18 boards.
— Brooklyn completed a home-and-home sweep of Orlando with an 82-74 victory over the visiting Magic. Brook Lopez led the way with 20 points while Kris Humphries added 14 points and 21 rebounds.
— Blake Griffin scored 16 points, Chris Paul had 15 points and eight assists and the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Atlanta Hawks 89-76 on Sunday. Atlanta committed 22 turnovers that were converted into 24 Clippers points.
— Oklahoma City routed Cleveland 106-91. Russell Westbrook led the Thunder with 27. Kevin Durant added 26 as the Thunder placed five players in double figures.
And then there were none…Seahawks drop Jets to 3-6…QBs Vick, Cutler, Smith suffer concussions
UNDATED (AP) — The 1972 Miami Dolphins can rest well once again. They are still the only NFL team to win the Super Bowl with a perfect season.
The Atlanta Falcons suffered their first loss when New Orleans scored a back-and-forth 31-27 victory at the Superdome. Drew Brees threw for 298 yards and three TDs. His favorite receiver was tight end Jimmy Graham, with seven catches for a career-best 146 yards and two TDs.
Matt Ryan had a career day in the loss. The Atlanta signal-caller passed for 411 yards and three TDs. His tight end, Tony Gonzalez, had 11 receptions for 122 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
The Falcons didn’t go down without a fight. They drove to the New Orleans 1-yard in the final two minutes. But on a fourth-down play, Ryan’s pass was tipped away. And with it, Atlanta’s perfect season died.
In other Week 10 results:
— Denver routed Carolina 36-14 on coach John Fox’s return to where he got his start as an NFL head coach. Peyton Manning threw for 301 yards and a TD. The Broncos have won five of six to improve to 6-3.
— Cincinnati took advantage of a pair of Eli Manning interceptions and upset the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants 31-13. Andy Dalton tossed a career-high four TDs for the 4-5 Bengals.
The Seattle Seahawks routed the New York Jets 28-7 behind a pair of TD passes by rookie Russell Wilson. The Seahawks are 6-4. Meanwhile, the Jets fell to 3-6, their worst start since 2007.
— Baltimore scored on six of its first seven possessions and set a club record in scoring during a 55-20 rout of Oakland. Joe Flacco threw three TD passes.
— Adrian Peterson, the NFL’s leading rusher, rumbled for 171 yards on 27 carries in Minnesota’s 34-24 win over Detroit.
— Dallas scored a pair of defensive touchdowns and continued the nightmare season for the Philadelphia Eagles, 38-23. After a 3-1 start, the Eagles have dropped five straight. That’s the first five-game losing streak in the 14 seasons that Andy Reid has been coaching Philadelphia. After a slow start, the Cowboys are 4-5, just a game and a-half back of the NFC East-leading Giants. To make matters worse, Eagles QB Michael Vick suffered a concussion.
— New England, a 12-point favorite, had a tougher-than-expected time in beating last-place Buffalo 37-31. The Pats are 11-0 against the Bills since Gillette Stadium opened in 2002.
— Tennessee went on the road and surprised Miami 37-3. The Titans forced four turnovers, including picking off three Ryan Tannehill passes. That’s Miami’s worst home loss since 1968.
— The St. Louis Rams and NFC West-leading San Francisco played to a 24-24 tie, the first tie in the NFL since 2008. Rams rookie Greg Zurelein kicked a 53-yard field goal in OT, but it was wiped out when the Rams were penalized five yards for delay of game. He then missed from 58 yards. That came on the Rams’ first possession after usually reliable David Akers, the 49ers field goal kicker, missed a potential game-winning 41-yard field goal. Niners starting QB Alex Smith left early with a concussion.
— Tampa Bay improved to 5-4 with a 34-24 win over San Diego for the Bucs’ third straight victory. Josh Freeman tossed a pair of TDs.
— On a rainy night at Soldier Field, the Houston Texans did just enough offensively to beat Chicago 13-6 in the Sunday night game. Arian Foster made a diving catch in the end zone for a 2-yard touchdown for the only TD of the game. Jay Cutler suffered a concussion in the first half and Jason Campbell finished up as Bears QB. The Bears suffered four turnovers in the first half. Houston improved to 8-1. The Bears are 7-2.
Ducks reach the top rung of ladder…BCS has K-State first, Oregon second
NEW YORK (AP) — Oregon is No. 1 in The Associated Press college football poll after Alabama gave up the top spot following a loss to Texas A&M.
The Ducks picked up 45 of 60 first-place votes. Kansas State is No. 2 with 14 first-place votes. Notre Dame is third and received one first-place vote.
The Crimson Tide, which had been No. 1 for 10 straight weeks, dropped to fourth after a 29-24 loss to the Aggies in Tuscaloosa. Texas A&M moved up six spots to No. 9.
Georgia, Ohio State, Florida and LSU are 5 through 8, respectively. Florida State rounds out the top 10.
No. 25 Kent State is ranked for first time since early November of 1973.
Meanwhile, the new BCS standings have the Wildcats (.9674) first and the Ducks (.9497) second. The top two teams in the BCS meet Jan. 7 in Miami for the BCS championship.