Sports News-December 28, 2012
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The Los Angeles Clippers made their 15th straight victory look easy, cruising to a 106-77 win over Boston. Matt Barnes led the Clippers with 21 off the bench. Blake Griffin had 15 points and eight boards in just 26 minutes of duty. Chris Paul scored eight and dished out eleven assists for the Clippers. The Clippers are the first team to win 15 consecutive games since the Celtics won 19 in a row four years ago. The Clippers lead the NBA with a 23-6 mark. They go for 16 in a row tonight at Utah in the second night of a back-to-back.
Coach of the month in November, out of a job by New Year's. The Brooklyn Nets have elevated expectations this season, and a .500 record isn't good enough. Coach Avery Johnson has been fired. His team lost ten of 13 games after a strong start to its first season in Brooklyn and is 14-14 overall. Johnson was 60-116 in two-plus seasons with the Nets. Assistant P.J. Carlesimo will coach the Nets on an interim basis, starting tonight with a home game against Charlotte. General manager Billy King says the Nets might reach out to other candidates, but for now the job is Carlesimo's. The GM wouldn't comment on a report that the team planned to get in touch with former Lakers coach Phil Jackson.
Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade has been suspended one game without pay by the NBA for flailing his leg and making contact with the groin of Charlotte Bobcats' Ramon Sessions. The incident happened with 8:12 left in the fourth quarter of the Heat's 105-92 victory over the Bobcats on Wednesday night. Sessions was called for a foul on the play. Wade will serve the suspension Friday night when the Heat visit the Detroit Pistons.
As hard as it is for Creighton's Josh Jones to give up basketball, he says it's not worth risking his life to keep playing. Jones spoke with reporters yesterday, explaining how his heart condition is forcing him to walk away from basketball. He said he'll be the same Josh Jones, with or without basketball, but added that it is incredibly hard to quit a game he's played since he was five years old. Jones fainted before the Dec. 6 game at Nebraska and underwent surgery twelve days later to fix an atrial flutter. Doctors have said he will require more procedures, making it impossible for the fifth-year senior to return this season. Jones is scheduled to graduate in May. He had an infected heart valve replaced in 2007.
Local Schedule: Nfk High Vs. Columbus at Central CC, Columbus (GNAC BBB Tourn.-3:45); Nfk High Vs. North Platte at Columbus High School (GNAC GBB Tourn.-2:00); Nfk Cath Vs. Hastings St. Cecilia at Aurora (G&B BB-2:30); LHNE Vs. Tekemah/Herman at Wisner/Pilger (Shootout on the Elkhorn Tourn. G&B BB-6:00).
This Afternoon: The Norfolk Catholic girls & boys basketball teams visit Aurora to play Hastings St. Cecilia as part of the Aurora Holiday Tournament. The girls game starts at 2:30 with the boys game to follow. Pregame coverage at approximately 2:10 on 106 KIX & 106KIX.com.
Local Scores: Kearney 70 Nfk High 56; McCook 59 Lexington 43; North Platte 71 Hastings 54; Scottsbluff 65 Columbus 45 (GNAC BBB Tourn.); Pierce 38 Wakefield 35; Winnebago 62 Oakland/Craig 55 (OT); Wisner/Pilger Vs. Ponca (Ppd. (Shootout on the Elkhorn Tourn. Boys Bracket); Nfk High 63 Scottsbluff 23; Kearney 38 Lexington 19; McCook 55 Hastings 41; North Platte 39 Columbus 30 (GNAC GBB Tourn.); LHNE Vs. Tekemah/Herman-Ppd. To today at 6:00; Pierce 43 Wakefield 31; Winnebago 59 Oakland/Craig 42; Wisner/Pilger Vs. Ponca-Ppd. (Shootout on the Elkhorn Tourn. Girls Bracket).
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final OT Oklahoma City 111 Dallas 105
Final L-A Clippers 106 Boston 77
COLLEGE FOOTBALL BOWL GAMES
Final Baylor 49 (17) U-C-L-A 26
Final (24) San Jose State 29 Bowling Green 20
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final New Mexico 55 ( 8) Cincinnati 54
BOYS BASKETBALL
Alliance Tournament
First Round
Alliance 55, Mitchell 50
Bridgeport 54, Gordon/Rushville 31
Arapahoe Tournament
First Round
Arapahoe 64, Hay Springs 25
Hitchcock County 67, Pleasanton 28
Axtell Tournament
Blue Hill 58, Eustis-Farnam 33
Spalding/Spalding Academy 68, Axtell 44
Bertrand Tournament
Bertrand 59, Franklin 38
Southern Valley 54, Red Cloud 26
Bishop LeBlond, Mo. Tournament
Falls City 61, St. Joseph Christian, Mo. 36
Burwell Tournament
Burwell 63, Neligh-Oakdale 21
Elgin Public/Pope John 46, Cedar Valley 30
Cabela's Holiday Shootout
First Round
Douglas, Wyo. 64, Chase County 62, OT
Gering 58, Hershey 42
Sidney 58, Gothenburg 49
Cedar Bluffs Tournament
First Round
Shelby/Rising City 60, Cedar Bluffs 54, OT
Clearwater/Orchard Holiday Tournament
First Round
CWC 55, Ewing 35
Columbus Lakeview Tournament
First Round
Columbus Lakeview 57, Schuyler 40
Columbus Scotus 60, Twin River 37
Elm Creek Tournament
First Round
Gibbon 46, Elm Creek 30
Loomis 41, Sutherland 33
Grand Island Northwest Tournament
Grand Island Northwest 66, Minden 42
Holdrege 45, Seward 39
Great Northeast Nebraska Tournament
First Round
Hartington Cedar Catholic 68, West Point-Beemer 55
Wayne 61, Laurel-Concord/Coleridge 34
Greater Nebraska Tournament
First Round
Kearney 70, Norfolk 56
McCook 59, Lexington 43
North Platte 71, Hastings 54
Scottsbluff 65, Columbus 45
Gretna Christmas Tournament
First Round
Lincoln Pius X 64, Nebraska City 52
Omaha Skutt Catholic 50, Gretna 47
Heartland Tournament
First Round
Heartland 51, Central City 39
Milford 58, Doniphan-Trumbull 55
Humboldt/Table Rock-Steinauer Tournament
First Round
Lewiston 62, Humboldt/Table Rock-Steinauer 40
McCool Junction Tournament
Clarkson/Leigh 63, Meridian 19
McCool Junction 52, Osceola 30
Randolph Holiday Tournament
Lindsay Holy Family 70, Winside 27
Randolph 50, Plainview 24
Ravenna Holiday Tournament
Loup City 24, Centura 22
Ravenna 72, Overton 62
Shootout on the Elkhorn Tournament
Pierce 38, Wakefield 35
Winnebago 62, Oakland-Craig 55, OT
Silver Lake Holiday Tournament
Alma 44, Silver Lake 35
Bruning-Davenport/Shickley 45, Shelton 40
Stanton Holiday Tournament
O'Neill 57, Madison 44
Stanton 57, West Holt 40
Stuart Holiday Tournament
Stuart 43, Cody-Kilgore 18
Verdigre Holiday Tournament
Niobrara/Verdigre 60, St. Edward 40
Osmond 59, Allen 35
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Alliance Tournament
First Round
Alliance 41, Mitchell 34
Gordon/Rushville 39, Bridgeport 38
Arapahoe Tournament
First Round
Hitchcock County 59, Pleasanton 35
Axtell Tournament
Axtell 47, Spalding/Spalding Academy 39
Blue Hill 47, Eustis-Farnam 31
Bertrand Tournament
Bertrand 32, Franklin 21
Southern Valley 53, Red Cloud 12
Burwell Tournament
Cedar Valley 49, Elgin Public/Pope John 40
Neligh-Oakdale 59, Burwell 42
Cabela's Holiday Shootout
First Round
Douglas, Wyo. 65, Chase County 21
Hershey 65, Gering 41
Sidney 46, Gothenburg 43
Cedar Bluffs Tournament
First Round
Palmer 31, Humphrey St. Francis 26
Shelby/Rising City 76, Cedar Bluffs 39
Clearwater/Orchard Holiday Tournament
First Round
Clearwater/Orchard 36, Elkhorn Valley 35, OT
Ewing 41, CWC 39
Columbus Lakeview Tournament
First Round
Columbus Scotus 43, Twin River 27
Schuyler 57, Columbus Lakeview 48
Elm Creek Tournament
First Round
Gibbon 43, Elm Creek 21
Loomis 44, Sutherland 42
Grand Island Northwest Tournament
Grand Island Northwest 66, Minden 46
Seward 46, Holdrege 27
Great Northeast Nebraska Tournament
First Round
Adams Central 52, Battle Creek 27
Pender 53, Boone Central/Newman Grove 40
Wayne 45, Laurel-Concord/Coleridge 34
Greater Nebraska Tournament
First Round
Kearney 38, Lexington 19
McCook 55, Hastings 41
Norfolk 63, Scottsbluff 23
North Platte 39, Columbus 30
Gretna Christmas Tournament
First Round
Gretna 56, Omaha Skutt Catholic 32
Lincoln Pius X 66, Nebraska City 26
Heartland Tournament
First Round
Heartland 44, Central City 38
Milford 64, Doniphan-Trumbull 31
Humboldt/Table Rock-Steinauer Tournament
First Round
Lewiston 29, Humboldt/Table Rock-Steinauer 19
McCool Junction Tournament
Clarkson/Leigh 40, Meridian 26
McCool Junction 42, Osceola 35
Mercy Tournament
Mercy, Md. 49, Omaha Mercy 45
Randolph Tournament (Holiday)
Lindsay Holy Family 62, Winside 10
Randolph 63, Plainview 30
Ravenna Holiday Tournament
Centura 64, Loup City 22
Ravenna 53, Overton 30
Shootout on the Elkhorn
First Round
Pierce 43, Wakefield 31
Winnebago 59, Oakland-Craig 42
Silver Lake Tournament
Alma 58, Silver Lake 51
Bruning-Davenport/Shickley 77, Shelton 16
Stanton Tournament (Holiday)
West Holt 42, Stanton 32
Stuart Tournament
Ainsworth 49, North Central 26
Stuart 63, Cody-Kilgore 27
Verdigre Tournament
First Round
Niobrara/Verdigre 54, St. Edward 29
POSTPONEMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS
Shootout on the Elkhorn
First Round
Ponca vs. Wisner-Pilger, ppd.
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