PRO BASKETBALL
LOS ANGELES (AP)LeBron James became the NBA’s career scoring leader on a step-back jumper late in the third quarter, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record during his 38-point performance in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 133-130 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
James surpassed the mark held since April 1984 by Abdul-Jabbar, who watched the game from a baseline seat near the Lakers’ bench. Abdul-Jabbar then joined a clearly emotional James and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on the court after the historic basket.
James’ mother, wife and children also sat courtside amid a celebrity-studded crowd that rose in waves of anticipation nearly every time he touched the ball.
The game was stopped for about 10 minutes while James hugged his family and participated in a brief ceremony with Silver and Abdul-Jabbar.
MIAMI (AP) – The San Antonio Spurs acquired Dewayne Dedmon and a 2028 second-round draft pick from the Miami Heat.
The Heat got cash considerations, plus more importantly, some newly opened financial flexibility – since they’re not taking any salary back – as well as a roster spot.
Dedmon is averaging 5.7 points in 30 games this season.
PRO FOOTBALL
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) – The San Francisco 49ers are hiring former Carolina interim head coach Steve Wilks as their new defensive coordinator.
A person familiar with the choice said Wilks will fill the void created when DeMeco Ryans was hired as head coach in Houston. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the hiring hadn’t been announced.
Wilks is a longtime defensive backs coach in the NFL and has served as defensive coordinator in Cleveland and Carolina before becoming interim coach for the Panthers this season. He also was head coach for one season in Arizona but was fired after going 3-13 in 2018.
– By Pro Football Writer Josh Dubow.
TENNIS
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) – Pro tennis player Jessica Pegula revealed that her mother, Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres co-owner and president Kim Pegula, went into cardiac arrest in June and is still recovering while dealing with significant language and memory issues.
In an essay The Players’ Tribune published, Jessica Pegula detailed for the first time the medical crisis that abruptly removed her mother from the public eye and suggested she may not resume the same level of involvement in the family’s sports franchises.
DALLAS (AP) – John Isner won a pair of tiebreakers in a match without any service breaks, advancing to the second round of his hometown Dallas Open with a straight-sets victory over Chun-Hsin Tseng.
The fifth-seeded American served 22 aces in a 7-6 (5), 7-6 (1) victory that left Isner with a 498-319 career record in tiebreakers.
Marcos Giron, the No. 7 seed who reached the semifinals of the inaugural event last year along with Isner, advanced with a 6-4, 6-7 (1), 6-1 victory over Alex Rybakov.
Eighth-seeded Adrian Mannarino of France beat American Steve Johnson 7-6 (6), 6-2.
J.J. Wolf, the No. 6 seed, had little trouble in a 6-3, 6-3 victory over fellow American Brandon Holt.
American Mackenzie McDonald was a 6-3, 6-0 winner over Fernando Verdasco of Spain and will face second-seeded Frances Tiafoe of the U.S. in the second round.
Wolf will face Radu Albot, who rallied for a 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory over American wild-card entry Liam Krall.
AUTO RACING
IndyCar driver Conor Daly will attempt to qualify for the Daytona 500 with the NASCAR team owned by Floyd Mayweather.
The Money Team Racing raced its way into the Daytona 500 last year with driver Kaz Grala; Daly made his Cup Series debut for the team in October on The Roval at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
MEXICO CITY (AP) – Kyle Busch was detained at a Mexican airport late last month when a handgun and ammunition were discovered in his luggage, the NASCAR star acknowledged this week, apologizing for the incident and calling it ”a mistake.”
Busch was sentenced this month to 3 1/2 years in prison and ordered to pay a $1,000 fine for having a gun and ammunition, a punishment handed down by a judge in the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, home to beach destinations Cancun and Tulum.
The federal Attorney General’s Office said the judge decided to allow a conditional punishment and let Busch leave Mexico after he paid a bond. The office did not say how much he paid.
A two-time NASCAR champion and the winningest active driver in the Cup Series, Busch acknowledged the situation in a Monday social media post.
HOCKEY
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) – The Buffalo Sabres agreed to terms with forward Dylan Cozens on a seven-year extension worth $49.7 million. He will count $7.1 million against the salary cap through the 2029-30 season.
Cozens, who turns 22 on Thursday and was set to be a restricted free agent, is the latest core player the Sabres have extended over the past six months. He has already set career highs with 17 goals, 26 assists and 43 points – with 30 games left in the season.
BASEBALL
NEW YORK (AP) – Major League Baseball’s new pitch clock, limits on shifts and larger bases will not be used during the World Baseball Classic next month.
The three innovations will be debuted during the spring training exhibition season that starts Feb. 24. The 20-team national team tournament runs from March 8-21, and players will return to their clubs for more exhibition games with the new rules ahead of opening day on March 30.
CLEVELAND (AP) – Amanda Kamekona, a former star softball player at UCLA, has been hired as a minor league hitting instructor for the Cleveland Guardians. She’s the first female on-field coach in team history.
SOCCER
Former Chelsea and Newcastle forward Christian Atsu was rescued from the rubble of a collapsed building following the deadly earthquake that struck Turkey, the Ghana Football Association said in a Twitter post.
The Ghana international plays for Turkish club Hatayspor. A club spokesman on Monday told Turkish media that Atsu was thought to be in a building that was brought down by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake and aftershocks that struck southeastern Turkey and neighboring Syria. The death toll climbed above 7,700 and was expected to rise further.
