SANTA CLARA (AP) - No hard feelings on Alex Smith's part that the San Francisco 49ers pursued Peyton Manning.
DALLAS (AP) - Kobe Bryant scored 30 points, Pau Gasol added 27 points and nine rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers stopped the Dallas Mavericks' four-game winning streak with a 109-93 victory on Wednesday night.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Los Angeles Kings have finished ahead of San Jose in the Pacific Division standings only once in 12 years. Although they moved ahead of the Sharks with an invigorating win Tuesday night, the Kings realize it is unwise to check the standings in this crazy Western Conference race until it is all over.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - If rookie Klay Thompson keeps playing like this, Golden State fans may start getting over the loss of Monta Ellis.
SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) - Luis Mendoza became the second Kansas City Royals pitcher to be led off the mound by a trainer in four games.
GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) - Kevin Slowey remains in the race for the Cleveland Indians' final rotation spot. He's just not gaining ground.
PHOENIX (AP) - Brandon McCarthy has a visit to the nail salon in his future. McCarthy allowed four runs - two earned - and five hits and three walks in four innings in the Oakland Athletics' 5-5, 10-inning tie against a Chicago Cubs split squad on Tuesday. He spent the day battling a torn middle fingernail on his right hand, an injury he'll fix with a fake nail applied at a nail salon. "I wish ...
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) - The Arizona Diamondbacks got a good look at three of their top prospects on Tuesday and they had to like what they saw.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Anze Kopitar and Mike Richards each had a goal and two assists, and the Los Angeles Kings moved into an eighth-place tie in the Western Conference with their fifth consecutive victory, 5-2 over the stumbling San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night.
SACRAMENTO (AP) - Marcus Thornton scored 31 points, DeMarcus Cousins had 23 points and five rebounds before fouling out and the Sacramento Kings held off the Memphis Grizzlies 119-110 on Tuesday night for only their second three-game winning streak this season.
MIAMI (AP) - Chris Bosh scored 29 points, LeBron James survived two scary falls and the Miami Heat used a 17-0 fourth-quarter run to erase a 10-point deficit and beat the Phoenix Suns 99-95 on Tuesday night for their 14th straight home victory.
PITTSBURGH (AP) - James Neal recorded his second NHL hat trick, and Sidney Crosby had four assists in his first home game in more than three months as the Pittsburgh Penguins ripped the Winnipeg Jets 8-4 on Tuesday night.
OAKLAND (AP) - Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob worked into the wee hours of Tuesday morning to return "hundreds" of emails in the wake of a stunning display by typically well-behaved Bay Area fans, who booed him throughout a halftime ceremony to retire Hall of Famer Chris Mullin's No. 17 jersey.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Alex Smith and the San Francisco 49ers were working Tuesday night to finalize a three-year contract, a person with knowledge of the negotiations said.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Last spring during the NFL lockout, Jim Harbaugh handed over his playbook in good faith to quarterback Alex Smith as a commitment that the 49ers planned to bring him back.
Natalie Prins and Kaylie Colyn each netted two goals apiece for Ripon Christian during Wednesday's 8-0 Southern League victory over visiting Delhi.
OAKLAND (AP) - Sleep deprived but back in the Bay Area, the Golden State Warriors returned to work Wednesday calm and confident that their Mile High City masterpiece will be no fluke.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Brandon Crawford saved the day twice with late-inning offensive heroics. He never got a third chance, resting in the on-deck circle when the final out was recorded.
BOSTON (AP) - Oakland's Jed Lowrie rounded first base, reached second and immediately raised his arms in the air.
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) - Coming off a dramatic victory in their home finale, the San Jose Sharks had a chance to move closer to earning home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
SACRAMENTO (AP) - Proposed changes to California environmental protection law unveiled Wednesday could help Sacramento's effort to keep its professional basketball team, according to the leader of the state Senate.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Yadier Molina hit a two-run single off Stephen Strasburg during St. Louis' three-run first inning, and the Cardinals beat the Nationals 4-2 Wednesday to complete a sweep and give Washington's All-Star ace the only four-start losing streak of his young career.
ALAMEDA (AP) - For seven straight years starting in 2004, the Oakland Raiders had a top 10 pick in the NFL draft only to end up disappointed in the outcome.
DENVER (AP) - The Golden State Warriors hardly missed much of anything Tuesday night.
BOSTON (AP) - The rain kept falling and Bartolo Colon kept throwing fastballs for strikes.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Didi Gregorius had a pretty good view from third base when Giants reliever Santiago Casilla's wild pitch skipped past catcher Buster Posey and went to the backstop in the 11th inning.
SAN JOSE (AP) - One month after being mired in ninth place in the Western Conference, just hoping to squeeze into the postseason, the San Jose Sharks have clinched a ninth straight playoff berth and can now push for home-ice advantage in the first round.
NEW YORK (AP) - Carmelo Anthony scored 34 points, Sixth Man of the Year J.R. Smith added 19, and New York opened a 2-0 lead over Boston with an 87-71 victory Tuesday night.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - Ichiro Suzuki hit a go-ahead two-run single in the ninth inning and the New York Yankees beat the Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 Tuesday night.