OAKLAND (AP) - Kobe Bryant walked out of the visitor's locker room to a few dozen fans waiting with hugs and handshakes for the Los Angeles Lakers' star and a circle of reporters ready to stick a microphone near his face.
SACRAMENTO (AP) - Even with Tim Duncan sitting out to rest, the San Antonio Spurs had enough to get an easy win on the road for the third time in three nights.
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - Carmelo Anthony scored 21 of his 33 points in the first quarter, and the New York Knicks beat the Nets 104-95 on Wednesday night in their last trip to New Jersey.
DENVER (AP) - Juan Nicasio threw 6 1-3 solid innings for his first win since returning from a broken neck, lifting the Colorado Rockies over the San Diego Padres 8-4 on Wednesday night.
BOSTON (AP) - Mike Napoli hit a two-run homer and drove in four runs, Derek Holland pitched seven solid innings as Texas beat Boston for its sixth straight win.
SAN JOSE (AP) - The San Jose Sharks are looking to change things up after dropping two straight games to the St. Louis Blues in their first-round series.
HILADELPHIA (AP) - Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal pushed back with a vengeance with Pittsburgh on the brink of being sweep, leading the Penguins to a 10-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday night in the first-round Eastern Conference series.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - All-Star Giants closer Brian Wilson will undergo Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery Thursday in Pensacola, Fla.
SANTA CLARA (AP) - Apparently, there are no hard feelings on 49ers general manager Trent Baalke's part regarding the Saints' targeting of San Francisco players in their bounty program.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Melky Cabrera hit an RBI single in the 11th inning and the San Francisco Giants beat the Philadelphia Phillies 1-0 on Wednesday, ending a thrilling pitchers' duel that seemed as if it might go on all night.
ANAHEIM (AP) - Bartolo Colon threw 38 consecutive strikes at one point and pitched four-hit ball for eight innings to help the Oakland Athletics beat the cellar-dwelling Los Angeles Angels 6-0 on Wednesday night.
BOSTON (AP) - Mike Napoli hit two of Texas' six home runs and the Rangers romped past the Boston Red Sox 18-3 Tuesday night for their fifth straight victory.
DENVER (AP) - Jamie Moyer turned in a vintage performance in becoming the oldest pitcher to ever win a major league game.
SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Tony Parker had 25 points and 10 assists, and the San Antonio Spurs held the Golden State Warriors' starting backcourt to 13 points for a 109-91 victory Tuesday night to take a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference semifinals.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Jonathan Quick made 35 saves in his sixth career playoff shutout, and the Los Angeles Kings opened their second-round series with a 2-0 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night.
TORONTO (AP) - Barry Zito battled as long as he could, though he had already buried the San Francisco Giants with a brutal first inning.
OAKLAND (AP) - Adrian Beltre hit a tiebreaking home run in the 10th inning, Mitch Moreland followed with his second of the game and the Texas Rangers held off the Oakland Athletics 6-5 Tuesday night.
SEATTLE (AP) - Inside the small club on Seattle's Capitol Hill late Monday night, the chant would not be contained by the walls, drifting out onto the street with every urging scream from the performers on stage.
SANTA CLARITA (AP) - Peter Sagan of Slovakia sprinted to the Stage 3 win and Colombian Janier Acevedo maintained the race lead Tuesday as strong winds replaced the heat at the Tour of California.
NEW YORK (AP) - A boxer who went to the check-in counter at an airport with a handgun in his luggage and was arrested on firearm possession charges pleaded guilty on Tuesday to disorderly conduct.
OAKLAND (AP) - Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson placed a prominent poem by an unknown author in every player's locker before Game 4 against the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday that had a simple title:
EL SEGUNDO (AP) - Although Joe Thornton and Dustin Brown might not agree on much else over the next two weeks, both captains believe hockey has never been bigger or better in California, from the thriving youth game all the way to their state's three winning NHL clubs.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - At around age 10, Hunter Pence acquired a Barry Bonds poster from his elementary school fair. It was then that Pence started choking up on his bat just as Bonds did in that prized picture that wound up on his wall.
OAKLAND (AP) - Sure, it's the Texas Rangers in town. The very team the Oakland Athletics rallied to beat in Game No. 162 last October for a stunning sweep to steal away the AL West crown from the two-time reigning AL champions.