BASKETBALL
KINGS HIRE HALL OF FAMER ALEX ENGLISH: SACRAMENTO (AP) — The Sacramento Kings have hired NBA Hall of Famer Alex English as an assistant coach.
Coach Keith Smart said in a statement announcing the hiring Friday that having a former elite player on the staff will be especially good for the current players.
English comes to the Kings after spending seven seasons as an assistant coach and director of player development with the Toronto Raptors.
The eight-time All-Star is the NBA's 13th all-time leading scorer with 25,613 points. A second-round selection by the Milwaukee Bucks in 1976, he also played for Indiana, Denver and Dallas. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1997.
WARRIORS WAIVE GUARD ISH SMITH: OAKLAND (AP) — The Golden State Warriors have waived guard Ish Smith.
The 23-year-old Smith appeared in six games with the Warriors, averaging 5.4 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists.
Smith was originally awarded to the Warriors via a waiver claim on Dec. 16. He had been with the Memphis Grizzlies.
HOCKEY
PENGUINS STAR CROSBY RESUMES SKATING: SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby skated with his teammates for the first time in more than a month on Friday but still has no idea when he'll be cleared to practice, let alone see action in a game.
Crosby skated for 27 minutes at the end of the Penguins morning skate before their game Friday night against the Florida Panthers. It was the first time he's been on the ice since developing concussion-like symptoms following a loss to Boston on Dec. 5.
Says Crosby: "The symptoms are getting a lot better, but I wouldn't say (I'm) symptom free. But I'm allowed to lightly exert, and that's a positive."
The 24-year-old Crosby suffered similar symptoms last January and missed more than 10 months.
TENNIS
LENDL LURED BACK TO TENNIS BY MURRAY PROJECT: MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Ivan Lendl says only Andy Murray could have tempted him back to the tennis scene 17 years after the end of his playing career.
The eight-time Grand Slam champion agreed in December to start coaching Murray, the 24-year-old Scot who is still seeking his first Grand Slam title after losing in three finals.
Lendl told the British media he had received "between seven and 10 inquiries over the last 18 months ... but none was considered by me." He said coaching Murray appealed because "I see the parallels between his career and my career and I want his career to end up like mine."
Lendl lost in four Grand Slam finals before winning the 1984 French Open.
BOXING
WBA ORDERS KHAN-PETERSON REMATCH AFTER COMPLAINT: LONDON (AP) — The World Boxing Association says it has granted Amir Khan a rematch against Lamont Peterson.
Khan lost his WBA and IBF belts to Peterson on a split decision after being docked two points for pushing in the Dec. 10 fight in Washington.
Khan appealed the scoring and questioned the presence of a "mystery man" distracting judges at ringside.
WBA vice president Gilberto Jesus Mendoza says "we have ordered a direct rematch."
SWIMMING
40-YR-OLD EVANS QUALIFIES FOR OLYMPIC SWIM TRIALS: AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Janet Evans' Olympic comeback at age 40 just got serious.
In her first elite-level competition since coming out of retirement, the former United States gold medalist and world record holder qualified Friday for this summer's Olympic trials in the 400 meter freestyle at the Austin Grand Prix.
Evans won her preliminary with a time of 4 minutes, 17.27 seconds, easily beating the Olympic trials qualifying standard of 4:19.39. Evans knocked about 5 seconds off of her best time coming into the meet.
Evans' coach Mark Schubert said her goal at this weekend's meet was to qualify for the Olympic trials in the 400 and 800 meters. Evans is scheduled to swim the 800 on Sunday.
The United States' Olympic trials begin in June. The London Games begin in July.
SKIING
KOSTELIC WINS WORLD CUP SUPER-COMBINED EVENT: WENGEN, Switzerland (AP) — Ivica Kostelic used a surging slalom run to win a World Cup super-combined race Friday.
The Croatian slalom specialist trailed first-run leader Beat Feuz by almost three seconds in downhill, but edged the young Swiss skier for victory by 0.20 seconds. Kostelic had a combined two-run time of 2 minutes, 42.16 seconds.
Bode Miller of the United States was third, trailing Kostelic by 0.45 after being second-fastest in the downhill.
The result was unofficial as lower-ranked racers had yet to start their slalom run.
Kostelic's 21st career World Cup win closed the gap on Marcel Hirscher of Austria in the overall standings. Hirscher did not enter Friday's race, and is scheduled to compete in the slalom Sunday.
SKIER BURKE REMAINS IN CRITICAL CONDITION: SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Canadian freestyle skier Sarah Burke remains in critical condition two days after surgery to repair a tear to an artery that caused bleeding in her brain.
She is being closely monitored in the Neuro Critical Care Unit at University of Utah hospital in Salt Lake City. Dr. Safdar Ansari is coordinating a team of doctors caring for the 29-year-old skier.
In a statement released by Burke's publicist, Ansari says doctors are focused on the "primary injury and preventing secondary brain damage," as well as managing other injuries from Tuesday's accident at the superpipe at Park City Mountain Resort.
He says more time is needed before any prognosis can be determined.
A press conference is scheduled for Monday at the University of Utah Clinical Neurosciences Center.
