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No. 1 Blue Devils win 14th straight DURHAM, N.C., Jan. 30 (UPI) -- Chris Duhon hit a big three-pointer with 36 seconds left Thursday night as No. 1 Duke extended its winning streak to 14 games, 56-49 over Florida State. Florida State (14-6, 3-4 ACC) was seeking its first three-game converence winning streak in more than nine years but entered with a 0-13 mark at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Seminoles rallied from a 15-point deficit, pulling within 51-49 on Von Wafer's three-pointer with 63 seconds left. Duke (17-1, 6-0 ACC) called a timeout with 41 seconds left and and Duhon took the inbounds pass. He used a pick from Shelden Williams to dribble to the left corner, from where he launched a long jumper for a five-point lead.

Today is Monday, Jan. 19, the 19th day of 2004 with 347 to follow. This is a federal holiday observing Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday. The moon is waning. The morning stars are Mercury, Jupiter and Pluto, The evening stars are Venus, Mars, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, Those born on this date are under the sign of Capricorn. They include Scottish engineer James Watt, inventor of the steam engine, in 1736; Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee in 1807; American short story writer and poet Edgar Allan Poe in 1809; English metallurgist Henry Bessemer in 1813; French post-Impressionist painter Paul Cezanne in 1839; Ebony magazine founder John H. Johnson in 1918; former United Nations Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar in 1920 (age 84); actress Jean Stapleton in 1923 (age 81); actor Fritz Weaver in 1926 (age 78); television newscaster Robert MacNeil in 1931 (age 73); singer Phil Everly of the Everly Brothers in 1939 (age 65); actress Shelley Fabares in 1942 (age 62): singers Janis Joplin in 1943 and Dolly Parton in 1946 (age 58); and singer/actors Michael Crawford in 1942 (age 62) and Desi Arnez Jr. in 1953 (age 51).

Rockets stop Lakers in fourth quarter LOS ANGELES, Dec. 26 (UPI) -- Steve Francis scored 22 points Thursday night as Houston shut down Los Angeles in the fourth quarter and downed the Lakers, 99-87. The Lakers scored just six baskets in the final period. In the third matchup this season between Shaquille O'Neal and Yao Ming, the Rockets rarely trailed.

Cavaliers name Silas coach on Monday CLEVELAND, June 2 (UPI) -- Paul Silas will be LeBron James' first NBA coach. The Cleveland Cavaliers named Silas, who was fired by the New Orleans Hornets last month, as their coach on Monday. Former New York Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy was believed to be the front-runner for the job, but negotiations fell apart and the Cavaliers turned to Silas. "We wanted to make sure we had the right person because this is an important time in this franchise's history," said Cavaliers Gneral Mnager Jim Paxson. "The key points in hiring Paul is his reputation for player relationships and Paul's teams always played together and got better as the season went along."

Anaheim ties Stanley Cup series at two games each ANAHEIM, Calif., June 3 (UPI) -- Steve Thomas scored 39 seconds into the extra period Monday night as the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim continued their overtime run and squared the Stanley Cup Finals at two wins apiece with a 1-0 blanking of the New Jersey Devils. Martin Brodeur made an outstanding left pad stop on Samuel Pahlsson's shot from the doorstep, but the rebound came out to the edge of the right faceoff circle, where Thomas, a former Devil, put the puck under the goaltender's glove. The third-quickest overtime goal in Stanley Cup Finals history boosted Anaheim to 7-0 in overtime in the postseason and a remarkable 12-1 in one-goal decisions. Jean-Sebastien Giguere made 26 saves for his fifth playoff blanking, extending his playoff-record overtime shutout streak to 168 minutes, 27 seconds. Brodeur stopped 25 shots but could not prevent the Devils from suffering consecutive losses for the second time in this year's playoffs.

Nick Price in World Golf Hall of Fame ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla., May 7 (UPI) -- Two-time PGA Tour Player of the Year Nick Price has been elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame, Commissioner Tim Finchem announced Tuesday. Price was the only PGA Tour player on the ballot to be elected. He was chosen on 76 percent of the returned ballots and will be inducted Oct. 20 at World Golf Village. "I am honored to be elected into the World Golf Hall of Fame," Price said in a statement. "To be in the same company as this elite group is a great privilege."

Nick Price in World Golf Hall of Fame ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla., May 6 (UPI) -- Two-time PGA Tour Player of the Year Nick Price has been elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame, Commissioner Tim Finchem announced Tuesday. Price was the only PGA Tour player on the ballot to be elected. He was chosen on 76 percent of the returned ballots and will be inducted Oct. 20 at World Golf Village. "I am honored to be elected into the World Golf Hall of Fame," Price said in a statement. "To be in the same company as this elite group is a great privilege."

Lakers set up meeting with Spurs LOS ANGELES, May 2 (UPI) -- Boston, New Jersey, San Antonio and the Los Angeles Lakers all had a chance to end their playoff series Thursday night and all managed to do so. Those four joined Sacramento in the conference semifinals with three series yet to be determined. The Lakers, who trailed after three games of their first-round series against Minnesota, won the last three and finished off the Timberwolves Thursday night, 101-85. Boston eliminated the Indiana Pacers, 110-90; New Jersey rushed past Milwaukee, 113-101; and San Antonio outfought Phoenix, 87-85. All four of the series that ended Thursday night went six games.

Four teams try to close out playoff series ORLANDO, Fla., April 30 (UPI) -- The NBA made the first round of the playoffs longer, but four teams will try to keep their series short on Wednesday night. The first-round format was expanded from a best-of-five to a best-of-seven this season, and Orlando, Philadelphia, Dallas, and Sacramento all hold 3-1 leads in their respective series. The biggest surprise involves the Magic, who visit the Detroit Pistons, and try to becime just the third No. 8 seed to topple a No. 1 seed when their Eastern Conference series continues. The others were the Denver Nuggets against the Seattle Sonics in 1994, and the New York Knicks against the Miami Heat in 1999. The Magic have not won a postseason series since advancing to the Eastern Conference finals in 1996, when they were led by Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway. They have been eliminated in the first round in their last four playoff appearances, including two straight with superstar Tracy McGrady.

Jordan's career ends PHILADELPHIA, April 17 (UPI) -- The NBA regular season came to an end Wednesday night and so did the career of Michael Jordan. Jordan's career ended amid cheers and tears as his Washington Wizards were trounced, 107-87, by the Philadelphia 76ers, who clinched home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Perhaps the greatest player in NBA history, Jordan scored 15 points in the finale to his 15-year career, which included 10 scoring titles, six championships, five MVP awards, two comebacks and a seemingly endless reel of highlights. It was a day-long celebration in "The City of Brotherly Love," where the fans who perfected the art of booing showed No. 23 they could cheer long and loud, too. Prior to the game, 76ers greats Julius Erving and Moses Malone accompanied Eric Snow in greeting Jordan, who received a hug from Erving and a golf cart from Snow on behalf of the team.

In the NBA: Washington 99....BOSTON 98 (OT) New Jersey 96.....TORONTO 87 Sacramento 97.....PHILADELPHIA 81 San Antonio 89......DETROIT 83 INDIANA 90......Miami 69 GOLDEN STATE 106....Denver 99 HOUSTON 114.........Orlando 93 Minnesota 97........PORTLAND 78 SEATTLE 82..........Utah 80 LA LAKERS 115.......Phoenix 113 (OT) In the NHL: BUFFALO 2...........New Jersey 2 (OT) MINNESOTA 4.........Columbus 3 ATLANTA 6...........Tampa Bay 2 Ny Islanders 2......CAROLINA 1 CHICAGO 4...........Detroit 3 COLORADO 5..........St Louis 2 DALLAS 2............Nashville 0 Philadelphia 6......FLORIDA 2 SAN JOSE 3..........Phoenix 3 (OT) Los Angeles 2.......VANCOUVER 0 In the National League: ATLANTA 13..........Florida 4 Montreal 8..........NY METS 5 CINCINNATI 5........Chicago Cubs 4 Pittsburgh 2........PHILADELPHIA 0 San Francisco 5.....MILWAUKEE 0 Houston at ST LOUIS, ppd COLORADO 8..........Arizona 3 Los Angeles 4.......SAN DIEGO 3 (13 innings) In the American League: Ny Yankees 10.......TAMPA BAY 5 Boston 12...........BALTIMORE 2 CHI WHITE SOX 10....Detroit 2 Cleveland at KANSAS CITY, ppd. Toronto 8...........MINNESOTA 1 Seattle 11..........TEXAS 2 OAKLAND 7...........Anaheim 6 In the Women's NCAA Tournament: Tennessee 66....DUKE 56 CONNECICUT 71......Texas 69 HEADER:Yankees, Indians postpone home openers NEW YORK, April 6 (UPI) -- With a winter storm warning in effect for Monday in the metropolitan area, the New York Yankees postponed their home opener against Toronto on Sunday. Forecasts have called for the possibility of 4-8 inches of snow. That prompted the Yankees to push back their opener nearly a day in advance.

Texas, Syracuse round out Final Four SAN ANTONIO, March 31 (UPI) -- Texas was thought to be the weakest of the No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament, but the Longhorns were the only one to reach the Final Four. Texas was joined by Syracuse Sunday in reaching the national semifinals of the NCAA tourney. The Longhorns and Orangemen will meet next Saturday in the Louisiana Superdome with the other semifinal game sending Marquette against Kansas. T.J. Ford scored 19 points and handed out 10 assists Sunday in carrying the Longhorns to the Final Four for the first time in 56 years with an 85-76 victory over No. 7 Michigan State in the South Region. Texas (26-6) became the lone top seed to survive a regional final after Kentucky, Arizona and Oklahoma all fell.

Today is Monday, March 31, the 90th day of 2003 with 275 to follow. The moon is waning, moving toward its new phase. The morning stars are Venus, Mars, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. The evening stars are Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn. Those born on this date are under the sign of Aries. They include French philosopher Rene Descartes in 1596; Austrian composer Franz Joseph Haydn in 1732; German chemist Robert Bunsen, inventor of the Bunsen gas burner, in 1811; boxer Jack Johnson, the first black to hold the heavyweight title, in 1878; comedian Henry Morgan in 1915; actor/singer Richard Kiley in 1922; author and motivational speaker Leo Buscaglia in 1925; United Farm Workers President Cesar Chavez in 1927; actor William Daniels, also in 1927 (age 76); Canadian hockey player Gordie Howe in 1928 (age 75); fashion designer Liz Claiborne in 1929 (age 74); author John Jakes in 1932 (age 71); actress Shirley Jones in 1934 (age 69); bandleader Herb Alpert in 1935 (age 68); actors Richard Chamberlain in 1935 (age 68), Christopher Walken in 1943 (age 60), Gabe Kaplan in 1946 (age 57), and Rhea Perlman in 1948 (age 55); former Vice President Al Gore Jr. also in 1948 (age 55); and actors Ed Marinaro in 1950 (age 53) and Ewan McGregor in 1971 (age 32).

West loaded in NCAA Tournament INDIANAPOLIS, March 17 (UPI) -- The Kentucky Wildcats, winners of 23 games in a row, were given a relatively easy path to the Final Four Sunday. Arizona, ranked No. 1 for most of the regular season, found its road littered with major hurdles. Pairings for the NCAA Tournament were announced by the event's selection committee Sunday and, as usual, there were plenty of complaints. Pittsburgh expected to be a No. 1 seed, but wound up as a No. 2. Although the selection committee tries to keep teams close to home for the first round, Connecticut will play in Spokane, Wash., Oregon will go to Nashville and the powerful Duke Blue Devils will travel to Salt Lake City.

Cowboys part ways with Emmitt IRVING, Texas, Feb. 28 (UPI) -- The Dallas Cowboys Thursday released running back Emmitt Smith, the most accomplished player in the history of the franchise. Although both Smith and club owner Jerry Jones insisted the NFL's all-time leading rusher still had productive years left in him, they agreed that it was in the best interest of the Cowboys for him to move on. "I knew the Cowboys were in a position where they had to make a tough decision," Smith said. "Did I want to hinder their future or take a pay cut or be ruled out of the equation all together. "I knew there would be a lot of speculation what (new coach) Bill Parcells had in mind for me. I didn't want to go through that. I thought the best thing would be for me to step out of the equation and let the franchise start a move back to where it needs to be headed."

Payton goes to Milwaukee SEATTLE, Feb. 21 (UPI) -- Gary Payton, Seattle's all-time leader in virtually every category, was traded Thursday to the Milwaukee Bucks in a five-player deal. The SuperSonics dealt Payton and swingman Desmond Mason to the Bucks for star guard Ray Allen, point guard Kevin Ollie and rookie guard Ron Murray. The deal is contingent upon the players passing physical examinations. "Seldom do you have the opportunity to add a Hall of Fame player to your lineup," Bucks General Manager Ernie Grunfeld said. "Gary is one of the league's best players at both ends of the floor and he has a competitive nature matched by very few players in this league."

Tampa Bay wins Super Bowl SAN DIEGO, Jan. 27 (UPI) -- The National Football League's No. 1 defense dominated both early and late Sunday night, turning a franchise that once was considered the worst of all time into the champions of Super Bowl XXXVII. Tampa Bay became the first team in Super Bowl history to score three defensive touchdowns in one game, two of them coming in the final 87 seconds to wipe out Oakland's comeback dreams and give the Buccaneers a wild 48-21 victory over the Raiders. Quarterback Brad Johnson threw two touchdown passes to Kennan McCardell as part of a mid-game surge and the Buccaneers opened a 34-3 advantage to touch off an early celebration on the Tampa Bay sideline. Oakland then scored three quick touchdowns to create the possibility of a remrkable rally only to have Derrick Brooks and Dwight Smith return interceptions for touchdowns in the closing moments. In the first meeting ever of the league's top offense and top defense in a championship game, the defensive side was the clear winner.

Falcons, Jets advance in playoffs GREEN BAY, Wis., Jan. 5 (UPI) -- Michael Vick and Chad Pennington both made their first playoff start Saturday. Next weekend, they will make their second. The young star quarterbacks both outdueled far more veteran counterparts on the opening day of the NFL playoffs with Vick's Atlanta Falcons stunning Green Bay, 27-7, and Pennington's New York Jets smashing Indianapolis, 41-0. Atlanta became the first visiting team to win a playoff on the Packers' home field and the Jets equaled the second most one-sided shutout in NFL post-season history. Atlanta moves into the divisional round next week against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Jets must await the result of Sunday's action to learn their next opponent. If Pittsburgh defeats Cleveland Sunday, the Jets will play Oakland. If Cleveland pulls off the upset, the Jets will face Tennessee.

Carson Palmer wins Heisman Trophy NEW YORK, Dec. 15 (UPI) -- Maligned throughout his career, Southern California quarterback Carson Palmer was finally recognized Saturday night for a spectacular senior season. The Pac-10 Conference's all-time leading passer, Palmer was named the 68th winner of the Heisman Trophy at the Yale Club, becoming the first West Coast player to capture college football's most prestigious honor since USC's Marcus Allen in 1981. In what was expected to be one of the closest ballots in Heisman history, Palmer won comfortably, receiving 233 more points than Iowa's Brad Banks, who led the Hawkeyes to a share of the Big Ten Conference title. Palmer garnered 1,328 points while Banks received 1,095. The quarterbacks will face each other in the Orange Bowl.

Mavericks win streak reaches 14 AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Nov. 28 (UPI) -- Michael Finley scored a career-high 42 points in slightly more than three quarters Wednesday night as the unbeaten Dallas Mavericks rolled to their 14th straight win, a 102-82 rout of the Detroit Pistons. The best game of Finley's nine-year career moved the Mavericks within one of the NBA record for wins to start the season, set by the 1948-49 Washington Capitols and tied by the 1993-94 Houston Rockets. Dallas visits Indiana Thursday night. The season's second matchup of the NBA's best offensive and defensive teams again was no contest. On Nov. 9 in Dallas, the Mavericks led by 52 points before cruising to a 114-75 victory.

Lakers win in O'Neal's return LOS ANGELES, Nov. 23 (UPI) -- Superstar center Shaquille O'Neal scored 19 points in his season debut Friday night to help the Los Angeles Lakers break out of their slump with an 86-73 victory over the Chicago Bulls. It was only the fourth win in 13 games this season for the Lakers, who have struggled without the 7-2, 350-pound O'Neal. He underwent surgery on his arthritic right big toe in September and had been out of action through the early stages of the campaign. The NBA's most dominant player, O'Neal practiced Thursday with a shoe support to ease the pressure on the toe. He was activated from the injured list prior to the game.

More NBA season openers Wednesday TORONTO, Oct. 30 (UPI) -- The first telecasts by the ESPN cable network, Washington at Toronto and the Los Angeles Lakers at Portland, highlight the second night of NBA openers Wednesday. On Tuesday night, Orlando forward Grant Hill made a triumphant return to the league after two years worth of injuries, recording 18 points, six rebounds and seven assists in a 95-88 win over the Boston Celtics, while the three-time defending champion Lakers, minus Shaquille O'Neal and Rick Fox, were beaten by the San Antonio Spurs, 87-82, and Sacramento buried Cleveland, 94-67. Every team except the Kings is in action Wednesday. Of note is 7-5 rookie center Yao Ming making his NBA debut at Indiana, where he played in the World Championships for his native China this summer. Also, the Hornets play their first game in New Orleans, having left Charlotte after last season. They host the Utah Jazz, who played in the Crescent City from 1974-79 before moving to Salt Lake City. Commissioner David Stern will attend that contest.

Baseball legend Ted Williams dies Ted Williams, whose exploits on the baseball diamond and service to his country combined to make him an American hero, died Friday at the age of 83. Williams had been in ill health for several years, having made his last public appearance at the 1999 All-Star Game. Confined to a wheelchair, Williams was brought to the pitchers mound at Fenway Park that night and given a prolonged ovation that became a final tribute to a player recognized as the best hitter in the history of the game. "With the passing of Ted Williams, America has lost a baseball legend," said President Bush, who bought the Texas Rangers two decades after Williams had managed them. "Whether serving the country in the armed forces or excelling on the diamond, Ted Williams demonstrated unique talent and love of country.

Lisa Leslie scored 16 points to lead five players in double figures as the Los Angeles Sparks cruised Friday night to an 87-65 rout of the Sacramento Monarchs, who remained winless on the road. Los Angeles and Sacramento met in the WNBA Western Conference final series a year ago, with the Sparks prevailing in three games.

Kings dump Lakers in Game Five An 18-footer by Mike Bibby with 8.2 seconds left Tuesday night gave the Sacramento Kings an emotional 92-91 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers and a 3-2 lead in the NBA Western Conference finals. Kobe Bryant missed a last-second jumper for the Lakers, the two-time defending NBA champions who are on the verge of elimination. Their first chance to stay alive comes Friday in Los Angeles. The Kings trailed, 91-88, with less than a minute to go when Bibby drew a foul and made both free throws. Bryant had his shot blocked at the other end, and the Kings nearly turned it over before the Lakers knocked it out of bounds on the baseline with 11.4 seconds left.