Georgetown rallies from 16-point deficit
WASHINGTON, Jan. 4 (UPI) -- Hollis Thompson completed a huge rally by hitting a 3-pointer with 22 seconds left Wednesday that gave No. 9 Georgetown a 73-70 win over No. 20 Marquette.
The Hoyas trailed the Golden Eagles by 16 early in the second half, but came back to win their 12th game in a row.
The Hoyas have not lost since falling to Kansas Nov. 21. They are 13-1 for the season and unbeaten in three Big East Conference outings.
Marquette (12-3, 1-1) has lost three out of five since opening the season with 10 consecutive victories.
Jason Clark's layup with 1:17 to play gave Georgetown its first lead since midway through the first half. Marquette's Junior Cadougan then tied it at 70-70 with a layup.
Thompson's 3-pointer, his second during the final 3:30, accounted for the final score. Jae Crowder missed an attempt at a game-tying 3-pointer with 2 seconds to play.
Clark led Georgetown with 28 points, but made only 6-of-13 foul shots. Thompson hit four 3-pointers among his 16 points.
Darius Johnson-Odom paced Marquette with 18 points.
Georgetown shot 62 percent from the field, but attempted only 43 shots and turned the ball over 17 times.
Howard's big game keeps Washington winless
ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 4 (UPI) -- Dwight Howard sent Orlando to a quick start Wednesday and put together a huge game that lifted the Magic to a 103-85 win over Washington.
Howard scored 28 points and seized 20 rebounds in what was Orlando's fifth win in seven games to start the season. The Wizards remained the NBA's only winless team, falling to 0-5.
Orlando scored the game's first 10 points, five of them from Jason Richardson, and was never threatened. The Magic led by 18 at the half and by 23 heading into the fourth quarter.
Howard hit 11-of-13 from the field, but missed eight of his 14 attempts from the foul line.
Ryan Anderson added 23 points and 15 rebounds for the Magic, hitting three of their eight 3-pointers, and Hedo Turkoglu scored 14.
Washington got 17 points from Nick Young and 14 from John Wall.
The Wizards' search for their first win of the season will continue during a three-game homestand that includes meetings with New York, Minnesota and Toronto.
NHL suspends Carcillo for 7 games
NEW YORK, Jan. 4 (UPI) -- The NHL announced Wednesday Chicago forward Dan Carcillo will be suspended for seven games due to a violent collision with Edmonton's Tom Gilbert.
The incident took place Monday in a game Edmonton won 4-3. The NHL released a video of the incident and a statement from Brendan Shanahan, the league's director of player safety.
"This is a 50-50 puck that either player can win," Shanahan said. "In such cases, a reasonable amount of physical contact is permissible as the players jostle for position.
"On this play, Carcillo slows up and gets behind Gilbert. Just as Gilbert begins slowing down and bracing himself for some contact, Carcillo explodes into him, causing a violent crash into the boards.
"This is a clear violation. Not only does Carcillo not minimize contact, he hits Gilbert into the boards with tremendous force. At an extremely dangerous distance from the boards, Carcillo finishes high and hard with his hands, using the boards as a weapon."
Carcillo was suspended for two games this season for what the NHL said was an illegal hit to Carolina defenseman Joni Pitkanen.
He will forfeit $66,158.54 in salary, which goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund. Carcillo will be eligible to return Jan. 18.
Reports: Cubs trade Zambrano to Miami
CHICAGO, Jan. 4 (UPI) -- The Chicago Cubs have traded volatile right-handed pitcher Carlos Zambrano to Miami for pitcher Chris Volstad, multiple reports indicated Wednesday.
Citing team sources, the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times said the Cubs will pay most of the $18 million Zambrano is owed this season to entice the Marlins to take him off their hands.
In return, they will receive the right-handed Volstad, a former first-round draft choice who finished 5-13 last season after going 12-9 for the Marlins in the 2010 campaign.
The deal is set and awaiting the results of a physical exam to become official, the newspapers said.
With the Marlins, Zambrano will be united with former Chicago White Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen, a fellow Venezuelan with whom he is close friends.
Guillen left the White Sox and was named the Marlins' manager following the 2011 season.
Zambrano, was subject to disciplinary moves and temperamental meltdowns during his 10 full years with the Cubs. He was placed on the disqualified list in August for leaving the team following an ejection.
Zambrano, 30, has compiled a 125-81 record with a 3.60 ERA in his tenure with Chicago, but his future with the team has come under question since Theo Epstein was hired as its new baseball chief.
"The Carlos Zambrano of 2011 and years previous can't fit into the culture that we have here," Epstein told WGN Radio Wednesday. "Change needs to happen and change will happen."
