Knicks end Spurs' seven-game winning streak
NEW YORK, Jan. 3 (UPI) -- Carmelo Anthony led New York to a dominating second half Thursday and the Knicks pulled off a 100-83 victory that ended San Antonio's seven-game win streak
One night after becoming the first team in the NBA to reach 26 victories, the Spurs faded away after the intermission. The Knicks snapped a two-game skid and improved their home record to 13-3.
Anthony scored 23 points to go with 13 rebounds and J.R. Smith came off the bench to add 20 points. Tyson Chandler pulled down 14 rebounds.
Gary Neal delivered 12 points to lead the Spurs. Tim Duncan and Tony Parker played just 24 minutes each for San Antonio and both scored 11 points.
New York led by just two at halftime, boosted the advantage to seven after three quarters and then scored the first 10 points of the final period.
PGA Tour season opens Friday
KAPALUA, Hawaii, Jan. 3 (UPI) -- Rickie Fowler will step to the first tee Friday at the Plantation Course of the Kapalua Resort and hit the opening shot of the 2013 PGA Tour season.
He will be followed by 29 players who earned their way into the exclusive Hyundai Tournament of Champions by winning at least once on the tour last year.
It will mark the final time, at least for the foreseeable future, that the PGA Tour will kick off a season in January. The 2014 campaign will actually begin next October, when the tour will institute a major revamping of its schedule as well as the method by which players earn their way onto the circuit.
Steve Stricker will be on hand at the hilly Plantation Course this week to defend the title he won in 2012 and he heads a field that includes last year's FedEx Cup champion (Brandt Snedeker) and two of last season's major championship winners (Bubba Watson and Webb Simpson).
There will be eight of the Top 20 players in the world in the field this week, but none of the first seven. Watson, at No. 8, is the highest ranked player competing.
In addition to Fowler, first-time winners from 2012 who will be taking part this week include rookie-of-the-year John Huh, Jonas Blixt, Charlie Beljan and Jason Dufner.
Dufner led or shared the lead at the end of 13 rounds last year, most on the tour. World No. 1 Rory McIlroy was next with nine.
As it did last season, this tournament will end on Monday. It is scheduled to finish shortly before the start of the national college football championship game between Notre Dame and Alabama.
Arizona survives in OT to stay unbeaten
TUCSON, Jan. 3 (UPI) -- Mark Lyons scored eight of Arizona's 12 overtime points Thursday and the No. 3 Wildcats escaped with a 92-83 triumph over Colorado.
Arizona is one of four unbeaten teams remaining in major college basketball and the Wildcats survived thanks to a replay decision at the end of regulation.
After trailing by 16 points with 12:45 to play in the second half, the Wildcats rallied to tie it at 80-80 on two free throws by Lyons with 9 seconds remaining.
Colorado's Sabatino Chen then put up what appeared to be the game-winning shot, a 3-point attempt that banked in as the buzzer was sounding.
After a lengthy review in which the three officials looked at replays shown on the screen of a laptop computer, it was ruled that the ball left Chen's hand a fraction of a second after time had expired.
Given a second chance, Arizona dominated the overtime period with Lyons converting a pair of 3-point plays.
Lyons finished with 24 points, hitting all 10 of his attempts from the foul line. Solomon Hill added 15 for the Wildcats and Kevin Parrom had 13.
Arizona improved to 13-0 in what was the first Pacific-12 Conference game for both schools. Duke, Michigan and Wyoming are the other unbeaten major college teams left this season.
Colorado, which suffered three missed free throws during the final 1:13 of regulation, slipped to 10-3. The Buffaloes were led by Askia Booker with 18 points.
Report: Chiefs close to hiring Andy Reid
KANSAS CITY, Mo., Jan. 3 (UPI) -- Andy Reid, just fired in Philadelphia, is on the verge of becoming head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs, NFL.com reported Thursday.
Multiple reports said Reid and the Chiefs were working out the final details of a contract. The NFL's website said Reid's agent was in the process of canceling interviews that had been planned with other teams searching for a new coach.
Similar reports had circulated Tuesday that Reid was bound for the Arizona Cardinals where Ken Whisenhunt was fired.
Seven of the league's head coaches from the 2012 season were fired this week and Reid was one of them, having lost his job Monday after spending 14 seasons with the Eagles.
He led Philadelphia to nine playoff and five NFC championship appearances while becoming the winningest coach in franchise history at 130-93-1. The Eagles faded to a 4-12 record this season and finished last in the NFC East.
Kansas City dismissed Romeo Crennel Monday after the Chiefs struggled to a 2-14 campaign. The Chiefs will own the No. 1 selection in the 2013 NFL draft.
