National Sports

The sudden, stunning emergence of Jeremy Lin has sparked the struggling Knicks. How long can it last? Zach Lowe takes a closer look at Lin's outrageous two-game run -- and his future.

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) -- Baltimore Ravens running back Ricky Williams says he's retiring from football.

NEW YORK (AP) -- Thousands of fans roared as New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning hoisted the team's Super Bowl trophy from a glittering blue-and-white float Tuesday as the victory parade made its way down the Canyon of Heroes, where the city has honored stars for almost a century.

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) -- Buffalo Sabres coach Lindy Ruff was clutching his right arm in pain and had to be helped off the ice after being upended by defenseman Jordan Leopold in practice Tuesday.

Michigan State athletic director Mark Hollis says his peers in the Big Ten are comfortable exploring the possibility of a four-team playoff for the national championship.

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) A satisfying victory for Oklahoma City was a head-scratcher for Portland.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) Kobe Bryant had his place in history. With ``Beat L.A.!'' echoing through a second straight sellout crowd, Lou Williams had his shot to remember.

GREENBURGH, N.Y. (AP) -- The New York Knicks say they expect Carmelo Anthony to miss a week or two with a strained right groin.

Young pitchers are one of baseball's treasured assets. Yet five 25-and-under starters were traded this offseason. That's extremely rare -- and it can be very risky, writes Tom Verducci.

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) Sandwiched between an emotionally charged victory against archrival Kansas and a top 10 showdown with first place on the line, No. 4 Missouri faced a test of its collective focus.

There are so many storylines in the wake of the Giants' 21-17 Super Bowl XLVI win over the Pats, writes Peter King. But none was bigger than what Eli Manning did in the final minutes.

The emerging portrait of 16-year-old Corey Robinson -- athlete, musician, scholar -- combines the light and shadow of two eras. He is a mass of Renaissance brush strokes on a canvas of 21st Century color.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) With all the expectations heaped on the Los Angeles Clippers following their offseason makeover, they hadn't been faced with a major dose of adversity through the first part of the season.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) Louisville senior guard Chris Smith emphatically answered a question meant for teammate Chane Behanan. After a resounding 80-59 victory over Connecticut on Monday night, the Cardinals are in sync on the court and off it.

Move over, Shaquille O'Neal. Kobe Bryant passed his former teammate for fifth place on the NBA's all-time scoring list, pouring in 28 points, but the Lakers lost 95-90 against the Sixers.