Hip surgery ends season for Aldridge
Hip surgery ends season for Aldridge
PORTLAND, Ore. — Trail Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge will have surgery on his right hip and miss the rest of the season.
The team said Thursday no date has been set for the arthroscopic procedure, which will repair a slight labral tear. Aldridge says he has had pain for about two weeks and is unsure how the injury occurred.
“I’m just happy we know what it is now and we can move forward,” said Aldridge, who traveled to Vail, Colo., his week for a closer look at the injury after an earlier MRI didn’t show it.
Aldridge is averaging 21.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists this season while shooting a career-high 51.2 percent.
The 6-foot-11 power forward in his sixth year called the tear “minor” and said he was being proactive in having the procedure. Aldridge had surgery to repair torn cartilage in his left hip when he was at Texas in 2005. He said that injury was much more severe.
Three tied for RBC Heritage lead
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. — Chad Campbell used a fast start, and Vaughn Taylor and Colt Knost had strong finishes to share the first-round lead at 4-under 67 in the RBC Heritage on Thursday.
Campbell birdied four of his first seven holes, Knost birdied three of his last five, and Taylor holed out from the fairway for a closing eagle on the par-4 ninth hole.
Campbell held steady on a windy, unseasonably cool morning at Harbour Town Golf Links. Campbell and Knost got going as conditions softened in the afternoon.
Jim Furyk, the 2010 winner, was a stroke back along with Harris English, Charlie Wi and Matt Every.
Top-ranked Luke Donald opened with a 75. He must finish eighth or better to maintain the top spot.
Schwartzel up by one shot at Malaysian Open
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel shot an 8-under 64 to take a one-stroke lead over India’s Jeev Milkha Singh after the first round of the Malaysian Open.
Schwartzel, the 2011 Masters champion, had nine birdies and a bogey on Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club’s West Course. South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen, coming off a playoff loss to Bubba Watson in the Masters, was two strokes back along with American Jason Knutzon and India’s Jyoti Randhawa.
Defending champion Matteo Manassero and German star Martin Kaymer shot 70s.
Russell tops Fish in US Men’s Clay Court
HOUSTON — Qualifier Michael Russell took advantage of ailing Mardy Fish for a 6-3, 6-1 victory Thursday in the second round of the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship.
Fish, the top seed in the tournament and ranked ninth in the world, was playing for the first time since pulling out of Davis Cup competition against France for what he called a health issue.
“What happened a couple of weeks ago scared me,” Fish said. “Obviously, I’m not over it. I think anyone could see I wasn’t myself.”
Second-seeded John Isner had 16 aces and recovered from a slow start for a 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-2 victory over Horacio Zeballos of Argentina. Isner won 76 percent of his first serves, and his big serve got stronger as the match went along.
Wozniacki advances to Copenhagen quarters
COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Caroline Wozniacki, Angelique Kerber and Jelena Jankovic — the top three seeded players — advanced Thursday to the quarterfinals of the e-Boks Open.
Wozniacki, seeded first, is the two-time defending champion. The Dane downed Pauline Parmentier of France 6-2, 6-1 in 67 minutes and will next face another Frenchwoman, Alize Cornet.
Kerber, seeded second, overcame a sluggish start to beat Britain’s Anne Keothavong 4-6, 6-3, 6-3. Kerber will play Mona Barthel in an all-German quarterfinal.
The third-seeded Jankovic defeated Yulia Putintseva of Russia 6-3, 6-1. Fourth-seeded Monica Niculescu of Romania didn’t fare as well in the second round, losing to Bojana Jovanovski of Serbia 6-7 (6), 6-4, 6-1.
Steelers re-sign Cotchery, Essex
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers have agreed to terms with free agent wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery and offensive lineman Trai Essex.
Cotchery posted the message “Let me see ya towels” on his Twitter account Wednesday after agreeing to a two-year deal worth around $3 million. The 29-year-old Cotchery had 16 receptions for 237 yards and two touchdowns in 13 games with Pittsburgh last season. He had a 31-yard touchdown reception during an overtime playoff loss to the Denver Broncos.
Cotchery gives the Steelers much-needed depth at wide receiver following the retirement of Hines Ward and the release of veteran Arnaz Battle. The Steelers have signed restricted free agent wide receiver Mike Wallace to a first-round tender.
If Wallace returns, Cotchery likely will compete for the third-receiver spot with Emmanuel Sanders behind Pro Bowlers Wallace and Antonio Brown.
Kurt Angle pulls out of Olympic Trials
Kurt Angle has survived steel chairs, low blows and dastardly double-crosses in the choreographed world of pro wrestling.
But Angle couldn’t continue on the amateur circuit when his own body betrayed him with a series of injuries that ended his improbable run at making the U.S. team for the London Olympics.
On Thursday, the former Olympic gold medalist and TNA Wrestling star backed out of next week’s U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Iowa. The 43-year-old Angle was planning on competing for a spot on the U.S. freestyle team headed to the London Games this summer.
Angle partially tore the MCL in his right knee during training on Monday to finish off the longshot bid. He also tore his right hamstring during a training session last month.
Raiders sign former college hoopster as TE
ALAMEDA, Calif. — The Oakland Raiders have signed former Cal State Fullerton basketball player Andre Hardy to a free-agent contract.
The Raiders announced the deal Thursday to bring Hardy in as a tight end. The 25-year-old Hardy hasn’t played football since high school.
The 6-foot-5, 250-pound Hardy averaged 8.0 points and 6.7 rebounds the past two seasons for the Titans. He previously played two seasons of basketball for Oral Roberts.
Bengals send LB Rivers to Giants for draft pick
CINCINNATI — The Bengals traded linebacker Keith Rivers to the New York Giants on Thursday for a fifth-round draft pick, ending his four-year stay in Cincinnati marred by frequent injuries.
Rivers missed all last season recovering from surgery on his right wrist. He’s been limited to 35 games in four seasons.
The Bengals made Rivers the ninth overall pick in the 2008 draft and installed him as a starter.
From wire sources