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Pau Gasol had 21 points and 19 rebounds to lead five players in double figures, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the San Antonio Spurs 101-89 Monday night without injured Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum. Bryant missed his second consecutive game with a sore left ankle, while Bynum sat out with a bruised right hip.

Kansas gave Texas a lesson in not only what it takes to get to No. 1, but how to stay there. It started with a big early run and a rally-killing finish as the top-ranked Jayhawks beat No. 14 Texas 80-68 on Monday night, easily handling a team that a few weeks ago was supposed to challenge them for the Big 12 title. - [Read more]

Vince Carter had a season-high 48 points, leading the Orlando Magic back from a 17-point second-half deficit to beat the New Orleans Hornets 123-117 on Monday night. Carter was 19 for 27 shooting and had 34 points in the second half with some of the most sizzling moves since he joined the Magic, who have won nine of their last 11 games.

Noelle Pikus-Pace gasped as she glanced around the hotel ballroom to see the mountains of boxes piled around and overflowing with red-white-and-blue U.S. Olympic gear. "This is amazing," the skeleton racer said Monday, when she joined dozens of teammates in suburban Vancouver for team processing by the U.S. - [Read more]

Kobe Bryant is missing a second consecutive game because of a sore left ankle. Coach Phil Jackson said before Monday night's game against the San Antonio Spurs that Bryant and center Andrew Bynum would sit out. Bryant, who had played in 235 straight games, missed Saturday night's win at Portland. - [Read more]

Scottie Reynolds scored 19 of his 21 points in the final 13 minutes and No. 4 Villanova held off No. 5 West Virginia 82-75 on Monday night. The Wildcats (21-2, 10-1) rebounded from a blowout loss at No. 7 Georgetown on Saturday to pull into a first-place tie with No. 2 Syracuse in the Big East. West Virginia (19-4, 8-3) led only in the game's opening minutes, couldn't overcome an 11-point... - [Read more]

The Chicago White Sox are taking Hall of Famer Luis Aparicio's number 11 out of retirement for newly acquired 11-time Gold Glove winner Omar Vizquel. A Venezuelan like Aparicio, Vizquel will wear the number as a tribute to his countryman. "For me, it's like a huge celebration, trying to keep his name alive and trying to spread the word of Venezuelan shortstops," Vizquel said... - [Read more]

The president of the Montreal Canadiens says Bob Gainey is stepping aside as general manager and being replaced by Pierre Gauthier. Team president Pierre Boivin says Monday that Gainey will remain with the team as a special counsel to Gauthier. Gauthier was the assistant general manager under Gainey. Gainey starred for the Canadiens from 1973-89 and the Hall of Famer rejoined the team as GM after... - [Read more]

Jubilant fans greeted the Super Bowl-winning Saints Monday, showering them with "Who Dat!" chants as they returned to their home city as champions. At a suburban airport, thousands of fans decked in black-and-gold lined the road to cheer their team after its 31-17 win over the Indianapolis Colts. - [Read more]

Snow is still being trucked and flown in to Cypress Mountain in an effort to get the Olympic venues ready for the Vancouver Games, which open Friday. The first event scheduled for Cypress Mountain is women's moguls qualifying on Saturday, with the finals to be raced later that day. Athletes will get their first look at the conditions later Monday afternoon, when training is scheduled. - [Read more]

Los Angeles Clippers center Chris Kaman will replace the Trail Blazers' Brandon Roy in this weekend's All-Star game. Roy injured his right hamstring last month. Roy, in his fourth season with the Blazers, made the All-Star team as a reserve for the third straight season. Kaman will be making his first All-Star appearance. - [Read more]

The Brewers are erecting a statue of baseball commissioner Bud Selig outside Miller Park and will unveil it on Aug. 24. Selig headed a group that bought the Seattle Pilots in bankruptcy court in 1970, moved the franchise to Milwaukee and renamed it the Brewers. He became acting commissioner in 1992 and took the job full-time six years later, turning control of the team over to his daughter, Wendy... - [Read more]

Minnesota Twins owner Jim Pohlad says he's staying out of contract negotiations with catcher Joe Mauer. Pohlad declined Monday to discuss specifics or confirm the team is talking about a long-term extension for the American League MVP. Pohlad said the Twins simply want to have Mauer in uniform. First baseman Justin Morneau's six-year contract is the longest in team history. - [Read more]

Drew Brees turned to his wife when he woke up and asked: "Did yesterday really happen?" The Saints and their fans awoke Monday to the realization that the once lovable losers from New Orleans were Super Bowl champions for the first time in the club's 43-year history after Sunday's 31-17 triumph over the Indianapolis Colts. - [Read more]

Donovan McNabb(notes) appears to be a very popular man these days. Plenty of teams have apparently called the Philadelphia Eagles to find out if he is available, according to the Philadelphia Daily News. Teams have also asked about backup Kevin Kolb(notes) and three teams have asked about Michael Vick(notes).

Three of the teams that are asking about McNabb are supposedly the Denver Broncos, Buffalo Bills, and Cleveland Browns. Of course, most, if not all, of these calls are totally exploratory at this point as teams start to feel out all the others to see whats going to be available this offseason.

Eagles head coach Andy Reid is sticking to his story that McNabb will be the starter next season, the last one on the QBs contract. Still, it is hard to believe all three of these quarterbacks will be with the team when things get rolling next year.

Follow Yahoo! Sports Rumors on Twitter at @markjmill.

Tim Lincecum(notes) is 25 years old and already has two Cy Young Award up on his shelf. Youd think the San Francisco Giants would do whatever it takes to keep him happy.

Lincecum has asked for $13 million this coming season and the Giants have offered $8 million. It doesnt appear that the two sides are particularly pleased with the other and it could all go to arbitration but two major-league executives tell the Boston Globe they think the two sides will settle before getting into any kind of heated discussion in front of an arbitrator.

"Both sides will take the road less thorny, said one executive to the Globe, "but if you believe in your number, defend it. Ryan Howard(notes) did and he won. Howard won a $10 million salary for the 2008 from the Philadelphia Phillies, which had offered $7 million. It was the most ever awarded a victorious player. (And try and tell me that guy isnt worth the bucks.)

Follow Yahoo! Sports Rumors on Twitter at @markjmill.

New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter(notes) has a contract that runs out at the end of this season and theres been no movement on any kind of contract extension of any sort.

"New York players and reporters trust general manager Brian Cashman, who has told everyone it will be dealt with after the season," says the Chicago Tribune.

It is hard to picture Captain Jeter in any other uniform, but crazier things have happened, especially if the team doesnt offer the 35-year-old some kind of incredible legacy contract of some sort or the other.

Follow Yahoo! Sports Rumors on Twitter at @markjmill.

Miami Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter(notes) is saying there is no way hell be returning to play in South Florida next season on a weekly basis, according to NFL.com.

"I still have a lot of years of football left ... but strapping on that jersey, yes, this year is the last time," the 32-year-old said yesterday after finishing out the season with nine sacks. "If it was a situation where the guys were better than me, then you just have to move on, but if its not a changing of the guard, they just have to sit and wait their turn. Nobody is that good enough behind me to be stepping on my toes."

Sure will be fun to watch the Dolphins play against wherever Porter lands next season.

Follow Yahoo! Sports Rumors on Twitter at @markjmill.

Johnny Damon(notes) may have shined in the World Series for the New York Yankees. He may have hit .282 with 24 homers and 82 RBIs last year. He may make the young gals swoon. But it doesnt appear that this 36-year-old outfielder is getting himself any kind of long-term deal this winter.

The Detroit Free Press is reporting that the last two teams interested in Damon are the Atlanta Braves and Detroit Tigers. The Braves arent expected to offer a lucrative or long-term contract and the Tigers would only make an offer if owner Mike Ilitch decides he wants to expand the payroll. And who wants to do that these days?

Wonder how Damon is feeling about his agent, Scott Boras, these days? After all, it appeared that Damon came into the offseason thinking hed get a three- or four-year deal somewhere (preferably with the Yanks) for $13 million or more annually.

Follow Yahoo! Sports Rumors on Twitter at @markjmill.

When Del Harris left the New Jersey Nets as an assistant coach last week, it was kind of a surprise. Now word is coming from the Newark Star-Ledger that a disagreement between Harris and Nets president Rod Thorn was what led to Harris taking off from the Garden State.

The agent for Harris apparently told Thorn that his dismal team would be better served if Harris took over as coach and Kiki Vandeweghe was sent back to the front office where he came from.

Thorn supposedly cut the agent off and said, "Hold it right there. All due respect, he will not be the next head coach here. So if he has any delusions about that, you should let him know its not going to happen."

And then Harris headed to the exit.

Follow Yahoo! Sports Rumors on Twitter at @markjmill.