Allen chooses to sign with Miami Heat
MIAMI — Ray Allen will take less money for a chance at another NBA championship.
Allen told the Miami Heat on Friday night that he intends to accept their contract offer and leave Boston after five seasons, even though the Celtics could pay him about twice as much as the reigning NBA champions will be able to next season. Miami could only offer Allen the mini midlevel, worth about $3 million a year.
Heat owner Micky Arison tweeted the news just after 9:30 p.m., or about 2:30 a.m. Saturday in Europe, where Arison has been for several days.
“I was just woken up with great news,” Arison wrote. “Welcome to the family.” Arison ended the tweet by making mention of Allen’s jersey No. 20, and didn’t mention the NBA’s leading 3-point shooter by name.
A person briefed on details of the decision told The Associated Press that Arison got the word from Heat President Pat Riley, who made Allen the team’s top free-agent priority — especially in recent days. Allen, who will be 37 this month, arrived in Miami on Thursday for a visit, went to dinner with Riley, coach Erik Spoelstra, team executive Alonzo Mourning and others Thursday night, then left Friday to presumably decide his future.
Paul leaves practice with thumb injury
LAS VEGAS — The U.S. men’s basketball team held its first practice Friday, and there was a quick reminder of the rocky run-up to the London Games.
Chris Paul was forced to leave the opening day of training camp to get an X-ray after hurting his thumb. The Americans don’t believe the injury is serious, USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo calling it a tweak of a previous injury, and they hope Paul can practice Saturday.
That would be some rare good news for a team has been severely weakened by injuries. Dwight Howard, Derrick Rose, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh all were forced to pull out, leaving the Americans with 15 players vying for 12 spots. The roster will be announced Saturday night.
Colangelo said he would discuss the roster with the coaching staff on Friday night but would put off any judgments until after today’s practice.
Holliday replaces Molina on All-Star team
ST. LOUIS — Matt Holliday is replacing St. Louis Cardinals teammate Yadier Molina on the National League All-Star team.
Molina was placed on the bereavement list Friday after his wife’s grandfather died. The team said the catcher had returned to his native Puerto Rico.
Holliday was one of the hottest hitters in the majors entering the final weekend before the break, batting .500 with four home runs, 21 RBIs and 10 doubles over the last 18 games. The outfielder was batting .318 overall with 14 homers, 56 RBIs and a .397 on-base average.
76ers make significant changes to roster
PHILADELPHIA — Bye-bye, Elton Brand and Lou Williams.
The 76ers turned a mundane offseason into a memorable one by jettisoning their leading scorers from each of the past two seasons and clearing needed space in the salary cap to potentially set up a bigger move.
With fans worried a surprising run to the Eastern Conference semifinals might cloud management’s view of the roster, team president Rod Thorn made a pair of bold moves Friday that showed the team believed changes were needed for the franchise to grow.
Step one meant saying goodbye to Brand.
With money to spend, the Sixers agreed Friday to a one-year contract with guard Nick Young.
Young, a two-time all-conference standout at Southern California before becoming a consistent NBA scorer in five seasons with Washington, averaged 14.2 points last season, and 17.4 points in 2010-11. Young will replace guard Lou Williams, who opted out of the final year of his contract that was worth $6.4 million.
Former Raiders DE Smith faces 3 new murder charges
LOS ANGELES — Anthony Wayne Smith spent seven years as a menacing defensive end for the Oakland and Los Angeles Raiders whose mission was to put quarterbacks on the turf.
Authorities believe that penchant for a game of violence turned into something more sinister shortly after Smith departed professional football.
Already awaiting retrial for a murder four years ago, Smith was charged this week with three additional murders, including the slayings of two brothers who prosecutors said were kidnapped and robbed by men posing as police officers.
The most recent charges paint a portrait of a man who authorities say turned to brazen crime, but leaves the question of why he needed to after a somewhat successful career.
Smith, now 45, was drafted 11th overall by the Raiders in 1990 and amassed 57 1⁄2 sacks and 190 tackles while as a defensive end in the NFL. In 1993, Smith had 12 1⁄2 sacks, helping put the Raiders in the playoffs. The team lost in the AFC divisional round to Buffalo 29-23.
Howard gets two hits
in return to lineup
PHILADELPHIA — Ryan Howard walked up to the plate to a loud standing ovation and drove the second pitch he saw deep to right-center for a double.
With all their regulars back, it was just like old times for the Philadelphia Phillies. Except the end result.
Brian McCann hit a grand slam, Tim Hudson tossed four-hit ball over seven innings and the Atlanta Braves beat the struggling Phillies 5-0 to spoil Howard’s season debut Friday.
“It felt good, but the outcome didn’t go the way we wanted it,” Howard said.
Howard was 2-for-4 in his first game since rupturing his left Achilles tendon on the final swing in a postseason elimination loss to St. Louis last October. But the last-place Phillies generated nothing else on offense.
Yankees GM’s
stalking suspect
freed on $300K bond
NEW YORK — A woman accused of shaking down New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman was freed from jail Friday, walking out of a courthouse on bond after five months behind bars.
With an ankle monitor and orders to avoid Cashman and even Yankee Stadium, Louise Neathway left a Manhattan courthouse arm-in-arm with her mother, who posted Neathway’s $300,000 bond. The family and lawyers had spent months trying to get her out of jail, first attempting unsuccessfully to get the bond lowered and then working to raise the money.
Cashman’s spokesman, Chris Giglio, declined to comment on Neathway’s release.
Red Sox place 2B Pedroia on 15-day DL
BOSTON — The Boston Red Sox placed second baseman Dustin Pedroia on the 15-day disabled list Friday with a hyperextended right thumb —the same finger he hurt earlier in the season.
The move was retroactive to Wednesday. Infielder Pedro Ciriaco was selected from Triple-A Pawtucket to take his place, and Rich Hill was transferred to the 60-day disabled list to make room for Ciriaco on the 40-man roster.
By wire sources
