Off the wire
BASKETBALL
Bazemore out for season
Atlanta Hawks guard Kent Bazemore will miss the remainder of the season with a bone bruise in his right knee. Bazemore, tied for second on the team with his average of 12.9 points per game, left Sunday’s loss to Chicago in the second quarter after landing awkwardly. He hopped off the court, straight into the tunnel toward the locker room. The Hawks say an MRI on Monday revealed the injury. Backup Jaylen Morris, also injured in the second quarter of Sunday’s game, will miss about two to four weeks with a sprained left ankle. Guard Dennis Schroder, the team’s top scorer who missed Sunday’s game with a left elbow injury, is listed as probable for tonight’s game against Oklahoma City.
Celtics rookie out
Celtics rookie Daniel Theis is likely out for the rest of the season with a torn meniscus in his left knee. Theis got hurt during the final minute of Boston’s 99-97 loss to the Pacers on Sunday. Coach Brad Stevens told reporters Monday that the center is weighing his surgical options. The Celtics recalled rookie Guerschon Yabusele from the G-League on Monday. Theis is averaging 5.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game this season.
Matta interviews at Georgia
Georgia officials have interviewed former Ohio State coach Thad Matta, launching their coaching search only two days after the school fired Mark Fox. Matta’s visit to Athens was closely monitored by his older brother, Greg Matta, who is the coach at North Cobb Christian School in Kennesaw, Ga., about a 90-minute drive away. Greg Matta said Monday his younger brother told him before the interview “what an exciting place” Georgia is as a possible next coaching job. Thad Matta led Ohio State to nine NCAA Tournaments, including two Final Four appearances. Fox was fired Saturday.
Matthews has broken leg
Dallas Mavericks guard Wesley Matthews has a broken bone in his lower right leg and is likely to miss the rest of the season. The team said Matthews, 31, was injured in the first quarter against Memphis on Saturday. The nine-year veteran played into the fourth quarter of the Mavericks’ 114-80 victory. The injury was announced Monday as a fracture to the right proximal fibula, just below the knee. Dallas (2146) already has been eliminated from playoff contention. Matthews is averaging 12.7 points in his third season with Dallas since signing
a $70 million, four-year contract in 2015. It was the same summer that DeAndre Jordan backed out on an agreement to join the Mavericks, a decision that resulted in more money for Matthews.
Rodman receives probation
Former NBA star Dennis Rodman was sentenced to three years’ probation after pleading guilty to two misdemeanors stemming from a January DUI arrest in Southern California. Rodman pleaded guilty Monday in Orange County to one count of driving under the influence of alcohol and one count of driving with a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit of .08 percent. The Los Angeles Times said Rodman, 56, was ordered to complete a nine-month alcohol program and pay $390 in fines. Rodman was arrested Jan. 13 in Newport Beach after being pulled over for a traffic violation. Police said he failed field sobriety and breath tests.
FOOTBALL
Lineman Strief retires
Saints right tackle Zach Strief says he’s retiring after 12 NFL seasons. Strief, who made a tearful announcement Monday, said his career far exceeded his expectations. He was a seventh-round draft choice out of Northwestern in 2006, which was Coach Sean Payton’s first season. He wound up being part of the most successful era in franchise history, which included a Super Bowl triumph in the 2009 season. Strief, 34, was a regular reserve during much of his first five seasons, routinely rotating onto the field for tackle-eligible formations. He became a starter in 2011 on an offense that set an NFL single-season record with 7,474 yards. He remained the starting right tackle in the beginning of last season, which was cut short a knee injury.
Teams swap picks
A person familiar with the deal has told The Associated Press the Buffalo Bills have moved up nine spots in the draft by swapping firstround picks with the Cincinnati Bengals, who also acquired highpriced left tackle Cordy Glenn as part of the trade. The person spoke to The AP on the condition of anonymity Monday because teams are not allowed to announce trades until the NFL’s new business year opens Wednesday. Buffalo moved up to the No. 12 spot in the draft by trading the first of its two opening-round selections, 21st overall. The Bills also have the No. 22 pick. Buffalo also traded its fifth-round pick (158th overall) for the Bengals’ sixth-round selection (187th) as part of the Bill’s second major trade in three days. On Friday, Buffalo traded starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor to Cleveland for a third-round pick. The moves help place the Bills in a position to use one of their first-round picks to draft a quarterback.