Off the wire

Knicks hire Fizdale

David Fizdale is coming back to coaching as the latest pick of the New York Knicks to turn around their franchise. The Knicks agreed to hire Fizdale on Thursday, a person with knowledge of the details said. The former Memphis Grizzlies coach will replace Jeff Hornacek, who was fired last month after two seasons. The Knicks then conducted a lengthy search before agreeing Thursday to a deal in principle with Fizdale, the person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal was not officially announced.

GOLF Peterson leads

Tiger Woods figured his even-par 71 in his return to Quail Hollow would keep him and everyone else fairly close to the lead at the Wells Fargo Championship at Charlotte, N.C. That was before John Peterson came to life late Thursday afternoon. Peterson holed a bunker shot for eagle, holed a wedge from the fairway for eagle on the next hole, and wound up with a 65. Peterson had a two-shot lead over five players, from Quail Hollow member Johnson Wagner to PGA Tour rookie Keith Mitchell. Two-time winner Rory McIlroy was in the group at 68. Woods was six shots behind after a day in which he struggled to get his speed right on the greens.

TENNIS Serena withdraws

Serena Williams has withdrawn from next week’s Madrid Open, saying she wasn’t ready to compete. Tournament organizers said Williams withdrew because she needs more time to train before returning to action. Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam champion, returned to the tour at Indian Wells this year after a 14-month absence because of the birth of her daughter.

FOOTBALL

Ryan NFL’s highest paid

Quarterback Matt Ryan has become the NFL’s highest-paid player, agreeing to a five-year contract extension worth a guaranteed $100 million with the Atlanta Falcons. The team announced the deal Thursday. A person familiar with the deal, which begins in 2019, said it is worth a maximum of $150 million — an average of $30 million a year. Of that, the person said Ryan is assured of collecting at least $100 million, surpassing the $84 million, three-year guaranteed contract that Kirk Cousins received from the Minnesota Vikings.