James, Durant to captain All-Stars in March

With the All-Star Game officially set after weeks of uncertainty, the NBA announced that Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James and Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant will headline the starting lineups for the scaleddown midseason showcase.

Durant was named the Eastern Conference AllStar captain, and Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, Washington’s Bradley Beal, Brooklyn’s’ Kyrie Irving and Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid also were named All-Stars.

Captain James hauled in more fan votes than anyone else in the league, while Portland’s Damian Lillard, Golden State’s Stephen Curry, Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, and Denver’s Nikola Jokic also will represent the West March 7 in Atlanta.

Baseball

Infielder Todd Frazier has agreed to a minor league deal with the Pirates that includes an invitation to big-league spring training

• The Mets made a late addition to their starting rotation, agreeing to a $20 million, two-year contract with right-hander Taijuan Walker.

• Brett Gardner is returning to the New York Yankees for a 14th season. The 37-year outfielder agreed to a $4 million, oneyear contract.

• Cleveland manager Terry Francona is recovering from another health scare. Francona recently had surgery to remove a staph infection in his left big toe.

• The Seattle Mariners finalized a $7 million, twoyear contract with reliever Ken Giles.

• Right-hander Edward

Cabrera, one of the Miami Marlins’ top prospects, will be out indefinitely with an inflamed nerve in his right biceps.

• Oliver Pérez’s long baseball odyssey spins on. The crafty reliever agreed to a minor league deal with the Indians. Pérez has a 73-92 record and 4.35 ERA in 18 seasons with the Mets, Pirates, Diamondbacks, Padres, Nationals, Mariners, Astros and Indians.

Golf

Sam Burns had a 5-under 66 to tie the 36-hole record at the Genesis Invitational in Pacific Palisades, Calif., and build a five-shot lead going into the weekend. Among those chasing is Dustin Johnson and Jordan Spieth.

• The PGA Tour Champions said Phil Mickelson is set to play the Cologuard Classic next week in Tucson, Ariz.

Hockey

Hosts SportsPITTSBURGH and Robert Morris University, in partnership with the NCAA, announced that plans are moving forward to stage the 2021 NCAA Division I Men’s Frozen Four April 8 and 10 at PPG Paints Arena.

Skiing

Mathieu Faivre won gold in the men’s giant slalom at the world championships in Cortina D’Ampezzo, Italy. The Frenchman beat Luca de Aliprandini of Italy by 0.63 seconds. Faivre’s teammate and first-run leader Alex Pinturault skied out after seven gates in the final run.

Football

Former NFL player Kellen Winslow II agreed to a change in his rape-case plea deal so he could lock in a 14-year prison sentence. Once a first-round NFL draft pick and the highest paid tight-end in the league, the 37-year-old faced between 12 -18 years in prison after his convictions for raping a homeless woman and other charges.

• DeSean Jackson’s second stint with the Eagles came to an end. The team released the 34-year-old wide receiver, a move that was widely expected because of team salary cap issues.