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BOSTON - The outlook was bleak. Rajon Rondo's season-ending knee injury was certain to hurt the Celtics hopes for a playoff berth.

SAN FRANCISCO - Sporting short hair and black specs he doesn't need but chooses to complete his new look, Tim Lincecum hardly resembled the hard-throwing San Francisco pitcher the Bay Area has come to know for his shaggy 'do and strong arm.

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Breaking more than a year of silence, Sue Paterno is defending her late husband as a "moral, disciplined" man who never twisted the truth to avoid bad publicity.

PHOENIX - The Arizona Diamondbacks and Aaron Hill have reached a deal that will keep him under contract through the 2016 season. The deal adds three years and $35 million to his existing deal, which pays him $5.5 million this year.

BROSSARD, Que. - Having regular linemates has been a relief for Tomas Plekanec.

WINNIPEG - The Winnipeg Jets will be shuffling the deck again as they look to find a combination of forwards who can put the puck in the net and help keep it out of their own as well.

TAMPA, Fla. - Yankees managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner says he's concerned about the latest drug allegations swirling around third baseman Alex Rodriguez, but that the matter is being looked at by Major League Baseball.

LONDON - Removing a sport from the Olympics is one of the IOC's most sensitive tasks. After months of evaluation, a decision will come next week — and the century-old competition of modern pentathlon appears the most at risk.

The ousted presidents of two Brazilian sports federations have filed complaints with the IOC claiming they were removed from their posts after illegal interference from local courts.

TOKYO - Just when Tokyo was getting a boost in its campaign to host the 2020 Olympics, an ugly scandal has surfaced within the Japanese sporting culture and threatens to undermine the bid.