Sports Briefs Feb. 21, 2010
Ian Poulter closed out Sergio Garcia on the 12th hole, 7 and 6 on Saturday to equal the shortest match of the tournament to reach the final of the Match Play Championship in Marana, Ariz. He won't know who he plays until today because the longest match didn't finish.
Paul Casey and Camilo Villegas, neither of whom had gone the distance all week at Dove Mountain, exchanged a series of great shots and clutch putts through 23 holes Saturday until twilight in the high desert made it too difficult to continue.
Joe Durant remained in position for his first PGA Tour victory since 2006, birdieing the final two holes for a 2-under 69 and a two-stroke lead in the Mayakoba Golf Classic in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico.
Norway's Suzann Pettersen stretched her lead to five strokes in the season-opening Honda PTT LPGA Thailand, birdieing the final two holes for a 4-under 68 - her third straight bogey-free round, in Pattaya, Thailand.
Tommy Armour III shot an 8-under 64, and Tim Simpson had a 65 to share the second-round lead in the Champions Tour Allianz Championship in Boca Raton, Fla.
Auto racing
Jimmie Johnson will start from the seventh position, trying to improve on his 35th place finish in the Daytona 500, today in the Sprint Cup Auto Club 500 at Fontana, Calif. (11 a.m., KAYU).
Johnson, who had rear axle trouble in the season-opening race, is attempting to win his fourth straight Sprint Cup Series championship.
Daytona winner Jamie McMurray and fellow Ganassi Racing driver Juan Pablo Montoya start from the front row.
Kyle Busch barely overtook Greg Biffle out of the final turn of a green-white-checker finish to win by .051 seconds in the NASCAR Nationwide race at California Speedway in Fontana, Calif..
Danica Patrick was 31st, three laps off the pace.
Raptors 109, Wizards 104: Jarrett Jack had 23 points and eight assists and host Toronto beat Washington.
Thunder 121, Knicks 118, OT: Kevin Durant scored 36 points as Oklahoma City beat New York in overtime for its eighth straight victory.
Bucks 93, Bobcats 88: Brandon Jennings and John Salmons each scored 19 points to help host Milwaukee beat Charlotte.
Bulls 122, 76ers 90: Rookie Taj Gibson tied a career high with 20 points and had 13 rebounds, and host Chicago beat Philadelphia for its fourth straight win.
Pacers 125, Rockets 115: Danny Granger scored 36 points, T.J. Ford led a second-half surge and visiting Indiana snapped a four-game losing streak by beating Houston.
Mavericks 97, Heat 91: Dirk Nowitzki scored 28 points and host Dallas beat Miami.
Clippers 99, Kings 89: Eric Gordon scored 30 points and host Los Angeles Clippers beat Sacramento.
Hockey
Brady Brassart and Blake Gal scored goals in the final frame and the Spokane Chiefs held off the Tri-City Titans 3-2 in Western Hockey League play before 5,783 at the Toyota Center in Kennewick, Wash.
The win was the seventh straight for Spokane, which hosts Everett on Wednesday night.
- From staff and wire services