Welcome to Monday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

MONDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
MLB: Red Sox at Yankees, 1 p.m. (NESN, ESPN; WEEI-FM)
MLB: Cubs at Pirates, 1:30 p.m. (WGN)
MLB: Giants at Dodgers, 4 p.m. (ESPN; WEEI-AM)
MLB: Phillies at Braves, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
MLB: Cardinals at Diamondbacks, 10 p.m. (ESPN2)
NBA: Celtics at Timberwolves, 8 p.m. (CSNNE; WEEI-FM)
NBA: Spurs at Grizzlies, 8 p.m. (NBATV)
NBA: Pacers at Clippers, 10:30 p.m. (NBATV)
NHL: Avalanche at Red Wings, 7:30 p.m. (NBCSN)

AROUND THE WEB:

Louisville's Kevin Ware sits in his hospital bed with the Midwest Regional trophy Sunday night.

♦ Louisville became the only No. 1 seed to reach the Final Four with Sunday’s victory over Duke, but the focus after the game was on the gruesome leg injury suffered by Cardinals guard Kevin Ware.

The sophomore jumped to contest a 3-point shot, and when he landed just in front of the Louisville bench, his leg snapped in two places. Following a long delay, Ware was taken to an Indianapolis hospital, where his bone was reset and a rod was inserted into his right tibia.

Distraught Louisville players fell to the court upon seeing the injury. CBS showed two replays immediately after it happened but decided not to show video of the leg after that.

“The bone was literally out,” said center Chase Behanan, who donned Ware’s No. 5 jersey at the end of the game. “I saw white, it was literally out.”

Added Behanan: “I dropped to the ground. I’ve never seen anything like that. I don’t remember the last time I cried.”

Despite his pain, Ware tried to inspire his teammates.

“The bone’s six inches out of his leg and all he’s yelling is, ‘Win the game, win the game,’ ” said Louisville coach Rick Pitino, who was spotted repeatedly wiping his eyes after the incident. “I’ve not seen that in my life. … Pretty special young man.”

The team later took the Midwest Regional trophy to Ware, who was photographed with it tucked under his arm in his hospital bed.

♦ Kobe Bryant told NBA.com’s Scott Howard-Cooper that he plans to decide this summer how long he’ll continue to play. With his contract expiring at the end of next season — his 18th in the NBA — Bryant said his current inclination is to make 2013-14 his last go-round.

“As I sit here right now, yeah,” he said.

Added Bryant: “I’ll talk to my family and stuff and really see if I want to continue to sacrifice as much as I’m sacrificing right now. I’m putting my body through a lot to just try to get ready to play every single night. To do what I’m doing right now, it’s not easy. I’ll tell you, it’s taken a lot of commitment.”

♦ The Denver Post has a profile of the always-interesting JaVale McGee. The 7-foot Nuggets center, known as much for his boneheaded plays as for his thunderous dunks, said he’s been diagnosed with attention deficit disorder but doesn’t mind it.

“I have extreme ADD,” McGee said. “They tried to put me on Ritalin, but I wouldn’t do it. I just didn’t want to take it. I was young [when it was diagnosed]; it was a long time ago. But, yeah, it’s definitely fun having ADD. It’s extremely fun. I’m not boring.”

Said Nuggets assistant coach Melvin Hunt: “He’s unique. You look at his physique, he’s unique, and guys don’t have that combination on the court, nor that combination off the court. He’s witty, at the same time he’s goofy, at the same time he’s smart, at the same time he’s silly. He can take you a lot of places.”

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On April 1, 2003, in the second game of the season, which Red Sox newcomer hit a home run in the 16th inning for a 9-8 victory over the Devil Rays in Tampa?

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Welcome to Friday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

FRIDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
NBA: Hawks at Celtics, 7:30 p.m. (CSNNE; WEEI-FM)
NBA: Heat at Hornets, 8 p.m. (NBA TV)
College basketball: NCAA tournament, Oregon vs. Louisville, 7:15 p.m. (CBS)
College basketball: NCAA tournament, Michigan vs. Kansas, 7:37 p.m. (TBS)
College basketball: NCAA tournament, Michigan State vs. Duke, 9:45 p.m. (CBS)
College basketball: NCAA tournament, Florida Gulf Coast vs. Florida, 9:57 p.m. (TBS)
NHL: Mighty Ducks at Blackhawks, 8:30 p.m. (NHL Network)
College hockey: NCAA tournament, Yale vs. Minnesota, 2 p.m. (ESPNU)
College hockey: NCAA tournament, Wisconsin vs. UMass-Lowell, 4:30 p.m. (NESN)
College hockey: NCAA tournament, Niagara vs. North Dakota, 5:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
College hockey: NCAA tournament, Denver vs. New Hampshire, 8 p.m. (ESPNU)
MLB preseason: Yankees at Nationals, 2 p.m. (MLB Network)
MLB preseason: Blue Jays at Phillies, 7 p.m. (MLB Network)
MLB preseason: Athletics at Giants, 10 p.m. (MLB Network)

AROUND THE WEB:

♦ The NBA on Thursday confirmed what the Timberwolves already knew: Kobe Bryant fouled Ricky Rubio on a 3-point attempt just before the buzzer in the Lakers’ 120-117 victory Wednesday night in Minneapolis.

“Video review by the league office confirmed that Kobe Bryant fouled Rubio while Rubio was in his shooting motion,” the league said on its website. “Rubio should have been awarded three free throws.”

Rubio, who complained to officials after the play, said his team hasn’t been treated the same as more successful franchises such as the Lakers.

“We have to earn the respect,” Rubio said. “But I don’t understand how things go sometimes. We just want to play basketball, play hard as we can and do all the things. Sometimes it’s not fair because we give 100 percent and sometimes we can’t control things. But we have to improve things that we can control.”

Bryant, meanwhile, showed little sympathy. When asked about the play right after the game, he said: “That’s not a foul. You don’t call that [stuff].”

Later, he tried to downplay the importance of the play. If a foul was called, “we’d have went into overtime and won the game,” he said. “Simple as that.”

Meanwhile, Bryant was spotted walking with the aid of a crutch after Thursday night’s game (a 113-103 loss to the Bucks), although he played down the injury, which the Lakers described as bone spurs.

♦ The Mets, stung by Thursday’s news that pitcher Johan Santana has re-torn the anterior capsule in his left shoulder and likely will miss the entire season, were answering questions about some infighting after a recent intrasquad game.

Star pitching prospect Zack Wheeler and 21-year-old infielder Aderlin Rodriguez were involved in an incident during the game last Saturday in Port St. Lucie, Fla., that reportedly led to players taking sides along ethnic lines in the clubhouse.

Rodriguez homered off Wheeler and apparently strutted around the bases, leading to the 22-year-old right-hander hitting Rodriguez his next time up. In the clubhouse after the game, “Some of the American guys and some of the Latin guys were circling and yelling at each other,” a source told the New York Daily News.

The team reprimanded both players. Said vice president of player development and scouting Paul DePodesta: “We’ve talked to everybody involved, and I think at this point it’s done with.”

♦ Former Syracuse assistant basketball coach Bernie Fine has taken steps to file a defamation lawsuit against ESPN. Fine filed paperwork in November, but it had not been reported until Thursday.

In November of 2011 the network reported two ball boys’ claims that Fine sexually abused them. Fine was fired 10 days later, following a third man’s accusation. No charges were filed against Fine.

Fine, 67, has served as a consultant for an Israeli basketball team since leaving Syracuse.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA (answer below): On March 29 of which year did the Bruins beat the Rangers, 2-1, to complete a two-game sweep of the Stanley Cup finals and win their first championship?

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Welcome to Friday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

FRIDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
NBA: Timberwolves at Rockets, 8 p.m. (NBATV)
NBA: Bulls at Warriors, 10:30 p.m. (NBATV, WGN)
College basketball: ACC tournament, Boston College vs. Miami, noon (ESPN2, MyTV; WEEI-AM)
College basketball: Big Ten tournament, Illinois vs. Indiana, noon (ESPN)
College basketball: SEC tournament, LSU vs. Florida, 1 p.m. (ESPNU)
College basketball: ACC tournament, NC State vs. Virginia, 2 p.m. (ESPN2)
College basketball: Big Ten tournament, Michigan vs. Wisconsin, 2 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: SEC tournament, Tennessee vs. Alabama, 3 p.m. (ESPNU)
College basketball: C-USA tournament, UTEP vs. Southern Mississippi, 4 p.m. (CBSSN)
College basketball: Big Ten tournament, Nebraska vs. Ohio State, 6:30 p.m. (Big Ten Network)
College basketball: ACC tournament, Maryland vs. Duke, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
College basketball: Big East tournament, Syracuse vs. Georgetown, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: Big 12 tournament, Iowa State vs. Kansas, 7:30 p.m. (ESPNU; WEEI-AM)
College basketball: ACC tournament, Florida State vs. North Carolina, 9 p.m. (ESPN2)
College basketball: Big East tournament, Notre Dame vs. Louisville, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: Big Ten tournament, Iowa vs. Michigan State, 9 p.m. (Big Ten Network)
College basketball: MWC tournament, San Diego State vs. New Mexico, 9 p.m. (CBSSN)
College basketball: Big 12 tournament, Oklahoma State vs. Kansas State, 10 p.m. (ESPNU; WEEI-AM)
College basketball: Pac-12 tournament, Utah vs. Oregon, 11:30 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: MWC tournament, UNLV vs. Colorado State 11:30 p.m. (CBSSN)
College basketball: Big West tournament, Cal Poly vs. Pacific, midnight (ESPNU)
NHL: Devils at Flyers, 7 p.m. (NHL Network)
College hockey: Hockey East tournament, Vermont at Boston College, 7 p.m. (NBCSN)
World Baseball Classic: Puerto Rico vs. United States, 7 p.m. (MLB Network)
MLB preseason: Twins at Red Sox, 7 p.m. (NESN; WEEI-FM)
MLB preseason: Pirates at Astros, 1 p.m. (MLB Network)
MLB preseason: Cubs at White Sox, 3 p.m. (WGN)
MLB preseason: Rangers at Giants, 4 p.m. (MLB Network)

AROUND THE WEB:

♦ Charlotte trailed Richmond, 63-60, with 4.7 seconds left in Thursday’s Atlantic-10 tournament opener at Brooklyn’s Barclay’s Center. Two seconds later, Charlotte’s three-point deficit turned into a five-point lead en route to a win in one of the strangest finishes ever.

The 49ers attempted 11 free throws — on two fouls and three technicals — to pull out a 68-63 victory. It started when Richmond elected to foul instead of allowing a 3-point attempt that could tie the game. While players were boxing out on the first free throw, Richmond’s Derrick Williams was called for a technical foul for being too aggressive. Pierria Henry made all four free throws to give Charlotte a one-point lead, and the 49ers retained possession of the ball due to the technical.

On the inbounds pass, Henry was fouled at midcourt with 2.8 seconds left, and he threw the ball at the basket, earning three free throws. That set off Richmond coach Chris Mooney, who was given two technical fouls and ejected.

“I felt like I was up there for 30 minutes,” said Henry, who hit eight of the 11 free throws he was given in the final 4.7 seconds, allowing the ninth-seeded 49ers to advance to Friday’s quarterfinals against top-seeded Saint Louis.

Said Mooney: “I was upset and probably too upset. So, again, I apologize. I wish it wouldn’t have happened like that. I can’t take it back right now, but I certainly wish I could, and I wish the whole last 4½ seconds would have been a little bit different.”

In a later A-10 game, Saint Joseph’s was trailing by a point after Xavier’s Langston Galloway hit two free throws with 1.4 seconds left. On the ensuing inbounds pass, Justin Martin threw the ball over everyone’s heads and off the opposite backboard. It bounced right to teammate Isaiah Philmore, but his lay-in bounced off the rim and out as time expired.

• Dahntay Jones might not agree, but the NBA backed Kobe Bryant‘s assessment that the Lakers star was fouled on the play in which he sprained his left ankle. Bryant was attempting a game-tying jumper against the Hawks on Wednesday night when he landed on Jones’ foot and fell to the ground as the shot missed.

“After review at the league office, video replay confirmed that referees missed a foul call on Jones as he challenged Bryant’s shot and did not give him the opportunity to land cleanly back on the floor,” said a statement on the NBA’s website. “Bryant should have been granted two free throws.”

Bryant, who made his opinion clear in a series of tweets Wednesday night and early Thursday, indicated he was ready to move on later Thursday, tweeting: I’ve cried foul play enough Big boy pants time for me. #tweetvent what else is this thing for? Political correctness? Ha. #saywatufeel

Bryant, listed as being out “indefinitely,” had treatment all day Thursday and tweeted that the ankle was “still very swollen.” The Lakers play the Pacers in Indianapolis on Friday night.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA (answer below): On March 15, 1928, which player became the first Bruins goalie to win 20 games in a season, with a 3-1 victory over the Blackhawks in Chicago?

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Welcome to Thursday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

THURSDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
NHL: Panthers at Bruins, 7 p.m. (NESN)
NHL: Captals at Hurricanes, 7 p.m. (NHL Network)
NBA: Mavericks at Spurs, 8 p.m. (TNT)
NBA: Knicks at Trail Blazers, 10:30 p.m. (TNT)
College basketball: ACC tournament, Boston College vs. Georgia Tech, noon (ESPNU, MyTV; WEEI-AM)
College basketball: A-10 tournament, UMass vs. George Washington, 9 p.m. (NBCSN)
College basketball: A-10 tournament, Charlotte vs. Richmond, noon (NBCSN)
College basketball: Big East tournament, Cincinnati vs. Georgetown, noon (ESPN)
College basketball: Big Ten tournament, Minnesota vs. Illinois, noon (Big Ten Network)
College basketball: Big 12 tournament, Iowa State vs. Oklahoma, 12:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
College basketball: C-USA tournament, UAB vs. Southern Mississippi, 1 p.m. (CBSSN)
College basketball: ACC tournament, Virginia Tech vs. NC State, 2 p.m. (ESPNU)
College basketball: Big East tournament, Syracuse vs. Pittsburgh, 2 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: A-10 tournament, Dayton vs. Butler, 2:30 p.m. (NBCSN)
College basketball: Big Ten tournament, Penn State vs. Michigan, 2:30 p.m. (Big Ten Network)
College basketball: Big 12 tournament, Texas Tech vs. Kansas, 3 p.m. (ESPN2)
College basketball: C-USA tournament, Houston vs. UTEP, 3:30 p.m. (CBSSN)
College basketball: A-10 tournament, Saint Joseph’s vs. Xavier, 6:30 p.m. (NBCSN)
College basketball: Big Ten tournament, Nebraska vs. Purdue, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
College basketball: ACC tournament, Wake Forest vs. Maryland, 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
College basketball: Big East tournament, Villanova vs. Louisville, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: C-USA tournament, Tulane vs. Memphis, 7 p.m. (CBSSN)
College basketball: ACC tournament, Clemson vs. Florida State, 9 p.m. (ESPNU)
College basketball: Big Ten tournament, Northwestern vs. Iowa, 9 p.m. (ESPN2)
College basketball: C-USA tournament, Tulsa vs. East Carolina, 9:30 p.m. (CBSSN)
College basketball: Pac-12 tournament, Washington vs. Oregon, 11:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
MLB preseason: Braves at Cardinals, 1 p.m. (MLB Network)
MLB preseason: White Sox at Angels, 4 p.m. (MLB Network)
World Baseball Classic: Dominican Republic vs. United States, 7 p.m. (MLB Network)

AROUND THE WEB:

♦ Lakers star Kobe Bryant suffered a severely sprained left ankle during Wednesday night’s 96-92 loss to the Hawks, and he’s not happy about how it happened. Bryant was shooting a potential game-tying shot (he missed) when he came down on the foot of defender Dahntay Jones and fell to the court.

Although X-rays were negative, Bryant said it’s the worst sprain he’s had in his 16-year career, and he criticized Jones for sliding his foot underneath him.

“First and foremost, the officials really need to protect shooters,” said Bryant, who is out indefinitely. “You just can’t go into shooters. That’s a dangerous play.”

Added Bryant: “I can’t get my mind past the fact that I have to wait a year to get revenge. It’s just a very, very dangerous play, especially when I’m fading away.”

Responded Jones, via Twitter: Tape doesn’t lie. Ankle was turned on the floor after the leg kick out that knocked him off balance. I would never try to hurt the man.

♦ The Knicks visit the Trail Blazers on Thursday night, which means Knicks guard Raymond Felton returns to the city he called home a year ago. Felton admitted he was out of shape last season and he was not a fan favorite in Portland, but he said, “I really don’t care” about the reception he’ll receive from the fans.

There are some people in Portland, however, Felton does not want to see, and he warned that their paths should not cross.

“I’m not going to put it on the fans,” he said. “Some of the fans there were great. I made a lot of good friends there. I met a lot of good, real Portland Trail Blazers fans there. I’m not going to talk junk about the fans there. Certain people there I don’t want to see and better not come near me.”

Asked specifically who he was referring to, Felton said: “Just whoever, I’m not going to say who.”

♦ Chris Wright became the first NBA player known to have multiple sclerosis when he signed a 10-day contract to join the Mavericks after an All-Star season in the D-League. Wright, a former Georgetown star who went undrafted in 2011, was diagnosed with MS while playing in Turkey last season, after his foot gave out while he was running sprints at the end of a March practice and he had more issues that night. He was told by Turkish doctors that his basketball career was over.

“The doctors told me that, but I didn’t think so,” said the 23-year-old. “I knew it’d be a process, and when I got back, it’d be a good story.”

Said Mavs coach Rick Carlisle: “It shows determination and an element of resourcefulness, which I think is a very important quality on any NBA team, to have as many resourceful guys as you can. I know he’s very pleased to have this opportunity. And it’s going to give inspiration to others that may have similar conditions.”

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA (answer below): On March 14, 1944, which Bruin recorded two assists in a 6-4 victory over the visiting Blackhawks and set an NHL single-season scoring record with 75 points?

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Welcome to Monday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

MONDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
NBA: Celtics at Jazz, 9 p.m. (CSNNE; WEEI-FM)
College basketball: Syracuse at Marquette, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: Texas Tech at Kansas State, 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
College basketball: Villanova at Seton Hall, 9 p.m. (ESPNU)
College basketball: Kansas at Iowa State, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
NHL: Stars at Predators, 8 p.m. (NBCSN)
MLB preseason: Tigers at Phillies, 1 p.m. (MLB Network)
MLB preseason: Nationals at Mets, 6:10 p.m. (MLB Network)

AROUND THE WEB:

Kobe Bryant splits the Dallas defense during the Lakers' victory Sunday. (AP)

♦ Mavericks owner Mark Cuban suggested Friday during a radio interview that the Lakers might consider releasing Kobe Bryant on the amnesty provision because of the harsh penalties the team would face for being over the salary cap. Cuban later insisted he was speaking hypothetically, but the damage was done.

First, the Lakers called the remark inappropriate, although they implied they have no plans to file a formal complaint. Then, Bryant went out and recorded 38 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists in Sunday’s 103-99 victory over the Mavs in Dallas, hitting all five of his shots in the fourth quarter.

Tweeted Bryant after the game: Amnesty THAT.

Responded Cuban: Nice to know there is a least one team and their players, outside of the Mavs, that listen to everything I say. … But I do have to give props to @kobebryant for a great tweet. #Welldone.

♦ It was revealed over the weekend that Oscar Pistorius is not the only member of his family facing charges for the death of a woman. Older brother Carl Pistorius faces a charge of unlawful, negligent killing for the death of a female motorcyclist in a traffic accident near Johannesburg in 2008. The charge of “culpable homicide” was dropped and then reinstated, the family’s lawyer said Sunday.

Lawyer Kenneth Oldwage said that Carl “deeply regrets the accident” and noted that a blood a test showed Carl was not drunk at the time.

Oscar Pistorius, who was released on bail Friday, must report to the police station Monday and sign in as part of his bail conditions.

♦ The jersey Mike Eruzione wore in Team USA’s “Miracle on Ice” victory over the Soviet Union at the 1980 Winter Olympics was sold for $657,250 at an auction Saturday, while the stick he used to score the winning goal in that game went for $262,900. Combined with the sale of some other Olympic memorabilia, the total haul was more $1.3 million, which Eruzione said he will use to establish a “nest egg” for his children and grandson and benefit his Winthrop-based charity.

Eruzione was at the auction in New York and congratulate winners who were in attendance. The 58-year-old Boston University product, who works as BU’s director of special outreach, has insisted that he’s not struggling financially. He also said there’s one piece of Olympic memorabilia he won’t part with: “As long as I’m alive, the gold medal won’t be sold,” he said.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA (answer below): On Feb. 25, 1998, which onetime Celtics coach passed Red Auerbach to become the second-winningest coach in NBA history with 939 career wins?

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Welcome to Friday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

FRIDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
NBA: Celtics at Suns, 9 p.m. (CSNNE; WEEI-FM)
NBA: Timberwolves at Thunder, 8 p.m. (ESPN)
NBA: Spurs at Warriors, 10:30 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: Saint Louis at Butler, 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
College basketball: North Dakota State at Akron, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
College basketball: Stephen F. Austin at Long Beach State, 9 p.m. (ESPNU)
NHL: Sharks at Blackhawks, 8:30 p.m. (NHL Network)
College hockey: New Hampshire at Vermont, 7 p.m. (NESN)
College hockey: Yale at Quinnipiac, 7:30 p.m. (NBCSN)
College hockey: North Dakota at Denver, 10 p.m. (NBCSN), 10 p.m.

AROUND THE WEB:

It's been a frustrating season in LA, but Kobe Bryant promises the Lakers will turn it around. (AP)

♦ Kobe Bryant is confident the sub-.500 Lakers will put things together — so sure, in fact, that he’s guaranteeing his team will qualify for the postseason.

“It’s not a question of if we make the playoffs. We will,” Bryant told Sports Illustrated. “And when we get there, I have no fear of anyone — Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Denver … whoever. I have zero nervousness about that.”

The Lakers, coming off Wednesday’s rout of the Celtics, have won six of their last nine games to improve to 26-29. They are 3 1/2 games behind the Rockets for the final Western Conference playoff spot.

“We will make the playoffs,” he said. “And we will compete. And part of the reason I have that confidence is the Miami game (a 107-97 loss on Feb. 10). We had control of the game. That was no fluke. We were playing very, very well. We were reading the defense, making the extra pass.

“OK, they have two great players [LeBron James and Dwyane Wade] who scored eight straight buckets and took control of the game. But we were right there. We can do it.”

♦ The lead police investigator in the Oscar Pistorius case was replaced Thursday, after reports emerged that he was facing seven counts of attempted murder.

Hilton Botha and two other police officers were involved in a 2011 incident in which they allegedly fired shots at a minibus they were trying to stop. The charges against Botha had been dropped, but after more evidence was gathered they were reinstated on Feb. 4.

Pistorius’ lawyers have criticized the police investigation and insisted Pistorius shot and killed his girlfriend after mistaking her for an intruder.

The defense and prosecution completed their arguments Friday in the bail hearing, and the magistrate soon will decide if Pistorius will be freed or held in jail pending his trial.

♦ Alex Rodriguez, rehabbing his hip in New York while his teammates are at spring training in Tampa, Fla., issued a statement Thursday indicating his desire to rejoin the team. He did not comment on the accusations that he was involved with a South Florida man who is being investigated for distributing performance-enhancing drugs.

“Right now I’m dedicating 100 percent of my energy and focus on my rehabilitation,” A-Rod said. “I am conducting two rehab sessions each and every day in an effort to get back on the field and rejoin my Yankees teammates. I think we have a great team and I want to be a part of it.”

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA (answer below): On Feb. 22, 1934, which Bruins defenseman played his final game and then became the first NHL player to have his number retired?

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Welcome to Wednesday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

WEDNESDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
NBA: Celtics at Lakers, 10:30 p.m. (CSNNE, ESPN; WEEI-FM)
NBA: Hornets at Cavaliers, 8 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: James Madison at Northeastern, 7 p.m. (CSNNE)
College basketball: UMass at St. Bonaventure, 7 p.m. (NESN)
College basketball: Providence at Syracuse, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
College basketball: Minnesota at Ohio State, 7 p.m. (Big Ten Network)
College basketball: Oklahoma at Texas Tech, 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
College basketball: Iowa State at Baylor, 9 p.m. (ESPNU)
College basketball: Kansas at Oklahoma State, 9 p.m. (ESPN2)
College basketball: Wisconsin at Northwestern, 9 p.m. (Big Ten Network)
College basketball: Colorado State at UNLV, 10:15 p.m. (CBSSN)
College basketball: Santa Clara at Gonzaga, 11 p.m. (ESPNU)
College basketball: Washington at Arizona, 11 p.m. (ESPN2)
NHL: Flyers at Penguins, 7:30 p.m. (NBCSN)
NHL: Blues at Avalanche, 10 p.m. (NBCSN)

AROUND THE WEB:

♦ The Blackhawks dislike the Canucks even more than the Bruins do, and this elbow to the back of Marian Hossa‘s head by Jannik Hansen in Tuesday’s game won’t help the situation. Chicago went on to a 4-3 shootout win, extending its season-opening undefeated streak to an NHL record-tying 16 games, but much of the talk afterward was about Hossa, who scored two goals but did not return after the hit.

Hossa was knocked out of last season’s Stanley Cup playoffs on a concussion-causing hit by Coyotes forward (and former Canuck) Raffi Torres and was not cleared to return until November (Torres was suspended 25 games).

Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault said he expects no discipline for Hansen.

“It wasn’t even a penalty,” Vigneault said. “Both referees looked at the play, and until [Hawks captain Jonathan] Toews went out to talk to them it wasn’t even a penalty. … He’s trying to grab a puck in the air. It’s unfortunate if a young man is hurt. He’s trying to jump to get the puck. Stuff happens.”

Said Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville: “I think everybody saw it, everybody can have their own opinion. I’ll let the people that do that stuff do their job.”

♦ Amid reports that the relationship between Lakers teammates Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard is at an all-time low, Phil Jackson weighed in on the team’s struggles and said Howard is not being used properly.

“They just don’t put the ball in the post,” the former Lakers coach told Sports Illustrated. “They’ll use a screen-roll to get the guy in the post. But there’s no consistent plan to do it. Yes, Kobe will go in there. But Dwight just doesn’t get any touches. They’ve basically eliminated his assets.”

Jackson reiterated that he’s done coaching, although he made it clear that he’s interested in running the basketball operations for a team.

“I do hold out the idea that there’s still influence in the game I could have,” he said. “Red Auerbach, Pete Newell, Wayne Embry, guys like that have had … a number of people have had considerable influence and haven’t been coaches per se.”

♦ The Jets made official what had been speculated for weeks, parting ways with some key players in a cost-cutting move. Tuesday’s cuts included linebackers Bart Scott and Calvin Pace, safety Eric Smith, offensive tackle Jason Smith and tight end/fullback Josh Baker. The purge clears about $31 million from the books and gets the Jets under the projected 2013 salary cap.

“Every one of these players was a major contributor to our football team,” coach Rex Ryan said in a team statement. “They have the work ethic and attitude that you look for in players and they will always be New York Jets. It was an honor to coach each of these men. They are tremendous people, as well as outstanding football players.”

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Feb. 20, 1997, which Bruin extended his point-scoring streak to 20 games with an assist in a 5-3 loss to the Blackhawks in Chicago?

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Welcome to Tuesday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

TUESDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
NHL: Rangers at Bruins, 7:30 p.m. (NESN, NBCSN)
NBA: Trail Blazers at Heat, 7:30 p.m. (NBATV)
NBA: Rockets at Warriors, 10:30 p.m. (NBATV)
College basketball: Kentucky at Florida, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: Seton Hall at Rutgers, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: Virginia Tech at Virginia, 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
College basketball: Michigan at Michigan State, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: Alabama at Georgia, 9 p.m. (ESPNU)

AROUND THE WEB:

Joe Paterno's wife, Sue, continues to insist her late husband was unaware of Jerry Sandusky's sexual abuse. (AP)

♦ While the family of Joe Paterno continues its crusade to clear the Penn State legend of any wrongdoing in the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse scandal, the school is closing in on settlements with most of the victims of the former assistant coach.

Attorney Ken Feinberg, who was hired by the school, told The Associated Press that he delivered settlement offers from 28 alleged victims (18 more than the number brought up in Sandusky’s trial) to school administrators, lawyers and members of the board of trustees during Friday meeting in Philadelphia.

“The next step is Penn State — we’ll see how Penn State responds in the next few weeks,” Feinberg said.

Meanwhile, on Monday a member of the board of trustees called on the board to re-examine the findings of Louis Freeh‘s investigation, saying a new report from a team hired by Paterno’s family raised “serious and troubling” questions about the Freeh report. The school declined comment on the request from board member Alvin Clemens.

Pateron’s wife, Sue, and others, including former Penn State player Greg Buttle appeared on Katie Couric‘s show on Monday and defended Paterno, who died last January.

“Joe Paterno didn’t conspire to do anything,” Buttle said. “The conspiracy to me was perpetrated by a cabal of trustees and others that felt they needed a convenient way out to relieve Penn State of what had happened.”

♦ Kobe Bryant, who last year was fined $100,000 for using a homophobic slur toward an official during a game, apparently has learned his lesson. When one of his 1.3 million Twitter followers tweeted “You’re gay” as an insult to another follower Sunday, Bryant stepped in.

Tweeted the Lakers star:

Just letting you know@PacSmoove @pookeo9 that using “your gay” as a way to put someone down ain’t ok! #notcool delete that out ur vocab.

Bryant acknowledged that last year’s incident was on his mind after another follower brought it up. Tweeted Bryant:

exactly! That wasn’t cool and was ignorant on my part. I own it and learn from it and expect the same from others.

♦ Inspired by the surprise resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, USA Today has a list of the top 10 athletes who tied to cling to their careers for too long.

No. 1 is Muhammad Ali, followed by Brett Favre. Former Red Sox players Rickey Henderson and Roger Clemens are third and fourth, respectively. They’re followed by Evander Holyfield, Michael Jordan, Jerry Rice, Patrick Ewing, Gordie Howe and Deion Sanders.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA (answer below): On Feb. 12, 1981, which Bruin recorded his 200th career goal when he scored twice in a 3-3 tie vs. the Colorado Rockies?

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Welcome to Tuesday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

TUESDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
NBA: Celtics at Cavaliers, 7 p.m. (CSNNE; WEEI-FM)
College basketball: Boston College at Maryland, 9 p.m. (ESPNU; WEEI-AM)
College basketball: Pittsburgh at Providence, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
College basketball: Iowa at Ohio State, 6:30 p.m. (Big Ten Network)
College basketball: Michigan State at Wisconsin, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: South Carolina at Missouri, 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
College basketball: Illinois at Nebraska, 8:30 p.m. (Big Ten Network)
College basketball: Kentucky at Alabama, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
NHL: Flyers at Devils, 7:30 p.m. (NBCSN)

AROUND THE WEB:

Kobe Bryant

♦ The Lakers are 17-24 and alone in 12th place in the Western Conference after Monday’s 95-83 loss to the Bulls in Chicago, their sixth straight road loss. It’s not sitting well with Kobe Bryant.

“Very, very tough, very, very frustrating, trying to keep my cool,” Bryant said. “It is embarrassing. It is not even embarrassing. I am a big history guy. Playing here in this arena with these incredible fans, you’re in the house of MJ [Michael Jordan], [Scottie] Pippen, PJ [Phil Jackson] built, to put this kind of brand of basketball on the floor is just not acceptable.”

Bryant indicated coach Mike D’Antoni‘s uptempo style might need some adjustments.

“We’re going to have to look at some things,” he said. “We’re going to have to change something. Probably going to have to post the ball a lot more, slow the game down a lot more. That’s just my intuition, but that’s my gut right now. I have to take a look at the film again, but we’re definitely going to have to change something.”

Dwight Howard took only five shots, hitting two.

“It’s frustrating,” Howard said. “I can’t do what I do best with five shots.”

Pau Gasol was removed from the starting lineup in favor of Earl Clark, who had 12 points and eight rebounds.

“I’m not excited about it,” said Gasol, who finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds. “But right now I’m more worried about us as a team and us struggling, so it would be selfish of me talking how I feel about [this] in particular.”

♦ Nets forward Kris Humphries was the target of verbal abuse by Knicks fans on his way to the court prior to Monday’s game at Madison Square Garden, but the fans were silent after Brooklyn walked off with an 88-85 victory.

“They were harassing me when I was going in and out of the tunnel,” Humphries said. “But after, I asked them, ‘Why’s everyone so quiet?’ ”

Added Humphries: “They were saying everything, everything under the sun.”

Humphries followed that with a tweet: the Garden got really quiet on the way out.

Knicks guard J.R. Smith, who missed a potential game-tying basket at the buzzer, decided to respond and get in a dig at Humphries about his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian, who now is pregnant with singer Kanye West.

Tweeted Smith: Wasnt quiet when Kanye tore it down last month.

♦ The Sacramento Kings appear headed to Seattle to become the new SuperSonics, as the NBA confirmed Monday that the Maloof brothers agreed to sell the team to a Seattle group led by investor Chris Hansen.

The Hansen group is expected to pay a little more than $340 million for 65 percent of the franchise, which is valued at $525 million. The deal needs approval from the NBA Board of Governors.

“While we are not at liberty to discuss the terms of the transaction or our plans for the franchise given the confidential nature of the agreement and NBA regulations regarding public comments during a pending transaction, we would just like to extend our sincerest compliments and gratitude toward the Maloof family,” Hansen said in a statement. “Our negotiations with the family were handled with the utmost honor and professionalism and we hope to continue their legacy and be great stewards of this NBA franchise in the coming years and decades.”

Heat star LeBron James had an interesting take on the announcement. Tweeted the reigning NBA MVP:

So the Kings getting sold for 525M!! And the owners ain’t making no money huh? What the hell we have a [lockout] for. Get the hell out of here.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA (answer below): On Jan. 22, 2012, in the AFC championship game, the Patriots edged the Ravens, 23-20, after Billy Cundiff‘s 32-yard field goal attempt sailed wide left with seconds remaining. Which Patriot scored the game-winning touchdown early in the fourth quarter?

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Welcome to Tuesday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

TUESDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
NBA: Lakers at Rockets, 8 p.m. (NBA TV)
College basketball: Northeastern at Drexel, 7 p.m. (CSNNE)
College basketball: Baylor at Texas Tech, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
College basketball: Clemson at Duke, 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
College basketball: Alabama at Missouri, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: Ohio State at Purdue, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: Pittsburgh at Georgetown, 9 p.m. (ESPNU)
College hockey: Notre Dame at Minnesota (NESN)

AROUND THE WEB:

On his new Twitter account, Kobe Bryant sent out this photo of him pretending to fight teammate Dwight Howard.

♦ On the same day it was revealed that Dwight Howard has a torn labrum and will join Pau Gasol (concussion) on the sideline for at least a week, Lakers star Kobe Bryant tried to downplay rumors of discontent on the team.

Responding to a report that he and Howard did not get along and almost got into a fistfight, Bryant on Monday tweeted a picture of the two pretending to square off in the trainer’s room with coach Mike D’Antoni smiling between them.

“Obviously, there are fake stories coming out, somebody has something against our team,” Howard said. “Me and Kobe don’t have a problem with each other. We’re not beefing. So for somebody to come out with a random story and say me and him got into a fight? It’s ridiculous.”

Said Bryant: “It’s not true. We all try to be professional about what we do. I guess some [journalists] skate around that a little bit.”

The Lakers are 15-18 and in 11th place in the Western Conference.

♦ The Jets made a move to their coaching staff Monday, parting ways with quarterbacks coach Matt Cavanaugh. A former Patriots backup QB (1978-82), Cavanaugh spent four seasons on the Jets staff, and his contract expires in a few weeks.

There has been speculation that offensive coordinator Tony Sparano also will not be retained, following his one season with the team. He has two years remaining on his contract.

Coach Rex Ryan and owner Woody Johnson are scheduled to meet with the media Tuesday for their overdue season-ending press conference.

♦ ESPN “First Take” panelist Rob Parker, who is serving a 30-day suspension for his racially charged comments about Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III, appeared on a Detroit TV show and insisted that his comments were taken out of context.

“It was just a conversation that’s had in the black community when athletes, or famous entertainers or whatever, push away from their people,” said Parker, who previously apologized on Twitter. “And that’s really what it’s about. You saw it with O.J. Simpson, and some other people, where they say, ‘Well, I’m not black. I’m O.J.’ So it’s more about that, not about RGIII and what’s going on. It’s more about this thing that we’ve battled for years and why people have pushed away from their people. It’s more about that.”

Added Parker: “The whole thing is, and I want to make this clear, I wasn’t saying that he wasn’t black enough. And so, when people say that, it’s just not true. I was saying these are the conversations that take place once a guy pushes away. It was never aimed at him, or I was calling him that. I’m saying, these are the conversations that take place.”

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Jan. 8, 1944, which Bruins forward was leading the NHL with 53 points in just 26 games when he injured his shoulder during a 12-3 loss to the Maple Leafs, causing him to miss all but 10 games the rest of the season — and finish with 71 points, two points short of the league’s single-season record?

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