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:
NHL playoffs: Maple Leafs at Bruins, 7 p.m. (NESN, CNBC)
NHL playoffs: Rangers at Capitals, 8 p.m. (NBCSN)
NBA playoffs: Heat at Bulls, 7 p.m. (TNT)
NBA playoffs: Thunder at Grizzlies, 9:30 p.m. (TNT)
MLB: Mets at Cardinals, 7 p.m. (ESPN)

AROUND THE WEB:

LeBron James looks back before falling after being pushed by Bulls forward Nazr Mohammed during Friday night's game in Chicago. (AP)

♦ Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau was fined $35,000 by the NBA on Sunday, following his comments about the officiating after Friday night’s Game 3 loss to the Heat.

In the first half of the game, Bulls forward Nazr Mohammed was ejected after shoving LeBron James. The Bulls accused James of embellishing when he fell to the floor. Said Thibodeau: “I just saw a guy basically flop.” Thibodeau also said Chicago wasn’t “going to get calls” from the officials.

James insisted he wasn’t going to be rattled by the Bulls’ accusations.

“When you’re comfortable with who you are as a player and as a person, nothing really bothers you,” he said. “I don’t need to flop. I play an aggressive game. I don’t flop. I’ve never been one of those guys.”

Game 4 is Monday night in Chicago, where the shorthanded Bulls will attempt to even the series. Luol Deng, who is recovering after suffering complications from a spinal tap. is not expected to play, as he said he did not respond well to attempts to practice over the weekend after leaving the hospital. Kirk Hinrich and Derrick Rose are expected to remain on the sideline as well.

♦ Joba Chamberlain feuded with a Yankees teammate over the weekend — and no, it wasn’t Kevin Youkilis. Surprisingly, it was respected reliever Mariano Rivera.

Rivera was giving an interview in the dugout before Saturday night’s game in Kansas City — where, one year ago, he blew out his knee shagging fly balls and was lost for the season. Chamberlain, meanwhile, was standing next to the dugout and yelling to his family in the stands. After losing his train of thought, Rivera said to Chamberlain: “Joba! Yo! Bro! Shhh.”

Chamberlain responded that he was talking to his family, something he doesn’t do as often as Rivera speaks to the media. Later, Chamberlain warned Rivera in front of the press: “Don’t ever shush me again. … Seriously. Don’t ever shush me again. I don’t get to see my family very often.”

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said later that teammates shouldn’t disrespect each other. “When you look at situations that happen, if people could do things differently, sometimes they would do it differently,” he said.

However, Chamberlain, while admitting it was his fault, insisted it wasn’t a big deal and said: “I wouldn’t change it, I wouldn’t change anything I do in life.” He said there was no need to apologize, although he apparently did in private.

Rivera, on the other hand, apologized to reporters Sunday, saying: “These are not things that we need to bring in front of you guys or anybody. But it happened. … This is in-house and we keep it like that.”

♦ Former Lions wide receiver Titus Young, arrested twice in one day last Sunday, made it three times in a week when he was nabbed late Friday in San Clemente, Calif., for allegedly breaking into a home. Young also fought with deputies after a foot chase.

Young was charged with attempted burglary, assaulting a police office and resisting arrest.

The 23-year-old was drafted in 2011 but released in February after a decline in production and disputes with teammates.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA (answer below): On May 13, 1991, which two former Celtics — teammates in Boston in the late 1970s — were inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame?

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Mariano Rivera

According to multiple reports, Yankees closer Mariano Rivera is set to announce that he will retire after the season.

The Yankees reportedly have planned a press conference for 10 a.m. Saturday at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla.

Rivera, a 12-time All-Star, has 608 saves, 1,119 strikeouts and a 2.21 ERA in 18 seasons, all with the Yankees. The 43-year-old Panamanian missed most of last season after tearing his ACL on May 3 while shagging fly balls in the outfield before a game in Kansas City.

Rivera helped the Yankees win five World Series. He was named MVP of the 1999 World Series as he recorded two saves and a win in New York’s sweep of the Braves, allowing no runs in 4 2/3 innings.

Mariano Rivera

Yankees closer Mariano Rivera said Wednesday he has made a decision about his future, and he will announce at some point before Opening Day whether or not this will be his final season.

“I will tell you guys when I think it’s the right moment,” Rivera told the press at spring training in Tampa, Fla.

Rivera, 43, tore his ACL last spring and had surgery June 12. He threw 25 pitches off a bullpen mound Wednesday.

“It was wonderful to be out there again,” he said.

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:
NFL: Bengals at Eagles, 8:20 p.m. (NFL Network; WEEI-FM)
NBA: Lakers at Knicks, 8 p.m. (TNT)
NBA: Spurs at Trail Blazers, 10:30 p.m. (TNT)

AROUND THE WEB:

Joba Chamberlain

♦ There was speculation that former Red Sox infielder Kevin Youkilis would be hesitant to join the Yankees considering the feud he had with Joba Chamberlain. The Yankees hurler was suspended two games in his rookie season of 2007 for firing a fastball over Youkilis’ head, and in 2008 Youkilis started to charge the mound but was stopped after another near-beaning. Chamberlain hit Youkilis with a pitch last season after the infielder had moved on to the White Sox.

After Youkilis accepted New York’s one-year, $12 million offer on Monday, Chamberlain did his part to show there were no hard feelings, leaving a voice message for his new teammate Wednesday morning. It’s not clear if the two have since connected.

Chamberlain’s agent, Jim Murray, offered an assurance that Chamberlain will let bygones be bygones.

“Joba has zero ill will toward him,” Murray insisted.

In other news from the Bronx, legendary reliever Mariano Rivera said he plans to be ready for Opening Day after missing most of last season with a knee injury that required surgery in May. Speaking at the team’s annual food drive at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday, Rivera indicated he’s on schedule to be ready for the April 1 opener in New York against the Red Sox.

“I don’t see why not,” said the 43-year-old, who signed a one-year, $10 million deal (a $5 million pay cut). “We have three to four months to that point. I will be ready.”

♦ Giants running back David Wilson says he has been doing backflips since he was 3 years old, but there are members of his team that would prefer he end the tradition. The first-round pick from Virginia Tech has taken to doing the flips after touchdowns.

“I like the backflip, man, but it scares me every time he does it because you never know what can happen,” receiver Victor Cruz said. “You don’t want to see him get hurt.”

Added defensive end Justin Tuck: “I told him several times never to do that again. We’re going to have another talk about not doing it. Everyone knows how athletic he is, but the last thing we need is him having some tweak injury by showing off to the crowd. Let’s just keep him upright and running and leave the backflips for YouTube. They’re already on YouTube. If people want to see them, they can go to YouTube and see them.”

Quarterback Eli Manning took a more positive approach to the flips.

“That means he’s scoring touchdowns,” Manning said. “So, that’s fine by me.”

♦ Winthrop’s Mike Eruzione, captain of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, is selling the jersey he wore during the historic victory over Russia at Lake Placid. Heritage Auctions, which is conducting the sale Feb. 23, estimates that the white No. 21 jersey will fetch more than $1 million.

Eruzione also is selling his stick, which he used to score the winning goal against Russian backup goalie Vladimir Myshkin, and his blue jersey from the gold medal game, a victory over Finland.

Eruzione, 58, works in development and alumni relations at his alma mater, Boston University, and is a motivational speaker.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Dec. 13, 1991, during the Celtics’ 117-97 victory over the visiting SuperSonics, center Robert Parish became the fifth player in NBA history to appear in 1,200 games, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elvin Hayes and which two former Celtics?

QUOTE OF THE DAY:

STAT OF THE DAY: 52:30 – Time on the floor Wednesday night for Rajon Rondo, a career high, in a 117-115 double-overtime victory over the Mavericks

‘NET RESULTS: There were two-buzzer-beaters in the NBA on Wednesday night that toppled elite teams. First, Warriors forward Draymond Green gets free for a layup with less than a second left to knock off the Heat.

Second, Jazz guard Mo Williams beats the Spurs with a tiebreaking 3-pointer.

Referee Courtney Kirkland attempts to block Nets forward Kris Humphries‘ free throw (the whistle had blown for substitutions to enter).

Lakers star Kobe Bryant and soccer great Lionel Messi appear together in an ad for Turkish Airlines.

Zach Hodskins is a talented junior guard at Georgia’s Milton High School, and he only has one arm. He reportedly hit seven 3-pointers in one game this season and has been getting attention from college scouts.

TRIVIA ANSWER: John Havlicek and Paul Silas

SOOTHING SOUNDS: Morris Day was born on this day in 1957.

Mariano Rivera's rehab doctor wouldn't rule out a return for the 42-year-old closer in 2012. (AP)

Most have ruled out any possibility of Mariano Rivera returning to the mound this season. But according to a report in the New York Post, it’s not of out of the question for the 42-year-old pitcher to come back in 2012.

In a phone conversation with the Post, Dr. Keith Pyne didn’t definitively say Rivera wouldn’t return, but didn’t rule out the possibility of a comeback either. The future Hall-of-Famer tore his ACL while shagging fly balls before a game in Kansas City on May 3.

“Right down, he’s shut down until next year,” said Pyne, who said Rivera is “working his butt off,” is ahead of schedule and is “itching to get back.”

Added Pyne: “[Rivera] will be in the best position to accomplish that goal [pitching this year]. He’s got everything it takes to accomplish that. … If I was putting money on it, I would put my money on Mo.”

Due to a blood clot, Rivera’s surgery was delayed until June 12. Pyne said the delay enabled Rivera to do extensive pre-surgery workouts and the recovery has also gone well because as it turned out, the ACL tear was only a partial one, not a full tear.

“[Rivera] is special, in the top 10 percent of athletes I have worked with,” Pyne said. “One great advantage he has is his lifestyle is very conducive to longevity. He eats well, prepares well. He is very cognizant of how to treat his body. That has put years onto his career. He is a special athlete with a special nervous system. He has great flexibility and joint mechanics. … But the most special thing about him is his cranium. He works and is focused on the task at hand. He attacks this like a professional.”

Mariano Rivera will have surgery next Tuesday to repair his injured knee, with hopes of returning next year. (AP)

Yankees closer Mariano Rivera announced Wednesday that he will have surgery next Tuesday to repair a torn ACL and damaged meniscus.

Rivera tore his anterior cruciate ligament and injured his meniscus while shagging fly balls before a game against the Royals on May 3.

The surgery will be performed by Mets team physician Dr. David Altcheck, and the 42-year-old closer expects to be ready for the beginning of next season. This procedure was delayed once doctors discovered a blood clot in his right calf, but Rivera was told last week by doctors that the blood clot is gone.

When Rivera was asked about missing playing time, he responded positively.

“I’ve been so busy with therapy that I don’t even think about it,” Rivera said. “When I come home I’m tired, and then [I'm] watching the game.”

Though the Yankees closer was walking normally and absent of a limp, doctors have yet to give him a timetable regarding rehabilitation and when he can begin pitching again.

Rivera wasn’t as positive when asked about playing again this season.

“I can’t. I don’t want to think about it. … I just have to be able to do what I was doing before,” the closer said. “That’s what I want.”

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:
NBA playoffs: Hawks at Celtics, 8 p.m. (CSNNE, TNT; WEEI)
NBA playoffs: Bulls at 76ers, 7 p.m. (NBA TV)
NBA playoffs: Lakers at Nuggets, 10:30 p.m. (TNT)
MLB: Indians at Red Sox, 7:10 p.m. (NESN; WRKO)
MLB: Rays at Yankees, 7 p.m. (MLB Network)

AROUND THE WEB:

Injured Yankees closer Mariano Rivera discussed his future at a Yankee Stadium press conference Wednesday night. (AP)

♦ Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, who suffered a torn ACL shagging fly balls last week, also has a blood clot in his right calf and has been placed on blood-thinning medication.

“I was more concerned about the blood clot than the knee,” Rivera said at a press conference Wednesday. “For a minute I thought, ‘What else is going to happen?’ … I was scared. I never hear good things about blood clots.”

Rivera, 42, has said he wants to return to baseball after the surgery, but Wednesday he said he’ll only come back if his leg is strong enough.

“That’s what I want,” he said. “I want to do that, but I don’t know what the Lord has for me.”

Rivera said if he does return, he plans to continue shagging fly balls.

“It happened doing something I love,” he said of the injury. “After 22 years of shagging, it happened.”

Meanwhile, Rivera’s replacement had a rough outing Wednesday. David Robertson surrendered a three-run home run in the ninth inning and blew a save in a 4-1 loss to the Rays.

♦ Former NFL linebacker Bill Romanowski denied Cris Carter‘s claim that Romanowski once threatened him before a game.

“It is absolute fiction,” Romanowski said. “If he could read my mind in pregame, yeah, maybe he had it right. But I didn’t talk before games. I was in the zone.”

Carter had used Romanowski as an example of a time when the wide receiver placed a bounty on an opposing player so that his teammates would protect him.

“If he put a bounty on me, it wasn’t very good because it didn’t work,” Romanowski said. “I just think this is his way of trying to make himself relevant for what is going on now.”

♦ Oft-injured Trail Blazers center Greg Oden opened up to former Ohio State teammate Mark Titus for an article at ESPN’s Grantland website. Oden said he partied so much during his second year in Portland that he “pretty much became an alcoholic.”

He also talked about the infamous naked picture he sent to a woman. The picture ended up all over the web.

“I wish it wouldn’t have happened,” he said. “But I’m not going to apologize for it. After all, I’m human and there are worse things that 21-year-olds could do. I just caught up with women throwing themselves at me. When a girls sends me 100 pictures, I have to send something back every now and then.”

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On May 10, 1999, which Red Sox player hit three home runs — including two grand slams — and collected 10 RBI in a 12-4 rout of the Mariners at Fenway Park?

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Yankees general manager Brian Cashman‘s contract is set to expire at the end of this season, and according to the New York Post, Cashman is not talking extensions with the club during the season. Eight years ago he introduced a policy that players could not discuss contract extensions during the season, and now he is sticking to his own rule.

“If I couldn’t do it with Jorge Posada, Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter and [manager] Joe Girardi, how can I do it with myself,” Cashman said to the Post. “I can’t be a hypocrite. It will come up at the appropriate time.”

Recently, Cashman’s name was linked to the Cubs job which is expected to be open if Cubs owner Joe Ricketts fires current GM Jim Hendry, but the rumored front-runner for that job is White Sox assistant general manager Rick Hahn.

The American League named Angels rookie closer Jordan Walden to the All-Star Game Thursday, replacing Mariano Rivera, who was shelved due to right triceps soreness.

“Good change of plans,” Walden told MLB.com. “I’m not going to complain at all. I’d rather be playing baseball.”

Walden is tied with Jonathan Papelbon for fifth in the AL with 19 saves. He is three saves shy of the Angels’ single-season record for saves by a rookie. He has struck out 39 in 36 2/3 innings.

Because the players voted Rivera to his 12th All-Star Game, his replacement had to be the next-highest-ranking reliever not already selected. Walden ranked fifth among AL relievers.

Angels manager Mike Scioscia said that because the All-Star Game determines home-field advantage for the World Series, lineups are now built differently than in the past.

“Especially when you look at a young power arm in a league, and bring him into a game that will have an impact on the World Series,” Scioscia said. “Major League Baseball would defer sometimes to a veteran player because of stature. Now I just think it’s just really talent driven, to go out there and put guys in a position to help you win the game

The rivalry between New York and Boston has always been heated, and 2010 has been no different. With the Red Sox hosting the Yankees this weekend for three meaningless games, here’s a look at 10 that mattered this year.

10. April 6: Knicks 104, Celtics 101

Earl Barron, just out of the D-League, out-hustled the Celtics en route to 17 points and 18 rebounds and a disappointing loss for a Celtics squad still in the hunt for the third seed. Boston failed to get off a final shot as the Celtics lost their fourth game in five contests. After the game Kevin Garnett and Doc Rivers questioned the team’s mindset. It turns out you can just turn it on in the playoffs.

9. May 8: Yankees 14, Red Sox 3

The expected pitcher’s duel between CC Sabathia and Clay Buchholz lasted less than five innings as the Red Sox were pummeled for a second day in a row. Mark Teixeira became just the second Yankee to hit three home runs in one game against the Red Sox, joining Lou Gehrig.  The Yankees used 11 unanswered runs to beat the Sox for the fourth time in five meeting on the season.

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