Lee Jenkins: With Westbrook out, the ball is in Durant's hands

Kevin Durant would dribble up and down the street outside his grandmother's house in Capitol Heights, Md., so bound was he to be a point guard. He played the point as a freshman at National Christian Academy in Fort Washington. He ran it during pickup games. He watched And1 DVDs to study crossovers.

Phil Taylor: The erratic Jack helps Warriors even series with Spurs

OAKLAND -- Where to begin with Jarrett Jack? The Warriors' sixth man is also their lighting rod, the player who causes a wider range of emotions among their fans than anyone on the roster. They want to bear hug him and bench him, cheer him and choke him -- sometimes all in the space of a single possession. Jack is one of those players who can take a fanbase from elation to frustration and back in

Adrian Dater: Chicago Blackhawks top NHL Playoff Power Rankings

The teams that produced the two best regular-season records may top my Playoff Power Rankings, but this is the NHL, where first-round surprises are usually the rule, not the exception. Most recently, No. 8 Los Angeles upset No. 1 Vancouver last season before rolling to the Stanley Cup, and there's no shortage of historic examples.

Jim Trotter: New Chargers GM Telesco shows backbone with Te'o pick

SAN DIEGO -- Chargers owner Dean Spanos hates distractions, and though some might find this hard to believe, he does care about public perception. Like when his football people are considering a potentially controversial decision. In situations like that, Spanos has been known to tell them, in essence: OK, but just don't embarrass my family.

Don Banks: With GM seats burning, Bills and Dolphins go bold; more Snaps

NEW YORK -- Musings, observations and the occasional insight as we digest a less-than-riveting first round of the NFL Draft at Radio City Music Hall ...

Paul Forrester: The painful existence of being a Browns fan

SI.com producer Paul Forrester is a Cleveland native and Browns fan. With the news that team owner Jimmy Haslam -- whose purchase of the team brought hope for the long-suffering fanbase -- is being investigated for fraud, we asked him to describe the familiar emotions of frustration and disappointment that come with being a member of the proverbial Dawg Pound.

Sarah Kwak: Shootout skill a key factor in NHL deadline trades

When it comes to the big trades, the ones that grab headlines and warrant breaking news alerts to your phone, it doesn't take a genius to analyze the pros and cons. How a pro like Jarome Iginla would help the East-leading Pittsburgh Penguins, or how speedy winger Marian Gaborik could boost Columbus's Western Conference-worst offense. It's easy to see why the Bruins, just a point out of the Northwe

Michael Beller: Fantasy baseball Sunday Spotlight -- Texas' Moreland a sneaky play

Every week this baseball season, we at SI Fantasy will send you into the weekend by spotlighting the Sunday night game. We call it ... wait for it ... Sunday Spotlight. I know, we're about as clever as it gets.

Andy Glockner: Louisville's faith in its relentless press prevails once again

ATLANTA -- Faith is not a concept rooted in convenience. True believers stay the course, showing the full depth of their commitment when faced with the highest levels of adversity. The toughest times, the ones that challenge you to the core, are when you find out whether you are shakable in your mores.

Kuroda leaves after hit by Victorino liner

NEW YORK (AP) - The already banged-up New York Yankees lost pitcher Hiroki Kuroda after just four outs against Boston on Wednesday night when a line drive bruised the middle finger of his right hand.

Grant Wahl: U.S. blanks Costa Rica in unforgettable setting

On the night the heavens dumped snow, the U.S. men's national team may have rediscovered its mojo. In a game that will forever be known as The SnowClsico, the U.S. fought and gritted out a 1-0 win against Costa Rica in the kind of polar conditions that made playing real soccer almost impossible. And in the blink of an eye, the U.S. leaped from sixth place to second in the CONCACAF World Cup qualif

Don Banks: Front Office Power Rankings: The NFL's best decision-makers

Perhaps it has gone a tad underappreciated, but the sea change in NFL front offices the past two years has been almost staggering. Veteran personnel decision-makers like Bill Polian, Jerry Angelo, Al Davis, A.J. Smith, Marty Hurney, Scott Pioli, Mike Tannenbaum and Billy Devaney are no longer running teams, while fresh faces like Chicago's Phil Emery, Indianapolis' Ryan Grigson, St. Louis' Les Sne

Ian Thomsen: Two years later, Carmelo trade has benefited Knicks, Nuggets

I thought the Knicks gave up too much in the Carmelo Anthony trade, but only Danilo Gallinari seems to have a chance to become big star among the players Denver received. What do you think of that trade two years later? -- David Chabon, Marlboro, N.J.

Zac Ellis: Butch Jones out to spark a renaissance at Tennessee

In late December, dozens of former Tennessee football players made their way to the Neyland-Thompson Sports Complex on the UT campus in Knoxville. It was a concentration of some of the greatest Volunteers ever to wear orange, from Condredge Holloway, the first African-American quarterback to start in the SEC in the 1970s, to Carl Pickens, a former All-America receiver for the Vols in the 1990s. Th

Eric Mack: Fantasy baseball NL busts -- Posey among risky picks

Fantasy baseball 2013 draft prep central: Rankings, position primers and much more

Brian Hamilton: Reinvented Tar Heels scoring more, breathing easier

The day everything changed, very little actually changed for North Carolina.

Luke Winn: As Kelly returns, Duke reminds everyone why it's a title threat in Miami win

DURHAM, N.C. -- When assessing a team's national championship chances, it's never wise to dwell too much on its last game. Researchers with impeccable credentials have warned us that recency bias can throw our perceptions all out of whack; you get overexcited by what just happened, and you lose sight of the big picture.

Magic offers $1 million if James does dunk contest

NEW YORK (AP) - Magic Johnson is giving LeBron James a million reasons to consider the slam dunk contest.

Don Banks: Composed and honest, Te'o impresses in combine press conference

INDIANAPOLIS -- He's had way more than his 15 minutes of infamy since, as he so delicately put it, "January 16th happened,'' but Manti Te'o used his 15-minute session with the NFL media wisely Saturday afternoon at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Tom Mantzouranis: Dallas Cowboys 2013 Offseason Preview

SI.com is laying out offseason road maps for all 32 teams as they start their journey for the Lombardi Trophy -- two teams per day, from the teams that need the most work to contend in 2013 to the ones that are in pretty good shape. See them all.

Michael Beller: Washington Nationals fantasy baseball preview: A treasure trove of talent

It wasn't supposed to happen. Not last year, anyway. The Nationals entered the 2012 season with promise, but still looked a year away from seriously contending. They could hang in the playoff race given the addition of the second wild card; heck, they might even be able to snag one of those spots if everything broke right. But they were still too young, too inexperienced. They still had to chase d

Chris Burke: 2013 NFL Draft Big Board 2.0

The NFL's annual pre-draft dog-and-pony show kicked off in earnest in the days before Super Bowl XLVII, with the Senior Bowl highlighting a full slate of prospects.

Peter King: More on two Super Bowl XLVII controversies; mail

It's the first day of the rest of our lives. Thirty-one weeks and two days until opening night at M&T Bank Stadium and the world champion Ravens host the opener of the 2013 season. Time to breathe a little bit. And by the way, if you haven't seen visuals from the Ravens' parade and stadium event today, it's phenomenal. The love, the crowds ... so good to see in a great city. Did anyone go to schoo

Michael Beller: Will R.A. Dickey regress with Blue Jays?

Singling out a fantasy baseball MVP is more challenging than doing the same for fantasy football. The size of rosters and length of the season make it harder for one guy to be on the roster of a large percentage of league champions. However, you can still gather a handful of commonly valuable players for the team photo, and there's no doubt that R.A. Dickey would have been a part of that for the 2

Dave Doyle: Retired Ortiz teaching self-promotion to MMA's current fighters

IRVINE, Calif. -- Tito Ortiz remembers the mornings when he couldn't wait to jump out of bed and train. Still young and full of vigor, the former UFC light heavyweight champion would work out with Frank Shamrock, a fighter who had already been through the mixed martial arts wringer.

Michael Beller: Trout, Harper have talent to avoid sophomore slump

I learned some time ago from Rod Stewart that every picture tells a story. Don't it? Ol' Rod was still rocking in those days, and he was certainly right that every picture does tell a story. He probably didn't realize, though, that his line translates to fantasy baseball, too.

Harbaugh brothers take 49ers, Ravens to Super Bowl

Get ready for the Brother Bowl.

Falcons blow lead, fall to 49ers 28-28

ATLANTA (AP) - The Falcons blew another postseason lead, and this time Matt Ryan couldn't help Atlanta recover in a 28-24 loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC championship game Sunday.

Adrian Dater: Inside how the NHL season was saved

It says it all about the NHL's most recent lockout that when the first hands on a new deal were shaken, Gary Bettman and Donald Fehr were cloistered away from the action.

Brian Cazeneuve: Southeast Division Prevoew

Washington Capitals