In Brief

pro basketball

Lakers' Jackson bristles at NBA ownership of Charlotte team

Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson said Wednesday he is "not happy" about the NBA's ownership of the Hornets and is pessimistic about the club's future in New Orleans.

Speaking before the tip-off of the Lakers' win over the Hornets on Wednesday in New Orleans, Jackson said the league's takeover of the Hornets raises questions about who has the final say if a player such as Chris Paul were to demand a trade.

"Who's going to pull the button on it?" Jackson said. "When Chris says he has to be traded, how's that going to go? ... Someone's going to have to make a very nonjudgmental decision that's not going to irritate anyone else in the league."

The NBA bought the Hornets this month from club founder and former majority owner George Shinn and minority partner Gary Chouest after Chouest backed away from negotiations to buy Shinn's majority shares.

Also: Kevin Love is making a name for himself in the NBA with his breakout season for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

It turns out he has been on the Denver Nuggets' radar for quite some time.

Nuggets coach George Karl said the team asked Minnesota about trading for Love this summer.

"I know there were inquiries," Karl said before the Nuggets played the Timberwolves. "In some of the meetings, we talked and his name was out there. It never got close, I know that."

Cleveland scoring leader Mo Williams missed the Cavaliers' loss to Charlotte because of a hip flexor injury.

HOCKEY

Islanders, goalie DiPietro snap Crosby's scoring streak at 25

Sidney Crosby's 25-game points streak was snapped by the New York Islanders and goalie Rick DiPietro, who stopped the Pittsburgh captain and the rest of the Penguins' high-powered offense in a 2-1 shootout victory in Uniondale, N.Y.

Crosby had at least a point in every game since Nov. 3 at Dallas. The run, in which Crosby had 26 goals and 24 assists, was the longest in the NHL since Quebec's Mats Sundin had a 30-game streak during the 1992-93 season.

Crosby also had scored a goal in five consecutive games before being shut down by the Islanders, the team he has victimized the most with 62 points in 33 career games.

Crosby was denied on Pittsburgh's second shootout attempt when DiPietro blocked a shot with his pad.

Also: Slovakian defensemen Martin Marincin and Peter Hrasko have been issued multigame suspensions for hits to the head during a 6-1 loss to the United States at the World Junior Hockey Championships in Buffalo, N.Y.

Marincin was suspended four games for a vicious elbow that left Las Vegan Jason Zucker woozy in the third period Tuesday. Hrasko was suspended three games for a hit on forward Jerry D'Amigo in the first period.

The Wranglers beat the Stockton Thunder 4-2 in an ECHL game in Stockton, Calif. Jamie Bates had a goal and two assists for Las Vegas (16-7-3), which strengthened its hold on first place in the Pacific Division.

Sean McMonagle, Aaron Power and Ryan Huddy also scored for Las Vegas. It was the first game of a five-game trip for the Wranglers, who won't play at home until Jan. 14.

In news off the ice, Wranglers goaltender Michael Ouzas was named to the starting lineup for the ECHL All-Star Classic on Jan. 26 in Bakersfield, Calif.

Ouzas is third in the ECHL with a 2.24 goals-against average. He was named Goaltender of the Month for November.

The Wranglers also signed Jonathan Milhouse and Marcus Watson, two 21-year-old forwards.

miscellaneous

Guillen's son responds to Jenks, calls ex-White Sox closer a punk

One of Ozzie Guillen's sons is firing back at former White Sox closer Bobby Jenks for comments made about the Chicago manager.

Jenks, who signed a two-year deal with Boston last week, expressed disappointment to MLB.com that the White Sox decided not to re-sign him. He told the website he was "looking forward to playing for a manager who knows how to run a bullpen."

Oney Guillen called Jenks a "punk" in a series of Twitter posts.

Also: Former Las Vegas Locomotives offensive tackle Brandon Joyce has died from gunshot wounds suffered during an alleged drug deal outside a St. Louis-area Bass Pro Shop on Friday, according to several Interent websites.

Four men have been charged with the killing.

Joyce, 26, played for the Locos in their inaugural season in 2009, seeing action in all six regular-season games, as well as the United Football League championship game won by Las Vegas.

Florent Malouda scored the second-half winner as Chelsea gained a 1-0 victory over Bolton in London to end a run of six matches without a win in the Premier League.