Briefs | NBA: Long-range shooter J. R. Smith re-signs with Denver

NBA

Nuggets welcome back Smith: The Denver Nuggets re-signed guard J.R. Smith, a restricted free agent, to a three-year contract Friday.

Smith, 22, reportedly will have a salary of $4 million to $5 million this season. He averaged 12.3 points last season and made 40.3 percent of his three-point shots. Smith led the league in three-pointers per 48 minutes, making 5.3.

Spurs re-sign Finley: Guard Michael Finley, 35, re-signed with the San Antonio Spurs.

Finley averaged 10.1 points last season. He helped the Spurs win the 2007 championship.

Hornets acquire Brown: The New Orleans Hornets turned to a familiar face to fill an opening in the backcourt, signing swingman Devin Brown.

Brown, formerly of the Cleveland Cavaliers, played with New Orleans two seasons ago and was brought back to bolster backcourt depth. Brown, 29, averaged 7.5 points for Cleveland last season and 11.6 points for the Hornets in 2006-07.

Miles joins Celtics: The Boston Celtics signed forward Darius Miles, who missed the last two seasons because of knee injuries. Miles, 26, worked out twice for the Celtics before signing. He has a 10.6 career scoring average.

College basketball

Buffalo suspends leading scorer Robinson: Guard Andy Robinson, Buffalo's leading scorer, was suspended for three games for posting an advertisement on the Internet last spring to pay someone $40 or more to write a course paper.

Buffalo coach Reggie Witherspoon said the suspension will cover the Bulls' first three regular-season games.

Robinson has since completed the paper on his own and apologized.

Tennis

Pilot Pen finals set: Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark reached the final of the Pilot Pen tournament in New Haven, Conn., with a 7-5, 6-4 victory over Alize Cornet of France in a semifinal matchup of 18-year-olds.

Wozniacki will face top-seeded Anna Chakvetadze of Russia today. The 21-year-old Chakvetadze beat Amelie Mauresmo of France 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.

In the men's draw, American Mardy Fish upset top-seeded Fernando Verdasco of Spain 6-0, 1-6, 6-3. Fish, seeded eighth, will play sixth-seeded Marin Cilic of Croatia in the final.

Track and field

Jones is moved to San Antonio: Marion Jones, 32, has been moved from a federal prison in Fort Worth, Texas, and will serve the remainder of her sentence in San Antonio.

The disgraced Olympics superstar was sentenced to six months in prison in January for lying to federal agents about her use of performance-enhancing drugs and a check-fraud scam.

Jones was transferred to a community corrections center in San Antonio on Tuesday. The Dallas Morning News reported the transfer is part of the process toward the Sept. 5 scheduled release of Jones. She entered prison in March.

Boxing

Title bout in Berlin: Vitali Klitschko's long-awaited comeback against WBC heavyweight champion Samuel Peter will take place in Berlin on Oct. 11.

Soccer

UEFA punishes Honved for fans' racist banner: European soccer's governing body ordered Hungary's Honved to play its next home match in a UEFA competition in an empty stadium because of racist behavior by its fans.

Honved fans displayed a banner with a racist slogan at the Bozsik Stadium in Budapest during a 2-1 loss to Sturm Graz of Austria on July 26

Transfer of Edu is finalized: United States midfielder Maurice Edu, 22, completed his move to Scotland's Glasgow Rangers after being granted a British work permit. Major League Soccer's Toronto FC agreed last week to sell Edu for $5 million. He signed a five-year contract with Rangers.

Prep-school coach resigns: Josh Muscadin, a coach at North Yarmouth Academy in Maine, resigned after a Portland Press Herald newspaper report disproved his claim he played on the U.S. Olympic team in 1984. His claim had been published in at least three newspapers.

Horse racing

Ginger Punch prevails: Ginger Punch ($3.30 to win) beat Lemon Drop Mom by a nose to take the Grade I Personal Ensign at Saratoga in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

Ginger Punch, a 5-year-old mare trained by Bobby Frankel and ridden by Rafael Bejarano, ran 1-¼ miles in 2 minutes, 3-1/5 seconds in the $400,000 race.

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