Briefs | NBA: Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant scores 46 points in loss

NBA

Ex-Sonic makes 24 free throws: Kevin Durant collected 46 points and 15 rebounds for visiting Oklahoma City in a 107-104 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night. Rookie Eric Gordon scored 41 points for the Clippers.

Durant, the league rookie of the year when he played for the Sonics in Seattle last season, made a franchise-record 24 free throws. He shot 26 free throws.

Playing despite a sore left shoulder and wearing protective padding under his jersey, Durant recorded his ninth double-double of the season.

Bremerton's Williams returns for Hawks: Bremerton's Marvin Williams, who missed two games because of a concussion, returned to action for the Atlanta Hawks and had 11 points and nine rebounds in a 117-87 rout of visiting Milwaukee.

Hollins is likely to replace Iavaroni as coach of Grizzlies: Lionel Hollins is working on a contract with the Memphis Grizzlies to work as their coach for the third time — and the first time without an interim label.

Memphis general manager Chris Wallace confirmed he hoped to reach an agreement with the Milwaukee assistant coach by the end of the weekend to replace fired Marc Iavaroni. In the meantime, Grizzlies assistant Johnny Davis is the interim coach.

Iavaroni had a 33-90 record in 1-½ seasons.

Hollins, 55, went 18-46 as interim coach during the 1999-2000 (in Vancouver, B.C.) and 2004-05 seasons.

Sources told ESPN that Avery Johnson, former Dallas Mavericks coach and Sonics guard, rejected a five-year contract to coach Memphis.

Jazz owner's legs amputated below knees: Utah Jazz owner Larry H. Miller's legs were amputated 6 inches below the knee. The surgery was the result of complications from Type 2 diabetes. Miller is 64.

College football

Texas' Shipley to miss spring practice: Texas wide receiver Jordan Shipley will miss spring practice after having surgery on his right shoulder.

Cycling

Armstrong is in 29th place in Tour Down Under: Texan Lance Armstrong of the Astana team said his comeback remains on track despite fading from contention in the Tour Down Under in Australia after a tough fifth stage.

Quick Step rider Allan Davis of Australia won the 92-mile stage and leads by 25 seconds entering today's final stage in Adelaide. Armstrong was 23rd in the fifth stage and is 29th overall, 49 seconds behind Davis, as he nears the end of his longest race in 3 ½ years.

"I'm pretty happy," said Armstrong, a seven-time Tour de France winner.

Armstrong, 37, is to ride in the Tour of California next.

NHL

Detroit standouts don't show for media session and won't play Tuesday: Defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom and forward Pavel Datsyuk of the Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings turned down invitations to Sunday's All-Star Game, citing injuries.

Because Lidstrom (ankle) and Datsyuk (hip) didn't attend a session with media in Montreal, they will sit out when the Red Wings play Columbus on Tuesday. The players were not suspended and will be paid despite missing the game against Columbus.

Boxing

Big bout seemingly is on again: Ricky Hatton of Britain and Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines seemingly will fight, after all.

The junior welterweights are expected to meet May 2 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas in what might be the year's biggest bout — one that appeared scuttled earlier in the week when Pacquiao wouldn't accept terms already agreed to by his promoter.

Pacquiao (48-3-2) signed and faxed his bout contract to the headquarters of promoter Top Rank in Las Vegas. Richard Schaefer, the Golden Boy Promotions chief executive who represents Hatton (45-1), said he hasn't received a signed contract from Hatton.

Margarito to defend title against Mosley tonight: WBA welterweight champion Antonio Margarito of Mexico (37-5) will face Shane Mosley (45-5) of Pomona, Calif., tonight at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Figure skating

Abbott wins men's short program: Jeremy Abbott won the short program at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Cleveland with 86.40 points. Evan Lysacek, the two-time defending champion, was second with 83.59 and Johnny Weir, the reigning world bronze medalist, was in seventh place.

The free skate is Sunday. The women's title will be decided tonight.

Skiing

Austrian Kroell wins Super-G event: Klaus Kroell of Austria won a super-giant slalom in Kitzbuehel, Austria, for his first World Cup victory, and American Andrew Weibrecht finished 11th.

Albrecht is in stable condition: Daniel Albrecht, 25, of Switzerland was in stable condition at a hospital in Innsbruck, Austria, a day after being placed in an induced coma after a downhill training crash in Kitzbuehel.

Winter X Games

Burke extends streak: Canadian Sarah Burke hit all of her stunts in Aspen, Colo., to win her third consecutive Winter X skiing-superpipe title.

Angeli VanLaanen of Bellingham placed sixth.

Joe Parsons of Yakima tied for second in the final of the snowmobile next trick, won by Dane Ferguson of Anchorage, Alaska.

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