Off the wire

— FOOTBALL Mathieu off to NFL

Cornerback Tyrann Mathieu will enter the 2013 NFL Draft. Mathieu won the 2011 Chuck Bednarik Award as the best defensive player in college football and was a Heisman Trophy finalist. Mathieu, 20, in August was dismissed from the LSU football program three weeks before the start of his junior season by Coach Les Miles for violating team rules. Mathieu’s father told Baton Rouge media that Mathieu was in a drug-rehabilitation center, and the SEC’s 2011 Defensive Player of the Year was arrested in October for marijuana possession. LSU spokesman Michael Bonnette confirmed in an e-mail that Mathieu will enter the draft. Mathieu had two interceptions as a sophomore and recovered five fumbles, two of which he returned for touchdowns. He also returned two punts for touchdowns.

Southern California assistant head coach Monte Kiffin will resign from his son’s coaching staff after a miserable season for the Trojans’ defense. Monte Kiffin, 72, announced in a news release Thursday night that he will leave USC after the Trojans’ bowl game next month to pursue a return to the NFL. After 13 years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Monte Kiffin teamed up with his son at the University of Tennessee during the 2009 season, and then went along when Lane Kiffin abruptly left the Volunteers to return to USC three years ago.

BASKETBALL Rondo suspended

Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo was suspended for the third time this calendar year Thursday when the NBA told him to sit out two games without pay for startinga skirmish that sent players sprawling into the courtside seats. Rondo will miss tonight’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers and Sunday’s against the Bucks in Milwaukee. He will also give up $200,000 in pay. Celtics center Kevin Garnett was fined $25,000 for his role in the scuffle, and Brooklyn Nets forward Gerald Wallace was fined $35,000. Rondo was thrown out of Wednesday night’s 95-83 loss to the Nets in the second quarter when he shoved Nets forward Kris Humphries off the parquet to retaliate for a hard foul on Garnett. A shoving match ensued; Rondo, Humphries and Wallace were all ejected.

Brook Lopez will miss the nexttwo games for the Brooklyn Nets because of a mild sprain of his right foot, and the Nets said he will be considered day to day after that. Lopez was hurt driving to the basket Wedesday night in the third quarter in a victory at Boston. He came up limping but stayed in the game for the next few minutes before coming out. He briefly returned to the game later but felt pain afterward. Lopez is averaging a team-high 18.5 points and 6.8 rebounds.

BASEBALL Source: Rivera, Yankees agree

Mariano Rivera and the NewYork Yankees agreed Thursday to a $10 million, one-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal had not yet been announced. The person said the deal includes additional bonus opportunities. After missing most of the season because of a knee injury, Rivera accepted a cut in guaranteed money from his $30 million, twoyear deal that had covered the last two years. Rivera, who turned 43 on Thursday, was limited to nine games this year after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee while tracking down a fly ball during batting practice in Kansas City, Mo., on May 3. He is baseball’s career leader with 608 saves.

A person with knowledge of the deal says the Pittsburgh Pirates have agreed to a $17 million, two-year contract with three-time All-Star catcher Russell Martin. The deal is pending a physical. The 29-yearold Martin hit .211 with 21 home runs and 53 RBI in 133 games last year for the New York Yankees. His batting average has declined in each of the past five seasons after he hit .293 and made his first All-Star Game while playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2007.

HOCKEY Mediators fail to help

The NHL, the players’ association and even federal mediators agree on one thing: the bickering sides are nowhere near a deal that would put hockey back on the ice. The league and the union wrapped up two days of talks Thursday in New Jersey, with help from mediators, but moved no closer to a solution to save the hockey season that has already been delayed and shortened.

BASKETBALL Fisher signs deal with Mavericks

DALLAS - Veteran point guard Derek Fisher signed a contract Thursday with the struggling Dallas Mavericks, who are still playing without injured star Dirk Nowitzki and lost Jason Kidd in free agency during the offseason.

The 38-year-old Fisher (Little Rock Parkview, UALR), who has played 16 NBA seasons with four teams, could make his Dallas debut in Saturday night’s home game against Detroit.

The Mavericks (7-9) have lost three games in a row and eight of 11, including a 101-78 loss Wednesday at Chicago that point guard Darren Collison missed with a sprained right middle finger. Collison was acquired from Indiana this summer.

To make room for Fisher on their 15-man roster, the Mavericks waived Troy Murphy. Sincesigning with Dallas on Nov. 2, Murphy averaged 4.6 points and 3.5 rebounds in 14 games.

Fisher played in 1,173 career games with the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State, Utah and Oklahoma City, averaging 8.6 points and 3.1 assists in regular-season games. He has also played in 229 postseason games, including last season with the Thunder, who swept the Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs and then made it to the NBA Finals.

Collison has averaged 12.9 points and 6.3 assists per game with Dallas, but has been inconsistent at times.

“We need help at point guard,” Coach Rick Carlisle said after the loss in Chicago. “We feel [Fisher] can help us. It’s not a cure-all to all of our team challenges, but his expertise and experience will help.”

Sports, Pages 22 on 11/30/2012

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