Off the wire

FOOTBALL Vols QB injured

Tennessee quarterback Nathan Peterman will miss at least four weeks after undergoing surgery on his right hand. Peterman injured his hand Saturday while struggling through his first collegiate start in a 31-17 loss to No. 20 Florida. Peterman went 4 of 11 for 5 yards with 2 interceptions and 1 fumble before being replaced late in the first half by junior Justin Worley, who had started Tennessee’s first three games. Peterman’s injury solidifies Worley’s status as Tennessee’s starting quarterback at least for now. Worley is atop Tennessee’s depth chart for Saturday’s game with South Alabama, while freshmen Riley Ferguson and Joshua Dobbs are listed together on the second team. Coach Butch Jones said the Volunteers didn’t know exactly when Peterman got hurt during the game and added that the redshirt freshman’s removal wasn’t injury related. Jones said he would have a more definitive timetable for Peterman’s return later this week. Worley completed 10 of 23 passes for 149 yards with 1 touchdown pass and 2 interceptions after replacing Peterman at Florida. He has gone 45 of 80 for 521 yards with 6 touchdown passes and 3 interceptions this season.

LSU Coach Les Miles said starting right guard Trai Turner and starting defensive tackle Anthony Johnson will recover from recent injuries in time to play this Saturday when the No. 6 Tigers visit No. 9 Georgia. Both players left last Saturday night’s game against Auburn, Turner with an apparent right ankle injury and Johnson with a left leg injury. Miles said trainers determined Turner, whose ankle was stepped on, has only a contusion, which he referred to as “great news.” The coach describes Johnson’s injury as“basically a bruise,” adding that he is “going to be fine” and that both players will “play from first snap on.” Miles describes the overall health of his team as “very good” heading into LSU’s first significant road test this season.

BASKETBALL George working on deal

Paul George has no intention of leaving the Pacers. Larry Bird is spending most of his time these days trying to sure Indiana’s budding star sticks around for the next few years. The team president left Monday’s annual Pacers Foundation golf outing before the others teed off so he could continue negotiating a long-term deal to keep George in town. George, Bird’s first-round pick in 2010, has made significant strides each of the past two seasons. He went from bench contributor as a rookie to full-time starter in 2011-2012 to his first All-Star game appearance last season, when the Pacers fell one victory short of reaching the NBA Finals. Last season, George averaged 17.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists during the regular season, and was even better in the playoffs while also emerging as one of the league’s top defenders. Yahoo! Sports reported Sunday night that the two sides were nearing agreement on a deal for five years and $90 million. On Monday, Bird denied anything was imminent.

The larger-than-life figure that teased and tormented the Sacramento Kings for so long is now the biggest name to join the franchise’s new ownership group. The Kings announced Monday that Shaquille O’Neal has acquired a minority stake in the team under new owner Vivek Ranadive. The Kings will introduce the four-time NBA champion at a news conference today in Sacramento. During the height of his career with the Los Angeles Lakers,O’Neal fueled the rivalry with the Kings with his play on the court and his personality off of it. O’Neal handed Sacramento its biggest blow by rallying the Lakers from a 3-2 deficit to win the 2002 Western Conference finals, which is still a sore spot for Kings fans. The 7-foot-1 center even labeled the franchise the “Sacramento Queens” and accused fan favorite Vlade Divac - whom he referred to as “she” at one point - of flopping. O’Neal was a 15-time All-Star and the 2000 NBA MVP. He played for the Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Phoenix Suns and Cleveland Cavaliers before retiring after the 2010-2011 season with the Boston Celtics. O’Neal, now 41, has worked as an analyst for TNT the past two seasons.

The Memphis Grizzlies have hired Elston Turner, Duane Ticknor and Shawn Respert to join the returning Bob Thornton as assistants on new coach Dave Joerger’s staff. Turner previously worked as an assistant for Portland (1996-2000), Sacramento (2000-2006), Houston (2007-2011) and Phoenix (2011-2013). Ticknor spent last season as head coach of the NBA Development League’s Fort Wayne Mad Ants. Joerger worked as an assistant for Ticknor in 1999-2000 with the International Basketball Association’s Dakota Wizards. Respert was director of player development for Houston in 2008-2011 and spent the last two years as an assistant with Minnesota.

Erika de Souza scored 10 of her 18 points during a decisive fourth quarter and the Atlanta Dream beat the Washington Mystics 80-72 victory in the decisive Game 3 of their WNBA first-round series Monday night in Atlanta. The Dream advanced to face the fourth-seeded Indiana Fever in the Eastern Conference finals, which will begin Thursday in Atlanta. The Fever, who won the WNBA title last season, eliminated top-seeded Chicago in two games. Tiffany Hayes had 18 points and Armintie Herrington added 14 points for the Dream, while Monique Currie led the Mystics with 22 points.

SAILING U.S. stays alive

The America’s Cup would be tied at 8 if defending champion Oracle Team USA hadn’t been hit with the harshest penalties in the regatta’s 162-year history. No worries, said Australian-born skipper, Jimmy Spithill. He’s a boxer as well as a sailor, and his spark and motivation has helped spur Oracle’s remarkable comeback from what seemed like certain defeat a week ago. Spithill put his bows down, accelerated his 72-foot catamaran off the starting line and pulled clear of Emirates Team New Zealand on Monday to claim a fifth consecutive victory and stay alive in the longest America’s Cup in history. Spithill kept the American-backed boat ahead the whole way around the five-leg course on San Francisco Bay for a 33-second victory.Although the teams are tied on the water, the Kiwis lead 8-6 because Oracle was docked two points and wing sail trimmer Dirk de Ridder was tossed from the regatta after it was discovered that the syndicate illegally modified boats during warmup races called the America’s Cup World Series. The Kiwis have been on match point since Wednesday, only to watch Spithill and Oracle’s improved 72-foot catamaran sail ahead in a determined attempt to keep the oldest trophy in international sports. Oracle Team USA, owned by software tycoon Larry Ellison, needs three more victories to keep the Auld Mug. Because Race 16 was delayed a half-hour due to light wind, Race 17 was postponed until Tuesday. Race 18, if necessary, also is scheduled for Tuesday.