HOOPS: Team USA hits N.Y.
Team USA Lite begins training camp in New York today at John Jay College before the squad departs next week for the World Championships.
Chris Bosh will appear at practice today to hang out, but he and several of the NBA’s elite will not be on the club. LeBron James may drop by, but his would not be an official visit, according to Team USA sources.
The club has been decimated by withdrawals, including five-time All-Star Knicks power forward Amar’e Stoudemire because of insurance issues, ex-Knick David Lee with a finger injury and the Nets’ Brook Lopez with mononucleosis. — Marc Berman
* This potentially could be a tough road trip: Memphis, Philadelphia, London, Milwaukee . . .
The Nets and Raptors, two teams that “both expressed their strong interest in being part of the globalization” of the sport, will play the NBA’s first ever international regular-season games when they meet in London on March 4 and 5 at the O2 Arena, commissioner David Stern announced yesterday. — Fred Kerber
* Scottie Pippen will be presented by his former Bulls teammate Michael Jordan when he is inducted into the Hall of Fame Friday night.
MLB: Rays trim East deficit
In Detroit, Matt Joyce homered and the Rays snapped their five-game losing streak with a 6-3 win over the Tigers that pulled them within 1½ games of the first-place Yankees. David Price picked up his 15th win.
* In Houston, the Braves committed three errors in a 10-4 loss to the Astros.
* The Rays placed pitched Jeff Niemann (strained right shoulder) on the 15-day disabled list. . . . Cubs pitcher Carlos Silva had a procedure called cardiac ablation to correct a problem with his heart rate.
* The Reds got 40-year-old Jim Edmonds from the Brewers in a trade for Chris Dickerson.
NFL: Cushing pleads overtraining
Suspended Texans linebacker Brian Cushing said that his positive test for a fertility drug last year was the result of overtrained athlete syndrome, a “unique” condition he contends can trigger hormonal spikes.
* It took one shout of “Who Dat!” to get the celebration started in the White House yesterday as President Barack Obama saluted the Super Bowl champion Saints.
* Albert Haynesworth made it through his first full practice with the Redskins, working as a second-string nose tackle two days after he passed the conditioning test.