Bill Macdonald, John Ireland will do Lakers play-by-play

The Lakers announced Tuesday that Bill Macdonald and John Ireland will be the play-by-play announcers for the team for the 2011-12 season.

Macdonald will call the games on TV alongside commentator Stu Lantz on FS West and KCAL 9.

Ireland, who had been the Lakers’ sideline reporter on KCAL 9 since the 2002-03 season, will call the games on 710 AM ESPN radio alongside commentator Mychal Thompson.

Spero Dedes, who was supposed to move over from Lakers radio play-by-play to replace Joel Meyers on television, decided against taking the job after giving the Lakers a “verbal agreement,” Lakers public relations director John Black said. Black said Dedes hadn’t signed a contract.

“Spero had a change of heart,” Black said. “He decided to pursue other options. We wish him well. We’re happy with Bill Macdonald and John Ireland.”

There are reports Dedes is headed to become a play-by-play announcer for the New York Knicks.

— Broderick Turner

Pat Riley says he won’t coach, expects Eric Spoelstra and the Miami Heat to succeed

Pat Riley expects better days are ahead for the Miami Heat.

Speaking Tuesday, more than a week after the Heat season ended with a loss to the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA finals, Miami’s team president said that not winning the title was a disappointment — but insisted the season still had plenty of successes.

“I’ll say it. I’m not afraid to say it,” Riley said at his annual end-of-season availability. “We are going to be multiple contenders, OK? I have no problem saying that. We will contend. That’s all it’s about. When you have a team that can contend for a championship, that’s what you want, because then you have a shot at winning.

“I know what everybody expected here, but it didn’t happen,” Riley added. “But we had a great season.”

Riley said the team would add more pieces to complement LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh next season, plus was looking forward to seeing what can happen with a healthy Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller, both of whom had their 2010-11 campaign marred by injuries.

He also said Erik Spoelstra would coach, shooting down any notion that the Hall of Famer was considering a return to the bench.

“No, I’m not going to,” Riley said.

Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki is considering joining the German national team this summer to help their chances of qualifying for the 2012 Summer Olympics.

HOCKEY

NHL OKs Thrashers’ sale and move to Winnipeg

The NHL’s Board of Governors, meeting in New York, approved the sale of the Atlanta Thrashers to True North Sports & Entertainment Ltd., headed by Mark Chipman and David Thomson. The board also approved the immediate move of the franchise to Winnipeg, Canada, for next season.

Because of the relatively short notice of the move before the 2011-12 season, the still-unnamed team will stay in the Southeast Division next season with Carolina, Florida, Tampa Bay and Washington. The schedule for next season will be released in the next few days. Realignment is expected for the 2012-13 season.

The board also approved changes to Rule 41, which applies to boarding, and Rule 48, which relates to illegal checks to the head.

Under the amended rules, a boarding penalty will be assessed for a hit on a defenseless player that causes the victim “to hit or impact the boards violently or dangerously.” The new wording requires the player delivering the check to avoid or minimize contact if his opponent is defenseless. It also allows the referee discretion to determine whether the recipient of the contact placed himself in a vulnerable position immediately prior to, or simultaneously with, the collision, and whether the check was unavoidable.

A penalty for an illegal check to the head will be assessed for a hit resulting in contact with an opponent’s head in which the head is targeted and the principal point of contact. The qualifying terms “lateral or blind side” for such hits have been deleted.

— Helene Elliott

The Boston Bruins’ Stanley Cup-winning conquest of the Vancouver Canucks stands as the most-watched National Hockey League game on American television since a 1973 playoff contest between Montreal and Chicago, the Nielsen Co. said.

ETC.

Rory McIlroy won’t play until British Open

Rory McIlroy has returned to Britain, basking in his record-breaking U.S Open triumph and ready for a three-week break with his family before he returns to the course to look for a second straight major victory.

McIlroy has pulled out of the French Open, which starts in Paris on June 30, and will not play again until the British Open at Sandwich, southeast England from July 14-17.

Matt Kuchar and Zach Johnson won the CVS Caremark Charity Classic with a record-setting two-round total of 24-under par 118 Tuesday at the Rhode Island Country Club in Barrington.

The previous record in the best-ball format was 119 set in 2001.

Morgan Pressel and Davis Love III finished second at 120.

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