Phoenix to wear ‘Los Suns’ jerseys

The Phoenix Suns will wear “Los Suns” on their jerseys in Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinals on Wednesday night, owner Robert Sarver said, “to honor our Latino community and the diversity of our league, the state of Arizona, and our nation.”

The decision to wear the jerseys on the Cinco de Mayo holiday stems from a law passed by the Arizona Legislature and signed by Gov. Jan Brewer that has drawn widespread criticism from Latino organizations and civil rights groups that say it could lead to racial profiling of Latinos.

Sarver, who was born and raised in Tucson, said frustration with the federal government’s failure to deal with the illegal immigration issue led to the passage of what he called “a flawed state law.”

“However intended, the result of passing the law is that our basic principles of equal rights and protection under the law are being called into question,” he said, “and Arizona’s already struggling economy will suffer even further setbacks at a time when the state can ill-afford them.”

The measure makes it a crime under state law to be in the country illegally, and it directs local police to question people about their immigration status and demand to see their documents if there is reason to suspect they are illegal.

The NBA All-Star game will be played in Orlando in 2012 at the Magic’s new arena. NBA Commissioner David Stern made the announcement at the Amway Center, which opens next season.

Saying he was “not at all proud,” Chicago Bulls executive John Paxson apologized Tuesday to the organization and newly fired coach Vinny Del Negro for their late-season altercation. He added that he was not resigning.

Speaking to reporters for the first time since his confrontation with Del Negro in late March, Paxson said he accepts the criticism and “people saying I should probably be fired or released, whatever. I’m not going anywhere because I believe in what the organization stands for and what I stand for.”

Engineering the biggest turnaround in the NBA this season has earned Scott Brooks another year in charge of the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder exercised a team option on Brooks’ contract that will allow the NBA’s coach of the year to remain in Oklahoma City through 2012. Terms were not disclosed.

A nuisance as an NBA player, Danny Ainge is still being a pest as general manager. Boston’s GM was spotted in TV replays throwing a white towel in the air to distract Cleveland forward J.J. Hickson at the free-throw line in the third quarter of Game 2 on Monday night.

Ainge, sitting in the first seat to the right of Cleveland’s basket, is seen reaching behind the stanchion to grab one of the ball boy’s towels as Hickson prepares to shoot. Ainge then tosses the towel into the air on Hickson’s second attempt with 1:53 remaining.

NBA spokesman Tim Frank said, “the situation is under review.”

Aaron Fuller, an All-Big Ten honorable mention forward at Iowa, signed with USC as a transfer. He will redshirt this coming season and have two years of eligibility remaining.

Fuller, a 6-foot-6, 230-pound sophomore, left Iowa shortly after the program fired coach Todd Lickliter following a 10-22 season. But Fuller, a Mesa, Ariz., native, said by phone that he wanted to be “closer to home.”

He said he also considered Arizona State. Fuller led Iowa in scoring (12.3 points) and rebounding (7.6) in 18 Big Ten Conference games last season.

— Baxter Holmes

Investigators are looking into whether a University of Virginia lacrosse player found dead in her apartment Monday had been threatened some time before the killing.

Charlottesville Police Chief Tim Longo said investigators had recovered a computer that belonged to the slain woman and are checking it for evidence.

Men’s lacrosse team player George Huguely, 22, was arrested Monday and charged with first-degree murder in the death of Yeardley Love, who was also 22.

Documents say Huguely told police he kicked in Love’s bedroom door early Monday, then shook her and hit her head repeatedly against a wall. He also told police that he had communicated with Love by email and took her computer, according to an affidavit filed with a search warrant. Later he told police where to find it, the affidavit says.

Longo said police are interviewing friends, relatives and teammates of the pair “to see to what extent there’s truth to” reports that Huguely may have threatened Love.

Love, of Cockeysville, Md., was only weeks from earning a degree and she and her teammates were expecting to end their season by winning a national championship.

The men’s and women’s lacrosse seasons — both teams are national title contenders — were “not even entering into our thoughts,” Athletic Director Craig Littlepage said.

The NCAA tournament pairings are to be announced Sunday, and the men’s team is expected to host a first-round game, and the women’s team is also expecting to be included.

Huguely, a midfielder, wasn’t a starter but played in all 15 games this season. He had four goals and three assists. Love played defense and started in three games this season.

All-Pro linebacker Patrick Willis signed a $50 million, five-year contract extension with the 49ers that makes him the highest-paid inside linebacker in the history of the NFL. The deal will take him through the 2016 season.

Cincinnati Bengals receiver Maurice Purify was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct following a scuffle at a northern Kentucky night spot. Police say Purify was arrested early Tuesday morning after they broke up a fight at the night spot, located directly across the Ohio River from Cincinnati.

Former NFL player and Georgia Tech star Nick Rogers has died in a one-car accident. Rogers, 30, was killed early Monday morning when his car hit a utility pole in College Park, near Atlanta.

Rogers, 30, a 250-pound linebacker, spent four years in the NFL with Minnesota, Green Bay, Indianapolis and Miami.

Returning after long absences because of knee problems, Serena and Venus Williams tuned up for this month’s French Open by beating Swiss opponents in opening matches at the Italian Open.

Top-ranked Serena defeated Timea Bacsinszky 7-6 (2), 6-1 in her first match since winning the Australian Open more than three months ago. Fourth-ranked Venus topped Patty Schnyder 6-2, 6-2.

Defending champion Dinara Safina, recovered from a back injury, lost her opener against Alexandra Dulgheru of Romania.

UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar will return from a yearlong absence to meet interim champ Shane Carwin on July 3. The UFC said that Lesnar and Carwin will headline UFC 116 at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas.

Lesnar is considered the UFC’s top pay-per-view draw after just four fights with mixed martial arts’ dominant promotion. The former WWE professional wrestler won the heavyweight title in November 2008, beating Randy Couture.

He hasn’t fought since last July. He missed two scheduled title defenses against Carwin with what was eventually discovered to be diverticulitis, an intestinal disorder.

Fedor Emelianenko will return to Strikeforce for a heavyweight bout against Fabricio Werdum on June 26 in San Jose. Emelianenko hasn’t fought since stopping Brett Rogers last November in his Strikeforce debut.

Olympic gold medal gymnast Shawn Johnson says she’s training for the 2012 Games in London. Johnson won a gold and three silver medals in Beijing in 2008.