Spurs to be penalized for Miami move

The San Antonio Spurs will be punished by the NBA for their decision to send four top players home and not make them available to play in Miami against the Heat on Thursday night.

San Antonio Coach Gregg Popovich said the decision to rest Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Danny Green — the core of the Spurs — was in the team’s best interest. The league wasn’t happy about it, and Commissioner David Stern promised that San Antonio would be penalized.

“I apologize to all NBA fans,” Stern said. “This was an unacceptable decision by the San Antonio Spurs and substantial sanctions will be forthcoming.”

Before the game, which Miami won, 105-100, Popovich said he decided to sit his core when he saw how challenging this particular part of the schedule was for his team. Thursday’s matchup ended a six-games-in-nine-nights swing for the Spurs, who won their first five on the trip.

Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo was suspended for the third time this calendar year when the NBA told him to sit out two games without pay for starting a skirmish that sent players sprawling into the courtside seats.

Rondo will miss Friday night’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers and Sunday’s against the Bucks in Milwaukee. He will also give up $200,000 in pay.

Kevin Garnett Gerald Wallace

Rondo was thrown out of Wednesday night’s 95-83 loss to Brooklyn in the second quarter when he shoved Nets forward Kris Humphries off the court to retaliate for a hard foul on Kevin Garnett.

ETC.

No deal yet for Dodgers, Fox

The Dodgers and Fox Sports are not expected to conclude a television deal by Friday, according to a person familiar with the negotiations but not authorized to discuss them.

However, the two sides are expected to continue talks on a contract that could be worth more than $6 billion over 25 years, according to two parties familiar with the talks.

Friday marks the final day of the exclusive negotiating window between Fox and the Dodgers. It is unclear whether the two sides would agree to extend the window or simply keep talking while the Dodgers consider other options, most notably Time Warner Cable Sportsnet.

If the Dodgers and Fox do not reach a deal by Friday and do not extend the exclusive negotiating window, the team would have to provide Fox with a final offer by Dec. 7. Fox would then have 30 days to accept or reject the offer.

—Bill Shaikin

Mariano Rivera and the New York Yankees agreed to a $10-million, one-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told the Associated Press.

Bill Haas bogeyed two of the last three holes in the Nedbank Golf Challenge for a two-under-par 70 to slip back into a share of the first-round lead with Nicolas Colsaerts at Sun City, South Africa.

Meen Whee Kim shot a nine-under 63 on PGA West’s Stadium Course to take a one-stroke lead after the second round of the PGA Tour qualifying tournament at La Quinta. Kim had a 13-under 131 total in the six-round event.

Serena Williams was named the WTA’s player of the year after winning Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, and claiming gold at the London Olympics.

USC defeated Fairfield (Conn.), 25-8, 25-11, 25-10, in the first round of the NCAA women’s volleyball tournament at the Galen Center.