BRIEFLY IN SPORTS

Nevada falls to Gaels

Once again not much went right for the Nevada Wolf Pack baseball team on Tuesday afternoon.

The Wolf Pack fell to the St. Mary's Gaels, 9-3, at Peccole Park for its fourth consecutive loss. The Pack, now 4-12, is off to its worst start after 16 games since the 1977 team started 3-13.

St. Mary's, though, jumped all over Pack starting pitcher Tim Culligan for four runs in the top of the first inning,

The first five Gaels hitters all hit safely off Culligan. Culligan, a 6-foot-2, junior, lasted just one inning and gave up five runs on eight hits.

- Joe Santoro

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Duncan's recovery still unknown after ankle sprain

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Tim Duncan is on crutches and the San Antonio Spurs don't know when he'll be back.

Duncan passed an MRI test Tuesday with no signs of structural damage in his sprained left ankle. The Spurs won't know how long the 34-year-old might be out until later this week, but Duncan will miss at least the next three games as the NBA's winningest team tries to clinch the West's No. 1 seed.

"It structurally looks good," general manager R.C. Buford said Tuesday. "We will have a better idea of what the timeline is in the next 48 hours."

Duncan sprained the ankle Monday night in a win over Golden State. Four minutes had barely passed in the game when Duncan, after making a short jumper, landed awkwardly on his left foot and collapsed beneath the basket.

Lakers outlast Suns in triple OT, 139-137

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Kobe Bryant scored 42 points, Ron Artest got five of his 18 points in the final 2 minutes of the third overtime, and the Los Angeles Lakers outlasted the Phoenix Suns for a 139-137 victory Tuesday night.

Lamar Odom had a season-high 29 points and 16 rebounds in the Lakers' 13th win in 14 games since the All-Star break. Pau Gasol added 24 points, including two tying free throws with 2.5 seconds left in the second overtime.