Newlywed Yao Ming treated his Chinese teammates to a celebratory dinner at a posh hotel, where guests feasted on a 10-course meal — and the 7-foot-6 center had a little too much to drink. The Houston Rockets center “rarely drinks,” but this time he marked the occasion and “drank quite a bit,” Yao spokesman Erik Zhang said “I don’t think (Yao) was drunk but he was pretty close.
The New York Islanders got bigger and a bit younger on the blue line Friday night when they signed 6-foot-6 defenseman Andy Sutton to a three-year contract. Sutton will absorb a lot of the minutes and responsibilities of 37-year-old Sean Hill, a defensive defenseman who signed with the Minnesota Wild after being suspended during last season’s playoffs for violating the NHL’s drug policy.
Barry Bonds added another home run to his record count Friday night, connecting for No. 758 in the third inning off former teammate Matt Morris of Pittsburgh. Bonds sent a 3-2 pitch into the right-field arcade for a two-run shot, giving the San Francisco Giants a 3-1 lead over the Pirates. The fan who retrieved the ball was quickly whisked away so the ball could be authenticated.
