PHILADELPHIA — Allen Iverson has returned to the Philadelphia 76ers after missing five games to be with his ill daughter and expects to play tonight against Miami.
Iverson returned to practice Monday for the first time since Feb. 2. Iverson was voted an Eastern Conference all-star starter but skipped Sunday’s game to spend additional time with his family. He says doctors are still not sure what is ailing his 4-year-old daughter, Messiah.
“It was tough to leave her and my wife and kids,” Iverson said.
Coach Eddie Jordan says he has not decided whether Iverson will start against the Heat.
• Forward Chris Richard has signed a second 10-day contract with the Chicago Bulls.
McCoy preparing for combine.
FORT WORTH, Texas — Former Texas quarterback Colt McCoy is throwing 40 to 50 balls a day in a rehabilitation program for the injury that knocked him out of the national championship game and hopes to fully participate in the NFL draft combine next week in Indianapolis.
Colt, who won the Davey O’Brien Award as the nation’s top QB, said the nerve injury in his right shoulder is close to being fully healed.
• Nebraska added a year to the contract of coach Bo Pelini and raised his base pay to $2.1 million per year. The deal keeps Pelini at the Huskers’ helm through Feb. 28, 2015.
• Washington State athletic director Jim Sterk was hired for the same position at San Diego State. Sterk, 53, replaces Jeff Schemmel, who resigned in November after a university investigation determined there were irregularities in his reimbursement travel requests.
Bears fire DePaul
CHICAGO — The Chicago Bears fired senior director of pro personnel Bobby De- Paul after nine seasons. He played a big role in the trade for quarterback Jay Cutler that sent optimism soaring entering last season, but the Bears stumbled to a 7-9 record while missing the playoffs for the third straight year.
Footnotes.
American midfielder Benny Feilhaber, 25, injured an ankle during training with his Danish team, AGF Aarhus and was taken to a hospital. A team physician said the injury does not appear serious.
• A California prosecutor says he intends to file murder and firearms charges against Jane Laut, the widow of U.S. Olympic shot put medalist Dave Laut, who was gunned down in his Southern California backyard in August. Jane Laut’s attorney says she was abused and was acting in self-defense.
• Shahar Peer rallied to beat 15th-ranked Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 in her opening match at the Dubai Tennis Championships, a year after the Israeli player had been denied a visa to the United Arab Emirates.
• Third-seeded Nicolas Almagro has been knocked out in the first round of the Copa Telmex in Buenos Aires, Argentina, losing to fellow Spaniard Daniel Gimeno- Traver 7-6 (4), 6-7 (6), 6-3.
• Third-seeded Sara Errani of Italy beat Anastasiya Yakimova of Belarus 6-0, 6-4 to reach the second round of the Copa Colsanitas in Bogota, Colombia.
The Associated Press
