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Basketball, NBA: New York Knicks president Phil Jackson said yesterday that All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony  (picture) “would be better off somewhere else.” Jackson, meeting with the media two days after the Knicks completed their fourth consecutive losing season, said the team will continue to explore trade options for the 10-time All-Star. “We’ve not been able to win with (Anthony) on the court at this time,” Jackson said. “I think the direction with our team is that he’s a player that would be better off somewhere else and using his talent somewhere where he can win or chase that championship.”

Snooker: Ronnie O’Sullivan was given a rocky ride by former taxi driver Gary Wilson as the Rocket began his bid for a sixth Betfred World Championship title. Wallsend cueman Wilson is making his Crucible debut after coming through the qualifying rounds in dazzling style, firing eight centuries over three matches including a 147 maximum break. And while O’Sullivan looked en route for the second round when he surged 5-1 ahead, Wilson plotted his way back into the contest to trail only 5-4 overnight.

Results: Selby bt O’Brien 10-2; Maguire bt McGill 10-2.

Rugby Union: All Blacks winger Nehe Milner-Skudder is racing the clock to be fit enough to face the British and Irish Lions in June, his Super Rugby coach Chris Boyd said yesterday. Milner-Skudder broke bones in his foot while playing for the Wellington Hurricanes against the Waikato Chiefs on March 10 and was expected to be out of action for six weeks, but Boyd said the injury was taking longer than expected to heal. “The solidification of the bone in his foot is slow,” Boyd said.

Golf: Short game maestro Luke Donald and Canadian Graham DeLaet both holed-out on Friday on the way to grabbing a share of the lead on 10-under-par after two rounds of the RBC Heritage in South Carolina. Donald found the hole on a short pitch shot, nipping the ball off the grass short of the green into a mound and making it pause after one big bounce before the ball trickled into the cup for birdie at the last to complete a four-under 67. That tied the English former world number one with early starter DeLaet.

Cycling: Germany’s twice Olympic champion Kristina Vogel brushed aside Australia’s Stephanie Morton to win the women’s sprint final on a superb day of racing at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships at the Hong Kong Velodrome on yesterday. The first race in the final face-off between the pair was abandoned after Morton appeared to have a problem with her bike but the German was unperturbed, winning the next two races against her rival to sweep the gold.