The Clippers put some heat on the Lakers by acquiring Chris Paul

In the end, David Stern was right. Last weekend, the commissioner's office stamped out a deal that would have sent New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for a package that included Kevin Martin, Luis Scola, Goran Dragic and a draft pick from the Houston Rockets and Lamar Odom from the Lakers. Instead, on Wednesday, the Hornets—under the league’s stewardship—agreed to a deal with the Los Angeles Clippers that brings them Eric Gordon, Al-Farouq Aminu, the expiring contract of Chris Kaman and the Minnesota Timberwolves' first-round draft pick. 

The Clippers put some heat on the Lakers by acquiring Chris Paul. (AP Photo)

While the deal with the Lakers would have left the Hornets as a good team in the short term, the deal with the Clippers leaves them well-stocked for the future. Start with Gordon, who will turn 23 on Christmas and is coming off a season in which he established himself as an All-Star caliber player. Gordon boosted his scoring average to a career-high 22.3 points per game, and did so without sacrificing his efficiency—he shot 45.0 percent from the field and 36.4 percent from the 3-point line last season, right around his career averages. He upped his free-throw rate considerably (from 4.8 to 6.2 attempts) and became a better playmaker, with 4.4 assists per game. 

Gordon might not even turn out to be the best piece on the Hornets' side of the deal, though. The draft pick that New Orleans will receive from Minnesota comes in what might be the deepest and most talented draft since 2003, and even if the Timberwolves improve some this year, it is all but certain that the pick will wind up being a good one—the Timberwolves have not drafted below seventh since 2005. Assuming the Hornets do not make the playoffs this year, they will have two lottery chances in a draft overflowing with quality players.

Kaman, too, will get a chance to re-establish himself after an injury-pocked year that wiped clean the memory of his All-Star season the year before. He has an expiring contract worth $12.2 million, and if the Hornets let him walk next summer, they figure to have about $15 million worth of cap space available in what will be a strong free-agent market. (In the Lakers/Rockets deal, it should be noted, the Hornets would have been committed to Martin through next season, and to Scola through 2015.) 

The Hornets get a fair shot at rebuilding, then. Of course, whom they're rebuilding for remains a mystery, as the league continues to seek a buyer who will keep the team in New Orleans. But, with the Paul situation resolved and a bundle of assets in place, the Hornets are in a good position.

Jerry Sandusky was arrested and arraigned Wednesday on new sex

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- Ex-Penn State coach Jerry Sandusky was arrested and arraigned Wednesday on new sex abuse charges brought by two new accusers, the state attorney general's office said.

The charges were brought after new accusers were questioned by a grand jury following Sandusky's arrest last month. One alleged victim claims he was assaulted after meeting Sandusky in 1997 and the other claims he was assaulted in 2004.

A call seeking comment from Sandusky's lawyer, Joseph Amendola, was not immediately returned.
Sandusky was already charged with 40 counts of child sex abuse involving eight young boys over a 15-year span. In interviews with NBC and The New York Times, he has said he showered and horsed around with boys but never sexually abused them.

The new charges include four counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and two counts of unlawful contact with a minor, all of them first-degree felonies punishable by up to 20 years in prison and $25,000 in fines.

Sandusky also was charged with a count of indecent assault and two counts of endangering the welfare of children. Those are third-degree felonies punishable by up to seven years in prison and $15,000 in fines.

Like some of the other victims, the two new ones, dubbed Victims 9 and 10 by prosecutors, allegedly met Sandusky through The Second Mile charity, which he founded in 1977.

"As in many of the other cases identified to date, the contact with Sandusky allegedly fit a pattern of `grooming' victims," Attorney General Linda Kelly said in a statement. A call seeking comment from Sandusky's lawyer, Joseph Amendola, was not immediately returned. Sandusky has denied being a pedophile and has vowed to fight the case. One of the new alleged victims, dubbed Victim 9 by prosecutors, claims he was first assaulted in 2004, and the other, called Victim 10, told the grand jury he was assaulted after being referred to Second Mile in 1997.

Sandusky took him to Penn State football games and gave him gifts and money, and later sexually assaulted him during overnight stays in a basement bedroom in Sandusky's home, the grand jury said.

The accuser said that Sandusky forced the boy to perform oral sex and attempted on at least 16 occasions to anally penetrate him, sometimes successfully. The accuser also detailed incidents at a pool on the Penn State campus, and a time when Sandusky allegedly exposed himself in a car and requested oral sex from the boy.

Sandusky also was charged with a count of indecent assault and two counts of endangering the welfare of children. Sandusky had been charged with 40 counts of child sex abuse involving eight young boys over a 15-year span.

Mancini expects City reaction at Anfield

Roberto Mancini is certain that his Manchester City team can put their Champions League problems behind them to keep their Premier League push on track at Liverpool.

City's chances of reaching the knockout phase of the Champions League look slim after they lost 2-1 to Napoli in mid-week.

They now need to beat Bayern Munich in their final group game and hope that Villarreal, who have not picked up any points from their five matches so far, can draw with or beat Napoli.

But at least domestic matters look distinctly more positive, with City having won 11 and drawn one of their 12 Premier League matches this season.

City responded to their previous European loss, a 2-0 defeat at Bayern Munich in September, with nine consecutive victories and Mancini is sure his players can do the same against at Anfield.

He said: "I'm disappointed about the result in Naples but only that. We had 30 per cent more possession and 18 shots against 11. We tried to win the game.

"I believe that Villarreal can beat Naples or draw if they play well. It clearly depends on others teams now but I don't think it will have a knock-on effect.

"It will be a very hard game on Sunday because Liverpool might be 11 or 12 points behind us but they have a team good enough to win the Premier League. It's a really strong team.

"The squads that Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea have now, they can battle for the title.

"It's important we start the Premier League well. We know it will be a difficult game but I hope that we continue to win and score goals."

Mancini will come up against Craig Bellamy for the first time since the Welshman was released from the Etihad Stadium on a free transfer during the summer.

Bellamy, 32, spent last season on loan at Championship (second-tier) club Cardiff City after falling out with Mancini but the Italian manager insists he has no problems with his former player.

He added: "I'm happy for him. I watched the game against Chelsea and he played very well. If he's happy, I'm happy for him."

Carlos Tevez remains in Argentina after returning to his homeland without permission a fortnight ago but, other than Owen Hargreaves, Mancini has a full squad to select from at Anfield.

While City are in fine form in the Premier League, Liverpool have also produced some impressive performances in recent weeks and after last week's 2-1 victory at Chelsea, they could extend their unbeaten run to 10 matches against City.

Kenny Dalglish thinks his team's upturn in results is down to a defensive improvement.

He said: "I think we defended well (at Chelsea). Along with Man City, we now have the joint-best defensive record in the league so we must be doing something right.

"It's not just Pepe (Reina) and the lads at the back who are responsible for that. It's everyone.

"The game was our ninth without defeat in all competitions. That's a good response to the losses at Stoke and Spurs back in September.

"We'll just keep going now and see how far we can stretch this run."

Dalglish is still frustrated by his team's failure to reach the European places at the end of last season but he feels that the Reds have an advantage over City after having a clear week to prepare.

He added: "They're top of the league and are playing very well.

"Not being in Europe means we have a week to prepare for their visit. City had a Champions League game on Tuesday night and might make a few changes to their line-up.

"We'd much rather be in Europe than not be. But for us it's not about having the time to get ready, it's how we use that time to prepare.

We'll do that properly and see what the weekend brings."

Captain Steven Gerrard, who is missing with an ankle problem, remains Liverpool's only absentee.

Chelsea back in title race - Villas-Boas

Under-fire Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas is confident his side are firmly back in the English Premier League title race.

The 34-year-old witnessed his side silence their -- and somewhat more importantly -- his critics with an emphatic 3-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Such was the magnitude of the Blues' performance that the scoreline could have stretched to double figures but for the heroics of Wolves goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey, who made a string of fine saves.

A landslide score would not have flattered Chelsea, but Villas-Boas was delighted with the three goals nonetheless, for it quelled talk about his position at the club.

The former Porto manager has been at the club since the pre-season when Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich paid Porto £13.3 million ($20.5 million, 15.5 million euros) to get the highly-rated coach.

Yet recent defeats, including a 2-1 loss at Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League, had raised question marks about his future.

This win, thanks to first-half goals from captain John Terry, Daniel Sturridge and Juan Mata, somewhat eased that pressure.

Coupled with Manchester United's 1-1 draw at home to Newcastle, Chelsea have moved closer to the top four and Villas-Boas senses his side can push on to mount a title challenge.

"I think we can (win the title)," he told reporters. "We have the talent and belief will be the last thing to die.

"It's difficult for us to look at a distant leader but we have the example in the past that we can shorten distances. That serves as inspiration. We need to get the winning streak back like we did last year.

"It was important for us to get the three points. We managed to shorten the distance to Manchester United and Newcastle, but for us to be a threat at the top of the table, we have to continue.

"December will be an important month. We have a Champions League fixture still to play, but the rest of the games are in the Premier League.

"For Chelsea to be competitive in terms of the Premier League, we need to have a good December.

"We have some important games. Newcastle away, Manchester City at home and Tottenham away, these are difficult games but can make a difference for us."

The victory over Wolves ensures a stay of execution from Abramovich, yet there is no way that Villas-Boas is relaxing just yet as he knows the Russian tycoon is a stickler for success.

The win "does not take the pressure off me," he said.

"We have to continue to grow as a team. I have to reflect on the games in the past and we did not deserve to lose, but it influences opinion-making and that is part of the job.

"We are two goals away from being the best attacking team in the Premier League and that is a positive."

The only solace for Wolves boss Mick McCarthy was that the Black Country side at least mustered a better performance in the second half.

Yet in truth they were reliant upon a wonderful performance from Wales goalkeeper Hennessey.

McCarthy said that at half-time he asked his players "to salvage a bit of pride and self-respect.

"In each occasion (in the first-half) we were in possession of the ball when Chelsea scored. It was not good enough from us.

"We came here looking to take advantage of whatever might have been going on here but we gave away an early goal."

Villas-Boas in search of Wolves respite

Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas will have had better weeks as he prepares to arrest his side's slump in form at home.

But the arrival of Wolverhampton Wanderers at Stamford Bridge on Saturday will give him solace, as they have failed to win on their travels since the opening day of the Premier League season.

Villas-Boas is under pressure just three months into his first season at Chelsea, after losing back-to-back home matches against Liverpool and Arsenal.

Wednesday's Champions League loss to Bayer Leverkusen will not have calmed his nerves, as it leaves Chelsea needing a victory from their final group game against Valencia in order to guarantee qualification for the last 16.

Chelsea's recent run has led to speculation that the Portuguese coach, still only 34, could be on his way out of the London club almost as quickly as he arrived, such is the reputation Blues owner Roman Abramovich has for sacking under-performing managers.

However, goalkeeper Petr Cech says the players have to take the blame for Chelsea's current form.

"The manager is not on the pitch, we are on the pitch and we are making mistakes," Cech said.

"The players are to blame and we know it. I think we need to be much more aggressive in terms of defending.

"He (Villas-Boas) cannot do anything about individual mistakes while he is standing by the bench.

"So the players are to blame and we know it and we try to make things happen and change. It is not easy but we keep going."

Villas-Boas knows he will have to prove his worth in the coming days after revealing his players' confidence was at a low ebb.

"They expect the manager to inspire them," said Villas-Boas, whose side are 12 points behind leaders Manchester City.

"That's my job: to motivate and inspire these people to change our faith.

"The talent is immense; the work is good. The responsibility is mine. I have to motivate them to get a win against Wolves, and then against Liverpool in the Carling (League) Cup next Tuesday.

"We have two games at home and need to get the focus and concentration right. I have to inspire and motivate my players, and we need our fans behind us. I'll get my inspiration from myself."

Villas-Boas has an ally in Wolves manager Mick McCarthy, who pointed to the Chelsea boss's record in his native country as evidence he has the skills -- if not the experience -- to manage in the Premier League.

"Look what Villas-Boas achieved in Portugal (winning three trophies with Porto last season). You don't achieve that unless you are good," McCarthy said.

"He is good but he has come into a different team that is changing. If he is as good as everyone thinks he is, let him get on with it, but it takes time.

"People think you can just turn up because good players are there and it's an easy task, but it's not. It takes time to mould a squad and get them to play your way and maybe get your own players in.

"Some people wrote off Arsenal and Arsene Wenger eight games ago and how ridiculous does that look now? They are now the only English team guaranteed to progress in the Champions League."

Chelsea defender Ashley Cole is doubtful with an ankle knock, while Wolves are set to be unchanged from the side beaten by Everton last week.

United in search of Newcastle boost

Manchester United will attempt to put their Champions League frustrations behind them on the domestic front with the chance to revive their Premier League hopes against Newcastle.

A 2-2 midweek draw at home to Benfica meant United must now avoid defeat in their final group match at FC Basel next month to be sure of qualifying for the knockout rounds of Europe's leading club competition.

On the domestic front, United trail Premier League leaders Manchester City, who travel to Liverpool on Sunday, by five points going into the weekend.

Newcastle lost their first Premier League match of the season with a 3-1 defeat at Manchester City last weekend, while United's 6-1 hammering by Roberto Mancini's side is their only loss of the campaign.

United know that another stumble at Old Trafford will give City the chance to extend their advantage at the top of the table to eight points.

But Alex Ferguson will not be taking the Magpies lightly.

The veteran boss has been impressed with the work of Newcastle manager Alan Pardew, who has taken the north-east side to the upper reaches of the Premier League despite limited spending in the transfer market.

Ferguson insisted both West Ham and Southampton were premature in sacking Pardew, saying: "I've always respected Alan Pardew, I've always rated him.

"I think he was unfairly treated at West Ham and at Southampton, it was ridiculous actually.

"He took West Ham to the FA Cup final and was one minute away from winning the Cup. He was so unlucky.

"Alan's done a great job at Newcastle.

"He's galvanised them and got them fighting for each other. I watched their recent 2-2 draw at home to Tottenham and it was a great game, end to end, with both teams trying to win.

"There was a really good attitude among both sets of players. They were fighting for every ball.

"When you’ve got a Newcastle team doing that, with their great support behind them, you know you're going to get a difficult game."

Ferguson could be without Wayne Rooney against Newcastle.

The England striker missed the draw with Benfica due to a hip problem sustained in the 1-0 win over Swansea last weekend.

Newcastle may have lost their unbeaten record against Manchester City but midfielder Yohan Cabaye thinks that if the Magpies can repeat their performance at Eastlands they could yet worry United.

The French midfielder, 25, has made a significant impact since arriving from Lille in pre-season.

He missed out on the chance to play in the Champions League with his former club but insisted the opportunity to turn out at stadiums like Old Trafford more than makes up for that.

"This is real football, why I signed for Newcastle," Cabaye said. "It will be like a Champions League match and that is fantastic because I want to play in matches like this every week.

"Manchester United are a very good side and we know that it won't be easy.

"We have to work hard and play like we did in the second half against Manchester City and if we do that for the full match then hopefully we'll get one or three points."

Newcastle are boosted by the return of midfielder Cheikh Tiote, who has been out with a knee injury, while Gabriel Obertan has recovered from a toe problem to face his former club.

Striker Leon Best is also available after missing the City defeat with a minor groin strain.