Plantar Fasciitis

Now that Chargers tight end Antonio Gates has a wedding ring, the seven-time Pro Bowler has only one piece of jewelry on his wish list: A Super Bowl ring. Part of the test for Gates this year will be a stubborn foot condition, plantar fasciitis, that cost him six games last year and troubled him during other games. The Chargers haven't played since Jan. 2, but when asked Thursday if his right foot is 100 percent, Gates paused and said only, "It's better. " Gates said he won't know whether the foot is 100 percent until he runs and jumps at full speed.

Daniel Bard is still getting used to starting instead of the relieving. "Today was the first day I could actually say I felt like a starting pitcher out there, not like a reliever starting," the Boston Red Sox pitcher said Sunday. There's still work to be done. Competing for a spot in Boston's starting rotation, Bard gave up five runs and six hits in six innings of a 6-5 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. "He worked runners when they were on base. He got ground balls when he needed to, got some swings and misses when he needed to, too," Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine...

NEW YORK - Giants quarterback Eli Manning has developed a stress reaction in his right foot that could eventually lead to further injuries that might sideline him indefinitely. A person familiar with Manning’s injury told the Associated Press about the latest problem yesterday. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the team has not officially confirmed the problem. The stress reaction was first reported by ESPN.com. Manning has suffered from plantar fasciitis - an injury to the band of connective tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot and inserts into the heel -...

Chase Budinger scored a season-high 21 points and Luis Scola added 19 points to help the Houston Rockets blow out Washington 103-76 on Friday night. Jordan Hill had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Rockets, who scored 41 points off Washington's season-high 24 turnovers. Courtney Lee scored eight points for Houston in place of leading scorer Kevin Martin, who sat out with plantar fasciitis in his right foot. By the fourth quarter, the Rockets hardly missed Martin. The Wizards had 10 turnovers in the last 18 minutes, helping Houston outscore them 46-21 over that span to win for the...

Jermaine O’Neal scored 24 points and the Miami Heat jumped to a 30-point halftime lead last night to rout the Bulls, 103-74, at Chicago. Pushing for a better playoff seeding, Miami’s third straight victory and ninth in 12 games lifted the Heat into the No. 6 slot in the Eastern Conference, a half-game ahead of idle Charlotte. The Bulls have lost 11 of 13, including a 10-game losing streak, and are in ninth place in the East. O’Neal shot 9 for 14, Michael Beasley added 15 points, and Udonis Haslem had 14 on a night when Dwyane Wade scored only 12 — 14.5 under his average — in 29...

The Sacramento Kings were four minutes away from so many rewards: control of their second-round playoff series, two big wins in Minnesota, and a decisive answer for those who still question their toughness and heart. Instead, they experienced their biggest collapse in a season full of them -- and gave the top-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves ample reason to believe they're still in charge of their Western Conference semifinal series. "Confidence is fuel," MVP Kevin Garnett said yesterday.

Chase Budinger scored a season-high 21 points and Luis Scola added 19 points to help the Houston Rockets blow out Washington 103-76 on Friday night. Jordan Hill had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Rockets, who scored 41 points off Washington's season-high 24 turnovers. Courtney Lee scored eight points for Houston in place of leading scorer Kevin Martin, who sat out with plantar fasciitis in his right foot. By the fourth quarter, the Rockets hardly missed Martin. The Wizards had 10 turnovers in the last 18 minutes, helping Houston outscore them 46-21 over that span to...

Daniel Bard is still getting used to starting instead of the relieving. "Today was the first day I could actually say I felt like a starting pitcher out there, not like a reliever starting," the Boston Red Sox pitcher said Sunday. There's still work to be done. Competing for a spot in Boston's starting rotation, Bard gave up five runs and six hits in six innings of a 6-5 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. "He worked runners when they were on base. He got ground balls when he needed to, got some swings and misses when he needed to, too," Red...

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning returned to practice yesterday and showed no ill effects of the injured heel that kept him out the previous two days. Yet the team is still being cautious about his status for tomorrow’s game against the Oakland Raiders. Manning is listed as questionable and coach Tom Coughlin said it will more than likely be a game-time decision whether he will play. “If the medical people think he can play, then he will play,’’ Coughlin said.

It's finally here - an honest-to-goodness Road Trip. Most of the teams in the Eastern Conference have ventured into the Mountain and Pacific time zones this season. Every team but the Celtics and Bobcats has had at least one road game against a Western Conference foe. After 25 games, or nearly one-third of the NBA season, the Celtics finally will hit the road for their annual post-Christmas trip, playing four games in five nights in two time zones, starting and ending the trip in California.

Angel McCoughtry embraced her role as villain, constantly taunting Indiana's fans while carrying her team to the WNBA finals. The forward scored 26 points, and the Atlanta Dream defeated the Fever 83-67 on Tuesday night to win the Eastern Conference finals series 2-1 and advance to the championship round for the second straight year. Atlanta will play at Minnesota on Sunday in the opener of the best-of-five series. McCoughtry was vocal and demonstrative in Game 1 of this series, earning her status as public enemy No. 1 at Conseco Fieldhouse.

Kevin Kolb was the new guy in town, offering a glimpse of what he expects to bring to the Arizona Cardinals. Philip Rivers overcame an early mistake to put on the prolific show that is always expected of him. In the end, both coaches came away mostly satisfied with their teams' performance in the San Diego Chargers' 34-31 preseason victory Saturday night. Arizona led nearly the entire game before backup Billy Volek threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Bryan Walters with 3 seconds to play to give San Diego the victory.

Now that Chargers tight end Antonio Gates has a wedding ring, the seven-time Pro Bowler has only one piece of jewelry on his wish list: A Super Bowl ring. Part of the test for Gates this year will be a stubborn foot condition, plantar fasciitis, that cost him six games last year and troubled him during other games. The Chargers haven't played since Jan. 2, but when asked Thursday if his right foot is 100 percent, Gates paused and said only, "It's better. " Gates said he won't know whether the foot is 100 percent until he runs and jumps at full speed.

The Sacramento Kings found a shooter they hope they can eventually pair in the backcourt with Tyreke Evans and a high-profile player to help in marketing when they ended up with high-scoring guard Jimmer Fredette after making a draft-day trade Thursday with Charlotte and Milwaukee. The Kings moved from seventh to 10th in the draft, while also acquiring swingman John Salmons from the Bucks and sending guard Beno Udrih to Charlotte. That created a need in Sacramento for a shooter in the backcourt who could also play some point guard, making Fredette an attractive option.

Jermaine O’Neal scored 24 points and the Miami Heat jumped to a 30-point halftime lead last night to rout the Bulls, 103-74, at Chicago. Pushing for a better playoff seeding, Miami’s third straight victory and ninth in 12 games lifted the Heat into the No. 6 slot in the Eastern Conference, a half-game ahead of idle Charlotte. The Bulls have lost 11 of 13, including a 10-game losing streak, and are in ninth place in the East. O’Neal shot 9 for 14, Michael Beasley added 15 points, and Udonis Haslem had 14 on a night when Dwyane Wade scored only 12 — 14.5...

NEW YORK - Giants quarterback Eli Manning has developed a stress reaction in his right foot that could eventually lead to further injuries that might sideline him indefinitely. A person familiar with Manning’s injury told the Associated Press about the latest problem yesterday. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the team has not officially confirmed the problem. The stress reaction was first reported by ESPN.com. Manning has suffered from plantar fasciitis - an injury to the band of connective tissue that runs along the bottom of the foot and inserts...

Kevin Kolb was the new guy in town, offering a glimpse of what he expects to bring to the Arizona Cardinals. Philip Rivers overcame an early mistake to put on the prolific show that is always expected of him. In the end, both coaches came away mostly satisfied with their teams' performance in the San Diego Chargers' 34-31 preseason victory Saturday night. Arizona led nearly the entire game before backup Billy Volek threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Bryan Walters with 3 seconds to play to give San Diego the victory.

Angel McCoughtry embraced her role as villain, constantly taunting Indiana's fans while carrying her team to the WNBA finals. The forward scored 26 points, and the Atlanta Dream defeated the Fever 83-67 on Tuesday night to win the Eastern Conference finals series 2-1 and advance to the championship round for the second straight year. Atlanta will play at Minnesota on Sunday in the opener of the best-of-five series. McCoughtry was vocal and demonstrative in Game 1 of this series, earning her status as public enemy No. 1 at Conseco Fieldhouse.

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning returned to practice yesterday and showed no ill effects of the injured heel that kept him out the previous two days. Yet the team is still being cautious about his status for tomorrow’s game against the Oakland Raiders. Manning is listed as questionable and coach Tom Coughlin said it will more than likely be a game-time decision whether he will play. “If the medical people think he can play, then he will play,’’ Coughlin said.

It's finally here - an honest-to-goodness Road Trip. Most of the teams in the Eastern Conference have ventured into the Mountain and Pacific time zones this season. Every team but the Celtics and Bobcats has had at least one road game against a Western Conference foe. After 25 games, or nearly one-third of the NBA season, the Celtics finally will hit the road for their annual post-Christmas trip, playing four games in five nights in two time zones, starting and ending the trip in California.