AMERICAN BASKETBALL: The Heat went 2-1 in their three games without their All-Star center, Shaquille O'Neal, who sprained his knee on Feb. 22 in Chicago
Shaquille O'Neal returned from a three-game absence and had 20 points and 13 rebounds Thursday, and Dwyane Wade led a third-quarter surge that sent the Miami Heat past the New Jersey Nets 106-90.

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Alonzo Mourning came to New Jersey in 2003 to win a championship.

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FORMULA ONE: The owner of the Minardi racing team said he was shocked by the stewards' decision to not allow his drivers on the track for a pair of practice runs
Just when Minardi thought it had cleared a final hurdle and was going racing at the Australian Grand Prix, it ran into another one: Formula One stewards refused to allow the struggling team to practice yesterday.

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On the first day of major league baseball's new era of drug testing, Steve Howe of all people happened to be in the New York Yankees clubhouse on Thursday.

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Bayern Munich is facing three crucial matches in an eight-day period, but the team's biggest ever German Cup victory against a first division team has left the players jubilant.

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DUBAI OPEN AND DAVIS CUP: Women's world No. 1 Lindsay Davenport beat wild card Conchita Martinez of Spain in only 77 minutes as Williams beat Hantuchova
Lindsay Davenport and Serena Williams stayed on course for a repeat of their Australian Open final by cruising through the Dubai Women's Open quarterfinals on Thursday.

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DAVIS CUP AND DUBAI OPEN: Lu Yen-hsun won a match over Japan's Motomura, as the women's world No. 1 Davenport beat wild card Martinez in Dubai
Lu Yen-hsun, Taiwan's No. 1 ranked player, defeated Japan's Gouichi Motomura 3-6, 6-4, 6-0, 4-6, 6-4.

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No. 8s Martin Corry and Michael Owen will lead England and Wales, respectively, in the Six Nations next week.

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■ Speedskating
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