HOCKEY

ISLANDERS TOP CAPITALS, STRETCH WINNING STREAK TO THREE GAMES Jason Blake scored a power-play goal with 4:43 left and then added an empty-netter to lead New York to a 5-3 victory over the Washington Capitals last night that stretched the Islanders’ winning streak to a season-high three games.

Blake took a cross-ice pass from Alexei Yashin in the lower right circle and roofed a wrist shot past goalie Olaf Kolzig. He sealed the win with 12.1 seconds remaining.

Oleg Kvasha scored twice, and Miroslav Satan added a goal for the Islanders, now three points out of eighth place in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Rick DiPietro stopped 26 shots for New York.

Islanders forward Kevin Colley injured his neck with 74 seconds left in the opening period when he missed a check on Washington defenseman Jamie Heward and crashed head first into the boards. He had full feeling in his body and was taken to North Shore Hospital for observation

BASKETBALL

ROBINSON TO CHALLENGE SMITH IN DUNK CONTEST Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Smith could become the third player to win consecutive NBA slam dunk contests when he participates in the event during All-Star weekend.

Michael Jordan won back-to-back competitions in 1987-88, and Jason Richardson did it in 2002-03.

Joining Smith in contest this year will be Andre Iguodala of the Philadelphia 76ers, Knicks 5-foot-9-inch guard Nate Robinson, and Hakim Warrick of the Memphis Grizzlies.

LeBron James, one of the league’s premier in-game dunkers, declined an invitation to participate for the third year in a row.

“I’m not a slam dunk competition type of guy,” the Cavaliers forward said. “On the spur of the moment, I can do dunks during the game. I can’t think of a dunk before I do it. I’ll leave it up to the guys who don’t play as many minutes as I do.Those guys can go out there and throw the ball between their legs and stuff.”

Judges for the event, scheduled for February 18 in Houston, all have ties to the Rockets. Clyde Drexler, Moses Malone, Elvin Hayes, and Kenny Smith were All-Stars for the team, and former coach Rudy Tomjanovich led the Rockets to two NBA titles.

HORNETS TO REMAIN IN OKLAHOMA CITY NEXT SEASON The New Orleans Hornets will play most of their games in Oklahoma City next season with their hometown still recovering from Hurricane Katrina. The NBA announced yesterday that the Hornets will play 35 games in Oklahoma City and six in New Orleans in 2006-07.

NBA commissioner David Stern said in a statement the league remains committed to returning to New Orleans, but “for now, our collective interests are best served by having the team play the bulk of its 2006-07 schedule in Oklahoma City.

“However, we are hopeful that the team will be in a position to return to New Orleans full time beginning in the 2007-08 season.”

Stern also said the NBA will enter negotiations to bring the 2008 All-Star Game to New Orleans. “From everything we have seen and heard, we have little doubt that New Orleans will soon regain its place among the world’s premiere cities for hosting major sporting events,” Stern said.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

CONNECTICUT HOLDS OFF PITTSBURGH IN BIG EAST ACTION Rudy Gay scored 22 points andJosh Boone added 16 as topranked UConn (19-1) erased a nine-point halftime deficit and held on to beat Big East rival Pitt 80-76 last night in Storrs, Conn. The Panthers, who got 23 points from Aaron Gray, fell to 17-2 with the loss.

BASEBALL

SIERRA SIGNS MINOR LEAGUE DEAL WITH TWINS Ruben Sierra agreed yesterday to a minor league contract with the Minnesota Twins and was invited to spring training. Sierra, a 40-year-old switch-hitter who is usually a designated hitter, batted .229 with four home runs and 29 RBI in 61 games with the Yankees last season. The four-time All-Star, who was injured for much of last year, had filled a reserve role with the Yankees since 2003. But after the Yankees re-signed Bernie Williams and then signed Johnny Damon, there was no room for Sierra.

Minnesota also agreed to minor league deals with right-handers Ryan Glynn and Pete Munro, and outfielder Tim Raines Jr.

FOOTBALL

BILLS HIRE FEWELL AS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR The Buffalo Bills hired Perry Fewell to be their defensive coordinator yesterday.Buffalo also hired George Catavolos to be its defensive backs coach, and Johnny Holland as linebackers coach. Fewell will replace Jerry Gray, the Bills defensive coordinator since 2001, who was fired Monday. Under Gray, Buffalo finished with the no. 2 defense in 2003 and 2004 before plummeting to 29th this season.

Fewell, who’s never been a coordinator, worked with new Bills head coach Dick Jauron in 1998 when the two were in Jacksonville. Jauron was the defensive coordinator while Fewell coached the defensive backs,staying in Jacksonville for five years.

TENNIS

BLAKE JOINS RODDICK, BRYANS ON DAVIS CUP SQUAD James Blake will fill the no. 2 singles slot behind Andy Roddick for the American Davis Cup team against Romania next month, but Andre Agassi could join the team later this year. The regular doubles duo of twins Bob and Mike Bryan also will face Romania in the first round on February 10-12 in La Jolla, Calif. captain Patrick McEnroe said yesterday.

America hasn’t won the Davis Cup since 1995. Last year, a team of Agassi, Roddick, and the Bryan brothers was eliminated in the first round by eventual champion Croatia. America has won the Davis Cup 31 times.

Roddick and the Bryans were obvious choices for the matches against Romania,with McEnroe opting to go with Blake over Robby Ginepri.Blake lost to Tommy Robredo in the third round of the Australian Open, and Ginepri was defeated by Denis Gremelmayr in the second round. Blake is no. 20 in the world this week, his highest ranking. Ginepri is no. 16.

Roddick, 23, has a 17-6 record since first playing for the U.S.in 2001.Blake, 26, is 6-3 in singles and 3-1 in doubles. The Bryans are 6-1, with their only defeat coming last year against Croatia.

OLYMPICS

USOC SUBMITS FINAL OLYMPIC ROSTER The U.S. Olympic Committee submitted its final roster for the Turin Olympics yesterday, a list of 211 athletes including Bode Miller, Jeremy Bloom, Michelle Kwan, and Apolo Anton Ohno.

Of the 211, 85 competed in the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, and 40 of those helped America set a record with 34 medals. The Olympics begin next Friday with opening ceremonies. USOC chief executive Jim Scherr said based on history and the quality of his team, he’ll feel good if the Americans can get into the low 20s in the medal count. Teams that host Winter Olympics historically experience a 41% drop when they head overseas four years later. Last week, two of the final spots were decided when Kwan was determined fit for competition and when snowboarder Tyler Jewell kept his spot after an appeal by rider Chris Klug was rejected by arbitrators.

– Associated Press