HOCKEY

SENATORS DOWN SABRES, STAVE OFF ELIMINATION Wade Redden’s power play goal early in the third period ensured the top-seeded Ottawa Senators wouldn’t go down with a whimper. Brian Pothier also scored and Ray Emery stopped 29 shots in a 2-1 win over the Sabres last night that cut Buffalo’s lead to 3-1 in the Eastern Conference semifinal series.

The Senators avoided elimination by shaking off the frustrations of a 3-2 overtime loss at Buffalo the previous night, and beat the Sabres in a playoff game for the first time since April 25, 1997, to end a nine-game skid. Daniel Briere scored for Buffalo, which had a five-game winning streak snapped and lost for the first time in five home playoff games.

FOOTBALL

JIMMY SMITH ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT Jimmy Smith, a five-time Pro Bowl selection who overcame several health problems and drug addiction during his 13 seasons, abruptly retired yesterday to “move on to the next phase of my life.”

The 37-year-old receiver led the Jacksonville Jaguars with 70 catches for 1,023 yards and six touchdowns last season. He ranks seventh in NFL history with 862 receptions and 11th with 12,287 yards receiving. He has more receptions than every receiver in the Hall of Fame, and only Marvin Harrison has had more catches and yards receiving than Smith since 1996.

Smith’s longevity was surprising – even to him – especially considering what he overcame. In 2001, he had three operations to remove scar tissue from his abdomen. Some questioned whether he would play again, but he caught 112 passes for 1,373 yards – despite being arrested in November that year for suspicion of drunken driving. Tests later revealed he had cocaine in his system.

BASKETBALL

KIDD NAMED TO ALL ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM Detroit’s Ben Wallace, a four-time and reigning defensive player of the year, and San Antonio’s Bruce Bowen highlight the 2005-06 NBA All-Defensive Team, announced yesterday.

Making his fifth consecutive appearance on the all-defensive first team, Wallace is joined by leading vote-getter Bowen, who was named to the all-defensive team for the sixth consecutive season. Also selected to the first team were Utah’s Andrei Kirilenko, 2003-04 defensive player of the year Ron Artest of the Sacramento Kings, and guards Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers and Jason Kidd of the Nets receiving their sixth and seventh all-defensive honors, respectively.

Denver’s Marcus Camby, Detroit’s Chauncey Billups and Tayshaun Prince, Minnesota’s Kevin Garnett, and San Antonio’s Tim Duncan were named to the second team.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

ST. JOHN’S SLAPPED WITH PROBATION St. John’s was placed on two years’ probation and will lose one scholarship next season for making improper payments to a former men’s basketball player. The NCAA’s committee on infractions accepted all of the school’s self-imposed penalties, which included a postseason tournament ban in 2004-05, a reduction of one scholarship in 2005-06 and 2006-07, vacating all wins in which former player Abe Keita participated, and returning 90% of the money it received from the Big East for participating in the 2002 NCAA Tournament.

– Associated Press