The Enquirer and wire reports

In a bid to add excitement and put more emphasis on winning, NASCAR changed its scoring system Tuesday by setting up a showdown for the Nextel Cup championship over the last 10 races.

Matt Kenseth won the 2003 championship despite winning just one race. He was rewarded for consistency - 25 finishes in the top 10.

That wouldn't happen under a new system that readjusts drivers' points after the first 26 races in NASCAR's top series, which has had many recent championships decided early in the season.

The drivers in the top 10 and any other within 400 points of the leader after the first 26 races will earn a berth in what NASCAR has dubbed the "Chase for the Championship."

The champion will be guaranteed a minimum of $5 million. All of the other drivers who finish in the top 10 will earn $1 million. The 11th-place finisher will get a $250,000 bonus.

NASCAR also will award a race winner an additional five points, beginning with the season-opening Daytona 500 on Feb. 15.

IRL: Roger Yasukawa will drive for Team Rahal in the Indianapolis 500 and one other Indy Racing League event. Yasukawa was 10th in his rookie race at Indy last year and finished 12th in the IRL series with the Super Aguri Fernandez Racing team.

FORMULA ONE: F-1 teams could boycott European races this season unless they are exempted from new European Union arrest warrant laws. F1 officials fear team personnel could be arrested if a driver is killed in a race.

NBA

JAMES-LESS CAVS WIN: Carlos Boozer matched a career high with 32 points and added 20 rebounds as the Cleveland Cavaliers survived their first game without LeBron James (sprained ankle), beating the Seattle SuperSonics 99-94 Tuesday.

• Pacers 81, Pistons 69: Jermaine O'Neal had 28 points and 15 rebounds to help Indiana snap Detroit's 13-game win streak. The Pistons were trying for the longest win streak in franchise history and longest in the NBA this season.

• Celtics 86, Heat 84: Paul Pierce scored 29 points, and Boston rallied from a nine-point deficit in the final 5 1/2 minutes to snap a four-game losing streak.

• Mavericks 106, Nets 93: Antoine Walker scored 19 of his 22 points in the second half, and Dirk Nowitzki added 19 points.

HEAT: Brian Grant sat out Tuesday's game against Boston because of a bruised left knee, ending his streak of 123 consecutive games

NHL

FLYERS-CANES DEAL: Desperate to fix a struggling offense, the Carolina Hurricanes acquired right wing Justin Williams from the Philadelphia Flyers for defenseman Danny Markov. The Hurricanes rank last in the NHL with 86 goals and hope Williams will help. He has six goals and 20 assists.

• Canadiens 4, Flyers 1: Jose Theodore made 22 saves, and Richard Zednik scored two power-play goals. Jan Bulis and Michael Ryder also scored for the Habs, who won for the fourth time in five games (4-0-1).

• Devils 3, Penguins 0: Rookie goalie Scott Clemmensen shut out Pittsburgh on 25 shots in his first NHL start, and Turner Stevenson had two goals and an assist.

• Leafs 2, Islanders 0: Ed Belfour made 25 saves for his fifth shutout of the season. Mikael Renberg and Gary Roberts scored for the Maple Leafs, who are still first in the Eastern Conference with 61 points despite winning just two of six.

• Senators 3, Hurricanes 1: Marian Hossa had a goal and two assists.

• Bruins 4, Rangers 1: Carl Corazzini scored his first two NHL goals.

• Thrashers 4, Sabres 1: Slava Kozlov scored two goals, and Pasi Nurminen turned away 24 shots.

College football

PURDUE: Highlands offensive lineman Sean Sester has orally committed to Purdue, his coach, Dale Mueller, said. The 6-foot-8, 275-pounder is considered Northern Kentucky's top prospect. He picked the Boilermakers over UK, Louisville and Miami University.

Purdue is looking for a replacement for 6-8, 320-pound tackle Kelly Butler, who will forego his senior year to enter the NFL draft.

"He's that new breed of great tackles in college and the NFL - the tall and lean offensive lineman," Mueller said. "You hate to call them lean, but they're the more athletic type. That's how (Purdue is) picturing Sean."

Sester will join fellow Highlands product Brent Grover, a sophomore defensive lineman, at Purdue.

--Ryan Ernst

Golf

WIE WANTED: Michelle Wie, 14, probably will decline a sponsor invitation to the PGA Tour's Booz Allen Classic June 24-27 because it conflicts with a tournament where she's the defending champion. The U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links in Williamsburg, Va., is the same week. Wie won the event last year, becoming the youngest champion of a USGA event for adults.

Soccer

McBRIDE OVERSEAS: Brian McBride, U.S. World Cup player and Columbus Crew star, signed with Fulham of England's Premier League after a career in which he was a mainstay of Major League Soccer.