Thursday's Sports in Brief
TENNIS
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) It started badly for Novak Djokovic, who needed 24 serves, six break-point saves and 15 minutes just to hold his first game in the second round.
This was not the close-to-invincible Djokovic that fans were used to seeing at the Australian Open, where he has won a record-equaling six titles, including five in the previous six years.
In his earliest loss at a Grand Slam tournament since 2008, Djokovic lost 7-6 (8), 5-7, 2-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 to No. 117-ranked Denis Istomin, a 30-year-old wild-card entry from Uzbekistan.
Djokovic hadn't dropped a set to Istomin in six previous matches. But he lost the 85-minute first set in a tiebreaker and then seemed to get the momentum back, only for Istomin to finish stronger.
Istomin's only previous win in 33 matches against top-10 players was in 2012 versus then-No. 5 David Ferrer.
PRO FOOTBALL
LAS VEGAS (AP) - First the NHL's Vegas Golden Knights. Soon, maybe, the Las Vegas Raiders.
Once looked on with disdain by major sports leagues, this gambling city is now just 24 votes away from cashing in on one of the biggest sports jackpots ever.
The Raiders made it official by filing for relocation from Oakland to Las Vegas, the culmination of a whirlwind romance to bring an NFL team to a city that the league had previously gone out of its way to shun because of sports betting fears.
League owners are expected to vote on the move in March.
NEW YORK (AP) - Former New York Jets sack-dancing star Mark Gastineau says he is suffering from several health issues caused from years of playing football.
The 60-year-old Gastineau says during a radio interview with 710 WOR Radio in New York that he has been diagnosed with dementia, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.
The Jets' career sacks leader, who was known for his entertaining dances after taking down quarterbacks from 1979-88, believes his conditions are largely related to his aggressive, hard-playing style.
WASHINGTON (AP) - President-elect Donald Trump appears to have announced that billionaire New York Jets owner Woody Johnson will become the next ambassador to Britain.
Trump was speaking at a luncheon in Washington when he introduced a guest as ''sitting next to the ambassador Woody Johnson, going to Saint James.''
Trump said, ''Congratulations, Woody.''
The appointment has not been formally announced, but Johnson is considered a favorite for the job. The billionaire businessman and philanthropist from the Johnson & Johnson family has known Trump for years.
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) - Newly hired Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott is turning his offense over to former Denver Broncos coordinator Rick Dennison.
The Bills announced an agreement to hire Dennison as their offensive coordinator. He has 22 years of NFL coaching experience, including the past two running the Broncos' offense.
Dennison has been a coach on Denver's three Super Bowl-winning teams, including as a special teams assistant in 1997 and `98
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck has undergone surgery on the right shoulder that's bothered him the past two seasons.
Colts owner Jim Irsay announced on Twitter that Luck was recovering from successful outpatient surgery. Irsay says Luck will be ready for the 2017 season.
Luck was listed on the Colts injury report throughout this season and missed several practices, with coach Chuck Pagano saying the team had a plan for keeping Luck healthy while he dealt with a sore throwing shoulder.
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) - The Los Angeles Rams have confirmed Wade Phillips is their new defensive coordinator.
New head coach Sean McVay said last week that Phillips would be joining him.
Phillips begins his 40th NFL season as a coach with the Rams, the 10th franchise to employ him. He was a head coach at Dallas, Buffalo and Denver, and he served as an interim head coach for New Orleans, Atlanta and the Houston Texans.
PRO BASKETBALL
NEW YORK (AP) - Stephen Curry won a tiebreaker to join Golden State teammate Kevin Durant in the lineup, while LeBron James and Kyrie Irving also gave Cleveland two starters in the NBA All-Star Game.
Curry and Houston's James Harden beat out Russell Westbrook for the two Western Conference backcourt spots Thursday in the new voting system that included players and media for the first time this season. They will join frontcourt choices Durant, Anthony Davis of New Orleans and Kawhi Leonard of San Antonio.
The rest of the East lineup for the Feb. 19 game in New Orleans is Giannis Antetokounmpo of Milwaukee and Jimmy Butler of Chicago in the frontcourt and DeMar DeRozan of Toronto in the backcourt. He beat out Boston's Isaiah Thomas in another tiebreaker.
SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Spurs center Pau Gasol is out indefinitely after breaking his left ring finger during pregame warmups.
Gasol missed San Antonio's 118-104 victory over the Denver Nuggets. He was slated to start but left the court clutching his left hand before the national anthem. He had X-rays, which revealed a fractured finger on his non-shooting hand.
The team said there is no timeline for Gasol's return.
BASEBALL
NEW YORK (AP) - A day after his election to the Hall of Fame, Ivan Rodriguez appeared to deny using steroids during his career.
The catcher spoke at a news conference alongside fellow inductees Jeff Bagwell and Tim Raines.
Rodriguez initially avoided a direct response when asked about speculation he had used steroids. Asked during a follow-up whether he would address what happened and whether he did or didn't, he responded: ''No, I didn't.''
Pushed whether that meant he didn't use or he wouldn't respond, Rodriguez said: ''I always played the game the right way.''
HOCKEY
PEORIA, Ill. (AP) - Three people were listed in serious condition after a bus carrying a minor league hockey team was involved in a rollover crash.
Twenty-three passengers were taken to a hospital after charter bus carrying the Columbus (Georgia) Cottonmouths of the Southern Professional Hockey League team overturned on Interstate 74 near Peoria, Illinois.
League president Jim Combs told The Associated Press by phone late Thursday that goalie Brandon Jaeger had surgery to repair a dislocated leg after he was trapped inside the bus.
Combs said the bus driver also required surgery and sustained a cut on his head. He didn't have any further details on the bus driver's injury.