Sports News in Brief
76ers into playoff
NEWARK, New Jersey - The Philadelphia 76ers earned the final NBA playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and spoiled the Nets' final game in New Jersey with a 105-87 win.
Thaddeus Young recorded 15 points in the second half to help the 76ers make the playoffs for the second consecutive year and eliminate the Milwaukee Bucks from the post-season race.
The win moved the 76ers into a tie with the New York Knicks for the seventh seed with two games left in the 2011-12 NBA regular season.
Rodionova beaten
FEZ, Morocco - Australian Anastasia Rodionova and defending champion Alberta Brianti of Italy were among the first day casualties at the WTA event in Morocco. Sixth-seeded Chanelle Scheepers of South Africa accounted for Rodionova 6-4 6-4 and Alexandra Cadantu of Romania knocked out Brianti 5-7 7-5 6-1. Brianti, who clinched her first WTA title at last year's edition, was broken 11 times and won only 48 per cent of points on first serve.
Top-seeded Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain beat Nina Bratchikova of Russia 6-2 6-4.
Bangalore triumphs
JAIPUR, India - Tillakaratne Dilshan and AB de Villiers put on an unbroken 122-run stand off 50 balls as Royal Challengers Bangalore defeated Rajasthan Royals by 46 runs in the Indian Premier League.
Dilshan scored 76 off 58 balls and De Villiers smashed five sixes for 59 from 23 balls to help steer Bangalore to 3-189.
Left-arm spinner Prabhu Appanna polished off Rajashtan's top order by taking 4-19 to restrict the home team's chase to 7-143.
Brisbane celebrates
BRISBANE - In some eyes he is public enemy No.1 but Besart Berisha was easily the crowd favourite as Brisbane Roar celebrated their second straight A-League title with a tickertape parade.
Debate is still raging over whether Perth Glory's Liam Miller fouled Berisha in stoppage time of Sunday's A-League grand final before the Albanian international converted the penalty to seal a controversial 2-1 win for the Roar.
But there was no doubt in the minds of the thousands who packed Brisbane's CBD to applaud the Roar's historic back-to-back championships - nor in the mind of Berisha.
One change
BRISBANE - Brisbane have made just one change for Friday night's NRL derby against the Gold Coast with halfback Peter Wallace returning from injury.
Wallace who is firming sharply to play in the halves for NSW in next month's Origin series, returns from a groin tear for the Suncorp Stadium clash.
Utility Ben Hunt, who filled in for Wallace against the Raiders when Brisbane chalked up their fifth straight win, drops back to the bench for Friday's match.
Sailing victory
SYDNEY - Australia's world champion sailing pair of Malcolm Page and Mathew Belcher have had a perfect Olympic warm-up with a brace of victories at day two of the World Cup in France.
The heat was on the world No.1 470 dinghy crew after suffering a broken mast during the opening day's racing, off Hyeres, southern France, and limping across the finish line in lowly 24th place.
But they kept their cool and bounced back in spectacular fashion with two wins from two races, propelling themselves up to 10th on the regatta leaderboard in this, the fourth round of the World Cup series.
* Source: AAP and AFP