Phoenix Suns name Porter as coach

Terry Porter will be the Phoenix Suns’ next coach, ending the club’s monthlong search for a successor to Mike D’Antoni.

Phoenix General Manager Steve Kerr said Saturday he had agreed to terms with Porter, who was an assistant with the Detroit Pistons.

The 45-year-old Porter played in the NBA for 17 seasons and teamed with Kerr in San Antonio.

“He’s got a great combination of leadership skills,” Kerr said in a telephone interview with the Associated Press. “He’s a great communicator. And his coaching experience, two years as a head coach, is important to me. The fact that he’s sat in that chair, that was a key factor. He’s very tough-minded.”

Porter is expected to sign a three-year deal worth about $7 million, and he probably will be introduced at a news conference early this week. His hiring was first reported by ESPN.

Porter emerged from an extensive list of candidates interviewed by the Suns. Last week, Kerr said the list had been pared to four -- Porter and assistants Elston Turner of Houston, Tyrone Corbin of Utah and Mike Budenholzer of San Antonio.

Former USC star O.J. Mayo has new representation -- LeBron James’ agent, Leon Rose. Mike Woelfel, a Huntington, W.Va., lawyer for Mayo’s family, confirmed the signing, which was first reported Friday by the Herald-Dispatch of Huntington.

MOTOR RACING

Keselowski gets first Nationwide victory

Brad Keselowski raced to his first NASCAR Nationwide Series victory, taking the lead with six laps to go at Gladeville, Tenn.

Keselowski, driving a Chevrolet, became the seventh first-time winner in 15 Nationwide races at Nashville Superspeedway.

Kyle Busch, racing in the second of three NASCAR races in a historic weekend triple, finished 20th, three laps down. A green flag pit stop with 52 laps to go bounced him from the top five to two laps down.

Busch’s setback came 24 hours after his second-place finish in the Craftsman Truck Series race at Fort Worth.

Scott Dixon regained the lead a lap before a crash between his closest competitors and crossed the finish line under caution to win the Indy Racing League race at Texas Motor Speedway.

On the 222nd lap, Dixon drove under Marco Andretti coming out of the third turn to get in front. Near the same spot a lap later, Ryan Hunter-Reay was on the bottom of the track trying to get past Andretti. But his car suddenly darted up into Andretti, sending both of them into the wall.

Lewis Hamilton won the pole for today’s Formula One Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal -- barely.

Seconds after the checkered flag waved to signify the end of the third and final round of qualifying at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, BMW Sauber’s Robert Kubica appeared to grab his first Formula One pole, knocking Hamilton’s Mercedes McLaren off the top of the speed chart with a lap of 1 minute 18.498 seconds.

But Hamilton was still out on the 4.361-kilometer, 12-turn course, and he finished with a of 1:17.886 that put him on the pole. Kubica will start from the outside of the front row.

Nick Joanides took the lead from Tim Huddleston on Lap 31 to win the NASCAR Auto Club Late Model Division 40-lap feature at Toyota Speedway in Irwindale.

OLYMPICS

Japan men clinch volleyball berth

Japan’s men’s volleyball team defeated Argentina, 26-28, 25-13, 25-19, 17-25, 20-18, at the world Olympic qualifying tournament in Tokyo to clinch its first Olympic berth in 16 years. Japan will enter the Beijing Games as the top team from Asia.

Denver Nuggets forward Nene will not play for Brazil in next month’s Olympic qualifying tournament at Athens.

Nuggets team doctor Steven Traina sent a letter to the Brazilian Basketball Confederation explaining Nene required more time to recover after treatment for testicular cancer and other injuries.

Four-time Olympic gold medalist Lenny Krayzelburg, captain of the U.S. swimming team at the 2004 Athens Games, officially retired.

The 32-year-old Krayzelburg was plagued by injuries, including three surgeries on his left shoulder. He won three golds at Sydney in 2000 -- the 100- and 200-meter backstroke, as well as the 400 medley relay.

MISCELLANY

Bears’ Benson is arrested again

Chicago Bears running back Cedric Benson has been charged with drunk driving after being arrested for the second time in just over a month.

Authorities said Benson was arrested in downtown Austin, Texas, after he failed a field sobriety test.

The arrest comes a month after Benson was charged with boating while intoxicated and resisting arrest.

The L.A. Riptide lost to the Denver Outlaws, 16-13, in a Major League Lacrosse game at the Home Depot Center.