Guards

The surviving suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings remained under heavy guard in a hospital Saturday, with an injury to his neck complicating how he would be interrogated and held for trial. The neck wound apparently did not initially silence Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19, who was swearing profusely in the ambulance ride after his final confrontation with the FBI, according to a source familiar with the case. The Justice Department remained quiet Saturday on whether officials had been able to question Tsarnaev, or whether they would attempt to do so before he consults an attorney.

LAS VEGAS - For nearly five years, the steel-and-concrete skeleton of the abandoned resort project has taunted this city, a glaring reminder that casino operators here can't win every economic wager they place. The stalled Echelon project sits on hallowed gambling ground: It's where the old Stardust casino was imploded. Construction on the new $4-billion resort began in 2007 and froze a year later - a failure so embarrassing that city officials later ordered owner Boyd Gaming Corp.

SAN ANTONIO - Steve Nash stared at an unknown point way up high inside AT&T Center, shaking his head and muttering to himself as he went to the sideline for a timeout. Two minutes had barely passed in the third quarter of the Lakers' playoff opener Sunday. He was three for 10 at the time against the San Antonio Spurs and looked every bit like a 39-year-old coming back from a three-week layoff. "I'm not myself," Nash said. "I'm not moving that well. I'm struggling a little bit. I probably had a few shots in there that I probably normally make, but I still think it's important to try and contribute.

The playoffs are the place where the knocks on Eric Bledsoe go to die. Too erratic? He made all seven shots Saturday night in the Clippers' playoff opener. Not ready to become an NBA starter? He was certainly prepared to finish, becoming the only Clipper to play the entire fourth quarter. Nothing but pure athleticism? He showed plenty of grit by grabbing six rebounds, as many as Memphis big men Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph had … combined. Bledsoe was such a blur during the Clippers' 112-91 victory over the Grizzlies in Game 1 of their Western Conference first-round series that teammate Chris Paul rendered a head-spinning analysis of his backup's contract status a day later.

English quartet Savages didn't need much time to make an impression at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. The band, in fact, still had more than 15 minutes left on the clock when it strummed its last menacing guitar note during its early set Saturday. There was reason to be concerned. The venomous hard rock band, with three of its four members outfitted in nearly all black, doesn't exactly look like the type that enjoys a good brunchtime concert. Then there's singer Jehnny Beth, who lets her arms do the talking and her voice do the hollering.

As the sixth-ranked active player in playoff experience with 140 postseason games, Chauncey Billups is finally in position to increase his total. Billups has faced roadblocks the last two years of his playoff career, but he's healthy again and playing for the Clippers against the Memphis Grizzlies in a first-round Western Conference series that began Saturday night at Staples Center. He missed the playoffs last season with the Clippers because he was recovering from surgery to repair a ruptured left Achilles' tendon.

The Lakers (44-37) need to deal with James Harden on Wednesday when they host the Houston Rockets (45-36) in a must-win game that will determine whether they will make the playoffs, finishing in seventh, eighth or ninth place. With no Kobe Bryant (Achilles' tendon injury), the Lakers are going to have to try to win the matchup defensively. And without Bryant, the Rockets have a significant advantage over the Lakers at shooting guard. Shooting guard - probable starters: Jodie Meeks versus James Harden The Lakers would naturally prefer to have Bryant with the season on the line, but he's sidelined for at least six months as he recovers from surgery.

For many people living in the United States illegally, news Tuesday of a sweeping immigration overhaul bill elicited feelings of relief and guarded optimism. For Maria Galvan, 43, it meant she might be able to finally stop working odd jobs, like the one at a curtain factory. Maybe she can even open her own hair salon, a dream she had all but abandoned. And maybe, with some time, she can train herself not to slam on the brakes every time she sees a policeman. “It makes me happy to know we're being heard,” said Galvan, who crossed into the country illegally through Tijuana 13 years ago. “If this happens, it will be such a relief.” For Galvan- - and most of the 11 million others in the country without authorization- - the newly unveiled bill paves a 13-year-path toward citizenship and creates a new probationary legal status that would let people work and drive in the country without the fear of deportation.

Under the immigration bill proposed by a bipartisan group of senators, Maria Galvan could achieve her dream of opening a hair salon in Southern California. She has spent more than a decade doing odd jobs, barred from getting the required business license because she is in the country illegally. "It makes me happy to know we're being heard," said Galvan, 43, who is originally from Mexico City. "If this happens, it will be such a relief. " The path to citizenship as laid out in the bill is a lengthy one. Jose Cruz, a day laborer from Guatemala looking for work outside a Los Angeles Home Depot, said he was willing to wait.

Having Chauncey Billups back in the starting lineup for the Clippers on Tuesday night against the Portland Trail Blazers meant a lot to the team in many ways. Billups brings the Clippers championship experience. He won a title with the Detroit Pistons over the Lakers in 2004, when Billups was named the Finals most valuable player. "He's a little bit older now," Clippers Coach Vinny Del Negro said about the 36-year-old Billups. "He's missed most of last season and a lot of this season, so that's not as easy to do. We still expect a lot from him with his leadership.