Denver Nuggets forward Nene has apologized for putting out a statement claiming a tumor on his testicle was benign before later admitting it had been malignant.

The 25-year-old had surgery on January 14 to remove the tumor. He posted a statement on his web site three days later saying the tumor had been benign, but the Nuggets set the record straight on January 22, revealing the tumor was malignant but saying the cancer had not spread.

“I would like to apologize for the incorrect information that was disclosed,” Nene said in a statement Sunday. “There was no bad-faith or intention to fool anyone upon the announcement of a wrong result for the biopsy - it was a miscommunication within our staff and we were all very upset with what happened.
“But the worst part is over, I am very happy with the result of the exams, happy for feeling better.”

To ensure he remains cancer-free, Nene will have check-ups every six months for 10 years.

He is currently on an indefinite leave of absence, but visited the Nuggets during practice on Thursday.

“It was wonderful to meet my basketball family, my Denver teammates, and I was surprised with the support and the way they welcomed me back,” Nene said. “It is because of emotions like this that I see how difficult it will be to stay away from the courts.

“My mind is there, with the team, but my body needs to rest and to recover. And to know that I am recovering is a big comfort. I had the opportunity to talk with my coach Karl, who also faced very difficult moments and won such battles.”

The 6-11 Nene has appeared in 12 games this season for the Nuggets, averaging 6.4 points and 6.4 rebounds. He missed 22 games after undergoing surgery on his left thumb in early November.

Tiger Woods shrugged off three consecutive bogeys while cruising to an eight-shot victory at the Buick Invitational on Sunday for his 62nd PGA Tour title.

Eight ahead of the field overnight in his first tournament of the year, the world number one holed two monster birdie putts on his way to a one-under-par 71 in increasingly windy conditions on the South Course at Torrey Pines.

Woods piled up five birdies and four bogeys for a 19-under total of 269 to record a fourth successive triumph at the coastal venue and his sixth overall.

Japan’s Ryuji Imada birdied the last two holes for a 67 to finish a distant second at 11 under, two ahead of South Africa’s Rory Sabbatini (67) and American Stewart Cink (73).

“The whole idea today was to go out and shoot something under par and not make any bogeys, but I got half of that right,” Woods told reporters after winning his opening PGA Tour event of the season for the sixth time in 12 years.

“Even though I didn’t drive the ball particularly well this week, I still was able to do what I was able to do, which was nice.

“I think we are all pleased to get this thing in,” Woods added, as the rain and wind intensified at Torrey Pines.

His margin of victory shattered the previous tournament best of five set by fellow American Tom Watson in 1977 and equaled by Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979.

Undefeated Jean Pascal survived a late-round scare to unanimously outpoint Omar Pittman in a super-middleweight fight Friday night.

Trailing on the scorecards and with his right eye nearly shut, Pittman landed a solid left hook to the head that put Pascal in trouble in the seventh. Pascal clinched and retreated and Pittman scored with a right to the head in the final seconds.

In the opening seconds of the eighth, Pittman again hurt Pascal with a lead left to the head. But Pittman, from Philadelphia, failed to follow with sufficient shots to hurt Pascal until a counter right to the head at the end of the round.

In the final two rounds, Pascal again utilized the lead left that enabled him to build a huge lead in the early rounds.

Two judges scored the bout 98-91, and the third had it winning, 97-92.

Pascal, a native of Haiti who represented Canada in the 2004 Olympics, improved to 21-0, while Pittman dropped to 15-4-1.

In another bout, super-middleweight contender Edison Miranda stopped David Banks in the third round. Miranda (31-2) caught Banks (15-4-1) with a punishing right to the head, which sent Banks through the ropes and nearly into the officials table.

Banks struggled to reach his feet while he dangled in the ropes and failed to beat referee Frank Santore’s count, ending the fight at 1:15 of the round.