The man who fatally shot retired New Orleans Saints star Will Smith insisted Saturday that he did so only after a drunken, irate Smith retrieved a gun from his damaged SUV following an April 9 car crash. ‘‘I knew for a fact that I was going to get shot,’’ Cardell Hayes, 29, told the jury in his second-degree murder trial in New Orleans, adding that he heard a pop that he believed to be a gunshot before he fired. Hayes also insisted he didn’t shoot Smith’s wife Racquel that night, despite prosecutors saying ballistics evidence shows otherwise­. Hayes’s defense lawyers rested their case, setting the stage for closing arguments and the beginning of jury deliberations Sunday. Hayes vehemently denied intentionally running into Smith’s Mercedes SUV moments after the Mercedes appeared to have bumped Hayes’s car. He said he armed himself only after he and his own passenger were accosted by Smith and Richard Hernandez, a passenger in the SUV. Hernandez, he said, wildly stripped off his shirt and took something shiny from his pocket — Hayes said he was afraid it was a knife. Smith didn’t initially notice the gun, Hayes said. He said Smith, 34, threw a cup containing some type of alcohol at him and punched him repeatedly. At some point during the fast-unfolding melee, Hernandez alerted Smith to Hayes’s gun, Hayes said under questioning from defense lawyer John Fuller. Hayes is the only witness to place a gun in Smith’s hand that night. Police say a loaded gun was found in Smith’s SUV. Prosecutors say it was never fired that night and that Smith never grabbed it. Hayes fired a .45-caliber handgun numerous times. Racquel Smith was hit twice in the legs, and Will Smith once in the side and seven times in the back.

Vereen is back with Giants

The Giants activated halfback Shane Vereen off the injured reserve/designated for return list, and the former Patriot is likely play against the Cowboys on Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J. Vereen tore his triceps Sept. 25 against Washington . . . The Falcons will be without receiver Mohamed Sanu for Sunday’s game at the Rams because of a groin injury. Atlanta’s leading receiver, Julio Jones, has turf toe and is questionable . . . The Jaguars placed tight end Julius Thomas (back) and defensive end Jared Odrick (shoulder) on IR, ending their seasons . . . The Browns signed starting cornerback Jamar Taylor to a three-year contract extension. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Vikings punt returner Marcus Sherels (ribs) was downgraded to out for Sunday’s game against Jacksonville.

GOLF

English, Kuchar win Shootout

Harris English and Matt Kuchar won the Franklin Templeton Shootout in Naples, Fla., holding off Steve Stricker and Jerry Kelly by a stroke at Tiburon. English and Kuchar closed with a 7-under 65 in better-ball play to finish at 28 under . . . David Duval and stepson Nick Karavites shot an 11-under 61 to take the first-round lead in the PNC Father/Son Challenge at Ritz-Carlton Golf Club’s Grande Lakes in Orlando. Fred and Taylor Funk are a shot behind in second place in the two-day, 20-team scramble event . . . Sam Brazel of Australia shot a 3-under 67 in the third round of the Hong Kong Open to share a two-stroke lead with Rafa Cabrera Bello (70) at 11-under 199.

SOCCER

Real Madrid sets team mark

Real Madrid set a club record after a 35th consecutive match without a loss by beating Deportivo La Coruna, 3-2, on a Sergio Ramos stoppage-time winner in Barcelona. Madrid hasn’t lost since April 6 at German side Wolfsburg in the Champions League knockout rounds . . . Lionel Messi scored twice in the second half to lead Barcelona to a 3-0 win at Osasuna, ending a run of three consecutive draws for the defending Spanish league champions.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Fickell new Cincinnati coach

Cincinnati hired Ohio State defensive coordinator Luke Fickell as its head coach, turning to the Buckeye state native to reestablish a program that has slipped in recent years. Fickell, 43, agreed to a six-year deal pending approval from the board of trustees, the school said. Fickell has been a coach with the Buckeyes since 2002. He served as head coach in 2011, taking over after Jim Tressel was fired during the offseason, going 6-7 . . . Pittsburgh running back James Conner said he will give up his remaining year of eligibility and enter the NFL Draft. Conner, 21, redshirted during the 2015 season following a knee injury and a very public battle with cancer. He holds the ACC record for career touchdowns (56).

WINTER SPORTS

Skaters repeat at Grand Prix

Russian teen Evgenia Medvedeva and Japan’s Yuzuru Hanyu did not even need their best skating to successfully defend their Grand Prix Final titles in Marseille, France. Medvedeva, 17, stumbled on her first jump, and Hanyu botched a quad salchow and failed to complete a triple lutz and yet still won a fourth straight title. Hanyu’s winning score of 293.90 put him way ahead of 17-year-old American Nathan Chen, who got the best free score to finish second overall in his first senior final with 282.85 points, doing just enough to beat 18-year-old Shoma Uno of Japan (282.51). Medvedeva registered 227.66 points. Japan’s Satoko Miyahara scored 218.33 as she finished runner-up for a second time, and Anna Pogorilya made it two Russian women on the podium, rising to third on 216.47 . . . Tessa Worley won her second straight World Cup giant slalom after first-run leader Mikaela Shiffrin struggled in her second trip down the 2006 Turin Olympics course in Sestriere, Italy. Worley captured her 10th career giant slalom win to match the French record set by Carole Merle between 1988-93. Worley also won a GS in Killington, Vt., two weeks ago. Shiffrin finished sixth Saturday, and her lead over Switzerland’s Laura Gut in the overall standings was cut to 8 points heading into Sunday’s slalom. Frenchman Alexis Pinturault won the men’s GS in Val d’Isere.

BOXING

Joshua wins, gets Klitschko next

Anthony Joshua had just outclassed Eric Molina in Manchester, England, to retain the IBF world heavyweight title when the undefeated British boxer was finally given a proper fight. Wladimir Klitschko strode into the ring at Manchester Arena, shook hands with Joshua, and the announcement many boxing fans wanted was made: Joshua vs. Klitschko, Wembley Stadium in London, April 29. Saturday’s fight was ended with just under a minute left in the third round . . . New Zealander Joseph Parker (22-0) claimed the vacant WBO world heavyweight boxing title with a contentious majority points decision against Mexico’s Andy Ruiz in Auckland. Ruiz came into the fight at 29-0 with 19 knockouts and was the more aggressive fighter throughout the 12-round contest.

MISCELLANY

Russia will retest drug samples

Russia will accept an International Olympic Committee plan to retest all drug test samples given by its athletes at the 2012 and 2014 Olympics, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko said. Mutko, who was sports minister at the time of the 2012 and 2014 Olympics, also suggested that he does not expect Russia to be barred from the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang­ . . . The Los Angeles Angels acquired shortstop Danny Espinosa from the Washington Nationals for minor league righthanders Austin Adams and Kyle McGowin . . . Minnesota Twins minor league pitcher Yorman Landa died in Venezuela. He was 22. Local media reports said Landa was in a car accident . . . Bill Dineen, a former player and coach in the NHL and AHL, died at his home in Lake George, N.Y. He was 84. No cause of death was given.

The NBA said the Kings-76ers game in Philadelphia that was postponed last month because of a wet court has been rescheduled for Jan. 30.

Mastery won the $300,000 CashCall Futurity for 2-year-olds by 7¼ lengths at Los Alamitos in California, giving Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert his record ninth win in the Grade 1 race.