The Ricky Price Show

Boozer breaks hand, out for 2 months

2010-10-04T09:36:00.000-07:00

DEERFIELD, Ill. -- Chicago Bulls forward Carlos Boozer has a broken right hand that will require surgery, and he is expected to be out eight weeks, the team announced Sunday afternoon.

Boozer suffered the injury on Saturday during the Bulls' day off. Boozer tripped over a bag in his house and fell.

"[I was] at my house, came around the corner, fell over a bag, put my arm down to kind of brace myself," Boozer said. "I'll get surgery on Tuesday and do my rehab, be conditioned and run with the guys. The good thing about it was at least it only happened in the preseason.

"It's tough. Obviously, I'm disappointed. I feel bad about it, but we got guys who can play, man. Guys will be able to step up and play. We've been practicing hard, getting ready for the preseason right now. I'm going to be there supporting them, I'll be their biggest cheerleader and sideline coach. And I'll be busting my butt trying to get back and healthy and attacking my rehab trying to get right."

The team says Boozer broke the fifth metacarpal bone in his hand. He was evaluated by team physician Dr. Brian Cole and hand specialist Dr. Marc Cohen of Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush.

The Bulls signed the two-time All-Star veteran forward to a five-year deal worth about $75 million this summer after missing out on LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

Said Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau: "It's part of the NBA. Those things happen. I think we've got more than enough to win with. We're disappointed, obviously, to lose Carlos, who put a lot of work in, and he was playing great, but that's part of the NBA. We move on and we just move forward. We've got plenty of guys who have started and have played in a lot of big games."

In eight professional seasons, Boozer has missed 145 games.

Boozer spent the previous six years with Utah and averaged 19.5 points and 11.2 rebounds last season before joining the Bulls in a sign-and-trade deal with the Jazz.

Bulls forward Joakim Noah will be expected to pick up the slack during Boozer's absence, and second-year forward Taj Gibson is the most likely candidate to replace Boozer in the starting lineup.

"It was kind of hard," Gibson said of the circumstances. "Because I came in, I was expecting to just go against him again in practice, just get better, because the whole [experience] was a positive, just learning from him, getting better. Then to come in, see him hurt, hopefully he gets back [as] soon as possible because I know our team's going to need him."

Gibson started 70 games last season, averaging nine points and 7.5 rebounds a game.

-ESPN.com

Vick hurt in McNabb's return to Philly

2010-10-04T09:18:00.000-07:00

PHILADELPHIA -- Michael Vick's brief run as No. 1 may be temporarily grounded.

Vick has a sore chest and ribs, and will need an MRI after the scrambling Eagles quarterback was drilled by a pair of Redskins on Sunday. Vick started his first home game of the season, but wasn't around for the finish in Washington's 17-12 win. He was replaced by Kevin Kolb, who suffered a concussion in the season opener that allowed Vick to take the job.

"I talked to him at halftime and he said his sternum and collarbone were hurting," wide receiver DeSean Jackson said.

The Eagles were mum on the severity of the injuries and Vick declined comment. Vick grimaced as he gingerly put on a button-down over his white T-shirt. He walked slowly around the locker room and shook his head no toward reporters.

His status for next week's game at San Francisco was not immediately known.

"He's got a sore chest is what I can tell you right now," coach Andy Reid said.

It looked much worse when he was crunched on another dazzling run.

Vick took off on a 23-yard scramble, but was sandwiched on a crushing hit by Kareem Moore and DeAngelo Hall. He was slow to get up and Kolb quickly hit the field for some warm-up tosses. Kolb was in on the next play.

To make the injury worse, Vick's run was wiped out on a holding penalty by guard Max Jean-Gilles.

The Eagles also lost cornerback Asante Samuel and wide receiver Riley Cooper to concussions. Neither returned to the game.

Kolb struggled in his first meaningful action of the season, going 22-for-35 for 201 yards with a touchdown and interception.

He threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Brent Celek to get the Eagles within 17-12 with 4:10 left. The 2-point conversion failed when Kolb's pass fell incomplete. Kolb's last shot at leading the Eagles to victory fell short when his desperation pass bounced off Jason Avant's hands.

Vick was sensational as a starter and showed flashes of the form that made him a three-time Pro Bowl quarterback during six seasons in Atlanta. He had 750 yards passing, six touchdowns and no interceptions, and had also run for 170 yards and one score in 10 quarters. For his efforts, Vick earned NFC Offensive Player of the Month honors.

He was 5-for-7 for 49 yards passing and rushed three times for 17 yards against the Redskins.

Jackson, a nonfactor with three catches, said he told Vick to tone done his running style to avoid punishing hits.

"With him being the athlete he is and the type of player he is, it's hard for him to get that stuff out of his head," Jackson said. "He's always trying to make plays and do certain things. I told him right before he got hurt, don't take no hits like that. We can't afford you taking hits. He's just trying to make things happen."

Vick is in the midst of one of the more astounding comebacks in recent sports history. He missed two seasons (2007-2008) while serving an 18-month sentence in federal prison for his role in a dogfighting operation. He spent most of last season as a role player behind Kolb and Donovan McNabb, mostly used in a variation of the Wildcat offense.

His marvelous play and reformed personal image -- he tours schools speaking out against dogfighting -- has made him a fan favorite in Philadelphia. Supporters usually bring signs touting "Vickadelphia!"

In McNabb's return to Philadelphia on Sunday, one fan made a sign that read: "Goodbye McNabb, Hello Vick-tory!"

They'll have to wait for the rematch.

-Associated Press

Alabama looks dominant

2010-10-04T08:38:00.000-07:00

The Alabama Crimson Tide looks like the real deal. After squeaking by Arkansas in their SEC opener I thought Florida might give them a dogfight. That Definitely was not the case. Alabama absolutely destroyed Florida in what was thought to be a the game of the weekend.

Bama has too much of everything. Too many great offensive players. Too many great defensive players. Too many great coaches. They just look like a well oiled machine. I was at the game 2 weeks ago when Bama visited Duke and I watched them put 28 points on the board in the 1st quarter on their way to a 64 point outburst. As we get into the middle portion of the schedule I just don't see Alabama losing. We might as well crown these guys now because the next best team in college football is not even in the vicinity of Alabama.

USC has been known to keep 2 to 3 outstanding backs at all times but Bama has a 1,2 punch that is unstoppable. Ingram, the reigning Heisman trophy winner is probably the best down for down back in the country and he seems to be playing at a higher level than he did last year which is scary. Richardson is electrifying! He makes big play after big play. His speed and power makes him a perfect compliment to the already potent Ingram. Together they have and will run opposing teams to death.

Over the years I have given Alabama very little coverage but I had no choice but to show the crimson tide some love especially after smashing Florida this weekend. To all my Bama fans out there today and today only I'm with you. "Roll tide"

RP

Lakers advance to their 3rd final in 3 years with Kobes brilliance in the 4th quarter

2010-05-30T10:47:00.000-07:00

PHOENIX -- Kobe Bryant is again showing the world what postseason greatness can be.

Bryant and his Los Angeles Lakers are in the NBA finals for the third straight season after he wrapped up a magnificent Western Conference finals with a 37-point performance in a series-clinching 111-103 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Saturday night.

"Kobe's so good, " teammate Lamar Odom said, "he makes incredible normal for us."

Ron Artest added 25 points as the Lakers held off a late Phoenix rally to win the series 4-2.

The Lakers and Celtics, the NBA's premier teams for much of the league's history, will meet in the finals for the 12th time with Game 1 Thursday night in Los Angeles. They are the NBA champions each of the last two years -- Boston beat the Lakers two years ago, and Los Angeles topped Orlando last season.

"We'll see how much we matured," Bryant said. "They challenged us extremely well in the finals a couple years ago. Now is a chance to see how much we've grown."

Bryant scored nine points in the final 2 minutes, including what looked like an impossible 23-footer with Grant Hill in his face and 34 seconds to play. The basket put Los Angeles up 107-100 and the scrappy Suns were finished.

"Those aren't shooters shots, they're scorers shots," Phoenix's Steve Nash said. "Those are best-player-in-the-game type shots."

Bryant will be in his seventh NBA finals in search of his fifth championship -- five more than regular season MVP LeBron James, who can only sit and watch.

Amare Stoudemire, in what may have been his last game with the Suns, scored 27 points but struggled to a 7-of-20 shooting night. He can opt out of the final year of his contract and has said chances are "50-50" that he will play elsewhere next season.

"I'm not sure what the future holds right now," he said, "so I'm just going to take a couple of days, enjoy the family and enjoy the rest and start figuring out the next move."

Nash, who had promised his team would win Game 6 after its near-miss in Game 5, added 21 points and nine assists in his 118th playoff game, the most for anyone who has never reached the finals. The 36-year-old point guard praised his team, which at the season's start was expected to be fortunate to even make the playoffs.

"You might say we overachieved," he said, "but we're a good team."

Bryant, with his 10th 30-point performance in his last 11 postseason games, moved ahead of Jerry West and into a tie with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for second-most 30-point playoff games at 75. He has a ways to go for the record of 109 held by Michael Jordan.

Bryant also extended his NBA record to eight straight 30-point closeout games on the road.

"I always thought he was the best player in basketball," Phoenix coach Alvin Gentry said.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson will be in search of his 11th NBA championship, fifth with the Lakers.

"Kobe was the man tonight," he said.

Channing Frye had 12 points and 13 rebounds for the Suns, who have reached the finals only twice in their history and never have won a championship. Goran Dragic scored 10 of his 12 points in a fourth-quarter rally that got Phoenix within three points.

The Lakers led by as many as 18 late in the second quarter and were up by 17 entering the fourth. But four Suns reserves plus Stoudemire got the Suns back into it after Los Angeles took a 91-74 lead into the fourth quarter.

"With a 3-point shooting team like Phoenix," Jackson said, "you know that any lead is not impossible."

With Bryant on the bench for a brief rest, Dragic scored the first eight points of the fourth quarter to slice Los Angeles' lead to 91-82 with 10:27 left.

The Lakers' Sasha Vujacic drew a flagrant foul for an elbow to the face of his fellow Slovenian with 11:18 to play. Dragic made both free throws, then blew by Vujacic for a layup to cut it to 91-80 with 11:12 left. Dragic drove for another layup the next time as Bryant made a hasty return to the court.

Gentry stayed with the lineup, and the run reached 16-4 on Stoudemire's layup after a slick pass from Dragic under the basket to cut it to 95-90 with 6:09.

Nash and Jason Richardson finally re-entered the game with 3:26 to play and Los Angeles leading 99-92. Stoudemire made two free throws, then Nash cut it to 99-96 on a layup with 2:19 left.

Bryant sank a 21-footer, Odom stole Nash's pass and Bryant made two free throws to stretch it to 103-96 with 1:43 to go. Four straight points by Stoudemire cut it to 100-95 with 53.1 seconds left, but Bryant responded with his dagger over Hill and the surprising playoff run of the undersized, overmatched Suns was over.

"I just got a little separation," Bryant said, smiling.

Los Angeles outscored the Suns 23-10 over the last eight minutes of the second half to lead 65-53 at the break. After Nash threw up an air ball in the half's waning seconds, Bryant sank a 3-pointer with 12.9 seconds left to give the Lakers the 12-point lead, their largest of the half, to the cheers of the surprisingly large and loud contingent of Los Angeles fans in the otherwise all-orange crowd.

Phoenix cut the lead to single digits only once in the third quarter, 74-65 on Stoudemire's two free throws with 5:38 left. The Lakers responded with an 11-2 run, Artest's layup in traffic making it 85-67 with 2 1/2 minutes remaining in the quarter.

Los Angeles led 91-74 entering the fourth.

Associated Press

Roy Halladay throws the perfect game

2010-05-30T10:38:00.000-07:00

MIAMI -- Stoic as always, Roy Halladay's expression never changed.

Until the end, that is.

Until there was history -- a perfect game, the marquee performance of his All-Star career.

The Philadelphia Phillies' ace threw the 20th perfect game in major league history, beating the Florida Marlins 1-0 on Saturday night.

Stark: A Great Halladay
Roy Halladay was the perfect pitcher to have this kind of night -- because all he does is pursue perfection, writes Jayson Stark. Story

• Olney: Halladay the perfect pitcher

At 9:23 p.m., when he got pinch-hitter Ronny Paulino to hit a grounder to third for the 27th out, only then could Halladay bask in his moment -- breaking into a big smile and wrapping his arms around catcher Carlos Ruiz before disappearing in a joyous, jumping gray-and-red mob of teammates.

"It's never something that you think is possible," Halladay said. "Really, once I got the two outs, I felt like I had a chance. You're always aware of it. It's not something that you expect."

It was the second perfect game in the majors this month alone, unheralded Dallas Braden doing it for Oakland against Tampa Bay on May 9. It's the first time in the modern era that there were a pair of perfectos in the same season -- Colorado's Ubaldo Jimenez threw a no-hitter, too, in April.

Halladay struck out 11, and was cheered by a crowd of 25,086 throughout much of the night. Another fan called later -- Vice President Joe Biden dialed up the Phillies' clubhouse to offer his congratulations when it was over.

"Early in my bullpen I was hitting spots more than I have been. I felt like I just carried that out there," Halladay said.

While there were a couple of good plays behind him -- shortstop Wilson Valdez went deep into the hole for a grounder, backup third baseman Juan Castro went to his knees for another, second baseman Chase Utley ranged well to his left for another fine play -- Halladay didn't need any great defensive work in this gem.

"I think everybody knows you have to have those kind of plays to do something like that," Halladay said.

Yes, but on this night, the 33-year-old righty known as Doc was a veritable one-man show.

"You've got to take your hat off to Doc," Marlins manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "That's why he is who he is. That's what they got him for."

Steely-eyed, standing tall and always working swiftly, Halladay (7-3) broke into a big smile as his teammates rushed in to congratulate him.

"That's a big emotion for him," Phillies left-hander Jamie Moyer said, laughing in the clubhouse. "It's fun to watch."

The Marlins said they would give Halladay the pitching rubber as a souvenir, leading to a slightly surreal scene. The lights at Sun Life Stadium went out and fireworks began exploding two minutes after the game ended, with the field crew preparing for a postgame concert behind second base.

Working in the dark, four men went to work on the mound, digging up the slab where Halladay made history.

"Look who's pitching," Marlins outfielder Cody Ross said. "It's Roy Halladay, the best pitcher in baseball. It's not embarrassing."

The concert lasted more than an hour.

On this night, Halladay was the lone maestro.

The former AL Cy Young winner was the centerpiece of a multiteam trade that brought him from Toronto to the two-time NL champions in the offseason, and the Phils gave him a $60 million, three-year contract extension.

He was within one out of a no-hitter on Sept. 27, 1998, in just his second major league start, pitching for the Blue Jays against Detroit. Pinch-hitter Bobby Higginson ended that on the first pitch he saw, hitting a solo home run.

"It's hard to explain," Halladay said. "There's days where things just kind of click and things happen. It's something you obviously, you don't ever go out and try to do. It's a great feeling. It's a lot better than the eight and two-thirds."

Halladay faced three Marlins pinch-hitters in the ninth. Mike Lamb led off with a long fly ball, but Shane Victorino had plenty of time to backtrack in the super-spacious outfield at Sun Life Stadium and squeeze it for the first out.

Another pinch-hitter, Wes Helms, struck out, and the crowd filled with Phillies fans simply began to roar.

From there, it was all up to Paulino, who fouled the first pitch into the seats along the first-base side, took ball one, swung and missed for strike two, and then stabbed at Halladay's 115th and final offering. Castro ranged to his left to get it and threw across to first baseman Ryan Howard, who caught the ball and jumped in the air.

In a week that saw the hard-hitting Phillies get shut out on three straight days by the New York Mets, Halladay delivered the most masterful pitching performance of all.

"He did what he had to do," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "We gave him one run. He made it stand up. That was good. Super for him."

On the short list of baseball's perfect games, there are the first two: John Richmond and John Ward pitched them five days apart in 1880, two decades before what is considered the modern era.

This was the Phillies' second perfect game, with Jim Bunning having thrown one in 1964. Philadelphia has thrown 10 no-hitters, the last by Kevin Millwood in 2003.

It was the second time the Marlins had been no-hit in their history, the lone other coming by the Dodgers' Ramon Martinez on July 14, 1995.

Halladay credited catcher Carlos Ruiz for a smooth ride.

"We felt like we got in a groove early and about the fifth or the sixth I was just following Chooch," he said. "I can't say enough about the job he did today. Mixed pitches. For me it was really a no-brainer."

The NL East leaders' lone run off Josh Johnson (5-2) came in the third, and fittingly in this battle of aces, it was unearned. Valdez singled, then scored when Chase Utley's fly to center skipped off Cameron Maybin's glove for a three-base error.

"It's one of those things where everything has to go right and it did," Maybin said. "J.J. did a great job of competing. Unfortunately, one play ... that was the ballgame."

Valdez scored easily. And Halladay had all the support he needed.

A Philadelphia story, for certain.

Sorry, Flyers -- your return to the Stanley Cup finals on Saturday night just got upstaged, in a big way. In fact, NBC broke into its coverage of the Game 1 of the Flyers-Chicago matchup to show a replay of the final out.

There have now been three perfect games in the last 10 months, with Mark Buehrle doing it last July 23 for the Chicago White Sox against Tampa Bay.

Halladay had a complete-game one-hitter last September against the New York Yankees, though with far less drama, thanks to Ramiro Pena getting a double to right field in the sixth inning.

Unshakable on the mound, not even three-ball counts fazed Halladay.

He went to either 3-1 or 3-2 counts seven times, twice in the game's first three batters alone, and always worked out of the trouble. Chris Coghlan tossed his bat aside on the Marlins' first plate appearance of the night, thinking he'd drawn a walk, only to hear plate umpire Mike DiMuro call strike three.

Coghlan wasn't pleased, and that was a theme for the Marlins throughout.

"I thought they were balls, that's why I took them. But obviously they're too close to take," Coghlan said. "I don't want to talk about the strike zone because that's discrediting what he did."

Hanley Ramirez had the same issue two batters later, stepping toward first after thinking a 3-1 pitch missed the zone. It hadn't, DiMuro said, and Ramirez wound up grounding out.

That was just the start.

Jorge Cantu went to a 3-1 count in the second before striking out on a foul tip. Dan Uggla had a three-ball count before a flyout in the fifth, and Maybin added drama in the sixth.

Maybin showed bunt twice, drawing a small chorus of boos, and eventually worked his way ahead 3-1. He ended up hitting a hard shot to deep short, where Valdez fielded it on a hop and threw to Howard in time to beat Maybin by a half-step -- umpire Tim Welke taking a big swing to indicate the out.

Halladay got another nice play in the eighth when Castro went to his knees to snare a sharp grounder off Cantu's bat, recovering and throwing to first in plenty of time. When Cody Ross popped to short to end the eighth, Halladay showed no emotion, simply walking to the dugout with his head bowed a bit, tugging once on the left shoulder of his gray jersey.

"I was thinking, if somebody hit a ball close to me, I was going to do whatever it takes," Castro said.

For the Marlins, Johnson threw a career-high 121 pitches in seven innings, giving up seven hits, one unearned run, one intentional walk and striking out six.

His night was stellar -- and didn't even come close to comparing to his counterpart.

"He's the best right-hander in the game," Johnson said, "and he kind of proved it."

Associated Press

Lakers win game 5 on buzzer beater

2010-05-28T08:09:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES -- A path through the lane suddenly opened up before Ron Artest. Kobe Bryant's missed 3-pointer dropped right into his hands, and Artest's awkward layup banked neatly through the net as the buzzer sounded on Game 5 of the Western Conference finals.

What a pretty finish to an ugly game for the Lakers' veteran troublemaker, who has struggled to find his role throughout his first season with the defending champions -- and what a strange, thrilling way for Artest to carve out his own spot in the Lakers' playoff lore.

Artest banked home the winning shot after grabbing the biggest offensive rebound of his career, nudging the Lakers past the Phoenix Suns 103-101 on Thursday night to take a 3-2 series lead.

Bryant had 30 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists for the Lakers, but the improbable hero of Game 5 is the only new player on their roster. Bryant and Artest wrapped each other in a bear hug after Artest honed in on Bryant's miss and threw up a hideous shot that somehow went in.

"It means a lot for him," Bryant said. "I think for him emotionally, it's a big boost. ... Once I released the ball, I saw Ron sneaking in. I was just hoping that he got it off in time."

Artest's basket completed a 2-for-9 shooting night redeemed by one supremely heady offensive rebound. Moments earlier, Jason Richardson banked in a straightaway 3-pointer with 3.5 seconds left to tie it for the Suns.

"I wasn't playing my game from the beginning," Artest said. "In the second half, I was finding my way a little bit, made some good passes and good steals and got some rebounds. So I guess that aggressive play can carry over into that last possession."

Game 6 is Saturday night in Phoenix, where the Lakers can clinch the chance to play for their 16th championship.

Phoenix clawed back from an 18-point deficit in the second half with a superb game by Steve Nash, who had 29 points and 11 assists. After Richardson's accidental tying bank shot, the Lakers went to Bryant, whose miss went straight to Artest.

"I thought Kobe got fouled on the shot, so I figured it was going to be short," Artest said. "And it was a little short."

Lakers coach Phil Jackson wasn't even sure why he had Artest in the game after the veteran forward missed consecutive open shots earlier in the final minute.

"He has an uncanny knack of doing things, and sometimes it just works out," Jackson said. "He just has a knack for being around crucial plays."

Lamar Odom had 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Lakers, who led 101-96 with 90 seconds to play before Nash hit another jumper and Artest missed twice, the home crowd yelling in frustration with each open brick.

"His whole methods since we were small is, 'I'm going to outwork you,'" said Odom, who played AAU ball with Artest in their New York youth. "'I'm going to bang you until you don't want no more. His stubbornness is the reason why he took that 3, because he just missed one. That's part of his game, that's why he's a great player, and that's why he's a great defender. It's just something you have to live with."

Led by Nash's stirring second-half effort, the Suns hacked away at Los Angeles' lead throughout the fourth quarter. Phoenix trimmed its deficit to 95-94 when Nash converted a three-point play and then fed Amare Stoudemire for a layup that barely beat the shot clock with 2:52 left.

"Everything is OK," Nash said. "We can't knock a great effort. Maybe we deserved this game, maybe we didn't. They held home court. We'll go back and do the same, and we'll come back here for Game 7."

Stoudemire scored 19 points for the Suns, who had three looks at a 3-point shot in the final seconds. Nash and Richardson both missed, but Richardson then missed so badly that he banked it in from a long step behind the line.

"We just didn't quite finish the game," Suns coach Alvin Gentry said. "I have no complaints. They played great. We hung in. We did a great job against Kobe on the last shot, just didn't come up with the rebound. To me, it's a great effort by us, and they know we're not going to go away."

The Lakers already won on a last-second layup earlier in the postseason, when Pau Gasol sent home the Oklahoma City Thunder with an offensive rebound and a score in Game 6 of the first round.

Derek Fisher scored 22 points and Gasol had 21 points and nine rebounds for the Lakers, who rebounded from consecutive losses in Phoenix with their best defensive performance of the series, forcing 15 turnovers and holding Phoenix to mediocre shooting -- yet the Suns still came agonizingly close to handing Los Angeles its first home loss of the postseason.

The Lakers improved to 8-0 at Staples Center, where they'll play Game 7 on Monday night if the Suns hold serve in a series featuring five wins for the home team.

After dominating Game 4 while Phoenix evened the series, the Suns' bench outscored the Lakers just 31-24 in Game 5, while Los Angeles reasserted its size advantage against the Suns' zone defense with a 49-40 rebounding edge. The Lakers surged to a 16-point lead in the first half with a 21-4 run led by Bryant, who hit three consecutive 3-pointers in less than a minute.

Gentry vomited into a trash can while sitting on the bench in the first half after apparently eating something that disagreed with him. Gentry, who reportedly received intravenous fluids at halftime, also didn't care for the officiating, earning a technical foul midway through the Lakers' big run.

Los Angeles jumped ahead 74-56 in the third quarter, but Phoenix made a 16-4 rally including a four-point play by Jared Dudley to trim the lead to six points heading into the fourth.

Associated Press

Duke visits the Whitehouse

2010-05-28T08:02:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON -- This is what you get for ever picking North Carolina, Mr. President.

President Barack Obama on Thursday heaped praise on the Duke men's basketball team for winning the NCAA championship last month -- a Blue Devils squad that capped its run in one of the more exciting title games in recent memory, a 61-59 contest against upstart Butler that came down to the final shot.

But standing in the Rose Garden on a sticky day, Obama was still taking heat for (correctly) picking North Carolina, Duke's rival, to win it all in 2009. Duke's coach, Mike Krzyzewski, bristled a bit at Obama at the time and said the president should sticking to fixing the economy. The two have since made up.

"It was nothing personal," Obama joked on Thursday with the coach and team standing behind him. "Just trying to win some money."

A smiling Krzyzewski returned the favor by giving Obama a framed copy of this year's winning bracket -- with Duke right in the center.

Obama lauded Duke for growing as a team and being part of their community. After their moment at the White House, the players and coaches were headed to the Pentagon to thank members of the military and then to Arlington National Cemetery to pay respects.

The president commended the coach for his style, quoting Krzyzewski's philosophy as saying a team is like a hand, which can attack with more force when it comes together like a fist. "Very subtle, coach," Obama said.

The hoops-loving Obama spent time talking to the players and taking photos before the ceremony. It came on a day when he also was announcing his latest steps on Gulf Coast oil spill, holding a news conference, meeting privately with former President Bill Clinton and hosting Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

"For him to take the time out to greet us in such a way is just terrific," Krzyzewski said

Associated Press

Orl wins another game and has Boston flustered, Game 6 Fri in Boston

2010-05-27T08:03:00.000-07:00

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Not ready to go home just yet, the only place the Orlando Magic are headed is back to Boston.

Halfway to history.

Taking another step toward overcoming an improbable 3-0 series deficit, Dwight Howard had 21 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Magic to a 113-92 victory over the Celtics on Wednesday night in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals.

A series that looked like a sweep a few days ago now has the Celtics taking a slim lead into a pressure-packed Game 6 in Boston on Friday night. The Celtics are facing the possibility of playing it without Kendrick Perkins after their starting center picked up his seventh technical foul of the playoffs, a mandatory suspension unless it is overturned.

A potential Game 7 would be in Orlando.

No NBA team has won a series after losing the first three games.

The Magic, seemingly lifeless after a blowout defeat in Game 3, suddenly have hope to be the first. They broke out of their series-long shooting slump, making 13-of-25 3-pointers.

"I just feel that if we keep believing in each other and trusting one another and playing as hard as we can, anything's possible," Howard said.

Jameer Nelson scored 24 points, and J.J. Redick had 14 to help the Magic to a frenetic pace that the Celtics couldn't sustain. Howard added five blocks as Orlando built an early 14-point lead that was never seriously challenged.

Rasheed Wallace had 21 points, and Rajon Rondo scored 19 for a Boston team that once seemed on its way to another NBA Finals.

Now? The Celtics are stunned and dazed -- and Boston fans who just watched their NHL team blow a 3-0 lead are getting uneasy.

Howard's elbow inadvertently came down on Glen "Big Baby" Davis' face near the basket in the third quarter, giving the Celtics forward a concussion. Davis tried to get up as play continued on the other end, wobbling his way to midcourt, almost falling flat as referee Joey Crawford kept him from tumbling to the hardwood.

Davis did not return. Reserve Marquis Daniels also was hit with a similar inadvertent elbow from Howard, leaving him dizzy, and Wallace "tweaked" his back.

Making His Mark

Dwight Howard led the Magic with 21 points, 10 rebounds and five blocked shots. He's the first player to have five games with five-plus blocks in a single postseason since Tim Duncan had seven en route to the 2007 NBA title.

Most 20-Pt, 10-Reb, 5-Blk
Postseason Games, Since 2004-05
Tim Duncan 6
Dwight Howard 4
Shaquille O'Neal 3

Celtics coach Doc Rivers said Davis "blacked out" on the court, and the training staff will examine the forward Thursday.

"I don't know what kind of tests they're going to do with Baby. He's a little delirious anyway," Rivers said, chuckling.

Give the Magic a little more than a puncher's chance.

Redick provided a big boost off the bench, making a pair of 3-pointers to highlight a 20-8 run that put Orlando ahead 51-37 in the second quarter. His swishes and crisp passing kept the Celtics scrambling, and it filled a major hole with starter Vince Carter continuing to struggle.

Amid an amped-up Amway Arena, Wallace picked up his third foul during the spurt and taunted Orlando fans all the way to bench. Wallace shouted and screamed to the stands, pointing at his ring finger for the championship he already won with Detroit -- a title that has long eluded Orlando.

Things got even worse for the Celtics when Perkins was ejected after he picked up his second technical of the game and seventh of the postseason for arguing with officials. Perkins and Marcin Gortat were whistled for double technicals a few minutes prior after they got tangled up.

That means Perkins, one of the best defenders in the league on Howard, will be suspended for Game 6 unless the NBA rescinds the technical. NBA spokesman Tim Frank said a final review of the technicals was expected to be announced by mid-to-late morning Thursday.

"I didn't think he deserved either one. But he got them," Rivers said.

The Celtics are two games from infamy, and the pressure is mounting.

Only four times in the history of North American major pro sports leagues has a team won a playoff series after losing the first three games. Such comebacks are something Boston fans know all too well.

It has happened three times in the NHL -- most recently by the Philadelphia Flyers over the Boston Bruins earlier this month -- and once in baseball, when the Boston Red Sox came back to beat the New York Yankees in the 2004 AL championship series.

In 93 tries, it has just never been done in the NBA.

Here's the Magic's chance at history.

"We just all believe," Nelson said. "We all believe. We know we can do it."

Associated Press

Phil Jackson says he has no interest in coaching the Bulls or the Nets

2010-05-27T07:48:00.000-07:00

Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson, meeting with reporters in Phoenix before Game 4 of the Western Conference finals, announced Tuesday night that he has no interest in a second stint coaching the Chicago Bulls.

But Jackson also repeatedly passed on the opportunity to commit to a Lakers-or-retirement stance for next season and quash rising speculation about his future plans.

"I have no, at all, desire to go back to Chicago and coach the Bulls," Jackson said, responding to an ESPN.com report from Monday night that the Bulls had reached out to Jackson through back channels to gauge his interest in a return.

Interest in Jackson from teams planning to chase LeBron James in free agency is the latest wrinkle in James' highly anticipated foray onto the open market July 1, which is already dominating discussion leaguewide after Cleveland's second-round elimination.

Earlier Tuesday, ESPN.com reported that the New Jersey Nets had made similar back-channel inquiries to assess the possibility of luring Jackson away from Los Angeles to enhance their appeal to James, with Lakers owner Jerry Buss determined to reduce Jackson's $12 million annual salary.

"Those channels have not reached me," Jackson said, insisting that he has "not entertained any conversations" about coaching elsewhere.

Asked specifically about New Jersey, Jackson joked that he'd like to "have a vodka" with new Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov, saying Prokhorov seems "like a very interesting young man." But Jackson added that he is likewise not interested in coaching the Nets, pointing out that he has never lived in Brooklyn or Newark.

Jackson, however, said he couldn't go any farther than insisting that "the probabilities are great" that he'll be back on the Lakers' bench next season.

When asked at Tuesday night's pregame news conference if he'd either be with the Lakers or home in retirement come October, Jackson said: "Home is where the heart is, right?"

When asked later why he was being cagey, Jackson joked: "I've always had problems committing."

Told by one reporter that he could shut down all the speculation right now, Jackson said: "I'll leave it open and just say, as of now, I have not made up my mind about coaching or not coaching next year. ... That's all I can say really. Truthfully."

"I just can't imagine [coaching another team]," Jackson continued. "Not to say that it's beyond your wildest dreams, [or] that it never would happen, [because] the strangest things do. But it's just not part of my conscious thought. Right now we're down this path [against] Phoenix."

After 11 seasons and two championships as a player with the New York Knicks, Jackson's first coaching experience came with the Nets during the final two seasons of his active career in 1978-79 and 1979-80, when he served as a player-assistant under Kevin Loughery. He went on to win six championships in nine seasons coaching the Bulls from 1989-90 through 1997-98.

ESPN.com reported Monday night that, while there had been no direct contact between Bulls officials and Jackson, sources close to both parties had spoken and come away with the belief that Jackson would be open to a potential reunion in Chicago next season.

Bulls general manager Gar Forman refused to comment on the club's coaching search when reached Monday night by telephone.

Nets president Rod Thorn, meanwhile, denied any form of contact with Jackson in an interview Tuesday afternoon with AOL Fanhouse. And Lakers spokesman John Black told the Los Angeles Times that the team is not aware of Jackson being contacted for any coaching vacancy.

"Not to my understanding," Black told the newspaper. "Obviously, if they were to contact him, it would be tampering."

Said Thorn to Fanhouse: "It's not true. We've never approached him. We haven't made any backdoor dealings or whatever it was called."

Asked if the Nets would pursue Jackson should he leave Los Angeles at season's end to become a coaching free agent, Thorn said: "I anticipate he's going to stay with the Lakers. He's got a great situation there."

Earlier Tuesday, ESPN.com reported that the Nets privately acknowledge the long-shot nature of tempting Jackson away from L.A., given the 64-year-old's insistence earlier this month that he's "90 percent" certain he'll coach the Lakers if he coaches anywhere next season. Yet sources with knowledge of New Jersey's thinking have maintained for weeks that Prokhorov is determined to make the splashiest hire he can to enhance the Nets as part of the quest to sign marquee free agents such as James.

Chicago, meanwhile, is on the verge of its most pivotal offseason since the Michael Jordan era, when Jordan and Jackson led the club to separate three-peats from the 1990-1991 through 1992-93 seasons and the 1995-96 through 1997-1998 seasons.

With roughly $23 million to spend in free agency, Chicago is widely regarded as the biggest threat to Cleveland's hopes of re-signing James. The Ohio native is intrigued by the possibility of playing with Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, according to sources, and if any team managed to unite the coach with a record 10 championship rings and the league's two-time reigning MVP, Jackson would have the unprecedented opportunity to have coached Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal and James.

The Bulls and Nets are two of six teams in the league with a coaching vacancy, along with New Orleans, Atlanta, Cleveland and the Los Angeles Clippers.

Jackson publicly acknowledged last week before the Lakers' Game 2 victory over Phoenix in the Western Conference finals that Buss wants him to take a pay cut from the $12 million salary he's receiving this season. Should Jackson decide to leave the Lakers and opt for retirement -- despite the fact that longtime girlfriend Jeanie Buss is the owner's daughter and a Lakers vice president -- it's a given that other teams will attempt to convince him to keep coaching, depending on which clubs have openings at that stage.

The focus on Jackson's uncertain future has steadily increased in L.A. over the past two months, especially since his two best players -- Bryant and Pau Gasol -- signed contract extensions during the season.

Jackson's address Tuesday, however, marked the second time this month that he publicly shot down the idea of coaching the Bulls again. In early May after Vinny Del Negro's firing, Jackson said: "No, I'm not [interested]. I think it's a wonderful job for whoever takes it. It's a team on the rise and there's some young talent that showed their ability to come back after probably a devastating first two months. Then from January on they played pretty well."

The Nets' association with Jackson certainly doesn't compare to what he achieved with the Bulls, but Prokhorov's presence and presumed willingness to pay top dollar would seemingly give New Jersey -- along with Cleveland's free-spending owner Dan Gilbert -- more hope of meeting Jackson's salary demands than the Bulls, who are regarded leaguewide as reluctant spenders.

With the help of part owner Jay-Z, one of James' closest friends, New Jersey intends to pursue James as hard as Chicago in free agency despite last week's disappointment in the draft lottery. The Nets, after going 12-70, only landed the No. 3 overall pick and lost the opportunity to draft Kentucky's John Wall, another James pal. But New Jersey realizes, like the Bulls and Cavaliers, that prying Jackson away from L.A. could be as valuable in the recruitment process as signing another marquee free agent to play alongside James.

Thorn, though, told the Newark Star-Ledger in Tuesday's editions that he has yet to schedule an interview for New Jersey's coaching opening. When the Nets finally complete the fact-finding phase of their coaching search, Thorn told the newspaper he intends to interview "four to six" candidates, with sources saying that ESPN analyst Avery Johnson and Boston Celtics assistant coach Tom Thibodeau are already on that list. The Star-Ledger reported that the Nets are also likely to reach out to Mike Brown, who was fired Monday as coach of the Cavaliers.

The New Orleans Hornets have made a formal offer to Thibodeau, known as the architect of Boston's stout defense, sources with knowledge of the talks said Tuesday.

In his Fanhouse interview, Thorn dismissed the link to Jackson by saying: "There's been a lot of publicity about our new owner and that we want to have a good team and we want to be in the hunt [and] that we're willing to do a lot of things monetarily."

It remains to be seen how much of a pay cut Jackson is willing to accept for next season and how much pressure Jerry Buss will feel to bring him back, with so much invested in a star-filled roster that also features Lamar Odom and the unpredictable Ron Artest alongside Bryant and Gasol. Whether the Lakers can repeat as champions will also be a factor, as one source close to the situation acknowledged Tuesday that the owner-coach tension will only rise if L.A. fails to win it all.

Jackson, though, insisted that the ongoing uncertainty about how much longer he'll be coaching the Lakers is not affecting his team in this series with Phoenix, even though L.A. has been dragged into a 2-2 tie thanks to two losses in Phoenix after looking invincible at home.

"It"s not a distraction," Jackson said. "Not to me. Not to the players, either."

Jackson scoffed at the idea that he should be flattered by the increasing links to various jobs and added: "It's a distraction, I think, to other teams and I think a disservice to coaches that are really seeking jobs and have an opportunity to go to those towns."

Associated Press

USA Soccer announces final roster for upcoming World Cup

2010-05-27T07:35:00.000-07:00

BRISTOL, Conn. -- The phones started ringing at 2 a.m., and players were told to come down to the third floor for a meeting. As Herculez Gomez pressed the elevator button on 17, his mind raced.

Were his dreams about to be fulfilled -- or crushed?

This is the way the U.S. World Cup team was finalized, in the dead of night in a Hartford hotel.

"It's been such a crazy and unbelievable journey," Gomez said.

And the big trip hasn't even begun.

For Gomez, it was good news. He and Edson Buddle went from long shots to the American roster Wednesday, joining veterans Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley and Tim Howard on the 23-man U.S. team headed to South Africa.

While there was joy and relief for the chosen, there was only heartache and anguish for the seven players called downstairs a few minutes earlier, the players leaving the group selected May 11 for the preliminary roster, only to be cut four days before departure.

Donovan consoled Brian Ching when his roommate found out he wasn't going. Ching was on the 2006 World Cup roster but never got into a match. Having turned 32 on Monday, this was his last chance.

"It's hard to imagine your lifelong dream not coming true, someone telling you that it's not going to happen," Donovan said.

Players on the bubble were nervous before and after Tuesday night's 4-2 loss to the Czech Republic, the first of three exhibitions ahead of the U.S. team's World Cup opener against England on June 12. Before the game, the squad scheduled a nationally televised announcement for Wednesday afternoon at the ESPN campus.

After the final whistle, coach Bob Bradley still wasn't ready to tell players, wanting to first review the DVD with his coaching staff.

U.S. World Cup Roster
Forwards
• Jozy Altidore, Villareal (Spain)
• Edson Buddle, Los Angeles Galaxy
• Robbie Findley, Real Salt Lake
• Herculez Gomez, Pachuca (Mexico)

Midfielders
• DaMarcus Beasley, Rangers (Scotland)
• Michael Bradley, Moenchengladbach (Germany)
• Ricardo Clark, Frankfurt (Germany)
• Clint Dempsey, Fulham (England)
• Landon Donovan, Los Angeles Galaxy
• Maurice Edu, Rangers (Scotland)
• Benny Feilhaber, Aarhus (Denmark)
• Stuart Holden, Bolton (England)
• Jose Torres, Pachuca (Mexico)

Defenders
• Carlos Bocanegra, Rennes (France) (captain)
• Jonathan Bornstein, Chivas USA
• Steve Cherundolo, Hannover (Germany)
• Jay DeMerit, Watford (England)
• Clarence Goodson, IK Start (Norway)
• Oguchi Onyewu, AC Milan (Italy)
• Jonathan Spector, West Ham (England)

Goaltenders
• Brad Guzan, Aston Villa (England)
• Marcus Hahnemann, Wolverhampton (England)
• Tim Howard, Everton (England)

"Bob told us to give him some time and he'd give us a call," Gomez said. "It was one of the most nerve-racking couple hours of my life."

Then Pam Perkins, the team's general manager, started calling players. She only told those who sounded awake they had made it. The groggy-sounding ones, Gomez included, were left in the dark until they reached the meeting room and Bradley greeted them.

"He congratulated each and every one of us," Gomez said. "He definitely made us sweat it out, that's for sure."

On Thursday morning, Gomez will be with the team at the White House to receive personal congratulations from President Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton ahead of Saturday's sendoff game against Turkey in Philadelphia.

At the start of the year, Gomez and Buddle weren't even afterthoughts. One named after a hero of Greek mythology and the other after soccer's greatest player -- Pele's real name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento -- each played themselves onto the team with outstanding club seasons. Neither was listed in the team's 2010 media guide.

A 28-year-old from Las Vegas, Gomez scored 10 goals for Puebla to tie for the Mexican scoring lead, becoming the first American to top a foreign league. The 29-year-old Buddle leads Major League Soccer with nine goals for the Los Angeles Galaxy. Before Tuesday, Buddle's only national team appearance was 11 minutes in 2003. Gomez, who scored the second goal against the Czechs, had played in just two games, both three years ago.

Buddle, whose father Winston played professionally in Jamaica, didn't believe he made it even when Bradley congratulated him.

"I thought he was messing around," Buddle said.

Gomez only went to Mexico after the Kansas City Wizards made no effort to re-sign him after the 2009 season.

"I wasn't good enough for the Wizards last year, so to be where I am today is amazing," he said.

They were chosen over Ching, who only returned May 13 from a hamstring injury sustained while playing for Houston on April 1.

"Plain and simple, Edson and Herculez have had real good stretches, scored a lot of goals," Bradley said. "Brian has been such an important player, but it's tough when you have an injury at an inopportune time."

Beasley also had a remarkable turnaround and will be going to his third World Cup. He teamed with Donovan to spark the Americans to a quarterfinal appearance in 2002, their best finish since reaching the semifinals at the first World Cup in 1930. Then he was part of the disappointing team eliminated in the first round four years ago.

He was exiled from the national team after poor play at the Confederations Cup last June, but returned for the March exhibition at the Netherlands.

"I like being one of the old guys. I get called grandpa now," said Beasley, who turned 28 on Monday.

Beasley made a strong showing at the training camp that began May 17.

"He certainly had to prove himself," Bradley said. "He needed to make a renewed commitment to the team, a renewed commitment to doing things as a player that make his team better. We've seen that."

Bradley selected three goalkeepers, seven defenders, nine midfielders and four forwards -- one midfielder more and one defender fewer than the average.

Seventeen players are based in Europe, with just four from Major League Soccer and two from Mexican clubs. Of the European group, eight play in England, three in Germany, two in Scotland, and one each in Denmark, France, Italy and Norway.

Forward Jozy Altidore at 20 is the youngest player, and backup goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann, who turns 38 next month, is the oldest. The average age is just under 27, down from 28.5 at the 2006 tournament.

Donovan, with a U.S. record 42 goals in 121 appearances, is the most experienced player and Buddle the least, becoming the 92nd player to appear for America since Bradley replaced Bruce Arena as coach in December 2006. Of the 43 players in qualifying, 19 made the roster.

Cut in addition to Ching were defenders Chad Marshall and Heath Pearce; midfielders Alejandro Bedoya, Sacha Kljestan and Robbie Rogers; and forward Eddie Johnson.

Donovan, Beasley and defender Steve Cherundolo earned their third World Cup trips, although Cherundolo got hurt in South Korea in 2002 and didn't make it into a game.

Injured players can still be replaced up until 24 hours before the U.S. opener.

"It doesn't stop here," Beasley said. "We have a lot of work to do."

Associated Press

Orlando survives to play another day

2010-05-25T06:26:00.000-07:00

BOSTON -- Put away the brooms. Hold off on those "Beat L.A.!" chants. The Boston Celtics still have some work to do before they can play for their second NBA title in three years.

Dwight Howard had 32 points and 16 rebounds, and Jameer Nelson made back-to-back 3-pointers in overtime to lead the Orlando Magic to a 96-92 victory over Boston on Monday night to avoid a four-game sweep in the Eastern Conference finals.

Dressing in the same locker room where the Philadelphia Flyers celebrated their comeback from a 3-0 deficit against the Boston Bruins in the NHL's East semifinals, the Magic avoided elimination and sent the series back to Orlando for Game 5 on Wednesday night.

The Bruins also lost Game 4 in overtime.

"We know that we were down 3-0, and we didn't want to go home [for the season]," Howard said. "It starts with me and Jameer. Me and Jameer showed our leadership by playing hard. We've got to be the leaders for this team. It's not about points, but just showing everybody, 'Hey, follow us and we'll lead the way.'"

No NBA team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a playoff series.

"At some point, somebody is going to come from 3-0 down and win a series. The only thing I knew for sure was it would start by winning Game 4," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. "I figured that one out. You have to win Game 4. ... This was a must-win."

Paul Pierce had 32 points and 11 rebounds, and Kevin Garnett had 14 points and 12 boards for Boston. Ray Allen hit consecutive 3-pointers in overtime, but Pierce missed two tries in the final minute as the Celtics failed to complete the sweep.

"They don't want to leave. We're going to have to throw them out," said Celtics forward Glen "Big Baby" Davis. "It's just like somebody renting a house."

Nelson finished with 23 points and nine assists for the defending Eastern Conference champions, who led by 10 in the second quarter and were up 85-78 with 2:24 left in regulation before Boston scored eight of the next nine points to force overtime at 86-all.

Neither team scored for the first 2:18 of the period before Nelson hit a 3-pointer and then added another 43 seconds later. Allen made a 3-pointer and, after Howard dunked and drew a foul -- but missed a free throw -- Allen hit another 3 to make it 94-92.

Howard followed up Nelson's miss with 53 seconds left to make it 96-92, then Garnett sailed a pass over Pierce's head and into the crowd. Pierce missed a pair of 3-point attempts in the closing seconds.

"There were a couple of plays down the stretch offensively that we botched, plain and simple. We're kicking ourselves. We had a great opportunity," Allen said. "There's no need to panic. We like the position we're in. But it's a lesson: We have to take care of the small things and we'll get to where we want to be."

Orlando's revival came just in time to avoid a Celtics walkover that had fans in the new Boston Garden chanting "Beat L.A!" early in the second half of Saturday night's 23-point Boston victory. The Lakers lead the Suns 2-1 in the Western Conference finals, with Game 4 on Tuesday night in Phoenix.

But there was no more chanting about the Lakers on Monday night.

"I know they [the Celtics players] heard it. They had no choice but to hear it," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "I don't know if they believed it. We didn't play well, I know that. I hope that wasn't the reason."

Only four times in the history of the North American major pro sports leagues has a team come back to win a playoff series after losing the first three games. It's been done three times in the NHL -- most recently this month by the Flyers in this building -- and once in baseball, when the Boston Red Sox came back to beat the New York Yankees in the 2004 AL Championship Series.

"You never know what can happen," Magic guard J.J. Redick said. "We can be like the Red Sox, coming back from 0-3. You never know."

The Magic's biggest lead of the series had been a three-point edge in the first quarter of Game 2, but they opened with their highest-scoring quarter of the series on Monday to take a 31-26 lead. They made it 42-32 in the second before Boston cut the deficit to four points at the half.

Orlando led 85-78 on Howard's three-point play, but Pierce sliced past Howard for a dunk that cut it to five, then Allen hit a 3-pointer to make it 85-83 with 1:41 left. Nelson made one of two free throws, and then Pierce went to the basket and drew a foul, completing the three-point play to make it 86-all with 1:16 left.

But Pierce missed a jumper with a chance to give Boston the lead, Nelson missed for Orlando and Pierce lost his handle on the ball in the final seconds of regulation to send the game into overtime.

Associated Press

Big win for Red Sox as they beat AL leading Rays at home

2010-05-25T06:17:00.000-07:00

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- As much as the Boston Red Sox wanted to play down the significance of beating the Tampa Bay Rays, David Ortiz conceded it did feel good to finally break through against baseball's top team.

"Of course, man. These guys have been giving us a hard time," Ortiz said after he and Kevin Youkilis homered in support of right-hander Clay Buchholz in a 6-1 victory Monday night.

"Not only to us, to everyone," the slugger added. "They have the best record in baseball. So you've got to play your best."

The Red Sox beat the Rays for the first time in five tries, climbing a season-best four games over .500 (25-21) with their third straight win on a difficult road trip that began in Philadelphia.

Buchholz (6-3) won his eighth consecutive road start dating to last August, the longest such streak by a Red Sox pitcher since Roger Clemens won nine in a row from July 18, 1992 to April 20, 1993.

The right-hander allowed one run -- Carlos Pena's eighth homer -- and six hits over six innings. Hideki Okajima and Daniel Bard didn't allow any baserunners the rest of the way.

"We're getting great starting pitching. When you do that, all we have to do is put a couple runs on the board and those guys can take over," Dustin Pedroia said, adding the Red Sox are focused on themselves -- not catching the first-place Rays.

"We're in the middle of the year and just playing," Pedroia said. "We're playing some really good teams and just finding ways to win. That's a real good sign."

Ortiz homered for the fifth time in his last nine games, hitting a solo shot off Wade Davis (4-4) in the second inning. Davis walked in a run and yielded RBI singles to Adrian Beltre and Jeremy Hermida during a three-run third that put the Red Sox up 4-0.

Youkilis, who is batting .400 (12 for 30) with five homers and 12 RBIs over his last nine games, made it 6-0 with a two-run shot off reliever Lance Cormier in the fourth.

Pedroia had three hits after beginning the night in an 0-for-19 slide. Beltre also finished with three hits for the Red Sox, who began their six-game trip by winning two of three against the NL champion Phillies.

"They got us tonight," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "We didn't play badly. They beat us."

At 32-13, the Rays are off to the best start in the major leagues since 2001, in part because of a 19-5 road record that includes a four-game sweep of the Red Sox at Fenway Park in April. The six-game lead they carried into Monday was the largest they've ever held in the AL East.

Buchholz, who's won five of his last six starts, walked one and struck out eight. But it wasn't an easy outing.

The Red Sox starter escaped a bases-loaded jam when John Jaso grounded into an inning-ending double play in the first inning. He wiggled out of another tight situation by striking out Reid Brignac and Jason Bartlett to strand two more runners in scoring position in the second.

"We had our opportunities early," Maddon said, "and we didn't take advantage."

Pena homered with two outs in the fourth.

Boston's Victor Martinez left in the third inning. Bartlett fouled a pitch off the catcher's left big toe in the second, and Martinez had trouble walking -- much less running -- after drawing a walk in the third.

X-rays were negative.

"He's day to day, like we all are," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "But I think it's to the point where I don't think we have to make a roster move."

Associated Press

Mike Brown out as coach in Cleveland, No surprises here

2010-05-24T14:26:00.000-07:00

CLEVELAND -- Mike Brown won everything in five years coaching the Cleveland Cavaliers. Everything, that is, except an NBA title.

Brown, the most successful coach in franchise history, was fired after failing to win a championship with superstar -- and soon-to-be free agent -- LeBron James.

The Cavaliers had a midnight deadline Sunday night to fire the head coach or pay him his full $4.5 million salary for next season.

Cleveland was ousted from the playoffs two weeks ago by the Boston Celtics, who upset the NBA's top regular-season team in six games in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Cavs owner Dan Gilbert made the decision to fire Brown after an organizational review that began following the Cavs' exit from the playoffs.

Cleveland's next move will be an interesting one. Because of James' uncertain future, it's possible the Cavs would want his input into their next coaching hire, assuming the two-time MVP is still considering re-signing with Cleveland when free agency opens after midnight on July 1. The Cavs will have to search for a new coach not knowing if James will be back and would have to go into the draft and free agency without a coach.

James is eligible to opt out of his contract this summer, a move that would make the two-time MVP -- and zero-time NBA champion -- a free agent and set off a scramble for his services from New York to Miami to Los Angeles and, of course, back in Cleveland.

Cleveland, which had the best record in the NBA the past two seasons, had a 2-1 series lead over the Celtics before losing three straight, including the final two at home by a combined 50 points.

"After a long and deep analysis of all of the factors that led to the disappointing early ends to our playoff runs over the past two seasons, we concluded that it was time for the Cavaliers to move in a different direction," Gilbert said Monday in a statement released by the team. "The expectations of this organization are very high and, although change always carries an element of risk, there are times when that risk must be taken in an attempt to break through to new, higher levels of accomplishment.

"This is one of those times."

Brown was not immediately available for comment, according to The Associated Press. No one answered the door at his home in Westlake, Ohio.

The James' family publicist said the All-Star forward was out of town on vacation and not available to comment on Brown's dismissal.

Cavaliers center Zydrunas Ilgauskas tried to deflect the blame off Brown.

"Obviously, we didn't achieve what we set out to achieve, which is to win a championship," Ilgauskas said, according to The Plain Dealer of Cleveland. "But if you're going to lay all the blame on coach Brown and think that's going to solve everything, you've got another thing coming.

"I think we're all at fault -- the players, everybody. You have to, at some point, accept some of the responsibility. We all have to do that. A coach only can take you so far. At some point you have to do it yourself and we didn't do it. I think coach Brown will be fine. He'll be coaching again, and I'm very sure he'll have success.''

Cavs guard Mo Williams agreed with Ilgauskas' stance, according to the Cleveland newspaper.

"Do I think he deserved it? No,'' Williams said. "My question is: Who's out there that's better? He's not a bad coach. To fire him, that's making a big statement. After him, you have to get a Hall of Fame coach.

"I thought we prematurely acted on our emotions, as an organization. I think he did a good job. If anything, bring in a veteran assistant. I think we just could have gotten better instead of blowing it all up. Now we're starting over.

"I'm hurt, because I like him a lot," Williams added. "He'll be missed. We know how the business of basketball goes. He knows the nature of the business, also. His presence will be missed.''

Brown, who had one year left on his contract, could be quickly scooped up by one of the five other teams looking for head coaches. Brown guided the team to the postseason in each of his five seasons but failed to win an NBA championship. Cleveland's assistants also have one year remaining on their deals.

Duke promptly struck down rumors that Mike Krzyzewski could leave the Blue Devils to coach James and the Cavaliers.

"It has been addressed repeatedly since the Lakers' thing a few years ago," a Duke spokesman told ESPN.com's Andy Katz. "If anything changes, we will let everyone know."

Brown was the league's coach of the year last season when the Cavs won 66 games. Cleveland lost to Orlando in the conference finals, however, and it was assumed Brown would have to get the team closer to a championship to keep his job.

Instead, the Cavs regressed. They were badly outplayed by the Celtics, who won the last two games played in Cleveland by a combined 50 points.

"I have truly enjoyed working with Mike Brown," Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry said on Monday. "Mike has played a huge role in turning around the Cavs organization. Over the past five years, Mike established a work ethic, defensive identity and culture of winning that was not here previously."

It wasn't all his fault, but the 40-year-old Brown, hired by Gilbert to change Cleveland's culture with a foundation based on defense, couldn't deliver a title this season despite having the game's most skilled player and a roster upgraded with the additions of All-Stars Shaquille O'Neal and Antawn Jamison.

The Cavs' defense, suffocating and relentless at times during the regular season, was atrocious in the series against Boston.

Cleveland allowed more than 100 points in six games and couldn't contain Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo. When Brown and his staff finally figured out a way to contain Rondo, the Cavs had no answer for Kevin Garnett, who dominated Jamison.

Brown was outcoached by Boston's Doc Rivers, who had his team better prepared and got more from his players. The Cavs were constantly beaten to loose balls and long rebounds, something Brown couldn't help but perhaps a sign that he had already lost his team.

Brown's rotations were a mess in the series, leading to the team's inability to get into any type of offensive rhythm. With James unable to dominate as he so often does, the Cavs' offense was stagnant and players didn't seem to have any sense of their roles.

It was constant scrambling.

There were whispers Brown was in trouble after the Cavs were dumped by Orlando in last year's Eastern Conference finals. It was thought that Brown would have to take his team at least as far this season to save his job, but he couldn't and paid the price.

During his tenure, Brown rarely -- if ever -- criticized James. The opposite wasn't true.

In past seasons, James complained about the team's lack of offensive imagination, saying the Cavs should run more. He and Brown worked through most differences and seemed to have a solid relationship, but it began to fade as this brief postseason unfolded.

Because of a injury to O'Neal, Brown was forced to integrate the center back into the offense during the playoffs, and the Cavs never got into a flow. Also, James and some of the team's other veterans questioned Brown's game plans in both the series against Chicago and Boston.

James publicly questioned why O'Neal only played 49 seconds in the fourth quarter of the Game 4 loss in Boston. In the opening round against the Bulls, James campaigned to get J.J. Hickson more playing time, creating an awkward stand-off between the coach and superstar.

Adding to the drama in Cleveland's final home game was the sight of Kentucky coach John Calipari, a friend of James, sitting in a courtside seat -- next to James' agent -- adjacent to Cleveland's bench.

Associated Press

Doug back in the Coaches Corner

2010-05-24T14:20:00.000-07:00

PHILADELPHIA -- Doug Collins helped lead the 76ers from the bottom of the NBA to the Finals as a player.

He gets that shot now as their coach.

All anyone wants to know is, why?

Collins understands why friends and fans keep asking him why he would quit a cozy job calling NBA games on TNT for a job coaching the Philadelphia 76ers. Among the reasons is the one that raced through his mind as his plane touched down.

Philadelphia is home.

With his daughter, who lives in the Philly area, among the scores of family members attending Collins' press conference on Monday, he was reminded of the imprint the city left on him when he played on some of the greatest Sixers teams in franchise history. Collins wants to revitalize the Sixers -- and make them matter again in a city where their popularity has plummeted among all sports teams.

"We're talking about being relevant again," Collins said Monday. "I want the Sixers to be on people's tongues again. ... I want the Sixers to be the basketball team that people want to see. This is a pro town. This city loves pro basketball. This is one of the signature franchises in the NBA."

Yes, but not one of the successful ones.

The Sixers haven't won a playoff series since 2003 or won a championship since 1983. Since Larry Brown left in 2003, the Sixers have discarded six other coaches. The 58-year-old Collins has a four-year deal to build a winner in Philly.

"For the very first time in a long time, I feel very confident this organization is going in the right direction," Comcast-Spectacor chairman Ed Snider said.

The Sixers could have hired Collins last summer. He was interested in the job but never got a call from team president Ed Stefanski. Stefanski picked his friend, Eddie Jordan, and the decision backfired almost from the day he was hired.

Jordan's lone season wasn't a total bust -- the Sixers won the No. 2 pick in the draft lottery.

Stefanski admitted his mistake in not reaching out to Collins last year.

"We had a list that we felt comfortable with and we went from there," Stefanski said. "Obviously, it was not the right decision and we rectified it."

Collins was interviewed this year on May 1, and was in constant contact with Sixers management even as other candidates surfaced. Collins had one request of Stefanski: If he found someone better, call him.

Stefanski made a call -- but it was to tell Collins last week he had the job.

The Sixers also shot down speculation that Stefanski's job was on the rocks by letting him hire Collins. Stefanski has seen many of his major moves fail and neither Snider nor chief operating officer Peter Luukko gave him a public endorsement at the end of the season.

Stefanski's job is safe for now as the Sixers overhaul takes shape.

"When did I say I wanted to replace him?" Snider said. "He's the general manager, he's got two more years on his contract. I haven't said anything negative, have I?"

Collins inherits a team that needs backcourt help with the No. 2 pick, and Ohio State guard Evan Turner has emerged as the likely choice. Most of the nucleus was around for two straight first-round playoff exits before last year's flop, giving Collins confidence there is the right developing talent to build around.

He needs to find a way to work veterans Andre Iguodala, Samuel Dalembert and Elton Brand into the mix.

"We've got some players on the team that I'm going to have to revitalize a little bit, get their joy of the game back," Collins said.

Jordan's weakness was implementing a plodding Princeton offense on his up-tempo roster. Collins wants to evaluate his team before deciding what style to play.

Collins played eight seasons with the 76ers and was a four-time All-Star in a career shortened by injuries. He's been here before. Collins was drafted No. 1 overall in 1973 by a Sixers team coming off an NBA-worst 9-73 record. Four years later, the Sixers were in the NBA finals. Collins would love history to repeat itself.

"I'm 18 games ahead of where I started last time," Collins said, laughing.

He went 332-287 in three previous coaching stints with Chicago, Detroit and Washington. Collins, who led the Bulls to the Eastern Conference Finals in 1989, has worked as an analyst for TNT since leaving the Wizards in 2003.

He was introduced only hours before the Flyers had a chance at clinching a spot in the Stanley Cup finals. He shook hands with Flyers coach Peter Laviolette before the press conference, and former Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski and Temple coach Fran Dunphy were among the guests at the Wachovia Center.

Collins said he's still assembling his coaching staff, but will retain former Sixers guard Aaron McKie. He'll finish calling the Western Conference finals for TNT. It might be as close as Collins gets to the finals for a few years.

"We're not ready to be a championship team right now," Collins said.

It's his job to make them one.

Associated Press

Lakers get by Suns with a huge 4th quarter from Gasol

2010-05-20T11:29:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES -- Whenever the Suns sent two defenders at Kobe Bryant, he coolly passed to an open teammate. When Phoenix loaded up down low against Pau Gasol, the Lakers picked them apart from the perimeter.

Los Angeles' triangle offense has the Suns running in circles after two terrific performances in the Western Conference finals -- and the defending champions' fans just couldn't help looking ahead to a possible grand finale against Boston.

Gasol scored 14 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter, Bryant had 21 points and 13 assists, and the Lakers roared away in the final minutes for a 124-112 victory Wednesday night to claim a series lead that seems much more daunting than 2-0.

Although the Lakers took no bows after hitting better than 57 percent of their shots and scoring a jaw-dropping 252 points in the series' first two games, it's clear Bryant and Gasol are leading a clinic in offensive hoops against one of the NBA's highest-scoring teams.

"We're shooting the ball very well, moving the ball really, really well," Gasol said. "Our bench is playing at a high level, and we're all stepping up."

After Bryant scored 40 points in 35 minutes in the series opener, the Suns tried to double-team him more regularly in Game 2 -- so last season's NBA Finals MVP racked up the most assists by a Lakers player in a postseason game since Magic Johnson in 1996.

Bryant's streak of six straight 30-point games ended, yet he capped his night as a creator by setting up Gasol for two tough baskets in the final minutes, with Gasol scoring with a flourish and drawing a foul each time.

"It makes the game a lot easier to have [Gasol] inside to catch and complete plays," Bryant said. "We're extremely well-versed in playing against teams that double and zone, things like that."

Ron Artest scored 18 points for the Lakers, who won their eighth straight playoff game and moved within striking distance of a tantalizing NBA Finals showdown with the Boston Celtics, who lead Orlando 2-0 in the East. For the second straight game, the chants rained down from the Staples Center crowd in the final minutes: "We want Boston!"

The Lakers remained unbeaten at home in the postseason despite a much-improved effort from the Suns, who lost the opener by 21 points. Phoenix tied it at 90-all heading to the final period of Game 2, but Gasol and Bryant flawlessly led the Lakers to another high-scoring victory, handing third-seeded Phoenix its first back-to-back losses since late January.

"It's really tough because we have so many guys on this team that can hurt you offensively," said Lamar Odom, who had 17 points and 11 rebounds. "When we get four or five guys going offensively, it seems like our defense steps up. We do a great job of using our quickness, cutting guys off and making it hard for teams as well as putting that offensive pressure on them."

Game 3 is Sunday night in Phoenix. But unless the Suns figure out a way to stop Los Angeles' versatile, poised offense, Beantown and Hollywood could be just a few days away from another chapter in their storied rivalry.

"We can't slow them down," Phoenix coach Alvin Gentry said. "I thought we played well offensively, but every time we tried to make an adjustment to slow them down offensively, they would go somewhere else. There's a good reason they're the world champs, but we'll keep plugging away, keep trying."

The Lakers have lost only one best-of-seven playoff series in franchise history after taking a 2-0 lead, winning the other 41. The 15-time champions haven't won eight straight games in the same postseason since their famous one-loss run through the 2001 playoffs.

"We still scored enough points tonight, but when they can score 120-something, that's asking the offense to score too much," said Phoenix's Steve Nash, who had 11 points and 15 assists. "If we're going to beat them, we've got to find a way to slow them down."

The crowd enthusiastically booed Amare Stoudemire, who on Tuesday belittled Odom's 19-point, 19-rebound performance in the opener as "a lucky game." Stoudemire appeared determined to back up his words with aggression, finishing with 18 points and six rebounds while Odom had another superbly lucky game off the bench.

Grant Hill scored 14 of his 23 points in the third quarter while Phoenix erased a 14-point deficit, playing with more efficiency and aggression than in Game 1. But the Lakers went back ahead by 11 midway through the fourth with a 9-0 run, and the Suns couldn't stop Bryant and Gasol from executing their two-man game to perfection.

"I was being effective and just finishing plays," Gasol said. "We just continued to go to it because it was working pretty well for us."

Jason Richardson scored 27 points for Phoenix, and Jared Dudley hit five 3-pointers.

Associated Press

Former NBA player turns to singing as a career after sports

2010-05-20T11:18:00.000-07:00

You'd think in a sport where dribbling is a highly valued asset, the crossover would come easier.

Shaquille O'Neal's "Shaq Diesel" went platinum in 1993, but subsequent rapping forays by Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson (a.k.a. Jewels), Tony Parker and Ron Artest have all generally failed (unless you count the one week Parker's "Balance-toi" spent at No. 1 on the French chart).

Kareem Rush isn't rapping. He's singing.

And for a player, whose seven-year NBA service has been predicated by a smooth jump shot, Rush insists his voice is smoother.

With a single, "Promises," receiving airtime on 10 R&B stations across the country, including his hometown KPRS in Kansas City, Mo., as well as stations in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C., Rush is trying to do something countless other professional athletes have failed at -- succeed in the music business.

Rush, 29, has played for five NBA franchises and opened this season with the Los Angeles Clippers before a knee injury ended his year seven games into the campaign.

The time away from the court allowed Rush an opportunity to pour his time into his other passion -- music.

With help from producers Mechalie Jamison and Earl Powell, who have worked with the likes of Mary J. Blige, Faith Evans and Jennifer Hudson, Rush will release his debut 12-song album, "Rehabbing R&B" in late summer-early fall. The music video for "Promises" will premiere on VH1 Soul and BET's Centric this summer, coupled with a 30-minute behind-the-scenes look at Rush's recording process as well as the progress on his knee rehab.

The Life: I take it you've always had an interest in music. Where did that come from?

Rush: It's been a lifelong thing of mine. Nothing really professional. I sang a couple years in choir, and any of my close friends know that singing has always been a big part of my life. They can't get me to shut up. All I do is sing.

The Life: In high school, did you take any heat as a top athlete singing in choir when you're supposed to be this macho guy?

Rush: Oh no, not at all. Like I said, anybody that knew me, knew that I sang all the time. So it wasn't anything for them to see me in choir. Actually all my friends had been pushing me to do something with my voice for a long time, I just really hadn't had the time to focus on it. But all my friends and close family know that singing is a huge part of my life, and they're happy to see that I've actually given it a try and am pursuing it a little bit.

The Life: When you see other athletes try their hand at music, say like a Ron Artest, and you see them scoffed at, does it make you maybe a little apprehensive about going public with your music?

Rush: Not at all. I believe in myself more than anybody. If I think I can do it, and I'm OK with putting myself out there and seeing what I can do, yeah I'm fine with that. I don't look at other people's music. I'm my own musician. I have my own style, and I think my music is genuine.

I'm not a gimmick. I'm not out here playing. I take this as seriously as I take basketball. As much of a passion as I have for basketball, I have for music. So this is not a game to me. 'Oh, I'm an NBA guy with a bunch of money, so let me play this music thing.' This is an actual business. This is a career for me that I plan on having after I retire and sing for 20 years. This is my second career. So I take this very, very seriously.

HOLD YOU DOWN
Listen to Kareem Rush's debut single, "Hold You Down." You can also follow Rush on Twitter.
The Life: Did you get a chance to see Jerry Stackhouse sing the national anthem for Game 6 of the Bucks-Hawks series?

Rush: I did. He sang pretty good actually. I was pretty impressed. I had been hearing about him for the last few years that he sings, but I never really heard him. I YouTubed him, and he did a pretty good job. That's one of my aspirations too is to sing the national anthem at a game, so hopefully next year I'll be able to do that.

The Life: Is there underground chatter in the NBA about guys who can sing?

Rush: I mean, in the NBA most of the guys are hip-hop oriented and most of the guys do the rap thing. It's very rare for a guy, like you said, a big macho guy, singing love songs. So you don't hear a lot of guys that can sing. But I heard Jerry Stackhouse could sing. I heard Walter McCarty could sing a few years back. I never heard anybody with something out on the radio, so I think I'm really the first guy to come through on the R&B side to actually have something that's playing on the radio with an album coming soon.

The Life: Who are some of your musical influences?

Rush: Some of my favorites are Boyz II Men, K-Ci & JoJo, but that's back in the day. Now, I'm a huge fan of Maxwell, huge fan of Robin Thicke, Musiq Soulchild. Old school, Marvin Gaye. Typical R&B.

The Life: I think I had my first kiss to some Boyz II Men at a school dance, so I can appreciate that.

Rush: There you go. My favorite song to sing to the ladies was "One Sweet Day." I would sing that to the girls all the time.

Rush: Actually, I've been dabbling (in) writing a little bit. I wrote a remix to my single, a basketball remix.

I actually dabbled and co-wrote a song on my album called "Missouri," which is an homage to home and talk about my time growing up with my grandma and my brothers and all my friends. Most of that is based off my life, so I wrote part of that song.

But other than that, I'm still rounding myself into an artist. I'm still a basketball player, but I'm trying to make the transition into being an artist. So I'm going to take some piano lessons and work on being a complete artist. This is a serious deal.

The Life: You're working with some producers who have worked with some of the industry's big names. How did you get hooked up with them?

Rush: Through a mutual friend, that's the crazy thing. When I tore my knee up, I told one of my good friends that I'm going to try this singing thing out. So she said, 'Why don't you sing something into your phone and send it to my friends?'

So I sent a memo on my iPhone. I sang Maxwell, "Pretty Wings" on my phone sent it to them. They said, 'OK, you can carry a note. So let me get you out here and we can do a demo deal.'

So the first day I got into the studio, I killed it. So they were like, 'OK, we can do more than just a demo deal. Let's try to cut a single on you.' So we end up cutting a single and this thing kind of snowballed and snowballed and four months later, like I said, I have a song on the radio, and I shot a video. The start has all been positive, so I couldn't be any more happier than I am right now.

The Life: What's smoother, your jump shot or your music?

Rush: I think my tunes. A lot of my songs are love songs, and I'm just really bringing back the old-school classic R&B, great music, good stories. I think people will really enjoy it if they give it a try. They might hesitate because of the whole NBA thing, a basketball player trying to sing, but I think they'll really enjoy my music if they gave it a shot.

The Life: What do your brothers (former UCLA standout JaRon and Indiana Pacers shooting guard Brandon) think about the music?

Rush: As any brothers they're going to be supportive, but they were shocked, like I said, a lot of people know I could sing, but they never really heard me sing anything besides other people's songs.

When they actually heard my voice and heard me singing my own songs, they were impressed. They were kind of blown back by it. It was a shock to me really when I heard it, I was like, 'Damn, I sound like that? I didn't know I could sound like that.' It's been a big surprise for a lot of people.

The Life: Any joking around with JaRon and Brandon about them getting on backup vocals and you guys could be the second coming of Rush?

Rush: (Laughs) I'm sure they'd like that. Brandon is actually in L.A. now, so he was in the house the other day, but he's a rapper. I might get him on one of my songs, so he can do a verse. But they're not musicians. They're going to stick to basketball.

The Life: What's worse, a pro athlete trying to sing who can't or a celebrity trying to play sports, but can't?

Rush: I would say, an athlete trying to sing. I always think back to Carl Lewis. He really ruined it for all athletes. That moment right there. Ugh.

The Life: How's the knee rehab coming along?

The Life: So the time away from the court, I'm guessing gave you the music opportunity sooner than you maybe would have had time for?

Rush: That's really the only reason why I tried to pursue it now. Because being my first serious injury, I knew what guys go through when they're dealing with something so serious.

So I initially wanted to go back to school and finish my degree, but then I was like, 'Well, let me try this music thing.' It's really the only reason why I pursued it was because of my injury. That's why the album is called "Rehabbing R&B."

The Life: All right, pitch music fans on why they should listen to Kareem Rush's music.

Rush: If you like Kareem Rush's basketball career, you'll love my music. My music is really classic, timeless R&B. I have a lot of passion for it. I enjoy doing it. I just want everybody to give it a shot. Give it a listen.

Don't let the athlete stuff fool you. Just let the music speak for itself. I think people will really gravitate to it and really like it. All I say is, give it a try.

ESPN.com

Landis Finally admits to doping, tries to implicate Armstrong as well

2010-05-20T11:01:00.000-07:00

Nearly four years after he began waging a costly, draining, and ultimately losing battle to discredit his positive test for synthetic testosterone at the 2006 Tour de France, Floyd Landis told ESPN.com on Wednesday that he used performance-enhancing drugs for most of his career as a professional road cyclist, including the race whose title he briefly held.

In a lengthy telephone interview from California, Landis detailed extensive, consistent use of the red blood cell booster erythropoietin (commonly known as EPO), testosterone, human growth hormone and frequent blood transfusions, along with female hormones and a one-time experiment with insulin, during the years he rode for the U.S. Postal Service and Switzerland-based Phonak.

Landis confirmed he sent e-mails to cycling and anti-doping officials over the past few weeks, implicating dozens of other athletes, including seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong; team management and owners; and officials of the sport's national and international governing bodies. ESPN.com is in the process of seeking comment from those individuals. Armstrong has long been dogged by accusations that he used performance-enhancing drugs, but no anti-doping authority has ever confirmed that he tested positive.

Armstrong, who is currently competing in the Tour of California, told reporters Thursday: "I have nothing to hide," and "history speaks for itself here."

"It's his word versus ours ... we like our word, we like our credibility," Armstrong said.

Armstrong said he would not pursue legal action against Landis. He said it would take too much money and effort and he wants to focus on his team, his family and his foundation, Livestrong.

Landis also accused American riders Levi Leipheimer and Dave Zabriskie and Armstrong's longtime coach, Johan Bruyneel, of involvement in doping.

The World Anti-Doping Agency said in a statement Thursday that they would open an investigation into Landis' allegations.

"WADA is aware of the serious allegations made by Mr Landis. We are very interested in learning more about this matter and we will liaise with the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) and any other authorities with appropriate jurisdiction to get to the heart of the issues raised. WADA looks forward to these further investigations and enquiries by those responsible."

International Cycling Union (UCI) president Pat McQuaid said Landis' allegations were "scandalous and mischievous."

“
I don't feel guilty at all about having doped. I did what I did because that's what we [cyclists] did and it was a choice I had to make after 10 years or 12 years of hard work to get there, and that was a decision I had to make to make the next step. My choices were, do it and see if I can win, or don't do it and I tell people I just don't want to do that, and I decided to do it.

”
-- Floyd Landis

"These guys coming out now with things like this from the past is only damaging the sport," McQuaid told The Associated Press in a telephone interview Thursday. "If they've any love for the sport they wouldn't do it."

The governing body said it regretted that Landis accused former teammates without allowing U.S. cycling and anti-doping authorities time to investigate.

"An impartial investigation is a fundamental right as Mr. Landis will understand having contested, for two years, the evidence of his breach of the anti-doping rules in 2006," UCI said in a statement.

McQuaid said it was up to U.S.A Cycling and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency to look into the allegations.

In a statement released Thursday, USADA said it does "not comment on the substance of any doping investigation."

In an e-mail to USA Cycling president Steve Johnson dated April 30, Landis related a number of anecdotes he said were representative of his time in the European peloton.

However, as Landis told ESPN.com, no one ever coerced him into doping.

"I take responsibility for all the stuff I did," Landis said in the interview. "No one gave me something and said, 'Don't ask what this is, just take it.' I would never have done that. The things I took, I knew what they were, and I spent the time researching what the risks were, and the decisions I made were mine. The whole entire process of doping in the entire sport and the evolution of it all wasn't my fault, but when it came down to it, me being there, I made the decision to do it. It wasn't anyone else telling me to do it. I'm not blaming anyone for that. It was my decision. Every time."

In the e-mail to Johnson, Landis said that Bruyneel, the longtime sports director of the U.S. Postal Service, Discovery Channel, Astana and RadioShack teams who guided Armstrong and Spain's Alberto Contador to a combined nine Tour de France victories, "instructed" Landis on how to use testosterone patches when he was riding for Postal in 2002. Landis added that he first used EPO on Bruyneel's advice the following summer while training for the Tour of Spain, that he obtained the drug directly from Armstrong, and that he started using HGH that he bought from a team trainer in Valencia during that same training period.

"I paid [Ferrari] $10,000 [that season]," Landis told ESPN.com. "He only accepted cash. His normal fee is 10 percent of your salary."

"I mean, he's one of the best references," Landis said of Ferrari, who worked with numerous top cyclists. In 2004, Ferrari was convicted of sporting fraud and abusing his medical license by an Italian court, but later succeeded in having that judgment reversed on appeal. "I didn't wish to take the risks on my own and especially since it was fairly clear that his advice was endorsed by Lance himself," Landis said in the ESPN.com interview. "And therefore Johan and the other guys that knew of it and were involved -- working with him, they'd understand the risks that I was taking as well and therefore trust me."

Landis also said he and Armstrong discussed the efficacy of the then-newly developed test for EPO in 2002.

In the e-mail to Johnson, Landis said he had blood extracted in 2003 inside the apartment Armstrong owned in the historic center of Girona, Spain, and that it was stored in a refrigerator there along with blood extracted from Armstrong and teammate George Hincapie. Landis said Armstrong asked him to stay in the apartment on one occasion while Armstrong was away in order to make sure the refrigerator did not malfunction.

He also said in the e-mail that a team doctor gave him and Hincapie, who he said was his roommate during the 2003 Tour de France, syringes filled with olive oil in which andriol, a form of testosterone that can be taken orally, had been dissolved.

Hincapie said he was disappointed to hear Landis' accusations.

"I have been a professional on the circuit for 17 years -- which is one of the longest careers in the peloton. During that time, I have earned the respect of my peers and a reputation for working hard, honestly and honorably," he said in a statement.

Landis further described personally seeing other riders receive transfused blood, including once on the team bus after a stage of the 2004 Tour de France, The bus driver stopped on a "remote mountain road" for an hour, pretending the bus had engine trouble while the entire team received transfusions, Landis said in the e-mail.

Landis, seeking his own chance to become a team leader, signed with the Phonak team before the 2005 season. In the e-mail to Johnson, the rider claimed that he negotiated with team owner Andy Rihs for extra money to cover the expenses of a doping program. Phonak was stung by several high-profile doping cases from 2004-06, including that of Landis' fellow American Tyler Hamilton, who was convicted of using banned transfusions.

Rihs issued a statement saying Landis' claims were "lies" and a "last, tragic attempt" to get publicity.

"Floyd Landis personally signed that he would uphold our code and use no illegal practices when he joined our former racing group," Rihs said.

The whole team was convinced that he was upholding this until his doping was revealed at the 2006 Tour.

"Neither I, nor the leadership of the team, knew that Floyd Landis doped," Rihs said.

The Wall Street Journal also reported details of Landis' e-mails Thursday morning.

Landis' doping conviction cost him his Tour title, his career, his life savings and his marriage. He said he knows his credibility is in tatters and that many people will choose not to believe him now. He added that he has no documentation for many of the claims he is making about other riders or officials, and that it will be his word against theirs.

However, Landis said he finally decided to come forward because he was suffering psychologically and emotionally from years of deceit, and because he has become a cycling pariah with little to no chance of ever riding for an elite team again. Prior to speaking with ESPN.com, he said he made his most difficult phone call -- to his mother in Pennsylvania to tell her the truth for the first time.

"I want to clear my conscience," Landis said. "I don't want to be part of the problem any more.

"With the benefit of hindsight and a somewhat different perspective, I made some misjudgments. And of course, I can sit here and say all day long, 'If I could do it again I'd do something different,' but I just don't have that choice."

Landis said he takes full responsibility for having doped on every occasion that he did it, and added he was never forced or threatened.

"I don't feel guilty at all about having doped," Landis told ESPN.com. "I did what I did because that's what we [cyclists] did and it was a choice I had to make after 10 years or 12 years of hard work to get there, and that was a decision I had to make to make the next step. My choices were, do it and see if I can win, or don't do it and I tell people I just don't want to do that, and I decided to do it."

According to Landis, his first use of performance-enhancing drugs was in June 2002, when he was a member of the U.S. Postal Service team. The World Anti-Doping Agency's statute of limitations for doping offenses is eight years, and Landis said that, too, is part of his motivation for divulging his inflammatory information.

"Now we've come to the point where the statute of limitations on the things I know is going to run out or start to run out next month," Landis said. "If I don't say something now, then it's pointless to ever say it."

Landis, who began his career as a top mountain biker, had kept detailed training journals since he was a teenager. He said he continued the same methodical record-keeping once he started using banned drugs and techniques. Landis said he spent as much as $90,000 a year on performance-enhancing drugs and on consultants to help him build a training regime. Landis said he has kept all of his journals and diaries and has offered to share them with U.S. anti-doping authorities in recent meetings. He added that he has given officials detailed information on how athletes are beating drug testing.

As for his own positive test, Landis still maintains that result was inaccurate and that he had not used synthetic testosterone during the 2006 season -- although he now admits he used human growth hormone during that time. At this point, he said he does not want to dwell on any of the issues he and his lawyers hammered at during his case.

"There must be some other explanation, whether it was done wrong or I don't know what," he said. "You can try to write it however you want -- the problem I have with even bothering to argue it is [that] I have used testosterone in the past and I have used it in other Tours, and it's going to sound kind of foolish to say I didn't."

Landis exhausted most of his own savings in fighting his case, which cost an estimated $2 million, and also raised funds for his defense in a well-publicized effort. He said he would pay those donors back if he could, but does not have the money to do so. He said he did not level with the people close to him, but declined to say whether he informed his lawyers of his past drug use.

Associated Press

Lakers punish Suns in game 1 of the Western Conference Finals

2010-05-18T08:11:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES -- Kobe Bryant dribbled toward the Lakers' bench, luring Channing Frye and Jason Richardson along with him. Bryant leaned back and launched a feather-soft jumper over Phoenix's double team, neatly beating the first-quarter buzzer.

That's about when the Suns should have noted the bright yellow brace on Bryant's right knee is the color of a caution sign.

Even with a balky knee and a litany of additional woes, Bryant still is among the most dangerous postseason scorers in NBA history -- and he had no problem giving Los Angeles an early leg up in the Western Conference finals.

Bryant scored 40 points, Lamar Odom added 19 points and 19 rebounds, and the Lakers opened the series with ruthless offensive efficiency in a 128-107 victory on Monday night.

"Just being aggressive, playing my game," Bryant said. "Got shots, took them. Got lanes to the basket, took them."

Pau Gasol had 21 points for the top-seeded Lakers, who won their seventh straight playoff game and snapped the Suns' six-game streak with a phenomenal second half, highlighted by Bryant's 21-point third quarter. He barely stepped on the Lakers' practice court during the past week to rest his ailing knee, ankle, finger and back -- all minor impediments to a major talent.

"I practice so much during the season," Bryant said. "In the offseason, I work a lot. To take a week off, I'm not going to lose all the work I put in prior to that."

The defending NBA champions beat the third-seeded Suns at their own uptempo game when necessary, fluidly running the court to set up baskets for Bryant in his sixth straight 30-point game. Bryant then rested for most of the fourth quarter in the 11th 40-point game of his playoff career.

"They played great, one of the best games I've seen them play in the playoffs this season," Suns coach Alvin Gentry said. "Kobe kind of controlled the whole game. I thought we could have withstood the game that he had ... but when he's making his jumper like that, there's not a whole lot you can do about it."

Game 2 is Wednesday night at Staples Center.

Amare Stoudemire scored 23 points and Steve Nash had 13 points and 13 assists for the Suns, who hadn't lost since April 24. Robin Lopez started at center and scored 14 points in his playoff debut, but Phoenix couldn't keep up with the champs' height and 58-percent shooting in the Suns' first conference finals appearance since 2006.

Los Angeles committed just nine turnovers in Game 1 -- its third straight single-digit turnover game -- while outrebounding the smaller Suns 42-34.

"They're probably going to continue to be taller than us as the series goes on, so we've got to ... make everything as tough as possible," said Nash, whose injured eye didn't bother him. "We played hard, but we didn't make enough shots, and we had a few too many breakdowns."

Both teams swept their second-round series to earn their third postseason date in five years, but the Lakers didn't allow a week off to affect their remarkable execution. They scored easily and often, even with center Andrew Bynum managing just four points while playing shakily on his own sore knee.

After a 62-point first half for the Lakers, Bryant alternated jumpers and strong drives while Los Angeles pulled away, making a 13-2 run in the third quarter. His 13-for-23 shooting performance included three 3-pointers and 11 free throws with just one miss.

"Kobe carried a lot of the offense tonight, no doubt," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "I will say he was going to shoulder the game. He was going to take it on. He's been very optimistic through the whole week. He felt like he had the amount of rest and shooting he had to have. He was attentive and involved [in practice]."

The Suns sent Bryant, Odom and the Lakers home for the summer in 2006 and 2007, and Los Angeles' veterans acknowledged a measure of revenge in their minds -- as long as they're healthy enough to do it.

Jackson revealed before the game that Bryant's right knee was drained "a while ago," moving it to the top of the injury list for last season's NBA finals MVP. But Bryant showed no ill effects, and he even bounced back up after hitting his head on Richardson's knee during a drive in the first quarter.

"He's the best scorer in the league," said Odom, who set a career playoff high for rebounds in his most assertive game of the current postseason. "Drives, fadeaways with his back to the basket, inside-outside, with his left hand. Time off is exactly what he needed."

Associated Press

Yankees beat Boston with a walk off thriller

2010-05-18T07:34:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK -- Javier Vazquez made his first relief appearance in four years. Marcus Thames got the third game-ending hit of his career.

Only Alex Rodriguez was used to this sort of late-inning madness.

"We did it the hard way today," the slugger said.

Rodriguez hit a tying homer off Jonathan Papelbon in the ninth inning and Thames connected moments later for a two-run shot of his own, giving the New York Yankees a wild 11-9 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Monday night.

With one out and a runner on third, Rodriguez hit the first pitch into the visitors' bullpen in left-center to tie it at 9. Papelbon (1-3) got Robinson Cano to fly out but hit Francisco Cervelli with a pitch before Thames drove his next delivery over the wall in left.

"I knew I had that one," Thames said. "I've hit a few and that one felt pretty good."

The Yankees newcomer was mobbed at home plate after New York's first game-ending hit of the season. He also got the customary cream pie in the face from pitcher A.J. Burnett, part of the routine when the Yankees had 15 game-ending hits last year.

"I think that's the feeling we had all last year," Rodriguez said. "We're at home. Until the last out is collected we think we're going to win."

Vazquez (2-4) got a most unlikely victory, striking out Kevin Youkilis with runners on the corners for the final out of the ninth. Yankees manager Joe Girardi only went to the struggling starter for his third career relief appearance because his depleted bullpen was without David Robertson and Joba Chamberlain.

"I really don't know what I'm doing out there as a reliever," said Vazquez, who last came out of the bullpen on July 9, 2006, for the Chicago White Sox against Boston. "I just tried to make good pitches against him."

The Red Sox hit five homers but still lost their eighth consecutive game at Yankee Stadium, their longest road skid against New York since dropping eight straight from 1960-61. Victor Martinez connected from both sides of the plate, and David Ortiz, J.D. Drew and Youkilis also went deep.

"It's not what you're looking for, but it happens," Ortiz said. "We'll come back and play tomorrow; there's nothing else you can do."

It was Papelbon's first blown save in the regular season since July 28, snapping a streak of 22 straight conversions. The only other time he allowed two homers in a game was to Minnesota's Justin Morneau and Jacque Jones in his major league debut on July 31, 2005, according to STATS LLC.

"Flat fastballs, poorly executed pitches on my behalf," he said. "Usually in those situations bad things happen."

Rodriguez also had a two-run single off Daisuke Matsuzaka in New York's five-run first, its biggest opening inning of the season. Cano had an RBI single and Cervelli doubled in a run, improving to 11 for 14 with runners in scoring position.

But it wasn't enough as Phil Hughes struggled for the first time this season and New York's makeshift bullpen couldn't hold on after the right-hander departed with a 7-5 lead following five sluggish innings.

Girardi skirted a question before the game about which relievers were available, and his best ones barely stirred as Boston roughed up Boone Logan and Chan Ho Park, just activated from the disabled list.

Youkilis connected for a go-ahead, two-run homer against Park in the eighth. Martinez then hit a long drive that cleared the Yankees' bullpen in right-center, giving Boston a 9-7 lead.

Martinez became the sixth Boston player to homer from each side in the same game. It was the third time he accomplished the feat, and his fourth career multi-homer game overall. His shot off Logan in the sixth snapped an 0-for-19 skid.

"Victor's going to hit," Ortiz said. "It's just a matter of time."

Looking for balance in his lineup, Red Sox manager Terry Francona tinkered with his batting order and got exactly what he was looking for -- except for a win.

Ortiz reached the second deck in right in the fourth for his sixth homer this month and seventh overall. Drew hit a three-run shot off Hughes in the fifth. Martinez's multi-homer game was his first since June 1, 2007, for Cleveland against Detroit.

Matsuzaka, however, allowed seven runs and nine hits in 4 2/3 innings.

"He settled down a little bit but after you give up five in the first, anything you give up after that hurts," Francona

Associated Press

Hawks part ways with Woodson

2010-05-16T16:36:00.000-07:00

The Atlanta Hawks made significant improvement under Mike Woodson. They just wondered how much farther he could take them.

Woodson was let go as coach of the Hawks on Friday, just four days after the team was swept in the second round of the playoffs by the Orlando Magic.

General manager Rick Sund, after consulting with the ownership group, decided not to offer Woodson a new contract. So ended a six-year coaching tenure in which the Hawks won just 13 games in his first season, then improved their record every year since -- including three straight playoff appearances.

Atlanta won 53 games this season, the most since 1996-97, and captured the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference. But that wasn't enough to save Woodson's job, especially when the Hawks were routed by the Magic in the most lopsided four-game sweep in NBA history.

Sund held a morning meeting with Woodson to inform him of the decision.

"In this case, Woody has been here six years and had basically been the only voice that many of these players had heard," the GM said. "The shelf life for coaches and management in the NBA is short, particularly for coaches, maybe two or three years. In Woody's case, he has gone six. The compelling thought for me was maybe it's right for a change."

Sund believes a new coach might be able to take the Hawks to even higher levels, even though he acknowledged it was a risk to dump a coach coming off a playoff appearance.

The Hawks improved each year under Mike Woodson, having made the playoffs in each of the past three seasons.

"Sometimes in professional sports, change is good -- not only for the individual, but for the organization," he said. "Hey, it was a tough decision any way you go. If it doesn't turn out, it's the wrong decision. If it turns out, maybe it was the right decision, I don't know."

Woodson declined to comment on his ouster when reached by The Associated Press.

"I'm just going to take some time and go away and clear my head," he said. "I just want to get away."

The firing of Woodson was the first move in a busy offseason for the Hawks. In addition to hiring a new coach, the team must deal with the possible loss of its best player, Joe Johnson, who will become a free agent this summer.

A four-time All-Star, Johnson didn't sound enthusiastic about returning to Atlanta after a dismal series against the Magic and a run-in with the fans over a 30-point home loss in Game 3.

If Johnson returns, the next coach of the Hawks will inherit plenty of talent. Two players (Johnson and Al Horford) were selected for the All-Star Game, Josh Smith is one of the league's best defensive players and Jamal Crawford won the NBA's Sixth Man Award.

Woodson felt he deserved a chance to return after the Hawks became just the seventh team in NBA history to win more games than the previous season for five straight years.

But it was clear that some players had tuned him out, especially in the playoffs. Atlanta struggled to beat a short-handed Milwaukee team in the opening round, rallying from a 3-2 deficit to win in seven games. Then came a total rout in the conference semifinals.

Orlando won the opening game by 43 points, then handed the Hawks the franchise's worst home playoff loss in Game 3, a 105-75 blowout. The Magic won the four games by a total of 101 points -- and average margin of 25.3.

Center Zaza Pachulia said Woodson deserved credit for the team's progress but eventually became a victim of the increased expectations.

"We grew up as a team and as players. He helped a lot of players get better," Pachulia told the AP. "But when you get better, you want even more. I think we're in the stage now where it's not about progress. It's about winning a championship."

If the Hawks seek an experienced coach, Avery Johnson and Byron Scott could be on their list of candidates. If they decide to go with an assistant, former Hawks player Tyrone Corbin might be considered; he works on the staff of highly respected Utah coach Jerry Sloan. Another possibility is TNT broadcaster and former coach Doug Collins.

Woodson has been mentioned as a potential candidate in Philadelphia should Larry Brown take control of the 76ers' front office. The 69-year-old Brown hasn't decided whether to return for a third season as coach of the Charlotte Bobcats.

Woodson worked as an assistant for Brown in Detroit before landing his first head coaching job with the Hawks. He came to Atlanta preaching hard-nosed defense, but some complained that he lacked imagination on the offensive end, even as the team kept adding talented players and improving every season.

Smith, Horford and Marvin Williams were first-round picks. Johnson was acquired in a sign-and-trade deal with Phoenix. Crawford and Mike Bibby were picked up in trades that didn't cost much.

There's still room to grow under the next coach. The Hawks had the lowest payroll of any playoff team, and were the only squad that reached the final eight without paying the luxury tax.

"Our goal is to be an elite team," co-owner Michael Gearon Jr. said. "We've got a great nucleus right now. And we've got respect, which is key."

Associated Press

Celtics continue to roll, take game one of the Eastern Conference Finals

2010-05-16T16:25:00.000-07:00

ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Orlando Magic finally met their match in the playoffs.

Ray Allen scored 25 points, Paul Pierce had 22 and the Boston Celtics used smothering defense to beat the Magic 92-88 on Sunday in the Eastern Conference finals opener.

Rasheed Wallace added 13 points as the Celtics built a 20-point lead, then held on late to snap Orlando's 14-game winning streak.

Vince Carter had 23 points and Jameer Nelson finished with 20 for Orlando, which cut the lead to two in the final seconds but simply ran out of time, looking rusty after a six-day layoff. Dwight Howard was limited to 13 points and 12 rebounds, nowhere near the dominant force the Magic need to win a title.

Game 2 in the best-of-seven series is Tuesday night in Orlando.

Two years removed from an NBA title, the revived Celtics might be a little grayer and perhaps a little slower than their paralyzing defense of old. But, healthy again, maybe not as much as some once thought.

"We're old. So I think a lot of our guys during the regular season with the injuries and stuff, it was very difficult," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "It's tough to work on your defense when guys don't practice. It's tough to practice when you only have eight guys at practice."

The Celtics built a 15-point lead in the second quarter and watched it fizzle with Howard on the bench. Backup Marcin Gortat had two layups and a dunk to help the Magic end the half with Boston ahead 41-32.

Nelson had two quick 3-pointers and another jumper to start the third, moving the Magic within three points. Then it all unraveled.

The Celtics went on a 22-5 run later in the quarter to go ahead 65-45, and a crowd littered with blue and white T-shirts -- deafening at times with noise clickers and claps -- was silenced. But the Magic rallied late to cut the lead to three with 26 seconds remaining in the fourth on a dunk by Howard.

After Pierce made two free throws, Carter was fouled driving to the hoop. He made the first, then missed the second intentionally as Nelson swooped in for the tip to make it 90-88. But Allen followed with two free throws with 6.1 seconds left to seal the Celtics' victory.

"We played hard in the paint," Allen said. "We forced them to take shots from the perimeter, but we always got a hand up in their face."

The Magic's run simply ran out of time, even if the Celtics seem to be turning back the clock.

Showing no signs of age, the Celtics outhustled and outmuscled the Magic at every step defensively. They pushed and pulled their way around the paint, slowing Howard for most of the game.

That bruising Boston basketball frustrated the Magic and their Superman, emotions pouring out all over the court. Howard and Wallace got tangled up in the third -- one of many times in this one -- and were whistled for double technicals after swinging their arms away.

The sweat pouring from their faces, Kevin Garnett and Co. stifled the Magic as well as anyone in these playoffs, holding them to 32 points in the opening half. A Celtics team that downed LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the last round seems as rejuvenated as ever, ready to give the Magic -- who swept through the first two rounds -- their toughest test yet.

-Associated Press

Celtics move on as Lebron is left to answer questions about his future

2010-05-14T07:01:00.000-07:00

BOSTON -- The Boston Celtics sent LeBron James and the Cavaliers back to Cleveland to admire all of their regular-season accomplishments and ponder their future.

It's the Celtics who are still in the chase for an NBA title.

Kevin Garnett scored 22 points and added 12 rebounds, and Rajon Rondo had 21 points and 12 assists to beat Cleveland 94-85 in Game 6 on Thursday night and advance to the Eastern Conference finals. They'll play the Orlando Magic, who are undefeated in the playoffs.

"Winning is gratifying," Garnett said. "You're playing the best team in basketball; the challenge is there; you don't have to dress it up. One thing we don't lack is confidence. We're a veteran team and we understand when it's time to lock in as a group. I think we did just that. I think the experience is taking over."

Despite his sixth career playoff triple-double, James is headed for another early offseason after winning a second MVP award and leading the Cavs to an NBA-best 61 wins and a home-court advantage they never got to use.

"The fact that it's over right now is definitely a surprise to me," James said. "A friend of mine told me, 'I guess you've got to go through a lot of nightmares before you realize your dream.' That's what's going on for me individually right now."

This offseason is destined to define the future of the franchise -- and the rest of the NBA, too.

The LeBron watch began at 10:53 p.m., when Rondo dribbled out the last 14 seconds and the Celtics began celebrating their 4-2 victory in the best-of-seven series. James is eligible to opt out of his contract this summer, a move that would make the two-time MVP -- and zero-time NBA champion -- a free agent and set off a scramble for his services from New York to Miami to Los Angeles and, of course, back in Cleveland.

"I want to win. That's my only thing, my only concern," James said. "I've always prided myself -- it's all about winning for me and I think the Cavs are committed to doing that. But at the same time, I've given myself options to this point. Me and my team, we have a game plan that we'll execute and we'll see where we're at."

James scored 27 points with 10 assists, and his 19 rebounds matched a career-high and were the most he's ever had in a playoff game. But he also had nine turnovers, and he may have been hobbled by an elbow injury that limited him to dunks and short jumpers, going 8 for 21 from the floor overall.

"I just told him, 'Keep your head up, man. I've been there,'" said Garnett, who was a star without a title in Minnesota for more than a decade before joining the Celtics and leading them to their NBA-record 17th championship in 2008. "'You have a very, very, very bright future. Continue to work and make decisions based on you and your family."

Mo Williams scored 20 of his 22 points in the first half for the Cavaliers.

Boston's Paul Pierce scored 11 of his 13 points in the second half after playing just nine minutes -- and shooting 1-for-5 -- in the first with foul trouble. The Celtics had missed their first eight 3-point attempts when Pierce hit a 3 that gave them a 65-58 lead with 4:06 left in the third.

It was 67-61 when Rasheed Wallace hit a 3-pointer, and then Ray Allen stole James' pass and got the ball to Pierce for another 3 that completed a 16-4 run.

James hadn't made an outside shot before hitting back-to-back 3-pointers to cut it to four points, 78-74, early in the fourth quarter and force the Celtics to call a timeout. But Rondo drove for a layup, then set Pierce up for another 3. Pierce found Wallace for a 3-pointer and then Tony Allen's steal led to a Garnett dunk at the other end that sent the Cavaliers into a timeout to regroup, down 88-74 with 5:53 left in their season.

"You knew it was coming at some point with LeBron," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers, who reminded his players that they weren't good enough to take over the game. "That's what that timeout was about: to remind them that we can't do that, what LeBron was doing."

It was the second straight year Cleveland has finished the regular-season with the No. 1 overall seed, and the second in a row that they have failed to get out of the East. Last year, they lost to Orlando in the conference finals, an exit that left James so shaken he skulked off the court without shaking hands.

This year, he might not stop until he finds himself in a new city.

James seemed like he couldn't wait to slip off his Cavaliers jersey, pulling it off as soon as he reached the tunnel to the locker room. He casually flipped it to an attendant moments after he walked into the dressing room.

Brown said he wasn't ready to think about the future yet.

"Obviously, he's a heck of a talent and a great guy," he said. "But right now we just lost the series. I'm not thinking of that. It wouldn't be fair to everyone in that locker room to think beyond tonight."

Brown's future with the Cavs, too, appears uncertain. After a second straight postseason flameout, there's no guarantee management will bring him back for a sixth season.

Same goes for the hired guns brought in to help James. Shaquille O'Neal finished his first -- and maybe last -- season with the Cavaliers with 11 points against the Celtics. Antawn Jamison, acquired at the trade deadline from Washington, had five points.

The sold-out Boston crowd taunted James' every free throw with a chant of "New York Knicks!" and fans wore Knicks jerseys with his name on them. The only "M-V-P!" cheers were not for James, who was the league's best player in the regular season, but for Rondo, who was the best player in this series.

Associated Press

Lebron pulls a dissapearing act, Celtics smash the Cavs in a pivotal game 5

2010-05-12T08:01:00.000-07:00

CLEVELAND (NBA.com exclusive) -- Three times Boston out-hustled Cleveland to secure an offensive rebound, and three times Celtics guard Ray Allen immediately followed with a 3-pointer.

In the Eastern Conference semifinal series between the Celtics and Cavaliers, it's all just been a matter of who wants it more.

Right now, that honor belongs to the old pros from the one of the league's oldest franchises, as the visiting Celtics took a commanding 3-2 series lead with a 120-88 hammer job of the Cavs on Tuesday night.

Yes, it really is commanding, considering Game 6 is Thursday night -- in Boston. It's true that the Cavs already won there once in this series (Game 3), but it would be fair to wonder if they have the motivation to do it again. When it has meant the most, LeBron James and the Cavs have been playing their worst.

A lot of credit for that belongs to the Celtics, who just keep finding a way to not only win, but drive the point home. More than at any other time this season, they are displaying the passion, effort and all-around team play that resulted in a championship two seasons ago.

Not surprisingly, the men who led that previous run -- veterans such as Allen (25 points), Paul Pierce (21 points, 11 rebounds) and Kevin Garnett (18 points) -- are the same stars who are leading this one. Throw in point guard Rajon Rondo (16 points, seven assists), and some strong post play off the bench from Glen Davis (15 points), and these Celtics look every bit as good as the 2008 version.

That's especially true now that Pierce returned to form after four mostly off games. On Tuesday, he resembled his old self -- not only on offense, but in helping force LeBron James into a miserable 3-for-14 shooting performance and 15 measly points. That included zero field goals in the first half.

"The veterans are the key," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. "The vets, they've been here before."

For the Celtics, nothing has been overly fancy, Rivers implied. It's just a more polished version of what they had been trying to do during the entire regular season.

"We were just sharing the ball, running our stuff," Rivers said. "We are who we are. We don't need anyone to play hero basketball. We have to be a team. We're good when we're a team."

That was on full display Tuesday, when the Celtics out-rebounded the Cavs (41-31), out-passed them (25-20 in assists) and took considerably better care of the ball (10 turnovers to the Cavs' 17).

And when it came to defending, it was a big no contest, as the Celtics shot a sizzling 55 percent, compared to a miserable 42 percent for the Cavs.

But even those numbers hardly tell how much of a blowout this really was, with Cavs fans loudly booing the home team midway through the third quarter. They only relented long enough to head for the exits much too early in the fourth.

James, who has been playing most of the playoffs with a strained elbow, wasn't the only Cavalier to struggle. Antawn Jamison, acquired in a late-season trade to help the Cavs win their first title, scored just nine points and didn't attempt a free throw. Also, starting point guard Mo Williams continued to labor, both in shooting the ball and in trying to defend Rondo.

"I missed a lot of open shots that I normally make," James said. "You don't see that out of me a lot so when it happens, it's a big surprise."

About the only good the Cavs could take out of this was the performance of Shaquille O'Neal (21 points, 7-for-11 shooting). That, and despite appearances, this series isn't actually over until someone wins four games.

Even Garnett knows that much.

"We cannot come back here," Garnett said. "We have to think this is our Game 7 coming up and we cannot afford to have the best team in the league have a Game 7 on their floor. Just not possible."

That said, James and the Cavs understand what they are up against. Winning twice on the other team's home floor in the same series isn't unachievable (the Celtics have proven that), it's just not exactly how you want to go about doing things.

"Our backs are against the wall," James said. "We've won on that floor before and we've got to get it done."

- NBA.COm

Phoenix Suns advance to the Western Conference Finals

2010-05-09T21:55:00.000-07:00

SAN ANTONIO -- Steve Nash's right eye was swollen shut. He had six stitches beneath a bandage on his eyebrow, while the purplish lump was darkening another shade.

And that fourth quarter?

"I couldn't see anything," Nash said.

One good eye was plenty.

Nash scored 10 of his 20 points while his eye gradually shut more and more in the fourth, and the Phoenix Suns swept the San Antonio Spurs from the Western Conference semifinals with a 107-101 win Sunday night. It was long-awaited redemption for the Suns, who had been booted from the playoff by the Spurs four times since 2003.

"That was ugly," Suns forward Channing Frye said walking off the court.

He wasn't talking about Nash's eye, though it would've fit. Nash was accidentally struck by one of Tim Duncan's elbows in the third quarter and briefly went to the locker room.

Nash came back with an ice pack on his eye when he finally returned to the court. Even then, it wasn't back into the game right away -- first he lay on the court with the ice still on his head.

"He looked like Ray 'Boom Boom' Mancini," Suns forward Grant Hill said. "It forced him to focus 'cuz he was shooting out of one eye."

It was reminiscent of the 2007 West semifinals, when Nash had his nose sliced open when he and Tony Parker collided head-to-head in Game 1. The gash in Nash's nose bled profusely, and the Suns went on to lose the series.

Not this time.

"Obviously I'm very sad and very mad that we lost, but at the same time I'm happy for Nash and [Amare] Stoudemire," Parker said. "Because every year they played hard against us and it never went their way. This year, it went their way."

Stoudemire led the Suns with 29 points. He is the only Suns player who was on each of those Spurs-ousted teams over the last seven years, but rather than rejoice, Stoudemire coolly walked off the court.

The Suns still have work to do.

They'll either play the Los Angeles Lakers or the Utah Jazz in the West finals. The Lakers lead that series 3-0, and no team in NBA playoff history has ever come back from that deficit to win.

Add these Spurs to that list.

"We thought from our past experience that we could do some things to control the series, but they just outplayed us," Duncan said. "All in all, they just outplayed us."

The Suns are keeping one of the more remarkable stories of the playoffs going. Three months after Phoenix was on the brink of trading Stoudemire and calling it a season, the Suns are returning to the West finals for the first time since 2006.

General manager Steve Kerr has said it would've taken an offer "really good for us to break up the team," and good thing it never came along.

Phoenix sealed its third trip to the West finals since 2005, and gets another crack at returning to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1993.

Parker scored 22 points to lead the Spurs, who were swept out of the playoffs for the first time since 2001. It was an abrupt ending for the Spurs, who will have a summer to chew on some uncomfortable questions facing the winningest franchise of the last 13 years.

Any season that doesn't end with a ring is a failure for the four-time champions. The three years since their last title is in an eternity in San Antonio and, as been the case since the 2007 Finals, time isn't on the side of their aging core.

Manu Ginobili, who will be 33 next season, signed a three-year extension in March. Duncan will be 35 when his contract is up in 2012. But could the Spurs part with Parker, who enters the summer with an expiring deal and a cheaper replacement behind him in Hill?

Back at the All-Star break, it was the Suns who were thinking about the future when a Stoudemire trade seemed imminent. The Suns instead kept the team together, and Stoudemire got to enjoy Phoenix beating the Spurs in the playoffs for the first time since 2000.

"It feels great, but the past is the past," Nash said. "It's definitely rewarding to beat the Spurs. For me personally, it feels great. I have a tremendous amount of respect for this franchise."

Associated Press

Practice makes perfect, this was just perfect

2010-05-09T21:44:00.000-07:00

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Dallas Braden definitely owns the mound now.

Braden pitched the 19th perfect game in major league history on Sunday, shutting down the majors' hottest team and leading the Oakland Athletics to a 4-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.

Braden threw his arms in the air after Gabe Kapler grounded out to shortstop for the final out, his simmering feud with Yankees star Alex Rodriguez merely a footnote to the first perfect game for Oakland in 42 years.

The closest the Rays got to a hit was Jason Bartlett's liner to third leading off the game. Evan Longoria tried to bunt leading off the fifth, drawing boos from the small crowd.

"Pretty cool," Braden said. "I don't know what to think about it just yet. There's definitely a select group. I'd like to have a career more than today."

Before this gem, Braden was best known for his enraged reaction to Rodriguez walking across the mound on April 22. Still angry after the game, he told the slugger "to go do laps in the bullpen" if he wanted to traipse across a mound.

The squabble was still simmering last week. On Friday in Boston, Rodriguez said he didn't want to extend Braden's "extra 15 minutes of fame.

A-Rod struck a far more conciliatory tone Sunday.

"I've learned in my career that it's always better to be remembered for some of the good things you do on the field, and good for him," Rodriguez said before facing Boston. "He threw a perfect game. And, even better, he beat the Rays."

That said, Braden's grandmother may have gotten the last word:

"Let's forget it, uh huh -- and stick it, A-Rod," said a chuckling Peggy Lindsey, who was in the stands watching.

This was the majors' first perfect game since Mark Buehrle did it for the White Sox against the Rays on July 23, and the second no-hitter this season after Colorado's Ubaldo Jimenez accomplished it in Atlanta on April 17.

"I'm a bad omen. That's the third perfect game and fourth no-hitter I've been on the wrong side of," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "When Kenny Rogers threw his I was the bullpen coach. If you want to see another one, just follow me around."

Braden pitched the A's first perfect game since Hall of Famer Jim "Catfish" Hunter's gem on May 8, 1968, against the Minnesota Twins. Only 6,298 were there to witness it. Sunday's crowd at the Coliseum wasn't much better: 12,228.

Braden (4-2) wasn't fazed by anything, locating his fastball in every spot, throwing two-strike changeups and getting quick outs against a Rays team that lost on the road for just the third time this year. He struck out six in the improbable 109-pitch performance, throwing 77 strikes in his 53rd career start and first complete game.

Braden's teammates mobbed him when the Mother's Day masterpiece was over, leaving bats and gloves scattered on the field. The left-hander pointed to the sky in honor of his single mom, Jodie Atwood, who died of skin cancer when he was a high school senior. He shared a long and tearful hug with Lindsey, who helped raise him, in front of the dugout.

"It hasn't been a joyous day for me in a while," Braden said. "With my grandma in the stands, it makes it a lot better."

Braden's perfect game was the sixth no-hitter in Oakland history. The 26-year-old Braden, a native of nearby Stockton, was a 24th-round draft pick by the A's in 2004. He improved his career record to 18-23.

"Little League, I got a couple of them under my belt," Braden said. "In the bullpen, I'm damn near perfect every day."

His grandmother gets the game ball, the Stockton Hall of Fame everything else. Dozens of supporters from Stockton packed the Coliseum's Section 209 -- the number of their area code.

Last Mother's Day, Braden was hit by a line drive by Vernon Wells.

"You know, a year later you don't expect anything like this," he said. "I'm just happy to be putting on the costume a year later."

The A's defense didn't even have to make a really tough play in fair territory.

Third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff sprinted to the dirt in front of Oakland's dugout to catch a foul popup by Dioner Navarro for the second out in the sixth. Kapler then fouled out on a 12-pitch at-bat on another ball caught by Kouzmanoff. Navarro fouled off five straight pitches before the popup.

In the eighth, Kouzmanoff went down the dugout steps to snare Carlos Pena's foul.

"I told him he needs to quit stealing my thunder," Braden said. "He makes ridiculous plays."

This was even a first for longtime umpire Jim Wolf, who worked home plate.

"You do get caught up in it a little bit," said Wolf, who watched younger brother Randy throw a perfect game and no-hitter as a high-schooler.

James Shields (4-1) failed to beat the A's for the second time in 12 days after striking out 12 in a 10-3 win April 28

Associated Press

Rondo makes a name for himself with an unforgettable playoff performance

2010-05-09T21:29:00.000-07:00

BOSTON -- Those "MVP! MVP!" chants are usually reserved for LeBron James or one of Boston's Big Three.

Rajon Rondo earned every one of them Sunday.

The Boston point guard had 29 points, 18 rebounds and 13 assists, and the Celtics beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 97-87 on Sunday to even the Eastern Conference semifinal series at two games apiece.

Still sometimes overlooked among the Celtics' other All-Stars, Rondo is the reason the Celtics are two wins away from knocking off the East's No. 1 seed.

"I think it starts with Rondo. He's kind of the engine that really gets them going," James said. "He does everything for them. His performance was unbelievable.

"Rondo was definitely the difference maker."

Rondo had a playoff career high in rebounds and matched his best scoring night in his fourth postseason triple-double. He played 47 minutes with some of his bigger-name teammates in foul trouble, and fans serenaded him with the chants as he knocked down a pair of free throws with 17 seconds left.

"He was absolutely sensational tonight," Boston coach Doc Rivers said.

Rondo became the third player in playoff history to have at least 29 points, 18 rebounds and 13 assists according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Oscar Robertson had 32 points, 19 rebounds and 13 assists in 1963, and Wilt Chamberlain had 29 points, 36 rebounds and 13 assists in 1967.

Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett scored 18 apiece for the Celtics, who rebounded from the worst home playoff loss in franchise history and ensured they'll get at least one more game at home. Game 5 is Tuesday night in Cleveland before the series returns to Boston on Thursday night.

Elite Company
Boston's Rajon Rondo recorded his fourth postseason triple-double in his 49th playoff game to add his name to an elite list.

Most triple-doubles in first
50 playoff games

Player Triple-Doubles
Magic Johnson 13
Oscar Robertson 8
Jason Kidd 6
Rajon Rondo 4

James scored 22 points -- only one more than he had in the first quarter of Game 3 -- and seemed frustrated during a seven-turnover performance. Shaquille O'Neal added 17 points, his high for this postseason, but was on the bench when the Celtics blew by the Cavaliers in the fourth quarter.

"Boston was more aggressive and we have to try and do it for 48 minutes," Cavs coach Mike Brown said. "The most aggressive team is going to win."

Tony Allen scored a playoff career-high 15 points in 26 spirited minutes off the bench for the Celtics, helping spell the foul-plagued Paul Pierce and Ray Allen.

Pierce continued to struggle, managing only nine points in 31 minutes, but Rondo made sure he wasn't missed.

The Celtics ran off the first 10 points of the fourth, mostly in transition, turning a two-point edge into an 84-72 lead. Rondo's basket started the spurt, he twice fed Glen Davis for easy baskets, and Tony Allen finished it off with another bucket in transition. The Cavaliers didn't score in the period until Mo Williams' jumper with 7:15 remaining.

"I just wanted to continue to attack," Rondo said. "That's how we got the lead at first."

But Cleveland used its own 10-0 run to climb to 86-84 after James converted a three-point play and set up Anderson Varejao for one. Tony Allen answered with a basket, and after a free throw by Varejao, Rondo threw a pretty bounce pass to Pierce for a dunk, then added a follow shot to make it 92-85 with 1:34 to play.

Getting Defensive
After the Celtics normally stingy half-court defense was torched for 114 points in Game 3, Boston allowed just 74 points on 91 plays in the half court on Sunday.

Rivers said the problem with Boston's offense in Game 3 was really its defense, because the Celtics never got enough stops to get their running game going. Rondo sped by the Cavs in this one, helping Boston -- the team with older legs -- to a 23-7 advantage in fast-break points.

"Multiple stops means Rondo in the open court," Rivers said.

James and the Cavs put their 124-95 victory in Game 3 away early and looked ready to deliver another quick knockout punch. Cleveland scored the first seven points, and things looked even better for the Cavaliers when Pierce and Kendrick Perkins both went to the bench early in the first quarter with two fouls. But the Celtics started getting stops, enabling Rondo to push the ball in transition, and Boston surged to a 31-22 lead.

A Cleveland flurry with James on the bench cut Boston's lead to three, but the Celtics soon pushed it back into double digits and led 54-45 at halftime.

James appeared to be checking out his sore right elbow after attempting to draw a charge on Rondo in the first half and rarely seemed in the attack mode that carried him to 38 points in Game 3.

Cleveland chipped away in the third, powered by some strong inside work by O'Neal, and eventually took a one-point lead on Delonte West's three free throws with 1:41 remaining. Rondo found Tony Allen for baskets twice in the final 1:07 of the period, giving the Celtics a 74-72 edge heading to the fourth.

Associated Press

Tiger pulls out of PGA championship

2010-05-09T21:20:00.000-07:00

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- Dressed in his Sunday red shirt, Tiger Woods bowed his head and sat in silence in front of his locker.

He was supposed to be on the ninth hole at The Players Championship. In another stunning twist for someone whose life used to be so predictable, Woods withdrew suddenly with neck pain that he fears might be a bulging disk.

Woods was so frustrated that he slammed his golf shoe to the floor while taking questions from three reporters.

"I've been playing through it," Woods said of pain he first felt before the Masters. "I can't play through it anymore."

Woods said he did not know what caused the injury, only that "playing doesn't help it." He took 10 questions before going into a physical therapy trailer for 37 minutes and leaving the TPC Sawgrass.

This is Woods' first withdrawal from a tournament since the Nissan Open at Riviera in 2006, when he narrowly made the cut and withdrew from the final two rounds because of the flu. He also withdrew from the 1995 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills as a 19-year-old amateur because of a wrist injury from hitting out of deep rough.

The only time he has mentioned his neck was during his news conference last month at the Masters.

Woods was taken to the hospital Nov. 27 after driving his SUV over a fire hydrant and into a tree, the infamous accident that set off shocking revelations of extramarital affairs that led to his five-month break from golf.

Asked at Augusta what injuries he suffered that night, Woods said, "I had a busted-up lip and a pretty sore neck, and that was it."

He didn't mention the pain when he missed the cut last week for the sixth time in his career at Quail Hollow. But it became obvious something was wrong Sunday on the par-4 seventh hole at Sawgrass.

After hitting his tee shot well right, Woods called for an official. He hit his second shot and grimaced, then walked to the middle of the fairway, shook hands with playing partner Jason Bohn and left in a golf cart. Fans gave him a warm ovation, with one man shouting, "Hurry back, Tiger."

Bohn noticed that Woods loosened his neck muscles on the first tee, but he didn't see any signs Woods was in pain until they exchanged pleasantries in the seventh fairway.

"He just said, 'I'm done,' " Bohn said. "Then I kind of inquired about it. I said, 'Are you OK?' ... I said, 'Is it your wrist?' He said, 'No, it's my neck.' I could tell when he shook his hand; he kind of stiffened up. When your neck hurts, it's pretty severe. But you could tell when he was leaving he was in pain."

The large gallery following Woods dispersed soon after he did. Bohn played the final 11 holes alone -- without all the FBI agents dressed in plain clothes, sheriff's officers and extra volunteers who followed Woods around the Stadium Course all week.

"I was a little disappointed," Bohn said jokingly after shooting an 8-over 80. "I thought they were there for me to be honest."

Woods said he plans to have an MRI this week. He said he was having a hard time with the pain, and that there was a tingling sensation on his right side down to his fingers. As he was driven from the golf course, Woods continually squeezed his right hand and released his fingers.

"I might have a bulging disk," he said.

Nearly a hundred reporters and photographers waited outside the physical therapy trailer for Woods, who was whisked away in a black SUV without taking more questions.

In light of his condition, Woods cancelled a clinic he was scheduled to host Monday at the Aronimink Golf Club in suburban Philadelphia during a media day for July's AT&T National, moved from the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md., as the course undergoes renovations ahead of the 2011 U.S. Open.

Before his Nov. 27 car accident and ensuing sex scandal, Woods had been the AT&T National tournament host but is no longer serving in that capacity.

Woods will still hold a 2 p.m. news conference at Aronimik.

Woods started the final round of the Players 10 shots out of the lead and was 2-over par through six holes. He struggled on just about every hole, finding a bunker off the first tee, coming up short on several approach shots and pushing several tee shots right.

He said pain was bothering him from the time he took the club back until he finished his swing.

"Setting up over the ball is fine, but once I start making the motion, it's downhill from there," he said.

It was only his third tournament back from a five-month hiatus after he was caught having extramarital affairs. Woods tied for fourth at the Masters, then missed the cut last week at Quail Hollow with the second-highest round (79) and the highest 36-hole score (153) of his PGA Tour career.

Woods at times stretched and rolled his neck between shots over the last three days, when he produced some good golf along with some shots that didn't remotely resemble Woods. He popped up two tee shots with his 3-wood, and hit another one at a 45-degree angle. In relatively easy scoring conditions, Woods had rounds of 70-71-71 and was tied for 45th going into the last round.

On Friday, Woods was asked specifically about his left knee, for which he had season-ending surgery in 2008, and his right Achilles, which he disclosed at the Masters

Asked if he had any issues, Woods said; "No, zero. Absolutely 100 percent.'' Asked about the Achilles, he said. "No, I started back running again. Haven't had any swelling. I still feel that I'm explosive in all my exercises I'm able to do now, which I wasn't doing any of that last year. So it feels good.''

Woods didn't volunteer anything then about his neck, but his swing coach, Hank Haney, acknowledged Sunday that it had been an issue going back before the Masters.

"Tiger doesn't make excuses, but I know it has been bothering him,'' said Haney, who has not been at the TPC Sawgrass this week. "I don't know how bad. Tiger is a tough guy. He played the U.S. Open on a broken leg. So when he says something is bothering him, it's probably not real good.''

The recent injury might explain some of the puzzling distance issues Woods experienced. He was last in the field through three rounds (70 players) on the measured holes and was just 65th out of 70 in driving distance on all holes. Woods has traditionally been among the longest hitters of the ball.

Woods has won 71 times on the PGA Tour, including six victories in 2009. He has been top-ranked for nearly five years, after going back and forth with Vijay Singh during the 2004 and 2005 seasons.

Associated Press

Russell finally released by Raiders, cant say you didnt see it coming

2010-05-06T14:39:00.000-07:00

ALAMEDA, Calif. -- The Oakland Raiders released former No. 1 overall pick JaMarcus Russell on Thursday, ending a three-year tenure marked by his high salary and unproductive play on the field.

Senior executive John Herrera told The Associated Press about the move and said that "we wish him well."

The decision came less than two weeks after Oakland acquired Jason Campbell from Washington to take over at quarterback and signifies that owner Al Davis finally lost patience with the immensely talented but unproductive player he drafted first overall in 2007 against the wishes of former coach Lane Kiffin.

Russell will now likely be considered one of the biggest draft busts in NFL history, joining Ryan Leaf, Ki-Jana Carter, Akili Smith and others on that list. He will have been paid more than $39 million by the Raiders, while producing only seven wins as a starter.

Russell showed up at last week's minicamp, saying he would keep coming to work until told otherwise. He looked decent in the first of five practices last weekend but got less work as the weekend went on and the decision to cut ties was finally made.

The Raiders paid Russell more than $36 million through last season. They still owe him $3 million more but saved $6.45 million by not having him on the roster in 2010.

Since the start of the common draft in 1967, only one other No. 1 pick was released this quickly in his NFL career. Indianapolis cut 1992 top pick Steve Emtman after three seasons but that was more because of injuries than production.

Emtman played three more seasons for Miami and Washington. It remains to be seen whether any team will give Russell another shot.

Davis believed Russell could turn the fortunes of his struggling franchise when he drafted him. He stood by him during his struggles, revealing when he fired Kiffin in 2008 that the coach did not want him.

"He is a great player. Get over it and coach this team on the field," Davis read from a letter he sent Kiffin before the firing. "That is what you were hired to do. We can win with this team."

But the Raiders were unable to win with Russell at the helm and Davis allowed Cable to bench Russell midway through last season. The move was popular in the locker room and gave the team a spark on the field as Bruce Gradkowski led comeback wins over Cincinnati and Pittsburgh.

Davis was not satisfied with Gradkowski as his standard bearer and the Raiders were linked to possible offseason deals for Donovan McNabb and Ben Roethlisberger. While the Raiders downplayed how serious those talks ever got, they did make the move for another quarterback when they acquired Campbell from Washington for a 2012 fourth-round draft pick.

The team showed confidence in Campbell by extending his contract through 2011, giving him a $4.5 million deal that season on top of the $3.14 million he is owed this season.

Russell won only seven of his 25 starts as the Raiders extended an NFL-worst streak to seven straight seasons with at least 11 losses. He completed just 52.1 percent of his passes in his career with 18 touchdowns, 23 interceptions, 15 lost fumbles and a passer rating of 65.2.

That means Russell has been paid more than $5 million per win, more than $2 million per touchdown pass and more than $100,000 per completion.

While Russell's numbers are superior to Leaf's, he was paid considerably more money to do it and was picked first instead of second. Leaf's rookie contract guaranteed him only $11.25 million.

Russell's tenure in Oakland got off to a rough start and never got much better. He held out his first season, not signing a contract until after the first game of the regular season. That made his rookie season almost a complete loss, as he started only one game.

He showed some signs of progress in his second season, especially in winning the final two games of the year against Houston and Tampa Bay. But the problems of work ethic and his weight never disappeared and his third season was an utter disaster.

He was fined for being overweight when he showed up at training camp. He then put together one of the worst seasons in recent memory for an NFL quarterback. He completed 48.8 percent of his passes, with three touchdowns, 11 interceptions and a 50.0 passer rating that was the lowest since Leaf, Bobby Hoying and Craig Whelihan all finished below 50 in 1998.

Associated Press

Lawrence Taylor arrested for rape, gets worse shes a minor

2010-05-06T14:24:00.000-07:00

SUFFERN, N.Y. -- Pro Football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor has been arraigned on rape and prostitution charges in an assault on a 16-year-old runaway who police said was brought to his New York hotel room against her will.

A Rockland County judge set bail at $75,000.

Taylor, who has a history of drug abuse and runs-in with the law, was charged with third-degree rape, a felony charge that carries a term of up to four years in prison. Taylor was also charged with third-degree patronizing of a prostitute, a misdemeanor charge that carries a term of up to one year in prison.

Police officials said at a news conference Thursday that Taylor was "cooperative" when he was taken into custody and questioned.

An attorney for Taylor, Kenneth Gribetz, said he was "confident [Taylor's] innocence will be proven."

Another of Taylor's attorneys, Arthur Aidala, said he is "cautiously optimistic" that Taylor will be able to post bail Thursday.

A second man was arrested in the case, New York City police said. Rasheed Davis, a 36-year-old parolee, was arrested on charges of unlawful imprisonment, assault and endangering the welfare of a child.

Taylor's Struggles Off The Field
1986: Admits in public statement that he has received help for substance abuse ... enters six-week drug-rehab program in Houston, stays one week.

1988: Given 30-day four-game suspension for second violation of NFL's drug-abuse policy for cocaine use.

1989: Fails breath test when police find him asleep behind the wheel of his Jeep beside the Garden State Parkway in N.J. ... acquitted in Saddle Brook, N.J., of drunken driving charges ... tries to choke a reporter after a Giants practice.

1996: One of 15 arrested in Myrtle Beach, S.C., for allegedly trying to buy $100 worth of crack from undercover police while in town for a celebrity golf tourney. Charges dropped when LT agrees to 60 hours of public service.

1997: Pleaded guilty to filing false 1990 income-tax return and failing to report $48,000 income from the now-defunct LT Sports Club in East Rutherford, N.J.

1998: Arrested in his New Jersey home in a roundup of deadbeat parents. Released after about 10 hours in jail when a friend pays $6,000 in child support and for an outstanding traffic violation ... arrested again, this time in Florida, for allegedly buying $50 in crack from an undercover cop and for possessing drug paraphernalia.

2009: Arrested in Miami for leaving the scene of an accident.

2010: Arrested by Ramapo, N.Y., police, and accused of raping a minor at a hotel in Montebello.

-- Source: New York Daily News

Police said Davis drove the girl, who had been staying with him in the Bronx for a few weeks, to the Holiday Inn Suffern, in Montebello, and told her she had to have sex with Taylor. She said she refused, Taylor sexually assaulted her, then he paid her $300, which she gave to Davis, police said.

Davis "struck the young girl with his fist, kicked her and brought her to the Holiday Inn against her will," NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said.

On the way back from Suffern, the girl sent text messages to her uncle spelling out what had happened, Browne said. The uncle then went to the NYPD, he said.

New York City police alerted Ramapo authorities to what happened. Police then went to Taylor's hotel room and arrested him.

"We're not happy with what took place, but our detectives have made the arrest and processed the scene," St. Lawrence said.

St. Lawrence also said sex with a 16-year-old cannot be consensual in New York state.

The alleged victim was 15 when she ran away from home in the Bronx in March but is 16 now, St. Lawrence said.

Taylor, 51, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999 and competed in ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" last year. He had a highly publicized struggle with drug addiction and has had multiple legal issues in retirement.

A quick, fierce and athletic linebacker who redefined his position, Taylor anchored the Giants' defense and led New York to Super Bowls titles in 1987 and 1991. He was selected to the NFL's 75th anniversary All-Time Team.

A 10-time Pro Bowler, he was the NFL Most Valuable Player in 1986 and the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1981, 1982 and 1986. He recorded 132.5 sacks, which doesn't include the 9.5 sacks in 1981, when the statistic wasn't official.

In 2001, Taylor was convicted of possessing drug paraphernalia in New Jersey. The conviction stemmed from the September 1998 discovery in a hotel room of a butane torch and other materials commonly used to smoke crack.

In 1996 and 1997, he was arrested in South Carolina and Florida on drug charges. In those cases, he either admitted his guilt or agreed to enter a pretrial intervention program.

In 2000, he drew five years of federal probation for filing false tax returns and for tax evasion. In November, he was charged in Florida with leaving the scene of an accident

Associated Press

The celtics roll in game 2 while Rondo looks unstoppable

2010-05-04T13:07:00.000-07:00

CLEVELAND -- LeBron James better make sure his new MVP trophy isn't missing. The Boston Celtics stole everything else.

Rajon Rondo tied a team playoff record with 19 assists, Ray Allen scored 22 points and the Celtics, playing with renewed confidence and looking very dangerous despite their years, opened a 25-point lead in the fourth and then survived Cleveland's comeback for a 104-86 victory on Monday night to even their semifinal series at 1-1.

An underdog coming in, the Celtics left town with a split.

"We did everything we set out to do," Allen said. "We've talked all year about closing out games. When we do that, we're pretty good."

After blowing an 11-point lead in the third quarter of Game 1, the Celtics almost squandered a much bigger one. They led 91-66 with 9:08 left before the Cavaliers, who have been outplayed in both games, scored 15 straight and pulled within 93-83 on James' basket with 3:13 left.

Boston, though, closed with an 11-3 spurt and then packed up and headed home for Friday's Game 3 thinking it can oust the Cavs.

"They believe," Cleveland's Antawn Jamison said.

James, who seemed to be favoring his injured right elbow, scored 24 and Jamison 16 for Cleveland, outscored 31-12 in the third.

"I'm going to continue to try to be the player I am and not use this elbow as an excuse," James said. "I'd never use an injury as an excuse. It's just two games. I understand the burden and the pain Cleveland fans have. I don't feel pressure at all. I'm looking forward to Game 3."

The Celtics seemed in control with their 25-point bulge, but they got complacent and found themselves having to scramble down the stretch when they could have been resting their starters. Boston went nearly six minutes without scoring.

"I don't know that we handled it very well," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "We were stuck on 91 for what felt like an hour. I kept telling our guys the clock was still moving. I kept telling them we just need one bucket. We need one guy to make a shot and it loosens back up."

Up 93-83, the Celtics finally regrouped. Rondo and Allen scored, then Kevin Garnett completed a three-point play to make it 100-84, allowing Rivers to relax after watching his club play inspired ball most of the way before letting up.

Garnett finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Paul Pierce scored 14.

Rasheed Wallace, called out by Rivers after a lousy opener, added 17 points off the bench as the Celtics stripped the Cavaliers of home-court advantage in the series and gave them four days to think about went wrong.

Two years removed from their 17th NBA title, the Celtics were given little chance of getting past James and the top-seeded Cavs. Despite beating Miami in the first round, Boston was thought to be too old, too slow and too reliant on the aging Big Three of Allen, Garnett and Pierce.

But the trio combined for 54 points with Rondo, the Celtics' jitterbugging point guard, setting them up with passes from impossible angles. Rondo matched the club's postseason record for assists first set by Hall of Famer Bob Cousy.

"I give credit to my teammates, they made the shots," Rondo said. "I tried to give them as easy looks as possible."

Allen said the Celtics bought into some of the criticism that they were past their prime and their championship window had closed.

"I think people said it to try and jab at us," Allen said. "We heard it on the road and from our own media at home. But we didn't worry about it. I saw guys come to the gym every single day getting their shots up, working on their bodies. Everybody was ready for the challenge."

Mo Williams, who scored 20 and led the Cavs' Game 1 comeback, had just four on 1-of-9 shooting.

Afterward, Cleveland coach Mike Brown tore into his players.

"We did not fight back until late," a livid Brown said, his voice rising. "We've gotta decide if we're going to take the fight to them and take these games. Nothing is going to be given to us at all. Ain't a ... damn thing going to be given to us at all in this series.

"We've got to fight better than what we did tonight. Coming from behind in the first game, coming from behind in the second game, that's not good enough. That's not good enough for me or anybody in that locker room. If we expect to win that series, we've gotta bring more of a sense of urgency than what we brought tonight. Plain and simple they kicked our behinds."

Up by four at halftime, the Celtics wasted no time pushing their lead to double digits in the third.

Pierce and Allen hit 3-pointers, and with James tentative -- perhaps because of the elbow -- and the Cavaliers unable to get anything going on offense or contain Rondo, the Celtics' lead ballooned to 74-57 on Kendrick Perkins' basket underneath.

At that point, Cavaliers forward Anderson Varejao showed his frustration by blatantly slamming into Allen on a baseline drive. Boston's guard was sent sprawling and Varejao was assessed a flagrant foul. Allen split the free throws, but on Boston's next trip, he drained a 3-pointer from deep in the corner to make it 78-57.

Anthony Parker threw up his hands in disgust as the Cavs were unable to stop the Celtics' surge.

The Cavs weren't done, though. James finally shifted into attack mode, and Cleveland held Boston without a field goal for 5:39 as the Cavs crept back into it.

But Pierce's basket with 3:29 ended the Celtics' long dry spell and Boston managed to do enough to prevent a historic meltdown.

James was presented with his second straight MVP trophy before the game by NBA commissioner David Stern, who would like to see the superstar re-sign in Cleveland since it would validate the spirit of the collective bargaining agreement he helped negotiate.

However, James didn't appear to be himself, and in the third quarter he looked over at Cleveland's bench and complained about his elbow.

He's got more to think about now.

Associated Press

Suns get 30 out of Nash to win game 1

2010-05-04T12:58:00.000-07:00

PHOENIX --

After resting his strained right hip for three days, Steve Nash had 33 points and 10 assists, and the Phoenix Suns broke their Game 1 curse against the San Antonio Spurs with a 111-102 victory on Monday night in the opener of their Western Conference semifinal series.

Any doubt that Nash would be slowed by the injury ended in the early minutes of the game, when he made his five shots, including an array of twisting, swiveling drives to the hoop. He had 17 points by the end of the first quarter.

"He ran it down our throat," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said.

"He kind of just picked us apart," added San Antonio's Tim Duncan.

Jason Richardson scored 27 and Amare Stoudemire had 23 points and 13 rebounds for the Suns.

Manu Ginobili, tape across his broken nose, scored 27, Tony Parker 26 and Duncan 20 for the Spurs, who had won three straight Game 1s against the Suns, two of them in Phoenix. Both of those times, in 2005 and 2007, the Spurs went on to win the NBA title.

"You can't get too excited," Stoudemire said. "They're a team with a great pedigree that knows how to come back in a series.

In the second half, the situation seemed ripe for another of those San Antonio daggers to the Suns' heart.

Twice San Antonio rallied from 14 back, with a 12-0 run in the third quarter and a mighty 13-0 outburst that sliced Phoenix's lead to 94-93 on Ginobili's 7-foot runner with 4:26 to go in the game.

These Suns had whatever it took to withstand the charge.

"That's really frustrating when that happens," Ginobili said, "especially the second time. ... Against these guys, with the level of confidence they're playing at, you just can't blink."

Stoudemire sank two free throws, then after Keith Bogans and Parker missed 3-pointers, Grant Hill made two from the line to put the Suns ahead 98-93.

Parker's 19-footer cut it to 98-95 with 3:38 left, then Richardson brought the house down with a 3-pointer to make it 103-95 with 1:23 left. After Parker's two free throws cut it to 103-97, Hill made a 13-foot jumper with 51 seconds left, and the Suns put it away by making six of eight free throws from there.

"When we did get back into it, we gave up a bunch of points in transition," Duncan said, "and that's the best transition team in the league."

Nash hurt his hip in a shootaround before Game 3 of the first-round series against Portland, and the injury bothered him greatly in the deciding Game 6 last Thursday. The team had Friday off, then he sat out practice Saturday and Sunday.

The rest did wonders.

"You never know what the game is going to present," Nash said. "You have to be willing and aggressive and do whatever you can. For me, I didn't know how I was going to feel physically, but dragging my leg around in Game 6 in Portland wasn't very fun and it was great to get out there and feel like I could do something."

The Spurs had to rely on their veteran big three, without much help, to stay in the game. George Hill managed just nine points on 2-of-9 shooting and struggled defensively. Richard Jefferson had five points and three rebounds in 33 minutes.

The Spurs had never led before that 12-0 outburst put them up 67-64 with 7:25 left in the third quarter. Ginobili, his nose broken by an elbow from Dirk Nowitzki in Game 3 of the first round, started and ended the run with 3-pointers.

Richardson responded with a 3 and it was 67-all. After two more ties, Nash scored on a squirming inside move, then handed out assists on the next three baskets in a 10-0 Phoenix run that put the Suns ahead 83-73. It was 85-75 entering the fourth.

Stoudemire scored the first four points of the final quarter to stretch the lead to 89-75 and it was 94-80 with 8:10 to go after Lou Amundson made one of two free throws. Yet here came the Spurs again, this time led by Duncan.

He scored seven in the 13-0 surge that almost caught Phoenix.

Nash dominated immediately after the opening tip, making his first five shots, dribbling around George Hill repeatedly for layups. He finished with 17 first-quarter points on 7-of-10 shooting. Nash wrapped up the quarter with a pair of three-point plays.

"We came in the mindset that we were going to push the basketball," Phoenix coach Alvin Gentry said, "and that if we pushed the basketball like we thought we could, Steve would get the ball to the basket."

Phoenix outshot San Antonio 56 percent to 42 percent in the first half yet the Spurs were lurking within striking distance, down 57-47.

Associated Press

Lakers win series opener against Jazz

2010-05-02T19:46:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES -- While the Los Angeles Lakers' reserves haplessly gave away the lead early in the fourth quarter, the Utah Jazz celebrated every basket with increasing glee, spilling off their bench in anticipation of an upset.

Even the Hollywood crowd was tense, with many fans anxiously kneading or waving the giveaway white T-shirts they apparently were too cool to wear.

"It was tough," Kobe Bryant said. "But when it got really tough for me, I just checked myself in."

A few minutes after Bryant checked in, the Jazz were checkmated in these familiar rivals' second-round opener.

Bryant scored 11 of his 31 points in the final four minutes, and the Lakers blew a fourth-quarter lead before rallying for a 104-99 victory Sunday.

Pau Gasol had 25 points and 12 rebounds while blocking five shots for the top-seeded Lakers, whose backups were nearly run off the court by the fired-up Jazz before Bryant seized control.

Last season's NBA Finals MVP coolly scored seven consecutive points to erase Utah's four-point lead, followed by a dynamic slice through the lane for a layup with 22.6 seconds left. Los Angeles also did it with defense, holding the Jazz to one field goal in the final 4:10.

"We put ourselves in a little bit of a hole and let them gain all the momentum," Bryant said. "At that point, you've just got to buckle down."

Los Angeles will host Game 2 of the best-of-seven series Tuesday night. The clubs are meeting in the postseason for the third consecutive year after the Lakers ended Utah's last two seasons, including a first-round victory in 2009.

Perhaps that familiarity was one reason the Lakers again had trouble getting too excited for this one -- a mood matched by the home crowd.

After the Lakers' consecutive first-round losses to Oklahoma City inspired a crackling atmosphere for their blowout victory in Game 5 last week, Staples Center reverted to its usual relaxed state. Los Angeles handed out thousands of white shirts in an apparent attempt at a whiteout crowd to go with the Lakers' Sunday white uniforms, but the majority of fans didn't bother to actually wear them.

Lakers fans get excited about titles, not T-shirts -- and despite an inconsistent regular season and a playoff run that hasn't dazzled anybody to date, their team appears capable of contending for its 16th crown.

"We want to make sure we work and we put more effort into keeping leads and building on leads and stretching the games out," Gasol said. "It's always a little bit frustrating when you lose leads and you're on the bench and you can't do anything. It happens hopefully not very often, but we got stagnant. Guys weren't sharp out there."

Deron Williams scored 24 points for fifth-seeded Utah, which went 3:51 without a field goal after taking a 93-89 lead. Utah has lost 15 straight to the Lakers at Staples Center, including seven playoff games.

"We got a little rattled coming down the stretch -- put up some shots, they just didn't fall," said Paul Millsap, who scored eight of his 16 points early in the fourth quarter. "We're not playing to get close. We're playing to win the game."

Carlos Boozer had 18 points and 12 rebounds, while C.J. Miles added 16 points, including several difficult baskets in the fourth quarter while the Jazz surged ahead with a 12-1 run. But the Lakers had plenty of time to surge back, leaving Utah again lamenting its finishing skills.

"It is kind of repetitive," said Williams, who didn't appear slowed by his injured elbow. "We had a chance to win this game, but we couldn't make the plays down the stretch. Kobe made some unbelievable shots, and that was pretty much it."

Both teams finished their first-round series roughly 36 hours earlier, with the Lakers winning at Oklahoma City on Gasol's last-second tip-in shortly before Utah held off Denver.

Lakers center Andrew Bynum started and played 24 minutes after discovering a small tear in the meniscus of his right knee Saturday. The 7-footer wore a large brace on his knee, but said it didn't limit him much while collecting eight points and 10 rebounds

Utah also has pronounced injury problems. With Andrei Kirilenko still sidelined with a strained left calf and center Mehmet Okur out for the postseason, the Jazz struggled to guard the Lakers inside when Los Angeles forced the ball down low.

Williams occasionally was guarded by Ron Artest, whose defense on NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant was praised in the Lakers' first-round win. Williams scored 17 points in the first half, but went just 2 for 7 after halftime.

Associated Press

Mayweather dominates Mosley in a landslide decision

2010-05-02T19:22:00.000-07:00

LAS VEGAS -- Floyd Mayweather Jr. is usually content to just win a fight. This time, though, Money Mayweather wanted to earn his cash.

Fighting more aggressively than usual, Mayweather overcame a near knockdown in the second round Saturday night to dominate the rest of the way and win a lopsided 12-round decision over Shane Mosley in their welterweight showdown.

"I wanted to give the fans what they wanted to see, a toe-to-toe battle," Mayweather said. "It wasn't the same style for me but I wanted to be aggressive and I knew I could do it."

Boxing's biggest box office draw remained undefeated in 41 fights, but not before giving his fans and his corner a scare when a right hand to the side of his head buckled his knees a minute into the second, and he had to grab Mosley to avoid going down. Mosley landed another right later in the round, but the rest of the night belonged to Mayweather.

"I think we could have pressed the attack a lot earlier, and then we could have got the knockout," Mayweather said.

Fighting before a star-studded crowd that included Muhammad Ali, Mayweather never came close to dropping Mosley, but landed so many more punches that the outcome wasn't in doubt past the middle rounds. He had an answer for everything Mosley tried to do, landing right hands to the head seemingly at will as the fight progressed.

By the end of the night, Mayweather had put so many rounds in the bank that the only question was whether he would stop Mosley or be content to win a lopsided decision. Mayweather kept moving forward and continued to press the issue in a fight that wasn't in doubt.

Two ringside judges scored it 119-109 for Mayweather, while the third had it 118-110. All had him winning every round past the second.

The Associated Press had Mayweather winning 117-110.

Ringside punch statistics were as one-sided as the scorecards. They showed Mayweather landing 208 of 477 punches to 92 of 452 for Mosley.

Mayweather made Mosley look every bit his 38 years as he landed sharp punches to his head, dominating a fighter who had vowed to turn the bout into the fight of the decade. Mosley tried his best, but couldn't match the speed of the 33-year-old Mayweather, who grew more comfortable with each passing round.

Mosley was a substitute for Manny Pacquiao, who was all but signed to meet Mayweather until a dispute over drug testing derailed the megafight. Instead, Pacquiao beat Joshua Clottey on March 13 in Dallas and is campaigning for a seat in congress in his native Philippines.

"If Manny Pacquiao can take a blood and urine test then we have a fight," Mayweather said. "If not, no fight."

Pacquiao, who watched the fight in the Philippines, told Manilla radio station DZBB that he would agree to blood testing, but only if it is not taken within 24 days of the fight. That is basically the same stance that derailed the fight the first time around.

"For me, as long as the drug test is not done close to the match, I'll agree because if they'll get blood from me close to the match, it will be a disadvantage for me because I'm smaller and he's big," Pacquiao said.

Mosley almost ruined a lot of Mayweather's best-laid plans when he landed the big right hand in the second that brought the fans at the MGM Grand Arena to their feet. They chanted "Mosley! Mosley!" as he followed Mayweather around the ring, landing another good right hand before the bell rang to end the round.

"It's a contact sport, and you're going to get hit," Mayweather said. "But when you get hit, you suck it up and keep on fighting. That's what I did. I'm happy we finally had a chance to fight. This is a fight the fans have been looking forward to for a long time, and they deserve it."

Mosley's second-round flourish was his last hurrah. Mayweather came out in the third and began landing some shots of his own, while Mosley couldn't find his mark.

"I caught him with my big right hand and I tried to move around but by that time he was too quick and I was too tight," Mosley said. "After the right hand I thought I needed to knock him out and I needed to do it sooner than later. But I couldn't adjust and he did."

Mosley said he thought the 15-month layoff since his last fight hurt him, as did a stiff neck. But Mayweather had a lot to do with his ineffectiveness, too, fighting his fight and refusing to allow Mosley to dictate the pace.

Mosley's corner kept imploring the fighter to throw his jab more and fight his way inside, but Mosley was content to try to load up to hurt Mayweather with a big punch that didn't come.

"You can't wait for one big shot, you've got to wake up," Mosley's trainer told him after the seventh round.

By the 10th round, Naazim Richardson was even more frantic, telling Mosley he needed a knockout.

Mayweather, who earned $2,500 in his pro debut 14 years ago, was guaranteed $22.5 million but probably will end up with much more once the final pay-per-view buys are added up. Mosley was guaranteed $7 million, and also had a share in the television revenues.

Associated Press

Hawks advance to see the Orlando Magic in the East Semis

2010-05-02T19:14:00.000-07:00

ATLANTA -- With more than three minutes to go, the Atlanta Hawks began pulling their starters. Al Horford flapped his hands, egging on the already raucous crowd. Joe Johnson clapped for the fans, then dropped his head in what looked more like relief than celebration.

The Hawks were moving on in the playoffs. What a contrast from the last game in Atlanta.

After keeping their season alive with a gutty win in Milwaukee, the Hawks made sure the Bucks were in no position to duplicate their improbable Game 5 road win. Playoff rookie Jamal Crawford scored 22 points, Horford put up a double-double and Atlanta pulled away for a 95-74 win Sunday that gave the Hawks a 4-3 triumph in the tougher-than-expected series.

Last Wednesday, the favored Hawks squandered a nine-point lead in the final four minutes, bickered among themselves in the closing seconds and left the court to boos from their own fans, down 3-2 in the series.

This time, nothing but cheers.

"We let 'em down in Game 5," Josh Smith said. "We enjoyed every minute of this."

The Hawks can only hope they didn't expend too much energy in the only first-round series to go the distance.

Third-seeded Atlanta advanced to face No. 2 Orlando in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Magic, who beat the Hawks in three out of four regular-season meetings and have been resting since a sweep of Charlotte last Monday, will host the first two games of the series beginning Tuesday night.

"We've got to be more hungry and determined to get over the hump," Johnson said. "We can't just beat this team based on talent. We've got to play harder."

They could get away with less than 100 percent against the Bucks, whose hopes of a playoff upset were essentially undone with about two weeks to go in the regular season when Andrew Bogut tumbled to the court and ripped apart his right arm.

The 7-foot center was actually in uniform for the final game, but that was a mere formality -- he was done for the year, watching with a large cast on his hand.

"We can't think about all the ifs," Carlos Delfino said. "Yes, we missed his presence in the paint. But glory to the guys who kept fighting. We just tried to be as positive as we possibly could."

Not much to be positive about in the season finale. The Bucks made less than a third of their shots (28 of 86), were blocked eight times and, clearly rattled, threw up at least three airballs. They simply didn't have enough weapons to cope with an Atlanta team that was fired up and ready to give its best.

Rookie Brandon Jennings led the way with just 15 points, and he needed 18 shots to score that many.

"I think we were missing one piece, and that was Bogut," Jennings said. "I wanted to walk out sad, but I had to keep my head up because we were down a couple players [Michael Redd also sustained a season-ending injury]. We did the best we could.

"We showed a lot of people that the Milwaukee Bucks can actually hang in this league."

Crawford, appearing in the playoffs for the first time in his 10-year career, looked like a rookie through the first five games of the series. He was at his lowest after a 4-for-18 shooting performance in Game 5, when the Hawks squandered a nine-point lead in the final four minutes to put the Bucks in control of the series.

But Crawford scored 24 points in Game 6, and the Hawks clamped down defensively for an 83-69 win that sent the series back to Atlanta for Game 7.

The decider was no contest. The Hawks led by double figures for nearly all the last three quarters and pushed the margin as high as 24 late in the game.

"We going to Disney World," the public address announcer screamed to the sellout crowd of 19,241 as the final seconds ticked off.

Crawford hit 8 of 16 shots, including a pair of 3-pointers. Horford worked hard at both ends of the court, finishing with 16 points and 15 rebounds. Mike Bibby scored 15 points and hit several big shots, including an off-balance, one-handed fling from 20 feet that just beat the shot clock. Smith also had 15 despite early foul trouble, and Atlanta romped even though Johnson, its best player, was held to 8 points on 4-for-14 shooting.

"It's just so much fun," said Crawford, who had played on dismal teams his entire career until getting traded to the Hawks last summer. "It's like walking on air."

The Hawks had plenty of Game 7 experience, having gone the distance in the opening round each of the last two years. For the second year in a row, they got to play the decisive game on their home court. The result was the same.

After cruising past Miami 91-78 in last year's Game 7, the Hawks were even more dominant against a Milwaukee team that wasn't expected to do much in the playoffs. In reality, this series was decided Friday night -- Atlanta's Game 6 win in Wisconsin.

Breathing a sigh of relief, the Hawks can now hope for a better second-round showing than 2009, when they were swept in four straight games by LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Horford knows he'll play a huge role going up against Dwight Howard.

"It's been a good season," Horford said, "but there's more to this team than just this."

The Bucks, who made the playoffs for the first time since 2006 with a promising nucleus of Jennings, Bogut and John Salmons, can't wait for next season.

Hopefully, at full strength.

"We made it a tough series," Delfino said. "To go seven games, I think we did pretty good."

Associated Press

Lebron wins the MVP

2010-05-02T19:03:00.000-07:00

AKRON, Ohio -- LeBron James looked out at the sea of faces from his past and present. There's no knowing if they'll be in his future.

Scanning an audience which came to celebrate his second straight runaway NBA MVP award, James pointed out his former high school coaches and best friends. He praised his mom, Gloria, who somehow raised him after giving birth when she was just 16. He had a special message for his girlfriend, Savannah, and their two young sons, LeBron Jr. and Bryce.

James thanked them all, and then singled out one special group.

"I'm sorry," he said Sunday, halting the ceremony at the University of Akron's James A. Rhodes Arena. "But all my teammates, you have to come up here with me, man."

He was soon surrounded on the podium by Shaquille O'Neal, Mo Williams, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and the rest of the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team he led to 61 wins during the regular season and is determined to take all the way to an NBA championship.

Each of the Cavs hugged James before forming a half-circle around him. A few players used video cameras to record the all-for-one moment.

"My name may be put on the front of that trophy," James said, pointing at the Maurice Podoloff Trophy. "But these guys have a lot to do with it."

Dominating the voting just as he dominated on the floor all season, James became the 10th player in league history to win consecutive MVP awards, and he made sure to share it with the people closest to him, the ones who can never imagine him playing anywhere but Cleveland.

"Since I was a kid, I always said I'd find a way to put Akron on the map," James said. "It will always be my home and it will always be my life."

James' comments seemed slightly ominous for a player on the eve of a big decision. He has given few clues about his intentions for when free agency opens on July 1, but James almost sounded as if he was preparing to say goodbye.

"Akron, Ohio is my home," he said. "Akron, Ohio will always be remembered. Akron, Ohio is my life and I love this city."

Later, he was asked how he could leave "all this."

"This is home for me," he said. "I love this place to death. Every day I wake up I understand that I'm not just carrying myself but I'm also carrying this city to bigger and better heights. No matter where life may head me, I'm never gone from here."

James received 116 of a possible 123 first-place votes to win in a landslide over Oklahoma City forward Kevin Durant, who was picked first on four ballots. Orlando center Dwight Howard received the other three first-place votes and finished fourth.

Voting was done by a nationwide panel of sports writers and broadcasters, and this year one ballot was cast by fans in an online vote, which went to James. Players were awarded 10 points for first, seven points for second, five for third, three for fourth and one for fifth.

James finished second on five ballots and two writers placed him third. A year ago, James received 109 of 122 first-place votes.

James finished with 1,205 points, nearly doubling Durant (609). His margin of victory is the second largest in history, topped by only O'Neal, who won by 799 points in 2000. His first-place total was also the most since Kevin Garnett got 120 of 123 in 2004.

James joined Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Moses Malone, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Tim Duncan and Steve Nash on a who's-who list of back-to-back winners.

"Those are guys I looked up to growing up," he said. "To be in that same category is an unbelievable feat."

For the second straight year, James chose to have the award ceremony his hometown of Akron.

Last May, he returned to St. Vincent-St. Mary High School and received the award in the quaint gymnasium in front of family, friends and the student body. He moved it to a larger but still familiar stage, opting for Rhodes -- or the JAR, as it is known -- on Akron's campus, where he also played in high school.

The ceremony was open to the public, and hundreds of fans, a few of whom slept out overnight and many wearing an assortment of No. 23 James jerseys, stood in line for hours for their chance to witness yet another coronation of Ohio's basketball king.

James considered holding the ceremony in the school's new football stadium but was afraid the weather might not cooperate.

"We didn't want it to rain on my parade," he said.

James arrived fashionably late, riding in the back of a Maybach Zeppelin. He was greeted with screams from fans lining the sidewalk as he got out of the expensive ride, looking resplendent in a gray suit, blue shirt and sunglasses that weren't needed on an overcast day.

When he finally took the stage along with Cavs coach Mike Brown, general manager Danny Ferry and owner Dan Gilbert, James was serenaded with chants of "M-V-P" by a crowd estimated at 3,000. Winning a second MVP wasn't necessarily a goal. He does have another in mind.

"The only reason I do what I do on the court is to compete for an NBA championship," he said. "I understand that until I won that I won't go down as one of the greatest players ever. That's my only goal right now. This is the closest I've been to it."

Associated Press

The Spurs get revenge and eliminate Dallas in 6 games

2010-04-30T07:02:00.000-07:00

SAN ANTONIO -- Manu Ginobili stepped off the podium and bumped into Dirk Nowitzki. They shook hands. Nowitzki gave his longtime foe a congratulatory slap on the back and Ginobili disappeared down the hallway.

He was off to celebrate a playoff series win. Just like old times for the Spurs.

"We're thrilled that we beat them," Ginobili said. "We're really proud of it."

Nowitzki then sat down for a playoff ritual of his own -- dissecting yet another first-round failure by the Mavericks.

Ginobili scored 26 points and San Antonio survived blowing a 22-point lead to finish off the Mavericks 97-87 in Game 6 on Thursday night, getting payback after Dallas eliminated the Spurs a year ago in the opening round.

The Spurs will play Phoenix in the West semifinals that start Monday.

The Mavs, meanwhile, slump away into another too-early summer.

Dallas lost in the first round for the third time in four years. The Mavs head into an interesting offseason for a team that's won 50 games for 10 straight seasons, but has only one trip to the NBA finals to show for it.

"Going into the playoffs as a No. 2 seed, it is all we could have wanted," Nowitzki said. "We just happened to see a tough No. 7 seed that got rolling at the right time."

Said Mavs guard Jason Terry, "As of right now this season is a failure."

Nowitzki nearly carried the Mavs to an unbelievable comeback, getting 25 of his 33 points in a remarkable second half. But George Hill, the hero for the Spurs in Game 4, scored 10 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter to keep the series from going back to Dallas.

The Spurs continue their roll after coming off their worst regular season in the Tim Duncan era, which perhaps makes this series all the more impressive.

It will technically go down as an upset. San Antonio is only the fifth No. 7 seed to win a first-round series, and the first since the opening round became a best-of-7 in 2003. It hadn't been done since New York beat Miami in 1998.

But with a healthy Big Three and a championship pedigree, the Spurs could hardly be called underdogs.

And with no clear favorite in the West, they might be as good a finals pick as any.

"The only reason [the Spurs] we're the 7 seed is because they've been hurt all year," Mavs center Brenden Haywood said. "This could have been the Western Conference finals. The teams are that good. This isn't like a monumental upset or anything. You all are talking like this is the NCAA tournament and the 15 seed just beat the 2."

As for the Mavs, it was yet another early playoff disappointment.

It comes three years after the Mavs came into the postseason as the No. 1 seed, only to be knocked out by No. 8 Golden State. The Mavs were the NBA's best road team in the regular season, but went 0-3 in San Antonio and couldn't pull themselves out of a 3-1 deficit.

This one is especially tough for team owner Mark Cuban, who plunked down an extra $30 million for a deal at the trade deadline that brought Caron Butler from Washington.

Cuban, who needled San Antonio earlier in the series by saying he hated the Spurs, congratulated them afterward and said he'd root for his Texas rivals the rest of the way.

He followed that up with a cryptic comment.

"I'm not proud of the NBA. I'm not proud of my inability over the last 10 years to have an impact like I want to have," Cuban said. "So I kind of feel like I owe fans an apology. But that's just the way this business goes."

Cuban declined to elaborate.

Butler scored 25 points and rookie Rodrigue Beaubois had 16. But aside from them and Nowitzki, no other Dallas player scored more than six points.

Among the questions facing the Mavs is Nowitzki, who could choose to become a free agent this summer. He's steadily said he won't, but after the game, Nowitzki was noncommittal about his future.

"I haven't really thought about my future," he said. "I guess I have some time now to think about my future and think about my options."

He and the Mavs will have a long time to sulk over this one.

Plagued by slow starts in this series, Dallas got off to its worst yet when it mattered most. The Mavs trailed 22-8 after the first quarter, hitting just four of their first 18 shots. By halftime it was 47-34, a franchise playoff low for Dallas.

Nowitzki, who had four fouls in the first half, shrugged off the foul trouble and put Dallas ahead 57-56 with a 3-pointer midway through the third quarter. But Ginobili immediately fired back with a 3-pointer, and Dallas never led again.

"I think we took a lot of their energy, a lot of their effort getting back into it after being so far down," said Duncan, who had 17 points and 10 rebounds. "Hopefully we used that against them and closed the game out."

Associated Press

Phoenix closes out Portland, Next up San Antonio

2010-04-30T06:49:00.000-07:00

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Jason Richardson wanted to be the wild card in the playoffs for the Phoenix Suns.

So while the Portland Trail Blazers were focused on Amare Stoudemire and Steve Nash, Richardson came up big for the third time in the first-round series, scoring 28 points in a 99-90 Game 6 victory Thursday night.Blazers Bow Out, Again

The win sends the third-seeded Suns into the second round against seventh-seeded San Antonio, which advanced by beating Dallas 97-97 earlier Thursday night. The opening game of the Western Conference semifinals is Monday night in Phoenix.

Richardson had 29 points in the Suns' 119-90 victory in Game 2 before scoring a career playoff-high 42 in a 108-89 win in Game 3.

"Everybody knows what Steve can do, and everybody knows what Amare can do. I'm just trying to be that wild card, that third scorer, and help us get wins and try to go deep into the playoffs," Richardson said.

The Suns last went to the second round in 2007, when they got past the Los Angeles Lakers to open the playoffs before falling to the Spurs. In 2008, the Spurs got the best of Phoenix in the first round.

Since the 2002-03 season, the Spurs have eliminated the Suns from the postseason four times.

The Suns went up 53-41 at halftime and led by as many as 16 points in the second half. The Blazers tied it at 76 midway through the fourth quarter, but could not pull ahead.

Martell Webster had 19 points for Portland, which failed to advance out of the first round for the second straight year.

The Blazers narrowed it to 74-71 with 10:44 left on Rudy Fernandez's 3-pointer. Jared Dudley fouled Webster on a 3-point attempt, and Webster made two free throws to close to 74-73.

After Leandro Barbosa's bank shot, Jerryd Bayless hit a long jumper that pulled Portland within one. Amare Stoudemire fouled LaMarcus Aldridge, who made one of two free throws to tie it at 76.

Stoudemire's layup prevented Portland from taking the lead, and Goran Dragic added a basket to put the Suns in front 80-76. Phoenix extended it on two consecutive layups and a 3-pointer from Richardson to make it 87-78 with 4:36 left.

Steve Nash sealed it with a 3-pointer that gave the Suns a 92-82 lead.

Stoudemire finished with 22 points for the Suns, while Nash, who said afterward that he had been battling a hip injury since Game 2, had 10 points.

Richardson made five of eight 3-point attempts.

"J-Rich definitely shot the ball extremely well from the outside and he created for us," Stoudemire said. "He's been a great addition to this team, a great help in the playoffs, and hopefully we can see that great play continue in the next series."

Brandon Roy had 14 points for the Blazers in his first start of the series. Portland's three-time All-Star had arthroscopic surgery for a torn meniscus in his right knee two days before the series against the Suns opened.

He was originally ruled out of the first round, but unexpectedly came back for Game 4, which the Blazers won 96-87 at the Rose Garden.

Roy had 10 points in that game, then got just five in Portland's 107-88 Game 5 loss in Phoenix, but he was coming off the bench -- which he said made him uncomfortable.

Roy said that after all the team had been through, he wanted to finish on the court and not on the bench.

"I was happy I was able to play," he said. "I wasn't able to play as well as I liked. I didn't have quite the bounce that I needed but at least I can go into the summertime knowing that I'm healthy and I finished the season out with my guys."

The Suns, who found success in the series when they established a fast pace, went up 17-6 early with Richardson hitting three 3-pointers.

But Stoudemire collected two quick fouls and retreated to the bench. Richardson wound up with 14 points after the first quarter, but it was tempered by Nash's five turnovers.

Portland narrowed it to 28-26 on Fernandez's 3-pointer.

The Suns stretched the lead to 41-32, but Roy finally came alive, hitting a running 3-pointer from the top of the key with 4:51 to go in the half.

Hill's fast-break layup and free throw made it 53-40. Richardson finished the first half with 19 points. He made all four of his 3-point attempts.

Channing Frye hit a 3-pointer to put Phoenix up 64-50 midway through the third quarter.

Webster hit consecutive 3-pointers that narrowed it to 69-65, but Dudley answered with a 3-pointer for the Suns.

Phoenix coach Alvin Gentry credited the defense.

"At the end of the night, they shot 38 percent. To me, that's a credit to our defense. Nobody really talks about it, but we like it," Gentry said. "In the locker room, we pat each other on the back."

Hill advanced past the first round for the first time in his 14-year career.

The Suns are 6-1 in their last six potential series-clinching games.

Portland has never won a series that they have trailed 3-2.

"Seemed like every time we were able to get close we'd make a mistake," Blazers coach Nate McMillan said. "Whether it was a turnover or a bad possession, they make you pay. Nash has had that MVP-type season. Richardson was big this series. Amare came with his `A' Game tonight."

Associated Press

Tyreke Evans named rookie of the year

2010-04-29T16:47:00.000-07:00

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Tyreke Evans has won hundreds of trophies in his young basketball career and many of them seem to have lost an arm, a basketball or some other piece in his mother's care.

Bonita Evans will have to wait to get the NBA Rookie of the Year trophy Evans won Thursday until some safeguards are in place in the home he is building her in Delaware.

"She's broken too many," Evans said. "I probably have 400 trophies and about a hundred of them broke. I'd come downstairs and she'd try to glue them back together but it was too late. I didn't care about it. But the main important trophies, we're going to put them in a glass case for her."

Evans capped his fabulous rookie year for the Sacramento Kings by beating out Golden State's Stephen Curry and Milwaukee's Brandon Jennings for the coveted award.

Evans became the fourth rookie ever to average at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists per game, joining Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan and LeBron James in an exclusive club.

"This is one of the awards I had a goal of since I came into the NBA, being rookie of the year," Evans said. "I'm proud it came true. It was one of my dreams since I was little. I finally had a chance for my dream to come true."

Evans was the fourth pick in last year's NBA draft after spending one season at Memphis. Like Chicago's Derrick Rose a year ago, that one year at Memphis was enough to make him Rookie of the Year.

He led all rookies in scoring at 20.1 points per game, was second in assists at 5.8 per game and fifth in rebounds at 5.3.

"After maybe the first week or two in the regular season, the level of consistency that he settled into was just remarkable given his age and one year of experience in college," Kings president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie said. "It was just fun to watch it all unfold."

Evans was the only rookie to appear on all 123 ballots from a media panel, getting 67 first-place votes and 491 total points. Curry was second with 43 first-place votes and 391 points, with Jennings getting 12 first-place votes and 204 points. Players were awarded five points for a first-place vote, three for a second and one for a third.

While Jennings got off to a fast start, scoring 55 points in his seventh career game, and Curry finished the season with a flourish, Evans was consistently strong all season long.

Evans drew praise from around the league, with Kobe Bryant calling him a "grown man" when asked to assess the rookie race after playing Curry and Evans in successive nights in March.

Evans' performance this season brought life back to Arco Arena, where fans had grown disinterested in recent years as the Kings struggled. There was even a rally planned at a Sacramento mall on Thursday night in Evans' honor.

Evans erased any disappointment from last year's lottery, when the Kings ended up with the fourth pick in the draft despite having the league's worst record.

With top pick Blake Griffin sidelined for the season for the Los Angeles Clippers with a knee injury, second pick Hasheem Thabeet spending part of the season for Memphis in the NBA Development League and fifth pick Ricky Rubio staying in Europe instead of signing with Minnesota, there were no regrets in Sacramento with how the draft played out.

"I know there was a lot of real disappointment at that moment," Petrie said. "It just shows that life is real uncertain and good things can come out of what appear to be not so good things sometimes. It all worked out."

After a disappointing home opener when he scored only three points and didn't make a shot from the field, Evans took over the Kings after leading scorer Kevin Martin went down with an early injury. He scored at least 20 points in seven consecutive games.

Evans was remarkably consistent, averaging between 19.4 points and 22.1 points per game in every full month of the season.

"He's the most consistent rookie I've ever seen," coach Paul Westphal said. "There's nothing but a great career in Tyreke's future. Knowing him, I know he doesn't view this as an achievement. It's just a start to his career."

Curry, the son of former NBA player Dell Curry, might have been playing better than any rookie by the end of the season. He averaged 17.5 points, a rookie-best 5.9 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game for the Warriors.

But he was much better in the final three months, averaging 21.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game after Feb. 1. That vaulted him right into the rookie race, giving Northern California NBA fans something worthwhile to follow while the Warriors and Kings struggled through another difficult season.

Jennings entered the league with plenty of scrutiny after bypassing college to play last season in Italy. He immediately quieted the skeptics with the highest-scoring game for a rookie in 41 years against Golden State in November.

He averaged 15.5 points, 5.7 assists and 3.4 rebounds for the season, but shot just 37 percent from the floor. The one major advantage Jennings had over Evans and Curry was that he helped lead Milwaukee to the playoffs, while Sacramento and Golden State are back in the lottery again.

Associated Press

NCAA tourney now to have 68 teams

2010-04-29T16:29:00.000-07:00

INDIANAPOLIS -- The road to the Final Four will have a new look next season.

On Thursday, the NCAA's board of directors approved expansion from 65 to 68 teams and endorsed a proposal to add three more opening-round games to the schedule. It's only the second time in a quarter-century that the NCAA has increased the number of teams competing for the men's national championship.

Now it's time to start mapping out the details, which could include putting at-large teams in the early games.

"The [men's basketball] committee will have to study any variety of options and certainly the notion of looking at options involving the last at-large teams in would be one possible option," NCAA vice president Greg Shaheen told The Associated Press. "We would expect the committee to examine all of the options."

The decision was not a surprise.

NCAA officials recommended the 68-team field last week after the public loudly complained that going to 80 or 96 teams would water down the NCAA's marquee event, and network executives insisted they did not need more tourney games to make a profit on the next television contract.

So the NCAA backed the most modest expansion, at least for now. The board gave unanimous consent to the 68-team field with a caveat -- it wants the "play-in" games to have more significance.

"Expanding to 68 teams gave us an opportunity to involve more teams in the championship, and in doing that, we were able to enhance the experience of the opening-round game," Clemson president James Barker, the committee chairman, said in a statement.

It's the first time since 2001, when the NCAA added one team to the 64-team team field that it has expanded. The NCAA went from 48 to 64 teams in 1985.

More teams won't be the only change fans see next March.

Thanks to the new 14-year, $10.8 billion television package with CBS and Turner Broadcasting, also announced last week, fans can choose which games they want to watch. It will be the first time every tourney game will be televised live nationally. One game will be carried by CBS, with others carried on TNT, TBS and truTV.

It's a smaller overhaul than fans expected after NCAA officials spoke extensively about the format for a 96-team field four weeks ago, but it hasn't stopped the talk about additional expansion.

The new TV deal gives the NCAA sole authority to expand again, a possibility some observers believe will happen in the near future. Don't bet on it.

"Field size of any event is something people like to debate, but it's not something the committee is interested in taking on in the foreseeable future," Shaheen said.

Tourney expansion was only part of the board's busy schedule Thursday.

It also endorsed a recommendation that would require football players to complete nine credit hours during the fall semester to be eligible for the following season. And the Committee on Academic Performance wants to eliminate waivers for Football Bowl Subdivision teams that lose players who are academically ineligible after completing their eligibility. The board believes the elimination of those waivers will force schools to place greater emphasis on retaining athletes.

Both proposals are expected to be added to the 2010-11 legislative calendar.

Other discussion topics on the board's agenda included the use of athletes' names, images and likenesses in commercial products; new rules for handling athlete concussions; and tougher academic standards for junior college transfers. The NCAA did not immediately give any indication of what the board did on those issues.

As usual, though, the men's basketball tourney stole the show.

"The basketball committee very intensely got into determining the tournament structure in the last two years, so it's been an extensive journey," Shaheen said. "But we also recognize it's just one of the 88 championships, so we've still got a lot of work to do. We still have a significant amount of [television] rights to work on."

Associated Press

Bradford goes #1 as expected in 2010 NFL draft

2010-04-23T08:19:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK -- Starting with quarterback Sam Bradford going to the St. Louis Rams, the first NFL draft in prime time was a showcase for the Big 12.

The Oklahoma junior became the eighth quarterback since 2001 taken atop the draft. He was immediately followed Thursday night by defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh of Nebraska, the AP player of the year; and defensive tackle Gerald McCoy and offensive tackle Trent Williams, Bradford's teammates with the Sooners.

"You have no idea how excited I am just to have the opportunity to come to St. Louis and play my NFL career there," Bradford said in a conference call. "It's just a blessing and I can't wait to get there and get to work."

Bradford, the 2008 winner of the Heisman Trophy appeared in three games in 2009, his junior year, before undergoing right shoulder surgery. His recovery has been so complete that the Rams, who went 1-15 last season and scored a league-low 175 points, didn't hesitate to make him the future face of the franchise.

After trading down twice, the Denver Broncos traded up in the draft to take Tim Tebow with the Ravens' 25th pick.

The selection of the Florida quarterback drew the loudest reaction -- a mix of cheers and boos -- from the audience. Denver gave up picks in the second, third and fourth rounds.

"I want to be a great quarterback," Tebow said. " ... For the next few years, my mindset is going to be to repay [Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels] for what he did for me, believing in me. Just like it was when I was at Florida. My biggest joy was doing things for Coach [Urban] Meyer, winning championships, being able to help him."

Tebow was the third Florida player chosen -- and by far the most controversial selection. A winner for four years with the Gators, including two national championships, his unorthodox style and strange throwing motion made for widely divided opinions on him.

Although it's highly unlikely he'll be the starting quarterback in five months' time, Tebow will begin his NFL career Sept. 12 in his hometown of Jacksonville when the Broncos play the Jaguars in their season opener.

In the end, nine first-rounders and five of the top six picks came from the Big 12.

"That's pretty cool because I know the Big 12 has been getting a lot of slack lately," Bradford said. "People for some reason didn't think that we played much football in the Big 12 and sure didn't think we played much defense, so for two defensive tackles to go in the first three picks is a credit to the Big 12."

Nebraska's Suh went to the Detroit Lions with the second pick and was greeted by "SUH, SUH," as he walked onto the stage holding a Lions jersey.

The Heisman Trophy finalist becomes the first defensive tackle to be drafted among the top two picks in the NFL draft since Oakland took Darrell Russell in 1997.

The 6-foot-4, 307-pound Suh was the first defensive player to win the AP player of the year award since its inception in 1998. He had 4½ sacks against Texas in the Big 12 title game and finished with 12 sacks for the season.

NFL Draft
The Rams made Sam Bradford the 14th quarterback taken with the No. 1 pick in the last 24 years.

Player Team
1. Sam Bradford, QB Rams
2. Ndamukong Suh, DT Lions
3. Gerald McCoy, DT Bucs
4. Trent Williams, OT Redskins
5. Eric Berry, S Chiefs
6. Russell Okung, OT Seahawks
7. Joe Haden, CB Browns
8. Rolando McClain, LB Raiders
9. C.J. Spiller, RB Bills
10. Tyson Alualu, DT Jaguars

"He made it an easy pick for us," Lions coach Jim Schwartz said. "He's not just a one-year wonder. He's strong. He's good versus the run. He's good versus the pass. He's very intelligent."

Detroit has a lot of needs after becoming the first team in NFL history to lose 30 games in two seasons.

The 6-foot-4, 295-pound McCoy wept after his selection by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the third pick.

McCoy should boost a Tampa defense that once was feared but flopped last season when it yielded 400 points last season. He displayed his Buccaneers jersey to the crowd and pumped his fist high in the air as "Pirates of the Caribbean" played on the loudspeakers.

McCoy's selection marked the first time in the common draft that the top three picks were all from the same conference.

The Big 12 bonanza kept rolling when Washington took Williams, an All-America, to fill a huge hole at tackle left by the retirement of Chris Samuels. Williams engulfed commissioner Roger Goodell in a hefty bear hug onstage.

"It's insane isn't it?" McCoy said with a huge smile. "We can't play football in the Big 12, but the first four picks went out the Big 12? Mmmmm -- three of 'em from Oklahoma, by the way."

Tennessee safety Eric Berry, also an All-American, went fifth to Kansas City, breaking the Big 12 stranglehold. Berry, noted for his versatility, also has the potential to play cornerback.

Then it was back to the Big 12 for Oklahoma State offensive tackle Russell Okung, who went to Seattle, where perennial Pro Bowl blocker Walter Jones is expected to announce his retirement on Thursday.

Florida cornerback Joe Haden was chosen by Cleveland, followed by Alabama inside linebacker Rolando McClain to Oakland. Both were All-Americans last season.

That also gave the Southeastern Conference three picks in the first eight, showing how highly the NFL regarded those two conferences.

Clemson's C.J. Spiller went to the Buffalo Bills with the ninth pick, becoming the first running back taken in the draft and prompting plenty of "Oh, no" responses from Giants fans in the packed theater. McClain and Spiller were considered main targets for the Giants.

The ACC player of the year, Spiller scored 51 touchdowns and set or tied 31 school records in four seasons at Clemson. He's listed at 5-foot-11 and 196 pounds.

The Bills overlooked needs at offensive line and quarterback in selecting Spiller. His arrival leaves in question the future of Marshawn Lynch, the subject of trade speculation this offseason.

Jacksonville took California defensive tackle Tyson Alualu, projected as a second-rounder by many, Jaguars with the 10th pick, a surprising move for a franchise that desperately needed a big-name player to boost sagging ticket sales. The Jaguars blacked out nine of 10 home games last season because they could not sell out the games.

The Broncos traded down two picks in the draft, swapping the No. 11 selection with San Francisco for the 49ers' No. 13 pick. The Broncos also received a fourth-round pick (No. 113 overall) from the 49ers in the trade, the first draft-day deal.

The 49ers used the 11th pick to select Rutgers offensive tackle Anthony Davis.

The Broncos then sent the 13th overall choice they got from the 49ers to Philadelphia, which grabbed Michigan defensive end Brandon Graham.

The Broncos took Demaryius Thomas with the 22nd pick. Thomas was the first wide receiver taken in the draft, surprising some by going ahead of Dez Bryant.

The Dallas Cowboys traded up for the 24th pick to select Bryant. After playing in Oklahoma State's first three games in 2009, Bryant was ruled ineligible for the rest of the 2009 season on Oct. 7 for lying to the NCAA about his activities with former NFL receiver Deion Sanders.

"I'm not disappointed at all," said Bryant, who grew up two hours away in East Texas. "Me falling to the Cowboys, that's the best thing that could ever happen to me. I'm so happy. I'm excited. I'm ready to go to work."

Bryant was considered by many the best receiver in this draft, an All-American in 2008 when he turned 87 receptions into 1,480 yards and 19 touchdowns.

The Chargers moved up from 28th overall to 12th in a trade with Miami to select Fresno State running back Ryan Mathews. Mathews, the nation's leading rusher at 150.7 yards a game, is expected to replace LaDainian Tomlinson, who was released in February after nine brilliant seasons in which he became one of the greatest running backs in NFL history.

The Seahawks selected Texas safety Earl Thomas with the 14th overall pick. The second move by new coach Pete Carroll and new general manager John Schneider targeted the biggest need on Seattle's defense. The Seahawks had two safeties on the roster present for last week's minicamp.

Jason Pierre-Paul, who played one season at South Florida after two years at a junior college, went to the Giants -- a choice that generally drew cheers from the blue-clad New York fans in the crowd.

Georgia Tech defensive end Derrick Morgan went to the Titans and the 49ers added Idaho guard Mike Iupati in a strong effort to solidify their offensive line.

The Pittsburgh Steelers, who are dealing with the fallout from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's suspension, selected Florida center Maurkice Pouncey.

Despite the Steelers fielding phone calls from other teams about Roethlisberger's availability over the past couple of days, it is extremely unlikely a trade will occur, sources told ESPN.com's John Clayton on Thursday.

Missouri linebacker Sean Weatherspoon went to Atlanta, followed by Alabama cornerback Kareem Jackson to Houston and Oklahoma tight end Jermaine Gresham was selected by Cincinnati.

Iowa offensive guard Bryan Bulaga was taken by the Green Bay Packers with the No. 23 pick, Tennessee defensive tackle Dan Williams went to the Cardinals with the 26th pick and Rutgers cornerback Devin McCourty went to the Patriots at No. 27.

Miami selected Penn State defensive tackle Jared Odrick with the 28th pick, which they received from the Chargers. The Dolphins moved down 16 spots in the first round to acquire a second-round choice and reserve inside linebacker Tim Dobbins from the Chargers.

The Jets then selected Boise State cornerback Kyle Wilson at No. 29. California running back Jahvid Best, the 30th pick, joins Suh in Detroit.

TCU linebacker Jerry Hughes went to the Colts with the 31st pick. Hughes was a consensus All-American and the Mountain West conference player of the year.

Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees announced the champion Saints' pick to finish off the showcase, Florida State cornerback Patrick Robinson. The swift round lasted 3 hours, 28 minutes.

St. Louis has the opening pick of the second round Friday night, but there could be plenty of bartering ahead as teams ponder all the talent left, including Texas defensive end/linebacker Sergio Kindle, Southern Cal safety Taylor Mays, Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen and Texas quarterback Colt McCoy.

Associated Press

Thunder turn it up at home as the finish off the lakers in Game 3

2010-04-23T08:10:00.000-07:00

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Scuffling through a rough shooting night, Kevin Durant wanted to do anything he could to keep the Oklahoma City Thunder from falling hopelessly behind the Los Angeles Lakers.

So, why not take on the task of defending Kobe Bryant?

Durant had 29 points and 19 rebounds, and snapped out of a shooting funk while guarding Bryant to lead the decisive run, lifting the Thunder to a 101-96 victory in Game 3 on Thursday night in the first playoff game in Oklahoma City.

"Scoring's a big part of my game. It kind of overshadows the other parts of my game," said Durant, who at 21 became the youngest player to lead the NBA in scoring. "But if I continue to play hard on both ends, it's going to come around for me. I was able to get free and make a couple shots, and that's what got us going."

Durant and Russell Westbrook scored 22 of the final 23 for the Thunder, including every point during a 10-2 surge that put Oklahoma City ahead to stay.

The top-seeded Lakers got back within 98-96 on Bryant's driving layup with 13.5 seconds left, but the Thunder closed it out from the foul line to pull within 2-1 in the seven-game series.

Durant celebrated by thumping his chest and popping his jersey to show off the "Thunder" printed on the front while Westbrook, who scored 27 points, flapped his arms to egg on the screaming crowd.

"It feels good. Playing against the reigning champs makes it even better. But we have a long ways to go," said Durant, who missed his first seven shots and 15 of his first 19. "It does feel good to get our first win. It feels even better to bring the first win in the playoffs here to Oklahoma City. That's what I'm most excited about."

Bryant scored 24 points to surpass Jerry West's franchise record for playoff scoring, and Pau Gasol had 17 points and 15 rebounds for Los Angeles.

But when it came down to crunch time, Bryant couldn't deliver as he did in scoring 15 fourth-quarter points to seal the Lakers' 95-92 victory in Game 2. He went 2 for 10 in the final 12 minutes, with Durant stopping between free throws at one point to motion to the bench that he wanted to guard the former MVP.

"It was a matchup that caught me by surprise," said Bryant, who's nearly half a foot shorter than Durant. "I think he did a great job."

Undaunted by a raucous sellout crowd, the Lakers scored the first 10 points of the game and were in control until the Thunder roared back with an electrifying run of eight straight points late in the third quarter.

The fans reached a deafening pitch as the Thunder completed their charge back from an 11-point deficit set off by Westbrook's right-handed tomahawk dunk. James Harden and Durant followed with back-to-back 3-pointers to tie it at 74, and Oklahoma City finally took its first lead of the game on its opening possession of the fourth quarter.

"That was the loudest I've ever heard a crowd get," said Harden, a rookie reserve who scored 18 points after going scoreless in Games 1 and 2. "That Russell dunk was just amazing and the back-to-back 3s, it just rattled the place."

Nick Collison, the only player left from the franchise's last playoff appearance five years ago in Seattle, said, "It was so loud, it was almost quiet. It's a weird feeling.

Andrew Bynum pulled Los Angeles even for the final time by powering through Collison's hard foul for a right-handed dunk, then hitting the ensuing free throw to tie it at 80.

Durant answered at the other end with a jumper from the right side with 8:41 left to give Oklahoma City the lead for good, then converted Bryant's turnover into a two-handed jam on a fast break.

His 19-foot jumper from the right wing put Oklahoma City up 90-82 with 4:28 remaining, and that lead was just big enough for the Thunder to hang on down the stretch.

"We just fell asleep. We probably thought we had it in the bag," said Ron Artest, charged with defending Durant most of the game. "In this game, especially, you've got to respect the possessions. ... You really can't take it for granted."

It was billed as the biggest sports day in the city's history, with three Oklahoma players taken among the top four picks in the NFL draft on the same night as the first home playoff game for the Thunder or the New Orleans Hornets -- who were displaced to the Ford Center for two seasons following Hurricane Katrina.

And it came on the 121st anniversary of the date the state, which was formerly American Indian territory, was first settled in a land run.

All that didn't seem to bother the defending NBA champions.

They kept the fans standing -- and waiting for the Thunder's first basket -- until coach Scott Brooks burned a timeout 2:34 into the game with his team already down 10-0. Los Angeles made its first seven shots, taking advantage of three early Thunder turnovers and the 7-foot Bynum's size advantage inside with a series of lobs.

"I was actually disappointed in the crowd because all year long I thought they were the best crowd. They just gave us so much energy and were so loud throughout the year," Brooks said. "But now, I realize they were sandbagging."

Associated Press

Bulls pull within 1 game, Beat Cavs in a close one

2010-04-23T07:59:00.000-07:00

CHICAGO -- Derrick Rose heard the "MVP! MVP!" chants and thought he would faint, the loud chorus rattling the All-Star point guard.

Being guarded by LeBron James late in the game didn't faze him. And now, the Cleveland Cavaliers can forget about sweeping the Bulls out of the playoffs.

Rose scored 31 points, Kirk Hinrich added 27 and Chicago hung to beat the top-seeded Cavaliers, 108-106, on Thursday night in Game 3 of a first-round series after its 21-point lead dwindled to one.

"We stayed strong," said Chicago's Joakim Noah, who fought through foul trouble to finish with 15 rebounds. "D-Rose played huge for us. It just feels really good to come out with a win right now."

James scored 13 of his 39 points in the fourth quarter but also committed some turnovers down the stretch. Even so, the Cavaliers were within 107-106 after Mo Williams nailed a 3-pointer with 3.8 seconds left. They immediately fouled Luol Deng, who hit the first free throw but missed the second.

Cleveland's Anthony Parker got the rebound and raced up the right side but missed a 3 at the buzzer, and the Bulls escaped with the win despite some shaky foul shooting late in the game.

They will try to tie the best-of-seven series on Sunday.

Hinrich, a career 80.9 percent foul shooter, missed two with 26 seconds left and the Bulls up 104-99.

James then buried a 3-pointer with 11 seconds remaining to make it a two-point game. The Cavaliers immediately fouled Rose, who missed the first free throw before converting the second to make it 105-102 with 10.1 seconds left.

Chicago fouled Anderson Varejao to prevent a 3-point attempt, and he made the first but missed the second. Brad Miller got the rebound and converted both foul shots to make it a four-point game, and the Bulls hung on for a wild win.

"They kept us on our heels and we can ill afford to let that happen," said Antawn Jamison, who scored 19.

Rose was serenaded by that "MVP!" chant late in the third quarter and was guarded down the stretch by the player who figures to win the award. That didn't shake him, but the chorus did, though.

"I almost passed out," Rose said. "Hopefully one day, but I'm just worried about winning games right now."

So is James, who said he made the call to take Rose down the stretch.

The Bulls appeared to be in good shape up 21 in the third, only to see the Cavaliers cut it all the way to 94-92 on a pair of free throws and a layup by Jamison with 4:10 remaining in the game.

Deng, who scored 20, then made a jumper and Noah stole a pass from James. That led to a jumper by Rose, who then buried a fadeaway as the crowd chanted "Let's go Bulls!" to make it 100-92 with 2:42 remaining.

James charged into Deng with 1:18 remaining and the Bulls up by six, then got stripped by Noah. Deng picked up the loose ball and Hinrich hit two free throws to make it 104-96 with 38 seconds remaining.

About that charge, James didn't agree with the call.

"I saw him backpedaling," James said. "Me as a driver, I'm watching the defender's feet. I'm seeing if he's stationed or is still moving. To me, I felt like he was still backpedaling, and as soon as I saw him backpedaling, that's when I decided to take off. They called a charge. I haven't seen the replay, but I know exactly what I've seen on the court with the defender right in front of me."

Noah said he was particularly concerned Deng would get whistled after seeing James' shot go in.

"I think one of the refs was about to call a block and then he looked at the other ref because he wasn't sure, and the other ref -- thank God -- called a charge," Noah said. "That was a huge play for us. I'm really happy that play went our way. I think I'm kind of biased, but to me, I thought it was a charge the whole time."

As for his five fouls?

"Stupid, stupid fouls," said Noah, who collected several going for offensive rebounds.

Still, at times the Bulls looked as if they might run away with this one.

They were leading 39-23 early in the second after a three-point play by Deng, and they finished the half with a flourish after Cleveland pulled within seven.

Miller hit a 19-footer with a minute left and Hinrich nailed 20-footer from the wing to make it 56-45 before Noah blocked a driving layup by James in the closing seconds. The Bulls continued to pour it on in the third.

Taj Gibson started it with a jumper and capped the run with another one, making it 68-47 with 7:37 left in the third, before the Cavaliers scored 13 straight.

"I believe we're going to be fine," Varejao said. "We just have to play the way we did in the second half."

Associated Press

Big Ben suspended six games to start the season

2010-04-21T13:41:00.000-07:00

Ben Roethlisberger was suspended Wednesday for six games for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy, the league announced.

Commissioner Roger Goodell handed down the punishment a week after prosecutors decided not to charge Roethlisberger in a case involving a 20-year-old college student who accused him of sexually assaulting her in a Georgia nightclub in March.

The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback also was ordered to undergo a comprehensive behavioral evaluation. Goodell will evaluate Roethlisberger's progress before the season and might consider reducing the suspension to four games.
“
In your six years in the NFL, you have first thrilled and now disappointed a great many people. I urge you to take full advantage of this opportunity to get your life and career back on track.

”
-- Roger Goodell, in letter to Ben Roethlisberger

However, a failure to comply with the NFL's ruling might lead to a longer suspension.

Roethlisberger is barred from attending any Steelers offseason activity after Wednesday until he completes the evaluation. He can participate in training camp and preseason games this summer as long as he is cleared by the evaluators and Goodell.

"I agree and support the decision the commissioner made today," Steelers president Art Rooney II said Wednesday in a conference call with reporters.

The Steelers have begun contacting teams to see whether they would be willing to trade a top-10 pick for Roethlisberger, an NFL source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

The Steelers have called the Rams, 49ers, Raiders, Bills, Jaguars, Seahawks and Browns, the source said.

The Rams and Bills are known not to be interested, the source said.

Rooney didn't deny that the team was shopping Roethlisberger but didn't verify the report, either, when he answered a question during the conference call.

"We really can't answer questions about trades, particularly [right before the NFL draft]," Rooney said.

Sitting out all six games would cost Roethlisberger an estimated $2.8 million.

The Steelers also were ordered to remit a portion of Roethlisberger's salary to the NFL for having two players suspended for violations of the league's personal conduct or drug policies. Wide receiver Santonio Holmes was suspended for four games before being traded to the New York Jets this month.

A second player being suspended requires the offending team to pay the NFL 25 percent of the second player's forfeited salary, with the maximum amount being $200,000.

Goodell said that before acting, he interviewed Roethlisberger on April 13, and talked to current and former players and the players' union. He also reviewed information from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Milledgeville police, and talked privately with Georgia district attorney Fred Bright. In addition, Goodell said he listened to recommendations from the quarterback's representatives and took into account information learned by the NFL office regarding the alleged assault.

"The Personal Conduct Policy makes clear that I may impose discipline 'even where the conduct does not result in conviction of a crime' as, for example, where the conduct 'imposes inherent danger to the safety and well being of another person,'" Goodell stated in his letter to Roethlisberger.

"As the District Attorney concluded, the extensive investigatory record shows that you contributed to the irresponsible consumption of alcohol by purchasing (or facilitating the purchase of) alcoholic beverages for underage college students, at least some of whom were likely already intoxicated. There is no question that the excessive consumption of alcohol that evening put the students and yourself at risk. The Personal Conduct Policy also states that discipline is appropriate for conduct that 'undermines or puts at risk the integrity and reputation of the NFL, NFL clubs, or NFL players.' By any measure, your conduct satisfies that standard."

More excerpts from Goodell's letter to the Steelers quarterback:

• "I recognize that the allegations in Georgia were disputed and that they did not result in criminal charges being filed against you. My decision today is not based on a finding that you violated Georgia law, or on a conclusion that differs from that of the local prosecutor. That said, you are held to a higher standard as an NFL player, and there is nothing about your conduct in Milledgeville that can remotely be described as admirable, responsible, or consistent with either the values of the league or the expectations of our fans."

• "Your conduct raises sufficient concerns that I believe effective intervention now is the best step for your personal and professional welfare."

• "I believe it is essential that you take full advantage of the resources available to you. My ultimate disposition in this matter will be influenced by the extent to which you do so, what you learn as a result, and a demonstrated commitment to making positive change in your life."

• "In your six years in the NFL, you have first thrilled and now disappointed a great many people. I urge you to take full advantage of this opportunity to get your life and career back on track."

On Tuesday, the Steelers traded a seventh-round pick in this week's NFL draft to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for quarterback Byron Leftwich, adding depth to the position in anticipation of a possible Roethlisberger suspension.

Leftwich's contract has been extended by one year through 2011, a source told ESPN's Chris Mortensen. He will earn $1.8 million in base salary this season and $2 million in 2011.

Leftwich backed up Roethlisberger in 2008, when the Steelers won the Super Bowl. He knows offensive coordinator Bruce Arians' system and could be ready to play Sept. 12 when the Steelers open against the Atlanta Falcons.

The Steelers play three teams that didn't make the playoffs this past season -- the Falcons, Bucs and Tennessee Titans -- plus the division rival Baltimore Ravens in their first four games.

Pittsburgh hosts the Cleveland Browns in its fifth game and travels to Miami to face the Dolphins in its sixth game. The Steelers have a bye in Week 5.

Pittsburgh already had third-year quarterback Dennis Dixon and longtime backup Charlie Batch under contract. Batch has been injured each of the past two seasons. Dixon has started only one NFL game but likely will compete with Leftwich in training camp to be the early-season starter.

In an e-mail to ESPN, David F. Walbert, the accuser's attorney, had no comment on the Roethlisberger suspension.

The NFL and the Steelers were angered and embarrassed by the tawdry details of Roethlisberger's night out March 3.

In a statement to police, the 20-year-old college student said Roethlisberger encouraged her and her friends to take numerous shots of alcohol. Then one of his bodyguards escorted her into a hallway at the Capital City nightclub in Milledgeville, Ga., sat her on a stool and left. She said Roethlisberger walked down the hallway and exposed himself.

"I told him it wasn't OK, no, we don't need to do this and I proceeded to get up and try to leave," she said. "I went to the first door I saw, which happened to be a bathroom."

According to her statement, Roethlisberger then followed her into the bathroom and shut the door.

"I still said no, this is not OK, and he then had sex with me," she wrote.

Two of her friends said they saw a bodyguard lead her into the hallway and then saw Roethlisberger follow. They said they couldn't see their friend but knew she was drunk and were worried about her.

The statements were among hundreds of pages of the case file made public last week by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Last week, Steelers president Rooney said the team would have imposed sanctions on Roethlisberger before now, but doing so would have permitted the players' union to appeal any penalties. Any suspension imposed by Goodell can be appealed only to him.

Roethlisberger, a two-time Super Bowl winner and the highest-paid player in franchise history with a $102 million contract, also is being sued in a civil case by a Nevada hotel employee who has accused him of sexually assaulting her in 2008.

Roethlisberger practiced Monday and Tuesday with the Steelers, but he did not talk with reporters.

A Pennsylvania state trooper can't continue to work as a personal assistant to Roethlisberger because he was there when the Pittsburgh Steelers star was accused of sexual assault in Georgia.

The Pennsylvania State Police said Wednesday that Trooper Ed Joyner's outside work exceeded the scope of what was permitted. They also say "he is alleged to have demeaned the image" of the state police.

Joyner got the OK in 2005 to work as Roethlisberger's assistant. Police regulations require permission for any outside work for which troopers will receive compensation or "consideration."

Milledgeville is a central Georgia college town about 30 miles from where the quarterback owns a lake home.

Associated Press

Lakers hold off OKC in game 2 thriller

2010-04-21T13:31:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES -- Kobe Bryant had been waiting for a breakout game, the kind of high-scoring effort he's made his reputation on. He got it just in time.

Playing with a broken finger, sore knee and bum ankle, Bryant scored 39 points, carrying the Lakers in the fourth quarter when they lost the lead three times, and Los Angeles beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 95-92 on Tuesday night to take a 2-0 lead in their Western Conference playoff series.

"What did Mark Twain say? Rumors of my demise or whatever," said Lakers coach Phil Jackson, who predicted before the game that Bryant would strongly return to form.

Bryant was 13 of 15 from the free throw line, but just 12 of 28 from the floor in front of his dad Joe, who sat next to the Lakers' bench.

"My free throws felt good," Bryant said. "I put in a lot, a lot of work over the last month fine-tuning my stroke and trying to get it back to being consistent."

Beforehand, Jackson said he wanted Bryant to shoot better or take fewer shots. The NBA finals MVP made just 30 percent of his shots over his previous five games, having missed four of the final five of the regular season and hearing all the doubters.

"After 13 years, you'd think they'd know better," Bryant said.

Bryant ran off eight straight points the first time the Lakers fell behind by one, with the referees turning a 3-pointer into a 2-pointer that put them back in front by three.

"He made the tough shots. He got to the free throw line and that's what great players do," said Kevin Durant, who led the Thunder with 32 points but had eight turnovers.

Russell Westbrook added 19, making all eight of his free throws.

The Thunder packed the paint and disrupted Lakers' big men Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum, who had combined for 32 points and 25 rebounds in Game 1.

This time, Gasol had 25 points and 12 rebounds, and Bynum six points and 10 boards for the defending champions, who failed to sustain their strong start for the second straight game.

"That was about as well as we can play and we came up a little short," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. "Two games in a row we gave the effort defensively. We're still trying to figure out how to win these close games."

Game 3 is Thursday in Oklahoma City. The Lakers are 39-1 all-time when winning the first two games of a best-of-seven series.

"That place is going to be rocking and rolling," Bryant said. "The last time we were there they did a number on us."

The Thunder's defense kept them in the game, with 17 blocked shots. Serge Ibaka had seven, with six other players getting at least one.

"Our effort was phenomenal, how hard we played on the defensive end," Durant said. "A lot of people didn't even think we could play with these guys."

Bryant scored 15 points in the fourth, but sent the crowd into an anguished groan when he missed the first of two free throws with 15 seconds left. He made the second to keep Los Angeles ahead 94-92.

Durant missed a 3-pointer and Gasol got fouled, but he also missed the first with 7 seconds left, keeping the Thunder's hopes alive. Gasol hit the second, and then Jeff Green, who had 12 points, missed a 3-pointer as time expired.

"We were right there," Green said. "We haven't had our best offensive game or defensive game, still allowing second-chance points, but we're still there when it comes to the last few minutes."

The Thunder led three times, but Bryant twice brought the Lakers back, the last time tying the game at 88 on two free throws. The game was decided at the line over the final 2:20, with the Thunder forced to foul while missing from the perimeter.

The Lakers shot 37 percent, a stat Jackson called "horrendous."

"We still have to shoot much better to beat them in Oklahoma," he said.

The Lakers regained the edge in the third quarter, although not by much. Their largest lead was six and it dwindled to 73-69 going into the final 12 minutes. Durant was called for goaltending on the Lakers' last basket or the Thunder would've trailed by two.

With every starter except Bynum on the bench to start the second quarter, the Lakers extended their lead to 37-26. But the Thunder outscored them 21-8 to lead 47-45 going into halftime, despite Westbrook picking up his third foul midway through the period.

Durant had nine points in the spurt, with he and Green hitting back-to-back 3-pointers. The Lakers were limited to 33 percent shooting, with Bryant going 2 of 7. The Thunder had nine blocked shots in the half.

Bryant's jumper hit the rim and went in to tie the game at 45 before Eric Maynor beat the shot clock on a fadeaway jumper, giving Oklahoma City its first halftime lead of the series.

The Lakers owned the first quarter in a repeat of their strong start to Game 1. They outscored the Thunder 26-18, with Bryant scoring eight of their first 13 points. The Thunder shot 29 percent from the floor.

Associated Press

Boston destroys Miami to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the series

2010-04-21T13:19:00.000-07:00

BOSTON -- Even without Kevin Garnett, the Boston Celtics beat the Miami Heat.Easily.

With the good-humored but hard-playing Glen Davis filling in while the Celtics' emotional leader served a one-game suspension, Boston rolled to a 106-77 victory Tuesday night that Miami coach Erik Spoelstra called "embarrassing."

It gave the Celtics a 2-0 lead in their playoff series and Davis a chance to reprise the nickname he hung on himself last year when he replaced the injured Garnett -- known as the "Big Ticket" -- in all 14 playoff games.

"The 'Ticket Stub' came," Davis said. "Whenever they need the 'Ticket Stub,' he'll be there."

Davis had 23 points and eight rebounds, and Ray Allen heated up in the third quarter and scored 25 points. Dwyane Wade led the Heat with 29.

With Garnett serving a suspension for elbowing Quentin Richardson in Game 1, Davis started and went aggressively to the basket to grab missed shots and draw fouls.

"That's a case of one man impacting the game simply with his effort. I don't think they ran one play for him," Spoelstra said. "You cannot let a man's effort exceed yours. It's as simple as that."

The Heat took a 29-25 lead on a dunk by Jermaine O'Neal. But the Celtics used a 44-8 surge over the next 16 1/2 minutes to go ahead 69-37 with 5:38 left in the third quarter, capped by one of Allen's five 3-pointers in the period.

"Once the ball started moving and we started getting multiple stops, we were off and running," Boston coach Doc Rivers said.

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The Celtics led by 25 to 33 points the rest of the way.

"Once we opened up Glen Davis [offensively], I thought they started to sink in a little bit more and it opened up Ray," Paul Pierce said.

Game 3 is Friday night in Miami.

"This is an embarrassing loss," Spoelstra said. "It is one loss. It is not four losses and what we can control right now is getting our minds right and taking care of the most important game on Friday."

Tempers stayed under control throughout the game, just three days after a skirmish with 40 seconds left in Boston's 85-76 victory led to Garnett's suspension without pay and Richardson's $25,000 fine. Garnett was hovering over Pierce, who had fallen near the Miami bench after hurting his shoulder.

Garnett held off Richardson as he came up from behind. They then exchanged words before the elbow hit the Heat forward in the face.

Garnett wasn't allowed in TD Garden, but made a prerecorded appearance on the scoreboard above midcourt during a timeout after the Celtics scored 19 straight points to take a 44-29 lead with 2:56 left in the first half.

He encouraged the fans and when the scoreboard followed with a "Let's Get Loud" message, they raised their voices.

Richardson was booed almost every time he touched the ball.

"We didn't think that because Kevin was out it was going to be a walk in the park," Miami's Udonis Haslem said.

In the opener, the Heat led 61-47 with 7:03 left in the third quarter. Then Boston outscored them 34-10 to go ahead 81-71 with 1:46 to go in the game.

The Celtics started their spurt a lot earlier Tuesday.

"The first game, I thought we gave it away," Wade said. "This time they took it. I thought they wanted it more than us."

Trailing by four after O'Neal's dunk with 10:10 left in the second quarter, Boston got started on a 3-pointer by Michael Finley. It took the lead for good on a 3-pointer by Allen.

Then rarely-used Shelden Williams, substituting for Davis, hit a field goal. Davis made two straight baskets, Allen connected on another 3-pointer, Pierce sank two free throws and Allen got a layup. Davis followed with two free throws, giving the Celtics 21 straight points.

Miami finally broke through on a 21-foot jumper by Michael Beasley. That made it 46-31 with 2:07 left in the half.

The Celtics have won the last three games they played against the Heat without Garnett. And Davis has proven to be a very capable replacement.

When Garnett missed last year's playoffs with a knee injury, Davis averaged 15.8 points and 5.6 rebounds before losing in the second round.

"When I stepped out there today and I saw the lineup, I was like, 'This is the same lineup we had going into the playoffs last year that pushed Orlando to seven games with Glen out there,'" Pierce said. "We all know what he's capable of."

Garnett had planned to watch the game at the home of team president Danny Ainge.

"I am the 'Ticket Stub' so I kind of know what [Garnett] wanted to happen tonight," Davis said. "He told me before the game to make sure that I do what I had to do and be physical, be ferocious, and anything is possible."

Associated Press

Reaction to Game 1's for the NBA Playoffs

2010-04-18T20:44:00.000-07:00

KG suspended for game 2

2010-04-18T20:33:00.000-07:00

Celtics forward Kevin Garnett has been suspended for Game 2 of Boston's first-round playoff series against the Heat for landing an elbow to the face of Miami's Quentin Richardson in a fourth-quarter fracas during Saturday's Game 1.

The announcement was made Sunday by Stu Jackson, NBA executive vice president, basketball operations.

Richardson was fined $25,000 for his role in the altercation.

Garnett earned a double technical and ejection in the melee that unfolded after Paul Pierce tumbled to the ground near the Miami bench with 40 seconds left in Boston's victory at the TD Garden.

"I saw Paul grab his shoulder, as a stinger or whatever, so I just tried to immediately call [Celtics trainer] Ed [Lacerte] over," Garnett explained after the game. "I tried to give him some room and I just saw [Quentin Richardson] standing over him talking nonsense. I asked [Richardson] to give him some room and, before you knew it, mayhem started. That situation, man, I know these two [Richardson and Pierce] have competed against each other in the past and have history from bumping heads a little bit. I was just trying to give him the common courtesy for an injured player, that's all. Nothing more, nothing less.

"I have no beef with Q, I know him personally. I thought what he did was a bit disrespectful, standing over a guy hurt, you know, and talking nonsense. Before you knew it, it all just broke out. I gotta use my head, but all I saw was Paul hurt and that's all I cared about at that time."

Referee Joe DeRosa released the following statement after the game: "[Garnett] was ejected for throwing an elbow that made contact with Quentin Richardson. He had already had one technical foul for taunting with Quentin Richardson before that. Then as the altercation went on, he threw an elbow that did make contact with Richardson, which was his second technical foul and he was ejected."

DeRosa also noted that Garnett would have been disqualified for a second technical even if the elbow had not made contact with Richardson.

The NBA's punishment is consistent with past cases of elbowing. The league handed out a one-game suspension to Dwight Howard on April 29 during last year's playoffs against Philadelphia.

After Saturday's game, Richardson sounded off on both Garnett and Pierce, calling Garnett and Pierce "actresses" and noting that, "I don't like them, and they know it."

Earlier Sunday, Garnett did his best to avoid engaging in a war of words with Richardson, but reiterated his stance that he thought Richardson's actions were "classless."

Asked for a response to Richardson's comments, Garnett wouldn't bite.

"No thoughts at all," said Garnett. "Classless -- a classless act on his part. I'm moving on with it. I'm not going to go back and forth commenting through [the media]. End this."

Garnett said he apologized to his teammates after Saturday's game.

"I apologized because, like [coach] Doc [Rivers] said, sometimes even when you're right you're wrong," said Garnett. "A situation like that was totally classless, you know, but you keep it moving. It's nothing to keep going back and forth with."

The Celtics were bracing themselves for the possibility of Garnett's suspension Sunday, though they did lament the fact that the ruling did not come down before their afternoon practice session.

Now Boston's frontcourt reserves, including Glen Davis, Rasheed Wallace and Shelden Williams, will be called upon to shoulder a bigger load in a pivotal Game 2.

The Celtics sounded confident, even in the face of losing an emotional leader.

"We know we can hold down the fort," Pierce said before the suspension came down. "We're not one of those teams that, when the star player goes down, you find excuses to not play hard, to not win."

ESPN.com

Durant is so good its scary, becomes youngest to lead the league in scoring

2010-04-15T08:50:00.000-07:00

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Kevin Durant earned himself a place in NBA history. Without a trip to the playoffs, too, it would be nearly as special.

Durant scored 31 points to finish the season as the youngest NBA scoring champion, and the Oklahoma City Thunder survived a sloppy second half to head into the postseason with a 114-105 win Wednesday night against the Memphis Grizzlies.

"It's something I really wasn't coming into the year saying I wanted to get but it feels good to be a part of history and something I'm going to always remember," Durant said. "It feels even better to get 50 wins."

Durant had the scoring title all but locked up after a late-season surge that included three 40-point games in April. It became a certainty when Cleveland decided to rest reigning MVP LeBron James, the only player with even an outside shot at catching Durant.

The 21-year-old finished with an average of 30.1 points, 0.4 ahead of James, and supplanted 22-year-old Max Zaslofsky of the 1947-48 Chicago Stags as the youngest scoring champ in NBA history.

"I love Kevin Durant. I love what he's about," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. "The guy is pretty amazing, that he's able to handle himself at such a young age.

"This is the only time I will say that he's young. He's 21 years old but he handles himself with such class and respect for the game, and he's a great teammate."

Oklahoma City strayed from the league-wide trend of resting stars, even with nothing to gain but the momentum lost while dropping four of their previous five games. James, the Lakers' Kobe Bryant, Miami's Dwyane Wade and Boston's "Big Three" of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce all took to the bench to finish the season. Even San Antonio -- which had room to gain in the West standings -- played without Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili.

Durant joined three other Oklahoma City starters in playing all 82 games this season, and he eclipsed 30 points for the 47th time this season.

"Thirty points is a monster game. My career-high was only 23 and that was two games combined," said Brooks, who actually once scored 23 in a single game.

"That's the beauty of his game. He makes it look easy, and I think all the great scorers do that. Kevin's not just focused on scoring. ... He does the little things that helped us get the wins that we've gotten this year."

After a 27-win improvement that's one of the biggest in NBA history, Oklahoma City will meet the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the playoffs.

Rudy Gay scored 25 points and Zach Randolph had 21 points and 11 rebounds for his 57th double-double of the season as the Grizzlies lost for the ninth time in their final 11 games. Memphis had the second-biggest turnaround in the league -- increasing its win total by 16 -- but fell just shy of .500 at 40-42.

The teams started the season as the two youngest in the NBA.

"Every team in the West won 50 games to make the playoffs. We won 40," coach Lionel Hollins said. "So we've got some games to go to get up there to where we need to be in order to be in the playoffs. But I'm happy with our growth, I'm happy with the individual growth and it's over now and we move forward to next year."

With Durant and the rest of the healthy starters in the lineup, the Thunder seemed to be putting on a show in front of their 28th sellout crowd of the season at the Ford Center -- at least for a half.

Then Oklahoma City had to finish strong after letting a 27-point lead dwindle to 97-91 in the final 7 minutes. Brooks finally pulled his starters with under 2 minutes left after an 8-2 run sealed the victory.

The players walked onto the court and waved to the crowd in appreciation after the final horn sounded.

"At this time, we were ready to go home last year and enjoy our summers. It feels good to come here and be a winning program," Durant said. "It was a huge turnaround for us, especially since we kept everybody and just gained a couple rookies. We didn't make a big trade, we didn't get two All-Stars or whatever.

"We kept everybody and we just continued to work."

Associated Press

Top 3 reciever Marshall heads to Miami in trade from Denver

2010-04-14T11:43:00.000-07:00

The Denver Broncos have traded wide receiver Brandon Marshall to the Miami Dolphins for second-round draft picks in 2010 and 2011, the Broncos announced Wednesday.

Marshall and the Dolphins subsequently agreed on a four-year, $47.5 million contract extension that includes $24 million in guaranteed money, according to a league source. The deal includes close to $29 million in the first three years of the contract and makes Marshall the highest-paid receiver in NFL history. Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald previously had the richest deal of any receiver, averaging $10 million per season.

The trade is contingent upon the league processing the paperwork and Marshall passing his physical.

In acquiring Marshall, the Dolphins gained a deep threat at receiver to loosen up defenses for their potentially potent ground game and young, strong-armed quarterback Chad Henne. In return, the Broncos get two high draft picks for a player who caused them headaches in addition to making plays.

Last summer, Marshall was suspended by the team for throwing a tantrum at practice during training camp. The source of his frustration was twofold: he was upset with the team's medical staff for misdiagnosing a hip injury that required offseason surgery and he was displeased with his contract.

Despite those difficulties, Marshall caught 101 passes for 1,120 yards and 10 touchdowns last season, including an NFL-record 21 in a loss at Indianapolis. He has 327 career receptions for 4,019 yards and 25 touchdowns in four seasons, all in Denver, which drafted him out of Central Florida with a fourth-round pick in 2006.

Broncos coach Josh McDaniels told ESPN's Ed Werder that in a post-trade phone call with Marshall, he told the receiver that he enjoyed their time together, predicted success for him with the Dolphins and expressed regret that their own partnership could not be successful in the long term.

Marshall's departure leaves the Broncos with Jabar Gaffney, who had 54 catches for 732 yards and two TDs last season, as their top receiver. Eddie Royal caught 37 passes with no TDs and Brandon Stokley had 19 catches, four for TDs.

In a little more than a year, with a pair of blockbuster trades, Denver has recouped two first-round picks, two second-round picks, a third-round pick and quarterback Kyle Orton in exchange for Jay Cutler and Marshall.

McDaniels told Werder the decisions to trade Cutler and Marshall were motivated by his belief that the moves were essential to build a successful team. He also said he is convinced that the Broncos achieved the best possible result in trading Marshall for a pair of second-round draft picks, while remaining mindful of Marshall's interests.

Nice Catch For Miami?
Fifteen wide receivers have caught passes for the Dolphins the past three seasons. In that span, Brandon Marshall has more touchdowns and 100-yard games than all of them combined.

Category Marshall Miami
Receptions 307 521
Rec. yards 3,710 6,257
Rec. TDs 23 18
100-yard games 10 9

If the trade goes through, Marshall will join a Dolphins team that struggled in the passing game last season.

Category Dolphins NFL Rank (out of 32)
Receptions 331 18th
Rec. yards 3,396 21st
Rec. TDs 15 T-27th
Yards/catch 10.3 T-29th

The trade also shakes up things in the AFC East, as Miami has arguably topped the deal the New York Jets made earlier this week, when they traded a fifth-round draft pick for talented but troubled Steelers receiver Santonio Holmes.

Miami is a surprise destination for Marshall because Dolphins coach Tony Sparano hadn't shown much interest in acquiring him. But football czar Bill Parcells, who has final say on personnel matters in Miami, has never shied away from talented-but-troubled wide receivers, working with Terry Glenn in New England, Keyshawn Johnson in New York and Terrell Owens in Dallas.

The Dolphins' passing game can use the help.

Speedy Ted Ginn Jr. has been a disappointment since Miami took him with the ninth overall draft pick in 2007. Ginn and the other wideouts -- Brian Hartline, Davone Bess and Greg Camarillo -- combined for only six touchdown catches last season.

The acquisition of a top-line receiver frees up the Dolphins to use the No. 12 pick in the draft next week on the defensive front seven, where help is also needed.

The trade, a complex negotiation involving as many as four teams, began shortly after Marshall failed to secure a contract offer as a restricted free agent and signed his one-year tender with the Broncos on Tuesday morning. A source with direct involvement in the talks told Werder that McDaniels and general manager Brian Xanders negotiated with Parcells and Dolphins general manager Jeff Ireland into the early-morning hours Wednesday before reaching an agreement.

Miami was hot after Marshall, as was Seattle. Tampa Bay showed some interest, and even the Jets considered making a play for Marshall before making their deal for Holmes, according to sources.

Marshall, 26, is one of the game's best young wide receivers, a mercurial talent in the prime of his career at the position where the Dolphins needed help most. But like Holmes, he also brings a reputation of being difficult to handle and a record that has him one strike from a yearlong suspension.

Marshall has had several run-ins with the law and visits to commissioner Roger Goodell's office to discuss his off-the-field behavior. He was suspended for the 2008 opener following a series of domestic disputes involving a former girlfriend.

In February, an emotional Marshall was a witness in the murder trial of Willie Clark, who was convicted in the 2007 drive-by slaying of Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams.

Associated Press

Mickelson wins his 4th green jacket, Holds off tiger and rest of the field

2010-04-12T13:05:00.001-07:00

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Phil Mickelson soaked up a scene he knows all too well as he climbed the steep hill toward the 18th green at Augusta National to claim another green jacket.

Only when he rapped in one last birdie for a 3-stroke victory did this Masters get even better.

Standing behind the green -- as always -- was his wife, Amy, with her long blonde hair and easy smile, their three children at her side.

She had not been on a golf course since being diagnosed with breast cancer 11 months ago, and had stayed in bed most of the week.

"I wasn't sure if she was going to be there," Mickelson said.

A week of roars gave way to tears as they hugged for the longest time. Mickelson finally had to let go, and with a single tear trickling down his cheek, headed for the scoring hut to sign his card for a 5-under 67, the official stamp on a most compelling Masters.

"In the last year, we've been through a lot and it's been tough. And to be on the other end and feel this kind of jubilation is incredible," said Mickelson, who tightly grasped his wife's hand until he headed off for an interview.

This Masters deserved nothing less than a storybook ending.

It began with Tiger Woods returning from a sex scandal, which shattered his image but left his game intact. He captivated crowds by flirting with contention until the putts stopped falling and he tied for fourth. It ended with Mickelson making daring escapes from the trees, delivering a clutch birdie in the heart of Amen Corner, and pulling off a high-risk shot out of the pine straw.

He knocked in an 8-foot birdie putt for a 3-shot margin over Lee Westwood, who lost the lead for good with a three-putt bogey on the ninth hole and never got closer than 2 shots over the final six holes.

"It's been such an incredible week, an emotional week," Mickelson said. "And to cap it off with a victory is something I can't put into words. It's something we'll share for the rest of our lives."

Mickelson finished at 16-under 272, the best score by a Masters champion since Woods in 2001.

Just like his last Masters title in 2006, the outcome was never in doubt as Mickelson arrived on the 18th green. Unlike any of his other 40 victories around the world, there was never this much emotion.

Mickelson shared a long embrace with his caddie, Jim "Bones" Mackay, who took countless trips to San Diego to be with Mickelson as he coped with the uncertainty of cancer -- not only Amy's but his mother, Mary, who was diagnosed the week of his wife's first surgery.

Mackay sat on the grass, legs crossed like a schoolboy, during the green jacket ceremony. He could barely speak.

"Twenty years from now, nothing will compare to this," Mackay said.

Westwood was third at the British Open last summer, tied for third at the PGA Championship, and dealt with another close call at the Masters with his highest finish ever in a major. He remains among the best players without one.

"Phil, being the champion he is, hit some great shots coming down the stretch," said Westwood, who closed with a 71. "He's been through hard times recently, and he deserves a break or two."

Anthony Kim closed with a 65, the best score of the tournament, and finished alone in third.

The Masters Leaderboard
1. Mickelson (-16)
2. Westwood (-13)
3. Kim (-12)
T-4. Woods (-11)
T-4. Choi (-11)

• Complete scores

Mickelson became the eighth player with at least three Masters titles, and it was the fourth major of his career, breaking out of a pack that had included Ernie Els, Padraig Harrington and Vijay Singh from his generation.

The signature moment came on the 13th, a hole Mickelson has dominated like no other at Augusta. With a 2-shot lead, he was stuck between two Georgia pines and had just over 200 yards to the hole. He never considered anything but a shot at the green.

"I was going to have to go through that gap if I laid up or went for the green," Mickelson said. "I was going to have to hit a decent shot. The gap ... it wasn't huge, but it was big enough, you know, for a ball to fit through.

"I just felt like at that time, I needed to trust my swing and hit a shot," he said. "And it came off perfect."

Woods was perfect at times, holing an 8-iron for eagle on the seventh hole, the start of an eagle-birdie-birdie stretch that took him from 7 shots behind to having some hope.

But not for long.

Woods hit into the trees on 11 and struck a pine trying to escape to make bogey on the 11th. The end came on the 14th, when he missed a 6-foot birdie putt to stay in the game, then missed the next one for a shocking three-putt bogey.

Asked to sum up his week, Woods said in a terse interview with CBS Sports analyst Peter Kostis, "I finished fourth."

"It's not what I wanted," he said. "I wanted to win this tournament. As the week went on, I kept hitting the ball worse."

Asked about his dour mood as his game got away from him, Woods said, "People are making way too much of a deal on this." He also said he did not know when he would return, saying he needed time off to evaluate.

For Mickelson, it's a celebration to remember.

He says his wife's long-term outlook is good, but the medication has taken a toll on her emotions. They arrived Tuesday, but she stayed in bed most of the week at the house they rented. Even in the final moments, no one was sure if she was coming to the course until she walked toward the 18th green with Mackay's wife, Jennifer.

"I didn't really want to look up because I knew I'd get choked up if I saw her," Mackay said. "It was great to see her there, for sure."

Mickelson was the only player among the top 10 to play without a bogey in the final round. Just when it looked like it might slip away from him, Lefty came through with two par saves from the trees on No. 9 and No. 10, then pulled away with the clutch 9-iron on the 12th to 15 feet behind the hole.

Woods teased with contention by making two eagles in one round for the second time this week. Most of the day, however, he was always too many shots back to scare anyone.

Whatever doubts there are about Woods as a person, his golf doesn't appear to be suffering. It was his first competition in five months, his first time in public since he became tabloid fodder for his rampant infidelity. Yet he performed as if he had never been gone.

K.J. Choi's only consolation was going all four rounds with Woods at Augusta and matching his score. He wanted much more, and for the longest time was poised to give Asia successive majors following Y.E. Yang's win at the PGA Championship.

He unraveled on the 13th, a hole where he had made birdie the previous three rounds. From the fairway, he tugged his approach into the back bunker, leaving him a frightening shot down a steep slope toward Rae's Creek. He barely got it out of the sand, then three-putted for a bogey. Another bogey followed on the 14th.

Kim, who set a Masters record last year with 11 birdies in the second round, came out of nowhere. He played a four-hole stretch starting on the 13th in only 11 shots -- an eagle and three birdies -- and finished with two strong pars to post at 12-under 276.

His only hope was for Mickelson to fade. That wasn't about to happen.

Associated Press

Yanks beat Rays at home and start the season 4-2

2010-04-12T12:46:00.000-07:00

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The New York Yankees are ready for another celebration.

The World Series champions wrapped up a successful season-opening road trip Sunday before heading back to the Bronx for a special ceremony that will precede the team's home opener on Tuesday.

"We're ready to get back," outfielder Nick Swisher said. "We get our rings and I'm juiced about that."

The Yankees are also feeling good about going 4-2 against AL East rivals Boston and Tampa Bay in the first week of the season.

A.J. Burnett pitched seven strong innings and Jorge Posada and Alex Rodriguez drove in two runs apiece to pace Sunday's 7-3 win over the Rays.

"Playing a team like Boston to open up the season, and not only that, come and play the Rays right after that, these are two tough series. I think it just shows where our focus is," Swisher said. "We feel good. We feel we have a great team. We're getting great pitching."

CC Sabathia took a no-hit bid into the eighth inning of Saturday's 10-0 rout. Burnett gave up singles to Jason Bartlett and Carl Crawford to start Sunday's game, then limited Tampa Bay to four hits over the next six innings.

Joba Chamberlain pitched the eighth, yielding an RBI triple to Crawford. Mariano Rivera worked a scoreless ninth in a non-save situation as the Yankees won their second straight game after dropping the opener of the weekend series at Tropicana Field.

"This is a tough trip to start out," manager Joe Girardi said. "Two teams in your division that are very good and you're able to win both series. It's a very good trip for us."

Posada's two-run homer off Randy Choate (0-1) gave the Yankees a 3-2 lead in the sixth. Rodriguez doubled off the wall in left field to drive in two to make it 6-2 in seventh, and Nick Swisher added a solo homer in the eighth off Andy Sonnanstine.

Burnett, who walked three and struck out one, worked out of a jam in the sixth after the Rays loaded the bases, helped by Evan Longoria's infield pop single that struck a speaker attached to one of the catwalks in the domed stadium before falling to the field.

Girardi argued unsuccessfully that the ball struck the speaker in foul territory, making it a dead ball. Burnett walked the next batter, Carlos Pena, to fill the bases before escaping when B.J. Upton popped to first to end the inning.

"The interesting thing is, when Longoria hits that ball you think you're out of the inning," Girardi said.

"Then you've got to turn it back on again. ... They have some interesting ground rules here. ... It's something you have to deal with, both teams have to deal with. I'm glad it didn't hurt us."

Burnett improved to 12-4 lifetime against the Rays, including 6-2 in 11 starts at Tropicana Field. He was 4-0 with a 1.97 ERA in five starts against Tampa Bay last season.

The Rays struck quickly against the Yankees starter, building a 2-0 lead.

Bartlett singled leading off the first, stole second and scored on Crawford's single. Carlos Pena later grounded into a force play to drive home Crawford.

"You give up two early, but you've still this lineup behind you, so you do your best to keep to try and keep them in it," Burnett said. "It feels good to have shutdown innings and keep these guys in it because it's just a matter of time before they explode."

Curtis Granderson's second-inning RBI double began New York's comeback against Rays starter James Shields.

Shields worked six innings in Tampa Bay's opening-day win over Baltimore, but was not involved in the decision. He led 2-1 in the sixth Sunday when he gave up a one-out double to Robinson Cano and was replaced by Choate.

Posada promptly greeted the reliever with his second homer of the season.

"I was a little off today," said Shields, who yielded four hits, walked three and struck out five in 5 1/3 innings. "But to be able to hold the Yankees to one run and not havehave your stuff is not too bad. I think it's a game to learn on."

It was an awful series for Choate, who entered Saturday's game in the eighth and allowed four runs and five hits in two-thirds of an inning. The lefty gave up hits to seven of nine batters he faced over the two days.

Tampa Bay went 3-3 on its season-opening homestand, with its starting pitchers compiling a 3.41 ERA. In contrast, the bullpen posted a 7.78 ERA during the homestand and allowed the Yankees pull awaty in the innings Saturday and Sunday.

"I really can't explain the last two days," Choate said. "Physically, I'm fine. But I'm a sinker ball pitcher, and the ball wasn't sinking."

Associated Press

Big Ben gets no charges filed for his alleged 2nd sexual assualt situation

2010-04-12T12:33:00.000-07:00

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. -- Authorities announced Monday that they will not charge Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger after a college student accused him of sexually assaulting her at a nightclub last month.

Ocmulgee Circuit District Attorney Fred Bright said the 20-year-old student's accusations could not be proven beyond a reasonable doubt, and her lawyer said in a letter that she did not want to press charges.

"Therefore there will be no arrests made nor criminal prosecution against Mr. Roethlisberger," Bright said.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has plans to meet this week with Roethlisberger, sources familiar with the situation have told ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen.

The woman told an officer Roethlisberger sexually assaulted her early March 5 at the Capital City night club, where he was drinking with friends shortly after his 28th birthday.

Bright said the investigation showed the woman was heavily intoxicated that night. She and her sorority sisters had met Roethlisberger at a different bar earlier in the night, and he invited them into a VIP area at the Capital City club and ordered them shots. When the woman walked down a hallway to a small bathroom, Roethlisberger followed her.

What happened in that bathroom is unclear, Bright said. A doctor who examined the woman could not say if she was raped, and while some DNA was found, there was not enough to determine whom it belonged to.

"We are not condoning Mr. Roethlisberger's actions that night," Bright said. "But we do not prosecute morals. We prosecute crimes."

He said local and state investigators spent weeks questioning witnesses even though the woman sent a letter urging prosecutors not to move forward with charges.

"I know when I have a case and I know when I don't," Bright said. "And I do not have enough evidence to convince 12 jurors beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Roethlisberger was guilty of rape."

Bright said the woman told him it had been an "unnerving experience" and that she and her family made it clear they did not want the matter prosecuted.

Lee Parks, the woman's attorney, did not immediately comment.

J. Tom Morgan, a former DeKalb County district attorney, said Georgia laws set a high bar for proving sexual assault and require proof that force was used.

"If this is sexual assault, it has to be proven that it happened without consent, and that's difficult especially if both parties consumed alcohol," said Morgan, who is now a sole practitioner.

Roethlisberger was seen out with a few friends at several different bars that night. The Capital City club is a popular spot for students at the neighboring Georgia College & State University. Roethlisberger owns a home about 30 miles north on Lake Oconee, in central Georgia.

The two-time Super Bowl champ is being sued by a different woman who says he raped her in 2008 at a Lake Tahoe hotel and casino, an allegation he denies. Roethlisberger has not been criminally charged in that case either and has claimed counter-damages in the lawsuit.

Roethlisberger has not taken part in recent offseason workouts with the Steelers.

As Pittsburgh's first-round draft pick out of Miami of Ohio in 2004, Roethlisberger led the Steelers to Super Bowl victories in 2006 and 2009. He frequently has donated time and money to charities, and his charitable foundation awards a police dog to a department near every Steelers road opponent.

But off-field problems have come along with his championships and $102 million contract. In 2006, he defied his coach's orders and rode his motorcycle without a helmet -- and wound up with a concussion, broken jaw and other injuries after a wreck.

And while Roethlisberger has a reputation for patiently signing autographs and posing for pictures while out in public, he also is known for occasionally inelegant behavior in Pittsburgh.

Early in his career, he was photographed -- obviously after drinking -- wearing a T-shirt reading "Drink Like a Champion."

Associated Press

Duke wins the National Championship in dramatic fashion

2010-04-05T22:18:00.000-07:00

Duke and Butler advance, winner take all in national championship game

2010-04-04T23:01:00.000-07:00

Wow, Mcnabb actually got traded to another NFC team.

2010-04-04T22:51:00.000-07:00

PHILADELPHIA -- Donovan McNabb is changing uniforms and staying in the NFC East.

The Philadelphia Eagles traded McNabb to the Washington Redskins for a pair of draft picks on Sunday night. The Eagles will receive a second-round pick (37th overall) in this month's NFL draft and either a third- or fourth-round pick next year.

ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter was the first to report that McNabb had been dealt to Washington.

"I'm really excited about my future with the Washington Redskins," McNabb said in a statement Sunday night. "I'm eager to work with Coach [Mike] Shanahan. He's been a very successful coach with a couple of Super Bowl victories on his resume. While it has been my goal to win a Super Bowl in Philadelphia, we came up short. I enjoyed my 11 years, and know we shared a lot more good times than bad."

Shortly after news of the trade broke, Redskins legend Brian Mitchell spoke with McNabb on the phone, according to Comcast SportsNet. Mitchell, who played several years in Philadelphia, told Comcast SportsNet his former teammate seemed energetic about his new destination.

"In his voice I heard a lot of enthusiasm," Mitchell reported on Comcast SportsNet. "And you know, he may not be exactly like me, but I could hear he had a little revenge in that voice, too. And he wants to go to the Eagles and show them that they made a mistake."

League sources told Schefter that McNabb wanted to play for the Redskins and not the Raiders or the Bills, which is why the trade happened.

"Donovan McNabb was more than a franchise quarterback for this team," Eagles chairman Jeffrey Lurie said. "He truly embodied all of the attributes of a great quarterback and of a great person. He has been an excellent representative of this organization and the entire National Football League both on and off the field. I look forward to honoring him as one of the greatest Eagles of all-time and hopefully see him enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton one day."

The trade is the boldest move to date for new Redskins coach Shanahan and could spell the end in Washington for Jason Campbell, the starter for 3½ seasons. McNabb and Campbell spoke on the phone Sunday night about their experiences with each team, league sources told Schefter.

Shanahan already has signed free agent Rex Grossman as a backup and has been actively scouting the top quarterbacks available in next month's draft, when the Redskins will have the No. 4 overall pick.

The Redskins still have Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford scheduled to visit on Tuesday, league sources told Schefter.

"Welcome to our newest teammate to DC!" cornerback DeAngelo Hall posted on Twitter. "Really excited about what Coach Shanahan and [general manager] Bruce Allen are doing to help us compete for a championship!"

The Redskins and McNabb have not had any contract talks yet, league sources told Schefter.

Washington and Philadelphia are rivals in all the major pro sports, and the idea of Redskins fans finding a way to welcome McNabb in their hearts will be nearly as interesting of a dynamic as the prospect of McNabb facing his old team twice this upcoming season.

Shanahan can only hope the 33-year-old McNabb works out as well as the last big-time Washington-Philadelphia quarterback deal. The Eagles in 1964 sent Sonny Jurgensen to the Redskins, where he played 11 seasons until he was 40 and became a Hall of Famer.

"This was a very tough decision," coach Andy Reid said. "Donovan McNabb represented everything a football player could be during his 11 seasons in Philadelphia. He carried this organization to new heights and set a high standard of excellence both on and off the field. We thank him for everything he did for this football team and for this city."

McNabb threw for 3,553 yards and 22 touchdowns with 10 interceptions in 14 games last season, leading the Eagles to the playoffs. His passer rating of 92.9 was the third-highest in his career.

But McNabb played poorly in a loss to Dallas in Week 17 that cost Philadelphia a division title and a first-round bye. He also struggled in a loss to the Cowboys the following week in the wild-card game.

Reid said immediately after the season that McNabb would return in 2010. Reid repeated that several times throughout the offseason until acknowledging last month the team was listening to offers for all three of its QBs.

McNabb then issued a statement saying he wished to remain with the Eagles, but understood the situation and hoped for a quick resolution.

"Donovan is the ultimate professional," Eagles president Joe Banner said. "He has an incredible work ethic and has been an integral part of our success. Over the years, Donovan has always carried himself with a great deal of dignity. He's an excellent role model for young men and women from across the region. In my mind, he'll always be remembered as one of the greatest Eagles of all time."

The Redskins waited until late in the evening to announce the trade and did not make Shanahan available for comment.

"Donovan is an accomplished quarterback who has been a proven winner in the National Football League," Shanahan said in a statement released by the team. "I have long admired his competitiveness and feel he will be an outstanding addition to the Redskins and our community. He knows our division and the roadmap to success in the NFC East."

The Eagles were 92-49-1 in regular-season games that McNabb started and 9-7 in the playoffs.

McNabb overcame numerous injuries and controversies throughout his career, including criticism from Rush Limbaugh and a feud with former teammate Terrell Owens. He sustained injuries that ended his regular season in November in 2002, 2005 and 2006. McNabb missed a total of 24 games because of injuries. The Eagles were 14-10 in those games.

Associated Press

Boston makes it harder than it has to be but has enough to outlast the Cavs

2010-04-04T22:39:00.000-07:00

BOSTON -- The Cleveland Cavaliers had already erased a 22-point deficit when LeBron James grabbed a rebound with 10 seconds left and raced down the court.

Two to tie. Three to win.James tried for the 3.And missed.

The Cavaliers forward scored 20 of his 42 points in the fourth quarter, but he missed two free throws in the final 16 seconds and a pair of 3-point attempts as the Boston Celtics withstood the Cleveland comeback for a 117-113 victory Sunday.

"It's tough to question anything he does," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "It felt like he scored their last 60 points in a row at one point. And who didn't think that was going in when he shot it?"

Ray Allen scored a season-high 33 points, hitting his sixth 3-pointer to give the Celtics a four-point lead with 48 seconds left, and Rajon Rondo scored 16 with 14 assists to help Boston snap a three-game home losing streak.

The Celtics and Cavaliers finished the season series tied 2-2.

A game that seemed like it might be a pleasant distraction from Sunday night's Red Sox opener against the hated New York Yankees turned into a full-scale playoff preview, a technical foul-filled, down-to-the-wire cage match between one of the NBA's top stars and one of its greatest teams.

Six technical fouls were handed out -- two to Cavs coach Mike Brown, who was ejected. James got one and was spared another when he lingered in the Celtics' huddle during a timeout to exchange words with Tony Allen.

"We don't like them. They don't like us. So I wasn't surprised at all," James said, citing the seven-game playoff series Boston won in 2008 on its way to its 17th NBA title. "It comes from them wanting to be really great, them winning the championship, us wanting to win the championship and having to come through Boston to try to win it.

"The competition -- that's what's good about this game."

Kevin Garnett, who was fined $25,000 for comments about the officials' treatment of Kevin Durant last week, also had words with James but declined to elaborate on what was said.

"Nothing in particular that I want to share or that the NBA wants me to share," Garnett told reporters. "Y'all are trying to cost me another 25."

"LeBron is a great player and we're lucky to have him," Brown said. "Guys, in order to be great, have to have a lot of confidence. You have to have confidence to take big shots, and at times take some risks. ... If he felt like he had a clean look at it, fire away."

James was 0 for 9 from 3-point range, including a meaningless, unguarded shot at the final buzzer that bounced off the rim. Afterward, he and Garnett exchanged dirty looks.

"It's two teams that I don't think love each other, I can say that, and there's two teams that want to beat each other," Rivers said. "Early on, we were having out way, so they got frustrated. And later they were having their way, so we got frustrated."

Garnett scored 19 points, Paul Pierce had 16 and Kendrick Perkins had 10 points and 10 rebounds. Jamison scored 16 points with 10 rebounds for Cleveland, and J.J. Hickson had 14 and 11. Mo Williams scored 17 points for Cavs, hitting all of his six shots -- including three from 3-point range -- but did not play in the fourth quarter.

The Celtics led by eight in the opening minutes and 15 at the half when Rondo, after taking an inbounds pass with 2.5 seconds left, hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer. Boston led 98-81 at the end of three before scoring three points in the first seven minutes of the fourth.

The Celtics snapped out of it just in time.

When Rivers wasn't trying to figure out how to stop the Cavs, he was trying to keep order on his own bench. Forward Rasheed Wallace picked up a technical foul with 50 seconds left in the third quarter -- his 14th of the season, according to the NBA -- and began yelling at Rivers when the coach took him out.

Wallace did not return to the game.

Brown was ejected after drawing two technicals midway through the third quarter. He picked up the first when he argued about a technical given to Williams for arguing a non-call, then angrily stormed onto the court and was quickly tossed by referee Monty McCutchen.

Ray Allen shot the free throws and made all three, giving Boston an 83-62 lead.

Associated Press

Lakers fall again, this time to the surging Spurs

2010-04-04T22:29:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES -- The San Antonio Spurs want to do everything they can to avoid facing the Lakers in the first round of the playoffs. They took a step forward by beating the defending NBA champions on their home court.

Manu Ginobili scored 32 points, Tim Duncan added 24 and the Spurs clinched their 13th consecutive playoff berth with a 100-81 win Sunday. They moved into the seventh spot in the West, a half-game ahead of idle Portland.

"They're playoff-tested, so we want to stay away from them as long as possible," Tim Duncan said of the Lakers.

The Lakers got a season-high 32 points from Pau Gasol and 22 from Kobe Bryant, but failed to clinch the No. 1 seed in the West and heard boos from their fans.

As a result, Cleveland earned home-court advantage through the NBA finals despite losing 117-113 at Boston earlier in the day.

"They controlled the tempo," Bryant said. "We didn't make shots. There were stretches with opportunities to get back in the ballgame and we just couldn't put the ball in the hole."

Richard Jefferson added 14 points and Duncan had 11 rebounds for the Spurs, who won their third straight and 15th of 20. They've notched recent wins over four of the NBA's top teams: Cleveland, Boston, Orlando and now the Lakers.

"It was an unbelievable victory," Ginobili said. "Two months ago, it wasn't even in our wildest dreams to come here and win a game by 18 against the Lakers. But we're doing better now and we're playing hard. Our defense has really stepped up, and the difference was that we made the shots we had to make."

Already without Tony Parker because of a broken ring finger, the Spurs lost starting guard George Hill to a sprained right ankle in the second quarter. He didn't return after scoring six points.

"I'm a little worried about everything that's coming up now without George," said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, referring to road games against Denver, Phoenix and Dallas. "It's going to be difficult to sustain that and have Manu play the point in all these games coming up. We'll have to figure something out."

2010 NBA Playoffs

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Playoff standings

Lamar Odom had 13 rebounds for Los Angeles, which had its seven-game home winning streak ended two days after beating Utah.

Ginobili continued the offensive tear he's been on since the All-Star break with his 15th game of 20 or more points. After scoring a point in the third quarter, when the Spurs led by 15, he had 17 in the fourth.

Ginobili was especially lethal after the Lakers closed to 71-69 on Gasol's putback dunk of Bryant's missed jumper. He answered with a 3-pointer and then made two free throws en route to scoring another seven points and triggering a game-ending 29-12 run.

"We struggled for half of the season or a little more, but now we are playing better," Ginobili said. "Even though we're in the seventh spot and it's not going to be easy, we know now that nobody's that much better than us. So that's a big thing in your head."

San Antonio opened the second half on an 11-4 run, with Duncan scoring six in a row, for its largest lead to that point, 59-44. Gasol scored 13 in the third, when Bryant went scoreless.

The Spurs took an eight-point lead late in the second quarter, when Ginobili scored six straight before Keith Bogans capped the scoring with a 3-pointer that sent San Antonio into halftime leading 48-40.

The final minute of the half included double technicals on Ron Artest and Ginobili, and a technical on Bryant for arguing with referee Bennett Salvatore. Derek Fisher had to pull an animated Bryant away.

Artest sprinted to the sideline in disbelief at his call, the result of he and Ginobili tangling before an inbounds play. Artest then fouled Ginobili, who hit the free throws and dunked off Jefferson's steal of Bryant.

"Even though you don't like to get a T, it helps sometimes because they're trying to mess with you and get you off your game," Ginobili said. "That means that you're important."

Associated Press

Boston beats Yanks on opening nite

2010-04-04T22:21:00.000-07:00

BOSTON -- Kevin Youkilis scored the go-ahead run on a passed ball after his third extra-base hit and the Boston Red Sox rallied to beat the New York Yankees 9-7 in the major league opener Sunday night.

Boston erased a 5-1 deficit against CC Sabathia and defeated the defending World Series champions in the first night opener in the history of 98-year-old Fenway Park.

Jorge Posada and Curtis Granderson hit back-to-back homers off Josh Beckett to give the Yankees a 2-0 lead in the second inning. It was 7-5 in the bottom of the seventh when Marco Scutaro singled and Dustin Pedroia tied it with an opening-day homer for the second straight season.

Youkilis then doubled with two outs, took third on Damaso Marte's wild pitch and scored when the left-hander's high pitch bounced off Posada's glove. Pedroia added an RBI single in the eighth.

Hideki Okajima pitched a scoreless inning to get the win and Jonathan Papelbon worked the ninth for the save.

Chan Ho Park recorded just two outs while picking up the loss in his Yankees debut. The right-hander was charged with three runs and three hits.

Former Red Sox ace Pedro Martinez got a warm greeting when he threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

The real starters didn't do as well.

Sabathia gave up five runs and six hits over 5 1/3 innings in his second poor opening-day start since he joined New York for a $161 million, seven-year contract.

Beckett allowed five runs and eight hits in 4 2/3 innings. It was the worst of five opening-day starts for the right-hander, who had allowed just four runs in 22 2/3 innings in his previous four.

Even two aging singers beloved by Red Sox fans had better nights.

Steven Tyler, lead singer of Aerosmith and a Boston-area resident, sang "God Bless America" during the seventh-inning stretch.

Neil Diamond, whose "Sweet Caroline" is played at Fenway Park after the top of the eighth, then stepped onto the field along the right-field line to sing it in person. The Brooklyn native wore a blue Red Sox hat with a red "B" and a dark jacket with the words "KEEP THE DODGERS IN BROOKLYN" on the back.

The Red Sox were more concerned with the team from the Bronx.

The Yankees began the season as champions for the first time since they beat Kansas City 7-3 behind Roger Clemens in the 2001 opener. They finished that year in the World Series, but lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks in seven games.

The last time the Red Sox and Yankees met in an opener was in 2005 following Boston's first championship since 1918. New York won 9-2 with Randy Johnson beating David Wells -- like Sabathia, a big lefty.

Youkilis got the first hit off Sabathia, a leadoff double in the second, and scored on Adrian Beltre's sacrifice fly. Youkilis then tripled in two runs in the sixth before Beltre's RBI single tied it at 5.

On the first pitch of the major league season, Derek Jeter grounded out to shortstop Marco Scutaro. Nick Johnson then flied to center and Mark Teixeira grounded out to first. Seven pitches, three outs.

The first eight batters of the game were retired before the Yankees, who led the AL last season with 244 homers, got two longballs in a row. Posada hit a short liner off the right-field foul pole. Then Granderson sent a long drive into the center-field seats in his first at-bat as a Yankee.

The Yankees went ahead 7-5 in the seventh on Robinson Cano's RBI groundout and Posada's run-scoring single but Boston responded with three runs in the bottom half, culminating in Youkilis' tiebreaking scamper.

Associated Press

Final Four is set. Michigan St, Duke, Butler, and West Virginia all invited

2010-03-28T22:30:00.000-07:00

San Antonio punishes the Celtics in Beantown

2010-03-28T22:17:00.000-07:00

BOSTON -- The San Antonio Spurs are in the thick of the playoff race again after getting back one of the key players from their championship teams.

He was sitting on their bench the whole time.

Making his 12th straight start since Tony Parker went out with a broken right hand, Manu Ginobili scored 28 points and added seven assists to lead San Antonio to a 94-73 victory over the Boston Celtics on Sunday night and help the Spurs jump from a precarious eighth place in the Western Conference into a tie for sixth

"Manu's been playing great for the last month. He's basically taken over the team," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "He's been the same Manu we've had when we won championships. Without Tony, it's really important for somebody to step up, and he's done it."

Richard Jefferson had 16 points and 11 rebounds, Tim Duncan had eight points and nine boards, and DeJuan Blair had 10 of his 11 rebounds in the fourth quarter. The Spurs, who started the season 4-6 and a month ago lost 11 of 18 games, have now won 12 of 16 to move into a three-way tie with Portland and Oklahoma City for sixth place in the West.

"We had a very, very slow start to the season, and we are paying for it now," Ginobili said. "We should be five wins ahead of where we are."

The Spurs have won back-to-back games against the Cavaliers and Celtics; their only losses in the last month were to Cleveland, Atlanta, Orlando and the Los Angeles Lakers. They next go to New Jersey to play the nine-win Nets on Monday night.

"It's not going to count unless we finish strong," Ginobili said.

Paul Pierce scored 18 points and Kevin Garnett had 12 points and 10 rebounds for Boston, which had won six of its last seven -- and seven of eight at home -- to seemingly erase concerns that the 2008 NBA champions had aged too quickly. Instead, the Celtics posted their lowest point total of the season, their worst home loss of the year and their third loss by 20 or more since Feb. 25.

"This does not change our progress," said Ray Allen, who scored seven points on 2-for-9 shooting. "You trip up a little here, but it doesn't change the mission we're on or the direction we're heading."

Ginobili was a starter when the Spurs won the 2005 NBA title, and for their '03 and '07 championships he was one of the league's top reserves. He was coming off the bench this year until Parker broke his right hand on March 6; since replacing him, Ginobili has averaged 24 points per game.

He had 16 points at the half and eight more in the third quarter, when he hit a running, one-handed, 25-foot bank shot at the buzzer to give the Spurs a 77-60 lead.

"It was one of those nights we were awful," Boston coach Doc Rivers said. "Ginobili dominated this game. He single-handedly was the will of the game."

The Celtics trailed just 44-43 at midgame, but the Spurs scored the first 12 points of the second half and led by as many as 17 in the third quarter.

With seven minutes left in the game, the home crowd was booing the Celtics -- an unusually common occurrence lately -- and with five minutes left the building was mostly empty. Rivers emptied his bench with four minutes to play, and Popovich followed soon after.

The game got rough at times -- at least for the Celtics.

Garnett hit the floor hard after Ginobili blocked his shot in the second quarter. The Celtics forward landed on his back, but he soon got up and held his fingers to his ears to encourage the crowd to cheer.

In the third, Pierce went to the floor after he was fouled driving the lane. He stayed down for a while before getting up and rubbing his right shoulder while wincing in pain.

He was able to shoot the free throws, but he missed the first, and a minute later he was on the bench talking to the medical staff again.

But he played a team-high 37 minutes and said afterward he was fine.

Associated Press

Arenas very fortunate, Only gets probation

2010-03-27T11:45:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON -- Suspended Washington Wizards star Gilbert Arenas was ordered Friday to spend 30 days in a halfway house for his conviction on gun charges stemming from a locker-room confrontation with a teammate.

District of Columbia Superior Court Judge Robert E. Morin also sentenced Arenas to 400 hours of community service, which cannot be conducted at basketball clinics, and a $5,000 fine.

Arenas apologized in court, saying, "Every day, I wake up wishing it did not happen."

Arenas pleaded guilty to violating the city's gun laws in a Dec. 21 incident at Verizon Center. Following an argument over an unpaid gambling debt totaling a few hundred dollars, Arenas brought several guns to the team locker room and set them near Javaris Crittenton's locker with a sign telling him to "PICK 1."

"The evidence is that both of you felt disrespected," Morin told Arenas. "Rather than acting like mature adults, you escalated the incident" by bringing guns to practice.

After sentencing, Arenas' lawyer, Ken Wainstein, said he was pleased with the outcome.

"Judge Morin's decision was fair and measured; it reflected a deep understanding of the relevant facts ... Mr. Arenas is grateful to the court and looks forward to serving the community and once again being a force for good in the District of Columbia," Wainstein said in a statement.

In court papers, prosecutors said Crittenton had a legitimate reason to believe Arenas' threat was genuine.

Prosecutors wanted Arenas to go to jail for at least three months. They said he lied repeatedly about why the guns were in the locker room and tried to cover up what had happened. They also said he knew bringing guns into D.C. was illegal and has a prior gun conviction.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Kavanaugh wrote in court papers that "if any other individual -- without the fame, power, and the wealth of this defendant -- brought four firearms into Washington, D.C., for the purpose of a similar confrontation," they would surely go to jail.

Arenas' lawyers sought probation and community service, arguing the incident was a misguided prank with no intention to harm anyone. They pointed out that the guns were unloaded, that Arenas' lighthearted comments about the incident were misinterpreted, and that he's a good role model who excelled at community service.

Gilbert Arenas timeline
2009:
Dec. 19: Arenas and teammate Javaris Crittenton argue over a card game and exchange threats as team flies home from a road game.

Dec. 21: Arenas brings his guns to locker room and puts them in a chair by Crittenton's locker with a sign saying, "Pick 1." Crittenton retrieves his own gun and shows it to Arenas.

2010:
Jan. 6: NBA suspends Arenas without pay, effective immediately. NBA commissioner David Stern: "Although it is clear that the actions of Mr. Arenas will ultimately result in a substantial suspension, and perhaps worse, his ongoing conduct has led me to conclude that he is not currently fit to take the court in an NBA game."

Jan. 15: Arenas pleads guilty in court. Ken Wainstein, Arenas' attorney, said: "[Arenas] pled guilty to a charge of carrying a pistol in the District of Columbia without a license. He accepted full responsibility for his actions, acknowledged that those actions were wrong and against the law, and has apologized to all who have been affected by his conduct."

Jan. 27: NBA suspends Arenas (and Crittenton) for remainder of season. From the Wizards: "Their poor judgment has also violated the trust of our fans and stands in contrast to everything [late owner] Abe Pollin stood for throughout his life. It is widely known that Mr. Pollin took the extraordinary step of changing the team name from 'Bullets' to 'Wizards' in 1997 precisely to express his abhorrence of gun violence in our community."

March 23: Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Kavanaugh recommends three-month jail term, followed by three years of probation and 300 hours of community service.

March 26: Arenas sentenced in D.C. Superior Court to two years probation, which includes 30 days in halfway house and 400 hours of community service. He is also required to register as a gun offender and donate $5,000 to fund for victims of violent crimes.

"This sad saga has sent a strong message to any and all who might consider bringing guns into the district," defense attorneys wrote.

Arenas disputed claims by prosecutors that he did not take the incident seriously. He specifically referred to his gunslinging pantomime during a pregame warm-up in Philadelphia while the crime was under investigation.

"For everybody else, I'm taking it lightly," he said, referring to a widely circulated photo of him goofing around during the warm-up. "I'm looking at picture where 14 or 15 guys are laughing together for the last time," he said, his voice breaking.

Arenas' sentence could determine whether the Wizards will attempt to void the remainder of his six-year, $111 million contract, although the players' union has vowed to fight such a move.

Regardless, Arenas' misdeed has helped contribute to the precipitous decline of a franchise, which is headed for its second consecutive last-place finish after years of regularly reaching the playoffs.

The Wizards did not address Arenas' future with the team in a statement later Friday.

"We believe today's sentencing of Gilbert Arenas can help bring closure to the unfortunate situation that has played out over the last three months," said the statement issued by president Ernie Grunfeld and the Pollin family that owns the team.

"Gilbert has admitted his mistakes and will now pay his debt to our community ... we now look forward to moving on and focusing on building this team into the contender that our outstanding fans deserve."

Wizards coach Flip Saunders agreed that Arenas' sentencing will "put a little closure" on this saga.

"In the conversation I've had with him I think he's aware that he did something that was very stupid," Saunders said. "He was aware there was going to be some type of consequences.

"He'll probably start doing some stuff come summer time that he needs to from an in-shape standpoint."

Saunders hopes this will allow the team to move forward. Teammate Mike Miller says he's happy Arenas won't be going to jail and believes he'll make the most of his opportunity to play again next season.

Added guard Randy Foye: "Everyone across the world knows he made a mistake. The biggest thing now is trying to make sure the younger kids and little kids don't do the same thing, don't make the same mistakes he has made."

The maximum term for Arenas' crime is five years. Sentencing guidelines for someone with his record call for six months to two years, although those guidelines also allow for probation.

There has been little dispute about the facts of the case.

Arenas and Crittenton had argued over a card game and exchanged threats while the team flew home from a road game Dec. 19. Two days later, Arenas brought his guns to the locker room. Crittenton then retrieved his own gun and showed it to Arenas.

Crittenton pleaded guilty in January to a misdemeanor gun charge and received a year of unsupervised probation.

Arenas entered his guilty plea Jan. 15.

In sentencing Arenas, Morin said he took into account the fact that Crittenton received only probation and his belief that Arenas was remorseful.

Associated Press

Mcnabb on the trading block, Say it aint so

2010-03-26T07:26:00.000-07:00

PHILADELPHIA -- Teams interested in acquiring Donovan McNabb will have to part with a high draft pick to get him.

A person familiar with trade discussions involving McNabb told The Associated Press the Philadelphia Eagles will only consider a deal for the six-time Pro Bowl quarterback if it includes a pick among the top 42 in next month's NFL draft.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity Thursday because the team doesn't comment on potential trades.

After months of saying McNabb would return for another year, Eagles coach Andy Reid acknowledged Wednesday he was listening to offers for McNabb, Kevin Kolb and Michael Vick.

McNabb, who doesn't retain a no-trade clause but does hold the power to decline contract offers, would prefer the Minnesota Vikings if he were traded, according to a report in The Philadelphia Inquirer, which cited sources close to the situation.

But the Oakland Raiders, Buffalo Bills and St. Louis Rams are considered to be most interested in McNabb. Each team has two picks in the top 42.

It's unlikely any of those teams would give up a first-round pick for McNabb. The Rams have the first overall selection, the Raiders pick eighth and the Bills are ninth. In the second round, however, the Rams have the 33rd pick, Raiders are 39th and Bills are 41st.

The Vikings are awaiting Brett Favre's decision on a return, a commitment that could come as late as midsummer, which would likely be too long to wait for the Eagles.

The Raiders are considered the front-runner for McNabb if a deal is made. It's still possible the Eagles would accept a pick outside the top 42 if a team sweetened the offer with other picks and/or players.

McNabb is expendable because he's entering the final season of his contract and Kolb is considered the quarterback of the future. The 33-year-old McNabb has led Philadelphia to five NFC Championship Games in 11 seasons, winning one NFC title.

McNabb had an outstanding season last year until the final two games -- consecutive losses at Dallas. The first loss to the Cowboys cost the Eagles the NFC East title.

Associated Press

Star Running back stabbed to death in Florida

2010-03-26T07:12:00.000-07:00

Only hours after FIU running back Kendall Berry was stabbed to death on the school's Miami campus, the university president said in a video message that officials "will not rest" until his attacker is found.

"Our hearts are heavy," FIU president Mark B. Rosenberg said Friday.

Berry was stabbed late Thursday night, after Miami-Dade police said the 22-year-old junior from Haines City, Fla., was involved in an argument with one or possibly more individuals outside the front doors of the school's rec center -- one of the spots where the football team trains.

A person was "detained and questioned" but was released and "is not a currently a suspect," Detective Aida Fina-Milian said Friday morning.

FIU opened as scheduled Friday morning, with increased security for students and grief counseling available. Students living in residence halls were advised to keep doors locked, and any person at the university could be escorted around campus if desired.

Members of the FIU football team were already receiving counseling, and a football coaching clinic scheduled for Friday and Saturday has been indefinitely postponed.

Spring football practices have been postponed. No final decision has been made about when to hold the program's annual spring game, which for now remains scheduled for Wednesday.

"In our sorrow, we must come together," Rosenberg said in his message to the university community. "Our campus is safe. Now more than ever, you must tell this story. ... Even while we mourn Kendall and express our sympathy to his family and friends, we must not let this heinous crime overshadow the incredible track record for safety that we have."

Other than the university statement, FIU's athletic department did not have an immediate comment.

Television images showed several students, including some identified as FIU athletes, hugging and crying Thursday night near the spot where the stabbing took place, shortly before the university released official confirmation that Berry died from his injuries. One student dropped to her knees in grief just inside the doorway, screaming.

"You wouldn't expect a situation like this would happen to a guy like that," FIU student Luis Vasquez told CBS affiliate WFOR.

Berry had 164 all-purpose yards in limited use as a freshman in 2007, appearing in all 12 FIU games that season. He sat out the 2008 season with a knee injury and then had some breakout moments in 2009, rushing for three touchdowns in a span of 13 minutes against Middle Tennessee on Nov. 7 and following that up with two more scores the following week in a win over North Texas.

Berry had seven brothers and sisters, the university said. A memorial service is being scheduled, Rosenberg said.

"Last night, we lost a well-liked student who was a tireless worker in the classroom and on the ball field," Rosenberg said. "Like so many of our students, Kendall Berry had positive energy and a bright future. Last night, his grief-stricken mother described Kendall as a negotiator, not a fighter. We will not rest until the perpetrator of this crime is brought to justice."

Berry finished last season with a team-best seven touchdowns, despite not playing in the season's first seven games because of continued rehab from the knee injury.

"When you put the football in his hands, that kid can do some unbelievable things," FIU football coach Mario Cristobal said late last season of Berry.

FIU officials said they did not recall another killing on the school's campus.

Associated Press

Plenty of upsets in the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament

2010-03-21T23:07:00.000-07:00

Mauer gets Paid. For real !

2010-03-21T23:00:00.000-07:00

The Twins' hometown kid is staying anchored to home.

All-Star catcher Joe Mauer and Minnesota completed an eight-year, $184 million deal, a contract which will inevitably be hailed within baseball as an example that teams like the Twins do have a chance to keep their homegrown talent.

The deal, which includes a full no-trade clause, ranks in scope with only Alex Rodriguez's 10-year, $275 million contract and Derek Jeter's 10-year, $189 million contract.

Mauer is generally regarded as the American League's best player and may be baseball's most coveted player, given his unique set of skills. Mauer, who turns 27 next month, already has won three batting titles and two Gold Glove Awards, and last year, he began to hit for power, posting a 1.031 OPS.

If Mauer had become a free agent in the fall, he probably would have been the most coveted free agent since Rodriguez reached free agency after the 2000 season. With the use of total free-agent leverage, Mauer might have commanded a deal for something in the range of $250 million in the fall.

But all along, Mauer -- taken by the Twins' No. 1 overall in the same year that Mark Prior was eligible for the draft -- indicated a desire to remain with the Twins in his hometown of St. Paul surrounded by family and friends. Barring a last-minute hold-up, it appears that he will play his entire career for the Twins.

The Twins' signing of Mauer to a long-term deal is going to be viewed as a strong development for Major League Baseball, at a time when there are growing concerns about the disparity between teams like the Yankees and Red Sox, and teams that generate less revenue like the Rays, Athletics and Twins.

A major challenge for the Twins -- who have evolved from a small-market team into a club with a mid-range budget -- will be how they can compete while paying one player such a high percentage of their payroll. The Rockies made a similar investment in Todd Helton during the last decade, and while Helton has performed well during the course of the contract, his high salary restricted Colorado from making other moves.

Associated Press

Tiger reveals where he is at this point of his rehabilitation and looks forward to the Masters

2010-03-21T22:49:00.000-07:00

Tiger Woods took questions from reporters for the first time in four months Sunday, saying "I've done some pretty bad things in my life" and that he doesn't know what kind of reception he'll get when he returns to competitive golf at the Masters.

"I'm a little nervous about that to be honest with you," Woods told ESPN's Tom Rinaldi, who asked him what he expects when he returns to golf on April 8 following an auto accident which led to an indefinite leave from professional golf and an admission of multiple affairs. "It would be nice to hear a couple claps here and there."

Woods hasn't been questioned by reporters since he was involved in a one-car crash outside his Florida home in the early-morning hours of Nov. 27. He declined to answer questions about the specifics of the accident ("You know it's all in the police report," he said. "Beyond that everything's between [wife] Elin and myself and that's private.") and specifics about his infidelity, though he did tell Rinaldi that "just one is enough ... and obviously that wasn't the case."

After his auto accident, Woods eventually admitted to infidelity and said Dec. 11 he would take an "indefinite break" from golf. Woods spoke publicly for the first time Feb. 19, when he confessed to cheating on his wife. But he didn't take any questions after his 13-plus-minute statement.

"I hurt a lot of people, not just my wife," he told Rinaldi on Sunday. "My friends, my colleagues, the public, kids who looked up to me. There were a lot of people that thought I was a different person and my actions were not according to that. That's why I had to apologize. I was so sorry for what I had done."

He was in a Mississippi clinic from Dec. 31 until Feb. 11, then went to an Arizona clinic for a week of family counseling after his Feb. 19 statement.

He didn't say what he was in treatment for, but did say "It was really tough to look at yourself in a light you never want to look at yourself, that's pretty brutal."

Woods denied that any of his associates were involved in his off-the-course affairs. "It was all me," he told The Golf Channel. "I'm the one who did it. I'm the one who acted the way I acted. No one knew what was going on when it was going on.

"I'm sure if more people would have known in my inner circle, they would have stopped it or tried to put a stop to it. But I kept it all to myself," he said.

Woods told ESPN's Rinaldi that he didn't seek addiction treatment sooner because "I didn't know I was that bad." He said he married Elin in 2004 "because I loved her" and that his wife was "shocked," "hurt," and "angry" when he told her of his actions.

He called telling his wife and his mother among his lowest points.

"I hurt them the most," he said. "Those are the two people in my life who I'm closest to and to say the things that I've done, truthfully to them [was] very painful."

In his interview with The Golf Channel, Woods talked about his father, Earl, who died in 2006.

"He'd be very disappointed in me," Woods said. "We'd have numerous long talks and that's one of the things I miss," Woods said. "I wish I could have had his guidance through all this, to have him help straighten me up. I know he would have done it."

He also told The Golf Channel that he will eventually talk to his children about what has transpired in his life.

Asked how well the world knows him, Woods told ESPN's Rinaldi: "A lot better now. I was living a life of a lie, I really was. And I was doing a lot of things, like I said, that hurt a lot of people. And stripping away denial and rationalization you start coming to the truth of who you really are and that can be very ugly.

"But then again, when you face it and you start conquering it and you start living up to it, the strength that I feel now," he said, "... I've never felt that type of strength."

Woods returned to practice when he got home from Arizona. Swing coach Hank Haney joined him last week. Woods announced on March 16 that he would return at the Masters, a tournament he has won four times (most recently in 2005).

Woods, who will have been idle for 144 days, said he is ready to return to golf.

"I'm excited to get back and play, I'm excited to get to see the guys again," he said. "I really miss a lot of my friends out there. I miss competing. But still, I still have a lot more treatment to do, and just because I'm playing, doesn't mean I'm [going to] stop going to treatment."

Woods last played on the PGA Tour in the Tour Championship on Sept. 28, 2009, where he finished second. Woods won the Australian Masters in Melbourne on Nov. 15 for his 82nd worldwide victory.

Jim Furyk, who won the rain-delayed Transitions Championship on Sunday, was given a transcript of Woods' comments as he walked in to address the media. Woods' interview was shown at about the time he was finishing off his win (which came 90 minutes after the scheduled finish of the Transitions event).

"I wish him well," Furyk said. "...I think it's good for him to get his face out there and have people see him. They are going to make their judgments, but I think it allows him to kind of move on and get focused for the next thing."

CBS was offered a chance to interview Woods, but declined because of the five-minute time limit restriction. CBS Sports spokeswoman LeslieAnne Wade told The Associated Press that CBS would be interested in an extended interview with Woods "without any restrictions."

Associated Press

Final Four Picks

2010-03-17T13:44:00.000-07:00

Jordan finally gets his dream, becomes majority owner of the Bobcats

2010-03-17T12:30:00.000-07:00

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Michael Jordan became a basketball star at North Carolina. Now he'll try to turn around the state's money-losing NBA team by becoming the first ex-player to be a majority owner in the league.

The NBA's Board of Governors on Wednesday unanimously approved Jordan's $275 million bid to buy the Charlotte Bobcats from Bob Johnson. Jordan will take over the team immediately after serving as a minority investor with the final say on basketball decisions since 2006.

"Purchasing the Bobcats is the culmination of my post-playing career goal of becoming the majority owner of an NBA franchise," Jordan said in a statement. "I am especially pleased to have the opportunity to build a winning team in my home state of North Carolina.

"I plan to make this franchise an organization that Charlotte can be proud of, and I am committed to doing all that I can to achieve this goal."

The six-time NBA champion and five-time league MVP will be charged with turning around the fortunes of the 6-year-old Bobcats, who are on pace to lose about $30 million this season because of sluggish ticket and sponsorship sales.

The 47-year-old Jordan, who will assume about $150 million in debt in the deal, becomes the second black majority owner of a major pro sports team. He replaces the first in Johnson, who paid $300 million for the expansion franchise, but lost tens of millions annually and saw the value of the team decline as Charlotte fans struggled to warm to the NBA again after the Hornets left for New Orleans in 2002.

"The best decision I made since acquiring the Bobcats was to convince my friend Michael to become an investor in the Bobcats and to appoint him as managing member of basketball operations," Johnson said in a statement. "As the new majority owner of the Bobcats, his dedication will be stronger now more than ever."

Commissioner David Stern predicted last week the deal would be approved easily by the league's owners. Stern said last week that background and financial checks on Jordan produced nothing that would stop the deal, and expressed optimism Jordan's iconic status in this area will boost the franchise.

Jordan grew up in Wilmington, N.C., and led North Carolina to an NCAA title with a last-second shot before starring with the Chicago Bulls. Jordan briefly ran the Wizards basketball operations and returned as a player with Washington before being fired from his management role in 2003.

"We are pleased that Michael Jordan's purchase of majority ownership of the Bobcats was approved by the NBA's Board of Governors and closed in such a smooth and expeditious fashion," Stern said. "We look forward to the continued growth of the Bobcats, on and off the court, under his leadership."

The Bobcats (34-32) entered Wednesday's home game against Oklahoma City in sixth place in the Eastern Conference as they eye their first playoff berth. Team officials hope a playoff appearance after Jordan took control would boost interest and ticket sales in the franchise, which plays in a 5-year-old downtown arena.

"While there is still plenty of work to do both on and off the floor, our attendance, television ratings, corporate support and on-court performance are headed in the right direction," Bobcats president Fred Whitfield said. "That trend will only continue as Michael transitions into all facets of our business."

Jordan, who has declined interview requests since striking a deal to buy the team on Feb. 26, is scheduled to hold a news conference Thursday night.

Associated Press

Tiger will come back to golf at the Masters

2010-03-16T12:23:00.000-07:00

PALM HARBOR, Fla. (AP)—Tiger Woods said Tuesday he will return to golf next month at the Masters, ending a four-month hiatus brought on by a sex scandal that shattered his image as the gold standard in sports.

“The Masters is where I won my first major and I view this tournament with great respect,” Woods said in a statement. “After a long and necessary time away from the game, I feel like I’m ready to start my season at Augusta.”

The Associated Press first reported his plans to return at Augusta National last Thursday.

Woods has not competed since Nov. 15 when he won the Australian Masters for his 82nd victory worldwide. Twelve days later, he crashed his car into a tree outside his Florida home, setting off shocking revelations that he had been cheating on his wife.

“The major championships have always been a special focus in my career and, as a professional, I think Augusta is where I need to be, even though it’s been a while since I last played,” Woods said.

“I have undergone almost two months of inpatient therapy and I am continuing my treatment,” he said. “Although I’m returning to competition, I still have a lot of work to do in my personal life.”

There had been reports he would play the Tavistock Cup exhibition next week in Orlando, followed by the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, where he is the defending champion and a six-time winner.

“When I finally got into a position to think about competitive golf again, it became apparent to me that the Masters would be the earliest I could play,” Woods said.

Already the major with the highest TV ratings, this Masters could be the biggest yet. The first two rounds are televised on ESPN, with CBS Sports on the weekend.

“Obviously, the ratings will be off the chart,” Heath Slocum said. “It will be interesting to watch—not only the reaction from him, but from the fans, the media, the players. I would venture to say he might be nervous.”

Woods twice has come into a major after a long layoff without playing, with mixed results—he missed the cut at Winged Foot for the 2006 U.S. Open after his father died, and he won the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines while playing on a shattered left knee.

Woods is a four-time Masters champion, although he has not won at Augusta National since 2005, his longest drought there.

In some respects, the Masters makes sense for golf’s No. 1 player to return. Media credentials are limited regardless of who’s playing or what’s in the news, and Augusta National has more control of its tickets than any other golf tournament.

Those with season badges risk losing them if they violate policies, or are caught selling them.

Woods has been the biggest draw at the Masters ever since he became its youngest champion at 21 in 1997, when he broke the tournament scoring record with a 12-shot victory.

That likely won’t compare to this year.

Woods’ world came crashing down on Nov. 27 when he fled his house in the middle of the night and ran his Cadillac SUV over a fire hydrant and into a tree. About that time, allegations of womanizing began to emerge, and Woods’ silence was replaced by rumors of what happened that night and how, as the world’s most famous athlete, he could keep so many affairs a secret.

He eventually confessed to infidelity and said Dec. 11 he would take an “indefinite break” from golf. Woods spoke publicly for the first time on Feb. 19 at TPC Sawgrass, where he confessed to cheating on his wife, Elin.

“I have made you question who I am and how I could have done the things I did,” Woods said that day.

He was in a Mississippi clinic from Dec. 31 until Feb. 11, then went to an Arizona clinic for a week of family counseling. He returned to practice when he got home to Isleworth, and swing coach Hank Haney joined him last week.

This will be the first time Woods won’t play Bay Hill, the only regular PGA Tour event he has never missed as a professional.

Meantime, the governing body of golf outside the United States said it hoped Woods would play at the British Open in July.

“We’re pleased to hear that Tiger is to return to golf. … Golf needs the world No. 1 to be playing,” Royal & Ancient spokesman Malcolm Booth said.

Woods has not yet entered to play at the British Open at St. Andrews, but has until May 27 to send in his entry form. Booth says it’s “normal that he hasn’t” entered yet.

Associated Press

Lakers squeak by Golden st. in west coast shootout

2010-03-16T12:04:00.000-07:00

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP)—Kobe Bryant(notes) is happy to be done with the Golden State Warriors so the Los Angeles Lakers can prepare for what they might actually see come playoff time next month.

Bryant scored 29 points and the Lakers dominated the boards to overcome a turnover-plagued night and beat the Warriors for the ninth straight time, 124-121 on Monday night.

Bryant said there was nothing to learn from a game where the Lakers committed 24 turnovers, outrebounded Golden State 56-25 and allowed 100 shots before holding on at the end for the victory.

Pau Gasol(notes) scored 26 points, Andrew Bynum(notes) added 19 points and 14 rebounds, and Lamar Odom(notes) had 17 points and 12 boards for the Lakers, who have won three straight following their first three-game losing streak in more than two years.

The Lakers led by 11 late in the fourth quarter but barely held on for the victory. It wasn’t sealed until Stephen Curry(notes) and Monta Ellis(notes) missed 3-pointers in the final seconds. Ellis’ last-ditch attempt bounced on the rim three times before falling aside at the buzzer, completing a 5-for-23 night.

“I thought it was going in,” Warriors center Chris Hunter(notes) said. “It looked like the invisible man tipped it away at the last second.”

Curry scored 29 points for the Warriors, who have lost seven of eight. Coach Don Nelson remained six wins shy of breaking Lenny Wilkens’ record mark of 1,337. The Warriors have only 16 games remaining this season, meaning Nelson’s quest for the record might be pushed into next season if he is brought back as coach.

The Lakers took advantage of their decided height advantage with two 7-footers in the starting lineup against a Warriors team whose only true post player is Hunter, a former NBA Development League player.

But with a season-high nine turnovers by Bryant and eight more from Bynum, the Lakers struggled to put away the quicker Warriors.

“It was weird,” forward Ron Artest(notes) said. “It was definitely weird. Twenty-something turnovers, that should not happen. A lot of them were unforced, a lot of mental errors. We knew we could win but we slipped up.”

It was the fourth sellout of the season for the Warriors, but many of the season-high 20,038 fans were there to cheer on the Lakers instead of the home team. Positive plays by Los Angeles were often greeted with louder applause than those by the Warriors and some fans started an “M-V-P!” chant for Bryant.

The Lakers fell behind 72-63 early in the third quarter on a 3-pointer by Curry. But they answered with a 16-2 run that gave them a 79-74 lead and they never gave it up the rest of the way.

Curry’s 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter got the deficit back down to one, but Bynum responded with a three-point play following an offensive rebound. Bryant’s three-point play extended the lead to 111-103 with just under 5 minutes left.

The Warriors got the lead back down to two on a jumper by Ellis with about 20 seconds left, but Shannon Brown(notes) hit two free throws with 13 seconds to go to build the lead back to 123-119. After another basket by Ellis, Bryant made one of two free throws with 8.6 seconds left for the final margin.

“You’re going to have that kind of game when you play the Warriors,” coach Phil Jackson said. “They go for speed and quickness. Did you see the turnovers? That helped them get 100 shots. … It was really difficult for us. It put us in jeopardy.”

Hunter scored a career-high 22 points and Corey Maggette(notes) added 18. Ellis was held to 13 in one of the worst shooting games of his career.

“I’m a shooter,” Ellis said. “I’m a shooter until Coach tells me not to shoot anymore. Nothing else I can do.”

Los Angeles led 39-32 after a first quarter that was filled with statistical oddities. The Lakers made six straight shots to open the game, then missed six in a row before making eight in row. The Warriors, meanwhile, got little production from their high-scoring backcourt of Curry and Ellis, who shot just 1 for 10 in the period. But the frontcourt players made all 11 shots they took, including three 3-pointers from Anthony Tolliver(notes).

C.J. Watson(notes) and Hunter then combined for all the points in an 11-2 run to end the half for Golden State and give the Warriors a 65-59 lead at the break.

NOTES: Bryant had his most turnovers since a career-high 11 at Detroit on Jan. 31, 2008. … The Warriors were only the fifth team to take at least 100 shots in a regulation game this season. … Golden State’s five turnovers were its fewest since also having five against Milwaukee on March 30, 2005.

Associated Press