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Chad Johnson Arrested

2013-05-20T15:23:07Z

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Former NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson has been arrested on charges that he violated probation stemming from an altercation with his now ex-wife, TV reality star Evelyn Lozada.

A Broward County judge ordered Johnson jailed Monday until he posts a $1,000 bond. Another hearing was set for June 3. An arrest warrant was issued earlier this month when Johnson failed to meet his probation officer.

The six-time Pro Bowl player formerly known as Chad Ochocinco is serving a year of probation after Lozada said he head-butted her during an argument last August. She quickly filed for divorce. They had been married only since July 4.

Johnson was released by the Miami Dolphins after the incident. He also played for the Cincinnati Bengals and New England Patriots.

Lozada is on the "Basketball Wives" TV show.

Ben Berkon: The New York Mets Need to Sign Shin-Soo Choo This Off-Season

2013-05-20T15:13:07Z

The New York Mets offense is struggling. The team has a collective .230/.302/.382 triple-slash, with a .684 OPS -- which ranks 26th in the major leagues. However, the real issue is with the Mets' outfield. Mets' center fielders have combined for a .530 OPS+ (worst in the majors) and right fielders a .621 (tied for third worst). While Mike Baxter and Andrew Brown, perhaps, deserve a chance to start this season, the Mets need to sign to-be free agent Shin-Soo Choo this coming off-season.

Choo was acquired by the Cincinnati Reds in a three-way deal before the season, which sent Trevor Bauer and Drew Stubbs to the Cleveland Indians, and Didi Gregorius to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Choo, a left-handed hitter, quietly developed into a top producer over the past five seasons, owning a .291/.384/.471 line, with a 135 OPS+, 80 HR (about sixteen per season), and 80 SB (about 16 per season).

And even though the Reds are using the 30 year-old in center field, Choo's best position -- as according to defensive metrics -- is right field (combined 11.0 UZR/150 over 496.6 innings) and left field (-2.5 UZR/150 over 1331.6 innings)....rest the rest of this article on Yahoo! Sports.

Josh Farmer: Ed Carpenter's Indy 500 Chances

2013-05-20T14:41:45Z

Ed Carpenter is a rare breed in Indycar today being an owner/driver in a series dominated by multicar teams and rich team owners. This weekend, however, he shut out the field and won the pole for the Indianapolis 500.

A testament to what Carpenter had to overcome to win this pole was who he was up against in the Fast Nine. Between five Andretti Autosport entries and three Team Penske entries, he was up against the juggernauts in IndyCar and the odds did not appear to be in his favor. When it was go time, he delivered and beat them all for the pole.

So can Carpenter win the 500? I would say the odds are definitely in his favor. For one thing: the ovals are his strong suit. Of his 32 career top tens, 30 of those have been on ovals. He won at Kentucky in 2011 after finishing second the last 2 years, which included getting beat right at the line by Ryan Briscoe in 2009, driving for a relatively new Fisher Hartman Racing team beating Dario Franchitti: no easy task there. Very similar to what he did this past weekend to win the pole for the Indy 500, David beating Goliath.

He also knows how to win a 500 mile race. At last years season finale at Fontana, Carpenter dominated the race, leading the most laps and passed Dario Franchitti on the last lap to win the race. A 500 mile race in of itself is a challenge to win, and since he has won one already, he's proven he has what it takes. At the Indy 500 last year, he came from the back to the front and was running inside the top 5 towards the end of the race before a late spin took him out of contention.

So, long story short, can he win the race? Yes he can. Will he, we shall have to wait until Sunday to know for sure.

'Me. Retire??'

2013-05-20T14:24:25Z

Kobe Bryant isn't retiring this summer.

As rumors started to spread on Sunday that the five-time NBA champ would end his career after 17 seasons, Bryant took to Twitter to refute speculation.

Really?? Me. Retire?? Soon, but not yet Vino still has work to do #35 #OG #kbvff
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) May 20, 2013

So why did a rumor start spreading about Kobe retiring? It might have something to do with a hoax Twitter account pretending to be Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, which posted the fake news.

Bryant also posted on his Facebook page earlier over the weekend that he was going to make a surprise announcement on Sunday. That announcement turned out to be that the Kobe & Vanessa Bryant Family Foundation was teaming up with a non-profit organization called "Sports Spectacular."

So that's that.

Angels Over White Sox

2013-05-20T13:40:42Z

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Jason Vargas scattered four hits through seven scoreless innings, Erick Aybar and Howie Kendrick each hit two-run doubles, and the Los Angeles Angels coaxed a pair of bases-loaded walks out of Jake Peavy in the fourth inning of a 6-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday.

Vargas (3-3) struck out six and walked three while helping the Angels gain a split of the four-game series. The middle of the Chicago lineup – Alex Rios, Adam Dunn and Paul Konerko – were a combined 0 for 8 with a walk against the left-hander, who posted his first victory in six career starts against the White Sox.

Peavy (5-2) gave up four runs, four hits and five walks over six innings after going 4-0 with a 2.10 ERA in his previous five starts. The 2007 NL Cy Young winner is 0-4 with a 6.06 ERA in six career starts against the Angels.

Rios drove in Chicago's first run with an eighth-inning double against Dane De La Rosa. It extended Rios' hitting streak to 14 games, eclipsing his previous best in 2006 with Toronto.

Ernesto Frieri was called in to protect a 4-1 lead, trying to get his second four-out save in two days.

The right-hander walked three batters in the ninth this time before notching his ninth save in 10 attempts overall. Frieri gave up a sacrifice fly by Alejandro De Aza before retiring Alexei Ramirez on a flyball to end it.

Kendrick gave Frieri a couple of insurance runs in the eighth with his double inside third base against rookie Brian Omogrosso.

Los Angeles opened the scoring in the third when Chris Iannetta drew a leadoff walk, J.B. Shuck followed with a single and Aybar drove both of them in with his double to right before he was erased in a rundown.

Peavy, who threw 83 of his 117 pitches in the first four innings, walked four more batters in the fourth – including Iannetta and Aybar with the bases loaded – and the Angels increased the margin to 4-0. Two innings later, Peavy struck out the side on 18 pitches.

Iannetta's second walk was his 14th in a span of 33 plate appearances, including four on Saturday. He has 27 overall, just two fewer than he had last season in 221 plate appearances. His career high is 70, with Colorado in 2011.

NOTES: Peavy had issued eight walks in 45 2-3 innings over his seven previous starts this season. The three-time All-Star, who led the NL in strikeouts in 2005 and 2007 with San Diego, got the 1,800th of his career in the first inning when he caught Mike Trout looking. ... INF Chris Nelson was added to the Angels' 25-man roster, one day after he was claimed off waivers from the New York Yankees. They are the third team he's been with this season, including Colorado. ... The Angels optioned 3B Luis Jimenez to Triple-A Salt Lake, and sent outright RHP Barry Enright to Salt Lake after he cleared waivers. Enright had been designated for assignment on May 16, one day after giving up four runs in two-plus innings against Kansas City in a 9-5 loss. ... Dunn returned to the lineup as the designated hitter, after leaving Saturday's game in the fifth inning because of back spasms. He finished 0 for 3 with three strikeouts and a walk. ... The White Sox return home to start an eight-game homestand on Monday against Boston.

Mets Top Cubs 4-3

2013-05-20T13:36:36Z

CHICAGO -- Cubs starter Travis Wood was thinking about one home run, and it wasn't the one he hit.

With two outs in the seventh inning, rookie Juan Lagares connected off Wood for his first big league homer. The two-run shot tied the game, and Daniel Murphy hit a leadoff home run in the eighth that sent the New York Mets over Chicago 4-3 Sunday.

"As soon as it left the hand, I didn't like it," Wood said. "I was hoping he would pop it up or something. But he didn't. He put a good swing on it. Hit it out of the park to tie the ballgame."

Wood said the 2-2 pitch was a changeup that he tried to get down, but instead left up over the plate.

Overall, Wood did well on the mound, giving up three runs and five hits in seven innings, while striking out three and walking two.

It was Wood's ninth consecutive quality start to open the season. The last Cubs starter to begin a season with at least nine straight quality starts was Mordecai "Three Finger" Brown in 1908.

Wood also hit his homer of the season and fourth of his career, managing to clear the left-field bleachers with a drive that landed on Waveland Avenue.

"Woody pitched another great game," Cubs manager Dale Sveum said. "Obviously we'd like to have that one pitch back. It was the last batter he was going to face and he threw his worst pitch of the game in that situation. That was unfortunate, obviously. We pitched great, we just couldn't keep the ball in the ballpark the times we needed to."

Murphy homered off Kyuji Fujikawa (1-1) as the Mets got their first series win at Wrigley Field since 2007. Murphy has homered twice in three games and has an eight-game hitting streak.

Scott Rice (2-3), who leads the majors with 25 relief appearances, pitched two scoreless innings for the victory. Bobby Parnell tossed a perfect ninth to earn his sixth save in eight opportunities.

The Cubs extended their lead to 3-1 in the sixth on Ryan Sweeney's leadoff homer. It was his first home run since July 27, 2011, when he played for Oakland.

Mets starter Dillon Gee allowed three runs and eight hits in five innings. He has allowed nine runs in his last nine innings and hasn't won since May 1.

The Cubs missed out on several other scoring opportunities against Gee. Sweeney tried to stretch a leadoff double into a triple in the fourth but was thrown out at third. The Cubs failed to drive in runners from third in the first, fifth and sixth.

"It's too bad we didn't win that game today because of Woody's home run," Sveum said.

NOTES: The Cubs announced after the game that reliever Michael Bowden will be designated for assignment to make room for Matt Garza, who is coming off the disabled list on Tuesday to face Pittsburgh in his season debut. ... Cubs 1B Anthony Rizzo struck out in the first inning, ending 39 straight plate appearances without a strikeout. ... Cubs RHP Carlos Villanueva was available. He moved to the bullpen to make room for Garza, who strained a back muscle in spring training. Villanueva (1-3) hasn't won since April 18. He has made 245 of his 309 career appearances as a reliever.

Rangers Coach's Awkward Mid-Game Interview

2013-05-20T12:39:45Z

By Joe Lucia, Awful Announcing

During Game 2 of the Rangers-Bruins Eastern Conference Semifinals series on Sunday, NBC's Pierre McGuire asked Rangers coach John Tortorella how to describe Ryan Callahan, who scored a goal in the first period to tie the game at one goal apiece. Tortorella's response was brief, and extremely descriptive.

"Well right now, that's a HUGE goddamn goal he scored in the first period."

McGuire then thanked Tortorella and immediately ended the interview, likely with the horror of realizing that New York's coach had sworn on national TV. There were no immediate apologies from the NBC crew, and they essentially called Tortorella a wild card. These things happen sometimes, and seeing McGuire immediately have to squirm his way out of an uncomfortable situation is always entertaining to watch.

WATCH VIDEO ABOVE

Cabrera's 3 Homers Not Enough

2013-05-20T12:18:47Z

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Miguel Cabrera never had a night like this last season when he won baseball's first Triple Crown in 45 years.

And it still wasn't enough to get the Detroit Tigers a win.

David Murphy put Texas ahead for good with a three-run home run just over the wall in right field in the sixth inning, and the Rangers spoiled the second three-homer game of Cabrera's career with an 11-8 victory on Sunday night.

Cabrera last went deep three times in a game against Oakland in Detroit nearly three years ago – or two years before he became the AL's first Triple Crown winner since Boston's Carl Yastrzemski in 1967 by leading the league in average, homers and RBIs.

Cabrera went 4 for 4 and drove in five runs Sunday night and leads the majors with a .387 average and 47 RBIs. He has 11 homers, one off the AL lead.

"Miggy never ceases to amaze you," Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. "This guy obviously is something very special."

But Detroit's pitching wasn't on a warm and windy night in Texas, and the Tigers couldn't hold a 4-1 lead Cabrera gave them with a pair of homers.

Then they lost the 7-5 lead provided by Prince Fielder's three-run double after the Rangers intentionally walked Cabrera even though there already were runners on first and second.

Murphy gave the Rangers an 8-7 lead in the bottom of the sixth with a drive off Jose Ortega (0-1), who hadn't allowed a run in six relief appearances covering seven innings.

"Very nice to be on the winning side," said Murphy, who had a sacrifice fly in the seventh. "Big game, fun game, national TV. We got to witness the best hitter in the game hit three homers."

Robbie Ross (2-0) pitched a scoreless seventh inning for the win, and Joe Nathan worked around a leadoff walk in the ninth for his 13th save. He has saved all 36 career chances against Detroit.

The Tigers led 4-1 after Cabrera hit a three-run homer over the Texas bullpen in right-center field in the third and added a solo shot to center off Derek Holland, who had given up just two homers in 57-plus innings this year after setting a club record by allowing 32 last year.

But the Rangers were ahead 11-7 when Cabrera hit another solo homer to center for just the second run allowed in 22-plus innings by Texas reliever Tanner Scheppers.

"I've never seen a guy that puts the bat head on the ball as regular as he does, and on all pitches," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "He's just a tremendous hitter. I'm very happy that he's headed to the airport."

The Rangers overcame Detroit's early lead with a four-run fifth highlighted by a pop fly double from Adrian Beltre that scored two and gave Texas a 5-4 lead.

Beltre went 4 for 5 with two doubles – both of them bloopers – and Geovany Soto and Lance Berkman had three hits apiece for the Rangers, who matched their season high with 18 hits.

Soto, who came in hitting .185, went 3 for 5 for the Rangers and had a fourth hit taken away when Andy Dirks caught a long drive to center while crashing into the wall.

Dirks' catch on Soto ended a string of six straight Texas batters reaching in the sixth against Ortega, who had allowed only five base runners this season.

Soto started both Texas rallies with leadoff hits in the fifth and sixth innings, when the Rangers scored eight of their runs.

The light-hitting catcher had a double to start the fifth and scored on a groundout by Elvis Andrus. Murphy walked and Berkman drove in Craig Gentry with a single before Beltre's second double, which slipped out of Detroit shortstop Jhonny Peralta's glove just inside the left-field line.

"The guy that really hurt us in this series was Soto," Leyland said. "He killed us. He led off a couple of innings tonight with hits that got them going."

Washington scrambled to protect a 5-4 lead in the sixth, finally ordering reliever Jason Frasor to walk Cabrera with runners at first and second when he got behind 3-1. Washington brought in left-hander Michael Kirkman to face Fielder, but the lefty slugger ripped his second double to the wall in center field.

Soto started the sixth with a single, and Andrus walked with one out before Murphy pulled a pitch from Ortega to right to put Texas ahead for good.

"Neither team quit fighting," Washington said. "It was a very good ballgame. It didn't matter what you tried to do. Each team came back, and we got the final blow and were able to sustain."

Holland and Detroit starter Doug Fister both went just 4 2-3 innings, the shortest outing of the year for Holland. The left-hander gave up eight hits and four runs with three walks and six strikeouts. Fister allowed nine hits and five runs.

NOTES: Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler went on the 15-day disabled list with bruised ribs, and top prospect Jurickson Profar was brought up from Triple-A Round Rock. Leury Garcia made his third straight start in Kinsler's place at second. ... Rangers C A.J. Pierzynski caught five innings in the first game of a rehab assignment at Double-A Frisco on Sunday. He went 0 for 3 with a strikeout and two groundouts. Pierzynski will catch RHP Colby Lewis' rehab start with Frisco on Monday. ... Leyland said after the game that RHP Evan Reed is being optioned to Triple-A Toledo and RHP Luke Putkonen will be recalled from Toledo on Tuesday.

LOOK: RG3 Shows Off Massive Mound Of Wedding Gifts

2013-05-20T11:01:00Z

Very few Redskins fans will score an invite to the wedding of the Robert Griffin III and Rebecca Liddicoat this summer but that apparently hasn't stopped them from sending gifts.

According to RG3, his fans have already bought every item on the couple's registry with Bed, Bath & Beyond. On Sunday, the NFL's Offensive Rookie of The Year shared the photo to prove it.

Thank you to the Fans who are helping buy ALL the items from our wedding registry at Bed Bath & Beyond … say.ly/MLw5Rbg
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) May 19, 2013

The next several tweets in Griffin's timeline after he shared this photo suggest that the reaction wasn't all positive to the mountainous quantity of bath towels, cookware and flagrant candles that he had received. As he tends to do, RG3 fired back at those critics.

I didn't ask the fans to buy me anything. They found it on their own and decided to get what they could. SMH at all these Debbie downers
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) May 19, 2013

Because you are rich you are not allowed to receive gifts and any gifts you receive should be donated to charity???? #WOW Smh...
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) May 20, 2013

Haters gon hate. Theme of the day. They always say more money more problems. Or mo' money mo' problems. Yea I'm cultured #DealWithIt
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) May 20, 2013

After being selected as the No. 2 selection in the 2012 NFL Draft, Griffin inked a four-year, guaranteed deal worth $21.1 million with the Redskins. Does this mean that he should be prohibited from receiving a mixer or set of picture frames on the occasion of his wedding?

'What Would Ryan Lochte Do?': Hot Dog Named After Him

2013-05-20T10:45:40Z

On "What Would Ryan Lochte Do?" the Olympic gold medalist joined an elite club -- except that he thought he was the only member. He got a hot dog named after him at the iconic Pink's Hot Dogs in Hollywood. Upon hearing this, Ryan said it might be better than winning an Olympic medal.

"If you get a hot dog named after you, you’ve made it. I don’t know anyone else that’s ever gotten a hot dog named after them," Ryan declared. "Ryan Lochte’s got a hot dog! Jeah!”

He apparently hadn't paid that much attention to Pink's own menu. The restaurant has hot dogs named after Martha Stewart, Rosie O'Donnell, Ozzy Osbourne and even the cast of "The Lord of the Rings."

E! Online nevertheless thought the hot dog was one of the top five moments from the episode. Cambio agreed, saying that they were as relieved as Ryan was when he found out his hot dog was jumbo sized and not miniature.

To find out "What Would Ryan Lochte Do?" tune in every Sunday at 10:30 p.m. ET on E!

TV Replay scours the vast television landscape to find the most interesting, amusing, and, on a good day, amazing moments, and delivers them right to your browser.

Cabrera Hits 3 HRs.. Tigers STILL Lose

2013-05-20T07:09:51Z

ARLINGTON, Texas -- David Murphy's three-run shot was barely enough against Miguel Cabrera's three home runs.

Murphy put Texas ahead for good with a drive just over the wall in right field in the sixth inning, and the Rangers spoiled the second three-homer game of Cabrera's career with an 11-8 victory on Sunday night.

"Very nice to be on the winning side," Murphy said. "Big game, fun game, national TV. We got to witness the best hitter in the game hit three homers."

Cabrera hit a three-run homer in the third and a solo shot in the fifth off Derek Holland, then went deep again in the eighth against Tanner Scheppers.

Cabrera, the 2012 AL Triple Crown winner and this year's leader in average and RBIs, went 4 for 4 with 5 RBIs and has 11 homers, one off the AL lead.

Still, the Tigers lost three of four to the Rangers, who won a four-game series for the first time after twice losing with a chance to do it.

Murphy's homer gave the Rangers an 8-7 lead and answered a bases-loaded double from Prince Fielder that put Detroit up by two after the Rangers had walked Cabrera intentionally even though first base wasn't open.

The go-ahead shot came against Jose Ortega (0-1), who hadn't allowed a run in six relief appearances covering seven innings.

"He got me down 0-2, and I was basically in battle mode to do whatever I could to prolong the at-bat and get anything done in that situation," Murphy said.

Robbie Ross (2-0) pitched a scoreless seventh inning for the win, and Joe Nathan worked around a leadoff walk in the ninth for his 13th save. He has saved all 36 career chances against Detroit.

The Tigers led 4-1 after Cabrera hit a three-run homer over the Texas bullpen in right-center field in the third and added a solo shot to center off Holland, who had given up just two homers in 57-plus innings this year after setting a club record by allowing 32 homers last year.

The Rangers had wiped out that lead – and another one after Fielder's double – and were ahead 11-7 when Cabrera hit another solo homer to center off Scheppers.

"You don't feel very good when guys hit three home runs and you lose the game," Detroit manager Jim Leyland said. "Miggy never ceases to amaze you. I also take my hat off to Prince Fielder for that situation against a left-handed pitcher. Between the two of them, that was impressive."

The Rangers overcame Detroit's early lead with a four-run fifth highlighted by a pop fly double from Adrian Beltre that scored two and gave Texas a 5-4 lead.

Beltre went 4 for 5 with two doubles – both of them bloopers – and Geovany Soto and Lance Berkman had three hits apiece for the Rangers, who matched their season high with 18 hits.

Soto, who came in hitting .185, went 3 for 5 for the Rangers and had a fourth hit taken away when Andy Dirks caught a long drive to center while crashing into the wall.

Dirks' catch on Soto ended a string of six straight Texas batters reaching in the sixth against Ortega (0-1), who had allowed only five base runners this season.

Soto started both Texas rallies with leadoff hits in the fifth and sixth innings, when the Rangers scored eight of their runs.

The light-hitting catcher had a double to start the fifth and scored on a groundout by Elvis Andrus. Murphy, who also had a sacrifice fly, walked and Berkman drove in Craig Gentry with a single before Beltre's second double, which slipped out of Detroit shortstop Jhonny Peralta's glove just inside the left-field line.

Soto started the sixth with a single, and Andrus walked with one out before Murphy pulled a pitch from Ortega to right to put Texas ahead for good.

"Neither team quit fighting," Washington said. "It was a very good ballgame. It didn't matter what you tried to do. Each team came back, and we got the final blow and were able to sustain."

Notes: Cabrera hit three homers on May 28, 2010, at home against Oakland. ... Rangers 2B Ian Kinsler went on the 15-day disabled list with bruised ribs, and top prospect Jurickson Profar was brought up from Triple-A Round Rock. Leury Garcia made his third straight start in Kinsler's place at second. ... Rangers C A.J. Pierzynski caught five innings in the first game of a rehab assignment at Double-A Frisco on Sunday. He went 0 for 3 with a strikeout and two groundouts. Pierzynski will catch RHP Colby Lewis' rehab start with Frisco on Monday.

Senators Rally Back To Win Double-Overtime Thriller

2013-05-20T03:37:44Z

OTTAWA — Colin Greening scored 7:39 into double overtime, and the Ottawa Senators rallied for a 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins that cut their series deficit to 2-1 on Sunday night.

Daniel Alfredsson got Ottawa even 1-1 by scoring a short-handed goal with 29 seconds left in regulation just after the Senators pulled goalie Craig Anderson for an extra skater.

Anderson made 49 saves, including 18 after regulation. Tomas Vokoun stopped 46 shots for Pittsburgh and took his first loss (4-1) since taking over for No. 1 Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury.

Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series will be in Ottawa on Wednesday.

Tyler Kennedy scored with just over a minute to play in the second period to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead. That goal stood up until Alfredsson tied it in the closing seconds of the third.

Z-Bo Takes Blame For Game 1 Blowout

2013-05-20T00:49:15Z

SAN ANTONIO -- The Memphis Grizzlies have lost the opener in each round of this year's playoffs, but not like this.

Tony Parker had 20 points and nine assists, and the San Antonio Spurs made a franchise postseason-record 14 3-pointers in routing Memphis 105-83 on Sunday in the Western Conference finals.

As disconcerting as the blowout loss was, Zach Randolph's performance was just as troubling. Randolph was held to two points, going 1 for 8 from the field in 28 minutes.

"I've got to be better," Randolph said. "Like I told my teammates, I've got to be better for them."

He had a playoff-best 28 points and 14 rebounds in his last game, as Memphis eliminated defending West champ Oklahoma City in Game 5 on Wednesday night.

Randolph missed his first seven shots Sunday, including an open 2-foot jumper midway through the third quarter after he created space by pushing Tim Duncan under the rim. Randolph shook his head after the missed attempt.

"Obviously, he's their best scorer. He's a beast inside," Parker said. "We know he's not going to play like that every game. It just sometimes it happens."

Duncan primarily defended Randolph, matching the burly forward's physicality, push for push and elbow for elbow.

"They did a great job of storming," Grizzlies guard Tony Allen said. "They forced him into a front position and the bigs were coming from the baseline hard. It just caught him by surprise, but I'm pretty sure he is going to bounce back in the second game and we will."

Randolph's first basket did not come until there was 9:26 left in the game on a tip-in of Mike Conley's missed layup.

"They were disrupting my rhythm," Randolph said. "It was just one of those nights."

He was so shaken by his season-low in points that he apologized after the game.

"He tried to apologize, but we would not accept that," point guard Mike Conley said. "It is not just him, it is all of us. He was telling us that he is going to do better, but we all have to do better defensively."

The NBA's stingiest defense wasn't up to its usual standards, allowing the Spurs to hit 53 percent of their shots and go 14 for 29 on 3-pointers.

"We shot incredibly," San Antonio guard Manu Ginobili said. "Making 14 3s against one of the best defensive teams in the league is not easy to do. It shows that we moved the ball very well. We attacked. We made the big ones.

"Kawhi (Leonard) and Danny (Green) were fantastic and, of course, Matt (Bonner) in the first half. When you are making shots like that, everything opens up and makes the game easier."

Memphis got back into the game with Randolph watching from the bench.

Quincy Pondexter made a baseline cut for a layup off Darrell Arthur's pass, then hit back-to-back 3-pointers during a 10-0 burst. Jerryd Bayless' two-handed, fast-break dunk off a steal got the Grizzlies within 62-56 with 3:43 left in the third quarter.

The comeback was short-lived, though.

Bayless missed a 3-pointer on the next trip, and Ginobili was able to make one at the opposite end to spark an 11-1 response that immediately restored the Spurs' lead to 16 by end of the quarter. Leonard hit a pair of 3-pointers and Gary Neal had one as San Antonio kept pouring it on in the fourth.

Both teams pulled their starters with over 5 minutes left and the Spurs leading by 21.

Green made three 3-pointers and scored 16, and Matt Bonner hit four of his five attempts for 12 points.

"We did a good job of moving the basketball, finding each other, trusting each other," Green said. "Luckily we made some today."

Pondexter led Memphis with 17 points, Marc Gasol scored 15 and Conley had 14 points and eight assists.

"We just didn't play well. It's not anything specific," Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins said. "It's just that we were running too fast, we missed some layups, we were taking bad shots and our defense was really awful. And the Spurs played well."

The Spurs asserted themselves early, scoring on their first seven possessions and also getting a couple head-to-head defensive stops from their veterans while claiming a quick 23-8 lead. Parker swiped the ball from Conley on Memphis' second possession, running out for a layup, and Hollins burned a timeout in the first 2 minutes.

Duncan snuffed out the ensuing play by blocking Randolph's shot, and the Spurs' strong start continued. Bonner hit back-to-back 3-pointers for a 17-point edge late in the first quarter, and San Antonio pushed out to a 43-23 advantage following consecutive baskets by Parker with 6:06 left before halftime.

It was the largest first-half deficit for the Grizzlies during the playoffs.

"Every time we made a mistake defensively, they made us pay every time," said Gasol, who had three baskets in a push that helped Memphis get within 51-37 at halftime. "It was over-help or no help or whatever it was, they made you pay."

The Spurs avoided a repeat of their Game 1 loss when the teams met two years ago in the first round. The Grizzlies went on to knock San Antonio out of the playoffs as the top seed that time.

But Memphis has its own history to fall back on. The Grizzlies recovered from an 0-2 hole in the first round against the Los Angeles Clippers and an 0-1 deficit against Oklahoma City in the West semifinals.

Game 2 is Tuesday night in San Antonio.

"We definitely have to put this one behind us," Randolph said. "We have to play better. We have to play together and as a team. That's what we have to do."

Caryn Brooks: From a High School Gym to Grand Central Station: The Olympic Spirit Is Alive

2013-05-19T23:37:32Z

Because it is World Wrestling Month, Iranian, Russian and American wrestlers battled in an event in Grand Central Station in New York on Wednesday, with the athletes weighing in at the United Nations. At least one movie star was in attendance; Mark Ruffalo sat matside. NBC Sports Network broadcast the matches and streamed them live.

For wrestling it doesn't get more high-profile than that.

Yet, there was another gathering for World Wrestling Month here in the U.S., one that got much less attention, but one that brought the Olympic spirit to a small suburban Chicago high school gym.

It was the 2013 Jacob Curby Cup - a wrestling contest that's been held for the last four years in honor of Jacob Curby, a Greco-Roman wrestler on the Olympic track who died at age 25 in 2010 of epilepsy.

Jacob Curby's father, Dr. David Curby said the first Curby Cup came about almost on a whim. Two high school wrestling coaches wanted a way to honor Jacob's memory. "We wanted to get the top international guy at every weight class," said Dr. Curby. But international politics got in the way of international sport and good intentions. Two World Champions were from Iran, they didn't come and Cuba's athlete backed out too.

The Curby Cup has come a long way since then. This year World Champions and Olympians from four countries, Hungary, Lithuania, Serbia and the U.S. came to compete. Olympic gold medalist, 2-time NCAA champion and the coach of 16 NCAA championship teams, Dan Gable, was also there.

Gable called it "a celebration more than a competition." The celebration was of Jacob Curby's life and everything he stood for -- as a teenager he battled leukemia, even though it was epilepsy that took his life. He then brought that same fight to his wrestling. But Gable said this year the Curby Cup had added meaning. He said the push to keep wrestling in the Olympics beyond 2016 gave it even more sentimentality.

The International Olympic Committee voted to drop wrestling from the games starting in 2020. The reasons vary depending on whom you talk to, but everyone in the wrestling community agrees that for some time wrestling's governing body, FILA, snubbed its nose at the IOC. As Gable puts it, "A few people took advantage of the system and jeopardized a lot of things." He didn't mince words when he called those in charge, "selfish".

There's still a chance for wrestling to get back in. Just as American Idol judges have a save, so does the IOC. It can bring back one sport from banishment. Wrestling is competing against karate, squash, baseball and softball and other sports for the spot. And it's no gimmie. Gable pointed out that the other sports have been working for years to stave off losing the Olympics. Wrestling was taken by surprise and is now playing catch-up. He calls the sport's chances, "good, but not automatic." The final decision comes in September.

However, if it wasn't for the dire state of Olympic wrestling the Curby Cup might not have happened this year. Dr. Curby said he had to take out a loan on his house to pay the bills. "We're in the red big time right now... We're a mom and pop operator and we run an international premiere event," said Dr. Curby. He added that they "may be a little crazy" to continue to do it.

But then came the IOC decision. Dr. Curby channeled his inner wrestler. He said, "The fight emerges and just like any wrestler -- you fight off your back, you just don't quit. In addition to celebrating the memory of Jake we are also celebrating and fighting for wrestling."

The fight for wrestling includes the fight to keep the Olympic spirit alive in the unlikeliest of places, such as the gym where Jacob Curby practiced and competed as a teen at Lyons Township High School in LaGrange, Illinois. That's where a first-year wrestler can shake hands with an Olympian. Where politicians came to announce that Illinois had joined 37 other states in passing a resolution calling on the IOC to bring wrestling back to the Olympics. And where the results of the matches take a back seat to the inspiration instilled and the dreams that are born.

Of course Dr. Curby and Gable aren't the only ones fighting to bring wrestling back where it belongs. With the click of a mouse each day thousands of people are doing their part. The website insidethegames.biz is taking a poll that closes on May 27. Gable says it will make a difference with the IOC.

What should make a difference as well is the Olympic spirit. It can be seen on the big stage with grand gestures such as the detente and cooperation between three nations that don't see eye-to-eye on much else besides wrestling. But it can also be seen on a small-scale in a high school gym where Olympians and Olympic dreamers rub elbows.

Bruins Dominate Rangers In Game 2

2013-05-19T21:57:31Z

BOSTON -- Claude Julien wanted his Bruins to play more aggressively in the third period. The Boston coach got his wish with the help of some shaky defense by the New York Rangers.

A rare rough day for goalie Henrik Lundqvist certainly helped, too.

Brad Marchand and Milan Lucic scored in the final period after Johnny Boychuk broke a tie in the second, Lundqvist gave up more than four goals for the first time in 152 games, and Boston beat New York 5-2 on Sunday to take a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal series.

"Some games you're going to get more goals, some maybe less," Bruins captain Zdeno Chara said, "but the important thing was we were trying to focus on playing hard until the end."

New York's best period was the second when it outshot Boston 16-9. The Rangers then allowed two goals in the third.

"We gave it to them," said Lundqvist, last year's Vezina Trophy winner as the NHL's top goalie. "I thought we played great. I didn't think they had to work really hard to get a couple goals there. We just made it really tough on ourselves."

Games 3 and 4 in the best-of-seven series will be played in New York on Tuesday and Thursday nights.

The Rangers played their best period of the series in the second, but Brad Marchand gave Boston a 4-2 lead just 26 seconds into the third.

Patrice Bergeron carried the puck in deep on the right side and passed across the crease to Marchand, who had gotten behind defenseman Dan Girardi for a tip-in.

"We felt really good going into the third, and to have that type of goal go in – it's just two-on-two – it hurts you," Rangers coach John Tortorella said. "We couldn't generate anything, and then they're just going to fill the middle and they're just going to jam you."

The Bruins went ahead to stay, 3-2, at 12:08 of the second period when Boychuk, who had one goal in the regular season, shot a 40-footer inside the near post for his third playoff goal.

The shot got through several players before it sailed past Lundqvist.

"It was definitely a screen," Boychuk said. "All I had to do was hit the net because there were a couple of guys in front of him."

Boston never trailed as rookie Torey Krug scored the first goal before Rangers captain Ryan Callahan tied it. Gregory Campbell made it 2-1, and New York pulled even again on Rick Nash's goal, his first of the playoffs after he led the Rangers with 21 in the regular season.

Now the Rangers find themselves in a familiar position, down 0-2.

They lost the first two games of their first-round series in Washington, won the next two in New York before losing Game 5 on the road.

But Lundqvist posted consecutive shutouts in Games 6 and 7 against the Capitals when the Rangers faced elimination.

"We've done it before," Lundqvist said, "but I think we are playing a better team now so it's going to be tough to do it."

There's also the matter of his left shoulder that was hit by Daniel Paille's shot in the third period. Lundqvist rubbed it after the game and said, "We'll take a look at it."

Tuukka Rask was solid again for Boston, stopping 35 shots.

"You have to give Tuukka a lot of credit," Julien said. "Turnovers and giveaways in the second period are not something we do too much, and it could have been disastrous."

After the second period, "I told guys to play to win," he said. "I don't like our team when we are back on our heels and protecting a one-goal lead that way."

Marchand gave the Bruins a two-goal advantage when he scored on a play just like the one that gave Boston a 3-2 overtime win on Thursday night.

"It was very similar. I was kind of hanging back there backdoor, and Bergy made an unbelievable pass again," he said. "It's always good to get a couple-goal lead early in the third."

Lucic made it 5-2 at 12:39. He skated into the New York end and gave the puck to David Krejci, who was stopped by Lundqvist, but Lucic converted the rebound.

The last time Lundqvist allowed more than four goals was March 9, 2011, in a 5-2 loss to Anaheim. In the next 151 games, in the regular season and playoffs, he allowed four goals just 13 times.

Tortorella remains confident despite the five goals Lundqvist gave up Sunday

"I don't need to evaluate Henrik," he said. "We know what Henrik is."

It takes more than consecutive losses to rattle Lundqvist.

"I'm confident I'm going to go home and try to play a strong game in the next one," he said.

After a series in which the teams were basically even throughout the first game and the first two periods of the second, the Bruins aren't overconfident.

"We didn't play our best," Marchand said. "They had a lot of opportunities that if they would've converted on, then it would be a completely different story right now. I think especially in the second period, they took it to us, but we were able to bounce back. It's definitely a very even series."

NOTES: Lundqvist has started New York's last 29 games against Boston. ... The Bruins played their second straight game without injured veteran defensemen Andrew Ference, Dennis Seidenberg and Wade Redden. ... A Bruins defenseman got a goal or an assist on each of the team's goals. ... The margin of victory was more than two goals for just the second time in 26 games between the Rangers and Bruins. ... In their nine playoff games, the Rangers have scored just twice on 35 power plays. They are 0-for-7 against the Bruins.