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Sharks Even Series

2013-05-22T05:19:01Z

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Joe Thornton set the tone for the San Jose Sharks with a dominant first period. After that, the Sharks did their best to hang on and tie up their playoff series against the Los Angeles Kings.

Thornton set up Brent Burns' first-period goal and Logan Couture added a power-play goal early in the second to give the Sharks just enough offense to beat the Kings 2-1 Tuesday night to knot their series at two games.

"He's our leader for a reason," Burns said of Thornton. "Everybody keeps saying it. He's one of the hardest workers we have in here. It's awesome to play with him when he's playing like that. It's a lot of fun."

The Sharks outshot the Kings 15-3 in the opening period before falling into a shell the second half of the game, managing just four shots in the final 36:05 after taking a 2-0 lead.

Antti Niemi made 13 of his 22 saves in the third period to help the Sharks match Los Angeles' two home wins to open the series with two of their own.

"In the third it's typical, unfortunately the way it goes, usually teams are a little bit on their heels and the other team is pressuring, and you're just trying to find a way," defenseman Dan Boyle said.

"Obviously that's not the way we want to play, but that's the way it happens. A win's a win. That's what I've been talking about. We're in a good place right now, and it's only going to get harder."

Mike Richards scored a power-play goal and Jonathan Quick made 21 saves for the Kings, who have lost 10 of 11 road games dating to the end of the regular season.

Game 5 is Thursday night in Los Angeles when the Sharks will look to end a streak of four straight wins by the home team in this series.

"We knew going into this series we'd have to win one game at Staples Center if we want to win this series," Couture said. "We've done our job at home. We need to go into L.A. and win a game on Thursday. We're looking forward to it."

After falling behind 2-0, the Kings showed some fight in a dominant third period. They got on the scoreboard on a power play when Burns was sent off for boarding Anze Kopitar.

Los Angeles wore down San Jose's penalty killers in the offensive zone and scored when Richards knocked in a rebound of Jeff Carter's shot.

"I think we battled back and made it close but you don't get much for making it close," Kings coach Darryl Sutter said.

The Kings outshot the Sharks 14-2 in the third period, holding San Jose without a shot for nearly 13 minutes but couldn't get the equalizer against Niemi.

Couture gave the Sharks a 2-0 lead early in the second period, deflecting a point shot by Boyle past Quick while Colin Fraser was in the penalty box for roughing Andrew Desjardins in the offensive zone.

The Kings started to generate the better scoring chances after that, getting denied a goal midway through the period on an early whistle by an official. Los Angeles was unable to generate a shot on goal during two power plays later in the period with Jake Muzzin, shooting high with an empty net to cost the Kings a golden opportunity at a goal.

"For us, it's about how they dominated the first half of the game and then we dominated the second half of the game," defenseman Rob Scuderi said. "But they buried their chances. They play well here and we didn't learn from Game 3, so that's on us for not learning from our own mistakes."

The Sharks opened the game with one of their most dominating periods of the year to the delight of the boisterous crowd chanting "Beat L.A.! Beat L.A.!" from the start.

But San Jose had only one goal to show for that start thanks to solid play from Quick and a shot by Tommy Wingels that rang off the crossbar.

Led by the physically imposing line of Thornton, Burns and TJ Galiardi, the Sharks spent almost the entire first period in the Los Angeles zone.

San Jose jumped on top early when Thornton stole the puck from Slava Voynov on the forecheck and fed Burns, who shot was blocked. Thornton came up with the loose puck and slid a perfect cross-ice pass to Burns, who was not denied on his second chance, beating Quick with a one-timer.

"Burns has been shooting the puck real well so it was just a matter of time until he put one in the net," Thornton said. "After the first shot, the puck just came right back to me. He was open again and I just made the pass."

The Kings had to feel fortunate that was all San Jose managed for the period as they killed off two penalties and withstood constant pressure from the Sharks.

NOTES: F Kyle Clifford returned for Los Angeles after missing four games with an upper-body injury in place of rookie Tanner Pearson. ... Kings D Matt Greene, who played only five regular season games because of back problems, was in the lineup for the first time this postseason in place of Keaton Ellerby. ... F Tim Kennedy returned to the Sharks lineup in place of Marty Havlat, who left Game 3 after the first period with a lower-body injury.

Spurs Blow Lead Late But Duncan Saves The Day

2013-05-22T04:33:45Z

SAN ANTONIO — When Tony Parker started running low on masterful plays, Tim Duncan was there to take over and lead the San Antonio Spurs to a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.

Parker had 15 points and a career playoff-high 18 assists, Duncan scored San Antonio's first six points of overtime and the Spurs bounced back after squandering a 13-point lead in the fourth quarter to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 93-89 on Tuesday night.

"I hate that we gave up that big of a lead in that situation," Duncan said. "But we were resilient enough to go to overtime and not let it affect us."

Duncan opened the extra period with a layup, and then made a tiebreaking putback on Parker's missed jumper. He then made a runner that bounced high of the back iron and rattled in for a 91-87 lead with 1:08 to play.

The Grizzlies had a chance to tie after Jerryd Bayless hit a jumper and Parker missed one of two free throws with 14.6 seconds left, but Bayless' 3-pointer from the left wing was off-target.

Memphis has fallen behind in all three playoff series so far, including rallying from an 0-2 deficit in the first round against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Game 3 is Saturday in Memphis.

"We're in the same boat we were when we left L.A. We're down 0-2. We've got to go home and take care of business at home," coach Lionel Hollins said. "It's not going to be easy, but that's where we are."

Bayless and Mike Conley each had 18 points to lead Memphis.

Duncan had 17 points and nine rebounds, missing most of the second half with foul trouble before coming up with the key baskets in overtime – even if it wasn't by design.

"It was just what was there more than anything," he said.

Memphis stormed back from a 13-point deficit with a 15-2 run over the final 8 minutes of regulation to tie it at 85 on Conley's runner in the lane with 18.2 seconds to play. The Grizzlies got the chance to pull even after Manu Ginobili was called for a flagrant foul for pulling down Tony Allen by his left arm on a fast-break layup try.

Allen hit both free throws and Memphis got possession, setting up Conley's tying basket at the end of a string of seven straight Grizzlies points.

But Memphis, which trailed by as much as 18 in the second half, could never pull ahead.

Up until the final stretch, Parker had been in control for 2 1/2 quarters.

Parker kept San Antonio humming along after Duncan went to the bench with four fouls, the last three picked up within a span of 30 seconds, early in the third quarter. Parker provided the assist on the Spurs' first seven baskets of the second half, and then scored the next two on mid-range jumpers before getting pulled for a rest with a 72-54 lead.

The Grizzlies mounted a 16-6 comeback while Parker was on the bench, getting as close as 78-70 after Zach Randolph scored inside following back-to-back Bayless jumpers.

Parker checked back in and soon had the lead growing again, ducking under Darrell Arthur to hit a floater and then knocking down a 3-pointer from the right wing to make it 83-70 with 8:14 to play. But then Parker finally went cold, missing five straight shots down the stretch as the Grizzlies rallied back.

He had 14 assists in the second and third quarters and went past his career-high for the regular season of 17 during overtime.

"He was unbelievable," Duncan said. "I know he's exhausted. We asked a lot of him. He was controlling the ball every time down the floor and he was making every right play there was.

"He was finding people, and people knocked down shots for him."

After Game 1, Memphis' guards outlined a game plan that involved picking up their defense earlier on Parker to keep him from getting into the lane and putting the Grizzlies into the scramble mode that allowed San Antonio to hit a franchise playoff record 14 3-pointers in the opener.

It wasn't until late that any of their plans started working.

"He's a Hall of Fame guard, people. He's been around, he's done great things in his career," Hollins said. "He just controlled the pace and got in the paint, found open guys. ... We battled him, though, and we wound up being in the game."

But then, Duncan – who missed a potential winning jumper from the left wing at the end of regulation – took over.

The Spurs put all five starters in double figures, getting 14 points from Tiago Splitter, 12 from Kawhi Leonard and 11 from Danny Green.

Randolph had 15 points and 18 rebounds after a two-point performance in Game 1, his lowest-scoring effort all season. Marc Gasol had 12 points and 14 rebounds.

Hollins talked before the game about wanting the Grizzlies – getting increased attention in their first Western Conference finals appearance – to avoid being like a boy in junior high school who suddenly decides he needs to change once he gets noticed by a pretty girl.

"We're who we are and we have to stay who we are, and we have to understand that no matter who's coming and talking to us, we have to be true to our identity," Hollins said, "and we can't go changing and shaving and taking a bath when we haven't taken one all along."

Memphis, with the league's best defense, looked like itself again early on while recovering from a 7-0 hole to turn it into a 15-13 slugfest after the first quarter. But after the Grizzlies went ahead for the first time, San Antonio surged back ahead with seven straight points. Just before halftime, the Spurs asserted control with a 13-0 run and went up 46-31 at the break.

Notes: There was a moment of silence before the game recognizing the deadly tornado that hit Moore, Okla., on Monday. ... The Grizzlies missed five shots on their next-to-last possession of the first half. Tony Allen's baseline drive was snuffed out by a Leonard block and he also missed the putback before Randolph missed two putback tries – one of them blocked by Duncan. Tony Wroten then missed the final follow shot. ... Parker's previous career best in the playoffs was 14 assists against Utah on May 22, 2007. Johnny Moore holds the franchise postseason record with 20 against Denver in 1983.

Sergio Apologizes After 'Fried Chicken' Remark

2013-05-22T04:24:02Z

-- Sergio Garcia apologized for saying he would "serve fried chicken" while making a joke about having Tiger Woods over for dinner.

The British newspaper The Guardian reported Garcia was asked in jest while on stage at the European Tour's awards dinner Tuesday night if he would invite Woods to dinner during the U.S. Open.

The Guardian reported Garcia said: "We will have him round every night. We will serve fried chicken."

The newspaper said Garcia released a statement through the European Tour: "I apologise for any offence that may have been caused by my comment on stage during The European Tour Players' Awards dinner. I answered a question that was clearly made towards me as a joke with a silly remark, but in no way was the comment meant in a racist manner."

Garcia has acknowledged not getting along with Woods and their testy relationship flared up again during The Players Championship at Sawgrass two weeks ago.

Garcia said Woods carelessly created a disturbance in the gallery while Garcia was hitting a shot. The two traded barbs about the incident, as Woods won the tournament and Garcia fell apart in the final few holes.

Garcia's comments Tuesday night were reminiscent of ones Fuzzy Zoeller took heat for after Woods' won the Masters for the first time back in 1997.

The Masters winner is allowed to choose the champions' dinner menu for the following year. Zoeller said: "You pat him on the back and say congratulations and enjoy it and tell him not serve fried chicken next year. Got it? Or collard greens or whatever the hell they serve." Zoeller later apologized.

Tiger-Sergio Rivalry Hits New Low

2013-05-22T04:23:06Z

VIRGINIA WATER, England -- Tiger Woods and Sergio Garcia don't like each other, and they're making no effort to disguise their feelings.

The verbal feuding began May 11 during the third round of The Players Championship. It resumed this week on both sides of the Atlantic when Woods offered a one-word answer if he thought about contacting Garcia to put the matter to rest.

"No," he replied with a tight smile.

Garcia fired back at a sponsor function outside London.

"He called me a whiner. That's probably right," he told reporters. "It's also probably the first thing he's told you guys that's true in 15 years. I know what he is like. You guys are finding out."

Garcia tried to tone down the barbs Tuesday at the BMW Championship when asked about the spat.

"I can't like everybody and there's people that you connect with and there's people that you don't," Garcia said at Wentworth. "He doesn't need me in his life, I don't need him in mine and let's move on and keep doing what we're doing. There's never really been a true connection I would have with maybe Luke (Donald) or Adam Scott or some of the other guys that I get along with well.

"I think we should kind of move on and forget – well, it will be difficult to forget – but kind of move on about what happened."

Then Garcia inadvertently stirred things up again later Tuesday while appearing at the European Tour's awards dinner in England.

The British newspaper The Guardian reported Garcia was asked in jest if he would invite Woods to dinner during the U.S. Open.

The Guardian reported Garcia said: "We will have him round every night. We will serve fried chicken."

The newspaper says Garcia released a statement through the European Tour: "I apologise for any offence that may have been caused by my comment on stage during The European Tour Players' Awards dinner. I answered a question that was clearly made towards me as a joke with a silly remark, but in no way was the comment meant in a racist manner."

Disputes among golfers are nothing new, though it's rare for two high-profile players to go at each other through the media.

The animosity between them goes as far back as 2000, when Garcia beat Woods in the Monday night exhibition "Battle at Bighorn" and celebrated as if he had won something much more important. Two years later in the U.S. Open at Bethpage Black, where Woods won wire-to-wire, Garcia complained that the second round should have been halted because of rain and that "if Tiger Woods would have been out there, it would have been called."

The latest chapter took place on the second fairway at the TPC Sawgrass in the third round, when Garcia had a one-shot lead. He was preparing to play his second shot on the par 5 from the fairway when he was disrupted by cheers from the gallery around Woods deep in the trees. Woods was about 50 yards away and couldn't see the Spaniard. The crowd burst into cheers when Woods took a 5-wood from his bag to play a risky shot through a gap in the trees.

During a storm delay, Garcia suggested in a TV interview that Woods could have kept the crowd from cheering if he had been paying closer attention. Later that evening, Woods said he understood from marshals that Garcia had already hit.

"Not real surprising that he's complaining about something," Woods added, which only fired up the Spaniard.

Garcia said the next day to Sky Sports, "He's not the nicest guy on tour."

Woods wound up winning The Players Championship, improving his record to 6-0 when he plays with Garcia in the final group on the weekend.

Woods was at media day Monday for the AT&T National, where he is the defending champion, when he received the final question about Garcia and gave the one-word answer. Garcia offered a more detailed response when asked in England if he would ever call Woods.

"First of all, I don't have his number," Garcia said. "And secondly, I did nothing wrong and don't have anything to say to him. And he wouldn't pick up the phone, anyway."

Garcia conceded their dislike for each other has been "going on for a long time."

"The problem is, I'm one of the guys that has to say something," Garcia said. "A lot of people think about it, but don't want to say anything. He can and will beat me a lot of times, but is not going to step on me. I'm not afraid of him."

Woods has competed against more than 50 players in match play since 1997, though he has never played Garcia. The Spaniard was asked he would like to face Woods in the Ryder Cup next year at Gleneagles.

"It's great, and it is what it is, and it doesn't mean I cannot play with him," Garcia replied. "It's just another player – obviously, a good player. It's just when I'm playing with someone I enjoy, there's a bit more talking going around, and you're playing with someone that you don't fancy as much, you're just a little bit quiet."

Sergio Makes 'Fried Chicken' Joke About Tiger

2013-05-22T03:54:51Z

The feud between Sergio Garcia and Tiger Woods finally had its first apology on Tuesday evening. Unfortunately, the war of words between the rival golfers had to get particularly ugly before it was made.

While attending the European Tour's Players’ Awards dinner in London on Tuesday evening, Garcia turned to a racial stereotype about African-Americans while apparently attempting to make a joke about his contentious relationship with Woods. As first reported by The Guardian, Garcia made the offensive remark when jokingly asked by the event's emcee, Steve Sands of The Golf Channel, if he would be inviting Woods over for dinner during the upcoming U.S. Open.

"We will have him round every night," García responded, according to The Guardian. "We will serve fried chicken."

According to the Daily Mail, some guests were stunned by the racist quip and an unnamed player described simply as "one leading Tour professional," remarked to a journalist "You didn’t hear that."

Of course, Ewan Murray of The Guardian did hear it. The Garcia-Sands exchange quickly was picked up by various media outlets, including Sands' Golf Channel and ESPN. A short while later, Garcia issued an apology via the European Tour that was obtained by The Associated Press:

“I apologize for any offense that may have been caused by my comment on stage during the European Tour Players’ Awards dinner. I answered a question that was clearly made towards me as a joke with a silly remark, but in no way was the comment meant in a racist manner.”

The on-and-off rivalry heated up during the The Players Championship, where the Spaniard accused Woods of distracting him while they paired during the third round. Both golfers have traded barbs through the media since leaving TPC Sawgrass.

"He called me a whiner. He's probably right," Garcia said on Monday at an event in Wentworth, England, via Sports Illustrated. "But that's also probably the first thing he's told you guys that's true in 15 years. I know what he's like. You guys are finding out."

The racially charged dig at Woods is reminiscent of a remark made by golfer Fuzzy Zoeller in 1997. After Woods won the '97 Masters, Zoeller told reporters to tell Woods not to serve fried chicken at the Champion's Dinner the following year.

(video via For The Win)

Who Won 'DWTS'?

2013-05-22T02:57:50Z

Kellie Pickler has been crowned the "DWTS" winner.

The country singer was named the Season 16 "DWTS" champion after weeks of competition, beating out Disney star Zendaya, Super Bowl champ Jacoby Jones and Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman.

"This is amazing," Kellie said, before Jacoby put the "DWTS" winner on his shoulders as she held the Mirror Ball trophy with her partner Derek Hough.

Shortly after the results were announced, Kellie, who initially didn't hear co-host Tom Bergeron name her the "DWTS" winner, spoke with ABC News. "This has been an unbelievable night. I'm kind of lost for words," the "American Idol" alumna said.

"I'm very proud," a very poised Zendaya, who was the runner-up, told "DWTS" co-host Brooke Burke Charvet. "I get to leave here with an amazing experience so I'm happy."

After he found out he wasn't the "DWTS" winner shortly before the show ended, Jacoby joked that he'll be "gracefully" catching the football on the field now, thanks to months of training with his partner Karina Smirnoff.

About 20 minutes into the "DWTS" finale, Aly was the first finalist to be eliminated. "This has been the best experience of my life," she said upon learning she was not the "DWTS" winner. Aly's partner Mark Ballas called the gold medal-winning gymnast "the best student [he's] ever had." Despite her fourth place position, Aly did join the female pros, Zendaya and Kellie for a reprise of their routine set to Beyonce's "Run the World (Girls)."

To determine who would be named the Season 16 "DWTS" winner, the remaining three finalists -- Jacoby, Kellie and Zendaya -- had to perform a routine they learned less than an hour prior to hitting the dance floor (a.k.a. an "instant dance").

Jacoby and Karina danced the salsa, earning praise and three perfect 10s from the judges. "You're like the Big Easy," head judge Len Goodman told him. "You always deliver ... For me, you're a breath of fresh air." Judge Carrie Ann Inaba added that Jacoby's samba was "the dance of a champion."

Kellie and Derek performed an energetic jive that also had the judges raving. "What a perfect ending to a wonderful journey," Carrie Ann said. "You're the bee's knees," Len added, before all three judges awarded Kellie and Derek with 10s as well.

Last up for the instant dance was Zendaya and her partner Val Chmerkovskiy with the jive, the final dance of Season 16. "You dance with such maturity. It's incredible," Len told her. Judge Bruno Tonioli called Zendaya "pitch perfect" and "unique" and unsurprisingly, she also received 30 points for her instant dance.

The audience's pick for the encore dance went to Kellie and Derek, who wowed the judges on Monday night's finale with their contemporary routine, even moving Carrie Ann to tears.

But before the "DWTS" winner was crowned, contestants from Season 16 returned to hit the "DWTS" dance floor and stage yet again. Many of the season's cast members participated in the opening number, set to one of many Pitbull songs of the evening. Later, Lisa Vanderpump danced alongside her partner Gleb Savchenko and Len Goodman, Andy Dick revived his Alice In Wonderland-inspired jazz number with his pro partner Sharna Burgess, and Season 16 contestant Wynonna Judd sang Foreigner's "I Want to Know What Love Is" while pros Peta Murgatroyd (Sean Lowe's partner) and Tony Dovolani (Wynonna's partner) danced. "That's what I do," the songstress said at the end of her performance.

Dorothy Hamill, who bowed out of the competition after an injury made it too dangerous for her to perform, also returned, ready to pick up where she left off. Unfortunately, her partner Tristan MacManus was injured and unable to perform in the finale so pro Henry Biyalikov stepped in to partner Dorothy. Mid-performance, the audience was pleasantly surprised to see "DWTS" Season 6 winner and fellow Olympic champion ice skater Kristi Yamaguchi join her for a side-by-side routine. "It's such an honor to join my idol out here on the dance floor of all things," the former "DWTS" winner said.

The "DWTS" finale also saw Psy stop by to perform his new hit "Gentleman" and Pitbull also took the stage to sing "Sube Las Manos Pa' Arriba." Shortly before the "DWTS" winner was announced, "American Idol" alum Jessica Sanchez performed her own take on Pitbull and Christina Aguilera's hit "Feel This Moment," while highlights from the season played behind her.

Do you think Kellie Pickler should have been the "DWTS" winner? Who did you vote for? Sound off in the comments.

Bruins But Rangers On Brink

2013-05-22T02:32:12Z

NEW YORK — It took 40 years for Original Six rivals Boston and New York to face off again in the playoffs.

Beantown's Bruins seem intent on wrapping up the long-awaited get-together in a hurry.

Daniel Paille scored the tiebreaking goal with 3:31 left in the third period – after defenseman Johnny Boychuk got the Bruins even earlier in the frame – and Boston put the Rangers on the brink of elimination with a 2-1 victory in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series on Tuesday night.

Boston leads the series 3-0 and can advance to the conference finals as early as Thursday at Madison Square Garden. Only three NHL teams have rallied from an 0-3 hole to advance.

However, the Philadelphia Flyers did it to the Bruins in 2010 in this round.

"We can talk about it all we want, but that's in the past," Bruins coach Claude Julien said. "We had to live with that and we still have to live with that."

Boston also nearly blew a 3-1 series edge in the opening round this year against Toronto, before rallying from a three-goal deficit in the third period and capturing Game 7 in overtime.

"The Toronto series, I didn't think our team was in the zone the way it is right now," Julien said. "I anticipate – knowing my team – that we're going to come out the same next game and certainly not be the Jekyll and Hyde team that we were in the first round."

The Bruins trailed 1-0 heading into the third, but Boychuk tied it with his fourth of the playoffs after he netted just one in 44 regular-season games. The Rangers hadn't lost in regulation when leading after two periods since Feb. 4, 2010.

Boston thought it had grabbed the lead seconds before Paille scored when a shot deflected off the mask of Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist, popped up in the air and landed on the goal line. Lundqvist couldn't find it before Paille swooped in from behind the net and poked in the puck.

"I thought we played a pretty strong game," Lundqvist said, "but we came up short again and it definitely hurts."

Taylor Pyatt had made it 1-0 in the second period for the Rangers, who were outscored 8-4 in two losses at Boston to begin the series. New York had won nine straight at home, including three in the playoffs against Washington in the first round.

Lundqvist was sharp until the third period and finished with 32 saves. He bounced back well after an uncharacteristic performance in which he allowed five goals in the Game 2 loss.

"You have to be pretty happy with the situation right now," said Tuukka Rask, who made 23 saves for Boston. "We were really happy with our effort, I think this was our best defensive effort in a long, long time. So we just have to stay calm, keep playing our style of hockey and good things will happen."

New York's task is now most difficult. The Rangers were already trying to become the first NHL team to ever rebound from 0-2 holes to win consecutive series.

"You can't look at it as you have to win four games," Lundqvist said. "You just have to focus on the next one. The season is on the line, so you have to leave everything out there.

"We definitely have to give everything right now, mentally and physically, and put it out there on Thursday."

The Rangers again couldn't get their power play untracked, failing in both of their chances and dropping to 0-for-10 in the series. New York has only two power-play goals in 38 opportunities during these playoffs.

Boychuk was credited with the tying goal after the puck appeared to deflect into the net off Rangers defenseman John Moore.

The game turned rougher moments later when New York forward Chris Kreider was struck under his visor by the stick of Boston's Tyler Seguin, who was following through on a shot just inside the blue line. Seguin was then clipped in the exchange by the stick of Rangers defenseman Steve Eminger.

Shortly after, Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron had a cut over his eye that left his white jersey bloodstained. No penalties were called on any of the plays.

New York took just its second lead of the series 3:53 into the second period when Pyatt deflected in a shot by defenseman Ryan McDonagh that was fired from the blue line.

Lundqvist shined in the second, making a pad stop on Seguin 6 1-2 minutes in, stretching across to knock away a drive by rookie defenseman Torey Krug – who scored in each of the first two games of the series – and then bringing the crowd to its feet with a lunging glove snare of Gregory Campbell's slap shot from the left circle with 8:24 remaining.

That got the Bruins even in shots (15-15) before they outshot New York 8-1 the rest of the second.

The Rangers got off to a sluggish start after losing the opening faceoff, and didn't mount any kind of early surge fueled by the excited home crowd. New York didn't carry the puck into the Boston end until 1:35 had elapsed.

"You have to be proud of your team," Julien said. "The Rangers hadn't lost here in a long time and they were extremely confident. You saw them come out with that confidence. I thought they were a much better team than they had been in Boston.

"We had to face that and we had to be better."

The Rangers picked up their play and built a 6-1 edge in shots, including scoring opportunities on Rask. New York earned the first power play of the night, however it was as ineffective as it has been throughout the postseason.

The tide turned back to the Bruins' favor just before the midway point in the period, starting with a partial breakaway after New York turned over the puck at the Boston blue line. Chris Kelly raced ahead with the puck and was stopped in tight by Lundqvist when he tried a backhanded shot.

Shawn Thornton was also denied when he came in alone on Lundqvist with 8:46 left in the period, and Jaromir Jagr couldn't score, either, when he got a pair of whacks at the puck that the New York goalie turned aside.

The Bruins' surge gave them an 8-7 edge in shots, but Boston finished the period trailing 11-9.

"We were down but we weren't playing that poorly," Bruins captain Zdeno Chara said of the team's third-period mindset. "We needed to stay aggressive, try to tie the game. We just wanted to get pucks to the net. We did that and we were rewarded."

NOTES: The Rangers didn't yield a power-play chance for the second straight home game. ... New York D Anton Stralman was injured in the second period and didn't return. ... Since Boston trailed 4-1 in Game 7 against Toronto, Rask has allowed five goals in four-plus games.

Cavs Win Lottery Again

2013-05-22T01:42:58Z

NEW YORK — What's not to like? Being in the lottery every year.

Nick Gilbert expects the Cleveland Cavaliers are through with it, and if so he sent them out a winner again.

The Cavaliers and their owner's son beat the odds for the second time in three years, winning the lottery Tuesday night to give them the No. 1 pick for the June 27 NBA draft.

Two years after charming viewers by responding to a question about being on stage by saying: "What's not to like?" the bowtie-wearing son of Dan Gilbert wore a stern look before this one. He said he expected he was done coming here and that he believed the Cavs would be in the playoffs next season.

Then they got a great jump on that goal, earning the first pick even though they had only the third-best odds to do so.

And 16-year-old Nick Gilbert delivered it, just as he did in 2011, when the Cavs used the pick to take eventual Rookie of the Year Kyrie Irving.

"Kyrie is a hell of a player ... but this also felt almost as good," Nick Gilbert said. "That was the first time. This is the second time, but man does it feel good to get the first pick this last time. Get that last player to give us a push."

The Orlando Magic fell back one spot to No. 2, while the Washington Wizards vaulted from the No. 8 spot to third.

Ten years after winning the lottery that landed them LeBron James, the Cavaliers picked up another opportunity to help speed up the rebuilding process since his departure to Miami in 2010.

James' exit shook a franchise that had become a perennial contender with the Ohio native, but the Cavs aren't thinking about that now.

"It's so long ago already. I knew it is only three years but in NBA years it's like dog years. It seems like it is 15 or 20 years," Dan Gilbert said. "We've been just so focused on building the team the last few years, I can't look back. There is nothing you can do. I am just happy about today."

The potential No. 1 pick this year, Kentucky freshman Nerlens Noel, is no James. But he could be a nice addition for the Cavs once he's recovered from a torn ACL – if they keep the pick. They also have Nos. 19, 31 and 33 for new coach Mike Brown, who they rehired after firing Byron Scott following a 24-58 season.

"We were hoping regardless of what pick we got that this would be our last lottery," Dan Gilbert said. "We thought originally after everything had to be reset that it would be a three-year process. You never know. It could be four. We thought three years, but having No. 1 and 19, we've got a pretty good chance of this being the last one for a while."

Dan Gilbert and the rest of the Cavs entourage – all wearing wine-colored bowties as well – celebrated their latest victory, which came with 15.6 percent odds after they finished with the NBA's third-worst record at 24-58.

When they won the lottery in 2011, the Cavs had the eighth best odds.

"For everyone in Cleveland who has supported us through these three years, I think this is for them," Dan Gilbert said. "Is that right, Nick?"

"It feels good," said Nick, who was born with Neurofibromatosis (NF), a nerve disorder that causes tumors to grow anywhere in the body at any time.

Not even having four-time winner Pat Williams on stage and 25 percent odds could get the No. 1 pick for the Magic. The team with the best odds hasn't won since 2004, when Orlando won for the third time with Williams representing them and drafted Dwight Howard. The franchise hadn't been back since 2006.

"We had such a nice run up here, over the years. Yeah, we came to win, so when they turned Cleveland over it was like "How did that happen? Absolutely! How did that happen?" Williams said.

"We had a better shot, a better percentage. ... I think the Lord was looking out for that little guy from Cleveland."

Even heading back to their Hornets name couldn't change the luck of the Bobcats, who were lottery losers for the second straight year. Hours after owner Michael Jordan announced they were planning to get back the original nickname of the Charlotte franchise, the Bobcats fell from No. 2 to the fourth spot.

Last year, Charlotte had the best odds of winning after the worst season in NBA history but fell back one spot to second.

The lottery sets the top three teams, and the remainder of the 14 teams finish in inverse order of their record.

Phoenix will pick fifth, followed by New Orleans, Sacramento, Detroit, Minnesota, Portland, Philadelphia, Oklahoma City, Dallas, and Utah.

The Thunder got the Raptors' pick as payment of a previous trade because it didn't move into the top three. Bryan Colangelo represented the team on stage on the day the Raptors announced he would stay on as team president but they would hire a general manager.

Guards Ben McLemore of Kansas and Trey Burke of Michigan, the college player of the year, and Georgetown forward Otto Porter Jr. are considered other top available players.

With uncertainty at the top, this is another year when the No. 1 pick could've been a high school player if eligible. Kansas-bound prep star Andrew Wiggins may have been the choice, but the age limit requiring players to be 19 years old and a year out of high school will remain unchanged at least until the players' association has a new executive director to replace the ousted Billy Hunter.

The union would like the limit to be lowered or scrapped entirely, while the NBA has expressed interest in raising it to 20. It's on a list of "B-list" items from the 2011 collective bargaining negotiations that the sides still plan to discuss.

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Follow Brian Mahoney on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Briancmahoney

And The No. 1 Pick Goes To...

2013-05-22T00:59:23Z

For the second time in three years, the Cleveland Cavaliers landed the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft.

By virtue of posting the worst regular-season record in the NBA this past season, the Orlando Magic had the best chance (25%) of landing the No. 1 overall selection in the 2013 NBA Draft. Above the Magic in the NBA standings but directly behind them when it came to draft lottery odds were the Bobcats (19.9%), Cavaliers (15.6%), Suns (11.9%) and Pelicans (8.8%).

CLICK HERE for complete pre-lottery odds

Although they didn't come away with the top selection, the Washington Wizards defied the odds. Beginning the night with the eighth-best chance of winning the draft lottery, the Wiz landed the No. 3 overall pick.

Without further ado, here are the results of the 2013 NBA Draft Lottery:

14. Utah Jazz
13. Dallas Mavericks
12. Oklahoma City Thunder - (Via Toronto Raptors)
11. Philadelphia 76ers
10. Portland Trail Blazers
9. Minnesota Timberwolves
8. Detroit Pistons
7. Sacramento Kings
6. New Orleans Pelicans
5. Phoenix Suns
4. Charlotte Bobcats
3. Washington Wizards
2. Orlando Magic
1. Cleveland Cavaliers

Murray Out Of French Open

2013-05-21T23:24:20Z

LONDON -- Andy Murray withdrew from the French Open on Tuesday because of a chronic back injury and will now focus on preparing for the start of the grass-court season next month.

The U.S. Open champion met with specialists this week after being forced to pull out of his second-match against Marcel Granollers of Spain at the Italian Open last Wednesday because of the long-standing complaint.

"It's a really tough decision and I love playing in Paris, but after seeking medical advice I am not fit to compete," Murray said in a statement. "Apologies to the organizers and thanks to everyone for the messages of support. Now my complete focus is on getting back on the court as soon as possible."

The French Open, the second Grand Slam tournament of the year, starts Sunday.

Last week in Rome, Murray took a long injury break early in the second set against Granollers, getting his left thigh and lower back massaged.

He seemed pessimistic about his chances of playing in the French Open, the only major in which he hasn't reached the final.

"I have an issue with my lower back. It's been an issue for a while," Murray said then. "I want to make sure it goes away. It's been a problem since the end of 2011 but it got bad during last year's clay season.

"I would be very surprised if I was playing in Paris."

Murray reached the quarterfinals at the French Open last year, falling to David Ferrer, before going on to lose his first Wimbledon final to Roger Federer. He avenged that defeat against the Swiss star to win Olympic gold, and downed Novak Djovokic at the U.S. Open for his first Grand Slam title later in 2012.

Wimbledon runs from June 24 to July 7 this year.

Indians Closer Deletes Twitter Account Over Backlash

2013-05-21T23:18:03Z

CLEVELAND -- Indians closer Chris Perez deactivated his Twitter account following two rough outings, and after receiving a slew of negative comments.

Perez took down (at)chrisperez54 on Monday, not long after the two-time All-Star gave up a ninth-inning home run to Seattle's Endy Chavez. It was the second straight poor performance by Perez, who allowed back-to-back homers in the ninth on Saturday. The Indians won both games.

Several fans sent Perez harsh comments and there were a few profane remarks made toward him following Monday's win, which completed a four-game sweep by the first-place Indians, who entered Tuesday's game against Detroit leading the AL Central by 2 1-2 games over the Tigers.

Although he was one of the AL's top closers last season, Perez became a target for some fans when he criticized them for not supporting the Indians. Perez has always been active on Twitter, posting a daily favorite song and interacting with his followers.

In a statement released through the team, Perez didn't specify his reason for deactivating his account.

"The decision to deactivate my Twitter account was a personal choice I made in order to maintain the greater focus on the success of the team this season and our shared goals moving forward," he said. "We have an extremely positive and supportive group of players, coaches and staff members in our clubhouse and I want to participate in activities and routines that contribute positively to the culture we're building here.

"Out of respect for my teammates, I want to minimize any potential off-the-field distractions so this is the only time I will comment on this topic. Thank you for your understanding."

Perez was not in Cleveland's clubhouse before pregame batting practice and he did not speak with reporters after leaving the field.

Indians manager Terry Francona was aware of Perez's decision to abandon the social media site.

"I don't know if it's a good idea or a bad idea," he said. "I understand his reasoning was to focus more on what we're doing. I thought his thought process was really good. I don't think I've looked at a Twitter in my life. I don't even know if I know how. But I like his reasoning. I'm cool with it."

Francona wasn't with the Indians last season, but he knows Perez was a polarizing figure. Francona contacted Perez shortly after he was hired by the Indians and said the hard-throwing 27-year-old has been great to deal with and focused this season.

"Terrific and more," Francona said. "His level of communication with me has been fantastic."

Perez, who recorded 39 saves in 2012, is 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA and six saves this year.

MLB Pitcher Denounces Former Homophobic Stance

2013-05-21T23:16:52Z

SAN FRANCISCO -- When Jeremy Affeldt came to the Bay Area as an opposing player, he refused to leave his hotel room aside from going to and from the ballpark. He was admittedly homophobic.

When he joined the San Francisco Giants five years ago, Affeldt became determined to get rid of his negative feelings toward the gay population. The transformation took time and a change of heart, given what he calls his "sheltered" upbringing in the Eastern Washington city of Spokane. Now, Affeldt is more than comfortable saying he was wrong to judge a community based solely on sexual orientation.

The ex-military brat said Monday he was so uncomfortable in San Francisco that he would seclude himself.

"I didn't leave my hotel room when we came to play the Giants or A's. I didn't want to go out or see anyone," he said. "There was a profession of being wrong. I've come to that from a deep angle. I'll probably get a lot of flak from the church for it, but I believe I'm right."

Affeldt reveals these experiences in his recently released book, "To Stir a Movement:" Life, Justice, and Major League Baseball." In the book, he also acknowledges how he returned $500,000 to the Giants after a typo in the contract gave him an accidental bonus before the 2010 season.

"Integrity-wise, it wasn't a hard decision for me," Affeldt said.

Affeldt is thrilled to have re-signed with the Giants over the offseason for three more years.

"There's a chapter in there of me coming to San Francisco and being hesitant because I had homophobia, and now I don't," he said. "I see more San Francisco as a city of love and a city of passion and compassion. It's unbelievable this city. To see that and to have my heart change as a city I didn't ever want to come to, to a city that I'm so thankful I'm going to be part of for a long time, it talks about that. For me, it was an awesome deal."

And getting a nice payday now has nothing to do with the money he gave back years ago.

He insists he would make the same choice again to return the $500,000 – an easy one.

"For me, it was," he said. "(My publicist, Kathy Jacobson) sent me an article from the U.K. and the title was, `The Most Honest Athlete in America.' If that's true, we have a really bad reputation as athletes. Because I wouldn't say I'm the most honest athlete in America. I'm not saying I'm dishonest. I understand $500,000 isn't $500 or $5, $500,000 is a lot of money.

"It was never mine in the first place. I didn't take it and give it back. I just said no to the thing that legally was binding and said, `No, I can't have it.' It's dirty money. Legally I might be able to have it, but it's not what we negotiated. The reality is there might be a job at stake, someone might have lost their job over that."

He begins his book and life story in Thailand, where, in a split second, Affeldt – about 10 at the time – had his arm grabbed by a man and pulled toward a building as he fought to get away only to have his dad catch up and help him get away.

Affeldt has become a strong supporter of efforts to stop sex trafficking, and believes that's where he could have been headed that day. His father was stationed in Guam at the time, so they traveled regularly in Asia.

From his younger years, Affeldt shares his experiences growing up as a cocky, angry high school athlete to eventually finding his Christian spiritual life that guides him in all he does today as a professional athlete, husband and father of three young boys.

Affeldt, who turns 34 next month, also now has gay friends and colleagues.

He began to change his thinking during one season spent in Cincinnati during 2008. A gay Starbucks employee befriended Affeldt's oldest son, Walker, learned the boy's name and kept Walker smiling and giggling.

"I'm going to look at a group of people who maybe don't share the same views as I do morally but the reality is there is no difference, none," he said. "They're human beings, and I'm going to love on them just as God told me to love all human beings. I'm not going to sit there and worry about all that other garbage. It's a matter of love your neighbor as yourself."

Affeldt is already working on a second book, called "No Man," which he describes as "no man shall live for himself."

"There's a reason why I live under that, and that's my whole mission," he said. "Think of other people before you think of yourself. The second book is basically my legacy book. If I were to die and my kids wanted to know what I stood for, I want them reading that book. This book is basically a precursor to that, because it is all about growing up and seeing how my life was fashioned in my spirituality, my views of God and how I believe."

Orlando Looking To Rekindle NBA Draft Lottery Magic

2013-05-21T22:26:58Z

NEW YORK (AP) — Pat Williams is pretty good at being lucky, and he's got a hunch.

"I got a funny feeling that this could be another Magic year, here. For some reason, I've just got the feel," Williams said.

Orlando sure could use it.

Following a difficult first season after trading Dwight Howard, the Magic are hoping Williams can bring them more lottery luck.

Armed with the best odds and their three-time winner back on stage, the Magic will try to jump-start the rebuilding process Tuesday night by landing the rights to the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft.

Williams has won four times, including victories in 1992, '93 and 2004 with the Magic. They used the most recent one to draft Howard, and no team since has entered with the best odds and won the lottery.

The Magic were back in the lottery the next two years but were busy playing in the postseason every spring since until this one, when they finished an NBA-worst 20-62 after sending Howard to the Los Angeles Lakers last August in a four-team deal.

That gives them a 25 percent chance at winning the rights to choose first in a draft that appears uncertain. Kentucky freshman Nerlens Noel is considered the top choice, though he could miss the first two months of the season while recovering from a torn ACL.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW

Williams, the longtime team executive, thinks a victory would give the Magic and their fans a boost.

"And obviously, to be in that first slot, it gives you lots of flexibility," he said. "Even in a year like this when there a lot of uncertainties with the draft — there doesn't appear to be a franchise turner, but there are lots of good players in this draft who will have NBA careers. But if we could pull off a win here, it would give our city just a big lift and after a tough year that would be more than welcome."

Williams, in good spirits and saying he feels well 2 1/2 years after being diagnosed with blood cancer, jokes about his lottery history. The Magic celebrate it, with pingpong balls in their trophy case.

He's been so good that the NBA was forced to change the lottery process after Orlando's second victory. The Magic won the 1992 lottery and picked Shaquille O'Neal, then barely missed the playoffs in his rookie season. Yet they won again with just one pingpong ball out of 66, swapping the rights to Chris Webber for Penny Hardaway, and starting with the 1994 lottery the NBA tweaked the system to give the worst team an even better chance to win and making it nearly impossible for the lottery team with the best record to pull the upset.

"The Orlando rules," Williams said.

The biggest loser now has 250 chances out of 1,000 but keeps coming up empty. The Charlotte Bobcats had the worst winning percentage in NBA history last season but slipped to No. 2, missing their chance to pick college player of the year Anthony Davis.

Davis will be at the Times Square Studios on Tuesday to represent New Orleans in the Pelicans' introduction for much of the national audience. The former Hornets' name change became official at the end of the regular season.

The Pelicans have the fifth-best odds at 8.8 percent. Charlotte is second at 19.9 percent, followed by Cleveland (15.6) and Phoenix (11.9).

The lottery has supplanted the playoffs as Cleveland's offseason destination. The Cavaliers are in the lottery for the third straight year, a run that began when LeBron James packed his bags and headed for Miami

Cavs owner Dan Gilbert, who also has a string of casinos throughout Ohio, will be hoping for a little luck when the pingpong balls drop. The Cavs won the lottery in 2011 and used the No. 1 overall pick on point guard Kyrie Irving, who was named an All-Star this past season.

Last year, the Cavs picked fourth and chose Dion Waiters, who had a solid rookie season.

Cleveland has four of the top 33 picks — Nos. 19, 31 and 33 — in this year's draft and intend to add some talent and depth for coach Mike Brown, who Gilbert has brought back after firing him three years ago.

The draft is June 27 at Barclays Center, home of the Brooklyn Nets.

Williams and the Magic have been gone so long that he isn't even sure the setup in the new location, after it was held for years in Secaucus, N.J., at an old NBA Entertainment studio.

"We'll have to see if we still have our Magic touch in the next decade," he said. "But we're ready, we come loaded for bear. We worked hard and earned our 25 percent chance through 82 games, and that puts us in the pole position here."

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AP Sports Writer Tom Withers in Cleveland contributed to this report.

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Follow Brian Mahoney on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Briancmahoney

LOOK: Villagers Discover Ancient Ball Game Statue In Mexico

2013-05-21T21:31:55Z

Villagers installing a water pipe in southwestern Mexico stumbled onto an ancient granite statue depicting a player from a pre-Hispanic ball game, the national anthropology institute said Monday.

The stone had been sliced at the neck, like a decapitation, and buried in a ritual that was common at the time, the National Anthropology and History Institute said in a statement.

There are indications that the 1.65-meter (5-foot-4) tall statue, which depicts a bow-legged ballplayer with his arms crossed, was built onto an I-shaped ball game field before it was buried and could be more than 1,000 years old.

Mesoamericans would paint objects in red and "kill" them by breaking them as offerings for rituals at the end of calendar cycles.

The monument was discovered in the pre-Hispanic site of Piedra Labrada, which includes five ancient ball fields in which teams battled to put a rubber ball through a circular stone by bouncing it on their hips.

The statue may have been carved by the Mixtec indigenous group around the year 600.

Archeologist began to dig in the Piedra Labrada site more than a year ago and have since found 50 medium-sized buildings of up to five meters in height as well as around 20 sculptures ranging from snake heads to snails and humans with animal features.

The ball game fields along with temples and public squares show that Piedra Labrada was a "city with an important ritualistic role," the institute said.

Clippers Cut Ties With Del Negro

2013-05-21T21:09:07Z

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Vinny Del Negro is out as coach of the Los Angeles Clippers after a season in which the team won its first division title but lost in the first round of the playoffs.

The team said Tuesday he won't be offered a contract when his current one expires at the end of June. He is just the second coach to leave the team with a winning record, following Larry Brown in 1993.

"This was a difficult decision, but we feel this is the best decision for our franchise moving forward," said Gary Sacks, vice president of basketball operations.

Del Negro had a 128-102 regular-season record in three years with the team. The Clippers made the playoffs the last two seasons, including last year when they advanced to the second round for only the second time since the franchise moved to Los Angeles in 1984.

This season, the team won a franchise-record 56 games, including a 17-game winning streak. And with All-Stars Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, the Clippers were one of the NBA's most exciting attractions, with acrobatic dunks and dazzling playmaking. But the postseason was quick and disappointing — an exit in six games to Memphis despite a 2-0 lead.

"We would like to thank Vinny for everything he did during his three years with the organization," Sacks said. "Vinny helped this team win a Pacific Division title and we greatly appreciate all that he and his staff helped us accomplish."

The search for a new coach will begin immediately.

Del Negro had the highest winning percentage (.557) for a coach in the club's beleaguered history. He is the only coach to have consecutive winning seasons since the Buffalo Braves moved to California and became the Clippers in 1978. The Clippers had just six winning seasons in their first 41 years. Now they've put together consecutive winning records and playoff appearances for the first time in 20 years.

"We've set every franchise record," Del Negro said two weeks ago. "So I'm proud of a lot of things we did."

Much of the credit for the dramatic turnaround went to Paul and Griffin. Del Negro was criticized at times this season for his rotations, and there was speculation about whether he would return.

Paul and Griffin have been supportive of their coach, and two weeks ago Sacks acknowledged that the players' opinions would be part of the decision on Del Negro.

"I think Vinny did a great job of managing the egos and taking this team to a new level," veteran Matt Barnes said after his exit interview at the end of the season.

Del Negro had said he enjoyed working with Paul and Griffin.

"They're the nucleus of the team, obviously, that you want to keep intact and move forward with," he said.

Sacks made it clear that the team's top priority is to re-sign Paul, who becomes an unrestricted free agent July 1. He could receive a five-year, $108 million deal.

Del Negro came to the Clippers from the Chicago Bulls, where the 46-year-old coach went 82-82 in two seasons including back-to-back playoff appearances before being fired.

Before that, Del Negro had front-office roles with Phoenix from 2006-08. He previously worked as a broadcaster for the Suns and San Antonio. He played in the NBA for 12 years.