Boston claims game 7 to advance in 2nd round

BOSTON (AP) -After a record-setting seven overtimes in the first six games, the defending NBA champion Boston Celtics made an early night of it with a dominating stretch in the second.

That's second quarter, not second OT. Ray Allen followed his 51-point Game 6 performance with 23 on Saturday night, Paul Pierce added 20 and Boston pulled away from Chicago just before the half to finish the Bulls off 109-99 - a rare regulation victory in what might have been be the best first-round playoff series in league history.

''I don't see great. I just see hard,'' said Celtics coach Doc Rivers, whose team will play the Orlando Magic in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Monday. ''For a coach, it's just: Win the series.''

Ben Gordon scored 33 and Kirk Hinrich scored 14 of his 16 in the fourth quarter to help Chicago cut it to three points - thanks in part to a bizarre scoring change that added a point to the Bulls' score two hours after a first-half 3-pointer was mistakenly ruled a 2.

Boston made all 11 of its free throws in the last 2 minutes to hold on, and the seventh-seeded Bulls return to Chicago knowing they took the defending champs to the limit - and quite often beyond. The four overtime games was a record for a series, and the seven overtimes total were the most any team has ever played in an entire playoff - and it's just the first round.

''It was a long, grueling series. I thought this was one of the most mentally tough series I've ever been in,'' Pierce said. ''Thank goodness we were battle-tested and we were able to pull this out in seven games. ... We still are the champs until somebody knocks us off.''

Kendrick Perkins had 13 rebounds, Rajon Rondo had 11 assists and Eddie House scored 16 points - going 5-for-5 from the floor, including four 3-pointers. Joakim Noah had 15 rebounds for Chicago.

Celtics forward Glen ''Big Baby'' Davis, who scored 15 as the sub for injured star Kevin Garnett , said he was glad to finish this one off in the regulation 48 minutes.

''Oh, my God. Overtime after overtime after overtime,'' Davis said. ''We did what we had to do to get the job done.''

After three consecutive overtime games, the series went from Odyssey to oddity when an unusual scoring correction helped the Bulls cut the deficit to three points in the fourth quarter.

With 5:44 left in the game, the public address announcer said that because of a ''technical error'' Gordon was credited with a 2-pointer instead of a 3-pointer, apparently on his basket with 8:32 left in the first quarter. Officials can use video replay to check whether a shot is from beyond the arc or not, but it is supposed to come at the first break after the basket - not three quarters later.

Gordon's shot had been reviewed at the break that came with 3:37 left in the first, the scoresheet said.

The change made the Celtics' lead 89-84, then Gordon hit a pair of free throws. Perkins followed with a layup and then traded free throws with Gordon before Eddie House hit a 3-pointer to make it 96-88 with 2:30 left.

The Celtics made 11 straight free throws from there - one of them on a three-point play by Allen that made it 105-97 with 37 seconds left.

Bulls point guard Derrick Rose scored 18 with three assists, failing to follow up on his Game 1 playoff debut in which he scored 36 points with 11 rebounds. The NBA rookie of the year averaged just 12.7 points and 4.2 assists in the four Chicago losses.

''We had a lot of young guys who went through it for the first time. I think that will help us in the future,'' said Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro , himself a rookie. ''Whenever you can go through an experience like this, I think it's only going to make you better. Knowing how the level of physicality goes up, knowing how playoff basketball is played. ... It's a great learning experience for us.''

Chicago led by as many as nine points, 32-23, after Gordon scored the first five points of the second quarter - giving him 17 at that point. The Bulls took a 36-30 lead with 8:01 left in the half before Boston scored the next 11 points and 20 of the next 22 to go into the break with a 14-point lead.

Chicago had eight turnovers and missed four free throws during the stretch.

Notes: It was the first Game 7 for the Celtics since last year's second-round series against Cleveland, when Pierce and Cavaliers forward LeBron James combined to score 86 points and Boston won to advance to the Eastern Conference finals. ... Celtics coach Doc Rivers before the game mocked reports that Kevin Garnett would return. ''You guys have said it all the last few days. I thought someone was going to report they saw Bigfoot and Sasquatch.'' ... Celebrities in the crowd: Actor Bill Murray and David Axelrod, a senior adviser to President Barack Obama.

Pacquiao chases sixth title, history

LAS VEGAS -- Manny Pacquiao, the pound-for-pound king, stands on the precipice of history. In his way stands junior welterweight world champion Ricky Hatton.But if Pacquiao, fighting for the first time as a junior welterweight, can defeat Hatton, the long-reigning champion who has never lost at 140 pounds, in their much-anticipated showdown at the MGM Grand on Saturday night (HBO PPV, 9 ET), the Filipino icon will enter rare air.

• A Pacquiao victory would give him a world title in a record-tying sixth weight division -- flyweight, junior featherweight, featherweight, junior lightweight, lightweight and junior welterweight.

Yes, there was a time when there were only eight weight classes with one champion per division, and now there are 17 divisions with four sanctioning organizations handing out the most recognizable titles. But if it were easy to win titles in six divisions, everyone would be doing it. So far, only one man has: Oscar De La Hoya, who won belts from junior lightweight to middleweight before Pacquiao sent him into retirement by handing him a beating in a nontitle welterweight bout in December.• If Pacquiao (48-3-2, 36 KOs), the betting favorite, dethrones England's Hatton (45-1, 32 KOs), he will accomplish something no fighter in boxing history has ever done, which is to claim the lineal championship in a fourth division. Lineal, as in the man who beat the man, who beat the man, who beat the man, etc. In other words, he'll be considered the "real" champion in a fourth division, not just a mere titleholder, the way he was when he claimed his junior featherweight belt and lightweight title.

"Pacquiao goes down as one of the greats if he can accomplish a junior welterweight championship to go along with his other hardware," said boxing historian and occasional ESPN.com contributor Bert Sugar. "Reason being -- it's not only difficult to leapfrog this many weight classes, but because you have equaled and passed greats like a Henry Armstrong, greats like Alexis Arguello. The way he has done it, we still don't know his true fighting weight. Even with all the belts, he's still the lineal champion in so many weight classes. I make him out to be the greatest Asian fighter of all time and conceivably one of the greatest fighters of all time if he can carry this off.

"Now, we have a lot more titles, but it still does not dim or in any way minimize what Manny Pacquiao has done."

Already a five-division titleholder, Pacquiao is in impressive company. The only others to get one for the thumb? Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns and Floyd Mayweather Jr. The four-division titleholders in boxing history are Roberto Duran, Pernell Whitaker, Roy Jones Jr. and the not-so-well-known Leo Gamez.

Pacquiao is reserved about the historical implications of a win Saturday, but he is certainly aware of what is at stake.

"It is very important for me to win [titles] in six different divisions for the people of my country," said Pacquiao, who has always dedicated his accomplishments to the Philippines. "Being a six-division champion, if that happens, people will want to put my name in boxing history, and that will be my legacy."Freddie Roach, Pacquiao's trainer, admitted that he is surprised that Pacquiao has been able to keep moving up the scale with such success.

"I never thought this would ever happen. When I started with Manny because he was just 122-pound champ," said Roach, who took over Pacquiao's training after he had already been flyweight champion. "He's just been getting bigger and stronger. He's a lot happier when he's not making weight. He's healthier, he gets to eat what he wants, and I feel when I have a happy fighter that's not struggling to make weight, it's a good thing. And his powers come up with him. Manny Pacquiao, he's a machine. He is the hardest worker I've ever seen in my life, and that's why he's the best fighter in the world today."

De La Hoya was considered the lineal champion in three of the weight divisions he won titles in, junior welterweight, welterweight and junior middleweight.

As the only six-division titleholder, he can appreciate what Pacquiao is gunning for.

"He's in a position now where he can make history," De La Hoya said. "It's not easy to jump six weight classes. It's not easy at all. It's probably the most difficult task that any fighter can have. I've always said it was more difficult than just being world champion for 10 years at one weight class."

Even Hatton, who has dominated at junior welterweight for years, although he did claim a belt at welterweight before returning to his natural division, is somewhat in awe of Pacquiao's climb up the scale.

He's with De La Hoya in believing that it's more of an achievement to win titles in multiple divisions than it is to stay in one weight class and systematically clean it out.

"It's a phenomenal achievement what Manny's done. He [turned pro] at 106 pounds. So that's incredible, a man fighting at the weight he's fighting at now," Hatton said. "But I think it's a lot easier to move up through the weights the lighter weight you are because, obviously, the weights are a lot closer together. From where Manny started off when he won his first world title [at 112 pounds] to when he won his last world title [at 135 pounds], you would have to say it's more impressive. Even though the weights are very, very close together, it's absolutely such a massive achievement."

Top Rank's Bob Arum, Pacquiao's promoter, knows a thing or two about fighters moving up in weight. He promoted De La Hoya for virtually all of his career, and he also promoted many of Leonard's biggest fights. He said Pacquiao's background could be a reason why he's been able to start off in such small divisions and steadily move up with success."He came from a background where it very hard to gauge his true weight because when he fought early on at flyweight, was it because of the lack of nutrition or was he a naturally smaller guy?" Arum said, noting that Pacquiao grew up in poverty without much food. "Then as he became more affluent and could feed and take care of his body, the fact that he has put on weight and seems to be better with the added weight is not surprising. The conventional wisdom is when a fighter moves up in weight he loses his speed and his power. With Manny just the opposite seems to have happened. His speed is now better, and his power is certainly better.

"Manny is a very unique fighter, and he has a great set of skills that translates itself to going up and down the divisions. It's as simple as that. He outspeeds everybody, and he outpunches everybody. And he never gets tired."

If Pacquiao does make history by beating Hatton, more could be on the way. A title fight at welterweight is certainly not out of the question.

"I don't put it past him to look really good [Saturday] and maybe beat some of the top welterweights," Arum said. "There are welterweights out there that he can compete with, like [Miguel] Cotto or [Floyd] Mayweather [Jr.], that would make very interesting fights in the years ahead. So I am not concerned with his smaller frame. He matches up really well with some of the top welterweights. I really believe that Manny's body of work at this particular time establishes him as one of the great fighters in the history of boxing. I really believe that there is a lot more to come which will cement that legacy."

Pacquiao is game.

"Fighting at 140 pounds is my regular weight, and I am very comfortable at that weight," he said. "But I can fight at other positions. It's about discipline. I have disciplined myself, so that is why I can fight at heavier weights. If the fight is at 147, I can fight at 147. Right now, the fight is at 140, so I have to fight at 140 pounds."

Sugar also wouldn't put it past Pacquiao to beat Hatton and move on to even greater glory.

"What Manny has done sort of defies all reason," Sugar said. "We don't yet know where he will hit that wall. What is the weight at which he can't? We have come to the point where we are watching a phenomenon. I don't know if we will appreciate it now or it will take us years to appreciate it."

Here's what's scary: Pacquiao may not even be at his best yet.

"I believe that I am improving," Pacquiao said. "And everybody knows and can see that by my last few performances."

NGCP assures no brownout during Pacquaio-Hatton fight!

The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines has assured the public that it can accommodate an anticipated rise in power demand on May 3 when Manny Pacquiao gets to exchange blows with Britain’s Ricky Hatton.
According to NGCP, operator of the country’s electricity superhighway, historical data show that demand increases by as much as 100 megawatts (MW) whenever Filipino boxing champ Manny Pacquiao has a televised boxing fight.

Power consumption on Sunday is estimated to reach 5,400 MW, which is still lower than the available generation capacity of about 7,000 MW, the NGCP on Friday said.

“The rise is attributed to the increase in the number of television sets switched on for the Pacquiao fight,” NGCP explained in a statement. “TV sets can consume power from 130 to 380 watts, depending on the model.”

NGCP further noted that malls, movie houses and other commercial establishments also open for business at a much earlier time to accommodate customers who want to watch the fight “live” via satellite on big screens.

Carlito C. Claudio, NGCP vice president for systems operations, assured that the increase in demand could be handled by the so-called “load following” plants, which regulate and compensate fluctuations in load on a daily basis.

“We are prepared for the high power demand,” Claudio said.

“As a matter of fact, we attained the highest peak demand this year of 6,845 MW last April 16 without any customer experiencing load curtailment.

“As long as there are no unplanned outages of large generating units, we will be able to meet the system demand,” he added.

Pacquaio, not safe from Hatton virus

Hatton has been saying that he will match Manny Pacquiao’s phenomenal speed inside the boxing ring.
Granted that he catches Pacquiao on a bad-hair day, there’s no way Hatton could equalize.IT’S HOGWASH what Ricky
Hatton would be left huffing, puffing, fumbling.

But there’s one trick Hatton could use to hobble down the Pacman.

Hatton could infect his rival.

How? Please share this rough draft of a boxing feature prepared earlier for an Inquirer sister publication:

* * *

The warning is out for Manny Pacquiao to beware of a virulent virus that could cause him to fall in Las Vegas on Sunday.

It’s an Englishman, not a Mexican, Pacquiao will be fighting.

But that hardly helps.

The Filipino boxing superhero can’t afford to drop his guard.

There, indeed, are other more poisonous fighters outside Mexico, pinpointed as the source of the killer flu virus now threatening the world.

* * *

Pacquiao must be warned anew.

Hatton, who flew into the battle site from well-scrubbed London, is not neat.

The British Hitman, infamous for his hit-and-grab tactics, is anything but safe.

Hatton could be equally menacing as the swine flu virus.

Hatton is capable of infecting and slowing down Pacquiao.

* * *

No stranger to dirty ring tactics, Hatton could turn the fight into a sticky affair.

He will try to hit and hug.

In the process, he could also cause Pacquiao to suffer general body weakness, akin to the ones experienced early by swine flu victims.

This boxing disease that Hatton threatens to inflict is transmitted through body blows.

Hatton can be expected to unleash this weapon in wild abandon.

* * *

Trainer Freddie Roach has ordered all warning sirens shut.

He swears there’s no need to worry.

Hatton can never hope to cause damage (of epidemic proportions) up there in the boxing ring.

There’ll only be rarified air, free of sticky anomalies, once Pacquiao turns on his speed machine

* * *

The way Roach puts it, Pacquiao need not bring a vaccine or an antidote. The job will be done, via the short route.

Hatton will be contained in three rounds, or less.

It will be easy, Roach promised.

They will go for the head, where the KO jackpot sits.

* * *

OK, it’s said that knockout is a disease that spreads once the link between the knees and the brain is rudely cut.

Pacquiao, based on his awesome record, is very capable of scoring that kind of stoppage.

But there’s one outstanding hump.

Hatton will not be a willing victim.

Hatton will neither be a statue like David Diaz nor a paralytic like Oscar De La Hoya when he enters the ring against the Pacman on Sunday.

The British Hitman will be very dangerous.

* * *

There will be no third straight Sunday punching picnic for Pacquiao.

Hatton promises to be tough dish, a very difficult meat.

Maybe the hardest since Pacquiao’s controversial points win over Juan Manuel Marquez in 2007.

That, no doubt, lends to the certainty of fireworks – explosion –inside the ring.

* * *

Pacquiao can also be expected to come up with his finest stand yet.

It should be the best, the ultimate Pacman, defending and attacking.

Of course, Pacquiao need not be told that he can’t afford to expose himself to unnecessary danger.

He must avoid the ropes and capitalize on his skills, superior speed and power.

He should never for a moment be either careless or impatient.

Otherwise, his mother Dionisia, in Las Vegas to watch Pacquiao, the Thrilla from Manila, could end up attending to the latest victim of the London Flu.

Clinton meets Manny Pacquiao

Manny Pacquiao was about to rest at his suite at the hotel Thursday night when the request came in.

Could he spare a few minutes to meet with former United States President Bill Clinton?LAS VEGAS – Refusing the invitation was simply out of the question.
Pacquiao readily agreed.

In no time, a limousine fetched the Filipino superstar and some of his associates, including Environment Secretary Lito Atienza and Deputy National Security Adviser Chavit Singson, and brought them to the Chris Palmer Steak House at the Four Seasons Hotel.

And there, indeed, was Mr. Clinton, who was attending a global trade show in the gambling haven.

Mr. Clinton, a fight enthusiast, and Pacquiao exchanged pleasantries, talked about the environment and, of course, boxing.

As it turned out, Mr. Clinton is eagerly awaiting the Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton duel on Saturday (Sunday in Manila) for the Briton’s International Boxing Organization light welterweight crown.

After a photo session with Clinton, with armed bodyguards in tow, Pacquiao was whisked back to Mandalay Bay.

Pacquiao could hardly remember what they specifically talked about. He said Clinton wished him well.

Djokovic, Federer face in Rome semi showdown

ROME -- Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic posted straight-set wins Friday to set up a semifinal meeting in the Rome Masters, and three-time champion Rafael Nadal advanced in the other half of the draw.

Nadal cruised past eighth-seeded Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 6-3, improving to 8-0 against his fellow Spaniard. He will play 12th-seeded Fernando Gonzalez, who struggled past Argentine qualifier Juan Monaco 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Federer overcame net-charging German qualifier Mischa Zverev, advancing 7-6 (7-3), 6-2. Djokovic stayed on course to defend his title in this clay-court warmup for the French Open with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over fifth-seeded Juan Martin del Potro.

The fast clay at the Foro Italico suits both Federer and Djokovic."I think both of us like it, so it's going to be interesting," Djokovic said. "I feel quite confident playing here. Each match I play, I feel more comfortable moving on the court and just playing my style of the game."

Federer has won seven of his 10 previous matches against Djokovic, but the Serb took the last meeting in Florida last month.

"I hope I can play better than in Miami," Federer said.

Nadal had not met Verdasco since his epic five-set win in the Australian Open semifinals.

Verdasco played with a bandage around his leg below his left knee and he called for the trainer after losing his serve to fall behind 5-3 in the second set. He attempted a serve-and-volley on break point but his weak volley attempt went wide.

"I [was] a little bit lucky, he had important mistakes in some important points," Nadal said.

The world's No. 1 player extended his clay-court winning streak to 28 matches -- stretching back to an opening-round loss to Juan Carlos Ferrero here last year. Having won clay-court titles in Monte Carlo and Barcelona the past two weeks, Nadal is attempting to become the first player in the Open era to win this tournament four times.

Nadal won titles at the Foro Italico from 2005-07. Thomas Muster also won three Rome titles, in 1990, '95 and '96.

The 76th-ranked Zverev didn't allow Federer to see a break point until the 10th game of the first set, saving two set points to get to 5-5.

But Federer found his range in the tiebreaker, passing Zverev several times, and the 13-time Grand Slam winner ran away with the match in the second set.

"I had to come up with some passing shots, and I think it's always kind of good that you're on the back foot and you have to come up with some good shots at the right time," Federer said.

A two-time runner-up in Rome, Federer is seeking his first title of the year.

Playing in sunny conditions with no wind, the third-seeded Djokovic dictated play with well-angled winners from the baseline. Del Potro struggled with his forehand.

"I tried to change the pace a lot," Djokovic said. "Because I know that Del Potro likes more or less same pace, and he's moving really well for his height."

Djokovic is the only player to take a set from Nadal on clay this year, during a loss to the Spaniard in the Monte Carlo Masters final two weeks ago.

Pacquiao-Hatton fight carves ring history

LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Filipino southpaw Manny Pacquiao matches his speed and deceptive moves against the superior size and power of British star Ricky Hatton on Saturday (Sunday morning in Manila) in a long-awaited boxing showdown.

Both 30-year-old fighters are trying to cement their spot in ring history in the junior welterweight matchup, with Pacquiao, 48-3 with two draws and 35 knockouts, a slight oddsmakers favorite over Hatton, 45-1 with 32 knockouts.“I’m confident I will win,” Pacquiao said. “I’ve worked hard for the past eight weeks, looked at a lot of his fights, and I’m ready to fight.” The fight starts at 9:54 p.m. here (12:54 p.m. Sunday in Manila).

Pacquiao, who defeated David Diaz and Oscar de la Hoya in heavier weight classes last year, is well within the 140-pound limit, tipping the scales at 137 lbs. in shorts and training shoes two days before Saturday’s fight.

In contrast, Hatton may still be struggling to make the welterweight limit a few hours before Friday’s official weigh-in. He was seen running out in the sun, obviously still trying to shed excess poundage. (See story on Page A21.)

Pacquiao could match the all-time record by becoming a champion in his sixth different weight class by lifting Hatton’s International Boxing Organization junior welterweight world title after dispatching now-retired six-division champion Oscar de la Hoya.


List of legends

“It’s very important to me to win a sixth different title,” Pacquiao said. “If it happens, people will put me on the list of the greatest boxing legends.”

Hatton seeks the pound-for-pound crown now held by Pacquiao after dominating the division. The Englishman’s only defeat came in 2007 when he moved up to welterweight and was stopped in the 10th round by US star Floyd Mayweather Jr.

“One thing fighting Floyd Jr. taught me is you can’t steamroll everybody,” Hatton said. “There’s no doubt in my mind. With my added speed, jab movement, head speed, other things, I’m confident I’m going to win.”

Hatton says he has never been more relaxed or confident before a fight.

“As long as I do what I do best, I believe I’m going to be too much in all areas for Manny,” Hatton said. “I couldn’t be any more positive about the outcome.”

$12M for Manny; $8 for Ricky

Pacquiao will take home $12 million from the bout while Hatton is set for an $8 million payday. Pay-per-view income alone for the megafight is expected to be at least $40 million.

Well aware of the challenge Hatton presents, Pacquiao said he has never trained harder for a fight in his career.

“Ricky Hatton is a different fighter from what I have fought before,” said Pacquiao. “I expect him to be fast and strong. It’s going to be a hard fight.”

“His style is to come at you and throw a lot of punches. He has a strong left hand. I have to take care of that and focus on that.”

Hatton is very familiar with Pacquiao’s elusive footwork and ability to connect quickly and often.

Adjusting to fight style

“I don’t see a versatile fight in Manny Pacquiao. You can adjust to his style,” Hatton said.

“I know what Manny will be up to. He’s very effective at what he does but he fights the same way all the time. He throws a right jab, a one-two. He has a tricky shuffle, backs up and comes in, then makes you fall short.”

Knowing Pacquiao and stopping him, however, are different things.

“I don’t want to change my style. I just want to apply some techniques to improve my style,” Pacquiao said. “I believe I’m improving.”

Pacquiao figures to have a speed advantage while the larger Hatton should have an edge in power. Both boxers have a hard-punching, aggressive style that is expected to make this among the year’s best fights.

Heavier isn’t stronger

“Being heavier doesn’t make you stronger. I have the stronger fighter. I guarantee it,” Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach said. “He comes to fight. He likes to exchange. Manny is a machine. He’s in great shape.”

Hatton’s trainer, Floyd Mayweather Sr., has worked on defense and moves to make the “Hitman” more versatile.

“He had brute strength. I showed him how to box,” Mayweather said. “If he wants to box we’ll box. If he wants to brawl we will brawl. Whatever Manny wants to do, we’re definitely stronger. Ricky will definitely back him up.”

Hatton’s drawing power has brought an estimated 15,000 supporters from Britain, a crowd expected to make Saturday’s atmosphere feel more like an English Premiership football match than a typical US fight night.

Pacquiao, a would-be politician who some see as a possible future Filipino president, was wished good luck by former US President Bill Clinton, who is staying in the same hotel, the Mandalay Bay.

Pacquiao: From Manila’s streets to legend

LAS VEGAS--Before he was a teenager, Manny Pacquiao was selling cigarettes on the streets of Manila trying to survive. Now he is a Filipino hero and superstar on the verge of making boxing history.

The 30-year-old southpaw will face Britain's Ricky Hatton on Saturday for the Englishman's junior welterweight title. A Pacquiao victory would match him for the all-time record of world crowns in six different weight divisions."It's very important to me to win titles in six different divisions. It's a big honor for my country," Pacquiao said. "If it happens, people will put my name on the list with the greatest boxing legends in history."

Born to a farming family, Pacquiao moved to Manila at 12 to seek his fortune and start his boxing career. Memories of poverty and tough times inspire the Asian world pound-for-pound kingpin even now.

"In that moment I really wanted to box but I had to work because of my every day needs," Pacquiao said. "It's a hard life but that's what made me able to have my career now.

"My family and I have sacrificed. And everything I can do, it's for the honor of my country. They have all done so much for me."

When Pacquiao fights, the Philippines nearly comes to a standstill. So great is his support that soldiers say there are no conflicts with opponents during his fights. It's a rare devotion and one Pacquiao gladly returns.

"The people are amazing when I come back to the Philippines. They are all happy. I can't express the feelings but I was sure they were happy," Pacquiao said. "The most important thing for me is giving happiness to the Philippines."

At 48-3 with two drawn and 36 knockouts, Pacquiao has dominated every weight class he has fought in a 14-year career, taking world titles at flyweight, super bantamweight, featherweight, super featherweight and lightweight.

Weighing 112 pounds when he won his first world title 10 years ago, Pacquiao capped he triumphs by stopping six-division world champion Oscar de la Hoya in the eighth round last June at 145 pounds.

The victory secured Pacquaio's place in boxing history and as the current pound-for-pound king. Known for his speed and punishing attack style, Pacquiao has entertained as well as conquered.

"He has the potential by the time his career is over to be considered one of the real greats in the sport," veteran promoter Bob Arum said. "I've never seen such speed combined with such explosiveness before.

"Manny's body of work at this point establishes him as one of the great fighters in the history of boxing and I believe there is a lot more to come that will cement that legacy."

With the retirements of de la Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jnr, boxing's two top pay-per-view moneyspinners are sidelined. Some see Pacquiao as the man to pick up where they left off and maybe set new records in a rising Asian market.

But Pacquiao resists such comparisons.

"I'm just doing what I can do, the best I can," Pacquiao said. "I dont want to compare my ability to somebody. I'm trying to give a lot of happiness and enjoyment to the people.

"I want to keep up my performance, impress the audience of people who love boxing. I want them to be happy."

Wade explodes for 41 as Heat force Game 7 with impressive win

MIAMI -- Dwyane Wade soared past Zaza Pachulia, throwing down a fierce dunk as the Atlanta forward sent him sprawling into a row of photographers.Down. Definitely not out.

When the Miami Heat needed him most, Wade was at his best.

Wade scored 41 points, Michael Beasley busted out of a slump with 22 points and 15 rebounds, and the Heat stayed alive by routing the Hawks 98-72 in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference first-round series Friday night.

So a wild back-and-forth series -- three routs for the Hawks, three routs for the Heat -- will be decided Sunday in Atlanta in Game 7.

"No pressure on us," Wade said. "We're the underdogs in this series."Mike Bibby scored all 20 of his points in the first half for Atlanta, which fell behind by 15 in the opening quarter, cut the deficit to nine by halftime, but never really challenged from there. Flip Murray and Joe Johnson added 13 apiece for the Hawks, who lost a first-round Game 7 last season against Boston.

That, though, didn't come with the comfort of the home-court advantage they'll enjoy Sunday.

It'll be winner-take-all time, with one team going to Cleveland to open the second round against LeBron James and the Cavaliers on Tuesday night, and the other heading into an offseason that'll surely be filled with what-might-have-beens.

"It's going to be hectic," Beasley said. "It's going to be crazy."

The wacky run of outcomes continued: Atlanta's wins have been by 26, 10 and 15 points. The Heat have prevailed by 15, 29 and 26 points.

"They did what they had to do tonight and played extremely well," Hawks coach Mike Woodson said. "We were just there."

James Jones scored 11 points for Miami, nine in the first quarter. Just like every other game in this series, the team that took control early kept it throughout, and Miami wasted no time in putting Atlanta on its heels.

The Hawks hoped they would be in Cleveland on Sunday afternoon for Game 1 of the second round. Instead, they got blown away, meaning they still haven't won a playoff series since 1999, or prevailed in any best-of-seven matchup since 1970 -- a staggering drought.

They'll get one more chance.

Wade spent two days imploring his teammates to match the Hawks' challenge. He mentioned Beasley by name, asking the rookie to live up to his star billing.

Beasley listened.

Two hours before game time, he was out on the court, taking shot after shot after shot. Something must have clicked; Beasley finished 11-for-25 from the floor.

The Heat needed him, too. Udonis Haslem only played 11 minutes, saddled by foul trouble, and Jermaine O'Neal didn't play at all, thanks to a concussion suffered when Pachulia struck him during Game 5.

But for as good as Beasley was, it was all about Wade.

"He was a titan tonight," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.

The fourth quarter brought a slew of signature moments for the NBA's scoring champ. Early in the fourth, he rushed downcourt and blocked Murray's layup attempt, got the rebound -- and then got knocked to the floor by Murray.

No problem.

Wade got up, high-fived Mario Chalmers, then dunked on Pachulia moments later as the sellout crowd roared with delight.

Game notes
Wade finished 16-of-17 from the foul line, his 11 makes before halftime tying the Heat first-half playoff record that he set in the 2006 finals against Dallas. ... Hawks F Marvin Williams returned from a sprained right wrist. He played only 5 minutes, missing his lone shot. F Al Horford (sprained right ankle) warmed up but did not play. ... Joel Anthony started for O'Neal and played 35 minutes, going 2-for-3 for six points and eight rebounds. ... Hawks F Josh Smith apologized to Spoelstra before tip-off for his showboat dunk attempt in the latter minutes of the Hawks' win in Game 5. "A class move on his part," Spoelstra said.

Rockets reach second round for first time since '97

HOUSTON -- The Houston Rockets finally advanced in the NBA playoffs.

Ron Artest scored 27 points, Yao Ming had 17 points and 10 rebounds and Houston reached the second round for the first time since 1997, beating the Portland Trail Blazers 92-76 in Game 6 on Thursday night.The Rockets drafted Yao with the top overall pick in 2002, and he's played on three of the teams that lost in the opening round. He broke his foot late last season and watched from the bench as the Rockets lost again.

He embraced teammates with a wide grin moments after this one ended, savoring every moment after his seven-year wait.

"It's a big step for me," he said. "Even when the clock was running down, I'm still not believing that it's coming true. Obviously now that we know that feeling, we've got to keep moving forward."

Aaron Brooks scored 13 points and Shane Battier tied a career playoff-high with nine rebounds as the Rockets won for the first time in their last seven first-round series.

Houston, which lost Tracy McGrady to season-ending knee surgery in February, put this one away with a big second quarter and moves on to play the top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night at the Staples Center. The Lakers won all four meetings in the regular season.Artest was shooting only 37.7 percent from the field in the series before producing his best offensive game. He was already talking about the next round.

"The fans were just so happy to get out of the first round and I'm like 'I'm just not happy to just be out of the first round," he said. "That's just not our goal here. That's not LA's goal, that's not Boston's goal, that is not Cleveland's goal. That is not our goal."

LaMarcus Aldridge scored 26 points and Brandon Roy had 22 for the Blazers, who were making their first playoff appearance since 2003. But the Blazers were the youngest team in the playoffs and their inexperience showed. They lost Game 1 in Portland, then dropped all three games in Houston, going out meekly in the finale.

"This is a great experience for us," said Roy, who averaged 26.6 points in the series. "All our guys are happy that we had a great season, but they have a bad taste in their mouth because you felt like we could have played better this series."

The last three games had been decided by a total of eight points, but the Rockets turned this one into a rout before halftime.The Rockets led 21-19 when Yao went out for his regular rest for the start of the second quarter. Houston took control with a 13-2 run. Reserve guard Von Wafer hit a 3-pointer and grabbed a rebound during the run, showing no effects of the back spasms that bothered him on Wednesday. He was cleared to play by team doctors Thursday, less than an hour before the game.

The Rockets outscored Portland 31-18 in the quarter and led 52-37 at halftime.

"Basically, we just couldn't recover from that," Portland coach Nate McMillan said.

The Blazers cut the lead to 13 early in the fourth quarter, but Yao muscled in a layup and Brooks hit a 3-pointer to make it 81-63. Brooks drove for a layup with 2:45 left to put Houston ahead 87-67, prompting the "Beat L.A." chant from the raucous capacity crowd.

Yao embraced forward Brian Cook and Artest walked to the Portland bench to shake hands with McMillan as the final seconds ticked off.

"It's been a long time coming," Battier said. "I've only been here three years, but you feel the frustrations of the fans here. They love a winner here. We're glad that we could get a win for them."

Game notes
The team leading at halftime won all nine games between Portland and Houston this season. ... Houston committed only eight turnovers, matching its series low. ... The Blazers outrebounded Houston 42-41, the first time in the series the team that won the battle of the boards lost the game. ... The Blazers have lost 13 of their last 14 games at the Toyota Center.

Magic run over 76ers without Howard to advance to second round

PHILADELPHIA -- Dwight Howard can trade the keyboard for hitting the boards. Orlando's big man will get to play again in the next round of the NBA playoffs.

On a night the suspended Howard recorded a double-double in blog and Twitter posts from his hotel room, the Magic advanced to the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, beating the Philadelphia 76ers 114-89 in Game 6 on Thursday.He wrote on a postgame blog, "im soo proud man. yall have no clue."

Thankfully for the Magic, their shooting was more accurate than Howard's grammar.

"The only thing I said in the locker room before the game was, 'Be great," coach Stan Van Gundy said. "They wanted to prove something. They have great appreciation in that we would be where we are without Dwight."

Playing without Howard and injured guard Courtney Lee, the Magic thumped the Sixers from the start. Howard, who was suspended one game by the NBA for his elbow to Sixers center Samuel Dalembert in Game 5, will return when the Magic play the winner of the Boston-Chicago series.

For a game at least, the Magic didn't need their Superman.

"They're actually better without Dwight Howard," Sixers guard Andre Miller said. "One of their players told me that they were better without Dwight Howard. They said the ball moves quicker. They're not standing around a lot."

Rashard Lewis scored 29 points and Rafer Alston had 21 to help the Magic win for the second time this series in Philadelphia. The Magic's decisive run came early when they made 12 of their first 19 shots.

Howard watched the game with family and friends who had made the trip to watch him play. Instead, they got to watch him type. And misspell.

An early blog post read, "lets cheer my boys on goo magic."

Alston hit two 3-pointers during the Magic's fast start that put them up 15 and quickly negated the home crowd. J.J. Redick made all three 3-point attempts in the first half and ably filled in for Lee.

Lee, knocked out of the series by Howard's inadvertent elbow to the head, had surgery on his fractured sinus Thursday and Van Gundy said it was possible the guard could possibly be out two more weeks.

The live blog posts and tweets of Howard, who has donned a Superman cape in slam dunk contests, were infinitely more interesting than the lopsided game.His happy recap:

- Howard expressed remorse for his errant elbows: "i wish i was playin. i never intended to hurt nebody or my team."

- He proved he could pick the star player: "i told jj he was gonna have a big game this morning."

- His first-half food order: "i had some french fries. pizza. and some wings. lol food for champs."

- And when the Magic turned it into a rout: "keep it up boys. yooo yall cheer us home now."

Hedo Turkoglu wasn't around to see the end of the game. He tussled with Dalembert in the paint, the two briefly locking up before teammates rushed over to separate them.

Turkoglu was hit with his second technical of the game and was ejected, pointing and yelling at Dalembert from the bench before he was quickly ushered into the locker room. Dalembert also got a technical in the fourth-quarter skirmish but remained in the game.

Van Gundy kept starters Lewis, Alston and Marcin Gortat, who had 11 points and 15 rebounds points filling in for Howard, played until the final horn.

Gortat asked for a prayer when he texted Howard before the game.

"He said he was praying for the whole team," Gortat said. "I'm 100 percent sure he was laughing during the game with everything that was going right for us."

Miller scored 24 points and Andre Iguodala had 20 for the Sixers, who were eliminated in the first round for the second straight season and face a cloudy offseason. Miller is a free agent and coach Tony DiLeo has to decide if he wants to return to the bench or go back to the front office.

"We had no answer," DiLeo said. "They had the first punch and we never had a counterpunch."

The Sixers never made a serious run and were booed off the court at the end of the third quarter.

Game notes
Former Sixers GM Billy King sat in the front row next to team chairman Ed Snider. ... Phillies SS Jimmy Rollins and actress Raven Simmone attended the game. ... The Magic were eliminated by Detroit in the second round last season. ... Philadelphia has not won a playoff series since beating New Orleans in the first round in 2003.

De La Hoya predicts Hatton KO

LAS VEGAS -- Oscar De La Hoya doesn't see the Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton light welterweight showdown on May 2 (May 3 in Manila) going the distance. He picks Hatton to be the man left standing when the end comes.

“I’m gonna go with my guy,” said De La Hoya, who was sent into retirement with a savage beating by Pacquiao last December. “I believe in Ricky, I believe in my trainer that I have for many years, Floyd Mayweather Sr.

“I respect Manny Pacquiao, I respect Freddie Roach. Great fighter, great trainer, but I’m gonna go with Ricky Hatton.” Owing to the explosiveness and ferocity of both fighters, De La Hoya said the megabuck bout, dubbed the “Battle of East and West”, won't reach the full 12 rounds.

“I don’t see it going the distance. Not early, but maybe late. I know who (will win) but it’s not gonna go the distance.

His choice of Hatton is expected because De La Hoya, the only boxer to win world titles in six divisions, promotes the British “Hitman.”

His choice of Mayweather Sr. over Roach is likewise expected because when he bowed to Mayweather's son and namesake, it was Roach who worked his corner.

For another, it was Roach who bared that “Oscar can no longer pull the trigger.”

Interviewed by Filipino sportswriters after the press conference of the “Battle of East and West,” De la Hoya, however, justified his choice by saying Mayweather Sr. is technically better than Roach, a three-time Trainer of the Year.

Having been battered into submission by Pacquiao in eight rounds, De La Hoya, of course, is in a position to give Hatton some advice on how not to suffer the same fate.

“I’ve given advice to Ricky Hatton already,” said De La Hoya, who is now concentrating on handling his Golden Boy Promotions.

“Obviously I’ve already been there with Manny Pacquiao. I’ve experienced his speed, I’ve experienced his punches, so obviously the advice that I’ve given him I’m sure he’s gonna use.”

De La Hoya maintains he holds no rancor on Pacquiao, a 2-1 favorite in betting lines in this entertainment and gambling capital.

“No it’s not revenge. Ricky Hatton is gonna face him for the first time. Like I said, this is nothing personal. Obviously I’m the promoter here along with Top Rank, and you know Ricky Hatton and Manny Pacquiao are gonna do their job and may the best man wins.”

Bulls push series to seventh game after latest OT thriller

CHICAGO -- One more thriller, and now, the Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics will play a decisive seventh game.

Derrick Rose scored 28 points and blocked Rajon Rondo's potential game-winner, John Salmons scored 35, and the Bulls beat the defending champions 128-127 in triple overtime Thursday night to tie this first-round series at three games apiece.
Ray Allen scored a career playoff-high 51 points for the Celtics, but the series will go back to Boston for Game 7 on Saturday after another classic battle in a series that had already seen its share of drama.Three of the first five games went to overtime, including a Game 4 that went two extra periods. Another came down to the wire in regulation, but this easily trumped them all.

Rondo penetrated and pulled up on the left block with 8 seconds left and turned, only to be rejected by Rose. The rookie of the year then missed two free throws with 3.2 seconds remaining, before Rondo launched a harmless heave from beyond midcourt.

That ended the game. The series, however, continues.
"This series is a lot of fun for the fans, the people of Chicago, the people of Boston," said Joakim Noah of the Bulls, who made the go-ahead three-point play after a steal. "It's a lot of fun for us, too, playing in environments like this on the big stage. It's special to be part of this, and I know that it's a series people will be talking about for a long time."

[Photo: Chicago Bulls' Ben Gordon (7) goes up for a shot against Boston Celtics' Eddie House (50) during the first half of Game 6 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series in Chicago, Thursday, April 30, 2009.]Rose added: "It's crazy, but you got to love it."

Things might be different with a healthy Kevin Garnett, but without him, the Celtics are locked in a classic.

"It's unbelievable," Boston's Kendrick Perkins said. "Shot after shot, tough make after tough make. It's a tough series. They're a young team playing with a lot of confidence."

Tied at 123 in the third overtime, Noah stole a pass by Paul Pierce and broke upcourt for a dunk, got fouled by Pierce and hit the free throw with 35.5 seconds remaining. Eddie House quickly answered with a corner jumper, his feet on the 3-point arc, to pull the Celtics within 126-125, but Brad Miller hit two free throws to get the lead back up to three with 28 seconds left.

The Celtics weren't finished, though.

Rondo put back his own miss to make it a one-point game, and then he got a break when Kirk Hinrich missed a layup with Rondo's hand in the cylinder -- which would have been goaltending.

Allen was spectacular for Boston, finishing three points shy of John Havlicek's club playoff record and tying the NBA playoff mark with nine 3-pointers.

"It's very bittersweet," Allen said. "There's nothing to really talk about anymore. We lost and we had the agony that it wasn't enough."

Glen Davis added 23 points and Pierce had 22, but it was a difficult night for Rondo.

The Celtics' best player in the first five games, he had 19 assists and nine rebounds but scored just eight points and threw an elbow at Hinrich during a first-quarter skirmish. He heard boos and derisive chants for his foul at the end of Game 5 that left a woozy Miller with a bloody mouth before missing two tying free throws.

This time, Salmons and Rose had plenty of help from Miller, who had 23 points and 10 rebounds.

The Celtics were leading 113-111 in the second OT after Davis scored with 3:49 left, but they went cold and the Bulls grabbed the lead.

Salmons responded with a 3-pointer to put Chicago ahead and made it a three-point game with a driving layup with two minutes left.

It stayed that way until Allen, his toes touching the arc, buried a jumper from the right corner that pulled Boston within 116-115 with 20 seconds remaining. Miller hit two free throws, to make it a three-point game, but Allen wasn't finished.

He dribbled to his left and buried a 3-pointer over Hinrich to tie it with 7.6 seconds left.

"I really don't know what to say about this series," Pierce said. "This has been a phenomenal series."

Fast Facts:
• The Bulls evened the series at three games apiece in the NBA-record fourth overtime game of the series.
• The teams have now played seven overtime periods in this series, more than any team in NBA history has played in an entire postseason.
• John Salmons led the Bulls with a playoff career-high 35 points, helping the Bulls win their second straight at home.
• Derrick Rose added 28 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and a key block of Rajon Rondo's shot late in the third overtime.
• Ray Allen led the Celtics with a playoff career-high 51 points, which tied for the second most in Celtics' playoff history. Allen became the first Celtic to score 50 points in a playoff game since John Havlicek scored a franchise-record 54 points in 1973.
• Rondo tied Bob Cousy's Celtics' playoff record with 19 assists.
• The Celtics have lost 10 of their last 15 road playoff games.

Havlicek scored 54 against Atlanta on April 1, 1973. ... Rose was a unanimous pick for the all-rookie team along with Memphis' O.J. Mayo in a vote of the league's coaches.

PHOTOS:

Photo: Chicago Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro restrains Kirk Hinrich after Hinrich's altercation with Boston Celtics' Rajon Rondo during the first half of Game 6 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series in Chicago, Thursday, April 30, 2009. Hinrich received a technical foul and Rondo a flagrant foul.
Photo: Chicago Bulls' John Salmons, right, drives to the basket against Boston Celtics' Kendrick Perkins during the second overtime of Game 6 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series Thursday, April 30, 2009 in Chicago. The Bulls won 128-127 in triple overtime.

Tennis: Murray ousted early in Rome; Nadal, Federer win

ROME (AP)—Fourth-ranked Andy Murray lost for only the fourth time this year, upset by Argentine qualifier Juan Monaco 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 on Wednesday in his opener at the Rome Masters.

Murray easily won the first set before missing several first serves and committing unforced errors, while the 58th-ranked Monaco won several points with an effective drop shot.

“To be fair, he started playing a lot better,” Murray said. “It wasn’t my best match, but I was still very close to winning.” Murray’s other losses this year came against top-ranked Rafael Nadal—twice in Masters Series events in Indian Wells, Calif., and at Monte Carlo—and to Fernando Verdasco at the Australian Open.

Monaco will next face 15th-seeded Marin Cilic after the 6-foot-6 Croatian beat Christophe Rochus of Belgium 6-0, 5-7, 6-2.

Nadal and Roger Federer both advanced in straight sets. Nadal took the crowd out of play with a methodical 6-2, 6-3 win over Andreas Seppi, the top-ranked Italian at No. 37, while Federer beat big-serving Ivo Karlovic 6-4, 6-4.

In another upset, Jurgen Melzer of Austria eliminated seventh-seeded Nikolay Davydenko 7-5, 7-6 (5). Davydenko missed two months earlier this season with a left heel injury, but he reached the quarterfinals in Monte Carlo and the semifinals in Barcelona the last two weeks.

Also, eighth-seeded Verdasco eliminated the last American in the draw, Mardy Fish, 6-4, 5-7, 6-3; No. 12 Fernando Gonzalez beat Janko Tipsarevic 6-4, 6-4; Paul-Henri Mathieu of France eliminated 11th-seeded David Ferrer 6-3, 2-6, 6-2; and Robin Soderling of Sweden overcame a second-set lapse to beat Romanian qualifier Victor Crivoi 6-1, 6-7 (2), 6-1.

In the first round, held over from Tuesday due to rain, Richard Gasquet beat ninth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-6 (2), 6-4. Tommy Robredo of Spain also eliminated Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany 6-2, 7-6 (5) and will now play defending champion Novak Djokovic.

Gasquet then beat Ernests Gulbis of Latvia, 6-2, 1-6, 6-4, in his second match of the day, while Mathieu lost to Mischa Zverev of Germany, 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-0.

Also advancing was fifth-seeded Juan Martin Del Potro, who dispatched Viktor Troicki of Serbia, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3.

Seppi beat Nadal on a hard court in Rotterdam last year, and he had the fans cheering when he broke the Spaniard in the opening game. But the top-ranked Nadal broke right back and eventually extended his winning streak on clay to 26 matches.

Nadal won this clay-court warmup for the French Open three consecutive times from 2005-07 and he is trying to become the first player in the Open era to win it four times.

The 6-foot-10 Karlovic had 15 aces to Federer’s one, but he couldn’t hold serve.

“I got off to a good start in both sets, which is always good, kind of comforting against Ivo,” Federer said. “He found his groove later on with his serve, but I already had the break in the second, which is perfect.”

With the sun out at the Foro Italico after two days of rain, something in the air got into Monaco’s eye and he had to call the trainer and receive eye drops midway through the first set.

Monaco fell to the clay trying to react to a passing shot from Murray, but he got back up, wiped the dirt off his side and proceeded to beat Murray and improve to 13-6 on clay this year, including a runner-up result in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in February.

Murray made his first clay-court semifinal appearance in his last outing in Monte Carlo, but he showed he still has some work to do before the French Open, which begins May 24. He’s been working with two-time French Open finalist Alex Corretja during the clay-court season.

Murray could still move up to No. 3 in the rankings if Djokovic does not defend his title.

“I haven’t been playing my best on clay and that’s something I’m going to have to work out,” Murray said. “But I’ve had a great eight months. I haven’t lost early in a long time and I knew it was going to happen sometime. I’ve just got to move on and work hard for Madrid.”

‘It’s insane’: Pacman fame likened to Ali’s

LAS VEGAS—“I’ve seen this before with Ali years and years ago. This is the same type of reaction. Ali was Ali, but Manny’s getting there.” This was how Bob Arum described the frenzy that greeted Manny Pacquiao’s grand arrival at Mandalay Bay on Tuesday afternoon, where the Filipino ring icon instantly drew a swarm of fans and journalists upon stepping out of a 56-seater luxury bus bearing his image.

“It’s insane,” said the 78-year-old Arum, top honcho of Top Rank which promotes Pacquiao’s fights.

The “Pacman,” he declared, is the new face of boxing.
Just as electric was the reception England’s Ricky Hatton got from flag-waving compatriots as he made his own grand entrance, which officially started the countdown to his world welterweight title defense against Pacquiao here on Saturday (Sunday in Manila).

“I may be fat and I may be round but guess who is going to be the best pound-for-pound?” the “Hitman from Manchester” told backers before mounting a small ring set up at the lobby.

Security personnel warded off surging crowds as Pacquiao got off the bus. Even for the world’s top pound-for-pound fighter, Tuesday’s welcome still came as a big surprise for its sheer scale and zest.

“It’s bigger than the (Oscar) De La Hoya one,” Pacquiao said, recalling the arrival bash leading to his blockbuster welterweight showdown against the Golden Boy last December, which the Filipino won by a knockout in the eighth round.

'Most manic’

Arum likened Pacquiao’s unprecedented fame after beating De La Hoya to that of heavyweight legend Muhammad Ali.

“Ali, remember, was so tied up with politics, with the Vietnam war, so you can’t really equate Manny with Ali,” he explained. “But as a fighter, as a pure fighter, he’s the most popular, the most manic that I’ve ever seen.”

Arum noted that Pacquiao had even landed recently on Time magazine’s list of the world’s most influential persons, which included US President Barack Obama.

Dapper in khaki slacks, dark coat and Kangol cap, Pacquiao arrived with an entourage that included his mother Dionesia, chief trainer Freddie Roach and close friends Luis “Chavit” Singson and Wakee Salud.
“I don’t want to talk too much before the fight,” Pacquiao said. “I want to let my fists do the talking in the ring.”
Hatton limo

Hatton, who alighted from a gleaming limousine in black shorts and a Hatton-brand T-shirt, joked with the crowd and posed for photographers before doing a brief workout at the 16,000-seat Grand Garden Arena, venue of the megabuck clash.
Though he remains unbeaten at 140 pounds, Hatton conceded it would have been tougher for him had he met Pacquiao earlier.
“Three or four fights ago, Manny Pacquiao would have beaten me,” Hatton, bottled water in hand, later told reporters after the workout.

But after being trained by Floyd Mayweather Sr. and posting a win over Paulie Malignaggi last November, Hatton said, “I feel so much more relaxed because I’m boxing technically so much better. I’m jabbing and moving a lot better.”
“I don’t think (Pacquiao could win) now.”
Still a brawler

Dismissing perceptions that Mayweather had turned him into a different fighter, Hatton said he would still use his trademark aggressive, brawling style.

“Everyone seems to think that because of my new training camp I’ve turned into this twinkle-toed, jab-and-move boxer,” Hatton, said. “But I haven’t. I’m still aggressive. I’m still as ferocious as ever.”

His size and power, coupled with the technical know-how he gained under Mayweather, will turn the tide in his favor, the defending champ said.
Though only an inch taller than the 5’6” Pacquiao, Hatton earlier said he would be the biggest man Pacquiao has ever faced as he intends to enter the ring at 154 pounds.

If that happens, he’ll be even bigger than De La Hoya who weighed 147 pounds when he was stopped by Pacquiao last Dec. 6.

Scraping the surface

Slighted by the 2-1 betting odds favoring Pacquiao, Hatton vowed to prove he is the 140-lb king and to protect his crown from someone who has never fought at that weight.
“Maybe I could be too strong for Manny, but now it’s not just strength and power. With the new team, we’ve scraped the surface. And I think you can see more improvement in that area. This is the best Ricky Hatton that has ever been.”

Having reached ideal form, Pacquiao only did early-morning runs at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas track oval and then sweated it out at the IBA Gym late afternoon before proceeding to the Mandalay Bay.
Under the supervision of conditioning coach Alex Ariza, Pacquiao focused on fast-twitch muscle drills designed to enhance his speed without losing power.

Manny can't fight, says Mayweather Sr.

LAS VEGAS — FLOYD MAYWEATHER SR. likens Ricky Hatton to an animal, specifically a tiger, in the ring. Ferocious and vicious as a fighter, Hatton is also the epitome of what a boxing student should be—talented and a fast learner, according to the trainer.

In contrast, Mayweather holds Manny Pacquiao in low esteem.

The American says the Filipino ring hero fights like an amateur despite being the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter—a title once owned by his now retired son and namesake.

It’s no wonder that Mayweather picks his pupil, Hatton, to win the May 2 showdown.

“Not only is Hatton bigger, stronger than Pacquiao, he is also smarter, slicker, clever, smoother,” said Mayweather.

“If I have a fighter of eight years like Freddie Roach had Manny, I wouldn’t be thinking so much about the size because Manny still can’t fight if you ask me,” said Mayweather.

Carmelo, Nuggets beat Hornets to make second round

DENVER -- With a little help from the hometown kid, Carmelo Anthony is finally moving on.

Behind Anthony's 34 points and the floor leadership of Chauncey Billups, the Denver native who came home this season and galvanized a city and a team, the Nuggets advanced to the second round of the NBA playoffs, 107-86 over the New Orleans Hornets on Wednesday night.After five straight first-round flameouts, 'Melo led the Nuggets to their first playoff series win since 1994. They'll face the Dallas Mavericks in the second round.

"That monkey is awful heavy sometimes," Nuggets coach George Karl said. "I'm just really happy for 'Melo."

Dallas advanced to the Western Conference semifinals by defeating San Antonio in five games. Denver swept the season series with the Mavericks 4-0.

Anthony's 34 points were a career playoff best. Billups had 13 points and 11 assists, and J.R. Smith scored 15 of his 20 points in the second half to fuel Denver, which needed just five games to go from traditional first-round fodder to a playoff success story.

"I thought we could be a good team," Karl said. "But I never thought we could be this good."
[Photo: Denver Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony, right, goes up for a shot past New Orleans Hornets center Sean Marks in the fourth quarter of the Nuggets' 107-86 victory in Game 5 of the teams' first-round playoff basketball game in Denver on Wednesday, April 29, 2009. With the victory, the Nuggets eliminated the Hornets and move into the second-round of play. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)]
Despite the final score, the capper wasn't nearly as easy as Denver's three other wins, including the 58-point blowout in Game 4 that matched the NBA record.

Playing without Tyson Chandler but with a pride and passion unapparent through most of the series, the Hornets made the Nuggets sweat. It was tied at 62 midway through the third period before Denver went on a 24-4 run to ice it.

David West led the Hornets with 24 points and Chris Paul had 12 points and 10 assists.

The Nuggets were coming off the most lopsided road win in NBA playoff history, a 121-63 shellacking in New Orleans on Monday night."Whether it's 58 points or a 1,000 points, a loss is a loss and you just try to get that bitter taste out of your mouth," Hornets forward James Posey said before the game.

Karl told his players not to look at Game 5 as a gimme after what happened in Game 4: "Don't get me wrong, New Orleans is capable of winning a game against us and playing well. If that happens than we can look in the mirror and say we're still playing with house money and let's move on," Karl said.

The Nuggets were equally determined to match their opponents' verve.

"I don't want to go back to New Orleans until next year," Anthony Carter said.

He won't have to.

The Nuggets finally started to create some separation late in the third quarter when consecutive 3s by Billups and Smith (twice) gave Denver its biggest lead yet, 73-62. The spurt began with Anthony's deflection that led to a sweet fastbreak lay-up by Dahntay Jones.

When the 14-0 run was finished, the Hornets were history.

Including the playoffs, the Hornets were 13-6 following a loss of 10 or more points, and they looked for much of this night like they were going to win. They built a nine-point first-quarter lead before settling for a 49-49 tie at halftime.

The Hornets used a 16-2 spurt to take a 25-16 lead and let some of the air out of the Pepsi Center. But with the Nuggets' bench players on the court, Denver scored eight electrifying points in a row to recharge the arena.

Still, the Hornets, with Hilton Armstrong starting at center for Chandler (ankle), went toe-to-toe with the Nuggets until Denver's third-quarter run started the celebration.

It was especially sweet for Billups, who was born and raised in Denver. He came from Detroit in the Allen Iverson trade a week into the season and transformed his beloved Nuggets from an afterthought into the West's second seed.

"Chauncey is the best thing that happened to Denver," Paul said. "The mind-set that he's given this team right now is something that will fuel them in the next round."

Game notes
The average margin of victory in Denver's four wins was 37.5 points. The Nuggets' previous best average in a playoff series was 20 in their 3-2 win over San Antonio in the first round in 1984-85. ... The crowd observed a moment of silence before the game for former Nuggets player Glen Gondrezick, who died Monday at age 53 after apparent complications from a heart transplant he received last September. ... The last time the Nuggets won a seven-game series was 1985, when they beat Utah in the Western Conference semifinals. ... Anthony's previous career playoff high was 30 points (twice).

Wade banged up as Heat fall to Hawks in Game 5

ATLANTA -- A series of blowouts is now about survival. The Atlanta Hawks hope they have enough players left to finish off Miami. The Heat are counting on Dwyane Wade to save the season, despite a bump on his head and a balky back.

The Hawks kept up the theme of this matchup between division rivals -- no game has been close -- but there were several subplots after a night of hard fouls and staredowns left the Heat feeling as though Atlanta rubbed it in a little too much in a 106-91 victory Wednesday. Joe Johnson scored 25 points in his first big game of the series, which the Hawks now lead 3-2, and Flip Murray added 23 from a bench that has taken on an increasingly important role. They already were without one injured starter (Marvin Williams) and lost another when Al Horford hobbled off the court with a sprained right ankle.

"It's not a good sign," said Zaza Pachulia, one of Atlanta's top backups. "In the playoffs, you need everybody. But what can you do? Whoever we have, they really have to step up."

Wade scored 29 points but didn't get going until the game had been decided. The NBA's leading scorer already was bothered by back spasms, and he was feeling even worse after colliding with Josh Smith late in the first quarter and banging the back of his head on the court.

[Photo: Atlanta Hawks' Joe Johnson (2) drives on Miami Heat's Udonis Haslem during the first quarter of an NBA basketball Eastern Conference playoff series game in Atlanta on Wednesday, April 28, 2009. Johnson scored 25 points to help Atlanta win 106-91. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)]

But he's eager for another shot at the Hawks after Smith tried a between-the-legs windmill dunk late in the game with Atlanta up 20. Not only did he fail to pull it off -- the ball bounced high off the rim -- he fired up the Heat with his unnecessary showmanship."We were very insulted by it," Wade said.

So was rookie coach Erik Spoelstra, who figures to show the play over and over heading into Game 6, which is Friday night in Miami. The Heat must win to force Game 7 in Atlanta on Sunday.

"There at the end it turned into a highlight show. A pickup game highlight reel, really trying to embarrass us," Spoelstra said. "Now we've played five games against each other. I don't think anybody on either side likes each other anymore."

While the outcome was never really in question, there was plenty of extracurricular activity to spice up the fifth straight game decided by at least 10 points.

Early on, Wade was sprawled out on the court for several minutes after injuring his head injury. He finally staggered to the locker room for treatment, holding a towel to his head. Not long after Wade returned, Horford was fouled hard by James Jones and fell into Wade on the way down, landing awkwardly on his right foot.

Horford managed to shoot two free throws, but it quickly became apparent he couldn't go on. He was helped to the locker room, his arms draped around two trainers, and didn't return.

"I'm a little sore, but we did a lot of treatment in the second half," Horford said. "That's what the playoffs are all about. We're playing hard out there."

Williams sat out his third straight game with a sprained right wrist. When Mike Bibby picked up his fourth foul, Atlanta played much of the third quarter with only two regular starters on the court. Solomon Jones and Mario West got extensive minutes after playing sparingly during the regular season.

Despite the lack of healthy bodies, the Hawks pulled away in the first half with Wade -- still groggy from his head blow -- making only 1-of-6 shots.

The Hawks made 13-of-16 from the field in the second quarter, including their last 12 attempts, to push a 24-20 lead to a commanding 63-40 lead by halftime.

With NBA commissioner David Stern looking on, both teams turned up the intensity level -- and things nearly got out of hand early.

When Solomon Jones doled out a hard foul on a driving Wade, the two players tumbled into the basket support and stared each other down. Jamaal Magloire jumped in and shoved Jones. Smith took offense and shoved Magloire. The referees stepped in before any blows were thrown, though all four players were given technicals.

Then, with Maurice Evans going in for a layup, Wade slammed into the Atlanta player from behind and sent him tumbling to the court. Again, the teams bowed up, but Evans merely flashed a disgusted stare at Wade -- who was called for a flagrant foul -- before getting up to shoot his free throws.

Pachulia caught Jermaine O'Neal in the face with an elbow while driving to the hoop. O'Neal crumbled to the court, then got up to deliver a shot across Pachulia's head the next time the Hawks' reserve ventured into the lane.

Pachulia was already sporting a black eye from a shot he took in an earlier game.

That was certainly fitting for this one.

Game notes
Johnson averaged just 13.8 points over the first four games. ... The Hawks led by as many as 23 points. ... The closest game in the series was Atlanta's 10-point win in Game 4. ... Smith scored 20 points for the Hawks. ... Michael Beasley had 18 points for the Heat, and O'Neal added 14.