Lakers rout Rockets to lead series 3-2

Kobe Bryant needed only three quarters to score 26 points and the Los Angeles Lakers bounced back from their Game 4 flop, routing the Houston Rockets 118-78 on Tuesday night to take a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference semifinals.The top-seeded Lakers did everything they didn't do in Sunday's 99-87 loss at Houston -- hustled, rebounded and played tight defense on Houston's smaller lineup, keeping Aaron Brooks in check and limiting wide-open shots.

On Sunday the Lakers trailed by 29 points. On Tuesday night, they had a 29-point lead by late in the second quarter, on a 3-pointer by Bryant, who led seven Lakers in double figures.

The Lakers can wrap up the series Thursday night in Houston.

Bryant looked more like himself after being held to 15 points on Sunday. With the Lakers far ahead after holding the Rockets to only 15 points in each of the second and third quarters, he sat out the fourth period.

Pau Gasol had 16 points and 13 rebounds, Andrew Bynum 14 points, Trevor Ariza 13 and Jordan Farmar 12. Lamar Odom and Josh Powell had 10 apiece.

Brooks was held to 14 points after scoring a career-high 34 on Sunday. Ron Artest had a horrible night shooting, 4-of-15 for nine points. The Rockets shot only 32 percent.

The Lakers fell behind by six points midway through the first quarter, but it didn't take them long to answer the question of whether they'd show up.

Los Angeles gained control by outscoring Houston 23-6 during the final six minutes of the first quarter. Bryant had eight points, making three straight shots at one point. Odom sank a 3-pointer and Farmar another 3 at the buzzer for a 35-24 lead.

With Bryant sitting out at the start of the second quarter, the Lakers didn't lose any of their intensity, going on an 8-0 run to push the lead to 43-24. Gasol made a hook shot and two free throws, Odom made two free throws and Sasha Vujacic blocked a shot by Von Wafer, raced down the court and took a pass from Gasol for a slam dunk.

With Houston going cold, the Lakers piled it on, taking a 64-35 lead on Bryant's 3-pointer with 1:31 before halftime. It was 64-39 at the break.

Boston escapes game 5 to lead 3-2 series over Orlando

BOSTON -- Ray Allen's 3-pointer with 1:20 left gave Boston its first lead since the opening minutes and the Celtics beat the Orlando Magic 92-88 on Tuesday night to take a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals.Stephon Marbury scored all of his 12 points in the fourth quarter, keeping the Celtics in the game after a lackluster 36 minutes that left them trailing by 14 with 8:49 to play. Orlando led 85-75 with 5:39 left, then Boston scored the next 13 points to open an 88-85 lead before Rashard Lewis' free throws with 7.3 seconds left.

Paul Pierce had 19 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, Kendrick Perkins grabbed 11 rebounds, and Game 4 hero Glen "Big Baby" Davis scored 10 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter. Davis also grabbed the rebound and hit a pair of free throws after Dwight Howard intentionally missed a free throw with 5.9 seconds left.

"It's all about never giving in and having the heart of a champion," Pierce said.

Howard had 12 points and 17 rebounds for Orlando, which needs a victory in Game 6 on Thursday night to force the series back to Boston for a decisive seventh game.

Lewis scored 19 and Hedo Turkoglu had 18 with seven assists for the Magic, who almost blew a 28-point lead in Game 1, then lost Game 4 on Sunday when Davis hit a 21-foot buzzer-beater.

Davis hurt them again on Tuesday, but he didn't wait quite as long.

Howard dunked on an alley-oop from Rafer Alston to make it 77-63 with 8:49 left, Orlando's biggest lead of the game, and Celtics coach Doc Rivers disgustedly called a timeout.

But Marbury hit a 3-pointer, then another jumper, and after Davis sank a pair of hook shots, Marbury converted a three-point play to make it 83-75. Turkoglu made a jumper to extend the lead to 10 points before Rivers put Pierce, Perkins and Rajon Rondo back in the game with 4:55 left.

Two jumpers by Davis, a layup by Pierce and a reverse from Perkins made it 85-83. Davis missed a potential game-tying shot with 1:55 left, but Allen made up for it by putting Boston ahead with a 3-pointer -- just his third basket of the game.

Orlando had a chance to take back the lead when Rondo's 3-pointer as the 24-second clock expired seemed to skim only the net as it came down, and the shot clock buzzer went off. But Perkins, who had grabbed the rebound, argued vociferously that the ball tipped the rim, and the referees overruled the call, giving the ball back to Boston with just 37 seconds left and allowing them to run the clock down to the final seconds.

Pacquiao's motorcade causes traffic snarls in Manila

Boxing champ began his Metro Manila-wide motorcade on Monday morning, causing traffic snarls as crowds cheered the local boxing hero.The motorcade passed through main roads in Quezon City, Manila, Pasay City and Makati City this morning.

Everyone young and old seemed to pause at what they were doing to cheer Pacquiao, who was riding in a truck adorned with Philippine flags.

Some motorists stopped and got out of their cars to wave at Pacquiao. A group of nuns was also seen from among the crowd cheering in his direction.

Uniformed employees were also seen on the streets, taking a break from work to take a peek at the ongoing celebration.

One FX driver, meanwhile, stopped and even went on top of his vehicle to wave as chants of “Manny! Manny!” echoed all throughout.

The streets were littered with placards while some have their own confetti prepared and ready to be thrown. People were simultaneously waving and taking pictures from their mobile phones and cameras.

Pacquiao, meanwhile, basked at the adoring crowd, throwing away Team Pacquiao t-shirts.

With him is Bernabe Concepcion, a member of Team Pacquiao who won in an undercard fight during the title bout with Ricky Hatton in Las Vegas earlier this month.

The motorcade, which started some 20 minutes behind schedule, left the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) at around 8:15 a.m. and began a slow cruise along Visayas Avenue.

Earlier, a festive atmosphere greeted Pacquiao at DENR.

Wearing a black polo shirt, a gray vest, khaki pants, brown shoes and a gray golfer’s hat, Pacquiao arrived at the DENR office just before 8:00 am and participated in the department’s flag-raising ceremony on board a black SUV.

He was welcomed by a marching band, an explosion of red, blue and white confetti, around 300 employees of the DENR and the usual coterie of environment officials led by DENR secretary Lito Atienza.

He was immediately mobbed by local and international media and a cheering crowd.

In a short speech after the flag-raising, Pacquiao thanked God and Filipino people for the support and prayers in his May 3 fight against British champ Ricky Hatton in Las Vegas.

He will make a short call on Vice President Noli De Castro before proceeding to Malacanang were the boxer is due to make a 10:45 a.m. call on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Atienza, a long-time and rabid supporter of the Filipino boxing champ, said Pacquiao considers the DENR as his “second home.”

"Manny (Pacquiao) is like a sponge who accepts what he needs to learn making him d best fighter," Atienza said in an earlier interview.

"Ang payo ko sa kanya wag muna isipin ang politika (My advice to him is not think of politics for now)," Atienza said, when asked about Pacquiao's rumored plans to run for public office in next year's elections.

"He's at the pinnacle of his boxing career. He should focus on his career first," he added.

Atienza said they have been coordinating with the Philippine National Police for security and the Metro Manila Development Authority, which is in charge of traffic flow.

Federer said he can beat Nadal in Madrid

Jelena Jankovic beat Nuria Llagostera Vives of Spain 6-2, 6-1 Sunday to reach the second round of the Madrid Open, a joint ATP and WTA Tour tournament.

Agnes Szavay of Hungary upset 12th-seeded Flavia Pennetta of Italy 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-2 in the first round of the clay court event at Madrid’s new “Magic Box” tennis center.

On the men’s side in the first round, 16th-seeded Tommy Robredo rallied to defeat Nicolas Kiefer of Germany 3-6, 6-2, 6-2, and Spanish wild card Juan Carlos Ferrero beat Igor Kunitsyn of Russia 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.

Meanwhile, Roger Federer said he could still beat Rafael Nadal, even on the Spaniard’s favorite surface.

“I know I can beat him on clay after having played so many matches against him on this surface,” Federer said.

Sharapova is back in tour

Maria Sharapova plans to be back on tour next week.

Sidelined by shoulder surgery, Sharapova wrote on her Web site Monday that she will play her first competitive singles match in nearly 10 months at the May 18-23 clay-court tournament in Warsaw, Poland.

The posting makes no mention of the French Open, the major championship played on clay that starts May 24.

“I know it is going to take me a while to get back into the groove of playing tournaments and matches, but I am so excited to be competing again,” Sharapova said.

The three-time Grand Slam title winner was sidelined in August by a torn rotator cuff in her right shoulder and had surgery two months later.

Sharapova has played one doubles match since then, losing at Indian Wells, Calif., in March.

“It has not been an easy process these last few months,” Monday’s posting reads.

Ranked as high as No. 1, the Russian is now No. 65.

She was forced to miss the last two Grand Slam tournaments, the U.S Open and Australian Open.

“My family and coach have been a tremendous part of this comeback, and I think it’s important to acknowledge that without their drive, daily laughs and endless belief in my ability, I would be sipping a pina colada on a deserted island (not that there’s something wrong with that, but playing tennis is just so much more exciting at this stage of my life),” the posting says.

Serena retires from Madrid Open

Serena Williams pulled out of the Madrid Open on Monday after aggravating an injury to her right knee during a first-round match against Francesca Schiavone.

The second-seeded Williams retired after losing the first set 6-4. She declined to detail the extent of the problem, but said it would not keep her out of the upcoming French Open.

“It’s not going to stop me playing in Paris,” Williams said. “I didn’t want to risk my chances to play Roland Garros. I don’t know how serious it is, but I don’t want it to get worse.”

Williams, who had difficulty bending her right knee, said she had made too many commitments with her schedule this year and was paying the price.

“I was just really hindered. My movement was hindered as a result of an injury I’ve been struggling with for some time,” Williams said.

Third-seeded Elena Dementieva of Russia took a little over an hour to defeat Lourdes Dominguez Lino—the last Spanish woman left in the Open—6-3, 6-2.

In the men’s draw, No. 9 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France defeated Marat Safin of Russia 6-4, 7-5. Spain’s David Ferrer, seeded 12th, beat Guillermo Canas of Argentina 6-2, 6-2.

Tsonga said he was pleased with his attacking game but acknowledged he needed to improve to climb the rankings.

“I played good offensive tennis with some aggressive shots,” he said, adding that as a boy he rooted for Safin.

“He played some great matches at Roland Garros and was like an idol of mine. It was special to play against him.”

After struggling through two injury-plagued seasons, two-time Grand Slam champion Amelie Mauresmo of France continued her recent solid play, beating Ai Sugiyama of Japan in straight sets.

The 2006 Australian Open and Wimbledon champion beat the Japanese player 6-2, 6-4.

Jenson Button makes 4th win in Sapnish Grand Prix

Brawn GP’s Jenson Button drove a pluperfect two-stop race to take his fourth victory in five races in Sunday afternoon’s Spanish Grand Prix, leading home early leader and three-stopping partner Rubens Barrichello by 13 seconds.It was a resounding success for Brawn, but Barrichello had Mark Webber right on his tail at the finish as the Australian headed a Red Bull 3-4. His team mate Sebastian Vettel had been trapped behind Felipe Massa’s fast-starting Ferrari from the outset, but finally slipped ahead in the closing stages as the Brazilian was ordered to back off to conserve fuel. On the final lap the red car fell victim to Fernando Alonso’s Renault, as poor Massa was obliged to slow down even further.

The result gives Button 41 points to Barrichello’s 27, Vettel’s 23 and Webber’s 15.5. In the constructors’ stakes, Brawn have 68 to Red Bull’s 38.5.

Nick Heidfeld drove a tough and defensive race to net two points for BMW Sauber with seventh place, and Nico Rosberg completed the points scorers with eighth for Williams.

An accident at the first corner influenced the race. Rosberg eased slow-starting Jarno Trulli off in the second, left-handed corner, and as the Italian’s Toyota spun out of the gravel and back on to the track it collected Adrian Sutil, who had just short-cut the corner over on the left-hand side. In the confusion the two Toro Rosso’s collided, resulting in retirement for all four and a five-lap safety car period.

Barrichello resumed the lead he had taken from Button off the grid when the racing restarted on lap six, but later fell behind his team mate as his three-stop strategy proved inferior.

Lewis Hamilton had a frustrating afternoon for McLaren, finishing ninth ahead of Toyota’s Timo Glock, who ran well initially but fell back with an early refuelling stop. BMW Sauber’s Robert Kubica led Renault’s Nelson Piquet home for 11th, with Williams’ Kazuki Nakajima and Force India’s Giancarlo Fisichella rounding out the finishers.

The other retirements were Kimi Raikkonen, whose Ferrari ground to a halt with suspected electrical problems on lap 18, and fellow Finn Heikki Kovalainen who fell victim to gearbox gremlins on his McLaren.

Dallas stays alive against Denver

DALLAS -- So much for the idea that the Dallas Mavericks would be devastated by the way Game 3 ended. Inspired was more like it.

Dirk Nowitzki scored 19 of his 44 points in the fourth quarter, including a go-ahead, high-arching shot with 1:05 left in a 119-117 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Monday night that prevented the Mavericks from being swept and injected a whole lot more excitement into this second-round series."It was an unbelievable game," Nowitzki said. "We were down the whole game, but were able to come back and win and we've been doing that all season long. ... We've got to go back to Denver and let it all hang out again."
Carmelo Anthony scored a career playoff-best 41 points and hit a 3-pointer with 3.1 seconds left from nearly the exact spot as his winning basket in the previous game, only this time it left Denver a point shy of a tie.
Dallas' Jason Terry made a free throw with 1.1 seconds left, then missed another -- intentionally, he said. Anthony got the rebound but couldn't stop the clock and didn't have enough time to even get off a 90-foot heave. The buzzer sounded and confetti fell as the teams left the court, knowing they will meet again Wednesday night in Denver.
"We're still in control of this going back to our home court," Anthony said. "We'll be ready."
The postgame scene was a little calmer than after the end of Game 3, although it may also wind up getting reviewed by the league office because Denver's Kenyon Martin clearly exchanged words with Dallas owner Mark Cuban. Martin wouldn't talk in the locker room, telling reporters to "go someplace else. All you [expletive] are trying to do is cause trouble."This game had all the intensity of a Game 7, with seven technical fouls and multiple flagrants. There were video reviews and concerns for the safety of Anthony's girlfriend and Martin's mom, all of it started by the wacky Game 3 finish, then stoked by a silly elbow from Anthony early in the second quarter.
Once things started going out of control, they hardly stopped. Denver led by 14, then Dallas got close several times only to fall back by several baskets. The Mavs tied it several times before finally breaking through on Nowitzki's rainbow over Martin.
"They're allowed to be fans, but when it gets personal, it goes over the top," Denver's Chauncey Billups said. "They're drinking before the game started, drinking all game, and it probably got a little out of hand. They're allowed to be fans but sometimes it can get over the top."
Added Nuggets coach George Karl: "I would probably use an uglier word than hostile, but I'm not going to do that right now. I don't think it was very classy. I've been in hostile buildings, but you can do it in a classy way."
Denver was headed to another blowout early when Anthony tangled arms with Dallas' Antoine Wright. It was like an alarm clock for the drowsy crowd of 20,523 -- and for the Mavericks, who all season have been at their best immediately after hitting rock bottom. It was a quality coach Rick Carlisle expected to see Monday night, even if it showed up more than a quarter late.
In the final minute, Dallas was up by two after Mavs forward Josh Howard and Anthony each hit a pair of free throws. Dallas got the ball to Nowitzki and he drew another foul on Martin. K-Mart knew it was his sixth and went straight to the bench and took a seat, watching Nowitzki sink two more free throws with 8.3 seconds left.
Anthony's 3 gave the Nuggets hopes of another miracle finish, but they were out of tricks. Unable to steal the ball from Terry, they fouled him instead.
It was too late. Denver wasn't going to pull off the first four-game sweep in franchise history and Dallas avoided getting swept for the first time in a seven-game series.
The Mavs also lost the season series 0-4, but they knew they were getting closer. The margin went 14 to 12 to one, and, now, to two points in their favor.
"We've been fighting and fighting this whole series," said Howard, who had 21 points and 11 rebounds. "The win finally went our way. ... The end of Game 3 gave us a lot of willpower for this game."
Nowitzki, who also is dealing with off-court troubles involving a girlfriend, was 14-of-25. He made 16 of 17 free throws and grabbed 13 rebounds.
"There are very few guys I have been around in this league that are as strong-willed as him," Carlisle said.
Jason Kidd added 13 points, 10 rebounds and six assists.
Billups had 24 points and seven assists, and J.R. Smith had 19 points, including two terrific baskets with the shot clock about to expire in the fourth quarter.

Cleveland sweeps Atlanta 4-0 in East Semifinals

ATLANTA -- Like Michael Jordan, he knows there are times that call for dominating. Like Magic Johnson, he knows there are times that call for sharing the ball.

LeBron James went with his Magic impression in the deciding game of another playoff sweep.While failing to match his offensive explosion in Game 3, the league's MVP scored 27 points and got his teammates involved as the Cleveland Cavaliers finished off the Atlanta Hawks 84-74 Monday night to win the second-round series in four straight.
Delonte West and Mo Williams showed Cleveland isn't just a one-man squad, hitting huge shots down the stretch as the Cavaliers extended their NBA-record streak of double-digit playoff wins to eight in a row. Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Anderson Varejao pounded the boards, leading the Cavaliers to another big rebounding edge.
"I've got trust in every last one of our guys," James said.
Cleveland, which also swept Detroit in the opening round, will face either Boston or Orlando in the Eastern Conference finals.
No matter the opponent, the Cavaliers will be a lot more rested. The Celtics-Magic series is tied 2-2 and will last at least through Thursday, while the top seed heads back to Ohio to relax for a few days before opening the next round at home."We're glad to finish this series off," said Wally Szczerbiak, who chipped in with six points off the bench. "Now it's time to go get our rest and get ready for the next series. We have some bumps and bruises to heal from in this series."
So do the Hawks, but they've got all summer. Joe Johnson, Al Horford and Marvin Williams were all hobbled by injuries.
"It's hard to judge this team because we really weren't healthy in this series," said Atlanta coach Mike Woodson, whose team made the second round of the playoffs for the first time in a decade, just four seasons removed from a 13-69 debacle. "We have to get better personnel-wise, but I couldn't be more proud of the guys than I am. We made some major strides this season."
James wasn't in the mood to celebrate. For the Cavaliers, the only thing that will make this season complete is hoisting a trophy after the final game.
"Why should we celebrate?" James said. "We're playing for a championship. An advance is an advance. It doesn't matter if you win in four games or you win Game 7. We're happy that we're playing great basketball ... but we're not taking for granted what we're doing right now."
The Cavaliers became the second team to sweep the first two rounds of the playoffs since the NBA expanded the first round to best-of-seven in 2003. The Miami Heat started with sweeps of New Jersey and Washington in the 2005 playoffs before losing to Detroit in the Eastern finals.
After scoring 47 points in Game 3, James struggled with his jumper in this one. Still, he came through with the Cavaliers facing their first serious challenge of the playoffs.Midway through the fourth, James hit a towering 3-pointer with 6½ minutes to go, lingering at the arc to pose with his right hand extended toward the arena roof. He also converted a three-point play with 2:03 remaining, making the basket desppite getting hacked by Zaza Pachulia.
When the Hawks came at him with double- and triple-teams, James passed it off to West for an open 3 from the corner and, finally, found Mo Williams for a trey that finished off the Hawks with 52 second left. The Hawks called timeout, their only way to extend the season, but James hovered near the middle of the court, just staring at a fan in a garish green shirt and orange pants who'd been riding him all game.
As usual, James had the last word. He made only 9 of 22 from the field, but had eight rebounds and eight assists. Plus, he had some help from his teammates.
West scored 21 points, while Williams made four 3-pointers to account for his 12 points. Ilgauskas had 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Varejao seemed to get his hand on every miss, picking up seven of his 11 rebounds at the offensive end.
The Cavaliers had another dominating night on the boards, finishing with a 48-33 edge after doubling up the Hawks (46-23) two nights earlier.
"You know LeBron is going to be there, but you don't know who else is going to be there," Woodson moaned. "They've got weapons around LeBron."
West donned a pair of James' signature sneakers and showed he was worthy.
"You saw I had LeBrons on? It was the shoes," West joked.
Added James, "Delonte was awesome. He's our glue. When he gets into attack mode, when he gets into the lane, he's one of those guys who's sort of unguardable."
Josh Smith led Atlanta with 26 points, but the Hawks were doomed by a miserable shooting night -- 23 of 73 from the field to finish at 31.5 percent. Johnson added 18 points but made just 7 of 18 shots. Mike Bibby scored his only points on a 3-pointer in the final quarter. Flip Murray kept putting it up, but made only 4 of 15 for 14 points.
The Hawks actually led 22-15 after the opening period -- the first time they had been ahead of the Cavaliers after any quarter in any off the four games. The seven-point edge also matched Atlanta's biggest of the series.
But Atlanta squandered any momentum with a dismal offensive stretch to start the second quarter. The Hawks missed their first nine shots, finally hitting their first basket on Murray's drive more than 5 minutes into the period.
Still, the Cavaliers couldn't pull away, settling for just a 40-38 lead at the break.

Orlando takes 2-1 lead over Boston

The Orlando Magic had plenty of fight in them this time — even on their own bench.

Anthony Johnson, subbing for the suspended Rafer Alston, threw an elbow into Stan Van Gundy as the starting point guard and the coach jawed after Johnson committed a turnover.

Yes, this thing is getting physical.

Van Gundy and Johnson could both laugh about the bumping incident after the Magic recovered from an embarrassing loss to pound the Boston Celtics 117-96 in Game 3 of the second-round series Friday. Two days after a pitiful 112-94 loss to the reigning champs in Boston, the Magic stood their ground to take a 2-1 lead with an aggressiveness that carried through the team.

"That wasn't an animated discussion. A.J. was upset and I was upset," Van Gundy said, chuckling.

"It was in the heart of battle. I said something to him first. I have tremendous respect for A.J. He got us off to a great start."

Johnson said, "It was the heat of the moment. It was 100 percent my fault."

He said he had heard the doubters dismiss the Magic after Alston was suspended Thursday for slapping Celtics shooting guard Eddie House in the head late in Game 2.

"I've been considered an underdog, considered not good enough to lead. I had heard we had no chance," Johnson said.

"I enjoy proving people wrong."

Johnson finished with 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting and three assists. He set the tone with a dunk that belied his 34 years for the Magic's second basket.

He was a perfect 3-of-3 in the first quarter as the club shot 58.8 percent — just a warm-up for the franchise playoff-record 59.1 percent they would shoot against the vaunted Celtics' defense.

Before Van Gundy could put Johnson back in after their rhubarb at the end of the third quarter, the Magic were rolling with Hedo Turkoglu, who was playing the point and teaming with Rashard Lewis to put the finishing touches on the rout.

Johnson sat the entire fourth quarter, but Van Gundy said keeping A.J. on the bench had nothing to do with their dust-up — and everything to do with the Magic closing the door on the Celtics with the patchwork of point guards on the floor.

Shooting guards J.J. Redick and Courtney Lee — returning after missing three playoffs games because of sinus surgery — handled the ball.

Turkoglu, posing as a 6-foot-10 playmaker, scored 11 of his 24 points in the final period, hitting all three of his shots to turn back a typical Celtics' comeback.

Boston had whittled a 20-point third-quarter deficit to seven early in the fourth.

But then Turkoglu and Lewis combined for 22 points in Orlando's 29-16 run to go ahead by 20 again at 107-87 with three minutes, 50 seconds left, forcing Celtics Coach (and former Magic coach) Doc Rivers to send in his subs.

The Magic had to find some different ways to win this one — even outside Alston's absence.

They had to play most of the fourth quarter without foul-plagued Dwight Howard (17 points, 14 rebounds, five blocks).

He dominated most of the game but played just under 10 minutes of the second half — and only two minutes of the final quarter.

Lee, wearing a protective mask, had an impact, scoring 11 points and adding four rebounds.

The Magic held the Celtics to 43 percent shooting and shoved back. It looked like a hockey game broke out in the third when Magic shooting guard Mickael Pietrus was elbowed in the face by Kendrick Perkins. Perkins received a Flagrant One foul.

Eddie House started barking with various Magic players as tempers flared, bringing Van Gundy and Rivers onto the floor to act as peacemakers.

"We had one bad game, and as far as having any fight in us," Johnson said,

"I think we showed that we're in a position to put a stranglehold on the series."

Lakers lead Rockets series at 2-1

Down a player, weary from a brutal Game 2, on the road in a tougher-than-expected Western Conference semifinal series, the Lakers responded the only way they knew how.
The Lakers showed resolve, taking back home-court advantage they had given up with a Game 1 loss at Staples Center by pulling out a 108-94 victory over the Houston Rockets in Game 3 of the best-of-seven series Friday night at the Toyota Center.It took a strong defensive effort and it took all five starters to score in double figures for the Lakers to win and take a 2-1 lead in the series.

Game 4 will be here Sunday, giving the Lakers another opportunity to push their lead in the series and push their winning streak to three in a row over the Rockets here this season, including two regular-season victories.

Kobe Bryant led the Lakers, scoring 33 points and grabbing six rebounds.Bryant moved past Larry Bird for sixth place on the NBA's all-time playoff scoring list with 3,928 points.

Jordan Farmar started at point guard in place of Derek Fisher, who was suspended one game for striking Houston's Luis Scola during Game 2 Wednesday night at Staples Center. Fisher will play in Game 4.

Farmar had 12 points, seven assists, five rebounds, two steals, one blocked shot and only one turnover in 33 minutes.

Lamar Odom had a double-double with 16 points and 13 rebounds.

Ron Artest led the Rockets with 25 points, but he was 10 for 23 from the field.

Yao Ming had 19 points and 14 rebounds.

There was a moment when the game could have turned ugly, but cooler heads prevailed.

Von Wafer pumped faked Sasha Vujacic while shooting a three-pointer, forcing Vujacic to come down on his head and knocking Wafer to the court.

Both teams ran over to make sure nothing broke out, and it didn't.

Referee Steve Javie looked at the replay to make sure Wafer was behind the three-point line.

Wafer was, giving him three free throws, of which he made all of them to pull the Rockets to within 10 points early in the fourth.

There were 43.6 seconds left when the game turn somewhat ugly.

Artest was called for a flagrant foul-2 for a hard foul on Pau Gasol as he was going in for a layup.

Artest pleaded his case, but he was ejected from the game.The Lakers picked up their defensive play in the third quarter, making the Rockets work hard for their points.

But the highlight of the third was Bryant drilling a 33-foot three-pointer over Ron Artest, the ball settling into the net as time expired, giving the Lakers a 74-62 lead entering the fourth quarter.Bryant, who had 21 points through three quarters, stood at half court and posed.

The Lakers held the Rockets to 14 points in the third quarter.

There was Farmar, who started in place of the suspended Derek Fisher, stealing the ball from Aaron Brooks and coininually keeping the quick point guard from penetrating. There was Trevor Ariza taking a charge on Artest, who tried to bull his way to the basket.

By the halfway point of the third quarter, the Lakers had extended their two-point halftime lead to 62-54, forcing the Rockets to call a timeout.

The Lakers opened the quarter making four of seven shots, two of four three-pointers.

A quick burst by the Lakers at the end of the second quarter helped them open a 50-48 lead at halftime over the Rockets.

The Lakers trailed by one point, but two free throws by Jordan Farmar and a jumper and three-pointer by Luke Walton pushed the Lakers ahead by four points, 50-46.

Yao Ming, who had 14 points and six rebounds in the first half, tipped in a basket to pull the Rockets to within two points at halftime.

With 9:29 left in the second quarter, Lamar Odom was hit with his second foul for charging into Kyle Lowry. Odom was forced to take a seat on the bench.

Odom picked up his third foul with 5:25 left in the half for going over the back of Carl Landry. Odom stood stoned faced along the baseline under the basket.

The first technical foul of the game was called against Walton midway through the second quarter for kicking the basketball.

Lakers Coach Phil Jackson leaped out of his seat and asked referee Sean Corbin why Walton was called for a technical.

"He kicked the ball," Corbin responded.

Walton had just knocked down Lowry trying to get a steal. He then innocently kicked the basketball and was shocked when the technical was called.

Farmar walked up to the scorer's table, put some rosin powder on his hands, smiled and announced: "I'm back, baby."

Pacquiao-Hatton ppv a hit

The Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton showdown is now a certified pay-per-view monster hit.
Exceeding everyone’s expectations, the fight—which Pacquiao won by knockout late in the second round to wrest Hatton’s International Boxing Organization light welterweight crown—drew anywhere from 1.6 million to 2 million PPV buys, according to the USA Today newspaper.

The fight’s co-promoter, Bob Arum of Top Rank, had earlier projected sales of about 800,000 due to the world financial crisis.

Initial sales reports from cable firms, however, indicated that PPV buys was already over the 1.6 million mark, which would make the Pacquiao-Hatton duel the fourth biggest ever in boxing annals.

The Oscar De La Hoya-Floyd Mayweather Jr. battle in 2007 remains the all-time PPV top draw with 2.4 million buys.

It was followed by the Holyfield-Tyson II with 1.99 million buys and the Lennox Lewis-Tyson in 2002 with 1.95 million.

If the Pacquiao-Hatton bout indeed breached 1.6 million buys, it would break the PPV records of both fighters.

The Pacquiao-De La Hoya tussle netted 1.25 million buys while the Hatton-Mayweather battle drew 915,000.

While the Pacquiao-De La Hoya clash attracted a live gate of just 15,000, the Pacquiao-Hatton tiff drew 16,262 fans to the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Meanwhile, unbeaten Venezuelan knockout artist Edwin Valero has urged Arum to include him on the list of Pacquiao’s probable next opponents.

Valero, the WBC lightweight champ with a 25-0 card, all by knockout, said he’s willing to move up in weight to fight Pacquiao.

Junior middleweight prospect Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. also wants his name on the roster that already includes Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley and the winner of the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Juan Manuel Marquez fight in July.

Arum said he will consult Pacquiao and chief trainer Freddie Roach as to who will be the next opponent of the reigning pound-for-pound king.

In a related development, Hatton told The Sun newspaper that he was absolutely devastated by the one-sided beating he absorbed from Pacquiao.

“My head is in bits,” Hatton said. “I don’t think I could cry anymore after the Floyd Mayweather Jr. loss, but I certainly have.”

Paeng Nepomuceno sets new record

SIX-TIME world champion Paeng Nepomuceno established a new national record for a four-game series Wednesday at the 41st Manila Tenpin Bowling Association championships at Bowling Inn on Taft Avenue.Nepomuceno rolled 12 consecutive strikes for a perfect 300 game right in his first game during the singles qualifying.

He rolled 11 straight strikes in his next game—almost a perfect game—for 299, before scoring 268 and 256 for a new national record of 1123 and a scintillating 280.75 average.

Representing PBC and Nutrilite, Nepomuceno erased the previous record of 1103 set in 1994 by Marcus Reyes.

Nepomuceno rolled 23 successive strikes in the first two games only to be stopped by a stubborn 7 pin.

“I am happy that at 52, I am still competitive,” said the only four-time World Cup champion. “I surprised myself with the way I bowled yesterday and am happy I did it in a Philippine Bowling Congress Open tournament.”

Nepomuceno, a USBC (United States Bowling Congress) International Ambassador for bowling, was honored by the Guinness World Records for the third time a few months ago for having the most career world titles at 118.

Paeng was also named FIQ Bowling Athlete of the Millennium.

Already an international bowling hall of famer, he was honored on April 19 in Barnsley, England, with the World Bowling Writers Mort Luby Jr. Distinguished Service award for his lifetime contribution to the sport.

Manny Pacquiao is home

Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao defied a raging typhoon and a World Health Organization (WHO) advisory amidst a global virus scare, and arrived home Friday morning to a warm welcome.
Pacquiao arrived at 6:38 a.m. on board Philippine Airlines Flight PR 103 from Los Angeles.

Clad in a white suit, he was escorted by his wife Jinkee, and the rest of Team Pacquiao, including Bernabe Concepcion who won in an undercard fight before Pacquiao’s title bout with Ricky Hatton in Las Vegas.

Sons Michael and Jemuel, and daughter Princess were present at the airport to welcome their father.

Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Lito Atienza and his son Ali were also there to greet the boxing champ.

About 20 airport police K9s and a “light reaction unit” were deployed at the international arrival area, according to Manila International Airport Authority assistant general manager Tirso Serrano.

Pacquiao and his entourage passed through the airport’s thermal scanners and were screened by doctors from the Bureau of Quarantine of the Department of Health (DOH).

In his arrival statement, Pacquiao said: “Maraming salamat sa inyo, taas noo tayong mga Pilipino kahit saan sulok ng mundo [Thanks to you, we are proud to be Filipinos wherever we go],” addressing hordes of media upon his arrival.

Speculations have been circulating that Pacquiao plans to run for congressman in his hometown of General Santos City after the Commission on Elections early Thursday accredited the boxing icon's local political party, People's Champ Movement (PCM), which is expected to bolster his political ambitions in next year's elections.

Asked by a reporter about his political plans, Pacquiao answered: “Ayaw ko muna pag-usapan ang politika [Let’s not talk about politics first].”

He then gave recognition to the victory of Bernabe Concepcion in the undercard.

“Salubungin din natin ng masigabong palakpakan si Bernabe. Alam nyo hindi lang ako ang nagbigay ng karangalan sa ating bansa pero yung mga undercard din katulad ni Bernabe [Let’s also give a big hand to Bernabe. It was not only I who gave honor to our country but also those in the undercard like Bernabe].”

When asked why he decided to return early despite recommendations of the WHO and the DOH, Pacquiao said: “Mas lalong makakasama kung mag-stay ako doon. Mas safe kung uuwi ako dito sa Pilipinas [It will be worse if I stayed there. I feel a lot safer here].”

“I feel so happy that I’m home now with my family,” Pacquiao added.

Atienza said Pacquiao would check in at the Renaissance Hotel in Makati City to rest before heading for Quiapo Church around 10 a.m. to hear mass.

In the afternoon, Pacquiao will attend a special event honoring him organized by television network GMA 7 at SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City.

Due to Typhoon Emong, a victory motorcade and a courtesy call in Malacañang have been moved to Monday, subject to Pacquiao's approval, according to Atienza.

Upon the recommendation of the WHO, Malacañang on Wednesday requested Pacquiao to reset his flight back home for Monday, considering that he and his entourage would be coming from Los Angeles.

The WHO had recorded a “third-generation, human-to-human transmission” of the A(H1N1) virus in the area.

But since Pacquiao has decided to return, he and his team should exercise “self-quarantine” for at least five days, according to the WHO, whose advice was sought by the DOH on how to handle the returning Pacquiao and his legion of adoring fans.

Atienza said the DOH advisory was “ill-advised”, although he noted he and Health Secretary Francisco Duque III were friends.

“Di ko matanggap na patitigilin pa siya sa LA (Los Angeles) at langhapin ang virus. Sabi ni Manny ‘bakit hindi ako pauuwiin, baka mahawa pa ko dito’ [I cannot accept that he (Manny) should stay in Los Angeles any longer. Manny himself said he may contract the virus there],” Atienza said.

Cleveland cruise to 2-0 against Atlanta

CLEVELAND -- Healthy and rested, the Atlanta Hawks were going to have a hard time dealing with the Cavaliers. Down three starters, they don't have a fair chance.
The Hawks started Game 2 of the conference semifinals Thursday night missing two starters and then lost their All-Star before the game was over. No team can truthfully withstand such carnage. Throw in playing the Cavs in their building when they're clicking and the situation can become just gruesome.

That pretty much sums up the events on Thursday as the Cavs staked themselves to a 2-0 series lead with a understandably easy 105-85 victory.

LeBron James scored 27 points, including another one of those buzzer-beating 40-footers at the end of the first half. Mo Williams and Delonte West combined for 29 points to lead the effort. Wally Szczerbiak supplemented the attack with 17 points off the bench.

"We don't go into a game and say 'let's win by 20,'" James said. "We say 'let's execute and take one possession at a time and get better. If it causes us to win by 20 or by two, we're ready."

The Hawks deactivated forward Marvin Williams (wrist) and center Al Horford (ankle) before the game after both struggled in Game 1. Then Joe Johnson, who the Hawks were counting on to have a big game to have any chance, suffered what appeared to be a nasty right ankle sprain in the third quarter.

Johnson's availability for the rest of the series is now in considerable doubt, as he was wheeled to the X-ray room following the injury. The Hawks called Johnson, who had 10 points on 5-of-15 shooting before going down, doubtful for Saturday's Game 3 in Atlanta. But by the looks of it, it may well stretch longer than that.

Not that the Cavs will be holding a pity party.

"[Hawks coach] Mike Woodson is a nice guy, maybe in the summertime we may see each other and may have a bite to eat," Cavs coach Mike Brown said. "He's got to take care of his own problems."

The Cavs, however, did not totally escape the bug that seemed to be going around The Q. In the third quarter, West was poked in the right eye by Hawks' one-man wrecking crew Zaza Pachulia, who has already broken Sasha Pavlovic's nose and given a concussion to Jermaine O'Neal of the Heat in this postseason. West went down immediately and spent the rest of the game getting treatment. West seemed OK after the game and James said he told his teammates he'd be ready for Game 3, though he'll be getting some tests on Friday.

The Cavs also lost reserve guard Tarence Kinsey to a right ankle sprain in the fourth quarter. He is considered day-to-day, but is coming off a right ankle sprain that cost him a month earlier in the season.

So now that the M*A*S*H* report is complete, on to the game -- what there was of it. The Hawks simply couldn't compete in their tattered state and their attitude showed it.

The Cavs dominated virtually every facet and built the lead to as much as 36 points before the front line took the fourth quarter off.

If there was any strategy difference from Game 1 it was subtle and ineffective for Atlanta, who shifted some more defenders to James' side of the floor but still could not keep him from getting to the rim. James drew six shooting fouls as the Hawks slapped at him when they repeatedly fell out of position.

James missed six of the free throws, otherwise it would have been a third straight 30-point playoff game. That was about his only blemish on the night.

The way the game went could be summed up in three James' baskets.

• In the final seconds of the first quarter he was matched up with Hawks forward Solomon Jones, pressed into service due to the injuries. He shook Jones with a move and cruised to the basket for a dunk as Jones stood and watched.

• In the final seconds of the first half, James executed a step-back jumper from just inside 40 feet that splashed in at the buzzer to put the Cavs up 24 points. As he stood there swinging his arms back and forth like a kid at recess, the ball smacked Pachulia in the head for one last little insult.

• Then in the third quarter, after James had viciously swatted Josh Smith at the defensive end, he shook his defender and went flying to the rim for another dunk. Smith, who had just picked up a technical foul for arguing a non-call on James' block, stood and watched James sweep past him without any effort.

The Hawks just seemed that beaten. They managed just 35 percent shooting and allowed the Cavs to beat them at their favored transition game, giving up 20 points off turnovers.

"Even if were 100 percent," said Maurice Evans, who led the Hawks with 16 points, "if we gave the effort we did tonight it would not have made much difference."

Lakers tied the series with Houston in a rough game

The Lakers finally checked into their playoff series with the Houston Rockets, carrying several intriguing elements with them, including the one of greatest importance -- an attitude.When the final technical foul had been assessed, and all the ejections sorted out, the Lakers had beaten back the Rockets, 111-98, evening up their best-of-seven series at 1-1.

Kobe Bryant had 40 points, Pau Gasol added 22 and 14 rebounds, and the Lakers stood up to the Rockets on Wednesday at Staples Center, displaying a swagger and toughness that had been noticeably lacking in their first six playoff games.

Games 3 and 4 are Friday and Sunday in Houston.

It had been an unsettling 48 hours for the Lakers, who might or might not have seen media members debating on various TV shows whether it was "panic time" or "cause for concern" in this series.

And that was after only one game.

On one hand, the Lakers lost another large lead in Game 2, squandering a 15-point first-quarter lead to find themselves tied at halftime.

On the other hand, there was the presence of a drive, perhaps even an anger, that had eluded them in the playoffs.

Near the end of the third quarter, Lamar Odom was fouled by Luis Scola, said a few words to the Rockets forward and walked away. Luke Walton then jumped in and went face-to-face with Scola until their, uh, conversation was broken up by referees.

On the Rockets' next possession, Derek Fisher was ejected for throwing an elbow as Scola came to set a screen on him near the top of the key.

Fisher was called for a flagrant foul "two" and ejected from the game. The league will review the incident today and determine if Fisher will be suspended for Game 3.

The Lakers led at the time, 86-75, with 13.2 seconds left in the third quarter.

Fisher said he should not have been ejected and hoped he would not be suspended for Game 3. He also said that Houston's big men had been setting tougher-than-usual screens.

"He, Yao and [Carl] Landry . . . for some reason they get to tee off on the little guys up there when they're coming to set screens," Fisher said. "I knew he was coming. I was going to give a good, hard foul, with no intent to harm or injure anyone."

Houston wasn't without its share of conflict.

Reserve guard Von Wafer was kicked off the bench in the third quarter by Rockets Coach Rick Adelman and sent to the locker room for talking back to Adelman. Wafer, originally drafted by the Lakers in 2005, had seven points when he left the game.

Then, with 6:57 to play, Rockets forward Ron Artest was called for an over-the-back foul, complained to the referee and ran across the court to Bryant, getting in the face of the Lakers guard. Artest was angry that Bryant elbowed him while the two were jostling underneath the basket.

After the two were separated, Artest pointed at Bryant and then pointed at his own throat, indicating where the blow had landed.

Artest, like Fisher, was kicked out of the game. He had 25 points.NBA disciplinarian Stu Jackson, who happened to be in attendance, will undoubtedly have a busy day today.

There were surprises long before the night began, Odom replacing Andrew Bynum in the starting lineup, a move made because of "the way the team's playing," Jackson said.

Pau Gasol moved to center to guard Houston's Yao Ming, and it looked like the right move right away.

Gasol led a fastbreak after a long rebound and bounced the ball to Trevor Ariza for a dunk, one of many highlights in a first quarter that ended with Bryant's 22-foot fadeaway providing a 39-25 lead.

Earlier Wednesday, Bryant was selected to his ninth All-Defensive team, and Fisher, Gasol and Ariza got votes as well.

Said Jackson: "I congratulated the guys that were named, four from our team, and told them, 'Let's play some defense.' "

It didn't happen in the second quarter as the Lakers lost a 15-point lead and earned a 57-57 tie only when Bryant made a three-pointer from the right corner with 4.5 seconds left until halftime.

Yao left after picking up his third foul near the midpoint of the second quarter . . . and Houston actually made a substantial run.

Using a small lineup that featured six-foot guards Aaron Brooks and Kyle Lowry, the Rockets turned a 48-39 deficit with 6:24 left in the quarter into a 57-53 lead.

But Bryant carried the Lakers in the second half, scoring 20 points as the Lakers outscored Houston, 54-41.

Missing the real People's Champ

I miss the real People’s Champ.
As Filipinos go gaga over Manny Pacquiao, I suddenly miss my favorite sports hero since I was a boy.
I was only 10 years old when Muhamad Ali beat George Foreman on Sept. 30, 1974. Foreman was my favorite then, all because I hated Ali’s braggadocio.

Little did I know that in the few months to come I would become a fan of Ali and fall in love with him. Ali was funny; he made his most dangerous fights seemingly worry-free by his comic antics in the ring. And yet his confidence actually worried his legions of fans, all the more because Ali, for all his physical strength, evoked some kind of vulnerability.

First, his punching power was underrated, even though he knocked out Foreman, Sonny Liston and many others besides. Second, he did not have a killer’s instinct; he himself said this in a television interview in the 1960s. Third, he had this tendency to take pity on his opponents such that he would not knock them out even if he could.

Of course, he had superlative skills: he had the fastest hands and feet not only for a heavyweight—many a lightweight boxer at the time would marvel at his speed. He could be rightly called the fastest boxer of all weights. Besides, he could evade punches by a simple move of the head to the right or to the left, or back. And he was one of the very few boxers who could throw punches while retreating.

And yet all this is not the reason I came to admire him. I came to admire him for his outspokenness on the human rights of blacks and other minorities in America. I came to admire him for his principles; for opposing the Vietnam war, as a result of which, he was stripped of his title in 1967 and was not allowed to box for three years up to 1970. During which he lost nearly all his earnings and became one of the most hated men in America. But look at what happened: Ali’s conviction was overturned by the US Supreme Court in 1970. And Ali is now a veritable icon these days.

In contrast, the boxers and other sports heroes that came after him were only concerned about becoming rich and thus kept quiet on social issues. I would not name names, but they would include some very prominent NBA basketball players since the 1980s.

So far, Pacquiao has shown his ignorance of social issues, and thinks he can enter politics by means of popularity and money. Therefore, here in our country, and at present, even as we are all excited about Pacquiao, let us not forget the intelligence and courage that Ali showed inside and outside the ring. That made him the true people’s champ of the world.

—JAIME ESCOBER JR.,
Block 16 Lot 49 Sugartown Homes,
Barangay Batasan Hills,
Quezon City

Manny coming home despite WHO's and DOH's advisories

MANILA, Philippines -- World boxing champion Manny Pacquiao and his entourage will be back in Manila Friday as scheduled, contrary to the advice of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Department of Health (DOH).

In a phone patched interview, Pacquiao, who beat Ricky Hatton for the light welterweight crown in Las Vegas, Nevada over the weekend, said he was on his way to the airport.

Pacquiao, now considered a boxing legend after his masterful defeat of Hatton whom he knocked out in the second round, was advised by the Philippine government to postpone his return until he and his team could be declared safe from the swine flu virus that has spread worldwide.

Celebrations in Manila, including a courtesy call to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, have been cancelled.

One person was found to have been infected with the deadly strain in Texas, prompting authorities here to request Pacquiao to extend his stay in the US.

Over 100 people were reported to have been infected worldwide.