Basketball: RP team succumbs to Lebanon

NATIONALS LOSE ANEW TO LEBANON

TAIPEI - The halftime music in the Powerade Team Pilipinas-Lebanon game -
the Eagles' "Take It Easy" - turned out to be a plea for mercy that echoed
before Fadi El-Khatib and company lowered the boom in the fourth quarter.

El-Khatib, the Lebanese leader, finished with 14 points and rode the
backseat to Dallas-born Brian Feghali and naturalized player Jackson Vroman
as Lebanon drubbed the Nationals, 95-83, Wednesday in the 31st William Jones
Cup tournament at the Hsinchuang gym here.

Feghali, who played three years for Louisiana State in the US NCAA, led
Lebanon with 29 points, including five 3-pointers, and 10 rebounds, while
Vroman, the replacement for Joseph Vogel, added 24 points with seven
rebounds, four assists, and five steals.

The Philippines outrebounded the Lebanese, 36-28, but turned the ball over
on 27 occasions, 12 more than the opposition.

"We just beat ourselves, and too many fouls were called on us," said
national coach Yeng Guiao, noting the RP team was awarded 15 free throws and
the Lebanese 32.

Flexing it muscle on the rare occasions it needed to, Lebanon moved up to
solo second behind unbeaten Jordan (4-0).

Three other teams - Iran, South Korea and host Taiwan - are tied at third to
fifth with 3-1 slates.

After dropping their first two games and beating Kazakhstan, the Nationals
lost their next two, falling to 1-4 just above Taiwan-B (1-5) and the
winless Kazakhs (0-5).

The RP team trailed 50-35 late in the second quarter on the strength of
Brian Feghali's outside shooting before James Yap closed out the first half
with seven straight points.

Behind Kerby Raymundo, the Nationals came back to narrow the gap at 59-57
midway in the third quarter before the veteran El-Khatib drained a
three-point shot to spark a 15-5 Lebanon run to end the RP uprising.

Four more games remain in the country's schedule, with South Korea, a
groupmate in the 25th FIBA Asia Men's Championship in Tianjin, China next
month, up next this Thursday.

In an earlier game, Jordan (4-0) kept an unblemished slate intact by
crushing previously unbeaten South Korea, 83-67, as Rasheim Wright scored 21
points and the defense forced the usually accurate Korean snipers (3-1) to
miss 20 three-point shots.

Before that, Iran (3-1), powered by 7-foot-3 Hamed Ehadadi, who had 18
points and 11 rebounds, routed Japan (1-3), 82-70, and later, Taiwan-B upset
Kazakhstan, 82-69, picking up its first win while handing the Kazakhs their
fifth straight setback.

The scores:

LEBANON 95 - Feghali 29, Vroman 24, El-Khatib 14, Fahed 11, Nour 9, Mahmoud
4, Turk 3, Kanaan 1.

POWERADE-RP 83 - Helterbrand 12, Raymundo 11, Yap 11, Pennisi 9, Santos 7,
Norwood 7, Aguilar 6, Baguio 4, Thoss 3, Taulava 3.

Quarterscores: 30-19; 50-42; 78-66; 95-73

Basketball: Japan beats RP Team

Japan edged out Powerade-Pilipinas in a William Jones Cup game that both teams played at half-throttle, but national coach Yeng Guiao believed there were valuable lessons gained from the defeat.

“Our emphasis before the game was to learn as much as we can from the Japanese,” Guiao said after an 87-85 loss to Japan which dug itself out from a 19-point hole at the Hsinchuang Gymnasium here.

“We know deep in our hearts that we can beat them,” he added. “There were just lapses on our part, some mental mistakes.

“But we can handle them come (Tianjin) China,” Guiao assured Filipino scribes, referring to the Fiba Asia world championship qualifier where Japan, South Korea and Sri Lanka are bracketed in the same group with the Philippines.

Japan also tried to conceal some of its aces during the game, but went all out in the stretch by unleashing its veterans and dealing the Philippines its third loss in four outings in this nine-team event.

The Japanese (1-2) drew 24 points and eight rebounds from 6-foot-10 center Kosuke Takeuchi, and 12 points, two assists and two blocks from guard Shin Kashiwagi, who rejected Jayjay Helterbrand’s potential game-winning triple try at the buzzer.

Japeth Aguilar shot 17 points and had seven rebounds in sustaining his improved play. His excellent form made him a shoo-in for the final 12-man roster for Tianjin which Guiao, consultant Jong Uichico and the rest of the coaching staff were deciding on Tuesday night.

Guiao declined to identify the two players who will be cut at the end of this tournament. The Philippines hopes to submit the team’s final roster the end of office hours today, the deadline set by the Fiba.

The Philippines made 9 of 26 attempts from the three-point arc as Willie Miller, again starting out at the point, finished with 14 markers and five rebounds.

James Yap hit a triple with 4:45 left in the second period to give the Filipinos their biggest lead of the game, 36-17.

Japan, however, pruned this down to four points at the end of the half as Guiao tried different combinations and the enemy began to connect from the field.

A three-point play by Kei Iragashi off Kerby Raymundo with 7.3 seconds left gave the Japanese an 86-82 lead, which Jared Dillinger cut down with a trey from way out with 4.8 seconds left, 86-85.

Kashiwagi then split his free throws off a Helterbrand foul with four ticks left for what turned out to be the final score. But Helterbrand, after bouncing the ball off the back of Kashiwagi, went for a triple but got rejected.

Lebanon, meanwhile, welcomed Jackson Vroman to the lineup but did not suit up Fadi El-Khatib in a 77-73 decision of Kazakhstan in an earlier game marred by lousy officiating.

The scores:
JAPAN 87—Takeuchi 24, Kashiwagi 12, Takeda 9, Ishizaki 9, Sakurai 7, Orimo 7, Amino 7, Igarashi 5, Ito 4, Okada 3.

POWERADE-PILIPINAS 85—Aguilar 17, Miller 14, Santos 10, Dillinger 8, Thoss 8, Raymundo 5, Yap 5, De Ocampo 5, Norwood 5, Baguio 4, Taulava 2, Helterbrand 2.
Quarters: 12-27, 36-40, 61-61, 87-85

Golf: Singh boosted by Watson heroics

Vijay Singh believes Tom Watson's showing at the Open can be an inspiration to him and his fellow 40-something golfers.

Singh, 46, has won 22 tournaments since his 40th birthday, more than anyone else in PGA Tour history, but even he was impressed by Watson's runner-up finish at Turnberry on Sunday when the 59-year-old lost a four-hole play-off to fellow American Stewart Cink.

Speaking ahead of his World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational title defence in Akron, Ohio, in two weeks, Fijian Singh was asked if Watson's performance had been inspirational to over 40s.

"Yes, definitely. People are still talking about Tom Watson, I've had more questions about his age and (how that) makes us old guys look great," Singh said.

"I said, 'hang on a second, I'm not that old'.

"But it does. It does give me a lot more inspiration. It would have been great if he had won, but what he did is just incredible. It shows how good of a player he is, and really, that age doesn't really matter.

"If you're healthy and you're fit and your golf game is good, you can play for as long as you want to play, and that gives me a lot more confidence.

"Just like when Tom won the TPC at the age of 48, 47, that shows that you are healthy and that if you can play with the boys, why not?

"That's the kind of feeling that I have, and I think that I can last out here as long as my mind says 'go ahead and do it'."

Singh, with 56 total career wins worldwide, became the oldest player to win a WGC event last August when he held off Lee Westwood, Stuart Appleby and Phil Mickelson with a final-round 68 at Firestone Country Club to land the Bridgestone Invitational.

The victory was his first of 2008 and it served as the springboard for the rest of the campaign as he moved into the PGA Tour's FedExCup play-offs, won two of the four events and captured the FedExCup itself.

After a below-par 2009 to date, with three top-10 finishes from 17 starts, the world number 11 is hoping for a similar kickstart when he returns to Firestone in two weeks.

"I'm really disappointed this year, but I came out of February well, and I just started playing a little too soon and it kind of put me back quite a bit," Singh said.

"Instead of taking two months off, I took a month and a half off, and going to the range created a lot of bad habits for my golf swing. And it took two or three months to get out of it because every time you get out of something, you develop something new.

"But, it was the first time in a long time that I won so late in the season (at the Bridgestone), and that gives me a lot of confidence going back there.

"I'm feeling really confident about the golf course. My golf game is coming around. I just can't wait.

"I have two weeks to practice, and I can't wait to get out there and do it again. So it will be great and I hope it will be the place where it started out."

Ateneo dominates in UAAP, beats UST

Update: Full Story
MANILA, Philippines - Ateneo's main man spent more time riding the bench, but the Blue Eagles still proved unstoppable, rolling past the University of Santo Tomas Tigers, 93-77, yesterday to grab the solo UAAP men’s basketball lead at the PhilSports Arena.

A bristling shooting performance starring the 5-foot-6 Emman Monfort carried the Blue Eagles to their third straight triumph despite reigning MVP Rabeh Al-Hussaini riding the bench due to early foul trouble.

Monfort, who was cut from the team last year, unloaded 18 points from three-point range to finish with a career-high 20.

“It’s a blessing for us that he’s (Monfort) here,” said Ateneo coach Norman Black. “With Chris Tiu not here anymore, obviously teams are trying to grab Rabeh a lot more. I think right now nobody really respected the game of Emman because nobody really knows him and forgot about him.”

“Every shot I took was open, maybe it’s also a lapse on [UST’s] defense,” said Monfort, the first player coming off the bench this season to lead his team in scoring.

Earlier, the University of the East veterans helped avert another meltdown and the Warriors flogged the National U Bulldogs, 73-59.

“We were able to recover,” said coach Lawrence Chongson, three days after the Warriors blew a 17-point advantage in their 72-57 loss to the Eagles.

Pari Llagas buried nine of his 16 points in the third quarter while Paul Lee collected 14 points, six boards and seven assists for the Warriors, who now share second place with the Tigers at 2-1.

The Eagles outscored the Tigers in a 15-5 run that included three Monfort triples that jacked up Ateneo’s lead from 37-27 to 52-32 late in the second period.

“We’ve done a better job shooting threes this year,” said Black.

Eric Salamat and Ryan Buenafe added 14 points apiece for the Eagles. Al Hussaini, who picked up two fouls right in the first quarter, finished with 13 markers after averaging 22.5 points in the Eagles’ back-to-back victories against preseason favorite Far Eastern University and UE.

In women’s play, the University of the Philippines nipped Ateneo, 48-47, and UST thumped National U, 61-50.

The scores:
First Game
UE 73—Llagas 16, Lee 14, Lingganay 12, Acuña 12, Espiritu 11, Reyes 4, Zamar 2, Duean 2, Tagarda 0.

NU 59—Baloran 19, Ponferrada 11, Hermosisima 11, Malanday 8, Singh 5, Cabaluna 5, Terso 0, Manito 0, Magat 0, Luy 0, Batac 0.
Quarters: 15-18, 36-31, 61-47, 73-59

Second Game
ATENEO 93—Monfort 20, Salamat 14, Buenafe 14, Al-Hussaini 13, Salva 8, Tiongson 7, Long 7, Bacalo 4, Golla 2, De Chavez 2, Chua 2, Sumalinog 0, Reyes 0, Gonzaga 0, Burke 0, Austria 0.

UST 77—Maliksi 20, Ababou 17, Mirza 13, Teng 6, Bautista 6, Afuang 5, Mariano 4, Green 2, Fortuna 2, Camus 2, Ungria 0, Felix 0, Cam 0.
Quarters: 30-21, 52-35, 68-49, 93-77

U.S. begins search for next Olympic team

Even as confident as Jerry Colangelo is that the United States will retain
most of the core of its gold-medal Olympic team, the USA Basketball chairman
concedes this week's minicamp will be important for helping identify the
program's next wave of talent.

Colangelo told Yahoo! Sports in a recent interview he still expects most of
the roster from last summer's Beijing Olympics to return for the 2010 World
Championships and the 2012 Olympics. Among the players he expects to return
are: Kobe Bryant , LeBron James , Dwyane Wade , Dwight Howard , Chris Paul ,
Carmelo Anthony , Chris Bosh and Deron Williams .

Even so, fatigue, free agency and injury could end up changing a star's mind
next summer.

"Generally speaking, you can expect turnover and there should be," Colangelo
said. "That's part of the pipeline. But a number of them say they want to
come back.

"I haven't talked to them lately. But I talked to them all during All-Star
break [in Phoenix] and laid out a plan. If it's my decision, I want them for
two years, 2010 and 2012. 'What do you think? How do you feel?' They all
said, 'Let's do it.' The World Championships are held in high esteem. The
guys who played in Japan [in the 2008 World Championships] still remember
losing to Greece. It's not like we're starting from scratch."

One major challenge for USA Basketball is keeping its stars interested after
last summer's success. Wade, Anthony and James have played for the national
team since the 2004 Athens Olympics. Bryant will be 32 years old during the
World Championships next year in Turkey.

Colangelo, however, has several reasons to believe the U.S. stars will live
up to their word. One is that many of those players appear to have
thoroughly loved the rare experience to be teammates and would hate to miss
out on another opportunity to make more history. They also won't be lacking
for a challenge: The United States hasn't won the World Championships since
1994.

"I will only be 27 years old," Anthony said during the 2008 Olympics. "I
want all the gold medals I can get throughout my career."

The opportunity to play in the 2012 Olympics in London is an easy recruiting
pitch. But will those same players show similar enthusiasm for a long trip
to Turkey and the Worlds' lengthy 24-team tournament? Colangelo has been
trying to sell to his stars that some nations consider the World
Championships to be a more prestigious event than the Olympics.

"We have some unfinished business," Colangelo said. "That's the theme. Let's
take care of that with the next step being the Olympics. It's one thing to
get to the Olympics; it's another to defend it. We're taking it one step at
a time."

U.S. head coach Mike Krzyzewski and his assistant coaching staff of Mike
D'Antoni, Nate McMillan and Jim Boeheim have already committed to return.
USA Basketball is expected to make the announcement during a news conference
this week in Las Vegas.

"If it's not broke, don't fix it," Colangelo said. "There is a good thing in
place. You don't want to make change."

A Chicago native, Colangelo also is on the committee to try to bring the
2016 Olympics to the Windy City. He can envision some of the younger players
from last summer's gold-medal team competing seven years from now. But even
if most of the veteran U.S. stars return for the 2012 London Games, there
will be at least four new players on the roster. Oklahoma City Thunder
forward Kevin Durant is expected to be a lock. Portland Trail Blazers guard
Brandon Roy , who isn't expected to participate in the minicamp, Chicago
Bulls point guard Derrick Rose , Indiana Pacers forward Danny Granger and
Los Angeles Clippers rookie forward Blake Griffin should be also among the
top candidates competing for roster spots.

"The talent will be outstanding," Colangelo said. " . I'm excited to see
them work together with one another."

NBA: Rubio's buyout could be softened by endorsements

MINNEAPOLIS (AP)-When Matt Delzell takes a look at Ricky Rubio through his
sports marketer's glasses, all he sees are dollar signs.

"He's young. He's Spanish. He's a good-looking kid," said Delzell, a
director for Los Angeles-based Davie Brown Talent, one of the largest talent
buyers in the United States. "There is a lot of hype and buzz that is
already around him."

"Buzz" is that most fickle, slippery of qualities that is harder to get a
grip on than one of the point guard's no-look passes. But Delzell said that
intangible quality, combined with a flashy style of play, a baby face and a
shaggy 'do that is en vogue with young people make the 18-year-old Rubio a
highly marketable commodity in the endorsement world.

That's icing on the cake for most big-time athletes. But for Rubio, who is
facing a contract buyout from his Spanish professional team that could cost
him more than $6 million, it might mean the difference between playing for
the Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA this year or delaying that dream for
another season or two.

"The majority of the rookies that come into the league aren't faced with
this dilemma," Delzell said. "Whatever they sign for, they get to keep. With
him having to give up so much, he may be more inclined to consider endorsing
opportunities or appearances."

The opportunities should be plentiful for a precocious young talent with the
flair for the dramatic.

Darin David, a director with the sports marketing firm Millsport in Dallas,
said Rubio's appeal both in Europe and the United States would make it
conceivable for him to recoup much of the money he loses on the buyout, if
not all, through endorsements.

"If he is able to deliver the kind of play that's expected of him, then
certainly between the U.S. and Spain he's going to be more popular and have
a lot more interest globally," David said.

Minnesota Timberwolves president of basketball operations David Kahn left on
Monday to fly to Spain to meet with Joventut officials in hopes of reducing
the cost of the buyout.

"I'm hopeful that in some small way I can be helpful in this process and
keep it moving forward and solving the singular the issue, which is the
buyout," he said.

The Timberwolves jumped at the chance to grab Rubio with the fifth overall
pick on draft night, a move that had the 2,000 or so fans at Target Center
for a draft party cheering wildly.

"We understand how special he is. Frankly, how unique he is," Kahn said
after the draft. "There's never been a player like this. Nobody has ever
played in the gold medal game against Team USA at the age of 17. There's no
such thing. It's almost surreal."

Under the rules of the NBA's collective bargaining agreement, the
Timberwolves can only contribute $500,000 to the buyout cause, so Rubio can
use all the help he can get. He made less than $100,000 playing for Joventut
last year, so he is by no means a wealthy man who can just write a check and
be done with it.

That's where the business world comes in.

Rubio signed with Joventut at 14, the youngest player ever to appear in a
game in the competitive Spanish ACB league. His emergence coincided with the
Internet explosion, and his YouTube highlights have drawn massive amounts of
hits after Rubio helped Spain to the silver medal at the Beijing Olympics.

"He's going to be in the news more and more, and people are going to
anticipate more and more what this kid can do on the court," David said. "He
does have that going for him."

Rubio is already appearing in a television commercial for Gillette, a
company that has been aggressive in securing relationships with some of the
biggest names in sports. Rubio appears in the spot with New York Yankees
shortstop Derek Jeter, tennis superstar Roger Federer and golfer Tiger
Woods, perhaps the most recognizable sports figure in the world.

"It's a pretty good start," Delzell said. "Hype got him this commercial. He
hasn't played one second of NBA basketball, but there's already so much
hype."

Hype, of course, will only take him so far. Once he arrives in the States,
Rubio will have to show on the court that he is every bit the "virtuoso" and
"orchestra conductor with the basketball" that Kahn described in a letter to
Timberwolves fans after the draft.

"There are plenty of companies who will say that he's interesting and will
keep an eye on him, but we're not going to invest or commit that significant
amount of money without seeing that he's legit," Delzell said. "So if he
performs, I don't have a doubt that he will be able to make up that buyout
amount. It will come down to performance."

Timberwolves, Clippers swing 4-player deal

MINNEAPOLIS (AP)-On the same day that he left for Spain to discuss Ricky
Rubio's buyout with DKV Joventut, Minnesota Timberwolves president David
Kahn traded the only veteran point guard he has on his roster.

Was Kahn clearing room for Rubio by sending Sebastian Telfair and forwards
Mark Madsen and Craig Smith to the Los Angeles Clippers for Quentin
Richardson ?

"This is not a precursor of any sort," Kahn said Monday from New York
shortly before he was scheduled to hop a flight across the Atlantic. "We
have no feel yet as to whether Ricky will be joining us."

Rubio has a multimillion-dollar buyout of his contract with Joventut that
threatens to keep him in Spain for another season, or possibly two. Kahn
hopes to lower the number-which could go as high as $6.6 million-to make it
easier for the 18-year-old point guard to join the Timberwolves this season.

The deal, which was first reported by YahooSports.com, also ends Minnesota's
glut at power forward. Smith was a capable scorer off the bench for the
Wolves, but he had trouble getting consistent playing time behind Al
Jefferson and Kevin Love .

For the Clippers, Telfair is another play-making point guard behind Baron
Davis . Smith can put points on the board quickly, while Madsen has shown
the same hustle and chemistry in the locker room that he did when he played
for the rival Lakers.

"We are really excited to add these three players to our team," Clippers
general manager and coach Mike Dunleavy said. "This move really gives some
much needed depth."

The Clippers thinned their ranks of big men by trading Randolph, leaving No.
1 draft pick Blake Griffin , Chris Kaman , Marcus Camby and DeAndre Jordan
to compete for playing time in the middle.

The deal gives the Clippers some options later, too. Madsen and Smith are in
the final year of their contracts while Telfair has a player option for
2010-11 at a modest $2.7 million.

Richardson has one year remaining on his contract at $9.3 million and gives
Minnesota a veteran presence at shooting guard that was not there after they
traded Randy Foye and Mike Miller to Washington in June.

Rookie Wayne Ellington was the only true shooting guard on the roster
before the Wolves acquired Richardson.

"I felt we needed to start addressing some of the roster imbalances that
were created as part of the Wizards trade and this is a step toward that,"
Kahn said. "If we want to add another player, we now have a place to do
that."

After selecting point guards Rubio and Jonny Flynn back-to-back in the
first round of the NBA draft last month, Telfair's days with the
Timberwolves appeared to be numbered.

"Because of how the point guard situation may evolve, and this doesn't have
anything to do with Rubio per se, I sensed that playing time for Sebastian
would wane over the next few years," Kahn said.

It had already started to wane for Madsen, whose hustle and geniality made
him a fan favorite in six seasons in Minnesota, a place he said felt like
home. He was a valued leader for a young team that is rebuilding.

"That's going to be the hardest thing, leaving the locker room," Madsen told
The Associated Press in a phone interview. "There were some very, very
special relationships that you'll always have. I'm definitely going to miss
these guys as players and as people."

It won't be a totally new start for him. He'll be accompanied by two
teammates to a city he knows well. Madsen spent the first three years of his
career playing for the Los Angeles Lakers before signing with Minnesota in
2003.

"How do I feel about the trade???" Love tweeted. "Well . We lost a lot of
good men out there."

Smith, despite being undersized at 6-foot-6, averaged 10.1 points in less
than 20 minutes a game last season. He grew up in Los Angeles, starring at
Fairfax High School before leaving to play at Boston College.

Telfair averaged 9.8 points and 4.6 assists last season in the first year of
a three-year extension. In Los Angeles, Telfair will serve as the quality
backup to Baron Davis that the team lacked last season.

"I'm going going back back to Cali, Cali," Telfair posted on his Twitter
account, referencing a popular hip-hop song. "Just got traded to clippers.
I'm a little upset becuase (sic) I love Minnesota but I think I will be
happy in LA also."

Richardson averaged 10.2 points and 4.4 rebounds last season for the New
York Knicks. This is the third time the shooting guard has been traded this
summer. He went from the Knicks to Memphis in a deal for Darko Milicic in
June, then was shipped from the Grizzlies to the Clippers for Randolph last
week.

O'neal to face Phelps, Big Ben in TV shows

Maybe Shaquille O'Neal's new nickname should be the Big Experimenter.

In a new ABC reality television series that begins filming this week, Shaq will take on other top athletes in their own sports.

"Shaq Vs.," which is set to premiere Aug. 18 at 9 p.m. ET, begins filming Wednesday in Pittsburgh, where Shaq will take on Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in football.

Future episodes of the hour-long show will feature Shaq against Olympic swimming sensation Michael Phelps, boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya, St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols, tennis star Serena Williams and beach volleyball Olympians Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh.

Shaq told USA Today that he came up with the idea as a way to train for the NBA season. Shaq figured Americans "would really want to see an athlete play another sport," according to the newspaper. The Cleveland Cavaliers, Shaq's new team, have cleared the 37-year-old O'Neal to take part in the show.

He is scheduled to report for the Cavs' opening of training camp on Sept. 15.

According to USA Today, the episodes will feature preliminary challenges, news conferences, quality time with needy kids and negotiations of a handicap between Shaq and his competitors. Each episode will climax with a main event.

There's no cash prize for the winner. "Bragging rights are always better than any monetary prize," O'Neal told USA Today.

Shaq will train with a coach for one week leading up to each challenge.

"These athletes may be on top of their game, but I am up for the challenge," O'Neal said. "I plan to train hard and win, so look out."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Tennis: Safina returns to winning ways

Dinara Safina recorded a first round win in the Banka Koper Slovenia Open in Portoroz today.

The world number one eased past local wild-card Tadeja Majeric 6-0 6-4 in her first match since her All-England Club ambitions were so ruthlessly exposed by Venus Williams in their semi-final match-up on Centre Court.

Sixth seed Lucie Safarova beat Great Britain's Katie O'Brien 6-4 6-4 but third seed Kaia Kanepi was a surprise loser, going down 6-1 6-2 to the impressive Olga Govortseva of Belarus.

NBA: Cavaliers confirm offer to Moon

CLEVELAND (AP)—The Cleveland Cavaliers have confirmed their pursuit of restricted free agent forward Jamario Moon(notes), who finished last season with Miami.

The Heat have seven days to match Cleveland’s contract offer to the 29-year-old Moon. The Cavs announced the offer on Monday but did not release terms.

Miami, which may be pursuing free agent Lamar Odom(notes) and clearing out salary cap space for next summer, is not expected to match Cleveland’s offer.

Cleveland has roughly $3.2 million of its midlevel exception to sign the 6-foot-8 Moon, who averaged 7.8 points and 5.4 rebounds over the past two seasons and is regarded as a good defender.

Moon led the NBA in steals-to-turnovers ratio (2.0) during the 2008-09 season. He began last season with Toronto.

Soccer: Ribery was on United Radar

Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed Manchester United "explored" the potential for a deal to sign Bayern Munich star Franck Ribery.

France international Ribery has been a target for many of Europe's leading clubs, with Spanish rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid expressing an interest.

Chelsea have also been linked with the winger, but Bayern have been adamant that the club will not be cashing in on the 26-year-old.

United were rumoured to be readying a bid as they sought to spend some of the world-record windfall from the sale of Cristiano Ronaldo to Real.

However, Ferguson confirmed a polite enquiry was met with a firm response from Bayern, who sold Owen Hargreaves to United two years ago.

"We didn't try to buy Ribery, we explored it in a nice, quiet way when David Gill was at one of his meetings with Bayern in March," said Ferguson.

"They told him, 'absolutely no chance' and the one thing you can say about Bayern is that, when they say something, they mean it.

"When we negotiated with them over Hargreaves, at the beginning they said 'no', but they also said that, if it ever changed, their minds, we'd be the first to know.

"It was exactly the same this time. There is no way that they will sell Ribery."

Ferguson also considered signing Karim Benzema from Lyon, but conceded he did not want to pay over the odds for the Real new-boy.

He added: "We tried to spend it (the Ronaldo money) on Karim Benzema as, at 21, I felt that there would be an improvement there.

"He is tough, good physique, a good goalscoring record, so it was worth going a wee bit extra for him because of his age.

"But when it went to £42million, it was beyond his value. We went to £35million and I think that was fair."

Boxing: Cotto, Pacquiao agree fight on November 14

A deal has been completed for boxing's biggest fight of the fall: a showdown between pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao and welterweight titleholder Miguel Cotto.

Pacquiao and Cotto, two of boxing's most popular and crowd-pleasing fighters, will meet at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Nov. 14 (HBO PPV), Top Rank promoter Bob Arum said on Monday.

"It's done," said Arum, who was back at work in his Las Vegas office after a vacation in London and Italy and attending a wedding in Israel. "While I was away I reached a verbal agreement with each side. Pacquiao committed to the fight this weekend and Cotto the week before while I was in Israel. I was on the phone all the time trying to get this done."

Arum said his attorney, Michael Heitner, was preparing the documents for signatures.

"But everything is agreed or I wouldn't say what I am saying," Arum said. "The weight, the percentages, the guarantees -- it's all agreed to."

Although the percentage split was not disclosed, Pacquiao (49-3-2, 37 KOs) will receive more than 50 percent of the money. That was never a serious sticking point, however. The key holdup had been the contract weight.

Cotto (34-1, 27 KOs), a titleholder at 147 pounds, had agreed to drop below the welterweight limit for the fight. Pacquiao, the 140-pound junior welterweight champion, wanted him to come all the way down to 143 pounds. Cotto refused. Ultimately, they agreed on a 145-pound maximum weight.

Pacquiao, 30, the national hero of the Philippines, scored a sensational knockout of Ricky Hatton to win the junior welterweight title on May 2 at the MGM Grand. The victory gave Pacquiao a world championship in a record-tying sixth weight division.Cotto, 28, of Puerto Rico, is coming off a bloody split decision victory in a title defense against Joshua Clottey on June 13 at New York's Madison Square Garden.

Given their penchant for all-action brawls, Arum said he had high expectations that Cotto and Pacquiao would produce another memorable fight.

"I'm really excited because it's a real fight. These are two real warriors," Arum said. "Whichever way this fight goes, I think it's going to be a classic because of the way these guys fight. There will be a lot of engagement. They're great fighters. Cotto and Pacquiao are gutty guys. If you want blood and action and excitement, this is the fight."

Arum said tickets would go on sale in late August followed by a three-city press tour.

"I want to get it done the week after Labor Day so I don't interfere with the Floyd Mayweather-Juan Manuel Marquez fight," he said. "I don't want [Golden Boy Promotions] saying I jumped them."

Arum said the tentative tour schedule would be Sept. 9 in Los Angeles, Sept. 10 in New York and Sept. 12 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

"Pacquiao and Cotto are both very pumped up for the fight," he said.

NBA: Steve agreed new contract with Phoenix Suns

PHOENIX (AP)—Steve Nash(notes) and the Phoenix Suns have agreed on a two-year, $22 million contract extension, his agent said.

Bill Duffy confirmed the agreement Monday in an interview with The Associated Press.

The deal will keep the two-time MVP point guard under contract with the Suns through the 2011-2012 season.

The 35-year-old Nash, entering his 13th NBA season, had one year left on his contract that would pay him $13 million next season.

The agreement first was reported by ESPN.

The Suns and Nash had been in negotiations for several weeks on a deal that would keep him in Phoenix. He will be 38 when the contract expires. He is expected to sign the agreement later this week.

Under the agreement, $6 million of the final two years of the contract will be deferred, with $3 million being paid in each of the two years following the expiration of the contract, Duffy said.

The deal was pushed closer to completion last Wednesday when owner Robert Sarver met with Duffy in Las Vegas to sweeten the team’s earlier offer.

The Suns lured Nash to Phoenix in 2004 in a celebrated effort that included a flight to Dallas by then-owner Jerry Colangelo and a host of representatives of the team. When Mavericks owner Mark Cuban balked at re-signing Nash, at age 30, at the amount he wanted, the point guard signed a five-year, $65 million contract with Phoenix.

What followed were the best years of Nash’s career as the maestro of the high-octane offense of then-coach Mike D’Antoni. He was named the league’s MVP in 2005 and 2006 and was a first-team all-NBA selection in 2005, 2006 and 2007.

When D’Antoni left the Suns for the New York Knicks after the 2007-08 season, Nash struggled with the slower style of new coach Terry Porter. When Porter was fired at the All-Star break and replaced by assistant Alvin Gentry, the Suns returned to the speed game, a factor that no doubt figured into Nash’s decision to re-sign.

When Gentry was kept on as coach after the season, Nash made his feelings known on his Twitter account.

“Really happy that the Suns re-signed Alvin Gentry,” Nash wrote. “Great coach and great person.”

Nash will stay with a team that faces an uncertain future after failing to make the playoffs for the first time since he rejoined the team. All-Star Amare Stoudemire has one year left on his contract and wants the maximum in any new deal, something the budget-conscious Suns may not be willing to do.

Nash had to be convinced the team was willing to take steps to become a contender again, Duffy said. He said the team has assured Nash he will be consulted as the Suns make future moves, the agent said.

If Stoudemire does leave, the Suns will have the money to be a player in the lucrative free agent market after the coming season.

Nash, born in South Africa and raised in Victoria, British Columbia, was the Suns’ first-round draft pick in 1996 and was traded to Dallas in 1998. He has averaged 14.4 points and eight assists in his pro career.

In the last five years with Phoenix, Nash has averaged 17.1 points and 10.8 assists per game. He has shot better than 50 percent from the field and 43 percent from 3-point range in all five seasons.

Boxing: Pacquiao's secret in toppling opponents

MALUNGON, Sarangani, Philippines—Ever wondered what keeps boxing icon Manny Pacquiao going and possibly one of his secrets in toppling his ring opponents?

Pacquiao, who has a reputation for demolishing his opponents through powerful punches, on Tuesday provided some hints on how he keeps in shape and maintains his strength.

“Hindi lang dapat puro karne ang kainin natin (We should not eat just meat),” he said during the fellowship lunch he hosted for some 500 participants to the three-day vegetable congress here that also started on Tuesday.

Pacquiao said Filipinos need to learn to eat vegetables as well.

“Kailangan nating kumain ng marami at sari-saring gulay upang lumakas ang ating resistensya at katawan (We need to eat many and different vegetables to have strong resistance and bodies),” the southpaw said to his guests, led by Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap.

As if to show to his guests that he was serious in his call for increased vegetable consumption, the pugilist from General Santos City toured them around his 10-hectare vegetable farm here.

Pacquiao said vegetables have many health benefits and that he owed his being in shape to eating them.

He said during his rigid pre-fight training, he made sure that he consumes lots of vegetables.

Yap agreed by saying: “We need to eat lots of vegetables and fruits to sustain and maintain a healthy life.”

He said even the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recommends that a person should consume at least 75 kilograms of vegetable in a year to remain healthy.

“We in the Philippines consume just half of that,” Yap said.

Increasing vegetable consumption among Filipinos was one of the reasons the three-day national vegetable congress was held here (July 14-16), he said.

The congress was aimed not only at helping stakeholders and boosting the vegetable industry but also instill in the minds of the participants the value and benefits of eating vegetables, Yap said.

Among the issues tackled in the congress was the revival of the Philippine Vegetable Industry Development Board (PVIDB) Technical Working Group.

The organizers, among them the Department of Agriculture (DA), said the reactivation of the PVIDB-TWG would play a vital role in boosting the country’s vegetable industry.

Tommy Ala, DA director for Central Mindanao, said the region, which has about 10,000 vegetable farmers, has the advantage to boost production because it is typhoon-free.

“This is to our great advantage. Vegetable farmers can plant whole year round. Given the right technology, opportunity, and government support, local vegetable growers can enhance their production capability resulting to a much better income generation,” Ala said.

Central Mindanao accounts for about 30 percent of the country’s total vegetable production, according to Ala.

Jose Victor Santos, president of the Central Mindanao Vegetables Industry and Development Council (Cemvidec), said his organization also wanted to unify the efforts of industry players to make an impact in the government’s food sufficiency and poverty alleviation program.

NBA: Odom doesn't have a team yet

Another day has gone by and Lamar Odom remains a free agent without a team.

The Lakers lost interest and pulled their deal off the table when Odom and his agent didn't respond quickly enough to the offer.

Essentially, the Lakers offered Odom a guaranteed contract worth $30 million, depending on the length of the deal.

Odom prefers a five-year deal but appeared willing to accept the Lakers' offer if they had guaranteed all four years.

The Lakers' offer before it was removed was for four years at $9 million a season. But only three years of the deal were guaranteed.

The Lakers held the option for the fourth season and had guaranteed Odom $3 million if they decided to buy him out.

The Lakers also offered Odom a three-year deal that would have paid him $10 million a season.

Either way, at least in the Lakers' eyes, Odom would have been paid at least $30 million with the opportunity to earn more.

Lakers owner Jerry Buss withdrew his offer Tuesday because he was unhappy that Odom and his people waited so long to respond to the team's offer and because Odom spoke to Miami Heat President Pat Riley to discuss a deal. Buss is still upset.

Odom had conversations with the Heat about signing for the mid-level exception of $5.8 million.

The Heat would have given Odom a five-year deal for $34 million, and probably the opportunity to opt out after three seasons and become a free agent in 2012.

Calls to Odom from teammates Derek Fisher on Thursday and Kobe Bryant on Wednesday failed to settle the issues.

Odom and his representatives are expected to make a decision this week on his future.

If he is able to get Buss to re-open negotiations, Odom, who turns 30 on Nov. 6, may have to take less than the $9 million a season that was originally offered.

After the Utah Jazz matched the offer Portland gave Paul Millsap, the Trail Blazers have about $8 million to offer another player.

But it appears they don't have any interest in Odom, and he doesn't appear to have interest in Portland.

The Lakers could also risk losing Odom and getting nothing in return if he goes to another team.

Boxing: Pacquiao’s aide wins WBA junior welter crown

Another protege of renowned trainer Freddie Roach, and a sparmate of superstar Manny Pacquiao, took boxing's centerstage yesterday with a dominant win in the United Kingdom.

Former Olympic silver medallist Amir Khan pounded out a unanimous decision win over German Andriy Kotelnik to claim the WBA 140-pound title in their 12-round showdown yesterday at the MEN Arena in Manchester.

Khan, who was getting instructions from Roach in his corner, outboxed and dominated Kotelnik en route to a 120-108, 118-111, and 118-111 win.

The victory of Khan solidified Roach's status as the world's best boxing tactician, earning for himself his 25th world champion.

The win also improved the Bolton native’s record to 21 wins, 1 loss with 15 KOs, and put him among the list of the world's premier fighters.

It was Roach who turned Khan into a much-improved fighter after the latter's first-round knockout loss to Breidis Prescott last year.

Hours before Khan's win, Prescott took on a different career route when he was outpointed by Miguel Vazquez at the Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

With Khan's victory, reports are suggesting that a fight with British Ricky Hatton can be made, which is going to be a major attraction on British soil.

"I just want to enjoy this for a while!" Roach told Sky Box Office. "We'll probably defend this somewhere down the line, maybe Ricky Hatton down the line. If he decides to continue I am sure he'd want to fight again for a 140-pound title and it will be a big fight here in England. So I am sure it could happen."

Hatton has been hospitalized this week due to stomach problems, and has yet to decide whether he will continue his career following his monumental defeat at the hands of Filipino boxing idol Pacquiao.http://sports.inquirer.net/sport/boxing/view/20090720-216353/Pacquiaos-aide-wins-WBA-junior-welter-crown

Basketball: Jordan rout of RP stumps local scribes

TAIPEI— Did the Philippines really play to lose—and lose big—against Jordan in its Jones Cup debut Saturday night, and maybe keep its Fiba-Asia opponents in the dark about its real worth?

That was the question that sportswriters from this progressive city tried asking a five-publication team that came from the Philippines to cover the prestigious event.

“We just don’t think that it was normal for the Philippines to play that way,” said Chen Chin-hung, a veteran reporter from the Youth Daily News Service, who had also visited Manila several times to cover the Taiwanese athletes in different events.

The Philippines, a three-time champion here which sent its finest professional stars back home, was mangled into submission by the heftier, taller and talented Jordanians, 90-59.

“So tell us,” Chen said, asking the question for his group: “Did you come here to not win at all?”

He tried so hard to get an answer that would confirm their suspicion because it could have been the angle that they were trying to work on. As Jones Cup veterans, even the Taiwanese couldn’t believe what they just saw.

* * *

It seems that Chen’s question has some bearing, since most of the countries represented here, except Jordan in all likelihood, are not playing to their true potential in order to conceal their “aces” for the Fiba-Asia qualifying in Tianjin, China, next month.

In fact, even the home team, which prevailed narrowly over Japan Saturday night, used its 7-foot ace, the pony-tailed Tseng Wen-ting, sparingly like the Japanese, who reportedly did not even bother taking their 7-foot-2 center to this tournament.

* * *

Coach Yeng Guiao will name his final 12-man roster for the Tianjin event on July 22, the deadline set by the Fiba, and he is worried that this might leak in some way and dishearten some of his players here who won’t make it.

And from the way he talked over breakfast at the Sunworld Dynasty Hotel, he still isn’t sure who will be dropped.

Guiao also said that their stint in this nine-nation tournament, aside from playing to win, is to be able to see how Korea and Japan play, since the two countries belong to the Philippine bracket in Tianjin.

Sri Lanka is the fourth team in the group.http://sports.inquirer.net/sportsevents/sportsevents/view/20090720-216284/Jordan-rout-of-RP-stumps-local-scribes

Boxing: Hatton not fighting Khan yet

MANCHESTER, England (AP)—With Amir Khan now a world champion, many English boxing fans will be hoping to see him in the ring with Ricky Hatton.

Though the 22-year-old Khan’s trainer is enthusiastic about a Battle of Britain bout, promoter Frank Warren has strong reservations.

Hatton’s future in the sport has been in doubt since he was knocked out by Manny Pacquiao in the second round of their 140-pound title fight in May and he went to the hospital for a precautionary brain scan.

Hatton, who has been known for quickly putting on weight after fights, has returned to a hospital in his native Manchester in the past week with a stomach bug.

Warren insists that the 30-year-old Hatton is not up to fighting Khan, who captured the WBA light-welterweight title by unanimous decision against Andreas Kotelnik on Saturday.

“Ricky shouldn’t be fighting—it’s not good for boxing and it’s not good for him more importantly,” Warren said on Sunday. “He’s just been in hospital for overindulgence or whatever that may be.

“I don’t think he should fight again, he should definitely retire. If the fight happened and, God forbidden, something bad happens, everyone would blame boxing. Sometimes fighters go on and at the end of the day bad things happen.”

Trainer Freddie Roach, whose strict regime has turned around Khan’s fortunes since he was knocked out in 54 seconds by Breidis Prescott, is less gloomy about Hatton’s future prospects.

“If he does decide to fight again and continue his career, then he’s made for my guy,” Roach said. “I’d take that fight in a heartbeat.”

Khan is leaving the decision to his team.

“I’m a fan of Ricky Hatton and I’d like him to support me on the way to achieving what he’s achieved,” Khan said. “Boxing is a game where you have to face fighters, and for Britain it would be a huge fight.

“Let’s see what happens. I’ll leave it with Frank and Freddie and if they think it’s the right move for me to make, then I’ll do it.”

A more realistic prospect for Khan, after outclassing Kotelnik from start to finish with quick combinations and impressive footwork despite stepping up a division, is traveling to the United States.

“It’s time to go to America and fight the big names over there,” Khan said. “Now I’ll get people knocking on my door. I want to fight the likes of (Juan Manuel) Marquez, because I think my style will go up against theirs. … We’ll give it a few weeks and see where we go.”