Dallas Mavericks crush the San Antonio Spurs, 88-67; Dallas leads 2-1 in the series

DALLAS (AP)—During a timeout early in the third quarter, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and the rest of the San Antonio Spurs starters headed to the bench.

They never returned.

Humiliated since the opening tip, coach Gregg Popovich decided Game 3 of a first-round series against the Dallas Mavericks was a lost cause.

Instead of hurting the Spurs with hard fouls—like Mavs center Erick Dampier threatened to do—Dallas slapped around San Antonio with tight defense, the return of Dirk Nowitzki’s shooting touch and the energy of their home crowd, producing an 88-67 victory Thursday night and a 2-1 lead in their first-round series.

“It was great,” Nowitzki said. “We all fought for each other.”

Dampier drew the scrutiny of the league office for saying he would pop Parker on his first drive of this game. Dampier never even collided with Parker, although he did swat away a shot during a frenzied first-half defensive performance by the Mavericks.
Dallas limited San Antonio to 30 points by the break, then went ahead 62-36 with 7:42 left in the third quarter. That’s when Popovich essentially gave up, opting to let his top players rest up for Game 4 on Saturday.
“I didn’t see where we were going to get back in that one,” Popovich said.

The Spurs’ backups weren’t much better, resulting in their fewest points ever in a playoff game. The numbers were so ugly—things like making only 31.2 percent of their shots, and missing 15 of 17 3-pointers—that Popovich playfully shoved aside the box score at the start of his postgame news conference.
“Have some mercy will ya?” Popovich said, laughing. “It’s bad enough I had to watch this. Now you’re going to make me look at the stat sheet?”

The Mavericks allowed their fewest points in a playoff game while improving to 16-1 at home since the All-Star break and 7-1 in games following 20-point losses.
Now Dallas will have to show it can handle success. After winning the opener, the Mavs came out flat in Game 2, getting trounced about as soundly as they did the trouncing this game.
“The challenge is to maintain same kind of edge heading into Saturday,” Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. “It’s a good effort and an important victory for us, but it’s only one step.”
Nowitzki missed his first shot, then hit his next five. He finished with 20 points and seven rebounds, then also took a seat for good once Dallas’ lead reached 30. Josh Howard had 17 points and eight rebounds, and Dampier had two points, nine rebounds and three blocks.
J.J. Barea had 13 points and seven assists in his first career playoff start and Jason Kidd had six assists and eight rebounds. Kidd’s only points came on a 3-pointer that was immediately followed by Popovich’s give-up move.

“This is how we have to play as far as tempo goes,” Mavs guard Jason Terry said. “Defensively, we were there with great energy."

Parker was San Antonio’s leading scorer with just 12 points—down from 38 the previous game. He made only five of 14 shots, with as many turnovers (three) as assists. Duncan had four points on 2-of-9 shooting, with as many fouls (two) as rebounds.
“We have to play with a lot more energy,” Parker said. “That’s it.”

Feeding off a crowd of 20,491 that was chanting “Let’s go Mavs!” long before tipoff, Dallas pestered San Antonio into missing its first five shots. They also turned the first four into quick baskets, sparking fans to scream even louder. Folks really went bonkers when Dampier blocked Parker’s shot and Barea followed with a 3-pointer, putting Dallas up by 12 after only 6 minutes.

“Everybody was in attack mode after we got stops,” Nowitzki said. “We didn’t have to grind it all out all the time.”

The Spurs couldn’t hardly do anything right.

They often took shots late in the shot clock, and those rarely went in. They had six passes stolen—some were so off the mark they seemed intentionally thrown to the Mavericks—and had five shots blocked. If not for a buzzer-beater by George Hill, San Antonio would’ve matched its worst half in a playoff game.

“This was an awful game,” Duncan said. “Hopefully I’ll come out here (Saturday) and be a leader.”

Notes:

San Antonio’s previous playoff low was 70 against Phoenix in 2000, a series Duncan missed with a knee injury. … Dallas’ previous low-allowed was 76, done twice. … Nowitzki was 0-for-1 on 3s, keeping him without one this series. He needs four to pass Michael Finley for the franchise postseason lead; it’s the most significant mark he doesn’t already own.

NBA: Game 2 reveals dominant teams

Todays NBA scores and results:

Miami Heat 108, Atlanta Hawks 93, Series is even @ 1-1;
Denver 108, New Orleans Hornets 93, Denver leads Hornets 2-1;
Orlando Magic 96, Philadelphia 76ers 87, Series is even @ 1-1;

Following the completion of the first two games of the opening series, it became clear who are the dominant home teams in the East and the West. There are only three teams who did their assignments while in their own backyard - the Cleveland Cavaliers, the LA Lakers and the Denver Nuggets among the eight teams holding home court advantage on their series.

Enjoying a home court advantage throughout the playoffs, the Cleveland Cavaliers are poised for their campaign to dominate the East by defeating the Detroit Pistons two game in a row. Lebron James combined for a total of 67 points in the first two games against Detroit and showed why he should be the MVP this season. There were no answers from Detroit on James' exceptional athleticism on the court. Perhaps the bench can mitigate the dryness of the Pistons' first five offense when the bench scored 30 of their 32 points in the 4th quarter in game 2. The backups provided a spark, diving for loose balls and very aggressive at the defensive end. These efforts remain to be seen in game 3 from the starting five if they want to extend this series to over four games.

Will the Pistons bounce back in game 3? It's hard to say. We saw a different Pistons team after Billups was traded to Denver. It was a lopsided trade as the Denver Nuggets ranked second in the West while the Pistons hang on at the 8th spot in the East. The Pistons were never the same. Though they remain well at the defensive end (8th in defense in the league out of the 30 teams), their offense lack intensity and nowhere they can match Lebron's squad. They are 3rd in the worst team in terms of the average points at 94.2 per game, along with Memphis and Charlotte Bobcats during the season. So what would we expect more in this series? Cleveland leads the Pistons 3-1 during their season encounters, and with how James is playing this season and going into this playoffs, this would be a sweep.

NBA: Rose is the Rookie of the Year

Like most good point guards, Derrick Rose rarely gives anything away. This time, he couldn't resist.

After learning Wednesday he is the NBA's rookie of the year, Rose let a little secret slip: He wanted the award. Badly.

"When I first came into the season, my biggest thing was to get this award," Rose said. "I was telling you all that I didn't care, but I did. You really do want this award. There was a lot of talent out there that I had to go against."

Rose, who led his hometown Bulls to the playoffs and restored hope to a franchise in disarray, was the runaway pick.

"For Derrick to take the ball from Day 1, to lead our basketball team, to play at the level he played at is really, really significant and certainly means that as we go forward here, we've got the guy that we are going to build around," general manager John Paxson said.

Rose became the third Bulls player to win the award Wednesday, joining Michael Jordan and Elton Brand. He received 111 first-place votes and 574 points from a national panel of sports writers and broadcasters; runner-up O.J. Mayo of the Memphis Grizzlies received five first-place votes and 127 points.
Rose's selection was hardly a surprise, after the No. 1 overall draft pick led all rookies with 6.3 assists per game and was second in scoring average at 16.8, and established himself as the franchise's first true cornerstone since Jordan.

"I think there are very few people in the NBA who could do what he did this year," teammate Joakim Noah said. "You tell me another No. 1 pick who got to the playoffs in their hometown, especially in a big city with so many distractions and so many things going on. I mean, he's all about one thing and that's winning basketball games, and that's what I respect about him."

The only other players who received first-place votes were Brook Lopez of the New Jersey Nets and Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Eric Gordon of the Los Angeles Clippers rounded out the top five.

A point guard from Chicago's South Side, Rose used his strength, blinding quickness and uncanny maturity to help turn around a team that went 33-49 last season. Now, he's in elite company, joining past winners such as LeBron James and Kevin Durant -- not to mention the guy whose statue sits outside the United Center.

"You want to be in that category," Rose said.

Rose's approach, as much as his talent, impressed his teammates and coaches. He's constantly taking pointers from veteran guards Kirk Hinrich and Lindsey Hunter, whom Paxson called an "unsung hero" in Rose's development.

"Not many guys can transfer it from here to there that fast," Hunter said, pointing from his head to the court. "But he's able to do that. I think that's what's so unique about him."

Rose was the Eastern Conference rookie of the month in November and December and again in March, helping the Bulls go 41-41 and reach the postseason for the fourth time in five years. In last Saturday's playoff opener against Boston, Rose matched Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's scoring record for a debuting rookie with 36 points and 11 assists in a 105-103 overtime victory.

Rose added 10 points, seven assists and six rebounds in a Game 2 loss.

He excelled from the start and never really slowed down, although he was at times benched late in games. That stopped after Paxson chatted with coach Vinny Del Negro, but whether he was playing in the closing moments or not, Rose never complained publicly.

"He plays both ends of the court, which is refreshing to see," Lakers star Kobe Bryant said. "A lot of young players don't play both ends. He works hard at it, defense as well."

Indiana coach Jim O'Brien even compared him to LeBron James.

"They're different positions, but LeBron James has the same thing -- it's hard to knock him off his driving lane," O'Brien said. "And I think he's improved his outside shot. And I think he knows the game."

From the moment he returned to Chicago, Rose has fit with the Bulls. They won the draft lottery despite 1.7 percent odds and could have picked Michael Beasley, the high-scoring forward from Kansas State. Instead, they went with the guard who grew up a few miles from the United Center in the rough Englewood neighborhood.

They saw a dynamic floor leader, a selfless player -- a winner.

Rose led Simeon Career Academy to the state championship and Memphis to 38 wins and the NCAA title game in his lone season. Now, he's helping the Bulls turn things around after what seemed like a solid plan went awry.

Chicago won 49 games and swept Miami before falling to Detroit in the second round of the playoffs two years ago, but any momentum the Bulls had ground to a halt.

Failed contract negotiations involving Luol Deng and Ben Gordon along with Bryant trade rumors set a bad tone last season, and coach Scott Skiles was fired in December. Interim coach Jim Boylan was gone at the end of the season, and the Bulls settled on Del Negro after high-profile courtships with Mike D'Antoni and Doug Collins.

Along the way, they scored arguably their biggest victory in a decade when they won the draft lottery. With Rose running the show, the Bulls believe their cornerstone is in place for the next decade.

"I've got a lot of friends who are coaches," Hunter said. "I'm like, 'Man, you guys don't know how good he is. He doesn't even understand what he is yet.' ... I see him being that point guard that is going to push Deron Williams and Chris Paul to the limit."

Copyright 2009 Associated Press.

Boxing: Manny Pacquiao is the next Golden Boy?

On the day after Oscar De La Hoya retired, the man best poised to succeed him as the world's most popular active boxer made it clear he knows his drawing power comes not from his smile or magnetic personality but from his work in the ring.

"I try to focus only on training and fighting," Manny Pacquiao said Wednesday inside Hollywood's Wild Card Gym in a news conference in advance of his May 2 junior-welterweight fight against England's Ricky Hatton at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.Riding the heights of his unexpected battering of De La Hoya in December and feted to a hero's welcome in his native Philippines, Pacquiao (48-3-2, 36 knockouts) has been confronted by what his business manager describes as "the double-edged sword of stardom," where endorsement and media requests beckon at new levels but the grunt work of training remains his most important task.

"Manny overextends himself with kindness; he can't say no," Michael Koncz said. "We all knew the torch was passed when Manny beat Oscar . . . how he'd be the face of the sport now. So even though there are times he's overwhelmed, he's focused here in the gym. He's back in his zone now."

Pacquiao's promoter, Bob Arum, said he worried about Pacquiao's conditioning habits before taking a December trip to the Philippines to celebrate the boxer's birthday.

"No one could keep up with him," Arum said. "He was running, playing basketball just like always, and he's having his best training camp ever. He did not allow himself to get out of shape." Even though Pacquiao has been sporadically distracted by celebrities visiting his gym -- actors Christian Bale and Mark Wahlberg have stopped by to say hello -- the Filipino star said his strength is peaking for his first fight at 140 pounds.
"This fight will give more action," Pacquiao said when asked how it'll differ from his hammering of De La Hoya. "I feel the same intensity."

Now, however, Pacquiao finds himself as the favorite against Hatton and is regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. He has heard the warnings that it's harder to stay on top than to get there. "I keep myself on an even keel," he said. "I just always believe in God and say my prayers."

His trainer, Freddie Roach, has pushed sparring partners to ensure that Pacquiao's not slipping. Roach offered unbeaten super-featherweight Urbano Antillon and junior-welterweight Mike Alvarado (each 25-0 with 18 KOs) a $1,000 bonus if they could knock down Pacquiao in sparring. No one has been paid.

Roach said he has been pleased with Pacquiao's training -- which also includes advice from the Wild Card's new assistant trainer, former heavyweight world champion Michael Moorer -- and said the boxer's training has resulted in improved strength.

"This will be a quick fight," Roach said. "Ricky's a tough guy, but we'll knock him out. I'll bet my house on it."

Arum, who for years has relied on his skills to sell bouts, admits Pacquiao's ring performances (nine consecutive victories over the likes of De La Hoya, Juan Manuel Marquez, Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales) are the fighter's most attractive selling points.

"That's why people are becoming fascinated with him," said Arum, who also promoted most of De La Hoya's fights. "Manny's looked at as an exotic, and once people see him fight they are looking up information about him to help transcend the lefts and rights and jabs. It's why CNN is out here today, why Time magazine has listed him one of the 100 most influential people in the world."

That influence is due to take him to AT&T Park in San Francisco on Tuesday, where he'll throw out the first pitch of the San Francisco Giants game and visit with the players while fans receive a Pacquiao bobblehead doll on Filipino Heritage Night. The Giants expect a crowd that will include 10,000 Filipino Americans.

LA Lakers hold on to win over Utah, 109-106

The Lakers hemmed and hawed their way through another playoff game against the Utah Jazz, leaving Phil Jackson plenty of possible options for the locker-room whiteboard.

He could have written, "Not even close, guys."

Or, "C'mon now. Utah's missing its second-leading scorer!"

Or simply, "What was that?!"

In reality, it said simply "14 mo' " meaning the number of victories for an NBA title, because there wasn't a lot to wax poetic about after Game 2 of the first round Tuesday at Staples Center.

The Jazz never led, and yet, the Lakers almost squandered a 20-point advantage, needing some last-minute heroics from a variety of players to pull off a tense 119-109 victory and take a 2-0 series lead over the Jazz.

"That was a trial for us out there tonight," Jackson said.

Games 3 and 4 of the best-of-seven series are Thursday and Saturday in Salt Lake City.

Just like Game 1, it looked like another easy victory was on the way for the Lakers, who scored a blistering 41 points in the first quarter but never quite tucked away the Jazz.
In fact, after a long, thorough comeback, the Jazz climbed within 109-106 on Carlos Boozer's driving layup with 3:17 to play. Only after Trevor Ariza's three-pointer could the Lakers finally exhale, taking a 116-108 lead with 33.9 seconds left.
Ariza was again a difference-maker, scoring 13 points and handing out nine assists. Kobe Bryant had 26 points and nine assists. Pau Gasol had 22 points and six rebounds as the Lakers shot 60%.

The Lakers, who had 21 turnovers, were picked apart by Utah point guard Deron Williams, who had 35 points and nine assists. Carlos Boozer had 20 points and 10 rebounds.

Jazz center Mehmet Okur, who averaged 17 points and 7.7 rebounds a game in the regular season, was sidelined again because of a strained hamstring.

If these games were tough for the Lakers, they aren't expected to be any easier in Salt Lake City.

The Lakers lost there in February, 113-109, and went 1-2 there in last season's Western Conference semifinals, winning the sixth and final game of the series by three points after the Jazz missed two three-point attempts in the final five seconds.

The Lakers were almost flawless in the first quarter Tuesday, making 18 of 21 shots (85.7%) and taking a 41-29 lead. Gasol and Andrew Bynum made all nine of their combined shots and totaled 19 points in the quarter.
There was even time for the crowd to acknowledge Jack Nicholson's birthday with a scoreboard announcement during a timeout with 2:25 left in the first quarter.

The Lakers built the lead to 66-46 with 1:50 left in the second quarter before the Jazz scored the next 14 points in a stretch that carried over into the third quarter.

Jackson took the blame for the Lakers losing the lead, saying he tried to wedge too many players into the lineup.

"I think it was my fault," he said. "Substitution probably hurt us a little bit in the course of the game."

Jackson said he might shorten the bench in Game 3.

Of the reserve guards, Shannon Brown had 12 points in 16 minutes, Sasha Vujacic was scoreless in 15 minutes and Jordan Farmar had two points in almost four minutes.

After his crisp first quarter, Bynum had another sluggish outing, finishing with 10 points on five-for-11 shooting in 31 minutes. He did not score after the first quarter, missing his last six shots.

In the end, almost all the Lakers' key players contributed when it mattered.

After the Jazz cut the lead to three, Lamar Odom scored on a fastbreak layup, Gasol blocked Ronnie Brewer's shot as the 24-second clock expired and Bryant drilled a 21-footer from the right side.

Then came Ariza's three-pointer, giving the Lakers a two-game edge but plenty to ponder until Game 3.
"Thursday's a very, very big game for us," Bynum said. "The calls are going to go a lot more their way because it's their house. Their fans are going to get into it, and we can't turn the ball over so many times."

Lakers will be tested at Utah

The plot contorted before the Lakers boarded their charter flight to Utah, somewhere between Andrew Bynum not fully participating in practice because of knee soreness and the Lakers drawing in their last breaths of Los Angeles air for a while.

This is where they ran into trouble last season against Utah, taking a 2-0 series lead before the Jazz batted them away twice in Salt Lake City, a tough place to play even when all the Lakers are healthy.Bynum sat out most of Wednesday's practice because of knee discomfort, a precautionary move more than anything but a move nonetheless involving Bynum's right knee, the same one that sidelined him for 32 games because of a torn medial collateral ligament.

Lakers Coach Phil Jackson indicated the soreness might be related to the bulky brace Bynum had worn since returning six games ago.

"I don't think it's anything that the training staff thought was structural," Jackson said. "Some of it's due to [the] brace, wearing the brace and the inhibiting of the brace of the motions. I think it's all capable of working out, but he did not work much on the court [Wednesday] at all."

Bynum did not speak to reporters after practice, but a team spokesman said Bynum would "of course" play tonight in Game 3 of the best-of-seven opening-round series. The Lakers have a two-game lead despite Bynum's averages of 8.5 points and 3.5 rebounds.

He started off well in Game 2, making his first five shots on the way to 10 first-quarter points. He never scored the rest of the way, missing his last six shots.

"He ran out of gas, really, and they double-teamed him," Jackson said. "He's going to have some lapses in energy. We had to talk a little bit about his pregame work too because I think he's working a little bit too hard to get ready for the game and I think it takes something out of him during the game."

Meanwhile, the Lakers can only hope the Jazz mascot runs out of gas before revving his motorcycle in front of their bench before the game, a gesture that has irritated Jackson many times over the years.

There will be plenty of noise tonight at EnergySolutions Arena, where Utah enjoys one of the league's most intense crowds, the fans seeming to adhere tightly to the team's season-long slogan of "Life Off, Game On."

The Lakers took turns saluting Utah's home-court edge after Wednesday's practice.

"It's one of the noisiest," Kobe Bryant said. "Sacramento, when they were going good, it was tough . . . that place is really a barn. Those two arenas are some of the tougher arenas to play in because of the way that the arenas are constructed."

Jackson continued the architectural analysis, referring to the "friendly confines" of the arena, built in 1991.

"The arena's so tight, the referees are backed right up into the fans on the baseline," he said. "I think it's intimidating at times to opponents and to referees. I think it's a tough place to call a game."

Bryant, after giving appropriate consideration to Jazz fans, couldn't resist tweaking them. "The more they boo me, the more they heckle me, the more they relax me, the more I play better," he said. "You would think they would know that by now."

Indeed, Bryant's 34-point, eight-rebound, six-assist effort helped the Lakers eliminate the Jazz at Utah in Game 6 of last season's West semifinals, though the Lakers were nervous bystanders as Deron Williams and Mehmet Okur each missed three-point attempts in the last five seconds that could have tied the score.

The Lakers are 30-34 all-time in regular-season games at Utah, respectable when considering that the Jazz has had one losing season the last 26 years (2004-05). But the Lakers are 2-9 at Utah in the playoffs, including a 1-2 mark last May.

Jazz forward Kyle Korver called it a "combination of a lot of things," including the fact that "we have that Utah air."

The Lakers' 29-12 road record, the league's best, will be tested, as will their ability to gain large leads, let alone hang on to them.

Okur was Utah's second-best scorer and third-best rebounder in the regular season, but a strained hamstring still bothers him, which could only favor the Lakers.

Jackson wants to see the Lakers pound the ball down low more often, particularly to Pau Gasol, who did not take another shot after the 3:19 mark of the third quarter in Game 2. "He just didn't have enough touches again in the second half," Jackson said.

Portland beats Houston 107-103, tied series 1-1

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Brandon Roy scored 42 points and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Houston Rockets 107-103 on Tuesday night to even their playoff series at one game apiece.

Aaron Brooks led a late charge and finished with 23 points for Houston, which has not made it out of the first round since 1997. Von Wafer came off the bench to add 21.LaMarcus Aldridge had 27 points and 12 rebounds for the Trail Blazers, who had never dropped the first two games of a playoff series at home and played one of their most physical games of the season.

Greg Oden's dunk pulled the Blazers into an 89-all tie with 4:45 left, before Steve Blake's finger roll put them ahead.

Portland extended the lead to 96-90 after Travis Outlaw hit a jumper and Roy made a falling-down 3-pointer.

The Rockets closed to 104-100 on Brooks' 3-pointer with 6.3 seconds left. After Roy hit a free throw, Brooks made another 3 to make it 105-103 with 1.5 seconds to go.

Rudy Fernandez sealed the win hitting two free throws for Portland.

The Rockets took the first game 108-81 by building a big lead and stunning the nervous Trail Blazers from the start. Yao Ming was perfect, making all nine of his shots from the field and all six of his free throws for 24 points, all in the first half.

Blazers center Joel Przybilla changed it up against Yao for Game 2, fronting him rather than playing behind him. And coach Nate McMillan used both Przybilla and Oden -- both 7-footers -- at the same time, something he's done just once before.

Yao had 11 points and eight rebounds but got into foul trouble.

Portland had not been to the playoffs since the 2003 season. The team clinched the West's fourth seed and home-court advantage with a win over Denver in the finale.

Fans at the Rose Garden were undeterred by the Game 1 loss. One held a sign reading: "I Still Believe."

Ron Artest gave the Rockets a 24-18 lead with a fadeaway late in the first quarter. But the Blazers rallied to take a 28-26 lead on Roy's 3-pointer.

It was back and forth until Wafer's 3-pointer made it 49-45 and gave Houston an opening late in the half.

But Roy hit a layup late to make it 53-51 at the break. He and Aldridge scored the Blazers' final 19 points of the half.

Portland was cold to start the second half and the Rockets went on an 8-1 run to go up 59-54.

The Blazers were helped when Yao collected his fourth foul midway through the third quarter and went to the bench. Roy's 21-foor jumper put Portland ahead 66-63 en route to a seven-point lead.

Houston recovered, and Artest's dunk at the end of the third quarter tied it at 72.

The Rockets went up 86-83 midway through the final quarter, but could not put together any sustained runs.

Rockets reserve center Dikembe Mutombo injured his left leg in the first quarter and left the court on a stretcher.

Mutombo appeared to get tangled with Oden and came down hard. He was prone on the court under the Blazers' basket for several moments before he was taken from the court. A preliminary examination showed a left knee strain, the Rockets said.

Mutombo played 18 minutes in Game 1 of the series and had nine rebounds.

NBA: Cavaliers defeated the Pistons, 94-82

CLEVELAND -- The Detroit Pistons couldn't contain LeBron James again. And this time, they didn't stop his teammates until it was too late.

James, showing no regard for a defensive plan Detroit spent three days preparing for him, scored 29 points and Mo Williams added 21 as the Cleveland Cavaliers withstood a stirring comeback for a 94-82 win on Tuesday night to open a 2-0 lead over the Pistons in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Delonte West scored 20 and Zydrunas Ilgauskas scored 12 for the top-seeded Cavs, who built a 29-point lead in the fourth but lost their edge and let the Pistons get within seven in the closing minutes before finally putting Detroit away. Richard Hamilton scored 17 and Rodney Stuckey 4 for the Pistons.

Holding a steady 15-point lead in the third, the Cavs pushed it to 64-46 on a 3-pointer by Williams.

James, who scored 38 points in the opener, then got behind Detroit's defense for a breakaway dunk. As he approached the basket, James rose in the lane and circled the ball in front of him before rocking it through the rim. He strutted back on defense as 20,562 fans began to celebrate what appeared to be another Quicken Loans Arena rout.

But down 79-50 in the first minute of the fourth, the Pistons reserves got Detroit back in it.

They beat Cleveland's backups to loose balls, and before long, a seemingly insurmountable lead by the Cavaliers was gone in a 27-5 run.

After McDyess' basket made it 84-77, James, West and Williams each made two free throws apiece to put Cleveland ahead 90-77.

James then grabbed a rebound, and in one motion fired a pass down the floor to Williams, whose layup officially ended the Pistons' rally.

Detroit coach Michael Curry wanted his team to be more aggressive with James. The plan was to run defenders at him on the perimeter to keep Cleveland's star from getting into the foul lane, where he destroyed Detroit in Game 1 with short jumpers, layups and easy baskets.

It worked, but only a little.

James took only two shots inside the paint in the first half, but he was able to draw fouls and finished with 16 points -- 6 on free throws -- as the Cavs opened a 46-32 lead following a ragged 24 minutes, which included pushing, shoving and three technical fouls. The Pistons double teamed James the moment he touched the ball as Hamilton and McDyess pinned him into the left corner. But James was able to pass over the top of Detroit's defense to West on the opposite side. The Cavs swung the ball around to Williams, who knocked down his first jumper and the Cavs started 6-of-7 from the floor to take a quick 12-2 lead. Cleveland cooled off, and with James sitting, the Pistons were able to pull within 30-21. The Cavs were up by 13 when James returned, and Detroit quickly welcomed him back with a mugging in the lane as McDyess, Arron Afflalo and Amir Johnson all made contact with James, who took exception to Johnson raking him across the face.

Notes:

• The Cavaliers took a 2-0 lead despite the Pistons cutting a 29-point lead to as little as seven points in the fourth quarter.

• Detroit's loss snapped its streak of nine straight wins in Game 2's of playoff series (second-longest such streak in playoff history).

• LeBron James led the Cavaliers with 29 points, 13 rebounds and six assists. James has scored 20-plus points in 43 of his 48 career playoff games. James has had 13-plus rebounds four times in his playoff career and three of those games have come against the Pistons.

Boxing: Boxers honored in Manila

Filipino boxing champions Nonito Donaire and Brian Viloria received more cash and commendations from the city of Manila on Tuesday for their convincing wins against their Mexican foes over the weekend.

Mayor Alfredo Lim named Donaire and Viloria as "Adopted Sons of Manila". The fighters were each rewarded with P500,000 cash before starting their "heroes' city motorcade".

The two boxers went around Manila with two other victorious Filipino boxers -- WBC international minimumweight champion Denver Cuello and super flyweight titlist Drian Francisco -- who also both received P50,000 cash awards from Manila City.

The four Filipinos' knocked out all their opponents at the Araneta Coliseum on Sunday.

Donaire retained his International Boxing Federation and International Boxing Organization world flyweight titles with the knockout of Mexican Raul Martinez. Viloria, meanwhile, knocked down Mexico's Ulises Solis in the 11th round and took the IBF junior flyweight crown.

Cuello, meanwhile, stopped Japanese boxer Hiroshi Matsumoto to capture the WBC international minimum weight title while Francisco battered his Indonesian foe.

Lim has described the fight of Donaire, Viloria and Cuello as very impressive and an inspiration to aspiring boxers not only in Manila but in other parts of the country.

NBA: Dwight Howard is the season's defensive player

The 23-year-old Dwight Howard became the youngest player to win the NBA's defensive player of the year award Tuesday. Howard was only the fifth player to lead the league in blocks and rebounds in the same season, a goal he set in training camp.

"A lot of guys don't want to go up [for blocks] because they're afraid of getting dunked on," Howard said during an interview. "Dikembe and Patrick told me, 'As many times as you're going to get dunked on you're going to have more blocks.'"

Howard led the Magic to a second straight Southeast Division title and 59 wins in the regular season, one shy of tying the best record in franchise history set in the 1995-96 season. Orlando trails Philadelphia 1-0 in the first round of the playoffs. Game 2 is Wednesday, and Howard said his scratched eyes won't affect his play for the game.
Howard received 542 points, including 105 first-place votes from a panel of 119 writers and broadcasters. Cleveland's LeBron James was second with 148 points and Miami's Dwyane Wade finished third with 90 points.

James' defense has improved immensely since he first broke into the league. This season, his run-down blocks became as spectacular as his dunks.

"It just means more to me now at this point in my career than it did in the past," said James, the favorite to win MVP honors. "Not saying that I didn't care about defense, it just means more. I care as much about defense as I do offense. It was just about me wanting to be better."

Even Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu, not known for his defense, managed to get one third-place vote.

"Probably the most impressive thing about the defensive player of the year award was two things," Magic general manager Otis Smith said. "The fact that Turkoglu finished in the top 16, and probably the fact that Dwight set out at the start of the season with a goal in mind to be the best defensive player in the league. He started with that goal in mind, and he finished it."

Howard averaged 13.8 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game this season, his fifth in the league.

The only other players to be rebounding and blocks champions in the regular season were Bill Walton, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon and Ben Wallace. Blocks were not kept as an official statistic until 1973.

"To be the defensive player of the year at 23 is remarkable," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. "To be a great defensive player usually comes later in a career. And he still has so much room for improvement."

The award caps a remarkable year for Howard.

He won gold as the center of the U.S. men's team at the Beijing Olympics, passed Wilt Chamberlain as the youngest NBA player to reach the 5,000-rebound mark and became an All-Star for the third time.

Many saw this coming -- just not so soon.

Howard is five months younger than Alvin Robertson, who was 23 years and nine months old when he won the award with San Antonio in the 1985-86 season.

The No. 1 overall draft pick out of high school in 2004, Howard has quickly become one of the NBA's most dominant centers. His chiseled, 6-foot-11, 265-pound physique makes him one of the most intimidating players, and his incredible vertical leap is even rarer for a big man.

Sixers forward Andre Iguodala found that out first hand in Game 1 on Sunday. Howard nearly soared over teammate Courtney Lee to block Iguodala's layup attempt into the stands.

Iguodala said Tuesday that it was one of the most embarrassing plays of the season for him.

"It's like he can guard two guys at once. He can guard his guy and the guy coming off the pick-and-roll, which is almost impossible to do," Iguodala said. "If he gets any more athletic or jumps any higher, they're going to have to change the rules."

Howard followed in the footsteps of one of his idols, Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett, in jumping straight from high school to the pros. He took No. 12 for his jersey, in part, because it was the reverse of Garnett's 21 with the Minnesota Timberwolves and allows him to pay homage to the player he looked up to as a kid. Garnett wears No. 5 with the Celtics because Bill Sharman's 21 is retired.

Now the pair have even more in common. Garnett won the award last season for anchoring a Boston defense that won the NBA title. Howard joked Tuesday that he didn't even know Garnett won the award but was honored to be in the same class as his idol.

Howard also gave credit to his teammates, and in typical fashion, he threw in a one-liner to explain his case.

"I really appreciate those guys for allowing their man to get to the basket to give me the opportunity to get blocks," Howard joked.

NBA: Spurs bounce back in Game 2 to defeat the Mavs 105-84

The San Antonio Spurs bounced back from its game 1 loss to win over the Dallas Mavericks 105-84 to even the series at 1-1 in their 1st round playoff series.

Tony Parker (at left photo with #9 jersey) led all scorers with 38 points, 8 assists and 4 rebounds. Parker walked off the court with 38 points, a comfortable lead and a roaring Spurs crowd cheering him back to the bench with a Game 2 victory minutes away.

Unlike the first game, Dallas was unable to pester Parker and the Spurs breezed to a 105-84 blowout over the Mavericks on Monday night. It evened the series and handed Dallas one of the worst losses in the history of the playoff rivalry.

Parker had 27 points in the first half and finished 16-of-22 from the floor. It was a marked difference from Game 1, when the Mavs let Parker score 24 but made him a non-factor in the second half, when he made just two field goals.

Parker departed with about 5 minutes left in the fourth to a raucous ovation -- and with the leading man out of the game, many fans headed to the exits as Parker took his seat.

Terry had 16 for Dallas, and Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd had 14 points. Josh Howard scored just seven points after torching the Spurs for 25 in Game 1.

The Mavericks beat the Spurs 105-97 on Saturday night for their first road playoff victory in three years. But it was hardly rare territory for San Antonio: The Spurs have come back to win four series after losing Game 1 since 2002.

They put together a convincing response in the second game and the frustration for Dallas could be seen all the way down its bench. Mavs owner Mark Cuban punched a water cooler as San Antonio pulled away in the fourth.

The Mavericks haven't won a playoff series since 2006. Winning the opener was a start, but they'll have to figure out another way to stop Parker in Game 3.

The Mavericks were a favorite target all season for Parker, who averaged more than 31 points and seven assists in four regular-season meetings this season. He had 24 points in Game 1 but the Mavs kept him under control by using different defenders, including the pesky Jose Barea.

The approach didn't work this time.

Parker fell three points of his playoff high of 41, set last year in the first round against Phoenix.

"I try to stay the same and take whatever they give me," Parker said. "Tonight in the first half they were going under the pick and roll and my outside shot was going. And then I was able to penetrate.

Tim Duncan had 13 points and 11 rebounds, and Drew Gooden had 13 for the Spurs.

Dallas shot just 39 percent from the field. The Spurs also dominated on the glass, outrebounding Dallas 44-28.

"We talked about sustaining," Duncan said in an interview after the game. "Obviously we had a great start to the game and got out to a lead. We understand the third and fourth quarter last game we really let off the gas. Defensively we wanted to stay solid, and I thought we did a really good job of doing that and playing more of 48 minutes."

Tennis: Nadal wins 5th Monte Carlo title over Djokovic

Rafael Nadal overcame an upset bid by Novak Djokovic on Sunday, beating the third-ranked Serbian 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 for his fifth straight Monte Carlo Masters title after losing a set here for the first time since the 2006 final against Roger Federer.

“Everyone can improve in every surface, no? No one is perfect. Sure, I can improve,” Nadal said. “I always work to improve because when you feel you can’t improve, is difficult to wake up and go on court and practice.”

Nadal is favored to also collect a fifth straight French Open title, but the way Djokovic swept Nadal aside in the second set, and the way No. 4 Andy Murray rallied back from 5-2 down to force a tie break in Saturday’s semifinal offers his rivals a glimmer of hope.

Nadal was unhappy with how he served, and plans to improve on it before heading to Roland Garros next month.“This tournament I didn’t serve very well. Especially the second serve was sometimes 120 kph (74 mph). So that’s (a) disaster,” Nadal said. “Yeah, I have to play more. Have to serve better.”

Even so, he was delighted with his win.

“Always really important for me (to) start the clay season like this,” said Nadal, who won his third title this season after hard-court victories at the Australian Open and Indian Wells, Calif.

He trailed 3-1 in the first set before reeling off five straight games. Struggling on serve in the third, he saved three break points and needed 14 minutes to hold his opening service game.

After a long rally at 30-40, Djokovic seemed certain to break Nadal with a drop shot, but Nadal somehow got it back for a winner and Djokovic sank to his knees.

“A little bit lucky because he has two break points and important drop shot. I came back. That point was really important,” Nadal said. “After that I think I played really well. In the important moments, I was focused all the time.”

It was the third-seeded Djokovic who crumbled as Nadal clinched victory on his first match point when the Serbian sent a backhand into the net.

“I played a very good match, actually one of the best I have played against him on this surface,” Djokovic said. “It’s really unfortunate that in certain moments I didn’t play the way I was supposed to play, with a little bit more patience.”

Nadal extended his winning streak at Monte Carlo to 27 matches and won his 21st straight victory on clay since losing to Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain in the second round of the Rome Masters in May 2008.

Nobody has matched Nadal’s performance at the Monte Carlo tournament since tennis turned professional in 1968.

Reggie Doherty won the event six times overall between 1897-99 and 1902-04, while five-time winner Anthony Wilding of New Zealand won four times in a row from 1911-14 and got his other title in 1908.

Djokovic had the momentum after he dominated the second set, winning all nine points at the net and putting pressure on Nadal’s wavering serve.

“It certainly gives me a lot of confidence playing against him,” Djokovic said. “Hopefully I can have another chance this season.”

But Djokovic missed his chance at the beginning of the third set.

“He got (an) incredible drop shot and he made a winner. The angle was just incredible,” Djokovic said. “I think that’s what kind of lifted him up.”

With Djokovic finding his range with huge shots, he forced another chance that Nadal saved with a strong first serve. Another big forehand winner offered up a third break point, which Djokovic missed when his return landed just out.

“If I was break up, then things would probably look different,” Djokovic said.

Nadal broke Djokovic immediately for a 2-0 lead, but he was struggling to hold and dropped serve on his third break point in the third game to let Djokovic back in the match.

But Nadal won the next five games—just like he did at 3-1 down in the first set—as Djokovic went for extravagant winners that landed out.

NBA: Boston tied series, winning over Chicago 118-115

BOSTON (AP) -- Ray Allen (left photo #20 jersey) picked the perfect time to snap out of his shooting slump.

Allen made a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 2 seconds left and finished with 30 points, leading the Boston Celtics a 118-115 win over the Chicago Bulls in Game 2 of their playoff series Monday night.

Ben Gordon nearly carried Chicago to a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. He scored with 12.3 seconds left to tie it, and had a playoff career-high 42 points. Then Boston set up a play for Allen, who took a pass from Rajon Rondo and connected from the right side.

Allen had just four points on 1-for-12 shooting in Boston's 105-103 overtime loss on Saturday.

The next two games of the series are scheduled for Chicago on Thursday night and Sunday.

Allen scored 28 points in the second half, which turned into a shootout between the All-Star guard and Gordon.Consecutive 3-pointers by Gordon gave the Bulls a 109-104 lead before the Celtics rallied. Glen Davismade two free throws and Rondo connected on a long jumper to give Boston a 112-111 lead with 1:01 to play.

Gordon followed with a 16-foot jumper and Allen countered with a 3-pointer that put Boston ahead 115-113 with 25.3 seconds remaining.Then it was Gordon's turn. He connected from near the foul line before the Celtics called a timeout to set up their final play.

Rondo dribbled on the left side and Allen worked himself free, caught the pass in rhythm and converted as the crowd went wild. Gordon then heaved a shot from beyond midcourt that fell short.

Allen ran to the bench where injured Kevin Garnett, wearing a sport coat and tie, slapped him on the head and chest. On his way to the locker room, coach Doc Rivers shouted "yeah, yeah," pumped his fist and exchanged high-fives with fans.

Then, headed to his postgame news conference, Rivers joked, "nice and easy, never a doubt."

Davis had 26 points for second-seeded Boston, passing his career high of 24 points on March 21, and Rondo had a triple-double -- 19 points, 16 assists and 12 rebounds. Paul Pierce added 18 points and Kendrick Perkins contributed 16 points and 12 rebounds.

John Salmons had 17 points and Brad Miller scored 16 for Chicago.

The Celtics nearly lost despite controlling rookie point guard Derrick Rose. He finished with 10 points, seven assists and six rebounds after leading the Bulls with 36 points and 11 assists on Saturday.

Rondo missed the last 5:03 of the first half with a minor right ankle sprain but returned to start the third quarter. Backup forward Leon Powe didn't return to the bench after going to the locker room early in the second quarter. He hobbled away but there was no announcement of his injury.

Mike Brown is the 2008-2009 Coach of the Year

Mike Brown was honored as the NBA's coach of the year (2008-2009 NBA Season) Monday after leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to their greatest regular season.

Brown

He guided the club to a franchise-record 66 wins, a second Central Division title and the No. 1 overall seed in the postseason. Cleveland leads the Detroit Pistons 1-0 in the first round of the playoffs.

Preaching trust to his players since training camp, Brown has created a tightly knit team led by superstar LeBron James.

The 38-year-old coach also has given more authority to his assistants, a sign of his maturity as a coach and confidence as a leader.

Brown joined the Cavs in 2005 after two seasons as an assistant with Indiana. Bill Fitch in 1976 is the only other Cleveland coach to win the coaching award.

Brown received 55 first-place votes and earned 355 total points from a panel of 122 sports writers and broadcasters. Houston's Rick Adelman finished second with 151 points and Orlando's Stan Van Gundy was third with 150.

New Orleans coach Byron Scott won the award last year.

Cleveland owner Dan Gilbert called Brown a "natural leader" and credited him with much of his team's success.

"Mike Brown is one of these rare people that has nearly every tool in his tool box," Gilbert said in a statement. "He is smart, hard working, and selfless. He is curious and hungry to learn. He is philosophically driven and derives his decision making from his strong philosophy.

"Mike Brown is a critical element as to why our franchise is growing into the kind of success we all envisioned and hoped to achieve. There is no man more deserving and it proves to the world that, yes, nice guys can indeed, finish first."

NBA: Homecourt upsets in Game 1 for Spurs, Celtics and Blazers

Except for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Game 1 of the opening series in the 2009 NBA Playoffs turned out to be an upset for the three of the four home teams. The San Antonio Spurs lost to the visiting Dallas Mavericks 105-97, while the Houston Rockets prevailed over the Portland Trailblazers 108-81 in the Western Conference. Meanwhile, the Chicago Bulls surprised the defending champions Boston Celtics in overtime 105 - 103, while Cleveland crushed Detroit 102-84.

Chicago Bulls 107, Boston Celtics 105
Derrick Rose played like a veteran in his first play-off appearance scoring a record 36 points and 11 assists for a rookie to lead all players of the Chicago Bulls to victory over the Garnett-less Boston Celtics. Rose tied Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's score (while Jabbar was in Bucks) in the most points by a rookie in their 1st playoff game in the NBA. Not even Micheal Jordan did that in his rookie year. I was cheering for the Bulls all early morning long (the game started 1230AM Sunday) and I was really impressed with how the Bulls ran the game right from the opening quarter. The Bulls were more aggressive inside but it was Rose and Rondo who stole the show at the start of the first half firing and blazing their arsenals. The Boston Celtics were behind as many as 11 points but Rondo was their for the team to bounce back.

Game 2 is Tuesday morning in the Philippines, the anniversary of the 1986 playoff game when Jordan scored 63 points against Boston -- in a Bulls loss. In fact, Chicago had not beaten the Celtics in 10 postseason games since the Chicago Stags beat Boston in the 1948 Basketball Association of America quarterfinals.

Another surprise was Ray Allen's poor shooting percentage all night long. He shot an unbelievable 1 of 12 field goals only. This was how he played anyway last season, but without Garnett around, he has to rise up on the occasion.

Houston Rockets 108, Portland Trailblazers 81

Yao Ming recorded a perfect 9 of 9 field goals, scored nine of Houston's first 11 points and finished with 24 in the Rockets' 108-81 victory over the Trail Blazers on Saturday (1230AM Philippine time).
It was the opener of their first-round playoff series.The Rockets led by as many as 31 points in the second half and there was simply no way the young Blazers could catch up.Yao scored all of his points in the first half, and added nine rebounds. He hit all nine of his attempts from the field and all six of his free throws (can you believe that?). Portland centers Joel Przybilla and Greg Oden had no answer for the seven-time All-Star from China. Yao rested the entire 4th quarter.

Brandon Roy had 21 points for the Blazers in their first playoff appearance since the 2002-03 season. Portland embraced the young team this season, and some 10,000 fans showed up at a downtown rally earlier in the week in support of the team.

Boxing: Donaire, Viloria pound Mexican counterparts

Filipino pride Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire lived up to his moniker, crushing Raul “Cobra” Martinez in just four rounds while Brian Viloria scored an emotional win knocking out Ulises Solis to snatch the IBF light flyweight crown in their title bout at the Araneta Coliseum. Despite a painful left hand, Donaire pummeled his Mexican-American challenger from the get-go, hitting Martinez with left-right hook combinations in the first and second rounds.

Donaire, who retained his IBO/IBF flyweight title, delivered the decisive killer blows in 2:42 mark of the fourth round, ending the fight on a technical knockout (TKO).

He improved his win-loss record to 21-1-0 (14 by way of knockout) while handing the erstwhile undefeated Martinez his first loss after 24 fights.

“He’s a real champion. I’m a big fan of him now,” Martinez said after the fight. He also acknowledged that he was “not invincible,” when asked about the lessons he learned from the bout with Donaire.

Donaire, whose father was not able to watch him fight, said he felt a stinging pain in his left hand.

“My father will always be my father and I thank him because he got me where I am today,” Donaire said during post-fight interviews.

Meanwhile, Viloria, nicknamed “The Hawaiian Punch”, knocked down Ulises Solis in the 11th round to steal the IBF light flyweight crown.

Viloria was aggressive in the first two rounds but Solis recovered in later rounds, before the Fil-Am fighter opened a cut in his right eyebrow in the fifth round.

A former WBC junior flyweight king, Viloria again struggled on the sixth round as Solis briefly regained control of the fight. Both fighters exchanged punches in later rounds until a solid right hook from Viloria knocked his opponent cold towards the end of the 11th round.

During post-fight interviews, Viloria, who improved his record to 25-2-0 (15 by knockout), admitted that Solis was a “tough nut to crack”.

The Mexican fighter, who earlier christened himself “The Filipino Executioner”, previously defeated Filipino boxers Rodel Mayol, Bert Batawang and Nonito’s older brother, Glenn Donaire.

Formula 1: Vettel leads Red Bull to maiden one-two victory in China

Sebastian Vettel started from pole position at Monza last year, and won. He started from pole position in China on Sunday afternoon, and this time he led team mate Mark Webber home in a superb one-two that gave team owner Dietrich Mateschitz his first success under the Red Bull Racing name.

In wet and windy conditions, it was thus German driver Bernd Maylander in his Mercedes-Benz safety car who led the field for the first eight laps. He had already done more laps this season that Heikki Kovalainen!

When Maylander pulled in after those eight laps, the Red Bulls led until their first refuelling stops, Webber on Lap 14, Vettel on 15. That put series leader Jenson Button into the lead after he’d passed Brawn team mate Rubens Barrichello on the 11th lap. Behind them, there was some great racing as McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari’s Felipe Massa were on the move.

The world champion climbed to fifth but then spun down to 10th on the Lap 11 and had to work his way back up to eighth by the time the safety car was deployed for the second time on Lap 18 when Robert Kubica slammed his BMW Sauber into the back of Jarno Trulli’s Toyota. While Maylander was heading the field again, Sebastien Buemi's Toro Rosso ran into the back of Vettel, unsighted in the spray, but would get away with it.

The advantage now went back to Vettel, but a slick refuelling stop by Brawn got Button back out in second place ahead of Massa, whose Ferrari rolled to a silent halt on the 21st lap. The race resumed on Lap 23, and with a lighter fuel load Vettel sprinted away from Button and Webber.

“Vettel is only quicker by fuel effect,” the Brawn team told Button, “and Webber is also shorter.” But the Australian moved ahead as Button missed his braking for Turn 14 on the 29th lap. Now it was a Red Bull one-two, but Button snatched second back two laps later when Webber ran wide in the final corner on a track slippier than a skating rink. Not to be outdone, however, Webber snatched the place back within a lap with a terrific counter-attack.

When Button found himself only 1.2s ahead of Vettel on the 40th lap, the German having made his final fuel stop but the Briton still with one to come, the writing was on the wall. A lap later Vettel drew alongside the Brawn going into Turn 14, and took back the lead with a calm reassurance reminiscent of fellow countryman Michael Schumacher in his heyday.

Button’s second stop on Lap 42 dropped him to third, and for the first time Brawn did not look like the pacesetter this season. That was Adrian Newey’s RB5 design, and Vettel and Webber had no trouble reeling off the final laps to a great triumph as Button rolled it off and settled for third ahead of Barrichello.

Both McLarens finished, Heikki Kovalainen heading Hamilton. The Finn made no mistakes, but Lewis had another spin and some off-course moments on his way to sixth. Behind him, Toyota’s Timo Glock fought his way back up to seventh for Toyota ahead of the again impressive Toro Rosso’s Sebastien Buemi, who withstood a lot of pressure in difficult conditions to take the final point.

Fernando Alonso was another spinner, bringing his Renault home only ninth ahead of Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen, who fell back from fourth after his fuel stop on Lap 27 and was never thereafter in the hunt. He and Toro Rosso’s Sebastien Bourdais grabbed places from Nick Heidfeld in the closing stages, the German leading BMW Sauber team mate Robert Kubica home after the latter needed a second new nose late in the race.

Adrian Sutil had been on target for two points but crashed shortly after pushing Hamilton into a mistake, so it was Force €ndia team mate Giancarlo Fisichella who took 14th place ahead of Nico Rosberg, who had a terrible afternoon that included an unsuccessful gamble on intermediate tyres. Renault’s Nelson Piquet also had a gruesome time with spins requiring two new noses.

Besides Sutil, Williams’ Kazuki Nakajima failed to finish, probably giddy after several spins, Ferrari’s Felipe Massa dropped out of third place with an electronic problem on Lap 21, and Toyota’s Jarno Trulli was forced out after being attacked early on by Kubica.

Button thus extends his championship lead to 21 points, ahead of Barrichello on 15, Vettel on 10 and Webber on 9.5.

For full results, please click on this link: 2009 FORMULA 1 CHINESE GRAND PRIX

Formula 1: Vettel scores Red Bull's maiden pole in China

Sebastian Vettel put himself on pole position for the first time since Monza last year in a gripping qualifying session in Shanghai on Saturday afternoon, giving Red Bull Racing their maiden P1 grid slot.

The German's sole flying lap of Q3 - a 1m 36.184s - was enough to take the honours from team mate Mark Webber, whose 1m 36.466s had kept him ahead of championship leader Jenson Button who had taken his Brawn round in 1m 36.532s.

In the dying moments of Q3, however, Fernando Alonso pushed his Renault between the two Red Bulls with 1m 36.381s, as Rubens Barrichello pushed Brawn team mate Button down to fifth with 1m 36.493s.

Now we await the fuel weights to figure out who really was fast and who, if anyone, was just grandstanding.

Jarno Trulli, much fancied before qualifying, was sixth for Toyota on 1m 36.835s, ahead of fuel-heavy Nico Rosberg on 1m 37.397s in the Williams, Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen on 1m 38.089s, McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton, who only got one run for his 1m 38.595, and Sebastien Buemi who put his Toro Rosso 10th with 1m 39.321s.

Q2 had surprisingly accounted for four fancied stars. Nick Heidfeld could not better 11th with 1m 35.975s for BMW Sauber, together with the McLarens the only car that will go into the race with KERS. Heikki Kovalainen was next up for the Woking team on 1m 36.032s ahead of Felipe Massa’s Ferrari on 1m 36.033s and Timo Glock’s Toyota on 1m 36.066s. Glock is set to drop five grid places thanks to a gearbox change. Once again, the times were incredibly closed. Kazuki Nakajima was 15th with 1m 36.193s for Williams.

Sebastien Bourdais was the fastest faller in Q1, lapping his Toro Rosso in 1m 36.906s for 16th. Nelson Piquet had another unhappy ride for Renault for 17th on 1m 36.908s, which left him ahead of a disappointed Robert Kubica whose BMW Sauber was left on 1m 36.966s. At the back were the Force Indias of Adrian Sutil and Giancarlo Fisichella, evenly matched on 1m 37.669s and 1m 37.672s.