Lions rout Hawks to even series

TOKOROZAWA, Saitama Pref. — A number of Seibu Lions fans spent their time outside Seibu Dome looking into a television camera and imploring their team to get a win. The Lions' players weren't quite ready for the season to end yet either.

Pitcher Takayuki Kishi (left) and shortstop Hiroyuku Nakajima wave to the crowd after the Lions' 8-0 win on Sunday at Seibu Dome. KYODO

In the end, everybody got what they wanted. Well, maybe not the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks.

The Lions broke open a scoreless affair in a seven-run third inning and never looked back, staving off elimination with an 8-0 win over the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks in Game 2 of the Pacific League Climax Series first stage on Sunday afternoon at Seibu Dome.

"We were fortunate to win, but it won't mean anything if we drop tomorrow's game," Lions shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima said. "We definitely want to win."

The victory evens the series at 1-1. The teams will meet in a decisive third game Monday, with the winner advancing to face the PL champion Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters in the final stage. As the higher seed, Seibu would advance in the event of a tie.

Nearly everyone chipped in for the Lions. Eight of Seibu's nine starters finished with a hit, and all but three recorded an RBI.

The Lions' Yutaro Osaki finished 1-for-3 with a pair of RBIs, and Ginjiro Sumitani had two hits and drove in a run.

Lions starter Takayuki Kishi got off to a shaky start, putting runners on the corners with one out in the first, but with all the run support behind him it didn't matter.

"I was only trying to get out of it without giving up any runs," Kishi said. "Overall, my fastball felt good, and my curves were good as well."

Kishi allowed six hits and struck out eight without walking a batter over six scoreless innings.

Hawks rookie Shota Takeda had a much rougher time on the mound. The 19-year-old rookie got off to a good start, but his command failed him in the third. Struggling to hit his spots, he helped set the stage for the Lions' big inning before being pulled out of the game.

Takeda took the loss and was charged with five runs — four earned — on two hits. He walked four and struck out three.

"Overall I was pressing," Takeda said. "I didn't have the inner strength and things got worse as I went. Since I was given the task of starting such an important game, and couldn't keep us in the game, I feel sorry for the team. I'm so frustrated."

Seibu batted around in the third, and had eight of its nine starters get on base during the frame.

Sumitani walked to begin the inning, and Takuya Hara moved him over with a sacrifice bunt. Sumitani took third on a passed ball, and Hideto Asamura drew a walk to put runners on the corners. Shogo Akiyama drove in the first run of the game with a single, and Nakajima doubled to make the score 2-0.

"I'd watched his (Takeda's) fastball and watched him throw sliders against other batters," Nakajima said. "So I'd seen his pitches and tried not to chase one that would be difficult to hit."

Takeya Nakamura drew a walk to load the bases, and Jose Ortiz followed with an RBI single to left. Esteban German struck out for the second out of the inning, but Osaki plated a pair with a double to right.

Sumitani stepped to the plate for the second time in the inning and hit an RBI single to make the score 6-0. The Lions then executed a double-steal, with Osaki swiping home, before Sumitani was thrown out at the plate while trying to score on a single by Hara.

Nakamura added to the lead with an RBI single in the fourth.

The Hawks will send lefty Kenji Otonari (12-8) to the mound to start Game 3. Kazuhisa Ishii (10-5) is scheduled to toe the rubber for the Lions.

Staff writer Kaz Nagatsuka contributed to this report

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Orioles beat Yanks in 13th, even series

NEW YORK — First flying bugs, now a flying bat.

When it comes to the postseason, Joba Chamberlain is jinxed.

The Yankees hope their season isn't, too.

Chamberlain was knocked out of Game 4 of the AL Division Series on Thursday night when the barrel of Matt Wieters' broken bat hit him on the right elbow in the 12th inning. The Baltimore Orioles went on to a 2-1 victory that forced a decisive Game 5 on Friday night, getting the go-ahead run when Manny Machado doubled against David Phelps leading off the 13th and scored on J.J. Hardy's RBI double.

"I don't know if I would hang out with me very much. I might need a bubble," Chamberlain said.

He might not be the only one.

On another Bronx night filled with controversy, Alex Rodriguez was pinch hit for once again. Eric Chavez batted in place of slumping A-Rod and ended the game with a lineout to third off Jim Johnson.

"I just do what I'm told," Chavez said. "It's kind of crazy."

Now it's up to CC Sabathia to show he's an ace, taking the mound Friday night against Jason Hammel in a rematch of Game 1 starters.

"It's time to go," Sabathia said. "This is a one-game playoff, and this is what we play for. We're here in the Bronx at home, and like I said, I'll be excited and ready to go."

New York outlasted Baltimore for the AL East title last week. Now the Yankees will try to do it again and advance to the AL Championship Series against Detroit.

"It's the same game whether it's the first game of the season or the postseason," said Derek Jeter, who shifted to designated hitter because of a sore left foot. "We're going to try to have fun with it, enjoy it."

New York had runners on base in each of the first eight innings, but the Yankees went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and dropped to 6-for-28 (.214) in the series.

A-Rod, 2-for-16 (.125) with no RBIs and nine strikeouts, fanned against side-arming right-hander Darren O'Day with runners on second and third and one out in the eighth. Nick Swisher then flied out.

"It's obviously frustrating," Rodriguez said. "That was a situation that I could do some damage, and just couldn't get it done tonight."

He's not the only slumping star. Curtis Granderson is 1-for-16 (.125) with nine Ks. Robinson Cano is 2-for-18 (.111) and hitless in his last 11 at-bats. Russell Martin is batting .214, Ichiro Suzuki .200 and Swisher .133.

"There's really good pitching," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "There's guys on the other side that are struggling, too. You're seeing some really good pitching in these four games."

Girardi won't know until Friday whether his bullpen will include Chamberlain, who has had enough mound misfortunes to fill a horror film.

Sabathia held off the Orioles in winning the opener 7-2, allowing two runs and eight hits in 8? innings.

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Hibbert, Pacers destroy Heat to take series lead

INDIANAPOLIS — LeBron James grabbed a seat on Miami's bench, lowered his head and stared down at the floor.

Move aside: Pacers center Roy Hibbert takes a shot between the Heat's Joel Anthony (left) and Shane Battier on Thursday in Indianapolis. AP

Way down.

The Heat are in a hole.

Roy Hibbert had 19 points and 18 rebounds, George Hill scored 20 and Danny Granger 17 as the Pacers, showing more balance, toughness and togetherness than favored Miami, throttled the malfunctioning Heat 94-75 on Thursday night in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Overlooked during the regular season and given little chance to upset the reigning East champions, the Pacers took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Game 4 is Sunday at raucous Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

James scored 22 — 16 in the first half before wearing down — and Mario Chalmers added 25 for Miami. However, Dwyane Wade, banged up and possibly slowed by a more serious injury, scored only 5 on 2-of-13 shooting for the Heat, already missing forward Chris Bosh because of a strained abdominal muscle and not expected to return for this series.

"It's obvious he wasn't himself." James said of Wade. "Does he want to play better? Of course. He's one of the best players in the world."

Wade didn't play like one and he also had an angry exchange during a timeout in the third quarter with coach Erik Spoelstra, who dismissed it as a heat-of-battle incident.

"That happens," Spoelstra said. "Anybody that has been part of a team or has been a coach or been a player, you have no idea how often things like that happen. That was during a very emotional part of the game. We were getting our butt kicked. Those exchanges happen all the time during the course of an NBA season.

"There's going to be a lot of times where guys say something, you don't like it. You get over it and you move on. We're all connected. Dwyane and I have been together for a long time, a long time. We've been through basically everything. A lot of different roles, a lot of different teams. That really is nothing. That is the least of our concern. That type of fire, shoot, that's good. That's the least of our concerns. Our concern is getting ready for Sunday."

Wade wouldn't discuss his dispute with Spoelstra.

Spurs 105, Clippers 88

In San Antonio, Tony Parker scored 22 points on his 30th birthday, Tim Duncan had 18 and the Spurs beat fading Los Angeles, pushing their winning streak to 16 and taking a 2-0 lead in their Western Conference semifinal series.

Chris Paul responded to his awful Game 1 with only a slightly better encore, scoring 10 points as the Clippers now head home desperate to steer out of what's starting to get the feel of a sweep.

Blake Griffin led Los Angeles with 20 points. His plan to manage his ailing knee so the All-Star would have enough steam for the fourth quarter proved moot, as both teams emptied their benches with another Spurs blowout assured.

The All-Star matchup of Paul vs. Parker went from a Game 1 bust to a lopsided mismatch that may have proved Paul is hurting more than he's letting on. Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro says his star is still struggling with an aching hip and groin, even as Paul insists he's OK.

He again looked anything but. While Parker — the last of the Big Three to finally hit the big 3-0 — celebrated by more than tripling his seven points and dreadful 1-for-9 shooting in Game 1, Paul shot 4 of 9 and had just five assists.

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Deflections help Devils rally to even series with Rangers

Gatekeeper: New Jersey goalie Martin Brodeur defends against New York's Brandon Prust in the third period of Game 2 on Wednesday night. The Devils edged the Rangers 3-2 to even the series 1-1. AP

NEW YORK — The New Jersey Devils quickly changed the game plan: instead of letting the New York Rangers block their shots, they decided to deflect some themselves.

It worked twice, and the Eastern Conference finals are all even, as a result.

David Clarkson scored a tip-in goal off Adam Henrique's shot 2:31 into the third period to break a tie and lift the Devils to a 3-2 victory over the Rangers that squared the series at one game apiece on Wednesday night.

"It's a very hard building to play in, and 1-1 sounds much better than down 2-0," Devils captain Zach Parise said. "We're happy. We would have liked to have snuck out of here with two wins, but it didn't happen.

"We'll take 1-1."

For the third straight series, the Rangers are wondering what went wrong in Game 2 after they took the opener. They stressed how important it would be to grab a 2-0 lead, which would have been their first two-game edge in this postseason, but didn't provide the necessary effort to get it done.

New York was riding high after its 3-0 series-opening win on Monday night, but now has relinquished home-ice advantage again.

"You need to improve as a hockey team every game," said succinct and disappointed coach John Tortorella, who declined to say what areas were deficient.

Game 3 will be Saturday in New Jersey.

Clarkson built off the momentum created by Ryan Carter's deflected goal late in the second that tied the game, 2-2.

Ilya Kovalchuk had given the Devils a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal in the first. Defenseman Bryce Salvador added two assists, and Martin Brodeur stopped 23 saves for his 108th playoff win.

Clarkson has three goals in this postseason, and every one has been a winner, including the clincher against Philadelphia in Game 5 of the second round.

"Mr. Clutch? I don't know about that," Clarkson said. "I'm going to skate up and down and finish the checks and just bounce off people. It's just a great feeling to be able to contribute. To get a tip on that felt pretty good."

New Jersey had 26 attempted shots blocked in Game 1, five more than they got through to goalie Henrik Lundqvist. The Devils cut the blocks to 16 on Wednesday and managed to get 27 on goal — two more than New York.

"That team blocks so many shots," Clarkson said. "It's unbelievable how many. I think we found a way to shoot it and get sticks on it, and definitely that was big for us."

Marc Staal and Chris Kreider scored power-play goals in the second for the top-seeded Rangers, who received 24 saves by Lundqvist.

New Jersey got even at 2-2 when Salvador wound up for a shot at the blue line and fired a drive that Carter — with his back to the net — brilliantly deflected past Lundqvist with 1:51 left in the second. Marian Gaborik stood up straight in front of Salvador, but didn't drop down as many of his teammates have to try to block the shot. For that, he was pinned to the bench by Tortorella, even through New York's power play in the third.

Gaborik returned to the ice with 8:40 remaining as the Rangers pressed to tie.

The Devils kept the pressure on New York at the start of the third and wiped out the good work the Rangers displayed in the second.

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Pacers even up series

MIAMI — This does not sound like a winning formula. Miss 24 of 29 shots in one stretch, on the road. Watch an 11-point second-half lead turn into a deficit. Have your entire team get outscored by two players in the fourth quarter.

All square: Indiana's George Hill looks for an opening past Miami's Dwyane Wade during the Pacers' 78-75 Eastern Conference semifinal win on Tuesday. The series is tied at 1-1. AP

Somehow, it worked for the Indiana Pacers.

And with one part of the Big Three gone, the Miami Heat might have a very big problem.

David West scored 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and the Pacers took home-court advantage away from Miami by beating the Heat 78-75 in Game 2 of the teams' Eastern Conference semifinal series Tuesday night — after LeBron James and Dwyane Wade both came up short on key opportunities in the final minute.

"Defense and rebounding," Indiana coach Frank Vogel said. "We built this team, we started talking about smash-mouth basketball about winning the war in the trenches, and that's with defense and rebounding. That's what I grew up watching Eastern Conference basketball being like. We understand offense is going to come and go, especially like a great defensive team like these guys . . . but we're pretty good too."

The series is tied at 1-1, with Game 3 in Indianapolis on Thursday night.

James scored 28 points for Miami and Wade finished with 24, though both failed to convert big chances late. James missed two free throws with 54.3 seconds left and Miami down one, and Wade was short on a layup that would have tied the game with 16 seconds remaining. Moments later, a few of the Pacers were leaping in celebration at midcourt of Miami's floor, something that Wade said was noticed afterward.

"The game is not lost or won with two free throws," James said. "But I definitely want to come through for my teammates. So I'll get an opportunity again. I know I'll be at the line again in that situation. Just go up and make 'em."

Miami was without Chris Bosh, who's sidelined indefinitely — almost certainly the rest of the series, possibly longer if the Heat advance — after he strained a lower abdominal muscle in Game 1.

Spurs 108, Clippers 92

In San Antonio, Tim Duncan had 26 points and 10 rebounds and the Spurs, recharged after a weeklong layoff, wore down the busy Clippers to win Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinals series.

Playing for the sixth time in 11 days, Los Angeles gave San Antonio its toughest first half of the playoffs before fading fast. And unlike their stunning Game 1 comeback at Memphis in the first round, the Clippers didn't have the wind this time.

Manu Ginobili added 22 points for the Spurs, who've won 15 in a row. It's the longest winning streak sustained in the NBA playoffs since the 2004 Spurs won 17 straight.

"It's the playoffs. It's going to be physical. We knew that coming in," Duncan said. "We just expected to attack the basket as much as possible."

Eric Bledsoe led the Clippers with 23 points.

Game 2 is Thursday night.

That gives the beat-up and banged-up Clippers one full day of rest — which is all the time they've had to recover between games for the past week and a half.

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Niigata prevails over defending champs in series opener

The Niigata Albirex BB had six players reach double figures in scoring in Saturday's 89-80 victory over the two-time reigning champion Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix in Game 1 of their bj-league Eastern Conference semifinal playoff series.

Time to regroup: After an 89-80 series-opening loss to the visiting Niigata Albirex BB on Saturday, guard Kenya Tomori, seen competing against the Sendai 89ers earlier this season, and his Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix teammates will look to bounce back in Game 2 on Sunday. DOMINIKA FITZGERALD

Erron Maxey, a former Providence forward, paced the Albirex with 18 points in 18-plus minutes off the bench. Ex-Texas Christian University guard Nile Murry had 16 points and nine rebounds, while Chris Holm scored 14 points, raked in 14 boards and swatted three shots. Bennet Davis added 13 points and nine rebounds, Shuhei Komatsu scored 12 and Kimitake Sato had 11.

The Albirex (28-24 in the regular season) trailed 47-37 at the break, then put 52 points on the board the rest of the way to earn the win at Hamamatsu Arena.

Niigata shot 24-for-33 at the foul line; Hamamatsu was 8-for-14.

Guided by first-year coach Matt Garrison, the Albirex out-rebounded the hosts 53-43 and grabbed 25 offensive boards.

For Phoenix coach Ryuji Kawai's club, which finished atop the East standings with a 37-15 record, 2011-12 Best Five guard Jermaine Dixon had 23 points on 7-for-21 shooting, including 4-for-12 from 3-point range, and nine rebounds. Big man Gyno Pomare contributed 12 points, eight rebounds, four steals and three blocks. Lawrence Blackledge and Shoji Nakanishi each had 11 points and Jeffrey Parmer scored 10. Kenya Tomori contributed eight points. Best 5 member Atsuya Ota, a backup center, had zero points, two rebounds, one assist, one steal, one turnover and four fouls in 20:05 of playing time.

Phoenix standout Wayne Arnold, who was held to 1-for-11 shooting, reflected on the loss in a post-game interview with The Japan Times

"They made plays down the stretch and we didn't, bottom line," Arnold said. "We came out of the gate fast in the first half behind a strong effort by Jermaine and Shoji Nakanishi. Gyno also gave us a big lift on the glass. I think we as a team were complaining to the refs too much, although the foul call were pretty uneven in the first half. I think that carried over to the second half.

"We got out in transition and forced some turnovers. We definitely did that well," he continued. "They made a great adjustment to slow the game down and took away a lot of opportunities that we get by playing fast. In turn, they were able to go inside more and spread the court with their Japanese shooters, who played well. Once the game slowed, I think we lost our aggression and they stole the momentum.

"Looking ahead to tomorrow, we have to continue to play our brand of basketball for 50 minutes (including the mini-game tiebreaker). We can't just rely on Jermaine to create all of our scoring opportunities. Everyone has to be aggressive on D and on offense. This is playoff basketball, no one is going home without a fight."

Golden Kings 71, Lakestars 61

In Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture, Narito Namizato scored 17 points and Dillion Sneed had 16 on 7-for-10 shooting as Ryukyu defeated Shiga in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series.

The Golden Kings, the league's winningest team in the regular season at 39-13, held Shiga to nine fourth-quarter points to lock up the win.

Anthony McHenry had 13 points, 10 rebounds, two steals and two blocked shots for the Golden Kings, who shot 2-for-23 from 3-point range. Forward David Palmer, the league's top 3-point shooter in the regular season at 50 percent, missed all five of his 3-point shots, but added eight points and eight boards.

Yu Okada scored 17 of his game-high 19 points in the first half for Shiga, which finished fourth in the West under first-year coach Alan Westover. Julius Ashby had 11 points, nine rebounds and three blocks and Shinya Ogawa added eight points. Ray Nixon had a team-high 10 rebounds.

Ryukyu held Shiga to 22-for-70 shooting from the field.

"Down 0-1 in best-of-three playoff series only motivates me to overcome this obstacle and prevail through adversity," Nixon wrote on Facebook. (We're) not going down without a fight! Tough loss today but we get back at it tomorrow."

Hannaryz 64, Evessa 59

In Osaka, in a low-scoring, defensive struggle, Kyoto edged the Evessa, who were playing their first playoff game in the post-Lynn Washington era.

Jermaine Boyette scored a team-high 17 points for the Hannaryz and Lee Cummard poured in 16 points. Former NBA center Lance Allred (eight points, 10 rebounds) and Taizo Kawabe (eight points) provided key contributions for bench boss Honoo Hamaguchi's club.

Kyoto shot 16-for-17 at the foul line, compensating for its 22-for-64 effort from the field. The Hannaryz exhibited patience and poise on offense in turning the ball over only seven times.

For Osaka, which had reached the Final Four for six consecutive seasons (three championships) with two-time MVP Washington, whose so-called retirement was announced in April, as the franchise cornerstone, Mike Bell finished with 21 points and 15 rebounds. Longtime Tokyo Apache star Cohey Aoki scored 13 points in his playoff debut for the Evessa and Wayne Marshall added 12 points and eight rebounds.

Though they sank 16 of 18 free throws, the Evessa missed 43 of their 63 shots from the field.

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Pacers roll back years, clinch first series win since 2005

INDIANAPOLIS — It was just like old times at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Full steam ahead: Indiana's George Hill scores past Orlando's Glen Davis during the Pacers' 105-87 win on Tuesday. AP

Finally.

After years of losing and players finding trouble, the Indiana Pacers finally gave their fans something to really cheer about. Danny Granger scored 25 points to help the Pacers defeat the Orlando Magic 105-87 on Tuesday night and clinch their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series 4-1.

"I'm just so happy for our fans," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. "They've endured a lot those years when we struggled. To finally see us come back and have a winning team again and somebody that has a chance to do something special this year. That's what they deserve. Pacers basketball is back."

The Pacers will play Miami or New York in the second round. Miami leads that series 3-1, and as the final minutes ticked away, fans began chanting, "Beat the Heat."

"It was electric," Granger said. "The crowd was crazy. They had a lot of momentum going. They pushed us in that fourth quarter."

It was a tough series for Orlando, which played all five games without All-Star center Dwight Howard because of a back injury. It took the opener, then watched Indiana put together its first series win since 2005 and its first clincher on its home court since the first round of the 2000 playoffs. No player on Indiana's roster had won a playoff series while playing for the Pacers.

"It's an unfamiliar situation for a lot of guys, but I just thought we stayed together," Indiana forward David West said. "They made some runs, made some shots. But ultimately, we stayed together as a team and won this game as a unit."

Granger finally got his first series win in year seven. Perhaps fans should take it easy on him — it took Reggie Miller six years.

"Close out game, you obviously want to play your best at these moments," Granger said. "I pride myself on that. I had a big night, but I'm just glad we got the win."

Darren Collison scored 15 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter and George Hill added 15 points for the Pacers, who trailed by two at the end of the third quarter but outscored the Magic 36-16 in the final 12 minutes.

Collison's complete dominance of Orlando point guard Jameer Nelson in the fourth quarter turned the game. Indiana had no answers for three quarters before Collison, who had lost his starting job late in the season, entered the game and took over. Collison made all seven of his shots in the fourth quarter and had four assists. Nelson made 1 of 5 shots in the period and missed both of his 3-point tries.

"That's a testament to the type of team we have," West said. "We're deep, man. We've got guys, that when their number's called, they're prepared. DC just had another gear that I don't think anybody else on the floor had."

Hawks 87, Celtics 86

In Atlanta, Al Horford scored 19 points in his first start since January, and the Hawks held on for the victory in Game 5.

Game 6 is Thursday in Boston.

The Celtics had a chance to clinch the series when Rajon Rondo stole Josh Smith's inbounds pass with 10 seconds remaining. But he got hemmed in along the sideline and Smith knocked away a desperation pass.

Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett led the Celtics with 16 points apiece. Rondo had 13 points and 12 assists.

Bulls 77, 76ers 69

In Chicago, Luol Deng scored 24 points and Carlos Boozer added 19 points and 13 rebounds as the Bulls avoided a first-round playoff exit.

The top-seeded Bulls finally won without point guard Derrick Rose, building a nine-point halftime lead and staying in control down the stretch to pull within 3-2. Game 6 is Thursday in Philadelphia.

Nuggets 102, Lakers 99

In Los Angeles, Andre Miller scored 24 points, including two free throws with 12.8 seconds left, and Denver survived Kobe Bryant's 43-point performance to avoid playoff elimination.

JaVale McGee had 21 points and 14 rebounds for the Nuggets, who trimmed the Lakers' series lead to 3-2. Game 6 is Thursday in Denver.

The Nuggets had a 15-point lead midway through the fourth quarter but Bryant hit four 3-pointers over the final 4:47 to make it 98-96 with 59 seconds left.

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Grizzlies even series with Clippers

MEMPHIS, Tennessee — O.J. Mayo scored 10 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter, and the Memphis Grizzlies bounced back to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 105-98 on Wednesday night.

Tough in the paint: New York Knicks center Tyson Chandler poses with his trophy on Wednesday after being named the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year. AP

The Grizzlies blew a 27-point lead in losing Game 1 on Sunday night and letting the Clippers grab home-court advantage in the best-of-seven, first-round Western Conference series. They got back to their physical style and evened the series.

Game 3 is set for Saturday in Los Angeles.

Rudy Gay also scored 21 points as Memphis showed off its depth with six players reaching double figures. Mike Conley had 19, Zach Randolph 15, Marreese Speights 11 and Tony Allen 10.

All-Star guard Chris Paul led the Clippers with 29 points. Blake Griffin had 22, and Mo Williams and Nick Young 11 apiece.

The Grizzlies had the lead going into the fourth quarter for a second straight game. This time, the Clippers got no closer than four.

Spurs 114, Jazz 83

In San Antonio, Tony Parker scored 18 points and the Spurs handed Utah its second-worst playoff loss, routing the Jazz to take a 2-0 series lead.

Newly named NBA Coach of the Year Gregg Popovich practically put the Spurs on autopilot after a 20-0 run in the second quarter that stunned Utah, which had vowed to play better after the Spurs easily won Game 1. But this loss was even more humiliating.

Tim Duncan finished with 12 points and 13 rebounds for San Antonio, and Kawhi Leonard had 17 points.

Game 3 is Saturday night in Salt Lake City.

Pacers 97, Magic 74

In Orlando, Danny Granger had 26 points and nine rebounds, Roy Hibbert added 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Indiana beat the Magic to take a 2-1 series lead.

Glen Davis led Orlando with 22 points, and J.J. Redick added 13. The Magic never led, struggled to get any scoring in the paint, and made a series-low five 3-pointers.

Game 4 is set for Saturday in Orlando.

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Bynum blocks 10 shots as Lakers open series with rout

Get that out of here: Lakers Andrew Bynum (rear left) and Pau Gasol attempt to block a shot by Nuggets guard Ty Lawson on Sunday. The Lakers won 103-88. AP

LOS ANGELES — A day before Andrew Bynum produced one of the most eye-popping defensive performances in NBA playoff history, he spoke up to his Lakers teammates about the importance of getting off to a good start in their championship quest.

With an NBA record-tying 10 blocked shots, the 213-cm All-Star center put the Lakers on the good foot — and the Denver Nuggets on their heels.

Kobe Bryant scored 31 points, Bynum posted the Lakers' first playoff triple-double in 21 years, and Los Angeles thoroughly controlled the tempo in a playoff-opening 103-88 victory Sunday.

Despite a few well-chronicled fluctuations in his motivation and discipline this year, the seventh-year pro had perfect focus in Game 1, capping his utter dominance in the paint with his record-tying block of Timofey Mozgov with 3:02 to play. Bynum also had 10 points and 13 rebounds before checking out to an ovation.

"It's the only way really possible for me to get a triple-double — through blocked shots," Bynum said of his first career triple-double. "If I play good D, we'll win games. I think I'm just going to be as aggressive as I can defensively to contest their shots. . . . You've got to win Game 1. Statistics are against the teams that lose Game 1, especially on the home court."

Just how dominant were Bynum and his tall teammates against the NBA's highest-scoring team? Bynum blocked 11 percent of the Nuggets' 90 shots, and with 15 total blocks, the Lakers swatted one of every six Denver shots, separating the Nuggets from any hope of a late rally.

While Bynum had the Lakers' first playoff triple-double since Magic Johnson's in the 1991 NBA Finals, fellow big man Pau Gasol added 13 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the playoff-tested Lakers, who never trailed while forcing Denver to play Los Angeles' preferred half-court style.

Bynum blocked eight shots in the first three quarters before tying Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's franchise-record nine blocks in the fourth. He eventually equaled the NBA record set by Utah's Mark Eaton on April 26, 1985, and matched by Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon on April 29, 1990.

Hawks 83, Celtics 74

In Atlanta, Josh Smith scored 22 points and grabbed 18 rebounds, leading the Hawks over Boston in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference playoffs, the final minute turning ugly when Celtics star Rajon Rondo was ejected for bumping an official.

The Hawks, who led by as many as 19 in the first half, were clinging to a four-point lead when Rondo lost his cool with 41 seconds remaining — and may have cost himself a chance to play Game 2 Tuesday night.

Rondo scored 20 points and dished out 11 assists. Kevin Garnett bounced back from a miserable start to put up 20 points and 11 rebounds. Smith carried the Hawks on a night when Joe Johnson managed just 11 points on 3-of-15 shooting.

Spurs 106, Jazz 91

In San Antonio, Tony Parker scored 28 points and the Spurs beat Utah to win their playoff opener for the first time in four years.

Tim Duncan added 17 points and 11 rebounds, helping the Spurs dodge another early playoff letdown. Despite boasting the No. 1 seed again, San Antonio hadn't won a Game 1 in its last six postseason series — including the one that began a shocking first-round ouster last year.

Paul Millsap led Utah with 20 points. The Jazz hung close until the third, when the NBA's top 3-point shooting team began burying Utah with three in a two-minute burst to finish the quarter.

Clippers 99, Grizzlies 98

In Memphis, Chris Paul hit a pair of free throws with 23.7 seconds left, and the Clippers rallied from 27 down to beat the Grizzlies in the opening game of the Western Conference series.

Rudy Gay missed a 15-footer with 0.9 seconds left after the Grizzlies squandered a lead they held for the first 47 minutes.

The Clippers lost Caron Butler to a broken left hand. But Nick Young scored 19 points off the bench, including three 3-pointers in the midst of the Clippers' 26-1 run. Paul finished with 14 points. Blake Griffin had 17 and Butler 12 before leaving the game.

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India looking to end Australian test series drought

MELBOURNE, Australia — With an Australian cricket team in upheaval, India might have its best chance in decades to end an unwelcome streak Down Under — it has never won a test series since it began touring here 64 years ago.

Christmas feast: Australia's Ed Cowan hits a ball in training on Friday ahead of the first test against India on Monday. AP PHOTO

When the four-test series begins Monday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, star batsmen Sachin Tendulkar might have an opportunity to give India a solid start towards ending that streak, and create a historic milestone for himself: becoming the first cricketer to score 100 centuries in tests or limited-overs internationals.

Tendulkar warmed up for an attempt at the mark when he hit a stylish 92 in India's drawn tour match against a Cricket Australia Chairman's XI a week ago.

Tendulkar's last international century came in March against South Africa. Fellow batsman Rahul Dravid has also been in strong form, scoring 1,067 runs in 2011 with five centuries.

But Dravid said he'd trade all the personal achievements for a test series win in Australia.

"I wouldn't have minded scoring five hundreds (fewer) or 1,000 runs less if we could win a series in Australia," Dravid said. "The greatest memory for me now is not necessarily statistical . . . it's those magical moments. The series wins in tests stay with you.

"I think that's what you play for at this stage. I don't have anything in terms of my own numbers or statistics that I want to achieve in Australia, but I want to win a test series (here) and help the team win in Australia."

Former India captain Kapil Dev believes his side has edged closer to an elusive Australia series win. And he claims former captain Ricky Ponting, who is in a batting slump, is the biggest threat.

The 37-year-old Ponting has not scored a century in nearly two years, has averaged 50 just once in his past seven series and has made 323 runs at an average of 24 in seven tests over the past 12 months.

The 158-test veteran will play in his 15th Boxing Day test after being named to the team Saturday. Shaun Marsh, who is returning from a back injury and scored an unbeaten 99 in a Twenty20 match this week, was thought to be a strong chance to replace Ponting, but both were named in the starting side.

"I am more concerned about Ricky Ponting than anybody else because he is experienced," Dev said. "If we can control him, we can control the entire Australian team. Experience always comes in handy in the long run, and he has not scored enough runs in the last year, so he is due."

The Australian team is in tatters after losing eight wickets for 74 in a seven-run loss to No. 8-ranked New Zealand in Hobart two weeks ago. It was New Zealand's first test win in Australia since 1985.

The collapse against New Zealand extended concerns over a batting order which reached its nadir in South Africa last month when dismissed for a record low of 47 at Cape Town.

"This time India has a better chance to win the test series in Australia, there is no doubt about that," Dev said. "Australia were on top of world cricket for 15 years. But now it is not the same team without (Glenn) McGrath, and Shane Warne, (Adam) Gilchrist and (Matt) Hayden. They are not as strong as they used to be."

Dev points to the veterans India still has in its team.

"We still have Sachin, Rahul Dravid, V.V.S. Laxman and Virender Sehwag," he said. "Then they are combined with the young talented fast bowlers and spinners. It looks like our team are getting strong everyday."

Melbourne Cricket Ground curator Cameron Hodgkins said there would not be too much life in a pitch that traditionally plays low. He advised both sides that they might need some variation in their attacks to take the 20 wickets needed.

"After the new ball has worn and the pitch has flattened out, you tend to need a fair bit of variety to conjure up wickets," Hodgkins said. "It hasn't traditionally turned much on the last day but can become a better batting strip, which means it needs a variety of bowlers to get wickets."

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Albirex beat Jets in series opener

All-Star center Chris Holm notched his 11th double-double of the season and Erron Maxey scored 19 points to lead the Niigata Albirex BB to a 93-80 win over the Chiba Jets on Friday night in the bj-league.

Nile Murry and Yuichi Ikeda scored 16 points apiece for the Albirex (11-8), who have won three straight games. Holm had 10 points and 19 rebounds. Hirotaka Kondo scored a season-high 12 points, Dwight Gordon added nine points and five assists and Shuhei Komatsu dished out six assists.

Niigata led 53-35 at halftime.

Ikeda, who leads the 19-team league in 3-point shooting accuracy at 51.5 percent (51-for-99), was 4-for-7 from beyond the arc at Funabashi Arena.

Maurice Hargrow led the Jets (10-11) with 25 points. Jamel Staten scored 18, Takaki Ishida added 12 points and Reina Itakura and Gaston Moliva had nine apiece for Chiba, a first-year franchise.

"We played really poor defense in the first half, allowing so many open shots and eight 3s," Jets coach Eric Gardow said.

Gardow said his team's rebounding effort wasn't good enough. Niigata outrebounded the hosts 52-41. Jamal Holden and Moliva combined for eight rebounds.

"I expect more out of Holden and Moliva," the coach added. "We need an inside presence in every game at both ends of the floor and we are not getting it from them and that has to change.

"We made a great run and cut it to 5 in the second half but could not finish."

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Marleau nets pair as Sharks climb back into series

SAN JOSE — Patrick Marleau got San Jose off to a fast start, Antti Niemi preserved the lead with spectacular short-handed play in the second period, and the Sharks hung on for the win they desperately needed after losing the first two games in Vancouver.

Crucial win: San Jose goalie Antti Niemi makes a save against Vancouver in Game 3 on Friday night. The Sharks beat the Canucks 4-3 and trail 2-1 in the series. AP PHOTO

Marleau scored twice in the first period, Niemi made 27 saves, and the Sharks capitalized on 10 power-play chances to beat the Canucks 4-3 Friday night in Game 3 of the Western Conference final.

"We realize how important tonight was," captain Joe Thornton said. "We realize what's at stake. The guys showed up and the fans were into it. They gave us an extra boost."

Ryane Clowe and Dan Boyle also scored and Joe Thornton had three assists for the Sharks, who still trail the series 2-1 after winning a conference final game on home ice for the first time in franchise history.

San Jose looked like a completely different team than the one that was outscored 10-5 in losing the first two games of the series in Vancouver. The Sharks scored three times in the first period and had 15 of the first 16 shots on goal to snap an eight-game losing streak in the conference final, including a sweep last year to Chicago.

"The last two have not been anywhere near par for our group," coach Todd McLellan said. "So it was nice to see us return to the way we can play."

Game 4 is Sunday in San Jose.

Alexandre Burrows, Dan Hamhuis and Kevin Bieksa scored in the third period for the Canucks, who were unable to overcome their slow start or capitalize on big chances in the second.

The Canucks nearly rallied from a three-goal deficit, thanks to a five-minute boarding call on Jamie McGinn against Aaron Rome that led to power-play goals from Hamhuis and Bieksa to cut San Jose's lead to 4-3 with 3:56 remaining.

But the Canucks couldn't get the equalizer as they were hurt by a late penalty by Bieksa — his third of the game. That gave the Sharks their 10th power play, something that upset Vancouver coach Alain Vigneault.

"I thought we were pretty disciplined," Vigneault said. "So if I were to comment on what I think of the penalties, I would get a pretty big fine. So I'm going to save my money."

Vigneault has bigger concerns with the status of two of his defensemen in doubt. Both Rome and Christian Ehrhoff could miss Game 4 because of injuries after taking hits from McGinn. McGinn also could be suspended after getting his second game misconduct of the playoffs.

After the Sharks broke out to a 3-0 lead after one period on a pair of power-play goals and Marleau's breakaway, Niemi and a much-improved penalty-killing unit maintained that lead in a tense second period.

San Jose got the first five power-play chances in a major turnaround from what happened when the Sharks were undisciplined and a step slow in Vancouver. But even when the Canucks got a chance with a man — or even two-man — advantage, they struggled to beat Niemi.

During one stretch of 4:05 late in the second period, Vancouver was on the power play, including 1:55 over two stints with a 5-on-3 advantage. The Canucks managed just five shots during that entire time, with none getting past Niemi. He robbed Burrows at the side of the net and made a tough stop on Daniel Sedin.

Joe Pavelski added a key block of a good chance by Sami Salo as the Sharks frustrated a Canucks team that had four power-play goals in winning the first two games at home.

"With the chances we had, we have to score," Canucks captain Henrik Sedin said. "They were blocking a lot of shots. Maybe we need to look at taking the extra pass. It was tough to take. We were feeling good about ourselves."

Urged on by their boisterous fans wearing orange shirts and waving orange towels, the Sharks responded from the two losses in Vancouver with a dominant first period led by a dangerous power-play unit and strong play from Thornton's line against the Sedin twins.

After being done in by committing too many penalties in Game 2, the Sharks took advantage of a couple of early calls against the Canucks to seize control early. With Maxim Lapierre in the penalty box for roughing, Thornton threaded a perfect pass from behind the net to Marleau, who poked the puck through Roberto Luongo's pads less than 4 minutes in to score in his fourth straight game.

Then with Ehrhoff serving a double-minor for high-sticking, Clowe knocked a rebound of Boyle's point shot past Luongo to make it 2-0 before the midpoint of the period.

Vancouver managed to kill off the second minor but fell even further behind when Marleau blocked Alexander Edler's point shot and then took a feed from Thornton to go in alone to make it 3-0.

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Canucks pound Sharks, take 2-0 lead in series

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — The harder the San Jose Sharks tried to get back at the Vancouver Canucks, the further they fell behind.

Rout: Vancouver's Raffi Torres avoids a check from San Jose's Ian White in Game 2 on Wednesday night. The Canucks beat the Sharks 7-3 and lead the Western Conference final series 2-0. AP PHOTO

Daniel Sedin netted his second power-play goal of the game, Chris Higgins added another, and Mason Raymond scored just after a penalty expired in the third period for the Canucks, who routed the undisciplined Sharks 7-3 and took a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference finals on Wednesday night.

"If we had a bad power play they could take some liberties against us, but when you've got a power play as good as us it makes them second guess trying to finish hits," said Higgins, who also had two assists. "It's a big weapon for us. If we can get them to take bad penalties, all the better."

The game became a blowout in the third period, but it turned on a breakaway by defenseman Kevin Bieksa, and his one-sided fight with Sharks forward Patrick Marleau six minutes later. Marleau admitted to dropping his gloves first, and he has 5 cm and 10 kg on Bieksa. But Marleau hasn't fought in five years and was clearly overmatched.

"I've got an older brother, too, so I'm used to getting that," said Marleau, who also scored his third goal in three games during a first-period power play.

Still, the lopsided bout upset San Jose- especially Ben Eager. The Sharks' tough guy yelled at the Vancouver bench, then ran Daniel Sedin face first into the boards on his next shift 90 seconds later, earning a boarding penalty.

"Eager was ranting and raving at his bench going berserk, but it wasn't Kevin that dropped the mitts, it was Marleau," Canucks coach Alain Vigneault said. "So I'm not sure what he (Bieksa) was supposed to do there."

Eager took another penalty for tripping Raymond 6:57 into the third period, Higgins made it 4-2 on the ensuing power play, and the rout was on.

"I can't see in their heads, but I'm not sure what got them rattled," said Bieksa, who added an assist on Higgins' goal to complete the Gordie Howe hat trick. "I don't really care too much about how they're feeling. . . . That's been the strength of our team all year, our power play. A lot of the times we've won by three, four goals. They were close games until the other team started to get undisciplined. And on our power play we capitalized."

Eager scored with 2:33 left, but even then he ended up in the penalty box for yapping at Roberto Luongo and sparking a scrum. Eager finished with five minor penalties and a 10-minute misconduct as the Sharks combined for 53 minutes in penalties while losing for the fifth time in six games.

San Jose's lone win in the past six games was in Game 7 of the second round over Detroit, which got the Sharks into the conference finals for the second straight year.

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Celtics edge Knicks for 2-0 lead in series

BOSTON — The Boston Celtics pulled out their first two playoff games with big finishes. They want to play much better from the start next time.

Luck of the Irish: Celtics forward Paul Pierce, left, and Knicks players Carmelo Anthony (7) and Toney Douglas chase a loose ball on Tuesday in Boston. The Celtics won Game 2 of their first-round Eastern Conference playoff series 96-93. AP

"We were lucky to win," coach Doc Rivers said after a 96-93 victory on Tuesday night over the depleted New York Knicks and Carmelo Anthony's 42 points.

Kevin Garnett sank the go-ahead basket with 14 seconds left then stole the ball with 4 seconds remaining as the Knicks — without Amare Stoudemire for the second half and Chauncey Billups for the whole game — still gave the Celtics all they could handle.

"I probably (have) never been more proud of a team and how they battled the circumstances," Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni said, "how hard they played and how tough they played."

Billups had a strained left knee and his status for Game 3 on Friday night is uncertain. Stoudemire had back spasms but expects to be back when the best-of-seven Eastern Conference first-round series resumes.

Anthony matched his career playoff high for points and set a new high with 17 rebounds as the Knicks held a 53-37 advantage on the boards. Toney Douglas had 14 points in place of Billups.

"The Celtics didn't do anything special," Anthony said. "They won two games on their home court. Now it's our turn to go to our home court and try to do the same thing."

Magic 88, Hawks 82

In Orlando, following their humbling Game 1 loss to Atlanta, Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said that if his team cut down its turnovers and played better defense, he felt like everything would be fine in Game 2.

His team only fulfilled half of that equation Tuesday night, but it was still enough to earn a victory.

Dwight Howard had 33 points and 19 rebounds and Jameer Nelson added 13 points and eight rebounds to help the Magic hold off the Hawks.

"It's not anything I did — our guys did it," Van Gundy said when asked about the adjustments he made after Game 1. "You gotta get out and take the challenge. . . . Every game sort of takes on a life of its own and you just gotta do whatever it takes to get the win on that night."

Mavericks 101 Trailblazers 89

In Dallas, the Trail Blazers must have felt like they were in an NBA time warp. First they got beaten by Jason Kidd, now Kidd and Peja Stojakovic.

Even the Mavericks are feeling the retro mood. They're up 2-0 in a playoff series for the first time since 2006.

Dirk Nowitzki led Dallas with 33 points, but was practically a complementary player. He was at his best after the 30-something, former All-Stars built the lead, scoring 14 points in the fourth quarter — including the team's final 11 — to help the Mavericks keep the Trail Blazers from ever making a serious push.

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Sports Night - The Complete Series Boxed Set

Taut, exciting, realistic dramedy about the lives of sports journalists. It's a show about a show about sports, that isn't about sports at all.

Price: $59.99

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Sports Night: The Complete Series 10th Anniversary Edition

With breakout and memorable performances by Josh Charles (In Treatment), Robert Guillaume (Benson), Felicity Huffman (Desperate Housewives), Peter Krause (Six Feet Under), Sabrina Lloyd (Sliders) and Joshua Malina (The West Wing), this was writer/producer Aaron Sorkin's (A Few Good Men , The American President) first television series. And it was director Thomas Schlamme's first collaboration with Sorkin. The pair, who would continue to click brilliantly with The West Wing and Studio 60 On the Sunset Strip, may not have known it at the time, but with Sports Night they defined a new style and raised the bar for all television programs to follow.

Critically acclaimed when it debuted on ABC in 1998, Sports Nigh was an innovative half-hour program about a team of funny, smart and likeable people who put on a daily live sports cable newscast, much like ESPN's SportsCenter. They are a group of consummate professionals whose personal lives operate in apparent chaos, communicating every uncensored thought and feeling through a libretto of witty and honest chatter over the hum of the separate-but-integrated live show-within-the-show.

10th Anniversary Special Features:
*The Show: An in-depth look back at Sports Night with creator/writer Aaron Sorkin, directors Thomas Schlamme and Robert Berlinger, cast members Felicity Huffman, Peter Krause, Josh Charles, Joshua Malina, and Robert Guillaume, Emmy(r) award-winning editor Janet Ashikaga, Emmy(r) award-winning director of photography Peter Smokler, producer John Amodeo, and set designer Thomas Azzari. Includes never-before-seen behind-the-scenes home movies shot by John Amodeo.
*Face Off: ESPN's SportsCenter vs. CSC's Sports Night - Sports Night's real-life ESPN counterparts discuss what the series got right and wrong.
*A Conversation with Aaron Sorkin and Thomas Schlamme
*Inside The Locker Room - A look at the innovations of Sports Night with Aaron Sorkin, Thomas Schlamme, Robert Berlinger, Janet Ashikaga, Peter Smokler, John Amodeo, and Thomas Azzari.
*Season Gag Reels
*8 Episode Commentaries including creator/writer Aaron Sorkin, director/executive producer Thomas Schlamme, director Robert Berlinger, editor Janet Ashikaga, and cast members Peter Krause, Josh Charles, Joshua Malina, Sabrina Lloyd, Greg Baker, Kayla Blake, Timothy Davis-Reed, and Ron Ostrow.
*Original Promos
*36-Page Booklet including an introduction by creator Aaron Sorkin

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