Aoki takes care of business to give Cinq Reves first win

FUNABASHI, Chiba Pref. — Entering this season, six-time All-Star Cohey Aoki had made 1,255 baskets — plus 983 free throws, while converting an astonishing 89.2 percent of his shots at the foul line — in 8,642 minutes of playing time in the regular season since the league's inception in 2005. Many of his most important points have come when the shot clock is winding down or in the closing seconds of quarters or games, and he's often come through in the clutch.

Mr Reliable: Tokyo's Cohey Aoki passes the ball during the Cinq Reves' 84-82 win over the Chiba Jets on Sunday. YOSHIAKI MIURA

The numbers add up to one important fact: Aoki has earned a reputation as one of the league's most reliable scorers.

So it was only appropriate that the former Tokyo Apache icon was entrusted with the ball in his hands in crunch time once again on Sunday, this time playing for his new team, the Tokyo Cinq Reves, at Funabashi Arena.

With the score tied at 82-82 after Chiba Jets power forward Joe Werner's layup, Tokyo called a timeout with 4.2 seconds left to draw up a play for the final sequence. Coach Motofumi Aoki, who had seen his star guard's exploits on dozens of occasions around the league, instructed his players to get Cohey the ball.

Smart move. The ball was inbounded to Aoki, he found space to operate and released a mid-range jumper that found nothing but net with 0.3 seconds left on the game clock. Chiba's desperation heave was off the mark. And the scoreboard posted these numbers a split-second later: Tokyo 84, Chiba 82.

The first victory in Cinq Reves history came down to Aoki doing what he does best. Of course, to avid fans, that buzzer-beating shot will be remembered as a typical Aoki production.

Wearing a baseball cap and smiling in his post-game interview, Aoki simply stated, "I have confidence in my shot."

Aoki contributed 14 points, four assists and four steals in his first victory in a Tokyo uniform since March 2011. (After the Apache folded, the star guard played for the Osaka Evessa last season.)

"I knew that he was a legend (in this league), Cinq Reves center Jonathan Jones said of Aoki. "And just being around him now these past two or three weeks I can see that he's a great player and a good leader."

With the game on the line, "he just hit that shot like it was easy, like you do it in your sleep," Jones said, describing Aoki's antics.

"Coach was like, 'Just get the ball in Cohey's hands because he's our best decision maker,' and we knew that he was going to make a good decision with the ball down the stretch," Jones said.

"He just made a good step-back (move) and pulled up and made the jumper,"

Before a lively crowd, the Sunday rematch — a day after Chiba defeated Tokyo 108-86 and got 27 points, including 6-for-6 on 3s, from Marquin Chandler — pitted Jets coach Shinji Tomiyama against one of his mentors. The younger bench boss had worked under Aoki on the Apache bench in 2009-10.

In the first quarter, Chiba jumped out to a 9-0 lead on a Reina Itakura 3-pointer before Tokyo mounted an early comeback, with Rasheem Barrett's jumper igniting the effort.

Tokyo fought back, and capitalized on how the referees were calling the game. The Cinq Reves attempted 18 free throws (17 were good) in the opening quarter alone, notably Jones, who was 5-for-6 in the period, and Aoki, who was 6-for-6. They led 26-22 entering the second quarter.

The refs eased up on the whistle in the second period, and the Jets adjusted, too. After being whistled for 11 first-quarter fouls, Chiba had four in the next quarter.

Chiba's D'Andre Bell took over offensively with a 12-point second quarter, and Tokyo trailed 46-44 at halftime.

The second half exhibited fast-paced basketball featuring two teams putting the building blocks in place for a long, 52-game season.

After his first win at the helm, Aoki described it as a "wonderful game" and appeared genuinely excited for the home fans. The veteran coach said effective man-to-man defense got the job done, but there's room for improvement in all areas.

"The Jets played a hard, disciplined game," he said of his foe.

Tomiyama agreed the game was a well-played contest, saying it was a "super game" and a "constant challenge" for his players. He praised the effort given by the Cinq Reves for their inside play and energy.

After the loss, Tomiyama said the focus now shifts to preparing his team to play the undefeated Iwate Big Bulls, who he coached last season, this coming weekend on the road.

Jones delivered a strong effort in 38-plus minutes, finishing with a game-best 23 points, including 9-for-14 at the line, and seven rebounds. Fellow big man Jared Carter added 13 points and 15 rebounds off the bench, while former Osaka Evessa player Hiroshisa Takada scored 10 points and three 3s, none bigger than his go-ahead 3 that put Tokyo ahead 82-80 with 30.4 seconds remaining.

Ilija Milutinovic, Barrett and Akihito Inoue all scored eight points apiece for Tokyo, which played aggressively on offense and got to the line repeatedly. The Cinq Reves shot 26-for-33 there; Chiba was 14-for-16.

Bell was the Jets' top scorer with 21 points. The Georgia Tech alum also had eight rebounds and two steals. Serge Angounou poured in 20 points and blocked two shots, while Shota Isshiki had 11 points and Itakura scored nine. Chandler, not listed as injured in the boxscore, did not suit up on Sunday after a banner debut in a Jets uniform, though Bell said injuries were a factor for the team.

For Tokyo, which travels to face the Niigata Albirex BB this weekend, a first win is something to build off and use as a confidence builder.

"I think as the season goes on we're going to develop better chemistry and with our size we're going to be tough to guard later down the season," said the 211-cm Jones.

Five Arrows 69, Evessa 66

In Osaka, Takamatsu has completed the improbable, matching its 2011-12 win total after two games.

Paul Williams and Masaaki Suzuki scored 14 points apiece, Brandon Penn had 13 and Dexter Lyons added 11 for the Five Arrows, who went 2-50 last season.

For the new-look Evessa, Nathan Walkup had a team-high 16 points and Masashi Obuchi scored 13.

Osaka, which suited up only three import players for the series, parted ways with point guard Temi Soyebo, a University of North Carolina-Wilmington product, earlier in the week.

Big Bulls 70, 89ers 68

In Sendai, Iwate became the first team to win four games this season by completing a series sweep over the hosts at Xebio Arena.

Guard Masato Tsukino, a 23-year-old who was a Miyazaki Shining Suns player the past two seasons, paced the Big Bulls (4-0) with 13 points on 4-for-7 shooting from the field, 4-for-4 at the line, with two steals. Lawrence Blackledge notched a double-double (11 points, 17 rebounds), while Carlos Dixon also had 11 points and Dillion Sneed scored 10 for Iwate.

Forward Karron Clarke led the 89ers with 20 points and 16 rebounds and Kevin Coble scored 11. Captain Takehiko Shimura dished out seven assists.

Sendai was 6-for-14 at the free-throw line, and fell to 1-3 on the season.

"Karron took the loss personally yesterday, and was one of many players who helped us build a 10-point lead at halftime," 89ers coach Bob Pierce told The Japan Times after Sunday's game. "But Iwate controlled the tempo in the second half."

B-Corsairs 88, Broncos 71

In Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, Yokohama routed the hosts for the second straight day to give coach Reggie Geary's club a feel-good start to its second season.

Thomas Kennedy scored 22 points and Masayuki Kabaya was 5-for-10 on 3-point attempts in a 21-point outing for the B-Corsairs, who reached the Final Four as a first-year franchise in May. In the series opener, Kabaya canned 7 of 12 3s in a 24-point effort.

Draelon Burns, meanwhile, made his presence felt in every aspect of the game and recorded a triple-double (12 points, 14 rebounds, 11 assists) along with three steals.

Yokohama also got a double-double from Senegalese center Pape Faye Mour (10 points, 11 rebounds) and its offensive clicked at a high level, with 31 assists on 35 field goals.

For Saitama, Randy Orr and Yuki Kitamuki scored 18 points apiece, with both going 2-for-10 from beyond the arc.

Susanoo Magic 81, Rizing 64

In Matsue, Shimane Prefecture, Michael Parker and Brandon Freeman each scored 30 points and the hosts improved to 2-0 with a season-opening sweep of Western Conference rival Fukuoka.

B.J. Puckett grabbed 14 rebounds for the Magic and Parker completed his double-double with 11 boards.

For the Rizing, Akitomo Takeno was the leading scorer with 16 points and Julius Ashby and Josh Peppers chipped in with 13 apiece. Power forward Reggie Warren, a bj-league journeyman, supplied eight points and 10 rebounds for his new team.

Brave Warriors 83, Crane Thunders 62

In Takasaki, Gunma Prefecture, the hosts fell to 0-4 after their second double-digit loss in as many days in the franchise's first-ever home series.

Jermaine Green paced Shinshu with 18 points, big man Wayne Marshall had a 15-point, eight-rebound, three-block effort and Takanori Goya scored 13 points.

For the expansion Crane Thunders, Shingo Okada and Lewis Witcher scored 11 points apiece.

Northern Happinets 90, Grouses 58

In Akita, coach Kazuo Nakamura's club erupted for 31 fourth-quarter points in a runaway victory over Toyama and earned a sweep to open the season.

Dion Harris flushed 6 of 14 3-point shots and had a game-high 26 points, Yuki Kikuchi sank three 3s in a 13-point effort and Shigehiro Taguchi made four 4s and finished with 12 points. The Happinets were 14-for-30 from 3-point range.

The Grouses' Masashi Joho was the team's top scorer with 14 points.

Lakestars 75, Shining Suns 53

In Miyakonojo, Miyazaki Prefecture, Shiga used its inside muscle to control the boards and hauled in 24 offensive rebounds in a lopsided road win to bounce back from a two-point loss in the teams' season opener.

Dionisio Gomez, in his second season with the Lakestars, scored 18 points and pulled down eight rebounds, Ray Nixon added 15 points.

Alfred Aboya, a former UCLA center, and Wayne Arnold each added 10 points.

For Miyazaki, center Dominique Keller had a game-high 26 points.

Phoenix 89, HeatDevils 72

In Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, Hamamatsu Highashimikawa played inspired, focused basketball after a 95-54 loss to Oita in the series opener.

Kevin Galloway led the Phoenix (2-2) with 29 points and 10 rebounds, Elbert Fuqua contributed 21 points and 12 boards and former league MVP Jeffrey Parmer added 12 points and 10 rebounds.

HeatDevils big man Taj Finger poured in 18 points and Taishiro Shimizu scored 15 points. Naoto Takushi dished out eight assists in the loss.

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Tiger takes aim at critics with first-round 66 in FedEx finale

ATLANTA — In the one week Tiger Woods had away from golf during the FedEx Cup playoffs, Nick Faldo said he had lost his aura, Greg Norman said he was intimidated by Rory McIlroy and Johnny Miller claimed that Woods once wanted lessons from him.

"Nice week, huh?" Woods said, grinning.

Even better was to be back on the course Thursday at the Tour Championship, where Woods had the final word for at least for one day. He kept the ball in play at East Lake, chipped in for one of his six birdies and wound up with a 4-under 66 for a share of the lead with Justin Rose.

It was the first step toward what Woods hopes is a third FedEx Cup title, and another $10 million bonus.

"I probably could have gotten a couple more out of it," Woods said about his opening round. "But I was probably right on my number."

McIlroy, playing with Woods for the fifth time in these FedEx Cup playoffs, got up-and-down from short of the par-3 18th hole for a 69. McIlroy is trying to become the first player since Woods in 2006 to win three straight PGA Tour events in the same season, and he wasn't overly alarmed by his start.

"Wish I could have shot a couple shots better," McIlroy said. "But I'm in a good position going into tomorrow."

The week began with Norman saying that Woods was intimidated by McIlroy, a suggestion that both players found amusing. While it's doubtful that inspired Woods, he played as if he wasn't ready to let McIlroy win a third straight playoff event and capture the FedEx Cup.

McIlroy, who has won three of his last four tournaments, and Woods are among the top five seeds at East Lake who only have to win the Tour Championship to claim the largest payoff in golf. Woods wasn't interested in what anyone else was doing.

"Just winning," he said. "Winning takes care of everything."

Jack Nicklaus even weighed in on Norman's comments to FoxSports.com. Nicklaus was doing a radio interview with ESPN 980 in Washington when told about Norman's remarks that McIlroy intimidated Woods. Nicklaus said playfully, "Quiet, Greg. Quiet. Down, boy."

"I think Tiger has a lot of wins left in him," Nicklaus said. "He does have a lot more competition. During the couple of years when Tiger wasn't really there, all of a sudden you have Rory McIlroy, Keegan Bradley and I could probably name a half-dozen other guys that have all won and learned how to win in Tiger's absence. They're not scared of him anymore."

Rose swiftly moved up the leaderboard late in his round with three birdies over the last five holes, and the last one was memorable. From the back of the green on the par-3 18th, Rose faced a 50-foot putt with some 20 feet of break from right to left. It looked wide the whole way until it snapped back toward the cup.

Equally impressive was chipping in from some 20 yards short of the 14th green for the birdie that started his big run.

Rose is 24th in the FedEx Cup, meaning he would have to win and everyone at the top of the standings would have to falter. The way Woods started, that looked improbable. Rose checked the leaderboard early on, not to see his projected standing, but to get an idea of how the course was playing.

That part was easy to decipher. On a warm day, with the sun finally breaking through cloud cover in the middle of the afternoon, no one was tearing up the place.

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Kim takes control in ANA Open

KITAHIROSHIMA, Hokkaido — South Korea's Kim Hyung Sung moved into position for his second title of the season Saturday after a birdie-laden 7-under-par 65 gave him a two-shot lead going into the final round of the ANA Open.

Kim began the day three shots behind overnight leader and compatriot Kim Do Hoon in a tie for sixth place, but reeled off nine birdies including four straight from the fourth at Sapporo Golf Club, dropping just two shots at Nos. 2 and 8 to storm to the top of the leaderboard at 14-under 202.

Kim won his first career title on the Japan tour at the VANA H Cup Augusta last month.

Hiroyuki Fujita birdied five of his first six holes and also carded a 65 to stand alone in second place. Yuta Ikeda carded a 67 and was two strokes further back in a big group of golfers tied for third. Ryo Ishikawa had a 67 and moved up from a tie for 26th into a share of 13th at 9 under.

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Button takes title in Belgium

SPA, Belgium — Jenson Button coasted to his second victory of the season on Sunday at the Belgian Grand Prix after Formula One championship leader Fernando Alonso was sent flying off the track following Romain Grosjean's reckless driving.

It was Button's first victory at Spa and No. 14 for the British driver's career. He led from start to finish, oblivious to the mayhem behind him.

"This is such a special circuit, so to get a victory here from light to flag is very special," Button said. "It hasn't been an easy year for me. We're going to enjoy this for a little while longer before we head to Monza and hopefully do the same."

Button triumphantly zigzagged across the track as he approached the finish line and then clapped his hands together in celebration. He then stood on his McLaren and leaned his head back as he clenched both fists.

"The car felt very good to drive and I could control the degradation of the tires. It's always easier to do that when you're leading," said Button, who climbed to sixth place overall. "It's a massive long shot to win the title, but today proves that you can claw back 25 points very quickly. There's still 63 points to make up, but anything's possible."

Alonso, who is chasing his third F1 title, was relieved after he felt OK following the scary wreck.

"You can have an injury in your hand or your head with a crash like that, so I am lucky in that aspect," Alonso said. "I felt a train coming with a big, big hit."

Defending champion Sebastian Vettel finished second and cut Alonso's lead to 24 points, putting the two-time champion right back in contention.

"I was reasonably confident because I know anything can happen here and you can overtake," Vettel said.

Kimi Raikkonen was third, continuing the consistent form he's shown all season long with his third straight podium and sixth overall.

Kamui Kobayashi was 13th.

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Button takes pole; Kobayashi second

SPA, Belgium — British driver Jenson Button ended a three-year wait for pole position by finishing fastest in Belgian Grand Prix qualifying, while defending champion Sebastian Vettel was set to start Sunday's race from 10th place.

Sitting pretty: Kamui Kobayashi poses for pictures after finishing second in qualifying for the Belgian GP. AFP-JIJI

Button, who won the season's opening GP in Australia, overcame earlier balance problems to grab his first pole of the season on Saturday, the eighth of his career and his first ever in his 50th race for McLaren.

"It's been quite a long time since I got my last pole position, back in 2009 in Monaco. It's been emotional," said Button, who won the F1 title that year with the Brawn team. "Maybe a five-week break between every race is what I need . . . I'm getting old now."

The 32-year-old Button seemed to be struggling earlier in the day with the understeering of his car, but got it right when it mattered with a best lap of 1 minute, 47.573 seconds.

"A great qualifying session, the engineers have really been on it today," Button said. "I just got the balance right. We just tickled it, especially through qualifying. The balance is to my liking. It's difficult to find a car that works for me in qualifying but when it does we get pole position."

Button, vying for his 14th GP win, is seventh in the championship and 88 points behind overall leader Fernando Alonso of Spain.

It has been one of the most unpredictable seasons for years, and that trend looks set to continue in Spa with unheralded driver Kamui Kobayashi starting in second place.

"In yesterday's practice we really struggled a lot, but this morning we improved a lot," said Kobayashi, who got his best-ever qualifying position. "We didn't really know how much the track conditions would improve. Tomorrow is a different story, and we need to fight."

Kobayashi is only the second Japanese driver to start on the front row after Takuma Sato in 2004 at the Nurburgring.

Pastor Maldonado of Venezuela posted the third fastest time in qualifying, but he was demoted three grid positions to sixth for holding up Force India's Nico Hulkenberg on a turn, meaning that Kimi Raikkonen moves up one place to third, Sergio Perez goes to fourth and Alonso to fifth.

Maldonado, who won the Spanish GP in May, nevertheless showed the potential of the Williams car, and was quickest in the first qualifying session.

"I adapted to the different conditions," Maldonado said before learning of his penalty.

Vettel's bid to catch Alonso looks to have taken another blow, while his Red Bull teammate Mark Webber will start the race with a five-place grid penalty, knocking him down from seventh to 12th, with McLaren's Lewis Hamilton moving up from eighth to seventh.

"There was no problem, I just wasn't quick enough," said Vettel, who is 42 points adrift of Alonso overall. "The speed wasn't there."

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Sandusky's wife takes witness stand

BELLEFONTE, PENNSYLVANIA — Dottie Sandusky says her husband never had inappropriate contact with the boys who stayed at their home.

The wife of former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky took the stand Tuesday in her husband's child sex abuse trial.

She said their life has always been a busy one, with her husband's coaching schedule and charity work. But when he was home, she says boys from her husband's charity would go with him to football games and then sleep over.

Dottie Sandusky said she remembers most of the men who testified during the trial that Jerry Sandusky abused them.

She said there was no inappropriate contact.

She also said that the basement where the boys would stay wasn't soundproof. That contradicts one man's testimony that he screamed during an assault but couldn't be heard.

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Izaguirre takes 16th Giro stage

PFALZEN, Italy — Jon Izaguirre of Spain won the 16th stage of the Giro d'Italia on Tuesday while countryman Joaquin Rodriguez kept the overall lead.

Izaguirre spent most of the day in the lead group and broke away on the final sharp climb of the mainly uphill 174-km course from Limone sul Garda to Pfalzen.

He finished in 4 hours, 2 minutes to beat Alessandro De Marchi and Stef Clement by 16 seconds. Rodriguez was 8 minutes, 57 seconds behind.

"It's true that it was a good finish today, which was well within my capability," Rodriguez said. "But you mustn't get carried away, there are still a lot of difficulties before we get to Milan next Sunday. I have to preserve myself and keep my energy for the days to come."

It was Izaguirre's first win on a grand tour.

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Newton, Golden Kings know what it takes to excel

Seven seasons are in the record books now, and the only numbers that truly resonate are championships.

The Osaka Evessa still have the most, with a remarkable three-peat, starting in 2005-06. They are joined in that elite circle by two bj-league franchises with sustained excellence and a pair of crowns each — the Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix and the Ryukyu Golden Kings.

Sunday's crowning achievement was a year in the making for the Golden Kings, who ended the Eastern Conference heavyweight's two-year reign by ascending to the throne after a mini-drought. As a second-year franchise, the Kings picked up their first championship by topping the Tokyo Apache in the title match after dethroning the Evessa in the Western Conference final in May 2009.

Understand this: The Golden Kings are a model franchise. Player development, marketing, coaching and booster club membership are all aspects of Ryukyu's daily operations that other teams can learn from.

Like San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich molding his team around Tim Duncan, as Ian Thomsen noted in a recent SI.com story, the Kings have wisely built their team around Jeff Newton and Anthony McHenry, whose skills perfectly complement each other.

Newton, the peerless post player on five title teams, doesn't demand the ball or a certain number of shots per game; instead, he demands effort and holds his teammates accountable when their level of play slips.

Newton's former Evessa teammate David Palmer, the only other player in league history with five championship game appearances, also embodies the team's unselfish spirit.

Minutes after McHenry picked up the playoff MVP award on Sunday, Palmer was surrounded by cameras and microphones. With a big smile on his face, he told reporters: "I'm just so happy. ... For McHenry to have (earned) this award, it feels wonderful."

No matter how many points the Golden Kings have scored, Newton always talks about defense and rebounding as the things his team must never stop focusing on.

Sunday night, for example, the former Indiana University standout talked about the significance of winning the battle on the boards (he hauled in a game-high 19 of Ryukyu's 54 rebounds; Hamamatsu had 41).

"I've just got a feel for the ball," the 31-year-old Newton said. "I go and get it."

That's the foundation of Ryukyu's success. And it starts with a selfless player who always seems to make the right play.

Case in point: After Newton's 40-point, 30-rebound game against the Sendai 89ers in November 2008, assistant coach Keith Richardson summed up the feat this way: "When they announced 40 and 30, I could not believe it. ... But when you know Jeff Newton the way we do and his work ethic and his 'never-give up' attitude it is not too hard to believe that he could get those kind of numbers for one game. It was definitely special to witness this record-setting performance and to get the win, which I am sure means more to Jeff than the numbers actually do. Jeff is a team player, this I know, and big numbers in a win are just icing on the cake for him."

And then there's this: Oketani knows how to use his bench, trusting his players and giving major minutes to the youngest duo on either team — 22-year-old guards Narito Namizato and Morihisa Yamauchi, both of whom made major contributions in the Final Four, combining for 41 total points in victories over the Kyoto Hannaryz and the Phoenix.

It doesn't hurt, of course, that the team's supporting cast has players that excel in different areas. There's brute force center Dillion Sneed, a forceful presence at 202-cm and 126 kg in the low post. There's fellow post player Dzaflo Larkai, whose footwork and repertoire of moves around the basket can sometimes remind one of the way Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon operated against an array of defensive schemes. There's Palmer, the league's premier perimeter marksman, who came off the bench and thrived in a reserve role. There's the savvy, underrated on-court presence of Tsubasa Yonamine, who year after year racks up impressive assist-to-turnover numbers. Since 2006, Yonamine has 1,146 assists and 360 turnovers in 279 regular-season games.

"He's a true leader," Palmer said of Yonamine in May 2011. "I don't think his true value can be measured by on-court statistics. He's a quality leader."

There's Yasufumi Takushi, who plays a few minutes a game and does his damage from 3-point range (46 3s in 2011-12). And then there's Naoto Kosuge, a solid player for five seasons with the Niigata Albirex BB before joining the Kings last season. His 17-point outing on Sunday, with 3 of 4 3-point shots flying through the net, was a bold reminder of his all-around skills in this league. Several seasons ago, then-Tokyo coach Joe Bryant spoke passionately about Kosuge's rare combination of size (187 cm) and shooting ability that made Kosuge one of the best pure athletes among the league's Japanese players (and Bryant should know about pure athletes; after all, his son, Kobe, happens to be one of the greatest NBA players of all time).

It took Kosuge seven seasons to win a championship, but the victory was sweet and a well-earned tribute to a player who does his job the right way.

"This is my eighth pro season, seventh in the bj-league, and I've finally grabbed a championship," Kosuge told reporters. "I'd been away from any championship since I was in college, so I'm so excited about this."

* * *

Oketani stepped into the spotlight as head coach while still in his late 20s for the Oita HeatDevils after ex-NBA center Jawann Oldham, the team's bench boss, was fired by the Kyushu club in the league's inaugural season. From that point on, the confident leader has proven he has what it takes to be an effective sideline supervisor in this league.

"Coach Dai is the heart of the team," Richardson told me in a 2008 interview, months before the team's first championship. "We all function around him as one. His knowledge of basketball is just phenomenal. He is always thinking ahead of the other teams and makes adjustments to the game very fast."

When Oketani took over in Okinawa, the Kings were coming off a 10-34 inaugural season. Winning become the norm from that point on.

For the first championship, we climbed up to the (top) from the bottom of the standings," Oketani recalled Sunday night with the championship trophy beside him in the interview room. "So nobody thought of us seriously. And when we did win, the championship and other teams began marking us all the time. They tried to adjust to our offense and defense. We still managed to win games. That's because our players really grew up. This (title) is certainly a different one and valuable one as we won while being targeted by other teams."

It was a joy to see the Golden Kings fans, arguably the best in the league, being saluted by McHenry after the title game had concluded on Sunday. It was his way of reminding them that their support is critical to the team's success. McHenry raised his hands and held up his MVP plaque for them, doing so behind the team bench, on the opposite side of the court and also along the baseline. Three humble gestures.

Throughout the championship game — and you can't discount their brilliance during their 39-win regular season — the Golden Kings never settled for mediocrity.

"They came ready to play," Hamamatsu guard Jermaine Dixon observed. "They were the best team in the league this year, and they definitely played like it tonight in the championship."

While Newton's five titles may be the league's most jaw-dropping accomplishment and one that fires up his younger, impressionable teammates, McHenry's energy is the driving force of the team's high-octane attack at both ends of the floor.

Listen to Dixon's description of McHenry's playoff MVP-clinching game (25 points, three blocks, two steals):

"He was great. He got out in transition. He got easy baskets. He was making plays for his teammates, playing great D, whether blocking shots or getting rebounds, he was definitely doing everything out there."

Newton cemented his status as a legend in this league after putting 50 points on the board in the Western Conference final to lead Ryukyu past Osaka in 2009. Since then, he's battled injuries but made big plays time and again when his team needed them most.

He's a "smart defender, great rebounder, very unselfish," Richardson told me last season.

One fan told this newspaper: "Many people only think about offense, but he (Newton) also had great defensive effort. Great box-out player, too."

Another fervent supporter said, "He can play both as a forward or a center. There are many players who have a size advantage, but he still keeps his toughness against them."

Two generations of standouts, nearly 10 years apart in age — Newton and Namizato — represent the wide range of skill sets on Ryukyu's 2011-12 champions roster. The former is the winningest player in league history, the latter has taken his first big step as a pro player by playing a major role (11.0 points per game and a team-best 217 assists and 63 steals) for the Kings this season.

Namizato has lofty ambitions: to play in the NBA. His speed, quick handle, court vision and daring dashes in the lane have raised his stock, though it's too early to expect him to be in the world's supreme league at the start of the 2012-13 season. That shouldn't stop him from pursuing his dreams, though.

To be the best, one must compete — and excel — against the best.

That's a lesson that has served the Ryukyu Golden Kings well over the past four stellar seasons.

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Gatlin takes Doha 100 in 9.87

Speed to burn: (From left) American Justin Gatlin, Jamaica's Asafa Powell and Nesta Carter compete in the 100 meters at the Diamond League meet in Doha on Friday night. Gatlin won in a time of 9.87 seconds. AFP-JIJI

DOHA — The Americans got the best of their Jamaican rivals in the sprints at the season-opening Diamond League meet in Doha on Friday while the Kenyans outclassed the Ethiopians in the longer distances.

Justin Gatlin led the way for the Americans, edging Jamaica's Asafa Powell at the line to win the 100 meters in a time of 9.87 seconds.

Allyson Felix then set a meet record in beating Jamaica rival Veronica Campbell-Brown in the women's 100. Walter Dix also set a meet record in the 200 and Olympic champion LaShawn Merritt, who completed a 21-month doping suspension last year, set a meet record and world-leading time this season in easily winning the 400.

Powell got off to the faster start but Gatlin pulled even and then managed to get in front as they crossed the line.

Gatlin tied Powell's world record in Doha six years ago only to see the result erased when he was caught doping a few weeks later. Gatlin had tested positive for excessive levels of testosterone, which led to a four-year ban.

"This is fastest I ever opened up my career," said world indoor champion Gatlin as he dedicated the win to his son Jace, who turned 2 on Friday.

"I just showed I have a lot of grit and a lot of competition in these old legs. I want to come back and show the world I can run to the line with the best of them."

Powell, who has lost to Gatlin seven times in 10 meetings, said he wouldn't let it happen the next time.

"I cannot complain about my time — 9.88 is a good time," he said. "I am still feeling the jet lag so I cannot say I was 100 percent ready . . . I will surely go for gold at the Olympics."

Looking for one last shot at gold at the London Olympics, the 2004 Olympic gold medalist Gatlin said his win was a reminder to Olympic champion Usain Bolt and the rest of the Jamaican team that the Americans would be a force to reckon with in London.

"Everyone wants to see a great competition," Gatlin said of the rivalry. "They have watched the Bolt show for a couple of years and they want to see someone else in the mix as well. I'm glad to come up and step up and take charge with that."

Bolt skipped the meet, as did Tyson Gay of the United States who is recovering from injury.

Felix, who is considering running the 200 and 400 meters at the London Games, showed her speed work is paying off.

She won the 100 in a time of 10.92, upsetting Campbell-Brown who finished just .02 seconds behind. Olympic champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce was third, a further .06 seconds back.

"It was very good to get one over Campbell especially at the 100," said Felix, who had never beaten Campbell-Brown in the 100. "It's pretty cool. Jamaicans have some really good racers and the rivalry is good."

Campbell-Brown only said she "could improve" and would "keep working until the Olympics."

The only bright spot for Jamaica was Melaine Walker leading a 1-2 Jamaican finish in the 400 hurdles and Brigitte Ann Foster-Hylton holding off Kellie Wells of the United States in the 100 hurdles.

In the longer distances, Kenya runners dominated their rivals from Ethiopia like they did at the world championships with several setting world-leading marks this season ahead of the London Olympics.

World champion David Rudisha led a Kenyan 1-2 in the 800 by running 1:43.10, .33 ahead of Job Kinyor. The field didn't include main rival Mohammed Aman of Ethiopia.

"1:43.10 is a very good time for me," Rudisha said. "I know that the athletes want to beat me now but I am well prepared to face the challenge. Great 800 meter runners like (Sebastian) Coe failed to win an Olympic gold but I will do my best to make it."

Olympic champion Pamela Jelimo also showed her world indoor title in March was no fluke, winning the women's 800 in 1:56.94. Fellow Kenyan and main rival Janeth Jepkosgei finished third.

Silas Kiplagat led a Kenya 1-2-3 in the 1,500, in a time of 3:29.63.

In the 3,000, two-time world champion Vivian Jepkemoi pulled away in the final 200 meters and then held off Meseret Defar of Ethiopia to win in 8:46.44.

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Takeuchi takes ski jump STV Cup

Sapporo — Taku Takeuchi nailed a pair of solid jumps to win the STV Cup for the first time on Sunday.

Takeuchi, second on Saturday in the HTB Cup, had leaps of 132 and 131.5 meters at Okurayama hill to prevail with a winning total of 273.3 points.

Norway's Andrea Stjernen was second, while Junshiro Kobayashi was third.

In-form Daiki Ito, who produced the longest jump ever recorded at Okurayama hill en route to victory at the HTB Cup, could only manage a wind-affected jump of 86 meters on his first effort and failed to advance to the second round.

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Palace takes semifinal first-leg lead

London — Crystal Palace moved closer to reaching its first major final in 22 years by beating Cardiff 1-0 at home in the first leg of the League Cup semifinals on Tuesday from Anthony Gardner's first-half goal.

Gardner's close-range header from a free kick in the 43rd minute at Selhurst Park was his first goal in more than a year. It has Palace fans hoping the team will make it to Wembley after having lost the 1990 F.A. Cup final to Manchester United.

Cardiff striker Kenny Miller had a goal contentiously disallowed in the second half for a foul on goalkeeper Julian Speroni.

Palace's squad was hit by a virus but only defender Nathanial Clyne was not well enough to play. He is expected to be fit for the second leg in Cardiff in two weeks' time.

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Kato showcases speed, takes lead

OBIHIRO, Hokkaido — Vancouver Olympic 500-meter speedskating bronze medalist Joji Kato led at the National Sprint Championships after sweeping the men's 500 and 1,000 meters on Tuesday.

Kato, looking for his first national sprint title since 2007, clocked 35.21 seconds in the 500 and 1 minute, 11.47 seconds in the 1,000 for a total of 70.945 points at Meiji Hokkaido-Tokachi Oval.

Yuya Oikawa was second with 71.290 and 2010 champion Ryohei Haga was third with 71.655 going into the final day of competition on Wednesday.

Pre-meet favorite Keiichiro Nagashima, who won the silver in the 500 at the Vancouver Games, got off to a slow start, slumping to ninth.

On the women's side, defending champion Nao Kodaira was in the lead with 76.990 as she won the 500 in 38.50 and the 1,000 in a meet record of 1:16.98.

Maki Tsuji had 77.820 points for second place.

Forty-year-old Tomomi Okazaki, the bronze medalist at the 1998 Nagano Olympics, came in sixth in the 500 in her return from maternity leave.

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Success on slopes takes Vonn's mind off troubles

BEAVER CREEK, Colorado — Lindsey Vonn remains on top of her game despite the turmoil in her life.

She dominated at Lake Louise last weekend, winning two World Cup downhills and a super-G by a combined margin of 3.82 seconds — a landslide in skiing.

Her success comes in the midst of divorce proceedings from her husband of four years, Thomas Vonn, who also served as her adviser and personal coach.

But if the tumult is affecting her, Vonn certainly isn't showing it on the slopes.

Now, the Olympic gold medalist returns to the comfort of home as she races in a rescheduled super-G on Wednesday at Beaver Creek. The Birds of Prey course is just five minutes from her place in Vail.

"I really would love to win at home, so I'm going to look at the video and make sure in Beaver Creek that I clean some turns up and make sure I'm skiing a little more aggressive than I skied (Sunday)," Vonn said.

That performance is going to be difficult to top. She crushed it in Lake Louise, winning her 11th race on that hill. So commanding has Vonn been at the venue that it's now kiddingly become known as Lake Lindsey.

With her three-day sweep, Vonn now has 45 career wins, leaving her one behind Austria's Renate Goetschl for third on the career list.

"This whole weekend I had a huge smile on my face," Vonn said.

A reprieve from what has been going on away from the slopes.

Vonn announced her split Nov. 27, the same day she withdrew from a slalom in Aspen. She cited a back injury during training.

Many wondered how she would fare without Thomas Vonn, who had become a rock in her life. He made sure she wasn't overextending herself with appearances and interviews, helped with logistics and kept everything running smooth so Vonn could keep her focus on speeding down the mountain.

A network of family, friends, coaches, teammates and even competitors has now stepped in and supported her through a difficult time.

She also has this — the slopes.

Skiing has always been her sanctuary, a place where she can retreat and forget about whatever is troubling her for a little while.

"It's where I go to be myself and to really enjoy life," Vonn said. "Up in Lake Louise, it was perfect timing for me to go up there to do what I love and ski fast. I just was focused. It took my mind off everything else.

"This whole season is going to be a great chance for me to look at myself from a different perspective and to really learn more about myself. Skiing is just my happy place."

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American Farrar takes July 4th stage

Emotional victory: American Tyler Farrar celebrates after winning the third stage of the Tour de France on Monday in Olonne-sur-Mer. AP

REDON, France — Two months ago, Tyler Farrar was demoralized, sleeping 20 hours a day. He had even stopped riding, overcome by sorrow after his best friend died in a crash at the Giro d'Italia.

On Monday, Farrar became the first American to win a stage of the Tour de France on the Fourth of July. It was the first time he had won a stage in cycling's showcase race, and he dedicated the victory to the late Wouter Weylandt of Belgium.

"It's a little bit unbelievable to me at the moment that it actually happened," said Farrar, who pulled out of the Giro after the accident.

After crossing the finish line, Farrar held up his hands to form a "W" with his fingers and thumbs in tribute to Weylandt.

"This has been a horrible last two months with everything that happened in the Giro," Farrar said. "I've had a lot of ups and downs. But in the end, I wanted to be able to come back, and do something special to pay tribute, and this is certainly the biggest stage in the world to do that."

Farrar, a sprint specialist from Wenatchee, Washington, who rides for Garmin-Cervelo, sped ahead in the last few hundred yards of the 198-km course from Olonne-sur-Mer to Redon to win the third stage. He has now won a stage in each of cycling's three-week major tours — France, Italy and Spain.

The previous American to win a Tour de France stage was Levi Leipheimer, who in 2007 was first in the individual time trial in Angouleme.

"I certainly would have taken it on any day," Farrar said. "But as an American, winning on the Fourth of July, it's the icing on the cake. . . . Lucky me."

Norway's Thor Hushovd kept the Tour de France's yellow jersey. Hushovd, however, is a sprint specialist and is not expected to hold his lead through the mountains in the second and third weeks.

It was during the third stage of another race — the Giro in Italy on May 9 — when Weylandt clipped a wall on a steep descent. He fell off his bike and slammed his head on the ground, dying almost instantly. It was the first death of a rider at one of the major tours in 16 years.

In Monday's final sprint, the American nosed ahead of France's Romain Feillu, who was second, and Spain's Jose Joaquin Rojas, who was third. Farrar and a pack all had the same time: 4 hours, 40 minutes, 21 seconds.

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Kuwaiti goal takes shine off Japan's winning Olympic start

London calling: Striker Yuya Osako (right) takes the plaudits after scoring in Japan's Olympic qualifying 3-1 win over Kuwait at Toyota Stadium on Sunday night. KYODO

TOYOTA, Aichi Pref. — Japan launched its 2012 Olympic qualifying campaign with a comfortable 3-1 victory over Kuwait but was left to rue an unnecessarily conceded goal to the Gulf visitors on Sunday night.

Hiroshi Kiyotake and Mizuki Hamada scored in the opening half for the under-22 national side at Toyota Stadium, and Yuya Osako added the third on the other side of halftime.

But substitute Jaber Jazea chiseled at Japan's lead shortly past the hour with what could turn out to be a crucial away goal for Maher Alshemmari's side.

The second leg in the home-and-away contest is on Thursday.

"That was disappointing," Japan coach Takashi Sekizuka said, referring to the Kuwaiti goal. "We held on to the ball for a lot longer than we should have, and they got us."

The two teams went into the interval with Japan leading by two, but the hosts should have been up by more given the way they dominated throughout the first half.

With the Kuwait defenders giving them plenty of room to operate, Japan could have — and should have — been ahead by twice as many had it exercised a little more accuracy in front of the goal.

Striker Kensuke Nagai started the game on the bench with a sprained left ankle yet Sekizuka never needed to call on the top scorer of last year's Asian Games.

Forward Yousef Nasser, a Kuwaiti player with full international experience, was about the only consistent threat the Japanese defense had to deal with all evening.

Kiyotake pushed the young Blue Samurai in front in the 18th minute with his maiden goal for the Olympic team, a diving header into the bottom corner from a Yusuke Higa cross.

Hamada doubled Japan's advantage after 37 minutes with a header of his own, nodding in a right-wing Kiyotake corner from the heart of the penalty area.

The second half was more of the same with Japan in control, and Osako made it 3-0 one minute past the hour off a Kuwaiti mistake, slotting home a through-ball from Ryohei Yamazaki.

But just when Japan looked like it was going to cruise, Kuwait pulled one back in the 68th minute through substitute Jazea, who pounced on a failed clearance with authority to close the gap.

The Japanese woke up after conceding and reasserted their dominance, but failed to stretch out their lead as they continued to waste opportunities.

Gosford, Australia — Striker Jason Hoffman scored twice as Australia beat Yemen 3-0 in the first match of a two-leg Olympic soccer qualifying tie on Sunday.

Mitch Nichols also scored to give Australia a buffer to take into the second leg of the series at Newcastle on Thursday.

Isaka Cernak and Nichols directed play from midfield and Hoffman provided a constant aerial threat for the strong Australia lineup that restricted Yemen to sporadic counterattacks.

Australia had several off-target shots before Hoffman headed home Sebastian Ryall's cross in the 14th minute. Nichols added the second from close range in the 67th minute and Hoffman netted the third in stoppage time.

In Seoul, South Korea defeated Jordan 3-1.

Midfielder Yoon Bit Garam scored the winner from the penalty spot in the 75th minute and Kim Dong Sub added a header 10 minutes later.

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Mutai takes Boston Marathon in a run for the ages

Historic triumph: Kenya's Geoffrey Mutai breaks the tape on Monday to win the 115th running of the Boston Marathon. Mutai recorded the fastest time in marathon history of 2 hours, 3 minutes, 2 seconds in the victory. AP

BOSTON — Kenya's Geoffrey Mutai ran the fastest 42.2 km in history to win the Boston Marathon on Monday. Then his claim to a world record was swallowed up by the hills.

Not the inclines of Heartbreak Hill that have doomed so many runners before him.

It was the downhill part of the race that makes his time of 2 hours, 3 minutes, 2 seconds ineligible for an official world record. In short: IAAF rules have deemed the oldest and most prestigious marathon in the world — long considered the one of the most difficult, too — to be too easy.

"You don't look at world records. You just go," Mutai said. "If you are strong, you push it. But if you put it in your head, you can't make it."

Mutai outsprinted Moses Mosop down Boylston Street to win by four seconds as the two Kenyans both beat Haile Gebrselassie's sanctioned world record of 2:03:59. Four men, including third-place finisher Gebregziabher Gebremariam of Ethiopia and American Ryan Hall, broke the course record of 2:05:52 set just last year by Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot.

"These guys obviously showed us what's possible for the marathon," said Hall, whose 2:04:58 is the fastest ever run by an American. "I was out there running, and I was thinking to myself, 'I can't believe this is happening right now. I'm running a 2:04 pace, and I can't even see the leaders.' It was unreal."

The IAAF must certify a world record, and it is unlikely to approve Mutai's feat. The international governing body's Rule 206 requires courses to start and finish near the same point in order to discourage downhill, wind-aided runs and the artificially fast times they can produce. (Boston has a net decline of 140 meters, though the course is dominated by hills going up and down.)

"We had a stunning performance and an immensely fast time here today," said Tom Grilk, the head of the Boston Athletic Association, after Mutai ran almost a full minute faster than the sanctioned world record.

"We in Boston are well-pleased with what has happened, and that's good unto itself. The definitions of others, I will leave to them."

IAAF officials did not immediately respond to emails from The Associated Press seeking comment.

Although the organization's rules clearly disqualify the Boston course from a world record, it does list Cheruiyot's time in last year's race among the best times of 2010. Joan Benoit's 2:22:53 was considered a women's record in 1983, though that was before the IAAF refined its rules.

Mutai will receive a $50,000 bonus for the world best and another $25,000 for the course record to go with the $150,000 he and women's winner Caroline Kilel earned for the win.

"This gentleman did both things, and we are honored to have played a part in his doing it," Grilk said.

Kilel won the women's race to complete the Kenyan sweep, outsprinting American Desiree Davila to win by two seconds in 2:22:36. Davila led as late as the final stretch on Boylston Street and ran the fastest time ever for a U.S. woman, five seconds faster than Benoit, who is now known as Joan Samuelson.

Kara Goucher ran a personal best 2:24:52 to add a fifth-place finish to her third in 2009. No American — man or woman — has won Boston since Lisa Larsen-Weidenbach in 1985.

"We're knocking on the door," Hall said. "I mean 2:08 last year and 2:04 this year .e_STnS . . It's going to come; it's just a matter of time."

A year after Cheruiyot lowered the course record by more than a minute, almost 27,000 runners lined up in Hopkinton with cool temperatures and a 34-kph wind at their back — perfect marathoning weather. Kim Smith, a New Zealander who lives in Providence, took off at a record pace and led the women's race for more than 32 km.

The men were more steady, and they were the ones to take down the old mark.

Mutai and Mosop ran side-by-side for the final kms before Mutai pulled ahead for good on Boylston Street. The 19th Kenyan winner in the past 21 years, Mutai raised his arms in the air and grinned.

"When I was coming to Boston, I was not trying to break the world record. But I see the gift from God," Mutai said. "I'm happy. I don't have more words to add."

Cheruiyot, who had been recovering from a car accident in Kenya, finished sixth. Defending women's champion Teyba Erkesso dropped out before reaching the halfway point.

Masazumi Soejima and Wakako Tsuchida gave Japan a sweep of the men's and women's wheelchair divisions. It was the fifth straight win for Tsuchida and the second overall for Soejima.

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Kroenke takes control of Arsenal

LONDON (AP) American businessman Stan Kroenke secured a controlling stake in Arsenal, clearing the way for a full takeover that would make him the fifth U.S. owner of a Premier League club.

The Denver-based investor said Monday he planned to bring "new success" to the London club, which hasn't won the league title since 2004.

Kroenke raised his stake in Arsenal from 29.9 percent to 62.89 percent by agreeing to buy shares from fellow directors including Danny Fiszman and Nina Bracewell-Smith. The deal values the club at ?731 million ($ 1.2 billion).

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