MIAMI (AP) — Five things to watch for in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, as the San Antonio Spurs try to clinch their fifth title and end the Miami Heat's reign on Tuesday night:
MIAMI (AP) — During his team's Game 3 rout of the Heat, Gregg Popovich was shown on TV talking to his players while they were in the process of burying Miami with a stirring offensive display.
NEW YORK (AP) — Kevin Youkilis needs back surgery and Mark Teixeira returned to the 15-day disabled list Tuesday with an aching right wrist, the latest injury setbacks for the depleted New York Yankees.
After 16 consecutive years of always showing up at Wimbledon, winning five titles along the way, Venus Williams pulled out of the grass-court Grand Slam tournament Tuesday, citing a lower back injury.
KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) — Olympic champion Veronica Campbell Brown of Jamaica is serving a suspension while anti-doping officials rule on her recent positive drug test.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Brian Holberton homered, freshman Trent Thornton pitched a strong seven innings and No. 1 national seed North Carolina extended its stay at the College World Series with a 4-2 victory over LSU on Tuesday.
PARIS (AP) — The director of the Tour de France expects Bradley Wiggins to come roaring back in 2014 after not defending his crown in this year's race that starts in just over a week.
SAO PAULO (AP) — Thousands of demonstrators flooded into a square in Brazil's economic hub, Sao Paulo, on Tuesday for the latest in a historic wave of protests against the shoddy state of public transit, schools and other public services in this booming South American giant.
By Simon Evans MIAMI (Reuters) - An enthralling NBA Finals reaches Game Six later on Tuesday with the San Antonio Spurs one win away from clinching their fifth championship and the Miami Heat knowing they must win to keep their season alive. The Spurs ended their run of three home games with an explosive 114-104 win over Miami on Sunday to go 3-2 up in the best-of-seven series, and history suggests that gives them the edge. In Finals series tied 2-2, the team that won game five went on to win the NBA title on 20 of 27 occasions. ...
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The U.S. collegiate national baseball team will host its Cuban counterpart next month in a five-game international "friendship" series.
Ever since Greg Norman's final-round implosion allowed Nick Faldo win the Masters in 1996, a generation of fine English talent has come up short in golf's four major championships.
By Paul Ingrassia REYKJAVIK (Reuters) - The names of the world's greatest golf venues roll off the tongue like a putt rolling toward the cup. Pebble Beach. St. Andrews. Valderrama. Then there are Vestmannaeyja and Porlakshafnar. Those names don't trip off the tongues of anyone except the hardy residents of Iceland. Surprisingly, this island in the frigid North Atlantic is one of the most golf-obsessed places on earth. With 65 courses for a population of 322,000, Iceland has more courses per person - one for every 5,000 people -- than any other country. ...
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Andrew Cashner provided quite the thrilling warmup for his Tuesday start against San Francisco: a tiebreaking bunt as a pinch hitter in the 13th inning Monday night.
(Reuters) - Max Scherzer maintained his perfect start to the season by securing a 10th straight victory in pitching the Detroit Tigers to a 5-1 triumph against the Baltimore Orioles on Monday. Scherzer blew through the Orioles line-up with 10 strikeouts, allowing one run in six innings, as he drew level with St Louis pitcher Adam Wainright (10-3) on 10 wins for the campaign. He is, however, the first starter to open a season 10-0 since Roger Clemens completed the feat for the Toronto Blue Jays in 1997. ...
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Nelson Cruz thrust his right arm into the air and shouted out in relief while running the bases after hitting his second homer of the night for the Texas Rangers.
(Reuters) - The Denver Nuggets named Tim Connelly as their new general manager on Monday after Masai Ujiri joined the Toronto Raptors last month. The first task for 36-year-old Connelly, who spent the last three years as the assistant general manager in New Orleans, will be finding a new head coach to replace George Karl, who was sacked at the end of the season. "We have a lot to do," Connelly told reporters. "The draft (is approaching), then we'll hit free agency. "I'm hoping collectively as a staff we can keep this progressing to where we all want to be. ...
DETROIT (AP) — Max Scherzer has shrugged off the significance of his undefeated start, saying records are fluky statistics for pitchers and that he's simply playing for a good team.
(Reuters) - A list of the last 19 major championship winners after England's Justin Rose became the 18th different champion when he clinched the 113th U.S. Open at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pennsylvania on Sunday. 2013 June - Justin Rose (England), U.S. Open April - Adam Scott (Australia), Masters 2012 August - Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland), PGA Championship July - Ernie Els (South Africa), British Open June - Webb Simpson (United States), U.S. ...
By Mark Lamport-Stokes ARDMORE, Pennsylvania (Reuters) - Like a vintage bottle of wine brought out of the cellar after gathering dust for 32 years, Merion Golf Club's iconic East Course made a welcome return as host of the U.S. Open - and did so in classic style. The challenging par-70 layout with its brutally difficult finish had long been regarded as too short to stage one of golf's four major championships, many feeling that it had become obsolete due to the power and technology in the modern game. ...
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A contrite Chad Johnson apologized Monday for disrespecting a judge when the former NFL star slapped his attorney on the backside in court last week and was released from jail after only a week instead of 30 days.
By Frank Pingue SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) - Nearly three years after the formation of a partnership designed with the sole purpose of winning multiple NBA championships, the Miami Heat's 'Big Three' - LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh - are on the cusp of a second Finals letdown. The All Star trio have been unable to prevent Miami falling 3-2 behind to the San Antonio Spurs in the best-of-seven championship series with the next two games scheduled for South Florida on Tuesday and Thursday. ...
By Mark Lamport-Stokes ARDMORE, Pennsylvania (Reuters) - Justin Rose ended a 42-year title drought by English players at the U.S. Open with his two-shot victory at Merion on Sunday and has been tipped by his predecessor, Tony Jacklin, to win several more majors. Jacklin, who clinched the 1970 U.S. Open at Hazeltine, applauded Rose's strength of character and ice-cool finish, and has marked him out as one of the favourites for the July 18-21 British Open at Muirfield in Scotland. "He's a great champion now and he's got it all together," Jacklin, 68, told Reuters by telephone on Monday. ...
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indianapolis coach Chuck Pagano has won the George Halas Award from the Professional Football Writers Association for overcoming adversity.
ARDMORE, Pa. (AP) — This wasn't the way it was supposed to end, not on Phil Mickelson's birthday and not at Merion Golf Club, where history will record with little fanfare outside of England that Justin Rose won his first major championship.
By Frank Pingue SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) - The top-seeded Miami Heat were at a loss to explain their stunning inability to win consecutive games for nearly a month, a sequence they must break if they are to repeat as NBA champions. Inconsistent play and stiff competition have baffled the Heat, who have surprisingly alternated wins and losses over the last 12 playoff games. "If I knew the answer we would have won two games in a row. I don't know. ...
By Frank Pingue SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) - Just days after fielding questions about retirement amid recent struggles, San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobli turned in his best game of the season on Sunday to put his team on the cusp of a NBA championship. The 35-year-old Argentine guard turned back the clock with a 24-point performance as San Antonio beat the Miami Heat 114-104 and took a 3-2 lead over the defending champions in the best-of-seven series. "I really didn't expect a 24‑point game. It didn't happen all season long," Ginobli told reporters. ...
By Mark Lamport-Stokes ARDMORE, Pennsylvania (Reuters) - Jason Day suffered another near-miss in a major at the U.S. Open on Sunday but the Australian knows he has time on his side to win one of golf's blue riband events. The 25-year-old Queenslander has made a habit of raising his game when the spotlight is at its most intense, already recording five top-10s in just 11 major starts in what promises to be a stellar career. ...
By Larry Fine ARDMORE, Pennsylvania (Reuters) - There was no big birthday celebration for Phil Mickelson who turned 43 at Merion Golf Club on Sunday, only another case of heartache at the U.S. Open. Mickelson began the day with a one-stroke lead but despite a sensational eagle-two at the par-four 10th when he holed out from the rough, the big left-hander finished two shots behind winner Justin Rose to finish runner-up once again. In tying Australian Jason Day after shooting a final-round 74 for a three-over-par 284 total, Mickelson extended his U.S. Open record with a sixth second-place ...
By Mark Lamport-Stokes ARDMORE, Pennsylvania, June 16 (Reuters) - Jason Day suffered another near-miss in a major at the U.S. Open on Sunday but the Australian knows he has time on his side to win one of golf's blue riband events. The 25-year-old Queenslander has made a habit of raising his game when the spotlight is at its most intense, already recording five top-10s in just 11 major starts in what promises to be a stellar career. ...
By Larry Fine ARDMORE, Pennsylvania (Reuters) - After the touching salute to his father, the teary victory call to his mother back in England and the kiss of the silver trophy, Justin Rose treasured the validation of winning the U.S. Open for his first major championship. "The silverware and the history books are phenomenal, but it's about learning about yourself and how you can handle it," Rose said after his steely cool finish to claim a two-shot victory over Phil Mickelson and Australian Jason Day at Merion. "That feeling of testing yourself and coming out on top is incredible. ...
