IOC strips 2000 Games bronze medal from China

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — South Korean figure skating gold medalist Kim Yu-na could play a key role in the chase for another top Olympic prize.

Bid leaders from Pyeongchang, South Korea, said Wednesday that Kim will lend her support to the city's campaign to host the 2018 Winter Games.

"She has promised me she will come to events to promote the bid," said Cho Yang-ho, co-chair of the bid and head of Korean Air.

Cho said he expects Kim — who won the gold in Vancouver at the age of 19 — to travel to Durban, South Africa, as part of the bid team for the vote by the International Olympic Committee in July 2011.

That would put two figure skating gold medalists in the spotlight: Two-time champion Katarina Witt is a top leader of Munich's 2018 bid. The third candidate city is Annecy, France.

Leaders of all three bids have come to Dubai to spread their message at the SportAccord convention, a major gathering of sports and Olympic officials from around the world.

The race won't move into high gear until June when the International Olympic Committee officially approves the list of finalist candidates.

For now, the bid cities are limited to meeting and greeting IOC members and pushing their case through media interviews.

Pyeongchang is making its third consecutive bid after narrow defeats in the votes for the 2010 and 2014 Games.

"It's not like the Olympic movement owes something to Pyeongchang," said Kim Jin-sun, governor of Gangwong province and co-chair of the bid. "But we feel it is very important for the Olympic movement to give Asia the opportunity to host the Games."

Pyeongchang officials said their bid has been boosted by South Korea's strong performance in Vancouver, where the country's athletes placed fifth in the medals table with six golds and 14 in total.

Willy Bogner, a former Olympic skier and movie maker who heads Munich's bid, said he does not feel disadvantaged by Pyeongchang's head start as a third-time candidate.

"It is like a race," he said. "You have more experienced people and you have newer people. Ours is a fresh bid."

Munich, which hosted the 1972 Summer Olympics, is seeking to become the first city to stage both winter and summer games.

Bogner said Munich's 1972 Olympic Stadium remains a great legacy and the Olympic Park is "a living thing" which hosts around 300 events a year, meaning the city won't have to build many new costly facilities.

While the Annecy bid, led by former Olympic moguls champion Edgar Grospiron, is considered the outsider, Bogner said the French should not be counted out.

"You can never underestimate a competitor," he said. "I wouldn't call it a two-horse race. France has a strong Olympic connection, and the French are good politicians."

Beyond 2018, some cities are exploring bids for the 2020 Summer Olympics — including Dubai.

Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and his wife, Princess Haya of Jordan, spoke with reporters Wednesday and acknowledged that the searing heat could be an issue in a city where temperatures can exceed 120 degrees.

Another Gulf city — Doha, Qatar — failed to make the list of finalists for the 2016 Games, mainly because of the heat during the traditional Olympic months of July and August.

Mohammed reiterated that Dubai was carrying out a feasibility study about a potential bid.

"We have to do our homework," he said. "A bid is not organized yet. My people are studying this."

The Olympics have never been held in the Middle East.

"Really, it would be a dream to have the Olympic Games in this part of the world," the sheik said.

Anthony gets the help he wanted in Nuggets' win

DENVER — Carmelo Anthony got the help he was begging for, J.R. Smith found his long-range touch and the Denver Nuggets avoided elimination with a 116-102 victory over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night.

The Nuggets, trying to become the first team in four years to overcome a 3-1 deficit in the playoffs, sent the series back to Salt Lake City for Game 6 on Friday night despite losing center Nene to a sprained left knee in the first half.

Anthony had 26 points and 11 rebounds, Smith made four big 3-pointers among his 17 points, and Chauncey Billups had 21 points for the Nuggets.

Denver won a game in which it was facing elimination for the first time since the 1994 Western Conference semifinals against Utah. The Nuggets had lost eight straight elimination games, six since Anthony joined the team in 2003.

After infighting and insults dominated their locker room in the aftermath of their two losses at Salt Lake City, the Nuggets were a much more cohesive group even in the face of another outstanding performance by Utah's Deron Williams, who declared after shootaround that he was the best point guard in the NBA right now.

The Nuggets won't disagree.

After watching him average 27.6 points and 12.0 rebounds over the first four games of the series, the Nuggets put Billups on Williams from the start instead of Aaron Afflalo.

Williams said nothing would change no matter who was guarding him, and he was right, getting 34 points and 10 assists before fouling out in the final minute.

Carlos Boozer had 25 points and 16 boards for Utah. But backup big man Kyrylo Fesenko, who had played so well in the absence of Andrei Kirilenko (calf) and Mehmet Okur (Achilles' tendon) for the last three games, all Utah wins, didn't do so well Wednesday. He finished with three points and six rebounds in 20 minutes.

The Nuggets led 86-81 after three quarters before pouring it on like they did in Game 1, a 126-113 win.

The Nuggets have been helpless to curb Williams, who is the first player since Magic Johnson 20 years ago to register at least 20 points and 10 assists in each of the first four games of a playoff series.

So, the Nuggets turned to Billups, who has 138 games of playoff experience and was on one of the eight teams that overcame 3-1 playoff deficits (Detroit over Orlando in 2003).

Acting coach Adrian Dantley acknowledged the potential pitfalls to this strategy, saying Billups had to be careful not to foul Williams in transition or during his noteworthy coast-to-coast dashes.

He also put Ty Lawson on Williams, and although Lawson brought superior speed to the position, his helter-skelter play also produced some turnovers and poor possessions for Denver.

Still, the Nuggets were finally able to capitalize once again on their athleticism and quickness, something that had been stifled since the series opener, in large part because of the many whistles that forced them to keep taking the ball out of bounds.

Williams especially backed up his proclamations about being the top point guard in the NBA in the closing minutes of the first half when the Nuggets looked like they were about to take control early.

His two 3-pointers and two free throws highlighted a 12-4 run that sent the Jazz into the locker room with a 52-50 lead.

Nene sprained his left knee with 5 minutes left in the first half. He was working under the basket when Boozer's left leg slammed into his left knee. He stayed down for a few minutes, then limped to the locker room, leaning on trainer Jim Gillen.

Nene was having another quiet game, with two points and one rebound but four assists when he went out. The Nuggets said he would be re-evaluated Thursday.

Johan Petro chipped in four points and six boards with Nene out.

On Tuesday, Anthony cleared the air with his teammates, suggesting he didn't mean to point fingers when declaring after Game 4 that he needed some help in trying to beat Utah. Smith, who had tweeted about the team was selfish in Game 4, went back to benign bursts such as "cant stop thinking bout this game coming up!"

NBA: Jennings scores 25 as Milwaukee stuns Atlanta 91-87

ATLANTA – With Andrew Bogut cheering from the bench while Brandon Jennings teamed with Kurt Thomas in a duo for the ages, the Milwaukee Bucks pulled within one win of an improbable first-round upset.

Jennings scored 25 points, Thomas drew a crucial charging foul against Joe Johnson and the Bucks stunned the home team with a 14-0 run late in the game, beating the favored Hawks 91-87 on Wednesday night for a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Milwaukee's third straight win over third-seeded Atlanta gives the upstarts a chance to wrap up the series at home in Game 6 on Friday night.

With Bogut out after taking a gruesome fall late in the regular season, the 20-year-old Jennings has stepped up big with his darting moves to the hoop. The 37-year-old Thomas, one of the league's oldest players, doesn't show up much on the stat sheet but he may have come up with the biggest play of the game when he stepped out to take a charge from Johnson with 2:15 remaining, giving the Atlanta star his sixth foul.

The Hawks appeared to be in control leading 82-73 after Josh Smith's long jumper with 4:10 remaining. But Milwaukee scored the next 14 points, and Jennings wrapped it up by making two free throws with 9 seconds remaining.

Jamal Crawford, who had an awful game one day after winning the NBA's Sixth Man Award, threw up a desperation 3-pointer that missed badly and the Bucks ran out the final seconds.

While Milwaukee celebrated with chest bumps in the center of Philips Arena, the Hawks straggled off the court, serenaded by boos from their own crowd.

Crawford was 4 of 18 from the field and finished with 11 points. Al Horford had 25 points and 11 rebounds for the Hawks.

"Bye-bye, Woody!" someone shouted at Atlanta coach Mike Woodson, whose contract is up at the end of a season that is one loss away from ending much earlier than expected.

Atlanta dominated the first two games on its home court and fully expected to win at least one game in Milwaukee, which would have set them up to clinch at home in Game 5.

Instead, it's the gritty Bucks, appearing in the playoffs for the first time since 2006, who are on the verge of moving on to face waiting Orlando in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Milwaukee shot 41 percent from the field but came through when it mattered, simply outworking an Atlanta team that seemed more and more stunned to find itself in a tough series. John Salmons added 19 points and Luke Ridnour had 15.

The Bucks continually drove to the hoop in the fourth quarter, hitting 15 of 18 free throws. Stunningly, Atlanta never got to the line in the final period.

Marvin Williams had 22 points for the Hawks, who couldn't overcome the dismal showings by Crawford and Johnson, who managed just 13 points on 6-of-16 shooting before fouling out.

The Hawks appeared to be taking control in the third quarter with the sort of play that had been missing since the first two games in Atlanta.

Johnson took things into his own hands, driving right around Thomas for a dunk that broke a 50-50 tie and sparked a 17-4 run that took less than 4 minutes. Johnson hit a couple of jumpers during the spurt, and he got plenty of support from Horford and Williams.

Horford scored six points, including a couple of ferocious dunks set up by passes from Mike Bibby. After the second jam, Bibby backpedaled down the court with a smile on his face, the Hawks appearing to have fun for the first time all night.

Williams scored the other five points in Atlanta's outburst, including a three-point play that began at the other end with a turnover by Salmons. The Hawks ran the other way, and Dan Gadzuric got over too late attempting to take the charge. The shot went down, and Williams added a free throw that gave him 20 points in the game.

But the Bucks just wouldn't go away, even though both replacement centers, Thomas and Gadzuric, ran into foul trouble. Thomas picked up his fourth less than 4 minutes into the third quarter, while Gadzuric was whistled for his fifth before the period was done.

Milwaukee tried to get a few minutes out of fourth-string center Primoz Brezec, then went for a stretch with a two-forward, three-guard lineup that included no one over 6-foot-8 and left the Hawks with a huge size advantage on the inside.

The Hawks' frustration showed early.

Zaza Pachulia sent Jennings flying with a hard whack late in the first quarter, drawing an intentional foul. The 6-1 Jennings hopped off the court as though he wanted to go at the 6-11 Pachulia, but Thomas and the officials stepped in to push the rookie guard away. Ridnour jawed a bit with Pachulia before things calmed down.

Early in the second, Johnson doled out another hard foul on Ridenour, who tumbled to the court after taking a bit of a shove with the forearm.

The Bucks dished out some shots of their own. Thomas stepped out to set a pick on Smith, who tumbled to the court and rolled over with a gash over his right eye. He headed to the locker room to get five stitches, but returned to the court late in the period with a bandage covering the wound.

Jennings got off to a start befitting one of the quickest players in the league, scoring 12 straight Milwaukee points in a span of less than 2 minutes to give the Bucks an early 18-15 lead.

Both teams struggled through most of the first half, neither able to pull away or gain any sort of momentum. There were botched passes, airballs and generally sloppy play before the Hawks settled for a 46-43 halftime lead. But Atlanta received only a halfhearted cheer leaving the court, having done little to fire up the sellout crowd of 19,304.

Ace gunner Miller traded for high-flying Baguio

8 Apr 2010

Just as everybody is taking the much-needed rest after the blockbuster PBA All-Star Festivities in Puerto Princesa over the weekend, Alaska Milk, in a stunning move, traded two-time MVP Willie Miller toGinebra in exchange for Cyrus Baguio.

The deal was consummated yesterdayand both parties claimed their teams will be better by the exchange.

Miller, the 5-foot 11 spitfire who earned the moniker the "Thriller," for his daredevil moves, adds a new dimension to aGinebra team which, before he came on board, already teemed with star power.

Alaska coach Tim Cone said it was Miller who had sought for the trade, although no reason was given why the playerasked to move to another team.

Cone said that he will surely miss Miller, whom he considers as "one of the real good guys in the league."

"He made it known to us for the last couple of years that he has wanted to be traded. It was only now that the Aces got what it felt a good deal," Cone said.

"I think it-s a good deal for us," said Joaqui Trillo, Alaska-s alternate governor to the PBA Board.

Miller is known as a prolific scorer and a fine closer � traits that landed him a spot in the Philippine team that finished 8th in the FIBA-Asia Championship in Tianjin, China.

Baguio, who blossomed into a fine all-around player during his stint with Barako Bull before he was acquired by Ginebra last conference from Air21, was also a member of that team handled by coach Yeng Guiao.

Interestingly, Ginebra and Alaska battle each other at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Araneta Coliseum.

This will be Miller-s fourth team in the PBA after starting his pro career with Red Bull, which took him as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2001 Rookie Draft. He also played for Talk -N Text.

Miller, the PBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 2002 and 2007, will have as teammates reigning MVP Jayjay Helterbrand, Mark Caguioa, Ronald Tubid, and Celino Cruz.

Ginebra mentor Jong Uichico said that he would rather "wait and see" on how to utilize a talented player like Miller, who will have his first practice session Thursday with the Kings at the Green Meadows gym in Green Hills, San Juan.

So far this conference, the 32-year-old Miller averaged 17 point, three rebounds and 4.5 assists.

It-s interesting to see if the native of Olongapo City will start for Ginebra or will come off the bench behind Caguioa and Helterbrand.

Both Miller and Baguio earn maximum salaries of P350,000 and their contracts will expire at the end of July 2010.

Willie Miller - Cyrus baguio trade by the numbers

Willie Miller
Height: 5'11
Position: Small Guard
Age: 32

Major Awards Earned
Most Valuable Player ( 2002, 2007 )
All-Defensive Team ( 2003 )
Philippine Cup Best Player of the Conference ( 2008-2009 )
Fiesta Conference Best Player of the Conference ( 2004-2005 , 2006-2007 )

2009-2010 Fiesta Conference Stats
35.50 Minutes Per Game
17.00 PPG
3.00 RPG
4.50 APG

Cyrus Baguio
Height: 6'2"
Position: Small Guard
Age: 29

Major Awards Earned
Mythical Second Team ( 2007-2008 )
Most Improved Player ( 2007-2008 )

2009-2010 Fiesta Conference Stats
24.40 Minutes Per Game
9.20 PPG
1.40 RPG
1.80 

NFL suspends Steelers QB Roethlisberger 6 games

NEW YORK — Ben Roethlisberger's off-field behavior might obscure his on-field achievements.

The two-time Super Bowl winner was suspended by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on Wednesday for six games without pay for violating the league's personal conduct policy. A week after Roethlisberger avoided sexual assault charges in Georgia, Goodell also ordered the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback to undergo a "comprehensive behavioral evaluation by professionals."

Goodell said the league's conduct policy gave him the right to impose discipline regardless of whether Roethlisberger broke the law. He added that team offseason activities were off limits to the quarterback until he completes the evaluation and is cleared by the league to rejoin the Steelers. The ban could be shortened to four games for good behavior.

The NFL handed down the punishment a week after prosecutors decided not to charge Roethlisberger in a case involving a 20-year-old college student who accused him of sexually assaulting her in a Milledgeville, Ga., nightclub last month.

"I recognize that the allegations in Georgia were disputed and that they did not result in criminal charges being filed against you," Goodell said in his letter to the six-year veteran.

"My decision today is not based on a finding that you violated Georgia law, or on a conclusion that differs from that of the local prosecutor. That said, you are held to a higher standard as an NFL player, and there is nothing about your conduct in Milledgeville that can remotely be described as admirable, responsible, or consistent with either the values of the league or the expectations of our fans.

"Your conduct raises sufficient concerns that I believe effective intervention now is the best step for your personal and professional welfare."

The Steelers said Roethlisberger was unavailable for comment.

Sitting out all six games would cost Roethlisberger an estimated $2.8 million of his $102 million total deal. And trade rumors immediately swirled: Would the Steelers, who declined to address the speculation, weigh dealing their franchise quarterback for a Top 10 draft pick if one were offered.

"I think if Ben has shown anything, it's that he's able to recover whenever he has been faced with adversity," safety Troy Polamalu said. "Everything is not always peachy. Not everybody has that unblemished image. If he has that repentance, the way he is going to have to have it to continue to live his life, this will be the great example of that."

Roethlisberger is the first player suspended by Goodell under the conduct policy who hasn't been arrested or charged with a crime.

Roethlisberger also is being sued by a woman who accused him of raping her at a Lake Tahoe hotel-casino in 2008. He denied the allegation and wasn't charged.

"In your six years in the NFL, you have first thrilled and now disappointed a great many people," Goodell wrote. "I urge you to take full advantage of this opportunity to get your life and career back on track."

Before taking action, Goodell said he interviewed Roethlisberger on April 13 and talked to current and former players and the players' union. He also reviewed information from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and Milledgeville police and talked privately with Georgia district attorney Fred Bright. In addition, Goodell said he listened to recommendations from the quarterback's representatives, and took into account information learned by the NFL office regarding the alleged assault.

In a statement to police, the college student said Roethlisberger encouraged her, and her friends, to take numerous shots of alcohol. Then one of his bodyguards escorted her into a hallway at the Capital City nightclub in Milledgeville, Ga., sat her on a stool and left. She said Roethlisberger walked down the hallway and exposed himself.

"I told him it wasn't OK, no, we don't need to do this and I proceeded to get up and try to leave," she said. "I went to the first door I saw, which happened to be a bathroom."

According to her statement, Roethlisberger then followed her into the bathroom and shut the door.

"I still said no, this is not OK, and he then had sex with me," she wrote.

Two of her friends said they saw a bodyguard lead her into the hallway and then saw Roethlisberger follow. They said they couldn't see their friend but knew she was drunk and were worried about her.

The statements were among hundreds of pages of the case file made public last week by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Steelers president Art Rooney II was on the phone call with Goodell to inform Roethlisberger of the suspension. Previously, Rooney said the team was prepared to discipline Roethlisberger had Goodell not acted.

"When the commissioner acts under the league conduct policy, it is the commissioner's decision," Rooney said. "Clearly in this case we had an opportunity to have input in a number of conversations about what was going to happen. We certainly were able to coordinate on what was the final outcome."

Goodell has aggressively dealt with players who violated the personal conduct policy throughout his 3½ years as commissioner. He banned the Titans' Adam "Pacman" Jones for one year, and suspended Chicago's Tank Johnson and Cincinnati's Chris Henry eight games each in 2007. Henry died last year of a head injury after falling off the back of a truck.

Last year, Michael Vick was suspended for six games, later shortened to two games, after serving 18 months in jail for his role in a dogfighting ring.

In all, 16 players have been suspended under the conduct policy by Goodell.

Meanwhile, Pennsylvania state trooper Ed Joyner can no longer work as a personal assistant to Roethlisberger because he was present when the alleged assault took place.

Pennsylvania State Police said Wednesday that Joyner's outside work exceeded the scope of what was permitted. They also said "he is alleged to have demeaned the image" of the state police.

Tiger Woods enters The Players, AT&T National

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida — Tiger Woods added two more tournaments Wednesday to a schedule that is not much different from previous years except for the timing.

Woods entered The Players Championship and the AT&T National, which benefits his foundation.

It was the second straight week that Woods made an early commitment to a PGA Tour event, allowing for more time to promote his appearance. For years, the world's No. 1 player waited until the last few days before signing up.

Last week, Woods beat the deadline by eight days for entering the Quail Hollow Championship, which starts April 29. He signed up for The Players Championship, which starts May 6, nine days ahead of the deadline.

Woods no longer is the host of the AT&T National, which will be held over the Fourth of July weekend at Aronomink outside Philadelphia. It had been played the last three years at outside of Washington at Congressional, which will host the U.S. Open next year.

Woods missed five months while caught in a sex scandal that shattered his image and cost him three major endorsements. He returned at the Masters, where he tied for fourth.

MLB Wrap: Halladay shutout lifts Phillies over Braves

ATLANTA — Roy Halladay threw his first National League shutout — getting a couple of big assists from his defense — as the Philadelphia Phillies blanked the Atlanta Braves 2-0 on Wednesday.

Halladay (4-0), acquired in the offseason from Toronto, has lived up to the hype in his first four NL starts. He has worked 33 innings, allowing only three earned runs for an 0.82 ERA.

Raul Ibanez and Jayson Werth both hit RBI doubles against Braves starter Tim Hudson (1-1), but the win owed as much to a pair of brilliant defensive plays.

Center fielder Shane Victorino stole away a likely homer from Troy Glaus with a leaping catch in the second, and second baseman Chase Utley made a diving stop on a shot up the middle to start an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded in the seventh.

Halladay pitched his 16th career shutout. Last season, he led the majors with a career-high four.

Padres 5, Giants 2
In San Diego, the hosts won their sixth straight, downing San Francisco.

Jon Garland (1-2) held the slumping Giants to one run in seven strong innings.

Nick Hundley hit a two-run homer and Adrian Gonzalez added a solo homer for San Diego, which has won 10 of 12 against the Giants at Petco Park.

San Francisco's Todd Wellemeyer (0-3) had another rough start as he allowed two runs over four innings.

Cardinals 9, Diamondbacks 4
In Phoenix, Colby Rasmus homered twice, including a tiebreaking shot in the ninth, as St. Louis got a testy win over Arizona.

The benches emptied in the second inning when Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter, after being hit by a pitch, tried to take out Arizona second baseman Kelly Johnson when running on a double-play ball. No punches were thrown.

It was 4-4 when Rasmus opened the ninth with a home run off Chad Qualls (0-1). The Cardinals wound up scoring five times in the inning, capped by Skip Schumaker's three-run homer.

Jason Motte (1-1) got the victory for the Cardinals, who have won all five of their series this season.

Nationals 6, Rockies 4
In Washington, the home team beat Colorado, staying undefeated when the starting pitcher goes at least five innings.

John Lannan lasted long enought to mean the Nationals are 8-0 when their starter goes at least five, 0-7 when he doesn't.

Nationals reliever Tyler Clippard (3-0) struck out three in two scoreless innings.

The game was tied entering the eighth, when Rockies reliever Rafael Betancourt (0-1) allowed a leadoff single. After an intentional walk, Nieves lined a double.

Ivan Rodriguez padded the lead with a sacrifice fly before an announced crowd of 11,191, the lowest in three seasons at Nationals Park.

Brewers 8, Pirates 0
In Pittsburgh, Yovani Gallardo struck out 10 in five shutout innings to steer Milwaukee over Pittsburgh.

Nine of the first 11 Pittsburgh batters that Gallardo (1-2) retired came by strikeout.

The Brewers' Ryan Braun, Rickie Weeks and Jody Gerut hit home runs and Alcides Escobar tripled in consecutive innings for Milwaukee, which has won three straight.

Pirates starter Zach Duke (2-1) allowed each of the Milwaukee homers.

Dodgers 14, Reds 6
In Cincinnati, Rafael Furcal drove in four runs with a single, double and triple to highlight another big performance by the majors' best-hitting lineup, as Los Angeles thumped Cincinnati.

Hiroki Kuroda (2-0) gave up a pair of homers and had an overturned call go against him, but got the win.

The Reds have lost six of seven, with their rotation still lacking a victory. Top starter Aaron Harang (0-3) had another rough time, giving up 10 hits in only 5 2-3 innings.

The Dodgers got hits from top to bottom, piling up 18 overall and scoring in all but one inning while reaching a season high in runs.

Astros 5, Marlins 4
In Houston, Geoff Blum's first career pinch-hit triple drove in two runs in the seventh inning to propel Houston over Florida.

Blum's hit off Burke Badenhop (0-2) was chased almost to the wall in center field, and gave the Astros their fourth straight win.

Humberto Quintero had two hits including a homer for the Astros, while Wilton Lopez (1-0) got the win.

The Marlins suffered their first series defeat of the season.

Cubs 9, Mets 3
In New York, Chicago snapped a run of four straight defeats by beating New York.

Carlos Silva (2-0) added six crisp innings to his surprising comeback, using his heavy sinker to cede only one run.

Alfonso Soriano hit a two-run homer for the Cubs.

A record-low Citi Field crowd watched as the Mets' late rally petered out against Chicago's floundering bullpen.

Odalis Perez (0-2) took the loss.

Yankees 3, Athletics 1
In Oakland, California, New York Yankees pitcher Phil Hughes was on track for a no-hitter until the eight inning, but had to be satisfied with a 3-1 win over the Oakland Athletics in the American League on Wednesday.

Hughes (2-0) struck out a career-high 10 in the Yankees' sixth straight win. He was in complete control until Eric Chavez opened the eighth with a one-hopper that went back to the mound. The Yankees pitcher had little time to react and the ball struck his left hip. Hughes couldn't find the ball in front of the mound as Chavez hustled for a single.

This was the second near-miss for the defending World Series champions in a couple of weeks. C.C. Sabathia held Tampa Bay hitless for 7 2-3 innings.

Twins 6, Indians 0
In Minneapolish, Francisco Liriano struck out six in eight scoreless innings to guide Minnesota over Cleveland.

Liriano (2-1) walked just two in a return to the form that made him an All-Star in 2006.

Michael Cuddyer had a homer, a two-run triple in the eighth and three RBIs for the Twins.

Indians starter David Huff (1-2) walked six and allowed four runs in six innings.

Rays 12, White Sox 0
In Chicago, Tampa Bay rookie Wade Davis outpitched a very imperfect Mark Buehrle as the Rays smashed Chicago.

Davis (1-1) struck out six in six scoreless innings. After giving up a bunt single to start the game and walking three of the next five batters, he settled down, didn't walk anybody else and the only other hit he allowed was a single in the sixth.

Tampa Bay's Sean Rodriguez homered and drove in four runs.

Buehrle (2-2) was facing the Rays for the first time since his perfect game against them last season. He allowed six runs in 4 2-3 innings as the White Sox lost for the fifth time in six games to fall into last place in the AL Central.

Tigers 4, Angels 3
In Anaheim, California, Miguel Cabrera hit a tying homer leading off the ninth inning and Ramon Santiago drove in the winner as Detroit edged Los Angeles.

Angels reliever Brian Fuentes (0-1), just off the disabled list after missing 14 games with a back strain, went to a full count against Cabrera before the Tigers' cleanup hitter homered to left-center. It was his fourth home run of the season and team-high 18th RBI.

Fuentes then walked Carlos Guillen and struck out Dan Kelly. Guillen stole second before a walk to Gerald Laird. Guillen was picked off on the basepath for the second out, but Santiago got a single to left field to score Laird.

Detroit's Phil Coke (2-0) got the win with a scoreless eighth inning.

Royals 4, Blue Jays 3 (10 innings)
In Toronto, Alex Gordon picked a good time for his first homer of the season, going long with two outs in the tenth to give Kansas City victory over Toronto.

Gordon drove a pitch from Scott Downs (0-1) to centerfield. It was just the second hit of the season for Gordon, who missed the first 10 games with a broken thumb.

Jose Guillen hit a three-run homer for Kansas City and Alex Gonzalez had a two-run shot for Toronto, before the Blue Jays scored a run in the eighth to tie the game.

Robinson Tejeda (1-1) worked one inning for the win as the Royals avoided a series sweep.

Red Sox 8, Rangers 7 (12 innings)
In Boston, Kevin Youkilis hit an RBI double with two outs in the 12th as Boston sneaked a victory that extended Texas' losing skid to six games.

Youkilis' shot rebounded off the base of the left-center field wall. It was Boston's second straight last at-bat win.

J.D. Drew hit a grand slam for the Red Sox, and Darnell McDonald homered in his second straight game.

Texas' Josh Hamilton hit a three-run homer in the seventh that made it 7-7.

Neither team did much in the extra innings until Marco Scutaro singled with one out in the 12th. After an intentional walk, Youkilis delivered against Dustin Nippert (0-2).

Mariners 4, Orioles 1
In Seattle, Felix Hernandez pitched the eighth complete-game of his career to steer Seattle past Baltimore.

Hernandez (2-0) wasn't at his sharpest, but didn't issue a walk and limited Baltimore to a lone unearned run.

Jack Wilson provided a decisive three-run double as the Mariners completed the three-game sweep of the Orioles, who dropped to 2-14 and continued the worst start for the franchise since 1988.

Kevin Millwood (0-3) threw a complete-game for Baltimore.

3 NSAs are SCOOP forum's special guests

National Sports Association (NSA) representatives in tennis, taekwondo and gymnastics will be the special guests in Friday’s SCOOP session at the Kamayan restaurant in Manila where they will discuss their planned activities for the year.

Philippine junior tennis team coach Karl Sta. Maria will introduce the members of the National squad that will compete in the coming Junior Federation Cup scheduled in Kuching, Malaysia from April 26 to May 1.

Sta. Maria will also discuss their chances in the Asia/Oceania final qualifying event.

Also joining Friday’s session are TBBS and PTC taekwondo championship chief organizer Joel Lacsamana and Gymnastics Association of the Philippines officials Bettina Pou (treasurer) and Susan Talingting (board member).

Lacsamana will discuss details of their tournament on Sunday while Pou and Talingting will talk about the programs implemented by GAP that revived the program after the tragic death of former former secretary general Dulce Saguisag.

LeBron wants to bring down Bulls in Chicago

DEERFIELD, Ill. — Forget the highlight reel dunks and ridiculous jumpers. Never mind that the Cleveland Cavaliers are up 2-0. LeBron James is far from satisfied.

The top-seeded Cavaliers are eyeing a championship and have a chance to close out the Bulls in Chicago as their first-round series shifts to the United Center for Games 3 and 4 on Thursday and Sunday. Yet, the way the King sees it, that crowning achievement won't come unless some improvement is made.

"We know we can play better," James said. "We gave them too many transition points and too many paint points. Those are things we can control. If we can crack that down halfway, we may bust the game wide open."

The Cavaliers are outshooting the Bulls 51 percent to 43.3 percent, are outrebounding them by a 43-38 average and have 21 blocks to Chicago's seven. Yet the numbers that stand out to James are these: The Bulls' 56-38 scoring advantage in the paint in Game 2 and 18-15 edge on the break on Monday.

Even so, the Cavaliers are in a good spot after taking Game 2, 112-102.

James has simply been at his best in this series, torching Chicago the way another No. 23 often terrorized Cleveland in the postseason.

He's averaging a Jordan-esque 32.0 points while shooting 59.5 percent after scoring 40 in Game 2, and he's burying shots — and the Bulls — from all angles. Now, the Cavaliers have a chance to close out this series in Michael Jordan's old home, and if they do, James' affection for Chicago only figures to grow.

James made it clear Wednesday that the Second City ranks high on his list and insisted there was no connection between his praise and the recent rips by Chicago's Joakim Noah on Cleveland. He called it "an awesome city" while complimenting the shops and restaurants.

Between the poster-worthy dunks, like that ferocious right-hander on James Johnson in the first quarter of Game 2, and those fadeaway jumpers, the Bulls simply have no answer for him.

Then again, who does?

"I don't know if you can guard him much better than we did," Chicago's Kirk Hinrich said.

The Bulls have been double-teaming him, have tried to keep him out of the paint, but nothing's working.

"When LeBron's hitting fadeaways and floaters — and holding the ball and we're coming at him with the double and he's fading away on you, that makes it hard," coach Vinny Del Negro said. "We've just got to mix it in on him, try to keep him off balance, keep him guessing with the doubles, force him a certain way. But like I said, they've seen it all."

With Shaquille O'Neal, Antawn Jamison and Mo Williams lurking, the Bulls can't take their eyes off the rest of the Cavaliers. So they're looking at a grim picture.

All-Star Derrick Rose is averaging 25.5 points and is expected to play after missing practice Wednesday to tend to a family emergency. Noah is coming off a 25-point, 13-rebound showing.

But the Bulls played poorly while losing the opener by 13. And they watched as James poured in 15 during a spectacular fourth quarter to lift the Cavaliers in Game 2, dancing and winking at the Chicago bench after he buried a 3 over the 6-foot-11 Noah.

"The game's emotional, guys are into it," Del Negro said. "The atmosphere and everything is great. Tomorrow night, we're home and we're going to come out with a lot of energy. Just because we're at home, doesn't mean all of a sudden we're going to play that much better. But we're going to have to play smarter, be more efficient and in the fourth quarter, we're going to have to get stops and put the ball in the basket."

Hasbrouck will not be with Heat for Games 3, 4

MIAMI — Heat reserve guard Kenny Hasbrouck will not be with the team for Games 3 and 4 of the Eastern Conference first-round series against Boston this weekend.

WTEN-TV in Albany, N.Y., reported Hasbrouck was charged with DWI in February. Hasbrouck graduated in 2009 from Siena, in the Albany suburb of Loudonville, and spent several weeks there training this winter.

Hasbrouck signed with the Heat on March 16.

In a statement late Wednesday night, the Heat said they learned of the incident Tuesday and will continue to investigate.

Hasbrouck has not appeared in a game with the Heat this season.

Economic woes could mean fewer US college teams

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Chasing national championships in the costly sports of college football and men's basketball can mean fewer competitive opportunities for other athletes.

Just ask James Madison athletic director Jeff Bourne. The southwest Virginia school eliminated 10 sports in 2007 to comply with federal Title IX requirements that require equality in male and female sports.

Or David Akinniyi, a three-year starter for Northeastern at defensive end and linebacker before the Boston school dropped football in 2009. Akinniyi transferred to North Carolina State to salvage his final season, but many of his teammates stopped playing.

The pair spoke Wednesday at a University of North Carolina sports research conference. Other panelists and participants at the annual College Sport Research Institute meeting — the largest gathering of academics who study the business of college sports — predicted that the era of broad-based athletic departments is in even more danger as the economy continues to founder.

"It used to be a sport got dropped here and there," said Michael Moyer, executive director of the National Wrestling Coaches Association. "Now it's not that unusual for eight or 10 to go out the door."

With 81 teams, Division I wrestling is half the size of the sport in the mid-70s, Moyer said. Three more programs are on the chopping block: University of California system schools in Bakersfield, Davis and Fullerton.

Yet those numbers are likely the envy of men's gymnastics, which fields just 16 teams in Division I and a sole squad in Division II.

The days of campus athletics program as a protected class are over, said John Cheslock, a Penn State professor who studies the economics of collegiate athletics.

With double-digit tuition increases, enrollment caps and faculty layoffs common at large public universities, athletics is going to have to share the pain. And instead of across-the-board cuts, that will mean eliminating entire teams, he said.

"They're going to look at the athletic department to help deal with those deficits," Cheslock said.

Such conversations are under way in Berkeley, where Chancellor Robert Birgeneau has asked faculty members, athletics officials and boosters to help figure out how to reduce Golden Bear sports' financial dependence on the university. One faculty member termed the discussions a "come-to-Jesus moment for athletics."

Bourne called the decision at James Madison to eliminate seven men's and three women's sports — from archery and cross country to fencing and gymnastics — "one of the most painful things you can go through" as a campus leader, a decision with nearly as much emotional impact as a student's death.

The move led to an unsuccessful federal lawsuit filed by a group of 450 athletes, coaches, parents and fans. While James Madison said it was seeking to balance athletic participation by gender, critics suggested that the money lost by supporting a football team exceeded the savings from the eliminated programs.

NCAA research shows that just 25 major college sports programs turned a profit in 2008, the most recent fiscal year for which data is available. Public universities in college football's top tier reported a median value of $3.31 million in direct annual support from their schools.

Audience member David Ridpath, an assistant professor of sport administration at Ohio, called for cost-cutting athletic departments to focus on the accepted excesses of marquee college sports.

"Do we really need to have 100 kids on a football team?" he asked. "Do we really need charter flights and home hotel nights?"

Not all colleges are faced with what the sport research institute called the "ethics of elimination." In Divisions II and III, where athletes usually don't receive scholarships, schools have quickly learned that more sports means a bottom-line boost from more tuition-paying students.

A September 2009 AP review found that colleges in the three NCAA divisions planned to add a total of 174 new teams while dropping just 59 over the ensuing two years.

Moyer said his association has added about 70 schools in the past decade, primarily small colleges. In the past year alone, Arkansas, Georgia and Texas have added the first college wrestling programs in their states.

"The business part of adding a wrestling team is incredibly appealing to any enrollment-conscious school," he said.

Magic beat Bobcats 92-77, take 2-0 series lead

ATLANTA — Rocked by allegations of rampant sexual misconduct within its coaching ranks, USA Swimming unveiled a plan Wednesday to make it easier for athletes to report abuse, look into the need for more thorough background checks and establish clear guidelines for appropriate conduct.

USA Swimming sent an open letter from president Jim Wood and executive director Chuck Wielgus detailing a seven-point plan that they said will start to address some of the concerns raised by several lawsuits around the country, along with an ABC report that detailed a pattern of coaches having inappropriate sexual contact with their athletes.

In the letter, Wielgus said USA Swimming has "a responsibility to help create a safe and positive environment for children and young adults who are our members."

The organization has more than 300,000 members and has experienced rapid growth over the past decade, largely due to the popularity of 14-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps.

"We are taking decisive action today, but this is only the beginning," Wood said in a statement. "The USA Swimming board of directors, national staff and our dedicated volunteers will continue to work together and seek the necessary expertise — both from within the swimming community and from outside sources — to evaluate and improve our protocols and safeguards."

Jonathan Little, an Indianapolis attorney who filed one of at least four ongoing sexual abuse cases against USA Swimming, was skeptical of the organization's plan.

"This was a rash, rushed reaction from USA Swimming," Little told The Associated Press. "Since its inception, USA Swimming has been trying to police itself. They know that coaches have sex with athletes. Everyone knows it, but no one does anything about it."

Little represents Brooke Taflinger, an All-American swimmer at Indiana University who came forward with allegations against her coach, Brian Hindson. In 2008, Hindson was sentenced to up to 35 years in federal prison for secretly videotaping young female swimmers showering.

At least three other lawsuits have been filed against USA Swimming around the country. On Monday, a case was brought in Kansas City, Missouri, accusing a suburban coach with having a sexual relationship with a teenage swimmer.

Last month, Deena Deardurff Schmidt, a 1972 Olympic champion, disclosed that as she trained in the 1960s, she was repeatedly molested by her coach. Despite telling officials at USA Swimming years later, she said, the coach — whom she wouldn't name — went on to train more young swimmers and was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.

Her comments came after a separate lawsuit was filed in Santa Clara County, California, alleging that more than 30 coaches nationwide have engaged in sexual misconduct with young females. Also, ABC's "20/20" reported that at least 36 coaches have been banned for life by USA Swimming over the last 10 years because of sexual misconduct.

"This is an opportunity for us to change youth sports and USA Swimming," Little said. "That's the most important thing. You can already see that USA Swimming knows they have to change. We are starting to see that happen. But until they are willing to remove the bad apples from their midst, they're not serious."

Margaret Hoelzer, who won two silver medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and a victim of sexual abuse herself as a child, is glad the issue is being addressed, though she doesn't feel the problem is any more widespread in swimming than other sports or society as a whole.

She pointed to statistics showing one in four girls and one out of seven boys will be victims of sexual abuse.

"This is a problem in any avenue where adults work with children," Hoelzer told The AP. "Since going public with my own abuse, many people in life have come forward and told me their stories. I can't think of a single one who's a swimmer."

Hoelzer, who revealed shortly after the Beijing Games that she had being sexually abused by a neighbor, said USA Swimming consulted with her a couple of weeks ago before issuing its plan.

USA Swimming said it will develop comprehensive guidelines on what is acceptable coaching behavior; enhance the system for reporting sexual abuse to the governing body and law enforcement; determine if improvements need to be made in the current system of background checks; and develop stronger ties with local clubs that are responsible for hiring coaches.

The plan also calls for a review of USA Swimming's conduct code and how it compares to other top youth organizations, as well as the process for sharing coaches' records with member clubs and other youth organizations. Finally, the governing body said it must educate athletes, parents, coaches and club leaders on what they can do to help stamp out sexual abuse.

USA Swimming said it will share the key findings in its report with other youth organizations, within and outside the Olympic movement.

"While we must properly focus our efforts on the micro world of swimming, we must simultaneously recognize the much broader societal implications," Wielgus said. "Our efforts should seek to both learn from others and then in turn share what we learn so that not only will the membership of USA Swimming benefit, but other youth organizations may also find ways to enhance their own safeguards and educational efforts."

Since 2006, USA Swimming has required background checks for all coaches every two years. The organization screens for criminal convictions and criminal charges involving felonies, illegal drugs and sexual misconduct.

Little said the organization should do more thorough checks incorporating the FBI database, and not just focus on cases that reach the criminal justice system.

"They need to have real background checks," the attorney said, "not this crap they've been doing."

Magic beat Bobcats 92-77, take 2-0 series lead

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Vince Carter-Dwight Howard duo again wasn't so dynamic — just good enough to win.

For now, that's all the Orlando Magic need.

Carter finished with 19 points, Howard scored 15 and the Magic took a 2-0 series lead with a 92-77 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday night.

"Fortunate thing for us," Carter said, "is we have a lot of weapons."

The Magic's star combo was less than stellar, but took over when it counted most. They combined for 21 second-half points to help Orlando build a 20-point lead and hold on late.

Still, they know they'll have to be better to compete for a title.

"I can't allow it to frustrate me," Howard said. "Really just trying to keep my head. It's bigger than myself. We're playing for something bigger."

Charlotte is simply playing for a win.

Stephen Jackson showed no effects from his hyperextended left knee to score 27 points, and Gerald Wallace had 15 points for the Bobcats. But their 21 turnovers are a big reason why they're heading home still searching for the franchise's first playoff win.

Game 3 in the best-of-seven series is Saturday in Charlotte.

"They're being more aggressive," Jackson said. "They're being the more physical team. They're making the first hit. They're just out there playing like they want to win more than we do. We're waiting until they hit to respond, and then it's too late."

This one wasn't the prettiest playoff basketball.

The Bobcats went more than eight minutes to start the game with only three points, and had just one field goal with six turnovers during the stretch. The goods news for them: The Magic were almost as bad early.

The first half was a turnoverfest for both teams, and nobody could consistently hit a shot. Things were so out of sorts that the normally sharpshooting J.J. Redick even badly missed the free throw from Charlotte coach Larry Brown's technical foul in the second quarter.

The Magic were 24 for 35 on free throws, while the Bobcats were 13 for 18. That wasn't enough for Brown.

"We had three players that played tonight that got to the foul line, and one of them took one shot, one free throw," he said. "Can't play that way. Maybe we've got to get more respect, I don't know."

The Magic put together the closest thing to a run, and they slowly went ahead 41-30 at the half on Ryan Anderson's 3-pointer. With Charlotte's 14 first-half turnovers, though, they could've been up more.

Eventually, they would. The Magic's star pairing finally showed up.

Howard used a drop step, spun right and hammered home a rim-rocking dunk over Tyson Chandler that started a big Magic push. He had nine points in the first five-plus minutes of the third before picking up his fourth foul, again relegating him to the bench.

Then, Carter took the reins.

Orlando's biggest offseason acquisition, Carter sliced his way through the lane for several layups late in the third quarter. He anchored a run that put the Magic ahead 75-55 after three quarters with their entire bench standing, waving towels, shouting and smiling as they pulled ahead big.

After Charlotte trimmed the lead to eight with 3:16, Carter followed with a jumper. Then Jackson missed a layup, and Jameer Nelson raced down court to convert a three-point play that sealed Orlando's win.

Jackson stood with his head band knocked sideways, pleading with official Bennett Salvatore for a whistle. It wouldn't come.

"I knew my headband didn't get knocked off by itself," Jackson said.

The Magic now find themselves in a position that was unfamiliar in last year's NBA finals run: a little series cushion.

They were down 2-1 to Philadelphia, trailed Boston 3-2 and went down 2-0 to the Los Angeles Lakers in the finals. Beating Cleveland in the conference finals in six games was the only series Orlando didn't trail in last season.

NBA: Johnson, Smith lead Hawks past Bucks in Game 2

ATLANTA – High-flying Josh Smith dominated on the inside. Joe Johnson stepped up from the outside when the Hawks needed him.

The result: Atlanta has a 2-0 lead in a best-of-seven series for the first time in 40 years.

Johnson took control in the fourth quarter to finish off a 27-point effort, Smith finished one assist shy of a triple-double and the Hawks ran away from the pesky but outmanned Milwaukee Bucks for a 96-86 victory in the Eastern Conference playoffs Tuesday night.

Smith played as though he's still upset about being snubbed for the All-Star game, when teammates Johnson and Al Horford were selected but he stayed home. He's certainly a player capable of taking control of a series in many ways, as he demonstrated with his 21 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists, not to mention two blocks and two steals.

"There's nothing he can't do on the floor," Hawks coach Mike Woodson said. "We just have to keep him playing at a high level, keep his head in the game and we'll be just fine."

That applies to the team as a whole. Woodson was mindful of last season, when Atlanta blew out Miami in its playoff opener — then lost at home and had to go the full seven games.

This time, the Hawks took care of business on their home court. They'll head to Milwaukee on Saturday night with a commanding lead, the first time they've won the first two in a best-of-seven series since the Western Division semifinals in 1970. That team went on to beat Chicago in five games, but lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the division finals.

The current Hawks aren't taking anything for granted, even though they've seemed capable of pulling away any time Milwaukee tries to make a run.

"We're on edge," said Horford, who teamed with Smith to give the Hawks a big edge in the lane. "We can't take them lightly. We know it's going to be tough up there."

Again, the Hawks' balance and size advantage on the inside were just too much for the Bucks, who knew they'd face a huge challenge in this series after 7-foot center Andrew Bogut took a hard fall late in the regular season and was done for the playoffs.

All five Atlanta starters reached double figures for the second game in a row, and the two guys on the inside sure took advantage of Bogut's absence.

Smith had the crowd on its feet with four thunderous dunks and a couple more above-the-rim lay-ins. Horford was nearly as dominant, scoring 20 points, snatching down 10 rebounds and blocking three shots.

"We understand that we've got bigger guys down low," Smith said. "When we miss a shot, we can usually get the putback or pass to a wide-open (Mike) Bibby or Joe. We want to make it easy for those guys."

When Smith is really on his game, he fires up the home crowd with his gravity defying plays.

"He's one of those players that can control the game without calling plays for him," said John Salmons, who led the Bucks with 21 points.

Johnson took over in the fourth quarter. After Milwaukee had closed to single-digit range, he buried four straight jumpers, the last of them a 3-pointer from the corner after snaring a rocket pass from Smith, pushing the Hawks to an 87-74 lead that essentially finished off the Bucks.

"I felt like we were in a drought," said Johnson, who scored 10 points in the final period and bolstered his all-around effort with six assists, two blocks and a steal. "I just wanted to be aggressive and make plays."

Johnson also led the defensive effort against Bucks rookie star Brandon Jennings, who followed up a 34-point performance in Game 1 with just nine points on 3-of-15 shooting.

"All season long he's been playing point guards, so he's sort of used to it now," Woodson said. "And Jennings is a tough cover because he is so quick, and he can shoot the outside shot as well as get to the rim."

The Bucks head home, hoping to turn things around in the next two games. But they've led only three times in the series — never by more than two points — for a total of 1 minute, 32 seconds, looking very much like a team making its first playoff appearance since 2006.

"Our preparations have been great, but we're having trouble taking it onto the game floor," coach Scott Skiles said. "We knew it would be interesting to see how we would react in this type of environment. They outplayed us in almost every spot up and down the floor. We've got three days to get better."

Ersan Ilyasova came up big off the bench with 13 points and 15 rebounds, but Jerry Stackhouse was the only other Milwaukee player in double figures with 15 points. The Bucks shot only 41 percent (37 of 90).

The Bucks grabbed their first lead of the series, 4-2, on Luc Mbah a Moute's putback less than 1 1/2 minutes into the game. But Atlanta looked like it was headed for another first-half blitz, pushing out to 22-12 lead on Marvin Williams' three-point play.

In Game 1, the Hawks led by 20 in the opening quarter and 22 at halftime.

This time, Milwaukee kept it respectable in the early going, ripping off an 8-0 spurt to get right back in the game. But the Hawks scored the final six points of the period in flamboyant fashion. Smith stole the ball in the defensive end and took off, going all the way to the hoop for a thunderous left-handed jam that brought the crowd to its feet.

After Salmons turned it over, the Hawks were running again. Jamal Crawford missed on an attempted slam, but Smith grabbed the rebound and put it back in while stumbling backward with 2 seconds remaining to put Atlanta ahead 28-20.

Milwaukee got off a quick start in the second quarter, starting with a 12-2 run that gave the visiting team another brief lead, 32-30. Again, the Hawks quickly reclaimed the upper hand, scoring the next six points and leading the rest of the period — though never by more than seven. Johnson finished off the half with a driving layup that sent Atlanta to the locker room with a 52-46 lead.

Warm welcome awaits PBA stars in Puerto Princesa

A warm welcome amidst a festive atmosphere awaits the PBA All-Stars delegation in the city of Puerto Princesa, which plays hosts to the annual spectacle for the very first time this weekend.

The PBA contingent will arrive in this tourist haven Thursday afternoon.

Staging the mid-season classic, according to Mayor Edward Hagedorn, has been a cherished dream of the province as it longed to showcase the hospitality of the Palawenos, and at the same time, promote the city as an emerging sports tourism capital in the country.

The All-Star festivity is set from April 23 to 25 with the competition reverting back to its old old format pitting the North against the South.

“For a long time now, the people of Puerto Princesa have been longing to host the PBA All-Star game. Kaya naman ako ay nagagalak na nabigyan kami ng pagkakataon na maging punong abala ng 2010 PBA All-Stars," Hagedorn said.

The popular mayor said so highly-anticipated the event is that he expects a full-house crowd at the 10,000-seating capacity Puerto Princesa Coliseum for the All-Star game itself.

“Mainit na mainit na hinihintay na ito ng mamamayan ng Puerto Princesa," he added.

The All-Star hoopla is the latest sports event Puerto Princesa is hosting, having staged the likes of Palarong Pambansa, Asian cycling championships, the boxing Olympic qualifying meet, a leg of the Petron Ladies beach volleyball tournament and even a slew of PBA games in the past

At the same time, the province will be taking the opportunity to showcase the beauty and potential of Palawan as a possible sports tourism capital, especially with its famous underground river among the 28 finalists for the Seven New Wonders of the World.

“Wala kaming mga industrial companies, mining o logging dito. Ang tangi naming maipagmamalaki ay ang aaming turismo. So sana maging daan ang All-Star upang mai-promote namin ang Palawan bilang sports tourism capital ng bansa.

Derby Ace stalwart and top fan choice James Yap and Kelly Williams lead a South team seeking to score a repeat over its North counterpart, bannered by JayJay Helterbrand and Marc Pingris, following its 163-158 win in overtime two years ago in Bacolod City.

The North vs South All-Star Game is scheduled on Sunday at the Puerto Princesa Coliseum.

Other highlights of the three-day mid-summer spectacle are the Rookies vs Sophomore Blitz Game as well as the skills events – 3-point shootout, slam dunk contest, obstacle challenge -- which will take place on Friday.

Elorde, Villa, Loyzaga to be enshrined in RP Sports Hall of Fame

Boxers Gabriel “Flash" Elorde and Pancho Villa and cage great Caloy Loyzaga were once upon a time icons in Philippine Sports. Starting this year, they will be remembered as Hall of Famers.

Elorde, Villa, Loyzaga and his Circa ’54 squad that created a big stir in the World Basketball Championship will be enshrined to the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame starting May 5 at the Manila Hotel.

They will be joined by six other athletes and a legendary basketball team to be named to the elite group this year.

The Philippine Sports Hall of Fame was created as enacted in the Republic Act 8757.
Also making it to the illustrious group were boxers Ceferino Garcia and Cely Villanueva and his son Anthony Villanueva, high jumper Simeon Toribio, hurdler Miguel White and swimmer Teofilo Yldefonso.

The 1954 RP five, a squad which Loyzaga carried to a bronze medal finish – the highest-ever attained by any RP team -- in Rio De Janiero, Brazil will also be enshrined.

Long before Manny Pacquiao, three Filipino boxers made their mark in the world stage.
There’s Elorde, who reigned for seven years as the World Boxing Council (WBC) super featherweight title starting in 1960 and was dubbed as the greatest Pinoy fighter before Pacquiao.

Villa was the first Filipino world champion winning the world flyweight crown in 1923, a plum he held until he abruptly died in 1925.

Garcia won 102 fights in his career, the most by any Filipino, and was the country’s only middleweight champion.

In amateur boxing, Cely Villanueva secured a bronze medal in the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics in the bantamweight division.

Thirty-two years later, her son Anthony gave the country its first silver medal in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.

Toribio captured a bronze medal in the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics and became a member of Congress after his athletic career.

White, a Filipino-American, came home with a bronze medal in the 400-meter hurdles event of the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

Yldefonso was the country’s first medalist as he won the bronze medal in the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics but he died during the World War II. His grandson, Daniel Coakley, is a member of the RP national swimming team.

Loyzaga is the only Filipino named to the All-Star team of the FIBA World Championships.
The first batch of Hall of Fame members were picked from 43 nominees—both amateur and professional athletes—that were selected by a committee.

NBA: Celtics don't miss Garnett in 106-77 win over Heat

BOSTON – The Boston Celtics didn't miss Kevin Garnett at all, not the way Glen Davis filled in to lead them to a 106-77 victory over the Miami Heat on Tuesday night and a 2-0 lead in their playoff series.

With Garnett serving a one-game suspension for elbowing Quentin Richardson in Game 1, Davis started and had 23 points and eight rebounds, going aggressively to the basket to grab missed shots and draw fouls.

The Heat took a 29-25 lead on a dunk by Jermaine O'Neal. But the Celtics used a 44-8 surge over the next 16 1/2 minutes to go ahead 69-37, capped by one of Ray Allen's five 3-pointers in the third quarter. Allen led the Celtics with 25 points, while Dwyane Wade scored 29 for the Heat.

Game 3 is Friday night in Miami.

Tempers stayed under control throughout the game, just three days after a skirmish with 40 seconds left in Boston's 85-76 victory led to Garnett's suspension without pay and Richardson's $25,000 fine. Garnett was hovering over teammate Paul Pierce, who had fallen near the Miami bench after hurting his shoulder.

Garnett held off Richardson as he came up from behind. They then exchanged words before the elbow hit the Heat forward in the face.

Garnett wasn't allowed in TD Garden, but made a prerecorded appearance on the scoreboard above midcourt during a timeout after the Celtics scored 19 straight points to take a 44-29 lead with 2:56 left in the first half.
He encouraged the fans and when the scoreboard followed with a "Let's Get Loud" message, they raised their voices.

Richardson was booed almost every time he touched the ball.

In the opener, the Heat led 61-47 with 7:03 left in the third quarter. Then Boston outscored them 34-10 to go ahead 81-71 with 1:46 to go in the game.

The Celtics started their spurt a lot earlier Tuesday.

Trailing by four after O'Neal's dunk with 10:10 left in the second quarter, Boston got started on a 3-pointer by Michael Finley. It took the lead for good on a 3-pointer by Allen.

Then rarely used Shelden Williams, substituting for Davis, hit a field goal. Davis made two straight baskets, Allen connected on another 3-pointer, Pierce sank two free throws and Allen got a layup. Davis followed with two free throws, giving the Celtics 21 straight points.

Miami finally broke through on a 21-foot jumper by Michael Beasley. That made it 46-31 with 2:07 left in the half.

The Celtics have won the last three games they played against the Heat without Garnett. And Davis has proven to be a very capable replacement.

When Garnett, known as the "Big Ticket," missed last year's playoffs with a knee injury, Davis called himself the "Ticket Stub." He proved to be a very capable replacement, playing in all 14 games and averaging 15.8 points and 5.6 rebounds.

The Heat did accomplish one goal, cutting down on their 22 turnovers in the opener. They had just 13 Tuesday.

Orlando's Dwight Howard wins consecutive defensive player awards

ORLANDO, Fla. – Dwight Howard turned to Orlando Magic general manager Otis Smith, somewhat unsure how to answer the question.

Already the youngest player ever with two NBA defensive player of the year awards, just how many could he eventually win?

Smith raised his hands, all 10 fingers dangling. Howard laughed, smiled and nodded his head.
"That's not enough?" Smith asked. "I don't have enough hands."

At this rate, it might not be so far fetched.

The Magic's All-Star center won the award for the second straight year Tuesday after becoming the only player to lead the league in blocks and rebounds in the same season twice — let alone two years in a row.

Now 24, perhaps the next step for Howard is improving his offensive game enough to sway voters that he should win the Most Valuable Player award. Cleveland's LeBron James seems certain to take that honor again, and Howard said voters should factor in defense more.

"I think most people look at Most Valuable Player as somebody who scores a lot of points, which is great. I believe that defense wins championships, wins games," said Howard, who averaged 18.3 points per game. "I've always thought about it like that, and I'll continue to think about it like that."

That mentality helped him runaway with the defensive award again.

Howard received 576 total points, including 110 first-place votes from a panel of 122 writers and broadcasters. Atlanta's Josh Smith was second with 136 points, and Charlotte's Gerald Wallace finished third with 113 points.

Howard averaged 13.2 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game this season, powering the Magic (59-23) to the league's second-best record behind Cleveland. Only Bill Walton, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeem Olajuwon and Ben Wallace each led the NBA in those categories once in the same season.

"I think it speaks very highly of him, at 24, he's winning the award twice," Van Gundy said.
Howard has long preached defense first.

He has studied Bill Russell for years, reading books and newspaper articles on the player many consider the greatest defensive center in history. Howard is also good friends with defensive standout Dikembe Mutombo and assistant coach Patrick Ewing.

The former centers challenged him from the beginning to be a great defender above all else.

"Not all good players in this league, and not all great players in this league accept challenges, and that's probably the biggest growth that you see in him is that he accepts the challenge that's put in front of him," Smith said. "The challenge that's put in front of him is being the best defensive player night in, and night out."

So far, so good.

The man they call Superman swooped in to effect more shots than he blocked this season, changing games with his presence in the paint. Howard has been a matchup nightmare against almost every team, the main reason the Magic kept opposing shooters to an NBA-low 43.8 percent shooting.

The No. 1 overall draft pick out of high school in 2004, Howard has quickly become one of the most dominant centers. His chiseled, 6-foot-11, 275-pound physique makes him one of the most intimidating players, and his incredible vertical leap is even rarer for a big man.

Certainly not a player easy to get around.

"I was always trying to dunk on Dwight," teammate Vince Carter said of his time before he came to the Magic this season. "If you ask him, he'll say, no, but it happened a few times. But whatever, we won't talk about that.

"You always have to know he's going to be there. He has great instinct. It's always on your mind. You know if you beat your man, you still have to get around Dwight."

Howard led the Magic to the NBA finals last year, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in five games. The Magic also have won three straight Southeast Division titles.

Orlando leads Charlotte 1-0 in the first round of the playoffs. Howard blocked nine shots in the opener, enough for Bobcats coach Larry Brown to call him the "most valuable player" of the game despite scoring just five points.

Game 2 is Wednesday night.

"Congratulations to him," Wallace said. "I don't care about awards right now. I'm just trying to get a win."

Howard is the seventh player to win the award in back-to-back seasons, joining Wallace, Olajuwon, Mutombo, Alonzo Mourning, Dennis Rodman and Sidney Moncrief. Wallace and Mutombo each won the award a league-record four times.

Howard might get there one day.

The gold NBA title trophy would be even more special.

"It means a lot, but there's just one trophy that we all want here," Howard said. "Everybody in this city wants it, and it's on us. It starts with me blocking shots, rebounding and being a big defensive presence."

Boxer Valero's death leaves questions in Venezuela

CARACAS, Venezuela – Former boxing champion Edwin Valero was addicted to cocaine and had grown increasingly violent before he was arrested in his wife's murder and hanged himself in a Venezuelan jail, his mother-in-law said Tuesday.

The fighter's wife, Jennifer Carolina Viera, had told her family that Valero "didn't sleep, he didn't eat, he used drugs every day and he was growing more violent all the time," Mary Finol told reporters at her daughter's funeral in El Vigia in western Venezuela.

Valero, who gained fame with a record of 27 straight knockouts and a huge tattoo of President Hugo Chavez on his chest, was arrested Sunday in the stabbing death of his 24-year-old wife. Police said the boxer hanged himself in his cell early Monday.

Venezuelans have been asking what went wrong in Valero's life and why authorities hadn't stepped in after past incidents of domestic violence.

Some 50 Venezuelan organizations, including women's rights groups and others, criticized the handling of the case by the government, saying there has been a pattern of indifference to violence against women in Venezuela.

Authorities "didn't do more than look away, and therefore they're responsible by omission for this crime," the groups said in a statement. The justice system "didn't act with due diligence, wasn't fair or efficient," and didn't provide protection for Valero's wife, it added.

Jorge Linares, a Venezuelan who is a former WBA super featherweight champion, said the case has been "a hard blow for the sport, for those of us who appreciated him ... and for all Venezuelans."

"What's important is that we learn a lesson," Linares said. "We admired him as an athlete, but we never did anything to help him with his problems. We could have started by making public his problems and not hiding anything."

Valero's funeral was scheduled for Wednesday.

Valero, a former WBA super featherweight and WBC lightweight champion, had a turbulent disposition and had been in trouble with the law before, both for violent outbursts and problems with alcohol and drugs.

Since 2008, Venezuelan news reports had repeatedly linked Valero to domestic violence incidents, but the fighter and his supporters denied those reports. Until recently, authorities had not commented publicly.

"We all looked away not to admit what was going on," the boxer's manager, Jose Castillo, told reporters Monday. He said authorities also "were very permissive with him and because of that we're now in the middle of this tragedy."

As he gained fame in boxing, Valero appeared as a special guest at events hosted by Chavez and was lionized by some of the president's supporters as a national hero, while some critics accused the fighter of avoiding punishment for past problems due to his links to the government.

In September, Valero denied he had been detained on domestic violence charges after Venezuelan news reports said a neighbor called emergency services and told authorities the boxer had struck his mother and a sister.

Five months earlier, in circumstances that were never clarified by authorities, the boxer's wife was treated at a hospital for a gunshot wound to her left leg. Officials said at the time that Viera was thought to have been shot outside her house by an unknown attacker on a motorcycle.

Last month, Valero was charged with harassing his wife and threatening medical personnel who treated her at a hospital in the western city of Merida. Police arrested him following an argument with a doctor and nurse at the hospital, where his wife was being treated for injuries that included a punctured lung and broken ribs.

The Attorney General's Office said in a statement that Valero was detained March 25 on suspicion of assaulting his wife, but his wife told a police officer her injuries were caused by a fall.

Valero's lawyer, Milda Mora, said that after that incident, the boxer was held for nine days in a psychiatric hospital in Merida, where he underwent police-supervised rehabilitation. She said people close to the fighter posted bail April 7 and he was allowed to go free.

"The court put him in rehab for six months and somehow he got out in a weekend," said Valero's promoter, Bob Arum, the founder of Top Rank. "I never talked to him during this period, I only talked to his manager. They were trying to get him to come to Mexico, to start training and cleaning himself up."

"It's obvious now, in retrospect, that he should have been institutionalized during this period, but it's silly to play the blame game," Arum said.

Mora said the Venezuelan government had arranged for Valero to attend a drug and alcohol rehabilitation program in Cuba. He had missed a flight to Cuba and was scheduled to fly there soon, she said.

Valero grew up in poverty, the third of eight brothers, and he started boxing at age 12.

Valero's mother-in-law said he started using cocaine around the same time and he "lived constantly in the streets, with bad groups." Finol said he didn't finish school and sold fruit to make a living while drinking liquor from a young age.

The fighter had a stellar 27-0 record, all of them knockouts, and had his last victory in Mexico in February over Antonio DeMarco.

Valero was replaced as WBC lightweight champion in February after he expressed a desire to compete in a higher weight division.

Noah the prophet: Bulls ready to shock the world

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — They pushed the Boston Celtics to the edge last season. This year, they want to shove the Cleveland Cavaliers over it.

The Chicago Bulls didn’t fight their way into the NBA playoffs to be somebody’s punching bag.

This underdog doesn’t plan to roll over and play dead.

“You don’t go into the series thinking you’re going to lose," Bulls center Joakim Noah said.

The gangly and gifted Noah has spent the past few days trying to convince anyone willing to listen that the eight-seeded Bulls intend to “try and shock the world" and eliminate LeBron James and the heavily favored Cavs, who won 61 games during the regular season before shifting into neutral and dropping their final four to rest for a postseason they hope ends with a title.

Noah, who earlier this season took exception to James’ on-court dance moves during a game in Cleveland, rejects the idea that the Bulls can’t hang with the top-seeded Cavs, who will host Game 1 on Saturday at Quicken Loans Arena and Game 2 on Monday.

“To me, seeding doesn’t mean anything," Noah said. “At the end of the day, it’s yours against mine. That’s the way we view it. I think it’s going to be a good challenge."

While March was especially ripe with madness this year in an NCAA tournament speckled with upsets from beginning to almost the bitter end, the NBA’s postseason rarely offers one of those honey-wake-the-neighbors shockers that rock the basketball universe.
Since the league changed its playoff format in 1984, there have only been three times when a No. 8 knocked off a No. 1 seed, and the only time it happened in the Eastern Conference was when Miami stunned New York in a five-game series in 1999.

The only time a No. 8 has toppled a No. 1 in seven games was when Golden State shocked Dallas in 2007.

In last year’s opening round, the Bulls took advantage of Boston’s Kevin Garnett being out with a knee injury, and took the defending champion Celtics to a Game 7 before losing.

With the Cavs getting back Shaquille O’Neal, Chicago’s odds are just as long this time. But coach Vinny Del Negro, whose future with the club appears damned, is ignoring the dire predictions for his team.

“That’s why I don’t listen to anybody. You never know what’s going to happen in a series," he said. “Obviously, Cleveland’s had a great year. They have LeBron. But other than LeBron, they have a lot of really skilled players. They’re deep. They’re big. Shaq coming back causes more problems, obviously. We know what Mo Williams is capable of doing.

“There’s no question it’s a huge task, but that’s what makes it great."

The Bulls won the first meeting between the clubs, 86-85 on Nov. 5. The Cavaliers took the next two before Chicago beat Cleveland 109-108 on April 8, when James sat out the first of four straight games to end the season.

In Derrick Rose, Kirk Hinrich and Luol Deng, the Bulls have skilled scorers able to stay with James and Co. Rose averaged just 17 points—nearly 4 below his season average—— in three games against the Cavs, who will likely put 6-foot-6 Anthony Parker to try and contain Chicago’s driving star.

“He’s going to get to the rim," Cavs coach Mike Brown said. “He’s talented, explosive, physically tough and mentally tough. We have to make him kick the ball outside and make their other guys beat us. They are capable because they have a lot good players and they can make you pay."

Cavs forward Antawn Jamison can appreciate the Bulls’ nothing-to-lose mindset.

Before coming to Cleveland, Jamison spent five seasons with a Washington team that lost to the Cavs in the playoffs three straight years from 2006-08. The Wizards were never favored in any of those series, but that didn’t matter once Game 1 tipped off.

Jamison has walked in the Bulls’ gym shoes and knows how dangerous an underdog can be.

“You try to go out there and shock the doubters and shock the world," he said. “You want to be the guy who upset the top team. We just didn’t have the talent to do it. That’s supposed to be your mind frame. This team we’re playing can be a dangerous team. They’re young, energetic, they hustle and play hard and anytime you are a young team, you can go in there and shock everybody.

“They don’t have any pressure on them whatsoever."

Del Negro may.

This week, conflicting reports surfaced about Chicago’s coach being involved in a physical altercation with executive vice president of basketball operations John Paxson after a game last month. Del Negro was labeled the aggressor in one report while another said Paxson challenged the coach over playing time for Noah, who at the time was recovering from a foot injury.

Whatever the truth behind the incidents, they didn’t distract the Bulls, who had to overcome injuries on the way to the playoffs. Del Negro praised his team’s resolve.

“It’s about the players," he said. “Players win games. Everyone was battling back and doing as much therapy and getting as much rest, and then we got together. And at the end of the year, we focused and we knew what we had to do and got it done."

And now the Bulls have a chance to do something bigger.

It’s playoff time, time when teams dream about shocking the world.

“Everybody does," Cavs center Zydrunas Ilgauskas said.

Not everybody succeeds.

War of words erupts between Lakers coach Jackson, Durant

EL SEGUNDO, Calif.— Phil Jackson doesn’t understand why Kevin Durant was upset with his comments about the Oklahoma City Thunder star getting superstar treatment from the referees.

The Los Angeles Lakers coach’s line about the referees earned him a $35,000 fine from the NBA on Thursday.

Earlier this week, Jackson was asked about Durant, who led the league in free throws, and he said in part, “I think a lot of the referees are treating him like a superstar. He gets to the line easily and often."

In response to Jackson’s comments, Durant told the Oklahoman newspaper in part: “It’s taking away from what I do. That’s a part of my game, getting to the free throw line and being aggressive. If you say that I get superstar calls or I get babied by the refs, that’s just taking away from how I play. That’s disrespectful to me."

On Friday, Jackson said he didn’t see Durant’s response.

“I really don’t know what he was upset about. It really wasn’t that upsetting," the coach said.

“He shot the most free throws in the league, he made the most free throws in the league, he shot the most shots in the league, he made the most shots in the league. I voted for him on the All-Star team, he made the All-Star team, we know he’s a great player, congratulations."

Asked about Durant feeling disrespected, Jackson replied, “Whatever."

Family Circle Cup: Wozniacki advances, Jankovic gets upset ax

CHARLESTON, S.C.— Top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki advanced to the semifinals of the Family Circle Cup with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Nadia Petrova on Friday.

Second-seeded Jelena Jankovic was upset by Daniela Hantuchova 1-6, 6-3, 6-3.

In Saturday’s semifinal, Wozniacki meets Vera Zvonareva who defeated American Melanie Oudin 7-5, 6-2.

Hantuchova faces Samantha Stosur of Australia, a 6-4, 6-1 winner over Peng Shuai of China.

“I feel like I’m playing very well," said the second-ranked Wozniacki, who won last week at Ponte Verde Beach, Fla. “I’m very confident, and I’ve got some good results with my play."

Jankovic breezed through the first set of her match, winning the first three games before Hantuchova broke her in the fourth. But Jankovic went down 0-4 to open the second set and never recovered.

“I played really well in the first set and I played really aggressive," said Jankovic, ranked No. 7. “But then I just stopped and I especially had trouble hitting my backhand."

It was Hantuchova’s first win against a top 10 player in three years.

“Definitely, I felt very good on the court today, even though the first set was not easy," Hantuchova said.

She decided to change her game after losing the first set.

“I tried to put a little more on the ball, move her a little more around and stay more aggressive, and that made the difference," said the 24th-ranked Slovakian.

Stosur trailed 3-4 in the first set against the unseeded Shuai.

“I got that break down, and on that change of ends I thought I had to step it up a gear and not play so many straight through the middle and give her a chance to hit it," Stosur said.

During the evening match on stadium court, Zvonareva had to deal with a raucous partisan crowd rooting for Oudin. But they quieted after the Russian won the first set and quickly jumped to a 4-0 lead in the second.

“It was pretty tough out there," Zvonareva said “I’m sure next time we’re going to be playing in Moscow and everyone is going to support me."

Henderson glad McGwire acknowledged steroids use

STOCKTON, Calif. — Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson said on Friday that former teammate Mark McGwire is better for admitting earlier this year that he used steroids during his major league career.

Henderson and McGwire were key components of an Oakland juggernaut that dominated the American League West when they were teammates with the Athletics for much of 1989-95.

Henderson, who returned to the Oakland organization this year as a roving instructor, talked about McGwire and his return to baseball during a news conference at Banner Island Ballpark. Henderson is in town working with the Stockton Ports, Oakland’s Class A affiliate.

Henderson said he was proud of McGwire, who is now the hitting coach of the St. Louis Cardinals.

“It made him a better man," Henderson said. “He realized that the truth had to come out as it is. It was haunting him and hurting him and he was feeling guilty about it, so he wanted to get it off his chest and move forward."

Like Henderson, McGwire is getting back into the game this year.

Henderson said there was little knowledge of the effects of performance-enhancing substances when he and McGwire were leading the Athletics to three AL West titles and a 1989 World Series championship.

“That era, everybody got into a situation that they found something that gave them an edge," Henderson said. “At that time, it wasn’t really illegal, and we couldn’t find out what it was doing to the ballplayer—helping them or hurting them. Now that it’s come out that was something bad for the game, (McGwire) came out and spoke the truth."

Henderson played with an edge during his 25-year career in the majors with nine teams. A 10-time AL All-Star, Henderson holds major league records for stolen bases, runs scored, unintentional walks and leadoff home runs.

After being inducted into the Hall of Fame last summer, Henderson said he wants to give back to the game and the young players following in his footsteps.

Trim and fit at age 51, Henderson is working with Oakland farmhands on the finer details of hitting, running the base paths and stealing bases. He had been away from the game since 2007, his last year as a coach with the New York Mets and also the year he officially turned in his retirement papers as a player.

“I want to be around the game of baseball and I want to teach the game of baseball," Henderson said. “It’s great to be back with the Oakland A’s, where I started from and spent most of my career. They’re giving me the opportunity to come back and share some of the knowledge of what I learned about playing the game and how to go about it the right way."

The Ports play in the California League, where Henderson began his professional career in 1977 with the Modesto A’s.

As an 18-year-old, Henderson hit .345 with Modesto and led the league with 95 steals without being caught. He set a major league record with 130 stolen bases for Oakland in 1982.

Henderson’s last game in the big leagues was with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2003, but he continued to look for playing opportunities after that. Now, Henderson says he is content to move on to the next stage of his baseball career.

“I love the game of baseball," Henderson said. “Now it’s time for me to give the knowledge to the young kids and let them go out and do it and still get the glory and thrill out of it."

Masters champ Mickelson joining Tiger in Charlotte

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Phil Mickelson will be right there when Tiger Woods tees it up again.

This time, the two will square off at the Quail Hollow Championship.

A day after Woods announced that the Charlotte event will be his second tournament since his return from a sex scandal, Masters champion Mickelson committed to play on Friday. The tournament begins April 29 at Quail Hollow Club. Mickelson edged Woods and the rest of the field on Sunday to win his third title at Augusta National.

"Phil has been a very positive ambassador of our tournament for many years now and we are excited to have him back in Charlotte," tournament director Kym Hougham said.

Woods finished tied for fourth at the Masters in his first competition since a shocking infidelity scandal. His first sanctioned PGA Tour event will include not only the world's two highest-ranked golfers, but also No. 4 Lee Westwood, No. 6 Jim Furyk and No. 10 Padraig Harrington.

Retief Goosen, Hunter Mahan, Kenny Perry and defending champion Sean O'Hair have also committed ahead of the April 23 deadline.

Mickelson has played at Quail Hollow five times. He hasn't won, but has four top-10 finishes, including a tie for fifth last year. Woods finished fourth in the event in 2009 and won it two years earlier.

Ticket sales have picked up since Woods' announcement. The tournament announced that second-round daily tickets sold out Friday, a day after third-round tickets were sold out.

B-Meg battles Alaska in Cagayan de Oro

Game Saturday (Cagayan de Oro City)
5 p.m. - Alaska vs B-Meg Derby Ace
Games Sunday (Araneta Coliseum)
4 p.m. - Sta. Lucia vs Air21
6:30 p.m. - San Miguel vs Ginebra

B-Meg Derby Ace (formerly Purefoods) and Alaska Milk battle each other this Saturday in a rematch of last conference's finalists as the PBA Fiesta Cup visits Cagayan de Oro City for its Phoenix Fuel-presented Road game at the Xavier University gym.

No matter how they will hide it, the Aces could not easily forget the embarrassing setback they suffered in the hands of Llamados where they were beaten four in a row in their best-of-seven title series.

But when they clash in the lone game at 5 p.m., Alaska coach Tim Cone appears to have figured out the way on how to stop B-Meg's juggernaut.

And that's reason why the Aces took the 6-foot-8 Sam Eman.

"The bottom line is they beat us last conference with a tall and quick frontline," Cone said. "But with Sam, we got bigger. I hope it will balance things up."

Cone also mentioned that they're not focused on avenging that Finals defeat, but more on being consistent this conference and getting their confidence back little by little.

"That's not something we're focus on," he said. "Getting back at them is not our focus. It's natural for the players. Maybe that's something at the back of their minds, but what I told them is to stay focused at the moment."

The Aces even dropped their first two game of the tournament until they scored a 105-95 win over Air21 last Wednesday.

B-Meg will continue to miss the services of Kerby Raymundo, who is still recovering from a right knee injury.

Though B-Meg has five other players standing more that 6-foot-5 � Rafi Reavis, Don Allado, Rico Maierhofer, Marc Pingris and Nino Canaleta � Raymundo's absence was strongly felt in the team's 79-76 loss to Coca-Cola also last Wednesday.

Against Alaska, they have to control Alaska's twin towers � Eman and the 6-foot-7 Sam Thoss � from wrecking their defense inside the shaded lane.

"The absence of Kerby was deeply felt in our game against Coke. We lacked another scorer who could have helped us score more," said B-Meg coach Ryan Gregorio, who added that the challenge is for other players to step up.

"With Eman around, it will be a match-up nightmare for us. They're taller and stronger at the paint. We must use our quickness to off-set their height advantage," he added.

In a tune-up game during the break after the all-Filipino Finals, Alaska defeated B-Meg, 107-92, with Aces' import collecting 32 points while the Llamados' Lo Wade finished with 31 points. Both imports are expected to go at each other again in their own rematch.

While focus is on the frontline of two teams, it will also interesting to see the match-up of the backcourt between B-Meg's James Yap, Roger Yap, Paul Artadi, and PJ Simon, against Alaska's Willie Miller, LA Tenorio, and Larry Fonacier.