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Saturday, May 19, 2007

Nascar: Harvick wins All-Star Challenge

Concord, NC (Sports Network) - Kevin Harvick
captured the NASCAR Nextel All- Star Challenge held at the Lowe's Motor Speedway. The No.29 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet crossed the finish line 0.141 seconds ahead of Jimmie Johnson.

The All-Star win, which doesn't count towards the Nextel Cup championship, was the first of Harvick's Nextel Cup career. The victory was worth $1,011,125 to the winner.

Champions PGA Tour: Gilder leads Hoch at Regions Charity Classic


Hoover, AL (Sports Network) - Bob Gilder shot a six-under 66 Saturday to charge ahead of overnight leader Scott Hoch after two rounds of the Regions Charity Classic.

Gilder is 10-under 134 heading into the final round, where the six-time PGA Tour winner will be seeking his 10th victory on the Champions Tour. He had five birdies, a bogey and an eagle at the par-five 16th Saturday.

Hoch, a winner two weeks ago at the FedEx Kinko's Classic, had a one-under 71 in the third round. He was two shots back at eight-under 136 -- and looking to claim his first two wins on the Champions Tour in back-to-back events

Nascar: Truex Jr. wins Open advances to All-Star Challenge


Concord, NC (Sports Network) - Martin Truex Jr. captured the 40-lap Nextel Open at the Lowe's Motor Speedway to advance to NASCAR's Nextel All-Star Challenge. The No.1 DEI Chevrolet edged Johnny Sauter who also qualified for the main event.
The Nextel All-Star Challenge is an invitation only event run on Saturday night where only winning is important. On Saturday night, the teams race for the $1 million prize that goes to the winner.
The field is made up of 21 drivers and owners who have won at least one race during the preceding year, any past series champions (last 10 years), past Nextel All-Star Challenge winners (last 10 years), the winner and runner-up of the 2006 Nextel Open and the winner of a "fan vote."
Carl Edwards started on the pole for the "Open" and the race lasted almost half-a-lap before the first of many crashes. It started when Juan Montoya went into turn two with too much speed and he clipped David Gilliland. Collected in the mess were: Paul Menard, Joe Nemechek and Jon Wood.

LPGA: Lee moves two clear of Ochoa in New Jersey


Clifton, NJ (Sports Network) - Sarah Lee fired a seven-under 65 Saturday to move two strokes clear of Women's World No. 1 Lorena Ochoa after three rounds of the Sybase Classic.
Lee, who led after the first and second rounds last week before finishing third, completed 54 holes at 16-under-par 200. Ochoa, who is the defending champion, carded her second straight 67 and is alone in second at minus-14.
Those two are well ahead of the field as Kate Golden (67), Young Jo (70) and reigning Women's British Open champion Sherri Steinhauer (70) share third place at seven-under-par 209 at Upper Montclair Country Club.
Lee and Ochoa battled for the lead for the first 10 holes before Lee took control. Lee birdied the first and Ochoa the second as they headed to the third tied at 10-under.
At the third, Ochoa hit a solid approach to six feet, and Lee stuffed her second inside a foot. Both converted their birdie chances.
Lee came right back with a two-foot birdie putt on four and an eight-footer for birdie on five to get to 13-under.
Ochoa, who won this event when it was played in New York last year, responded with a four-foot eagle putt at five and a three-foot birdie effort at six to grab the lead at 14-under.

MLB: Ramirez, Cubs down White Sox


Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - Aramis Ramirez's triple put the Cubs ahead, and Derrek Lee followed with a pinch-hit grand slam to lead the Cubs to an 11-6 win over the White Sox in the second of three interleague contests at Wrigley Field.
Trailing 6-4, the Cubs put seven runs on the board in the eighth. Ryan Theriot tripled off David Aardsma (2-1), to lead off the frame, and scored on Alfonso Soriano's single to center one out later. Ramirez then tripled to right, scoring Soriano and Daryle Ward was intentionally walked before Michael Barrett reached on an infield single chasing Aardsma and loading the bases.

WTA: Jankovic ends Schnyder's ride


Rome, Italy (Sports Network) - Jelana Jankovic continued her stellar play at the $1.34 million Italian Masters tennis event, downing 14th-seeded Patty Schnyder in easy fashion to reach the final against second-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova.
Jankovic stepped on court following a 6-2, 6-1 thrashing of 10th-seeded Russian Elena Dementieva in the quarterfinals, staring across the net at the red-hot Swiss lefthander Schnyder, who just a day earlier took a three-set bout against Australian Open champion Serena Williams in this clay-court French Open tune-up.
The third-seeded Serbian Jankovic was up to the task, blitzing Schnyder 6-1, 6-3 in search of her second clay-court title of the year. Jankovic, who also won the Family Circle Cup in Charleston last month, broke Schnyder in each of her eight service games during an error-ridden match.
Schnyder was drawing on previous success in Rome, finishing as the runner-up to Amelie Mauresmo in 2005.
In the final, Jankovic will square off against Kuznetsova, who followed a rout of fellow Russian Dinara Safina with a convincing 6-4, 6-2 win against ninth- seeded Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova.
Kuznetsova continued her solid play in preparation for the French Open, as the second-seeded Russian and 2006 runner-up at Roland Garros was last week's runner-up to Serbian Ana Ivanovic in Berlin.
She hopes to better that feat against Jankovic on Sunday, as the winner will take home a clay-court title and $181,980 leading up to the French Open.

MLB: Rangers recall Koronka; place Hairston on DL


Arlington, TX (Sports Network) - The Texas Rangers recalled pitcher John Koronka and placed infielder/outfielder Jerry Hairston Jr. on the 15-day disabled list on Saturday.

Koronka will be the starting pitcher for the Rangers today at Houston. This will be his first major league start in 2007.

Hairston is suffering from a pinched nerve in his neck. His move is retroactive to May 17th. He has appeared in 23 games this season and is batting .234 with one home run and three RBI.

32 cars slotted for Indy 500


Indianapolis, IN (Sports Network) - With one more day left to qualify for the 91st running of the Indianapolis 500, 32 of the 33 positions on the grid have been filled.
On Sunday the final spot will be filled and then bumping will begin. The slowest car currently in the field and "on the bubble" will be Jimmy Kite who posted a four-lap average of 214.528 m.p.h. just before the gun went off to end the third day. After the 33rd and final spot on the grid is filled, Kite will be in danger of losing his spot on the grid should any driver post a time faster than his 214.528 m.p.h. average.
Of the 10 cars that qualified today, Roger Yasukawa in the No.24 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing Honda was quickest with an average speed of 222.654 m.p.h. Also posting times were: John Andretti, Al Unser Jr., Alex Barron, Jon Herb, Jaques Lazier, Milka Duno, Marty Roth and Roberto Moreno.
Duno became the third woman to qualify for this year's "Indy 500." Already in the race are Danica Patrick and Sarah Fisher.
"I am so happy," said Duno after her run. "It's so fast. It's a so, so difficult track, but my team did a fantastic job. After what happen last week (crash) we recovered. We have a very good car."
Brazilian Helio Castroneves captured the pole for this year's Indianapolis 500. The No.3 Penske Racing driver posted a four-lap average of 225.817 m.p.h. to edge his close friend Tony Kanaan for the top spot.
The pole victory was Castroneves' second pole at Indy, third of the season and 20th of his IndyCar career.
The Indianapolis 500 is schedule for Sunday, May 27th.

The sweet smell of victory: Curlin wins Preakness by a nose


Baltimore, MD (Sports Network) - Curlin edged Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense to capture the 132nd running of the Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course on Saturday.

Curlin, ridden by Robby Albarado, won the race by a nose in an unofficial time of one minute, 53 and two-fifths seconds.

Hard Spun ended third.

PGA Tour: Matteson, Imada still lead AT&T Classic


Duluth, GA (Sports Network) - Ryuji Imada knocked his final approach shot within inches at the 18th hole Sunday and tapped-in for birdie to tie Troy Matteson for the lead after three rounds of the AT&T Classic.

Imada also made a 50-foot birdie putt at the 16th, sparking a two-shot comeback in two holes to join Matteson at 13-under 203 at the TPC Sugarloaf.

Both players had a three-under 69 in the third round to extend their overnight lead from one shot to two.

Columbian star Camilo Villegas used a seven-foot birdie putt at No. 16 to pull within two strokes of the lead on the way to shooting a four-under 68. He was alone in third place at 11-under 205.

Master champion Zach Johnson parred his last nine holes for a three-under 69 and was tied for fourth place with Lee Janzen (67) and Matt Kuchar (64) at 10- under 206.

MLB: Bacsik recalled by Nationals


Washington, D.C. (Sports Network) - The Washington Nationals purchased the contract of left-hander Mike Bacsik from Triple-A Columbus on Saturday.

Bacsik is scheduled to start in the team's interleague contest against the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday night. He was 1-3 with a 4.00 earned run average in nine games (five starts) for the Clippers.

He last pitched in the big leagues in 2004, and is 5-5 with a 5.88 ERA in 22 career games (15 starts) with Cleveland, the New York Mets and Texas.

MLB: Marlins place Nolasco on DL again


St. Petersburg, FL (Sports Network) - The Florida Marlins on Saturday placed right-handed pitcher Ricky Nolasco on the 15-day disabled list with right elbow inflammation. The move is retroactive to May 18.
Nolasco, who was already placed on the DL once this season with the same ailment, is 1-2 with a 5.48 earned-run average in five starts.
To fill his roster spot, the Marlins selected the contract of pitcher Justin Miller from Albuquerque (PCL).
In related move, the club transferred pitcher Jose Garcia to the 60-day disabled list.

NBA Playoff Preview - San Antonio vs. Utah


(Sports Network) - The third-seeded San Antonio Spurs and No. 4 Utah battle for the right to represent the Western Conference in the NBA Finals, as the teams meet in a best-of-seven series.

This is the fourth time that these teams have met in the playoffs. The Jazz are 3-0 against San Antonio in the postseason. Utah defeated the Spurs, 3-1, in the first round of the 1994 playoffs, and in the semifinals in 1996, 4-2, and 1998, 4-1.

San Antonio has advanced to the Western Conference finals for the eighth time in franchise history. They played the Lakers in 1982, 1983 and 2001, Houston in 1995, Portland in 1999, Dallas in 2003 and Phoenix in 2005. San Antonio is 3-4 in this round.

The Spurs, who lost in seven to the Dallas Mavericks in last year's semifinals, knocked out No. 6 Denver in five games in the opening round and survived a tough six-game series with the second-seeded Suns.

San Antonio's victory over the Suns was full of controversy. Spurs forward Robert Horry was suspended two games by the NBA, while Phoenix forwards Amare Stoudemire and Boris Diaw received one game apiece for an incident in Game 4.

The penalties came as the result of a flagrant foul call on Horry, who delivered a forearm to Suns guard Steve Nash with 18.2 seconds left in Game 4 at the AT&T Center. Horry was suspended for flagrantly fouling Nash and striking Raja Bell above the shoulders with a forearm. Stoudemire and Diaw were suspended for leaving "the immediate vicinity of their bench" during an altercation, according to Stu Jackson, the NBA's executive vice president of basketball operations.

Hockey: Alfredsson's OT goal sends Ottawa to first Stanley Cup finals


Buffalo, NY (Sports Network) - Daniel Alfredsson's goal 9:32 into overtime sent the Ottawa Senators to a 3-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals at HSBC Arena.

Alfredsson took a pass from Dany Heatley in the neutral zone, skated down the left wing, and took a wrister from the left circle using a Sabres defender as a screen. The puck zipped along the ice and hit the net just inside the far post, sending the Senators bench into a frenzy.

Ottawa wins the series four games to one and reaches the Stanley Cup finals for the first time in franchise history. They await the winner of the Western finals between Detroit and Anaheim. The series is tied at two games apiece with Game 5 set for Sunday in Detroit.

PGA European: Harrington remains atop Irish Open leaderboard


Limerick, Ireland (Sports Network) - Padraig Harrington posted a one-under 71 Saturday to extend his lead to three strokes after three rounds of the Irish Open.
The Dublin native completed 54 holes at four-under-par 212 at Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort.
Bradley Dredge carded the low round of the day with A three-under 69. He vaulted from a share of 17th into a tie for second at one-under-par 215 and was joined there by Simon Wakefield, who managed a one-over 73 in the third round.
Richard Green (72) and Louis Oosthuizen (73) are tied for fourth at even-par 216.
Conditions were much improved from the first two days, but the scoring did not get much better. Just four players broke par in the third round and five more shot even-par 72 on Saturday.

LPGA: Lee moves two clear of Ochoa in New Jersey


Clifton, NJ (Sports Network) - Sarah Lee fired a seven-under 65 Saturday to move two strokes clear of Women's World No. 1 Lorena Ochoa after three rounds of the Sybase Classic.

Lee, who led after the first and second rounds last week before finishing third, completed 54 holes at 16-under-par 200. Ochoa, who is the defending champion, carded her second straight 67 and is alone in second at minus-14.

Those two are well ahead of the field as Kate Golden (67), Young Jo (70) and reigning Women's British Open champion Sherri Steinhauer (70) share third place at seven-under-par 209 at Upper Montclair Country Club.

Stuttgart claims Bundesliga title with comeback win


Stuttgart, Germany (Sports Network) - Stuttgart lifted the Bundesliga title for the fifth time in its history on Saturday at Gottlieb Daimler Stadion after recording a 2-1 win against Energie on the final day of the season.

It is the first league crown in 15 years for Stuttgart, but it did not come easily.

Needing a win on Saturday to secure the title, Armin Veh's men fell behind 1-0 in the opening 19 minutes, but got goals from Thomas Hitzlsperger and Sami Khedira to secure the win and raise the league trophy on home soil.

It looked for the past month like Schalke had the inside track on the title, but they hit a few bumps in the road along their way to the finish line, and Stuttgart closed out the season by winning its last eight games to sneak in late and steal it.

Chelsea snatches FA Cup with Drogba's late winner


London, England (Sports Network) - Didier Drogba scored the game's lone goal five minutes from time as Chelsea denied Manchester United the double with a 1-0 win in extra time at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.

The game was deadlocked at 0-0 with five minutes to play in the second extra time and looked like it was headed for penalty kicks. However, Drogba worked a nice one-two at the top of the box with Frank Lampard and poked home the return pass to give Chelsea its second trophy of the season.

MLS: Kreis returns to Texas as RSL takes on FCD


Frisco, TX (Sports Network) - Real Salt Lake head coach, Jason Kreis, will be making his first trip to Dallas as a head coach, where he played for the first nine years of his Major League Soccer career, on Sunday.

The current leader in career goals - one ahead of Jaime Moreno heading into Saturday's games - retired from playing and took over as RSL's head coach on May 3.

WTA: Wozniak, Sequera reach Morocco final


Fes, Morocco (Sports Network) - Canadian Aleksandra Wozniak took the first set then witnessed her opponent Maria Emilia Salerni retire in the second set en route to the finals at the $145,000 Moroccan Grand Prix tennis tournament.

In the final, Wozniak, who bested the Argentin qualifier 6-3, 4-4, will face Milagros Sequera. The Venezuelan looked sluggish in the first set but responded to down Ioana Raluca Olaru 0-6, 6-2, 7-6.

This week's victor will take home $21,140.

Together again: Federer, Nadal to square off in Hamburg final


Hamburg, Germany (Sports Network) - Top-seeded Roger Federer and second-seeded Rafael Nadal each dropped their first set Saturday, but each responded to lock up another clash of the titans in the final at the Masters Series Hamburg, a French Open tune-up.

The world's top player Federer dropped the first set to former world No. 1 Carlos Moya before bouncing back to grab a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory. Federer is relying on positive memories in Hamburg, hoisting the trophy in 2002, 2004 and 2005. However, the native of Switzerland is looking to get back on the winning track for his first tournament title in five events.

He took a step closer to that goal against Moya, improving to 7-0 against the Spaniard.

Nadal looked out of sorts in dropping the initial set to Aussie Lleyton Hewitt before rallying for a 2-6, 6-3, 7-5 decision. The reigning two-time French Open champion's clay-court winning streak now stands at 81.

Friday, May 18, 2007

PGA Tour: Sutherland shoots 65 to lead AT&T Classic


Duluth, GA (Sports Network) - Kevin Sutherland shot a seven-under 65 Thursday to take the lead after the first round of the AT&T Classic.
Sutherland had eight birdies and a bogey for his best score in 28 total rounds at this tournament, where he has missed the cut the last two years.
He has a two-shot lead on Stephen Marino, Tommy Armour III, Ryuji Imada, Bob May and Craig Kanada.

Soccer: Hanson sues Nabarro for negligence over Man United deal


London, England (Sports Network) - The Times reports that Hanson, the UK cement maker being bought by German rival HeidelbergCement, is suing its former lawyers for negligence over advice they gave on a property deal with Manchester United.
Hanson, which agreed to the 7.85 billion takeover last week, has issued a High Court claim for 691,000 against Nabarro, one of the Citys leading real estate law firms.
The cement maker - which is claiming negligence and breach of contract - alleges that it suffered a financial loss as direct result of shoddy advice given by Nabarro while trying to terminate a property deal with the wealthy Premiership football club.

MLS: Revs seek revenge vs. Dynamo in MLS Cup rematch


Houston, TX (Sports Network) - The New England Revolution are adamant that when they play at Houston's Robertson Stadium on Saturday night, the game won't be about revenge. Considering the last time the two teams met was the 2006 MLS Cup final which the Dynamo won on penalty kicks, that is a little hard to believe.

Soccer: Valencia try to keep pressure on top three


Palma, Spain (Sports Network) - Valencia will try to keep the heat on the top three teams in La Liga on Saturday when they visit Estadio Son Moix to face an in-form Mallorca side.
Valencia is currently four points behind league-leaders Barcelona and Real Madrid, and two off the pace of third-placed Sevilla with four games remaining.
While a chance at the title seems like a long shot, Valencia still needs to hang on to its top-four spot, which carries a Champions League place.

Nascar: AT&T wins injunction to put logo on Burton's Chevrolet


Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - On Friday, AT&T was granted a preliminary injunction to put its logo on Jeff Burton's No.31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet when a federal judge in Atlanta ruled in the company's favor.
Judge Marvin Shoob's ruling means the AT&T logo and not the Cingular logo will be on Burton's Chevrolet at Saturday night's Nextel All-Star Challenge.
Cingular has sponsored the No.31 since 2001 and was allowed to continue its sponsorship when Nextel become the series' title sponsor. After AT&T and Bell South merged in December the Cingular name was phased out and AT&T wanted to change the team's logo. NASCAR refused and AT&T went to court.

MLB: Atlanta-Boston postponed


Boston, MA (Sports Network) - Friday night's game between the Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves at Fenway Park has been postponed due to wet grounds and inclement weather. The game has been rescheduled as part of a split doubleheader for Saturday, May 19, beginning at 7:35 p.m. The opener of the day-night doubleheader will be played at the regularly scheduled time of 1:05 p.m. The forecast calls for continued moderate to heavy rain throughout Friday afternoon and evening and the forecast for Saturday also calls for showers.

MLB: Marlins claim Linden off waivers


Miami, FL (Sports Network) - The Florida Marlins have claimed outfielder Todd Linden off waivers from the San Francisco Giants.
Linden failed to clear waivers after the Giants designated him for assignment last week. He drove in just three runs and batted a mere .182 in 30 games this season.
In parts of five big league seasons with the Giants, Linden has batted .217 with seven home runs and 28 runs batted in.
The Marlins opened a roster spot by designating outfielder John Gall for assignment.
Gall had appeared in just three games for Florida this season and was hitless in four at-bats. He played parts of the last two seasons with St. Louis and is a career .245 hitter with two homers and 11 RBI in 53 at-bats.

WTA: Grand Prix Lalla Meryem Women's Tennis


Fes, Morocco
Total Prize Money: $145,000 FRIDAY'S QUARTERFINAL MATCHES

Milagros Sequera def. Camille Pin (7), 7-6, 6-4

Maria Emilia Salerni vs. Sandra Kloesel

Aleksandra Wozniak def. Alize Cornet, 6-3, 1-6, 7-5

Ioana Raluca Olaru vs. Caroline Wozniacki

Tennis: Masters Series Hamburg Men's Tennis Update


Masters Series Hamburg Men's Tennis - May 18
Hamburg, Germany
Total Prize Money: $2,450,000 FRIDAY'S QUARTERFINAL MATCHES
Roger Federer (1) def. David Ferrer (12), 6-3, 4-6, 6-3

Rafael Nadal (2) def. Fernando Gonzalez (5), 6-4, 6-4

Carlos Moya def. Novak Djokovic (4), 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 7-5

Lleyton Hewitt (16) leads Nicolas Almagro, 3-1

European PGA: Harrington leads windy Irish Open


Limerick, Ireland (Sports Network) - Local favorite Padraig Harrington shot an incredible round of four-under 68 in very demanding conditions Friday to move in front at the Irish Open.
The Irishman finished two rounds at three-under-par 141 and is one clear of three players at Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort.
The second round featured a difficult combination of 40 mph winds, rain at various points and temperatures in the mid-50s. Only 11 players broke par on Friday and Harrington's was one of two sub-70 rounds.

MLB: Seattle begins interleague set with Padres


Seattle, WA (Sports Network) - The Seattle Mariners hope to maintain last season's success against the National League when the club entertains the San Diego Padres tonight in the opener of a three-game interleague series from Safeco Field.
The Mariners posted an impressive 14-4 record in interleague games last year and have historically performed well when facing the senior circuit. Seattle is 98-78 all-time against the NL, the fifth-best winning percentage among all major-league clubs in interleague play.
Seattle also took five of six matchups with the Padres in 2006. San Diego lost all three games of last year's trip to Safeco Field and has lost five consecutive contests there.

MLB: Minor setback for Oakland


(Sports Network) - The Oakland Athletics have not been able to put together a string of victories during the month of May. Each time the A's threaten to put a winning streak together they seem to come up short in the end. This past week was no different for Oakland, as it managed to take two out of three games from the Cleveland Indians, only to lose three out of four to the lowly Kansas City Royals. The recent swoon has dropped the A's to 20-20 on the year and moved them to three games back in the American League West Standings.

MLB: Rockies place McClellan on DL


Denver, CO (Sports Network) - The Colorado Rockies placed right-handed pitcher Zach McClellan on the 15-day disabled list with right shoulder inflammation.
The move is retroactive to May 14.
McClellan is 1-0 with a 5.79 ERA in 12 relief appearances for Colorado this season. He has 13 strikeouts in 14 innings.
To take his place on the roster, the club has recalled right-handed pitcher Darren Clarke from Tulsa.

MLB: O's smacked back to reality


(Sports Network) - After winning four straight games just a week ago, the Baltimore Orioles have fallen back into a funk. The O's have now lost five straight games and find themselves 10 1/2 games back in the American League East standings.
The Orioles recent stumble could not have come at a worse time, as all five losses came to division foes in Boston and Toronto.
The losing streak began last weekend when the Orioles lost the final two games of a three game set to the Boston Red Sox. The losing spilled over into the Toronto series, as Baltimore was swept by the Blue Jays earlier this week. The three straight losses to Toronto dropped Baltimore into last place in the AL East standings.

MLB: Tough week for St. Louis


(Sports Network) - Just when you thought the St. Louis Cardinals were going to turn things around, the defending World Series champions have once again missed a golden opportunity.
The Cardinals failed to take advantage of Milwaukee's four-game slide this week, as St Louis dropped two straight series of its own. The losing began over the weekend, when the Cardinals dropped two out of three to the San Diego Padres. St. Louis followed that series by losing two of three games to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

MLB- Duke of Hurl: Hamels rules the mound


(Sports Network) - He appears as if he should be serving french fries on roller skates at a local food spot, or a member of the boy band Hanson.
But don't be fooled because Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Cole Hamels is mowing down opposing batters like a Club Cadet in someone's backyard. Hamels, the long-haired surfer from San Diego, has quickly established himself as one of the top pitchers in the National League with his quick work ethic and excellent pitch placement.

NBA: Rockets fire Van Gundy


Houston, TX (Sports Network) - The Houston Rockets fired head coach Jeff Van Gundy on Friday.
Van Gundy had an option year remaining on his current contract and reports last week indicated that he did not want to return to the team. He later denied those reports and according to the Rockets on Friday the two sides were unable to come to an agreement.
Van Gundy was offered the opportunity to stay within the organization in a senior consultant capacity, but he declined.

NBA: Nets try to force Cavs into a Game 7


(Sports Network) - The New Jersey Nets try to force the Cleveland Cavaliers into a Game 7 in their Eastern Conference semifinals series, as the teams battle tonight at Continental Airlines Arena.
The second-seeded Cavaliers leads the best-of-seven series 3-2. If necessary, Game 7 of this semifinals set is scheduled for Sunday at Quicken Loans Arena.
In Game 5, Jason Kidd scored 20 points, grabbed nine rebounds and dished out six assists as the sixth-seeded Nets, despite six fourth-quarter points, staved off elimination and defeated the Cavaliers, 83-72, on Wednesday at Quicken Loans Arena.

NBA: Suns try to stave off elimination in San Antonio


(Sports Network) - The San Antonio Spurs attempt to eliminate the Phoenix Suns and advance to the Western Conference Finals, as the clubs square off tonight at the AT&T Center.
San Antonio leads the best-of-seven set 3-2. If necessary, Game 7 is scheduled for Sunday at US Airways Center.
The winner of this series will meet the fourth-seeded Utah Jazz, who knocked out No. 8 Golden State in five games in the other Western Conference semifinals series, in the conference finals.

Horse Racing: Can Street Sense pass the Preakness test?


Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - A year ago this time, the whole world was watching the Kentucky Derby winner first jump through the gate prior to the race, and then to everyones astonishment, pull up lame as the field was passing the grandstand the first time.
Barbaro was the horse most likely to break the Triple Crown hex that has befallen the likes of Silver Charm, Real Quiet, Funny Cide and Smarty Jones over the course of the last decade. The wait has grown to 29 years, the longest its been since Sir Barton won the first Triple Crown way back in 1919. Affirmed, trained by the late Laz Barrera, was the last horse to win the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes in 1978.

Thursday, May 17, 2007

MLS: Beckham left off All-Star ballot


Carson, CA (Sports Network) - David Beckham was left off Major League Soccer's All-Star online ballot released Wednesday, but the future Los Angeles Galaxy star could still play in the game.
The online voting helps determine the starting lineup for the July 19 game at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Colorado against Scottish power Celtic. Online votes are 25 percent of the total, with league coaches and general managers, media and players also accounting for 25 percent apiece.
Beckham, the former captain of England's national team, signed a five-year deal with Galaxy in January but won't join the team until his contract with Spain's Real Madrid expires at the end of June.

MLB: Carmona, Indians baffle Twins


Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) - Fausto Carmona baffled the Twins, hurling a four-hit shutout to outpitch Johan Santana as the Cleveland Indians edged the Minnesota Twins, 2-0, to complete a three-game sweep.
Victor Martinez and Ryan Garko ripped back-to-back home runs in the seventh inning off of Santana, and that was all the offense the Indians would need to win their fourth out of five. Carmona (5-1) struck out four and walked two, needing 121 pitches, 76 of them strikes, to earn his fifth straight win.

Nascar: Elliott to race in Coca-Cola 600 and more


Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Bill Elliott has agreed to run in the Coca-Cola 600 on May 27 at the Lowe's Motor Speedway for the Wood Brothers/JTG Racing team. He will also run in an unspecified number of races through the remainder of the season.

Horse Racing: The one to beat in Preakness is again Hard Spun


Baltimore, MD (Sports Network) - Round two of the new rivalry between Kentucky Derby winner Street Sense and runner-up Hard Spun takes place Saturday afternoon at Pimlico Race Course in the Preakness Stakes. Along with these two colts six other three-year-olds will attempt to pull off a big upset.

With only nine horses entered in the second leg of the Triple Crown series, traffic problems should not be a factor during the 1 3/16 mile race. Two weeks ago traffic problems had no effect on Street Sense who miraculously encountered no impediments.

MLB: Hawpe, Rockies storm past Diamondbacks


Denver, CO (Sports Network) - Brad Hawpe homered twice and drove in four runs to pace Colorado past Arizona, 5-3, in the second of three between the clubs at Coors Field. Willy Taveras was 2-for-3 with a run scored for the Rockies, who had dropped two straight coming in. Matt Holliday doubled and also scored a run. Aaron Cook (3-1) went six-plus innings, giving up five hits and three runs, and Brian Fuentes picked up his 10th save of the season.
Mark Reynolds had a two-run double in his major-league debut for the D-Backs, who have lost three of four. Miguel Montero knocked in a run on a sacrifice fly and Eric Byrnes collected two hits in the loss.
Brandon Webb (3-3) yielded six hits and five runs -- four earned -- fanned three and walked a pair in defeat.
After an early two-run lead evaporated, the Rockies rebounded thanks to Hawpe. Holliday started the sixth with a double and moved to third on a Todd Helton ground out. John Mabry followed with a walk, and Hawpe took a ball to the opposite field for his second homer of the night, a three-run shot that put the Rockies up 5-2.

Hockey: Red Wings aim for Game 4 win against Pronger-less Ducks


(Sports Network) - The Detroit Red Wings will try to grab a two-game lead in the Western Conference finals this evening, when they visit the Anaheim Ducks for Game 4 at the Honda Center.
The Red Wings made a statement in Game 3 on Tuesday night as they routed the Ducks to take a 2-1 edge in the best-of-seven series.
On top of trailing in the series, Anaheim will also be without defenseman Chris Pronger for this evening's tilt, as the Norris Trophy finalist was handed a one-game suspension by the NHL for a blow to the head of Detroit's Tomas Holmstrom in Game 3. Pronger is leading the Ducks with 12 points on three goals and nine assists in the playoffs.

Baseball: Phillies' Howard set for rehab


Lakewood, NJ (Sports Network) - Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard, who has been sidelined with a left quadriceps strain, will begin a rehab assignment in the minors next week. Howard will begin a two-day rehab stint with the Single-A Lakewood BlueClaws of the South Atlantic League starting on May 23.
On May 12, the Phillies placed Howard on the 15-day disabled list in a move that was retroactive to May 10.
The 27-year-old and reigning NL MVP is hitting just .204 with six home runs and 23 RBI in 29 games this season for Philadelphia. Howard spent the 2002 season in Lakewood, hitting .280 with 19 home runs and 87 RBI.

NBA: Bulls, Pistons clash in Game 6 at the United Center


(Sports Network) - The Chicago Bulls try to force a Games 7 against the Detroit Pistons in their Eastern Conference semifinals series, as the teams battle tonight at the United Center. After dropping the first three games of the series, Chicago has come back to win the last two contests. No team in NBA history has come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a best-of-seven set.
On Tuesday, Ben Gordon scored 28 points as the fifth-seeded Bulls moved halfway to NBA history by pounding the top-seeded Pistons, 108-92, in Game 5 at the United Center

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

NHL: Blackhawks sign top pick Toews


Chicago, IL (Sports Network) - The Chicago Blackhawks signed their first round pick in the 2006 draft, center Jonathan Toews, to a three-year entry level contract on Wednesday.
Toews, 19, was the third overall pick in the draft and recently helped Canada capture the Gold Medal at the Hockey World Championships in Moscow. He posted two goals and five assists in nine games during the tournament.

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