The Los Angeles Lakers have made the NBA Finals for the very first time after beating the 2007 champs the San Antonio Spurs 100-92, winning a best-of-seven series 4-1. Kobe Bryant was the star of the night, scoring 36 points as the Lakers came back from a 17 point deficit to take home an eight point victory.
Pau Gasol contributed with a 12 points and 19 rebounds while Lamar Odom got 13 points and eight rebounds for the Lakers, who will play the winner of the Celtics/Pistons series, which currently has Boston leading 3-2. Game six is in Detroit tonight. Tony Parker was the top scorer for the Spurs with 23 points, while Tim Duncan added 19. However, these were the only scorers of note as the Spurs sputtered towards the end.
Luc Bourdon died today in a motorcycle accident near Shipagan, N.B.
This is sad news. Ourthoughts are with his family, friends, and the Vancouver Canucks organization.
Eve Bourdon, Luc’s sister confirmed his death, but declined further comment. His agent, Kent Hughes, was unaware he rode motorcycles. Also, according to the report Luc just purchased his motorcycle two days ago.
The Los Angeles Lakers are just one win away from the NBA Finals after sending the San Antonio Spurs to their first home loss of the playoffs. Kobe Bryant collected 28 points and 10 rebounds for the Lakers, who never trailed once last night and kept it up for a 93-91 victory. Brent Barry missed a contested 3-pointer for the Spurs as time expired. The Lakers have a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference finals and can advance to the NBA Finals against Boston or Detroit with a home win against the defending champion in Game 5 tomorrow. Tim Duncan had 29 points and 17 rebounds to lead the Spurs, while Tony Parker and Barry took 23 points each. Manu Ginobili, after scoring 30 points in San Antonio’s Game 3 win, was held to 7 points on 2-of-8 shooting.The Lakers have a 7-0 record at the Staples Center during the postseason and hasn’t lost at home in two months.
The Celtics host the Pistons tonight in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals. The teams are tied at two games apiece. Boston is 9-1 at home and 1-7 on the road in this year’s playoffs. Boston has survived two big close calls in the first round and semifinals. They knocked out the eighth-seeded Atlanta Hawks in seven games in the quarterfinals and hung on to defeat LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in an even closer seven-game series. There’s a lot of playoff history between these two teams. Boston defeated the Pistons in the 1968, 1985 and 2002 semis, and also knocked out Detroit in seven games in the 1987 East finals.
1. Derrick Rose 6-3 PG Memphis Stock Up
The best pure point guard in the draft could push for the No. 1 overall pick.
2. Michael Beasley 6-10 PF Kansas State Stock Down
Best outside-inside talent in the draft. A lock for the No. 1 or No. 2 pick if character questions check out.
3. O.J. Mayo 6-4 SG USC Stock Up
It’s clear Mayo’s going to be a great NBA scorer … but will he give a team anything else?
4. Jerryd Bayless 6-3 PG Arizona Stock Up
Athletic combo guard is putting up big numbers as a freshman at Arizona.
5. Danilo Gallinari 6-9 SF Italy Stock Up
Many in Italy feel he’s a better long-term prospect than Andrea Bargnani — think an Italian Toni Kukoc.
6. Anthony Randolph 6-11 PF LSU Stock Down
Long, athletic big man reminds some scouts of Chris Bosh.
7. Brook Lopez 7-0 C Stanford Stock Down
A big, athletic center who produced big numbers in the Pac-10.
8. Eric Gordon 6-4 SG Indiana Stock Down
Do-it-all combo guard has a chance to be a bigger, better version of Ben Gordon.
9. D.J. Augustin 6-0 PG Texas Stock Down
Spunky point guard has a game that resembles that of Steve Nash.
10. Russell Westbrook 6-3 PG UCLA Stock Down
Athletic combo guard seems to have the tools to be a star … but are they refined enough?
Manchester United won the Champions League by beating Chelsea 6-5 on penalties after a tight 1-1 draw. Cristiano Ronaldo headed United in front after 26 minutes but Frank Lampard evened out before the interval. Ronaldo missed his penalty, but John Terry hit the post with a kick that would have won it for Chelsea and Edwin van der Sar saved from Nicolas Anelka. Terry had to be consoled by boss Avram Grant as he broke down in tears after missing the shot that would have given his side the win.
It sparked crazy celebrations for Alex Ferguson and his players in the Moscow rain as Man U won Europe’s trophy for the third time, a triumph made more emotional as it came 50 years on from the Munich air crash. Ferguson had made it his mission to take the trophy back to Manchester this year in memory of those who died in the tragedy of February 1958. And it gave the 66-year-old Scot his second Champions League triumph, repeating the success against Bayern Munich in Barcelona in 1999.
The penalty shoot-out topped off an exciting game with passages of play of the highest degree, with United dominating the first half but Chelsea showing huge reserves after the break.
The Conn Smythe Trophy is awarded every year to the player judged most valuable to his team during the NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs. The Conn Smythe Trophy has been awarded 42 times to 36 players since the 1964-65 NHL season. And while there’s always been an underlying myth that amazing goaltending in the playoffs make championship winners and MVP honours, Marc-Andre Fleury and Chris Osgood aren’t the clear favorites for their teams.
Fleury, who struggled early in his career, was in danger of giving up the No. 1 job earlier this season to teammate Ty Conklin. The first overall pick in the 2003 draft elevated his play down the stretch with a 12-2 postseason record, a 1.70 goals-against average, a .938 save percentage and a playoff-leading three shutouts. Osgood, who replaced a struggling Dominik Hasek in Game 5 of the first round against the Nashville Predators, has been equally impressive with a 10-2 record, a 1.60 goals-against average and .931 save percentage.
As both netminders have been this spring, it’s hard to ignore the other candidates that are playing on the rest of the ice . For Pittsburgh, Evgeni Malkin has a very good chance to capture the Hart Trophy and playoff MVP honours in the same season. The forward has also shown the tough side of his game.
Captain Sidney Crosby is also a major contender, sharing the league lead the postseason scoring with 21 points in 14 games. While his goal total (4) is rather low, the 20-year-old has proven his worth as a top playmaker. He leads the league in playoff helpers with 17 assists and is averaging a point and a half a game.
The Red Wings’s Henrik Zetterberg is the other player who shares the league lead in postseason scoring, and another solid pick for MVP. The 2008 Selke Trophy is second in goals (11) and game-winning goals (3), and also leads in plus-minus with a plus-15 rating. The Red Wings’ other Selke finalist is Pavel Datsyuk. He has been Detroit’s on the road charm, with 14 of his 19 playoff points (nine goals, five assists) scored while not on home ice. Johan Franzen’s contributions should also be considered. He was arguably the MVP-favourite through the first two rounds, and still leads the postseason in goals and game-winners despite missing five games.
The other dark horse for the Conn Smythe Trophy is Pittsburgh’s Marian Hossa. The Penguins paid a steep price for his at the trade deadline, and the soon-to-be-free agent has certainly not disappointed. With 11 points in his last six playoff games, he could continue his hot streak into the final and potentially take over the postseason scoring lead.
Still, there are four-to-seven games remaining in the Stanley Cup playoffs and the race for MVP should be wide open right to the last minute.
Twice, jockey Kent Desormeaux snuck a look behind him to see if anyone was gaining on Big Brown. His horse ran away with the Preakness on Saturday and now is pointed squarely down the path toward the Triple Crown. The 3-year-old with the perfect record heads for the Belmont Stakes in three weeks as the fourth horse this decade to try for the triple, a sweep last accomplished by Affirmed in 1978. The last to try was Smarty Jones in 2004.
Trainer Rick Dutrow Jr., who called his shot at both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, sounded confident after Big Brown came back full of run after easily putting away the field of 11.
“I know we have horse left. There is no question,” Dutrow said. “He’s just shown up every step, every way,” he added. “I just can’t imagine him not showing up for the Belmont.”
As he did two weeks ago in a Kentucky Derby tainted darkly by the tragedy with Eight Belles, Big Brown delivered another stunning win, this time by 5 1/4 lengths. Macho Again was second and Icabad Crane was third.
Mike Piazza, 39, who hit more home runs than any other catcher in history, announced his retirement Tuesday after no team was willing to sign him and offer significant playing time. Piazza now may be eligible for the Hall of Fame in the same class as Barry Bonds and Sammy Sosa and pitcher Roger Clemens.
“I knew this day was coming, and over the last two years, I started to make my peace with it,” Piazza said in a statement. “It has been an amazing journey. … I walk away with no regrets.”
Piazza was a 62nd-round draft pick by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1988 who turned into a 12-time All-Star. He hit 396 of his 427 homers as a catcher during his 16-year career. He was willing to sign with a club that would provide playing time in at least half the games as a catcher or DH but received no offer, agent Dan Lozano said.
