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NBA Headlines
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They're nothing if not resilient, these Lakers. Pretty good at the free-throw line, too. Some how, some way, the Lakers found a way to seize a gritty 99-96 victory from the younger and more athletic Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 3 of their Western Conference semifinal series Friday night at Staples Center. "We brought our hard hats," Lakers coach Mike Brown said. It was a grinding, physical game from the opening tip. The Lakers made 41 of 42 from the line, including two each from Metta World Peace and Kobe Bryant to hold off the Thunder in the closing seconds and narrow their deficit in the best-of-7 series to 2-1. Game 4 is tonight at Staples Center. Bryant scored a team-leading 36"
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Doug Collins talked about the ebb and flow of emotion in the NBA playoffs shortly after the loss in Game 3 to the Celtics, citing a game in the 1996 NBA Finals in which the Bulls, fresh off a blowout win over the Sonics, were prepared to win another title. The problem was the Sonics won the next two games. Perhaps the Celtics were thinking about winning the Eastern Conference semifinals back home on Monday. Given the way the first half of Friday night's Game 4 at the Wells Fargo Center unfolded, there was no reason why the Celtics shouldn't be thinking about a clincher in Game 5. The problem was the Sixers won the game. The Sixers rode that ebb and flow of emotion in Game 4 to surge to an"
May 19
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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The Hawks said they've exercised the option on coach Larry Drew's contract for next season. The team signed Drew to a two-year contract with an option in 2010. The Hawks have posted an 84-64 record with Drew as coach. They lost to Boston in the first round of the playoffs last week, ending a streak of three consecutive years in the second round. But the team's owners and management cited the team's 40-26 regular-season record as a success in light of several injuries to key players, including center Al Horford. "Larry did an outstanding job this season in guiding our team to the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference, despite a condensed schedule and unfortunate injuries," Hawks GM"
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The Miami Heat canceled practice and their media availability one day after a blowout loss in Game 3 to the Pacers. The team gave no immediate reason for Friday's decision, which was announced on the Heat's media telephone hotline. Per NBA rules, teams are not required to meet with the media if they don't hold practice. The Pacers also will not hold practice. Game 4 is Sunday in Indianapolis. The Heat lost 94-75 Thursday night and trail Indiana 2-1 in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Miami's latest defeat was magnified by a sideline confrontation between star guard Dwyane Wade and coach Erik Spoelstra. The two exchanged words during one of the worst playoff games of Wade's career. He"
MLB Headlines
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Dr. Verlander, we presume. It wasn't another no-hitter he threw Friday night in a 6-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates, but it was darn close Justin Verlander has cured whatever ails the Tigers many times in the past. Now he's made them feel better once again. But you thought he was going to get it, didn't you? Of course, you did. No harm in that. His stuff was stifling: The location of his fastball, the arc of his curve, it was all there. The Comerica Park crowd of 41,661 was into it. Manager Jim Leyland was into it, saying later, "maybe he has been, but I don't know if I've ever seen him better than that — even in his no-hitters. "He was unbelievable. But he's special." Alex Avila was"
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Kerry Wood's baseball journey ended the way it was supposed to Friday — with a strikeout in a day game at Wrigley Field. Long after the difficult final weeks of his 14-year career are forgotten, the scene of Wood carrying his son, Justin, off the field as Cubs and White Sox fans alike stood and applauded will linger. The fairy-tale ending of Wood carrying the Cubs to the World Series wasn't going to happen this year, and the grind of trying to get his arm ready for another day of battle became too much for him to deal with. In the end, it was a tough decision made with the blessing of his family. "It was time to give somebody else a chance," he said. Wood said he had talked about"
May 19
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
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Nolan Ryan expects Josh Hamilton to hit the free agency market after the season, downplaying any possibility the Texas Rangers have of signing the slugger to an extension during the season. Ryan, the team's president and CEO, said the team hasn't exchanged numbers with Hamilton or his agent, Mike Moye, and won't until after the season. "We haven't carried on negotiations in the season because we don't feel like it's fair to Josh and we don't want to do something that would be a distraction," Ryan said. "We certainly are in hopes that we're able to work a deal out with him, but I think they probably have the mindset that they'll go through the season and see what happens and see what the"
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Charlie Manuel spent Friday night high above home plate eating peanuts in the executive box. He had nothing to do with the Phillies' 6-4 win over the Boston Red Sox. Or did he? The Phillies are 7-1 since Manuel chewed out the club after it was swept by the New York Mets to fall to 14-18 earlier this month. Now the Phils own the longest current winning streak in the majors – six games – and are two games over .500. "We've been on a good little streak here," said closer Jonathan Papelbon, who earned his 12th save against his former team Friday night. "We've got to keep this train rolling. Can't look forward, can't look back. Like I said earlier in the season when we were stuggling:"
NFL Headlines
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On Thursday, Wes Welker spoke to me about how much he wanted to continue being a Patriot, how much he wanted to help the team win, and how he planned on showing once again, how much he “deserved” having a long-term deal. When I asked him about the status of contract talks for that extension in wake of signing his $9.5 million franchise tender, he said it had “gotten worse.” Asked to define “worse” Welker revealed the offer on the table was less than the two-year $16 million fully guaranteed contract that was offered to him during the 2011 regular season. He was clearly frustrated by that, but understood the dynamics, and just wanted to get on with the business of playing football and once"
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New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis says he isn't taking any of Drew Brees' recent complaints about the slow pace of contract negotiations personally. "I feel for him. I feel with him. He wants to be here right now. I want him to be here right now and we'll work hard to get that accomplished," Loomis said Friday while attending an event at the Saints' Hall of Fame. "It's important to Drew, but it's important to our team. The magnitude of this contract is going to impact our team for a long period of time, so we've got to get it right. It's got to be right for Drew, but it's got to be right for our team as well." Loomis, as he typically does when talking about contracts,"
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Free-agent tight end Dallas Clark visited the New England Patriots on Tuesday, according to a league source. Clark, 32, has played nine seasons in the NFL, all with the Indianapolis Colts. He was released by the Colts on March 7. Originally the 24th pick in the 2003 NFL draft, Clark has 427 catches for 4,887 yards and 46 touchdowns in his career, including a career-best 100 receptions for 1,106 yards in 2009. He led all NFL tight ends in catches that season and was named to the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career."
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Junior Seau's death compelled former Patriots linebacker Ted Johnson to step up to the podium yesterday and share his horror stories of life with more than 100 concussions. "A lot of guys struggle with this stuff, but they struggle in silence," Johnson said. He told the audience at Children Hospital Boston's ninth-annual Sports-Related Conference on Concussion and Spine Injury that Seau's death has "brought the biggest spotlight on this. It makes you take inventory on your own mortality." In an impassioned speech before the conference, he called head trauma a "terrifying issue." Johnson said he could have been in Seau's shoes had he not sought treatment for his concussions. He said"
NHL Headlines
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The Avalanche has re-signed forward Milan Hejduk to a one-year contract the team announced. According to a league source, Hejduk will make $2 million. "My family and I are very excited to continue my career here in Denver," Hejduk said in a team release. "I believe in this organization and our young players and look forward to helping the team in any way that I can." It will be Hejduk's 14th NHL season with the Avs. He has scored 371 goals and 423 assists for 794 points in 991 career games. He ranks fourth in franchise history in goals and points, and fifth in assists. "Over the years, Milan has been an instrumental part of our organization's success," Avalanche general manager Greg"
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Now the feeling out ends and the knocking out begins. Game 3 is historically pivotal, and this afternoon in Newark, it's likely where the Battle of the Hudson between the Rangers and Devils turns deadly serious. Matchups, grudges, payback and strategies already are gaining traction. Now this series starts to resemble what Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist called a "war" yesterday. "The closer you get to your final destination, the tougher it's going to get," Lundqvist said. "We went into this series with the mindset it's going to be a big battle, a big war out there." With stuck penalty box doors and a couple of benchings, this series has yet to grow fangs, tied 1-1 after the Devils won,"
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Nicklas Lidstrom is no closer to making a decision on his future with the Red Wings. Appearing at an autograph signing Friday at Warrior & Brine Sports in Warren, Lidstrom said he's still in the process of deciding whether to return next season for his 21st season or retire. "I've been taking my time and I haven't really gotten to that process yet," said Lidstrom, looking tanned and relaxed after having just returned from a brief Florida vacation with his wife. "I haven't really gotten any closer to a decision." Lidstrom, who turned 42 on April 28, talked with Red Wings general manager Ken Holland during exit interviews and said they planned on touching base when Holland returns from the"
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A 3-0 deficit is a familiar situation for the Coyotes. Last year, the Detroit Red Wings were the villains, amassing a commanding lead in a first-round series that they never relinquished en route to sweeping the Coyotes in four games. Even though the Coyotes are facing a similar fate in the Western Conference finals against the Kings, the circumstances aren't exactly the same. Their personnel in key areas is different, most noticeably in goal where Mike Smith has blossomed not only into an MVP performer but as a leader. The 2012 version of the Coyotes had to claw their way into the playoffs, learning how to compete in tight games throughout the second half of the season. That wasn't the"