Celtics bully Magic into corner in East finals

They’re laughing at the Orlando Magic now, taunting them on the way out of Amway Arena and onto the NBA Finals. Between the end of Game 2 and the joyous bus ride to the Boston Celtics’ charter flight, it appeared that Paul Pierce(notes) gleefully punched four acidic words into his Twitter account: “Anybody got a broom?”Somehow, this declaration found its way onto Pierce’s page. The keepers of his website insisted later this was the work of a hacker, but, nevertheless, those words were waiting for Dwight Howard(notes) on Tuesday night. It’s Pierce’s...

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Rays vs. Yankees

There's little doubt that the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees have established themselves as the top teams in the AL East, the division New York reclaimed last year after the Rays won it in 2008.They also may be the two best clubs in baseball.Tampa Bay can bolster its early lead on the Yankees and extend its latest winning streak to five on Wednesday night, but to do so the Rays will need to end a string of six straight losses in the Bronx.New York (25-14) has begun defense of its World Series title in strong fashion only to be overshadowed...

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Longoria Delivers for Rays

Evan Longoria drove in three runs and David Price pitched six strong innings to become the AL’s first six-game winner as the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Cleveland Indians, 6-2, yesterday in St. Petersburg, Fla.The AL East leaders improved baseball’s top record to 28-11 heading into a two-game series at Yankee Stadium. New York has the second-best mark in the majors.“It’s going to be fun going up there, as it should be,’’ Rays manager Joe Maddon said. “You want to be on the top. You want to play the best teams. You want to play in the best division....

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Flyers rout Habs in opener

The Flyers turned the opening game of the Eastern Conference finals into a laugher early with a 6-0 rout of the Montreal Canadiens. The Flyers led 3-0 after the first period, and 4-0 early in the second when Montreal yanked goalie Jaroslav Halak. Six players scored for the Flyers...Braydon Coburn, James van Riemsdyk, Danny Briere, Simon Gagne, Scott Hartnell and Claude Giroux. Michael Leighton stopped all 28 shots that came at him. The Flyers will host game two onTuesday nig...

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TORONTO NATIONALS LOSE TO CHICAGO IN SEASON OPENER

Toronto's John Grant Jr. scored a hat trick but the defending Major League Lacrosse champion Nationals opened the season on a sour note Sunday, losing 16-9 to the Chicago Machine. Terry Kimener led Chicago with three goals, one of which counted for two, while Matt Striebel, Kevin Leveille, Brett Garber, Bill McGlone and Mike Leveille each scored two apiece. Chazz Woodson and Greg Bice added singles for the Machine (1-0). Josh Sims scored twice, including a two-point goal, for Toronto (0-1), while Jordan Hall also added two and Brodie Merrill scored...

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Howard frustrated by Celtics in Game 1 loss

Dwight Howard knew what the Boston Celtics had planned. Whenever he got the ball in the post, someone was going to hit him, bump him, push him, do whatever it took to keep him from getting into rhythm.It wasn't a new approach.The Celtics simply do it better than just about everyone else.Howard made only 3 of his 10 shots from the floor Sunday, continuing what's been a yearlong offensive struggle against the Celtics, and his Orlando Magic lost Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals to Boston 92-88."I played like a robot," Howard said.He doesn't...

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Rays rally, again beat Mariners' Lee

Sean Rodriguez delivered a seventh-inning double and Gabe Kapler an eighth-inning sacrifice fly as host Tampa Bay overcame a frustrating afternoon against Cliff Lee to rally past Seattle, 2-1, Sunday.Lee (1-2) took a 1-0 lead into the seventh, but the Rays (an MLB-best 26-11) rallied to beat him for the second time in 11 days. He allowed two runs and five hits in eight in...

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Advice to LeBron: Leave

The Cleveland Cavaliers are an ongoing illusion. We'll soon learn if LeBron James is willing to step back from his creation, leave his beloved home town and try to craft something real. At a crucial moment of Thursday night's Game 6 of the Cavaliers-Celtics series, the illusion came alarmingly to life. It was late in the third quarter, the game was slipping away from the Cavs, and the Boston crowd was in an uproar. Delonte West was at the free-throw line. The two men stationed near the basket were Anderson Varejao and Zydrunas Ilgauskas. How monumentally...

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Mariners homer 3 times in win over Rays

Franklin Gutierrez, Adam Moore and Mike Sweeney homered, helping the light-hitting Seattle Mariners beat the baseball-best Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 on Friday night.Right-hander Doug Fister (3-1) allowed one run and four hits in five innings as the last-place Mariners won for just the third time in 13 games.Reliever Shawn Kelley gave up a two-run homer to Evan Longoria, enabling the Rays to pull within 4-3 in the eighth. David Aardsma got the final three outs for his ninth save in 11 opportunities.Tampa Bay is off to the best start in the majors at 24-11....

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Cadillac Williams signs tender with Buccaneers

Restricted free agent running back Cadillac Williams has signed his one-year tender to remain with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.The Bucs also announced Wednesday that guard Michael Shumard(notes) has been claimed off waivers from the Denver Broncos. Offensive tackle Robert Okeafor was released.Williams was the fifth overall pick in the 2005 NFL draft and was the league’s offensive rookie of the year that season. He has rushed for 3,240 yards and 18 touchdowns in five years, despite missing most of two seasons with career-threatening knee injuries.After...

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It's way too early to write off LeBron

The exact moment this national obsession with Cleveland-Boston Game 5 reached a Kardashian level of discussion-to-relevance occurred at 11:23 Wednesday morning, when I received a text message that read "What's ur opinion on lebron?"The text came from someone who almost never talks to me about sports, save for the occasional inquiry about how to get tickets. It just showed that everyone wanted to know what everyone else thought about LeBron James' passive performance Tuesday night, that suddenly this moment mattered more than oil spills or Supreme...

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Here's what's happening around baseball

• Remember when Hank Blalock was a ballyhooed prospect? It's been a while, but the ex-Ranger is still only 29 and has been tearing it up for the Rays' Triple-A affiliate (.375, 23 RBI, .987 OPS) this season. Blalock agreed to a minor league deal with Tampa Bay during spring training when he couldn't find work elsewhere, and now that we're into the second week of May, it seems the charms of minor league life are wearing thin.Blalock's agent, Scott Boras, hinted Tuesday that the player might activate the out clause in his contract next week if he...

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Angels, in a weak spot, lose to Tampa Bay, 7-2

The Rays expose just about every weakness the Angels have, as they struggle offensively and starter Scott Kazmir gives up three runs and seven hits.The rotation isn't nearly as good as they thought it would be, the bullpen has only two relievers they can rely on, and there are gaping holes in a lineup Mike Scioscia thought would be among the strongest and deepest he's had in his 11 years as manager. The Angels have won five of the last six American League West titles, but they do not look like contenders so far this season. The Tampa Bay Rays exposed...

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Who Is The Most Skilled NBA Player? Hint: It's Not Kobe Or LeBron.

Steve Nash is the most skilled basketball player to ever put on an NBA uniform. And it's not even close. Watching the Suns close out the San Antonio Spurs last night, I could not help but marvel at how Steve Nash controls every aspect of the offensive end of the court for Phoenix. Even when Amare Stoudemire scores on isolation plays, Nash directs the other three guys to make sure Stoudemire has the room he needs to operate or one of the shooters gets a wide-open look. I have never seen anyone like him. As hard as it is to make the case that a...

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Tampa Bay Rays rally, then fall to Angels in 11 innings

Apparently the Rays didn't have a hangover from Sunday's perfect game, as they rapped out 12 hits Monday and rallied late to score four actual runs and force extra innings.But they still have a headache this morning when it turned out to be for naught as the Angels rallied in the 11th for a 5-4 win.The game ended, at nearly 2:15 Tampa Bay time, when Juan Rivera's sac fly scored...

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Tampa Bay Rays starter James Shields upset with subpar performance

Anything short of perfect, RHP James Shields wasn't going to measure up anyway.But allowing a season-high 11 hits, and four runs (two earned) over six innings, really made for a bad day, snapping his four-start winning streak and saddling the Rays with back-to-back losses for just the third time this season."They didn't really hit the ball hard, but they got the hits they needed to get; they got hits when it counted with runners in scoring position," Shields said. "I didn't pitch well today."Manager Joe Maddon was less harsh, saying Shields didn't...

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Tampa Bay Rays' bats quieted in rare road loss to Oakland Athletics

The Rays had done so well on the road, become so comfortable in their routine — win, play loud music, make plans to go out — that the quiet and hushed tones in their clubhouse after Saturday's 4-2 loss to the A's seemed so stark and unusual."In a good way, I guess," Evan Longoria said. "We're not used to losing."In winning 13 of their first 14 road games, and 22 of 29 overall,...

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The Real Beasts of the East are the Tampa Bay Rays

It's way too early for scoreboard watching - and yet the age-old Yankee-Red Sox hostilities at Fenway this weekend have become tempered by the Tampa Bay Rays' scary surge out of the AL East gate. As one veteran American League exec told me in the spring: "The Rays have so much talent, all those high-ceiling, high-draft choice guys. If they ever all put it together at the same...

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Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon wants Carlos Peña not to worry about batting average

Manager Joe Maddon is into all kinds of numbers. But he had a talk with 1B Carlos Peña and told him to ignore the big one that gets flashed on the scoreboard each time he steps to the plate: his batting average. Maddon's premise is that Peña would have a higher average than his .196 (after an 0-for-4 Friday) if he weren't constantly facing a strong defensive shift that stymies him when he pulls balls to right. "Against a normal defense, he's probably hitting pretty decently right now," Maddon said. "Against the abnormal defense, he hits into...

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How to choose a Logo Designer

Make sure that you are provided several ideas an not pushed into what the designer wants Provided for Lake Park High School Lancers by MajorLeagueLogos.com jQuery(document).ready(function(){ jQuery('.intro .thumbnail a:first').attr('href','http://i.ehow.com/images/a05/de/lk/choose-logo-designer-800X800.jpg');...

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Lebron massacres Boston

Danny Ainge needed to throw in the towel this time.After three days rest to heal his banged-up elbow, LeBron James appeared every bit a man among boys Friday night in a Game 3 rout over Boston.Actually, he made the Celtics look like what they are quickly becoming: old men.King James, after appearing...

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Tampa Bay Rays 8 to 1 to Win 2010 World Series

The Rays have the best winning percentage in baseball so far this season. The New York Yankees have played outstanding baseball so far this post-season as they have a .704 winning percentage through 27 games. However despite all of their success, they are not even the leaders of their division as the Tampa Bay Rays are 21-7 on the year so far. One thing that is very head turning with Tampa Bay is that they are 12-1 on the road so far this year. Most teams play worse on the road when compared to their home record, but the Rays have been dominant...

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LeBron, Howard unanimous All-NBA picks

LeBron James and Dwight Howard were unanimous choices for the All-NBA Team, while Kobe Bryant received 119 of 122 votes from writers and broadcasters.James was a unanimous pick for the second straight season and made his fourth all-NBA Team. The Cleveland star won the MVP award for the second year in a row.Kevin Durant and Dwyane Wade completed the first team Thursday. Durant led the NBA in scoring for Oklahoma City with a 30.1 average, and James was second at 29.7. Howard led the league in rebounding with a 13.2 average and also averaged 18.3...

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Clemson's Taylor signs contract with Tampa Bay

Clemson's Rendrick Taylor signed an NFL free agent contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after he was invited to a tryout camp last weekend. He will report back to Tampa for a minicamp May 17. He will work as a fullback and tight end. The former Marlboro County High star played in 38 games over the last five years, 10 as a starter, seeing time at fullback, wide receiver and tight e...

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Tampa Bay Rays break it open late to beat Mariners for second straight night

SEATTLE — The Rays had a pretty good idea it would take a lot to beat Cliff Lee on Wednesday.And they got it, the 8-3 win extending their best-in-baseball record to 20-7.They needed a strong start from Matt Garza, and he outpitched the acclaimed ace, allowing only five hits over eight innings to earn his AL-leading fifth win.They needed some clutch hits, and Evan Longoria delivered a huge one (after a key Ben Zobrist bunt), a one-out RBI single in the eighth to break a 2-2 tie.And they needed a few breaks, and there was a big one later in the eighth...

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Bucs KR Clifton Smith signs 1-year tender

TAMPA, Fla. (AP)—Kick returner and reserve running back Clifton Smith has signed a one-year tender to remain with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Smith entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He made the Pro Bowl as a rookie after becoming the first player in club history to return a kickoff and punt for touchdowns in the same season. ...

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Magic Rout Hawks 114-71 in First Game of NBA Playoff Series

May 4 (Bloomberg) -- Dwight Howard had 21 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Orlando Magic to a 114-71 win over the Atlanta Hawks in the first game of their National Basketball Association Eastern Conference semifinal series.Vince Carter added 20 points for the Magic, who have a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.Josh Smith scored 14 points for the Hawks, who were held to 35 percent shooting, at Amway Arena in Orlando, Florida.In a Western Conference semifinal game, the host Los Angeles Lakers were trying to extend their series lead to 2-0 against...

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Best starting rotation in baseball? Look no further than Tampa

Ok, so maybe folks in Florida still aren't paying attention to the Tampa Bay Rays, but the rest of the baseball world sure is these days.The Rays, 18-7, are off to the best start since the New York Yankees in 2003.And guess what?They're not going away."You hear people talk about that team,'' Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona says, "but no one ever talks about that pitching. That staff is good. Real good. Real, real good.''Just how good?"They have the best starting rotation in baseball,'' says Jim Fregosi, special assistant to Atlanta Braves...

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Celtics utilize big advantage - They hold on to lead and tie series

CLEVELAND — No lead is safe. Chewing up and spitting out Boston’s leads in the regular season and in the first game of their Eastern Conference semifinal series, the Cavaliers had made that clear.The Celtics needed to prove to themselves and the Cavs that some leads were indeed insurmountable. So, they piled it as high as they could. Ray Allen fired arrows at the rim. The Celtics suffocated the Cavs for 45 minutes, and the whistles that had gone Cleveland’s way early started to blow in favor of the Celtics.The Celtics’ lead ballooned to 25 points...

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Starting rotation may make Tampa Bay Rays virtually slump-proof

ST. PETERSBURG — In case you had not noticed, Rays hitters have cooled off.Carlos Peña is hitless in his past 12 at-bats with seven strikeouts. B.J. Upton is 0-for-13 with four strikeouts. Tampa Bay has scored seven runs in its past 31 innings, which sounds even worse when you know the Rays scored 42 in the previous 31.So it's entirely reasonable to wonder if a tremendous start is about to go splat. To worry if the law of baseball averages, or maybe the curse of Vinny Castilla, is finally catching up to Tampa Bay.Except for this:The Rays squeezed...

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