The New Jersey Nets defeated the Boston Celtics 94-76 Friday night to go up 3-0 in their Eastern Conference semifinal.
In the third game of last year's conference final, the Celtics erased a 21-point deficit -- the biggest fourth-quarter comeback in NBA playoff history -- to beat the Nets.
PHOTO: REUTERS
"We came up here and let that one get away," said Kenyon Martin, who led the Nets with 25 points. ``We didn't want to let that happen again.''
PHOTO: AP
The Nets would accomplish another first in futility if they lose the series after leading 3-0. No team has ever blown such a lead, although three teams have come back to tie a series before losing Game 7. Game 4 of the best-of-seven matchup is Monday night in Boston.
Lakers 110, Spurs 95
In Los Angeles, from Jack Nicholson screaming at the officials to Devean George doing his best Willis Reed impersonation, there was a desperation surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers that brought out the best in them.
Playing with the focus and determination of a proud team facing a must-win situation, the Lakers defeated San Antonio 110-95 to cut the Spurs' lead to 2-1 in the best-of-seven series.
Kobe Bryant displayed his usual offensive brilliance, scoring 10 of his 39 points in the first 1:36 of the fourth quarter to extend an 81-67 lead to 91-69.
Shaquille O'Neal had 21 points, 16 rebounds and eight assists; Derek Fisher scored 14 and Robert Horry had 13 points and 12 rebounds.
Aside from Nicholson's tirade at the referees midway through the second quarter, the most shocking sight of the night was the return of George to the starting lineup four days after severely spraining his left ankle.
Just as Reed did for the New York Knicks in Game 7 of the NBA Finals 33 years ago against the Lakers, George scored the game's first four points on two jump shots. He finished with a career playoff-high 13 points as the Lakers never trailed.
Game 4 in the second-round playoff series will be played Sunday at Staples Center, with Game 5 Tuesday night in San Antonio.
Today at 8am, ERA will broadcast the Detroit ay Philadelphia (Game 3) live. Also today at 9:30, CTV will show the Dallas at Sacramento (Game 3) live. Videoland will broadcast the game San Antonio at LA Lakers (Game 4) at 9:30am tomorrow.
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was
RALLY: It was only the second time the Taiwanese has partnered with Kudermetova, and the match seemed tight until they won seven points in a row to take the last set 10-2 Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching and Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova on Sunday won the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix women’s doubles final in Stuttgart, Germany. The pair defeated Norway’s Ulrikke Eikeri and Estonia’s Ingrid Neel 4-6, 6-3, 10-2 in a tightly contested match at the WTA 500 tournament. Chan and Kudermetova fell 4-6 in the first set after having their serve broken three times, although they played increasingly well. They fought back in the second set and managed to break their opponents’ serve in the eighth game to triumph 6-3. In the tiebreaker, Chan and Kudermetova took a 3-0 lead before their opponents clawed back two points, but