International Fighter Championship held their first show in Brazil this past weekend and it featured a few familiar fighters on the line up. UFC and WEC vets Paulo Filho, Hermes Franca, Carlo Prater and Ronys Torres was on the card, along with Rolles' half-brother, Gregor Gracie. Here are the action packed fight videos to give you your quick MMA fix.

First, on to the upsets of the night:

Paulo Filho vs. Ronny Markes - This was a moderate upset as the former WEC champion lost another decision. This was his fifth straight bout that went to the judges' scorecards, with him going an unimpressive 2-2-1 in that stretch.

Hermes Franca vs. Thawa Ril - This was the co-headlining bout of the night which featured Hermes Franca's eight bout since he came out of retirement last year. It didn't end up so well for him though, as Thawa landed a huge superman punch that dropped Franca and ended his night -- and possibly derailing the MFC title fight scheduled against Drew Fickett in two months. Jump to 7:43 for the finish:

After the jump, Gregor Gracie, Carlos Prater, and Ronys Torres gain very quick and impressive submission victories.

Gregor Gracie vs Mariano Hinojal - Rolles Gracie's half-brother, Gregor, took advantage of an early slip, and made use of the skills that made his family popular. He slapped on a guillotine choke and finished in less than 30 seconds, improving the welterweight's record to 4-1.

Carlo Prater vs Henrique Mello - Prater, a WEC and Strikeforce veteran picked up another slick submission victory as he choked out his opponent in less than a minute. In his past two fights, he only needed 88 seconds total to submit both foes:

Ronys Torres vs Helderson Filhao - Torres controlled his opponent on the ground and after multiple sub attempts, was able to finish with an armbar. This is his fourth fight since getting cut by the UFC following a split decision loss to Jacob Volkmann, and this makes three straight submission victories for the Brazilian.

All videos from mmabrazucas

Three films from earlier this year are now available on Blu-Ray and DVD. The Green Hornet did very well in theaters and is now available to own or rent on DVD.  Plus, the comedy The Dilemma, starring Vince Vaughn and Kevin James is available as well.

The Dilemma: Since college, confirmed bachelor Ronny (Vaughn) and happily married Nick (James) have been through thick and thin. Now partners in an auto design firm, the two pals are vying to land a dream project that would launch their company. With Ronny's girlfriend, Beth (Connelly), and Nick's wife, Geneva (Ryder), by their sides, they're unbeatable. But Ronny's world is turned upside down when he inadvertently sees Geneva out with another man and makes it his mission to get answers.  DVD extras include several deleted scenes, a gag reel, an alternate ending, and featurettes.

The Green Hornet: The Green Hornet is a big screen adaption of the famous comic book. Seth Rogen stars as the title character, whose real name is Britt Reid.  He decides to become a superhero after his father dies and leaves him his newspaper empire.  He has no desire to run the newspaper, but joins his uber-smart partner Kato to fight evil.  Extras include a gag reel, commentary from the director, and featurettes.

Waiting for Forever:  Will Donner (Tom Sturridge) who follows his childhood friend, Emma Twist (Rachel Bilson), around as she struggles to become an actress.  Will doesn't have a job or any ambition whatsoever, except to be with Emma.  The DVD does not include any extras or special features.

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THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

LOS ANGELES -- Dustin Moseley pitched seven shutout innings for his first victory of 2011, Brad Hawpe doubled his RBI total for the season with a two-run single, and the San Diego Padres beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 7-0 on Sunday.

Andre Ethier extended his hitting streak to 27 games when he led off the Dodgers' seventh with a single. It is the second-longest streak by a Dodger since the club relocated to Los Angeles in 1958, and is four shy of Willie Davis' franchise-record 31-game run in 1969.

Moseley (1-3) gave up three hits and walked three. He struck out six and allowed just two runners as far as second base. The right-hander was winless in five April starts despite a 1.99 ERA, with his teammates getting shut out in each of his first three outings and totaling just four runs for him altogether.

METS 2, PHILLIES 1 (14)

PHILADELPHIA -- Ronny Paulino had a career-high five hits in his first start for the Mets, including a go-ahead double in the 14th inning, lifting New York past Philadelphia after news of Osama bin Laden's death had fans at Citizens Bank Park chanting "U-S-A! U-S-A!"

Taylor Buchholz (1-0), one of six Mets pitchers used, pitched two scoreless innings in relief to help New York snap a three-game losing streak and salvage a game in the series.

Kyle Kendrick (1-2), one of six Philadelphia pitchers, pitched three innings and allowing four hits.

The game took 4 hours, 44 minutes.

MARLINS 9, REDS 5

CINCINNATI -- Hanley Ramirez hit his first home run of the season, and Florida went deep a season-high five times to beat Cincinnati.

John Buck homered to snap a seventh-inning tie. Greg Dobbs, Mike Stanton and Emilio Bonifacio also connected for the Marlins, who have won eight of 11.

Jay Bruce and Brandon Phillips homered for the Reds.

BRAVES 6, CARDINALS 5

ATLANTA -- Brooks Conrad recaptured his pinch-hit magic of 2010, driving in the winning run in the ninth inning to give Atlanta a victory over St. Louis.

Conrad, who had three homers -- including two grand slams -- and drove in 12 runs as a pinch-hitter last season, hit a bloop single off Ryan Franklin to drive in Alex Gonzalez from second base.

NATIONALS 5, GIANTS 2

WASHINGTON -- Jordan Zimmermann allowed two runs over six innings to end his three-game losing streak, and Ivan Rodriguez hit a two-run single in the eighth to seal Washington's win against San Francisco.

Alex Cora had a double, a single and an RBI for the Nationals, his first multihit game of the season. Jayson Werth was 3-for-4.

Zimmermann (2-4) gave up six hits, walked two and struck out four for his first win since April 8. The Nationals have won three of their last four.

ASTROS 5, BREWERS 0

HOUSTON -- Carlos Lee hit a three-run homer before being taken to the hospital to have X-rays on his injured ribcage, and Bud Norris combined with three relievers on a three-hitter in Houston's win over Milwaukee.

Jeff Fulchino, Fernando Abad and Mark Melancon combined for 11/3 hitless innings in relief of Norris (2-1) to hand Milwaukee its first shutout of the season.

PIRATES 8, ROCKIES 4

DENVER -- Charlie Morton pitched into the sixth inning for his third win, Garrett Jones had three RBIs, and Pittsburgh beat Colorado.

Xavier Paul, Andrew McCutchen, Lyle Overbay and Pedro Alvarez also had two hits each for the Pirates, who took two of three at Coors Field. Pittsburgh won its fourth road series, matching its total from the 2010 season.

Colorado ace Ubaldo Jimenez (0-2) struggled again. He threw three wild pitches, tying a club record, and his ERA rose to 7.20 through four starts.

DIAMONDBACKS 4, CUBS 3

PHOENIX -- Daniel Hudson pitched seven solid innings, and Ryan Roberts homered as Arizona took advantage of some key mistakes by Chicago.

J.J. Putz got pinch-hitter Jeff Baker to ground into a game-ending double play with runners at the corners for his sixth save in six chances.

Hudson (2-4) won his second consecutive start. He gave up three runs and eight hits.

After 9/11 I wondered if I should leave New York. After Emily and I had a son 14 months later, I wondered that anew. Could I stand to live in the foremost terrorism target in the world? Was it insane to raise a child there? But we stayed. And almost against my will, I came to love New York in a way I never had before. Which leads me back to tonight.

Yes, part of me wanted to go to Ground Zero, to mark the occasion. And I smiled and nodded at the scenes of celebration there. But I decided not to go.

I thought of my son, not yet born on 9/11 and now sleeping safe and sound a room away, and said a silent but grateful thank-you to the brave men and women who had done so much to make it so. And then … I got back to watching the Mets game. I have a book deadline this week, so I organized some material for the final push there. There was Sunday laundry left to be done, so I kept the washer and dryer running through their cycles. But mostly I watched the game. I cheered on Pedro Beato and everybody’s new favorite Met Ronny Paulino and Taylor Buchholz and whooped when the Mets trooped off the mound victorious.

I’m glad that the Mets and Phillies kept playing, that the patriotic cheers were spontaneous, that there was no stoppage of the game for the president or anything else. The Mets and Phillies had a game to play, and they played it until there was a winner. People in the stands cheered for their team — men and women together at a sporting event, even the unveiled and unmarried, drinking beer and holding up signs and painting their chests and eating cheesesteaks and engaging in all sorts of foolishness. I cheered for my team at home. For the most part, I did what I do. For the most part, the people in the stands and on the field did the same.

When Osama Bin Laden murdered 3,000 people, it was a Tuesday morning on a warm late-summer day. Ten years later, I heard of his death on a pleasant spring night. I followed news of his demise via a technology that didn’t exist on 9/11, while my son, just just a vague imagining in September 2001, slept 10 feet away. Where the towers once stood, new towers are visible above the cityscape. Life has gone on in ways big and small, while this obscene murderous theocrat hid in caves and compounds, behind blast walls and barbed wire. He met his end on a Sunday night in America, during baseball season, with everything he sought to disrupt and ruin continuing without him — as it has for some time with him. Living as we have and as we wish and as we will is the best revenge.

Ronny Paulino capped off his career-high five-hit night with an RBI double in the 14th inning, as the New York Mets snuck past the Philadelphia Phillies, 2-1, to avoid a three-game sweep at Citizens Bank Park.

Making his first start of the season, Paulino went 5-for-7 for the Mets, who snapped a three-game skid. Carlos Beltran drove in the other run for New York.

Chris Young gave up two hits and struck out seven in a seven-inning start. Taylor Buchholz (1-0) pitched two scoreless frames to pick up the win.

Ryan Howard knocked in the lone run for the Phillies, who were coming off a record-setting April. Philadelphia went 18-8 in April to set a club record for wins in the first full month of a season, surpassing the 1993 squad that won the National League pennant.

Starter Cliff Lee gave up one run on eight hits over seven frames. Kyle Kendrick (1-2) allowed one run on four hits and walked two in three innings to take the loss.

The game featured 12 pitchers — six from each side.

For more on the Mets, visit Amazin Avenue and for more on the Phillies, visit The Good Phight.

TODAY'S TV SCHEDULE

ATHLETICS

2 p.m. The Penn Relays ESPN2

AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL

8 p.m. Collingwood vs. Western Bulldogs ESPN2

AUTO RACING

12 p.m. NHRA: Qualifying for Spring Nationals ESPN2

VERSUS IndyCar: Pole qualifying for Sao Paulo Indy 300 (same-day tape)

1 p.m. Sprint Cup: Matthew and Daniel Hansen 400 FOX

COLLEGE BASEBALL

6:30 a.m. Oklahoma at Texas FSN

7 a.m. Arkansas at Georgia ESPN2

COLLEGE SOFTBALL

2 p.m. Oklahoma at Texas ESPN

CYCLING

10 a.m. Tour de Romandie: Stage 4 * VERSUS

GOLF

3 a.m. European PGA Tour: Ballantine's Championship (third round) TGC

9 a.m. PGA Tour: Zurich Classic (third round) CBS

10 a.m. LPGA Tour: Avnet Classic (third round) TGC

HOCKEY

4 a.m. IIHF World Championships: U.S. vs. Austria (preliminary round) VERSUS

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

7 a.m. Regional coverage FOX

1 p.m. Seattle at Boston MLB

1 p.m. Baltimore at Chicago White Sox WGN

4 p.m. San Diego at L.A. Dodgers FOXSP2

NFL FOOTBALL

6 a.m. NFL Draft: Rounds 4-7 ESPN

NHL HOCKEY

9 a.m. Conference semifinals: Boston at Philadelphia NBC

3 p.m. Conference semifinals: Nashville at Vancouver VERSUS

SOCCER

3:55 a.m. Premier League: Fulham at Sunderland ESPN2

SUNDAY'S TV SCHEDULE

AUTO RACING

6 a.m. IRL, IndyCar, Sao Paulo Indy 300 VERSUS

1 p.m. NHRA, Spring Nationals ESPN2

COLLEGE BASEBALL

9 a.m. Auburn at South Carolina ESPN

CYCLING

4 p.m. Tour de Romandie: Final stage* VERSUS

EQUESTRIAN

8 a.m. Rolex Championships NBC

GOLF

3 a.m. European PGA Tour: Ballantine's Championship (final round) TGC

9 a.m. PGA Tour: Zurich Classic (final round) CBS

10 a.m. LPGA: Avnet Classic (final round) TGC

HORSE RACING

4 p.m. The Quarters from Los Alamitos FOXSP2

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

7 a.m. Toronto at N.Y. Yankees TBS

7:30 a.m. L.A. Angels at Tampa Bay FOXSP

10 a.m. Chicago Cubs at Arizona WGN

10 a.m. San Diego at L.A. Dodgers FOXSP2

2 p.m. N.Y. Mets at Philadelphia ESPN

MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER

1 p.m. Los Angeles at FC Dallas FOXSP

MOTORSPORTS

2 a.m. MotoGP World Championship SPEED

10 a.m. MotoGP Moto2 SPEED

NBA BASKETBALL

7 a.m. Western Conference semifinals Memphis at Oklahoma City (Game 1) ABC

9:30 a.m. Eastern Conference semifinals: Boston at Miami (Game 1) ABC

NHL HOCKEY

9 a.m. Western Conference semifinals: Detroit at San Jose (Game 2) NBC

1 p.m. Eastern Conference semifinals: Tampa Bay at Washington (Game 2) VERSUS

* -- Tape-delayed broadcast

FRIDAY'S BIIF RESULTS

BOYS VOLLEYBALL

Varsity

Christian Liberty def. St. Joseph 25-22, 25-20, 16-25, 17-25, 15-9

Hilo def. Pahoa 25-21, 20-25, 16-25, 25-23, 16-1

TODAY'S BIIF SCHEDULE

BOYS VOLLEYBALL

Varsity matches follow 10 a.m. JV matches unless noted below

Kealakehe at Hualalai Academy, 10 a.m.

Konawaena at Kohala, 10 a.m.

Honokaa at Hawaii Prep

WATER POLO

BIIF tournament championship

Kamehameha vs. Waiakea, 2 p.m.

JUDO

HHSAA state championships at Stan Sheriff Center, Oahu

TRACK AND FIELD

BIIF championships at Kamehameha, 3 p.m.

BASKETBALL

NBA PLAYOFF GLANCE

WESTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS

San Antonio vs. Memphis

Memphis wins series 4-2

Sunday, April 17

c Memphis 101, San Antonio 98

Wednesday, April 20

c San Antonio 93, Memphis 87

Saturday, April 23

c Memphis 91, San Antonio 88

Monday's result

Memphis 104, San Antonio 86

Wednesday's result

c San Antonio 110, Memphis 103, OT

Friday's result

Memphis 99, San Antonio 91

EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

Chicago vs. Atlanta

Series tied 0-0

Monday's game

Atlanta at Chicago, 2 p.m.

Wednesday's game

Atlanta at Chicago, 2 p.m.

Friday, May 6

Chicago at Atlanta, 1 p.m.

Sunday, May 8

Chicago at Atlanta, 2 p.m.

Tuesday, May 10

Atlanta at Chicago, TBA*

Thursday, May 12

Chicago at Atlanta, TBA*

Sunday, May 15

Atlanta at Chicago, TBA*

Miami vs. Boston

Series tied 0-0

Sunday's game

Boston at Miami, 9:30 a.m.

Tuesday's game

Boston at Miami, 1 p.m.

Saturday, May 7

Miami at Boston, 2 p.m.

Monday, May 9

Miami at Boston, 1 p.m.

Wednesday, May 11

Boston at Miami, TBA*

Friday, May 13

Miami at Boston, TBA*

Monday, May 16

Boston at Miami, 2 p.m.*

WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

L.A. Lakers vs. Dallas

Series tied 0-0

Monday's game

Dallas at L.A. Lakers, 4:30 p.m.

Wednesday's game

Dallas at L.A. Lakers, 4:30 p.m.

Friday, May 6

L.A. Lakers at Dallas, 3:30 p.m.

Sunday, May 8

L.A. Lakers at Dallas, 9:30 a.m.

Tuesday, May 10

Dallas at L.A. Lakers, TBA*

Thursday, May 12

L.A. Lakers at Dallas, TBA*

Sunday, May 15

Dallas at L.A. Lakers, 3:30 p.m.*

Oklahoma City vs. Memphis

Series tied 0-0

Sunday's game

Memphis at Oklahoma City, 7 a.m.

Tuesday's game

Memphis at Oklahoma City, 3:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 7

Oklahoma City at Memphis, 11 a.m.

Monday, May 9

Oklahoma City at Memphis, 3:30 p.m.

Wednesday, May 11

Memphis at Oklahoma City, TBA*

Friday, May 13

Oklahoma City at Memphis, TBA*

Sunday, May 15

Memphis at Oklahoma City, TBA*

* -- if necessary

HOCKEY

NHL PLAYOFF GLANCE

EASTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

Washington vs. Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay leads series 1-0

Friday's result

Tampa Bay 4, Washington 2

Sunday's game

Tampa Bay at Washington, 1 p.m.

Tuesday's game

c Washington at Tampa Bay, TBA

Wednesday, May 4

c Washington at Tampa Bay, 1 p.m.

Saturday, May 7

c Tampa Bay at Washington, 6:30 a.m. *

Monday, May 9

c Washington at Tampa Bay, TBA *

Wednesday, May 11

c Tampa Bay at Washington, TBA *

Philadelphia vs. Boston

Series tied 0-0

Today's game

Boston at Philadelphia, 9 a.m.

Monday's game

Boston at Philadelphia, 1:30 p.m.

Wednesday, May 4

Philadelphia at Boston, 1 p.m.

Friday, May 6

Philadelphia at Boston, 2 p.m.

Sunday, May 8

Boston at Philadelphia, 3 p.m. *

Tuesday, May 10

Philadelphia at Boston, TBA *

Thursday, May 12

Boston at Philadelphia, TBA *

WESTERN CONFERENCE SEMIFINALS

Vancouver vs. Nashville

Vancouver leads series 1-0

Thursday's result

c Vancouver 1, Nashville 0

Today's game

Nashville at Vancouver, 3 p.m.

Tuesday's game

c Vancouver at Nashville, 3 p.m.

Thursday, May 5

c Vancouver at Nashville, 2:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 7

c Nashville at Vancouver, 2 p.m. *

Monday, May 9

c Vancouver at Nashville, TBA *

Wednesday, May 11

c Nashville at Vancouver, TBA *

San Jose vs. Detriot

San Jose leads series 1-0

Friday's result

San Jose 2, Detroit 1, OT

Sunday's game

c Detroit at San Jose, 9 a.m.

Wednesday, May 4

c San Jose at Detroit, 2 p.m.

Friday, May 6

c San Jose at Detroit, 1 p.m.

Sunday, May 8

c Detroit at San Jose, 2 p.m. *

Tuesday, May 10

c San Jose at Detroit, TBA *

Thursday, May 12

c Detroit at San Jose, TBA *

* -- if necessary

SOCCER

MLS GLANCE

EASTERN CONFERENCE

W L OT Pts GF GA

Houston 3 1 3 12 11 6

New York 3 1 2 11 9 2

Philadelphia 3 1 1 10 4 2

Columbus 2 1 3 9 5 4

New England 2 2 3 9 8 9

Toronto FC 1 2 4 7 7 10

D.C. 2 4 1 7 10 16

Chicago 1 3 2 5 9 12

Sporting Kansas City 1 3 1 4 10 12

WESTERN CONFERENCE

W L T Pts GF GA

Los Angeles 4 1 3 15 10 7

Real Salt Lake 4 0 0 12 8 1

Seattle 2 2 3 9 7 7

Colorado 3 3 0 9 8 7

Portland 2 3 1 7 9 13

FC Dallas 2 3 1 7 8 9

Chivas USA 1 2 3 6 5 6

Vancouver 1 3 3 6 10 12

San Jose 1 3 2 5 6 9

NOTE: Three points for victory, one point for tie.

Friday's result

Houston 4, D.C. United 1

Today's games

San Jose at Philadelphia, 10 a.m.

Sporting Kansas City at New York, 1:30 p.m.

Vancouver at Columbus, 1:30 p.m.

Chicago at Colorado, 3 p.m.

Toronto FC at Seattle FC, 4 p.m.

Real Salt Lake at Portland, 4:30 p.m.

New England at Chivas USA, 4:30 p.m.

Sunday's game

Los Angeles at FC Dallas, 11 a.m.

TRANSACTIONS

BASEBALL

MLB--Suspended Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen two games and fined him an undisclosed amount for arguing balls and strikes then complaining about his ejection on Twitter during an April 27 game.

American League

CLEVELAND INDIANS--Reinstated INF Jason Donald from the 15-day DL and optioned him to Columbus (IL).

NEW YORK YANKEES--Reinstated C Francisco Cervelli from the 15-day DL. Assigned C Gustavo Molina to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (IL).

OAKLAND ATHLETICS--Reinstated C Kurt Suzuki from the paternity leave list. Optioned C Josh Donaldson to Sacramento (PCL).

TORONTO BLUE JAYS--Activated OF Rajai Davis from the 15-day DL. Selected the contract of DH David Cooper from Las Vegas (PCL). Assigned OF Travis Snider and INF Chris Woodward to Las Vegas.

National League

LOS ANGELES DODGERS -- Placed 3B Casey Blake on the 15-day DL. Recalled INF Russell Mitchell from Albuquerque (PCL).

NEW YORK METS--Activated C Ronny Paulino from the 15-Day DL. Optioned C Mike Nickeas to Buffalo (IL).

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES--Recalled C Dane Sardinha from Lehigh Valley (IL). Assigned LHP Mike Zagurski to Lehigh Valley.

PITTSBURGH PIRATES--Returned INF Josh Rodriguez, a Rule 5 draft pick, to Cleveland.

BASKETBALL

Women's National Basketball Association

WASHINGTON MYSTICS--Acquired G Jasmine Thomas and a 2012 first-round draft pick from Seattle for G Katie Smith and C Jacinta Moore and Indiana's 2012 second- and third-round draft picks. Indiana received G Erin Phillips and a 2012 third-round pick from Seattle.

FOOTBALL

Canadian Football League

EDMONTON ESKIMOS--Signed QB Cody Kirby.

HOCKEY

National Hockey League

BUFFALO SABRES--Signed coach Lindy Ruff to a multiyear contract extension.

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING--Recalled F Marc-Antoine Pouliot, F Mike Angelidis and D Mathieu Roy from Norfolk (AHL).

SOCCER

Major League Soccer

D.C. UNITED--Activated G Steve Cronin from the disabled list. Placed MF Junior Carreiro on the disabled list.

NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION--Loaned G Tim Murray and F Ilija Stolica to USL PRO league club FC New York. Named Peter Fuller reserve team coach.

COLLEGE

NORTH CAROLINA STATE--Named Jeff Dunlap as its director of basketball operations.

SAN FRANCISCO--Named Scott Sidwell athletic director.

SYRACUSE--Named Chris Gedney senior associate athletics director.

TEXAS A&M-CORPUS CHRISTI--Named Kenneth Turner men's assistant basketball coach.

WISCONSIN--Signed men's basketball coach Bo Ryan to a contract extension.

GOLF

ZURICH CLASSIC

Friday's second round

Bubba Watson 66-68 -- 134

Josh Teater 69-66 -- 135

John Rollins 67-69 -- 136

John Senden 70-67 -- 137

Jason Dufner 68-69 -- 137

Matt Jones 66-71 -- 137

Webb Simpson 68-69 -- 137

Dean Wilson 73-64 -- 137

Tommy Gainey 67-71 -- 138

Steve Stricker 70-68 -- 138

David Mathis 70-68 -- 138

Luke Donald 68-71 -- 139

K.J. Choi 68-71 -- 139

Nick O'Hern 67-72 -- 139

Cameron Tringale 72-67 -- 139

David Hearn 71-68 -- 139

Camilo Villegas 71-68 -- 139

Matt Bettencourt 68-71 -- 139

Nick Watney 71-68 -- 139

Joe Durant 67-72 -- 139

Billy Mayfair 69-70 -- 139

Chris DiMarco 72-68 -- 140

Charles Howell III 68-72 -- 140

Hunter Haas 69-71 -- 140

Charlie Wi 70-70 -- 140

Chris Couch 71-69 -- 140

Brian Davis 71-70 -- 141

D.A. Points 70-71 -- 141

Jeff Maggert 72-69 -- 141

Blake Adams 73-68 -- 141

Peter Tomasulo 71-70 -- 141

George McNeill 71-70 -- 141

Greg Chalmers 72-69 -- 141

David Toms 70-71 -- 141

Brendon de Jonge 72-69 -- 141

Aron Price 72-69 -- 141

Joseph Bramlett 69-72 -- 141

Brandt Jobe 71-71 -- 142

Kevin Streelman 72-70 -- 142

Carl Pettersson 67-75 -- 142

Jason Bohn 71-71 -- 142

Brian Gay 71-71 -- 142

Ben Crane 69-73 -- 142

Lee Janzen 71-71 -- 142

Scott Gutschewski 73-69 -- 142

Nate Smith 75-67 -- 142

Colt Knost 72-70 -- 142

John Merrick 73-69 -- 142

Chez Reavie 71-71 -- 142

Vijay Singh 74-68 -- 142

Robert Allenby 72-70 -- 142

Rickie Fowler 70-72 -- 142

Fabian Gomez 71-71 -- 142

Billy Horschel 72-70 -- 142

Richard S. Johnson 72-71 -- 143

Shane Bertsch 74-69 -- 143

Vaughn Taylor 70-73 -- 143

Troy Matteson 71-72 -- 143

Alexandre Rocha 70-73 -- 143

Steve Flesch 73-70 -- 143

Andres Romero 72-71 -- 143

Keegan Bradley 73-70 -- 143

Marc Turnesa 70-73 -- 143

Ryan Palmer 70-73 -- 143

Michael Bradley 74-69 -- 143

Charley Hoffman 69-74 -- 143

Tim Herron 72-71 -- 143

Jeff Overton 73-70 -- 143

Tag Ridings 72-71 -- 143

Chris Stroud 73-70 -- 143

Martin Piller 70-73 -- 143

AVNET CLASSIC

Thursday's second round

Hawaii golfer in bold

Sandra Gal 70-67 -- 137

Amy Yang 70-68 -- 138

Stacy Lewis 68-71 -- 139

Karen Stupples 68-71 -- 139

Song-Hee Kim 67-72 -- 139

Suzann Pettersen 72-68 -- 140

Sun Young Yoo 72-68 -- 140

Jenny Suh 71-69 -- 140

Sarah Kemp 70-70 -- 140

Se Ri Pak 69-71 -- 140

Mindy Kim 73-68 -- 141

Alena Sharp 72-69 -- 141

Christina Kim 70-71 -- 141

Paige Mackenzie 70-71 -- 141

Na Yeon Choi 69-72 -- 141

Jimin Kang 73-69 -- 142

Candie Kung 72-70 -- 142

Morgan Pressel 72-70 -- 142

Alexis Thompson 71-71 -- 142

Grace Park 67-75 -- 142

Aree Song 74-69 -- 143

Chella Choi 73-70 -- 143

Mi Hyun Kim 73-70 -- 143

Shanshan Feng 72-71 -- 143

Katherine Hull 72-71 -- 143

Haeji Kang 72-71 -- 143

Paula Creamer 71-72 -- 143

Juli Inkster 71-72 -- 143

Laura Diaz 75-69 -- 144

Jessica Korda 75-69 -- 144

Natalie Gulbis 74-70 -- 144

Angela Stanford 74-70 -- 144

Amanda Blumenherst 73-71 -- 144

Azahara Munoz 73-71 -- 144

Haru Nomura 73-71 -- 144

Hee Young Park 73-71 -- 144

Laura Davies 72-72 -- 144

Reilley Rankin 72-72 -- 144

Dewi Claire Schreefel 72-72 -- 144

Brittany Lincicome 71-73 -- 144

Maria Hjorth 70-74 -- 144

Ilhee Lee 79-66 -- 145

Kris Tamulis 75-70 -- 145

Taylor Leon 74-71 -- 145

Karin Sjodin 74-71 -- 145

Maria Hernandez 73-72 -- 145

Tiffany Joh 73-72 -- 145

Jee Young Lee 73-72 -- 145

Anna Nordqvist 73-72 -- 145

Beatriz Recari 73-72 -- 145

Dori Carter 72-73 -- 145

Lorie Kane 72-73 -- 145

Brittany Lang 72-73 -- 145

Heather Bowie Young 72-73 -- 145

Stephanie Sherlock 71-74 -- 145

Marcy Hart 70-75 -- 145

Stacy Prammanasudh 70-75 -- 145

Karrie Webb 77-69 -- 146

Cristie Kerr 76-70 -- 146

Kristy McPherson 76-70 -- 146

Karine Icher 75-71 -- 146

Eunjung Yi 75-71 -- 146

Mhairi McKay 74-72 -- 146

Pornanong Phatlum 74-72 -- 146

Nicole Hage 73-73 -- 146

Jin Young Pak 73-73 -- 146

Ashli Bunch 72-74 -- 146

Angela Oh 69-77 -- 146

Mina Harigae 78-69 -- 147

Wendy Ward 75-72 -- 147

M.J. Hur 74-73 -- 147

Samantha Richdale 74-73 -- 147

Jennifer Song 74-73 -- 147

Cindy LaCrosse 73-74 -- 147

Ryann O'Toole 73-74 -- 147

Gerina Piller 73-74 -- 147

Hee Kyung Seo 73-74 -- 147

Failed to qualify

Sarah Jane Smith 77-71 -- 148

Hee-Won Han 76-72 -- 148

Michelle Wie 76-72 -- 148

AUTO RACING

CROWN ROYAL PRESENTS THE MATTHEW & DANIEL HANSEN 400 LINEUP

After Friday qualifying; race today

1. (42) Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevrolet, 128.639 mph.

2. (78) Regan Smith, Chevrolet, 128.382.

3. (33) Clint Bowyer, Chevrolet, 128.272.

4. (4) Kasey Kahne, Toyota, 128.15.

5. (5) Mark Martin, Chevrolet, 128.053.

6. (24) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 128.011.

7. (2) Brad Keselowski, Dodge, 128.011.

8. (99) Carl Edwards, Ford, 128.005.

9. (20) Joey Logano, Toyota, 127.98.

10. (27) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 127.956.

11. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 127.78.

12. (29) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 127.66.

13. (39) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 127.473.

14. (47) Bobby Labonte, Toyota, 127.473.

15. (13) Casey Mears, Toyota, 127.455.

16. (30) David Stremme, Chevrolet, 127.401.

17. (1) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 127.352.

18. (43) A J Allmendinger, Ford, 127.334.

19. (00) David Reutimann, Toyota, 127.334.

20. (18) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 127.31.

21. (56) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, 127.304.

22. (66) Michael McDowell, Toyota, 127.298.

23. (16) Greg Biffle, Ford, 127.131.

24. (88) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 127.095.

25. (31) Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, 127.047.

26. (87) Joe Nemechek, Toyota, 127.023.

27. (6) David Ragan, Ford, 127.017.

28. (38) Travis Kvapil, Ford, 126.892.

29. (36) Dave Blaney, Chevrolet, 126.886.

30. (48) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 126.88.

31. (14) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 126.713.

32. (60) Mike Skinner, Toyota, 126.582.

33. (17) Matt Kenseth, Ford, 126.393.

34. (09) Landon Cassill, Chevrolet, 126.351.

35. (9) Marcos Ambrose, Ford, 126.269.

36. (22) Kurt Busch, Dodge, 126.21.

37. (83) Brian Vickers, Toyota, 126.186.

38. (32) Ken Schrader, Ford, 126.139.

39. (34) David Gilliland, Ford, 125.915.

40. (46) J.J. Yeley, Chevrolet, 125.488.

41. (71) Andy Lally, Ford, 124.832.

42. (7) Robby Gordon, Dodge, Owner Points.

43. (37) Tony Raines, Ford, 125.482.

Failed to qualify

44. (92) Brian Keselowski, Dodge, 123.288.

• Bob Ryan of The Boston Globe: "All those years, all those playoff series, and we’ve never seen anything like this around here. One playoff game in which the visitor leads late, real late, and loses? Sure. It happens. You know, you can’t win ’em all. But two of these things in the same series, and not only that, but Games 1 and 2, leaving the visitors beyond frustration and the coach of the Celtics almost apologizing for being up, 2-0? We’ve entered virgin series territory. Doc Rivers looked as if he had just run the Marathon -- with a Steinway on his back. It’s been a long time since a winning Celtics coach was so completely and utterly subdued when his team was up, 2-0. 'We won the game,’ he said, in a voice barely above a whisper. 'In the playoffs, the whole key is to win games, and that’s what we did.’ "
• Julian Benbow of The Boston Globe: "The Knicks did more than complain about two non-calls in the final minute of Game 1. They sent tape of the controversial plays to the league office, according to an NBA source. The Knicks had problems with Garnett’s collision with Toney Douglas that preceded Allen’s winning 3-pointer with 11.6 seconds left. And they also pointed out to the NBA that Delonte West ran onto the court after Allen’s trey to chest bump him. The Knicks wanted a technical foul for six players on the court. According to the source, the NBA admitted that Garnett’s trip of Douglas, who was chasing Allen, was a foul."
• Dan Duggan of the Boston Herald: "Von Wafer may not play a minute this postseason. But the fact that he’s been in uniform for the Celtics for their first two playoff games against the Knicks signifies a major personal accomplishment. Wafer had plenty of baggage when he signed a non-guaranteed, one-year contract for the veteran’s minimum last summer. The 25-year-old shooting guard was out of the NBA last season and knew he was running out of chances. Wafer didn’t know what to expect when he signed with the C’s, but he wanted the opportunity to prove he could be a contributor on a winning team. With the Celtics stacked with talent and experience, it didn’t look like Wafer would get much of a chance to make an impression. But through every checkpoint, Wafer remained. He earned one of the last roster spots out of training camp, stuck around after Delonte West was activated from his 10-game, season-opening suspension and survived the January deadline when non-guaranteed contracts become guaranteed for the season. 'I don’t think people thought that I could last here and I stayed,' Wafer said. 'Hopefully I answered a lot of questions. I feel like I did well. I feel like I could have done better, but I think I did good.' "
• Harvey Araton of The New York Times: "On another red-hot playoff night against the Celtics, Carmelo Anthony was partnered with Ronny Turiaf and Bill Walker, Jared Jeffries and Roger Mason Jr., Melo and his merry band of ornery no-names. And no longer was there any debate over who the Knicks’ leading man would have to be for what nearly turned into one of the greatest nonfinals games in the history of the franchise. Anthony was born for such situations, which began with the bad -- Chauncey Billups out with a strained knee -- and turned into the presumably catastrophic when Amar’e Stoudemire went down with back spasms in the second quarter. ... Until an inspirational win devolved into another deflating defeat, Anthony was Walt Frazier taking the baton from Willis Reed in Game 7 of the 1970 finals. He was Bernard King with fingers taped like a mummy, taking it to the Pistons in a decisive first-round game in 1985. To criticize Anthony on a night when he rang up 42 points, grabbed 17 rebounds and had 6 assists would be a flagrant nitpicking foul. But let us just say that the first two games of his Knicks’ playoff career -- or we should say endgames -- were paradoxical to the point where they could make for a compelling episode of 'The Twilight Zone.' "
• Frank Isola of the New York Daily News: "The ball was in his hands at the end. Then Jeffries' hands. Briefly. D'Antoni can talk about Jeffries being open and Jeffries sure did get loose for the layup that was the last New York basket on this night, the one that put the Knicks ahead 93-92 with just under 20 seconds left. You still have to know whom you're throwing the ball to. Jared Jeffries. At the very end, bitter end, he was the game-changer on Carmelo's night. When Anthony was walking with Knick giants, and legends. Until things went wrong in Boston again. Until the ball was out of his hands and into Jared Jeffries, on its way to Kevin Garnett. 'I thought we played great,' Anthony said in a quiet voice that seemed to end up on the floor in front of him the way the game had. The Knicks could not win the last minute on Sunday night, could not win the last minute Tuesday night. They have shown they have it in them, even down two stars, to play with the Celtics in the playoffs. They just can't beat them."
• Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times: "In a hotel ballroom Tuesday, Lamar Odom received his NBA sixth man award amid a hooting standing ovation from his teammates. On his new reality show, Odom is scolded by his wife about being too loyal to his best friend. In an emotional acceptance speech Tuesday, Odom spoke with passion and strength about the selflessness that led to the honor. On his new reality show, Odom is ridiculed by his brother-in-law for not making the All-Star team. Everyone contends that neither the Lakers nor one of their most important players suffered during the making -- and now, showing -- of the cheesy series about the married life of an NBA star and a D-League celebrity. But, still, one shaky game into the postseason, you have to wonder whether the 'Khloe & Lamar' show is working out a lot better for Khloe than Lamar. 'People always want to make something out of nothing,' said Khloe Kardashian, rolling her eyes. 'People want to make this out to be a distraction, but it's not.' ... After watching Odom accept his award Tuesday, Khloe told me emphatically, 'The show has been therapy for Lamar. It's been a real release.' There was once a time when therapy involved only a closed door and a couch, but in today's reality, that's old news. While Odom's sixth man award was a tribute to his ability to escape the bench, he hasn't been so lucky with the Kardashians."
• Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel: "The Orlando Magic may have saved their season Tuesday night. And to do it, they relied on a tried-and-true formula: an improved defense, a critical hustle play by Jameer Nelson and a 48-minute dose of Dwight Howard. Riding another Herculean performance by their all-star center, the Magic outlasted the Atlanta Hawks 88-82 in an intense, emotional Game 2 to even their first-round series at one game apiece. 'This one to me came down to one thing for us,' Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. 'We played extremely hard.' No one more than Howard. With his parents and son watching from the Amway Center stands, Howard played the entire game, scored 33 points and collected 19 rebounds. Van Gundy asked him three or four times if he needed to take a take a seat on the bench, and Howard invariably responded, 'Keep playing.' "
• Jeff Schultz of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "They won game one and threw a scare into Orlando in game two. Forget the odds. Forget the mood swings of the regular season. Forget the part of you that says, 'I don’t like this team. I don’t trust this team. They’re going nowhere.' The Hawks didn’t guarantee themselves a playoff series upset with their performances in Orlando. But they certainly sent a message in game two that game one wasn’t a fluke. After winning the series opener Saturday, they led the heavily favored and desperate Magic by as much as 10 points in the second quarter, fizzled, fell behind by 14 in the fourth, looked dead and then showed the fight and resiliency that too often was missing this season to pull to within two at 78-76 with two minutes left. In the end, they ran out of gasps and spasms, losing 88-82 Tuesday night. But Orlando walked off their home court with their hearts nearly jumping out of their chest -- and this time Jameer Nelson didn’t make a stop to make a crack about catching Chicago in the second round."
• Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News: "The Mavericks have done what a lot of people didn’t think they could. They have conquered demons. They have played physical and been the better team doing so. They have scored at crunch time without relying on their jump shooting. They even exorcised Danny Crawford. But mostly, they proved to everybody, including themselves, that they can act like a highly seeded playoff team and take charge of a playoff series. They did that with a 101-89 victory Tuesday night against the Portland Trail Blazers to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-7 first-round series. It’s not over. The Mavericks are only halfway to advancing to the next round, but they held home court at American Airlines Center and head to Portland for Games 3 and 4 with plenty of confidence. The Mavericks played gritty defense, often forcing the Blazers deep into the shot clock before they could get a good look at the rim. In the fourth quarter, the Blazers were 4-of-10 from the field and were outscored by 11."
• Jason Quick of The Oregonian: "Brandon Roy, the face of the franchise, had to fight off tears. The urge to break down came in the first half of the Blazers' 101-89 defeat to the Mavericks. It was in part because of the humiliation of being the Blazers' last substitute, chosen to play after Nicolas Batum, Rudy Fernandez, and even Patty Mills. ... All told, the three-time All-Star played a scoreless 7:59, missed his only shot from the field, missed both of his free throws, and made one turnover. 'There was a point in the first half, and I was thinking 'You better not cry,' ' Roy said. 'I mean, serious. I mean, there was a moment where I felt really sorry for myself. Then I was like, nah, you can't be sorry for yourself. I'm a grown man, but there was a moment there that I felt sorry for myself. Especially when I think I can still help.' Roy was one of the first players to leave the locker room, but when he was stopped in the hallway, the hurt and confusion were still evident. 'I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little hurt, or disappointed,'' Roy said. 'But the biggest thing is to keep moving, to try and keep my spirits up. But it's tough man. I just …. I just always thought I would be treated better. That was a little disappointing for me.' Earlier in the day, Roy said he is frustrated that people think his biggest obstacles are his knees. His knees, which were both operated on in January, feel good, he says. It is his mental game that needs work, Roy says."
• Tom Sorensen of The Charlotte Observer: "As Chris Paul led the New Orleans Hornets to an upset road victory against the Los Angeles Lakers Sunday, you had to consider the obvious: What would it take to coax him to Charlotte? Luck? A maximum contract? Paul likes to bowl. In Matthews, there's AMF Carolina Lanes. Change it to AMF Wake Forest Lanes. Paul is a Deacon. Paul has one more season after this one on his contract. Then he's free. He told Mike Cranston of The Associated Press that returning to N.C. to play for Michael Jordan's Charlotte Bobcats 'would definitely be something to think about.' Via Twitter, Paul backed away from the statement. He, after all, is gainfully employed by New Orleans, and he's not allowed to be disloyal or distracted. If he's not great again tonight when his team plays the Lakers, his team doesn't win. ... The trend is to be one of the many. LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined Dwayne Wade in Miami. Anthony joined Amare Stoudemire in New York. But isn't there also appeal in being one of the few? The Bobcats have no tradition. They wear orange. One time they made the playoffs. One time they had an all-star. Some nights people buy tickets to watch them play. If Paul showed up, he'd be the savior. He'd give Jordan credibility as an NBA owner and Charlotte a reason to care. He'd be saluted locally and nationally for having the guts to go his own way. Instead of being part of a trend, he'd start one."
• Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle: "Daryl Morey indicated there will be many changes. Though Rick Adelman, 64, often spoke of a lack of stability in his four seasons, with only Luis Scola and Chuck Hayes remaining from his first Rockets team, Morey spoke of the perils of standing pat. Rather than tweak the roster as Adelman likely favored, he said he would continue to aggressively seek changes. 'The mistakes that are done across the league are teams that stabilize on a foundation that wins you games and maybe preserves jobs, but they're not making the tough choices with either players or in other areas that give you the change you need to get you where you want to be,' Morey said. 'There's going to be change coming -- more change. We believe in the plan. The plan is to try to continue to bring in quality players who are improving versus declining … and continue to work to use trades. 'We're going to be a team that's young and improving, and we're going to be a team that tries to trade our way to improvement. At the end of the day, judge that. If you're ready to judge that we're already not sort of executing on the plan, that's fine. We're going to continue to execute on it until it works. Stability is a factor in teams that win the championship. But if you stabilize on a team that's going to end up short of that, then all you're doing is spinning your wheels in the 45-win range.' Morey would not discuss what he will seek in the next coach, saying the priorities have not been finalized. Though he spoke with Rockets assistants Jack Sikma and Elston Turner, no interviews have been scheduled with any candidates. Turner through his agent, withdrew his name from consideration Tuesday."
• Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune: "Six days have gone by since the Timberwolves' 17-victory season ended and no word yet on the future of Kurt Rambis. Don't hold your breath. This thing probably will stretch on into next week at least. David Kahn left on Thursday for league meetings in New York and now I believe he's back home in Portland for much of this week. I'm not sure if he and Rambis have met yet to discuss the future, other than the exit meetings with players that they held together last week. Much like how the Kevin McHale decision played out over days and weeks the last time, I expect this one to end with word that Rambis and his staff wont be back. But you never know ... At issue still is whether Glen Taylor is willing to pay Rambis $4 million to go away and then pay a new coach quite possibly well more than Rambis was making with a lockout looming. Either way, it's not right to let a guy who has eight NBA title rings back in his drawer at home to twist in the wind like this."
• Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News: "Tayshaun Prince and Ben Wallace are used to being in the thick of things come the postseason. But, minutes after what could be their last game together with the Pistons, Prince wondered aloud about how he, Wallace and Richard Hamilton would be remembered. 'When guys leave on top, it's a different scenario,' said Prince, who is an unrestricted free agent, while Wallace could retire and Hamilton is likely to be traded. 'A scenario like this, where things are on a downturn, I don't know how people will perceive us.' The usually stoic Prince hopes fans won't allow the bad taste of this season, where the internal drama was matched only by losing 52 games, to sully the good memories of the past eight seasons."
• Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic: "Suns forward Grant Hill was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame ... Board of Governors. Hill will be considered for hall election as a player after retirement, and it will not hurt his case that he became the first active player to sit on the Hall of Fame's board. Hill will serve a three-year term on a board chaired by Jerry Colangelo, who remains the chairman of the Suns. 'It is truly an honor to be elected as a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Board of Governors and to represent the living history of basketball,' Hill said in a statement. 'It is important for the current generation of players to get involved with the Hall to help recognize the greatest in the game who have gone before us.' The board governs the Hall of Fame and its election process, raises revenue and aims to increase awareness."
• Doug Smith of the Toronto Star "I believe, and it’s a commonly held opinion among most coaches I’ve talked to, that a rotation of three bigs is optimal with a fourth ready to fill in when the inevitable injuries occur. So, if you’ve got Bargnani and Davis and Johnson and have some thoughts of bringing Reggie back, where’s there room for Mr. X? Does it mean no Reggie? Does it mean Bargnani gets dealt? Or how about Amir being traded? Someone’s got to go if Bryan’s going to do what he says must be done. One thing I wonder, though? Given his basketball instincts, and the fact there’s still room to put some muscle on his growing body, does Ed Davis grow into some defensive presence? Is that possible? We know he’s already a pretty good help side defender and we’ve seen him rebound the ball effectively and, with 15 or so more pounds on his frame, is that something he can do? Guess time will tell; trouble is, they don’t have an abundance of time."
• Frank Zicarelli of the Toronto Sun: "The man known as Smitty [Steve Smith] is right. What he didn’t say, but something many are saying behind closed doors, is that the Tim Donaghy cloud still hovers over the league, whether the NBA wants to admit to it or not. Of course mistakes will be made, shots that should drop hit iron, matchups that should be exploited are not because of poor coaching, there’s a myriad situations that could go either way. The NBA’s current rules do not allow for instant replay to review whether a player committed goaltending. It should and Perkins’ flagrant goaltending must serve as the catalyst for change. The bottom line is the NBA had an opportunity to at least trigger a dialogue that would lead to something tangible. All it did was reveal its insecurity and vulnerability. The play in question began with a missed Russell Westbrook jumper, which followed with Perkins’ hand going through the net and then outside the rim for the tap-in. 'Although a player is permitted to touch the net while the ball is in the cylinder above the rim, Perkins also touched the ball while it was still in the cylinder which is a violation and constitutes goaltending,' the NBA said in its statement. What the statement didn’t say is that the league is still troubled by the Donaghy fall-out."
• Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee: "I was off for a few days, but it's impossible to stay away from this Kings situation, especially with relocation chairman Clay Bennett and NBA legal consultant Harvey Benjaming coming to Sacramento Thursday and Friday. While there has been considerable angst about Stern's selection of Bennett to head the committee - this is owner who moved the Sonics from Seattle to Oklahoma City in 2008 after all -- I would just say this: Stern is too smart to be so obvious. He is also an attorney. If he wanted to simply rubber stamp the Kings' relocation to Anaheim or elsewhere, he would have put someone other than Bennett to lead the study. And he never would have agreed to extending the deadline to May 2. Just my opinion. Just too logical."
• Bob Finnan of The News-Herald: "The good news is the Cavaliers' 3.93 average television rating was the seventh-best in the NBA. The bad news? The Sports Business Journal reported the Cavs experienced a 54-percent drop on Fox Sports Ohio, the biggest yearly ratings decrease in at least seven years. The Cavs were the local ratings leader in 2009-10 in the NBA. The Cavs' huge drop can be traced to their 19-63 record and the loss of two-time MVP LeBron James in free agency. A Cavs spokesman looked at the positive aspect of the story. 'We feel great that our ratings are clearly in the top tier of the league,' he said. ... Even though the Cavs' TV ratings are down, they are quick to point out there is still considerable interest in the team. They are ranked in the top 10 in the league in website traffic for cavs.com, and they are in the top five in social media elements."

At the 5:25 mark of the third quarter in last night's Knicks-Celtics playoff matchup, TNT play-by-play man Marv Albert duly noted that the Boston Celtics were playing "Carmelo Anthony and a bunch of other guys." Perhaps you prefer the more colorful and alliterative "Melo and the Mutts," from Newsday beat writer Alan Hahn, or Carmelo and the Austin Toros, from ESPN's Bill Simmons.

Whatever the moniker you choose to place upon the heads of the New York Knicks after Amar'e Stoudemire left the game with back spasms, keep in mind that the Celtics only outscored them by two points from that moment forward. Boston may have ultimately won the game, 96-93, giving itself a 2-0 series lead, but the Knicks somehow have momentum and an upper hand heading into Madison Square Garden.

Carmelo Anthony channeled his inner Bernard King circa 1984, scoring 30 of his 42 points (to go along with 17 total rebounds) in the last 26 minutes of the game, but the Knicks stayed competitive because of superb bench play, mainly on the glass. The Knicks outrebounded the Celtics 53-37, 20-9 on the offensive boards. Those are perplexing stats considering Boston outrebounded New York by a combined 43 caroms in its first five victories over the Knicks this season.

Even with leading rebounder Amar'e Stoudemire out, the Knicks, who often eschewed rebounding for running out on the fast break or shooting spot-up three-pointers all season, displayed superb elementary-school fundamentals all night by boxing out and grabbing every loose ball afforded to them. It was a shocking display of aggressiveness and reckless abandon from a team who took off its white collar in favor of a blue one, perhaps setting a trend for the rest of the series.

No other player exemplifies the "mutt" mentality of the night than Knicks guard Bill Walker. Usually the least athletic and talented player on the floor last night, Walker missed all 11 of his shots, but managed to grab eight rebounds and make two steals. He led the Knicks with a plus-10 rating, second overall only to the efficient Ray Allen's plus-11.

Ronny Turiaf (six points, three offensive rebounds, excellent defense on Kevin Garnett) and even Jared Jeffries (10 points, six rebounds) got into the fray. Turiaf, a throwaway in the David Lee trade, and Jeffries, a free agent who was tossed away like a rag doll by Houston in February, were also-rans in their past life but showed their abilities to answer the bell when need be.

So what does Game 2 tell us about Game 3 overall? While the Celtics have four bona fide All-Stars to the Knicks' two, New York's rotation has somehow proven to be much deeper than Boston's, as it can realistically depend on as many as 11 players for solid contributions in one area of the game or another. This will prove greatly beneficial if the series stretches out.

On the contrary, consider that all four of the Celtics' bench players had plus-minus ratings between minus-five and minus-11 tonight. They combined for 14 points and 11 rebounds in 57 minutes. Not much better than their eight points and eight rebounds in 58 minutes in the series opener.

Because of the bench's ineptitude, Boston's Big Four played anywhere from 34 to 43 minutes in both Games 1 and 2. What if one of them gets into foul trouble? What if one of them gets hurt? What if one of them just collapses due to exhaustion? Nenad Krstic and Jeff Green look like babes in the woods, and Glen Davis is the team's only consistently reliable bench player right now.

Amar'e Stoudemire will be back for Game 3, according to Mike D'Antoni. Chauncey Billups will most likely play. The solution for wins in the Garden if they both play? Haul ass. The Celtics can't trust their bench, and they'll be walking into a wildly animated crowd that will be cheering its best Knicks team in over a decade. Some fast-break dunks or threes will send the crowd into upheaval and both tire and demoralize the C's quickly.

With the amount of confidence the Knicks have going into the Garden, taking the Celtics to the brink twice in a house of horrors (Doc Rivers noted that Boston was "lucky to win" Game 2 in the postgame presser), they have a leg up on the Celtics going into Games 3 and 4 back home. Maybe the Celtics have the 2-0 series lead, and recent history on their side, but when New York turned what should have been a blowout into a close game, it gave itself some momentum, a remarkable feat despite a loss.

Well, at least the numbers are with us. Typically, the home team in Game 2 of a best of 7 series wins 76% of the time, which is the highest winning percentage of any of the other 6 games. On top of that, the Kevin Garnett-led Celtics are 9-1 in the 10 Game 2's they've experienced, losing their only Game 2 to the Pistons at home in 2008 during the Eastern Conference Finals. So you know, there's that.

On top of that, we just got the news that Chauncey Billups is considered 'very doubtful' for tonight's game.

Then of course there was the prevailing feeling that IF New York was going to be able to steal a game in Boston, they lost that chance on Sunday night, and tonight's game had been looked at (you know, until writers had to do previews for today..now its all encylopedia dramatica) as nearly a foregone conclusion.

And I hope to God that none of the Celtics players have heard any of this.

I say that because after the 'hairs of our chinny chin chin' win on Sunday, I've almost got more questions than answers about these Knicks.

Carmelo Anthony, for one, remains quite an enigma. He of the inside-outside scoring threat, and the unstoppable first step and space-creating middle game became one of Boston's greatest allies late in Game 1, but that won't happen every time. While Paul Pierce needs to be credited with playing great defense on Melo, Mike D'Antoni wasn't wrong when he recently said, "He's fine. I'll be surprised if it happens twice."

Then there is of course the seemingly unstoppable force of Amar'e Stoudemire lurking in the front court like that bald-headed Frankenstien knockoff from 300. (more on him later)

Now I'm not trying to make you feel like the Celtics are the underdogs here. New York is without their starting point guard and most respected leader, Vegas has the Green Guys at +6.5 right now, and the Knicks haven't won a playoff game in Boston since before the Clinton administration (1990 Eastern Conference Semis). To say Boston will likely lose tonight is to go in the face of every piece of empirical evidence I could find.

Just don't tell that to the Celtics.

Graphics and formatting courtesy of Celticsblog's own resident renaissaince woman, FLCeltsFan

Probable Starting Matchups
Point Guard
vs
Rajon Rondo vs Toney Douglas
As we saw in Game 1, Chauncey Billups cannot contain Rajon Rondo. He just simply cannot stay in front of him. Now, that didn't stop Amar'e, Ronny Turiaf, and Jared Jefferies from rejecting Rajon Rondo like he was Screech Powers and they were Lisa Turtle, but we at least found out that Rondo can get into the paint at will against Billups. Regretfully, He's not playing Billups tonight, he's likely playing Toney Douglas. Ironically, I'm more scared of streaky Toney Douglas against Rondo than I was against Billups. Douglas can hang with Rondo defensively, but beyond that Douglas is capable of putting up points in a hurry. Billups is a bit more steady of the hand, and a bit more dependable, but Douglas is just a wild card, and where every game counts, I'd hate to see a 20pt explosion from him tonight. Rondo is still head and shoulders the better player, but if #9 lays an egg offensively and hesitates defensively, I think this can go the other way real fast.

vs
Ray Allen vs Landry Fields
As I said in the Game 1 preview, Fields cannot handle Ray Allen's 'perpetual motion' style of off-ball movement, and Ray Allen proved that to the tune of 24 points. Since Chauncey Billups is out tonight, I expect to see more of the same, and you also ought to expect New York to run a little more with Bill Walker at the 2 spot.  

vs
Paul Pierce vs Carmelo Anthony
This match-up should be a tone-setter for the rest of the series. Melo is coming off of a pretty terrible game that he is rightfully a bit upset about, and should be looking to turn the ship around with a scorching performance tonight. If Pierce and the Celtics can hold Carmelo back again, I expect his shot selection and his efficiency to decline further as the series develops, but if Carmelo can get his confidence high tonight, even in a New York loss, I don't like the Celtics odds in Game 3. 

vs
Kevin Garnett vs Amar'e Stoudemire
All I can say about the first game regarding Stoudemire is: Yikes. The guy can score from anywhere, and he proved pretty soundly that he can take Kevin Garnett off the dribble at any time. Garnett is one of the best defenders of the last 20 years, but what Stoudemire showed us in Game 1 would make Dennis Rodman balk. Honestly I expect a better showing from Garnett in this game, as KG is not a man to be taken twice, but the chance is there that Stoudemire at this point in his career might just be a bit too dynamic, and KG might be a bit too slow. I doubt it, but you'll have your answer tonight. Garnett should take tonight's game personally.

vs
Jermaine O'Neal vs Ronny Turiaf
Jermaine O'Neal will be looking to reprise his role as "most unlikely Game MVP of the playoffs" tonight, and frankly we need him. While Ronny Turiaf's 4-5 shooting performance was kind of unfortunate, Jermaine O'Neal's long arms and help defense were clearly a bigger factor on Sunday, and they'll need to be just that again if the Celtics want to slow down Carmelo Anthony again. We need JO to stay out of foul trouble and on the floor, and maybe even grab a few more rebounds (only 4 over 23 minutes a play, a number that would put him as the 83rd best rebounding center in the NBA over 48 minutes). Too much? I hope not.   




Celtics Reserves
Jeff Green
Glen Davis
Nenad Krstic
Delonte West
Sasha Pavlovic
Troy Murphy
Avery Bradley
Von Wafer
Carlos Arroyo

Injuries
Shaquille O'Neal (calf, Achilles, age) out 


Knicks Reserves
Toney Douglas
Shawne Williams
Jared Jeffries
Shelden Williams
Anthony Carter
Bill Walker
Renaldo Balkman
Derrick Brown
Roger Mason
Andy Rautins

Injuries
Shelden Williams (ankle) day to day

Keys To The Game:

1) Let Carmelo Anthony Try To Be Their Hero, Baby: Carmelo Anthony is capable of scoring 40 points tonight. However, he's just as capable of shooting the Knicks out of tonight's game. You know the old adage "shooters need to have a short memory"? Well Carmelo Anthony doesn't work that way. He's a passionate, but prideful player. He will not accept Sunday's performance in good spirits, and will be looking for redemption tonight. He will attempt at least 20 field goals tonight, I would bet my life X-Box on it. If the Celtics can hold him to making less than 10 of those 20+ field goal attempts tonight, that'd go a long ways towards securing win #2.

2) Rajon Rondo Needs Keep A Defensive Lid On Things: Rondo has had a rep for years of being a wrecking ball at the point guard position, a reputation he (justly) earned in strong performances during 2007-2008 and 2008-2009. After Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire, New York's best (but inconsistent) scoring option is now Toney Douglas. Rajon Rondo needs to keep Douglas moving towards the middle of the court, funneling him towards Jermaine O'Neal, and making sure Douglas doesn't get any open 3's, especially in transition.

3) Jeff Green Needs To...Be, Aggressive...B-E, Aggressive: Jeff Green, I think you played well last game. I really do. I think while your performance might not have showed up much on the stat line, you seemed to not make any mistakes and be in the right places at the right times. Thing is, tonight we're gonna need a little more. Glen Davis, he's got a problem. He's addicted to field goal attempts. Now, you can't stop him from shooting once he gets passed the ball, but for a moment let's observe that New York's best shot-blocker is Amar'e 'People Question My Defense" Stoudemire, and he's followed quickly by Ronny "I'm Really A Second String Center" Turiaf. Jeff Green, you need to use your swiss-army knife set of offensive skills to get yourself more involved. Yes, that means passing the ball sometimes, but not every time. Remember, this is the same Knicks team that let you shoot 50% against and put in 14 (pretty effortless) points. You can do it again.

Boston Celtics 87, New York Knicks 85

Well, that was something. If the rest of the playoffs will be like this, I'm going to need a pacemaker, and one of those life alert necklaces.

The first half was a story we'd heard before. The Celtics were missing out on boards, they weren't defending real well, and the offense was a bit stagnant. I believe the only Celtic in double digits was Rajon Rondo, who also only had 1 assist.

The second half...not so much. The C's defense just absolutely ratcheted up to playoff level intensity, and the offense finally started really clicking. Celtics got back to tie at around the 9:40 mark in the 4th, and they managed to hang tough (through some VERY frustrating plays) and put themselves in a position to win. A Ray Allen 3-pt shot with 10 seconds left on the clock sealed it. Wow, what a game.

Ray Allen led Boston with a very efficient 24 points on 9-15 shooting, but he wasn't hot early. He didn't take a single shot in the first frame, and only managed to attempt 3 in the whole first half. But in that second half, something clearly changed, and you saw guys like Delonte West (who played great tonight) sticking picks on guys like he was the left tackle for the Patriots. 3 field goal attempts in the first half turned into 12 in the second, including but not limited to his game winning shot with 11.6 seconds left.

Other Celtics of note:

Jermaine O'Neal: If I had to give a game ball to someone, it would probably be Ray, for hitting timely shot after timely shot, but Jermaine O'Neal's 6 for 6 shooting effort and more importantly 4 blocks (but again, a poor rebounding night!) to go with stellar defense was just a joy to see.

But the reason why Ray gets the nod over him (and KG, who had a great stat line, but not as great a game) is because you have to mention that the frontcourt players who played the most for the Knicks (Ronny Turiaf, Amar'e Stoudemire) combined to shoot 70% from the field and 37 points.

Paul Pierce: Pierce was awesome tonight, but, like the Cleveland series last year, it wasn't because of his offense (which was still pretty awesome). Carmelo Anthony took 18 shots tonight, but was held to only 15 points, and shot less than 30% from the field. (I guess someone read the game preview, eh Paul Pierce?)

Jeff Green: Jeff played the type of game tonight that you used to see out of Big Baby (who shot terribly) on a regular basis. Green's stat line was lackluster, with just 4pts, no boards, and no nothin', but when he was out there he just hustled his butt off, he let the game come to him, and everyone just seemed to play a bit better for it. Green's effect on the Celtics is hard to peg down but harder not to acknowledge.

New York Knicks (0-0) @ Boston Celtics (0-0)
Round 1, Game 1
Time: 7:00PM EST, Sunday, April 17th, 2011
Venue: TD Garden, Boston MA
Officials: Not Announced Yet
TV: TNT, CSN-NE Radio: WEEI
The Line: The Celtics swept the "New Knicks" this season,
making it the first time that it has happened since the
Championship season in 2008 (The Celtics were 3-1 against
the Knicks the last 2 yrs). The two teams have met in the
playoffs twelve different times over the past 60 years,
with each team winning six of the series.

GAME THREAD | WAR ROOM

At last. At last, the games will matter. At last we can stop wondering "How the Celtics will do in the playoffs". No more talk of seeding, of gaining or losing home court advantage, or 'sending a message'. There are no more messages to be sent, for better or worse the playoff seeding has been decided, and the road finally is clear. The answers we've all been waiting for are coming, my kiddies.

Tonight is just the beginning, and I for one could not be more excited. As I wrote about a week ago, I'm pretty satisfied with this match-up. Some people pulled for the 76ers, because they thought they'd be the easier opponent. Some were hoping for the Pacers, for a similar reason. Not me, I was pulling for the new-look Knicks, because I know this team. This team doesn't have a 'switch'. They're a bunch of old guys who are battle-tested and Championship worthy. With the season they've just had, they don't need a patsy first round opponent. They're like an old blade, and you don't sharpen your blade on butter. These Celtics need a challenge, they've got to earn their swagger back.

Tonight is just the first step, and I cannot wait to see what comes next. Click on the jump for a game breakdown and other fun goodies.

Graphics courtesy of our own lovely and talented author, FLCeltsFan

Probable Starting Matchups
Point Guard
vs
Rajon Rondo, Chauncey Billups

This is an interesting match-up, because frankly we don't really know what will happen. Rajon Rondo is fully capable of dominating Billups. Rondo is substantially quicker, and should be able to get wherever he wants when he has the ball in his hand.

But Billups is a crafty guy. He's not called "Mr. Big Shot" for nothing. He's seen every high-stakes moment the NBA can offer, and he will not wilt under the bright lights of the playoffs. Rondo however is a bit harder to peg down. he's been up and down all season, and he's been known to disappear for entire playoff series, let alone games. A big part of me wants to say that this match-up will define the series, but really it won't. If Rondo is on point, we'll say he was the key, but if he's not the Celtics still can take this as long as the defense holds up.

vs
Ray Allen V Landry Fields

Let me first say that I am a huge Landry Fields fan. I just like the way the kid plays, and heart he shows. Any team in the league would be lucky to have him, and the Knicks got an absolute steal in the second round of the draft.

That said, Ray Allen should destroy him in at least 2 or 3 of these games. Landry Fields is as dedicated a defender as the Knicks have at the swingman position, but he's not going to be able to keep up with Ray as he motors around those picks (assuming the picks are there). This is definitely a match-up to keep an eye on, if Ray can find his confidence early, this should be fun to watch.

vs
Paul Pierce V Carmelo Anthony

This will be an interesting match-up for the captain. We all know that Paul Pierce can ratchet up his defense in the playoffs, but Carmelo Anthony, along with being one of my favorite players to watch, is one of the top 2 or 3 pure scorers in basketball. His game actually mirrors Paul Pierce's pretty closely. As long as Pierce can keep Anthony from getting beyond 30 points per contest and/or shooting below 45% from the field, it should be a net gain.

vs
Kevin Garnett V Amar'e Stoudemire
Amar'e is a pretty awesome force to watch. He can score from anywhere inside the 3pt line, he can still jump out of the gym, and he's blossomed into a bit of a leader. However, I'm not sure he's up to the task of taking on Kevin Garnett for an entire playoff series. It is the little things that define Kevin Garnett, and once these playoffs get rolling, Stoudemire will be hard put to find many easy shots. Granted, I fully expect Amar'e to average 18 or so points per game, but I think if anyone can limit the so called STAT, its KG.

vs
Jermaine O'Neal V Ronny Turiaf

Neither one of these guys should show up too much in the boxscore (although Turiaf did manage to hit double digits in an earlier game against the Boston Celtics this season), and they don't need to. Jermaine O'Neal doesn't seem to score much in the Boston offense, and Ronny Turiaf hasn't had a play called for him all season. Basically, these guys are just here to play defense and chew bubble gum, and I've heard confirmation that they're just about out of Juicy Fruit.





Celtics Reserves
Jeff Green
Glen Davis
Jermaine O'Neal
Nenad Krstic
Delonte West
Sasha Pavlovic
Troy Murphy
Avery Bradley
Von Wafer
Carlos Arroyo

Injuries
Shaquille O'Neal (calf, Achilles, age) day to day
Delonte West (ankle) probable


Knicks Reserves
Toney Douglas
Shawne Williams
Jared Jeffries
Shelden Williams
Anthony Carter
Bill Walker
Renaldo Balkman
Derrick Brown
Roger Mason
Andy Rautins

Injuries
Shelden Williams (ankle) day to day

Keys To The Game:

1) Rebound, That Basketball!- The Celtics' greatest weakness beyond father time seems to be their soft play on the backboards. We saw this all too often last season, and this season has at times been pretty similar. Jermaine O'neal, our tallest and most talented 'true' center, recently managed to go for 31 straight minutes without a single rebound. Add Glen Davis's T-rex arms into that mix, and you've got a situation that can get dire pretty quickly, The Celtics need to set the tone early with their play regarding rebounds. The Knicks and Celtics are similar teams, in that both rely on their all-world power forwards to do a lot of heavy lifting regarding boards. In the end it will be the team that wants to rebound more that will get it.

2) Don't You, Forget About Ray- Ray Allen's career field goals attempted per 36 minutes is right a 14. This season, he's down to 12, since the All-Star break he's at 11, and in the six games he played in April, Ray was down to less than 9 field goal attempts per game. The Celtics have a clear advantage at the off guard against the Knicks, and they need to utilize it.

3) When The Garden's A-Rockin, Don't Come A-Knockin- Tonight the Celtics are going to have everything going for them heading into the game (except for Shaq). They'll be rested, they'll be well-practiced, and they'll have a packed house of rabid Boston fans. They need to make sure they take something from that, because as crazy as Boston fans are, New York fans aren't far behind, especially when they've got something cheer for. Madison Square Garden will be as tough for the Celtics to play in as TD Garden will be for the Knicks, so the Celtics need to take advantage of home court while they have it.