Video: Danny Granger steps back to slay the Knicks

Video: Danny Granger steps back to slay the Knicks
With 7.8 ticks remaining in the fourth quarter and the score knotted at 117 after a too-easy Carmelo Anthony layup, the New York Knicks rolled out their customary “switch all screens” final frame man-to-man defense, allowing Indiana Pacers star swingman Danny Granger to go one-on-one with Knicks reserve forward Shawne Williams in a “hit it and go home/lose it and go to overtime” situation. The result? Everybody in Indiana made curfew. The Knicks had a chance to tie or win with 0.3 seconds remaining, attempting a lob to the rim rather than a Trent Tucker rule prayer. The ill-designed alley-oop was doomed from the start, though, and Indy held on for the 119-117 home victory on Tuesday night. As Brett Pollakoff noted at Pro Basketball Talk, that final possession didn’t exactly cover either team in glory. While Indy put the game in the hands of its best scorer, it did so with an unimaginative isolation call leading to a mid-range jumper by a player who’s shot 32.7 percent, 25 percent, 39.6 percent and 28.3 percent in “clutch” situations over the past four seasons. And while Granger certainly deserves credit for making the shot after creating a clean look with the step-back, the Knicks certainly didn’t make life too difficult on him, eschewing ball denial and double-teaming in favor of sticking with a single-up-and-switch blueprint that makes creating quickness mismatches like Granger-on-Williams a heck of a lot easier. Granger’s sure shot — his second career last-second, game-winning bucket for the Pacers, according to Mike Wells at the Indianapolis Star — gave Indy its second win over the Knicks in three nights. It also put Frank Vogel’s team a half-game up on the idle Charlotte Bobcats in the race for the Eastern Conference’s eighth and final playoff spot; the two teams will square off in Charlotte next Wednesday. As for the Knicks? They’re now 34-32 on the season, and 6-6 since the deal that imported Carmelo with four losses to the Pacers and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Meanwhile, the Denver Nuggets sport an 8-2 mark since the trade. Mike D’Antoni believes in yesterday, but isn’t sure about tomorrow. Oh, and despite believing there’s a bullseye on their collective back (which is weird for a six seed), the team is starting to look scarily like one that will make an early-round playoff exit (NOTE: they were always going to!). Plus, the New York front line has single-handedly launched the Tyler Hansbrough for Most Improved Player Movement, giving up consecutive career-best performances to the former North Carolina standout. And on multiple occasions last night, Darren Collison made Chauncey Billups look like he was 57 years old. Outside of that, though, everything’s cream cheese. Luckily for the Knicks, New York fans (and media types, especially) are notoriously patient and measured in their responses to stuff like this, so they’ll have plenty of time to figure it all out. No pressure. International readers (“Int’l read’rs”): If the clip above isn’t rocking for you, please feel free to peruse the game-winner elsewhere, thanks to our man @Jose3030.

Hamilton, Monroe help Pistons end slide (AP)
It took 68 games, but Detroit Pistons coach John Kuester finally got the lineup he wanted. He started his four oldest players — Ben Wallace, Tayshaun Prince, Richard Hamilton and Tracy McGrady — along with rookie Greg Monroe. The group scored a season-high 38 points in the first quarter and Detroit ended a three-game losing streak with a 107-93 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night.

C-a-C: The loneliness of the long-limbed combo forward
“Lonely I’m Mr. Lonely I have nobody For my own I am so lonely I’m Mr. Lonely Wish I had someone To call on the phone” — Donte Greene, probably Best caption wins poems about togetherness. Buck up, chums, and good luck. In our last adventure: Zach Randolph and Tony Allen can hear us pumping on their stereo-o. Winner, MonsterSquad09: Tony Allen: “Clap your hands, everybody, and everybody clap your hands / We’re Lambda Lambda Lambda and / Omega Mu!” Runner-up, The Football God: “I Feel Pretty” never sounded so ugly. Second runner-up, Jason: Z-Bo does his best impression of a cackling Vincent Price while Tony Allen does the “Thriller” dance. A Special Commendation in Ruling, Things That Have Nothing To Do With Anything Really Division, goes out to Internet denizen Woot, who made this delightfully untethered reference: “I’m a vampire, I’m a vampire.” Well played, Woot. Shrewd tactics are always appreciated here at the C-a-C.

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Lakers end struggles versus Bobcats (AP)

Lakers end struggles versus Bobcats (AP)
Even when the Los Angeles Lakers finally managed to beat the Charlotte Bobcats, the NBA’s youngest franchise still infused another bit of misery into the two-time defending champions’ lives. Kobe Bryant scored 27 points and the Lakers interrupted the Bobcats’ inexplicable mastery over them Friday night with a 92-84 victory.

Ducks D Visnovsky caps hat trick in OT (AP)
Lubomir Visnovsky provided one of the most improbable endings to a game in the 17-year history of the Anaheim Ducks. The 10th-year defenseman completed his second three-goal game in the NHL on a power play with 3.8 seconds left in overtime after Teemu Selanne scored the tying goal with 1:03 remaining in the third period, and the Anaheim Ducks pulled out a remarkable 4-3 victory over the Dallas…

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Tour Report: Dustin to return at the Memorial (PGA Tour)

Tour Report: Dustin to return at the Memorial (PGA Tour)
Dustin Johnson has missed nearly two months of competition. Halleran/Getty Images Dustin Johnson has missed nearly two months of competition. Dustin Johnson, who has been plagued by back pain for the better part of the last two months, plans to return to the PGA TOUR at the Memorial Tournament. Johnson has not played since he tied for 35th at the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship the second week in March. He had posted top-10 finishes in his three starts prior to Doral. “Obviously, I can’t wait to get back out and compete,” Johnson said in a statement released by his management company. “I came into this year with some big goals, including making our Ryder Cup team, so I’ve got some serious ground to make up this summer.” The Memorial Tournament will be played May 31-June 3 at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio. Johnson finished fourth in the event hosted by the legendary Jack Nicklaus a year ago. Johnson had arthroscopic surgery to repair cartilage damage to his right knee last November. In his first start of 2012, he withdrew from the Humana Challenge after the second round, citing back pain, and later did the same prior to the Arnold Palmer Invitational March in hopes of being ready for the Masters. The Friday prior to the start of the Masters, though, Johnson was trying to lift a jet ski near his home and severely strained his lower back muscles. He has been resting and rehabbing ever since. “I’m feeling better every day and working hard, so I plan to be 100 percent ready by the time the Memorial rolls around,” Johnson said. “I’m still a little rusty, but it’s falling off in chunks.” The five-time PGA TOUR champion had hoped to play in the HP Byron Nelson Championship this week. But he decided to wait two more weeks to be completely ready. “It will be great to get back out there and I can assure you I’ll be plenty motivated,” Johnson said.

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Tour Report: Live updates: News, notes and more (PGA Tour)

Tour Report: Live updates: News, notes and more (PGA Tour)
Rory McIlroy has an early tee time Friday. Ehrmann/Getty Images Rory McIlroy has an early tee time Friday. PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — The second round of THE PLAYERS Championship is under way from TPC Sawgrass, where we’ll have updates from throughout the day. Get the latest news, notes and more, and leave your comments below. Live Scores | Watch LIVE@ | Projected FedExCup LIVE UPDATES (All times ET) 12:45 p.m. — Don’t look now but Bill Haas is playing well in another of the PGA TOUR’s marquee events. Haas, who earned the FedExCup when he won a playoff at the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola last year, is 2 under through 15 holes and three strokes off the lead. 12:25 p.m. — It’s not necessarily a distinction you want to have but Fredrik Jacobson has hit the first ball in the water at the 17th hole. His tee shot traveled long and left, then his second from the drop area found dry land, 47 feet from the pin. A two-putt later the Swede had his second-double bogey of the day. 12:15 p.m. — Charlie Wi has just made a 10-foot birdie putt at the 17th hole — just the fourth birdie of the day on the famed island green — to move into that five-way tie for second. He’s 6 under for the day and 7 under for the tournament, two strokes behind Martin Laird. 12:05 p.m. — Birdies on three of his last four holes have moved Zach Johnson into a tie for second with his good friend Jonathan Byrd, Adam Scott and overnight leader Ian Poulter, who tees off at 1:39 p.m. Johnson finished solo second earlier this year at Harbour Town, another Pete Dye track 11:51 a.m. – A year ago, Harris English was studying for exams. This week he finds himself at the PGA TOUR’s signature event — among the leaders, too — after playing the front nine in 32. English has hit 5 of 7 fairways and 8 of 9 greens on the front nine while using just 13 putts to move to 5 under for the tourament. 11:37 a.m. — Luke Donald has just made his second eagle of the day — rolling in a 23-footer at the second hole, his 11th of the round — to move to 5 under. The world No. 2 also eagled No. 16 with a 5-foot putt. 11:20 a.m. — Jonathan Byrd has joined Martin Laird in the lead at 8 under after back-to-back birdies as he made the turn. Byrd, who rolled in birdie putts of 17 and 15 feet at Nos. 1 and 2, is 4 under for the day. 11 a.m. — Ian Poulter, who held a share of the overnight lead has had a leisurely start to the day. According to his tweets, the alarm went off at 10 a.m. and he headed to the beach for a run in advance of his 1:39 p.m. tee time. Turns out it was an interesting job: “Just seen a pack of dolphins just 100 yards out in the ocean. Not every day you see dolphins at a tournament,” he tweeted. 10:35 a.m. — Another birdie for Charlie Wi, who just got up-and-down from a greenside bunker on the par-5 11th. He now has birdies on two of his last three holes and is 7 under and now two shots back of Martin Laird, who just birdied the ninth hole to turn in 34. 10:15 a.m. — Martin Laird’s see-saw with the top of the leaderboard continues with Laird moving back to 8 under after bouncing back from his bogey with a birdie on the fifth hole. He’s made two pars since and is one clear of Ian Poulter. Charlie Wi, meanwhile, just turned in 31 with four birdies over his last six holes. Wi has the flat stick working with 12 putts through his first nine holes. 9:50 a.m. — Three Mayakoba Golf Classic winners are playing together on Friday. Johnson Wagner, the 2011 champ, is 3 under for the tournament and even par for the day.  TOUR rookie John Huh, who won  the event in February, is 3 under through four holes and even par for the tournament while Mark Wilson, the ’09 champ, is 1 under for the day and flirting with the cut at 1 over for the tournament. 9:15 a.m. — Martin Laird’s solo lead was short-lived — he bogeyed the fourth hole after three-putting from 50 feet. Laird is now back to 7 under and tied for the lead again with Ian Poulter, who will tee off at 1:39 p.m. Meanwhile, Jonathan Byrd has moved to within a shot of the lead after two birdies in his first six holes. 9 a.m. — The second round is under way from TPC Sawgrass and already Martin Laird has pulled into the lead by himself after a birdie on the par-5 second to get to 8 under and one shot clear of overnight co-leader Ian Poulter. Also out early: the Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlRoy and Steve Stricker group (click here to follow live).

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Diamondbacks cruise to 5-1 win over Nationals (Yahoo! Sports)

Diamondbacks cruise to 5-1 win over Nationals (Yahoo! Sports)
WASHINGTON (AP) Facing a struggling Washington lineup that can’t seem to get a timely hit, Trevor Cahill had no trouble extending an impressive run by Arizona’s starting rotation. Cahill took a four-hit shutout into the eighth inning, and the Diamondbacks beat Washington 5-1 Tuesday night to stretch the Nationals’ losing streak to five games. Teenager Bryce Harper went 0 for 3 in his home debut for the Nationals. Harper, the No. 1 pick in the 2010 draft, is 2 for 9 since being recalled from the minors on Saturday. Cahill (2-2) allowed one run and six hits in 7 1-3 innings, striking out five and walking one. Arizona starters are 4-0 with a 1.30 ERA over the past five games. ”We kind of build on one another,” Cahill said. ”Hitters say hitting’s contagious. Maybe pitching’s contagious, too. … After the first month you kind of get into a groove, and when everyone’s throwing like they are, you kind of build off one another. So it helps out a lot.” Signed as a free agent during the offseason, Cahill lowered his ERA to 3.13 with a 94-pitch gem. ”I think I made more quality pitches than any other start,” he said. ”I felt good. It’s just too bad I couldn’t continue and get deeper in the game.” Manager Kirk Gibson said, ”It’s the best he’s thrown for us.” After Ian Desmond hit an RBI single, Bryan Shaw got the last two outs in the eighth and David Hernandez worked a perfect ninth. Justin Upton had two hits and two RBIs, and John McDonald and Miguel Montero each had two hits and an RBI for the Diamondbacks. Washington has scored only seven runs during its five-game skid. The Nationals were mired in a run of 17 straight scoreless innings before the eighth and went 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position. After letting out an audible sigh, Washington manager Davey Johnson said, ”I feel like we’ve got the hitters that can hit. Not as aggressive as I’d like to see. We’re not getting a good strike and driving it. I know that talent is there. … It’s going to put a strain on the pitching staff if we don’t start scoring some runs.” Jordan Zimmermann (1-2) gave up four runs, three earned, in 6 1-3 innings. In four of his five starts, Washington has scored one run or fewer while he was on the mound. ”I can’t really speak for the offense,” the right-hander said. ”I just have to go out there and pitch the way I can pitch.” Harper received enthusiastic applause from the crowd of 22,675 when he stepped to the plate for the first time in the second inning. Teammate Stephen Strasburg drew 40,315 fans to the park for his debut in 2010, but that was also his first major league game. Harper struck out on four pitches in his first trip to the plate, missing badly on his three swings, but the crowd cheered again as the 19-year-old walked back to the dugout. In this next at-bat, Harper grounded out on a 3-2 pitch in the fifth. He also grounded out in the seventh. Harper did, however, play well in left field. After Jason Kubel led off the second with a double, Harper fielded a single and threw a no-hopper to the infield to keep Kubel at third. One inning later, Harper sprinted to the line to make a fine catch of an opposite-field liner hit by Gerardo Parra. Even better, Harper threw a 300-foot, no-bounce dart from left field to the plate on a sacrifice fly in the seventh inning and barely missed getting the runner. ”I just thought I had a shot,” Harper said. ”Reared back and gave it my all. That’s what I try to do, make plays like that.” Gibson, a former outfielder, said, ””It kind of surprised me. We knew he had a solid arm, but it was a pretty impressive throw.” Arizona got runners at the corners with one out in the second inning before Zimmermann struck out Cody Ransom and retired McDonald on a twisting liner to right field. The next time the Diamondbacks got a runner in scoring position, they didn’t waste the opportunity. Paul Goldschmidt reached second on a throwing error by Desmond from shortstop and McDonald delivered an RBI single to left. Arizona made it 2-0 in the sixth. Upton singled and stole second before Montero hit a two-out, run-scoring double. Limited to a pair of hits through five innings, the Nationals began the sixth with singles by Desmond and Steve Lombardozzi. But Rick Ankiel hit into a double play and Adam LaRoche bounced out meekly to second. Zimmermann left after two singles and an intentional walk loaded the bases in the seventh. Ryan Mattheus then hit Aaron Hill with a pitch and yielded a sacrifice fly to Upton. Upton singled in a run in the ninth. NOTES: Kubel, who was sidelined by an illness Monday, returned to go 1 for 4. He has hit safely in 12 of 13 games. … Nationals manager Davey Johnson said 3B Ryan Zimmerman (shoulder) began throwing Tuesday, will begin to hit this weekend and could be ready to come off the disabled list on Sunday. … Hill has reached base in 18 straight games.

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