76ers pull away in 3rd, beat Bulls 109-92 (Yahoo! Sports)
CHICAGO (AP) There wasn’t much for Jrue Holiday to improve on in this game, except maybe one thing. ”I could have been 15 for 15,” he said. Holiday didn’t hit all his shots. It just seemed like it. Holiday scored 26 points, Lou Williams added 20 and the Philadelphia 76ers beat Chicago 109-92 on Tuesday night to even their first-round series at 1-1 in the Bulls’ first game since Derrick Rose’s season-ending knee injury. The superstar point guard received a standing ovation and waved to the crowd as he limped onto the court to present the game ball, then watched from a suite as the 76ers blitzed the Bulls in the third quarter. ”I can’t tell you how exciting it is to come into Chicago and get a playoff win here on the road for our team,” coach Doug Collins said. ”It was a great, great night.” The Sixers outscored Chicago 36-14 in the period, turning an eight-point deficit into an 83-69 lead against the league’s top-seeded team. Game 3 is Friday in Philadelphia. ”This game we caught fire and it was pretty hard to put it out,” Holiday said. All the Bulls could do was shake their heads and vow to do better. ”Disappointed,” Chicago’s Joakim Noah said. ”Disappointing effort overall. We didn’t play well defensively. We didn’t play well offensively.” Holiday was 11 of 15 from the field, and the Sixers shot 59 percent overall. Williams came up big, going 8 of 13 after hitting just 1 of 6 shots in the opener, and Chicago product Evan Turner chipped in with 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Noah led the Bulls with 21 points and eight rebounds. John Lucas III scored 15 points, but Carlos Boozer scored just nine and Luol Deng finished with eight. More alarming, the Bulls simply couldn’t stop the Sixers, particularly in the third quarter. ”We kind of let our offense affect our defense,” Richard Hamilton said. The Sixers were leading 68-61 midway through the quarter after a 12-0 run that Elton Brand started with a foul-line jumper. Then, after a basket by C.J. Watson, Andre Iguodala threw down a thunderous one-handed dunk over Deng for a three-point play that drew plenty of oohs, aahs and groans from a crowd that could feel the game slipping away. Things didn’t get much better for Chicago after that. The 76ers continued to pour it on, with Iguodala delivering another vicious dunk late in the quarter and then hitting Williams with an alley-oop pass that made it 83-69 heading into the fourth. ”For the first time in a long time our defense dictated our offense,” Iguodala said. ”We rebounded the ball. Evan and myself pushed it out on the break and we finished pretty well. It started with that in the third quarter.” It added up to a rough night for the Bulls, who were in a familiar spot with Rose sidelined again – this time after tearing the ACL in his left knee late in Game 1. He missed 27 games during the regular season because of a variety of ailments, and the Bulls did just fine, going 18-9. Throw in injuries to Hamilton and Deng, and they were able to go with their projected starting five just 15 times, yet they still captured homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs for the second straight season. That’s why they insist they can still make a run, even with Rose out. They won without him before. They insist their championship hopes didn’t end when he went down. ”It’s different (without Rose),” Noah said. ”There’s no excuses, though. We know we can play better. It’s disappointing, but you know what? We live to fight another day. There’s a lot of basketball to play.” Notes: The Sixers shuffled their lineup from Game 1, with Turner starting for Jodie Meeks and C Spencer Hawes for Lavoy Allen. … Scottie Pippen says the Bulls still are the team to beat even without Rose. In an open letter to the team posted Tuesday on the Bulls’ website, Pippen wrote, ”You’re still the best team in the NBA until an opponent proves otherwise.” The Hall of Famer also compared the loss of Rose to Michael Jordan’s first retirement and pointed out the 1993-94 team won 55 games. Pippen said the Bulls ”believed in ourselves” and never ”felt sorry for ourselves.” … Chicago’s Tom Thibodeau finished second in the Coach of the Year voting to San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich after winning the award last season.

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FedEx donates $2.5M for Memphis stadium work (Yahoo! Sports)
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) FedEx has donated $2.5 million to the University of Memphis to complete renovation of the video scoreboard and sound system at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium. The school said in a news release Monday there is an August deadline for the project, in time for the Tigers’ first home game Sept. 1 against the University of Tennessee-Martin. Athletic Director R.C. Johnson said the renovation will result in a state-of-the-art video and sound system. FedEx is based in Memphis.

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Tour Report: Round 3 highlights (PGA Tour)
Swing Light And Easy Not Hard And Heavy — Jay Perkins,PGA-Bel Air Golf Center Before playing a round or practicing at the range take your grip on the clubhead end of the shaft and swing the grip end from your normal stance. Swing the grip-end as if hitting a shot and listen for the swish as it descends down from the top of your swing. You should hear the swish at the very bottom where the ball would be. If you hear the swish at the bottom you are most likely allowing the club to accelerate at the correct time in the swing and reach maximum speed at the ball not before. Do this and you will sense more of the correct timing and release in the swing vs. trying to force the swing from the top with your body or arms. As Sam Snead used to say, “Swing Easy, Hit It Hard!”

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Liberty take chance on Tennessee’s Kelley Cain (The Associated Press)
NEW YORK (AP) Looking to bolster their frontcourt, the New York Liberty are taking a chance on former Tennessee center Kelley Cain. The Liberty selected the 6-foot-6 Cain with the seventh overall pick in Monday’s WNBA draft. Cain, a prolific shot-blocker who redshirted her first year at Tennessee after having surgery on the patella in her right knee, averaged 8.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in 92 games. She set the Lady Vols’ single-season record with 113 blocks as a sophomore, including 12 against LSU on Feb. 22, 2010. ”I liked her hands and her ability to score around the (basket),” Liberty coach and general manager John Whisenant said. ”We need that on our team. Our scoring inside gets you outside shots more wide open. That’s one of the things I was looking for.” Cain had a second procedure on the knee in 2009, and then decided to give up her final season of eligibility last year after having hip surgery. ”We just saw her as having the best upside to be a WNBA post for our future,” Whisenant said. ”She is big and she’s got good hands and the question is will her injury heal and has she recovered from it.” The Liberty believe she has, as Cain graduated from Tennessee in 2011 with a degree in marketing and has been playing in Turkey this winter. ”(She) has been playing very well,” Whisenant said. ”Two nights ago she played 39 minutes, and is getting double-doubles. Every indication is her health is back.” The Liberty finished seventh in the WNBA in rebounding (32.8) and average rebounding margin (plus-0.44). The midseason acquisition of Kara Braxton to join a frontcourt rotation of Kia Vaughn, Plenette Pierson and Quanitra Hollingsworth helped New York improve from 10th in rebounding the previous year. Last week, the Liberty signed veteran forward DeMya Walker, who played in Sacramento under Whisenant. The New Jersey native has averaged 7.6 points and 3.7 rebounds in 302 career games that also included stints with Portland, Connecticut and Washington. However, the Liberty expect to be without Hollingsworth until after the Olympics. The 6-5 center, a solid reserve last year with averages of 4.6 points and 4.4 rebounds in 16.9 minutes, is nearing a deal to join the Turkish national team and will remain overseas to train with the team for the London Games. The Liberty were tied for fourth in the league in blocks (129) last season, though Whisenant said that’s not something he emphasizes. ”We encourage all of our players, including our posts, to take charges,” said. ”We think that discourages our opponent to a greater degree than getting the shot blocked. … That said, if we had a 6-8 Brittney Griner or a 6-6 Kelley Cain that could block shots, we’re not going to tell them not to block them.” Also, the Liberty announced that Janel McCarville won’t be rejoining the team this year. McCarville was placed on the suspended list last season after she failed to report to training camp and decided to sit out. New York retained her rights, but the 6-2 center – currently playing for Italian League team Familia Schio – decided to skip this season as well. With the last pick in the three-round draft, New York selected Gonzaga’s Katelan Redmon, to compete for a spot on the wing along with returning players Cappie Pondexter, Essence Carson, Nicole Powell, Alex Montgomery. The Liberty’s backcourt also includes Leilani Mitchell, Sydney Colson and veteran free-agent signee Kelly Miller. Redmon, who began her collegiate career at Washington before transferring to Gonzaga, averaged 13.4 points and 5.8 rebounds as a senior for the Bulldogs. She also shot 81 percent on free throws. ”We needed more competition at our wing position,” Whisenant said. ”We’re just looking to have a competitive camp and people will have to battle for those 11 spots.” Training camps open on April 29 and the Liberty host Connecticut in the season opener on May 19.

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Sanchez lifts Marlins past Astros 5-4 in 11th (Yahoo! Sports)
MIAMI (AP) Gaby Sanchez fell short in his bid for the first Miami Marlins home run at their new ballpark. He and his teammates celebrated anyway. Sanchez doubled off the base of the fence in the 11th inning to score Chris Coghlan from first base, and Miami beat the Houston Astros 5-4 Friday night. ”It feels great,” said Sanchez, a Miami native. ”For me it’s great that happened. I’d be just as happy for anyone else doing it.” Coghlan started the 11th with a sharp single that deflected off pitcher Brandon Lyon (0-1) for an infield hit before Sanchez pulled an 0-2 pitch over the head of left fielder J.D. Martinez, and Coghlan slid home without a throw. The game was the Marlins’ first at home since manager Ozzie Guillen began serving a five-game suspension for praising Fidel Castro. Guillen’s remarks inflamed Cuban Americans, but there were no group demonstrations, and the stadium was about two-thirds full. ”People want to come to the ballpark. It’s a brand new toy,” interim manager Joey Cora said. ”Second, they want to see a winner. You win games, they’re going to come. I’m confident that’s what is going to happen.” Announced attendance for only the second game in the 36,442-seat ballpark was 30,169. Miami native Martinez hit the first home run in the ballpark, a two-run shot for Houston in the eighth inning off Edward Mujica to tie it 4-all. But several other long drives failed to clear the wall. ”It is a big place,” Astros slugger Carlos Lee said. ”We both hit the ball good today, and it didn’t go nowhere. It’s big for both teams.” With the retractable roof closed for the first time, Lee and teammate Chris Johnson flied out to the warning track in the fourth inning. Omar Infante had a warning-track flyout in the 10th, and the Marlins have yet to activate the animated home-run sculpture beyond the center field wall. ”So far it’s a big, big, big, big ballpark,” Cora said. ”The ball Gaby hit, he crushed it. He’d better go to the weight room. It’s going to be interesting to see what happens the rest of the year here, but right now it’s playing big.” Miami newcomer Heath Bell, who blew his only save opportunity this season, survived a shaky ninth to keep the score tied. He retired the first two batters but then threw 13 consecutive balls to walk the bases loaded. Carlos Lee then tapped out on a check swing. Ryan Webb (1-0) pitched a perfect 11th. Marlins starter Ricky Nolasco needed 90 pitches to get through five innings but gave up only two runs. Houston’s Lucas Harrell, coming off the best start of his career, lasted only four innings and allowed four runs. The Marlins took a 4-2 lead into the eighth, but Jed Lowrie singled to start the inning, and Martinez homered into the nightclub seating area in left field. ”Words just can’t describe it,” said Martinez, who grew up a Marlins fans. ”It was a great moment, but it would have been a lot better had we gotten the win.” Martinez also singled and scored, and he has at least one hit in all seven Astros games. Infante’s aggressiveness on the bases paid off for Miami in the third. He kept running from first on a grounder to third baseman Johnson, who ranged to his left and threw out the batter. When Infante kept going, Harrell scrambled to cover third, but the throw from first baseman Lee eluded him for an error, allowing the runner to score easily. Infante, who began the day leading the NL in total bases, went 2 for 5 and is batting .367. Sanchez came into the game batting .125 but had three hits. The game was the road opener for the Astros, who last year went 25-56 in away games, worst in the majors, and lost all four they played in Miami. Notes: The Marlins, Miami Heat and Florida Panthers all played at home, the first time that has happened on the same day since April 14, 2002. … Miami’s Hanley Ramirez, off to a 4-for-30 start (.133), was on the field nearly four hours before the game hitting off a tee. … Marlins SS Jose Reyes committed two errors, increasing his season total to three. He had 18 last year for the Mets. … Astros manager Brad Mills doesn’t think much of the colorful home-run sculpture but likes the ballpark’s appearance otherwise. ”It looks better in center field looking toward home plate,” he said. ”I’ll leave it at that.” … Johnson tumbled headfirst into the first row to catch Emilio Bonifacio’s pop foul.

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