Saturday, June 30, 2012

Kevin Garnett returning with the Celtics

Kevin Garnett returning with the Celtics, NBA


Garnett has decided to re-sign with the Boston Celtics for a three-year, $34 million contract. The NBA's free-agent period begins at 12:01 a.m. ET Sunday and players can officially start signing contracts on July 11.

Kevin Garnett 36, averaged 15.8 points and 8.2 rebounds for the Celtics last season. A lot of team are interested in getting him, but his loyalty to coach Doc Rivers made him likely to return to Boston once he decided to keep playing.

The Celtics have several other free agents in Ray Allen, Brandon Bass, Marquis Daniels, Keyon Dooling, Jeff Green, Ryan Hollins, Sasha Pavlovic and Mickael Pietrus. Allen is expected to be courted by the Phoenix Suns.

Source Yahoo

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Manny Pacquiao wants Floyd Next

Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather

According Ronnie Nathanielsz, Manny Pacquiao has asked promoter Bob Arum to make a bout with Floyd Mayweather a priority. Bob Arum has made it clear that they can only realistically working on the possible fight the world wants to see sometime next year.

Arum said "Obviously the one fight that Pacquiao wants is Floyd." "I don't think we have enough time to do it." Mayweather is in the middle of an 87-day jail sentence for domestic battery at the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas.

Arum indicated that Pacquiao understand that the Mayweather fight is not going to be this November and that he would need to choose among Timothy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez. However, no decisions were reached.

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Little League player sued after hitting N.J. woman with a baseball


Little League player sued after hitting N.J. woman with a baseball



(AP) MANCHESTER TOWNSHIP, N.J. - A New Jersey woman who was struck in the face with a baseball at a Little League game is suing the young catcher who threw it.

Elizabeth Lloyd is seeking more than $150,000 in damages to cover medical costs stemming from the incident at a Manchester Little League game two years ago. She's also seeking an undefined amount for pain and suffering.

Lloyd was sitting at a picnic table near a fenced-in bullpen when she was hit with the ball.

Catcher Matthew Migliaccio was 11 years old at the time and was warming up a pitcher.

The lawsuit filed April 24 alleges Migliaccio's errant throw was intentional and reckless, "assaulted and battered" Lloyd and caused "severe, painful and permanent" injuries.

A second count alleges Migliaccio's actions were negligent and careless through "engaging in inappropriate physical and/or sporting activity" near Lloyd. She continues to suffer pain and anguish, incur medical expenses and has been unable to carry out her usual duties and activities, the lawsuit says.

And Lloyd's husband, in a third count, is suing for the loss of "services, society and consortium" of his wife. They've demanded a jury trial.

Anthony Pagano, a lawyer for the Migliaccios, said the lawsuit is frivolous and without merit.

"I just think that it's disgusting that you have people suing an 11-year-old kid for overthrowing his pitcher in the bullpen," Pagano said. "It's horrible this can actually happen and get this far. Ultimately, hopefully, justice will prevail."

The count alleging negligence and carelessness is covered by homeowner's insurance, Pagano said, but the other counts are not. Little League has denied any coverage.

Lloyd's lawyer was out of the office Friday and could not be reached for comment.

Steve Barr, a spokesman for Little League, declined to comment on the litigation. He said each local league is required to have accident insurance, but that only covers personnel.

"That includes coaches, players, even concession stand workers. But it does not cover spectators," Barr said.

Matthew's father, Bob Migliaccio, said they were concerned for Lloyd when it happened. Then his son started receiving threatening and nasty letters, he said, and he started getting angry.

"The whole thing has almost been surreal," Migliaccio said. "We keep thinking it's just going to go away, and then a week and a half ago a sheriff shows up at my door to serve my son the papers."

Migliaccio said if his son had been horsing around, he would feel differently. But Matthew was doing what his coaches told him to do, he said, and noted Little League players aren't always accurate in their throws.

"It's absurd to expect every 11-year-old to throw the ball on target," Migliaccio said. "Everyone knows you've got to watch out. You assume some risk when you go out to a field. That's just part of being at a game."

Migliaccio said he and his wife, Sue, would love to beat the charges in court, but it could cost them tens of thousands of dollars. They also don't want to put their son and other kids on the team through all the questions and depositions a trial would bring.

"It's to the point now where we just want it to be over," he said.

Matthew, described by his father as a "baseball junkie," still plays on three different teams. But Migliaccio and his wife have stepped down from coaching and managing the concession stand because of the suit.

Migliaccio said as angry as he is about the lawsuit, he's almost more angry with Little League. He said they've volunteered hundreds of hours over the years, and he believes Little League should assist in defending their son.

"Somebody else has to step in here and help us out," Migliaccio said. "I just feel people should know about this, and maybe Little League can figure out a way to protect these kids."

Thursday, June 21, 2012

Heat rout Thunder for their second NBA title



James' triple-double

LeBron James is finally savoring it all since taking his talents to South Beach.
''Happiest day of my life,'' he said.

James had 26 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists, leading the Heat in a 121-106 rout of the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night to win the NBA Finals in five games.

All that was left was a celebration nine years in the making - and two years after his acrimonious parting from the Cavaliers.

''It means everything,'' James said moments before being named the playoffs MVP to go along with his regular-season award. ''I made a difficult decision to leave Cleveland but I understood what my future was about ... I knew we had a bright future (in Miami). This is a dream come true for me. This is definitely when it pays off.''

James left the game along with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh for good with 3:01 remaining for a round of hugs and the start for a party he's been waiting for since arriving in the NBA out of high school as the No. 1 pick of the 2003 draft. James hopped up and down in the final minutes, shared a long hug with opponent Kevin Durant, and then smiled as he watched the confetti rain down from the rafters.

''It's about damn time. It's about damn time,'' James said.

He was a choker last year, the guy who came up small in the fourth quarter, mocked for ''shrinking'' in the moment while playing with what he called ''hatred'' in trying to prove his critics wrong.

He came to Miami seeking an easier road to the finals but found it tougher than hoped, the Heat coming up empty last year and nearly getting knocked out in the Eastern Conference finals this time by Boston. Facing elimination there, James poured in 45 points on the road to force a Game 7 and the Heat won it at home.

This time, with a chance to clinch, the Heat took control in the second quarter, briefly lost it and blew the game open again in the third behind their role players, James content to pass to wide-open 3-point shooters while the Thunder focused all their attention on him.

The disappointment of losing to Dallas in six games a year ago vanished in a blowout of the demoralized Thunder, who got 32 points and 11 rebounds from Durant.

Bosh and Wade, the other members of the Big Three who sat alongside James as he promised titles at his Miami welcoming party, both had strong games. Bosh, who wept as the Heat left their own court after losing Game 6 last year, finished with 24 points and Wade scored 20. The Heat also got a huge boost from Mike Miller, who made seven 3-pointers and scored 23 points.

That all made it easier for James, the most heavily scrutinized player in the league since his departure from Cleveland, when he announced he was ''taking his talents to South Beach'' on a TV special called ''The Decision'' that was criticized everywhere from water coolers to the commissioner's office. James has said he wishes he handled things differently, but few who watched the Cavs fail to assemble championship talent around him could have argued with his desire to depart.

He found in Miami a team where he never had to do it alone, though he reminded everyone during this sensational postseason run that he still could when necessary. He got support whenever he needed it in this series, from Shane Battier's 17 points in Game 2 to Mario Chalmers' 25 in Game 4.

In the clincher it was Miller, banged up from so many injuries that he limped from the bench to scorer's table when he checked in. He made his fourth 3-pointer of the half right before James' fast-break basket capped a 15-2 run that extended Miami's lead to 53-36 with 4:42 remaining in the first half.

The Thunder were making a remarkably early trip to the finals just three years after starting 3-29, beating the Mavericks, Lakers and Spurs along the way. With Durant, Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka and James Harden all 23 or younger, the Thunder have the pieces in place for a lengthy stay atop the Western Conference.

But their inexperience showed in this series, a few questionable decisions, possessions and outright mistakes costing them in their franchise's first finals appearance since Seattle lost to Chicago in 1996. Westbrook scored 19 but made only four of his 20 shots, unable to come up with anything close to his 43-point outing in Game 4, and Harden finished a miserable series with 19.

''It hurts, man,'' Durant said. ''We're all brothers on this team and it just hurts to go out like this. We made it to the finals, which was cool for us, but we didn't want to just make it there. Unfortunately we lost, so it's tough.''

Nothing they did could have stopped James, anyway.

Appearing fully over the leg cramps that forced him to sit out the end of Game 4, he was dominant again, a combination of strength and speed that is practically unmatched in the game and rarely seen in its history.

Wade skipped to each side of the court before the opening tip with arms up to pump up the fans, then James showed them nothing wrong with his legs, throwing down an emphatic fast-break dunk to open the scoring. He made consecutive baskets while being fouled, showing no expression after the second, as if he'd hardly even known he was hit. Drawing so much attention from the Thunder, he started finding his wide-open shooters, and the Heat built a nine-point lead before going to the second up 31-26.

James promised multiple titles at his welcoming party, and the Heat have three pieces to build around. Pat Riley will have to fill some holes on the roster, but will likely find some players eager to come to Miami for the good weather and great chance to win.

AP

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Manny Pacquiao the True Winner




Manny Pacquiao judged a unanimous winner against Bradley by World Boxing Organisation panel.

The World Boxing Organisation's five-man panel have rescored the controversial June 9 WBO welterweight title fight between Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley as a clear victory for the Filipino.

The result on June 9, a split decision by Nevada State Athletic Commission judging officials, gave Bradley 115-113 (twice) on a split points decision. The verdict caused uproar and drew condemnation from across the boxing world.
The five officials, from all over the world, sat down and viewed a video of the fight earlier this week. The 5-man WBO judging panel rescored the fight for Pacquiao, by a landslide. The scores were 115-111, 116-112, 117-111, 118-110, 117-111, essentially scoring eight or more rounds to the Filipino fighter.

The WBO will not be able to either overturn the official result, or hand back Pacquiao back the welterweight title. The NSAC, which has the power to overturn the decision, refused to hold an internal inquiry.

source telegraph.co.uk

Monday, June 11, 2012

NBA Finals 2012

2012 NBA Finals Schedule
Game 1 Tuesday June 12 Miami @ Oklahoma City
(June 13 in Republic of the Philippines via ABS-CBN Sports)
Game 2 Thursday June 14 Miami @ Oklahoma City
Game 3 Sunday June 17 Oklahoma City @ Miami
Game 4 Tuesday June 19 Oklahoma City @ Miami
*Game 5 Thursday June 21 Oklahoma City @ Miami
*Game 6 Sunday June 24 Miami @ Oklahoma City
*Game 7 Tuesday June 26 Miami @ Oklahoma City
*  if necessary
 
 

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Bradley wins a split decision against Pacquiao


115-113 twice for Bradley and 115-113 for Pacquiao. Bradley wins split decision. Final punch stats: Bradley 159-839, Pacquiao 253-751. Unbelievable.

Pacman getting ready for the fight


Miami Heat 101 Boston Celtics 88, Heat will meet OKC in the Finals

LeBron James took over in the fourth quarter to push the Heat past the Celtics and date with the Thunder in the NBA Finals.

LBJ scores 31, Wade 23. Rondo 22 Pts 10 Rebs, 14 Assists for Boston


Pacquiao-Bradley Fight



The Yahoo! Sports No. 2 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, Manny Pacquiao, takes on young up-and-comer Timothy Bradley Jr. at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. This will be exciting but not as awesome as Mayweather vs Pacquiao, I really hope that will go through soon.

Thursday, June 7, 2012



Durant had 34 points and 14 rebounds while playing all of regulation for the first time all season, and the Thunder claimed a spot in the NBA finals by beating the San Antonio Spurs 107-99 on Wednesday night.

Russell Westbrook added 25 points for the Thunder, who trailed Game 6 of the Western Conference finals by 18 in the first half and erased a 15-point halftime deficit before pulling ahead to stay in the fourth.

Tony Parker had 29 points and 12 assists for San Antonio, but only eight of the points and two assists came in the second half.

The Thunder outscored the Spurs 59-36 after falling behind 63-48 at halftime and getting a challenge from Brooks that he said had ''nothing to do'' with committing eight turnovers against only six assists while allowing San Antonio to shoot 9 for 15 on 3-pointers.

Game 1 of the NBA finals will be Tuesday night in Oklahoma City against either Boston or Miami. The Celtics lead that series 3-2 and can earn a trip to the finals with a win at home in Game 6 on Thursday night.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Celtics beat the Heat 94-90, leads 3-2



Kevin Garnett finished with 26 points and 11 rebounds, Paul Pierce scored 19 - including a huge 3-pointer over LeBron James' outstretched arm with 52.9 seconds left - and the Celtics beat the Heat 94-90 on Tuesday night, taking a 3-2 lead in the East finals that now shift to Boston for Game 6 on Thursday night.

James finished with 30 points and 13 rebounds for Miami, though he went 8 minutes without scoring in the final quarter. Dwyane Wade scored 27 for the Heat, who got no more than nine from anyone else.

Pierce's 3 put Boston up 90-86. Miami got within two points twice, and argued that it should have had a steal with 8.8 seconds left. Instead, a foul was called on Udonis Haslem, Garnett made two free throws, and the Celtics knew they had just stolen one on Miami's home floor.

Now all they need is one home win of their own to clinch a trip to either Oklahoma City or San Antonio for Game 1 of the NBA finals. The title series starts June 12.

The Celtics were down by 13 points in the second quarter, then down nine in the third, and answered both times - prevailing on a night where they shot just 41 percent, and got outrebounded 49-39.

Allen and Mickael Pietrus scored 13 apiece for the Celtics, who got 10 from Brandon Bass. Pietrus hit two huge 3-pointers in the fourth quarter for Boston, which remained perfect with this core when facing maybe the most pivotal situation a best-of-seven can offer - a Game 5 with a series tied 2-2.

Pierce, Garnett, Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen are now 9-0 in that scenario.

Monday, June 4, 2012

NBA Western Conference finals and Eastern Conference finals are both at 2-2



Celtics beat Heat in OT, tie East finals at 2-2, Rondo had 15 points and 15 assists, and scored the final three points of the Celtics' 93-91 overtime victory over the Miami Heat on Sunday night that evened the Eastern Conference finals at two games apiece.

Getting a huge break when LeBron James fouled out for the first time since joined the Heat, the Celtics recovered after blowing an 18-point lead in regulation and moved two games away from a third trip to the NBA finals in five years.

Garnett added 17 points and 14 rebounds for the Celtics, while Paul Pierce scored 23 points before fouling out. Ray Allen finished with 16 points.

James had 29 points and Wade scored 20 after another dismal start for the Heat, who host Game 5 on Tuesday.







In the West, Game 5 is Monday night in San Antonio. Oklahoma City needs at least one road win to advance, and Thunder coach Scott Brooks said Sunday there's no time like the present.

Since James Harden joined Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook in 2009, the Thunder had been 2-8 against San Antonio heading into this series. Now they return to Texas with a chance to hand the Spurs three straight losses for the first time all season.

Spurs players didn't meet with reporters Sunday. Coach Gregg Popovich, back at Spurs headquarters trying to solve his team's first skid since April 9-11, said their attitude hasn't changed from when they were winning 20 straight games.

Also not likely to change much are the defensive looks the Spurs threw at the Thunder in a 109-103 loss on Saturday. That's because, as far as Popovich is concerned, there is little to plan for when three typically unheralded offensive players shoot a combined 22 of 25 for 49 points.

That's what Serge Ibaka, Kendrick Perkins and Nick Collison did in Game 4, giving the Thunder a rare dose of balance on a team that leaned on its Big Three for nearly 70 percent of its scoring before this series. Ibaka was especially unstoppable, going 11 for 11 and finishing just one basket shy of the most perfect-shooting playoff game in NBA history.