Saturday, May 29, 2010

Latest Sports Buzz

Latest Sports Buzz

Suns’ Nash Promises Game 6 Win Over Lakers

Posted: 29 May 2010 12:11 PM PDT

Phoenix, AZ, United States (AHN) – Two-time MVP Steve Nash is adamant in promising his Phoenix Suns will take down the top-seed Los Angeles Lakers Saturday to force a Game 7 back in L.A.

The Suns barely lost Game 5 on a buzzer beater from Ron Artest to fall behind 3-2 in the Western Conference Finals.

"I just said we're going home and win Game 6 and come back in Game 7," Nash told the Los Angeles Times after practice Friday. “I didn’t say guarantee,” Nash said Friday. “But, I have no problem with that.”

Artest indicated he felt the comments showed "no respect," and promised he and his teammates will do their part to prove Nash wrong.

Artest took a Kobe Bryant air ball out of mid air and banked home a game-winning buzzer beater, shocking Phoenix after the Suns recovered from a 16-point deficit to tie the game with seconds left.

The home team has won every game so far in the series, though Game 5 was the closest either team got to stealing one away from home.

Nash, 36, is averaging 17.0 points and an amazing 12.4 assists per game in the conference finals, both above his season averages of 16.5 points and 11.0 assists.

Copyright © 2003 – 2010 AHN – All rights reserved.

Giants Young Ace Cain Fires One-Hit Shutout To Snap Three Start Skid

Posted: 29 May 2010 12:10 PM PDT

San Francisco, CA, United States (AHN) – The San Francisco Giants are flush with pitching talent.

While Tim Lincecum may have the Cy Young awards and Barry Zito the big-number contract, young ace Matt Cain can hold his own among one of the best rotations in the majors.

Cain bounced back from losses in his last three starts to pitch a one-hit shutout in a 5-0 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks Friday.

The 25-year-old flamethrower improved to 3-4 and is 10th in the National League with a 2.50 ERA.

Cain's repertoire includes a 93-98 MPH fastball, dizzying changeup, devastating slider and sinking curve.

The 6-foot-3 righty was selected by the Giants in the first round (25th overall) in the 2002 MLB Draft out of Houston High School in Germantown, Tennessee.

Nicknamed "Big Sugar," Cain honed his skills and made his debut Sep 4, 2005, allowing two runs in five innings in his first big league start.

Cain went on to post a sub-4.15 ERA while starting at least 32 games for four consecutive seasons. He is coming off the best season of his career, earning an All Star nod and posting a 14-8 record with a miniscule 2.89 ERA in 2009.

The Giants (25-22) are third in the NL West, just 2.5 games behind the surprising first-place Padres. They continue their three-game set against the cellar-dwelling Diamondbacks with Game 2 Saturday at 9:00 p.m. ET.

Retired Point Guard Mark Jackson To Interview For Hawks Job

Posted: 29 May 2010 10:56 AM PDT

Atlanta, GA, United States (AHN) – Former All-Star point guard and current ESPN analyst Mark Jackson is set to interview for the head coaching job with the Atlanta Hawks.

Jackson, 45, has no head coaching experience since retiring in 2004.

The team has already conducted second interviews with former Mavs coach Avery Johnson and current Dallas assistant coach Dwane Casey.

The New York native was previously an NBA analyst for The YES Network’s New Jersey Nets games and currently works as a commentator for ESPN and ABC alongside his former coach Jeff Van Gundy and announcer Mike Breen.

Casey may have an edge because of Atlanta general manager Rick Sund's time as a general manager in Seattle when Casey was an assistant under Nate McMillan.

Jackson, the 18th pick of the 1987 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks, played in 1,296 games (13th most all time) and sits third all time in assists (10,323). He compiled 12,489 points and 10,334 assists in his 17-year career.

Copyright © 2003 – 2010 AHN – All rights reserved.

Nick Diaz Submits Hayato Sakurai, Wins DREAM 14 Main Event

Posted: 29 May 2010 10:55 AM PDT

Saitama, Japan (AHN) – Nick Diaz made quick work of Hayato Sakurai, winning by armbar submission in the first round of the main event of DREAM 14 in Saitama, Japan Saturday night.

Working on his back out of guard following a Sakurai takedown, Diaz tied up Sakurai's arm. He then flipped his Japanese opponent over into the armbar, getting a tapout submission at 3:54 of the first round.

Sakurai came out strong at the opening bell, landing a leg kick and combination of punches. He then threw a kick to the body that Diaz was able to catch and turn into a single leg takedown.

After landing a few blows from top position, Diaz then spent close to a minute in Sakurai's guard, trying to avoid upward punches to the head. The referee warned Sakurai on several occasions for landing blows to the back of Diaz's head.

The two fighters returned to their feet, and after taking a few Diaz jabs, Sakurai took the fight to the ground again with a double leg, which soon led to the submission.

Diaz won his seventh straight bout to move to 22-7, recording his seventh career submission. He moved to 2-0 in DREAM matchups. He knocked out Katsuya Inoue at DREAM 3 in Saitama in May, 2008.

Although Diaz is the reigning Strikeforce Welterweight champion, the bout was a non-title affair.

Sakurai fell to 35-11-2 with his third straight loss. The loss was the fastest in Sakurai's career, beating by two seconds a knockout at the hands of Takanori Gomi in 2005.

Ralek Gracie earned a unanimous decision victory over veteran Kazushi Sakuraba in a bout that featured controversy near the end.

Gracie was fighting in only his third career bout, and for the first time in two years. The 40-year old Sakuraba was billed as the "Gracie Hunter," having gone 4-1 against Gracie's uncles Royce, Ryan, Renzo and Royler.

Sakurai controlled the action in stand-up, landing punches and opening an early cut over Gracie's left eye.

Gracie, however, was able to control the bout through takedowns. He scored at least one takedown in each round, and spent the last minute and a half of the first round and much of the second on top of Sakurai.

After Gracie took down Sakurai in the third round, the veteran caught him in a kimura, the same move that gave Sakurai victories over Renzo and Royler Gracie in 1999 and 2000.

Sakurai wouldn't get the chance to submit the nephew in the same manner however. As he was sinking the hold, the referee stepped in to adjust Gracie's shorts, which were sliding down.

The procedure took more than 30 seconds, and the referee spent a great deal of time repositioning the fighters' limbs before restarting the action.

After the restart, Gracie was able to quickly reverse the hold and trapped Sakurai in an armbar as time expired.

Sakurai fell to 26-13-1, while Gracie moved to 3-0, going the distance for the first time in his career.

Hiroyuki Takaya earned a first-round knockout over Joachim Hansen.

While Hansen did most of the stalking, Takaya was more active with striking, landing punches and leg kicks. Each fighter fending off a takedown attempt by the other, Hansen with a sprawl and Takaya by pressing back into the cage.

After the fighters stalemated against the cage, the referee brought them back to the center to restart the action. Takaya and Hansen had a brief exchange of punches, ending when Takaya was able to get a right hand through Hansen's guard.

The blow dropped Hansen to one knee. He quickly returned to his feet, and Takaya landed a straight right that ended the bout at 4:27 of the first round.

Takaya notched his tenth career knockout, snapped a two-fight losing streak, and moved to 13-8-1. Hansen lost his third straight, falling to 19-10-1. The loss was the first in his career by knockout.

Norifumi Yamamoto knocked out American Federico "Kiko" Lopez in the first round.

Lopez struggled to make weight the day before, but it didn't seem to affect his energy. Lopez came out throwing kicks, missing on a wild head kick at the opening bell that sent him falling to the canvas.

Lopez's aggressiveness would be his downfall. After a series of kicks, Lopez landed a looping right that seemed to stun Yamamoto. He charged in to take advantage and ran into a short right hand from Yamamoto that knocked him out.

The end came at 1:41 of the first. Yamamoto snapped a two-fight losing streak and moved to 18-3 with his thirteenth knockout. Lopez fell to 4-3 with his third straight loss and second straight by knockout.

In preliminary action, Akiyo Nishiura knocked out Hideo Tokoro at 2:51 of the first round.

Kazuyuki Miyata won a split decision over Takafumi Otsuka.

Kenji Osawa won a split decision over Yoshiro Madeda.

Depsite being outweighed by 135 pounds, Ikuhisa Minowa defeated 330 pound Imani Lee by rear naked choke submission at 4:16 of the first round.

Copyright © 2003 – 2010 AHN – All rights reserved.

With Three Homer Game, Tigers’ Cabrera Chasing Triple Crown

Posted: 29 May 2010 10:24 AM PDT

Detroit, MI, United States (AHN) – Detroit Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera is in the hunt for a rare Triple Crown after blasting three homers in Friday's 5-4 loss to the Oakland Athletics.

Cabrera, a four-time ML B all-star, continues to boast his Triple Crown possibilities with a three homer game against the A's Friday at Comerica Park.

Cabrera, a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner, leads the league in RBI with 44, places third in homers with 13 and is sixth in batting average .341.

In spite of Cabrera's brilliance, the Tigers still dropped the game due to the erratic pitching of Dontrelle Willis.

Willis, two-time MLB all-star, allowed three runs on nine hits and five strikeouts in 5 1-3 innings.

The loss pulled the Tigers (25-21) back one game behind American League Central leader Minnesota Twins (26-20).

Baseball followers believe Cabrera will have to significantly raise his batting average to have a serious shot at the Triple Crown.

Cabrera (.341) still trails Twins first baseman Justin Morneau (.372) by .31 points in batting average and Toronto Blue Jays utility player Jose Bautista (15) by two homers.

If he keeps hitting at this level, anything is possible for Cabrera.

Copyright © 2003 – 2010 AHN – All rights reserved.

Seahawks Release LenDale White; Back Reportedly Facing Drug Suspension

Posted: 29 May 2010 06:14 AM PDT

Seattle, WA, United States (AHN) – The Seattle Seahawks reportedly released LenDale White Friday, one month after they dealt draft picks to the Titans for the veteran running back.

Reports indicated the Seahawks released White for his inability to meet the expectation of team head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider.

White, who played for Carroll at USC, is reportedly in the best shape of his career, shedding his weight to 220 pounds.

However, rumors circulated the Seahawks were disappointed by the running back's lackluster performances at workouts.

The Seahawks acquired White from the Tennessee Titans by dealing their fourth and sixth-round draft selections in April.

Schneider said White was not ready to be part of the Seahawks and the decision was for good of both sides.

“It became apparent at this time that LenDale was not ready to be a member of the Seahawks. It just did not appear to be the right fit at this point in our program. We wish LenDale all the best with his future.” Schneider told Yahoo sports.

The Seahawks also denied speculation they are iffy about White's potential four-game suspension for violating the league's substance-abuse policy.

White, who has been dealing with work ethic issues throughout his career, joined the increasingly irrelevant free-agency market after several big names already signed with their respective teams.

White rushed for 2,349 yards and 24 touchdowns over four seasons with the Titans.

Copyright © 2003 – 2010 AHN – All rights reserved.

Pierce Big Reason Celtics Headed Back To Finals; 31 Points In Clincher

Posted: 29 May 2010 05:25 AM PDT

Boston, MA, United States (AHN) – With 31 points in the game six Eastern Conference final clinching win over the Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics star Paul Pierce is playing better than ever.

The 11-year-veteran added 13 rebounds, five assists and two steals to help the C’s return to the NBA Finals.

Pierce was superb in the third quarter, connecting on three-pointers that helped the Celtics build a 21-point lead.

Pierce missed six three-point attempts in a game four loss, but recovered to drill 6-of-9 attempts in the last two contests.

Boston now awaits the winner of the Pierce’s hometown Lakers-Suns series.

It has been a long time since Pierce was a prep basketball star who went on to flourish at Kansas.

In many ways, however, the 32-year-old plays as young as ever in almost daring opposing defenses to stop him.

The problem is, they often can’t.

Copyright © 2003 – 2010 AHN – All rights reserved.

Fred Couples Moves To Top Of Senior PGA Field

Posted: 29 May 2010 04:04 AM PDT

Denver, Colorado, United States (AHN) – The best of the best in senior golf is Fred Couples.

It would be tough to argue that point.

Couples moved into a position he has found most comfortable this season, the top of the leaderboard at a senior event.

This senior event is the 71st PGA Senior Championship, first major of the season for Couples and those who have grown used to pursuing him. Couples went out late at the Colorado Golf Club Friday, paid little attention to the blustery winds and put together the day’s lowest round, a four-under par 68 that sent him into the second round lead.

Couples’ 137 total, seven-under par, put him a shot in front of one major champion and two shots ahead of another.

Tom Kite, the 1992 U.S. Open champion, carded his second straight 69 for a 138 total and has been the steadiest player in the field. Kite hit 13 of 14 fairways Friday, 14 of 18 greens. Ho hum.

Former British Open champion Tom Lehman finished earlier in the day, as Kite did. Lehman added a 71 to his opening 68 and is alone in third at 139, five-under.

Two lesser-known players, Jay Don Blake and Chien Soon Lu of Taiwan, were in at four-under, 140.

First round co-leader Bernhard Langer, playing with Couples, struggled most of the day but saw his round fall apart on the final two holes. Langer hit his tee shot long and over the green at the 201-yard par three 17th. His ball went into thick brush and he ended up with a double-bogey five, then bogeyed the par four 18th for 75 and fell into a tie at 141, three-under with Nick Price (70-71) and the other first round co-leader, Robin Freeman (66-75).

The Bill Coore-Ben Crenshaw design continued to plague most of the field. The 36-hole cut, which came at 7-over-par, reflected the difficulty of this scenic layout. Brisk wind continued to swirl and cause difficulties for virtually all the players.

The weekend forecast calls for more high winds.

Not what the remaining field was hoping for.

Copyright © 2003 – 2010 AHN – All rights reserved.

Nate Robinson guides Boston to victory

Posted: 29 May 2010 12:51 AM PDT

Nate Robinson

Nate Robinson

The game 6 in the Boston Celtics vs Orlando Magic playoff series saw Nate Robinson shouldering the responsibility of taking his team to a victory. Desperate for a win after the previous two losses, the Celtics managed to increase their lead through the explosive player.

With Rajon Rondo sitting on the bench after getting hurt, the onus naturally shifted to Robinson to rescue the team. Within eight minutes and 46 seconds, Robinson smashed 13 points to gain a considerable lead over the opponents. Magic coach Stan Van Gundy commented that the Celtics proved to be a good team despite the absence of Rondo. He also appreciated Robinson for his timely performance. Robinson however preferred not to get overconfident but admitted his feelings – "I was like Atlas. It felt like the whole world was on my shoulders". He also seemed happy at the thought being getting appreciated by his kids – Nahmier and Ny'ale Cameron Robinson, who had been constant critics of his performances.

Meanwhile, the credit also goes to Celtics coach Doc Rivers who was consistently motivating Robinson to step up his game for quite some time. Though the player remained clue less about his aspirations and intentions he went ahead with the orders. Now, after the sixth game, he could realize the significance of his mentor's directions. He had won a game for Celtics, as was hopefully predicted by Coach Rivers.

Injuries Turning `Ultimate Fighter` Into Last Man Standing Competition

Posted: 29 May 2010 12:13 AM PDT

Shawn Krest – AHN Sports Correspondent

Las Vegas, NV, United States (AHN) – Season 11 of The Ultimate Fighter may turn into a Last Man Standing competition. Injuries have plagued both the competitors and coaches all season long.

The show welcomed an all-time high of 28 competitors, and has gone deep into the roster to keep the ranks of the elimination tournament full.

Four fighters have had to withdraw from the competition thus far, including quarterfinalist and one of the favorites Nick Ring.

Ring was the latest to leave last week, suffering a knee injury that required surgery.

Team Punishment coach Tito Ortiz pulled out of his coaches’ fight with Chuck Liddell this week, and his firing from the show appears scheduled for next week’s episode.

Three of the four spots in the semifinals have been filled. In addition to resolving the Ortiz drama, next week’s show will feature the last quarterfinal bout and announce the pairings for the semis.

Barring injury, the last semifinal spot will be filled by either Jamie Yager or Josh Bryant.

Yager started the season as the house’s bad boy, following in the rabblerousing footsteps of Chris Leben, Junie Browning, Josh Koscheck and others.

From his wild haircut to his pair of first-round knockouts, Yager has attracted attention to himself from the opening moments of the show.

He defeated Ben Stark in 26 seconds with a brutal head kick to earn a spot in the house, then did an acrobatic celebration in the cage.

Once in the house, Yager quickly made his presence known, waking the other fighters with air horns in the middle of the night, rooting for fighters on the opposite team, and accusing housemates of stealing his clothes.

Yager appeared on B.E.T.’s Iron Ring series two years ago, and has limited MMA experience as a professional, with a 2-1 record.

His opponent, Josh Bryant, has substantially more experience, although he’s flown beneath the radar on the show. He was 10-0 in his pre Ultimate Fighter career, but has kept out of controversy in the house.

He earned a spot in the house with a majority decision over Greg Rebello and won his first-round bout over Kris McCray by unanimous decision in a bout that needed a third round to render a verdict.

The winner will join the other three fighters that emerged from the quarterfinals.

Kris McCray, who lost to Bryant in the first round, got a new lease on life when he was chosen as one of the wild card fighters. He defeated fellow wild card Kyacey Uscola by submission in the second round to earn a spot in the quarters.

McCray then took a decision over Kyle Noke to get to the semifinals. McCray appeared to dominate the first two rounds, and UFC president Dana White told the round-card girl holding the Round Three sign that the fight was over.

Shockingly, the fight was ruled a draw, but McCray dominated round three as well to get the victory.

McCray also has the honor of the fastest bout of the season, winning in 15 seconds to earn a spot in the house when Cleburn Walker injured a shoulder. During training, McCray injured another fighter, James Hammortree, on a throw.

McCray is undefeated in five fights in his pre-TUF career with four submissions and a knockout. He is, thus far, the only member of Team Ortiz to make the semifinals, and it appears he will outlast his coach on the show. However Ortiz’s red team is also represented by Yager.

Brad Tavares scored a 37 second knockout to earn a spot in the house, and earned a hard-fought three round decision over James Hammortree in the first round.

Tavares earned a spot in the semis by a controversial decision. After arguably losing the first round to Seth Baczynski, Tavares was kicked in the head while on all fours.

He was out on his feet and could not recover between rounds, which resulted in a disqualification victory and a near riot by the coaches and members of both teams.

Tavares is a partner in crime with Yager. He accompanied Yager and McCray on their air horn stunt one of the first nights in the house.

He was also the Team Liddell fighter that Yager drew criticism for supporting during the opening-round bout. He is undefeated in four bouts with two knockouts, two submissions, and three first-round stoppages.

The final spot is filled by Court McGee, who UFC president Dana White proclaimed a “dark horse” in a recent episode.

McGee beat Seth Baczynski by unanimous decision to earn a spot in the house. He then lost a first-round bout to Nick Ring, only to earn a quarterfinal spot when Rich Attonito withdrew with a broken hand.

McGee dropped a controversial majority decision that led to a tantrum by coach Chuck Liddell. When he was re-entered in the tournament, he was given a quarterfinal rematch with Ring, only to have his opponent drop out due to injury. Instead, McGee submitted Hammortree in the second round.

McGee is 8-1 with his only loss to MMA veteran Jeremy Horn.

The drama in the cage may pale in comparison to the coaching soap opera. Ortiz announced that he needed neck surgery and withdrew from a planned bout with Chuck Liddell. Instead, Liddell will face Rich Franklin at UFC 115 in June.

Thus far, no mention has been made of Franklin replacing Ortiz as coach on the show, and Ortiz appears to be cage-side in previews of next week’s show.

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