05/02/2010
early on, picked it up down
Garnett finished with 18
points and 10 rebounds for
the Celtics, who were held
to 15 points in the fourth
quarter.
For three quarters, the
Celtics looked like their old
selves.
Dismissed as being
washed up, the 17-time
NBA champions controlled
the tempo from the start.
With Rondo driving past
Williams and any other
defender in front of him, the
Celtics were on the verge
of swiping home-court
advantage away from
Cleveland.
But James, who seemed to
be bothered by the elbow
early on, picked it up down
the stretch.
He always does.
"You knew it was coming,"
Celtics coach Doc Rivers
said. "I thought toward the
end of the second quarter
he started his assault."
After Rondo split a pair of
free throws with 4:30 left,
James drove the lane and
missed a short shot but
grabbed his own rebound
and banked it in to put the
Cavs ahead 94-91.
Garnett's bucket got the
Celtics within one, but
James countered with a
floater in the lane. After
Paul Pierce missed a wide-
open 3-pointer, Shaquille
O'Neal, who looked slow
and every one of his 38
years during stretches,
scored on a tip to make it
98-93 with 1:02 remaining.
and scream their lungs out
Following a Boston
turnover, James came up
with the decisive blow.
Pulling up on the left side,
he buried a 3-pointer that
finally allowed 20,000
Cleveland fans to exhale
and scream their lungs out.
James, called "the closer"
by his teammates, scored
12 points in the fourth.
"He's a guy that is going to
deliver," Cavs coach Mike
Brown said. "As the game
went along he got more and
aggressive and the shots
started to fall."
James tried just two outside
shots in the first half, and
came out of the locker room
at halftime shaking his right
arm, which he said has
been bothering him
periodically for a month. But
the elbow appeared as
healthy as ever when
James needed it to
respond.
"Throughout the game it
loosened up," said James,
who will receive his MVP
trophy on Sunday in his
hometown of Akron. "I have
a no-excuse policy. This
team has a no-excuse
policy. ... We're about
coming out and competing
against the Celtics."
James closed the third with
a twisting, falling-down
layup at the horn, capping a
21-9 spurt that put the
Cavaliers up 79-78, their
first lead since 7-6.
Williams, though, was the
one who carried the Cavs
back. He scored 14 in the
the floor before slamming it
period and delivered his
facial on Pierce that
sparked the Cavs and a
sellout crowd that was
growing nervous with
every Rondo drive, Garnett
bucket and Ray Allen
jumper.
Cleveland trailed 69-58
when Williams grabbed a
loose ball and raced down
the floor before slamming it
over Pierce, who was
probably expecting the
guard to try a layup.
"I saw him jump," said
Williams, whose struggles
in the postseason last year
hurt the Cavs. "Paul is 6-7,
6-8. I thought he'd block a
layup. I was kind of high. I
thought I could try. It turned
out good. It was a great
feeling, I'll tell you that."
This is the second time in
three years that the Cavs
and Celtics are meeting in
the conference semifinals,
and there is no love lost
between them. In 2008, the
Celtics won a rugged
series in seven games on
their way to the
championship, and if Game
1 was any indication, this
series could be equally
entertaining.
"This not going to be easy
for either team, you can
see that," Rivers said.
The Celtics were the better
team in the first half. Their
ball movement was crisp,
they were winning the
rebound battle and the
Cavs had no answer for
Rondo, who had 19 points
the first round, dismantling
at intermission.
Cleveland put the 6-foot-6
Anthony Parker on Rondo in
the third quarter and the
adjustment slowed the
Celtics' lightning-quick point
guard.
"We let them play way too
comfortable in the second
half," Rivers said. "I thought
we let down in the second
half."
James was never
convinced Boston wasn't
dangerous, and his
suspicions were proven
correct when the Celtics
hardly looked like Relics in
the first round, dismantling
Miami in five games.
"Everyone was saying how
bad Boston was and they
don't look motivated
anymore, but I never fell
into that trap," James said.
"They know the big
picture."
NOTES: Celtics C Kendrick
Perkins had his lip split open
by O'Neal in the first
quarter. He got five stitches
and was back on the floor
for the start of the second.
... Boston has won three of
the previous four series
between the teams.
Cleveland's only series
victory was in the
conference semifinals in
1992. ... Cleveland's
reserves outscored
Boston's 26-12.
draw remained undefeated
LAS VEGAS – Floyd
Mayweather Jr. is usually
content to just win a fight.
This time, though, Money
Mayweather wanted to
earn his cash.
Fighting more aggressively
than usual, Mayweather
overcame a near
knockdown in the second
round Saturday night to
dominate the rest of the
way and win a lopsided 12-
round decision over Shane
Mosley in their
welterweight showdown.
"I wanted to give the fans
what they wanted to see, a
toe-to-toe battle,"
Mayweather said. "It wasn't
the same style for me but I
wanted to be aggressive
and I knew I could do it."
Boxing's biggest box office
draw remained undefeated
in 41 fights, but not before
giving his fans and his
corner a scare when a
right hand to the side of his
head buckled his knees a
minute into the second, and
he had to grab Mosley to
avoid going down. Mosley
landed another right later in
the round, but the rest of
the night belonged to
Mayweather.
If he didn't please
everyone, it was because
he couldn't knock out
Mosley. But Mayweather
won every minute of every
round after the second and
the normally defensive-
minded fighter kept after
Mosley until the final bell in
a masterful performance
for a seat in congress in his
for Mosley.
Mayweather made Mosley
look every bit his 38 years
as he landed sharp
punches to his head,
dominating a fighter who
had vowed to turn the bout
into the fight of the decade.
Mosley tried his best, but
couldn't match the speed of
the 33-year-old
Mayweather, who grew
more comfortable with each
passing round.
Mosley was a substitute for
Manny Pacquiao, who was
all but signed to meet
Mayweather until a dispute
over drug testing derailed
the megafight. Instead,
Pacquiao beat Joshua
Clottey on March 13 in
Dallas and is campaigning
for a seat in congress in his
native Philippines.
"If Manny Pacquiao can
take a blood and urine test
then we have a fight,"
Mayweather said. "If not,
no fight."
Pacquiao, who watched
the fight in the Philippines,
told Manilla radio station
DZBB that he would agree
to blood testing, but only if it
is not taken within 24 days
of the fight. That is basically
the same stance that
derailed the fight the first
time around.
"For me, as long as the
drug test is not done close
to the match, I'll agree
because if they'll get blood
from me close to the match,
it will be a disadvantage for
me because I'm smaller and
to for a long time, and they
he's big," Pacquiao said.
Mosley almost ruined a lot
of Mayweather's best-laid
plans when he landed the
big right hand in the second
that brought the fans at the
MGM Grand Arena to their
feet. They chanted "Mosley!
Mosley!" as he followed
Mayweather around the
ring, landing another good
right hand before the bell
rang to end the round.
"It's a contact sport, and
you're going to get hit,"
Mayweather said. "But
when you get hit, you suck
it up and keep on fighting.
That's what I did. I'm happy
we finally had a chance to
fight. This is a fight the fans
have been looking forward
to for a long time, and they
deserve it."
Mosley's second-round
flourish was his last
hurrah. Mayweather came
out in the third and began
landing some shots of his
own, while Mosley couldn't
find his mark.
"I caught him with my big
right hand and I tried to
move around but by that
time he was too quick and I
was too tight," Mosley said.
"After the right hand I
thought I needed to knock
him out and I needed to do it
sooner than later. But I
couldn't adjust and he did."
Mosley said he thought the
15-month layoff since his
last fight hurt him, as did a
stiff neck. But Mayweather
had a lot to do with his
ineffectiveness, too,
was content to try to load
fighting his fight and
refusing to allow Mosley to
dictate the pace.
Mosley's corner kept
imploring the fighter to
throw his jab more and fight
his way inside, but Mosley
was content to try to load
up to hurt Mayweather with
a big punch that didn't
come.
"You can't wait for one big
shot, you've got to wake
up," Mosley's trainer told
him after the seventh
round.
By the 10th round, Naazim
Richardson was even more
frantic, telling Mosley he
needed a knockout.
Mayweather, who earned
$2,500 in his pro debut 14
years ago, was guaranteed
$22.5 million but probably
will end up with much more
once the final pay-per-view
buys are added up. Mosley
was guaranteed $7 million,
and also had a share in the
television revenues.
CLEVELAND – LeBron
James always soars in the
NBA playoffs.
Mo Williams finally rose to
the occasion — literally.
Williams delivered his first
dunk for Cleveland, a
resounding slam that
stunned Boston's Paul
Pierce, shook the arena and
ignited the Cavaliers, who
rallied for a 101-93 victory
over the Celtics on
Saturday night after being
outplayed for much of
Game 1 of the Eastern
Conference semifinals.
time ago if he ever dunked
Williams' unexpected dunk
over Pierce fueled a game-
ending 43-24 spurt by the
Cavs.
"I knew Mo could dunk,"
James said of his
teammate, generously listed
as 6-foot-1. "I told Mo a long
time ago if he ever dunked
in a game it was going to
spark us like we haven't
been sparked before. Not
only did it fire the team, it
fired himself up."
Hours before receiving his
second straight MVP
award, James scored 35
points and Williams added
20, 14 in the third quarter.
James, playing with a
sprained and bruised right
elbow, delivered yet
another memorable
performance as the Cavs
withstood a furious punch
from the Celtics, who led by
11 in the third and seem
intent on making this a long
series.
James, who also had
seven rebounds and seven
assists, drained a 3-pointer
with 22 seconds left to put
Boston away.
"It's been better," James
said of his elbow. "But
that's no excuse for me. I
don't make any excuses
and I'll be ready for (Game
2) Monday."
Historically, winning a
series opener is a good
omen for the Cavs, who
are 10-0 when taking Game
1.
Rajon Rondo had 27 points
and 12 assists and Kevin
04/29/2010
anything from no further
Pennsylvania State Police
say Joyner "demeaned" the
agency, even though a
prosecutor declined to
charge Roethlisberger.
A state police internal
investigation is still under
way, and could result in
anything from no further
penalty to firing. It must
wrap up by mid-August.
Meanwhile, officer Anthony
Barrivecchio from suburban
Coraopolis may learn his
fate sooner. Solicitor
Richard Start will review
the Georgia Bureau of
Investigation's file once he
receives it, and will decide
whether to recommend
discipline to the town's
officials.
In each case, investigators
will look at more than just
each officer's actions
related to the alleged
assault, for which
Roethlisberger was not
charged. Authorities will
also review questions such
as whether the two men
provided alcohol to minors,
or were aware that was
happening.
swelling rather than builds
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The
Kentucky Derby is again
testing for steroids. That
doesn't mean the race is
necessarily steroid-free.
The stigma of chemical-
based cheating may be
gone thanks to screening
for anabolic steroids prior
to last year's Derby. But top
industry officials say a
larger, more controversial
battle against a different
kind of steroid abuse could
be looming.
Derby track veterinarian
Larry Bramlage says he
expects the "next frontier"
of drug testing will involve a
crackdown on a type of
steroids that reduces
swelling rather than builds
muscle. When overused,
these so-called
corticosteroids can mask
injuries and force
overexertion.
Kentucky does some
testing of corticosteroids.
Research is being done on
possibly expanding it, much
to the chagrin of some
horsemen.
DENVER – Carmelo
Anthony hung out the big
"Help Wanted" sign after
meant everybody, including
Denver's last game and he
got plenty of responses.
The Denver Nuggets
avoided elimination with a
116-102 victory over the
Utah Jazz on Wednesday
night when Anthony's
supporting cast finally came
up big.
"I think tonight we
responded as a unit to the
challenge at hand," said
Anthony, who had
complained after the
Nuggets' loss Sunday night
that he couldn't beat the
Jazz by himself, comments
he later clarified to show he
meant everybody, including
himself, had to do more.
And they did.
J.R. Smith found his long-
range touch. Chris
Andersen and Johan Petro
filled in admirably when
center Nene went out with
a potentially serious knee
injury in the first half.
Kenyon Martin's 18 points
were the most he's scored
in the playoffs since 2005.
Aaron Afflalo was perfect
from the floor, and reserve
Ty Lawson provided a
spark with his speed.
"Everybody stepped up
"We know it's going to be a
tonight and did their part,"
Anthony said. "With Nene
going down early,
'Frenchie' came in and
stepped up, 'Bird' played
the way he is supposed to
be playing. Everybody
played their role tonight.
That's how we won."
The Nuggets, trying to
become the first team in
four years to overcome a
3-1 deficit in the playoffs,
sent the series back to Salt
Lake City for Game 6 on
Friday night despite losing
Nene to a sprained left
knee.
"We know it's going to be a
tough game up there, tough
arena, Utah fans are pretty
tough," Nuggets acting
coach Adrian Dantley said.
"But we're glad we did
what we did tonight."
Anthony had 26 points and
11 rebounds, Chauncey
Billups had 21 points, and
Smith made four big 3-
pointers among his 17
points for Denver, which
won a game in which it
was facing elimination for
the first time since Game 6
of the 1994 Western
Conference semifinals
dominated their locker room
against Utah.
The Nuggets had lost eight
straight elimination games,
six since Anthony joined
the team in 2003.
After infighting and insults
dominated their locker room
in the aftermath of their two
losses at Salt Lake City, the
Nuggets were a much more
cohesive group even in the
face of another outstanding
performance by Utah's
Deron Williams, who
declared after shootaround
that he was the best point
guard in the NBA right now.
The Nuggets won't
disagree.
After watching him average
27.6 points and 12.0
assists over the first four
games of the series, the
Nuggets put Billups on
Williams from the start
instead of Afflalo.
Williams said nothing would
change no matter who was
guarding him, and he was
right, getting 34 points and
10 assists before fouling
out in the final minute. He
became the first player in
NBA history to register 20
or more points and double-
digit assists in five games
last three games, all Utah
to begin a playoff series.
"We played good defense
on him," Dantley insisted,
"but he's just a great
basketball player."
Carlos Boozer had 25
points and 16 boards for
Utah. But backup big man
Kyrylo Fesenko, who had
played so well in the
absence of Andrei Kirilenko
(calf) and Mehmet Okur
(Achilles' tendon) for the
last three games, all Utah
wins, finished with three
points and six rebounds
Wednesday night.
The Nuggets were finally
able to capitalize once
again on their athleticism
and quickness.
"They were a lot more alive,
they went after the ball a
little harder than we did,"
Utah coach Jerry Sloan
said. "The players off the
bench gave them a big lift.
Their bench people killed
us."
Williams backed up his
proclamations about being
the top point guard in the
NBA in the closing minutes
of the first half when the
Nuggets looked like they
were about to take control
blame on his shoulders for
early.
His two 3-pointers and two
free throws highlighted a
12-4 run that sent the Jazz
into the locker room with a
52-50 lead.
But he said the Jazz were
outplayed and outhustled in
the first few minutes of the
second half and he put the
blame on his shoulders for
letting his team lose focus.
Nene was hurt with 5
minutes left in the first half.
He was working under the
basket when Boozer's left
leg slammed into his left
knee.
"I don't know how severe
his injury is, but if he
doesn't play we just have
to play without him,"
Dantley said. "Utah, they
went without two players.
We just have to play
without him."
With Nene out, Andersen
scored 10 points and
grabbed seven boards and
Petro chipped in four points
and six boards.
"When he went out they
picked themselves up,"
Sloan said. "They seemed
to get a lot stronger."
Sloan said he wasn't
straight double-double after
concerned that the injuries
to Kirilenko and Okur were
catching up to his short-
handed roster.
"I would if they were about
40 years old," he cracked.
"I don't have anybody that
old so they should be in
good enough shape to be
able to play."
One thing the Jazz don't
want is to see is the Pepsi
Center again in a Game 7.
"It's very important to get
this over with on Friday,"
Williams said. "But it's not
going to be easy."
NOTES: Nene will be re-
evaluated Thursday. ...
Anthony had his second
straight double-double after
managing just one in 16
playoff games last year.
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio –
LeBron James is not
expected to miss any of
Cleveland's playoff games
because of his strained
right elbow and bone
bruise.
The Cavaliers say James
was re-examined
Wednesday night by team
doctors, who took more X-
rays and an MRI. The tests
revealed the strain and a
occasionally goes numb
bruised bone near the
elbow.
James will have daily
treatments and another MRI
next week. The NBA's MVP
has been wearing a
padded sleeve over his
elbow, which has been
bothering him for weeks.
He said his elbow
occasionally goes numb.
The Cavs eliminated
Chicago in five games in the
opening round and begin
their best-of-seven series
against the Boston Celtics
on Saturday.
PITTSBURGH – Two
Pennsylvania police
officers who worked as
personal assistants to
Pittsburgh Steelers
quarterback Ben
Roethlisberger are being
investigated by their full-
time employers.
At issue is the role the off-
duty officers played the
night Roethlisberger was
accused of sexual assault
in Georgia.
State trooper Ed Joyner's
permission to work as
Roethlisberger's assistant
and chauffeur has already
been rescinded. The
04/28/2010
they've learned during two
about it, so I accepted the
challenge."
The Lakers led by 21 points
at halftime and went ahead
by 32 late in the third
quarter of their third home
victory in the series. Durant
and Westbrook combined
for 9-of-27 shooting for
Oklahoma City, which never
recovered after missing its
first 13 shots.
While the Thunder are still
learning about the demands
of playoff basketball, the
Lakers already have an
advanced degree — and
they showed off what
they've learned during two
straight trips to the NBA
finals.
"We know what we
needed to do," Bynum said.
"We got embarrassed, and
we wanted to show them
that we're still the world
champions. ... We're
supposed to do that. The
message will be sent in
Game 6. Close 'em out."
Los Angeles jumped to a
10-0 lead before the
Thunder's first point on
Westbrook's free throw
nearly 4 1/2 minutes in, and
Oklahoma City couldn't hit a
field goal until Durant's
jumper with 5:49 left.
Bynum scored eight straight
points underneath the
basket as the Lakers finally
turned their superior height
into an advantage, rather
than the anchor it became
in Oklahoma City. Bynum
had 11 rebounds amid 8-
didn't take a shot in the first
for-10 shooting, while
Gasol scored 15 points in
the third quarter to put
away the win.
"We've been beat up
before," Thunder coach
Scott Brooks said. "The
only thing you can do is
come back and respond.
We don't get too high, we
don't get too down. The one
thing that we always do is
respond."
After Los Angeles won the
first two games, Oklahoma
City evened the series and
gained a wealth of
confidence with back-to-
back wins. The Thunder
embarrassed the Lakers in
Game 4, going ahead by 29
points and holding Bryant to
12 after the former MVP
didn't take a shot in the first
quarter.
With the backing of a
Staples Center crowd
radiating unease even
before the game, the
Lakers played heady
defense from the opening
tip — including Bryant's
move to Westbrook, the
speedy former UCLA point
guard whose dribble
penetration catalyzes much
of the Thunder offense.
"I blame that on myself,"
Westbrook said of his
struggles against Bryant. "It
was a different look, and
I've just got to be confident
in what I'm doing."
Los Angeles led 31-16 after
one quarter and steadily
pushed the advantage
improved their troublesome
heading into halftime, going
up 55-34 on Bryant's
jumper with 7.7 seconds
left. The Lakers made
nearly 65 percent of their
first-half shots while
holding Oklahoma City to
26-percent shooting — and
the Thunder fast breaks
that shredded the Lakers in
Oklahoma City were almost
nonexistent, with just two
first-half points on the
break.
Los Angeles even got 14
points in a resurgent effort
from Artest, whose
shooting woes had
overshadowed his
defensive efforts against
Durant in the series. The
mercurial forward's bald
dome certainly seemed to
indicate he's done playing
around as he chases his
first championship ring.
NOTES: The Lakers slightly
improved their troublesome
free-throw shooting, going
22 for 31 after a 17-for-28
effort in Game 4. Bryant,
who took just two free
throws in the past two
games, went 5 for 7. ...
After coach Phil Jackson
asked Artest not to shoot
so many 3-pointers from
the sides of the court, since
they tend to create fast-
break chances for an
opponent, Artest took two
in the first three quarters —
but made both. ... Fans
included Leonardo DiCaprio
and model Bar Rafaeli, Will
Ferrell, Joel McHale,
"It's a great situation for me
Sylvester Stallone, Eddie
Murphy, Dustin Hoffman,
Barry Bonds, singer Seal,
David Arquette and UCLA
coach Ben Howland, while
Hugh Hefner watched from
a luxury box.
The Arizona Cardinals
agreed to terms with free-
agent left guard Alan
Faneca on a one-year
contract Tuesday, three
days after he was cut by
the New York Jets.
Faneca, who played the
past two seasons for the
Jets, rejoins Arizona head
coach Ken Whisenhunt and
offensive line coach Russ
Grimm, both former Steelers
assistants. Grimm was the
nine-time Pro Bowl
selection's position coach
from 2001-06 in Pittsburgh.
"It's a great situation for me
with a group of coaches I'm
familiar with, especially to
be back with Russ again,"
Faneca said in an e-mail to
The Associated Press.
Arizona did not release
financial terms.
"We're obviously familiar
with him from our time
together in Pittsburgh, but
we've also seen a lot of
tape of him from the last
two years with the Jets,"
Whisenhunt said, "and he's
still the same tough,
physical player who does a
good job pulling and getting
to the next level."
to sound overconfident, but
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Lookin
At Lucky was made the
early 3-1 favorite for the
Kentucky Derby, with
Sidney's Candy as the
second choice Wednesday
in a full field of 20 horses.
Trained by three-time Derby
winner Bob Baffert and
ridden by Garrett Gomez,
Lookin At Lucky drew the
No. 1 post for Saturday's 1
1/4-mile race. That's
generally considered a
disadvantage because all
the traffic charging into the
first turn tends to jam the
inside.
"If there's a horse that can
overcome that spot, it's
Lucky," co-owner Mike
Pegram said. "I don't want
to sound overconfident, but
we got the best jockey in
the country and he knows
what his responsibilities
are."
Twelve horses have won
from the No. 1 post, the last
being Ferdinand in 1986.
Sidney's Candy drew the
outside No. 20 post.
Devil May Care is a 10-1
co-third favorite as she
attempts to become the
fourth filly to win the Derby.
The last filly to run in the
Derby, Eight Belles, finished
second two years ago, but
broke down after crossing
the finish line and had to be
euthanized.
Listed at 5-1, Sidney's
Candy didn't fare well in the
draw either. The colt who
owns a three-race winning
but has never raced on dirt
streak will break from the
No. 20 post, making for the
widest of all trips around
Churchill Downs. Only two
winners have come from
there, with Big Brown doing
so two years ago.
Trained by John Sadler,
ridden by 20-year-old Joe
Talamo and owned by
weight loss maven Jenny
Craig, Sidney's Candy
swept the California preps
but has never raced on dirt
before.
Devil May Care will take on
the boys from the No. 11
post. The other co-third
choices are Florida Derby
winner Ice Box and Gotham
winner Awesome Act.
Devil May Care is one of
four horses in the field
trained by Todd Pletcher,
who is 0 for 24 in the
Derby. His best horse,
Eskendereya, was forced
out with a leg injury last
weekend.
Devil May Care has the
lowest odds of Pletcher's
four horses. Super Saver is
15-1, Mission Impazible is
20-1, and Discreetly Mine is
30-1.
"I came out pretty good in all
cases," Pletcher said. "The
only negative is the 11
because she'll be in the
gate for a long time."
A year ago, 50-1 long shot
Mine That Bird stunned the
field and won under a rail-
hugging ride by Calvin
Borel, who rides Super
Saver this time.
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other sports, officials pulled
There are a quartet of
horses listed at 50-1:
Dean's Kitten, Make Music
for Me, Backtalk (a son of
2004 Derby winner Smarty
Jones) and Homeboykris,
co-owned by Los Angeles
Dodgers manager Joe
Torre.
Hall of Famer trainer D.
Wayne Lukas, a four-time
Derby winner, will saddle
Dublin, listed at 12-1.
The draw reverted to a
traditional pill pull for the
first time since 1997, after a
two-tier, made-for-TV
process was used the last
12 years.
Instead of the connections
of each horse selecting
their starting spots,
including a break for
strategizing like a draft in
other sports, officials pulled
horses' entry blanks
simultaneously with a
numbered pill to determine
what spot a horse breaks
from in the starting gate.
DUBAI, United Arab
Emirates – China was
stripped of a bronze medal
from the 2000 Sydney
Olympics on Wednesday
for fielding an underage
gymnast. The medal was
given to the United States
instead.
The International Olympic
Committee acted after
investigations by the sport's
governing body determined
that Dong Fangxiao was
only 14 at the 2000 Games.
Gymnasts must turn 16
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the FIG recommended that
during the Olympic year to
be eligible.
"I'm really just proud to
know that justice
prevailed," said Dominique
Dawes, a member of the
U.S. squad in 2000. "My
teammates are very well-
deserving of the bronze
medal, and I'm sure each
and every one of us will be
thrilled. We will cherish it."
Dong's results from Sydney
were nullified in February
by the International
Gymnastics Federation.
Because her scores
contributed to China
winning the team bronze,
the FIG recommended that
the IOC take the medal
back.
As expected, the IOC
executive board upheld the
request and formally
stripped the medal on the
first day of a two-day
meeting in Dubai.
The U.S. women, who had
been fourth, move up to the
bronze.
The IOC said Dong also
was stripped of her sixth-
place result in the individual
floor exercises and
seventh place in the vault.
Calls to the Chinese
Gymnastics Association
and the media officers for
the Chinese gymnastics
team went unanswered
Wednesday. Dong now
lives in New Zealand with
her husband.
The IOC ordered China's
national Olympic committee
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American women had failed
to return the team medals
"as soon as possible" so
they can be reallocated to
the U.S. team.
It also told the Chinese to
"ensure, by all means, that
the athletes and officials of
its delegation comply with
all rules and regulations (of
the international federation)
particularly with regard to
age limits."
"I never imagined in all my
years of gymnastics that a
decade following one of my
Olympic Games I'd actually
get a medal possibly
shipped to me in the mail,"
said Dawes, who will now
have one gold and three
bronzes from the 1992,
1996 and 2000 games.
The bronze medal salvages
what had been a
disappointing Olympics for
the U.S. women. The squad
— Dawes, Amy Chow,
Jamie Dantzscher, Kristin
Maloney, Elise Ray and
Tasha Schwikert — left
Sydney empty-handed, the
only time since 1976 the
American women had failed
to win a single Olympic
medal. The U.S. boycotted
the 1980 Moscow Games.
"Sydney was a beautiful
Olympics, they did a great
job. But it was hard when
people would ask, `What
medal did you guys get?'"
Schwikert said. "It's going
to be nice to say, `We did
get a medal. We got the
bronze in Sydney.'"
Questions about Dong's
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was born in the Year of the
eligibility arose during the
FIG's investigation into the
ages of the Chinese team
that won the gold medal at
the 2008 Beijing Games.
Media reports and Internet
records suggested some of
the girls could have been
as young as 14.
The FIG cleared the Beijing
Games gymnasts in
October 2008 after Chinese
officials provided original
passports, ID cards and
family registers showing all
of the gymnasts were old
enough to compete. But the
FIG said it wasn't satisfied
with "the explanations and
evidence provided to date"
for Dong and a second
gymnast, Yang Yun.
Dong's accreditation
information for the Beijing
Olympics, where she
worked as a national
technical official, listed her
birthday as Jan. 23, 1986.
That would have made her
14 in Sydney — too young
to compete. Her birth date in
the FIG database is listed
as Jan. 20, 1983.
Dong's blog also said she
was born in the Year of the
Ox in the Chinese zodiac,
which dates from Feb. 20,
1985, to Feb. 8, 1986.
FIG investigators didn't find
sufficient evidence to prove
Yang, who also won a
bronze medal on uneven
bars in 2000, was
underage. She received a
warning from the FIG.
"We are extremely grateful
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game that he underwent an
that the IOC and the FIG
have taken such a thorough
look at the issues that were
raised in Beijing," said
Steve Penny, president of
USA Gymnastics. "It serves
the best interests of sports
to make sure there's
always a fair field of play."
___ CLEVELAND – LeBron
James' puzzling elbow
injury will get an extra day
of rest before the next
round of the NBA playoffs
after the Cavaliers decided
not to practice Wednesday.
James has been bothered
by numbness in his right
elbow for several weeks.
He lost feeling after banging
it late in Tuesday night's
clinching win over the
Chicago Bulls.
James shot and missed a
free throw left-handed with
7.8 seconds left, even
though the Cavs still had a
timeout and were leading
by four, and left the court
clutching his elbow.
James revealed after the
game that he underwent an
MRI exam Monday that
showed no structural
damage. A team
spokesman said the Cavs
will provide an update on
James after he is evaluated
Wednesday or Thursday.
The Cavs open the second
round Saturday against the
Boston Cel
LOS ANGELES – Kobe
Bryant sometimes thinks the
Los Angeles Lakers are an
orchestra in need of a
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playing, and the last game
conductor. He picked up
the
baton in Game 5, driving the
lane aggressively and
defending Oklahoma City's
Russell Westbrook with
zeal.
The result was a
businesslike blowout that
showed exactly what
Bryant meant when he said
the upstart Thunder had
captured the mighty
Lakers' attention.
Pau Gasol had 25 points
and 11 rebounds, Andrew
Bynum added 21 points and
the Lakers vigorously
rebounded from back-to-
back losses with a 111-87
victory over Oklahoma City
on Tuesday night, taking a
3-2 lead in their first-round
playoff series.
"Considering how
inconsistently we've been
playing, and the last game
in Oklahoma, this was one
of our better (games of the
season)," said Bryant, who
had 13 points and seven
assists.
Gasol and Bynum followed
Bryant's no-nonsense lead,
relentlessly scoring inside
while giving up no easy
buckets on the other end.
Even Ron Artest shaved off
his goofy blond dye job
before playing another
standout defensive game
against Kevin Durant in
support of Bryant, who
volunteered to guard
Westbrook.
"It's like conducting an
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