http://www.krdo.com/-/417342/14777438/-/14whw70/-/index.html en-US © 2011 Internet Broadcasting Systems, Inc. Home Home en-US © 2011 Internet Broadcasting Systems, Inc. http://www.krdo.com/sports/phil-jackson-russell-over-jordan/-/416806/20291778/-/roc6qqz/-/index.html Phil Jackson told Time magazine this week that if he were starting a team, his first pick would be Bill Russell. Jackson, who is promoting his new book "Eleven Rings: The Soul of Success," chose Russell over Michael Jordan. "In my estimation, the guy that has to be there would be Bill Russell," Jackson said. "He has won 11 championships as a player. That's really the idea of what excellence is, when you win championships." Jackson coached the Chicago Bulls to six NBA titles with Jordan in the 1990s. Russell won his championships with the Boston Celtics in the 1950s and '60s. Jackson won five more NBA titles as a coach with the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2000s. Jackson wrote in his book that Jordan was a better leader, defensive player and shooter than Lakers star Kobe Bryant, whom he coached in Los Angeles. However, he backed off that stance when asked by Time which player is better. "I would flip a coin," Jackson said. "Whichever one came up heads or tails, I'd take that person. They were that good." Sat, 25 May 2013 04:28:13 GMT 20291778 2013-05-25T04:28:13Z http://www.krdo.com/sports/pacers-even-series-against-heat/-/416806/20300564/-/ag7tj2z/-/index.html The Indiana Pacers recovered from a heartbreaking loss in the opener of the Eastern Conference finals, forcing two last-minute turnovers from LeBron James to defeat the Miami Heat 97-93 on Friday night. The win evened their series at one game apiece. The loss was stunning for the Heat, who started the night having won 46 of their previous 49 games. Game 3 is set for Sunday night in Indianapolis. Friday's game was decided in the final minute. George Hill made two free throws with 48 seconds left for a 95-93 Pacers lead. James then committed a turnover when David West deflected a pass. But when the Pacers failed to score, the Heat got the ball back trailing by two with 17 seconds left. James turned it over again when his pass was deflected by West again. Hill then made two free throws with eight seconds left. The Pacers were led by center Roy Hibbert, who had a playoff career high with 29 points. Forwards Paul George (22 points) and West (13 points) also made key contributions. Hill had 18 points. The Heat was led by James, who had 36 points. Dwyane Wade added 14 points and Chris Bosh chipped in with 17. The Heat won the third quarter, cutting the deficit to two points at 76-74. But the best thing about the third quarter is how it ended. First, George got the ball just past the free throw line, took a strong dribble to his left to get by James and then dunked with his right hand over Chris "Birdman" Andersen. George then made his free throw -- the foul was the fourth on Andersen -- to complete the three-point play, giving Indiana a 76-71 lead with five seconds left in the quarter. James, though, answered quickly. He made a long 3-pointer over George at the buzzer. After hitting the shot, James made a comment to George. But a split-second later, the two exchanged hand slaps in a show of good sportsmanship. The Pacers dominated most of the first half but led just 53-47 because of how well the Heat closed out each quarter. Miami ended the first quarter on a 10-4 run and the second quarter on a 7-0 streak. That included a 3-pointer by Mike Miller at the halftime buzzer. Miller received a nearly impossible pass by James, who was triple-teamed at the rim but somehow found Miller. James led the Heat with 15 first-half points. But little else was going as planned for the defending NBA champions, who made just 13 of 20 free throws (65 percent). The Pacers also won the power stats, outrebounding Miami 19-14 and scoring more points in the paint (20-14). In addition, HIbbert was dominant with 19 points on 6-of-8 shooting from the field and six rebounds. George had just eight points in 14 minutes, mostly because he was in foul trouble with two personals. Indiana overcame three technical fouls, two of them for contact after fouls (West and Tyler Hansbrough). The other was on assistant coach Brian Shaw, who yelled "ball don't lie" after the Heat's Ray Allen missed a technical foul shot. NOTES: Heat point guard Mario Chalmers, who injured his shoulder and missed most of Wednesday's game after halftime, is sore but still started. ... Hill, who is battling a sprained left big toe, also started. ... James was named Thursday to the All-NBA first team for the seventh time. Wade made the third team. George was on the third team. ... Anderson entered the game 29 of 35 from the floor in the playoffs. In the first half, he kept up that phenomenal pace, going 2 of 2. Sat, 25 May 2013 04:26:38 GMT 20300564 2013-05-25T04:26:38Z http://www.krdo.com/sports/Mavericks-plan-to-pursue-Howard/-/416806/20290980/-/xb1k59/-/index.html The Dallas Mavericks believe they have a better shot of landing center Dwight Howard in free agency this summer than point guard Chris Paul, according to the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram. The newspaper cited a source who said Paul is likely to stay with the Clippers because of the firing of coach Vinnie Del Negro. That means the chances of getting the disgruntled Howard from the Lakers are better. Howard is reportedly not enamored with Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni. "I think Chris Paul, depending on who (the Clippers) hire, is going to stay with the Clippers," the source said. "The Mavericks are really interested in Chris Paul, but I think they want Dwight more. They think they can make them a point guard." The point guards the Mavericks are reportedly interested in are the Golden State Warriors' Jarrett Jack and Jerryd Bayless of the Memphis Grizzlies. Both players were important in getting their teams to the playoffs and will be free agents starting July 1. The Mavericks are reportedly trying to trade their first round draft pick (No. 13 overall) to create salary-cap space to go after Howard. The Lakers are in the best position to retain Howard because they can offer him a five-year, $118 million contract. No other team can offer more than a four-year, $87.6 million deal. Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki has said he is willing to take less money when he becomes a free agent next year to help the team acquire another star player. Howard has listed the Mavericks, Houston Rockets and Lakers on his short list of teams for which he wants to sign. Fri, 24 May 2013 21:00:00 GMT 20290980 2013-05-24T21:00:00Z http://www.krdo.com/sports/ray-lewis-to-climb-mt-kilimanjaro/-/416806/20295680/-/ap7d2lz/-/index.html Retired Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis announced that he plans to climb Africa's Mount Kilimanjaro. "In one month, I will climb Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania to raise money and awareness for clean water projects in East Africa," Lewis announced on his web site. "I am so FIRED UP for this adventure." Mt. Kilimanjaro is the world's tallest free-standing mountain at more than 19,000 feet high. Lewis retired after the Ravens beat the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl in February, wrapping up a sure 17-year Hall of Fame career. Now Lewis will face a new challenge in climbing a mountain that is more than 3 1/2 miles high. Fri, 24 May 2013 20:46:34 GMT 20295680 2013-05-24T20:46:34Z http://www.krdo.com/sports/Weis-outearned-Kelly-at-Notre-Dame-in-11/-/416806/20290084/-/mnsw30z/-/index.html Charlie Weis made more money from Notre Dame in 2011 than Brian Kelly, even though Kelly was the one coaching the team. As part of his buyout agreement after being fired in 2009, Weis was paid more than $2 million in 2011, compared to Kelly's salary of just over $1 million that year, according to the Chicago Tribune. Weis was given a $19 million buyout that pays him $2,054,744 annually through 2015. He was given an initial $6,638,403 payment when he was fired. Following two annual payments, he has received $10.8 million from Notre Dame since he was let go of his coaching duties. He is owed four more payments, bringing his buyout total to $18,966,867. Weis currently coaches at Kansas. Kelly reportedly earned $1,088,179 in 2011. "The current head football coach is permitted to receive compensation from external sources with prior written approval from the University," the school wrote in a statement. That may include other sources such as shoe companies that might not be required to report on tax forms. Kelly's base pay was $672,608 with "bonus and incentive compensation" equaled $289,741. Other forms of compensation and benefits brought his earnings to more than $1 million. Fri, 24 May 2013 20:44:37 GMT 20290084 2013-05-24T20:44:37Z http://www.krdo.com/sports/Dodgers-management-backing-Mattingly-for-now/-/416806/20284440/-/xl44k/-/index.html Fingers have been pointed at Los Angeles Dodgers manager Don Mattingly for weeks now, aimed at him as the likely fall guy for the team's disappointing season so far. Mattingly turned the tables this week, pointing fingers at his players with the implication that they lack the grit and mental toughness needed to live up to the team's championship expectations. "We're in last place in the NL West," Mattingly said. "Last year at this point, we're playing with a lineup that had basically nobody in it, that fights and competes and battles for every inch of the field. "We got more out of our ability (last year)." The Dodgers led the division by 5 1/2 games at the end of May a year ago despite not having Matt Kemp (out with a hamstring injury) or any of the high-priced players acquired in mid-season trades. "We talk about it as an organization -- we gotta find a team with talent that will fight and compete like a club that doesn't have that talent," Mattingly said. "There has to be a mixture of competitiveness. It's not, 'Let's put an All-Star team together' and the All-Star team wins. It's finding that balance of a team that has a little bit of grit and will fight you. And also having talent to go with it. "All grit and no talent isn't going to get you there. But all talent and no grit isn't going to get you there either. There has to be a mixture of both." Dodgers General Manager Ned Colletti declined to comment on Mattingly's remarks. But amid rumors earlier in the week that Mattingly would be fired any day now, Colletti reaffirmed his stance from earlier this month that the Dodgers' problems are "correctable" and a managerial change is not required to make that happen. "My perspective hasn't changed," Colletti said. "I think he's done fine. I think he's kept it steady. Players still have to play. ... You have to look at our performance as a team on the field. Have we hit well with runners in scoring position? Have we scored enough runs? Have we played enough good defense? Have we made proper pitches all the time? I think it's the easy way out to look at one person." Dodgers president Stan Kasten offered an endorsement for Mattingly as well. "I know what Don is trying to do, what his intention is," Kasten told foxsports.com on Thursday. "It's to light a fire, kick-start the team. He's trying everything he can think of. We're all behind him." Fri, 24 May 2013 14:56:50 GMT 20284440 2013-05-24T14:56:50Z http://www.krdo.com/sports/Happ-targets-mid-June-return/-/416806/20283742/-/9cldfw/-/index.html Toronto Blue Jays left-hander J.A. Happ is hoping to return by mid-June from injuries suffered when he was hit by a line drive earlier this month. Happ sustained a skull fracture, contusions that required stitches and a sprained right knee when he was hit on the left ear by a shot back to the mound from the bat of Tampa Bay's Desmond Jennings during a May 7 game in St. Petersburg, Fla. "It's hard to put a time frame on it exactly at this point, just because I haven't really been able to throw quite yet," Happ told ESPN's Outside the Lines. Happ's rehab is restricted to throwing a weighted ball indoors at the Blue Jays' minor league complex near Tampa. He's waiting for a knee brace to arrive before he starts throwing outside. While his head injuries are healing and his hearing loss is improving, the 30-year-old pitcher said he still has trouble walking and hasn't started running yet. He estimated he lost 30 percent of his hearing when he was hit but that it has improved to 5 percent. "I can hear everything pretty good," he said. "I feel like it's close to being back to normal." Asked if he would be nervous about returning to the mound, Happ said, "I anticipate it not being an issue, but we'll never know until I get back out there. It's something you try not to think about. There's certainly a chance it will be more difficult to do that from now on." Fri, 24 May 2013 14:55:21 GMT 20283742 2013-05-24T14:55:21Z http://www.krdo.com/sports/Report-Celtics-won-t-let-Nets-talk-to-Rivers/-/416806/20286334/-/hbwlkuz/-/index.html A week after the Boston Celtics announced that Doc Rivers would return as their coach next season, they refused to change their mind despite a request from a division rival. The Celtics refused to allow the Brooklyn Nets to speak with Rivers about their coaching vacancy, ESPNBoston.com reported Thursday night. Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge declined comment to the website but again said he expects Rivers to remain in Boston next season. According to the report, Rivers has three years and $21 million left on his contract. "Doc has told me he's coming back," Ainge told ESPNBoston.com. "I talk to him almost every day about our team and what we are going to do moving forward." In nine seasons on the Boston bench, Rivers has a 416-305 regular-season record and a 59-47 postseason mark. He led the Celtics to the 2007-08 NBA championship, and he guided Boston to the 2009-10 Eastern Conference title. Counting his time coaching the Orlando Magic from 1999-2004, he has a 587-473 career regular-season record and a 64-57 playoff record. Fri, 24 May 2013 14:53:49 GMT 20286334 2013-05-24T14:53:49Z http://www.krdo.com/sports/cowboys-brent-may-have-violated-bond/-/416806/20290106/-/p0kmhd/-/index.html Dallas Cowboys nose tackle Josh Brent is scheduled for a court appearance on Friday morning to address a possible violation of his bond after a monitoring device detected alcohol. Prosecutors will argue that Brent violated conditions of his bond and will seek to have it revoked before he goes to trial on a manslaughter charge in the death of former teammate Jerry Brown. Brent's vehicle crashed on Dec. 8 in Irving, Texas, and Brown, a passenger, was killed. Brent's blood-alcohol level reportedly was twice the legal limit. Brent's hearing on at 10 a.m. ET will be before Dallas judge Robert Burns. According to ESPN.com, Brent says he didn't drink alcohol and that his attorneys were trying to find out how alcohol got into his system. ESPN also reported that the device has gone off several times. Brent is awaiting trial on charges of intoxication manslaughter in Brown's death. He is free on $100,000 bond. Fri, 24 May 2013 14:49:02 GMT 20290106 2013-05-24T14:49:02Z http://www.krdo.com/sports/Hamlin-wins-pole-at-Charlotte-with-record-lap/-/416806/20284438/-/8jg2lyz/-/index.html Distributed by The Sports Xchange CONCORD, N.C. -- For Denny Hamlin, Thursday night's qualifying session at Charlotte Motor Speedway felt like a victory -- and it came from pushing his car to the absolute limit. Hamlin, who missed four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races this season because of a compression fraction to his first lumbar vertebra, took advantage of a lightning-fast car and a late draw to win the pole for Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 in record time. One of eight drivers to beat the previous track record, Hamlin covered the 1.5-mile distance in 27.604 seconds (195.624 mph) to knock Kurt Busch (195.221 mph) off the provisional pole. Matt Kenseth (195.094 mph) qualified third, followed by Mark Martin (194.595 mph) and Clint Bowyer (194.503 mph). Toyota drivers claimed four of the top five spots. The Coors Light pole award was Hamlin's first at Charlotte, his second of the season and the 14th of his career. Hamlin converted three of his previous 13 poles into victories, and a win is what Hamlin feels he needs to show he's back in top form after the injury. "Getting the big trophy on Sunday is the validation that you're truly back," Hamlin said. "For me, it's going to take wins and a lot of really good consistency throughout these summer months to put ourselves in a position to have a chance at a championship. "That's what we're here for. Even these small victories, though, give me that confidence that I'm still capable--able to do the job at 100 percent like I should be. Any kind of confidence booster for me, it's always a plus on Sunday." Kasey Kahne qualified sixth, followed by Kyle Busch, Jamie McMurray and Ryan Newman. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was 11th and series leader Jimmie Johnson 12th. Kurt Busch knew he missed his marks slightly in Turns 3 and 4 -- and ultimately paid the price. "I just didn't quite hit my mark exactly right in 3 and 4, and I knew that we might get beat by somebody," he said. "I was just hoping I'd get a gift, but Denny Hamlin laid it down, and it was incredible to watch. His car hugged the line in 3 and 4, exactly like you'd watch cars back in the day, like when Jeff Gordon in the '90s would hunt that white line. "It was awesome. You knew that was going to be a fast lap. I didn't do my job, but my (Furniture Row) team is doing an incredible job--fast cars week in and week out." Kyle Busch was first to break the record qualifying run of 193.708 mph that Biffle posted last October. He toured the 1.5-mile track in 27.842 seconds (193.952 mph) to land his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota on the provisional pole. But Kyle didn't have to be a prophet to know that drivers who followed him in cooler conditions would surpass him -- and the first to do so was his brother. Biffle supplanted Kyle from the second spot and Martin followed shortly thereafter, knocking him back to fourth. That order held until Hamlin, the 40th driver to make a run, became the sixth driver to beat the previous record. Reminded that his pole earlier this season came at Fontana, Calif., Hamlin quipped, "How'd that turn out?" Fontana was where Hamlin suffered his compression fracture in a last-lap crash with Joey Logano. Fri, 24 May 2013 07:45:05 GMT 20284438 2013-05-24T07:45:05Z http://www.krdo.com/sports/Kopitar-first-goal-of-series-put-Kings-in-command/-/416806/20286460/-/j9xutpz/-/index.html Anze Kopitar finally showed up for the Los Angeles Kings in the Western Conference semifinals. His timing could not have been better. Frustrated, stymied and curtailed by the stingy San Jose Sharks over the first four games of the series, Kopitar awoke late in the second period Thursday simply by being in the right place at the right time. The result was a crucial goal past Sharks goalie Antti Niemi that set the Kings on their way to a 3-0 victory in Game 5 at Staples Center. The defending Stanley Cup champion Kings took a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series, and they have a chance to close out the Sharks on Sunday in San Jose. "Just got to get a win," Kings defenseman Matt Greene said. "Got to look forward to it and play a hard game, which we did a little better job tonight, but just get better." Game 7, if necessary, would be played Tuesday in Los Angeles, where the Kings have won 13 straight. "Got to be confident," San Jose forward Logan Couture said. "Season is on the line. We are playing for our lives. I expect to see us as a desperate team. I expect our best players to be way better, myself included in Game 6 and play well at home. I'm confident. I think we are going to go home and win Game 6 and we'll be back in L.A. ... "We have a lot to look at from tonight's game. We did a lot of things wrong. I'm sure it will help us look at some video and get better." Either way, the Kings can take comfort in having Kopitar back in the fold, and in the scoring column. Shut out over the first four games against San Jose and with just one goal over the Kings' first 10 postseason games, Kopitar broke through at the 18:08 mark of the second period, positioning himself to the right of Niemi, finding a loose puck at his feet and punching it in to give the Kings a 1-0 lead. "The legs are a little bit lighter," Kopitar said of getting his first goal of the series. Greene said, "It's big time. I think Kopitar does a lot of things that go unnoticed. For him to get a goal, get a reward on the score sheet, is great, but we all know his value in here." The noticeably inspired Kings pulled the momentum of Kopitar's goal into the third period. Striking quickly against Niemi, Slava Voynov fired a wrist shot past him 53 seconds into the period to put the Kings up 2-0. With Kings goalie Jonathan Quick back on top of his game, that turned out to be an insurmountable lead for the Sharks to overcome. In recording his second shutout of the series, Quick turned away all 24 shots he faced. "We played well. We played hard, came out with a purpose," Quick said. "It's not easy. It's not easy to win against this team, they're a great team. We need that effort, we need more. We expect to win in San Jose. That's a tough building to play in. We're going to need a great effort again." Meanwhile, the Kings killed off three power plays, and they have killed 16 off 17 power plays at home during the playoffs. "We needed it, and we came out big," Kopitar said. Jeff Carter added an empty-net goal for the Kings with 32 seconds remaining. Niemi made 26 saves, but the Sharks could not figure out Quick. "They just did a better job at getting the pucks out," San Jose forward Joe Thornton said. "We didn't put it in a good place to get it back. That's why they were more effective getting it out. We definitely had our chances, but we just got to bear down. We're getting those opportunities." San Jose coach Todd McLellan is confident going home. "We are going back to our building. We have a couple of days to regroup, to rest," he said. "When we've played well this year down the stretch, we've played quick, efficiently, we've made tape-to-tape passes, and that didn't happen tonight. We weren't the team we wanted to be." NOTES: In 11 playoffs games this year, Quick has stopped 313 of 330 shots. He now has a Kings-record seven career shutouts in the playoffs and 27 career postseason wins. ... The Kings have led a best-of-seven series 3-2 eight previous times, and they are 7-1 in those series. ... Including the regular season, the Kings and Sharks have played a total of nine times this season, with the home team winning each game. "Up to this point, there's been a home-ice advantage," Kings coach Darryl Sutter said. "I don't really think there is anything in particular, everybody is going to look at it when it is over and done and look at their whole year, evaluate schedules and things and then they are going to rate how they played at home and how they played away. I think that that's something that is way down the road and something that seems like a long time ago, because everything is just based on playoffs now." ... Sharks defensemen Marc Edouard-Vlasic and Justin Braun have been defending Kopitar's line and done the same job they did against Canucks forwards Daniel and Henrik Sedin in the first round, holding them to just one assist each. "They picked up where they left off in their assignment against the Canucks," McLellan said. "They feel very comfortable playing with each other, and they complement each other well. They're both very good skaters with tremendous stamina, so when they get caught out there long, they're able to maintain their composure and get the job done." Fri, 24 May 2013 06:44:35 GMT 20286460 2013-05-24T06:44:35Z http://www.krdo.com/sports/Wings-third-win-in-row-pushes-Blackhawks-to-brink/-/416806/20285930/-/13j4ad6/-/index.html The Chicago Blackhawks picked the wrong time for their first three-game losing streak of the season. Jimmy Howard made 28 saves for his second career playoff shutout, and the Detroit Red Wings beat Chicago 2-0 at Joe Louis Arena on Thursday night to take a 3-1 series lead over the heavily favored Blackhawks in the Western Conference semifinals. Game 5 is Saturday night at Chicago's United Center. Chicago got points in the first 24 games of the regular season en route to running away with the Presidents' Trophy, which goes to the team with the NHL's best record. They never lost more than two in a row ... until now. After winning the first game of the series 4-1, the Blackhawks lost the past three by a combined 9-2 score. And now, if they can't stop their skid, their season will be over. "We've got to find a way to dig in," center Patrick Sharp said. "We're going back to Chicago on our home ice in front of our home fans." Jakub Kindl scored a power-play goal midway through the second period, and Daniel Cleary added an empty-net goal for Detroit, which is the Western Conference's No. 7 seed after barely sneaking into the playoffs. Detroit coach Mike Babcock was asked if he were surprised that his team stands one win away from the Western Conference finals. "If you would ask me two months ago, I would be shocked. We started playing better and better," Babcock said. "Once we got through the Anaheim (first-round) series, you go in thinking you have an opportunity. We're competing at a high, high level." Corey Crawford stopped 25 shots for Chicago. Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews -- who has no goals and three assists in his team's nine playoff games -- continued to be frustrated by the Red Wings. He took three consecutive penalties -- hooking, high sticking and hooking again -- in the second period. "I'm not going to say anything about the officiating," Toews said. "Obviously I disagree with the calls, but it's in the heat of the moment. They see what they see." The Red Wings capitalized with one second left in the second penalty to take a 1-0 lead when Kindl got his first goal of the playoffs at 10:03. He beat Crawford with a change-up of a shot from the top of the left circle. It was the first power-play goal Chicago allowed in the playoffs after killing its first 30 short-handed situations. Detroit recorded its first power-play goal of the series after being foiled on its first 13 attempts. Cleary scored his third goal of the playoffs with 39 seconds remaining in the game. "We played a good game," Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg said. "We knew they would come out and play good from the start, so we wanted to come out and take charge." Chicago's Michal Handzus hit the crossbar with 9:45 left in the third. Howard made an outstanding save on Dave Bolland on a two-on-one rush 9:25 into the third period after stopping Sharp on a breakaway with 4:55 left in a first period in which the Red Wings turned the puck over five times. "In the playoffs you need your goalie the most, and he's been really big for us and keeping us in some games when we should have been down one or two," Red Wings defenseman Jonathan Ericsson said. "But that's what we have in a goalie like him." Chicago's Nick Leddy hit the goal post about two minutes into the second period. NOTE: Handzus, not Toews, played on a line between Marian Hossa and Sharp. Toews was with Patrick Kane and Bryan Bickell. ... Detroit D Dan DeKeyser had the cast removed Wednesday from his surgically repaired thumb. DeKeyser, whose thumb was broken May 2 in the second game of the Anaheim series, has been skating for a week. He was originally thought to be out six to eight weeks, but he thinks he could return if the Red Wings beat the Blackhawks and reach the Western Conference finals. ... Detroit D Brendan Smith was helped off the ice after taking a Bolland shot off the right knee with 3:20 left in the first period. Smith returned for the second period. Fri, 24 May 2013 04:14:50 GMT 20285930 2013-05-24T04:14:50Z http://www.krdo.com/sports/rangers-stay-alive-with-ot-win/-/416806/20284664/-/a4emqt/-/index.html The New York Rangers are on life support. They'll take it over the alternative. Chris Kreider's goal 7:03 into overtime gave the Rangers a 4-3 overtime win over the Boston Bruins in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden. "It felt good," Kreider said of the winner. "It is so surreal. It's not something that can be explained. It's just something that has to be felt. It was awesome and I'm just excited to give these guys an opportunity to play another game." New York trails the best-of-seven series 3-1. Game 5 is Saturday afternoon at T.D. Garden. "There is no negativity in the room," New York's Dan Girardi said. "We're not worrying about anything else that is going on. We are very positive in the room and we knew we just had to win one game. Now we have to go to Boston and try to win another one." Carl Hagelin, Derek Stepan and Brian Boyle also scored for New York. Henrik Lundqvist stopped 37 of 40 shots. "We did show some character," Lundqvist said. "We kind of lowered our shoulders a little bit and started playing our game. We're playing a really good team, but something you just need to feel like maybe you can get one good bounce, and then it just turned around for us. I thought we played really well the second half of the game." Nathan Horton, Torey Krug and Tyler Seguin also scored for Boston. Tuukka Rask made 28 saves for the Bruins. Boston had leads of 1-0, 2-0 and 3-2. But New York led when it counted. "I don't know if it's the momentum that shifted," Boston coach Claude Julien said. "We didn't play as well as we could have throughout the whole game." Horton's power play goal put Boston up 1-0 4:39 into the second period. It was his fifth goal of the playoffs. King scored his third goal of the series 3:02 later. Hagelin cut the lead to 2-1 at 8:39 when Rask fell down and could not reach the New York left winger's backhander from the slot. "I just took a step to the side in what I think probably was a skate mark or something," Rask said. "My skate dug in, that's what it felt like. I lost my balance and the rest is history. "It happens to me twice a year in practice, maybe. Focus ... got to be more focused, I think. Just a tough mistake. It looks pretty bad on TV, I guess." Stepan's unassisted goal 1:15 into the third tied the score at 2. The New York center stole the puck from Boston defenseman Zdeno Chara behind the Boston goal before shoving a wraparound past Rask. The goal was Stepan's fourth of the playoffs and second of the series. "We are down by a goal going into the third and the talk is just to relax and play," Stepan said. "We've kind of got nothing to lose, and found a way to win a period." Seguin put Boston up 3-2 with his first goal of the playoffs at 8:06 of the third. Boyle drew New York even 1:54 later with a power play goal. It was New York's first power play goal in 13 opportunities in the series. The Rangers finished the game 1 for 4 on the power play and are 3 for 42 on the man advantage in 11 Stanley Cup playoff games this spring. "I think we have to get more comfortable," Stepan said. "It's still not the way we would like it, but we have just got to find a way to score goals. It's a big part of the playoffs." NOTES: Rangers center Brad Richards announced at Thursday's morning skate he was a healthy scratch for Game 4. "I'm just disappointed," Richards said. The New York center has been relegated to the fourth line since Game 4 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal series against the Washington Capitals. He has averaged 10:47 of ice time in the series against the Bruins. Richards vowed to "work harder and try my best to never let this happen again." Richards and Tortorella have a long-term relationship dating to their time with the Tampa Bay Lightning. During his postgame press conference, Tortorella was adamant that he was not blaming Richards for New York entering the game in an 0-3 hole. "By no means is this a situation where I take him out and I'm blaming him," Tortorella said. "I'm playing Brad on the fourth line. He's playing seven or eight minutes and it's not good for him. It doesn't work playing Brad Richards that way, but I also feel some other guys have played better." ... This is the 10th time the Rangers and the Bruins have met in a Stanley Cup playoff series. The Bruins have a 6-3 series edge, but Boston has never swept New York in a best-of-seven. The Bruins beat the Rangers 2-0 in a two-game semifinal series in 1927 due to aggregate goal differential. Two years later, the Bruins swept the Rangers 2-0 in the Stanley Cup final. ...The Rangers will practice at their suburban facility at noon Friday before heading to Boston. ...The Bruins went 2 for 4 on the power play in Game 4. Fri, 24 May 2013 02:14:20 GMT 20284664 2013-05-24T02:14:20Z http://www.krdo.com/sports/Canseco-refutes-sexual-assault-allegation/-/416806/20284218/-/js5omb/-/index.html Jose Canseco, never one to hold his tongue, vigorously denied sexual-assault allegations against him. Las Vegas police are investigating an alleged incident, but the former major league slugger wasn't arrested, and no charges have been filed. Canseco went on Twitter on Wednesday to dispute a woman's statement that he assaulted her, and he went a step further Thursday. Speaking to reporters in Fort Worth, Texas, where he was set to play for the Fort Worth Cats of the independent United League, Canseco said, according to Fox Sports Southwest, "I think you guys have to realize one thing -- I don't have to rape a woman. I think it's ridiculous. We're putting together polygraph examinations and trust in me, the truth will always come out. And when I do these polygraphs, it's almost laughable for an individual to say I raped them and drugged them at the same time." He added, "You guys don't know me at all, but my close friends, my ex-wives, my ex-girlfriends will testify on my behalf that the way the media's portrayed me, and the way they're trying to portray me here, it's not even close to being me." Canseco hit 462 home runs while playing for seven big-league teams from 1985 to 2001. Fri, 24 May 2013 01:14:55 GMT 20284218 2013-05-24T01:14:55Z http://www.krdo.com/sports/patrick-roy-named-the-head-coach-of-the-colorado-avalanche/-/416806/20280166/-/a1t11r/-/index.html Patrick Roy, 47, becomes the sixth head coach in Avalanche history and the 14th in franchise history. “This is a very exciting day for our fans and a significant moment in our organization’s history,” said Avalanche President Josh Kroenke. “Patrick’s passion for the game of hockey both as a player and as a coach defines who he is as a person. He is a winner and is coming back to Denver where he created numerous special moments on and off the ice while helping lead us to two Stanley Cup championships.” “All along Patrick was our top candidate and we are thrilled that he has decided to accept this offer,” said Sakic. “Patrick has a great hockey mind, is a tremendous coach and there is no one more passionate about this game. He will bring that winning attitude to our dressing room to help this young team grow.” Roy has spent the last eight seasons as head coach and general manager of the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. He guided the Remparts to a 348-196 record (.640) in 544 regular season games behind the bench, which included leading Quebec to the 2006 Memorial Cup title as the Canadian Hockey League champions. He is also a part owner of the QMJHL franchise. Roy, who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2006, retired with the most regular season wins in NHL?history (551), a number that currently ranks second all-time. The four-time Stanley Cup champion is still the winningest goaltender in Stanley Cup Playoff history with 151 postseason wins. Roy is the only player in league?history to win three Conn Smythe Trophies as the playoff MVP (1986, ’93, 2001). The Quebec City native backstopped the Montreal Canadiens to two Stanley Cup championships (1986, 1993), the first of which was his rookie campaign. Traded to Colorado on Dec. 6, 1995, Roy led the Avalanche to the Stanley Cup during the club’s first season in Denver (1996) and again in 2001. He is the only goaltender in NHL?history to win 200 or more games with two different teams. Roy won three Vezina Trophies (1989, 1990, 1992) and five William Jennings Trophies (1987, 1988, 1989, 1992, 2002). He was selected to the NHL All-Star Team on six occasions, the first team in 1988-89, 1989-90, 1991-92 and 2001-02 and second team in 1987-88 and 1990-91. He participated in 11 NHL All-Star Games and was named to the NHL All-Rookie Team in 1985-86. When he announced his retirement on May 28, 2003, Roy was the NHL’s all-time leader in not only wins but also regular season games (1029), minutes (60,225) and 30-win seasons (13), marks that now all rank second. In addition to being first overall in postseason wins, Roy is still the NHL record holder in career playoff games (247) and is second in postseason shutouts (23). Roy, who is the Avalanche’s all-time leader in nearly every statistical category, had his No. 33 retired by the organization on Oct. 28, 2003. Fri, 24 May 2013 00:07:02 GMT 20280166 2013-05-24T00:07:02Z http://www.krdo.com/sports/tebow-backed-by-chuck-norris/-/416806/20272302/-/8ku6ksz/-/index.html Walker, Texas Ranger is a Tim Tebow fan. Chuck Norris, who played the ultimate tough guy title character from 1993-2001, wrote in an online column that he sees a version of himself on the football field in the now unemployed quarterback. Since being released last month by the New York Jets, Tebow has been told he might be suited for a backup role in the Canadian Football League or could fit in arena football. Norris feels Tebow should be in the NFL. "Tebow is a player who rises to the occasion and delivers big in critical moments," Norris wrote in a column posted this week for the non-profit conservative website Newsbusters. "He reminds me of myself when I used to compete in martial arts. "I would spar with my black belts in class, and sometimes they would outscore me. Yet in the tournaments, I would defeat them. My students used to ask me, 'Why is it that we can contend equally against you in class, but can't beat you in the tournaments?' My answer was always the same: 'When it counts, I rise to the occasion,'" he wrote. Norris said that he's followed Tebow since his days as the Florida Gators quarterback, and contends that the Jacksonville Jaguars should sign him. The Jaguars have repeatedly said they aren't interested in Tebow. He also has an offer to play in the arena league for the Philadelphia Soul. Thu, 23 May 2013 23:00:22 GMT 20272302 2013-05-23T23:00:22Z http://www.krdo.com/sports/On-the-mend-RG3-s-knee-relationship-with-coach/-/416806/20279972/-/57fiucz/-/index.html Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III's right knee and his relationship with coach Mike Shanahan, each of which was damaged to an extent during the wild card playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks, are coming along well according to player himself. Griffin, who needed surgery on his LCL and ACL three days after playing much of the Seahawks game on one healthy leg, worked on the field in front of the media for the first time on Thursday and then met with the media en masse for the first time since the injury. "Me and Mike hashed everything out," Griffin said. "The injury and what happened with the injury clouded the success that we had the whole season. It left a bad taste in the mouth of everybody. I don't have a problem with the way I was used (last year). "It's proven (that) when you have consistency at the head coach position and the quarterback position, everybody's on the same page, you win a lot more. I don't think there's anything that needs to be repaired. The only thing that needed to be repaired from last year was my knee and that's repaired." Shanahan, who yielded to Griffin's desire to keep playing against Seattle until the quarterback had to be helped off the field in the fourth quarter, also played down reports of any rift between him and the franchise player for whom he gave St. Louis three first-round draft picks and a second-round selection. "You talk about things that you could have done differently," Shanahan said. "Robert's the first person to tell you that this year, 'I'm going to be a little bit more conservative than he was a year ago.' If you're not on the field, you're going to hurt our football team. ... We're going to try to protect Robert as much as we can. We're going to let him do the things we think he does best and hopefully it will be as productive." Griffin was so productive in 2012 that he set NFL rookie records for passer rating (102.4) and rushing yards (815) while leading the Redskins to their first NFC East title since 1999 after four straight years in the division basement. "I can't change my mindset, but I can be smarter about what I do out there," Griffin said. "I know what I have to do and what I don't have to do. It's about limiting those hits, making sure that I'm staying out there for my teammates. "If it's third-and-7 and I'm three yards away from the first down and here comes (Pittsburgh safety) Ryan Clark trying to take my head off like he did last year, you slide or you get out of bounds. After what happened to me and what happened to this team at the end of the year, I understand that I have to more careful when it comes to that. I'm not going to risk my career to play in one game. I'm definitely all-in for Week One, but I'm also all-in for my career as well." Griffin isn't all-in these days, but he's not just a spectator either. At Griffin's request, Shanahan carved off a section of the main practice field for the quarterback to throw and/or hand off to receiver Pierre Garcon, tight ends Fred Davis and Jordan Reed, and running backs Roy Helu and Chris Thompson, all of whom are also rehabbing injuries. "An all-world uncleared (to practice) team," quipped Griffin, who believes that he'll be cleared to return to full practice by the July 25 opening of training camp. The Redskins' medical staff wants to make sure that the team's most important player doesn't overdo it now or during the summer. Shanahan said that as long as Griffin takes some practice snaps with the regulars during training camp, he could skip the entire preseason and still start the Sept. 9 opener against Philadelphia. As for today, Griffin, who admitted he cried when he woke up after surgery and realized that his ACL had been operated on as well as his LCL, said that his knee felt great and that he was able to do everything without any hesitation. Which is how he plans to play in 2013. "You come back like you were never hurt 'cause that's the only way you can play," he said. "You don't play the game afraid to get hurt. You play the game like you're supposed to be invincible while at the same time being smart." Thu, 23 May 2013 22:52:02 GMT 20279972 2013-05-23T22:52:02Z http://www.krdo.com/sports/Avs-officially-name-Roy-as-coach/-/416806/20281214/-/dx2q0hz/-/index.html The Colorado Avalanche confirmed rumors on Thursday that Patrick Roy is the team's next head coach. The 47-year-old Roy also was named vice president of hockey operations. He replaces Joe Sacco, who was fired on April 28 after Colorado finished last in the Western Conference and missed the playoffs for a third straight season. "This is an unbelievable day for me," Roy said. "It's a new and exciting challenge that I am really looking forward to. Almost 10 years to the day that I announced my retirement as a player, I am back in Denver and hope the fans are as excited as I am." There was speculation that Roy accepted the job earlier in the week. The team announced Thursday that it had reached an agreement in principle with the Hall of Fame goaltender. Roy retired as an Avalanche player on May 28, 2003, with a then-NHL record for wins by a goalie with 551. In his new job, Roy will work with former teammate Joe Sakic, the club's executive vice president of hockey operations. Sakic and Roy were on Colorado's Stanley Cup-winning teams in 1996 and 2001. Their numbers were retired by the Avalanche and hang in the rafters in the Pepsi Center. "This is a very exciting day for our fans and a significant moment in our organization's history," Avalanche president Josh Kroenke said in a statement. "Patrick"s passion for the game of hockey both as a player and as a coach defines who he is as a person." For the past eight years, Roy served as head coach, general manager and co-owner of the Quebec Ramparts in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. His teams posted a .640 winning percentage and won the Memorial Cup in 2006. Thu, 23 May 2013 22:48:59 GMT 20281214 2013-05-23T22:48:59Z http://www.krdo.com/sports/Garcia-s-sponsorship-deal-under-review/-/416806/20275736/-/p7wn9mz/-/index.html Sergio Garcia could lose a lucrative sponsorship deal after his "fried chicken" jibe directed at golf's World No.1 Tiger Woods. Garcia apologized Wednesday for his off the cuff remarks at an official dinner, but the Spaniard's equipment and clothing sponsor TaylorMade-adidas has gone public with its displeasure over the remarks. "Sergio Garcia's recent comment was offensive and in no way aligns with TaylorMade-adidas Golf's values and corporate culture," said a statement released by the company. Its long standing backing of former World No.2 Garcia stretches back to 2002 but appears to have been placed under strain over the controversy. "We have spoken with Sergio directly and he clearly has regret for his statement and we believe he is sincere. "We discussed with Sergio that his comments are clearly out of bounds and we are continuing to review the matter," it concluded. There was more embarrassment for golf Thursday afternoon when European Tour chief executive George O'Grady issued an apology for using the word "colored" during an interview defending Garcia. O'Grady claimed that many of Garcia's friends were "colored athletes" and has since apologized. He said: "I deeply regret using an inappropriate word in a live interview for Sky Sports, for which I unreservedly apologize." Garcia, who finished with a level par 72 in his first round of the European Tour's flagship PGA Championship at Wentworth Thursday, was clad from head to foot in the products of his biggest sponsor. But he has admitted that the racist row which exploded after his comments had left him severely distracted. "It was tough to hit a shot (in the pro-am) without thinking about it," the 33-year-old told gathered reporters. Garcia has had an uneasy relationship with Woods for a number of years and it deteriorated to an all- time low after the Tour's annual dinner Tuesday night. Answering questions from the media, he was asked if he would invite his American rival to dinner at next month's U.S. Open. Garcia quipped he would have him round every night and serve fried chicken, a remark associated with racial stereo typing when used in reference to African Americans. Woods responded on his twitter account, saying the comments were "hurtful and inappropriate" but later tried to diffuse the row. "I'm confident that there is real regret that the remark was made. "The Players ended nearly two weeks ago and it's long past time to move on and talk about golf." Woods, who won the Players Championship, was involved in a spat with Garcia after the third round at Sawgrass -- where they were paired together. Garcia claimed he was disturbed by Woods as he hit a shot and later admitted his relationship with the 14-time major winner was strained. "You can't like everyone," he said. The saga echoes a 1997 incident after Woods won his first U.S. Masters title. Former Masters champion Fuzzy Zoeller was asked what choice Woods might make at the major's annual dinner the following year -- as would be his right as the holder. "You pat him on the back and say congratulations and enjoy it and tell him not serve fried chicken next year. Got it? Or collard greens or whatever the hell they serve." Zoeller's reputation took a battering in the row that followed and despite issuing an apology, which Woods accepted, he also later shed a key sponsorship deal with K-Mart. On the course, South Africa's James Kingston ended the first day at the top of the leaderboard after carding a six-under 66. Kingston, who lost his card last season, hit four birdies in his final seven holes. "You are not automatically invited into most of these events, so it's tough to plan your schedule," he told reporters after carving out a one-shot lead over Finland's Mikko Ilonen. "It takes one good week and things change, so I am hoping to make the best of this week. World No.2 Rory McIlroy endured a disappointing day, finishing the day on two-over par following his round of 74. He told reporters: "It was tricky. The conditions obviously were not ideal, so it is tough to shoot a low score out there. I felt I was doing well after the first 12 holes but I just let the round get away from me. "In the first 12 holes I didn't really miss a shot, but I am not getting as much out of my rounds as I should do." Thu, 23 May 2013 21:02:00 GMT 20275736 2013-05-23T21:02:00Z http://www.krdo.com/sports/lebron-james-heads-allnba-team/-/416806/20277346/-/gh0mmh/-/index.html Miami Heat superstar LeBron James recorded 119 votes to lead first team all-NBA team, which was announced Thursday. James was the only player to receive that many votes. Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers earned an 11th selection, tying him with Hall of Famer Karl Malone for the most selections. He had been tied at 10 with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor, Bob Cousy, Michael Jordan, Bob Pettit and Jerry West. Joining James and Bryan on the First Team are the Oklahoma Thunder's Kevin Durant, the San Antonio Spurs' Tim Duncan and the Los Angeles Clippers' Chris Paul. James led the Heat to a franchise-record 66-16 record and was the only player in the league to lead his team in scoring (26.8 points per game), rebounding (8.0 rpg) and assists (7.3 apg). The All-NBA Second Team is made up of guards Tony Parker of the Spurs and Russell Westbrook of the Thunder, forwards Carmelo Anthony of the New York Knicks and Blake Griffin of the Clippers, and center Marc Gasol of the Memphis Grizzlies. The All-NBA Third Team includes the Houston Rockets' James Harden and the Heat's Dwyane Wade at guard, the Indiana Pacers' Paul George and the Golden State Warriors' David Lee at forward, and the Lakers' Dwight Howard at center. Thu, 23 May 2013 18:14:29 GMT 20277346 2013-05-23T18:14:29Z