Cleveland shows it is not a one-man show in final game of its latest sweep

ATLANTA – Like Michael Jordan, he knows there are times that call for dominating. Like Magic Johnson, he knows there are times that call for sharing.

LeBron James went with his Magic impression in the deciding game of another playoff sweep.

While failing to match his offensive explosion in Game 3, the league’s MVP scored 27 points and got his teammates involved as the Cleveland Cavaliers finished off the Atlanta Hawks 84-74 Monday night to win the second-round series in four straight.

Delonte West and Mo Williams showed Cleveland isn’t a one-man squad, hitting shots down the stretch as the Cavaliers extended their NBA-record streak of double-digit playoff wins to eight. Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Anderson Varejao pounded the boards, leading the Cavaliers to the rebounding edge.

“I’ve got trust in every last one of our guys,” James said.

Cleveland will face either Boston or Orlando in the Eastern Conference finals.

No matter the opponent, the Cavaliers will be a lot more rested. The Celtics-Magic series is tied at 2 and will last at least through Thursday, while the top seed heads back to Ohio to relax.

“We’re glad to finish this series off,” said Wally Szcerbiak, who chipped in with six points off the bench. “Now it’s time to go get our rest and get ready for the next series. We have some bumps and bruises to heal from in this series.”

So do the Hawks, but they’ve got all summer. Joe Johnson, Al Horford and Marvin Williams were all hobbled by injuries.

“It’s hard to judge this team because we really weren’t healthy in this series,” said Atlanta coach Mike Woodson.

———

TUESDAY’S NBA

Orlando at Boston, 5 p.m., TNT

Houston at L.A. Lakers, 7:30 p.m., TNT

Houston Rockets' Aaron Brooks (right) shoots as Los Angeles Lakers' Pau Gasol defends during the second half of Sunday's game in Houston. Brooks scored a career-high 34 points in the Rockets' 99-87 victory.

HOUSTON – With Yao Ming out, the Houston Rockets had no chance to beat the Los Angeles Lakers. Right?

Wrong.

Aaron Brooks scored a career-high 34, Shane Battier sank five 3-pointers and added 23 and the Rockets beat the Lakers 99-87 on Sunday to even their Western Conference semifinal at two games apiece.

“I think everyone but us got the memo that we weren’t supposed to show up today without Yao,” Battier said.

Luis Scola had 11 points and 14 rebounds as the Rockets got exactly the team effort they needed after Yao broke his left foot in the Lakers’ win in Game 3.

Game 5 is Tuesday night in Los Angeles, and anyone who thought the Rockets were finished without their best player only needed to watch the first quarter on Sunday, when Houston built a 29-16 lead.

The Rockets never trailed and led by as many as 29 before the Lakers made the score respectable toward the end.

“I’m not surprised,” said Battier.

“It almost sounds cliche, but we’re a resilient group. We talk about bouncing back. Through adversity, through lineup changes, through trades, through injuries, we’ve never quit and we’ve never stopped believing.”

Brooks, in his second NBA season, became Houston’s starting point guard when the team dealt Rafer Alston to Orlando at the trade deadline.

He faced countless questions about his inexperience before the postseason began, but keeps showing skeptics that he can handle the job.

He scored 27 points in Houston’s Game 1 win in Portland and had 14 points in the second half of the Rockets’ 100-92 victory in the opener of this series.

Brooks deflected credit to his teammates after this one.

“I’m lucky to have these guys,” he said. “It makes it a lot easier on me.”

Pau Gasol scored 30 points and Kobe Bryant had a quiet 15 for Los Angeles.

DALLAS – Still grumpy about how Game 3 finished, and groggy from the practically sleepless night that followed, the Dallas Mavericks got together Sunday to watch some film.

Guess what clip coach Rick Carlisle didn’t show?

Hint: It’s one the league isn’t proud of, either.

As much as they don’t want to see the play, it’s one they’ll all remember: Antoine Wright bumping Carmelo Anthony in an obvious attempt to draw a foul, then bumping him again, yet failing to get rung up either time at the end of a game during which the officials had no trouble blowing their whistles.

Anthony wound up swishing a 3-pointer with 1 second left, taking the Denver Nuggets from two points down to one point ahead and a commanding 3-0 lead in this second-round series.

“We’re not going to get that last play back, so just by watching it doesn’t do us any good,” Mavs star Dirk Nowitzki said.

Nowitzki and his teammates admittedly had trouble letting go of what happened. The difference in being down 2-1 and 3-0 is a big part of it, but so is that two hours after the game ended NBA president Joel Litvin essentially said, “Oops,” acknowledging that a foul should have been called.

“If I was the league, I wouldn’t say that,” Nowitzki said. “I don’t think it makes anybody feel better. We don’t get the last seven seconds back to kind of play it over again. More than anything, I think it made it worse.”

NBA spokesman Tim Frank said Sunday that the league was still reviewing the postgame scene on the court, when Dallas’ Josh Howard and team owner Mark Cuban were among those visibly upset.

HOUSTON – Kobe Bryant took the inbounds pass, dribbled away from Ron Artest and swished a shot from 33 feet to end the third quarter.

He struck a frozen pose after another signature moment, sending a clear message to the hostile crowd that he and the Los Angeles Lakers are in control of their Western Conference semifinal.

Bryant scored 33 points in the Lakers’ 108-94 victory in Game 3 on Friday night that gave them a 2-1 lead in the series. Game 4 is Sunday in Houston.

“I’m just doing what I do best,” Bryant said, “just challenging other teams to try to do something with me.”

Lamar Odom had 16 points and 13 rebounds and reserve point guard Jordan Farmar had 12 points and seven assists in place of the suspended Derek Fisher, who was ejected from Game 2 for a hard hit on Luis Scola when he set a pick.

Artest, who scored 25, was ejected for a flagrant foul on Pau Gasol in the final minute, the only carry-over of the rough play that turned testy in Game 2.

———

NBA PLAYOFFS

Saturday – Denver at Dallas, 2 p.m., ESPN; Cleveland at Atlanta, 5 p.m., ABC

Sunday – L.A. Lakers at Houston, 12:30 p.m., ABC; Boston at Orlando, 5 p.m., TNT

2-1 series lead in Eastern Conference semifinal

Orlando center Dwight Howard blocks a shot by Boston forward Paul Pierce in Friday's game. Howard had five blocks in the Magic's 117-96 win.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Into the stands. Off the backboard or in another player’s face, Dwight Howard sent Boston Celtics’ shots everywhere.

Howard had 17 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks to lift the Orlando Magic to a 117-96 victory over the Celtics on Friday night and a 2-1 series lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal.

“Just the whole team stepped up the defensive intensity,” said Howard, the NBA’s defensive player of the year. “It starts with me. I have to do that every night if we want to be successful.”

Rashard Lewis had 28 points, and Hedo Turkoglu scored 24 for Orlando, which played without starting point guard Rafer Alston. He was suspended by the NBA for slapping Boston’s Eddie House in the back of the head in Game 2.

Paul Pierce broke out of his series slump to score 27 points, and Rajon Rondo added 15 for the defending champion Celtics, who trimmed a 20-point deficit to seven before the Magic regained control.

“You give them their inside game and their outside game, then you don’t have a chance,” Pierce said.

Game 4 is Sunday in Orlando, and Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said he won’t spend time enjoying his team’s latest win.

“This is not the time of year to celebrate a win in the playoffs, especially against a team like Boston,” Van Gundy said. “It’s basically like being at halftime with a one-point lead.”

It was the second time this postseason the Magic won with a starter suspended.

Howard lost his cool and threw an elbow at Samuel Dalembert’s head to draw a suspension for Game 6 of their first-round series against Philadelphia – but Orlando still managed to get a blowout win and eliminate the 76ers.

Anthony Johnson had 13 points in place of Alston.

“I can’t explain that,” Van Gundy said about winning two games shorthanded.

But this time, it was the Magic’s big man who made sure a teammate wasn’t missed.

Howard had four blocks in the first half, turning the Celtics into a jumpshooting team much like the Magic did to win Game 1.

On the first play of the second quarter, Howard soared so high he had to brace his left hand against the backboard so he wouldn’t smack his head, swatting Stephon Marbury’s layup attempt into the stands.

It was no different on offense.

Howard sprinted down the middle of the lane to take a pass zipped from the wing by J.J. Redick, gripping the ball with two hands for a thunderous dunk that gave Orlando a 43-31 lead. The Magic would eventually go ahead by 14 points in the period.

“Our defense was awful. They made every shot,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “I thought they were the aggressors and we were the retaliators all night.”

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Louisville says coach Rick Pitino is not interested in returning to the NBA.

The university insists there is no truth to a Yahoo! Sports report that said Pitino had inquired about the Sacramento Kings’ vacant coaching job. Louisville spokesman Kenny Klein said Pitino was in his office Friday but did not feel it necessary to address the situation.

Pitino just finished his eighth season with the Cardinals, leading Louisville to a 31-6 record and the Big East regular-season and tournament titles.

The Cardinals lost to Michigan State in the regional finals of the NCAA tournament.

Pitino has coached two NBA teams. He went 90-74 with the New York Knicks from 1987 to 1989 and 102-146 with the Boston Celtics from 1997 to 2001.

Venus loses to Safina

ROME – Top-ranked Dinara Safina rallied to beat Venus Williams 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-4 Friday, setting up an all-Russian final with Svetlana Kuznetsova at the Italian Open.

No. 8-ranked Kuznetsova beat No. 9 Victoria Azarenka, a three-time title winner this year, 6-2, 6-4 in the other semifinal at Foro Italico.

The Russians’ clash on Saturday will be a repeat of last weekend’s Porsche Grand Prix final at Stuttgart, Germany, where Kuznetsova upset Safina in straight sets to capture her first WTA title in almost two years. Kuznetsova has won nine successive matches on clay.

Both players have been runners-up in Rome, Safina three years ago and Kuznetsova in 2007.

Beckham eying return

MILAN – David Beckham wants to return to AC Milan “as soon as possible” after the Major League Soccer season ends in November.

The former England captain will return to Los Angeles Galaxy in June, but is expected to rejoin the Italian club in January.

“I want to come back and play for Milan as soon as possible, even if it doesn’t happen quickly,” Beckham was quoted as saying in Corriere dello Sport on Friday. “I have to respect the contract I signed with Galaxy.”

James’ sensational play, including buzzer-beater, overwhelms Atlanta

Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James dunks over Atlanta Hawks' Solomon Jones in the first quarter of an NBA Eastern Conference semifinal gamein Cleveland on Thursday.

CLEVELAND – From his corner cubicle in Cleveland’s locker room, LeBron James kept his eyes riveted on the flat-screen TV. He wanted to see every replay.

There was his no-look pass to Wally Szczerbiak. There was his reverse dunk in the final seconds of the first quarter. And then there was his majestic, step-back 3-pointer to beat the halftime horn, a shot he admired before playfully swinging his arms back and forth.

Seeing it on tape for the first time, James smiled, stood and repeated his arm-swinging gesture.

It’s all easy. Maybe too easy.

James scored 27 points, ending the first and second quarters with last-second baskets, and Mo Williams added 15 points as the untested Cavaliers overpowered the Atlanta Hawks 105-85 on Thursday night to open a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

“I’m having fun,” James said. “I’m having a ball.”

Now a perfect 6-0 in the postseason, the Cavaliers tied a league record by winning their sixth consecutive playoff game by double digits. The only other team to do it was the 2004 Indiana Pacers. Cleveland also matched the 1986 Los Angeles Lakers by winning three straight games by at least 20 points in a postseason.

“I don’t want to say I’m surprised,” James said of Cleveland’s playoff dominance. “We’re just a really good team. We’re really confident and we believe in each other.”

Maurice Evans scored 16 points and ex-Arizona Wildcat Mike Bibby had 11 for the Hawks, who were missing center Al Horford and forward Marvin Williams because of injuries.

If that wasn’t bad enough, Atlanta’s leading scorer, Joe Johnson, rolled his right ankle in the third quarter and did not return.

X-rays were negative, but Johnson wore a walking boot as he and his teammates went to their bus to head home for Game 3 on Saturday.

“I can’t see me not playing,” Johnson said. “I don’t want to let this opportunity go by. We’re down 0-2. I want to be out there for my teammates. Hopefully in 48 hours it will feel a lot better.”

While the rest of the NBA exchanges elbows, flagrant fouls and menacing stares in the playoffs, the Cavaliers are looking for a fight.

So far, they can’t find one.

Just like Game 1, this was easy for the Cavs.

James, named MVP earlier this week, gave the Cavs a 24-point lead with his 3-pointer to end the half, a lead that grew to 36 in the third quarter.

James and the Cavaliers starters spent the entire fourth quarter lounging on the bench as Atlanta’s reserves outplayed the Cavs’ backups in 12 minutes of garbage time.

The series switches to Philips Arena, where the Hawks went 31-10 in the regular season and beat Cleveland once. That was on Dec. 13, when the Cavaliers were just finding out how good they were and the Hawks were at full strength.

Atlanta coach Mike Woodson refused to use injuries as an excuse.

“We’re just not playing well right now and they are playing at a high level,” he said. “We got a chance to go home, regroup, play in front of our fans and see what we’re made of.”

Palo Verde High School assistant basketball coach Chris Klassen (from left), Adam Hall and head coach David Gin exult over a win during the 2007 Class 4A Division II state playoffs.

When longtime Palo Verde boys basketball coach David Gin stepped down after the 2008-09 season, there was no doubt in his mind who should be his successor.

Gin got his wish.

Chris Klassen, 28, who has been Gin’s top assistant the past three years and who also played for Gin, has been hired to build on what Gin has been accomplished for the past 19 seasons.

“He’s the perfect guy for the job,” said Gin. “He bleeds Palo Verde.”

Klassen does seem to have a bit of the East Side school in his blood. His father, Michael, swam at the school; his aunt, Sharon, played softball there for current athletic director Peggy Baker; and three younger siblings have followed him as Palo Verde since he graduated in 1999.

“This is a dream come true,” said Klassen, who followed his Palo Verde playing career by playing college basketball at Iowa’s William Penn University.

Upon returning to Tucson after college, Klassen worked for two years as a volunteer assistant at Palo Verde.

Three years ago, he was hired to coach the Titans freshman team and led them to a 14-3 record. The past two years as the junior varsity coach, Palo Verde has gone 30-6.

And as he began showing he, indeed, was a quality coach himself, Klassen was being encouraged by Gin to take the leap and pursue varsity head coaching vacancies.

“There were a couple of jobs opened he said I should go for,” Klassen said. “But I told him I’d rather wait it out here and maybe one day prove to him I should be the guy to take over for him when he stepped down. There wasn’t anywhere else I wanted to coach.”

Klassen is optimistic about the 2009-10 season, including coaching the class he first coached when they were freshmen three years ago.

He plans to use an up-tempo offense with aggressive, man-to-man defense “probably 80 percent” of the time.

Rodriguez having big year

Is any baseball player in southern Arizona having a better spring than Sahuaro junior Chris Rodriguez?

Voted by league coaches last week as the 4A Kino Region Player of the Year, Rodriguez is among the state leaders in several hitting categories.

The 5-foot-10, 170-pound outfielder has a .523 batting average, a .889 slugging percentage, three home runs, six triples, 26 RBIs, 12 walks, been hit by a pitch six times, has struck out just nine times and has stolen 26 bases in 30 attempts.

Rodriguez takes his eye-popping numbers with him into Saturday’s Class 4A Division I state tournament opener as No. 14 Sahuaro plays at No. 3 Canyon del Oro at 11 a.m.

Watkins to play in Tenn.

Mountain View senior volleyball player Cassidy Watkins has signed to play collegiately at Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, Tenn.

Have news for the prep notebook? E-mail ggrammer@tucsoncitizen.com

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (left) and Houston Rockets forward Ron Artest exchange words during the second half of Wednesday's playoff game in Los Angeles. Artest was ejected from the game. The Lakers won 111-98.

LOS ANGELES – Another rough-and-tumble game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets turned bloody. This time, though, the Lakers defended their home court.

Kobe Bryant scored 40 points, Pau Gasol added 22 points and 14 rebounds and the Lakers won 111-98 in Game 2 on Wednesday night to even the Western Conference semifinal series.

Ron Artest, one of two players ejected in the game, scored 25 points and Carl Landry added a career playoff-high 21 points and 10 rebounds for the Rockets, who overcame a 14-point deficit in the first half only to trail most of the second half. Houston’s Yao Ming finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds after picking up three fouls in the first half.

Game 3 is Friday night in Houston.

Emotions boiled over in the second half, with Derek Fisher of the Lakers and Artest getting ejected and technical fouls assessed to Bryant, Artest, Luis Scola, Luke Walton and Lamar Odom, who had 11 rebounds.

“It’s the playoffs,” Bryant said. “This is what it’s about.”

Artest was sent off the court by referee Joe Crawford with 6:57 remaining in the game after he pointed across the court at Bryant and made a gesture near his throat. Artest complained that he was elbowed in the throat by Bryant under the basket.

“We are playing basketball, there is a lot of contact taking place,” Bryant said. “If you are going to be physical you have to expect to get physical back.”

The final 30 seconds of the third quarter turned into a foul fest. Scola and teammates Odom and Walton all were hit with technicals after they jawed at the Lakers’ end of the court.

Moments later, Fisher was called for a flagrant foul when he collided with Scola as the Rockets brought the ball up the court. Scola fell to the court and Fisher received a bloody cut on his head near his right ear. Scola made both free throws and Houston kept possession.

“Right from the opening tip we wanted to be aggressive, get after it a bit,” Bryant said. “We are being tested and this is fun.”

———

THURSDAY ON TV

> Atlanta at Cleveland, 5 p.m., ESPN

Ex-ASU star has career playoff high 31 points for Celtics

Boston's Rajon Rondo drives on Orlando's Hedo Turkoglu during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals in Boston on Wednesday. Boston won 112-94.

BOSTON – Rajon Rondo took the pass from Eddie House and bolted for the basket, cutting between 6-foot-11 Dwight Howard and 6-10 Rashard Lewis for a thunderous dunk.

In a crucial game for the Boston Celtics, the little guys came up big.

Rondo had 15 points, 18 assists and 11 rebounds for his third triple-double of the playoffs, and House scored a career playoff high 31 points on Wednesday night to lead Boston to a 112-94 victory over the Orlando Magic in Game 2, which evened the Eastern Conference semifinals.

“I’ve seen some great shooting shows in my life, but that was unbelievable,” Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. “We didn’t take away anything. They got everything they wanted. They just had us running around, and we did not handle it well.”

Howard had 12 points and 12 rebounds and Lewis had 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Magic, who stole Game 1 on Monday night despite blowing almost all of a 28-point lead. Orlando never led Wednesday night, trailing by 15 at halftime and by as many as 26 in the second.

Game 3 is Friday night in Orlando.

“They got what they wanted: They got a win. Now they have home court,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “We have to go there trying to get wins.”

Rondo had 12 assists without a turnover at halftime and finished one assist short of his career high. The only time the 6-1 point guard has had more than 18 assists was the triple-overtime Game 6 of the first-round series against Chicago in which he played 57 1/2 minutes.

Rondo has five career triple-doubles – three in the past eight games. He is the only Celtic other than Larry Bird to have three playoff triple-doubles in a season.

“I was sluggish to start Game 1 and didn’t come out with enough passion,” Rondo said. “And that will never happen again.”

Ray Allen scored 22 points for the defending NBA champions, who will have at least one more home game.

Celtics All-Star Paul Pierce scored three points in 16 minutes, hitting a 3-pointer for the first basket of the game. But he picked up two fouls in 50 seconds early in the first quarter and headed to the bench, played just 2 more minutes in the second quarter before picking up his third and lasted 4:07 into the third before drawing his fourth and sitting back down.

By the time Pierce came back in, Boston was coasting to victory with an 18-point lead and just 7:06 left and a crowd was chanting “Eddie!” for the backup whose 20 second-half points were more than he had scored in any playoff game in his career.

House, who once scored 31 in a regular-season game but never more than 16 in the playoffs, also goaded Magic guard Rafer Alston into a head slap that led to a double-technical.

Van Gundy, who coached House in Miami, put the blame on his own team.

“If he gets under guys’ skin, it’s just because he gets very excited when things are going good,” he said. “He’s really excited and he’s going to let you know he’s kicking your butt. There’s a lot of guys like that in this game.”

Van Gundy said he couldn’t worry about whether Alston would be suspended by the NBA. The Magic lost Howard to a suspension for Game 6 of the first-round series against Philadelphia – but won.

House, a former Arizona State star, went 11 for 14 from the field, making all four of his 3-point attempts and adding four 2-pointers from at least 20 feet in 27 minutes – the most he’s played in a playoff game since he was a rookie with Miami in 2001. In the past three games, House is 18 for 24 from the field and 10 for 12 from 3-point range.

East player Lance Stephenson, of Coney Island, N.Y., scores two of his 12 points during the second half of the McDonald's All-American boys basketball game April 1 in Coral Gables, Fla. The East team won 113-110.

Sean Miller is off and running. Where the new Arizona basketball coach takes the program – and who he lands – is anyone’s guess.

But this much is known: He has three solid signings from forward Solomon Hill, wing Kevin Parrom and center Kyryl Natyazhko.

Whether New York City shooting standout Lance Stephenson, the No. 8 recruit for next season’s class, is in the mix is unclear. But Arizona may not need him to succeed next season.

There’s no question Stephenson is a dynamic player, but his character – given his desire to get to the NBA as quickly as possible – might not be a good fit for Miller’s system. Why risk it? What’s to gain for one season?

Stephenson, a 6-foot-6 guard-small forward from Coney Island, N.Y., and his coach Dwayne Morton did not return calls left by the Tucson Citizen. His other apparent choice is Memphis.

Even people in Memphis, where former UA assistant Josh Pastner is the new head coach, don’t know what to think. The Memphis Commercial Appeal’s Dan Wolken wrote on Wednesday: “Stephenson’s recruitment has been difficult to read, however, and even the coaches involved are not sure where things stand.”

What’s undeniable is how well Miller has done in such a short time after being named UA’s coach a month ago. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, however, because one of the big reasons UA athletic director Jim Livengood pursued Miller was his ability for getting players.

“Spectacular,” said longtime UA men’s hoops fan George Kalil of Miller’s arrival and quick accomplishments. “Everywhere I go and when I get an e-mail or a phone call, people say to me Arizona could not have gotten a better guy or a better coach.

“People absolutely love him.”

It’s the feeling – or vibe – I’ve been getting in Tucson, too. Here it is in early May and people are talking about basketball.

Recruits. Future. Potential.

“I’m thrilled,” Kalil said. “It’s like this town has been born again.”

Not that the climb had to be that high, lest anyone forget UA has gone to 25 consecutive NCAA tournaments, and just two months ago was in the Sweet 16.

But compared to recent previous highs – UA won the 1997 national title and went to the 2001 Final Four – the Arizona program is down. Miller is capable of returning UA to the elite level. He took Xavier to the Elite Eight and Sweet 16 the last two seasons.

He may not contend for a national title right away, but he’s looking at every player possible.

My guess is UA doesn’t get Stephenson, who also has the option of going to Europe for a season or two before making an attempt at the NBA.

Stephenson already has been labeled a one-and-done player for next season, and coaches don’t build programs with those types. Miller never directly talked about such players in a meeting with the media two weeks ago, but he spoke about building a program with players who were good fits.

It’s hard to say if Stephenson is a good fit.

Good talent, yes.

Steve Rivera’s e-mail: srivera@tucsoncitizen.com

<h4>Meet the press </h4>

Former Catalina Foothills pitcher Matt McCune, left, and Tucson Toros manager Tim Johnson speak to reporters after McCune was given a contract to play pro baseball.

Matt McCune has taken advantage of his first opportunity of being a professional baseball player.

The 22-year-old Catalina Foothills High graduate signed with the independent Tucson Toros Wednesday after emerging from a list of local prospects.

“This is awesome,” said McCune during a press conference near the pitcher’s mound at Hi Corbett Field. “I am ready to get the season going. This is a good opportunity for me. It has always been my dream to be a professional baseball player. I am excited to pitch for the Tucson Toros.”

McCune, who works at a local UPS Store and also attends classes at the University of Arizona, was chosen from six pitchers invited back following Saturday’s tryout that drew 160 players.

“I knew I threw well even though no one spoke to me,” McCune said. “I felt I threw to my potential. I felt I did my job.”

McCune, a right-hander, went 5-0 at Foothills in his senior season of 2005, earning all-state honorable mention honors. He also played for GateWay Community College in Phoenix before going to Kansas Wesleyan University.

“He opened a lot of eyes,” Tucson manager Tim Johnson said. “We felt he was the right guy. I am going to put him in situations to get his feet wet a little bite and I am going to put him in situations where it’s going to be tough. We’re going to go game to game. But I feel good and our coaching staff feels good.

“He has good presence on the mound. He throws 88 and 89 (miles per hour). He’s not just a guy who tries to nibble. He know how to throw balls by guys. He has a good breaking ball and changeup. He has a good fastball.”

McCune was working his afternoon shift Tuesday at the UPS store near North Kolb Road and East Sunrise Drive when the Toros dropped in to tell him about the contract.

He plans to put his communication degree on hold at UA.

“I was leaning toward getting my degree in that and see what job openings there are,” McCune said. “Once I found out that the Toros were coming, there was nothing I wanted to be. I want to work hard and be a part of this club. I can always go back to (UA). This is my No. 1 priority.”

The Toros plan to invite 30-plus players to their spring training on Monday, including former local high school pitchers Jason Hanna and Tom Wihelmsen and Canadian Byron Bell, the club said.

Terry, Mavs need help

DALLAS – Ex-UA Wildcat Jason Terry is the Dallas Mavericks’ mood-lifter, the guy who pumps up teammates and fans every chance he gets.

Yet after enduring a second straight pounding in Denver, Terry couldn’t even fake being positive on Tuesday.

“Not tonight,” he said, declining to be interviewed. “I don’t have anything tonight.”

The Mavericks went into this second-round series convinced they could hang with the Nuggets, pointing to three narrow losses in the regular season as proof of how close they were. Besides, they proudly noted, they were on their best roll of the season, having blown through the San Antonio Spurs in five games.

So far, Denver has toyed with Dallas. Denver is up 2-0 in the series and 6-0 for the season. The Mavs must win four of the next five. Game 3 is Saturday in Dallas.

The Associated Press

NBA star has intruder

DALLAS – FBI agents have arrested a woman on a probation violation and theft of service warrants at the home of Dallas star Dirk Nowitzki.

Dallas police said 37-year-old Cristal Taylor was taken into custody Wednesday at Nowitzki’s home. She has eight aliases, police said.

The Associated Press

Big 12: Keep tiebreaker

PHOENIX – Big 12 coaches have rejected a proposal to change the controversial tiebreaker that gave Oklahoma the nod over Texas in the three-way tie in the Big 12 South last season.

Meeting at a resort on Wednesday, they voted to keep the Bowl Championship Series standings as the method to break ties between more than two teams. Under that rule, the Sooners edged the Longhorns by 13 thousandths of a point in December.

The coaches had considered adopting a three-team tiebreaker that would eliminate the lowest-ranked team in the BCS standings, then go to the head-to-head result of the remaining two teams.

If that had been in place last year, Texas Tech would have been eliminated, and Texas would have emerged as the division champion because it had defeated Oklahoma.

The Associated Press

ASU lands running back

PHOENIX – Deantre Lewis, a 5-foot-10, 189-pound running back from Norco (Calif.) High School has given an oral commitment to Arizona State, according to Scout.com.

Lewis, who was also being recruited by Oregon and Oregon State, is ASU’s second commitment for 2010, along with running back Taylor Walstad of Chandler High.

The Arizona Republic

TRIVIA QUESTION

Who was lowest-seeded team to win the NBA Finals?

Answer: The 1994-95 Houston Rockets, who defended their NBA title as the sixth seed. With series victories over the Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns, San Antonio Spurs and Orlando Magic, the Rockets became the first NBA team to beat four teams with 50 or more wins in the playoffs.

QUOTABLE

'It was a fun game to be a part of. I knew I was going to get a foul.'

RON ARTEST,

Houston Rockets player, ejected in Wednesday's 111-98 loss to the Lakers after scuffling with Kobe Bryant

———

ON THIS DATE

1972: The Los Angeles Lakers win their first NBA championship with a 114-100 victory over the New York Knicks in Game 5.

1977: Heavily favored Seattle Slew, ridden by Jean Cruguet, wins the Kentucky Derby by 1 3/4 lengths over Run Dusty Run.

1982: A federal jury rules that the NFL violated antitrust laws when it unsuccessfully attempted to prevent the Oakland Raiders from moving to Los Angeles.

1995: Reggie Miller scores eight points in the last 16 seconds to lead Indiana to a 107-105 win over the Knicks in the second-round opener of the NBA playoffs.

———

SPORTS SOUND-OFF

Readers mixed on getting top basketball recruit

Re: Cats in running for Lance Stephenson

• Getting Lance out of New York and the circle of influence he runs with., and you may find a fresh start is exactly what he needs to rise above it all. ZOMBIE

• Take a guy with his issues, move him all the way across the country away from any sort of family/friends, and you’re asking for trouble. Regardless of how good this guy might be, it’s not worth the risk to the university’s basketball reputation. Pass on him. ARIZONA91

• I’m sure he isn’t the only kid brought into our program with a checkered past. The key is, UA has always had great leadership and a strong influence over these kids. If he brings value to the team, I say give the kid a chance. AZCAT01

• Did you guys see his YouTube stuff? He is just trying to market himself for the NBA. YOUSTRUELY

Former NBA basketball star Dave Bing celebrates his mayoral victory on Tuesday in Detroit.

DETROIT – Basketball legend Dave Bing was elected Tuesday as Detroit’s mayor through the end of the year, sweeping the incumbent from office in the city with myriad problems.

“The real work starts now,” Bing said to loud cheers during his victory speech.

“What we will bring … is efficiency, transparency, honesty and integrity back to the mayor’s office,” he said.

With 100 percent of precincts reporting, Bing had 52.3 percent of the vote, or 49,054 votes, to 47.7 percent, or 44,770 votes, for Cockrel. Both are Democrats.

Bing, 65, will be mayor through 2009, serving the balance of the term that belonged to Democrat Kwame Kilpatrick, who resigned in September and went to jail after admitting he lied during a civil trial to cover up an affair with his chief of staff.

Bing must run again in the regular Aug. 4 nonpartisan primary and win the Nov. 3 general election to hold the mayor’s seat for a full four years.

The founder of steel manufacturer The Bing Group announced his run for mayor the day after Kilpatrick stepped down as part of pleas to two criminal cases.

Cockrel, 43, was City Council president before Kilpatrick’s departure automatically promoted him to the mayor’s office. He’ll go back to that job now.

“You have not seen the last of me,” Cockrel told supporters to cheers and chants of “Run Ken run!”

Shortly after the speech, Cockrel spokesman Daniel Cherrin said he expected a decision in a few days on whether or not Cockrel will run again in the upcoming primary.

In other races around the country, the indicted mayor of Jackson, Miss., was taken from his home in an ambulance Tuesday, just before losing his bid for re-election in a contentious Democratic primary.

Mayor Frank Melton, a 60-year-old who has a history of heart problems, was resting in a Jackson hospital, said his attorney, John Reeves. Melton faces a federal trial next week related to a sledgehammer attack on a duplex in 2006 that he considered a crackhouse.

Harvey Johnson, the former mayor Melton unseated in 2005, and city Councilman Marshand Crisler advanced to a May 19 runoff.

In Alaska’s biggest city, Anchorage residents were deciding their next mayor in a run-off election betweeen former state lawmaker Eric Croft and former assembly member Dan Sullivan.

In Detroit, Bing praised Cockrel for running “a hard-fought campaign” and said he looked forward to working together when Cockrel returns to the council.

About 15 percent of the city’s registered voters participated. A proposal to revise the city charter also was on the ballot and passed overwhelmingly.

“I don’t like either one; it’s like tossing a coin. But I’ll give Bing a chance,” Bonnie Brookslee, 78, said after voting at King High School, east of downtown. “Cockrel went along too much with Kwame when he was on the council.”

Bing said earlier Tuesday he would release the names of about 31 people ready to join his team after a board of canvassers certifies vote totals. Prominent names are on that list, Bing said.

Canvassers have 14 days to certify the totals, but it’s more likely certification will be complete in about 10 days, elections director Daniel Baxter said Monday.

Scandal caused the special election, which cost $2.5 million including the Feb. 24 primary, but Detroit has other issues on its plate. The city has a $250 million to $300 million budget deficit, double-digit unemployment and a wave of home foreclosures.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson said Bing would bring business acumen and credibility to Detroit.

“When he played basketball he thrilled us. When he moved into business he hired us. Now he will lead us,” the civil rights leader said during a telephone interview.

Bing was the No. 2 overall pick by the Pistons in 1966 out of Syracuse. He played in Detroit until he was traded in 1975 and is a member of professional basketball’s Hall of Fame.

His Bing Steel company opened in Detroit in 1980, and The Bing Group is a manufacturer and supplier to the auto industry that employs about 500 workers.

He had supported Kilpatrick, but grew disenchanted by the sex scandal that drove Kilpatrick from office and the lethargy that followed at City Hall.

Cockrel was elected in 2005 to his third term on the Detroit City Council and was elevated to president after receiving the most votes.

He moved up to the mayor’s office on Sept. 19 and found evidence of fiscal mismanagement and incomplete financial records. He announced the city’s deficit could be as high as $250 million.

Bing overcame criticism about his sudden move from suburban Oakland County to an apartment near downtown Detroit to run for mayor.

He also was on the hot seat when he acknowledged he was “not correct” when he claimed to have earned a master’s degree in business administration. A comment made on a videotape touting education and staying in school on the National Basketball Retired Players Association Web site was meant to be interpreted in a different manner, Bing told The Associated Press in March.

Bing also said he didn’t receive his bachelor’s degree in 1966 from Syracuse as he claimed. The economics degree actually was awarded in 1995 after Bing completed lost coursework.

The Cavaliers' LeBron James dunks in front of the Hawks' Zaza Pachulia during the first game of the Eastern Conference semifinal in Cleveland on Tuesday. James scored 34 points in the Cavs' win.

CLEVELAND – Alone under his basket, LeBron James braced himself for Atlanta’s onslaught.

As two Hawks swooped down on a fast break, James held his ground, stepped in front of Joe Johnson and took the charge.

The only play. The smart play. A game-changing play.

MVP? Indeed.

James dunked the first time he touched the ball and scored 34 points – 22 in the first half – as the Cavaliers, who waited nine days between playoff games after a first-round sweep, shook off some early rust and pulled away for a 99-72 win over the Hawks in their Eastern Conference semifinal opener on Tuesday.

Showing why he was voted the league’s best player in a landslide, James added 10 rebounds, three assists and four steals as the top-seeded Cavs won their fifth straight lopsided game in a postseason that has so far mirrored the best regular season in franchise history.

James stuffed the stat sheet again, but it was his defensive stop on Johnson in the third quarter that meant as much as anything.

“An MVP taking a charge on the break?” Cavs guard Mo Williams said. “That’s amazing. You get that effort from him, how could I not take a charge? The whole night was about him and he came out and showed why he is the MVP – in the first quarter.”

The Cavs weren’t sure how the layoff would affect them.

“It was unbelievable how sharp we were,” James said. “We just picked up where we left off.”

Williams added 21 points for Cleveland, which became the first team since the 2004 Detroit Pistons to win each of its five playoff games by double figures.

With the Cavs up by 21, James was pulled with 4:29 left – extra down time before Game 2 on Thursday night at Quicken Loans Arena, where the Cavaliers are 42-2.

Josh Smith scored 22 and ex-Arizona Wildcat Mike Bibby added 19 for the Hawks.

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WEDNESDAY’S NBA

Orlando at Boston, 5 p.m. Magic lead series 1-0

Houston at L.A. Lakers, 7:30 p.m. Rockets lead series 1-0

Lance Stephenson, of Brooklyn, N.Y., scores two of his 12 points during the second half of the McDonald's All-American boys basketball game April 1.

Arizona basketball coach Sean Miller’s first recruiting class is already getting raves. Adding McDonald’s All-American Lance Stephenson would make the class one of the best in the nation.

It’s unclear how interested Arizona is in getting Stephenson, a shooting guard/small forward who is rated the No. 8 player overall for the 2009-10 class by Scout.com.

Fox Sports, citing unnamed sources, says Arizona likely won’t “make a move on the talented, yet enigmatic wing player” from Coney Island, N.Y. UA is concerned with the player’s off-the-court issues, Fox said.

But the New York Daily News, also citing an unnamed source, says Arizona is making “a big-time push” for the 6-foot-5 Stephenson, who passed NBA player Sebastian Telfair as the leading scorer in New York schoolboy history.

One thing working in UA’s favor: new assistant coach Emanual “Book” Richardson has strong New York City ties and has coached Stephenson before.

Fox Sports and the Daily News report that new Memphis head coach Josh Pastner, a former UA assistant, is pursuing Stephenson.

Kansas also was in the running, but the Jayhawks opted to take Xavier Henry instead. St. John’s and Maryland also wanted Stephenson.

Stephenson also could go the route of former UA recruit Brandon Jennings and head to Europe for a year before entering the 2010 NBA draft.

Three top-100 players already are headed to Arizona: forward Solomon Hill, center Kyryl Natyazhko and wing Kevin Parrom.

As for Stephenson, he already has his own online reality documentary site, BornReadyTV.