For a while, my friends blamed me instead of Dick Tomey, John Mackovic or Mike Stoops for the Arizona football program’s demise.

From 2001 to 2007, Arizona went 26-53 after I took over the beat job in the third game of 2001. Finally, I got to cover a bowl game when UA went 8-5 in 2008.

Here are two of my top memories:

• In 2004, the UA baseball team traveled to play Long Beach State in a super-regional with little hope against pitcher Jered Weaver and the 49ers. Weaver struck out 12 Wildcats, but UA won the opener 6-5 on a Trevor Crowe triple. UA lost the second game, but won the deciding contest in the 11th on a Nick Hundley sacrifice fly.

The good news was I got to cover a College World Series, but my family wasn’t too happy. We had to cancel a vacation.

• In 2003, the one Friday night I decided to go to a movie for a rare date with my wife, there were 11 messages waiting for me on my cell phone.

Had the world come to an end?

It turned out to be news of Mackovic banning several players from the team dinner the night before a game. Forty-eight hours later, he was history and UA started a coaching search.

Following tips and Internet rumors became a 24-hour job. One name kept popping up: Mike Stoops.

Although Stoops wouldn’t confirm his interest in the job, I was able to get the first interview with him. You could tell he would be UA’s next coach.

I’m glad I didn’t have to cover a coaching change last year. Despite what some might think, reporters don’t like to write about firings and buyouts. We’d rather write about touchdowns.

Defensive end Tedy Bruschi celebrates UA's 29-0 win over Miami in the 1994 Fiesta Bowl.

So we’re closing. The Big C. We’re done for. The whistle is blowing. The horn is sounding. We’ve run out of extra time. Just took a called third strike.

I’d like to think you will miss us here in Citizen sports, but I don’t want to be presumptuous.

But even if you think that only once a month we nailed a story, a scoop, a column, a feature – and I think our batting average was much higher – well, that’s one story, scoop, column, feature you won’t be getting any more.

That’s not good for anybody.

I asked Arizona athletic director Jim Livengood in February about the Citizen’s impeding demise and how it might affect his department.

“For a great number of years, we’ve had the ability to have things balanced, and all of a sudden you lose that,” Livengood said of this turning into a one-newspaper town.

“It also has an impact on the outside world, about the perception of Tucson when you lose an institution like this. There is an impression that we’re not going forward; we’re moving backward.”

Certainly, Livengood was telling me what I wanted to hear, but he also lamented a financial aspect to the closing and a potential loss of sponsorshi\n\nadvertising dollars from a reconfigured Tucson Newspapers.

I guess that’s now a story for our pals at the Arizona Daily Star to track down.

I got my start in this crazy business at the Star, back in the fall of 1986. My first byline was on a high school football game, featuring a flash of a running back from Flowing Wells. His name escapes me now.

There have been a blur of running backs, point guards, pitchers and catchers in the years since then.

It was a pleasure to chronicle the Arizona football team through most of the 1990s – the Fiesta Bowl victory over Miami, the Holiday Bowl victory over Nebraska. Waldrop. Bruschi. Bouie. McAlister. Keith and Ortege, the tag-team quarterbacks.

One of my favorite stories: Back in the early 1990s, UA football coach Dick Tomey, upset over something I had written that day, went ballistic on me after practice as the players were leaving the field.

I have never heard someone so copiously and creatively use another term for horse manure.

We agreed to disagree that day, and I feared that a good working relationship would be damaged. Football coaches have been known to hold a grudge.

But the next time I saw Tomey, it was as if nothing had happened. That was his style. Say what you have to say, and then let it go. It’s a life lesson I have never forgotten.

Elsewhere, I covered seven of Arizona’s eight national championships in softball, and had access to the mind of coach Mike Candrea for two decades. Sometimes, this job is so worth it.

No complaints here.

I had a chance to work with, travel with and learn from the twin towers of local sports columnists – retired Corky Simpson of the Citizen and Greg Hansen of the Star. Tucson was lucky to have two such voices for all those years.

So, yeah, it’s been a good ride.

It hit me a while ago, though, that the best part of this job at the Citizen for the past four and a half years had nothing to do with newspapers or journalism.

Recently, for no other reason than boredom, I reached into the closet and pulled out a box I hadn’t opened in years. It was filled with various items from college days.

Two things caught my eye.

One was a 20-year-old edition of the Tombstone Epitaph. A journalism class at the University of Arizona produced – and still does – the newspaper for the Town Too Tough To Die.

In this particular edition, I shared a few bylines with a guy named John Moredich.

As I dug deeper in the box, I found an old address book – the kind of thing we used before we all had cell phones. Thumbing through, I saw I had the old phone number of a guy named Steve Rivera.

Point is, the two writers I have worked most closely with at the Citizen since the start of 2005 – Moredich covering football, Rivera covering basketball – have been friends for more than two decades.

Working with them has been the rewarding part of the job.

Whatever you do for work, I hope you have been as lucky.

<h4>Going green on Irish course </h4>

Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy lines up his shot on the 17th hole in the first round of the Irish Open in Baltray, Ireland, on Thursday.

RALEIGH, N.C. – Greg Paulus is returning home to Syracuse to play football.

The former Duke point guard will enroll in graduate school at Syracuse and try to make a comeback in football for the Orange, he said Thursday.

“My gut and my heart were telling me that (Syracuse) was the best place for me,” Paulus said from Durham, N.C., during a conference call.

The decision ends a month of speculation whether the one-time star high school quarterback from Syracuse would resume his football career.

He worked out for the Green Bay Packers in April, acknowledged meeting with Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez about playing for the Wolverines, also visited Nebraska and said he was contacted by about two dozen programs.

“It got me thinking, got me throwing again (and) once I got doing that, the itch and the desire came back,” Paulus said. “To have this opportunity where I have two sports, and to be able to do them both at the college level, it’s something that’s pretty unique and special.”

He said he called new Orange coach Doug Marrone on Thursday morning to notify him of his decision.

The three-year starting guard graduated from Duke earlier this month. He has one season of eligibility remaining and can play immediately if he receives a waiver from the NCAA.

Marrone could not comment on the announcement because the NCAA paperwork has not been completed.

Paulus was a record-setting quarterback in high school at Christian Brothers Academy, located less than a mile from Marrone’s office, and now has a legitimate chance at Syracuse, a proud program that’s fallen on hard times.

The Orange hired Marrone in December to resurrect the team he once played for – Syracuse has gone 10-37 over the past four seasons. He already has moved former starting quarterback Andrew Robinson to tight end and demoted Cam Dantley, last year’s starter, to backup behind redshirt freshman Ryan Nassib.

Paulus said Marrone has made “no promises, no guarantees” about playing time.

At CBA, Paulus was one of the nation’s top prep quarterbacks. As a senior running a potent spread offense, he threw for 3,700 yards and 43 touchdowns in a 13-0 season. He finished his prep career with 11,763 yards and 152 touchdowns passing.

Miami and Notre Dame offered him football scholarships, and he received a basketball offer from Syracuse before choosing to play basketball at Duke. His younger brother, Mike, is a quarterback at North Carolina.

BC linebacker has cancer

BOSTON – Boston College linebacker Mark Herzlich, who earned Atlantic Coast Conference defensive player of the year honors, has cancer.

Herzlich said Thursday he was diagnosed earlier this week with Ewing’s Sarcoma after feeling pain in his leg and will undergo more tests in his home state of Pennsylvania. Ewing’s Sarcoma is a malignant tumor often found in bone or soft tissue.

Herzlich said he was determined to return to football after fighting the disease.

The Associated Press

Grizzlies’ Miles charged

ST. LOUIS – Memphis Grizzlies forward Darius Miles, who was suspended last season for violating the NBA’s anti-drug program, was free on bond Thursday after being charged with possession of marijuana.

Miles, 27, was alone in his car in suburban Fairview Heights, Ill., Wednesday night when an officer pulled him over for allegedly failing to use a turn signal. During a search of the car, police found a small amount of marijuana in a plastic bag in the passenger compartment.

The Associated Press

Sorenstam to have girl

CLIFTON, N.J. – Hall of Fame golfer Annika Sorenstam, a former University of Arizona standout, is going to have a girl this fall.

The 38-year-old Swede and her husband, Mike McGee, announced the gender of her first baby on her blog Thursday.

“To use golf terms, we just “made the turn” from a timing standpoint and are very excited that everything looks good so far,” Sorenstam said. “We’ll keep you posted.”

Sorenstam retired from the LPGA Tour last year after 72 victories and 10 majors, saying she wanted to start a business and a family.

The Associated Press

Bradley still unhappy

CHICAGO – Milton Bradley’s suspension was reduced from two games to one by Major League Baseball on Thursday, but that didn’t make him any happier.

The Chicago Cubs outfielder still feels he was a victim of his reputation as a hothead.

“It figures,” he said after MLB announced its decision regarding the April 16 incident. “I never get treated fairly. This is me. This is exactly what I expected.

“I’m Milton Bradley, you know what I’m saying? You expect me to be crazy and throw stuff and do whatever.”

Bradley will have to sit out Friday’s game against Houston.

The Associated Press

QUOTABLE

'We're digging ourselves a hole. If we keep digging too much longer, it's going to be tough to get out of.'

MARK REYNOLDS,

Diamondbacks third baseman, on team's 13-22 record

———

SPORTS SOUND-OFF

Fans philosophical as D’backs discuss flight

Re: D’backs down to three Phoenix sites for spring training facility

• It’s time we let the D’backs leave. . . . We’ve dropped too much money and have gained very little. They have the money to have multiple farm teams, scouting divisions and inflated player contracts, so why can’t they build their own training facility? MOTORMOUTH

• The county blew it and the city blew it. If you thought it was tough in Tucson before, wait until spring training baseball is gone. LDONYO

• Tucson can’t compete with Phoenix in baseball, so we can stop trying. Let’s get creative. How about recruiting an Arena Football team for the soon-to-be-built arena? Or a minor league basketball team? Either way, it’ll be nice when the Cactus League rental car tax can go away. IT’SLILA

———

BY THE NUMBERS

1-5

Diamondbacks’ record since they replaced manager Bob Melvin with A.J. Hinch, a front-office executive. Other Arizona numbers this year:

Record: 13-22

NL West: Last place, 10.5 games behind leader Los Angeles

Batting average: .232, worst in the National League

On-base percentage: .307, worst in the National League

Runs scored: 129, ranked 15th out of 16 in the National League

———

ON THIS DATE

1981: Len Barker of Cleveland pitches the first perfect game in 13 years as the host Indians beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-0.

1993: Prairie Bayou, ridden by Mike Smith, rebounds from a second-place finish in the Kentucky Derby to become the first gelding to win the Preakness in 79 years.

1998: Notah Begay III joins Al Geiberger and Chip Beck as the only players to shoot a 59 on a U.S. pro tour. He does it at the Nike Old Dominion Open.

2003: The Spurs end the Lakers’ three-year NBA title reign with a 4-2 series win in the Western Conference semifinal.

Assistant trainer Jimmy Barnes walks Preakness entrant Pioneerof the Nile around the stakes barn after the horse arrived at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore on Wednesday. Trainer Bob Baffert believes the filly Rachel Alexandra has a good shot at winning Saturday's race.

BALTIMORE – University of Arizona graduate Bob Baffert oozed confidence in Pioneerof the Nile leading to the Kentucky Derby.

The colt was in front coming down the stretch, and for a few moments the Hall of Fame trainer thought he had his fourth Derby victory.

“It just took the air out of us,” Baffert recalled Thursday.

As was the case with most of the 150,000 people at Churchill Downs that day. Calvin Borel and 50-1 shot Mine That Bird blew by Pioneerof the Nile to win by 6 3/4 lengths in the second-biggest upset in Derby history.

Now Baffert and his colt are back for a rematch in Saturday’s Preakness.

Not only will they have to contend with the Derby winner, but Borel also has switched horses and will ride stellar filly Rachel Alexandra, the 8-to-5 morning line favorite who brings a five-race winning streak into the 1 3-16-mile race at Pimlico.

“I would’ve taken a shot at the Derby with her. She’s just a tremendous athlete,” Baffert said. “She’s a good filly and these classics are huge. There’s not a lot of money to run for fillies. She fits with these boys, so I don’t blame them for taking a shot.”

Baffert did the same thing with Excellent Meeting in 1999, but she was pulled up as a precaution and didn’t finish the race.

He expects a better result for Rachel Alexandra, who will break from the No. 13 post on the far outside under Borel.

“He’ll have her right in contention immediately,” Baffert said. “She’ll probably be sitting second or third and just cruising.”

Pioneerof the Nile is the 5-1 second choice in the 13-horse field and drew the No. 9 post. Garrett Gomez and the colt figure to be stalking the pace from an outside position.

“The questions that weren’t answered in the Derby we’re going to find out in the Preakness,” said Baffert, back in the Triple Crown’s second race for the first time in six years.

Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas is picking the filly to win, but he gives Baffert a solid chance at winning his fifth Preakness, which would tie him with Lukas and T.J. Healey for second on the career list.

Rachel Alexandra isn’t the only unknown factor in the Preakness. The weather figures to play a part, too, with a 50 percent chance of afternoon thunderstorms.

That could turn Pimlico’s dirt into mud, the same kind of slop that bogged down most of the 20 horses in the Derby, except Mine That Bird, who went flying through it.

“I still want to see what my horse does on dirt. He’s seen sticky mud,” Baffert said. “My horse has never run on a dry track. He’s trained well on a dry track. I’m hoping it moves him up.”

Former Arizona quarterback Willie Tuitama is apparently exploring opportunities in the Canadian and Arena 2 football leagues after failing to land a free-agency shot in the NFL.

The Saskatchewan Roughriders have claimed Tuitama’s negotiation rights, the Stockton (Calif.) Record reported Thursday.

The newspaper also said the Stockton Lightning, an Arena 2 minor league team for the Arena Football League, has offered Tuitama a roster spot. His mother, Nancy, is the Lightning’s travel agent, the Record said, and Tuitama is a Stockton native.

Jeff Sperbeck, an agent for Tuitama, told the Record that he has been in contact with CFL teams but was unaware of the Arena offer.

“We’re talking to some teams in Canada and trying to find an opportunity,” Sperbeck said. “Willie wants to show that he can still play.”

The CFL season begins in June, and Tuitama could negotiate with other teams if he chose not to sign with Saskatchewan, the Record said.

Sperbeck told the paper there’s still a chance Tuitama could be invited to an NFL training camp. Tucson police arrested Tuitama on March 7 on suspicion of extreme driving under the influence, which may have hurt his NFL prospects.

Meanwhile, former UA basketball player Fendi Onobun is still trying to land an NFL free-agency shot after working out for scouts for several teams, including Buffalo.

<h4>Mutual respect: </h4>

Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby (left) and Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin shake hands following the Penguins' 6-2 win in Washington on Wednesday, sending the Penguins to the next round of the NHL playoffs.

&gt; Go to <a href="http://www.tucsoncitizen.com">www.tucsoncitizen.com</a> for more sports photo galleries.

In the case of USC basketball coach Tim Floyd’s recruitment of O.J. Mayo, it might come down to a case of he said vs. he said.

Louis Johnson, a former associate of Mayo’s, has told federal and NCAA investigators that Floyd gave $1,000 in cash to a man who helped steer the star player to the Trojans, according to Johnson’s attorney, Anthony V. Salerno.

Whatever happens, there was a sense of relief at the University of Arizona, which had courted Floyd this spring before hiring Xavier coach Sean Miller.

UA athletic director Jim Livengood denied he had offered Floyd the job. But he said he had asked Floyd about the reports and his relationship with Mayo.

“I asked him the question,” Livengood said. “He said there’s nothing to that. So end of question. We didn’t go any farther.”

Floyd has yet to respond to the allegations, which first appeared in a Yahoo! Sports report.

“That’s really the whole thing: who do you believe?” Salerno told The Associated Press on Wednesday. “Tim Floyd had a motive to pay O.J. Mayo to get there. Louis really doesn’t have any motives. He doesn’t have an ax to grind against Tim Floyd.”

Salerno said he thinks investigators believe Johnson’s story. Johnson has told them that he accompanied Mayo’s handler, Rodney Guillory, to a meeting with Floyd at a Beverly Hills cafe on Valentine’s Day 2007, and that Guillory emerged with an envelope stuffed with $100 bills.

“I don’t think they’ve expressed any indication that they don’t believe him,” Salerno said, referring to NCAA investigators. “And for what it’s worth, I think the U.S. government, through the Justice Department, believes him, too.”

Johnson’s account comes as USC deals with allegations that 2005 Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush received improper benefits from a sports marketing agent while at USC.

If the NCAA can prove Floyd paid Guillory for delivering Mayo to USC, that would be a major violation. The Trojans could be forced to forfeit victories, and could face recruiting restrictions and lose scholarships.

USC athletic department spokesman Tim Tessalone said the school could not comment on an ongoing NCAA investigation.

Mayo played one season at USC, leading the Trojans to a 21-12 record and an NCAA Tournament berth. He was drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies with the third overall pick. He was runner-up for the NBA’s top rookie award to Chicago’s Derrick Rose.

Salerno said he wonders why Floyd has not disputed Johnson’s account if it’s false.

“Tim Floyd easily could have said, ‘That’s baloney, it’s slanderous and not true, I never did that,’” Salerno said. “In my opinion, it’s kind of damning, his being silent. It’s not like this is a criminal case for him. It’s not like this is a subtle allegation. It’s black and white.

Ex-Pistons honor Daly

TEQUESTA, Fla. – Chuck Daly’s team gathered around him one last time. Bill Laimbeer and Rick Mahorn were side by side on one end, Joe Dumars on the right, Isiah Thomas and Vinnie Johnson standing together a few feet back.

The Bad Boys were together again, not as players but pallbearers who gave their coach a sad, fond farewell.

“He was coaching all of us until the day he died,” Thomas said.

Here’s how much Daly meant to Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle, an ex-Daly assistant: His team was in Denver, a playoff game was six hours away, and Carlisle was still in South Florida, to help carry his mentor out of the church.

“Missing this was not an option,” Carlisle said.

Daly, 78, died Saturday of pancreatic cancer in Jupiter, Fla.

The Associated Press

Taylor rejoins Dolphins

MIAMI – Jason Taylor’s newest step has him back where he started. The dancing linebacker signed a $1.5 million, one-year contract with Miami.

He played his first 11 seasons with the Dolphins before being traded a year ago to Washington – a fallout from his stint on the TV show “Dancing With the Stars.” He was released by the Redskins in March after an injury-plagued season.

The Patriots courted Taylor, but he wanted to return to South Florida, where he still lives.

The Associated Press

Streaker pleads not guilty

NEW YORK – A streaker who disrupted a New York Mets game by jumping onto Citi Field naked except for a stuffed monkey tied around his waist pleaded not guilty to trespassing charges Wednesday.

Craig Coakley was arraigned in state Supreme Court in Queens on a charge of interfering with a professional sporting event and criminal trespassing.

The 38-year-old plumber jumped onto the field, with only the stuffed monkey and “Lets Go Mets” painted on his back.

The Associated Press

UW athletics lays off 12

SEATTLE – The University of Washington athletic department is trimming an additional $1.6 million from its operating budget by laying off a dozen staffers and streamlining operations.

Athletic director Scott Woodward announced the additional cuts on Wednesday. He had already decided to end the men’s and women’s swimming programs. Cutting those teams is expected to save the Huskies $1.2 million.

He said the cuts were necessary to “preserve the viability” of the UW’s remaining teams.

The Associated Press

It’s a girl for WNBA star

NEW YORK – Los Angeles Sparks star Candace Parker has given birth to a girl.

It is the first child for the WNBA’s reigning MVP and rookie of the year and husband Shelden Williams of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The baby, born in Los Angeles on Wednesday, weighed 7 pounds, 6 ounces and was 20 inches long.

Parker plans to rejoin the Sparks once she gets the OK from her doctor. The WNBA season begins June 6.

The Associated Press

NUMBER OF THE DAY

56

Consecutive games in which the Yankees’ Joe DiMaggio got hits in 1941 – the longest such streak in baseball history. The other top streaks:

Pete Rose, Cincinnati, 1978 44

Willie Keeler, Baltimore, 1897 44

Bill Dahlen, Chi. Cubs, 1894 42

George Sisler, St. Louis, 1922 41

Ty Cobb, Detroit, 1911 40

Paul Molitor, Milwaukee, 1987 39

Tommy Holmes, Boston, 1945 37

Jimmy Rollins, Phil., 2005 36

Chase Utley, Phil., 2006 35

QUOTABLE:

'It would have sucked a lot more if we had lost.'

RYAN ZIMMERMAN,

Washington third baseman, whose hitting streak ended at 30 games. He went 0-for-3 but the Nationals beat San Francisco 6-3.

———

ON THIS DATE

1913: Washington’s Walter Johnson gives up a run in the fourth inning against the St. Louis Browns to end his streak of 56 scoreless innings.

1967: Mickey Mantle’s 500th home run, off Stu Miller, lifts the Yankees over the Orioles 6-5.

1999: Ex-UA Wildcat Annika Sorenstam shoots an 11-under 61, the best score in LPGA history on a par-72 course.

2004: Ex-UA Wildcat Richard Jefferson scores 18 of his 31 points after regulation to lead New Jersey to a 127-120 triple-overtime win over Detroit and a 3-2 lead in the NBA Eastern semifinals.

———

SPORTS SOUND-OFF

If Cats don’t yowl, NCAA will do it again

Re: Candrea tells Cats: Let go of anger

• This is the second year in a row that Arizona gets the shaft (failing to host an NCAA softball first-round regional). And if Arizona does not do anything, then expect more of the same treatment. One was acceptable. Two is just personal. CLAUDIA44

• Truth is Arizona has won the regional out of state before, and here is one fan hoping the Wildcats do it again. AZMSKI

Amphi-CDO football series should be revived

Re: Amphi coach laments lapse in rivalry with Canyon del Oro

• What a shame! This was a great football rivalry. The games were always well-attended and usually were very well-played. Hopefully, the powers that be will look at picking this game up next year. 6652

The Pima Community College women’s 3,200-meter relay team set a meet record with a time of 9:20.93 at the two-day Region I Championship in Mesa.

The team of Brittany Delker (Desert View High), Danielle Higgins (Benson), Cherise Price (Catalina) and Leandra Treusch (Catalina Foothills) already had qualified for the national junior college championships May 21-23 in Hutchinson, Kan.

Monica Honyumptewa (Hopi) won the 10,000 meters in 44:59.47, while Priscilla Urquides (Tucson High) took second in the 400 hurdles (1:08.16). Both qualified for the nationals meet.

On the men’s side, Jeremiah Korn (Sahuaro) earned a regional title in the men’s hammer throw of 151-7 and a spot in nationals.

Korn qualified for the national meet earlier this season in the shot put.

Matt Lundstrom (Mountain View) took second in the 10,000 meters (33:25.48) to also qualify for nationals.

Both Pima squads were in third place going into Thursday’s final day of Region I competition.

Holladay Intermediate Magnet and Booth-Fickett Magnet schools earned bragging rights in local track and field for another year.

For the third time in seven years, Holladay captured the Tucson Unified School District elementary school city title April 25 at Drachman Stadium with 250.7 points, followed by Fruchthendler (212.7), Marshall (181.5), Henry (165.5) and Sewell (125).

Holladay fourth-fifth grade winners were Simon Mahaffey Bentley (high jump, Class B); Malual Amor Arob (high jump, Class D); Anita Eichenour (500-meter run, Class B); and Aria Paxton (500, Class C).

The school’s 400-meter relay team of Yelitza Partida, Ana Herrera, Melvy Garate and Ayla Condo also won the Class D title.

Holladay is coached by Walter Legan and Michael Carpio.

In the TUSD middle school meet April 25 at Catalina High, Booth-Fickett (448.5) won the city title over Utterback (244.3), Townsend (227.4), Magee (221.5) and Secrist (151).

Multiple boys winners for Booth-Fickett were eighth-graders Jordan Hughes (100, 200), Sunthi Danh (100, 200, long jump, 400 relay) and Danny Robles (100, 400 relay); seventh-grader Jude Ruiz (800, 1,600); and sixth-grader Jarrett Corkill (100, 400).

Eighth-grader Brianna Schneider (400 relay, 800) and seventh-grader Katie Jenkins (1,600, 800) were multiple girls winners for Booth-Fickett, coached by Jason Karn and Andrea Lopez.

NEW YORK – Roger Clemens tried the silent treatment for more than a year and saw where that got him.

With many fans believing allegations that the seven-time Cy Young Award winner used performance-enhancing drugs, he’s now attempting a different strategy. Clemens hired a firm that guides high-profile figures through public relations crises, and Tuesday he broke his silence with a radio appearance.

Clemens again denied that former personal trainer Brian McNamee injected him with performance-enhancing drugs in a phone interview on ESPN’s “Mike & Mike in the Morning.”

“He’s never injected me with HGH or steroids,” Clemens said of McNamee’s assertions to baseball investigator George Mitchell.

About three weeks ago, Clemens met in Houston with Washington-based Levick Strategic Communications. He chose to speak out Tuesday because it was the release date of a book about his alleged drug use.

Clemens appeared on CBS’ “60 Minutes” in January 2008, then held a news conference the next day. But he had stayed quiet since testifying before Congress the following month.

While “American Icon: The Fall of Roger Clemens and the Rise of Steroids in America’s Pastime” was officially released Tuesday, its revelations were not new to the public. The book, by four New York Daily News reporters, recaps previous reports in the newspaper.

Clemens is under investigation by a federal grand jury in Washington that is trying to determine whether he lied when he told a congressional committee that he had not used illegal performance-enhancing drugs. Clemens said he had not been summoned to testify before the grand jury.

He also has sued McNamee for defamation. While not mentioning McNamee by name, Clemens said Tuesday that “you’ve got somebody that’s out there that is really just crawling up your back to make a buck.”

“This, in my view, is going to backfire, because he’s publicly now poking a stick in Congress’ eye,” McNamee’s lead lawyer, Richard Emery, said. “And, to me, all that’s going to do is vitalize the prosecutors going forward. Nobody, for a minute, thinks he’s not a liar just because he’s talking.”

Clemens said he gave a DNA sample to federal investigators but that syringes provided by McNamee would not link him to performance-enhancing drug use “because he’s never given me any,” Clemens said.

His radio appearance returns him to the spotlight as other stars had replaced him as the most visible reminders of baseball’s drug scandal. Alex Rodriguez admitted before the season he had used steroids, and Manny Ramirez was suspended last week for violating MLB’s drug policy.

Clemens said it would have been “suicidal” for him to use steroids because of a history of heart problems in his family.

Apology I

DALLAS – Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has apologized to the mother of Denver Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin.

Cuban made a crack after a Mavs loss in Dallas on Saturday in their NBA playoff series. According to Cuban, a fan called the Nuggets “thugs.” Cuban looked at Martin’s mother, Lydia Moore of Dallas, and said, “That includes your son.” Martin’s agent told the Denver Post that Cuban said to Martin’s mother that her son is a “punk.”

In a Tuesday post on Cuban’s blog titled “An Apology to Kenyon Martin’s Mom,” Cuban wrote that he shouldn’t have said anything. He added that this matter has gotten out of hand.

The Mavs trail the series 3-1 after winning Monday 119-117. Game 5 is Wednesday at Denver.

The Associated Press

Apology II

WALTHAM, Mass. – Boston Celtics forward Glen Davis apologized Tuesday for bumping a 12-year-old boy while celebrating his game-winning shot against the Orlando Magic.

Davis said he got emotional and didn’t see the boy as he turned and ran to the Celtics bench following a 21-foot jumper that gave the Celtics a 95-94 win Sunday, tying the series at 2.

“If I’ve hurt anybody or if I’ve done any harm to anybody, please forgive me because my intentions were just harmless,” he said.

Video of the play shows the 6-foot-9, 289-pound Davis ducking behind a referee and stepping out of bounds before appearing to place a hand in the small of the boy’s back. The boy took a step back and his hat fell off.

The boy’s father, Ernest Provetti, wrote the NBA office demanding an apology, saying Davis had “no regard for fans’ personal safety.”

The Associated Press

NFL may deploy more

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – After seeing fans jam London’s Wembley Stadium to watch the NFL the past two years, the league may add a second regular-season game overseas for 2010.

Commissioner Roger Goodell said the second game could also be played in London or another location in the United Kingdom. The issue will be discussed at next week’s league meetings, and could be included in a larger plan to add up to two regular-season games to the NFL schedule.

The NFL first staged a regular-season game in London in 2007, when the New York Giants beat Miami 13-10. Last year, New Orleans beat San Diego 37-32.

Both games were sellouts, and fans gobbled up tickets for this year’s game between the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Oct. 25.

“The fan reaction we’ve had in London has been extraordinary. We would like to feed that passion,” Goodell said.

But some players have been critical because of the extensive travel involved in the middle of the season. One team also loses a home game, a potential competitive disadvantage.

The Associated Press

Delaware may get sports betting

DOVER, Del. – The state Senate approved a bill Tuesday that would authorize Delaware to become the only state east of the Mississippi River to offer sports betting, sending it to Gov. Jack Markell for a promised signature.

The Senate passed the bill 17-2.

Because of a brief unsuccessful experiment with a sports lottery in the 1970s, Delaware is one of only four states, along with Nevada, Montana and Oregon, exempted from a 1992 federal law banning sports gambling.

The Associated Press

Utah hoops coach gets raise

SALT LAKE CITY – Utah has rewarded basketball coach Jim Boylen with a raise and new contract after only two years.

Utah announced Tuesday that Boylen has signed a five-year deal that will pay him $850,000 annually with potential for $1 million with incentives.

Boylen, who had been mentioned as a potential candidate for the Arizona job, had three years remaining on his original contract, which paid him $575,000 a year. Boylen has gone 42-25 in two seasons at Utah.

The Associated Press

———

SPORTS SOUND-OFF

Preseason picks always wrong?

Re: Anthony Gimino’s sneak peek at college football season

• The only thing certain about preseason prognostication is it is always wrong. It would not surprise me if this is the year Arizona comes out of almost nowhere to make it to our first Rose Bowl. Of course, it also wouldn’t surprise me if we lost by 14 to Central Michigan in the season opener. AZCATFAN85

• I’m looking forward to a challenging year for the Cats. Our wide open offense should be more polished now. I think our quarterbacks will come through for us. If Matt Scott can throw accurately, he should be exciting to watch. DSTOWE

Bring shooting guard to Arizona

Re: UA hoops signee Parrom, prospect Stephenson shine in tourney

• Lance Stephenson would make Jerryd Bayless look like a slow/poor shooter. YES, Stephenson is that good as a shooting guard. . . . He’s played with Parrom and knows UA assistant coach “Book” Richardson. Even if he’s a “one and doner,” I’d vote a big fat yes to bring him to Arizona. John Wall (Raleigh, N.C.) is the other Top 5 recruit that hasn’t committed yet. He’s a natural point guard. New Memphis coach Josh Pastner has him on speed dial! CACTUS PETE

———

BY THE NUMBERS

29

Points separating the leader and second place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup points standings:

Driver Points

1. Jeff Gordon 1,601

2. Tony Stewart 1,572

3. Kurt Busch 1,546

4. Jimmie Johnson 1,465

5. Denny Hamlin 1,445

6. Jeff Burton 1,384

7. Kyle Busch 1,380

8. Ryan Newman 1,363

9. Greg Biffle 1,345

10. Matt Kenseth 1,326

———

ON THIS DATE

1952: In an Appalachian League game, Ron Necciai of the Bristol Twins strikes out 27 batters while pitching a 7-0 no-hitter against the Welch Miners.

1958: Stan Musial gets his 3,000th hit with a pinch-double off Chicago’s Moe Drabowsky at Wrigley Field in a 5-3 win.

1976: The New York Nets overcome a 22-point third-quarter deficit to beat the Denver Nuggets 112-106 to win the ABA title 4-2.

2005: Tiger Woods misses a 15-foot par putt at the Byron Nelson Championship, ending his record of 142 straight cuts made over the last seven years on the PGA Tour.

DALLAS – So much for the idea that the Dallas Mavericks would be devastated by the way Game 3 ended. Inspired was more like it.

Dirk Nowitzki scored 19 of his 44 points in the fourth quarter, including a go-ahead, high-arching shot with 1:05 left in a 119-117 victory over the Denver Nuggets in Game 4 on Monday night that prevented the Mavericks from being swept and injected a whole lot more excitement into this second-round series.

“It was an unbelievable game,” Nowitzki said. “We were down the whole game, but were able to come back and win and we’ve been doing that all season long. We’ve got to go back to Denver and let it all hang out again.”

Denver’s Carmelo Anthony scored a career playoff-best 41 points and hit a 3-pointer with 3.1 seconds left from nearly the exact spot as his winning basket in the previous game, only this time it left Denver a point shy of a tie.

Dallas’ Jason Terry, an ex-Arizona Wildcat, made a free throw with 1.1 seconds left, then missed another – intentionally, he said. Anthony got the rebound but couldn’t stop the clock and didn’t have enough time to even get off a 90-foot heave.

The buzzer sounded and confetti fell as the teams left the court, knowing they will meet again Wednesday night in Denver with Denver leading 3-1.

“We’re still in control of this going back to our home court,” Anthony said. “We’ll be ready.”

The postgame scene was a little calmer than after the end of Game 3, although it may also wind up getting reviewed by the league office because Denver’s Kenyon Martin clearly exchanged words with Dallas owner Mark Cuban.

Martin wouldn’t talk in the locker room, telling reporters to “go someplace else. All you (expletive) are trying to do is cause trouble.”

This game had all the intensity of a Game 7, with seven technical fouls and multiple flagrant fouls. There were video reviews and concerns for the safety of Anthony’s girlfriend and Martin’s mom, all of it started by the wacky Game 3 finish, then stoked by a silly elbow from Anthony early in the second quarter.

Once things started going out of control, they hardly stopped. Denver led by 14, then Dallas got close several times only to fall back by several baskets. The Mavs tied it several times before finally breaking through on Nowitzki’s rainbow over Martin.

“They’re allowed to be fans, but when it gets personal, it goes over the top,” Denver’s Chauncey Billups said. “They’re drinking before the game started, drinking all game, and it probably got a little out of hand. They’re allowed to be fans, but sometimes it can get over the top.”

Added Nuggets coach George Karl: “I would probably use an uglier word than hostile, but I’m not going to do that right now. I don’t think it was very classy. I’ve been in hostile buildings, but you can do it in a classy way.”

Denver was headed to another blowout win early when Anthony tangled arms with Dallas’ Antoine Wright. It was like an alarm clock for the drowsy crowd of 20,523 – and for the Mavericks, who all season have been at their best immediately after hitting rock bottom. It was a quality coach Rick Carlisle expected to see Monday night, even if it showed up more than a quarter late.

In the final minute, Dallas led by by two after Mavs forward Josh Howard and Anthony each hit a pair of free throws. Dallas got the ball to Nowitzki and he drew another foul on Martin. K-Mart knew it was his sixth and went straight to the bench and took a seat, watching Nowitzki sink two more free throws with 8.3 seconds left.

The Washington Capitals swarm David Steckel after he scored in overtime against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Pittsburgh on Monday.

CHICAGO – The kids made sure the Blackhawks are moving on.

Patrick Kane had his first hat trick and Jonathan Toews scored the go-ahead goal in a wild third period Monday night as Chicago advanced to the Western Conference finals for the first time since 1995 by beating the Vancouver Canucks 7-5.

“It’s about time I got the first hat trick. I’ve been waiting two years. I guess it can’t come in a better game than this,” the 20-year-old Kane said.

In the thunderous United Center, the Blackhawks rallied from a one-goal deficit twice in the third period and put up four scores against Vancouver goalie Roberto Luongo to win the series 4-2. Next up is Detroit or Anaheim.

“It’s awesome. We didn’t want to go back to Vancouver,” the 21-year-old Toews said. “Nobody knew what was going to happen. It was unbelievable. . . We’ve found ways to come back, especially late in games.”

Even the usually unemotional Chicago coach Joel Quenneville was shaking his head over the final period, when he said it was so loud he had trouble making line calls.

“I don’t think anybody anticipated the craziness of the third period. The turns and swings were gigantic,” Quenneville said.

“How it unraveled and unfolded, it was an amazing ending.”

When Chicago’s Troy Brouwer was called for goaltender interference with just under 8 minutes remaining, Daniel Sedin scored quickly with a shot from the left circle that put the Canucks ahead 5-4.

Kane responded. He got a puck from behind the net and then maneuvered to the side and put a shot under Luongo to tie the game at 5.

Then, 49 seconds later on a power play, Toews worked around the side and tried to pass across the crease to Patrick Sharp. But the puck deflected in off Vancouver’s Alexander Edler with 6:11 left.

Capitals 5, Penguins 4: At Pittsburgh, David Steckel scored on a deflection of Brooks Laich’s shot and the Capitals finally won an overtime playoff game to force a Game 7 in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The Capitals, losers of their seven previous overtime games, couldn’t hold a 4-3 lead late in regulation when Sidney Crosby scored, but made up for it when Steckel went to the net immediately after winning a faceoff. Laich wristed the puck on net from the right circle and Steckel put it past Marc-Andre Fleury 6:22 into the overtime.

Instead, Game 7 will be Wednesday night in Washington.

Arizona’s basketball connection in New York City is faring well in postseason all-star action.

UA signee Kevin Parrom and UA prospect Lance Stephenson helped the Panthers AAU team advance to the semifinals of the Nike Spring High School Classic in New York over the weekend.

Parrom, a 6-foot-6 small forward, scored 11 of his 13 points in the third quarter to lead the Panthers to a 91-81 second-round win Saturday over N.Y.A.B.C.

Stephenson, a 6-6 guard-forward, pumped in a game-high 38 points Sunday as the Panthers ousted N.Y. Elite 84-76 in the quarterfinals.

The Panthers will meet New Heights in the semifinals Saturday at 9:30 a.m. Tucson time in the prestigious tournament.

Arizona and Memphis are reportedly interested in signing Stephenson, a McDonald’s All-American who set the New York schoolboy record for career points. He averaged 31.9 points and 12.8 rebounds during his senior season at Lincoln High in New York.

Parrom told Five Boro Sports that Stephenson said he would visit Arizona shortly. The final day of the early signing period is May 20.

MARSHALL, Minn. – The Minnesota Vikings have spoken: Yes, they’re interested in Brett Favre.

The Vikings broke their silence Monday, with president Mark Wilf saying the team is considering the supposedly retired star.

“He’s a Hall of Fame quarterback. He’s a great competitor,” Wilf said. “Ultimately, you’ll have to ask Brett what his plans are, but sure there’s interest in Brett Favre. But again, it’s part of a process we have in general with any of our players. We’re always looking to make our team better.”

Several conflicting and contradictory media reports swirled last week around the possibility of Favre, who retired for the second time at the end of last season, returning to play for the Vikings.

Neither Favre nor the Vikings commented last week, which only added more confusion.

Favre was released by the New York Jets on April 28 and issued a statement that said, “At this time, I am retired and have no intention of returning to football.”

He hasn’t been heard from since.

Manny’s test revealed

BRISTOL, Conn. – Manny Ramirez’s positive urine test showed an elevated testosterone level, and a lab used a test to determine whether the hormone was naturally produced to build evidence against him, ESPN.com reported Monday.

Baseball asked the World Anti-Doping Agency lab in Montreal to perform a carbon isotope ratio test, which determines whether testosterone is natural or synthetic, the Web site reported.

MLB then asked Ramirez to produce medical records, as required under the drug agreement.

Ramirez’s test had a testosterone-epitestosterone ratio between 4:1 and 10:1, ESPN.com reported. Typically, a person naturally produces the hormones at a ratio of 1:1; tests of 4:1 or greater are flagged.

The Associated Press

Old Vail student a finalist

Brandon Smith, an eighth-grader at Old Vail Middle School, was one of nine finalists in Major League Baseball’s “Breaking Barriers” essay contest.

Smith, who suffered a head injury after an accident, wrote that “baseball has taught me about determination.”

“It is so hard to stay focused when you have a head injury. But it seemed like baseball was the one place that it was easy for me to focus. It was a quiet place in my life where everything started to make sense.

Baseball has changed my life. I have actually forgiven the driver that crashed into me. . . . If I met him today, I would have to thank him.”

Nearly 8,000 students in grades 4 through 8 entered the contest.

Smith plays in the Rincon Little League.

Citizen Staff Report

Jenks sends message

CLEVELAND – Chicago White Sox closer Bobby Jenks is done throwing purpose pitches.

That’s what he said Monday, following his performance last weekend when he sailed a fastball behind Texas’ Ian Kinsler, a Canyon del Oro High grad.

Jenks later said the pitch was intentional because he was tired of watching White Sox hitters getting plunked with no retribution. Major League Baseball wants to investigate the matter.

“I’ll not do it again,” Jenks said. “But again, I wasn’t trying to hit him. If they’ll investigate that, they’ll see that. It wasn’t a dirty pitch. It wasn’t up. It was right at his butt.”

The Associated Press

Father upset with ‘Big Baby’

ORLANDO, Fla. – The father of the 12-year-old boy bumped by Celtics big man Glen “Big Baby” Davis after Sunday’s game-winning shot is demanding an apology.

Ernest Provetti told the Orlando Sentinel that he wrote the NBA office demanding an apology from Davis for acting like a “raging animal with no regard for fans’ personal safety.”

NBA spokesman Tim Frank confirmed the league received the e-mail but declined to comment on it.

Video of the play shows Davis ducking behind a referee and stepping out of bounds as he ran back to the Celtics bench. Provetti told the paper it was his son, Nicholas, whose hat fell off as Davis bumped him.

The Associated Press

Rachel Alexandra to race

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Rachel Alexandra is in the Preakness. Finally. Probably.

The superstar filly will get her chance to run with the boys during Saturday’s second jewel of the Triple Crown after a series of potential roadblocks were lifted over the weekend.

Pimlico vice president Mike Gathagan said Monday there are 13 horses, including Rachel Alexandra, expected to enter the 1 3-16-mile race. The field will be set by noon Wednesday, with the draw at 5 p.m.

If Rachel Alexandra missed the Preakness, it would mean Mine That Bird could retain jockey Calvin Borel.

Borel has already agreed to ride Rachel Alexandra for the rest of the year.

The Associated Press

NUMBER OF THE DAY

559

Career saves by former Arizona Wildcat Trevor Hoffman, the most in MLB history. Other current leaders:

Mariano Rivera 488

Billy Wagner 385

Troy Percival 357

Francisco Cordero 220

Francisco Rodriguez 217

Joe Nathan 205

Eddie Guardado 187

Brad Lidge 168

———

ON THIS DATE

1970: Ernie Banks hits his 500th career home run – off Pat Jarvis – in the Chicago Cubs’ 4-3 victory over Atlanta at Wrigley Field.

1974: The Boston Celtics beat the Milwaukee Bucks 102-87 to win the NBA championship in seven games.

2000: Boston’s Pedro Martinez, who had 17 strikeouts in his last start May 6 against Tampa Bay, strikes out 15 in a 9-0 win over Baltimore, to tie an AL record set in 1968 by Cleveland’s Luis Tiant for most strikeouts over two games.

The Associated Press

———

SPORTS SOUND-OFF

NCAA called a ‘biased bureaucracy’

RE: UA softball team sent to Louisville for postseason play

• I think Livengood must have done something that the NCAA just continues to punish him for. Baseball, softball and basketball continue to get sent far, far away for postseason play. Mike Candrea is the No. 1 softball representative on the planet Earth, and Arizona’s history in softball at the NCAA level is second only to UCLA, and that’s debatable. The NCAA is a biased bureaucracy that can arbitrarily do whatever the hell they want to.

AZLIFEGUARD

• Don’t forgot that UA has one of the best softball fields in the country. The only way NCAA can justify ASU getting to host is that they are the defending national champs. I think all national champs should get that courtesy, but that said, we deserve one, too!

MIA S.

<h4>Rolling off his back </h4>

Manchester United's Patrice Evra (top) has the ball behind him as he wins it from Manchester City's Elano Blumer during their English Premier League soccer match on Sunday.

LOS ANGELES – Manny Ramirez apologized to Dodgers owner Frank McCourt during a meeting to discuss his 50-game suspension for using a banned drug.

Next, the slugger might face his teammates in the next few days.

McCourt said Ramirez called him and the two met Saturday, two days after the 12-time All-Star began serving a penalty imposed by Major League Baseball.

“I wanted to meet him face to face,” McCourt said. “He started off the meeting by apologizing and acknowledging the disappointment that he’s created – not only for me but for others.

“He’s in the process right now of doing what anybody else would do if they made a mistake, in terms of making amends here and communicating with the people he knows he has to communicate with and then going about repairing his relationships.

“And of course, his is magnified many times because he’s a public figure and a very popular one.”

McCourt also said he thinks Ramirez should speak to his teammates about the suspension.

“If Manny takes the steps that I’m hopeful he will, I think this will be something that won’t damage this franchise at all,” McCourt said Sunday.

“We all make mistakes, and it’s how we deal with those mistakes that really differentiates one from the other. And if Manny does with others what he did with me (Saturday), I think we’ll be on the road to full recovery.”

Ramirez has also spoken with manager Joe Torre and general manager Ned Colletti by phone. But the outfielder was absent from Dodger Stadium again Sunday as his teammates wrapped up an 11-game homestand against San Francisco.

“He’s still beat up by this thing,” Torre said. “Again, it’s not that he feels it’s unfair, but he’s embarrassed and he still has to clear his head before he basically feels good enough to come out. Hopefully it’s in the near future, but we didn’t nail him down for a (specific) day.”

Before Sunday’s game, Colletti confirmed a report in the Los Angeles Times that he and McCourt had spoken to Ramirez, whose bat practically carried the Dodgers into last year’s playoffs and helped the club get off to a 21-8 start before the suspension.

CBS’ Feherty apologizes

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – CBS Sports golf analyst David Feherty apologized Sunday to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid for a morbid joke that went bad in a Dallas magazine.

Feherty, one of the most popular golf analysts for his sharp wit and self-deprecating humor, was among five Dallas residents who wrote for “D Magazine” on former President George W. Bush moving to Dallas.

“From my own experience visiting the troops in the Middle East, I can tell you this though,” Feherty wrote toward the end of his column.

“Despite how the conflict has been portrayed by our glorious media, if you gave any U.S. soldier a gun with two bullets in it, and he found himself in an elevator with Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and Osama bin Laden, there’s a good chance that Nancy Pelosi would get shot twice, and Harry Reid and bin Laden would be strangled to death.”

Feherty, a former Ryder Cup player who grew up in Northern Ireland, has gone to Iraq over Thanksgiving the past two years to visit with U.S. troops, and he created a foundation to help wounded soldiers.

“This passage was a metaphor meant to describe how American troops felt about our 43rd president,” Feherty said in a statement. “In retrospect, it was inappropriate and unacceptable, and has clearly insulted Speaker Pelosi and Senator Reid, and for that, I apologize.

“As for our troops, they know I will continue to do as much as I can for them both at home and abroad.”

HS hoops may use replay

INDIANAPOLIS – Instant replay has been approved starting next season for last-second shots in high school basketball championship games.

The rule change by the National Federation of State High School Associations allows replay for review of a shot attempt at the end of the fourth quarter or overtime, and only when the last-second shot would affect the outcome of the game.

The rule is not mandatory and leaves the decision whether to use it to each state association.

“When available, technology should be used to assist game officials and administrators in making the correct call when the outcome of the game hangs in the balance and a team has no further opportunity to overcome a critical error,” said Mary Struckhoff, NFHS assistant director and liaison to the basketball rules committee. “This change provides state associations that opportunity.”

The change would let officials determine whether the ball had left the shooter’s hand before time expired or whether the shot was a 2- or 3-pointer.

Approved by the federation at a recent meeting, the change was prompted by controversial finishes in 2008 championship games in South Carolina, Ohio and Michigan.

Another new rule will allow the use of a red light behind the backboard to signal the end of a quarter or overtime. If no red light is present, the audible timer’s signal will continue to be used.

The NFHS is the governing body for almost 19,000 high schools in the United States.

NUMBER OF THE DAY

.428

Career on-base percentage by Todd Helton, the highest among current MLB players. Other leaders:

Albert Pujols .425

Manny Ramirez .412

Lance Berkman .411

Chipper Jones .408

Jason Giambi .407

Jim Thome .405

Bobby Abreu .404

Brian Giles .401

QUOTABLE

'The only guy who made a mistake on the last play was me.'

STAN VAN GUNDY,

Orlando coach, after Boston hit the game-winning shot at the buzzer in Sunday's NBA playoff game.

———

ON THIS DATE

1923: Setting several Pacific Coast League records, Pete Schneider of Vernon hits five homers and a double to drive in 14 runs in a 35-11 romp over Salt Lake City.

1992: Portland wins the highest-scoring playoff game in NBA history, 153-151 in double overtime against the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference semifinals.

1994: The Phoenix Suns, down 20 points with 10 minutes to play, stage the biggest late-game comeback in NBA playoff history, beating the Houston Rockets 124-117 in overtime in the Western Conference semifinals.

———

UA vs. ASU HOOPS RECRUITING

Who got the better of the basketball recruiting battle between UA and ASU this year? The Wildcats got three ranked in the top 100, but ASU added five to their class.

Despite getting a late start, new UA coach Sean Miller landed three top-tier high school seniors for the 2009-10 recruiting class:

• Solomon Hill, F, 6-6, Los Angeles Fairfax High (27th-ranked player overall by Rivals.com; 61st by Scout.com)

• Kyryl Natyazhko, C, 6-10, Ukraine, IMG Academy, Bradenton, Fla. (41st overall by Scout; 81st by Rivals)

• Kevin Parrom, G-F, 6-5, Bronx, N.Y., South Kent, Conn., High (74th by Scout; 122nd by Rivals)

ASU’s 2009 class probably turned out better than people expected. Rivals ranks Trent Lockett, Victor Rudd and Demetrius Walker among its Top 150. All three could contribute next season.

• Trent Lockett, G, 6-4, Minnetonka, Minn., Hopkins High (80th by Rivals)

• Ruslan Pateev, C, 6-11, Montverde (Fla.) Academy

• Victor Rudd, F, 6-7, Henderson, Nev., Findlay Prep (114th by Rivals)

• Brandon Thompson. G, 6-2, San Antonio, John Paul Stevens High

• Demetrius Walker, G, 6-4, Phoenix St. Mary’s High (115th by Rivals, 74th by ESPNU)

The Arizona Republic

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.