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.”

BALTIMORE – Alex Rodriguez walked to the plate, and a dozen fans behind the screen swung into action. Holding up giant, foam syringes, they started with the taunts.

Rodriguez answered them, all right. Back in the big leagues, the Yankees star launched the first pitch he saw deep into the left-field seats for a three-run homer Friday night.

“One swing, and the rest was easy,” Rodriguez said.

That might have hushed his tormentors – for a moment. But baseball figures to face a much tougher time silencing the boos, jeers and doubts stirred up by Manny Ramirez and sport’s latest scandal from the Steroids Era.

A day after the Los Angeles Dodgers slugger was suspended 50 games for using a banned drug, A-Rod returned to the scene.

Off the disabled list from hip surgery, he played in the majors for the first time since admitting in February that he used steroids when he was a member of the Texas Rangers from 2001-03.

As he walked on the grass before the game, a fitting song played over the sound system at Camden Yards: “Circus,” by Britney Spears.

“I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my career. They’ve been well-documented. I’ve paid the price,” Rodriguez said before New York’s 4-0 win over Baltimore.

The rocky relay from Ramirez to Rodriguez made for yet another stain on the sport and left the pair, sharing huge salaries and megatalent, chasing the same impossible dream: To just play ball.

Yet like their many home runs, their errors off the field will stay on the board. And no doubt, as Rodriguez circled the bases to a mix of cheers and boos with his 554th home run, many fans wondered how many of them should really count because of performance enhancers.

“It’s heat on baseball. It’s horrible for baseball,” Yankees outfielder Johnny Damon said. “Now you look at all the superstars who got busted – or allegedly. This era is definitely tarnished.”

Ramirez, meanwhile, remained in seclusion, a day after the Dodgers played for the first time without their dreadlocked star and saw their record home winning streak come to an end.

Although fans and players had plenty to say, Ramirez offered little explanation, simply apologizing for “the whole situation” and leaving Dodgers manager Joe Torre to plead his star’s case, saying Ramirez felt he was a disappointment.

Rodriguez never said the word “steroids” during a pregame news conference. He also said he would not answer any questions related to the newly released book about him by Selena Roberts.

Pressed as to whether he used performance-enhancing drugs in high school, as the book suggests, he said, “The answer is no.”

On the first day of the Class 4A Gila Region track championship, Catalina High School’s Owai Khairandesh set a meet record of 1 minute, 58.19 seconds in the 800 meters Thursday at Amphi.

Teammate Daniel McIver edged Sahuarita’s Daniel Conorque in the high jump, clearing 6-feet, 6-inches to Conorque’s 6-4. Each jump surpassed Conorque’s 2008 meet record of 6-2.

Catalina’s boys lead second place Rio Rico 74-43 heading into Saturday’s final day of action.

In the girls meet, Catalina’s Magda Mankel (12:06.23) beat Rio Rico’s Aeoleone Bristow (12:27.92) in the 3,200.

Catalina’s girls (42) are beating Rio Rico (23) after four events.

Softball: 5A playoffs

At Phoenix’s Rose Mofford Park, No. 6 Salpointe Catholic beat No. 10 Mesa Dobson 5-1 to advance in the 5A Division I elimination bracket.

The Lancers play No. 11 Tempe Corona del Sol at Tempe Marcos de Niza High School at noon Saturday.

No. 5 Yuma Cibola 1, No. 16 Rincon/University 0 (9 innings): At Phoenix, Rincon’s ride ended Thursday when Cibola’s Alexis Gorman hit a one-out, ninth-inning single that scored Isabella Olea for the game’s only run.

Rincon (19-14) pitcher Kelsi Redding struck out 12 hitters.

“Rincon’s pitcher kept us off- balance,” Cibola coach Shelly Bauman said. “She did her job. It was tough.”

Baseball: 5A playoffs

Ironwood Ridge (17-13), the 15th seed, sent 16 batters to the plate in the top of the fifth inning, scoring 11 runs on 10 hits and beat No. 11 Tolleson 14-0 in five innings in a 5A-II elimination game.

“If this was video game, we would have unplugged it a long time ago and started over,” Tolleson coach Scott Richardson said.

Ironwood Ridge pitcher Kyle Kilgore allowed two hits while battling stomach flu all week.

“In the beginning of the game, I felt a little queasy,” he said. “But as the game went on, the nerves came down and adrenaline took over. I had my stuff today.”

Ironwood Ridge plays Peoria Centennial at 1 p.m. Saturday at Tempe Diablo Stadium.

(5A-II) No. 6 Peoria Centennial 5, No. 7 Sunnyside 2: The Blue Devils finish the season at 21-10.

(5A-I) No. 12 Salpointe 9, No. 9 Mesa Red Mountain 6: Michael Duarte went 3 for 4 with three RBIs for Salpointe, which plays No. 4 Phoenix Desert Vista at Phoenix Municipal Stadium at 4 p.m. Saturday.

For more on high school sports, check out the Grammer School sports blog.

By The Arizona Republic, Citizen Staff Report

Salpointe Catholic High School boys volleyball coach Amy Johnson likes how her team has been playing down the stretch.

Salpointe defeated Mountain View 3-0 (25-19, 25-19, 25-12) Thursday to capture the Class 5A Southern Region tournament championship.

“We’re right where we need to be,” Johnson said. “There are a couple of adjustments we’ll make depending on who we’ll play next week (in the state tournament).”

Salpointe will host a first-round match Monday in the Class 5A/4A Division I state tournament. That opponent has not yet been determined as tournament brackets are not expected to be released until Friday by the Arizona Interscholastic Association.

The Lancers endured ups and downs, especially in the second game, before getting on track.

Mountain View led 11-7 in Game 2 before Salpointe mounted a comeback.

“We were much more consistent in the second game. I yelled at them a little bit,” Johnson said. “I don’t know if that fired them up or what. . . . We need to be more consistent in everything.”

Salpointe got 14 kills from Alex Chavez and 29 assists from Pat Tunnell. Franc Smith contributed 16 digs.

Mountain View got 11 assists from Kris Darris and four kills from Richie Hamm.

Kino championship

At Palo Verde, No. 1 seed Sahuaro beat Rincon/University 3-1 (25-23, 23-25, 25-14, 25-12).

Sonoran championship

Top seed Catalina Foothills swept Ironwood Ridge 3-0 (25-18, 25-20, 25-21).

Gila championship

Catalina, the region’s top seed, beat Amphi 3-0 for the Gila tournament championship.

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.”

SAN DIEGO – The San Diego Padres will take any win these days, even if they have to work extra to get it.

David Eckstein singled in the winning run with one out in the 10th inning and San Diego beat Arizona 4-3 on Thursday in Diamondbacks manager Bob Melvin’s last game before being fired (Story, 1C).

It was the second time in three games the Padres won in 10 innings, and just their fourth win in 17 games.

“It’s really big for this club,” Eckstein said. “Hopefully one day we’ll win a game where it’s not as close and as much pressure, but that seems like the only way we know how to win right now.

“This club has showed a lot of heart, especially in the tough times that we’ve been going through. We’ve just got to keep pushing forward.”

Eckstein, who entered the game for defensive purposes in the top of the inning, lined a shot just past first baseman Josh Whitesell to bring in Kevin Kouzmanoff.

Kouzmanoff started the winning rally with a one-out double to left-center off Esmerling Vasquez (0-1), his third straight hit. Nick Hundley and Chris Burke, who was with Arizona last year, walked to load the bases and bring up Eckstein.

“You enjoy being in that role,” Eckstein said. “I was very disappointed last night not coming through in that situation. So having the opportunity to make up for it was nice. I was just trying to put the ball in play and luckily found a hole.”

Arizona’s Justin Upton doubled and singled to extend his hitting streak to 14 games.

Right-hander Dan Haren had a hand in the Diamondbacks taking a 2-0 lead in the third. Attempting to sacrifice with Chris Snyder on first, the two-time All-Star bunted foul and took a called strike before hitting an RBI double down the left-field line. Haren advanced on shortstop Chris Burke’s error and scored on Felipe Lopez’s sacrifice fly.

San Diego tied it with two in the fifth when four straight batters reached with two outs, including Edgar Gonzalez and Scott Hairston with consecutive RBI singles. San Diego right-hander Chris Young drew a two-out walk to start the rally.

“I was cruising along, pitch-countwise,” Haren said. “Then I really had to work hard in the fifth and sixth inning. I started getting a little tired.”

Eric Byrnes hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the sixth to give the Diamondbacks a 3-2 lead before the Padres tied it again when ex-Arizona Wildcat Nick Hundley doubled in Kouzmanoff.

Haren, who had won three straight starts, allowed three runs and eight hits in six innings. His ERA went from 1.47 to 1.84, fourth-best in the majors.

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.

Penguins' Kris Letang (right) celebrates his overtime goal against the Washington Capitals with Bill Guerin on Wednesday in Pittsburgh.

PITTSBURGH – On a night the Pittsburgh Penguins felt satisfied to limit Alex Ovechkin to one goal, they needed 3 1/2 periods and a huge disparity in shots and power plays before figuring out how to beat the Washington Capitals and whiz kid goalie Simeon Varlamov.

They did it Wednesday night by turning Sidney Crosby, the goal scorer, back into Crosby, the exceptional setup man, and shaking NHL scoring champion Evgeni Malkin out of a slump that was threatening to put them out of the playoffs.

Kris Letang scored his first career playoff goal on a shot from the point at 11:23 of overtime after Crosby’s faceoff win and the Penguins avoided going down three games to the Capitals by winning 3-2 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Letang’s shot deflected off Capitals defenseman Shaone Morrisonn and past the 21-year-old Varlamov, who had stopped nearly everything the Penguins threw at him while making 39 saves.

Washington scored first – on a goal by Ovechkin – then let Pittsburgh control the play for most of the game. The Penguins led 42-23 in shots and 7-2 in power plays.

“We knew we had Tanger set up for a one-timer if we won it clean,” Crosby said. “I just got it back to (Mark) Eaton and we got a good bounce there. We’ve been working on those plays, so it’s nice to see when it works.”

Hurricanes defeat Bruins

RALEIGH, N.C. – The game was tied and time was running out. For Carolina, that meant it was Jussi Jokinen’s time to shine.

Jokinen scored at 2:48 of overtime to lift the Hurricanes past the Boston Bruins 3-2 in Game 3 of the Eastern semifinal series.

Sergei Samsonov scored a goal and assisted on Jokinen’s winner for the Hurricanes, who took a 2-1 series lead with Game 4 set for Friday night in Raleigh.

“Obviously it feels great, with the things I’ve been through this year,” said Jokinen, waived by Tampa Bay before being traded to Carolina in February. “I found my confidence again here.”

MILWAUKEE – Does Brett Favre really want to play quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings – or is he simply willing to jump at any chance to play against Green Bay and prove a point to the man who traded him, general manager Ted Thompson?

That doesn’t seem to be a particularly important question in the Twin Cities right now, where the potential signing of Favre is seen as the final piece in an otherwise Super Bowl-ready roster. The chance to tweak a division rival makes it even juicier.

Even Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty – perhaps forgetting that he’d need to pick up a vote or two in Wisconsin if he runs for president in 2012 – called the potential Favre signing “a wonderful little salt to rub in the eyes of some of our Green Bay Packer friends” on Wednesday.

“Can you imagine Brett Favre going into Lambeau Field in Viking purple and maybe even wearing No. 4?,” Pawlenty asked. “There would be audible gasps.”

Right now, the collective sound emanating from Wisconsin is a loud, protracted groan.

The 39-year-old Favre, who is a free agent after retiring for the second time in as many years and being released by the New York Jets, is scheduled to meet with Minnesota coach Brad Childress this week to discuss the possibility of playing for the Vikings.

Favre’s agent, Bus Cook, told USA TODAY that Favre remains retired, said he wasn’t aware of any meeting with Childress, and denied that Favre would return simply out of spite.

“If he came back, it would be because he wants another chance to win a Super Bowl,” Cook said.

For now, much remains unclear about Favre’s situation, including just how much he has left to give. He was awful at the end of last season, and apparently hasn’t had surgery to fix an arm injury that might explain his subpar play.

And he shouldn’t expect his former Packers teammates to take it easy on him.

Packers linebacker Nick Barnett posted on his Twitter account Wednesday that Favre should “do whatever he feels is in his heart” – as long as he’s prepared for Packers players to treat him like the enemy.

“Once he puts (on) that purple, he will become an enemy which is all part of the game,” Barnett said. “It’s hard to imagine him doing that.”

For the second year in a row, the University of Arizona football team showed improvement in the NCAA’s annual Academic Progress Rate report.

The Wildcats fell one point below the NCAA’s minimum score of 925, or a 50 percent graduation rate – and were ninth in the Pac-10, only ahead of Washington State (918). But because UA showed significant improvement from last year (902), the Cats were not penalized.

In 2007 and 2006, UA lost a total of six football scholarships because of poor APR reports.

All the other Arizona teams performed higher than 925 – including the men’s indoor track program (938), which lost one scholarship this season because of a score of 921 last year.

No Pac-10 teams were penalized this season.

The scores are calculated based on data from the fall semester in 2004 through the spring semester in 2008. Each athlete receives one point per semester for remaining academically eligible and another point each semester for remaining at that school or graduating.

A mathematical formula is used to correlate a final team score, with 1,000 points being perfect. Teams that fall below 925 annually can be subjected to immediate penalties.

Across the nation, the overall four-year Division I APR increased three points to 964. And the overall scores in baseball, football and men’s basketball all showed improvement over the 2003-04 numbers.

Centenary’s men’s basketball team and Tennessee-Chattanooga’s football squad, however, didn’t make the grade with the NCAA and it cost them a chance to compete for a national championship next season.

Those teams became the first to be banned from postseason play because of poor APR scores. Jacksonville State’s football team, which is appealing a postseason ban, could join them. A decision is expected within six weeks.

NCAA president Myles Brand said Wednesday’s announcement sends a message to the nation’s college teams: Repeatedly failing to make grades comes at a heavy cost.

“I think it is a watershed because it shows the depth and severity of the penalties for schools that cannot come into compliance with academic performance,” Brand said during a conference call. “Think back as a mode of comparison to when we have recruiting infractions, and we withhold them from postseason play, that’s a big deal.”

Next year, schools with four straight years of poor scores could face the NCAA’s most severe penalty – restricted Division I membership for the entire athletic department.

Ten schools were cited in both football and men’s basketball but only two – Alabama-Birmingham and New Mexico State – play in college football’s top level. UAB was the only school in major football to receive a reduction in practice times in both sports.

The SEC led the six biggest conferences with five teams penalized. Mississippi and Minnesota were the only BCS schools sanctioned in football.

McNeese State led all schools with eight teams sanctioned, while Nicholls State was next with six.

———

LATEST UA ACADEMIC PROGRESS REPORT SCORES

———

(925 is minimum)

Men’s sports

Baseball 930

Basketball 949

Cross country 1,000

Football 924

Golf 957

Swimming 951

Tennis 945

Track (indoor) 938

Track (outdoor) 939

Women’s sports

Basketball 946

Cross country 965

Golf 975

Gymnastics 987

Soccer 992

Softball 945

Swimming 974

Tennis 965

Track (indoor) 953

Track (outdoor) 949

———

HOW UA COMPARES

Football Men’s hoops

Stanford 984 968

California 970 944

USC 956 906

Washington 954 956

UCLA 948 968

ASU 945 930

Oregon 935 975

Oregon State 930 936

Arizona 924 949

Washington St. 918 946

By Citizen Staff Report, Wire Report

Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard (top) is called for a charging foul as he drives against Boston Celtics forward Glen Davis during Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series in Boston on Monday.

BOSTON – The Orlando Magic avoided an epic collapse when the clock ran out on the Boston Celtics’ comeback bid.

There would be no overtime this time.

Just another hole from which the defending NBA champions will try to escape.

Dwight Howard returned from his one-game suspension to get 16 points and 22 rebounds Monday night and Orlando, which led by as many as 28 points in the second half, held off the late-charging Celtics 95-90 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

“The last 16 minutes was a debacle,” Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. “We were sort of trying to run out the clock, and you can’t do that in games like this. Especially in the playoffs, teams are going to keep fighting and keep coming back.

“(But) how about the fact that we were up 28? You play these games to win, and that’s it. We won. Right now, the series is 1-0.”

Game 2 is Wednesday night in Boston.

Orlando led 65-37 early in the third quarter, but Boston trailed by four points when Ray Allen’s 3-pointer rimmed out with 43 seconds left. Orlando’s J.J. Redick made two free throws with 14 seconds left before Paul Pierce’s high 3-pointer made it a three-point game with 6.6 seconds to play.

But Redick made two more free throws to ice it.

“We got complacent as a team, stopped doing what we did to get the lead and against a good Celtics team you can’t do that,” Howard said. “You don’t want to focus on them coming back. We still won the game and we saw what we have to do to win the series.”

Pierce scored 16 of his 23 points in the second half and Rajon Rondo had 14 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.

Pierce said the Celtics never feel like they’re out of a game, and there’s a good reason why: They came back from 21 points down to beat New Jersey in the 2002 conference finals, and they rallied from 24 points down to beat the L.A. Lakers in Game 4 of last season’s NBA finals.

“We cannot wait until we’re down 25, 26 points until we wake up,” said Pierce, who is the only remaining Celtic to play in both those games. “There’s no excuses for us not to be ready.”

Kendrick Perkins had 16 rebounds for Boston, but Rondo and Allen both went 2 of 12 from the field. The Magic had a cold spell of their own in the fourth quarter, going just 5 of 20 from the field to lose most of a once-dominating lead that had the Boston fans booing their team off the court at halftime.

“If we had played the rest of the game like the second half . . . ,” said Glen “Big Baby” Davis, who scored 12 points before fouling out. “It’s hard to play from behind. That’s what we did and we lost.”

Orlando finished off Philadelphia in six games on Thursday night, and Howard has been resting up even longer: He was suspended for the finale of that series for elbowing Sixers center Samuel Dalembert.

“It felt like I was out 10 games,” Howard said. “I was a little rusty. We’ll be ready for Game 2.”

Boston had just one day off after eliminating the Chicago Bulls in a best-of-seven series – 7 3/4, actually – one many consider the best first-round playoff series in NBA history. The teams played a record four overtime games and seven overtimes periods in all – nearly three extra quarters.

Sahuarita catcher Lysandras Gomez grabs a late throw home as Palo Verde's Sophia Martinez scores during the semifinals of the Class 4A Gila Region softball tournament at Cherry Field on Monday. Sahuarita won 12-11 to advance.

The Sahuaro High girls softball team advanced to the finals of the Class 4A Kino Region tournament, but it took extra innings to get the job done.

The No. 2-seeded Cougars defeated No. 3 Sabino 4-3 in eight innings.

Morgan McKeever led off the bottom of the inning with a double and after being bunted over to third, she scored on Jessica Schneider’s sacrifice fly.

Sahuaro will play No. 1 Cienega at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Cherry Field.

No. 2 Sahuarita 12, No. 3 Palo Verde 11: The Mustangs scored two runs in the seventh to advance in the 4A Gila game. Sahuarita will play No. 1 Douglas at Cherry Field at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

Baseball

The Nogales offense came alive in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Trailing 2-1, the Apaches scored five runs in the inning and went on to the 8-3 victory in the semifinals of the 4A Kino Region tournament.

Juan Espiricueta pitched four innings and struck out seven. He helped his own cause with a home run. Nogales will play No. 1 Cienega at Cherry Field at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.

No. 3 Amphi 10, No. 2 Douglas 3: In the 4A Gila semifinal, Alan Sandoval pitched a complete game for the Panthers. Amphi will play No. 1 Sahuarita at Cherry Field at 4 p.m. Tuesday.

For more on high school sports, check out the Grammer School sports blog.

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Larry Foote hauls down Cleveland Browns running back Jamal Lewis during a game in 2007. Foote was let go by the Steelers on Monday.

PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Steelers released starting inside linebacker Larry Foote on Monday, a move expected since Foote asked to be traded or cut.

Foote started every Steelers game for five seasons, including their Super Bowl victories last season and after the 2005 season.

Still, he was unhappy with coming off the field on passing downs for Lawrence Timmons, a 2007 first-round draft pick.

With Timmons ready to start, Foote told the Steelers last week he wanted to be traded or released. The Steelers cut him after failing to find a team willing to deal a draft pick for him.

Foote was due to make $2.885 million in the final season of his contract, but the Steelers no longer owe him the money.

“Larry has been a big part of our success but, unfortunately, the realities of the salary cap made this decision inevitable,” Steelers director of football operations Kevin Colbert said in a statement. “We wish Larry and his family nothing but the best as he moves forward with his career.”

Foote, a fourth-round draft pick in 2002, had three interceptions and 14 1/2 sacks in seven seasons with Pittsburgh.

Ravens sign QB Beck

BALTIMORE – The Baltimore Ravens have signed quarterback John Beck, who will seek to revive his NFL career after being released by the Miami Dolphins.

Beck, who signed a one-year contract Baltimore announced Monday, played five games in two seasons with Miami. Drafted in the second round of the 2007 draft, Beck went 0-4 as a rookie starter under Cam Cameron, now Baltimore’s offensive coordinator.

The quarterback did not play in 2008 under new coach Tony Sparano.

Venus Williams advances

ROME – Venus Williams needed three sets to win her opening match at the Italian Open on Monday, beating Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic 6-2, 4-6, 6-2.

“I was OK with the match being a little longer,” Williams said. “I just I want to hit balls. In a way it’s not too bad to go three sets. ”

She appeared to take control of the clay-court match in the first set, firing eight aces and as many winners in 28 minutes.

The American’s service levels dropped, though, and Safarova started playing her powerful groundstrokes deeper in the second set. Williams was broken in the third game and was unable to break back with Safarova serving out to win the set.

In the deciding set, the fourth-seeded Williams held serve in a crucial third game after saving four break points. She went on to break in the following game, as a forehand by the 22-year-old Czech went wide, and then again to close out the match.

Both players had 22 winners, but Safarova had 33 unforced errors, seven more than Williams.

“We both played aggressive,” Williams said. “She’s just going for every shot, for the lines.”

WASHINGTON – Alex Ovechkin’s first playoff hat trick was cause for celebration, worthy of so many red caps that Sidney Crosby wanted fans to stop throwing them.

Minutes later, Crosby notched his first postseason hat trick, a consolation prize in a loss. Fewer than a half-dozen pieces of headgear made it to the ice.

It was a historic night for the NHL. Its two biggest stars – rivals who don’t care for each other – had their biggest playoff head-to-head performances. Ovechkin claimed the winning hand, breaking a tie with a pair of goals less than 3 minutes apart in the third period Monday night in the Washington Capitals’ 4-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins.

“Sick game. Sick three goals by me and Crosby,” said Ovechkin, who celebrated by bouncing his body high off the glass after both of his third-period goals. “It’s unbelievable to see how fans react, how fans go crazy. The atmosphere right now, it’s unbelievable in town. You see all the red, and – probably I’m afraid to go home right now.”

The Eastern Conference semifinal series moves to Pittsburgh for Wednesday’s Game 3 with the Capitals leading 2-0. From 1991-2001, Washington lost five series in which it blew a lead against Pittsburgh, including 2-0 advantages in 1992 and 1996.

But that’s ancient history for Alex the Great and Sid the Kid, who quickly realized what a special game they had just played.

“It’s nice to score,” Crosby said. “But it’s better to win. I’m sure it’s entertaining for people to watch, if I were to look at it from a fan’s point of view. As a player, you don’t like when the guy on the other team gets a hat trick. That’s usually not a good sign.”

Ovechkin nailed a one-timer from the left circle that beat Marc-Andre Fleury on a power play with 7:07 left, then skated between the circles before unleashing a slap shot that sailed past Fleury’s glove with 4:38 remaining for his third goal of the game and seventh of the postseason.

After the first wave of hats came a second wave, prompting Crosby to speak to the referee about the long delay.

“People kept throwing hats,” Crosby said. “And I was just asking if he could make an announcement to ask them to stop.”

Crosby gave the Penguins leads of 1-0 and 2-1. His third goal came on a power play in the final minute after Fleury was pulled for an extra attacker, giving Crosby an NHL-leading eight in the playoffs.

“When you build up hype of superstars playing against each other, and then the superstars play like superstars, it’s a neat thing,” Washington coach Bruce Boudreau said.

Arizona starter Yusmeiro Petit gave up three runs in the D'backs loss to Milwaukee on Sunday.

MILWAUKEE – It was a series in which every game seemed to be decided by one play, one hit or one inning.

And considering the way the Arizona Diamondbacks have played in this ballpark in recent seasons, there was a small sense of satisfaction to leave Miller Park with a four-game split after their 4-3 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday afternoon.

“It’s a place that’s been tough on us, so in that respect it’s good,” manager Bob Melvin said. “I guess looking at it coming in, the way we played here was OK. But we certainly would have liked to have won (Sunday).”

The Diamondbacks rallied from a 3-0 deficit to tie the score with home runs in the seventh inning by Mark Reynolds, Justin Upton and Miguel Montero, but the Brewers scratched across a run in the eighth inning against relievers Juan Gutierrez and Tony Peña.

After a single by Sabino High School grad J.J. Hardy, which snapped an 0-for-14 skid, and a walk to Prince Fielder with one out, Peña entered the game and got Mike Cameron to hit a bloop to right field.

Upton did not get a good break and dived for it but had to play the ball on the hop, loading the bases.

“I didn’t see it that well off the bat, but it’s still a tough ball to get to,” he said. “It’s one of those things in baseball. You cannot hit it hard and still get a hit. I’ve reaped the benefits of that myself.”

That brought up Chris Duffy, who hit a hard ground ball that second baseman Felipe Lopez had to lunge to his left to field, allowing the run to score.

“(This series was about) getting the little breaks here and there,” Upton said.

“Both teams played well. But we came up short twice, and so did they.”

Adding salt to the wound for the Diamondbacks bullpen was an injury to right-hander Tom Gordon, who strained his left hamstring while covering home plate in the sixth inning.

The Brewers scored three times off Diamondbacks starter Yusmeiro Petit, hitting a pair of homers off the right-hander in the second inning and adding another run in the third.

Petit has a 7.84 ERA in 20 1/2 innings, and he did not pitch so well as to quiet speculation that the club might pull him from the rotation before his next start.

Brewers closer Trevor Hoffman, an ex-Arizona Wildcat, pitched a scoreless ninth, striking out two, to convert his seventh consecutive save opportunity against the Diamondbacks.