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Sports Briefing | Soccer: Manchester United Inches Closer to Crown

Written By Unknown on Minggu, 31 Maret 2013 | 15.03

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Sports Briefing | Soccer: First Win for Red Bulls Coach Mike Petke

Goal

The Times's soccer blog has the world's game covered from all angles.

Thierry Henry scored his first goal of the season, breaking a tie in the 81st minute and giving Mike Petke his first win as the Red Bulls' coach, 2-1 over the visiting Philadelphia Union on Saturday.

Henry, who came on for Tim Cahill in the 59th minute, finished a beautiful feed from Peguy Luyindula to win it for the Red Bulls (1-2-2). Dax McCarty's goal in the 55th minute snapped a scoreless string of 307 minutes for the Red Bulls.


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Canadiens 3, Rangers 0: Rangers Come Up Empty Again in Canada

Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images

The Canadiens' Nathan Beaulieu (40) taking down the Rangers' Rick Nash in front of goalie Carey Price.

The Montreal Canadiens continued their mastery of the Rangers, sweeping the teams' three-game season series with a 3-0 victory Saturday night.

Michael Ryder, Tomas Plekanec and Brendan Gallagher had goals for the host Canadiens, who outscored the Rangers by 9-1 in the three games. Montreal moved 3 points ahead of Boston for first in the Northeast Division.

The Rangers, the N.H.L.'s lowest-scoring team, were coming off a 3-0 loss in Ottawa on Thursday night. They have been shut out in goalie Martin Biron's last four starts in Montreal.

Canadiens goalie Carey Price, who had been pulled from his last game, a 6-5 win in Boston on Wednesday, made 34 saves to earn his 3rd shutout of the season and 19th over all.

"We have to stay positive," Rangers Coach John Tortorella said. "We'll try to correct some things that are going wrong, but we'll work on the positives."

Tortorella added: "We skated hard. We forechecked and developed scoring chances. But we can't have any moral victories here. We need to finish at key times. We have to change momentum our way."


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Bats: With Mets and Yankees, It May Be Pick Your Poison

So here we are, at the start of the 2013 season, wondering whether it is possible that both the Yankees and Mets will finish below .500 this year.

As The New York Times's Elena Gustines recounts there have been six previous seasons in which the Mets and Yankees both had losing records. Now the question is whether we are staring at No. 7.

No one will be surprised if the Mets stagger to the finish line next September with 70 or 75 victories, good enough for — what else? — fourth place in the National League East. They have gotten a nice spring out of two pretty talented young pitchers — Jon Niese and Matt Harvey — and even a couple of members of their mocked and maligned outfield have looked good at the plate.

But they have half of a starting rotation, no closer and a young shortstop in Ruben Tejada who seems to be going backward at a pretty fair clip. In the end, they seem ready to walk to up to the counter and order the usual — a losing season with some mayo on the side.

The Yankees, of course, are another matter. They have not had a losing campaign since 1992 and even with their roster depleted by free-agent defections and assorted injuries they still have a championship veneer because of players like C.C. Sabathia and Andy Pettitte, and Mariano Rivera and Robinson Cano, and, for that matter, Kevin Youkilis, who won two rings in Boston. As well, they have a couple of savvy, and unyielding, veterans in Hiroki Kuroda and Ichiro Suzuki and a now-healthy pest in Brett Gardner.

And then there's Derek Jeter, who, because he's Derek Jeter, will probably find a way to be a presence even if his ankle bothers him on and off all season.

But they are also old and less inclined to spend a fortune to fill holes in their lineup and no less an authority than The New York Times's Tyler Kepner is picking them to finish dead last in the American League East.

That's right, fifth place, or one spot lower than Tyler predicts the Mets will finish. In case you're wondering, the Yankees haven't finished last since they went 67-95 in 1990 and finished at the bottom of the seven-team A.L. East.

So what do you think? Will the Yankees do as poorly as Tyler — and others — are forecasting? Will the Mets do what everyone expects them to do, which is to lose more than they win while watching their attendance erode a little bit more? Will the two teams end up miserable together?

Or is there reason to be a good deal more optimistic than this blog post?


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Buckeyes’ Poor Shooting Ends Their Tournament Run

LOS ANGELES — When Aaron Craft caught the ball on the right wing, with Ohio State behind by 6 and less than a minute remaining, the crowd was tense, the game's outcome was uncertain, and the first half seemed so far away.

The Buckeyes had shot so poorly then: they had trailed by 13 points at halftime and by 20 with just over 11 minutes remaining. But now, as Craft caught the ball, they had new legs, new life.

Immediately, he rose, flicked his wrist and fired. Clank. It was not loud enough to be heard over the crowd, but that discomfort — of seeing a clean shot hit the rim — set in again.

Second-seeded Ohio State missed all kinds of shots against No. 9 seed Wichita State in Saturday's West Region final. Easy shots. Open shots. Tough shots. Bad shots. But they started to make enough of them, too, to make it interesting, until Craft missed that shot with 54 seconds left. Soon, time ran out on Ohio State's comeback. Wichita State won, 70-66, and advanced to the Final Four.

Afterward, Ohio State Coach Thad Matta, sitting in the locker room surrounded by reporters, did not seem angry or upset. His team had trailed — big — and then made a run. He blamed the first half, when his team shot 24.2 percent and fell behind, 35-22. But he said he could live with the shots.

"Those are shots that you have to make, that we've been making in this tournament, that we've been making in the Big Ten," Matta said. "Guys had good looks. Unfortunately, they didn't go down."

Answering questions in the center of the room was Ohio State's go-to scorer, Deshaun Thomas, who may have never taken a shot he did not like. Before Saturday's game, Wichita State Coach Gregg Marshall had said, as a compliment, that Thomas was "a bad shot-taker and a bad shot-maker."

Thomas had embraced the idea, even joked about it. He said he first noticed when he was in the third grade that he had a knack for scoring. By high school, he said, he had a perpetual green light, meaning he "took every shot — took every bad shot."

At Ohio State, he said, Matta always told him: "Take good shots. We need good ones."

On Saturday, Thomas missed the first five shots he took. He missed nine shots in the first half.

But in the second half, as Ohio State whittled a 20-point deficit to 3, Thomas was rejuvenated, shooting 4 of 7 and scoring 14 points. He finished with 23 points, and an average of 22.3 points for the tournament. He said he thought that he had played well. So he was pleased.

Asked about Wichita State's defense, Thomas said: "They were bumping and grinding. They just played sound defense, got in the gaps and rotated real well."

In a corner of the room, Shannon Scott, who was 2 of 7 from the field, sat with a towel over his head. Next to him, Lenzelle Smith Jr., who was 2 of 6, told reporters, "Our first half was probably the worst I've seen us play in a very long time."

Evan Ravenel stared at his phone and texted his family. Amir Williams hung his head and ate pizza.

Ravenel had taken one shot and missed it. Williams had not shot at all. He lauded Thomas, rationalized the shots Thomas took. Some went in and out. A couple were blocked. Maybe that affected Thomas's shot selection, Williams said.

Craft, who shot 2 of 12, told a reporter that he would probably be back in the gym the next day.

"They were laying off me, daring me to shoot," Craft said. "I couldn't make them pay today."

At his locker, LaQuinton Ross shook his head. He could not forget the defensive rebound he had failed to corral with the Buckeyes trailing by by 4 points with 1:36 remaining. After that, Wichita State ran down the clock and scored to go ahead by 6. Then Craft misfired.

"I went up for the ball, thought I had it in my hands; guy came over the top, hit it out, ended up getting a rebound," said Ross, who missed eight shots. He sighed. "Tough play, man."

That is what Ross would remember, he said — that rebound, the ending. Not all the missed shots.


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Men’s N.C.A.A. Tournament: March 30

Syracuse's Michael Carter-Williams, left, guarding Davante Gardner of Marquette. No. 4 Syracuse used its stifling defense to defeat third-seeded Marquette, 55-39, and advance to the Final Four from the East Region of the men's N.C.A.A. basketball tournament.


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Jazz 116, Nets 107: After a Promising Start, the Nets’ Western Swing Ends With a Thud

SALT LAKE CITY — Randy Foye made five 3-pointers in the third quarter Saturday as the Utah Jazz went on a 22-11 run to take control of a close game and defeat the Nets, 116-107, at Energy Solutions Arena.

"You don't like to make excuses," said Deron Williams, playing his second game in Utah as a visitor. "They play really well in this building. That's the main thing and Foye went nuts."

The loss dropped the Nets four games behind the Atlantic Division-leading Knicks, with nine games left on the Nets' schedule.

"We're concerned with us," Williams said. "We've been losing; we've lost the last two, so we can't worry about them winning."

Foye, who finished with 26 points on 9-for-11 shooting, added a knockout blow with another 3-pointer to put the Jazz ahead, 88-76, early in the fourth quarter. His eight 3-pointers tied a Jazz record.

"A couple of them, we let him loose in transition and once he started feeling it, he was pulling from three-four feet behind the line," Williams said.

The Jazz, fighting for the Western Conference's final playoff spot, shot 55.6 percent from the field. They moved the ball so well that Paul Millsap, a power forward, set a career high for assists with more than 19 minutes left in the game.

Williams, who played with the Jazz from 2005 to 2011, received a mixed reaction from the crowd, which included his former coach Jerry Sloan. Fans clapped when he was introduced and booed loudly whenever he touched the ball early on. They roared when Gordon Hayward blocked him at the rim late in the second quarter.

But Williams also received warm embraces from team employees and hugs from an usher and the Jazz mascot shortly before tipoff. A fan held a sign that read, "D-Will U Stud."

"It wasn't as bad as last year, so that was good," Williams said of the crowd.

He added: "It's good; no animosity. I had a great time in Utah."

C. J. Watson (22 points on 8-of-13 shooting) did all he could to revive the Nets at times, but it was not enough.

Brook Lopez led the Nets with 27 points and Reggie Evans grabbed 16 rebounds, but neither player was well suited to guard Al Jefferson (20 points and 7 rebounds), who was able to score inside and out.

Derrick Favors, the centerpiece of the Williams trade, scored 13 points and grabbed 9 rebounds in 23 minutes off the bench.

Joe Johnson (right quad contusion) missed his fourth game in a row, and for the second night in a row at a high altitude, the Nets missed his ability to slow the game down and score in key moments.

Speaking about Johnson's injury, P. J. Carlesimo said: "The longer we go without Joe, the more you appreciate it. We're putting guys in unfair situations."

Carlesimo also noted that Gerald Wallace and Lopez were hurting and that health was a priority as the Nets prepared to head home for a few days.

Little defense was played early in the first quarter as the teams combined to hit 20 of the first 25 field-goal attempts.

Williams came out focused and played well, with the exception of two first-half turnovers that did not end up directly hurting the Nets.

The Jazz took a 33-28 lead into the second quarter, but the bench, led by Watson and Andray Blatche, hit its first seven field goals to help the Nets claw back and tie the game at 45-45 by the time Williams, Evans and Lopez checked back in. Watson's baskets were timely, and Blatche was a force on both ends of the court, blocking shots and finding open teammates.

The Nets will now head home for a few days before leaving for Cleveland to face the Cavaliers on Wednesday, concluding a stretch of eight straight road games, tying a franchise record. At 4-3 heading home, the overall success of the journey may be judged on its final leg.

"Even though we go back, we still got a game left on this trip," Carlesimo said. "It's eight in a row."

Rebounds

Enes Kanter, whom the Jazz selected with the draft pick sent by the Nets in the Deron Williams trade, did not play. Mehmet Okur, who played with the Nets last season, was honored at midcourt during a third-quarter timeout.


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Sports Briefing | Soccer: Barcelona Coach Tito Vilanova Returns

Written By Unknown on Sabtu, 30 Maret 2013 | 15.03

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Sports Briefing | Horse racing: Jockey Is Paralyzed After Fall

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Sports Briefing | Pro Football: Tony Romo Signs Extension With Cowboys

The Fifth Down

The latest news, notes and analysis of the N.F.L. playoffs.

Tony Romo and the Dallas Cowboys agreed on a six-year contract extension worth $108 million, with about half of it guaranteed. The deal will lower Romo's salary-cap number of $16.8 million for 2013, giving the team more room to sign free agents and draft picks. Romo, 32, was entering the final year of his deal.


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Sports Briefing | Golf: Steve Wheatcroft Leads at Houston Open

Steve Wheatcroft, a Monday qualifier for the Houston Open, shot another 67 to take a one-stroke lead over Jason Kokrak and D. A. Points. A Monday qualifier has not won a PGA Tour tournament since Arjun Atwal in August 2010. Rory McIlroy made the cut by a single stroke.


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Sports Briefing | Hockey: Lightning Trip Up Devils

Slap Shot

If it happens on ice and it involves hitting and scoring, The Times's Slap Shot blog is on it.

Alex Killorn scored with 15 seconds left in the third period, and Tampa Bay won, 5-4, in a shootout over the visiting Devils to give Coach Jon Cooper a victory in his N.H.L. debut. The Devils got goals from Andrei Loktionov, Tom Kostopoulos, Andy Greene and Ryan Carter.


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Midwest: Duke 71, Michigan State 61: With Second-Half Run, Duke Pushes Out Michigan State

INDIANAPOLIS — Steven Izzo called it right. Two weeks ago, Steven, the 13-year-old son of Michigan State Coach Tom Izzo, sidestepped family loyalty and picked Duke to defeat the Spartans in his N.C.A.A. tournament bracket. The Blue Devils validated his nerve Friday night by sending the Izzos home.

In a Midwest Region semifinal matching two of college basketball's most successful coaches — Izzo and Duke's Mike Krzyzewski — the second-seeded Blue Devils scored 9 consecutive points early in the second half to pull ahead and beat third-seeded Michigan State, 71-61, at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Guard Seth Curry's 29 points and six 3-pointers lifted Duke (30-5), which will play top-seeded Louisville (32-5) on Sunday for a place in the Final Four. That game offers an equally enticing coaching showdown, between Krzyzewski, who has the most N.C.A.A. tournament victories among active coaches (82), and Rick Pitino, who ranks fourth with 45. The Cardinals ousted Oregon, 77-69, earlier Friday.

"Possessions were very difficult tonight for both teams," Krzyzewski said. "Seth was at a different level than anyone else on the court offensively. To get 29 points in a game like this against an outstanding team is just incredible."

Whether coming open around screens or beating the celebrated Michigan State freshman Gary Harris one on one, Curry dominated. "There is no doubt he single-handedly beat us, when you look at the other guys," Izzo said of Curry.

Michigan State (27-9) trailed by only a point at halftime, but Curry opened the second half with three 3-pointers in the first three minutes, the last starting the game-deciding run that put Duke ahead by 47-38.

"We didn't do too many things too different, honestly," Curry said. "I was just trying to set up my cuts a little better. Guys were screening a little better. Things of that nature. I made some tough shots as well."

Forward Mason Plumlee (14 points) followed Curry's 3 with a two-handed reverse layup that he could not quite dunk. He then rolled across the lane for a left-handed hook shot, the mirror image of a right-handed hook he made in the first half. Curry finished off the run with a jump shot from the left wing.

"We didn't do a very good job guarding them," Izzo said. "I thought they exploited our freshmen a little bit."

On the defensive end, the Blue Devils limited Harris, the Big Ten's freshman of the year, who grew up in the Indianapolis suburb Fishers, to 6 points.

"I think he just got frustrated," Izzo said of Harris, who was 2 of 11 from the field.

And Harris was not the only Spartan who struggled from the field. Michigan State made only seven baskets in the second half while shooting 30.4 percent.

Forwards Adreian Payne and Derrick Nix, two of Michigan State's top scorers, each shot 3 of 10, although Payne finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

"They challenged shots," Nix said. "We missed shots down low and outside."

Michigan State never drew closer than 5 points after Duke pulled ahead.

The Blue Devils stayed in front by sinking 13 of 14 foul shots in the final 5 minutes 19 seconds. Izzo grumbled about the 24-17 discrepancy in foul calls, saying, "The foul thing bothered me a little bit, to be honest about it."

The game matched coaches with eye-popping N.C.A.A. tournament credentials.

Krzyzewski has more consecutive tournament appearances than any coach whose team qualified this season, making 18 straight with Duke. Michigan State has made 16 straight under Izzo. (Rick Barnes made 17 consecutive appearances with Clemson and Texas starting in 1996, a streak that ended this month when the Longhorns failed to qualify.)

Both Duke and Michigan State have played well historically in Indianapolis. Duke's 7-1 record here includes its 2010 national championship victory, with the current seniors Ryan Kelly and Plumlee playing reserve roles then and Curry sitting out as a transfer from Liberty. Friday's loss was only Michigan State's second in nine games here, the other being a 52-50 loss to Butler in the 2010 Final Four.

When Izzo approached Krzyzewski on the sidelines before tipoff, Krzyzewski reached for both his hands, and they hugged. A brief conversation and a handshake later, their visit was over, and they headed toward their respective benches.

Expect a similar scene on Sunday between Krzyzewski and Pitino, who have not coached against each other in the tournament since March 28, 1992. In that game, Christian Laettner's overtime buzzer-beater sent Duke past Kentucky, 104-103, in the Round of 8.

In November, Krzyzewski faced Pitino for the first time since that game, with Duke beating Louisville, 76-71, at the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament.

"They're playing the best basketball in the country," Krzyzewski said. "They're a deep team. We can't turn the ball over against them."


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South: Florida 62, Florida Gulf Coast 50: South Region: Florida Beats Florida Gulf Coast in N.C.A.A. Tournament

ARLINGTON, Tex. — Florida's Mike Rosario seemed thwarted as he looked to make an inbounds pass with two minutes to play. The Gators were safely ahead, so a turnover at this juncture would have been meaningless.

Rosario, though, remained focused and cleverly bounced the ball off the back of Florida Gulf Coast's Christophe Varidel. He then picked up his own pass and soared for a dunk that not only epitomized the various avenues the Gators took to victory Friday night, but also stole a page from the Eagles' Dunk City handbook.

"I took a gamble on that play," Rosario said. "I wanted to make a play for my team and stay aggressive."

Resourceful and unwavering, Florida drew on its pedigree and precision to beat Florida Gulf Coast, 62-50, in a South Region semifinal to end the Eagles' charmed tournament run.

The Eagles, the first 15 seed to advance this far in the N.C.A.A. tournament, eliminated No. 2 seed Georgetown, a pretournament favorite to advance to the Final Four, in the Hoyas' opening game and took out No. 7 seed San Diego State in the next round.

Florida, a No. 3 seed, will play fourth-seeded Michigan here Sunday. The Gators reached the Round of 8 for the third consecutive year and will look to return to the Final Four for the first time since they won back-to-back national championships in 2006 and 2007.

The Gators prevailed despite a poorer shooting performance, shooting 39 percent from the field to Florida Gulf Coast's 45 percent. But Florida's physical play led to a 15-6 advantage in offensive rebounds, and the Gators had more than twice as many free-throw attempts.

"We found and manufactured different ways to score," Florida Coach Billy Donovan said. "We had a lot of good and different looks, but the ball didn't go in the basket for us."

A fast-break dunk by Chase Fieler narrowed the Eagles' deficit to 50-43 with 3 minutes 11 seconds left. But the Gators closed with a clinic on fundamentals, making free throws and grabbing key rebounds to prevent an Eagles rally.

Florida smothered Florida Gulf Coast to such an extent that the Eagles committed as many turnovers as they made baskets (20 of each).

"As a team, you want to stay connected and locked in on the things that you can control," Rosario said. "We did a great job of putting pressure and making their guys feel uncomfortable trying to run their sets."

The Gators were led by Rosario, who had 15 points, and Scottie Wilbekin, who had 13.

Sherwood Brown led Florida Gulf Coast with 14 points, and Fieler had 12.

"We made history," the Eagles' Brett Comer said. "We did something no one in the nation thought we would do."

The Eagles stunned Florida early in the first half, taking an 11-point lead. But the Gators roared back, cutting off angles and anticipating lobs by the high-flying Eagles. The defensive pressure spurred a 16-2 Florida run that resulted in a 30-26 halftime lead.

"When they started their run, we didn't have the energy we did in the other two games," Fieler said. "It got us down. We weren't playing with the same fire we did before. They are a great team and did a great job of slowing us down."

Casey Prather came off the bench to lead Florida with 7 points in the first half. Rosario and Michael Frazier scored 6 apiece, each hitting a 3-pointer during the Gators' rally.

Florida Gulf Coast's nickname Dunk City could have been changed to Turnover Town after the Eagles threw away the ball 12 times in the first half. Fieler and Brown scored 6 points, but they struggled once the Gators raised their defensive energy in the last six minutes or so of the first half.

Both teams began with methodical possessions. The Gators tried to take advantage of their size and work plays inside for the 6-foot-10 Erik Murphy and the 6-9 Patric Young. The Eagles looked for openings to ignite fast breaks and speed up the pace.

Florida Gulf Coast struck with an 11-0 burst. Fieler knocked down a pair of 3-pointers, Thompson drilled another one, and Brown dunked a lob pass from Comer after a steal for a 15-4 lead less than three minutes into the game.

A surge of momentum came from the Cowboys Stadium crowd, too, with many Kansas and Michigan fans sticking around and cheering for the Eagles to continue making tournament history.

A week ago, the Eagles were thrust into the national spotlight in becoming the lowest-seeded team to reach the Round of 16. They looked composed and at ease on the biggest stage in the history of the program, which began in 2002. Florida Gulf Coast embraced the attention, too, celebrating its regional semifinal berth with a parade and a pep rally on its Fort Myers, Fla., campus.

On Friday, it was the Gators who initially seemed unnerved by the pressure. Florida's stellar shooting had beaten down Northwestern State and Minnesota in solid early round victories. But the Gators began Friday night 4 of 20 from the field and missed their first five 3-point attempts.

Still, Florida had played the spoiler to Cinderella before, beating George Mason in the 2006 Final Four and 15th-seeded Norfolk State last year.

"Both teams are playing for finality," Donovan, the Gators' coach, said before the game, defusing if not dismissing the attention surrounding the Eagles. "And I would think that Florida Gulf Coast would like to advance in the tournament as much as we would."

In the end, the Gators again ousted another tournament darling.

12 points for Florida Gulf Coast.


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Sports Briefing | Auto Racing: Mark Martin Will Drive for Joe Gibbs Racing

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 29 Maret 2013 | 15.03

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Sports Briefing | Pro Basketball: Referees Missed Foul Call on Lakers’ Kobe Bryant

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West: Ohio State 73, Arizona 70: West Region: No. 2 Ohio State Holds Off No. 6 Arizona in N.C.A.A. Tournament

LOS ANGELES — For Ohio State, the end felt so four days ago. Here came the Buckeyes, in another tied game in the N.C.A.A. tournament, with the ball in the final seconds.

Just as before, Aaron Craft dribbled. Seconds ticked away. He drove right, and two Arizona defenders went with him, which left his teammate, LaQuinton Ross, open on the left wing. More time gone. Craft did not loft the game-winner, not like on Sunday against Iowa State. He kicked the ball to Ross and shouted "knockdown." Ross launched his own 3-point attempt, which went in as the Buckeyes' bench erupted in celebration.

It marked the second straight contest Ohio State had won on its final shot, this time with two seconds on the clock. Arizona had enough time for one last heave downcourt, which guard Lenzelle Smith Jr. deflected.

The final score read, 73-70, in favor of Team Buzzer Beater.

In the handshake line, Arizona guard Mark Lyons found Ross, his old friend.

"I can't stand you," Lyons told him, and they laughed, although Ross a bit more heartily.

As this N.C.A.A. tournament unfolded in the wild West Region, top seeds fell as if they were underdogs, one after another, until upsets could hardly be classified as such. The teams seeded first, third, fourth, fifth, seventh and eighth all failed to survive the first weekend.

Then there was Ohio State (29-7). The Buckeyes, the No. 2 seed, did not fall victim to the upset epidemic. Instead, they seemed immune. They battered Iona and clipped Iowa State on Craft's buzzer beater, and they arrived at Staples Center on Saturday for a regional semifinal against Arizona again favored and again doubted and again listed among the potential upsets.

By late Saturday, there it was: another rare victory by a favorite, in the final seconds no less.

"I know it makes some people nervous," Craft said of the Buckeyes' late theatrics.

Ohio State needed Craft to overcome his first-half foul trouble. It needed Deshaun Edwards to carry its first-half scoring. It needed to slow Lyons, who finished with 23 points but never regained the dominant form that staked Arizona to an 11-point first-half lead.

Mostly, though, Ohio State needed Ross, its superb substitute and resident knucklehead in recovery. Afterward, Ross, a sophomore forward, alluded to immaturity issues in his abbreviated freshman season. Coach Thad Matta said Ross played so erratically last year — he was not eligible until December while he fulfilled academic qualification requirements — that Matta told him, "I can't hold tryouts in the Big Ten season."

Yet here was Ross in the final minute, with one bad play and one good one, so typical of a player once ranked among the country's top eighth graders whose vast supply of potential often remained untapped. Sean Miller, Arizona's coach, said he worried about Ross's contribution off the bench as much as anything.

With 29 seconds left, Ohio State clung to a 70-67 lead. Lyons received a pass from Nick Johnson and barreled into the lane, where his layup dropped as officials whistled a foul — on Ross. Lyons made the free throw and tied the score, which set up the final sequence.

Ross finished with 17 points and scored again with his postgame hilarity. He revealed that he challenged the broadcaster Reggie Miller to a 3-point contest Wednesday and that he had used Kobe Bryant's locker at the home of the Lakers throughout the week. He talked up the weather in Los Angeles. He laughed. He laughed some more.

Matta would later say Ross always floored him with the sheer amount of useless, or not-that useful, information he stored away. Much of it centers on sports like hockey and football.

"I always ask him, not how do you know this, but why do you know this?" Matta said.

Ohio State improved its winning streak to 11. That came at the expense of Miller, Matta's protégé. The more they talked Wednesday, the more they revealed about each other, including, Matta insisted, Miller's propensity to leave his wallet behind on trips.

For Miller, the ending Saturday also felt familiar, but not in the way it felt familiar to Ohio State. Miller coached Xavier in 2007, and Xavier met Matta and the Buckeyes in the second round. Xavier even led late, but a 3-pointer — always a 3-pointer — from Ron Lewis forced into overtime a game the Buckeyes eventually won.

This time, Arizona (27-8) built a lead in the first half. It followed Miller's instructions, switching defenders whenever Ohio State screened or handed the ball off. It did so on hundreds of occasions, almost every time, until that play in the final seconds.

From their respective vantage points, all the coaches could do was watch. Miller could only watch as another Ohio State 3-pointer sank his season. Matta could only watch as another 3-pointer pushed his Buckeyes into another regional final.

And with that, Team Buzzer Beater continued forward, with another ending that could have been scripted by someone in Hollywood, with another narrow escape.


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East: Syracuse 61, Indiana 50: Syracuse Smothers Indiana

Rob Carr/Getty Images

Indiana's Christian Watford fighting for the loose ball against Brandon Triche, from left, Baye Keita and Michael Carter-Williams.

WASHINGTON — Indiana could not have looked more lost. The Hoosiers missed layups, dribbled into defenders and threw passes that sailed into the Syracuse bench, as if a gust of wind had suddenly swept through Verizon Center. And that was just the first few possessions.

Indiana had spent four days preparing for Syracuse's celebrated 2-3 zone defense heading into Thursday's East Region semifinal. The Hoosiers watched video, studied sets and moved the ball at practice with authority.

Up close and personal, they found the Orange to be longer, more athletic and more exasperating than they could have imagined. The result was clear, as Syracuse leaned on its usual brand of swarming defense to topple Indiana, 61-50.

"When teams practice against the zone, it's a false sense of security," Syracuse Coach Jim Boeheim said, "because you're not playing against our defense."

Indiana, the region's top seed, shot 33.3 percent from the field and committed 19 turnovers. It was not the first time Syracuse's defense baffled an opponent, but the N.C.A.A. tournament has a way of magnifying each hurried shot and every errant pass.

"I'm sure the strength and the size of the Syracuse guards had something to do with it," Indiana Coach Tom Crean said.

Syracuse (29-9), the No. 4 seed, will face third-seeded Marquette on Saturday for a spot in the Final Four. Michael Carter-Williams, a sophomore guard, led the Orange with 24 points and 5 rebounds in what Boeheim deemed his finest all-around game of the season. The senior guard Brandon Triche added 14 points.

Syracuse led by 18 points in the first half. By the time Indiana (29-7) unearthed some semblance of rhythm on offense, it was too late.

"Not too many teams are used to our zone," Triche said.

Not so long ago, Boeheim was so disgusted with his players that he talked about wanting to drop everything so he could go golfing. The team was mired in a late-season slump, and Verizon Center was the site of one Orange debacle, a 61-39 loss to Georgetown on March 9 during which Syracuse scored its fewest points since 1962. When Boeheim was asked Wednesday about that game, he pretended not to remember it.

Syracuse has a different air about it now, after reaching the Big East Conference tournament final, after cruising past Montana and California in the N.C.A.A. tournament's early rounds, and after dismantling Indiana, the Big Ten Conference's regular-season champion.

Thursday's game was not about playing the most artistic basketball — far from it. Syracuse's Baye Moussa Keita wore a wrap on his left hand after falling on his face in the first half. During one particularly comedic stretch of the second half, Syracuse and Indiana, two programs with proud basketball traditions, combined to commit five straight turnovers without attempting a shot.

"We didn't take care of the ball like we should have," said Indiana's Victor Oladipo, who scored a team-high 16 points.

Carter-Williams delivered an exquisite performance amid the muck of a tournament brawl. Even with Oladipo, the Big Ten's defensive player of the year, shadowing him for much of the second half, Carter-Williams found his spots. With Indiana threatening, he scored back-to-back baskets — the first on a layup, the second on a deep 3-pointer — to give Syracuse a 14-point cushion that stifled any remaining drama. He finished 9 of 19 from the field, with three 3-pointers.

In the first half, Boeheim had to encourage Carter-Williams to shoot his first 3-pointer. Indiana's guards kept going underneath ball screens, and Boeheim wanted Carter-Williams to stretch them out.

"I didn't think he would make it," Boeheim said. "I just wanted them to think he might shoot it."

The game was only the fifth meeting between the teams, and their first in the tournament since their best-known clash, in 1987 for the national championship. The Hoosiers won that game on Keith Smart's last-second jumper over the outstretched left arm of Syracuse's Howard Triche.

On Thursday, Triche's nephew had an opportunity to help Syracuse (and his family) add a bit of a postscript to that loss, 26 years later. Brandon Triche made an immediate impact against Indiana, scoring his team's first 4 points as Syracuse opened an 11-3 lead. By the time Syracuse's James Southerland drilled a deep 3-pointer, Crean was motioning for a 30-second timeout. The Hoosiers were flummoxed. There were possessions when Cody Zeller, the team's star forward, found himself trapped by a pair of defenders 18 feet from the basket.

In the game's first nine minutes, Indiana went 1 of 6 from the field and committed eight turnovers.

It was a sign that Syracuse had come a long way since its woes in late February and early March. Even then, as it turns out, the team had no real reason to panic, no cause for great concern. Syracuse could always reach back and rely on its zone, for so long one of Boeheim's philosophical staples.

On Thursday, it worked once more, and it looked as terrifying as ever.


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West: Wichita State 72, La Salle 58: Wichita State Muscles Past La Salle Into the Round of 8

LOS ANGELES — For about 10 minutes Thursday night, as part of its pregame warm-up in the Round of 16, La Salle practiced rebounding. First, the Explorers shadowed one another and boxed out. Then, one by one, as Coach John Giannini tossed basketballs at the rim, they maneuvered around one person, grabbed the rebound and shot the ball, over another, taller person, in the paint.

It would not matter. Ninth-seeded Wichita State would still impose its will, no matter how much No. 13 seed La Salle and its four-guard lineup practiced. It was a matter of positioning. Wichita State was simply taller.

The Shockers beat La Salle, 72-58, and advanced to the West Region final against No. 2 seed Ohio State on Saturday.

It was never really in doubt. Wichita State outrebounded La Salle, 47-29, and scored 40 points in the paint, most of them on layups.

"They were little down there, so we tried to feed the paint," the 6-foot-8-inch forward Cleanthony Early said.

One scene became all too familiar. It played out on the game's first possession and was repeated for much of the night: Wichita State (29-8) lobbed an easy pass into the paint, which led to an easy finish, with no defender in sight. Or, at least, not in the Shockers' plane of sight.

Wichita State's first five baskets were layups, and La Salle misfired on eight of its first nine shots. The Shockers coasted to a 17-3 lead.

"We had a commanding lead early and just were able to play with that cushion throughout," Wichita State Coach Gregg Marshall said.

La Salle (24-10) would have its moments. When Tyrone Garland, the reserve who made the winning floater to beat Mississippi and send the Explorers to the Round of 16, entered the game, he hit two quick 3-pointers. This sparked the Explorers, and at one point in the first half, they closed the gap to 8.

But mostly, La Salle's guards were off. Garland and Ramon Galloway combined to miss 21 of 30 shots. Galloway, who had averaged 21.3 points in the tournament, eked out 11 points.

At halftime, the Shockers led by 38-22. After that, their lead was never less than 11. All the while, Marshall kept pacing the sideline, clapping and pointing, not content with a double-digit lead.

He should have felt safe, with his pair of 6-foot-8 forwards roaming the paint. Carl Hall, the bulkier of the two, had converted the game's first layup. And Early, the lankier one, was usually a head taller than his defender. Hall in particular was impressive, scoring 16 points and grabbing 8 rebounds.

"After playing Pitt and Gonzaga, man, I didn't think it could any more physical than that," Hall said. "So it was kind of an easy night for us on the inside."

After Hall picked up his third foul and La Salle tightened its defense, Marshall, his arms now crossed, still had his point guard, Malcolm Armstead, to lean on. Armstead weaved his way to the basket, scoring 12 points in the second half, including, at one point, 9 straight for the Shockers.

He will now face Aaron Craft, Ohio State's stingy point guard. The Buckeyes will be favored. But the Shockers have knocked off the West Region's No. 1 seed, Gonzaga. They manhandled No. 8 Pittsburgh and, on Thursday night, La Salle.

Ask any of them just how favored Ohio State should be.


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Sports of The Times: From College to N.B.A., Coaching Approaches Differ

March Madness is typically dominated by head coaches. While 15th-seeded Florida Gulf Coast has grabbed the spotlight, we often emphasize the brains — not the muscle — behind successful programs.

The puzzling question is, Why have so few outstanding college coaches done well in the N.B.A. — the highest level of competition?

Duke's Mike Krzyzewski and Syracuse's Jim Boeheim are institutions. They have listened to pro offers, but neither has ever taken the leap.

Carmelo Anthony, who won a national championship with Boeheim, said Boeheim would "absolutely not" become an N.B.A. coach. "He wouldn't ever consider it," Anthony added. "College coaches build these little communities which they don't want to leave."

Other accomplished college coaches like Rick Pitino, John Calipari and Leonard Hamilton have coached in the N.B.A. with mediocre to disastrous results.

There have been exceptions. Jack Ramsay had a successful coaching career at St. Joesph's and later led the Portland Trail Blazers to an N.B.A. championship.

Dick Motta enjoyed success at Weber State and won an N.B.A. championship with the Washington Bullets. Larry Brown led Kansas to an N.C.A.A. championship and then led the Detroit Pistons to an N.B.A. title.

But highly successful college coaches are often too consumed with control to consider sharing power with players. Others are bullies.

"It's a different game," Lionel Hollins, the Memphis Grizzlies' coach, said. "You're in control in college. In colleges, coaches are the face of the university. In the N.B.A., it's players."

Talented young athletes are aware of the millions of dollars to be made in the N.B.A. Previous generations used to be content simply to be on a college athletic scholarship and play on television.

Gary Williams, who has been a head coach at multiple colleges, most notably at the University of Maryland, said: "I'd be the first one to say players should get a stipend. At a big-time program, you're generating not just the dollars you bring in but the interest of your alumni that will give money to the school, not just to the athletic department. And the applications increase, which is really important to school.

"It used to be if you went into a parent's home, you'd better have for a pretty good fact that the kid could play basketball and graduate from your school," he added. "Now the question becomes: 'If my kid goes to your school, will he be able to play in the N.B.A.?' Or, 'Would you mind if he left early?' The questions are different now, but at the same time, my job as a college coach isn't different — to prepare the players who won't reach the N.B.A. for the rest of their lives."

Williams had a volatile coaching style, which would not fly at the N.B.A. level. "I don't think the pros ever looked at me, because I'd get on players," he said. "Part of what you get with 18- and 20-year-olds is a chance to instill discipline when, in a lot of cases, they have not had any discipline at all in their lives."

But the mentoring never stops; it merely changes form. The N.B.A. coach must be more diplomatic, more respectful and more mindful of a relationship that is a two-way partnership.

J. R. Smith came to the Knicks with a reputation as a talented but undisciplined player. Coach Mike Woodson has tried, with some success, to channel Smith's talents.

"You've got to put him in the right positions, and you've got to be demanding of him and not let him off the hook," Woodson said. "I'm trying not to do that. Sometimes I can get away with things that I saw with him. Sometimes I can't; he fights it. That's just a part of coaching — player relationships. It's give and take sometimes."

"I had an opportunity to coach a lot of 18-, 19- and 20-year-old players when I first became a head coach," Woodson said. "Young players are different than veteran players. You've got to be able to coach them, and then you've got to pat them too."

Indiana Coach Tom Crean said he learned from his N.F.L. coaching brothers-in-law, John and Jim Harbaugh, to treat players as equals and not solely as business partners.

"I think what those two have done and what I've continued to take from them is they don't come in with a business mind-set," Crean said. "They don't treat their players like it's business. There is a business aspect to it, but they really do try to build one-on-one relationships."

Many of Crean's colleagues have a "my way or the highway" approach to coaching. But Crean does not have a problem with relinquishing control when it comes to solving basketball problems.

Before his team fell to Syracuse on Thursday, Crean agreed with his players that they needed to change the way they defended a particular play. The players were right, and their solution made sense.

"If they're locked in and absorbing it, I'm all for it," Crean said. "I don't know if college coaches look at it this way, but I don't care. That's how I look at it. If you have a player-run program, you can run into an issue, but when it comes to how we're going to play that pick-and-roll, I'm all for it."

Some successful college coaches shy away from the pros because they relish the role of teacher. As the N.B.A. continues to get younger, there will be a need for talented young college coaches who speak the players' language. The two must meet on a common ground of mutual respect.

"You treat them like men, but you never forget you're playing a kids' game," Crean said. "To me, if you turn the game into too much of a business, then I think you're running into problems. Let's never get away from the fact that this is a game that they are supposed to enjoy."


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Men’s N.C.A.A. Tournament: March 29

Aaron Craft of the Ohio State Buckeyes shooting over Mark Lyons of the Arizona Wildcats in the first half of a West Regional game in the N.C.A.A. tournament at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The Buckeyes needed Craft to overcome foul trouble in a 73-70 win.


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Knicks 108, Grizzlies 101: Knicks Hold Off Grizzlies After Blowing Huge Lead

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 28 Maret 2013 | 15.03

Michelle V. Agins/The New York Times

Raymond Felton shooting over the Grizzlies' Mike Conley in the Knicks' victory Wednesday.

The merriment began early, with a thunderstorm of 3-pointers and showy dunks and whoops and big smiles — a self-celebration as big and audacious as the Knicks' ambitions. A 10-point lead grew to 20, and a 20-point lead ballooned to 30 as Madison Square Garden rumbled in delight.

Then the 30-point lead shrank to 15, and the 15-point lead shrank to single digits, and suddenly the Knicks were pondering the worst collapse in recent history. They avoided that humiliating fate, though not before giving themselves and 19,000 jittery fans a mighty scare Wednesday night.

The Memphis Grizzlies crept within 4 points in the final minute, but the Knicks steadied themselves and pulled out a 108-101 victory, their sixth win in a row, matching their longest streak this season.

"It happens," Coach Mike Woodson said with a grin, adding, "The beauty about tonight, our guys didn't crack."

Instead, the Knicks (44-26) came away with perhaps their most impressive win in nearly three months — their first victory against a .600-plus team since Jan. 3. They had gone 0-7 against teams in that echelon until beating the Grizzlies (47-24).

"I think we've been playing pretty well all year," Raymond Felton said, "but yes, definitely to beat a caliber team like that — that's a very good team that's going to contend in the West."

J. R. Smith scored a season-high 35 points, his second straight game with at least 30, and he helped seal the victory with two free throws with 26 seconds left. Carmelo Anthony struggled through another poor shooting night, finishing with 22 points after going 8 for 20 from the field.

The Knicks generally contained the Grizzlies' imposing big-man tandem of Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol, holding them to a combined 16 points and 9 rebounds. Mike Conley led Memphis with 26 points, and Jerryd Bayless added 24 off the bench. Those two and Tony Allen led the second-half charge.

The Knicks were clinging to a 100-95 lead with 1 minute 38 seconds to play, after Quincy Pondexter's putback layup. With the game on the verge of slipping away, Jason Kidd calmly swished a 3-pointer from the right corner as Bayless fouled him. Kidd missed the free throw, but the Knicks had the breathing room they needed.

The Knicks are now 18 games over .500 for the first time since 2000. They already have their highest win total in 12 years. They have a realistic shot at hitting the 50-win plateau for the first time since that 1999-2000 season.

And with Miami losing to Chicago on Wednesday, the Knicks' six-game winning streak is now the longest streak in the N.B.A. It has all come without Tyson Chandler, who has missed eight games because of a neck injury.

"We're playing for something," Woodson said before the game. "We're trying to stay at the top of our division. That has a lot to do with it. Guys are committed, have been committed all year."

No one has been more vital to the streak than Smith, who is scoring with an uncommon efficiency and consistency, mixing deep jumpers with timely drives, frustrating every defender in his path. He has scored 92 points over the last three games.

"I don't know what he's eating for breakfast or dinner or whatever it is," Kenyon Martin said, "but we need him to keep doing it."

No one is more pleased, or relieved, than Anthony, who has been looking for a second option to lean on.

"That's the J. R. we look forward to watching and being out there with," Anthony said. "We just hoping that he keeps it dialed in right now, because what he's doing right now, he's putting this team over the top."

Iman Shumpert fueled the offensive explosion, scoring 13 of the Knicks' first 15 points to start the game. Anthony and Smith picked it up from there, and the Knicks raced to a 14-point lead in the first quarter.

Steve Novak and Smith combined for five 3-pointers early in the second quarter, and Smith punctuated the run with an alley-oop dunk from Kidd, pushing the margin to 24 points. Shumpert hit another 3-pointer just before halftime to make the score 69-39, the Knicks' highest scoring half this season.

It was hard to say what was more surprising: the Knicks surging to a 30-point lead, or watching it fall to 4.

"Seeing it go down to 4," Martin said. "Of course. But stranger things have happened in this league."

REBOUNDS

The Knicks will commemorate the 40th anniversary of their 1973 championship — the last one the franchise has claimed — and honor the members of that team on April 5, at halftime of their game against the Milwaukee Bucks. All the living members of the team have been invited to the ceremony. ... Marcus Camby was ejected in the third quarter when he picked up two technical fouls for yelling profanities at the officials after being called for a foul.


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Bulls 101, Heat 97: Heat’s Streak Stopped by Bulls at 27

Tannen Maury/European Pressphoto Agency

Chicago's Taj Gibson (22) and Jimmy Butler defending LeBron James, who finished with 32 points and 7 rebounds in Miami's first defeat since Feb. 1.

CHICAGO — Before Wednesday's tip-off at United Center, LeBron James lay on a towel in the Miami locker room as a team assistant helped him stretch. James rapped along to a song on his iPod as his thighs were kneaded and his long limbs were pushed and pulled. Nearly 20 reporters and cameramen watched his every movement.

After the Chicago Bulls stunned the Heat, 101-97, to end their 27-game winning streak — the second-longest streak in N.B.A. history and six games short of the record set by the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers — James had another moment in the locker room, this one much more private.

"I had everyone come in and put a hand on each other," Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra said. "It was the first time I talked about the streak."

James said: "We haven't had a moment to really know what we just did. We had a moment, just very fortunate and very humble and blessed to be a part of this team and be a part of a streak like this."

The Bulls sprinted to an early lead, as many teams had done recently against the Heat. They led by double digits for much of the first half and held a 9-point edge at halftime. But a 13-3 third-quarter spurt gave the Heat their first lead of the game, 59-58, with 4 minutes 30 seconds left in the quarter.

Rather than fold, the Bulls stiffened, something no other team had done during Miami's run. Boston led the Heat by 17 in the second quarter on March 18, and Cleveland held a 27-point second-half advantage two nights later. Neither cushion was enough.

With the game tied at 69-69 early in the fourth quarter, Miami appeared poised to go on another run, and remind the league that they were good enough to spot opponents large leads and come back at will.

Instead, it was Chicago that found an extra gear. As the minutes ticked away, the wait for the Heat to turn into that familiar squad of steel nerves and ruthless efficiency became cheer after cheer as the Bulls hit big shot after big shot.

Luol Deng sank a 3-pointer to make the score 78-73 and another to make it 83-75. Jimmy Butler drilled a third long-range basket to put the Bulls ahead, 86-78.

Suddenly, the crowd was chanting, "Beat the Heat." And with belief.

The Heat never threatened again. Deng led the Bulls with 28 points, Carlos Boozer had 21 and Butler added 17.

The last time the Heat had lost was Feb. 1 to Indiana. The streak spanned 53 days, beginning in Toronto on Super Bowl Sunday, and captivated the N.B.A., as James raised his already electric game to another level. He was terrific again Wednesday, scoring 32 points on 11-for-17 shooting from the field. Dwyane Wade returned after missing two games with a knee bruise and scored 18.

It was not enough.

Despite an 86-67 Miami victory over Chicago in late February, the gritty, defensive-minded Bulls posed a test for the Heat. Before Wednesday's game, Spoelstra spoke of the challenge rather starkly.

"We're preparing for an absolute cage-fight mentality game," he said.

Chicago obliged. Indicative of Spoelstra's assessment was a first-quarter play in which James went one-on-one against Kirk Hinrich on a fast break. James lowered his shoulder and Hinrich took it in the chest, while also giving James a bear hug. Both players tumbled to the floor, Hinrich was whistled for a foul and the home crowd erupted.

Chicago was short-handed, playing without Derrick Rose, who has yet to return after tearing an anterior cruciate ligament during last year's playoffs, and the All-Star center Joakim Noah, out with plantar fasciitis. It did not matter.

A thunderous round of boos greeted James when he was announced, but it was nothing compared with the raucous scene as the fourth-quarter clock ticked down. Fans stood, and the arena seemed to shake.

Despite the heightened media attention, and presence, as the Heat inched closer to history, James said the weight of the streak was not an issue.

"We weren't pressing every game saying we have to win so we can get the streak," he said.

Soon, the Heat will turn their attention to a larger prize, in the playoffs.

"It has never been about the streak," Spoelstra said. "We have had a bigger goal in mind."


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The Quad: Wichita State and La Salle Become Acquainted

LOS ANGELES — Come Thursday night, either No. 9-seeded Wichita State or No. 13-seeded La Salle will advance to the Round of 8, to the West Region finals. This is inevitable. Either the Shockers or the Explorers will advance, no matter how obscure their universities, or their mascots, may be.

La Salle's three star guards, Ramon Galloway, Tyreek Duren and Tyrone Garland, were asked Wednesday: What did they know about the city of Wichita? Or the state (Kansas) in which the Shockers play? Had they ever been?

Galloway said, "No, I don't know."

Duren said, "No, I've never been to Wichita."

Galloway chimed back in, "I don't even know where it's at."

Garland said, "I saw a story down here called, Which Wich."

Then, they were asked if they knew which state Wichita was in.

Neither Garland nor Galloway knew. Duren mentioned how their teammate, Steve Zack, had pointed out the Wichita exit on their way to the airport, leaving Kansas City, Mo., where they played their Round of 64 and Round of 32 games last week.

Later, at the Wichita State news conference, the Shockers were asked where La Salle was.

"Philly, right?" Malcolm Armstead said. "I think it's Philly."

Bingo, he was correct. He was told that the La Salle players did not know where their university was located, and Cleanthony Early responded, "I didn't know where Wichita was either before I went there."

Early, a Middletown, N.Y., native and the Shockers' leading scorer, added that when he first heard of Wichita State, he could not pronounce it correctly, either. Of course Early learned, but first, like many nonpartisan fans will do this week, he had to do his research.


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Off the Dribble: 27-Game Streak? For Heat, 50-1 Shot

They lost Wednesday night to the Chicago Bulls, but the Miami Heat still put an impressive 27-game winning streak in the books, the second longest in N.B.A. history. Just how unlikely is such a streak?

It turns out that is a pretty difficult question, even for mathematicians. Precisely describing the formulas to calculate the chances would require terms like Bernoulli trials and binomial coefficients, and more Greek letters than you really want to see in the sports section.

Luckily, several online calculators can do the math. These shortcuts have been provided by the two groups, besides mathematicians, that really need to know the chance of a long winning or losing streak: gamblers and day traders.

A bad run for even a savvy gambler can bust a bankroll if too much is staked on each wager. That is known as the "risk of ruin." So in these professions, figuring the odds of a bad streak is vital.

Using the online calculators, found at sbrforum.com, maxgriffin.net and elsewhere, let's see how unlikely the Heat's streak is.

We will start small: what is the chance of a team with a .789 percent winning percentage, like the Heat, who are 56-15, achieving a modest winning streak of 10 games at some point during the season? It turns out that it is quite likely: such a team should win 10 or more in a row in a season about 86 percent of the time.

How about 20 games? That is a lot less likely; there is only a 12 percent chance. Still, it means a team as good as the Heat might expect to have a one-in-eight chance of a 20-game streak.

How about 27 games? The chance of such a streak over an 82-game season for a team like the Heat is only 2 percent. Miami pulled off a 50-1 shot.

The Heat failed in their run at the record streak of 33 games by the 1971-72 Lakers. According to the formula, their chance of achieving a streak of that length was only a half of 1 percent.

How unlikely was that Lakers run? That team wound up with a final record of 69-13, an .841 winning percentage, better than the Heat's current mark. Those extra percentage points make a significant difference. A team that good might be expected to win 33 in a row in a season as often as 3 percent of the time.

Those Lakers were not the best N.B.A. team ever. That was the 1995-96 Bulls, who finished an amazing 72-10, a winning percentage of .878. Their chance of winning 33 in a row was even greater: 9.5 percent.

The Bulls' best streak was actually only 18 wins. The formula shows that a team as good as those Bulls should have a streak of 19 or more at least 60 percent of the time.

We may have found a way that that incredible team actually underachieved.


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Nets 111, Trail Blazers 93: Evans Guides Nets to Another Road Victory

Don Ryan/Associated Press

Trail Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge works against the Nets' Reggie Evans. Evans grabbed a career-high 26 rebounds and scored 22 points.

Off the Dribble

Keep up with the latest news, on the court and off, with The Times's basketball blog.

PORTLAND, Ore. — Reggie Evans grabbed a career-high 26 rebounds and matched his career high with 22 points, and the Nets beat the Portland Trail Blazers, 111-93, on Wednesday night.

It was the Nets' 20th road win of the season, matching a franchise best. Brook Lopez added 28 points for the Nets, who built a big lead early and stretched it to as many as 30 points.

LaMarcus Aldridge led Portland with 24 points despite rolling his right ankle in the first half and briefly leaving the game.

Most of the Nets starters had retreated to the bench before Portland pulled within 101-87 on Luke Babbitt's 3-pointer with six minutes remaining. The starters returned, and Portland could not get closer.


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Penguins Acquire Jarome Iginla From Flames

The Flames announced the deal after their victory over Colorado on Wednesday night, sending their longtime captain to the Eastern Conference-leading Penguins in exchange for college prospects Kenneth Agostino and Ben Hanowski and a first-round pick this year.

The deal was Penguins' third big move in four days. They picked up forward Brenden Morrow in a deal with Dallas on Sunday, and acquired defenseman Doug Murray from San Jose on Monday.

The 35-year-old Iginla is in the final year of his contract and will be an unrestricted free agent July 1. He was scratched from Calgary's lineup against Colorado, ending his consecutive games streak at 441.

Flames general manager Jay Feaster said the deal was completed during the Flames' 4-3 victory over Colorado, and that team was fielding three offers.

"We as an organization owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Jarome," Feaster said, "not only for what he did for the franchise during his tenure as a player here and as our captain, but also for the fact that now as we recognize that despite our best efforts, and despite the work we've put in, we've fallen short of the goals we set for ourselves as an organization.

"We respect very, very much the fact that Jarome worked with us to enable this to come about."

Iginla has nine goals and 13 assists in 31 games this season. In 1,219 career regular-season games in 16 seasons, all with Calgary, he has 525 goals and 570 assists. He has 28 goals and 21 assists in 54 career playoff games and has played for Canada in three Olympics.

Calgary is 14th in the Western Conference and will likely miss the playoffs for the fourth straight season.

Agostino plays for Yale, and Hanowski at St. Cloud State. Both are forwards.

The 20-year-old Agostino was selected by Pittsburgh in the fifth round of the 2010 draft. The junior leads the Bulldogs in scoring with 15 goals and 22 assists in 33 games this season. Yale will face Minnesota on Friday night in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

The 22-year-old Hanowski, a third-round pick in 2009, recently finished his senior season at St. Cloud State, where he was the team's captain. He had 16 goals and 13 assists in 34 games this season.


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Slap Shot: Penguins Land a Big One, Acquiring Iginla From the Flames

The Pittsburgh Penguins continued to wheel and deal early Thursday morning, acquiring right wing Jarome Iginla from the Calgary Flames.

It was the third trade made by Pittsburgh General Manager Ray Shero in the past five days.

In exchange for Iginla, who is the Flames' captain, Shero parted with the college prospects Kenneth Agostino and Ben Hanowski, along with the Penguins' 2013 first-round pick.

On Sunday, Pittsburgh acquired Brenden Morrow from Dallas for defenseman Joe Morrow and a 2013 fifth-round selection. Then on Monday, Shero sent a second-round pick in 2013 and a conditional second-round pick in 2014 to San Jose for defenseman Douglas Murray.

Iginla is in the final year of a five-year, $35 million contract that pays him a prorated $7 million this season. He is set to become an unrestricted free agent in July.

Before the Flames' 4-3 win over the Avalanche on Wednesday night, Calgary issued a news release stating Iginla would be a healthy scratch.  It was the first Flames game Iginla missed since the 2006-07 season.

The 6-foot-1, 202-pound Iginla has 525 goals and 1,095 points in 1,219 N.H.L. games over 16 seasons, all with the Flames.

In 2002, Iginla won the Rocket Richard and Art Ross trophies along with the Pearson Award. He was also part of Canada's men's Olympic hockey teams, which won gold in 2002 at Salt Lake City and in 2010 in Vancouver

It's just the second time in his career that Iginla, 35, has been traded. Dallas, which picked him in the first round of the 1995 draft, dealt him to Calgary on Dec. 20, 1995.

He made his debut with the Flames during the 1996 playoffs, scoring a goal and adding an assist in two games.

Agostino, 20, is in his third year at Yale. The Penguins' fifth-round selection at the 2010 draft, he has 15 goals and 37 points in 33 games.

Hanowski, 22, a right wing at St. Cloud State, has 29 points in 34 games.


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Virgil Trucks Dies at 95; Had 2 No-Hitters in 1952

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 27 Maret 2013 | 15.03

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Battered and Beaten, Celtics Play as if Best Days Are Behind Them

BOSTON — A fifth straight defeat, even at home to the hated Knicks, somehow seemed almost preordained for what remains of the Boston Celtics these days. Coach Doc Rivers drew up his 17th starting lineup Tuesday night — and then watched his injury-ravaged team drop a 100-85 decision to the Knicks, the Celtics' 11th — and worst — home defeat of the season.

The Celtics were massacred on the offensive glass, turned the ball over twice as often as the Knicks, and, as Rivers saw it, showed no sense of urgency or even competitive fire in what once loomed as a big game.

"It certainly meant a lot to them," Rivers said of the Knicks who, after having not won in Boston for five years, took both TD Garden games this season. "You could see it. You could feel their emotion."

And the Celtics? Pfft.

"I think our energy was down," Jeff Green said.

The Celtics long ago came to the realization that their five-year run as the Atlantic Division champions was coming to an end. They also have come to the conclusion that they will make the playoffs; they are in seventh place and well ahead (nine games in the loss column) of the ninth-place Philadelphia 76ers.

So the mission statement for the last month has been to get everyone as healthy as possible for the playoffs. They know they will open on the road. They know they will be playing a division champion. They may even end up playing these same Knicks.

They know that they can field a starting lineup that will not in any way resemble the one that took the floor Tuesday night.

The Celtics were without two of their regular starters in the newly reconfigured lineup since the season-ending injury to Rajon Rondo on Jan. 27. Kevin Garnett is out with a bum left ankle and most likely will miss several more games. Courtney Lee (left ankle) was also out. He and Garnett are two of the three best defenders on the team.

The newcomer Jordan Crawford had his first start and was all over the final box score, with as many turnovers (6) as assists and 14 points in a team-high 41 minutes. The ever-puzzling Green started for Garnett. Against Miami eight days earlier, he had started for Garnett and lit the Heat up for 43 points. Against the Knicks he had 19 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists. Avery Bradley continues to struggle offensively; he was 3 of 11 and is 25 of 81 over the last eight games.

The new starting lineup turned the ball over on the team's first two possessions, setting the stage for a night of miscues (20 turnovers, 6 each by Paul Pierce and Crawford), missed assignments (a 29-6 advantage in second-chance points for the Knicks, who took 21 more shots) and, well, general, overall blah-ness.

"We didn't have it," Rivers said. "I wish I knew why."

He refused to even consider the possibility that the absence of Garnett may have contributed to the uneven performance.

"We were just bad," he said. "Kevin had nothing to do with that."

Pierce offered the bromide that injuries provide opportunity and thought that seldom-used players might benefit. He didn't name names. Crawford seems to have found a spot in the rotation — he has J. R. Smith-like shooting tendencies — but no one else has made a case for more playing time.

The Celtics trailed by as many as 17 points and never led over the final 31 minutes, 35 seconds. They allowed Smith (32 points) and Carmelo Anthony (29 points) to get open looks and second chances. With 5 minutes 19 seconds left and the Knicks leading by 15 points, the Garden emptied.

If these teams do meet in the postseason, the Celtics will have a different look. That much is certain. Whether the games will have a different outcome remains to be seen.


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Sports Briefing | College Basketball: Buffalo Hires Hurley as Men’s Basketball Coach

The Quad

Stay on top of all the news, on and off the court, on The Times's college sports blog.

The University at Buffalo hired Bobby Hurley as its men's basketball coach. Hurley completed his first season as an associate coach at Rhode Island this month, working under his brother, Dan Hurley. He spent the previous two seasons as an assistant at Wagner, also with Dan as the head coach. At Buffalo, he takes over for Reggie Witherspoon, who was fired two weeks ago after 14 seasons. Buffalo was 4-20 this season.

¶ Alex Len finished with 15 points and 13 rebounds and had a key block in the final seconds to help visiting Maryland escape with a 58-57 victory over Alabama in the National Invitation Tournament quarterfinals.


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Women’s Roundup: N.C.A.A. Tournament — Delaware Upsets North Carolina to Reach Round of 16

Elena Delle Donne scored 33 points in her final home game, and Delaware rallied past foul-plagued North Carolina, 78-69, on Tuesday in Newark, Del., to advance to the Round of 16 in the N.C.A.A. women's tournament for the first time in program history.

Patrick Semansky/Associated Press

The Blue Hens' Elena Delle Donne scored 33 points before a boisterous home crowd. More Photos »

"It was a little sad, it was emotional, saying goodbye," Delle Donne said. "But to leave this way is absolutely incredible."

The Blue Hens (32-3), seeded sixth in the Bridgeport Region, trailed, 50-42, with 15 minutes 31 seconds left before coming back to extend their team-record winning streak to 27 games and eliminate No. 3 seed North Carolina (29-7).

KENTUCKY 84, DAYTON 70 A'dia Mathies matched a career high with 34 points to lead second-seeded Kentucky to a victory over seventh-seeded Dayton in Queens.

The Wildcats (29-5) will face Delaware in the Bridgeport semifinals on Saturday. Andrea Hoover scored 22 points to lead the Flyers (28-3).

BAYLOR 84, FLORIDA STATE 46 Brittney Griner had 33 points and 22 rebounds to go along with three impressive slam dunks in her final home game for Baylor, and the defending national champion Lady Bears beat Florida State.

The Lady Bears (34-1), the top seed in the Oklahoma City Region, are in the Round of 16 for the fourth year in a row. Baylor has won 57 in a row at home.

Leonor Rodriguez had 11 points to lead No. 8 Florida State (23-10).

LOUISVILLE 76, PURDUE 63 Sara Hammond had 21 points and 10 rebounds to help fifth-seeded Louisville beat Purdue in Louisville, Ky., and advance to the Round of 16 in the Oklahoma City Region. The Cardinals (26-8) will play Baylor on Sunday in Oklahoma City.

The fourth-seeded Boilermakers (25-9), who had won five in a row, have lost in the second round three straight years.

LOUISIANA ST. 71, PENN STATE 66 Adrienne Webb scored a career-high 29 points, including two crucial free throws with 22 seconds left, and No. 6 Louisiana State (22-11) beat third-seeded Penn State in Baton Rouge, La.

Nikki Greene scored 16 points and Alex Bentley 14 for Penn State (26-6), whose loss means all four No. 3 seeds are out.

Louisiana State next meets California on Saturday in a Spokane Region semifinal.

STANFORD 73, MICHIGAN 40 Joslyn Tinkle made a career-high five 3-pointers on the way to 21 points in her final home game, and top-seeded Stanford (33-2) routed No. 8 Michigan (22-11) to reach the Spokane semifinals.

Stanford set up a matchup with Georgia on Saturday.

DUKE 68, OKLAHOMA STATE 59 Elizabeth Williams had 16 points and 12 rebounds, and Duke rallied to beat Oklahoma State in Durham, N.C.

Haley Peters added 15 points and 13 rebounds for the second-seeded Blue Devils (32-2). They advance to face sixth-seeded Nebraska in a Norfolk Region semifinal on Sunday.

Duke trailed by 15 points in the first minute of the second half.

Liz Donohoe had 14 points to lead Oklahoma State (22-11).

NOTRE DAME 74, IOWA 57 Kayla McBride scored a career-high 28 points, and top-seeded Notre Dame beat No. 9 Iowa (21-13) in Iowa City. Notre Dame (33-1) will next face 12th-seeded Kansas in the Norfolk Region semifinals on Sunday.


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N.H.L. Roundup: Nash’s Two Goals Guide the Rangers to a Customary Victory Over the Flyers

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

The Rangers' Henrik Lundqvist came up with a save against Maxime Talbot in the second.

The Rangers are looking to gather steam for a playoff push. Philadelphia was the perfect place to start.

Rick Nash scored twice, Derek Stepan had a goal and three assists, and the Rangers extended their dominance of the Flyers with a 5-2 victory Tuesday night.

Brad Richards and Chris Kreider also scored for the Rangers, who have won 11 of their last 12 meetings with Philadelphia.

"We're building some momentum," Nash said. "We don't look at the standings; we just try to worry about ourselves. It sounds so cliché, but that's what we need to do. Just try to get better, build off this, and keep moving up."

John Tortorella became the 30th N.H.L. coach to reach 400 wins, and his team maintained its hold on the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference standings.

"We need to continue to do things we do well, and I think we've been defending pretty well," Tortorella said. "We need to stay with that. And I just think we have good people. And sooner or later, they're going to snap out of it. We're in a sprint here, and I hope it happens quickly."

Wayne Simmonds and Jakub Voracek scored for Philadelphia, which lost for the third time in four games against the Rangers and fell further out of the playoff race. The Flyers began the day in 13th place, 5 points behind the Rangers.

"It's a disappointing night," Coach Peter Laviolette said. "We needed to compete better than we did."

Flyers defenseman Kimmo Timonen said it came down to the effort of individual players.

"We've got to find better effort across the board," he said. "It comes down to one-on-one battles. It was all Rangers. They were hungry, they were better. It comes down to individual preparation. You're either ready to play or you're not."

The Rangers went ahead, 3-0, with a little more than 14 minutes left in the second period when Stepan scored on a backhander. Nash dumped the puck toward the net and found a wide-open Stepan, who deked Ilya Bryzgalov and had an empty net in front of him.

Two and a half minutes before, beat Bryzgalov high to the glove side on a one-timer from the point on the power play, giving the Rangers a 2-0 advantage.

Philadelphia netted its first goal with 2 minutes 7 seconds left in the second period when Simmonds scored from close range on the power play to pull the Flyers to 3-1. Voracek's initial shot from the point went off the post and to Claude Giroux, who redirected it in front of the crease to Simmonds.

The Flyers closed to 3-2 at 7: 28 of the final period when Voracek scored on a deflection in front of Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist, who had 32 saves. About two minutes later, Nash scored his second of the night on a wraparound.

Nash's first goal, with 5:06 left in the first period, was the 300th of his career.

ISLANDERS 3, CAPITALS 2 John Tavares's 20th goal of the season broke a tie with 5:18 left to help the Islanders win in Washington.

The Islanders (15-15-3) and the Capitals (15-17-1) are fighting for playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. The Islanders have won two straight and improved to 9-4-1 on the road. They also ended Washington's winning streak at three games.

PENGUINS 1, CANADIENS 0 Sidney Crosby scored the game's only goal late in the second period, and host Pittsburgh extended its winning streak to 13.

Pittsburgh goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury stopped all 22 shots he faced but did not play in the third period following a collision in front of the Penguins' net. Tomas Vokoun filled in and made 15 saves to give Pittsburgh the fourth combined shutout in franchise history.

BLACKHAWKS 2, FLAMES 0 Ray Emery made 16 saves for his 12th career shutout, and his first in more than three years, as host Chicago ended a two-game losing streak. Defensemen Nick Leddy and Brent Seabrook scored.

JETS 4, HURRICANES 1 Evander Kane had a goal and three assists night to lead Winnipeg over host Carolina. The Jets extended their lead in the Southeast Division to 6 points over the Hurricanes.

OILERS 3, BLUES 0 Nikolai Khabibulin stopped 43 shots for his 46th shutout, and Jordan Eberle had two goals and an assist as Edmonton won in St. Louis.

LIGHTNING 2, SABRES 1 Steven Stamkos and Martin St. Louis each had a goal as host Tampa Bay ended a three-game skid.

MAPLE LEAFS 3, PANTHERS 2 Joffrey Lupul scored twice in the third period, and Ben Scrivens made 40 saves for host Toronto.


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Goal: World Cup Qualifying: U.S. vs. Mexico at the Azteca

United States Coach Jurgen Klinsmann made only two changes to his lineup for Tuesday night's World Cup qualifier at Mexico, inserting Sporting Kansas City's Matt Besler in central defense and Maurice Edu in the midfield.

Besler replaces Clarence Goodson, who started Friday's 1-0 win over Costa Rica. Tuesday's game will be his second cap with the national team. His partner Omar Gonzalez will be earning his sixth.

Edu replaces Jermaine Jones, who went home to Germany after he sustained a foot injury in Friday's win.

The full United States lineup:

Guzan; Cameron, Gonzalez, Besler, Beasley; Bradley, Edu; Zusi, Dempsey (c), Gomez; Altidore

Here's Mexico's lineup, with Manchester United's Javier Hernández as the tip of a dangerous spear:

Ochoa; Meza, Reyes, Moreno, Torres Nilo; Zavala, Salcido; Aquino, Guardado; Dos Santos, Hernández

Thanks to all the early ties, the Concacaf qualifying standings are about as tight as can be entering Tuesday's games, the third of 10 in the final-round hexagonal. In fact, only the United States and Costa Rica have lost a game, and none of the teams have lost at home yet.

Team, Record, Points, Goal Difference
Honduras…….1W, 0L, 1D, 4 points, GD: +1
United States..1W, 1L, 0D, 3 points, GD: 0
Panama………0W, 0L, 2D, 2 points, GD: 0
Mexico………..0W, 0L, 2D, 2 points, GD: 0
Jamaica……..0W, 0L, 2D, 2 points, GD: 0
Costa Rica…..0W, 1L, 1D, 1 points, GD: -1

One more thing to watch: four Americans (Michael Bradley, Clint Dempsey, Edu and Graham Zusi) carry yellow cards into the match. Their next one will result in a one-match suspension. (The Americans' next qualifier is at Jamaica on June 7.) Mexico defender Francisco Rodríguez is suspended for tonight's game, and Hector Moreno and Jorge Torres also enter the game carrying yellows.

Check back later for updates and player ratings.

10:09 p.m. | Injury Report There had been some confusion about Goodson's status earlier in the day when his name was left off the team sheet handed out to American reporters. U.S. Soccer just cleared that up by announcing that he it out with a hamstring strain. That's another reason Besler has been thrust into the starting lineup.

10:36 p.m. | 5' The U.S. is in all white, and Mexico is in all black. Read into that any symbolism you like, but if this was a Western, the Americans would get the girl.

10:38 p.m. | 9' Aquino is tormenting Beasley a bit down the right wing, and just forced him to take a yellow after leaving him in the dust. (Aquino dove in vain for the area but wasn't tall enough to land there.) Beasley knows him from the Mexican league, where both earn their livings, but that insider stuff doesn't make him any easier to chase down.

10:41 p.m. | 17' Dangerous exchanges there. Dempsey feeds a nice ball to Gomez, winning a corner, which Cameron narrowly heads wide from just inside the spot. Then Chicharito goes down in the U.S. area a minute later; linesman waves his flag for a foul — and a penalty — but the referee lets play continue the other way.

Just FYI — any time a ref waves down a flag from the AR — esp a foul call – it is notable. Huge dec there from ref on MB push. Huge.

— Sam Borden (@SamBorden) 27 Mar 13

10:51 p.m. | 19' Yellow for Besler. Loooooong way to go with that. That's half the back line with yellow cards in the first 20 minutes, and — notably — Chicharito hasn't drawn either. And you know he's got at least one in him.

11:21 p.m. | HT: 0-0 Solid half from the U.S, especially after the early cautions and the pressure. While Mexico owned the flanks going forward, the Americans opened them up like a zipper down the middle a couple of times with some incisive one-touch movements. Good stuff.

The question now is how soon will the crowd turn on the home team, which has been lousy at the Azteca this year. If it's scoreless in the 65th minute and the U.S. can taste a point, Mexico is going to throw everything it has at them. Hopefully for the Americans, the confidence they gained by holding their own in the first half will last until then.

11:46 p.m. | 55' Eddie Johnson on for Altidore, who doesn't seem happy about it. Beasley seems like the guy who could use a blow: he's been run ragged, stepped on and grabbed his hamstring after an awkward clearance about five minutes into the half.

11:55 p.m. | 65' Still scoreless. Feeling it yet?

Omar Gonzalez, by the way, is growing up tonight. Playing Mexico certainly helps, given his background, but just playing a tremendous game with a rookie (Besler) alongside and his wing backs getting tortured.

12:00 a.m. | 71' Brad Davis on for Gomez, but don't expect him to play nearly as high. Mexico sends on a striker, Angel Reyna, for a defender, Torres Nilo. They're going for it.

12:09 a.m. | 80' Ten minutes to go. Mexico as frustrated as the crowd of nearly 100,000.

12:13 a.m. | 84' Bravo on for Mexico to try to find a goal. Shea on for the U.S., to give Americans a pole on which to hang their hat after this is over.

12:20 a.m. | FT After four minutes of injury time, the referee blows his whistle and that United States has grabbed a point at the Azteca. A 0-0 final never looked so good to them.

Mexico's players and coaches surrounded the referee, Walter Lopez of Guatemala, and scream their lungs out about a list of grievances — two penalties that by all rights should have been called, and a possible handball in extra time — but it's too late.

A week ago the United States was a team in the cross hairs, having lost its first qualifier and facing two difficult ones while answering questions about anonymous, critical comments about Klinsmann. Now they've taken four of the six points, moved from last to the top of the group, and all is well.

For one night at least.


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