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N.B.A. Roundup: Bulls Clinch Fifth Seed in Eastern Conference

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 18 April 2013 | 15.03

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M.L.B. Roundup: Jeff Francoeur and Royals End Braves’ 10-Game Winning Streak

Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

Athletics center fielder Chris Young taking a hit away from Marwin Gonzalez during a win over the Astros.

Dan Uggla flipped his bat to the ground. Then his helmet. Then both batting gloves. The game was over, and so was Atlanta's 10-game winning streak.

Led by Wade Davis's pitching and Jeff Francoeur's run-scoring single, the visiting Kansas City Royals defeated the Braves, 1-0, on Wednesday.

"We feel like we can win every one of them," said Uggla, who was called out on strikes for the final out. "We'll just have to come back tomorrow and start another streak."

The Braves were seeking their first 13-1 start since 1994, but their powerful offense was finally stifled, a day after homering five times against the Royals.

Davis (2-0) allowed five hits and no walks in seven innings, striking out seven hitters. The Braves did not advance a runner past first base until Jason Heyward's two-out double in the sixth. Their only serious scoring chance came in the seventh, when Juan Francisco was thrown out easily as he tried to score from first base on a hit.

The left-hander Mike Minor (2-1) had another strong outing for the Braves, allowing five hits and one run in six innings. Minor's earned run average over three starts is 0.95.

In the fourth inning, the Royals caught a break before Francoeur's two-out hit. Alcides Escobar led off with a single to right, breaking an 0-for-15 slump, but then strayed too far off first after a pitch. The rookie catcher Evan Gattis ran toward Escobar but held the ball too long, allowing him to slide back into first just ahead of the throw.

Gattis pumped his fists and screamed at himself for letting Escobar off the hook. "He's got to give it up a little sooner," Braves Manager Fredi Gonzalez said. "That's something you've got to learn up here in the big leagues, the speed of the game. It was a learning moment for him."

It turned out to be a crucial play. With two outs, Lorenzo Cain hit a dribbler down the third-base line for an infield hit, and Francoeur came through on an 0-2 pitch, singling to left field to drive in Escobar when Minor left a changeup in the strike zone.

Francoeur, who grew up in the Atlanta area and started his career with the Braves, relished the chance to beat his former team.

"It means a little bit more personally," he said.

RED SOX 6, INDIANS 3 The former closer Alfredo Aceves coasted through five innings, Mike Napoli and Daniel Nava each drove in two runs, and visiting Boston won its fifth straight.

The Red Sox hung a gray "'617" jersey in their dugout, just as they did for Tuesday's emotional series opener — one day after the deadly marathon bombings back home. The jersey, featuring Boston's area code, has become a symbol of unity for the club, which will be back at Fenway Park on Friday to open a 10-game homestand.

RAYS 6, ORIOLES 2 Home runs by Kelly Johnson and Shelley Duncan powered Tampa Bay at Baltimore. James Loney had three runs batted in for the Rays, who stopped a four-game skid.

WHITE SOX 7, BLUE JAYS 0 Tyler Flowers hit a three-run homer, and Jose Quintana pitched six and two-thirds innings, leading Chicago to a road win.

ATHLETICS 7, ASTROS 5 Bartolo Colon pitched six crisp innings, Josh Reddick doubled in two runs during a six-run first, and host Oakland swept Houston for the second time this season.

PIRATES 5, CARDINALS 0 A. J. Burnett took a bid for a no-hitter into the seventh inning, leading Pittsburgh to a victory at home.

With two outs in the seventh, Carlos Beltran gave St. Louis its only hit, a double to right-center. Burnett departed after that inning, finishing with eight strikeouts to raise his season total to 35 in 24 innings. In the second, he recorded the 2,000th strikeout of his 15-year career.

The Cardinals' only other base runner was Daniel Descalso, who was hit by a pitch in the sixth.

REDS SWEEP PHILLIES Jay Bruce hit two bases-loaded singles, leading host Cincinnati to a doubleheader sweep. The Reds swept a series from Philadelphia for the first time since 1996.

The Reds won the first game, 1-0, on Bruce's hit in the bottom of the ninth. The game had been suspended overnight because of rain. It ended only 9 minutes and 19 pitches after play resumed. Cincinnati took the second game, 11-2.

BREWERS 4, GIANTS 3 Pinch-hitter Blake Lalli lifted a long single in the bottom of the ninth inning, giving host Milwaukee its third straight victory.

NATIONALS 6, MARLINS 1 Bryce Harper went 4 for 5, improving to 8 for 12 against Ricky Nolasco this season, as Washington won at Miami.

Ross Detwiler allowed one run in seven innings to earn his first victory of the year. Detwiler received a no-decision in each of his first two starts after departing with a lead. This time, the Nationals' bullpen held on.

RODRIGUEZ REJOINS BREWERS Milwaukee brought back reliever Francisco Rodriguez, signing him to a minor league deal. Rodriguez, a four-time All-Star and a former Met, pitched in 78 games for the Brewers last season, going 2-7 with 3 saves and a 4.38 E.R.A.


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Lakers Earn Playoff Spot

Jae C. Hong/Associated Press

Dwight Howard, left, talks to Pau Gasol during their game against the Rockets on Wednesday. Utah's loss assured the Lakers of a playoff spot.

LOS ANGELES — When Mike D'Antoni took over as the Lakers' coach in November, he felt that he had a big problem. Two of them, actually. He did not think there was any way he could keep Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol on the court at the same time.

"I was skeptical at first, mainly because Dwight wasn't 100 percent and neither was Pau," D'Antoni said. "But now, with both of them being close to 100 percent, yeah, they can play together. I probably had a preconceived notion, and it probably wasn't right."

That admission came on the eve of Wednesday night's regular-season finale against the Houston Rockets at Staples Center, where the Lakers arrived not knowing if they would need to win to secure a playoff berth. As it turned out, minutes before the Lakers took the floor, the Memphis Grizzlies did them a favor by closing out a 86-70 victory over the Utah Jazz, who had been vying with the Lakers for the final berth.

The result took the pressure off the Lakers, who are playoff-bound after a tumultuous season. The latest obstacle presented itself last week, when Kobe Bryant was lost for the season with a torn Achilles' tendon. In addition, Steve Nash, still hampered by hip and hamstring soreness, did not play against the Rockets, and his status for the playoffs remained unknown.

The Lakers, though, appear to be a confident bunch. They had won seven of their last eight games heading into the finale. Such was the state of play that Howard showed up for the game wearing a white tuxedo jacket. "Guys are very focused," he said.

In the playoffs, D'Antoni will certainly rely on Howard and Gasol, a potent frontcourt in recent weeks. The two have accounted for 38.2 percent of the Lakers' scoring over the last eight games. It merely required the length of the season for them to find the right chemistry.

"It all takes time to settle in and adjust and understand certain things, understand certain people and how to maximize their qualities," Gasol said, adding, "When we share the love and share the ball a little bit, we can be really effective."

Gasol has done most of his damage from the high post, having averaged 16.4 points, 9.7 rebounds and 5.8 assists over his last 10 games while shooting 54.1 percent from the field. His success has cleared space for Howard to operate in the paint. In Sunday's 91-86 victory over the San Antonio Spurs, Howard finished with 26 points and 17 rebounds — a huge effort as the Lakers coped with life without Bryant for the first time.

"We can coexist," Howard said of his relationship with Gasol. "We know how to play basketball."

Each has had his share of struggles. After spending the off-season recovering from back surgery, Howard was hindered by a torn labrum in his right shoulder, an injury that forced him to miss six games. His production also waned in the presence of Bryant, who dominated the ball for long stretches. D'Antoni said Howard seemed to play with a different mind-set in recent weeks.

"I think that goes with feeling good," D'Antoni said. "When you feel bad in the morning, sometimes you get cranky. And we had a lot of things to be cranky about."

D'Antoni was critical of Gasol's conditioning earlier this season, going so far as to bench him for the fourth quarter of a win over the New Orleans Hornets in January. Gasol later missed 20 games after tearing the plantar fascia in his right foot. He returned to play his best basketball of the season.

"When he came in, he had his way of doing things," Gasol said of D'Antoni. "That's why they brought him here, with his philosophy and the way he's coached. He did his best. There's nothing really to say about it. It's taken a little while. Unfortunately, my injuries also probably slowed that process down."

Howard was adamant that nothing had changed in the on-court dynamic between him and Gasol. In his mind, he said, it has always been solid. But he also credited D'Antoni with helping them "grow as players" by freeing them up to move away from the basket.

"He believes that we can do that," Howard said.

Both players' time with the Lakers could run its course in the postseason. Howard will be an unrestricted free agent, and Gasol, who is due to make $19.3 million next season, could be traded or waived, the latter option under an amnesty provision.

After such a long season, one packed with injuries and challenges, the two seem eager for the playoffs to begin.

"It's just a matter of proving that we can both deliver and be dominant," Gasol said.


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Nets 103, Pistons 99: Nets Beat Pistons in Season Finale to Set Up Series With Bulls

Michelle V. Agins/The New York Times

Nets point guard Deron Williams had 8 points, as well as 6 assists, in a victory over the Pistons on Wednesday night.

The Nets have been in playoff mode for almost a week now, making the last two games of the regular season largely irrelevant and, to put it bluntly, a bit of a drag. They spent Monday tending to the tired needs of their starters; they spent Wednesday praying those same starters would stay upright.

They did not do much scoreboard watching either, letting fate — or a second-half surge by the Chicago Bulls — dictate their first-round matchup. It was only in the closing minutes of the Nets' 103-99 win over Detroit on Wednesday that the outcome was decided. With the Bulls' win over Washington, and the Atlanta Hawks' loss to the Knicks, Chicago earned the fifth seed and a series with the fourth-seeded Nets; Game 1 will be in Brooklyn on Saturday evening.

The Nets are doing all they can to build up the franchise's first playoff appearance since 2007 — and the first playoff appearance by a Brooklyn team since 1956 — as a must-see event. The playoff décor: black on black.

The blackout is the brainchild of the Nets' chief executive officer, Brett Yormark. The hope is to create a unified (and intimidating) atmosphere: fans wearing black while sitting in black seats and watching the action on a court with black trim. And yes, even the players might be wearing black, even though the Nets traditionally wear white at home.

"The goal is to wear black at home," said Fred Mangione, the team's chief marketing officer.

The Nets would need permission from the Bulls to alter their designated uniforms, permission that is normally given without much issue. Mangione said black towels would be distributed to fans for Game 2.

On Wednesday, the anticipation was evident in Barclays Center and on the court; the Nets have clearly been eager to get the playoffs under way already. It hardly mattered that, heading into the game, the Nets still did not know who they would play in the first round or when.

All week, the players never stated a preference. They claimed to be preoccupied with getting themselves in shape and healthy, which they said they accomplished.

"It's the first time in a long time we've had everybody at full strength," point guard Deron Williams said. "We're definitely excited about that and feel confident that when we're playing at a high level, we're tough to beat."

Some teams give their stars the night off on the cusp of the postseason — as the Hawks and the Knicks did Wednesday — but Nets Coach P. J. Carlesimo opted to risk playing his.

All five starters had been given Monday's game against Washington off, but on Wednesday, Carlesimo rolled the dice, held his breath and gave his key players 20-something minutes to build a healthy sweat and a little momentum. By the start of the fourth quarter, they had towels slung over their shoulders.

There were a few signs of life, like a steal by Williams that led to an alley-oop in transition by Gerald Wallace. On the next play, Wallace stole another pass and finished with a one-handed dunk.

Brook Lopez had 20 points and 9 rebounds, and Andray Blatche scored 15 points. With that, the Nets won their 49th game, matching the second-highest total in the franchise's N.B.A. history, and sounded ready to face the Bulls.

"The ball's been moving offensively; people are on the same page," Joe Johnson said. "We're clicking. The cohesiveness is there. It's pretty good timing for us."

There were video tributes from the players sprinkled throughout the evening, thanking the fans for their support and encouraging them to wear black this weekend. A soft "Brooklyn" chant picked up at the end of the game. But the fans may have been saving their voices.

As the game wore on, Lopez took a moment to reflect, he said. He thought back to when General Manager Billy King and his staff would bring artist renderings of Barclays Center, with "little factoids" about the size of Brooklyn and its capacity for enthusiasm.

That enthusiasm is expected to be in full force Saturday — a black curtain of love.

"It's really been an amazing journey," Lopez said. "To finally be here now — on the verge of the playoffs. It's pretty incredible."


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Knicks 98, Hawks 92: In Synopsis of Season, Knicks Win Brings New Injury

Hours before the season's final game, 198 days after they opened camp, the Knicks gathered for another round of introductions, farewells and welcome-backs.

They said goodbye to Rasheed Wallace, who announced his retirement Wednesday, after an aborted comeback from foot surgery.

They said hello to Earl Barron, a 31-year-old journeyman, who took Wallace's roster spot and will serve as an emergency center in the playoffs.

And they welcomed back Quentin Richardson — a Knick for four seasons in a less glorious era — who returned to fill the vacancy left by Kurt Thomas last week.

Then the Knicks sent a cast of backups onto the court for a 98-92 victory over the Atlanta Hawks, who also rested all of their starters.

It was not your average Game 82 at Madison Square Garden.

The Knicks' priority was to rest their stars and get healthy for their first-round series against the Boston Celtics, which opens Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Garden. Even that goal proved elusive.

Pablo Prigioni, their starting off guard, sprained his right ankle in the final minute of the first quarter and did not return. Iman Shumpert left the game with leg cramps in the fourth quarter. Chris Copeland hurt his left shoulder. Copeland said he felt the shoulder pop out and back in but assured, "I'll be all right."

Although Shumpert is apparently fine, Prigioni's status is unclear. He left without speaking to reporters.

After all the Knicks have gone through this season — losing Wallace and Thomas, playing long stretches without Carmelo Anthony, Raymond Felton and Tyson Chandler — every twinge was heightened.

"It's great that we all came out of there walking," Shumpert said with a smile.

It was a meaningless game for the Knicks (54-28), who had already locked up the second seed in the Eastern Conference. The Hawks (44-38) slipped to sixth, behind Chicago, and will open the playoffs against the Indiana Pacers.

The Knicks' attention now turns to the Celtics, whom they beat three out of four times this season. Both Chandler and Kenyon Martin are expected back for Game 1, after recovering from injuries. Chandler missed the final six games, and 16 of the last 20, because of a bulging disk in his neck. Martin missed the final five games after spraining his left ankle.

Anthony, Felton and Jason Kidd were given the night off Wednesday. Prigioni and Shumpert were the only regulars in the starting lineup, with Barron, Copeland and James White.

The night was more interesting for who was missing than who was in uniform. Anthony, Chandler, Kidd, Martin, Amar'e Stoudemire and Marcus Camby were nowhere to be seen — all of them presumably watching from the training room.

Of the resting rotation players, only J. R. Smith (wearing a suit) and Felton (in uniform) sat courtside. Otherwise, the bench was nearly empty.

Wallace, however, sat behind the bench and could be a fixture there during the postseason, despite his retirement. He is a trusted confidant of Coach Mike Woodson, who lured him out of a two-year retirement last fall. Woodson still wants Wallace around, for his wisdom and his locker-room influence.

"I like him around me," Woodson said. "I like Rasheed, man."

The decision to retire was not entirely surprising. Wallace missed nearly the entire season because of a broken foot, and he lasted only 3 minutes 50 seconds in his attempted return Monday.

Yet, in typical Knicks fashion, Wallace's retirement was shrouded in mystery and misdirection. At the morning shootaround, Woodson told reporters Wallace was "day-to-day." An hour later, the team issued a statement saying he had retired.

Barron was already at the team's headquarters in Westchester County, signing his new contract, a clear indication that team officials had planned for both transactions. Woodson declined to explain the discrepancy.

"I'm not going to go into all of that," he said before the game. "I mean, the bottom line is: He's retiring. It doesn't matter when it happened."

Neither Richardson nor Barron is likely to make the postseason rotation, although Richardson — a skilled 3-point shooter and defender — could be valuable as a spot player. The Knicks have been thin at shooting guard and small forward all season.

Richardson, 33, had been out of the league since being cut by the Orlando Magic during camp. He was both surprised and thrilled to get the call from the Knicks, who signed him Tuesday.

"It's very exciting," said Richardson, who played here from 2005 through 2009, when the Knicks averaged 28 wins. "I always knew this was the mecca of basketball. They have the greatest fans, even when I was here. We didn't play that well, but when we played all right it got crazy. I've always been watching. They're at the level they need to be in competing for a title."

REBOUNDS

While sitting out, Carmelo Anthony clinched his first N.B.A. scoring title, with a final average of 28.7 points per game, ending Kevin Durant's three-year streak as the league leader. Durant sat out Oklahoma City's season finale, finishing with an average of 28.1 points per game. Anthony is just the second Knick to win a scoring title, joining Bernard King in 1984-85. ... The Knicks finished with their best overall record since the 1996-97 season, when they won 57 games.


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Goal: Red Bulls Rewind: Loss Leads to a Few More Questions

The Red Bulls lost to Sporting Kansas City, 1-0, on Wednesday night in a testy game in which they put only three of their 14 shots on target. The loss dropped the Red Bulls into fifth place, at 2-4-2, but raised a few more questions six weeks into the season.

Is it time to get worried? Since taking a 3-1 lead in the first half-hour of their season opener, the Red Bulls have scored only six goals, and they have been shut out three times. Now they could be without leading scorer Jamison Olave, who was subbed out with a knee injury in the first half Wednesday. Yes, you read that right: central defender Jamison Olave's three goals mean he is the leading scorer on a team that includes Thierry Henry and Fabian Espindola, a team that had two of the top five scorers in the league last season. Go figure.

Is it fair to blame the schedule? Henry raised the issue last week, before the Red Bulls went on the road — again — to face D.C. United. "Sometimes to start a league playing five games away, if you do what we just did right now, it's difficult to find your confidence," he said, noting that he wasn't complaining, just noting it. To be fair, the schedule has been an issue: back-to-back West Coast trips to start the year, and five of the first seven games on the road is a big ask. The Red Bulls have played only three home games this season, but they're now 1-1-1 in them. They host New England on Saturday night, then go on the road for two games, then come home for four of five. If Henry and his teammates want to make up some ground, and win back a few of their glass-is-half-empty fans, the next month would be a good time to start.

Is Sporting Kansas City the team to beat? Wednesday's win was K.C.'s fifth straight shutout, and it moved K.C. into first place in the Eastern Conference. Sporting has allowed only three goals this season, and goalkeeper Jimmy Neilsen has made only 11 saves. That's 11 saves — total — through seven games. Let's hope he survives injury-time encounter with Juninho on Wednesday night. Which brings us to the night's biggest question:

What was Juninho thinking here?

Juninho's red card means he will miss Saturday's home game against New England — at the least.

"I'm not happy about it, and I don't know how many games I'll get as far as a suspension," Juninho told reporters after the game. "It wasn't my first card, but I hope it was my last one."


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Investigation Under Way in Boston

Written By Unknown on Rabu, 17 April 2013 | 15.03

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Flyers 4, Rangers 2: Rangers Fall to Flyers With Time Running Out on Playoff Push

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Baseball Roundup: Red Sox Beat Indians Amid Solemn Tributes

Mike Napoli hit a three-run double in a seven-run second inning as the Boston Red Sox, playing with heavy hearts one day after deadly bombings back home, beat the Cleveland Indians, 7-2, on Tuesday night.

Boston's players were already en route to Cleveland when they learned of the explosions near the Boston Marathon's finish line. The Red Sox hung a gray jersey with No. 617 — Boston's area code — above their bench during the game.

Players on both teams wore black armbands, and before the game, the Fenway Park favorite "Sweet Caroline" was played.

The series opener was also Terry Francona's first game as the Indians' manager against the Red Sox, the team he led to two World Series titles. Francona said he hoped the game could comfort Red Sox Nation and everyone affected by the tragedy. "If it helps anybody at all, that would be terrific," he said.

ORIOLES 5, RAYS 4 Matt Wieters homered as host Baltimore dropped Tampa Bay to 4-9. Desmond Jennings, Kelly Johnson and Evan Longoria homered for the Rays.

WHITE SOX 4, BLUE JAYS 3 Dayan Viciedo doubled home the go-ahead run in the ninth inning at Toronto. Paul Konerko hit a game-tying homer and scored three runs for Chicago.

TWINS 8, ANGELS 2 Joe Mauer had four hits and drove in three runs for host Minnesota. He is 8 for 10 in the first two games of the series. Los Angeles fell to 4-10.

BRAVES 6, ROYALS 3 Jason Heyward, Justin Upton and Dan Uggla homered in the eighth inning, and Juan Francisco hit two home runs earlier to help host Atlanta (12-1) win its 10th straight.

RANGERS 4, CUBS 2 Derek Holland pitched seven scoreless innings for Texas at Chicago. Adrian Beltre hit a two-run homer.

BREWERS 10, GIANTS 8 Yuniesky Betancourt hit a grand slam, and Carlos Gomez and Norichika Aoki also homered as host Milwaukee chased Barry Zito (2-1) with an eight-run third inning.

MARLINS 8, NATIONALS 2 Adeiny Hechavarria hit a three-run homer to lead host Miami.

PHILLIES-REDS SUSPENDED Philadelphia and host Cincinnati played to a scoreless tie in the middle of the ninth, when the game was suspended for heavy rain. It will resume Wednesday before the series finale.

RED SOX CLOSER ON D.L. Boston placed closer Joel Hanrahan on the 15-day disabled list with a sore right hamstring. Andrew Bailey will fill in as the closer.

D.U.I. CHARGE FOR GALLARDO Brewers pitcher Yovani Gallardo was arrested on a drunken-driving charge in Milwaukee.

D'BACKS INFIELDER SIDELINED Arizona second baseman Aaron Hill is expected to miss four to six weeks with a broken bone in his left hand. (REUTERS)

INDIANS' BOURN OUT Cleveland center fielder Michael Bourn will be placed on the disabled list in the coming days as he recovers from a cut finger. (AP)


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Physical Legacy of Bomb Blasts Could Be Cruel for Boston Marathon Victims

Eric Thayer for The New York Times

A vigil at the Boston Common, near the site of the bomb blasts at the Boston Marathon finish. More Photos »

BOSTON — So many patients arrived at once, with variations of the same gruesome leg injuries. Shattered bones, shredded tissue, nails burrowed deep beneath the flesh. The decision had to be made, over and over, with little time to deliberate. Should this leg be amputated? What about this one?

"As an orthopedic surgeon, we see patients like this, with mangled extremities, but we don't see 16 of them at the same time, and we don't see patients from blast injuries," Dr. Peter Burke, the trauma surgery chief at Boston Medical Center, said.

The toll from the bombs Monday at the Boston Marathon, which killed at least three and injured more than 170, will long be felt by anyone involved with the city's iconic sporting event. For the victims, the physical legacy could be an especially cruel one for a group that was involved in the marathon: severe leg trauma and amputations.

"What we like to do is before we take off someone's leg — it's extremely hard to make that decision — is we often get two surgeons to agree," Dr. Tracey Dechert, a trauma surgeon at Boston Medical, said. "Am I right here? This can't be saved. So that way you feel better and know that you didn't take off someone's leg that you didn't have to take. All rooms had multiple surgeons so everyone could feel like we're doing what we need to be doing."

The widespread leg trauma was a result of bombs that seemed to deliver their most vicious blows within two feet off the ground. In an instant, doctors at hospitals throughout the city who had been preparing for ordinary marathon troubles — dehydration or hypothermia — now faced profound, life-changing decisions for runners and spectators of all ages.

Some victims arrived two to an ambulance, some with huge holes in their legs where skin and fat and muscle were ripped away by the bomb and with ball bearings or nails from the bombs embedded in their flesh. Others had severed arteries in their legs or multiple breaks in the bones of their legs and feet. The shock wave from the blast destroyed blood vessels, skin, muscle and fat. And at least nine patients — five at Boston Medical Center, three at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital and one at Brigham and Women's Hospital — had legs or feet so mangled they would need to be amputated.

Some of the attendant medical professionals, said Julie Dunbar, a chaplain at Beth Israel, were faced with "more trauma than most ever see in a lifetime, more sadness, more loss."

There were only three fatalities, which doctors say was because the blast, low to the ground, mostly injured people's legs and feet instead of their abdomens, chests or heads. And tourniquets stopped what could have been fatal bleeding in many.

Dr. Allan Panter, 57, an emergency-room physician from Gainesville, Ga., was standing 10 yards from the blast near the finish line, waiting for his wife, Theresa, to complete her 16th Boston Marathon. Assisted by others, he said he used gauze wraps to apply tourniquets to several victims, including a man who appeared to be in his late 20s who lost both of his lower legs in the blast. He said he saw another six or seven victims with belts tied around their wounded legs.

Tourniquets, once discouraged because they were thought to cause damage to injuries, have returned to favor and have been used to treat wounds inflicted by explosive devices in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Dr. Panter said.

"With blast injuries to the lower extremities that we're getting in the Middle East, you bleed out," he said. Tourniquets "can help save lives. I don't know if they helped in this situation, but it sure couldn't hurt."

While there was some initial chaos in a medical tent near the finish line, and some screaming and moaning by victims, it was generally an orderly scene, Dr. Panter said. He assisted others in wheeling in a female victim who died, he said. He described 20 to 30 cots in the tent with IV bags that had been intended for dehydrated runners.

At least eight doctors and what seemed to be 20 or more nurses were stationed in the tent. A man with a microphone stood in the center of the tent to coordinate medical care. Arriving victims were assessed and categorized as 1 for critical, 2 for intermediate, 3 for "can wait" and "black tag" for anyone who appeared to be dead, Dr. Panter said. An emergency medical technician outside the tent coordinated ambulance service to hospitals.

"All in all, it was a pretty controlled environment," said Dr. Panter, who has been an emergency-room physician for 30 years. "I've seen a lot worse. They were without question ready — not ready for those type of injuries, but they were prepared."

Jess Bidgood and Richard A. Oppel Jr. contributed reporting.

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:

Correction: April 16, 2013

An earlier version of a photo caption in this story misspelled the surname of a physician who helped treat leg injuries at the Boston Marathon. It is Dr. Allan Panter, not Pantera.


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