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NBA PLAYOFFS
Hawks top Pacers again
UNDATED (AP) — The eighth-seeded Atlanta Hawks enjoy a two-games-to-one lead in the NBA's Eastern Conference quarterfinals following an impressive defensive performance against the Indiana Pacers.
Jeff Teague (teeg) scored 22 points and had 10 assists as the Hawks silenced the Pacers 98-85. Teague threw in a wild 3-pointer to make it 87-78 after the officials appeared to miss him stepping out of bounds.
Kyle Korver hit four of the Hawks' 12 3-pointers and shot 6-for-9 from the floor while helping the Hawks limit George Hill to four points on 1 of 11 shooting.
Hill wasn't the lone Pacer to shoot poorly. Paul George missed eight of his 11 attempts in scoring 12 points, and Roy Hibbert added just four points on 2 of 9 shooting.
Indiana outrebounded the Hawks 51-41 but shot under 38 percent to allow the surprising Hawks to maintain home-court advantage.
Game 4 is Saturday in Atlanta.
NBA-CONLEY-SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD
Grizzlies Conley honored
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Memphis guard Mike Conley has won the NBA's Joe Dumars Trophy for sportsmanship.
Conley received 77 first-place votes of a possible 334 and earned 2,335 points overall. He was followed by Boston's Jeff Green and Phoenix's Channing Frye.
NBA-BOBCATS/McROBERTS
Bobcats forward fined for elbowing James
NEW YORK (AP) — Charlotte Bobcats forward Josh McRoberts has been fined $20,000 by the NBA for making unnecessary and excessive contact with Miami Heat forward LeBron James.
James drove and was met at the rim by McRoberts, whose right elbow struck the four-time NBA MVP around his chin. The foul occurred in the final minute of last night's playoff game and has since been upgraded to a Flagrant 2.
NCAA-GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE
NCAA board backs rules changes for big conferences
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The five major college conferences are a little closer to carrying more clout.
The NCAA's board of directors has endorsed a proposal giving schools in those conferences more autonomy and more voting power in changing rules within the organization.
The changes would allow the wealthiest schools to adopt some legislation on their own, including provisions for money beyond what current scholarships cover and money to help families travel to NCAA tournaments.
The proposal would affect the 65 schools in the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC.
A formal vote is expected in August. If passed then, the transition could begin this fall.
COLLEGE ATHLETICS-NORTHWESTERN-UNION
NLRB grants Northwestern appeal
WASHINGTON (AP) — The National Labor Relations Board has granted Northwestern University's request that it review its ruling that football players at the university are essentially employees of the school with full collective bargaining rights. The NLRB says a previously scheduled vote by Northwestern football players on whether to unionize could go forward Friday, but ballots would be impounded for now.
The Chicago office of the National Labor Relations Board ruled on March 26 that Northwestern scholarship football players are essentially employees of the school and can unionize. Northwestern insists that its scholarship athletes don't have collective bargaining rights.
The full five-member federal board is now weighing the appeal request.
MLB-YANKEES-PINEDA SUSPENSION
Yanks pitcher gets 10 game suspension
NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball has suspended Yankees pitcher Michael Pineda (pih-NAY'-dah) for 10-games after he was caught on the mound with pine tar on his neck. Pineda was ejected in Wednesday night's game against Boston after Red Sox manager John Farrell asked the umpires to check the substance in the second inning of the game.
Pineda said after the game that he had trouble gripping the ball on the cool evening when he allowed two runs in the first inning. So before he took the mound for the second, he rubbed pine tar on the right side of his neck.
MLB-SCHEDULE
Mets top Lynn, Cardinals
UNDATED (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals are coming home after a 5-6 road trip that included three losses in a four-game set with the New York Mets.
Bartolo Colon (bahr-TOH'-loh koh-LOHN') allowed a run and four hits while striking out a season-high eight over seven innings of the Mets' 4-1 triumph against the Redbirds. Daisuke Matsuzaka (DYS'-kay math-soo-ZAH'-kah) finished the four-hitter with a perfect ninth for his first save since 2000 with the Seibu Lions
The Cards led until Chris Young hit a solo shot into the second deck in the fifth, one inning before Daniel Murphy doubled home the tiebreaking run.
Cardinals starter Lance Lynn was trying to become the majors' first five-game winner. Instead, he suffered his first loss in 13 career decisions in April despite limiting the Mets to two earned runs and four hits while striking out nine over 6 2/3 innings.
The Redbirds scored just six runs in the four-game series.
Elsewhere;
— Reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer struck out 10 in six innings and Miguel Cabrera drove in three runs to lead Detroit past the White Sox 7-4. Rajai (RAH'-zhay) Davis homered, doubled, singled and drove in two runs.
— Chris Davis drove in three runs and Nelson Cruz capped a productive three-game series in Toronto by collecting two hits and two RBIs in Baltimore's 11-4 rout of the Blue Jays. Cruz had three homers and 10 ribbies in the series, while stretching his RBI streak to seven games.
— Corey Kluber tossed a four-hitter and struck out a career high 11 on the way to Cleveland's 5-1 win over Kansas City. David Murphy and Asdrubal (as-DROO'-bul) Cabrera drove in two runs each during Cleveland's five-run fifth inning.
— Ryan Ludwick lined a two-run double after a pair of Cincinnati batters were hit by pitches, lifting the Reds over Pittsburgh 2-1. The Reds won for the seventh time in nine games and reached .500 at 11-11.
— Aaron Hicks hit a three-run homer and Kurt Suzuki drove in three runs in Minnesota's 9-7 win over Tampa Bay. David DeJesus (deh-HAY'-soos) hit a two-run homer for the Rays, who lost three of four games in the home series.
— Mike Bolsinger earned his first major league win and drove in a run as Arizona beat the Cubs 5-2. Bolsinger allowed one unearned run and four hits while fanning seven in 6 2/3 innings.
MLB-YANKEES-NOVA
Nova to have surgery
BOSTON (AP) — Yankees pitcher Ivan (ee-VAHN') Nova has decided to have season-ending Tommy John surgery for a partially torn elbow ligament.
Nova left last Saturday's 16-1 loss at Tampa Bay in the fifth inning after allowing eight runs and eight hits, including four homers. An MRI then revealed the injury.
Nova is scheduled to have the surgery next Thursday.
NHL-WILD-COOKE
Suspended Cooke apologizes
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota's Matt Cooke has apologized for the knee-to-knee hit on Colorado's Tyson Barrie. The Wild left wing drew a seven-game suspension from the NHL for the hit that knocked Barrie out of action for 4-6 weeks. Cooke said he did not intend to injure Barrie in a collision on the open ice.
NHL-FLYERS-MASON
Mason to start for Flyers
VOORHEES, N.J. (AP) — Steve Mason will start Game 4 in goal for Philadelphia against the Rangers on Friday night. Mason hasn't started a game since suffering an upper-body injury on April 12. Ray Emery started the first three games for Philadelphia, who trail in the series 2-1.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL-COLORADO/DINWIDDIE
Dinwiddie says three years is enough
BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — University of Colorado junior point guard Spencer Dinwiddie is skipping his senior season and will declare for the NBA draft.
Dinwiddie's junior season was cut short when he tore his left ACL Jan. 12 at Washington and needed reconstructive surgery. He was averaging 14.7 points and nearly four assists when he got hurt.
SWIMMING-PHELPS COMEBACK
Phelps comeback begins
MESA, Ariz. (AP) — Michael Phelps has lost in the first final of his comeback after a 20-month retirement.
Ryan Lochte (LAHK'-tee) beat Phelps in the 100-meter butterfly final at the Arena Grand Prix. Lochte touched in 51.93 seconds, 0.2 seconds faster than Phelps.
GOLF-ZURICH CLASSIC
Martin leads through 18
AVONDALE, La. (AP) — Ben Martin is the leader through one round of the PGA's Zurich Classic near New Orleans.
Martin set a course record and tied a personal best with a 10-under-par 62 that leaves him two strokes in front of Andrew Svoboda (svoh-BOH'-dah). Martin has never finished higher than third in a PGA event.
Peter Hanson and Seung-yul Noh are three shots off the pace.
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