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Tampa Bay Bucs getting quick answers on linebacker roles

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By Stephen F. Holder, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, June 12, 2012

TAMPA — Yes, it's only June, and opening day in the NFL is still three months away.

But a picture of the Bucs' linebackers unit already is emerging.

Tight-lipped coach Greg Schiano continues to say things are very much subject to change.

"It would be premature to make any kind of assumption there," he said.

Still, the roles at linebacker are beginning to take shape. The position has been a focus this offseason given the lack of consistent playmaking from the unit in 2011 when the Bucs defense ranked 30th among 32 clubs.

As the team caps its offseason with a mandatory, three-day minicamp that began Tuesday, here's what we know:

• Mason Foster, who coaches had considered using as an outside linebacker, has played middle linebacker almost exclusively during offseason practices and is likely to remain there.

• Rookie Lavonte David, the second-round pick from Nebraska, continues to run with the first-team defense at weak-side linebacker. It's the position he's long been projected to play as a pro.

• Veteran Quincy Black occupies the strong-side position, though others — former FSU standout Dekoda Watson among them — could earn snaps there.

In the base defense, this is the group that has most often been on the field.

Foster is the biggest piece of the puzzle. When the offseason began, coaches hadn't committed to a specific position for him. He was a productive college outside linebacker at Washington but was perhaps prematurely forced into playing middle linebacker as a rookie last season, when he played hesitantly.

But after a full season and, now, his first NFL offseason — he missed last year's because of the lockout — Foster might have found a home.

"I'm very comfortable playing middle linebacker," he said

Tuesday, Schiano said Mason has impressed him even more in the past 10 days to two weeks: "He's getting it."

After two months of learning the defense, Foster believes the scheme suits him.

"It's a more aggressive defense," Foster said. "I love it."

David is progressing and living up to the high expectations. Billed as a sideline-to-sideline playmaker with elite coverage skills, David has shown some of those traits.

"If you were just playing five-on-five backyard tackle, I'd bet he'd make a ton of tackles, and that's what we're counting on him doing out here.'' defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan said. "He's got to learn all the intricacies of the defense and coverage, but he's instinctive. I'll bet he makes 10 tackles in the first preseason game. Not to put any pressure on him."

David has progressed to the first team ahead of Rennie Curran. He appears likely to be the weak-side opening-day starter.

Black, entering his sixth season and the second of a $29 million contract, is the most experienced linebacker. But he hasn't had the most impact.

"He is a talent and I expect him to be a playmaker," Sheridan said. "… I anticipate him having an excellent year."

Among the other things coaches will examine during this camp and into training camp is which two linebackers are best suited to play in the nickel defense. That oft-used personnel grouping employed in passing situations requires just two linebackers. Foster is almost certain to remain on the field — he wears the coach-to-defense helmet transmitter — but the outside linebackers are interchangeable in passing situations. David's coverage ability makes him a good nickel candidate.

There's much more to be squared away, like backups and other reserves who might push for playing time.

But it's not too early to draw preliminary conclusions about a unit that is key to the defense.


Nationals 4, Blue Jays 2

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Times wires
Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Nationals 4, Blue Jays 2

TORONTO — Rookie Bryce Harper homered off the centerfield restaurant, Danny Espinosa added a two-run blast and Washington won its fifth straight game. Jhonatan Solano added his first career homer as the Nationals matched their season-best winning streak. Toronto lost for the fifth time in six games.

Reds 7, Indians 1

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Times wires
Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Reds 7, Indians 1

CINCINNATI — Johnny Cueto allowed only one runner to reach second in his second complete game of the season, and Joey Votto hit a two-run homer for Cincinnati. Votto's shot in the seventh off Tony Sipp made it 57 straight games with at least one home run at Great American Ball Park, the longest active streak in the majors. Votto added an RBI single as the Reds pulled away in the eighth. Jay Bruce hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly in the fifth off Jeanmar Gomez.

Tampa Bay Rays give Hideki Matsui starting nod on his 38th birthday

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By Laura Keeley, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, June 12, 2012

ST. PETERSBURG — When Hideki Matsui entered the clubhouse Tuesday afternoon, the Japanese media had a surprise waiting for him outside: a birthday cake.

The Japanese superstar receives one from the group every year, and this edition included a blue Tampa Bay Rays hat, a baseball and the number 38 in red icing in honor of his 38th birthday.

The reporters weren't the only ones to make note of Matsui's special day, as manager Joe Maddon started him over Luke Scott at DH precisely for that reason.

"It's Matsui's birthday, he's got to play," Maddon said. "There's no reason to not play him. Really, it would be insane on my part to walk away from this potential big night that he's going to have. Sometimes you've got to look beyond the stats, data and numbers and just look at the birthday."

Matsui has a history of producing on his birthday as well. In 2008, he hit a grand slam while with the Yankees in a 4-1 victory over the A's. The next year, he hit a three-run home run in the sixth inning of a 9-8 victory over the Mets.

Matsui started off well this year, too. In the first inning, he came to the plate with the bases loaded and one out and hit a first-pitch fastball off the rightfield wall to tie the score at 1. In nine career birthday games, Matsui has 11 RBIs.

ZOBRIST SCRATCHED: Ben Zobrist was slated to bat fifth and play second base when the lineup was first posted but was scratched with soreness in his right hand. Zobrist was hit by a throw as he slid into second base in the fourth inning Saturday against the Marlins. He stayed in that game and hit a single in his next at-bat but was still sore Tuesday. X-rays were negative, and he is listed as day-to-day.

"I hope it's like hour-to-hour, actually," Maddon said.

After the game, Zobrist said he could not have hit but was available for pinch-running or defensive purposes. When asked if he thought he could play today, he said, "Hopefully."

MORE MEDICAL MATTERS: 3B Evan Longoria ran for the second time as he attempts to come back from his partially torn left hamstring. He also took ground balls and hit during batting practice, but Maddon said Longoria will need at least one more day of running before he would begin a rehab assignment.

"He's still not 100 (percent) yet, so he's going to do it again on Thursday before the day game, and if everything goes well, we might be able to move it along from there," Maddon said of Longoria, who has been on the disabled list since May 3.

Meanwhile, RH reliever Kyle Farnsworth said he felt no ill effects from his blink-of-an-eye relief effort — his first live action of 2012 — Monday for Class A Charlotte.

His line: one inning, zero runs, one hit, five total pitches.

"Three four-seamers, two sinkers," said Farnsworth, who began the season on the DL with a strained right elbow. "It was pain-free and that was the main issue."

Farnsworth will throw another inning (maximum 25 pitches, he said) Thursday at Jupiter. He said he hopes to re-join the Rays in time for the last homestand of the month.

OLD FRIENDS: While Maddon and Mets manager Terry Collins go back to their time together in the Angels organization (Maddon was Collins' bench coach while Collins was manager from 1997-99), Rays CF B.J. Upton and Mets 3B David Wright grew up as teammates, playing on the same summer travel team for three years beginning when Upton was 9 years old. The pair played on the same fall ball team for the next four years and the same high school team for two.

"He used to pick me up in the mornings before we'd go to school, and we'd go to the cage and hit together and then head over to school," Upton said. "I'm sure we'll be talking trash."

Live in moment, think of future

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Tuesday, June 12, 2012

LOS ANGELES — The Stanley Cup barely had the Kings' fingerprints on it before Darryl Sutter suggested they should start preparing to win it again.

"The first thing you think about as a coach, these guys are all young enough, they've got to try it again," the coach said Monday night, moments after raising the Cup for the first time himself.

That's just how a pragmatic farmer from Alberta thinks about everything, and Sutter didn't allow his mental preparations for a sequel to stop him from celebrating this moment with his players.

The Kings partied until well after midnight at a restaurant overlooking the Staples Center ice, where Los Angeles completed its 16-4 rampage through the postseason to the franchise's first NHL title.

After nearly 45 years without a Cup, after 4½ decades with one division title and one conference crown to show for their existence, and after eight straight years from 2002-10 without making the playoffs, Los Angeles and its Kings had earned every minute of it.

Music boomed and drinks flowed for a few hundred friends, family members and Kings employees hanging with the players. Everybody seemingly got a chance to raise the Cup.

The Kings weren't thinking much about how they became the first eighth seed to win a title, or how they won 10 straight road games this spring, or how they made the second-fastest run in modern NHL history to the Stanley Cup. They already knew.

"It's got to come from the room, and guys have to make a decision to work," said Jonathan Quick, the record-setting goalie who carried the Kings through long stretches of the regular season and Conn Smythe Trophy winner. "I think we did that. You can't say enough about this group and how hard they worked."

And then everybody danced, ate and sang at a party 45 years in the making. Later, several players took the Cup to one of their favorite pubs in Hermosa Beach, where nearly all of the Kings live when they aren't chasing hockey hardware.

PRESEASON MATCHUPS: The Carolina Hurricanes released their preseason schedule and have two games against Lightning, Sept. 27 at the Amway Center in Orlando and Sept. 30 at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C. The Lightning is expected to release its preseason schedule next week.

Ratings down: The Stanley Cup final ratings were down 29 percent from last year. The series averaged a 2.2 rating and 4 share on NBC. The 2011 series between the Bruins and Canucks, boosted by a Game 7, averaged a 3.1/6. Viewership was also hurt by going head-to-head against the NBA playoffs

Laperriere retires: Flyers forward Ian Laperriere has retired from the NHL, more than two years after his last game. Laperriere, 38, sat out the past two seasons because of postconcussion syndrome resulting from getting hit in the right eye with a puck during the 2010 playoffs. He officially retired because his contract expired and he was able to come off the salary cap.

Red Sox 2, Marlins 1

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Times wires
Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Red Sox 2, Marlins 1

MIAMI — Clay Buchholz outpitched Mark Buehrle as last-place Boston ended a four-game skid. The game was scoreless until former Ray Kelly Shoppach hit an RBI double in the seventh and scored on Mike Aviles' single. Buchholz struck out a season-high nine for the Red Sox, at 30-32 still the only AL East team below .500. Buehrle lost his first interleague outing since 2007, a span of 16 starts.

Tampa Bay Rays: B.J. Upton favorite in European soccer tournament reminds him of Rays; David Price realistic about chances of hitting Stephen Strasburg

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By Joey Knight, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Rays vs. Mets

When/where: 7:10 tonight; Tropicana Field

TV/radio: Sun Sports; 620-AM, 680-AM (Spanish)

Probable pitchers

Rays: LH David Price (8-3, 2.40)

METS: RH R.A. Dickey (9-1, 2.44)

On Price: Seeking his 50th career win, Price is coming off a five-inning effort that seemed like 12. Despite throwing 109 pitches, he held the Yankees to three hits and got the decision in a 7-3 win. In his past four starts (261/3 innings), Price has allowed three earned runs.

On Dickey: A classic knuckleballer, Dickey has generated All-Star buzz. He leads the league in victories and has totaled 11 quality starts, including a gem (71/3 scoreless innings) in Thursday's 3-1 win against the Nationals. In six career games against the Rays, Dickey is 0-2 with an 8.35 ERA, but he hasn't faced them in three years.

Key matchups

Rays VS. DICKEY

Carlos Peña 2-for-11

Jose Molina 0-for-5

Hideki Matsui 3-for-8

METS VS. PRICE

None have faced

On deck

Thursday: vs. Mets, 1:10 p.m., Sun Sports. Rays — Jeremy Hellickson (4-2, 2.65); Mets — Johan Santana (3-3, 2.96)

Friday: vs. Marlins, 7:10 p.m., Sun Sports. Rays — Matt Moore (3-5, 4.59); Marlins — Carlos Zambrano (4-4, 3.55)

Saturday: vs. Marlins, 7:15, Sun Sports. Rays — James Shields (7-4, 4.06); Marlins — Anibal Sanchez (3-5, 3.40)

The Rays of Euro 2012

A few Rays, including David Price, Evan Longoria, Sean Rodriguez and B.J. Upton have been following the 2012 UEFA European Football Championship. Asked whom he was pulling for, Upton said the Netherlands, which he also dubbed the Rays equivalent of the tournament. "They have a good ballclub, and no one expects them to be there," Upton said. "They found themselves in the final of the (2010) World Cup when no one expected it, and now everyone is talking about everyone else but them in the Eurocup." The Oranje lost its first game 1-0 to Denmark and play Germany today.

Quote of the day

"I do know that I'm facing Strasburg — not that I've looked ahead. Give me the heater, please, that's about it."

Pitcher David Price on his scheduled matchup — and batting appearance — against Nationals RHP Stephen Strasburg next week in Washington.

Quote of the day 2

"I would be absolutely vilified in Tokyo if I did not play him today."

Manager Joe Maddon on starting Hideki Matsui on his 38th birthday.

Orioles 8, Pirates 6

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Times wires
Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Orioles 8, Pirates 6

BALTIMORE — Brian Roberts returned from a 13-month layoff to get three hits and an RBI, and Baltimore homered three times. Playing in the majors for the first time since sustaining a concussion May 16, 2011, the longtime leadoff man got a standing ovation from the crowd of 15,618 in the first then lined a single up the middle.


Yankees 6, Braves 4

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Times wires
Tuesday, June 12, 2012

ATLANTA — Alex Rodriguez hit his 23rd career grand slam, matching Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig's record, and the Yankees scored six in the eighth inning to rally for a 6-4 win over the Braves on Tuesday night.

Nick Swisher hit a tiebreaking two-run homer off Cory Gearrin two batters after Rodriguez connected against Jonny Venters as New York matched a season high with its fifth straight win and took sole possession of first in the AL East, a game ahead of the Rays and Orioles. The Yankees have won 10 of 12.

CC Sabathia left trailing 4-0 after giving up a season-high 10 hits in seven innings.

Rafael Soriano, who pitched in Atlanta from 2007-09 before spending a season as the Rays closer, retired the Braves in order for his 100th career save. Atlanta has lost three straight.

Rodriguez had been 1-for-10 this season with the bases loaded before he lined Venters' full-count pitch over the leftfield wall.

Sports in brief: Kurt Busch to stay with Phoenix Racing

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Times wires
Tuesday, June 12, 2012

autos

busch staying with phoenix

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Kurt Busch will return to Phoenix Racing when his one-week NASCAR suspension ends today.

Busch met Tuesday with team owner James Finch, and the duo agreed to move forward to this weekend's race at Michigan International Speedway.

"At the end of the day, we are racers so we're going racing together with Kurt and the No. 51 Phoenix Racing Chevrolet," Finch said in a statement. "We know adjustments have to be made but how we fix that is between Kurt and myself."

Busch's status with Finch seemed shaky after his suspension for verbally abusing a media member. Busch has said nothing publicly in more than a week.

soccer

U.S. gives up late goal in World Cup qualifier

Marco Pappa scored on a free kick in the 83rd minute, giving Guatemala a 1-1 tie with the United States in a World Cup qualifier in Guatemala City.

Clint Dempsey put the United States ahead in the 40th minute, but Fabian Johnson pulled down Carlos Ruiz just outside the penalty area to set up the late free kick. Pappa put a 24-yard shot just under the crossbar that froze goalkeeper Tim Howard.

tennis

Hewitt stumbles at Queen's Club

Former champion Lleyton Hewitt was brushed aside by 6-foot-10 Ivo Karlovic, losing 6-3, 6-2 in the opening round at Queen's Club in London.

Hewitt, a four-time winner of this tournament, failed to earn a break point. He and German veteran Tommy Haas were among those who received a wild card in the Wimbledon draw.

Nicolas Mahut earned a second-round meeting with top seed and defending champion Andy Murray by beating Guillermo Garcia Lopez 6-4, 6-2. Second-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will play Jamie Baker, who defeated Oliver Golding 7-6 (7-1), 6-3.

Gerry Webber Open: Sixth-seeded Marcel Granollers defeated Mischa Zverev 6-4, 6-2 to reach the second round in Halle, Germany. Florian Mayer beat Tim Smyczek in straight sets to set up a second-round meeting with five-time winner Roger Federer today. Rafael Nadal will open against Lukas Lacko, who beat Konstantin Kravchuk 2-6, 6-2, 6-3.

et cetera

AAU: The Amateur Athletic Union will implement several reforms, including mandatory background screening for all staff, coaches and volunteers set to begin Sept. 1. "The new recommendations are not because we suspect anyone, but rather because we expect everyone to do their part to create a strong, new culture of safety," national president Louis Stout said.

Times wires

Royals 2, Brewers 1

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Times wires
Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Royals 2, Brewers 1

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Billy Butler drove in the go-ahead run in the eighth inning, and Luis Mendoza didn't allow a hit until the seventh as Kansas City spoiled former ace Zack Greinke's return. Alex Gordon homered leading off the first then doubled leading off the eighth and went to third base on Chris Getz's sacrifice bunt. That set the table for Butler, who sent Francisco Rodriguez's pitch into centerfield.

White Sox 6, Cardinals 1

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Times wires
Tuesday, June 12, 2012

White Sox 6, Cardinals 1

ST. LOUIS — A.J. Pierzynski hit a two-run homer and rookie left-hander Jose Quintana allowed one run over 51/3 innings for Chicago. Paul Konerko had three singles on a 3-for-4 night to lift his majors-best average to .373, Adam Dunn added a solo homer and Orlando Hudson hit a two-run triple for the White Sox to back Quintana.

Rangers 9, Diamondbacks 1

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Times wires
Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Rangers 9, D'backs 1

ARLINGTON, Texas — Colby Lewis retired the first 16 and pitched a four-hitter for Texas, which ended Arizona's five-game winning streak. Lewis did not permit a runner until Aaron Hill hit a one-out single to leftfield on an 0-and-2 pitch in the sixth. Ian Kennedy struggled for 52/3 innings. He arrived in Texas on a private plane earlier in the day after wife Allison gave birth to their second daughter, Renee Elaine, on Sunday.

Tampa Bay Rays lose 11-2 to New York Mets, fall into second place

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By Joey Knight, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, June 12, 2012

ST. PETERSBURG — As the signs of sluggishness offset any sign of life Tuesday at Tropicana Field, one had to presume the momentum the Rays seized over the weekend in Miami got stranded somewhere on Alligator Alley.

Instead of building on their four-game win streak and run-scoring resurgence, the Rays (35-26) got flustered early and pummeled late. By night's end, Hideki Matsui's birthday and another solid outing by 24-year-old right-hander Alex Cobb had been spoiled in an 11-2 defeat to the Mets.

A six-run seventh, capped by first baseman Ike Davis' three-run homer to right on a 3-and-2 pitch from J.P. Howell, gave the Mets (33-29) a 9-2 lead and essentially sealed things before an audience of 17,334.

"That was a clunker tonight," said manager Joe Maddon, whose club now has five times as many multi-error games (15) as it did this time in 2011.

"I thought Cobber was really good. Outside of that, we did not catch the ball early. We had our chances offensively, we did not do a good job with that. It was just kind of a flat game for us, but Alex was good."

The Mets' run total was a season high and one more than the Rays allowed in their previous four contests. The five runs given up by Tampa Bay's bullpen were two more than it surrendered in the 181/3 innings it logged on the just-completed road trip.

All on a night in which Maddon momentarily spurned sabermetrics. When determining his DH, Maddon crunched only the number 38 — the age Matsui turned Tuesday.

Matsui responded with a bases-loaded single off the rightfield wall in the first, scoring the first of the Rays' two runs in the inning.

But even that was tarnished — only one run scored due to shoddy baserunning — in an otherwise dreadful inning that commenced with two Rays errors.

Mets DH Jordany Valdespin, who had reached first on a fielder's choice and stole second, scored when David Wright's routine grounder to shortstop slithered beneath Elliot Johnson.

It was the only run the Mets scored with less than two out.

"They're pretty much routine plays that we've been having a hard time with and we have to be better there," Maddon said. "That's not who we are and that's what's getting us behind the eight-ball a bit."

Meantime, the Rays struggled to piece together timely hits against 6-foot-10 right-hander Chris Young. In his second start since right shoulder surgery 13 months ago, Young held the Rays in check with a velocity — low 80s — belying his vertical stature.

Similarly, Cobb shined for the better part of 109 pitches and 62/3 innings.

"Stuff-wise, I felt great," he said. "I definitely think my fastball location was the best it has been all year."

Cobb retired nine in a row before giving up three straight hits in the fifth, the last of them Valdespin's two-out single that gave the Mets a 3-2 lead. His seventh-inning double made it 4-2.

Cobb intentionally walked Wright before being relieved by Howell, who promptly gave up three hits including Davis' homer.

"It was just one of those nights. It worked for them, it didn't work for us," Maddon said. "I just a couple of days ago talked about maybe we played our best game of the season in Miami. We possibly played our worst game of the season tonight at home."

Twins 11, Phillies 7

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Times wires
Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Twins 11, Phillies 7

MINNEAPOLIS — Trevor Plouffe had a homer, a double and three RBIs, and Ben Revere and Jamey Carroll each had three hits and two RBIs for Minnesota, which has won 10 of 13 games. Philadelphia stranded 10 behind Kyle Kendrick, who has a 7.80 ERA in his past three starts.


Cubs 4, Tigers 3

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Times wires
Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Cubs 4, Tigers 3

CHICAGO — Darwin Barney had three RBIs for Chicago, which scored the winner thanks to shortstop Jhonny Peralta's two throwing errors in the eighth. With two outs and two on, Tony Campana hit a grounder to Peralta, whose throw pulled Ramon Santiago off the bag at second. Starlin Castro then hit a grounder that Peralta threw wide of first, allowing Barney to score.

Oklahoma City Thunder beats Miami Heat in Game 1 of NBA Finals

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Times wires
Tuesday, June 12, 2012

OKLAHOMA CITY — Kevin Durant showed LeBron James how to play the fourth quarter in the NBA Finals.

Durant scored 17 of his 36 in a nightmarish final quarter for James and his team, leading the Thunder to a 105-94 victory in Game 1 on Tuesday night.

Teaming with Russell Westbrook to outscore the Heat in the second half by themselves, Durant struck first in his head-to-head matchup with James, who had seven points in the final quarter and couldn't stop the league's three-time scoring champion.

Westbrook turned around a poor shooting start to finish with 27 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds. His three-point play on Oklahoma City's final possession of the third quarter gave the Thunder its first lead, and the Heat never caught up.

Scoring in nearly every way possible, Durant finished 12 of 20 from the field and added eight rebounds. He and Westbrook outscored the Heat 41-40 in the second half.

James finished with 30 points, his most in any of his 11 Finals games, but had only one basket over the first 8:15 of the fourth,.

James averaged three points in the fourth quarters of the Heat's six-game loss to Dallas last year, taking almost all the heat for Miami's failure. He was good Tuesday, Durant was just better.

Fans chanted "MVP! MVP!" to Durant late in the game.

"I was playing off my teammates, not trying to force anything,'' Durant said.

Game 2 is Thursday night in Oklahoma City.

"We didn't attack as much in the second half,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "When we don't attack we don't get as many opportunities in the paint or at the free-throw line. And we're a better defensive team than we showed. We have to get stops.''

MIAMI (94): James 11-24 7-9 30, Battier 6-9 1-2 17, Haslem 2-6 0-0 4, Chalmers 5-7 0-0 12, Wade 7-19 5-5 19, Bosh 4-11 1-2 10, Miller 1-2 0-0 2, Anthony 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 36-78 14-18 94.

OKLAHOMA CITY (105): Durant 12-20 8-9 36, Ibaka 5-10 0-1 10, Perkins 2-2 0-0 4, Westbrook 10-24 7-9 27, Sefolosha 2-5 5-6 9, Collison 4-5 0-0 8, Harden 2-6 0-0 5, Fisher 3-5 0-0 6, Cook 0-0 0-2 0. Totals 40-77 20-27 105.

Miami 29 25 19 21— 94

Oklahoma City 22 25 27 31— 105

3-Point GoalsMiami 8-19 (Battier 4-6, Chalmers 2-4, Bosh 1-3, James 1-3, Miller 0-1, Wade 0-2), Oklahoma City 5-17 (Durant 4-8, Harden 1-2, Fisher 0-1, Sefolosha 0-2, Westbrook 0-4). Fouled OutNone. ReboundsMiami 38 (Haslem 11), Oklahoma City 52 (Collison 10). AssistsMiami 20 (Wade 8), Oklahoma City 22 (Westbrook 11). Total FoulsMiami 19, Oklahoma City 16. TechnicalsBattier, Westbrook. A18,203 (18,203).

stern wants tweaks: Commissioner David Stern believes the NBA needs tweaking even after following the black eye of the lockout with a better-than-expected regular season.

The first forum for change will come Monday, when the competition committee will discuss ways to eliminate flopping and to consider expanding instant replay.

Stern celebrated success that was "better than we could have hoped for" out of a season that was in jeopardy and said fans showed their admiration for the league in record numbers.

There are still some remnants of the labor dispute that still must be taken up. Deputy commissioner Adam Silver said that will take place after the Finals.

Stern also wants to discuss whether NBA players should continue to play in the Olympics or if there should be an age cutoff. He admits the "Dream Team" that won gold in the 1992 Barcelona Games and helped grow the game globally was a good move, but he sees merit in questions raised by some owners about players risking injury.

There are also decisions to be made after the Grizzlies found a buyer, now that Sacramento's plan for a new arena to keep the Kings fell through and as Seattle continues to pursue a team to replace the SuperSonics.

Stern said the league would have to go through the "somewhat boring" process of gathering facts to determine whether the board of governors should approve the sale of the Grizzlies to a group led by 34-year-old California billionaire Robert J. Pera.

That wrangling is made somewhat more interesting since the last time majority owner Michael Heisley tried to sell the team — in 2006 to a group headed by Christian Laettner — the deal was not approved.

lil wayne attends: After much ado, Lil Wayne finally went to see a playoff game in Oklahoma City.

Thunder spokesman Dan Mahoney says the rapper bought a pair of courtside seats for Tuesday's Game 1.

Lil Wayne caused a stir during the Western Conference final when he posted on Twitter that the Thunder wouldn't let him into its arena, with the team saying simply that he needed to buy tickets if he wanted to come.

Lil Wayne then said he felt "unwanted" in Oklahoma City, even though Durant and James Harden had offered him tickets.

This time, Thunder spokesman Dan Mahoney said the rapper bought his pair of courtside seats.

around the league: The Magic reportedly has narrowed its general manager search to three finalists: Spurs executive Dennis Lindsey, Thunder executive Rob Hennigan and, former Hornets GM Jeff Bower. … The Bobcats coaching search has reportedly been narrowed to Jerry Sloan, Brian Shaw and Quin Snyder. Shaw, a highly regarded assistant once viewed as the heir apparent to Phil Jackson with the Lakers, is also considered a strong candidate for the Magic coaching opening.

Athletics 8, Rockies 5

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Times wires
Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Athletics 8, Rockies 5

DENVER — Bartolo Colon settled down after a rough start to pitch effectively for five innings, Brandon Moss hit two home runs and Cliff Pennington and Brandon Inge also homered for Oakland, which snapped a three-game skid and dropped Colorado to 0-7 in interleague games.

Dodgers 5, Angels 2

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Times wires
Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Dodgers 5, Angels 2

LOS ANGELES ­— Former Angel Juan Rivera hit a three-run home run and Andre Ethier added his 500th career RBI in the eighth inning, helping the Dodgers rally to end the Angels' 10-game road winning streak. Jamey Wright pitched a perfect eighth for the victory. Kenley Jansen retired the side in order in the ninth. With a third-inning single, the Angels' Albert Pujols became one of nine active players with 4,000 career total bases (4,002).

Heavy rains change the fishing formula

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By Captain Ric Liles, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Hit the showers. This is the time of year that we start getting a majority of our thunderstorms that bring us an abundance of rain. That is certainly good for the yard and can be good for the fishing as it cools the water temps.

Pain of rain. Last week we had a tremendous amount of rain and given that much water in a short time period caused some difficulties in certain areas. There were a few areas that took in almost five inches of water in a 48 hour period. There are a couple things that are effected by this. One is that the salinity levels of the water will drop causing fish to move. This is not something that will bother fish in deep water but will definitely shuffle the deck on fish found on the flats. Not only do the fish that we seek relocate, but the bait will also move as well.

When it clears. The good thing is that they will move back into these areas of interest if given a day or two without rain. We had this very thing happen last week and I noticed the change right away and was happy to see the fish back in a few days. The water clarity will also change a little but seems to clear up faster as long as the winds are not intense.

Back in stride. Once everything returned to normal, our trout bite continued to be strong. The snook are starting to show back up and the bite for them has been fair. I have not gotten my finger on the pulse of the redfish yet but look for that to change soon. Spanish mackerel are a safe bet if you have enough bait to start a good chum line. The tarpon and shark bite is pretty good right now if you want to battle a big fish. As conditions change, so do the patterns of the fish and to be a successful angler our patterns and techniques must change as well.

Ric Liles fishes out of Tampa, Ruskin, Bradenton and the surrounding areas, and can be reached (813) 601-2900, via email at CaptainRic@msn.com or at ReelSimpleFishing.com

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