Marleau’s goal sends Sharks to West finals
NHL: Patrick Marleau got his first point of the series when he knocked home a rebound with 7:47 to play and the San Jose Sharks finally managed to knock out the visiting Detroit Red Wings on their fourth try with a 3-2 victory Thursday night in Game 7 of their Western Conference semifinal series.
Devin Setoguchi and Logan Couture scored in the first period and Antti Niemi made 38 saves for the Sharks, who had lost three straight potential clinching games before eliminating the Red Wings for the second straight year in the second round.
Russia, Finland reach world semifinals
World hockey: Russia eliminated Olympic champion Canada 2-1 in Bratislava, Slovakia, to reach the semifinals of the ice hockey world championships.
Russia will play Finland today, and the Czech Republic will meet Sweden.
Jarkko Immonen scored twice to help Finland beat Norway 4-1.
Boozer, Rose lead Bulls into East finals
NBA: Carlos Boozer scored 23 points and MVP Derrick Rose had 12 assists, leading the Chicago Bulls to a 93-73 rout of the host Atlanta Hawks on Thursday night that finished off in the Eastern Conference semifinal in six games.
The 4-2 series victory sent the Bulls to their first conference final since 1998, when Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen were on their way to a second three-peat.
• James top choice for All-NBA: Miami Heat forward LeBron James was named first-team All-NBA for the fourth consecutive season and fifth time in his eight-year career.
Most Valuable Player Derrick Rose of Chicago, Kobe Bryant of the Lakers, Orlando center Dwight Howard and Oklahoma City forward Kevin Durrant were the other first-team selections.
Alabama football player found dead
College football: Alabama offensive lineman Aaron Douglas, a junior college transfer and onetime Tennessee starter, was found dead on the second-floor balcony of a home in Fernandina Beach, Fla., after attending a party, according to police.
Douglas was seen at the residence as late as 2 a.m. before a male resident and others discovered him “apparently dead” on the balcony Thursday morning, Fernandina police chief James T. Hurley said in a released statement.
NFL players ask judge for $707 million
Labor: Seeking more clout in their fight with the NFL, locked-out players asked a federal judge to make $4 billion in disputed broadcast revenue off limits to the league and to award them at least $707 million in damages, too.
U.S. District Judge David Doty took the request under advisement after a two-hour hearing that included arguments from attorneys for the league and the players.
• Ron Springs dies at 54: Former Dallas Cowboys running back Ron Springs, who spent the past four years in a coma after losing oxygen during a 2007 operation, has died at age 54 without ever regaining consciousness.
Barnes’ Texas-sized pay raise criticized
College basketball: Several Texas senators criticized the recent $200,000 raise for Texas basketball coach Rick Barnes, calling it “nuts” and “tone deaf” during a state budget crisis that threatens deep cuts to higher education.
The criticism in Texas comes on the same day the University of Oklahoma’s Board of Regents voted to approve a seven-year, $16.6 million contract for new men’s basketball coach Lon Kruger. Kruger still must sign the contract.
Federer errant at Italian Open
Tennis: Roger Federer’s French Open preparation hit a roadblock Thursday with a 4-6, 7-6 (2), 7-6 (4) loss to Richard Gasquet in the third round of the Italian Open.
Federer had won his last eight meetings against Gasquet, but his uncharacteristic errors from the baseline allowed the 16th-seeded Frenchman to take control.
• Serena passes on Rolland Garros: Serena Williams pulled out of the French Open, a decision that was expected because the 13-time Grand Slam singles champion has been off the tour for more than 10 months.
Ventoso wins sixth stage of Giro d’Italia
Miscellany: Francisco Ventoso of Spain captured one of the longest stages when he beat Italian sprint specialist Alessandro Petacchi to win the sixth leg of cycling’s Giro d’Italia.
Ventoso led home a mass sprint to win the 134-mile stage from Orvieto to Fiuggi in 5 hours, 15 minutes, 39 seconds.
• Lesnar withdraws: Former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar has diverticulitis again and has pulled out of next month’s title elimination fight against Junior Dos Santos.
Lesnar said this episode of the digestive disorder is not as serious as when he was sidelined two years ago, and he’s not retiring.
• Kent State sues over Ford’s departure: Kent State is suing former men’s basketball coach Geno Ford for more than $1.2 million in damages over his recent departure for Bradley University.
The lawsuit filed April 26 in Portage County Common Pleas Court in northeast Ohio alleges Ford had no permission to terminate his Kent State contract.
Sports people
A federal judge in Wichita, Kan., sentenced Ben Kirtland to 57 months in prison and ordered him to pay more than $1.29 million in restitution for his role in a ticket scalping conspiracy at the University of Kansas. … Chivas USA soccer midfielder Marcos Mondaini has been suspended for four games and fined $1,500 for a tackle last weekend that broke an ankle of Real Salt Lake midfielder Javier Morales.