Second-half Heat wave earns OT win
NBA: LeBron James scored 34 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, Dwyane Wade scored 23 and the host Miami Heat rallied from 15 down to beat the Boston Celtics 115-111 in overtime on Wednesday night to take a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals.
Mario Chalmers scored 22 for the Heat, who won despite an unbelievable night by Rajon Rondo. The Celtics’ guard played all 53 minutes and scored 44 points, dished out 10 assists and grabbed eight rebounds.
Allen’s 3-pointer with 34.3 seconds left tied the game at 99-all. James missed two shots, first a layup – he got the rebound of his miss – and then a jumper on the final possession of regulation, and to overtime they went.
Game 3 is Friday in Boston.
• Hornets expected to draft Davis: The New Orleans Hornets won the NBA’s draft lottery and the No. 1 pick overall.
The Hornets have a shot to add a superstar, with Kentucky freshman Anthony Davis considered the best player available.
The Charlotte Bobcats, after the worst season in NBA history, fell to the No. 2 pick. Washington will pick third and Cleveland fell one spot to fourth.
Better game vowed in Honolulu Pro Bowl
NFL: After a promise from players that the game will be more competitive, the NFL will hold the Pro Bowl in Honolulu on Jan. 27, a week before the Super Bowl.
Commissioner Roger Goodell had made it clear canceling the all-star game was a possibility after the uninspired play of this year’s 59-41 AFC victory. Following discussions between the league and the players’ union, the NFL announced that Aloha Stadium would host the Pro Bowl for the third straight year.
Ochoa leads Sounders to U.S. Open Cup win
SOCCER: Sammy Ochoa scored goals 4 minutes apart midway through the second half as the Seattle Sounders opened pursuit of an unprecedented fourth straight U.S. Open Cup by routing the Atlanta Silverbacks 5-1 at Tukwila, Wash.
• Brazil routs U.S. men: Neymar converted a penalty kick and assisted on goals by defenders Thiago Silva and Marcelo as Brazil took advantage of a sloppy American backline to beat the United States 4-1 in an exhibition game before an enthusiastic crowd of 67,619 at FedEx Field in Landover, Md.
USA’s Herculez Gomez, scored in the 45th following a fine run by Michael Bradley and cross by Fabian Johnson.
Second Williams exits French Open
Tennis: It used to be that Venus Williams was the one who was highly ranked, the one considered a title contender, the one who would dominate foes so thoroughly that matches would be tidily wrapped up in an hour.
Now 31, and figuring out from day to day how to handle an illness that saps her strength, Williams was on the wrong end of a lopsided 60-minute defeat in the second round of the French Open at Paris.
Looking glum and lacking the verve that carried her to seven Grand Slam titles, Williams barely put up any resistance and lost 6-2, 6-3 to No. 3-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland at Roland Garros. Coming a day after her younger sister Serena was stunned in the first round by 111th-ranked Virginie Razzano of France, the early exit marked the first time in 43 major tournaments with both in the field that neither Williams got to the third round.
Radwanska has shown signs of being ready for a major breakthrough, with three lesser titles and a tour-high 38 victories in 2012. Of her seven losses, six were against No. 1-ranked Victoria Azarenka.
On an easy day for the top-seeded players, Azarenka breezed into the third round with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Dinah Pfizenmaier of Germany 6-1, 6-1, while the No. 1 man, Novak Djokovic, extended his Grand Slam winning streak to 23 matches by beating Blaz Kavcic of Slovenia 6-0, 6-4, 6-4.
NCAA investigates Montana football
MISCELLANY: The NCAA is investigating the University of Montana’s football program, which already is the subject of investigations by the U.S. Department of Education and Department of Justice.
The Justice Department said this month it’s reviewing how the university, its football team and the city of Missoula have responded to sexual assault and harassment reports by female students, with some cases involving football players. The federal Education Department has opened a similar investigation.
• Alabama leads NCAA golf: Cory Whitsett shot a 3-under 68 to help Alabama to take a four-shot lead after two rounds of the NCAA Division I men’s championships at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles. The Crimson Tide were 4-over 572. UCLA is alone in second.
Eighth-ranked Washington is sixth at 582. UW Junior Chris Williams of Moscow, Idaho, shot a 71 and is 4-over after two rounds.