In brief: Bulls pick up victory over Cavaliers
NBA: Derrick Rose scored 31 points, Kirk Hinrich added 27 and Chicago hung on to beat the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers 108-106 at home in Game 3 of their first-round series after watching a 21-point lead dwindle to one. The Cavs lead the series 2-1.
LeBron James scored 13 of his 39 points in the fourth quarter but also committed some turnovers down the stretch. Even so, the Cavaliers were within 107-106 with 3.8 seconds left. Chicago’s Luol Deng hit the first free throw but missed the second. Cleveland’s Anthony Parker got the rebound and raced up the right side but missed a 3 at the buzzer.
• Durant’s double-double powers Thunder: Kevin Durant had 29 points and 19 rebounds, and snapped out of a shooting funk just in time to lead the decisive run in the first playoff game played in Oklahoma City, lifting the Thunder to a 101-96 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Durant and Russell Westbrook scored 22 of the final 23 for the Thunder, including every point during a 10-2 surge that put Oklahoma City ahead to stay.
The top-seeded Lakers got back within 98-96 on Kobe Bryant’s driving layup with 13.5 seconds left, but the Thunder closed it out from the foul line.
• Suns grab 2-1 series advantage: Jason Richardson scored a playoff career-high 42 points and the visiting Phoenix Suns dominated from the start in a 108-89 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers that gave them a 2-1 lead in their first-round series.
The Suns led by as many as 31 points before Portland mounted a rally in the fourth quarter, closing within 91-80 after Rudy Fernandez hit three consecutive 3-pointers.
The burst came too late for the Blazers, who suffered a setback when starting forward Nicolas Batum aggravated a shoulder injury in the first half and did not return.
• Brooks wins NBA’s most improved: Houston Rockets and former University of Oregon point guard Aaron Brooks was named the NBA’s Most Improved Player after setting career highs in points (19.6 per game), assists (5.3) and rebounds (2.6).
His scoring average went up 8.4 points from 2008-09, the highest increase of any qualifying player.
• NBA hands out fines: The NBA fined Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy and forward Matt Barnes $35,000 each for publicly criticizing officials.
Separately, the NBA also fined Boston Celtics forward Rasheed Wallace $35,000 for publicly criticizing officials.
Carkner’s goal in 3rd OT keeps Sens alive
NHL: Matt Carkner scored at 7:06 of the third overtime to give the Ottawa Senators a 4-3 win over host Pittsburgh, forcing a sixth game in the Eastern Conference series.
Carkner fired a wrist shot through traffic from the right point for his first goal of the postseason.
Peter Regin tied it with 9:36 to play, Mike Fisher and Jarkko Ruutu also scored, and Jason Spezza and Erik Karlsson each had two assists for the Senators.
• Flyers eliminate Devils in Game 5: Given a second chance to knock out the New Jersey Devils 10 years after squandering their first opportunity, Flyers goalie Brian Boucher was brilliant as Philadelphia won 3-0 in Game 5 to finish off the series.
Claude Giroux scored twice in the second period after Danny Briere had given the Flyers a 1-0 lead in the first.
• Nabokov, Couture lead Sharks over Avs: Evgeni Nabokov stopped 28 shots to record his seventh career playoff shutout, Logan Couture scored twice and the San Jose Sharks beat the Colorado Avalanche 5-0 in San Jose, Calif., to take a 3-2 edge in their series.
Joe Pavelski, Patrick Marleau and Dwight Helminen also scored for the Sharks.
Titans, Brown agree to three-year deal
NFL: The Tennessee Titans and defensive tackle Tony Brown agreed to a three-year contract extension worth $17 million to keep the restricted free agent with the team.
Brown had five sacks with a team-high 25 quarterback pressures while being a Pro Bowl alternate.
Bohn’s 65 earns lead at Zurich Classic
Golf: Jason Bohn took advantage of calm morning conditions in the Zurich Classic at Avondale, La., shooting a 7-under-par 65 to take a two-stroke lead over Jason Dufner, John Senden, Jeff Overton, Greg Owen and 2006 champion Chris Couch.
Ferris graduate Alex Prugh shot a 72.
Board approves Petersen’s contract
College football: Boise State coach Chris Petersen’s new five-year, $8 million contract has been approved by the Idaho State Board of Education.
Pickler breaks meet heptathlon mark
Track and field: Former Washington State Cougar Diana Pickler, the defending U.S. champion in the heptathlon, broke the meet record with 6,040 points, notching the second-best mark in the world this year at the Drake Relays in Des Moines, Iowa.
• Merritt given provisional suspension: American track star LaShawn Merritt tested positive for a banned substance used in an over-the-counter male enhancement product, an embarrassing episode for the Olympic gold medalist.
Seattle signs veteran forward Abrosimova
WNBA: The Seattle Storm have signed veteran forward Svetlana Abrosimova and released center Janell Burse. Abrosimova last played for Connecticut during the 2008 season.
Azzi to be named USF hoops coach
College women: Two people with knowledge of the situation tell the Associated Press that Jennifer Azzi is set to be the University of San Francisco’s new women’s basketball coach.
The 41-year-old Azzi is widely considered one of the best women’s players.