In brief: Richardson, Suns eliminate pesky Blazers
NBA: Jason Richardson scored 28 points, including five 3-pointers, and Phoenix advanced to the second round of the playoffs with a 99-90 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 6 at Portland.
The sixth-seeded Suns will face seventh-seeded San Antonio, which advanced by beating Dallas. The opening game of the Western Conference semifinals is Monday night in Phoenix.
The Suns last went to the second round in 2007, when they got past the Los Angeles Lakers to open the playoffs before falling to the Spurs. In 2008, the Spurs got the best of Phoenix in the first round.
Grant Hill of the Suns advanced past the first round for the first time in his career.
The Suns went up 53-41 at halftime and led by as many as 16 points in the second half. The Blazers tied it at 76 midway through the fourth quarter, but could not pull ahead.
Martell Webster had 19 points and a hobbled Brandon Roy 14 for Portland, which failed to advance out of the first round for the second straight year.
■Spurs bump Mavericks out of playoffs: Manu Ginobili scored 26 points and San Antonio survived blowing a 22-point lead in a 97-87 victory in Game 6 at San Antonio, handing Dirk Nowitzki and second-seeded Dallas another first-round exit.
The Spurs got payback after the Mavs eliminated them a year ago. They will play Phoenix in the Western Conference semifinals.
Nowitzki nearly carried the Mavs to an unbelievable comeback, getting 25 of his 33 points in a remarkable second half. But the Mavs still stumbled to their third first-round exit in the last four years.
George Hill had 21 points for the Spurs, who are the fifth No. 7 seed to win a first-round series, and the first since the opening round became a best-of-7 in 2003. It hadn’t been done since New York beat Miami in 1998.
•James will play in conference semis: LeBron James shot left-handed layups and short jumpers at practice, but the Cavaliers superstar is not expected to miss any of Cleveland’s playoff games because of his strained right elbow and bone bruise.
James was re-examined by team doctors, who took more X-rays and an MRI exam that revealed the strain and a bruised bone near the elbow.
•Nene has sprained left knee: The Denver Nuggets flew to Salt Lake City without injured center Nene but relieved that their big man only has a hyperextended left knee and not a torn ACL as feared.
Nene might be able to play Sunday night if the Nuggets can beat the Utah Jazz in Game 6 tonight and force a Game 7.
Pavelski leads Sharks past Red Wings
NHL: Joe Pavelski picked up where he left off in the first round by scoring two goals to lead the San Jose Sharks to a 4-3 victory over Detroit in Game 1 of the second-round Western Conference series at San Jose, Calif.
Pavelski scored in the first period to start a three-goal outburst in 79 seconds with Dany Heatley and Devin Setoguchi. Pavelski added his seventh goal of the postseason on a two-man advantage in the opening minute of the third period to help the Sharks end a string of four straight home losses in series openers.
Dan Cleary, Johan Franzen and Brian Rafalski scored for the Red Wings.
Ugly Quail Hollow first round for Woods
Golf: Tiger Woods hit a tee shot into the water on the par-3 17th that produced little reaction except to hold out his hand for another ball. He hit his next tee shot into the water and had to scramble for bogey. And he wound up with a 2-over-par 74 that left him nine shots behind Bo Van Pelt and ended his streak of 21 straight rounds at par or better at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, N.C.
Alex Prugh (University of Washington/Ferris High) shot an even-par 72.
•Miyazato swings into lead: Ai Miyazato is trying to spoil Lorena Ochoa’s going-away party.
Miyazato, the Japanese star who won the first two events of the LPGA Tour season, shot a 10-under 63, the best round of her career in relation to par, to take the first-round lead in the Tres Marias Championship in Morelia, Mexico.
Wendy Ward of Edwall, Wash., was even at 73, and is 10 strokes off the lead.
Board of directors OKs 68-team tourney
College men: The road to the Final Four will have a new look next season.
The NCAA’s board of directors approved expansion from 65 to 68 teams and endorsed a proposal to add three opening-round games to the schedule. The board also approved new rules governing concussions, and may sanction schools that do not comply.
It’s only the second time in a quarter-century the NCAA has increased the number of teams competing for the men’s national championship.
No wrongdoing in Bellotti’s final pay
Miscellany: The Oregon attorney general offered the following advice to the Ducks: Put it in writing next time you hire an athletic director, especially if you’re going to pay him $2.3 million before he leaves for ESPN.
The state Department of Justice found no criminal wrongdoing but it faulted University of Oregon lawyers for failing to provide Mike Bellotti with a written contract when he took over the athletic director’s job after 14 seasons as football coach.
The review also found that the amount he was paid “was not unreasonable.”
Armstrong third in Gila second stage
Cycling: Seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong finished in third place in the windy second stage of the Tour of the Gila in Silver City, N.M., helping teammate and Butte native Levi Leipheimer preserve his overall lead.