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Perhaps Manny Ramirez, Jonathan Papelbon and several Boston teammates should have stored their gear at Yankee Stadium this weekend.

They’re coming back real soon.

The World Series champion Red Sox will bring seven players to the home of their biggest rival for the All-Star game on July 15. The Chicago Cubs also wound up with seven when rosters were announced Sunday, perhaps further evidence this really is a charmed season for them.

“They love me everywhere, what can I tell you?” Ramirez said. “That’s why I’m here. I guess I’m not stealing money.”

Said New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez: “It’s going to be weird having them in our locker room.”

Rodriguez led all players in fan voting for starting spots, as he did last year. The Tampa Bay Rays, the team with the best record in the majors, did not have a single player elected to start—pitcher Scott Kazmir and catcher Dioner Navarro made the AL squad.

“Picking the All-Star team, it’s normally based on individual performance,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said. “You can look at our group, individually we don’t necessarily stand out, and that’s OK. As a team, we totally stand out. I would much prefer that formula as opposed to the individual formula.”

“We’re definitely having to turn the corner in a lot of regards. Part of that is recognition. It’s nobody’s fault but our own that’s it’s finally occurring now.”

The Yankees will be well represented in their ballpark’s final year. Rodriguez will be joined by Yankees captain Derek Jeter and closer Mariano Rivera.

“It’s more than just an All-Star game, it’s like a celebration of Yankee Stadium,” Jeter said.

There was only one change in the last week of fan voting for starters— Milwaukee outfielder Ryan Braun overtook Ken Griffey Jr. in the NL outfield. Griffey finished fourth and was left off the team.

The 1958 Yankees hold the record with nine players in an All-Star game. The Cubs and Red Sox came close this time.

“To be able to represent the Red Sox with that number of Red Sox will be very exciting,” AL manager Terry Francona of Boston said. “I’m very proud of that.”

Outfielders Kosuke Fukudome and Alfonso Soriano and rookie catcher Geovany Soto were chosen to start for the Cubs, who own the best record in the league. Soriano has been out with a broken left hand, but may return in time to play.

Cubs pitchers Kerry Wood and Ryan Dempster and third baseman Aramis Ramirez were chosen by NL players, and pitcher Carlos Zambrano was picked by NL manager Clint Hurdle of Colorado.

“It’s flattering,” Cubs manager Lou Piniella said. “We’ve played well the first half and these guys that are going are, in a way, largely responsible. We have a few others but these guys have all done their jobs and done them well, and they’re being rewarded.”

The Cubs, trying to win their first World Series in 100 years, put six players into the All-Star game in 1988 and 1936.

Boston’s David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis and Ramirez were elected by fans. Ortiz is on the disabled list with an injured wrist but will attend; Francona said Texas’ Milton Bradley would become the designated hitter.

In this June 30, 2008 file pho…

AP - Jul 6, 3:04 pm EDT
Red Sox outfielder J.D. Drew, catcher Jason Varitek and Papelbon, their closer, were picked by a vote of AL players. Varitek, batting .218 with seven home runs and 27 RBIs, appreciated the support.

“I mean I can’t be the judge. I’m flattered my peers think of me that way,” he said before Boston’s 5-4 loss in 10 innings to the Yankees on Sunday night.

The AL starters: Youkilis at first base, Pedroia at second base, Jeter at shortstop, Rodriguez at third base, outfielders Josh Hamilton of Texas, Ichiro Suzuki of Seattle and Ramirez, and Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer.

Starting for the NL: Houston first baseman Lance Berkman, Philadelphia second baseman Chase Utley, Florida shortstop Hanley Ramirez and Atlanta third baseman Chipper Jones, with Soriano, Fukudome and Braun in the outfield. Soto will become the first rookie catcher to start for the NL.

Utley, who leads the major leagues in home runs, was the NL’s top vote-getter.

Hamilton, whose 84 RBIs are most in the majors, was among 14 first-time AL stars. Cincinnati pitcher Edinson Volquez, traded for Hamilton in the offseason, is among the NL’s 11 newcomers.

“If it weren’t for the fans coming out and watching us, supporting us, we wouldn’t be doing this for a living,” Hamilton said.

An Internet vote this week will determine the 32nd player on both rosters.

The AL candidates: outfielders Jermaine Dye and Jose Guillen, first baseman Jason Giambi, second baseman Brian Roberts and third baseman Evan Longoria. The NL candidates: outfielders Pat Burrell, Corey Hart, Carlos Lee and Aaron Rowand and third baseman David Wright.

Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee, Colorado third baseman Garrett Atkins, Detroit outfielder Magglio Ordonez and Boston third baseman Mike Lowell were among the top players left out.

Boston’s Daisuke Matsuzaka (9-1, 3.12 ERA), the Yankees’ Mike Mussina (11-6, 3.64) and St. Louis’ Kyle Lohse (10-2, 3.61) also were left off.

Once again, the league that wins the All-Star game will get home-field advantage in the World Series.

The AL has not lost an All-Star game since 1996 at Veterans Stadium. Since then, the AL has won 10 and tied one. Overall, the NL leads 40-36-2.

In one of the wilder finishes of an unpredictable European Championship, it figures that a player struggling to find his game would score the winner.

Philipp Lahm ended Turkey’s storybook run in the tournament on Wednesday with a late goal in a 3-2 semifinal victory that kept Germany on target for a record fourth title.

A stunning conclusion that many people around the world did not see because the international TV feed went out had Lahm eliminating the surprising Turks off a give-and-go with Thomas Hitzlsperger in the 90th minute. Lahm cut in from the left, set up a passing one-two, collected the ball and shot it past Rustu Recber to unleash the joy of some 20,000 German fans at St. Jakob Park.

“It unleashed all that joy. It was my most important goal,” said Lahm, especially with it coming immediately after a major error. “In the moments leading up to 2-2, I certainly looked bad. It happens to me, too.”

With two goals in the final five minutes, the match could have gone either way, but after three stunning comeback victories in a row for Turkey, it was Germany’s day.

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“We have caught the winning mood and can get the title now,” Germany coach Joachim Loew said.

First, Semih Senturk kept Turkey in the game with an 86th-minute equalizer, beating Jens Lehmann at the near post.

Ugur Boral gave Turkey the lead in the 22nd, but Bastian Schweinsteiger equalized in the 26th. Miroslav Klose then scored in the 79th off a feed from Lahm to put the Germans ahead, setting up the thrilling finish.

“Totally crazy feeling,” Loew added. “It was unbelievable. It was a crazy, incredible drama with all these goals in the final minutes.”

Late in the match, a protester wearing a “Tibet is not China” shirt ran onto the field and was subdued by security officers. Earlier, two players— Simon Rolfes of Germany and Ayhan Akman—needed to have their foreheads stapled by trainers to stop bloody wounds. Neither of them finished the game and Rolfes needed six stitches over his left eye.

Germany, which won Euros in 1972, 1980 and 1996, will play the winner of Thursday’s Spain-Russia semifinal in Vienna, Austria. Sunday’s final game also will be in Vienna.

For Turkey, it was the end of a tremendous tournament, its best since making the World Cup semifinals six years ago.

“It showed the world what a good team we are. We are leaving as the most colorful team,” coach Fatih Terim said. “We just fell short of the final.”

Turkey dominated most of the match despite four suspensions and five injuries, proving its run of extraordinary rallies was no fluke. With a fully fit team, Germany struggled—but advanced to the final for the sixth time.

“We showed our winner’s mentality,” Loew said. “After 2-2, we knew that they can score late and it speaks for our will and character that we still looked for the winning goal and we did not give up.”

ESPN cut back to its studio analysts during the TV outages and showed video of spectators watching at a Fan Zone in Basel.

Germany’s ZDF television wound up using a Swiss feed to televise the latter portions of the match after having to do a radio-style play-by-play when the picture went out. A violent thunderstorm that hit Vienna, where the TV broadcast center is located, was blamed.

UEFA officials said the signal initially went down for six minutes in the 76th minute of the match, then “there were a couple of more interruptions,” said Wolfgang Eichler, a UEFA spokesman.

Just in case anybody had forgotten that Kobe Bryant has never won an NBA title without Shaquille O’Neal, the big man sent out a reminder.

The Phoenix Suns center can be seen rapping that “Kobe couldn’t do without me” in a video posted online at celebrity news and gossip site TMZ.com

During the two-minute video, a grinning O’Neal lurches through an improvised rap in which he skewers the Lakers’ star, with whom he won three straight NBA titles from 2000-2002 while with Los Angeles.

“I was freestyling. That’s all. It was all done in fun. Nothing serious whatsoever,” O’Neal told ESPN.com Monday. “That is what MC’s do. They freestyle when called upon. I’m totally cool with Kobe. No issue at all.”

O’Neal and Bryant last played together in 2004. After a long-simmering feud came to a boil in public, O’Neal was traded to Miami before the 2004-05 season, and won an NBA championship with the Heat in 2006.

Bryant and the Lakers didn’t reach the finals again until earlier this month, when the Boston Celtics beat them 4-2.

“You know how I be,” Shaq rapped. “Last week Kobe couldn’t do without me.”

O’Neal, who has recorded seven albums, also said he is “the difference between first and last place” and even took a jab at former New York Knicks center Patrick Ewing’s lack of championship rings.

Defending champion Venus Williams scraped through a tight first set and then pulled away for a 7-6 (5), 6-1 victory over British teenager Naomi Cavaday to begin her bid for a fifth Wimbledon title.

As reigning champion, Williams was up first on “Ladies Day” on Centre Court Tuesday as the All England Club enjoyed a second spell of dry, sunny weather on a day that also featured wins by Rafael Nadal and Andy Roddick and former champions Maria Sharapova and Lindsay Davenport. Fourth-seeded Nikolay Davydenko was the top name to go out.

It took a while for the seventh-seeded Williams, playing her first grass-court match of the season, to find her game and take command against a 19-year-old wild card entry playing only her third career Grand Slam match.

“She played a great match,” said Williams, who hit one serve at 125 mph. “She put a lot of pace on the ball, forced a few errors by me. I felt confident throughout the match. I felt good out there. I always feel good on that court.”

Nadal—coming off his fourth straight French Open championship and a win at Queen’s for his first grass-court title—got off to a solid start on Centre Court. Runner-up to Roger Federer the past two years, the second-seeded Spaniard beat 122nd-ranked German qualifier Andreas Beck 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (0).

Nadal, who never faced a break point, managed to break Beck just twice out of nine chances. He saved his best for the tiebreaker, ripping a crosscourt forehand winner for 5-0, serving his 17th ace for 6-0 and forcing an error on match point with a backhand drop shot.

“The first match is always very difficult, but I played well in the last tiebreak,” Nadal said. “I was a little bit nervous today. It was tough, but I have very nice memories from the last two years.”

Two-time runner-up Andy Roddick served 17 aces and never faced a break point as he downed Eduardo Schwank of Argentina 7-5, 6-4, 7-6 (0). The sixth-seeded Roddick, who lost to Federer in the 2004 and ‘05 finals, had only nine unforced errors. That compared with 21 for Schwank, who was making his Wimbledon debut and received a warning from the umpire after cracking his racket on the turf following the second set.

In the day’s first major upset, fourth-seeded Davydenko was knocked out in the first round in straight sets by 116th-ranked German Benjamin Becker, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. It was the fifth time in seven years the Russian failed to get past the first round; he reached the fourth round last year.

“He played good, but I played very bad,” Davydenko said.

The Russian player has been at the center of an investigation into suspicious betting patterns involving a match in Poland last year when he retired citing an injury in the third set against Argentina’s Martin Vassallo Arguello.

“Nobody can prove anything,” said Davydenko, who has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. “I think there’s no match-fixing in tennis.”

Arguello won his first-round match Tuesday, outlasting Ivo Minar, 6-4, 2-6, 2-6, 6-2, 6-2.

Also advancing among the men was No. 8 Richard Gasquet, who beat Mardy Fish 6-3, 6-4, 6-2, and No. 12 Andy Murray, who thrilled his British fans by downing 35-year-old Frenchman Fabrice Santoro 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (5) in the final match on Centre Court.

Wimbledon lost the oldest player in the men’s draw, 36-year-old Jonas Bjorkman, when he lost 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (4) to Arnaud Clement. It was the Swede’s 15th and last Wimbledon before his planned retirement in October.

Another Wimbledon women’s champion, 2004 winner Sharapova, advanced to the second round with a 6-1, 6-4 win on Court 1 over 105th-ranked French qualifier Stephanie Foretz.

Israel’s Shahar Peer reacts du…

AP - Jun 24, 2:29 pm EDT
“It was great to get out there and get a feel for the court,” the third-seeded Sharapova said. “It was my first match on grass this year and I did pretty well considering.”

A day after Roger Federer wore a custom-made cardigan onto Centre Court and Serena Williams donned a thigh-length trench coat, Sharapova made a fashion statement of her own. She came on court wearing shorts and a specially designed white tuxedo-style top.

“I’m very inspired by menswear this year,” Sharapova said. “Every year at Wimbledon I want to do something classy. I’ve never worn shorts before at a Grand Slam and Wimbledon is the place to do it.”

Davenport, the 1999 champion competing in her 13th Wimbledon at age 32, overcame a leg injury to beat Renata Voracova 6-3, 5-7, 6-3. Davenport missed the tournament last year after giving birth to a son in June 2007.

Davenport, who squandered a match point in the 10th game of the second set, took an injury timeout before the third. A trainer strapped her right leg from mid-calf to thigh. Davenport limped through the third set, going for big shots, and managed to win. After match point, she looked to the sky and limped off the court with no smile.

Israel’s Shahar Peer in action…

AP - Jun 24, 2:27 pm EDT
Cavaday, a left-hander with a world ranking of No. 197, pushed Williams to the limit in a surprisingly tough opening set that lasted nearly an hour.

With nothing to lose, Cavaday went for her shots and got out to leads of 2-0 and 3-1. She missed a chance to go up 4-2 and Williams rallied to go ahead 4-3.

Cavaday, however, didn’t wilt and forced a tiebreaker. Williams was up 3-1 and 4-2 in the tiebreaker, but Cavaday got back to 4-4 with a forehand winner. At 6-4, Williams squandered a set point with a forehand error. She converted on the second when Cavaday couldn’t handle a second serve and sent a forehand return into the net.

Cavaday held to open the second set, but Williams then reeled off six straight games to close out the match, and celebrated with twirls to the crowd.

Among those in the stands were her mother, Oracene, and sister Serena, the two-time champion who won her first-round match Monday. The Williams sisters, who could meet in the final, have won six of the last eight Wimbledon titles.

Rescuers battled huge waves and strong winds Sunday to reach a ferry that capsized during a deadly typhoon in the Philippines a day earlier, but found no immediate signs of the more than 740 passengers and crew.

Coast guard frogmen who managed to get to the stricken ship got no response when they rapped on the hull with metal instruments, then had to give up for the night due to the strong waves.

“They haven’t seen anyone. They’re scouring the area. They’re studying the direction of the waves to determine where survivors may have drifted,” coast guard spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Arman Balilo said.

Rescuers hoped to get inside on Monday, likely with U.S. assistance requested by the Philippine Red Cross. Typhoon Fengshen has killed at least 137 people across the sprawling archipelago, setting off landslides and floods, and knocking out electricity.

So far, 10 people from the ferry are known to have made it to land. Six bodies, including those of a man and woman who had bound themselves together, have washed ashore, along with children’s slippers and life jackets.

Officials were checking reports that a large number of survivors might have reached one nearby island and that a life raft was spotted off another, coast guard spokesman Cmdr. Antonio Cuasito said.

“We can only pray that there are many survivors so we can reduce the number of casualties,” he said.

About two dozen relatives went to the Manila office of ferry owner Sulpicio Lines. Some wept as they waited for news.

“I’m very worried. I need to know what happened to my family,” said Felino Farionin, his voice cracking. His wife, son and four in-laws were on the ferry, which was going from Manila to Cebu.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo talked to officials in a teleconference aired live on nationwide radio Sunday, scolding coast guard officials for allowing the ferry to leave Manila late Friday despite the bad weather.

Reynato Lanoria, a janitor on the ship, estimated about 100 people could have survived, “but the others were trapped inside.”

“I think they are all dead by now,” he told DZMM radio after making it to shore by jumping in the water and reaching a life raft.

Lanoria said he was on the top deck when a crew member ordered people to put on life vests around 11:30 a.m. Saturday. About 30 minutes later, the ship began tilting so fast that elderly people and children fell on the rain-slickened deck.

Passenger Jesus Gica also worried that many people were trapped below when the ship listed.

“There were many of us who jumped overboard, but we were separated because of the big waves,” he said. “The others were also able to board the life rafts, but it was useless because the strong winds flipped them over.”

The ferry initially ran aground a few miles off central Sibuyan island Saturday, then capsized, said Mayor Nanette Tansingco of Sibuyan’s San Fernando. With the upturned ferry visible from her town, she appealed for food, medicine and embalming fluid.

The nearly 24,000-ton ferry — with 626 passengers and 121 crew members on board — was “dead in the water” after its engine failed around noon Saturday, coast guard chief Vice Adm. Wilfredo Tamayo said.

The storm stymied attempts to reach the ship and kept aircraft at bay on Saturday before shifting course Sunday to the northwest and battered Manila at dawn. Major streets were flooded, and numerous traffic lights were out.

In the central province of Iloilo, Gov. Neil Tupaz said 59 people drowned, with another 40 missing.

“Almost all the towns are covered by water. It’s like an ocean,” Tupaz said.

Pope Benedict XVI said Sunday he was praying for the victims of the ferry disaster, particularly the large number of children aboard. The Philippines is predominantly Catholic.

The typhoon-prone Philippines was the site of the world’s worst peacetime maritime disaster when the ferry MV Dona Paz sank in 1987, killing more than 4,341 people.

Mark Teixeira homered three times, connecting from both sides of the plate to lead the Atlanta Braves over the Seattle Mariners 8-3 on Sunday.

Teixeira hit solo drives batting left-handed in the second and fourth innings, and a two-run shot from the right side in the seventh for his 13th homer of the season. It was his second career three-homer game and the first for an Atlanta player at Turner Field.

Tim Hudson (8-5) allowed four hits in seven scoreless innings to lower his ERA to 2.96 and finally win an interleague game with Atlanta. Before Sunday, Hudson was 0-10 with a 7.82 ERA in 12 interleague starts with the Braves. He was 0-3 with an 11.25 ERA against AL West teams.

Brian McCann followed Teixeira’s fourth-inning homer with a drive over the center-field wall against Carlos Silva (3-9), who left after the inning and allowed four runs and nine hits.

Jeff Clement hit a two-run homer off Mike Gonzalez in Seattle’s three-run ninth. Gonzalez was making his second appearance in his return from elbow ligament-replacement surgery.

Series at a GlanceSeattle 10
Atlanta 2
Fri, Jun 20 - Final
Seattle 4
Atlanta 5
Sat, Jun 21 - Final
Seattle 3
Atlanta 8
Sun, Jun 22 - Final
Gregor Blanco had an RBI single in the fourth and Ruben Gotay drove in two with a base hit in the fifth for Atlanta, which finished with 14 hits.

Teixeira’s first three-homer game came on July 13, 2006, for Texas at Baltimore. It’s the fourth time in his career he has connected from both sides of the plate.

Teixeira became the fifth player, and the first Atlanta player, to hit three homers in a game at Turner Field. Alfonso Soriano, who hit three homers in Atlanta for the Chicago Cubs in 2007, was the last to accomplish the feat.

Daisuke Matsuzaka said he felt fine in his return from the disabled list. He certainly didn’t look fine.

Troy Glaus hit a grand slam and the St. Louis Cardinals rocked Matsuzaka in his return, beating the Boston Red Sox 9-3 on Saturday.

On the DL since May 30 because of a mild strain in his rotator cuff, Matsuzaka (8-1) was tagged for seven runs in one-plus inning. It was the shortest outing of his brief major league career.

“When he came out, there were not complaints about soreness, fatigue, anything, so that’s a good sign,” Boston manager Terry Francona said. “I’m hopeful we’ll just chalk it up to a bad outing.”

Matsuzaka walked Skip Schumaker on five pitches to start the game and Aaron Miles followed with a shot into the front row of the right-field seats for his first homer of the season. Jason LaRue added a two-run single later in the first inning.

The Cardinals loaded the bases with no outs in the second and Matsuzaka was relieved by Chris Smith, who made his major league debut.

Series at a GlanceSt. Louis 5
Boston 4
Fri, Jun 20 - Final
St. Louis 9
Boston 3
Sat, Jun 21 - Final
St. Louis 2
Boston 3
Sun, Jun 22 - Top 9
After getting a big hand for striking out Ankiel swinging, Smith gave up Glaus’ slam into the first row of the Green Monster seats to make it 8-0.

“I just hope that I can get back to a good spot,” Matsuzaka said through a translator. “The good, I can’t really think of anything that was good. Things were mostly bad today.”

Matsuzaka made one five-inning rehab start for Triple-A Pawtucket against Lehigh Valley on June 16, going four scoreless innings before allowing three hits and two runs in the fifth.

“For me personally, I didn’t feel like I needed it,” Matsuzaka said, when asked if he felt like he may have needed another rehab start.

The Cardinals felt like they were facing Matsuzaka at the right time.

“I think if you ask him, his command probably wasn’t exactly where he wanted,” Glaus said. “He walked a couple of guys. He made some mistakes and we were able to take advantage. It was that simple.”

St. Louis manager Tony La Russa agreed that the layoff likely hurt Matsuzaka.

Boston Red Sox’ Kevin Youkilis…

AP - Jun 21, 7:14 pm EDT
“We caught a break,” he said. “He’s coming off the disabled list. You could tell he was rusty. He fell behind and had to throw the ball down the middle.”

Mitchell Boggs (2-0) pitched effectively into the sixth inning in his third big league start. Rick Ankiel also hit his 12th home run in the seventh for St. Louis.

The Cardinals had scored just four runs in their previous three games before defeating Boston 5-4 Friday night.

J.D. Drew homered for the Red Sox, who lost for just the fourth time in 24 home games.

The Red Sox are assured of dropping a series at Fenway Park for the first time since late April. They had won their previous seven series at home, their longest stretch since taking nine straight from July 18-Sept 8, 2005.

Matsuzaka knew he didn’t have his good stuff during his pregame warmup.

“Even during the bullpen, I didn’t feel great,” he said. “I made my adjustments.”

Matsuzaka left his last start May 27 in Seattle with the injury. He allowed more than three runs for just the second time in 12 starts this year, his second season in the majors.

Boston Red Sox’ Kevin Cash is …

AP - Jun 21, 7:03 pm EDT
“It just was not a good day,” Francona said.

Given a big lead from the start, Boggs gave up three runs and five hits in 5 1-3 innings.

Kyle McClellan, Russ Springer and Jason Isringhausen combined for 3 2-3 innings of one-hit relief.

Bastian Schweinsteiger, coming off a suspension, scored one goal and set up two more Thursday night, leading Germany over Portugal 3-2 and into the European Championship semifinals.

It was the first time Germany moved into the final four since it won Euros in 1996, and the first time Portugal failed to make the semifinals in the last three major international tournaments.

Michael Ballack and Miroslav Klose also scored for Germany off free kicks by Schweinsteiger. Nuno Gomes and Helder Postiga had goals for Portugal.

In the battle between Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Chelsea’s Ballack, the German came out on top. He delivered the deciding blow when heading in the third goal in the 61st minute, shoving away Paulo Ferreira and heading past an out-of-position goalkeeper Ricardo.

The Germans started the upset with a move in the best Portuguese tradition. Podolski set up a couple of short passing combinations and then sped down left wing like Ronaldo would do. In the center, Schweinsteiger beat Ferreira, and given the perfect low cross, right-footed it past Ricardo from close range.

The Portuguese were surprised at such light-footed creativity from the Germans and before they knew it, they were down 2-0.

Schweinsteiger swung in a free kick from near midfield. Ronaldo remained flat-footed while Klose sped by him and powerfully knocked the ball past Ricardo in the 26th.

The strong performance from Schweinsteiger was a perfect comeback for the midfielder after he was sent off for shoving an opponent in Germany’s 2-1 loss to Croatia that relegated the Germans to runner-up in Group B.

No matter—they still handled Portugal, which won Group A, and next will play the winner of Friday’s quarterfinal match between Turkey and Croatia.

Germany won even though coach Joachim Loew was banned from the game by UEFA after getting ejected during the final group game, a 1-0 win over Austria. His assistant, Hansi Flick, worked the game in his place.

Rocco Mediate knows he’ll be the answer to a trivia question someday.

Which trivia question? That’s still up for grabs.

He’ll either go down as the first player to beat Tiger Woods one on one in a major, or the first one to lose to Woods in an 18-hole playoff at the U.S. Open.

The way Mediate sees it, anything is possible—a reality proven by the fact that he was somehow still standing Sunday, preparing for 18 holes against the world’s best player after the fourth, but not final, round at Torrey Pines.

“You better watch yourself tomorrow, pal,” Mediate said to Woods— jokingly, of course—as the two crossed paths in the interview room. “See. Look. He’s nervous.”

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A 45-year-old walking definition of a PGA Tour journeyman, Mediate will, as always, take the opportunity, but not himself, seriously when they tee off Monday.

Trying to become the oldest player to win a U.S. Open, he will be a heavy underdog, but that’s nothing new. Nobody is ever favored against Woods, and a 23-year veteran with five career wins isn’t going to break that trend.

Nevertheless, Mediate doesn’t shirk from the challenge. Before the tournament started, he told his friends that his dream was to be playing in the final group with Woods.

Better late than never.

“To go up against the best player in the world and have a chance to beat him, there’s nothing more you would ask for as a professional golfer, period,” said Mediate, who shot even-par 71.

Well, if he were feeling greedy, he may have asked to win this thing without having to go through four hours, man-on-man against Woods. Mediate had his chances. He missed a 4-foot putt on 13 and a 5-footer on 15 that could have made the difference between the tie at 1-under 283 and the victory. He also had a 30-footer on 18 that barely missed. Make any of those, and he would’ve been holding the trophy Sunday night.

But this was no time, he said, to look back at missed opportunities.

“I have nothing to lose, going against Tiger Woods,” Mediate said. “I want to see what I’ve got against the man. I know what he’s got.”

It’s hard to imagine Mediate won’t have a few fans out there in what figures to be a small gallery, thinned by the realities of a playoff contested on Monday morning.

Woods is Superman. Mediate is Everyman. He’s the kind of guy who pays attention to the fans when they shout his name, who plays to the cameras on those rare times when they’re following him, who speaks his mind, acts a little crazy.

“Just a normal dude,” he calls himself. “I talk more, whatever, and I’ll give them crap if they give me crap. That’s what they want.”

This dream—playing against Tiger for a chance at the national championship — basically came out of nowhere for Mediate, who now has a chance to be remembered for much more than that peace-sign belt buckle he wore Sunday.

He has had back problems on and off through his career, and could blame that back for a meltdown in the final round of the Masters two years ago. He shared the lead there on Sunday, but his back was toast and the most memorable thing from that round was the 10 he made on No. 12 after dumping three balls into Rae’s Creek.

“I still have some things to settle there,” he said, acknowledging that this finish gets him invited back for 2009.

He has plenty to play for in 2008, too, and can set aside thoughts of retirement for now. Just last year, he was dabbling on the TV side, gearing up for what should be a successful career as an ex-jock analyst someday.

He found a physical therapist who worked on the back. It got better and so did his game.

Now, he insists, he really is living the dream. He gets a day of golf with Tiger Woods.

“Sometimes you have to be careful what you wish for, I guess,” Mediate said. “But it’s great. How much better can this get?”

Everybody knows how good Tiger Woods is. Now, the world gets to find out if the players chasing him are ready for prime time, too.

Woods’ quest for a 14th major title continues later Saturday at Torrey Pines in the third round of the U.S. Open, which will end in prime time on the East Coast.

TV ratings are always higher when Woods, the world’s best player, is in contention as he is this week, one shot off the lead at 2-under 140.

When America tunes in, among the supporting cast they’ll be watching in this real-life drama are the leader, Stuart Appleby at 139, and Rocco Mediate and Robert Karlsson, who are tied with Woods.

Play began Saturday morning under gray skies — the Marine layer, they call it — and with 79 players still in the field, trying to do what often seems impossible — catch Tiger.

“People always ask me, ‘Who’s the favorite?’” Mediate said. “Well, of course, he’s the favorite. Of course he is. A lot of people said, ‘Well, he’s not going to win because he’s had, whatever, a thousand weeks off. But he’s different. It’s not the same.”

Playing for the first time since his knee was cleaned out after the Masters, Woods hardly hobbled into the weekend.

He made five birdies over his closing nine holes Friday to card a 30, one shot off the best nine-hole score in U.S. Open history.

Of Tiger’s 13 major championships, the U.S. Open has been the most elusive. He “only” has two of those and hasn’t won it since 2002, at Bethpage Black in New York, the last time the national championship was played on a public course.

It’s back on a public course again, though Torrey Pines hardly resembles what the average 10 handicapper will be playing this weekend.

“I don’t think I’m the first guy to say it’s very difficult out there,” Appleby said, after he knocked in a 45-foot putt on the 18th hole to take the lead.

Long, lush kikuya grass frames the fairways, which are always narrowed down for the U.S. Open, annually billed as the toughest test in golf.

A freshening wind off the Pacific Ocean has made things tricky. But there were 30 below-par rounds over the first two days, and two more Saturday by Ryuji Imada and Anthony Kim, who came into the day tied for last. Both shot 1-under 70.

Last year at Oakmont, there were four below-par rounds over the first two days.

Easier?

Never when Woods is looming.

“When I talk about players or golf, he’s not included because he’s up there,” Mediate said, pointing to the sky. “But you want him in this event. You don’t want him 7-over. If you’re going to win this tournament, it would be great to go up against him and maybe somehow, you never know.”

Big Brown straggled home last Saturday, losing the Belmont Stakes and the Triple Crown to 38-1 long shot Da’ Tara.

Da’ Tara went wire-to-wire, with 1-4 favorite Big Brown running third most of the way until jockey Kent Desormeaux asked him for one of his explosive runs on the far turn.

He had nothing to give.

“I had no horse,” Desormeaux said.

Big Brown was eased up before he even finished the 1 1/2 miles, the longest and toughest of the three classics.

Trainer Rick Dutrow Jr. said all week long the horse’s victory was “a foregone conclusion.” Boy, was he wrong.

Instead of Big Brown becoming the 12th Triple Crown winner and first in 30 years, he was the first of 19 horses going for a Triple to finish last.

“He wasn’t himself,” winning trainer Nick Zito said, referring to Big Brown. “Things happen for a reason.”

Da’ Tara and jockey Alan Garcia sprinted to the lead out of the gate. Big Brown, eager in the early going, ran up on Da’ Tara’s heels heading into the first turn—the first indication it wasn’t going to be his coronation day.

Da’ Tara had the lead down the backstretch, with Tale of Ekati in second and Big Brown running third on the outside with a clear path. This was Big Brown’s moment, and Desormeaux asked him to go. He didn’t respond.

Jockey Kent Desormeaux rides B…

AP - Jun 7, 7:26 pm EDT
“He was empty. He didn’t have anything left,” Desormeaux said.

Da’ Tara opened up a clear lead turning for home, while Big Brown angled to the far outside under restraint. Big Brown still wanted to run, but Desormeaux knew it was over and focused on getting the colt home safely.

Big Brown was running on a quarter crack in his left front hoof that wasn’t patched until Friday. Even as the horse was making his way to the starting gate, Dutrow said the crack was a “non-issue.”

“He looked fine,” said Dr. Larry Bramlage, the on-call veterinarian. “All I saw was when Desormeaux started to slow him down. The first thing you expected is something is wrong. He was not lame when he stopped here in front of the stands.”

Da’ Tara, the longest shot on the board, won by 5 lengths over Denis of Cork and covered the distance in 2:29.65. There was a dead heat for third between Anak Nakal and Ready’s Echo. Macho Again was fifth, followed by Tale of Ekati, Guadalcanal, Icabad Crane and Big Brown.

Da’ Tara paid $79, $28 and $14.80. Denis of Cork returned $5.80 and $4.10. Anak Nakal paid $7.60 and Ready’s Echo returned $6.20.

Zito spoiled a Triple Crown bid four years ago when he saddled Birdstone to an upset of Smarty Jones. He also trained Anak Nakal.

While the thousands of fans jammed along the rail focused on Big Brown, Da’ Tara pressed on to the finish line, obviously tired but triumphant.

When Terrell Owens signed with the Dallas Cowboys two years ago, he announced, “Get your popcorn ready.” When he signed an extension Tuesday, the club had the popcorn ready for him—a giant bowl of the buttery stuff, big enough to feed the entire offensive line.

“That’s funny,” Owens said, scooping a few kernels into his mouth.

The bowl was so big it took two people to carry it into the room. Owens knew a surprise was awaiting him. Seeing what it was, he walked up laughing, smiling and getting a bit hungry.

“This is your signing bonus,” team owner Jerry Jones cracked.

Jones wishes he got off that cheaply. Owens actually cashed in a $7 million bonus, plus a three-year extension worth around $27 million.

Coincidentally, he signed his deal the same day the Cowboys got their first look at their newest standout pass defender, Adam “Pacman” Jones. Although he’s still technically suspended, he’s allowed to do everything up to the regular season, and he went through his first practice Tuesday.

He capped it by intercepting a pass—from third-stringer Richard Bartel, not starter Tony Romo—and returned it 80 yards for a touchdown.

“I would’ve prevented that in a second,” said Owens, who missed the workout because he was flying back from New York, where he had business with the NFL office.

By taking care of Owens now, the Cowboys helped their salary cap for the upcoming season. They also helped keep their locker room free from what Owens said “absolutely” would have been the distraction of him going through the season as a free-agent-to-be.

Just to clarify, he said the problem would’ve come from repeated questions, not for anything he would’ve done or said.

Owens has maintained for months that his status was no big deal. He not only said that to reporters, he told agent Drew Rosenhaus, “I don’t want to talk about nothing unless it’s something for real.”

“It’s almost like a kid expecting Christmas,” Owens explained. “You don’t want to get in that situation where you get your hopes up and then nothing happens.”

T.O. knew there had been talks in recent weeks. He got a hunch a deal was close when Rosenhaus flew to join him in New York on Monday.

Owens got the same salary range as Randy Moss. He’s also locked up through 2011, when he’ll turn 38.

Jones downplayed the age, noting Owens’ dedication to fitness and his production. He’s already among the career top 10 in catches, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns; he’s the active leader and No. 3 all-time in TDs. He’s also focused on the one glaring omission from his resume: A Super Bowl victory.

“I’ve been thinking, `What can I do for my game to get to another level?”’ Owens said. “Honestly, I’m going to find ways to work out harder, do things differently, to really escalate my game.”

As surprising as it might be for Owens to have controversy-free contract negotiations, here’s a bigger stunner: If he plays out this contract, he’ll have lasted six seasons in Dallas.

That’s a heck of a lot longer than critics expected when he arrived to a wary fan base and a reluctant coach who referred to him as “the player.” Owens’ first season was marred by injuries, an overdose and all sorts of wackiness.

In a Feb. 9, 2008 file photo, …

AP - Jun 3, 1:36 pm EDT
Then Bill Parcells stepped down as coach. Owens has rarely stopped smiling; one notable exception was when he broke down crying in defense of Romo after a playoff loss.

“Upon signing here, I never really knew what to expect,” Owens said Tuesday. “At this point today, I’m very happy. I know I’m a Cowboy for life. I couldn’t be more ecstatic about what’s going on now.”

He added: “This contract really, for a lot of people, it signifies money and they see dollar signs. But for me, it signifies commitment.”

Jerry Jones said Pacman looked good for a guy who has been out of the league more than a year.

“He told me the other day he gets sore because he’s really been pushing himself the last couple of weeks,” Jerry Jones said. “But, in our initial look at him, he’s probably in as good shape as anyone out there—not ready to play football, but in good shape.”

Pacman remains suspended from the regular season, but NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Monday that the cornerback-kick returner can do everything else. Goodell will rule on Jones’ regular-season status by Sept. 1.

“I think we should be careful creating a graduation scenario here,” Jerry Jones said. “He wasn’t reinstated, but he’s getting (a) chance. That’s a plus, but nothing more. … I had hoped that we could create enough at the league office that the way we’re doing it would allow him to do that.”

Now that Pacman is this close, Jerry Jones already is envisioning him on the field—wearing No. 21, just like Deion Sanders wore for the Cowboys. Sanders has become sort of a big brother to Pacman, trying to help him follow the rules of the NFL and society.

“I see it now. I see it right now,” Jerry Jones said. “I think he’s got the resolve. I think he can help our team. … I know I feel good about it. I hope that will make our fans feel better about it.”

Owens is looking forward to the practice-field competition with Pacman. The one time they faced each other, Owens won but Jones left with T.O.’s cleats because he didn’t score a touchdown.

“Maybe I’ll have him wear them out to practice,” Owens said. “If I score on him, he has to wear them the next day.”

Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz will have season-ending shoulder surgery, but he hopes to return in 2009.

The Braves called a news conference before Wednesday’s game against the Florida Marlins to discuss Smoltz’s ailing shoulder.

Smoltz and general manager Frank Wren declined comment until the briefing, but the pitcher said on his radio show that he will miss the rest of the season.

“I’m having surgery with the hopes of pitching beyond this year,” Smoltz told 790 The Zone. “We’re only kidding ourselves if we try to mess around any longer.”

Still, the decision to have surgery raises serious questions about Smoltz’s future. He turned 41 last month, and it would be highly improbable for a pitcher to come back from a major operation at his age.

Smoltz had only returned from the disabled list on Monday, hoping to make it through the rest of the season as a closer after starting five games this season.

His loss was a huge blow to an Atlanta team already dealing with a rash of injuries to its pitching staff. The Braves went into Wednesday’s game 3 1/2 games behind Philadelphia in the NL East.

“Not having him at all for the rest of the season is devastating, flat out devastating,” third baseman Chipper Jones said. “Going into this season, I said there’s one guy on this club we cannot do without. That’s John Smoltz.”

The right-hander is the only pitcher in baseball history with 200 wins and 150 saves, and he reached another milestone this season with his 3,000th strikeout.

While on the disabled list, Smoltz changed his pitching motion, going to a three-quarters motion to ease the pain in his shoulder. He came on in the ninth inning of Monday night’s game against Florida with a 4-3 lead but gave up three hits and two runs, blowing his first save chance since 2004.

Manager Bobby Cox said the pitcher was “pretty sore” the following day, and Smoltz apparently decided that it was futile to continue his comeback even though he’s long indicated another surgery would probably end his career. He’s already had four operations on his right elbow, including Tommy John surgery that kept him out for all of 2000.

“I’ve always said that if it gets to that point, I don’t know the value of coming back,” Smoltz said Monday. “At the same time … the right choice will be made. It won’t be made emotionally.”

Smoltz won the NL Cy Young Award in 1996 and has more postseason wins (15) than any other pitcher.

But he’s been plagued by injuries throughout his 21-year career. Smoltz had his first elbow operation after a strike ended the 1994 season, another arthroscopic procedure that limited him to 26 starts in 1998 and ligament replacement surgery that cost him an entire season two years later.

Coming back from that procedure, Smoltz switched to the bullpen, hoping it would relieve the stress on his elbow. He had 154 saves during his three-plus seasons as the closer, including an NL-record 55 in 2002.

Then, after yet another arthroscopic operation on his elbow, another change.

Deciding that pitching every fifth day would be better for his arm, Smoltz returned to the starting rotation. He pulled off the unprecedented move, going 44-24 over the last three seasons. But his shoulder began to bother him last season, leading to another stint on the DL, and the discomfort persisted this spring.

Smoltz started the season on the DL, then went 3-2 in five starts before going out again.

Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers are one win away from returning to the NBA finals.

Bryant had 28 points and 10 rebounds and the Lakers beat the San Antonio Spurs 93-91 on Tuesday night to take a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference finals.

It was the Spurs’ first home loss this postseason, and the defending champions face elimination when Game 5 is played in Los Angeles on Thursday.

Tim Duncan led the Spurs with 29 points and 17 rebounds. Reserve Brent Barry had 23 points and his last-second 3-point attempt could have given the Spurs the win. He claimed he was fouled on the play by Derek Fisher but there was no call.

“If I was the official I wouldn’t have called that a foul,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said.

The Lakers led all game after opening a 22-8 lead. The Spurs got within 81-79 in the fourth quarter, but the Lakers scored seven straight points.

Lamar Odom scored 16 points for Los Angeles — eight in the fourth quarter.

“I told them at the end of the ballgame, their energy was terrific,” Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. “Coming out and responding to a loss and getting a lead … and playing with that kind of energy, I think, carried us over and we responded every time that they came in, tied the ball game.”

Tony Parker added 23 points for the Spurs.

“It was just a good defense and we missed a lot of easy shots,” Parker said. “You know, myself, Timmy, we missed a lot of layups. It was just never — we never (were) in a good rhythm.”

The Spurs shots 40 percent (30-of-75) from the field and the Lakers shot nearly 45 percent (38-of-85).

With the Lakers up 93-86 and 50 seconds to play, Pau Gasol missed two free throws after being fouled by San Antonio’s Fabricio Oberto.

Manu Ginobili, who had struggled all night, hit a 3-pointer to bring the Spurs within four. After a miss by Bryant, Parker scored on a fast break when Odom was called for goaltending, bringing the Spurs within 93-91 with 28 seconds to play.

Fisher missed a shot for Los Angeles but the ball went out of bounds and remained in the Lakers’ possession with 2 seconds on the shot clock.

Bryant missed a jumper and the Spurs had 2.1 seconds left. When Barry’s 3 missed, Bryant pumped his fists in the air and the Lakers were headed home with command of the series.

The Lakers were last in the finals in 2004 when they lost to Detroit in five games.

The Lakers were up 77-70 heading into the fourth quarter. Barry’s 3 brought the Spurs within 77-75 and his running jumper got them to 79-77.

Odom’s layup balanced on the rim before falling in, and he hit a free throw for the three-point play to start the 7-0 run. Bryant stole the ball for a slam to put the Lakers up 88-79 with 3:29 to play.

Parker got the Spurs within five, then Odom hit two free throws to put the Lakers back up by seven with just under a minute to play.

Los Angeles came out with energy and took advantage of sloppy play by the Spurs to lead by as many as 14 points in the first quarter.

The Lakers dominated the offensive glass, racking up 20 second-chance points in the first half off their 17 offensive rebounds.

Odom, who was upset with his Game 3 performance, highlighted the Lakers’ aggressiveness. Early in the first quarter he missed a shot, then suddenly appeared under the basket to grab the rebound and was fouled, making both free throws.

San Antonio was within 28-23 at the end of the opening period.

In the second quarter the Lakers got into foul trouble and San Antonio made the most of it at the free throw line. The Spurs were 17-of-17 in the first half as Odom, Fisher and reserves Jordan Farmar and Sasha Vujacic all picked up their third fouls.

Duncan’s jumper tied the game at 45 with 2:10 left in the half. After Luke Walton missed a free throw and a chance for a three-point play with 23 seconds left, Vladimir Radmanovic chased down the ball and Bryant converted to give the Lakers a 53-47 halftime lead.

It was more of the same in the third. The Spurs tied it twice but never took a lead.

Tied at 67, Bryant found himself all alone. He took the long pass from Odom and dunked the ball with flash and flair, drawing resounding boos from the crowd. Another dunk by Bryant made it 73-70 before Vujacic was fouled hitting a 3-pointer from the corner. He made the free throw to give Los Angeles a 77-70 lead with one quarter to go.

Notes:@ Joe Crawford, who has a history with the Spurs and had an on-court squabble with Popovich during the conference semifinals, officiated the game. … Spurs legend David Robinson sat in the second row courtside. He was surrounded by Lakers fans wearing bright yellow jerseys. … Ginobili got his first points of the game with 1:32 left in the third quarter on two free throws. He finished with seven points, 23 less than he had in Game 3. … The Lakers outrebounded the Spurs 46-37 and finished with a 26-4 advantage on second-chance points. … Bryant didn’t get to the free throw line.

The New York Yankees crawled back to the .500 mark by defeating the Seattle Mariners 6-5 on Sunday for their season-high fifth win in a row.

An RBI double by Jose Molina capped a four-run eighth inning for the Yankees and help extend the Mariners’ losing streak to six games.

“We got contributions from everyone, especially there in the last inning with walks and with timely hits,” New York shortstop Derek Jeter told reporters.

“We pretty much did a lot of things right.

“It’s not like anyone is trying to do too much. It’s like everyone is trying to do what they can.”

The fourth-place Yankees (25-25) had a total of eight hits by seven players and now trail the front-running Tampa Bay Rays by five games in the American League East.

Seattle (18-33) squandered a 5-2 lead and now heads home to begin a series with the World Series champion Boston Red Sox.

J.J. Putz took the loss after giving up two runs in the decisive eighth inning. Starter Jarrod Washburn pitched six solid innings for the Mariners but could not get the win.

“All losses are tough right now,” Putz said.

“Wash (Washburn) threw a great game and we got some big hits. But we couldn’t finish it off.”

The game marked the Yankees’ first win this season in a game they trailed after seven innings.

(Writing by Steve Ginsburg in Washington; Editing by John O’Brien)

The Detroit Pistons proved that a visiting team can win in Boston. Now they can reach the NBA finals without having to do it again.

Richard Hamilton bounced back from a poor series opener with 25 points, and the Pistons beat the Celtics 103-97 Thursday night, tying the Eastern Conference finals at one game apiece and seizing the home-court advantage that has meant everything to the Celtics.

Chauncey Billups had 19 points and seven assists for the Pistons, who host Game 3 on Saturday.

“The atmosphere’s going to be crazy,” Hamilton said. “We’re geeked about getting back to our home court. The fans are excited, and now it’s our job to take care of home court.”

Paul Pierce scored 26 points for the Celtics, who had won 15 straight at home and gone 9-0 in the playoffs. But the only number that matters now is 0-6 — their playoff road record.

“We have no choice now but to get it done on the road,” Pierce said.

Ray Allen broke out of a shooting slump with 25, his best performance in three months. But he was limited to about 29 1/2 minutes by foul trouble, picking up his fifth foul with 3:09 left in the third quarter after his flurry had given Boston the lead.

Kevin Garnett had 24 points and 13 rebounds for the Celtics, who lost at home for the first time since March 24 against Phoenix. No team has reached the finals without a road victory, and there’s no longer a chance for Boston to be the first.

Antonio McDyess scored 15 points, Tayshaun Prince had 14, and Rasheed Wallace and Rodney Stuckey scored 13 for the Pistons, who were rusty in Game 1 but found their groove in the second quarter of this one, shooting 49 percent against the league’s best defensive team.

The Pistons led 86-75 after Stuckey’s jumper with 8:05 remaining, but Allen had seven points, including his first 3-pointer since Game 5 of the second round, during a 13-4 run that cut it to 90-88 with 4:39 to play.

Later, Boston was down four and forced Detroit to call time with the shot clock about to run out, but then blew the defensive assignment and left Billups alone for a layup on the inbounds and Detroit led 100-94 with 18 seconds left.

Another 3 by Allen cut it to three, but Wallace hit a free throw on the other end. The Pistons were 28-of-32 (87.5 percent) from the line.

Billups was limited to nine points in Game 1, his first action since straining his right hamstring early in Game 3 against Orlando in the second round.

He shed the tights he wore in the opener and came out aggressively, drawing a foul on the first possession and hitting two free throws. He added two free throws later in the first quarter when he appeared to create contact while attempting a 3-pointer by kicking the Celtics’ Eddie House in the groin.

The Celtics missed their first six shots in the second quarter and didn’t make a field goal until James Posey’s 3-pointer with 7:03 left that tied it at 27. McDyess scored the next five points and the Pistons led the remainder of the half, opening a 50-43 lead at the break.

Allen was limited to 11 minutes in the first half because of foul trouble. He picked up his third with 8:41 to go and didn’t play again until coming in when the Celtics had the ball in the final seconds of the half.

Boston stormed out of the half with a 15-4 surge, featuring eight points from Allen in his best stretch in a while, to open a 58-54 lead. The Pistons steadied themselves with 3-pointers by Hamilton, Wallace and Billups to regain the lead, and Allen later had to return to the bench when he picked up his fourth and fifth fouls.

Detroit went 4-of-5 from behind the arc in the quarter, with Wallace’s 3 with 7.1 seconds left sending the Pistons to the final period with a 78-69 lead.

Notes: After a review, the NBA upgraded a foul Hamilton committed on Garnett early in the fourth quarter of Game 1 to a flagrant foul, penalty one on Thursday. Hamilton appeared to throw an elbow at Garnett’s head while being picked. “It was instinct, it was flagrant. I can tell you that, we thought that at the time,” Boston coach Doc Rivers said before the game. “But again, Rip’s a good guy, great guy, and it’s an emotional game, that kind of stuff happens.” … New England QB Tom Brady and girlfriend Giselle Bundchen watched from seats behind the baseline. … Hamilton played in his 112th playoff game, tying Pistons president Joe Dumars for second on the franchise’s career list. He will tie Bill Laimbeer’s team mark in Game 3.

Not even a week of rest could prepare the Detroit Pistons for the hottest home team in the NBA.

Kevin Garnett had 26 points and nine rebounds and Paul Pierce scored 22 points Tuesday night to give Boston an 88-79 victory over the Pistons in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, the Celtics’ 15th straight home win.

Despite having just one day off after an epic Game 7 that eliminated LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers from the conference semifinals, Boston scored the first eight points against a Detroit team that waited six days for the series to start.

“Rest is not an option,” Garnett said. “So we don’t even think about that.”

Kendrick Perkins had 10 rebounds for Boston and Rajon Rondo scored seven of his 11 points in the fourth quarter, hitting a 3-pointer with 1:47 left in the game after the Pistons cut the deficit to 83-75. Rondo also had seven assists and five steals while outplaying Chauncey Billups, the MVP of the 2004 NBA finals, in his return from a right hamstring injury.

Series at a Glance vs.
Celtics lead series 1-0
Game 1: at BOS
DET 79, BOS 88 - Final

Recap | Box Score

Game 2: at BOS
Thu, May 22 - 8:30 pm EDT

TV: ESPN

Game 3: at DET
Sat, May 24 - 8:30 pm EDT

TV: ABC

Game 4: at DET
Mon, May 26 - 8:30 pm EDT

TV: ESPN

Game 5: at BOS
Wed, May 28 - 8:30 pm EDT

TV: ESPN

Game 6: at DET
Fri, May 30 - 8:30 pm EDT

TV: ESPN

Game 7: at BOS
Sun, Jun 01 - 8:30 pm EDT

TV: ABC

Series Breakdown

“I believe in him. I play him. I’m going to keep playing him,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said of his point guard. “I told him before the game, ‘Stop worrying about them. Make them worry about you, too. You’re a hell of a basketball player.”’

The Celtics earned home court through the playoffs with a league-best 66-16 regular season record and rode that advantage to seven-game victories in series against Atlanta and Cleveland. On Tuesday they improved to 9-0 at home in the playoffs, but they’re 0-6 on the road.

“They haven’t lost a game; they should be confident,” said Billups, who missed the last 2 1/2 games of the Orlando series. “They have been very good here at home. We are usually a really good team; we didn’t have a good game today, but we look forward to Thursday.”

While Detroit rested, the Celtics have been playing every other day. Boston’s 15 games is the most of any team still in the postseason.

“You have to figure, doing this every other day, you just get used to the same routine of coming out, being out this late, playing basketball,” Celtics guard Ray Allen said. “I think when you get that break in between, you have to build yourself back up into it.”

Billups scored nine points with two assists, two steals and two turnovers in his first game since May 7. Tayshaun Prince scored 16 points and Antonio McDyess added 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Pistons, who have one more chance to win in Boston on Thursday night before returning to Detroit for Games 3 and 4.

“This was the perfect game for them to come in and try to steal one,” said Pierce, who scored 41 in the finale against Cleveland. “And we were aware of that.”

But Detroit looked rusty early, missing its first five shots while allowing Boston to take an 8-0 lead on Allen’s drive with 8:36 left in the first.

“We just didn’t seem to be in a good flow, it might have had something to do with (the layoff). We were just a step slow,” Pistons coach Flip Saunders said. “We didn’t get into the flow.”

Billups hit a second-chance 3-pointer to end the drought and make it 8-3. But he did not make another field goal—he had four points and no assists in the first half—until there was 4:47 left in the game.

The Pistons quickly erased the first-quarter lead, even going ahead 13-12. But they trailed 41-40 at halftime and scored just 17 points in the third quarter, 10 from Richard Hamilton, while the Celtics took a 69-57 lead on Eddie House’s 3-pointer with 2 seconds left.