WPPA/T102 SPORTS-MONDAY

NBA FINALS-GAME 5
Celtics take 3-2 lead to Los Angeles

BOSTON (AP) - The Boston Celtics withstood a 38-point performance by Kobe Bryant to move within one victory of their 18th NBA title. Because of that, the defending NBA champion L.A. Lakers are trailing in a series for the first time in the postseason. Paul Pierce had his best game of the playoffs - 27 points on 12-of-21 shooting - to lead the Celtics to a 92-86 victory that
gives them a 3-2 series lead over the Lakers. Rajon Rondo and Kevin Garnett each added
18 as the Celtics shot 56.3 percent for the game. The Celtics won despite another awesome performance by Bryant. He scored the Lakers' first 19 points in the third quarter while
single handedly keeping the Lakers in it on a cold-shooting night. The Lakers shot 39.7 percent for the game. The Celtics are 6-and-4 on the road in these playoffs. Now they must win either Tuesday night's Game 6 or Thursday night's Game 7, if necessary, in Los Angeles to win their 18th NBA title. "We've got to get one," Pierce said. "We're too close to our goal. We've got to get one."

NBA-HAWKS
New coach in place
ATLANTA (AP) - The Atlanta Hawks have officially named Larry Drew as their new head coach. The former assistant to Mike Woodson, who was fired by the club, is getting his first head coaching job. Drew emerged as the new coach from a search that also included former head coaches Dwane Casey and Avery Johnson.

WORLD CUP
U.S. keeper may have broken ribs
IRENE, South Africa (AP) - U.S. coach Bob Bradley isn't sure whether goalkeeper Tim Howard broke ribs during a collision with Emile Heskey in the Americans' World Cup opener against England yesterday. Bradley says the team would decide later today if Howard needs medical tests. Bradley says he has no definite answer whether Howard will be available for Friday's game against Slovenia, but "you'd certainly expect he'll be on the field again." Howard had six saves as the United States rallied for a 1-1 tie against England.

WORLD CUP Day 3 recap
UNDATED (AP) - In the World Cup, Slovenia beat Algeria 1-0 on a late goal by Robert Koren. That puts Slovenia in first place in Group C, ahead of the United States and England. - Ghana topped Serbia 1-0 on an 84th-minute penalty kick in the day's second match. The kick was awarded after a Serbian player needlessly put his hand on the ball in his own goal area then
argued the call and yellow card he received. - Germany scored two goals in each half and Tim Cahill was sent off as the three-time champions beat Australia 4-0 in Group D action.

MLB-FINAL SCORES
Coming close in Chicago...Strasburg shines again...Angels' first
Chavez Ravine sweep
UNDATED (AP) - There already have been three no-hitters this baseball season, including two perfect games. Two pitchers at Wrigley Field came close to adding to that total. The Chicago Cubs' 1-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox had dueling no-hit bids for a spell. Winning pitcher Ted Lilly didn't allow a hit until Juan Pierre's leadoff single in the ninth, and losing pitcher Gavin Floyd had a no-hit bid for six and two-thirds innings before Alfonso Soriano's double that eventually led to the Cubs' lone run. That ends the White Sox' five-game win streak.
In other interleague play: - Stephen Strasburg's personal linescore after two big league starts is two victories, 22 strikeouts and a growing respect by some legends of the game. After the fireballing rookie struck out eight in five and a-third innings in Washington's 9-4 win over Cleveland, the Indians' 91-year-old Hall of Famer Bob Feller said it's "real refreshing to see anyone with such talent come into the league." This game wasn't as easy as his even-inning, 14-strikeout debut, but it wasn't bad either. Strasburg lasted 5 1/3 innings, allowing just two hits, but walked five. The L.A. Angels earned their first Freeway Series sweep at Dodger Stadium with a 6-5 victory. Hideki Matsui had three hits and drove in a pair. Torii Hunter and
Mike Napoli homered for the Angels, who improved to a season-best six games over .500 at 36-and-30 with their 10th win in 12 games. - Cole Hamels cooled off Boston's surging lineup with seven strong innings, helping Philadelphia to a 5-3 win over the Red Sox. The win gave the Phillies one win in the three game set, in which they were outscored 25-9. Raul Ibanez hit
a two-run homer for the Phillies. - The Colorado Rockies beat the Toronto Blue Jays 10-3 to
complete a three-game series sweep. Jeff Francis pitched seven innings to earn his first home win in two years. - David Wright hit two homers and Mike Pelfrey earned his ninth win against just one loss as the Mets beat Baltimore 11-4 for a three-game sweep. The Mets also got home runs from Chris Carter and Jason Bay. - Miguel Cabrera hit a go-ahead, three-run homer in the eighth inning, lifting the Detroit Tigers to a 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. In his first start since his near-perfect game, Detroit's Armando Galarraga gave up two runs and was not involved in the decision. Zack Greinke struck out 12 in a five-hitter, ending a personal four-start skid and leading the Kansas City Royals to a 7-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.
- Jorge Posada hit a grand slam for the second straight day and Robinson Cano connected for his
100th career homer as the New York Yankees completed a three-game sweep of visiting Houston, 9-5. Troy Glaus homered twice and tied a career high with four hits to power the Atlanta Braves past the Minnesota Twins 7-3. The Braves took two of three in an interleague series between division leaders. Chris Volstad pitched six solid innings to stop a personal
six-game winless streak and the Florida Marlins got two RBIs from rookie Mike Stanton in a 6-1 victory over Tampa Bay. Colby Lewis scattered three hits over eight innings and added
a key two-out single with the bases loaded to lead the Texas Rangers to a 7-2 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. Josh Hamilton homered for the AL West-leading Rangers. The Seattle Mariners snapped a five-game losing streak with a 4-2 win over the San Diego Padres. Jose Lopez doubled in the go-ahead run. Felix Hernandez came within one out of a complete
game and improved to 4-and-5. Aubrey Huff hit a pair of two-run homers, Matt Cain won his
fourth straight decision and the San Francisco Giants beat the Oakland Athletics 6-2 to complete a three-game series sweep in the Bay Bridge Series. In the only game involving two National League teams, Arizona trimmed St. Louis 7-5. Chris Young rescued Arizona's much-maligned
bullpen with his second homer of the game, a two-run shot in the bottom of the ninth after St. Louis had tied it with three runs in the top of the ninth.

NASCAR
Hamlin finishes first
BROOKLYN, Mich. (AP) - Denny Hamlin continued his hot streak, dominating Sunday's NASCAR race at Michigan International Speedway to pick up his second straight victory and fifth of the season. Hamlin led 123 laps and controlled the second half of the race, easily pulling away from Kasey Kahne on a restart with under 20 laps remaining. Kahne held on for second, followed by pole-sitter Kurt Busch, Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart. Four-time defending series champion Jimmie Johnson was sixth and Dale Earnhardt Jr. was seventh.

NFL-TITANS
QB Young cited for assault at Dallas strip club
DALLAS (AP) - Police say Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young received an assault citation after an altercation inside a Dallas strip club, but no arrests were made. Dallas police Lt. Andy Harvey says the former University of Texas star was not at Club Onyx when police responded to a call of a physical confrontation early Sunday morning. Harvey said an investigation led to Young receiving a Class C assault citation, punishable by a fine up to $500.