Pacers win series opener
INDIANAPOLIS, May 7 (UPI) -- Ron Artest collected 25 points, six rebounds and four assists Thursday night as Indiana rolled to a 94-81 victory over Miami in their series opener.
Artest missed his team's shootaround earlier in the day due to a migraine and was considered questionable for the first game of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
But he paced Indiana to as much as a 23-point lead in the third quarter.
Miami climbed within eight twice in the final five minutes. Artest answered with a pair of free throws both times and Reggie Miller put away the game with a three-pointer that gave the Pacers an 87-76 cushion with 3:09 left.
Indiana got a huge lift from starting point guard Jamaal Tinsley, who scored 17 points. He hit five of six from beyond the arc.
Dwyane Wade scored 22 points and Rafer Alston added 17 off the bench for Miami, which shot 38 percent just two days after finishing their seven-game, first-round series against the New Orleans Hornets.
Mets overcome Bonds to beat Giants
NEW YORK, May 7 (UPI) -- Mike Piazza lined a homer over the left field fence in the 11th inning Thursday night to give the New York Mets a 2-1 win over San Francisco.
It was New York's fourth straight victory.
Back in the San Francisco lineup after missing three games due to a sinus infection, Barry Bonds was hitless in his first three at-bats as New York pitched to baseball's most feared slugger.
But the Mets intentionally walked Bonds with two out and none on in the ninth and again with two out and runners at first and second in the 11th.
The strategy paid off as David Weathers (3-1) caught Pedro Feliz looking at a third strike to end the threat.
After Jim Brower (0-2) retired Kaz Matsui and Todd Zeile in the bottom of the 11th, Piazza hit a 2-2 pitch for his sixth home run of the season and second in as many nights.
Kirk Triplett outshines superstars
CHARLOTTE, N.C., May 7 (UPI) -- Kirk Triplett fired a course-record, 8-under 64 Thursday that put him two shots in front after one round of the Wachovia Championship.
With five of the world's top six players in the field, Triplett stole the show with birdies on six of his last nine holes. He finished his round at the Quail Hollow Club by making a 30-foot birdie putt.
Tied for second at 66 were Fredrik Jacobson, Stuart Appleby, Rory Sabbatini and Brett Quigley. Former Masters champion Mike Weir was in a group at 67.
Vijay Singh, ranked second in the world behind Tiger Woods and closing ground fast, fired a 68. Singh has won the last two PGA Tour stops in Houston and New Orleans.
Woods, who has been battling swing problems throughout the year, settled for a 3-under 69 while current Masters champ Phil Mickelson had a 70.
Thursday's round was the first on the tour in three weeks to be started and completed on the day it was scheduled. Foul weather disrupted play throughout the Houston and New Orleans events, both of which ended on a Monday.
Baseball backs down on Spiderman promotion
NEW YORK, May 7 (UPI) -- A surge of controversy Thursday ended Major League Baseball's plan to place artwork from the movie "Spiderman 2" on bases in ballparks next month.
One day after unveiling the plan as part of a reported $3.5 million marketing deal, MLB reversed itself and announced Thursday that the promotion will be limited to signs in stadiums and trailers that will be shown on video boards.
The promotion will take place on the weekend of June 11-13.
"The bases were an extremely small part of this program," MLB president and chief operating officer Bob DuPuy said. "However, we understand that a segment of our fans was uncomfortable with this particular component and we do not want to detract from the fans' experience in any way."
The New York Yankees almost immediately scoffed at the promotion and announced they would put the ads on bases at Yankee Stadium only during batting practice and only for one game instead of the intended three.
Baseball purists decried the plan, with former Commissioner Fay Vincent calling it "inevitable but awful."
