Home teams win in NBA
DALLAS, April 25 (UPI) -- The home teams finally won again in the NBA playoffs Wednesday night and in so doing, Dallas and Detroit moved within one victory of advancing to the conference semifinals.
During the previous two evenings, four home teams had a chance to take a 2-0 lead in their best-of-five series and none of them could do so.
But Detroit rallied in the second half to down Toronto, 96-91, and Dallas relied on its hot shooters to dispose of Minnesota, 122-110.
Kevin Garnett's playoff frustration continued as the Mavericks got big games from Dirk Nowitzki, Michael Finley and Steve Nash. Dallas, the best road team in the NBA can send Garnett and the Timberwolves to their sixth straight opening-round exit with a win Sunday in Minnesota.
One of the NBA's best all-around players, Garnett has been the target criticism that he was too unselfish and had to take charge with the game on the line, which he did not do at the end of Game 1.
Garnett appeared to take the critique to heart and had a huge game with 31 points, 18 rebounds and four assists, all team highs. He even got some help from teammates Wally Szczerbiak and Chauncey Billups, who scored 25 points apiece. And it still was not enough to beat Dallas.
Nowitzki nearly matched Garnett with 31 points and 15 boards. Finley scored 28 points and contributed eight boards. Nash added 17 points and 10 assists. And it did not stop there.
The high-powered Mavericks had six players in double figures. Nick Van Exel came off the bench to score 17 points, Raef LaFrentz added 14 and 12 rebounds and defensive demon Eduardo Najera had 13 points.
It was easily the highest scoring playoff game this year.
In Auburn Hills, Jerry Stackhouse scored 22 of his 31 points in the second half to rally the Pistons. Last season, Stackhouse averaged 29 points on 24 shots per game, earning an All-Star berth despite the fact the Pistons lost 50 games and missed the playoffs.
This season, first-year coach Rick Carlisle convinced Stackhouse to trust his teammates and share the ball. Stackhouse averaged 21 points on 17 shots and failed to make the All-Star team, but the Pistons won 52 games and their first Central Division title in 12 years.
On many occasions, Stackhouse has allowed a lesser-known teammate to grab the glory. But with home-court advantage and control of the series on the line, he showed he still knows how to take over a game.
Stackhouse scored 13 points in the third quarter, including eight in a row that gave Detroit a 72-65 lead late in the period.
Tonight's action will see Boston hosting Philadelphia and the Los Angeles Lakers entertaining the Portland Trail Blazers. Boston and the Lakers won the opening game of their series.
Flyers scoreless streak continues
OTTAWA, April 25 (UPI) -- The Philadelphia Flyers failed to score a regulation goal for the fifth consecutive playoff game and dropped a 3-0 decision to the Ottawa Senators Wednesday night, pushing them to the brink of elimination in their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series.
The New York Islanders evened their series with Toronto at 2-2 thanks to a 4-3 victory; Carolina won in overtime over New Jersey, 3-2, to take a 3-2 lead in their series; and San Jose took a 3-1 advantage against Phoenix with a 2-1 victory.
The Flyers, who had few good scoring chances, have gone 316 minutes, 43 seconds without a post-season regulation goal, shattering the previous mark of 277:44 set by the Boston Bruins from 1933-35.
The last playoff goal not scored in overtime by Philadelphia came off the stick of defenseman Chris Therien at 3:17 of the third period of Game 5 of the 2001 conference quarterfinals against Buffalo.
Patrick Lalime stopped 28 shots to become the fifth goaltender in post-season history and the second in as many nights to record three consecutive shutouts. St. Louis' Brent Johnson joined the elite club Tuesday night.
Lalime, who lost his first five playoff decisions before reeling off his shutout streak, will have the chance to become the first goalie to register four shutouts in one playoff series on Friday night, when the teams return to Philadelphia for Game 5.
Two series can be completed tonight when Chicago plays at St. Louis and Colorado hosts Los Angeles. St. Louis and Colorado both own 3-1 leads. Montreal, owning a 2-1 advantage, will be at home against Boston while Detroit will host Vancouver in a series that is tied at 2-2.
Montreal wins third straight series
MONTREAL, April 25 (UPI) -- Center fielder Alex Sanchez's error with two outs in the bottom of the 15th inning scored Mike Mordecai with the winning run Wednesday night as the Montreal Expos edged the Milwaukee Brewers, 5-4.
Despite leaving 16 runners on base, the Expos finally managed to score the winning run when Vidro's line drive popped out of Sanchez's glove. The win enabled Montreal to clinch its third straight series victory.
Milwaukee's Jose Hernandez hit a solo homer in the top of the 12th -- his fifth homer in six games -- to give the Brewers a 4-3 lead. But Montreal tied it in the bottom half when Mordecai squeezed home Vladimir Guerrero.
Montreal's T.J. Tucker (1-0) allowed just a hit and a walk in three scoreless innings of relief.
Other National League results: Atlanta 4, Arizona 3; Los Angeles 5, Pittsburgh 1; San Diego 7, Philadelphia 2; Houston 7, Florida 4; St. Louis 4, New York 2; Chicago 10, San Francisco 4; Cincinnati 4, Colorado 3.
Lopez boosts Baltimore's rotation
BALTIMORE, April 25 (UPI) -- Rodrigo Lopez allowed two runs and eight hits over 5 1/3 innings Wednesday night, helping bring the Baltimore Orioles a 5-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox.
Lopez (2-0), who walked one and struck out one, went 0-3 in six starts for the San Diego Padres in 2000 and did not pitch in the majors last season.
The Red Sox suffered their second consecutive loss to Baltimore after opening the season with eight straight road wins. They dropped to 5-2 on their eight-game road trip.
Boston erased a 2-0 deficit on Manny Ramirez's sacrifice fly in the third and Rey Sanchez's run-scoring groundout in the fourth.
But the Orioles answered with a pair in the fifth off Darren Oliver (2-1), who surrendered four runs and eight hits over 4 1/3 innings.
Other American League results: Kansas City 8, Detroit 2; Chicago 9, Cleveland 2; Tampa Bay 9, Minnesota 1; Texas 3, Toronto 2; Anaheim 10, Seattle 6.
Magic finalist for Hall of Fame
SPRINGFIELD, Mass., April 25 (UPI) -- Magic Johnson, named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA history, highlights a group of 14 players and coaches and one team named as finalists for the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Johnson spent his entire playing career with the Los Angeles Lakers and is currently vice president of the team.
A 6-9 point guard, Johnson revolutionized the position and teamed with Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to help the Lakers win five NBA titles and averaged 19.7 points, 11.4 assists and 7.3 rebounds in 874 career games.
A three-time Most Valuable Player, Johnson was also named MVP of the NBA Finals in 1980, 1982 and 1987. He was voted to the All-NBA first team every year from 1983-91 after being named to the second team in 1982.
Johnson's former teammate James Worthy and former 76ers point guard Maurice Cheeks also were nominated.
Forward Bobby Jones, the NBA Sixth Man of the Year with Philadelphia in 1983, swingman Adrian Dantley and seven-time All-Star Chet Walker are the other players nominated.
Lefty Driesell, Lute Olson, Bill Sharman and Eddie Sutton are the other coaches nominated.
Phoenix Suns owner Jerry Colangelo, Junius Kellogg, a pioneer in wheelchair basketball, and Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Tex Winters -- the architect of the triangle offense that the Chicago Bulls used to win six NBA titles -- were nominated as contributors.
The Harlem Globetrotters are the first team considered since the New York Rens were enshrined in 1963.
Gasol named NBA rookie of the year
MEMPHIS, April 25 (UPI) -- Pau Gasol will head back to Spain with some impressive hardware.
The Memphis Grizzlies forward Wednesday became the first European player to be named NBA Rookie of the Year, earning the distinction in a landslide vote.
The Grizzlies failed to make the playoffs and Gasol hoped to return to his native Spain soon after the season ended last week. The league agreed to move up the announcement of its Rookie of the Year, and Gasol was presented with the award at a news conference Wednesday.
Gasol received 117 of a possible 126 votes from a panel of writers and broadcasters. Richard Jefferson of the New Jersey Nets was second with three votes.
Ravens sign Jeff Blake
OWINGS MILLS, Md., April 25 (UPI) -- Quarterback Jeff Blake, who lost his starting job last season in New Orleans, Wednesday signed a one-year contract worth $750,000 with the Baltimore Ravens.
The Ravens plan to start three-year veteran Chris Redman at the position in 2002.
"We're thrilled to have someone of Jeff's experience and proven ability," Ravens coach Brian Billick said. "He will bring an energy to the club, and if for any reason, due to injury or performance, Chris is not able to go, then we feel fortunate to have a guy of Blake's caliber."
A 10-year veteran, Blake is the only experienced starting quarterback on Baltimore's roster. The Ravens waived 2001 starter Elvis Grbac after he refused to take a substantial pay cut and have yet to re-sign veteran Randall Cunningham.
Blake, 31, was released by the New Orleans Saints last month for salary cap purposes and was pursued by Buffalo. But the Bills opted to trade a first-round pick in 2003 to New England for Bledsoe, a two-time Pro Bowl quarterback.
