Anaheim ties Stanley Cup series at two games each
ANAHEIM, Calif., June 3 (UPI) -- Steve Thomas scored 39 seconds into the extra period Monday night as the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim squared the Stanley Cup Finals at two wins apiece.
The goal gave the Ducks a 1-0 blanking of the New Jersey Devils.
Martin Brodeur made an outstanding left pad stop on Samuel Pahlsson's shot from the doorstep, but the rebound came out to the edge of the right faceoff circle, where Thomas, a former Devil, put the puck under the goaltender's glove.
The third-quickest overtime goal in Stanley Cup Finals history boosted Anaheim to 7-0 in overtime in the postseason and a remarkable 12-1 in one-goal decisions.
Jean-Sebastien Giguere made 26 saves for his fifth playoff blanking, extending his playoff-record overtime shutout streak to 168 minutes, 27 seconds.
Brodeur stopped 25 shots but could not prevent the Devils from suffering consecutive losses for the second time in this year's playoffs.
Game Five is Thursday in New Jersey, where the Devils are 10-1 in the postseason. The Ducks raised their home record to 8-1.
There were few scoring chances in a cautious third period. One of the best came with 15:33 remaining when a dump-in by Game Three hero Ruslan Salei took an awkward bounce off the right boards and slid toward Brodeur.
Beaten by a carom in Saturday's loss, Brodeur had the puck go off his glove but gathered it with his stick just before it could cross the goal line.
Less than four minutes later, Brodeur denied Mike Leclerc on a quick shot from the bottom of the left circle.
Things opened up after the fourth straight scoreless opening period in the series.
Rookie Stanislav Chistov tested Brodeur with a wrist shot from the slot, but New Jersey's Patrik Elias won a faceoff less than a minute later and flicked a shot off the left goalpost.
Three minutes later, Chistov's wrister from the high slot hit the right elbow where the post and crossbar meet.
Schilling fined for camera destruction
NEW YORK, June 3 (UPI) -- Arizona Diamondbacks righthander Curt Schilling was fined an undisclosed amount on Monday for his destruction of a camera used to evaluate umpires.
Major League Baseball Vice President Bob Watson penalized Schilling for his actions during the third inning of the Diamondbacks' 5-1 loss to the San Diego Padres on May 24 at Bank One Ballpark.
Schilling smashed part of the QuesTec camera during the game and afterwards was highly critical of the system that, in his opinion, creates an inconsistent strike zone.
"The QuesTec system in the ballpark is a (total) joke," Schilling said after the game. "The umpires have admitted they hate it, and more times in the last three starts I made here - multiple times - the umpire has said to the catcher, 'It's a pitch I want to call a strike, but the machine won't let me.'"
According to the company's web site, QuesTec's Umpire Information System (UIS) analyzes video from cameras in stadium rafters to locate the baseball accurately throughout the path of the pitch.
Bank One Ballpark and a limited number of other major league
stadiums have the tracking system installed. The information is used to evaluate umpires for postseason play.
Schilling, a five-time All-Star, is 4-3 with a 3.04 ERA this
season.
Cavaliers name Silas coach on Monday
CLEVELAND, June 3 (UPI) -- Paul Silas will be LeBron James' first NBA coach.
The Cleveland Cavaliers named Silas, who was fired by the New Orleans Hornets last month, as their coach on Monday.
Former New York Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy was believed to be the front-runner for the job, but negotiations fell apart and the Cavaliers turned to Silas.
"We wanted to make sure we had the right person because this is an important time in this franchise's history," said Cavaliers Gneral Mnager Jim Paxson. "The key points in hiring Paul is his reputation for player relationships and Paul's teams always played together and got better as the season went along."
Cleveland struggled through a 17-65 season that resulted in the firing of two coaches - John Lucas was dismissed after the team started 8-34 and Keith Smart served the rest of the way as interim coach but was not retained.
However, tying for the league's worst record improved the Cavs' chances of finishing with the first pick in the lottery and they will select James, the 18-year-old high school phenom from Akron, Ohio in the June 26 draft.
"Sure the job became more appealing (with the first pick), but Iwas hoping to get the call even if we didn't have it," Silas said.
Silas' primary responsibility will be to tutor the 6-8, 240-pound James, who has already been anointed as the league's next superstar.
"I've only seen him in the McDonald's game and I liked what I saw," Silas said of James, who had 27 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in the McDonald's All-American high school basketball game in March. "He has a pro body and a tremendous feel for the game. But he's going to need nurturing and we as an organization have to provide it."
Silas, 59, is the all-time winningest coach in Hornets history, posting a 208-155 record and leading the team to the playoffs in each of his four full seasons.
In the final year of his contract, Silas guided New Orleans to a 47-35 record this past season. But the Hornets lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round after advancing to the conference semifinals each of the previous two seasons.
Silas inherits a team that will be built around James, All-Star center Zydrunas Ilgauskas and guard Dajuan Wagner, the team's first-round pick in 2002.
A Hall of Famer who won NBA titles with the Boston Celtics in 1974 and 1976 and the Seattle SuperSonics in 1979, Silas also coached the San Diego Clippers from 1980-83 and has an overall mark of 286-323.
Larry Brown named coach of Pistons
AUBURN HILLS, Mich., June 3 (UPI) -- Veteran basketball vagabond Larry Brown, known for switching jobs in a heartbeat, Monday was named the new coach of the NBA's Detroit Pistons.
His hiring came just 48 hours after the team announced the firing of Rick Carlisle.
Brown, 62, resigned as Coach and Vice President of Basketball Operations of the Philadelphia 76ers last Monday. Surprisingly, he was freed from a clause that prohibited him from coaching another team before his contract expired.
"I think his credentials are unquestioned and his track record is unquestioned," said Detroit General Manager Joe Dumars, who told the New York Times before the hiring that Brown was the perfect guy to come in and establish a string base. "He's already in the Hall of Fame, and my personal feeling is that he is the pre-eminent coach in the league."
He gave up the final two years of his deal with the 76ers, worth $12 million. Now, he reportedly will get a five-year, $25 million deal from Detroit.
"I don't know how I wound up here to be honest," Brown said at news conference Monday afternoon. "It was just a week ago that I announced I was resigning. I didn't know what I was going to do, but we started to hear from a lot of teams and there were a lot of wonderful opportunities out there. Actually, it took one conversation with Joe (Dumars) and (Vice President) John (Hammond) and one other conversation and it was finalized on Saturday."
Ironically, his season was ended by Carlisle and the Pistons, who beat Philadelphia in six games in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals, marking the first time an NBA coach will take over a team that eliminated him from the playoffs the previous season.
"It's hard for me to sit here after we went through a series with Detroit, and I admired Rick for what he did with this team," Brown said. "I'll try to build on what Rick did. I'm sure many people will recognize the job he did here and give him an opportunity."
Brown spent six seasons with the Sixers, his longest tenure with any team in his 31 years of coaching. Nicknamed "Mr. Fix-it," the Hall of Fame coach turned a sagging franchise into a perennial contender.
There has been speculation that Brown left the 76ers because he tired of dealing with star guard Allen Iverson.
His success with the Sixers had been turbulent because of a tumultuous relationship with Iverson, who showed up just 30 minutes before tip-off, but had 38 points and nine assists, in Philadelphia's series-clinching Game Six loss to Detroit on May 16.
"I know I was at practice on time and even for the games," Brown said when asked about Iverson. "You know, Allen's like my son. There are going to be days you're going to love him and there are days he's going to give you heartache, but I'm proud of what he accomplished."
Brown spent six seasons with the Sixers, his longest tenure with any team in his 31 years of coaching. Nicknamed "Mr. Fix-it," the Hall of Fame coach turned a sagging franchise into a perennial contender.
In Detroit, he will coach a team of overachievers that won 50 games under Carlisle each of the last two seasons.
The Pistons were swept in four games by the New Jersey Nets in the Eastern Conference finals, but much will be expected from Brown with the team owning the second overall pick in the June 26 draft. Detroit is expected to select either 7-footer Darko Milicic or Carmelo Anthony of Syracuse.
The team's young nucleus features Ben Wallace, Richard Hamilton, and Chauncey Billups. Brown, known as one of the game's premier teachers, will be counted on to develop players such as Tayshaun Prince, the team's first-round pick in 2002, and Mehmet Okur.
His brother, Herb, also coached the Pistons, guiding them to back-to-back playoff appearances before being fired during the 1977-78 season. Larry Brown also was courted by the Houston Rockets and Washington Wizards.
Enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002, Brown is the only coach in NBA history to lead six different teams to the playoffs. He has over 1,000 wins in the ABA, NBA, and the college ranks, but has never won a pro title.
His resume also includes stints with the Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, San Antonio Spurs, New Jersey Nets, Los Angeles Clippers, and the ABA's Carolina Cougars.
He also spent five seasons at Kansas, winning the NCAA title in 1988, and coached at UCLA for two years. His crowning achievement in Philadelphia came in 2001, when he was named NBA Coach of the Year after guiding the Sixers to the NBA Finals for the first time in 18 seasons.
In 1997, Brown took over a floundering franchise in Philadelphia. After going 31-51 in his first season, he built the franchise into a contender and amassed a 255-205 record with the Sixers, including five straight playoff appearances.
Overall in 20 seasons as an NBA coach, Brown has compiled a mark of 879-685. His career record as a coach is 1,285-853.
Brown also has a busy summer ahead. He will coach Team USA in the Olympic qualifying tournament in Puerto Rico this August, when the U.S. will compete to win a spot in the 2004 Olympics.
As a player, he was a member of the 1964 gold medal U.S. Olympic basketball team.
Four Spaniards reach men's quarterfinals
PARIS, June 3 (UPI) -- Third seed Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain advanced Monday to a quarterfinal clash with rising Chilean Fernando Gonzalez.
He made the move thanks to a 6-2, 6-1, 6-1 demolition of compatriot Felix Mantilla in the fourth round of the French Open.
Gonzalez dispatched Finland's Jarkko Nieminen, 6-3, 6-3, 6-2, to match his best result in a Grand Slam. He defeated Ferrero to win the 1998 boys' singles final here and has won both their previous matchups on tour.
"Gonzalez plays well, he is fast, he serves well and has an excellent forehand," Ferrero said. "He is very aggressive and is capable of hitting a cannon ball on his second or third ball in a rally."
Last year's runner-up, Ferrero has looked brilliant in reaching the quarterfinals here for the fourth year in a row. He believes he is in better shape than he has ever been and is ready to go one step further than last year.
"I am definitely in control of my game at the moment," said the 22-year-old, who was a semifinalist here in 2000 and 2001. "Physically I am far better than last year and mentally I am relaxed and confident. I have not spent too much time on court either and that helps."
Ferrero fell in the final last year to Albert Costa in straight sets after suffering from recurring ankle and shoulder injuries throughout the tournament. This year, he is feeling confident after winning titles at the Monte Carlo Masters and Valencia.
Like Ferrero, Gonzalez also spent little time on the court, needing only 93 minutes to extend his winning streak to eight matches. He also reached the quarterfinals last year at the U.S. Open, where he beat Ferrero in the third round.
The ninth-seeded Costa avoided his fourth straight five-set marathon by beating Arnaud Clement of France, 6-2, 7-5, 7-5. He went into his fourth-round match after spending a combined 11 hours, 56 minutes on the court, added about four more hours to that total to defeat Clement for the third time in as many meetings.
Costa will take on fellow Spaniard Tommy Robredo in the quarterfinals. Robredo eliminated three-time French Open winner Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (7-2).
The 21-year-old Robredo, who ousted top-seeded Lleyton Hewitt on Saturday, advanced to the quarterfinals of a major for the first time in his career. As a junior, he reached the boys' final and claimed the junior doubles crown here in 2000.
Spaniards filled four spots in the quarterfinals for the first time at the French Open.
Another former French Open junior champion, Guillermo Coria outslugged fellow Argentine Mariano Zabaleta, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4, 5-7, 6-7 (4-7), 6-3, in four hours and 41 minutes to advance to the last eight at a major for the first time.
In a match stopped due to darkness on Sunday, Zabaleta frequently went for his shots while Coria was content to engage in long rallies from all over the court.
Zabaleta lost despite hitting 97 winners to just 46 for his opponent. Coria made 87 unforced errors, substantially less than Zabaleta's 146.
While he battled through five sets, Coria has been one of the hottest claycourt performances this season. He won the Hamburg Masters and reached two other finals on clay. He'll need all his expertise on the surface when he faces second seed and 1999 champion Andre Agassi, the man who won their fourth-round meeting in the Australian Open in January.
Devil Rays pick first in First-Year Player Draft
NEW YORK, June 3 (UPI) -- The Tampa Bay Devil Rays, who already feature a number of talented young players, figure to add another one when they make the first selection in Tuesday's First-Year Player Draft.
The Devils Rays continue to struggle at the major league level but there has been considerable progress made this season - the first under manager Lou Piniella. Most of the enthusiasm has been generated by talented young outfielders Rocco Baldelli and Carl Crawford.
Tampa Bay will have a chance to add another young outfielder if it so chooses as high school standouts Ryan Harvey and Delmon Young are among the favorites to be taken with the No. 1 pick. The Devil Rays reportedly also are considering Southern University second baseman Rickie Weeks and high school lefthander Andrew Miller.
Harvey, from Dunedin, Fla., is a strapping power hitter who eventually could complement the more speed-oriented tandem of Crawford and Baldelli. At a recent workout for the Devil Rays, he drilled a couple of balls over the center field wall.
Young, who hails from California, worked out for the Devil Rays in mid-May and equally was impressive. The younger brother of Detroit Tiger Dmitri Young, Delmon has an even bigger upside than his brother, who is among the better pure hitters when healthy.
Weeks has the chance to make the most immediate impact, especially with Tampa Bay uncertain about its future up the middle. Last year's top pick, shortstop B.J. Upton, figures to be an impact player down the road and the club could chose to pair Upton and Weeks.
Except for 2001, when they took Middle Tennessee State's Dewon Brazelton - who already is in the club's rotation - the Devil Rays have selected a high school player with their top pick in every draft since 1996.
The Milwaukee Brewers, who also worked out Young and were impressed, pick second, followed by the Tigers. The San Diego
Padres and Kansas City Royals round out the top five.
With teams surrendering picks for free agent signings, the Philadelphia Phillies have the distinction of being the last team to make a choice. Philadelphia, which signed Jim Thome and David Bell in the offseason, has the 86th pick.
Other players that could crack the top five are college righthanders Tim Stauffer and Kyle Sleeth and Massachusetts high school righthander Jeff Allison.
The First-Year Player Draft, which consists of 50 rounds, has been held every year since 1965 with clubs making their selection via conference call. Picks are made in reverse order of 2002 standings with the two leagues alternating choices.
Saints sign WR Horn to three-year contract
METAIRIE, La., June 3 (UPI) -- Pro Bowl wide receiver Joe Horn signed a three-year contract with the New Orleans Saints on Monday.
Horn ended a contract dispute by agreeing in principle to a one-year extension on May 23 and participating in workouts with the team. Apparently on the same page, the two sides extended that deal to three years on Monday.
Horn, 31, has averaged 88 receptions, 1,306 yards and eight touchdowns per season since joining the Saints in 2000. He has made the Pro Bowl the last three seasons.
The Saints also signed linebacker Melvin Williams, a fifth-round pick in the April draft, and wide receiver Kareem Kelly, a sixth-round selection.
IIHF cancels women's hockey championship
MARBELLA, Spain, June 3 (UPI) -- The 2003 women's world hockey championships in Beijing were cancelled Monday because of the SARS virus.
The International Ice Hockey Federation made the announcement after first postponing the event originally scheduled for April. The decision was made due to the increased health risks caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome virus.
Canada has won all seven women's championships.
The 2005 world championships were awarded to Linkoping and Norrkoping, Sweden.
NBA schedules games in China
NEW YORK, June 3 (UPI) -- The NBA strengthened its ties to China on Monday when it announced preseason games will be played in Shanghai and Beijing in October 2004.
The league reiterated its commitment to support the development and growth of basketball in Asia, despite many sporting events being moved from that area because of the outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).
"We are excited about scheduling our first NBA exhibition games in China," said NBA Commissioner David Stern. "China has been our fastest growing global market, and with the extraordinary success of Yao Ming, we anticipate the development of more elite players as the 2008 Beijing Olympics approach."
Details and specific dates were not announced.
The NBA has had increasing presence in China, establishing offices in Hong Kong and Beijing as well as holding clinics and player tours. The connection dates to the 1978-79 season, when the NBA champion Washington Bullets (now the Washington Wizards), traveled to China to play two exhibition games against the Chinese National Team.
The association continued when Yao was drafted by the Houston Rockets with the No. 1 pick in the 2002 draft.
"We recognize that the NBA is committed to bring the action and excitement of the very best basketball in the world to the growing contingent of basketball fans throughout China," said Sun Kanglin, the Director of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Sports.
"We are proud to bring home Yao Ming, and we extend our most sincere welcome to the Houston Rockets and Sacramento Kings to Shanghai," said the President of the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Sports, Jin Guoxiang.
In addition to the two games in China in 2004, the NBA also announced its international preseason schedule for October 2003.
Dallas and Utah will square off in Mexico City, Mexico on Oct. 5; Miami will battle Philadelphia in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Oct. 7; San Antonio will face Memphis in Paris on Oct. 6; and Memphis will visit FC Barcelona on Oct. 10.
In addition, the Los Angeles Clippers and Seattle will open their 2003-2004 regular season with two games at Saitama Super Arena in Japan on Oct. 30 and Nov. 1.
The rest of the 2003-04 preseason and regular season schedules will be announced at a later date.
Padres sign Beck, send Nagy to minors
SAN DIEGO, June 3 (UPI) -- Veteran reliever Rod Beck is back in the major leagues, this time with the San Diego Padres.
The 34-year-old Beck, who missed all last season after undergoing elbow surgery, was signed by the Padres on Monday, two days after he was released by the Chicago Cubs' Class AAA affiliate in iowa.
The three-time All-Star has 266 career saves, but just 16 since 1999. In 1998 with the Cubs, Beck led the National League with 81 appearances and had 51 saves.
In 642 games with San Francisco, the Cubs and Boston, Beck is 35-41 with a a 3.28 ERA. He last pitched the majors with the Red Sox in 2001.
To make room for Beck, the Cubs sent another veteran righthander, Charles Nagy, to Class AAA Portland of the Pacific Coast League. Nagy, 36, was 0-2 with a 4.38 ERA in five relief appearances for San Diego.
Smith released by Bengals
CINCINNATI, June 3 (UPI) -- As expected, the Cincinnati Bengals Monday released quarterback Akili Smith.
The drafting of Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer and the signing of veteran Shane Matthews over the weekend signaled the end for Smith in Cincinnati.
Smith, 27, never lived up to his billing as the third overall pick in the 1999 draft. He started 17 of 22 games, and completed less than 47 percent of his passes (215-of-461) for 2,212 yards and just five touchdowns with 13 interceptions.
The Bengals told Smith's agent over the weekend that he would be released.
"This is the best course for the Bengals and for Akili," said Coach Marvin Lewis. "We're pleased with the lineup of other quarterbacks we've put in place, and we know Akili will get another opportunity."
Cincinnati selected Palmer with the first pick in the April draft, but plan to keep Jon Kitna as the starter and wanted a more reliable backup than Smith.
On Saturday, the Bengals signed Matthews, who is familiar with Lewis. Matthews started seven games for the Washington Redskins last season when Lewis was the team's defensive coordinator.
He is the first of many big names that are expected to experience similar fates or be traded. Others included Denver quarterback Brian Griese, and wide receiver J.J. Stokes of San Francisco.
Packers ink Lamar Smith
GREEN BAY, Wis., June 3 (UPI) -- The Green Bay Packers have signed Lamar Smith, a former 1,000-yard rusher, to serve as a backup to Ahman Green.
Smith, 32, rushed for a career-high 1,139 yards and tied for second in the AFC with 16 touchdowns in 2000 for the Miami Dolphins. He rushed for 968 yards the following year, but became expendable when the Dolphins traded for Ricky Williams in 2002.
Last season, he rushed for 737 yards and seven touchdowns in 11 games for the Carolina Panthers, but had personal problems and was given a paid leave of absence on Nov. 29. He eventually was placed on injured reserve with a shoulder injury on Dec. 18.
Smith participated in minicamp Monday, and will compete for a backup job to Green, who ranked fourth in the NFC with 1,240 yards rushing and also caught 57 passes for the Packers last season.
Green Bay also has signed receiver-returner Antonio Chatman, who broke the Arena Football League record for all-purpose yards with 3,678 in 18 games with the Chicago Rush. He caught 123 passes for 1,608 yards and returned 84 kicks for 2,062 yards.
Canadiens name Gainey GM
MONTREAL, June 3 (UPI) -- Bob Gainey was named General Manager of the Montreal Canadiens on Monday, replacing Andre Savard, who was demoted to Assistant GM.
Gainey, 49, who won five Stanley Cup rings, also was hired as the team's Executive Vice President.
He will assume the position on July 1, while Savard will carry on the duties of GM for the rest of the month. Both Gainey and Savard agreed to four-year contracts.
"The appointment of Bob Gainey marks a new page in the Canadiens history," said Montreal President Pierre Boivin. "His experience as a player, a coach and a general manager, his professional expertise and his personal qualities along with his profound knowledge of the National Hockey League will be a major contribution to the continued improvement of the Montreal Canadiens."
Gainey, a 16-year veteran who played his entire career with the Canadiens, built the Dallas Stars into an elite NHL franchise. He spent 10 seasons as general manager of the Stars, building teams that won five straight division championships, two Presidents' Trophies, and a Stanley Cup championship in 1999.
Now he hopes to restore the Canadiens to their former glory.
"I have fond memories of the 16 seasons that I played with the organization and of the Montreal fans," said Gainey, who will take over a team that went 30-35-8-9 last season. "The Canadiens have a great winning tradition and together with Andre Savard, we are going to do everything possible to develop a winning team."
Gainey stepped down as general manager of the Stars on Jan. 25, 2002.
"I appreciate everything Bob has done for me personally and professionally," said Dallas GM Doug Armstrong. "I wish him nothing but success with the Montreal Canadiens."
Gainey held the dual role of coach and GM from 1992-96. He was appointed coach in June 1990 and in 1991, led the Minnesota North Stars to the Stanley Cup Finals, where they lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
"Bob Gainey is a consummate professional and a winner," said Dallas owner Tom Hicks. "I talked to Bob last night and thanked him for everything he has done for our organization these past 12 years. I wish him the best in his new opportunity with the Montreal Canadiens."
Gainey, elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1992, was a four-time winner of the Selke Trophy as the league's best defensive forward. He collected 501 points in 1,160 games for the Canadiens, served as team captain for eight seasons, and won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1979.
Blackhawks ink Vorobiev
CHICAGO, June 3 (UPI) -- The Chicago Blackhawks Monday signed right wing Pavel Vorobiev, their first-round pick in the 2000 draft.
Taken with the 11th overall choice, Vorobiev is one of Chicago's top prospects, but he injured his knee in Russia during the 2000-01 season and underwent surgery.
He returned to Russia toward the end of the 2001-02 season, collecting three goals and two assists in nine games with Yaroslavl in the Russian League. Last year, the 6-foot, 190-pounder scored 10 goals and added 18 assists in 44 games.
"Our signing him is a major step forward to our youth program," said Chicago General Manager Mike Smith, who did not release terms of the agreement. "It is also an indication of how he has overcome major knee surgery two years ago. We are optimistic that this is just one of several signings of our young prospects that we will announce this summer."
Vorobiev, born in Karaganda, Kazakhstan, played for Russia in the World Junior Championships three times. He had two assists in three games in 1998-99 in the under-18 World Juniors, but recorded eight points in six games in the tournament next year.
Two years ago, he had five points in seven games in the under-20 World Juniors.
The Blackhawks went 30-33-13-6 last season to finish in ninth place in the Western Conference, well out of a playoff spot.
