-Make it two straight losses for the Yankees, who were blanked by resurgent southpaw Cliff Lee 3-0 in the Bronx tonight. A year removed from an injury sidetracking him back to Buffalo to get fixed in Triple-A, the 29 year-old Lee has returned better than ever dominating opponents. He’s now won all six starts walking only two in 44-plus. The Yanks managed six hits in seven innings but couldn’t come up with the big one to bail out tough luck loser Chien-Ming Wang, who permitted a run in the first, fourth and fifth. He went seven falling to 6-1. The best chance Joe Girardi’s club had was a two out rally but Lee buckled down getting Hideki Matsui swinging on a wicked curve to end the sixth. The lefty fanned seven before giving way to 1-2 punch Rafael Perez and Rafael Betancourt with the latter getting the Yanks in order to save his second straight.

-While the Mets dominate the airwaves in this city for their inconsistencies in the wake of a forgettable September, it’s the Yanks up and down play which has gotten lost in the shuffle. What exactly is this team which wins a few, then loses a few and never seems to be able to come up with the big hit when behind after seven innings? At 17 up and 18 down, the Bronx Bombers are an enigma which continues to lose ground to a much stronger Red Sox club. Only due to the Tigers scratching out two against stingy closer Jonathan Papelbon did Boston not increase their lead which remained at four and a half over the Yanks. Sure. They’re still without Alex Rodriguez and Jorge Posada which impacts the lineup. However, the good teams find a way to overcome obstacles. Right now, they’re very mediocre with the April excuse behind them. It’s time to step up.

-The final day of a six-game Western swing was a very good one for the Mets, who hammered Brad Penny for 10 earned in four and two thirds en route a 12-1 rout of the Dodgers, salvaging the final game of the series to even their record to 3-3. The Amazin bats awakened with four in the second including a two-run single from third string catcher Raul Casanova. Up five, they batted around for six more in the fifth. Even starter John Maine got into the act with a two-run single. Luis Castillo’s walk forced in a run. Following a David Wright two-run double, Castillo came into score on a wild pitch for an 11-0 lead. Right fielder Ryan Church continued to swing a hot bat taking ex-Yankee Scott Proctor deep into the Dodger bullpen tying Wright for the club lead with six dingers. He paced the Amazin’s with three hits and three runs scored. 

It all came in support of a sharp Maine, who came within two outs of a too rare complete game shutout. Matt Kemp broke up the shutout with an RBI single. After 117 pitches, Maine was done giving way to ex-Dodger Duaner Sanchez, who recorded the last two outs getting James Loney swinging to end it. Maine went eight and a third allowing one earned on four hits with two walks and four K’s improving to 4-2 on the season.

-Now, the Mets return home to Shea for a seven-game homestand beginning Friday with three against the Reds and four versus Lastings Milledge and the Nats before a fun three-game series at Yankee Stadium next weekend.

-Speaking of Milledge, he’s gotten out of the gate slowly. After taking the collar in three plate appearances in a 4-3 walkoff loss to the Astros, the former Mets’ 2003 first round selection is hitting .256 with one home run, 11 RBI’s, 15 runs and three stolen bases in six attempts. Not the kind of start the 23 year-old Bradenton, Florida native wanted in his first full season manning center field in D.C. There’s still plenty of time for him to get going but you’d have to be foolish not to notice the early returns on that trade so far for Omar Minaya. With Church becoming the Mets’ most consistent performer in their lineup and catcher Brian Schneider (.308-0-8, .395 OBP) playing well in 19 starts despite injuries, it couldn’t be going much better for the Mets.

If Church and Schneider continue to perform well, there won’t be much to complain about for Amazin fans when it comes to that deal. Come to think of it, nobody’s had much to say lately about it choosing to take our their frustrations on Oliver Perez, Carlos Beltran, Carlos Delgado, Aaron Heilman, Willie Randolph and Jose Reyes.

The Mets are 17-15 and still a weird team to get a read on which is why they get plenty of criticism after losses from fans and media alike. It’s because they expect a team which acquired one of the best pitchers in the game to play better than this after how last season ended. The talk from Randolph that his ballclub is more relaxed away from Shea doesn’t take them off the hook. This is New York. Players here must have thicker skin and be able to shake off the booing and heavy criticism. With two last place opponents coming in with a combined record of 28-40, the Amazin’s need to send a strong message by winning at least five of the next seven going into that weekend series against their crosstown rivals. Anything less would raise eyebrows.

-Where would the Braves be without Chipper Jones? With two more hits in a 5-2 home win over the Padres, the 36 year-old switch hitting third baseman is now hitting .429 (51-for-119) with 10 homers and 29 RBI’s. Just amazing stuff from one of the most consistent star players of this era. Last year with his team missing the postseason a second consecutive season, Chipper finished at .337, 29 homers and 102 knocked in despite missing 28 games. With another 42 doubles and four triples, he had 75 extra base hits. Did we mention his OBP was .425 along with a .604 slugging? The guy is just a great player. He needs four more dingers to reach 400 for his career. He’s also closing in on 2,200 hits 32 shy after tonight. By the time he concludes his career, the man they refer to as Larry in Queens will be in Cooperstown.

-Chauncey Billups going down tonight with a possible groin injury changes everything in that Pistons-Magic series. He’s the glue which keeps Detroit together. Tell ya one thing. Rashard Lewis (33 pts, 11-of-15 FG, 5-of-6 3’s) sure is shooting it well. Having Dwight Howard (20 pts, 8-of-13 FG, 12 Rebs, 6 Blk) inside definitely helps. I still think it comes down to the play of Hedo Turkoglu, who came to life in the fourth quarter scoring 10 of his 18 as the Magic outscored the Pistons 38-17 to win 111-86 getting back in the series. If the streaky shooter plays better along with Jameer Nelson, then Orlando should be pretty competitive. Who knows how Billups’ injury will affect him?

-Is there still an NHL playoffs going on? I wasn’t too sure.

-It’s not everyday that Rafa Nadal loses on clay but that happened earlier today when Juan Carlos Ferrero got the better of the Spaniard ousting him 7-5, 6-1 in Rome. It was only Nadal’s second defeat on the red surface in 105 matches. He did play with a blister but give Ferrero his due. This probably isn’t a good sign for Nadal’s future opponents in Roland Garros because it will make the rating three-time French Open champion even more focused and harder to beat.

-I just want to say it’s nice to know that Barry Zito is back in the San Fran rotation again. At least the $128 million man pitched effectively enough to keep his team in a game for a change, only giving up two earned to fall to 0-7. Will he make 20 losses? Hey. His ERA dropped below 7.00. We’re sure Scott Boras is telling Brian Sabean about that.

-Speaking of Boras, when he says Oli Perez is one of the best pitchers in baseball, does he actually believe that?

-Pirate center fielder Nate McClouth is hitting .333 with nine homers, 28 knocked in and 31 runs. Just wanted to make sure you’ve been paying attention.

-The special PBS aired on legendary singer Marvin Gaye was excellent and depicted what one of the most soulful singers went through where despite all his God given talents was never really satisfied. All due to his crazy father, who wound up killing him. It definitely told a sad tale of a man influenced by depression, sex and drugs. If you missed it, find the time to catch it.

-It was a tough night for the baseball locals as both the Yanks and Mets dropped close ones. In the Bronx, Joba Chamberlain got into trouble in the eighth serving up a two out pinch hit three-run job by one-time Bomber David Dellucci to blow a win for Andy Pettite in a stinging 5-3 defeat at the hands of the Indians. Only difference was this time there were no killer gnats. It was the first home run Joba had allowed at the Stadium in his brief career. Called on to protect a one-run lead after Kyle Farnsworth had recorded the final two outs of the seventh, the 22 year-old flamethrower from Nebraska issued walks to Grady Sizemore and Jhonny Peralta. Following the second out, he got to two strikes on Dellucci but the well traveled gritty veteran got around on a 96 MPH heater on the inside of the plate driving it into the short porch. It wasn’t a bad pitch. Just a great piece of hitting by Dellucci, whose fourth dinger of the season snapped a three-game Yankee win streak.

-With Joba showing his human side, lost in the shuffle were good nights from Pettite along with struggling sluggers Jason Giambi and Robinson Cano. The only damage Pettite gave up was a Peralta two-run homer, going six and a third on two earned, five hits while walking one and fanning six. As for Giambi, the veteran first baseman drove in two of three runs including a tying opposite field double. Cano drove him home with an RBI single to left for just the second baseman’s ninth RBI. Maybe that will get each going.

-As for the Mets, they suffered their own tough loss at the hands of former Yankee skipper Joe Torre’s Dodgers, who stayed sizzling with their 12th win in 13 thanks to a come from behind 5-4 win at Dodger Stadium. The Amazin’s got off to a quick start when right fielder Ryan Church took Dodger starter Hiroki Kuroda yard in the first inning. Willie Randolph’s ballclub increased the lead to 3-0 when they took advantage of a Kuroda throwing error plating two more runs courtesy of Luis Castillo’s RBI single followed a couple of batters later by Jose Reyes RBI base hit.

An inning after a Juan Pierre runscoring single got the Dodgers on the board, Moises Alou executed a double steal swiping home to restore a three-run lead. However, it was shortlived thanks to a memorable night for Dodger rookie third baseman Blake DeWitt. The 22 year-old former 2004 first round pick came up with a huge two out two-run third inning hit off ineffective Met starter Nelson Figueroa to slice the deficit to one. Two frames later also with a man on and two out, he drove a Figueroa pitch to deep right. A hustling Church couldn’t haul it in allowing Russell Martin to score the tying run.

What he didn’t know was that the ball was still in play. Thinking it had cleared the wall, he didn’t get up right away. By the time he did, it was too late as the sprinting DeWitt came around to score on third base coach Larry Bowa’s signal for an exciting inside the park home run. A night before, he had slugged his first career major league homer the conventional way. This time, it was his speed which victimized the Mets and wound up being the winning run due to outstanding relief work from Hong-Chih Kuo (W, 3.2 IP, 1 H, BB, 8 K’s), setup man Jonathan Broxton (1 IP, 1 H, 2 K’s) and closer Takashi Saito, who stopped a two out Met rally by freezing Castillo on a nasty slider to end the game.

Dodger pitchers struckout 12 Mets including David Wright looking with the tying runner Church in scoring position to end the Met eighth. The Mets stranded 21 runners in dropping their second straight in L.A. They’ll send John Maine (3-2, 3.48 ERA) to go against Dodger ace Brad Penny (5-2, 3.19 ERA) looking to avoid a sweep this afternoon (3:10 ET, WFAN, SNY) with an early start time out West.

-As usual, the Roger Clemens saga has been beaten to death by the usual suspects. This is probably Mike Lupica’s version of a wet dream. Like this nerdy columnist doesn’t have a few skeletons in his closet? Come on. Obviously, the Rocket is a liar. The question is does anyone really care anymore?

-Think recovering Ranger Sean Avery was exaggerating when he told the NY Post’s Larry Brooks that he thought he was done? Just saying.

-So it turns out A-Rod fainted when his wife gave birth to their child. It just makes him more normal even if he makes all that dough.

-The talk about that filly Eight Belles wanting to race in last Sunday’s Kentucky Derby is a travesty. Like it had a choice. I must not have realized it could talk. It’s about horse racing and gamblers getting rich off poor innocent horses such as Eight Belles, who had to be jettisoned on that very track where favorite Big Brown won the first leg of the triple crown. Gamblers don’t care what happens to these horses who basically put their lives on the line. Maybe it’s time for us to rethink this brutal sport. Sure. It gives us excitement. But something’s very wrong.

-LeBron just bricked another shot and lost the ball off his leg. Just thought you wanted to know.

-Tell ya one thing. If that’s the best the East has, it should be a cake walk for whoever comes out of the West. I’m still betting on Kobe’s Lakers.

-How special is Chris Paul? Two splendid games in uncompetitive second halfs against the defending champion Spurs has the Hornets thinking big. I still have to believe Gregg Popovich will get his team back in this one. Never count out Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili.

-TNT’s Ernie Johnson happens to be the coolest studio host in all of sports. Who else would wear a fisherman’s hat during the end of a segment with Kenny Smith and not bust out laughing?!?!?!?!?!

-It was 25 years ago yesterday that Darryl Strawberry debuted with the Mets. What a talented player he was. The Amazin’s most exciting first round pick lived up to the hype slugging catastrophic homers which defied logic. Remember when he hit one off the light beam in Montreal? Or what about in the old Astro Dome? Straw was just awesome. You never missed an at bat because you wanted to see what the powerful right fielder out of Los Angeles could do. He made you believe anything was possible as did teammate Dwight “Doc” Gooden. In eight seasons at Shea, he slugged 252 homers and stole 191 bases. He never hit lower than 26 dingers in an era when 30-or-more was considered great. Something Straw did three times including 39 in back-to-back seasons (1987, ‘88). The 1983 NL ROY was robbed of the MVP in 1988 losing to Dodger outfielder Kirk Gibson. The eight-time NL All-Star (Mets-7, Dodgers-1) also finished third in 1990 which turned out to be his final season in Queens.

The question is how great would he have been if drugs and alcohol didn’t hound his career? He was a flawed superstar who somehow wound up back in NYC getting a second chance with the Yankees, where the baby face produced some nice moments including a towering blast to cap off the ALCS against Baltimore on the way to a second World Series in a decade. Only this time with the AL New York team. There also was a pinch hit ninth inning walkoff against the Royals where then WPIX’s Bobby Murcer actually predicted it. I also recall being at a three home run game against the White Sox with buddies. Special to say the least. I also was at Gooden’s no-hitter against Seattle with a good buddy. That we saw it for nothing due to snow in the home opener was pretty darn cool.

In many ways, Strawberry and Gooden will always be linked due to on field performances and off field disappointments. What if they had stayed on the field all the time? How great could they have been? We’ll never know.

-And finally, on that very theme comes the story of Cubs closer Kerry Wood. It was 10 years ago yesterday that as a rookie, he tied Roger Clemens’ strikeout record by fanning 20 Astros at Wrigley Field in just his fifth outing. To hear Houston hitters tell it in the Daily News baseball writer Anthony McCarron’s well written column, they had no chance against the wiz kid who at the time was 20 looking like a Cy Young fixture at the top of the Cubs’ rotation. He’d win 13 games in 26 starts losing just six while posting a 3.40 ERA and striking out 233 batters in 166-plus to win NL ROY and get them back to October. Then the next year, Wood’s elbow snapped and he missed all of 1999 and was a shadow of the promising hurler he once looked like drawing favorable comparisons to a young Clemens and Nolan Ryan.

That’s what injuries can do unfortunately. At least he’s still closing for the same team which selected him fourth overall 13 years ago. In 15 appearances this season, Wood’s 2-1 with a 4.24 ERA converting five of seven saves while fanning 16 in 17 innings. I’m rooting for him to have a good year.

-You don’t think the Phillies wish they could have that Gavin Floyd for Freddy Garcia deal back. Do ya?

-Big ups to former Baby Bomber pitching prospects George Kontos, Zach McAllister and Dellin Betances. All three are pitching extremely well rising up the Yankee charts. The other night, Kontos who only pitched Staten Island to a repeat with a dominant seven innings two summers ago K’d a season high 11 in five innings to notch his first win with Double-A Trenton. He’s 1-3 with a 3.79 ERA in seven starts with 33 K’s in 35.2 IP. Eighteen strikeouts have come in the last 10 and a third showing the promise the former Northwestern product has.

McAllister continues to perform very well. Sunday, the 20 year-old former 2006 third round pick went seven strong allowing no runs on six hits with a walk and four K’s to improve to 4-1 with a miniscule 0.92 ERA. In 39 innings with Single-A Charleston of the South Atlantic League, the Chillicothe, Illinois native has permitted 26 hits walking only five while whiffing 29 with a batting average against of .190.

Betances also has fared well with Charleston matching McAllister with his fourth victory in seven starts despite a season high seven walks Monday. The 20 year-old former Grand Street High School standout from Brooklyn, New York is 4-1 with a respectable 2.92 ERA with only a .171 BAA. In 37.0 frames, the former Yankees’ 2006 eighth round pick has given up 21 hits while walking 28 and K-ing 45. If he can improve his command, the lanky 6-8, 245 pound hard thrower with a mid-90’s fastball and wicked curve could crack the Yank rotation as early as 2010.

It’s always nice to see a few players I had the privilege of covering doing well. As we draw closer to another New York-Penn League season in mid-June, we’ll have more prospect updates. Stay tuned!

Defense wins championships. Fair enough. But what about being able to score the ball? That’s how ugly Game One of the Eastern Conference Semifinal between the Cavs and Celtics was at TD Banknorth Garden last night which saw Kevin Garnett and the home team grit out a 76-72 win to take a 1-0 series lead.

Despite an awful third quarter in which they scored only 12 points (27 combined), the Celts still had enough to get the better of an ice cold LeBron James and the Cavs, outscoring them 23-20 in the determining final quarter. Savvy veteran Sam Cassell came off the bench for 10 of his 13 including a couple of big three’s and two free throws after flopping to the floor while frustrated Cav big man Zydrunas Ilgauskas protested and snuck in a late kick to the face.

The Cleveland center kept his team’s chances of stealing the home court alive by tipping home a James miss to tie the score at 72. On a night where James was stifled by Boston’s swarming defense into an abysmal 2-for-18 night which included an unLebron-like 10 turnovers, Ilgauskas picked up the slack scoring a team high 22 (8-of-18 FG, 6-of-6 FT) and pulling down 12 rebounds.

Even though the Cavs played their own brand of outstanding D completly shutting down Ray Allen (first ever career goose egg, 0-of-4 FG, 0-of-3 3’s, 4 TO) and neutralizing Paul Pierce (4 pts, 2-of-14 FG, 0-of-3 3’s, 6 TO), they were unable to contain Garnett, who scored the last of his game high 28 by overpowering mismatch Joe Smith for an easy lay-in with a shade under 24 seconds left to break a tie game. Here’s a question. What the heck was the undersized Smith doing in there trying to guard KG in the post? Shouldn’t Mike Brown have subbed Ben Wallace back in?

Following a full timeout, LeBron still had a chance to atone for a brutal shooting night. He had made his first field goal for 2-0 and then didn’t make another until a driving reverse lay-up with over five and a half remaining in the game. Now, he got the ball at the top of the key and drove past the Boston double for what looked like an easy tying lay-in. Instead, the ball didn’t go down caroming back out to James Posey with 8.5 seconds left. The key Boston sub sealed the game with two free throws completing an 8-point outing which as usual included a couple from downtown.

It all added up to an ugly Celtic Game One victory which the home crowd still loved. It sure didn’t remind you of two decades ago though when Bird, McHale, Parrish and DJ were all money at the old Boston Garden on that parquet floor. I can still recall that classic Cheers episode where McHale screwed with the bolts in the floor and tripped over it during a game.

Regardless of how they won with Allen and Pierce having games to forget, the Celtics won’t give this one back. You have to expect them to be better along with LeBron.

I just hope we see better offensive execution in the halfcourt because it was tough on the eyes. 

It was the worst kept secret. The NBA league MVP is finally Kobe Bryant’s.

The 29 year-old Los Angeles Laker superstar had a terrific season finishing second in the league to Cleveland’s LeBron James in scoring averaging 28.3 points-per-game (PPG) along with 6.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists to lead his team to the West’s best record finishing 57-25. The Philadelphia native shot 45.9 percent from the field including 36.1 from three-point range- his highest percentage in five seasons.

“This is an award I couldn’t have won on my own. I can’t thank these guys (his teammates) enough. These are my guys, these are my brothers. Let’s get ready for tomorrow,” the very ecstatic Laker star told reporters at a press conference as his team prepared for Game Two of their seven-game Western Conference Semi series against Utah. Bryant lit up the Jazz for 38 points, six boards and seven assists in a 109-98 Game One win at Staples Center Sunday.

Keeping things in perspective, he made a valid observation of finally winning his first ever league MVP:

“It’s Hollywood, it’s a movie script. The perfect ending would be for us to hold a championship trophy at the end of it.”

Well stated. Bryant received 82 first place votes and 1,105 points beating out the Hornets’ Chris Paul, who finished second with 28 first place tallies and 889 points. Boston’s Kevin Garnett (15 and 670) and the league’s leading scorer James (1 and 438) rounded out the top four.

Blogger’s reaction: Bryant was very deserving and really sacrificed his offense to get other teammates involved which is the biggest reason the Lakers finished where they did and are a legit championship contender. Paul was a good choice for runner-up who had a fantastic third season averaging 21.1 PPG, 4.0 RPG and a league best 11.6 assists, leading the Hornets to 56 wins and back to the postseason.

I’m not crazy about KG finishing ahead of LeBron cause he had a much better cast with Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. The Celtics did finish with a league best 66 wins which might explain it. For the most part, they got it right and that’s all that counts.

Well, at least the Magic have an excuse. They played better against the Pistons in Game Two but had a tough call go against them. Near the end of the third quarter, the clock never started creating tons of confusion when Chauncey Billups nailed a three to put Detroit up two.

The question was did he get it off in time? There were 4.9 seconds left when the controversy took place. Due to NBA regulations, the three officials couldn’t review the tape instead conferencing for about five minutes before deciding to reward the Detroit point guard with a three. From watching TNT replays, I counted 5.2 which the network later confirmed as the fourth quarter began.

Unfortunately for Stan Van Gundy’s Magic, it didn’t matter. They still had 12 minutes to overcome that mistake. Orlando certainly had their chances but just couldn’t make enough big plays down the stretch getting outscored 22-17 in the fourth quarter and falling 100-93.

They had fallen behind by 10 at the half after a miserable second quarter which saw them score only 11 points. Then the Magic came out and played a superb third quarter outscoring the Pistons 36-28 to pull within two. In particular, Rashard Lewis came alive draining a couple of treys and scoring 16 of 20 in the second half. Jameer Nelson also was much better scoring the ball and nailing five triples to the tune of 22. In fact, Orlando who shot just 2-of-15 from the outside was a perfect seven-for-seven in the third.

Too bad the Billups trey counted. Otherwise, they would’ve led by one entering the final quarter. Those kind of shots can swing momentum. For Orlando, it was a bad break cause it definitely shouldn’t have counted. Regardless, they did come out strong in the fourth and even took a four point lead on a thunderous follow-up jam by Dwight Howard, who was much better finishing with 22 and 18 boards (8 offensive) plus two rejections.

Clearly, the Pistons were on the ropes forcing Flip Saunders to call for time. Howard was getting players in foul trouble. That the Magic didn’t exploit that in the last five and a half minutes was a big reason they lost to fall behind 0-2 in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Semi series.

How did the experienced Pistons respond out of the timeout? Like you’d expect. By going on a 7-0 run to take a 91-88 lead. First, a classic Rasheed Wallace score in the post cut it to two. After a bad Magic possession, Richard Hamilton made a contested three from the key to put them up one. Billups then hit a 14-foot runner. In less than two minutes, they were up three and back in control.

Orlando kept it close on an open Nelson three to cut it to two. They never got the game tied as Billups was great down the stretch getting to the charity stripe and making his free throws where one of the game’s best converted all 10. Hamilton also made five of six despite an off shooting night (4-of-18 FG) to still net 14 in support of Billups’ game high 28.

The Magic did have a chance to tie it a couple of different times but a wild Hedo Turkoglu three off an in bounds missed completely. Their last gasp was a Lewis runner which went off the back of the rim with Howard’s tip try also missing right to Turkoglu, who had the ball cleanly stripped by Theo Ratliff off his leg handing it back to Detroit. The Pistons converted enough free throws to put the game out of reach.

Both teams had all five starters in double digits with Orlando getting a better game from Maurice Evans, who hit a couple of three’s and netted 13 in a losing effort. Turkoglu struggled with his scoring touch only making 5-of-11 from the field despite two treys. Though he involved other teammates with a game best seven assists, the NBA’s Most Improved Player was awful turning the ball over six times. Lewis also had six miscues and Howard turned it over five comprising for 17 of Orlando’s 19 on the night. Just way too many to win on the road. By contrast, the Pistons only had eight.

Detroit got a better game from Wallace, who hit for 17 (7-of-10 FG). Supporting cast players Tayshaun Prince (17 pts, 10 rebs, 5 assists, 2 steals, blk) and Jason Maxiell (11 pts, 5-of-5 FG, 4 rebs, 3 blks, 3 assists) each had solid overall games.

The Piston bench outscored Orlando 13-4 with Antonio McDyess getting six and Rodney Stuckey adding five. Former Piston Carlos Arroyo netted all four for the Magic.

Key stat difference: Winning basketball games means taking care of the ball. Assist to turnover ratios are crucial.

Orlando- 16 assists, 19 turnovers, minus-three

Detroit- 23 assists, 8 turnovers, plus-15

Clearly, that needs to change for the Magic to make it a series.

-Nice response by the Mets this weekend in Arizona taking two of three. Ya don’t think Billy Wagner had something to do with it? Jose Reyes had a real good series going 5-for-11 with three extra base hits including two triples, three runs scored, two RBI’s and a  stolen base in each game. It’s the first time all season he’s had steals in three straight.

-Ryan Church continues to impress with four hits and his fourth homer in the series opening 7-2 win. The 29 year-old right fielder who was acquired with catcher Brian Schneider from the Nationals for Lastings Milledge is looking like a steal. He leads the team in hitting with a .318 average, four home runs, 22 RBI’s and 23 runs. Church also boasts a respectable .382 on-base percentage and has played solid defense which included a key toss out of Chris Burke, who was trying for third in a tie game with nobody out in the eighth Sunday. It was Church’s fourth assist of the season.

-How about Melky Cabrera’s sudden power boost. With a two-run dinger in yesterday’s 8-2 Yankee win over Seattle to complete their first three-game sweep of 2008, the 23 year-old center fielder now has six homers in 103 at bats. Last season, the Melk Man hit only eight in 545 ABs. The switch hitter had a very good Spring Training and has carried it over so far. You just wonder if it’s legit. In this day and age, that’s what it’s come to sadly.

-The Yanks also have to be pretty happy with Darrell Rasner’s first start. He went six strong permitting only a two-run Adrian Beltre homer in the first while scattering five hits and striking out four to pickup his first win. Most importantly, he didn’t issue a walk.  Just maybe the 27 year-old from Nevada can give the staff a boost. 

-Roger Clemens is sorry because his personal life is in ruins and there’s virtually no way to recover that no matter what statements he makes.

-It’s amazing how well Oakland is playing. Despite retooling by unloading stars Dan Haren and Nick Swisher, here they are playing solid ball winning 19 of their first 33 games with the third best record in the American League. I criticized him but it turns out that GM Billy Beane does know what he’s doing. Greg Smith, who was one of the players acquired in the Haren deal from Arizona is off to a 2-1 start with a 2.54 ERA allowing 27 hits in 39 innings with 13 walks and 31 strikeouts. As evidenced by their 18 homers, the A’s don’t hit for much power which is why reclaiming veteran slugger Frank Thomas could be a wise move. He’s had success there before.

-Even with some questionable calls and non ones, the younger Pens were the better team. They just had too much speed, size and skill for the Rangers even if Jaromir Jagr turned back the clock with 15 points (5-10-15) in only 10 postseason games. If this was the last of him in the NHL, he’ll be sorely missed. No.68 truly is one of the most fun players to watch. He never complained about how many times he was hacked and didn’t take Oscar Award winning dives to draw calls unlike a certain superstar. He just played the game which is how it’s supposed to be. Too bad the NHL doesn’t seem to think so.

-Evgeni Malkin was the best player in the series and dominated the puck. The no-look backhander he scored on to beat Henrik Lundqvist was ridiculous. It’s the 21 year-old Russian who deserves all the accolades along with some endorsements. Though his slewfoot of Paul Mara was uncalled for. Pull that in the next series against a tougher Flyer team and he could pay the price.

-Has anyone ever complained more than Michel Therrien despite winning the series in five games? Apparently, he learned well how things are done on his club.

-He doesn’t always do the right things on the ice but we’re wishing Ranger Sean Avery the very best as he recovers from a lacerated spleen. The NHL needs more Averys in the game who are willing to mix it up. They’ve become a bland league with boring intermission segments and blah quotes from even their best players. That doesn’t get ratings. They need more colorful analysts who will speak their mind instead of being afraid of their shadows like the hypocritical league. Sucking up to stars doesn’t work. Neither does being serious all the time. We suggest they watch TNT’s NBA coverage cause it doesn’t get much better.

-He can say whatever he wants but until Roger Federer beats Rafael Nadal in the best three-of-five at Roland Garros, the No.1 ranked Swiss player isn’t as good on the red surface.

-Anyone who doesn’t watch Spurs/Hornets will be missing a great series. Even if Bruce Bowen bitches about every call against him. Tony Parker against Chris Paul is worth every penny. And could someone please explain to me why the Spurs are boring? Why? Cause they execute in the halfcourt and play solid D unlike teams such as the Nuggets and Suns. Parker and Manu Ginobili are fun players to watch. Tim Duncan might not show a lot of emotion emulating a robot but he’s one of the game’s greatest players.

-Unless he performs up to expectations against the Pistons, Dwight Howard doesn’t deserve to be tossed around with the Duncans, LeBron’s and Kobe’s.

-It’s okay now to tell the Avalanche to cover Detroit’s Johan Franzen. Oops. Too late!

-Ditto the Canadiens and finding the Flyers’ R.J. Umberger. After the way Carey Price performed, maybe Canada really is jinxed.

-That four overtime epic between San Jose and Dallas was as good as it got. You talk about great hockey and awesome goaltending from Evgeni Nabokov and Marty Turco, it was the kind of game which anyone could enjoy featuring great skating, hitting and awe inspiring battles. So much for that magic 33 theory. Maybe next round!

How good is Chris Paul? The third-year Hornets’ floor general is plenty good already. After toasting Jason Kidd in Round One, Paul had his way with the Spurs in Game One of the Western Conference Semis, scoring 13 of 17 in the second half while handing out 13 assists and four steals in a 101-82 home win Saturday night.

Paul got plenty of help from teammates David West, who scored a playoff career high 30 (13-of-23 FG) with nine rebounds and 22 from Peja Stojakovic (9-of-15 FG) including a couple of three’s.

After falling behind 8-0 at the start, the Spurs cameback and outscored the Hornets 49-37 the rest of the half to lead by four at halftime. They slowed down the pace and executed in the halfcourt with lightning quick Tony Parker slashing for lay-ups and setting up Bruce Bowen for five treys. The feisty defender got all five in an excellent first half, only scoring two free throws the rest of the way.

The Spurs held a four-point lead early in the third quarter without much from Tim Duncan, who never got untracked finishing a dismal 1-of-9 from the floor, matching a career playoff low with only five points. How ineffective was he? The Big Fundamental only had three total rebounds, two assists and one foul in over 37 minutes. He also bricked three of six free throws, which was a team epidemic. The Spurs misfired on nine of 21 from the line.

Eventually, Duncan’s dreadful game along with a stagnant offense worked in the younger Hornets’ favor. With Paul getting more aggressive, they took control scoring eight straight to go up four. He setup a couple of easy dunks. The Spurs never recovered falling behind by eight after three quarters.

It would only get worse as Paul sliced up their D scoring and setting up open teammates. West also was draining 17-footers from both sides of the court and Stojakovic was taking advantage of mismatches to score inside off the dribble.

The Hornets had it all working. They played outstanding D in the second half outscoring San Antonio by 23 and forcing 13 total turnovers including an unusual five from Parker. By contrast, the hosts turned it over just seven times.

The Spurs were manhandled on the glass getting outrebounded 50-34 with New Orleans doubling them up 16-8 on the offensive glass. Quite a few times, free Hornets got to loose balls for putbacks including one from Bonzi Wells who came off the bench for 10 and a monster follow-up jam by Tyson Chandler, who paced everyone with 15 boards (6 offensive). The ex-Bull also added 10 points and three blocks.

Paul put an exclamation point on the win with a couple of killer crossovers flying by Spurs for easy lay-ins. He also made two consecutive steals including one which concluded with a dunk. Message delivered.

So, can the Spurs recover? Duh. They have before. No way will Duncan be this ineffective in Game Two. Gregg Popovich is a master at adjusting. He knows that if he gets the normal game from his star power forward along with the 42 combined points and 12 assists Parker and super sixth man Manu Ginobili delivered, the defending champs will be right there.

The question is can they slow down the explosive Paul? That remains to be seen. It’s undoubtedly the key to the series.

For the record, before they tipped off my pick was Spurs in 6 due to their wealth of experience. That said, I did give the Hornets a decent chance to win because they match-up. I just think in a 6-7 game series, that trio of Duncan, Parker and Ginobili will find a way to get it done. But if Game One was any indication, they’re going to be severely tested. Don’t forget too that Byron Scott has been around the block before winning three rings with the Lakers and coaching a flawed Nets team to back-to-back NBA Finals. So, he knows what it takes.

It should make for a compelling brand of basketball.

There was one other series which got underway with the Pistons having their way with the Magic 91-72. Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton exposed Orlando’s backcourt of Jameer Nelson and Maurice Evans outscoring them 36-11 with five more assists (10-5) and three fewer turnovers (2 to 5).

Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu each got 18 and had near identical stat lines but as predicted, didn’t do much from the outside making only one three in seven combined attempts. Orlando as a team shot 2-for-15 from three. 

It didn’t help much that Dwight Howard was banged up bruising his left wrist when now Piston starting power forward Jason Maxiell hit his arm while going for a rebound. In 35-plus minutes, Howard finished with 12 points, eight rebounds and three blocks before sitting out most of the final quarter with the game out of reach. The only decision Stan Van Gundy could make.

The Pistons placed five in double figures including 12 apiece from Maxiell and Tayshaun Prince. Antonio McDyess came off the bench for 10 points, five rebounds and two rejections in 23 minutes.

Game Two is Monday at The Palace with a special 6 ET start time. We’ll try to confirm if that’s accurate.

Later today, the Lakers and Jazz get underway. But first up will be Hawks-Celtics in another Game Seven 20 years after that epic Dominique vs Bird duel with Boston prevailing. The Hawks have never won a road Game Seven in franchise history losing three different times to the Celts. Will the fourth time be the charm? Find out at 1 ET on ABC!

Sometimes, there are just those songs which you can’t get enough of. As a huge Guns N’ Roses fan, they certainly had plenty of songs like that for Gunners all over the world making their mark on rock n’ roll.

Like everyone else, I only wish it could’ve lasted longer cause they flat out dominated from 1987 to 1992 putting out great hit after great hit, making ridiculous videos and selling out arenas wherever they played or didn’t due to Axl’s bizarre behavior.

The original act which featured Slash, Duff, Izzy and Steven Adler were totally amazing. They meshed well with Axl’s vocals to make it work despite all the band turmoil which became as much part of GNR as the music itself.

The question you ask is how great could they have been if they had stuck together? Who knows? Most awesome bands break up due to philosophical differences. The sad aspect is that I don’t ever see Axl and Slash getting back on a stage together. What happens when they get inducted?

Still, you can hear their outstanding music on radio stations and at arenas during sporting events, etc. Madison Square Garden plays WTTJ (Welcome To The Jungle) and You Could Be Mine during most Ranger games. I will usually just sit back and rock out to it. How could you not?

One of my faves has to be “Civil War“ off Illusion II. The most frequent track off that album is “You Could Be Mine” which was used well during Terminator II. The video in particular in which they used scenes from it featuring current California State Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as The Terminator who protects John Connor from the evil Terminator looking to kill both him and mother Sarah. The video came out extremely well and became one of the most popular GNR songs.

Now as good as that is, I still feel Civil War is the best song on the album as it details so much from their childhood experiences with references to JFK’s assasination, MLK, civil rights and the Vietnam War. Every word has true meaning. And the way they play it is powerful enough to make you understand what was going on during that time.

There are two videos I like. One is from a live concert while the other is a really good video made showing the brutality of warfare.

Guns N’ Roses: “Civil War“-Live fea. Jimi Hendrix’s Voodoo Child intro

Some observers on YouTube don’t care for how Slash played Jimi’s legendary Voodoo Child but I dig the slower version as it works making a solid transformation right into Civil War which is played unbelievably and sang by a sprinting Axl at a feverish pitch. You can see why this band was so great!

Guns N’ Roses: “Civil War”

There’s a noticeable difference in the intro but then you hear the quotes and that Axl whistle which was also used back on hit Patience. The video itself is extremely good and explains how brutal war can be. So many sacrificed for us. R.I.P.

It’s new blood versus old as Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic battle Chauncey Billups and the Detroit Pistons in Game One of the Eastern Conference Semifinals tonight in Auburn Hills.

Series Overview: There’s a lot to like about this match-up. You got the Magic’s youth against the Pistons’ experience. The Magic rely on the power game of Howard along with deadly perimeter shooting from Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis. In their five-game first round win over the Raptors, Howard dominated the paint averaging 22.6 points, 18.2 boards and an intimidating 3.8 blocks. He’ll need to do more of the same and Turkoglu will have to shoot better from the outside (2-for-18 from 3 vs Tor).

They’ll also need Jameer Nelson to score and distribute the ball. That will be a tough chore against one of the game’s best point guards in Billups, who is a great all around player.

Keith Bogans and Keyon Dooling must supply the same spark they did in coming off Stan Van Gundy’s bench against the Raptors. Ex-Piston Carlos Arroyo could be vital giving Nelson a breather.

The Pistons rely on more of a balanced attack which features Billups and veteran big man Rasheed Wallace in the pick n’ roll. It’s extremely tough to defend because the versatile Wallace not only sets good picks but can hurt you from beyond the arc. In the six-game elimination of the 76ers, he averaged 14.5 PPG, 6.5 RPG and shot a deadly 44.8 percent (13-for-29) from downtown. In this series, he’ll be asked to play great D against Howard.

The Pistons don’t normally double which means they’ll ask Rasheed to limit the damage. What that could mean is Howard will get his points but the Magic perimeter attack could be neutralized. If that plays out, I can’t see Orlando winning this series.

You can give the nod to Howard against Wallace but Billups has a decided edge on Nelson, who needs to play out of his mind. The problem is that the other three starters all can chip in. That includes one of the brightest shooting guards in the game in Richard Hamilton along with the versatile Tayshaun Prince, whose length causes problems on both ends of the floor.

Antonio McDyess won’t score a ton but has good range and can step out from 17-18 feet and drain it. His ability to make shots away from the basket along with Wallace’s outside stroke could force Howard to play out meaning he won’t be as much of a defensive presence. That can’t happen or the Magic are in trouble.

On top of matters, Flip Saunders can bring in power forward Jason Maxiell, Amir Johnson and grizzled vet Theo Ratliff to bang around Howard. The Raptors didn’t have the personnel to do that. Rodney Stuckey, Arron Afflalo and Jarvis Hayes all give Saunders minutes. Figure vet Lindsey Hunter also to come off the bench. He can shoot the rock if you leave him open.

Analysis: The Magic are basically a three player attack with Nelson as the important fourth option. The problem is if the Pistons play Howard man-to-man, his supporting cast isn’t going to be much of a factor. It’s awfully hard to see them winning against a deeper and more experienced team whose been through this grind before.

Series Prediction: Pistons in 5

In the old days, the NBA had a signature phrase, “Now that’s fantastic.” These days in Atlanta, it’s more like Hawktastic! 

Twenty years ago, the Atlanta Hawks and Boston Celtics hooked up in a great seven-game second round series. Best remembered for the classic Game Seven duel between superstars Dominique Wilkins and Larry Bird, the scoring war went to The Human Highlight Film but not the series as Boston advanced thanks to 20 fourth quarter points from Larry Legend. Wilkins, who scored a game high 47 (13 better than Bird) had 16 in a losing effort. The Celtics won 118-116.

In the rich history of the Boston Celtics, they’ve never lost a series deciding Game Seven. That and plenty more will all be on the line when the East’s top seed hosts the underdog Hawks tomorrow afternoon at TD Northbank Garden. It doesn’t quite have that same feel as the fabled Boston Garden where the green and white won so many NBA titles. Just maybe that will be enough incentive for upstart Atlanta, a team who won 37 games during the regular season. That’s 29 fewer than Kevin Garnett and the Celts won in posting the league’s best record to gain home court.

The deciding game became necessary when the Hawks held up their end of the bargain by winning on their home floor at a loud Phillips Arena of better than 20,000. Like Game Four, Boston built a double digit lead taking a 32-20 cushion after one quarter. But the Celts couldn’t handle prosperity allowing a resilient group of Hawks to outscore them 29-18 cutting the deficit to one by the half.

Everytime the Celtics tried to take control, Atlanta made a timely basket to stay right with them. Trailing by three after 36 minutes, the Hawks used better aggressive defense and heady play on the offensive end to stifle their opponent outscoring them 24-18 to pull out a hard fought 104-101 Game Six win.

When his team needed a big bucket in crunch time, Game Four hero Joe Johnson delivered once again. With the Celts within two and the shot clock winding down, he faked out defender James Posey and then stepped into a trey from the right arc nailing it for a 100-95 lead with over a minute left. It was the only three Atlanta made all night.

If Johnson was the star in outscoring Boston 20-17 by himself a few nights ago, then he got plenty of help from a well balanced attack which included 16 points, five rebounds and four assists from NBA Rookie of The Year runner-up Al Horford. On a night when Boston doubled to limit Johnson’s touches, other Hawks came through including veteran guard Mike Bibby, who made just enough free throws to hold off Boston’s last charge without Paul Pierce, who fouled out and drew a technical.

Bibby stepped up supporting Johnson’s 15, five assists and four rebounds with a similar 17, seven assists and six boards. After converting one-of-two to keep the Celts’ hopes alive of forcing overtime, the former Sacramento King and teammates played splendid D not allowing Rajon Rondo to find an open Posey or Ray Allen for a potential tying three. Instead, the pass oriented point guard went to the last option forcing a 25-footer which drew nothing but air as the Hawks and their pumped up fans celebrated by chanting, “Se—ven, Se—ven, Se—ven!!!!!”

All five Atlanta starters hit for double figures including Marvin Williams’ 18 which paced them despite missing most of the final quarter due to a twisted knee while guarding Pierce. Showing playoff mettle, he came back into the game to play defense with 20 seconds remaining. The plan worked as an Allen force from way downtown missed wide forcing the Celts to foul. He just didn’t have the touch from the outside clanging seven of eight three-point attempts despite 20 points.

When Williams wasn’t in, replacement Josh Childress was ripping it up to the tune of 15 points, six rebounds, three assists and a steal. The former 2004 first rounder out of Stanford has really played big in this series, playing awesome D along with timely hoops and unselfish dishes. His hustle has also kept several loose balls alive including three big offensive rebounds last night.

The Hawks also got a valiant effort from little used reserve center Zaza Pachulia. The big man who jawed with Garnett during Game Four played 28 big minutes scoring nine points on three of four from the field with three free throws, six boards including four offensive and two steals.

That kind of yeoman effort is the reason they’re headed back to Boston for a Game Seven rematch 20 years in the making. Well, maybe it’s not quite Nique and Bird with current Celtic coach Doc Rivers on the Hawk side. But it sure is great theater.

The pressure will be squarely on Boston. They swept all three regular season meetings and have won by an average of 22 points in Games 1, 2 and 5 on their home court.

They didn’t bring in the Big Ticket (22 pts, 7 rebs, 6 assists) and Allen to flop in the first round against a hungry athletic opponent who wants to victimize a heavy favorite much the way Baron Davis and the eighth seeded Golden State Warriors stunned Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks in this same round. So, the pressure will be immense when they tip off Game Seven at 1 ET tomorrow in Boston.

If the Celts win, they’ll play LeBron James and the Cavs, who for the third consecutive year eliminated the Wizards on their home floor . James posted a triple double with 27 points, 13 assists and 13 rebounds in a 105-88 Game Six win at Verizon Center. Deadline pickup Wally Szczerbiak connected on six treys netting 26 points and Daniel Gibson came off the bench for 22 including another four from beyond the arc.

Antawn Jamison paced the Wizards with a double/double (23 and 15) in a losing effort. Game Five hero Caron Butler was limited to 18 on 6 of 14 shooting with four turnovers.

The Utah Jazz also advanced to an enticing Conference Semifinal match-up against rumored regular season league MVP Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. Despite a heroic 40 points, 10 boards and five assists from Tracy McGrady, the Jazz used a more balanced attack with seven different players netting double digits including 10 apiece from reserve guards Kyle Korver and Matt Harpring.

McGrady, who is now 0-7 in playoff series did all he could for the shorthanded Rockets who lost starting guard Rafer Alston to an injury early on which didn’t help their cause. In the past, I’ve been critical of him but the guy did all he could to get his team back in the game. They trailed by 19 in the first half before a McGrady led run which included back-to-back three’s cut the lead to four at the half. The only other Rocket in double digits was rookie power forward Luis Scola, who finished with 15 and nine boards.

The Jazz responded with a strong third quarter outscoring the Rockets 27-11. Point guard Deron Williams had 13 by himself including two straight trifectas which put Utah back in command up 18. The former Illinois standout finished with 25, nine assists and six rebounds. Mehmet Okur added a double/double (19 and 13) and Carlos Boozer chipped in with 15, 10 and 5. 

Utah cruised to a 113-91 Game Six win to setup Sunday’s Game One at Los Angeles. Figure that to be a great series.