MIAMI - The San Antonio Spurs will attempt to finish off the NBA Finals and the Miami Heat this evening when the two teams square off in Miami.

The Spurs took a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series with a 114-104 win Sunday night. If Miami wins tonight's outing, the seventh and final game will be played in Miami Thursday night.

A key to the game may be how Miami plays defense on Danny Green. He has become the most feared sharpshooter in the series, having already set a Finals record with 25 3-pointers.

And based on past performances, with the season on the line, it is a good beet LeBron James will come out and provide some big-time heroics for the Heat.

Should the Spurs win tonight's game, or Thursday's for that matter, they will have their fifth NBA championship.

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SAN ANTONIO - The San Antonio Spurs are heading to Miami with two shots at winning their fifth NBA title -- and fourth in the Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili era.

Parker and Ginobili combined for 50 points as the Spurs took a 3-2 series lead with a 114-104 win over the Miami Heat last night. The Spurs shot 60 percent from the field.

Parker played over 35 minutes, shot 10-for-14 from the field and delivered a team-high 26 points. Ginobili also had the hot hand while making a rare start, hitting eight of his 14 shots and finishing with 24 points and 10 assists.

The Spurs can wrap up their fifth championship Tuesday in Miami. If the Heat win that one, Game 7 will be Thursday night in Miami.

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ARDMORE, Pa. (AP) - Justin Rose is the first Englishman to win the U.S. Open in 43 years.

Rose shot a closing 70 Sunday at Merion Golf Club for a 1-over 281 total and his first major championship. He finished two shots ahead of Phil Mickelson and Jason Day.

The 32-year-old Rose overcame his share of misadventures on a challenging course. He took the solo lead for good when Mickelson and Mahan both dropped shots at No. 15.

He finished with a tap-in for par at the 18th, a hole that didn't yield a birdie over the final two rounds.

It's been a long wait for England since Tony Jacklin won the trophy in 1970. Rose has been in contention before. He tied for fifth in 2003 and tied for 10th in 2007.

 

 

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SAN ANTONIO - The NBA Finals are all tied up at two wins apiece. Playing in San Antonio the Miami Heat beat the Spurs in Game 4, 109-93. The win by the Heat guarantees a return trip to Miami for a sixth game. Game 5 will be played in San Antonio Sunday.

Miami's Big Two, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, led the attack as James hit the nets for 33 with Wade adding 32. James also had 11 rebounds and 4 assists. The third of Miami's big players, Chris Bosh, had 20 points and 13 rebounds.

Tony Parker led the way for the Spurs with 15 points and nine assists while playing through a sore right hamstring.

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ARDMORE, Pa. - The opening round of the U.S. Open has resumed after prolonged rain delays yesterday kept play from being completed.

More rain fell overnight on the Merion Golf Club course near Philadelphia and cooler temperatures greeted the golfers that had to be up early to finish the round. There is a chance of more rain throughout the day.

Tiger Woods is showing no ill effects of the wrist that he appeared to tweak hitting out of the rough yesterday. But he continues to find the high grass today. The three-time Open champ remains at 2-over par through 15 holes.

After closing the day with three straight birdies to get to 4-under yesterday, Luke Donald bogeyed the par-4 16th hole. That puts him in a tie for the lead with Phil Mickelson, who shot a 3-under 67 yesterday.

Reigning British Open champ Ernie Els birdied the 10th hole to get to 2-under through 13 holes.

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ARDMORE - Thunder, lightning and heavy downpours have settled in over the Merion Golf Club outside Philadelphia, suspending first-round play at the U.S. Open.

U.S. Golf Association officials called a halt to play at 8:36 Eastern, just short of two hours after the opening shot of the tournament was struck.

Thunderstorms with possible severe weather are forecast throughout the day, casting doubt on whether the first round will be completed.

The Merion Golf Club course was drenched by six and a half inches of rain over the weekend and into the early portion of this week.

Among those who got in some play before the skies opened is five-time US Open runner-up Phil Mickelson. He left earlier this week to fly to San Diego, where his daughter Amanda graduated from the eighth grade yesterday. Mickelson then took a late flight back last night and made it in time for his 7:11 tee time. Mickelson is even par through five holes.

The rain short-circuited a blazing start by Ian Poulter, who shot to the top of the leader board by making birdies on his first three holes.

No. 1-ranked Tiger Woods is set to play in a group with second-ranked Rory McIlroy and No. 3 Adam Scott for the first two days. Woods enters the tournament with four wins this year. He's trying to snap a five-year winning drought at major championships.

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SAN ANTONIO - LeBron James calls it a "must win" situation.

The league MVP and his Miami Heat find themselves down two-games-to-one to San Antonio heading into tonight's Game 4 of the NBA Finals. And the Heat need a much better performance than their 36-point loss in Game 3 if they hope to keep from being pushed to the brink of elimination.

James himself is going to have to up his game after missing his first 10 shots from outside the paint and winding up 7-for-21 in Game 3.

One promising trend that the Heat can take comfort in is that they haven't lost consecutive games in five months.

Also playing in the Heat's favor: It's unlikely that the Spurs can match their record 16 3-point baskets from Game 3.

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SAN ANTONIO - LeBron James slung his practice jersey over his head, letting the piece of mesh fabric sway down his back much in the way that a cape would.

Fitting. In Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night, he might need a hero's effort to save the Miami Heat.

James and the Heat were still steaming Wednesday from their 113-77 loss in Game 3 of the finals to the San Antonio Spurs, who lead the series 2-1 and can move one win away from ending Miami's reign atop the league with a victory in Game 4.

James was 7 of 21 from the field in Game 3 and didn't even get to the foul line. He says, "I'll be better. I'll be much better," in Game 4.

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LOS ANGELES - There are likely to be repercussions from the Diamondbacks and Dodgers episode of men behaving badly last night.

Suspension and fines could be handed out after a bench-clearing brawl sparked by a series of hit batters. Six were ejected including Arizona's Ian Kennedy, who completed the beanings by plunking opposing pitcher Zach Greinke.

Greinke had hit Arizona's Miguel Montero after the Dodgers' Yasiel Puig was hit with the deflected balls striking him in the nose.

Also tossed were Arizona manager Kirk Gibson and Dodgers hitting coach Mark McGwire who had a hold of each other's tops and were nose-to-nose.

 

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SAN ANTONIO - You wouldn't think so after a 36-point win, but the San Antonio Spurs have a big concern today.

Star guard Tony Parker pulled up lame during last night's Game 3 victory over Miami and is set to have an MRI done on his sore hamstring today.

The Spurs are hoping it's nothing serious and that Parker will be ready to go in Game 4 tomorrow night.

Parker left the game with tightness in the hamstring early in the third quarter and returned briefly in the fourth. With the game firmly in hand coach Gregg Popovich chose to sit Parker the rest of the game.

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