Ibaka and Durant Lead Thunder to Series-Tying Game 4 Win

Serge Ibaka and Kevin Durant's dynamic play was the difference. (Ronald Martinez)

A dynamic duo led the Thunder in Game 4. If you didn't watch the game, you must be thinking it has to be Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. That would be half-right. Durant was as good as ever, but the Spurs defense shut down Westbrook, limiting him to just seven points on 2-10 shooting.

As Game 4 tipped off tonight, the OKC faithful were on their feet and as loud as ever. They knew what this game meant for their team's chances of moving onto the NBA Finals. With a win, the Thunder would level the series at two games a piece headed back to San Antonio. There is just something special about playing in front of your home crowd. I don't know if you have ever experienced this yourself, but players are often propelled to do something they didn't know they were capable of doing. It was that kind of night for Serge Ibaka.

When Ibaka entered the NBA draft from his native Congo, he was as raw a talent as they come. The Thunder saw the promise and potential he had for great things. Many members of the Thunder's current front office are former San Antonio Spurs employees. The Spurs have long been known for their ability to scout very well internationally. Six of the twelve players who played in Game 4 for the Spurs were born overseas. Back to the Thunder. They decided to take a chance on Ibaka's raw talent. This season Ibaka has improved significantly, especially on the defensive end. He led the league in blocks this season averaging 3.65 per game.

Back to tonight. Ibaka found his stride from the onset. He controlled the paint, knocked down mid-range jumpers, and even channeled his inner Dr. J on an explosive cradle slam. Ibaka finished with 26 points, shooting a perfect 11-11 from the field and 4-4 from the charity stripe. His performance is the second most shots made from the field without a miss in NBA playoff history.

In the fourth quarter, the Spurs staged a comeback narrowing the Thunder lead to four. But then it was simply Kevin Durant time. The Spurs simply could not stop him. Over a nine-possession stretch, Durant buried 16 points. With less then a minute left, he beautifully kicked the ball out to James Harden, who drained the three to seal the Thunder's Game 4 win.

It's all level headed back to San Antonio. The Spurs who seemed unbeatable have now lost two in a row. The Thunder have all the momentum and energy in their sails. Thabo Sefolosha has basically shut down Tony Parker the past two games. The Spurs motion offense has suffered as a result. However, I am pretty sure Gregg Popovich still has a few more tricks up his sleeve as he orchestrates the Spurs. Game 5 tips off Monday night at nine. Both teams will be ready, looking to gain the upper hand in this hard fought battle.

Morse Looks to Jump Start Sputtering Nationals Offense

Michael Morse is back in the Nationals' lineup for the first time this season. (Reuters)

The Washington Nationals have been in first place in the NL East for the majority of the season so far. However, their division lead has begun to slip away. In fact, the last place Philadelphia Phillies are only 2 1/2 games out of first place.

The reason behind their recent slide and the vast majority of their losses has been a sputtering offense. They currently rank 15th in the majors with 47 home runs and 26th in RBIs with only 185. Last season, Michael Morse led the Nationals in both those categories, by a considerable margin I might add.

With the obvious offensive struggles, you must be wondering how the Nationals are in first place. It has clearly been the pitching that has carried this club. Across MLB, the Nationals rank first in team ERA (3.01), second in strikeouts (427), third in wins (29), and fifth in saves (17). Young phenom Stephen Strasburg has been as good as advertised. Gio Gonzalez is 7-1 with a 2.04 ERA. He is one of the early front-runners for Cy Young in the NL. Pitching across the board has been quite impressive for a Nationals team that has needed it to be.

The man that has been missing from this equation the entire season is Michael Morse. Morse has been out with a strained lat muscle since Spring Training. The Nationals had hoped to get him back sooner, but he suffered a setback in rehab. They were quite happy when they were finally able to activate him today from the disabled list. Morse's return significantly helps a Nationals' lineup decimated by injuries. They have already lost Jayson Werth for upwards of 12 weeks with a broken left wrist. Catcher Wilson Ramos suffered a season-ending ACL tear. Despite a trip to the disabled list earlier this season, third baseman Ryan Zimmerman has yet to find his stride offensively.

With the Nationals' lineup suffering, they need a spark to get it going. That is exactly what Morse hopes to provide batting cleanup. The Nationals have found some pieces. Bryce Harper, another young phenom, has shown promise. Another youngster, Stephen Lombardozzi, has done quite well batting lead off (hitting .365 left-handed). Veteran Adam LaRoche has carried his share of the load. I believe the Nationals have the batters they need. They just need someone to provide the power in the middle of the lineup. Michael Morse hopes to fulfill that role. If Morse is able to get the offense going, you better watch out for the Nationals.

Perfection Is "Met": Santana Throws No-Hitter

8,012 games. 51 seasons. That's early 1960s-present for the New York Mets.

But finally, it came--the perfect game for a Mets pitcher named Johan Santana. Like any no-hitter, it involved a little bit of defense and a little bit of luck.

Okay, maybe a lot of both.

Photo via http://www.answers.com/topic/johan-santana

It took Santana 134 pitches and a good amount of defensive skill. From a warning-track catch deep in the outfield to a very dangerous crossing route of the infield in front of second base, the defensive alignment stepped up their game to deliver Santana into the pages of New York Mets' history. After all, the blue and orange have waited a while for this one.

And then it always helps to have some luck. A ball hit down the third-base line that clearly hit the chalk-line for a fair ball was ruled foul. A call like that should be pretty obvious as a fair ball...not that I'm suggesting the New York umpire was favoring the home-team pitcher or anything like that. All I'm saying is that there was a mark on the chalk line, indicating it was a hit......come to whatever conclusion you would like.

Besides all this, it helps when the offense is putting up eight runs, for a beautiful 8-0 rout of the St. Louis Cardinals--a most perfect-looking score.

And a perfect night for Mets' fans.

And a perfect game for Johan Santana.

Myron Rolle's Rhode Back to the NFL

Safety Myron Rolle works out at Steelers practice. (Keith Srakocic)

Myron Rolle seemed destined to continue the family tradition of playing in the NFL. His junior year at Florida State he was a third-team All-American safety and a coveted draft prospect. What many people didn't realize was that Rolle was the ultimate student athlete. He graduated in just two and a half years and was named a Rhodes Scholar.

Rather than enter the draft, Rolle opted to study at Oxford University for a year. While there, he tried to balance his schoolwork with staying in football shape. In between hours spent writing his thesis and earning his master's degree in medical anthropology, Rolle worked out in a tiny weight room and ran on a rugged rugby field.

Rolle returned to the United States and entered the 2010 NFL Draft. The Tennessee Titans drafted him in the sixth round. Rolle had quite a bit of football rust from his time away from the game. He made the team, but never played during the regular season. The Titans released him prior to the 2011 season.

Rolle was understandably frustrated, but wasn't short on options. He could go to medical school to become a neurosurgeon. He could pour his life into his charitable foundation. Or he could continue his campaign against obesity and diabetes, especially among Native Americans. Despite those worthy options, Rolle knew his heart was still in football. He also knew that he would have to work hard to make that option a reality.

Rolle got his opportunity with the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, the Steelers already have two entrenched starting safeties in Troy Polamalu and Ryan Clark. Ryan Mundy is a promising young talent and the team's top backup. Rolle doesn't have much of a chance of beating out Mundy, which means he will be competing with a number of free agents for that last backup spot. If there is one thing he knows how to do, it is how to work hard. For now, Myron Rolle is putting his academics on hold. It is time for his football abilities to thrive.

Swedish Finish: Red Wings' Captain Retires

It was a half-decade that felt too short.

But after six seasons as team captain, and twenty seasons as a professional, Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom has announced his retirement this morning.

Nicklas Lidstrom with the Stanley Cup in 2008 (Getty Images)

We knew it was coming. The last two or three years have had whispers that "maybe this is the year"; whispers which were never significant, always put out, and forever rejoiced over in Hockeytown. But when the rumors began after the Red Wings were eliminated in the playoff's first round, there was a different feel. There was a sense that Lidstrom might call it a career, placed against hopes that he had one more championship in his future.

Not that we are complaining--he did win four Stanley Cup championships with Detroit.
And a few Norris trophies as NHL's best defensemen to boot.

But this is yet another goodbye to another legend in Detroit. The Wings have had to do this before--but that never makes it easy. Most recently was the man Lidstrom replaced as captain in 2006--Steve Yzerman, wearing his legendary #19, and referred to across hockey simply as "The Captain." Detroit also said goodbye to a legend behind the bench in 2002, as Coach Scotty Bowman, arguably the greatest hockey coach of all-time, bid adieu to Detroit with the words "It's time for me to go."

And so ends another Swedish legend for Detroit. Lidstrom's departure is saddening, yet no one supporting the red and white jersey would ever ask Nick to stay if he knew it was time.

A bitter-Swede ending for Hockeytown's captain.

Brazilians Bring U.S. National Team a Reality Check

Marcelo celebrates his goal with teammates Neymar and Hulk. (AP Photo)

The U.S. Men's National Team came into tonight's game with much hype. They had won five straight, including a convincing 5-1 win over Scotland. However, the team they were about to play wasn't anything like the Scots. This was a real test. Brazil.

In their history, the U.S. came into tonight's match with a 1-15-1 record against the Brazilians. Granted this was basically Brazil's Olympic team. In the Olympics, teams are limited to players under 23 years old and three older players.  So there was a glimmer of hope for a potential upset bid by the confident Americans.

The glimmer vanished fairly quickly. The Americans started out trying to create for Hercules Gomez, who started at striker. The Brazilians' first chance can when Hulk dribbled through the center of the U.S. defense and into the box. His blast forced a quality save by goalkeeper Tim Howard. Howard didn't get an opportunity to save the next shot because Leandro Damiao's shot inadvertently struck the arm of American center back Oguchi Onyewu. Despite the protests of the Americans, the referee immediately awarded the Brazilians the penalty kick. Young phenom Neymar buried it to gain the 1-0 advantage.

The Americans tried to counter, but Brazilian goalkeeper Rafael would have none of it. In the 26th minute, Brazil capitalized on some poor defending, as Silva's header found the net off a corner. The Americans showed signs of life before the end of the first half. Michael Bradley played a nice through ball to Fabian Johnson on the outside. Johnson played a low cross in that found the head of Gomez to trim the deficit to one.

But in the second half, it was the Brazilians who capitalized on their opportunities. In the 55th minute, Neymar cut through the U.S. defense and found Marcelo for the easy goal. The Americans had opportunities to get back in it, but couldn't find the net. Their best opportunity probably came in the 63rd minute. Gomez had a powerful shot that was beautifully saved by Rafael. His rebound though came right out to Terrence Boyd. Boyd's blast was amazingly denied by Rafael as well. In the 87th minute, substitute Pato put the icing on the cake, as he scored to make it 4-1 off a nice cross from Marcelo.

The main difference in this game is that the Brazilians capitalized on their opportunities, while the Americans did not. While the Americans may claim that the score was not indicative of the game, the bottomline is that you have to score to win. The Brazilians have understood that concept for decades. The backline for the U.S. clearly had holes exploited. They need to be much tighter in order to give Howard a chance to succeed. Finally, the Americans did way too much complaining, especially their leader, Landon Donovan. There were some questionable calls, including the hand-ball in the box, but that is always going to be the case. Donovan spent way too much time whining, rather than actually creating chances. He clearly needs to set a better example on the field. The Americans are making progress, but this is a reminder that there is still a long ways to go.

Stanley Cup Finals Preview and Prediction

On the eve of the Stanley Cup Finals, I will breakdown the matchup of the Los Angeles Kings and the New Jersey Devils, by looking at advantages and key players for both teams. I will conclude with my prediction of who I believe will hoist the Stanley Cup this season.

Goaltending Matchup: Jonathan Quick & Martin Brodeur

Kings: Jonathan Quick
Quick had an excellent regular season, but his postseason has been extraordinary. In the playoffs, he holds a 12-2 record, with a 1.54 GAA and a .946 save percentage. Quick rarely has a bad game, and as a result, the Kings never seem to be out of it.

Devils: Martin Brodeur
Brodeur may be the greatest goalie in NHL history, but does he still have it at age 40? He definitely made some mistakes in the series with the Rangers, but the Devils still moved on.  Brodeur's statistics might not be as good as Quick, but the bottomline is that he is a winner.

Advantage: Even

Defensemen Matchup: Drew Doughty & Bryce Salvador

Kings' Defensemen
Drew Doughty is the headliner for what has been a stellar defensive group. Veterans Willie Mitchell, Rob Scuderi, and Matt Greene are playing some of the best hockey of their careers as well. Sophomore Alec Martinez and rookie Slava Voynoy have shown calm nerves so far. This unit plays physical, lockdown defense. Through 14 games in the playoffs, they have only given up more than two goals only twice.

Devils' Defensemen
Bryce Salvador's 11 points lead all defensemen in the Finals. Anton Volchenkov and Marek Zidlicky are a pair of blueliners who let little by them. Andy Greene and Mark Fayne have played notably well as well. This group has gotten progressively better throughout the playoffs.

Advantage: Kings

Forwards Matchup: Dustin Brown & Ilya Kovalchuk

Kings' Forwards
In my opinion, the Kings top line of Dustin Brown, Anze Kopitar, and Justin Williams has been the best line in the playoffs. The midseason acquisition of Jeff Carter has proved to be a dandy, as the Kings reunited him with former teammate Mike Richards. The two of them form another dynamic line with Dustin Penner.

Devils' Forwards
Ilya Kovalchuk is of the big name in this group, but the Devils have been getting contributions from many players. Zach Parise and Dainius Zubrus have played very well. You can never forget veteran Patrik Elias. Rookie Adam Henrique scored the winning goal in the Rangers series.

Advantage: Kings


Prediction
Anything is possible in this year's playoffs. Who would have guessed we would end up with the Kings, the #8 seed in the West, and the Devils, the #6 in the East, in the Finals? That being said, the Kings have been the more dominant team up until this point. I believe that will be the case as well in this hard fought battle. The Kings have generated offense across the board, and the willingness of their forwards to forecheck has been crucial to the team's success. Their defense has been rock solid, and the consistency of Jonathan Quick has been incredible. What I have liked most about the Kings in the playoffs is the fact that they never seem to be out of it. They rarely trail by a large margin, which means they also have a shot at winning. I believe the Kings will prevail in an entertaining and exciting series.

My prediction: Kings in 6 games

Loyola's Journey from Unranked to National Champion

Loyola's Eric Lusby lifts the Greyhounds' first NCAA national
championship trophy ever. (Winslow Townson)

Loyola University of Maryland doesn't have a storied athletic history. Their one and only national championship was a 1976 Division II men's soccer title. The last and only time the Greyhounds were in the national championship in men's lacrosse before was in 1990. They were demolished in that game 21-9 by lacrosse powerhouse Syracuse. The Loyola goalie who let in all of those goals back then was Charley Toomey, who is now the head coach of the Greyhounds.

Expectations for Toomey's boys this year were hopeful, but not exceedingly high. Coming off an 8-5 season last year, it came as no surprise that the Greyhounds were unranked to begin the season. However, this year's team was different. They played with a sense of cohesiveness and unity. From the onset, the Greyhounds kept scoring goals and playing good defense. They rode a 12-0 record into a home match against Baltimore-rival Johns Hopkins. Hopkins ended Loyola's perfect season in overtime. But the Greyhounds showed resiliency, putting the loss behind them, by winning the ECAC championship.

Entering the National Championship tournament, Loyola was awarded the #1 seed. There were many doubters though. People pointed out their easy schedule and inexperience. The Greyhounds didn't listen. They simply set out to prove their worth. Loyola's first game against Canisius wasn't much of a challange, as they won 17-5. Coming off a hat trick performance, fifth-year senior Eric Lusby led the attack with five goals in their 10-9 quarterfinal win over conference rival Denver. In the semifinals against Notre Dame, Lusby scored five goals again, and the Greyhound defense locked down to seal a 7-5 win.

This meant a return to the national championship for Loyola, looking for redemption for Coach Toomey. Their opponent was one they knew all too well, lacrosse heavyweight University of Maryland. The stage was a set for a classic David vs. Goliath in-state battle. Loyola is a small Jesuit school of less than 3,900 students, while the University of Maryland boasts an enrollment of over 37,000 students. It didn't matter that the Greyhounds were #1. They were commonly perceived as the underdogs going into this matchup.

Maryland took the lead 3-2 with 10:20 left in the second quarter. From that point on, it was all Loyola. The Greyhounds scored seven unanswered. Their defense completely shutdown the Terrapins offense, who were shutout the final 40 minutes and 40 seconds of the match. Lusby led the Greyhound attack once again, netting four goals. His 17 goals in the tournament are a new NCAA record. When all was said and done, Loyola was the victors 9-3.

It was the perfect conclusion to an unexpectedly incredible season for Loyola's men's lacrosse program. Coach Toomey brought redemption to his alma mater. His players believed in his approach and came together as a team on-and-off the field. After tearing his ACL during his senior year, Lusby decided to return for a fifth year. His historic tournament will be remembered for years to come. For small lacrosse programs around the country, today's game was inspirational. They too can compete for a championship. The Greyhounds race is complete, from unranked to National Champions.

Dodgers Keep Finding Ways to Win

Chris Capuano is now 7-1, tying him for the league lead in wins. (Jeff Gross)

If I had told you before the season that Matt Kemp what already be on the DL, but the Dodgers would have the best record in baseball, you would have likely called me crazy.

Despite injuries to Kemp, Juan Rivera, Mark Ellis, and Juan Uribe (to name just a few), the Dodgers have found ways to win ball games.

Since Kemp was placed on the DL May 14, the Dodgers are 9-4, have increased their runs per game to 5.1, have had a staff ERA of 2.97, and increased their lead in the NL West to 7.5 games.

The Dodgers have been getting the job done in part to some often overlooked veterans, who are proving they have something left in the tank. Today's win over the Houston Astros provided a reminder of this. 35-year old Jerry Hairston Jr. had a career-high five hits. 36-year-old backup catcher Matt Treanor added a solo home run. 38-year-old Bobby Abreu came off the bench and worked a bases loaded walk to pick up a RBI.

Then, there was today's starting pitcher. Today, he pitched seven innings of two hit ball and struck out 8. On the season, he is now 7-1 with a 2.14 ERA. If I made you guess who it was before the season, I am sure you would have said staff ace Clayton Kershaw. Kershaw's been good this year, but not as good as Chris Capuano has been. The 33-year-old Capuano took apart the Astros lineup today, just like he has done to opponents all season.

Hairston Jr., Treanor, Abreu, and Capuano, the four leading veterans in today's win, have played a combined 47 seasons for 22 MLB teams, according to the L.A. Times. That is truly remarkable, but it hasn't just been these guys producing. The Dodgers are getting dividends from throughout their lineup and pitching staff. Outfielder Ander Either is tied for the NL-lead with 41 RBIs. Catcher A.J. Ellis hit a walk-off home run in Saturday's win. Ted Lilly is 5-1 with a 3.14 ERA. I could keep naming names.

I am convinced that the reason this team has the best record in baseball right now is that they are simply playing great team baseball. They are getting contributions from everyone. With a record of 32-15 overall and 21-5 at home, the Dodgers are off to their best start at Dodgers Stadium in more than 30 years. While there is no guarantee they can keep this up, there is little reason to doubt them as of now. For now, I would simply like to tip my cap to a team who is winning by playing as a team and to often overlooked veterans who do not always get recognized and appreciated as they should.