THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAS
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2009
SPORTS 3B
NBA
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Denver Nuggets 'Kenyon Martin, right, grabs at the ball with New Jersey Nets' Josh Boone. This is during the half of an NBA basketball game.
Denver Nuggets take Jersey Nets
ASSOCIATED PRESS
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. Down by a point after sub-par first-half performances by Chaucey Billups and Carmelo Anthony, the Denver Nuggets become the latest team to take advantage of the New Jersey Nets' woes in the third quarter.
Billips and Anthony woke up the Nuggets by leading a 44-point third quarter
assault that carried unbeaten Denver to its fifth straight win, a 122-94 decision over the victory over the winless Nets on Wednesday night.
"The first half,
The 5-0 start is Denver's best since winning six straight in 1985-86. It also handed the Nets their fifth straight loss, tying the worst start in franchise history, set in 1996-97.
"We knew going into halftime that obviously Carmelo and Chauncy were going to lead the charge."
we couldn't get it get going at all," said Billups, who scored all 12 of his points in the third quarter. "There are not many times when Melo and I are off at the same time. But the bench came in and did a great job. Sometimes, the shots don't go, but we just had to regroup at halftime and get the job done."
"We knew going into halftime that obviously Carmelo and Chauncey were going to lead the charge and that's exactly what they did," said Nets coach Lawrence Frank, whose team scored seven points in the third quarter in a
LAWRENCE FRANK
Nets coach
loss to Charlotte on Monday night. "They dominated the paint and the perimeter in the third quarter and we never recovered."
Denver hit 17 of 25 shots and outscored the Nets 44-26 in the third quarter in turn.
quarter in tuning a 51-50 deficit into a 94-77 lead
Billups scored the first seven points to give Denver the lead for good. Anthony, who was 1 of 11 in the first half, scored 11 of his 22 points in the quarter, which was five points shy of the Nets all-time worst third quarter.
MLB
Yankees win World Series 7-3
ASSOCIATED PRESS
New York Yankees' Mark Teixeira, left, and Alex Rodriguez celebrate after scoring on Hideki Matsui's two run RBI during the fifth inning of Game 6 of the Major League Baseball World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies Wednesday in New York. ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — Paint the town in pintripes! Nearly a decade after their dynasty ended on a bloorer in the desert, the New York Yankees are baseball's best again.
It was the team's first since winning three straight from 1998- 2000.
Hideki Matsui tied a World Series record with six RBIs, Andy Pettite won on short rest and New York beat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-3 in Game 6 on Wednesday night, finally seizing that elusive 27th title — the most in all of sports.
Matsui, the Series MVP, powered a quick rout of old foe Pedro Martinez. And when Mariano Rivera got the final out, it was ecstasy in the Bronx for George Steinbrenner's go-for-broke bunch.
What a way for Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and crew to christen their $1.5 billion ballpark: One season, one championship.
And to think it capped a season that started in turmoil — a steroids scandal involving A-Rod, followed by hip surgery that kept him out until May.
"My teammates, coaches and the organization stood by me and now we stand here as world champions," Rodriguez said. "We're going to enjoy it, and we're going to party!"
During postgame ceremonies on the field, the big video board in center flashed: "Boss, this is for you." And commissioner Bud Selig dedicated the moment to Steinhrenner.
About 100 miles south, disappointment.
Ryan Howard's sixth-inning homer came too late to wipe away his World Series slump, and Phillies pitchers rarely managed to slow Matsui and the Yankees' machine.
For Chase Utley and the Phillies, it was a frustrating end to another scintillating season. Philadelphia fell two wins short of becoming the first NL team to repeat as World Series champions since the 1975-76 Cincinnati Reds.
"It's important in our next couple years to stay afloat," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said. "I
know we can do better."
In a fitting coincidence, this championship came eight years to the day after the Yankees lost Game 7 of the 2001 World Series in Arizona on Luis Gonzalez's broken-bat single off Rivera.
New York spent billions trying to get back. At long last, it did.
"We're looking forward to this parade," Jeter said.
Hey Babe and Yogi, Mr. October and Joltin' Joe — you've got company. Mark Teixeira, CC Sabathia and a new generation of Yankees have procured their place in pintriped lore.
Now, all on the other side of age 35, they have another success to celebrate.
And surely they remember the familiar parade route, up Broadway
through the Canyon of Heroes.
"You never know when youre going to get back here," Posada said.
Indeed, a New York City-sized party is next. Nine years in the making, with all the glitz and glamour this tony town can offer.
Carrying flags that read 2009 World Series champions, Joba Chamberlain and Nick Swisher led a victory lap around the warning track. Players high-fived fans, then sprayed bubby behind the mound.
For the 79-year-old Steinbrenner, who has been in declining health, it was the seventh championship since he bought the team in 1973.
Though he stayed back home in Tampa, Fla., he certainly wasn't forgotten. The grounds crew wore "Win it for The Boss" shirts last
week, which were on sale outside the ballpark Wednesday.
New York wasted its chance to wrap things up in Game 5 at Philadelphia, then set its sights on clinching the World Series at home for the first time since 1999.
While nine years between titles is hardly a drought for most teams, it was almost an eternity in Yankeeland.
New York's eight seasons without a championship was the third-longest stretch for the Yankees since their first one, following gaps of 17 (1979-95) and 14 (1963-76).
Playing perhaps his final game with the Yankees, Matsui hit a two-run homer off Martinez in the second inning and a two-run single on an 0-2 pitch in the third.
NFL
Style not important in Rams' victory over Detroit
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ST. LOUIS — Josh Brown's first NFL pass was not a thing of beauty. The St. Louis Rams' kicker joked that style points are overrated.
Results are what count and Brown's flip to tight end Daniel Fells on a fake field goal attempt produced a 36-yard touchdown pass in Sunday's 17-10 victory at Detroit. It was a key play for the Rams (1-7) in ending a 17-game game losing streak.
Brown, who also kicked a 41-yard field goal, was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week on Wednesday.
On 4th and 8 from the Detroit 36 late in the first half, quarterback Marc Bulger let the play clock run down before calling a timeout. Out came Brown and the Rams' field-goal unit.
Ryan Neill snapped the ball to holder Donnie Jones, who flipped the ball to Brown. Brown rolled to his left and shot putted the ball to Fells, who broke one tackle en route to the end zone.
Brown was a running back playing eight-man football Foyil (Okla). High School. He considered trying to run for the first down but threw instead.
"I didn't really even use my shoulder on that throw," Brown said. "I wasn't trying to make it pretty, just effective."
The throw opened Brown, who is in his seventh season, to some razzing from his teammates.
know, we got six points out of it and results are the only thing that matters."
The special teams unit practiced the fake twice in practice last week.
"Everybody has been busting me on," Brown said. "If you're looking for style points, there were definitely none awarded. But, you
"Hopefully, they'll let me attempt a few more of these things." Brown said. "Maybe even keep the ball one or times."
In about 30 years, Brown said the throw may look better when he's describing his touchdown pass to his grandkids.
"Nothing wrong with a little embellishment." Brown said.
Don't be a loser. Be a user.
Your new entertainment search engine for students!
Look up numbers, hours, and locations of restaurants and bars in Lawrence!
Find Coupons, specials, and online menus
Post Reviews about your favorite places
Check out events happening for college students
www.guide.kansan.com
BIG 12 (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
Kansas and Iowa State defeated Nebraska in consecutive weeks.
Missouri started the season 0-3, while K-State opened the year 3-1.
Try sitting through pages full of legal jargon without any background information in the field. That's what analyzing the Big 12 North has become this season.
Nothing, it seems, has gone as previously expected.
"This one's a little more important because it's all about how you finish," senior safety Darrell Stuckey said. "That's what makes it a little more important than the rest of them. You want to finish strong — or just as strong as you started."
But even with three losses in the first-half of the eight-game conference season, the Jayhawks
Edited by Anna Kathagnarath
The road to reaching that point starts this Saturday with K-State.
still have a realistic chance of winning the North title.
SOCCER (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
But Kansas managed to hold on for the rest of regulation to send the game into overtime tied at 2-2.
Six minutes into overtime, however, Andrighetto ended the game with another well-placed shot from the top of the box. She created space in front of Kansas' defense and hit the ball into the upper corner once again.
but the second half, we just ran out of gas," Francis said. "We couldn't keep the ball because couldn't move off the ball as much as we wanted to."
The Tigers dominated nearly every aspect of the game, outshooting the layhawks 30-10, including
11 on goal, and receiving 16 corner kicks to the Jayhawks' three. Francis expressed pride at the way his players held on despite their fatigue.
"We battled as hard as we could today, especially after a play-in game on Monday," he said. "That showed a lot of character."
Missouri will move on to face the No. 5 seed Oklahoma State on Friday, while Kansas returns home to await the announcement of the NCAA Tournament field on Nov. 9, though Francis said he holds little hope of making the cut.
- Edited by Alicia Banister
Dr. Kevin Lenahan Your optometrist.
785. 838.3200 9th & Iowa
www.lenahaneyedoc.com