RTC Director

Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce boost Celtics to 3-2 lead over Heat

Three games later, they're one win away from the NBA Finals.

And Miami -- the team that was constructed with hopes of supplanting Boston as the power in the Eastern Conference -- is suddenly in big trouble.

Kevin Garnett finished with 26 points and 11 rebounds, Paul Pierce scored 19 -- including a huge 3-pointer over LeBron James' outstretched arm with 52.9 seconds left -- and the Celtics beat the Heat 94-90 on Tuesday night, taking a 3-2 lead in the East finals that now shift to Boston for Game 6 on Thursday night.

"We've done nothing," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "We're playing a heck of a basketball team. So just because we're going to Boston, I told them, we have to play. They're not going to give it to us. We have to go get it."

James finished with 30 points and 13 rebounds for Miami, though he went 8 minutes without scoring in the final quarter. Dwyane Wade scored 27 for the Heat, who got no more than nine from anyone else.

"We wouldn't want to be in this situation but we never get too high or too low in a series," James said. "We had an opportunity to come home and take a lead, but we didn't. So we have to go up to Boston and win a game."

Pierce's 3 put Boston up 90-86. Miami got within two points twice, and argued that it should have had a steal with 8.8 seconds left. Instead, a foul was called on Udonis Haslem, Garnett made two free throws, and the Celtics knew they had just stolen one on Miami's home floor.

Now all they need is one home win of their own to clinch a trip to either Oklahoma City or San Antonio for Game 1 of the NBA Finals. The title series starts June 12.

"Right now," Celtics guard Ray Allen said, "the next game is Game 7."

The Celtics were down by 13 points in the second quarter, then down nine in the third, and answered both times -- prevailing on a night where they shot just 41 percent, and got outrebounded 49-39.

"We stayed with it," Garnett said. "We had a rough first quarter, first half. We got our stops and made our run ourselves. And when we had to, we had stops."

Allen and Mickael Pietrus scored 13 apiece for the Celtics, who got 10 from Brandon Bass. Pietrus hit two huge 3-pointers in the fourth quarter for Boston, which remained perfect with this core when facing maybe the most pivotal situation a best-of-seven can offer -- a Game 5 with a series tied 2-2.

Pierce, Garnett, Rajon Rondo and Allen are now 9-0 in that scenario.

"We came in with the right focus," Pierce said. "That was key for us."

So Game 5s are magical for Boston. Sometimes, they are for James as well.

And sometimes -- this one included -- they're not.

James' most memorable moments have come in Game 5s, like the epic 48 points where he just carried Cleveland on every possession down the stretch at Detroit in 2007, and the 120-88 loss to the Celtics in 2010, his last home game with the Cavaliers.

This one offered more theater, of course. James hit a 3-pointer to give Miami a two-point lead with 8:10 left, closed out on Pierce to force an airball on the next possession, and eventually Miami pushed the margin out to 78-72 on a layup by Wade with 6:17 to play. On that play, James looked gassed, gasping for air as he stood near the baseline.

Those might have been the last gasps the Miami home crowd sees this season. Boston closed on a 22-12 run.

"Every time we got them down, they made runs," James said. "They made us stagnant offensively, got stops and got back in the game."

Boston tied the game twice early in the third quarter, before Miami peeled off nine straight points to go up 59-50. Four players scored for the Heat during that quick burst, highlighted by Shane Battier's corner 3-pointer and a lazy turnover from Rondo, who threw the ball into the backcourt without being pressured by any Miami defender.

But just as they did in the first half when Miami looked poised to pull away, the Celtics rallied -- and then some. A 15-1 run gave the Celtics a truckload of momentum and 65-60 lead going into the fourth, capped by Keyon Dooling connecting on a 3-pointer from near the Miami bench with 2 seconds left.

There were four lead changes in the fourth quarter, and the game was tied for the final time when Wade made an acrobatic layup with 1:39 to play.

Miami never led again.

"We played hard," Battier said. "We just didn't play intelligent."

Miami didn't lead by more than eight points at any time in the three previous games of the series. The Heat changed that quickly, and maybe it was fitting that Chris Bosh got them their first double-digit advantage since Game 1.

Bosh came off the bench for his first minutes since straining a lower abdominal muscle in Game 1 of Miami's second-round series against Indiana. His three-point play with 1:17 left in the opening quarter -- punctuated with a stare-down for some cheering fans -- capped a 24-13 Miami run to open the game. James made a 3-pointer with 9:39 left in the half, and the Heat went up 31-18.

The Celtics did what Miami did to them in Games 3 and 4 at Boston. They started chipping away.

Miami missed 15 of its final 17 shots of the first half, with four turnovers thrown in there as well, and the Celtics took advantage. After James' 3-pointer, Boston outscored Miami 22-11 to close the second quarter -- Garnett got six of his eight first-half points in the final 3:09 -- and the once-sizable Heat lead was down to 42-40 by intermission.

"We just told our guys, 'Hang in there, just hang in there, don't overreact,' " Rivers said. "The longer we're in the game, the better we'll play."

That was the way Game 5 went.

by RTC Director

Andy Murray aims to end David Ferrer clay dominance

Andy Murray says he feared injury would bring a premature end to his French Open campaign, as he bids to beat David Ferrer on clay for the first time.

After overcoming a back injury to ease past Richard Gasquet, Murray heads into Wednesday's quarter-final 5-4 up in past matches with the Spaniard - but has lost their three meetings on clay.

"A few days ago I thought I was done so to get this far is great," Murray said.

"I've always found it tough against him on clay but I feel I'm playing well."

Having been troubled by a back spasm during his win over Jarkko Nieminen in round two, the 25-year-old's injury worries appeared to have resurfaced when he was left clutching his hip as Gasquet easily won the first set on Monday, only for the Scot to rally and clinch a 1-6 6-4 6-1 6-2 triumph.

Although history is not in Murray's favour against Ferrer, the pair have not played each other on clay for two years and, since that meeting in Madrid, the world number four has won four of their five clashes on hard courts.

"Every match is different," said Murray. "A lot of the clay courts play differently - quicker, slower. Conditions change things. We'll just see whether having lost to him a few times on the clay before is a factor or not."

Six-time French Open winner Rafael Nadal, who faces Nicolas Almagro, is likely to await the winner in the last four, but Murray, the only non-Spaniard left in the bottom half of the draw, insists talk of a semi-final rematch against the reigning champion is premature.

He said: "I think he (Ferrer) is one of the toughest guys to play on any surface. He's number six in the world, and he's been there for a long time now. He's had a good clay-court season so far.

"We know each other's games very well, and he's one of the best players in the world on any surface, so it's going to be a tough match."

Ferrer, seeded sixth, has never been past the quarter-finals at Roland Garros, but is yet to drop a set in Paris this year.

He said: "I don't know if I'm playing my best tennis, it's difficult to say that, but I am in a good moment. I am playing very good at both this tournament and overall this season."

Head to head

by RTC Director

Jurors selected for Sandusky trial

Nine jurors, five men and four women, were selected Tuesday to decide Jerry Sandusky's fate on child-sexual abuse charges with juror selection to continue Wednesday.

Included in the selected jury was a longtime Penn State football season-ticket holder, proving connections to Penn State weren't enough to keep prospective jurors from being chosen.

The start of jury selection Tuesday showed the strength of Sandusky's and Penn State's links to their rural central Pennsylvania community, but the presiding judge indicated those connections weren't necessarily enough to keep prospective jurors from being one of the 12 jurors or four alternates.

In the first questioning of 40 prospective jurors, about half said they or immediate family members worked at Penn State or were university retirees. One woman rented apartments to college students. Four knew Sandusky, a former Penn State assistant football coach. Two knew his wife.

Sandusky's lawyer won the right to have jurors chosen from the local community, and prosecutors had concerns that Centre County might prove to be nearly synonymous with Penn State. Sandusky had helped build the football team's reputation as a defensive powerhouse known as "Linebacker U," his arrest toppled Joe Paterno from the head coaching position just months before his death from cancer, and some of the alleged attacks on children occurred inside university showers.

Victim 4 is expected to be the first witness called to testify, and letters allegedly written by Sandusky to Victim 4 will be read into testimony, sources told ABC News. Victim 4 is also expected to show the gifts, including a set of golf clubs, that Sandusky allegedly gave him during their relationship. Eight of the alleged victims are expected to testify against Sandusky.

One of the very first jurors to be seated wasn't just a season-ticket holder since the 1970s: She said John McQueary -- a possible trial witness and the father of a key witness -- once worked with her husband.

When Sandusky's lawyer sought to have her removed for cause, Judge John Cleland signaled he would need more grounds.

"We're in Centre County. We're in rural Pennsylvania," Cleland said, noting that such connections "can't be avoided."

Sandusky attorney Joe Amendola opted not to use one of his eight challenges, and she joined the panel.

Others selected included a 24-year-old man with plans to attend an auto technician school and a mother of two who works in retail.

All the jurors will have to say under oath they can be impartial.

Prospective jurors also learned that Paterno's wife and son were among the potential defense witnesses. Members of Sandusky's family also were on a list shown to the prospective jurors, along with assistant coach Mike McQueary and his father.

Mike McQueary, on leave from the team, has said he saw Sandusky naked in a team shower with a young boy more than a decade ago and reported it to Paterno.

Mike McQueary is also on the prosecution's list, along with young men who have accused Sandusky of abusing them.

Sandusky, 68, faces 52 criminal counts and potential penalties that could result in an effective life prison sentence for alleged abuse involving 10 boys. He has denied the allegations.

Among those who were struck from the pool were a nurse who said people make up stories all the time -- prosecutors used a challenge for her -- as well as a man who had volunteered for the charity Sandusky founded, The Second Mile. Also struck were a mother of 10 who said she has made up her mind and a Penn State fan and township manager who said news coverage of the case has been destructive to her community.

Cleland told the more than 220 potential jurors he would not sequester them, meaning they can spend nights at home during the trial that is expected to last several weeks.

While about a dozen TV news trucks and more than 50 reporters waited outside the courthouse for updates, Cleland urged the jury pool to avoid news accounts or social media postings.

"No one in the world will know as much about this trial as the people sitting in the jury box," Cleland told them.

Sandusky attended jury selection, and laughed at some of Cleland's humorous remarks to potential jurors. But when Cleland told the pool the nature of the charge, Sandusky put his head down.

More than 600 summonses were sent out to residents in Centre County, the home of Penn State University's main campus.

Cleland addressed the prospective jurors in a somber, packed courtroom. The prospective panelists were to be taken in groups of 40 for more questions and, ultimately to face one-on-one questioning in a third phase, for those who were not dismissed beforehand. The jurors who were selected were allowed to leave for the day.

Early in the process, jurors were asked to indicate through a system in which they held up cards whether they had connections to Penn State.

About a dozen signaled that they worked or had retired from the university; another half-dozen said they had spouses who worked for the school.

Four indicated they knew Sandusky. Two said they knew his wife, Dottie, who was not in court on Tuesday.

Two potential jurors indicated they previously had volunteered with The Second Mile.

Of the first group of 40 to be questioned Tuesday morning, Cleland dismissed five for medical reasons or vacation plans.

Some of the alleged victims are expected to testify during the trial, the opening of which is likely to begin on Monday morning. Cleland said the trial may last three weeks.

Prosecutors have claimed that Sandusky groomed boys he met through The Second Mile, the charity he founded for at-risk youth in 1977, then attacked them, in some cases in his own home or inside university athletic facilities.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

by RTC Director

Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer rally

As the chilly evening air swirled, and raindrops fell, and the thousands of spectators pulling for his opponent hushed, Novak Djokovic stood a single point from exiting the French Open.

A single point from losing to France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarterfinals at Roland Garros.

A single point from losing the chance to pursue a fourth consecutive Grand Slam title, something no man has done in 43 years.

Steeling himself with so much at stake, Djokovic came through, taking that crucial point thanks to an overhead that skimmed off the baseline to set up a putaway volley. Seconds later, he faced the same predicament -- one point from defeat -- and came through again, this time with a leaping forehand that barely landed in. All told, Djokovic faced four match points against Tsonga and won each one, extending the contest until seizing control for good.

Djokovic won his 26th Grand Slam match in a row Tuesday, coming back and beating the fifth-seeded Tsonga 6-1, 5-7, 5-7, 7-6 (6), 6-1 to set up a French Open rematch against 16-time major champion Roger Federer. A year ago in the semifinals at Roland Garros, Federer ended Djokovic's 43-match winning streak, the last time the Serb lost at one of tennis's four most important tournaments.

"Tennis is very mental. Lots of emotions," said the No. 1-ranked Djokovic, who won Wimbledon last July, the U.S. Open last September, and the Australian Open in January. "If you're playing a top player, a home favorite, and you have a crowd that's supporting him, you have to face these things. Physically, we're all fit, all hitting the ball well. But mentally, it's just a matter of a point here, a point there. That's sport. The one that mentally pushes more in some moments -- and gets a bit lucky -- gets the win."

Federer also fashioned a come-from-behind victory, and while he never was confronted with a match point, he did drop the first two sets before getting past No. 9 Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina 3-6, 6-7 (4), 6-2, 6-0, 6-3.

by RTC Director

Gayle will bring 'quality dimension'

Chairman of selectors Clyde Butts has welcomed Chris Gayle's return to the West Indies team for the one-day tour of England and says the big-hitting left-hander will bring a "quality dimension" to the Caribbean side.

The talismanic Gayle was on Monday chosen in a 15-man squad, breaking a protracted impasse with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) that saw him excluded from selection for the last 14 months.

"Chris is a player of proven quality and we are looking forward to him adding this dimension to the side and his contributions as a senior member of the squad," Butts said.

The way was paved for Gayle's return after he sat down in a high-level meeting in St Vincent on Sunday with his representative Michael Hall, WICB president Julian Hunte, WICB director Elson Crick, and the board's legal officer Alanna Medford.

St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves and Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer also attended the meeting.

Gayle, who has scored 8,087 runs from 228 ODIs with 19 centuries, will now join the side led by captain Darren Sammy and which includes eight members of the current Test squad already on tour.

Trinidadian opener Lendl Simmons has also been recalled following injury, while Dwayne Smith has been given the nod in a one-day unit for the first time in over two years.

continued preparation

Butts said the composition of the team reflected the continued preparation for the 2015 World Cup in Australia.

"We are now beginning to move into the next phase of the development of the team as we continue to build our ODI side as we continue to plan for the 2015 World Cup," Butts pointed out.

"A number of players who we have been exposing to international cricket and who, by their recent performances, have shown that they can play roles in the team have been retained.

West Indies face England in three ODIs from June 16-24.

by RTC Director