KWBG Sports for June 18th

  MIAMI (AP) - The Miami Heat have taken a 2-1 series lead in the NBA Finals by beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 91-85 last night. LeBron James led the way with 29 points and 14 rebounds for the Heat, who have the next two games on their home court on Tuesday and Thursday nights.

     SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -Webb Simpson closed with a pair of 2-under 68s on the weekend to win the U.S. Open by one shot over Graeme McDowell and Michael Thompson. It's the first major title for Simpson, whose previous best finish in a major was a tie for 14th in last year's U.S. Open.

     SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - For two rounds, Tiger Woods seemed to be in command in the U.S. Open. Then came a weekend of frustration that ran his winless streak in major championships to four years as Woods shot 75-73 on the weekend to finish six shots off the lead, tied for 21st.

     BROOKLYN, Mich. (AP) - Dale Earnhardt Jr. has found Victory Lane for his first Sprint Cup victory in four years, ending a 143-race winless streak Sunday at Michigan International Speedway. Earnhardt beat Tony Stewart to the checkered flag to win again at Michigan, the same track where he previously won on June 15, 2008.

     WASHINGTON (AP) - The New York Yankees are on their longest winning streak in more than three years. The Yanks finished a three-game sweep in Washington by beating the Nationals 4-1 for the Yanks' ninth straight win behind home runs by Curtis Granderson and Robinson Cano (kuh-NOH').

KWBG Sports for June 15th

 OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - LeBron James scored 32 points and Dwyane (dwayn) Wade added 24 as the Miami Heat downed Oklahoma City 100-96 to even the NBA finals at a game apiece. Chris Bosh helped the Heat jump out to an 18-2 lead and finished with 16 points and 15 rebounds in his return to the starting lineup. Kevin Durant paced the Thunder with 32 points but missed a potential game-tying basket in the closing seconds.

     SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Michael Thompson has a three-stroke lead over Tiger Woods and four others heading into the second round of the U.S. Open at Olympic Club in San Francisco. Thompson opened with a 4-under-par 66 that included seven birdies, four coming on the back nine. Woods shares second with David Toms, Nick Watney, Justin Rose and Graeme McDowell.

     HOUSTON (AP) - The Houston Texans have extended the contracts of general manager Rick Smith and coach Gary Kubiak (KOO'-bee-ak), both of whom were in the final year of their current contract. Smith's extension is for four years, which will keep him with the team through 2016. Kubiak is now inked through 2014.

     DURHAM, N.C. (AP) - Former Yankees manager Joe Torre will manage the United States at the World Baseball Classic next season. Torre managed major league teams for 29 seasons and is now Major League Baseball's Executive Vice President for Baseball Operations. The tournament begins with qualifiers in September and November of 2012.

     AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Lance Armstrong's lawyers are demanding access to evidence gathered by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency. That includes the names of witnesses who say they saw the seven-time Tour de France champion use performance-enhancing drugs as well as all test results. The accusations of performance-enhancing drug use levied by USADA (yoo-SAH'-duh) prevent Armstrong from competing in a triathlon in France this month.

KWBG Sports for June 14th

 SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Matt Cain authored the second perfect game of the 2012 baseball season in the San Francisco Giants' 10-0 whitewash of Houston last night. Cain fanned 14 and joined Phil Humber (UHM'-bur) of the Chicago White Sox with the second perfect game and fifth hitless game of the season.

     ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - Knuckleballer R.A. Dickey allowed only an infield single in the first inning of his second career one-hitter and broke the New York Mets' record for consecutive scoreless innings in a 9-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays last night. Dickey, who improved to 10-1, broke Jerry Koosman's club record by going 32 and two-thirds scoreless innings before allowing a run in the bottom of the ninth.

     ST. LOUIS (AP) - Lance Lynn joined R.A. Dickey as the majors' first 10-game winners. The St. Louis hurler struck out a career-high 12 and Carlos Beltran hit his NL-best 19th home run in the Cardinals' 1-0 victory over the White Sox that ended Chicago's eight-game road winning streak.

     OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - The Oklahoma Thunder are looking to take a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals tonight after opening the series with a 105-95 win over the Miami Heat on Tuesday night. The Thunder are 9-0 at home in this year's playoffs as they stalk their first NBA title.

     SAN FRANCIACO (AP) - The 112th U.S. Open gets under way today at the Olympic Club in San Francisco in golf's second major of the season. There's a dream threesome pairing at 10:33 a.m. (Eastern time) of golfers who've won 19 majors among them -- Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Masters champion Bubba Watson.

     BELLEFONTE, Pa. (AP) - Testimony continues today in the child sex abuse trial of former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky. Three more accusers took the stand yesterday, bringing to five the number who have testified against the 68-year-old Sandusky, who is charged with sexually abusing 10 boys over a 15-year period.

KWBG Sports for June 13th

 OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - The Oklahoma City Thunder rallied from a seven-point halftime deficit to beat Miami 105-94 to win the opener of the best-of-seven NBA Finals. Kevin Durant scored 17 of his 36 in the fourth quarter and Russell Westbrook added 27 for Oklahoma City, now 9-0 at home in the playoffs.

     ATLANTA (AP) - Alex Rodriguez cracked his 23rd career grand slam, matching Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig's record, and the New York Yankees scored six runs in the eighth inning to rally for their fifth straight win, 6-4 over the Atlanta Braves. Two batters after A-Rod connected, Nick Swisher hit a tiebreaking two-run homer off Cory Gearrin to cap the six-run frame.

     LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Los Angeles Dodgers have signed outfielder Andre Ethier (EE'-thee-ur) to an $85 million, five-year deal through 2017, keeping him and Matt Kemp together in the middle of the lineup. It's the Dodgers' first major move under a new ownership group that includes former Los Angeles Lakers star Magic Johnson.

     BELLEFONTE, Pa. (AP)-  It's Day 3 of testimony in the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse trial in Pennsylvania. More graphic testimony was delivered yesterday, including that from former Penn State assistant coach Mike McQueary, who detailed what he saw when he found Sandusky and a young boy in a campus locker room shower one night in 2001.

     WASHINGTON (AP) - Jury deliberations have begun in the Roger Clemens perjury trial in Washington. A jury of eight women and four men will determined whether the former fireballing pitcher lied to Congress when he denied using steroids or human growth hormone.

KWBG Sports for June 12th

 LOS ANGELES (AP) - For the first time in their 45-year history, the Los Angeles Kings are the kings of hockey. The Kings, the first eighth seed to win hockey's biggest prize, won their first Stanley Cup by routing New Jersey 6-1 to win the series in six games.

     PARIS (AP) - It's a record seventh French Open title for Rafael Nadal (rah-fay-ehl nah-DAHL') and disappointment for Novak Djokovic (NOH'-vak YOH'-koh-vihch), who was denied in trying to become the first man to win four straight major tennis titles in 43 years. Nadal completed his rain-suspended French Open final by beating Djokovic 6-4, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5 yesterday.

     ATLANTA (AP) - Ivan (ee-VAHN') Nova combined with four relievers on a five-hitter, and the New York Yankees blanked the Atlanta Braves 3-0 last night to claim a share of first place in the AL East for the first time in seven weeks. The Yankees have won four straight games and nine of 11 to move a season-best 10 games over .500.

     MIAMI (AP) - Receiver Chad Ochocinco (oh-choh-SINK'-oh) says on his Web site that he has signed with the Miami Dolphins four days after being released by the New England Patriots. The 34-year-old Ochocinco is a Miami native who played collegiately for the Hurricanes.

     SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The 112th U.S. Open golf tournament that starts Thursday at Olympic Club in San Francisco will go on without Brandt Snedeker (SNEH'-deh-kur), who has withdrawn because of a rib injury. He was replaced in the field by Jordan Spieth, the first alternate who just finished his freshman year at Texas.

KWBG Sports for June 11th

 PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) - History was made at the LPGA Championship where Shanshan Fang became the first player from China to win an LPGA event. Feng, the only player from China on the ladies tour, shot a final-round 67 to win the second major of the ladies' golf season by two shots. She finished six under par.

     PARIS (AP) - The French Open final between Rafael Nadal (rah-fay-ehl nah-DAHL') and Novak Djokovic (NOH'-vak YOH'-koh-vihch)  is scheduled to resume this morning after play was suspended in the fourth set because of rain, the first time in 39 years the tournament did not end on a Sunday. Nadal is leading 6-4, 6-3, 2-6, 1-2 when play is scheduled to resume this morning at Roland Garros. (7 a.m. EDT).

     BALTIMORE (AP) - The Baltimore Orioles are the kings of extra innings. Matt Wieters (WEE'-turz) doubled in the game-winning run in the bottom of the 10th, and the Orioles defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 5-4 for their ninth straight extra-inning triumph.

     LONG POND, Pa. (AP) - Joey Logano slipped under Mark Martin in the closing laps yesterday at Pocono Raceway for his first victory since 2009 and became the first Sprint Cup driver this season to win from the pole. The 22-year-old Logano rallied past the 53-year-old Martin for a thrilling finish in the first 400-mile Sprint Cup race at Pocono.

     LOS ANGELES (AP) - For the third straight game, the Los Angeles Kings have a chance to put away the stubborn New Jersey Devils and win their first Stanley Cup in their 45-year history tonight. The Kings once had a 3-0 series lead that's now down to 3-2 and if the Devils prevail tonight at Staples Center, the Stanley Cup final will return to New Jersey for a winner-take-all Game 7 Wednesday night.

KWBG Sports for June 8th

 BOSTON (AP) - LeBron James scored 30 of his game-high 45 points in the first half as the Heat ripped Boston 98-79 to send the NBA's Eastern Conference finals back to Miami for Game 7 tomorrow. James shot 19-for-26 and finished with 15 rebounds to allow the Heat to overcome Dwyane (dwayn) Wade's 6-for-17 shooting. The Celtics trailed by as many as 12 in the first quarter and were down by 25 after James hit his final basket with 7:15 to play.

     PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The Los Angeles Dodgers have run their record to a major league-best 37-21 by doing something they hadn't accomplished since Leo Durocher was their manager and Jackie Robinson was playing for the Montreal Royals. The Dodgers fell behind 3-0 against the Phillies this afternoon before rallying for an 8-3 victory that gives them their first four-game sweep at Philadelphia since 1946. Andre Ethier (EE'-thee-ur) and Jerry Hairston Jr. drove in two runs apiece, and Matt Treanor (TRAY'-nor) supplied the tiebreaking single to cap a three-run sixth.

     UNDATED (AP) - R.A. Dickey became the majors' first nine-game winner of the season and stretched his shutout streak to 24 2/3 innings by blanking Washington on four hits over 7 1/3 to lead the New York Mets to a 3-1 win over the Nationals. Lucas Duda hit a two-run homer to back Dickey, who's 9-1 with a 2.44 ERA. Hours after Dickey's gem, Lance Lynn became the second nine-game winner while striking out a career-high 11 over six innings of the St. Louis Cardinals' 14-2 pounding of Houston.

     PARIS (AP) - Today's French Open men's semifinals have six-time champion Rafael Nadal (rah-fay-ehl nah-DAHL') taking on David Ferrer (feh-REHR') and top-seed Novak Djokovic (NOH'-vak JOH'-kuh-vich) facing Roger Federer. Nadal is 15-4 versus Ferrer while Federer holds a 14-11 edge in career meetings with Djokovic. Maria Sharapova and Sara Errani advanced to Saturday's women's final by winning yesterday.

     MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Jeff Maggert and John Merrick share the lead heading into the second round of the PGA's St. Jude Classic in Memphis. Maggert and Merrick each opened with 4-under-par 66s, one stroke better than J.J. Henry, Jeff Overton, Arjun Atwal and Seung-Yul Noh.