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Good morning and welcome to Friday, June 6, 2008. The tone has been set for a historic NBA Finals, with last night’s instant classic. Boston’s Paul Pierce did a fine imitation of Willis Reed, first going down after something went "pop" in his knee, and then abandoning his wheelchair to march back out and lead the Celtic comeback. (AP photo/Charles Krupa)
We also liked that violent put-back jam that came in the late going from Kevin Garnett, the poise young Rajon Rondo showed and we suspect the Kobe Bryant’s off night will have him fired up to be The Man in Game 2. After all, when’s the last time a Laker team finished with only two points off the fast break?
Now then, let’s all put our rivalries aside as we roll out today’s game balls for recommended reading, conversation starters and significant fluff that may have surfaced while you were sleeping.
Hoping to avoid another debilitating holdout like the one they had with JaMarcus Russell, the Raiders give Darren McFadden the keys to the bank vault.
Say what? Tampa Bay contends Jake Plummer owes them $7 million, even though he never played for the Bucs.
The D.A. says Bills’ Marshawn Lynch is the "principal suspect" in the hit-and-run involving his vehicle.
Peyton Manning begins his second decade in the NFL, hoping to stay healthy . . . Joe Flacco’s first day goes well with Ravens . . .
More setbacks for the NFL in the canine world. Former linebacker Steve Foley is charged with a felony in a pit bull attack.
And that ringing sound in your ears is Sen. Arlen Specter making another call for more Spygate investigations.
Larry Wayne Jones — or Chipper to his pals — hits career homer No. 400. Jason Giambi launches a walkoff homer for Yanks. No word on the current location of his golden, slump-busting thong.

blogs.usatoday.com

Ray Allen led the team and scored 21 points, and KG racked up 20. Garnett got into a little tussle after elbowing Zaza Pachulia of the Hawks. Pachulia retaliated French soccer player style with a head butt. Tensions were already high, and the fracas resulted in technical fouls for Garnett, Joe Johnson and Sam Cassell. Pachuila received a foul and a technical foul.
This could be just the beginning of the Celtics’ problems. When officials checked the replay, they noticed that Garnett shoved the ref and Kendrick Perkins and Atlanta’s Marvin Williams got off the bench and hit the floor. Both actions are an automatic one game suspension.
We can just add these potential suspensions to Paul Pierce’s $25,000 fine for making a supposedly “menacing” hand gesture towards the Hawk’s bench. Pierce, who can be seen making the gesture during team introductions, reportedly said it means “blood, sweat and tears.”
Former Celtic and current Hawk Joe Johnson scored 35 points last night, and, combined with the 28 points Josh Smith sunk, the Hawks’ skills on the court did the talking instead of Mike Bibby’s mouth.
The Celtics come back to Boston for the 5th game in the series Wednesday night, and who knows what we can expect from the hometown green team. Hopefully we can start seeing the team that went 66 -16.
Disgraced former Red Sox pitcher and current (alleged) face of steroids Roger Clemens my have lost any dignity he had left with the news that he supposedly had a 10 year affair with Nashville’s version of Pete Doherty, Mindy McCready. Slowly but surely, Clemens is making Jose Canseco look like a classier guy. Way to ruin your legacy, Roger.
TONIGHT: Jon Lester is sent to the mound against Roy Halladay and the Blue Jays. Hopefully he can last more than 4 innings. The last time the Sox played the Jays, they were swept and they had to worry about Frank Thomas. At least Lester doesn’t have to worry about the Big Hurt.

bostonist.com

Tiffany Friel tossed a no-hitter over five innings and had four hits and drove in two runs as the Colusa High softball team roughed up Pierce, 18-0, in Arbuckle on Thursday.
Two of Friel’s hits were doubles and the Redskins (12-3-1) collected 24 hits. Ashley Lambert was 3-for-5 with two doubles, a triple and two RBIs, Kiley Herrick was 3-for-5 with a double and three RBIs, Emiley Correa drove in three runs with three hits, Mimi Juarez had two hits and two RBIs, and Hannah Ash was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Kayla Kunha also had two hits.
East Nicolaus 12, Chester 2
Andrew Rubalcava threw a three-hitter over five innings and drove in three runs with two hits as a pretty good Chester club got chewed up by the East Nicolaus diamond machine.
“We’ve been hitting the ball really well,” Spartans coach Dave Deniz said of his club, which improved to 6-1 on the year.
John Kukuruda was 2-for-3 and drove in two runs, while Scotty Lehman and Jared DePaul each had two hits. Leadoff hitter Joe Kukuruda walked four times, scored four times and stole two bases.
Maxwell 14, Live Oak 6
The Panthers (8-1) broke open a 3-2 game with seven runs in the second and three more in the third in a nonleague win at home.
Steven Perry was 2-for-4 with two doubles and knocked in three runs, John Davis was 2-for-5 and knocked in three runs, Mitchell Barsotti was 2-for-2 with two RBIs and Hunter Stillwell went 2-for-3.
David Velasco and Colton Smith each drove in two runs for the Lions (1-6). Tony Montes was 2-for-4 with two doubles.
Colusa 3, Pierce 1
Matt Vedo struck out nine in a complete-game victory, and was 3-for-4 with two RBIs to lead the Redskins to a nonleague game at Arbuckle, outdueling Jake Driver who had eight strikeouts for the Bears (4-6).

appeal-democrat.com