http://sportstwo.com/NBA/Game/Preview/20080515NBA–SANANTONIO0

New Orleans at San Antonio 9:00 pm EDT

Western Conference semifinals Hornets lead, 3-2

SAN ANTONIO (Ticker) - The defending champion San Antonio Spurs have their backs against the wall.

The Spurs will try to avoid elimination from the playoffs when they face the New Orleans Hornets in Game Six of the Western Conference semifinals on Thursday.

Once again San Antonio came up on the short end of the stick on the road, dropping a 101-78 decision to the Hornets to create a three-games-to-two hole in this best-of-seven series.

“The New Orleans defense was great,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “They played fantastic, especially in the third quarter and that’s when they got away from us and that was the end of the game.”

“We know their backs are against the wall and they’re going to come at us with everything they got,” Hornets coach Byron Scott said.

Scott has his team just one step away from making its first trip to the conference finals. The franchise never appeared in the Eastern Conference finals when they were located in Charlotte.

“We’ve proved all season long we’re one of the better teams in the NBA,” Scott said. “We had every reason after Games Three and Four to fold, but again, being with these guys, they’ve showed this type of resilience all season, so I’m not surprised.”

But if the postseason holds true to form, the Spurs could be heading back to the “Big Easy” for a pivotal Game Seven as the home team owns a 16-1 record in all four NBA’s conference semifinals.

David West had his way in the paint, scoring a playoff career-high 38 points, compared to just 10 from Tim Duncan, who has been held in check most of this series by Tyson Chandler.

“They did a great job of crowding the paint and also getting back to our shooters,” Duncan said. “They were very physical on the post. I didn’t shoot the ball very well and those opportunities kind of turned into them running it back at us.”

Hornets guard Chris Paul netted 16 of his 22 points after the break to continued his outstanding postseason performance.

The Spurs are looking to capture back-to-back NBA titles for the first time. They have failed to make it to the conference finals in each of their last three championship defenses following the 1999, 2003 and 2005 seasons.

http://sportstwo.com/NBA/Story/NBA/2208550

NEW YORK (Ticker) — Fresh off winning his first career MVP award, Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant headlined the All-NBA Team announced Thursday.

Joining Bryant on the prestigious squad are guard Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets, forwards LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Kevin Garnett of the Boston Celtics and center Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic.

The award is voted on by a panel of 127 writers and broadcasters throughout North America who cover the NBA.

The only unanimous selection, Bryant received 127 first-place votes and 635 points.

Once considered a selfish player, Bryant developed into a consummate teammate and was a major reason why the Lakers finished the regular season with the Western Conference’s best record.

Bryant was second in the league in scoring behind James, averaging 28.3 points. The two-time scoring champion garnered First Team honors for the sixth time in his illustrious career.

Paul, the runner-up to Bryant in MVP voting, received First Team honors in just his third season. The lightning-quick point guard, who received 124 first-place votes and 629 points, averaged 21.1 points and led the league with 11.6 assists per game.

Paul also has helped revitalize basketball in New Orleans. The Hornets finished with the second-best record in the West during the regular season and currently have a 2-0 lead over the defending champion San Antonio Spurs in the conference semifinals.

In his first seven career playoff games, Paul has registered six double-doubles.

The league’s leading scorer at 30.0 points per game, “King” James was crowned as a First Team member for the second time. The All-Star Game MVP was a Second Team selection a year ago.

In addition to his scoring, James also excelled in other parts of his game as he averaged 7.9 rebounds and 7.2 assists. He amassed 117 first-place votes and 610 points.

A driving force for the league-leading Celtics, Garnett was named a First Team member for the fourth time in his career. “The Big Ticket” averaged 18.8 points and 9.2 rebounds this season.

Garnett received 118 first-place votes and 612 points.

Another in a long line of young superstars, Howard garnered First Team honors for the first time after averaging 20.7 points and a league-best 14.2 rebounds. At 22 years, 130 days, Howard became the youngest player in NBA history to lead the league in rebounds.

Howard garnered 86 first-place votes and 546 points.

A year after Phoenix Suns teammates Steve Nash and Amare Stoudemire headlined the First Team, the duo had to settle for Second Team honors.

Also on the Second Team are Utah Jazz guard Deron Williams and forwards Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks and Tim Duncan of the Spurs.

“It is always an honor to make the All-NBA Team,” Nowitzki said. “And to be recognized along with so many talented players means a lot to me.”

The Third Team includes guards Manu Ginobili of the Spurs and Tracy McGrady of the Houston Rockets, forwards Carlos Boozer of the Jazz and Paul Pierce of the Celtics and center Yao Ming of the Rockets.

Points were awarded on a 5-3-1 basis.

The following are the results of the voting for the 2007-08
All-NBA Teams, with First Team votes in parentheses:

All-NBA First Team

Position   Player, Team (1st team votes)        Points
Forward    Kevin Garnett, Boston (118)             612
Forward    LeBron James, Cleveland (117)           610
Center     Dwight Howard, Orlando (86)             546
Guard      Kobe Bryant, LA Lakers (127)            635
Guard      Chris Paul, New Orleans (124)           629 

All-NBA Second Team

Position   Player, Team (1st team votes)        Points
Forward    Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas (1)               189
Forward    Tim Duncan, San Antonio (25)            397
Center     Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix (30)          412
Guard      Steve Nash, Phoenix (2)                 311
Guard      Deron Williams, Utah                    228

All-NBA Third Team

Position   Player, Team (1st team votes)        Points
Forward    Carlos Boozer, Utah                     174
Forward    Paul Pierce, Boston (2)                 151
Center     Yao Ming, Houston (2)                    71
Guard      Tracy McGrady, Houston (1)              137
Guard      Manu Ginobili, San Antonio              123

Other players receiving votes, with point totals (first team votes in parentheses):

Allen Iverson, Denver, 116; Carmelo Anthony, Denver, 89; Marcus Camby, Denver, 59;
Chauncey Billups, Detroit, 38; Baron Davis, Golden State, 32;
David West, New Orleans, 24; Rasheed Wallace, Detroit, 22;
Tyson Chandler, New Orleans, 18; Antawn Jamison, Washington, 15;
Al Jefferson, Minnesota, 14; Chris Bosh, Toronto, 11;
Joe Johnson, Atlanta 8; Andre Miller, Philadelphia, 7;
Caron Butler, Washington, 5; Shaquille O'Neal, Phoenix, 5;
Pau Gasol, Los Angeles Lakers, 5; Kevin Martin, Sacramento, 4;
Ray Allen, Boston, 4; Hedo Turkoglu, Orlando, 3; Jason Kidd, Dallas, 2;
Josh Howard, Dallas, 2; Richard Hamilton, Detroit, 2;
Andre Iguodala, Philadelphia, 1; Brandon Roy, Portland, 1;
Michael Redd, Milwaukee, 1; Tayshaun Prince, Detroit, 1;
Tony Parker, San Antonio, 1.

http://sportstwo.com/NBA/Story/NBA/2201269

TACOMA, Washington (Ticker) — A United States District court judge on Tuesday rejected a motion by the owners of the Seattle SuperSonics, meaning a trial to determine where the team plays next season will start as scheduled on June 16.

According to the News Tribune in Tacoma, the Sonics had asked judge Marsha Pechman in Seattle to determine how much a potential buyout would cost if the Sonics won the case regarding the terms of their lease at KeyArena.

Pechman ruled, however, that she could not determine monetary damages between the city and the Sonics. She said granting the Sonics’ request could have delayed the start date of the trial.

New Seattle owner Clay Bennett wants to relocate the franchise to Oklahoma City starting with next season, a move that was overwhelmingly approved by NBA owners.

However, the city filed a lawsuit, claiming that the lease agreement requires the team to play all its home games at KeyArena through the 2009-2010 season.

http://sportstwo.com/NBA/Story/NBA/2195103

LOS ANGELES (Ticker) — Long considered the NBA’s most talented player, Kobe Bryant now will be recognized as its Most Valuable Player.

The superstar guard of the Los Angeles Lakers is expected to be awarded his first league MVP on Tuesday.

The Los Angeles Times reported on Friday that Commissioner David Stern will present the trophy to Bryant at a press conference Tuesday at a local hotel.

The MVP race was one of the most hotly contested in recent memory as Bryant, New Orleans Hornets guard Chris Paul, Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett and Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James all were considered legitimate contenders.

It has been a whirlwind season for Bryant, who littered the offseason with on-again, off-again trade demands. He had a reported rift with Lakers’ management, which he accused of not doing its best to improve the team.

Los Angeles, which had not gotten out of the first round of the playoffs in three seasons before ousting the eighth-seeded Denver Nuggets in four games this campaign, appeased Bryant by acquiring former All-Star center Pau Gasol in coupe from the Memphis Grizzlies on February 1.

The trade accompanied the development of the Lakers’ young supporting cast. Center Andrew Bynum, who reportedly will not be back this postseason after a knee injury, had been one of the most improved players in the league prior to his injury.

As a result, the addition of Gasol and the development of his teammates was the perfect recipe for a standout season for the 29-year-old Bryant, who has been considered the best player in the league for several seasons.

But he finally let his full all-around game flourish this campaign, averaging 28.3 points - second in the league - 6.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists. While his stats fell a bit, he became a willing passer and a good teammate.

Labeled as a selfish player, Bryant apparently has turned his mindset around.

“MVP nowadays is not an individual award,” he said last month to the Times. “You really have to make your teammates better and elevate your ballclub. For me to be nominated in that race is a tremendous honor because that’s really been one of the criticisms that people have had of me, is how well do I make my teammates better. From that standpoint, I feel like I’ve already won.”

In reality, Bryant has been a winner since he entered the league, winning three championships with the Lakers alongside legendary center Shaquille O’Neal earlier in the decade.

But predictably, that marriage was broken because of a personal rift between the two, causing many detractors to doubt Bryant’s ability to lead a team on his own.

Already a two-time scoring champion and perennial All-Star, Bryant will receive the final jewel in an already impressive career. He also continued a long legacy of individual success for the Lakers, who have seen three others take home the hardware.

O’Neal won in 2000, Magic Johnson won three times, the last in 1990, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar also won three times as a Laker, the last time in 1980. But it wasn’t easy to join that elite company.

Paul revitalized basketball in hurricane-ravaged New Orleans, helping the surprising Hornets snag the No. 2 seed in the ultra-competitive Western Conference. Garnett helped engineer the biggest turnaround in the history of the NBA with the Celtics, and the 23-year-old James led the league in scoring.

All four are still alive in the playoffs.

After sweeping the Nuggets, Bryant’s top-seeded Lakers claimed a 109-98 victory against the fourth-seeded Utah Jazz in the Western Conference semifinals on Sunday. Bryant scored 38 points - including a career high and franchise record 21 at the free-throw line.

http://sportstwo.com/NBA/Story/NBA/2190486

PHOENIX (Ticker) — Phoenix Suns coach Mike D’Antoni will interview with the New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls about their head coaching vacancies, the Arizona Republic reported Monday.

According to the newspaper, the relationship between D’Antoni and Suns general manager Steve Kerr has been strained since the two had an argument in November.

During the Suns’ playoff series against the San Antonio Spurs, Kerr refused to give D’Antoni a vote of confidence, saying that he would be evaluated in the offseason.

KTAR-AM, a television station in Phoenix, has reported that Suns management had given D’Antoni permission to speak with other teams about their coaching vacancies.

Last week, Kerr said D’Antoni, who is owed $8.5 million over the next two seasons, would not be given that permission until their personal situation was resolved.

If D’Antoni takes other job, the Suns’ contract obligations would be offset.

The Suns were eliminated by the Spurs in five games, their first opening-round exit from the playoffs since 2003.

Under D’Antoni’s watch, the Suns have been one of the NBA’s highest-scoring and most entertaining teams, but they have been unable to advance behind the Western Conference finals.

D’Antoni has a 253-136 record in his four-plus seasons as Suns’ coach.

http://sportstwo.com/MLB/Story/MLB/2190319

NEW YORK (Ticker) — Roger Clemens addressed recent reports linking him to extramarital affairs Monday, issuing a formal apology for “mistakes in my personal life.”

Already under federal investigation following his well-publicized legal battle with former trainer Brian McNamee, Clemens found his way back into the headlines last week.

The New York Daily News reported that Clemens had a relationship with country singer Mindy McCready that began when she was 15. The newspaper later reported that the former pitcher also had affairs with two other women - a New York bartender and the former wife of pro golfer John Daly.

Clemens, 45, refuted the reports Monday while acknowledging character “flaws.”

“I know that many people want to know what I have to say about the recent articles in the media,” Clemens said in the statement. “Even though these articles contain many false accusations and mistakes, I need to say that I have made mistakes in my personal life for which I am sorry.

“I have apologized to my family and apologize to my fans. Like everyone, I have flaws. I have sometimes made choices which have not been right.”

Clemens did not specify what the mistakes were in the statement issued by his spokesman, Patrick Dorton. The seven-time Cy Young Award winner remained adamant that he never used performance-enhancing drugs.

“I believe my personal life has nothing to do with the accusations of steroid and HGH use,” Clemens said. “I have already made clear that I did not use them.”

The alleged decade-long relationship with McCready could prove damaging for Clemens, who repeatedly has cited his strong character in his case against McNamee.

Clemens denied having any “improper” relations with McCready, who confirmed last week that she knows the former star of the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox. According to the Daily News, the relationship began when McCready was 15 and Clemens was a 28-year-old married father of two.

“I have been accused of having an improper relationship with a 15-year old girl,” Clemens said. “Nothing could be further from the truth. This relationship has been twisted and distorted far beyond reality. It is just one of many, many accusations that are utterly false.”

McNamee revealed last December in the Mitchell Report that he injected Clemens with steroids and HGH at least 16 times between 1998 and 2001.

Clemens refuted McNamee’s claims three months ago during a congressional hearing, prompting the FBI to launch an investigation as to whether the 354-game winner lied under oath.

Following the release of the Mitchell Report on December 13, Clemens filed a defamation lawsuit against McNamee. The 11-time All-Star did not address recent reports that he was considering dropping the lawsuit.

“I realize that many people want me to simply confess and apologize for the conduct that I have been accused of,” Clemens said. “But I cannot confess to, nor apologize for, things I did not do.

“I have apologized to my family for my mistakes. And having offered this apology to the public, I would ask that you let me and my family deal with these matters in private.”

http://sportstwo.com/NBA/Game/Recap/20080504NBA–LALAKERS–0

LA LAKERS 109, UTAH 98

LOS ANGELES (Ticker) — Kobe Bryant scored 24 of his 38 points in the first half as the Los Angeles Lakers held off the Utah Jazz, 109-98, in Game One of their Western Conference semifinals series Sunday.

Bryant, who is likely to be named the league’s Most Valuable Player this week, shot 8-of-16 from the field and 21-of-23 from the line for the Lakers, who will host Game Two of the best-of-seven matchup Wednesday.

Utah erased a 19-point third-quarter deficit with relentless work on the glass. But the Jazz could not make shots when it mattered, shooting 38 percent (36-of-95) from the field for the game.

Mehmet Okur collected 21 points and a playoff career-high 19 rebounds and Deron Williams had 14, nine and nine assists for the Jazz, who outrebounded the Lakers, 58-41, which included 25 offensive boards.

UTAH (98) AT LA LAKERS (109)

UTAH

                                               REBOUNDS
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
C BOOZER          F  36:50   6-14     3-4      6   8  14    4   6   0   7   15
A KIRILENKO       F  30:26   5-11     1-2      0   6   6    3   6   2   1   11
M OKUR            C  41:07   7-19     7-8      8  11  19    3   3   1   0   21
D WILLIAMS        G  45:41   5-18     3-4      5   4   9    9   2   1   2   14
R BREWER          G  32:44   5-11     1-2      1   0   1    0   5   1   0   11
K KORVER             19:54   2-7      6-6      3   2   5    1   5   0   0   11
P MILLSAP            14:12   2-4      0-2      1   0   1    0   3   0   1    4
M HARPRING           11:46   2-8      1-2      1   2   3    0   2   0   1    5
C MILES               4:38   2-3      0-0      0   0   0    0   1   0   0    6
R PRICE               2:20   0-0      0-0      0   0   0    1   0   0   1    0
J COLLINS             0:22   0-0      0-0      0   0   0    0   0   0   0    0
TOTALS              240:00  36-95    22-30    25  33  58   21  33   5  13   98
                            (.379)  (.733)  TEAM REBS:  6 TOTAL TO: 13 (0 PTS)


LA LAKERS

                                               REBOUNDS
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
L ODOM            F  40:24   5-12     6-9      1   8   9    3   6   1   1   16
V RADMANOVIC      F  26:40   4-8      0-0      1   2   3    0   2   2   1   10
P GASOL           C  36:54   8-13     2-4      4   6  10    5   4   0   1   18
D FISHER          G  38:53   2-6      1-2      0   3   3    6   3   6   3    5
K BRYANT          G  39:56   8-16    21-23     0   6   6    7   3   1   3   38
R TURIAF             17:54   1-5      0-0      1   0   1    1   2   0   0    2
S VUJACIC            16:51   4-6      5-5      0   4   4    0   3   0   1   15
L WALTON             13:19   1-2      3-3      0   3   3    2   3   0   2    5
J FARMAR              9:08   0-5      0-0      1   1   2    0   1   1   0    0
D ILUNGA-MBENGA       0:01   0-0      0-0      0   0   0    0   0   0   0    0
TOTALS              240:00  33-73    38-46     8  33  41   24  27  11  12  109
                            (.452)  (.826)  TEAM REBS: 10 TOTAL TO: 13 (0 PTS)


   UTAH               24   17   31   26   -   98
   LA LAKERS          25   29   25   30   -   109

BLOCKED SHOTS: UTAH - A KIRILENKO 5, P MILLSAP 3, M HARPRING.  LA LAKERS -
R TURIAF 4, L ODOM 2, P GASOL 2.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: UTAH 4-19 (.211), A KIRILENKO 0-3, M OKUR 0-5, D WILLIAMS 1-
6, K KORVER 1-2, C MILES 2-3. LA LAKERS 5-10 (.500), V RADMANOVIC 2-
4, D FISHER 0-1, K BRYANT 1-2, S VUJACIC 2-2, J FARMAR 0-1.
TECHNICAL FOULS: NONE.
FLAGRANT FOULS: NONE.
OFFICIALS: JIM CLARK, JOE CRAWFORD, RON GARRETSON.
A - 18,997. T - 2:36.

http://sportstwo.com/NBA/Game/Recap/20080504NBA–BOSTON—-0

Sunday, May 4, 2008 03:36 PM

BOSTON 99, ATLANTA 65

BOSTON (Ticker) — Paul Pierce scored 22 points as the Boston Celtics ambushed the Atlanta Hawks with a resounding 99-65 victory in Game Seven of their Eastern Conference first-round series Sunday.

Kevin Garnett added 18 points and 11 rebounds for the top-seeded Celtics, who won four times at home in the best-of-seven matchup.

Boston will face the fourth-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in the conference semifinals.

But it was a wonder the Celtics needed a decisive game against the eighth-seeded Hawks, who shocked the basketball world by putting up a fight after qualifying for the postseason with a sub-.500 mark.

Joe Johnson scored 16 points for the Hawks, who were outscored by 18 points in the third quarter and trailed by more than 30 points for much of the second half. Marvin Williams was ejected in the third quarter for a flagrant-2 foul on Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo.

ATLANTA (65) AT BOSTON (99)

ATLANTA

                                               REBOUNDS
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
J SMITH           F  28:01   3-11     1-2      1   3   4    2   3   2   5    7
M WILLIAMS        F  20:50   3-11     1-2      4   3   7    0   3   0   1    7
A HORFORD         C  43:56   3-12     2-3      5   7  12    3   2   0   3    8
M BIBBY           G  25:10   1-3      0-0      1   3   4    2   0   0   1    2
J JOHNSON         G  36:00   5-17     2-2      1   2   3    1   2   0   2   16
J CHILDRESS          29:34   3-8      0-0      2   2   4    1   1   0   0    6
S STOUDAMIRE         15:02   4-6      0-0      0   0   0    0   1   0   1   10
A LAW                15:12   0-1      0-0      0   1   1    2   0   0   2    0
S JONES              12:44   1-4      0-2      4   2   6    0   1   0   0    2
Z PACHULIA           10:19   1-6      5-5      1   3   4    0   4   0   1    7
J RICHARDSON          1:36   0-2      0-0      0   0   0    0   0   0   0    0
M WEST                1:36   0-1      0-0      0   1   1    0   0   0   0    0
TOTALS              240:00  24-82    11-16    19  27  46   11  17   2  16   65
                            (.293)  (.688)  TEAM REBS: 13 TOTAL TO: 17 (27 PTS)


BOSTON

                                               REBOUNDS
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
K GARNETT         F  27:03   9-13     0-1      4   7  11    3   3   1   3   18
P PIERCE          F  32:36   7-20     6-7      1   7   8    3   1   2   2   22
K PERKINS         C  26:34   4-8      2-2      2   8  10    0   3   0   0   10
R RONDO           G  29:47   4-5      2-2      2   1   3    6   4   1   0   10
R ALLEN           G  30:00   3-12     0-0      0   3   3    1   0   1   0    7
J POSEY              22:28   2-4      2-2      1   3   4    0   0   3   1    6
L POWE               20:20   4-5      4-5      2   2   4    0   4   0   1   12
P BROWN              13:11   1-2      0-0      1   0   1    2   0   0   0    2
E HOUSE              10:44   0-2      0-0      0   0   0    2   0   0   1    0
T ALLEN              10:56   2-4      0-0      0   0   0    0   1   0   0    4
G DAVIS               8:52   3-6      0-0      1   1   2    3   1   1   0    6
S CASSELL             7:29   1-3      0-0      0   0   0    0   2   2   0    2
TOTALS              240:00  40-84    16-19    14  32  46   20  19  11   8   99
                            (.476)  (.842)  TEAM REBS:  5 TOTAL TO: 8 (8 PTS)


   ATLANTA            16   10   17   22   -   65
   BOSTON             27   17   35   20   -   99

BLOCKED SHOTS: ATLANTA - A HORFORD 2, S JONES 2, J SMITH.  BOSTON -
K PERKINS 5, P BROWN 2, J POSEY 2, K GARNETT.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: ATLANTA 6-12 (.500), J JOHNSON 4-8, S STOUDAMIRE 2-
3, Z PACHULIA 0-1. BOSTON 3-18 (.167), P PIERCE 2-9, R ALLEN 1-5, J POSEY 0-
1, E HOUSE 0-2, G DAVIS 0-1.
TECHNICAL FOULS: NONE.
FLAGRANT FOULS:  ATLANTA 1 (M WILLIAMS (EJECTED), 9:09 3RD).
OFFICIALS: BENNETT SALVATORE, DAN CRAWFORD, KEN MAUER.
A - 18,624. T - 2:29.

http://sportstwo.com/NFL/Story/NFL/2182823

CHICAGO (Ticker) — Chicago Bears running back Cedric Benson was arrested late Saturday night on charges of boating while intoxicated and resisting arrest, the Chicago Tribune reported Sunday.

Both charges are Class B misdemeanors. According to the Tribune, Benson was arrested near Austin, Texas after failing a “float test,” which is an abbreviated version of a field sobriety test.

A spokesman told the newspaper that Benson, who played at the University of Texas, argued over taking a follow-up test and refused to put on a life jacket.

The Tribune reported that Lower Colorado River Authority police attempted to arrest Benson, who refused to cooperate and was pepper sprayed.

The arrest could jeopardize Benson’s future with the Bears. The fourth overall pick in the 2005 draft, Benson has failed to reach 1,0000 yards rushing in his first three seasons in Chicago.

Benson’s 2007 season was cut short by a broken leg, an injury which sidelined him for the final five games.

Benson averaged a career low of 3.4 yards per carry last year, finishing the season with 674 yards and four touchdowns on 196 carries.

http://sportstwo.com/BOXING/Story/BOXING/2182734

By Simon Lewis
PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

CARSON, California (Ticker) - Oscar De La Hoya is convinced he has found the right style to defeat Floyd Mayweather Jr. in their rematch this September.

The six-weight, 10-time world champion returned to the ring for the first time since losing a split decision to Mayweather almost exactly a year ago Saturday when he defeated Steve Forbes.

De La Hoya outclassed Forbes, the former 140-pound IBF champion, in a 12-round unanimous decision at 150 pounds in front of 27,000 fans at the Home Depot Center.

With a September 20 rematch against pound-for-pound king Mayweather on the horizon, De La Hoya said his convincing victory has filled him with confidence.

“Now I feel sharp,” said De La Hoya, a Los Angeles native. “The idea is to stand up and fight more straight up and use the jab and bounce on my toes a little and be aggressive at the same time.

“So I’m happy that we took on Forbes and happy that we fought here in LA.”

De La Hoya officially posted a 120-108, 119-109, 119-109 victory over the 31-year-old Forbes, improving his record to 39-5 with 30 knockouts. Forbes fell to 33-6 (9 KOs).

De La Hoya admitted that no deal to fight Mayweather had been finalized. But when the bout ultimately takes place, De La Hoya claims he will be ready.

“Obviously I’ve always prided myself on fighting the best,” he said. “I’m going to go after him because I know I can beat him.”

De La Hoya repeated his intention not to fight beyond 2008 with his victory over Forbes - the first of three farewell contests. He also plans to fight Mayweather in September before a final bout in December, possibly against welterweight champion Miguel Cotto.

“I’ve accomplished my goal in the first of three and I’m ready to have two big, exciting fights come September and December,” he said.