Manu Ginobili didn’t let his first start of the season fall by the wayside.

San Antonio Spurs swingman Danny Green has made a record 25 of 38 three-point attempts in these NBA Finals. Green made six of his ten attempts from beyond the arc in Game 5 — placing the Spurs on the doorstep of their fifth NBA Championship. The Spurs never trailed and led by as many as 20 points in their 114-104 victory over the Miami Heat.

Spurs 114 – Heat 104 – San Antonio Spurs coach Greg Popovich figured the only way to get the ice-cold Manu Ginobili out of his slump was to throw him into the fire of an even NBA Finals. The former Sixth Man of the Year responded with his best performance of the playoffs, scoring 24 points and handing out 10 assists in the Spurs Game 5 victory over the Miami Heat 114-104. While Ginobili was late to the party, Danny Green is still carrying on with a coming out celebration of his own. Green’s exceptional shooting in this series continues to torture the Heat. Green finished with 24 points and knocked down six more three-pointers last night, giving him 25 for the series — an NBA Finals-record.

Tony Parker’s hamstring has been anything but a story since the injury in Game 3. Parker finished with a game-high 26 points in nearly 36 minutes on the floor. The Spurs place three starters on double-figures, including three with 24 or more points. Tim Duncan finished with 17 points, 12 rebounds and 3 blocked shots. Kawhi Leonard added 16 points, 8 boards and 3 steals. The Spurs bench scored only 7 points, but as a team, shot 60 percent from the floor.

The Miami Heat have lost five straight games after a double-digit victory in these playoffs — which could end Tuesday night. The Heat placed four players in double figures and only lost by 10 points. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade shot a combined 18 for 44, the Heat,  collectively shot 43 percent from the floor. Miami failed to capitalize on San Antonio’s game-high 18 turnovers and never really recovered from being outscored 32-19 in the first quarter. Starters Mario Chalmers and Mike Miller were 2 for 11 from the floor — Miller was held scoreless.  LeBron James had a team-high 25 points to go along with 6 points and 8 assists. Dwyane Wade also had 25 points and handed out 10 assists. Chris Bosh had 16 points and 4 rebounds. Ray Allen led Miami’s reserves with 21 points in 30+ minutes. Games 6 & 7 will be played in Miami.

Spurs lead 3-2.

In case you missed it.

The Lineup:

A dark horse in the World Cup qualifiers (FIBA).

T.O. visits Chad Johnson in jail (IFWT).

A violent attack on six Chinese students turns international (Wall Street Journal).

Blind Chinese dissident forced out of NYU (CBS).

Questions about Bio Watch (LA Times).

Newest Member of the Geto Boyz  (InstaGram).

AND 1 Mixtapes were an event (Dime Magazine).

IRS official interviewed Tea Party applicants (CBS).

Rajon Rondo: Connect Four King (Dime Magazine).

No sign and trade for Dwight Howard (IFTW).

Happy Birthday to tennis icon Venus Williams!!!

Dwyane Wade’s contribution in Game 4 silenced his critics and evened the series.

The last time Dwyane Wade scored at least 30 points in a game was back on March 4th against the Minnesota Timberwolves. For the remainder of the season and a good part of the playoffs, Wade has not resembled the man we’ve come to know as “Flash”. With the Miami Heat facing a potential 3-1 deficit, Wade reminded everyone he was anything but done. Miami’s Big Three of Chris Bosh, LeBron James and Wade combined for 85 points in the Heat’s 109-93 victory in Game 4. The best of seven series is now tied at two games each.

Heat 109 – Spurs 93 - LeBron James got the help he needed from Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade while getting himself back on track. The trio enjoyed their best output of this series so far, rebounding nicely from a 36-point defeat on Tuesday to post a double-digit win of their own. The Heat shot 53 percent from the floor — while forcing 18 San Antonio turnovers. Miami also dominated total points in the paint 50-38. James took a more aggressive approach getting to the basket and Bosh got the lion’s share of his points in the lane.

Game 3 heroes Danny Green and Gary Neal were nowhere near as effective in Game 4. San Antonio’s two young  scorers combined for 23 points on 7 of 15 shooting. Kawhi Leonard — who was averaging 12 rebounds in the series and collected accolades for his defensive job on James finished with 12 points and 7 boards. Tim Duncan led the Spurs with 20 points. Tony Parker — who suffered a grade 1 hamstring strain scored 15 points and handed out 9 assists. Manu Ginobili continued to struggle from the floor scoring five points on 1 for 5 shooting.

LeBron James scored a game-high 33 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Dwyane Wade was great at both ends of the floor adding six steals and a blocked shot to go with 32 points 6 boards and 4 assists. Chris Bosh shot 8 for 13 — good for 20 points, he also grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds. Ray Allen came off the bench to score 13 points in 33 minutes of action. The Spurs failed to capitalize despite shooting 14 more free throws than the Heat (31-17).

Series tied 2-2.

The Lineup:

I completely forgot about Santonio Holmes (Wild Thing).

Can Frank Gore keep it going (Washington Post).

Will Patrick Beverley challenge Jeremy Lin for the starting job (Mike and McGoutry).

Cliff Lee isn’t happy with the Phillies (Philly.com).

10 Facts about Medgar Evers (The Root).

Dennis Allen is pleased in Oakland (The Red Zone).

Chicago’s murder rate drops 34 percent but is the city safer (The Grio).

Will Syrian soldiers be armed (Wall Street Journal).

No more Wendy’s frosties for me (Your Black World).

Did Tiger injure himself in the Open’s first round (ESPN).

Still!

Getting Deron Williams refocused is near the top of Jason Kidd’s to-do-list as head coach of the Nets.

In a stunning development, recently retired New York Knicks point guard Jason Kidd was named the new head coach of the Brooklyn Nets. Kidd will sign a three-year deal — which will be announced at 2 p.m. EST. at Barclay’s Center.

The hiring of Jason Kidd will either go down as one of the great “under the radar” moves in recent memory or the Nets decision to bring in a big name to pace the sidelines will blow up in their faces. Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov was impressed with Kidd’s presentation and eventually convinced along with team advisers that Kidd is ready.

The 19-year veteran expressed his familiarity with team personnel and his coaching philosophy. His hiring reunites him with the former New Jersey franchise he led to consecutive NBA Finals appearances in 2002 and 2003. In six-plus seasons with the Nets, Kidd averaged 15 points 7 rebounds and 9 assists per game.

One of the coaching perks Kidd has coming in is his relationship with current Nets point guard Deron Williams. Nets management believes  Kidd be able to energize Williams — whose career in Brooklyn has been pedestrian at best. Williams is looking to shed the “coach killer” label he has obtained over the years. Kidd has two of the most important components in Williams and center Brook Lopez to work with. Jump starting Joe Johnson’s game can go a long way on the Nets improving on this season’s No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference.

In another development, the Nets interviewed with Indiana Pacers assistant coach Brian Shaw for five hours. In the end, their man was Kidd — whose relationship with Williams and his presence when he walked into a room were his biggest selling points to Prokhorov. Lawrence Frank — who coached Kidd during the Nets run at two championships will be his lead assistant. Frank’s presence will provide a safety net for Kidd’s lack of coaching experience.

Many believe the Nets made a mistake in passing over Shaw — who is a top candidate for three of the four coaching positions still open in Denver, Los Angeles (Clippers) and Memphis.

To those turning their noses up at the Kidd signing, Doc Rivers’ first coaching gig in Orlando came without any prior assistant coaching experience.

Kidd’s biggest obstacle will be making the adjustment from being one of the guys to embracing the role of teacher, authority figure and disciplinarian.

The Lineup:

Is there a restriction on Christian pastors (Your Black World).

Mass spying has always been wrong (Davey D).

If the rains come at the US Open head for the tents (CSN Philly).

The Jay Graves Report (Barbershop Sports).

What Tiger Woods will face at the US Open (The Shadow League).

I guess Jason Peters’ Achilles is just fine (Wild Thing).

More Whites died than were born in the U.S. last year (Washington Post).

Philly building collapse inspector commits suicide (ABC Local).

Sarah Murnaghan gets the lung transplant her family worked for (CBS News).

NBA Mock Draft (Mike and McGoutry).

J. Cole.

Danny Green and Gary Neal tag-teamed the Heat to give the Spurs a 2-1 lead.

The San Antonio Spurs outscored the Miami Heat 63-33 in an explosive second half. Guards Danny Green and Gary Neal combined for 51 points as the Spurs set an NBA Finals record with 16 three-pointers in their 113-77 shocker over the Heat in Game 3.  The Spurs hold a 2-1 lead in the series.

Spurs 113 – Heat 77 - Danny Green and Gary Neal were accountable for nearly a point per minute in the Spurs mind-boggling blowout of the Miami Heat in Game 3. The first half was full of runs as the Spurs took a double-digit lead with 5 minutes left in the first half. Miami later rallied by running off ten consecutive points. The Spurs closed the half with a three-pointer from Neal — who scored 11 points in the quarter to go up 50-44. Mike Miller kept the Heat afloat in the first half scoring 9 points — all on three pointers. Miller finished the game 5 for 5 from beyond the arc and is 9 of 10 for the series.

The second half is when things got ugly for the Heat. San Antonio outscored Miami 28-19 in the third quarter. Danny Green scored 8 points in the quarter. LeBron James scored 9 of his playoff-low 15 points in the quarter. James failed to make it to the free throw line for the first time in his playoff career.

San Antonio entered the final quarter with an 18-point lead and led by as many as 37. Danny Green was 4 for 4 from beyond the arc, scoring 14 points. Gary Neal hit 2 of 3 three-pointers and the Spurs were well on their way to a Game 3 rout.

The Spurs out rebounded the Heat 52-36 (19 offensive). Green and Neal scored playoff career highs of 27 and 24 points, respectively. Tim Duncan finished with 12 points and 14 rebounds and Kawhi Leonard added 14 points, 12 boards and 4 steals.

Dwyane Wade led Miami with 16 points Chris Bosh finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

The Spurs Tony Parker left the game with what has been determined to be a hamstring injury. Parker is due to take an MRI today.

Spurs lead 2-1.

The Lineup:

I think Chicago has bigger problems to deal with (Your Black World).

Google is looking to get involved in NSA court orders (Wall Street Journal).

Fundraising events in Sacramento (Sacramento Daily).

Protests in Turkey (The Shadow League).

A rare interview with Kanye West (The Shadow League).

Introducing Post TV (Washington Post).

Crane operator in Philly building collapses surrenders (The Grio).

Former AZ congressman convicted on 17 counts of corruption (Washington Post).

Danny Green avoids billboard material (SB Nation).

Tony Romo sticks it to the media (NFL.com).

Medgar Evers: Freedom fighter and martyr of the Civil Rights Movement.

The Memphis Grizzlies organization didn’t gain any fans with the public charade and eventual firing of head coach Lionel Hollins.

Head Coach Lionel Hollins led the Memphis Grizzlies to 56 wins, despite losing leading scorer Rudy Gay on January 31st. Since the trade, the Grizzlies went 27-11 (5th in the West). In the postseason, Memphis took care of the Clippers and Thunder in six and five games, respectively. After bowing out to the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals in four games, the Grizzlies brass has given Hollins his walking papers — two weeks after permitting him to speak to other teams.

Something isn’t right in Memphis.

The Grizzlies made the Western Conference Finals for the first time in team history on the shoulders of forward Zach Randolph and Defensive Player of the Year Marc Gasol.  The team has a great young point guard in Mike Conley, a defensive stopper in Tony Allen and an effective group of reserves. The Grizzlies finished better than some anticipated without Gay. Talk of re-signing head coach Lionel Hollins should have been at the top of the Grizzlies to-do list. Right?

Wrong. Dead wrong.

The relationship between Hollins and the Grizzlies brass began to unravel in December when the team hired former ESPN analyst and contributor John Hollinger as their new Vice President of Basketball Operations. Hollinger was brought in to primarily orchestrate the Grizzlies movement towards analytics.

As an extension of the Player Efficiency Rating, Hollinger also developed a simpler formula that quantifies how impressive a player’s individual performance is in a given game. The Hollinger Game Score formula is:

“Points + (FGM x 0.4) + (FGA x -0.7) + ((FTA-FTM) x -0.4) + (OREB x 0.7) + (DREB x 0.3) + STL + (AST x 0.7) + (BLK x 0.7) + (PF x -0.4) – TO”

The entire modern box score of the player is needed for calculation — including offensive and defensive rebounding, steals, blocks and turnovers — so the Hollinger Game Score can only be applied to games played since the 1978 season.

Subscribers to this latest trend will factor it into playing time for current players. For a coach with an old school approach like Hollins, it couldn’t have come at a worse time.

When the Grizzlies traded Rudy Gay, Hollins agonized over how management valued numbers over coaching instincts. By the end of the season, the Grizzlies were better at both ends of the floor — casting the die for Hollins tenure in Memphis. During the Grizzlies playoff run, there was an uneven view of the team despite their postseason success. There was little, if any mention of Hollins coming back next season to coach the Grizzlies to their fourth straight playoff appearance. The tension between Hollins and management came into greater focus as the playoffs progressed.

The deconstruction of Lionel Hollins as head coach was under way.

Tension between coach and management spilled onto the practice floor during the Grizzlies playoff run. In the middle of a practice session, Hollinger took the liberty to engage reserve Austin Daye during a shooting drill. Everyone knows practice time is the coaches domain — team owners don’t venture onto the court or field during these sessions. These are periods of teaching — the primary reason the man was hired. With nothing left but his dignity as a coach, Hollins tore into Hollinger about what he was doing and why he believed it was appropriate to intrude on what is considered holy ground between coach and team.

Hollinger used the moment to try and upstage Hollins in front of his players. It was Hollins who berated him after a loss in Portland back in 2011 while he was still at ESPN.

Hollins is one of five coaches fired by teams who reached the playoffs this season. Of those teams, it was Hollins’ Grizzlies who advanced the deepest in the postseason. While other teams were interviewing prospective replacements, Hollins twisted in the wind like a giveaway t-shirt fired from an air cannon.

The Grizzlies organization called once-stalled negotiations between them and Hollins a struggle in “philosophical differences” and have decided not to offer Hollins a new deal.

Firing George Karl makes more sense than him being named NBA Coach of the Year. Karl’s Denver Nuggets were bounced in the first round by the Golden State Warriors — coached by the man who should’ve been named COY in Mark Jackson. P.J. Carlesimo was an interim guy in Brooklyn and it’s natural for the Nets to want to bring in someone with a name. Jason Kidd has surfaced as their top candidate. Ditto the Los Angeles Clippers — who felt firing Vinny Del Negro brings them a step closer to keeping Chris Paul. Atlanta and Milwaukee are moving in a new direction. Larry Drew made the jump from the Hawks to the young Bucks. While Atlanta hired former San Antonio Spurs Mike Budenholzer.

Then there is Hollins — who took a team teetering between the next level and mediocrity and put them on the doorstep of the NBA Finals. Hollins is the only coach who got through to Zach Randolph. Whatever Hollins used to bring the once troubled Randolph’s career into focus needs to be bottled and sold. He and center Marc Gasol were his own vision of former teammates Maurice Lucas and Bill Walton. It’s safe to say Hollins saw a little of the 1977 Portland Trail Blazers in his 2013 Memphis Grizzlies.

The relationship between coach and player is what becomes lost in situations like this. The bond between player and coach has been  severed. I don’t know the relationship between Hollins and his players, I’ll guess things were good. Even the shoving of guard Jerryd Bayless in the Spurs series drew little ink. Grumblings about  Hollins future came from the upper management long before Memphis was eliminated. I can’t see any player on the Grizzlies roster on board with what has gone down. Hollins is currently one of the leading candidates for the head coaching job with the Los Angeles Clippers. I’m sure there are other suitors in contact with his agent.

If you notice the Grizzlies begin to take a step backwards, players begin to demand trades, start defections during free agency and the suddenly proud Grizzlies fan base fizzles down to almost nothing, thank John Hollinger.

Because according to John Hollinger numbers never lie.

The subjects of this week’s Diva Debate are considered anything but Divas by today’s standards. If you’re expecting low cut blouses and skin tight dresses, put your peepers on pause. Today it’s about aprons, hair nets and pill box hats with an occasional quote from the Good Book. What these two women lack in stop-you-in-your-tracks good looks, their wit and sassiness more than make up for it.

The characters of Esther Anderson  and Florence Johnston were two of the best remembered Black sitcom characters of the 1970′s. They were strong Black women, outspoken and steadfast in their convictions as Fred Sanford and George Jefferson found out.

The highlight of the Sanford and Son sitcom from the 1970′s was without a doubt the verbal and near physical confrontations between Fred G. Sanford (Redd Foxx) and his sister in law Esther Anderson (LaWanda Page). Friends since their raunchy stand up comic days in St. Louis Foxx recommended that Page be considered for the part of Esther. In filming the show Page struggled with the transition from the stage to the screen and they considered letting her go. Upon hearing this Foxx threatened to leave the show if Page was released. Page was allowed to stay — which turned out to be a wise decision.

Esther’s bible-toting character (light years from Page’s stand up routines in St. Louis) was concerned about her loving nephew Lamont and the soul of her brother in law Fred —  a widower after the death of her sister Elizabeth. Esther had no problem setting Fred straight with a one-eyed jack stare followed by a “Watch it Sucka” or a ”You ol’ fish-eyed fool” snap back. Esther was more than willing to take on the likes of Fred, his friends and even her husband Woodrow when he took in too much liquid courage.  If things got too heavy, Esther didn’t hesitate calling on the sistas from the church for backup.

The verbal barbs between Fred and Esther were classic comedy that carried them both from the nightclubs of St. Louis to the bright lights of Hollywood. I never hesitate when I see Sanford and Son on the tube.

Marla Gibbs’ road to international fame took her from a job as a reservations agent for United Airlines in Detroit to California — where she joined (PASLA) the Performing Arts Society of Los Angeles. After performing in several well-performed productions at the zodiac theater she landed a spot on the Jeffersons as Florence Johnston, the Jefferson’s housekeeper.

As a spin-off from All in the Family, The Jeffersons was one of the first sitcoms that removed the Black family from the ghettos and into a more affluent lifestyle that had been recently scripted for whites. George and Louise Jefferson did not experience the financial struggles of James and Florida Evans. George owned a dry cleaning business and lived in an upscale apartment on the East Side of Manhattan. George and Weezy decided to bring in a housekeeper.

And that’s when things changed.

Florence Johnston wasn’t your cookie-cutter maid. In the Jefferson home, she was the voice of reason because headstrong George only listened to wife Louise to an extent. When George got to full of himself, Florence had no problem reminding George of who he was and where he came from — much to the delight of those who couldn’t stomach George’s grandstanding. Despite his repeated threats to fire Florence, George knew she was on point. Florence took no prisoners - even if it meant falling out with Louise from time to time. In time, George realized that Florence had his best interests at heart and considered her one of the family.

With 16 Grand Slam titles in tow, Serena Williams is preparing to be named among sports’ immortals.

Muhammad Ali, Babe Ruth, Wilt Chamberlain, Jim Brown, Michael Jordan and Jack Nicklaus are in the pantheon of great American athletes. Men who have dominated their contemporaries with a timely blend of power, precision and skill. It’s time we prepare to add Serena Williams to this impressive bunch.

It’s time the fellas make room.

Her championship point at the French Open Saturday against Maria Sharapova was an ace clocked somewhere in the triple digits. The serve from Serena Williams racquet may as well have been a comet because by the time Sharapova reacted, what was left of the ball was well behind her.

Serena’s career didn’t start as dominant, but it’s ending that way.

While sister Venus grabbed the early headlines and titles, Serena came along at her own pace. From 1995-98, Williams felt her way through the tour — while players like Martina Hingis, Steffi Graf and Monica Seles were still capturing titles. Serena finished 1997 as the 99th ranked player in the world. In 1999, she defeated Martina Hingis at the US Open to win her first grand slam tournament. By 2001, Williams was gaining momentum, cracking the top ten.

Then came 2002.

From the 2002 French Open through the 2003 matches at Wimbledon (twice), Serena Williams won every Grand Slam tournament (5) — defeating sister Venus in each of those finals. Not only was Serena now the top player in the world as a result of her “Serena Slam”, the Williams Sisters were now the most dominant force in tennis.

Through bouts with depression, haters, a life-threatening injury, haters, and a sharp drop-off in the rankings, Serena has put together five Grand Slam victories in the last three years. After losing to Sharapova at the French Open last year, critics began writing eulogies on Williams’ stellar career. Since that defeat, she is 73-3 — defeating Sharapova, the world’s second-best player six times, dropping only one set.

Saturday’s victory gave Williams 16 career Grand Slam titles — two behind Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert. Steffi Graf’s record of 22 is within reach. She has dominated her sport — while simultaneously carrying it to unprecedented heights. The only thing stopping the 31-year old from breaking the record are her interests outside of tennis — fashion, entertainment and being a partner in ownership of the Miami Dolphins — among other things.

Serena Williams rocket serve is as dominant a weapon in her sport as Muhammad Ali’s jab was to boxing, Ruth’s swing to baseball or Jordan’s mere presence on the basketball court.

Throwing in a Crip walk and a little parlez vous Francais to keep it interesting.

The Lineup:

Gang of Eight bill faces vote in Senate (CBS).

Dwight Howard gets cut off (Ball is Life).

The Kellogg Foundation gets it (Huff Post).

Rondo admits he’s tough to coach (Sports Illustrated).

High level talks between Koreas on hold (CNN).

Is it time to break up the Phillies (Philly Daily News).

Will X-factors decide the NBA Championship (Mike and McGoutry).

Tobacco companies are on T.V. again (CNN Money).

Gay Bishop elected in Black Lutheran Church (Your Black World).

Congrats to Mo Cheeks (Detroit Pistons News).

“What the hell is goin’ on out there!!!”

LeBron James sends Tiago Splitter to Rejection Row.

In Game 2 of the NBA Finals, it was LeBron James who needed to be picked up by his teammates. Miami Heat point guard saw the urgency of the moment and responded with 19 points on 6 for 12 shooting including two three-point plays during a decisive third quarter. The Miami Heat rebounded nicely from Game 1 to blow out the San Antonio Spurs 103-84 to even the best of seven series at one game each.

In Game 2, Mario Chalmers and Danny Green took center stage as both players stepped in for their star teammates — who had off nights.

The San Antonio Spurs were nowhere near as dominant as they were in Game 1. The Spurs committed 16 turnovers, compared to only four in Game 1. Tim Duncan finished with 9 points and 11 rebounds in 30 minutes of action. Green was 6 for 6 from the floor, including 5 for 5 from beyond the arc — finishing with 17 points. Tony Parker cooled off significantly, shooting 5 for 14 from the floor for only 13 points. Manu Ginobili’s struggles from the floor continued, the Spurs sixth man finished with 5 points in 17 minutes. The Spurs shot 41 percent from the floor despite winning the rebounding battle 44-36.

The Miami Heat got a 40 point boost from their bench and a game-high 19 points from Mario Chalmers. It was a rare off night this post season from LeBron James — who finished with 17 points 8 rebounds and 7 assists. Dwyane Wade finished with 10 points. Chris Bosh was more active than his opening performance, Bosh finished with 12 points, 10 rebounds and three steals. The Heat blew the game open in the third quarter with a 33-5 run. Miami led by as many as 27 points. Ray Allen (13 points), Chris Andersen (9 points), and Mike Miller (9 points) shot a combined 11 for 14 from the floor. Miami shot 49 percent from the floor and 52 percent from beyond the arc.

Series tied 1-1.

The Lineup:

Kobe Bryant in a shootout with a 2-year old (Twitter Pic).

Unsure of what PC to by look here (Windows).

Missing Louisiana teacher found dead (The Grio).

Get a better routine to start your day (Men’s Health).

NFL Monday (USA Today).

Jason Collins at Boston’s Gay Pride Parade (AP).

Don’t miss “The Doctor” tonight (Nets Daily).

Rough week in Philly (The Grio).

Arizona Diamondbacks draft paralyzed player (USA Today College).

Jason Kidd is considered for the Brooklyn Nets job (USA Today).

I’m almost sure I never heard the man use a four-letter word.

Tony Parker’s bank shot sealed a Game 1 victory for the Spurs.

Tony Parker scored 10 of his 21 points in the 4th quarter, including a miraculous bank shot with 5.2 seconds remaining as the San Antonio Spurs held of the Miami Heat to take Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

Parker’s performance overshadowed an outstanding effort by Miami’s LeBron James — who posted a triple-double.

The Miami Heat committed four turnovers in the final quarter — opening the door for the San Antonio Spurs to take Game 1 of the series. Miami shot 5 of 18 in the 4th quarter, scoring only 16 points. The Heat showed the fatigue of a team coming in on short rest after a 7-game series. Chris Bosh was 1 for 5 in the quarter, including two questionable three-pointers. The Spurs —  who trailed for a good portion of the game took the lead for good on a jumper by Kawhi Leonard with seven minutes remaining. The Spurs opened up a 7-point lead on a three by Danny Green, only to watch the Heat score five straight points.

With the Spurs clinging to a 90-88 lead, Tony Parker — who hounded by James for most of the possession got off a bank shot which beat the shot clock by the slimmest of slim margins to give the Spurs a four-point lead.

Parker finished with 21 points and 6 assists. San Antonio placed five players in double figures. Tim Duncan overcame early foul trouble to finish with 20 points and 14 boards. Kawhi Leonard finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds and Danny Green was 4 for 9 from three-point range and finished with 12 points. Manu Ginobili added 13 points.

LeBron James joined Wilt Chamberlain and Magic Johnson as the only players to record consecutive triple-doubles in the NBA Finals (James recorded a triple-double in Game 5 against the Thunder last year). James finished with 18 points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists. Dwyane Wade scored 13 of his 17 points in the first half. Chris Bosh struggles from the field continue, Bosh finished with 13 points on 6 for 16 shooting. Ray Allen chipped in 13 off the Heat’s bench.

Spurs lead 1-0.

The Lineup:

Is Anthony Bennett the next Larry Johnson (Dime Magazine).

The Denver Nuggets are in disarray (Dime Magazine).

Lance Stephenson makes it sprinkle (IFWT).

Top 5 Rank Sports (Paper li).

Brian Shaw prefers Brooklyn (Nets Daily).

Brett Favre comes clean on leaving Green Bay (Wild Thing).

Justin Gatlin defeats Usain Bolt (Huff Post).

Lakers GM undecided on using amnesty (Mike and McGoutry).

Check out War Room Sports (War Room Sports).

Sixers interested in Josh Smith (Sports Nation).

Happy Birthday to “The Answer”!!!

The battle between Tim Duncan and Chris Bosh could decide who is crowned NBA Champion.

Tim Duncan and LeBron James meet in the NBA Finals for the second time. In their 2007 meeting, Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs swept young James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in four games.

In that time San Antonio’s trio of Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker and Duncan have maintained relevant and aged gracefully. As for James, his signing with the Miami Heat has given the NBA its most publicized trio of stars – who are in defense of their first world championship as a unit.

Let’s call it Dynasty vs. Destiny.

• Game 1 in Miami: Thursday, June 6, 9

• Game 2 in Miami: Sunday, June 9, 8

• Game 3 in San Antonio: Tuesday, June 11, 9

• Game 4 in San Antonio: Thursday, June 13, 9

• Game 5 in San Antonio: Sunday, June 16, 8

• Game 6 in Miami: Tuesday, June 18, 9

• Game 7 in Miami: Thursday, June 20, 9

Heat swept season series 2-0

Guards:

Tony Parker took all the talk he heard from critics regarding Memphis Grizzlies guard Michael Conley running circles around him and shoved it back down their throats. Parker was outstanding in the Western Conference Finals averaging 24 points and 9 assists per contest. The Grizzlies had no answer for Parker. If Tony Allen was placed on Parker, he was able to either drive all the way to the basket or kick the ball out to one of his snipers. Against the Heat, Parker can expect to see LeBron James guarding him on the other side. Danny Green has been quietly consistent during the Spurs playoff run. In 14 postseason starts, Green is averaging 10 points and 4 rebounds. Green is also a key part in the Spurs defensive scheme averaging a steal and a block per game.

Mario Chalmers pick up some of the scoring slack when Dwyane Wade struggled in the Eastern Conference Finals. Chalmers averaged 13 points per game including shooting 6 for 13 from beyond the arc. It will be up to Chalmers to do what no one has been able to do in these playoffs and that’s slow down Tony Parker. The health of Dwyane Wade will be the story of this series. Wade struggled against the younger, more athletic Pacers. The Spurs are Indiana’s equal in athleticism and defensive prowess. Wade isn’t going to catch a break from Danny Green or in chasing around Manu Ginobili. Wade is effective in the open floor and in transition — it’s the half court sets where concern is present. In a potential seven-game series, Wade cannot total 20 points like he did in Games 5 & 6 against the Pacers.

Forwards:

The Spurs length at the forward/center position makes things hairy for Miami. Depending on the matchup the Spurs will throw Tiago Splitter on Chris Bosh and the more polished Tim Duncan on Udonis Haslem. Duncan was his effective self against the Grizzlies, averaging 15 points and 9 rebounds. Duncan was well-rested, playing 34 minutes per game in a physical series. Splitter and Duncan will look to get the Miami bigs in foul trouble. Kawhi Leonard has the assignment of guarding a white-hot LeBron James. Leonard averaged 11 points and shot 40 percent from the floor in the Memphis series. Against Miami, it’s about guarding James and doing his best to slow him down.

LeBron James is a focused as he’s ever been. The possibly of carrying the Heat to the world title on his back has fueled him more than last season’s pursuit of his first ring. He knows his teammates are banged up and some are struggling. James has put forth a superhuman effort to get the Heat to this point. James is averaging 26 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists in the playoffs — becoming what ever the Heat need him to be at that moment. If Tony Parker has his way with Mario Chalmers, expect James to take on the responsibility of handling Parker. Udonis Haslem proved why he is the backbone of a Heat squad filled with stars. When Chris Bosh’s game took a hiatus in the meaty portion of the Eastern Conference Finals, Haslem — along with Chalmers came up huge. Haslem is giving away size and height to Duncan and Splitter and has to be careful to avoid early foul trouble as the Spurs are looking to exploit the Heat in the paint.

Center:

If anyone is looking to get off to a hot start it’s Miami center Chris Bosh. Bosh’s performance against the Pacers cannot be scrutinized enough. Bosh struggled at both ends against Roy Hibbert and was unable to pull the Indiana big man away from the basket because his shot was ineffective. It doesn’t get any easier for Bosh who is going to be in a battle royal with Duncan and Splitter. Bosh has to will himself to get baskets in this series.

Duncan and Splitter will both have their shots at Bosh. Like Haslem the Spurs two-headed monster will look to get them into early foul trouble and open things up for Parker and others.

Bench:

Norris Cole has become the go to reserve for the Heat. Cole posted back to back 18-point games in the Chicago series and was decent against the Pacers. The Spurs will present a different challenge for Cole as he will be asked to corral the speedy Gary Neal. Manu Ginobili has to wake up and become the guy who Greg Popovich can count on to solidify the bench. Ray Allen gave Miami a shot in the arm in Game 7. Allen, Mike Miller and Shane Battier will be asked to contend with big shooters in Boris Diaw and Matt Bonner. DaJuan Blair is a banger and a physical anchor for San Antonio’s reserves. Will Rashard Lewis see any light in this series? Chris Andersen will give the Heat some resistance and might be paired with Bosh down low.

Coaching:

Greg Popovich is 16 years Erick Spoelstra’s senior. Pop is arguably the game’s best coach and Spoelstra isn’t too far behind. Spoelstra has managed this whole alpha-dog thing in Miami quite nicely. No drama and no major blowups. Most of all there’s a ring in the midst of it all. Popovich knows this may be his final run with this dynamic trio. If anyone can get their team up to deal with the Heat, it’s Pop.

Prediction:

Not an easy one to call here. The uncertainty of Dwyane Wade come into play, but LeBron James is playing at an all-time level. Throw in the fact that in both meetings this season neither team was at full strength — this is their first true meeting of the season. Bosh could be the difference — regardless of how Wade plays. He’s at home for the first two games and James will look to get him involved early. If Bosh gets his confidence back he could be the MVP of this series — he’s that important.

The Spurs are deep and rested. They have to get themselves up for Games 1 & 2 without the help of a home crowd. The Spurs are as business as they come and will rise to the occasion. I don’t see Miami having an answer for Parker — which means LeBron James will spend time guarding him. If that becomes the case for an extensive stretch, the Heat could suffer for it.

Heat in a seven-game classic.

The fans’ adoration for players in Philadelphia is fleeting. Ryan Howard knows better than anyone.

Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Domonic Brown came up from the minors in 2010 advertised as a player who could solidify a shaky outfield rotation. More importantly, the Phillies were adding a young stick with plenty of pop to an already formidable lineup. After three years of cameo appearances with the big club, Brown has become the star of the show in 2013 — to the delight of the front office and fans.

Ah, the fans.

Domonic Brown tore through the month of May like a tourist through a Philly cheesesteak. The NL Player of the Month finished with 33 hits 12 home runs and 25 RBIs. Brown — who batted a paltry .233 in the month of April raised his average to .303 last month. In the opening week of June, he has not slowed down — batting .438 with 3 home runs and 8 RBI. Brown leads the NL in homers with 18.

The power surge by Brown is a welcome sight for Phillies fans — who have watched their franchise decline steadily since winning the World Series in 2008. Injuries to superstars Ryan Howard and Chase Utley has taken much of the sting out what once was the most feared lineup in baseball. Poor production revealed what was a shoulder injury to pitcher Roy Halladay and has the former NL Cy Young Award winner contemplating his future, placing the onus on Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee and others. Poor trades and lack of landing major free agent signings has left the farm system depleted.

Brown hasn’t always been in the good graces of the fans. Brown was up and down more than a hotel elevator between the Phils and the minors. Since 2010, trade rumors and the bust tag were attached to Brown. The Phillies allowed beloved right fielder Jayson Werth to walk as a free agent in hopes Brown would step in and produce immediately.

Up until last month, everyone have waited.

The dilemma now facing Brown is consistency. He has seen his share of big league pitches — which is good. One glaring stat is Brown’s number of walks, he currently has 11 for the season. Last month, he became the first player in major league history to hit 10 or more home runs in a month and not draw a walk.

Ryan Howard has yet to warm up and Chase Utley is on the shelf. It’s on Brown and the pitching staff to hold things down for the Phils until more bats come around. The Phils have climbed back into the division race, trailing the Atlanta Braves by 7.5 games.

The 6’5″ Brown has hit 10 home runs in his last 12 games, thanks to a more aggressive approach at the plate. With no one really “protecting” Brown in the lineup, pitchers may continue to challenge him or he may begin to see his share of pitches outside the strike zone. With all Brown’s struggles and sudden success, it’s hard to put a finger on where he is headed.

We’ll just have to wait and see what Brown can ultimately do for the Phillies.

The Lineup:

What’s a Harvest Church Pastor (Your Black World).

Would you be LBJ’s intern for a year (Dime Magazine).

NFLPA Former Player Daily (Paper li).

Was IRS targeting politically driven (CBS).

Kobe Bryant eyeing return for season opener (Dime Magazine).

A new book in President Obama and his enemies (Huff Post).

7 rules of the ripped (Men’s Health).

Here are some commencement speeches from Harvard 2013 (Harvard).

Vikings hire Jeff George as an assistant coach (Red Zone).

5 second round NBA prospects (Dime Magazine).

On this day in 1966, Stokley Carmichael launched the “Black Power” Movement.

Ryan Braun is not out of the woods yet.

Baseball could be looking its own mortality in the face.

The latest doping scandal involving the Biogenesis anti-aging clinic has a potential ripple effect which could bring the game to its knees. Major League Baseball is ready to suspend 20+ players in the upcoming weeks, including Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun and New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez.

Five years ago, Major League Baseball blackballed Barry Bonds from the game for his alleged involvement in the BALCO scandal. The game’s greatest player entered 2008 as a free agent. For some reason, no one needed a player who hit 28 home runs and drove in 66 RBIs in 340 at bats the previous season.

Alex Rodriguez won’t have that problem. The potential heir to Bonds’ all-time home run crown will more than likely be suspended once he’s available to the New York Yankees this season. Rodriguez was on the list of 20+players named by Anthony Bosch — who runs Biogenesis. The other big name dropped by Bosch was 2011 NL MVP Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers. Braun failed a steroids test in 2011. He escaped suspension in February by successfully disputing the testing process.

Bosch has agreed to drop the names of all players he has serviced and admit providing banned substances to players — including advising them how to avoid detection. The short list now stands at 20, but more names are sure to be dropped. Some players could be facing suspensions up to 100 games.

The Lineup:

Brian Shaw is at the top of the Clippers list (Mike and McGoutry).

Toronto may drop the Raptors nickname (Hoops World).

Pele surprised by the lack of Freddie Adu’s success (Goal).

14-year old Saudi Arabian girl has MERS virus (CNN).

Former NFL Players Daily Huddle (Paper li).

Portland Trail Blazers looking to trade the No.10 pick (Dime Magazine).

The Baltimore Ravens visit the White House today (Baltimore Ravens).

FLOTUS confronts a heckler at a fundraiser (CBS).

No vote of confidence for Lions’ HC Jim Schwartz (Red Zone).

DeMarcus Cousins gets Olympic mini-camp invite (Hoops World).

On this day in 1992, Dr. Mae Jemison become the first African-American female astronaut.

In this week’s Diva Debate we have two women whose talents equal their beauty. First, Bern Nadette Stanis — who played the role of headstrong daughter Thelma Evans on the CBS sitcom Good Times (1974-1979). Next is Tishina Arnold, as the sassy, witty Pamela James on the Fox sitcom Martin (1992-1997).

Bern Nadette Stanis’ role as middle child Thelma Evans on the 1970′s sitcom Good Times not only cast her one of the most popular young stars of the day, but possibly one of the most beloved Black female stars in television history. Known for her striking beauty, Stanis was born in Brooklyn in 1953. She attended the Juilliard School — studying drama and dance. After Good Times was cancelled, Stanis continued to make several television appearances including What’s Happening Now and The Cosby Show. She is the author of two books: Situations 101: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly and For Men Only — a collection of her poetry.

Stanis resides in California with her two daughters Dior Ravel and Brittany Rose Cole and her husband Kevin Fontana.

Before Tishina Arnold aka Pamela James was driving Martin Payne up a wall in the sitcom series Martin,  she was honing her skills in church plays and recitals at age four. By the time she was eight, she was performing at the Billie Holiday Theatre in Brooklyn. It was a steady progression for Arnold as she would perform with Tisha Campbell also of Martin fame in the film musical version of Little Shop of Horrors at age 15. By this time, Arnold was landing at least one role a year. In 1987, she was cast in a permanent role on the soap opera Ryan’s Hope. In 1988, Arnold was nominated for a daytime Emmy. Arnold is best known as Gina’s (Tisha Campbell) loudmouth girlfriend on the T.V. sitcom Martin (1992-1997). She also played the role of young Chris Rock’s mother in Everybody Hates Chris (2005-2009).

Arnold has one daughter Alijah Kai.

LeBron James’ emphatic dunk got the ball rolling for the Heat in Game 7.

The Miami Heat took advantage of 21 Indiana Pacer turnovers and sealed off Roy Hibbert’s path to the basket to cruise to a 99-76 victory in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Miami Heat will face the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 of the NBA Finals beginning Thursday.

Heat 99 – Pacers 76 - If LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are at odds Game 7 would’ve been a poor indicator of any internal strife. Their games meshed in a beautiful rhythm against the Indiana Pacers in Game 7. Wade — who has been called out by the media and James for his poor play due to injury, scored 21 points on 7 for 16 shooting, he also grabbed 9 rebounds. It was the first time Wade scored 20 or more points in the postseason since scoring 20 points in the first round against the Milwaukee Bucks.

There was also an appearance by Ray Allen — who was signed by the Heat in the off season for this moment. Allen scored all 10 of his points in a 33-point second quarter by the Heat, Allen knocked down three of his four three-point attempts in the pivotal period. LeBron James finished with a game-high 32 points, including making 15 of 16 free throws. James scored on a ferocious follow-up dunk in the first quarter and later in the half on an eye level slam which he could have converted on a 12-foot rim. James also pulled down 8 rebounds and handed out 4 assists. Miami was able to keep the game close by taking advantage of 9 Pacers’ turnovers in the first quarter.

The Indiana Pacers struggled to feed the ball into Roy Hibbert for a good portion of the game. The Heat collapsed on entry passes to Hibbert early in the game — never allowing the big man to make a move to the basket. Hibbert finished with team-high 18 points with none coming easy. The night was no better for Paul George — who scored only 7 points on 2 for 9 shooting before fouling out. David West scored 14 points, but had a game-high 6 turnovers. George Hill — who hit big shot after big shot during the series was reigned in. Hill scored only 13 points after shooting 4 for 14 from the floor. Miami’s bench outscored Indiana’s reserves 27-14.

Heat win series 4-3.

The Lineup:

Wade’s Euro step and dunk got the crowd goin’ (Dime Magazine).

Mississippi taking controversial measures to catch statutory rapists (NPR Blogs).

Creative ways to save on your wedding (CBS).

Some of President Obama’s appointees are using secret email accounts (Washington Post).

Today’s Jay Graves Report (Barber Shop Sports).

Rank Top 5 Sports Today is out (Paper li.).

Baby Boomers have an alarming suicide rate (Washington Post).

Dominic Brown better ask someone about Phillies fans (Philly.com).

Oscar Pistorious’ trial is postponed (NYT Sports).

Thousands return home after fires north of Los Angeles (CBS).

Happy Birthday to pioneer Marion Motley.

Deacon Jones was the master of his craft, the quarterback sack.

David “Deacon” Jones, the man who gave birth to the term “sack” has passed away at age 74 from natural causes according to the Washington Redskins Executive Vice President and General Manager Bruce Allen.

It’s only fitting Deacon Jones left this world due to natural causes. It would be hard to fathom any disease taking one of the most feared men in NFL history down?

Jones was a 14th round pick (186 overall) of the Los Angeles Rams out of Mississippi Valley State in 1961. Jones spent 10 years with the Rams and was a part of  one of the greatest defensive lines of all time. The Fearsome Foursome consisted of Rosie Greer, Lamar Lundy, Merlin Olsen and Jones. At defensive end, Jones played at a level of violence never before seen on the gridiron. Jones earned names like the “Secretary of Defense. Former head coach George Allen called Jones the Greatest Defensive End of Modern Football.  Jones finished his career with the San Diego Chargers and Washington Redskins, respectively.

An 8-time Pro Bowler and a 5-time All-Pro selection, Jones is a member of the NFL’s 75th Anniversary team and the 1960′s All-NFL Team. The father of the quarterback sack, he also holds the two highest unofficial season sack totals, 26 in 1967 and 24 in 1968.

Jones was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 1980.

The sack was coined by Jones because in his words, he wanted to stuff all quarterbacks into a sack and wail away on it with a baseball bat. The now outlawed head slap opened the way to an unofficial 194 career sacks. At 6’5″ 272 lbs., a then lightening quick Jones explains the benefits of the head slap as only he can:

“To give myself an initial head start on the pass rush, in other words a extra step. Because anytime you go upside a man’s head … or a woman; they may have a tendency to blink they eyes or close they eyes. And that’s all I needed.

That’s gospel.