Dwight Howard powers Magic to 117-96 win and 2-1 series lead over Celtics

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Magic seem to be at their best when they’re shorthanded. Dwight Howard had 17 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks to lift the Orlando Magic to a 117-96 victory over the Boston Celtics on Friday night and a 2-1 series lead in their Eastern Conference semifinal.

Dwight Howard powers Magic to 117-96 win and 2-1 series lead over Celtics

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Magic seem to be at their best when they’re shorthanded.

Dwight Howard powers Magic to 117-96 win and 2-1 series lead over Celtics

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Magic seem to be at their best when they’re shorthanded.

Derek Fisher suspended for Game 3, Lakers expecting physical play to continue in Houston

HOUSTON — Round 3 might be a more fitting label than Game 3 when the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets meet Friday night in the Western Conference semifinal series.

Magic’s Courtney Lee to return for Game 3 against Celtics in Eastern Conference semifinal

ORLANDO, Fla. — The Orlando Magic will get a much-needed boost in their backcourt for Game 3 against the Boston Celtics with the return of Courtney Lee.

Kentucky F Patrick Patterson removes name from NBA draft, will return for junior season

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Patrick Patterson is returning to Kentucky for his junior season.

Maybe they should stop this one: Cavaliers on a record roll, while Hawks are all banged up

ATLANTA — If this was a heavyweight fight, the referee might have already stepped in to stop it.

Wizards forward Antawn Jamison has bone spur removed from right ankle

WASHINGTON — The Washington Wizards say forward Antawn Jamison had surgery to remove a bone spur from his right ankle.

Bill Russell writes book about Red Auerbach, describing the coach’s and player’s relationship

NEW YORK — Bill Russell noted with amusement that the coach in question didn’t make the playoffs this year.

Pacers F Danny Granger invited to US team training camp this summer

INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana Pacers president Larry Bird has said he thinks Danny Granger can be an Olympian. His star pupil now is a step closer.

Thursday’s NBA Playoff Box

Evans 7-12 1-1 16, Jos.Smith 2-13 4-4 8, Pachulia 2-6 3-4 7, Bibby 3-8 3-3 11, Johnson 5-15 0-2 10, Murray 2-5 3-4 8, Jones 0-3 2-2 2, M.West 0-2 1-2 1, Hunter 1-2 0-0 2, Gardner 4-11 1-1 12, Law 3-6 1-1 8. Totals 29-83 19-24 85.

Kobe Bryant scores 40 to lead Lakers to volatile 111-98 victory over Rockets, tying series 1-1

LOS ANGELES — Two ejections. A handful of technical fouls. One bloody cut on Derek Fisher’s shaved head. Oh yeah, the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets actually played some basketball, too.

Mavs’ Nowitzki having ‘tough time’ personally; no explanation for arrest of woman at his home

DALLAS — Mavericks All-Star Dirk Nowitzki offered no explanation Thursday about the arrest of a woman at his home, saying only that he is having personal troubles now.

Rafer Alston, Derek Fisher suspended by NBA for separate incidents

NEW YORK — Rafer Alston of Orlando and Derek Fisher of the Los Angeles Lakers have each been suspended for the next game of their playoff series.

Dismay and disbelief: Baseball hit with power-packed jolt by Manny Ramirez’s 50-game drug ban

St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa was talking to reporters before Thursday’s game against Pittsburgh when a clubhouse attendant stuck his head in and said: “Manny Ramirez, 50 games.”

Louisville says Rick Pitino is not interested in leaving Cardinals for return to NBA

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Louisville says coach Rick Pitino is not interested in returning to the NBA.

Two Easy: LeBron scores 27 as Cavaliers cruise past Hawks 105-85 to open 2-0 series lead

CLEVELAND — While the rest of the NBA exchanges elbows, flagrant fouls and menacing stares in the playoffs, the Cleveland Cavaliers are looking for a fight.

Rondo’s triple-double, House’s 3s deliver 112-94 win over Magic for Celtics and tie series 1-1

BOSTON — Rajon Rondo took the pass from Eddie House and bolted for the basket, cutting between 6-foot-11 Dwight Howard and 6-10 Rashard Lewis for a thunderous dunk.

Athletes finding it hard to have something to really tweet about

The morning after his Yankees dropped yet another game to the hated Red Sox, Nick Swisher said there was no quit in his team and vowed to get the Bostonians that night.

Miami’s Pat Riley hoping to get Dwyane Wade signed to extension this summer

MIAMI — Pat Riley’s plan to make the Miami Heat better in 2010 might start with signing Dwyane Wade in 2009.

Dwight Howard picked for NBA’s All-Defensive Team along with Kobe and LeBron

NEW YORK — Orlando center Dwight Howard once again swatted away his competition.

NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL commissioners focus on economy when they gather for panel discussion

NEW YORK — Major league baseball attendance is down 7 percent and the average crowd for 19 of the 30 clubs has dropped from a year ago. The NFL, NBA and NHL are nervously monitoring the recession but hopeful they will weather the downturn.

Elected mayor of Detroit, NBA great Dave Bing promises to try to attract jobs to hard-hit city

DETROIT — Basketball legend Dave Bing, elected as Detroit’s third mayor in less than a year, promises swift and decisive action once he officially assumes the Motor City’s top post.

NBA great Dave Bing elected Detroit mayor in runoff against incumbent Ken Cockrel Jr.

DETROIT — Basketball legend Dave Bing was elected Tuesday as Detroit’s mayor through the end of the year, sweeping the incumbent from office in the city with myriad problems.

Game 7 of Bulls-Celtics supplants Game 6 as most-watched first-round NBA playoff game on cable

ATLANTA — Game 7 of the Bulls-Celtics series has supplanted Game 6 as the most-watched first-round NBA playoff game ever on cable.

Nuggets coach George Karl calls $25K fine against Martin ‘out of line and crazy’

DENVER — Nuggets coach George Karl calls the NBA’s $25,000 fine given to Kenyon Martin “way out of line and crazy.”

Celtics’ Powe has successful surgery on microfracture, torn ligaments in left knee

BOSTON — Boston Celtics forward Leon Powe has undergone successful surgery for a microfracture and torn ligaments in his left knee.

Magic jump on weary Celtics, hold on for 95-90 victory in Game 1 of Eastern semifinals

BOSTON — Stan Van Gundy isn’t going to fret over the 28-point lead his team nearly blew in the opener of the Eastern Conference semifinals. The only score the Orlando Magic coach cares about is 1-0.

Yao, Rockets outmuscle Lakers 100-92 in opener of Western Conference semis

LOS ANGELES — Blood flowed, players were sprawled on the court and the Houston Rockets came into Staples Center and outmuscled Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.

Magic jump on weary Celtics, hold on for 95-90 victory in Game 1 of Eastern semis

BOSTON — Dwight Howard returned from his one-game suspension to get 16 points and 22 rebounds Monday night and help the Orlando Magic hold off the late-charging Boston Celtics 95-90 in the opener of the Eastern Conference semifinals.