Gasol finds playoff joy in Lakers win

LOS ANGELES: Pau Gasol scored 36 points and grabbed 16 rebounds to help the Los Angeles Lakers overpower the Denver Nuggets 128-114 in Game 1 of their Western Conference quarterfinal series on Sunday.

Jurrjens sharp for 7 innings, Braves score 3-game sweep

ATLANTA: Jair Jurrjens pitched three-hit ball for seven innings, Mark Teixeira homered and the Atlanta Braves beat Los Angeles 6-1 in the National League on Sunday for its first sweep of the Dodgers in eight years.

Red Wings oust Predators, Stars eliminate Ducks

NEW YORK: The Detroit Red Wings shut out the Nashville Predators 3-0 to win its Western Conference quarterfinal series 4-2 in Nashville on Sunday.

Mystery spray forces club to flee

RIO DE JANEIRO: Brazilian champion Sao Paulo was forced to flee its dressing-room at halftime after it filled with an unidentified spray during its match away to Palmeiras on Sunday.

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Kidd's 100th triple-double leads Mavs

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana: The Indiana Pacers beat New York 132-123 in the NBA on Wednesday, sending the Knicks to a franchise record-tying 59th loss in what might have been Isiah Thomas' last game as coach.

Pens exact revenge with sweep of Senators

OTTAWA: The Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Ottawa Senators 3-1 and completed a four-game sweep of their NHL first-round playoff series on Wednesday.

A-Rod hits 522nd homer, passes Williams, McCovey

NEW YORK: Alex Rodriguez hit his 522nd home run to pass Ted Williams and Willie McCovey for 15th place on the career list, and the New York Yankees outlasted the Boston Red Sox 15-9 on Wednesday in a glacially paced game that took 4 hours, 8 minutes.

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Hornets clinch 1st division title, Lakers earn top seed

NEW YORK: The New Orleans Hornets clinched the franchise's first division championship with a 114-92 home win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday.