June 4, 2012
By Ceci Ferrara
Sports writer
Sports Insider
The Boston Celtics aren’t going down without a fight. After losing the first two games of the Eastern Conference finals, they bounced back last Friday, when they traveled home to host the next two games of the series. They outscored the Heat in the first three quarters, putting up 85 points to Miami’s 63. Kevin Garnett dominated with 24 points and 11 rebounds, helping Boston cruise past LeBron and the Heat to a 101-91 victory, their first of the series.
Home court advantage worked in Boston’s favor again on Sunday night, when Dwayne Wade missed a 3 pointer in overtime as time expired, handing the Boston their second straight win. It wasn’t an easy one, though. They blew several leads on their way to overtime, including an 18 point lead that at one point seemed insurmountable.
After scoring 61 points by half time, the Celtics scored just 28 points in the second half, allowing Miami to comeback and force overtime. The Heat put up 42 points in the second half, led by LeBron James, who had 29 points on the night. Despite their incredible comeback, they were unable to get it done in overtime, and now they head back to Miami with the series tied 2-2.
The Spurs are in a similar situation. After winning the first two games at home, they have dropped two in a row, both of them on the road in Oklahoma City.
While San Antonio is no longer perfect, they are still a competitive team and remain one of the favorites to win the championship. They will face the Thunder in the pivotal Game 5 Monday night, with each team hoping to gain an advantage in the series with a win.
Tiger Woods / PGA Tour
For the fifth time in his career, Tiger Woods is a Memorial champion. Going into Sunday a close second, Woods triumphed on the tournament’s final day, looking like his old self by making the important shots, and more importantly, surging in the final round to come out on top. His most impressive shot was on the 16th hole, when he chipped the ball from deep roughly 50 feet away for an unexpected birdie. It was incredible. It was dramatic. It was vintage Tiger Woods.
Even Jack Nicklaus was impressed, saying “I don’t think under the circumstances, I’ve ever seen a better shot.”
The win is significant beyond the fact that it’s his fifth Memorial win. It is also his 73rd PGA win, which now places him in a tie with Jack Nicklaus for second most career wins; Sam Snead holds the record with 82.
And now, suddenly, another Nicklaus record looms in the distance, one that Woods seemed poised to break a few years ago – the 18 major championships. Still, he has been riddled with uncertainty since 2009. Woods has 14, and the U.S. Open is set to start in less than two weeks.
Of course, with his win and impressive performance on Sunday (which propelled him from No. 9 to No. 4 in world golf rankings), speculation has already begun on whether or not Woods will win the U.S. Open. When asked by the media if his game is back, he simply said “I’ll let you guys figure that out.” If he does win, he will tie Nicklaus’ record of four U.S. Open titles, and it will be hard for Tiger, or anyone, to admit that he’s back on top.
