SAN ANTONIO (AP) β The San Antonio Spurs closed the game with a 31-9 run and won the opener of the NBA Finals by beating the two-time NBA champion Miami Heat 110-95. Tim Duncan led the Spurs with 21 points on nine of 10 shooting. LeBron James had to leave the game with seven minutes left because of leg cramps but led the Heat with 25 points in his 33 minutes.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP)β Flip Saunders is back on the bench as coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Saunders, who had been their coach from 1995-2005, will also keep his title as president of basketball operations with Minnesota.
WASHINGTON (AP)β Adam LaRoche clubbed a two-run home run in the sixth inning and that was the difference in the Washington Nationals’ 4-2 victory that finished a three-game sweep of Philadelphia. Doug Fister and two relievers combined on a four-hitter for the Nationals, who have moved within a game of NL East-leading Atlanta.
NEW YORK (AP) β Masahiro Tanaka allowed a run on five hits over six innings to improve to 9-1 as the New York Yankees edged Oakland 2-1 to end the Athletics’ five-game winning streak. Tanaka lowered his AL-leading ERA to 2.02.
SECAUCUS, N.J. (AP) β The Houston Astros selected California high school pitcher Brady Aiken with the No. 1 pick in the Major League Baseball draft. The fire-balling left-hander from San Diego’s Cathedral Catholic High School is just the third prep pitcher to be selected first overall, joining fellow lefties Brien Taylor (1991, Yankees) and David Clyde (1973, Rangers).
