Danny Green sets NBA Finals record for most three-pointers in a series (Video)

By Eric Freeman

The NBA Finals is often decided by one or two huge performances from role players, but San Antonio Spurs wing Danny Green's shooting against the Miami Heat is unprecedented. With 9:39 remaining in the third quarter of Game 5, Green knocked down his 23rd three-pointer of the series, breaking Ray Allen's record for the most threes in an NBA Finals.

Green ranked seventh in the league this regular season with a 42.9 percent mark from beyond the arc. His shooting in the NBA Finals has been considerably better. Through the first four games of the series, he had made 19-of-28 long-range shots (69.8 percent). At the time of his record-breaking shot, Green had somehow done even better in Game 5, hitting four of his first five three-point attempts. That means Green converted on 23 of his first 33 tries — just better than two-thirds — to get the record.

Allen, the most prolific three-point shooter in NBA history and now Green's opponent as a member of the Heat, set the previous mark of 22 threes in six games in 2008 as a member of the Boston Celtics against the Los Angeles Lakers. Allen needed 42 attempts for his record, which underscores just how amazing Green has been this series.
Directly after Green set the record, Allen expressed his dismay at losing the record. After the jump, check out a screengrab of Allen's face (via @jose3030):

Ray Allen tastes the bitterness of losing an NBA Finals record (via @jose3030).
That's about all there is to say, Ray. Green has been downright nasty in these first five games.
The next target for Green is the record for most threes in a playoff series. The current record of 28 is held by Allen (set in 2001 as a Milwaukee Buck against the Philadelphia 76ers) and retired Orlando Magic sharpshooter Dennis Scott (set in 1995 against the Indiana Pacers). The way Green is playing, we could need to rewrite the record books once again very soon.



source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/danny-green-sets-nba-finals-record-most-three-020827427.html
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Jason Leffler dies from injuries suffered at Bridgeport Speedway race

By Jay Busbee | From The Marbles

The wreckage of Jason Leffler's car. (Via @christophetaitt)

New Jersey state police have announced that NASCAR driver Jason Leffler has died as a result of injuries suffered in a wreck at Bridgeport Speedway in New Jersey, according to the Associated Press. Leffler was 37.
Leffler was racing a Sprint Car at the track's "Night of Wings" when his car apparently flipped on the front stretch of the 5/8-mile, high-banked dirt oval. According to eyewitness accounts, he was extracted from the car on a board and airlifted out of the track via helicopter. The remainder of the night's racing was cancelled.

Jason Leffler (Getty Images)

According to state police, Leffler was pronounced dead at 9:02 p.m. ET.
Leffler, from Long Beach, Calif., spent most of his decade-plus NASCAR career in the Nationwide series, running full schedules from 2006 to 2011. He had two wins, 42 top fives and 107 top 10s in the Nationwide series. He's also run 73 races in Sprint Cup, most recently at Pocono last week, and 56 races in the Camping World Truck Series, where he posted one victory.

"NASCAR extends its thoughts, prayers and deepest sympathies to the family of Jason Leffler who passed away earlier this evening," NASCAR said in a statement. "For more than a decade, Jason was a fierce competitor in our sport and he will be missed."
Prior to NASCAR, Leffler won three straight USAC midget championships (1997-99). He also competed in the 2000 Indianapolis 500, where he finished 17th.
He'd only this year returned to Sprint Car racing, where he planned on competing in 50-65 races. According to his web site, "Jason is excited to get back to the grass roots of racing to connect with fans and old rivalries."
Leffler was extremely close to his son Charlie Dean, who had only recently finished kindergarten. Leffler's Instagram page is full of shots of Charlie Dean, including this poignant one:







source: sports.yahoo.com
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Blackhawks and Bruins go to 2nd OT, tied 3-3

Associated Press
ANDREW SELIGMAN 1 hour ago

AP photo/Charles Rex Arbogast

CHICAGO (AP) — Corey Crawford stopped several flurries to preserve a 3-3 tie and send a riveting Game 1 of the Stanley Cup finals to double overtime on Wednesday.
The Blackhawks got third-period goals from Dave Bolland and Johnny Oduya to erase a 3-1 deficit and then Crawford was simply spectacular in the extra period.
He made a sprawled-out pad save on Shawn Thornton about four minutes into OT, and he stood his ground in a flurry with just under eight minutes remaining, stopping Rich Peverley and Tyler Seguin on the rebound to draw oohs and ahhs from the crowd.

AP photo/Charles Rex Arbogast

In the first championship meeting in 34 years between Original Six franchises, Milan Lucic scored twice and Patrice Bergeron added a power-play goal just over six minutes into the third to give Boston a 3-1 lead. But the Blackhawks came storming back after that.
Andrew Shaw picked off a clearing attempt by Torey Krug and fed Bolland on a two-on-one rush to pull Chicago within one with 12 minutes left in regulation. Lucic then got stopped on a two-on-one by Crawford midway through the third, and Oduya tied it for Chicago when his shot from the point deflected off Andrew Ference and bounced past Tuukka Rask.

AP photo/Charles Rex Arbogast

Just like that, the Blackhawks were back in it. Crawford fought off a big flurry by Boston in the closing minutes, and the game went to overtime with Chicago outshooting Boston 39-25 after getting off to a slow start.
The Bruins grabbed a 1-0 lead at the 13:11 mark of the opening period after David Krejci knocked Niklas Hjalmarsson off the puck along the boards behind the net. He fed a pass to Nathan Horton, who feathered the puck across to Lucic for an easy wrist shot from the slot in front of Crawford.

AP photo/Charles Rex Arbogast

Lucic struck again just 51 seconds into the second period with another wrist shot after Hjalmarsson gambled along the boards and fell, allowing Boston to break in.
Chicago started to come on strong after that.
The Blackhawks got on the board just over two minutes later when rookie Brandon Saad scored his first goal of the playoffs. He carried the puck down the ice but was bumped off it in the left corner of the Boston zone. Marian Hossa recovered it and fed Saad in the slot, making it 2-1 and bringing the sellout crowd to their feet.

AP photo/Charles Rex Arbogast

The Blackhawks' momentum came screeching to a halt on a power play — make that a two-man advantage — midway through the second. A big issue during the regular season, it continues to haunt the Blackhawks in the playoffs.
They came in 7 for 51 on the power play — 12th among the 16 playoff teams — and that number took another hit when they couldn't convert a five-on three advantage, Horton got called for interference at 7:37 and the Bruins were whistled for having too many men on the ice at 8:20, but Chicago came away empty.

Before Saad's tally, Rask had not given up a goal in 149:36 — he gave up only two goals in a four-game sweep of Pittsburgh — and he saved 44 shots through the first OT for the Bruins, who are seeking their second title in three years.
Crawford made 34 stops through the first OT for the Blackhawks, back in the finals for the first time since their championship run three years ago, didn't get much going in this one.
Not since the Montreal Canadiens knocked off the New York Rangers in five games in 1979 had Original Six teams played for the championship. But both these teams have been here, done that, with Chicago winning it all in 2010 and Boston taking the championship the following season.



source: read more news.yahoo.com
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NBA Finals 2013, Heat vs. Spurs Game 3: Danny Green approaching 3-point record

By Jason Patt

Mike Ehrmann

Spurs guard Danny Green has already hit 16 three-pointers in the NBA Finals, which is just six short of the record set by Ray Allen in 2008.

Two years ago, Danny Green was an afterthought. In April 2011, Green found himself toiling in the D-League with the Austin Toros after being waived by both the Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs before the Spurs picked him up again and sent him to Austin. At that time, the only thing Green was known for was being a dance sidekick to LeBron James in Cleveland.

Fast forward to the present, and Green is making a name for himself with his red-hot three-point shooting in the NBA Finals. Green has already made 16 three-pointers through three games, which is a franchise record in an NBA Finals series. Green's also just six short of the NBA Finals record set by Ray Allen as a member of the Boston Celtics in 2008. It's only fitting that Green is putting on this remarkable shooting display against Allen and James.

Green was lights out in San Antonio's 113-77 blowout of the Miami Heat in Game 3 on Tuesday, scoring 27 points on 9-of-15 shooting overall and 7-of-9 from three-point range. Green went 6-of-7 from long range in the second half as the Spurs blew the doors off the Heat to take a 2-1 series lead. As a team, San Antonio made 16 three-pointers, an NBA Finals record.

This performance comes after Green was one of the few bright spots in an ugly Game 2 loss. Green made all five of his threes in Game 2, meaning he has made 12 of his last 14 from deep. For the series, he's 16-of-23.

Green's emergence is huge for San Antonio, as he helps space the floor and make Miami pay for their sometimes over-aggressive defense. Green has also taken advantage of Dwyane Wade, who too often has lost the Spurs' guard beyond the arc.

Green is currently leading the NBA Finals in scoring with 56 points, which is quite the feat considering where he was just a couple of years ago. If Green continues his hot shooting, he may just find himself holding the NBA Finals MVP trophy in a few days.



source: sbnation.com
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Danny Green, Gary Neal lead Spurs, who break NBA Finals record with 16 3-pointers, in rout of Heat

LeBron failed to score 20 for the third straight and spent much of the night trying to facilitate the offense as opposed to imposing his will on the game. He finished with 15 points on 7-for-21 shooting and didn’t get much help from his teammates.

BY FRANK ISOLA / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

LUCY NICHOLSON/REUTERS

Danny Green is almost unstoppable from beyond the arc, going 7-for-9.

SPURS 113, HEAT 77
SAN ANTONIO – LeBron James isn’t supposed to be upstaged by a guy who bounced around Europe and another who spent time in the D-League. Maybe that happens once during a regular season but not at this time of year.
But that’s exactly what Danny Green and Gary Neal did in Game 3 of the NBA Finals as the two role players embarrassed the Miami Heat, outplayed LeBron and now have the San Antonio Spurs two wins from another title.

Both Green and Neal outscored LeBron as the Spurs, who never trailed, crushed the Miami Heat 113-77 to take a 2-1 series lead. Game 4 is Thursday. Green, born and raised in North Babylon, N.Y., scored 22 of his 27 points in the second half as the Spurs broke the game open. Green, LeBron’s former teammate in Cleveland who landed in the D-League before finding a home in San Antonio, made 9 of 15 shots including 7 of 9 3-pointers.
Neal’s basketball odyssey began in Turkey and including stops in Spain and Italy before he joined the Spurs. His career night also came on the biggest stage as the back-up guard scored 14 of his 24 points in the first half and made 6 of 10 3-pointers overall.

Meanwhile, LeBron failed to score 20 for the third straight and spent much of the night trying to facilitate the offense as opposed to imposing his will on the game. He finished with 15 points on 7-for-21 shooting and didn’t get much help from his teammates as Udonis Haslem and Mario Chalmers both went scoreless while Dwyane Wade scored 16 and Chris Bosh added 12 on 4-for-10 shooting. Mike Miller scored 15 off the bench, making all five 3-pointers he attempted.
Just as Miami crushed San Antonio with an emphatic 33-5 run in the second half of Game 2, the Spurs outscored the Heat 69-33 after Miami tied the game late in the first half. Tim Duncan had 12 points and 14 rebounds in 29 minutes and Kawhi Leonard, the first-round pick who has been outstanding in the Spurs' two wins, added 14 points and 12 rebounds.
PHOTOS: SPURS SHOOT WAY PAST HEAT IN GAME 3 ROUT
The Spurs won despite Tony Parker scoring just six points with eight assists in 27 minutes. Manu Ginobili scored seven off the bench. Both teams cleared their benches with 5:43 remaining and the Spurs leading 102-71.
LeBron and the Heat imploded in the third quarter as San Antonio, with Green and Neal knocking down long jumpers, extended its lead to 21. James missed his first five shots of the second half and didn’t score until there was 1:37 left in the third. However, James’ first 3-pointer got him into a rhythm and he responded with nine quick points before Tiago Splitter’s dunk at the end of the period gave the Spurs a 78-63 lead.

LUCY NICHOLSON/REUTERS

The Heat look stunned, with LeBron James only scoring 15 points in the game and only 4 in the first half.

ERIC GAY/AP

Danny Green (l.) and Gary Neal combine for 51 points to lead the Spurs over Heat.

LeBron scored just four first-half points and yet Miami, despite falling behind by 11 with three minutes left in the second quarter, made its run when Mike Miller’s 3-pointer ignited a 12-1 Miami run. Miller contributed a pair of three’s while it was Wade’s reverse lay-up that tied it at 44.
But after Parker hit a corner three, Danny Green blocked LeBron’s driving lay-up which with five seconds left. Parker took two dribbles before finding Neal, who’s pull-up 3-pointer beat the buzzer and gave the Spurs a 50-44 lead. Neal led all scorers with 14 points after converting 4 of 6 3-pointers. Neal had scored a total of 17 points in the first two games.
Neal opened up the fourth quarter with a long 3-pointer over Chris Andersen and then after Wade missed on a pull-up, Neal drained yet another three. Green, who scored eight in the third period, then rebounded his own miss to make it 86-63 with 10:33 remaining.
“It's just about trying to have an incredible sense of urgency now as we change venues here in their comfort zone, can we exceed that level of urgency that they'll have tonight,” Erik Spoelstra had said before tip-off.
The answer was painful obvious. Duncan and Ginobili began the fourth quarter on the bench while the Spurs, with Green hitting back-to-back 3-pointers, stretched its lead to 29.



source: nydailynews.com
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Heat Pummel Spurs to Tie Series

By HOWARD BECK
Credit: Christian Petersen/Reuters

The Heat's LeBron James on a slam dunk over the Spurs' Danny Green. More Photos »

MIAMI — There are countless ways to dominate a game, a myriad of methods and attack points and angles, and LeBron James has mastered them all. The scheme and the scoring totals may vary, but it is the results that matter, a fact that James emphatically reminded anyone who had doubts Sunday night.

James did not score much or shoot much. His box-score totals did not leap off the page. His most memorable play was a block that merely provided a final exclamation point on the Miami Heat’s 103-84 rout of the San Antonio Spurs.

But in so many ways, both strong and subtle, James was the driving force as the Heat tied the N.B.A. finals at one game apiece. He finished with 17 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks, yet left the bulk of the scoring to his lively supporting cast, from Mario Chalmers (19 points) to Chris Bosh (12 points) and Dwyane Wade (10 points). Ray Allen and Mike Miller combined for another 22 points off the bench, going 6 for 8 from 3-point range.

In a postseason run that has so often been defined by James’s biorhythms, this was a triumph of team over individual, even if that individual was orchestrating to great effect.

“What I do know is sharing the ball is contagious, and it allows everyone to feel involved in the offense,” James said, adding, “This team has been set up the right way, where when I do attract attention, we have guys that can make plays.”

The Spurs, who were so steady and precise in taking Game 1, had a tough time holding their offense together on this night, committing 17 turnovers — four times their Game 1 total — leading to 19 points for the Heat.

Tim Duncan made just 3 of 13 shots, finishing with 9 points and 11 rebounds. Tony Parker, the Spurs’ fourth-quarter hero last Thursday, scored just 13 points, going 5 for 14 from the field.

Danny Green, the Spurs’ least-decorated starter, was their best scorer, with 17 points and a perfect 6-for-6 shooting line.

The series now moves to San Antonio for the next three games, starting Tuesday night.

“If you would have asked me before heading to Miami, I would have said OK, I’ll take it,” Manu Ginobili said of splitting the first two games, but he added, “You don’t want to play like this in an N.B.A. finals.”



source: nytimes.com
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