Thursday's Sports in Brief
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) LeBron James scored 32 points and hit the clinching free throws with 7 seconds left, Dwyane Wade added 24 points and the Miami Heat claimed home-court advantage in the NBA Finals by beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 100-96 in Game 2 on Thursday night.
The Thunder stormed back from a 13-point, fourth-quarter deficit and had a chance to tie it on Kevin Durant's 7-footer along the left baseline with 10 seconds left. James provided the defense on the shot and rebounded the miss before getting fouled and hitting two clutch free throws.
Durant finished with 32 points and Russell Westbrook had 27 but the Thunder weren't able to overcome a double-digit deficit.
GOLF
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - The lead at the U.S. Open belonged to Michael Thompson. The buzz came from Tiger Woods.
Even as Thompson strung together four birdies on the back nine at Olympic Club that carried him to a 4-under 66, Woods put on a clinic on the other side of the course on how to handle the toughest test in golf.
With consecutive birdies late in his round, including a 45-foot putt that banged into the back of the cup on No. 5, Woods opened with a 1-under 69 to raise expectations that he can finally end that four-year drought in the majors.
Woods was tied for second with David Toms, Justin Rose, Graeme McDowell and Nick Watney.
Woods' top rivals faltered. Phil Mickelson had a 76, Masters champion Bubba Watson a 78 and defending U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy a 77.
CYCLING
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - Lance Armstrong is gearing up for a fight over the latest round of doping allegations.
Armstrong's lawyers demanded access to evidence gathered by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, including test results and the names of witnesses who said they saw the seven-time Tour de France champion use performance-enhancing drugs.
Armstrong has until June 22 to respond in writing to the fresh allegations, the first step of what could be months-long process.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
BELLEFONTE, Pa. (AP) - The prosecution's case in Jerry Sandusky's sex abuse trial neared its conclusion after just four days of testimony, with three more accusers taking the witness stand, including a young man who said the former Penn State assistant football coach raped him as a teen guest in Sandusky's home.
The eighth accuser to testify told jurors the abuse began with fondling and forced oral sex and led to several instances of rape in the basement of Sandusky's Centre County home, where he spent more than 100 nights and where his muffled screams went unanswered by Sandusky's wife, Dottie, who was upstairs. He said he figured the basement must be soundproof.
``He got real aggressive and just forced me into it,'' said the young man, now 18 and a recent high school graduate. ``And I just went with it - there was no fighting against it.''
BELLEFONTE, Pa. (AP) - Joe Paterno's will left his personal property to wife Sue and established a trust for the remainder of his estate.
The documents released by the family to The Associated Press include the original seven-page will filed in 1997. The material didn't state how much Paterno or his estate were worth.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Coaches can now pick up their smartphones without trepidation.
Starting Friday, Division I men's basketball coaches will be able to send unlimited texts and make unlimited calls to recruits who have wrapped up their sophomore year of high school. The NCAA will also allow coaches to send private messages to prospective players through social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.
BASEBALL
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Giants first baseman Aubrey Huff has become the second big leaguer to get injured this month while celebrating a no-hitter.
Huff sprained his right knee while trying to jump over the dugout railing and join the postgame celebration of Matt Cain's perfect game Wednesday night.
Two week ago, Mets pitcher Ramon Ramirez hurt his hamstring following Johan Santana's gem.
DURHAM, N.C. (AP) - Joe Torre is returning to the dugout next year - to manage the United States at the World Baseball Classic.
Torre, who turns 72 next month, guided the New York Yankees to four World Series championships and managed the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2008-10. He is now Major League Baseball's Executive Vice President for Baseball Operations.
The tournament begins with qualifiers in September and November of 2012, with the U.S. team starting up in March.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - A bank has sued Curt Schilling to recover $2.4 million in loans it made to the former Boston Red Sox pitcher's video game company.
The Boston Globe reported that Citizens Bank says Schilling personally guaranteed the debt to the bank but has ``failed and refused'' to pay it.
Schilling's 38 Studios filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection last week. It laid off its entire workforce in May soon after it was late in making a $1.1 million payment to the Rhode Island Economic Development Corp.
SOCCER
GDANSK, Poland (AP) - Fernando Torres scored a goal in each half to give Spain a 4-0 win over Ireland and eliminate the Irish from the European Championship.
Italy, playing in Poznan, Poland, sat back against Croatia and paid for it in a 1-1 tie.
Andrea Pirlo gave Italy the lead with a curving free kick in the 39th minute but Mario Mandzukic was left unmarked to equalize in the 72nd.
WARSAW, Poland (AP) - Nearly two dozen hooligans were convicted in fast-track trials for their roles in violent clashes when Poland and Russia faced off in an emotionally charged European Championship match on Tuesday.
The trials were meant to show that Poland is serious about its policy of zero tolerance for violence as it co-hosts Euro 2012 with Ukraine.
HORSE RACING
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - Churchill Downs simplified the path leading to the Kentucky Derby, announcing a new points system pegged to three dozen races that will set the field for the country's most famous thoroughbred race.
The track scrapped a more complicated system in place since 1986 based on graded stakes earnings that determined which horses reached the Derby starting gate.
OLYMPICS
Olympic gold medalist Dominique Moceanu no longer has a relationship with former coaches Bela and Martha Karolyi, and wishes USA Gymnastics didn't, either.
In her memoir, ``Off Balance,'' Moceanu repeats criticisms of the Karolyis and their training methods that she first made four years ago. She told The Associated Press that she thinks Martha Karolyi should be removed from her role as national team coordinator.
PRO HOCKEY
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Dustin Brown stood on a flatbed truck and raised the big silver trophy above his head once again. The air in downtown Los Angeles filled with a blizzard of silver-and-black confetti.
The Los Angeles Kings are Stanley Cup champions for the first time, and a celebration 45 years in the making certainly appeared to be worth the wait.
The Kings rode double-decker buses and flatbed trucks in a parade through the city center, moving slowly up Figueroa Street past thousands of roaring fans. Brown and playoff MVP Jonathan Quick then raised the Cup outside Staples Center, where the Kings completed their 16-4 rampage through the postseason on Monday night by eliminating the New Jersey Devils.
AUTO RACING
BROOKLYN, Mich. (AP) - After being repaved in the offseason, the two-mile track at Michigan International Speedway was the talk of the Sprint Cup drivers at the track for a test session.
After four drivers exceeded 200 mph in the morning, seven did it during the second test session, including Tony Stewart, who set the day's standard at 201.896 mph.
TENNIS
NEW YORK (AP) - The U.S. Tennis Association plans to give the home of the U.S. Open a makeover that will cost it hundreds of millions of dollars, but does not include putting a roof on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The USTA unveiled its plan to upgrade the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, starting in the fall of 2013.
HALLE, Germany (AP) - Rafael Nadal defeated Lukas Lacko 7-5, 6-1 at the Gerry Weber Open on Thursday, the Spaniard's first singles match since he won a record seventh French Open. Roger Federer, a five-time winner of this Wimbledon tuneup, downed Germany's Florian Mayer 6-4, 7-5.
LONDON (AP) - Jo-Wilfried Tsonga may have to miss Wimbledon after injuring his right hand during a 7-6 (3), 3-6, 7-6 (5) third-round loss to Ivan Dodig at Queen's Club on Thursday.
BAD GASTEIN, Austria (AP) - Chichi Scholl of the United States defeated sixth-seeded Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania 6-3, 6-4 to reach quarterfinals at the Gastein Ladies tournament.
BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) - Jelena Jankovic moved closer to her first title in more than two years without hitting a ball on Thursday.
Jankovic received a walkover into the Aegon Classic quarterfinals when Casey Dellacqua withdrew with a stomach ailment.
