New Orleans leapfrogs over three other teams to earn the top pick in the 2012 NBA draft

Hornets coach Monty Williams is not posing with the card that earned the team the 10th overall pick (Getty Ima …

It wasn't quite as startling a jump as when the Orlando Magic parlayed a .500 record into Penny Hardaway, the Chicago Bulls took a less than 2 percent chance into the top overall pick and eventual MVP Derrick Rose, or when last year's Cleveland Cavaliers cashed in on hoop karma and leaped from seventh to first to take Kyrie Irving. But the New Orleans Hornets made out quite well in the 2012 NBA draft lottery by taking the fourth-best odds and turning them into the top overall pick in the June 28 draft.

The Hornets, who until last month were owned by the NBA (go nuts, conspiracy theorists) had the right combination of ping-pong balls to get the job done, switching out their fourth overall pick for the top choice that will likely result in Kentucky center Anthony Davis heading to Louisiana. It will be the first time since 1991 (Larry Johnson) that the Hornets will select first overall, though not the first time since then (in 1999, resulting in Baron Davis) the franchise has bypassed several worse teams on its way to a higher pick.

[Adrian Wojnarowski: NBA's Hornets ownership opens door to talk of rigged lottery]

This is terrible news for the Michael Jordan-owned Charlotte Bobcats, who turned in the worst winning percentage in NBA history, but per lottery rules were only guaranteed a 25 percent chance at the top overall pick. As with the Washington Wizards (moving from second to third) and Cleveland Cavaliers (third to fourth), the Bobcats moved down a spot in the projected order to second overall. Losing a projected All-Star center in Davis will hurt for Charlotte, but in reality the team badly needs help at all positions -- with even the team's recent lottery selections barely registering as starting-quality NBA players moving forward.

Federer, Djokovic advance in French Open

Roger Federer set a new record of 234 Grand Slam match wins to reach the French Open last 32 where he was joined by top seed Novak Djokovic whose date with tennis destiny edged a little closer.

Federer, the third seed, overcame a mid-match wobble to beat Romania's Adrian Ungur 6-3, 6-2, 6-7 (6/8), 6-3, and go past Jimmy Connors' long-standing record of 233 wins at the majors which he'd equalled in the first round.

The 16-time Grand Slam title winner will face Nicolas Mahut of France for a place in the last 16.

On a subdued day at Roland Garros, Federer's post-match news conference was spent discussing Queen Elizabeth II's diamond jubilee.

"I had lunch next to the queen, that was exciting," said Federer, recalling the monarch's visit to Wimbledon in 2010 after a 33-year absence.

"She was very sweet, very nice, very polite, of course, and a pleasure to be around."

The 27-year-old Ungur, the world number 92, knocked out Argentine veteran David Nalbandian in the first round on his Grand Slam debut, having failed to qualify for any major on 13 previous occasions.

He was swept aside on the first two sets on Wednesday, but once he had saved two match points in the third set tiebreaker, he came alive to take the second round clash to a fourth set.

NEWARK, New Jersey (Reuters) - Anze Kopitar won a psychological battle against New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur to score the winning overtime goal for the Los Angeles Kings in Game One of the Stanley Cup Finals on Wednesday.

"I went forehand," the Slovenian center said with a smile after his goal at 8:13 of the extra period secured a 2-1 win. "I guess that goes back a few years when we were in the shootout in L.A. and I went backhand on him.

"Maybe he thought I was going to do it again. Tonight, I just wanted to mix it up a little bit."

Kopitar's goal gave the unlikely Western Conference champions a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series and a mind-boggling ninth successive road win in the playoffs.

"Every time you get on the road you need a team effort," Kopitar said. "It showed again tonight. We had four lines going... Jonathan (Quick) was great in the net for us again. We got to continue doing that."

The game-winning play began when Drew Doughty dug the puck out along the boards and flipped it up the ice to Justin Williams, who passed perfectly to Kopitar, surging alone up the middle of the ice.

"Well, the battle was just inside our zone... the puck was chipped out to Justin and I kind of just wanted to make sure I stayed in the middle," the Slovenian added.

Devils' missed chances costly in Game 1 vs. Kings

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Mark Fayne knew the puck was heading his way and he knew Los Angeles goalie Jonathan Quick was out of position.

When the New Jersey defenseman went to fire a rebound into a seemingly wide-open net, an untimely bounce off the unsettled ice turned a potential go-ahead goal midway through the third period into another dose of frustration for the Eastern Conference champions.

The Devils had plenty of chances to score on Quick, but they cashed in only one in their 2-1 overtime loss to the Kings on Wednesday night. Fayne's was the most obvious opportunity lost for New Jersey, which also had a goal waved off because captain Zach Parise swept the puck in with his glove.

"I was just trying to get up into the rush," Fayne said of his blown chance. "I saw (Steve Bernier) coming down the wing. We practice a lot shooting far pad, and I was just hoping he did it. He dropped it to (Ryan Carter), and he made a nice shot. It just kind of hopped up at the last second. I got a little bit of it, but not as much as I'd like to."

Fayne has no goals and three assists in 19 playoff games this year, following a regular season in which he scored four goals and set up 13 over 82 games. The humidity inside the Prudential Center didn't do him or anyone else on the choppy ice any favors.

Kings beat Devils to draw first blood

NEWARK, New Jersey (Reuters) - Anze Kopitar scored 8:13 into overtime to give the Los Angeles Kings a 2-1 win over the New Jersey Devils and draw first blood in the opening game of the Stanley Cup finals on Wednesday.
The two teams were forced to work overtime on a sweltering night in New Jersey, until Kopitar broke in alone on Martin Brodeur and flipped the puck under the Devils netminder to get the best-of-seven series off to a dramatic start.
It is the ninth straight playoff road win for the eighth seeded Kings, who can take command of the best-of-seven series with a 10th away win in Game Two on Saturday back at Newark's Prudential Center.
Colin Fraser scored in regulation for the Kings while Anton Volchenkov had the Devils lone goal.
(Editing by Ian Ransom)

Kopitar's OT goal lifts Kings over Devils 2-1

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Anze Kopitar scored a spectacular goal on a breakaway with 11:47 left in overtime Wednesday night and the Los Angeles Kings beat the New Jersey Devils 2-1 in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Kopitar faked a backhand shot, put the puck on his forehand and beat a prone Martin Brodeur.

Los Angeles has won all nine of its road games in the playoffs, an NHL record. The Kings are now one win shy of the NHL record for postseason road victories.

More importantly, they are three wins away from the franchise's first NHL title. They have won 11 consecutive road playoff games dating back to last season.

Colin Fraser scored in the first period for the Kings, the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference who beat the top three teams to get to their first Stanley Cup Finals since 1993.

Anton Volchenkov tied it late in the second period for New Jersey, the East's sixth seed.

Kopitar took a pass by Justin Williams from along the left wing boards and skated in alone on Brodeur. As soon as he rifled the puck into the net, he raised his hands and banged himself into the boards, facing the crowd off to Brodeur's right.

The veteran goaltender dejectedly skated off to the locker room as the rest of the Kings piled on Kopitar.

Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick finished with 17 saves in what was a relatively easy night. Brodeur had 23 saves as the Devils lost in overtime for just the second time this postseason; they have won four times. LA is 3-0 in overtime this spring.

The Devils had two great chances to take the lead early in the third period, and for a split second it appeared they went ahead with 16:02 to play in regulation when Zach Parise scored off a wild goal-mouth scramble.

While the horns went off and the fans celebrated, referee Dan O'Halloran quickly waved off the goal.

It was reviewed in Toronto and replay clearly showed Parise swept the puck into the net with his hand.

Defenseman Mark Fayne was probably kicking himself six minutes later when he missed a wide-open net from the edge of the crease in what was the Devils' best period of the night.

The Kings had their chances, too, with Brodeur making two outstanding saves about 10 seconds apart. He made a stacked-pad save on a one-timer by defenseman Drew Doughty from 30 feet after a drop pass from Mike Richards. A turnover seconds later set up Dustin Penner for a shot from the left circle.

The Kings came into the finals after steamrolling the top three seeds in the Western Conference in just 14 games, and they made the Devils look ordinary in the first 40 minutes, holding them to nine shots.

But a fluke goal by Volchenkov tied the game with 1:12 left in the second.

Volchenkov took a shot from the left point that Quick kicked away in front. The puck went airborne, avoided Devils forward Patrik Elias in front and hit off the shoulder of Kings defenseman Slava Voynov before going into the net.

Until then, Fraser's first career playoff goal was beginning to look like the winner.

It was a typical Kings' goal, created off the forecheck — by the fourth line, no less.

Jordan Nolan checked New Jersey's Andy Greene behind the Devils' net, outfought him for the puck and found Fraser between the circles for a shot that beat Brodeur 9:56 into the game.

The Kings had chances to extend the lead, but Brodeur, who was the difference in the Devils' victory over the rival Rangers in the conference finals, made three good saves. The best stop by the 40-year-old, three-time Cup winner came on the opening shift of the second period when he blocked Kopitar point blank on the edge of the crease.

Kopitar, of course, would get one past Brodeur much later in the evening.

Brodeur also stopped forward Jeff Carter from in close and made a big pad stop on Penner in the second.

The Devils were held without a shot for more than 14 minutes of the period before Parise was credited with one on a short-handed attempt in which the puck rolled off his stick into the crease.

Quick, who wasn't very busy in the first two periods, made his best save with a glove stop on Dainius Zubrus from the left circle after a turnover.

However, New Jersey managed to tie it on Volchenkov's strange goal.

The tally came just after Quick got into a tussle with Parise in the crease, and refused to let the Devils' captain get up after he fell as Parise lost his helmet.

NOTES: Less than a minute into the game, the chant of "BEAT L-A" echoed through the arena. ... Doug O'Neill, the trainer of Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner I'll Have Another, was on hand, as was New York Giants offensive lineman Chris Snee and New York Jets coach Rex Ryan.

Pacquiao aims to put on show vs Bradley

By Rebecca Bryan | AFP –

Filipino fight king Manny Pacquiao …

US boxer Timothy Bradley during …
Filipino fight king Manny Pacquiao wants to deliver something special against Timothy Bradley on June 9, to erase the taste of his narrow victory over Juan Manuel Marquez in November.
"It's really important because, of course, everybody knows my last fight was very close," Pacquiao said of the need if not for a knockout, at least for a fan-pleasing show.
Pacquiao edged Marquez by majority decision on November 12, stretching his victory streak to 15 fights but leaving his Mexican foe shouting robbery.
Adding more controversy to an already-heated rivalry, two judges handed Pacquiao the 12-round victory by margins of 116-112 and 115-113 while the third scored the fight a 114-114 draw.
In Marquez, Pacquiao had been taking on a familiar opponent, having beaten the Mexican in 2004 and 2008.
In Bradley, Pacquiao says he'll be facing a younger, "hungry" fighter, who has said this high-profile bout for Pacquiao's World Boxing Organization welterweight belt is the start of a new phase in his career.
"This is like my first fight all over again," said Bradley, the WBO light welterweight champion who boasts a record of 28-0 with 12 knockouts.
"In order to beat the champion you've got to take it to the champion," Bradley said last week. "We are setting out to win this fight and not sit around and look pretty. I am going to take it to Pacquiao."
Roach said that could be just what's needed to draw the best from Pacquiao.
"I think the way Bradley is going to come forward and force a fight, we're going to see a great Pacquiao," Roach said. "Bradley's a tough guy, very resilient. But being a tough guy doesn't win fights."
Pacquiao, who drew a throng of media to the Wild Card gym in Hollywood on Wednesday, promised he isn't underestimating the 28-year-old Bradley.
"He's a hungry fighter," Pacquiao said, although he made light of the age difference, saying that having built a record of 54-3-2 with 38 knockouts at the age of 33, he feels much younger.
"I'm still thinking I am 25, 26 years old," Pacquiao laughed.
Trainer Freddie Roach said he'd been impressed with the intensity Pacquiao has brought to his preparation.
Roach shook things up a bit by bringing in new sparring partners who didn't know Pacquiao, weren't friends and wouldn't go easy on the champion.
"It's worked out real well," Roach said Wednesday. "They're aggressive, I think it's helped."
On a different tack, however, Pacquiao was also joined in the United States by his wife and children, a further sign that the family troubles he said distracted him before his last bout were behind him.
"Manny's happy they're here," Roach said. "It's great."
Roach admitted he had some concerns that Pacquiao's new devotion to Bible study and spiritual matters might hinder him in the ring, with a newfound "compassion" somehow affecting his killer instinct.
"I was a little worried about that at first, but from the way he's been sparring and the way he hits the mitts, nothing has changed," Roach said. "He understands boxing is a sport, the sport he chose."